Ask to Join Pokémon: The Whirl Cup!

[Grand Master Koop]

July 22, Whirl Cup
Savannah

"Ducklan!" In an instant, the battle was finished. The Golduck laid motionless on the arena floor after losing his exchange against the dancing pineapple.

Moments earlier, Ducklan felt the clash of his claws against the opposing pokemon's hand. He gave it his best effort but the force added on by the Ludicolo's spin made the Knock Off more powerful than normal. The Duck pokemon lost that clash and was hit by the attack, stunning him momentarily. As he tried to regain his posture, the opposing Ludicolo proceeded to fall on him and slam him back to the ground with his body. With the damage he's been taking piling up, this final clash spent the last bit of energy Ducklan had and the Water type pokemon lost consciousness after landing, bringing the battle to a close.

Holding out her pokeball, Savannah returned Ducklan back into his capsule. The young woman was looking rather down. Not only did she lose her first real pokemon battle, she didn't even feel like she was the one battling at all. "Aww, I guess I'm not that good at battling as I wanted to be." She mumbled to herself. However, Savannah was taken out of her depressive state when she heard Reina call out to her. "Oh uh... Thanks!" She yelled back.

The girl let out a sigh. "Alright, time for the next battle. I might not be good now but I can still learn." She said to herself as she moved off stage to prepare for the second round.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The stage was set for the second round of group B. Savannah was up once again and this time, she'll be battling someone she didn't quite know. This Theo guy showed up in their group not long ago so Savannah had not gotten a chance to get to know him yet. Perhaps this battle will be a chance for them to interact for the first time.

"Phew, alright let's go." Hyping herself up, the young woman stepped out onto the battlefield for the second time of the day, hoping to have a better battle experience this time around. As she was pulling out her pokeball, the wild woman heard her opponent calling to her from the other side. Returning his enthusiasm, Savannah waved back with a big smile on her face. "Yeah! Let's have that!"

With the start of the match, Savannah held up her pokeball to her side. "Ducklan took your spot last time, so now I'll let you have a chance to battle." She said before throwing the ball towards the field. "Come out Coco!" With a flash of light, a Corsola was sent out on the battlefield.

Battle Start

Theo made the first move, Savannah watched as his Gorebyss suddenly got incredibly fast before shooting a rainbow colored beam from its mouth at Coco. Being much slower than the speed boosted Gorebyss, Coco had no chance to dodge and was hit by the attack. "Oh no!" Savannah exclaimed. The Corsola yelped in pain as she was knocked aside by the beam. The Water Rock type stood back up and glanced back towards her trainer, awaiting a command.

Savannah quickly began thinking of what to do next. Unlike Ducklan, the other pokemon she had caught didn't seem to have a natural talent for acting on their own, so she had to be the trainer here. "Uh... B-Bubble Beam! Yeah use that!" The girl commanded. Coco then shot out a wave of bubbles towards the speeding Gorebyss, following her trainer's command.

 

[Sir Krazz]

Friday, July 22
Tornare Coliseum – Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle - Johto
Interactions: Savannah (Grand Master Koop)

He watched as the Corsola took form, thinking it reminded him of living coral. “Rotom?” The Rotom Phone emerged from his pocket on its own and scanned the Corsola. Huh. So it was. Maybe this Pokemon thing wasn't going to be as hard as he originally thought. He nodded an acknowledgment, looking back to the battle unfolding in front of him. White bubbles were hurdling towards Gorebyss. Theo believed if it wasn't broke don't fix it. After you dodge, use Signal Beam again!” The Gorebyss turned to look at Theo, obviously confused. Had she missed something there? The distraction was enough that the Bubble Beam hit home, Theo looking as dumbfounded as the Gorebyss felt. “Wh...why didn't you dodge?” he called, the Gorebyss trilling angrily in response. “I have to tell you to dodge?? It's not that complex!” Oui vey. This mermaid pokemon was going to be the death of him. Theo shook his head, looking back at the Corsola. “Alright. Let's try this again, yeah? Signal Beam again, but move around. You don't want to be a sitting....mermaid.” He couldn't say sitting duck and be right in this situation, could he? With another angry trill the Gorebyss dove underwater and began to swim towards the Corsola, jumping out of the water about half the distance between the two of them before firing off another beam.

 

[Godjacob]

Desmond Andrews (Unranked)
Red Rock Isle (Scarlet City), Whirl Islands, Johto (July 22nd)​

Kricketune seemed to wait patiently as Skol slowly turned and greeted them, chirping happily as she smiled and waved one of her appendages. "Krick~!"

Politoed in turn seemed to watch as the large and ghost-armor Pokemon seemed to clap its hands twice, almost mimicking the Politoed as it chaimed happily which made Politoed overjoyed. Hopping around and clapping it seemed to encourage Huck and showed it was happy with it. "Politoed~!"

"Well, seemed her first match didn't go so well. Though I find it hard to blame her." Tristan said with a sigh as Savannah lost, seemed her and her Golduck had not been on the same page. Either way, the next set of matches were already being prepared int his round robin tournament as he had gotten himself a fresh reel of film to prepare for it as among the next contenders had been Savannah again who seemed to have a Corsola.

"We'll see if she can make it up here." Desmond said with a smile.

 

[Grand Master Koop]

July 22, Whirl Cup
Savannah

Savannah looked on to the other side of the battlefield. "Huh, I guess I'm not the only one having trouble." She commented. Following Theo's blunder, the young woman observed as he sent his Gorebyss out into action again. While the Gorebyss was fast, its act of first diving into the water gave Savannah a couple seconds to think. "Ok, I should do something before they attack... But what?" The girl delved deep inside her mind to think of what move to use next. "Umm, Ancient Power?" She said out loud, unsure about her decision.

Whether or not Savannah was sure of her command, Coco was already on it. Raising her stubby little arms, the Coral pokemon created a quartet of silver energy orbs around her. When the opposing Gorebyss jumped out of the water and shot another Signal Beam at her, the Corsola also launched her attack to counter. Two of the orbs collided with the beam while the remaining two went around it and straight towards Gorebyss.

 

[Sir Krazz]

Friday, July 22
Tornare Coliseum – Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle - Johto
Interactions: Savannah (Grand Master Koop)

Well hell. All that speed wasn't going to do him any good in the air. With no way to maneuver out of the way the Gorebyss fell back to the water with a pained trill, rising out of it with a shake of her head. Ok, that one was his fault. He thought for a second, trying to remember something. Naka had said something about an attack that also healed any pokemon that used it, and that Gorebyss knew it. What was it again? Fanging..Drilling...Draining...that was it! “Draining Kiss then dive again!” The Gorebyss went with it, winking at the Corsola before firing off the requested attack, a pair of shimmering pink lips flying towards it. Now it was time to turn the tides. “Rise back up with Muddy Water!!” He figured this way if another Ancient Power was shot at Gorebyss she would at least have the water to hide back in and maybe slow them down some.

 

[ThAtGuY101]

~Aldon...~
~Skol the god, Bran the bronzor,
Zippy the magnemite, Huck the golett, Wunder the Sigilyph and Bolly the Baltoy...~
~Whirl Cup, Red Rock Isle, July 22...~

Aldon looked down at the field as Tristan and Desmond commented.

"I guess we'll see soon enough" Aldon commented. He wasn't quite sure how the matches were going, but one thing he was certain of, were the vendor snacks. He still had a few with him. He turned to look at Dessy.

"So you got any plans for those photos? Like posting them in a newspaper or something. What do you do with them?" Aldon wondered. Skol stared silently at kricketune for a while, before eventually blinking. Waving his front paw again. For some reason, a small pebble caught Skol's attention. His eyes glowed a faint blue, as the pebble lifted off the ground. Eventually placing it on the bench. Why? Skol thought it looked better there.

"Slo...!" Skol mused before letting out a yawn.

"Lett..." Huck chimed in a slightly more cheerful tone as it looked over at the frog. Even Huck could notice it was in a good mood.

 

[Godjacob]

Desmond Andrews (Unranked)
Red Rock Isle (Scarlet City), Whirl Islands, Johto (July 22nd)
​

Desmond listened to Aldon while he continued to snap pictures of the current matches, and the question of what he did with the photos came up which given he rarely had a chance to talk his process with anyone, he seemed mote interested in than he had in usual talking points.

"Well I keep one set of photos for myself, making a sort of global collage to record my adventures across the world. I then make copies I can either manage to sway to use in publications, like magazines and newspapers, or sell in stores. How I generally make money." Desmond explained a bit, snapping some pics of the battle all the while.

Kricketune watched as Skol seemed to levitate the pebble and shift it ever so slightly from one location to the next. The impressionable bug type was amazed, as it used such amazing power for what appeared to be a mundane reason, it needed to know the machinations of this one as it seemed to possess a unique wisdom.

Politoed seemed to feed off the good mood and clapped happily, but then it seemed to find a problem as it had not a best view of the action, before it glanced up at Huck as perhaps if it allowed it to sit on its shoulders a spell, it'd be able to look over some faces ahead of them on the crowd. "Politoed?" Politoed mused, as if asking if that had been okay.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Nakano Saito​

Date: July 22 (26yo)
Location: Tornare Coliseum - Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle, Whirl Archipelago, Johto
Pokemon Team: Mudster the Swampert, Iwa the Wishiwashi, Ludwig the Ludicolo, Orochi the Zweilous

Interactions: Charlotte (Charlotte Pryce)

Naka chuckled at her superhero joke, shaking her head. She snorted a bit at her burnt ankle, but waved her hand nonchalantly at that. "Ah, that's okay. Mental scars are what proves someone's mettle, not physical scars."

Finally, Orochi got some petting! He whined happily, the little tail wagging quickly and his poor excuse for wings as thin flaps flapped quickly in happiness. When she petted one head, the other head went over to rub against the hand. Getting compliments had Orochi purring, even yapping to say he was a good two-headed dragon when prompted, even panting like a dog.

Naka laughed at Charlotte's reaction, holding her hand to her forehead. "I mean, that was pretty adorable, too." Even her Swampert and Ludicolo were chuckling, though they were more beaming at how cute the two were being. "I got a question though. What experiences have you had with other Dark-Types? Don't worry about offending me or Orochi, he's pretty much removed himself from the idea of being a Dark-Type." Well, until he evolves, she thought.

 

[ThAtGuY101]

~Aldon...~
~Skol the god, Bran the bronzor,
Zippy the magnemite, Huck the golett, Wunder the Sigilyph and Bolly the Baltoy...~
~Whirl Cup, Red Rock Isle, July 22...~

Seeing how the battles were moving along, Aldon leaned back. He might as well be confu if all he was going to do was watch and chat with Dessy-kun. Aldon stretched his legs out.

"Magazines, huh? Kinda like the Splinded Spinda" Dolan commented. Remembering his favorite magazine.

Skol turned the pebble ever so slightly. Grinning slightly more now. He looked over at kricketune with squinted eyes. Still grinning ever so. Huck didn't care if Politoad stood on it's shoulders, since it hadn't directly effected his ability to guard and protect. Yet .

 

[Charlotte Pryce]

Charlotte Pryce
Date: Sunday, July 24th
Age: 21 years old
Location: Cianwood City, Johto
Pokémon Team: Fernando (Infernape level 52), Dini (Alakazam level 52), Splash (Floatzel level 49), Bolero (Roserade level 52), Hatari (Luxray level 52), Tiburon (Garchomp level 48 )
Interactions: Naka (Merciless Medic)

Charlotte pursed her lips in thought. "Let's see... There was my uncle's Houndoom." Charlotte shuddered at the memory. "His name was Grimm, and he was very sweet. I used to play with him all the time, whenever I visited my uncle in Johto. My uncle taught him to respond to non-verbal cues. That's where I got the idea for my code. My uncle loved chasing thrills. From Pokémon Battles to bike racing. He was good at them too. He got so confident that he started betting on everything. Single battles, doubles, even when he wasn't the one participating. He used to say that he had a knack for knowing which trainers would win and which would not. His debts started piling up and he pushed Grimm to the limit."

Charlotte sighed. "Oh my thirteenth birthday, he took me to a makeshift arena. Told my father he needed some money to take me out for a 'special treat'. When we got there, he bet the whole stack that he could beat anyone's team with a single Pokémon. He selected Grimm.
'At the time, I thought he was just showing off. You know? Trying to give me something special. After a while though, I started to notice how exhausted Grimm was. He was up against a full team of six. By the time the opposing trainer brought out a Rhydon, I knew he had enough. I tried begging my uncle to stop the match. Grimm was panting and shaking like he was about to collapse. My uncle dismissed it, saying he was just trying to fool his opponent.
'You are probably aware that Ground and Rock type moves are two of Houndoom's weakness's right? Well, after two hits from Earthquake, Grimm had enough. My uncle kept yelling at him, calling him a useless and saying that he was pathetic if he couldn't take down a Rhydon. Grimm just...snapped. He leapt out of the arena and tried to use beat up on my uncle. I wanted to calm him down. I ran to get is Poké Ball, but when Grimm saw it in my hand, he tackled me."

Charlotte looked apologetically at Orochi. "I was so scared. Grimm never snarled at me before, but in that moment, he looked about ready to bite my head off. I was able to recall him in time, but I never forgot it, or the way my uncle yelled at me for costing him Dad's money. I know I should have been more scared of my uncle, but I guess the idea of Grimm hating me was enough to make me wary of Dark-type Pokémon."

She turned to Naka. "It doesn't help that most evil organizations use Dark-type Pokémon either. I mean, I know there are plenty of good ones. I once had a Murkow that would visit my house for food, and I did some research work with Skuntanks and Absols. I mean, who hasn't at this point?"

Charlotte chuckled.

"Why? Are you worried about Orochi evolving into a Hydreigon?"

 

[Godjacob]

Desmond Andrews (Unranked)
Red Rock Isle (Scarlet City), Whirl Islands, Johto (July 22nd)
​

Desmond had not been the type to mingle by nature, being he was a bit of an anti-social jer...uh, "reserved" young man, but somehow he seemed to find chatting with Aldon easier than most, quite the unexpected development.

"Funny I've been trying tog et in that magazine since I started. I hope this Whirl Islands set gets me in the door there." Desmond admitted to Aldon. Snapping pics as the battles raged on in the arena.

Kricketune seemed to smile a bit and seemed to look around as it found a pebble itself, and very much the impressionable one lifted it up and tried to move it next to the one Skol had been turning. "Tune~"

Politoed made sure it was comfortable on Huck's shoulders and seemed to get a much better view of the action, though the frog glanced down and seemed to check if it was okay with this. "Politoed~?"

 

[Merciless Medic]

Nakano Saito​

Date: July 22 (26yo)
Location: Tornare Coliseum - Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle, Whirl Archipelago, Johto
Pokemon Team: Mudster the Swampert, Iwa the Wishiwashi, Ludwig the Ludicolo, Orochi the Zweilous

Interactions: Charlotte (Charlotte Pryce)

Naka listened intently as Charlotte recounted her story with Grimm. As soon as she heard that her uncle turned into a gambling man however, she knew where this story was going. Despite that, she let her finish, sighing as she was proven right. "When you said he betted on everything, I was worried you were going to say he overworked his Houndoom, but he did." She shook her head. "Dark-Types are easy to predict to me. Most Dark-Types follow a simple proclivity of either stealing, pranking, being haughty and enacting their actions of pride onto others, or attacking brutally and without question. Like they almost enjoy it. However, there are those who don't follow the same norms, like Orochi. It is as much a learned thing that can also be trained away as much as it is partially biologically hardwired into their systems. It takes a lot to humble a Dark-Type, let alone a Dark/Dragon-Type due to the Dragon-Type's usually prideful nature." She leaned back a bit, eyes staring off into space as she recalled her encounters with Houndoom.

"I was on assignment once - to learn the difference between Houndour and Houndoom found in Kanto, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, and Alola. I just heard a research assignment to learn more about these Pokemon are in Paldea, too, but I'll get there eventually. Either way, I found that while Houndour and their evolutions live in small packs that use pack mentality to work together and capture prey and scare off intruders, I realized how small in number there were. They seem to only haunt the same grounds they were born around, so dodging their territories is easy. There's a reason why they're in a couple Safari Zones, and it's because of a possibility of their declining population. They aren't as bad as Kangaskhan and Farfetch'd were, but they're still rather small in number, and I think in some core part of their spirit they know that. They have to fight brutally to keep themselves alive, and sometimes they have to exile or cull their pack numbers if they get too big as infighting can cause the pack numbers to lessen even more. Survival of the fittest would be their motto, and none of them can afford to be weak. Some places they live at are also accompanied by dogs like Growlithe during the day and bigger cats like Persian during the night, so not only must they resort to underhanded tricks to get their food no matter what, but it's a survival technique to survive any attacks made by these Pokemon. That is why they act with such brutality and savagery. It's a need to survive. In fact, almost all Houndour and Houndoom act very similarly to each other, no matter the region, likely because of the very similar dynamic they share with the ecosystem."

Getting off her research on the Pokemon, she continued. "But just because a Dark-Type has more underhanded or - dare I say - "evil" proclivities, they aren't sociopaths about it. In fact, I think a good majority of them are psychopaths - able to feel and understand emotions in others, they just choose to cause suffering when they want to. Of course, not all Dark-Types have what we humans call a mental illness either. In fact, I've met quite a few Dark-Types with huge hearts. While they are usually seen under the ownership of trainers - as compassion and learning how to use their empathy for good are things that are learned or taught in most living things, not something anybody is born with - they do exist in the wild, as well. We may have genetic code that affects what personality sticks and what's easier to develop, but that's besides the point."

She then leaned forward, elbows on her knees. "If I can get into the head of your uncle's Houndoom for a minute, I bet he adored his trainer. Until he started being used in betting fights. While Houndoom love to fight and show their superiority to others by beating them down and betting in fights is extremely common, there is no pride in continuing to fight and be overused in a way that kills the Pokemon's spirit. I don't know what your uncle was on the time - maybe he had his own pride and didn't want to disappoint you or your father. He was lashing out like a Dark-Type, and the Houndoom lashed out in kind for being mistreated - for being pushed to win a fight that he couldn't win and that's debilitating on not only his pride, but the very being of a Pokemon. Most Pokemon were born to fight - whether alongside us or to survive. To put such a high standard and an expectation one couldn't reach and being verbally berated about not being "worthy" for such a ridiculous standard is enough to make any Pokemon lash out. If I did that with any of my Pokemon, they'd hurt me, too. Especially my Sceptile and Infernape. Being berated was the final straw - his pride crumbling and worthiness in shambles, and feeling like he lost the trust and respect of his trainer they had been curating for so long up till that point - and he targeted his frustrations at his trainer to get him to stop. To never say those hurtful words ever again because it wasn't him and if he wanted to push him to fight against odds he never would have beaten on his own, then he should try being in that arena himself and see how he likes having to push himself until he can feel his bones ache." She realized how passionate she was getting, so she closed her eyes and took in a deep sigh before continuing.

"It's like going from straight A's in middle school and high school to suddenly getting F's in college and never being able to handle college brings and having your parents berate you all of a sudden for failing and calling you stupid for not getting something right. That's the level of emotional turmoil he went through. Someone he cared for and fought - even proud of for being an awesome human - became little more than garbage to him, and that probably hurt Grimm even more." Naka shook her head.

"I bet when he saw you take the Pokeball, he got upset for probably a myriad of reasons. He was rightfully angry that his righteous action out of anger would be stopped as he needed to teach his trainer a lesson that he could feel too, but also terrified that if you put him in that Pokeball, he'd be dealt with by either being traded off or abandoned or whatever other logical yet irrational idea he had in his head as he likely didn't have the strength to set himself free on his own. He was scared you were just going to let the man continue his abuse, and he rightfully should be angry, but not hate you because you didn't know. Dark-Types tend to hold grudges. However, I have found that Dark-Types have a twisted sense of justice and morals, as those with pride don't want to be seen as lesser. Whether that's getting dirty or not stooping the level of a lowly Pokemon. I bet with how scared you were, that was enough to get it through your head that you sort of knew and he would have let you go and ran off. Or attacked your uncle some more. Honestly? I want to deck your uncle. Treating a Pokemon like that is abhorrent." She paused for a moment, then spoke again. "The only reason evil organizations use Dark-Types is for their ability to steal and be sneaky, while also doing underhanded tricks. That's it. They are using the Dark-Type as they were made for in nature."

At the question of why, she shrugged. "Not exactly. I should be able to handle Orochi when he evolves. It just takes some recklessness and grit." She smiled, earning a happy yap from Orochi. Though, during the whole recollection and assessment of the story, Orochi was busying himself with rubbing his heads on Charlotte's legs as a way to sort of comfort her. "I was wondering why you were afraid of Dark-Types, as it's a common thing nowadays, but the things that happen to people with Dark-Types is sometimes heavily misunderstood, as there's actually a simpler, more basal and sinful human answer to why they lash out. That's all."

She then smiled. "If I were to be frank. I have more issues with Grass-Types than I do with Dark-Types." She chuckled a little, then patted her Ludicolo on the shoulder. "And I don't mean you or Silenus, Ludwig." Ludwig put a hand to his chest and sighed in relief, as he was starting to get worried there.

 

[Charlotte Pryce]

Charlotte Pryce
Date: Sunday, July 24th
Age: 21 years old
Location: Cianwood City, Johto
Pokémon Team: Fernando (Infernape level 52), Dini (Alakazam level 52), Splash (Floatzel level 49), Bolero (Roserade level 52), Hatari (Luxray level 52), Tiburon (Garchomp level 48 )
Interactions: Naka (Merciless Medic)

Charlotte listed in rapt attention to Naka's story. It was amazing how much this woman stood about Pokémon thought and behavior. "You should be a psychiatrist," she joked. "You just diagnosed in fifteen minutes what took me probably five years to figure out."

She supposed Naka would chalk it up to experience. What she had said about the nature of Dark-type Pokémon was mostly true. Although their were a couple of species, like Absol and Deino that appeared deviant from the norm. Speaking of which, Charlotte gave Orochi a friendly scratch. It was hard to believe this sweet thing would go through an attitude change.

When Naka mentioned she was afraid of Grass-types, Charlotte was surprised. "Grass-types? Really? I mean, there was a kid in my neighborhood who threatened to feed me to his Victreebel once, but other than that I saw no reason to be afraid of them."

She didn't pry. If Naka wanted to tell her about it, Charlotte assumed she would.

"It's nice to meet someone who's so passionate about Pokémon. And for the record, I'm pretty sure my Dad grabbed my uncle by the shoulders and threw him out the door when he heard what happened." Charlotte wouldn't admit it, but she had also thought about doing a similar thing to her uncle if she ever saw him again.

 

[ThAtGuY101]

~Dolan Aldon...~
~Skol the god, Bran the bronzor,
Zippy the magnemite, Huck the golett, Wunder the Sigilyph and Bolly the Baltoy...~
~Whirl Cup, Red Rock Isle, July 22...~

The Naka vs Charlotte match had caught Dolan's Aldon's attention. He could tell they were talking, but given his distance, he couldn't make out what they were saying.

He turning to look at Desmond whom knew of Dolan's Aldon's favorite magazine, but hadn't had the fortune of having his photographs featured in it yet. Dolan Aldon thought that was a bit of a shame, seeing how much he liked his picture of Skol. Really capturing his omnipotent yet also majestic side.

"Maybe you'll get lucky one day. I bet if you submitted Skol's photo they'd accept it. Maybe throw your kricketune buddy in the photo. What do you two think, huh?" Dolan Aldon asked. Skol did not hear Dolan Aldon, as he contemplated the stones in front of him. Shifting his gaze from his stone to kricketune, back to his stone, then kricketune's again, then over at his one more time. Now staring back up at his insectoid friend.

"poke!" Skol was content. Everything was right in the world. As it should be. Huck glances around, with a hand above his eyes as if to shield his eyes from the sun. Silently and vigilantly watching. A true guardsman at heart.

 

[Godjacob]

Desmond Andrews (Unranked)
Red Rock Isle (Scarlet City), Whirl Islands, Johto (July 22nd)​

Desmond couldn't help but chuckle at that comment, as his camera switched to and between Savannah and Naka's matches making sure he had gotten some good shots on both fronts. Snap! Snap! Snap!

"Well I'm sure Skol will make an appearance in this set I send their way, pending your approval, so we'll see if that rings true." Desmond admitted, as he had to admit for the ups and downs this trip had Aldon seemed to be someone he had formed an unexpected connection with.

Kricketune looked on and wondered if it overstepped it boundaries by placing the stone, as Aldon seemed to give its insightful inspection. Well insightful from the impressionable Bug anyway, but once it let out a content cry Kricketune seemed to buzz a bit with some joy at its new pebble bubby. "Tuune~!"

Politoed seemed to be comfortable on the shoulders of the Ghost type, adn when it noticed it using its hand to cover the sun from its eyes, the frog Pokemon attempted to aid by using its hand instead to shield the sun from Huck's eyes. Teamwork was dreamwork it had heard after all.

 

[ThAtGuY101]

~Aldon...~
~Skol the god, Bran the bronzor,
Zippy the magnemite, Huck the golett, Wunder the Sigilyph and Bolly the Baltoy...~
~Whirl Cup, Red Rock Isle, July 22...~

[Snap! Snap!]

Aldon snapped his fingers, finger gun pointing them at Desmond.

"That's the best idea you had all day! I like the way you think, buddy" Aldon said, grinning excitedly. Skol didn't understand why Aldon was happy, but he was happier too now. With the pebbles placed in a suitable location, Skol was pleased to lay down and give himself a pat on the back with his tail. He looked at the clouds in the sky. It was shaped like a ditto. Too far away for Skol to reach, but if he could, he'd shape it like an everstone. Or a magikarp. Possibly both.

Politoad's friendly gesture did not go unrecognized by the little guardian. It placed it's hands down on it's hips, seeing how froggy had it's back. Looking around. Huck was a simple mon with the same task it has performed for well over a two hundred years. Watching and waiting. Always prepared to fight at a moments notice. It was the only thing the little guardian understood and what it was made to do. Glancing over at his master and friend and at the people in the crowd. It would not hesitate to strike an unexpecting individual if they seemed like they could pose a threat. Huck liked politoed. Huck trusted Politoad, thus did not need to feel cautious around them.

"Lett!" Huck grumbled to himself. Many people, but everything was calm. Like the eye of the storm. Battles waged on, down below in the arena. Huck ignored it. It would not effect them. Fights did not interest the golem. There was no thrill of battle, only necessity for it.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Nakano Saito​

Date: July 22 (26yo)
Location: Tornare Coliseum - Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle, Whirl Archipelago, Johto
Pokemon Team: Mudster the Swampert, Iwa the Wishiwashi, Ludwig the Ludicolo, Orochi the Zweilous

Interactions: Charlotte (Charlotte Pryce)

Charlotte's joke had Naka laughing. "I'd rather not prescribe medicine." She chuckled, though felt almost proud, yet embarrassed from the praise. Attempting to not fold under it, she merely scratched her cheek with her finger. "Thanks... I've just... Been around them a lot. I only really handle Pokemon more than humans, so their tendencies tend to rub off on me or become plain as day."

With a clicking purr from Orochi, he then tried to nip at her clothes very softly. First, going after her sleeve while trying not to bite her skin in the process, then going after her shirt. "Pff, I think he's hungry." Even then, his biting wasn't really biting. There was no aggressive snapping or anything, it felt like he was mouthing.

When Charlotte questioned, Naka snorted. "Oh, there's a bit more to it than that." She grinned. She paused to wait to tell the story, beaming at Charlotte's relief to meet someone like her. Hearing what her dad might have done, she laughed. "Good, I'd just have socked his teeth in."

She looked over at her Pokemon, who seemed confused. Neither of them didn't know this story, so they just stared blankly at her. She then turned to Charlotte. "Well, it was during one of my assignments. My Sceptile was with me at the time, and so was Orochi, but he was in his Pokeball. We were to go to Lostlorn Forest to find a group of Zoroark and Zorua to cross reference with the ones found in Kalos. While we were in there, we came upon Simisage, Leavanny, Whimsicott, Lilligant, and Roserade, as well as their pre-evolutions. Zorua and Zoroark are exceedingly rare, so it was very likely that whatever illusion we would see wouldn't be as widespread or as confusing as what we'd get into in Kalos, so I knew those Pokemon weren't figments of a Zoroark's tricks. They still looked at me funny though, which was rather unnerving. Lostlorn Forest is named because you get lost easy there, and for its forlorn feeling, like it used to be something great centuries ago before it was overrun with nature." She leaned back and chuckled.

"For as odd as those Pokemon were, I didn't realize how much trouble we would have gotten into. There was a Serperior with her brood of pre-evolutions there." She grinned wide. "Like I would with Vespiquen, I approached her reverently and bowed, even wanted to offer gifts and possible aid. While she agreed, she didn't as much like my Sceptile, who I call Silenus. She wasn't very helpful in telling us where the Zoroark were, which I understood completely. However, she had sent the Grass-Types to test Silenus. And to do that, I sadly was also a target." Her grin softened to one of reminiscing. "I was thrown powders my way. I had my body locked up first, then after curing that I got extremely ill. After I got over that, I was then put to sleep. My Sceptile was furious. After carrying me to the Serperior, he probably told her off for her treacherous actions and challenged her. Or maybe she didn't like the words he spewed and attacked. Either way. she used Frenzy Plant to not only keep me away from him, but to also hurt me with its thorns while she was locked in combat with him. Of course, locking me in vines woke me up." She scoffed. "During this fight was when he learned how to use Frenzy Plant, albeit rushed and it wasn't perfect, it was barely enough to overpower the vines holding me captive and freeing me before running off. As we found a place of reprieve, a mist took over the forest, and that's when I knew the Zoroark were near." She smiled, a genuine happy smile.

"They smelled my blood, and after Silenus told them what happened and saw such devotion he had for me that was similar to their own pack-centric devotion - and also knowing there was no way they'd be able to attack me or beat Silenus without getting hurt themselves - they ended up shielding us from the Grass-Types that grew immensely hostile with our presence. Of course, they didn't like the fact we were there either, but I was able to stay just long enough to determine their normal behavioral patterns and the differences they held with the ones in Kalos. They were highly secretive, and awfully timid, only giving aid when something inspires them if it aligns with not attacking the other wild Pokemon or attacking when cornered. They know they're few and far between in number in Unova. Poor things." She sighed, then shook her head.

"It's not that I'm afraid of Grass-Types, per se. I'm afraid of the power over nature they hold, especially with how much nature surrounds us daily - and even more so me being a field researcher. And considering I've been set upon by Trevenant I thought were only just trees, it's safe to say I don't like their ability to camouflage either. At least Sudowoodo were easy to spot." She laughed lightheartedly at that.

 

[Charlotte Pryce]

Charlotte Pryce
Date: July 22nd
Age: 21 years old
Location: Whirl Islands, Johto
Pokémon Team: Fernando (Infernape level 52), Dini (Alakazam level 52), Splash (Floatzel level 49), Bolero (Roserade level 52), Hatari (Luxray level 52), Tiburon (Garchomp level 48 )

Interactions: Naka (Merciless Medic)

As Naka told her story, Charlotte was speechless. She couldn't imagine being attacked and then tied up by wild Pokémon. Sure, Sinnoh was known for having some dangerous varieties, but nothing like what Naka described. The only Grass-Type Pokémon she ever had to worry about was Carnivine. Granted, Roserade was not the dainty lady it appeared to be, as she had learned when training her very own Bolero.

"Sounds like you would have preferred being fed to a Victreebell," Charlotte mused. "At least then, all you'd have to do was crawl out of it's mouth and give it a good telling off afterwards. Back home, my greatest fear out in the wild was that I might get carried off by a Drifloon."

She smiled wryly at that, remembering a time when it almost had happened.

"I think it's great that you're willing to take risks," she told Naka, "and your Pokémon are clearly devoted to you. Still, I bet you could do without the cuts and bruises sometimes, huh."

Charlotte wondered whether she ought to take more risks in her research. Unlike most Pokémon researchers, her work dealt mostly with what one might call 'domestic Pokémon', Pokémon that lived with people or had at one time belonged to a trainer.

"I guess that's part of the reason I work with captured Pokémon," Charlotte confessed. "Granted I've been cut and bruised a few times myself, but the risk is minimal compared to your work. Still, I've often thought that trainers don't take into account the potential risks and side effects of using a new product on their Pokémon. I once talked to a Kalos researcher who suspected that some Pokémon were genuinely displeased by Mega Evolution. He sighted Absol as an example. However, no one appears to be developing Mega Evolution anymore since the incident with Lysandre Labs, so I guess the data is useless now. People still use Mega Evolution, but it's not like any new Mega Evolutions are being pursued."

Charlotte paused, muling over what Naka said about the Zoroark population. "But, maybe I should get out in the field more. I mean, wild Pokémon probably suffer more from human error than those that are caught and raised."

Charlotte was afraid to admit it, but every time she had published a paper she'd wondered whether it did any good. Some people thought her insights were inspiring while others accused her of being a nut, or worse, not a real scientist.

 

[Godjacob]

Desmond Andrews (Unranked)
Red Rock Isle (Scarlet City), Whirl Islands, Johto (July 22nd)​

Desmond course had many complaints of this trip, being strung along on an impulse, having to help calm a frantic lake of startled Pokemon, nearly dying at the beach at the hands of a giant Blastoise, but for all of the strive there had been some good to come of this trip and perhaps Aldon had been the personification of that.

"I'm bound to have an occasional good idea I suppose..." Desmond mused a bit, a small smile on his lips as he continued to snap pictures of the battles as he seemed to be unironically enjoying himself for a change. Guess Politoed's enthusiasm had to rub off on him at some point right?

Politoed smiled a bit as its gesture seemed to be noticed and now Huck seemed to rest a little easier. Politoed had to admit this ghost knight seemed so cool, it wondered if it could ever look as cool someday? Either way it hoped that Huck could enjoy the show as it kept its hand to block the sun while the curious frog's gaze seemed to shift to the water arena below.

Kricketune seemed to smile a bit at their pebbles together, it wondered perhaps if it would have a cool way to lift a pebble like Skol did as it seemed to do so almost effortlessly. Once the Psychic type patted itself on the back, Kricketune's gaze shifted to the sky and then back to its wings. It should fly, yet the most it had been able to do was glide for short periods, perhaps it needed to work on that...

 

[Merciless Medic]

Nakano Saito​

Date: July 22 (26yo)
Location: Tornare Coliseum - Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle, Whirl Archipelago, Johto
Pokemon Team: Mudster the Swampert, Iwa the Wishiwashi, Ludwig the Ludicolo, Orochi the Zweilous

Interactions: Charlotte (Charlotte Pryce)

Naka pursed her lips at the thought of being eaten by a Victreebel, only to remember that she nearly was eaten by one. "Haha, funny you say that." She chuckled, scratching the back of her head. As Charlotte recalled her own fear of Drifloon, Naka chuckled. "So, not only did I nearly get carried away by Drifloon on my first week living in Sinnoh when I was barely ten, but I also got eaten by a Victreebel when I was twelve. To be honest, I'd prefer the Serperior treatment, the inside of a Victreebel is super slippery and its acid stung. It was so panic inducing, and the smell was god-awful. I prefer not being able to smell than being able to smell its past digestions and my own flesh being slowly digested."

As Charlotte praised more of Naka's willingness to take risks, Naka felt herself folding bit by bit. She chuckled a bit out of embarrassment, looking away for a brief moment before looking back at her when she spoke of not needing the cuts and bruises. Naka shook her head. "Nah, I prefer 'em." She said simply and quickly, smiling. But that's when Charlotte spoke of her own preferences.

It honestly sounded like Charlotte was less confident with her work in comparison to Naka's. With how often she complimented Naka's work, she wondered just how much she thought of her work. Maybe some praise her way would help, and it was clear from that. She nodded in thought about Mega Evolution. It was clearly something interesting, but always there was going to be a price to pay for that kind of power.

When Charlotte spoke of going out into the field more, Naka's suspicions were correct. She narrowed her eyes at her, before speaking again. "I think what you're doing is good. I don't know how the Zoroark got into Unova, whether they were native and human expansion has decreased their numbers, or if they were brought there and are trying to survive as best they could despite not having good places to hide in. Pokemon - and people - are always suffering from human error. We just have to pick and choose what we want to help with. Of course, wild Pokemon are easier to study and get praise for. You're not talking shit about how other people are raising their Pokemon, but you will inevitably find yourself talking shit to companies and expansionists. Honestly, humans have a worse pride problem than even Dark-Types sometimes." She sighed, shaking her head in disappointment.

"People don't realize what they're getting into half the time, like they're going on a whim. Yeah, you've got an easier time not getting decked across a field by a Pokemon, but the biggest obstacle is people - and the worse ones are the ignorant ones who think nothing is wrong or that the risks don't outweigh what they could achieve. Mega Evolution is a very painful process, by the way. On reports I've read, most Pokemon find it difficult to keep in the form. Some don't find it too painful, but others literally go on rampages as the pain literally cloud all of its judgment and there's only destroy. There's a reason why Mega Salamence is called the Blood-Soaked Crescent." Her face became more serious as she spoke of Mega Evolution. Then she sighed. "I don't mind Mega Evolution. There's a reason why you need a bond with your Pokemon that's strong enough to make them listen to you - even through the mind-numbing pain. But people are still using Mega Evolution, and just as long as at least one person is, that research data is not useless. In fact, what we find and research will help generations far later than us who suddenly pick those up. We haven't found anymore Mega Evolutions, but who knows what we could find out there that we haven't discovered yet?"

She then chuckled and looked away rather sheepishly. "I need to stop getting on my soap box." She cleared her throat and continued to the point she was trying to make earlier.

"Anyway, you're dealing with a rough patch in your line of work. It's going to happen. You're going to find people who will do anything to help their Pokemon, and then you're going to find those who think nothing they've done is wrong. It's how you deliver it. You have to carefully deliver what you say so it doesn't sound like - not even implying - that they're intentionally hurting their Pokemon. And even when tempers flare, you need to remain cool. Nobody can deny numbers and cold hard facts, and if you're too heated, they won't listen to you. And if they still don't believe you, it's on them. Pokemon are suffering with our decisions no matter if they are wild or captured, and no one should categorize the pain we cause them by severity because that's all subjective. What could be worse for one Pokemon may actually be not as bad or even beneficial for another."

She then grinned. "You have no idea the amount of snobby scientists I have to work with being a field researcher. While I was practically learning everything and joining groups on field research, I often found my own papers being denounced because there never was enough sample evidence. I ended up asking Professor Rowan and Lucas to help fund my research by going to other regions, but they told me that until I start making actual substantive work and earning my wages and that funding, they couldn't help me. So I worked hard, dabbling into other fields of research until I finally got the go ahead to run to other regions with a backing." She smugly chuckled to herself, staring up at the ceiling in her seated posture. "Ahh... Those were the days of two-hour cat naps every half a day and running on fumes, dreams, and coffee. Of course, I did get sleep and a day off every now and then, but I didn't quit for a whole four years."

She looked over at Charlotte and grinned. "Don't give up, find more sample material, and they if they can't take the heat of facts, then they shouldn't be training their Pokemon. If there's a substantial problem, sue them for Pokemon endangerment, which any judge would take seriously but also scrutinize heavily. You'll have the money for a lawyer, and your evidence in court would be enough to take away their Pokemon rights unless they follow what your evidence entail. Yeah, you'll get flak, but you also get more people who would admire your dedication and confidence to take it to court and win. No matter what their opinion is about you, they'll listen - whether out of respect or fear." She gave Charlotte a challenging smirk, then it vanished and she shrugged.

"That's really the only way I can think of, and sadly it brings law into account, but you gotta be proactive if you want to be seen and acknowledged. However, you're gonna get a lot of trainers to start taking the care of their Pokemon more seriously - at least so if they run into you, you won't sue them. Honestly, you could probably sell your research to doctors and nurses. They'll find that pretty useful too, and you can even get a medical backing if they consider it good enough to pay you and even support you in court if it ever comes down to that. Though, you'll need to be sure that whatever you're going against doesn't pit innocent trainers in the crosshairs. Mudster over there-" She pointed to her Swampert with her thumb, who immediately looked proud. "-loves scarring. I have no idea why besides the cool factor. I'd always take him to the Pokemon Center, but upon evolution into a Swampert and after we got stranded somewhere in Hoenn, I had to heal Mudster's wound myself. That scar behind his eye was the first scar he got and he apparently loved it so much he'd actually break free from his Pokeball whenever I planned on taking him to the Pokemon Center and make me clean and bandage him up so another scar formed. Granted, it's not hurting anything, just makes him look meaner than he really is." She laughed, getting a deadpanned look from the Swampert.

Meanwhile, Orochi had sat beside Charlotte, one head looking up at her and the other watching Naka talk. Man, she liked talking a lot, didn't she? In fact, none of her Pokemon heard her talk this much before and that was a feat.

 

[Charlotte Pryce]

Charlotte Pryce
Date: July 22nd
Age: 21 years old
Location: Whirl Islands, Johto
Pokémon Team: Fernando (Infernape level 52), Dini (Alakazam level 52), Splash (Floatzel level 49), Bolero (Roserade level 52), Hatari (Luxray level 52), Tiburon (Garchomp level 48 )

Interactions: Naka (Merciless Medic)

Charlotte laughed at Naka's pride comment. "Oh, you have no idea. Actually, scratch that. You probably have every idea."

She could tell Naka stories of people she met in her research, some long before C.E.L.L. For now, she listened. When Naka chimed in on Mega Evolution, specifically on Mega Salamence, Charlotte shivered a bit. She was reminded of her uncle's Bagon that bit her as a kid. Granted, it was probably not done on purpose, but Charlotte wondered whether her uncle had been allowed to keep it. She had a feeling if her uncle tried to use Mega Evolution, his Pokémon would have lost control and went on a rampage, not unlike Grimm.

She smiled when Naka joked about needing to get off her soapbox.

"I don't mind. Goodness knows I get on tangents when people talk about my line of work. I just hope if any new mega stones are discovered, people will consider the ramifications first."

When Naka started offering encouragement, Charlotte blushed. She was not accustomed to hearing advice, much less positive reinforcement. Most of the time, she had to figure out what to do and what to say on her own. Independence was nice, but it could also be difficult. Especially the when the only person who could verify her ideas was herself and occasionally some professor she had only corresponded with via email.

Charlotte had thought about sending her research to the medical field. However, her infamy in Sinnoh created a bit of a road block. People tended to trust research done by professionals who had been at it for decades, rather than twenty-somethings accused of fanaticism. Still, Naka had a point about trusting facts.

She snapped out of her daze when Naka pointed to her Swampert and explained the reason behind his scars.

"Yes, he certainly looks intimidating." Charlotte winked at Mudster to show she had meant that in a good way. "I'm not going to lie, when I saw this guy enter the battle field, I was startled. Sometimes a dramatic entrance can really give you the edge."

That reminded her of something. Charlotte pulled out her phone.

"Actually, I was recently invited to do a podcast with this guy MightyRaiquaza. Don't know if you've heard of him. His screen name sounds atrocious, but he has a popular MewTube channel."

She pulled up the link and showed it to Naka. Along with his name, the channel features images of Raikou and Rayquaza, probably the inspirations for his screen name.

"Apparently, he does a segment every week where he invites an 'expert' or two to talk about Battle Items, Dynamax, or whatever the current trend is. He wanted me to join in on a discussion of 'Synthetic Pokémon', their history, and what people should know about their origins. I declined because I was worried that my voice would be recognized, but now that the director of C.E.L.L knows I'm here..."

She trailed off, not feeling the need to finish the sentence.

 

[ThAtGuY101]

~Aldon...~
~Skol the god, Bran the bronzor,
Zippy the magnemite, Huck the golett, Wunder the Sigilyph and Bolly the Baltoy...~
~Whirl Cup, Red Rock Isle, July 22...~

Watching battles wasn't inherently Aldon's thing. Somewhat uncommon even, but there he was with his best buddies Skol and Huck. And I guess Desmond and his pokémon too. The battles were giving him a few ideas, however. after training with Dessy-kun and his two pokémon, this is just what he needed to see.

"I suppose, indeed!" Aldon confirmed with the camera boy.

"Seeing these battles over water is probably gonna help you with training Politoad! And then theres this big fella" Aldon told Desmond before turning his attention to Skol. Skol hid his face with his tail before flicking it away, revealing a funny face! Doing this four more times.

Aldon looked at Skol, whom seemingly reacted to Aldon in his Regularly bewildered behavior. it did not surprise him, and he took it as he has his attention. Aldon nodded before clearing his throat.

"You learning anything?" Aldon asked. Skol reacted by licking the top of his nose and rolling over, showing his soft pink belly. Skol's attention was on kricketune. His eyes turned blue and he made an attempt to ever so slightly lift kricketune up a few inches.

Huck made a few glances at the arena. The battles had been going on a while, and he had no way of knowing if they'd be contained in the arena. Slightly believing they may end up in the stands. He watched them carefully, but as of now, they were not primary targets. huck flexed his arms, then stomped one foot then the other. A mobility check of sorts.

 

[Godjacob]

Desmond Andrews (Unranked)
Red Rock Isle (Scarlet City), Whirl Islands, Johto (July 22nd)
​

Desmond milled over the thought, made enough sense that watching battles and seeing the strategies of others had been bound to rub off on him and sharpen his own skills. Course, Desmond had a career that had not been defined by those, but as he had come to discover getting better in this field seemed to be a universal asset much as he wanted to admit otherwise.

"Suppose we can. At the moment just learning how to not shiver around them would be a good first step.." Desmond mused a bit, this was not a path he'd have picked of his own accord. He was on a journey due to personal and rather tragic reasons, not that he intended to shed light on that but from a practical perspective he knew his "Pokephobia" of sorts had been a hurdle to things. He continued to snap pictures of the battles as he tried to get good angles as he carried on the conversation.

Kricketune, in turn, seemed to widen a bit as its gaze to the sky was cut off when it felt itself float a bit and it seemed confused, before it looked over to Skol who seemed to have this visible aura about it and it had connected the dots on this touching gesture.

Politoed in turn was more captivated by the action than anything else, while it kept shielding the eyes of its ghost friend below it. Well friend might've been a strong word, but Politoed certainly hope they'd be able to become friends.

 

[ThAtGuY101]

~Aldon...~
~Skol the god, Bran the bronzor,
Zippy the magnemite, Huck the golett, Wunder the Sigilyph and Bolly the Baltoy...~
~Whirl Cup, Red Rock Isle, July 22...~

Aldon was eating some of his snacks, when he heard Desmond talk about not shivering around pokémon, which immediately caught his attention. Glancing over at Desmond with his hands on his hips, he squinted his eyes and tilted his chin up and at an angle. With a look that could be described as 'Well, arceus bless your sweet lil soul!'. A few moments of silence rolled by. His normal jovial smile once again plastered across his face.

"Baby steps, ya know! Any progress is better than none. I can relate" Aldon said, thinking about his own line of work as a archeologist. He too had areas in need of improvement in his life.

After a few more moments passed, Skol completely forgotten what he was doing. Gently placing kricketune back down. It was uncertain if Skol was awake or not since he did not move a muscle. Eyes looking in different directions. Seemingly in factory reset mode.

Anyone within 30 ft that moved around, Huck saw them, and with Politoad by it's side, it knew it wouldn't fail. May arceus have mercy on any poor soul that wants to touch the cute frog and walks within shadow punch distance.

 

[Godjacob]

Desmond Andrews (Unranked)
Red Rock Isle (Scarlet City), Whirl Islands, Johto (July 22nd)​

Desmond worked to adjust his lens for one camera so he'd be able to get a better close up just as Aldon seemed to chime in and offered some encouragement far as his Pokephobia had been concerned which itself was a nice enough gesture all things considered.

"I appreciate the vote of confidence. Suppose if I survived that Kaiju Blastoise, it might show I am not a lost cause." Tristan admitted, course "survived" was a relative term there as he felt part of his soul leave his bod that day, but hey still the fact he was here had to be a good sign right?

Kricketune's impromptu floating had ceased as it landed down and glanced over to Skol who seemed to be rather mindless, spaced out with thoughts only it knew as it blinked a bit. Krickeune wanted to express thanks but figured that effort may have tired Skol a bit, so it opted for something simple. "T-tuune tuune~" Kricketune mused, playing a gentle hum with its appendages as a show of thanks before eyes directed back to the action.

Politoed in turn continued to watch the fighting and shield the eyes of its new hopefully soon to be friend, as the pair did make for a contrasting yet wholesome duo as the little frog enjoyed its time with the living suit of ghost armor.

 

[ThAtGuY101]

He sat in the stands then won a match against Milo.

Clear mind and good vibes all day long. Today was lazy day. Watch battles and chill. Chat with Dessy-kun and reminisce.

"Yeaaah... That blastoise fight was wild. Next we can find a giant metagross. A regular sized alolan muk" Aldon said grinning. He was imagining himself hugging an alolan muk. It was a nice wholesome lil moment. After thinking about it for a few moments, he glanced back at Desmond. Scratching his chin, he decided to ask.

"Got any plans after this? Me? Might head to the next island. Maybe explore some ruins or something. Or find that kabuto..." Aldon pondered. There still was no kabuto, but in a hypothetical situation where one could come out, he'd catch it in a heartbeat. Skol looked so comfy that it was impossible to tell whether he was asleep or not. Huck never got bored and never faltered from it's task at hand.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Nakano Saito​

Date: July 22 (26yo)
Location: Tornare Coliseum - Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle, Whirl Archipelago, Johto
Pokemon Team: Mudster the Swampert, Iwa the Wishiwashi, Ludwig the Ludicolo, Orochi the Zweilous

Interactions: Charlotte (Charlotte Pryce)

At the comment of having every idea, Naka's eyes widened as if she's seen it all and nodded slowly. Hearing Charlotte didn't mind the soapbox speech, Naka chuckled and shook her head. "It's a bad habit though. I need to listen to people more." She sighed, and nodded in agreement to Charlotte's mega evolution statement, then chuckled at her blush from getting offered encouragement.

Then, she had an idea.

Why didn't she think of this earlier???

Naka chuckled as Charlotte commented on Mudster's appearance in their fight, and then looked on with intrigue when she pulled up a Mewtuber. She smiled, nodding. "I've heard of him. I sometimes listen to his podcasts when I have time not listening to battles and contests." She paused as Charlotte expressed her concerns, her eyes hardened. "You going to just let him scare you like that? So what if he knows your voice? If he's going to find you, he's going to find you, especially in how technologically ridden this entire world is. You'll have a better chance of losing him if you're a hermit and do nothing at all, but no one should be hiding away in fear like that. That's what he wants. Either way, it's obvious hiding won't work, so be as loud and obnoxious as you can. People will quickly realize you've disappeared if you do and something were to happen to you."

Naka then stood up, her gaze softening as she smiled. "In fact, why don't I help you rocket your research? And why must you be confined to Sinnoh? There's other areas and avenues to give your research to someone who'd listen. Give your findings to a neutral research team studying battle items who are unaffected by biases against you in another region of your choice, and have them conduct the same experiments you did or have found others doing. They'll then give you the backing you need if the results are consistent, and if you do that a few times, you can bring your evidence and aid to Sinnoh and they'll have to listen to you then. As for synthetic Pokemon, they are pretty wacky, aren't they?" She chuckled.

She then patted Charlotte on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it too much. If you do, it'll feel insurmountable. You got this. These guys want you to quit and go into hiding. Don't give them that satisfaction. Give them the opposite by being as loud as possible. Join many podcasts and the like, even if it's rigged to go against you. Hell, I can probably join these with you to show you some credibility." She smiled, her Zweilous barking quietly up at Naka with a happy tail wiggle.

 

[Charlotte Pryce]

Charlotte Pryce
Date: July 22nd
Age: 21 years old
Location: Whirl Islands, Johto
Pokémon Team: Fernando (Infernape level 52), Dini (Alakazam level 52), Splash (Floatzel level 49), Bolero (Roserade level 52), Hatari (Luxray level 52), Tiburon (Garchomp level 48 )

Interactions: Naka (Merciless Medic)

Charlotte grinned. "I'd like that. I'd like that a lot."

She nearly jumped when Naka offered to help with her research. She had not considered sending her work to other regions until now. Kalos would be her primary target, considering their history with Mega Evolution, but who knows? Perhaps, there were even medical researchers here in Johto who would listen to her.

"You know what, I'm going to do it."

Charlotte started drafting her message to MightyRaiquaza, telling him she'd be happy to join.

"If you're serious about wanting to do this with me, I could get you in on this podcast. He typically talks to multiple guests. I heard he had one lined up, but considering your record, I don't know how he could refuse. What do you say?"

Splash pumped her paw in the air. Even Charlotte's Floatzel was trying to encourage Charlotte to stand up and fight. She was probably thinking, If Director Topaz wants to mess with my trainer, he's going to have to get through me.

 

[Godjacob]

Desmond Andrews (Unranked)
Red Rock Isle (Scarlet City), Whirl Islands, Johto (July 22nd)​

"Don't sound too excited." Desmond muttered as Aldon course had the opposite reaction than he did, course the average Pokemon Photographer desired shots half as good as what Aldon described, but Desmond valued his well being and had not been a bold individual to put it kindly.

When asked what he intended to do next as he continued to snap pics of the battle, Desmond seemed to mill that over for a moment. "Aim to head back to Johto first and finish my trip around there. I say I have a lot of ground to explore there, after that, I have a more open window of where I go next." Desmond admitted, given the more casual nature of his journey not bound by any League registration schedules or the like he had the freedom to sit on where to go next after Johto.