Ask to Join Solacrest Academy IC

[Your-Friday-Filet]

Matt let out a small chuckle again, still characteristically timid as usual as he spoke to Riley first. "New Bark, you say? We've got a lot in common, my own Houndoom is a pain to manage, and..." he looked over to his Xatu, who was very reluctantly mingling with the other Pokémon. "Well, this one isn't that much better, to be honest." Then, he turned back to Evander, his body language incredibly awkward and stifled from the taxing conversation. It was obvious that he hadn't talked this sporadically in a long time. "And yeah, Violet City is the closest place to those old ruins... that place is actually where I first met my Xatu, about four years ago at this point," he once again looked down at the Xatu, who was still glaring at the Baltoy as if they had unfinished business. Matt kept his gaze fixated on the Xatu for a moment, his mind rushing to keep up with the conversation. This could be the start of two budding friendships, something he would definitely need in the long run. All he knew is that he couldn't mess it up here, or it would be a long year ahead of him.

@Abra Kadabra Alakazam! @Draco Nightshade

 

[Abra Kadabra Alakazam!]

Evander was pleased, though he was feeling a little left out. After all, it seemed like both Riley and Matthias shared more in common with each other than with him, being from the same region and both owning the same species. He felt like a third wheel in this friendship, but he was happy to go along with it.

“Oh, well that’s neat. Speaking of the bird, it seems to be pretty riled up…” He responded to Matthias’ question, finally noticing the Xatu glaring at Dogu. It explained why Lilium was wrapped around his leg, likely out of defensive instinct.

If Aurelia was out here, she might not like the Xatu very much. Thankfully I don’t plan on sending her out until we have enough space…

Meanwhile, Dogu was happy to meet a new Pokémon in Alice, playfully floating around her, observing her horns and tail. She didn’t seem to have a psychic signal, indicative of a Dark Type Pokemon. Still Dogu was pleased with their plan going better than expected.

However, they still felt the bird Pokemon’s intense glare, signifying that it held some spite towards them. Their head still ached from the previous altercation, and they hoped to get an ice pack later. They gave the canine Pokémon a warning that the Xatu seemed a little aggressive, even towards it’s trainer.

Alice’s introduction also seemed to calm down Lilium, as the plant Pokemon realized she wasn’t the threat here. That honor was reserved for Xatu, as he watched it stare at Dogu. He was tense, and willing to Stone Edge the chicken if it tried anything. For now, he lied in wait.

@Your-Friday-Filet
@Draco Nightshade

 

[Draco Nightshade]

Riley Grant

Riley looked to Evander, noticing the fossil Pokemon protecting its trainer. "Are you from Hoenn by any chance? This is only my second time outside of the Johto region so I'm not sure where else those two can be found."
While Riley was talking, Alice lightly rubbed Dogu's head with her paw in an attempt to make it feel better, much like Riley does for her from time to time. Being a Dark type herself, she never experienced the pain of Psychic attacks in her life.
Just as things started to settle down, one of Riley's pokeballs opened, revealing his shiny Skarmory. "Really Brass?!"
Rather than pay attention to her trainer's reaction, the Steel type looked at the other Pokemon before deciding to try her luck with the Xatu. They are both birds after all. @Your-Friday-Filet @Abra Kadabra Alakazam!

 

[Abra Kadabra Alakazam!]

Evander looked at Dogu and Lilium, slowly realizing what Riley was talking about. Both Baltoy and Cradily shared a home region in Hoenn, despite it not being where he caught both of them. He might need to explain that little tidbit before they thought he was from that tropical locale.

"Oh, uh, I've never been personally to Hoenn. The weather's much too warm for me. I'd rather spend it someplace colder, since I'm from somewhere south of mainland Galar. They call it the Crown Tundra down there, y'know?" He answered, flashing a cute yet corny grin. He was happy for the company, even though it was a tad embarrassing for Lilium to be wrapped around his leg like a Sandaconda.

Meanwhile, Dogu gratefully thanked Alice for the head rub, despite it not doing anything. They ironically appreciated the Dark type's considerate actions, and hoped that the both of them would become friends. However, that was interrupted by the appearance of a brownish-golden metallic avian with green blades for wings. It seemed to sparkle in the sun, with sunlight reflecting off its metallic feathers. The sparkling was similar to the miscolored Salazzle from earlier, something to note. Dogu cautiously backed off and floated behind Alice, since their last experience with bird Pokemon was with the Xatu, an unpleasant one.

This new arrival also disturbed Lilium, who reared up in apprehension. Being a Grass type, bird Pokemon were a concern for him, a problem made worse by the Xatu's behavior towards his teammate and the fact the new one looked like a walking pair of hedge clippers. Since Aurelia wasn't here, it was up to him to keep Dogu safe, especially since he didn't want to take an Ice Beam to the bulb.

Evander also noticed the Skarmory's appearance, which he couldn't tell was shiny because he had never seen a Skarmory before. Though it was oddly sparkly for a Steel type, something he was familiar with from going on expeditions with Captain Peony. In fact Captain Peony had told him a legend that he recalled at this moment, in part due to all the bird Pokemon here.

"All these birds in one place remind me of a tale from where I live. So there's this massive tree on a hill that is said to be infused with Dynamax energy, which makes Pokemon who eat it get really, really big. And there's three special bird Pokemon that regularly eat its fruits, making them legendary. I've never seen the fellers myself, unless it's mere glimpses." Evander regaled the story to his companions, hoping it would spark their interests. He wasn't an exceptional storyteller, but he had heard many tales like this.

@Your-Friday-Filet

 

[Your-Friday-Filet]

"Oh right, I forgot Galar had that 'Dynamax' thing," Matt admitted, shaking his head. "I can't wrap my head around that. Johto doesn't really have anything like that, the stories we tell are... much more modest." He thought back to the stories he had been told with some melancholy, but in contrast to the story Evander was telling, they weren't that outlandish. At this point, Matt didn't even realize that he had assumed a much more natural posture and tone, as he had been captivated in silence for quite some time at this point. He preferred this more passive, listening role in conversations anyways. Staying out of the spotlight was his specialty...

Meanwhile, Matt's Xatu went in full on attack mode against the new, brazen bird. It had faced off against many-a Skarmory back in its day, leaving a sour taste in its beak as it slowly encroached on the newcomer. The Xatu tried to use its psychic abilities to try and overwhelm its new opponent, but wasn't sure if this would actually work on a non-Psychic. Still, the faint glow that the Mystic Pokémon already emitted grew even more powerful as it slowly but surely made its way to the Skarmory, trudging around the other Pokémon in company.

@Abra Kadabra Alakazam! @Draco Nightshade

 

[DevVoid]

So many Pokemon, so many trainers. So many colours, so many smells. So many sights, so many voices, so much.. information and knowledge. It really was wonderful for this big ol' spacemon called Jupiter to just fly about and really soak it all in, he couldn't get enough! Chattering there, Pokémon here, some guy falling down out of nowhere over there.. wait, hang on a second. What was that last one again? Why did that one person fall? Are they alright? Where were they exactly? It was all these questions and more.. okay, maybe just that last one for now that he would get an answer for as he flew back around - only to find the individual huddled behind his very own trainer!

Juggling between carrying a nerve-wracked Lunastone and a Porygon that was practically a piranha for the poor guy's devices that Pixel could detect, Neil turned a dime and stepped away from the fearful individual like a mother- or well, biologically speaking, perhaps father would be the better term - of five rambunctious kids. Pluto was laughing his ass off like usual, Lux hadn't even noticed anything wrong yet as the Solrock soaked in all the sunlight, while Jupiter flew on back around to inspect this new face from head to toe.

And just like his own partner Pokémon, Alan himself was not far from just silently staring at the guy, his green, vibrant eyes sparkling with curiosity as he practically treated this fellow person like an anatomy to study for a test - silence passed between awkward seconds, before the ex-Grunt finally spoke up with a chipper, eccentric attitude and quite the erratic gaze of an overenthusiastic researcher, completely unaware of just why this guy was acting the way he was - or even THAT he was scared in the first place, Marshton being oblivious as usual.

"Oooh, boy! A person! Hello, person! I am Alan Neil Marshton! This lazy little guy and this funky-looking gremlin are both Nox and Pixel respectively,"

Nox was desperately trying to dig himself under his master's sleeves in a vain attempt to hide away and just avoid this awkward encounter with a stranger, while Pixel was just one slip away from letting loose to frisk the unaware trainer for any digital devices they might have had. Luckily, Neil held a firm grasp on the Porygon's tail and pulled him back in to lodge this polygonal chihuahua under his elbow.

"Above me is Lux and around me somewhere is Pluto, wherever that guy is,"

And exactly as was explained, Pluto was just off mucking about and being a conniving little schemer while the Solrock that was Lux just hung about in the air like Alan's own fossilized sun, ironically blocking out the light from reaching him in the process. Not that he cared, he already knew all there was to know about the sun and its rays of radiance!

"And this big guy here is Jupiter! I'm sure you can guess why exactly he's got the name he has! Nice to meet you! Say hello, everyone!"

As on cue, each of the five Pokémon did their own introductions as the person-sized Beheyeem flew besides Marshton. Jupiter just simply blinked the lights on his hands in morse code as a greeting, Pluto was still laughing his little buzzy behind off at the hilarity of this lad's fear of Jupiter of all Pokémon, Pixel actually had the decency to chill out and make a few sounds that somehow seemed to formulate as a greeting, Nox only gave a brief glance before continuing and failing to keep trying to somehow fit itself into Neil's sleeves while Lux spun around mid-air and stopped to look down at both trainers as its own form of a greeting.

@Psymallard

 

[Cmeriwether]

Mae Miller
@Cmeriwether

He… didn’t seem to care that I messed that up…?

Mae seemed a bit confused, as she genuinely thought she made the worst first impression in the world. Her parents would have likely punished her for this, and probably would have scolded her multiple times for the amount of hesitation she did. Sighing internally, Mae prepared to make her response.

“S-she was given to me by my parents, as an egg. And, well, yes..... I have another Ninetales, a-a Kantonian Ninetales, and an Eevee,” Mae responded, feigning a small smile to hide her nervousness. Though, the aforementioned nervousness disappeared a bit more over their conversation, as Augustus didn't seem so critical of her stutters.

Frise seemed to revel in the attention Augustus gave her and leaned her heads towards him, signaling him to pet her. However, this drew the ire of Blaise, Mae’s Kantonian Ninetales, who decided to escape his Poke Ball. He immediately slapped Frise, which resulted in a small dogfight, which Mae sighed and had to break up herself.

"Stop that, you two. Now." Mae's nervous tone shifted quickly to a more strict and authoritative voice, which resulted into the two quarreling Ninetales to stop their fighting.

"I'm sorry about that... please forgive their behavior," Mae bowed once more, staring right out her two Pokemon. They whimpered, but ultimately stood still. Mae's face turned even more red in embarrassment.

Augustus Legend

Augustus Legend noted how Mae received her Ninetales. It was an interesting concept, receiving an Egg for a Pokémon and waiting for it to hatch. He had a family friend hatch her Ace Pokémon, a Volcarona, from an egg. As he looked back, he suddenly saw the two Ninetales trying to fight, however Mae called out to get them to stop.

"Don't worry about it, Mae, I understand, especially when it comes to Trickster and my Galarian Slowking, Crown." Augustus responded, "I have on my person all of mine, My Unovan Zorua, who decided to play Magikarp with you and your Alolan Ninetales, An Alolan Sandshrew, this Kantonian Sandshrew, who is really shy, a Kantonian Slowpoke, and the Hisuian Zoroark who probably spooked the crap out of most of the school."

Trickster had been watching everything that had been going on, and stayed on Augustus's shoulder until things seemed to calm down. He then climbed his way down as he stood next to his trainer, watching the two Ninetales. Augustus was taking notes quickly on the Ninetales, so he had some sort of trainer notes on the species to compare to wild Ninetales and Alolan Ninetales.

"Mae, this is not an opportunity I get too often, that is, seeing Regional Variants outside of their usual habitats." Augustus responded.

 

[~Aura~Slashz~]

Mae Miller
@Cmeriwether

Mae continued to lose her nervousness as Augustus seemed to understand her. In fact, she seemed to have a sense of understanding that Augustus actually had it worse than her.

Her Ninetales didn't really hate each other, they had more of a sibling-like relationship. They could have actually used moves on each other, but instead, they didn't want to actually hurt each other, or hurt their trainer. Both of them sat there, staring a bit at each other but remaining still for the time being.

"I see why y-you're quite interested in regional types.. Y-you certainly have a lot of them..." she responded to Augustus describing his team, which certainly seemed a lot less obedient than her own.

"W-well, if you really wanted to, I g-guess I wouldn't mind having you study them further... but don't you dare even think about hurting them." Mae seemed a lot less nervous from when they first talked, and her tone seemed a lot more confident. When she spoke at the end, however, her tone grew serious and even a bit threatening, though she necessarily mean to intimidate Augustus. She didn't think Augustus would hurt her Pokemon, but she had to make sure he knew she'd never tolerate that.

 

[Draco Nightshade]

Riley Grant

Seeing the Xatu's reaction to her approach and feeling a headache seemingly coming from nowhere, Brass the Skarmory shook her head and hissed at him before slowly backing away from the apparently unfriendly Psychic/Flying type. Once she was close enough, Riley reached out with his right hand and rubbed between her wings. "You can't win them all Brass."
Riley then turned to Evander. "What Matt said. We may have the legendary beasts resurrected by Ho-oh, but stuff like Dynamaxing or Mega Evolution is a foreign concept to our region. At best, we've got unusually sized specimens on either end of the spectrum. I'm pretty sure my Meganium is big enough to rival some fossil Pokemon, she's that large."
Meanwhile, Alice seemed to be having a nice conversation with Dogu, even assuring him and Lilium that Brass wasn't a bad bird, she was just young and curious. Not to mention eager to make friends with other bird like Pokemon.
@Abra Kadabra Alakazam! @Your-Friday-Filet

 

[Abra Kadabra Alakazam!]

"Huh, fancy that. I have fossil Pokemon like that too. You think your Meganium could rival an Aurorus in size? They say that Meganium and Aurorus are related, both being sauropods. I'd love to show it to you, but I don't think we have the space." Evander chuckled at the mention of Meganium, finally finding his expertise. He hoped that he could study more on the long-necked Pokemon, maybe a genetic link existed between it and Aurelia.

What a wonderful turn of events! I get to talk to cool people and learn more about other regions! This is all going as planned.

Meanwhile, Lilium wasn’t keen to trust Alice so easily, even if Dogu was friendly to her. His stem felt the heat radiating off her, not a good sign. But as he looked at the shiny tin bird, whose name was Brass, he realized that she wasn’t the problem here. No, it was that pesky and hotheaded Xatu, who seemed to be rustling up trouble with any Pokemon similar to it. Lilium was scared that Xatu might attack pick a fight with Dogu, or worse, attack his trainer. So he decided to take action, which he believed was merciful compared to what Aurelia would do. If she ever found out that it hurt Dogu, it would not end well...

He narrowed his eyes at the Xatu and rose up like an angry Arbok while loosening his grip on Evander's leg, flashing his tentacles like an Arbok's hood. He didn't say anything, but his glare spoke for himself. Dogu took cover behind Alice and Lilium, hoping that every Pokemon there could calm down.

That's less wonderful... Why's he so temperamental today?

"What's got you all pissed off? Must be that bird again. Look Lilium, it hasn't done anything to us except stare and you might be overreacting a tad..." Evander mumbled like a dad trying to calm down his kid, except it was an ancient plant monster. He didn't know what caused Cradily's mood swings, but he needed to stop it from getting out of hand.

"Matthias, if you don't mind, can you ask your charming bird over there to stop staring? It's getting Lilium agitated since he doesn't like Flying types..." He asked apologetically, hoping to resolve this predicament. His hand flew into his pocket and clutched Aurelia's Pokeball, in case things got ugly...

@Your-Friday-Filet
@Draco Nightshade

 

[Smiley!]

Quentin Windstrom

Interactions: Augustus (Mentioned) @Cmeriwether , Mae (Mentioned) @~Aura~Slashz~

Current Team: Excalibur the Doublade, Queenie the Seadra, Steelhead the Lairon, Psyche the Abra

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
​

Quentin examined the area around him, studying the strangers around him. The trip here had been long, but not horrible. He thought about the last time he had been away from home, when he had gone with his father on their final trip. The memories were clear, but were starting to bleed into each other as time passed.

Suddenly, something, no, someone broke Quentin's daze. A boy whom he had befriended in Sootopolis, a boy whose family helped search for his father when he had become lost in the depths of the sea. His name was Augustus, and he was also here. He was in a conversation with someone else. Quentin's mother had taught him not to interrupt others' conversations, so he waited until Augustus had finished, awkwardly standing a few feet away.

 

[Your-Friday-Filet]

Matt was caught slightly off guard by the use of his full name. "Hm?" he questioned idly as he glanced at Evander blankly. "O-oh, right," he sharply turned his head down to his partner Pokémon, which was hellbent on trying to intimidate the other trainers' Pokémon. Scowling, he gave it a succinct hit on the back of its head, catching the green avian off guard as it suddenly lost all focus. It assumed a vacant and empty stance as it appeared to stare off into the horizon. Matt shyly laughed as he turned back to Evander and his Cradily, hoping his Xatu hadn't soured their image of him. Yes, his Xatu was a bit of a handful, but it certainly wasn't indicative of Matt's actual behavior. You never know what people think about you... especially on first impressions. For all he knew, these people were just tolerating him for the time being, and would shortly abandon him in favor of others... that's usually how it goes.
@Abra Kadabra Alakazam! @Draco Nightshade

 

[Abra Kadabra Alakazam!]

At the sight of Matthias knocking some sense into his Xatu, Evander breathed a sigh of relief. The issue at hand seemed to be resolved, and he didn’t need to bring out Aurelia to fix it. He unhanded released his grip on her Pokeball, thankful that nobody got hurt or was in a fight.

“Can you not stir up trouble on the first day, especially in front of people I just met?” He whispered to the Cradily, as he elbowed him as a way of reprimanding him. The Grass type apologetically unwound himself from Evan’s leg, stoically basking in the sun. The red-headed trainer didn’t want to add to Matthias’ anxiety by appearing annoyed.

Dogu meanwhile was not so calm, for they sensed the great emotional turmoil coming from Matthias. They told Alice that they were worried that the nice boy in the muted clothes thought that the others were merely tolerating his presence and waiting to abandon him, when in reality both of them were enjoying the company. As an empathetic Psychic type, Matthias’ anxiety made them worried sick. They planned to inform their trainer of this issue, and prompted Alice to do the same.


@Your-Friday-Filet
@Draco Nightshade

 

[Psymallard]

Maaax
The man he had hid behind had noticed him no sooner than immediately, and introduced his entire team one at a time. Alan had a couple other Pokémon Max didn't recognize, but the black-haired man remained focused on Jupiter. He shakily lifted a finger to point at the Beeheeyem and muttered,

"Th... they're a-among us..."

The sentence he sputtered out was a quote directly from the aforementioned movie. His grey eyes slid over to Alan, who wasn't alarmed in the slightest. Then Max realized that he just might be embarrassing himself. The trainer snapped into a more confident posture with a smile and chuckle; he shed the mannerisms associated with his panic just like that.

"Aw, man. I was trying to scare ya! You're pretty uh... stoic."

He snickered a nervous snicker, shot another glance at Jupiter, and then returned to focusing on Alan. The gave a casual salute to his fellow student.

"I'm Max. My pokemon are uh... sleeping right now, but you'll see 'em soon enough."

@DevVoid

 

[Anakisuto]

Anna watched the other trainers talk, feeling left out. Well this is what I get for not being able to control Arsenica, I guess. She returned the unruly Pokemon to its Pokeball and walked off, towards Quentin and Augustus. They looked relatively friendly, in her opinion. Anna decided to let Mic Check out of its ball. It never seemed to (intentionally) cause any issues, so she figured it was as good of a time as any to let it get some fresh air.

The puffy Pokemon let out a slightly musical cry of delight as it popped out of its Pokeball and ran over to the other trainers, eager to introduce itself.

@Smiley!
@Cmeriwether

 

[Inkage]

Adelaide looked up at the looming building, her eyes interested but her face slack. It was large, and slightly intimidating.

Her fingers absently scratched the back of her favorite companion pokemon, Dracozolt. She called him Chompers, and although it was illegal for him to exist in Galar, it was perfectly legal here. Strange how things worked like that.

She’d slap his back every time he nipped at a passersby’s fingers, reprimanding him silently for his behavior. “Focus on the building, Chompers. This is our school. I suppose it’s our home now. Where we’ll meet our colleagues and friends. Hoooowwww excitinggg…” She sighed, rubbing her eyes a bit. Tired already.

Without wasting time, she walked into the building, marveling at all the people.

“Peopleee watchiiing…Sounds nice…”

Chompers did not agree. People were for nipping, not for watching. Fingers were tasty. Although salad is also tasty. Chompers was conflicted on what was better. Of course they’re thinking about eating. Go figure, half carnivore.

(Nobody. IDK what’s going on here but this is a fine way to integrate.)

 

[Cmeriwether]

Mae Miller
@Cmeriwether

Mae continued to lose her nervousness as Augustus seemed to understand her. In fact, she seemed to have a sense of understanding that Augustus actually had it worse than her.

Her Ninetales didn't really hate each other, they had more of a sibling-like relationship. They could have actually used moves on each other, but instead, they didn't want to actually hurt each other, or hurt their trainer. Both of them sat there, staring a bit at each other but remaining still for the time being.

"I see why y-you're quite interested in regional types.. Y-you certainly have a lot of them..." she responded to Augustus describing his team, which certainly seemed a lot less obedient than her own.

"W-well, if you really wanted to, I g-guess I wouldn't mind having you study them further... but don't you dare even think about hurting them." Mae seemed a lot less nervous from when they first talked, and her tone seemed a lot more confident. When she spoke at the end, however, her tone grew serious and even a bit threatening, though she necessarily mean to intimidate Augustus. She didn't think Augustus would hurt her Pokemon, but she had to make sure he knew she'd never tolerate that.

Quentin Windstrom

Interactions: Augustus (Mentioned) @Cmeriwether , Mae (Mentioned) @~Aura~Slashz~

Current Team: Excalibur the Doublade, Queenie the Seadra, Steelhead the Lairon, Psyche the Abra

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
​

Quentin examined the area around him, studying the strangers around him. The trip here had been long, but not horrible. He thought about the last time he had been away from home, when he had gone with his father on their final trip. The memories were clear, but were starting to bleed into each other as time passed.

Suddenly, something, no, someone broke Quentin's daze. A boy whom he had befriended in Sootopolis, a boy whose family helped search for his father when he had become lost in the depths of the sea. His name was Augustus, and he was also here. He was in a conversation with someone else. Quentin's mother had taught him not to interrupt others' conversations, so he waited until Augustus had finished, awkwardly standing a few feet away.

Anna watched the other trainers talk, feeling left out. Well this is what I get for not being able to control Arsenica, I guess. She returned the unruly Pokemon to its Pokeball and walked off, towards Quentin and Augustus. They looked relatively friendly, in her opinion. Anna decided to let Mic Check out of its ball. It never seemed to (intentionally) cause any issues, so she figured it was as good of a time as any to let it get some fresh air.

The puffy Pokemon let out a slightly musical cry of delight as it popped out of its Pokeball and ran over to the other trainers, eager to introduce itself.

@Smiley!
@Cmeriwether

Augustus Legend

Augustus Legend was finished taking the notes on the two Ninetales, having trainer owned Pokémon notes were going to be helpful for his future in researching regional Variants.

"I don't intend on it at All, Mae, If something comes up, I'll let you know."

Trickster looked to see a Jigglypuff running up, and immediately turned into a Ferrothorn as an illusion. The "Ferrothorn" looked at Augustus, confused at the sudden appearance of a Jigglypuff, and turned back into a Zorua. All of a sudden, Iluusio popped out of his Pokéball, and noticed Quentin. The Hisuian Zoroark looked at Quentin with a sense of Familiarity. He then pulled on Augustus's shirt.

"Iluusio, is something wrong?"

The Normal and Ghost type then looked at Augustus, pointing at Quention. Iluusio was still a Zorua when he last saw the trainer.

"Sorry, Mae, my Zoroark seems to have found something I need to check on, goodbye for now."

As Augustus turned around, a wave of Familiarity hit him at what Iluusio was trying to tell him.

"Quentin Windstrom?"

 

[~Aura~Slashz~]

The Most Honorable Sir Jack Douglas Harrington Wilson, of the Great and Fine City of Hammerlocke, descendant of the Most Honorable and Fearsome Sir Oilver Douglas Harrington Wilson the Second
Jack Douglas Wilson
Mentions - @Anakisuto (Anna)

Jack had a rush of mixed feelings of both excitement and feeling like he might be disappointed as he hastily entered the Solacrest Academy campus. He was a tad bit late as his flight from Galar was delayed, twice in fact, which seemed to frustrate him a lot. Not only did he have to sit in a soulless airplane lobby for 8 hours, but he wasn't able to do his favorite activity: battling. Those eight hours certainly felt the like the longest hours in his life.

But he figured he could find someone to battle. With his Thwackey, Tempo, and his Trapinch, Richter pretty much close to evolving, he was quite anxious to get them evolving as soon as possible. And, perhaps, a battle could definitely push them to the point of evolution.

He noticed crowds after crowds, not really recognizing anyone among them. He figured he'd be able to recognize someone from his hometown, but searching among them, he wouldn't find any luck on that front. Additionally, to his dismay, he couldn't find anyone to battle after searching for so long, as everyone seemed to be off in their own groups.

But he found an opportunity.

He saw a woman with red hair and blue eyes, whom he assumed was presumably around his age, away from another group.

"Oi there, would you be interested in battling?" Jack suddenly asked in his Galarian accent, raising his voice to get the woman's attention.

Maeve Miller
Mentions - None (open for interaction)

Did I... scare him off with that?

Mae nodded, returning both of her Ninetales to their Poke Balls. A part of her felt like she scared Augustus off with her sudden change in tone, but another part of her, the more introverted side, was done with the conversation.

She decided to leave the area, wondering what she was supposed to do. She hadn't gotten any specific information on her classes or her dorm yet, so she decided to wander off and explore the campus. She did her best not to stand out in the crowd, avoiding eye contact with most the strangers that were nearby. She wasn't entirely upset, but she certainly wasn't in mood to socialize, at least for now.

 

[Your-Friday-Filet]

Matt hesitantly laughed at the Cradily's antics, trying to keep the conversation moving along. Still, he was growing impatient. In all honesty, he thought that the entrance ceremony would have already started by now. "So, Evander," he turned to the Galarian's direction. "When do you think this whole orientation thing will kick off? I feel like it's been a while, and we haven't really gotten any specific directions yet..." he looked down to his shoes, catching a glimpse of the still-pacified Xatu in his peripheral. Matt was curious who he would be in his dorm, or who the teachers even were. But the prospects of having to navigate the social scene around this new school were agonizing to him. Maybe he was better off being left in the dark for now...
@Abra Kadabra Alakazam! @Draco Nightshade

 

[Draco Nightshade]

Riley Grant

"That's actually a good question." Having managed to calm down his Skarmory, probably helped that Brass saw the Xatu get disciplined by his trainer. "All I was told was to wait here until further notice."
Hearing Dogu's explanation, Alice nodded her head in agreement while simultaneously explaining that her trainer was more open-minded than to judge others like that. He's missing his left arm after all.
@Abra Kadabra Alakazam! @Your-Friday-Filet

 

[Anakisuto]

The Most Honorable Sir Jack Douglas Harrington Wilson, of the Great and Fine City of Hammerlocke, descendant of the Most Honorable and Fearsome Sir Oilver Douglas Harrington Wilson the Second
Jack Douglas Wilson
Mentions - @Anakisuto (Anna)

Jack had a rush of mixed feelings of both excitement and feeling like he might be disappointed as he hastily entered the Solacrest Academy campus. He was a tad bit late as his flight from Galar was delayed, twice in fact, which seemed to frustrate him a lot. Not only did he have to sit in a soulless airplane lobby for 8 hours, but he wasn't able to do his favorite activity: battling. Those eight hours certainly felt the like the longest hours in his life.

But he figured he could find someone to battle. With his Thwackey, Tempo, and his Trapinch, Richter pretty much close to evolving, he was quite anxious to get them evolving as soon as possible. And, perhaps, a battle could definitely push them to the point of evolution.

He noticed crowds after crowds, not really recognizing anyone among them. He figured he'd be able to recognize someone from his hometown, but searching among them, he wouldn't find any luck on that front. Additionally, to his dismay, he couldn't find anyone to battle after searching for so long, as everyone seemed to be off in their own groups.

But he found an opportunity.

He saw a woman with red hair and blue eyes, whom he assumed was presumably around his age, away from another group.

"Oi there, would you be interested in battling?" Jack suddenly asked in his Galarian accent, raising his voice to get the woman's attention.

Maeve Miller
Mentions - None (open for interaction)

Did I... scare him off with that?

Mae nodded, returning both of her Ninetales to their Poke Balls. A part of her felt like she scared Augustus off with her sudden change in tone, but another part of her, the more introverted side, was done with the conversation.

She decided to leave the area, wondering what she was supposed to do. She hadn't gotten any specific information on her classes or her dorm yet, so she decided to wander off and explore the campus. She did her best not to stand out in the crowd, avoiding eye contact with most the strangers that were nearby. She wasn't entirely upset, but she certainly wasn't in mood to socialize, at least for now.

Anna looked up and smirked a little. "Only if you're interested in getting your butt kicked," she said, her own voice carrying a light Paldean accent. "Looks like you've only got three Pokemon, though. Should I go easy on you, niñito?" Her smile got a little wider as she put a hand on her belt, showing off five Pokeballs, four of which holding (to Jack) unknown Pokemon.

Anna's style of dress didn't give away her type specialty, as it normally did with most Trainers, nor did her attitude.

"What do you think?"

 

[~Aura~Slashz~]

Jack Douglas Wilson
Mentions - @Anakisuto

Jack smirked.

“You clearly don’t know who you’re talking to, so let me tell you. I’m The Most Honorable Sir Jack Douglas Harrington Wilson, of the Great and Fine City of Hammerlocke, descendant of the Most Honorable and Fearsome Sir Oilver Douglas Harrington Wilson the Second, and I have yet to lose a battle,” Jack said dramatically. His last statement about him not losing a battle, was, well, absolutely false.

“And I’m not scared of someone who can’t count. Señorita, I have cuatro Pokemon, not tres,” Jack said in a horrible Paldean accent, mocking Anna. He smirked.

“Let’s get this battle going, then.” Jack picked up one of his Poke Balls and prepared to fight.

 

[Anakisuto]

Jack Douglas Wilson
Mentions - @Anakisuto

Jack smirked.

“You clearly don’t know who you’re talking to, so let me tell you. I’m The Most Honorable Sir Jack Douglas Harrington Wilson, of the Great and Fine City of Hammerlocke, descendant of the Most Honorable and Fearsome Sir Oilver Douglas Harrington Wilson the Second, and I have yet to lose a battle,” Jack said dramatically. His last statement about him not losing a battle, was, well, absolutely false.

“And I’m not scared of someone who can’t count. Señorita, I have cuatro Pokemon, not tres,” Jack said in a horrible Paldean accent, mocking Anna. He smirked.

“Let’s get this battle going, then.” Jack picked up one of his Poke Balls and prepared to fight.

Anna's smirk got a little wider. "Fine then, four," she replied, grabbing a Pokeball of her own from her belt. "You may have won every battle in Galar, but I'll show you what we Paldeans have to offer." She tossed one of her Pokeball onto the ground, but the Pokemon inside didn't come out quite yet.

"Ladies first," Anna said, her eyes twinkling. "Let's do this."

 

[~Aura~Slashz~]

Jack Douglas Wilson
Mentions - @Anakisuto

Heh, she’s all for teasing just like me. She’s certainly a worthy opponent.

“Very well then,” Jack smiled as he watched Anna take her Poke Ball out. He tried to see if anything would come out just yet, but he was unlucky on that front.

“Tempo, give them the beat!” Jack exclaimed as he sent out his partner Pokémon, Tempo, a Grookey. The Grookey smirked and aggressively waved its stick.

“Once again, ladies first. Go ahead and make your first move. I’m certain it won’t do much,” Jack teased.

 

[Anakisuto]

Jack Douglas Wilson
Mentions - @Anakisuto

Heh, she’s all for teasing just like me. She’s certainly a worthy opponent.

“Very well then,” Jack smiled as he watched Anna take her Poke Ball out. He tried to see if anything would come out just yet, but he was unlucky on that front.

“Tempo, give them the beat!” Jack exclaimed as he sent out his partner Pokémon, Tempo, a Grookey. The Grookey smirked and aggressively waved its stick.

“Once again, ladies first. Go ahead and make your first move. I’m certain it won’t do much,” Jack teased.

The Pokeball in front of Anna opened, but nothing came out. "Looks like we need a Mic Check up in here!" she said, looking at the scene behind her.

Suddenly, Mic Check ran over, looking excited and giving a cry of delight. "Puff!" It squeaked, facing the Thwackey with determination.

Anna pointed at the Grass Pokemon, her smile growing wider. "Show 'em that marvelous voice of yours!" she cried, prompting Mic Check to use the move Sing in an attempt to put its opponent to sleep.

 

[~Aura~Slashz~]

Jack Douglas Wilson

As Tempo entered the field, his ability, Grassy Surge activated. This allowed for Grassy Terrain to be set up, which filled the area they were in. This would only last for 5 turns, but Jack and Tempo knew they could make the best of it.

“Your Pokemon has a nice name-“ Jack regained his focus after almost complimenting the Jigglypuff.

“Tempo, focus on your own rhythm! Not hers!” Jack exclaimed. Thwackey managed to not fall asleep by making a small beat with its stick that it focused on instead of the singing.

“Alright, glide em’ up!” Jack exclaimed as Thwackey used Grassy Glide to glide across the terrain, the terrain boosting its speed. Grookey aimed its attack at Jigglypuff, hoping its speed would land the attack.

 

[Anakisuto]

Jack Douglas Wilson

As Tempo entered the field, his ability, Grassy Surge activated. This allowed for Grassy Terrain to be set up, which filled the area they were in. This would only last for 5 turns, but Jack and Tempo knew they could make the best of it.

“Your Pokemon has a nice name-“ Jack regained his focus after almost complimenting the Jigglypuff.

“Tempo, focus on your own rhythm! Not hers!” Jack exclaimed. Thwackey managed to not fall asleep by making a small beat with its stick that it focused on instead of the singing.

“Alright, glide em’ up!” Jack exclaimed as Thwackey used Grassy Glide to glide across the terrain, the terrain boosting its speed. Grookey aimed its attack at Jigglypuff, hoping its speed would land the attack.

((Hidden ability spotted!))

Anna winced as the Thwackey barreled into Mic Check. She hadn't expected this Thwackey to have Grassy Surge over Overgrow, as most of its species had.

"While it's recovering from its attack, use Disarming Voice!" Anna called out to the balloon Pokemon. Mic Check glanced back at her and gave a slight nod.

It inhaled deeply, starting to swell a little, and let out a loud cry directed at Tempo in an attempt to weaken and disorient it.

 

[~Aura~Slashz~]

Jack Wilson

Jack smiled at the fact that Grassy Glide landed. Tempo did too, his confidence certainly boosted by the successful first turn.

Tempo, however, as he returned to his spot, was hit with a disorienting Disarming Voice. It definitely threw Tempo off, and he seemed to be a bit confused for a second. However, Tempo regained himself and prepared his next move. Additionally, the Grassy Terrain would provide a slight healing effect to both parties, which helped Tempo regain himself.

Once again, another Grassy Glide.

“You know the drill, Grassy Glide again!”

Tempo nodded, sending a fast-paced Grassy Glide towards Jigglypuff again. While the attack was pretty fact, the disorienting effects of the previous effect seemed to just slightly slow the attack down.

 

[Anakisuto]

Jack Wilson

Jack smiled at the fact that Grassy Glide landed. Tempo did too, his confidence certainly boosted by the successful first turn.

Tempo, however, as he returned to his spot, was hit with a disorienting Disarming Voice. It definitely threw Tempo off, and he seemed to be a bit confused for a second. However, Tempo regained himself and prepared his next move. Additionally, the Grassy Terrain would provide a slight healing effect to both parties, which helped Tempo regain himself.

Once again, another Grassy Glide.

“You know the drill, Grassy Glide again!”

Tempo nodded, sending a fast-paced Grassy Glide towards Jigglypuff again. While the attack was pretty fact, the disorienting effects of the previous effect seemed to just slightly slow the attack down.

Anna grinned as she realized the healing effect of the Grassy Terrain. Healing on both sides, she commented to herself. Interesting.

She shifted her focus back to the battle, seeing Tempo's repeat usage of Grassy Glide. "Is that all you know how to do? The same move over and over again?" she asked, trying to provoke Jack. "It's almost like you have no strategy!"

Despite her taunting, Anna was focused on the battle. After she gave her quip, determination once again took over her features, like a chess master assessing a board. "C'mon, Mic Check! Use Sing one more time!"

Mic Check did as commanded, standing its ground and singing a soporific melody.

 

[~Aura~Slashz~]

Jack Wilson

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Jack seemed to dismiss Anna’s taunt. After all, one who taunts understands when one is taunting.

“I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t be talking when your Jigglypuff has taken way more damage than my Tempo,” Jack added.

“Tempo, ignore the Sing!”

However, because Tempo had grown a bit exhausted, he fell asleep. Though he did his best to resist it, even taking a long time to fully fall asleep.

Oh shit.

“Tempo, wake up now! Come on, the battle isn’t over!”

Tempo was still deep asleep. As the turn ended, the slim healing effects of Grassy Terrain would come back into play for both sides.

 

[Anakisuto]

Jack Wilson

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Jack seemed to dismiss Anna’s taunt. After all, one who taunts understands when one is taunting.

“I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t be talking when your Jigglypuff has taken way more damage than my Tempo,” Jack added.

“Tempo, ignore the Sing!”

However, because Tempo had grown a bit exhausted, he fell asleep. Though he did his best to resist it, even taking a long time to fully fall asleep.

Oh shit.

“Tempo, wake up now! Come on, the battle isn’t over!”

Tempo was still deep asleep. As the turn ended, the slim healing effects of Grassy Terrain would come back into play for both sides.

Anna grinned like a Sharpedo as Tempo fell asleep. "Oh, now you're screwed, niñito," she whispered, not caring if Jack heard her.

She gestured toward the sleeping Pokemon to Mic Check. "Good. Now, use Round, and keep using it until I say so," she said, a glimmer appearing in her blue eyes.

The balloon Pokemon began to sing again, but more forcefully this time. It also smiled, but it appeared to enjoy Anna's praise more than the actual fighting.

 

[~Aura~Slashz~]

Shit. Shit. Shit!

While Jack seemed fine on the exterior, on the interior, he was freaking out.

“Come on, Tempo, wake up! We still have to battle!” Jack yelled, trying to get his Pokemon to wake up.

However, it was no use. Pound after Pound hit. Tempo seemed to take a lot of damage too, and his HP was close to 1%.

However, soon, Tempo’s eyes slowly drifted open after the second Pound. While he seemed groggy, he was ready to fight again. Barely.

“Let’s go, Tempo! Nice job! Now, get up for another Grassy Glide!”

A very both infuriated and heavily damaged Tempo went in for another Grassy Glide. This would be the last opportunity for a boosted Grassy Glide, as Grassy Terrain was expiring after this turn. However, considering the damage Tempo took, this attack really seemed to lack the speed it once had.

 

[Anakisuto]

Shit. Shit. Shit!

While Jack seemed fine on the exterior, on the interior, he was freaking out.

“Come on, Tempo, wake up! We still have to battle!” Jack yelled, trying to get his Pokemon to wake up.

However, it was no use. Pound after Pound hit. Tempo seemed to take a lot of damage too, and his HP was close to 1%.

However, soon, Tempo’s eyes slowly drifted open after the second Pound. While he seemed groggy, he was ready to fight again. Barely.

“Let’s go, Tempo! Nice job! Now, get up for another Grassy Glide!”

A very both infuriated and heavily damaged Tempo went in for another Grassy Glide. This would be the last opportunity for a boosted Grassy Glide, as Grassy Terrain was expiring after this turn. However, considering the damage Tempo took, this attack really seemed to lack the speed it once had.

Mic Check took the Grassy Glide attack and wobbled on the ground, its HP not very far from Tempo's. This would be a close fight, and Anna knew it. She sighed and thought of what to do, before realizing she could win this part of the battle relatively easily.

"Let's finish this!" she cried. "Use Disarming Voice one more time!"

Now was the first time Anna appeared nervous during this battle. Her thoughts drifted to her father, and how much he valued battling talent. If she lost this battle, what would he think? She'd be a failure, of course. Anna shook her head. Not now! She thought. Focus!

Mic Check swelled up one final time and let out a dissonant cry before falling on the ground, exhausted.

 

[~Aura~Slashz~]

As Mic Check fell, so did Tempo, at nearly the exact same time. Jack returned Tempo, proud that at least he took down an opponent with him.

However, Jack’s internal panic calmed down entirely. To him, this trainer was relying only on ridiculous, “lucky” strategies - and he wasn’t going to those happen anymore.

“So, you almost got the hand with your stupid strategy, eh? Well, I’m afraid, niñita, that can only take you so far,” Jack smirked.

“Not only that, you failed to faint Tempo when he was asleep. Heh. Even he knows that your strategy was a bunch of bullcrap.” Jack’s smirk only grew larger.

“And I’m done playing your stupid games. I think it’s time you finally learn your place,” Jack took out a Poke Ball, nodding at it.

“Sentenielus, give em’ hell!” Jack said in a dramatic tone as his Aegislash exited. The Aegislash put up its shield, as he normally does during the start of battle. The sword Pokemon got itself ready for battle, determined to help its trainer.

 

[Anakisuto]

As Mic Check fell, so did Tempo, at nearly the exact same time. Jack returned Tempo, proud that at least he took down an opponent with him.

However, Jack’s internal panic calmed down entirely. To him, this trainer was relying only on ridiculous, “lucky” strategies - and he wasn’t going to those happen anymore.

“So, you almost got the hand with your stupid strategy, eh? Well, I’m afraid, niñita, that can only take you so far,” Jack smirked.

“Not only that, you failed to faint Tempo when he was asleep. Heh. Even he knows that your strategy was a bunch of bullcrap.” Jack’s smirk only grew larger.

“And I’m done playing your stupid games. I think it’s time you finally learn your place,” Jack took out a Poke Ball, nodding at it.

“Sentenielus, give em’ hell!” Jack said in a dramatic tone as his Aegislash exited. The Aegislash put up its shield, as he normally does during the start of battle. The sword Pokemon got itself ready for battle, determined to help its trainer.

Anna laughed a little. "Pulling out the big guns, are you?" she asked, pulling another pokeball from her belt. "Well then, so am I!"

As she threw the ball, Arsenica gracefully came out, staring the Aegislash down with its piercing blue eyes. It narrowed its eyes, looking for any weaknesses.

"You may think my strategy is stupid, but it's much better than what you're doing!" Anna retorted, not appearing fazed at all by Jack's insult. "I've been training in the art of battling since I could talk!"

She appeared to be perfectly in sync with Arsenica, losing the seemingly reckless attitude she had when battling with Mic Check. It had only been on her team for a few months, but Arsenica was Anna's first partner, and it showed.

"Arsenica, use Toxic! Poison it!" she commanded, aware of how she sounded to anyone who didn't know her style. Everyone knew that Steel-types couldn't be poisoned.

Or could they?

Anna smiled and waited for Jack's reaction.

 

[~Aura~Slashz~]

"Oh hey, a shiny. How nea-"

Jack was completely confused. Sentinelus was confused too, and just sort of let the poison come in. However, Aegislash actually became poisoned. This came as a complete surprise, as neither Jack or Aegislash understood Salazzle to have this ability.

"What the FU-"

"What kind of ability is that?" Jack was incredibly confused. His eyebrow raised and his eyes widened a bit in shock. Sentinelus was certainly confused too, but maintained its guard.

"Alright, I'm done with your stupid B.S. strategies! Sentinelus, use Swords Dance!" Jack growled in utter frustration, as the Aegislash sharply raised its Physical Attack.

 

[Smiley!]

Quentin Windstrom

Interactions: Augustus @Cmeriwether

Current Team: Excalibur the Doublade, Queenie the Seadra, Steelhead the Lairon, Psyche the Abra

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Quentin looked at the Zoroark with a sense of familiarity, then up at Illuuso's Trainer with the same look. Augustus addressed him by his full name, which wasn't something he paid much attention to.

"That's.. me." He replied absently, the memories of Sootopolis flooding back. "You're name's August or something- no, Augustus, that's right.." This boy was somewhat of an old friend, his family had been one of the first to join the search for his father when he had been swallowed up by the sea, never to resurface.

"So, what brings you here, huh?" Quentin asked, deciding to stick with formalities.

 

[Anakisuto]

"Oh hey, a shiny. How nea-"

Jack was completely confused. Sentinelus was confused too, and just sort of let the poison come in. However, Aegislash actually became poisoned. This came as a complete surprise, as neither Jack or Aegislash understood Salazzle to have this ability.

"What the FU-"

"What kind of ability is that?" Jack was incredibly confused. His eyebrow raised and his eyes widened a bit in shock. Sentinelus was certainly confused too, but maintained its guard.

"Alright, I'm done with your stupid B.S. strategies! Sentinelus, use Swords Dance!" Jack growled in utter frustration, as the Aegislash sharply raised its Physical Attack.

Anna smiled triumphantly. "It's Corrosion!" she said. "Arsenica can poison any type! Steel-types included!"

She didn't stop there. "And on top of that, your Aegislash is badly poisoned, so you'll have to win this fast! How's that for a stupid strategy?" she asked mockingly.

Arsenica mirrored Anna's determined expression, not letting this small victory get to its head. It hissed at Sentinelus, trying to spook it as well as Jack.

"Now, use Flamethrower! Show them what we can really do!" Anna cried. She didn't want to come out of this battle as the

(Failure)

loser after all this hard fighting now, did she? Her father's voice echoed in the back of her mind.

(No matter what you do you'll never be good enough)

But she pushed it away. She needed to focus!

Arsenica opened its mouth and fired a pillar of flame at the sword Pokemon.

 

[~Aura~Slashz~]

"I have time. Sentinelus, try to dodge!" Jack commanded. Sentinelus managed to avoid most of the attack by floating away from it, however part of the attack still hit. The attack did super-effective damage, but Aegislash's high Special Defense certainly helped mitigate the damage - allowing it to recover from the attack fairly well.

"Good, now go in for the Shadow Claw!" Jack yelled. Aegislash swiftly put its shield away, swiftly preparing its blade, which turned purple at its edge. Then, in a swift and skillful attack, it aimed a Shadow Claw right at Arsenica, hoping to potentially land a critical hit with its increased crit ratio.

 

[Anakisuto]

Anna shook her head as the attack landed, causing Arsenica to hesitate in its Flamethrower attack. "Now, while it's close, use Overheat!"

Anna watched the Aegislash's stance change, lowering its defensive capabilities and raising its offensive ones. She was positive that this attack would do some serious damage, given Arsenica's high Special Attack, as well as the overall power of Overheat.

The white Salazzle charged up its attack, putting its all into the attack before letting out a massive stream of fire at the Steel-type. It was so hot that Anna could feel it burning her skin from 20 feet away. "Keep going! Melt that hunk of metal!"