Private/Closed The Locily Tales

[EnviousWorm]

The Professor's face lit up like a fireplace when he heard the name Anthony Sunstone. Though intimidating, he did radiate warmth in a friendly, old man sort of way. He did seemed a little overwhelmed, meeting so many energetic kids at once.

"Of course, of course, he showed me a thing or two about Water Pokemon, and more," Laurel said with a nod, turning to Samuel, "And your mother! Such a talented trainer, and a beauty on top of that! You've good genes young one."

Pausing for a moment, Professor Laurel considered the stories of all the young trainers with an amused smile. He eventually looked over toward the door everyone seemed so excited about.

"Heh, I'm just glad anybody answered my call at all," Laurel said, sounding a little lonely as he did so, "This is the third time I've tried -- the first anybody's shown up! A shame, really. But anyway, you've all got keen senses, little ones -- that room over there, well; it's supposed to be closed, but I'm an old fool. I forget these things some times. Luckily there weren't any thieves sneaking in."

Without really explaining what was in the room, Laurel started shuffling toward it -- a slow walking old man, and an odd one at that. He shuffled a little bit further before turning, pausing again and laughing.

"Oh, I'm sorry," He said, realizing what he'd done, "That room is where I keep the Pokemon still in their PokeBalls -- and there's a few back there quite excited to meet their new trainers. What do you say? Who's joining me?"

And so Laurel continued walking, slowly over toward the door.

On the door's other side stood two parallel shelves on either wall, from the floor to the ceiling about twelve feet high -- each shelf filled to the brim with PokeBalls of all different kinds; regular, great, ultra, heavy, dusk, lure, net, etc. The room itself was another forty feet long straight ahead, the people entering flanked by the rows and rows of shelved PokeBalls. But at the end of the room, directly in the center, stood a small incubator. The Incubator was egg-shaped, with a dome over it -- the machine itself hooked up to a large PC system.

All the trainers could tell, though, that's where their new Pokemon friends awaited to meet them.

@Stadium @Crystal1302 @Astrial @killerwolf9980

 

[Stadium]

Laurel didn't need to ask for Isabelle to join him a second time. Barely a first, in fact, as she was following on his heel almost immediately after his mouth opened. The young girl was so excited she didn't consciously register his scatterbrained behavior like leaving the door open, even if he should really worry more about someone stealing those rare Pokémon he kept in his lab... Cura let out a yelp and tightened her grip on her trainer as Bella seemed to accelerate from 0-100 in a single heartbeat. She had learned her lesson from Macey back at the harbor.

The girl had enough self-restraint to contain her eagerness after she caught up with the professor, letting him walk ahead of them as he led them to through the door. She did seem to vibrate, however. While all those poké balls lining the shelves certainly caught her interest, her eyes lingered on a pair of the specialist types: the Friend and Luxury Balls. Both were supposed to help Pokémon bond with their trainer. They were both rare and expensive, but she'd really like to save enough of her money to buy a few. She tore her gaze away. Smiling brightly at everyone.

The last ten feet lasted forever. Her heart thumping in her ear almost drowned out any other sound. She hadn't made a decision yet. Only Cura lightly batting the top of Isabelle's head with her paw brought her trainer back to reality. Then crawling up so she could lean over and look directly into her trainer's eyes. Her furred ears pointing straight down at Isabelle's sturdy boots. "Of course, you'll be helping picking them out. But you should worry about what you to be too." Referencing a far older discussion.

 

[Astrial]

Macey immediately followed after Bella, Harpy trailing after her. While she'd been a little skeptical of Professor Laurel at first, something about his scatterbrained nature reminded her a little of herself. Also, she was just really desperate for new Pokémon.

She pushed her glasses up her nose and hurried forward, brainstorming what kind of Pokémon that the professor might have, and the type she might choose. She should probably go for a grass type, to help against Harpy's weakness towards ground and water, but she couldn't think of any Pokémon she might like in the grass typing. Fire and electric types seemed pretty cool, and she'd heard somewhere that there was an ice type regional form of a Kantonian Pokémon that seemed sweet.

Macey shook her head. She was really thinking to hard about this, and she knew that she'd be happy with whatever the professor gave her, and long as Harpy was too. She looked down at her pup, then back at Professor Laurel, grinning. She knew that when she got her new Pokémon, she'd be well on her way to becoming a trainer.

"So, professor, if you don't mind me asking, what kind of Pokémon do you have?" She motioned towards the incubator, tilting her head quizzically.

 

[EnviousWorm]

"I'm glad you asked, Macey," The Professor said, pressing a button; this button seemed to release a seal on the incubator dome, which slowly revealed six PokeBalls aligned together in a circle.

The tops of the PokeBalls were transluscent, revealing the Pokemon beneath in miniature form. Professor Laurel moved along the circle, pointing at each as he went along.

"The Grass Pokemon Bulbasaur and Turtwig; the Water Pokemon Froakie and Popplio; the Fire Pokemon Tepig and Torchic," The Professor explained, "I wanted to go grand, but to tell the truth -- we Professors call them starter Pokemon for a reason! I'm sorry it can't be more exciting; I'm sure you're all aware of these Pokemon's capabilities. Water, fire, and grass provide a stable base of valuable typings for a sturdy, strong team of Pokemon. Having one of these here will only help you on your journey."

From a desk near his PC, the Professor also grabbed a pile of familiar, red PokeDexes. Turning back to the group, he played eenie meenie miney moe to decide who should go first.

"Alice," Laurel said, "The hometown girl. You choose first, little one. Sorry, everyone else. No bias here. Macey, you're next. Then Samuel, then Isabelle."

@Crystal1302

 

[Crystal1302]

Alice followed the group. "With those stairs, I'm pretty sure any thief that tries coming here would have way too much time on their hands," said Alice before laughing to herself. She looked inside the room. She stood in surprise looking at the shelves among shelves of pokeballs. "Woah, I've never seen this many pokemon in one place before!" she said as she looked through multiple pokeballs. One of which was a gray Pokeball with purple spots that she hadn't seen before. Alice watched as the professor tossed out 6 pokemon. "Wow, all of them look so cool! Lemme think." said Alice " How cool! I can get another pokemon. Wait, what do I choose? Sammy did bring up something about getting a flying type pokemon, but none of these options are flying or can evolve into flying pokemon. I love water type pokemon. But I probably should have some other type than water pokemon if I'm traveling. What if I-" Alice's mental rambling was interrupted by another yank on her ponytail. "Ow! Sorry Cherry, overthinking again. I think I'll pick, you!" she said picking up the Pokeball that contained Tepig. She pressed the white button in the center. A flash of blue light formed into an orange and black pig pokemon. "Tepig-Tepig!" said the Tepig as it jumped into her arms excited to meet a trainer. She picked up a Pokedex of her own. "I think I'm gonna call you Piggy, Kay?" "The tepig nodded as it jumped on Alice's head.

 

[Astrial]

Macey fidgeted impatiently, waiting for Alice to pick. She eyed all the small Pokémon, trying to decide. That Torchic looked pretty cool, as did the Turwig. Both would make amazing partners, but she just wasn't really feeling them, or most of the other Pokémon, really.

When Alice was done, she walked up to the pokeballs and held up Harpy to them. "Which one are you thinking, girl?" The Rockruff sniffed around for a bit, before looking to point at one.

While she wasn't really sure that this would be a good pairing, especially with her Hydrophobia, something in the sparkle of one of the Pokémon's eyes really made it impossible to pick any other one, and it seemed Harpy felt the same way. "I'll take you!" She grabbed the Popplio's pokeball, moving back so that she could set Harpy down and open the ball. "Hi, little guy--or girl! I'm not sure what to call you yet, but welcome to my team! This is Harpy." She motioned towards her Rockruff, then looked back at the small water type Pokémon, grinning in delight. "We're gonna have a great time together, I just know it!"

 

[killerwolf9980]

Samuel watched as the others picked their starters, when it was his turn, he went to the dome and grabbed the pokemon that would help with Hel's fairy weakness.
"Bulbasaur, I choose you."
He looked at his rotom-watch, a gift from his father to see that his new partner was a male.
"Hel, do you want to name him?"
"Absol." (Frey. That was the name of a god of fertility in your dad's stories.)
"Welcome to the team, little buddy."

 

[Stadium]

Waiting had been torture, especially seeing her new friend's faces light up as they introduced themselves to their lifelong partners. They were so cute together, and her expression brightened in shared joy. That didn't mean she wasn't a little jealous too. Had Isabelle been able, the ambitious Pokémon breeder would have taken all of them. These were all special. She groaned. Why did it have to be only one?

"Eeeeevee." Cura patter her trainer on her head. She was right, of course: One at a time so she could learn all of their quirks without being overwhelmed at once with multiple Pokémon fighting for her attention. Isabelle furtively glanced over at the other trainers' partners, already conspiring to go far beyond that. Yes, she'd be very busy with just two to look after. Which only left the question of which one she should choose; they already had a water, grass, and fire type, so all elements were covered.

Her thoughts returned to the fiery biome, thinking how she had never visited Almia's volcano. It'd be a challenge, but that only meant she could learn more about an entirely new kind of Pokémon – for her at least. She nodded firmly, having decided and leaving no more room for doubt. It could be her imagination, but the poké ball felt warm in Isabelle's hand as she clutched it with her fingers. Not hot, just pleasantly warm.

"Torchic, Firaga, come out so we can meet!" The red beam of energy released from the ball materialized into an orange and yellow ball of fuzz and feathers. Its rear had black specks, though Isabelle didn't know if that meant anything yet. She knelt so she wouldn't be so imposing for their first meeting, letting Eevee jump down with a graceful leap.

"Tor... chic?" He quizzically tilted his head, solid black eyes looking at his trainer. "Chic! Chic! Chic!" Firaga sprung into Isabelle's open arms after taking a slight step back to gather speed and distance. Isabelle's breath left her as she hugged him tightly, feeling the same warmth she had from holding his poké ball. He had to be quite warm and comfortable as well as Isabelle watched him nestle his adorable beak and face into her thick coat.

Eevee, seeing her trainer occupied, jumped up to snatch the remaining Pokédex from the professor's hand. "Eevee. Thanks to its unstable genetic makeup, this special Pokémon conceals many different possible evolutions." The dex helpfully chimed in.

 

[EnviousWorm]

Watching all four choose their Pokemon with reverence and delight filled Professor Laurel with a mixture of hope and giddiness; clearly, it wasn't a feeling he was used to. The old man waited patiently as each decided on a name, and researched their new partner in the PokeDex he'd given them.

"I apologize that your Dexes are such old models, but they'll get the job done," Laurel sighed, "I've modified them so that they display all available information modern trainers need to know - including a Map! - nowadays. Rotom and Rotom-integration technology is quite difficult to come by in these parts. But I won't bore you with my technical details. I'll start with the very basics, but after this, I'm afraid the four of you will be quite on your own. Whether you choose to remain together or travel apart, that's up to you."

Laurel took the two remaining PokeBalls that hadn't been selected by his new assistants and he released the Pokemon from them. Kneeling, he pat the unchosen Turtwig and Froakie. He fed them some special food he pulled from separate containers in his large, lab coat pockets, and sent the two on their way.

"Now what I ask of you all is simple, in nature, but difficult to achieve," Laurel warned, "We've recently integrated Pokemon from Kalos, Alola and Galar much faster than we have in the past. I need you all to observe these Pokemon in their new habitats, and how they're adapting. You'll also observe Pokemon from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh, to determine if these new Pokemon are getting co-existing, or harmful. We've done it before, and I personally made sure previous generations of Pokemon adapted to their new habitats and neighbors safely. But I'm far too old to make the journey now."

The thought of not being able to go out and see the region, new Pokemon and all, upset Professor Laurel very briefly. But then he perked up.

"To do this, you'll need to cover every corner of Locily! It's a beautiful country, but full of its dangers, natural and unnatural -- just like anywhere in the world," Laurel sighed, looking at all the trainers, "You'll have to become strong. You're determined, and you love Pokemon, so you seem right for the job. But anyone can start. Very few finish. It might be a good idea to take Locily's Gym Challenge -- many good, pro trainers haven't even completed the whole thing, so even a little experience with it will help you, your adventure, and your research go a long way."

Realizing that he had been talking for quite a long time to quite young children who were likely out of patience the moment they'd gotten their new Pokemon, Professor Laurel laughed a little bit -- just a small chuckle of an old man a little ashamed to ramble. He reached into both, large pockets of his - where he'd gotten the Pokemon food earlier - and seemed to dig around. The four trainers could here clacking, like he was a hundred tossing marbles around.

"From here, the only route is up toward Yost Town -- that's where you'll start. But once you cross the Route 102 Bridge into Entale Town, the Locily Region is your oyster! I hope you keep in touch with me, all you have to do is call the office. My number is in your Dex, don't worry. Now take these," From either pocket he would produce forty, empty PokeBalls in their miniature forms, offering ten to each of his assistants, "I'm sure you're aware that, to grow stronger, you'll need to add new members to your team. Be careful. A trainer has to be in the moment with their Pokemon while battling, and your actions can endanger them if you aren't careful -- or, if you're too careful. You'll be surprised at how difficult it is, to maintain a diverse team of Pokemon, with many types and moves, all with their own strengths and weaknesses. But remember that I have put my faith in you, and to believe in yourself -- and your Pokemon. Now go, my assistants!"

With that, Professor Laurel sent the four, ambitious trainers out toward the wild world of Locily.

@Stadium @Astrial @killerwolf9980 @Crystal1302

 

[killerwolf9980]

Samuel could barely stand still while the professor was talking,
and his face visibly lit up when Laurel talked about the Gym Challenge. He grabbed his pokeballs and his dex, the latter just to humor the man, as he had the equivalent of a top-model pokedex on his wrist before asking his question.
"Do you know of a place nearby where I could find a Fletchling and a Shinx?"

 

[Astrial]

The second Macey got her hands on her dex and pokeballs, she quickly scanned her new Poppilo. "So, you're a boy, huh?" She looked down at the curious water type. "I think I'll call you Caspian, then. A noble name for a noble gentleman, am I right?" Caspian clapped his flippers together in excitement. "That's the spirit, little gent! Now, I just need to figure out a way to get a tiny bowtie..." She noticed Harpy's dismayed look. "I'm kidding, Harps! Unless you want some bling too, though I think the jewelry you made for yourself is more than enough." She scratched the Rockruff's collar.

Once she was done naming her starter and doting on her Pokémon, she trotted over to a certain breeder-in-training. "Hey, Bella! So, I was wondering, do you still want to travel together? It's okay if you don't, I'm sure me and my team would be fine on our own, but if you want to keep going together, that'd be great!" She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

 

[Stadium]

After receiving the information from about her Torchic, figuring out the black marks meant Firaga was a boy, Isabelle stashed the device one of her countless pockets. An old or new model didn't matter, she thought as she continued to cradle to her Torchic. The young trainer could hear him go 'Tor... chic... Tor... chic...' His breathing deep and steady as if slowly falling asleep. Almost the opposite of the energetic Cura, who had still maintained her cheerful attitude after ascending the steep stairway. Admittedly, while atop her trainer's head.

Doting on her new Pokemon didn't preclude her from listening, however. Everything she had essentially prepared for when first signing-up to the professor's request. Though she hadn't considered taking the gym challenge, but hearing the idea voiced filled her with a fire she didn't quite know she had before.

She also couldn't help but think it was probably for the best if the professor stayed here. Otherwise, she'd worry herself sick that he'd have left the door to one of the biomes unlocked, or worse, before he left. Staying here, he could at least solve the problem when it came up. "She bowed deeply, to not let any of that show on her face.

"Of course, Macey! Know you would do great on your on, but its nice to have someone to travel together with." Glad she remembered. "Think I promised we could go see the town if you'd like now too. Need to stock up on supplies for poké puffs and the like anyway. Know what I'll need so should be quick if you prefer starting early. Will be a lot though since I'll be experimenting to try to figure out what everyone likes to eat." She smirked, quite proud of her cooking skills. "That includes Harpy and Caspian too."

 

[EnviousWorm]

Letting Macey and Isabelle form their little pair, Professor Laurel turned to Samuel.

"If it's Shinx and Fletchling you're searching for, you're in luck!" The Professor said, pulling out his own PokeDex and bringing up its map. He held it in front of the young trainer's face, pointing at the route leading from Foster Town to Yost, and then the route from Yost to Entale -- essentially, the first two major routes in Locily, "Both Pokemon are quite common along the early routes here. If you want to find where any Pokemon is throughout the region, simply type its Dex Number into yours, and the map will show the routes these Pokemon are on, what times they're likeliest to appear, and even how often they appear compared to other Pokemon on the same route!"

Although he'd been addressing Samuel directly, he spoke up loud enough so the other three could hear what he was explaining as well. But, when he finished, Laurel closed the Dex, beaming at his assistants -- wondering who'd take the first steps out of his Lab, onto their adventure.

 

[killerwolf9980]

Samuel stepped out of the lab, losing himself in thoughts as he headed to the first route. He had not chosen his first catches randomly, as it had been quickly drilled in his mind to have a fire, water, and grass core. Flame body Talonflame and Intimidate luxray where also a good way to drop the opponent's attack.

 

[FireFly12]

Nathan stepped of the boat, and proceeded to the Pokemon Center. He came put with 20 Potions and 15 Revives.

He was ready

 

[Astrial]

"Heck yeah, lets go!" Macey pumped her fist in the hair, causing Harpy and Caspian to squirm excitedly. "I definitely need to grab some more supplies in town, too. I honestly don't remember how many potions I packed, and I'm running low on the berries I need to make Harpy's favorite dry curry. And I'd assume Cura and Caspian would like sweet curry, and Firaga would probably like spicy, so I'll need Magu and Figy berries, along with others..." She looked up. "Sorry, I'm rambling again, aren't I? I get kind of excited over curry."

She picked up Caspian, knowing that he probably wouldn't do to well going over land, and tucked him inside her near-empty bag. "I'm ready to go, now. Let's go get some supplies! Ooh, I wonder what kind of seasonings they sell here. Maybe I could..." She trailed off, engrossed in her curry-filled thoughts.

 

[Stadium]

Isabelle reached for a pair of poké balls, sending a red beam of energy to capture both her sleepy Torchic and Eevee inside them. She fastened them on the belt, silently hoping they'd enjoy it inside the balls. Cura had never complained. And Firaga had looked like he could sleep through anything. They were both so different, she noted before turning to Macey and smiling brightly.

"Curry?" She tittered as her friend said she was rambling. She was just enthusiastic about her pokémon. "I wouldn't mind stealing some too, they're not the only ones who enjoys curry. And yes, Cura likes sweet snacks. At home, we usually add a little Combee honey when we cook. Lasts forever too, so great for when traveling or camping outside..." Isabelle continued engrossed, trading remarks and recipes, as she followed after Macey and outside the professor's laboratory.

She only barely remembered to wave goodbye before disappearing outside.

They had passed by a number of stores during the hike up the mountain-side town. Taking the lead, Isabelle lead them to a grocery store first since both had a fair idea of what they needed. Mago berries for Cura and likely Caspian. For the others, Isabelle brought out Firaga, holding the docile chick pokémon out in front of her to let him sniff the differently spiced berries. Nothing that stood out for him, so she bought a few berries of everything. The prospective breeder also planning for any pokémon they'd encounter between here and Yost Town.

 

[killerwolf9980]

Samuel had been walking for about ten minutes when he tripped over something warm and fell down to the ground. Looking back at what had made him fall, he saw a cute little Shinx stretching while yawning.
"Well, are you not the most adorable thing, so here's how this works, I need to battle you so that you're weakened enough to go into a pokeball. After that, you can journey with me, so what do you say?"
Samuel let out Frey who, after seeing what was happening, prepared to battle.

 

[EnviousWorm]

Out shopping in Foster Town, Isabelle and Macey both overheard something odd, almost at the same time: the grocery story wasn't empty, but it didn't have too many people in it. And two pairs of trainers engrossed in conversation loud enough to eavesdrop on by accident moved throughout the store.

"So you're saying your Pokemon just disappeared?" One person in the pair asked.
"I swear." The other replied.
"You're not just imagining things?"
"No way!"

The two people adamant they'd lost Pokemon would continue:

"I know for a fact that I caught four Pidgey and two Bellsprout yesterday. And today, there was only 3 in my PC!"
"I swear I had two Onix in my PC but yesterday I checked and there was only one."

Again confused by the development, they were asked:

"Did you release the Pokemon or something? By accident even?"
"I'd never do that." Both trainers replied, both positive that something weird was happening.
"Must be a glitch or something. I'm sure it's there."

@Stadium @Astrial

Samuel could tell there was something about the wild Shinx; it had a certain way of staring at one, even moving, that seemed like the Shinx knew it was strong and capable; Frey, in turn, looked slightly intimidated.

Although the two Pokemon seemed move at nearly the same speed as each other, the Shinx making a half-circle strafing motion around Frey the Bulbasaur as he Leer'd directly at Samuel's new Pokemon; for it, the Bulbasaur seemed to be shaken, more open to an attack from the wild Pokemon.

@killerwolf9980

 

[killerwolf9980]

"This is bad," Thought Samuel, "Frey can't get hit."
"Listen to me Frey, focus on my voice, we can win this battle. Use your Vine Whip to grab The Shinx and stop him from moving while using Growl as much as you can."
The young Bulbasaur, trusting his trainer, launched his Vine Whips, trying to grab the wild Shinx in between the front and rear legs while at the same time using Growl, which didn't look impressive coming from such a small pokemon.

 

[Astrial]

“Pokémon going missing? That’s really strange…” Macey awkwardly shifted the berries she held in her hands. While she could put the groceries in her bag, she’d have to move Caspian, and he looked too happy for her to want to misplace him from his perch. “I mean, I think I’ve heard of something that happened in Unova a few years back when some organization tried ‘liberating’ Pokémon, but that was a while ago.” She grabbed a small bunch of fruit. Poppilo’s are native to Alola, right? I think he’d like some tropical curry.

Harpy suddenly skittered away, seeming drawn to something on a shelf a few feet away. “What is it, girl?” Macey walked after her pup, careful to keep her groceries balanced in her arms. Harpy had skidded to a stop in front of a small case of what looked to be souvenir gemstones. “Really, Harps? You know we can find these things in the wild easy, with you’re rock-hunting skills.” She ruffled the Rockruff’s fur and walked back over to Bella. “Sorry, Harpy has an eye for any kind of rock. What do you think about the missing Pokémon thing? It’s probably a mistake, but maybe it’s something more…”

 

[Stadium]

"In Almia, some real bad guys tried to control all wild Pokémon using strange computers and radio waves, something like that. Rangers, like mom and dad, stopped them in their tracks though." It was clear this was a point of pride for Isabelle. Torchic, despite his docile ways, seemed to have looked intently at his trainer from out of his coat pocket. She reached out for him, teasing his downy head-feathers with a pair of fingers to tell him everything was alright now and Team Dim Sun was Dim Sunk. Right now, Isabelle was more worried about the amount Macey carried in her hands at one time.

She followed after Harpy with her gaze, giggling and smiling when she saw what she stopped in front of. "That is fine though isn't it." She sunk down beside the Rockruff. Peering over the edge of the case. "Ohh, lots of pretty gems here. At the beaches back home you could find clams and pearls washed up on the beach, although we had to be careful to not annoy the Clamperls and Shellders or we'd get bubbles to our face. Hey, think Harpy could find an evolutionary stone if we went searching up the mountain..." Isabelle sighed. "We didn't use the storage system for anything growing up so can't even begin to figure out how it works. Suppose it could be more. Know I'd be worried if I lost Cura and Firaga suddenly."

Isabelle rose, actually picking up a few different colored stones as she did. Cheap enough they didn't impact the total overly much. And some Pokémon were supposed to eat minerals which Isabelle was also eager to experiment with. Would a yellow gemstone taste different than a green one? "Think I have everything I need. Ready to hit the road? Hopefully the company in charge of the storage system have fixed whatever issue there is before we need to use." The girl ended on a hopeful note as she moved toward the checkout.

 

[EnviousWorm]

Samuel's plan for Frey was a good one -- moving second, but of similar speed with the wild, electric type, the Bulbasaur was able to wrap its vines around the Shinx's legs, wrapping tightly around three of the four with success; following up with a Growl, in spite of its small demeanor and low level, Frey's second move was successful. This time, Bulbasaur moved faster, following his vine whip grapple with a second, consecutive attack. The Growl seemed to successfully lower the Shinx's attack, but the wild Pokemon responded with another Leer.

Both Pokemon Growled and Leered in quick succession, until Samuel remembered some advice his mother had given him.

"Sometimes you can use one attack in combination with another," Diantha had told him not long before he left home on his journey, thinking of last minute advice to give, "Oh, and remember! You won't have to do much damage at first! Low level Pokemon are pretty easy to catch, if your PokeBall throw is on target!"

The young trainer got the sense he could use Bulbasaur's vines - still wrapped around Shinx's legs - to perform a tackle attack from a distance, which might be just enough damage to the Shinx to capture it.
@killerwolf9980

Check-out went smoothly for the new dynamic duo, chatting idly in the store. Eventually, the fervor about stolen or missing Pokemon died down. If only Alice had been there -- she could have mentioned something about the shady men she'd encountered earlier on the dock. Maybe there was some sort of connection there?

Otherwise, Macey and Isabelle would leave the store and find road signs directing them out of Foster Town; The north-westward pointing sign read: ROUTE 101, 15 MILES TO YOST TOWN!

As opposed to the rocky, cliff-laden mini-route that led from Foster to the Professor's lab, this route was a series of loping hills - up and down, up and down, up and down - the tallest of them was maybe forty, fifty feet tall, its downward slope even further down toward the sea-level, before rising back up to some sort of balance between the two. It was a 15-mile walk to Yost Town, but that walk itself could spell trouble for the unprepared.

The road paved for the route was a beautiful, cobbled stone that seemed immaculately cared for; but the further out of town the trainers got, the higher the tall grass -- and the more prevalent the sounds of wild Pokemon.

@Astrial @Stadium

 

[Stadium]

Both Cura and Firaga were allowed out of their poké balls the moment they had left the town's borders. The teen wore a serene and calm expression as she breathed in the air. She could still taste some of the salt from the sea on the wind, even as green hills rose and fell like waves ahead of them. They'd be spending four or five hours if they made a straight line for the town. Isabelle smiled as it meant they didn't need to hurry if they wanted to arrive there before nightfall. They could explore a little, walk down some side paths or where ever their feet could take them.

Isabelle brought out her pokédex, inspecting the map. She saw it had a number of other useful features for cataloging pokémon and their habitats. "Heading straight west from here, we could follow the coastline. Just need to head north whenever we want to return to the road." She was quite animated as she spoke and turned the dex for Macey to see where she pointed. "While if we follow the road north-west, we could take a detour through the mountains before returning to the road. Both Firaga and Cura will have issues dealing with any Rock-types." The Eevee seemed to take issue at that and let out a confident howl. "Your Caspian shouldn't have any issues though."

They always had the tall grass too waiting from them. A billowing see of green that could be seen in the distance. Perhaps it'd be better to clamp down on their excitement and take things slow at the start of their journey.

 

[killerwolf9980]

"Frey, use Tackle while retracting your vines to give your attack extra momentum."
The Bulbasaur did just that, and while the two pokemon were speeding towards each other, Samuel threw a pokeball where the Shinx would land and hoped his aim hadn't been off.

 

[Crystal1302]

Alice broke into a huge smile as Professor Laurel told them her mission as a professor's assistant. "Oh my gosh! I get to travel around Locily!? This is the greatest day of my life!" Alice, Cherry, and Piggy all listened to Professor laurel intently as he told them about the group of 4's mission. "Thank you so much Professor! I know that I'm gonna do my best. All right, Cherry and Piggy. Let's go see if grandpa will let us go!" "Tepig Tepig!" The party of three ran down the steps at a much faster rate than climbing up. Alice's fishing rod bag was even swinging back and forth. Cherry was even having difficulty holding onto Alice's shoulder. She stopped in front of her grandparent's house almost out of breath opening the door.

"Grandpa! Grandpa!" said Alice excitedly and out of breath with two pokemon following behind her, two of which were a little exhausted than she was. The yelling woke up an old sweeping Swampert. Anthony was standing in front of his stove preparing Moomoo Cheese Omelettes with a side of Tiny Mushrooms: Alice's favourite breakfast. "Hi Lissy." said Anthony rather unphased, as this was not the first time she has run into the house yelling. "Anything wrong?" "Complete opposite Grandpa! I just visited Professor Laurel today!" "You got up there all by yourself?" "Well, Cherry had to help me. Also, there are multiple half-melted ice blocks on the stairs leading to his lab." After Anthony sighed a bit, Alice continued with her explanation. "Well, in normal situations, I'd say absolutely not, but this sounds really important for the Professor. Also you are at that age where kids usually go on adventures and you told me you have a traveling companion. Plus, Piggy looks like a great ally." Alice's eyes lit up more and more as she got closer to her covrted "yes" answer. Anthony stopped and pondered for a moment before sliding the finished breakfast onto a clean plate. "
...All right you can go, on one condition. You have to make sure to call me every day. If you don't, I'll have Pepper hunt you down and drag you right back here." Alice looked outside to a tree right next to Anthony's house where a sleeping Pelliper was sitting. While that Pelliper was getting up in years it had never failed once to get her home whenever she stayed out past her curfew. "Yes grandpa. I promise I will." Said Alice calming down for the first time she got home. During the whole breakfast she was constantly talking about how cool Locily was going to be. Anthony only smiled and nodded as she went on for what it seems like forever. She scarfed down her food and after she was done her grandpa told her to come upstairs to the attic. After digging through an old box, filled with dusty old pokeballs, a broken fishing rod, and a Pokenav that has long sinced stopped working he got to the bottom. It was a dark blue messenger bag. Alice gasped when she saw what it was. "I knew one day you'd want to go on a journey, so I'd kept a mental note of where this bag is so that you would have it." Alice was a lost for words after she put on the bag. On the inside in faded marker it said 'Sunstone.' The bag was a little big on her but after a few adjustments it was a perfect fit. She gave her grandpa the biggest hug ever and ran out with Piggy following behind and Cherry on her shoulder. She loked over and saw Piggy a little worn out so she figured a break in a pokeball would be good. Alice looked around for sammy on the first route. Various wild pokemon were there, and she even saw a Fletchinder mother make a next for some blue and red eggs. When she found Sammy he was currently battling a Shinx.She decided to watch quietly as not to distract him or his pokemon.
(OOC: I'm baaack)

 

[Astrial]

Macey gazed out over the grass, feeling the soft wind float through her pigtails. She’d let Harpy loose into the tall grass when they’d first walked into the route, and now the pup was romping around, searching for wild Pokémon to battle.

“Sounds like a good plan!” She popped a thumbs-up at Bella grinning. “Harpy and Caspian should be fine, though I am a little worried about grass types. Your Firaga should be good, but both Harps and Cass are weak to them. Hopefully, things will go well, but if they don’t, we bought so many potions, I think we’ll be fine.”

She turned her attention back towards Harpy. “I wonder if she’s found anything yet?”

 

[EnviousWorm]

Jolted back by Bulbasaur's tackle, the wild Pokemon was stunned a little by the speed of the grass-type's attack. The young trainer threw his PokeBall, aiming for where the Shinx would land; it soared through the air with a well-trained spiral, clipping the electric-type's tail just barely. The ball opened, its red beam pulling Samuel's prey into its grasp. And it shook once. Twice. Three times...Bing! A lock clicked tight and the captured Shinx stared out, slightly offended, from the translucent red top of its new, PokeBall home.

@killerwolf9980

As Alice watched the end of Samuel's battle with the wild Shinx, culminating in its climactic capture, she heard the flapping of wings overhead. A small flock of Spearow and Pidgey chased after each other, apparently locked into some sort of rivalry. But one of the Pidgey, having noticed Alice and Cherry on her shoulder, diverted from the chase scene. Its beak pointed directly at Cherry, the Pidgey started to charge, letting out a vicious cawing sound.

@Crystal1302

While Isabelle planned a potential route forward, Macey and Harpy quickly turned to the hunt for wild Pokemon. Just as the young Galarian wondered if her Rockruff found any success, she heard growling from behind the tall grass -- first, Harpy, growling at something; and then another growl.

She heard the quick snapping of jaws, and Harpy and her attacker spilled out from the tall grass into Macey and Isabelle's sight. Staring the Rockruff down was a particularly vicious looking Poochyena, who clearly intimidated Harpy a little bit.

@Astrial

(@Stadium lmk if you want an encounter for Isabelle rn or later and I can edit to accommodate!)

 

[Stadium]

Isabelle was still caught up in dex when she heard the first growl. She mumbled something about refilling their water flasks but didn't pay the noise any attention beyond quickly glancing at the rustling patch of grass. The second set of poké-canine growls recieved even less of a reaction. Then all she could do was stare dumbfoundly as the Rockruff and Poochyene came tumbling out. A quake passed through her coated body.

"Umm... what do we... oh, I know! Eevee use Helping Hand on Harpy!" It was the first move that came to mind to the flustered trainer. Luckily, Cura was faster on the uptake than Isabelle and began gathering a white sphere of energy in her mouth. Her fur coat around her neck almost seemed to shine with the same warmth as the glowing ball. She released it and it swam through the air, homing in on the Rockruff. Hopefully, it'd hit and she'd be invigorated with strength to beat the dark-type pokémon.

"Tor!" Firaga jumped in place as he was startled, reaching an impressive height considering his size.

 

[Crystal1302]

"Woo! Way to go Sammy!" said Alice failing to notice a Pidgey flying directly at her shoulder. Alice jumped out of the way but not before Cherry was grabbed by the Pidgey. "Cherry!" said Alice worriedly. "I know, go Piggy!" said Alice before throwing out her Pokeball. In a burst of blue light, a now less tired Tepig came out. "Piggy, we need to get Cherry back! Quick, use...wait I've never used Piggy before!" said Alice as both the Tepig and Alice looked significantly more worried. Tepig motioned his snout toward the Pokedex that was sticking out of her pocket. "Oh that's right Piggy!" she dug out her pokedex and found that in knew three moves: Tackle, Growl and Ember. "Use Ember!" Piggy nodded and shot a small ball of fire as to hit the pidgey and not the Clauncher it was holding.

 

[Astrial]

“Thanks, Cura!” Macey watching the canine Pokémon face off. “Okay, Harpy, we can do this!” She cheered her pup on, who was now eyeing the Poochyena, looking a little less intimidated thanks to Cura’s Helping Hand. “Use sand attack to blind it, than tackle to weaken it so I can catch it!”

She watched her Rockruff attack, her eyes narrowed in focus that was seemingly unnatural to her, Caspian clapping and cheering her on from Macey’s bag. She dug around the water type, still not taking her eyes off the battle, and snagged a pokeball so that she’d be ready to throw it the second she could. A dark type would be a good member for her team, and—with luck—she could catch it.

 

[killerwolf9980]

"Yes."
Samuel pumped his fist in the air. He then let his new team member out and gave him and Frey an Oran berry each. As he watched them eat, a name popped up in his head.
"Zeus, that's your name."
He turned around just in time to see a wild Pidove attack Alice. Samuel was about to help when he noticed that there was just one and instead decided to watch the show

 

[EnviousWorm]

Tepig's Ember attack was well placed but just a little slow, clipping the Pidgey's wing enough to cause it to falter and catch its place, but not enough to force it to stop in full. It seemed to be considering whether it should drop Cherry and fight back against Alice's Tepig, or if it should keep going; the Pokemon in its clutches, however, seemed to slow it down significantly.

@Crystal1302 @killerwolf9980

By far the faster Pokemon, Harpy the Rockruff kicked sand into the eyes of the wild Poochyena, blinding it enough to lower its accuracy; then, the rock-type charged right into the dark-type, pushing it back. Macey figured she could get away with another attack or two without knocking the Poochyena unconscious, although she thought if she made good contact with a PokeBall throw, she would be able to capture her foe right away.

A little fightened, the Poochyena howled, loudly, then charged in for a tackle attack.

@Astrial @Stadium

 

[Stadium]

Isabelle breathed a sigh a relief. The inital shock was quickly fading, and, behind the collar of her coat, she was hiding the beginning of a smirk. "Good idea, Macey! You too, Harpy!" She cheered on her friend, fire in her voice, before turning to her pair of Pokémon. Cura also knew Sand Attack. But she had already helped, and she wanted to include her Torchic in the action too. "Cura come over here, and let Firaga take a turn." Her eevee took a more defensive stance, standing between her trainer and the feral poochyena. While her torchic scratched its talon feet on the ground, kicking up dirt and grass. He was ready too.

"Use growl! Then just observe Harpy as she attacks." Rock-types resisted attacks like Tackle, but they'd still hurt, and this way she could make sure any hit that connected would do as little as possible.

Firaga puffed up his fuzzy chest as he gathered air in his lungs. "Chhhiiiiiiiiccccc!" Isabelle could almost see his shrill chirping leaving visible ripples in the air as it traveled toward the embattled dark-type. In his eagerness at releasing his first attack, the chicken pokémon bounced up and down until a false step made him fall forward. His tiny beak accidentally tackled the ground first. But he was scrambling back to his feet again within moments.

Still holding the pokédex, Isabelle flipped it open and centered it on their opponent. "Poochyena: At first sight, Poochyena takes a bite at anything that moves. This Pokémon chases after prey until the victim becomes exhausted. However, it may turn tail if the prey strikes back." More information appeared on the screen, like mentioning its sensitive nose, and it being an omnivore. The young trainer only needed to glance at her friend's hand already clutching a poké ball to know she wouldn't let it escape.

 

[Crystal1302]

"That Pidgey's on the ropes! Try another Ember!" The Tepig nodded before firing another small fireball. Unfortunately, due to the burned wing, the Pidgey was having trouble flying. This threw off Piggy's aim. The ball of fire was going straight towards Cherry. "Aah! Quick Cherry, Water Gun!" said Alice before the Clauncher shot a small jet of water to block the fireball. The two opposing elements collided and created a steam cloud around the bird and shrimp pokemon. "Wait a minute this is my chance!" she threw a Pokeball into the cloud of steam hoping it would hit the Pidgey, giving her the chance to get Cherry back.

 

[Astrial]

"C'mon Harpy!" Macey watched intently as her Pokémon landed her hits on the Poochyena, then dart back and brace for an attack. She gripped the pokeball in her hand tighter, preparing for a chance to throw it. "One more Tackle, and we should be good!"

Caspian squirmed in her back, watching the fight like he wanted to join in as well. "Not yet, buddy." She tapped his nose lightly. "It's Harpy's turn right now, and you need to watch, so you know how to battle when it's your time to shine."

She turned her attention back to the Pokémon battle in front of her. The Poochyena stumbled back a little bit from Firaga's Growl, then continued charging. "Now's our chance, girl! Use Tackle!" Harpy began charging at the wild Pokémon, and as they collided, Macey threw the pokeball in her hand, hoping that her glasses wouldn't throw off her aim.

 

[EnviousWorm]

Both Alice and Macey - on separate parts of the same route - threw their PokeBalls at the same time, their aim proving to strike true in spite of some obstacles in their way.

Through the cloud of some, Alice could see Cherry bracing herself for the fall, landing roughly - but safe - in the tall grass, her PokeBall wriggling in the air as it fell right next to the water-type lobster. One shake. Two shake. Three! Bing! Alice had captured her first wild Pokemon! Though she could hear others rustling about in the grass...maybe it was time to get going?

@killerwolf9980 @Crystal1302

Macey's PokeBall struck the Poochyena right in the back, just as it started to gather its balance after Harpy's last tackle attack. Taken by surprise by its attempted capture, the dark dog Pokemon let out one, last, soft howl as it was sucked away by the red beam. And the ball shook violently. Once. Twice. Three times. Bing! In spite of the Poochyena's willpower, it couldn't avoid its capture. And now Macey had captured her first wild Pokemon as well!

And, from not too far off, they heard the searching sniffs and yowls of the rest of the pack.

@Astrial @Stadium

 

[Stadium]

Isabelle almost burst with excitement for her friend, as did she for her two brave Pokémon who had helped. Reaching for one of her pockets, the young teen brought out a stitched handkerchief she used to brush away some of the dirt and grass from Firaga's fall. The preening Torchic ruffled his downy feathers, ensuring his trainer could reach everywhere, and was obviously quite pleased with the attention. Though she returned him to his Poké Ball once she heard the sound of wild Pokémon coming closer. "Maybe later, when you're stronger." Isabelle promised him.

"Think we should say hello to...," the girl trailed and smiled, giving Macey an opportunity to name her freshly caught Pokémon if she had one prepared, "...when we don't have to worry about a pack of Poochyena and Mightyena chasing us." But she did plan to make a note of it for when they handed in their findings to the professor. If they were unlucky, she'd even try to take a headcount. "Cura, we're following the road north-east until we reach the mountain range. I'm trusting you to lead the way okay!"

"Eeevee!" Cura raised a paw in a salute before setting off with bounding steps. Her diamond-shaped ears pointed straight up and were attentive of any further noises and disturbances.

 

[killerwolf9980]

"Good job Alice," Samuel said as he walked up behind her "You caught your first pokemon."
He glanced at the pokeball on the ground in front of them.
"So, do you want to test your new Pidgey's battling capabilities, I have potions if you need them."

 

[Crystal1302]

Alice ran up to the Pokeball lying on the ground and Cherry. "Cherry! Are you ok?" she knelt down and put her back on her shoulder. Clauncher winced in pain but then nodded. "Poor gal. Sorry, I should've paid more attention. You think my years of fishing would give me better reflexes." she dug in her grandfather's old bag and pulled out a bright orange pouch before digging in and pulled out an Oran Berry. "Thanks, Sammy, but I'll be fine." she fed the Oran Berry to the Clauncher and he felt much better. "Thanks, Sammy but I think I'll be fine. Anyway, Piggy nice job on your first battle!" she said holding up a fist for her Tepig to bump his snout against. "Anyway, I think you both deserve a break. In the balls you two." She said holding up two pokeballs. A flash of red light encapsulated the two and the ire and water pokemon disappeared into the Pokeball. "About the Pigey, I didn't think I'd actually catch it. I just wanted a chance to get Cherry away from it, but nothing wrong with having a new friend around." Said Alice before picking up the Pokeball with Pigey in it. "I think I'm gonna call you...Geyey (OOC: Pronounced JEE-yee. Alice's nicknaming theme doesn't really work for this mon) Alice then perked up at Sam's statement. "Well now that I think about it, you did ask me to be your rival after all, so sure. I don't mind battling ya'." She said before pulling out her pokedex and scanned the pokeball. "Let's see, you're pretty young, you have the Keen Eye ability and you know Tackle and Air Cutter." she put the pokedex away. "So for our first rival battle, do you wanna use the Shinx you just caught? Or maybe someone else?"
(@killerwolf9980 )