11.22.15 -- We are approaching the holiday season very rapidly. I understand that things get busy around this time of year, just try and make sure that you don't forget about us! And, because winter is coming, things in Rakuen are about to change! Our winter event will be starting on December first so keep your eyes peeled for it and be sure to participate. You won't want to miss out. Enjoy the last little bits of your fall!
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The meals split between the Pokemon were of useless effort, none of them by some terrible turn of events were hungry, and the food just sat there untouched. Nattousai frowned noticing this in disappointment and puts his deck of cards away saddened that he wasn't able to show the Pokemon something fun and entertaining after all, they had more important things to do apparently. Toxicroak gave up on trying to impress the Marowak with his athletic gymnastics routine and began moping, out of options and ideas on how to get both these Wild Pokemon to perk up and befriend Nattousai and his frog companion. But before Nattousai could come up with some new ideas to get the two Pokemon to favor him, the Larvitar began taking off not bothering to play with Nattousai's shiny key ring he offered it also leaving its Pokemon food sitting there in this sudden fleeing panic. It was afraid, Nattousai knew this, and he had to chase it now if he wanted a chance at having it on his team, but he would have to abandon the Marowak, which looked rather strong. He cursed under his breath and looked at Marowak.
"Marowak, I'm sorry we bothered you, please continue enjoying your mountain uninterrupted. Til we meet again, Marowak." Nattousai waves goodbye to the Marowak and signals Toxicroak to start running after the Larvitar. "Toxicroak, let's get us that Larvitar!" Toxicroak hops all fired up and begins running after the Larvitar at a full sprint, Nattousai follows as fast as he could with a sprint, or sort of a sprint, of his own, and it wasn't easy. They left the Marowak behind and pursued the Larvitar at full speed, Toxicroak was already side by side with the young Pokemon rather easily catching up with it. Nattousai's Toxicroak was a weathered, well trained and very fit amphibian. Its legs were strong, muscles, bulging, and after its big battle with Geodude it had proved to Nattousai yet again that its athletic ability was one of a kind, its what helped it stand out from other Pokemon. Nattousai was very thankful to have him at his helm, and they would always train together whenever they had a chance. Nattousai calls out to Toxicroak as he runs nearly out of breath...."Hey! Try to reassure that little Larvitar that we mean no harm! Stop it in its tracks if you can and calm it down!" Nattousai hoped his Toxicroak could pull something off soon and stop that Wild Pokemon from getting away.
Hearing the order, Toxicroak pounces into the air and flips downwards in front of Larvitar's path with a huge spring in its step. The Toxicroak then tries to soothe it with warm, slowing words telling it in its own language to settle down and say hello. Toxicroak tries explaining to it that him and Nattousai just want to be friends and meant no harm, the message wasn't super clear, albeit a bit muffled even, but it was the tone of it and the delivery that determined it to be non-threatening rather than scary or harsh. Toxicroak then tried to tell it that it didn't desire a fight, it just wanted to get to know the Pokemon and maybe even find out why the Marowak was so frustrated with it earlier. Even though Nattousai could not understand what his Toxicroak was saying entirely, he got the idea of it, and tried helping with the process by keeping a distance from the Larvitar as not to frighten it and let his Pokemon be the convincing one this time.
Toxicroak: 70% HP
Last Edit: Oct 1, 2015 7:59:37 GMT -5 by nattousai
The Larvitar darted away as fast as its little legs could carry it but the agile frog caught up and blocked its path with little difficulty. It skidded to a stop, realizing it couldn't outrun the other pokemon the Larvitar froze. Despite the distance between them it still felt cornered. Caught between a rock and a hard place so to speak. The young pokemon had no idea how to fight, and flight wasn't working. The Marowak watched this unfold from atop the hill a bit bemused but decided it wasn't terribly interested. It took what food it could carry as well as the shiny keys and and walked away into a rocky outcropping where it would be almost impossible to find. At the base of the hill the Toxicroak continued to try and sooth the Larvitar but it had just been born. There were some things pokemon innately knew at birth but the Larvitar's language comprehension was still incomplete. It had never actually spoken or been spoken to before. Some of the concepts got through, but it was still a bit traumatized. Larvitar sat down and covered its eyes, around it sand started to hover and twist through the air. The zone of moving sand and dirt expanded and began to swirl more rapidly as moments passed. The Larvitar wasn't trying to kick up a sand storm, it didn't know how to consciously yet but it was scared and cornered. Basic survival instinct kicked in, unfortunately the brewing sandstorm frightened the Larvitar even more and it would only grow more ferocious unless the pokemon calmed down.
Cornering the Larvitar and leaving the Marowak behind, Toxicroak had the baby Pokemon blocked in front, and Nattousai caught up directly behind it preventing escape from the back. It was quite scared of the two, so naturally, it decided to attempt and defend itself somehow by slowly building some kind of dirt twister around it. Nattousai had seen this kind of attack before, it was definitely the beginning of a Sandstorm move, but for a Pokemon as young as Larvitar to start using this move already was pretty impressive, in Nattousai's mind that meant it could grow up to be nice and strong, this was great news for a new add on to his team. He would have liked the Marowak as well, but he already had one hard headed Pokemon in Geodude to train, to have to add another stubborn one in Marowak to his team would not be the smartest decision, especially considering his lack of time to properly train Pokemon like that. So the Larvitar was the perfect choice, to balance out his party. There was something about the Larvitar though that reminded Nattousai of himself when he was little, reminiscing about his childhood self and remembering how his dad calmed him down, he decided to mimic what his father used to do, and go at this alone leaving Toxicroak out of the process to calm it down. He was sure he could get it to settle on his own, especially without a creature as intimidating as his Toxicroak in its path.
"Toxicroak, return. I think we've scared it enough pal." Taking out his Toxicroak's Poke'Ball, he recalls the Pokemon and it humbly obeys returning to its circular home. Nattousai then slowly walked in front of the Larvitar as it built up the dirt and rocks around it causing the Trainer to cover his mouth and face from the dust and wind, and proceeded to sit in front of the Larvitar and talk to it. "Larvitar, please stop. I won't hurt you, I promise." He was using his voice in the most fatherly way to the Pokemon trying to get it to relax. "When I was a kid, I was always scared. My parents were never home, my only friend was a Koffing at the toxic facility my dad worked at, and I didn't know what to do with myself. I was lonely, I was depressed...so hear me now...please..." He stops to cough from the Pokemon's building storm. "I know how you must feel, nowhere near your parents, lost and on your own, but let me be here, in this moment, to reassure you it's all going to be fine. I won't hurt you. Here, look...look at this little fella." Nattousai, with one arm still covering his face from the Larvitar's fear induced defense mechanism, took out a picture of his mother and father, with him in the middle and held it in front of Larvitar.
"That's me as a little boy, right there in the middle, I look miserable don't I? That's because the very next day both my parents split up, my father went into working overtime at the dump, and my mother left me in his care to research Pokemon like you around the world to better understand them. And that's what I'm trying to do, understand you...so please let me do that." He guessed the baby Pokemon didn't understand a single word he said, but it was all about tone of voice, and he was keeping it loving and consistent the whole time. "I taught myself to play music as a kid, to keep sane when my parents were gone. So I learned how to play everything from drums, to guitar, to harmonica. Let me show you." Nattousai coughs again having to put his arm down from the Larvitar's miniature dirt storm to reach into his backpack and take out his harmonica while also putting the picture of his family away. He pulls out the tiny instrument and begins playing his harmonica to an old tune he remembered, long, long ago, the same chime that he heard ring throughout the Tin Tower of the Johto Region when he was a child on a trip there with his mother before she left. This tune usually calmed even the most riled up Pokemon, but on a harmonica, he was unsure how it would play out.
He licks his lips and blows into his instrument trying to match the same tune and pattern of the Tin Tower's chime. He played as smoothly and flawlessly as he could, until he finished the song and watched the Larvitar's reaction, seeing if it worked to calm it down. If it hadn't, he also remembered a lullaby his mother's Jigglypuff would always sing to him to allow him to sleep better, but he didn't want the Pokemon to doze off, that would be foul play in a sense, trickery. And if he didn't need to play mind games with it to persuade it to join his team, he wouldn't, he would simply be his friend, the way it should be between human and Pokemon. He patiently and silently sat after the tune, and would stay anchored to this spot to show the Pokemon, he was there for it, and would not leave its side for any reason. The baby creature needed a new home, and he was more than willing to provide it for her.
Last Edit: Oct 2, 2015 7:50:54 GMT -5 by nattousai
The young man's actions were admirable. Returning the Toxicroak to its ball was a good first step but truthfully the Larvitar was more afraid of its own sandstorm now then anything. As the storm raged around it the Larvitar squeezed its eyes closed and curled up into a ball. Many of the trainer's words were lost in the fury of the storm and it saw very little of what he was showing him. Despite this the tone did comfort the Larvitar somewhat, perhaps because it was the only thing to cling to when the only other thing to hear was the raging of the growing sandstorm. As the music from the Trainer's harmonica reached its ears the Larvitar began to calm, or so it seemed. It would still be a while yet before the storm subsided. Minutes stretched outwards until at least half an hour had elapsed. The storm died down now, sand, dirt and grass falling to the ground as whatever unseen force holding it up dissipated. The storm had been intense around the Larvitar but it was much less powerful on its fringes. It would not have been comfortable but the trainer did manage to wait out the storm. As they say, you can't calm the storm but you can calm yourself. Do that and the storm will pass.
This storm had indeed passed, his attempts to comfort the pokemon had been a noble gesture but it was exhaustion that ended the storm in the end. The Larvitar stood up weakly or a moment before collapsing. It's breath labored. The pokemon was still too young to harness its strength, between the effort of brewing the storm, it's sheer fear and the beating the Marowak had given it the Larvitar had been pushed past the brink. The young pokemon wasn't looking so hot, it obviously needed help and was on the verge of unconsciousness.
Nattousai's methods were working, but he started to feel bad, the Pokemon didn't look well, and his talking and sitting in its way probably didn't make it much better. He saw it start to fade quickly, and who knows what Pokemon might come out and take advantage of its weakened state if Nattousai didn't do something now. Luckily the storm it was making also faded with it, and he began to immediately search his bag for anything to heal it, but he found nothing of use for that. His only option was to capture it with a Poke' Ball before it was too hurt to realize he was helping it. With no choice, he takes out a Poke' Ball and displays it in front of the Larvitar. Now that it was done causing a ruckus, maybe now it would understand him. "Look Larvitar, you're hurt, weak...and I just want to help you, to take you away from here and keep you safe. This in my hand is called a Poke' Ball, something that will give you a new home, that will keep you warm, keep you healthy, and keep my promise to you, that you will always be taken care of...will you allow me that pleasure to take you to a Pokemon Center and fix you up and be your new father and friend?" He grasped the Poke' Ball right in front of the Larvitar's face, doing what he could keeping calm and quelling her with a look of sincerity on his face to ensure she knows she will be in good care with Nattousai.
Beyond that, there wasn't much else he could do unless he physically grabbed the Pokemon and ran her to a health facility as fast as he could, but even then, he didn't know if she would make it in time. At least in the Poke' Ball, she could get some rest, and it might prolong her consciousness somewhat. He really did feel so bad and so heart wrenched for the creature, he knew she didn't know a thing about the device he was explaining, or about where this new home would be, or if she even believed him, but she didn't really have any other options either, and he wasn't about to let her get devoured by surrounding Pokemon or left for dead. He wanted to help, and this was the only way that made the most sense to get her the care she needed, and to get her far away from the dangers here. It was on this baby Pokemon now, this beautiful gift to the world, this wonderful Larvitar, to make her choice.
The exhausted Larvitar had no time to make a choice, it found itself interrupted by a subtle quaking in the ground. Moments later a sound was heard, thundering footsteps echoed from behind a rocky outcropping. The sandstorm had clearly attracted something, the question was what. The sound grew louder and the quakes tremors more prevalent with each passing second until at last something massive smashed through a pile of rocks not far off. As the dust settled a large Tyranitar came into view, charging at the trainer but it was not alone. Just behind it was a figure atop a dirt bike. This person raced in front of the pokemon and skidded to a stop between the Tyranitar and the others, sending dirt flying up from their vehicles tires as they did. Holding out a gloved hand in a motion to stop they stood their ground as if that would do anything to deter the rampaging beast. Perhaps the strangest part about this is that it actually did. The Tyranitar stopped and bellowed with fury, letting out a mighty roar. From inside the motorcyclists helmet came a woman's voice. "Stand down, What are you doing!" The Tyranitar took another step forward, as if testing the woman. She yanked off her helmet revealing wavy blond hair and the face of a woman in her early thirties. The mystery woman stepped off her bike and put two fingers on the giant pokemons chest, having to reach up to do so. The Tyranitar could have crushed her with a single step but it didn't. "I said stop." The woman growled firmly, waiting a few moments for her pokemon to settle down before turning to face Nattousai and the Larvitar.
"What did you do?" She demanded sternly, wanting to know why her pokemon was so dead set on trampling this young man. Only then did she notice the baby Larvitar. "Oh." Behind her the Tyranitar released a low growl and took another menacing step forward. She extended her arm in front of it, stopping it once more. "I know. He's putting the pokeball away now." She said smoothly, shooting the younger man a look. She'd been wondering why her pokemon had been acting up as of late, she'd caught it many months ago and they had bonded well but lately it had been restless, wanting to travel and the trainer had traveled with it. At first she believed that its deviant behavior was merely homesickness but now she understood. Her pokemon was a mother and she knew it was time to return and greet her child. Now, to find it here weakened and near a stranger... No wonder she was so agitated. "Stay. Here." The trainer ordered, taking the Tyranitar's pokeball into her hand just incase she needed to contain her pokemon before it hurt some one. Of course, it wasn't always easy to return a pokemon that didn't want to go meaning this was a somewhat sticky situation. The trainer walked forward, kneeling down next to the Larvitar. "What happened." She asked smoothly, her face however displayed concern. If not for the pokemon then for everyone else involved. There was no fury like that of a mother Tyranitar and right now the only thing standing between her and complete rage was her respect for her trainer. There was no telling how long that would last though as the young Larvitar looked past the new arrival towards the Tyranitar, it had never seen its mother but the pokemon innately recognized her. They needed to sort this out swiftly.
So close, but nothing is ever easy is it. The 5th encounter was going to be a special one with a trainer. I decided to merge it with this one for interestingness
Nattousai was just about to prepare to aid the Larvitar and get it to safety regardless of its decision to join his team or not, he was willing to grab it and run it down the hill through the rocky terrain to get it to a Pokemon Center fast, but out of nowhere, an Ace Trainer appears with a powerful Tyranitar questioning his encounter with the baby Larvitar. The Tyranitar was just about to flatten him when it was stopped by the intruding Trainer and Nattousai felt his heart jump then return to a normal beating. He just about died of shock there. As things were unfolding, Nattousai better observed the situation, and it seemed the Larvitar and the Tyranitar knew eachother somehow, that was rather strange to see, but it was obvious nonetheless. Nattousai supposed he had to be thankful though that the Trainer wasn't a total douche, she stopped the Tyranitar from attacking him even though the situation from afar was a bit off and unfavorable, but the reality was Nattousai just really wanted this Larvitar to be healthy again. Putting the pieces together and recognizing the Tyranitar belonged to the Trainer, who revealed herself to be a rather attractive female, the Poison Type Gym Leader knew what he had to do. Nattousai loathed interacting with other Trainers outside his gym, and often avoided it if he could, he didn't like being out of his element and socializing with people that much, but this time this conversation and Trainer just could not be avoided, so he did his usual introductory speech and identified himself for the nosy Trainer, putting away his Poke' Ball out of respect, for now.
"The name's Nattousai, Dizhen City Gym Leader at your service. What is a decorated and well accomplished Gym Leader like me doing all the way out here you ask? Good question, I got a good answer for ya, I wanted to make a new team from scratch and start a new journey to challenge myself and become stronger, become stronger for Trainers that enter my gym and be a better teacher and role model for those up and coming Pokemon Masters. Cheesy? Sure is, but damn, it's a rush." He was realizing that taking the arrogant and humorous approach wasn't the best option in this situation, the Larvitar was priority and he was going to explain himself and the situation more clearly so the Trainer wouldn't chop his head off with its Tyranitar's claws, and the Larvitar would grasp the fullness of Nattousai's intentions with no room for confusion. "Listen...I know this looks bad, but I was just trying to help this poor little Larvitar. Me and my Pokemon were adventuring around here at the top of the hill there, when a Wild Marowak broke out into a fight with this innocent creature, so we decided to help it and see if we could provide medical attention to it. The Marowak fled, but this Pokemon is still in danger, and we need to help it immediately. I lack the medical supplies to do so, I believe I left my medical items back at my gym, but we need to run it to a Pokemon Center as soon as possible." The Ace Trainer must have deemed him pathetic to be so unprepared with not even a Potion in his bag to help the Larvitar. Nattousai also guessed the Trainer could automatically think he is lying his pants off so he tried to further explain his motives,
"You don't have to believe me, but why would a Gym Leader like me lie? I mean, I have a reputation you know. The reason I took out a Poke' Ball was because what alternative did I have? The Pokemon was hurt, I didn't know if it could have survived much longer or make it long enough to reach a Pokemon Center with me running it there on foot, and it was my only option and the safest solution. I care about Pokemon whether you believe me or not, and this one needed my help. And I dunno...I guess...I guess I felt really connected to it somehow....it's hard to explain." He looked at the Larvitar longingly, then at the Trainer and her own Pokemon hoping they'd understand, and give him a chance to help the Larvitar. "Now I know that your Tyranitar is also connected to this Pokemon, but I already made a promise to it before you got here, that I would father it and take good care of it if it wanted to join me on my journey and be on my new team, it was scared and alone, and you storming in here I think just scared it even more." The Larvitar didn't need this right now, it needed rest, it needed a hospital. "And here we are wasting more time bickering rather than getting this Pokemon medical care....so what's it gonna be my lady? Fault me for caring about this baby creature or help me get it healed." Nattousai was prepared to fight for this Pokemon's well being if he had to, Toxicroak was a bit roughed up from his fight with Geodude, but Nattousai could still depend on him in a hard spot if he needed to, and Geodude, well, Geodude was recuperating, and he wasn't about to take that chance and see it further injured. With a sharp gaze right through the Woman's soul, he would be at the ready for whatever it is she makes of the current predicament.
The trainer gritted her teeth at his long winded explanation. She had been hoping for a simple, who, what, where and when. Not an entire speech. Behind her the Tyranitar grew impatient, emitting another low growl. "I know who you are." She murmured and gestured over her shoulder at her pokemon. "But she doesn't and she's the one you should be worried about." The trainer turned to cast a look at the Tyranitar, assuring it that she was handling the situation. "I'm not here to judge you, or challenge you, or poach your catch but my pokemon lead me here back to her home from across the region and I can only assume it's because she knew her baby would be surfacing soon." The woman unzipped the pocket of her jacket and pulled out a pink pokeball. She held it up for the Tyranitar to see and received a nod of approval from the pokemon. The pokemon knew what this did, when Carmen had caught it she'd used heal ball then so that she could begin training it right away. It helped to build trust and ensure the pokemon had no lasting injuries. "If I just return my pokemon and let you walk away with her baby it's going to set me back months of training, do you understand?" She pressed the heal ball into his hand at an angle where her pokemon couldn't see who was holding the ball, and therefor who was activating it. With any luck the Larvitar was too weak to remember and rat her out later, children had a habit of saying stupid things that got her in trouble - especially young pokemon. The just didn't understand the concept of a white lie or trickery for a good cause. "Help me, help you." She whispered and nodded from the ball to the Larvitar. "Catch it but don't let her see, set the ball on the ground and give me a minute. I'll have a talk with my Pokemon and try to convince her to let the Larvitar go with you. Alright?"
At first Nattousai didn't know what was going on, but when he felt a Heal Ball be placed in his hand he started to catch on. The Ace Trainer listened to him after all, and it wasn't often that people actually had faith in him and his words, then again, he didn't really speak to people often. He was being cut some slack, and he appreciated that this person saw his heart and not just judged him off the bat, that was rare these days. He tried to play along as she suggested and thought of something to argue with her for fun and make the Tyranitar and the Larvitar think he was trying to start something. "Well you just don't understand, this Larvitar needs me. If she was put with her mother, she would be babied her whole life, she needs someone that can help her grow, I can do that. And I know I can make her grow to be strong and healthy. You have to let me do that. As a Gym Leader, you have my word, she will be a powerhouse and a best friend." He slowly starts putting the Heal Ball behind him as he spoke, his arms were slender enough to be tucked behind his legs, and the ball was small enough to not be seen as he set it down.
"So Tyranitar, I'm sorry for sounding brash, or selfish over this Larvitar, but you have to give me a chance here..." He didn't want to say too much or drone on too painfully, he might get into it more than he should, and just cause problems. He kept an eye on the woman to instruct him when he was going too far, he didn't know what else to say though really, he was about done with his improvised speech. This moment, strange but heated, reminded him of capturing his first Pokemon, his Koffing. Both of them were scared, but he knew the Koffing wanted to be caught, it was just conflicted and new to being a human's friend forever. But before the Koffing was even caught, he would visit Nattousai every day when he went to the waste facility his father had worked for, and listen to his sobbing over his parents divorce, tears of his loneliness, and tears of joy. The Koffing would follow him around all day until he had to go back home, and was hurt whenever he had to go. It was always there for him through everything, even the upbeat funny conversations where he would tell some kind of dirty joke, and it would make an obnoxious gas cloud or silly noise. It was that kind of connection, that drove a friendship, a bond that would last forever. And it was that bond that lead the Koffing to finally be okay with joining Nattousai on his life journey.
Nattousai saw the pain in the Larvitar, the affliction just as he saw it in his Weezing when it was a small Koffing. He could see that it wanted to go with Nattousai, but was torn about rejoining its mother. Change can be scary, moving on can be scary, but that's how everyone learns, leaving things in the past, and growing for a better future. He wished he could help it through this mind jogging process, this hard choice, it was so young, and it didn't need this pressure right now, it needed a home, to be cared for and loved, and Nattousai was sure he was making this harder for it, he hated that. But with the Heal Ball set, and the baby Pokemon exhausted, the Gym Leader felt it would be in a much better place after this was all over, nestled in a new home, and given the life it has always deserved. Nattousai was going to give it his full attention, and keep it close to him. He gave the Ace Trainer a look of thanks, and a brief smile, he was expressing to her gratitude beyond words, and at the same time, showing her....that everything was going to be alright. It was time now, for the Larvitar to be taken home....
Last Edit: Oct 4, 2015 1:47:30 GMT -5 by nattousai
The trainer nodded at the gym leader, he was conducting himself reasonably well. She knew her pokemon better then anyone, she knew how it thought. Luckily he was taking her advice. "Ok now just give me a minute. I'll talk to her." Carmen said, standing up and walking towards her Tyranitar. She walked beside the pokemon so it had to look at her and not at the gym leader. The duo was some distance away so the trainer's words weren't clear but she was talking in a firm yet caring voice, seemingly having a full conversation with the pokemon. The two obviously communicated well. Carmen moved her hands quite a bit as she talked, obviously they were having a very animated but respectful discussion, Carmen however was doing most of the actual speaking. Her pokemon responded mostly with stomps, looks or body language. It only interrupted every now and then with a grunt or cry which sounded either to agree or disagree with whatever it's trainer was proposing. A few minutes into their chat it looked over at Nattousai with furrowed brows. The trainer reached out and put her hand on the side of its head, gently turning it back to face her. A few minutes later the conversation stopped and the Tyranitar leaned forward, Carmen took its head in her hands and pressed her own head against its for a moment. It seemed a deal had been struck.
"I told her you are worthy, that you will make her child strong." Carmen said, walking back up to the gym leader. "but we've beat every gym leader we've challenged so she won't take my word for it. Tyranitar wants you to prove yourself as a trainer." She explained and put her hand on his shoulder, lowering her voice. "It's not about winning, she wants to see how your pokemon fight for you." The blond whispered before stepping back again. "Earn her respect and she'll give you her blessing to train the Larvitar." Carmen gave her behemoth of a Tyranitar a pat on the side. "I think it sounds fair. You?"
After all the commotion with trying to calm her Tyranitar and the mother Pokemon's frustration over her child's condition and Nattousai's statements, the Poison Type Gym Leader was starting to become stir crazy. The Larvitar was hurting and would faint any moment, to keep prolonging its need for medical treatment was beyond ridiculous. Nattousai was about ready to lose it. After what felt like forever waiting for the Trainer to soothe and convince the Tyranitar, things only got even more ridiculous, they wanted to challenge Nattousai to a battle, right here and now!? He has had enough. "E...excuse me? A battle? With me? Now? Sorry lady, but you need to understand the hell I've just been through here." Nattousai starts tensing up, but tries not to express himself as a complete douche, he know she meant well, but he also knows she is just like every other Trainer in the sense that they all crave a battle and that was a philosophy that just isn't always best, some are even addicted to the idea in a very sick way. He even heard a hint of arrogance behind her voice and her epic story of Gym Leader domination. He's heard this song and dance before, it wasn't anything new, he thought she might be different than the rest, but that just wasn't true. He sighed. He wasn't going to waste his energy whining over this, he knew this was the only way to win that Larvitar over, and he wasn't about to give up now, he was not a quitter.
"A battle, huh? Just to be clear and you understand my situation over the last few hours...my Toxicroak is exhausted and beaten up after a harsh throwdown with a Geodude...and the Geodude I have is fainted and useless for a battle at the moment, and these are the only two Pokemon I have with me after the whole new journey new start thing I decided to do....so if you think I'll be able to prove myself without using my designated and powerhouse team back at the Gym, you must be nuts. But if you want to drive me and my Pokemon to the brink of death to please a mother in mourning....then I guess I have no choice. This Larvitar has a future with me....and I've worked too hard to just let it go." Nattousai takes a long, hard look at the Larvitar, thinking once more if it was all really worth it. There was still that connection he felt...that hidden bond he couldn't quite explain. He could see its spirit flicker within the innocence of its eyes. He was going to do this, he couldn't see any other way. He takes out his Toxicroak's Poke' Ball and gazes into its contents, he could just see his Toxicroak worn out and weakened from a long day of fighting, but he also knew it would do anything for Nattousai, even if that meant imminent doom. He almost wanted to just walk away and forget this whole thing, but that Larvitar....that Larvitar was counting on him. And he can't let it down.
He winces the slits of his eyes holding back tears receiving flashbacks of his father leaving him, and his mother moving away, his emotional and undeniable attachment to his Pokemon and how the beauty of Pokemon got him through so much sorrow, and looked up at the Trainer and her Tyranitar with a focused sneer. "If you're going to make me do this, know that I don't give in so easily. Toxicroak, I'm sorry my old friend, but I choose you!" He throws out his Poke'Ball and Toxicroak appears all dirtied and scarred up, and yet, he stands there by Nattousai's side, grounded...proud...stalwart and noble. The loyal Toxicroak looks up at Nattousai with a trusting face, he believed in whatever decision Nattousai made, and he was letting his Trainer know it was going to be alright. The Toxicroak looks over then at the Larvitar, and gives it too, a trusting acknowledgment, it was going to fight to the very bitter end for its favor, and with so much at stake, it would give it everything it had left to win.
With a slow turn of its head, at last it locks onto the Tyranitar and tightens its fist while affirming its feet into the dirt in a wide legged stance. Speed was going to be its advantage here, and like it did against Geodude, it would hit fast and hard, and not let up until its bones were broken and its body was mangled. This Pokemon had a strong sense of dignity and pride, and it would show its true colors in the face of this heated bout. "I hope you're happy....Toxicroak, Nasty Plot, and then use Taunt." Nattousai felt he was going to win by status altering moves with his Toxicroak too damaged to attack that much, he would have to exhaust the Tyranitar and mess with its ability to function if he was going to achieve victory here. He had one wild card move he could use, but it was severely dangerous and would be a last resort. He was well aware that if the Toxicroak were to use this move, it could mean its undoing, but if it worked, it would turn the tides of battle for the better, and give Nattousai an actual advantage in this. He would have to wait and see. He stares one last time at the Larvitar before fully engaging himself to the art of Pokemon battling, it was still so afraid and so lost inside, this only encouraged Nattousai more to win this as he snapped his head and attention back to the task at hand, and with a glowing intensity, he was all in.
Last Edit: Oct 5, 2015 9:41:10 GMT -5 by nattousai
The trainer narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips as he talked. "You don't listen well do you." She said with a sigh. Mouthing the words. I said catch it. before arching an eyebrow. That had been the whole point of the heal ball after all. What a shame, maybe he wasn't fit to train it after all. He clearly let his emotions get the better of him and had trouble paying attention. Not to mention excuses were things for the weak and childish. "Yes and Tyranitar just ran the entire route to get here, excuses precede failure." She folded her arms and frowned. What a shame, he had been doing so well before. The trainer stepped back and folded her arms. She wasn't needed for this battle, hopefully the Toxicroak would impress her Tyranitar more than its trainer had. Otherwise this was going to get awkward for them both. The foe started with a healthy dose of taunting, showmanship was always good but when you gave up the first strike... not that it mattered. The chances of him winning were slim, The Tyranitar just wanted to see how his pokemon would fight for him even if it was a losing battle.
Enraged by the taunting the Tyranitar slammed its tail on the ground and charged at the pokemon. It's jaw began to glow and as it opened its mouth flames poured out in a wicked fire fang. It charged the pokemon, aiming to clamp down, bite and throw the thing aside. From what it had seen it expected to prove its trainer wrong and end this battle quick and easy.
Upon thinking back at the Trainer's conversation, he remembered while she was calming her Tyranitar that was his chance to catch the Larvitar, however, Nattousai was incredibly stubborn, and to do that would be highly disrespectful and unfitting to the mother, she needed to see that he was worthy, and overall, Nattousai was glad he made this choice instead, at least this way he can say he won over the Larvitar fair and square. "Toxicroak...you know what to do..." The Toxicroak continues to keep a firm foundation into the ground, planted as it was before, allowing the Tyranitar to run at him with all its power and sink its flaming teeth into it and toss it away. The move did in fact hurt, and it was in fact painful, the frog Pokemon was bitten and swung around like a Poke' Doll into the dirt. Toxicroak landed several feet away from the Tyranitar with its body zooming passed its Trainer through the air. Nattousai looked panicked, but he knew it was for the benefit of the battle and he knew what was coming next.
Toxicroak's body began glowing a bright red as sizable puncture marks can now be seen on its neck from the Fire Fang, it forced itself back to its feet beaming a blinding red color and with a vicious cry, ran at the Tyranitar without Nattousai having to say anything at all. It lunged at the Tyranitar going off of pure steam and adrenaline now and rammed it with a powerful thrust into its chest pouncing at it like a bullet from a gun. It had just performed the Fighting Type move Revenge, which required it to take a beating first, but double the power, and its Nasty Plot move earlier helped triple the power for a super effective super speedy full blown assault on the opposing Pokemon. The move seemed to have connected and done its job, sending the foe crashing and spiraling backwards. The Toxicroak was wobbly afterwards, but managed to stay standing and braced itself for whatever was to come next. "Oh and I forgot to mention, you might want to watch out for Toxicroak's Poison Touch...it's real nasty." After the Revenge attack was swiftly landed, Toxicroak seemed to have induced some Poison out of the pores of his body for a little extra something. Whether it poisoned Tyranitar or not the duo was about to find out. "We have a speed advantage once again, lucky us. And to have a Fighting Type in your blood, that's going to help us tremendously." With its Special Attack boosted, and the Tyranitar enraged by Taunt, Nattousai felt he was in a good place for this fight, and he would only make it more favorable from here.
"We're gonna execute the quick maneuvers and utilize your acrobatic skills when that creature comes back at us, so be ready." Toxicroak croaked in understanding, and again grounded itself for the next wave of Tyranitar's wrath. This was one tough mother, and Nattousai's beloved frog was going to put it through the ringer before falling to its might. Toxicroak was aiming to be the thorn in its side, at least that way if it does lose the battle, it will have at least earned the mother's respect from being a formidable opponent. Rather than stacking the Revenge attack and attacking again, Nattousai awaits for the Tyranitar to recover, still being in a defensive mode and lets it charge at them once more trying not to get too close to it and give it any sort of satisfaction or opening to wound it with a close up attack out of nowhere.
Toxicroak: 45%
Revenge
Last Edit: Oct 5, 2015 12:39:08 GMT -5 by nattousai
The gym leader's plan unfolded right before her eyes, the corner of the trainer's lip twitched upwards. She loved watching a plan come together, naturally she felt that she should have waned Tyranitar about that potential gambit but the Pokemon had made it clear. This was her fight, the trainer was not to intervene. At least they had established that the Pokemon was willing to obey it's trainer's commands, even if they seemed foolish at the time. The Tyranitar stumbled back a few steps from the force of the impact and bellowed at its foe. The initial strike had certainly dealt a solid blow but if the Pokemon was poisoned no signs of it were readily visible. The Tyranitar regained its footing and moved towards its foe again. Turning around it raised its tail and brought it down with earth shattering force causing the ground beyond it to quake and fracture. It continued to pound the ground with its tail, sending shock-waves through the ground towards the Toxicroak.
"As I thought, the Taunt still works like a charm...and it's still going at it with those strong attacks. Good, now let's show the old girl just how agile frogs can be, eh?" Nattousai winked at his Toxicroak and it winked back just as Tyranitar's tail smashed against the ground and caused the Earth to quake, Toxicroak back flipped into the air and jumped onto Nattousai's head seeing no other piece of terrain to grab onto to avoid the attack unfortunately sending its trainer fumbling to his back, but it was all part of the plan. The two already knew the Pokemon was going to attack with a power move which is why the Toxicroak was in a readied stance previously and able to dodge and dive out of the way. After pouncing off Nattousai's head to avoid the attack with its strange strategy, it took the biggest leap it could to reach Tyranitar, it helped that the Armored Pokemon headed towards Toxicroak for that quake attack beforehand, allowing the frog less of an acrobatic distance to land its next attack, which from Nattousai's previous hinted command, it knew to do.
The frog reaches Tyranitar's head successfully and lands on the top of it as if balancing on a pole and begins forming a large muddy ball in its hands at close range, bubbling it up just above the Tyranitar's cranium and once the ball was big enough, the frog smashes it into the Pokemon's head with all its might for a super effective Mud Bomb attack and then twirls off of it after the impact and lands on the ground safely. The Toxicroak was breathing heavily, burnt out nearly to the max from all this fighting. It didn't know how it kept going....it's love for Nattousai was that strong. Nattousai is back on his feet now, wiping the dirt off of him from that risky and unorthodox acrobatic stunt Toxicroak pulled earlier. "Good work with the Mud Bomb Toxicroak, just...just a little longer buddy, stay in this I know that Tyranitar will be brought down if we keep sticking to the plan. Just to be safe, use Nasty Plot again, that Tyranitar still may have alot more health after that Revenge and Mud Bomb attack, but I wouldn't bank on too much, not with direct hits like we did." Toxicroak listens to Nattousai despite feeling pretty faint after so much hard work, and glows an eerie purple color concentrating with squinted eyes raising its Special Attack yet again a few stages.
"Your Tyranitar has some devastating moves and firepower behind it....you've trained it well....but it could use some more work in the flexibility department." Nattousai was just giving a helpful tip, not trying to come off as cocky and insincere, but he had seen many Trainers make the mistake of thinking power was everything, when in fact, it was just misconception and the cool thing to do. The style became pathetically trendy, and Nattousai had studied this logic after so many powerhouse Pokemon challenged him before that eventually he just strategized around it, and it seemed to work well for him, so he memorized this strategy for just this kind of occasion, and he was going to keep it up as long as it kept working. He was truly impressed however by the Tyranitar's ability to act on its own and actually do decently well in a battle, but judging by its moveset so far, its tactic wouldn't be much different even with Taunt in play. Toxicroak: 45%
Mud Bomb-->Nasty Plot
Last Edit: Oct 5, 2015 23:51:06 GMT -5 by nattousai
Carmen chuckled a bit at the frog's movements and it's trainers advice. Agility and flexibility were all fine and dandy but Tyranitar was a pokemon that could break stones and snap trees like toothpicks. Anything other than enhancing its brute strength and defensive capabilities would be detracting from what it was meant to be. A pain train, and judging by the Tyranitars movements after it was delivered a mud bomb to the cranium this pain train was about to be heading full speed towards hyper beam junction. Light glinted in its mouth for a moment as it arched its back and fired the beam of energy directly at the Toxicroak in hopes of ending this fight. As the beam traveled forward the grass below it was singed from the shear energy of the attack as the pokemon aimed the beam, doing its best to keep it on target in the likely event the frog pokemon was still feeling jumpy. Surely the Tyranitar was hurting after the blows which and been landed against it but it seemed to be living up to it's trainers teachings. Never show them you're tired, never give in.
"Toxicroak, NOOO!!! Lookout! Dive to the side and dodge!" Nattousai cries out in desperation for his frog companion to move out of the way of the beam's path but the frog was spent on all its energy. It hears Nattousai's command very faintly however, and with a light headedness and a gasp of breath the Toxicroak jolts to the side of the laser trying to avoid it with a lasting effort. It's dive was sluggish and clumsy, but thanks to the Mud Bomb hitting beforehand dirtying up the Pokemon's vision and head slightly, and the damage the Pokemon had already done to Tyranitar, the beam wasn't as straight as it could have been. Toxicroak manages to successfully dive bomb out of the way once more working its aching muscles to survive in this fight. The beam blasts passed it and hits a row of trees behind Nattousai cutting them away. Its impact was huge, zipping passed the Toxicroak and flying passed Nattousai's head in a fast and deadly explosion.
Nattousai looked at his drained Pokemon as it was barely able to stand back up again after its leap and expressed grave concern. There's no way it can dodge anymore after that, I have no choice now.... Nattousai was thinking to himself about what he had to do to defeat the relentless Tyranitar, especially in the condition his Toxicroak was in. With its heart basically pounding out of its chest at this point exasperating on the battlefield Toxicroak was fighting with gravity to keep balanced and alert. "Okay Toxicroak...we're going all or nothing. It's gonna have to recharge so we need to strike her and end her now before she is refreshed and ready to go again. SWAGGER! AND THEN HIT ANOTHER MUD BOMB RIGHT IN HER HEAD AGAIN!" With its special attack heightened to a high after its Nasty Plot uses, Toxicroak hears its Trainer's special command, the sacrificial risk taking order it was waiting for, and an order it knew was coming. The frog Pokemon nods and slowly raises a finger at the Tyranitar, it glows a dark purple and he begins to wave it around in a rhythmic motion. The move hypnotizes the Tyranitar into a confused state, or at least is attempted, and the Toxicroak gives its best technique to send Tyranitar in a dazed and strange mindset.
Once the Swagger move was completed, Toxicroak somersaults forward and builds another muddy bomb into its hands as it rolls towards Tyranitar and then as if thrusting a sword into someone's face, the frog plunges the Mud Bomb into the Tyranitar's face with its remaining energy and then collapses onto its belly from the sheer effort it took to dodge the Hyper Beam and land another close range hit, not to mention the incredible focus it needed to use its Swagger move. Due to the Swagger move being a blessing and a curse as it were, though confusing the Tyranitar, it also sharply boosted the mother's attack power. So if the Tyranitar were to hit the frog even with its weakest attack and somehow fought through the confusion, Toxicroak would be done for.
The Poison and Fighting Type Pokemon of Nattousai's scratched at the dirt to stand back up clinging to its faith in its Trainer and running on willpower, it stared up at the Tyranitar, bruised, scarred, some kind of liquid secretion spilling from its puncture wound in its neck due to the earlier used Fire Fang, and met it face to face in a cold gaze. It was like looking up at its executioner, it was up to fate now. Toxicroak stood its ground, having a contest of straight endurance with the Tyranitar. If it remained standing after the Mud Bomb and Swagger combo, Toxicroak's future in this bout would be decided, if it fell, he would have done his job. Come on...come ON! Work...work....please work.... Nattousai was pushing his Toxicroak's limits too far, and he didn't want to push it too much longer or he would feel an overwhelming sense of guilt, and an anguish for putting his Pokemon through so much all just to prove a silly point. He keeps an eye on the Larvitar as this happens, and frowns. Toxicroak: 45%
The Tyranitar turned its head and hunkered down as the mud bomb collided with its armor. Dirty liquid splashed across it and although it was a bit dazed and exhausted the Tyranitar managed to remain on its feet. It looked at the Toxicroak watching it struggle on despite injury and exhaustion simply because its trainer asked it to. Many other pokemon simply would have stayed down to end the pain, the Tyranitar looked to Nattousai then, seeing the concern and determination on his face. Finally the Pokemon looked to it's trainer. Giving her a slight nod. Carmen stepped out from behind her pokemon onto the battlefield and held her hands over her head in an X formation. "Well fought."
She yelled. "We concede." She patted her Tyranitar on the side and gazed at the Toxicroak. They were both injured but were still conscious. A battle well fought. She walked to Nattousai with her Tyranitar lumbering close behind. Scooping up the heal ball on her way she handed it to him again. "Take care of the Larvitar. You've earned it." She said as she pressed the ball into his hand. "This should help, but you'll need a pokemon center right away." The trainer stepped to the side allowing her Tyranitar to step forward. It bowed its head down to the trainer as it had done earlier to Carmen. A sign of trust and respect for a worthy opponent. It waited for a moment for the gym leader to complete the gesture. Regardless of if he did or not Carmen returned her Tyranitar to its ball. Now that this was all sorted she would be heading to a pokecenter and resuming her training. The woman threw one leg over her dirt bike and removed the helmet from the handlebars, strapping it on. She drove up next to Nattousai. you couldn't see her smile from inside the helmet but her eyes suggested one. "We'll meet again i'm sure." She said, revving her bike and giving an approving nod before zipping off down the road at full speed.
It was over, and the deed was done. Would Toxicroak have won that battle? It was hard to say really, was the Tyranitar going easy on it? Also hard to say. Nattousai had a strange feeling that the Ace Trainer was more than just a Trainer, to have a Tyranitar fight on its own like that so masterfully without giving a single command, that mysterious Trainer was way more than just a Trainer. Nattousai would be sure to find out more about her later, but right now, he had other more important matters for which he has to attend. "A battle well fought, my lady..." He sees the Tyranitar bow to him respectfully, and he does the same to her and the Ace Trainer. Afterwards he is gifted a Heal Ball into his hands, cool and smooth to the touch, with the ball in hand, he feels a great sense of relief and calmness closing his eyes to take in the moment he has worked so hard for, and then turns to the teetering and weak Larvitar having waited all this time, now more lonely than ever especially with its mother leaving its path just as quickly as it came, Nattousai comforts the baby Pokemon before capturing. "I'm so...so sorry you've had to go through so much little one. Busy day for you I'm sure....but now...you can finally go home and rest. Let me take you home, friend." Nattousai smiles, and gently tosses the Heal Ball at the Pokemon to give it the treatment it deserves.
"Toxicroak, you have done more than enough for me. I apologize for what I've just put you through...forgive me." Nattousai shamefully sulks to his Toxicroak sobbing his head, his dear friend thrown into not one, but two endearing battles today. At first, the Toxicroak appears distressed and upset for being forced to fight so hard, but that thought quickly fades, and it stares at the Heal Ball rolling around for the capture, then at Nattousai, and walks up to his Trainer and hugs his leg with painful tears coming out of its eyes. It did all of this for him, and to find that Larvitar a new and loving home. With a happy tear hanging in his eye, Nattousai takes out his Toxicroak's Poke' Ball and sends him back. "Thank you, my most humble and loyal friend. Have a good, long rest now. Return." A red strand of light shoots out and returns the frog to its domain. Nattousai holds a fixed eye on the Heal Ball after all is said and done, and sees the capture through so that the Larvitar can transition safely to its new family.
The Larvitar had indeed endured quite a lot. It had been teetering on the edge of unconsciousness for quite some time now as it watched its mother test the metal of it would be trainer. Even in its weekend state it could admire the sentiment of her blessing and would certainly be starting off on a better footing due to the events which transpired. The Larvitar could grow strong, like its mother and it would never have to be afraid of anymore ever again. It saw the bond between trainer and pokemon, a bond that strengthened them both and was forged in the crucible of combat. It was ready for that bond, and it was ready to become strong. The trainer need only guide it. The pokemon did not fight it's capture, both exhaustion and acceptance saw to that as the ball almost instantly snapped shut and began working to heal the pokemon. It would live to fight another day, but it seemed everyone involved could use a trip to the pokemon center. All in all, a rather successful, if somewhat confusing day.