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!
Pokemon is a copyrighted concept that belongs to Nintendo. The site plot as well as site related threads belong to the staff team. All of the images as well as posts belongs to the respective owners and or creators. The present theme was created by Noemi and Namazu with the help of Adoxography and their beatiful resources. A special thanks to Cloud for unique ideas within the site. Thank you for respecting this and not stealing from us.
Mina stretched her arms up as she stood before the path. She had asked before which path to take, though only to get info about each path. Mina knew she would take whatever path she wanted, not based on anyone else’s opinion. She had decided only on the left because it was said more water pokemon resided them and she had one in mind she had to catch.
Mina limped on the sand, grumbling as trainers nearby started to stare. Mina hated attention, but she guessed if she took her cane out to walk almost normally, more eyes would be on here. Teenagers, even older ones, didn’t need canes, only grandparents did. She tried to not let everyone’s stares bother her but it was difficult. She was still not used to strangers staring at her out of pity. Mina rubbed her neck and stopped walking. Pain was already radiating from her knee, so she rubbed the knee support that covered the scars. Her blue eyes stared down the path again, not out of misery, but out of hope. I will catch a Corsola. She promised herself. Although the Professor had not given her what she hoped, he had given her what she needed. Mina couldn’t help but smile as her fingers brushed against the bulge in her shoulder bag. Even though she already felt something for the Deerling, she still needed a Corsola, or she thought she did. The water and rock type Pokémon had been her dream to have since she was five and her cousin Randall boasted his around in front of her. It’s power was phenomenal-and in such a cute package, too.
Mina’s smile didn’t drop as she took the red and white pokeball out of her bag. She didn’t think a Pokémon could make her smile so much. Thus the reason she made her next decision.
“Come on out, Deerling.” She released the pink deer Pokémon. She shook her head so her ears flopped before standing tall once more. Deerling pranced over to Mina, but did nothing more. Besides waggling her tail a bit, Deerling waited patiently for instructions. Mina flinched as she kneeled in front of Deerling. Hot pain shot up to her thigh and down to her ankle equally. Deerling flattened her ears and pushed her head under Mina’s chin, a silent movement, but Mina knew what she was doing. Deerling, like Mina had hoped, was offering support in the only way she could. “I’m okay, Deerling…hmmm I suppose I should name you, huh?” Mina asked, earning her a dance from Deerling, who cried happily. “Okay, okay, well don’t get your hopes up…I’m horrible at making decisions.” Mina tried to explain as she got to her feet once more. Deerling didn’t seem to hear her though, or she didn’t care. The pink Pokémon clapped her hooves to the ground over and over again, all the while making happy sounds. “Alright, well, aren’t you cheerful…hmmm…cheery…chee…Cherry? How about that?” Deerling stopped prancing and tilted her head, as if thinking about it, then she gave a huge nod. “Alright, Cherry it is.” Mina decided. “Cherry, I don’t have any specific thing for you to do, just thought you’d like to stretch your legs a bit.” She explained as she started limping forward again. Cherry stuck to her side none the less, only occasionally stepping forward to investigate her surroundings and to make sure everything was safe for her new trainer. “Oh, but keep an eye out for a Corsola. I want it to be next on our team.”
Cherry nodded and fell in step beside Mina once again, but Mina noticed her tall ears swivel at every sound. Is she really watching for a Corsola? She couldn’t help but smile at that and decided, once again, she had made the perfect decision.
A pink Shellos crawled from a nearby tidepool. It's coloration drawing the eye and perhaps causing it to be briefly mistaken for the trainers intended target. However, this particular pokemon was far less rocky and a lot squishier. Moving from one tidepool towards the next it crossed the trainer's path. Once it took notice of the others the Shellos picked up it's pace but still moved rather slowly.
Mina watched the sand for any sign of the Corsola but nothing had caught her eye yet. Even the water showed no sign of the coral pokemon. She was beginning to think it was impossible to find such a great pokemon out here. She glanced to her side but Cherry had disappeared. Mina’s eyes scanned the landscape frantically. She felt her heartbeat quicken and her breath shorten. That was, until she saw a familiar pink body about ten feet ahead. Mina sighed with relief, then smiled. She hadn’t realized how much she liked this Pokemon until then.
Mina wanted to call her back and have her at her side, but Cherry seemed to be looking for something. Oh, yeah, the Corsola. She must still be at it. Mina knew there was a large possibility she’d never find a Corsola and she worried she had pushed the gentle deer pokemon too far. She opened her mouth to call her back, but then Cherry’s body language stopped her. She stood rigid, with her neck low and her feet splayed, as if she was watching something important.
That’s weird…I wonder what she…Mina’s thoughts were interrupted as Cherry galloped back to her at full speed. She then took steps forward, looped back to mina, took steps forward again. “You want me to follow you right?” Mina asked. Cherry nodded and clapped her hooves in the sand, throwing up bits over Mina’s boots. “Okay, Cherry, lead the way.”
Cherry took a few steps, waiting for Mina to limp forward, took a few more steps, then waited again, all the while having an urgent look in her big, brown eyes. Finally, Mina saw what Cherry had seen. It was a pink pokemon alright, and Corsola was pink, but it was a Shellos instead. Mina should have been upset but she just slapped her forehead and smiled.
“Sorry, Cherry, I should have showed you what they look like. That’s not what I’m looking for.” Mina explained, causing the most crestfallen look on Cherry she had ever seen. “Oh, no, no. You did good…I mean…I need Pokemon on my team and that is a water type after all…Um,” Mina stammered, trying to cheer up Cherry. “You know what?” She asked. Cherry pricked her large ears. “That was the next pokemon I wanted to catch. Great job!” Mina fibbed. Cherry stood up straight then, a large smile on her muzzle. “Wanna help catch it?” Cherry stamped her feet again. That was answer enough for Mina.
Mina stepped forward slowly, but nearly fell forward. This sand was horrible for her knee, as she had to work extra hard just to walk. Without thinking, she took the cane out from her bag and tried to walk with it, but it didn’t help things. Oh, rubbish. She growled, but kept her focus on the pink slug pokemon. Cherry stepped slowly forward with Mina, matching her step for step. She didn’t want to frighten the little thing, so she kept her tail high, a sign of friendliness, and her body straight. Her ears craned forward, hoping the Shellos didn’t run…er…crawl…away. Cherry had made a mistake about the Corsola and didn’t want to let Mina down again.
The Shellos crawled away as fast as it could, which in reality was actually quite slow. As the trainer's pokemon pranced around it the Shellos stopped, realizing it couldn't get away. Eyeing the other pink pokemon it watched with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. The Shellos watched as trainers and their pokemon passed by every day but it had never worked up the courage to actually confront one. The world outside was a great mystery to it, as were all the people and pokemon who came from there. The pokemon was obviously tense but so far it didn't seem to be hostile. Perhaps it's curiosity outweighed it's fear. Or maybe it was just happy to see another pink pokemon. Who knows.
Cherry waited, watching Mina carefully, to see what her trainer wanted out of her. Currently, though, it seemed Mina was having a hard enough time just walking. Cherry, trying to help, tried to put her head under Mina’s arm for support. Though, it didn’t help much as Cherry was a bit too short for her.
Mina limped forward, pushing Cherry away when she pushed into her. She appreciated the offer, but Cherry was just slowing her down more. Cherry didn’t take offense though, but waited for her command. Mina saw the Shellos start to crawl away, but then stop. When it stopped and seem to just wait, Mina had an idea.
“Shellos, you should come with us. Or I could battle you but that’s a bit of a waste of time isn’t it?” Mina asked, motioning for Cherry to translate if the Shellos didin’t understand. Cherry did as commanded, taking a few steps forward. She even played it up a bit by being cute, twirling in a circle and then laying on the ground, legs tucked neatly under her, to show she wasn’t a threat. “Good job, Cherry.” Mina smiled and kneeled just a foot away from the two pink pokemon. When she did so pain shot through her thigh. Before she could curse out loud though she covered her mouth as she didn’t want to scare the pokemon away. Cherry glanced back at her, her brown eyes reflected her worry. Mina shook her had and patted her back. “I’m fine.” She whispered as she rubbed her knee, her fingers tracing the outline of scarring around her kneecap. She reached out her hand, in it an empty pokeball. “If you want to come with us, all you have to do is touch the button on the front.”
Mina decided to let the slug pokemon decide, even though she never thought of catching a pokemon like this. Her cousins all told her she would have to fight each pokemon to near feinting to catch them. Mina remembered nearly feinting herself when she saw how bloody their battles could get. Randall’s Zigzagoon had lost an eye and patches of fur in a battle once. She had to hide behind her dad’s leg at the time so she could regain herself and not pass out. She asked why they fought like that once and they gave a simple answer. That was the only way to catch pokemon they had to say, but the Shellos seemed, at least to her, to not want to fight. She couldn’t find it in her heart to attack it if there was no need. She watched as Cherry slowly got to her feet and touched her nose to the Shellos’s, before waving the yellow flora that sat on her head, in front of the Shellos’s face; a sign of friendship. Mina couldn't help but smile, pround of her starter, who seemed perfect for the job of ‘peace-maker’.
The Shellos looked at the pokeball dubiously. It was curious, but not that curious. Plus it hardly knew this trainer, her pokemon however was making a compelling argument. The Shellos was still young and enthralled with the world so a strange pokemon approaching it in such a friendly manner really struck it's fancy. It stretched it's gooey neck up and touched the nose of the Deerling, leaving behind a drop of moisture from its somewhat slimy face. It waved the tendrils atop its head in response to the Deerling. The pokemon was willing to give them a shot but it didn't trust the pokeball. Instead it crawled towards the trainer, trying to worm its way into her bag. The pokemon was not yet fully grown but it was around ten pounds and just under a foot high. It would certainly be a burden to tote about, especially for Mina with her injured knee.
Mina watched as the Shellos interacted with Cherry. That’s a good thing. She thought to herself. As it came closer, she held her arm steady, making sure the Pokémon could see the pokeball. But…it did the strangest thing. Instead, it weaved around the pokeball, staying at least two inches away from it, then proceeded to make it’s way up her leg. Mina flinched as a thick, slimy trail was left on her bare skin. Why did I have to wear shorts? And why is it crawling up my….now what is he….um…Mina watched as he climbed into her bag. At first she was excited, but then the weight of him hit her hard. She quickly lost balance, started to fall, grasped at sand, then empty air to try and regain her balance, before falling on her back. Her olive cheecks turned plum as trainers passed her, their eyes on hers. She heard their snickers and quickly tried to get up. Cherry pushed against her side to help her up, before handing her the red cane she kept on the loop on top of her bag. Once Mina was safely on her feet again, she turned to glare at Shellos, but he looked too cute in her bag.
“Ugh, Shellos, I’m happy you want to join our team, but you can’t sit there. It…” Her sentence fell as she started to lose her balance again. She bit her lip, preparing herself for what she was about to do. With both hands, she reached into her bag and held the slimy Pokémon at arm’s length. Mina nearly lost what food she had eaten as she watched thick, slimy, tendrils fall ever so slowly onto the golden, sandy, beach road. “Okay, listen you can’t ride in my bag and you don’t want to be in a pokeball…so what can I do with you?” Mina first thought she could let Shellos ride on her head or shoulders. When she held him, she realized he wasn’t so heavy if his weight was balanced. The only problem was that her shoulder bag sat on one side of her and would make his weight unbalance her. She couldn’t just carry him because she sometimes needed her came to balance, despite what lies she wanted to tell herself.
Mina felt a nudge on her good leg. “Not now, Cherry, I’m trying to think. I really want you in our party but if-Cherry, I said, not now--” Mina turned away from Shellos and glared at Cherry, who was staring up at her. She then took a step away from her, glanced back at her, and flopped her tail, raising her back a bit. “What is it? Your back itch?” Cherry shook her head and repeated the movements. “You can carry Shellos? Are you sure? I know you want to be helpful but…” cherry nodded vigorously, so Mina turned back to the Shellos and put him on the sand. “Want to ride Cherry instead?”
Mina watched as Cherry kneeled in front of Shellos, tucking her front legs under her neatly and keeping her back legs standing. She made friendly noises as if to tell the Shellos she was a friend. They both waited to see what the Shellos would do.
The Shellos wriggled around in her hand, it couldn't exactly point as it lacked arms but the pokemon seemed to accept the offer. It had never traveled faster than a crawl before and it would certainly be able to stick to the Deerling as it bounced around. It was likely not a permanent solution but perhaps in time the pokemon would come to trust them enough to accept the pokeball as its new mobile home. The Shellos wanted to experience new things, the Deerling seemed to want more friends and the trainer wanted more pokemon. It seemed like a win, win win even if it was a bit troublesome. For now though it would be content to see the world from a new viewpoint and feel the wind in its tendrils.
Mina smiled as she wiped her hands on her shorts, trying to get rid of the slime that dangled from her fingers. She watched as Cherry again pranced around the Shellos. At least they get along, she thought to herself as she readjusted her, now 10 pounds lighter, bookbag. As she buckled the flap down, making sure none of her supplies were too damaged, from the Shellos’s slime, she couldn’t help but have a smile on her lips. She had two pokemon now. Time would only tell if Shellos would be a good fighter or not, though she had a feeling he would be. He seemed young, but anyone could get experience and become better.
“Alright let’s get off this path and onto route one…I guess you’ll be staying out of your pokeball for good, Cherry, or at least until Shellos likes the Pokeball.” Mina addressed the Deerling. Cherry stopped prancing to stare back at Mina. She lifted her head up and cried out excitedly.
“Deeeeerliiiiiiiiiiiiiing!” It shouted. Mina jumped back in surprise, which caused her to lose balance and fall on the unsupportive ground. Her hands pushed into the hot sand as she tried to get to her feet again. Pain like hot needles surrounded her bad knee as she finally got vertical again.
“Oh-okay I guess you like that, Cherry.” She turned to the Pink Shellos. “You’re male judging by your looks…so how about…Perry? Perry and Cherry would be cute.” She kneeled in front of the Shellos, careful of her knee. “What do you think?” She waited. Cherry cocked her head to the side as she sat awkwardly in front of the male shellos, her back legs splayed and her front legs tucked neatly. Mina tried her hardest not to laugh at the strange posture. She bit her lip, trying to concentrate on the male Shellos’ reaction to his new name.
The Shellos blinked at the trainer, there was excitement in its eyes but it was unclear if that excitement was about the name or about the fact that it was about to see something other than the rocky tidepools which it had grown up in. The Shellos cried out happily as it squirmed its way onto the Deerling's back and looked towards the horizon. It would go where they went, and if the trainer wanted to give it a name so be it. Perhaps in time it would learn the significance of a name, maybe even respond to it. There was still bonding to be done, trust to be earned but that's nothing a few adventures wouldn't sort out. For now the pokemon was more or less the Trainer's, the entire pokeball situation is something that would have to be sorted out later but she should probably go ahead and set one aside for it now just in case.
