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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"You know, it's against every one of my rules to battle or train with others outside my Gym, but I guess I kinda owe that Roman girl one after giving me such a sweet deal for the Pineco." Nattousai was waiting patiently in the Dizhen Woods right outside the city for the female Trainer known as Roman to show up and train with him. He had called the girl to check up on his former Pineco and instead they ended up setting up a battle. He enjoyed teaching other people the ways of battling, but he never liked setting them up unofficially and off the record, for such things took alot of his time, time which he did not have. He made some special exceptions to people he had took a liking or interest to for one reason or another, but that was about it. This girl Roman he would do this for as a favor, she was generous with their market transaction last time, and this was a little something extra for her kindness.
Nattousai was waiting under a large tree, the biggest one in the forest while the girl made her way over, and though it seemed as if he was talking to himself at first, he was actually speaking to his Magikarp who was splashing about in a tiny pond nearby. The tree's shade arched over the pond and kept his Magikarp and himself cool in a shadow of darkness. Originally he was going to utilize his Graveler or Toxicroak in a battle with the girl to give her a real challenge, but he thought it through again and decided it was best to go a little easier on her due to her lack of battling experience, so he situated his party with Pokemon that needed training of their own instead. The Magikarp of Nattousai's had never gotten a single ounce of battling experience, at least to the Gym Leader's knowledge, so he would see to it that it would get its time to shine.
Nattousai was thinking about using his Litwick as the natural and obvious choice due to its unique moveset and ability, but the Magikarp was too eager for its own good at a chance in a fight. The fish flailed and bounced in readiness as it splashed about in the pond waiting for its opportunity to strut its stuff. It was prepared too, to fight on land if it had to, whatever it took for a chance of worth in the eyes of Nattousai, it would do it. Even though Nattousai cared and loved for the Magikarp no matter its eagerness to battle or no matter what it was capable of, the friendly flopping fish didn't know or understand that concept, it only knew the path to become stronger, the challenge of survival, and the strive and itch to evolve. "Everything's gonna be fine Magikarp, even if you don't evolve after this fight, you'll have your moment one day." The Magikarp panted and fluttered its lips in response to Nattousai wishing for that sweet moment of evolution and supreme potential to occur sooner rather than later. Currently, it would wait alongside its Trainer for its first big bout and the next step to its progress of growth. And overtime, with patience and endurance, all its dreams would eventually come true.
"Alright Roman, we await your much anticipated arrival." Nattousai checks his phone app on his Poke'dex counting the minutes until Roman shows up. The Dizhen Forest was a pretty place with a nice breeze and some very intriguing Pokemon to find, but it could also be a rather dangerous place if one was waiting around for too long. The Pokemon were strong and fierce in the area, and would take advantage of wandering or unaccompanied Trainers. Nattousai wasn't worried however, most of the Pokemon have seen him around training his Gym team here before, and thus would stay clear of him. He chose this spot to train because he knew it would be a safe and solitary place to teach. The space he currently occupied was vast and open, and the wild Pokemon would be generally non-problematic dwelling far enough away not to be a bother. Nattousai had claimed this forest as his place to train, and the wildlife around him knew it. Roman would get the lesson of a lifetime.
Last Edit: Oct 29, 2015 9:50:08 GMT -5 by nattousai
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. Roman looked at her watching that was beginning the to off. She quickly pressed the button to turn off the alarm before scowling. The events that had transpired that morning had caused her to be late. She was currently walking through the forest, following what she thought was the right path, on her way to meet with Nattousai. The woman had checked her messages about twenty times trying to figure out the directions that the gym leader had given her. 'Follow the foot trail that goes east. After the fallen tree on the right, go south. At the boulder go east. After passing a cave there should be a clearing and a pond.' So far she had found the foot trail going east, or at least she thought. There had been plenty of fallen trees on her left but none on her right, causing her to believe she had become lost or missed it.
In a moment of desperation, Roman pulled out a Pokeball and released her trusty Toaster. The Blitzle shook his head once he was out in the open, pausing for a moment to get his bearings. Ever since she had released him into the bay, he didn't like to do anything without getting a good look and feel around. Once he was sure that he wasn't floating in ten feet of water and there was no immediate danger like a fire, he turned to his trainer and waited for instructions. Honestly, Roman had brought out her leading Pokemon mostly because she wanted company. The forest was strange and there was a feeling that something was always behind you. It made her feel safe to have her Pokemon nearby, but, she would be sending him away with her first command. "I need you to run back along the path and see if there isn't a tree on the left side of the path. I think I missed it." Toaster gave a nod and sprinted off the way she had come. She stood in her place for a few minutes while she waited for her Blitzle to report.
A bush rustled in the distance before the black and white Pokemon emerged from the trees, shaking his head and cooing his name. Roman frowned for a moment before continuing on. So she hadn't missed a tree, perhaps she was just on the wrong path. It was at that moment that a tree appeared on the right side of the path, fallen on its side and leaning against a stump. There was her next path! The breeder pulled out her Pokedex and quickly messaged Nattousai who had probably been waiting for quite some time. 'Just found the fallen tree. Got a little lost.' She pocketed her dex and looked to Toaster who edged her onward towards the south. Another bush rustled nearby causing both trainer and Pokemon to turn and try to find the source of the noise. Suddenly a Nidoking jumped from the bush, roaring with the rage of a thousand suns.
It took less than a second for the breeder and her Pokemon to realize they were in danger and out matched. Toaster took the lead with Roman close behind and the Nidoking hot on their trail. She knew they were looking for a boulder and needed to turn right at it but other than that the general direction was straight. A small scream escaped her mouth as the Pokemon chasing them swung at her back. It did not take long while going full sprint before the boulder came into view between the trees. "RIGHT! GO RIGHT!" Her voice echoed between the trees as her Blitzle made a sharp right at the boulder. She was quick to follow, jealous of her Pokemon's natural ability to escape a chase scene. The Nidoking had a little trouble making such a sharp turn. He slid and smashed into a nearby tree. It did not phase the pursuer though as he was quick to continue the chase. While going east, the Nidoking took another swipe at Roman's back, causing another small scream. It was seconds after the swipe that the Blitzle broke into the clearing where Nattousai was standing. Toaster circled around, facing where his trainer and the Nidoking where about to emerge.
Roman came first, at the sight of Nattousai she fell to her knees, shouting out, "Please! Help me!!!" The Nidoking slid to a halt as soon as he entered the clearing and noticed the other trainer. He had seen this trainer a few times destroying the forest and its inhabitants in battle. The poison type Pokemon let out a low rumble before disappearing back into the forest. He did not want to rumble with the infamous gym leader.
The waiting was growing to be unbearable, Nattousai wondered how she could even have gotten lost, being sure to make the directions clear in the message he had related to her pertaining to his whereabouts. He was located in the only clearing in the forest, near the only pond, and under the biggest tree, it was as simple as that. He wasn't worried about the wild Pokemon around him, but he was worried however, about if Roman got lost on her own. The wild Pokemon knew to steer clear of Nattousai, but Roman was a different story, they would not hesitate to attack her at any moment upon her entering these woods. And as soon as he thought it, as if on cue, Roman is chased into the opening by a rampant Pokemon screaming for help. Nattousai didn't even flinch at her beckoning, for he already knew the outcome of this little encounter. The angered Pokemon showed itself to be a wild Nidoking, a much weaker, smaller version of the Nidoking he had back at the Gym, but a Nidoking nonetheless. Nattousai for a safety precaution had a hand on one of his stronger Pokemon's Poke' Balls in his party, but he figured he wouldn't need to fight the Nidoking off; and he didn't.
The Nidoking got one look at the Gym Leader and stormed off leaving Roman be to collect herself. Magikarp flopped and jumped in intensity all around the pond, thinking its toughness may have scared it off. Nattousai let his Magikarp believe that for good measure and positive reinforcement, even though that wasn't the reason at all. He encourages his Magikarp anyway. "Good job Magikarp, you really chased off that big scary Nidoking with your intimidation." The Magikarp didn't have the ability to intimidate anyone, just swim really fast, but again, Nattousai would allow the fish to believe that. Once he had his fun talking with his Magikarp and seeing the Nidoking turn tail the other way, he walked over to the spooked Roman and knelt beside her trying not to tease her for her lack of bravery. "Everything all right there little lady? Care for a cup of tea? Some Kleenex? I think you're okay now." Nattousai went from teasing to comforting the poor Trainer, keeping in mind her lack of battling experience and being in such a new and unknown place, not to mention that she was still in panic mode after that whole ordeal, he understood her condition, and having her about to go into a challenging battle with himself pretty soon may not help any.
"If this forest is too much for you we can postpone the battle another day if you'd like until I find a more...suitable place to have our match. I would say my Gym, but it really is only for officially prepared and preconditioned Trainers that have already went after other badges, and besides, it's kind of a dump anyway...literally." He held out his hand to the girl to help her up, with his Magikarp wanting to flop over and say hello, but instead it thought it better to stay in the safe, cool water within the pond it occupied. As he was waiting for her to stand, he looked over and saw a Blitzle behind her in the distance, ready to protect her in a grounded position being overly cautious as it had every right to be. "That's quite the specimen you have there, your Blitzle appears healthy and energetic, that's a good sign of a good Trainer. You take care of him and treat him well. That makes me happy to see." Nattousai was always impressed when he comes across a Trainer and a hearty looking Pokemon, that told him the Trainer cared and loved for their partner deeply, one of many signs Nattousai hoped to see out of Roman. He would test her in a fight, but also test her passion and her heart for her Pokemon in general.
"But you can tell it to stand down. I won't hurt it, unless you wish to use it for battle? But we can't really do too much unless you stand first and then we can discuss battle terms. So, let's try and get started shall we?" He clasps his hand around hers and at last brings her up to her feet. He dusts himself off analyzes her Blitzle a bit further, continually pleased with its near flawless condition. She was a breeder alright, anyone could tell by just one look at her Pokemon. He steps back over to his Magikarp and looks at the fish to see if it was anywhere near such good condition. Considering the Magikarp was caught not long ago, it was still somewhat dirty from being in the wild, and a little ragged from previous fights it may have been in on its own and a lack of nutrition. It didn't have any discolored scales or anything, that was good at least, and it presented itself as perfectly normal and full of life. That was good enough for the Gym leader to go through with it as his first choice for battle. He shifted his eyes back towards Roman and folded his arms prepared for their fight. "I'm ready to discuss the rules of our match when you are dear." He slyly runs his fingers through his hair while his bangs flick out of his face and gives a determined smirk, he was more than ready for their scheduled tango.
It wasn't until Nattousai came over and was speaking to Roman that she realized she was safe. Apparently the gym leader had pulled some feat of magic because the Nidoking was no where to be seen and the only Pokemon she saw was Toaster and a magikarp flopping hopelessly in the nearby pond. It did not matter how he had gotten rid of the beast, all that mattered was that it was gone and she was safe. The breeder sent a glance at her Blitzle who still stood ready in case the creature came back or worse, a new one emerged.
While at first the man had a snark to his tone, it quickly changed to one of actual concern. He talked of postponing the battle to a more safe location at a later date, making sure to mention that his gym was off limits. Roman could only shake her head. The world was humming around her from the chase... Or maybe that was just the adrenaline that came with being chased by such a terrifying and powerful Pokemon. One day she would come back and capture that Nidoking but until that day, she had to train and grow strong so that she could be ready for it. That was when Nattousai noticed Toaster, jumping topics for a second to admire him. Roman gave a light-hearted laugh. "I told you that Blitzle egg came from the finest of parents." She turned her head to admire her own Pokemon, watching as he shook his mane, his ears twitching at every slight sound. "He's my pride and joy though. We connect the most out of all of my Pokemon. He's been the only one I've fought with so far but I'm hoping to change that up today."
Nattousai told her that she should command her Pokemon to stand down, there was no harm in the clearing. She could see that herself but Toaster was still on edge. It was probably just the aura of the forest he was feeling. The gym leader grabbed the hand that she just recently offered and helped her to her feet. Once standing on solid ground, her Blitzle quickly came to her side, looking a little more relaxed since she was more able to defend herself in the event of an attack. She rubbed his head gently, silently letting him know everything was going to be alright.
The gym leader desired to discuss the terms of the battle. That was all well and good, but Roman was clueless as to what he meant. He was some fancy league member that set rules and such for battles all of the time and probably knew what was normal and what was not. She on the other hand was just a lowly breeder without much experience in trainer versus trainer battles. The breeder watched carefully as the man tossed a glance to the Magikarp before looking back at her and her Pokemon. The water type must have been the Pokemon he wanted to train today. Using Mini or Toaster wouldn't have offered much of a challenge for her at all. They would crush the poor fish in a moment. Roman made her way over to the pond to look at the little Pokemon.
They were truly fantastic Pokemon if you were in the right setting and then of course their evolution was extremely powerful. A Magikarp had abilities that most trainers never bothered to learn, something Roman had always wanted to study up close and personal. "Are you going to use this little guy today?" she asked as she knelt by the water's edge, reaching out to stroke the fins of the splashing Pokemon. "If you do I might use a water-type as well just so that no one has a type advantage as well as a playing field advantage. Other than that, normal rules of a battle I guess? I've never done a trainer on trainer battle so I don't really know what is normal." She gave a nervous laugh. Nattousai probably thought she was some worthless breeder or something. After all, in the span of ten minutes she had been chased in by a Nidoking that took him five seconds to deal with, cowered like a baby in the middle of a clearing and admitted she had only battled wild Pokemon. She was such a splendid trainer...
Nattousai watched, and also listened, as Roman talked up her Blitzle. To raise such a fine specimen from birth was an impressive feat. He had no doubt the egg was of the most pristine quality well bred to make for a perfect Pokemon and balanced for any Trainer, but he would want to breed a Pokemon himself, or capture one on his own accord to feel more comfortable with his training process. There was something more thrilling in obtaining your own Pokemon instead of being traded or gifted one, raising a Pokemon was like a fine and exquisite cuisine, you needed to put careful preparation in the process, be passionate about the work, and deliver a truly magnificent finished product. Then you would revel in its result and share it with the world. Roman was no amateur, and Nattousai wished she would stop doubting herself. "You are a compassionate human being, and a one of a kind breeder. I see that. Your Blitzle would make any Trainer envious of you. I can tell your connection with one another is a divine bond, one that will not break." Nattousai felt the need to keep complimenting her, to not only help her fight the nerves before the battle, but also help her be at peace and comfortable with herself knowing that she is an excellent breeder, and will be surely capable of doing well in a Pokemon battle just the same.
He didn't butter up all Trainers he faced, but he felt Roman deserved the compliments, as she would also deserve his time and efforts in a battle. The Blitzle had calmed down now, and there were no Wild Pokemon to be found to prevent this battle from further happening. Everything seemed to be in order, and Roman appeared to want to keep going with their scheduled appointment, so Nattousai was not going to make her wait any longer. She headed over to his Magikarp and stroked its fins, the Magikarp flopped in satisfaction at her caring touch and let out a happy cry. Nattousai looked on while Roman tended to his Magikarp, charmed by her gentleness and natural love for Pokemon. When she asked if he would use the Magikarp in battle today he did not hesitate with his answer. "Ofcourse, Magikarp will be whom I train today. If you prefer to use Blitzle and try for a type advantage then I won't mind using one of my more powerful Pokemon to throw you off. But if you want to cooperate and play along with the original training plan, then I will stick to my Magikarp and you can stick to another Pokemon of yours in need of more teaching, which I presume, is definitely not your Blitzle, for it looks mighty powerful enough." Roman then mentioned using a Water Type of her own; that was more like it.
"Using a Water Type against a Water Type I think would benefit us both more training wise, that way my Magikarp and your Water Type choice can have a decent and lengthy battle - if you don't mind." Through all this talking and conversing Nattousai had almost forgotten he still needed to set rules and explain the stipulations of battle up until she mentioned that she was inexperienced in rules and such for a Pokemon battle. She had reminded him of his duties and also the lack of common sense Nattousai had. Being a Gym Leader he felt embarrassed that he would neglect to say the rules and conduct of the battle first hand before anything else. "You are right my lady, it is my mistake that I haven't better explained things. But the rules of a battle outside of a gym is up to the challenger, or in most cases, both competitors agree on a set of rules before they engage in the fight. Seeing as you are leaving this up to me and learning yourself about such regulations, I will set the rules and standards of today's bout. We will use two Pokemon each, no switching out. The winner will be determined when all Pokemon of a Trainer are defeated. I hope that's ok with you, and, well, normal enough." He figured he'd explained the battle standards pretty well, he was decent in the English language, but sometimes he did catch himself blabbing too much.
After walking over to the Magikarp, Nattousai began to monologue again just as he had that day in the marketplace. Roman wanted to pay attention and get some tips for battling from him but she knew if she did not start planning her moves now then she would surely lose. She had planned on using her Qwilfish in order to show him off a little to the gym leader as well as he needed some training. Since she caught him, she had been afraid to release him because he had been so angry in the wild. Perhaps he would be able to channel that anger into the battle and be able to listen to her... She stood up as Nattousai began to explain the battle rules. So, two Pokemon each but you couldn't switch out. When one Pokemon was finished the next one would come out. That would probably break the breeder's heart when she watcher her Pokemon faint. Still, they seemed pretty standard. It must have been what most trainers used to fight. That just left the question of who her second Pokemon would be.
Roman looked over to Toaster. No, he was already well trained and would obey her commands without question. That left Mini. She would not battle at all. No, she was a decorative Pokemon that would be the mother of all her eggs. Yes, Mini was a horrible fighter and very lazy, but she was needed on the ranch. Then there was Buns. If Roman got out the bird she would surely regret it. The Wingull did not have the slightest idea of what fighting was, all he wanted was food. Maybe it would be a good idea to practice with him though... Or there was Pine. The little Pineco that Nattousai had given her. He knew how the Pokemon fought and what it was like which left her a little bit at a disadvantage but perhaps it would help her. He would be the most likely to listen to her commands.. She decided to leave the second Pokemon a mystery in her mind until she figured out what Nattousai was going to use so that she could possibly use a type advantage or something.
So, with that decided, it was probably time for the woman to stop stalling and begin the battle. Roman plucked one of the balls off of her belt and released her first Pokemon. Roxo. The purple Qwilfish appeared in the air and fell into the water with a splash. He swam around for a moment trying to figure out where he was only to remember he had been caught and was far away from his home in the bay. The breeder knelt down and tried to stroke her fish in order to calm him and remind him who he worked for. He was having none of it, instead he swam closer to the bottom, looking for a way out. She sighed before looking over to Nattousai. "I guess Roxo and I are as ready as we ever will be." She let out a small and nervous laugh as she stood up. "So, do I take the first move or did you want to shoot first?" A small smile crept on her face as she put her hands behind her back. She was about to take another step towards being a legendary breeder as well as another step towards learning how to train.
There was no telling what kind of battle style this Roman girl would use. Nattousai hadn't really seen her around the region before, nor heard any stories about her from other breeders or citizens nearby. This was both a blessing and a curse for the Gym Leader, a blessing because he had a plethora of battle experience compared to her because she was very new, and very oblivious to the necessary tactics of a Pokemon Battle. It was also a curse because, well, she was fresh on the scene, and her way of battling could be entirely different than anything Nattousai has ever seen before or has ever been used to. This was going to be a great surprise either way for Nattousai to engage with this fresh Trainer and see what she can do. He always appreciated anyone who stepped up and decided to try their hand at Pokemon Training, for it was not an easy thing to do much to alot of people's assumptions, Pokemon Training was actually incredibly difficult, even moreso as a Gym Leader; being forced to coop yourself up in a building day and night accepting challenges at all hours and pushing your Pokemon to fight endlessly for what? A shiny badge and some prizes, it was all such a frustrating gig Nattousai had to take on, but alas, someone had to do it, and it just so happened he was qualified for the job, so now he bears that cross.
It was time to see what this girl could do. She sends out a Qwilfish that dazzled in a glistening color as the light of the forest beamed upon it. The Pokemon nearly lit up the entire area with its radiance. Nattousai was a little stricken by the creature at first, but that awe quickly turned to a more intense focus for it looked strong and capable of both giving and receiving hits. Nattousai eyes his Magikarp to see his reaction, but the Magikarp doesn't even flinch. It just sits in the pond, a gaze as controlled and deadly as a natural born competitor towards the Qwilfish. Nattousai wasn't sure if this was because the Magikarp felt confident after thinking it scared away the Nidoking earlier, or because it was just how the personality of it was, either way, Nattousai did notice the Qwilfish being rather disobedient and rambunctious towards Roman, which hinted to the Gym Leader that it may not be willing to listen to its Trainer, at least not easily. The spiky fish even tried to make a break for it it seemed at one point upon its release from its Poke' Ball, but that shouldn't matter, this bout was to train Pokemon, such a thing is to be expected. Nattousai figured his Magikarp needed some kind of obedient training of its own, for now it seemed fine and like it would listen, but he was sure the Magikarp had other flaws that would soon appear as the battle progressed. The Gym Leader believed he would fine tune this Magikarp into a battling machine once this fight was over, he wasn't going to let it give up until it gave everything it could towards a victory, and he was under the impression from the short time he has had the Pokemon, that it may feel the same way.
"Your Qwilfish, another powerful looking companion you have there. Its color is spectacular; condition, immaculate. It doesn't look happy to be out and about though, however....me and Magikarp will change that real quick though, won't we Magikarp?" Nattousai and Magikarp share a glance, they both had a second of complete synchronization in that one stare, as if to know this battle would really be a fight, and the Magikarp would throw everything it could into the challenge already trusting in Nattousai to see it through. The Gym Leader hears Roman mention that she was ready to fight, regardless of her Pokemon's lack of focus and flashes a smirk bowing his head as if to hide some sort of cruel intention. Roman went on to ask how the start of such a battle would work, and Nattousai just keeps up the smirk. He darts an eye to her in a malevolent guise and gives her an answer in the worst way. "Oh honey...." With no hint or preparation for Roman to get ready for, Nattousai barks out a command in a sharp and blunt fashion right out of the gate. "Magikarp, Splash in place for some prepping and then jet out of the water, full speed, and Tackle that Qwilfish. Do try to avoid its barbs and hit it in a more open part of its body." Nattousai was now in battle mode, and he would give Roman an unbiased fight. Nothing about the way the Gym Leader fought would be different than if he would be battling in his Gym for his badge. This fight may not be for glory and honor and a shiny pin or prizes, but it would be treated just the same. Nattousai would settle for no less, and Roman would learn that real quick. "Welcome to big boy training, sweetie." He hated to do this, but if Roman wanted to learn the tricks and trade of battling, this was how she'd do it, being thrown right in with no room to breathe, that's how he was taught, and that's how she would be, too. Magikarp splashes in the pond to get some air, then flies out of the water and launches itself at Qwilfish aiming to nail it right in the throat like a ball at full swing trying to take the very air out of its lungs with such a speedy attack.
Magikarp Splash-->Tackle
Last Edit: Nov 12, 2015 10:37:16 GMT -5 by nattousai
