4.0 Dedicated to its Members and Fans of Pokemon A Pokemon Sandbox RP
Pokémon Dubstep (ft. Lindsey Stirling)
W
elcome Adventurer to EPOCH! A Pokemon Sandbox Rp set in the original region of Nue. Everything you need to know will be in the Guidebook and PokeDex 101!
EPOCH uses the Manga and is built on the Original ideas suggested by our members.
We are more than just a Pokemon RP, we're a friendly community with a goal on being a memorable experience for those that look in.
Golden Rule: Treat others as you wish to be treated. If you find yourself content with being an asshole EPOCH and its members will not tolerate you.
RULES
Understand We're All Human. Respect the staffers as well as your fellow members and guests. We all have flaws, tempers and quirks. Be patient with one another, but if issues involving other members come up please don’t just grin and bear it. Contact a staff member, informing them of what's going on so they can address and resolve the situation. The staff won't know what's bothering you unless you tell them.
EPOCH is PG-13. Proboards’ Terms of Service:
Sex; When you get under the clothes, fade to black.
Violence; Do not go into extreme nauseating detail.
Cursing; This is so fucking allowed, but don't go overboard.
Suggestive Content; In avatars, signatures and templates can attract the wrong kind of attention. So be careful.
Post by Danny Kazuki on Jun 11, 2014 0:05:10 GMT -5
Training in the forests of Tufa City yielded some nice results, but Danny craved diversity on his team. As much as he loved his Bug and Flying types, the internet told him that his taste in Pokemon wasn't going to take him places at this rate. It was only last night that he innocently posted selfies of his crew, and as he bragged about how cool his new Honchkrow and Caterpie were, angry fingers tap-danced on keyboards as anons nerded him out of the nerd club. It's a hard knock life, but what can you do except accept the criticism and move on? The breeze tickled his nose with the appeal of a salt-stained adventure, briefly coaxing the trainer out of his bitter baby pouting session. "Hm...guess we can only try to get better." Scratching at his chin, he found himself zoning off as the ocean mingled against the horizon. The crisp chill of the morning was still transitioning into the usual afternoon heat, and Danny knew he wasn't going to tolerate exercising in the sun for long. Sweat sucked, at least for him, and he didn't even want to think about staining his clothes with the stuff.
Then again, there was an ocean right here. If it got too hot, he saw no reason to not bum around the ocean. Wild Pokemon? Nah, those weren't scary. He almost had a full team to keep him safe from harm, and he couldn't imagine there being sea monsters that could swallow him whole near the shore. Come to think of it, wasn't there a TV stereotype involving shouting your goals or frustrations towards the ocean? The thought made him laugh at first, but the more he thought about it, the less ridiculous it sounded. He wandered far enough to get some privacy from the locals, and save for the stray trainer that planned on catching some fishies, he wasn't concerned. "Ahem." Throat cleared, hands cusped against his lips, he blurted out the first thing that jumped into his head. "I need more kittens in 3-D!" Well, that felt good to get off his chest. Not exactly a goal, but man, the world would be so grand if you could just find a kitten and snuggle it whenever you wanted. Discovering the joys of shouting things at the ocean was possibly one of the best things that could happen to him, and he wasn't about to stop. "I'll beat you up! Ponds are better! I'm too hot to be made of like, 70% of you! Loser!" Not that salt water was the same as the water in his body, but the ocean wasn't enough of a smartass to comment on the little details.
Post by Danny Kazuki on Jun 26, 2014 18:22:32 GMT -5
What the barnacle is a Turritopsis Dohrnii
As his shouts crashed through the ocean's surface, distorting each word into a rumbling, muffled mess, a somnolent Frillish stirred out of its dreamy daze. The harsh sunlight couldn't reach him from where he slumbered, but dozing in the shallow end relaxed him, as the sand was much softer, and the water was undoubtedly warmer. Everything about this afternoon screamed 'take a nap', and the Frillish was more than eager to continue its slumber, but the shouts from above persisted. "Yodelay, yodelay, yodelay-e-hoo!" Clearly whoever was out there was as inconsiderate as they came, and probably got off on hearing their own voice. The breaking point for the irritable Frillish was nearly reached, but still, it considered itself a patient Pokemon. This guy had to stop eventually, especially if he was ignored. Luck was not on Frillish's side of the ocean today though, and soon it was accompanied by a loud, obnoxious plopping sound as rocks skipped across the ocean's surface. He should know--one of them even fell on his head.
||Excuse you, you obviously unrefined piece of rock.|| Poking its head out to get a look at his attacker, he was met with the shocking scene of Danny attempting to lob a baby boulder into the waters. Maybe to Danny it wasn't a boulder, but to the Frillish? That was one heck of a rock that did not belong near his head. ||You sir, the one with their head in the clouds. Cease and desist. I am not above using force if need be if you continue to disturb the environment.||
Something in the water was chattering at him as if he was supposed to understand what was going on, but sadly the Frillish's warning was lost on Danny. "Oh, hey there little fella...er. Angry but respectable gentleman?" At least the Pokemon's aggressive tone of voice got through to him, but it didn't make the Frillish's plight any easier to understand. Glancing down at the rock in his hands, he decided that maybe he looked a tad too threatening while holding it, so he placed it aside with an innocent whistle. Actually, now that he thought about it, this Frillish had good timing. It was the perfect afternoon to get some training done, and his team was awfully out of shape. "Heh. Hey. Hey you. Want to battle? Not that you're gonna have much of a choice, heh." He smirked as he slipped a Pokeball into his hands, eager to fight whatever this weird looking fish was.
||If a fight will set you straight, then so be it. With the hidden stars as my witness, I shall conquer.|| The Frillish growled, leaping onto the wooden pier to get closer to his opponent. He certainly had the advantage in the water, but he wasn't too shabby on land either.
A wicked grin festered on Danny's face, rapidly spreading from cheek to cheek the more he thought about catching this little guy. It looked awesome now that he had a better look at it, and he wanted it more than ever on his team. Who cared if it looked weird? It was some sort of alien fish thing, and that was all that mattered. "Alright, Winnie. You're up first. It's showtime, doll." A flick of his wrist sent his first Pokeball spiraling onto the docks, and as it bounced against each plank, the Caterpie was soon able to roll onto the stage with a surprised yelp. Talk about your sudden entrances, she thought with a grimace. ||As a gentleman, I shall give you the first move. Not that your deviant trainer deserves it.|| The Frillish commented with a hint of disdain, though none of it was intended for the young lady.
||Thanks...I think?|| Winnie couldn't tell if he was being rude or polite, but at least none of his scorn was directed at her. "First battle together, Winnie. Let's go with a String Shot and a Tackle!" That plan sounded straightforward enough, and he couldn't imagine it possibly backfiring. Winnie was far from being fast, but with a String Shot lobbed around the Frillish's waist, she was able to tug the jellyfish closer to her to give him a nice tackle to the face.
Except that didn't quite work. Instead of giving him a Tackle to the face, she went through his face, causing her to land behind him with a startled whine. "W-Wait...that's a ghost type? Really? You're a ghost?" Well, what the heck. It didn't even resemble a ghost, but appearances deceived him yet again. ||This will be easier than I thought.|| With tentacles raised above his head, a powerful Water Pulse formed in-between the gaps. Once it was ready to fire, he held the orb in one tentacle while the other spawned an Ominous Wind towards his target. With the Water Pulse guided by the eerie force, the combination was overkill for poor Winnie.
"H-How...wait. What? What?" What else could he do but gape in horror at the easy knock out? So Winnie needed to undergo a lot of training before she could be the queen of bugs, but how would the rest fare against this thing? Reluctantly recalling Winnie back into her ball, the only thing he could do was send out another Pokemon to take this spirit on. "I didn't think you were that strong, geez." So much for giving Winnie the training she needed, but they could always get back to that later. "Fine. Larry, show this guy what you can do with some Agilities!" Another Pokeball was thrown near the Frillish, releasing an energetic Wingull that instantly took to the skies. His once relaxed posture soon became stiff as he huddled his wings close to his chest, zooming around the Frillish as if the battle was child's play. He zoomed to the left, then bent around and swerved around the Frillish's face, startling their foe as it attempted to catch its tricky opponent with a Water Pulse. Unfortunately for him, it missed, and Larry could only caw in delight at his overwhelming speed. "Knock it back with a Hurricane! Away from the water, if you can." Yeah, even Danny could tell that fighting a fish in its natural habitat meant bad news.
Larry's wings opened wide, immediately slowing him down as he turned to make his move. Flat, feathered limbs hacked away at the winds, sending a torrent of whipping gusts at his target. Staying true to Danny's command, the Frillish was shoved away from the water, making it more difficult to give it a chance to escape. Not that it mattered, because the Frillish was more than prepared to drill a lesson into this human's head, no matter how many Pokemon it had to take down. If the Caterpie went down in two hits, then this Wingull must've been a sap too. That was the Frillish's thought process until the Hurricane actually hit, forcing out a grunt as he stood his ground. Well, that was that. He was stepping up his game now, bird friend. To cap the beginning of the new turn, his tentacles wiggled up and down, resembling the ocean's wicked waves as a soft, low hum accompanied his movements. The more he swished his limbs around, the more the clouds gathered around them, music and dance combining as one to fill each saggy cloud with water, all ripe and dark, until they began to burst. Rain Dance was now in effect, instantly giving the Frillish an advantage as a water type. Feeling confident with the game changing weather, he spiraled out two Water Pulses at his opponent. Larry was only lucky enough to dodge one due to his speed, but the second sent him crashing into the ground.
||oOf. This is so not cool.|| Larry lamented as he shoved himself back up, and he couldn't help but feel surprised at how painful that Water Pulse was. It certainly didn't look strong the last time he saw it, but the rain seemed to play a part in its size and strength. "You can still do this, Larry. You're good in the rain too, remember? Ah, my birded prince. If I only had a kazoo that wouldn't rust in the rain, I'd play a tune for you. I don't even have cheer leading garb on hand, so I'm some trainer." Yeah, Danny's concept of a trainer didn't quite match everyone else's. "If you're a bird with some pride, make some noise! Pursuit and Hurricane, and follow it up with another Agility."
More commands were shot out, and the battle continued refused to end. With Larry's determination and the Frillish's pride, the pair continued to clash as each blow withered them down. A super effective Pursuit was even weaker than the Hurricane, but combined, they were a force the Frillish wanted nothing to do with. In fact, the Wingull wouldn't get another chance to use that combination again. With a wicked laugh, the Frillish's Cursed Body ability kicked in, stinging the Wingull's mind for even considering using such a tactic against him. But that wasn't enough to keep the Frillish content, because this Wingull was more trouble than it was worth. ||Sit down and stay down, you heathen.|| He commanded with eyes that felt like whips, striking at the Wingull as if he was as pitiful as his trainer. Two Water Pulses traveled side by side as a dashing but daring couple, refusing to relent as they honed in on their prey. The attacks bombarded Larry until he only had a slimmer of health left, but he wasn't knocked out.
Oh no, he was close to being knocked out, but he was still in the game. "So close, Lair. You're so close! Attack it with anything--no, wait. Don't hit yourself. Stop that. You look nothing like an alien thing."
||Wing to the face! Wing to the face! Hahaha, my wing just wants to be friendsss.|| His Wingull chattered, slapping away his health until he could barely stand. Trembling legs struggled to keep the Wingull standing as he hobbled around the Frillish, giggling like a shy schoolboy whenever the Frillish made eye contact. "Pursuit...Hurricane. Come on, either of those will work. Just try something. Please?" Danny pleaded, even getting down on both of his knees as he watched his bird tumble around, struggling to make sense of his trainer's words.
||Good test of strength, sir. But I'm afraid you're going to be put down.|| The Frillish responded with a tired breath, raising a tentacle to the Wingull's head as he prepared a final Water Pulse to finish off the bird. The attack hit hard and fast, knocking out two of Danny's Pokemon with barely health to spare. "Crap."
Sending out another Pokemon sounded like a pain, but he was ready to catch this thing as soon as possible. They said that you only had to weaken a Pokemon if you wanted to catch it anyways, right? Tapping his foot as he took out a fresh, unused Pokeball, he decided to give it a shot. He was greedy, and no one was around to shame or judge. "Just get in the ball." He grumbled, tossing it at the Frillish's head while Larry was still distracting it.
KNOCKED OUT
KNOCKED OUT
Pokeball x1 Used on Frillish!
tag: nah ▪ words: nah ▪ ooc: lol never mind, I googled it..
Post by Danny Kazuki on Jun 28, 2014 13:47:29 GMT -5
"Fabulous." He heaved a sigh when the Frillish's Pokeball finally finished rattling, signaling a successful capture. That marked the 6th Pokemon on his team, and from what he was told, any additional captures would immediately be sent to his PC. Not too bad, he figured, though he couldn't imagine having more than 12 Pokemon at most. If he did, his poor wallet would probably cry at the thought of feeding all of them. "Now to focus a little more on training. Hopefully without heavy casualties." His head sagged along with his shoulders, grimacing at how easily Larry and Winnie lost to that Frillish. Why did ghost types have to be so tricky anyways? It didn't even look like a ghost, and it sure wasn't a Pokemon he was familiar with in Hoenn. Orre supposedly had a lot of Pokemon that was similar to the ones in Hoenn, but there were some odd ones out, apparently. With Frillish's Pokeball snug on his belt, Danny could at least fake some confidence as he stood on the pier, one hand on his hip while another eased the sun's presence around his eyes. "Hmm...I don't exactly see any Pokemon in there, but there's no way the ocean is empty. If only I could somehow lure them out with a long device that lets me scoop them out. Like a butterfly net, or maybe..." A wicked idea rocked his brain, and soon he was scavenging the nearby beach to make his plan come alive.
||No way. I'm not doing it. You do it.|| Gawain snarled, hating the plan before Danny even had a chance to explain it. All it took was one look at that heap of wood, rope, and broken chairs to realize that this plan sucked. "It's simple! Just sit on the nice, comfy beach chair like this." Hopping into the throne, he kicked back his legs on some planks of wood while his arms fumbled for the tree branch oars. "And you use these to get farther into the ocean! If you see something, just whack it. Then cue an epic Pokemon battle! It's easy. Besides, I've seen you swim. You're good at it, bug guy." Oh, how he laughed at how simple and efficient his plan was. It felt like the old days when he didn't have anyone to play with, so he made his own world out of things no one cared for. Did his plans backfire a lot? Well, yeah. But they were memories! All precious memories that he found himself lost in, making him oblivious to the weird thumps that inched him closer to the ocean. ||Alright, la la boy. First lesson about being a trainer: don't use the bug as bait for fish. If you aren't brave enough to be bait, I want nothing to do with you, sucker.|| With a final shove, Gawain sent his trainer's junk ship into the ocean.
This was one of those moments where Danny was glad that his laptop was heavily protected in plastic, otherwise his life was over.
"So, are you up for it? Uh...Gawain. Where are you? Uh...uh..." Brain does not compute. So much water. Where the land at? Frantically standing on the chair to get a better look at the beach, he shrieked as the shore grew further away, as well as the cheerful Pinsir who waved him off with a smile. "No! I'm not supposed to be a casualty! Gawaiiiiiin!" As much as he cried out, that wasn't solving his problems any faster, so he hopped back into his seat and started propelling himself back to shore with his crappy oars. ||He'll be fine. He can swim...I think.|| Well, he never heard it mentioned that his trainer couldn't swim, so he was probably fine. Just in case something went wrong, Gawain made himself cozy on the beach, sunbathing to his heart's content as Danny frantically paddled back. Unfortunately for Danny, his makeshift oar slammed into the head of a Chinchou that was just passing by, and boy was it not in the mood for this.
||Really? Talk about reckless swimming. There's a whole ocean out there and you pull this crap off? Unbelievable!|| The Chinchou's fury spurred it into using a Bubble attack on Danny's face, which did feel nice because it cooled him off, but it stung like a bee sting, taking the pleasure right out of it. "Gawain! I'm kind of being attacked over here, so if you can you know, do something about it...thanks." He was starting to get fed up with his Pinsir's carefree attitude, and what was with that constant backtalk anyways? Not that he could understand Gawain word for word, but the attitude was there.
As the junk ship crashed ashore with the Chinchou in hot pursuit, Gawain had a heart and stood between his trainer and the ticked off aggressor. "About time! Hit it with a Brick Break. Smash it." Perhaps Danny was a little too eager to punish the Chinchou, but in his eyes, he did nothing wrong. Gawain didn't understand the situation either, but they wanted a battle in the first place, and it looked like they had one. Charging without planning ahead was the usual strategy with Gawain, but this Chinchou was trickier than it looked. Before the Pinsir could even clash claws with his foe, the Chinchou released a large bubble spray, making it difficult to reach. Bubbles stuck to Gawain's arms and legs, sometimes popping and stinging his sides, and at other times clinging to him with the intention of slowing him down. But he was a big guy, and a couple of bubbles wasn't enough to slow him down. Right before he could connect a blow, the Chinchou reacted with a harsh burst of light, confusing the Pinsir as he slammed his fist down for a Brick Break.
The damage was done, but Gawain's situation was far from pleasant, as his vision began to blur and the Chinchou started to multiply before his eyes. Somehow the sand gave him the queasy feeling of sinking, and the rush of the ocean's waves nearly toppled him. The constant state of confusion was enough to make him claw at his head, hoping that whatever was in his brain would soon be frightened off. "Hey, that was Confuse Ray." Holy crap, he actually knew what that attack was. It helped that he was getting into the habit of watching other trainer's battle it out, but it didn't change the fact that this was one nasty situation to be in. "Snap out of it! It's coming!" Too late. Another Bubble bombarded the confused Pinsir, bubbles stacking over bubbles in a joyous spree, making it even harder for him to move around.
Sensing that he was in danger, Gawain instinctively started hardening his skin as each bubble popped around him. It didn't lessen the damage, but he felt safer when his defenses were up. "Seismic Toss!" An attack was called out, but Gawain had trouble deciphering what his trainer wanted from him. Tossing...was like, throwing? Or bossing? Didn't tossing have to do with salads? Confusion made everything difficult to understand, but he was under the impression that this Chinchou had to be treated like a salad. With an energetic cry, his heels dug into the sand, kicking him off horn first towards the Chinchou. Bubbles that lazily drifted by were popped along the way due to his spiky pincers, completely cutting through the Chinchou's defenses until his prey was caught. Giving the Chinchou a tight squeeze, Gawain cackled at the capture, pleased that he could do such a thing despite his throbbing head. Once he had his fill, he threw the Chinchou as far as he could, and that just happened to be in the direction of the ocean.
The water parted as the Chinchou made its landing, sinking deep into its depths as it slowly recovered from the shock of the toss. By that time, it wasn't even worth it to keep up the fight, so it simply swam off.
"It's gone, right? It's not coming back?" Danny paused as he inched closer to the shore, hesitant and ready to scream in case the Chinchou popped out for a last second surprise attack. After giving it a couple of minutes, it was safe to say that they had won that match due to a hasty retreat. "Well, so you didn't knock it out. But that was a good job, buddy. Way to put those horns of yours to good use." Danny grinned, pulling Gawain close by wrapping an arm around his head.
Post by Danny Kazuki on Jun 30, 2014 1:08:26 GMT -5
With the Chinchou swept into the ocean's waves, Danny and Gawain had full reign of the situation. No one was being aggressive. No one was getting hurt. All was well. "Sooo..." Leaning back with a stretch, a yawn jumped out before he could protest, and the contagious notion was quick to spread to Gawain. "We should check back at the Pokemon Center for a bit. Grab some lunch, cool off, then come back here and work on our tans." Not that Gawain needed a tan, but they could both agree that the sun felt fairly pleasant today. After wrangling a rather unwilling Pinsir back into its Pokeball, Danny's stomach took control of his body like the bossy prick it was, all for the sake of satisfying itself. Lunch was good, but kind of expensive. Nothing new for a place that was expected to heal your Pokemon for free, but Danny was happy and full regardless of the price. Thank you, convenience.
Back onto the scene, you know what I mean, Danny sets forth on a jogging spree. 'Hi, I'm Danny. And I like long, romantic runs on the beach while pursuing my prey.' He mocked, too tired from the sudden need to exercise to even bother saying it out loud. Nothing changed too much since his departure; his strange contraption was still slumbering on the simmering sand, the sun was still warm and welcoming, and the scent of the ocean was as invigorating as ever. Slowing down to an easy-going stroll, he started to grow weary from overdressing in this heat. At least he was wearing lighter clothes than usual, but he was starting to wish that he had your everyday tank top to fend off sweat and dehydration. 'Note to self, start being practical. What do you mean, be 'practical'? That's not how I work. Well, I don't know Danny. Have you considered the alternate option of dying in the sand?' His thoughts clashed like the ball in a pinball machine, and the heat was sowing the seeds of irritability. "Agh. The real world needs air conditioning." Everyone would be so much happier if technology could get on that. Maybe they just needed to invent trees that could produce oxygen and delicious AC. Whoever invented that was going to win his entire wallet, he thought with a tired laugh.
His lazy beach stroll led him towards a beached Magikarp, and it sure didn't look too happy. Pale scales, tongue flopped out, and heavy breathing were all indicators that this poor fish required assistance. "Hang on, fish face. I'm here for you." It might've been dry from the sand and sun, but he wasn't all that thrilled about touching a fish. Always coming up with a fair and logical solution, he gently nudged the Magikarp's side with his foot. He gently nudged it multiple times, perhaps once or twice in its funny bone, until it was presumably swimming happily in the water. "There we go. All better now, see?" He grinned, clearly satisfied with his good deed for the day, regardless of his less than fine treatment.
Magikarp wasn't too pleased with the situation, and in her angst, she flopped back onto the sand and beached herself again. "Hey, don't do this to yourself. Tanning can have dangerous side effects, you know. You're breathing like a fish outta water, and if the expression holds any water, laying on the beach probably isn't good for you." Seriously, what was up with this fish? He couldn't make sense of it, but she clearly wasn't being rational. "Winnie, come help out. Tackle it back into the ocean, no matter how many times it takes." Snapping out Winnie's Pokeball like a trainer in one of those action shows, his lovely darling Caterpie wormed her way out with a delighted chirp. ||Tackle...it? Who?|| The command didn't fully hit her until she saw the problem, and she was instantly overcome with with a mixture of confusion and concern. ||You sure look like someone that needs sense tackled into them.|| Holding her lacy comfort blanket close to her chest, she lowered her head in remorse for what was to come. ||I'm sorry about this!|| With a tiny squeak, she rammed straight into the Magikarp's side, forcing the flopping fish back into the ocean.
But the Magikarp wasn't done. It splash splash splashed back onto the sand, totally content with its new resting place. Poor fish was practically digging herself a grave, and Winnie wasn't having any of that. ||Get back in there, you poop head!|| She couldn't be blamed for being annoyed at the Magikarp's persistence, but neither she nor Danny were giving up on this fish. With their powers combined, they were going to cast this demon fish back to its homelands.
Magikarp splashed back to the shore, Caterpie proceeded to tackle her back in. All in all, good target practice until the Magikarp decided to fight back. Kicking up a splash full of water at the Caterpie's face, a stunned Caterpie became an easy target. While Winnie was shrieking from the cold, the frenzied fish plowed the Caterpie straight into the sand. You'd think that having such a silky soft ground would reduce injury, but the sand was hotter than a fried egg, and Winnie was getting baked. Getting out of the sand trap was no easy challenge, as the Magikarp gave her another Tackle and a Splash for good measure, making the Caterpie no different from a nail wedged in a plank of wood.
Since the Magikarp seemed to be pleased with its assault, it laid low and limp, simply chilling in the sand until provoked once again. Danny was quick to intervene, digging his darling worm out and patting the sand right off of her. "Don't let this battle bring you down, champ in-making. You're wearing the Magikarp down, bit by bit. Now, since I really don't think she's going to stop, why don't we just knock her out with a few Bug Bites? Toss'er into the ocean, and she'll drift away to safety. Tell me I'm brilliant." Not that he needed to be told that, but Winnie seemed cool with the plan. Looking more motivated than ever, she inched towards the fish in need once again, only this time she slunk low to the ground. Stealth game was so still, not even the sand crinkled beneath her feet. Once she was close up for the assault, she swarmed the Magikarp's body with multiple Bug Bites, leaving the fish to splash in angst until it lost the will to fight.
"Hide the body!" With a sudden yelp, the Caterpie tumbled off of her foe as Danny yanked the Magikarp's tail fin into the air. Mimicking the style of professional baseball players as he made his stance, he closed a single eye, tongue sticking out to detect the wind's mood, and the trajectory soon became clear in his mind's eye.
He breathed heavily before blast off, sending that fish face right into the sky. "Don't look back, Winnie. Never look back." He snapped his fingers as Winnie's gaze strayed towards the Magikarp, not even giving her a chance to fret about the less than necessary details. Problem solved, battle done.
Post by Danny Kazuki on Jul 3, 2014 15:27:19 GMT -5
Training against a Magikarp didn't offer much sense of accomplishment, but Winnie was able to do it all by herself. That was worth an affectionate nuzzle as he scooped the worm into his arms, keeping her snug against his chest so she wouldn't struggle to keep up. They scouted out the shoreline for a while, enjoying a mixture of the breeze and the oddities that made their homes in the sand, but Winnie could only handle this terrain for so long. Sympathetic to her tired sigh, he let her rest in her Pokeball to enjoy a break from the sun.
Gateon Port would've been more enjoyable with friends, or at least potential acquaintances, but straying this far from the city made it difficult to find other travelers. If there were other trainers around here, they must've had the sense to stay in the shade, if that even existed out here. From as far as he could see, there was nary a tree to keep him cool on the heated shoreline. "What can you do?" He sighed, crouching down as he stripped out of his socks and shoes for a little release from this sweltering day. With sock stuffed shoes pinched between his fingers, the waves rocked around his legs, breaking apart and surrounding him entirely with its cool strides. The chill of the fine grained sand made it feel as if he was walking on a silken carpet, all smoothed out and ready to welcome his presence. It was around that time when he felt something dart around his legs, and a slimy, slippery tail tickled a sharp scream right out of him. "A sea serpent?!" With a flail and a shriek, he stumbled away from the mystery aggressor, not even wanting to find out what it was.
If it was a snake, then he was ready to run for his life. Danny was on a strict 'let's not die from venomous bites in the middle of nowhere' diet, and he wasn't ready to die just yet. Right when he thought he was safe from the creature's grasp, that weird sensation began to multiply as more and more curved tails bumped against his legs, spawning a horde of disgusted bumps on his arms. "What the hell, yo? This isn't cool. This is so not cool!" Hopping around the shadows hidden in the murky waters, all he could do was scramble back to shore, flipping off whatever was bullying him in the first place.
Not that it mattered, since they were too busy enjoying their time underwater to even see such a vulgar motion. "Our hero finds himself trapped on the scorching terrain, chased away from his only sanctuary by the shadowy slimeys! At least watch where you're going, you butt-touchers!" Wow, not a butt-toucher. How low can you go? It was a good thing he had his own water type now; not that Larry didn't count, but he wasn't the sort of bird that could handle diving underwater. "Frillish--I mean, Horatio. I'm calling you Horatio now. Go see what's out there." Now that he was convinced that he was safe in the sand, Danny was back to his calm and confident self, and boy was he eager to figure out what was haunting the ocean waves. The Frillish he sent out made itself comfortable at the edge of the water, albeit he was rather confused about the situation at hand. What he was looking out for, he wasn't sure, but he felt like a parent checking their child's closet for monsters as he went deeper into the water.
Horatio was fairly comfortable down there with the lack of company, figuring that this whole thing was a misunderstanding. Stretching his body as much as he could, the Frillish threw his fins back, propelling him through the tumble of the waves, kicking up a haze of sand and clay in his wake. Once he swam deeper into the not-so-welcoming ocean, he found himself surrounded by multiple shadows of varying sizes. Sensing a hostile atmosphere as they began to circle around him, the Frillish immediately fought his way back to the surface, letting out an urgent cry the moment his mouth touched the open air. ||Requesting back-up, and speed up the hesitation, if you please.|| Cursed beings. He knew exactly what they were; a gang of Horsea and Seadra that took pleasure in asserting their authority. Deviants and miscreants, and certainly not a group you wanted to get tangled up in. Seconds after his frantic cry for help, several Horsea let loose a thick Smokescreen underwater, effectively hiding their presence as the two Seadra in the group emerged with a low growl.
Well, Danny knew trouble when he saw it, and there were at least two Pokemon out there harassing his newly caught Frillish. The only issue was that none of them were able to go underwater the way Horatio could, and while his Emolga was particularly effective against water types, science 101 told him not to electrocute everything in this part of the ocean. Maybe he could use Larry? Those Seadra looked awfully tough though, even from where he was standing. Hat Bird it was then. His Honchkrow was the only evolved Pokemon he owned, meaning he stood a chance against whatever was lurking around Horatio. "I'm on it, Horatio. Hat Bird, help us out. Use Tailwind to get your butt over there." Danny lobbed the Pokeball as high as he could, hoping that somehow the extra altitude would make it easier for Hat Bird to kick up the velocity.
||Rescue a fish? You must be joking. Fish belong in the water, you know. I say leave him.|| A snooty Honchkrow made his appearance mid-air, giving his Pokeball a swift kick back in Danny's direction after his daring debut. ||Let him be prey. It's good for the eco-system.|| Hat Bird snorted, lazily drifting over to the Frillish was a half-assed Tailwind to keep him going. While the Seadra and Horsea took pleasure in tormenting a lone Frillish, the Honchkrow's appearance meant business, and they weren't going to take an intruder's entry lightly.
The two Seadra let loose an alarmed cry, signalling the remaining Horsea down below to rise for battle. Once the horde was officially assembled, even Hat Bird had to admit that the group carried an intimidating presence. It even irked him at how proudly those Seadra puffed out their chests. Ha! As if they were tougher than he was. That was when the assault began; one Seadra started things off with a Smokescreen, making it difficult to tell when and where the horde's attacks would pop out. It was pretty much hell after that first Smokescreen: Two Bubblebeams shot themselves out at the Honchkrow, while an onslaught of Hydro Pumps honed in on the lone Frillish. The initial surprise of the attacks made them hurt more than usual, but Hat Bird soon got into a groove as he slapped some of the bubbles away with a Wing Attack. ||This is a no smoking zone, I'm afraid. Get this disgusting cloud out of here!|| With an irritated hiss, he sped through the Smokescreen cover with a Tailwind traveling closely behind him. As the furious winds connected with the wispy, ink stained clouds, they quickly began to disperse, giving Horatio an easier time to counter this mess.
With a low growl, the Frillish spread his fins as far apart as he could, chanting away as a sense of doom fell upon the horde. There was a look in the ghost type's eyes that implied a sense of blood lust, making the smaller Horsea squirm in alarm. Once his chant was complete, an Ominous Wind was sent towards the first Horsea, effectively shoving it into the Horsea that was directly behind it. He wasn't done there though, as another Ominous Wind was formed, he created a Water Pulse that was able to ride on top of the purple hued winds, striking yet another Horsea before it could dodge.
The nice thing about Tailwind was that it could benefit allies in battle, so even a Pokemon made out of syrup was able to have some pep in their step thanks to the wind. Sensing a need to catch up with their opponents, the four Horsea began to power up with an energetic Dragon Dance, and as they darted through the waves, they adorned the ferocity of a dragon. Some of them were even leaping out of the water, firing Hydro Pump after Hydro Pump at their target. Horatio saw the danger in the attacks and fired off a Water Pulse at one of them, chipping away at the power as Hat Bird tried to scrap by with a defensive Wing Attack. With both wings glowing ripe from energy, he managed to endure the powerful assault with a slimmer of health. Damn, these Pokemon were good.
The Seadra seemed content with acting as back-up when necessary, so when those peppy Horsea were charged up for a grueling battle, they weren't going to interfere until needed. Not that that made it easier for Hat Bird, since he was struggling with his remaining help to even get by. ||Focus on the Horsea I managed to hit. If we can knock them out one by one, I believe we stand a chance. Of course, if we weren't so outnumbered, this wouldn't pose a problem.|| Horatio tsked, irritated that they were struggling this much against Pokemon that were so tiny compared to them. They might've been small, but underestimating those Horsea was proving to be a fatal mistake.
Meanwhile, Danny was struggling to resurrect the S.S. Danny, an incredibly shitty raft made out of debris found on the beach. With some touch-ups, he was able to at least get it afloat, but getting over to the D.K. crew was going to be a challenge. With his trusty tree branch oars ready, he set off towards the monsters lurking deep in the ocean. "I'm coming, guys! Don't think I'm letting you do this by yourselves! Because...because geez, that's a lot of Horsea!" Ok, so maybe he did underestimate the power of the horde. But now that he knew what he was up against, there was no reason to be so timid. It was time for action, and he was sailing straight towards the center of his very own ocean action adventure!
And then everyone ignored Danny. He's not important right now. You know what's important in the Pokemon world? Fucking Pokemon.
Hat Bird swept towards the Horsea with a furious shriek, hacking and slashing at Horsea that lacked the same burst of energy that the others had. His Wing Attacks were pretty brutal, managing to knock out one of the Horsea on impact. The other happened to be the wrong Horsea, only taking it down to half health. At least Horatio was able to clean up some of the damage by firing off an Ominous Wind at that Horsea before it could retaliate, effectively shutting it up in the process. That left two Horsea and two Seadra to fight, but the Seadra seemed content with staying out of it until their grunts were fully exhausted.
||For dragons of the sea, one would sure expect more class from Pokemon such as yourselves. It's a shame your ancestors put some much work into your legends, and here you are, acting like arrogant teenagers. I find it quite sad, honestly.|| Horatio sure had a lot to say on the subject, and that was due to the fact that this ocean was both his history and his home. Naturally he knew a few things about it, as well as random tidbits about the Pokemon that resided there as well. His little rant made him the focus of the Horsea's fury, and as they sped closer with another Dragon Dance, they fired off two Hydro Pumps at the arrogant ghost. Both managed to hit him square in the chest, but due to his excellent typing, it barely tipped him over to half of his health. "Get them with an Ominous Wind! Hat Bird, clean it up with Wing Attack." That seemed like the best way to wrap things up with the remaining two.
Horatio released two Ominous Winds at the Horsea, shoving them back before they could creep up on him again with another painful Hydro Pump. As Danny said, all Hat Bird had to do was sweep the rest up with two separate Wing Attacks, and they were as fainted as they could get. "Phew. Well, guess catching some of these guys couldn't hurt. Mind the Seadra, will ya?" Danny sure had his priorities straight. With two Pokeballs fresh out of his bag, he tossed them at two of the Horsea that happened to float right by. With any luck, he'd have two cute water types to add to his PC. Righteous.
||Not so fast! You're not done with us yet.|| The pair of Seadras made themselves known with a loud Brine, one aimed at the Honchkrow, and one aimed at the Frillish, effectively knocking them deep into the waves. At least Horatio was still conscious and well, but as a fainted Honchkrow sunk with him, he had to go into superhero mode before the heavy weight drowned. With a tired gasp and a sigh, the pair rose near Danny's raft, which became a brief sanctuary from the water's gaping depths. "Hat Bird! Geez, sorry man. You did well. You too, Horatio." Scooping the sopping wet bird into his arms, he glanced back at the Seadra, knowing that they weren't going to relent any time soon. These jerkfaces had to faint before they could leave in peace, it seemed. "How about you two take a break? Let someone else give it a shot." Hat Bird was too dead to respond, while Horatio seemed relieved at the proposition. After returning his injured allies back into their respective balls, it wasn't too hard to figure out who to send out next.
"Aph, Larry. Take out the trash with a Shock Wave and a Hurricane!" With his first two Pokemon flying and gliding around the salty sea breeze, he didn't even have to worry about Larry getting shocked on accident. And with him safe and dry on his wood and plastic raft, even a guy like him wasn't at risk of stray electrocution. Those Seadra were freaking screwed though. Aph chattered with glee as she fired off a Shock Wave at the Seadra on the right, and Larry kicked up some angry ass winds that followed behind the Shock Wave. The combination was more than enough to take on a full grown Seadra, leaving the left to stare in shock and horror.
Nope. Screw that. Screw all this crap. Not wanting to be next to such a terrible, brutal assault, the remaining Seadra fled the scene in tears. That was hardly a challenge for Larry and Aph, but experience was experience, quietly stacking up no matter how small each increment was.
. . . !
