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.
The setup was modest, to be sure. A simple table - long, with enough spots for several people to stand by - with a few sheets of paper, and a single chair. This was occupied - although the occupant will be described in full later. This table stood in the shadow of the building behind it; the infamous Battle Factory, headed by the Frontier Brain Thorton. The outside of the facility - and the facility itself - was being used by the person from before for now, as she had a special need.
Yup, it was that time of year again. The League had a vested interest in trainers of all shapes, sizes, ages and denominations - it was worth putting effort into your main source of appeal and income. Therefore, Gym Leaders were often "encouraged" to take up a rotation of teaching classes during their off seasons, and this time the lucky summer winner was Ferris.
The raven-headed woman sat with a cool demeanor, arms crossed. Her suit was pristine in the atmosphere presented - a nice, cool and overcast day. She patiently awaited whatever may come her way, if the League bothered to advertise this student-teacher scenario at all. At least she wasn't alone.
Immediately behind Ferris, on a stretch of green grass, practiced two of her Pokemon. A knowledgeable enough trainer could identify the speedy rain of practice attacks as that of a Scizor and Lucario - the two were engaged in a practice spar, trading punches and kicks and swipes without the force of any true attack behind them. Ferris didn't need to babysit them - they were some of her more experienced Pokemon, and could be trusted to take care of each other and have fun.
Post by Josh Dragomir on Aug 10, 2014 13:38:27 GMT -5
At first, Josh hadn't considered needing lessons at all. But... He'd realized that since he'd come to Hoenn, his battling with other Trainers had been.. Lacking. He could battle Wild Pokemon just fine, but this was a completely different story. And thus, he'd taken some advice and come here.
The blonde haired man, who was about 6'1, looked around the room as he came in, looking for... Whoever was in charge, or doing the lessons, or whatever. On his shoulder was a Pikachu, who noticeably had a blue bandana hanging cutely from his neck. That's when the both of them noticed Ferris. He felt like he'd seen her before.... But he didn't know where. Maybe a poster? Promotional material? Maybe she was an actor or something? It was odd... He recognized her, yet he didn't recognize her.
He could hear fighting in the background... Peering over, he noticed the Scizor and Lucario fighting fiercely, without any sort of Trainer guidance. Interesting...
The pen tapped a few times against the desk as she waited. Ferris had grown rather skilled at that - she was used to the silent waiting her job came with. The League often left her waiting for funding, challengers left her waiting for battles, and now a potential student or two was going to keep her waiting here. If she was fortuitous - as the lady of steel luck often was - she wouldn't have to deal with any students at all.
She rolled her dice poorly, it seemed. The blonde looked a tad puzzled, in her opinion, and a thin eyebrow found itself dancing up her face in curiosity. Well, he was a trainer, it seemed - the tame Pikachu gave that away. The guy looked at her momentarily but the backstage fighting seemed to have caught him and tugged him away from the relevency of the room to other matters.
Well, she could put an end to that. Leaning her head to the side and back, in order to get a glancing view, she spoke up. "Lorest, Keelah, take five." The two Pokemon ceased combat, pausing and then relaxing into more natural positions. Keelah the Lucario sat, crossed-legged and immediately entering a meditative state; the more curious Lorest buzzed on over to the table and eyed the man and Pika combination.
Ferris turned to her guest and cleared her throat. "Sir, how my I help you? Are you here for the classes, or something else?" A pen tapped at the stack of sign-up papers before her, indicating what he would need to do should he actually be here for schooling.
Post by Josh Dragomir on Aug 13, 2014 21:59:46 GMT -5
The fight had been stopped by the woman. Josh's attention snapped right to her as she did, before she spoke. "Sir, how may I help you?" she had said... Or, he assumed she meant may instead of my. Regardless, he took a breath and walked over, eying the papers that she had been tapping with her pen.
Clearing his throat, he looked the woman square in the eyes, the nerves suddenly leaving him. "I'd like to apply for a class, Miss" he said politely. "For battling other Trainers, I believe I was told the class was for. I'd appreciate if I would be able to sign up" he added.
This guy was easily distracted. His attention run amok, from the fight to her stopping it and everything between it. Gwyneth did her best not to portray the sardonic look of boredom that would glaze over her eyes, but it was an unfair truth. Any vested initial interest in this kid was lost when she realized he might not be the best man to teach.
Still, she would have to hold those reservations for later. For now, she had to focus on her task at hand, and he did ask to take a class... a lithe hand moved forward, sliding forth a piece of paper and depositing a pen in front of Josh. "Fill out your name, trainer identification number if applicable, and other areas specified." Simple form work - the same kind you'd fill out to get a visa for another region, or applying for a League job - it would even be similar to academy or school forms. He should be able to etch in the responses in no time, right?
Ferris wasn't going to just chill in silence, however. "The class isn't exactly about battling other trainers, although that will be a part of it. The bulk of this short class is to teach you how to become a more effective battler - and by extension, a more confident trainer. I'll tailor it to your specific needs as seen fit." Ferris eyed the Pikachu for a moment, wondering which region he picked up that mouse in.
"Anything in particular you feel you need to know? If so, feel free to inform me." Ferris had let her free hand dip into her right pocket, feeling at an old lucky coin. On the outside, she seemed calm if not bored, but she was mentally prepping herself for the lessons to come.
Lorest the Scizor decided to continue to stare on at the little Pikachu, wondering what the Pokemon was - you never saw many in Orre.
Post by Josh Dragomir on Aug 22, 2014 23:21:04 GMT -5
Having been in the area a few days, Josh had become slightly accustomed to... Rather rough and cold sorts at this point. Sadly, this one, by body language and expressions alone, seemed no different. While he couldn't pinpoint her emotions, it seemed pretty clear to him that they weren't good ones. Regardless, it didn't bother the blonde for long. He was here to learn, and if the woman was a good teacher, it didn't matter as long as he was able to learn something. He didn't care much if she liked him or not. Where he came from, it never mattered who liked you or not as long as you survived.
He nodded silently as the pen and paper were slid over, and in turn the blonde would fill in the needed information, with nothing crossing or posing as an expression besides a simple, serious poker face. Emotions were kept in check after the first moments of curiosity and wonder. "I understand" the blonde would respond calmly as he finished writing everything down as he saw fit, before sliding it back to the woman. His eyes then, would slide to meet the woman's as she in turn asked her question.
"For now, nothing in particular comes to mind" he spoke calmly. "If something comes up during the lesson, I will let you know when a spare moment presents itself" he added. The Pikachu on his shoulder seemed to almost mimic his Trainer's movements, his expressions, and just the way he looked and acted. The Trainer and Pokemon were almost spitting images of one another. But poker face aside, mentally, Josh was preparing himself for the unexpected. While this seemed like a simple course, Josh had grown accustomed to not underestimating a thing any longer. Mistakes like that had been costly, almost incredibly costly, in the past.
Simple and clean. Ferris approved - he filled out the app with due haste and handed it back to her. Ferris picked the form up for inspection, looking over the areas of interest - seems like this Dragomir was good to go, without anything of concern for her to address. The gym leader placed the paper face down on the table and stood tall, her full height coming to bear. For a moment she merely stared, then decided that the best way to carry out the start of this mentor program was to slam him headfirst into the pavement. So to speak, of course.
"Is this Pikachu your partner?" Ferris had moved her gaze to that specimen, noting how it was actually dressed. That was usually a sign of coordination practice, but this guy didn't quite strike her as a contest contestant...
Not that it mattered. Ferris motioned for the guy to follow her and she moved behind the table, heading over to where her Pokemon were formerly training. "Keelah, if you will please, I need this space for a moment." The Lucario sat up and nodded, moving off to the sidelines as Ferris withdrew a Pokeball and released another of her team - a floating Magneton, who hovered by the trainer before floating off to a good fighting distance. The leader turned to the trainer with a grin. "Send out a Pokemon you would use against my Rail and go for it. Go all out against me, show me what you can do."
Post by Josh Dragomir on Aug 23, 2014 16:39:24 GMT -5
Josh watched calmly as the instructor (And unbeknownst to him, Gym Leader) would read over the points of interest before standing to her full height. If he was nervous, he didn't show it. His face was difficult to read as the poker face continued to show itself. Of course, inside he was wondering just what this woman had in mind.
She asked her question, and he smirked faintly then, probably the first show of any sort of emotion since just after he came in. "Aye, he is" he said politely. It was a funny story about why Lightning was wearing his scarf, actually... As a baby Pichu, Lightning had loved the similar scarf on Josh's neck so much that at times he would run off with it if Josh wasn't around and wasn't wearing it himself. He could always be found later cuddled into it falling asleep, and eventually Josh would have a smaller one made for the Pichu since he loved it so much, despite the fact he really only did because it gave him a reminder of his Trainer. Still, the fact he had the same scarf on as his Trainer seemed to thrill the Pichu, now Pikachu, who stopped stealing the damn thing after that.
He followed her at her motion and watched calmly as she cleared them a space. She would bring out a Magneton, before turning and challenging him. Josh took a breath and nodded... Now it was decision time. Lightning wouldn't be effective against her Magneton, especially if it was able to absorb electricity like rumors had said. He considered using Fawkes or Vulcan, but he realized then it was very likely she was very much prepared for him to predictably use a fire type to counter her Magneton's steel type traits. She was tougher then she looked, he could just feel it... She almost reeked of experience in a fashion Josh couldn't describe. He realized right now he needed something entirely out of left field that would bring the two to an equal point. And he knew just who fit the job.
Josh smirked faintly as he allowed Lightning to hop off his shoulder and stand beside him as he withdrew a Pokeball. "I won't hold back then" he said with a small smile as he tossed the Pokeball. "Go, Skelle!" he called as the Pokeball would open to bring out a Dusclops, who stared the Magneton down with a complete lack of emotion. It seemed calm, serious... Maybe even a bit cold. Sometimes that even creeped Josh out, but it was this left field shot that Josh felt would be good against Ferris.
"Quick Skelle, use Will-O-Wisp, then go right in and use Shadow Punch!" he quickly called. Skelle would nod before sending out a ball of flames toward the Magneton without hesitation, quick and cold with almost killer instinct. With the ball of flames still hurtling toward the Magneton with intentions to cause a burn, the Dusclops would charge, flicking itself to the side and attempting to land a punch to the side of the Magneton, with it's hands glowing an eerie black.
A Ghost-type was a solid choice, if not a bit unorthodox. The ethereal Pokemon were capable of hitting a Steel-type Pokemon and bypassing the defenses and resistances, all while being tricky and manipulative. Ferris bobbed her head into a nod of approval at the younger man's choice - it should make for a solid display of what this trainer could do. An evolved Pokemon was, at the least, a sign that he had been experienced.
And so the Ghost came at her Magneton in a forward fashion, releasing a volley of Will-O-Wisps and coming at her with a telegraphed punch. She noted that Josh called out his orders; Ferris would mimic the response. "Rail, weather it and defend with Reflect." The Magneton briefly queried why there was no order to dodge - it would have been simple to smash the ground and kick up enough debris to block the will-o-wisp - and instead erected a translucent barrier that faded from view as the flames hit.
The burn in place, Rail watched at the Dusclops punched into the Reflect - the barrier taking out the momentum of the attack as it struck the Magneton. Without an order, Rail retaliated, charging and popping off an orb of reflective energy from the center magnets.
Post by Josh Dragomir on Sept 3, 2014 15:35:08 GMT -5
Drat, Josh had attempted to take Magneton by surprise, but he should have known that Ferris was prepared for it. She was a skilled Trainer indeed, he thought. He relaxed, deciding to keep his cool here. If he became nervous, there was a chance Skelle would be as well, despite how emotionless she seemed to be. He couldn't have that, no matter how low the odds of that happening were.
But on the bright side, Will-O-Wisp had managed to burn the Magneton. It would be good to lower it's attack (If it even has any attack moves) and deal damage in the long run, but on the flip side of things, Skelle had still left herself open for the Flash Cannon, directly, after that Shadow Punch was blocked by the Reflect. The attack would hit, sending Skelle flying back. "Stop yourself, Skelle" Josh called, hoping to stop the momentum before she could hit the wall and be hit with extra damage. Listening to her Trainer's commands, Skelle would manage to float back to a standstill. The damage had been done though, on both sides. Now Josh needed to think of a plan.
"Wait a moment..." he thought to himself, having a realization. Though burn would only take down Magneton's energy rather slowly, there was one way to take advantage...
"Skelle, use Hex!" Josh would call out. Skelle's eye would glow a mix of purple and light red, and the Mageneton would be enveloped in a purple and red aura, similar to Skelle's eyes, stopping it in it's tracks. After a few seconds, the eye would flash, and both Josh (Feat. Lightning) and Ferris would be blinded by the light for a moment, unless Magneton had managed to find a way out despite the accuracy factor of Hex.
Whether it hit or not though, Josh would immediately point over to Magneton. "Skelle, Hex one more time!" he commanded. Skelle would just stare, not even nodding in affirmative like Josh's other Pokemon usually would, before her eyes started to glow that color again...
She needed to keep him on his toes. After a Ghost-type would inflict status injuries, it was common to follow up with additional pain - moves like Mean Look, Curse, and Hex were common strategies. Expecting something along those lines now that he had proven himself competent in basic planning, she moved accordinging. "Rail, defenses. Prep for counter attack."
Another hexagonal, semi-visible screen would fade into existence and then fade away, in time for the first supernatural blast. Ferris stood resolute as the attack was meeting its mark, watching as her Magneton used the bright attack for one of his own - his cluster of eyes were focusing on all possible vectors of movement the ghost could make, calculating the precise moment to strike with an unavoidable hit. The Hex hit with a flash, and Ferris blinked it off as she heard the boy call for another strike.
Not this time. "Fire at will." A great amount of static discharge would be seen at the magnet ends of the Pokemon as it shuddered - it would collect in the central mass and then fire off like a cone of pain. The Zap Cannon attack whistled into the most likely location the Dusclops would be - Lock-On guaranteed that Rail had the general idea of how to hit it, and with the power backing up the strike it could rip right through the Hex attack and keep on chugging. Let's see him keep up with this kind of play.
Post by Josh Dragomir on Nov 24, 2014 18:09:30 GMT -5
Josh was in battle mode now, his eyes locked on the battlefield with nothing but a serious expression crossing the facial features of the young man. He wasn't going to allow himself to lose this one... But Ferris was a smart one, he saw that. She seemed to know his strategy now, now he had to think up a new plan. The Light Screen would lessen Hex's first attack, and when the 2nd Hex would be shot, Ferris had decided to try and block it with a Zap Cannon, one that Josh felt might blow right through it.... Especially after that Lock On.
But Josh had formed a plan already. "Counter it with Shadow Punch" he suddenly spoke, calmly... Almost coldly. It was interesting to note the change in his tone that had come over the course of the battle. His nervous tick, his paranoid twitches and loud commands were replaced by something much more cold and collected then before. Whether he was in the zone, or learning... That remained to be seen.
The Dusclops would fire shadow versions of it's fists, sending them to back up the Hex. He was right, the Zap Cannon would blow right through the Hex, but it would weaken it enough for the Shadow Punch to crash into it, with both attacks being destroyed in the middle of the battlefield.
Josh wouldn't waste a precious moment. "Skelle, Hex twice more" he commanded, waving a hand as the Dusclops's eyes would shine once again. Once the first Hex was shot, it would fire off another one... No remorse, no mercy, no hesitation.... Both Trainer and Pokemon were calm, and ready for what lie ahead.
Blocked Zap Cannon with Shadow Punch, nulling both attacks. Used Hex, then Hex again.
The Zap Cannon powered forward into the attacks, only being diminished with effort on the Dusclops' part - it took two attacks to take down the strike with concerted effort. It was a good effort, however, worth speaking of. Not a lot of people would try to attack like that. It could use some work - the kid just attacked over and over, with no variation. Had this been a real battle, she would have switched out and took advantage of the blatant style. Ferris had to end it with Rail, however, and she knew how this was going to end. There would be no winning a battle against a burn, even if she could infinitely hold off the ghost.
As the Hex assault began, Rail fired off two blasts of reflective energy - stored within, the Flash Cannon bursts smashed the attacks as they passed through the light screen, weakening them. At that, however, there was the flash of a Pokeball's return light, and the Magneton was scooped up into it. Ferris waited a moment before returning the orb to her jacket, shrugging. "An okay start. You made your attacks obvious, but you had a strategy in mind and carried it out." Ferris was incapable of a true compliment, after all. It was all business to her.
Retrieving an unlit cig, she popped the tip into her mouth and held it there, walking forwards and approaching the blonde. "Tell me, kid. Got any badges? Any trophies or awards?"
Post by Josh Dragomir on Nov 27, 2014 20:34:41 GMT -5
Ferris had managed to counter his attacks once again, cancelling out both, though his plan was working. It was simple, really. His ploy had been to continue firing off attacks in hopes of wittling down Magneton. If Ferris was to deflect them, or counter them, it would simply buy him the time he was looking for as Burn took effect and slowly took Magneton out, and if she didn't deflect them and tried another strategy, he could freely wail on her Magneton in order to make it faint even faster, knowing that if he played his cards right, the Magneton would faint first even if he did take a bit of damage in the process. As well, the mental game came into play. If Ferris was being forced to do the same things, and just stalling with counters in order to keep him from wailing on her, he knew she would eventually realize what he was doing, and for most trainers, this could cause a large amount of pressure and stress to build up, especially if she didn't have a way around it... And when a trainer was off their game, that was when they made mistakes. Of course, he knew that someone like Ferris would be harder to crack, but mental pressure or not, the strategy seemed to be working as he noted how tired the Magneton had begun to look. The burn was working, he knew, and before long, the wait would be worth it when it would either faint from the burn, or Ferris would do something as a last resort and leave herself open to be finished off. He knew this strategy wouldn't be so useful in a battle with multiple Pokemon, but in a 1 on 1 battle, something so simple could be very deadly.
Josh's expression didn't seem to change when he'd realized how tired the Magneton seemed to be getting, judging by the "body language" from the way it was floating in the air. It almost seemed like it was heavier then it actually was, and years of working close with Pokemon, both as a child and into his early adult years; had taught him to note this sort of thing.
But before he could begin calling attacks again, she would return her Magneton to it's Pokeball and end the spar. He would nod then, seeing she had decided she had seen enough. Josh would quickly bring out Skelle's Pokeball, and for the first time since he appeared, he smiled faintly. Not about the battle, but to Skelle. "Thank you Skelle, you did a great job. Please, rest" he said softheartedly with that small smile still remaining as he returned the Dusclops to her Pokeball.
The Pikachu would return to Josh's shoulder, and he would run his fingers through the Pikachu's fur on it's chin as he began to walk, with the Pikachu letting out a "Chaaa~" to the affection. He would meet Ferris halfway, and stop in front of her, the blonde tilting his head down just a bit to meet the 5'11 gym leader's eyes with his own. He would listen intently to her advice, processing it. Yes, his attacks were obvious. But they had played a part to a plan, and the plan had been successful. Regardless, he mentally noted it and would think back on it later on, he was sure he would.
Josh wasn't really a fan of people smoking, but he didn't voice it as she asked her question. "No, I haven't" he replied calmly to her question. Quite frankly, if he had the confidence to go out and even attempt that, he wasn't 100% sure he'd have come. But, every Trainer wishes to better themselves... He supposed it was a logical thing for her to ask. He didn't respond to her referring to him as a "Kid". Everyone had their habits, and she seemed a bit older then he was.
