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.
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RULES
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Sex; When you get under the clothes, fade to black.
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Stellar knelt to the ground, forehead resting against the tips of her fingers, her hands placed together in a prayer's fashion. Her eyes were closed, and she was facing the ocean, gravestones surrounding her. To her side, a silver Ninetales bowed her head in respect.
It's only fitting.
She gives all her prayers to the ocean, to the land far beyond it, to the land she had fought in, to the land she had ran away from, in the end. She gave her prayers to all her Pokemon that had fell for her, from the most recent to the very first, and she remembers all clearly as day, remembers everyone who died under her command. Most of all, she remembers the bird who had served her till it's very last breath, the Noctowl that was killed by a Thunderbolt to the heart, fell between the cracks of the Earthquake she had asked her Aggron to make.
Beside her, the Ninetales held up her head, and howled, once. It was an eerie sound, but Stellar didn't bother to stop her. Saedea, the Ninetales, knew just how painful these tributes are. She had evolved on the day that Noctowl died, one's death a price for their survival. Forced evolution, not by will, but for the sake of living.
Stellar could still hear the first gunshot she made, so angry, so tired then. The same gun is in her rucksack, the heavy metal glinting with invisible blood of the lives she took with it, the muzzle wrapped with pure white bandage as a reminder to never use it again.
That day had been a starting, breaking and ending point for a lot of things, so it was only fitting she prayed for it last.
"Sae," she looked up. That's it. She waited, if Saedea wanted to mourn some more. Stellar could feel it in her bones; her Pokemon were all weeping, in one way or another.
And finally, her Ninetales looked up as well.
"Oh Sae," Stellar hugged the Ninetales by her neck, sniffing softly into it's fur. She could have cried, would have, if Saedea didn't suddenly stiffened, ears perking because she heard something. The Ninetales red eyes narrowed, and Stellar stiffened as well.
"Go to the fog," the woman whispered, and in a moment, the Ninetales is gone. The fog around this are was a great hiding spot, and her Ninetales silver coat was never more suitable than now. Stellar stood up, wiping her cheeks and moving towards where the sound is.
From behind a short tree, she could make out shillouttes, movement, and voices.
'Get the jewels, that Pokemon belonged to a rich couple.'
'Grave robbers,' Stellar took an educated guess. She wondered for a moment if she could scare them. Maybe they are the kind that gets easily afraid if someone caught them in the act.
Stellar could hardly pick up mood to confront them now with a battle after all.
"Excuse me," she called out loudly, stepping into view. One, two. Oh, two grave robbers in view. There might be others, you never know.
Stellar put on a weak smile. "You guys are robbing the graves? That's really disrespectful, you know." Never mind that both guys are already looking so shocked, hands still holding the shovel and the bag they have is wide open, though there seems to be nothing inside. She caught them early in the act, it seems.
"Could you please stop?" she tried to ask respectfully, putting both hands behind her back. In her hand, there's already a pokeball rolling around in her fingers. She needs to disarm them if they get violent, so she's letting her Ampharos roughly take in what kind of terrain she might need to fight in. From the corner of her eye she sees a tint of blue and silver midst all the fog, Saedea's red eyes gleamed as the Ninetales prowled about the battlefield as well, learning every crook and corner, looking out for her 'mother'.
Post by Etta Rassul on Jun 5, 2013 20:13:31 GMT -5
SO CLOSE TO SOMETHING BETTER LEFT UNKNOWN
tag stell words 453 note this is going to be so exciting~ and great music choice
I can feel it
in my bones
Etta found Mt. Pyre more peaceful than anything else. Something about the fog, about the ocean, about the solemn silence and the soft whisper of the wind. It was almost as though she had wandered off the path and into another world. It was . . . her kind of place. There was something comforting about how well-loved these Pokémon had been - that there were still fresh flowers and so many of the graves. It seemed like this was a sacred place. She sat on a grassy ledge near the summit, with a small picnic blanket beneath her, meditating and quietly working through some bread, fruit, and a bottle of lemonade.
It had been a friendly suggestion that she come here. One of those odd phone calls with her colleague back in Saffron – she wasn't even sure he was serious. He might have been mocking, her actually, though she would have liked to think that he hadn’t been.
It meant . . . well, it meant that they had been good enough friends for him to understand her on a deeper level, if he had been serious.
Etta popped another small strawberry into her mouth, and then closed the plastic case. She had probably been there for a couple of hours, now, just wandering around and reading the grave markers. It was about time to be heading back to Lilycove. She was thinking about trying to find her aunt, and maybe grab dinner together. See an event at the contest hall, if there was one. She gathered up her picnic and strolled back up to the path.
As she walked, she sang softly to herself – a little song that her mother had learned from an old woman in Orre. The tune was a bit sad, but the lyrics were hopeful. She was stumbling through part of the second verse when dark sensation snaked up her spine.
She froze, listening. She heard a voice farther down the path, but it was too far away to tell if it was a man or a woman, a joke or a threat. It could have been nothing, except this feeling she had . . . Etta moved to the side of the path, where the fog thickened against the embankment, and silently walked a little closer.
She could make out two men, below her, and a third figure further away, shrouded in fog. And . . . was that shovel?
And there, overturned dirt.
Damn. Grave robbers. And from the look of it they've just been caught in the act.
Etta crouched in the fog, squinting down the path and trying to get a better understanding of the situation before she decided what to do next.
Stellar smiled, still hoping to keep things amiable.
And.... it didn't work. Figures, really.
The robbers finally seem to come to their senses, both of them holding up pokeballs. "Woman," the slightly leaner, small looking one voiced out, "You can still leave us alone. You don't want to force our hands."
'It's really too bad the fog is covering their faces,' Stellar thought, the smile still lit up on her face, but it never reached her eyes, "What if I don't want to? What if I come nearer instead?" She stepped closer, and the robbers tensed up. Good. "What if I want the both of you to go?"
'They are unforgivable,' a voice inside her cooed, 'how could they? Tainting a place like this?' Already she could feel her blood pounding in her ears, feeling the silent violent anger that accompanies her familiar blood thirstiness. The pounding that signifies if she doesn't keep a level head, things could go badly very, very quickly. But it's alright, right? It's just her alone here anyway, and her Pokemon already knew of her problem.
She had step close enough to see hints of the robbers features by now. One is a tall, rough looking guy, a scar running down his shoulder, but that's it. The one next to him is a lean man, smaller than his companion. Stellar hoped that by doing this, they would retreat quickly. She's hoping they are the kind that are weak, but threaten people in hopes of acting tough.
"You asked for it," the rougher one warned, and the sound of a pokeball opening is heard. Stellar crouched, her own pokeball already thrown opened the moment the robber's first word was out.
Apparently not weak, then. That, or either very, very brave, or reckless, or just mean.
Lily, her Ampharos, was out with a Power Gem attack, the gems hitting whatever Pokemon that was sent out. Barely, she could see the form of a four legged Pokemon got thrown backwards.
There were loud curses from her opponents, and the sound of another pokeball opening was heard too. "Golbat, Defog!"
The fog surrounding them was cleared away by large gushes of wind. Stellar smirked a little; so the fog was causing them trouble too, then. Soon, the Defog attack left a large, clear area around them. The fog hung at bay by the edges of their battling 'circle'. Looks like Saedea is still covered by the fog, luckily enough. Well, advantage is still on her side.
"Cotton Guard, then Thunderbolt."
Her Ampharos moved in swiftly. She had always been more synchronized with how Stellar fights in a battlefield; that was the reason Stellar had picked the Ampharos this round, and not the others. She would do well even if there is a fog.
Since the battlefield is clear now, Stellar could see her opponents clearly. A Golbat faces her, the rough-looking man commanding it. Beside him, the Pokemon that got hit by the Power Gem is a Linoone.
Stellar was briefly assaulted by her memories. It was too fresh, having just relieved them a few minutes ago. There had been a Crobat in the battle that took the life of her Noctowl so very long ago, and seeing a Golbat brings back bad memories. The pounding in her ears seems to get louder, rhythmically reminding her to killkillkill, but she doesn't want to, not anymore.
Lily let out a short cry, and cotton balls appeared in the battlefield, floating and hanging about, slowing the robber's movements. Then, the Ampharos aimed a Thunderbolt to the Golbat, who dodged the attack, now that it could see it. The cotton balls got stuck to its wings, though, proving to be a major hindrance to it's movements.
'Go, I'll take her on,' the rougher looking man told his companion. Said companion nodded, making a run for it. His Linoone barely took three steps forward before it squealed loudly again. There were flames on it, scorching the Pokemon's fur. 'What the hell!?' the leaner man cursed again, eyes wide.
As if a reply to that question, small flames began to light up around them, surrounding their battling 'circle'. Eerie, purple flames that danced as if they have life on their own, flickering on and off, but surrounding them nonetheless.
"Thank you, Sae," Stellar's hand reached down to pat at the Ninetales that had joined her trainer's side. Saedea had prowled around them thrice and more, setting her Will-o-wisps up, making it impossible to escape unless the robbers want to get burned.
Both robbers look at Stellar with wide eyes, a chill running down their spine. There was already an eerie feeling that Stellar's gentle stance wasn't real, that her whole movements, her weak smile made her seem like a ghost, but it was really Saedea's appearance, all silver with red eyes, that scares them to bits.
Stellar frowned. The Linoone rushed forward, it's amazing speed getting slowed slowly by the Cotton Guard, but it's still faster than most Pokemon. Saedea jumped forward in reply, meeting the Normal Type midway, tackling into it and sending both Pokemon rolling on the battlefield.
'Saedea could handle the Linoone,' Stellar's eyes narrowed, her expression now fully cold, "Power Gem."
Lily's Power Gem met the Sludge Bomb head on, stopping the sludge in its tracks. The acid was thrown back to their attacker, and whatever that didn't get thrown back were thrown away and spilling to the sides of their battlefield, some going outside, some going far beyond the battling 'circle'....
Golbat(LV 39) Defog Sludge Bomb Thief (TM) Mean Look
Etta best be careful of the acid! I rarely picked out bgm for threads, so I'm glad you like it! I spent hours thinking about this post, lol. It's very exciting. I'm playing around different battling scenarios, but this one made sense at the end, Stellar pushing her opponents to their breaking points. Now I'm considering how they will push Stellar instead. Either her Dawn Stone got snatched by the thieves as a bargaining chip, or Etta gets hurt by them somehow....hmmmm
Post by Etta Rassul on Jun 6, 2013 11:36:23 GMT -5
SO CLOSE TO SOMETHING BETTER LEFT UNKNOWN
tag stell words 577 note so, i'm gonna have cleave evolve in this thread too, as though things could stand to be much more exciting, haha. your post was awesome, seriously - and that is one of my favorite songs, too. I'm listening to it on a loop as I reply. (also, feel free to narrate what Cleave did, while etta was incapacitated )
I can feel it
in my bones
Stell - it's Stell!
Etta watched the battle unfold in growing alarm, moving several times to intervene only to have Stell's Ninetales set up the fire traps around the battlefield. No, she would have to wait for her moment - she had to do something to help, but the effort would be wasted if she moved too soon.
Ugh, this was no good. She was rusty, battle-wise. It had been years since she was a proper trainer. She kept Cleave and Eclair in top form, sure - but that was against helpful trainers at fitness centers, not against openly hostile thieves. Still, no way was she was standing by and letting Stell go two-on-one against them.
But . . . Stell had changed. As the battle progressed her whole countenance changed. At first she seemed to have been avoiding a conflict, but now there was something hard about her, something eerily serene. Like she was in her element.
I was right. She was in that war. And if she's here, then . . . they probably showed up while she was mourning someone. Bastards.
She had to do something. Alright. A Golbat and a Linoone. Nothing particularly challenging there. Poison type - Cleave could probably take the Golbat down in one, two hits. And he was fast enough to maybe keep up with the Linoone for a bit, at least long enough for them to coordinate with Stell and her Pokemon.
She would hit them from behind. No point fighting fair, here.
Working Cleave's Pokeball off her belt, she slipped down closer to the battlefield, hanging in the fog and moving sidewise and quickly and quietly as she could.
I'll lead in with Psychic, follow-up with Magic Leaf to distract them-
"Power Gem."
Etta saw it coming.
She knew exactly what would happen when the Power Gem and the Sludge Bomb connected, if only because she had seen something similar once before. The whole scenario ran though her mind in a millisecond - but she couldn't move fast enough, not on a steep slope. She only managed to dig her feet in the keep from falling and throw her arms up over her face before the spray of acid came over the wall of Will-o-Wisps and slapped against her forearms and chest.
DAMMIT.
She gritted her teeth, screaming inwardly, so shocked that she didn't notice Cleave self-release from the Pokeball, letting out a fierce cry as he leapt forward, the Ralts aiming a Psychic at the Golbat.
Etta stood there, shaking, trying to get her mind in order, to think herself out of the blinding pain. Her forearms were bare, and they burned like hell, but she needed to get her jacket off before the acid on her shirt burned through. She needed to not stand there like a blithering idiot.
SON OF A BITCH. MY JACKET.
Tears streaming down her face, but her expression one of anger and cold determination, she whipped her arms down, some of the acid slinging off from the force, and she yanked off her jacket, leaving her in just a flimsy blue sundress, blowing the in wind, and black shorts. A tiny ghost of a girl, a wraith in a storm of a different sort.
She breathed heavily, clenching her fists, face wet, arms stinging. She had to think of something. She had to think of something. Besides the pain.
The wind produced by the force of the Power Gem and the Sludge Bomb whipped Stellar's hair about her, and she flicked it aside without a second though. Her stance is now back to something familiar; something not wanted, but familiar nonetheless, defensive, a hidden aggression underneath.
She had this under her control. It's obvious. The battle is already playing to her flavor, watching the acid burn the two trainers that was behind the Golbat, too slow to avoid it, thanks to the Cotton Guard earlier. Some acid had hit her skirt and clothes, but those are bits, drops, not even noticeable, at worse only leaving her with some fashion problems. Lily's Power Gem is powerful after all.
But then, something appeared.
A Ralts appeared, using Psychic on the Golbat. The Golbat screamed, whole body wracking in pain. There's something to be said about type advantage, leaving the Golbat fluttering weakly in the air.
Stellar, on the other hand, whipped her head towards where the Ralts have seemingly appeared from. It's too sudden, and too well planned for it to be a wild Pokemon. Besides, she expected ghost Pokemon to surround this area, and rarely any Psychic types.
And that Ralts gave her a bad feeling. It reminds her of -
"Sludge Bomb, SLUDGE BOMB!" the Golbat's trainer yelled frantically. He and his companion are obviously agitated, but that is a bad move. The Golbat is panicking enough as it is, flapping and screeching frantically, while the Linoone is still wrestling with Sae, only for both Pokemon to stop, recognizing that command with fear in their eyes.
Cleave was the first to react. He ran backwards, knowing how defenseless his trainer is, right now, compared to Stell. Besides, his loyalty is to Etta, first and foremost, and the Ralts managed to make it back to Etta's side, a moment before chaos is fully unleashed.
The Golbat, in pain from the Psychic to not think straight, spewed out the poisonous acid, spraying it around everywhere, as much as it could. It couldn't aim anymore, it was hurting too much, but it was bound to listen to its trainer's orders.
Stellar reacted too. "Sae, help the Ralts out!" She commanded hurriedly to the Ninetales. Saedea looked at he disbelievingly, and with much despair, runs over to where the Ralts had disappeared, just in time too.
When the acid spray came to hit the Ralts and its trainer, Saedea was there, tail flared out, and with a loud howl sent a Fire Blast to evaporate the acid. Too many were still spilled over, and as it arched over to hit Etta, Cleave put his hand together and poured all his heart into making a Psychic barrier, to protect them. His massive power began to condensed inside him....
Stellar, on the other, was thinking fast. The Linoone had disappeared, most likely running away from the battlefield, or at least, trying to get away from the acid as much as it can. Smart little thing, she mused. She could already hear more screams the robbers; did they think the acid won't hit them, with how panicked the Golbat is?
"LILY RETURN!" The Ampharos let out a protesting squeal, but nothing else was heard as she was pulled back to her pokeball. Stellar won't risk it; Lily's an electric type, she will get hurt by the acid extremely badly. The Power Gem strategy won't work in this kind of situation; sprays of acid everywhere.
For a moment, Stellar could feel her blood stopped boiling. Maybe it's because of how everything seems to say, this is the end.
For this battle, that's it. ================== The sprays of Sludge Bomb died down because the Golbat finally couldn't take it anymore, fainting out of sheer exhaustion and pain. Silence swept over the battlefield, only heavy breathing.
The leaner robber stood up, breathing hard. The battlefield was washed with the stench of burning acid, grass dying from the poison, smoke spiraling upwards. He let go of his companion's body, having use the larger man to shield himself from all that acid fiasco. He's such an idiot; it's all his fault that he died this way. Who in their right mind uses Sludge Bomb everywhere anyway?
The leaner robber sighed. Oh well, he'll need to get a new partner soon. The bigger man was useful, but not this time, and it's time to move on, not mourn. Only profits mater, especially in this line of work. But then, maybe he was useful, after all. Looking at the battlefield, he squinted his eyes among the fading acid smoke. Maybe he could finally see clearly what this woman looks like.
Her dead body, that's it.
What he saw, however, chilled him to the bone, and his mouth opened, but no sound came out. =================== "Aria."
Stellar looked up fondly at her massive Aggron, adoration in her eyes, her smile, her voice. A worried look crossed her face. "Are you alright?"
The Aggron, cradling the woman in her arms, tail and body crouched protectively and covering her trainer with all her armor, shook her head gently. The steel type merely shrugged the acid off her back, poison type moves doing nothing to it. Steel types are immune to poison after all.
For a brief moment, Stellar sighed, snuggling into her Aggron's arms. She had been emotionally drained, and this was what she had originally planned to do, to sleep in her Aggron's arms for the night. Aria is her best friend and family, forever and ever, and they tend to sleep together most of the time, cuddled under the sky full of stars.
And when danger appears...well, Stellar was sure that Aria would break open her pokeball earlier, no matter what, even if Stellar hadn't managed to release the Steel Type in time.
"Thank you."
Aria let out a gentle growl, before looking up. Her blue eyes glared at the remaining robber, something deadly in the Pokemon's eyes.
Aggron's are territorial creatures. As a trainer's Pokemon, they could hardly claim any territory if they travel a lot, so they take a substitute, like being extremely protective over their team.
Aria claimed Stellar a long time ago, all the way back when there was only a child playing with an Aron.
"How despicable," Stellar brushed her skirt carefully. Her voice is cold. "First, you grave rob, now you sacrifice your own comrade?" Only disgust was left in her voice.
The robber finally manage to get enough of his voice back to let out a terrified squeak. Beside him, his Linoone was holding up something to its trainer. Stellar, having been slowly making her way to the robbers, stopped.
She recognizes that sparkle.
"Thi-this is yo-yours, yes!?" the robber held up her Dawn Stone, the one she had bought to give to a friend, a friend that makes her feel happy, at peace at last. "Wh-why not we make a deal? Yo-you let me go, and I- I'll give you back this."
....he dares?
HE DARES!?
Stellar's eyes flashed in anger. The pounding earlier came back full force, and she could feel the urge to kill cloud her mind.
But like always, everything is clear to her.
Clear as water.
Silent, violent water.
Behind her, her Aggron began to glow lightly. And suddenly, the Aggron was holding up the man in her clutches, almost at the throat, as accurate as that is.
"H-how!?" the man choke out, unable to believe how fast the Aggron is. He dropped the Dawn Stone, and his Linoone ran for its life. 'Wise Pokemon,' Stellar thought, smashing the Linnone's pokeball on the ground and picking the Dawn Stone, tucking it into her bag.
She looked up at the man, a smile on her face. "Autotomize," she replied serenely, "Now Aria, he's not worth it."
The Aggron let the man out of her grasp, allowing the human to drop down to the ground with a loud thump.
Stellar patted Aria lovingly. "I need to check something out. Let's go, Ria." She started walking towards where she last saw Saedea went, following her orders, worried about her baby Ninetales. Sure, she might not be a baby anymore, but Saedea will always be her baby, like it or not.
Behind Stellar, the robber stood up, seemingly trying to comprehend how everything went to hell. His hand went to his pocket, and he tried to pull out a -
SLAM!
Stellar didn't look back. There was no need to.
And behind her, Aria washed her tail with a gentle, controlled Surf. Using Iron Tail to smash someone to death was not a clean thing, and she doesn't want her trainer to see the blood stains.
Stellar just continued walking. She didn't want to see anymore blood, ever. Not now. Not here. Quietly, she mumbled an apology to Arceus, for ruining this sacred place, asking It to forgive her.
Now, to find out where that Ralts come from....
electric has gangnam style
OOC ::
I'm leaving Cleave's evolution to you, because it's only fitting. And now that everything is over...I hope that wasn't too violent. Feel free to play Saedea's role during Cleave's evolution and after it. This is too exciting. Your post is awesome too, and I'm hoping I pick all the right bgms!
Etta watched, cold and half-numb, as Cleave nearly managed to knock the Golbat out with one hit, and the part of her that wasn't delirious from the pain was extremely proud. And then everything went right back to hell.
Etta dropped down to her knees as the Golbat's trainer went into a panic and started yelling out the attack name. She was a sitting duck - she could barely move - but there was Cleave, leaping through the fog, a blur of white and green in between her and the wave of poison.
That's my little prince, alright.
Beyond him, the Ninetales appeared, a storm of fire obliterating much of the poison, the Pokemon glowing like a silver phantom amongst the flames - but it was still coming. The spray too wide to catch it all in one hit.
Cleave landed in front of her, and for a moment she thought she caught his look of concern, before he turned and faced the onslaught of poison - and then a shockwave of power let loose from him. Before her eyes a shimmering barrier appeared around them, pulsing with Psychic energy, a show of sheer force of will that she had never seen in him before. The air around her crackled. The remaining bits of acid on her arms seemed to evaporate. Her vision warped as the barrier blocked out everything else - the poison, the fire, the battle below.
She could feel him all around her. The power . . . it was too much for a Ralts.
Sheets of light split from him in thin blades, the pressure mounting, the flashes blinding her. At first she felt heat, and then a slight, calming coolness. Then the light began to bend, taking the form of a rippling orb around Cleave. All sound ceased. Never had she seen something so . . . supernaturally brilliant.
White, soothing flame erupted through the barrier, revealing a Kirlia, a bit taller than normal, his arms held up as though to support the barrier. The poison was gone.
Sound slowly returned. Below, Etta thought she heard a loud thud, but she couldn't be sure what it was. The Ninetales, which had been watching both the battle and the events up on the slope, bowed slightly and then trotted back down toward its owner.
Etta sat there, just breathing for a moment, and slowly the burning on her arms began to return, though not as intolerable as it had been. The barrier dropped, the Kirlia's shoulders drooping as the Pokemon, too, took a few long breaths.
A quick, airy laugh escaped Etta. "Not bad, Cleave. Not bad at all." Then she sucked a breath in as she accidentally touch her burnt arm, and in the blink of an eye Cleave was hovering over her arm, in a panic, talking gibberish and apparently trying to think of something to do. She probably looked like a total, ruined mess. A couple of Magic Leaves appeared and ghosted over her arms, and fluttered over her hair. "I'm all right. Probably just need a quick stop at a Center . . . "
Stell, Etta remembered, abruptly. It was quiet, so the battle was over - was she alright? Did something happen? What was that noise, earlier?
Etta craned her neck over Cleave, shushing him absently as she looked down the slope toward Stell.
And beyond her . . . An unbidden look of alarm spread over Etta's features.
Stellar was walking towards the slope, when Saedea bounded back to her. The Ninetales' steps were light and bouncy, and Stellar received the bounding Pokemon into her arms with a soft laugh.
"Oh Sae," she hugged the Ninetales, "You are okay!" Stellar had gambled a little earlier. While she was sure Lily could not have held a chance against the poison, she was betting on the fact that Saedea could do it because flames are destructive, thus destroying any acid that comes her way. It was risky, but Saedea does have quite a variety of fire type moves with her.
Behind her Aria cooed gently at the Ninetales as well, Saedea howling back in return, all nine tails wagging slowly. "Now Sae," Stellar stood up, and Saedea was back to her side, still rubbing her head to Stellar's waist, nudging her hand. "Sae, where did the Ralts come from?"
The Ninetales look at her oddly. Saedea probably thought Stellar had knew who the Ralts belong to, thus the need to protect, but seriously? To have protected a stranger? The shiny Pokemon made some disgruntled noise, not happy now that she know.
Stellar let out a sheepish chuckle at that expression. That confirmed her earlier suspicion, though, that the Ralts actually belong to someone, if Saedea could give her that expression. By now Stellar's whole stance have dropped to a tired one, the adrenaline of the battle gone and the pounding in her head have stopped. Everything is over after all.
Then she made the mistake of looking up.
Etta.
Oh Arceus, it's Etta.
Her relaxed stance froze. So that Ralts is...
Aria detected Stellar's stance change, and the Aggron changed her stance to a defensive one, bent down with claws out threateningly. But Sellar held out her hand, and whispered, "It's okay, Ria. We....know each other."
The Aggron reluctantly stand down. Saedea circled her trainer, tails brushing against Stellar's legs.
"....it's been a long time, isn't it?" Stellar called out. It sounded steady enough, she hoped. Only Aria and Saedea are close enough to detect the tremor in her voice. There was fear in it, a certain type of fear. Stellar took a deep breath, feeling herself nervous.
They need to talk, somehow.
She could see the alarm on Etta's face, and Stellar flinched. How much have she seen? How much did she know now? When was she here? Her mind replayed to the time the Ralts appeared....and Stellar paled considerably.
Everything's such a mess, acid, burnt grass, wafts of leftover smoke and the fog coming back. Her Aggron stood tall and imposing, the power house of Stellar team, while her Ninetales look ghostly, ethereal.
Stellar knew that right now, she's making quite an impression. Every time, even back then and far, far back, people called her graceful, slender, and that she has an innocent charm around her. They always get scared when her Aggron comes out, and for a good reason. They are known for being aggressive after all. Her illusion held up during the war, fooling Arceus knows number of enemies, destroying them before they realize their mistake.
Nobody expected her to raise an Aggron.
Stellar looked away.
And now that illusion is betraying her, for once.
electric has gangnam style
OOC ::
Oooh, awesome soundtrack for the evo. I love setting up events for in-rpg Pokemon evolution, cause evolutions tend to be epic. I don't think it was that good though, but as long as you like it, I suppose it's okay.
Post by Etta Rassul on Jun 7, 2013 11:43:28 GMT -5
SO CLOSE TO SOMETHING BETTER LEFT UNKNOWN
tag stell words 310 noteugh, i love this thread so much.
I can feel it
in my bones
"It's okay, Ria. We....know each other."
Etta rose to her feet, arms falling to her sides, and she felt Cleave put a hand on hers, muttering something in concern. But she was focusing on Stell, now.
She remembered the nervous, kind girl from the desert. The cautiousness there that had melted away while at the cafe . . . how young she had seemed. And that feeling Etta had gotten that there was something about the young woman that she wasn't seeing.
("And Etta, Stell is really short for Stellar. It had been great, meeting you.")
The grave robbers were dead.
"....it's been a long time, isn't it?"
They had deserved it, most likely. They had attacked first, and likely wouldn't have left a pretty young woman unharmed. And besides, it took a certain kind of inherent sickness to steal from the beloved dead without a hint of shame.
The carnage . . . the smoke, the bodies, the pools of acid and burnt ground . . . she saw it for a moment and then the scene seemed to resolve itself in Etta's mind. It didn't matter, so much, to her, because she could attach some kind of reason to it. She felt singularly calm, at that moment. She forgot to hide the burns on her arms, as she might have, to keep Stell from seeing.
Stell.
What must she have lived through? Out there, beyond the ocean? In the middle of a war that had taught her to defend herself this way. Etta looked at her and couldn't imagine the pain.
And the strength it must have taken to overcome it.
Etta watched the woman look away.
Yes, Stell was strong. Incredibly so. But right now she was also extremely isolated.
Etta cleared her throat, coughing a little bit into her shoulder. Then, she asked, "You OK, Stell?"
Stellar felt her breath hitched. Behind her, Aria was observing the other woman carefully, but the Aggron reached out to steady Stellar, her claws large enough to crush the woman she calls her trainer. But this is Aria, and all Stellar could think of those claws were that how safe they are.
Something in her seems to breathe in relief, not that there is no tension between both of them still. This small relief, though, is enough to give Stellar the courage to look up, to face Etta once more, to face whatever she must.
And instead, she saw the injury instead. Those burns on her arm.
'It was the acid,' she realize with cold anger, 'They even dragged her into this.' She couldn't bring herself to care that they probably didn't know they are harming someone else beside her. Her eyes narrowed coldly, but onyl for a brief moment.
She barely felt it as she stepped forward, eyes only trained on the injury. It's as though as she didn't hear the question earlier, though it's obvious she did, but now, all that matters are those nasty looking burns.
"...You're hurt."
Oh, Stellar felt a nudge at her bag, Saedea opening the latch and ruffling through it with her muzzle. The Ninetails picked out bandages with a kind of accuracy, because all her Pokemon knew where to find her emergency bandages, in case they couldn't protect her in a battle.
"Thanks," Stellar took the bandages from the Ninetales.
Instinctively, she reached out for Etta's arm, only to realize it at the last moment and flinched. "...May I?"
Stellar offered Etta a weak smile, but she simply can't feel that smile in her. "I'm so sorry you had to see that...." she trailed off, feeling the urge to look away again, but she forced herself to look straight. If she was any weaker, anymore exhausted, anymore drained, she would have tears in her eyes, but this is not the first time she was interrupted in the middle of a mourning session. Back then, the tears started drying up and she didn't cry as much anymore.
It's just...it never stops hurting.
electric has gangnam style
OOC ::
I know right? *pours love into thread* I have a few random ideas, because random ideas are so easy to get with these two! There's one idea where they have a training session together, either after Cleave evolved, or now in his Kirlia form. Stellar would want Etta to protect herself better, and the burns in her arms just fuels her determination. Or maybe they could travel together, go to Kanto or something! How far can Etta travel?
Post by Etta Rassul on Jun 8, 2013 13:04:38 GMT -5
SO CLOSE TO SOMETHING BETTER LEFT UNKNOWN
tag stell words 308 note Uh, let's see . . . technically in etta's "main" plot, she's still in fallarbor right now~ Maybe we could make up some epic story for them in hoenn, for the time being? Stell could come along with her on some sort of investigation, and they can run into the cacnea again, haha
I can feel it
in my bones
". . . You're hurt."
Etta jumped a little, suddenly remembering how beat up she must look. She sputtered a bit, trying to think of something reassuring to say as the Ninetales retrieved the bandages. She got injured all the time - hazard of travel. She fell off a cliff once, while hiking - acid was nothing, now that the pain had subsided. Really, she was used to fudging up while she was out on her own. ". . . May I?" Stell asked shyly, as she started to reach for her arm and then pulled back as though startled.
"Uh, yeah. Yes. Thanks, but really, I'm alright."
Etta just prayed that she wasn't blushing. She didn't think she'd feel so embarrassed, but she had never gotten hurt like this in front of someone she knew. It wasn't so bad with doctors, because they just kind of looked at her disapprovingly and sent her on her way. but Stell looked worried, and Etta didn't want her to be.
Etta sighed, surrendering her arms to be be bandaged. "I'm used to stuff like this. Curiosity, remember?" She chuckled a bit. "I go where I don't belong. Find trouble. Get a little scraped up."
"I'm so sorry you had to see that . . ." Stell told her, sporting a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
Etta's cheeks burned again, and she shook her head, leaning toward Stell a little. "You don't have to apologize. Those bastards deserved what they got. They attacked you."
Etta understood. The world Stell had lived in was much different from the one in which Etta had been raised. people here would flinch at the violence that Stell had been forced to live with every day.
"I'm just sorry we couldn't do more to help," Etta said, shrugging and glancing at Cleave, who nodded in agreement.
"There's a war, and the price of fighting is loneliness. There's a war, and people died. There's a war, and nothing is left."
The moment Etta spluttered and seemingly find for a reason, the tension in the air dissolved just a bit more, fading away slowly. She's worried that Stellar's worried, and that is reassuring in so many different levels.
There was something incredibly touching about how Etta is able to surrender her arms without much thought to her, to bandage, to heal, when Stellar's hands were just used to create destruction less than a few minutes ago.
She took hold of the hand, gently opening the bandages and wrapping it around Etta's arms gently. "...I can't do much, we still have to visit the Centre..." she murmured, "...be careful." Stellar knew she encouraged curiosity, but when curiosity became something like this, she wasn't sure she should encourage her new found friend's curiosity at all.
She offered Etta a weak smile again, when the other woman blushed, but was surprised when Etta leaned forward slightly.
("You don't have to apologize. Those bastards deserved what they got. They attacked you.")
Stellar's eyes widened.
It had been necessary. Hard, but necessary. Difficult, even, to live like she had back then.
But like most things, she got used to it, numbed to killing. It never, never erases the guilt, and there are times she tries to wash off imaginary blood of people she knew she had wronged.
Hardly anyone tells her that she was right, because Stellar knows she's always wrong. At least, according to herself.
Too drained.
Stellar's hand stopped in her wrapping movement, reaching up to wipe a few tears from the corner of her eyes.
"Thank you."
("I'm just sorry we couldn't do more to help.")
Stellar sighed, letting out a soft, airy laugh. "...what a load of rubbish, Cleave's Psychic turn the tides of the battle," she's offered, "His Psychic is powerful.....so very powerful. An evolution is great. Congratulations."
That's when she remembered about the Dawn Stone in her bag and it's good time as any to give it a a gift.
"Uhm...." she tied the bandages neatly at the end, then choosing to ruffle through her bag. Her hand grabbed hold of the Dawn Stone, taking it out and presenting it to Etta almost shyly, and a light blush appeared on her cheeks. "It-it's for you....I was so angry they stole it at one point, but I got it back....so that Cleave could be stronger....for you....and...thanks for everything..." she trailed off lightly, biting her lip.
Saedea leaned forward, looking at the Ralts. The Ninetales tilted her head before letting out a soft coo to thank the now Kirlia for his help in their battle. Behind them, Aria let out a soft grunt. Her eyes are now concentrated on the Golbat's fallen form. That Pokemon only fainted after all, and she's watching if anything would happen.
electric has gangnam style
OOC ::
The investigation sounds good, what investigation is Etta doing now? Dat Cacnea, I can't wait for him to be part of the team, LOL. It's like, he's so adorable, little bouncing beach ball. *affectionate name calling at its finest* I saw your thread with Mimoza, so I had thought of Kanto as a travel destination, but well, we'll see how it goes?
Right now, we need to go to Lilycove's Pokemon Centre? Maybe Etta could tell Stellar what she's doing now there, complete with a goodnight rest and pillow fight party for Cleave's evolution I mean, food and shelter, yes. On the other hand, should we post in the Trader's Post to finalize the item transaction or something?
Post by Etta Rassul on Jun 8, 2013 21:43:19 GMT -5
SO CLOSE TO SOMETHING BETTER LEFT UNKNOWN
tag stell words 360 note oh, yes. you reminded me~ I think at this point, etta is looking for an investigation job so she can start saving to head toward kanto (though she's probably gonna get distracted). Hm, trade thread - I guess we should do that. ANd yesyesyes to lilycove for a sleep-over! a bit of fun after all this drama~
I can feel it
in my bones
Etta sat quietly and very still as Stell bandaged her arms. Cleave stood by her, fidgeting a little but trying to keep a brave face. She smirked at him a couple of times, thinking how strange it was that he was suddenly so different - taller . . . honestly a little bit more feminine-look . . . but just that much closer to being a Gallade. She was extremely proud of him.
"...what a load of rubbish, Cleave's Psychic turn the tides of the battle. His Psychic is powerful.....so very powerful. An evolution is great. Congratulations."
Cleave bowed deeply to this, and said something that Etta interpreted as a very loquacious acceptance of the complement, a thank you, and a denial that his attack was really so helpful.
Etta sneered. "You can't really be that humble, buddy. I just don't believe it." But she explained to Stell about what she thought he had said, anyway.
Suddenly, Stell looked nervous again, and quickly tied off the bandages. "Uhm...."
The young woman reached into her bag and rooted around a bit before drawing something out.
A Dawn Stone.
Beside her, Cleave stiffened.
"It-it's for you," Stell explained sheepishly. "I was so angry they stole it at one point, but I got it back....so that Cleave could be stronger....for you....and...thanks for everything..."
Etta couldn't even begin to find the words. Why would Stell do something like that for her? It was Etta that should have been repaying her for everything - for helping her in the desert, for opening up to a stranger like that, for helping her just now. Stell - Stell barely knew her. And Dawn Stones were so hard to come by.
Before Etta could even begin to say anything, Cleave had dropped into a bow and was, apparently, thanking Stell profusely.
Swallowing, Etta reached out and accepted the stone.
"Stell . . . I can't even begin . . ." She closed her eyes, nodded to herself. "Thank you."
Etta looked at Cleave, and grinned a little, shrugging. She looked down at the stone in her palm.
Soon. She would be able to make good on her promise.
"There's a war, and the price of fighting is loneliness. There's a war, and people died. There's a war, and nothing is left."
Cleave is truly so very adorable, Stellar can't help but chuckle at his actions. Such a dashing gentleman, bowing and being humble. The way Etta and him interact makes everything feels so much more lighter, all because it's quite funny.
"Oh Cleave," Stellar giggled, listening to the explanation by Etta, "But you are very helpful. Thank you for it." With a giggle, Stellar bent down and kissed the top of the Kirlia's head. He really had been helpful, and it was a small thanks.
("Stell . . . I can't even begin . . .Thank you.")
All these thanks, it made Stellar feel warm. She's finally doing something right, or at least, it feels right, and it feels so much better. It's a step forward, not backwards, at least.
"I can't wait to see him evolved," Stellar's confidence is slowly, but surely, returning. Her hand reached out to pat Saedea's fur, the Ninetales purring. Her fingers played with the shiny Pokemon's fur thoughtfully, twisting the fur strands. "...let him have the stone whenever he wants it..."
Saedea cooed, knowing what is exactly in Stellar's head. The Ninetales had gone through a forced evolution after all, back when she was so much younger, not the age to evolve yet, but did so because it had been necessary.
And Stellar never stopped regretting it. For her, Saedea's shiny fur will forever be her reminder, because Saedea only turned to this ghostly form of hers thanks to the forced evolution. She wasn't even shiny before.
It's a curse, in a way.
Aria's grunt snapped Stellar back from her thoughts, and she was reminded of the fact that Etta is badly injured. "Let's go to the nearest Pokemon Centre now," she said determinedly, holding out two pokeballs. Saedea purred, poking the ball's button with her nose and returning herself in, while Stellar gently tapped the ball against her Aggron's arm. Aria returned into the ball with a nod.
Stellar had honestly thought to release her Archeops pair so they could fly over, but with the condition Etta's arms are in, it might not be a good idea, and probably dangerous too. So walking down Mt Pyre it is, as fast as possible. It's really too bad she didn't bring Wystra.
Stellar frequently swap her Pokemon again and again, doing it more than once daily. She disliked the 6 pokemon per trainer in public limit, because the limit was looser back in the other region and to her, it's too predictable in battle. She understands why, though, much to her dismay.
"...where's the nearest Pokemon Centre?"
And quietly, Stella released her final Pokemon in her team today, her Umbreon, allowing the Pokemon to blend into the darkness and fog.
Old habits die hard after all.
electric has gangnam style
OOC ::
Well, we could discuss more in our plot messaging. Maybe they found that one job that enables them to go to Kanto together or maybe they won that random lottery that always seems to exst in the games. I know Stellar will probably gain her money from battling some trainers around, so she's pretty free....as always. By the way, trade thread here though I'm not sure I'm doing it right.
Let's end this thread with your post, and we'll start the next one in Lilycove's Pokemon Centre, complete with a nice cake for Cleave. He deserves it.
Post by Etta Rassul on Jun 9, 2013 16:37:49 GMT -5
SO CLOSE TO SOMETHING BETTER LEFT UNKNOWN
tag name words 367 note yay~ to Lilycove!
I can feel it
in my bones
"I can't wait to see him evolved . . . let him have the stone whenever he wants it . . ."
Etta watched Stell and the Ninetales as she said that, wondering if there wasn't some kind of story there. Anyhow, this wasn't the time for it, and now that she was patched up she was getting the itch to get off of Mt. Pyre and put this whole situation behind them. She supposed, sometime on the way down, she would quietly alert one of the caretakers to the mess . . . she didn't want to worry Stell about cleaning it up, but they couldn't just leave it either, and she didn't want the kind old couple who tended to the shrine at the summit to come across it. If it came down to it, she would leave her name and number with a caretaker, and make sure she was the one the police contacted about the incident.
Planning this silently to herself, she invited Cleave back into his Pokeball, and picked up her things that had been scattered around her during the battle.
"Let's go to the nearest Pokemon Centre now," Stell declared, sounding very resolute about it.
Honestly, Etta thought it could wait until morning, but Stell would probably feel better if she just got it over with right then. "Haha, alright. But they'll probably just put some spray stuff on it and rebandage."
The two women began walking down the path, politely ignoring the remains of the battle.
"...where's the nearest Pokemon Centre?" Stell asked, releasing an Umbreon. Etta watched it slink off into the fog, then chuckled a bit at Stell's question.
"Lilycove. It's nice. One of the bigger cities, the the Center's top-notch. I'm staying at a hotel nearby, so we won't be wandering around too much."
Etta knew that it wouldn't last, that her mind would return to the implications of the battle that had occurred here, but for the moment she felt calm, and content. Her friend was safe. Cleave had evolved. They had a Dawn Stone now.They were going back to the city, where it was safe and bright.
By the way, 
