[Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Light =&gt; Light: Human Small Groups =&gt; Topic started by: Acid on 16-04-2012, 19:24:01</h2>
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				Title: <strong>[Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Acid</strong> on <strong>16-04-2012, 19:24:01</strong>
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				<div align="center">OOC Topic (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=137448.0)<br><strong>[Cianwood City]<br>[Mark &amp; Mantine]</strong><br>(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/3/3b/Spr_3e_226_s.gif)<br></div><br><br><div align="center"><em>A Delibird delivery for dad...</em></div><em>"Alright, Pops! I'm gonna go out to save the world."</em><br><br><em>"You do that, just get my Delibird back and be back by dinnertime,"</em> Mark's dad didn't think his son was serious.<br><br><em>"Will do,"</em> and with that, Mark closed the door behind him. A familiar gut-wrenching sense of uncertainty with bits of fear took him over. The familiar feeling was that of going out into the world to become a Pokemon Trainer. However, this was not Mark's goal today.<br><br>Mark tightened the toolbelt around his waist and panicked slightly when he was unable to find his Pokeball inside his jacket - the last one remaining in his household. Although untrained, his novice Mantine and Mark had enjoyed a few adventures prior to today. The duo swam around the bay surrounding Cianwood City. Speaking of Mantine, Mark was beginning to feel homesick not two feet from his home. He felt slightly lonely and proceeded to call Mantine out of his Pokeball - the last Pokeball in the Silversteel household and probably one of the few remaining original Pokeballs in all of Johto. <br><br>Prior to the Pokemon Purge, virtually everyone upgraded to Champion Balls. And why wouldn't they? They were more economical for the consumer, more convenient for trainers and were supposedly roomier for the Pokemon inside. The incident slightly irked Mark, but he quickly shrugged it off.<br><br><em>"Gotta stick to the game plan. I'll get that Delibird back by tomorrow. Come on out, Mantine!"</em> Mark tossed the red and white Pokeball into the air and his Mantine gracefully flew out. <br><br><em>"Mantine!" </em><br><br><em>"Wait...maybe I better not. Probably not a good idea. Sorry big guy, but you're going back in your Pokeball."</em> he said sympathetically.<br><em>"Mant-"</em> Mark recalled his Mantine back into the confines of the Pokeball, worried that the recent lack of Pokemon may drive someone to steal his Pokemon. Due to recent events, Pokemon have become a rarity and supply has fallen. Nobody is able to acquire any new Pokemon to replace their kidnapped Champion Ball Pokemon. Reports of Trainers being mugged for their Pokemon or kidnapped by Team Rocket have appeared on the news lately. Mark realized it would probably be best to contain Mantine in his Pokeball for now. The amateur Pokemon trainer strapped on his backpack and pressed the button at the center of the ball and it immediately compressed. He placed his one and only Pokeball into a secret sewn compartment in his coat. <br><br>Mark's family cottage was one building east of the Cianwood City Gym. Before Mark realized that he didn't care to be a full-time Pokemon Trainer, the Gym Leader Chuck was somewhat of a mentor to Mark. As a child, Mark attended Gym matches and observed various trainers taking on his mentor - some of them successful, others failing miserably. Although Mark always used Flying Pokemon and put himself at a disadvantage against Chuck's Fighting Pokemon, Mark did win periodically, but for the most part, when the two battled it would end in a tie.<br><br><em>"Cianwood City Gym is closed. I'm away on a business call."</em> - Chuck, Cianwood City Gym Leader. <br><br><em>"Aw, shit. What am I supposed to do now?"</em> A bit clueless about where to begin his journey, Mark reached the only logical conclusion he could: <em>"Next stop...Olivine City, I guess?"</em> he hoped he was right, although Mark was relying entirely on luck and instinct as he had no idea how he was going to retrieve his father's Delibird and save the family business. <br><br>Climbing on his bike, Mark closed his eyes and listened to the Cianwood ocean breeze, perhaps for the last time. The salt in the air was a scent Mark would miss and he inhaled deeply one last time and bid his seaside cottage farewell. His destination, the high-spirited port city of Olivine, was a short bike ride away and a hop on the ferry. On the Northern edge of Cianwood, the S.S. Anne ferry service connected his town with the Olivine City port. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>aya</strong> on <strong>17-04-2012, 02:22:45</strong>
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				<div align="center"><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="bbc_size"><strong>[Vermilion City]</strong></span><br><strong><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="bbc_size">[Audrey &amp; Slowpoke</span>]</strong><br>(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/5/56/Spr_3e_079_s.gif)<br></div><br>Audrey's pale green hair stuck together in clumps as sweat dripped down her face. Each step was agonizing to the already tired pokemon trainer, who had finally arrived in Vermilion City after almost a day's worth of biking. Said bike was being rolled alongside her now, her butt much too sore to continue riding and maneuvering in the street. A bulbasaur atop Audrey's head gave her some much needed shade by unfurling its leaves- a sight that drew the attention of most passerby, until they realized it was only an extremely detailed hat. The young trainer took it wherever she went, a parting gift from her parents to remind her of home. The green complimented her hair nicely, and it was the closest thing she could get to a real bulbasaur anyway. <br><br>Vermilion City was certainly beautiful though, thought Audrey, in an attempt to make her trip here worth it. She was especially bitter from the insufferable heat of the sun, but thankfully it was setting soon. On the bright (maybe too bright) side, the setting sun cast the entire town in a beautiful orange glow, which the town was named for. Audrey crossed the Vermillion sunset off her list of things to see. While most trainers ventured out into the world to eventually challenge the Elite Four, this one preferred to go sightseeing. After all, she had all the freedom in the world for a change; why not enjoy it? The journey between destinations was a pain in the ass though- <em>literally.</em> Eventually, Audrey made it to the Vermilion Harbor with ferry ticket in hand. The S.S. Aqua would take her to Olivine, and from there it was only a relatively short trip through Goldenrod to Azalea, her destination. Her body practically tingled with excitement at the thought of seeing the slowpoke well, since it was her favorite pokemon. There would be so many slowpokes!<br><br>"Isn't that right, Lazy?" Audrey cooed in a singsong voice, to the slowpoke resting in its pokeball, nestled snugly in Audrey's jacket. <br><br>Right before she boarded though, Audrey's pokegear rang with a call.<br><br>"Helllooo~" she sang, excited to finally be getting on her boat.<br><br>"Thank Mewtwo you picked up. This is Dr. Fuji of the Pokemon Research Institute. I was told by an associate of mine here at the Pokemon Lab in Cinnabar that you may be able to help. The scientists at the institute managed to salvage many of the documents prior to the volcanic eruption and we’ve rediscovered some research data that the Lab was working on years ago. Our findings are seemingly promising, but we need an extra hand to deal with some ruckus while we continue running experiments. That’s where you come in.<br><br>Our lab was previously in contact with Giovanni, the former head of Team Rocket and received a grant from the criminal enterprise. Although it’s not much, I’ll tell you everything I know about Team Rocket’s activities. The S.S. Tidal ferry service should be running on schedule from Vermilion City and Pallet Town. Hop a boat and get your ass over here A.S.A.P.!"<br><br>After a moment of consideration, Audrey agreed with a cheery 'Okay!'. Cinnabar was another one of her destinations anyway, and the man sounded urgent. A quick ticket exchange and an hour later, she collapsed on a soft bed on the S.S. Tidal.
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>17-04-2012, 05:36:35</strong>
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				<div align="center">Azalea town<br>Julian &amp; Mac the Dratini</div><br>Julian sighed lightly, shifting his gaze across the rather run down pokemon center that fell into disarray as soon as Team Rocket took over using the guise of Silph co. To think, it used to be a successful building that offered it's service free of charge to any passing trainers. The sight of the building now, not even bringing in enough funding to keep itself in business, was a sickening sign of the way things were changing. Pokemon centers used to heal entire groups of the small portable creatures in a matter of minutes, but now it took hours for Pokemon to recover from battles. Still, one good night's sleep later and pokemon could recover from just about any kind of wound, so Julian supposed it wasn't all that devastating. He often wondered how the pokemon felt about being healed so quickly, just to be tossed right back out into battle. Maybe taking some time to rest and recover legitimately would actually do his comrade a lot of good.<br><br><br>He turned his attention away from the pokemon center, looking around to find the town to be surprisingly peaceful all things considered. He had heard rumors that there were supposed to be Team rocket members in the area, but that turned out to be a lie. Figures. At least he was able to get his Dratini a little bit of combat practice in, so the two wouldn't be totally green together once the battle against the criminal organization started in full. Just when he was about to see if there was a place where he could rent a room for the night, his poke'Gear suddenly rang with life. After the initial shift of surprise, he nodded to himself and pressed the answer button.<br>"Hello?"<br><em>“Julian Arrowind? Your mother said you'd be willing to help us.</em><br>"yeah, what do you need?"<br><em>"Pokepoachers in Mahogany Town have increased their criminal activities recently. Colonies of Slowpoke are being captured for their Slowpoke Tails, which are considered a delicacy and luxury food. Farfetch’d have also been trapped and used in stews for the annual Johto Feast, which is only a week away. <br><br>But the most dire and unstable situation is that of the Stantler hunting. Although the Stantler have been known to ram unsuspecting traverlers and although they are naturally skittish and tend to flee in the presence of peoples, they are becoming more bold. Due to this, poachers have been hunting the Stantler for their heads, which are used as ornate decorations for the wealthy. Their regal “horns” are also used for medicinal purposes as a sleep aid and many Stantler have been trapped simply for their antlers. The Johto Feast is a vital event for the Johto economy, but at what cost? We can’t wait until these Pokemon are driven to extinction, but stopping the Johto Feast is not feasible either. If you can make it to Mahogany or Ecruteak, I’ll let you know how you can help. Please, it’s urgent!”</em><br><br>Julian nodded, taking a moment to fully grasp the seriousness of this moment before he gave the answer that the person on the other end of the line was likely expecting.<br>"Consider it done, I'll be in Mahogany by midday tomorrow at the latest."<br><br>With that, Julian gave a determined nod and headed out into Ilex forest. He wouldn't have time to poke around to see how the local wildlife was doing, he'd likely just spend some time in there to train up Mac a little if the opportunity arose and move right on along to Goldenrod City, again, likely just taking a few moments to resupply before he moved on. This was a dire situation and he didn't have time to play around and go shopping at that INSANE mall that Goldenrod city had.<br><br>He'd have to keep Mac hidden though. Dratini was a pretty rare pokemon EVEN BEFORE all this mess happened.
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lusa</strong> on <strong>17-04-2012, 07:06:59</strong>
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				<div align="center"><strong>Azalea Town</strong></div><div align="center"><strong>Lusa and Spinarak</strong></div><br>"Hello, are you there? Hello...can you hear me? Ok, good. This is Prof. Elm. We have a bit of a situation at the Goldenrod City Radio Tower. I'd handle it myself, but I'm barricading the laboratory from newbie trainers who are trying to break down the door to get a new Pokemon. The supply of Pokemon plummeted and the demand rose exponentially and couldn't keep up.<br><br>Nobody has access to Pokemon Trainers everywhere are unable to FLY with their Pokemon. Flying Pokemon have been rendered useless. The wild bird Pokemon have become extremely aggressive and FLYing is not safe. In addition, hordes of Skarmory and Crowbat have been attacking the Radio Tower during the day. Hoothoot flocks have been defecating on the Radio Tower and flying into the glass windows and flying shrapnel is harming the radio station workers. Do you think you could check it out in my stead? I have a hunch Team Rocket might be behind this..."<br><br>Lusa listened intently to the call on her Pokegear, trying not to be happy about the unfortunate events that were the reason for the call. This was her chance; a reason to pack up and leave Azalea town, to travel and to see bigger, better things. She had never quite fit in there, except for the Gym; she got along reasonably well with Bugsy and the other trainers there, thanks to a shared interest in Bug Pokemon. She patted Spinarak affectionately, and began preparing her things.<br><br>"Ready for a trip, buddy?" she cooed at her Pokemon. She'd encountered her Spinarak in the Ilex Forest near her home, a little more than a year ago. It had taken so long for her to earn his trust, not having another Pokemon to weaken him with, but after weeks of leaving food for him, they had become friends. <br><br>There was little resistance from Lusa's parents when she expressed her desire to travel to Goldenrod, especially after she played them the recording of the call, and soon Lusa was walking her bike to the edge of Ilex Forest, Spinarak clinging to her back, looking like a spider-shaped backpack. She had made small forays into the forest her whole life, but it was still dangerous to travel deep inside, and she had never made the trip all the way through before. <br><br>"D-don't worry, Spinarak. I've done plenty of reading on forest-dwelling Pokemon. I'm sure we'll be fine as long as we're careful to keep out of dense vegetation!" She reassured both herself and her Pokemon, mounting her bike and entering the woods.
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shihong</strong> on <strong>17-04-2012, 07:46:31</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/7554/pkmntrainericon.png)</div><div class="floatright">(http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/7048/parasicon.png)</div><div align="center"><strong>[Vermilion City]</strong></div><div align="center"><strong>[Samantha &amp; Parsley]</strong> (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=137245.msg6139735#msg6139735)</div><br>Samantha adjusted her glasses and squinted at the map in her hands.&nbsp; "Well <em>that</em> isn't right," she muttered, tracing her finger along one of the many intertwining routes.&nbsp; "I only left Vermilion ten minutes ago.&nbsp; But according to <em>this</em>, I should have hit ocean already.&nbsp; Strange.&nbsp; I didn't know there was any ocean between Vermilion and Saffron City."<br><br>A bright orange claw reached over the addled woman's shoulder and scratched at the map.&nbsp; She glanced over her shoulder at the little bug clinging to her backpack, then back at the map.&nbsp; Realization dawned.&nbsp; She turned the map right-side up.<br><br>"Aha!&nbsp; There we are!" she cried.&nbsp; "Well that would explain it.&nbsp; And here I was regretting the fact that I forgot to pack a swimsuit.&nbsp; Thank you, dear."<br><br>The paras just stared, too exasperated to respond.&nbsp; Doctor Greene smiled brightly, taking stock of her surroundings again.&nbsp; It was truly a beautiful sunny day on Route Six, the perfect weather for walking.&nbsp; She'd left her bike back home in Celadon and hadn't regretted it for a moment.&nbsp; In her mind callouses built character, and if her feet were anything to go by she had <em>that</em> in spades.&nbsp; <br><br>She tucked the map away, <em>reasonably</em> sure that she couldn't possibly get lost on such an easy route.&nbsp; Not that getting lost worried her overmuch.&nbsp; In fact, she often welcomed losing her way, because it provided excellent opportunities for spontaneous exploration.&nbsp; But for now Samantha had more serious concerns weighing on her mind.&nbsp; The broadcast from Professor Oak had seemed terribly urgent, and without having any other way to know if anyone else had responded she had taken it upon herself to check things out.&nbsp; His voice had been even more strained than she remembered.&nbsp; She couldn't blame him, with things as they were.<br><br>The effects of the power outage were immediately evident as she entered the border station into Saffron.&nbsp; She'd had to open the doors manually for starters, and the electronic billboards were conspicuously dim.&nbsp; When an entire city went dark things always got bad quickly, and Samantha had no intention of lingering for long.&nbsp; 
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ember Star</strong> on <strong>17-04-2012, 08:29:19</strong>
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				<div align="center">Azalea Town <br>Amy Kerensky and Snowball the Seel <br>(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/6/61/Spr_4d_086.png)</div> <br><br>"See Snow, I told you you'd like it down there." Amy told the the white Sea Lion Pokemon as they emerged from Slowpoke Well. She had tried since she got the Pokemon to try and get her down there, but Snowball had simply refused to go down in that dark space. It was the closes and easiest to get to, water source near the town. You had to go through Union Cave to get to the ocean on one side, and through Ilex Forest on the other side, and although there were still a few Slowpokes down there, they were, well, slow. So it made it the safest and easier water source to take Snowball to. <br><br>The Seel gave a, "se seel," in agreement as she bounced in her cute yet awkward way next to her trainer. Amy giggled loudly at this and reached down to pat the Pokemon on its head. However, only a couple of pats in, her PokeGear gave a beep. "Well who could that be?" She wondered aloud as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the phone-like gadget. Flipping it open she saw she had a message from the Professor. "Awe, what a shame I missed his call." She said rather sadly while still keeping her perk tone. "Seel seel?" The Pokemon mused questioning. "It probably didn't pick up because of the lack of signal down in that well." Amy told the Pokemon as she hit voicemail and put the phone to her ear. <br><br>As the message played, Amy's big amber colored eyes got even bigger, if that was even possible. "Oh my... She said as she saved the message and hung the phone up. "Seel...?" Snowball questioned with worry. "It's not good, it's not good at all... But it's an adventure! And an adventure should never be passed up!" She said with sudden excitement and perky joy. "C'mon! Let's go get Sis and head for the city! She said with a great cheer in her voice as she took off running towards her house. "Seel!" The Pokemon mimicked the girl's excitement and followed. <br><br>"Sis! Sis! Sissy!" Amy called in and around her house as she gathered her things, her purse, her father's fishing rod, her bike. "Sis, where are you!? We need to go to Goldenrod! The Professor needs our help with something!" She called as she stood outside, obviously all ready to go with her bike by her side and Snowball on the other side. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>17-04-2012, 09:15:55</strong>
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				<div align="center">Azalea Town<br>Julian and 'Mac' the Dratini</div><br>Julian mostly intended on keeping to himself as he first entered the woods, looking up towards the sky, he wasn't all that surprised to find that the tall trees mostly squashed the rays of sun that tried to come down and coat the earth beneath. Still, despite the canopy overhead a few cracks in the defenses of the leaves shined through, and the sun was indeed able to splash across the dirt trail through small trails. It was enough to illuminate the forest during the day time, but the word 'bright' most certainly did not come to mind when Julian tried to come up with words to describe this forest. "At least nature is still the same..." Ilex forest was never particularly known for being a massive Pokemon hotspot, most of the forest was actually desolate a majority of the time anyway, so even the tree dwelling Pokemon that kept to themselves weren't particularly missed when Pokemon became such a treasured commodity. "Still..."<br><br>He shook his head, lost in his thoughts as he planted step after step through the woods. He remembered how when he was a young boy, the world was filled with people who absolutely loved traveling with Pokemon. Being the son of a gym leader, he naturally saw his fair share of trainers while growing up, and the overwhelming majority of them were quite bright and happy, enjoying their travels in a world filled with companions and competition... Then Silph made that power play and changed everything. Trainers stopped coming, fights broke out across the cities, nothing was the same... Even his mother lost that spark of life in her eye that she always seemed to have. Like a majority of Blackthorn city trainers, she had been with her earliest dragon type pokemon since she was half Julian's age. For that companion and beloved friend to be suddenly taken away...<br><br>The world had to change. <br><br>Things couldn't remain the way they were right now.<br><br>Julian sat on these thoughts for a long time, musing on them as he walked through the forest until he heard the whirl, the faint hum of a bicycle heading his way. He turned back, just in time to see Lusa coming up fast on her bike. "Huh?" He didn't expect to encounter anybody else in the forest. Was she a fellow trainer? It wasn't exactly safe to travel alone in this day and age, not without at least one Pokemon for companionship and protection. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lusa</strong> on <strong>17-04-2012, 10:07:23</strong>
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				<div align="center"><strong>Ilex Forest</strong></div><div align="center"><strong>Lusa and Spinarak</strong></div><br>Lusa's vision was not great at the best of times; even with glasses and full sunlight, things were still slightly fuzzy. In the darkness of Ilex Forest, her vision was downright abysmal. She was mostly relying on Spinarak to alert her in the case of an imminent collision. His vision in the dark was excellent, as a Pokemon who had lived most of his life in the dark woods. As it were, she had avoided disaster thus far, as he chirped in her ear every time she was about to ride over a rock or root.<br><br>She was saddened at the lack of Pokemon in the forest; the books she had read had mentioned that it had teemed with life, with Bug, Grass, and Flying Pokemon inhabiting the trees and grass abundantly. There seemed to be little resemblance to that description now, and it made Lusa uneasy; if that was different than what she had read, what else might be different? She hated to feel unprepared for a situation, it made her anxious. Spinarak must have picked up on her feelings, and nuzzled the back of her neck comfortingly. Many girls would not enjoy such contact with a Bug Pokemon, but Lusa found the type to be rather adorable.<br><br>Unfortunately, Spinarak's affectionate gesture distracted both of them from the path ahead, and Lusa didn't notice the young man until it was almost too late. She braked hard, swinging her bike to the side, flinging leaves and other forest litter into the air as she managed to avoid an accident. Spinarak however, was flung from her back straight at the stranger, unable to hold on against the momentum.<br><br>&nbsp;
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shihong</strong> on <strong>17-04-2012, 20:45:52</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/7554/pkmntrainericon.png)</div><div class="floatright">(http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/7048/parasicon.png)</div><div align="center"><strong>[Cerulean City =&gt; Route Six]</strong></div><div align="center"><strong>[Samantha &amp; Parsley]</strong> (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=137245.msg6139735#msg6139735)</div><br>Saffron City had been a veritable disaster area.&nbsp; Power outages had knocked out security systems, traffic signals, ventilation, lighting, and just about everything else that didn't have any backup generators in place.&nbsp; The hospitals thankfully fell into that latter category, but the power wouldn't last forever.&nbsp; If the business at the Power Plant wasn't resolved soon, people could very well die.&nbsp; The rioting and rampant looting in the streets had surely already caused plenty of injury, both to bystanders and the overwhelmed police force.&nbsp; Things were not looking good.<br><br>Doctor Greene was no hero.&nbsp; All she had to her name was a backpack with some basic survival equipment, a few potions, a PokeGear, a degree in psychological therapy, a disgruntled paras, and her wits, the latter of which only rarely proved reliable.&nbsp; Certainly other, more <em>capable</em> people already had the situation well in hand.&nbsp; People with training and experience with this sort of crisis.&nbsp; But she had to be sure.&nbsp; If it turned out that there <em>was</em> nobody else, that only she had thought to respond to the call, then she would be responsible for what came next.&nbsp; That wasn't something she could have on her conscience.<br><br>Cerulean City had been unaffected by the power outage, having long since made good use of its proximity to fast-flowing rivers to solve its energy problem.&nbsp; Looking out at that beautiful city with its fields of wildflowers and sparkling pools of cool, crisp water almost made one forget the problems of the world.&nbsp; In better times she could have relaxed and taken in the sights, but for now they were merely background noise.&nbsp; Samantha glanced to Parsley, and the two shared a grim nod.<br><br>There was just one thing keeping her from her goal.&nbsp; <strong>Route 6</strong>, a notorious haven for wild Pokemon and budding young trainers.&nbsp; At least it used to be.&nbsp; Nowadays there weren't quite so many trainers, and Pokemon were more skittish than ever.&nbsp; Still, it'd pay to be on her guard.&nbsp; Progression through the route was tricky due to the abundance of sloping hills.<br><br>Parsley crawled down her backside and hopped down to the ground, kicking up a plume of dust as it landed.&nbsp; It skittered a few feet ahead of her, then gestured onwards with a point of its claw and a click of its mandibles.&nbsp; <br><br>"Ah, my very own guide!" Samantha chuckled.&nbsp; "Very well!&nbsp; Lead on, my dear!"<br><br>The odd pair made their way into the tall grasses, hoping to avoid trouble but preparing for it all the same.
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>18-04-2012, 03:43:26</strong>
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				<div align="center">Ilex Forest<br>Julian and Lusa</div><br>Julian was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he only noticed the whirling of the bike a few moments before it's rider skidded to a halt, and the spider on her back went sailing in his direction. Acting quickly with honed reflexes, he was able to shift himself and actually catch the green insect rather smoothly, something that some might find surprising if they didn't know him. Julian may not have been a particular master of martial arts, but he was a firm believer that he himself needed to be physically powerful if he ever wanted to set those kinds of expectations of his Pokemon, so he started looking into a few basic classes about a half a year or so before he left home. It was unrefined and underwhelming, but it was a start at least.<br><br>With the Spinarak in his hands, he would walk up to Lusa and offer it to her. "Here... I believe that this belongs to you." This would happen rather or not the Spinarak was actually moving on it's own, meaning that he cared little about the fact that it was an actual Pokemon. Him being a trainer himself, he saw little reason to be swayed one way or the other by the sight of the creature itself, but then again, Mac was still nice and tucked away in a pocket hidden from sight, so Lusa likely wouldn't know that Julian was a trainer just from looking at him. "What are you doing going through the forest, anyway? It's become a rather dangerous place of late, you know."
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Frank Reshman</strong> on <strong>18-04-2012, 06:02:34</strong>
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				<em>ORDER UP!!</em>&nbsp; <br><br>The voice boomed across the tiny little restaurant.&nbsp; Nestled between the decrepit remains of the Gym and the bustling hive of attention that was the pokemon center, Bugs n Burgers received quite a few customers.&nbsp; <em>Easy, Dad.&nbsp; You don't have to yell, I'm right here...</em>&nbsp; John gave his dad a look that screamed "I am not amused".&nbsp; He turned around and grabbed the various plates and cups and dishes.&nbsp; <em>Scyther!&nbsp; C'mere, got more customers!</em>&nbsp; Scyther came buzzing out from the back and hovered over the counter.&nbsp; Holding his bladed arms out, he turned them 90 degrees until they were platforms.&nbsp; Carefully distributing the weight, John stacked all of the food onto Scyther's arms and they marched around delivering food around the shop.&nbsp; This handy trick had proven incredibly useful around the shop whenever they got busy.&nbsp; Who would have thought it would have come about by accident, thought John.<br><br>As John's mind began to wander, he thought back to how he first met his best friend.&nbsp; It had been years ago, during a rain spell, and it was common for it to rain 10-12 inches a day.&nbsp; During one of the few breaks between showers, John had gone out to get the mail from the mailbox and to chat with his childhood crush across the street.&nbsp; Today, though, something wasn't quite right.&nbsp; He glanced down the road and almost did a double take.&nbsp; There, sitting in the middle of the street, was a mass of green skin and wings. <br>&nbsp;<br>Running towards it, John had to slow down and the green blob raised it's head and glared at him.&nbsp; John could do nothing but inch closer towards the poor creature.&nbsp; Ten yards, 5 yards, one yard, one foot.&nbsp; He reached his hand out and made contact.&nbsp; The Scyther, having retreated behind it's massive blade-like arms, was not expecting such sudden contact.&nbsp; Despite John's gentle touch and demeanor, Scyther jumped back a few feet, flinched, and fell to its knees; supporting itself with one blade.&nbsp; John had given one final look before hearing the thunder, which usually signaled fresh rain.&nbsp; <br><br>Without a second thought, he turned on his heels and sprinted to the Pokemon Center.&nbsp; Inside, he frantically beckoned for Nurse Joy to follow him out into the street.&nbsp; By the time they got back, Scyther was up on his feet again and swinging at anyone who got close to him.&nbsp; The townsfolk went back inside.&nbsp; The combination of being threatened and the oncoming rain was enough to send them back into their houses.&nbsp; John, however, just couldn't bring himself to abandon the poor Scyther.&nbsp; He locked eyes with the stubborn creature and started his approach.&nbsp; He got within three feet of the massive bug before it swung at him.&nbsp; Much farther than anyone else had gotten, but not far enough by a long shot.&nbsp; Digging deep, he continued his approach.&nbsp; This time, Scyther didn't swing at him.&nbsp; Instead, he glared at John and pointed his blade straight out, as if to say, "Not a step further."&nbsp; <br><br>John returned the glare with a look of sympathy, before placing one finger on top of the bladed arm and lowering it.&nbsp; He took another step, and another.&nbsp; He was inches from the creature now.&nbsp; He reached his hand out and waited.&nbsp; Slowly, painfully slowly, the Scyther touched his head to his hand.&nbsp; Wasting now time, John got closer and looked him straight in the eyes.&nbsp; In hindsight, it was probably the stupidest thing he could have done, but he was only thinking about helping the poor creature in front of him.&nbsp; He helped Scyther onto a stretcher and they rushed to the PokeCenter.&nbsp; They got there just in time because as soon as they were at the door, a massive roar of thunder shook the ground and rain fell in torrents.&nbsp; <br><br>They got inside and Nurse Joy took Scyther away so she could help him.&nbsp; Scyther started to struggle until John offered to come with.&nbsp; The three of them went back and Nurse Joy put Scyther under sedation so he wouldn't exert himself and put himself in a worse place.&nbsp; John went back outside to the waiting room and sat down.&nbsp; And waited<br>And waited.<br>And waited.<br>&nbsp;John wasn't sure how fast time was traveling.&nbsp; Minutes could have passed, or hours, or days.&nbsp; Time seemed to stand still as he awaited the fate of his new..."friend".&nbsp; John was tentative throwing that word around.&nbsp; After all, he had just met the thing.&nbsp; After an indeterminate amount of time, John saw Nurse Joy peek her head around the corner and she beckoned him to come into the back room.&nbsp; There, in the corner, lay Scyther, bandaged, bruised, but alive.&nbsp; <br><br>It had been a slow night, so Scyther was all alone, save for a Sandshrew in the corner and a Jigglypuff in the bed a few rows down.&nbsp; John slowly approached the wounded beast, walking as carefully and quietly as he could.&nbsp; As he pulled closer, he looked over Scythers wounds.&nbsp; He looked at them more clearly and under greater scrutiny than he had before, not due to any fault of his, to be honest.&nbsp; Giant teeth marks scattered around his body, and what appeared to be claw marks on his frail wings.&nbsp; There wasn't anything that Nurse Joy couldn't fix, but it would take some time before he would be able to battle again.&nbsp; Luckily, he was in town now, and wild Pokemon rarely came into town.&nbsp; <br><br>Over the course of the next few weeks, Scyther, who John had nicknamed Blade, for obvious reasons, began to look and feel a lot better.&nbsp; He was flying around again and keeping up with whatever physically straining tests Nurse Joy threw at him.&nbsp; After the first month, he was a gleaming image of health.&nbsp; He was allowed to leave the Pokemon Center and John accompanied him back to the forest to release him.&nbsp; However, Scyther decided to stay with John and followed him back to his house.&nbsp; Upon realizing that he had been followed, and, realizing that he couldn't change the mind of a 100 pound bug, AND, realizing that he didn't want to, he decided to allow Scyther into his home.<br><br>Blade became famous around the shop and, soon, business was booming.&nbsp; Even though our shop was a bug-themed restaurant, a bug as large and powerful as Blade hadn't been seen in a long time.&nbsp; One day, during a lunch rush busier than usual, Blade was in the front of the store when someone who wasn't paying attention, backed up into Blade's arms.&nbsp; That poor bastard still has the scar to this day, but the important thing is, we learned a very valuable lesson that day.&nbsp; Don't let Blade hold his arms in the direction of the customers.&nbsp; So, we had him walk with his blades facing inwards.&nbsp; A few weeks after the incident, I tripped and dropped a bowl of soup.&nbsp; Wouldn't you know it, Blade caught it right on his arm without even flinching.&nbsp; Being the brilliant guy John was, he saw a great opportunity. <br><br><em>Hey, watch it!</em><br><br>John's daydreaming had gotten him again.&nbsp; He had just run headfirst into the customer.&nbsp; <strong>I'm so sorry, sir.&nbsp; Let me just run back and get you a complimentary bowl of soup.&nbsp; Yes.&nbsp; Of course.&nbsp; Yes, your meal is on the house.&nbsp; I'm very sorry, sir.</strong> Sometimes John hated his job.&nbsp; After the lunch rush, he went back onto his bed and collapsed.&nbsp; He looked out his window at the decrepit old gym standing in ruin.&nbsp; A strange tingling sensation warmed his body, and he felt the urge to go outside. <br><br>It was a particularly windy day, and he and Blade had been exercising for only half an hour, when John decided to check the radio.&nbsp; <strong>"Ya know, Blade, there's usually nothing on this piece of junk anyway! No good music, no good radio...I don't know why I keep this thing aro-"</strong><br><br><em>"Hello, are you there? Hello...can you hear me? Ok, good. This is Prof. Elm. We have a bit of a situation at the Power Plant on Kanto Route 10.The refurbished and updated Power Plant is already facing a problem. The Elekids and Magnemite have been siphoning energy from the Power Plant and consuming it. The Magnemite acquire a negative electrical charge and shock the Power Plant employees. Several employees had to be rushed to the infirmary after a Magnemite attack. <br><br>Voltorb swarms have been clustering around circuit boards and cables and altering the flow of energy throughout Kanto. Daily black-outs have been interrupting the life and power supply of Kanto citizens. The power Saffron City has been down for 3 hours and the economy may get screwed up if someone doesn't do something. Team Rocket via the Silph Corporation are stationed in Saffron. Could they be responsible?..."</em><br><br>John had heard enough.&nbsp; He snapped shut his PokeGear and ran into the house.&nbsp; <strong>"Dad! Dad! Where's that old pokeball you gave me for my birthday?"</strong>&nbsp; John's dad could hardly believe his ears.&nbsp; It had been years since he had bought that thing.&nbsp; <strong>"I don't know, son.&nbsp; What's with the interest in it all of a sudden?"</strong>&nbsp; It was true.&nbsp; John hadn't really payed much attention to the pokeball when he had first received it as a gift.&nbsp; He knew the historical significance of it, and he knew that it was old and rare, but he didn't see the use of it.&nbsp; It wasn't like anyone was going to go off exploring.&nbsp; Or so he had thought.&nbsp; <strong>"Dad, I'm going to talk to Professor Oak in Pallet Town.&nbsp; They need help with the power plant, and I've been reading <span class="bbc_u">Uses of Electric-Type Pokemon as Energy</span> by Professor Elm, and I really think I could be of more help there than I am here."</strong>&nbsp; That last part wasn't supposed to come out, and John felt slightly ashamed that his father now knew how he truly felt about his lot in life.&nbsp; Still, that didn't change how he felt about it. <br><br>Rushing upstairs, he dug through his dressers and his closets until he finally found it.&nbsp; Still nestled in the glass case that his father had presented it to him in.&nbsp; It was still as shiny and red as the day he had brought it home.&nbsp; The underside was still flawless, clearly an unused one, and not the cheap recycled kind that were sold at discount markets now.&nbsp; Pulling it out of it's case, he ran back outside to show Blade.&nbsp; <strong>"Hey buddy, you wanna come with me on an adventure?&nbsp; I could seriously use your help against any Rattata I find."</strong> At the sound of that Pokemon's name, Blade's ears shot up and he turned on the spot.&nbsp; John grinned, but was sad on the inside.&nbsp; After they had taken Blade home, all those years ago, they had determined that the scratches and bite marks were made by a Rattata.&nbsp; And not just a single one.&nbsp; They were all different lengths and widths.&nbsp; He was attacked and mauled nearly to death by a swarm of Rattata.&nbsp; Ever since they had brought him home, any rat that was unfortunate to wander into our restaurant never left with it's life.&nbsp; John knew he had Blade hooked.&nbsp; <strong>"There's only one catch, buddy.&nbsp; You can't be seen by any poachers or thieves.&nbsp; You'll have to stay in <em>this</em> for most of the trip..."</strong> He lifted up the Pokeball so that Blade could see it.&nbsp; He didn't know if Blade would subject to that kind of humiliation.&nbsp; Blade was a Scyther, and Scyther were proud beasts.&nbsp; However, Blade's curiosity and loyalty to his friend won out and he showed the flats of his blades to John, a sign they had developed for whenever Blade had no objections to something.&nbsp; Activating the Pokeball, the red beam of light shot out of the end of it and enveloped the confused Scyther.&nbsp; In a flash, he was in the Pokeball.&nbsp; To confirm that fact, the ball weighed a bit more, and felt warmer, although that could have been his mind playing tricks on him or the Pokeball cooling down.&nbsp; <br><br>Having secured his Pokemon, he strapped his equipment and his backpack to his bike and set out for Pallet Town.&nbsp; He had already left his note on his front door, and there was nothing else holding him to this slum of a town, except <em>her</em>.&nbsp; Willing her from his mind, he pedaled forward until he had reached the remains of what used to be a biking highway.&nbsp; Taking a deep breath to fortify himself, he continued to pedal onward towards Route 17.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>aya</strong> on <strong>18-04-2012, 09:15:29</strong>
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				<div align="center"><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="bbc_size"><strong>[S.S. Tidal]</strong></span><br><strong><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="bbc_size">[Audrey &amp; Slowpoke</span>]</strong><br>(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/5/56/Spr_3e_079_s.gif)<br></div><br>The exhausted pokemon trainer awoke to the sound of her pokegear dropping on the floor, whatever nap she was enjoying abruptly cut short. Audrey was lying face down, in the same position where she had been when she passed out. Her long, green locks were draped over her face and shoulders, and she had a serious case of bedhead. Too lazy to get out of the warm bed, she was content with reaching down with the closest hand, feeling around the floor for her fallen device. A sliding noise informed her that she had managed to sweep it under the bed. Audrey lied there a few more minutes, before groaning loudly and getting out of bed. Laying flat on the floor, she could see where her Pokegear had managed to travel. But something else caught her eye as well; a round object lying not so far away. After some effort and several minutes later, Audrey had recovered the device along with a surprise- a dull, red Pokeball. <br><br>As much as she was out of the Pokemon loop, even Audrey knew that there was no way she found a Pokeball. Yet, without fail, the small sphere expanded in her hand as she pushed the button, responsive to her touch. It was the real deal; Audrey had no idea what she would do with it, but stored it securely in her bag for the time being. After a quick shower and grooming, the young trainer no longer looked like a wild Tangela and felt rested enough to explore the ship.<br><br>She had slept for a good portion of the trip, but there was still some time. The ferry offered a wide range of services from restaurants to entertainment, though Audrey had heard the S.S. Anne was the highest rated for those sorts of things. That didn't stop her from enjoying a delicious meal at one of the complimentary cafeterias, after which she headed to the pool. A red burst of energy shot into the pool as Audrey released her slowpoke; she was sure he would want to enjoy the water. The slowpoke materialized, before promptly falling asleep in the water.<br><br>"Pokey, you're always like that!" she pouted, peeved that she got woken up from her own nap. Annoyed, Audrey withdrew the lazy pokemon and retreated back to her room. An announcement rang through the ship's announcement system informing her that the ship was docking at Cinnabar Island in 5 minutes.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lusa</strong> on <strong>18-04-2012, 09:58:30</strong>
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				<div align="center"><strong>Ilex Forest</strong></div><div align="center"><strong>Lusa and Julian</strong></div><br>Lusa's face was as red as a tomato from embarrassment as she reached out to retrieve Spinarak from the stranger's hands. She petted and cooed at her Pokemon, checking his delicate spidery legs for injury, avoiding making eye contact with Julian. She was impressed and grateful at how easily he had caught Spinarak in mid-air, saving him from possible harm, but she had never done well in the human interaction department. It was normal for her to stutter when speaking to someone that she had known for a while, and it was worse with strangers, but she was not an antisocial girl, just not well versed in social graces.<br><br>"Ah, th-thanks. For catching him." She said, probably a little bit too loudly for how close they were, but slight anxiety made her voice rise. She listened as he remarked that the forest wasn't a safe place to be alone, and nodded. The action slid her glasses down her nose a bit, and she pushed them back up with a slim finger as she replied.<br><br>"Y-yes, I had read that the forest might be filled with dangerous wild Pokemon. That's why I have Spinarak here with me! She smiled at her Pokemon, who trilled back, already recovered from his brief flight. That was when she noticed that he seemed to be alone, himself. Why was he traveling alone in this forest if he knew that it wasn't safe?<br><br>By the way, my name...it's Lusa. Uh, I hope it isn't rude of me, but...if you know that it's not safe in here, why are you traveling alone...?" She reached out her hand for a shake, until she noticed that sleeve of her maroon jacket was covered in forest litter from her near-collision. Blushing even harder, she quickly withdrew her hand to remove her jacket and shake the debris from it.<br><br><br><br><br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shihong</strong> on <strong>18-04-2012, 22:11:50</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/7554/pkmntrainericon.png)</div><div class="floatright">(http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/7048/parasicon.png)</div><div align="center"><strong>[Route Six]</strong></div><div align="center"><strong>[Samantha &amp; Parsley]</strong> (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=137245.msg6139735#msg6139735)</div><br>Parsley came to a sudden stop, tilting his little head to one side and sniffing at the air.&nbsp; It didn't take long for Samantha to pick up on the same odd scent.&nbsp; "Strange.&nbsp; Is someone having a cookout nearby?"<br><br>She used her hands to part the grass aside, but saw nothing.&nbsp; The smell had vanished as quickly as the wind had brought it on.&nbsp; It made her just a bit uneasy, and it was clear by his hesitance that Parsley felt the same way.&nbsp; The paras crawled back up her leg and clung to her shoulder, wary and wide-eyed.<br><br>Samantha cooed softly, stroking Parsley's head with two fingers.&nbsp; "Nothing to worry about.&nbsp; I'm sure it's nothing."&nbsp; Neither of them seemed fully convinced of that.&nbsp; It had smelled like cooked meat, which could mean one of two things.&nbsp; Either someone's camp was nearby, or a fire Pokemon was settling into a meal of its own.&nbsp; There was nothing for it but to continue on.&nbsp; They headed back in the direction of the road.&nbsp; If it came down to it she'd prefer to get spotted by a passing trainer than ambushed in the high grass.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Acid</strong> on <strong>18-04-2012, 23:34:22</strong>
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				<div align="center"><strong>[The Voyage of S.S. Anne]<br>[Mark &amp; Mantine]</strong><br>(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/3/39/Spr_2c_226_s.gif)</div><br>In the distance, across several miles of cerulean sea and shore, the Olivine Harbor was visible. Flocks of white and red bird Pokemon flew overhead, their loose plumage raining down on the harbor. From this distance, the specifics of the Pokemon were unidentifiable.<br><br>The Cianwood salt wafting in the air was more concentrated on the deck of the S.S. Anne than in the proximity of his father’s seaside shack. Mark wheeled his bike up the ramp onto the S.S. Anne and rested it against the guard railing of the ship and eagerly awaited the boat's departure from Cianwood City. Leaning against the railing, he listened to the commotion on deck as the sailors got everything in order and waved farewell to Cianwood. A voice over the boat’s intercom announced: <em>“All aboard! The S.S. Anne will be departing shortly. Please make sure you have all your belongings.”</em><br><br>A flash of luminescent red sparked and materialized a being of matter to the left of Mark; his Mantine had managed to fidget out of its Pokeball, releasing the not-so-reliable locking mechanism. <br><br><em>“Mantine! Mantine!”</em> still slightly upset at his abrupt confinement, Mantine nudged Mark.<br><br><em>“Smell that? That’s the smell of adventure on the horizon. Can’t blame you for not wanting to be stuck in there, Mantine.”</em> Mark welcomed the company his Mantine brought and even if such company was unwelcome, the artistic scenery painted across the horizon was a sight even Pokemon should enjoy. Mark rather enjoyed showing his Mantine obscure objects and taking him to all manner of landscapes. He believed he could teach Mantine “culture.” Mark recalled how just a few years ago, Olivine City was a quaint city. Not particularly alive. However, in recent years, the hustle and bustle of Olivine City put it on the map.<br><br><em>"I have no idea how the hell people years ago managed to see each other. Kanto and Johto were more or less isolated. Thank Mew for technology!"</em> But technology was a double-edged sword and it was also the destructive capability of technology that was responsible for the kidnap and ransom of countless Pokemon, including his father’s Delibird.<br><br>Although not prone to violence or outbursts of anger, Mark was having trouble comprehending the situation: <em>“How someone could be enough of an asshole to do something so morally bankrupt is beyond me,</em>” he told Mantine.<br><br><em>“Manti”</em> it nodded in agreement. <br><br><div align="center"><strong><em>Beep…Beep…BEEP!</em></strong></div><br>The PokeGear device in Mark’s inner coat pocket alerted him of an incoming call and judging from the tempo of the alert tone, it wasn’t going to be good news.<br><br><em>"Hello, are you there? Hello...can you hear me? Ok, good. This is Prof. Elm. We have a bit of a situation at the Goldenrod City Radio Tower. I'd handle it myself, but I'm barricading the laboratory from newbie trainers who are trying to break down the door to get a new Pokemon. The supply of Pokemon plummeted and the demand rose exponentially and couldn't keep up. <br><br>Nobody has access to Pokemon Trainers everywhere are unable to FLY with their Pokemon. Flying Pokemon have been rendered useless. The wild bird Pokemon have become extremely aggressive and FLYing is not safe. In addition, hordes of Skarmory and Crowbat have been attacking the Radio Tower during the day. Hoothoot flocks have been defecating on the Radio Tower and flying into the glass windows and flying shrapnel is harming the radio station workers. Do you think you could check it out in my stead? I have a hunch Team Rocket might be behind this..." </em><br><br><em>“I’m on the S.S. Anne headed towards Olivine, but I’ll head right there Professor. There better be something in it for me though! Some trainers may be willing to do charity work, but my services require some sort of incentive,” </em>clarified Mark.<br><em>“Yes, yes, we’ll discuss your reward later. Please make haste!”</em> Elm seemed desperate.<br><em>“Will do, Professor,” </em>Mark pressed the small switch on his PokeGear to end the call and conserve energy.<br><em>“This journey isn’t going quite as planned. Sorry you didn’t get to fight Chuck earlier, Mantine, but it seems you’ll get a good workout once we reach Goldenrod. I only wish we would have the chance to hang around in Olivine for a bit, but alas duty calls! I promise I’ll take you there some other time.”</em><br><br><em>“Mantine!” </em>Mark’s aquatic and flying pal was too busy enjoying his two favorite elements of nature – water and air – to care about Professor Elm’s urgency. The misty tide crashing into the ship lightly sprayed Mantine, which he found refreshing. <br><em>“Your ass better be ready for a good fight, fella. It seems some bad Pokemon are causing trouble in the Radio Tower in Goldenrod.”</em> Although Mantine hadn’t had a good battle in a long time, his natural activeness and exuberance ensured Mantine was always excited about fighting. Mark’s graceful Pokemon shared his fighting spirit and bravado.<br><br><em>“If Team Rocket is there, we’ll take them down one battle at a time, won’t we?”</em> Mark egged his manta on. <br><br><em>“Manti! Manti!”</em>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>19-04-2012, 01:29:18</strong>
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				<div align="center">Ilix forest<br>Julian and Lusa</div><br>Julian simply returned the Spinarak to his owner with a small smile, waiting for her to finish speaking before he took his turn. Of course, it did make sense that she would ask the same question of him, it wasn't like his pokeball was out in the open. He was just about to shake her hand when she withdrew it to get the dirt off the sleeve, and he chuckled lightly, taking a step back to give the girl a little bit of time to clean herself off. Still, he did owe her a few answers, considering the fact that he'd certainly want some if he were in her shoes. Besides, it wasn't like he had anything to hide. Whoever she was, this girl seemed rather nice, he couldn't really see her stealing his Dratini and running off with it."I'm not too worried about it." He'd pull his Pokeball out of his pocket to show it to her, before pocketing it again and waiting for her to get stabilized before he said anything else.<br><br>After a brief pause though, Julian felt a little awkward at the silence and took a step forward again, once Lusa got done dusting off her jacket. "Anyway, my name's Julian, I was just-"<br><br><em>A thunderous howl and roar shakes Lusa and Julian's attention, forcing them to turn around. The startled duo has lingered in the forest for too long. <br><br>Good job! Your ruckus in Ilex Forest has disturbed a mother Ursaring and her cub Teddiursa.&nbsp; <br><br>The beastly bears are advancing without hesitation towards Lusa and Julian. The Ursaring sets her sights on Lusa and her Spinarak and bares her teeth, which are saturated with saliva and grinning slightly. The young Teddiursa playfully aims a Leer at Dratini and retreats behind his behemoth mother. <br><br>Nuzzling her cub playfully, the Ursaring pushes him off to the side and takes the direct approach and raises her paw over Lusa's head -her towering claw poised to do a Fury Swipes (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Fury_Swipes_(move))</em><br><br>Julian's attention snapped towards the direction of the roar at the first moment he heard it, Dratini emerging from his pokeball just in time to be the subject of the small teddy's playful leer towards him. Still, it was only a few seconds later the the mother bear was bearing down on Lusa, threatening to send it's claws swiping through her flesh. He didn't need to be an expert on the wild pokemon of the modern day to know that if the bear was able to finish that attack, Lusa would stand little to no chance of leaving this forest.<br>"Mac! Hit her with twister (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Twister)!"<br><br>It was fight or die, Mac seemed to understand that just as well as Julian as the small Dragon worm's eyes glowed and a whirlwind of dragon energy started to brew beneath the Ursaring. Blessedly, the sudden force of the small twister's legs was enough to cause the bear to flinch and pull off her attack on Lusa. However, Julian wasn't done with the offensive just yet. He had one more move that he wanted his Dratini to pull off in order to make sure this fight wasn't going to last long. Poachers and other wild pokemon would be along shortly with all this ruckus, and he didn't want to be around to be swarmed.<br>"Now follow up with Thunder wave (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Thunder_Wave)! We've gotta stop that thing from striking again!"<br><br>As waves of electrical energy emerged from Mac and rushed towards the wild Ursaring, Julian glanced towards Lusa to see if her spider was going to be jumping in or not. Considering the fact that she almost got mauled to death, he wouldn't be surprised to find her a bit shell shocked.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lusa</strong> on <strong>19-04-2012, 06:35:06</strong>
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				Lusa was relieved at the sight of Julian's pokeball; as a fellow trainer, he would be unlikely to attempt to rob her of her Pokemon, and besides, he'd already had Spinarak in his hands once and had given him straight back. He seemed like a nice enough guy, and she was curious as to what kind of Pokemon he had inside that pokeball; she was always looking to expand her knowledge of different types, as her goal was to become a pokemon researcher. She was just listening to him introduce himself as Julian when a thunderous roar interrupted him; she barely had time to turn around and see that an Ursaring and it's offspring were bearing down on them!<br><br>Lusa yelped and backpedaled as the Ursaring set its sights on her, dropping her jacket to the forest floor (and it had just gotten clean, too.) She surely would have been gutted were it not for the Dratini's quick action, and she took the brief moment that the great bear paused to scramble away.<br><br>Panting, she looked to Spinarak, who gave her a brief nod. Both of them had little battle experience, but Lusa had done her reading on the subject, and they had practiced using Spinarak's web before.<br><br>"A-alright Spinarak, we can't let them do all the work! Use constrict (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Constrict_%28move%29)"<br><br>Spinarak spit web from it's mouth, wrapping about the Ursaring and pulling tight; not completely restricting it, but at least it would be slowed down somewhat.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Frank Reshman</strong> on <strong>19-04-2012, 09:59:39</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Squeak!</em><br><em>Squeak!</em><br><em>Squeak!</em><br><br>The noise emanated from his Bike as he rode down the old Cycling Road.&nbsp; The sounds were amplified and unnaturally loud from bouncing off of the concrete and not being absorbed by anyone, or anything.&nbsp; He didn't have to worry about where he was going, or getting lost; the bike trail was narrow and straightforward.&nbsp; Still, it was an uphill struggle the entire time and, before long, he grew tired and had to stop.&nbsp; <br><br>Getting off of his bike, he propped it up against one of the barricades that littered the tiny road.&nbsp; Sitting down, he pulled out his canteen and started drinking some water.&nbsp; In the distance, he heard an engine growl and began to get louder and louder.&nbsp; In a matter of minutes, a hulking figure blocked out the sun, giving a brief respite from the sun before he spoke.&nbsp; <strong>"Hey, bud!&nbsp; Hand over your water and your bike, or else!"</strong>&nbsp; The man was easily twice his size and behind him hovered two Koffing.&nbsp; Both looked as if they hadn't eaten in a while, but that only fueled their anger.<br><br>John took out his Pokeball and pressed the button.&nbsp; <strong>"Get back on your bike, and ride away, stranger.&nbsp; I don't want trouble, but believe me, there will be some if you don't back off."</strong>&nbsp; With that, he got back up and put his canteen in his backpack.&nbsp; As he was reaching for his bike, one of the Koffing rushed him.&nbsp; He jumped back and threw the Pokeball.&nbsp; <strong>"Blade! Show these guys we mean business!"</strong>&nbsp; The pokeball clattered open and Blade came rushing out, arms drawn.&nbsp; He gave one Koffing a shallow, yet dangerously long, cut on its forehead.&nbsp; The Koffing retreated and tried to regroup with his friend.&nbsp; Blade crossed his arms in an "X" fashion, and prepared to take on both Koffing at once. <br><br>The biker just looked from my Scyther, to his Koffing, and then finally to me.&nbsp; <strong>"You little brat!&nbsp; You're going to pay for hurting my Koffing!"</strong>&nbsp; The irony clearly lost on someone like him, he ordered both pokemon to attack!&nbsp; Both Pokemon obeyed their master and charged into battle.&nbsp; <strong>"Blade! Don't let them get close! Keep 'em at bay with some Cuts!"</strong>&nbsp; Blade was able to fend off both of their attacks, but John could tell his friend was getting tired.&nbsp; They outnumbered him, it was only a matter of time before Blade slipped up.&nbsp; No matter how fast Scyther was, the Koffing were able to rise out of reach.&nbsp; <br><br><strong>"Blade! Take to the air! Pin one of them down and have at it!"</strong>&nbsp; With that, his Scyther rose to his full height and started buzzing his wings.&nbsp; He wouldn't be as maneuverable as the Koffing, but he could at least match their malnourished bodies for speed.&nbsp; Once in the air, the Scyther was a moving work of art.&nbsp; Gracefully dodging both attacks made by the Koffing, it seemed as if they were playing an aerial game of dodgeball, with the Koffing comically flying here and there.&nbsp; John knew that all of this flying was draining Scyther of his energy, and he was planning on it.&nbsp; Finally, one of the Koffing slipped through his defense and managed to bite down on the Scyther's leg.&nbsp; His exoskeleton held, but he could hardly move.&nbsp; In an instant, the other Koffing bit down on his other leg.&nbsp; Blade looked worried, but he trusted his friend.&nbsp; <br><br><strong>"Blade! You've got them right where you want them!&nbsp; Finish them off!"</strong>&nbsp; Through his pain, Blade failed to realize what John meant.&nbsp; Then, and everyone could see it, the plan clicked in everybody else's head.&nbsp; <strong>"Koffing!&nbsp; Get out of th-"</strong> Too late.&nbsp; With a visceral grin and a flash of his mighty blades, John's Scyther set about systematically destroying those poor Koffing.&nbsp; Years of practice dicing sushi left Blade very adept with his natural weapons.&nbsp; It took him mere seconds to cut the Koffing a dozen times each.&nbsp; He stabbed them both, one with each blade, and flung them overhand at their owner.&nbsp; They fell to the ground in a daze, and the Biker put one of them into his pokeball.&nbsp; The other, he picked up and placed on the end of his bike.&nbsp; <strong>"Not so fast, bud!"</strong> yelled John, clearly angry at the gall of this man.&nbsp; <strong>"Give me that PokeBall and we'll call it even.&nbsp; I won't even report you to the police."</strong>&nbsp; John's eyes narrowed as he saw the Biker panic.&nbsp; The biker's eyes roamed from the tiny kid who had beaten him, to the ominous blades of the Scyther that had eviscerated his friends.&nbsp; Finally, with a defeated sigh, he emptied the PokeBall and handed it to John.&nbsp; <strong>"Now get the hell out of here.&nbsp; You're pathetic and you should be ashamed of yourself!"</strong><br><br>As the bikers dust trail vanished from view, John once again sat down and pulled out his canteen.&nbsp; He had agreed to let Scyther out and it had payed off.&nbsp; Scyther, after getting some water from his friend and eating some rations to get his energy up, flew down and had started fishing the only way he knew how.&nbsp; And boy, did he ever know how to fish.&nbsp; He came back up with armfuls of food and diced fish.&nbsp; While John had never been uncomfortable around dead fish, he was always sad when a Pokemon had to kill one of its own for food.&nbsp; Still, the food chain had always been, and would always be, so he tried to put his mind at ease.&nbsp; &nbsp;Getting his flint out of his backpack, he used Scyther's razor sharp blades to help make a spark. Soon enough, they had a fire large enough to work with.&nbsp; Placing a few fish on the fire, they waited for them to be done cooking.<br><br>In the meantime, John took a look at Scyther's wounds.&nbsp; &nbsp;Growing up next to a Pokemon Center, he knew basic first aid, and could even stabilize an injured pokemon long enough to get it some help.&nbsp; He pulled out a few bandages and wrapped them around Blade's feet.&nbsp; <strong>"Sorry buddy, I didn't mean for them to bite you this bad....but it was the only way you would have caught them without losing even more energy."</strong> Blade gave John a knowing look and sat down on his haunches.&nbsp; As soon as John finished the bandages, he scooped the fish out of the fire and looked to Blade.&nbsp; <strong>"Here buddy.&nbsp; You fought for me, fished for me, and came with me on this stupid journey.&nbsp; You get first picks."</strong> The Scyther looked hesitantly between his friend and the food.&nbsp; Scythers were loyal and stubborn beasts, and John had never seen Blade eat before him.&nbsp; Clearly, the decision was affecting his friend, because he looked confused at the idea of eating before his best friend.&nbsp; Finally, he sat down on his rear end and just waited.&nbsp; Laughing, John got up and handed him some fish. <strong>"Haha, alright buddy.&nbsp; You got it.&nbsp; We'll eat at the same time."</strong>&nbsp; He picked up a few Goldeen and snapped their horns off.&nbsp; Handing them to Scyther, he placed the horns in his pocket.&nbsp; Picking up a few crab claws, he ate what meat he could get off of them.&nbsp; He saved one for later, hoping he might be able to fashion the hooked claw into some sort of fishing device.&nbsp; Finishing up his meal, he got back on his bike.&nbsp; He decided to let Scyther out of his pokeball for a while, just so he could burn off some energy.&nbsp; <br><br>Finally, they reached the end of the Bicycle Road and had to make a difficult choice.&nbsp; Did he cut through the dense forest and walk a few miles West and end up in Pallet time by nightfall?&nbsp; Or, did add 3 days to his trip and walk around the entire country.&nbsp; Knowing that Scyther wasn't at full capacity added to his worries.&nbsp; He decided to sleep on it, and let Blade decide whether he felt up to it or not.&nbsp; Knowing he would sleep better in there, John put Blade back in his pokeball.&nbsp; Then, he pulled his bike into the ditch and covered it and his backpack with leaves.&nbsp; Finally, he got his blanket and pillow and covered himself with leaves.&nbsp; It wasn't the best disguise, but there were definitely larger piles of debris in the ditch, so he didn't look out of place.&nbsp; As he drifted off to sleep, he could feel the warmth of the pokeball under his pillow.&nbsp; <br><br>Waking up before the sun got up, John spent a few hours trying to connect the claw to some string, with little success.&nbsp; Finally, he gave up and uncovered his things.&nbsp; Letting Blade stretch his wings a bit, he asked him, <strong>"So Blade.&nbsp; Do ya feel up for some more scraps?&nbsp; It would certainly cut the time it would take to get there.&nbsp; But I understand if you're not feeling at one hundred per-"</strong>&nbsp; He was cut off by Blade making a strange sound.&nbsp; With a shock, John realized that his friend was laughing at him.&nbsp; <strong>"Alright, dork.&nbsp; Let's get going then!"</strong>&nbsp; With that, he advanced into the forest on foot, so as not to spill and wipe out.&nbsp; There were no paths, which was a good sign.&nbsp; He didn't want to be following in someone's footsteps, especially when that someone could be a Poacher.&nbsp; Within a few hours, he could see the light at the end of the forest.&nbsp; He kept pushing through, when suddenly, he felt...something.&nbsp; He tuned around, but couldn't see anything.&nbsp; <strong>"Blade....do you feel anything?&nbsp; It feels like something is...watching us..."</strong>&nbsp; Blade didn't say anything, or make any motion that he had heard his friend.&nbsp; Turning, he saw Blade standing very rigid.&nbsp; There, in front of both of them, blocking the exit, was a swarm of Rattata.&nbsp; <strong>"Blade...easy buddy.&nbsp; Don't fly off the handle.&nbsp; Maybe they ju-"</strong>&nbsp; Nope.&nbsp; Blade was having none of it.&nbsp; <br><br>Blade rushed to meet the swarm head on.&nbsp; Diving into the mass of purple, he began slashing and cutting foes down.&nbsp; It got to the point where he could hardly make out his green friend among the red and the purple.&nbsp; Finally, he jumped back out of the fray, almost completely spotless, and got into his defensive stance.&nbsp; Suddenly, the Rattata scurried away, and a giant rat appeared in front of them.&nbsp; Brown, with a white body.&nbsp; Beady black eyes filled with hate.&nbsp; The Raticate examined its surroundings and, upon noticing the pile of slain Rattatas, began charging Blade.<br><br>Blade sat there, meditating, focusing his power onto his dominant hand, his right blade.&nbsp; Before they had gone on this adventure, they had always sharpened it to a fine point.&nbsp; Using his blade to cut sushi required precision and accuracy, both of which were honed to a point as sharp as his blade.&nbsp; He sat there, meditating, and focusing all of his power onto his right blade.&nbsp; The Raticate barreled onward, oblivious to what was going to happen.&nbsp; John almost felt bad for the poor creature, until he remembered the night he first met Scyther; covered in bite marks, and teeth marks.&nbsp; <strong>"Give it to him, Blade..."</strong> John whispered, loudly enough so his friend could hear him, but quietly enough so he wouldn't disrupt his concentration.&nbsp; Upon hearing John, Blade gave a slight smirk.&nbsp; The Raticate was close now, within arms reach, when Blade reacted.<br><br><em>SLIIICE</em><br><br>A sickening noise was heard as, quicker than the Raticate could react, Blade jumped over the creature and placed his blade in the ground in front of the charging creature.&nbsp; The Raticate ran itself through the razor sharp edge of Blade's arm; it's legs kept twitching, even after having been cut in half down his length.&nbsp; Finally, the twitching stopped, and John had suppressed the urge to vomit.&nbsp; Even for someone who worked at a place that served raw fish, seeing his best friend butcher an animal was downright sickening.&nbsp; Blade, on the other hand, filled with primal glee, let out a battle cry that reverberated around the entire forest.&nbsp; He used his arms to cut off the Raticate tail and the teeth of his enemy.&nbsp; Both were quite valuable nowadays with Pokemon being so rare and dangerous.<br><br><strong>"Alright, Blade.&nbsp; Back in your ball.&nbsp; We can't have others seeing you like this.&nbsp; Besides, I don't want you out when we get to Pallet Town.&nbsp; You're my ace in the hole."</strong>&nbsp; That seemed to please Blade; enough so that he calmed down and submitted to being placed back into his temporary prison cell.&nbsp; <br><br>Walking the last few hundred feet out of the forest, he mounted his bike and began riding towards Pallet Town.&nbsp; Blade needed some healing, whether the stubborn bastard would admit it or not, and John had to have a word with Professor Oak.&nbsp; Riding up into town, he passed by the Legend's house and went straight into the Lab.&nbsp; <strong>"Professor?&nbsp; I realize I came unannounced, but I heard the radio.&nbsp; What do you need help with?&nbsp; Hello?"</strong>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Acid</strong> on <strong>19-04-2012, 14:34:13</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				<div align="center"><strong>[(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/8/8d/Spr_3e_217.gif) &amp; (http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/5/5a/Spr_2c_216.gif)] vs. [(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/b/bc/Spr_3e_167.gif) &amp; (http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/f/fc/Spr_2c_147.gif)]</strong><br></div><br>As the forest Ursaring was hit by the Twister, she grunted and bared her teeth more. The entirety of her grinning maw was now visible and smiling in Dratini's direction. The beast shrugged off the Twister, finding it mildly physically displeasurable, but not doing any lasting harm. The Ursaring's thick hide ensured that an attack with a bit more "oomph" was required.The Ursaring watched Lusa retreat, but was quickly distracted by a follow up attack by Dratini.<br><br><em>"Now follow up with Thunder Wave! We've gotta stop that thing from striking again!" </em>Julian said as he threw his Dratini further into the fight. <br><br>Unable to move, the Ursaring became extremely distressed, but she did not show fear lest her cub grow up weak. Lusa supplmented the bondage with her Spinarak's Constrict, which bound the Ursaring's feet. The Ursaring became utterly berserk. Using her eyes, the only part of her body able to move at this point, she signalled the Teddiursa cub to escape. "Ursa-Ursaring!"<br><br><em>"Teddiursa!"</em> The Teddiursa instinctively listened to its mother, but not before pouncing on Dratini, giving him a good Lick. (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Lick_(move)) Mac received his just desserts and the Dratini was stopped dead in his track. The juvenile Teddiursa retreated into the depths of the forest as the crescent moon on its head began glowing a deep red. Leaving its mother to finish the losing battle, Teddiursa scurried off towards safety. <br><br>With both Dratini and Ursaring paralyzed, only Spinarak was capable of delivering the final blow. <br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>19-04-2012, 14:44:44</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				<div align="center"><strong>[(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/8/8d/Spr_3e_217.gif) &amp; (http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/5/5a/Spr_2c_216.gif)] vs. [(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/b/bc/Spr_3e_167.gif) &amp; (http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/f/fc/Spr_2c_147.gif)]</strong><br></div><br>Julian's eyes grew wide when he watched the situation degrade from there, though thankfully they were able to stop the Ursaring in it's tracks, that was the more dangerous of the two. Even so, Julian didn't expect the cub to jump back in the fight, and actually be so efficient as to cause both significant damage to Mac, as well as cause a paralyzing effect on the dragon worm. "Mac!!!" Mac would have never allowed such an obvious strike to hit him before, he must have been quite distracted by the Ursaring, as well as debuffed by the Leer which he was still suffering from the effects of. Still, the Teddiursa was gone just a few moments later, and the Ursaring was sitting and waiting to have the final blow delivered to it, the two weren't in any danger.<br><br>But was it really right to do that? Julian wasn't so sure. Judging from her actions, the bear was just trying to protect it's young from the humans that had dealt their kind so much pain in the past. His eyes shifted towards the ground as he thought about all the poachers that he was traveling all the way to Mahogany Town to try and stop. Yet, if they were to keep battling and deliver needless harm to this pokemon, they'd be no better. And Julian refused to be reduced to their level, he would be better then them if he ever wanted to bring about the reform that he craved so desperately. No. Julian refused to allow the bear any more harm when her only crime was looking out for the best interest of her young.<br><br>He stepped forward and withdrew Mac, shaking his head a little.<br>"Come on, we've done what we need to do. That Ursaring isn't going to follow us if we run away now, and we gotta get out of here before more wild Pokemon come running due to the sounds of the conflict."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lusa</strong> on <strong>19-04-2012, 16:08:55</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				<div align="center"><strong>[(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/8/8d/Spr_3e_217.gif) &amp; (http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/5/5a/Spr_2c_216.gif)] vs. [(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/b/bc/Spr_3e_167.gif) &amp; (http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/f/fc/Spr_2c_147.gif)]</strong><br></div><br>Lusa sagged slightly in relief as the fearsome Ursaring seemed trapped, but worried slightly about the Teddiursa that had run into the forest; hopeflly it would do alright without it's mother for at least a little while. She had to place a calming hand on the head of Spinarak, who was riled up and still ready to fight; Julian was right, this Ursaring didn't pose a threat to them anymore, as long as they moved on quickly. She'd be immobilized by the Thunder Wave and the Constrict for a decent chunk of time, but would likely be freely moving within half an hour. Feeling badly for the offspring, Lusa pulled a snack from her pocket that she usually carried around for Spinarak and tossed it near the Ursaring, hoping that the Teddiursa would return and find it.<br><br>"You're right, we should get moving. No telling how long it might take your Dratini to recover from that Lick." She looked at Julian's pokemon sympathetically. Although her limbs were shaky from the sudden lack of adrenaline, she mounted her bike again.<br><br>"Here, this won't hurt her, but might help discourage her from following us when she gets free. Spinarak, use Scary Face (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Scary_Face_%28move%29)!" Spinarak balanced on it's front legs and bared it's pincers fiercly, the face on it's back changing to an angry scowl; hopefully that would keep any thoughts of tracking them down while Mac was still weak from forming.<br><br>With the attack finished, Spinarak climbed onto Lusa's back, which was once again jacket-clad. She looked to Julian and nodded, beginning to pedal onwards, eager to make her way through the rest of the forest quickly.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>19-04-2012, 16:16:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div align="center">Julian and Lusa<br>Ilix forest</div><br>Lusa wouldn't be the only one to give The Ursaring a few parting gifts, it seemed. Just as Julian was about to turn his back and flee from the paralyzed and constricted bear, he paused for a moment and glanced back at the thing, feeling bad for it. With a small nod, he would come to a stop before turning around and reaching into a pouch on his side. Stepping up, he would pull out a small napkin and plant two tiny pieces of fruit on top of it for the Ursaring, berries that would help it recover from the battle. Specifically, he donated one berry designed for curing paralysis, and one that would help it recover it's stamina a bit faster so that it would be back up on it's feet just that much faster. Nodding, figuring that either the Ursaring would be able to get the berries itself once it got free, or that it's young would come and help it heal, Julian turned back and started to run in the direction that would take him out of the forest. Thankfully, pokemon knew full well how to use berries, it was typically their most basic means for recovery whenever a wild pokemon battled against a trainer back in the old days.<br><br>With that, Julian made his way towards the entrance to the cave as quickly as he could, though his running wasn't quite as fast as Lusa's bike, he'd still be just a few minutes behind her. Assuming that the two made it out of the forest with no further complications, Julian would stop and catch his breath once he and Lusa were free of the thick woods and the sounds of bears roaring at the disturbance that the trainers had caused' "Hah... hah... made it."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>aya</strong> on <strong>19-04-2012, 17:53:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div align="center"><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="bbc_size"><strong>[Cinnabar Island]</strong></span><br><strong><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="bbc_size">[Audrey &amp; Slowpoke</span>]</strong><br>(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/5/56/Spr_3e_079_s.gif)<br></div><br>"We will be docking shortly. Please gather your belongings and proceed towards the exit on the upper deck. The S.S. Tidal and her crew thank you for your cooperation on board this voyage."<br><br>Audrey gathers her Pokemon, Pokeball and other miscellaneous belongings and walks towards the upper deck. The ship is relatively lonely this morning and the few passengers aboard the S.S. Tidal seem to be elderly and young children.&nbsp; <br><br>The S.S. Tidal docks on the Southwestern part of the Island and the pier can be seen, only a few dozen yards in the distance. "All ashore!" one of the deckhands hollers as the ship pulls into the pier and the seamen on Cinnabar work to drop anchor.<br><br>"Audrey! Over here" a voice calls from the pier boardwalk. It's Dr. Fuji and his assistant. <br><br>As Audrey departs the boat, Dr. Fuji, without so much as an introduction or "hi, how are you?" informs you of your mission as he dumps a stack of research notes, memorandums and miscellaneous newspaper clippings in his assistant's hands.&nbsp; <br><br>"We won't actually be visiting the Pokemon Research Institute right this moment. Perhaps I should have warned you first, but we're going to the Cinnabar Volcano to do collect some field data. Cinnabar, a somewhat precious mineral found only on this island, has some unique properties. Samples collected after the volcanic eruption were found to be several thousand years old. It seems the eruption pushes magma and ancient rock upwards, allowing us to collect it and analyze the sample. Unfortunately, wild Magmar have been gathering inside the volcano and it's impossible to collect any more samples. I need an escort to keep me safe while I gather samples and take quantitative notes on the environment."<br><br>Shooing his assistant away, Dr. Fuji and Audrey set on the mountain road leading to the volcano crater, while his assistant sulked back to the Institute. <br><br>"Magmar... it's going to be so <em>hot.</em>" Audrey realized, thinking back to Vermilion City. She slightly regretted her decision to come here. When the two of them reached the volcano, she called slowpoke out from its pokeball.<br><br>"Poke.." he complained, the hot temperature waking him up. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Acid</strong> on <strong>19-04-2012, 19:37:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div align="center"><strong>[(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/8/8d/Spr_3e_217.gif)]</strong></div><br>Sniffing the berries which her escaped breakfast left behind, Ursaring swiped them away. Fruit was not going to bring satiety. <br>Ursaring craved flesh or Pokemon hide. She craved meat. <br><br>Less than 10 minutes later, the Ursaring stretched her tense muscles and regained mobility and set off to find her Teddiursa cub. She limped slowly towards the napkin she tossed aside. Ursaring grabbed it in her paw and brought it to her nose, inhaling deeply. <br><br>Once Ursaring received someone's scent, she would never forget it...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>aya</strong> on <strong>19-04-2012, 20:56:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div align="center"><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="bbc_size"><strong>[Cinnabar Island]</strong></span><br><strong><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="bbc_size">[Audrey &amp; Slowpoke</span>]</strong><br>(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/5/56/Spr_3e_079_s.gif)<br></div><br>As Audrey and her Slowpoke entered a cave carved into the side of the volcano, the temperature rose exponentially. A flock of Zubat flew out of the volcanic cave, shrieking wildly at Dr. Fuji and Audrey before flying in some unknown direction. <br><br>"We believe this naturally formed cave has been here less than 30 years. It must have opened up shortly after the last eruption. Watch your head. Stalactites are jutting out from the volcano rock," the doctor forewarned.<br><br>"So.. what'cha doing here Fuji?" Audrey whispered, like she was telling him a dire secret. She would be a very unhappy girl if they were attacked by Zubat; she was already sweating from the heated air. Slowpoke was faring a bit better, but his displeasure was about the same as his trainer- the two of them had nearly identical expressions of unhappiness, made even more obvious next to Dr. Fuji's enthusiastic look. Audrey regretted taking a swim on the Tidal, now being stuck inside the middle of a volcano. What was with her and hot places recently? The trainer vowed to herself that the next place she would visit would be cool, or have a beach to swim in. 'No more distractions!' She almost exclaimed aloud, in her excitement for a beach.<br><br>"We're looking for Cinnabar, of course! The precious burgundy mineral found only on this island and formed inside these very magma chambers is what we call Cinnabar. Unfortunately, the mineral can only be found deep inside the volcano." The simple act of talking about Cinnabar made Dr. Fuji's eyes light up and reflect the hellfire inside this volcano.<br><br>"But it's just sooo <em>hot,</em>" Audrey complained, several strands of hair already beginning to stick together and to her face. "What's so good about Cinnabar anyway?" She inquired, wondering how he could look so happy.<br><br>About half an hour into the inward trek, the humidity stifled the air and every breath felt like inhaling boiling water. On the journey deeper into the volcano, Dr. Fuji notices the physical exhaustion on the faces of Audrey and Pokey. Several Vulpix were even lazily sitting around behind some basalt rock, grooming their fur while picking off the ash that collected on their coat. The Vulpix were vulnerable. If Audrey really wanted to, she could easily catch one of the Vulpix, provided her Slowpoke would get in a pre-empitive strike. She barely gave the resting pokemon a second look, just eager to finish the job and get out of the infernal place. Audrey felt like she was going to pass out any second.<br><br>"Fortunately, we're quite close to the empty magma chamber where we're bound to find Cinnabar samples." Dr. Fuji noted.<br><br>"..'kay." Audrey replied weakly, sparing no energy for unnecessary words or sounds. She would prefer to open her mouth as little as possible. <em>Note to self,</em> she thought, <em>never try a sauna.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Acid</strong> on <strong>19-04-2012, 22:13:30</strong>
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				<div align="center"><strong>[Olivine City Harbor]<br>[Mark &amp; Mantine]</strong><br></div><br><br>The crystalline harbor in the distance was almost within reach as the midday sun shined overhead and caused Olivine City to shimmer with its many reflective surfaces. <em>“Almost 6 PM, Manty. We better not dick around in Olivine too much.” </em>Mark said, more so to remind himself, rather than Mantine. <br><br>The journey from Cianwood to the Olvine City Harbor took a bit longer than expected. The S.S. Anne chugged along the calm sea and docked her bow into the pier. Several teenage males fastened the Jumpluff rope dangling from the bow of the ship. The pier workers secured the rope around a stone pillar, ensuring that if the ship was the somehow drift away, all of Olivine would come with it. <em><strong>“ALL ABOARD!”</strong></em> the captain of the S.S. Anne hollered over the scratchy and static-ey intercom.<br><strong><em>"We will be docking shortly. Please gather your belongings and proceed towards the exit on the upper deck. The S.S. Anne and her crew thank you for your cooperation on board this voyage." </em></strong><br><br>Mark heard those words dozens of times prior to today – they repeated the same phrase after every departure and docking of the S.S. Anne. Company protocol, Mark thought. Although today, the words somehow had more significance.&nbsp; <br>Wheeling his bike and Mantine off the small steel bridge leading off the ship, Mark caught his first glimpse of the Olivine City Harbor in a while. Entering the Olivine Harbor was like having your senses assaulted. The plethora of different cuisine wafting in the air, workers from all across the Pokeworld, shiphands, and quite a few (well-guarded) Pokemon overloaded the senses.<br><br><em>“There’s no way you’re missing this culture, Mantine. I refuse to keep you in your Pokeball, but stay quiet and lay low,”</em> Mark helped Mantine into his backpack. He left the upper compartment unzipped, which allowed Mantin to rest comfortably<br><em><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="bbc_size">“(Mantine)”</span></em> Mark’s Mantine whispered to let his trainer know he was cozy and enjoying the view.<br><br>Several tamed Snubbull stood around the numerous food carts and stands, holding several plates worth of food and wearing embarrassing signs: <em>“FREE SAMPLES! TAKE AS MANY AS YOU LIKE!”</em> Several Scyther also balanced dishes haphazardly as they scurried around and delivered exotic food to consumers. Mantine normally felt a bit slimy, but the excitable Pokemon salivated when he caught a whiff of the spices in the air. Mark smelled it too <em>“Oh my Celebi, that smells heavenly!”</em><br>Mark and Mantine attempted to identify the multitude of spices lingering in the air – turmeric….cumin...cinnamon…and saffron, which was Mark’s personal favorite spice. Stalls selling all manner of clothes and gear were headed by Trainers and their Jumpluff. <br><br><em>“I regret getting grub at home. We should have just eaten here, right Manty?”</em> regretted Mark.<br><em>“Mantine…”</em> he agreed. <br><br><em>“100% Organic Jumploof&nbsp; Cotton and Mareep Wool! No Synthetic Fibres!”</em> The Jumpluff danced in front of the clothing vendors to attract business and several impulsive housewives rushed in to spend their husbands’ money. Although the hustle and bustle of Olivine City was entrancing, Mark realized he had more immediate priorities and set off towards Goldenrod on his bike, with Mantine still tightly tucked away in his backpack.<br><br><em>“Better get to the radio tower and quick before things get even worse,”</em> he began to pedal more vigorously and waved to Olivine as he entered Route 39. Within 30 minutes, Mark sped by the MooMoo Farm, a Miltank dairy farm which in recent years has become the main sponsor of the Johto Feast. Turning east towards Ecruteak City and onto Route 38, Mark spied the Brass Tower overhead, peering above the station between Route 38 and Ecruteak and casting a shadow down on the route. <br><br>Speeding down Route 38, Mark managed to gain quite a bit of momentum and the almost autumnal breeze made Mantine retreat deeper into the backpack, warmed by Mark’s body heat, Mantine and his trainer continued down Route 38 with thoughts of becoming stronger and, more importantly, getting that reward from Elm afterwards (whatever “that reward” was.) <br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>DemonLord FuriousPyro</strong> on <strong>20-04-2012, 00:27:29</strong>
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				Shar, theer Amy called to, had been sitting outside with her ghostly companion. Misdevious, free from the pressure of poke'ball confinment. Her Poke Gear was in hand as she stepped towards Amy. Her silver hoodie hung loosely about her slim yet curvious tall body. A pair of light blueshorts at her legs with her shoes matching her top. "Your a little late with the news." She said with her usual cold tone. Misdevious also approuched from behind a nearby tree. Hovering with the trademark gaze the pokemon was known for. <br><br>"You should get the app I told you about. Its faster than just watching the news." A emotionless gaze went from Amys excited eyes to the ice type she traveled with. After a small pause she continued, "I'll be glad when you evolve that runt." Her left hand proceeded to thump Amys forehead before assisting her in retrieving her bike for the trainer bag that hugged her. "Miss" hissed the ghost type in respons as it hovered slightly ahead. "Lazarus, we'll school them later." Without another word Shar had unfolded her bike and hopped on. A glance was shoot at Amy to indicate that she was now waiting for her, a wait that was quickly trying her nerves.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ember Star</strong> on <strong>20-04-2012, 01:37:48</strong>
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				<div align="center">Azalea Town <br>Amy Kerensky and Snowball the Seel <br>(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/6/61/Spr_4d_086.png)</div> <br><br>Amy spun around with an excited jump at the sound of her sister's voice. "No app needed, sis! The professor called me himself! See! See!" She said excitedly as she waved the pink cellphone-like PokeGear in front of her sister's face, while it was opened to where it said <em>Miss call: Prof. Elm.</em> "But I was down in the well, so it didn't pick up." She said with only slight sadness in her voice. She wasn't phased by her sister's tone of voice, Amy quite simply wasn't phased by anything. <br><br>The Pokemon next her her gave a hurt "Se seel...? At Shar calling her a <em>runt</em>, as Amy rubbed her head. "Now, now Snowball. She didn't really mean it." Amy coo'd to the Seel and patted it on its head. "Snowball will evolve when she's ready, she's still so young. Besides, she's hardly a 'runt', she weighs much more than I do. She said turning back to her sister, still talking in her far hyper voice. "No offence Snowball!" She threw quickly back at the Seel before it could get upset over Amy's comment about weight, which was more than true. Seels weighed nearly 200lbs. "Speaking of which!" Amy added quickly as she reached into her pocket, digging around, as she turned back to her Pokemon. "You're going to have to go back in your pokeball. Its safer for you with all the thieves still around and will make for faster travel." Amy told the Seel as she pulled out the pokeball and opened it. <br><br>The Seel gave a slightly sad "seel", but understanding it willingly went into the confine of the pokeball. "Now, all ready?" Amy said as she turned back around, placing the pokeball with Seel in her pocket. However, seeing Shar already on her bike, Amy simply gave a shrug and hoped on her own bike. "To infinity and beyond." Amy yelled with excitement as she raised her fist to the sky. Then with a big smile she started riding her bike at a fast paste towards Ilex Forest 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meliai</strong> on <strong>21-04-2012, 01:35:01</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://dl.dropbox.com/u/42499880/Elliquiy/Reilly01h.gif)&nbsp; &nbsp;</div> <div class="floatright">(http://dl.dropbox.com/u/42499880/Elliquiy/Echo_zubat.gif)</div><div align="center"><strong>[ Fuchsia City - &gt; Route 15 ]<br>[ Reilly &amp; Echo ]</strong></div><br><hr><br>The dull grind of rocks and dirt beneath her bike wheels and the occasional shrill cry of the little blue Zubat swooping through the trees above her accompanied Reilly as she sang along, slightly of key, with the latest obnoxious pop song on the radio. The station selection was limited and the speakers in her pokégear were, to put it bluntly, complete crap but saccharine pop music was still preferable to the eerie quiet that pervaded the wilderness of Kanto in the wake of the Purge. It was strange to think that when her parents had traveled these roads a generation earlier they'd been bustling with trainers and wild pokemon alike. Nowadays Reilly rarely saw another traveler on her monthly visits to Lavender Town, and very few of them had pokemon companions. It was a relief in a way; she'd never been terribly fond of battling, the few times she'd had to send Echo up against another trainer she'd been a nervous wreck though the entire ordeal. Still worse, with the wild pokemon populations so diminished even the forest itself sounded abandoned. Occationally Echo would swoop up into the canopy and frighten away a scrawny pidgey, but even on the remote backroads the trip was usually quite uneventful if she could make it to town before nightfall. <br><br><em>"Hello, are you there? Hello...can you hear me?"</em> The sudden staticy interruption of the music caught Reilly off guard. She let out a frightened eep! and toppled off her bike and into a dense patch of brush on the side of the road. As she extracted herself the message continued and Echo glided down to hang from a branch above his master's disheveled, leaf-covered head. <em>"Ok, good. This is Prof. Elm. We have a bit of a situation at the Power Plant on Kanto Route 10.The refurbished and updated Power Plant is already facing a problem. The Elekids and Magnemite have been siphoning energy from the Power Plant and consuming it. The Magnemite acquire a negative electrical charge and shock the Power Plant employees. Several employees had to be rushed to the infirmary after a Magnemite attack. <br><br>Voltorb swarms have been clustering around circuit boards and cables and altering the flow of energy throughout Kanto. Daily black-outs have been interrupting the life and power supply of Kanto citizens. The power Saffron City has been down for 3 hours and the economy may fuck up if someone doesn't do something. Team Rocket via the Silph Corporation are stationed in Saffron. Could they be responsible?..."</em><br><br>"Huh...wonder who that message was s'pose to be for..." the girl murmured as she brushed bits of leaf and twig from her clothes. She had a few nicks and scrapes but no particularly worrying injuries apart from a dull ache in her left shoulder, which she was sure would be bruised and sore tomorrow. Righting her bike, Reilly motioned for the Zubat to come down from his perch, but the stubborn creature just wrapped his wings around himself. "Come on, you heard the radio! If we don't make it to town before dark I'll let you back out after sunset, but I don't want you flying around durring the day if there's Rocket creeps lurking about."<br><br>"Zuuuuuuu" hissed the pokemon, but reluctantly he drifted down from the tree and re-entered the pokéball Reilly pulled from her pocket.<br><br>After stashing Echo's now occupied pokéball along with her pokégear in the little basket attached to her bike handles Reilly re-mounted and took off down the road once more.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>DemonLord FuriousPyro</strong> on <strong>21-04-2012, 02:20:57</strong>
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				A slight twitch was given to response as her feet and legs shifted. Turning the pedals which as a result turned the gears and bike chain, allowing the her to propel herself forward. She left only one hand upon the handleg bars of her bike as she rode along. Misdevious right at her side, not an inch ahead or behind its trainer. As they traveled scenery gradually began to change. Thick tree lines and lush forest plant life soon surrounded them as they entered and headed deep within the forest. The cries of various animals and Pokemon could be heard, some of which caught the attention of Misdevious, who attempted to hover off to investigate. Only to sternly reminded of their destination by Shar. "Exactly, what did the old man tell you Amy? Word for word." Shar blankly shouted ahead to her kid sister. Like always, she is prepared for the worst to come out from people. Especially in today's times. Always keeping her eyes and ears open, and her heart closed. Such is the best self made survivor in her opinion. Amy, though smart and resourceful for her age, was also naive as well as oblivious to even some of the most obvious things. Higher power forbid it, but in certain circumstances it could get her killed. Shar let out a short huff of air as she pedaled faster to pull up to Amy's left side as they rode over the lush green if the forest floor. Occasionally branches would scratch at her shoulders and calfs. "Should have worn black." 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>21-04-2012, 04:31:01</strong>
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				<div align="center"><strong>Cinnibar Island<br>Audrey and Dr. Fuji</strong></div><br>Audrey might not have known just what made these samples of Cinnibar 'so special', due to Fuji's reluctance to share the information with anybody outside of his research circle, but the real reason that they were in here diving for this rare and valuable material was because Pokemon DNA often got fossilized in the rocks, Cinnibar being able to retain and protect the precious DNA much easier then more conventional or easier to find minerals. When put in the right hands and taken to the research center, this could actually eventually result in the Resurrection of the creatures who's DNA was stuck in the sample of Cinnibar. Of course, when put in the wrong hands, it could result in some collector's trophy case while rotting away and never seeing the light of day again, never doing it's proper job and helping out the world of science. In Fuji's mind, if it was a particularly powerful pokemon's DNA that they found, it could just be one of the deciding factors in making a better Pokemon world if used properly. One thing was for certain, he wasn't going to let anybody get their hands on that Cinnibar before he did, if for the sake of greater science alone.<br><br>However, as they approached the main chamber, Fuji heard a sound that caused his heart to sink, the sounds of a struggle. There was a trainer already in the empty magma trainers and it sounded like they were having a pretty difficult time with whatever it was that they were battling. The scientist turned towards the unhappy pokemon trainer and the slowpoke following her around, his eyes unable to be seen behind the flare in his glasses caused by the bright lava. "Come on! There's something going on in the magma chamber!" With that, the scientist would walk forward at an accelerated pace, power walking into the magma trainer to see a man in all black burglar clothing, the most stand out feature being a massive red <strong>R</strong> being pasted right on the chest. This team rocket grunt was ordering a Rhyhorn into battle against what appeared to be the guardian of the chamber, a Magmar. The Rhyhorn was just headbutting the Magmar right in the chest as Audrey first stepped into the room, with the fire creature letting out a pained grunt and collapsing backwards onto the floor of the chamber, seemingly unconscious.<br><br>The rocket grunt smiled, withdrawing the Rhyhorn as he looked towards the corner of the room. It would be about this point that Fuji, and potentially Audrey, would notice that there was another rocket grunt in the room, though this one looked quite a bit different from the textbook grunts in their all black attire. He was wearing regular civilian clothes, the only difference being the trademark <strong>R</strong> on the front of his shirt and on the back of his white jacket.<br><br><div class="spoiler_container"><div onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button" class="spoiler_header">Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide</div><div class="spoiler_body">(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VOlYePW_nXk/Tg6DMFKeCYI/AAAAAAAACFg/rLu-yNIkUy4/s1600/images-kakeru-satsuki-11eyes2009.jpg)</div></div><br>The more conventional looking grunt would speak in an arrogant tone, totally oblivious of the trainer that had just entered the chamber. "How was that, Maxim? That magmar didn't even know what hit him."<br><br>'Maxim', the blue hared man, simply sighed lightly and shook his head. "Hmph, and you feel like that's supposed to prove something?" He didn't feel the need to say more until a few seconds later, when his singular exposed eye opened up and shifted over, locking onto Audrey. "Besides, if I were you, I'd focus your attentions more on our new guest." The black garbed grunt looked towards Audrey, letting out a small grunt of surprise. "What!? What's a trainer and an old man doing down here!? Doesn't matter, take care of them Maxim!"<br><br>Maxim would be silent for a few second before his eye shut again and he shook his head. "No. I don't find this one interesting." With that, Maxim started to make his way towards a small cave alcove near the back of the main chamber. "I'll be waiting for you outside. Don't forget that you can just use this back chamber back here as an easy way out of the mountain. It's a 1 way trip though, so make sure you have the sample, otherwise the boss will be upset."<br><br>With that, Maxim was gone, and the Black garbed grunt shook his head and let out a frustrated sigh. "What's with that little creep? Is the boss sure he can be trusted? Whatever..."<br><br><div align="center"><strong>{ENCOUNTER}</strong></div>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ember Star</strong> on <strong>21-04-2012, 08:03:40</strong>
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				<div align="center">Ilex Forest <br>Amy Kerensky and Snowball the Seel <br>(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/6/61/Spr_4d_086.png)</div> <br><br>Amy rode through the forest, humming to herself happily. Maybe she was seemingly oblivious about some things, but she knew well the dangers of the world. She just chose to approach life a different way than her older sister. While Shar always had a glass half empty attitude, Amy had always a glass half full attitude. Which made people misjudge her, people usually only see happy, perky, oblivious Amy, so they didn't expect her to be smart, or cleaver, or strong. Shar made part of the same mistake everybody else did about Amy, but Amy didn't mind. She loved her sister just the way she was, and wouldn't change her for the world. Shar would be Shar, ever protective, careful, and paranoid. Amy wouldn't have it any other way. <br><br>Amy brought her bike to an sudden stop in a clearing along the dirt path, her eyes fell on the shrine of the forest guardian, Celebi. She thought it was sad that the shrine had been left unkempt, vines and brushes allowed to cover it almost completely. It was then that her sister voice called to her. "No need, sis! I can just play you the message!" She said as she got out her pokegear and flipped it open, then hit voicemail and put it on speaker, allowing the message to play. <br><br><em>"Hello, are you there? Hello...can you hear me? Ok, good. This is Prof. Elm. We have a bit of a situation at the Goldenrod City Radio Tower. I'd handle it myself, but I'm barricading the laboratory from newbie trainers who are trying to break down the door to get a new Pokemon. The supply of Pokemon plummeted and the demand rose exponentially and couldn't keep up. <br><br>Nobody has access to Pokemon Trainers everywhere are unable to FLY with their Pokemon. Flying Pokemon have been rendered useless. The wild bird Pokemon have become extremely aggressive and FLYing is not safe. In addition, hordes of Skarmory and Crowbat have been attacking the Radio Tower during the day. Hoothoot flocks have been defecating on the Radio Tower and flying into the glass windows and flying shrapnel is harming the radio station workers. Do you think you could check it out in my stead? I have a hunch Team Rocket might be behind this..."</em> <br><br>"Even if it's a trick, we know at least part of it is true from your news app." She said logically, with a shrug as she put her PokeGear up. "Besides, we're long over do for a trip into the city. Maybe I can even challenge the gym while we're there!" She said cheerfully as she started pushing the peddling her bike once more, but their trip was soon disturbed as they start to head out of the clearing. <br><br><em>"Can you believe it? those two girls actually have Pokemon of their own! Some pretty hard to find ones, too!"<br>"Well, let's get going, the boss will want us to 'relieve' those trainers of their Pokemon!"<br><br>As the two sisters started to make their way into the forest, they would find themselves intercepted by two men wearing all black outfits, the kind most familiarly recognized with burglars. By far, the most interesting feature about their outfit was a big black R that was portrayed right on the chests of both men. Either of the sisters would be able to tell just from a first glance that Team Rocket had come to play. Both of them extended Pokeballs, one of them speaking in a serious voice.<br>"Alright, little ladies, hand over the Pokemon and nobody gets hurt!"<br><br>As a display of force, and seeming to already know that the girls wouldn't be too happy to separate with their companions, the two team rocket grunts threw out their Pokeballs, revealing a Zubat and a Grimer that stood between the grunts and the two sisters. Obviously, the only way that they'd be getting through this one was through a battle, since Team Rocket wasn't exactly world renowned for their public relations and how well they treated people that tried to stand in their way and reject their commands.</em> <br><br>"Oh well look at that! Seems rumors of your guys being in the area are true!" Amy said very matter-of-factly and cheerfully. Yes, she knew very well that her perkyness usually threw people like this off about her. Made them think she was weak and stupid, when really she wasn't. Shar was always far too obviously with her blank and grumpy shell, they knew what to expect of her. Amy confused people though. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. Team Rocket Grunts were notorious for being a bit dumb though, so maybe it would work this time. <br><br>"Awe, now here I thought we've met some travel companions in the woods. Oh well. If it's a battle you want, it's a battle you're get." She said keeping her perkyness as she removed Snowball's PokeBall and tossed it in the air. "Out you come, Snow!" Amy called sweety, and out from the pokeball came the nearly 200lb Seel, as Amy caught the pokeball neatly back in her hand and stuck it in her pocket. "Se seel!" The Pokemon said excitedly. "Snow, use Aurora Beam (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Aurora_Beam_(move)) on that Zubat!" Amy directed and the Pokemon followed, creating a icy cold beam directed at the Zubat. Amy smiled to herself, she knew Flying Types were weak against Ice Moves, just like she knew Poison Types were weak against Psychic Moves... 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shihong</strong> on <strong>21-04-2012, 15:51:12</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/7554/pkmntrainericon.png)</div><div class="floatright">(http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/7048/parasicon.png)</div><div align="center"><strong>[Route Nine]</strong></div><div align="center"><strong>[Samantha &amp; Parsley]</strong> (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=137245.msg6139735#msg6139735)</div><br>As much as she loved to travel, there was just something unsettling about the routes between towns and cities that Samantha was never quite able to place.&nbsp; Maybe it was as simple as her university years softening up her sense of adventure.&nbsp; Maybe it was the inherent dangers of traveling through the wilderness.&nbsp; Or maybe <em>unsettling</em> wasn't the word for it at all.&nbsp; There was a tightness in her chest, a sense of plummeting into the unknown.<br><br>Maybe it was <em>excitement</em>, the thrill of not knowing what was just around the next c-<br><br><span style="font-size: 14pt;" class="bbc_size"><strong>THUMP!</strong></span>&nbsp; Doctor Greene barely managed so much as a squeak before tumbling unceremoniously down one of Route Nine's notoriously steep hills.&nbsp; Face planted in the dirt, rump in the air, she must have looked quite the fool.&nbsp; She groaned.&nbsp; Parsley was sitting just in front of her nose, looking profoundly disappointed in her.&nbsp; <br><br>"Oh don't <em>you</em> look at me like that!" she snapped, hastily getting to her feet and dusting herself off.&nbsp; "Yes, yes, that's what I get for not paying attention to you."<br><br>Parsley nodded smugly, turning about and shaking his tail end at her before skittering off again.&nbsp; Samantha pursed her lips.&nbsp; <em>Now just who is whose trainer here?!</em><br><br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Acid</strong> on <strong>21-04-2012, 22:35:52</strong>
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				<div align="center"><strong>[Ecruteak City]<br>[Mark &amp; Mantine]</strong><br>(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/thumb/a/a4/Ecruteak_City_Landscape.png/245px-Ecruteak_City_Landscape.png)</div><br>Visible in the distance, the reconstructed Brass Tower was given new life about 6 years ago and renovated into a museum dedicated to Pokemon of legend. Prior to that, it was known as the Burned Tower, a decrepit and forlorn place in which angry spirits of legendary Pokemon resided. Visitors of Ecruteak City could enter the Brass Tower, learn a few facts about Ecruteak and the tower and be on their way. Trainers often stopped to worship at the Pokemon Shrines located in Ecruteak's two towers for good fortune on their journeys and a better probability in catching rare Pokemon. In times long past, it was customary to pray at both the Brass Tower in the West and the Tin Tower in the Northeast. However, to maintain a presence Team Rocket occupies the Tin Tower in Ecruteak. <br><br><em>“Remind me to stop there on our way when we take care of this little snafu in Goldenrod, Manty. We should probably pay our respects to the arcane Pokemon and see if we can’t get us a souvenir,”</em> Mark was ecstatic at the prospect of a new stop on his quest to recover his father’s Delibird. So much so, that he forgot the Brass Tower’s more modern use as a headquarters for a criminal enterprise of Pokepoachers known as the <strong>Pokemon Liberation League.</strong> These fanatical fanatics take the <strong>Pokemon Rights Act</strong> (a joint initiative between Kanto and Johto governments to establish clear legal guidelines as to how Pokemon can be treated) and completely skewed it. Their motto,<strong><em> “Capture Freedom, Not Pokemon”</em></strong> attempts to end human “enslavement” (as they call it) of Pokemon. <br><br><em>“Oh wait…maybe we shouldn’t stop there, Mantine. A bunch of crazies live in that building and they’d snatch you sooner than you could say Pidgey!”<br>“Mantine…”<br>“I suppose we’ll just have to pray at the Pokemon Shrine some other time. I wonder how much you’d sell for on the black market, Mantine.”</em> Mark was prone to random thoughts that had little relevance to the situation at hand.<br><em>“Mantine!”</em> the manta yelped.<br><em>“Haha, don’t worry. I wouldn’t actually let that happen to you. You know we don’t really need the money, bud.”</em> reassured Mark.<br><br>Operating out of the Brass Tower, the Pokemon Liberation League is notorious for kidnapping the Pokemon of Ecruteak citizens and releasing them into the wild, forcing their trainers to seek them out in the often dangerous Routes of the Pokeworld. Many of these trainers meet their fates at the hand of other wild Pokemon, but tame Pokemon have also been known to turn on their own trainers after the grand stress induced by such a traumatic experience. The PLL is currently in a turf war and vying for control of Ecruteak against Team Rocket in the East part of town. <br><br>Passing by the guard station of Route 38, Mark met the guard’s gaze. The Ecruteak constable saw the inherent flame burning in Mark’s eyes and he beckoned to the trainer. <em>“You there…what’s that in your backpack? You’re a trainer, aren’t you? Well then, surely you remember the rules; you stared me down and must therefore be willing to Battle. Draw your sword, infidel!”</em> the station guard challenged.<br><br><em>“I don’t have time for this. I need to get to Ecruteak. This dude is crazy!”</em> Mark dropped his bike and jumped backwards as the guard hopped over the station counter, cast his Pokeball out towards Mark’s groin. <br><em>“You break it, you buy it!”</em> the near-hit angered Mark and he was immediately thrust into “the zone.” <br><br><em>“You’re not getting through to Ecruteak unless you go through me!”</em> It appeared that the long hours sitting at a counter and greeting every passerby who was traveling to and from Ecruteak, had finally gotten to the Trainer guard. With the recent fear surrounding traveling around the Pokeworld, the man was most likely seeing less and less people daily. His pathetic existence consisted primarily of greeting trainers who entered the station and wishing them on their way. With that gone, what did the man have left? Not much. The loneliness had finally caused him to snap.<br><br><em>“Mantine, out! Let’s show this stooge why he was made for a desk job.”</em><br><br><em>“Wobbuffet! Come out!”</em> The trainer commanded.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>DemonLord FuriousPyro</strong> on <strong>23-04-2012, 04:21:18</strong>
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				Shar stopped abruptly at Amy's side as her younger siblings PokeNav played the voicemail left for her. Even after hearing it however Share still remained unenthusiastic about the up coming adventure. It was merely a chance to continue her training of Misdreavus as well as snag a few pokemon for both breeding and training. She remained silent as Amy spoke, having actually begun to ignore her sisters words. She only moved after Amy began to pedal off only to be cut off by Rocket minions. To which Shar had named 'tar&nbsp; bird's'. Another way for her to say dirty bird. "Unsurprising to encounter tar birds here. Lots of places to hide and wait for an ambush opportunity. As for taking my pokemon... If you manage to defeat me, I promise you Misdreavus wont be very cooperative."Shar's words are laced with a bold tone as Misdreavus gazed at the foes before it. Its large yellow ocules slowly began to glow with a hunger for fear. Fear it was looking foreword to inflict upon them. "Misdreavus, Grimer is ours. Attack with Psywave." She said without much of a shout, resting her forearms on the handlebars of her bicycle. Clearly not keen on the idea of wasting too much time on the grunts. She even allowed her gaze to travel from her pokemon, who was now unleashing a beam of psychic energy at the poison type. Her sharp eyes turned toward the edges of the clearing they now occupied. Seemingly putting on a cocky display when in fact she was scanning for anymore tar birds, or places that they could use to escape should the two have backup. All the while she kept her ears open to the battle nearby.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meliai</strong> on <strong>24-04-2012, 02:16:40</strong>
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				<div align="center"><strong>[Chansey, Route 14]</strong><br>(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/d/dc/Spr_3e_113.gif)</div><br><em>As Reilly pedaled down Route 15 and eventually reached Route 14, she spied a curious sight.<br><br>A wild Chansey, holding something lustrous and shiny. <br><em>"What's that Chansey holding in her arms,"</em> Reilly asked Echo.<br><br><em>"Cha-Chansey!"</em> the wild Chansey continued scurrying along Route 14, gripping the object in its arms tightly. The wild Pokemon was moving at a surprisingly fast pace and Reilly, who was visibly huffing and puffing, was even having trouble keeping up.<br><br><em>"What the hell is that Chansey doing?"</em> she asked herself, still biking after the pink Pokemon, almost as if some unseen force was driving her. <br><br>As Reilly continues her trek towards the Power Plant and Chansey, which were in the same direction, the Chansey scurries off towards the mountain range surrounding Lavender Town, still holding the unknown object. Reilly, now reaching Lavender's city outskirts, quickly realizes she had two choices: follow the strange Chansey and observe her or continue biking towards Lavender Town?</em><br><hr><div class="floatleft">(http://dl.dropbox.com/u/42499880/Elliquiy/Reilly01h.gif)&nbsp; &nbsp;</div> <div class="floatright">(http://dl.dropbox.com/u/42499880/Elliquiy/Echo_zubat.gif)</div><br><div align="center"><strong>[ Chasing Chansey ]<br>[ Reilly &amp; Echo ]</strong></div><br>Chanseys had been rare in the wild even before the purge, and this one was acting a bit odd. Reilly glanced back and forth between the road to her mother's house and the increasingly distant pokemon. She'd made up her mind a few scant seconds later; if she let the little pink creature out of her sight the curiosity would drive her absolutely mad. There were enough absurd rumors about the natives of Lavender Town without her losing her mind over something as silly as this.<br><br>Veering off the trail she followed after the rotund pink pokemon, marveling at how fast it could travel on those stumpy little legs. Navigating the more difficult terrain on her bike was a bit tricky, but still quicker than giving chase on foot. Snatching Echo's pokeball out of basket, Reilly released him once more. The Zubat chittered excitedly, swooping up and circling the air above her.<br><br>"Up front buddy!" Reilly called, waving ahead towards the Chansey heading into the mountains. "Keep an eye on her if she gets to far ahead, but <em>don't scare her</em>, got it?"<br><br>"Zuuuu...!"<br><br>"I know you don't have eyes damn it it's a figure of speech!"
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ember Star</strong> on <strong>24-04-2012, 07:28:15</strong>
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				<div align="center">Ilex Forest <br>Amy Kerensky and Snowball the Seel <br>(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/6/61/Spr_4d_086.png)</div> <br><br><em>It was with such luck that Team Rocket grunts were dumb. They of course fell for Amy's perkiness. Well less 'fell for' and more 'it confused the heck out of them'. Why wasn't this little pink haired girl running in fear? Or at least acting bitchy like the older girl? How could she just be so... so... friendly!? They just didn't understand it and (unfortunately for them) didn't have much time to wonder about it. <br><br>The battle didn't take long, one touch of that frosty beam and fainted the Zubat did. Causing the black bat-like Pokemon to fall to the ground covered in frost. The same went for the purple blob known as Grima. Its slimy brain just couldn't handle the physic move. <br><br>This caused the two grunts to look totally confused. How could they have been beaten in one move by mere children!? Or at least close to children!? <br>"This isn't over!" Grunt One said. <br>"Yeah, Team Rocket will always be flying above the rest!" Grunt Two said.<br>"We're meet again!" Grunt One said. <br>"And when we do..." Grunt Two said. <br>"Team Rocket will have their revenge!" Both Grunts said together!<br><br>And with that the two grunts returned their Pokemon to their pokeballs and took off into the woods. </em> <br><br>"Such sad little lives they lead..." Amy said as she watched them run off into the woods. "But they were no problem for us!"&nbsp; She said perkily. Snowball gave an agreeing "Se Seel!" <br><br>Amy started to get back on and ride her back on out of the forest, but instead, something caught her eye. Was that a tuff of brown fur hanging on the bush there? Could Team Rocket possibly have hurt another Pokemon. Amy couldn't leave without finding out. Being the kind and curious thing she is, she dropped her bike and walked over. Snowball followed closely behind her. <br><br>As she slowly lifted the branch of the bush, she let out a "Awwwww... poor thing! As she saw a sleeping and seemingly injured, baby Teddiursa there. Snowball came up slowly behind her and peered around with a soft "Seel...?" "Well we have to at least do something that'll help it." She said to herself more than anybody else there. Then started to dig around in her purse. Berries of course were plentiful in this day and time. With everything that has happened, they had been forgotten and allowed to grow. So it was easy for young trainers to get berries, even if they didn't work as well as medicines, they were still what medicines were made from.&nbsp; So she had a lot of berries. <br><br>She pulled a few blue berries known as Oran Berries, a berry known for its healing properties, and two purple berries known as Chesto Berries, a berry known for curing Sleep. She put all the berries down on the ground next to the sleeping Teddiursa except for one Chesto Berry. That one she squished between her fingers to release the aroma and then placed by the Teddiursa's nose, hoping the scent would awaken him. She then took several steps back and looked at where the Teddiursa was with a frown on her face. He was defenseless, so she didn't want to leave him, but she didn't want to linger too long here either, nor could she take him with her. "Sis, what should we do? What if those Rocket guys come back and find him?" She asked her sister 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>aya</strong> on <strong>24-04-2012, 20:11:16</strong>
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				<div align="center"><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="bbc_size"><strong>[Cinnabar Island Volcano]</strong></span><br><strong><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="bbc_size">[Audrey &amp; Slowpoke</span>]</strong><br>(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/5/56/Spr_3e_079_s.gif)<br></div><br>"Rhyhorn! Headbutt (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Headbutt)!" the Rocket grunt ordered. The powerful Rhyhorn charged forward at the command, but seemed to be fatigued from the battle with the Magmar. It was slightly disorientated, stumbling for a few moments as it tried to locate the Slowpoke. Audrey knew this was her chance to attack first, since a battle was unavoidable at this point. She seemed to change into a different person altogether as the battle started; even though Audrey still looked as lazy as ever, the young trainer had a smile on her face. Battling was one of the things that had made her become a trainer in the first place.<br><br>"Water gun (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Water_Gun_(move)), Pokey!" She cheered, knowing that Rhyhorn was a ground and rock type Pokemon. Water moves would be her best bet. Her Slowpoke looked as dopey as ever, opening its mouth. Audrey didn't know if he was yawning, or using water gun. Fortunately for her, a powerful stream of water gushed forward moments later, striking Rhyhorn square in the body. The jet of water was hot, from the temperature of the air, and steam rose from Rhyhorn's body as the water impacted. <br><br>Audrey knew Rhyhorn was already weakened, but it was possible he would still be able to battle even after being hit by a quadruple effect element. She waited to see if that was the case.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Acid</strong> on <strong>25-04-2012, 00:43:52</strong>
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				<div align="center"><strong>[Teddiursa, Ilex Forest]</strong><br>(http://[url=http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/5/5a/Spr_2c_216.gif]http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/5/5a/Spr_2c_216.gif[/url])</div><br>Awaking to the sound of foraged berries, the exhausted Teddiursa rubbed the sand from his eyes and spied two trainers, looking over him. Although nonthreatening, the Teddiursa’s feral survival instincts kick in. He decides the best method of survival is to find his mother. Teddiursa is unsure where his mother is or if she’s still among the living, but these two girls hovering above his cuteness remind him of his mother, Ursaring. <br><br><em>“Teddi-teddiursa?”</em> the Teddiursa asked inquisitively<br><br><em>“Teddiursa!”</em> he said once more as he ran up to the trainer with the Misdreavus and hugged her. The Teddiursa grabbed ahold of Shar’s leg and refused to unbind itself and let go. Teddiursa shared some familiar connection with the young women and decided to stay with them. For now.<br><br><em>“This Teddiursa isn’t going anywhere,”</em> Amy said as her and Shar began walking out of the forest, with the Teddiursa still on Shar’s leg. <br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>25-04-2012, 01:26:04</strong>
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				<div align="center">Cinnabar Island Volcano<br>Audrey and Slowpoke</div><br>The combination of the Rhyhorn being fatigued to the point where it can barely stand, combined with the fact that Slowpoke was hitting it with an attack that would deal 4 times regular damage, came out to the end result of the Rhyhorn collapsing before it could even begin it's attacking charge towards her slowpoke. The rock rhino collapsed, and the team rocket grunt behind it started to back away in fear. "Aah, That slowpoke is... it's..." Obviously, this particular grunt knew next to nothing about pokemon type advantages, all he saw was a blast of water putting his companion on the ground. "It's a monster!!! Rhyhorn return!!!" In yet another display of how inept a trainer he was, he actually manually ripped the pokeball open with his fingers, rather then push the button in the center first. This caused the entire pokeball to flare red for a few seconds before snapping in half, freeing the Rhyhorn from the rocket grunt. "Ack! This has not gone according to plan at all! I must run away and hope that the boss is able to forgive me!" With that, the grunt actively took a few steps back before sprinting out the door.<br><br>With the battle over, Dr. Fuji would step forward and adjust his glasses. "My, well that was exciting. Come, let's retrieve the samples and be gone before any more of those hoodlums come back. With that, he would walk by the unconscious Magmar and Rhyhorn, and begin to extract a rather large chunk of Cinnabar from the magma core. "Yes... this is exactly what we came here for... perfect..." During this time, Audrey could potentially remember that she had an empty pokeball in her pocket, and she could make her choice of capturing either the Magmar or the Rhyhorn. Which ever one she chose, it would be an extremely easy catch since the Pokemon couldn't resist at all.<br><br>Once the Cinnabar was extracted, and Audrey chose rather or not she wanted to catch one of the two Pokemon available, Fuji would lead the way out of the cave through the back door that the blue haired boy with the eye patch motioned to before. This would lead the two of them to a small and slick downhill slope that would be extremely hard to navigate back up, and out to a back entrance to the cave, only a few minute's walk away from the boat they used to get here.<br>"Hmm... So you were able to defeat that coward. I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised, he's the most inept person I've ever met in my life."<br><br>The blue haired boy in question, Maxim was his name, suddenly spoke, having been propped up against the side of the mountain by the back entrance.<br>"But just because you were able to defeat that inept child, that doesn't mean that you have talent. I may have been wrong about you though..."<br><br>He pulled himself off the wall, casting her a serious glance as he began to walk away.<br>"Become stronger. Because the next time that we meet, we are going to fight. If you're not ready when that day comes, your journey will end and your precious Pokemon will be mine."<br><br>With that, the blue haired boy was gone.<br><br>...<br><br><div align="center">Goldenrod city<br>Julian Arrowind</div><br>Julian had just caught his breath and took a few moments to feed his Dratini a couple of berries to help it recover from the battle, the paralysis taking priority in particular, before he made his way into town. Of course, as soon as he stepped inside, he found a cute little brunette girl, one of the former 'lass' trainers of the town Gym leader, handing him a letter before she went off about her own business. Curious, Julian opened it to find an invitation from Whitney to challenge the gym, since it was so long since she had a proper challenge from a fellow trainer. Julian smiled, Whitney had been a good person on the few instances where they met, though she was always a crybaby whenever she lost, something that traveling trainers in Blackthorn had a tendency to bring up.<br><br>Now he had something else to assess though. The sun was starting to set in Goldenrod, and the paths weren't even safe to navigate during the daytime. He did have to get to Mahogany town though... Eh... that could wait until tomorrow. Besides, it would be rude of him to decline the invitation of an old friend. With a confident nod, Julian made his way to the Gym to meet up with Whitney and give her the challenge that she deserved. Thankfully, after he gave Mac a once over to make sure that the little dragon worm would be okay, it seemed that he made a full recovery from the battle in the forest. Then again, the only thing that it really suffered was a lick, so there wasn't a whole lot of damage done.<br><br>Julian stepped into Goldenrod's Gym, looking around to see how the layout might have changed, and what awaited him inside.
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Acid</strong> on <strong>25-04-2012, 01:33:38</strong>
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				<div align="center"><strong>[Mark &amp; Mantine, Ecruteak City Guard Station]</strong> -&gt; <strong>[Route 35]</strong><br><strong>[(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/3/3b/Spr_3e_226_s.gif)] vs. [(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/4/43/Spr_BW_Gentleman.png)&amp;(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/d/d1/Spr_4h_202_m.png)]</strong></div><br><em>“Wobbuffet! Come out!”</em> The trainer commanded.<br>Out popped a very awkward-looking Pokemon. The cyan slimy creature could have easily passed for a Water Pokemon, although there’s something strange about this one. “Eww…what is that?”<br><br><em>“Wobba!”</em> the Wobbuffet introduced itself. Mark had never seen a Wobbuffet up close. Especially this close, as he flicked Mantine’s Pokeball at the guard, hitting him right between the brows, Mantine burst out from the bolt of crimson energy and materialized behind the Wobbuffet.<br><em>“I hate newbie trainers like you, always thinking you’re the shit! When was the last time you actually won a battle?!”</em> the visibly unstable man belted at Mark, not noticing that his Wobbuffet was about to get smacked.<br><br><em>“Mantine, Bubble Beam his ass!”</em> Shooting a spray of sea foam and pressurized water, Mantine ejected the Bubble Beam in the guard trainer’s direction.<br><br><em>“I meant use the Bubble Beam on his Pokemon, Mantine…Not on him!”</em> Mark noticed the guard wringing out his clothes and asked him.<em> “Shouldn’t you introduce yourself? Isn’t that the formality Trainers are supposed to adhere to when battling?”</em> Mark attempted to keep the Battling tradition alive in his own little way. <br><br><em>“Who am I? Who am I?! You clearly don’t know greatness when it stands before you. I am <strong>Guard General Antonio Rivalmello</strong>, the head of all the Guard Stations across Johto.”</em> The man proudly stated, puffing out his chest in the process.<br><br><em>“Oh…ok, I thought you were actually someone important. Thanks for clearing that up though. I’m Mark. Now that we’ve got the formalities out of the way, I’ve wasted enough time with you. I’ve got a Radio Tower to save. Mantine, let’s make quick work of this fool and his stupid looking Pokemon!”</em> Mark commanded. <em>"Wobbuffet!"</em><br><br><em>“WHAT?! You’ll pay for this. You won’t forget the name, Antonio Rivalmello!” </em><br><em>“Mantine,”</em> the manta said as it got “in the zone.” <br><em>“Give him a Supersonic!”</em> Mantine directed the Supersonic waves at Wobbuffet’s head.<br><br><em>“Wobba-fett!”</em> the Psychic Pokemon’s mental strength rendered the Supersonic useless.<br><em>“Now you got him, Wobbuffet! Counter! (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Counter_(move))”</em> the Wobbuffet came charging at Mantine, pinning him against the wall and pummeling him. “Get out of there, Mantine!” Mark yelled at his buddy, who proceeded to slither out of Wobbuffet’s grip. Being naturally wet and slimy may seem like a disadvantage, but not in times like this. <br><br><em>“Alright, let’s wake him up by dumping some water on his head. Mantine, finish him off with Bubble Beam!”<br>“Mantine!”</em> the flying manta aimed his stream right at Wobbuffet’s head, causing the Pokemon to step back two feet and collapse right there. <em>“Tackle him, Mantine!” </em>Mantine proceeded to beat the knocked-out horse, Wobbuffet. <br><br><em>“Game over, Antonio.”</em> Mark didn’t add a further word as he withdrew his Mantine into its Pokeball home and climbed onto his bike, zipping through Ecruteak City and Route 36 in about 20 minutes, he passed the National Park and arrived on Route 35. <br>Still wringing the Bubble Beam out of his clothes, Antonio Rivalmello cursed in Mark’s direction; <strong><em>“You’ll pay for this one day, Mark. This isn’t the last you’ve heard of Antonio Rivalmello!” </em></strong>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>25-04-2012, 02:17:23</strong>
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				<div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?action=profile;u=32504">Quote from: Acid on 25-04-2012, 02:01:16</a></div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote"><div align="center"><strong>[Goldenrod City Gym]<br>[Picknicker Juliette]</strong><br>(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/7/71/DP_Picnicker.png)</div><br>As Julian steps into the Goldenrod City Gym, he notices the interior looking much more forlorn than in the photos he saw of the gym's past. The Gym, dilapidated and falling apart, had a hole in the roof that lit a single narrow walkway. The light-pink tile of the floor looked like it hadn't been given a good scrub in a long while. At the end of the walkway, Whitney was watching TV.<br><br><br><em>"Oh my! Another trainer! If you wanna get to Whitney, you'll have to get through me. Name's Juliette. Don't hold back."</em> the young woman dressed in outdoor gear summoned her Pokemon:<br><div class="spoiler_container"><div onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button" class="spoiler_header">Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide</div><div class="spoiler_body">(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/c/cd/Spr_4p_036_s.png)<br><br><em>"Clef."</em> the Pokemon said, fixing its hair. <br><br><em>"Clef, let's have fun! Metronome, now! (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Metronome_(move))"</em><br><br>Before Mac had a chance to defend, the Clefable put her hands together and called upon her Metronome. <br><br><em>"Ah, let's see what Clef conjured up."</em> A gale of snow and wind violently blew in Julian and his Dratini's direction. Just what Juliette needed - an Icy Wind (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Icy_Wind_(move)) Juliette knew that few attacks would be super effective against the Dragon Pokemon, but Clef managed to pick one of the few attacks out of her Metronome repertoire which would be particularly effective against Mac. <br><br>Not quite frozen in place, but in shock and pain from the subzero shift in temperature, Mac's agility and speed suffered greatly. <br><br><em>"Not off to a good start, eh?"</em> </div></div></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br>Julian was left in a state of disbelief as the Clefable came out of left field and started things off with an ice attack that actually slowed down Dratini quite a bit. To be honest, that was already getting extremely frustrating to Julian, since Dratini was already an extremely unimpressive Pokemon by it's own right, but it's opponents seemed absolutely obsessed with debuffing it as much as possible, not that the picnicker knew that Icy wind would be the first move used, but that didn't make it any less frustrating to the fledgling trainer. "Grr... She's not the only one that can slow down her opponents and break the momentum! Come on Mac, show her your Thunder wave (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Thunder_Wave) and even up the odds!" <br><br>Mac would comply, sending the familiar jets of electricity towards Clefable with the intent on paralyzing it. If that succeeded, Julian would quickly echo commands while the Clefable was hopefully paralyzed. That thing was already going to have enough of an edge on Dratini simply from being an evolved Pokemon, he couldn't spare it any quarter. "Alright Dratini, wrap (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Wrap) that Clefable and go on the offensive!" Dratini, again, would comply by moving forward and attempting to coil it's body around Clefable, applying as much pressure as it could by squeezing inward on the fairy Pokemon.<br><br>Of course, if the Thunder wave missed or failed, then Julian would have much bigger issues on his hands then just what attack would go next, as that would mean that Clefable would likely end up winning the fight.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Acid</strong> on <strong>25-04-2012, 15:26:28</strong>
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				<div align="center"><strong>[Chansey, Route 14</strong><br>(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/d/dc/Spr_3e_113.gif)</div><br><em><strong>"Cha..Chansey?"</strong></em> Chansey felt as if she was being followed. She looked around, but was unable to see Reilly in the distance or Zubat hovering several meters overhead. The plump pink Pokemon shrugged and set off towards Saffron City, away from Lavender, still unable to shake the feeling that she was being followed. <br><br><br><div align="center"><strong>[Goldenrod City Gym]<br>[Picknicker Juliette &amp; Clef]</strong><br>(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/7/71/DP_Picnicker.png)(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/c/cd/Spr_4p_036_s.png)</div><br>Unable to dodge the incoming jolt of energy, a numbing shock of electricity stiffened the Clefable's muscles.<br><br><em>"Clef! Shake it off!"</em> the flustered Juliette requested. <br><em>"Cl...ef..."</em> the Clefable had some mobility, but each movement felt like she was covered in pounds of maple syrup. Trying desperately to shake herself out of it, Clef might have managed if the Dratini wasn't wrapped around her waist.<br><br><em>"Clef!"</em><br><br><em>"Now you got him, Clef. Let's Sing (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Sing_(move)) to him!"</em><br>Like a chanteuse, the Clefable used what little vocals she was able to summon, to lull her assailant into slumber. Dratini, who at this time was wrapped around Clef's body, became limp and fell to the floor, asleep, in a single loud "thud." <br><br><em>"Clef."</em> The increasingly-less-paralyzed Clef began to style her hair - the Dratini had screwed it up. However, Clef wasn't entirely out of the woods yet; Juliette approximated 2 turns before Clef would be entirely free from her paralyzed status. <br><br><em>"Clef, wake him up with a Double Slap! (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/DoubleSlap_(move))"</em> Juliette commanded and observed her fashionable Clefable, frozen in place. <br><br><em>"Shit."&nbsp; </em><br><br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>25-04-2012, 16:05:29</strong>
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				<div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=137481.msg6186750#msg6186750">Quote from: Acid on 25-04-2012, 15:26:28</a></div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote"><br><div align="center"><strong>[Goldenrod City Gym]<br>[Picknicker Juliette &amp; Clef]</strong><br>(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/7/71/DP_Picnicker.png)(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/c/cd/Spr_4p_036_s.png)</div><br>Unable to dodge the incoming jolt of energy, a numbing shock of electricity stiffened the Clefable's muscles.<br><br><em>"Clef! Shake it off!"</em> the flustered Juliette requested. <br><em>"Cl...ef..."</em> the Clefable had some mobility, but each movement felt like she was covered in pounds of maple syrup. Trying desperately to shake herself out of it, Clef might have managed if the Dratini wasn't wrapped around her waist.<br><br><em>"Clef!"</em><br><br><em>"Now you got him, Clef. Let's Sing (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Sing_(move)) to him!"</em><br>Like a chanteuse, the Clefable used what little vocals she was able to summon, to lull her assailant into slumber. Dratini, who at this time was wrapped around Clef's body, became limp and fell to the floor, asleep, in a single loud "thud." <br><br><em>"Clef."</em> The increasingly-less-paralyzed Clef began to style her hair - the Dratini had screwed it up. However, Clef wasn't entirely out of the woods yet; Juliette approximated 2 turns before Clef would be entirely free from her paralyzed status. <br><br><em>"Clef, wake him up with a Double Slap! (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/DoubleSlap_(move))"</em> Juliette commanded and observed her fashionable Clefable, frozen in place. <br><br><em>"Shit."&nbsp; </em></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br><div align="center">Goldenrod Gym<br>Julian &amp; Mac</div><br>Thankfully, Mac was able to shake off his drowsiness the moment that his head hit the floor with that large thunking sound. At first Julian was concerned that this would be detrimental to the Dratini, however, Mac simply shot Clefable a frustrated Leer (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Leer_(move)) before bouncing backwards a safe distance away. Of course, rather or not Clefable actually made eye contact with Mac had yet to be determined, so that Lear could potentially have fallen on unnoticing ears and been completely pointless. For now though, Julian knew that he had to keep the offensive up. Seeing his opportunity as the Clefable was paralyzed, he extended his hand outwards. "Alright, Mac, hit her with your Twister (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Twister_(move))!" Since Twister was a dragon type attack, Julian was confident that it would automatically deal more damage then just Mac wrapping around her. Still, Twister was far from the most impressive Dragon type attack in the world. Sure, it was a good fundamental, but the moment that Mac learned Dragon rage would be a good day for Julian. For now though, he'd just make do with the techniques that he had, and Twister was about the most powerful attack in his arsenal.<br><br>Just like before, Mac's eyes glowed blue and the blast of dragon wind from before started to appear beneath Clefable's feet. Julian was hoping that since this attack was strong enough to at least make an Ursaring flinch, that it would deal concrete damage to the Clefable. Of course, if this didn't work, then Julian would have absolutely no idea what he could do. Mac only knew four techniques, and he was fairly sure that the small dragon worm was already starting to get tired. And this was the gateway that would let him just challenge the gym leader? Just what would Whitney have in store for him if he even made it to her? Would he even really stand a chance?<br><br>No... If he couldn't take on one gym, if he couldn't beat these odds, then he could never reform the world. He'd fight to the best of his ability, and if his determination leaked through into Mac, he was confident that nothing could stop them.<br><br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>DemonLord FuriousPyro</strong> on <strong>28-04-2012, 03:25:31</strong>
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				Shar could feel the warmth of the young bear pokemon upon her leg as she waddled through the forest. Having stored her bike within her bag as she, Amy and Misdreavus continued upon their path. Strange she thought that the Teddiursa had attached itself to her of all people present. Amy, the more enthusiastic of the two, normally drew pokemon to her like a magnet. Its clinging however annoying due to it hindering her mobility, slowly began to draw Shar's attention. Occasionally she would glance down at the creature with her empty sharp dark brown eyes. As the child would look up at her she would quickly glance ahead. Prompting Teddiursa to rub its cheeks on Shar's leg. <br>"Are we really doing this right now? Taking a Ursang baby from its habitat?" She spoke more so to herself than to Amy. If the mother was among the living and hadn't been captured she would surely pursue the babies scent. Which could spell trouble for the sisters. Perhaps Shar more so than Amy. Then again, if they were to reach their true destination before such a meeting then perhaps the raging mother could help in clearing out the Pokemon surrounding the building. A risky situation either way however. Despite her cold outlook she didn't want the Pokemon to get hurt chasing after them or even captured. Nonetheless Shar would chose to keep the Teddiursa for now. Training it would be a different matter. As far as she could tell, it was just a companion for now. Confused while being left alone in this gritty world. Much like Shar in a earlier period in her life. Memories of which are long forgotten to her. Only the scars of such remain.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ember Star</strong> on <strong>30-04-2012, 23:55:26</strong>
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				<div align="center">Ilex Forest <br>Amy Kerensky and Snowball the Seel <br>(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/6/61/Spr_4d_086.png)</div> <br><br>Amy had put her own bike up and left Snowball out of her pokeball. The lumbering, young Seel wouldn't slow them down if they were walking. Well, if you could call it walking. Amy giggled at her sister's expense for most of the walk through the forest. She couldn't help it, it was funny. The adorable baby Pokemon clinging to her sister's leg, causing Shar to walk with an awkward gate. Some people might wonder why the the Pokemon chose the older of the two girls, but Amy was pretty sure she knew why. From what she knew of Ursarings, they were fierce, dangerous, somewhat cold, and very protective. Exactly like Shar. This had to be why the baby chose the older sister, she reminded the Teddiursa of its fierce mother.<br><br>As they reaches the edge of the forest, the neatly paved Route 34 stretched out before them with Goldenrod City in the distance, and the soft sounds of ocean waves and smell of salt water to their right. Amy shrugged. "He doesn't seem to be letting go any time soon, and we shouldn't go back. Maybe those Rocket Grunts captured or killed his mother. Maybe not. Either way, he's with us. We can stop by the Pokemon Daycare Center on way and ask their advice. One way or the other, the only way is forward." And with a big smile, she took the first step into Route 34. Certainly not her first step ever, but her first step into the Route in what she felt would a great adventure&nbsp; 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Pokemon] I Wanna Be The Very Best! [IC]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>aya</strong> on <strong>02-05-2012, 09:06:15</strong>
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				<div align="center"><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="bbc_size"><strong>[Cinnabar Island]</strong></span><br><strong><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="bbc_size">[Audrey &amp; Slowpoke</span>]</strong><br>(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/5/56/Spr_3e_079_s.gif)<br></div><br>Audrey would have normally celebrated her victory in battle, but the heat of the volcano was ruining her mood enough for her to disregard the win. As the Rhyhorn fell to the ground from a devastating water attack, Pokey immediately yawned and went back to sleep. <br><br>"Yes... this is exactly what we came here for... perfect..." Fuji muttered as he extracted the Cinnabar. The rocky stuff didn't look all that appealing to Audrey, even after the doctor's talk of its importance. Nevertheless, she was glad the researcher got what he needed.<br><br>"Super. Can we go?" She groaned, on the verge of passing out. Audrey recalled Slowpoke to his pokeball, and promptly bolted for the exit, ignoring the fallen pokemon. The young trainer couldn't help but feel like a part of something important now, but she was too hot to care. Audrey and Fuji made their way down the back slope, the air cooling down rapidly as the descended. As the two of them emerged into the open air, Audrey took a deep breath, before sighing in relief. In her moment of bliss, she completely missed the blue-haired boy from before.<br><br>"Hmm... So you were able to defeat that coward. I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised, he's the most inept person I've ever met in my life."<br><br>The blue haired boy in question, Maxim was his name, suddenly spoke, having been propped up against the side of the mountain by the back entrance.<br><br>"But just because you were able to defeat that inept child, that doesn't mean that you have talent. I may have been wrong about you though. Become stronger. Because the next time that we meet, we are going to fight. If you're not ready when that day comes, your journey will end and your precious Pokemon will be mine."<br><br>"I don't wanna!" Audrey pouted, at the thought of all that. Her words were only heard by Dr. Fuji though, Maxim already long gone. <br><br><hr><br>The pair eventually found themselves back to Cinnabar Town, Dr. Fuji with a beaming smile and Audrey looking disheveled and exhausted. The bulbasaur hat had returned to her head, providing welcomed protection from the bright sun. <br><br>"So what now, Fufu?" Audrey asked, using the nickname she had created for the researcher. "I wanna shower.."
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