Battlegrounds : A Pokémon Role-Play { Closed } - Day Two: On the Road to Jade Forest

[SkyeNeko]

Specks

She wrote out his nickname with a flourish, quite pleased that he trusted her with it. There was just one problem she had with "Ice Queen".
Ice queen, n.: a cold and haughty woman.
Below that, she wrote Me, and an arrow pointing to the nickname. She knew he didn't think she was cold, or haughty, having given his reasoning earlier, but she didn't want to be called that around other people. And if she couldn't be called that around other people, what was the use? Instead, she wrote out Snow on the whiteboard. It did accurately describe her and wouldn't cause any confusion.

Eurydice suddenly realized that her Ponyta had stuck her head under a chair. She couldn't see what it was, but quickly brought her fingers to her mouth and let out a short, sharp whistle to call it. When the pokemon trotted back, she lightly smacked her nose, then shook her head. She pulled out a card that said NO in big letters, showing it to her.

Ponyta sniffed the odd ball, snorting at it. It smelled like soup. She couldn't get her head any further in to get at it. It smacked her nose. It didn't hurt: it was pretty small. Still, it was enough to get Ponyta to whinny, and try harder to get under the chair.
"FWEEEEEET!"
She snorted again, finally retreating back to Eurydice. It still glanced occasionally at the Gulpin.

 

[CounterAttack]

"Alright! Onwards!" Alix chipped in with a laugh as the four got on their way towards Professor Willow's Lab. Roughly ten minutes later, they arrived outside the aforementioned building. The outside was painted in red and cream, so it resembled a Pokémon Center, but it was larger, for one thing, and had far more windows. If anything the Lab looked like a cross between a Pokémon Center and either an office building or the Hoenn Weather Institute. The words "Willow Pokémon Research Lab" were emblazoned on a sign above the double-door entrance.

Alix led the way into the lobby, and was pleasantly surprised to find a good number of Trainers already there, along with almost as many Pokémon wandering around. She headed up to the reception desk to find a sign telling them to wait until Professor Willow was ready to meet them. Giving the receptionist a nod of hello, she turned back to the others.

"Well... I guess we wait for a while then," she commented before looking down to Matti. "Okay, mister, you can go say hi to people now. Just be careful, and stay where I can see you, kay?" She doubted the Togepi would listen to her, but she set him down on the floor anyway. The instant she let go he dashed off to look at the big - by comparison - fiery-looking Pokémon that Alix didn't recognise.

"Togeh!" Matti curiously poked at the Pokémon's hoof before he ran away to investigate the large Pokémon that resembled a dragonfly.

 

[Mr. Omega]

"Huh? So that's where he went off to...' he said, seeing Munchie just as he hit the Ponyta on the nose. "Munchie! Don't be rude! Say you're sorry." He turned back to Heidi "Yeah, he doesn't do well with bigger pokemon at least not until he gets to know them..."

Munchie went over to the Ponyta, nudging her hoof with his arm, trying to shake it to say he was sorry. Gulpin... "That's better." Russel said, turning back to the others. Munchie then turned to Yanma, once again extending out its pudgy little arm in a welcominging manner. Gul?

Russel then noticed the next batch of trainers coming over. "We seem to have quite a few trainers getting ready for the Gensia League... That professor better hurry up..." he said, sitting up straight and offering a chair to the new arrivals. "Oi. New applicants, I take it?"

Munchie noticed the little egg walking over to them, right behind Yani and near Ponyta. He gave it a inquisitive look, but turned back to Yani. Pin.

 

[elementsoul]

"Tin foil, a strong dye kit, and a lot of my mom's help. I?m not sure how I?m going to be able to keep the colour while taking on the challenge without her help, but I?m sure I?ll figure something out." Erika answered Heidi. Erika shifted her focus to other trainers? Pokémon currently interacting on the ground. ?Should I let Burtha out as well?? Erika thought before giving herself an internal headshake. ?It would be bad if one of the trainers in here had food on them and she took a dive for them.

Just then another group of trainers entered the Research Lab. Much like the people already in the waiting room, this group seemed to look very diverse as well. It took a second before she saw it, but the Elekid with one of the people sent a line of visible panic across Erika?s face. A dull throbbing became present across the lightning flower one her back and neck. Erika?s body became completely tense.

 

[Tortilla the Hun]

Caleb trailed behind the group the whole time, not saying much and generally keeping to himself. He saw the expansiveness of the city and was amazed at the height of the buildings as they drew nearer, almost giving himself vertigo as peered upwards. By the time they arrived at their destination, Spike had already taken a place behind Caleb's head, nestling himself atop the large, full backpack. When they all had shuffled into the waiting room, the lanky teen felt even more out of place with the number of trainers and Pokémon present. Spike was visibly excited as he stood on his makeshift perch and peered around Caleb's head, clutching its sides with his claws as he did so.

"Gah!" Caleb exclaimed, feeling the sudden pinch of claws above his ears. "Spike, ease up, will ya?"

The Elekid paid little heed as he held a firm grasp, too lost in his curiosity and forcing Caleb to pry his arms loose. The Trainer adjusted his glasses shortly before glazing over the others in the quaint room. He noticed a girl with short brown hair with an interesting shade of red all along the fringes seemingly fixated on Spike, though rather than an expression of interest it appeared as if she was greatly concerned, almost frozen in place. Caleb, uncertain of just what to make of this only gave a small and smiled shyly, struggling to maintain eye contact as his minimal reserves of social confidence waned at an alarming rate.

 

[Pm0n3y]

Morgan gave a grin as Eurydice wrote down his nickname in a extravagant-yet-elegant fashion. Seeing it written down made him reminisce a bit, back to the past months he'd spent in boot camp. He was broken from his memories as he watched the young mute have a small frown accompany a gesture she indicated through the means of her whiteboard.

"She doesn't like Ice Queen, I'm guessing?" He thought as he looked on. He found his assumptions to be correct as she written and presented a new suggestion, a simply put 'Snow'. Morgan almost couldn't believe his eyes at the simplicity of it.

"That's perfect. What didn't I think of that? Maybe I should stop over thinking these types of things." He replied. He began cycling through the possible variations of such a name, but paused as Eurydice emitted the shrillest of whistles. Following the act, Morgan watched endearingly as the young trainer disciplined her Ponyta. He couldn't help but chuckle at the strangely adorableness of the whole thing. And just as he turned his attention away from the two, even more trainers had entered the research center. The waiting area was certainly starting to become cramped and loud as people talked over other people. He performed a inconspicuous headcount as he watched a Togepi excitedly skitter along the ground.

"Whoa, that's just as rare as a Ponyta...I wonder who it belongs to." He muttered as he began surveying faces, hoping he could match the trainer to the pok&#233mon.

 

[NeoAC]

Robyn should have expected that there would be quite a few trainers tempted to the islands by the prizes offered by the League, but she didn't expect the lobby of the lab to be as packed as it was. People and Pokemon filled the room, and some of them looked imposing. The Ponyta for one, looked like it could stomp Nina into the dirt with ease. The Yanma flitting around the area, could probably scoop her up and drop her like nothing. That...blobby looking thing...Gulpin, that's it. That Gulpin could probably eat Nina. The type matchups in Robyn's mind told her that head to head, she and Nina would be in trouble early.

Nina didn't seem to mind though. the bright lights and various sights of the lab had snapped her out of her trance-induced trance. She started bouncing up and down in Robyn's arms again, towards the other Pokemon. Her new friend had already been allowed to join them.

Robyn looked down at the energetic Grass-type. "All right, fine. You can go play with them. Just be careful and don't get too close to that Ponyta's flames, OK?"

"Peti!" Nina smiled at her trainer.

Robyn put Nina down on the ground and she moved as well as she could on her stubby legs to where the other Pokemon seemed to be gathering. Nina looked over at where the Pokemon from earlier was, but something about the fluttering Pokemon above gave her pause. It was too much like them. Instead, she wandered over to the similarly colored thing under the chair. "Lillil!" she offered in greeting.

Robyn meanwhile looked over the other trainers in the room. Apart from the people she already met, they all seemed like potential threats...except for one guy in the corner. He was dressed shabbily, and the hair was a bit messed up, but he looked somewhat familiar. Have I seen that guy before?...I can't tell... Still trying to figure out if she was just experiencing some weird deja vu or not, she hung around her established group while waiting to see if they would be able to meet with this Willow person before too long.

 

[RBMidknight]

"Saaandile..." Dune's curious cry was partially blocked by leaves and the sounds of nearby bird Pokemon. Elias couldn't see them from his current vantage point, which was halfway up the tallest tree he could find, but they sounded uncomfortably close. Taking a solid hold of the branch in front of him Elias leaned down to reassure his Pokemon.

"I'll be right back. I just want to make sure we're going in the right direction. Keep an eye on the pack, okay?"

"Dile. San." Dune made a wide circle around the tree, sniffing the ground and nudging aside some of the fallen leaf layer. When the Pokemon was satisfied that the ground was trustworthy he lay down with his tail curled around the pack.

"North is...that way. And I'm supposed to be going...this way. Huh. Well there it is." Sunlight reflected off of the many windows of the building making it practically a beacon. Elias recognized half of a Pokeball though part of it was obscured by the tree in front of him. His goal accomplished Elias began climbing back down the tree.

"Pidge!" A cloud of feathers suddenly filled Elias' field of vision. One of the bird had found him at last. Squawking loudly the irritated Pidgey beat Elias with its wings.

"Hey! Ow. Back off. Shoo!" Elias swung a hand at the bird but it darted out of reach. "Pidge. Gey. Gey" Unsatisfied with his rate of descent Pidgey began diving at the trainer's head. "I'm leaving, I'm leaving." Elias grumbled. He reached blindly for the next lowest branch.

The branch he chose was thinner than he thought. With a loud crack the branch gave way, sending Elias tumbling to the ground "San!" Dune burrowed under the leaves and dirt in frantic scramble to get out of the way. "Woah!"

"Ow." Elias rolled towards the road, away from the tree. "Pheh." Once he'd spit out a few leaves he checked his clothing and gear. "Shirt. Shorts. No holes. No rips." He had some new mud streaks on his socks and left shorts leg but no permanent damage. "Well", Elias observed while brushing leaves and was that a feather from his shirt, "I call that a successful scouting trip. Let's go."

"Di-" Dune's slow response faded as he disappeared into a beam of red light. Elias pocketed the Pokeball and jogged towards the building he'd spotted from the tree.

He arrived only slightly out of breath and leaned against the door before pulling it open. The front desk clerk seemed busy but spared a glance and pointed finger for Elias. "...waiting area." Elias read the indicated sign aloud. Easy enough. Hooking his thumb through the carabiner attacked to his belt loop the trainer entered the waiting area.

 

[Mr. Omega]

Gulpin managed to greet all the other Pokemon when a new one came forward. He walked over to the energetic little green plant, extending his arm towards her. Guplin. He was glad to get to be seeing all these new Pokemon. After seeing almost nothing but Zigzagoon, Poochyena and Tailow during his and Russel's time going around Hoenn, it was nice to see some more friendly Pokemon.

Russel noticed another new trainer walking this way. "Geez, how many more are there going to be? And what's taking the professor so long?"

 

[Lambi]

Yani wasn't entirely sure what the Gulpin meant by extending his arm, but she flew down to grab it with her legs. "Yan!" Yay! She flew back up a little to hover above Munchie. She then noticed a new Pokémon arriving, along with another one. Seemed there were more people there now, so in Yani's mind that meant more friends to play with. She flew over to the Togepi and landed briefly on it's head. That seemed to be fun for her. She flew up again and flew over to the other new Pokémon she had no idea what was, but was eager to know. "Yan, yan! Yan yan?" Hello, friend! What kind of Pok&#233mon are you? she asked the Petilil.

"Heh, I see. Well, maybe with time, he'll be comfortable around other new and bigger Pokémon." Heidi giggled after her response to Russel, then adjusted her glasses on her nose before turning back to Erika. "Ah, I see, I see. I'm sure you'll find some way."

It seemed to be getting lively in there as she noticed more people arriving inside the lab building. One of them had a Togepi, a rare Pokémon to see. Another of them had another Pokémon she didn't recognize, just like Sam's Pidove. She wondered if the girl and her Pokémon both were from Unova like Sam and Willow, but she'd have time to ask later. Another guy entered after the small group of people, making for a lot of people and Pokémon now inside there. After taking a look at the new people, she again looked back towards Eurydice, who seemed to be having fun with the guy who thought her Ponyta's name was Heidi. She giggled at the thought of that and hoped he'd learned her name. Maybe she was a little rude earlier. Well, she'd apologize after they'd meet Professor Willow.

 

[NeoAC]

Nina tapped appendages with the her new friend under the chair, as the Pokemon she spotted earlier came flying in. Again, Nina was a little timid around her, due to some similarities the Bug-type shared with some other Pokemon she knew, but when she spoke, she seemed friendly enough.

"Pet...petilillil. Peti. Petilil. Lil! Um, hi...kind of pokemon. I dunno really. I can grow though. Watch! Nina concentrated on using her Growth move and got slightly bigger. "Lil!"See!

 

[CounterAttack]

Once Jason directed the latest Trainer to the seats and benches, he quickly tapped out the last sentence of the email he was working on, fired it off and turned his attention to the crowd of Trainers and Pokémon in the room. Eleven now stood or sat, talking to one another. That seemed like a decent enough number. Professor Willow liked to speak to roughly a dozen at a time.

A brief call later, the door marked 'To Laboratories' opened and Kayla Willow stepped through, emitting a loud, "Ahem," to get everyone's attention. "Professor Willow is ready to see you all now. Gather your Pokémon and follow me to Laboratory One," she instructed. A short trip through a hallway later, the eleven Trainers, and some of their Pokémon, were standing before Gensia's Pokémon Professor. Professor Willow shared her dark - though ever so slightly greying - hair, slightly pointed ears and Caucasian skin with her daughter. She wore a full-length white lab coat, hair wound up in a bun, thick gloves and black-framed glasses.

"Welcome to my Research Lab, Pokémon Trainers. I am Professor Willow; you've met my daughter Kayla," she formally introduced the two of them. "Here in Aquamar City, I study two major subjects. First, how Pokémon adapt to their environments in order to survive. Which leads me to the second: the differences between Gensia and other regions, both in terms of Pokémon and otherwise."

"Mother often corresponds with other regions, asking them to send over specimens for examination. She compares them to species found here to see how they are different," Kayla explained.

The Professor nodded. "In addition, my occupation as a Professor places me in charge of starting your journey here in Gensia. I have here a Pokédex for each of you, as well as six Poké Balls each as an introductory gift for everyone." She indicated the table laden with miniaturised Poké Balls and larger handheld devices. Alix led the way to collect one of the Pokédexes, as well as accepting the gift of the Poké Balls even though she already had eleven.

The Gensia Pokédex was a small creation, slightly larger than a mobile phone. Light blue and grey in colour, and rectangular in shape, it featured a panel that Alix flipped open to reveal two screens. They blinked into life when she pressed the power button, and one of the two quickly displayed new information when she pointed the small camera on the back of the device at Matti, onto whom she was still holding.

[table border=2]
[tr]
[td rowspan=7]

[/td]
[td]#175: Togepi[/td]
[td]Spike Ball Pokémon[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td colspan=2]

[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Height: 1'00" / 0.3 m.[/td]
[td]Weight: 3.3 lbs. / 1.5 kg.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Ability: Serene Grace[/td]
[td](Moves used by this Pokémon are more likely to cause additional effects.)[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td colspan=2]Moves: Growl, Charm, Extrasensory, Metronome[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td colspan=2].[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td colspan=2]It transforms the kindness and joy of others into happiness, which it stores in its shell.[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]

After a couple of minutes, everyone had collected a Pokédex and some Poké Balls. Professor Willow spoke up again. "Alright. It looks like you're set to head on out... the next order of business should be where to start you off. Kayla, which would you recommend? Jenna at Chalcedon City, or Barrett's Gym in Kalita?"

"Barrett's the more accepting of the two, as I remember," Kayla commented. "Besides, Jenna might be a bit much for newer Trainers. For a Gym Leader, she's a bit harsh. Especially on the rookies these days, from what I've heard."

The older Willow nodded, taking her daughter's counsel into account. "Alright. Trainers, we recommend that your first Gym challenge be that of Kalita City, southeast of here. You'll have to cross the bridge to the mainland, then turn south and follow Route Two to the City. You might also want to stop off at Lazuli Town and Lake Lapis, where you might find some Water Pokémon to add to your individual teams."

"Of course, Mother forgets to mention Route One just outside Aquamar," Kayla chipped in.

"And with that, I believe our business here is about ready to wrap up. Kayla, be a dear and show everyone the way to the bridge," the Professor instructed. "If anyone has any questions, my daughter is a good person to ask. I wish you all luck on your journey."

Kayla led the way to the door from which the group had come, everyone soon following her out of the room, and subsequently out of the Lab and into the street. "Right. This way, everyone," she stated, beckoning to the younger Trainers as she made her way towards the city gates.

 

[NeoAC]

When ushered into the lab, Robyn was just expecting another bull examination just to confirm she could be a trainer and and to be sent on her way. It was a pleasant surprise when Willow gave them a fresh batch of Pokeballs as well as a shiny new piece of technology with them. It looked like her mom's old cell phone that she had been using for the past nine years. She popped up the flip screen and Nina jostled a little bit in her arms at the action.

"Nina, come on," Robyn said as she tried to get the Plant-type under control. In the process, the Pokedex turned onto her only Pokemon.

[table border=2]
[tr]
[td rowspan=7]

[/td]
[td]#548: Petilil[/td]
[td]Bulb Pokémon[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td colspan=2]

[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Height: 1'08" / 0.5 m.[/td]
[td]Weight: 14.6 lbs. / 6.6 kg.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Ability: Own Tempo[/td]
[td](Prevents the Pokemon from being confused.)[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td colspan=2]Moves: Absorb, Growth[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td colspan=2].[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td colspan=2]The leaves on its head are very bitter. Eating one of these leaves is said to refresh a tired body.[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]

"Huh. I guess that's why someone tried to take a bite out of you, Nina," Robyn noted. "Would have thought it would grow back by now though..." There was no time to dwell on that though. The group was being led outside.

Being back out in the main part of the city again was just like being at home for Robyn. Granted, Aquamar had nothing on Castelia's scrapers, but still it was an imposing city nonetheless. However, the main attraction at the moment would be the tour guide. Willow said she was someone to ask about things, so Robyn was going to do just that to try and get a leg up on the competition.

"So, Kayla," she started as she walked up next to Willow's daughter. "Let's say one of us does well enough in this League to get up to the top guns around here. The Elite 4, or the equivalent, I guess. Maybe even the Champion. What sort of Pokemon do you think would be necessary to defeat such a group of people? Like a preferred type? You know what might work?" Robyn was probably getting ahead of herself, but she was confident that the Gym Leaders of the nation would be no threat. Hell, Burgh was a gym leader in Unova, and he was a hipster twat.

 

[Mr. Omega]

Russel waked behind the others into the lab, being the last to get his Pokedex and Pokeballs. He activated the Pokedex, pointing it at Munchie. "Let's see what this has to say..."

[table border=2]
[tr]
[td rowspan=7]

[/td]
[td]#316: Gulpin[/td]
[td]Stomach Pokémon[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td colspan=2]

[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Height:1'04"/0.4m[/td]
[td]Weight: 22.7lbs/10.3kg[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Ability: Luiqid Ooze[/td]
[td](When the opponent absorbs Hit Points from this Pokémon, the opponent loses Hit Points.)[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td colspan=2]Moves: Smog, Pound[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td colspan=2].[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td colspan=2]Almost all its body is its stomach. Its harsh digestive juices quickly dissolve anything it swallows.[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]

"Huh. I could have figured that out. Still, digging the tech. Looks nice, too." he shoved it in his pocket, putting the pokeballs in the pocket on his vest. He heard the professor talk about where to go first. "Oi, the lake sounds pretty good to me. Sounds like a nice spot to check out." He checked his own Pokenav, seeing where the two mentioned cities were. As they got outside to the city, he piped up "So Kayla... how long was it since the last batch of trainers came through? You all seem pretty busy around here. And are there any special rules for the gyms in this region?" He wanted to know just what he was in for in the Gensia league, both in terms of the Gyms and an idea on how many other trainers he might have to deal with.

Munchie stuck around the other Pokemon, turning to Russel and nodding when he mentioned the lake. He was close enough to Russel's leg depending on how the other Pokemon would react.

 

[SkyeNeko]

Ponyta started to get nervous, fidgeting anxiously as more pokemon and trainers came in. Eurydice tried to calm her down, but decided it would be better to just return her to her ball. The pokemon wasn't good in tight spaces, and seemed to get claustrophobic rather easily. She took out the red sphere and offered it to Ponyta, who disappeared in a flash of light.

The professor finally came in and gave them an introduction. A lake hmm...? I don't know how well I'd do at capturing a water pokemon with Ponyta. Hopefully they don't have any water moves yet, or I might need to get someone else to help me. A water pokemon would help against any ground pokemon, but I still need a pokemon to help with other water pokemon... THe extra pokeballs went in her backpack with the others.

When they got outside she released the Ponyta and jumped on her back. Eurydice leaned back and aimed the camera at her Ponyta. She already knew what the Kanto pokedex read, but was curious to whether this region had something different.

[table border=2]
[tr]
[td rowspan=7]

[/td]
[td]#077: Ponyta[/td]
[td]Fire Horse Pokémon[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td colspan=2]

[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Height: 3'03" / 1.0 m.[/td]
[td]Weight: 66.1 lbs. / 30.0 kg.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Ability: Flash Fire[/td]
[td](It powers up Fire-type moves if it's hit by one.)[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td colspan=2]Moves: Growl, Tackle, Tail Whip, Baton Pass[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td colspan=2].[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td colspan=2]As a newborn, it can barely stand. However, through galloping, its legs are made tougher and faster. [/td]
[/tr]
[/table]

She couldn't wait to get out into the grass and see what kind of pokemon were here. It would be interesting to see!

 

[RBMidknight]

Being a trainer wasn't such a bad job, Elias decided. 'You get really cool gifts and a guide.' One who knew how to walk at a decent pace. 'And you get to go to a gym. Gyms.' Gyms, plural. He'd read about Unova's gyms while on the way to Gensia. Though there hadn't been that much info. Just a short paragraph stating that the gym leaders existed and there were eight of them. Elias flipped open the Pokedex, watching with interest as the lower screen brightened to display a keyboard and the upper screen remained dark. Recalling what some of the other trainers had done he decided scan his own Pokemon. Elias shifted through the empty minimized Pokeballs to take the single occupied one of his pocket.

"Dile?" The Sandile asked after it materialized. Dune yawned before walking to keep pace with his trainer.

"Just hold still for a second. I think." Elias answered. He held up his new toy and angled it until the black screen lit up with color.



Bite


Name: Sandile ♂


Type: Desert Croc Pokémon


Height: 2'00" / 0.7 m


Weight: 17.2 lbs / 15.2 kg

Ability: Moxie - This Pokemon becomes stronger in battle when it knocks out another Pokemon.


Description: They live buried in the sands of the desert. The sun-warmed sands prevent their body temperature from dropping.


Item: N/A


OT: Elias Lanford // 53504



"Hey. That's cool." Elias grinned. "Look, it's you." he pointed the screen towards Dune briefly. "Sandile!" Dune didn't know what was going on but he was happy that his trainer was happy. Elias flipped the screen back in his direction and scrolled through the data. 'Wait, when did I get an ID?' he wondered. Was that in one of the papers he hadn't read yet? Or was it automatically assigned by...Someone? 'Weird' Not wanting to be left behind he began walking again to stay with the group. The last thing he needed was an interrogation at the gate for traveling alone.

The other trainers had questions but Elias couldn't think of any. He was too busy trying to fit the Pokedex in with his gear. He turned the device around in his hand. It felt like the shell was metal and it was weighted. It could probably withstand a simple drop. He would have preferred something with a clip or even a basic lanyard though. Something he could secure to his pack but have easy access to. He knew from experience that sensitive electronic devices and rocks don't go together. His C-Gear had been shipped off twice for repairs after some of his more adventuresome adventures.

'Maybe I can buy a cover for this in the city.' Elias thought. Kalita City, that's what the lady had said. Elias put the Pokedex in the lower left pocket of his shorts, securing the metal snap affixed to the cloth with a quiet click. He shook his leg gently to test the additional weight. 'That'll have to do for now.'

 

[Pm0n3y]

Morgan found himself slowing his momentum as his path into the narrow entrance to the Laboratory was halted by Eurydice. Finding it fairly easy to look over the short girl, he realized her Ponyta was experiencing trouble in such an enclosed space. She solved the dilemma by placing the Pokémon in its ball before moving on. Morgan listened along with the crowd as both Willows gave their intertwining spiel of the Gensia region, his interest really piquing when the Pokédexes were mentioned and presented. He watched as one of the trainers stepped forward and helped herself to the Professor's gifts, along with noticing the Togepi from earlier cradled in her arms.

"Welp, that mystery solved itself." He thought. Soon, other trainers were easing their way up to the table as well, gladly helping themselves to the provided commodities. Morgan soon followed suite, and after dumping the complementary pokéballs in a pocket on his bag, he picked up one of the newfangled articles of technology.

He flipped it open, and the screens came to life. He glanced around him, and noticed how fellow trainers released their Pokémon to record their data. With some caution, he relinquished the sole pokéball from his belt. It seemed like the Laboratory was littered with expensive equipment, and he really didn't want to cause a scene by letting Chase out in the middle of it.

"D-do we have to take them out?" He mumbled in protest. Luckily for him, the pokédex began to act. As the camera aligned itself with the white button of the pokéball, data was being transferred into the 'dex's software. Soon enough, information for a Chinchou dinged onto one of the screens.

[table border=3]
[tr][td rowspan="5" align="center"]

♂ Light Screen[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]#170: Chinchou[/td][td]Angler Pokémon[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Height: 1'08" / 0.5m[/td][td]Weight: 26.0 lbs. / 12.0 kg[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Ability: Volt Absorb[/td][td]When struck with an electric-type move, the host receives a health boost.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td colspan=2]

It discharges positive and negative electricity from its antenna tips to shock its foes.​

[/td][/tr]
[/table]

"I guess there's more than one way or acquiring information." He said with a bit of a sigh. Soon after, the aging Professor Willow finished talking, and the group was lead out of the facility by the middle-aging daughter. There were many questions being asked as the group began towards the city limits, but Morgan was only interested in asking one.

"So, what kind of Pokémon should we expect to see? From what i've read, watched, and experienced, sometimes Pokémon'll only show up depending on what type of region they inhabit. Do those same rules apply here in Gensia?" He asked, still fiddling around with his pokédex.

 

[Tortilla the Hun]

Caleb waited until the small rush to the table of Pokédexes and Poké Balls was over before stepping up to collect his own. Individually, he handed each of the five Poké Balls to Spike who was still perched atop the backpack and put them in one of the pockets with the others. Caleb then picked up the handheld device, flipped it open like the others had and pointed the camera behind him towards Spike. Suddenly, information appeared on the screen displaying the Elekid's information.

[table border=2]
[tr]
[td rowspan=7]

[/td]
[td]No. 239 Elekid[/td]
[td]Electric Pokémon[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td colspan=2]

[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Height: 2'00" / 0.6m[/td]
[td]Weight: 51.8lbs / 23.5kg[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Ability: Static[/td]
[td]Contact with the Pokémon maycause paralysis.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td colspan=2]Moves: Quick Attack, Leer, Dizzy Punch[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td colspan=2].[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td colspan=2] Elekid rotates its arms to generate electricity, but it tires easily, so it is only able to charge up a small amount.[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]

"Hmm. Well, this will come in handy," Caleb thought aloud, inspecting the Pokédex and looking for a means to access its internal components. It would seem that he'd have to finish his personal research some other time, as the group began moving on and out of the lab. He quickly shut the device and stored it in the webbing of his backpack strap. Following the rest of the group through the streets, he listened as the others asked their questions.

 

[Lambi]

Heidi followed everyone else into the room that the Willow daughter was leading them into. She stayed close to Eurydice to keep an occasional watch on her. She listened to what the two Willows had to say and, once they were presented with them, grabbed a Pokédex of her own and one batch of Pokéballs, which were put into the pocket on her backpack where she kept her other Pokéballs, Great Balls and the Duskball.

Yani wasn't far behind, hovering over Heidi's head while everything was happening. Heidi flipped the Pokédex open and scanned Yani, like most of the others had done by now. She took a look at it once she'd scanned her.

[table border=2]
[tr]
[td rowspan=7]

[/td]
[td]#193: Yanma &#9792[/td]
[td]Clear Wing Pokémon[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td colspan=2]

[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Height: 3' 11" / 1.2 m.[/td]
[td]Weight: 83.8lbs. / 38.0kg.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Ability: Speed Boost[/td]
[td]The Pokémon slowly gains speed in battle[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td colspan=2]Moves: Tackle. Foresight. Steel Wing.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td colspan=2].[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td colspan=2] If it flaps its wings really fast, it can generate shock waves that will shatter windows in the area.[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]

"That would certainly explain a lot." Heidi said to Yani, remembering all those times when Yani had decided it would be a good idea to see how fast she'd fly. Close to buildings. With lots of windows. Yani just looked at her with a quizzical expression, which Heidi sighed and giggled at. "You can be a real prankster when you want to. Or even without realizing it."

The two of them followed the group closely, staying near Eurydice and Ponyta. Heidi waved to her and Yani examined her like she'd done before, just from a little more distance. There weren't really any questions that Heidi had. She just looked around herself, admiring the tall buildings of Aquamar.

 

[CounterAttack]

Kayla laughed a little at Robyn's questions. "I'm sorry. I find that a tad amusing. To answer your questions, though, the eight Gyms and the Elite Four are rather diverse. I would recommend that everyone build a team to match: a good team of six should be able to cover, well, not every base, but at least most of them. As for the Champion... well, where's the fun in me telling you now? You're only just starting out." She gave another light laugh before Russel piped up with questions of his own.

"The last group of Trainers came through... six or seven days ago, I think. Yes, it was about a week before you all came along," she answered. "Special rules, you say... well, as you would expect, each Gym has their own specialised type of Pokémon. With that comes the freedom to theme the Gym however the Leader pleases. Barrett, for example, favours Ground-type Pokémon. However, his Gym in Kalita City is a simple one, since he is often the first port of call for Trainers new to Gensia. Barrett usually has just a simple arena in which battles are conducted," she explained.

Morgan was the third to ask questions of the older Trainer, and Kayla was happy to satisfy his curiosity. "I'll assume that by 'type of region' you mean things like forests, caves and bodies of water. Each Pokémon does have its own natural habitat, of course: you wouldn't see a Pidgey, Taillow or Pidove living under a mountain, or a Geodude building a nest by a river. Or perhaps you mean Pokémon that are unique to a foreign region... well, in my travels I haven't met any Pokémon that I haven't seen here in one way or another. So perhaps the Pokémon from your home regions aren't as unique as you originally thought," she suggested with a knowing wink to the sailor.

Alix now spoke up, having thought up a question of her own. "So... what can you tell us about the wild Pokémon here? Are there any in particular that you would recommend for beginners like us?"

Kayla's answer should have been obvious, in hindsight. "To each their own, kiddo. The region's a big place: you'll find out which ones you like more than others once you give 'em a try. Experiment, see which Pokémon you think works best, and don't be afraid to take a chance on a Pokémon you're unsure of," she finished as the group reached the city's gates and passed through them onto the open road.

Gensia's Route One was a simple one: lush fields of thick, knee-high grass were bisected by a long concrete road on which the occasional car drove by. The bridge from Aquamar City to the mainland was in plain sight ahead of them. The Trainers, however, took a more natural route: a worn-down dirt path a good distance from the road.

After a couple of minutes' walking, Kayla stopped and turned to the younger Trainers. "Alright, people, I'm gonna issue you all a little challenge of my own. I'm going to leave you all here: I'll be waiting at the bridge's pedestrian entrance. You guys, however, will have noticed that we're right in the middle of some nice tall grass in which Pokémon make their homes. If you think you're up to it, try your hand at catching some before you catch up to me." She reached down to one of the Poké Balls on her belt, pulled it off and released the Pokémon inside. A massive brown, yellow and red bird Pokémon, easily as tall as Kayla, emerged from the Ball's bright light.

"Pidg-ott," the bird declared in what sounded like a regal tone of voice, as Kayla effortlessly climbed onto the bird's back as if she had done it countless times before. "See you all a little later, eh?" she said cheerfully before the Pidgeot began beating its wings. It easily gained a good amount of height before it spun in midair and carried its passenger off.

Alix let out a low whistle at the sight of such a creature, but turned her attention to Kayla's challenge: catching Pokémon. "Well... let's see what there is to see," she suggested as she stepped off the path and into the grass.

Spoiler: Pokémon Team Update

Update #01

Alix:
Matti (Togepi), level 5. Growl, Charm, Extrasensory, Metronome (Serene Grace)

Elias:
Dune (Sandile), level 5. Leer, Rage, Bite (Moxie)

Russel:
Munchie (Gulpin), level 5. Pound, Smog (Liquid Ooze)

Heidi:
Yani (Yanma), level 5. Tackle, Foresight, Steel Wing (Speed Boost)

Morgan:
Chase (Chinchou), level 5. Light Screen, Bubble, Supersonic (Volt Absorb)

Alan:
Clay (Tyrogue), level 5. Tackle, Helping Hand, Fake Out, Foresight (Vital Spirit)

Caleb:
Spike (Elekid), level 5. Dizzy Punch, Quick Attack, Leer (Static)

Robyn:
Nina (Petilil), level 5. Absorb, Growth (Own Tempo)

Erika:
Burtha (Swinub), level 5. Tackle, Odor Sleuth, Mud Sport (Thick Fat)

Eurydice:
Ponyta, level 5. Growl, Tackle, Tail Whip, Baton Pass (Flame Body)

Sam:
Willow (Pidove), level 5. Growl, Gust (Super Luck)

Spoiler: Route One Capture List

Common Catches:
Rattata
Pidgey
Spearow
Sentret
Poochyena
Taillow
Zigzagoon
Wurmple
Starly
Kricketot
Budew
Patrat
Lillipup

Rare Finds:
Swablu
Slakoth
Electrike
Mankey
Combee
Nincada
Minccino