|
Post by Armand Leclair on Nov 22, 2020 15:32:45 GMT -6
Cerise City. This was where Armand was currently staying after he moved to Ageos. After he arrived, he took some time to tour around the city and saw the sights and landmarks of it. Of course, as a trainer, he wanted to see the city's Gym in his free time. Since he came back from his first job at Shire Town, he got the chance to do so. However, upon arriving there, he saw that the pride and joy of Cerise City have no signs of life and lights on the building exterior. He even saw the sign that said it was closed.
This was certainly a surprise. He never encountered a closed gym before and since it was closed, it meant that he wasn't able to challenge it and earn his first badge. All he could do was sigh in dismay and sat on the nearby bench.
Word Count: 148 Post Count: 1 Tags: Josh Devlin Note: I know I said I want to post in the gym. But since it doesn't have the social label, I just post it in here to avoid future clutter. Just imagine that they are in front of the gym building.
|
|
|
Post by Josh Devlin on Nov 23, 2020 18:03:11 GMT -6
This was it - Josh had just picked up half his team from the Customs office in Cerise City. It was growing too cold to go for a high-speed ride across the plains, unless it was aboard Ixion, who could keep him warm enough to keep his face from becoming horribly frostbitten. Blinky, proudly wearing her storm-purple saddle, ran alongside the cantering Ixion, having to watch her speed within the city limits. "Hope you're ready for our first Gym match in Ageos!"As the three turned the corner, Josh noticed none of the interior or exterior lights at the Gym were on. As he got closer, he noticed a punched-out window on the second floor, as well. It appeared the Gym was in disrepair. Perhaps the Leader was just strapped for cash? Unlikely, but possible - in most regions, the government subsidized repairs for public buildings like Pokémon Gyms. Ixion and Blinky slid to a stop in front of the double doors, which, upon dismounting, Josh saw were barred shut. A notice, hung from the inside of the door, read "CERISE GYM INDEFINITELY CLOSED". Ixion let out a whinny as her trainer held his head low in disappointment. While he wasn't intending on battling the Leader right away, taking on some regulars there would be a good way to get his team prepared for a battle with a Leader. Alas, it wasn't to be today... --- Armand Leclair NAME SPECIES LV EP Ixion Ponyta 5 3 Bladestorm Skarmory 8 3 Twilight Absol 7 3 Blinky Jolteon 5 3{WC: 234} {PC: 1}
|
|
|
Post by Armand Leclair on Nov 23, 2020 18:22:06 GMT -6
After seeing the gym's current state, Armand began to contemplate what to do next. He wanted to go home and rest for today. But once he was about to, he noticed a familiar face at the entrance. Seeing he was also here for the gym challenge and disappointed at the gym's closed state once he saw this, he might as well cheer him up as he got up from the bench and approached the young racer with his hands in his pocket.
"You're here for the gym, too, right?" He calmly asked the disappointed racer. "I understand that you're frustrated at seeing it in disrepair. I'm just as surprised to see that one of the largest cities in Ageos was closed down for some reason." He sighed again before he turned to see the bench that he sat on earlier. "If you like, you can sit down for a while before you go."
Word Count: 153 Post Count: 2 Tags: Josh Devlin
|
|
|
Post by Josh Devlin on Nov 24, 2020 16:46:41 GMT -6
"I...am--or well...was..." Josh answered Armand slowly, still bummed out about not being able to get his team up to snuff at the Gym. "Large? I hope this isn't large by Ageos standards. While it's no podunk place in the middle of nowhere like Shire Town, this still isn't very big. I've only seen one Pokémon Center on this entire side of town." Kindly taking Armand's offer to sit down, Josh plopped onto the blue-painted bench, though its paint was chipped in many spots, exposing the wood beneath. Perhaps a sign of what type of Pokémon the former Leader used? Ixion leaned against the most solid part of the abandoned Gym's south wall, relaxing and passively listening to the trainers' conversation. Blinky sat down in front of Josh, in a similar posture as if beckoning a rider to climb on. "I'll get to you soon, girl," he gently assured the racing-bred Jolteon. She let out a cheerful bark, sparks crackling around her for a moment. He took out Bladestorm's and Twilight's Poké Balls and peered into them. Fast asleep. "Any idea where a functioning Gym might be?" Josh asked. --- Armand Leclair {WC: 192} {PC: 2}
|
|
|
Post by Armand Leclair on Nov 24, 2020 19:04:09 GMT -6
"I don't know why, but whoever this former gym leader was should have to rethink the size of the building." Armand sighed at this guess before he joined Josh on the bench. "Regardless, it's a bit of a shame that one of Cerise City's landmarks left there in shambles. I wish there is something we can do about it."
He stared at the gym, wondering what would happen if he could try reviving it with his own hands. But he snapped out of his thoughts when he saw Josh taking out his Poke Balls and asking about the other gyms in this region. "I just overheard it from one of my colleagues at the employment center a few days ago, but I do hear that Russleton and Slate City do have gyms, too. In fact, I was planning to visit Slate City as part of my one-way delivery job a few days from now. I should able to challenge its gym leader once I got most of my Pokemon out of the customs tomorrow."
Word Count: 174 Post Count: 3 Tags: Josh Devlin
|
|
|
Post by Josh Devlin on Nov 25, 2020 11:22:41 GMT -6
"Gyms need to be big, though," Josh explained. "They usually have more than one arena in them, so regulars have a place to battle while the Leader is busy with challenges. I've never seen a vacancy in a Gym in Johto, though it's only a matter of time, what with how old Pryce is. He's supposedly been training Pokémon for over 60 years." Blinky affectionately growled at Armand as he sat down. "I think she's just excited to travel. I still need to get my cert for her, though...not like that'll be an issue."He mused filling the position, but being a Gym Leader was a full-time, year-round job. With his racing schedule in the warmer months, it would be like working two full-time jobs. Plus, in Johto at least, Gym Leaders had roles similar to elected officials...and he was no politician. He snapped out of it when Armand brought up he would be heading to Slate City. "I'll have to check it out. Once the rest of my team clears, I'll probably sign up for a match there. Good thing we have Pokémon that are good mountain climbers, huh?"--- Armand Leclair{WC: 194} {PC: 3}
|
|
|
Post by Armand Leclair on Nov 30, 2020 15:05:41 GMT -6
Josh has a point there. There were a lot of trainers coming to challenge the gym leader, so he understood the reason why the building was a bit larger than he imagined. His thoughts were broken when he noticed Josh's Jolteon growled affectionately, to which he responded by gently stroking her head.
"I can't say Voyant is a good climber, but he and I do have a decent skill on it. Just don't expect me to be a bit fast on climbing." Unlike running, climbing required upper body strength and stamina, so the last time he did climb was during PE and he almost failed if it wasn't for his father's training. "In any case, we should prepare ourselves and learn more about our opponent. I feel like we need more than training to conquer those gyms."
Word Count: 137 Post Count: 4 Tags: Josh Devlin
|
|
|
Post by Josh Devlin on Nov 30, 2020 23:12:22 GMT -6
Josh let out a single "Hah" when he heard Armand had some of his own experience climbing. "You got me beat. I'll be relying almost entirely on my Pokémon if we go into the Whitecaps. There's a trail, but Arceus will it be cold this time of year." He fiddled with the map application on his phone for a while. "It seems like there is a town with a Gym well to the southwest of here, but it's way out in the boonies. I don't want to try to make that trip without a full team." Blinky smiled as Armand stroked her head, taking care not to move too much and pierce Josh's friend with her quills. "Beats heading north, what do you think?"When Armand brought up the idea of more training, Josh nodded. "You know what? We should have a match before we challenge the Gym. Not here, though; preferably outside town. Not necessarily now, either. Soon, though." Blinky's smile started to fade, her head tilting to the other side now. "I won't make you battle unless you want to, girl; I know how shy you are about it."
---
Armand Leclair {WC: 192} {PC: 4}
|
|
|
Post by Armand Leclair on Dec 1, 2020 11:43:30 GMT -6
He chuckled at Josh's compliment regarding his current climbing skills. While he thought that he was still not good at climbing, he was relieved that he was able to have that skill. If he didn't, he wouldn't able to pass his PE during his high school days. But back to their plans, he hummed when the racer mentioned the second town that he mentioned earlier.
"Going to Russleton seems to be a bit easy than going to Slate City. But as you said, I fear I might get a disadvantage even if I get most of my team from the customs. If we want to prepare ourselves for either of them, we do need to catch new Pokemon in Ageos and take care of some weaknesses in our party."
When Josh suggested if they could battle each other outside the city, he couldn't help but become interested in his proposal. "It depends. Plus, it might help us know our party's strengths and weaknesses. We can schedule one soon, but I'm willing to accept your challenge in my free days."Word Count: 179 Post Count: 5 Tags: Josh Devlin
|
|
|
Post by Josh Devlin on Dec 1, 2020 17:18:26 GMT -6
"Not just that, but a hell of a lot warmer," Josh quipped. "And it's all desert out there. Long as you can keep you and your Pokémon hydrated, it's such a great place to just hop on a Pokémon and floor it. Never thought I'd say that in the offseason. That's tempting..." he trailed off as Blinky let out a bark, her smile growing. It seemed like she was getting ideas. "You see, Johto's so far north that this time of year, it gets too cold for anything but Ice-types to race. And even then..." His mind wandered for a bit as he looked up coverage of the 2020 Ageos season on his phone. "Man, I can't wait for spring to get here. Winter used to be my favorite season when I was a kid. Can't believe I'm saying that now."Armand seemed to at least think a friendly battle was a good idea. "Of course, if the Gym was open, we could do it there. But that would be too convenient, wouldn't it?" He rolled his eyes, catching a glimpse of where the sun was at. "Tell you what. How long are you planning on being in town? We can have our battle the afternoon before you leave."--- Armand Leclair {WC: 211} {PC: 5}
|
|
|
Post by Armand Leclair on Dec 1, 2020 18:20:16 GMT -6
Armand hummed in thought at what Josh explained. With this current season, he has a feeling that it would be too dangerous for his Pokemon to help him hike through the route to get to Slate City. He then let out a deep breath before he turned to Josh. "You've got a good point there. I still need to travel to Slate City for my work once I made some strict preparations, but for the sake of my Pokemon's safety, maybe I'll try tagging along to Russleton when I finished there."
Armand's eyes perked up when Josh asked him if he was available.
"I'm not gonna leave for Slate City until Sunday, so I think in days beforehand." He then stared at the sun, which was now setting. "I have to warn you. I'm not going to go easy on you. I hope you're ready."
Word Count: 145 Post Count: 6 Tags: Josh Devlin
|
|
|
Post by Josh Devlin on Dec 2, 2020 15:38:26 GMT -6
"Oof," Josh frowned when he heard Armand was required to be in Slate City for work. "Not anything you can even get out of. That's pretty awful to have to make this trip when it's so cold. Seems like after our match, we'll be going our separate ways for a while. Whatever happens, you know how to get in touch with me if you need to." Blinky gently tugged on Josh's pants leg, prompting Josh to turn toward the excited Jolteon. "We'll get going soon, okay?" A simple nod followed as he addressed his fellow trainer again. "Sorry, she's getting a little antsy to finish our errands before it gets dark.""Sunday, huh," Josh acknowledged Armand's time of departure. "How about Saturday? We can hit up a local bar for lunch, then have ourselves a battle to help prepare us for our Gym matches. It'll give us something to talk about over a nice meal. One of my favorite things about journeying new regions is all the bars. It may not be cheap, but you can never go wrong with bar food."--- Armand Leclair {WC: 182} {PC: 6}
|
|
|
Post by Armand Leclair on Dec 2, 2020 17:27:59 GMT -6
"I think I can handle it. Besides, I have Violet with me and I'm about to get my Houndour from customs soon. I also planned to buy a winter coat and several expendables to survive the cold soon. Don't worry, I will go back to Cerise City if things get too dangerous." He slightly chuckled when he saw his Jolteon being a bit impatient, which he knew how it felt when dealing with those kinds of Pokemon. "It's okay. I was just about to leave anyway. I'm only here to see the gym's current state after all."
Armand then hummed in thought at Josh's proposal. He had never been in a bar before, but he might as well try something new. He was now an adult after all. "Well, I'm trying to be a bit thrifty during my stay here. Still, it's a good idea. I'll free up my schedule that day until then." He then stretched out his arm and offered his hand to him.
Word Count: 166 Post Count: 8 Tags: Josh Devlin
|
|
|
Post by Josh Devlin on Dec 3, 2020 19:31:37 GMT -6
"That's a good thing," Josh acknowledged. "You can never have too many fire-types when traveling through a snowy mountain. I'll be avoiding it as much as I can until Aslan clears customs...and that might be a while. I kinda miss the big guy..." He briefly daydreamed of all the raced he did with the Pyroar last season; while felines typically had problems with distance running, Aslan was perhaps the most well-rounded Pokémon he had ever raced on. It would be great for courses with a wide variety of obstacles. He mumbled incoherently for a bit before snapping out of it. "I guess it's part of living in Goldenrod, where everything's expensive; when you travel to smaller regions, your Pen tends to go a bit farther. Thanks for being flexible." Josh saddled up Ixion and was ready to take off when he thought of one more thing, calling out to Armand from his perch atop the fire-type. "Oh yeah. There's this place called the Lone Staryu on the west side of town; it supposedly has really good steakburgers. I'm gonna check it out probably Tuesday or Wednesday and tell you what I think of it. For now, though, I need to do a bit of shopping for my trip to Russetton, then I'm going to find lodging somewhere." He felt bad when Armand had to reach upward to shake hands, and it wasn't exactly comfortable for Josh reaching down that far, but they managed to get it done. --- Armand Leclair {WC: 249} {PC: 7}
|
|
|
Post by Armand Leclair on Dec 3, 2020 23:26:10 GMT -6
"Well, just be patient. I know that you'll be reunited with Aslan soon." While he knew Melodie would come in a few days, he did start to miss her along with his Pokemon he befriended during his training. He was unfazed when he noticed him mumbling to himself, which he ignored out of respect for his privacy.
"Okay. Let me know if you feel okay with the venue. For now, I should go soon. I need to shop for some groceries and head back to my apartment afterward," Armand said as he stood up from the bench. Considering they exchanged numbers before, he was confident that he knew how to contact him soon. "I'll see you soon then."
Word Count: 118 Post Count: 8 Tags: Josh Devlin
|
|