|
Post by Josh Devlin on Nov 16, 2020 16:25:29 GMT -6
Partly cloudy skies covered the wide, dirt road to Cerise City as Josh's eyes wandered away from Shire and to the wilderness ahead. To his left, the Roch River emptied into the sea, To his right, the dense thickets of the Weeping Forest beckoned new trainers to catch the variety of Pokémon that made the woods their home. And beneath him were warm flames radiating from Ixion, the only thing keeping him from wearing a jacket in this chilly, late fall weather. Against his normal instincts of letting the terrain fly by as fast as possible, he kept the Ponyta at a trot to be able to take in the scenery. Expansive meadows like this were something that simply didn't exist in a more urbanized region such as the Tohjo area he was from. While on his flight from Goldenrod, he had read through a travel guide to Ageos - supposedly the entire region had a population lower than just that of Saffron City! Then again, that place was a megalopolis by Tohjo standards - Castelia and Lumiose were the only other cities he knew of that were larger. Though he had an incentive to get to Cerise as fast as possible, what with having several of his Pokémon being dropped off there after going through customs, he also wanted to catch some Pokémon native to the region. Though his main six rarely changed, that didn't stop him from raising other Pokémon. He had been to other regions where Pokémon had unusual traits. Ixion was one of those Pokémon, being roughly the size of a Rapidash even unevolved. With the road being a straight shot, he set the reins down and just let the fiery equine trot at her own pace. --- NAME SPECIES LV EP Ixion Ponyta 5 3Armand Leclair {WC: 295} {PC: 1}
|
|
|
Post by Armand Leclair on Nov 17, 2020 16:53:46 GMT -6
He sighed in relief as he entered Route 1. Long story short, he used his first day as a contract worker to deliver a package from Cerise to Shire Town. This was not only he was able to talk to the regional professor, but he also stayed there for a day to train one of his Pokemon to act as his mount for his journey. Walking beside him was his Absol, Voyant, who was the very reason behind his stay as he wore a mount that he bought for him. However, the real dilemma was to get back to Cerise City by mount or walk. He had to get to this town through one of his co-worker's car. Now he has to rely on himself and his Pokemon to get through this route. No pressure, he'd been to several routes similar to the ones he went through during his trainer. Taking a few deep breaths, he turned to his monochrome Pokemon as he stroke his head. "Alright, it's time to get to work. Are you ready to go, Voyant?"Without batting an eye on his trainer, the Dark-type nodded his head. "Good. Now let's..."Just as he could jump onto his back, Armand stopped to see a young man riding a Ponyta on its back. He was confused at first. But when he took a closer look, he gasped. "Wait... Is that...?"Without a word, Armand sat on Absol's back, and with a signal through the rein, he let Voyant start running through the route as he tried to get closer to the young man in yellow. Violet (Litwick) - Level 5 - 3 EnergyVoyant (Absol) - Level 5 - 3 EnergyLutin (Snubbull) - Level 5 - 3 Energy Josh Devlin [ WC: 267] [ PC: 1] [ Travel Count: 1/10]
|
|
|
Post by Josh Devlin on Nov 18, 2020 0:35:52 GMT -6
"Whew..." Josh sighed as Ixion accelerated to a canter, kicking up a small amount of dust with every stride. Once he got going, that wind was rather cold, but a winter mask would be too warm - one of the problems with these in-between, fall temperatures. His eyes shifted back toward the Emerald Forest to the north. While it had to be green as the titular gem in the warmer months, the woods were nothing but an entanglement of bare bark and branches this late into the year - all the leaves had fallen from most non-evergreens by now. While clacking hooves were the primary sound echoing around him, he did take mental note of what sounded like another set of paws trailing him. Ignoring it at first, he had Ixion speed up slightly, mostly to discourage the most-likely-wild Pokémon from trailing him further. As it got louder, Josh couldn't help but glance backward to see an Absol with a dark-dressed trainer riding it. It couldn't be. "...Armand?!" Josh called back. --- Armand Leclair NAME SPECIES LV EP Ixion Ponyta 5 3{WC: 171} {PC: 2}
|
|
|
Post by Armand Leclair on Nov 18, 2020 11:59:04 GMT -6
As soon as he heard his name coming out of the young man's mouth, Armand slightly smirked at the sight of him. From his yellow hooded jacket to his Ponyta mount, he knew it was him. He then used his reins to silently command his Absol to run faster in order to get closer to him. "It's been a while, Josh!" he called out to his old acquaintance. "I wish we can talk more, but can we stop for a while just in case?"If he recalled, the first time he rode on his Absol, he ended up with dirt in his mouth when he tried to speak while riding him while he was running very fast. For the sake of his sanity, he waited for him to stop so he could do the same. If he did, he got off from Voyant's back and approached the racer. Violet (Litwick) - Level 5 - 3 EnergyVoyant (Absol) - Level 5 - 3 EnergyLutin (Snubbull) - Level 5 - 3 Energy Josh Devlin [ WC: 148] [ PC: 2] [ Travel Count: 2/10]
|
|
|
Post by Josh Devlin on Nov 18, 2020 12:17:12 GMT -6
It was him. It had been a while since Josh had ran into the budding trainer. Fancy both of them had the same idea! While one of the appeals to coming to a new region was to make new friends, meeting old ones again was even nicer. He was going to shout back to Armand, who appeared to be catching up rather quickly, when he requested they stop. The "alright" that came out of his mouth was going to be a shout, but it came out as a mumble. He yanked back on Ixion with his right hand, the Pokémon sliding to a stop on the right side of the road and kicking up a lot of dust. She didn't rear, though - this girl seemed well-behaved! When he saw Armand dismount, his first instinct was to climb off his mount as well, but ultimately he felt more comfortable staying astride the fire-type, what with how brisk it was outside. "It's been a while! How you been, and what you been up to?"--- Armand Leclair NAME SPECIES LV EP Ixion Ponyta 5 3{WC: 173} {PC: 3}
|
|
|
Post by Armand Leclair on Nov 18, 2020 14:24:40 GMT -6
"A bit eventful," he answered as his Absol joined by his side. "I just moved here from Lumiose and got a job here as a contract worker. Though I do plan to take the Gym Challenges here in my spare time."While most of them were true, Armand's true goal was to hone his psychic abilities here and by finding a place that his grandfather told him, he might able to master them during his journey. Of course, he didn't want to tell all of this to his friend especially in front of his protective Pokemon. "What about you, Josh? Are you planning to join in some races in Ageos?"Now that he thought about it, was there a racing league in this region in the first place? Violet (Litwick) - Level 5 - 3 Energy Voyant (Absol) - Level 5 - 3 Energy Lutin (Snubbull) - Level 5 - 3 Energy
Josh Devlin [ WC: 128] [ PC: 3] [ Travel Count: 3/10]
|
|
|
Post by Josh Devlin on Nov 18, 2020 15:03:36 GMT -6
"I couldn't bring myself to move from Goldenrod," Josh replied. "Though I'll be here for quite a while. Mostly just trying to get to Cerise City customs to pick up part of my team. Since I took a flight to get here, they only allowed one Pokémon on the plane. Never seen a region with such atrict border security laws. I wonder why?" He gently nudged Ixion's sides to get her to walk at a pace Armand could easily keep up, even on foot. "I dunno if you ever met Ixion here, but she's a real sweetheart."
He peered back over to the left, seeing the Roch River drain into the sea. "Season's over, unfortunately. It usually ends in the first week of November, though if there is an indoor facility somewhere, I'd love to race. You usually only see those in really big cities. Lumiose probably has one by now." Ah, the Gym Challenge - another reason he wanted to get to Cerise as quickly as possible. "Right - in the racing off-season, I usually take on the Gym Challenge. This is perfect. There's a Gym in Cerise and I want to check it out. No idea who the Leader is, and I'll need to get my Pokémon from customs and prepare them first, but that shouldn't take too long." Ixion's mane flickered a bit with a small shift in the wind. --- Armand Leclair NAME SPECIES LV EP Ixion Ponyta 5 3
{WC: 233} {PC: 4}
|
|
|
Post by Armand Leclair on Nov 18, 2020 15:19:08 GMT -6
"Tell me about it. I'm just lucky my friend managed to bring Voyant before I took my flight to this region," he sighed when he recalled how he has to read the custom laws online and workaround by bringing only his Litwick with him. "Of course, I got Violet with me and a Snubbull as a gift from my friend. Don't ask how I got him."He shuddered when he recalled how his Snubbull was actually his friend's poor attempt to give him this as a prank. But back with their current subject, he was a bit disappointed when he heard the season was over, which was justified since he was busy for the past few weeks. "Same here. And to be honest, I haven't check out the gym yet as well. Heck, I don't know if there is some information about the Gym Leader on social media. For all I know, I need most of my team in Ageos before I can do anything with the Gym Challenge just in case." Violet (Litwick) - Level 5 - 3 Energy Voyant (Absol) - Level 5 - 3 Energy Lutin (Snubbull) - Level 5 - 3 Energy
Josh Devlin [ WC: 172] [ PC: 4] [ Travel Count: 4/8] [Ride Pokemon]
|
|
|
Post by Josh Devlin on Nov 18, 2020 16:01:43 GMT -6
"Voyant's your Absol?" Josh asked. "Better name than I came up with for mine. Never been good at that," he trailed off, Ixion letting out a faint cry. "It's true, though - Ixion is a name you'd give to a Blitzle, not a Ponyta." She let out a second cry, trying to communicate to him that he was way too hard on himself. "I would say the season was successful, though," Josh continued. "I got to Gold League...though I crashed out of my last race." While there were no signs of bruising anywhere on Josh, he still remembered the impact from that, as it was a pile-up involving several Pokémon and racers. In any race featuring a course that really lets Pokémon floor it, there is inevitably going to be one big crash. "I'm okay now, though. Your first crash is really scary, then you kind of get used to when it happens." The two passed by the trail leading north to the Emerald Forest. While it would be filled with bug-type Pokémon any other time of year, winter was coming, and all the bugs would be hibernating soon. --- Armand Leclair NAME SPECIES LV EP Ixion Ponyta 5 3{WC: 192} {PC: 5}
|
|
|
Post by ebblow on Nov 18, 2020 18:31:28 GMT -6
Something has happened! What will you do? Armand LeclairSTATS
| HP: 150
| Atk: 0
| Def: 0
| SpA: 0
| SpD: 0
| Spe: 0
| NOTES
| Personality, Tags, will scroll
|
Something has happened! What will you do? Josh DevlinSTATS
| HP: 150
| Atk: 0
| Def: 0
| SpA: 0
| SpD: 0
| Spe: 0
| NOTES
| Personality, Tags, will scroll
|
|
|
|
Post by Armand Leclair on Nov 19, 2020 4:33:07 GMT -6
Armand slightly chuckled when Josh mentioned about his Absol's nickname. "It's Kalosian for "Seer", which is appropriate for his ability to predict natural disasters. To be honest, I chose it because it's better than the Kalosian word for... You know. Also, I don't think there's nothing wrong to name your Ponyta "Ixion" regardless of his type."He then decided to get back on Voyant's back and commanded him to follow Josh and his Ponyta in a same pace as them. As he did, he continued to listen to Josh's successful season, though he slightly cringed when he heard how he crashed in his last race, which recalled his first crash memory again as he slightly chuckled once more. "I know how it felt. I almost got a broken skull after my poor first attempt at riding Pokemon. Thankfully when my grandfather allowed me to keep Voyant when I became a trainer, he helped us with our training and finished it on our own earlier."However, their conversation was interrupted when his Absol stopped walking and cried out to his trainer. "Huh? What's the matter, Voyant?" He pointed something right in front of him. It was a standing stone with three rectangular stones lined up. However, it seemed to have a face with two arm-like chained rocks as it stood in front of their path. "What is that? A Pokemon? I never seen it before. I doubt it's going to move from its spot." Violet (Litwick) - Level 5 - 3 Energy Voyant (Absol) - Level 5 - 3 Energy Lutin (Snubbull) - Level 5 - 3 Energy Josh Devlin [ WC: 243] [ PC: 5] [ Travel Count: 5/6] [Currently on Ride Pokemon, increased post by 1 due to Armand briefly getting off his Absol.]
|
|
|
Post by Josh Devlin on Nov 22, 2020 10:32:05 GMT -6
"...That makes a ton of sense," Josh answered Armand. "I'm not at all versed in the Kalosian tongue." Once the two were back on the road, heading west toward Cerise, he had Ixion pick up the pace a bit, though not so much that the Absol couldn't comfortably keep up. Josh winced as he listened to Armand's story about his first riding accident. "That type of injury should never occur, especially when training - this is why helmets are so important. Probably even more important than when riding a bike. Even when you're experienced, it's a good idea to have some kind of head protection."As the two continued westward, Armand pointed out a stone structure blocking the road. "If it's a Pokémon, it's not one I recognize," Josh agreed, "nor is it one I'm interested in. All yours!" To get around this, they would need to dip into the woods - the Roch River flowed close to the road, and there were several Surskit floating atop its surface. Knowing they were Water-type Pokémon, Josh gave them a wide berth. While Ixion was well-behaved, being splashed would almost certainly make her buck. --- Armand Leclair NAME SPECIES LV EP Ixion Ponyta 5 3{WC: 192} {PC: 6}
|
|
|
Post by Armand Leclair on Nov 22, 2020 12:59:57 GMT -6
"Noted. I'll try to keep that in mind and buy a helmet the next time I visit the PokeMart." Once he said that he mentally made a mental note of it just in case. But back at the stone Pokemon, he took out his phone and opened his Pokedex app as he pointed it to the mysterious creature. Yet as he did so, he noticed that it just stood there idly. Even if he let his Dark-type approached, it didn't seem to react in a hostile manner. Just staring at its face made him guess that it was somehow napping. "Hmmm... According to this, it's a Stonjourner and it mainly appeared in the Galar region, yet they're a bit rare to find. It doesn't seem a bit dangerous. More importantly, it seems to be sleeping. Still, I'll try to reason with it and catch it if it's possible." Armand then commanded Voyant to approach it and gently tap on its leg. "Excuse me, Stonjourner?" The Pokemon opened its eyes and looked down to see the dark-dressed trainer. "I'm sorry for disturbing your nap, but would you mind moving a bit? We're trying to get to Cerise City and it might be a bit rude if you sleep here in the middle of the road."The Rock-type stared at the trainer for a few seconds. Then without any hesitation, it slowly removed itself from the road, much to Armand's relief. "Why thank you. Well, we should be on our way." But as he was about to leave, he took another look at the wild Pokemon and when he saw it frowning, he silently ordered his Absol to stop and let him approach it once more. "You know, I can't just leave alone after that. If you like, you can join me and Voyant on my journey."Stonjourner stared at the trainer, confused at what he was offering as he watched him pulled out a Poke Ball from his bag. "I'm currently on a journey around Ageos to take the Gym Challenge. Of course, I won't force you to do so. I know you have a life here. So whatever choice you make, I will accept it."He then showed the ball to the Pokemon, a sign that he was offering it to join his team. Violet (Litwick) - Level 5 - 3 Energy Voyant (Absol) - Level 5 - 3 Energy Lutin (Snubbull) - Level 5 - 3 Energy (Attempt to capture Stonjourner with a Poke Ball by befriending)Josh Devlin [ WC: 384] [ PC: 6] [ Travel Count: 6/6] [Cerise City and its connected routes unlocked!]
|
|
|
Post by ebblow on Nov 23, 2020 0:29:44 GMT -6
Pokeball, Go! The Pokemon...
|
|
|
Post by Josh Devlin on Nov 23, 2020 16:58:55 GMT -6
At least Armand understood the importance of wearing safety gear when atop a Pokémon. The faster the mount, the more important it was to ensure proper safety. "I'll make sure of it, too," Josh replied, perhaps overbearingly. As Armand was looking up the obstructing creature on his device, Ixion's head arched from one side to the other before stepping onto the grass surrounding the dirt road. There were signs that a very large insect Pokémon had recently passed over the road - uprooted blades of grass, a section of road oddly clean, and more. It put him and Ixion a little on edge. "Stonjourner, is it?" Josh confirmed what Armand had described about the Pokémon in the middle of the road. "Never heard of it before. Galar, you say? That might be why. Never studied Galar much. Good luck!" As he left Armand to negotiations, he and Ixion went back to seeing if there were more signs of a large insect Pokémon nearby. While it was rare to see bug Pokémon, especially flying bug Pokémon, this late in the season, the ones still roaming were incredibly aggressive. He couldn't flee fast enough from something like that. --- Armand Leclair NAME SPECIES LV EP Ixion Ponyta 5 3{WC: 201} {PC: 7}
|
|