[IC] Pokemon: Luminous Dawn- Chapter 2- New Places, New Faces!

[Jory]

Route 2- Main Path- "The Top Percentage!"

Mio

Fortunately for Meena, her Fake Out attack worked perfectly. As the Rattata came hurtling in at high speeds, it realized only too late that the Meowth was prepared to intercept it.

"Rattata, no!" Joey shouted. However, he was too late. Meena clapped her paws on the Rattata's ears, causing the rodent to stagger for a few moments. "Rattata, Hyper Fang!" Joey shouted desperately. The rodent's fangs began to glow an angry red, foreshadowing a powerful attack. Still, it would be a few moments before the Rattata recovered enough to launch its assault on the Meowth.

"That's all the power you've got behind your attacks? Wait 'til you get a load of mine!" Joey taunted once more, trying to throw his opponent off. "That curmudgeonly kitten has nothing on my Rattata!"

Brendan

Allen's frustration grew as his Purrloin's doubles began to dissipate, the Rock Blast attack taking out two with its first volley. How? the Youngster wondered. How is he so accurate, even with sand all over him? It was then that a realization dawned on Allen. Sand Attack relies on obscuring the opponent's vision! If that's not working, then that means Roggenrola's primary sense isn't sight! He smiled wryly, giving his opponent the smuggest look he could muster.

"That's really all you have?" he asked as the Roggenrola launched its third rock. "Mittens, Snarl again!" he shouted. The two doubles moved forward, both of them avoiding the third and final rock that was launched. As they approached, Titan began to use Harden. Perfect! Now that he's locked himself down, it's our time to shine! he celebrated as Mittens skidded to a halt. Both of the Purrloins used Snarl, sending black rings toward their opponent. Which was real and which was the fake? Being able to tell would mean the difference between taking Special-side damage and being able to launch a successful counterattack.

Jason

The Patrat got the wind knocked out of it by the hit. However, he wasn't about to let this cheeky little Minccino get the better of him. "Patrat, Tackle!" Calvin shouted. The Patrat ran at the Minccino, staying on the ground this time to keep his traction and ability to change direction as he hurtled toward the small Normal-type.

Jason smiled and shook his head, looking to Rascal. "Hit him with a Double Slap as he approaches!" Jason ordered. The Minccino darted in a zigzag toward the Patrat, attempting to outmaneuver his opponent. The two traded jukes and feints for a few moments before Rascal appeared to gain the upper hand, closing in on the Patrat's side with his tail already swinging.

"Now! Bide!" Calvin said authoritatively. The Patrat suddenly began glowing red, then stood in place. Rascal's attack landed cleanly all five times, knocking the Patrat back a few steps but not managing to knock him onto the ground. Instead the rodent began glowing an even brighter red, its eyes glowing in its face as it took more and more damage. Still, the Patrat was left standing after the attack. Although it was clearly fatigued from taking multiple hits, there was no accurate way of knowing how much steam the rodent had left.

"Rascal, retreat!" Jason said tentatively. The Minccino backed off, bounding backward toward his Trainer and away from the now-red Patrat. What do I do? he wondered, at a loss for the first time that day. I could keep attacking, but if I don't knock his Patrat out then Rascal's toast! he thought worriedly. But, he can't attack until after my next attack. So that means I have to make this one count!

Calvin saw the confusion on the other Trainer's face and grinned. "What's the matter? Patrat got your tongue?" Calvin taunted, sticking out his tongue and spinning the propeller on his head.

Route 2- ???- "Creepy Clearing!"- Jack

Jack saw images flash through his mind. A small house, a dog, a woman, food, children, a tree. All of these flashed in front of him before he felt himself come to. However, when he sat up Jack was no longer in the clearing. Instead, he found himself in what appeared to be the living room of a home. Lara and Leonidas were with him; however, when Lara tried to bark, no sound came out. As the Pokemon approached their owner, there was only silence where the sound of softly padded footfalls should have been. On top of that, Jack's vision was cloudy and many of the objects in the room seemed to blend together. Upon looking around and trying to get his bearings, Jack would have noticed the distinct lack of a knob where it should have been on the front door

On the walls hung pictures of a family of four- a man, a woman, and two infants. Around the room, Jack would have noticed definite signs of recent habitation. There were dirty dishes on the dining table, as well as a TV that was on but showed only static. Flowers sat in vases quarter-filled with water, the petals still attached and very much alive. In front of him and to the right was an open doorway that seemed to lead into a kitchen, while the left side of the room was home to a staircase leading up to the second floor. Against the back wall, opposite the front door sans knob, was another open doorway. However, unlike the kitchen doorway, whatever lay inside this one was completely obscured.

It didn't seem as though he would be leaving from where he was any time soon. The Amateur Trainer would have to find another way out.

Upon looking around and trying to get his bearings, Jack would have noticed the distinct lack of a knob where it should have been on the front door

[K_H]

Route 2 - LOCATION UNKNOWN - "Creepy Clearing!" - Jack

Upon waking up, Jack saw what seemed to be an open door, but decided to take a closer look at his current surroundings first, and tried squinting in an attempt to clear up his vision. That's how he discovered the closed front door and its' lack of a knob. Then, he put his hands on the wall in various spots along it, trying to see if any sections were colder or warmer than the other sections.

Edited June 13, 2016 by K_H

[Jory]

Route 2- ???- "Creepy Clearing!"

The walls felt like regular plaster walls. There was nothing special about them. Despite Jack's best efforts, he was unable to find some kind of weird secret passage. It seemed as though he was better off exploring one of the more obvious options first.

[starkidcosmo]

Route 2 Main Path - "The Top Percentage!" - Mio

Curmudgeonly?! Ohhh, they'd show them curmudgeonly. "Meena, get around behind it and use scratch!" The Meowth, determined to show off, leaped over the rattata and landed on her hind legs. She swiped downwards as hard as she possibly could, her sharp claws gleaming in a convenient patch of sun in an otherwise cloudy sky.

[Chim]

Route 2, Main Path - "The Top Percentage!" – Brendan

So apparently Allen had figured out how Titan lacked a sense of sight and tried a new approach. The incoming snarl attack was something Titan couldn’t dodge anymore, but Allen had made on mistake: his Purrloin had come to a halt.

“Headbutt, now! You know which one to go for,” Brendan cheered Titan on.

The Roggenrola didn’t waste any time. Since there was no way to dodge, he launched himself straight forward to the Mittens that had made the most sound.

[K_H]

Route 2 - LOCATION UNKNOWN - "Creepy Clearing!" - Jack

Having tested the walls and not found any thermal anomalies, Jack now turned his attention to the doorways. He opened the door that was hiding its contents, but didn't walk through just yet. He was going to see what was behind all of the doors before making an informed decision on his next course of action.

Edited June 13, 2016 by K_H

[Jory]

Route 2- Main Path- "The Top Percentage!"- One down, Two to go!

Brendan

The Roggenrola Headbutted directly into the path of the Purrloin's attack, opting for a more direct approach. The two forces collided, the Roggenrola struggling mightily against the now-bunched rings pressing against him. Finally, the Dark rings shredded with a crack. Titan went flying into Mittens, scoring a mighty blow against his opponent. The Purrloin, for her part, was sent careening backward into her Trainer, knocking the Youngster over from the force of the critical Headbutt.

Allen lifted himself off the ground, holding Mittens in his arms as he did so. Despite bumps, scrapes, and bruises, the Purrloin was fine. However, it was clear she was in no shape to battle. Allen sighed, the wind taken out of his sails. The once-cocky kid smiled softly at his Purrloin before returning her to her Poke Ball, then addressing his opponent.

"That was a great battle!" he said with a smile. "That was really smart of you to rely on Roggenrola's hearing to get past our decoys."

Mio

The Scratch attack was successful, leaving the Rattata with several claw marks. However, they were not vicious enough to break the skin. "Counter with Hyper Fang!" Joey shouted. With adequate time to recover and charge during Meena's Scratch, the Rattata was able to take advantage of the lack of knockback from the attack. The Rattata's large incisors clamped down on Meena's foreleg, dealing heavy damage to the Normal-type.

Jason

The Amateur Trainer was locked in an internal debate. If I don't attack, the damage from the first attack will come right back onto Rascal! But if I attack and I can't knock him out, then we'll get knocked out for sure! Jason thought to himself. As he continued to think, Calvin began taunting him once again. The Youngster laughed, his hat spinning lazily in the afternoon breeze.

"Make your decision, tough guy!" Calvin said. "Either way, you're toast!"

He's right... Jason realized, a slight grin on his face. Even if we don't attack, Rascal will get knocked out! So that only leaves us one option!

Jason looked to Rascal, catching the Minccino's eye. "You've got this, Rascal. I believe in you!" he said enthusiastically, pumping his fist. Rascal looked at the Patrat, no trace of his usual mischief in his eyes. This was a serious battle, after all.

"Rascal, Double Slap!"

Route 2- ???- "Creepy Clearing!"

As Jack opened the door to the room, he was suddenly pulled inside by an invisible force. Where there once was a dark room suddenly illuminated. It was clear he was in some kind of playroom by the presence of toys and small furniture strewn about the floor. At a more regular-sized table sat a family. There were two children; boys, by the looks of it. The kids seemed to be roughly eight years old. They wore party hats and sat behind a birthday cake. Around the table sat an assortment of adults and other children. Behind the boys stood a man and a woman, looking on with the pride and love only a parent can feel for their child.

The boys were poised to blow out the candles as the father held up a camera, capturing the moment to save for a day when his children would be old enough to appreciate it. The most noticeable thing about the father other than the camera was his smile. It shone on his face, seeming to illuminate the room. It was clear this was where he was happiest, and there was no place he would rather be at this time.

The oddest thing about this ceremony was the stillness of it all. Despite how lifelike all the figures appeared, they were unmoving. They sat motionless around the table, even the flames at the ends of the birthday candles frozen in time as though left too long in the cold.

[Shadow Sketches]

Route 2 Forest - Troublesome Bunnies - Alecks and Alice

The small group made their way through the forest relatively peacefully, though the restless Buneary's bumped and teased each other the whole way. Except for the Lopunny, who gracefully led the way as she enjoyed her newly acquired Oran berry, and the Buneary that was responsible for the dried berry juice in Alecks' hair. She walked alongside Lopunny with her gaze stuck to the floor in a walk of shame as the Lopunny seemed to scold her for her prank in between bites of berry. The twins just followed alongside them silently, waiting to see where exactly they were being led to.

After about five minutes of walking, the group broke out of the treeline into a small circular clearing. The grass was shining green under the sun, with colorful flowers popping up here and there. A small stream ran along one side of the clearing with clear water lazily flowing along.

Once they arrive, the Lopunny stopped her march and nodded to the twins to indicate they had reached their destination before she walked into the middle of the clearing and laid down with a content sigh. Within seconds the Buneary's began to spread out into small groups and started enjoying their leisure time. One group began chasing each other back and forth in a fast paced game of tag while another group joined their leader and sleepily sun bathed in the middle of the clearing. One pair of Buneary's decided instead to sit near the middle and take turns grooming each other happily. Whatever it was the Buneary's decided to do, they all seemed comfortable and happy here.

Alice looked around curiously, watching a Buneary jump over one of it's sun bathing siblings while in pursuit of another. "This place is beautiful, maybe we should stay a bit and relax for a while."

Alecks nodded his head without a second thought, he could use a small break. "Sure, this seems like a nice enough place to rest for a bit."

He then quickly walked over towards the small stream of water and began trying to wash the berry juice off his hair. Alice smirked as she watched and sat down at the edge of the clearing underneath the shade of a tree, afterwards she released Raven from her Pokeball so she could join her. A couple moments later, Alecks rejoined them with dripping wet hair and sat next to Alice as Apollo jumped down from his shoulder. Raven then waddled over and plopped down across from Apollo and the twins watched amusingly as the two Pokemon began poking and prodding each other playfully.

Edited June 15, 2016 by Shadow Sketches

[K_H]

Route 2 - LOCATION UNKNOWN - "Creepy Clearing!" - Jack

The party pleasantly surprised Jack a bit, and he stood still for a moment or two, smiling faintly at the joyful scene, happy for the family of four at the table. However, he eventually tore his eyes away from the table, and walked around the room as he looked for any doors other than the one he'd entered by. After doing so, he then looked at the table again, and noticed that the party seemed to be frozen in time. When he realized this, his neutral expression was quickly replaced with one that conveyed surprise and confusion, and he moved in to take a closer look, making sure to not touch anyone or get in the camera's FOV. He didn't want to run the risk of photobombing anyone, especially at an event like this, just in case he and his team were the ones who'd changed their perception of time and not the festivities that were seemingly frozen in place. The candles not moving were what gave him the idea of that possibility being the truth instead of the congregation being truly frozen in time. As he approached the table, he glanced at his XTransceiver's clock, noting what time it said it was.

[starkidcosmo]

Route 2 Main Path - "The Top Percentage!" - Mio

"Meena!" Mio called, distraught. The Rattata's counterattack had done serious damage to her, but Meena was still on her feet. "Get him off you and get away!" her trainer called. Meena made a quick swipe at the Rattata's face and pulled back, ready to leap away from the purple rodent as soon as it let go.

[Jory]

Route 2- Main Path- "The Top Percentage!"

Mio

The Scratch attack connected, causing the Rattata to let go just as Mio had planned. Meena managed to spring backward to a safe distance, giving Mio a bit of breathing room. Joey's Rattata was breathing heavily, having already taken substantial damage from the Meowth's attacks.

"I didn't raise a quitter, kid!" Joey said aggressively. "My Rattata's in the top percentage of Rattatas! There's no way we're losing this battle to an Amateur like you!" he continued. "Rattata, Tackle!" he commanded. The purple rodent charged forward brazenly, launching itself at Meena in a bid to catch her off guard as she sprang back.

Jason

Rascal closed with the glowing Patrat, thinking hard as he sprang in. He would be able to land five clean hits; however, after that he was going to be knocked out for sure if he couldn't manage to knock out Calvin's Normal-type. Rascal's eye gleamed as he ran in, a light grin on his face. "Mincc!" he cried as he reached his opponent. The gray Pokemon pivoted on his right foot, whirling his body around for the first blow. His tail flew threw the air, moving broadside toward Patrick. The shot connected with the Patrat's midsection, knocking the wind out of the Patrat. It grimaced heavily but stayed strong, its superior physical strength allowing it to take the hit. It began to glow a brighter red. Rascal continued spinning on his right foot, swinging through the initial impact and winding up another shot, whose momentum was even greater because it was carried through from the first. This second blow connected once again with the Patrat's midsection. However, this time the rodent was forced to double over, the wind knocked out of its lungs. Despite this, the red aura grew even stronger.

"Uppercut, sweep, and finish!" Jason shouted as the second shot connected. That Bide is becoming super-powerful! I hope I made the right call, he thought grimly as he watched his partner battle. "Come on, Rascal! You can do it!" Rascal stopped on his left foot and cocked his tail back, swinging it up and jumping to hit Patrick for a third time on the jaw and causing the aura to grow yet stronger. The Patrat, who was doubled over, was hit hard. He was sent reeling backward, now leaning back instead of forward as he stumbled. The Minccino used its momentum to hop over his opponent, landing on the other side. He swung his tail in a low circle, sweeping the Patrat off his feet. The aura wasn't increased as much this time, but it was certainly still getting stronger. Finally, once the Patrat hit the ground, Rascal jumped up and brought his tail down on the Patrat's face. The aura grew large and angry, the glow enveloping even the Trainers. Jason prepared for the worst, immediately reaching into his bag.

Suddenly, the aura popped like a bubble, dissipating harmlessly. As Rascal moved his tail, it was clear that the Patrat was unconscious. He did it! Jason thought, running onto the field. "Rascal, you did it!" he shouted jovially. The Minccino leapt into its Trainer's arms, both laughing madly. "I thought we were toast for sure!" Jason said with a grin. His Pokemon mirrored his expression, excited by the battle.

Gomez walked calmly onto the field, shaking his head and wondering just what he'd gotten himself into with this Trainer.

Route 2- Halted House- "Creepy Clearing!"- Jack

As Jack tried to evaluate the scene before him, his surroundings began to warp and change. Everything seemed to blend into itself, the colors from the party becoming a vortex of poorly defined people and objects. Their faces seemed to remain for the most time, looking at Jack with a desolate longing. Suddenly, the changes stopped. The room was the same, but some of the wall hangings had changed. There was no longer a birthday party going on in the middle of the room. Instead, the sofa was now occupied by the mother from the party.

She had her head in her hands, hunched forward as though Atlas's sky itself was perched upon her shoulders. Another woman, a stranger, sat next to her, one arm around the mother's back in the manner of someone offering consolation. If Jack looked closely enough, he would find three tears falling from the mother's face, suspended in time. At the table, the party was now replaced by a group of men. They all carried backpacks and flashlights and were huddled around a tabletop map. Some wore police uniforms, other wore those of firemen. Still others wore no uniform save for the solemn expression carried by each member of this gathering. On the TV, the news was frozen with a headline running across the ticker:

"The Missing Children of Route 2."

[starkidcosmo]

Route 2 Main Path - "The Top Percentage!" - Mio

The Rattata's bid to catch Meena off-guard worked-- sort of. As she made an attempt to leap away from the rodent's attack, her injured leg buckled under her and the ugly purple rat caught her right on her shoulder.

The attack sent her skidding backwards, dirt flying into the air. "Meena!" Mio cried, but again, Meena pushed to her feet. Although she was unsteady, she was burning with determination and pride. She'd die before she got knocked out by some buck-toothed purple pest and its brat of a trainer.

Mio, managing to ignore the Youngster's intriguing comment about top percentages, pursed his lips and thought fast. They needed to win ASAP; Meena couldn't take much more of those tackles, and she certainly couldn't take another hyper fang. It was time they went on the offensive.
"Meena, use bite! Try and pin it down if you can!"

Meena took a careful step forwards, making sure her leg was up to the job before shoving off like a spooked Rapidash, sprinting straight for the Rattata. But instead of facing it head on, she jumped just before making contact, twisting around midair to position herself over the Rattata's head. If it worked, she'd land right on top of it -and- have a mouthful of the scruff of its neck.

Edited July 5, 2016 by genderlesshawke

[K_H]

Route 2 - Halted House - "Creepy Clearing!" - Jack & Co.

As the room shifted around him, Jack and his Partners were startled by how it shifted, Lara and Leonidas sticking closer to him than before. Once the room had settled down, Jack quickly took a look around him, and took in the new scene. a sad expression graced his face once he saw the TV and then the mother's expression, feeling sympathy for her. However, this sadness was quickly replaced by a determined look on his face, and he then attempted to look at the map as thoroughly as he could, trying to see what was on it. He thought it might be a map of route 2 and the surrounding area, but he knew that he couldn't be completely sure on that matter. As he tried looking at the map, he thought to himself.

I know that there's going to be an exit somewhere around here. I'll need more info on the surrounding area first, though... I don't want to be lost when I get out, as that's basically why we're here. It's my own darn fault for getting lost, so I'm going to fix this mess I got myself into.

Edited July 5, 2016 by K_H

[Jory]

Route 2- Halted House- "Creepy Clearing!"- Jack & Co.

As Jack approached the map, he suddenly felt a strong force push him and his Pokemon back through the doorway he'd come through. Right before his eyes, it melted out of view and became yet another solid wall. Jack was now left with two options: the kitchen or the stairwell.

Route 2- Main Path- "The Top Percentage!"- Mio

The Rattata braced itself for the head-on attack, its Trainer smiling devilishly. "This is it! We've won!" he shouted. "Hyper Fang!" It lunged forward, its glowing teeth heading straight for Meena's midsection. Then, she jumped. This time, the Meowth's aerial attack was more skillfully executed. Time seemed to slow for all involved, the intensity of the battle releasing adrenaline and causing their senses to be heightened. The Hyper Fang missed by mere centimeters, throwing the top percentage Rattata off balance. With preternatural precision accessible only to powerful creatures like Pokemon, she moved through the air acrobatically, twisting her torso as she reached the apex of her jump so as to be facing downward. This left Meena with a perfect shot at the rodent's exposed neck. Her Bite connected, dealing heavy damage to Joey's Rattata.

In addition, the Rattata was now in a totally vulnerable position. Try as he might, the purple rodent failed to shake his way out of his opponent's grasp. Meena was on top of Rattata, pinning him with her body weight with his scruff locked in her teeth. Joey stood off to the side, dumbstruck. He had yet to give the order to surrender or admit defeat, but it was clear the battle was over. Meena looked to her Trainer, wondering what to do next.

[starkidcosmo]

Route 2 Main Path - "The Top Percentage!" - Mio

Meena's sheer acrobatic ability awed even her trainer. Mio took a second to gape, realizing for the first time just how cool his Meowth was.

But the battle wasn't won just yet. Meena looked expectantly at him from her position on top of the Rattata, who was still struggling weakly in her grip.

"You can back off, Meena!" Mio called, and although she gave him an incredulous look, Meena let go of the purple rodent and stepped off. Still, she stayed ready for another attack, and the tension in her shoulders made it clear she was just waiting for an excuse to pin the rat down again.

Mio was still on edge as well; it wasn't over until Joey recalled his Pokemon, although the Amateur was fairly sure the Rattata, top percentage or no, was too tired and weak to keep on threatening Meena like it had been. Still, it'd be terrible if Meena got hurt because of his own carelessness...

He chewed on his bottom lip as he waited, careful to avoid the place where he'd bitten through it earlier.

[Shadow Sketches]

Route 2 Forest - Troublesome Bunnies - Alecks and Alice

As the twins lazed around underneath the shade they watched a Buneary timidly walk up to them with her head down. It was the one that had been responsible for starting all of this in the first place. The two watched her warily as she got closer until she stopped in front of the them. She didn't seem to know what to do at that point until the ignorant Raven waddled up to her and began poking her yellow fleece playfully. The sight caused the twins to giggle, breaking the tense air and letting the Buneary to crack a small smile.

A short distance away from the lounging trainers, a group Buneary's chased each other with childish glee. Turning and dodging in their goal of not being tagged. But one of these energetic Buneary's managed to hear a rustle nearby through the ruckus they were making. The little guy paused his chase and went toward the tree line to see what it was he had heard. After looking closer he spotted a small pink berry near the roots of a big tree, it must have dropped from the tree. Our Buneary didn't question it and immediately grabbed it and began munching on it, hoping to enjoy it before his greedy brothers and sisters found out and came to try and make him share.

What he hadn't noticed unfortunately, was an angry Beedrill glaring down at him. His bright red eyes glued to the thieving Buneary and the sweet berry he was gulping down. That berry had belonged to him! He was the one that had saw it first, how dare that oversize bunny take his food! The Beedrill kept working itself up into a rage before it sprang forward and dived towards the Buneary, his wings fluttering angrily as he went. The unaware Buneary saw this and was forced to drop it's half eaten berry to the ground in order to take on this new opponent.

The Beedrill just kept getting closer and closer, he could practically smell blood as his sharp stingers were held out in front of him and ready to pierce through his victim. But just as he was about to take out his fury on our Buneary, he jumped up with his strong legs and met the Beedrill head-on. Springing open one of his powerful curled up ears which smashed into the oncoming Beedrill like a truck. The poor bug was sent flying back and smashed against the sturdy trunk of a tree before sliding down to sit defeated at the base of it's roots.

The Buneary landed gracefully with a large smirk on his face, jumping from foot to foot as he taunted the fallen Beedrill. The Beedrill watched on with rage, but although he was too injured to fight he would not accept this defeat. His thin antennas began to shake aggravatingly, startling the young Buneary. Almost instantly, Beedrills from miles and miles around looked toward their brother's direction as they received his plead for help. Without a second thought, the Beedrills flew at amazing speeds towards their fallen brother.

It didn't take long before the first Beedrill's began to appear near the clearing. Having spotted this, our young Buneary ran back towards his siblings as fast as his little legs could carry him. Every one of his siblings stopped what they were doing to look over to see what their brother was up to, but soon they too spotted the Beedrills that sped toward them. The head Lopunny immediately jumped up as the herd prepared themselves for a fight. Every Buneary, except the mischievous one which was separated from them and with the two twins instead, had gotten into a tight defensive circle around their leader, and prepared themselves to face off their intruders. Which sped closer and closer every passing moment.

Even the twins noticed all the commotion and were up on their feet along with their pokemon and the lone Buneary. The small group prepared for a hard fight, fending off this big a group of angry Beedrill's wont be easy.

[K_H]

Route 2 - Halted House - "Creepy Clearing!" - Jack & Co.

Jack got up from where he was sitting on the floor after having been thrown out of the room by the mysterious force, and dusted himself off, slightly irked at how he was being thrown about. However, he didn't let his annoyance get the better of him, and took a deep breath before looking around, noticing that there were now just three doors. He then Recalled his Partners to their Capsules, ensuring that they wouldn't be able to get into harm's way if he didn't, and also that they'd be close to him at all times. After that, he then walked over to the door that led to the stairs, and walked through it of what was his own volition at first, heading up the staircase.

Edited July 8, 2016 by K_H

[Shadow Sketches]

Route 2 Forest - Troublesome Bunnies - Alecks and Alice

Waves of Beedrill's flew straight towards the group of Buneary's without rest, but the bunnies did not budge. The small group were managing to fend off their intruders, each fighting with all their might and knocking bugs out of the sky as fast as they arrived. But although the fight seemed to be going in their favor, for every Beedrill they took care of more came to take it's place. The assault was relentless and ruthless. But the Buneary's did not let up for a second, pounding the bugs down with their strong kicks and (ear) punches. Even their leader fought alongside them, the Lopunny gracefully bouncing into the air and kicking groups of bees into each other with acrobatic ease. But their fight just didn't end and while the Beedrill's kept replenishing their army with fresh troops the Buneary's just got more and more exhausted.

Meanwhile, the two twins had problems of their own. Apart from the lone Buneary that was with them, they were separated from the herd and had to fend for themselves. And while the herd of bunnies had already proven to have much experience with fighting, these two trainers were still new and having trouble dealing with the endless horde of bugs!

"Apollo, use Ember!" After Aleck's command, dozens of flaming bolts shot straight towards the Beedrill shooting towards him. The lone bug was blown back by the impact of the attack but didn't go far before he was intercepted again. With great timing, the Buneary jumped up behind the bee and spiked it out of the air with a strong Pound. The Beedrill spiraled toward the ground and landed with a strong smack, it wasn't getting up any time soon. "Thanks Buneary, let's keep it going."

With a nod from the proud bunny, they moved on to deal with their other numerous opponents. They didn't have to look far before spotting a Beedrill not far behind Raven. "Alice watch out! Apollo use Flame Wheel and stop that Beedrill!" Without hesitation, the fire type sprang forward in a wheel of fire and sped towards the bug. But unfortunately was too slow and the Beedrill's Twineedle was a direct hit from behind, pushing the little psychic type right down to the ground. Though the bug type didn't get away without a scratch and was directly hit by the flame wheel in return, sending him flying back.

"Raven! Shit, I didn't see the Beedrill, I'm so sorry!" Alice ran over beside her pokemon with worry clear in her eyes, but although the little pokemon was hurt she was still stubborn enough to get back up. "You okay? That's a relief but we need to keep fighting. Raven, use Confusion." With a nod, the psychic type raised her arms and her body became outlined in a pale red, as well as the Beedrill that had just hit her. Before the bug knew what was happening, Raven slammed it into the trunk of the nearest tree and knocked it out cold. "Nice one Raven! We got this!"

"I wouldn't celebrate just yet, we still have a hundred more to go.." Mumbled Alecks as he watched two more Beedrill's fly towards them. "Use Leer, Apollo." In seconds, the fire type's eyes began glowing red as it glared at the incoming bees. The two bugs wavered for a second in midair, the left one managed to recover first and shot straight towards Apollo. "Watch out, dodge it!"

The small monkey tried to jump out of the way but was grazed by one of the Beedrill's large stingers, causing him to fall to the ground. The bug immediately took advantage and began stabbing at the fire type while he was down, Apollo was helpless and could just lay there and try to protect itself as best he could from the Fury Attack.

"Help out my brother Raven, use Confusion!" Alice yelled out and once again Raven's body was outlined in red and soon so was the Beedrill that was attacking Apollo. The bug type stopped dead in the middle of his attack and was thrown down to the ground by Raven's confusion. Once he was free from the assault, Apollo stumbled back up to his feet.

"Thanks Alice. Apollo, finish him of with Scratch!" The fire type gladly jumped forward and raked his empowered nails across the fallen Beedrill as it tried to get back up, causing the bug type to fall back down in defeat. By now, the second Beedrill had recovered and was flying straight towards them once again.

"Go Raven, use Psybeam!"

"Apollo, Ember!" At their trainer's command, the two pokemon shot out their attacks. The psychic type held out her hands in front of her and a multicolored beam shot from her palms and towards the incoming Beedrill while the fire type spit flaming bolts alongside her. The two attacks reached their destination at the same time and the combined power knocked the bee right out of the sky and instantly knocked it out.

"Fuck...there's too many of them. How are we supposed to fight all of these off by ourselves!?" Moaned Alice, already the trainer's and their pokemon were getting tired from dealing with so many opponents at once.

"I don't know, but we need to figure something out before we run out of steam." Alecks looked around quickly to try and figure something out before they got overrun. He then spotted the Buneary that was with them, she was pointing at he rest of her herd and indicating they should follow her. Alecks thought about if for a second but eventually nodded. Once she saw that, the bunny began making a beeline towards her herd as fast as she could.

"Come on Alice, we need to make a way through and reach the rest of the Buneary's." Alecks shouted as he began running towards the herd.

"How are we supposed to get past all the Beedrills?" She yelled back as she ran forward, scooping up Raven into her arms as she ran by.

"We'll figure it out on the way, come on!" With one look back to see Apollo following right behind him, Alecks picked up the pace as he tried to think of someway to get past the horde of bug types swarming all around them.

Edited July 19, 2016 by Shadow Sketches

[Jory]

Route 2- Main Path- "The Top Percentage!"

After Meena backed off, the Rattata stood up again, panting and weary but unwilling to give up. Joey gave a hard look to Meena's Trainer before sighing. "Rattata, they won. Stand down." The Rattata visibly relaxed and slumped over, exhausted from the intense battle. Joey took out its Poke Ball and returned Rattata in a flash of light. He looked to the rest of the group, seeing that all the Youngsters had been beaten.

"Looks like you guys were way stronger than we gave you credit for. Here's your prize," he said irritably, taking a wad of cash out of his pocket and handing it to Mio. His friends did the same with their opponents, giving the Amateurs their first official winnings as Pokemon Trainers.

Amateurs Jason and Mio won their battles! Rank C! Each received $200!

-Rascal and Gomez earned 5 EXP! Rascal and Gomez leveled up! Rascal has gained 1 Move Token!

-Loam and Meena earned 5 EXP! Loam and Meena leveled up! Meena has gained 1 Move Token!

Amateur Brendan won his battle! Rank B! He received $200!

-Titan earned 8 EXP! Titan leveled up!

The Youngsters looked to each other. "We need to get home for dinner and go to the Pokemon Center, so we're all going to head out. Bye!" Joey shouted, turning and running off back toward Accumula Town with his friends in tow.

Quest complete: "Top Percentage Trouble!"

-Rascal and Gomez gained 5 EXP! Rascal and Gomez leveled up!

-Loam and Meena gained 5 EXP! Loam and Meena leveled up!

-Titan gained 5 EXP! Titan leveled up!

Jason

With the departure of the Youngsters, Jason turned to the other two Amateurs. He still wore a huge, silly grin on his face from his victory. "Wow! That sure was a rush, wasn't it?" he asked his friends. "But we got held up pretty badly. We should definitely get on our way to the rendezvous so we can meet up with the other three." That said, Brendan nodded in agreement. The two didn't wait for Mio to respond, planning to walk and talk at the same time. They began heading down the path toward the ridge, their destination in sight.

Main Quest updated: "Onward to Striation City!"

-Proceed to Route 2

-Rendezvous with the other Trainers at the ridge

-Reach Striation City

Route 2- Halted House- "Creepy Clearing!"

As Jack went up the stairs, the began to disappear behind him. After barely making it up to the landing, they disappeared entirely, now replaced by a solid wall. On his left were two doors: the first, the entrance to a bedroom. the second was shrouded in shadow much like the rooms downstairs. However, he felt something grab his shoulder and gently turn his body toward the first door. Whatever was up with this house, it clearly wanted him to see something.

[K_H]

Route 2 - Halted House - "Creepy Clearing!"

Jack was curious as to what was behind both of the doors, and thought that if whatever it was wanted him to explore the first door, he might as well see what was behind it first, as he was planning on seeing what was behind both of them if possible anyways. Acting on this thought process, he walked over to the door that he was being pointed towards, and opened it. As he walked, he glanced at his shoulder, trying to catch even a glimpse of his mysterious guide.

Edited July 15, 2016 by K_H

[Jory]

Route 2- Halted House- "Creepy Clearing!"

As Jack looked over his shoulder, he caught a glimpse of a purple shadow in his peripheral vision. Other than that, nothing seemed off. Well, moreso than was already off. In any event, when he entered the room he was greeted by... boxes. Cardboard boxes stacked in a pile in the center of a bare room, with no one in it. The room had green carpeting. Its walls were papered with images of Pokemon in alphabetical order from Abra to Zubat. Nothing seemed out of place or out of the ordinary. Jack was forced to question why the hand had steered him here first instead of to the much creepier door that probably led somewhere more interesting.

[starkidcosmo]

Route 2 Main Path - The Top Percentage - Mio

Mio slumped in relief as Joey gave the order to surrender. He hadn't been awake but six hours and he already felt like he needed a nap.

Meena groomed herself with barely restrained pride, glowing with self-importance as Mio took the youngster's money and sputtered something between an apology and encouragement. The kid took off before he could finish, however, and the anxious trainer was left in a cloud of dust and bemusement.

"...Well, anyway," he mumbled, reaching for Meena's pokeball. The scrappy cat was down to under half her health, and he didn't really feel like carrying her.
"Good work, Meena. Let's all take a break." The cat gave him a wounded look as she was swept back into the contraption. Loam, however, didn't put up any fuss as she was converted to light; she was probably more used to her Pokeball than the Meowth.

No sooner than his Pokemon had been returned, Mio turned around to find that Brendan and Jason had already headed off. Embarrassed, Mio sped after them in his skates, pulling up beside them ever-so-casually in an attempt to pretend he'd been just behind them the whole time.

"That sure was something, huh?" He said, trying to make conversation. "Feels weird having a normal Pokemon battle after all that other stuff today."

Edited July 20, 2016 by genderlesshawke

[Shadow Sketches]

Route 2 Forest - Troublesome Bunnies - Alecks and Alice

The two trainers and their pokemon made their way towards the herd as fast as they could. But it didn't take long before Beedrill's started to notice and fly at them. "Alecks, what are we supposed to do now!" Alice cried out as she watched with dread as groups of Beedrills turn their attention towards them, holding Raven tighter with nervousness.

"We need to make them weaker somehow, make it easier for us to fight them off." The only move Alecks could think of was Apollo's Leer, though he wasn't sure how effective that would be against so many of them.

"I got it!" Alice suddenly lifted Raven's tiny body into the air, putting her in plain view for the Beedrill's. "Raven, use Fake Tears." On command, tears began to well up in Raven's eyes. Her bottom lip quivering, catching the attention of the curious Beedrill's. Soon after her tears began dripping down her face, Raven let out a violent cry like a child having a tantrum. The intensity of the cry so great that it distorted the air around it, causing Apollo and the other Buneary's to have to cover their ears while the two twins cringed uncomfortably. The flying Beedrill's were fortunately caught of guard and their senses were quickly thrown off by the loud crying. Once Raven's crying slowly calmed down, Apollo and the rest of the herd uncovered their ears. Looking up to find the Beedrill's flying around in a daze.

"Uh...that works." Alecks muttered, hoping his hearing wasn't damaged. "Anyway, now we have an advantage. Let's not waste it, Apollo use Ember!" The fire type readied itself then shot out flaming bolts towards the nearest Beedrill, hitting the dazed bug type directly and knocking it out of the sky. Once the Bunearys saw the Beedrill fall, they felt a surge of confidence flow through their bodies. The bunny's now ready to win this fight once and for all. The first Buneary to react was of course the mischievous one that threw berries at the twins. The bold pokemon jumping up and pounding a Beedrill with her strong feet and smashing it down to the floor. The other Buneary's followed soon after, taking out bees in a coordinated manner.

The two twins helped all they could, having Apollo shoot flames at nearby Beedrills while Raven used her Confusion to smash the bug types into one another. Soon enough, the herd began spreading out from their circle and pushed the Beedrills back. Led by none other then the powerful Lopunny who's kicks cracked Beedrills exoskeletons with ease. The declining swarm of bug types losing ground quickly, before the hive mind as a whole decided the fight was no longer worth it. Many bee's turned stinger and flew away as fast they could, some carrying their injured and fainted with them as they went. Finally after a long fight, the last of the Beedrills retreated and the clearing was once again the herd's.

The winning group that remained regrouped near the creek of water in the clearing. Although all were exhausted beyond belief, there was no serious injuries among them. Though all had some cuts and bruises to remind them of the fight. The herd sat down at the creek and began washing and checking up on each other, making sure everyone was okay. The two young trainers also checking on their pokemon's cuts like worried parents, though Apollo eyed the creek and refused to let any water near the flame on his backside.

After the Lopunny checked on the entirety of her herd, she walked up to the two twins as they finished up their inspections of their pokemon. The Lopunny had plenty of cuts and bruises of her own, but she still managed to have a smile on her face. "You don't have to thank us for helping, we tried our best but you guys did a lot of the heavy lifting." Alecks chuckled slightly, kind of disappointed he hadn't been able to do more. The Lopunny just smiled and nodded, seeming to understand.

Soon, the mischievous Buneary from earlier joined the twins and Lopunny. A proud smile on her face along with some cuts. "You did really well, you should be proud." Alice knelt down and pet the small bunny, the Buneary rolling her eyes slightly but secretly she enjoyed the attention.

"Now that the fighting's over, we need to get going. We should try to meet up with our friends soon before we get left behind." Alecks talked to the Lopunny, watching as his sister interacted with the Buneary. "Hopefully the Beedrill's don't try to come back to start another fight, though I'm sure your more than capable of handling it if they do."

"I'm kind of going to miss this place..." Alice said as she looked around at the peaceful clearing, it was like a mini sanctuary to them. "And I'm going to miss you guys also." She teased the Buneary, giggling slightly as a small blush went across the pokemon's face. As she went to stand up, the Buneary gently grabbed the bottom of her top like a child would do. Sheepishly looking down at the ground while she kept her grip. "Do you want to come with us?" Alice said in a low voice, the Buneary looking up at her and giving her a shy grin. "I'll take that as a yes." She looked over at the Lopunny and slightly raised her voice so she could hear her. "Hey uh, Lopunny, do you think we can take this one with us?"

The Lopunny and Alecks looked over with moderate surprise, though the pokemon was inclined to refused she saw her tiny Buneary cling onto the the trainer's shirt and couldn't help but let out a small giggle. She thought about it for a long moment, obviously not wanting to lose one of her herd, but seeing that both her Buneary and the trainer wanted to stick together she decided it would probably be best if they stayed together. The Lopunny finally giving a small nod in acceptance.

Alice grinned excitedly and quickly grabbed a pokeball from her messenger bag, throwing the pokeball gently so it lightly hit the Buneary's fluffy ear. The whole herd and two trainer's watched as she was absorbed into the pokeball and watched it fall to the floor. Their eyes glued to it as it shook once, then twice, and then finally......click. Alice yelped happily and grabbed the pokeball up before tossing it into the air and releasing her newly acquired pokemon. Catching the Buneary in a hug as she fell along with her ball. "Yay! Now we're on the same team, you're going to need a new name though. How about....Mocha!" The small pokemon smiled and gave an excited yelp, clearly happy with her new name. "Mocha it is then. Come on Raven, time to meet the newest member of our team." The curious psychic type waddling towards them alongside Apollo and Alecks.

Alice has captured a new pokemon!

-Mocha the Buneary has joined Alice's party!

"Congrats sis, now you have your second pokemon!" Alecks then leaned in and whispered quietly into Alice's ear. "Hey, do you think they'll let me catch the Lopunny?" Alice raised an eyebrow at her brother, before looking over at the herd and Lopunny. Closing her eyes as she smiled and shook her head.

"Don't even think about it, Alecks." Alice smirked at her brother's pouting face, though both knowing it was probably a bad idea to try. Afterwards, the group rested up a bit and then got ready to head out. The herd agreeing to lead the twins out of the forest in order to ensure they did not get lost. With Mocha walking alongside Alice, Raven cradled in her trainer's arms, and Apollo on Aleck's left shoulder, the twins found themselves once again being led by the herd. Alecks using his XTransceiver to call Jason and try to figure out their rendezvous point as they walked.

[K_H]

Route 2 - Halted House - "Creepy Clearing!" - Jack

After not thinking that there was anything strange at first and then stepping to turn around in order to leave the room, Jack stopped, eyes narrowing as something struck his mind.

Wait a minute... If whatever it was wanted me to see this room, then there must be something in it... but what? Maybe if I take a closer look...

He then turned back around to face the room, and saw what was in it once more. Realizing that something was actually strange after all, a question passed through his mind.

If everything else is in boxes, then why aren't the pictures, too?

He then went over to one of the pictures at random, and closely inspected the wall it was on.

[Jory]

Route 2- Halted House- "Creepy Clearing!"

As Jack approached the pictures on the wall, he noticed a map of Route 2 hanging between the pictures of the more common Pokemon such as Patrat and Pidove. Someone had drawn lines on the wall from the pictures to the map, indicating where they thought those Pokemon might be found. Underneath the Pokemon on the pictures was a child's handwriting describing the migratory patterns, eating habits, and sleeping patterns of each Pokemon. The words were written lovingly, sloppy as a kid's handwriting could be yet clearly neater than usual.

Route 2- Main Path- "Onward to Striation City!"

"Yeah, definitely!" Jason agreed, still ecstatic about his win over Youngster Calvin. "That move Meena did at the end of your battle was unbelievable! She's really something. I definitely won't be underestimating her again," he said, praising his companion's battling ability. Suddenly, his XTransceiver began to ring. He stopped and looked down at it, then smiled. "Hey, guys, Alecks is calling. I guess he's at the rendezvous already!" he said excitedly, happy to hear from the pair that had wandered off. He answered the call, raising the XTransceiver so the whole group could be seen.

"Moshi-mosh~" he answered jokingly, his sunny disposition a distinct departure from the cloudy conditions. "Are you two already at the ridge, Alecks?"