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

[starkidcosmo]

Route 2, Russet Ridge - "Onwards to Striaton City!" - Mio

Mio gulped audibly as he watched first Jason and then Jack propel themselves across the gap, but as the Braviary let out another screech above him, he knew it was either jump or die.

He took a deep breath as he backed up for a running start, throwing himself into a run and launching over the drop. He scrambled for a purchase as his stomach hit the edge of the divide, panic giving him strength.

With Jack and Jason's help, he pushed himself over the ledge and crawled away from it, winded and sweating the way only exhilarated fear can make you sweat.

[Shadow Sketches]

Route 2 - Russet Ridge - "Onward to Striation City!" - Alecks and Alice

Alice watched the others jump over the gap, trying to prepare herself for the jump she would also have to make. Grabbing Raven's pokeball out, she recalled the small pokemon in order to free her hands up. Then without thinking about what a bad idea this was, she ran forward and jumped across the gap. Her body hit the edge roughly, her fingers clawing into the dirt as she did her best to pull herself up. Finally managing to pull her body up completely up the ledge. She panted loudly from the effort and stood up, looking back to look at Alecks. "Come on! You need to hurry!"

Her brother looked like he had just seen a ghost, his gaze stuck on looking down at the deadly drop separating him from the others. "Fuck no.." Alecks looked sickly pale, his mind just running different scenarios of how he would fall down into that pit and suffer a gruesome death. "No,no,no,no,no,no.....NO!" He looked away from them, from the taunting gap. He knelt down, his hands holding his head as if he was suffering some massive headache. "I can't do it, there's no fucking way." Apollo watched with worry down as his trainer had a small panic attack, tugging on his shirt to try and encourage him. "No! I won't do it! I can't do it!"

Alice cursed loudly, worry clear in her eyes as she tried to figure out how to coax him over the gap. "Alecks, you need to get over here! You don't have a choice, there's no other way. Just don't think about the fall, just jump. It's not as hard as it looks, you just have to jump. I'll pull you up, come on. I won't let you fall, I swear on my life that nothing's going to happen to you!" He didn't budge, her words just bounced off him. In his mind, nothing could stop him from falling down to his death. "Alecks! Don't be selfish, what about Apollo? Your not going to let him be stuck there with you are you? And what about me, are you just going to abandon me because of some small gap!? We're supposed to stay together, always!"

The young trainer froze, his eyes wide open as the full impact of her words hit him. He turned his head slightly, looking towards the worried face of his partner tugging at his shoulder. Alecks gulped, knowing now he didn't have a choice. He pulled out Apollo's pokeball and recalled him, putting it back in his messenger bag before standing back up and turning around to face the gap. He didn't allow himself to think about it, or even to look down at the gap. He just ran forward at full sprint, not letting his eyes wander from looking at Alice. Pushing his legs off the ground with everything he had, he jumped across the gap. Eyes widening with fright as he flew across the gap, his body smacking the edge and knocking the wind out of him. Clawing at the earth with panic as he felt himself begin to fall back into the abyss, Alice grabbing onto his hands and pulling with all her might. Helping her brother over the edge, before falling back onto her butt. Sitting back, she watched with a relieved smile as Aleck's rolled onto his back and gasped loudly. She wasn't letting him die today.

[Chim]

Route 2 - Russet Ridge - "Onward to Striation City!" – Brendan

Brendan waited on purpose to be the last one to jump. He was confident he could reach the other side of the gap without a problem but maybe one of his companions needed some help. And by companions he meant Mio. The most timid person in their little group and the one Brendan worried most about in situations like this.

But this time Mio managed to surprise Brendan by jumping before the twins. And when Alice talked Alecks into jumping and getting over his fear, Brendan finally followed after his companions. He only had to take a few steps back to gain enough speed and jump over the gap.

[Jory]

Route 2- Russet Ridge- "Onward to Striation City!"

Jason nodded, acknowledging that everyone was there before looking up into the sky, checking the Braviary's position. Despite its best efforts, the big bird had failed to dispatch the Trainers moving along the path. He screeched loudly again, beginning another pass at the Amateurs. Jason yelped, said "Run!" again, and was off like a shot up the ridge. As he ran up the path, he recalled seeing the ridge in the distance from the Main Path. After the traverse was the turn into the final stretch, which had a small overhang that covered half of the path. He wasn't sure how yet, but he'd have to find a way to take advantage of that. Otherwise he was a sitting duck for the Flying-type.

He rounded the corner, making sure to run close to the wall on his right side. The Braviary swooped in, its talons outstretched and looking for targets for a Sky Drop. Reacting quickly, Jason pressed himself against the wall. He could feel the immense power of the Braviary as it narrowly missed him, continuing along the path in an effort to catch the people who had rounded the corner behind Jason.

[K_H]

Route 2 - Russet Ridge - "Onwards to Striaton City!" - Jack

As Jack saw Jason press himself against the wall, he followed suit, making the Braviary miss him as well. However, it continued its attack, speeding towards the next person in the group with the Sky Drop. He'd certainly felt how strong the bird was as it swooped by, but he was still safe.

[Chim]

Route 2 - Russet Ridge - "Onward to Striation City!" – Brendan

After jumping over the gap Brendan found himself right behind Jack. He had no idea who was behind him as he kept a close watch on the places Jack stepped to avoid a potential miss step and tumble all the way down.

“Oh fuck!” Brendan yelled when he suddenly saw the Braviary swoop down for another round of human bowling. He took a step back with his left foot and swung the entire left side of his body against the wall. While making the turn his left arm stretched out as Brendan tried to grab whoever walked behind him to pull him or her against the wall.

[starkidcosmo]

Route 2, Russet Ridge - "Onwards to Striaton City" - Mio

Mio plodded behind Brendan, panting. He hadn't gone on any long runs after getting his skates. Especially not with such an intense uphill slope. Or an angry Braviary trying to kill him.

His exhaustion made him slow when the screeching bird-dad swooped down, talons extended to catch or gut any unsuspecting humans. He shut his eyes, preparing for the impact, but luckily for him Brendan got to him first. The other boy caught Mio by his jacket and yanked him hard against the wall of the overhang, his back thudding against the hard rock. The Braviary screeched its rage at being denied revenge.

"Wow, ok," Mio laughed, heart fluttering. "Super thought I was gonna die there, so... Thanks." He had a feeling he was going to almost die a whole lot more before he got to Striaton.

[Shadow Sketches]

Route 2 - Russet Ridge - "Onward to Striation City!" - Alecks and Alice

After he completed what he thought of as a death defying feat, Alecks just wanted to lay there on the ground and not get up. But Alice would not leave him behind after all that and pulled him up so they could follow the others. Her brother obliged as she pulled him after her, running after the rest of the group.

Alice let out a loud gasp as the speeding Braviary flew straight towards them, pushing her own body back against the wall as much as she could while pressing an arm over her twin's body and pushing him roughly back against the wall. The twins both watched with frightened eyes as the bird flew past them, feeling the raw power of the attack that nearly smashed into them.

[Jory]

Route 2- Russet Ridge- "Onward to Striation City!"

The Braviary gave a frustrated cry and climbed higher into the air, having missed its quarry entirely. Then, from seemingly out of nowhere, a small rock flew toward the Braviary and hit it in the head. It immediately wheeled from the Amateur Trainers, focusing on something or someone who was higher up on the ridge. Jason saw this opportunity and seized it, beginning to move up the path once more. He made for the top of the path, betting on his ability to run to the top of the traverse faster than the Braviary would be able to change targets. Once they reached the top of the traverse, they would be in the shelter of a small canyon before the path opened up once more.

[Chim]

Route 2 - Russet Ridge - "Onward to Striation City!" – Brendan

The young trainer gave Mio a small smile. “Baseball reflexes. Who knew they could come in handy against angry birds?” Brendan looked up to the Braviary just in time to see its attention was drawn somewhere else. They finally had an opening to escape.

“Stay close,” he said to Mio before following Jason who was running to the top. His reckless companion probably also noticed the distraction. Why else would he start running so fast?

[starkidcosmo]

Route 2, Russet Ridge - Onward to Striaton City! - Mio

Mio took off just after Brendan, following his advice as best he could. It was getting harder to keep up though; the steep incline and fast pace both taking their toll on the young man, who was beginning to realize just how much he wasn't a cross-country runner.

[Shadow Sketches]

Route 2 - Russet Ridge - "Onward to Striation City!" - Alecks and Alice

The two twins followed their companions, running as fast as they could and trying not to fall behind. With each step Alecks began to recover slightly from his recent break down, now just trying to focus on moving forward. The two trainers sweating from the exertion but not allowing themselves to slow down for a second.

[K_H]

Route 2 - Russet Ridge - "Onwards to Striaton City!" - Jack

Jack had paused for a second to try to get a better look at the person on top of the ridge, but quickly turned and ran up following the others when he remembered that this was no time to stop moving. Now at the rear of the group, he was easily able to keep up with the others, but he was still starting to sweat slightly from the exertion of having to run for such a long time on such a steep incline.

[Jory]

Route 2- Russet Ridge- "Onward to Striation City!"

The group rounded the corner safely, taking cover in the shelter of the canyon at the top of the ridge. Jason bent over, taking deep breaths as he peeked around the corner of the wall. "I can't see the Braviary anywhere," he said, giving the all-clear for the moment. "We should take a quick rest, then keep moving. Hopefully whatever distracted that Braviary will still be busy, and we can slip through unnoticed." He looked up at the sky, noticing for the first time that the sun had shifted definitively into the west. "Once we hit the bottom of the ridge, we should make for Striation as soon as possible. I'd hate to spend our first night in the woods."

"i wouldn't be sure you'll make it there tonight, kid. And what are you doing all the way up here?" came a voice from further down the ridge. A man clad in a red jumper and a red cap was jogging briskly toward the group, his intentions unclear. He was followed by a Bibarel. The beaver Pokemon lumbered along behind its Trainer, its vacant eyes giving away no hit of intention or focus. The only expression it wore was a blank stare, coldly looking off into the distance. Jason looked to the rest of the group, not sure of how to react to the stranger's presence.

[starkidcosmo]

Route 2, Russet Ridge - "Onwards to Striaton City" - Mio

Mio leaned heavily against the wall of the canyon, forcing himself to take slow and deep breaths. He could barely hear Jason over the sound of his own heart pounding, but he nodded anyways. Never hurt to look like you were paying attention.

The sight of a Bibarel pushed him out of "rest mode" and into "check out that Pokemon" mode faster than the newcomer could open his mouth. Mio whipped out his Pokedex and scanned the fat beaver with an enthusiasm only slightly dampened by exhaustion. He got down on one knee to look closer at the Bibarel, noting with some concern its vacant, or perhaps just disinterested expression.

"I don't mean to be rude," he began, addressing the man in the red cap without looking up from his Pokemon. "But is your Bibarel okay? It seems... unfocused." Maybe it was standard for a Bibarel, but Mio couldn't be sure without asking.

[Jory]

Route 2- "Onward to Striation City!"- Pokemon Ranger

"What?" the man asked, recoiling from the remark. "Gary is just fine, thank you!" he said haughtily, looking at his Bibarel with concern. "Aren't you, little G-dawg?" he asked in a baby voice as he knelt over and pat his Pokemon on the head. The Bibarel, apparently named Gary, did not react. "Anyhow, I just wanted to let all of you know the situation here. Obviously this route isn't normally inhabited by such powerful Pokemon as that Braviary. That's the job of us Pokemon Rangers," he said informatively. "What we have here is a bit of a standoff. There is a group of Fighting-type Pokemon who live on top of this ridge. However, ever since that Braviary built its nest here, they've begun throwing rocks off the ridge to defend themselves! The path ahead is really dangerous as a result."

The Pokemon Ranger sighed, shaking his head. "The problem is that if we take out the Fighting-Pokemon, the Braviary will take over the ridge and harass Trainers like you. But we'd have to wait at least a week for help to show up to take care of the Braviary. Using the International Standard of power, I'd say that Braviary's combat level is in the sixties or seventies. You'd probably need at least six badges to get that thing to move. After all, a Pokemon that strong won't listen to someone who can't earn its respect.

"If you Amateurs are trying to get through to Striation City, you're going to have to be extremely cautious. Those Fighting-types are on edge. If you surprise them, they might start throwing rocks down onto the path."

[Chim]

Route 2, Russet Ridge - "Onwards to Striaton City" – Brendan

G-dawg? Seriously? Brendan’s expression changed from tired to dumbfound in the blink of an eye. He would understand the nickname if they were dealing with kids who tried to sound cool, but an adult ranger? Was he trying to act cool in front of them? Brendan shook his head and let out a small sigh. There sure were a lot of strange people around these parts.

After hearing about the current situation, the young trainer’s interest was piqued. A fighting type was always one of the first types he considered having. If he seriously aimed to become an archeologist he would visit places that were hard to enter or move around because of rubble. For removing obstacles like that something like a Conkeldurr or Machamp would be more suited than Titan.

“Excuse me, Sir, but what kind of fighting types live there? And is it possible to reach them without encountering the Braviary?”

[Jory]

Route 2, Russet Ridge- "Onward to Striation City!"

The Pokemon Ranger looked thoughtfully up at the ridge for a few moments before turning back to Brendan. "Well, in response to your question I'd say the most common Fighting-type in Unova is Timburr. Given that we're in an area that we Rangers keep to pretty low levels for Trainers' safety, you're most likely to run into those. There might be a couple of Machop, Mienfoo, or even a Gurdurr up there as well," he finished. "The non-evolutionary Fighting-types of Unova, Sawk and Throh, tend to stick to lowlands. Because of their crystalline body structure and sheer mass, they fare much better on flat terrain," he explained.

"Still, I wouldn't recommend trying to get to the peak of the ridge right now. Those Fighting-types distracted that Braviary from you. If you go there now, you'll just be jumping from the pot to the flame! What you should do is wait out the night here, get up in the morning, and stick to the main path. That Braviary is way more dangerous than any Fighting-types. Hopefully by morning, he will have flown off to find more food and you'll have an opportunity to leave-

Jason

The Amateur Trainer looked intrigued at Brendan's question. It was clear he was thinking along the same lines as his friend- that is to say, he really wanted another new Pokemon! However, his expression continued to fall as the Ranger spoke until the very last part where it was suggested the Trainers stop their journey early for the day. "Woah, woah, woah." Jason said, cutting off the Ranger mid-sentence. "You're saying we need to make the first day of our journey a half-day? No chance!" he said impulsively, looking eagerly forward along the ridge. "So you said the Fighting-types are throwing rocks? That's perfect! As long as we can dodge them, Braviary can't get us!"

He looked around to the others, deciding his course of action immediately. "I'm going on ahead tonight. I want to reach Striation City as soon as possible! Who's with me?"

[K_H]

Route 2, Russet Ridge - Jack

Jack looked a bit perturbed at Jason's zeal for going out into such a dangerous situation, and voiced his concerns.

"Hey, Jason, while I agree with you on getting to Striaton ASAP, we should consider all of our options before deciding on what to do."

He then turned to the Ranger.

"Excuse me, sir, but how safe would you say that it is to travel this ridge at night-time? Since all of these Pokémon seem to be diurnal, it'd probably be somewhat safe to say that they'd all be asleep at night, at which point we'd have a much easier time sneaking past them."

[starkidcosmo]

Route 2, Russet Ridge - Mio

 

Mio reluctantly dragged his attention away from Gary to the discussion at hand. The Ranger clearly knew what he was talking about, rattling off specific local Pokemon species and biology with easy confidence. It was safe to say that if he thought his Pokemon was fine, it was probably fine.

 

However, Jason's plan was a more difficult problem. Part of Mio wanted to just get on with it and get to civilization as soon as possible, but the prospect of traveling the ridge at night didn't seem safe to him. Plus, he couldn't deny that he wanted to spend more time speaking with the Ranger. He clearly had a wealth of experience and knowledge that Mio could stand to learn from. 

 

"Guys, I think we should listen to Mr... uh, the ranger," he said. "I'm not really eager to camp out but I'm also really not eager to do more sprinting. I think we could all use a rest, anyways." He bit his lip, wondering if he came off as angry or mean and then added: "...but I'll do whatever everyone else wants."