Welcome to the Rolling Acres Ranch! [IC]

[Toilet Cobra]

A cool mountain breeze chills the streets of Verplanck City. The sun is only just rising over the eastern peaks, and the powerplant workers are already clocking in for the first shift.

Those few citizens who make their living some other way are still nestled in their beds, waiting for the spring sunlight to dispel the cold that clings to the stone-lined streets. The electric street lamps haven’t even shut off yet, though they will any moment. As dawn threatens, the whole of the town is quiet, and the brittle silence of the twilight seems to say that winter is not yet truly gone.

At the Pokemon Center-- which, other than the power plant, is the only 24-hour business in town-- both humans and pokemon are stirring. Nurses go about their duties, put fresh coffee on and manage their own shift change. Pokemon awaken and seek out their breakfasts, or await the attention of the nurses if they are unwell.

And on the second floor, in the hostel-like area where travelling trainers can stay for a meager fee, the young folk are rolling out of bed… or trying to. Hailing from all over the region, some are here to challenge the Verplanck gym, in the hopes of a new badge (though most will be disappointed). Some are here to seek out the unusual pokemon that are attracted to the power plants, mountainous caverns, and icy slopes.

And some are here because today is the first day of their new job. Whether they’ve been waiting at the pokemon center for days, or they’ve just arrived overnight, it’s hard to tell- but they’re all up and getting ready. Their ride is on the way-- in fact, if you listen carefully, you can hear the guttering, explosive sound of an old, un-mufflered vehicle approaching from the east...

Alright gang, who’s ready to roll up their sleeves and get to some serious ranchin’??

It’s up to you to decide how your character arrives at the Pokecenter and how long they’ve been waiting. If you want to buy anything, assume you’ve already had plenty of time to shop and spend your Pokedollars. Your ride will be here in about ten minutes, so get ready, do some mingling if you like, and grab your suitcases.

We will continue once everyone is ready, settles any final business, and their characters are waiting at the front door of the Pokemon Center. You can use this time to ask questions, though the only NPCs you have access to at this time of morning are the other eager-beaver trainers and the nurses at the Center. And if you have any questions for me, the OoC thread is right here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?490041-Welcome-to-the-Rolling-Acres-Ranch!-OoC&p=20846500#post20846500).

[BlackestOfMages]

Hayley yawned as she woke, stretching out the kinks of a night asleep in a less than stellar bed, reacting to the rich aroma of coffee and the sound of the dawn chorus. Sitting up in bed, she rubber her eyes, slapped her face, and sprung up to her feet. Today's the day, and she couldn't say she wasn't a little bit excited.

"Good morning y'all" she said cheerfully to the others staying in the hostel areas, making sure to keep her voice quiet enough not to wake too many people, grabbing her travel bag and throwing it over her shoulders. "beautiful morning, isn't it"

She headed down the stairs, to the Pokemon center's meager kitchenette, a morning routine she'd made in the past few day she'd been staying here; cup of joe, a quick breakfast snack, and then get to work. She was used to an early start, growing up on her parents farm, and most days she was up this early looking over the gogoats and the little skiddos, or preparing breakfast, so it was quite a nice change to have someone else doing the cooking for a change, though she was itchin' to get back into the kitchen. hopefully, she'd have a chance on the ranch.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she was met by Scrappy, the skiddo having stayed in the center's pokemon area, the bell around his neck ringing gently. "Hey there, buddy. you ready to get started?" she asked, rummaging through her bag for something for him and for herself as she took a seat in the rest area, waiting for their pick up.

[Llyarden]

Maximillian was used to waking up early - he'd never needed much sleep - but was not so used to the slightly bustling atmosphere of the Pokemon Centre even at this early stage in the day, and had ensconced himself in a corner of the rest area, sitting and frowning at everyone that went by. Having arrived the previous evening, he had spent about five minutes getting acquainted with the Pokemon Centre's layout, about an hour on the phone to his parents pleading to be given his computer back, and the rest of the time sulking.

He was definitely still in 'sulk' mode now. Dressed crisply in a dark blue jacket, pale blue shirt, and grey trousers and tie, he was more glaring at than reading the book he was holding, a rather large and robust-looking suitcase on the floor besides him. Sitting - somewhat precariously - on the top of the suitcase was a dozing Teddiursa, who woke up enough to watch Hayley go past with a cheerful expression on its face. Maximillian frowned at it. "Don't you start being cheerful too," he muttered to the little bear.

His expression did soften slightly as he saw the Skiddo gambolling over to greet the overly-cheerful older girl, before a thought struck him as she sat down, obviously waiting for something. "You're not working at Rolling Acres too, are you?" He'd rather hoped that the other interns at the ranch would be as annoyed at being there as him.

[BlackestOfMages]

Hayley looked up from Scrappy as the younger boy spoke, still gently scratching the goat pokemon's fluffy chin "Yup, that right. The names Hayley Foster, pleased to meet ya!" she said with a bright smile "Looks like we'll be working together. you excited to start?" she asked, taking Max in; she hadn't expected the bookish kid in the slick suit to be heading for the Ranch too, but she was happy to have company.

[moondoggy]

"Are you sure you can't talk some sense into Daddy?"
"I am sorry young miss but Master Johnathan was quite firm with his orders."
"But I won't do it again, I promise! I'll never go near the servants' kitchen again, pinky swear!"
The drivers' curt silence cut short anything else the blonde in the back seat could muster. Louisa Markinswell stared out the tinted window at the unfamiliar cityscape. Curses. I was hoping maybe he'd finally have a change of heart after driving me all this way. It's just not fair! Play one joke on the help and you're sent off to who-knows-where... Why must life be so cruel to the beautiful people?

As the glossy black vehicle drew nearer its destination she sighed melodramatically."I suppose this is it, then. Forced to live in squalor due to circumstances I could not control. How Fate has forsake-"
"You slipped concentrated tamato berry extract into the maidservants' soup." the driver interrupted matter-of-factly.
"I was only trying to-"
"You were found laughing uncontrollably in a nearby closet as poor Harriet started crying and convulsing. You know she cannot tolerate spicy foods."
Failing to stifle a chuckle, Louisa gives up the innocent routine. "Well it was reeeeeeally funny. Serves her right for tattling."
"'Tattling'? You mean when you took your father's pokemon out for a flight down main street and knocked down the Sweetsip Lemonade billboard? She was right to tell your parents. Do you know how much that cost to replace?"
"I dunno. A lot?" she says sarcastically. She is answered by another long silence, the drivers gloves tightening around the steering wheel.

After some time, he clears his throat and pulls the car to a stop. "We are here, young miss. No more promises, no more bargains, no more threats. You will be working until your family decides you have repaid your debts. I shall get your things, the transport to the farm should be arriving shortly. After that, you are on your own. I pray you learn something valuable from all of this."
Without another word he parks the car and steps out, unloading a single suitcase. Exiting after him, Louisa stares at it in confusion. "Where's the rest?"
"This is it. All you need is packed in here. Your father has arranged for everything at Rolling Acres."
"But what about my clothes?"
"You shall be provided more suitable working garments once you arrive."
"WHAT?! YOU WANT ME TO WEAR FARMHAND RAGS?!"
Without so much as a response the driver places the suitcase down in front of her, tips his hat and gets back into the expensive-looking automobile.
"WAIT WAIT YOU CAN'T EXPECT ME TO DO THIS! YOU KNOW WHO I AM! I'LL HAVE YOU FIRED YOU UNGrateful..." As the car speeds away she gives up shouting. "I can't believe it. They actually cut me off. I always thought it was a bluff..." Looking back towards the Pokemon Center she slowly picks up her suitcase and steps inside, plopping unceremoniously into one of the soft chairs in the rest area. "Why must life be so cruel to the beautiful people?" she quietly asks no-one.

[supernerd]

Simon woke up with the sun, used to waking up early for morning training, though today's training would have to wait. Today he was starting work on the Rolling Acres Ranch. He got dressed, blue jeans with black sneakers, a white tshirt and unbuttoned black vest, and a backpack that had everything he needed. He pulled out his Charmander's pendant, a shiny container of Bright Powder and ran a comb through his hair.

Making his way downstairs, he waved to his Pokemon. He got down on one knee as the lizard ran up and jumped onto his shoulder. "Hey! Good morning. I guess you slept well. Our ride will be here any minute, so we'll have to postpone today's training, but that doesn't mean we get to slack off today!" He put on his partner's pendant and then hoisted him up so the Charmander was riding on Simon's shoulders. Simon then looked around, it seemed like there were other people waiting to be picked up, and a little eavesdropping told him they were in the same boat.

He managed to cut in on their conversation. He smiled at the other two talking. "Hey, I don't suppose you two are going to be working on Rolling Acres, are you? I couldn't help but overhear. I'm Simon." He pointed up to his Charmander. "And this guy is Razer." He offered his hand to the others.

[BlackestOfMages]

Hayley slipped to her feet as Simon came downstairs, grabbing his hands tight and shaking vigorously "Nice to meet ya, pal. I'm Hayley, and it's my pleasure to make your acquaintance. The tough little guy's scrappy" she added, gesturing behind her noncommittally, making it hard to tell if she meant Max or her Skiddo "and aren't you just the cutest little firestarter? yes you are" she added on afterwards, poking Razer in the nose with her other hand, the first still shaking Simon's

[Llyarden]

"'Excited to start?'" Maximillian repeated. "..."

"No."

He looked up at the new arrival and his Charmander, growing gradually more and more despondent. He cheered up slightly at hearing the argument outside, which heralded the appearance of yet another person. At least someone's in the same boat.

He sighed. May as well get it over with. "Maximillian," he introduced himself. "And this is Horace," he added, gesturing to the snoozing bear on his suitcase. "Who is not good at early mornings," he added, mostly to himself.

[Toilet Cobra]

As you greet your new coworkers, you have to raise your voices to be heard. The noisy car you’ve been hearing for some minutes is now pulling around the corner and heading straight for the Pokemon Center. Actually a clunky white van, riding low on its axles and sputtering noisily, it pulls to a stop right in front of your group. A hand-painted image on the vehicle’s side features the words “ROLLING ACRES” beneath a leaping, grinning Whiscash.

As the van idles on the well-fitted stone street, the door opens and a lanky figure climbs out. The driver is a tall, skinny young man, probably only a few years older than any of you. He wears loose, grass-stained jeans and a faded, berry-splotched t-shirt that sports the same image as the side of the van. He seems to have neglected his grooming this morning- his hair is badly tousled and his cheeks are dusted with sparse whiskers.

He runs a hand idly through dirty-blonde hair as he examines you all, then nods. "So, if you’re waitin’ here I guess I must be your ride. Name’s Danny. I'm your... I guess ya call it "supervisor." Nice to meetcha'll."

Without waiting for a response he slides open the van’s side door. You can see the interior is stacked high with dozens of lumpy, squarish parcels, each wrapped in parchment paper and tied with twine. An unidentifiable, earthy smell wafts out. The odor is difficult to place, but it immediately grabs the attention of all the pokemon present.

"Well, grab a stack o’ boxes and help me carry this stuff inside," Danny says. "All this food is going to the Center here, and if you want a ride we'll have to make some room."

[supernerd]

Simon smiles and Razer lets out a puff of flame as Haley takes her hand away. "Nice to meet you too!" He then got on his knees and pet the Skiddo on the head. "I bet he's super tough. Aren't you?"

Then there was the arrival of the Whiscash van. He sighed softly. "Looks like you can take a break early. You're not the best heavy lifter." He took his Pokeball off his waist and withdrew the Charmander from his shoulders. Putting his Pokeball back, he clasped his hands together. "Hello, my name is Simon, it's nice to meet you. Okay, so where is this all going?"

[Llyarden]

Maximillian, who more or less ignored Danny's introduction, was steadily growing less impressed by the moment. From the praising reports he'd heard about the ranch he'd expected something a little more professional than a beat-up old van and a man who apparently hadn't heard of shaving. "We're not even at the ranch yet..." he complained quietly, more to himself than anything else. Think of the computer. Think of all the forums that will have new posts when this is over.

He sighed heavily. "The van is going to stink of this stuff when we're driving back, isn't it?" he asked Danny, moving to collect one of the smaller group of parcels, leaving Horace - the Teddiursa sitting up and sniffing curiously at the smell of food - to observe from the safety of his suitcase perch.

[moondoggy]

"Supervisor? This scruffy simpleton? And what is this beat up van? Isn't Rolling Acres supposed to be prestigious?" Louisa muttered under her breath, standing by the only one present who had any fashion sense. "Can you believe it? This is what they send to pick us up? A poorly-maintained stinkwagon?" She simply stood and watched as the rest of the group handled the heavy lifting.

[BlackestOfMages]

"Nice to meetcha, Mr Danny. I'm" Hayley said with a smile as the older man stepped out of the van, stepping up to the van and grabbing a parcel, placing it down on Scrappy's back, before grabbing another for herself "Here ya go buddy, think you can handle that? Where do ya want these, sir?"

"awwww, buck up guys, hopefully it won't be all bad, and I'm sure the ranch'll be nice." she said to Max and the other girl - she needed to ask her name, soon - trying to keep everyone's spirits up with general cheerfulness. She'd never even considered that there'd be folks here that didn't want to be, and it was a darn shame they had to be.

[Toilet Cobra]

Danny smiles wryly at Maximillian’s question. “I think you’ll find that this ol’ girl ‘stinks’ of pokemon food all the time. That’s the smell of two deliveries a week, going on four years now… that don’ exactly air out too quick.”

He returns your greetings and shakes hands with Hayley and Simon, then directs you to follow him inside (he frowns when he notices that Louisa isn’t helping, but doesn’t say anything). The duty nurse, who is clearly a long-time acquaintance of Danny’s, exchanges a few friendly words with him and lets you all into the employee section of the Center in order to deliver your cargo. Even with the lot of you, it takes several trips to move the dense packages.

With that task completed, Danny urges you all to quickly pile into the van. “We’re already runnin’ behind,” he explains. “Normally I’da been back by now, but we had a heck of a time gettin’ the van runnin’ this morning. Everybody hop in, plenty of time to get acquainted on the way back.” With no seats in the back of the van, three of you have to resign yourselves to sitting on the floor's musty carpet.

[Llyarden]

Maximillian blinked a few times at lack of seats. "Seriously? Is that even legal?" he complained. He did not, however, make a beeline for the sole seat (though he expected the complaining girl to do so). His parents - or rather, the assortment of carers they'd hired - had brought him up better than that.

Besides, he was pretty confident that they'd be in worse situations than this.

Once he had lugged his suitcase - Horace abandoning it to sit on his shoulder, the little bear clinging to his neck - into the van, he sat down besides it with a sigh. Even that short amount of physical exertion had left him tired.

[moondoggy]

Without a word Louisa climbs into the only seat, putting her metallic pink suitcase in the floorboard. This stinks, both literally and figuratively. Stuck with a bumpkin and three nobodies riding to what will likely turn out to be a third-rate backwoods dirt farm... With a sigh she crosses her arms and stares out the window, trying to ignore the smell as best she can.

[BlackestOfMages]

Hayley had to grin and bear the smell as she placed her bag into the back of truck, recalling Scrappy into his pokeball so he didn't take up too much room in the van, and settled back against the wall. "Sooooo... anyone peckish? where's y'all from?" she asked, trying not to sound too awkward as she pulled a wrapped sandwich from the depths of her bag, ready for breakfast.

[supernerd]

Sitting with his backpack in his lap and his suitcase beside him, Simon got out his own breakfast and began to eat. "If we're eating, then I'm game. I think it might be a little cramped for the Pokemon to eat if they didn't have their fill at the center." He let his weight fall against the side of the van. "Well, I'm from Ivorydale City, so It'll be nice to actually be in the country for a change. It's so hard to find a nice park in the city. Though there are some perks. How about you?"

[Toilet Cobra]

Once everyone is seated as comfortably as they can manage, Danny reverses the idling van, executes a wide three-point-turn, and you start on your way out of town. It’s mostly downhill, and even though Danny keeps a foot on the brake pedal, it’s not long at all before the street lights of Verplanck City are behind you and you find yourselves on a narrow, tree-lined road that switches back and forth down the eastward slope. Not far outside of town, the stone street abruptly disappears and gives way to a heavily-rutted dirt path. Evergreen trees crowd in from both sides, their branches scraping the van’s roof and their roots causing frequent, jarring bumps under the tires.

For the first part of the journey, Danny’s concentration is solely on the road. Talk eventually tapers off as you all focus on breakfasting, or alternatively brooding on the cruelty of the universe. As the path widens and the descent becomes more gradual, though, Danny speaks up into the quiet. “Oh hey, seeing as you’re all trainers I thought ya might like to look through this,” Danny says. He reaches past Louisa, digs around in the glove box for a moment and produces a palm-sized orange plastic rectangle. He reaches back and hands this object to Maximilian, who happens to be seated directly behind Danny. It takes a brief moment for Max to realize that he’s been handed a pokedex.

In fact nobody recognizes it at first, not only because it is several years out of date, but because it is in such poor condition. The screen is cracked and spotted with dead pixels, and the badly-scratched case is held together with thick bands of frayed electrical tape. Nevertheless it is functional, and the software at least has been updated to the familiar modern operating system (although it runs a bit sluggish on this old processor).

“When I got hired on at the ranch a few years back, I wiped out all the data on that thing and started over. It’s got a pretty complete picture of what ya can expect to see on the ranch, and in some of the surrounding area-- though I personally don’t like to explore too far off the range. And sometimes a rare pokemon wandered through when I didn’t have the ‘dex on me, or something ran away too fast to record, and they won’t show up in there either. But otherwise it’s a fairly solid list. You’ll wanna at least glance over it, since dealing with wild pokemon is part of the job and you should know what you’re gonna see.”

Danny's 'fairly solid list.' (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Jaw2lXLdo2Mly_wAeG93o1FiUFMugc8fu02Gu7zJ1Rk/edit?usp=sharing)

[Llyarden]

Insult to injury much? Maximillian's displeasure with the outdated Pokedex was pretty obvious, though he nonetheless looked through it carefully before handing it on to Hayley. "That...is an enormous number of a select few Pokemon with no apparent rhyme nor reason. Who decided what Pokemon should be on the ranch?"

[Toilet Cobra]

Danny gives Max a blank look in the rear-view mirror, before meaning dawns on him. "Oh, those big numbers aren't just the pokemon we breed," he clarifies. "We only have five or six pedigrees each year. But it's a big ol' ranch, kiddo. Forests on all sides, and mountains outside that. There's so many species of wild pokemon breezing through, and in such big groups, it's practically an unofficial Safari Zone. We don't breed Weedles and Caterpies... who'd want 'em? But they build nests on the ranch all the same."

He pauses a moment, then adds: "I spose the actual answer to your question is Barb- she makes the decisions on which species we breed each year. She follows the Pokemon League Championships closely to figure out what people are going to want next season, then we get started breeding them before demand ramps up. We do Eevees every year, o'course, they never seem to go outta style, and our Barboaches are second to none. But everythin' else changes annually."

[supernerd]

Simon looked at the list over Haley's shoulder. He saw some pretty interesting species. "No kidding. Well, to be honest, if I wasn't interested in having a wide portfolio, I'd probably take three Eevees myself! But this seems like a lot of Goomy for one place, and I'd be interested in seeing where the Budew are at some point. You said that dealing with wild Pokemon would be part of our jobs. What all are we supposed to do? make sure they don't get in or something?"

[Toilet Cobra]

"Good question... it's Simon, right? Good question, Simon," Danny replies. "We let wild pokemon roam through the ranch. Hell, it'd take a damn army of Pokemon Rangers to stop 'em. Mostly they don't do any harm. But if we let 'em go just anywhere, they'll eat up the berries, harass the Daycare, chew on the power lines, and try like crazy to interbreed with our Championship pokemon. So we gotta chase 'em out sometimes."

He shrugs. "You'll get to know the bad eggs pretty quick- most 'mons are fine. Hell, we let the Budew and the Petilils grow right next to the berries, they actually improve the soil. Sometimes fairy pokemon come just to enjoy the blossoms, and we leave them be, too. But if you see a Pansage... or heaven forbid, a Munchlax, you gotta get them outta there ASAP or you'll lose a whole berry bush, maybe more."

[supernerd]

Simon chuckled a bit. "Heh, well, if Horace and Scrappy can handle the Munchlax, then Razer can make the Pansage run off real easy. I just hope there is some time to train before we get started. Razer always works better once we've warmed up." While everyone looked over the listings, he thought he might ask. "I don't mean to change the subject too much, and feel free to change it back, but, Danny, what do you know about the Verplanck Gym Leader? I hear they focus on status ailments, so I'm glad Razer can't be burned..."

[Toilet Cobra]

"Ah, well I can't really help you there," Danny says. "Her name's Mirna, and I guess I know her- you probably do too if you've ever watched the Championships on TV. In fact I think she swept the tourney years ago, back when I was about Hayley's age. She wasn't Champion long though- lazy woman. She jumped at the chance to be a Gym Leader in a remote town like Verplanck."

"She's a good customer, though not a very pleasant gal," he continues. "But the thing is, I haven't done a Gym challenge since before her time. I got my Verplanck badge-- back then it was the 'Turbine Badge,' but the old Gym leader had a totally different fighting style. I've never actually gone up against Mirna and I don't really intend to."

[Llyarden]

Maximillian glared at the 'kiddo' remark, accurate though it may have been. The change in topic to battling threw him somewhat; he'd never been interested in that sort of thing beyond occasional theoretical discussions of unusual tactics that he read along with online. "Isn't the point of all this to be working on the ranch, not running off challenging Gym leaders?" he pointed out. If he didn't get to ignore the ranch to do what he wanted, he was going to make it hard for anyone else to do the same thing.

[supernerd]

Simon slouched a little, reaching to his belt and turning his partner's Pokeball in his hands. "Eh, it's whatever, I just figured that since there's a Gym in town and we already have to go in twice a week, that I might as well challenge the Gym. And It's no sweat if you haven't faced her. I can always try again a couple weeks later if I lose. Is there any free time on the ranch? I don't want to have to play hooky to go into town for a match."

[Toilet Cobra]

"When you're workin', you're there to work," Danny agrees. "But you kids'll get your time off, too. If you wanna spend your weekend trying for a badge, that's up to you." He smiles. "I'll even give ya a lift. I'll take any excuse I can to get to head back to town for a little while."

[supernerd]

Simon held up his Pokeball. "Great, so it's like I anticipated. I probably won't try for a couple weeks depending on how things go. I don't think Razer and I are ready to challenge a Gym, not yet anyways. Still, this looks like a fun list to say the least. So, when are we expected to be up and ready?"

[BlackestOfMages]

"I wouldn't worry about it too much, Max, since our pals'll be toughening up as we work keepin' away those peskly cute munchlaxes and monkeys, we may as well give it a shot. It'd give us all something ta work towards, other than haulin' hay and chasing varmin and the like. Like Mr Danny said, we'll have the weekends to relax, so why not? maybe even make a race of it?" Hayley said from her spot, slightly shoving Simon to look through the list; quite a few interesting species on there, a bunch she'd never seen before; and the ranch seemed to hav a good supply of honey, which got her gears going...
"Say, Mr Danny, might be a bit of an odd question but... what's the kitchen like on the ranch? I got a few idea's and experiments I've been meaning to try that my folk's said no to, and ya know when you got that itch you need to scratch..."

[Toilet Cobra]

“I’m pretty sure you guys’ll start the real work bright ‘n early tomorrow,” Danny says. “I’ve got plenty to teach ya’ll then, but I think the bosses want you to have a little time to look around and get acclimated.” He smiles at Hayley’s remark. “If you like to experiment in the kitchen, Miss Foster, I think you’ll be pleased with what you find. We’ve got a first-rate pokefood operation goin’, don’t forget, and that takes serious space and equipment. In fact, we just- oh hey!” Danny suddenly exclaims. “Here I am talkin’ and we’re already home!”

The van rounds a final curve, revealing a straight path that spells the end of the downward grade. The road becomes a wide, gentle route that leads to a wooden bridge, spanning a modest, slow-moving creek. As the van crests the bridge’s arch, Danny laughs and slows the van almost to an idle. “Feast your eyes, folks! Home sweet home.”

If Verplanck City was everything pale and cold, where the blue-white stone seemed to hoard the nightime chill, and everything was dark and bare, then the Rolling Acres Ranch is the opposite- green, gold, and everything warm. Beyond a chest-high wooden fence and through a tall gate (the ‘RA’ symbol hanging in a delicately carved circle at the top of the portal), you see fields of bright green grasses, already growing tall even in the earliest days of spring. Beyond, resting majestically on the crown of a gentle hill, you spy a magnificent three-story plantation home. Its walls are cream and trimmed with gold, and a generous front porch is adorned with enough tables and wicker chairs to entertain a dozen guests.

Already the sun is teasing a haze of pollen from the ground, and you can see that Danny wasn’t kidding-- even before you pass through the gate, you can see wild pokemon raising their heads and eying the noisy van. A pair of spearow take to the air from beside the road, squawking in indignation. Not far along, a couple of combee drones are hovering, explorers seeking nectar for their family. It seems no matter where you look in the tall grass, a flicker of movement can be seen, hinting at the ranch’s itinerant residents. Danny drives slowly towards the house, trying to disturb as few of the pokemon as possible, and you’re able to take a long look at the grounds and soak in all the splendor.

Anybody who likes can roll a Perception skill check to try and spot any rare or particularly well-hidden pokemon as you drive to the house.

[moondoggy]

Louisa had been doing her best to ignore the other people in the smelly van, but her ears perked up at the mention of Eevees and fairy pokemon, a little moreso at the mention of Munchlax. As the three in the back yammered on she would occasonally glance at the poorly-treated pokedex between them. Somewhat satisfied, she turned to stare back out the window, hoping the ride w-
"Not bad..." she concedes, taking in the view approaching the ranch proper. She had to admit the ranch house was well-kept at least, and the rustic decor was fitting. The amount of wild pokemon around was surprising. She gazed all around, catching a glimpse of something here and there: Pidgeys trilling on a branch, a Bellsprout and Budew walking side-by-side, a Sentret rolling a watmel berry through the grass. It was like something from her picture books back home.
Perception: [roll0]

[Llyarden]

"My name is Maximillian," Maximillian said icily, turning slightly to give Hayley a disapproving look. "I'd appreciate you using it."

He was distracted from his scolding, though, by the arrival at the ranch. He...kinda gazed wide-eyed for a few moments. Okay...this might actually be bearable.

Perception: [roll0]
And a pre-emptive Pokemaniac: [roll1]

[supernerd]

The ranch was beautiful. No wonder so many Pokemon had come along over the years. Simon looked out at the scenery, taking it in and trying to get familiar with the area, but mostly just looking over every inch he could see. He was glad that his mother had suggested a summer here. This was going to be a good time. He began thinking out loud. "Well, I'm probably just going to be exploring and finding a place to train in the mornings. If anyone wants to come with, you're welcome to. I think this'll be a fun summer, though I imagine many nights of just passing out in our beds."

Perception: [roll0]

[Toilet Cobra]

Pokemon Stealth Check: 9

Crowding forward for a look, Maximilian’s sharp eyes spy a pair of white, tufted ears among the grass. Although it is difficult to follow, he manages to spot the pokemon again when it briefly steps into the open- it’s a juvenile Zangoose! As the van rumbles by, the creature watches unafraid and casually licks toxic purple ichor off its claws… clearly the carnivorous young Zangoose has just feasted on some hapless poisonous prey.

Pokemaniac Info
Lv 16 Zangoose
Type: Normal
Nature: Brave
Ability: Toxic Boost



As the van pulls alongside the manor house, you catch a brief glimpse of a pair of figures emerging on the porch, but then Danny turns the corner and parks the car in a growing patch of shade.

“Alright, we’re here,” he says lightly. “Everybody out.”

As you all exit the van, the sunlight immediately begins to warm you all- the day is clearly going to be a hot one. Dany waits as you stretch, grab your bags, and gather together so that he can lead you inside. While you collect yourselves, you hear the distant, distinctive sound of a pokeball opening and releasing its charge.

Once he’s sure you’re all accounted for, Danny leads you around to the front porch. A tall woman with sparkling green eyes and a bun of gray hair, clearly in her fifties or sixties, is smiling and chatting with a swarthy, olive-skinned young man. She is dressed casually, in a flannel shirt with rolled sleeves beneath a flour-dusted apron. The young man, conversely, is dressed like a wanna-be biker- his jeans are stylishly shredded, his hair has been carefully slicked back and his spotless black jacket has a rampant Gyrados emblazoned large on the back. In truth he looks like a bit of a poser, but as he turns towards you all, you see the light sparkle off his left sleeve, where a complete set of eight gym badges has been carefully pinned at the shoulder.

More arresting than either of these two people, however, is the enormous Yanmega resting lightly on the porch’s railing. Although it is easily longer than Danny is tall, the pokemon is perched as lightly as a dandelion seed, as if it would simply float away on the breeze if it weren’t using six legs to hold itself in place. Its red compound eyes are impossible to read, but it seems obvious that it examining you all carefully.

The old woman breaks the silence of the odd scene with a friendly greeting. “Hello, hello!” she says, beaming. “Welcome to the Acres, everyone! Danny, will you be so kind as to introduce us all?”

“Sure thing,” Danny says. “Kids, this is Barbara Chapman- she’s the big boss. She owns the ranch ‘n makes the calls.”

“Just ‘Barb’ is fine,” she interjects happily.

“Right. Barb, this is Simon, Hayley, Louisa, and Maximilian.” Danny gestures to the dark-skinned young man, who is calmly stroking the restless Yanmega along its spined back. “And this is Royale. Royale, meet our new crop of ranch hands.”

Royale inclines his head. “It’s very nice to meet you all,” he says politely. “Barbara has been talking about your imminent arrival all morning.”

Barb chuckles. “Hardly all morning.”

Royale turns back to Barb. “I have to be off,” he says, “I have an exhibition match in a few hours, and I want to make a stop between here and Clearview.”

“I understand,” she replies. “Don’t be a stranger, my boy.”

He and Barb share a brief hug, before he steps lightly off the porch. In a flash, the Yanmega shoots out between his feet and lifts him clear off the ground. The pokemon’s blurred wings give off an amazingly loud buzz as it increases in speed and power. Before you know it, the young man is already a diminishing speck in the sky.

“Well!” Barb says, clapping her hands. “We certainly have a lot to talk about, but why don’t we get you settled first? Ladies can pick any room on the second floor, and boys up on the third. Once that’s done, wash up, I’ll put on some tea, and we can all get acquainted.”

[BlackestOfMages]

"Sure, that sounds great fun Simon. Count me and Scrappy in at least" Hayley replied to the boy's question even as the car slid to a halt and Simon ushered them all out.

Seeing the ranch as they'd rolled up had been one thing, but getting a nice lungful of the fresh air - free of the 'unique' aroma of the car - and feeling the breeze on her skin made it all the more memorable. She was too busy taking it all, the sounds of the pokemon, the vibrant shades, everything, she nearly missed following Simon and the others out of the shade.

As Simon and Barb's conversation wound down, Hayley watched with some slight amazement as the older trainer - royal, was it? - flew off on the yanmega; that thing was huge. She'd been expecting today to be exciting in a more mundane manner, but between the beautiful ranch, the new sights and well, that, she was a bit taken aback, a huge dopey smile on her face.

"Nice to meet you Mrs Barb, I'm Haylely. Who was that, by the way? ummm, talk again in a minute" she said, excitedly, as she rushed into the house "Dibs on the corner room." she added over her shoulder as she nearly skipped up the stairs, almost slipping once, before slowing to a slightly more reasonable pace, reaching the top floor and picking the room that looked best to her.

Strolling in, she dropped her bag on the bed, giving it a quick test - for science of course - and finding it beyond acceptable with a couple of bounces. Jumping back up to her feet, and adjusting her hat so it was slung from her back, she pulled Scrappy's pokeball from her belt and let him out again, facing the window and the titular rolling acres beyond.

"What do you think, Sugar? looks lovely, doesn't it?" she asked, the small goat pokemon purring in response and running circles round her legs, tugging at her laces as well "Looks like someone can't wait to get out there. Well, let's go, shall we."

stopping for a second to splash some water on her face, she waved to the quiet girl in the fancy outfit as she went down again; must be a bit shy, Hayley pondered, wondering who it was who'd been mouthing off outside this morning, before heading back down to the porch, talking slower than before, a bit more breath in her

"Nice to meet you, Mrs Barb, I'm Hayley Foster. My ma was an old farm hand of yours, back when she was my age, if you remember her? I must say, your ranch is right beautiful, if it's not being too forward, and I'm real grateful for the chance to work here. Would you like a hand with the tea?"

[Llyarden]

Well that wasn't in Danny's Pokedex. Maximillian gave a slight smile at Danny's use of his unabbreviated name, though he was...surprisingly quiet and withdrawn during the introductions, looking away from the Yanmega's many-eyed stare.

"Ms Chapman?" he asked quietly after a moment, obviously ignoring the 'call me Barb' request. "How do...how are carnivorous Pokemon meant to be handled here? Because on the way here, I think I saw a Zangoose that had...had killed something." He'd seen wild Pokemon hunt on TV shows, but seeing it in real life was a little different.

[Toilet Cobra]

Barb’s smile turns a little sad at Max’s question. “Oh, I’m so sorry that was your first impression of our home,” she says. “The circle of life isn’t so neat and pretty up close, is it? Predators do roam these fields, but we keep the worst ones in check. Sometimes something really voracious sneaks into the Acres, and we chase it out as quick as we can. Why, a Garchomp once burrowed right into the barn and tried to eat our herd of Miltank! Thankfully, Danny was doing the milking just then and and got them all out safely. We had to call the Pokemon Rangers to help get that beastie out of here in the end.”

“But the truth is, predators are necessary anywhere pokemon gather. If there were no Zangoose out there, the ones they prey on would run riot and breed until they began starving. I’ve seen it happen-- without predators, the herbivores stop migrating and just strip the land barren. That’s the price of over-policing the wild ones instead of letting nature sort itself out.”

“Try not to worry about it, dear,” she says, giving Max’s hand a grandmotherly pat. “Pokemon were taking care of themselves in this valley long before any humans has the bright idea to build a ranch here, and they’ll still be doing just fine long after we’re gone.”

As you all go about selecting your rooms on the upper floors, Barb busies herself in the kitchen. Danny has to try to catch up on his neglected daily schedule, and leaves for the fields without a word.

Your rooms are well appointed, in a manner you associate with the tastes of old ladies: vases of dried flowers, sepia-toned portraits, lace draped on everything. The beds are made with hand-sewn quilts, clearly the work of someone with skill, time, and dedication. The windows are enormous and fringed with gauzy curtains; there’s little need for privacy in a remote place like this. Those of you rooming on the north side of the house can see the morning sun glittering off a huge pond, a cerulean oval too perfect to be quite natural but not looking entirely man-made either. Those of you on the eastern side of the house have a clear view of a large wooden barn, built long like an oversized stables, and a huge, solidly built wooden fence that intersects the barn and encompasses a stadium-sized area of grassland.

Even these lofty views can’t encompass the entirety of the property, but you can see the surrounding mountains huddling in the distant haze. The position of the house is somewhat in the southwest corner of the ranch, and the southern-facing windows give a clear, panoramic view of the forested hills nearby. No doubt pokemon thrive there, as well, both in the trees and in the caverns they conceal.

Hayley is the first to get settled, and arrives downstairs to see Barb setting a table out on the porch. Barb seems pleased by her eager attitude and directs her to retrieve the whistling kettle off the range inside.

“Of course I remember your mother, Hayley,” she grins. “Those were good years. Harold and I were just starting out and, well, we didn’t have a clue what we were doing.” She laughs, a delicate, ladylike sound. “We hired your mother on as help, but really she taught us more than we taught her. I was so sad when she decided it was time to leave, but I knew it was for the best. How is she these days? Did she ever start that farm of her own?”

[BlackestOfMages]

Hayley hoisted the kettle, careful to avoid the scalding steam, and carried it over to the table "Yup, Ma started up a lil' farm a few towns over soon after meeting Pa, and she's right happy tending her berry plants and looking after the gogoats, but she talks about this place a lot, and I can see why now. How many sugars, Mrs Barb?"

[supernerd]

Simon stretched as he got out of the van, and watched the older trainer fly off. He had been looking around at the scenery, but the trainer's mention of Clearview had his attention. Then he was gone, the Yanmega carrying him off. He wondered how much work it would take to become that strong, or stronger, but he supposed it was a ways off.

After they had been introduced to Barb, Simon reached for his Pokeball and released Razer so he could see where they would be spending the summer. He then carried his bag upstairs and took a room facing the east. He looked over what he had and started unpacking a few things. After a bit, he went ahead and went to the bathroom and washed his hands and face before coming back downstairs. He looked around for a kitchen or dining room to see where there would be tea.

[Llyarden]

"Hmm," Maximillian said, somewhat non-commitally. So if we see something getting hunted, we're just...what, meant to sit back and let it happen?

Resolving that he had no intention of doing that, whether or not it was what they were 'meant' to do, Maximillian headed upstairs after Simon, picking a room on the northern side of the house. Leaving his suitcase by his bed, and wrinkling his nose slightly at the taste of the room's decorator, he moved over to his window look out at the ranch itself.

Even though he didn't particularly do anything, he was still comparatively late back down again. "What's with the lake?" he asked, without any particular preamble, his natural curiosity winning out over his sulking yet again. "It doesn't look man-made, but it doesn't look natural either. You get a gang of Pokemon to dig it out or something?"

[moondoggy]

As Louisa eagerly stepped out of the beaten van she noticed the Yanmega perched upon the railing of the porch and froze. It's compound eyes twitched in her direction and she quickly jumped back into the vehicle's smelly interior until it was gone. Only once it and the gruff-looking man, whoever he was, are out of her sight does she step back outside.

"How horrid that someone would actually keep a beast like that around..." she says with obvious disgust. Hefting her suitcase she walks upstairs and picks herself out a room. "Hm. These quarters are somewhat adequate. A little dated, but I was expecting less." Out the window she can see long grassy fields and an impressively-sized barn. "Perhaps this isn't quite the two-bit operation I thought..." As she looks over the scenery a flash of orange catches her eye. That light cream coat... The flames... "No way!" She runs downstairs excitedly, for once her disappointed expression gone and replaced with genuine enthusiasm. "You have Ponyta on this ranch?!" she shouts running into the kitchen.

[Toilet Cobra]

As Barb and Hayley set the table, Louisa bursts onto the scene, flush with excitement over her sighting of a trio of Ponyta in the distant fields. “Oh yes,” Barb says, answering her rhetorical question. “We don’t raise them, but once or twice a year a herd will hop over the fences and gallop through. They’re here a bit early this year, which means you’re in luck- though if you have a mind to make friends with one, you’d better be quick young lady! They’ll be headed south before you know it.”

Barb serves rustic scones with her homemade mago berry jam, and invites you all to sit. Max is the last to join you all, and inquires about the presence of a large body of water to the northeast.

“That’s our pond, where we raise our Barboach,” Barb explains. “It used to be much smaller, back when we first bought the property. Just a natural dip in the land where the creek pooled before moving on. Well, Harold decided to keep his Whiscash there, and as he got older and bigger that old rascal began to dig the pond deeper. Thirty years later, and we have a whole lake! We needed the space to raise water pokemon anyway, so it worked out well.”

Barb gives you all a chance to nibble on scones and takes the opportunity to lean back in her chair and enjoy the morning’s rising heat. She answers a few small questions, but mostly she watches you in silence, pleased to see young folk enjoying her hospitality. Not long after you begin eating, a rather round Delcatty wanders out of the house, meowing loudly, and Barb lifts it up to her lap where it looks at your food longingly. Finally, rubbing the pokemon’s ears, she sets her teacup down delicately and clears her throat.

“I’m sure you’re all curious about what your employment here will entail,” she says. “Believe me, there’s plenty to do. Mostly what we need help with is berry picking, kitchen work, and grooming and feeding the livestock and the Daycare pokemon. Believe me, these are more work than they sound, particularly because we’re expanding this year. Danny is out there right now with his Boldore, digging new furrows to plant berries. He’s talking about tripling the size of the berry patch before Summer rolls around in and I believe he’ll do it, too. More berries means more food to make, and more deliveries. So we need all the help we can get.

“Now some of you,” she nods at Hayley, “are familiar with this kind of work, and that’s very helpful. But we don’t expect you to be expert ranchers. Just do as you’re asked to the best of your ability, and I’m sure we’ll get on fine. Though, we do have some rules that I need you to observe:

First, the hours. Your first official day is tomorrow. You’ll work from sunup to five PM each day, with breaks as you need them. We have three meals together every day, right here at the house. You’ll receive your wages on Friday afternoon. You’ll have Saturdays and Sundays off, to do with whatever you please.

Second, please leave the brooding pokemon to themselves, and don’t disturb their eggs. You can battle and capture any wild pokemon you like on the ranch. But the pokemon in the daycare, as well as their offspring, are the property of the trainers who pay us to look after their friends.

Third, if you wish to battle among yourselves, feel free to do so, but never wager money against one another. And please don't challenge any of our guests to pokemon duels-- though if they challenge you, feel free to accept if you wish.

Fourth, as trainers I’m sure you have some interest in the things we produce here on the ranch: powerful pokemon and berries. But please don’t help yourself to anything without asking, not even a single berry. We have plenty to go around, but the best of the crop-- and I’m speaking of both the berry harvest and the young pokemon-- go to our clients. That’s our business, after all, and nobody is allowed to skim off the top.”

Barb leans forward, not smiling now, and the chubby Delcatty hops off her lap. The old woman’s face is serious, and as she speaks she jabs her finger at the table for emphasis. “Fifth, most importantly, and I cannot stress this enough- there are places you must not go alone, or at night, or unless Danny tells you it’s safe. The caves in the forest are teeming with dangerous pokemon, and it’s very easy to get lost or hurt in them. You’ll notice a large Chesto berry tree north of the orchard- never go near it unless Danny gives you permission. Don’t go to the barn at night, unless one of the adults is with you. And as for the lake, swimming is fine, but if you’re alone, only go in the shallows. The pokemon aren’t dangerous there- I just don’t want to see anybody go out there alone and end up drowning because they overestimated their swimming abilities.

"It’s a big ranch and you’re going to have to look out for one another,” Barb says. “When wild pokemon are involved, nobody is ever 100% safe. That’s why we’ll be assigning you tasks with partners. You’ll either be working side by side with each other, or with Danny, Harold, and myself. And always have your phones handy. If there’s any trouble we’ll all come running.”

Her serious mood evaporates as suddenly as it appeared, and she beams at you all. “Not that I’m trying to spook you,” she says. “It’s been years since anybody’s been hurt worse than a Combee sting here, but we have to play it safe.” She reaches for her teacup and brings it to her lips. “Now that I’ve talked myself hoarse,” she says, taking a dainty sip, “do you have any questions for me?”

[BlackestOfMages]

"uuuum, sorry if its stickin' my nose in where it might not be wanted, but who was the fella with the big bug pokemon we met when we got here?" Hayley asked, biting her tonuge about asking why not to go to the tree, or the barn, while savouring the rich flavor of her scone "I mean, he seemed important, what with the badges he was wearin', and I'd love to get another look at his pokemon."

[Llyarden]

So I won't even get to be alone? Brilliant. Not that Maximillian didn't understand why sticking together would be important given the situation, but that didn't stop it being annoying. "Ah, yes, I had one," he said aloud, when Barb asked for questions. "What are our Pokemon meant to do while we're working? Can we just have them out and about with us or do they have to be kept in their Pokeballs?"

[supernerd]

Simon sipped his tea as they discussed most of the important stuff they'd need to know. When Barb opened up things for questions, Maximillian asked one of his concerns, but he thought of a few others. "Would it be possible to get an Eevee at the end of the summer? I don't know how much they cost, but I've always found them cool. Also, I like to train in the morning with my Pokemon so that we can get warmed up for the day. Should I just wake up early for that?"

[Toilet Cobra]

“Royale is an Ace trainer, and a good friend,” Barb tells Hayley. “He came here for a pokemon and some free advice when he was just a boy starting out. He couldn’t have been a day over twelve, but I could tell right away he was going to go far. He’s been a professional pokemon battler for a few years now, and he took third place in the tournament last year. He thinks he’ll take the title this season.” Barb shrugs, and gives a little wink. “He’ll be back in a few weeks for more pokemon food, so if you’d like to meet him I’m sure that can be arranged. He loves to talk, particularly about his own pokemon... in fact you may find it difficult to stop him once he gets started.”

Barb turns to Max. “You should always keep your pokemon nearby while you’re here,” she says, “Unless of course the little dears get tired out from all the walking and need a break. Some wild pokemon are shy, but others don’t fear people at all, and they can get aggressive. They’re much more likely to leave you alone if they see you have your partner with you. Plus there are some jobs where your pokemon can really pitch in, if they’re so inclined. Just keep them from gobbling up all the berries while you work.”


She takes a moment to consider Simon's concerns. “If you want to train with your pokemon during the workweek, Simon, I’m afraid you’ll have to rise a little earlier. I can wake you before dawn, if you like. As for the Eevees, you’ll want to speak with Harold about that. There are usually a few waiting for adoption at the end of the season, but then you may not have to wait that long.”

Barb has to raise her voice towards the end, as the sound of a rising engine approaches from the east. It’s almost as noisy as the van was, though the motor runs smoother and sounds less likely to die suddenly. “Speak of the devil! That’ll be Harold now,” Barb shouts over the din. “Now kids, Harold's memory isn’t the best, and he’s a bit hard of hearing, so you might find him a little difficult. Please be patient with him, he’s really a very sweet man and he’s been so looking forward to meeting you all.”

A bright green 4-wheeler comes rumbling around the corner of the house, dragging a wagon-like trailer covered by a heavy-duty tarp behind it. The driver of the vehicle is a robust old man: bearded, short, and balding, and with a heavy gut, but his bull neck and tanned arms are thick with muscle and he pilots the 4-wheeler skillfully to a gentle stop in front of the porch. His broad, whiskered face splits into a huge grin as he kills the engine, and he wipes the dust from his face with a faded handkerchief that hangs from the pocket of his overalls.

“Hot one out there, hon’!” he shouts to Barb. “Gonna run a scorcher fer sure!”

Barb nods. “Yes dear, I think you’re right,” she agrees sweetly. She motions to you all and beckons you to stand up. “Harold, these are our new employees. They’ve just arrived today.”

His face looks momentarily clouded, and a disbelieving smile hangs on his lips, as if he suspects his wife is playing a prank on him. But then his eyes light up once more. “Oh right! Ranch hands! Duh! We’ll need ‘em this season, fer sure!” He hops nimbly out of the 4-wheeler’s seat and pats the tarp. “As a matter of fact, I got a little something for ya’ll! A welcome gift, ya could call it.”

He whips the tarp free with a magician’s flourish, and uncovers a rack of pokemon eggs! Held upright in the nooks of a foam container, the eggs cover every color of the rainbow, speckled with patterns both recognizable and mysterious. Solid cream eggs, blue eggs with grey spots, black eggs with golden flecks, a single red egg with coal-colored streaks. The rack contains a hundred eggs in all, and you can see a second rack full of eggs beneath it.

“Way I figure it,” Harold says, “can’t rightly call yourselves ranchers if’n ya never raised a pokemon from an egg! So take yer pick, don’t be shy! Everybody gets one!”

“These are eggs from our championship pokemon, as well as eggs left behind by trainers who didn’t want them,” Barb explains as she steps off the porch. “If you’d like one to keep, you’re welcome to it, but remember you’re taking on a responsibility. Please choose carefully.”

Harold is holding up a rugged-looking, ash-colored egg, which he inspects closely, nodding in satisfaction. He holds it out to his wife, looking like a dusty, out-of-season Santa Claus delivering a gift. Barb takes the egg gently, kisses her blushing husband on the cheek, and puts the egg back in the cart.


The ranch sells two kinds of eggs: those that were specifically bred from the finest pedigrees, and those left behind by trainers whose pokemon found a mate while staying at the daycare.

You can pick a Pedigree pokemon from the following species:
Eevee
Fletchling
Klefki
Barboach
Mienfoo
Combee (F)
Shroomish

Pedigree pokemon always have the nature of your choice and access to an inheritance list. Alternatively, you can take your chances and ask for one of the unidentified eggs left by the other trainers. These pokemon will be more of a grab bag, they're not guaranteed to have a beneficial nature and any egg moves will be random. However, you're likely to see something rare and powerful, as these are the offspring of only those pokemon that hot-shot trainers thought were worth the effort of breeding in the first place.

Choose carefully! No backsies!

[Llyarden]

Maximillian...kinda stared at the racks of eggs for a few moments before what Barb and Harold were saying got through to him. "What, they just...left the eggs behind?" He sounded somewhat affronted. "Isn't that a bit rude? I mean, I know they might not have expected an egg if they just left their Pokemon here, but still."

Better than abandoning the egg somewhere else, I suppose. After a moment he stepped forwards. "Er...which of these were the 'abandoned' eggs?"

Grab bag egg go! Also, so you know in advance, Max will use one of his uses of This One's Special on his egg when it hatches.

[BlackestOfMages]

"Well, I guess if ya 'aint in a position to look after the little guy, there's not many better places for it to get the love an care it needs, or to find a new home." Hayleys says, but can't help biting her lip a bit, remembering seeing Scrappy as a lil goat, apart from the herd, and how it pulled her heartstrings "Ummmm, Mr Harold, can I get one of the left-over eggs. It's always better for the lil guys to have a good trainer."

[supernerd]

Simon was excited to have a chance at getting an Eevee right away, or maybe a Shroomish to complement the idea he had for a team. Then he heard about the eggs that were left behind. He sighed, tabling his desire for anything in particular. "Barb, I think I will wait for an Eevee. No one deserves to be abandoned. Harold, I'd like to talk to you sometime about getting an Eevee at the end of the summer if there are any left, but I think I need to give one of the forgotten eggs a good home." He picked out one from the rack of orphans, smiling to himself.

Let's hope its something good, but I think Simon would rather adopt than just take one that was gonna be on the ranch anyways. And it'll probably be interesting.

[moondoggy]

Louisa nearly jumps with excitement over being able to receive a pedigree Eevee, and was almost about to request one when the others spoke up in favor of left-behind eggs. Poor bleeding hearts, passing up a finely bred pokemon so casually. What a shame. Oh well, at least Dario will have a friend from upstanding upbringing like himself. Her thoughts bring back memories of when she first received her beloved Dario as an egg. Playing tea party with him, carrying him around the grounds in a filigree basket, keeping him warm underneath the covers. She could still remember what her father said the day he brought the egg home...

"Louisa dear I have something very special for you on your eighth birthday. You're growing up so fast I thought it was only right to bring you a grown-up present. Your very own pokemon! I was out visiting a colleague of mine and he let me have this egg. A fine specimen from his pure-blood lot, but the last one of the litter and nearly left behind. I didn't want this cute little egg to be left all alone. Do you think you can handle taking care of it?"

She looked at the pedigree eggs. They all surely had homes. No trainer worth their salt would pass up on a pokemon like that. However, the leftover ones... They would end up like Dario could have. All alone. Plus, they were the babies of powerful trainers' pokemon too, just like the fancy ones. Louisa made up her mind. It simply wasn't fair to leave the orphan eggs, not when she was going to receive what she wanted anyhow.

"I'll take that one," she said, pointing at the ashen one Harold and Barb had displayed. "If I'm to be acquiring an Eevee later in the season then I suppose I'll pick something else for now. It would be a shame to deny the egg a chance at the good life, after all."

[Toilet Cobra]

Although they don’t say it aloud, you can tell both Harold and Barb are pleased by your choices. They guide you to the neglected eggs, and you each take your pick. Louisa asks for the ashen egg that Harold was just holding, and the old man winks cheerily at her as he hands it over. “Ya got good instincts!” he whispers. “That’s gonna be a strong ‘un, fer sure.”

Max takes an undersized egg that is a light, glossy green, and Simon selects an egg that is cream colored on the bottom and a dark pink on the top. Hayley’s choice is the biggest egg of the lot: a chocolate-colored egg bristling with spiny projections, like an oversized pinecone.

Harold begins to hand out egg warmers from the cart. Unlike the modern version you may all be familiar with, these are the old fashioned kind: a heavy, water resistant cloth bag, padded and insulated with cotton on the inside, slung on a shoulder strap so the egg rests against the wearer’s hip. The egg warmers are old and clearly well-used, showing significant wear at the seams, but they seem serviceable enough.

“These eggs are already a few days old at the minimum,” Barb says, “and these warmers will speed up the process, so your eggs should hatch very soon. Keep them on while you walk, and your body heat and motion will encourage the baby pokemon to hatch quickly.”

Harold fastens the tarp down over the remaining eggs, and picks both racks up off the trailer with a hearty grunt. He carries the whole thing up the steps and into the house.

“I’m going to help Harold situate the eggs in our incubator, and then clean up these dishes,” Barb says, “So I’ll leave you all to your own devices for now. Remember the rules of the ranch, please, and stay in pairs- Hayley, you go with Louisa, and Simon, why don’t you partner up with Maximilian? Feel free to explore the ranch and I’ll see you all for lunch in a few hours.” Barb takes a moment to give you her contact info, as well as Harold and Danny’s, so that you can list them in your phones. With that accomplished, she follows her husband into the house.

You’ve been left to do as you please for the remainder of the day. To the northeast lies the pond, and as the day’s heat rises a swim might be just the ticket. Beyond the pond, Danny is tilling the fields, and the Daycare barn lies to the east. You’re surrounded by wide-open fields teeming with pokemon, and beyond them lie the forested hills promising adventure and mystery. And of course you could always head inside and take a nap.


You’ve all chosen an egg and been given a Handmade Egg Warmer. This item (which you can add to your inventory) functions like a normal Egg Warmer except it can only hold a single egg at a time, the egg only benefits from the decreased hatching time while it is being worn, and the device’s value is 500P. It can be worn on your hip or on your back with the help of the adjustable shoulder-strap.

You are now free to wander the ranch as you please. You can ignore Barb’s advice and split up if you choose, or swap partners, or all move as a single group. The choice, and the rest of the day, is yours.

[supernerd]

Simon slung the egg warmer over his shoulder, and tossed his Pokeball nonchalantly. He reached down and pet Razer, and then turned to Maximillian. "Well, it looks like we're partnered up for today. I was going to be spending the next hour getting Razer his morning exercise. You and/or Horace are welcome to join, if you want. Then I was thinking about heading out and trying to catch something. Maybe a Budew if I can find something that can take a fire move, or a maybe see if I can track down a Goomy or a mareep. If you have anything you want to do, I'm all ears."

[Llyarden]

Maximillian carefully nestled his green egg into its warmer and slipped on the shoulder strap. Just for a few moments, he smiled, more to the egg than anything else.

...and then Simon spoke to him and he slipped straight back into being surly. "Sure. Whatever you say." Even though Simon had quite clearly said that he'd take suggestions as to what they could do, either Maximillian had missed that part or he wasn't inclined to give any. "You've got your future team all planned out, huh?" Nonetheless, of all the Pokemon Simon had mentioned, a Goomy would be the most interesting to find. He paused for a moment to consider where the most likely place to find one would be.

Pkmn Edu for figuring out where a Goomy might be: [roll0]

[Toilet Cobra]

Goomy like to hang out anywhere there is muck- a muddy river bank with a rotten log to hide under is ideal. Alternatively, anywhere there is stagnant water and shade there is potential to find a Goomy hanging out.

You haven't seen enough of the ranch to know precisely where to look, but perhaps if you follow the river?

[supernerd]

Simon crosses his arms, but doesn't act bothered. The other boy seemed forced to be here, and Simon would be about as happy about it as Max was. "Well, I'm just gonna step behind the house. If you want, I can help train Horace if you want to try and take it easy. But no, I don't know what team I'm going to have. I just know what kind of Pokemon I like and that a fair amount of them have been seen on this ranch."

[moondoggy]

Louisa looks at Hayley and sighs a little, slinging the egg warmer on her hip. "If I must. Come along, little hayseed. I had planned on meeting with the Ponyta and if we must travel together at least it's with someone who seems to know a thing or two about... farm living."
Removing a sleek-looking white pokeball from her pocket, she tosses it out nonchalantly to reveal a pinkish-colored bulldog wearing a gold-studded collar. "Come along, Dario dear. Momma needs your help with some lovely pokemon." The Snubbull sniffs eagerly at her pocket but is gently brushed away. "Snub. Snub, bull." Dario insists, poking at whatever is in there. "Sorry, that isn't for you Dario. You'll have some food later, just help Momma out with this first."
The stubborn Snubbull crosses his arms in defiance but, seeing as Louisa simply keeps walking towards her goal he drops his bluster and runs to keep up with her.

[BlackestOfMages]

Hayley gratefully took the egg warmer, slinging it across her back; she'd seen Pokemon eggs back on the farm at home, but they'd always just raised them in the barn or under a blanket in the kitchen. The egg warmer, at least to her, was a bit of a luxury. She hoped the pokemon inside was comfortable, and that the little critter would be happy to spend time with her.

It was good to see Louisa seemingly brightening up a bit; the girl had seemed rather reluctant to be here, and it was nice that she'd found something she was excited about, even if she was being a touch condescending, and she was nice to her Pokemon at least.

"Sounds like a plan to me." Hayley said, trying to stay cheerful, while secretly hoping that the ponyta would end up bucking her away or the like... or just run when they saw her. Ah well, hopefully she'd cheer up soon. "C'mon out Scrappy. Wanna see if ya can outrun a ponyta, little guy?" she asked too the skiddo, kneeling down on her haunches and stroking his head, before standing up straight and heading after Louise "Let's go"

[Toilet Cobra]

The girls head north, in the direction Louisa believes she saw a Ponyta. The younger girl leads confidently, with Dario at her side and Hayley and Scrappy following close behind. It shouldn't be terribly hard to spot the Ponyta- their fiery manes should be visible at a great distance unless they happen to be grazing behind a hill.

Meanwhile, Simon and Maximilian focus on some serious training to get their pokemon ready for the ranch's many challenges. Setting up a training area near the house's back door, Max lets Simon take the lead and the older boy quickly sets to his task. Eager or perhaps just obedient, both Horace and Razer seem prepared to follow Simon's every instruction.


Hayley and Louisa may make Perception skill checks to spot the Ponyta. The pokemon aren't hiding and they don't blend in well, but it is a big ranch. The DC is 10 and you'll be walking a minimum of fifteen minutes, probably longer unless you roll very well. You may also encounter something else first depending on how quickly you track down the ponyta.

Max is deferring to Simon's greater expertise in pokemon training, so Simon go ahead and let us know the effects of your training on the two of them.

[supernerd]

Simon directed the two Pokemon in their exercises, making sure they got a good workout and were learning something along the way. Then he got into showing how they could push themselves just a little further in battle without hurting themselves. Luckily, Razer was always excited about that kind of stuff, but he didn't know how used to training Horace would be, since it looked like his trainer was more used to knowing everything than just pushing through headlong. "Okay, Guys, that was good, both of you! You did really well and you're both going to be very strong!" He then looked at Simon. "You seemed to notice things on the way in here, can you think of anywhere we could find any interesting Pokemon?"

Experience Training on both: +10EXP
Elite Trainer: Focused Training and Inspired Training
Ace Trainer: Drain 1 AP: Razer gets +1 Speed CS for that extra Speed Evasion, and Horace gets +1 Attack CS because 10 vs 12 speed isn't as significant as 14 vs 16, and who doesn't like moar dps?

[BlackestOfMages]

Hayley took a moment to catch her breath, looking for a higher vantage point, before taking a look around as much of the ranch as she could take in, seeking the distinctive fiery mains and other signs of such a herd - or anything else she could spot to lead them

Perception: [roll0]
Pokemon ed [roll1] to look for ponyta marks/environs they may inhabit.

[moondoggy]

"I could have sworn I saw some Ponyta in this direction. They were near the grassy fields past that big barn..." Louisa scans the horizon for signs of her target.

Perception: [roll0]
Pkmn Edu: [roll1]

[Toilet Cobra]

After several long minutes of walking, the girls begin to get an appreciation for how expansive this valley really is. Cresting a hill, Louisa stops to scan the distant fields. She manages to spot the flames that mark the Ponyta she seeks- hundreds of yards away, and moving quickly.

Feel free to decide on any approach you like. There are three Ponyta playing in the field, but bear in mind that these are fast little pokemon and they can easily outdistance you if they get startled. If you walk right up to them and initiate combat, you may find that they simply bolt.

Charming a pokemon to improve its disposition towards you is always an option, assuming it isn't actively attacking you.

[Llyarden]

Maximillian watched Simon's training regime without interrupting, letting the other boy do his thing. Though he was unlikely to admit it, he was a little bit impressed with how easily Simon had taken to training a Pokemon he'd never seen before. "Well, you were looking for a Goomy, right?" he asked after a moment. "Following the river would probably be the best bet for that. Probably best to let Horace get over his exercise before getting into any fights anyhow. Shall we?"

He didn't particularly wait for a response before heading in that direction, Horace scampering along behind him, occasionally pausing to examine one plant or another that was obviously very interesting to the Teddiursa's keen sense of smell.

Honey Gather and Pickup, as discussed.

Pickup Roll: [roll0]

[supernerd]

Simon took a deep breath when they were done, and reached down to scratch Razer's head. Max was being rather helpful, for someone who didn't want to be there, and Simon was grateful for that. He plodded off after the other boy, letting Razer keep up at his own pace. It hopefully wouldn't be too long before they found something. He wasn't really hoping that much for the goomy, as it looked rather rare in comparison, but there was probably something interesting that they would find. "Right behind you."

[moondoggy]

"Aha! Target acquired." Louisa smirks, pointing out the three Ponyta in he distance. "Now to see if my idea will work. Dario, sweetie, I have a little job for you~" Louisa kneels down next to her Snubbull and hands him a small wrapped-up something. Dario sniffs at it, opening up the little parcel to reveal the mago berry scone she didn't eat earlier. "Now now, I know you're hungry but if you eat that Momma will be very cross," Louisa chides, causing the Snubbull to freeze in place. "Snuuuuub snub." Dario says, shaking his head back and forth. Wrapping the little confection back up he looks towards his trainer for direction.

"See those pokemon out there?" Louisa asks, pointing towards the Ponyta. "We're going to give them a little gift. If all works out, we might even have a new friend to come back with us, and you Dario are going to be the gift-carrier. Think you can do that?"
"Bull bull!" the fairy-dog nods excitedly, walking towards the fiery horses.
"Good boy. Oh, farmgirl, if you want I suppose your little... Skippy, was it? It could help communicate our intentions. I'd rather this be a friendly ordeal than a battle."

[BlackestOfMages]

"It... It's Hayley, and Scrappy, but, no biggie" Hayley said with a sigh, with the slight feeling it was going to be pointless, following after the younger girl. Maybe it wasn't going to be all sunshine, but she had to admit Louisa's plan was a stellar one - it'd be better not the startle the herd, and make sure not too cause too big a kerfuffle on their first day.

That, and she'd heard Ponyta where fast as they come, and chasing after them would probably only end in tears and grass stains.

Reaching into her backpack, she sorted through her tools and the bundle hand made paper-wrapped treats she'd bought with her; hmmmm, something sweet... no, maybe not. dry didn't seem to fit well neither. Ponyta where fire pokemon, right, fire means hot and so does spicy... hopefully. She pulled out the spicy wrap, removing the wrapping before carefully folding it and putting it back in her bag, and grabbing a jar of blended berry preserve for Scrappy too.

"Here ya go, boy. A snack for you, and a present for the Ponyta. Do ya think you could get those darlin's to stay calm around us?" She asked the Skiddo, placing the jar of food before him. With his nose slightly inside the jar, the pokemon gently grabbed the offered wrap with a vine, intent on finishing his breakfast as soon as he could

"Say... Louisa, do ya have much experience with wild pokemon?" she asked as scrappy ate, partially out of concern - Louisa didn't seem like she had much experience outside her home at all, least of all with the things that lived there - and partially trying to make things a little less awkward between the two of them. "They can be a touch more ornery than you'd expect, so don't be too shocked if they bolt on us."
"Also, ya think Dario would like a quick bite, if his tummy's rumbling? I reckon I should have a couple more yummy snacks with me."

feeding Scrappy a baby food to net experience bonus for the rest of the day, and offering up one spicy wrap as a bait substitute to help improve ponyta dispoition and hope it enough to stop them searing scrappy :smalleek:

also rolling charm to approach the ponyta without seeming too threatening. should we roll for our pokemon as well, or will you handle that
[roll0]

[moondoggy]

"Not with wild ones, but I've always been around pokemon. My family has a hand in Brecker Designs. You know, the Capitol's cutting-edge in PokeScience developments? Father also has a large collection of pokemon that I grew up around. I did so love taking his Salamence out for a flight around the city..." Louisa frowns with a little sigh. A moment later she snaps out of it, looking at the jar Skiddo is happily lapping from. "Dario is notoriously picky. You can offer him something but I don't think he'll eat it."

Let's see if I can roll any better.
Charm: [roll0] plus whatever bonus from the food if we get one.

[Toilet Cobra]

The Girls

The scent of strong spice piques the pokemon's interest. Louisa, putting on a calm and friendly demeanor, speaks gently to the ponyta. After a moment the wary pokemon calm visibly, and they slowly approach the two girls.

Braving the scorching heat coming off each of the ponyta, Hayley tears off pieces of the spicy wrap and hands them out quickly. As they eat, she can feel the heat of their flaming manes and tails begin to abate-- a sign they no longer consider the humans a threat, and can be approached without danger.


Ponyta Initial disposition: Fearful
Louisa Charm beats DC 8: Disposition becomes Neutral
Spicy Food provides one automatic upgrade: Disposition becomes Friendly.

The DC to improve the ponyta's disposition to Very Friendly is 15. Hayley's Charm skill is inadequate to make an Assisted Skill Check so Louisa is on her own. Since you only really want one of the three, you may make a check against each one individually. But because food has already been used, it cannot help you again in this encounter. Good luck!


The Boys

Simon and Max follow the river to the northeast. They walk in silence; their pokemon seem to get along better than the trainers themselves. In fact, after training together, Horace and Razer seem to have bonded somewhat. The same can't be said for their masters, unfortunately.

At one point, it seems that Horace might have found the object of your search- he suddenly growls and scampers into the shallow edge of the river, rooting around underwater. He emerges, however, not chasing a Goomy, but with a Net Ball clutched in his teeth! Given the condition of the ball, it looks like it was lost in the water long ago; Max quickly checks and is grateful to see that the ball is empty and unused. He pockets it along with his other pokeballs and the pair continue onward.

As they walk, the two boys scan avidly for rare pokemon, but they see little of anything, rare or otherwise. A large barboach surprises the boys by popping its head from the river, swimming against the current, just long enough to spray a stream of water at a Sentret that was grooming inself at the riverbank. It chatters indignantly and scampers back to the grass.


Teddiursa found a Net Ball for Max by using Pickup. Handy!

You'll have one more encounter roll before you reach the Lake, which operates on a different encounter table. If you would like to engage the barboach or the sentret you may do so, or just mention you are continuing onward in your next post.

[BlackestOfMages]

"Oh, hmmmm, well, I betcha I can whip up something he'd love. I'm mighty proud of my cooking, and I've yet to meet someone who didn't like it. Maybe I can borrow him for a taste tester later tonight?" she asked softly, getting fired up as she watched Louisa approach the Ponyta with baited breath. She was glad that the heat had died down, and she had to admit, the Ponyta where pretty impressive up close, though scrappy looked a lil' uneasy around their flaming tails and manes

I am a useless useless who can offer no aid... and probably none if this all goes south, as ponyts are made of fire XD

[Llyarden]

Maximillian looked around, a slight smile twitching at the corners of his mouth at the Barboach's antics. "Not really the right place for a Goomy, this," he observed, a hint of frustration creeping into his tone. "They like muck and shade; maybe there'll be a rotten log or something at the lake itself for a couple to hide in."

I'm good to carry on.

[Toilet Cobra]

The Boys

Simon and Max have been walking for what feels like ages. It's hard to tell which is more difficult to walk on: the steeply rolling hills, or this slick, muddy riverbank that runs between them. The boys press onward, determined to find their goal, but their fatigue is mounting. Max, who is not particularly physically inclined, grits his teeth and pushes on. But his face is growing red and sweat is dripping down his forehead. It seems impossible that the day's heat hasn't reached its peak, but it's not even ten in the morning yet.

But before his determination wanes and he's forced to call a halt, Max spies something that gives him a second wind: a bare tree branch, waving from just around the next bend of the river. Simon sees it too, and together they put on a burst of speed and turn the corner to get a better look.

A berry tree hangs low over the water, its trunk emerging at a 45-degree angle from the soft riverbank. It's impossible to tell what kind of berry tree it is: all the berries, and most of the leaves, are gone. In their place, hanging upside down like some kind of weird purple-green fruit, the boys spot a Goomy! And then... another! And another!

A group of the oozing pokemon have made this tree their home while they gorge themselves on berries and leaves. A quick count reveals no less than five Goomy are slowly oozing around the branches. They slither over and around one another, enjoying their feast, though they'll likely finish soon and leave for someplace shadier.


The rolls were with you! There are five Goomy in the tree. They don't acknowledge your presence (preoccupied with their meal, they might not even notice you yet).

Choose your approach carefully! Goomy aren't particularly fast, and even your land-based pokemon can outswim them, but if they do slip away into the water it'll be hard for your pokemon to engage them, particularly Razer.

[supernerd]

Simon kept his eyes on them and spoke softly to Max. "Well, it looks like we found plenty. You're smart; you know how to tell what a Pokemon is like by looking at it? Can you see any that don't like Spicy food? And should I try to approach them, or are we better off with a sneak attack?"

[moondoggy]

Louisa approaches the now-pacified Ponyta, putting on her best face and speaking in a soothing tone. "That's a good Pony-Pony, yes." she coos, reaching out to pet a cream-coloured muzzle in each hand. "Friendly and nice, why don't you come with me? We can be best friends, yes we can. Good food, good times, and when we get back home you can have anything you want little Pony-Pony."

Charm Rolls Don't Fail Me Now!
#1: [roll0]
#2: [roll1]
#3: [roll2]

[Toilet Cobra]

The three ponyta crowd close to Louisa and Hayley, curious and eager to see if any more food will be forthcoming. When it is clear that there's no more to eat, however, they begin to lose interest. They don't revert to hostility or fear, but they simply become bored of the humans and return to the field, nickering and prancing about in play.

One, however, can't seem to keep its attention from returning to Louisa. Its interest in playing with the other ponies isn't as strong as its interest in the commanding young trainer. It slowly returns of its own will, and circles Louisa curiously as Dario IV looks on, ready to intercept any threat to his mistress.

Finally, the ponyta pushes its nose into Louisa's hand, nuzzling affectionately. The pokemon's muzzle is cool to the touch, and although its flames surround Louisa almost completely, they feel no more dangerous or uncomfortable than a warm breeze.


Congratulations! Louisa has befriended Ponyta!
Lv 6 Female Ponyta
Nature: Patient (+HP, -Speed)
Ability: Run Away
Loyalty: 3

Hayley and Louisa each gain 1 Trainer Exp.



Goomy #1
Level: 5
Type: Dragon
Nature: Mild (+SpA, -Def)
Abilities: Sap Sipper

Goomy #2
Level: 6
Type: Dragon
Nature: Composed (neutral)
Abilities: Dry Skin

Goomy #3
Level: 5
Type: Dragon
Nature: Bashful (neutral)
Abilities: Dry Skin

Goomy #4
Level: 6
Type: Dragon
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
Abilities: Dry Skin

Goomy #5
Level: 5
Type: Dragon
Nature: Cuddly (+HP, -Atk)
Abilities: Dry Skin

[Llyarden]

"I'd rather not get embroiled in a fight if we can avoid it," Maximillian whispered back, glancing between the feeding Goomies. "I can't imagine they'd see us as a threat; they do outnumber us, after all. As far as spicy food goes...I think those two on the right -" he pointed slightly to the two Goomies in question "- probably don't like it that much."

He looked down to the glass jar on his belt, which he and Horace had been filling with various pieces of plant matter and nectar as they'd been travelling - though the perceptive might have noticed that the little bear had eaten more than a few bits instead of giving them to his Trainer. "This, though...this should be something they'll all like."

He took a few steps towards the river, bending down and submerging his hands almost up to his elbows. "Most Goomies have dry skin," he explained to Simon quietly as he stood up and uncorked the glass jar, approaching the tilted tree with it outstretched to let the scent waft across to the oozy dragons. "Hopefully they like the wet."

Not quite the use of my Honey I was expecting to use, but I'll expend that to help befriend the Goomies. (It is a Snack item, after all.)

Pokepsychologist to make a Charm check with Pkmn Edu instead.
Pkmn Edu (+AP): [roll0]

[Toilet Cobra]

Crouching out of sight, Simon and Razer watch with interest as Max first prepares his bait and then approaches the Goomys. The little ooze dragons are slow, and can't easily run from threats; they rely on superior numbers and coordinated attacks to deal with foes. Max is well aware of that fact; as he approaches the Goomys and sees their wary faces turn towards him, he's careful to walk low and move slowly to minize the danger he appears to present. The Goomys watch carefully, but, not sensing a threat from the human, they decide not to attack.

Encouraged, Max begins wafting the heady scent of his collection jar towards the pokemon. Their antennae raise as one, clearly interested in the fresh honey. They have all but picked the berry bush clean, and only the smallest and dryest leaves remain. Eager to continue their meal, they quickly slime their way down the tree and approach, hoping for a taste of the tantalizing bait.


Goomy initial disposition: Hostile
Max's PokeEd beats DC 15: Disposition becomes Fearful
*Margin of Success 6: Disposition becomes Neutral
Honey provides one automatic upgrade: Disposition becomes Friendly.

The DC to improve the Goomy's disposition to Very Friendly is 15.

[Llyarden]

After a moment, Maximillian started scooping out small bits of plant matter from the jar, placing them on the floor in front of him before stepping back a short way, creating a path of bait leading to him, allowing any of the Goomies that were less interested in interacting with him to have a quick snack and leave if they chose.

Once he had a short trail laid out, he sat down cross-legged, jar between his legs, with another couple of pieces of bait in his still-wet hand as the final piece of the 'path.' Sitting down was intended as a display of trust; he figured if it was obvious he wouldn't be able to retreat - or attack - in any short order the oozy creatures would have less to fear from him.

"Come on, little guys," he said quietly. He doubted they could hear his exact words, much less understand him, but it was the tone of voice that was important. "Come and say hello. I'm not going to hurt any of you."

If rolling to try to befriend all of them would mess with Simon's intent to battle one of them, I'll just go for #4, but given what Max is doing it seems most appropriate to roll for them all.

#1: [roll0]
#2: [roll1]
#3: [roll2]
#4 (+AP, since this is the one I prefer): [roll3]
#5: [roll4]

[Toilet Cobra]

As they follow the bait trail, two of the goomys finish their meal and slink back towards their tree; with full stomachs, they have no further interest in the human. The others, however, seem almost amused by Max's behavior and slime right up into his lap! Ignoring the growing damage to his ensemble, Max waits patiently as the goomys explore around his torso and along his outstretched arms.

One in particular catches Max's eye as a fine specimen, and it dangles from the back of his right hand, defying gravity. Its green eyes follow his own, and it seems that, based on its pattern of behavior and the distinctive cast of its antennae, this goomy has accepted Max as his new "pack leader!"

Congratulations! Max has befriended Goomy!
Lv 6 Male Goomy
Nature: Modest
Ability: Dry Skin
Loyalty: 3

Max has gained 1 Trainer Exp. Fun fact, a group of slugs is called a "cornucopia." Max has become the social center of a cornucopia of goomys.



Assuming Max doesn't want to take all the Goomys for himself, Simon can still get a shot at catching his own. The goomys are split up: two at the tree, and two sitting near Max.

If Simon wants to battle one of the goomys but doesn't want to tarnish Max's rapport with them, he can simply wait for Max to get up and move out of the area; since Simon has been hiding out of sight during this interaction, his aggressive move would not reflect on Max. This is a simple trick that a Pokemon Psychologist like Max would easily know.

[BlackestOfMages]

"Congratulation, Louisa" Hayley said with a smile and a cheer as she petted the Ponyta, taking a moment to stretch and look around the area for anything else interesting as she idly scratched scrappy's head. Maybe wander down by the lake a little later to cool off, or take in the view at the berry fields? Hayley had to admit she was a little curious about the tree Barb had mentioned, but she didn't fancy disappointing their host.

perception to see if there's anything else nearby that seems interesting or catches her eye
perception: [roll0]
lets hope this roll isn't double one XD

[moondoggy]

"Ohoho~! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8n2XI0PijA) There's a good girl. Once we get back to the ranch I'm sure we can get some more treats for you." She strokes the flaming horse's mane softly, amazed at how the flames engulf her hand but do not burn. She stands there a few moments before little paws tug at the hem of her skirt. "Snuuub..." Dario sighs, looking up at Louisa with his best attempt at puppy-dog eyes. "Oh Dario, I didn't forget about you. C'mon, up... there we go." Louisa says as she places her Snubbull on the Ponyta's back. Dario is wary of the flames at first but after realizing they're harmless he cheers up, scratching the horse behind her ears. "Good boy, Dario. Friends already. You two keep this up and I'll make sure you get some good food when we return."

Satisfied with this turn of events Louisa turns to Hayley with practiced posture. "I appreciate your help farmg-... er, Harley, was it? In return, I shall let Dario help you with your... cooking experiments. He has quite the refined palate you know. Now then, we should head back. Unless..." she trails off, apparently trying to decide something difficult.

"Unless there's, um... something you wanted to do..?"
It is obvious this small act of consideration is an almost alien concept to her.

[Toilet Cobra]

Pokemon stealth check result: 15

Not this time, I'm afraid.

[BlackestOfMages]

"Oh? Thank you kindly, Louisa. What sorta treats do you like, sugar?" she asked to Dario, smiling at the snubbul sat atop the ponyta. As she couldn't see anything else around in the field, and as Louisa was - reluctantly it must be said - asked her opinion, she felt it best to move on; take it all in before the workday started "Don't you worry, Scrappy, I won't forget you either, and I should try and whip up something for Ponyta here. You got a name in mind for your noble steed?"

"Hmmmmm, I'd love to see the lake before heading back for the day. Be nice to cool off in this heat, and I reckon seeing Barb and Harold's Wiscash would be a treat; I've never got too see one before, so I'm a lil' curious. I woulda said I'd like to check out the orchard, but I reckon we'll be seeing enough of that place over the next few days." she finished, fanning herself slightly with her hand, thankful for the shade provided by her hat.

[moondoggy]

"Snub." Dario huffs turning away from Hayley, but at the mention of treats he brightens significantly. "Bull bull!"

"I think... Charlette is a good name. What do you think?" The Ponyta nickers in response, nuzzling Louisa's shoulder. "Well that settles it. So, down to the lakefront we go? What a coincidence. I was thinking of visiting it myself. Perhaps we'll see some interesting pokemon on the way."

Perception: [roll0]
Hah, we rolled pretty much the same.

[supernerd]

Simon waited off to the side while Max worked his magic. It was pretty impressive to see him just walk up and get the Pokemon to walk all over him. He motioned from off a bit for Max to take his troupe elsewhere. The one that hadn't bonded the closest with Max and didn't like spicy food had gone back to the tree, and Simon didn't want to have Max's friends see him go after one of their own. Still, it looked like they were pretty young, so as soon as he saw max moving away, he went ahead and took a Great Ball from his belt, and tossed it at the goomy back at the tree that Max had pointed out.

So I've got about an 80% chance of catching it with the first ball. Probably worth.

Focus to keep track of the Goomy? They move slow enough that this should not be a problem since Simon isn't taking an active role in Max's goings on, but just in case. AP: [roll0]
Pokeball Go: AP if Core: [roll1] +1 if core, target of 4 for both, since Pokeball is AC 4 and in the playtest: Goomy has 10-4 for Evolutions and +2 Greatball effectively makes it DC 4
If Core: [roll2] Catch rate of 80

[Llyarden]

Noting Simon's gesture and careful to not disturb any of his 'passengers,' Maximillian got back to his feet slowly and began to move away from the tree the other Goomies had returned to. "Well, I can't bring all of you with me, you know," he observed wryly, turning so that he could watch Simon's 'sneak attack' from a safe distance. "I don't think Ms Chapman would be too happy about you leaving slime all over the manor."

Horace, meanwhile, padded along behind his Trainer, still licking his paws of the last couple of morsels that the Goomies had missed, looking up at the upside-down Goomy dangling from Max's hand with a rather puzzled expresssion.

[Toilet Cobra]

Simon waits patiently until Max strolls away. The younger boy, dripping with slime, carries off three of the Goomy- leaving just two behind, including the one Simon has his eye on.

Simon springs up from behind cover, and with practiced aim, pitches his Great Ball at the Goomy as it climbs out on a limb in search of more leaves. The ball flies true and hits the little ooze squarely, and the Goomy gives a bubbling squeak of surprise and indignation before it is sucked into the ball in a flash of light.

The ball lands in the mud below the tree, and the other Goomy, realizing it is now alone, plops down into the river and flees. The Great Ball jumps and shakes violently for several seconds, before the red light at the center fades to a cool white, marking Simon's first successful capture!


Simon's throw roll of 10 beats AC 7
Capture Check 63 beats Capture Rate of 80
Math is hard T_T

Congratulatons! Simon has captured Goomy!
Level 5 Male Goomy
Nature: Cuddly (+HP, -Atk)
Abilities: Dry Skin
Loyalty: 1

Simon gains 1 Trainer Experience!

[Toilet Cobra]

Hayley and Louisa turn towards the east, walking easily and watching their new friend with amusement. Charlette is galloping back and forth, playfully trying to buck Dario from her back. The two seem to be bonding quickly, though only Louisa knows her snubbull well enough to correctly interpret his latest sour expression as a sign he's actually enjoying himself.

Charlette's energy seems endless. She prances, jumps, and runs in broad circles around the humans. But suddenly, she stumbles, and poor Dario is tossed to the ground! It seems Charlette was so focused on her play that she didn't notice a pokemon nest in her path- though the ponyta can hardly be blamed for missing something so well camouflaged. Charlette's path crossed a shallow, well-hidden den of Sewaddles, and the little bug pokemon scramble, trying frantically to recover their lost leafy camouflage.

Charlette is unhurt from her stumble, as is Dario (although now he is angry for real, instead of just looking like it). The two of them quickly run back to Louisa's side, and once in her calming presence, wait for her orders.


You have encountered a trio of Sewaddle. If left to their own devices, they will quickly hide themselves and wait for you to pass by.

If you wish to engage them, go right ahead, or else we can move onward to the lake and get to Louisa's encounters

[Llyarden]

"Come on, you two," Maximillian muttered, trying to dislodge the two Goomies that hadn't bonded to him as much. "I can't be carrying you around all the time. And sticking with me isn't a perpetual source of free food, you know."

He watched Simon's throw from a distance, tilting his head on one side in slight confusion, continuing to encourage the two oozes back onto more permanent ground as he rejoined the other boy. "I thought you were meant to weaken them first?" he asked after a moment.

[supernerd]

Simon dug the ball out of the mud and walked over to Max with his new companion. "Normally you are, but I didn't want to battle since you were hanging out relatively nearby, and goomy are pretty bulky and it looke like this one knows a water move, so I doubt that Razer could have done much since it's a dragon type. It also looked pretty young, so it was a pretty good chance of catching it. I may have to make it up to the little guy, though." He looked off into the distance. "Would you rather keep going, or would you rather start heading back?"

[BlackestOfMages]

"Are y'all OK?" Hayley asked to the two fallen pokemon, concern clear in her voice, though her heart settled as they stood up before her attention turned towards the crushed nest and the trio of small bug pokemon. Curious, she pulled her pokedex from it's pocket on her belt and aimed it at the three sewaddle

"Oh my, a grass type, and it's pretty darn cute with it's leafy hat, I must say, wouldn'ta ya agree, Louisa?" Halyey said with a smile, gently running a finger across one of her empty pokeballs "Want to try and make a new friend, Scrappy? Let's go!"

since I have garbage command and charm, so befriending and oiding a fight are both out, time for hitting things :smallbiggrin: gonna open combat with the Sewaddles

[moondoggy]

Louisa couldn't get enough of watching the two pokemon's antics, laughing at every turn as her Snubbull played cowboy. "Why Dario, I had no idea you were so talented in the saddle! Go, go!"
And he did go.
Tumbling to the ground.
Right into a nest of gross bugs.
"Snubbull snub! Bull bull!" Dario barked sharply at the three Sewaddle. He puffed up his chest and made a scary face at them. Louisa recoiled at the sight of the leafy insects. "Eeewww... Those are bug pokemon! Keep them away from me!"

Charlette's reaction to the bug pokemon will depend on Louisa's command dice. On a decent roll she'll defend her human friend even though she probably knows the Sewaddle pretty harmless. Otherwise she'll just stand by Louisa and watch.
Command! [roll0]
At Loyalty 3 I guess I don't really have to make this roll, but it was just for flavor.

Charlette, agitated by the sudden turn of events and Louisa's outcry, stands in front of her and flares her mane. "Charlette..?" Louisa says surprisedly. "You want to help? Alright then!" Her flustered panic is replaced with fiery conviction. "Let's get rid of these bugs. Holly, if you plan on catching one of them... well, it had better keep its distance. Bugs and grass do not mix well with fire after all."

[Toilet Cobra]

The two girls react with identical surprise to the three Sewaddles popping up seemingly out of nowhere. Hayley's face quickly changes to a look of eagerness while Louisa's eyes go wide with horror and disgust. Their pokemon mirror their attitudes: Scrappy is eager for to tangle with the bugs, while Dario and Charlette ready themselves to keep the offending bugs away from Louisa at any cost.

As for the Sewaddles, their momentary panic abates, and they gather close together to defend themselves. They face the oncoming pokemon boldly and raise themselves into an attack pose!


The Sewaddles have the following initiatives: A 6, B 5, C 3.

[BlackestOfMages]

Hayley let Louisa forgetting her name pass with a rueful smile; the girl seemed rather spooked by the bugs, so it was probably just nerves. Instead, she decided to focus on the pokemon at hand - hmmm, grass and bug put Scrappy in a bit of a pickle, so she'd be best best getting ready rather than rushin' in

"Awwww, don't you like the adorable little guys? well, Scrappy, I guess we'd best help keep 'em away from the princess, right?"

"Skid. Skiddo" Scrappy replied, excitedly, trotting up next to dario and setting his horns ready

"Yup, so let's get ready. Growth!" with that, skiddo closed his eyes as the leaves that made up his fur began to rustle and shake, increasing in vibrancy and mass as Scrappy' eyes opened, looking much more confident

Scrappy shifts between dario and the sweaddles', and uses growth. attack raises to 16, sp attack stays at 4

[Toilet Cobra]

The Sewaddles move together in a tight defensive pack- then when the get close, they start spraying sticky strands of silk at Dario and Scrappy! Together the sheer volume of string is almost overwhelming.

Dario is hit thrice, -3 Speed CS. Scrappy is hit twice, -2 Speed CS.

[moondoggy]

Charlette dashes forward and tackles the rightmost Sewaddle. "Excellent, Charlette! A clean hit! Now, Dario! Get in there!" Despite his string-covered state, Dario moves with surprising speed to bite at the Sewaddle in front of him.

Charlette moves to and smashes one Sewaddle and Lousia uses After You on her turn to have Dario attack another.

[Toilet Cobra]

Suddenly surrounded, the Sewaddles turn in confusion and begin biting everything near!

One Bug Bite attack each for Scrappy, Dario, and Charlette.

[BlackestOfMages]

"Keep the pressure up scrappy!" Hayley added, excited about the flow of the battle, as the little goat uses his nimbleness to slip around his foes sandwich the three sewaddle between dario, charless and himself, using the momentum to ram into one of them

"and let's see if.." hayley added taking a step forward and pulling a pokeball from her belt, throwing it at the Sewaddle Scrappy had hit. The ball connected solidly, and for a second the inchworm was pulled in, as the ball shook once, then burst open. "haha, gotcha."

[moondoggy]

Now irritated with the biting Sewaddle, Charlette flares up and uses Struggle against the one that attacked her new friend Dario. Louisa commands Dario to strike and he aggressively bites at the same target as before, now quite mad at the bugtrio.

"Hey, you might have an easier time catching the one to the far right!" Louisa shouts to Hayley. "I think Charlette did some serious damage to it!"

[Llyarden]

Maximillian shrugged slightly. "I'm happy to carry on. We need to get to know our new friends at some point; may as well start now. And I still need to convince mine to go in a Pokeball before we get back to the manor," he added after a moment's thought (and the mental image of his bedroom covered in Goomy slime.) "You have any preferences where we go?"

[supernerd]

Simon hooked his hands together behind his head. "I'm not sure. Maybe the fields to look for a grass Pokemon? Or we could keep going to the lake and try to find a good water Pokemon. I would go to the caves to search for a Noibat, but from what Barb said, that could be risky, too risky for the first day. Still, if you've got any ideas, I'd be happy to hear them."

[BlackestOfMages]

Hayley couldn't help but flinch when the Sewaddles took a big bite out of Scrappy, her poor lil pal yelping in pain. Rushing to his side, Hayley pulled a potion out of her bag and spritzed the grapp spokemon, even as he gathered his energy and slammed into another nearby sewaddle, refusing to take a step back despite his injuries.

Scrappy with tackle sewaddle B (if it survived getting dario-chomped)
Accuracy: [roll0] vs sewadlle's evasion
damage [roll1]
Crit: [roll2]

Hayley shifts next to Scrappy and uses a potion on him. next turn, he does net get a move or shift action, but he regained 20 HPs

Halyey:
HP: 51
Int: 10
Evasion 1/1/2
Def/Mdef 7/5

Scrappy
HP: 38
Int: 10
Evasion: 1/1/2
Def/Mdef: 6/7

[Toilet Cobra]

The Girls

Hayley lets loose with a pokeball, aiming for the closest of the bug pokemon. Its attention is focused on Dario's menacing presence, and it's caught totally off-guard by Hayley's throw! Still, the ball rocks back and forth ominously-- Hayley was certain that she had failed to capture the Sewaddle-- but then suddenly the ball locked tight, and the capture was complete.

The battle rages on between the girls' pokemon and the remaining wild bugs, so there's no time to collect the pokeball, but Hayley knows that whatever happens, she has a new companion to look forward to.


Congratulations! Hayley has captured Sewaddle!
Lv 8 Male Sewaddle
Nature: Naughty
Ability: Designer
Loyalty: 2

EXP after the battle concludes.


After one Sewaddle is taken out by Charlette and Dario, and another lies captured in a pokeball, the last bug pokemon realizes the tide has shifted. He rears up defiantly, bites Dario on the knee, and then flees as fast as his tiny body can carry him!


Dario has been bitten for 25 damage (minus his defense, which I didn't know offhand). The Sewaddle immediately flees to the north, which may provoke attacks of opportunity from Dario and/or Char.

The Boys

Simon and Max talk over their options. In the end, they decide it would be a shame to come this far and not even get a look at the lake up close. Their minds made up, they continue to follow the river towards its source.

It doesn't take them long before the river begins to broaden, and the muddy banks give way to a dark, gritty sand that is much easier to walk on. The boys emerge from the river's narrow delta and pause to take in the sight of the lake.

And quite a sight it is. The sunlight sparkles off the water's glimmering sapphire surface. Reeds grow thick in the shallows, and you don't need Max's keen eyes to see all the water pokemon that swim among them. On the shore, the little tidepools play host to their own miniature ecosystems, hidden among bobbing cattails and long grasses.

Pokemon simply abound. In the water you see a group of Horsea darting around the feet of a Ducklett that watches the water with interest. In the distance, record-size Barboach break the surface and leap again and again. Closer, a little drama plays out: a Corphish and a Krabby have set their sights on the same tidepool, and are dancing side-to-side, the pokemons' large claws raised in the air to hopefully scare away their rival.

Bird pokemon wheel overhead, and the rustle of long grasses at the water's edge shows a pair of Deerling have come to drink. Everywhere, the pokemon go about their business either oblivious to or uncaring about the humans who have joined them. Some distance up the western bank, the boys spot a pair of brightly painted yellow rowboats, on which a flock of Starlys is perched.

You gentlemen can engage any of these pokemon you wish, or you can keep walking around the lake or even go for a swim. Simon's rare roll yielded the relatively scarce Corphish.

If you'd like to head into deeper water, you can either swim for it or try your luck with the rowboats (assuming you find them in serviceable condition).

Simon thinks that of all the pokemon he sees at the lake's edge, he'd benefit the most from a Krabby on his team. He points at the one dancing with the Corphish nearby, and asks Max's opinion of it. Max studies the creature briefly, and then relays all the information he can gather at this distance.



Krabby
Level: 7
Type: Water
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
Abilities: Shell Armor

[supernerd]

Simon looks out on the lake in awe of all the pokemon around. He sees the Krabby and Corphish and thinks to himself that a Krabby could be very useful. When Simon relates its strengths, however, Simon thinks for a bit. "Hey, Maxamillian, If you don't mind, I'd like to look around for a different one. Modesty is great for Razer, but not for something that's a little more punchy. Krabby sounds like a pretty cool idea, at least for now, and the lake is a pretty nice place to look around."

[Llyarden]

"It certainly is," Maximillian agreed. He was wishing he'd brought a camera so he could take some photos of the beautiful scenery (and its numerous inhabitants.) "By all means. Those two probably wouldn't take kindly to us intruding on their argument anyway."

[Toilet Cobra]

Max and Simon begin walking along the beach, following the western shoreline. They spot several Krabbys, but Max shakes his head- none of these specimens are any better for Simon's team than the first one they saw. They see some other interesting specimens, though. A group of glimmering Staryu lie in the shallow water, and a Buizel seems to be trying in vain to get them to play. A pair of Poliwag are hopping from one lillypad to another, and get tossed when they accidentally jump on a Lotad's head by mistake.

Finally the boys arrive at the rowboats, and the flock of Starlys watch them approach with interest. The boats seem functional, albeit old; though they rest on the shore there doesn't seem to be any water leaking into the hulls. Each sports a pair of chewed-up looking oars.

No particularly useful Krabbys rolled. You can keep circling the lake, stop to catch a Buizel, go for a boat ride, or find something else to do.

[moondoggy]

As the last Sewaddle attempts to hustle away, Dario and Charlette seize the opportunity to strike!
The little bug is easily subdued. Once it's down, the two pokemon come running back to Louisa a little worse for wear but happy enough. She pets Char's muzzle and picks up Dario, putting him back on the Ponyta. "Excellent work you two, though I must say handling the both of you was quite the exertion." After dusting them off with her kerchief she turns to Hayley. "Shall we press on to the lake? I imagine we'll meet up with the boys there."

[supernerd]

Simon sighed as they couldn't find any Krabby that were suitable. "Well it's whatever. It's not even lunch on our first day. You want to keep walking until it's time for lunch or take these boats out? Or we could just head back."

[BlackestOfMages]

"Well, hush my mouth, that was pretty exciting" Hayley said excitedly, rustling down into the grass to find her pokeball with the Sewaddle in it "You did great, Scrappy, and Dario and Charlette where amazing too. Look, we've got a new friend... now what to call you, partner?" she asked, looking at the bagbug through the transparent casing of the pokeball, watching him fidget and pull a few faces "how about... Flit!"

afterwards, Hayley took a second to straighten up before turning back to Louisa, beaming "Aye, let's get going. Be a treat to meet up with the boys again, and won't they just be speechless at our new pals"

[Toilet Cobra]

After dusting themselves off and examining their pokemon for serious injuries, the girls decide to continue to the east and check out the lake. They had a hunch that they might bump into their coworkers there, and even if not they were still interested in a closer look at the pond.

Congratulations on defeating those bugs! Scrappy gains 12 EXP, and Louisa may split 24 EXP as she chooses between Char and Dario. In addition, Hayley and Louisa each gain 1 Trainer EXP.



Simon and Max are discussing their options, as well as their odds of finding a perfect Krabby to capture. Max is explaining, at some length, the degree to which environmental factors found in the local water table would alter statistical probabilities of locating Krabby specimens with certain desired traits- but his lesson is interrupted by a loud "Halloo!" from the west.

The boys crane their eyes up the hill and see the girls walking towards them, Hayley waving and smiling broadly. They descend to join Max and Simon, and the boys can see there is at least one new addition to the group: a frisky Ponyta trots alongside Louisa, darting ahead playfully and then quickly returning to her human's side.

The coworkers have reunited after what seems like ages- a lot has happened since they went their separate ways this morning. The sun is high and hot, but thankfully the humidity seems to be dropping just a touch, and the heat has finally reached its apex. It'll be lunchtime soon, but there's still plenty of time for a little sightseeing or even a swim, if they're so inclined. Of course, they're a good distance from the ranch house, and by the time they'd make it back it would be time to eat.

[supernerd]

Simon waved to the girls as they made their way over. "I see you two have had a productive morning! We both have a new friend as well, though I think Maxamillian's likes him better. You should have seen it. It's like he's a Pokemon whisperer. His know how really comes in handy." He looked down at his pokeball and sighed. Knowing he had a ways to go in getting his Goomy to like him, but hopefully he could prove himself soon.

He looked over to the lake, then back to the girls "Hey, we were discussing what to do next, and also how something in the environment can affect the probability of a good Krabby, since I saw one, and thought that one might help round out my team. It looks like it might be lunch soon, though, at least with how far we are. You guys want to head back or check something out?"

[Llyarden]

Maximillian looked slightly put out at the shout, standing with his finger raised mid-way through explaining how the different Pokemon affected the growth rate of algae in the lake for a few moments before turning to look at the approaching girls (and Ponyta.)

He...kinda ignored Simon's compliment. He wasn't really sure how to respond. "If we head back and we do get back too early for lunch, perhaps we could have a battle amongst ourselves," he suggested after a moment. Which was a little out of character for him, but he was hot and tired and a battle was about the best way of calming down he could think of (the closest Maximillian had been to swimming was cheering his sister on in a competition.) "Perhaps 'better' -" he sketched air-quotes in the air with an obviously disparaging tone "- Krabbies will make an appearance when it's not as hot."

[moondoggy]

"Oh no, Maximillian, your ensemble is all sticky..." Louisa pouts, lamenting the crisp blazer's current state. "It's all slimy with... wait, what is that?!" she shouts aghast, pointing at the blobby thing stuck to him. "You've got some kind of slug pokemon sticking on your shoulder!"

[Llyarden]

Maximillian looked slightly puzzled for a few moments, looking down at the Goomy perched on his shoulder. "Yes, I know," he said, sounding as if it were the most normal thing in the world, and apparently missing Louisa's disgusted tone. "He's a Goomy. I should probably think of a nickname for him, for that matter," he mused, looking back to the girls. "Have you got any suggestions?"

[moondoggy]

Louisa whips out her pokedex and points it at the sticky lump. "That thing is a dragon pokemon? Huh. I suppose even the noblest of lines have humble beginnings..." Relieved that it isn't a bug pokemon, and somewhat astonished at it's true nature, Louisa ponders a moment. "For a name... how about Julius?"

Looking over the lakebed and boat, Louisa took in the sight of all the pokemon there enjoying nature. It wasn't something she was used to. "I still can't get over how idyllic this spot is. All of it. The ranch, the forest, the lake. It's almost too perfect. Then again... you lose a lot of conveniences being out in the sticks. Still, it's a nice change of pace from the capitol."

"So you know a lot about pokemon, eh Maximilian? Then what can you tell me about Binacle? I saw a few in that beat up 'dex and I want one."

[Llyarden]

"Julius?" Maximillian paused for a moment or two, considering, before smiling. "How do you like that for a name, huh?" he asked the Goomy on his shoulder. At Louisa's question, his eyes lit up at the opportunity to convey his knowledge, and he stood up a little straighter as if delivering a speech. "Well, while there probably are some in that lake somewhere, Binacle tend to be more common in deeper waters rather than the shallows. Perhaps we can ask Mrs Chapman if she has any fishing rods. If we found some we could try tying bait to them and dragging the bait along the lakebed. It would be rather a matter of luck what we found, though. And I personally have never been much of a fan of water," he added after a moment, casting a sceptical look at the rowboats.

[moondoggy]

"Fashionable and intelligent." Louisa says, nodding approvingly. "Then it is settled. We head back, have lunch and see if we can't get ahold of some fishing rods. Maybe the staff can give us some tips for reeling in pokemon as well." With a determined look on her face she holds up a pokeball. "A Binacle will be mine. If any of you help me catch one I'll be sure to return the favor either while we're stuck here or when we're free to go. My family has connections after all."

Turning her back towards the lake she recalls Dario (who seemed quite excited by the prospect of lunch) and climbs upon Charlette with practiced grace. "I'm going on ahead. You all don't take too long and remember my proposition. The promise of a Markinswell is unbreakable! Now let's ride, Charlette! Hiyah!" Together they race off towards the ranch house, quickly becoming a blur of embers in the distance.

[BlackestOfMages]

"I just plum don't get that gal. "This mornin' she wanted to be anywhere else but here, and now she's downright hyper" Hayley sighed ruefully as Louisa shot off nearly as soon as they'd arrived, while she herself was considering slipping of her boots and dipping her toes in the lake... though mention of crabbies made her reconsider. She did, however, take a seat at the bank momentarilly, gazing out into the clear blue pond and trying to spot the Wishcash Barb had mentioned.
"Still, looks like you two have had a good time. How're ya finding the ranch - its real pretty, don't ya think? oooooh, coming back here and taking one of them boats onto the river would be a real treat."

[supernerd]

Simon was a bit put off by Max's tone about his opinion on catching Krabbys. They weren't one of his favorite, but it would fill a gap, and if he had the ability to know what it would be like before it was caught, why wouldn't he take advantage of it. Still, he had to smile when Louisa rode off. "Well, If you're the one who's calling for a battle, there must be something about this ranch. It is a pretty great place. Haley, do you want to take a look around the lake? Otherwise, I'll probably be heading for the house."

[Toilet Cobra]

After some discussion, Hayley, Simon, and Max decide to follow Louisa back to the house. It'll be lunchtime shortly, and the lake isn't going anywhere; besides, they don't have any fishing gear or swimsuits on hand to take full advantage of the water. Following the western side of the river, they head back to the manor.

When they arrive, they find Barb in the dining room. She's made a tray of sandwiches, a pitcher of lemonade, and is currently mixing a garden salad in a large glass bowl. She's watching a live pokemon battle on a portable television while she works, but she turns and smiles as you enter.

"Wash up and have a seat," she says amicably. "I'm almost done here." She exclaims with delight on seeing Julius on Max's arm, but makes it clear that she doesn't want slime all over her dining room. "If he'll sit for it, I can draw him some warm water in the sink and he can wait there while we eat," she offers. She apparently knows a thing or two about caring for the proud little slugs.

As you wash your hands (Max having significantly more work to do at the sink than anybody else), Danny and Harold make their entrances. Harold is dusted with fur from his pokemon grooming, and Danny looks like he's been rolling in dirt. They take some time with their washing up as well.

Barb's attention is drawn back to the television at a dramatic cry from the network commentators. The match is reaching its crescendo and Barb watches with the intensity of a diehard fan. "C'mon, c'mon!" she urges the competitors. "You can still win it!"

[supernerd]

On the way to the barn, Simon thinks out loud while looking at his new Pokemon's ball, "You know, I think I'll call him Teichos. Something strong and proud. I hope it takes."

When they got back, Simon tried to look over at the television, wondering what match she was watching. When Barb joined the crowd, he finally spoke up. "So who's on? It sounds like it's a pretty great match!" He looked over to the television and tried to pick it up in the middle.

[Toilet Cobra]

Barb turns the television so everyone else can see more clearly. You're watching what looks like a doubles-battle, though one trainer has already recalled a fainted pokemon, leaving the match as a 2-on-1. When the camera cuts to a close-up of the disadvantaged contestant, you're surprised to see Royale, the trainer you met earlier this morning!

The camera moves often, trying to get a good view of the action. This isn't easy, as somehow a large portion of the battlefield has been covered with thick, black smoke. As you watch, Royale's pokemon, a Malamar, lunges out of the smog and slams the opponent's Kangaskhan into submission with a single powerful blow! The larger pokemon goes down with a roar, and in a flash of red, is automatically recalled. The final showdown is a tense standoff between the Malamar and a Galvantula... the Galvantula has a natural speed advantage, and the special Bug-type attacks that Malamar is particularly weak to. But over the course of a long match, Royale's Malamar has had plenty of time to bulk itself up, and has multiplied its strength so many times that it doesn't even need a type advantage to get a one-hit knockout.

Both trainers watch from the sidelines, tense and silent, as the two pokemon hunt one another in the smoke. The humans dare not shout out a command, lest they inadvertently give away their pokemon's position. Finally, the match concludes in a blur of motion: the Malamar blazes out of the smoke once more, swinging a mighty tentacle shrouded in darkness. The Galvantula leaps instantly, blasting the Malamar with a focused, buzzing sonic attack. The tentacle connects, but the Malamar has already been blasted unconcious, and its blow loses some strength as the pokemon goes limp. The Galvantula is still swatted mightily out of the air, and crashes to the ground hard. But it limps up onto its many feet, and the battle is over.

Barb sighs. "Close one, my boy," she says. Royale's face is grim, but the match concludes with the trainers shaking hands. After a moment of commentary, the program cuts to a commercial for the premier of a reality show called "Trainer's Life," starring a vivacious blonde girl about Hayley's age. Barb turns off the tv and returns its to its place on the counter.

"Alright, everybody have a seat," she says, transferring the salad bowl onto the table. Danny takes a seat next to Barb, and Harold sits next to Danny. "It seems you've all had a busy morning, and while we eat I'd love to hear what you think of the ranch so far!"

[BlackestOfMages]

"It's great, Miss Barb" Hayley said enthusiastically, shoveling some of the contents of the salad bowl onto her plate, as well as grabbing a number of sandwiches, a mountain of food that seems like it would never fit in the girl "It's so big and so pretty, and there's so many different things to see. I'm right grateful to y'all for givin' me the chance to work here and make all these new friends" she added, nodding to both her pokeballs, and the other three workers. "And this place is just so important, if Mr Royale is anything to go by, it's a right honour."

[moondoggy]

"So where were the rods? I've got a mind to try catching a Binacle down at the lake." Louisa says animatedly. "They're so cute with their little grumpy faces. I rememb-"
"...yes, this week I'll be facing the Verplanck Gym!" the girl on TV says cheerily. Louisa stops mid-sentence, staring at the screen in shock. "Look out Leader, Briella is-" *click* Her enthusiastic smile melts away into a frown as she stands still staring at the blank television screen. "Ugh," she mutters with disdain. "She's here..?" Taking a seat at the table she stares down at the tablecloth. As if this couldn't get any worse... she laments internally, taking a sandwich and passing it to her waiting Snubbull who eagerly runs outside with it. "So... about those fishing rods?" she asks again, this time with much less zeal.

[supernerd]

Simon got into the last vestiges of the match, and felt a little disappointed that Royale had lost at the very last second. "I hope that's his first loss," he said to no one in particular. "But yeah, it's pretty good out here. I rather like it. There are lots of cool Pokemon about and I think that it'll be fun."

He noticed Louisa's change in behavior at the mention of the gym leader. "Oh, you know the gym leader here? Mind if I ask how? That is, if you want to talk about it." He passed a sandwich to his Charmander as he took a bite of one of his own.

[moondoggy]

Louisa looks at Simon, confused. "Gym leader? I don't know any gym leaders. Oh," she says, the connection clicking. "It's not the gym leader, it's... that girl." she spits with derision, taking an aggressive bite from her sandwich.

[supernerd]

Simon nodded. "Ah. I see. Well, do you mind talking about this delightful personality?" Simon tried to put some sarcasm in his voice, siding with the person he'd be spending his summer with.

[Toilet Cobra]

Barb glances at the TV, noting Louisa's sudden change in mood, but doesn't comment. "Fishing rods? Of course, dear," she says, trying to cheer the girl up again. "We have plenty of gear, but fishing in the lake is a bit tricky... Danny, would you mind taking the kids out and showing them the ropes?"

Danny, choking down the bite of sandwich in his mouth, takes a moment to respond. "Yes, Ma'am," he says. "Be happy to."

Barb responds to Simon's comment with a shrug. "Competition is awfully fierce this season. Royale's got his work cut out for him, that's for sure. But I think he can handle the pressure."

[moondoggy]

Louisa sighs heavily, clearly eager to talk about anything else. "I'd really rather not. It's already bad enough she's coming here." Finishing her sandwich she starts picking at the salad on her plate. "So just how deep is that lake out there? We won't find, like, a Gyarados sleeping in it or something will we?"

[Toilet Cobra]

At the mention of Gyrados, Danny lets out a little chortle, and Harold roars with laughter. Barb swats her husband on the arm, but he can't help it; he puts his head on his arm and pounds the table with a meaty fist, wheezing as he tries to get his laughter under control.

Danny turns to Louisa. "Sorry," he says,"there're big un's down there, but Gyrados are the one thing ya won't find. Magikarp aren't welcome in the lake. Larry hates 'em."

"Did you see Larry while you were at the lake?" Barb asks. "He likes to 'greet' visitors, mostly to try and scam food from them."

[supernerd]

Simon lets himself join the laughter with a few small chuckles, if only because it was contagious. "Well that's good to hear. I don't want to get in over my head by fishing. But it sounds like a good time. We didn't meet Larry, though. Who's he? sounds like one of those Munchlax we need to keep from the berry trees."

[Toilet Cobra]

"Ya got that right," Harold laughs again. "Ol' Larry is just a Snorlax with fins!"

"'Larry' is the name Harold gave his Whiscash," Barb explains, rolling her eyes. "Proud Larry, Grand Champion Whiscash. He was a Contest pokemon back in those days-"

"But boy, could he fight!" Harold says emphatically. "Eight badges I got on the mantle, and Larry won me at least six or seven all on his own, fer sure!" Harold's eyes glitter as he reminisces about old victories. "He wowed 'em on the Contest stage, sure, but you should have seen their eyes bug out when Larry showed up for a Gym battle!"

Barb smiles at her husband, but lays a hand on his arm. "Simmer down there, Ace Trainer," she jokes, though there is concern in her eyes. "Don't get your heart rate up."

Harold waves her off unconcernedly. "It was Larry's showing in the arena that gave us the idea to start a ranch in the first place," he continues, his voice lowered back to indoor-volume. "Everybody wanted to know where I got 'im, and if he was available for breedin'."

[BlackestOfMages]

"You sound mighty proud of him, Mr Harold. I wanted to see him at the lake, though I guess he was nappin' in the lake when we there before because I didn't see a whisker of him. Ah guess next time I'll have to pack a picnic and see if that'll catch his attention, an keep him from snapping the bait off our fishing poles if he's got that much of an appetite" Hayley said with a laugh in-between bites on her sandwich, which got her thinking "Speaking of appetites, ya mind if I borrow your kitchen for a bit tonight, miss Barb? I owe a certain little guy a few treats, and I'm sure my new pal wouldn't midn a couple as well"

[Toilet Cobra]

"Of course you can, dear," Barb replies. She points to the little kitchenette adjoining the dining room. "You can use the upstairs kitchen any time you like. After I've show you how everything works, you can use the downstairs kitchen, too, though that might take some time getting used to."

Danny glances at his watch. "Hmm," he muses. "I think I've got just enough time to get that last couple rows tilled. I'm gonna get out there while there's time." He grabs a sandwich triangle off the tray as he heads for the door. "Anybody who wants to go out in a boat an' do some fishin', meet me at the lake in an hour. Thank you for lunch, Barb."

Harold and Barb begin to clear the table. Harold goes to put the dishes in the sink, sees that a Goomy is already resting there, and spends some time making funny faces at it. Julius makes an amused bubbling sound back at him. Barb takes the plates from Harold's hands and steers the big man towards the door; he waves as he leaves for the barn.

[moondoggy]

Louisa feels insulted by the laughter at her question. She crosses her arms in a huff despite Danny's apology. "Hmph. Laugh at me... See how you like it when..." she indistinctly mutters under her breath. She sits there stewing throughout Harold's story not hearing a word of it. Danny's suggestion of heading back to the lake in an hour does not go unheard however. "I suppose I can wait that long if I must." she says with a melodramatic sigh. Taking one last sandwich for herself she manages an almost imperceptible small nod of gratitude to Barb for the food. "What to do for the next hour then..?"

Outside by the porch Dario and Charlette are getting along surprisingly well. The Ponyta stands beside the railing trying to get Dario to share a nibble of his sandwich. At first the Snubbull pretends to ignore the fiery mare but her persistence pays off. Eventually he tears the food carefully in two and hands her a piece, taking the ever-so-slightly larger part for himself naturally. Charlette doesn't seem to mind, however, just happy to have a new friend and some tasty food.

"Hm. You've really taken a liking to Charlette, eh Dario? Usually you act a lot tougher than this around new pokemon." Louisa chimes in. Dario looks shocked for a second then suddenly puffs out his chest and crosses his arms. "Snubbull snub!" "Yeah okay, big guy. Whatever you say." Louisa says, scooping him up. She hands him a bite of her sandwich which he scarfs down instantly. Charlette presses her muzzle against the girl's arm. "I didn't forget you, don't worry." Louisa holds out the last bit of food for the Ponyta. Dario almost makes a move on it but a swift swat on the head dissuades him. "You've already had yours, you greedy thing." Charlette eats out of Louisa's hand contentedly, running around the yard when she's finished. Dario sits on the steps enjoying the sun. The exiled heiress takes a seat in a wicker chair. "Didn't one of you guys say something about a battle? That would kill some time."

[Llyarden]

"Yes, I did," Maximillian replied. "We all have new friends and I suppose we may as well get to know them. Oh, I'd better go and fish Julius out of the sink," he remembered. "I imagine Mrs Chapman will want it back, and maybe watching a battle will help convince him to go in a Pokeball."

"Not that I actually know how to battle," he added in an undertone as he disappeared back into the kitchen to retrieve the (now rather damp) Goomy.

[BlackestOfMages]

"Well golly, a battle sure sounds like a fun way to pass the time." Hayley said with a big smile, eager to see what flit could do "You OK waiting for those nacks I promised you till tonight, Dario?" she asked to Louisa's snubbul

[supernerd]

Simon crossed his arms and smiled. "Of course there's time for a battle! Now the question is whether we want it to be two on two, two single battles or a free for all. I'm not partial either way. What about it, Razer, think you could go for some exercise?" The little lizard lit up, having finished his sandwich. "Char! Char!"

[Toilet Cobra]

Barb, occupied with washing dishes, notices her employees discussing a battle outside and pokes her head out. "Remember what I said about not wagering," she reminds you, "and if your friends get hurt, come see me. I'll put them right as rain." She ducks back inside to continue cleaning up, but you can see her cast an occasional glance out the window to watch the proceedings while she works.


Barb has the skill and the equipment to heal both people and pokemon who get hurt on the ranch. Although not as quick or as complete as a pokemon center, her natural therapies can do much the same thing without requiring a trip to Verplanck City.

[Llyarden]

"Er...free for all?" Maximillian suggested, returning with Julius perched on his shoulder once again and getting his jacket even more messy than it already was, and in a tone that suggested he'd picked the format arbitrarily out of the options offered by Simon.

[BlackestOfMages]

"I reckon a free for all dogpile fight could be a whole heap of fun, no pun intended." Hayley replied to Max, stretching out and letting Flit and Scrappy out of their balls. Scrappy seemed happy to be out, but the sewaddle didn't much seem as enthusiastic, looking around the farm yard instead "you wanna do this under league rules or keep it a touch more casual? we all have two pokemon, so 2 each sounds fair, wouldn't ya agree?"

Ummmm, but first, mind if I tke a lil bit of a time out. Scrappy's still a lil beaten up from earlier, aren't ya, sugar?" Hayley added, laughing gently and petting the skiddo, met with a happy but a little shaky 'Skid' "miss Barb, can I bug ya to see to my little pal?"

[Toilet Cobra]

"Ooo, poor little guy," Barb croons. She holds her hand out to Scrappy. "Come along, buddy. I've got just the thing."

Haley and Scrappy follow Barb inside. She leads the skiddo over to the kitchen, and invites him to lie down on a thick rug near the back door while she rummages for supplies in the cupboards. She sets a few jars on the counter and moistens a long strip of cloth with warm water from the sink.

She works quickly, and as Haley watches, she puts together a medicated poultice and binds it to Scrappy's side. "This actually works fastest on grass type-pokemon," Barb explains. "They're naturally adapted to absorb water, of course, and the medicine flows right in with it."

Scrappy bleats somewhat unhappily. It's clear the poultice is uncomfortably itchy-- but a bright, glossy color is already returning to his leafy coat as the medicine does its work.

"And here's the other half of the treatment," Barb says, calling Hayley's attention to a bowl of greyish-blue powder. She pours in a cup of milk, and stirs it into a loose batter-- and then drops in a whole Salac berry, which she crushes with a wooden spoon and mixes in as well. "Secret ingredient," she explains, smiling. "Salac berries are rich and very, very sweet. They counteract the bitterness of the powder quite nicely."

When she's satisfied with the batter, she walks it over and places it before Scrappy. The pokemon sniffs cautiously at the bowl for only a moment, then starts lapping at the batter eagerly.

"Give him a few minutes," Barb advises Hayley. "Then we'll peel off that poultice and he should be feeling like his old self." She dusts off her hands, then turns suddenly as she notices Flit, Hayley's new Sewaddle companion, slinking along the kitchen table. The little bug tugs a doily out from under a saucer and tries to use the lacy decoration as a new head covering.

"How about this little one?" Barb asks. She plucks the doily off Flit's head, laughing, and he crawls away quickly. "Does he need any medicine after his first battle? Or just a new hat?"

Barb developed this simple but effective treatment over long years of tending to hurt pokemon. It combines the effects of a poultice and a healing powder, curing one injury and restoring up to 50 hp. This can only be used once per pokemon per day, but Barb has plenty to go around, as the ingredients are all harvested right on the ranch.

[supernerd]

Simon watched as the Skiddo recovered rather easily. "Wow, looks like you've got this down pat. I'll be glad for this when we end up having to shoo away some gluttons from the berries." He looked back to Razer. "Well, as soon as you two have everyone back to full health, I believe we're ready to go!" Simon was getting more and more excited for the battle as time went on.

[BlackestOfMages]

"Thank you Miss Barb" Hayley replied with a smile, happy to see scrappy back on his feet and full of energy "I guess Flit took a few knocks too, so if it wouldn't be too much trouble? I hope he hasn't damaged on of your doilie playing round."

[Toilet Cobra]

Barb carefully tends to all the wounded pokemon, bringing them up to full strength once again. And just in time- the four young ranchers are itching to test themselves in a battle and can barely wait any longer!

They gather in front of the house, well away from the porch (Mrs. Chapman would certainly not appreciate stray Embers landing on her fine wicker chairs). The warm wind sends the long grass to waving, and it almost seems to rustle in anticipation of the coming struggle. Rules are discussed and agreed to, the combatants take their spots a dozen paces or so from one another... finally, there's nothing more to do but let the battle commence!

[moondoggy]

Once they'd all gathered and agreed on the basics, they all gathered on the grass. Louisa ran her fingers through her long blonde hair, the wind blowing it dramatically even though it was just a slight breeze. "I'll have you know I'm no slouch when it comes to battling. My training methods are ferocious just like my father's! Let's show them what we can do, Dario!"

Eager to prove his power the Snubbull takes an aggressive stance in front of his trainer, leering at the other three. "Snubbull snub!"

"Whenever you're ready..." Louisa says, her expression fierce.

Activating Inspired Training for Dario.
He receives a +1 to Evasion and +2 to Save checks.

[Llyarden]

"We're ready," Maximillian said, as Horace ambled forwards, the little bear looking between his opponents with more confidence than his Trainer, who was trying with limited success to neaten up his Goomy-slimed jacket. "I...think."

Focused Training on Horace.

[supernerd]

Simon's face grew a determined smirk as he started his first Pokemon Battle amongst his new coworkers and sure to be friends by the end. One hand balled up into a fist as he called to his Pokemon. "Alright, Razer. We've got to start strong so let's make this count!" His Charmander took a ready position, ready to feel the battle out.

Since Goomy hasn't been trained yet, I might as well start out with a Critical Moment.

[supernerd]

Simon Knew that Razer was ready to spring into action at any moment, and called out to his partner while pointing, "Okay, buddy. Let's show'em what we're made of. Break off and give Horace an Ember!" He looked over to the other trainer. "Sorry, but I've got to go after someone."

The fire tailed lizard Dashed off to the side, before ending his movement in a spin that flung a ball of fire from his tail flame towards the bear he had trained with earlier "Chaaar-mander!" The lizard then spread out its arms as it stuck the landing.

Razer moves 3 up to K5, then uses Ember at Range 4 on Horace.
Accuracy: [roll0]vs AC 5(Presumably: AC2 +2 Speed Evasion, +1 Inspired Training from this morning.
Damage: [roll1] +17 from Crit is 53 - 9 SpDef: 44 Damage. Looks like Horace will be at 1 HP at the end of his turn...

Edit: That's a Crit and a Burn, bringing Horace's Defense to -2 (I wish it was still an Attack debuff, though.

[Llyarden]

"Fair enough, that makes - good grief!" Maximillian cut himself off at seeing the veritable torrent of flame Razer had launched at Horace, the little bear barely remaining standing after the impact. "This is a friendly match, you know!" he complained. Horace apparently didn't mind so much, because the Teddiursa charged right back at Razer, claws bared.

Horace takes 2 Injuries.

Shift: Close with Razer.
Standard: Fury Swipes on Razer.
To-hit (AC5, +2 for double Focused Training, +AP): [roll0]
Normal Physical Damage (DB3x3+2): [roll1]
Horace loses another Tick from Burn.

[moondoggy]

Louisa smirks, watching the two boys scorch and shred one another. Infighting like that would surely make her victory all the easier. "Get ready, Dario. Move into position." Following her command the Snubbull takes point between the Sewaddle and Teddiursa.

Moving to N11, preparing for next turn.

post #151 we caught em all guys!

[BlackestOfMages]

Sorry Max, but we gals have to stick together. Flit, reckon you can take down that teddy bear? Bug Bite!" Hayley exclaimed, excited, pointing dramatically towards Horace, while Flit squirmed forwards, a happy look on his face as he opened wide and bit down on the bear


Flit shifts to L7
Flit uses Bug Bite on Horace, spending 1 AP to gain +1 to hit
Accuracy:[roll0] vs AC 2 + Horace's physical/speed evasion
Damage: [roll1]
if applicable
Crit: [roll2]

but we forgot missingno :smalltongue:

[moondoggy]

Dario watches as the Sewaddle from earlier attacks Max's Teddiursa. Nearby, Louisa moves closer to the action. "Not bad, Bailey! Dario, stay on point. I have a feeling they'll be coming our way next..." Her Snubbull glared at the bug pokemon, still bitter over getting bitten earlier. I need to be careful. That little bug has a nasty bite. I'll wait until it's weakened and then finish it off with one attack! the headstrong girl thought triumphantly.

[Llyarden]

Maximillian fixed Hayley with a frosty glare as Flit tore into Horace, the little bear managing a yelp of pain before collapsing, bleeding profusely. "That wasn't necessary," he hissed angrily, returning the Teddiursa. "I was hardly going to force him to fight with that burn."

Sorry for the delay; I didn't notice moondoggy's post.

Horace takes another Injury and Faints.

Maximillian's Shift: Return Horace and 'send out' Julius.
Maximillian's Standard: Focused Training on Julius.

And just for my own amusement to see how angry Max manages to be, Intimidate: [roll0]

EDIT: Oh I totally forgot to apply Defence. Derp. Okay so my bear is not actually half dead. That's nice.

[supernerd]

Simon's face grew heavy with concern as Razer fluttered in and out of consciousness, having fallen to the ground. With as much speed as he could muster he called back his Pokemon. "Really, you're calling things unnecessary after that?" Then He drew out his next pokeball, sending out his new Goomy. "Alright Teichos, lets show him what your made of. I know you can do it!"

Razer at exactly 0HP (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAdGv89e0sE)
Shift: Switch out for Teichos.
Standard: Inspired Training on Teichos
Command for Teichos (+AP: 3/4(5)): [roll0]

Does fainting give another injury?
Also, now I'm getting the same kind of burnout as when I first played Exalted, that being going in blind with something I thought was good, but then getting absolutely wrecked the moment I stepped into combat.

[BlackestOfMages]

"Sorry about that, little guy" Hayey said, a twinge of regret for horace's yelp of pain "I'll whip ya up something nice and tasy tonight to say sorry, OK? Keep it up, Flit, keep the momentum. Let's tie up Simon's Goomy!"

With a proud 'swa', Flit began to husstle towards the goomy, before letting out a wave of sticky threads against the tiny dragon pokemon, strands falling around him


Hayley is using agility training on flit. he gains +1 movement and +4 int

Edit: Flit shifts to G7 and uses string shot on Teichos. roll in dice thread


Also, now I'm getting the same kind of burnout as when I first played Exalted, that being going in blind with something I thought was good, but then getting absolutely wrecked the moment I stepped into combat.

sorry. Razer's a strong attacker, but he's also fragile just due to his species (three defensive stats as his lowest means he can be hard to build solid bulk), while horace is a strong physical attacker. I wouldn't say it's bad choice so much as bad luck, as horace got got 3 hits, and then a good damage roll to top it off, both of which where above average and even then it was only just enough, and the system favours 2-3 hit defeats, and if he had survived, he likely would have taken out Horace

also, if you'd gone after flit, he'd be shishkabobed. instead you poked the bear XD

[Llyarden]

Maximillian was half-tempted to send Julius after Flit in retaliation for what the Sewaddle had done. After a moment he chose not to, partly because the Sewaddle would be fairly easily able to withstand the Goomy's attacks and mostly because it wasn't really her fault her Trainer had decided to go overboard on knocking out a Pokemon that was never going to be able to fight further anyway. "Alright, let's go after Dario," he said after a few moments, trying to keep his voice as level as possible. "And don't get Louisa wet!" he added hastily as Julius oozed forwards, releasing a cloud of bubbles around himself.

Julius would've been sent out in M9.

Shift: Into N11.
Standard: Bubble on Dario.
To-hit (AC2, +1 for Focused Training, lowers speed 16+): [roll0]
Water Special Damage: [roll1]

[Toilet Cobra]

Dario retaliates against Julius' bubbles with a bite!


Rolls in the roll thread. I opted not to shift from current position on the map.
Attack roll: 7
Damage roll (2d6+8 + 15 attack): 30

Hopefully I didn't forget any buffs that may be floating around

[supernerd]

Simon took a deep breath. "Okay Teichos, your turn! Let's keep Julius going for a bit longer while we're at it." Teichos ran up towards the pair and let off bubbles of his own.

I haven't looked at the map, but I hope I can get a bubble in on the two of them, giving Julius a bit of health and getting some more damage on Dario.

However, if I can't, I'll be able to use absorb instead.

Accuracy: [roll0] vs 4(I think
Damage: Bubble: [roll1], Absorb if necessary [roll2]

[Llyarden]

Maximillian frowned. Dario had definitely come out on top in the brief exchange of blows thus far. Only to be expected, I suppose. Dario is stronger. He wasn't quite sure why that annoyed him more than it logically should have. "You can take another hit, Julius!" he called out to reassure the Goomy. "One more Bubble and then you can get out of there."

Focused Training on Julius.

[supernerd]

Simon took a deep breath. "You're doing great, Teichos. Keep up the good work!" He needed Teichos to stay in the game for his first battle.

Inspired Training on Teichos
Command to act (is this per battle or per round?): [roll0]

[BlackestOfMages]

Hayley had a grin on her face as she continued to cheer on Flit; she was so proud of her little guy hanging in so long "Y'all can do it, Flit. Keep the pressure up. Let's go after Dario next!"

With a defiant 'Swa", Flit glanced back at Hayley, glancing between Dario and Techios, but eventually following orders, begining the slow crawl into the fray

Gonna post flits actions here now. if louisa is switching to ponyta, will cancel the actions

Using agility training on Flit, bringing his initiative up to 8! he then shifts to J11, ready to square off against Louisa and Dario. Not too worried about techios or julius though I know full well thats gonna bite me soon XD

[Llyarden]

"Well, let's not get surrounded!" Maximillian called out to Julius as the Goomy continued his defiant wash of bubbles against the stronger Fairy-type. "Actually, drain Dario's energy before you get out of there!" he corrected his previous orders.

Standard: Absorb on Dario.
To-hit (AC2, +1 for Focused Training): [roll0]
Grass Special Damage: [roll1]
Shift: Disengage into M10.

I'll need to know how much damage Dario takes.

[moondoggy]

"We're not out of this yet, Dario! Go after Julius!" Louisa shouts fervently. "Use Bite!" The now-angered Snubbull moves towards Max's Goomy and lunges forward with his powerful jaws.

Maintaining Inspired Training for Dario, moving to N10 and attacking!
Bite ATK: [roll0]
DMG: [roll1] + 8 (which I forgot to add) = [33]

@Llyarden, Dario only took 8 HP damage from the Absorb.

[supernerd]

Simon took a beep breath. Teichos was surely not ready for this kind of battle. Still, there was only so much he could do to help. "Okay! I want you to absorb Flit and then get behind the others!" Teichos tried his best to do anything to the sewaddle, and then slimed his way over behind the other two Pokemon out.

Absorb on Flit: Range 4
Attack: [roll0] vs 3 I think.
Damage: [roll1]
Shift to M7

[moondoggy]

Louisa chuckled at her opponents' efforts, but felt a little bad hitting Julius so hard. "Nothing personal, squishy. Dario! Pursue the other Goomy! Playtime is over!"

Louisa now binds Reckless Advance, giving her attacks an additional 8 damage and a Trip effect on attack rolls of 18+. Dario prepares to move to L7.

[Llyarden]

Maximillian had been fully intending to return Julius before he got any more hurt, as the Goomy disentangled himself for the second time in a dozen seconds from Dario's jaws. But Lousia's casual dismissal of him as a threat rankled. "Hey, Julius has a name!" he protested, drawing himself up to his full height (which didn't particularly help at all.) "And we're not out yet! We might not be going to win, Julius, but let's at least make a good reckoning of ourselves."

Focused Training on Julius again. Yes, Max is being silly and reckless.

[moondoggy]

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Louisa asks Maximilian suddenly. "Julius is already hurt, badly it looks like. Pushing him this hard in your first fight seems kinda harsh for a pokemon you only just met a few hours ago." She pauses a moment, looking concerned. "I mean, look at what happened to Horace..."

This will definitely get him to pull out, leaving me one less target to focus on. I mean, he wouldn't want to "get his new friend hurt" so quickly, would he?

My goal should be pretty clear here. Gonna make a charm roll just in case.

Charm: [roll0]

[supernerd]

Simon looked at the Snubbul and gritted his teeth. "Okay, Teichos, you're doing great, let's keep up the good work!"

Let's continue with Focused Training on Teochos this turn.

[Toilet Cobra]

Hayley commands Flit to press the attack, and the little bug rushes forward as fast as its tiny legs will carry it. Braving straight past the intervening Goomy, Flit lands a bite on Dario's flank.


Continue with Agility Training on Flit.

Rolls in the roll thread, after Dario's defense is applied I believe the total is 21 damage.

Also Julius may get a free attack there, Flit just ran straight past him.

[Llyarden]

"Oh, well, that's convenient," Maximillian remarked, as Flit went scuttling past Julius to join the attack on Dario. "Alright. Get both of them and then duck behind Flit!" he called out, as Julius unleashed another wave of bubbles. "Leave them to get tangled up with each other."

Still not really sure what's going on with moondoggy's post as far as what skill it should be (and the fact that it's not rolled right anyway) so I'll leave Max's response to her out for the time being.

Standard: Bubble on Flit and Dario.
To-hit (AC2, +1 for Focused Training, lowers speed 16+): [roll0]
Water Special Damage: [roll1]
Julius's Shift: Disengage into L11.

EDIT: So I think that would put Dario below Teichos in the initiative again, unless he's immune to having his speed lowered or something.

[supernerd]

"Okay, let's fire off an Absorb and then keep your distance!" Teichos then repeated his last action, taking some of the Fairy Type's health and then backing away from the fight.

Standard: Absorb Dario:
Accuracy: [roll0] vs 3?
Damage: [roll1]
Edit: the aforementioned moving back was to I6.

[moondoggy]

"Hmph!" Louisa huffed, watching the Goomy retreat. "Afraid to face us head on? Fine! Then I'll show you what's coming to you. Dario! Deal with the insect!" Her Snubbull barks at Teichos before turning his attention to Flit. With a growl he lunges forward teeth-first!
Bite ATK: [roll0]
Bite DMG: [roll1]
Dario moves to M10

---------------

"Sorry, Holly. I just don't like bugs." Louisa says with a shrug. "Dario, with that one out of the way finish off Julius! Strike Again!"
Bite ATK: [roll2]
Bite DMG: [roll3]
Changing back to Inspired Training for the +1 Evasion and +2 to Saves
Louisa moves to L14 with Charlette following behind at M16

[supernerd]

Simon took a deep breath, and hoped he could keep back from the fight for now. "Okay, Teichos! Keep it together!"

Inspired Orders on Teichos!

[Toilet Cobra]

When Flit can no longer battle, Hayley doesn't waste a second. She commands Scrappy to enter the fray with haste, and the little goat quickly runs into position. Scrappy swings with a mighty lash of his vines, but Dario surprises them all by nimbly jumping out of the way!


Hayley uses agility training on Scrappy, giving +4 initiative and +1 move.

Scrappy moves up to I-10, attacks Dario w/ Vine Whip, and misses (rolls in roll thread).

[moondoggy]

"Excellent work, Dario! We'll ignore the new one for now. Go and get your revenge on that slug for hitting you with those Bubbles!" Louisa shouts excitedly. Her Snubbull nods, growling at Teichos. He clearly is not happy about the long-range salvos he's been suffering. "Snub! Snub snub!" he barks at his foe, running right up to the Goomy for a Bite attack.

Moving diagonally from M10 to J7
Bite ATK: [roll0]
Bite DMG: [roll1]

[Toilet Cobra]

Dario rushes towards Teichos, and the Goomy responds by conjuring a froth of bubbles. Scrappy's leafy fur bristles, prepared to unleash a torrent of wickedly sharp leaves on them both. The shouts of the trainers rise higher, but then a strident voice cuts across them all.

"Alright, that's enough!" Barb shouts, clapping her hands for attention. Pokemon and trainers turn towards her in surprise; Scrappy is caught off balance and nearly falls face-first in the dirt. "Everybody, this battle is over. Well done!"

The kids shout and groan, but Barb shakes her head firmly. "This isn't a gym battle, kids- you all fought hard and you should be proud. But there's no need to push your pokemon to the limit in a friendly bout. Everyone learned a lot, and your bond with your pokemon got a little stronger in the process. That's all that matters."

Barb won't hear another word of protest, and quickly shoos the pokemon away from one another to prevent the battle from continuing any further. Once things have calmed down, she asks you to recall any wounded pokemon to their pokeballs.

"You're going to need your pokemon to accompany you for work tomorrow," she says. "And with so many of the little dears hurt, I'd run completely out of medicine by the time I treated them all. There's nothing to do but take them to the Pokemon Center in town. I'll drive them up, and by the time you're done with your fishing trip I'll be back and everyone will be feeling as good as new."

Hayley has little interest in fishing, and offers to come along to keep Barb company. You have about half an hour to meet Danny at the lake if you still want to participate; just enough time to change into swimsuits (if you brought them) and make it to the lake.

Congratulations on toughing out the longest, hardest 20 minutes in pokemon history! Each player gets 48 experience to split among their pokemon (remember that all participating pokemon must receive at least 1/4th of this amount).

In your next post, please indicate which pokemon you wish to send with Barb to the pokemon center, as well as anything you'd like them to pick up for you (in case you're low on pokeballs, for example). Then head to the lake if you want to partake in some fishing; Danny will meet you there.

[supernerd]

Simon took a deep breath and brought out his Pokeball. "Okay, Teichos, Return." He held the ball in front of him. "You did really well, even if it was just our first battle. I look forward to growing together." He then walked over handed Razer's ball to Barb. "Razer took a harsh beating at the start. If we ran into water types at the lake, though, he wouldn't be much help to begin with. I think he's earned a good rest."

Simon then made his way to his room, throwing on his swimming trunks and a more worn T-shirt. With his new Pokemon, likely still upset at its capture, at his side, and his pack slung over his shoulder, he looked forward to fishing. A look of determination on his face as he smiled. "Okay, are we ready to get started?"

I'll give 25XP to Razer putting him at level 11 and level 12 tomorrow morning, then I'll have 23 go to Teichos, so he'll be at level 9 tomorrow morning and level 7 right now.

[Llyarden]

"Yes, I'm afraid to have my Pokemon face one about twice as powerful as it head-on," Maximillian remarked with just a touch of irritation. "I know you've done a lot more battling than me - infinitely more, I suppose - but I'm reasonably sure that battles involve more tactics than throwing two Pokemon at each other and seeing which one's stronger. If that was the case they wouldn't need Trainers at all."

He turned away from Louisa and back to Barb. "Oh, thank you. That will help." He handed both of his Pokeballs over to the woman. "So...there was mention of fishing?" His expression turned slightly embarrassed. "I, er...I don't really know how to do fishing."

[moondoggy]

"Hmph!" Louisa huffs, turning her back to Max's indignation. "As if your reckless leadership was better? You should have taken my advice. I did warn you all I wasn't pulling any punches." Pulling out Dario's pokeball she turns to her battered bulldog. "You did great, Dario. Time for a little rest." With a weary "snub" Dario returns to his pokeball. She then strokes Charlette's muzzle. "It's a good thing I didn't send you out there, sweetie. Those Bubbles would not have felt good." The Ponyta neighs enthusiastically, clearly excited by the battle. Louisa looks at Dario's pokeball for a moment before reluctantly handing it over to Barb. "Alright, you can take care of Dario. Just... be careful." she adds, a little concerned.

Heading inside to change into more appropriate clothing, Louisa realized she had no idea what had been packed for her. She'd never touched her own luggage, it had simply been arranged earlier that morning, if not before. What if the maid had picked out something... ugly? With a mix of panic and irritation she dashed to her room, throwing open her suitcase and-
All that was inside was a simple one-piece swimsuit and a note.

"While you are away you will be provided clothing by
Miss Barbara. No more designer goods. This is also
part of your punishment. We hope you understand.
We are serious this time. Love you, Mom and Dad."

Outside, the others hear a loud scream. Moments later Louisa storms out of the ranch house in a huff wearing her swimsuit with her shirt tied around her waist. "We better find something good at the lake or this officially became the Worst. Day. Ever."

[Toilet Cobra]

“Never fear,” Barb says with a smile. “Your friends will be safe with us. Don’t keep Danny waiting at the lake, now! He’ll have everything you need.”

She and Hayley, carefully cradling all the pokeballs, climb into the front of the van, while Scrappy hops nimbly into the back. With a cough and sputter, the van comes to life and begins to slowly back down the road.

It’s a bit of a walk, but the three of you make good time. The sun is just starting its afternoon descent and the light glitters merrily off the surface of the water as you arrive at the lake. You squint and see Danny up the shoreline. He is sitting on the edge of one of the two rowboats, and scattering what looks like pieces of pokemon food on a nearby sandbar. You note that the flock of bird pokemon that had perched on the boats have all taken off, and you don’t see any pokemon playing in the water nearby, but Danny goes on scattering feed regardless.

He waves as you approach. “Just the three of you? That’s good, we can all pile in one boat then.”

He throws the last of the pokefood block into the water and dusts off his hands. There is a splash and a subtle movement from below the water-- and you immediately realize that you're not looking at a sandbar at all.

“Guys, this is Larry,” Danny says. “Larry! Come up here an’ say hello.”

The water surges as the great fish rises up to the surface. Partially hidden in the sand, you had no idea how large the Whiscash truly was. When it breaches the water, however, you can see its scaly blue form is gargantuan, easily longer and broader than the boat Danny’s leaning on.

Larry looks at each of you with his great dinner-plate sized eyes and grins his meter-wide grin. In addition to his striking size, you see signs of his great age: his color is a much paler blue than that of a young Whiscash, and his scales are rougher and more ridged, seeming almost snake-like. His long whiskers are worn down to stubs from years of sparring with rivals. But despite his elderly status, he seems energetic and clearly powerful, moving more like an Onix than a Snorlax.

“Can’t fish without Larry’s help,” Danny explains. “There are at least a hundred Barboach in the lake at any one time, and they’re clever-- they can nip the bait off a hook an’ swim away before you know it. But they all obey Larry, an' once he’s been properly bribed, he’s happy to help out. Aren’tcha Lar’?”

Larry responds with a smile, an incredibly low-pitched “Whiiiiisc,”and a playful splash of his fins.

“So folks, what're we fishin’ for today?”

[moondoggy]

"Binacle." comes a voice filled with irritation. In spite of the picturesque afternoon, the gargantuan scale of Proud Larry and even the Whiscash's contagious cheery grin a stormcloud hung over Louisa's head. She was far past mad, and whenever that happened there was only one thing that could mend her sourness: getting something she'd always wanted. She glared daggers into the water below strong enough to paralyze. "Binacle. I know they're down there. I saw them on that broken pocket calculator you had." Looking up from the blue waters, her gloomy expression softens a little. "I had a picture book I loved as a kid with a story about one. I always wanted one of my own but Father said they were too temperamental for house life." she says mockingly. "So what if they're a little... rambunctious? They have such cute little faces! Those puffy cheeks and surly little expressions are adorable! I simply must have one!" She clutches her fishing rod almost tight enough you could hear it crack. "Help me fish one up and I'll give your pokemon lessons I learned from my training tutors plus I'll owe you a favor. Whatever it is! Pinky swear!" she exclaims, holding up her little finger as proof.

[Toilet Cobra]

"Binacle it is, then," Danny says. "Everybody hop in and grab a fishin' pole."

Once you are all seated in the rowboat, Danny gives it a firm push into the water and hops inside. There are oars at hand, but they aren't necessary for the moment; Larry is in a helpful mood and simply pushes the rowboat out into the deep water. You all hold on tight as the boat surges forward, tilting dangerously, but before you know it you're floating calmly in the center of the lake.

Danny shows you each how to properly bait your hooks, and the appropriate lures to use. "For Binacle, you'll need to fish the bottom of the lake. That means you want one of these 'sinkers,'" Danny says. "Binacle 'r fairly plentiful on the bottom. If you hook one, it'll be a powerful heavy tug on the line, so if you need a hand let me know."

Larry is playing interference, and you can see the many Barboach giving your boat a wide berth. With your hooks baited and lures set, you can now begin fishing!

Full fishing rules are located on p.217 of the core reulebook. You each have been given an Old Rod and bait that will ensure something bites before too long.

You can choose to fish in the 'surface,' 'deep water,' or 'lake bottom' zones. Each has different pokemon inhabiting it, though there is some overlap. If you have a specific pokemon you're after you can make a Pokemon Education (DC 8) roll to determine which zone it is most commonly found in. I will make encounter rolls for you once you make your choice on which zone to fish.

You don't have any pokemon available to help you battle (other than Char, who probably wouldn't want to get in the boat in the first place), and a hooked pokemon will be difficult (though not impossible) to charm. You shouldn't encounter anything over level 10, however, so it should be quite possible to simply hit a pokemon with a pokeball and make a capture.

[moondoggy]

"Lake... bottom? Powerful... heavy?" Having gone from seething to eager to nervous in mere moments, Louisa's usual haughty confidence has been shaken hard. "I'm, well, not exactly... physically-inclined so..." The trailing end is left to dangle in the air. She stares deep into the water, a curtain of Barboach eagerly flickering on the edges of their 'safe zone'. No. I can do this. Who ever let a little complete-lack-of-knowhow stop them from doing something? Not a Marksinswell, that's who. With renewed resolve she cast her line, watching the sinker do what it was designed to. In a few seconds she felt a vibration; her line had reached the bottom.

"So I just hold it here until I get a bite, right?"

[Llyarden]

Maximillian's 'swimwear' consisted of exactly the same clothes he'd worn earlier in the day, although he had made some concessions to practicality by leaving the suit jacket behind and rolling up his trouser-legs slightly. It was just barely possible that he hadn't thought his packing out too well. Note to self, don't try to combine sulking and packing.

His nervousness about the entire affair fairly obviously diminished when Larry made his appearance, although in gaping at the giant Whiscash he ended up a few paces behind the other two and had to run to catch up. He chuckled slightly at the great Pokemon's playfulness, waving back to Larry without really thinking about it.

When he got in the boat, though, it became pretty obvious that he'd probably never been in such a small boat in his life before. "Whhooooaaaa," was about all he managed to say as Larry gave them a boost out into the middle of the lake, and he stayed seated perfectly still, clutching the sides of the boat until it stopped rocking and for a minute or so after.

Once he finally got around to looking at the fishing rods, he promptly looked across to Danny. "You don't have an instruction manual for these, do you?" he asked. Regardless of his response, he set about inspecting the boat, looking for somewhere he could wedge the rod so he wouldn't be trying to match the force of whatever Pokemon he hooked himself - he was under no illusions as to how his own strength was likely to compare to that of a wild Pokemon, even one a quarter of his size.

Only once he'd finally finished all his preparations did he attach a piece of bait to his rod, along with one of the lighter lures, and let it drop over the edge.

The whole 'wedging the rod against the boat' thing is because Max literally can't make the DC8 Athletics check to reel in a Pokemon, and even with a +1 or +2 from Danny would still need a max roll. (Unless Danny was suggesting actually doing the reeling in himself so he'd be making the check instead of just assisting.)

If that's actually possible I guess it would be a Gen Edu check to do...something: [roll0]

Also Pokemaniac on Larry just because why not: [roll1]

[supernerd]

Simon looked out over the water. "Well, I'm glad Larry's on our side!" Simon set his egg by his side and thought for a moment. "Well, we saw Krabby at the water's edge, so I think I'll try and see if a more stubborn one lives here. Whatever shows up should be interesting!"

Simon unclipped his remaining Pokeball and sent out Teichos. He then got on one knee and talked to the living slimeball. "Look, I'd like to apologize. Taking you away from your friends without even proving myself wasn't the best way to treat you. However, I'm looking to catch a water Pokemon, so it would help me out a bunch if you'd help me to improve my behavior. I know you're strong."

Pokemon Edu: AP => 3/4/5 [roll0]
Command: AP => 2/4/5 [roll1]

[Toilet Cobra]

Simon and Max opt to fish in the shallows, while Louisa drops her hook straight to the lake's bottom. Danny leans back with a bottle of water in his lap, just enjoying the gentle rocking of the boat.

You don't have long to rest, however. The lake is a fiercely competitive ecosystem, and quality bait like this never goes unnoticed. One by one, you each get a bite!

Simon struggles with the fishing pole as he pulls his catch into view: a Poliwag is hopping angrily, breaching the water as it slowly pulls towards the boat. Max gets a bite and instantly Danny is at his side, helping the boy pull in their catch, which turns out to be an unfortunate Ducklett. The aquatic bird pokemon, diving for food below the surface, snagged the bait and is now flapping towards them, squawking furiously!

Louisa pulls, clearly having caught something heavy, and struggles determinedly to get the dense pokemon to surface. When it finally does, she sees that it is... a Shellder. Her hopes momentarily dampened, the pokemon's long, wagging tongue seems to mock her.

Although I put it all in one post, your catches don't happen simultaneously. Since the group is all working together, I've decided to dispense with the athletics checks. I figure the four of you can overpower any one pokemon, knock on wood.

For each pokemon, you can choose to try to Catch it or Release it. If you choose Catch, you can battle it/throw pokeballs until you run out, at which point anyone else can attempt to catch it if they choose. If you prefer to Release it, then the other trainers have the option to try to Catch it. If nobody does, then the pokemon is set free.

I will update this later with Pokemaniac info; I'm confident Max will make his rolls with ease.

[moondoggy]

Louisa groans internally. Ew, no. This is definitely not what I'm looking for... she thinks dismally, until an idea occurs to her. She puts on an air of calm and camaraderie. "Little friend, do you think you could help me? I'm hoping to pull up a Binacle. You know, the mean two-headed pokemon that I'm sure muscles poor little Shellder like yourself out of good food and shelter. If you would help my next line snag one that would be less competition for you. A win for both of us. How about it?" She hits the dangling shellfish with her winningest smile in the hopes she could win it over and improve her odds.

Not sure if the skill applies this way but hey, why not try?

Charm attempt! [roll0]

[Toilet Cobra]

The Shellder does not seem to spend much time considering Louisa's offer. Whether it declines, or whether it was about to do this anyway, is unknown, but its response either way is a loud "PTHHHBHBHBHT!" that sprays briny droplets on everyone in the boat, particularly the young lady.

Pokemaniac Info
Lv 9 M Poliwag
Type: Water
Nature: Timid (+Spd, -Atk)
Ability: Swift Swim

Lv 8 F Ducklett
Type: Water/Flying
Nature: Mild (+SpAt, - Def)
Ability: Keen Eye

Shellder: Unknown, but seems like kind of a jerk

And let's not forget... Proud Larry
Lv 70 M Whiscash (Shiny)
Type: Water/Ground
Nature: Impish
Abilities: Oblivious, Mud Dweller, Hydration

[supernerd]

Simon smiled when he heard what the Poliwag had in store. "Okay Teichos, now's our chance. Let's show'em what we're made of." Simon took a great ball and held it in his hand, waiting for an opening. "Okay, so a Poliwag shouldn't be able to hurt you, not that you can't take for days, so use absorb and I'll catch it when it looks tired!"

Focused Training on Teichos for my Trainer Turn. Ready for the response of the reeled in Poliwag, assuming that it's base speed 11 is better than Teichos' 4.

[Llyarden]

Maximillian might have liked the idea of fishing, but on seeing the tangled-up Pokemon emerge from the water, his expression looked rather similar to the one he'd worn when he'd seen the predating Zangoose earlier in the day. "Oh, I'm sorry!" he apologised to the unfortunate Ducklett, standing up rather wobblishly in the boat and reaching out to the bird. "I didn't know you were down there. Hey, stay still a moment. I'll get you untangled."

It was just barely possible that Maximillian hadn't fully thought out the logic of reaching out to an angry, tied-up wild Pokemon.

Charm (via Pokepsychologist): [roll0]

Honestly I kinda do want a Ducklett but I'll see if I can befriend it first before resorting to Pokeballs.

Also is that Ducklett really not Water/Flying?

EDIT: Zangoose, not Zigzagoon. Derp.

[Toilet Cobra]

Max talks soothingly to the Ducklett on its line, and it gradually ceases its furious thrashing and quacking. It's still eager to escape, but it doesn't bite down on Max's hand when he reaches out, which is a good sign.

Max's check result beats DC 15. Ducklett goes from Hostile to Fearful.
Simon holds the line taught while Teichos slimes up the edge of the boat and grabs the Poliwag's attention. The furious little tadpole spouts a stream of bubbles, but the moisture-loving Goomy isn't phased- in fact he seems to almost relish the attack! The struggle continues for less than a minute before the Poliwag is exhausted from its constant, fruitless bubbling and Teichos' slow but relentless Absorb attacks.

Skipping a few rounds of combat here, we'll say the Poliwag has been reduced to 1hp and is highly annoyed at this point. I don't have my copy of the simplified capture rules at hand, but I can look them up later if needed.

[Llyarden]

"There we go," Maximillian said soothingly to the Ducklett, as he continued gently disentangling the line from around its limbs. Before he unwrapped the main body of the noose, he reached out with his free hand to take the bait Danny had provided off the line and offered it - without really thinking about the fact that it was meant to be for catching fish - to the disgruntled bird. "After all that I think you deserve this, don't you?" he asked it rhetorically. "This was what you wanted, wasn't it?"

Pokepsychologist, AP, food, and a +1 from Lousia's Assist.

Charm: [roll0]

[Toilet Cobra]

Max's knowledge, combined with a generous portion of bait, and Louisa's help in making everyone seem less threatening, all serve to disarm the wary Ducklett. When Max finally slips the snare completely free, the little bird quickly flaps its wings, gives a loud quack, and takes to the air with a splash. It comes back to rest on the boat's edge, staying almost protectively close to Max-- it hasn't made up its mind about any of the other humans yet, but it seems to like this one.

Charm roll beats DC 8: Ducklett's disposition improves from Fearful to Neutral.
Margin of Success 12: disposition improves two more stages, to Very Friendly. And food seals the deal.

Congratulations! Maximilian has befriended Ducklett!

Lv 8 Female Ducklett
Nature: Mild (+SpAt, - Def)
Ability: Keen Eye
Loyalty: 2

Simon meanwhile has urged Teichos to battle, which the little Goomy enters with gusto! He and the Poliwag exchange blows, but Teichos clearly has the upper hand. When the fight concludes, Teichos is barely phased, and the Poliwag is all but exhausted. Simon makes his move, withdrawing a Great Ball from his pocket and making the capture in the blink of an eye!

Congratulations! Simon has captured Poliwag!

Lv 9 Male Poliwag
Nature: Timid (+Spd, -Atk)
Ability: Swift Swim
Loyalty: 2

Teichos gains 9 Exp.

[moondoggy]

"Oh you ungrateful little thing you. Just get out of here!" With an unceremonious plunk she drops the irreverent Shellder over the side of the boat and casts her line once more. Seeing the success of the boys further aggravates Louisa's condition. Those two ingrates already got something... Why can't I? That Ducklett is cute and Poliwag too so where's my Binacle? she silently fumes. She feels the slight thud of her sinker hitting the bottom once more, awaiting her quarry with increasing impatience.

[supernerd]

Simon looked at his new friend's Pokeball and smiled. Then he sighed and looked down at Teichos. "Well that was a little one sided, don't you think? Still, you were amazing! We'll take him to Barb once she gets back. He's exhausted, but not too badly hurt."
-----------------
Simon laughed as the Shellder sprayed the group, while Teichos relished the water once more. "Teichos, I don't think I need another water Pokemon on my first day, so I think you can take it easy for now." The boy then recalled his Goomy. He looked to Louisa. "Well I've got what I came for. Not exactly what I was aiming for today, but certainly not bad. Why don't we get a second line on the bottom if you're so frustrated with not getting a Binacle."

So, with a Poliwag, my line goes to the bottom with Louisa.

Also, how do you aid another? Can you just do it?

[Llyarden]

"Oh, come on!" Maximillian complained, as the Shellder sprayed everyone with water/saliva. Not that his clothes weren't already dirty, but at least he'd wanted the Goomies to come and say hello. Before he could devise a suitable retort - a sharp poke to the tongue would probably make the inconsiderate clam think twice before spraying them again - Louisa dropped the thing back over the edge. "Hmph," he muttered, brushing himself rather ineffectually off before switching lures and attaching a new piece of bait from his dwindling supply.

"Now make sure you keep out of the way of the lines this time," Maximillian warned the Ducklett. Not that he expected it to make that mistake again, but he still felt bad about catching the poor thing. "You don't have any friends down there, do you?"

Also deep-water fishing to help Louisa.

As far as Assist goes, the rules are on P220, but basically if you have Novice or better in a skill you add half your rank to the primary actor's check.

[moondoggy]

"Taking me up on my training offer? I don't blame you. If I was in your shoes I'd jump at the opportunity too. My instructors said I was a natural. A prodigy, even! Ohohoho!" Talking about herself seems to have lightened Louisa's mood significantly. "Just like I said, if you help me catch Binacle I'll teach your pokemon alongside my own. Why they'll be as tough as Dario in no time!"

[Toilet Cobra]

Again, lines were baited and cast out into the water. The heavy lures sank quickly to the bottom; one by one, each one snapped around a pokemon!

Louisa was the first to get a bite, hauling up a mean-tempered Clauncher. The little crustacean pokeon spun in the air, hanging onto the bait with its large, primary claw and snapping at her with its smaller one.

Max was next, and his catch was so light that he didn't need anyone's help to draw it up (in fact, at first he didn't realize he had caught anything at all). When he finally pulled it to the surface, he could see his line was wound around the flexible tendril of a Tentacool, which regarded him with a calm gaze as it attempted to wriggle free; the clever jellyfish makes slow but steady progress.

But it was Simon who took the prize. It takes the combined effort of Simon and Danny to haul up the line, which nearly snapped under the strain. As the pokemon neared the surface, you could all see angry, very wide-set eyes looking up at you... and when it finally appeared, you can see that each "eye" is actually the face of a seperate Binacle stalk! The grumply little pokemon refused to detach from rock on which it is planted, and also refused to let go of the bait, and so it was slowly but surely pulled into the air. It's certainly not pleased and glares at you all while making an annoyed bubbling noise.


Lv 9 Clauncher
Type: Water
Nature: Modest (+SpAtk, -Atk)
Ability: Shell Armor

Lv 10 Tentacool
Type: Water/Poison
Nature: Dreamy (+SpDef, -HP)
Ability: Liquid Ooze

Lv 9 Binacle
Type: Water/Rock
Nature: Stark (+Def, -HP)
Ability: Tough Claws

[moondoggy]

Louisa eyed the Clauncher with curiosity. "Oh. I've never seen one of these." Pulling out her pokedex she reads a little about the Claw Shrimp Pokemon. "Huh. Seems your kind are pretty strong. Though I can tell just by looking at you," she says, beginning to pour on the charm. "How about it? Wanna come with me? I'm sure we could have some fun together."

Let's see if I can influence this Clauncher. It does have a really good nature, after all.
Charm! [roll0]

__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _

When Simon called out that he'd hooked something really heavy Louisa expected it to be another Shellder or something, but when Danny joined in and still struggled to get the pokemon up without snapping the fishing line she began to think this might be it. Sure enough, as they slowly raised their catch into the light she could see the telltale appendages and rocky bottom. "Oh yeah! You did it! A real-life Binacle! Aww, look at it! It's so cute!" she chirped as it's free hand/head burbled angrily. "Do you think I could, um, borrow Teichos to catch it?" she almost-pleadingly asks Simon, fixing him with her best Baby-Doll Eyes. "Charlette couldn't come, after all," she says, nodding towards the Ponyta relaxing a safe distance from the lakeside. "I don't think this one would accept me as a trainer unless I defeat it fair and square. They're stubborn little things."

[Toilet Cobra]

Louisa does her best to soothe the Clauncher as it swings back and forth on her line. It does eventually stop trying to clip her nose off, but it still seems pretty unhappy.

Fantastic roll! 18 beats DC 15: Attitude changes from Hostile to Fearful.

[supernerd]

Simon looks almost envious at the Clauncher as Louisa reels it in and Max louts its virtue. But alas it wasn't his catch. He was excited for Louisa as they pulled up a Binacle, happy to be of help. But then when he was asked to help with battle... "I'm actually trying to earn Teichos' respect, since I forwent a battle capturing him. However, I think it should be another cakewalk if we keep the binacle out of the water where he could catch up. How about we make a deal. If Teichos helps you catch that Binacle, then you don't have to train any of my Pokemon, but I get to catch Clauncher."

I'm sorry. It's so good...

And I don't think a given Pokemon can be trained for experience twice in one day.

[moondoggy]

Louisa nods at Simon's explanation about Teichos and battling. She understood the need for respect between pokemon and trainer. It was something that had taken quite a bit of fostering between Dario and herself. Upon hearing Simon's proposal however, a cagey smile creeps across her face. "Oh, I don't know. Past the excitement of seeing a Binacle up close, I have to admit this one isn't quite the specimen I was hoping for. Maximilian's appraisal has proven that. This Clauncher, on the other hand... Based on what I've learned just now it has some genuine potential." she says coyly. If he's this quick to make a trade for it, he'd probably be willing to go further...

"I might be willing to make the deal in return for a Binacle of equal standing. If you manage to find one, we may be able to work something out. If not then it would make a swell consolation prize for myself." She turns back towards the less-snippy shrimp on her line. "I know you're uneasy about all this, but I could do well for you little Clauncher. Friends, fun, and not to mention food," she says temptingly, holding forth an unwrapped piece of bait. "I had a feeling this may come in handy so I brought the bait that was packed with my pokeballs. It was only a two-pack, but it should do the trick." Slowly waving the tender morsel near and nearer to the Clauncher, but not giving it up, she continues coaxing it in her soothing tone.

Now that there is a demand for her supply, Louisa is not eager to part with the Clauncher so easily. Blame it on teenage princess contrarianism. Let's see about this second Charm check.

Charm! [roll0]

[supernerd]

Simon smiled slowly undid the Binacle. "Okay, off you go." He let the rather stubborn Pokémon fall back to the lake bottom. "So, are we still fishing. Or are we good now that everyone's got a new friend?"

[Toilet Cobra]

Louisa is still trying to sweet-talk the mean-tempered little Clauncher. It seems willing to stay by the girl, but then periodically turns and hisses at her, clacking its claws menacingly. She wonders what more she can do, beyond soothing it and bribing it with food. Then Max points out that this is normal "familial" behavior for a Clauncher; it has already accepted Louisa, but as Claunchers compete among their own for food and resources, it was simply trying to establish a pecking order. Once she realizes that, Louisa is quick to establish dominance, and the little beastie accepts her as its superior, for now, anyway. But she'll have to prove she's the top... shrimp if she wants to keep her new companion under control!

Charm roll beats DC 8: Disposition changes from Fearful to Neutral.
Margin of Success 7: Disposition changes one extra step, to Friendly
Food seals the deal, making Clauncher Very Friendly.

Congratulations! Louisa befriended Clauncher!

Type: Water
Nature: Modest (+SpAtk, -Atk)
Ability: Shell Armor
Loyalty: 1

[Llyarden]

Max watched the Tentacool wriggling its way out of the lasso with interest. He'd read about the intelligence of the jellyfish Pokemon before, but this was the first time he'd seen one up close and in the wild. "Fascinating," he murmured to himself, ignoring the discussions and politicking going on between the other two. "I read somewhere that you're one of the few aquatic Pokemon that can navigate a repititively fluctuating maze," he told the Tentacool, who probably didn't care. He belatedly realised that he was holding the others up - not to mention the Tentacool itself. "Sorry about that," he apologised to the jellyfish, loosening the noose to allow it to pull its tentacle free. As much as it would've been interesting to keep around, it would have had to stay in a Pokeball almost all the time since there didn't seem to be too much in the way of large lakes and ponds around except for this one.

[moondoggy]

Louisa stared down the headstrong Clauncher that continued to burble and clack at her. "I know your game, you snippy little so-and-so. I've dealt with things much larger and imposing than you. Powerful pokemon you cannot even imagine. Let me make this clear. You will follow Me." she said sternly, not breaking eye contact. "You may have spirit, but do you really want to test it against mine?" The shrimp pokemon soon lowered its gaze, cowed for the moment. "That's what I thought," Louisa said sternly. She looked down on it for a moment more before abruptly picking up the shrimp and putting it on her shoulder. "That doesn't mean we can't be friends, though!" she merrily declares. Her new companion brightened up, shooting off a Water Sport into the air from its big claw. "Hey hey now, I'm soaked enough as it is!" Louisa said as the misty water hung around, though despite her words she seemed happy.

"Daniel, you know more about water pokemon than I do." she started, turning towards their boatman. "Would it be best to leave this little guy here for now? There isn't really a good place to keep him back at the ranch house and I don't think he's ready to be caught yet either."

[Toilet Cobra]

Danny scratches his chin. "Hmm... leave 'im here an' he may go wild on you all over again. Why not take 'im to the Stables? We've got a nice pond set up out there, and you'll be able to find 'im when you want to. You can take your Ponyta, too."

He stretches, then pops open the tackle box to look at the supplies. "Well, still got some bait," he says. "Wanna try one more cast, gang? Or we ready to pack it in?"

[supernerd]

Simon stretches, pulling his left arm over behind his head and then his right. "Well, I only really needed one water Pokemon, so unless Louisa wants to go for a better Binacle, I'm ready to head back when you are. I want to get this little guy patched up and then maybe take Teichos and catch something in the meadow."

[moondoggy]

"Oh! I didn't know there was a pond back there. Yeah, that's perfect then. How does that sound, little buddy? No more fighting for food and shelter. As long as you follow me, that is." She shoots the perched prawn a daggerlike sidelong glance which it avoids meeting. "I'm done here for now so I'd like to head back. Just knowing there might be a good Binacle down there is enough for today."

[Toilet Cobra]

You carefully remove your lures and pack away your fishing rods as Danny affixes the oars in place. He and Simon each take a side and quickly start rowing you back towards the shore. Larry disappears into the depths with a playful flip of his enormous tail, causing a wave that nearly washes right over the boat's side.

Char is waiting for you on the shore, and she capers happily around Louisa as you all disembark. Danny suggests that you all make for the ranch house, suggesting that Barb and Hayley likely returned a while ago.

You arrive to see that indeed, the van is back resting in the shade next to the house. Scrappy and Dario are playing tug-of-war in the yard with a stick; Hayley is acting as referee and cheering them both on. Barb waves from the porch as she sees you approach.

"Have any luck on the lake?" she asks, smiling. She waggles her fingers at Louisa's Clauncher, and it clacks its larger claw at her in response.

She hands back the pokeballs you'd given her for safekeeping, and you are relieved to find your friends have returned, healthy once more.

"I've laid out some clothes for you in your rooms," Barb informs you. She looks at Max with a sad smile. "I'll do what I can about your jacket. Goomy slime is stubborn but it's not the worst sort of stains."

Any pokemon that went with Barb are now back in your company and fully healed. You have a little time to kill; it's about 3:30pm at this point.

Those of you who return to your rooms will see that Barb has procured several outfits for each of you, consisting mostly of overalls, boots, ranch logo t-shirts, and work gloves. These will be your uniforms, such as they are, for the summer.

[supernerd]

Simon found Razer content ly watching the tug of war, and the Charmander rushed to his trainer's arms. Simon picked the fire type up, smiling. "Feel better?"

When Barb inquired about the lake, he reached back for his newly occupied Pokéball. "Actually, yes. I think he'll need a bit of help feeling up for anything tonight. Though I suppose that we could just hang about for a bit. I'd like to train with my new additions sometime tonight so we can get to know eachother. I don't intend to battle, but I feel bad training a Pokemon who's close to blacking out."

Barb's treatment would bring Avon back to full. With training, Teichos would level up, and Avon would presumably level up because 9.5 rounds to 10. Since the rules don't specify round up or down, it is either round up (so a level 1 Pokemon trained by an untrained command character gains 1exp), or round scientifically (round to the even number). Round down doesn't feel right for the game. Unless there are rounding rules expressed elsewhere.

[moondoggy]

Louisa walks over to spectate the tug-of-war game Dario and Scrappy are embroiled in. Dario doesn't seem to appreciate the Skiddo's carefree attitude and is obviously taking it way too seriously. "You show that Skippy who's boss, Dario. I'll be back in a minute." Dario waves in agreement and redoubles his efforts to seize the stick.

Near the stables she finds the pond Danny had mentioned. It was not as big or as deep as the lake but it was enough. She picked up her shrimp friend and set him down by the waterside. "This is nice, isn't it? Doesn't look like there's much to compete with so food shouldn't be an issue and I'll come by every day. Hmm... I should give you a name, shouldn't I? How about Claude?" The Clauncher clacks it's big claw and burbles. "Oh, don't like that one do you? Um... maybe Walter?" She gets another irritated response. "My you're a picky one. Well let me think. Does Wesson sound good?" The Clauncher sits pensively for a moment then twitches it's antennae and raises its smaller claw. "Alright, Wesson it is! Well you get used to your new home for now, Wesson. I'll be back in a little while." Seemingly satisfied, Wesson skitters away into the pond.

After changing out of her swimsuit (and throwing a mini-tantrum in her room over the work clothes situation) she rejoins the group outside. "You mentioned heading out to the meadow, Simmon? I'm going to take a guess that you'll be looking for a grass-type next, judging by your Charmander and Poliwag. I wouldn't mind heading out that way. The sun will be going down soon, after all. Not much left to do but kill time until dinner and curfew." She mounts up onto Charlette, laying against the Ponyta's fiery mane. "Two new friends already. Who knows what things will be like by the end of the summer..."

[supernerd]

Simon smiled back as Louisa, looking over the meadow as Razer tried to make friends with Teichos. After a bit of time, it seemed like things were going fine, even if Teichos was still warming up to his trainer. "I was actually thinking of training Teichos and... I think I'll try out a few on Poliwag once he's been looked after by Barb. Anyways, from what I remember, we'll be working in the berry orchard, so all I'd need is a break. And besides, I trained Horace and Razer this morning, and I'm already running out of ideas to get good training in for these two. I think I've accomplished enough for one day."

Simon looked over the meadow at his playing Pokémon, then up to the sky. "We've got a whole summer to get strong. Why burn out on the first day?"

I'd love to go out and capture something in the immediate OOC future, but I would much rather IC time pass. It's already beens stated that there's a planned level up when we get to the weekend. I made Simon when I was completely new to the system, and as such, all his edges are me not knowing what his potential third/fourth class would be and trying to get a smattering of Novice skills. I was also under the assumption that all the useful training edges required at least Expert Command. I would like Train the Reserves as soon as possible, and as such, would rather move on to the next day, and potentially capture over the course of that day, so I can get that edge.

It's unlike my experience of being entirely new to Exalted, because while with exalted, being new to the system means you cannot function whatsoever in a game where everyone else is intimately familiar with the system, PTU allows you to have a decent chance of success/usefulness so long as you actually use your abilities. It also gives you plenty of ways to redo stat distributions for Pokémon that end up being unfavorable. As such, I'm not going to beg to rework my edges like I requested to rework my first Exalted character. That would be poor form.

[Toilet Cobra]

After a long day of training, walking, searching, battling and fishing, all under the dozy warmth of the Ranch's Spring sun, you find that your appetite for further adventure has waned considerably. It's about four in the afternoon, so with a little time to kill and not much energy, you look to training and getting to know your new pokemon. Time flies quickly, and before you know it Barb is calling you all to dinner.

While you share your stories of your first day, Barb, Harold, and Danny tell you of the strange things they've seen while living among pokemon, and the famous trainers who come to the Ranch. After your close encounter with Larry the Whiscash, you aren't surprised to learn that several trainers you know from TV, and even a couple gym leaders, all come here regularly for champion-bred pokemon.

While Harold talks about a Ninetales he spent most of the afternoon grooming for an upcoming Pokemon Contest in Clearview City, Simon casually inquires about the Ranch's training services, specifically wondering how much it costs to change a pokemon's nature. "It's not an easy process, and it can be quite time consuming," Barb tells him quietly, while Harold's story builds to an amusing finale in the background. "Our prices start at 10,000P plus boarding fees, for relatively trainable pokemon. More stubborn ones take longer, and the fee changes correspondingly." Simon digests this information quietly, wondering if there's an employee discount.

After dinner, Barb and Danny clean up while Harold checks on the eggs in the incubator. As the sun goes down, the kids hear the mysterious noises of the Ranch's nocturnal inhabitants beginning to stir. Barb reiterates the danger of going too far from the house after dark, but the kids are beat and have no intention of going anywhere.

Before bed, Danny introduces the kids to his pride and joy: an ancient Gamestation 1 console he has rigged to an enormous old tv in a spare room on the 3rd floor. "I don't have much free time nowadays," he tells you, "but back when I was newer to the Ranch and having difficulty adjustin', this really helped me unwind. I figure maybe it can do the same for you guys." He leaves you with his extensive collection of scratched games and a bundle of third-party controllers. Even Hayley is eager for some non-agriculture-based leisure activity, and although you all joke about the terrible polygon graphics and grainy old TV set, time flies as you lose yourselves in a few games of Cliff Racer and Street Battler 2. Before you know it it's time to hit the hay, which sounds really, really good after such a long day.

Some of you are used to big empty houses and the sounds of the country, others will miss the comforting noises of the city. But the house is cozy, and your beds so very inviting. In the evening coolness, you each wrap yourselves in layers of quilts and drift quickly off to sleep.

Congratulations on completing Day 1 of your summer at the Rolling Acres! You have reached your first milestone; everyone advance your trainers to level 2!

Breakfast is at sunup, and Barb will wake you up early tomorrow so that you can do some training if you like. Your next post should take you through training (if applicable) and to the breakfast table. Harold's making waffles!

[Llyarden]

Maximillian emerged the next morning dressed in the outfit Barb had provied, and looking rather uncomfortable in the practical clothes. He had, in a concession to his own sense of fashion, put on a tie, and protruding from one of the large overall pockets was another book.

He looked around briefly and made a beeline for the woman. "Erm, Mrs Chapman, I don't suppose you have any spare grooming supplies around here?" he asked. "I always used to think that grooming a Pokemon was a nice way to get to know them, but I didn't remember to bring any. I think I packed too many books," he added, mostly to himself. Horace, gambolling along behind him, made a curious growl at the mention of grooming, causing Maximillian to turn around and frown down at him. "I didn't mean you! I already know you, you dozy thing." Despite his words he couldn't help but grin at the sleepy bear. "I won't be long. Go pester Simon or Louisa or someone if you want attention. Just don't wander off!" he added hastily.

"Sorry about that," he added to Barb, looking back to her. "Horace is not an early morning person - er, bear. So...oh, right, grooming supplies? I heard Mr Chapman talking about grooming something yesterday."

Groomer, annoyingly, doesn't actually change how many Pokemon you can train (unlike its Intimidate-based equivalent), so Max can only groom two Pokemon, which will be Daisy and Julius. (However it is you groom a slug...)

[supernerd]

Simon got up early, thanks to Barb knocking on his door a bit before sun up. Once he was up and ready to get training before breakfast, he knocked on Max's door. "I don't know if you're getting up already, but I'm heading off to train my Pokemon so they'll be ready when we head out. If you'd like, I can probably take two of yours with me out back."

Once he'd gotten his response, he made his way out of the house and a bit past the porch, and let everyone out. "Okay, guys, time to get to work!" Simon led the Pokemon through drills, and was glad to see that the Pokemon were getting along with each other from what he could see. He was glad that he could train with Teichos and Avon, a chance to get to know them before he needed to depend on them if anything should go awry.

"Good work everybody! Let's keep it up! Let's see what's going on in the kitchen." By the time they were finished, everyone was more than ready for breakfast. He led the Pokemon to the porch, then had them wait where he could see them and ducked in to ask how soon it was for breakfast because he was finished with morning training.

So, assuming I don't need a command roll:
Everyone gets Inspired and Focused Training.
Whichever of Max's Pokemon get trained get +1 stage of whichever he'd like.
Razer and Teichos get +1 Special Attack, and Avon gets +1 Speed

[moondoggy]

After finally managing to drift off to sleep in her too-quiet bedroom, Louisa sleeps dreamlessly until Barb's knocking at her door wakes her up. Only half-awake she staggers out of bed and pulls on the zero-taste farmhand clothes provided for her with disgust. I can't believe I have to wear these rags... she mentally huffed. Walking out to the stables her mood picked up a little bit though. The early morning was crisp with a warm breeze blowing through. Charlette was waiting in her stall already up and eager and Wesson woke up somewhat smoothly when she came to pick him up. After a little morning training regimen she left them to their own devices and entered the kitchen. The aroma of pancakes was super effective and set her stomach growling. She was told they weren't yet ready though, os she joined Simon out on the porch.

"Hey. Can you believe these outfits? They're so ratty I can hardly stand it. At least the pancakes smell good. Probably the only good thing to come out of this day..." she added under her breath.

[Toilet Cobra]

As you take your seats around the breakfast table, Harold greets you with a broad smile. He quickly sets down a plate of hot waffles in the center of the table; Danny takes one almost before the plate comes to rest. Barb opens a can of her rawst berry preserves and places it on the table alongside a bottle of syrup.

As everyone gets settled and the meal begins in earnest, Barb takes a moment to look around in the many kitchen cabinets. She returns with an old shoebox sealed with tape, which she hands to Max. “Spare clippers and brushes, a little old but still serviceable,” she says, smiling. “Should be everything you need to start grooming your pokemon, but if you need anything else you can probably find it at the Stables. Harold does most of the grooming work out there, so the setup is a little more robust.”

The Ranch veterans eat quickly, washing down their waffles with strong coffee. Barb breaks down your tasks for the day. The work day is just starting and there’s a lot to do!

“Boys, you’ll be joining Danny in the Orchard,” she says. “Louisa, dear, you’ll go to the stables to assist Harold. And Hayley, you’ll be in the kitchen with me for today. You’ll all rotate duties day-by-day, so you’ll each get a chance to see what you’re most comfortable with. It’s hard work but just try your best and I’m sure you’ll all do fine!”

[supernerd]

Simon stretched as he made sure the Pokemon didn't wander off too far from the porch, and laughed a little at Louisa's comment. "Well, if anything, they're clothes that you don't need to worry about getting dirty or ruined. They're definitely far from ratty, though that will probably change over the summer. I certainly don't mind. It just means that whatever I wear to town won't get torn in two."

At breakfast, he ate quite a lot, having worked up a bit of an appetite while training, though not nearly as much as his Pokemon, who ate just as well. He smiled as he heard that he'd be in the orchards, where he was likely to encounter something he didn't have already. He'd asked his most pressing question last night, and was ready to start the day.

He rolled his shoulders as he got up from the table, looking to Max, "Well, looks like it's you and me in the orchards today. I guess we should go chase after Danny." He waited for the other boy to get up, but then headed out after Danny. He called back Avon and Teichos, calling for Razer to follow alongside him.

[Toilet Cobra]

The Boys

Although you've seen the orchard at a distance, it's not until you're standing right beside it that you realize its true scope. Dozens of rows, each a hundred yards long, and each bearing a different type of berry tree in bloom. To the west, you can see the tips of sprouting berry trees that were planted just recently, in freshly tilled earth; this is what Danny has been working on, and now that you see it firsthand you understand why they needed to take on help.

The air is sweetly scented, and all your pokemon perk up as they approach the field. You can see the movement of wild pokemon among the trees as well; no doubt this place calls to them from a great distance. Past the northern edge of the orchard, you see a towering shape on the horizon: a huge, gnarled tree, bright with spring foliage and buzzing with Combees. As you watch, squadrons of drones flit back and forth between the orchard and their home tree, collecting nectar and pollinating the berries in the process.

At the south-east corner of the orchard, you spot a large, two-wheeled green cart. About six feet wide and ten long, it has a harness on the front where a pokemon (or a person) could grab on and drag the cart behind them. In the cart, you see a multitude of old, berry-blotched wicker baskets. Shaped like vases, they have looped handles on either side and a little wicker lid on top that secures with a metal hook.

As you approach, Danny hustles up to the cart, grabs one of the wicker baskets, and tosses it back to Simon. Upon closer inspection, you can see that there is a divider on the inside of the basket; one side is significantly more stained and splotched than the other.

"Hoooo-kay," Danny says, tossing another basket to Max. "Berry pickin.' Sounds simple, right? Each o' these trees only bears a couple ripe ones each day, just walk along and pick the berries. The trick, though, is knowing which ones are ripe, overripe, and most of all avoiding the under-ripe." He walks to the nearest row and quickly plucks a couple berries, then returns to show them to you up close.

These are Oran berries, one of the most common kinds. Danny holds three in his hands: one is purplish and squishy-looking, while the other two are an identical indigo. "This one here," he says, holding up the purple one and giving it a light squeeze, "is overripe. See how it's darker and oozin' a bit? It's past its prime, but still useful and valuable to the Ranch. Good for pokemon food, not any good for pokemon medicine. Don't let 'em go to waste." He tosses it in Simon's wicker basket.

He holds up a second berry. "This one's under-ripe. You can tell cuz it's hard, like a pebble, and the skin isn't as glossy in the light. Bitter to the taste. No good for anything; barely nutritious and not at all medicinal. Each underripe berry that gets picked is profit lost for the Ranch." He lets you examine it, then discards it in the brush. "And this last, is perfectly ripe: good for any purpose. We'll make it into medicine, or package and sell 'em depending on which berry we're talkin' about." He drops the ripe berry into Simon's basket on the opposite side of the divider. "The trick to berry farmin' is efficiency: pick only ripe or overripe berries, and don't waste under-ripe ones. Each kind of berry is different, so I'll show you how to judge each one when you come to it. For now, though, you can get started on the Oran berries. Let me know if you find a tree that has no berries on it; when a berry tree has been harvested enough times it stops producin' and we have to mulch it."

Time to get to work! You each grab a basket and pick a row, there's plenty to choose from.

Please make a Focus, Survival, or Education: General roll to determine how well you do at this task.

Louisa

While the boys are learning the finer points of berry harvesting, Louisa rides out to the stables on the 4-wheeler, with Harold driving. He seems to be in a particularly good mood, though his passenger doesn't share his mirth. The vehicle makes quick work of the distance, even crossing straight through the creek at a shallow point.

Although called 'the Stables' for convenience, it's actually a much more substantial complex. There's the Barn, where the Miltank live and bird pokemon roost in the rafters. The Stables proper, a long red building which houses pokemon of all types. There's two ponds, each the size of an Olympic swimming pool; one is fresh water and the other salt. There's even a rusted blue dumpster, sitting at a good distance from the rest of the pokemon housing, where poison-types cavort. As Louisa looks on with a mixture of fascination and disgust (at about a 20-80% ratio), a pair of Trubbish peek over the rim of the container to see if perhaps she's come to feed them. And surrounding it all, a sturdy, six-foot wooden fence, encompassing plenty of grassland for pokemon to excercise and play. Even at this early hour, she can see a variety of unusual pokemon running about. Just inside the gate the humans pass a Flaafy and a Manectric who are playing what appears to be some sort of electricity-based game of tag.

"You got the good job, fer sure!" Harold tells Louisa with a grin. He always seems to have a smile on his face, and this one's a whopper; he clearly loves the Stables and his already good mood is improving further. "I reckon those skinny arms ain't much good for haulin' feed, but how'd you like to do some groomin' while I get the milkin' done?" He guides her to the Stables, and Louisa is momentarily taken aback. Looking at her from individual pens she spies a Tyranitar, a Blastoise, a Kabutops, and a half-dozen other powerful, ferocious pokemon.

"These all belong to pro trainers," Harold explains. "Don't be nervous around these lugs, they're meek as kittens, fer sure!" He shows Louisa where his grooming tools are (some of which, used for Rock and Steel pokemon, would qualify as power tools), then leaves her to it. "Start with Duchess there, she gets fussy if'n she feels ignored. Have fun!" Harold grabs a stack of milk pails and walks out the door.

'Duchess' was a beautiful and clearly haughty ninetales housed in the first pen. She has reason to be proud: Duchess has gorgeous, silvery white-and-powder-blue fur and the graceful carriage of her namesake. Louisa has seen many Shiny pokemon in her life, given the lofty circles in which her family travels, but this is by far the most beautiful she's seen yet. It even put Aunt Bella's golden Meowstic to shame.

Duchess glanced at Louisa with its nose in the air. Clearly it didn't know who it was looking at! A small note tacked to the outside of the pen denoted the owner's name and care instructions, which included nail trimming and filing and a full-coat brush every morning.

Pokemon grooming is the delicate art of pampering a hugely powerful force of nature. It takes patience, skill, and most of all the personality to command their respect.

Please make a Command check to get Duchess to sit still and not start any fires while you tend to her.

[supernerd]

Simon sighed, because while it would be nice to have help, the only one of his group that would be particularly able would be Teichos. The slug would definitely appreciate helping with berry picking, but maybe they'd be able to find a rhythm with each other. He let out Teichos, having Razer stand down for now and sending him back to his ball. Simon kneeled close to his slug and relayed the instructions that Danny gave the boys and the descriptions of what the different types of berries are. "Now, I know it's not a battle, but I know you'd be good at it. I want your help making sure we don't pick any of the under ripe berries. If we both concentrate on it, then we can work quickly while still having really good accuracy. But accuracy is key; I'd rather have a slow first day than waste a bunch of the berries we pick. Now, I'm gonna be counting on you. Can I do that?" He grabbed one of the basket and set out, Teichos in tow.

Command to get Teichos to agree to the task? [roll0]
AP: Focus roll to pick berries (Includes Adept Assistance from Teichos) [roll1]

[Llyarden]

"Well, that explains why we need to avoid the tree," Maximillian observed, watching the Combees at work. He certainly wouldn't have wanted to upset a hive of the things.

Before Maximillian followed Simon across to the berries, he sent out Horace, the Teddiursa looking around with a cheerful growl at the nice smell. "Now, don't you go eating any of the berries," he warned the bear. Not that he really expected Horace to do so, but it was probably worth saying anyway. "And don't annoy the Combees," he added, which was as much an instruction to himself as it was one to the bear.

Survival (+AP): [roll0]

Horace uses Honey Gather and Pickup, assuming he can do so without disturbing the berries. This is going to be all kinds of awkward if he comes back with a berry!

[moondoggy]

I really dodged a bullet on this one. I thought working at the stables would've been cleaning or something gross... Louisa thought with a relieved sigh as she followed Harold. She was unfazed by the imposing pokemon whose gazes followed them through the stable. Compared to what she grew up around most of these beasts were small-frys. She did lock eyes with the Tyranitar as they passed, moderately impressed with it. Her father used to tell tales of one owned by an old rival, a specimen of such strength that it managed to stop an erupting volcano singlehandedly. Though she knew he was exaggerating, seeing one in person made that tall tale slightly more believable.

The Ninetales, however, surpassed all expectation. It truly was a thing of beauty. Louisa nearly lost her composure but seeing the condescending little glance it had shot at her changed her approach from "fawning over" to "role assertion". She looked over the list of necessary grooming procedures and pulled up a nearby stool. "Alright, Duchess. You cooperate and we'll have no problems getting you all tidied up and looking your best." She spoke firmly, staring the proud pokemon dead in the face.

Alright, let's see if this works...
Command Check: [roll0]

[Toilet Cobra]

The Boys

Neither Simon nor Max has ever done this kind of work before. But Simon is determined to do a good job, and focuses down on his task with intenisty. Teichos isn't as much help as Simon hoped, but Razer makes up for it. The little Charmander patrols ahead of his trainer, easily scaring off most of the grass and bug types, so that Simon can pick berries in relative peace. Soon the young man's basket is heavy with with harvested berries, and he feels confident that he's made few (if any) mistakes.

Max meanwhile utilizes Horace's keen nose-- the bear's refined senses quickly separate the good berries from the bad. At one point, Horace gambols out of the row of Oran trees, intent on digging at the dirt. When Max goes to see what the hold-up is, Horace proudly presents him with an Energy Root he found growing among the berry trees! Knowing that nobody would object to the root's removal (it's essentially a weed, and competes with the trees for nutrients), Max happily pockets the medicinal plant.

True to Barb's prediction, the wild pokemon give both boys a wide berth when they see Razer and Horace running interference. A trio of Oddish briefly block Max's path-- they smell the juicy berries he's already collected and are growing interested. But a snarl from Horace sends them fleeing back under the dirt to find easier nourishment.

Simon has a similar encounter when Razer comes upon a grass pokemon that isn't intimidated by the fire-type's posturing. A bold little Snivy is hiding in the shade of a berry tree, and it doesn't look too happy to see Razer coming up the path! Simon sees that the Snivy isn't eating up berries; like most grass-types in the orchard it lives symbiotically with the trees and isn't a garden pest. But it has staked this area out as its territory and it won't back down when a strange pokemon wanders into its space!

Well done on your berry-picking rolls! Passed with flying colors.

Simon and Max may engage the wild pokemon if they so wish-- though neither the Oddish nor the Snivy need to be removed for the orchard's sake. The Oddish are already intimidated and Max can ignore them; the Snivy is mostly posturing because Razer is there, and if Simon orders his Charmander to hang back that should defuse the situation.

If you do not wish to initiate combat, simply move on in your next post and make a second berry-picking roll. Your successes (and margin of success) over multiple rolls will determine how well you do with the whole day's work; so far you're both doing a great job!

Louisa

If someone had told Louisa that grooming pokemon, even champion pokemon, was what she was 'born to do,' she would have assumed they were an impertinent person making a joke in very poor taste. But there's no denying that, even at her young age, she has a lot of talent for the work. More importantly, she has the strength of personality to look a Tyranitar in the eye, tell them to sit still, and actually be obeyed!

With Dario acting as assistant and fetching grooming tools from the rack, Louisa actually makes swift progress despite her lack of experience. Although she hasn't done this kind of work in the past, she knows elegance, and once she gains the obedience of her charges she manages to make them look quite presentable. The look on Duchess' face goes from haughty to startled as the little human asserts herself, and before the Ninetales realizes what's happening she's lying down obediently while Louisa brushes out her luxurious fur and trims her nails.

When Harold returns some time later, he finds Louisa standing on a step ladder, using a shammy cloth to polish a Blastoise's shoulder-cannons. The old man barks out a laugh. "I knew it!" he says. "Yer a natural, young lady!" Louisa turns, startled, at the sound of his voice, and nearly loses her balance on the ladder; the Blastoise reaches out one of its enormous claws and gently steadies her.

"Milkin's done, and our guests've all had their breakfast," Harold informs Louisa, smiling. "Looks like yer almost done here, too, so we're well ahead o' schedule!" Harold scratches his chin, clearly at a loss, while he tries to think how to best split up the remaining morning chores. "Lessee here... feel like walkin' the fence?"

Seeing Louisa's uncomprehending look, Harold quickly continues. "Gotta keep the fence in repair or folks' pokemon slip right out... and wild 'uns slip in! So I walk the fence once 'r twice a day, lookin' for anything' needs fixin'. It takes a while; that fence is longer'n it looks, fer sure! Start at the gate, an' by the time you get back there, heck, it'll be lunch time! I'll meet you there an' we'll ride to the house, sound good?"

[moondoggy]

"Just take a little ride around the fence and see how it looks? Sounds like no problem at all!" Louisa spouts confidently, soaking up Harold's praise like a hungry Sunflora at high noon. "I'll just hop on Charlette and we'll take a little ride around. If I see anything that needs some attention I'll pass it on. See you on the other side!" With Dario trailing behind her she skips off in uncharacteristically high spirits to where Charlette was waiting. The Ponyta's coat shone after the fresh cleaning she'd snuck in between jobs and the fiery mare was all the happier for the attention. She trotted up and nuzzled Louisa's palm affectionately. "We've got some riding to do, Char. Let me just move that incubator off you and we can head out for a little exercise after that good brushing." She slips on the portable egg-warmer, recalls Dario and heads off following the fence, making sure to keep an eye out for any signs of disrepair.

Not sure if required but I'm rolling Perception here. I bumped it up a rank last level and I want to use it! :smalltongue:

Perception check: [roll0]

[Llyarden]

Maximillian took the time to wrap the energy root up - in his tie, in the absence of any paper towels, with a mental note to borrow some from the grooming kit he was borrowing for tomorrow - before carefully stowing it in his pocket. If something snuck in and ate some of the berries he was collecting that would be embarrassing, as as well as probably getting him in trouble, but the energy root could actually be unhealthy for something to eat.

"Aw, don't scare them too much, Horace," he said, watching the Oddishes bury themselves back into the ground. "They're just hungry. Sorry, but I can't let you have any of these," he told the Oddishes. "Maybe you could ask any other Grass-types you meet to not try to take anything from people walking around with baskets?" he asked after a moment. For someone who knew a lot about Pokemon, he had a bad habit of attributing more intelligence to them than they sometimes deserved.

More berry-ing:
Max's Survival: [roll0]
Horace's Perception: [roll1]

Welp, that wasn't so good. Hopefully Horace can carry us with his bear nose.

[supernerd]

Simon kept up with his work, trying to do his job both quickly and thoroughly. As he went along, Simon sighed and called to his Charmander, "Hey, Razer, why don't you give that smiby a wider berth, I don't plan on catching it, and I don't want to start unecessary fights on the job." with conflict avoided, Simon checked over the tree quickly and then moved on.

I'll skip it. I've already got Teichos for mixed defenses.
Focus +AP: [roll0]

[Toilet Cobra]

The Boys

Deftly avoiding conflict pays off; Max and Simon are able to maneuver around the grass pokemon that stand in their path and continue their work. Before long, they've finished on the Oran berries and Danny shows them the finer points of Rawst berry picking: under-ripe berries tend to be smaller and noticeably pale, making them easy to spot, and the berries darken dramatically when they become overripe. The boys can rest assured that, compared to the Oran berries, harvesting these should be simpler. Unfortunately the Rawst 'tree' is more of a low bush, so they both have to crouch while they work and that slows down the process somewhat.

While brushing aside some of the broad, flat leaves of a Rawst bush to check for ripe berries, Max is surprised by a trio of Petilil that are dancing sedately in the shade. Remembering that Simon mentioned wanting to capture a grass type like these, Max calls out to get his attention. The older boy quickly hops over two rows of bushes to see what Max has found. Razer charges along in his master's wake, slipping easily between the closely-grown plants.

I know that Simon was looking for a Petilil, but it was Max's roll that found them so technically he has first pick if he wants it. Dunno if Petilils are at all interesting to you, Llyarden.

Max makes his Pokemaniac rolls with ease:

Petilil #1
Level 9
Type: Grass
Nature: Bold (+Def, -Atk)
Ability: Own Tempo

Petilil #2
Level 9
Type: Grass
Nature: Curious (+SpAtk, -HP)
Ability: Chlorophyll

Petilil #3
Level 8
Type: Grass
Nature: Naive (+Spd, -SpDef)
Ability: Own Tempo

If nobody is interested in a Petilil, we'll move on and you can make your final berry picking roll of the morning.


Louisa

Riding on a Ponyta is so relaxing that examining the fence hardly seems like work at all! Unfortunately Char, who is still relatively young, can only carry Louisa for so long before tiring. So in the end Louisa has to travel much of the distance on foot.

After a while boredom sets in, and Louisa's gaze starts to wander past the fence and into the open field. She sees some wild pokemon capering... no, wait, are they fighting?

Climbing up onto the fence for a better look, Louisa sees a pair of Deerlings being chased by a slow but determined little predator: a Gible! The little dragon is almost all fangs, and it rushes towards the much more agile Deerlings as fast as its legs will carry it. As Louisa watches, the Deerling scatter to the grass, and the Gible gnashes its teeth in frustration.

Dario is also gnashing his teeth, but at the thought of tangling with a worthy adversary! Louisa ponders... the Gible is not posing a threat now, but it could easily slip in below the fence by burrowing. So really, she has a duty to do something!

Louisa's keen eyes have spotted a Gible outside. This species is definitely invasive and could potentially cause an issue if left unchecked; on the other hand, it's still juvenile at best, and most pokemon can defend themselves well enough from a little guy like that. There are probably much more voracious predators than a Gible out in the ranch.

It's up to Louisa to decide if she wants to ignore, battle, or capture the beast.

[moondoggy]

Once the threatened Deerling scamper off, the lone Gible flails around pitifully grinding it's formidable chompers. Dario rumbles a low growl at it, agitated and eager to fight. "You're thinking of Uncle Rey's Gabite, aren't you? The one that gave you a sound thrashing after you were caught stealing food from it while it was asleep. You want a little revenge, eh?" Dario looked back up at Louisa and gave an affirmative "Snub!" Louisa was getting excited at the prospect. It had been an easy morning after all and the idea of catching this Gible was tantalizing. "Alright then! Get in there and show it who's boss, Dario!" Hanging her incubator across Charlette's back Louisa charges over the fence with Dario at her heels. "Dragon or not you're going down, Gible!"

Hopping the fence and closing distance with the Gible. They're not too fast so I figure unless it has a ranged attack (which I'm pretty sure it doesn't) we get to it without too much issue. Unless it charges us, which would also be fun.

Initiating Battle Sequence Anti-Dragon!

[supernerd]

Simon saw the Petilil that Max had found, a smile coming across his face. Sure a Budew might be able to cover more ground on a team, but a Petilil would do just fine, especially one with a taste for Dry food. "Thanks for calling me over. I plan on battling this one out. What about you? If you plan on convincing one to hang around, would you mind walking off with it, just in case it gets scared?" Simon waved over his Charmander. "Okay, Razer, stand ready. We'll be going in on my mark."

[Llyarden]

"You're welcome," Maximillian replied, before pausing to consider. His instinct was to go with Simon's plan and just befriend the one that he wanted - it was so much simpler and avoided so much needless conflict - but at the same time...

Razer was undeniably strong and had an obvious advantage over the Grass-types, but his resistance wouldn't help him against a barrage of Leech Seeds. Especially if he was being cautious with his fiery attacks - both to avoid damaging the berries and avoid knocking out the Petilil that he wanted to catch - Maximillian didn't really want to leave him to fight three Pokemon singlehandedly.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'll fight too," he said after a moment, beckoning Horace over likewise - the little bear looked guilty, caught as he was having been pulling up a nice-smelling (to Pokemon, anyway) weed-like plant that was growing around one of the berry trees. "Just try to avoid setting fire to our chores," he added with a slight grin.

[Toilet Cobra]

Without realizing it, Simon and Max enter combat at almost the same time as Louisa! Soon the battles are underway all across the Ranch!

Their targets picked, the boys quickly deploy their pokemon. The Petilils, shy by nature, nonetheless stand their ground. They rattle their leaves in a warning and prepare to stave off these attackers!

Battlemap
(https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18mibg1YJWUk-Fu9suM06REPf_guuIr9RdK2gmAsFf7o/edit?usp=sharing)
For ease of use, we'll be going based off your pokemon's speed but I want trainer turns to happen in the same post unless there's a tactical reason to go outside that order. So first up it'll be Simon and Razer, then Max and Horace, then the Petilils.

Do note: anyone using a damaging, area-effect attack that lands in a green square will damage a berry bush. Expect a severe talking-to.

Meanwhile at the Stables, Dario rushes under the fence, barking his little head off. Gible turns and snarls in return!

The little dragon raises its tiny arms to the sky, and lets out a ground-shaking roar that seems about ten sizes too big for its little frame. Dust and grit begin to swirl around it in an ever-increasing whirlwind, until a full-fledged Sandstorm has taken shape! Undaunted, Dario grits his teeth and pushes forward into the wind.

Battlemap (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1w8UPn8h1qgL632JsYRmzUdjuh2T00CQwe96e-LEk2ss/edit?usp=sharing)

Since Gible is up first, I will just take his turn now: Gible uses Sandstorm, which also gives him an evasion boost thanks to Sand Veil.

When possible, please take Louisa's trainer turn and then Dario's turn in the same post for efficiency's sake.

[supernerd]

Simon sprang into action as the challenge began, and likewise did Razer. "Alright! Razer, let's work our way around and then get this battle started right! Let's get this done quick! I want you to go up to the middle one and tire it out, but don't try too hard; it's probably not ready to take serious flames."

Razer then weaved around the bush, finding an opening and spinning around, bringing his tail down into the middle Petilil's bulb of a head and carrying his flame through its body. Physical assaults weren't his strong suit, but that was what the Fire type needed to hold back.

There isn't a tactical reason to split up Trainer and Pokemon turns unless there's other trainers. also, it's good to know that the only area moves on my team are bubbles belonging to not-Razer.

Critical Moment 1/2: Focused and Inspired. There's likely only to be two or three moments anyways.

Move to K8 through J10 and K9 to not provoke.
Physical Fire Struggle:
Accuracy: AP (1/4 Left, unless we're refreshing between berry rolls) [roll0] vs 4+Evasion
Damage: [roll1] Fire damage

[Llyarden]

"All right, let's begin," Maximillian said, drawing himself up a touch. "Try to disable the nearer one, Horace." The bear obeyed, padding forwards towards the target Petilil and leaning forwards with a big, slobbery lick.

Max:
Standard: Focused Training on Horace (who already has Focused/Inspired from Simon).

Horace:
Shift: Into J8.
Standard: Lick on #1.
To-hit (AC2, paralyses 15+): [roll0]
Ghost Physical Damage: [roll1]

[Toilet Cobra]

The Petilils weather Razer and Horace's attacks, then return fire with a barrage of Absorbs!

Petil #2 suffers 15 damage from Razer after defenses and weaknesses. Petilil #1 suffers 11 damage from Horace's Lick.

Petilil #1
Absorb vs Horace
To Hit: [roll0]
Special Damage: [roll1]

Petilil #2
Absorb vs Razer
To Hit: [roll2]
Special Damage: [roll3]

Petilil #3
Growth! +1 Atk and SpAtk CS

Horace suffers 10 damage, and Petilil #1 heals for 5. Petilil #2 misses its attack against Razer.

[supernerd]

Seeing the uninjured Petilil setting itself up, Simon thought it better to go after it now before it became too dangerous. "Okay, buddy, get out of the way and then set your sights on the remaining one. No need to hold back!" Razer barely evaded the energy stream, and then set his eyes on the third Petilil, temporarily ignoring the one his trainer planned to catch. He lept at it, sending a small chunk of flames hurtling towards the nearby opponent, but careful that they wouldn't ignite the bush if they happened not to land.

I'll go with Focused Orders. Because it probably would have been better to just take that absorb, tbh, and I'll need the accuracy boost from Critical moment on my next fire struggle.

Ember on Petilil 3:
Accuracy: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[moondoggy]

As the eager bulldog closed in on his quarry a wicked Sandstorm whipped up out of nowhere! "Wha?! I wasn't expecting anything like this! Dario! We're gonna have to work fast if we want to take down that dragon! " Louisa shouted over the wind, her shirt collar pulled up over her mouth. Her stubborn Snubbull ignored the sand as best he could, determined to tango with his toothy foe.

"Stay on your guard, Dario! This little guy might be stronger than I thought!"

I'm treating that fence as one movement space and having Louisa and Dario close-in on their target (I3 and J3). Also setting up Inspired Training on Dario so he gets +1 Evasion and +2 to his saves.

Regretting not taking Agility Training, actually. Might nab it at next level.

[Llyarden]

"Well, that could have gone better," Maximillian muttered. Thankfully it looked like Razer had probably dealt with the one that had been bulking itself up, but Horace's opponent had definitely come out better in the exchange of blows this far. Time to take a bit of a risk.

"Alright, let's hope this thing is as tough as it looks...Fury Swipes!"

Horace:
Standard: Fury Swipes on #1.
To-hit (AC5): [roll0]
Damage (STAB DB3, hits three times): [roll1]

Max:
Standard: If Fury Swipes hits and the Petilil isn't fainted, Pokeball on #1.
To-hit (AC6, +AP): [roll2] Forgot the +1 from AP despite mentioning it. Should hit anyway though.
Capture Roll: [roll3]

[Toilet Cobra]

Horace leads with a ferocious series of claw attacks that leaves one of the Petilils momentarily stunned, and Max wastes no time in throwing a pokeball to finish it off! The little plant pokemon, weakened and distracted, proves an easy capture!

Meanwhile, Razer attacks from the right, lashing out with a flaming strike. Overwhelmed, the Petilil falls almost immediately, and its neighbor retaliates with an Absorb!

Petilil #1 suffers 31 points from Horace's Fury Swipes, putting it at <25% health remaining. Max's capture roll is a success!

Congratulations! You captured Petilil!

Lv 9 Female Petilil
Nature: Bold
Ability: Own Tempo
Loyalty: 2

Meanwhile, Petilil #3 suffers 54 damage! It's a One-Hit KO!

Lastly, Petilil #2 uses Absorb on Razer:
To Hit:[roll0]
Damage:[roll1]

Adding Crit damage of 8 yields 30 damage total. After defense and resistances Razer suffers 11 damage and Petilil heals for 5.


Louisa

While Dario suffers the sting of the Sandstorm, Gible pounces! It rushes forward and belches out a stream of blue flames that cut straight through the wind to land a hit on Dario-- but the dragon-type attack has no effect on the wily Snubbull!

I figure this Gible has probably never even seen a fairy-type in the wild, so there's likely to be a learning curve.

Dario suffers 1 tick (5 damage) from the Sandstorm.
Gible moves to M3 and uses Dragon Rage; no effect on Dario.

[supernerd]

Simon was smiling as he saw Razer's flames take down the Petilil outright, and then he saw one of the most vicious absorbs he'd ever seen. Still, Razer's fire typing held him strong, and he looked back to his first target. "Alright Razer, Great Job!. Let's hit this last one once more, and be gentle. As you can see, they're not designed to take the heat. Max, I think you can pull back, now." Razer then turned his attention back onto his first target, smacking it once more with his tail, aiming to leave it standing despite the Charmander's affinity for his own type beyond normal. Simon readied his Great Ball, and took aim, Tossing his Pokeball at the Grass Type.

Okay, So I'll be holding until after Razer acts, like Llyarden did.
Physical Fire Struggle:
Accuracy: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Great Ball:
Accuracy:[roll2]
Capture: [roll3]
Capture a la September: [roll4]

[Toilet Cobra]

Razer, undaunted by a surprisingly powerful Absorb, presses the attack on the remaining Petilil. Simon hurls his Great Ball but overshoots; the evasive little pokemon ducks under his throw!

Your great ball lands in the bushes in the next row. After Razer's hit lands, the Petilil suffers 18 points of damage and fires off an Absorb in return.

[roll0]
[roll1]

Miss.

[supernerd]

Simon's look got a bit more serious as the Petilil missed once more only by a thin margin. "Okay, Razer, You're doing great! Just tap it. We don't want to knock it out by accident. We don't know how much it can take." Simon took a deep breath as Razer tried to slam his shoulder into the other Pokemon. He then threw his second Greatball, not having time to search the bushes just yet.

Since it has somewhere between 31 and like 40 HP, Let's go with a regular struggle, which will do just the 1d8 by my calcs. So if it has at least 1 more than the minimum health investment it needs, and 15 damage "wasn't that hurt," I can probably do this.

Struggle: Accuracy: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Greatball: [roll2]
Capture: [roll3]
a la September: [roll4]

[Toilet Cobra]

Razer surges forward, attempting to ram his shoulder into the Petilil, but it deftly swerves out of his path. The agile maneuver leaves it wide open, however, and Simon's second throw is right on target!

Congratulations! Simon caught Petilil!

Level 9 Female Petilil
Ability: Chlorophyll
Nature: Curious
Loyalty: 2

Max and Simon each get 13 experience to split among their pokemon!

[moondoggy]

"Ohohoho~! You'll have to try harder than that, little Gible! My Dario is tougher than you think!" Louisa taunts triumphantly. It was always a treat seeing her beloved pokemon completely ignore a Dragon-type attack. She focused on the little dragonling and shot it a disarming gaze.

Dario, taking advantage of his new momentum, circled around behind the Gible while it was distracted by Louisa and attacked its flank with a mean Bite!

Louisa holds her position, Dario attacks the Gible from behind at N3.
Louisa uses Baby-Doll Eyes on the Gible, hopefully dropping its attack one stage.
Attack Roll: [roll0]

Dario's Bite!
Attack: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]

[Toilet Cobra]

Distracted by Louisa's unnerving look, the Gible howls in pain and surprise as Dario suddenly attacks from behind! The Gible turns, its eyes blazing with fury, and tries to Tackle Dario to the ground!

Gible suffers 20 damage from Dario's bite. Dario suffers 5 damage from Sandstorm.

Gible uses Tackle on Dario:
To Hit: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
If hit, Dario will be pushed to square P3.

Edit: I forgot that -1 ATK CS, the damage to Dario is only 23 before defenses. So Dario takes 14, plus the 5 from Sandstorm, for a total of 19 this turn.

[supernerd]

Simon snapped as the Petilil went into its Pokeball. "Alright! Great, Job Razer! You really pulled through." He embraced the Fire type as he went to pick up their new teammate. "Since we know you can handle most any of the grass Pokemon if you're not holding back, I'd like you to stay out a little longer. We can rest a bit at lunch time and you'll be able to catch your breath." He dug around the bush for the Great Ball that missed, and once he found it, he put it back in his pocket, strung his new teammate's ball to his hip, and got up. He stretched, having been crouching for a while. "That was great, Max! Horace is doing well as ever. Oh, let me know if you see any Caterpie. I don't know if they come this far from the forest, but I've always thought Butterfree were neat, so you know. I guess we should get back to work. And thanks for all your help! I don't think I would be in such a good spot if it weren't for you."

Is it time for roll 3, then?

[moondoggy]

Dario weathers the Gible's Tackle easily, still eager to rumble. "Snub! Bull, bull!" he barks confidently, puffing his chest out. "Good going, Dario! It sure wasn't expecting that! Now to see if we can end this early!" Louisa pulls a pokeball out, hurling it at the Gible. "Prepare to get caught, Gible!"

Throwing that ball! [roll0]
If it hits, let's try the capture roll! [roll1]

[If it doesn't connect...]
"Hmph! Dario, give that Gible another taste of your power!" The Snubbull charges back in, going for another bite!
ATK: [roll2]
DMG: [roll3]

[Toilet Cobra]

Louisa's throw goes high and wide, soaring over the Gible's head-- only to be sucked into the Sandstorm's vortex and smack right down on the dragon's back! Just as planned, naturally!

Gible lets out a bark of surprise before it disappears in a flash of red. When the ball snaps tight, the Sandstorm dies down almost immediately. Dario shakes the sand out of his fur with a harrumph and favors Louisa with one of his happiest grumpy faces as he runs back to his trainer, the pokeball held in his teeth.

Congratulations! You caught Gible!

Lv 13 Female Gible
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Sand Veil
Loyalty: 2

You gain 13 experience to split among your pokemon.

[moondoggy]

Louisa kneels to pick up the filled Premier Ball from Dario. "Good boy, Dario! You did great in that battle. Not that I expected any different from my special little guy." she coos, scratching him behind his dangly ears. Her ecstatic Snubbull beams up at her, a look which would seem menacing to anyone else. "Because you did such a good job I'll let you ride Charlette the rest of the way. How does that sound?" Dario barks enthusiastically, ready to play with the excitable Ponyta. Charlette has rested enough to be able to carry the little dog pokemon without hassle and she whinnies happily at the Snubbull from his seat on her back. "Alright, gang! Let's keep walking this fence to make sure no other beasties can get through. Once we're done it'll be lunchtime!" As the two pokemon cavort ahead of her, Louisa shakes her head smiling.

"I thought I was going to hate this place, but yesterday and today have actually been... fun. Maybe Mom and Dad were onto something with this. Still hate these peasant conditions though."

Going to roll Perception again just in case. Focus as well since it's pretty monotonous work.
Perception: [roll0]
Focus: [roll1]