Baby Steps [mod//open]

[Gemini]

The sun was just about in the center of the sky as the twins finally stepped out of the town boundaries. It was the first time they’d done so without their parents close behind, and both teens were rather thrilled. They were headed to Penumbra Town so that Alex could begin his quest to collect all of the gym badges. Lina’s Vulpix, whose new name was now Pixie, trotted happily beside her trainer, pausing once in a while to curiously investigate flowers along the pathway. Alex’s Riolu, whom he affectionately called Rio, was perched atop the boy’s head, crooning happily when a breeze blew in his face. There was a certain mugginess to the air as they traveled, making even that slight breeze greatly appreciated.

But nothing was more heated than the discussion between the two new trainers. “You’re only saying that because you think your Vulpix can win by cuteness,” Alex scoffed, shaking his head. He reached up and scratched Rio under the chin. “There is more to battling than looks, Lina.” The blond girl let out a huff of contempt, scooping Pixie into her arms. “I am well aware that cuteness isn’t a factor in battling, Alex. But that’s not why I think I could beat you.” She expected a protest or some whining from her brother, but he merely gave her an arched-eyebrow look which simply egged her on. She narrowed her slate eyes at him. “I could beat you with both arms tied behind my back. And blindfolded too!”

There was a long silence. Another breeze flitted across the path, ruffling the twins’ hair. After another moment, Alex burst into laughter. “Did you just hear yourself? Both hands tied behind my back.” He laughed harder, nearly causing Rio to fall off his head when he leaned back slightly. “You don’t need your arms in a battle, you dummy!” “If I wanted to reach another Pokémon, I would!” the girl protested as her face burned. Her words fell on deaf ears as Alex continued his laughing. Furious, Lina stormed ahead, muttering curses under her breath. At one point, she gripped Pixie just a bit too tight, causing the little fox to mewl in pain. Lina dropped her pet, kneeling to pat Pixie sympathetically. She was angry with Alex, not her Vulpix. The fox hadn’t deserved the treatment.

“Okay, okay, even if you didn’t have your arms tied behind your back, I would beat you,” Alex claimed as he reached his sister’s side. Rio had fallen from the blond’s head and was now piggy-backing the blond, peeking his head over Alex’s shoulder. “You hardly know the first thing about Pokémon battling.” Lina glared up at her brother, earning a smirk. “And you do?” She paused a moment as if to let the boy answer, but she immediately cut him off when he opened his mouth to respond. “That’s right. You know no better than I do about battling. It’s a learning process.” She smirked broadly, getting to her feet. “Which means I have the advantage, Mister C-Minus.” It was Alex’s turn to grow angry. “Oh shut up, Lina! Not all of us are smart enough to memorize every book we ever read!”

As his sister had done just moments before, Alex stormed ahead. Lina grinned down at Pixie. “The funny thing, Pixie, is that I don’t have a photographic memory like he thinks I do. Is that evil, or what?” The little fox, who hadn’t the slightest idea what her master had just said, merely crooned and jumped into the girl’s arms. Lina laughed, making sure she caught her Pokémon. After receiving a loving nuzzle from the Vulpix, Lina started after her brother. If she left him all alone, he’d get lost. And they’d hardly begun their journey!

words:: Six-Hundred and Sixty
tag:: Random Wild Pokémon
ooc:: All I need from a mod is a random encounter. Please and thank you!

[Cai]

[atrb=border,0px solid,true][atrb=cellpadding,5px,true][atrb=width,250,true][atrb=style, border-radius: 1em; -moz-border-radius: 1em; border: 1px solid #FFD456;][bg=FFDC7C] w i l d   p o k é m o n ! "] L3 Pidgey A wild Pidgey appears! You have encountered a wild Pokémon! Time to decide whether to battle it or to run away.

[Gemini]

All conversation between the Cheval twins came to a complete halt. Alex was still annoyed that Lina had brought up his grades in school. Lina knew this, of course, and decided to let him simmer for a while instead of apologize. And why should she apologize? Alex was the one who had started the fight. If he couldn’t handle the heat, he shouldn’t have added fuel to the fire.

When it came to Pokémon, Lina had always shown a keener interest in learning all she could about the strange creatures. Alex, on the other hand, was more interested in taking on the gym challenge, like many trainers do after receiving their first Pokémon. So why was Lina acting as if she was interested in battling? The blond subtly glanced at his sister. He knew she was more than capable of surpassing him (especially if she put her strategic brain into the picture), but he wasn’t about to let that happen. The moment they spotted a trainer or Pokémon, he would take the stage and show her. He could do this.

Just up ahead, a small Pidgey crossed the twins’ path. It pecked at the ground a few times before it finally noticed them. It cried out in alarm, but made no attempt to flee. Lina was a few steps ahead of her brother and put Vulpix on the ground. “How about I show you just how good at this I am, Alex?” She turned and smirked at her brother before turning back to the Pidgey. “You ready Pixie? Let’s show this bird what we can do! Ember, now!” Vulpix rushed forward, summoning a rather weak flame to her mouth before unleashing it on the Pidgey.

words:: Two-Hundred and Ninety-Two
tag:: Pidgey
ooc:: This post is an utter failure....

[Cai]

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The Pidgey had rounded on its target with vigour, despite its tiny size. As it attempted to zoom in on the humans which had invaded its favourite hunting ground, however, it was suddenly faced with a jet of fire from a Vulpix which it had not taken into account when launching its attack. A shrill screech of alarm escaped its beak and it flapped its small wings wildly, launching off into the air in a flurry of feathers which were completely incinerated by the fiery attack.

The Pidgey itself did not escape damage, and the feathers of its right wing were distinctly singed during its flight, but it did not stop its assault. Twirling in the air it rounded on the Vulpix, eyes narrowed in concentration as it zoomed in and landed a speedy Tackle on its opponent.

Vulpix hits Pidgey for minor damage
Pidgey hits Vulpix for normal damage
The score is 1-2 to Pidgey

[Gemini]

All Alex could do was stand and watch as his sister entered her very first battle. Ever since birth, she had always fought to be the first to do things. The first to lose a tooth, the first to get a perfect score on a test (though against Alex, it was no contest), the first to break a limb. Despite all of the anger and hatred coursing through his veins, he allowed Lina the limelight. Even if she managed to do well during this battle, it was only against a wild Pokémon. The first trainer they came across would be his. He would make sure of that.

Lina paid her brother no mind, now that the Pidgey had turned its focus upon her. The small bird grew startled as Vulpix lunged forward. To Lina’s delight, the flames seemed to engulf the tiny Pokémon. There’s only so much a Pokémon can take of that, she thought with a wry smirk. But as the flames died down, the only thing left behind were a few charred feathers. She frowned, casting her eyes to the sky. The Pidgey was hovering above them. Before she could give Vulpix another order, the small bird dove from the sky, hitting the small fox in the blink of an eye. Pixie let out a cry of pain, but managed to shake off the hit.

“Are you alright, Pixie?” Lina called out to the fox. Pixie let out a croon before turning a confident look onto the wild Pokémon. “Give it another ember, Pix!” With little hesitation, Pixie rushed forward as before, maw full of flames. She loosed the attack once she was close enough, giving it her all.

words:: Two-Hundred and Eighty-Seven
tag:: Pidgey
ooc:: I am clearly not cut out for random battles DX Also, if I had Vulpix use Tail Whip, what would happen exactly?

[Cai]

[[Stat stuff has been updated in the handbook :] Moves which either raise the user's attack/special attack or lower the target's defence/special defence will remove the no damage option for the user for 1-5 turns. And don't worry, damage is random, but it's been rather bitchy lately xD;;]]

The Pidgey was allowed little time to recover and before it could take off once again, it was already being chased by a second bout of scorching flames. This time it could not avoid taking a solid hit from the licking Ember, and it screeched its pain in the midst of the Vulpix's attack. Forcing itself to do something, it took off again, flapping desperately to put out the flames and cool its singed body, but not before an obvious hit had been struck.

From its vantage point, the Pidgey flew a slightly wobbly line down to the Vulpix and aimed a second Tackle, its sharp beak extended and its eyes narrowed in concentration. It may have taken a tough blow, but it was still a determined creature able to fight through the pain.

Turn 2: Vulpix hits Pidgey for major damage
Pidgey hits Vulpix for normal damage
The score is 4-4

[Gemini]

This time, it was certain that the little bird wouldn’t make it out of Pixie’s storm without a decent injury. Its screams of pain made a wry smirk appear on Lina’s face. It wasn’t that she was sadistic or anything—Alex may tell you differently, however—but knowing that the playing field was back to equilibrium made her that much more confident. She wanted to win this battle, whatever it took.

As the Pidgey took to the air once again, Pixie paced beneath it, waiting for the bird to return to a striking distance. She could have sent another ember at the thing, but with all that space above, the chance of it hitting were very slim. Lina dug through her pack for the empty Pokéballs the professor had given to her. She rolled it around in her hand, eyeing the Pidgey carefully. It had taken only a small amount of damage. Throwing it now wouldn’t be all too wise. But she was certain that she wanted this Pokémon. Not only would she be the first to catch a Pokémon during their little journey (as she was always the first to do anything), this Pidgey also had a fair amount of fight in it. The perfect addition to any team.

The Pidgey dove once again, striking Pixie. Just as before, the small fox was able to brush off the attack. She rounded on the small bird immediately as Lina cried, “Give it another ember, Pix!” It may have been a little repetitive, but as Pixie was still a young Vulpix, she didn’t know too many moves. And besides. Lina wanted to remain on the offense. If it came down to it, she would use a defensive move. But not just yet...

words:: Three-Hundred
tag:: Pidgey
ooc:: I meant more along the lines of "attack", if you know what I mean...Like, say I have her use Tail Whip. Would she simply wag those adorable tails of hers or would she actually hit Pidgey with it? Obviously not doing damage, of course. I'm the kind of person who likes the details, I'm sorry DX

[Gelato.]

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After scoring its hit, the Pidgey circled overhead, though with some trouble. Its wings had been tattered by fire and it was not feeling very much like itself. It yearned to fly away, back to the safety of its nest in the trees, but there was a battle to be fought on the ground and running away never solved anything. With some melancholy, it brought its eyes back to the battlefield. Its attacks to the sides of this reddish fox hadn't been panning out. What it needed was a hard hit to show these humans that you couldn't just walk around the forest challenging whomever they pleased. However, to land a direct hit, it would need to aim for a delicate spot, and the only one he saw was... It looked wearily at its wings and gulped.

He could handle the heat, he decided. After all, feathers grew back. He steadied himself into a dive and, as the jet of flames spurted from the fox, he turned his head away and flew straight in, cutting through the heat of the flames. It hurt, but not as much as the fox would as the wild Pidgey aimed at her face with a Tackle.

Turn three: Pixie used Ember for normal damage. ( +2 Pixie. )
Wild Pidgey used Tackle for major damage. ( +3 Wild Pidgey. )

The score is now 6-7 to Wild Pidgey.

[Gemini]

Once again, the Pidgey circled overhead after landing its hit. Lina was really beginning to dislike the flying Pokémon. It was using its advantage, of course, but its advantage was so unfair! It ought to stay within Pixie’s striking distance. Even the grounded fox seemed a little annoyed by the bird’s antics. If only she had wings too...

The bird was still out of reach as Pixie loosed her attack. At first, Lina believed the flames would merely die out, leaving Pixie open for a counter from the Pidgey. But suddenly, the bird Pokémon had disappeared from the sky. Had it fled? Lina scanned the sky frantically. If it managed to escape...She turned to her brother. He was lying on the grass a short distance away, teasing Rio with a long stalk of plantain grass. He wasn’t even paying her any attention. But if the Pidgey got away, he would smirk and tease her for years to come. “Do you remember the first Pokémon you ever encountered? A pidgey, if I remember correctly. You let it get away!” Lina shuddered. She could just hear his words echoing in her head.

She was pulled from her thoughts when Pixie let out a cry of pain. The flames dissipated, showing the little fox lying on the ground quivering. The Pidgey was in reach, but Lina wouldn’t risk Pixie’s remaining strength. With gritted teeth, the girl threw the Pokéball at the bird Pokémon. Hopefully her fox’s sacrifice had weakened the Pidgey enough to ensure capture. She held her breath as the ball soared towards the Pokémon. Please. Let me just be lucky. Just this once.

words:: Two-Hundred and Eighty-Five
tag:: Pidgey
ooc:: Evil Randomizer! No fainting Pixie! NO! D: Gah, my word-count is crap...

[Gelato.]

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He felt a little tattered, flying away from the Vulpix after his attack, but still he managed to remain in the air. He would need a long rest after this, and several weeks to allow his singed feathers to grow back. Humans always came into the forest like this, challenging whatever they saw. He felt proud to have made a stand. That is, until he saw the human female throw something at him. He knew that something; it was a bad something. None of his friends ever returned to the forest after being put in those somethings. He had no desire to be put inside and, with some effort, smacked the Pokeball away with one wing. The move saved him, but threw off his balance, and he was forced to land some ways away from the Vulpix, quite tired, though he looked like a champion compared to the fire-type.

Before, he had considered leaving and letting the human remember this lesson. But now, after she had so brazenly tried to catch him, he felt that more than just a lesson was necessary. With the fire-type still reeling from his assault, he jumped up and flapped into the air once more, eager to end this. It wouldn't take much, he knew, as he went into a dive, aiming for the Vulpix's side with a final Tackle.

Turn four: Pokémon Trainer Lina threw one Pokeball. It missed.
Wild Pidgey used Tackle for minor damage.

The score is now 6-8 to Wild Pidgey.
Pixie faints!
Wild Pidgey rises to level four.

[ooc:// the randomizer is actually evil. > <;; ]

[Gemini]

The Pokéball spun in the air rather impressively, if Lina had any say in the matter. She was surprised that she managed to get the proper weight behind the throw to have it sail into the sky where the Pidgey hovered. Or was there some sort of homing mechanism inside a Pokéball to make things easier? Her mind pondered the thought briefly. But once she saw that Pidgey swat the ball away, it felt like all of her dreams shattered before her eyes. She had known the bird was still willing to fight, but she’d thought that Pixie’s attacks would at least distract the bird from the Pokéball. Why didn’t it work?

Before she could grow angry with the bird—maybe she could hit it with this rock?—the Pokémon dove through the air at Pixie. Lina couldn’t make it to the fox’s side in time. Defending herself against that tackle took the remainder of Pixie’s strength. With a soft croon, she fell still. Lina reached the fox’s side and fell to her knees. She understood that the fox hadn’t died, but for her very first battle, it had felt like it. She scooped Pixie up before casting a glare at the Pidgey.

Alex had begun to pay attention to his sister’s battle right when she threw the Pokéball. Though he didn’t actually want her to capture a Pokémon first, he found himself praying the Pidgey would submit. But as he watched his sister’s Vulpix take the final blow, something dark spread throughout his body. Yes, Lina had picked the fight, but it had to have seemed obvious that throwing the Pokéball was the desperate attempt to finish the battle. Maybe wild Pokémon were more interested in defending their honor than anything.

But the whole idea of it got Alex to his feet. He looked down at Rio and nodded. The Riolu nodded back and rushed forward. Lina started when she saw the little blue Pokémon run past her. It was enough to bring her to her senses. She looked to Alex, eyes brimming with tears. “Y-You’re gonna catch it?” Alex shrugged. “Maybe. But protecting my little sister is my job, you know.” He sent Lina a teasing smirk, earning a giggle in response. He helped his sister to her feet, patted the sleeping Vulpix in her arms, and then turned his concentration on the battle to be. “Don’t let it think its going to get away, Rio! Quick Attack!” As if the blue Pokémon wasn’t already running fast, he became a little blue blur rushing towards the little bird.

words:: Four-Hundred and Forty-Nine
tag:: Pidgey
ooc:: I don't think it is evil....It was giving Alex a chance to shine! He is so going to steal her catch XD