Forums » General Roleplay » Long Summer Daze (Pokemon RP; semi-open)

(This is a lighthearted Pokemon RP akin to an episode of the show. Want to join? Read the thread, then PM me and we'll see if we can work in your character.)



It was a bright and sunny summer day in Goldenrod City. People were out in droves, shopping or bicycling or heading out for a day trip to the National Park. The neighboring ocean brought a crisp breeze, taking the edge off the heat. It was perhaps the perfect day to be outside ... a perfect day for an adventure!

Magnus was a little ways away from the city, having wandered off of Route 34 to check out a cool rock. It was, in fact, pretty cool, but lost his interest after about thirty seconds of admiration, and he continued deeper into the brush. "Ugh, I'm going to get so many ticks," he lamented to himself as he waded through the knee-high grass. Briefly he considered sending out his Donphan to ride, but Tank probably wouldn't appreciate that very much. Magnus was still learning about the Ground-type, who was the newest member of his team.

From behind a stand of trees ahead there came a loud neigh. Magnus paused and frowned--there weren't supposed to be any wild Ponyta in this area, were there? Maybe he had imagined it. But then it came a second time, and he jogged the rest of the way across the field to find the source. Beyond the thin strip of trees was a fence, and Magnus leaned over it curiously, trying to get a better look at the pasture beyond.

On that summer day, Jay could barely contain his excitement as he approached the Johto region. After being stuck on a ship for several days, he was ready to take off and explore the new region. His partner Pokemon, an Eevee whom he's nicknamed Sylvia, rested upon his shoulder and was also quite excited for this new journey. Both trainer and Pokemon were quite curious to see how much the Johto region differed from their home region back in Unova. Castelia City was a huge, bustling town and he was wondering if Goldenrod City was any different.

Upon arriving in the port, Jay had almost immediately gotten off the ship along with his little Sylvia. They were as excited as a kid in a candy store for this portion of their journey. Goldenrod City was a lot different from Castelia City. They were both big cities, but Goldenrod was nowhere nearly as busy and was much more colorful. While he wanted to explore the city, Jay was a bit more curious about the surrounding area. Having heard of a small Ponyta ranch nearby, Jay figured this would be an excellent study opportunity as Ponyta weren't native to Unova; he's only ever seen them in picture books. Sylvia was simply excited for a potential playmate, she loved the playful Gastly and Butterfree her trainer had on the team, but she wanted a few new playmates. Ferrothorn is unable to keep up with her, Absol isn't very playful and neither is the Mawile.

The Sullivan Ponyta Ranch spanned about 1,500 acres on the outskirts of Goldenrod City. It was tucked up against the edge of Ilex Forest but well away (about 2 miles) from the main path that lead through the woodland. It was sprawling green acres with splotches of wildflowers here and there, some small groves of trees to provide shade and even a babbling brook winding its way into a small clear pond from the depths of the forest. A herd of Ponyta and Rapidash wandered through out in small groups of three to four, or sometimes with a single equine Pokemon just perusing the grazing.

Aleukia was astride her partner and mount, a Rapidash affectionately named Flicka, dressed in padded riding jeans and a flannel long-sleeve shirt. A wide brimmed hat kept her face protected from the sun and her amethyst hair is pulled back into a long ponytail. She was making her usual patrolling rounds along the borders of the fence that surrounded her family's ranch, checking for damage or any other anomaly. She was looping 'round towards the western fences that ran along the tapering edge of Ilex Forest and that is where she spotted the muscled frame of Magnus.

"Heya there!" Aleu called out, voice carrying a slight drawl and her greeting was followed by a whinny from her Rapidash as the equine picked up a trot to draw them closer.

Magnus watched a small group of Ponyta grazing in the paddock before him. This wasn't something he had expected to find today! The Fire-types ignored him for the most part, but one or two looked at him askance, since he was a strange man with strange smells. Magnus clicked his tongue and whistled to see if he could get their attention, but it seemed like he attracted more than just that. Aleukia's friendly greeting made him look up--when he saw the woman riding up to him, he grinned and waved to her. "Well, heya yourself!" he called back. "I'm not trespassing, am I?"

Overhearing the voices, Jay decided to go investigate. His smile grew three times as wide as he saw the Ponyta and Rapidash. "Awesome! They're even prettier in real life!" He spoke as excitedly as a child on Christmas morning. The Eevee situated on his shoulder curiously looked at the fiery horses. Upon noticing the two trainers, "Are you two the owners of the ranch here?" Jay asked with sparkles in his eyes as he jotted down a few notes regarding the Pokémon he's spotted.

Some of the Ponyta looked up when they heard Magnus' attempts to garner their attention but none seemed particularly interested in approaching the heavily muscled blonde stranger. The fire horses all stood alert when Aleukia rode past and several of them followed in the wake of her Rapidash, since it was clear their caretaker thought the man interesting enough to approach. "Nah, you're fine, so long as you arent trying to wreck my fence or bother the Ponyta. This is Sullivan Ranch, though you're missing our main building by a few miles." Aleu said as Flicka came to a halt just two feet away from the fence where Magnus loitered.

The purple haired woman's attention diverted when Jay also wandered up, paying mind to the Eevee on the boy's shoulder and the notebook in his hands. "My family owns this ranch, ya'll both are newcomers here, arent ya? M'name is Aleukia, but you can call me Aleu." She nodded to Magnus and Jay in turn, "An' this here is Flicka, my partner." Added with a fond pat to her Rapidash's flank; the horse Pokemon whinnied in lively salutations.

"I'm Jay, and the little Eevee on my shoulder is Sylvia. It's a pleasure to meet you." Jay replied happily, enjoying just about everything he's seen so far. "I just arrived here not too long ago. I came from Castelia City in the Unova region, so seeing all these new Pokemon is incredibly! It makes for a great study opportunity." The Eevee climbed off his shoulder, curiously approaching the Rapidash. His parents owned a ranch, but they mostly took care of smaller Pokemon like Eevee and the like. "Does your family raise only Ponyta or are there other Pokemon on the ranch, too?" The blonde had about a million questions regarding this place, but unfortunately his notebook wouldn't have enough room for all of the notes he wanted to take as well.

Magnus looked at the other big bandanna'd blond as he came up along the fence. "Nah, bro," he said, then let Aleukia explain as she and her Pokemon came to a stop. Magnus could appreciate the elegant Rapidash, even though he would never train one of them himself. Flicka seemed to be very responsible to her rider's commands. "Name's Magnus Mortlock. Maybe you've heard of me." The introduction was partially a joke, but there was a slim chance it was true--he had taken part in Pokemon contests and bodybuilding competitions across Kanto and much of Johto, though nothing terribly high profile. "And yeah, I'm from Porta Vista, Kanto!" When Jay said he was from Unova, Magnus lit up. "Unova? Yo, what Pokemon do you have? I haven't seen many Unovan types!"

"Unfortunately, news of contest goers don't go around far in Unova." Jay replied with an awkward smile. In response to Magnus' question, Jay released the other five. His party was ironically lacking in Pokemon native to Unova. His team consisted of an Absol, a quiet and intelligent Pokemon. A Ferrothorn who was essentially a walking wall of pain. A Gastly who was your typical jokester. A Butterfree who was rather happy. And a timid Mawile that instinctively hid behind her trainer. Of course, the playful Eevee was still checking out the Rapidash. "This six helped me obtain the eight badges in Unova, though we didn't have much luck in the Unova League." Jay admitted with a sigh. The Ferrothorn whom he's named Iron approached the giant trainer who's identified himself as Magnus with a curious look on his face.

Aleu hummed thoughtfully following Magnus' introduction and his mention of possibly knowing him. Unfortunately she didnt, as she'd been out of the contest circuit for over a year now. "Sorry fella, dont wring a bell but its nice to meet ya, both of ya." She chimed pleasantly, tugging lightly on the reins to direct Flicka a few steps forward. Her brows lifted a bit with Jay's background; from Unova? That had been one of her more recent adventures, "I've been to Unova, I didnt enter the League competition either but I've got all the badges." She added in with a grin, "That's where I caught my Sawsbuck and Zoroark." Although she didnt have any of her current team currently on her; it was just Flicka. Said Rapidash had dropped her snout to give Sylvia and Eevee a curious sniff and a playful nip.

Aleukia whistled in appreciation with Jay's team being released from their Pokeballs, "Got a nice set up, Jay. I can tell you and yer Pokemon are a good team." She smiled, "But eh, how about you two come with me back to the ranch house? Get some grub and I'll tell ya about Johto."

Despite the lack of Unovan Pokemon on Jay's team, there were still a couple that Magnus barely recognized. One of those wad the Ferrothorn that curiously approached him. "Hi little dude," he said to it, crouching to get a better look. "What are you again ... Fertilethorn? Eh, no, that doesn't sound right ..."

He didn't call out his own team--for the most part they were large and burly, and their sudden appearance might upset the Ponyta. At Aleukia's suggestion, he made finger guns at her and clicked his tongue. "Now that's a good plan. I had a few questions about this region, too. Whaddaya say, Jay?"

"That 'little' one over there is Ferrothorn, or like I call him; Iron. He's the one that pulled me through up to the top sixteen in the Unova League." Jay said happily as the Ferrothorn continued to curiously inspect the trainer and the fiery horses.

Jay nodded in response to their questions, "That sounds like a good idea to me. I think the others enjoy the idea quite a bit, too." Eevee happily nodded, her eyes sparkling a bit. Jay called back the others as he lifted Eevee back up. "The Johto region is quite beautiful so far, it's nowhere nearly as bustling as the Unova region. Do you know if Johto has a Pokemon league, too?" He asked curiously, "It could prove useful for my studies.

With their destination decided upon, Aleu waited patiently for Jay to recall his Pokemon before she turned Flicka northwards, back towards the ranch. "Right-o, come on boys. It's near lunch time and I'm starvin'" She proclaimed, leading the way through the rolling pasture towards the faded white ranch house and main barn that sat along the dirt road leading towards Goldenrod. "So, Johto doesnt have its own league, it shares the Indigo League with the Kanto region. You still need eight badges to compete but if you want more of a challenge or more training, you're permitted to collect up to sixteen badges between the two regions." Aleu explained to Jay as they traveled.

It didnt take long for them to come up to the three story ranch house; it was a comely place to see. Fading off-white paint, a large porch and sliding glass doors leading into the house. (As they had approached the back of the house.) A few stable-hands were toting things from the storage sheds and into the large red painted barn. More Ponyta were housed in the stables; you could hear their cries as they communicated.

"Welcome to Sullivan Ranch, boys." Aleu chimed, sliding off Flicka's back with easy grace.

Magnus extended a hand to gently fist-bump one of the Ferrothorn's vines, avoiding the spikes as best he could. "Ferrothorn, right. Very cool." He straightened up and, at Aleukia's invitation, hopped the fence with ease--hopefully it wasn't electrified--then adjusted his clothes, since he always had to look pristine. "Lunch sounds great, dude."

As they approached the house, Magnus nodded in appreciation. All this rustic, folksy charm wasn't his real aesthetic, but he could appreciate it nonetheless, especially when it meant lunch. He'd worked up quite an appetite during his long walk. "Nice place you got! Lemme know if you need anything heavy moved." Magnus' muscles were mostly for show, but he could never resist a chance to show them off--and his burly Pokemon, too.

You know, visiting a new region always brought with it fantastic opportunities. New places to go, unique pokemon to discover - yet there was one thing the Professor had certainly not become accustomed to after all these years ... and that was getting back into the heat. The only way the air ever became this hot back home was if you sat on the air conditioning remote and accidentially turned the heating up to maximum...which was saying something considering Nowe's infamously harsh cold weather. Still, having left Goldenrod City, she had the opportunity to enjoy the sweet seclusion that came with the woods, occasionally forcing some poor passerby to stop and adhere to answering a few of her questions...oddly enough, very few of them seemed to object for very long. She usually just had to throw a sweet smile their way and that was that, they were a little more open to speaking to her. That said, that one man seemed to act as if his world had fallen appart the moment she mentioned her actual age. Strange. She'd have to look into that.

For the moment, Professor Hydlein had done her best to dress for the occasion. She'd still stuck to her labcoat, a long and elegant white thing with a tail patterned with black chevrons and prominent shield-shaped silver buttons emblazoned with her region's cross-blade and glacier symbols. With a smart white button-up worn underneath and an ankle-length black skirt with a transparently creased split across the sides helped to give her clothing that was at least decent to traverse the land with. Sure she had to unbutton about a quarter of the buttons on her shirt to get some air out...and get rid of that aweful tie...but she was good to go without burning her buns off trying to traverse her way towards the Sanctuary. Now this could certainly be an interesting locale. Nowe had quite a few places like this, essential when you had an environment THAT hostile. But how did it temper it's trainers? Did it forge them into fine weapons under the flames of friendship, or drive them competitively? She had to know. Pushing her red-rimmed reading glasses up with a single finger, she continued to scribble away at her open notepad, strolling down the waterside road with the helpful cool-tipped tail of her dear Frida helping her keep from tripping over obstacles. The Glaceon had seen better days. Typically, one might be wary about letting a pokemon this used to the colder regions out into the hot air, but Frida was hardened by years of training and practice...she was adapting. Though she found the unfamiliar terrain had thrown her off at first. She always kept Frida out of her pokeball. She was a companion after all, more than anything else...the one pokemon she felt should always be at her side when exploring somewhere new. Sure she was hurry,that overgrown fringe of hers made it clear she needed some grooming next stop they got, but the intelligent little pokemon was one of Nowe's strongest little fighters.

And besides, at this rate she was the closest thing to AC that anyone could provide for a few miles now.

Jay smiled, "Lead the way, my friends. I'd be more than willing to treat you guys to some good ol' classic Unovan cooking." He offered as he followed behind the two, "Magnus, what are you doing in the Johto region?" He asked as he attempted to further the conversation, continuing to walk alongside them. Eevee quietly listened to their little conversation. Most of Jay's cooking was often rather spicy and very hearty; sometimes a bit more filling than most would enjoy. He was also rather skilled in desserts, specifically candy and cakes. "Maybe after lunch, I could treat y'all to my family's signature dessert as well."

River Haven was not a huge conservatory--a hundred square kilometers or so, enough to contain a section of coastline, two ponds, marshland, and the eponymous Spur River that wound its way through the haven's heart. Several hiking trails allowed the public access, all converging on the nature center headquarters, where rangers and naturalists based their operations. There weren't many of them, and the haven operated largely on donations from the public, though the Goldenrod City Commission did provide a small stipend.

Pokemon filled River Haven. Though it was geared toward Water types, many Grass and Flying types made their home there as well. There were reefs of Corsola and schools of Remoraid out in the cove; Pidgeys and Spearows nesting in every tree; Slowpokes sunning themselves on rocks in Little Pond. There were rarer Pokemon that made their home in the haven as well, though less likely to be seen--there was a Feraligatr nicknamed Old Fangful who was known to inhabit the thickly wooded side of Big Pond. Trainers weren't allowed to catch or battle them, so for the most part, they were friendly ... or, at the very least, tolerant.

As Constance made her way down the trail, she would eventually spot a woman kneeling next to a hollowed out log. She wore khakis and a dark green button-up shirt, the sleeves rolled up due to the heat. Her skin was dark ochre and her frizzy black hair was barely tamed into a very fluffy ponytail. She was carefully reaching into a hole in the log. "Come on little guy, I'm not going to--ouch!"

---

Magnus grinned over at Jay as they sauntered across the yard towards the ranch house. "Oh, the usual: fame and fortune, all that jazz. I've been here for a while now, caught some Pokemon, collected some badges ... it's nice. Real nice place." He made finger guns at the other trainer. "Probably not as nice as Unova though, amirite?" His stomach growled at mention of food. "I bet it's real good, but I gotta watch the sugar. It's summertime, bro! Gotta stay tight! Wapow!" He flexed a bicep.

The thought of visiting a pokemon sanctuary was the highlight of her day, of course. The opportunity to take a little moment and study the behavioral patterns of these kinds of pokemon in relatively untouched environments made this a field trip worth taking. And the Pokemon Rangers were likely to have all forms of interesting data she could get a look at - this was integral to keeping Nowe's Research Centre fully updated, after all. She wanted it to become the centre for knowledge and understanding of the natural world it deserved to become, but there was so much work still to be done. Nowe's Pokemon population was grizzled and hardened by an extreme arctic lifestyle. A lot of its regional pokemon were rather dangerous or furtive by nature, creating a naturally harder to study behavioural pattern. So, in a way, they depended on other regions to help provide vital information.

Constance's eyes caught the woman kneeling by the log and slowed her walk in order to get a good look. There were plenty of trainers going down the path, she assumed this was yet another one attempting to catch something that'd crawled into tight spot. Hearing her mumbling out, the professor made her way towards the woman with a careful step, Frida's curious nose already sniffing away at the log as she got closer, moving to take a look but keeping a shy distance, wanting to seem frosty.

"Hey, uhm...soorry... you need a little help over there?"

The woman by the hollow log blinked when she saw Frida sniffing around. "Oh, hello there ..." She smiled at the Pokemon, though didn't reach out to pet her. Noticing Constance then, the woman extracted her hands from the log. She wore thick leather gloves that protected her up to the elbow, decorated with bite and claw marks. "Actually ... maybe you can help!" She pointed at the log. Through the hole in the top Constance would be able to see a small Totodile, its teeth bared up at them. It was lurking deep near the closed end of the log, a position difficult for the woman to reach. "I need to return this little one to its nest, but I can't reach it ... do you have a Pokemon that can pick up that end of the log? Maybe that will dislodge the little guy so I can grab it ..."

The professor was taken slightly aback after she leaned over towards the log and took a good look at the Totodile. Oh, my, that was certainly an unruly pokemon! Whelp, it was yet another challenge that required JUST the right pokemon for the job. Stroking her chin for a moment, she found that one out quite quickly. "HMmmhmmmm...I believe I have a specialist." She cooed, tilting her wrist upwards and displaying a freshly produced pokeball that had slid through her labcoat's sleeve. The sound of clicking and gentle whirring could be heard as a hidden mechanism was activated, setting the rest of her balls back into place.

Eyes gleamng, Professor Hydlein flicked the pokeball up high, calling out. "Come break the ice, Varldshav!" With a stream of light released through the open pokeball that projected her companion right onto the ground before her. Towering high, a burly Empoleon with a quiet demeanour cast an obedient look to Professor Hydlein, just as she pointed towards the log. "Be a dear and give that log a little tilt, we have a grumpy pokemon who needs to get home!" It seemed Varldshav was quick to catch up, quietly moving to the other end of the log and taking a firm hold of it, lifting it up and tilting that end of the log, firmly in his grasp.

He would pat the closed end firmly as soon as it was up, seemingly attempting to get the pokemon to scramble free whilst the Professor watched quite proudly, humming to herself as this went along. "I admire your efforts to help this little pokemon. You must love the local population quite a bit!"