I'm Built for This. Are You? // Open

[Lionel Raymond James Jr.]

Lv. 10 Ralts / Lv. 7 Runerigus / Lv. 5 Snivy / Lv. 5 Wingull / Duraludon Egg Lv Avg 7 Ray had a ridiculous amount of energy, and it passed hard onto his Pokemon. So much so that the little Yamask in front of him begrudgingly took swings regardless of how much it didn't want to because of the radiant fucking rainbow directly behind it's miserable little head. The pair stood, unworried, in an off-to-the-side section of Hyo's factory square. Abandoned and broken concrete pipes were used as a sort of 'punching' bag for the Galarian Yamask that he put to work in front of him. What was odd about where they were at though, was that they had somehow made it over a barbed wire fencing and into a seemingly off limits area of the city. The cut on Ray's leg wasn't too bad at least... But as the two worked together fearlessly, Ray would still occasionally look over their shoulder. Confident trainer and a Plasma member aside, he wasn't entirely stupid. Despite popular belief.

-tag- Here -notes- Rostam has lucky egg! +2 levels -team-

MADE BY VEL OF GS

[Rei Asakura]

The fence rattled as Rei carefully swung over it, ‘Damnit, this is exactly the type of place I shouldn’t be. Untrained Pokémon, heading to meet an unknown person for battle training. This person had better be worth the risk, I can’t afford to be caught out here by a Plasma superior, or worse, a resistance member.’

As Rei trods the weaving industrial alleyways she paranoidly scans the environment, trying to examine every stimulus for possible danger. There was a sound up ahead, something rhythmically hitting something hard. She peeked around the corner to investigate and relaxed slightly. There was the giant, Raymond, she was supposed to meet. Now, at least, if they got ambushed, they’d have slightly better numbers.

Coming from around the corner and approaching the training duo, Rei throws her arms up in the air, “So why the FUCK are we out here for this instead of someplace more practical? The air here is going to take years off of our lives if we don’t get jumped first.”

She sighs and puts a hand to her forehead, “Look, I’m sorry, this is all well and above what I was anticipating and this place has me anxious.” Grabbing the pokeball off of her belt she twirls it around, “I can’t say I’m not excited to get started though." There is a short pause. "So, where do we start, Ray?”

---

Lionel Raymond James Jr.

Hey, training time is already paying off +1 level to shuckle

Team: lvl 6 Shuckle, lvl 1 litwick, lvl 1 noibat

[Lionel Raymond James Jr.]

Raymond cheered Rostam on when he started glowing, looking over his shoulder to wave at the person yelling at him. A Runerigus sat in front of them, eerie painting on the stone staring at them both. "This place is plenty practical if you ask me. An average day in Pyrite Town, this place is." The dragon tamer grinned, flashing a peace sign to Rei. "Normally. I'd say fight me. But as you can see, we're not in a virtual arena where we can do that safely and I don't want to leave you defenseless. We can start with basics on a wild Pokemon. Do you know your type charts? What kind of Pokemon did you choose to start off with?" Raymond rambled on, ignoring Rostam growing infinitely more tired with the constant chattering. "Strategies always come further down the line but we need to figure out what you know so there should be some wild pokemon around here somewhere. There always are, this place is abandoned, why wouldn't there be? I heard some noises anyways while coming back here."

-tag- Rei Asakura -notes- Here -team-

MADE BY VEL OF GS

[Rei Asakura]

Rei gives a surprised look as the ghost Pokémon her new mentor was training undergoes evolution. What a terrifying yet inspiring sight to behold.

Looking back to Raymond, she pulls out a notebook with a sketched type chart on it. “I haven’t quite memorized it yet, but I’m making progress. Some of these, quite frankly, don’t make any sense. For example, why do bug and flying types resist fighting?” Twirling her pokeball, “And, answering your second question.” She throws it on the ground in front of her, releasing her shuckle from its ball. “I picked Bloo here as my starter. I’ve heard shuckle are quite durable and felt it'd be a good option."

The shuckle looks sleepily around before noticing the giant man and the large ghost next to them and gives a 'WTF' expression to Rei before tucking into their shell. She, quite clearly, wished she hadn't been bothered for this.

Rei sighs, “I’d really rather not immediately go running off looking for trouble, but I suppose that’s why I’m here though, isn’t it? I’ll trust your judgement. I won’t learn much about combatting wild Pokémon if I avoid doing it. Although I’d like to know a few more basics before rushing into it.”

---

Lionel Raymond James Jr.

Why is punching a bird so difficult!?

[Lionel Raymond James Jr.]

Raymond made a pfft noise and motioned up. "Ever tried punching a bird? We don't question the effectiveness of things. It's just how it works." And as for bugs, he didn't like the idea of crushing a crunchy bug with his bare hands. Shrugging, he threw his arms open wide. "And get used to it! Trouble is my middle name and there's no better way to measure someone's potential in battle by seeing how they handle their pokemon!" He grinned and reached over to carefully pat the stone of Runerigus. "How much you know and how well you'll be able to inevitably handle them. Like for example. You never touch the shadowy part of Runerigus, and the same goes for Cofagrigus. Granted they both have different results, they're still both results you don't want any part of." He removed his hand and shoved them into his jacket pockets. "Take it from me. Easy shit like learning Haxorus doesn't like other dragons near it's territory even when tamed because they're territorial, and that the destructive nature of a Hydreigon can only be relatively tamed through constant training. Or that Dreepy are fine when shot out of Dragapult. They actually love it and get excited over being shot out all projectile style." Raymond let out an amused chuckle at the Shuckle, Bloo, though. They had tucked right up into their shell. So Raymond walked over and crouched down. "We aren't gonna fight you little... lass? Shuckle don't have any differences between male and female- but either way, Rostam here won't attack you- despite how angry he looks."

-tag- Rei Asakura -notes- -team-

MADE BY VEL OF GS

[Rei Asakura]

Rei shrugs, trying to imagining the chaos of trying to use martial arts against an angry bird Pokémon to effect. “I suppose you’re right, but it is so much easier when there’s something mnemonic to hold on to or it just makes sense. Like the psychic type weaknesses are just basically things people are stereotypically afraid of. Bugs, being in the dark, and ghosts.” She casts another look at the Runerigus, “What happens when you touch them though? Nothing good I’ll bet.”

She pulls a pencil out and jots notes down as Raymond talks about Pokémon behaviors, she didn’t have these pokemon, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t encounter them. Sure, Raymond talked a lot, but so far most of what he said was at least halfway useful. If this changed, she’d keep him on track. “And never make fun of a dragonite, especially one that just evolved.” Rei looks up at the giant man, “You sound quite knowledgeable about dragon types, you would have likely gotten along well with my mother. She was a member of the dragon cult in Blackthorn, Johto."

As Raymond tried to comfort the shuckle, Bloo would be peering at them from within their shell. He seemed sincere enough. Poking her neck out she throws up a sticky, juicy, syrup into his hand before waddling back over to Rei. If the big man was going to be nice, he deserved a gift.

Rei lets out a soft chuckle, “My, I’ve never seen her do that. Hopefully that washes off.” Taking a berry out of her pouch she gives it to the shuckle, who promptly shoves it into a hole in their shell making pleased noises. “I’ve read Shuckle enjoy fermenting berries, so I try to make sure Bloo always has some.”

“Hmmm.” Rei looks around. “Well, let’s look for a wild to practice on if you think that’s what we need to do. If you think there’s more I need to know before we get started though…” She motions to her notebook, ready to write.

---

Lionel Raymond James Jr.

[Lionel Raymond James Jr.]

"Yup! Touching Cofagrigus will wrap you up to mummify you after sucking you into it's body and touching a Runerigus will inflict an overwhelming amount of traumatic memories from it's life and all throughout it's death, like... alot. So be careful about their shadowy bodies." Raymond grinned at the mention of dragon types, nodding. It did hurt, deeply, that his dragons were taken from him but- "Yup! My biological dad's side of the family are all dragon masters from Blackthorn. My nana gave me five more dragon types to train while I was in Orre, and I had a Fraxure by age nine. I get along with them really well, and I've always felt I understand them on a deeper level than other types." But that didn't stop him from studying everything he could get his hands on. Standing upright, Raymond laughed and gave the juice a sniff to see if it was finished. Using a finger, he put his pinky into it and tasted it, nodding and offering what was on his hand to a Ralts he let out of her ball. "Good! Pokemon need enrichment with their instincts. And Bloo there is really good at what they're supposed to do." He lets Ralts have a small snack. "Huge score too. Shinies like Bloo are incredibly rare to come by. My own Haxorus had black instead of yellow scales." He stood up once his hand was cleaned, lifting Marg into the hood of his hoodie. "And don't worry about it washing off, it's just berry juice! But yeah, lets get walking and looking for some wild pokemon!" With that, Ray started walking, Marg humming softly and touching on the emotions of the people surrounding her while Rostam floated next to them, an eerie feeling creeping off the haunted slab of stone. "So in reference to type charts, Bloo there has a pretty nice set up. Rock and Bug typings cancel out several weaknesses so you only really need to watch out for Rock, Water and Steel type moves. Thanks to Rock typing too, you'll get to worry less about Normal and Poison. Which is really useful for the Pokemon you usually find around Hyo, barring the harbor area obviously." Raymond reached up to pet Marg. "Oh and this is a Ralts. Her name is Marg and be careful about emotions around a Ralts. They're super sensitive to them and sometimes my energy overwhelms her since we're not used to each other."

-tag- Rei Asakura -notes- Here -team-

MADE BY VEL OF GS

[Rei Asakura]

Rei raises her eyebrows, “My, that does sound terrible. That's one hell of a defensive mechanism though. Wait, what do you mean ‘when it was alive?’ It’s alive now. Unless you’re referring to it being a ghost type. Is this line the disembodied spirit of another Pokémon then?"

“Hmm, my parents never really let me do much with Pokémon. My father always said it was ‘too dangerous’ and my mother was gone too much to give me proper training. I find it interesting though a family from the same cult let their child have Pokémon at such a young age. Your parents either recognized your talent early or were horribly irresponsible. That may just be the way that group works though. I can’t say. I’m fairly certain they didn’t know of my mother’s relationship until she left them."

Rei thoroughly examines the ralts, who seemed to be doing it's best to keep out of her sight as it was awash in the vast curiosity and hunger for knowledge Rei was exuding emotionally. “Oh? Shinies? Does that give it some sort of edge or is it just a color mutation similar to something like piebald people?”

Rei followed as Ray started walking. “Oh, that’s good. I’d hate to have to buy you new clothes because Bloo cared too much.” She smiles jokingly. She nods as Ray goes over the type weaknesses and strengths for shuckles, referencing her own research on the matter. “Yes, that is what I found as well. It’s good to know I was correct.”

Rei starts to laugh a bit, “Oh? That’s why she’s hiding from me then. I must be coming across like a strong odor to her. I confess, I am very excited to be learning so much from you.” She looks around as if suddenly aware of how loud she is being and lowers her voice some, “So what are we looking for, and where?"

---

Lionel Raymond James Jr.

[Lionel Raymond James Jr.]

"Well it's terrible if you experience, but alive, yeah. Ghost type pokemon all come from somewhere. With Yamask though, it's a lot more complicated. We all know for a fact Yamask used to be human, and the Galarian variant like my friend here was, are Yamask that are being absorbed by a cursed stone. As a matter of fact, non-Galarian Yamask carry around a mask that looks exactly as they did in life." Ray rambled on, ignoring the grumbling from Rostam and moving some so Marg could tuck down deeper inside his hood. Though Ray finally frowned, looking back at Rei. "They're not a cult. Blackthorn has a deep rooted culture in dragon taming, just like Opelucid and Celestic town. Dragons are dangerous but only if you have no idea how to handle them and only certain ones. Most have a relatively calm or gentle disposition." Ray took a breath, and shook his head. "There's nothing dangerous about giving a kid an Axew, especially when you come from a culture based around dragon masters." He wanted to move on from this, he didn't want to hate this woman early because she was apparently told they were dangerous and just cut off from getting to work with them entirely. "And shinies- Piebaldism? Yeah. Well. I guess you can equate it to that. Shiny Pokemon are just a rare genetic mutation. There's no real edge to anything except maybe some can hide better or worse in the environment." He looked around, not answering the question about Marg hiding because that much was obvious. Instead, he nodded and looked around. "Anything, really. Anywhere. There shouldn't be anything too dangerous around us. The Pokemon in Hyo are incredibly low powered and young. It's not often you come across a stronger, higher leveled Pokemon around here."

-tag- Here -notes- I'm magically slipping a Duraludon egg in his backpack with the hatching box. 2/15 Duraludon -team-

MADE BY VEL OF GS

[Rei Asakura]

“Wait, what?” Rei’s eyes go wide, but she keeps her voice down, “Yamask used to be people? What torment does a person have to experience to come back to life as a Pokémon?” Shakes her head and gives the Runegrigus a pitying look. Some poor tormented bastard got reanimated as a Pokémon and sealed in stone. What truly horrific things Pokémon could be.

Ugh, yep, that’s cult talk for sure. A small, exclusionary, group of people specializing in a certain thing that they give reverence to. Just because they’ve been doing it for a long time doesn’t make them any less cultish. She kept her mouth shut, speaking out only start an argument her mentor would likely be too cognitively dissonant to hear since they grew up in it.

Rei nods, “Interesting, so shiny Pokémon are the result of genetic mutation. I see why they are sought after by collectors then. I’ll have to be extra vigilant to protect Bloo from would-be thieves."

Still following along, she puts her notebook away, returns Bloo to their ball. The poor thing wasn’t built for much walking and Rei didn’t want to overwork her. Putting the ball back on her belt, she clasps her hands together. “Well, if it doesn’t matter what we find, let’s find something and turn this lecture into fieldwork.”

---

Lionel Raymond James Jr.

An ancient order dedicated to a particular type of Pokémon? That's a cult with extra steps!