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Post by Breakthelevee on Apr 22, 2018 23:05:29 GMT
Donovan waited when he heard Mica wake up and start her morning routine. Once she had began her training he got up and started both breakfast and his own training. Running back and forth he made time both to make sure the food didn't burn and each of his Pokemon got his attention.
Once he felt the food was ready he sat down and began to portion it out for everyone "Yeah. It looks like they're moving down there finally. I was hoping to go grab it when you were still training so I didn't have to interrupt your flow"
Once he finished cleaning the campsite back up, Donovan headed down and knocked on the window "Excuse me, I'm here to pick up a package"
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Post by DataNinja on Apr 22, 2018 23:26:47 GMT
Mica's Grownite peers at her, cocking its head. As soon as its determined that she isn't edible, it seems to be content to just look and be complemented.
There's a bleary-eyed young woman sitting behind the reception, with a very sizeable cup of coffee next to her, shuffling through . She seems surprised that anyone's bothering to come in this early, but quickly recovers and put a smile on her face, before coming over to the door and unlocking it. "Oh, hi, sorry, wasn't expecting anyone... normally I can take my time opening up and getting ready." She flips the sign to open. "So, you said that you're here to pick up something? What would that be? Can I, uh, have a name that it'd be under?"
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Post by Breakthelevee on Apr 22, 2018 23:56:18 GMT
"I think it should be under Lana? I'm not entirely certain. It's for the Lab. Should be a shipment of reconstituted evolution stones that I hear you aren't able to deliver for them. My name is Donovan Fleur if that matters, I'm not sure they informed you I would be here for it" He smiles "Sorry for messing with your morning routine. We had camped not too far away so that we could swing by first thing in the morning"
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Post by DataNinja on Apr 23, 2018 0:38:14 GMT
Any cheeriness in her voice went out the door to go stand awkwardly around Mica when Donovan mentions the Lab. "Ah," she says, "you're one of them. Yes... I have that one." She briefly goes into the back, before coming back with a moderate-sized, but heavy, box. "The League's done nothing good for this region, kid, and don't fool yourself into thinking that the Lab is anything but a branch of them. They're just trying to ingratiate themselves with people, and induct their kids in early, just like everywhere else."
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Post by Breakthelevee on Apr 23, 2018 0:58:30 GMT
Donovan frowned as he grabs the box "You know I've met some people who work for the League and also are stand up people in their communities. The Leader in Xalibu was also a fire fighter and did everything she could to keep her city safe, even as terrorists burned down her gym." He lifted with box with some struggle before turning around "But of course people tend to dislike when something changes how things have always been. Instead of embracing the changing future"
He sighed and shook his head "Come on Mica, let's get this delivered"
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I'm not going to say it was damage, but it was damage.
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Apr 10, 2024 12:51:43 GMT
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Post by Robot on Apr 23, 2018 1:18:21 GMT
Mica considered the woman passively for a long moment with an expression that suggested no particular judgement one way or another. Why didn't people like the league? It encouraged everyone to get better alongside their Pokemon. There were so many questions she could ask... but Donovan wanted her! "Okay!" She called and bounded out after her, casting one last quizzical look over her shoulder. She'd help Donovan carry the load, and meet Sensei for today's training before they made for the next temple...
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Post by DataNinja on Apr 23, 2018 2:20:55 GMT
The woman just shakes her head as the two leave, going back to her papers and coffee. The walk back to the town is uneventful, with the pair getting in before lunch. Mica heads to the Dojo, while Donovan continues on to the Pokémon Center in order to send the package through the PC.
Mica arrives at the Dojo, where, this time, it's light, and she can see Elisha practicing some light and graceful moves, flowing almost as though she's dancing. The dojo master gets to what is presumably a natural stopping point, then turns to Mica. "Ah, you have returned, good." She nods. "Not all of those who seek training or guidance do. Commitment is sometimes a hard thing. Are you ready to begin?"
The process for getting things sent directly to the Lab is surprisingly simple, given that the fact that Donovan's Trainer ID says that he's already had interactions with them before, and they've deemed him trustworthy enough to at least be certified. Once that's set up, he actually receives a video call in return, with Lana popping up on the screen.
"Just wanted to say thanks, Donovan," she says, "I hope that it wasn't as much trouble for you as it's been for us. It'll be interesting seeing what we can do with these, though. Lots of notes and speculation, but no hard proof yet. Weren't able to spare any before. Hopefully something comes out of trying to evolve with these things..." She laughs. "We need to keep up our funding somehow, after all."
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I'm not going to say it was damage, but it was damage.
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Post by Robot on Apr 23, 2018 3:11:42 GMT
Mica was quiet for a moment, contemplative. It was a simple question, but there was something else on her mind entirely. "Sensei, if I confessed something from the heart, no matter how impossible it might seem, would you believe me?" Mica's expression was hopeful, and trusting. She stood at attention, back straight, hands folded in front of her waist. Elisha's answer was about what she expected, but it was better then she had been offered before. Mica nodded and exhaled slowly.
"Donovan and I can enter the Temples. We've only been able to do it a little more than a week. Inside is a place that humans never existed, and he and I a-are... Pokemon there." Mica finds herself starting to flag from embarrassment but steadies herself with a little huff. "Each Temple is devoted to a Pokemon type, and contains an artifact that led to it's creation a long time ago. The last Temple we visited..." Mica's breathing shifted drastically, fast and shallow now, tears welling in her eyes as she remembered the details in perfect clarity. Donovan wasn't here, she could let it out now.
"I had to watch a Roserade die. Slowly. There were all these children to protect and I did my best but it wasn't good enough andIcantevenbevulnerableinfrontofdonovan." Her words began to run together, and she scrubbed her eyes with a forearm, huffing out sharply and biting at her lower lip. "We're going into the Temple near here today, and I'm scared."
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Post by Breakthelevee on Apr 23, 2018 3:53:27 GMT
Donovan scratched the back of his head, laughing a little awkwardly "Yeah, they weren't exactly the nicest people. Turns out they really don't like the League, and they consider you all at the lab to be nothing more than an extension of the League. I'm guessing that's why they wouldn't just send this right to you."
He shook his head "But don't feel like you need to thank me. Picking up stuff like this is no problem, I owe you all a lot more than that. I am curious about the effects of the stones. If it wouldn't be too much effort, I'd love to be kept informed on the status of the research."
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Post by DataNinja on Apr 23, 2018 5:06:30 GMT
"I can't guarantee that I would," she admits, when Mica poses her initial question, "but, regardless of whether I believed you or not, I would try and guide you as best as I can."
Elisha listens quietly to Mica, before moving over to her and putting her arm around the Trainer's shoulders at the end. "I will be honest with you here, Mica, and tell you that... a lot of this is hard to believe. But, from what you've told me, you've been very brave keeping strong through it all." She goes quiet for a moment, before continuing.
"Just know, Mica, that strength comes from knowing where your limits are. If you push yourself too much, you are only hurting yourself." She gives a bit of a squeeze around Mica's shoulders with her arm. "Death in particular... everyone handles it differently. I shut down. One of my sisters destroys things. The other cries her grief away. You're not wrong to let it out, and letting it out does not mean that you're any less strong for it."
"You said you did your best. That's what matters. You did all that you could at the time, and you cannot change the past. That's something that I had to come to grips with myself. Any 'what ifs' or 'should have's... they won't help you. What matters is how you recover from it. You're already trying to improve yourself. To stop it from ever happening again. That is who you are. You're a strong person, who keeps bettering herself. No one person can ever do everything. And you're trying to do something. That matters, Mica."
"Also," she says, softly, "never let anyone tell you that expressing any emotion is wrong. There are wrong ways to express them, if you're hurting other people, but sorrow. Rage. Fear. All of those are perfectly valid. If you bottle them up inside, and never let them out, they'll only hurt yourself and those you care for."
"If you'd like," Elisha offers, "instead of continuing lessons right now, I can help you release some of those feelings, in whatever way you need. If you need a shoulder to cry on, or somebody to talk at, I'm here. I won't judge. If you just need to hit something, I have plenty of things in the storeroom. And if you just need somewhere to curl up and shut down... well, my place is nearby. I can go and be elsewhere, and you can just stay there for as long as you need."
"Yeah, I'm can't really say I'm surprised by their opinions by this point," Lana says, shrugging. "Given they've been enough of a pain. There're a lot of people who pick up on all what they see as the negatives of the League, or who just have that prejudice passed down a generation, and ignore all the benefits of it. I've dealt with enough people who think I'm the worst just for taking this job to be numb to it by now."
"Now, I imagine that your curiosity is a little bit more than idle, isn't it?" she asks, with a knowing smile. "Your first companion was a Budew, is he not? And Roserade evolves when exposed to a Shiny Stone..."
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I'm not going to say it was damage, but it was damage.
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Post by Robot on Apr 24, 2018 0:08:14 GMT
"I..." Mica began but cut herself off. She took in the feeling of Elisha's hand on her shoulder, the expression on her Sensei's face. One afternoon would not be long enough to come to grips with what they had been through, and what they would go through moving forward. Everything the young trainer had been offered was sound advice, and it was clear that even if Elisha found the story difficult to swallow, she still believed in Mica. Enough to offer her respite, guidance, even solitude if she wanted. It was tempting.
"What happens when my best isn't good enough? When there are no second chances?" She blurted out suddenly, shaking her head. "There is no time for crying or shutting down. I need to be brave, so Donovan can stand beside me. I need to be better then my best. Sensei I came to learn from you, and that is what I'm gonna do with this hurt."
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Post by Breakthelevee on Apr 24, 2018 0:48:09 GMT
Donovan went red for a moment "It's not like that! Though yes, Rose is a Budew and a Shiny Stone would help him reach his final form....which I mean....If you were needing a way to test what the effects of the Shiny Stone were once you did what you were planning on doing to it, I would love to help with the research in anyway I could" At this point he seemed to run out of breath and just sort of hung his head in defeat before looking back up with a smile "Me and Rose would love to help with the research if you happen to have a spare Shiny Stone."
He looked serious again for a moment "But also, I meant it. Any way I can help with the research, let me know. I owe so much to both you and the professor, I wouldn't be here if it hadn't been for the lab. Not to mention, this kind of stuff is really interesting to me. Everyone just sort of thinks that I'm just going around to battle and get badges and what not, but I'm also making sure to visit the temples and see if there's any connection between all of them." He sighed "I don't spend enough time at a single site to really look though. I have a hypothesis about the carvings at each temple matching a single type and that temple having a connection to the type, but there's so many carvings that I can't be certain." He went red again "I've been rambling, sorry"
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Post by DataNinja on Apr 24, 2018 2:24:45 GMT
"Mica," Elisha says, softly, "No matter if there is time or not... it's always a good idea to make some time. If your feelings end up eating you from within, all your doing is hurting you and those who rely on you."
"But," she says, louder, "You want to try and channel that into learning. So, let's give it our all. Show me what your best is, and we'll see if we can push beyond that!"
"Just know, though, if you ever need an ear, I'll be here. I won't judge you"
Lana laughs good-naturedly. "Oh, don't worry, Donovan. We've all been there, with our eyes on a special project. Nothing to be ashamed of. If your Rose is still a unevolved when we've got the stuff all set up, I'll give you a ring. But, if you get a chance to evolve before then, don't worry about waiting. It'll probably take a couple of months to reproduce, barring a breakthrough. Granted, our fingers are crossed in that regard."
"That's an interesting theory," she says, nodding, "One that's been presented before, given the particular number of Temples that we know exist... but if you could manage to find confirmation of that, that'd certainly be a boon to research."
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I'm not going to say it was damage, but it was damage.
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Post by Robot on Apr 24, 2018 23:02:06 GMT
"I needed someone to accept that what I am going through is valid and stressful, but if you're willing to be a bigger rock that I can look up to, and listen even if you don't really understand, it's a lot more then I had before. You could come with us after we're done training today, and I can show you the few proofs that we have. Till then though, please, teach me." Mica bowed respectfully.
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Post by Breakthelevee on Apr 25, 2018 2:32:18 GMT
"I'll let you know when Rose is ready" Donovan says with a nod
"Well.....I don't have any way to prove it yet but I have a feeling I know what at least a few of the Temples corroborate to, type wise. The Xalibu temple is the Psychic Temple. South of Kanadario is Fighting and West of it is Grass. Like I said, I don't have enough evidence to prove it, but I can nearly guarantee it. I'm gonna figure out Ponoca's Temple next, or at least its our next destination"
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Post by DataNinja on Apr 25, 2018 3:37:34 GMT
"I... I'm sorry, Mica," Elisha says, shaking her head. "I have... obligations here in town. People who need me. Even the few hours that going to the Temple would be, that's too far away. I'll be here if you need me, but I can't go with you elsewhere. I'm sure you understand."
"But, I'll do what I said I would." She gives a smile to the Trainer. "And that's do some training. Let's begin."
"Well," Lana says, "if your intuition proves to be correct, let me know. The scientific community would love to hear about it. I wouldn't be surprised if you stumbled upon something extraordinary by accident, even. There's so much potential, and just not enough people." She looks offscreen. "Anyways, it was nice talking to you, but I've got to go. Good luck with your Gyms, and thanks again for doing this for us!" She gives a wave, before the connection ends.
Mica's training goes well, and she makes some progress, before meeting back up with Donovan at the Center. The grab a bite to eat, before heading out into the wilderness towards the Temple. While it's in sight the whole way, it still takes almost two and a half hours to reach the base of, where it's just as massive as the others. The sun is just about going down over the horizon on the other side of the Temple, casting a giant shadow upon the pair as they approach.
Despite that, there's still ample light left upon reaching the top to still see, the now familiar sight of the rippling wall in front of them.
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Post by Breakthelevee on Apr 26, 2018 0:35:03 GMT
Donovan breathed in deeply before looking over at Mica "Are...are you ready?" He didn't sound confident but he feigned a smile "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared. Especially since I have no idea what we're getting into. I don't get the same feeling I got when we got near the last one, so we know it isn't the Poison Temple."
He took a moment and looked at the carvings, hoping that somehow he could get a feeling for what they were walking into based on his hypothesis.
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Post by Robot on Apr 26, 2018 0:51:05 GMT
"Elisha helped me find some clarity, but she didn't really believe what I had to say. It is the best I coulda hoped for, and I feel a little better for it." She took Donovan's hand in hers. "If you ever feel like you aren't up to this, there is no shame in stepping back briefly, you know? I am ready to try today."
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Post by DataNinja on Apr 26, 2018 2:18:45 GMT
The pair, step into the rippling wall, ready for the familiar sensations. And, while it does feel the same as the previous Temples... there is something different. Rather than being a momentary blink, the transition stretches into a moment of blackness, followed by a few seconds of blurriness, which slowly resolves itself into a... serene garden?
It takes a moment to sink in, but, indeed, the pair find themselves in a garden. With a bright blue sky, unlike that of moments before. And it is distinctly different from the last garden visited... whereas the Grass Temple had an imitation of outside, here, Mica and Donovan can feel the sun and wind on their faces, their arms... their arms?
Yes... as strange as it seems, the pair are still fully human. There's a path leading forwards, with beds of flowers scattered about on either side, hills in the distance, a forest ahead, and a few boulders scattered around. But, the vast majority of the area is simply open. The two of them seem to be the only living creatures around, though. There's no sign of a rippling wall or anything to go back to, either.
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I'm not going to say it was damage, but it was damage.
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Post by Robot on Apr 26, 2018 10:05:32 GMT
Mica's sharp eyes took in the little details of this grand openness even before she realized that things weren't as they should be. The lack of an exit made her stomach flip, but the feeling of unrestricted freedom of this place was at least mildly pleasant. They weren't drowning, or on fire, or being lashed by giant tree monsters. She laced her fingers through Donovan's and squeezed his hand firmly, softly breathing a comforting "It'll be okay." It was almost a date, if they weren't here to do something so important. She'd pretend it was, everything would be easier to stomach that way.
"Guess we follow the path? It all feels so off though..."
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