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Post by DataNinja on Oct 5, 2019 20:33:19 GMT
The air is fresh and vaguely oceanic as Bea makes her way out away from the city. A flock of Beautifly flutter a fair distance overhead, wings glittering in the sun, though they appear to only give her a passing glance before floating away with the breeze.
Route 104 is short, and she's able to traverse it in about two hours, coming up to a cliff that has steps leading down to a beach. A proper beach, not like the riverside detritus buildup that was north of Oldale. More squawking seabirds fly overhead, and a different variety of Pokémon can be seen down by the water. There are also a good chunk of beachgoers enjoying the nice day.
She could probably head down there, relax, maybe find some other Pokémon. Or, a little ways beyond the stretch of beach to the north, there's the rest stop house that she was told about - could probably leave her things there, regardless. Alternatively, even if she doesn't try to cross the Petalburg woods today, she could probably head a little ways in and try and find some new bugs. Apparently they thrive within the dark boughs.
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6,670 posts
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92 likes
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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 Oct 5, 2019 22:12:26 GMT
Maisy's lesson still fresh in her mind, she considers an old fable about the road less traveled. While the forest might yield things more to her interests it certainly didn't resolve the widespread and glaring weaknesses of her team, nor did it expand her repertoire of skills. Taking a little time at the rest house to stow her bags, and constructs two new Pokeballs from materials acquired in town. From there, she headed down to the beach, the belongings she had with her kept in a small bag cinched around her wrist. Limul scuttled along through the sand beside her as she took in the shorefront. The ancient Pokemon really didn't get enough opportunities to be in the water.
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Post by DataNinja on Oct 5, 2019 22:20:29 GMT
Walking down the beach, a little bit away from all of the Trainers who might be scaring Pokémon away, Bea looks around to see what might call the beach its home. Playing in the surf looks to be a bivalve jumping up and down, with a gem-headed jellyfish lurking about as well. Scuttling along through the shallows, waves lapping at its feet, is an orange crab.
Further down, on the beach itself, there's a pile of driftwood that she notices a pair of blinking, beady eyes staring out at her from beneath, doing its best to not let what it actually is be seen. And then someone also seems to have left a sandcastle on the beach, close to the waves.
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6,670 posts
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92 likes
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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 Oct 5, 2019 23:08:36 GMT
Walking along in her sandals, Beatrice breathes in the sea air and is thankful she packed sunscreen. Limul wriggles along through the shallows nearby, having a grand time in the roll of the surf. She admires the crab in passing, sharing many similarities with insects, but being fundamentally different. She very much respected that. It would fit right in, and if it didn't get too far by the time she finished rummaging around in the driftwood, she would make the attempt. The sand castle was of no consequence to her, not giving it much of a berth as she bent down to shift the strewn about wood, insatiably curious about what hid beneath.
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Post by DataNinja on Oct 5, 2019 23:16:54 GMT
She no more than touches the driftwood before a shower of sand is shoved out at her getting in her face - that seems to be a continual occurrence, apparently. There's a bit of a panicked noise, and she feels a deep tug as something brushes against her. After a moment passes and she's able to blink her eyes clear, she can see a little flat grey-purple bug, waist-bag pulled free and in its mouth, scuttling away from her, towards the less-inhabited part of the beach past the sandcastle.
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6,670 posts
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92 likes
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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 Oct 5, 2019 23:53:21 GMT
"HEY WAITAMINUTE!" Beatrice feels the weight removed and takes off after the bug across the sand. "Limul! CODE RED! Stolen bag!" The Anorith wriggles along through the surf after his trainer. She hadn't expected to find a bug on the beach, much less be robbed of her Pokemon and empty balls all at once by it.
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Post by DataNinja on Oct 5, 2019 23:59:26 GMT
Realizing that it's being pursued, the bug seems to accelerate... until it makes the mistake of running past the sandcastle, which immediately comes to life and flows to envelop the bug, trapping it as it kicks its many tiny legs, bag held out just in front of the sand. It certainly gives Bea and Limu enough time to catch up to the squeaking insect.
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6,670 posts
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92 likes
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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 Oct 6, 2019 0:51:14 GMT
Skidding to a stop, she yanks her bag away from the wriggling mass of legs and sand. Red in the face, huffing and more then a little heated, she releases Tempu before pelting the flailing and writhing ball of Pokemon with a small glass phial, which breaks open into a cloud of irritants and adrenal mixtures, designed to enrage Pokemon. "You kicked sand in my face and stole my bag!" Beatrice fumed, her Pokemon joining her and preparing for battle.
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Post by DataNinja on Oct 6, 2019 1:03:58 GMT
The bug, kicked into yet higher gear by the adrenaline, kicks and scratches at the mound of sand with metallic-tipped claws, tearing some of its mass away, but clearly not enough to break free. Wimpod hits with Metal Claw.
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6,670 posts
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92 likes
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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 Oct 6, 2019 1:19:09 GMT
Limul, having seen how excited having sand sprayed in her face made Beatrice, decides to help by adding more wet sand to that. There's a sandcastle, and sand gets her excited, so even more sand would be better! Mud goes flying -everywhere-. Mud on the Sandygast, mud on the wimpod, mud on Tempu, and eeeespecially mud on Beatrice. Tempu uses Safeguard, but it sadly does not stop 'being dirty'. Poor life choices. Beatrice is beside herself, perhaps angrier then the pesterballed Pokemon, but she can't help but laugh too.
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Post by DataNinja on Oct 6, 2019 1:31:14 GMT
The sandcastle in question appears to not care one jot about the extra material now covering its body, and instead elects to continue squeezing the life out of the bug. Probably to eat it. And then lay on its bones - or lack thereof. The Wimpod tries a swarm of energy instead, much like Bylii was able to do, but it seems much less powerful. Certainly isn't enough to make the thing let go. Sandygast hits with Astonish. Wimpod hits with Struggle Bug.
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6,670 posts
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92 likes
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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 Oct 6, 2019 1:41:49 GMT
"..." Beatrice having finally calmed enough to realize this is a very life or death situation for the bug, rolls her eyes off to one side and lets out an awkward sigh. Alright, it didn't deserve to be munched on. At least it was trying to earn its own way. Exhaling slowly, she threw a Pokeball at it. "Sorry little guy, it's really muckled on there, this'll hurt a bit but we'll get you looked after at the Pokemon Center when we get there." Tagging the Wimpod with the ball, she took a step back, face crinkled up into an apologetic frown. "Alright Limul... use Smack Down on the little guy."
A large rock was hurtled into the pair of Pokemon, impacting the bug first and most heavily and scattering the sand about. (32 Rock Physical to Wimpod).
"Tempu, let's go ahead and pound sand with Mach Punch!"
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Post by DataNinja on Oct 6, 2019 2:16:01 GMT
The ball hits the bug, causing it to chitter... before being abruptly stopped short by a stone thwacking its shell really, really hard, and getting sucked in. There's some silence in the air, and an almost audible blinking from the sandcastle as it tries to register what's happened. It realizes soon enough, though, as Tempu tries to hit it... and fails horribly, the sand just parting around its fist. Oh well, one bug is just as good as another. Well... except that this one seems a lot harder to hit, frustratingly enough... Wimpod is hit by the Pokéball. Wimpod Faints from Smack Down. Ledian hits with Mach Punch. It has no effect. Sandygast misses Ledian with Astonish.
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6,670 posts
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92 likes
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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 Oct 6, 2019 2:26:57 GMT
"What...? But... you hit it...?" Fighting should be neutral against a Ground-Type Pokemon, so why did it just sort of glide around and away from Tempu's fists? Flying resisted Fighting, but this was very clearly anchored to the ground. As did Poison, that was possible she supposed. It was just a lone Pokemon, best to push through, but genuinely curious, she pelted a ball into the center of it's mass for good measure, before her two Pokemon set upon it with flailing limbs and chomping mouths.
(Beatrice hits with a Pokeball, and Tempu critically hits with Bug Bite for 54 Bug Physical, Limul misses.)
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Post by DataNinja on Oct 6, 2019 2:34:27 GMT
The sand pile lets out a strangled screech as parts of it are torn off, but it stays fighting, managing to get a pseudopod of sand to strike up and hit Tempu this time. Sandygast takes an injury from Bug Bite. Ledian takes 17 damage from Astonish.
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6,670 posts
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92 likes
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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 Oct 6, 2019 2:40:41 GMT
"A ghost? You seem to lack a real body, so that would probably make sense... I wish I had my Dex here... I should have paid more attention in school. Alright you two... I've had enough fighting for one day, let's wrap this up."
(Binding Iterative Evolution, raising the effectiveness of bug moves one step.)
Not having enjoyed the taste of sand the first time, the Ledian hesitates and misses out on the chance at a solid hit. Limul has no such cumpunctions, as digging in sand is just great fun, connecting with a glowing green forelimb deftly.
(29 Bug Physical to Sandygast)
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Post by DataNinja on Oct 6, 2019 2:52:34 GMT
The slicing and dicing is enough to cause the sand pile to fall apart, and flow into the ball that had stuck inside of it. Bea's able to grab her stuff and both new acquisitions, and put them back around her waist. Most of the Pokémon that she'd seen before have moved on, but she's able to spend some time at the beach just relaxing, taking in some sun, and enjoying a breeze and water that had never tasted ash. You caught a Wimpod! Level: 12 Nature: Patient Gender: Female Ability: Emergency Exit Moves: Sand Attack, Struggle Bug, Metal Claw
You caught a Sandygast! Level: 12 Nature: Lonely Gender: Male Ability: Water Compaction Moves: Harden, Absorb, Astonish, Sand Attack, Amnesia
You also gain 75 EXP. Deciding not to go into the forest until the next day, Bea eventually makes her way back to the Rest Stop - apparently once the home of an old famous sailor - and gets some still bear-free sleep. Also mostly people-free, too, as it seems like most people enjoy camping more out here, and mostly just use the Stop for food and healing their Pokémon. It means she's able to look at the Egg some more, but, unfortunately no more answers are forthcoming. Come morning, when everyone's up and healed, there's Training time by the beach. Of the new additions, Sandygast - who's apparently a Ghost type that likes draining the life forces of people and sitting atop their bones - mostly sulks about, and takes a lot of cajoling to do anything... but does apparently respond fairly well to praise in the end. The wimpod, on the other hand, is a lot more sociable - once food is brought out at least - taking a shine to Bylli in particular... but also Solenoid and its shininess. It stays away from the sandcastle and the shrimp, though. Far, far away.
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6,670 posts
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92 likes
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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 Oct 6, 2019 2:58:55 GMT
Bea was well on her way, she was up to a full team of six Pokemon now, and had even managed to cover most of the weaknesses of her favorites, albeit entirely by accident and with a bit of ignorance along the way. Who ever knew, or expected, that ghosts would hang out on bright sunny beaches slowly devouring anything it first drowned in sand? Certainly not her. Wimpod was easy enough to motivate with Solenoid, using the flying magnet as an attention grabber proved fruitful. The Sandygast wasn't so easy, though it responded well to being wetted down and pressured, seeming to enjoy the firmness that brought its body. After her hands came away numb and a bit cold on the second or third attempt, she wasn't so sure it was the seawater anymore.
Training complete, belongings together, and everything otherwise in order, it was into Petalburg Woods at last.
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Post by DataNinja on Oct 6, 2019 3:16:34 GMT
Making her way into the woods, Bea passes up the areas near the edges, where the more common bugs would reside - the Wurmples, Caterpies, and other prey species lay. No, her aim is the more dangerous stuff, that which only dwells in the heart of Petalburg. After about an hour of walking, she deems it deep enough... and then heads off the beaten path, to see what she can find.
The air is much thicker, and the canopy dense, so as to make things much harder to see. Everything feels bigger, older, more threatening, as if a tree might drop its branch on her at any moment. Rounding a grove, something brushes against her face. Moving a hand to brush it aside, it feels... sticky. And all of a sudden she stops, and registers what's ahead. Almost invisible, it's a web of silk, strung all the way up through several trees. The only real giveaway are some areas where it's all balled up, floating in the air, surrounding Pokémon. One of those, near her, is even moving, chittering a little bit at the nearby motion and noises.
The twang that she made, though, seems to have disturbed something, though, as a handful of rustling leaves indicates, and a swarm of about a half dozen green spiders descend from the trees towards her...
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6,670 posts
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92 likes
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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 Oct 6, 2019 10:36:37 GMT
"Stationary trap hunting ambush predators." The girl comments to herself, releasing Solenoid and Limul. Squinting up at the approaching figures she added, "With display pattern markings across the abdomen and thorax, likely for mating and intimidation. Neat! Also gross." She scrubs the strand of webbing off on her coat, that will need to be washed later. It was a good thing she hadn't run headlong into the web, that would have felt just awful.
Turning her attention to the chittering cocoon, she left her Pokemon to fend for themselves in the moment, prying at the strong and sticky threads in an attempt to get it's occupant free. "It's going to be okay, they want to chew on me too. It isn't really personal, so you can't blame them, but I am feeling just slightly vindictive about it. Come now, stop squirming please."
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