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Post by carnackiArdent on Jul 17, 2017 4:18:58 GMT
Clay may have promised Rei he wouldn't do anything reckless. But asking Ashley for training tips isn't reckless, right?
At least, it's probably not physically dangerous. She can't throw fire around like Lady Ashandra.
That he knows of.
In any case, the obvious place to start looking for Firebreather Ashley is around the Fire Branch, so he'll start looking around with Fan hopping along beside him in search of a girl with red hair, a flaming mouse, and a bad attitude.
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Post by Raven on Jul 17, 2017 4:21:24 GMT
Instead of Ashley, Clay finds that boy who told him about the 'get a fire type for judgement' mission and the Ponyta herd.
"Oh, hey there! You're 'Clay', right? The one who stood up to Lady Ashandra?"
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Post by carnackiArdent on Jul 17, 2017 4:30:52 GMT
"Yeah, that's me. We talked the other day, right? Thanks for the help." Clay never did end up catching a Ponyta, but knowing about the mission was still a good thing. Even if he wound up getting ridiculed over Flower. "How's it going?"
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Post by Raven on Jul 17, 2017 4:52:50 GMT
"It's going pretty good. I'm Sam, by the way. Never introduced myself before. Hope Lady Ashandra didn't get you too down when she made fun of your candle. She's pretty harsh to everyone, in case you hadn't noticed."
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Post by carnackiArdent on Jul 18, 2017 3:57:18 GMT
"Nice to meet you again, Sam. I kinda got that impression about Boss Lady - the thing with throwing fire at people was kind of a hint." Clay shrugs fluidly and pulls a face. "The candle seems like a pretty rare Pokémon, so you'd think she'd be more impressive, but I guess she doesn't look like much. She's kinda fragile, but she hits really hard when she gets a chance so I'm trying to work on her staying power."
Whoops, starting to get sidetracked. "You haven't seen Ashley around, have you? 'Bout my age, red hair?" Granted, between his height and his attitude Clay might come off a little younger than he actually is. "She seemed pretty strong and I was hoping to get some training tips. I mean, did you see how fast she evolved that mouse critter? It was this little tiny guy when I fought her and two days later it's this big!"
He gestures in a vague attempt to convey the size of the Quilava. Clearly, Clay doesn't consider the idea that he beat her, or her apparent reaction, to be a barrier to asking for advice.
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Post by Raven on Jul 18, 2017 4:13:36 GMT
Sam hrmmms, thinking for a minute. "Well, if it's the Ashley I think it is, then she's kinda the Boss's protege, you know, 'special student'. She's a second-year member as well, so I think she might have her own room rather than sharing the dorms with the rest of us first-years. Couldn't tell you for sure where to find her, as I usually try to avoid her. She scares me almost as much as the Boss. Heck, for all I know, they could be related!" He pauses a moment when he realizes he's rambling.
"Woops, sorry about that. Rambling again. Point is: I don't know where to find her, but if she has a personal room like I think, it's probably down the other hallway." He motions at the one you always see Lady Ashandra going down whenever she's done terrifying/tormenting new Branch Members.
At some point during your conversation, Tiki shows up and distracts Sam further by asking about Ponyta. No sooner has he finished telling her before she's right back out the door. He just kinda gives you a shrug.
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Post by carnackiArdent on Jul 18, 2017 4:24:21 GMT
"Oh... huh." Clay had wondered what was down that way. And why he saw so few of the older members, come to that. "... You know, maybe they could be related? They kinda got the same attitude. Raar, don't talk to me unless you're strong! I used to know guys like that, usually they had to get bailed out of serious trouble before they lightened up." He's entirely neglecting to mention that the guys in question were largely Chimchar and Monferno.
He waves at Tiki as she dashes in and out, chuckling when Sam shrugs. "That's just Tiki, she's a friend of mine. She's... kinda excitable. Anyway, thanks for the help... again. One of these days I should find a way to pay you back." Even if last time was a much bigger deal.
Unless Sam has something else to say, Clay will bid him farewell for now and head down the hallway he pointed him toward in search of the scary 'special student'.
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Post by Raven on Jul 18, 2017 4:32:16 GMT
There are a lot of rooms back here. Like, dozens or something. (Clay is still learning how to count past his fingers and toes.) Main problem is they aren't labeled. So it's either wander around and find someone who is walking about, or knock on every door until someone answers/he finds Ashley.
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Post by carnackiArdent on Jul 18, 2017 4:51:26 GMT
Oh, great. How is he going to find her in all of this? He wonders briefly whether he walked into another illusion. The doors aren't labeled, and he's not actually sure what the name Ashley looks like written down, anyway... He wasn't expecting finding her to be this much trouble, but it occurs to him that as much time as <em>he</em> spends out of the guild, Ashley might not even be here even if he does find her room.
He starts knocking on doors pretty much at random, though it's late enough in the morning that anybody with his own habits might actually be out already. If somebody actually answers, they'll get a smile and him asking, "Hey, do you know where I could find A- I mean, Firebreather Ashley? Somebody told me she might be down this way." Unless it is Ashley, of course, but what are the odds of her being the first person to answer their door?
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Post by Raven on Jul 18, 2017 4:59:19 GMT
Instead of an open door with a person answering, Clay wakes up a grumbling fire turtle inside the wall again. This one sounds different, so it's not the same one he met the first day.
"Oi, human, what's with all the racket? All the other humans are out for the day. It's supposed to be quiet time."
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Post by carnackiArdent on Jul 18, 2017 5:19:09 GMT
"Whoops, sorry! Didn't know I was interrupting!" Clay's tone would go with a sheepish grin, except that the turtle probably can't see him through the wall. Though that does confirm his worries that she's not even in the building right now... and also makes him wonder if there are fire turtles in all the walls. "Uh, thanks for the tip, I'll leave you alone now!"He retreats before the turtle can get grumpy enough to give him more trouble than just grumbling, wondering how he's going to find Ashley if everybody's out for the day. Maybe he can catch her at a mealtime? In any case, with no leads he'll probably have to table the plan for now unless he's lucky enough to stumble over somebody who might know on his way out the door. Other than Sam, of course, who he's already established doesn't know even if he's very helpful. Well, "out the door" might be an exaggeration. He heads toward the guild merchants first. He's still got that Iron, and while making his Pokémon more defensive might be nice he probably needs the cash more. While he's there, he remembers the weird onion thing Fan found, too. "Hey, is this worth anything? Doesn't seem like an ordinary vegetable. More like a fighting stick." He swishes it around, feeling the balance. "Never seen something like it before."Clay's gonna try to sell the Iron and the Rare Leek.
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Post by Raven on Jul 18, 2017 5:36:09 GMT
A helpful Guild Merchant identifies the 'onion/fighting-stick' thing as a 'Rare Leek'. It's coveted by a specific species of bird Pokemon known as "Farfetch'd", but they will only accept Leeks from specific areas that they tend to. No other Leek will do. It's a source of fascination for behavioral researchers. They are supposedly delicious to humans if prepared right, but since the Farfetch'd guard them jealously, they're understandably hard to acquire without harming the Pokemon or damaging its habitat. They'll gladly pay you what they think it's worth. Same goes for that 'special' defense-boosting plant he's holding. (Book prices)
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Post by carnackiArdent on Jul 18, 2017 21:24:49 GMT
Clay's eyes widen as he realizes how much this stuff is worth. That should definitely solve some of his money problems. As well as his apricorn ball availability problems. He'll go out and grab a few now, in fact, and some bandages since he's out of those too and even if his losing streak seems to be breaking it's good to be prepared. That puts a bigger dent in his windfall than he'd really have liked, but hey, he only sold two things, and he still comes out way ahead.
(Clay buys five Basic Balls and three Bandages. +4900 (plus whatever Rare Leeks are priced at), -2150.)
With that done, and his search for Ashley at a dead end, he decides to go out to find some Pokémon to battle, wandering off towards the east of the city.
Looking for a wild encounter, 1/3
Shiny Roll: T8BxLk4H1d1001d100
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Post by carnackiArdent on Aug 31, 2017 1:50:36 GMT
Farfetch'd seemed to be in the middle of something when you called out, as it jumps up, startled. It eyes you as you draw closer. "A human? Here? I'd heard rumors from other Wilds, but wasn't certain they were true." Clay mutters. Granted, there's clearly a reason people avoid it, if his bruises are any indication. He wonders if the Pokémon were just as unaware of the girls in the cave as the party was, or whether being 'hybrids' is enough to qualify them as not human by Wild standards. "I'm exploring! I like seeing new places and testing my strength there!" He shifts position and winces. "So far this swamp's put up a good fight, but I'm not down yet. You must be pretty strong, to live here all the time." |
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Post by Raven on Aug 31, 2017 1:57:23 GMT
"Exploring can be interesting sometimes, sure, but humans usually don't come here because of all the Poison-Types. So squishy, you humans; though I guess you and yours must be tougher than regular humans if you look like that and are still hanging around." He rests his leek stick on his bird shoulder. "As far as my strength: it's less about strength and more about knowing what to look out for. How to spot ambushes and the like. Being a Farfetch'd I can just fly over/around ambush spots to stay safe. Flying is hard work though, so I don't do it much. Much easier to walk."
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Post by carnackiArdent on Aug 31, 2017 2:25:33 GMT
"You're probably right. I grew up in the mountains and the open forest, a looooong way from here. Off, uh... that way." Clay points off to the west and a bit north, after a moment to orient himself. "I don't know what to look for as much in the swamp. Learning, though. I know the puddles are bad news." Next time Clay swears he's not going to poke the puddles.
He grins and leans forward on his staff. "Don't be too modest, though. Having the skills and knowledge to survive is just as important as just being tough. Bet you could teach me a thing or two."
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Post by Raven on Aug 31, 2017 2:34:01 GMT
"Possibly I could. Despite their squishiness, most humans don't listen to us Pokemon when we try to offer advice. And that's when they can understand us! I'm sure you've heard this a lot, but not many humans can do that. You've already learned a pretty important thing about the swamp though: don't poke the puddles! There's always something in 'em, even if you can't see it." He pauses briefly. "So, uh, what'cha want anyway, human? You didn't come all the way out here just to talk to me, did you? That'd be pretty crazy, even for a human."
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Post by carnackiArdent on Aug 31, 2017 2:45:21 GMT
"Yeah. I'm starting to find out just how rare it is." Maybe he needs a little card that says "yes, I understand you" on it, but he'd have to learn to write a lot better than 'can sort of write very short misspelled sentences'.
He chuckles wryly. "Well, it's not why I came here to start with, but I was hoping to run into you. I crossed paths with your brother, actually. I've heard about how good Farfetch'd are with those leeks, and I'm always looking for good companions. Seemed like he was pretty well settled down, but he mentioned you might be around the area."
Clay holds out a hand. "What do you think? Would you like to join up with me? I'm a pretty active trainer, so you'd get a chance to hone your skills if that's what you're looking for, and it's a great way to see new places, too. I've seen two different oceans just since the last new moon."
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Post by Raven on Aug 31, 2017 3:07:22 GMT
It occurs to Clay that even if he had a sign that said "Yes, I understand you." on it, it wouldn't help his interactions with Pokemon any, as they probably couldn't read it any better than he. Farfetch'd taps its bill with its leek, thinking.
"Hm. Yeah, been wanting to get out of here, see the rest of the world or something. I just get the feeling that my final Leek Patch isn't going to be found here, ya know? So sure, human, I'll go with ya."
When you offer an Apricorn Ball to him, he seems cautious of it at first, but at your reassurance, he taps it and gets pulled inside. Still weird how these things work like that; turning something solid into just a red beam or whatever and containing it perfectly.
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Post by carnackiArdent on Sept 1, 2017 22:42:55 GMT
Once Clay leaves Rei to wrangle Holly, he heads out for the pastures where Pokémon staying at the guild are kept to find Fan. Unsurprisingly, she's looking a little depressed after two nights and a day stuck away from Clay - and shoots his newly-evolved Pokémon a jealous look. How come they get to evolve first? At least Sandy and Tavi are modest enough not to make a big show of it... though the same can't really be said for Servine. Clay rubs his forehead. "You guys take a break. You did a good job yesterday. I gotta talk to sis, okay?"He rubs Sandy's head as they depart, even if Tavi pauses to protest. "Nay, i wast pathetic! giveth me anoth'r chance and i'll showeth thee what i can doth!""You did fine, those things were way stronger than we thought and you got double-teamed. That place was a mess. Go rest."Once they've gone out into the pasture themselves (or whatever other environments the Guild has set up for them; Sandy's probably leading Tavi to the pond), Clay leans on his staff with a sigh. Fan shakes her head. You look terrible.Clay gives her a wry smile. Yeah, well. I was wondering around that awful swamp without my sis to look after me.Fan looks about as nervous as a monkey can as she looks up at him, and clambers up the side of the fence to be on his level. I think I get it now. I was... caught up in the fight. And that feeling, with the glow...Clay glances down at his hands. Yeah, that was new. Apparently I don't just speak the language, there's something weird that goes on when I talk to you or the others and that's part of it too. I gotta find out more about that.
But you know why we can't do stuff like that, right? If it was a fight for our lives it'd be different, but you gotta pull your punches more if it's just a match against some kid and his mice. I was caught up too or I'd have stopped you sooner. He reaches out and ruffles the flamelike tuft of fur on her head. Let's just make sure it doesn't happen again. I'll tell you if we really need to pull out all the stops. Deal?Fan chitters her agreement. Hesitantly, she holds up a strange scarf she found. Someone must've lost it, because she found it snagged on a fence post after it blew in on the breeze. Clay runs it through his fingers - he gets a weird feeling from it - then tucks it into his bag. Maybe if they find out who lost it, they'll return it, but as peace offerings go he's prepared to accept. At any rate, it's good to have his sis back. Fan's got a big job today - she has to ride herd on all those other new additions to the team. After a moment, Clay decides to call Tavi back and give the newly-evolved Dewott a chance to show what he can do in a less wretchedly one-sided fight. Besides, maybe the jealousy will help give Fan some motivation. She'll certainly need all the help she can get - Peng, the Farfetch'd he spent so much time looking for, is friendly enough, but Ryuma the Ponyta is rather fractious, Mowgli the Croagunk hasn't gotten the rebelliousness out of his system yet, and Mufomono, the Sandile Sano captured ages ago, is more than a bit lazy. "Okay, let's whip you guys into shape!"Training time! Everybody gets Agility Training. Fan, Mufomono, and Ryuma get EXP training. Fan uses Pickup and finds a Choice Item (Speed). With that done, Clay decides to take the one bit of advice he'll actually trust from D'Mara yesterday, and heads off in search of the Fighting Branch, wanting to hear more about this mysterious power called Aura. |
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