Chapter 0 - The Game

Hearing Iris call her name and feeling a hand rest on her shoulder, Yoko turned around to look up at Iris and asked, "yes, Iris?" Since she was asked to stand up, Yoko did so, returning back to her full height, then listened quietly as Iris began pointing out the issues with her orders. It definitely saddened her that she screwed up her first attempt, but she tried her best to not let it show through. "Y... yeah. I understand," Yoko answered with a weak nod of her head, her tone and actions betraying a hint of sadness.

When asked what she was planning on doing with Bang during a fight, Yoko went quiet once again, though it wasn't because she was avoiding the answer. She honestly didn't know the answer herself, but after a while she gave a weak shrug of her shoulders and answered, "maybe. I don't know. I didn't think about it." Yoko then turned her attention back to Bang, who was still looking up at her expectantly. "Bang, can you, um, go over there? I-if you can, that is," she asked in an unsure voice, pointing over to a stray patch of grass about 4 meters away. Bang's eyes followed his trainer's pointing finger, and he started flopping his body in an effort to move over to the indicated patch of grass.

It took the Remoraid a good amount of time (roughly 40 seconds, if someone was counting) to finally reach the designated patch of grass, and Yoko bit her lower lip nervously as she turned to see Iris' reaction. "I think it might be better if I just hold Bang," she said then, feeling that it would be the best course of action after witnessing that display.

Shossk and the dartrix stare at Bang as it slowly flops along, tracking it with their heads.

Their attention shifts as Nacht receives his orders and oh-so-viciously tears into the training dummy. The results were not impressive, but Shossk could tell it had been close to a critical hit. Shossk brings his hands up and starts slapping them together, awkwardly imitating Iris' motions when she applauded the dartrix's strike. This was a suitable time to applaud, was it not? His companions had taken him to two separate tournaments, and the crowds seemed to applaud even marginal success by the competitors, though not as fervently. Shossk continues clapping for a few seconds too long before abruptly dropping his hands to his sides.

He looked back to Yoko. He glances between her and Bang. "Yyou have not ordered your creature to attack. Iff you are not a leader, thenn direct it to fight as you do."

Nacht was emboldened by Shossk's clapping, puffing up his little chest and looking like the proudest puffball the world over, Layl joined in, after a moment. The move could have done much better, but encouragement helps one to grow, besides, they were training, nothing too serious. After giving Nacht some attention, Layl turned towards the group, particularly Yoko, to give encouragement. "I know you can do it! Give it your all, Yoko!" 

Iris was no expert, but it looked like everything worked out. When Yoko turned to her and the others for their opinions, Iris gave her full support with a smile and the words, "Yep. I'd say that you did. Good job, Yoko and Bang." It wasn't just Yoko and Bang who deserved praise, though. Everyone else did as well. They'd all progressed really quickly, and Iris expressed this as she turned to face the others, "You all as well. Good job, everyone. Alright, one last thing about Pokemon battles and I'll discuss training, which is exactly what it sounds like. After that, we'll be done, and we can discuss what to do next." She walked backwards as she talked, her steps taking her into a position where she could address everyone at once.

"Now," Iris started to explain the next step, pausing after the first word for dramatic effect before continuing, "like I said, we're going to run a mock battle to get used to Pokemon types and what they do. Let's get set up on the field. Um... I know that there are only two trainer spots, so just set up anywhere on field in a sort of triangle. Have your Pokemon about... um... I think 4 meters apart is a good start?". To make the room needed, Iris brought the dummies down, sinking them back into the dirt floor. Just to make sure everyone was on the same page, Iris double-checked, "Are we all okay with this idea? Or would we rather not?". After all, Iris could always just explain types and their importance. It wasn't impossible, just long-winded like everything else.

Layl gave herself a moment at Iris' request, letting herself think it over. A spar wouldn't be bad, it would help her and Nacht bond, though admittedly, Layl thought she was a bad leader. She's better off at charging in than actually giving commands. After mulling this all over, Layl turned towards Iris and gave her a nod. "Okay Nacht, you heard her so get in position! I'm pretty bad at this so feel free to do what you want if you think I'm making dumb choices, okay boy?" And now she was treating him like a dog, and she knows it wasn't well received by the half-lidded stare she was receiving.

Nacht rolled his eyes at her after a moment, before trudging on over to the middle of the field and getting ready for a fight. He gave Layl a nod to confirm he heard her and began looking around, staring firmly at Yoko and Shossk for a moment, and then turning towards the Dartix, giving the owl the same treatment as he memorized their forms in his head. 

(Welp, when I was told the internet would be back up Friday, they meant next week, not today. I can still post, but it'll have to be short and without formatting tools.)

Shossk nods an affirmative before moving to a spot roughly 4 meters equidistant from the others, the dartix fluttering over next to him. The owl spins his head to look at each of the other combatants(?) in turn.

"Um, okay," Yoko replied to Iris, and then returned her focus to Bang. "Bang, use Water Gun on Dartrix," she instructed, and Bang in response fires off his most powerful non-crit Water Gun at the Blade Quill Pokémon.



When Iris attempts to channel Bang she is quickly met with what appears to be a reflexive resistance, though it quickly passes when Bang realizes it's Iris, and soon enough a connection is established.

The earliest memory Iris can see in Bang's memories is the first time he was sent out of his Poké Ball and met his new trainer. At this time in Bang's memories, the emotions that Iris can feel are curiosity towards his new trainer and discomfort at being summoned on land.

The next memory Iris can see turns out to be a sequel to the first memory, as she once again gets to watch Yoko's panicked flailing, this time from Bang's perspective. As it turns out, Bang was also confused about why his trainer was panicking so much over him being out of water, though it made him extremely happy to know that his trainer actually showed a lot of care for his well-being.

Through the next memory, Iris gets to see what was behind the door with the flexing arm symbol: a room filled with many exercise machines and weights. For the most part Bang felt indifferent towards this room and its various equipment, though that was completely replaced by excitement when he saw the see-through water tanks that housed strange training equipment within. His heart started racing when Yoko started carrying him up to one of these tanks, and Iris can feel just how eager Bang was to get in the water. Unfortunately, his trainer decided against it out of concern that the water might be poisonous to him. While Bang was definitely happy that his trainer cared so much for him, that was completely outweighed by how devastated he was feeling about not getting a chance to go swimming.

In the next memory, however, Iris is hit by a wave of happiness and excitement. It was the hot spring room. That excitement started turning into despair when Yoko started walking back towards the door, and Iris could hear and feel Bang's anguishes at the feeling of being denied a chance to swim in the hot spring. However, Yoko instead closed the door, and Bang's anguishes were quickly replaced with confusion. Yoko then turned back to and walked around the hot spring once before setting Bang down on what appears to be storage lockers, with Bang growing even more confused. Bang then watched Yoko strip out of her gear and stored them in one of the storage lockers, and was then once again picked up by a now naked Yoko.

Revelation then dawned on the Remoraid as he was carried into the hot spring by Yoko, and his excitement and happiness escalated to new heights. He's finally able to swim! He wriggled a little in Yoko's grip to send the message to his trainer that he wanted to swim, and his trainer granted him his wish after a delay. Iris could then feel through Bang a feeling of absolute bliss and contentment. The water was perfect, and it just sapped away all of the Remoraid's worries. Through the channel, Bang recommends to Iris that she should absolutely go soak in the hot spring if she ever needs to relax, and an audible female sigh informs Iris that Yoko was probably feeling exactly the same way.

Iris is then treated to the rather amusing memory of Yoko accidentally ordering Bang to use Water Gun. Bang, not knowing any better, promptly blasted Yoko in the face with a way watered down version of the move, and watches his trainer stare back at him with a stunned looked on her face. A little bit after that funny moment happened, Yoko had decided that she was finished, and Bang watched his trainer exit the hot spring and walk back over to the storage locker. Iris is thankfully (or regretfully?) spared of any further shows from Yoko, as Bang decided to return back to his lazy swim about in the hot spring, content to enjoy the luxury a little bit longer. When it was finally his turn to leave the hot spring, a fully rearmed Yoko christened him with a name, which completely flipped around Bang's sadness at leaving the hot spring into happiness.

The final few memories Iris can gloss over since she was present for those scenes, and the only feelings that Bang had of these moments were content and happiness. The memory slideshow then ends at that point and Iris can feel Bang waiting expectantly for her to ask any questions or comments.

In response to the accusations, Bang blinks his eyes a few times before then tilting his head (body?) in a quizzical manner, and Iris gets a feeling very akin to "why wouldn't I avoid it?" From Bang's perspective, it's only natural to want to avoid an attack aimed at you. Yoko, meanwhile, quickly gives an apologetic bow and nervously shouts, "s-sorry! We won't try to avoid the next attack if we can help it!" She held the bow for a few extra seconds, before then slowly returning to a normal standing position and turning to face Iris. "D-do we need to try again? O-or is that good enough?" she hesitantly asked.

Layl snapped to attention when she heard her name. Honestly she wasn't paying attention until that moment, having ignored the things happening before her. Elemental weaknesses were a pretty common thing back home and honestly she didn't really need a review on it. "I think we're good Iris, It's just a lecture on elemental weaknesses and strengths. Don't use fire on a fire guy, and don't use thunder on grounded foes. Simple stuff like that, right? It's all basic common sense." Layl nodded to herself as she remembered her own past experiences. Everything made perfect sense to her. Ice and Fire are opposites so they beat each other. Lightning and Wind were the same in that regard. She really didn't need a review for this.

Nacht let out a yawn as he had eventually just decided to lay down. He had been itching for a fight but it seemed they were jus doing dumb stuff without him. He opened and eye and looked over at Iris when she said his name, but otherwise just continued to laze on the ground.