The hero's journey

[grimsnarl]

[nospaces][GOOGLEFONT=Bitter]

[attr="class","endricistalking"]

takao
[break]
arata

One of his seniors at the subsidiary had been one Takamatsu-san: the man was in his late thirties by the time Takao had been hired, and he was what was softly referred to as “an eccentric.” He cared a lot about old movies, and he’d mused to Takao once that he might change his name to something “hip” - they used to say “hip” - and western like Miike or (Screaming Mad) George. Apparently he used to work in game programming so dramatics suited him. Takamatasu-san had signed off on one of Takao’s memos about some technical issue or other, and he’d added a quote that Takao had only really considered now as he was suspended upside down from the branches of a tree: “Fortune sides with him who dares.”
[break][break]
If it wasn’t clear, he thought Takamatsu was sort of an idiot.
[break][break]
Well, Arata, you’re not much better, rattles off his subconsciousness - there’s several things in the last seven hours that might be referring to. But as of right now: there is a profound suffering that takes over Takao’s body, then he pries just one finger off of his face held in his hands, daring to see, like the Talking Heads song, just how did he get here! Partially he anticipates being impaled through the chest by one of the main branches so that he’s doomed anyway. But as he can tell through the black of the night, the fronds of evergreen whipping his face, he is only suspended here. He’s caught in a sway, disorienting, directionless; there is no wind, no left or right - but up and down.
[break][break]
Up, backlit by a sliver of a waning moon, the Flying Taxi makes its last circle-round to spot its fallen customer. Him! Takao starts wheeling his arms around, flailing. The noises coming out of him start off colorful though near-immediately devolve into nonsense. He knew that door needed a better lock, he said as much! Some service! Curses! Lawsuit!! Apparently it took more than a quick glance at a license, a fat Pidgeotto and any old painted-over street cart to be like Galar, at least on such short notice. The taxi driver mistook Takao’s cries for a wild Pokemon probably and veered away. In his fit, a branch needled into the small of his back and he forfeited.
[break][break]
His thoughts turned grim again: what bird Pokemon will come pick the worms out of my body? Will it be Pidgey, or Spearow?
[break][break]
“Pochi! Pochi, boy, where’d you go!?”
[break][break]
Down, the Squirtle’s big blue head appears dizzyingly small. Pochi peers up at his trainer with imploring eyes. Luckily, the little guy’s landed himself, bits of tree boughs seemingly powderized under the heft of his shell.
[break][break]
“You’ve gotta get me down from here.” Takao has entered the bargaining phase.
[break][break]
Within that shell, Pochi is just clumsy amphibious limbs and squishy keratin. There’s really nothing he can do. He whimpers.
[break][break]
“Don’t make that face, you’re gonna make me sad. Don’t worry, we just have’ta… gotta… figure this out…”
[break][break]

battle recap:

Pochi | Squirtle

lvl 005 | torrent | 100%

tackle | growl | water gun

499 WORDS [break]

this is something endless

[newclass=".endricistalking b"]color: #75919e;[/newclass]

[Avalon]

As Takao and Pochi contemplated their situation and how to best get out of it, things continued to move on as they did on this route. Pokemon continued to crawl about even under the waning moon, and some brave Trainers continued on their nighttime treks into the wilderness. But be that as it may, it seemed as if the universe was determined for many of these Trainers to walk in a completely separate direction than Takao found himself in.

It was unclear how long Takao spent in the tree with Pochi trying to figure out some way to free his partner, before something came along to break up and un-disturb the relative peace that Takao was in. Granted, said peace involved dangling precariously from tree branches, but it was still relatively peaceful regardless. But soon, Takao would be able to hear something approaching from down below. Footsteps, and a young boy emerged from the brush, looking slightly haggard.

"I know I heard something over-Oh wow, are you okay?!" the Youngster shouted out. Some noise had brought young Joey to this part of the Route outside of New Bark, where he now found himself staring at an office worker in a precarious position. Joey hadn't been expecting any of this, expecting the noise to have been coming from some injured or wild Pokemon rather than a person. He paused, unsure of what to do. "Okay, uh, I'll try to find a way to get you down, mister!"

As he said so, it seemed that something in the trees was also stirring. Disturbed by the noise so close to its nest, a nocturnal bird appeared on a nearby tree branch, looking at both the Youngster and at Takao inquisitively. It was rare to see a group of humans out and about this late at night, especially when one of them seemed so young. Suddenly, Joey was hit by a burst of inspiration. An idea appeared in his head. His only Pokemon, Rattata, could never hope to free the man from the tree.

"I'll take care of this! I got an idea, mister!" Joey said, picking up a rock he saw on the ground and lobbing it at the Hoothoot. Through some miracle, the stone's throw in the dark seemed to land upon the bird on center mass, a direct hit. Suddenly angered, the Hoothoot let out a loud chirp, flapping its wings angrily as he began looking for some outlet to let out its anger. Immediate targets seemed to be the child, Takao, or the nearby Squirtle.

A wild Hoothoot (Level 6) appeared, angry for some pretty obvious reasons! Thanks for nothing, Joey.
What will Takao do now?

Shiny? wn0MXObA1-421-42

[grimsnarl]

[nospaces][GOOGLEFONT=Bitter]

[attr="class","endricistalking"]

takao
[break]
arata

The most progress Takao had made by the time the kid appeared was figuring out how he’d gotten stuck: one of his shoes was caught tight in the V-shape of two crossing tree branches. He was doing his hardest to reach it, like some upside-down morning aerobics exercise, stretching and really engaging that core -- the youngster’s call jolts him to attention, and when their eyes meet, it’s like music to his ears.
[break][break]
Takao grins like a madman. He doesn’t need to ask how or why: the kid’s declaration and self-appointment to the task to free him, he thought, spoke to his strong character. That up-and-at-’em attitude was a gem of a trait to have. He’d make a great future upstarter.
[break][break]
At ground level, Pochi cowered at another human asserting his spot in the situation, slinking back in a quadrupedal, low-belly position.
[break][break]
“Man, do I owe you. You’re a good kid!” Takao cheers the boy on, watches the gears seem to work in his head -- then he goes to pick up a rock.
[break][break]
“Hey, whoa, whoa! That’s not funny! They killed witches with those-!”
[break][break]
He hadn’t noticed the Hoothoot, wanting to push back his own premonition that there’d be birds attracted to his warm body. He crosses his arms back over his face as the youngster winds up and throws; the rock shoots past him, branches crunch, there’s a thud, the bird makes an ugly noise. Takao whirls to look at the creature, horrified. “You-?”
[break][break]
The Hoothoot rains feathers on him, but it’s clearly disoriented, its round body whirling around in a flurry of wing-beats. “Ah-! It’s okay! It was just- well, it wasn’t me!” He isn’t going to directly implicate the boy, though, even if he turned out to be a sadistic little punk, so he resolves to gesticulating all around about as wildly as the bird is.
[break][break]
Takao realizes he can’t remember the last time he’s seen a Pokemon lose control before, if at all. One time Pochi sneezed so hard he’d frightened himself. Maybe it’s a trainer’s duty to catch the riled ones.
[break][break]
He reaches behind his back for his bag. He pales when it isn’t there. Snapping his attention down, though eyes flitting warily between Squirtle and hopping-mad Hoothoot: “Pochi! Pochi…!” This is much harder without a command. “Uh, fetch! Fetch… bag!”
[break][break]
Of course Pochi’s eyes are bouncing back-and-forth, human and feral wild, human and feral wild, just like his.
[break][break]
“Bag is like- it’s like shell,” he creates a vague “shell,” half-circle shape with his two hands, “for trainer. Trainer’s shell.”
[break][break]
Pochi’s eyes go wide. Recognition? Yes! He knows exactly what a shell is! The Squirtle retracts immediately, grateful to have a trainer so compassionate as to spare him from the burgeoning danger.
[break][break]

battle recap:

Pochi | Squirtle

lvl 005 | torrent | 100%

tackle | growl | water gun

453 WORDS [break]
I forgot how non-combat works...

this is something endless

[newclass=".endricistalking b"]color: #75919e;[/newclass]

[Caramell 🍬]

Anger built in the chest of the rotund bird whose strange eyes had long feathers that jutted out like the hands of a clock. It stared at Takao and glanced over towards young Joey as its mind spun with mental clarity. Was it the trainer caught in a tree that had tried to attack it or the small boy who was bound to the earthen ground below? Rock based moves weren’t readily known by these strange two-legged creatures and Hoothoot wasn’t confident that such a tiny lad would have known anything like smack down to try and attack the Hoothoot with a flying projectile. But the giant man stuck in a tree seemed a prime suspect all the same.

When Takao called out to his strange and skittish turtle ground side to retrieve his bag, Hoothoot’s bright red eyes lit up like an ominous warning. A harsh wind fluttered through the tree lines, shaking the branches in sporadic patterns that would make many of them shake free several leaves that fluttered to the ground, covering the bright wildflowers that popped up everywhere in preparation for the spring times that brought in the welcoming warm weather with its cooling winds. Hoothoot would fling itself down upon Takao in an instance, with its beak lighting up with a strange glow. It would do its best to peck the trainer wherever it could reach him – from head to shoes – and hope to knock some classic sense into such a mean and awful trainer.

If Takao reacted quickly, he could still have Pochi give him his bag to shield himself with. Or perhaps, Pochi could redirect Hoothoot’s aggression if he could be convinced to face this feathered adversary in a worthy battle between the two Pokemon? Joey’s eyes lit up with worry. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to scare that bird off properly!” He promised, picking up more rocks in his hands. He would toss them one at a time at the bird, managing to hit Hoothoot in its sides and wings, as well as against the back of its head. Whether this should have been the straw to cause the bird to snap and turn its attention upon the real culprit, it was not. Assuming the worst about Takao, Joey’s ‘helpfulness’ would only send the bird into a wilder frenzy as it tried to attack Takao.

Wild Encounter

---

Weather: Clear Skies

[attr="class","qkt-bkgd"]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Hoothoot LV 6
HP 100% [25/25]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Pochi LV 5
HP 100% [20/20]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

Wild Hoothoot [??]: Normal
Takao's Pochi [Torrent]: Normal

SP12 Hoothoot used I'mma get you, human!
SP10 Pochi used here's your bag, owner!

Moves: Peck, Growl, Tackle


The site mechanics work off game mechanics. However, you're free to rp it like "playing" verses "battling" or any number of ways. Number crunching will still be done based off the move listed (like a Pokemon 'gently' pushing another down a specific path in 'follow the leader' could be used as Tackle for mechanics purposes, if in battle. However, I think Hoothoot is in fight mode. xD

[grimsnarl]

[nospaces][GOOGLEFONT=Bitter]

[attr="class","endricistalking"]

takao
[break]
arata

An exasperated sigh at his Squirtle hasn’t so much as passed from Takao’s mouth before he’s screaming for his life. He manages to shield his face in the bends of his arms as Hoothoot comes for him -- lightning-fast, for such a short-bodied thing, it pivots to his legs.
[break][break]
"Pochi! Pochi!!" There’s really no one else to call to. God? Clearly there is no god on Route 29.
[break][break]
Pochi is so terrified that even his shell seems to tremble amidst the undergrowth. And is Takao envious: first that there is no such thing as a “trainer’s shell” for him to withdraw into, and secondly that the Squirtle doesn’t speak his language, because if he did he’d every spare justification to just let the squirt have it.
[break][break]
Well, even if Pochi had succeeded in doing anything Takao would likely forgive him. He was pitiable. He was cute.
[break][break]
There’s a sharp pain in Takao’s leg as a Peck attack lands. "Auugh! You’re all liable for this!!" Instinctively, he lashes out with his uncaught leg: the Hoothoot, in its frenzy, dodges. Not to worry, because the youngster has his back with another bulls-eye, then another. They all seemed to bounce off its plumage like pachinko balls -- the Hoothoot remained in flight -- but it must have been the principle of the matter because it was so incensed as to not even watch for where the shots were coming from, as to tunnel-vision entirely on Takao.
[break][break]
"Kid if you don’t quit it I’m haunting you through the rest of junior high!" Takao’s right leg works the air in a few noodling kicks, hopefully keeping the Hoothoot’s hot beak busy there. He manages to wriggle free of his suit jacket, catching it by the sleeve. It was getting too warm for it anyway. The aim is to blanket the bird, and maybe, immobilized, it’ll have to calm down: he whips the jacket around two-handed, trying to catch it in that one spot by his flailing leg. It’s tough on his core muscles after a long sedentary work life, but this feels pertinent.

battle recap:

Pochi | Squirtle

lvl 005 | torrent | 100%

tackle | growl | water gun

343 WORDS [break]

this is something endless

[newclass=".endricistalking b"]color: #75919e;[/newclass]

[antonius]

(OOC: There shall be no advertisement in your signature. Please remove it. You also need to link your profile in the signature in place of the advertisement.)

The hoothoot dodges the pathetic attempt by the human trying to capture it. Instead it makes a bee line for the squirtle who is a coward.

>>Are you this pathetic of a Pokemon that your human has to use clothing to make a fool of himself? Do you not have any pride or guts to face me properly? Does your human even know how to battle properly?<<

The hoothoot flies around calling out to the other wild Pokemon saying this human is nothing to be afraid of or the Pokemon with him. It waits to see what other foolishness this human will do which will leave his poor squirtle open for another attack. It starts laughing at this pairing. Other Pokemon starts laughing with the hoothoot as they crawl out of their hiding places.

>>You and your trainer better take this seriously or both of you will end up paying for this, squirtle. You will first go down and then the rest of the Pokemon here will chase your human back to wherever he came from. Is your trainer so ill equipped to do his job properly?<<

Wild Encounter

---

Weather: Clear Skies

[attr="class","qkt-bkgd"]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Hoothoot LV 6
HP 100% [25/25]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Pochi LV 5
HP 80% [16/20]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

Wild Hoothoot [??]: Normal
Takao's Pochi [Torrent]: Normal

SP12 Hoothoot used peck on the squirtle's head
SP10 Pochi used a jacket which hoothoot dodges

Moves: Peck, Growl, Tackle

[grimsnarl]

[nospaces][GOOGLEFONT=Bitter]

[attr="class","endricistalking"]

takao
[break]
arata

Balled like a fist in a hand in his shell, Pochi doesn’t have the recourse to brace against the Hoothoot’s dive bomb attack; and though the bird Pokemon springs off his shell to hang flapping over him, Pochi still clearly felt the force behind that beak attack. The only sign of life amidst a low whine and the inner-shell darkness are those big eyes, one screwed shut and the other already seeming to bubble over with tears.
[break][break]
Pokemon don’t always have to “speak” to each other to be heard, yet this one, Hoothoot, is raving. Pathetic! No pride! Clearly this is what Pochi understands it to be. There’s a low moan coming out from his carapace safe place: not so impenetrable. Hoothoot bawks and seems to hurl itself at him before reversing last minute -- Pochi clamps shut both his eyes and just waits for it all to be over -- the bird wheeling around the space underneath the tree, tamped down by passing trainers over time. And from the undergrowth, of unseen nests for Rattata and Bug-types, comes a cacophonous chorus. Clicks and chitters. It’s mocking. Apparently the Kanto corporate ladder isn’t the only hot spot for cronies.
[break][break]
For Pochi, this is a nightmare, obviously, but it’s in a dark way reassuring. To a housepet, this is exactly what he’d thought entering the real world would be like. The real world is subsumed in corruption, and resistance to engaging in that corruption will only lead to its beneficiaries coming to cut them down to size. Death to the nonconforming! The innocent will be made examples of, mocked and ridiculed and abused! There is no justice! And there is, in fact, no god on Route 29.
[break][break]
“What the hell-?” Takao is split between the onset lightheadedness from swinging upside down; the pollen; one of his work jackets being covered in feathers now; the absolute spiraling disaster happening on the ground below him. “Are they… are they bullying him? Are they bullying my boy!? What’s happening!?”
[break][break]
He calls to his partner: “Pochi, you gotta scare that thing away! It’s up to you! Use Water Gun!”
[break][break]
Pochi is too shaken to move, he understands. “Look, I get it. You didn’t start this fight; it’s unfair. But sometimes in life, we have to do things we don’t wanna do! It’s the job of good people to keep other good people from getting stomped on. And if you’re the good guy getting stomped on? That means you fight back!”
[break][break]
Oftentimes Pokemon can’t (or don’t bother to) understand a single, stupid word coming out of humans’ mouths: luckily, a trainer doesn’t always have to “speak” to be heard. Pochi, shaking like a leaf, tries to edge his head out, just enough to look up at the man cheering him on.
[break][break]
“I know you can do it, Pochi! You have a great Water Gun!”
[break][break]
That was true: the wife had started a garden for one summer. She’d invited Pochi out to help with the watering, call it bonding. The Squirtle had taken a deep, deep breath, and then the camellia plants ended up in their neighbor’s yard.
[break][break]
“Don’t listen to what they’re saying, Pochi! Water Gun!”
[break][break]
Pochi sucks his head back in. In that same motion, a blast of water comes flying at where Hoothoot hovered with enough might to send the shell skidding back into a bush.
[break][break]
“Ooh! Knock-out!” He’ll take that as a success. Takao’s arm punches the air, a movement that makes his whole precarious position bend amongst the tree boughs, reminding him that they are not in the final act of a feel-good sports movie. His attention shoots up to where his caught shoe seems inches less-caught than before.
[break][break]
“Hey, kid,” he calls below, “if you’re even still there- I need help shaking this tree!!”

battle recap: pochi used water gun on hoothoot

Pochi | Squirtle

lvl 005 | torrent | 80%

tackle | growl | water gun

625 WORDS [break]

this is something endless

[newclass=".endricistalking b"]color: #75919e;[/newclass]

[Tarlar]

The kid had frozen when Takao had shouted at him to stop and the rocks had fallen from his hands. He fidgeted with his hands as he didn't know what else to do. "I don't understand, I tried to get it to attack the tree holding you so that you could get free, why didn't it work?" Joey called out helplessly, and his rattata looked really tired over its young trainer's strange kid logic.
There was no way Joey's rattata would be able to get that high into the tree, and neither could the squirtle, but the bird! The bird could fly, so why hadn't it freed the man as it had been supposed to do?
Both Joey and his rattata jumped and looked around warily as the undergrowth exploded in what could best be described as laughter from other wild pokemon. It was not often they get to see a trainer and his pokemon in problems like this, even though it was a bit surprising so many was up and about at this time of the night.

"They are?" Joey said and then squared his tiny small shoulders, "Hey! Stop that! Bullying isn't nice!" He scolded the wild pokemon but to no avail.
"Hey! Hey, its close to the ground! Rattata! Tackle it!" Joey said urged and pointed at the hoothoot who was hovering close to Pochi, still throwing out mocking comments.

The night bird looked disdainfully at the squirtle, "you should go back where you came from, you'd be eaten alive out here," it growled at its opponent and then turned its head 90 degrees when it heard the kid shout out. It flapped a bit and the rattata soared through the air several feets below it, "you need to be faster than that! Caught pokemon are so slow and weak, you can't do anything without help from your humans and are too weak to.." It got cut short of Pochi's blast of water which sent it spiraling through the air.

"Okay!" Joey shouted and forgot all about trying to help Pochi as he ran to the tree and grabbed it with both hands, he couldn't even get a leave to move as he tried to shake it. "Rattata! Come and help me!"
The rat glanced between the squirtle and the hoothoot, "Good luck! You can do this!" It called encouragingly to Pochi and then ran to join its trainer, it didn't make much of a difference.
"I'm sorry, we're not strong enough!" Joey apologized as he leaned up against the tree and wiped sweat off his forehead.
"If I could just somehow get up to that branch," he said thoughtfully and his rattata began nudging his legs and trying to get his attention to its pokeball, but he didn't notice its attempts to help him get a useful idea.



Wild Encounter

---

Weather: Clear Skies

[attr="class","qkt-bkgd"]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Hoothoot LV 6
HP 76% [19/25]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Pochi LV 5
HP 80% [16/20]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

Wild Hoothoot [??]: Normal
Takao's Pochi [Torrent]: Normal (-1ATK)

SP12 Hoothoot used Growl!
SP10 Pochi used Water Gun!

Moves: Peck, Growl, Tackle

[grimsnarl]

Takao Arata wants to feel bad for the youngster—he really does—but he can’t remember being this dense when he was that age. It might be a generational difference: this kid, doesn’t think he’s gotten his name yet, was probably cavorting with the local superpowered wildlife on his way to the convenience store. He can be thankful, chalk it up to one of the many reasons he’s glad Masuko never asked for kids.

God, what would she think seeing him up here?

On the ground, Pochi’s Water Gun attack is unrelenting.

“Well, kid, the tree isn’t throwing rocks at it.” Takao smiles, if without teeth. In a subtle sway, he can suss out the purple-bodied Pokemon seemingly in-between the boy’s legs.

“Kid- hey, what’s your name? Your Rattata’s lookin’ a little restless down there.” A sort of exhaustion has settled in—Takao knows this self-dislodging effort is on him since the youngster can’t put a dent in; honestly, he would be relieved to distract the boy long enough as to distract him from another stupid idea. Takao can imagine himself wriggling around like a Magikarp in a sack race, and he can now vividly imagine himself crashing down among the feral wilds below. Are Weedle found out here? He hates those little creeps—couldn’t he impale himself?

[Pixel]

<I thought by now you would have all gotten the hint. Out. Shoo. Remove yourself from this tree.> The hoothoot groused, fluffing up as it continued to rain down pecks upon the squirtle's head, getting soaked in return for its efforts. The two pokemon squabbled as pokemon were wont to do as the pair of humans sorted out a resolution to their current predicament. Because as the older man had concluded, the kid was just a youngster. Inexperienced and full of foolish ideas. He wanted to help but wasn't able to do so. Not efficiently or without guidance.

At the query about a name, the kid pointed at himself, pausing in his tree shaking efforts, "Me? Oh, I'm Joey. What about you mister? What's your name? And do you think throwing rocks would help? Because if we knocked out that mean bird..." He rambled for a bit to himself about the cruel, mocking hoot hoot. 

Said bird was unpleasantly wet and very annoyed.


Wild Encounter

---

Weather: Clear Skies

[attr="class","qkt-bkgd"]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Hoothoot LV 6
HP 52% [13/25]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Pochi LV 5
HP 60% [12/20]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

Wild Hoothoot [??]: Normal
Takao's Pochi [Torrent]: Normal (-1ATK)

SP12 Hoothoot used Peck!
SP10 Pochi used Water Gun!

Moves: Peck, Growl, Tackle

[grimsnarl]

Hoothoot, fighting against the spray, lunges forward to strike at Pochi’s spluttering face; he squeaks and kicks out, goes ramming into Hoothoot. There’s a kick-up of flower petals and crunch of undergrowth as they go wheeling over each other into a bush.

“Damn it! I can’t see them!” Takao wheels his arms around, trying and failing to build momentum as to follow the scrap’s progress. He’s worried that Pochi, with all nada of his combat experience, is at risk of getting worn down.

The kid drops his arms from around the tree. “Me? Oh, I’m Joey. What about you, mister? What’s your name? And do you think throwing rocks would help? Because if we knocked out that mean bird…”

“No,” Takao says, shaking his head, catching his breath. “No rocks. I-I think Pochi can knock out the bird-”

He starts preparing an introduction, but the hesitance of going business-mode on a kid gives him pause enough to rephrase what he’d usually say, and in that moment, he realizes, “Hey, Joey, instead of knocking out the Hoothoot, why don’t you try to catch it, son? You caught your Rattata there, didn’t you? And a Flying-type could really help with the whole… vertically-challenged situation…!”

(Pochi used Tackle!)

[Pixel]

"Catch it? No way! I don't want that mean bird...besides, me and rattata? We're a team. He's a top percent rattata after all! And together, we're going to be the very best there is...no meanie hoothoots needed!" Joey huffed. "And...um...I also don't have any more pokeballs...so..." He shrugged.

The hoothoot, quite done with this nonsense, fussed at the squirtle some more.

<Go. Away! Before I make you regret this.> It growled, startlingly intimidating for an owl. Hesitation made the following tackle glance off the bird's feathery body. Well that wasn't the best strategy for defeating this bird... Though if catching it was on the table, Joey certainly wasn't going to be the one who did it. He apparently planned to solo he world with himself and his purple rat.

Wild Encounter

---

Weather: Clear Skies

[attr="class","qkt-bkgd"]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Hoothoot LV 6
HP 44% [11/25]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Pochi LV 5
HP 60% [12/20]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

Wild Hoothoot [??]: Normal
Takao's Pochi [Torrent]: Normal (-2 ATK)

SP12 Hoothoot used Growl!
SP10 Pochi used Tackle!

Moves: Peck, Growl, Tackle

[grimsnarl]

“Catch it? No way! I don’t want that mean bird. Besides, me and Rattata? We’re a team. He’s a top percent Rattata, after all!”

Takao can’t bring himself to believe what the kid’s saying. Didn’t “team” necessitate more than one Pokemon?

“And, um… I also don’t have any more Pokeballs, so.” The kid shrugs.

Takao’s face falls. “None? That’s- c’mon, Joey, that’s Trainer 101!” Takao hadn’t even taken that sabbatical at ten years himself: it’d been hammered into him by adamant homeroom teachers to not forget, to never go into the tall grass unless you could count the number of Pokeballs you had on one hand. Sayings like that popped into your head at random points of the day—or some hours earlier, when you were hurriedly stuffing your backpack with the intention to skip town.

Hoothoot’s squawk resounds from the brush—it’s not out of hurt, it springing backwards off one leg to hover off the ground in a few wingbeats. Pochi launches after it, stumbles, lands on all fours and looks up at the Hoothoot with an exhausted look of mercy.

It makes Takao’s heart seize—he’s not sure how intent the Hoothoot is on attacking still. For a while it just seems to hang in the air—

“Pochi, Water Gun!” he barks out. Keep it flying!

His Squirtle looks like he’s about to cry, but he manages, standing back as he takes a long, hard belly-breath.

Takao doesn’t have to wait to see if the attack lands. It’s so telegraphed: the Hoothoot flaps again to push itself higher like a shuttlecock bunted off a racket.

Takao doesn’t give himself time to warn Joey or worry himself because luckily all that throwing himself around wasn’t for nothing: he pops his foot loose and falls just far enough to land directly on Hoothoot. That’s a two-foot-tall ball of feathers under him. It screams, it lashes around, and it tries desperately to stay aloft against Takoa’s weight as he hugs it to his chest. Route 29’s hell blurs around him—he can’t tell if they’re upright or upside down—and then there’s the crash and snap of bush branches around him and Pochi’s gurgling cry of horror. Thank god, he’s landed in one piece.

(Pochi used Water Gun!)

[Tarlar]

"Only if they want to catch pokemon!" Joey shouted in defiance, "I'm not! I don't need anyone beside Rattata! He is the best there is and I won't find anyone who'll be as good as him!" The rat blushed a bit and fidgeted, that was some high expectations put on his shoulders.
"Besides, my mom don't want anymore pokemon in the house," he mumbled in the way only a kid could do it, when they said too much. He looked defiant at Takao, "Why don't you catch it?!"

A gasp escaped the boy as Takao rather effortlessly pulled himself free and then fell from the tree and right down upon the hoothoot! Oh no! That could only end bad as he knew you shouldn't engage in any close fighting with a wild pokemon! You'd be on the loosing end of that!
"Are you okay?!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, making his rattata jump startled. Joey ran forward to help Takao since he surely was in grave trouble now.

Pochi did not go away and the hoothoot pouted, stupid squirtle. "Don't say I didn't warn ya," it said darkly, "you brought this upon yourself!" It excused itself and flapped its small wings to pick up some speed. A moment later it slammed into Pochi with its beak first and pushed the squirtle to the ground as it pushed off him to take off and get back into the air. Pochi was back up on his feet pretty quickly and a deep breath was taken in preparation for the attack.
The water gun which followed was impressive and completely took the hoothoot by surprise, it blasted it backwards and to make things worse, right into Takao who was dropping from the tree, grabbed it and slammed it into the ground. He he wanted to catch it, he wouldn't get a better chance!

The hoothoot turned its head to glare at Takao, he would have a few heartbeats as it got over the shock to do something, or he would be the sole target for the sharp beak.


Wild Encounter

---

Weather: Clear Skies

[attr="class","qkt-bkgd"]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Hoothoot LV 6
HP 16% [2/25]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Pochi LV 5
HP 30% [6/20]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

Wild Hoothoot [??]: Normal
Takao's Pochi [Torrent]: Normal (-2 ATK)

SP12 Hoothoot used Peck!
SP10 Pochi used Water Gun! Critical hit!

Moves: Peck, Growl, Tackle


(ooc: Please refrain from writing something succeeds/happens to npc's You can always try it and write what you want to try do, but leave it up to the mod if it succeeds or not)