Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite [BCC]

[Caramell 🍬]

Viri grew 1 level to [Lv 21]!
She gains +1 Happiness to [+5 Happiness]!
(She will have 60/62 HP after level up)


Oak has 14/15 Sport Balls and has seen 4/5 Encounters.

[Professor Oak]

A distorted voice crackled over the public address system, momentarily startling Oak. "Attention trainers! This is your official 30-minute warning for the Bug Catching Contest! Please ensure you have finalised your selections and begin heading towards the designated exit for submission."

Oak blinked, surprised. Where had the time gone? He glanced around, suddenly acutely aware of the frenetic energy buzzing around him. Trainers were engaged in final capture attempts, their Pokémon battling various Bug-types with renewed vigour. Others, like himself, seemed to be packing up, heading towards a designated exit marked by a large, colourful sign that depicted a Pinsir proudly holding a trophy.

Just then, a familiar figure materialised through the swaying field of grass. It was Cooltrainer Nick, the cobalt-haired bug-catching connoisseur who'd offered him some pointers earlier. "Hey there, newbie," Nick greeted, his voice self-assured and carrying the easy confidence of someone who had been through countless contests before. "Didn't expect to see you packing up already."

Oak rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Uh, yeah," he stammered. "Looks like Viri and I might need to improve our bug-catching skills for next season. Viri seems to have a... unique way of appreciating nature."

Nick's smirk widened. "Ah, the joys of a wilful Pokémon," he chuckled. "But hey, at least you're not coming out empty-handed, are you?" He gestured towards Oak's belt, where the sole Sport Ball containing the Nymble sat nestled. “What did you catch?”

Oak blushed. "Actually," he mumbled, "it wasn't the bug I was aiming for at first. See, there was this Nymble by the fountain..." He recounted his encounter with the Nymble, describing the teamwork it took between him and Viri to finally secure it in a Sport Ball. Nick listened intently, a thoughtful expression crossing his face as he nodded along.

"You know, old sport," Nick said as they neared the exit, "it's not always about the rarest catch. Sometimes, it's about how you handle the ones you find. Showing the judges that you know how to care for Pokémon can be just as important."

Oak felt a renewed sense of purpose as he absorbed Nick's words. He glanced at Viri, who was eagerly peering through the grass, seemingly ready for another adventure. "You know what, Nick?" Oak said, a smile spreading across his face. "I think Viri and I will stick around a bit longer. There's still some time left, and who knows what we might find."

Nick nodded approvingly. "That's the spirit, Oak. Remember, it's all about the experience and the bond with your Pokémon. See you at the judging."

"See you there, Nick," Oak replied, giving a confident wave. As Nick headed towards the exit, Oak turned to Viri. "Ready for one last round, girl?"

[Lamont]

BCC Encounter

---

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

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Kakuna LV 9
HP 100% [29/29]

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

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

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Viri LV 21
HP 97% [60/62]

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

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

Sport Balls Left: 14
5/5 Encounters

Kakuna [Shed Skin]: Normal
Viri [Overgrow] : Normal

SP36 Viri's ready for the last round!
SP14 Kakuna's being an aggressive stick-in-the-mud!


Shiny? A|8qqINbp_1-42
1-42

[Professor Oak]

Oak and Viri plunged back into the tall grass, the familiar sound of rustling leaves and chirping insects building to a crescendo as the Bug Catching Contest neared its final moments. Viri bounded ahead, her senses honed for any sign of movement. Suddenly, she skidded to a halt, her ears perked. Oak pushed his way through the grass to join her, his eyes widening at the sight before him.

A patch of grass, normally vibrant green and swaying gently in the breeze, lay flattened in a perfect circle. The stalks themselves weren't broken, but rather bent at unnatural angles, as if an invisible hand had carefully pressed them down and moulded the grass into a warped, swirling pattern. An unsettling silence hung in the air. Oak's heart pounded with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. This was unlike anything he'd ever seen in the wild.

Meanwhile Viri patrolled the perimeter of the flattened circle. Her movements were deliberate, nose twitching as she sniffed at the disturbed earth. A peculiar scent, unlike anything she'd encountered before, had tickled her senses. It wasn't unpleasant, but it held a strange duality. On one hand, it had a faint sweetness, reminiscent of ripe berries or blooming night flowers. Yet, woven into this sweetness was a faint, metallic tang. It was a subtle reminder of something sharp, something artificial.

Viri's pace slowed as she reached a particularly dense patch of grass along the boundary of the crop circle. Here, the stalks were clumped together at an odd angle, forming a small, almost tunnel-like passage. She lowered her head and pushed into the tunnel, half of her body disappearing into the tall grass.

Peeking through the green veil, Viri's eyes widened. Suspended in the air, barely a foot from her nose, hung a pulsating pink sac. Inside, a vaguely grub-like shape shifted, sending ripples through the translucent pink membrane while swirling purple clouds danced around the sac, creating an almost hypnotic effect.

"Viri," Oak called out to his companion, his voice barely a breath. "What do you see?"

Viri tilted her head, her large, luminous eyes fixated on the cocoon inside the pulsating sphere. Suddenly, a wave of pure emotion flooded Viri's mind followed by a vision of a desolate landscape devoid of life. Withered plants choked the cracked earth and once vibrant skies were now a sickly grey. The vision subsided, replaced by a voice, soft and filled with a melancholic beauty that echoed through Viri's mind.

"Help us!" the voice pleaded. "We come from a future where concrete jungles smother the earth and metal birds blot out the sun. Bugs, once plentiful, have been driven to the brink of extinction. We are the last hope, carrying the memories of a world teeming with life."

Viri recoiled back in surprise. Oak, unable to hear the telepathic message, saw only her startled reaction. "What is it, girl?" he asked with concern in his voice. "Did you find something?"

"Find the Weaver. Only she can mend the broken strands of time and save us from this desolate future." The pink light inside the sac pulsed once more, then faded completely. Viri stared at the now-opaque sac, a sense of foreboding settling in her gut before looking back up at her trainer. Curiosity gnawed at Oak. He wandered over to her gently and pushed aside the curtain of grass and peered in, expecting to see whatever had startled his companion.

Disappointment washed over him. Instead of anything extraordinary, he saw a lone Kakuna, its smooth, bronze shell reflecting the fading light filtering through the tall grass. "It's just a Kakuna," he said, his voice flat. Viri stared dumbfounded. The pulsating pink sac, the grub-like creature inside, the mesmerising purple clouds - all gone. In their place, a simple, unassuming Kakuna. It didn't reconcile with the vivid image seared into her mind.

Oak nudged her gently. "Let's head back. We don't want to miss the prize ceremony."

They emerged from the tall grass and back onto the park path, the setting sun cast long shadows. The other contestants were already gathered at the exit, Sport Balls overflowing with the day's catches. As Oak approached the judge’s table to submit his entry – a neat little Nymble, Viri stole a glance back toward the tall grass where the voice's desperate plea, the desolate vision and the unanswered questions about the Weaver all swirled in her mind, promising a future far more extraordinary than any contest win.

---

OOC: Running from Kakuna and concluding my contest!

[Caramell 🍬]

BELL HAS RUNG! GAME OVER! Oak chose to keep previously caught Nymble!


Nymble
Level: 18
OT: Prof. Oak
HP: 100%
Balls Broke: 0