Issue #1 Out of My Shell [mod]

[amphy]

Eloise held onto her pokeball for dear life. She didn't dare let the thing out of her sight. Sure, she had belt clips for it, and ample space in her backpack, but what if someone pickpocketed her? Then what would she do? Nope. Not worth the risk. So she kept the red and white sphere in her clammy hands. The sultry, balmy air of New Bark kissed her skin. She almost forgot that air could smell good. City life did that to a girl. Every part of Johto she’d seen was so…unlike kanto. It was beautiful, for starters. It was like it was plucked from a storybook. Ellie hated it.

She was in unfamiliar territory holding an insanely valuable pokemon. She may as well have asked Professor Elm to paint a big red target on her back! She was vulnerable now. Exposed. Dropped into unfamiliar territory where everyone else had the home field advantage. All her hopes were pinned on the blue turtle in the poke-ball. Squirtle wouldn’t have been her first choice for a starter. Even being a trainer at all hadn’t been her first choice either. She was used to making compromises. Though she figured she wouldn’t tell her Squirtle that. No sense fostering resentment in the troops, so to speak.

Ellie watched the locals with suspicious eyes as she wandered to the outskirts of town. The underbrush would make it harder for anyone to sneak up on her and nab her pokemon. Ellie knelt down onto the ground, wincing a bit as she put pressure on her cut up leg. “Ok…ok…” She muttered to herself and let her squirtle out of its ball. It was a calculated move to kneel down. She wanted to seem non-threatening. The small blue turtle looked around for a bit before settling his gaze on Eloise. “Hi, there, little one…” Ellie’s voice was uncertain and strained but she was trying her best to be gentle with the little thing.

She wasn’t the sentimental type. She just knew from her studies that this produced the best results. Squirtle walked towards her on unsteady legs. He seemed entirely unintimidated by her. That was good. It was what she was going for. “So, uh, like as for a name…like a nickname, I was thinking Shelbert. Sheldon is too obvious. Too pedestrian. Sheldon is where it’s at.”

Shelbert stared at her blankly with those big eyes of his. “Yeah…Shelbert.” Ellie stood up, having decided that she’d demonstrated her nonthreatening status. Shelbert continued to stare at her blankly. Ellie, put off by this, decided to pick up the little guy. Apparently small pokemon liked that sort of thing. It was heavy, definitely not something she could let ride on her shoulder, but still, she could lift him up just fine.

Shelbert cheered and waved his arms. Seemingly this is what he was waiting for. Ellie held him awkwardly, as if she feared getting bitten or sprayed with water. “Yeah…you, uh, you like that?” She put the squirtle down on the ground. “Ok, Shelbert. We’re partners now. We’re running the circuit through Johto. That means a lot of fighting, and I suspect the fighting to start soon cuz I wanna catch more pokemon, but…If you’re not ok with that, I won’t force you. Say the word and I can take you back to Elm’s and-”
Shelbert walked towards her legs and looked up at her. It had such a dumb face, but she assumed that was determination in its eyes. “Ok…well, I guess that’s a yes then.”

Ellie and Shelbert wandered into the unknown.

[antonius]

As Ellie walked along, a small brown bird with red wings falls out of a nest that is several feet up. The bird lands into a pile of leaves and twigs. To the surprise of both trainer and the bird, it gets up and shakes off the leaves. Then it takes a few moments to remove the twigs caught in the small feathers. Once it is done pruning itself, it hobbles a little towards the human and turtle Pokemon. It then squawks at the two after looking up at the human and then refocusing on the Pokemon.

>>Ouch, you have to watch that first step. Now I understand why mom and dad was insistent on learning how to fly before taking the literal first step. Would you know where some caterpie or weedle are at? I am famished and haven't seen mom or dad for a few days. I'll even take a wurmple even if I am burnt out on those things.<<

The spearow walks closer trying to get a good look at the squirtle debating if it is edible. The shell would be an issue and maybe the skin would be too tough. Upon thinking instead of listening to the grumbles of the stomach, the spearow will stick with what it knows which is bug Pokemon. It also doubts the beak would be able to penetrate the hard shell.

OOC: You have encountered a very hungry level 2 spearow. What do you want to do?

[amphy]

"AAH" Ellie yelped, instinctively bringing her arms up to cover her face. She hadn't expected trouble so soon! Shelbert mirrored Ellie's protective maneuver and withdrew into his shell. Unlike Ellie, he was quick to realize the small bird wasn't much of a threat. After a moment, Ellie lowered her arms slightly. The creature that fell from the tree was much smaller than she expected. Despite scaring her a bit, it wasn't attacking yet.

From her estimation, that meant one of two things. Option A: it was sizing them up. Option B: It wasn't looking for a fight. Either way, she had a brief window of opportunity. If she played her cards right, she could have herself another pokemon. A flying type like this would serve her well. She'd have an airborne scout and a super mega bug catching task force member to aid in the procurement of bugs.

Long story short: Ellie was gonna catch this bird. If it wasn't going to attack, she would repay in kind. Besides, any outward aggression might scare the thing off, and if it regrouped with its flock...She didn't want to consider that outcome. Flying types weren't her go to specialty, but one fact rang true of most any pokemon. When fed, they become docile and sluggish. From there, at least in theory, it was far easier to catch them.

Before she was a trainer, she tried to pull such a maneuver. She was going to tame a rattata near the dumpsters behind her school. It...didn't go to plan. She wouldn't fail again. Eloise slowly reached into her backpack with one hand. The other she placed in front of Shelbert. It was her hope the blue turtle would take that as a sign to hold off any rash action. She felt around the inside of her bag for the Poke Snax she was graciously given my Professor Elm.

She fiddled with the bag, reaching inside and grabbing a treat. She pulled it out slowly, holding it in her hand. She got down on one knee and presented it to the little bird, dropping it to a middle point between them. She didn't want to risk getting her hand bitten by the thing. Sweat formed on her brow. "Easy does it...Easy does it..."

[vartio]

The spearow looked at the food that was offered it, glancing at what couldn't even be described as a food as Juicy or as scrumptuous looking as a Wurmple! How could this dry disgusting food ever whet its fine pallet!

In response to this, the spearow let out a hostile cry.

["If you won't give me at least a Wurmple I'll take the meat out of this thing! (SP-SPEAROW ROW SPE SPEAROW!)] Cried out the Spearow, which The Spearow kicked its feet in the air, approaching the girl and her Pokemon as it beat its wings aggressively, pecking forwards her when its legs came down to land each time, making a constant flurry of aggressive threatening attacks.

Spearow was a growing child raised in the wild, and having already been fed delicious wormy/pillary worm pokemon, how could it ever go to eating such dry, low-meat, disgusting brown filth!?

[amphy]

Ellie's heart was pounding like a drum. She wanted to believe, she had to believe, that she could do this her way. Go on...Take it... Ellie watched the bird. Time slowed to a crawl. The bird looked at the treat, and let out a terrible screech. Ellie tried to get off her knee, but in her panic managed only to rise a bit and fall back on her butt. Her glasses were almost knocked off, sitting crooked on her face, only one of her eyes having a lens in front of it.

She krabby walked back as the bird flapped its wings, hopping towards her ever closer. "SHELBERT, GET 'EM!" her voice was ugly and hoarse, the way it was when she was truly terrified. The little blue turtle seemed to understand the command and stood inbetween his trainer and the ravenous spearow. "W-WATER GUN!!!!" Ellie ordered. He seemed to understand that too. If he had time before the spearow was upon him he'd shoot out a beam of water from his mouth, hoping to nail that stupid little bird.

[vartio]

The Spearow was quite angry! Why would anyone give it dry food! That stuff would be such a pain! Plump Juicy Worm and Caterpillars were the best in the world! And then the Turtle came forwards to the Spearow! 'Ah, the food comes to be eaten' it had believed!

SPEAROW! roared out the pokemon as it attempted to claw at the Squirtle. Only to get pelted in the face and sent rolling and sprawling on the ground, where it twitched before getting up, roughed up and covered in dirt and mud.

"I'll get you for that you annoying meal! (Spearow Spear Spearow Spear Spe!) called out the Spearow as it ran up to the Squirtle and pecked it on the head so softly it seemed almost like a joke despite most of its strength behind it.

"Hah! Take that! Victory and dinner will be mine!

The poor aggressive child was way out of its weight class. It didn't truly grasp it was out of its league.

Wild Encounter

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Weather: Clear

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

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Spearow LV 2
HP 36% [5/14]

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

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

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Shelbert LV 5
HP 95% [19/20]

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

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

Spearow [ ? ? ? ]: Status
Shelbert [Torrent]: Status

SP10 Shelbert 1 used Water Gun!
SP8 Spearow use Peck!

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SPOILER: Click to show

(Left = Shelbert, Right = Spearow)
Crit
vbDsuGxsp_1-16 | p_1-16
Dmg
p_1-16- 9 DMG  | p_1-16 - 1 DMG

1-16·1-16·1-16·1-16

[amphy]

Ellie did not remember the blast of water. She had ordered it, sure. She knew in some logical part of her brain it would happen. Yet she had no memory of it happening. Those frames were removed from the record. The bird had been knocked back a good few feet. Its feathers dripping with mud and water. Waterproof. Feathers are waterproof. The rational thinking part of Ellie called out through the fog of war. It was important to know that. She read about it.

Even so, spearow was looking to be on its last legs. Some things were waterproof, but nothing was immune to kinetic force! Ellie placed her hands on her knees in an attempt to rise to her feet. For the first time she saw how...small it was. It was certainly nothing to be afraid of. Not with her siege engine of a squirtle. Ellie affixed her glasses and reached into her bag again. This time she would not offer salvation to the spearow.

I promised to fill the pokedex. I intend to honor that vow. She stared down at the bird without pity or mercy. This was her time. She pulled out an empty Pokeball and threw it at the spearow. It wouldn't have been her first choice for a team member, but it had its uses. She intended to take advantage of them.

(Ellie throws a pokeball at the birb)

[vartio]

The Spearow would be cawing and hawing as the human stood up. It was ready to strike out in the name of fighting for its dinner! It was ready to resist with all its might against the unjust treatment of no Worms! It was-

BONK!

Hit by the Pokeball in the center of its head by the human, causing it to nearly fall over backwards with a 'SPEE!' from being hit such before it was converted into a mass of energy that would condense into the opened ball before it shut close. It hovered in the air for a second, wiggled, then clicked shut, it wasn't even a contest, this Spearow was captured.

Congratulations! You added Spearow to your team!

[img src="http://pldh.net/media/pokemon/gen4/hgss/021.png"] [img src="https://johtophoto.com/sprites/items/pokeball.png"]
[b]Spearow[/b]
Name: [choose]
Gender: [choose]
Level: 2
OT: Eloise Langstrom
Ability: Keen Eye
Attacks: Peck, Growl
Nature/Personality: [choose]

Shelbert has gained +2 Levels!
Shelbert is now level 7!
Shelbert learned Withdraw!

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(OOC)So the catch of a Spearow at level 2 is 100%... at 100% health xD. So I won't bother with the math this time.(/OOC)

---

[amphy]

For the first time since starting her journey, Ellie laughed. "OH YEAH! IN YOUR FACE!" Ellie felt better than ok. She felt alive. This was what having a pokemon meant. It was power. Sheer power that would only grow in time. Regions would quake at her coming. No one, NO ONE would ever make her feel bad ever again! Not her parents. Not those jerks at school! NO ONE!

Ellie's hands shook as she knelt down to fetch her pokeball. It felt like her veins were full of more adrenaline than actual blood. I want to feel like this all the time. I never want to come down. Ellie turned her gaze to Shelbert. "Oh, Shelbert, you were AMAZING! YOU WERE ALL LIKE WOOOOOOSH!" Ellie pantomimed the water gun. "And then it was like nooooooooooo" and Ellie pantomimed being a small bird blasted back by a beam of water.

Ellie picked up the squirtle again. He seemed to like it the first time. She had to reward success accordingly. "You've got potential, little guy. You and me are gonna TEAR THIS REGION UP!" Ellie went back into laughing. Shelbert cheered, partially because he was being held and partially because he appreciated the pep talk. Ellie put him back down and began pacing around. "Ok...Ok..." 

They would probably need to keep moving if they wanted to fill more pages on the pokedex. The spearow (name undecided) was a good start, but she held little compassion for the thing. It was a means to an end, to be discarded when she had better options. Shelbert had taken to sitting on the grass, playing with a small stick he found.

"Come along now, time to hit the old dusty trail. We got 'mons to catch!" Ellie looked back to make sure Shelbert was following. He was, and the dynamic duo went off to find their next great adventure...

Spearow
Name: Chirpington
Gender: Male
Level: 2
OT: Eloise Langstrom
Ability: Keen Eye
Attacks: Peck, Growl
Nature/Personality: An unflappable gentleman and a gourmand. A scholar among his kind. Has a bit of an ego.

Spearow
Name: Chirpington
Gender: male
Level: 2
OT: Eloise Langstrom
Ability: Keen Eye
Attacks: Peck, Growl
Nature/Personality: An unflappable gentleman and a gourmand. A scholar among his kind. Has a bit of an ego.

[Lamont]

The nice thing about New Bark was it was teeming with opportunity for both people and pokemon. The newly minted trainer wouldn't have to travel far down the road to come into the presence of another wild pokemon going about its day. This one much more busy than the last, but just as scrawny. Its bodily proportions signaled its youth, with a tail much longer than the bulk it was still growing into. Despite its stature though, the purple rodent was industriously digging about the base of some shrubs. But never the same one for too long.

The pup would dig at a spot rather ineffectively, lift its head and pause for a second, then suddenly dart to a different spot nearby. Rinse and repeat. It did this for the entire time Eloise could see it in the distance. It seemed to be alone. No family rat shuffling about nearby. No squeaks of concern or otherwise piping beyond the leafage lining the route.



Just as the girl would come into close range to glimpse better details of the rattata's business something would catch her eye. A shiny of sorts, albeit blemished from being buried and maybe even tarnished a bit beyond that. No doubt someone's trash from seasons past. But whatever it was, it was keeping the little guy distracted.

A Rattata (Lv 3) is digging about!
What will Eloise do?

Shiny? jYYjn8SYp_1-421-42

[amphy]

Ellie had thought, foolishly it now seemed, that she'd at least have to walk a little further before encountering another pokemon. This one she at least got the jump on. Though maybe it was more accurate to say she could get the jump on it, if she didn't screw it up. She heard the critter before she saw it, that familiar scratching sound she recognized as a certain purplish rodent... Ellie kept her head down and approached slowly. She turned to Shelbert and placed her index finger over her mouth. The international symbol for "quiet"

She meant to draw closer, lest the rattata scurry off before she could catch it. As a city girl, she knew about Rattata. She'd seen them before, even knew a fair few lucky kids who had one as a pet. Ellie had tried to capture one behind her school's dumpster once. It did not go well. She'd avenge her past self. She'd catch this little vermin and then she'd have it beat up Nathan from school's rattata and then they'd all see who was superior!

That, however, was a problem for another day. Right now, she had to focus on the present. Ellie and Shelbert quietly approached. The rattata seemed to be distracted by...a thing. Whatever it was, it caught the light in a way to keep the rat's attention. Great. A two for one special! Ellie would catch a pokemon AND find some buried treasure. Getting as close as she dared, she motioned with two fingers at the distracted rattata, otherwise known as the international symbol for "GO GET HIM!"

[Tarlar]

The rat dug furiously at the shiny thing and a metallic scratching was heard as its claws scraped against whatever it was that was buried. Then its head shot op and it sniffed the air, going so far as to raise a paw while it inhaled deeply. It bounded a few steps over and then began to dig at another spot, sending gras and dirt flying behind it, it found something which made a rattling noise and then it seemed like its claws got momentarily stuck and it leaped back surprised. It sniffed cautiously as it carefully moved forward to grab whatever it was it had been digging at with its teeth and pulled hard. Whatever it was it was stuck, but it was pink and had some marking on its side, a plastic bag? Suddenly it ripped and the rat fell backwards, it leaped to its feet instantly and spit out the remaining of the plastic.

The rat froze and then sniffed nervously but noticed nothing out of the ordinary so it bounded over to a third spot and whimpered quietly to itself. It paused briefly to nudge its empty stomach and the began to dig again.
It wouldn't notice Shelbert before he was more or less on top of it. The rat flinched and screamed in fear, frozen for a few moments as it was taken complete by surprise! It had been the perfect plan to get the rat, there were just one problem, Shelbert didn't seem to know what he was supposed to do now, how was he going to "get him"? Was he supposed to attack it? Grab it physically? Distract it so that Eloise could throw a pokeball?
Eloise would have a few heartbeats to decide and take action before the rattata would recover enough from the shock to run away.


Wild Encounter

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Weather: Clear

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

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Rattata LV 3
HP 100% [15/15]

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

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

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Shelbert LV 7
HP 100% [25/25]

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

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

Rattata: Normal
Shelbert [Torrent]: Normal

SP13 Shelbert is trying to get it!
SP10 Rattata is scared out of its hide!



(ooc: I guess you were trying to start a battle but not entirely sure since you didn't call out a move ^^ If you want to do something which you don't want your trainer to shout out for the whole world to hear, an occ note of what you want to do can help mods move things along, or a "if this happens then I do x, otherwise I'm doing y")

[amphy]

The international symbol for "GET HIM" was not so universal, it would seem. Ellie's heart sank. It was a golden opportunity! How could she have messed that up? Ellie didn't have time to think, nor to plan or compose herself. "GRAB HIM! TACKLE! DO SOMETHING!!!!!" Her face contorted into a horrible continence of wrath and fear. A war face. Her war face. Spittle flew from her mouth. She wouldn't lose. Not here. Not to a blasted RATTATA again!

Shelbert looked at his new trainer, his big eyes going wide. He froze up. For a second, it seemed like he forgot he had a shell to hide in, he was so scared, but when he remembered, he withdrew fully into it. The battle was over before it ever began.

(ooc: sorry about that! I'll do better in the future but it worked out from a roleplay angle since Shelbert is kinda dumb and Ellie's a newbie trainer. With how Ellie's response turned out and how the Ratttata was already looking to make a break for it, I'm fine with having this particular encounter end with it running away.)

[Caramell 🍬]

Furry claws dug fastidiously into the earthen ground. Bits of sand and clay turned up as the purple rodent pushed them to the side. The scared turtle mattered not, nor did the human attached by way of voice prompts and some invisible string that seemed to tether the two together. “Why can’t I get this fully out!” Whiskers twitched in fervor, claws raking in vain as bits of the bag tore away, a strange chssnnggg sound emanating through the air every time those sharp claws raked on metal. Whatever was once forgotten so long ago and remained a mystery, must surely have been important at one time?

Sherbert had a differing mindset than his trainer, it seemed. The sun poured bright rays of light on the world below, slightly boiling the landscape so that it wasn’t unfavorable by any stretch of the word but instead mildly uncomfortable at best. A slight miscalculation was made along the way. When squirrel-tailed turtle pulled its last leg into its shell to hide, it incidentally kicked itself out of its spot. The shelled creature skidded across the soft sands and through the tall emerald grass towards its opponent while remaining fully hidden inside of its shell.

Bright maroon eyes glanced up, then back to its prize. The shelled turtle hid, which was a blessing. It glanced up again and squeaked in alarm before darting off. “Stay away!” It warned, jumping over a nearby twig and crouching down in the grass to ‘hide’. Well, I’m here to tell you that neither of these tricks worked. Sherbert’s shell slammed against the rodent with such force, it uprooted Rattata and sent it sprawling backwards through the tall emerald blades. “Alright, fine. Whatever. You asked for it!” Rattata jumped back onto its feet and streaked through the grass, ramming Sherbert against his shell.

Wild Encounter

---

Weather: Clear

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

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Rattata LV 3
HP 40% [6/15]

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

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

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Shelbert LV 7
HP 88% [22/25]

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

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

Rattata: Normal
Shelbert [Torrent]: Normal

SP13 Shelbert used...Tackle? It was a critical hit, either way!
SP10 Rattata used Tackle!

[amphy]

The rage and vitriol inside Ellie vanished as soon as it had appeared. In its place was confusion. "What?" Had...Had Shelbert meant to do that? Shelbert was hiding in his shell, but somehow managed to fall over and slide towards the rattata like a turtleshell torpedo! Ellie had been prepared for defeat, for the blasted rat to evade capture. She expected the sour tang of defeat on her tongue, but now? Now she had a real chance to win this thing! Was it fate? Luck? Skill? She didn't know, and at this juncture, she didn't much care.

She cared about catching another 'mon! She reached into her bag again, quickly finding the scherical object. The small purplish rat was still kicking. Though from where Ellie was standing, it looked beaten enough. Shelbert's turtle torpedo had started this melee. Ellie was going to end it. She reached in her bag in what was quickly becoming routine. She grabbed a pokeball and let it fly at the injured little rat.


(ooc: ellie throws a pokeball. Also I love how shelbert straight up pulled a koopa shell from mario kart and beaned that poor rattata lol)