Bring Back The Rain [F]

[Andrew]

All of a sudden, Andrew was beginning to wish he was still on the other side of Union Cave. “That Pokémon Breeder and her Rain Dance trick would really come in handy right now...” he groaned, recalling his battle with Beth on Route 32. He slowly tilted his head back to look up at the sky. The heat from the sun was driving him insane, even though he’d only been outside for a matter of minutes.

The novelty of the area didn’t take long to wear off under these conditions. In fact, there didn’t seem to be an awful lot to Route 33. A single area of grass was all that caught Andrew’s attention. “Maybe we’ll just take a quick look to see what kinds of Pokémon can be found in these parts,” Andrew mumbled to himself, walking towards the grassy area. It would be nice to see some other species of Pokémon for a change.

As he took his first step onto the grass, the heat became too much. “What am I even doing wearing a jacket?” Andrew asked himself, dropping his bag by his feet. He pulled the heavy jacket over his head and temporarily flung it over one arm. He reached down and grabbed a bottle of water from his backpack, gulping it down instantly. He felt slightly better after drinking it but he knew it wouldn’t keep him going for very long. Stuffing both the bottle and jacket into his bag, he pulled it onto his shoulders again.

Before he set off again, Andrew wiped his face with both hands. He probably wouldn’t waste much time here. He’d heard about the Slowpoke Well over and over again, and when the town was stuck with weather like this, going underground was beginning to appeal to him even more. It seemed like a lot of people were avoiding the outdoors at the moment. There didn’t seem to be anyone around at all. Then again, the place was hardly worth exploring. Maybe it was always like this. “Okay, two or three battles and we’re gone.” Andrew decided, clasping a Poké Ball in his hand.

[Sky]

The blazing sun had effectively baked Route 33. While not impressive to begin with, the tiny route looked even less like a proper route now. Nearly all of the shrubs were dried up, and the grass was left hard and crunchy once all of the moisture had been evaporated. The plants were beginning to turn the same brown as the dirt road that cut through the center of the route, and even the rocks appeared to have lost some special shine. Heat waves shimmered in the distance, and the shrill cries of the hardy bug Pokemon were the only sounds in the air. No other Pokemon were willing to brave the heat.

Save for one.

Of course, this fluffy pink creature hadn't intended to wander out in the sweltering heat. In fact, until quite recently, it had been taking shelter in the cool, damp depths of Slowpoke Well until a few moments ago. The Jigglypuff had just been looking to stretch its legs, maybe find a snack... Instead, it had been greeted with unbearable heat and shriveled berries. Wailing its lament, the puffy pink Pokemon had set off, determined to find a berry or two to take back with it. Of course, all this walking in the heat had tired the Jigglypuff out, so its rotund body slowly began to sag more and more, until it flopped to the ground in front of Andrew.

A deflated Jigglypuff (level 8) has stumbled upon you!

Choose a Pokemon for battle!
(Sunny Day will be in effect for the duration of the match)

[Andrew]

Thankfully, it didn’t take too long for Andrew to come across a Pokémon. All of a sudden, a familiar pink balloon-like creature collapsed at his feet. “A Jigglypuff? I never thought I’d see one of those around here!” Andrew exclaimed as he crouched down to check if it was alright. Since his mother had trained one back home, Andrew knew just what to expect. If it began to sing, he’d have to be ready. He had a couple of items in his bag to cure his Pokémon but if he fell asleep, they were all screwed. Lying outside in this heat for too long would be extremely dangerous, especially since there were no trainers around to help him out.

The teenager soon came to the conclusion that the normal-type was just taking a quick break. It didn’t seem to have any injuries so this would be a good opportunity to train up some of his lower-levelled Pokémon. “I suppose I’ll give Yael a shot at this one!” he decided, grabbing a hold of the Buneary’s Poké Ball. At this point, he really hoped that she’d be strong enough to battle without a partner. “Alright, time to show me what you can do!” Andrew announced, hurling the rabbit’s Poké Ball into the air.

A red beam shot from the sphere, revealing the young Buneary. Yael instantly covered her eyes, blinded by the strong sunlight. “Yeah, the weather’s a pain in the ass but this shouldn’t take too long! Let’s see a Double Hit! Be careful though! Jigglypuff are a lot more troublesome than they look!” Yael detested the heat but after her last performance, she was determined to prove herself. Andrew’s eyes followed her as she dashed towards her opponent, ready to get the show on the road.

[latani]

Vs.

[/i]
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -[/right]

Jigglypuff had all but completely flattened out due to the tiring heat, its blue eyes rather hazy as it watched Andrew kneel down to inspect it. "Jiiiigggg..." it sighed, resisting the temptation to doze off. It had seen one of its friends fall asleep and... well, in this heat it wasn't hard to imagine what happened. With some effort it managed to keep itself upright, ears falling to the sides.

Its breathing was short and quick panting, as if to expel all the hot air it had inhaled during its wandering. When Andrew released Yael, the Balloon Pokémon seemed to regain some life, as an extremely indignant expression appeared on its face; it was being challenged by some arrogant human and his prissy little bunny? Inflating with its annoyance, the Jigglypuff shot the teenage boy a rather caustic glare.

Yael looked at the suddenly larger foe she was facing and grimaced openly. It was bad enough she was being forced to fight in this awful weather, but now she had to fight something bigger than her? How wonderful, truly. Biting down a sigh, the Buneary sprang forwards, her extended ear pulling back as she drew close to the distracted Jigglypuff.

Letting the coiled ear go, it socked the fairy right in the face, shocking it utterly into deflating to normal size, while her other ear shot forwards immediately after. This pattern was repeated once more, Yael drawing back as she giggled at the red welts that marred the Jigglypuff's face. By sheer luck she managed to avoid becoming infatuated, but what happened next was what Andrew was dreading.

Taking a deep breath, the exhausted Jigglypuff opened its mouth and began singing a very calm, beautiful melody. It was a faint song, thanks to its fatigue, but Yael was too close to escape the effects, and she yawned widely. After another few seconds, her eyes fluttered shut, and the bunny fell onto her side, sleeping soundly. Opening one eye, the Jigglypuff ceased singing and smiled smugly. Payback was going to be served.

Wild Pokémon Battle

---

Wild Jigglypuff: | Level 8 |
Health: 65% (25/38 HP)
Status: Full of hot air and proud of it; Normal
Jigglypuff used a successful Sing.

Fight!

Andrew's Yael: | Level 10 | ♀
Health: 100% (34/34 HP)
Status: Oh shut... up... zz...; Asleep
Yael used a successful Double Hit.
Yael fell asleep![/blockquote]

[Andrew]

Jigglypuff’s reaction came as no surprise to Andrew. The few he’d seen back home, including the one belonging to his mother, all seemed to be extremely short-tempered. Its retort also confirmed that it was well enough to battle and that Andrew wasn’t picking on a helpless Pokémon that was too weak to defend itself.

Just as Yael got things started, an idea suddenly sprang to the teenager’s mind. He swiftly shoved his hand into a pocket in his backpack and pulled out his mp3 player. He hurriedly attempted to untangle his noise-cancelling earphones, panicking slightly when the pink creature began to sing. “Ugh, come on, come on! For *****’s sake!” he said through gritted teeth, placing the plugs in his ears as he finally managed to unravel them. He repeatedly tapped the volume button until it reached the maximum before sighing with relief as the Jigglypuff’s voice was blocked out.

Yael dropped to the ground in front of his eyes and Jigglypuff shot him a smug glance. While normally, he’d be frustrated by something like this, Andrew was just glad that he’d managed to stay awake. “That was ridiculously close. I could’ve caught sunstroke if I hadn’t thought of that!” he announced, still breathing heavily. “Well, now that I have a way around your Sing attack, you’re going down!” he said with a smirk, removing his earphones temporarily.

The trainer unzipped his bag again, this time pulling out a Lava Cookie. “Come on, Yael. You’ve got this,” he whispered to the rabbit, crouching down to feed her the cookie. “Jigglypuff are a lot tougher than they look. We have to be as fast as possible to avoid those Sing attacks. Try another Double Hit.”
“<<Huh? ...oh no, did I mess up again?>>” the Buneary slurred, still half-dazed. As she pulled herself together, Andrew stepped backwards, keeping out of the way as the next round of attacks began.

[Rane]

The Jigglypuff's smug look was instantly wiped away as the Buneary's trainer fed her what looked like a cookie that instantly made her wake up. Indignation and angry made the pink Pokemon puff up angrily and stamp its foot repeatedly as it threw a small tantrum, feeling it was unfair for it.
Deflating slightly from its red balloon, the Jigglypuff opened its mouth again and tried to sing another lullaby to put the Yael back to sleep. However, Yael knew better than to give the Jigglypuff a chance to do just that.
Covering her ears with her paws, Yael bounded straight at the Jigglypuff quickly. Before the the pink balloon Pokemon could even utter one note, Yael was already right in front of it with her ear cocked back. The Jigglypuff let out a grunt of pain as the Buneary's ear punched it right in the face. The Jigglypuff stumbled back from the blow, but Yael didn't give it a chance to recover as she clocked the Pokemon again. The second blow sent the Jigglypuff tumbling back across the ground.

Coughing and groaning from pain, the Jigglypuff's eyes slowly clouded with anger and panic as it realized it didn't exactly know any offensive moves to counterattack. Practically driven to a corner, the Jigglypuff quickly curled itself up in a defensive position.
---------------------------------------
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Wild Pokemon Battle
Weather= Sunny Day

Jigglypuff |Level 8|
HP: [orange]12/38 32%[/orange]
Stauts: Defense +1
Unsuccessful Sing
Successful Defense Curl

Yael |Level 10|
HP: [green]34/34 100%[/green]
Status: Awoke
Successful Double Hit

--------------------------

[Andrew]

From what Andrew understood, Jigglypuff was currently incapable of using any offensive moves. The balloon was inarguably angry which only suggested that it would try to use a physical attack. “Looks like this thing’s under-levelled, Yael. I’m pretty sure it’s impossible for you to lose. Jigglypuff might be able to delay the victory slightly with the few moves it does know though,” Andrew explained as he watched the foe up its defences.

“<<Oh great! You can’t even attack me and it’s still taking me ages to defeat you. I’ll never be able to win him over if I don’t end this soon!>>” Yael gulped. She narrowed her eyes and readied herself as she awaited Andrew’s orders. “<<You’re going down, tubby!>>” she hissed, hoping to further aggravate her opponent.

“Double Hit seems to be working well enough so let’s stick with that,” Andrew announced, wiping his face again. He’d be chuffed to get this battle over with. It wasn’t very exciting to watch, and certainly didn’t distract him from the intense heat. His original plan of staying here for two or three battles was even starting to look like a little much. Regardless, he was going to stick to it, just to be safe. On the bright side, Yael was levelling up a bit. She was also starting to look a little happier, despite her tendency to panic if things didn’t go her way.

[[OOC: Yael should also have gained +1 Happiness from the Lava Cookie so I’m adding that on now. ^^]]

[Professor Oak]

Jigglypuff was still curled up into a tight ball as Yael poised to strike yet again. As her foot first made contact, the pink blob that was Jigglypuff ricocheted from the impact and bounced along the ground like a deflated soccer ball. Yael squealed with delight from this unexpected reaction and attacked the blob again, this time booting it with a lot more force, sending Jigglypuff flying into the air before landing in a nearby patch of bushes.

There, a soft hissing sound could be heard like that of a punctured old tire and the ball began to deflate even more until it looked like nothing more than a rubbery pink mess, possibly like some giant piece of chewing gum spat out by a wandering Snorlax.

Yael looked on in wonderment, unsure whether her opponent would make another move of some sort. However, Jigglypuff was well and truly beaten, having fainted from the blows of her opponent as well as from the searing heat. It needed to lie there for a while beneath the shade of the bushes to recover its strength again.

When it was clear the battle had been won, Yael yelped with joy and rushed back to her trainer, seeking his approval. This had only been her second battle and her first solo battle in fact. Despite feeling a bit guilty for falling asleep in this one, she felt that she had finished off strongly aided by some timely intervention by her trainer. The bond between them was no doubt getting stronger and Yael was really maturing. The confidence she exuded now was a far cry from the helpless quivering bundle that had hatched in Andrew's arms.

Wild Pokémon Battle

---

Wild Jigglypuff: | Level 8 |
Health: 0% (0/38 HP)
Status: Fainted
Needs a bit of time to regain consciousness.

Fight!

Yael: | Level 10 | ♀
Health: 100% (34/34 HP)
Status: Overjoyed.
Yael scored a successful Double Hit.

Congratulations! Yeal has matured by 2 levels and is now level 12! She has also gained 2 happiness points (+1 boost from Soothe Bell) for winning the battle.

[Andrew]

Between preparing himself for a Sing attack and groaning as a result of the temperature, Andrew had been too busy to notice that the Jigglypuff was close to defeat. Yael’s successful Double Hit came as a bit of a surprise, particularly when the pink balloon didn’t jump back up. “Oh! Whoa, that was pretty good, Yael!” Andrew praised, becoming slightly less weary-looking when he realised he was closer to leaving the area.

Before he knew it, Yael had sprung straight at him, affectionately forcing a hug on him. He laughed, a little awkwardly, unsure of what to do. It was his fault that she’d become so needy so he couldn’t really push her away. Besides, it was nice to see that she was excited as opposed to her usual anxious self. The Soothe Bell chimed serenely, reminding him that it was helping to boost her happiness. “<<I did it! He actually looks happy,>>” Yael beamed as she latched onto him.

Keeping her in one arm, Andrew pondered what he could do next. “Maybe we should give Dario a shot at battling before we head off! I know it’s hot out here but we might as well get some training done while the wild Pokémon are still manageable,” he said, looking down at the rabbit’s gleaming eyes. She nodded, though her cheerfulness seemed to fade slightly as the focus drifted from her.

Andrew grabbed a hold of the Chingling’s Poké Ball with his free hand and summoned him to the field. “Your turn to fight, Dario,” he smiled as he looked at the apathetic bell-like creature. “Maybe we can cheer you up a bit!” he declared, wearing an amused expression as he swapped the items that his two active Pokémon were currently holding.
“<<Whatever you say, pal,>>” Dario muttered, huffing as his trainer attached the happiness-inducing item. Maybe he should have stayed with his old trainer. At least under Jimmy’s command, he didn’t have to do anything.

[[OOC: Thanks for the reply, Oak! Wow, you seem to know a lot about my characters, haha. Also, just to let you know, Dario had the Exp. Share so I’m boosting his level by one as well! Thanks!

Also, just letting the next moderator know that there was a drought when I started the thread so Sunny Day is in effect. I won't be using it to my advantage or anything but it's a good reason to leave the route early, haha.]]

[Megan]

The sun beat down on the already parched earth of Route 33. Not many had ventured out into the heat of the day. Except this Nidoran, and possibly others that he had not seen, who had thought it would be a fine day to find something to eat. Which had ended up being the wrong idea. It trudged along the dusty path as the sun beat down on it, feeling as though all the poison in it's body was being dried up.

The heat rolled off the ground in waves and the bug pokemon sang a dry tune. There seemed to be little hope for this Nidoran, as it had lost it's path home. The haze of the day wasn't letting up either and the poor pokemon felt like it wasn't going to make it till nightfall. It needed to find some good shade and water soon or it would become a dried and shriveled carcass.

As it trudged along it came upon a young male and a couple of other pokemon. His spirits lifted that there might be water and a little food involved. Nidoran's steps were lighter as it got closer to the trainer. It soon overheard their conversation, with his keen hearing, about training and then became shy and tried to crouch away but had already been spotted.

Watch it! A thirsty and hungery Nidoran♂ (Level 13) has crossed your desolate path
(Sunny Day will be in effect)

[Andrew]

Looking out for wild Pokémon was somewhat of a challenge due to the intense heat. Andrew yawned as he scanned the limited grassland. “Battling that Jigglypuff really didn’t help my exhaustion,” he commented as he rubbed his eyes. If he came across a second one, he’d have to make a run for it. They were too troublesome for him to deal with in this kind of weather. “I don’t know how much longer I can stand,” he whined as he trudged forward.

As he stared ahead, a purple blur caught his attention. He squinted, instantly recognising the long ears. It looked to be another Pokémon he was familiar with. He shook his head to liven himself up and make sure he wasn’t seeing things. “Is that a Nidoran♂? Wow, this place is actually a lot like home.” Upon second glance, he realised that this creature was also suffering from the drought. “Aww,” he began, as he realised how nervous it was. He started rummaging through his bag to see if he had anything to offer it. The poor poison-type must have been really desperate to have to resort to interacting with a human.

Yael didn’t say anything but she suddenly began to twitch which indicated that this was bothering her. The Buneary was unable to comprehend how this Nidoran♂ had won Andrew over within seconds. As she struggled to fight the tears, she noticed that something was glowing next to her. She turned her head to find three colourful masses of energy forming in front of Dario. “<<Why do I have to do everything myself?>>” the chime Pokémon muttered, bitterly. By the time Andrew had looked over, it was too late to stop him. He was going to release his Psyshock attack any second.
“Dario, stop! It’s not looking for a fight!” he ordered, dropping his bag and looking over at the petrified Nidoran♂.
“<<Not my problem,>>” the Chingling replied. He was going to follow through with the move regardless.

[Tiki]

For the purple Nidoran, maybe going out today to scavenge or to hunt in this sun was a disastrous idea. It could feel its veins and capillaries dilating and water evaporating from its body, and it could also feel its stomach rumbling. Upon seeing the trainer and his attacking Chingling, the poison rabbit used its remaining energy to shot a leer at the whistle bell. His eyes glowed red, and Dario could feel the intimidation of this exhausted foe.

However, for the Chingling, he had already charged up his Psyshock and blasted a trio of energy balls toward the opponent. After Dario felt his opponent's influence, he sent a light blue, blue, and purple sphere of energy mass and knocked the Nidoran a few steps away. Feeling the sharp energetic pain and the heat, the wild Pokemon used its remaining energy to flee from the scene and perhaps look for shelter.

---

The battle had began and ended!

For defeating Nidoran(M), Dario had gained 2 Levels!
Dario is now level 16!
Dario gained 2 happiness with Soothe Bell!
Now his happiness is +4!


Yael had gained 1 level with Exp Share!
Now she is level 13!
Yael wants to learn Frustration, delete a move?

OOC: Lol, Nidoran(M) is going to faint anyways, I just pick a random move :3

[Andrew]

Andrew couldn’t help but feel guilty as he helplessly watched the three masses of energy collide with the Nidoran♂. The poison pin immediately realised its susceptibility to the psychic-type attack and dashed off before Andrew could even offer it any food or water. “No, wait! I might have something here!” the trainer shouted after it. However, Nidoran♂ didn’t appear to want to take its chances and continued to run off.

“Dario, what did you do that for? You’re supposed to wait for me to say something. That poor Nidoran♂ could collapse if it doesn’t get water soon,” Andrew turned, frowning at the Chingling.
“<<You were taking too long and I want to leave,>>” the Chingling responded, not fazed at all by the confrontation. Andrew sighed and looked around. “Well, I suppose we might as well look for another battle since that one went so quickly. I really hope that Nidoran♂’s alright though.”

Yael shuffled over to Andrew, hoping he wouldn’t forget about her. She was actually relieved that Dario had frightened off Nidoran♂. At least her spot on the team was safe temporarily. Andrew glanced down, noticing that the rabbit was looking up at him. “Don’t worry, Yael. We’re almost done here. Just a battle or two more and we’ll head to the Pokémon Center. I need to check Bugsy’s schedule before I decide whether to go to his gym or the Slowpoke Well first.”

[Tiki]

As Andrew was bonding with his Buneary and Chingling, the harsh sun seemed to be covered occasionally by a giant drifting cloud with cracks on the fluff. At least, with the sky like this, the weather won't be difficult to deal with temporarily. A high altitude cold wind blown continuously, so much and so fast that the giant cloud can be seen slowly drifting.

On the lower altitude, on the other hand, a very sporadic wind breezed through. It could take as long as a minute or two for another gentle stream to pass by, but at least, it's better than none in this sun.

With the gentle wind below and the fast wind above, occasionally they clashed, but thankfully barely any Pokemon or human would be at that kind of height. However, a group of travelling Hoppip can be seen casually riding on the lower part of the high altitude wind, occasionally squeaking "Pip!" in unison.

One of them, however, was young and were clueless with this wind-riding affair. It was only told to follow the crowd, but why couldn't they just stay in one place? It had so many questions to ask, but at the same time the young grass Pokemon was enjoying the pleasure of riding in the wind. At least, this is less tiring than a winged Pokemon. Both curious and enjoying its young life, the Hoppip looked down and saw a human with some fellow Pokemon. If it could just get a closer look...

Fwooosh~ The innocent and curious pink pip got carried away and found itself blown out of direction by the lower altitude wind. The wild Hoppip began panicking in its mind, but at the same time smiling at the thought of thrill. Now it just need to catch up with the group before being engaged by the trainer... Or it would have to survive on its own until the next wind-riding weather! But for this young Pokemon, living in a new place sounds exciting too!

---

A happy and friendly (Level 13) Hoppip is smiling cutely~

[Andrew]

Andrew couldn’t have been more grateful as a light breeze finally breathed some life into the route. Up until this point, he hadn’t been aware that his skin was burning. He knew he was going to have to go inside soon but once he noticed the group of Hoppip passing by, he was reluctant to leave. “Ugh, I love how the crowd of Pokémon comes just as I’m ready to leave!”

Yael began to bounce on the spot, pointing up towards the cluster of grass-types. Andrew looked up and noticed a single Hoppip was approaching them. Without even considering that the Pokémon might not be looking for a battle, Andrew quickly readied himself. “Okay, great! One last battle and we’ll go. Yael, you take care of this one. Let’s go with Double Hit,” he instructed. All signs of fatigue had now vanished, now that the wind had revitalised him. It was a shame that they’d have to go soon, but at least he’d get a chance to check out the Slowpoke Well and Azalea Gym.

Dario stared blankly at the Hoppip. The grass-type didn’t seem any more eager for a battle than the Nidoran♂ did. “<<Hypocrite,>>” the bell Pokémon muttered, seeing as how Andrew had just scolded him for attacking a Pokémon without reason. Andrew turned around but didn’t take any notice of what the Chingling was saying.
“Let’s try to make this quick!” he called out to the Buneary. Yael nodded and prepared to attack. The focus was on her again. Now she’d just have to try to hold onto it.