"I know, I know...but we also both know to some degree that I'm not a rancher. Sure, I can do most of the work required of it (hence why Nathan has a strength stat of 2
), but...aside from keeping the ponyta calm, what part of it do I excel at? I've only ever helped out there when you needed me to help since...that day, particularly after I found Ralts. And if the people who did that to Ralts are still out there, how can I just let that slide? I know I've never been particularly interested in becoming a trainer either, but this feels like something I need to do. From the sound of things, it's not just Ralts they've done those kinds of things to either...that's just one of the more recent deeds they've done...
"I know that sounds like a quest for revenge of some kind, and maybe it is...but know that I didn't make this decision lightly. I know I can't do anything about it as we are currently. Ralts and I need to get stronger first. That's why I'm going to try and teach him Confusion tonight before turning in. I won't be alone either. Vincent will be with us for awhile, and Ventus has expressed a desire to help me with whatever problems I've got, even if I haven't been as kind in return to him. I'm not sure where Shiva will go after her business in Ginger Town is done, and I have no idea what Larry is thinking, but I have a strange feeling I'm not going to be rid of them any time soon either...I haven't told any of them the full extent of the situation yet, but they have heard what I just told you concerning what happened to Ralts..."
Even the ponyta is shifting uncomfortably now. The tension in the air is that thick.
"Please, Mom. Let me do this. I can help with the escaped ponyta tomorrow, and then I need to get started on this. I can't just stand idly by and let this continue to happen."
"No tone. Odd." He jams the phone back into his pocket. "Nurse. If you see the rest of that trainer group that was in here earlier come in, let them know I'm in Room 2B."
It's a simple enough room, but suited for his needs. Plodding over to the side table, he unslings the backpack from his back, placing it delicately on the table, gentle to avoid damaging the egg that sits heavily there and retrieves a pair of plastic bowls from the front pouch.
One is familiar and worn. The other a fresh spare.
Placing the first in the corner, he fills it with dry food, then cracks the seal on his first Pokeball.
"Meal time, kiddo." He reaches down and ruffles his hand through the Growlithe's fur. "Good job today, little guy."
Winston barks appreciatively and pads off to the corner before burying his face in his dish.
Â
He places the second bowl in the center of the room away from the bed, then hobbles back into the corner to join Winston. Reaching down, he thumbs the release catch on his second Pokeball.
In a flash of light, the Paras appears chittering wildly. It looks around frantically in it's strange environment, a far cry from it's muddy little sump. Then spotting it's antagonist, it skitters away, backing into a corner, clicking it's claws in his direction in blind panic.
"Easy." His voice is low, his tone soft. "Easy. I'm not here to hurt you."
Making eye contact with the Paras, he stands motionless waiting for the bug Pokemon to make sense of it's surrounding.
Keep talking. Let it get used to the sound of your voice. That was the thing about Pokemon. You were never really sure how much they understood, but more often than not, they surprised you.
"I came across you in the wilds outside Trillium Town. We fought. That's in the past. I'm Vincent. This is Winston."Â
Hearing his name Winston glances up from his dish at the Paras and snuffles the air. He lets our a soft bark and returns to his meal unperturbed.Â
"I realize you're upset I brought you here. That wasn't a very polite introduction and I can understand you not liking me very much after a fight." He says quietly, not breaking eye contact with the bug Pokemon. "But I will promise you this. I will take care of you. To the best of my abilities as a trainer. And hopefully, at some point, to the best of my abilities as a friend."
He slowly takes a step forward, avoiding sudden moves that would startle the Paras. It's eyes goggle slightly and it flares the gills of it's mushrooms and clacks it's claws defensively.
Slowly and cautiously, he walks to the center of the room, still without breaking eye contact, pouring a small quantity of food into the empty bowl. Then with the same methodical motions, he backs away to the corner.
"It's been a long day. That's for you." He waits silently.
Long minutes pass.
The Paras twitches in it's corner, alternating between looking around for an escape path from the room and eyeing him nervously. Finally, cautiously, drawn by the prospects of a meal, it takes an exploratory step from it's corner towards the bowl. Vincent remains impassive as the Paras slowly works up it's courage and skitters closer, pausing and glancing around for signs of threats from the strange squishy pink thing and it's angry bitey orange thing.
I takes almost another full minute, before it finally makes it's way up to the bowl. Gingerly picking up the dry food with it's pellets, it begins shoveling them into it's mouth. When the dish is empty, it backs away once again.
Repeating the same process, Vincent steps forward again adding another small layer of food into the bowl, then backs away, careful to reduce the distance from him to the bowl by a third.
"Good. You're hungry. Eat up."
It's a painstakingly slow process to watch as he makes alternating cycles of filling the dish and backing away to let the Paras feed, slowly but steadily closing the distance he retreats each time. Unsurprisingly, the Paras has worked up an appetite since the fight. It's obviously been a rough day for the bug Pokemon and the Paras is struggling to cope with the changes. But it's being fed, at the very least, so that's something.
Finally, he fills the bowl, but does not leave.
Minutes pass as the Paras deals with the warring desires for food and fear of the squishy pink thing next the bowl. Finally, it scuttles out of the corner, snatches the entire bowl at Vincent's feet and hauls it back to it's corner. The body language is obvious. My bowl.
Vincent stifles a laugh. Smart bug. Gingerly, he lowers his posture to a crouch and fishes out a handful of food pellets from the pack.
"Easy. I've got some more on me, but you've got to work with me on this lot." Proffering the food from an open palm, he holds himself stationary, letting the bug make the first move. Finally after another long few minutes of waiting, it does.
He winces inwardly as the bug scoops food from his hand, with it's claws, jabbing him more than once in the process. There's a lingering suspicion that more than a few of those are intentional, but he waves them off. Little brat. Still I did beat him up and drag him here so I deserve that at least.
Finally, he cautiously reaches out, and gently places his hand on the Paras' carapace. It's warm.
The Paras immediately flinches and scuttles away to it's corner, leaving a trail of pellets across the floor.
The clock on the wall ticks away the minutes that pass before the spooked bug settles itself enough to dare to return. It's an arduous, slow process, but not one he's never done before. At least it didn't try to take off my hand the first time like that damn dog.
He wasn't about to get the Paras eating out of his hands the first time around but it was eating so that counted for something at least. Then the idea comes to him.
"I'm going to call you Moran."
The officer lurking at the back of his skull lets out an appreciative chuckle.
"Well, Nathan, you've grown into a young man now. I'm not sure I can really tell you what to do anymore. What about taking it slow at first? Just journeying to Ginger Town and coming back, staying at home for a month to rest and prepare for another excursion, maybe as far as the capital? I think your home should be here!"
Paras sleeps in its food bowl, as though it's a stump. In the morning it clowns around a bit, pretending the food bowl is a shell. It seems like it will be obedient and happy given enough time and attention.
"My home will always be here, Mom. But I think we both know I can't extend this journey like that. Not if those people continue to do similar things to other pokemon like they did to Ralts. And if they learn Ralts is still alive and well despite their best efforts, I wouldn't want to bring them to Trillium...there's also no telling how long the others would be willing to help me, and I doubt I can do this alone.
"If it makes you feel any better, I will check in with you every day while I'm out there." Nathan pulls out his pokedex again. "I already said this thing has a phone function, and it contains a lot more than that too. I will call you, every single day I can. That way you'll know when I might be either in trouble or an area where there's really bad phone reception. Hopefully the latter if that's the case. It has a map, the pokedex, a camera...this thing is loaded with features. I think it'll be $1300 well spent.
"Now, I do intend to go to Ginger Town first. Maybe help Shiva out with that whole Day Care thing. I think all my time reading and ranching might be helpful there. And that brings me to the next part of what I intend to do: finding that ponyta. Seeing as this is the fourth time she's escaped this month alone, and every time we've caught her, she's always been somewhere outside town, I don't think she wants to stay on the ranch either..."
"You're right. If you see that Ponyta, you are welcome to capture and train it during your journey. Oh, honey! I'll miss you so much!"
Nathan's mom hugs him. Tightly. Practically squeezes all the air out of him. "MMMMPH!! Mooommm..." The tension in the air dissipates as quickly as it had arrived...
Ralts is very, very relieved that Nathan's not nervous any more. The large ponyta has calmed down too.
What better theme for a horse based ranch than this one?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyUtM4vac8g
The two humans and their pokemon head home to the ranch.  Nathan helps his mom board the large ponyta before heading inside and going upstairs to the room he and Ralts share.  The room is slightly messy, and features little in the way of decoration.  It's a simple room for a simple life, aside from the PC over in the corner.  Nathan and Ralts walk in, happy to be home after such an exhausting day.  It's not quite over yet for them though...
and he'll probably be a little tired tomorrow morning, even if he is used to waking up early.
"
Alright little guy, it's time you learned how to defend yourself. Â Let's see, how are we going to get started...ah, I know. Â Let's keep it simple for now. Â Do what we usually do." Â Nathan goes over to the desk where the PC is sitting and opens a drawer. Â Inside it are several assorted objects, but what Nathan pulls out is a ball and three cups. Â He sits down in front of Ralts and hides the ball in the cup in the middle. "A little mental exercise should be a good way to start. Â You know what to do by now." Â Nathan starts shuffling the cups around, trying to keep his expression and emotions neutral as he does so. Â However hard he tries though, Ralts is always able to pick out which cup the ball is hiding under. Â And also find the ball the one time it isn't under any of the cups. Â Nathan smiles after doing this exercise for a little while. Â "Can never pull the mareep wool over your eyes, can I? Â Alright, what next...ah, I know. Â Time I tried to show you what you need to do, probably." Â
Nathan attempts to follow Ventus's advice from earlier, trying to emulate feeling disoriented, confused, and nauseated all at once for Ralts to get a sense of. Â It's...actually quite difficult to emulate being dazed, Nathan finds. Â "Gah, this is difficult. Â Do you understand what I'm trying to show you though, Ralts? Â That's how you'll need to make your opponent's feel when you use your psychic powers on them. Â Before we try anything else, I want to make sure you can at least get the hang of attempting that. Â
Try to make me feel that way with your psychic power." Nathan didn't want to cause too much of a ruckus trying to get Ralts to use the move on a pokemon in the event it actually worked. The last thing they needed was a rattata messing up the house. And the ponyta were already riled up enough because of the escaped one.
I enjoy everyone's music choices and I always listen to them while typing a reply.
Dragonstrike, 1 XP to Nathan for a nice long RP exchange.
Is your Ralts a male? Could matter later!
Ralts latches onto your disorienting emotions and sends them back twofold. It is easier for to emulate those emotions, considering you're probably in a heightened emotional state anyway.
You sense that you're actually getting a little dose of his own anxiety in there, too.
Confusion
Dex 3 dice
(4)(3)(2) - hit
dmg: 2 str + 2 power +1 stab -1 vitality = 4 dice
(6)(6)(2)(1) - Nathan takes 2 damage!
Confusion chance: 1 dice.
(4) fail
WHOA! Astonishingly, Ralts succeeds on the move right away. Nathan goes staggering around the room for a moment, knocking a book onto the floor (Golurke's Peerage - a gift from Corporal Wake, who doesn't really understand children).
"Honey? Everything OK up there?
Nathan will be fine in the morning. And for Ralts, the cost of Confusion is lowered by 1!
Who else wants to train or do something that requires dice, tonight?
"OOF! Oooowwwww....gah, that hurt...what the...what the heck happened? Did I knock something over...wait, what was I just doing again..." Nathan's struggling to remember..."Yeah, everything's fine up here!" he yells back downstairs. "But uh, what was I doing again?"
He thinks for a moment.
And another.
And another.
And then he remembers in a rush of recollection! "Oh yeah, I was...wait, but if I was doing that, then does that mean...you just used Confusion, Ralts?"
Ralts smiles a tad mischievously at him in reply.
"You did, didn't you? Hehe...hahahahahaha! That's great! Alright, now we're talking! If you managed to do it that easily, I think we don't have much to worry about, now, do we? I'll have to tell Mom the good news tomorrow morning. Alright buddy...*yaaaaawwwnnnn*....let's get some sleep. I think we've...earned it after...today..."
Nathan falls backwards onto his bed, out like a light after the tiring events of the day and getting smacked by Ralts's newly learned Confusion. Ralts quickly follows suit, napping in a smaller bed at the foot of his.
(Yes, Ralts is male. That's why I've been referring to him as he instead of it. The escaped Ponyta is also female, though it doesn't matter quite as much.)
(Ahhh, did Nathan and his mom already escorted Shiva and Ven to the Center? Because I actually wanted to display them finding their way just with the help of Ponyta itself, then hopefully at arrival meet up with Vincent... But it's alright, with a little editing this will do as well. )
Feel like ages since she was on top of a horse the last time. But, as long as she's able to stay on its back (and hold Ventus on it as well) and as long as she has a lock on the reins, it should be alright. She returned Cottonee into its Pokeball, before gently petting the Ponyta's neck, carefully avoiding the flames that burn on it. "Okay, dear Ponyta, I'm counting on you. Could you please lead us safely back to the Pokemon Center in Trillium?" The fierly horse gave its rider a glance from the side, before nodding slightly.
It was a rough ride through the forested terrain, but once she got used to the pace of Ponyta galloping, it was alright. It became darker and darker on their way back to civilization, as if the forest itself engulfed the last rays of brightness that marked daytime. It became colder as well. The horse's Fire-Type came in very welcome now.
After a while (that felt like it took way too long, given she's with a unconscious person that desperatly needed some rest) the Pokemon Center came in sight... Shortly after, Ponyta slowed its pace down and stopped a meter in front of the door. Shiva got herself down from its back (she realised how pleasurable it feels to have firm ground again...), before gently petting its cream-coloured head. "Thank you for you aid, dear one. I greatly appreciate it. Feel free to return to your flock at the Ranch now, and make sure to send your owner my greetings." Ponyta looked pleased.
With
much effort, she somehow made it to draw Ventus down from Ponyta's back - Damnit, either he was way too heavy, or she was too weak... or both - and ring on the Pokemon Center's door, waiting for Nurse Joy to answer and open, so that she'll be able to ask for a free dorm to stay. The automatic function of the doors are turned off as soon as the street lamps light.
- Jumping to next morning now -
With Joy's help (luckily, she did not scold because of two exhausted young people, one of them unconscious, showed up at nightfall) it was able to find a free dorm to stay and place Ventus into bed. Hopefully, he will be alright soon... As soon as he wakes up, he will find a Cottonee resting a little apart from him, and Shiva sitting on a table near the window browsing through pages of a book.