Leo, feeling the pain of the sting, stumbles for a bit, but his grin only grows larger in the face of opposition.
Yes! More. More of this! More of battle. More of struggle! It was time to uphold his promise to the wurmples. He would not retreat. Not now that he began this battle. Not even if he was outnumbered! Not even if he was injured!
"Kaupe! Don't stop fighting! Show them the strength of your jaws. Remember! Make them fear your very attack, and show them that their assaults are meaningless in the face of your fury! Take that leader wurmple down! Use Bite!
As the other wurmples begin to turn to him and his pokemon, Leo stares them down, a grin present on his face.
Very well! These creatures wanted to battle! It was only fair. He attacked one of their own with no provocation and they surely wished to exact vengeance. Leo would not blame them for that. The mindset of protecting each other was an amazing trait, and Leo would not deny them the desire to do so.
However! Should they wish to attack his pokemon, then he as a trainer will take action!
"Wurmples! Know that I admire your desire to protect your own in the face of an attack! Know that I commend your bravery. But know also that you will not succeed in your attempt! I, Lionel Johnson, will meet your assault with my own and overwhelm you! Know this, and hear my ultimatum! Turn and live, or come forth and face defeat and annihilation!"
Akhlut, loathe to let an opportunity to battle pass him by, opens his mouth and spits out a water gun at the wurmple just as Kaupe breaks into a sprint.
attack:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17
His accuracy is fantastic as usual, boosted by having the high ground from Leo's shoulder, and the wurmple is struck face first with pressurized water before Kaupe's fangs close on it.
As the rest begin to set up camp, Leo finishes working with his pokemon, and prepares to set out again.
"Any of you guys want to travel in your poke balls, cause otherwise I'd love it if you get to enjoy some more of the fresh air? he asks his pokemon.
Akhlut croaks and clambers up onto his trainer's shoulder, while Kaupe wags his tail and runs around Leo, cackling excitedly. Kawako thinks for a moment, but then burbles and looks up at Leo's hat.
Leo blinks, then carefully places the Lotad on top of his head. "This what you wanted?
Kawako burbles in content, letting his leaf soak in sunlight. The result is quite comical as it appears as if Leo is wearing a very wide brimmed blue and green hat. Akhlut seems to enjoy it, luxuriating in the shade Kawako provides.
Leo nods to himself sagely "I am winning."
Akhlut trills in agreement, and Kaupe merely cackles.
With that, he puts his backpack on, and heads after the rest of the group, though he is careful to stand as far away from Esther's ralts as possible. The less time he spent around psychics the better.
As he walks, Kawako still happily lounging on his head, Leo keeps a casual lookout for any small bug types nearby. Akhlut needed to build up his muscles and that meant protein.
Now if only he could find some protein wiggling about on the ground. Of course, should he find any more interesting pokemon...well, battles also made one stronger.
Out of the corner of his ear Leo hears the girls come back to camp, but since he distanced himself from the main clearing to train with his pokemon he does not hear the details of the conversation.
Shrugging, and deciding that in the end it is none of his business, he goes back to working with his pokemon, trusting that if something important does come up, someone will tell him.
Leo shoots his usual easy smile and does a two fingered salute, before recalling Kaupe, and motioning for Akhlut to scurry back onto his shoulder, which the little mudfish promptly does.
"Preston, Roger, I'ma go training no kekahi manawa."
Separating from the other two he jogs a bit out of sight, then lets out his pokemon, including Lotad.
Lotad burbles curiously and looks up at Leo.
"Lotad, I wan't you to meet my other pokemon. Akhlut and Kaupe. They're going to be your teammates so lets all get along now." He pauses, realizing something. "Though, calling you just "Lotad" is a bit...eh. What do you say to your own name?"
The Lotad shakes its head up and down, signifying agreement.
Leo hmmms for a moment, deliberating. As he does so, Akhlut jumps down from his shoulder, and lands next to Lotad, trilling in a friendly manner and nudging the lily weed with his head gently. Kaupe does the same, laughing playfully and running up to Lotad. Wagging his tail, the little hyena pokes the Lotad with his nose.
Leo laughs with delight, seeing his Pokemon's displays of friendship, and then the name comes to him. "Alrighty Lotad. I wish to give you a strong name befitting of your future self, and one that represents you well. So then, it is nice to properly meet you, Kawako!"
Kawako tilts its head, causing its leaf to accidentally nudge Akhlut, who trills and clambers up into the weed, grinning eagerly. Then the Lotad nods its head and burbles agreeably.
Leo nods. "Fantastic! Now, let us begin training Anklet, Kaupe, Kawako! Oh, but first let me scan you, Kawako. I gotta know about my new friend after all."
Activating his pokedex, he listens as its electronic voice begins to speak
Lotad, the Water Weed Pokemon. Lotad live in ponds and lakes, where they float on the surface. It grows weak if its broad leaf dies. On rare occasions, this Pokémon travels on land in search of clean water.
This Lotad is male. It has a Reckless Nature, and knows the moves Tackle, Astonish, and the Egg move Flail."
Leo blinks at the egg move. Flail? He hadn't expected a Lotad to have that move. How exactly was Kawako supposed to 'flail?'
Shrugging, he decides it is time to get to training.
"Righto. Ok, Lets start with you Akhlut. I want you to start improving the strength of your water attacks, so I want you to use water gun on the rocks nearby. I will be throwing some into the sky, and you shoot them out. That should let you work both on accurate and strength of the attack. "
He turns to Kaupe. "Now, for you. I know you have a mean bite, so lets concentrate on your strengths. Why don't you keep practicing with your jaw strength by continuously practicing the technique, and see if you can improve the potency of the dark type energy in your Bite. Try to envision your teeth sinking into an opponent and making them shiver in fear from your very attack."
Kaupe barks happily and wags his tail.
"And as for you Kawako." Leo ponders. "Lets start simple. Why don't you show me all of your moves, and then perhaps you and Akhlut can spar against each other?"
Leo sighs sadly, before shrugging with an expression of 'nothing more to it,' and turns to Roger.
"Righto. Roger, Anything else I can help with? It looks like these tracks are a bit too messed up to follow now anyways."
When Roger shows him to some of the chores he is working on, Leo nods and sets his stuff down, before letting Akhlut down from his shoulder and setting him to play with Kaupe.
animal handling:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
Akhlut, however, seems to want to stick closer to Leo, so the boy shrugs and gets around to setting up the fire, while Kaupe wanders off and trots over to Roger, before cackling playfully and tugging at his shoe, trying to coax the other boy to play.
survival:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15
After a bit of difficulty Leo manages to get the campfire going again. At first he has trouble but soon enough he manages to find some dried leaf litter and gets the fire going. Nodding to Preston, he then heads out to find some berries and medicinal herbs. He knows from his studying in trainer school that such things can often be found near a stream, or at least not too far from one and so decides to investigate around the area
nature:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20
Having experience fishing in some forest streams, he eventually hears the flowing voice of the river and finds himself next to a clear stream, berries and herbs growing alongside its banks. Gathering some, and putting some water into a canteen, he returns back to camp with the supplies, which he hands to Roger.
"Here you go," Leo says, "Anything else you might need? Cause if not, I'd like to get some training done if possible."
Kaupe, who had until this point been engaged in a very stubborn tug of war with the leather of Roger's boot, barks at his trainer's arrival and bounds over to Leo's side.
Leo takes a moment to digest that, before nodding in understanding.
"Uh, ok hang on let me try something."
He takes out Kaupe's poke ball and releases the little pup. "Hey Kaupe, how are you doing bud?"
Kaupe wags his tail and barks happily, signifying he is doing great. Seeing his fellow teammate, Akhlut burbles in greeting. From where it was eating, Surskit gives the little hyena a glare, which Kaupe returns with a mischievous bark.
Leo smiles exasperatedly. "Alright Kaupe, see that pawprint?" He points the little Hyena to the tracks. "Think you can sniff out where our thief is? If you do I shall give you a beef jerky"
Kaupe nods in understanding before walking over to where the track is and sniffing it.
perception:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
After sniffing carefully, Kaupe turns to the tree trunk nearby and barks, though slightly unsurely. Leo tsks softly to himself, a bit frustrated at himself for not helping the poochyena in some way. Maybe If he was able to train with him at the hospital. Dammit, he should be able to do better as a trainer. Stupid!
Outwardly smiling he simply takes out a piece of jerky and tosses it to the little hyena. Kaupe gulps it down and grins. "Its ok Kaupe. Here, thanks for trying."
He thinks to himself, "It must've climbed a tree...and then...hmmm..." He trails off. Then, as if struck by a sudden idea snaps his fingers and turns to Preston.
"Preston. Hate to ask you this, but would it be possible for Chalupa to try sniffing the thief out? I promise I'll pay you back somehow."
Leo grins happily and grabs the great ball, promising Lotad that he would let him out and train with him once he and Preston catch up to the group. Returning the little lily weed he nods to Preston in thanks before saying:
"Alright Preston, now we really have to go catch up. The girls are probably near Oldale by this point. Lets leg it."
He takes off at a steady jog, making progress along the path forward. He runs like that for what feels like a few hours, Preston behind him until eventually in the distance he spots a campsite where he sees the familiar figure of Roger alongside Treeko and...surskit?
Leo blinks in confusion. Last he remembers, it was Claudia that caught that pokemon. He should probably ask Roger about that. Stopping, he takes a few deep inhales to catch his breath, feeling sweaty after the long run.
Taking off his backpack and placing it on the ground near him, he greets Roger, taking a step to the side as the Surskit looks up and hisses at him. Leo raises his hands placatingly in response.
"Ayo Roger what's up chief?" He nods at the bug-type. "What's the little boss doing with you? Didn't Claudia catch it?"
Nodding to Preston, Leo makes sure everything is secure, before suddenly facepalming in embarrassment. "Right. I almost forgot. I owe you for the snack yesterday. Sorry Preston, give me a sec."
Leo takes out a bag of chips and hands them to Preston, nodding resolutely. "There. Now we are even, and I have relayed my debt to you, my friend."
"And now, we play catch up." Him and Preston head out of the hospital and, with a wave and a thank you to the Nurse Joy manning the front desk the two boys book it at full speed on the way to Oldsdale, hoping to catch up to the others.
As they run through the wilds of Hoenn, they eventually find themselves by the same pond where they had their fateful battle with Surskit.
Leo suddenly stops, staring at it for a moment, a conflicting expression on his face. Then he nods resolutely to himself and turns to Preston. "I know I said we'd catch up to the girls but..." He looks at the great ball at his belt and takes it out, before enlarging it. "Well, Lotad deserves better than what it got. We should at least give it a choice."
Pressing the release button, he watches as Lotad materializes in a burst of light. The little water lily stares at Leo.
In response, the boy kneels down to face it and takes a deep breath.
“Alright Lotad, look," he says, "I am not great with words, and I know you probably are resentful towards me, so I will simply be honest with you."
He gestures to the pond behind him, the one he dove in to retrieve Lotad not a day earlier. "This is your pond, your home. I caught you here yesterday during our battle with you and your leader. I know you are probably not too happy, so here’s what I have to say."
"Right now I will, as an apology for the capture, give you a choice fully yours to take. You can either go home back into your pond, and live quietly and happily as you did before."
He closes his eyes, then reopens them, looking straight into Lotad's own.
"Or, I can take you with me. My name is Lionel Johnson, son of Hoenn and Distant Alola. I am a trainer, and very new to being one. I have and probably will make many mistakes along the way, but when I started I promised myself I will take any Pokémon that comes with me to the very top. Even if it takes me all my life, I will ensure that you become the strongest warrior, and one of the mightiest Pokémon Hoenn has ever seen. I will put my heart, soul and all of myself into helping you reach that pinnacle."
"If you are willing to give me a chance.”
He gently places his great ball next to Lotad, giving it the option to press the release trigger if it so chooses.
Then he once more takes a deep breath, and patiently waits for the pokemon to make its choice.
In the morning Leo wakes up feeling refreshed. He checks in on his hand. Whatever the doctors injected him with last night must have been very strong since it seemed to have healed over night.
"Jeez," thinks Leo to himself out loud. These medicines probably cost more than my entire family's worth.
While his hand is still sore, he can tell it is no longer broken. And if that was the case, then that means he was free again. No longer cooped up in one building. Finally. He's lost too much time already.
Getting up, he accidentally agitates the zigzagoon napping on his chest who wakes up, feeling her bed starting to move."Alright Chalupa," Leo says, "lets see if we can find Preston."
investigation:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11
Chalupa, hearing her trainer's name, happily purrs and scampers after Leo as he stands up from the bed and goes in search of Preston. However, wherever his friend may be, it must be in a different part of the hospital, as all that happens is Leo ending up by the hospital vending machine.
"Ah crap, I must've gotten turned around," Leo says. Shrugging, he inserts his last one hundred poke dollars into it, grabbing a bag of chips and putting it in his back pack.
"Righto, Chalupa. I apparently am ass with navigating the hospital, but can your nose find Preston? He still has Akhlut on him."
Chalupa cocks her head before sniffing the air. Then she barks happily and scampers off, Leo following.
Eventually they find Preston's room where he was resting for the night and knock. Hearing it unlock from the other side they enter.
"Sup Preston," Leo says as Chalupa jumps into her trainer's arms. "How ya doin chief? Is Akhlut with you?"
He sees Leo cut himself off at the mention of the word "mom", sounds like trouble with her. Sensing a sensitive topic Preston chooses to let it slip by for now.
"That goes a bit past concern in my book. He seemed to care more about controlling you than the fact your hand nearly came off..."
Preston's words trail for a second before refocusing the conversation
"I didn't get a chance to see them, but I was gonna take Spike out back to train for a little bit, as well as call the others to give them a status update. I can swing by and check on your pokemon too, that work for ya? Also, is it cool if Chalupa hangs back here with you? She needs to rest after the fight and I can tell she's sleepy."
Leo nods, ignoring the first phrase and answers happily. "Yeah that works. I really hope they're ok. Also..." He hesitates for a second. "Would it be alright if you trained with Akhlut a bit too? He seems to like Spike, and I don't want to fall behind in training. I know Lotad doesn't really like us...but if you could help Kaupe and Akhlut that would be maikaʻi loa."
He laughs as Chalupa jumps onto his gurney and plops down on his chest. "Yeah, I'll watch her. She's adorable.
"Ah Chalupa, you found this? good job! It's a bit...er.. slobbery but we can work on that."
Preston grabs the berry gingerly, wipes it off, and puts it in his bag.
IN THE HOSPITAL:
Preston sits in the room, uncomfortable with the way Lionel's dad talks to him. Hearing such harsh words from a supposed parent left Preston confused and worried. For all the trouble they had with his dad's health, his parents did all they could to protect him and give him love. A bit overbearing yes, but Lionel's dad was verbally abusive at best.
[dice=Investigation(Snacks)]1d20+4
Preston awkwardly gets up, relieved to ease the tension by leaving the room for a bit.
At the request for snacks he looks down to Chalupa
"Adventure? You'll need to stick close to me though this is a medical facility."
[dice=Animal Handling]1d20+4
Chalupa happily hops on his shoulder.
He swings by the front desk and the lady at the front desk has some candy that he and Spike love. She tells him he's more than welcome to it, so he grabs a couple for him, Leo, and their pokemon. The nice lady remarks how cute Chalupa is, who gives a large purr in appreciation of her cuteness.
Preston finds his way back to the room
"Got some snacks here. Spike and I love these so I thought you might too"
Preston glances nervously for a second
"So you checked in with your dad again... I don't mean to pry but man is he not nice to you. He seems to hold such high expectations and berates you for not meeting them. How come you keep in touch?"
Leo shrugs "It's...it's fine. He's just a bit worried that's all. And hey, someone's gotta check in on him. Tapu knows mom won'---"He cuts off.
"N-never mind."He pauses, then shakes his head and asks with a cheery grin. "Say, Preston. Did you by any chance get to see if my pokemon are doing ok? I gave them to the nurse, considering the poke center is right nearby, but would it be possible to check on them?"
Reading through Malakai's message, and breathing a heavy sigh, Leo moves up into a sitting position. Typing in his father's number into the pokenav, he calls him. It rings twice, then his father's face appears on the screen.
conversation:
"Hey kid, how are you doing? I see you ended up in the hospital. How'd that happen."
Leo sighs. Long story, but basically me and a few other trainers found this wild pokemon that roughed us up pretty badly.
His father blinks. Ok...can I get some details?
Leo hesitates. His father narrows his eyes. "Lionel Ali'ikai Johnson you will tell me what happened or I swear to the Tapus I will petition to have your trainer license removed."
Leo widens his eyes and shakes his head frantically. "I'm sorry I'm sorry. I caught a pokemon and then it bit me, chewed straight through my hand. Then I had to dive into a pond with that arm to grab a pokeball and that's kind of it."
His father tilts his head. "Oh. Is that it? Kid are you serious? How did you get injured so easily? Your forefathers climbed the mountains of Alola and challenged the mighty totems to battle for rite to pass the trials. They traveled the most hazardous terrain and came out stronger for it, and you get injured from a dive in a pond?"
Leo laughs a little bit, brushing off the words. "Well, its not all bad. I did manage to catch two pokemon, and one of them is really tough. Also, I fought this really strong water-bug type."
His father nods with interest. "Well that's great! What did you catch?"
Leo smiles, his previous easy smile turning into something more genuine. "Well, I caught this really strong Poochyena with a mean bite. I named him Kaupe. And I also caught a Lotad. Didn't really get to name him yet, but I will soon.
His dad sighs. "Seriously kid? Its just one failure after another with you. All you managed is to catch the most common easy to get critters and then injured yourself?
Leo's smile fades a little.
His dad continues. "Leo, look. I told you before. Stop with this journey nonsense. You're not strong or smart enough for it. Just come home and stay put where I can watch you."
There is silence for a moment. Then Leo's easy going smile is back on his face and he nods, shrugging. "I'll think about it.
His father nods. "Good. I expect a call from you when you reach the next town. And make sure your arm is patched up properly."
The call ends.
Leo's smile remains fixed on his face. Then he raises his arm, as if preparing to hurl the pokenav to the ground. But in the end he just relaxes and puts it back on the doctor's desk next to the gurney.
He turns to Preston "Yeah I'll um...I'll take a snack, thanks."
After Leo gets to the hospital, first thing he does is insist that all three of his pokemon are taken care of before him, and carefully hands Akhlut to one of the nurses. Then he gives Kaupe's and Lotad's poke balls to them, before lying down back on his gurney.
He groans. "Right. Time to face the music.
Taking out his pokenav, and still feeling the ice of the antibiotics in his veins, he speed dials Malakai.
Hearing the Pokenav begin to beep, he records his message. "Hey Malakai. This is Lionel. I'm in Petalburg's hospital with a mangled hand that's possibly infected. It's a long story. Basically, I caught this awesome Poochyena, and then it bit me, and then we encountered this really strong surskit and--"
And so he tells the story of what happened trying to be both concise but also detailed. He explains how he came to be in this situation and asks for advice on what to do next.
Esther carefully takes Leo's hand in hers, examining the breaks and cringing visibly at the state of it. Pausing for a moment to pull a bottle of filtered water and some iodine out of her bag, she tries her best to wash it. "Don't- you don't need to pay me back, I'm not exactly a real doctor. I'll try to clean it out, but you need to go back to Petalburg. I can't do anything about broken bones, and leaving it like this will just leave it open for infection later. You could- lose your hand if you try to travel right now."
Edel rolls her eyes at Roger, but there's no real effort in it. In contrast to her trainer, she seems quite calm, even energized, by their fight. Reading your minds. Just trying to gauge your intentions or next actions, I'd guess. I pushed her out of my head, but even if the walking sextant got into yours, it wasn't too invasive. Just rude as f+$~. Typical of Bugs.
Leo shakes his head doggedly "No, you don't understand. I cannot remain in your debt like that. I have to pay you back. If I don't then I'm no better than...
He cuts himself off. "...forget it. I'll figure something out. I'll just...go to the hospital. Gotta make sure Akhlut Kaupe and Lotad are ok after all. I'll...see you folks around at some point or another.
Looking at his hand and feeling it throb painfully he considers what to do next. Hmm, he could call Malakai he supposed, but should he do it now or wait till he gets to the hospital. On one hand its not like Malakai would be able to help in some random field next to a pond, but on the other hand...
...well...
Ah shit. Well, guess that's just another failure to chalk up to his belt. Nothing new there.
"Look, thanks for helping out Esther, I'm sorry for the trouble."
He puts his backpack on, returns Kaupe and heads out back to Petalburg.
(I'll let the DM decide what happens next with that.)
Basic first aid? Why didn't I think to learn that myself?! Stupid! Mom had been right in leaving me, if I could leave such an opening in my skillset.
Outwardly, he tries to simply smile again
try to smile:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13
This time it comes a little easier and he attempts to forge ahead.
"Esther right? I am truly grateful for the offer, but I couldn't possibly take advantage of your kindness. I do not have any way to pay you back right no--
Then he feels Akhlut tiredly poke him with a disapproving snort and can almost feel Preston's concerned look on the back of his head. Oh what the hell. Maybe...maybe just this once.
He pauses, then just nods tiredly. "...Nah, you're right. I really do need a bit of patching up. Sorry. But just...hang around until I can pay you back later in some way alright? I can't just...let this go unrepayed
Leo looks at him. "My hand? Yeah, I'll be fine, don't worry about it. Kaupe has one hell of a...uh..." he trails off, exhaustion making him forget what he was about to say.
"a...bite." He sways on his feet, then shakes his head, trying to clear it. "Isn't that right Kaupe?"
Kaupe barks agreeably, panting happily.
"Right then," Leo says, still holding his great ball, and attempting to put his backpack back on. He struggles to do it with his broken arm, and grits his teeth, trying and failing to put it back on.
Taking a deep breath, he clips the great ball to his belt, puts the unconscious Akhlut carefully on his shoulder as the little Axolotl dazedly comes to, and then using his remaining good hand hoists his backpack onto his shoulder.
"I'm fine," he gives Preston an easy grin...rather, attempts to. "Its all good. You really don't...don't have to worry about me."
He looks forward, though for some odd reason feeling weaker than he usually does. "Now come on. Birch doesn't want to be kept waiting."
Leo looks at Preston for a long time. There is a wild sort of desperation in his eyes.
Then it fades, and the green eyed boy is left looking almost plaintive. It is the look of someone with very little who had something precious taken from him.
He shakes his head.
desperately put on his normal expression back on:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
Forcefully he attempts to put his normal easy going smile back on his face. He doesn't see it but it looks as brittle as the house of cards. No matter how he tries, he is unable to, and his false attempt is as obvious as his injuries.
For a second he says nothing, then turns towards the pond and looks at it.
"Every pokemon is a potential partner eh?
He sighs, strength draining out of him, and leaving behind a hurt and foolish child that overstretched himself.
"Fair enough. I'll be right back. Watch Akhlut and Kaupe for me."
He gets up and walks to the edge of the pond, before pulling his shirt over his head and diving into the water. Swimming to the bottom, he searches for the the great ball.
searching for ball:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11
Though the water is murky, he spots the shine of the great ball in it and grabs it, kicking off and splashing to the surface, his hand throbbing with pain from the cold water but great ball clutched in hand.
Clambering awkwardly up onto the shore, he catches his breath before putting the great ball down, putting his shirt back on, and grabbing the great ball again.
He marches over back to where Preston and his pokemon were.
"Good point on every pokemon being a partner. Lets see what this Lotad is all about."
Slowly, ever so slowly he turns to Astrea, genuine disbelief on his face.
"Is this a joke?" He says.
These words do not have anger in them. They do not have frustration or exasperation present like many cliche phrases of the same sort. Instead, there is something beyond that. Almost as if there is a disconnect to Leo's understanding of Astrea's words.
He had heard the authority in them, and turned from the battle, even Kaupe stopping the mauling of the Lotad, but in Lionel's eyes there is a confusion that does not accept Astrea's speech.
"Is this a joke?" He repeats. "How can you say something like that? You, who are a pokemon trainer. No, not even just a trainer. Someone that Wallace and Malakai themselves chose to go out and prove themselves. And yet you want to stop the first battle we are in? That Lotad chose to stand and battle to the end. It chose to act like a true fighter. Its spirit shines brightly even now that his compatriots have been downed! How can you disrespect its choice by interfering in this duel! How can you trample on the soul of battle like that?
Out of breath, his hand horribly injured and bleeding, one of his pokemon knocked out and the other one wounded in battle, Leo makes that declaration with the last of his strength, refusing to submit until he has at least heard an answer to Astrea's outrageous words.
Gone is his usual happy smile. Even his forced grimace from before compares not to the expression on his face now. No, his features are twisted in a savage glee, completely lost to the thrill of combat. His arm injury, the fights of the other Seafarers, everything is forgotten.
In this moment there is only him, Kaupe, and the water-grass type.
Kaupe is taking that Lotad down. Leo will ensure it.
"It's mine!" he screams. His voice is so raw, he almost coughs. "This is my battle! Don't interfere! Let me finish it!
Looking up at the odd movement, Kaupe becomes entranced. Leo grits his teeth in frustration, clenching his broken hand and causing it to start bleeding again, though he pays no mind.
He is not important. Only his pokemon. Only those he can uplift to be better than he is.
He has to help them.
inspiration:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
But his cry is unable to reach Kaupe who is still unable to break out of the trance. Very well. Going for broke it is then.
"Fight through it! Use poison fang on that last Lotad!"
to hit:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9
"Come on Kaupe," Leo yells. "Where the heck did that vitriol from before go! You nearly took my arm from a single bite! Don't let some pretty tricks distract you! Fight like the warrior that I know you are! Do not hesitate!"
Leo grins, battle lust taking hold of him. Injury forgotten completely, he is enraptured.
The beauty of struggle. The warring race for supremacy. To him it is the wonderful dance demonstrating how wonderful life truly is. To be alive was to battle. To be alive meant to hurl yourself into the unknown, braving any potential risk. This was what true battling meant.
He would not let this chance escape him.
"Kaupe!" he calls out, exhilaration surging through his body, making him unaware of the potential danger of this situation. "Show that second Lotad the bite of your teeth! Use Poison Fang!"
The little dog howls, and charges the water weed, its fangs beginning to glow with toxic violet light.
to hit:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
Biting into the Lotad, the little puppy cackles gleefully and discharges its toxins into the vulnerable creature.
damage:1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
This becomes 16 due to vulnerability. (Not sure if I got the poison effect on it.)
Noticing the gathering of pokemon going after Roger, Leo feels a battle-hungry grin come to his face as adrenaline roars through him.
Battle! Battle and the thrill of combat! It was here in front of him.
Then he remembers his years of experience with angry water-type pokemon. He considers the situation. Roger was in a 1 on 4 and Surskit was a bug type. He would of course go to help him but on their own...well, the odds were not in their favor.
But to ask for help...to admit that he was not good enough...
He wrestles with himself, then shakes his head. What was he even thinking. He didn't matter. This was for the sake of someone else. Of course this was acceptable.
Opening his mouth and inhaling as much as he could, he yells.
"YO, HORSE-GIRL. GET BACK HERE OR ROGER WILL GET MURDERED!!!"
Then, loathe to leave someone on their own, Leo runs forward to support Roger in battle. "Akhlut, Kaupe, on me! We are taking these things and bringing them to heel!"
"Still Kaupe, didn't think you'd make me use this so soon. I mean, that was worth it. Ka, that stings. But like, next time gimme a warning. Akhlut, do me a favor and get some water on this wound if you can.
Burbling with concern, Akhlut carefully produces a stream of clear water and soaks Leo's mess of a hand to clear away some of the gore and dried blood. With his other hand, Leo awkwardly opens his backpack and takes out his potion.
"Gotta thank Roger for this later,"
Wincing from the sting, he sprays the potion onto his hand, letting the healing effect take place.
potion heal:1d6 ⇒ 2
Though the bleeding itself stabilizes, Leo can still feel the crushed bones in his hand. Kaupe's bite truly was strong, and the little hyena was unafraid to use it. Now his hand was mangled and unusable at least until the closest poke center.
Leo loved his new puppy already.
"You really are strong," he says encouragingly. "Don't worry I'll heal up. And when I do, I will train you until you become so strong that even legends will fear your teeth!
His answer is Kaupe's slightly unnerving hyena-like cackle.
Scanning the pokedex while continuing to pet the Poochyena, Leo reads through what it shows him.
Poochyena, the Bite pokemon:
At first sight, Poochyena takes a bite at anything that moves. This Pokémon chases after prey until the victim becomes exhausted. However, it may turn tail if the prey strikes back.
This Poochyena is Male.
It has the Hidden ability "Rattled," and possesses the Egg move--
Leo blinks, pausing in surprise, still absentmindedly petting Poochyena. An egg move like that? And a hidden ability? He wasn't sure how rare that was, but he was certain it wasn't the most common thing either. Poochyena was quite a gem it seemed.
Suddenly a sharp pain from his hand alerted him, making him yelp and almost drop the pokedex
hand getting bitten:1d4 ⇒ 4
He shoots his hand backwards. It is bleeding violently, and with wide eyes Leo sees the damage done. His hand is demolished. The fangs of the little puppy had penetrated through the whole hand, and he could see the broken bones from the outside.
His first capture had mangled him.
To something like that there was only one response.
"Holy crap!" Leo whooped, adrenaline surging through him. "That is amazing! Look at the bite on you! You are going to be an absolute monster of a battler one day! Wiping the mess of blood and slight gore on his shirt, he ignores the awful pain in his hand and looks at the poochyena with a gleeful grin.
"If you'll allow me, I would like to bring that potential out in the open, in the Hoenn battle circuit. I will train you so this," he shows the pup his mangled hand, still dripping with crimson fluid, "will be child's play compared to what you can truly accomplish what do you say?"
The Poochyena barks, before cackling much like the hyena it was. It sounded like agreement.
Leo nods, his smile turning into a challenging grin. "Then lets give you a name befitting of that ferocity! Mine is Lionel Johnson, trainer of Hoenn and son of Alola! So I hereby name you, Kaupe!"
Kaupe yips happily and Leo answers it with a laugh, even as his hand still drips with scarlet life-fluid.
Setting Akhlut down on the ground, and carefully taking out a piece of jerky from his backpack, he can't stop the grin on his face. All thoughts of the fletchling and even his fellow seafarers forgotten, he can only think of his new capture. No, his new friend.
pressing the release button, he watches as the little puppy materializes, before turning to him and barking.
Leo smiles softly and holds out his hand, offering the jerky as a peace offering.
"Nice to meet you Poochyena! My name is Leo, and if you would agree, I would like to be your trainer."
animal handling:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21
The Poochyena carefully sniffs the proffered treat before snagging it out of Leo's hand and wolfing it down. Leo laughs with delight and carefully pets the little hyena on the head, feeling its coarse fur under his hand.
At the same time, Akhlut comes over and gently pokes Poochyena, saying hi with another friendly croak. Poochyena yips before poking Akhlut right back with his nose and wagging his tail. The Mudkip trills happily and goes to play with his new buddy.
As he does this, Leo finishes feeding Poochyena the jerky and then takes out his pokedex, careful not to make any sudden movements to scare the puppy. Still petting it, he presses the scan button and waits for what the pokedex will tell him.
Leo's eyes hone in on the fletchling, excitement surging through him. That was one of the pokemon he so desperately wanted. There it was, the opportunity to get his first team mate!
But then...
"Ka! It flew off. Hmm...let's see.
He sighs deeply, and shakes his head, feeling frustrated. Then again, not like it was the only fletchling in the world. Patience was a virtue.
He looks around, his eyes focusing on the curious Poochyena nearby. Hmm...
animal handling:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
He narrows his eyes, and suddenly hurls his pokeball, hurling the sphere at the little puppy, and bonking it on the head. The sphere opens and the poochyena is sucked inside, turning into red energy as the ball closes. It wiggles once, twice, and then dings.
Leo's eyes widen and his mouth trembles for a moment, before he whoops with glee. His first capture! Joy surges through him, and Akhlut croaks happily at his shoulder before jumping off and scurrying to grab the poke ball in his mouth and bring it back, his little tail wagging from excitement. Leo laughs and runs up to grab it, both him and Akhlut holding on to it as if it was the most precious thing in the entire world.
Leo frowns hearing the tone of the Ralts, and narrows his eyes, certain bitter memories surfacing.
He turns around, his usual friendly smile never leaving his face, and looks at Edel.
"Damn, imagine stooping so low that you insult others purely for the sake of making yourself feel a little better about your own fragile ego."
He raises his hands mockingly. "Sure, why not insult other people merely for asking a question. I'm sure that reflects greaaat on your trainer."
He looks at Esther, still maintaining his easy grin. "Oh and Esther, do be sure to get a counsellor for that thing will you? I hear spoiled children tend to turn out...problematic for society."
Hawk your DM note informed me to tell you if I’m looking for a Pokémon or trainer to fight. I am looking for both. I’d like to try and get the fletchling from my wish list (or anything else in the area from the wish list) and hopefully fight a trainer
He turns on his feet and begins jogging forwards, onwards on, what his pokenav tells him, is the route to Oldale town is.
It was time to leave the beginning behind. A brilliant future was becoming for him. Time to claim it.
athletics:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14
Being able to pick up a steady pace, though a little weighed down by his huge backpack, Leo sets outward, trusting his friends to be right by his side.
The trio leave the city, and headed into the outskirts, taking the route that would take them through the light forests and fields of coastal Hoenn.
At the sudden unexpected weight of the mudkip jumping onto his shoulder Roger takes a step forward to regain his balance as Treecko chirps loudly in suprise at the playful bite, before attempting to lift his tail
[dice=Treecko's Strength]1d20+0
Treecko lifts his tail that is currently adorned with the wriggling Mudkip with a small amount of effort. Shaking his tail the opposite way mudkip is wriggling playfully to also play.
At Leo's remark, Roger responds "Well if it's good enough for a slowpoke.... Spirited little guy you got there Leo, I didn't expect him to jump on me. He's a dense little one isn't he?"
Leo shakes his head exasperatedly, before scooping up the little mudkip and placing it back on his shoulder.
Opening his Pokenav, he checks the time and winces.
"Righto, look, shopping is good and all, but we are wasting daylight. I don't know about y'all but I'd rather cover as much ground as we can. Plus, it's not like we have the money to really buy anything right now. What say y'all we head out, get to Birch's place and then...hopefully we can get there sooner rather than later.
He puts the pokenav away. "Now, Akhlut. I have a plan. Why don't me and you train your hunting instincts and move pool a little bit. We travel today, then during night you can hunt yourself some wurmples. I looked up a Mudkips' diet. I know you like bugs. It'll give you experience in battling, protein to build your muscles, and save us money on food."
He looks at the other two. "Look guys I know y'all wanna buy stuff, but we can always come back here. Not like its a one-time fair. And honestly, I'd rather spend money when I have it. And I don't right now."
Seeing his fellow Starter goof off, Akhlut croaks happily, before jumping from Leo's shoulder onto Roger's. The tiny Axolotl scrambles over to treeko before playfully chomping on the little gecko's tail, and hanging in the air, while clamped onto it, and shaking his head like a puppy with a chew toy.
Its evident this is the little water-type's attempt at saying "hi." Clearly the brave nature the Pokedex said it had did not exaggerate, as Akhlut seems to greet new friends by trying to play fight with them.
Seeing this, Leo laughs and nudges Roger's elbow slightly.
"Dude I think Treeko fished up my starter. I didn't know grass types could serve as such good bait," He says jokingly.
