--Earlier--
You look down at the little Ralts in your arms, who is still staring up at you, her eyes locked on your own - It feels like she's studying you, searching for something... then slowly, she reaches up and tries to poke you with one little hand, but ends up grabbing hold when she nearly tips back instead.
「Paige」
That way that she says your name was so very quiet, almost like a tiny little whisper... Of course, you didn't actually hear the word, even for all that the heard what she had to say. "Yeah, I'm Paige," You tell her with a grin, before the little one's head tilts, and she places a hand against her own chest, still looking up at you with a questioning look on her face.
「?」
The sensation that the tiny Pokemon sent to you was a little disorientating, still it only takes you a moment to realize that she was asking you a question of some kind. "I..." You start to say, before glancing up to the Professor - You take a step and place the little one down on the table you received your Pokeball from, however the very moment you let go of her, the little Pokemon starts to cry. It's practically instinct that causes you to quickly pull the little Pokemon back into your arms. "I'm sorry." You whisper to her, drying the little one's tears again. You aren't such which of the things you are apologizing for - not understanding her question, or the fact that you put her down.
There in your arms, the little one is certainly trying to glare at you, but with both how small she is, and the way that she's is puffing out her cheeks just makes her entirely adorable. Again, she pokes a finger to your chest, and repeats herself.
「Paige」
Then, she brings her own hand back to her chest.
「?」
The burst of sensation is a lot easier to decipher the second time you feel it, when it all suddenly becomes clear. The little Ralts is asking for a name. Your mind stumbles over that, because while yes, the idea of naming your Pokemon has crossed your mind before, you have seen this little Ralts for than all of five minutes at this point.
You hold your new Pokemon out, looking up at her, your head tilting one way then the other as you look her over and try to think of what she should be named. She's small and cute, and... and...
The little Ralts tilts her head like yours, and just for a moment her blue hair slips, revealing her eyes of gold - just like the little flecks of gold that shine on some of your Mom's Lapis Lazuli jewelry.
Huh. Its a perfect name. Small and wonderful, blue and gold, and oh so rare, especially back on Terra. With a little giggle, you spin around, setting your Ralts to giggling as you draw her in close, before booping her softly on the nose. "Lapis." You whisper to her, and the little Pokemon blinks, looking a little confused.
With another smile, you approach the table again, placing her down. Already, there is a bit of a frown starting to form, but you keep one hand on hers, the other going to your chest. "Paige." Then, you bring your hand down to her chest, poking her just lightly with a finger. "Lapis."
Slowly, the newly named Lapis brings a hand up to her own chest.
「Lapis?」
"Yes." You whisper as you lean in close, and give her a hug. "My Lapis." The moment is broken, however when you hear a distinct cough. The Professor is standing to one side, looking a little embarrassed, but there is something about the set of his jaw that... It puts a little flutter in your chest, and not a good one.
「Lapis!」
Lapis cheers when she says her name, waving her little hands in the air like she just doesn't care.
"Sorry for interrupting, but... You're able to hear her?" The Professor asks, and you nod. It isn't just the set of his jaw, but the way his brow furrows now that leave you feeling distinctly uncomfortable.
"Why?" You ask, since it's completely known that Ralts and a good number of Psychic Pokemon are just as intelligent as humans.
"I can't." He says, which brings you up short. "I should be able to, but I can't. There's a few other things about the way that she's acting that are leaving me with more questions than answers, so I'd like to do a few standard tests to see if... what I think might be happening is what is happening."
For a moment you wanted to say no, and just leave... But you trust Hazel, and if anything it must have shown on your face, because the man allows his gaze to soften. "It won't be anything intrusive or anything like that, I just want to make sure she's well. It will just take a few minutes, and you'll be right here with her." True to his word, the whole of the testing takes ten minutes, and the most intrusive things he did was check her throat with a tongue depressor, and use one of those little hammer things to do that weird test that doctor's do on people's knees that makes them kick.
Having finished what tests that he wanted to do, the Professor ends up in front of his computer again, and you can see that he's opened his Email, quickly typing something out and sending it. You barely have time to wonder what he is typing about before there is a short chime, and a response arrives. "Ah. I see, that explains a lot." The Professor doesn't look happy, but none the less he nods, leaning back in his chair before sighing. Turning to you, he leans forward, hands clasped with his chin resting on them.
"So..." He starts slowly, his words soft, as if he is trying to figure out exactly how to phrase what he is about to say. "According to my tests, Lapis is distinctly under developed for a month old Ralts, like they are supposed to be when they are given to Trainers." You can feel your brow furrow at that statement, but the Professor presses right on through before you can say anything. "Which given that she is only ten days old means that makes perfect sense, and she is actually a little ahead of the curve. What doesn't make sense is why she was an option for any trainer to begin with. She's too young." You start to open your mouth, and he raises a hand to forestall anything you might say.
"I'm not going to be taking her away from you, and this doesn't even mean that you can't start your journey. Really, it means that she is going to be eating a bit more than a more matured Ralts, and that she will tire a bit more easily." The man scratches at his beard. "In addition, because she is as young as she is, her psychic abilities are still developing, so you should definitely spend some time each day working with her on developing her telepathic abilities to make sure that she doesn't end up with any difficulties later on. Other than that, she is in good health, and as a Professor and a Doctor, I give her the all clear for both wild and trainer battles. Just remember to take things nice and slow."
"I will." You tell the Professor, before glancing over at the Cherish Ball you left on the table from when you first released Lapis, "Ah!" The Professor says, lightly slapping his forehead. "Right, before you go." A kick sends the chair he's sitting in rolling across the room, to where he slides open a drawer and pulls a pair of clips out, before sliding back across the floor to you. "You'll probably want these, Pokeball Clips."
Picking up Lapis, you casually place her up on your shoulder, where she lazes down, legs kicking out behind you while she holds onto the front of your shirt, a big smile on her face.
「Whee!」
From there you slide the two clips into place at either side of your hip before clicking Lapis's ball into place in the first slot. You give the Professor a quick wave, before stepping through the door and back into the small waiting room you had been in before. --Now--
Ashton stands there in the center of the lane, lazily tossing a Pokeball into the air, wielding a icy glare that doesn't match the smile on his fact at all. "Hey there... nieghbor~." He practically growls at you, "I thought that I gave you a little bit of advice, didn't I?" He spits out, continuing to speak without even giving you the chance to respond. "Seems you didn't listen, looks like I'm going to need to put you in your place." The Pokeball drops down into his hand, and with a snap of the wrist it sails forward, opening up in a burst of light that reveals the Boy's starter Pokemon - A green, pebbly skinned reptile with a long blunt horn sticking from it's head. You think it's called a Larvitar... "Tempest, deal with this."
The Pokemon gives off an angry trill, and on your shoulder you can feel Lapis shift, and you almost hesitate for a moment before-
「Fight!」
Lapis cries out, before she starts to try and shimmy down your back. Quickly, you reach up and grab the Ralts, helping her down from your shoulder without ending up choking you with your shirt. As you set her down, she gazes up at you, a look of fiery determination clear in her golden eyes, and while still holding onto your hand, she places the other on her chest, and gives you a confident looking little smirk.
「Pr'tect!」
There is still a part of you that is a little worried about Lapis fighting, since it turns out that she is so young, but she seems to be confident, and the Professor did say that she was old enough to be able to fight. So everything should be fine...
That little part of you that is worried becomes a bit louder once Lapis takes her position across the Larvitar, and you realize that your new Pokemon doesn't even come up to the other Pokemon's shoulder. You spare a glance up to Ashton, who stands there with the biggest shit eating grin as the winds start to pick up, swirling the dust faster and faster and...
Shit. You remember reading about this. Some Larvitar have the ability to generate minor sand storms when they are upset or threatened. However, from the way that Ashton's looking around, he might not have known that. Then the boy shakes his head, and looks back to his Pokemon.
"Tempest!" Ashton snaps out, "Rock Throw!"
Just as quickly, you call out a command of your own. "Lapis, growl at Tempest!" Across from you, Ashton scoffs, but you don't have the time to pay attention to him, as the little green lizards trills in response, raising it's hands up over it's head. You can see the way that the dust is visibly swirling and into the point between it's stubby little hands, gathering and compressing into a stone, already it's the size of a small pebble and is only growing larger as more is collected and compressed. Across from the lizard, Lapis brings one of her arms up, a hand clasped over an ear, with her arm doing it's best to keep the sand out of her face, before hopping forward and pelting out an almost purr-like growl.
...It's utterly adorable, and nothing like the actively intimidating sounds that you have heard during official matches that you have seen on TV.
You were not expecting something so cute, and it's clear that the Larvitar didn't either, as the lizard's focus clearly slips, and the stone forming between it's hands cracks, splitting into multiple shards. It's hands snap out, sending the shards out, down towards Lapis, who dives to one side, barely avoiding the sandstone shards. "Make sure to stay back!" You order, and you think the way Lapis's head bobs was a nod, but she is more focused on slowly circling around the Lizard.
It takes you a second to realize what she's doing, but you can't help but smile as she shifts her positioning so that the wind kicking up this sand-like storm is at her back. "That's how your going to play it? Tempest, Tackle that little weakling!"
Tempest starts to charge towards your Pokemon, and it's all you can do to get a quick command of "Double Team!" Before Lapis has to barely manage to dive out of the way of her attacker. You watch as a wavering wibble of blue so pale it's almost white washes over and across Lapis, and where there was but one Lapis before, now there are five, each carefully pulling themselves from the sand and hopping and away. You had heard that some moves look differently when different Pokemon use them, and you guess that is also true for the growl, but this doesn't look anything like how the technique was described to you.
However it as they move, passing in front of you that you realize a little more of what is going on - Because the one that is passing in front of you is and isn't facing you. Rather, it's like a 2d image floating in the air, there are there are little bits of it that fade and return. This probably wouldn't fool any Pokemon who could get a good glimpse of it, but from the distances that the images are from the Larvitar, and the sand storm, well a good glimpse isn't something that it is going to be able to get.
"Now! Disarming Voice!" You command.
"Ignore it! Use Rock Throw on the closest one!" Ashton responds.
The different Lapises all run about, continuing to move as they begin to cry out, the sound like someone being murdered. You flinch at the sound, and you can see Ashton do so as well. That was not at all what you had expected from such a cute little Pokemon as Lapis, but it definitely seems to have hurt Larvitar.
Now clearly angry, Tempest charges forward, a low roar rippling through it's throat as it chucks a more sizable rock out at one of the copies of Lapis. The rock strikes through, hitting and passing through the face of one of Lapis's copies, the image unraveling and fading away.
"Keep throwing those rocks! You'll have to hit the real one eventually!" Ashton commands, and the Larvitar raises it's hands again.
"Disarming Voice!" You instruct, already bracing yourself for the scream. Only it's not a scream that comes out, instead it's... Well you don't know exactly what that sound is, but it sounds like the background music to a horror movie. Growling again, the Larvitar throws another stone, and with it another of the illusionary versions of Lapis fades into nothing.
Now there are three copies of your little starter left, two of them are illusions, and the last must be the real one. She seems for the most part to be fine.
Meanwhile, Tempest, her opponent seems a little more tired, wincing just the tiniest bit when it moves, but still is going strong.
[ ][Battle]What is your plan for the rest of the fight?
Move
Type
Category
Description
Growl
Status
The user growls in an endearing way, making opposing Pokémon less wary.
Double Team
Status
The user makes illusory copies of itself to raise its evasiveness.
Disarming Voice
Special
Letting out a charming cry, the user does emotional damage to opposing Pokémon.
Shadow Sneak
Physical
The user extends its shadow and attacks the target from behind.
[X][Battle]What is your plan for the rest of the fight?
-[X] Use Double Team and Growl again.
-[X] Keep your distance and continue using Disarming Voice.
-[X] If Tempest gets close to the real Lapis use Shadow Sneak.
I'm really worried about Lapis now, she's apparently a baby? Like, way too under devolved for a starter Pokémon? Someone in the change messed up, lets hope we can keep our starter in good health and raise her right.
Hey @Lunaryon? I'm curious, how did the rolls above affect this turn? I'm curious as to how dice work/what they do in this quest. (If it's alright for me to know that is).
You know, judging by his scoff and Tempest's lack of leer it seems Ashton doesn't think much of stat lowering moves, or maybe stat affecting moves in general.
Also, @Lunaryon, was that a hint at Paige being a possible Aura user or Psychic, or just Lapis' bond with Paige? Or would that be telling?
I'm really worried about Lapis now, she's apparently a baby? Like, way too under devolved for a starter Pokémon? Someone in the change messed up, lets hope we can keep our starter in good health and raise her right.
Hey @Lunaryon? I'm curious, how did the rolls above affect this turn? I'm curious as to how dice work/what they do in this quest. (If it's alright for me to know that is).
While the Professor didn't go into the exact specifics, the Gardevoir/Gallade family line are particularly family oriented, in part due to their Empathic abilities. Equally due to this, Gardevoirs are a species of Pokemon who have the capacity to easily kill humans and among the lowest registered kill counts, with one of the few things that can push them to that kind of action is kidnapping Ralts before they reach maturity at a month.
The Gardevoir line (like a lot of Psychic Pokemon) are similar to humans in having the quote unquote 'Forth Trimester' that occurs after actual birth where many of their more esoteric abilities develop. Technically they do have the ability to protect themselves in so little an amount of time as just a few hours after birth, but they are still going through the early portions of development even during that time.
What is more confusing is the fact that she didn't already have a name. The vast majority actually have two names, one that is spoken, and another that is a purely psychic name. An example of a Psychic Pokemon's name would be something like The Smell of Rain In a Moonlight Forest Clearing Filled with Flowers
So the fact that she doesn't have one of those either... Odd that.
You know, judging by his scoff and Tempest's lack of leer it seems Ashton doesn't think much of stat lowering moves, or maybe stat affecting moves in general.
Also, @Lunaryon, was that a hint at Paige being a possible Aura user or Psychic, or just Lapis' bond with Paige? Or would that be telling?
Ashton is a very... Direct individual. He isn't- Well, no. He is to a degree intentionally cruel, but it isn't from a point of spite. Its from a point of pride and self importance.
But yes, he has made it clear in the past that the idea of Pokemon moves that don't actually do damage are the stupidest thing.
Uhh... Could you be a little more specific about what you think was a hint?
Ah, I thought I explained that in the update, but running back through it I did not.
You are able to currently hear her because she was in physical contact with you. Her Telepathy is currently missing the Tele part, and is limited distance wise.
[X][Battle]What is your plan for the rest of the fight?
-[X] Use Double Team and Growl again.
-[X] Keep your distance and continue using Disarming Voice.
-[X] If Tempest gets close to the real Lapis use Shadow Sneak.
[X][Battle]What is your plan for the rest of the fight?
-[X] Use Double Team and Growl again.
-[X] Keep your distance and continue using Disarming Voice.
-[X] If Tempest gets close to the real Lapis use Shadow Sneak.
While I have never gotten a chance to play the Mystery Dungeon series and so didn't know about Link moves, I have already thought of several "combo" move ideas that could be implemented, just from the Move List that Lapis can develop
And of course, if you lot can think of ways that your techniques could work together you can certainly try them out.
The most obvious for now would be Disarming Growl, maybe combine Double Team and Shadow Sneak somehow when Lapis' doubles have shadows(Shadow Team?). Teleport and Double Team would be fun(DoublePort?/TeleTeam?).
[X][Battle]What is your plan for the rest of the fight?
-[X] Use Double Team and Growl again.
-[X] Keep your distance and continue using Disarming Voice.
-[X] If Tempest gets close to the real Lapis use Shadow Sneak.
You know the thing that amuses me most about that comic is that Gardevoir (and apparently Ralts according to Sword and Shield's animations, which means Kirlia too) are able to simply negate the effects of Gravity on them, which means that she would really weigh nothing, and so doing piggy back rides like that would be doable...
[X][Battle]What is your plan for the rest of the fight?
-[X] Use Double Team and Growl again.
-[X] Keep your distance and continue using Disarming Voice.
-[X] If Tempest gets close to the real Lapis use Shadow Sneak.