Hoenn is the third generation of games. Azumarill, in the 6th generation, got a huge boost with becoming a Water/Fairy type instead of a pure Water type. Fairy/Water is an offensive type combination that hits every single type at least neutrally, with only some dual types like Water/Steel, Grass/Steel or Grass/Poison resisting both. In addition, one of it's available abilities is Huge Power, which doubles it's Attack stat. Normally not super great due to Azumarill's fairly abysmal Attack... but Huge Power is unique in that it doubles the stat AFTER everything else, including Individual Value and Effort Value. This makes Azumarill capable of reaching some of the highest Attack stats in the game, something that's made all the more potent by access to potent Physical STAB moves like Waterfall and Play Rough, as well as a Physical Priority move in Aqua Jet. He also gets access to Belly Drum for truly absurd levels of Attack (making Aqua Jet hit hard despite it's low Power), naturally bulky stats, and access to other strong Physical moves like Facade, Double Edge, and Superpower.
Azumarill is also excellent built defensively, making it difficult to predict which kind of Azumarill you're facing. If an Azumarill is switched into your Grass type Pokemon, is it a powerful offensive Azumarill with Huge Power ready to set up the Belly Drum? Or is it the bulky Sap Sipper Azumarill ready to literally eat a Leaf Blade to the face and become stronger? Since 6th gen Azumarill has become a common sight in the OU tier.
Azumarill is also excellent built defensively, making it difficult to predict which kind of Azumarill you're facing. If an Azumarill is switched into your Grass type Pokemon, is it a powerful offensive Azumarill with Huge Power ready to set up the Belly Drum? Or is it the bulky Sap Sipper Azumarill ready to literally eat a Leaf Blade to the face and become stronger? Since 6th gen Azumarill has become a common sight in the OU tier.
It's always fun to see how different authors interprete how powerful pokemon are differently.
Some purely translate the game mechanics as best they can without actually using numbers, some use either the anime or manga's depiction, or a mix of the various canons, or just whatever they feel like at the time the Pokemon first appears.
Any of them work fine as long as it feels consistent in the long run.
At this point I caught myself considering what would be a better catch, LunaChild, StarSapphire, or a Lily variant. Then I remembered it's a different Petalburg Forest, with the real pokemon in it.
Without thinking about it, she had returned the bow to her free hand and began to play. It started sharp, dozens of tiny notes flowing directly into a bombastic introduction, leading into a theme of conquest and battle! It sang freely, tales of victory and drama told equal in measure. Yes, it said, this is your moment; let your heart beat freely, for this is where your tale shall be told!
This is, perhaps, the coolest mental image of this chapter.
... Also, I remembered a trick you might find interesting. To describe fast action scenes, try using short sentences and more verbs. Like this:
"A single sharp note alerted Treecko, and it godged the heavy paw. A quick trillo - and it dashed at the Lairon, chipping at it's hide to a sharp chord".
I have a feeling this example is kinda weak, because I haven't written any action scenes for quite a while.
Although now that I think about it I look forward to when Astra gets a TM that she can learn. I mean just think about how valuable that could be to her, especially if she can bring it with her once she returns to the village.
Although now that I think about it I look forward to when Astra gets a TM that she can learn. I mean just think about how valuable that could be to her, especially if she can bring it with her once she returns to the village.
I still haven't quite figured out how T/Hms are going to work; are they instructional movies, do they literally download the move into a pokemon, does the pokemon need to be in a pokeball...
I still haven't quite figured out how T/Hms are going to work; are they instructional movies, do they literally download the move into a pokemon, does the pokemon need to be in a pokeball...
Personally I always saw them as the instructional movie/training manual type of thing, with the TM containing highly specialized training in order to walk a pokemon through learning a move they don't instinctively grasp but are capable of.
In an effort to self conceptualize what the Ralts Village sorta looks like for the Chapter 2 rewrite, I spent entierly too long today on a shitty MsPaint picture.
I forgot to actually add in the cave at the last moment so everything near the top is sort of cut off awkwardly. This also isn't the whole village, just imagine that this is just like (I have no sense of scale) A tenth of it? Maybe? I don't know what fraction size would make appropriate sense. I'm not an urban planner damnit.
It's not likely to get an actually good redraw by a real artist (Unless someone knows someone who would be willing to draw this type of thing {I can pay}) so, well. here you go.
As of this moment, Ch 2 is at ~900 words, and at the point i'm at in the old version that would be at ~500 word mark. In other news I kinda hate my new job.
Here is the promised re-write of Chapter 2. I am less sure of this one than chapter 1, so I will replace the actual chapter 2 with the new version after public review.
It will also give you some time to compare and contrast the two.
Thank you for reading my story.
South of Route 102, through a vast forest and hidden from any mundane explorations, there was a village. Surrounding the village were wooden palisades; constructed, reinforced, and occasionally replaced over the course of centuries, they stood proudly in defiance against whatever might dare to challenge them.
To the returning Ralts they were a familiar and welcome sight indeed. Closing in on one of the few gates built into the barricades, she waved to a spear wielding Kirlia who was on guard. She frowned at said guards lack of reaction. Why wasn't he waving back or- oh, he was asleep.
Slowing her pace, she snuck up on the snoozing guard. The Ralts observed him critically. All Kirlia looked more or less the same and he was no different: His horns had both lengthened and migrated to the top of his head, perpendicular to each other above both ears; his hair had grown new thick sheets which cascaded from said horns over his ears and to his shoulders while the hair on his face had parted to reveal his closed eyes; his coat had split apart into six wide strips which swayed gently in the breeze, exposing his green legs that tapered down to the tiny nubs that constituted feet. He was currently leaning on his spear, gently snoring.
With a mischievous smile, the Ralts telekinetically picked up a nearby stick and jabbed him in the side. The guard jerked upright and screeched, swinging his spear wildly. He scanned the area frantically, searching for what had hit him before he caught sight of the Ralts, who had doubled over in laughter. He scowled.
"Oh you little brat, I oughta whack you!"
"Oh?" the Ralts said, smiling, "It's not my fault you were sleeping on the job!"
The guard coughed and looked away. "W-Well, it's not like anything happens around here anyway. It's not my fault!"
"Well-" the Ralts drew out, "I guess you wouldn't mind me telling-"
"Now now, Let's not get carried away here!" the Kirla laughed nervously. He paused, turning a cheeky grin on his assaulter. "Then again, I think you might be in more trouble than I am; after all, you're not supposed to be wandering outside the village without an escort. Maybe I should tell your grandfather?"
"You wouldn't" Ralts said, in faux horror. "You'd get scolded for letting me leave!"
"Ah," the guard countered, grinning wolfishly. "I could simply suggest that you climbed the wall. How could I have possibly seen it?"
"Well darn," the Ralts said with practiced ease. "You've got me there. I don't suppose one of these," she held one of the giant oran berries aloft, wiggling it, "would change your mind?"
Quick as a flash, the berry vanished from her grasp, the Kirlia already taking a bite. "Mmm." he hummed, blue juice dribbling into the grass. "Absence? What absence? Never saw her leave, honest."
The Ralts giggled at the display. "Thanks!"
"Hey, no problem. As long as I get one of these babies, it's all good." he swallowed. "You gotta tell me where you find these things someday; they're so much better than the ones from the garden."
She winked. "It's a secret~"
"Fair enough. Though, you're looking a little scratched up there; anything I need to worry about?"
"Ah, just had a little run in, it's fine."
"A run in? With what, a Poochyena?" He scanned the forest behind her. "It better not have followed you; it might be boring but that doesn't mean I actually want to use this thing." He nodded to his spear meaningfully.
The Ralts scratched her head, laughing nervously. "Ah, not a Poochyena. I'm fine, really."
The Guard peered at her for a moment, then shrugged. "If you say so. Hey, drop a few of those off at the fermenters for me, will you? I bet they'd make a delicious drink."
Ralts made a face. "Ew, no. I'd like to eat these myself, thanks!"
"Tch, how lame. Whatever. Thanks for the berry; see ya later," he said, dismissing her with a solitary wave.
"Goodbye!!" she waved back, stepping through the gate. On the other side she was treated to the familiar sight of the village proper. Wooden buildings crafted by generations of families were peppered throughout the massive trees; some alone, some stacked upon each other, and some even residing upon the boughes of the trees connected through sturdy bridges anchored to the thick branches. Firepits lay scattered in open areas, though most lay cold.
The Ralts wandered down the hard packed road, nodding at other passing Kirlia and Ralts as she went. She snuck a look at her leafy bag and frowned at the flash of red hidden therein. What was she supposed to do with this? How could she figure out how it worked? They had been trying to hit her with it, but she couldn't go and hit someone else with it. What to do…
She glanced to the side as singing became audible, spotting a cluster of newly hatched Ralts surrounding an older Kirlia. Oh, they were learning that old song. She listened with half an ear as she passed them by.
"-rust, rock and rime, were punished for their crime; rust rock and rime, locked below for all of time~" the Kirlia sang, the newborns following in offkey asynchronicity.
The Kirlia clapped, smiling softly. "Well done! One more time, all together now. Once on a mountain top way up high, there lived a giant with seven eyes wide-"
It was kind of a morbid song, the Ralts mused. She wondered who made it; were they describing an event, or was it just a fanciful story? She had asked once when she was younger, but the storyteller had only told her it had been passed down. She distinctly remembered the odd, pinched expression the Kirlia wore she asked her to elaborate.
"It was from someone who left," was the only answer she received.
The smell of roasting Magikarp broke her out of her thoughts. Just ahead of her, she spotted several Ralts and a Kirlia standing very still alongside the river that ran through the village, a large fire burning merrily a short distance from the shore. Each of them held a metal tipped spear and gazed into the waters with a tangible intensity.
She spotted a flash of orange before one of the Ralts slammed their spear into the depths. The waters churned for a moment before he raised the spear up in victory, a writhing Magikarp impaled upon the end. Clamoring out of the bank, the lucky Ralts merrily began preparing the fish for the fire.
The Ralts spotted several Magikarp already roasting on the firepit. The smelled so good… ah, if only she wasn't carrying so many berries. She would have to catch one for herself later. Tearing her eyes away, she walked across the river's bridge and continued on.
Just a short while later, she turned off the main path onto a side trail. Soon enough the Ralts came across a steep grassy hill with a thick layer of vines hanging over a large opening into the rock. Pushing the vines apart, the Ralts smiled as she felt the constant breeze that flowed into the hollow, and stepped forth into the small cave system she called home.
Resin candles were scattered across the main cavern, revealing the richly painted walls depicting the night sky. Tables and chairs made of smoothly carved stone lined the edges, covered in varied tools and clay pots. Alcoves in the walls were stuffed with keepsakes; small figurines of objects or animals carved out of stone and wood, intricately woven fiber tapestries dyed in myriad colors, ancient spears that still gleamed in the firelight and countless other trinkets. In the center of the room was an ignited fire pit, the smoke lazily curling to a shaft carved into the ceiling long ago. A pot was situated on a platform above the fire, water coming to a boil within.
Spotting movement from the side, the Ralts made to go forward, but hesitated when her eye caught the red gleam from her bag. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to carry around proof that she had been out of bounds. She'd just have to ask about it subtly. Removing the sphere, she hid it behind a few clay jars on a nearby table.
"Grandpa!" she called, "I'm back!"
Rounding the corner, the Ralt's grandfather came into view. A Kirlia edging into his fading years, his green hair had faded into a much paler hue and wrinkles decorated his coat and face, though his eyes were as sharp as ever. He stood on top of a stool, a palette and brush held in his hands. Behind him was his current work: a grand depiction of the night sky, full of stars and swirls in myriad colors. His face brightened when she came into view. He stepped down, leaving his tools on a table.
"Welcome back. Did you get the berries?" he asked.
The Ralts held up her haul with a grin. "The best I could find!"
Her Grandfathers eyes sparkled as he inspected them. "Oh, well done! There are simply magnificent. I must say, your diligence is quite inspiring; I could spend an entire day in the gardens and not find half as many of this quality."
The Ralts rubbed her head. "It's no big deal!" she said, blushing. "Are we really making jam today?"
"Indeed," he said, bringing the berries over to a different table where numerous bowls and jars lay waiting.
"Aw," the Ralts drooped. "That takes too long. Can't we just roast them?"
"Now now," he chided. "Let's not be impatient. It is important to make preserved food even this early in the season. Poor yields could strike at any moment, after all, not to mention the winter. Besides, you love jam." Her grandfather paused, frowning. Reaching out, he began examining his granddaughter closely, turning her head this way and that much to her confusion. "Did you have any trouble in the field? You look a little battered."
"Ah," the Ralts grinned nervously. "I tripped down a hill. It's nothing, really."
"You should be more careful," he admonished, "Still, I am glad you are only a little scuffed. Now, would you like to help me crush the berries?"
"Sure!"
With a thought, her Grandfather levitated a few bowls and jars off their shelves. Sitting down, the elderly Kirlia spread the oran into a small pile.
"Now," he began, "recently you managed to fully crush the berry, so I would like you to try to work on your control by reducing the splatter." Levitating one of the berries, he demonstrated; a sphere of psychic power forming and twisting around the fruit until it was naught more than mush. "Do you see how I fully enclose the fruit in a shell? Try to copy how I did it."
"Mm!" She took a berry of her own, and concentrated. A flickering shell surrounded it, and it began to shrink. Grinning, she squeezed down. The shell and berry both promptly exploded, showering the area with pulp. The Ralts shrieked in surprise, scrubbing the sticky fluid off her face.
"A bit too much force, I think." her grandfather chuckled, setting down a small mass of berry remnants. "Ah, you've got juice all over your face. Hold still for a moment." He said, kneeling down and wiping his granddaughters face with a cloth.
The Ralts stood there, face scrunched up as he patted the juice away. "Sorry…" she mumbled.
"Oh, it's no worry, my dear. Everyone makes mistakes, especially when they are learning." He put the cloth down and patted her on the head. "Why, I'd say that making mistakes is the foundation of learning."
"Eh?" she blinked at him. "Why? Wouldn't it be better if everyone got it right on the first try?"
"Perhaps in some respects, but never making a mistake leaves one sorely unprepared for when you or someone else does. Set yourself too rigidly to a process and you might find yourself breaking when it fails."
"It's still embarrassing." she grumbled. "You do it so effortlessly, and all I can do is make a mess."
"Then make a small mess," he said, squeezing another berry into slush. "Then a smaller mess, and an even smaller mess, and eventually there will be no mess at all. That is the secret to progress."
"Hmm." she frowned starting at the berry pile. Sitting up, she reached out for another. She she had used too much force last time; if she just held onto it tighter, then…
Well, it still exploded but this time it only hit the table. She grinned.
Some time later, the oran berries had all vanished, transformed into an indiscriminate blue slurry. The Ralts wiped a stray globule of fruit off her hair; while she hadn't yet perfected the art, there were fewer eruptions compared to last time.
Humming and kicking the air idly, the Ralts watched her Grandfather transform the berry pulp into jam. It wasn't very interesting, and her thoughts wandered to and fro until she remembered the little red ball hidden near the door. She bit her lip anxiously. Question after question crossed through her mind, tempered only by the looming threat of discovery. If her grandpa found out she was out of bounds… but, there was no other way to know. If she didn't do it now, when would she? Now or never..
"Hey Grandpa?" she called, "do you know anything about humans?"
Her grandfather looked up, bafflement writ across his face. "Humans?" he repeated, "Well, I suppose I do, but why the sudden interest?"
"Ah, one of the Kirlia in the garden was talking about them," she said, "They said that they, uh… went wandering around outside and saw one from a distance?"
Her grandfathers eyes widened. "Oh dear, have the protections faded that quickly? To think they've gotten so close… Hm. I'll have to talk to the other elders about this." He set down the jar, lost in thought. He blinked after a moment, turning back to his granddaughter. "Well, I suppose a quick lesson would be in order. If they are coming closer… yes, it wouldn't do for you to go wholly uninformed."
He hummed for a moment. "Humans… Hunters, explorers, trainers… was there anything in particular you wanted to know about first?"
The Ralts blinked. "What's a trainer?" she asked. The term sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it.
The elderly Kirlia let out a short bark of laughter. "Hah, it seems you haven't been paying attention to many of my lessons, have you? Ah, to be so carefree again." he coughed. "Mmm. Trainers are a specific type of human that wander the wilds searching for creatures to capture."
That seemed to match with what the boy in the forest was doing. "Why do they do that? Is it like hunting?"
He shook his head. "Not quite. While a hunter would prepare his catch for food and material, a trainer would keep his capture alive and take it with them. They use these small red and white spheres called pokeballs to do this. I do not know what becomes of the creatures, but most commonly they are made to fight other pokemon, either in the wild or owned by a different trainer."
"I see…" So if she hadn't dodged, she would be living with that green haired boy right now? Living and fighting on his behalf… a cold feeling crept over her. Gramps wouldn't have known. What would he have done if she had never come back home?
She chewed on her lip and gazed at the ceiling. The celestial artwork above flickered in the firelight. "Why… why would they do all of that?"
"It's a bit of a mystery. When I was young, I often happened to overhear a myriad of conversations humans held on the trails." He tapped his hand on the table absentmindedly. "As far as I can remember, having strong pokemon was a mark of prestige, with the strongest trainer becoming a 'Champion'."
The Ralts tilted her head. "Is that like a king?"
"It might be. Who can say for certain? The title certainly seemed to be said with a sort of reverence. In any case, it is because of trainers that we must hide in our little corner of the world." Reaching out to the side, the pot of water on the fireplace was lifted off its holder and drifted to the table. Two cups joined it in short order, and were soon filled with a steaming brew.
The ralts frowned, gently blowing the heat off. "We have to hide because of the trainers?"
"Oh yes," he said, sipping at his cup. "If they knew we were here, I imagine they would flock here from the very ends of the world to capture us. Our psychic potential would be far too great a temptation to ignore. And so we hide."
"Oh…" She frowned into her cup. That was… she couldn't imagine spending the rest of her life like that; subordinate to a random human and made to fight at their call. "From the ends of the earth?" she muttered, "Like, beyond the ocean and the forest?"
"Mmm. There are humans across the entire continent, and even further beyond. I'd imagine the trainers would travel to all sorts of places to challenge one another. It hardly concerns us, though."
Oh wow. She'd hardly traveled past the trails; she'd only spent time around the village. Was the world truly that big?
"... what are they like?"
Her grandfather blinked. "Excuse me?"
"What are the humans like? Do they have cities like us? What do they eat?" she asked, staring intensely.
"Er," he said, "Please, little one, slow down a bit. I can't say I rightly know the answers to those questions. I've only been able to overhear a few conversations, and none that detailed." He took another sip of his drink. "They do have settlements like ours; as far as I am aware, there are to to the northeast and one large one to the northwest. But does it truly matter what they are like? We cannot interact with them, or we will be discovered and captured."
The Ralts stared at him, aghast. How could he not even be a little curious? These humans who defined so much of what they could or couldn't do… shouldn't they know more about them?
She wanted to know. She wanted to see. The mysterious places beyond the ocean and the forest… What were they like? If her grandfather didn't know, then who else could she possibly ask?
"Mmm." her grandfather grunted, shaking her out of her thoughts. "I ought to gather the elders for a meeting. I think our brief lesson is over, for now. Is that alright?"
"Ah! Yes, I was just getting hungry anyway." she said, hopping off her chair.
"Very well. Ah drat, I forgot about the jam. I will have to finish this later."
"I can just get a magikarp from the river."
He nodded, storing the proto-jam away. "Fair enough. Be back before dark!"
She would try, she promised. She glanced at where she hid the pokeball on her way out. It was safe enough, she decided. She stepped outside, blocking the noon day sun's rays with a hand. The village lay in a familiar sprawl before her.
Familiar, but now it seemed… small.
Striding past the river, the firepit, and the gathering of newly hatched, the Ralts reached the gate in record time, five blazing in her heart. The guardsman from earlier was still here, and blinked at her. "What, are you going out again? That's unusual."
"It's important," she said, walking past him. "I might be out for a bit longer than normal."
"The guard squinted at her. "... Well, okay then, but I better get extra for this. If you're in trouble, you know where the patrols are, right?"
She nodded, passing him by without a second glance. "I'll be fine."
She departed the village, heading ever deeper into the woods. Questions and longing coiled together in her gut, a burning curiosity taking root in her soul. If her grandpa couldn't answer her questions, she would just have to find the answers herself.
There was a human city to the northwest. Maybe there she could find the answers she sought.
South of Route 102, through the forests and past where any mundane explorer would search, there was a clearing. In the center of the clearing was a fire pit, still smoldering. On the edges were small hollows built into the trees and little shelters made of discarded branches packed tight and tied with vines. Nestled deep in the wood, this is where the Ralts live.
And what a welcome sight it was to our intrepid berry collector, as the sight of the small community came into view. Grinning tiredly, and freed from having to dodge roaming packs of Poochyena, she rushed forward toward the nearby sentry sitting on a stump, one of the elder Kirlia in the camp.
"Hey! I'm back!" Ralts shouted. Kirlia looked up from a small drawing in the dirt and smiled.
"Hey, you made it back. How goes it? Looks like you made a good haul there." Kirlia asked, leaning against the remnants of the bark. His spear, made of a branch and a piece of sharp rock, rested idle at his side.
"Um." Ralts said as she moved up to the stump. "I had a little encounter, but I'm fine."
"Oh?" Said the Kirlia, sitting up straighter. "Was it a Poochyena? Did it follow you? I don't really want to use my spear today." Kirlia peered into the forest behind Ralts.
"No! No, it uh, it wasn't a Poochyena." Ralts said, shifting uncomfortably.
Kirlia tilted his head. "Hm. Alright then. Better get those to the cave. It's hot, and the longer they stay out the worse. Your grandfather is making that fruit spread today, I think."
Ralts tilted her head, surprised. "Oh! Is it that time already?"
Kirlia nodded. "Yeah. Didn't you notice on your way out?"
"I hadn't realized. It was so sunny out..."
"Yeah, I can understand that. It's too nice to pay attention indoors, isn't it? Prime weather for a Poochyena attack!" Grinning suddenly, he stood up and twirled his spear before embedding the blunt end into the ground. "But have no fear, I shall stand guard over this entrance and make sure no mangy mutt even gets near!" He proclaimed. The guard was gratified when Ralts giggled, before she headed into the village proper. "Be safe!" He called, returning to his stump.
Ralts slowly made her way into the village, absorbed in her thoughts. 'What do I do with this thing...' She glanced at her bag, where a momentary flash of red came into sight. She hadn't ever seen a human that close up before. Technically speaking, she wasn't even supposed to go near the trails. Large open spaces were very easy to get spotted in, but the biggest berries grew there as well. 'What is it even for? They were trying to hit me with it, but...'
She glanced at a small gathering of very young Ralts in a rough circle around an older Kirlia. "-ck and snow, fell into a deep dark hole~ Rust, rock and snow, bothered us no more~" The little ones sang, only slightly out of harmony. It was an ancient rhyme passed down by the mothers. Ralts had sang it herself long ago.
"One more time!" said the watcher. "Follow along now. Once long ago, on a mountain peak high; there lived a giant with seven eyes wide~"
Moving on, she quickly passed the few other scattered Ralts that scurried to and fro, making full use of the sunny weather. Three stood at the edge of a river that passed through a corner, ready with spears. With a sharp jerk and a "Ha!", one thrust her spear into the water. Gripping the weapon tight, she pulled back, a Magikarp impaled on the end of the pole. "Yeah!" She cheered, taking the fish off the spike and running over to the fire pit.
Soon enough though, our Ralts came across a rather large boulder. At the base of the boulder was a hole large enough for a Pokemon to walk through, covered by a doorway made of knotted vines. Ducking under the vines, she made her way into the cave beyond and below. Inside the cavern was a large pile of various dried berries and clay jars filled with juice or aged fruit spread. The walls were covered with quite a few drawings, and scattered around the cave and deeper within it were a few wooden chairs. Peering into an opened clay jar, Magikarp bone brush in hand, was a positively ancient Kirlia working on a drawing. Wrinkles had formed all over his pale face, and his hair had turned a rather bright whitish green, though his red eyes were as sharp as ever.
Ralts started to move forward but hesitated, glancing at her bag. The small red and white sphere peeked out from the blue fruit. 'I should hide this. Maybe I can ask him about it secretly?' Moving silently, she took the ball out and stuck it behind a couple of pots by the door. "Gramps!" She called out. "I'm back with more berries!" Hopping down a couple natural steps, she made her way to her grandfather.
The elderly Kirlia looked up from his work and grinned. "Ah, good, good. We can never have enough berries, I say. Any trouble?" He asked, noticing a bruise.
"It's nothing, don't worry." Ralts muttered, sitting down nearby. Unfurling the bag, she placed the pile of Oran before the dried berry stock. "Just a branch that snapped back too hard."
"Ah. You should be more careful. One stray twig and you could lose an eye." Gramps said, turning his attention to the fruit. "Oh my, what a nice find! They don't usually grow this large." Picking up a berry, he examined it carefully and then held it over a fresh pot. Grinning, he concentrated. His horns shimmered with a blue light and the berry was summarily crushed, releasing a large spurt of juice into the container. "Ahaha! Yes, you picked some good ones here! We'll have many fresh new jars by the looks of it!" Gramps beamed at Ralts. "Looks like we'll have a few extra as well, for the paint. Do you want to practice crushing a few?"
Ralts ducked her head, completely distracted from her earlier thoughts. "Really? It didn't go that well last time..."
"Hey, do not worry. I accepted your apology and my eye does not have seeds in it anymore. Come, give it a try." He pulled a berry from the pile and held it out.
"Alright, alright" Smiling, she took the proffered berry. Holding it in her palms, she concentrated. The manipulation of her innate psychic energy was still somewhat new to Ralts, and it showed. The berry was encased in a sharp blue glow, and slowly rose a few inches above her hands. Not diverting her attention from the berry, she carefully grabbed the jar out of her grandfathers hands. Carefully positioning it under the berry, she gave the berry a mental squeeze.
The berry promptly exploded, covering the nearby area with pulp. Ralts shrieked in surprise, wiping at her face to get errant fluid out of her eyes. Gramps merely laughed, holding a small mass of berry remnants in front of his face. "A bit too much force and too little direction, I think." He deposited the mass into the jar, then knelt down to wipe the juice off Ralts face. Ralts wringed her hands together, embarrassed.
"Eh, sorry..." She mumbled, fidgeting as juice dribbled down her head.
"It is no worry, my dear. Everyone learns the same way, by making a giant mess of things. You are no different." Gramps smiled, and rubbed the last of the juice off. "You merely have to learn how to make a smaller mess. And then a smaller one. Eventually you begin to not have a mess at all, and become talented." He lifted three Oran over his own pot, and squished them all into liquid simultaneously, all shooting straight into the clay container.
"So, in order to get good, I have to be bad?" Ralts asked, slightly confused.
"Heh. Little one, being bad at something is merely the first step to being good at it. I didn't just wake up one day and paint the sun and sky." He waved at the ceiling, where images of the sun, moon and sky were rendered in plant essence. "It took much time and many mistakes before I could do such a thing. It is the same with controlling your abilities."
"Oh." Ralts looked at the ceiling and then back at the remnants of the berry. "So, I'll just keep trying until I get it right?"
"That's the spirit!" The elderly Kirlia sat back at her chair. Berries began to gently float from the leaf and get crushed, one after the other. "Just keep trying, you'll become better every time!"
Ten Oran floated down in front of Ralts. She looked at her grandpa, and back at the berries. Frowning, she lifted one up, positioned her container and gave it another squeeze, lighter this time. The berry ripped, dripping a little but not fully crushed. Ralts scowled. Another push, and the berry successfully shot it's liquid straight at the far wall. Sighing, she left the berry on the pile and picked another.
Half an hour and many berries later the immediate area was surrounded with berry juice and she was wiping fluids off her face again, but she had gotten some into the pot itself; more as a byproduct of exploding fruit than any real marksmanship. Giving a loud grumble, Ralts leaned back against the chair. Having run out of berries, she watched her grandfather make a jar of sweet spread. It was a special type of jelly that they knew how to make out of a medley of berries.
Her thoughts eventually wandered away from her recent failure to her encounter in the forest. She glanced back at the door where she had hid the ball. "Hey Grandpa?" She asked. "What do you know about humans?"
"Humans?" The aged Kirlia looked up from his work. "Humans... Why the sudden interest?"
"Oh, uh. I kinda... saw one in the forest."
"Did you? You shouldn't be wandering anywhere near them. Hopefully it was just an explorer, and not a trainer or hunter." He set his container aside, focusing on the conversation.
"A trainer?"
"Heh. You never really payed attention when I told you before, did you? All right, it's a good a time as any. If you've seen one this far in, there's bound to be more skulking about." He telekinetically lifted a few dried Pecha from the pile of fruit and set three in Ralt's grasp. He ate one of his own, humming. "So, Humans. Trainers, hunters... What did you want to know, specifically?"
"Well... what is a trainer?"
"Mmm. A trainer is a specific type of human who goes around and capturing the creatures of the wild."
"Like a hunter?"
He shook his head. "Not quite. Where a Hunter would kill an animal for food, trainers use these little round devices and throw them at a weakened animal. The device takes in the animal and the trainer takes the creature with them."
'So if I had been a bit slower, I would be living with a human?' She rolled this thought around. "Why would they do that?"
"Well..." Gramps rubbed his chin. "I think that humans want them for companionship. Trainers seem to enjoy comparing the strength of their companions in battle." He leaned forward. "You see, trainers are very respected in their world, and the greater the trainer, the more influence they have."
Ralts glanced back at her hidden item. "So... The best trainer is like a king?"
"Not... quite as such, I don't think. To be honest, I'm not completely sure." He shrugged. "I've only overheard bits and pieces from eavesdropping on the trails. Not- not that you should be going anywhere near there." he started, looking a little embarrassed.
"I know, I know..."
"It's really important that we don't get discovered." Gramps stressed. "There aren't any other colonies of Ralts anywhere else, to my knowledge. The last thing we need is a bunch of humans coming here from all over the place sniffing around our village."
Ralts blinked. "All over the place? You mean, like across the ocean and beyond the forests?"
"Eh?" Kirlia scratched his head. "Well, yes I suppose. There are humans all over the continent, and I imagine the trainers have to go all over the place to challenge each other. It hardly concerns us, though."
"Oh wow." 'All over the world? I've never even gone past the trails...' Strange fragments of thought began forming in Ralts' mind. These humans... 'Who are they? How do they live?' she wanted to ask, but she knew she wouldn't get a good answer. Her grandfather was the wisest person she knew, but he wouldn't know everything. Not from just listening at the trails.
"Hm?" He began, noting her silence. "Was that all?"
"Oh, yes." She said, jumping off her seat. "Sorry, I was getting hungry. I saw someone catch a magikarp earlier, I'm going to go get some." Moving toward the entrance, she gave a glance at the hiding spot.
"Alright. Take care then, be back before dark! I'll have to talk to the guards... Humans, Hm." He muttered, grabbing more berries.
'It's probably safe for now.' She decided, and headed out the door. The sun hit her like a rock, the heat becoming much more apparent at just past noon.
Determined, she strode straight through the village, past the fire pit, and out the gate. "Oh hey, out again?" called the guard. Ralts gave a half hearted wave and strode on without a word, ignoring him. A burning feeling floated around her head, driven by the strange object and her new information.
There was a human city to the north-west. Maybe finding out more would put her mind at rest.
After a few hours (to see if I have done anything stupidly wrong{That means people must tell me what they think in the thread}) I will completely overwrite the ch. 2 that is on the front page with this version.
Here is the promised re-write of Chapter 2. I am less sure of this one than chapter 1, so I will replace the actual chapter 2 with the new version after public review.
It will also give you some time to compare and contrast the two.
On the one hand, this was a definite improvement over the already-good original, and I fully support authors going back and editing earlier chapters on principal - too many feel obliged to leave things as they were, due to the normally episodic nature of fanfiction.
On the other hand, my heart soared to see this update, and I am sad that it did not.
I always thought tail whip has a bit of a hypnotic effect to it. The back and forward motion makes a Pokemon loose focus from the distraction and the defense is this lowered.
That said, have you tried sushi yet? It's really good!
I always thought tail whip has a bit of a hypnotic effect to it. The back and forward motion makes a Pokemon loose focus from the distraction and the defense is this lowered.
That said, have you tried sushi yet? It's really good!
And here is the tentative Re-EDIT of chapter 3. I said re-edit and not re-write because I didn't remake the entire chapter from scratch like 1 and 2. I have instead directly copied over several bits with alterations and additions. This may make it a lesser 'upgrade' than the previous changes were. There's only a 400 word difference.
Also I am getting sick of re-writing. I might actually work on 17 instead of going on to chapter 4.
Anyway heres the thing. I finished it like half an hour ago but my usual beta isn't on so I'll just crowd source it. I'll replace the text in the ch. 3 threadmark after some time and crit has passed.
God I'm so tired.
The Ralts peered up at the sky, shielding her eyes as she did so. The sun hadn't moved very far across the sky and yet she had already left the familiar portions of her home behind. The trees had started to thin out little by little, and the sounds of wildlife were becoming less and less common. She hadn't even heard any Zigzagoon packs, and they were as common as the grass. It was, she decided as she brushed past yet another shrub, slightly unnerving.
Not for the first time, she wondered if this had been a bad idea. Heading directly into a human city where she could be found and captured at any moment… one wrong step, one bad move, and it would all be over. It went against everything she had ever been taught, yet among the anxiety and fear, excitement welled up from deep within; a font of curiosity and wanderlust in equal measure. It was with these that she forged onwards, determined to seek out answers for herself.
Still, all the excitement in the world didn't help with her nerves. What would a human city even look like? A vision of giant log houses came to mind, each with their own garden so you didn't have to go far to get a snack; an enourmous bonfire would light every corner and at least five massive rivers would be trailing around, all wide and shallow yet packed with fish. She crested the hill she had been climbing, daydreams still floating through her mind, when a glint of light from ahead blinded her. Yelping, she rubbed her eyes to get the spots out and squinted at the irritant. She blinked once, twice, and her jaw dropped.
Sprawled in front of her was a landscape full of structures unlike anything she had ever seen. Most were taller than the trees and colored not unlike river pebbles; a collection of muted greys, blues, tans, and reds with brightly colored slanted tops. Spaced regularly along the surfaces of many of them, she saw... mirrors? The light of the sun glinted off of them and into her eyes. Ralts blinked. The only mirror she had ever encountered was a small, cracked thing owned by a berry picker who had found it half buried in the forest. It had been strange, akin to looking into a fractured pond.
Among the buildings were humans. Overcome with a sudden bout of paranoia, the Ralts squeaked and dropped to the ground, peeking above the grass after a moment. Not spotting any alerted bands of hunters or trainers bearing down at her, she felt rather embarrassed. She peered at the little dots of life visible around the buildings. The number of people and the size of the city was amazing. The concentration of beings outnumbered her home fivefold, yet there was so much space it felt a little empty. They moved to and fro, heading about their day with nary a bumped elbow.
A hint of movement caught her eye. To her left, she could see a large amount of humans scattered around the forest edge. What were they…? In the distance, she saw a tree fall to the ground, cut from its roots at the base and leaving a stump behind. Many such stumps were littering the field behind them. They were cutting down the forest? Why?
Across from the field of felled trees she could spot an increasing number of squat structures, some of which seemed to be unfinished. The Ralts felt uneasy at the sight. Was the city… growing?
She had to get a closer look. To her right she spotted a patchwork line of large bushes and trees that lead down, with only a few open spaces between. Backtracking a little, she circled around and made it to the line with no trouble, darting down the hill in the foliage's shadow.
Her cover ran past a small, isolated building on the far outskirts. The walls were very tall with a mirror inset into it above a few stacked boxes. There was no movement, but muffled noises emanated from inside. Spotting nothing immediately alarming, the Ralts moved forwards. Climbing on the crates, she looked into the mirror only to find it wasn't a mirror at all, but a window.
It was transparent, giving her a perfect view inside the building- which she quickly re-identified as a house. There were so many things inside it was hard to take in; amazingly crafted furniture, wooden floors, figurines of creatures she had never seen, a miniature star on the ceiling surrounded by rotating boards, plants in pots, a human that was looking right at her-
She shot down, almost bashing the window sill in her haste; her heart hammering in her chest as the seconds passed. When nothing seemed to happen, she hesitantly peeked over the edge, ducking back down when she spotted the human still looking at her. She bit her lip. Surely they should have spotted her by now? Taking a risk, she poked her head above the edge a third time.
The human was still there, but they didn't seem to notice her. They seemed to be animatedly talking into the otherwise empty room, unbothered by the lack of audience. She held a hand above her head to block out the glare of sun from the glass. She blinked, confused. On closer inspection, the human appeared to be exceptionally tiny, and standing in some sort of box. Who was she talking to? What was going on here?
In a flash, the human disappeared, only to be replaced with a closeup of her upper body. Various images in the shape of clouds and the sun appeared behind her, the human waving at them animatedly. She stared at this unexpected display, struggling to understand what was happening. What was this? She gazed at the rest of the room, desperate for some context. On the walls were various still images of a few people, all in odd poses and smiling. She frowned at them, comparing it to the weird box. Was it a moving picture? A moving, talking picture at that, though it was a bit hard to hear through the glass.
The Ralts stared at it in awe. Humans had made this? How did they make a picture move and talk like that? It wasn't anything like telepathy, and she didn't sense any psychic energy, so it wasn't an illusion. Who was it even playing for? There didn't seem to be anyone receiving the message around. The moving image changed again, showing a different set of humans. Well if nobody was around to hear it, she might as well listen in. Pressing an ear to the window, she concentrated on the voice within.
"-Mossdeep Space Center has announced plans to launch its first manned mission to the moon later this year." A woman with blue hair announced, an image of a tall yellow-green building coming into focus behind her, with a large white construct looming in the background. A space center? What was that? Ralts watched the screen intently, fascinated. "Using data gathered from the Porygon-M rovers, these brave astronauts and scientists will land on the moon to facilitate the first ever lunar research base. The center has announced that with their new spacefaring technology and cooperation with several species of pokemon that construction should only take a few months. An exciting time for all of us."
She nearly fell off the crate. Land on the moon!? Did she hear that right?
"Indeed,-" The screen had switched to focus on the black haired man. "I wish them the best of luck. In other news, Gym Leader Jeffrey Moore of Lavaridge has retired from his position-"
A sudden high pitched bell ring from inside the house sent her scrambling again. She hid below the edge for several minutes, listening to a succession of very faint sounds and footsteps followed by some nondescript clattering, a squeaky groan, and a sigh. Risking a peek, she saw that an actual human had sat on the cushioned seat directly below her. He appeared to be fairly old, brown haired and light of skin, dressed in a baggy garment. A bowl of what appeared to be steaming worms covered in some type of sauce and meat on the table. He reached over to a device on the table and the voice on the screen became so quiet that she struggled to make out anything at all.
Ralts watched this for a few seconds, marveling at the food and the odd way of eating. What was that shiny instrument? Was there something wrong with his hands? They didn't look broken to her. She watched as he twirled the worm-like strands around the instruments tines. So it made eating easier? Eh, she'd rather stick to telekinesis.
The human frowned suddenly, looking left and right before turning around fully. The Ralts recoiled, dropping back onto the crates, and descending even further at the distant sound of footsteps. Darting around a box, she hid with her back to the cardboard and held still.
She heard the glass panel creak as it opened for a moment. "Tch, damn pests. Gotta get rid of-" the humans words cut off as the window closed. The Ralts sighed in relief. That had been too close; the human was starting to get suspicious, she'd have to move on before something bad happened.
Circling around front, she noted a flowerbed and a strange wheeled contraption chained to a fence. More importantly, a road that looked to lead directly into the city. She glanced at the sun once more, finding that little time had passed. Few questions had been answered, many more had arisen. What was a Gym leader? What was that animated box, and how did it work? What kind of weird food was that, and what did it taste like?
But the most important discovery was that announcement on the picture box. Were they really going to…?
She glanced at the distant horizon where a faint white crescent rose from the rim of the world, thoughts of wondrous flight darting across her mind. Shaking her head, she turned back to the human city and started to walk once more.
Original:
It had been barely an hour since Ralts had left the village, and already she had passed the nebulous boundary of where she was allowed to go. The forest was changing, trees were starting to thin out little by little and wild creatures had steadily become less frequent.
Not for the first time she wondered if this was a bad idea. Heading directly into a human stronghold, where any number of trainers were hiding about. If she made one wrong step, one wrong move, she could be caught. It went against every lesson she had been taught, and yet...
And yet there was some sort of inexplicable thrill. Similar to when she first saw a human on the trail, but magnified tenfold. To instinctively know that what might come next would be dangerous, but paradoxically wonderful as well. She looked toward the sun, finding it still before noon. It shouldn't be that much farther-
Clearing a barren hill, she stopped cold. Scattered around the landscape in the far distance were structures unlike anything she had ever seen. Most were taller than the trees and colored not unlike the various pebbles in the river, and squared in shape with a big flat one standing out at the center. Many had sloped roofs of bright color with tan colored walls. Spaced regularly along the surfaces of many of them, she saw... mirrors? The light of the sun glinted off of them and into her eyes. Ralts blinked. The only mirror she had ever encountered was a small, cracked thing owned by a berry picker who had found it half buried in the forest. It had been strange, akin to looking into a fractured pond.
Among the buildings were humans. Overcome with a sudden bout of paranoia, Ralts gave an 'eek' and dropped to the ground. A quarter of a second later she peeked up. Not spotting any alerted bands of hunters or trainers bearing down at her, she felt rather embarrassed. She peered at the little dots of life visible around the buildings. The number of people and the size of the city was amazing. The concentration of beings outnumbered her home fivefold, yet there was so much space it felt a little empty. They moved to and fro, heading about their day with nary a bumped elbow.
Ralts had to get a closer look. To her left she spotted a patchwork line of large bushes and trees that lead down, with only a few open spaces between. Backing behind the hill, she made it to the line with no trouble and darted down the hill in the shadow of the foliage.
The line of trees led straight by a smaller building on the far outskirts. The walls were very tall, and above a few stacked wooden boxes was one of the mirrors inset into it. There was no movement, but muffles noises emanated from the structure. Spotting nothing immediately alarming, she moved forwards. Climbing on the crates, she looked into the mirror only to find it wasn't a mirror at all, but a window.
It was completely clear and she had a perfect view inside the building, which she quickly re-identified as a house. There were so many things inside it was hard to take in. Amazingly crafted furniture, wooden floors, figurines of creatures she had never seen, a miniature star on the ceiling with three rotating blades attached, still images of a few humans scattered around, plants in pots, books, a human that was lookingrightather-
Ralts almost bashed her chin on the ledge of the window as she shot downwards in panic. Heart hammering in her chest, she froze and awaited the expected outcry of the human. A few seconds passed before she realized that no response was forthcoming. Hesitantly, she uncurled and peeked over the edge. The human wasn't looking at her, but rather it was like she was looking at everything in front of her in general.
Also she was in a little elevated box, and appeared to be severed at the waist. It dawned on Ralts that it was a picture. A moving picture, nonetheless. She stared at it for a second before she realized that it was talking as well. Was this a human creation? It wasn't anything like telepathy, how had they done it? There was nobody else in the room, had they left?
"-Mossdeep Space Center has announced plans to launch it's first manned mission to the moon later this year." Said the blue haired lady. Behind her stood a tall yellow-green building. A large white construct loomed beyond even that. Ralts leaned in, fascinated. "Using data gathered from the Porygon-M rovers, the brave astronauts and scientists will land on the moon to facilitate the first ever Lunar research base. An exciting time for all of us."
Ralts nearly fell off the crate. 'They did what!?'
"Indeed,-" The screen had switched to show a black haired man. "I wish them the best of luck. In other news, Gym Leader Jeffrey Moore of Lavaridge has retired from his position-"
The sound of a ding from inside the house sent her scrambling again. She hid below the edge for several minutes, hearing a succession of very faint sounds and footsteps followed by a mild clatter, a squeaky groan, and a sigh. Risking a peek, she saw that an actual human had sat on the cushioned seat directly below her. He appeared to be fairly old, brown haired and light of skin, dressed in a baggy garment. A bowl of what appeared to be steamed white vines covered in some type of sauce and meat on the table. He reached over to some type of device on the table, and suddenly it was much harder to make out what the person on the screen was saying.
Ralts watched this for a few seconds, marveling at the food and the odd way of eating. 'I wonder what that shiny thing is. Is something wrong with his hands?' There didn't appear to be anything out of place there. He looked to be twisting the pieces around it and picking them up. She stared at her own hands, still stained purple, and then back. 'Maybe it's so you don't have to touch it? Humans must really like to be clean.'
The human suddenly looked around, and she spotted a frown on his face before she once more ducked beneath the sill. A few seconds passed before he settled back down. A bout of paranoia? This was getting perilous. 'I should move on before he spots me.', she decided, and descended her platform.
Circling around front, she noted a flowerbed and a strange wheeled contraption chained to a fence. More importantly, a road that looked to lead directly into the city. Ralts glanced at the sun once more. Few questions had been answered, many more had arisen. What was a Gym leader? What was that animated box, and how did it work? What kind of weird food was that? And... and they were going to put people on the moon?
As she started down the road, she felt that answers were going to become a lot more difficult to find. Strangely, she was okay with that.
