- Location
- Philippines
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Mind if I take a guess?
It's because of that one from Giratina and the Sky Warrior, isn't it?
Trails of Tera Steel (Kiseki-inspired Pokemon Academy Quest)
- Thread starter ArvisPresley
- Start date
It's because of that one from Giratina and the Sky Warrior, isn't it?
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I appreciate the guess, but no.
I just think that out of every legend/myth, Shaymin is probably the easiest to kill, cook, and doing so to one won't immediately cause an extinction, because there has to be more then one Shaymin yknow?
- Pronouns
- She/Her
See Nerdorama gets it.
Canon Mariana: Desperately trying to reassure the people around her that she won't harm their partners. Constantly aware of negative stereotypes.
Fanon Mariana: Regularly drooling when looking at other peoples pokemon. Brings fork and knife to battle class in case of accidents. Currently holding up Vigorths severed arm to ask if anyone wants a bite or if she can have the whole thing.
Fanon Mariana: Regularly drooling when looking at other peoples pokemon. Brings fork and knife to battle class in case of accidents. Currently holding up Vigorths severed arm to ask if anyone wants a bite or if she can have the whole thing.
- Location
- England, unfortunately.
- Pronouns
- She/They
I mean we do know where the ice ruin legendary is. One Sorbet, and that's a whole ass problem removed from the world.
Look I'm not saying we have to try it, but I am saying it's what Laios Dunmeshi Touden would want.
Look I'm not saying we have to try it, but I am saying it's what Laios Dunmeshi Touden would want.
- Pronouns
- She/They
There's a reason I made sure to mention memes when I wrote my strategy guide omake. Because the memes around this woman in a real game would be fucking omnipresent.
SolarGemX
The Crystalized Sun
- Location
- Somewhere in the Cosmos
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Well..... *stares at DBZA abridged and FF7 Machinabridged*, it could work...... we already have a goku expy, and who knows Elise could be cloud if ya squint enough.... wait by those standards are we Abridged Goku or Abridged Red XIII in this scenario?
How many though? Food memes, useless leabian memes, dense protagonist memes, you belong to me now memes, "look what you did! She has anxiety! Memes, etcetera etcetera?
Ostia: Dont be suspicious, dont be suspicious. Chonky Hamster. I didmt do anything wromg UwU *holding a Chimaeric Monstrosity in her hand*
Theadora: Ojou sama intensifies
Elise: Sword. Dense harem protagonist. Sword. Existential dread. Sword.
.....oh wow Mariana amd co really would be a meme compilation...
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- Location
- England, unfortunately.
- Pronouns
- She/They
Abridged Goku. On account of us being kinda dense about Erika's raging crush on us.
- Location
- Philippines
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I'd say Red, we already have a Goku expy in the class.
StattStatt
Supplier of suspenders for your disbelief
- Location
- On one of your shoulders
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Shaymin comes with a built-in salad on its back.
Then we go find the Beep-boop ice golem for infinite shaved ice dessert
Then we go find the Beep-boop ice golem for infinite shaved ice dessert
Under president Ghetsis? Probably the slow dissolution of democracy.
- Pronouns
- She/They
Mostly I'm curious if anything like the BW1 plot is running or will run in the immediate future. I assume if nothing else G-dog's building a giant pop-up castle and making Alder pay for it.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Well, if Galar is Liberl, Paldea is Erebonia, Ryme City is Crossbell, clearly that means Unova is Calvard!
What does that mean for the story? Not sure! Although it might mean N is a party member
(Implied Daybreak Spoilers)
- Pronouns
- She/They
I'm pretty sure Kalos is Calvard just for geographical positioning and the fact that, while it has American melting pot flavor, it's still a revolutionary republic locked in a permanent continental pissing contest with a neighboring reactionary empire based explicitly on Germany - and that means France, and therefore Kalos.Well, if Galar is Liberl, Paldea is Erebonia, Ryme City is Crossbell, clearly that means Unova is Calvard!
What does that mean for the story? Not sure! Although it might mean N is a party member
SolarGemX
The Crystalized Sun
- Location
- Somewhere in the Cosmos
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Who knows? I domt think it will affect us...... unlessit affects Blueberry Academy and we somehow get an early exchange program going...(idk if that would only happen if were Champion level a la canon S amd V) im now imaginimg us being a cultural exchange student, learnimg about pokemon and Unovan history and suddenly *Boom* war in the streets! Trainers vs. Plasma! And were caught in the crossfire. Actually.... how would N react too our heritage? Would he be agast that a human eats pokemon, and (early on) hate us? Or would he go, oh thats imteresting someome who embraces the world of survival of the fitest, the way pokemon are in there nature and just move on?
- Pronouns
- She/They
I'm not sure what N's personal opinion or the Plasma party line would be on Pokémon as a food source. The latter presumably whatever is convenient, but I do think if we met N for whatever reason, he'd be more interested in our or - more relevantly - Renne's and Ruby's experiences with human on Pokémon abuse. N was canonically raised solely in the company of abused Pokémon to warp his view on human-Pokémon relations, and our rescuee from the Rocket poaching project and our cursed mole baby would likely reinforce that (whether they agree with him or not - and Renne actually might).
StattStatt
Supplier of suspenders for your disbelief
- Location
- On one of your shoulders
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Somehow I'm only able to imagine N as being horrified at the thought of humans eating pokemon, and accepting that pokemon have to eat each other, but cries whenever he thinks about it
Field Exercise I END
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Bartholomew Bragg peeks out of the cave entrance and sees the sun starting to set. Carefully,quietly, he heads back into the small cave, one of the many little boltholes he had his boys set up across Cortondo. Beyond its current purpose as a place to rest, his operation had used it and many others to move around captures and avoid League attention for as long as possible. For all the good that ended up doing.
Tsk. No point complaining about it now.
Taking a good look at one of the maps included in the base's supplies, he traces a finger from his current location to one of the pickup points they've been using. A few hours still on foot.
Riverine transport of goods, legal or otherwise, is incredibly lucrative and his operation had long been using such networks of river smugglers for their purposes. Contraband captured would flow out of Cortondo to Cascaraffa either to move further along the line towards the markets of Porto Marinada or to whatever labs, basements or collections that need Pokemon in the rest of Paldea.
A tired noise reaches his ears and he relaxes slightly. Gliscor is conscious, at least.
Resisting the urge to scratch at his own bandages, he makes his way over to the small cot where he'd laid down his starter to rest, being careful not to knock over any of the empty bottles of Potions and Super Potions he'd used to help his Pokemon recover after the state Lokix had left him in. Two of his Pokemon are dead, and Gliscor is on his last ropes. The last two days have been exhausting. Still got a long way to go before he can rest, though.
Crouching down to get on eye level with Gliscor, who's currently laying on his back on a makeshift cot, he moves a mostly empty bottle of Hyper Potion out of the way. Something Surge threw at him before he went off to get his own men and Pokemon killed by that Wild Hunt. Small mercies, at least.
Gliscor turns his head towards him and hisses in a low voice. Years of familiarity helps him decipher it easily enough. 'Just us?'
"Yea, just us." He says with a mirthless smile. In the end, that's always how it goes down, isn't it? Just him and his starter against the world. He doubts any of the others made it out without getting caught by the League or attacked by a Wild Pokemon. He's still not sure how he made it out unscathed himself.
"Hungry? We'll need to eat while we still can." Pulling out a crate of canned foods from the bolthole's supplies, he grabs a can of salted beef and opens it with his pocket knife. His Gliscor, lazy lard of a Pokemon, doesn't even bother to move and just opens up its mouth so he can dump the can's contents down his maw.
Bragg takes a bite of an MRE that he grabbed from the pile. It tastes like gruel. but he hadn't eaten anything other than snacks or whatever since everything went to shit last Wednesday, and as they say, hunger is the best sauce. Between him and Gliscor, the two of them are taking what they can from an entire crate of canned food and rations. The lighter ones like beef jerky packets, he saves to bring along with him; anything larger will be pointless. Either he gets on a boat by tonight or he's dead.
It's while eating that it really sets in for him. He's fucked, isn't he?
He lays it out all in his head as he scoops some soup out of a tin for himself. Assuming he still manages to avoid any Wild Pokemon from attacking him as he and his Gliscor make their way towards the rendezvous point, what then? The chances that any of the smugglers they rely on are still there is slim, and with no cash on him aside from a couple thousand Pokedollars in his wallet, he doubts they'd take him, not with the river crawling with feds.
Even if he does make it out, where the fuck is he gonna go? He can't tattle, that bitch Leila is gonna make sure he swings no matter what. Going to Cascaraffa is right out. Listening to the bluebloods got him into this situation in the first place, and he doesn't wanna see Surge again as long as he lives.
Maybe Artazon, then. Word on the vine whip is there's a new mob boss setting up shop out east in Artazon.
His lip curls down into a frown. What a fall from grace, Look at him, actually considering becoming a common thug.
"Things are lookin' bleak, huh, boy?" Gliscor's only response is to flick his claw upwards, as if telling him to chin up.
"Oh, I'm afraid your troubles aren't over yet, Mister Bartholomew."
He can't leap out of his makeshift seat fast enough, his swift movements knocking over opened and half eaten cans of food and ration as he turns to face in the direction of the unknown voice. At the entrance of the bolthole, dressed all fancy-like, almost looking like a maid is a woman he'd never seen before in his entire life. What instincts he's honed across his career are all yelling at him, as he does his best to not shrink away from the newcomer.
Gliscor's eyes narrow, and he throws himself off his cot to put himself between Bragg and the woman.
She smiles thinly at the both of them, her eyes narrowed to the degree that the only things he can see of them were two glowing pinpricks of red . That's the only detail he can actually focus on aside from the dress; trying to look at any other part of her causes his head to hurt, like he's been staring at a blurry photo for hours.
"Are you with the Count?!" The one silver lining on his entire operation going to smoke is that he might get to see that smug prick down go alongside him, but getting tied up like a loose-end puts a damper on that. He can't have shit in life, can he?
"I serve no one but Milady," the woman says as she steps closer, prompting Gliscor to clack his sole claw. The ground beneath her opens up as if to swallow her whole, while tendrils of stone hurl themselves from the cave walls to turn her into a shishkebab.
With a single step, the woman rushes forward faster than a human has any right to be, dodging the pit and evading Gliscor's attacks. Shadows curl around her arms as she casually backhands Gliscor and sends him flying towards a cave wall. Before the Ground-type could respond, the woman is already upon him, her right arm grabbing Gliscor's head with enough force to crack his armor.
Recovering from the shock, Bragg barely manages to recall Gliscor back to his Pokeball before the woman's left arm, still covered in shadows and with long elongated nails the length of an arm, eviscerates his Pokemon. Seeing her quarry disappear, the woman turns to face him again, that same terrifying smile still on her face.
What the hell is this bitch!?
He tries to open his mouth but the woman vanishes just as he feels something grab his throat. It squeezes down and he feels his breath leave him. Black spots dance in his vision as he chokes and sputters for air, struggling to both stay awake and keep his meal down.
Oh god, please, not like this!
"W-what d-do y-you w-want…!?" He barely manages to force out those words as he flails in vain against her grip. With a single hand, she's lifting his entire body up as she's choking him. Her smile doesn't leave her face for even a moment.
"I have no business with you, but milady's newest friend is very acquainted with you, Mister Bartholomew." The black spots in his eyes continue to grow and he's slowly losing consciousness as the woman's words fade past the sound of his blood rushing to his ears.
"Worry not, Mister Bartholomew, your ill fortune will continue only for a couple days more…"
The last thing he sees is the woman's deep red eyes and almost feral toothy smile in the shape of a bloody crescent moon.
The sun was beginning to set by the time you and the rest of your little group made their way back to Cortondo and from there, a Pokemon Center. Many of the Pokemon that had been rescued have gone home, going with the dissolving Wild Hunt back to where they were taken from, but there are some Pokeballs snatched by the poachers that remain in your group's possession, currently in the custody of Miss Cassandra and thus the RMP.
There are a dozen Pokemon included in those rescued that aren't from the Wild: rare Pokemon that match local missing reports. There's even a rare Snom included. All of them are kept in the Pokeballs they were taken in, so reuniting with their Trainers should be simple enough, or so Miss Cassandra says.
"Poppy and I will handle processing all of these." Cassandra shakes two bags of Pokeballs she was carrying with her, one containing stolen Pokemon to be returned to their trainers and the other, Pokemon belonging to those said thieves. A decent distance behind your class, a small procession of said criminals and poachers follows, hands bound behind their back. Watching over them are Skaro and Wiggly, both Pokemon occasionally corralling the restrained poachers into a single line. According to Miss Cassandra, she'll be taking them under RMP custody.
"By the way, I'm gonna need you to drop by HQ a bit later, Midorikawa. We'll be needing your testimony." Leaf nods at Cassandra, an unreadable look on her face. An unspoken conversation passes between the two women.
"Alright, see you, kids. Say goodbye as well, Poppy." Cassandra waves farewell to your group. Staring at her. you can see the day's exhaustion just from her expression. A forced smile, eyes slightly tinged red from crying and a much softer voice almost unfamiliar from the boisterous women you got acquainted with earlier that day.
"Thank you for all your help, Lieutenant. …and we're sorry for what happened to Araq—"
Cassandra interrupts Elise's apology by clicking her tongue. "None of that now, you're not to blame for anything that happened. Besides, you learn to prepare for it in the line of duty." From how horrible she looks, you doubt she actually was prepared for something like that happening.
"Miss Cass is strong!" Poppy says with a determined look on her face as she pulls on the hem of Cassandra's uniform. A small, fragile smile creeps its way to Cassandra's face before vanishing. "Poppy will make sure she's gonna be okay, so don't worry!" the Elite Four member declares to your class with gusto before a soft and nervous expression forms on her face. "...but worry about Poppy, alright? Poppy will miss all of her new friends."
Despite the day's exhaustion, you can't help but smile at the girl you'd only met yesterday. Similar looks also form on Elise and even Theodora's faces.
"Poppy will even miss you, Ostia." Poppy has an almost devious grin on her face, which only grows wider as Ostia pouts and sticks their tongue out at their new friend. The exchange only lasts for a brief moment before both children start giggling at each other.
After goodbyes are shared, the two groups go their separate ways, Poppy and Cassandra heading towards the RMP headquarters in Western Cortondo, and your class to a nearby Pokemon Center.
As night starts to approach, you hand in your Pokemon for the Nurse Joy's to attend to. There are some worried looks and stares thrown your class's way when all of you walk in, probably due to how torn-up and tired you all look. Instructor Leaf explains the situation to the Center staff while the more grievously wounded Pokemon are rushed off to emergency care.
Your class was technically not supposed to have gotten involved in the first place, so according to Miss Cassandra, your names won't be mentioned in the official report but Miss Leaf will be under her position as a Ranger.
It takes a few minutes for you to get any news back from the nurses here. Eventually, one of them walks back out with a preliminary report for you. Of your Pokemon, only Ruby will need an overnight stay at the Pokemon Center. Roland and Renne are in decent enough condition that they'll be returned to you after an hour or so of check up. Thank goodness, you don't think you could get any sort of sleep tonight if you didn't have at least one of your Pokemon by your side.
"According to the medical staff, Lokix's condition is dire. It'll take weeks for him to heal even with a Pokemon Center's facilities. Their outlook is positive, though. They expect he'll make a full recovery in time." As Leaf explains what the nurses said about Lokix, you see Theodora's face flicker between worry, relief and anger in quick succession.
"That's a relief, Instructor Leaf." Elise puts a hand on Theodora's shoulder. The latter relaxes slightly, probably out of relief, some of the tense energy leaving her frame. You and the other three members of Group 1 are seated in one of the Pokemon Center's waiting areas. There's even less people around now than in the morning, though this is a different Pokemon Center from the one your class visited earlier.
"So, what're you planning to do with him?" The question is directed towards Theodora, who's looking down at her fidgeting hands. For the first time since you've known her, there's an unsure look on your classmate's face, as if she doesn't know how to proceed.
"It…was a spur of the moment capture. If I hadn't done so, then…" Theodora purses her lips as she trails off before continuing. "Nevertheless if he wishes so, I'll see him returned to the Pokemon of East Cortondo."
"Are you sure? Cass told me that Lokix is classified as a Dangerous Pokemon in the Cortondo Registry. He's done a lot of damage and hurt a lot of people in the months he's been here. You can't just add one to your team willy-nilly." The Instructor has a blank look on her face as she leans in a little closer as she says those words.
From what you remember, the term Dangerous Pokemon refers to specific Pokemon that have gained significant notoriety within a province. There are a variety of reasons a Pokemon can be classified as such, ranging from mundane but repeated instances of disrupting local ecosystems, harassing or causing significant damage to established properties, to more extreme cases, like the instances of causing trainer fatalities.
Usually local authorities take great care to capture such Pokemon as they crop up to prevent them from establishing themselves in an area. Back in the Highlands that fell under the jurisdiction of the Rangers, but in a place like Cortondo, it'd be the responsibility of the Trainer Associations- or, if it escalates enough, the Provincial Carabiners, also known as the garrison.
Which would explain why Lokix and the other Bug-Types were able to run rampant for so long. But now the Wild Hunt they were building up towards for so long is gone, its purpose achieved and Lokix is currently in a Pokemon Center in the heart of Cortondo.
A defiant and indignant look flashes on Theodora's face as she looks up to stare Instructor Leaf in the eye. "If the RMP wishes to arrest him, they can do so after he's been fully healed. He saved our lives and the lives of countless Pokemon of this province, I will not repay that by letting him wake up in League custody!"
The two continued to stare at each other, both maintaining their facial expressions but it was Leaf who cracked first, as a small smile broke the placid look she'd been maintaining.
"If that's your resolve then fine, I can call someone that can make sure that nobody can just waltz in and take Lokix into custody before he's fully healed." The tension between the two began to dissipate as Leaf spoke, causing a rare look of confusion to emerge on Theodora's face.
"That's unnecessary—" Theodora is interrupted by Leaf who holds a finger as if to shush her.
"It's fine, I needed to report in anyways. Today has been a mess…" Leaf mumbles that last part under her breath quietly enough that you can barely hear it.
"Speaking of, you kids did an excellent job. Not just today, the entire week of your Field Exercise. Even if what happened earlier went out of control, you still did something good." Despite the tiredness you're feeling you can't help but stand a little bit straighter as Miss Leaf speaks.
"But we didn't save all the Pokemon and that Vigoroth…" It's Ostia that speaks up, to your surprise. They've been quiet ever since the group split up with Poppy and Cass. If only you could've shielded them better during the battle, they wouldn't have had to see such horrible things at all. Ostia says that they were keeping an eye on you when it should be the other way around.
You can't tell whether the nausea you're feeling is from the memories of the battle or how you've failed Ostia.
"Sure, but let me put it this way. What do you think would've happened if you kids hadn't decided to help Charcadet and drag us adults to come with?" You grimace, not wanting to dwell or think of that possibility. From the looks on the faces of your classmates, they realize that as well. "You Duckletts did good, alright? Don't let anyone, not even yourselves, tell you otherwise." Your class nods and answers affirmatively as Miss Leaf finishes, some of them more affirmatively than others.
"Besides, we'll find them one day. I'm sure of it," Elise declares with utmost certainty, a completely serious look on her face that almost makes you want to believe her.
"...I did good. Ostia did good…" You hear your friend mutter under their breath as a sort of mantra. You pat them on the head to encourage and comfort them.
"Of course. You're a good kid, Ostia." They turn their face away from you, probably out of embarrassment, though they're still muttering something under their breath.
"And before I forget, all of Class VII is gonna have dinner together in an hour or so, to close off your Field Exercise." You look back at Miss Leaf as she speaks. Staring directly at her, you can tell she's exhausted, her normally sharp posture is paradoxically slack but also on edge at the same time, like she's a wound-up coil ready to release at any time. "It's gonna be held in one of the few restaurants still open in Cortondo. Think of it as a way to book-end your memories of your time here before you leave tomorrow. Don't worry, it's my treat." You blink, suddenly remembering that there's a world outside of the past few hours.
Shit, what are you gonna tell, Erika? What is Ostia gonna tell Erika?
"Are you sure, Instructor? We wouldn't want to impose—"
Leaf rolls her eyes as she interrupts Elise. "I already planned this, prior to…everything that happened today. And I think spending some time with your peers to relax would do you kids some good." It seems your instructor is dead set on her plan, so Elise hesitantly nods. "Alright good, now take it easy for a bit and clean up." A tired smile briefly flashes on your teacher's face. "We've all had a long day."
You let the rest of the conversation pass by you as you spot something, drawn to the colors of the Pokemon Center doors, especially the one leading to the ER. It's bright red and white, a nauseatingly familiar shade of such, a feeling which you brush off, of course it's familiar, you've been in how many Pokemon Centers just this month alone? They're all standardized, of course they'd feel familiar. Get a grip on yourself Mary.
You nearly flinch as the doors to the ER burst wide open and some medical staff carrying a tray of Pokeballs head to some other part of the Center. A treacherous part of you whispers that the nurses got it wrong, that Ruby is—
"Mariana, are you alright?" You're snapped back to attention by Elise touching your shoulder. Instructor Leaf in particular is looking at you with a raised eyebrow.
Unable to help yourself, you sneak a glance at the nurse who just exited the ER. She brings the tray to the front desk where a young man is waiting. Grabbing one of the Pokeballs, she hands it to him and he releases a Cacnea, hale and hearty.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just distracted, it's been a long day." You put as best a smile you can to reassure your classmates. From how they're staring, you doubt they're buying it.
You and your classmates had waited a bit to pick up some of your Pokemon that were in decent enough conditions that they didn't need much attention from Pokemon Center staff. The nurses had suggested that said Pokemon avoid anything extraneous for about a day still, but that's fine.
As such it takes an hour or so before Group 1 can head out to dinner at the restaurant Miss Leaf reserved. By the time you and the others arrive, Group 2 is already waiting.
Well, it's not a restaurant in the traditional sense. Currently, you and your class are having dinner at Katie's Patisserie Soapberry. Beyond just the storefront where you bought some snacks from during your first day in Cortondo, the establishment also has a dining area inside where clientele can eat.
Though the accommodations within are more suited to small groups of people so your class really can't sit in a singular table, which is a shame. As such, seating arrangements come down to the friends groups established within the class. For some groups of friends, it's the first time the entire week they can really spend some time together.
Maybe it speaks to how well Erika has gotten used to you or to how much better she knows you than you know yourself that she immediately clocked that there's an issue with you. Though, when is there not? It's comforting in a way that you can't put to words.
Even before you and Ostia can sit down, there's an intensity to her gaze, a slight confidence that wasn't there when you saw her yesterday. Maybe you should ask if something came up on her end as well.
With the unspoken question of 'What happened?' being directed towards you as you take a seat, you weigh your options.
Pretending that everything is fine isn't possible; Ostia will likely answer if you don't. Which is good, you wouldn't want them to lie just for your sake. Maybe if you come clean yourself, Erika won't dig any deeper? You know she's only asking because your face always seems to shout whatever you're thinking- you remember Leaf saying that to you once, you think.
So you'll only tell her the important parts, how you and Group 1 decided to help free some wild Pokemon from some poachers, and how you'd run into that Surge person. No need to get into the unimportant parts like the fights, though you'll have to mention some of your Pokemon got hurt, you can't forget that.
So there's no need for her to know that you fought…fought a Shadow Pokemon, none at all.
"Are you enjoying your meals?" Gym Leader Katie asks as she passes by the table your group is seated at. She's insisted that you and the others only call her Katie tonight since she's off-duty as a Gym Leader.
"They're really delicious!" Ostia exclaims in delight as they dig into their third slice of apple pie. You'd given one of yours to them since you aren't really feeling hungry. You barely even finished the slice you did start eating, which is a shame since it did taste pretty good from what you ate of it.
"Thank you, Miss Katie, for the wonderful dinner." The whole of Class VII was served desserts and pastries made by Katie herself. Aside from the Apple Pies, there's also a wide selection of confectioneries, cakes of all flavors and even some desserts. From what Erika had glimpsed of the menu, the items being served to you and your classmates aren't cheap; just the food served to two tables alone thus far would quickly empty you of all the hard-earned cash you made through the week.
"It's the least I could do for how much your class has helped Cortondo this past week. Grandma was even insistent that I make the dishes myself." The Gym Leader has an easy smile on her face as she talks. "Oh! I'm being called to the kitchen, please keep enjoying tonight's dinner, you three." And with that, she leaves your table and heads to a door leading to the kitchen.
With Katie gone, Erika clears her throat and faces you once more, continuing the conversation you two were having before Katie arrived.
"Ah right, Charcadet led us to where the poachers were hiding deep in the ruins of Badajoz. That's how we found them." With a fork, you poke at the half-eaten apple pie on your plate as you answer. You feel slightly guilty at your lack of an appetite, but simultaneously you feel like if you eat any more you're going to feel sick and even hurl.
"Hmm, Badajoz is pretty far from Cortondo. I'm surprised you, Instructor Leaf and the others were able to head there with a Wild Hunt going on." You weren't going to bring up the Wild Hunt yourself, but Erika independently guessed that there was one even before you started telling her of what happened. Apparently even the Wild Pokemon in West Cortondo were acting and agitated during it.
Wait.
"How'd you know Miss Leaf was with us during it?" You'd been careful to avoid mentioning her or Miss Cassandra by name.
Erika gives you a small smile, a half-lidded look on her eyes. "I didn't. I guessed since the Instructor wasn't with us the entire day, only her Ditto." You try to hold back a wince, which causes your lips to purse, something that Erika catches easily.
You don't like where this conversation is going. You feel like you're being interrogated, baited into saying something you didn't want. A part of you wants to stay quiet and stop from then on but another part of you…doesn't.
Next to you, Ostia looks away, a sad expression on their face. Briefly, they and Erika share a look with one another. Right, according to them, Erika wanted Ostia to keep an eye on you.
Erika continues, "I do have to wonder. Who did you fight to cause so many of your Pokemon to get so badly wounded? I would have thought Instructor Leaf would be able to handle everything herself." You don't respond immediately, diverting your gaze elsewhere.
You see the other members of Class VII immersed in their own discussions and conversations. You see Manuel beaming with pride talking to Elise and Theodora about how he had enjoyed the look on the face some noble had after he had arrested him. On another table, Jacinto grumbles about how Manuel is taking all the credit, while Nemona is begging Ditzy who's still in their pink ooze-like form around Atticus' neck to fight her.
Occasionally you'd seen and even felt Elise or Theodora send glances at you, but they turn their eyes away before you could meet them each time, though judging from the vibrations of your ARCUS, you can guess that they're worried about you.
On a separate table from the rest of Class VII is Instructor Leaf who's sitting by her lonesome. She looks utterly drained, almost pale as she stares at a window off in the distance. Whenever one of your classmates, either Atticus or Elise approaches to try and talk to her, she brushes them off with a fake laugh and tells them to get back to their friends.
You don't know what Instructor Leaf's history with that person was who…killed Miss Cassandra's Araquanid. But the sheer vitriol with how she talked to him, it reminds you of that morning she'd come back the week before the Field Exercise. It reminds you of whenever Jenkins was in a certain kind of bad mood. He didn't get angry, he mostly just…shuts down, barely talking or moving.
You're being silly. Someone's Pokemon died and you're acting like this. Lying to your friend over something so minor. Sure you…didn't have a great time against that Vigoroth. But, you can move past it. You have to move past it. You'll be fine.
You'll be fine.
Erika's smile is gone, her expression is replaced by a serious flat look as she waits for you to answer. Behind it, you can see the clear worry in her eyes that you also saw in Elise, Theodora and Ostia.
You don't deserve your friends.
"I'm sorry." You finally manage to find your voice and respond which causes Erika to blink as if she wasn't expecting you to say that. Are you really that bad?
"No need to apologize, Mary, I apologize if I—" You interrupt her before she can continue.
"We fought a Shadow Pokemon." It takes a moment for Erika to process what you just said. Once she does, though, your already rather pale friend grows even paler. You feel guilty seeing the concern mar her features blending in with the horror.
With the cat out of the bag, you tell her everything, as best as you can remember it. A lot of what happened during the battle with Vigoroth almost feels like a blur. But moments, like when blood splattered onto your face and hearing Ruby's pained voice, those are almost vivid.
Erika reaches out to touch your face and you resist the urge to pull the way. The act is gentle against your reddened cheek, which is still slightly sore after you'd spent so much time trying to scrub the dried stain off your face.
"I'll be fine," you say with as much force as you can, keeping your voice down so as to not disturb everyone else. "Can we talk about something else?"
Hesitantly, Erika nods and pulls away, a dissatisfied but still worried look on her face as she rather clumsily talks about her Scyther.
You may not deserve your friend's concern but it feels nice either way. The fact the only thing you can return for it is words is shameful.
You feel something small grab your left hand. Turning your head slightly towards that direction, you see Ostia holding onto you as they scooch their chair over. You give them the best smile you can muster. They probably were the one who told Erika to try and pry despite your attempt to hide what happened.
You let Ostia's presence and Erika's voice wash over you and as you exhale, you calm your breathing. For the first time today since you left for Badajoz, you relax.
You'll…be fine.
As both the first month and the first Field Exercise comes to a close, the rest of August awaits you. What plans does Mariana have for the coming month?
FOREVER FOUR: With parts of Mesagoza still unexplored and a new location for Field Exercise II, Mariana might be tempted to catch her fourth Pokemon as soon as possible. She's not someone who makes the decision to catch a Pokemon lightly and as such neither should you. Does Mariana try to look for or catch a fourth Pokemon? Keep the Six Pokemon limit in mind.
[] Forever Four: Yes
Follow up vote next update on whether Mary will try to catch a Pokemon in Mesagoza or during Field Exercise II
[] Forever Four: No
Options unlocking new biomes in Mesagoza will be deprioritized.
CHASING THE SUN: From an outside perspective, Mariana and Nemona are peers, equals almost. But of course she knows better, it's still early in the day and Nemona, radiant as the sun, will continue to rise and rise and rise. Maybe, just maybe, if she can keep pace, the sun might even shine for her.
Mary's hard-fought victory over Katie has granted her some confidence and she might even be tempted to take on a Gym Leader during the month of August. Of course, since it'll be a challenge outside of the Field Exercise, she won't be able to skip over the Gym Test this time. Even setting aside how Renne, despite their newfound closeness, is still hesitant to fight in Trainer battles. Does Mariana try to challenge a Gym in August?
[] Chasing the Sun: Yes
Follow-up vote next update on whether to challenge during the month proper or during the second Field Exercise. Will unlock options to research and prepare for a Gym Challenge.
[] Chasing the Sun: No
The Sun will begin its rise soon, surely you don't want to be left behind.
Sorry this one took a bit despite being short
Next update will be an Interlude/Moon Door which may or may not have a vote depending on the outcomes here
Moratorium for 18 Hours
Thanks to Nemastrea and Tempera for Proofreading
Tsk. No point complaining about it now.
Taking a good look at one of the maps included in the base's supplies, he traces a finger from his current location to one of the pickup points they've been using. A few hours still on foot.
Riverine transport of goods, legal or otherwise, is incredibly lucrative and his operation had long been using such networks of river smugglers for their purposes. Contraband captured would flow out of Cortondo to Cascaraffa either to move further along the line towards the markets of Porto Marinada or to whatever labs, basements or collections that need Pokemon in the rest of Paldea.
A tired noise reaches his ears and he relaxes slightly. Gliscor is conscious, at least.
Resisting the urge to scratch at his own bandages, he makes his way over to the small cot where he'd laid down his starter to rest, being careful not to knock over any of the empty bottles of Potions and Super Potions he'd used to help his Pokemon recover after the state Lokix had left him in. Two of his Pokemon are dead, and Gliscor is on his last ropes. The last two days have been exhausting. Still got a long way to go before he can rest, though.
Crouching down to get on eye level with Gliscor, who's currently laying on his back on a makeshift cot, he moves a mostly empty bottle of Hyper Potion out of the way. Something Surge threw at him before he went off to get his own men and Pokemon killed by that Wild Hunt. Small mercies, at least.
Gliscor turns his head towards him and hisses in a low voice. Years of familiarity helps him decipher it easily enough. 'Just us?'
"Yea, just us." He says with a mirthless smile. In the end, that's always how it goes down, isn't it? Just him and his starter against the world. He doubts any of the others made it out without getting caught by the League or attacked by a Wild Pokemon. He's still not sure how he made it out unscathed himself.
"Hungry? We'll need to eat while we still can." Pulling out a crate of canned foods from the bolthole's supplies, he grabs a can of salted beef and opens it with his pocket knife. His Gliscor, lazy lard of a Pokemon, doesn't even bother to move and just opens up its mouth so he can dump the can's contents down his maw.
Bragg takes a bite of an MRE that he grabbed from the pile. It tastes like gruel. but he hadn't eaten anything other than snacks or whatever since everything went to shit last Wednesday, and as they say, hunger is the best sauce. Between him and Gliscor, the two of them are taking what they can from an entire crate of canned food and rations. The lighter ones like beef jerky packets, he saves to bring along with him; anything larger will be pointless. Either he gets on a boat by tonight or he's dead.
It's while eating that it really sets in for him. He's fucked, isn't he?
He lays it out all in his head as he scoops some soup out of a tin for himself. Assuming he still manages to avoid any Wild Pokemon from attacking him as he and his Gliscor make their way towards the rendezvous point, what then? The chances that any of the smugglers they rely on are still there is slim, and with no cash on him aside from a couple thousand Pokedollars in his wallet, he doubts they'd take him, not with the river crawling with feds.
Even if he does make it out, where the fuck is he gonna go? He can't tattle, that bitch Leila is gonna make sure he swings no matter what. Going to Cascaraffa is right out. Listening to the bluebloods got him into this situation in the first place, and he doesn't wanna see Surge again as long as he lives.
Maybe Artazon, then. Word on the vine whip is there's a new mob boss setting up shop out east in Artazon.
His lip curls down into a frown. What a fall from grace, Look at him, actually considering becoming a common thug.
"Things are lookin' bleak, huh, boy?" Gliscor's only response is to flick his claw upwards, as if telling him to chin up.
"Oh, I'm afraid your troubles aren't over yet, Mister Bartholomew."
He can't leap out of his makeshift seat fast enough, his swift movements knocking over opened and half eaten cans of food and ration as he turns to face in the direction of the unknown voice. At the entrance of the bolthole, dressed all fancy-like, almost looking like a maid is a woman he'd never seen before in his entire life. What instincts he's honed across his career are all yelling at him, as he does his best to not shrink away from the newcomer.
Gliscor's eyes narrow, and he throws himself off his cot to put himself between Bragg and the woman.
She smiles thinly at the both of them, her eyes narrowed to the degree that the only things he can see of them were two glowing pinpricks of red . That's the only detail he can actually focus on aside from the dress; trying to look at any other part of her causes his head to hurt, like he's been staring at a blurry photo for hours.
"Are you with the Count?!" The one silver lining on his entire operation going to smoke is that he might get to see that smug prick down go alongside him, but getting tied up like a loose-end puts a damper on that. He can't have shit in life, can he?
"I serve no one but Milady," the woman says as she steps closer, prompting Gliscor to clack his sole claw. The ground beneath her opens up as if to swallow her whole, while tendrils of stone hurl themselves from the cave walls to turn her into a shishkebab.
With a single step, the woman rushes forward faster than a human has any right to be, dodging the pit and evading Gliscor's attacks. Shadows curl around her arms as she casually backhands Gliscor and sends him flying towards a cave wall. Before the Ground-type could respond, the woman is already upon him, her right arm grabbing Gliscor's head with enough force to crack his armor.
Recovering from the shock, Bragg barely manages to recall Gliscor back to his Pokeball before the woman's left arm, still covered in shadows and with long elongated nails the length of an arm, eviscerates his Pokemon. Seeing her quarry disappear, the woman turns to face him again, that same terrifying smile still on her face.
What the hell is this bitch!?
He tries to open his mouth but the woman vanishes just as he feels something grab his throat. It squeezes down and he feels his breath leave him. Black spots dance in his vision as he chokes and sputters for air, struggling to both stay awake and keep his meal down.
Oh god, please, not like this!
"W-what d-do y-you w-want…!?" He barely manages to force out those words as he flails in vain against her grip. With a single hand, she's lifting his entire body up as she's choking him. Her smile doesn't leave her face for even a moment.
"I have no business with you, but milady's newest friend is very acquainted with you, Mister Bartholomew." The black spots in his eyes continue to grow and he's slowly losing consciousness as the woman's words fade past the sound of his blood rushing to his ears.
"Worry not, Mister Bartholomew, your ill fortune will continue only for a couple days more…"
The last thing he sees is the woman's deep red eyes and almost feral toothy smile in the shape of a bloody crescent moon.
The sun was beginning to set by the time you and the rest of your little group made their way back to Cortondo and from there, a Pokemon Center. Many of the Pokemon that had been rescued have gone home, going with the dissolving Wild Hunt back to where they were taken from, but there are some Pokeballs snatched by the poachers that remain in your group's possession, currently in the custody of Miss Cassandra and thus the RMP.
There are a dozen Pokemon included in those rescued that aren't from the Wild: rare Pokemon that match local missing reports. There's even a rare Snom included. All of them are kept in the Pokeballs they were taken in, so reuniting with their Trainers should be simple enough, or so Miss Cassandra says.
"Poppy and I will handle processing all of these." Cassandra shakes two bags of Pokeballs she was carrying with her, one containing stolen Pokemon to be returned to their trainers and the other, Pokemon belonging to those said thieves. A decent distance behind your class, a small procession of said criminals and poachers follows, hands bound behind their back. Watching over them are Skaro and Wiggly, both Pokemon occasionally corralling the restrained poachers into a single line. According to Miss Cassandra, she'll be taking them under RMP custody.
"By the way, I'm gonna need you to drop by HQ a bit later, Midorikawa. We'll be needing your testimony." Leaf nods at Cassandra, an unreadable look on her face. An unspoken conversation passes between the two women.
"Alright, see you, kids. Say goodbye as well, Poppy." Cassandra waves farewell to your group. Staring at her. you can see the day's exhaustion just from her expression. A forced smile, eyes slightly tinged red from crying and a much softer voice almost unfamiliar from the boisterous women you got acquainted with earlier that day.
"Thank you for all your help, Lieutenant. …and we're sorry for what happened to Araq—"
Cassandra interrupts Elise's apology by clicking her tongue. "None of that now, you're not to blame for anything that happened. Besides, you learn to prepare for it in the line of duty." From how horrible she looks, you doubt she actually was prepared for something like that happening.
"Miss Cass is strong!" Poppy says with a determined look on her face as she pulls on the hem of Cassandra's uniform. A small, fragile smile creeps its way to Cassandra's face before vanishing. "Poppy will make sure she's gonna be okay, so don't worry!" the Elite Four member declares to your class with gusto before a soft and nervous expression forms on her face. "...but worry about Poppy, alright? Poppy will miss all of her new friends."
Despite the day's exhaustion, you can't help but smile at the girl you'd only met yesterday. Similar looks also form on Elise and even Theodora's faces.
"Poppy will even miss you, Ostia." Poppy has an almost devious grin on her face, which only grows wider as Ostia pouts and sticks their tongue out at their new friend. The exchange only lasts for a brief moment before both children start giggling at each other.
After goodbyes are shared, the two groups go their separate ways, Poppy and Cassandra heading towards the RMP headquarters in Western Cortondo, and your class to a nearby Pokemon Center.
As night starts to approach, you hand in your Pokemon for the Nurse Joy's to attend to. There are some worried looks and stares thrown your class's way when all of you walk in, probably due to how torn-up and tired you all look. Instructor Leaf explains the situation to the Center staff while the more grievously wounded Pokemon are rushed off to emergency care.
Your class was technically not supposed to have gotten involved in the first place, so according to Miss Cassandra, your names won't be mentioned in the official report but Miss Leaf will be under her position as a Ranger.
It takes a few minutes for you to get any news back from the nurses here. Eventually, one of them walks back out with a preliminary report for you. Of your Pokemon, only Ruby will need an overnight stay at the Pokemon Center. Roland and Renne are in decent enough condition that they'll be returned to you after an hour or so of check up. Thank goodness, you don't think you could get any sort of sleep tonight if you didn't have at least one of your Pokemon by your side.
"According to the medical staff, Lokix's condition is dire. It'll take weeks for him to heal even with a Pokemon Center's facilities. Their outlook is positive, though. They expect he'll make a full recovery in time." As Leaf explains what the nurses said about Lokix, you see Theodora's face flicker between worry, relief and anger in quick succession.
"That's a relief, Instructor Leaf." Elise puts a hand on Theodora's shoulder. The latter relaxes slightly, probably out of relief, some of the tense energy leaving her frame. You and the other three members of Group 1 are seated in one of the Pokemon Center's waiting areas. There's even less people around now than in the morning, though this is a different Pokemon Center from the one your class visited earlier.
"So, what're you planning to do with him?" The question is directed towards Theodora, who's looking down at her fidgeting hands. For the first time since you've known her, there's an unsure look on your classmate's face, as if she doesn't know how to proceed.
"It…was a spur of the moment capture. If I hadn't done so, then…" Theodora purses her lips as she trails off before continuing. "Nevertheless if he wishes so, I'll see him returned to the Pokemon of East Cortondo."
"Are you sure? Cass told me that Lokix is classified as a Dangerous Pokemon in the Cortondo Registry. He's done a lot of damage and hurt a lot of people in the months he's been here. You can't just add one to your team willy-nilly." The Instructor has a blank look on her face as she leans in a little closer as she says those words.
From what you remember, the term Dangerous Pokemon refers to specific Pokemon that have gained significant notoriety within a province. There are a variety of reasons a Pokemon can be classified as such, ranging from mundane but repeated instances of disrupting local ecosystems, harassing or causing significant damage to established properties, to more extreme cases, like the instances of causing trainer fatalities.
Usually local authorities take great care to capture such Pokemon as they crop up to prevent them from establishing themselves in an area. Back in the Highlands that fell under the jurisdiction of the Rangers, but in a place like Cortondo, it'd be the responsibility of the Trainer Associations- or, if it escalates enough, the Provincial Carabiners, also known as the garrison.
Which would explain why Lokix and the other Bug-Types were able to run rampant for so long. But now the Wild Hunt they were building up towards for so long is gone, its purpose achieved and Lokix is currently in a Pokemon Center in the heart of Cortondo.
A defiant and indignant look flashes on Theodora's face as she looks up to stare Instructor Leaf in the eye. "If the RMP wishes to arrest him, they can do so after he's been fully healed. He saved our lives and the lives of countless Pokemon of this province, I will not repay that by letting him wake up in League custody!"
The two continued to stare at each other, both maintaining their facial expressions but it was Leaf who cracked first, as a small smile broke the placid look she'd been maintaining.
"If that's your resolve then fine, I can call someone that can make sure that nobody can just waltz in and take Lokix into custody before he's fully healed." The tension between the two began to dissipate as Leaf spoke, causing a rare look of confusion to emerge on Theodora's face.
"That's unnecessary—" Theodora is interrupted by Leaf who holds a finger as if to shush her.
"It's fine, I needed to report in anyways. Today has been a mess…" Leaf mumbles that last part under her breath quietly enough that you can barely hear it.
"Speaking of, you kids did an excellent job. Not just today, the entire week of your Field Exercise. Even if what happened earlier went out of control, you still did something good." Despite the tiredness you're feeling you can't help but stand a little bit straighter as Miss Leaf speaks.
"But we didn't save all the Pokemon and that Vigoroth…" It's Ostia that speaks up, to your surprise. They've been quiet ever since the group split up with Poppy and Cass. If only you could've shielded them better during the battle, they wouldn't have had to see such horrible things at all. Ostia says that they were keeping an eye on you when it should be the other way around.
You can't tell whether the nausea you're feeling is from the memories of the battle or how you've failed Ostia.
"Sure, but let me put it this way. What do you think would've happened if you kids hadn't decided to help Charcadet and drag us adults to come with?" You grimace, not wanting to dwell or think of that possibility. From the looks on the faces of your classmates, they realize that as well. "You Duckletts did good, alright? Don't let anyone, not even yourselves, tell you otherwise." Your class nods and answers affirmatively as Miss Leaf finishes, some of them more affirmatively than others.
"Besides, we'll find them one day. I'm sure of it," Elise declares with utmost certainty, a completely serious look on her face that almost makes you want to believe her.
"...I did good. Ostia did good…" You hear your friend mutter under their breath as a sort of mantra. You pat them on the head to encourage and comfort them.
"Of course. You're a good kid, Ostia." They turn their face away from you, probably out of embarrassment, though they're still muttering something under their breath.
"And before I forget, all of Class VII is gonna have dinner together in an hour or so, to close off your Field Exercise." You look back at Miss Leaf as she speaks. Staring directly at her, you can tell she's exhausted, her normally sharp posture is paradoxically slack but also on edge at the same time, like she's a wound-up coil ready to release at any time. "It's gonna be held in one of the few restaurants still open in Cortondo. Think of it as a way to book-end your memories of your time here before you leave tomorrow. Don't worry, it's my treat." You blink, suddenly remembering that there's a world outside of the past few hours.
Shit, what are you gonna tell, Erika? What is Ostia gonna tell Erika?
"Are you sure, Instructor? We wouldn't want to impose—"
Leaf rolls her eyes as she interrupts Elise. "I already planned this, prior to…everything that happened today. And I think spending some time with your peers to relax would do you kids some good." It seems your instructor is dead set on her plan, so Elise hesitantly nods. "Alright good, now take it easy for a bit and clean up." A tired smile briefly flashes on your teacher's face. "We've all had a long day."
You let the rest of the conversation pass by you as you spot something, drawn to the colors of the Pokemon Center doors, especially the one leading to the ER. It's bright red and white, a nauseatingly familiar shade of such, a feeling which you brush off, of course it's familiar, you've been in how many Pokemon Centers just this month alone? They're all standardized, of course they'd feel familiar. Get a grip on yourself Mary.
You nearly flinch as the doors to the ER burst wide open and some medical staff carrying a tray of Pokeballs head to some other part of the Center. A treacherous part of you whispers that the nurses got it wrong, that Ruby is—
"Mariana, are you alright?" You're snapped back to attention by Elise touching your shoulder. Instructor Leaf in particular is looking at you with a raised eyebrow.
Unable to help yourself, you sneak a glance at the nurse who just exited the ER. She brings the tray to the front desk where a young man is waiting. Grabbing one of the Pokeballs, she hands it to him and he releases a Cacnea, hale and hearty.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just distracted, it's been a long day." You put as best a smile you can to reassure your classmates. From how they're staring, you doubt they're buying it.
You and your classmates had waited a bit to pick up some of your Pokemon that were in decent enough conditions that they didn't need much attention from Pokemon Center staff. The nurses had suggested that said Pokemon avoid anything extraneous for about a day still, but that's fine.
As such it takes an hour or so before Group 1 can head out to dinner at the restaurant Miss Leaf reserved. By the time you and the others arrive, Group 2 is already waiting.
Well, it's not a restaurant in the traditional sense. Currently, you and your class are having dinner at Katie's Patisserie Soapberry. Beyond just the storefront where you bought some snacks from during your first day in Cortondo, the establishment also has a dining area inside where clientele can eat.
Though the accommodations within are more suited to small groups of people so your class really can't sit in a singular table, which is a shame. As such, seating arrangements come down to the friends groups established within the class. For some groups of friends, it's the first time the entire week they can really spend some time together.
Maybe it speaks to how well Erika has gotten used to you or to how much better she knows you than you know yourself that she immediately clocked that there's an issue with you. Though, when is there not? It's comforting in a way that you can't put to words.
Even before you and Ostia can sit down, there's an intensity to her gaze, a slight confidence that wasn't there when you saw her yesterday. Maybe you should ask if something came up on her end as well.
With the unspoken question of 'What happened?' being directed towards you as you take a seat, you weigh your options.
Pretending that everything is fine isn't possible; Ostia will likely answer if you don't. Which is good, you wouldn't want them to lie just for your sake. Maybe if you come clean yourself, Erika won't dig any deeper? You know she's only asking because your face always seems to shout whatever you're thinking- you remember Leaf saying that to you once, you think.
So you'll only tell her the important parts, how you and Group 1 decided to help free some wild Pokemon from some poachers, and how you'd run into that Surge person. No need to get into the unimportant parts like the fights, though you'll have to mention some of your Pokemon got hurt, you can't forget that.
So there's no need for her to know that you fought…fought a Shadow Pokemon, none at all.
"Are you enjoying your meals?" Gym Leader Katie asks as she passes by the table your group is seated at. She's insisted that you and the others only call her Katie tonight since she's off-duty as a Gym Leader.
"They're really delicious!" Ostia exclaims in delight as they dig into their third slice of apple pie. You'd given one of yours to them since you aren't really feeling hungry. You barely even finished the slice you did start eating, which is a shame since it did taste pretty good from what you ate of it.
"Thank you, Miss Katie, for the wonderful dinner." The whole of Class VII was served desserts and pastries made by Katie herself. Aside from the Apple Pies, there's also a wide selection of confectioneries, cakes of all flavors and even some desserts. From what Erika had glimpsed of the menu, the items being served to you and your classmates aren't cheap; just the food served to two tables alone thus far would quickly empty you of all the hard-earned cash you made through the week.
"It's the least I could do for how much your class has helped Cortondo this past week. Grandma was even insistent that I make the dishes myself." The Gym Leader has an easy smile on her face as she talks. "Oh! I'm being called to the kitchen, please keep enjoying tonight's dinner, you three." And with that, she leaves your table and heads to a door leading to the kitchen.
With Katie gone, Erika clears her throat and faces you once more, continuing the conversation you two were having before Katie arrived.
"Ah right, Charcadet led us to where the poachers were hiding deep in the ruins of Badajoz. That's how we found them." With a fork, you poke at the half-eaten apple pie on your plate as you answer. You feel slightly guilty at your lack of an appetite, but simultaneously you feel like if you eat any more you're going to feel sick and even hurl.
"Hmm, Badajoz is pretty far from Cortondo. I'm surprised you, Instructor Leaf and the others were able to head there with a Wild Hunt going on." You weren't going to bring up the Wild Hunt yourself, but Erika independently guessed that there was one even before you started telling her of what happened. Apparently even the Wild Pokemon in West Cortondo were acting and agitated during it.
Wait.
"How'd you know Miss Leaf was with us during it?" You'd been careful to avoid mentioning her or Miss Cassandra by name.
Erika gives you a small smile, a half-lidded look on her eyes. "I didn't. I guessed since the Instructor wasn't with us the entire day, only her Ditto." You try to hold back a wince, which causes your lips to purse, something that Erika catches easily.
You don't like where this conversation is going. You feel like you're being interrogated, baited into saying something you didn't want. A part of you wants to stay quiet and stop from then on but another part of you…doesn't.
Next to you, Ostia looks away, a sad expression on their face. Briefly, they and Erika share a look with one another. Right, according to them, Erika wanted Ostia to keep an eye on you.
Erika continues, "I do have to wonder. Who did you fight to cause so many of your Pokemon to get so badly wounded? I would have thought Instructor Leaf would be able to handle everything herself." You don't respond immediately, diverting your gaze elsewhere.
You see the other members of Class VII immersed in their own discussions and conversations. You see Manuel beaming with pride talking to Elise and Theodora about how he had enjoyed the look on the face some noble had after he had arrested him. On another table, Jacinto grumbles about how Manuel is taking all the credit, while Nemona is begging Ditzy who's still in their pink ooze-like form around Atticus' neck to fight her.
Occasionally you'd seen and even felt Elise or Theodora send glances at you, but they turn their eyes away before you could meet them each time, though judging from the vibrations of your ARCUS, you can guess that they're worried about you.
On a separate table from the rest of Class VII is Instructor Leaf who's sitting by her lonesome. She looks utterly drained, almost pale as she stares at a window off in the distance. Whenever one of your classmates, either Atticus or Elise approaches to try and talk to her, she brushes them off with a fake laugh and tells them to get back to their friends.
You don't know what Instructor Leaf's history with that person was who…killed Miss Cassandra's Araquanid. But the sheer vitriol with how she talked to him, it reminds you of that morning she'd come back the week before the Field Exercise. It reminds you of whenever Jenkins was in a certain kind of bad mood. He didn't get angry, he mostly just…shuts down, barely talking or moving.
You're being silly. Someone's Pokemon died and you're acting like this. Lying to your friend over something so minor. Sure you…didn't have a great time against that Vigoroth. But, you can move past it. You have to move past it. You'll be fine.
You'll be fine.
Erika's smile is gone, her expression is replaced by a serious flat look as she waits for you to answer. Behind it, you can see the clear worry in her eyes that you also saw in Elise, Theodora and Ostia.
You don't deserve your friends.
"I'm sorry." You finally manage to find your voice and respond which causes Erika to blink as if she wasn't expecting you to say that. Are you really that bad?
"No need to apologize, Mary, I apologize if I—" You interrupt her before she can continue.
"We fought a Shadow Pokemon." It takes a moment for Erika to process what you just said. Once she does, though, your already rather pale friend grows even paler. You feel guilty seeing the concern mar her features blending in with the horror.
With the cat out of the bag, you tell her everything, as best as you can remember it. A lot of what happened during the battle with Vigoroth almost feels like a blur. But moments, like when blood splattered onto your face and hearing Ruby's pained voice, those are almost vivid.
Erika reaches out to touch your face and you resist the urge to pull the way. The act is gentle against your reddened cheek, which is still slightly sore after you'd spent so much time trying to scrub the dried stain off your face.
"I'll be fine," you say with as much force as you can, keeping your voice down so as to not disturb everyone else. "Can we talk about something else?"
Hesitantly, Erika nods and pulls away, a dissatisfied but still worried look on her face as she rather clumsily talks about her Scyther.
You may not deserve your friend's concern but it feels nice either way. The fact the only thing you can return for it is words is shameful.
You feel something small grab your left hand. Turning your head slightly towards that direction, you see Ostia holding onto you as they scooch their chair over. You give them the best smile you can muster. They probably were the one who told Erika to try and pry despite your attempt to hide what happened.
You let Ostia's presence and Erika's voice wash over you and as you exhale, you calm your breathing. For the first time today since you left for Badajoz, you relax.
You'll…be fine.
FIELD EXERCISE I END
CHAPTER 1 BUG BUZZ END
S-RANK ACHIEVED
TR REWARD AND LEAGUE POINTS PENDING
WILL BE AWARDED DURING MONTH 2 WEEK 1
CHAPTER 1 BUG BUZZ END
S-RANK ACHIEVED
TR REWARD AND LEAGUE POINTS PENDING
WILL BE AWARDED DURING MONTH 2 WEEK 1
As both the first month and the first Field Exercise comes to a close, the rest of August awaits you. What plans does Mariana have for the coming month?
FOREVER FOUR: With parts of Mesagoza still unexplored and a new location for Field Exercise II, Mariana might be tempted to catch her fourth Pokemon as soon as possible. She's not someone who makes the decision to catch a Pokemon lightly and as such neither should you. Does Mariana try to look for or catch a fourth Pokemon? Keep the Six Pokemon limit in mind.
[] Forever Four: Yes
Follow up vote next update on whether Mary will try to catch a Pokemon in Mesagoza or during Field Exercise II
[] Forever Four: No
Options unlocking new biomes in Mesagoza will be deprioritized.
CHASING THE SUN: From an outside perspective, Mariana and Nemona are peers, equals almost. But of course she knows better, it's still early in the day and Nemona, radiant as the sun, will continue to rise and rise and rise. Maybe, just maybe, if she can keep pace, the sun might even shine for her.
Mary's hard-fought victory over Katie has granted her some confidence and she might even be tempted to take on a Gym Leader during the month of August. Of course, since it'll be a challenge outside of the Field Exercise, she won't be able to skip over the Gym Test this time. Even setting aside how Renne, despite their newfound closeness, is still hesitant to fight in Trainer battles. Does Mariana try to challenge a Gym in August?
[] Chasing the Sun: Yes
Follow-up vote next update on whether to challenge during the month proper or during the second Field Exercise. Will unlock options to research and prepare for a Gym Challenge.
[] Chasing the Sun: No
The Sun will begin its rise soon, surely you don't want to be left behind.
Sorry this one took a bit despite being short
Next update will be an Interlude/Moon Door which may or may not have a vote depending on the outcomes here
Moratorium for 18 Hours
Thanks to Nemastrea and Tempera for Proofreading
KnownParadox
Not a sphere
- Location
- Canada
Right now, I'm thinking...
Forever Four: Yes
I don't mind either, but I'm leaning a bit towards getting our fourth (and final for quite a while) team member during Field Exercise II. Once we have four, we're probably set until, like, our sixth, maybe.
Chasing the Sun: Yes
Of course, of course. Could I pick anything else? Could I settle for less? Could I give up before we even properly try? No. We're getting to that peak, reaching that sky, and going even further until we beat the sun itself.
Forever Four: Yes
I don't mind either, but I'm leaning a bit towards getting our fourth (and final for quite a while) team member during Field Exercise II. Once we have four, we're probably set until, like, our sixth, maybe.
Chasing the Sun: Yes
Of course, of course. Could I pick anything else? Could I settle for less? Could I give up before we even properly try? No. We're getting to that peak, reaching that sky, and going even further until we beat the sun itself.
- Location
- Earth
Yeah, per Leaf's feedback we should be fine for team numbers until sometime after FE2.
I've said before I want to try for 3 badges by close of FE2, so a 2nd badge in August is a lock for me. We should be able to get Roland to 3rd badge pretty easily and Ruby to strong 2nd badge so we have a decent chance.
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- Location
- Australia
Mary seems just fine, no problems to be found here.