just a small town girl

[stitchedupbodyguard]

Who: Veronica Madaraki and YOU!
Where: Goldenrod City
When: October 16th
Summary: A young bodyguard finally finds herself in the biggest city in the region and is completely lost. Time to explore!
Rating: likely PG for Veronica's language
Log:

It had taken almost half a month, following several hiccups involving caves and what was within them, but when her eyes finally found the city of Goldenrod in the distance, Veronica had been filled with relief. Both Union cave, and then the Ilex forest had proven to be troublesome, but she'd muscled through like she always did. And now here she was, entering the biggest city in the region. Even from a distance, she had been able to see that the city was bustling, with tall buildings and people who might have been in the same boat she was.

Obviously, the first thing Veronica had to do was find a hotel and go to bed. Because who cares about socializing when you can sleep in an actual bed for once.

But that was yesterday. Today, Veronica was awake and energized; prepared to take on the city and whatever it had in store. There were things to do around here, and a person or two to see. But not more than that. Veronica was many things, but a social butterfly she was not.

And there was no way she could never keep all her Pokémon in their balls at once. So, with restrained acceptance, Veronica ventured forth into the city, unaware of what she might find, but ready to look.

A: Out and about
Finally out of the hotel.

So, huh. Goldenrod. Lots of tall buildings around here. Yup. Veronica scanned the buildings around her, stopping when she felt her Eevee, Kawa, brush against her feet. Clearly, she wanted to go and explore this new place. It seemed all her Pokémon wanted to go have a look around, but she couldn't have them all out. Not yet. Only Ako and Kawa were out right now. Two were her limit, since the both of them tended to go off in opposite directions.

Eventually she just gave up on planning her day and just started walking, straight forward, in a random direction. Ako rode on her shoulder, and Kawa trailed behind her. She was likely to attract people's gaze just by walking by them, because of the scars on her face and hands. She would brush them off of course, as she always did unless someone came up to talk to her.

But in a large city like this, attention was going to be a given, right?

B: Shopping till you drop
The signs were right after all. The department store was huge, towering over many of the buildings around it. Veronica could easily tell the store had a lot, just from the outside of it and the lobby within.

Still, for as well stocked as it was, Veronica wasn't much for shopping. She'd do a little browsing around, maybe look through the clothing and purchase a few things along with some Pokémon stuff. But mostly she kept to the ground floor and the entrance, leaning back against a wall while keeping an eye out.

It would seem she was waiting for something, or someone. Or, maybe she was just trying to look cool, that was possible too.

C: In which gyms aren't just for exercising
Another Pokémon gym. So, they really were in almost every town, huh?

Veronica eyed the doors leading to inside the Goldenrod gym with curiosity. The sign said the gym leader here was a "Whitney". And from what else she pieced together from overheard conversations, she was a normal type trainer. An interesting fact, if she was planning on using that fact to her advantage.

But, was she really thinking about taking the gym challenge? What was the point in that? Other than to use those hidden machines of course. Did she want to follow the rules of the world like that?

....Of course, this mental struggle will go unheard by most. So people will just see a young woman glaring at the gym from across the street. Maybe someone should point that out to her.

D: Whatever scenario you want idk
Since anything can happen, right?

Comments

[unkinder]

[Nagi seems to consider that for a moment, one hand pulling from his Pumpkaboo long enough to pull a pokeball from his belt. He presses the button on the center and returns her, earning the briefest of confused looks from her before she disappears.

As he clips the ball back on his belt, he speaks again.]

If you're looking for that, then we should battle.

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[She watches in confusion, only realizing it moments before Nagi speaks.]

A fight would be a big step forward for my Pokémon.

[....]

They could use the training, I suppose.

[unkinder]

Fighting against wild Pokemon isn't like fighting a trainer, who can use strategy against you.

[He says, frowning slightly.]

They'll never improve if you don't battle other trainers.

[stitchedupbodyguard]

I know that. [She states calmly.] I've battled other trainers before.

[Trainers that wouldn't take no for an answer until you pounded them into the dirt and took their money.]

I have a few strategies of my own.

[unkinder]

[Nagi raises his eyebrows a bit but says nothing more, turning to step back onto the grass of the small clearing. His Meowstic follow, and when he points to the center field his Hoothoot hops off of the Umbreon's back, fluttering to the ground in front of his trainer.]

Show me, then.

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[Veronica follows his gaze to the field. Not taking her gaze off of him, she marched out to the other side of the clearing.]

Ako?

[A single word, and her starter took a similar position as the Hoothoot, flaring her wings in a display of fearlessness.]

[unkinder]

[The Hoothoot doesn't move, his eyes blinking slowly as he lets out a very soft, very slow Hoooooooo in response.

Nagi lets his arms hang at his sides as his other Pokemon back up to give Seiun some room, standing back to watch the proceedings.]

You start.

[stitchedupbodyguard]

...Heh.

[Alright. She sees how it is.

A flash and a few more of Veronica's Pokémon appear behind her. A Growlithe, a Butterfree, and what appears to be one of the floating swords that were around Johto for a while last month. They all seem ready to watch the proceedings themselves.

With a simple nod and a smirk,] Go, Ako! [The fight begins. Ako speeds off towards the Hoothoot, on a collision course.]

[unkinder]

[Seiun watches Ako approach without a reaction to his speed beyond blinking rapidly a few times. Then, his feet bend at the knees, and he abruptly rockets straight up into the air.

Have you ever seen a Hoothoot use Fly before, because it is gosh dang weird.]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[Nope, neither of them have seen a Hoothoot fly before. And it's weird.

Ako flounders suddenly, finding herself without a prey to chase until she spots the owl Pokémon in the sky above and takes after it.

Veronica doesn't say a word.]

[unkinder]

[The little owl is alarmingly fast. He zigzags to keep just out of Ako's reach, back and forth, suddenly changing directions at times or ascending and descending without warning at all. He darts around a tree to try and lose Ako before suddenly hopping up into it entirely, disappearing among the leaves.

Then, the field falls silent.]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[Again with the quick moving! Ako would have cursed her slow reflexes if she was thinking about that. Instead, the crow Pokémon was very confused to see that the Hoothoot had disappeared all over again.

She fluttered around the tree for a minute, looking for hints of her foe until she decided to fly off and land on the field, keeping an eye on the tree at all times.]

[unkinder]

[There's a little pause in which nothing happens. There's silence. No movement.

Then, a split second of rustling sounds overhead seconds before Seiun bursts back out into the sky, his eyes glowing as he attempts to use Confusion on Ako.]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[Finally seeing her prey, Ako zooms off towards him. Meanwhile, Veronica had the barest hint of a smirk on her face as her Pokémon made a beeline for Nagi's, completely unaffected by the psychic move.]

Use astonish!

[A move Veronica rarely used, but it seemed appropriate. Ako swerved towards the Hoothoot, letting out an earsplitting cry as she made to tackle the bird.]

[unkinder]

[Nagi's expression twitches slightly at Seiun's error, and he's helpless to watch as he's struck dead on by the attack, thrown back against the trunk of the tree with a hard, solid impact. Well, you reap what you sow, he supposes.

The little owl slides to the ground and falls to the grass with a dull "fwump", and it takes him a minute to pull himself back to his feet. He shakes himself bodily, trying to regain his composure.

...Alright, time to take the wheel before Seiun gets himself killed.]

Agility.

[The bird perks up when he hears Nagi's voice, and instead of jumping into the air again he starts to run, dashing across the grass at a speed that is rather disorienting.]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[Ako lands, looking quite proud with herself at her first strike on her foe. Veronica was also sort of getting into it, judging from the smirk on her face.

But it looked like they weren't out of the woods just yet. She'd rather have her Pokémon end this quickly, so maybe switch from the offensive to the defensive.]

Use Haze now!

[Ako looked confused for a moment. But then she complied, slapping her wings hard to send up a cloud of dark smoke in Hoothoot's direction.]

[unkinder]

[The Hoothoot looks around quickly, trying to see if there's an opening he can use to get away from the Haze, but it's no use. He flaps his little wings, stepping back as the smoke envelops the field.]

Stand your ground!

[stitchedupbodyguard]

Wing attack!

[Ako crowed and charged into the smoke, making his way towards Hoothoot again.]

[unkinder]

Dodge it!

[Nagi shouts, so suddenly that even his Meowstic are startled by it. Seiun looks up a split second too late, letting out a pained screech when Ako strikes him directly again, sending him tumbling backwards out of the cloud.]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[Veronica nodded silently. Nagi was cracking, which meant this was good for her. She stuck out her arm, waving her hand.]

Finish it! Wing attack again!

[Ako crowed and charged her opponent for what might be the last time.]

[unkinder]

[Nagi grits his teeth hard as he sees Ako fly forwards, wings pumping the air and stirring up the cloud. It gives him just enough of a view of his Hoothoot to see the bird take the attack directly on the head. Surely, that would be the end of the fight right there.

Suddenly, the entire field is bathed in a wash of bright light, so sudden that Nagi lifts his arm slightly to shield his eyes from it. The light undulates and grows from the point where Seiun is standing, and massive wings unfurl as the light dissipates in a burst of sheen that sparkles off of the dark smoke.

Towering with both wings spread wide stands a newly evolved Noctowl, his gaze piercing as he stares down at Ako, his talons kneading the earth as if to test them out.]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[The light fills the arena so suddenly that Veronica could not avert her eyes in time. Dammit she hissed, blocking the light with a hand. Ako was even less lucky, and basically floundered about in temporary blindness.

The light fades and both trainer and Pokémon recover their sight. Both are thrown for a loop at the sight of what stood before them. Veronica was at a loss for words.

Ako, meanwhile, was unsure of everything at the moment, and very confused as to what she should be doing.]

[unkinder]

[Abruptly, Nagi feels Seiun's mind touch his own thanks to the mental link, the owl probing for guidance. His personality remains unchanged, but his strength has tripled.

Nagi can barely suppress a small smirk as he calls out.]

Air slash!

[The Noctowl flares his wings as their tips begin to glow, throwing them both down in an arc to aim twin spears of wind right at Ako.]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

Dodge!

[Veronica's order comes a little late, and Ako is hit head on by the air slash, sending her flying back into the dirt. Quickly, the Murkrow scrambled to her feet, a little weak, but not out yet.

Veronica grit her teeth. This was an unforeseen turn of events.
But, she still had an ace up her sleeve.]

Use Assurance now!

[Ako shot into the air, letting out a warning crow before charging the full evolved Pokémon, the small bird's body glowing with energy.]

[unkinder]

[The downside to being so much bigger now is the fact that he's a much larger target. As such, he has no way of getting fully out of the way before Ako is upon him, barreling into his chest and sending them both hurtling backward into the trees.

The Noctowl's back strikes a tree nearby, stopping him from tumbling any further. Nagi watches as he slides down to the ground, tangled up with Ako. Dark type attacks are no good, even when he just evolved...he was still weak.]

...That's enough.