On the new journey

[dancermai]

Who: Mai dancermai , Yachi donoteat , Tanaka monkcut  (and anybody else who would like to join in)
Where: Route 29
When: April 19 - 23 ish.
Summary: It's time to start the journey through to the next town. Mai heads out after texting Yachi upon reading that she was nearby. Unbeknownst to her, there was also a Tanaka to join the fray. (And anybody else that may like to come and join in the beginners pokemon journey).
Rating: PG - possibly for battling pokemon
Log:

A) [After a good solid day of walking Mai had managed to find a nice spot to stop for the day and she set about setting up her area. She was exciting that soon she would be meeting people and it gave her the courage she needed to keep going. Since reading the manual, she had managed to..somehow..get through a few battles with wild pokemon but it was more self defense than anything. She didn't have the courage to outright ask Jam to do anything that would hurt himself.

Instead, most of her focus was on making sure Jam came out okay. To the point where it never even crossed her mind to take out a pokeball and catch one of the wild creatures that she had faced. She sighed. There was a slight look of dejection but she was determined to at least keep trying.

Mai caught Jam doing a little dance to the never ending background music and smiled. At the very least she would try harder for him.]

B) [It was only the second day on her journey out into this world of Pokemon and of course, the weather would suddenly take a horrible change. After all, he bag was only packed with the basics and she hadn't considered to purchase anything else before she left New Bark Town. When she looked out at the sky it had seem so clear. Mai dashed towards the nearest tree as the thunder sounded and a short burst of rain hit.

That wouldn't be so bad. A moment later, there was also a small amount of hail that followed and she sighed as she stood there. Well, at least with her backpack, the rest of her things would stay dry. It was more than could be said for the clothes she was wearing. She gave her drenched hair a tug and frowned slightly.

C) Pick your own open tag? I'm sure there's lots of things that can be done on this route!

Comments

B) sunglasses emoji......

[donoteat]

[WHY????? did it have to be hailing?! The weather was so good! It was beautiful! She hadn't had to worry about the sky trying to kill her, just the Pokemon!! She had received an umbrella from Dave that she opened up for a hot two seconds, but even though the hail's coming down light, the weather changed so quickly that the pebbles of ice could soon become chunks the size of her fist, and an umbrella full of holes nulls its use as an umbrella. There's nothing in terms of safety in the great outdoors. Hail = storm = lightning = trees are a BAD IDEA. There's nowhere else to go. So instead, she's running as hard as she can, as if her life depended on it. With a blanket tossed over her head, Pokemon in their balls and safely tucked into her backpack, and a low wail escaping her throat at a constant, stopping momentarily only to breathe and then resume. How naive of her to think this could maybe, possibly, be a wonderful journey. The sky is falling. It's the end of the world.]

Re: B) sunglasses emoji......

[dancermai]

[With the sudden change in the weather, Mai hadn't even considered putting Jam into his pokeball, instead the pokemon remained on her shoulder and clung on with his tail. With the other girl running so quickly, Mai couldn't really see who it was or really even guess with the what was actually quite mild storm that hit.]

Hello?!

[She tried to call out towards the incoming figure. With that, Jam jumped off Mai's shoulder now and ran towards the girl with his tail flapping around in the air to get her attention.]

[donoteat]

[Her first instinct to something running towards her would be to run the exact opposite direction, but that's a human! voice!! she hears over the clattering of ice. And that stops her dead in her tracks, the thick fabric bowing over her head with the weight of accumulating hail as she looks towards the direction the strange Pokemon came from.] Hello...!? [The "o" tapers off into a question in the end, unsure as she is whether this is the right time and place to exchange greetings.] My name's Yachi! Is there no shelter back that way? I'm trying to meet someone...

[dancermai]

Yachi! I'm Mai!

[At least they managed to find each other in this crazy storm.]

There's only trees going back for another day so we either need to set up camp or hide under some trees?!

[If only she had some kind of tent they could hide in but there wasn't anything of the sort in her bag. There was some regret now that she had turned down Micchi's offer but she pushed that aside.]

Did you run past anywhere we could hide in?

barrels in, does things backwards

[monkcut]

Oiiiiii!!!!!! Mai!!!!!

[ what's that sound??? it's the sound of a man, a very manly man to the rescue!!! tanaka comes barreling through the tall grass on their left, jumping out— half naked. nonono, don't be alarmed!!! he did it for mai! she needed his jacket to protect herself, after all!! or just stay warm but yes there he is, in all his yelling glory, with his scraggy struggling right behind him. she has to pull her loose skin all the way up to run a little!! ooof-!! ]

I found a— [ !!!!!!! ] Yachi!!

[ NEVERMIND THAT HE's standing in the hail he found a yachi ]

Re: barrels in, does things backwards

[dancermai]

[She waved both of her arms in the air towards the man that had just run back towards them, the relieved smile very evident now. It was nice to have someone who was calm enough to figure out a solution to the mess they had found themselves in.]

You know Yachi! She's the one I've been texting and said would meet us here. OH! And I should give you your jacket back too!

[She had definitely overstepped accepting this in the hail. She smiled at the two of them.

Maybe it would be better for the two of them to catch up. The aipom hopped back up onto her shoulder as she kneeled down to have a closer look at the scraggy.]

Are you okay? Would you prefer that I carry you in the hail?

[donoteat]

Mai!? Tanaka-senpai!!? [She lets the blanket drop to her shoulders like a cape, little pieces of ice clattering to the ground at her feet as she runs to meet them. She had gotten the call from Tanaka but seeing him is a whole other story, one that she almost couldn't believe, resisting the urge to poke him and see if he's really there.] Did you come to-- ["to take her home," is what she wants to ask, desperately wishing it to be true, but instead she draws a deep breath, swallowing down that hope.] Did you just come? Before that, here, I've got- [she opens her bag, light on the items that had come in their starter pack, but in their place are several blankets and an extra jacket. They aren't heavy, but made her backpack so bulky she couldn't have gotten here faster if she tried.] -a blanket, one for each of you! I've been given all sorts of supplies my first few days here, so you two hang onto these, to stay dry and warm. [As best they can with ice falling from the sky, anyways.]

( 1 / 2 )

[monkcut]

[ tanaka makes a cool face as he's offered back the jacket. please notice him. notice how cool he's trying to be (or the fact that he may be trying too hard ) ]

Please keep it, Mai. [ he looks off into the distance . . . ] It's for your protection.

[monkcut]

[ — and then no one noticed him. back to the real world, jaeger looks up pleadingly at mai, dropping the loose pants-like skin around her waist in favor of lifting her paws up over her head to give the universal "pick me up" gesture. there she is, getting picked up . . . tanaka can only smirk down coldly at the little lizard, muttering under his breath. ]

Che— Lucky bastard . . .

[ -- but anyway!! yachi!! his mouth parts to suddenly speak to her, attention successfully shifted until ah-! blankets, for them both?? he beams, taking the blanket as soon as he sees that she's got enough for her there! ]

That's Yachi for ya'! [ she will be . . . a good manager . . .

-oh!! that reminded him! ]

—Right! I found a place to hide under!

a!

[monkcut]

[ battling is rad. you feel like the king!!! the thug!!! the man of men!! and nothing could stop jaeger from her moxie chain when she started. tanaka's got his eyes on a starly, one that's planned its escape and weaves through trees and grass to get rid of its followers— tanaka is a seeker and goes after it, riled up and whipping up a loud storm of yells and battle cries in the distance. until that distance closes in. because that starly is swooping in to take shelter in the same tree mai seems to be under. it seems rattled and bothered, chirping back into the foliage and then keeping quiet. what's it fleeing from? ]

OYYYAAAAAAAAA—

[ the scraggy mimics him with a shrilling cry— they were so ready! so ready to catch their first that's hidden in that tree up ahead and-!!!

— there's a girl under it. ]

—ah.

[ that's where he halts himself in front of the tree, nearly deflating as he stares at the girl before him, awkwardly.

hi.

please don't scream. ]

T-this..wasn't...the way it was supposed to end...

[dancermai]

[There was a pause. Mai backed up slightly as the figure seemed to almost cannon ball into her. Then there was another pause as Mai's mind caught up with everything that had just happened. Then it happened.

She backed up right against the tree until there was no further room to move and she screamed. A pack of pidgey squawked in the near distance as they escaped into the sky. Her aipom jumped to her defense, bouncing around on the ground with its little arms and tail up ready to fight.

Her first day out on her journey and she would be attacked by a creepy man out in the middle of nowhere. She should have done more with her life. She should have been a better friend to her team. She should have told Mic--. Mai peeked up at the person who was just about encroaching on her personal space.]

U...um...H--hello?

( 1 / 2 )

[monkcut]

[ NO— no, the apocalypse has happened. the world is crumbling around him, he can feel gravity's power crushing him like a bug . . . he made a girl scream. that was not the first. he swore there wouldn't be a second, yet here he is.

he's not a crazy weird guy . . . he's not a thug . . . he swears.

tanaka's expression is laced with horrid shock, now as silent as a mouse as he tries to plan his next move— without becoming even more of a scare. alright. breathe. she's not screaming anymore. he can do this.

jaeger catches the aipom's defensive stance and show's off her own, already fuming and flaring her nostrils. you wanna fight then, huh?! except this is a fight that tanaka would never want, and immediately hushes to the scraggy. ]

Nonono, not!! Her!

[ trying to be subtle here, with gestures and head twitches, but luckily jaeger is confused enough to just look at him with baffled blankness. but . . . the monkey wants to fight . . . at least it gives him enough time to elaborate something. say sorry! beg for forgiveness!! something for such a cute girl-!!! ]

U-uh—

[monkcut]

[ at last, she's the one to give real words, and it makes tanaka's throat tighten up. he's. not that good with girls, especially if he's made them scream.

okay. he can do this. he lifts a hand up, nervously, and calls back the best way he could!! ]

H-hi.

[ totally nailed it ]

[dancermai]

[Deep breaths. That's all she needed for a moment. A few deep breaths. The person in front of her wasn't like anybody she's ever encountered before. Well, she's always been surrounded by crazy thugs that went out of their way to fight monsters so this kind of gung ho then strangely timid person was...definitely different.]

Jam.

[She called quietly out to her pokemon who reluctantly put down his fists and retreated. He hopped up onto her shoulder, wrapping his tail protectively around her neck and Mai mustered a smile towards the man standing before her. He seemed quite polite now that he wasn't screaming at the top of his lungs and barreling around like a lunatic.]

My name's Mai.

[She stood to introduce herself to him.]

And this is Jam.

[She pointed towards the aipom that was still staring daggers towards the intruder and his pokemon. Her heart was definitely racing but at least she wasn't being hunted like she originally thought.]

[monkcut]

[ yo, he isn't even worried about tiny monkey— he simply keeps staring quietly at the girl. automatically, his scraggy does the same— looking between them and keeping her eyes on the human ahead for a minute longer. what was so special, y'know? tanaka knows all of what's special here, and with things getting calmer, with a greeting underway, he tries to straighten himself up, walk a little closer.

he's looking a lot more like the shy kid in school that can't get a bae ]

R . . . Ryūnosuke. [ alright— so far so good!! with the aipom addressed, tanaka has to manage through a few extra awkward seconds of silence to realize it's his turn, gesturing to his scraggy afterwards! ]

And Jaeger. [ she gives a squeak!! but with that aipom looking at them like that— she can't help but to leer back, taking shelter behind tanaka's leg and peeking around it to continue with her own glare. in the mean time, tanaka holds a hand up in surrender, careful not to do anything alarming! ]

I'm— Not gonna hurt you or anythin'. Really, so . . . Sorry if I . . .

[ y'know. did the thing. ]

[dancermai]

[In response, she smiles warmly to the man. He was actually very kind and this was good to know since this was her first journey out into the...well middle of nowhere in a land she was completely unfamiliar with. When he trailed off his speech, she glanced up at the aipom on her shoulder and laughed.]

Jam. Don't be rude.

[She nudged at her pokemon with the side of her head, half knocking him off the perch on her shoulder. Jam took a moment to scramble back up and then appeared more apologetic.]

I know you're just trying to help.

[She turned back to the other and smiled again.]

Ryūnosuke, it's nice to meet you. And it's also nice to meet Jaeger.

[Back to her normal self now she took a deep breath.]

Would you like to join my...kind of not really camp?

[Honestly, what did she have? A sleeping back that wasn't unrolled yet and a bag of stuff she hadn't bothered to unpack.

[monkcut]

—Wha-?! Join, really—?!

[ but they've just met!! and he scared her half to death! could it really be—?! an invite! and he definitely won't pass up the opportunity! it's a cute girl, and somewhere around his age, even!! ]

W-well, if—!! If you don't mind it! [ ah—!! ] I'll help set it up for you!

[questionmarksthespot]

A)
[Route 29 is pretty big for something that might charitably be called a road, but it still all more or less follows one path. Still, it's slightly later rather than sooner when Soos catches up with the impromptu traveling group.]

Heyya dudes!

[His breeder's apron has been jury-rigged into a baby harness of sorts, in which his Slowpoke is currently hanging lazily. A Heracross is trailing slightly behind him.]

Okay, so like, word of warning? Some of the trees DO have super-bugs in them, and BOY do they not like being disturbed.

[dancermai]

[Hearing the voice, Mai turned and smiled towards the approaching person. She gave a slight wave and moved towards him. There was a moment of pause and unease as she noticed the Heracross and she backed up just slightly.]

Is that...one of the super-bugs following you?

[questionmarksthespot]

Oh, this dude? Yeah, looks like they get friendlier once you get 'em in those little ball things. MAN was he angry at first, though.

[Laughing just a little too hard for someone who was nearly beaten and/or killed by a five-foot beetle.]

[monkcut]

[ what's this? he smells someone new on his radar— someone that wasn't a girl that was talking to the girl of his group, and that giant beetle definitely made her uncomfortable. he can feel it. tanaka steps in hanging tall, tipping his head slightly back and scrunching up his features behind mai, and only moving in front of her. there's a scraggy on his shoulder, and she seems to be mimicking his glares of intimidation. down to pulling up her lips and everything.

r u telling him he can't take care of his girls ]

The hell asked you, huh punk?

[questionmarksthespot]

[So, the intimidation and implied threat there? Seem to have gone entirely over Soos' head. Or he's chosen to meet hostility with the same upbeat cheerfulness he's used on everyone else so far.]

[But it's probably the former.]

Hey, no problem, just passing on the advice, dawg.

[And pointing a thumb at the particular super-bug in question, laughing a little.]

This dude almost tore ny face of, definitely WOULD NOT recommend.

[dancermai]

[Perhaps, it would be a better idea to let the two men get to know each other better. Mai took this chance to duck past the two of them and head towards the heracross. She had to be brave and prove she can take care of herself out here. She took a deep breath as Jam clung to her shoulder.]

Hi! I'm Mai.

[She introduced herself to the heracross with a bright smile.]

[questionmarksthespot]

[Said Heracross inspects Mai quietly for a moment before responding with an insectoid chittering and a slightly dramatic pose.]

[She's totally awesome and definitely didn't get captured entirely by accident. This is important to try conveying to people, clearly.]

[dancermai]

[Mai can't help but laugh as her aipom jumps down to the ground and also strikes said dramatic pose in response.]

She's really cute. You must be really glad to have her in your team now.