Ready to rumble [mod/open]

[XAVIER CHEVALIER]

In the comfort of his own darkness

Xavier pushed through the tall grass, trying not to wince as the tall blades brushed against the side of his face. Having spent most of his life in the hospital or at home, he hadn't quite gotten used to 'the great outdoors'. It wasn't that he was afraid, of course. Having left home with hardly anything more than the clothes on his back and a few meager supplies, he had already prepared himself mentally for a bit of hardship. Also, since the nearest Pokemon Center was in the next town, the teenager had resorted to sleeping under the stars at night. Thankfully, he hadn't experienced any rainfall just yet.

He would have to make it a point to try and get to Striaton City tonight, if possible. A hot meal, a bath and a warm bed would be a welcome relief.

Right now, however, he had his sights set on something else. He had had his Snivy for more than a week now. And while the two of them had had a bit of time to get used to each other, as well as practice some of the grass pokemon's moves, Xavier's partner had yet to be in an actual battle with another pokemon. Needless to say, that wouldn't do. Not if he intended to take on any gym leaders anytime soon.

Gaining a new partner would be great, but regardless of whether or not he would be able to catch something with only three pokeballs on hand, Snivy could use the battle experience. Not only that, it was high time Xavier started working on a battle style with his partner, a feat not so easy to do without getting into a few good fights.

So far, he had not spotted any wild pokemon in the area. But then, the boy had only been exploring for a little over half an hour. There was still plenty of daylight left. Hopefully, one would show up soon.

[Shikaru]

Zigzagoon | Normal-Type | Level 3 | Male | Gluttony
Tackle | Growl

It seemed Xavier had finally lucked out, as a small family of Zigzagoon were crossing the path. They were heading across to another area to sleep for the night. As the group frolicked and made their way to the nearby brush, they did not notice one of their own trailing behind. He had gotten distracted by something that had flown by, a bug-type of some sort from the looks of it. Standing there, the Zigzagoon seemed oblivious to everything else around him.

Wild Zigzagoon Appeared!

[XAVIER CHEVALIER]

In the comfort of his own darkness

Xavier's eyes widened in surprise as what might happen across his path, but a wild Zigzagoon! For a moment, the rookie trainer hesitated, somewhat unsure of how he should respond to the sudden appearance of the very first wild pokemon he'd met. But quickly composing himself, the fifteen-year-old quickly reached for his partner's pokeball.

Fumbling just slightly, the zipper on his canvas pack slid open and the little red and white orb was soon activated and in his hand. "This is it, Snivy," he couldn't help but say aloud as the adrenaline pumped through his veins. Without wasting a second more, he threw the ball in the direction of the Zigzagoon.

In an explosion of white light, the grass pokemon appeared, landing on the grass with surprising grace just a few feet away from the wild normal-type. It's eyes narrowed as it spotted its quarry. Lowering her stance, and spreading her tiny arms out to improve her balance, Snivy's tiny body trembled in anticipation of her first official battle. It was plain to see from the change in her demeanor, that when it came to pokemon battles, Snivy was all business.

The corner of Xavier's mouth turned upwards in a light smirk. Taking a deep breath, he called out, "Snivy, glare~!"

Her response to her trainer's command was immediate. Not moving from the spot where she stood, the grass pokemon initiated her attack. With luck, this supplementary attack would take effect, and the wild Zigzagoon would find it just a little bit harder to run away.

[Shikaru]

Zigzagoon | Normal-Type | Level 3 | Male | Gluttony
Tackle | Growl

A shiver ran down the normal-type's spine. Turning around, he spotted the Snivy and trainer. He could feel his muscles stiffening in fear. Still able to move, but at a limited capacity, the Zigzagoon simply Growled at his opponent, hoping to scare her away. He didn't want to battle.

Zigzagoon was hit by GLARE
Zigzagoon has been Paralzyed!
Zigzagoon used GROWL

[XAVIER CHEVALIER]

In the comfort of his own darkness

The wild's Zigzagoon's loud call had sent Snivy staggering back a few steps while clutching the sides of her head. Rather, the action had involved the little grass pokemon lowering her snout while reaching upwards with her arms, seeing as the poor pokemon's arms were a tad short to properly accomplish the feat. Had it been under any other circumstance, Xavier may have thought the act to be somewhat comical.

In this situation though, the rookie trainer was much too preoccupied with the battle at hand. Growl was a supplementary attack that didn't cause any physical damage, if memory served. He watched as his partner straighten herself and shook her head. Within moments, little Snivy was once more glowering at her opponent through narrowed eyes, ready for her trainer's next command.

Xavier took Snivy's example and followed suit, although he had merely shook his head inwardly. It wouldn't do to appear uncertain and un-confident in front of his partner in the midst of a battle, now would it? Stretching out his hand in the direction of the foe, the boy called out her next move, "Magical Leaf."

In acknowledgement of her trainer's command, the female pokemon took a leap, and with the grace of a dancer, twirled a full 360 degrees in the air, bringing her tail round as she did so. Immediately, leaves sprang into existence and swirled around her, forming a decent sized vortex before shooting straight at the target pokemon.

The Zigzagoon's lag in movements had not gone unnoticed by the young trainer. He knew that his Snivy's last attack had hit its mark, which would make landing this attack easier than it normally would, as long as Snivy made her calculations correctly.

In all this, Xavier couldn't help but smile his faint ghost of a smile. Snivy's little stunt had been unnecessary in order to execute the move. But then, he didn't mind at all if his partner preferred to commence her attacks with a little more flare every now and then.

[Shikaru]

Zigzagoon | Normal-Type | Level 3 | Male | Gluttony
Tackle | Growl

Hardly able to move, the normal-type was hit by the full brunt of the Snivy's attack. The leaves cut into his skin, causing the pokemon to wince in pain. Well, if this trainer wanted a battle, he would give it to them. Using all his strength, he forced his legs to move. His goal was to Tackle the grass-type.

Zigzagoon was hit by MAGICAL LEAF
Zigzagoon used TACKLE

[XAVIER CHEVALIER]

In the comfort of his own darkness

With his excitement building, Xavier's hand balled into a tight fist. Said fist was held up uncharacteristically, just a foot or so away from his chest while the adrenaline coursed through his system. The rush he was feeling only climbed when his partner landed her first offensive attack. So, this is what it feels like to battle your pokemon.

Snivy, meanwhile, shared in her trainer's delight. She stood tall, feeling somewhat proud of her meager achievements, but very happy that she had managed to please her human-friend.

It was in this moment of savoring their small victory, that the both human and pokemon were caught off guard by the wild Zigzagoon's attempt to counter their attack.

Xavier's eyes widened, as did Snivy's, when the wild pokemon connected with Snivy's small green form in a flurry of brown fur, sending the grass pokemon flying backwards by a few feet. Wasting no time, Snivy somersaulted in mid-air, and upon landing on three limbs, skidded backward some more before finally coming to a stop amidst a small dust cloud.

The trainer's eyes narrowed as he silently chided himself for allowing his attention to wander. Poor Snivy had paid the price for that error. Without waiting for the dust cloud to settle, Xavier shouted out his next command, "Snivy, twister~!"

In response to his call, the wind began to whip in the area, picking up the loose dirt as it swirled about the petite pokemon hidden in the dust. Snivy had formed another vortex, this time, one of air and soil. Locating the whereabouts of her assailant, the grass pokemon sent her mini-tornado straight at the normal type.

[Shikaru]

Zigzagoon | Normal-Type | Level 3 | Male | Gluttony
Tackle | Growl

With stiff limbs refusing to cooperate fully, the Zigzagoon did not have enough time to avoid the Twister of dust and wind. It whipped around his body, managing to cut him despite his thick fur. The pain was too much for him to even think about making another attack at that time. His body flinched from the lingering feeling of whipping wind.

Zigzagoon was hit by Twister
Zigzagoon FLINCHED

[XAVIER CHEVALIER]

In the comfort of his own darkness

Xavier bit his lip. So far, all of Snivy's attacks had managed to bring about the desired outcome, showing that the rookie duo's training was paying off. That had been somewhat of a relief for the young trainer, since his total experience when it came to training his own pokemon amounted to... less than two weeks. It was a good thing he'd spent that much time reading up on these creatures while lying in bed. He had to have some way of killing the time, right?

The dust had finally cleared, with Snivy's last attack sending most of he loosed earth in the air towards her foe, and the white-haired boy could see that his pokemon was panting lightly. Whether it was from exhaustion, or from the excitement of the battle, Xavier could not be sure. Albeit, he hoped that it was the later, considering the little grass pokemon had only gotten hit once so far. He made a mental not to work on conditioning Snivy's stamina from now on.

After a brief observation of the situation, Xavier was ready to call out his partner's next move. The Zigzagoon had barely moved after that last hit, which meant that either Snivy's glare from earlier on was still in effect, or the wild pokemon suffered from a side-effect from his Snivy's twister. Either reason would have contributed to the rookie pair's cause, for by now, Xavier had decided that it would be much more worth while for Snivy to gain battle experience rather than attempt a capture with his meager supply of balls.That, and he wouldn't have to worry about another mouth to feed until after he got to the pokemon center (and 'real' food). He was starting to feel a bit guilty for having to let Snivy make due with berries for more than a week now.... even if it was her favorite food.

Now though, it was time to get up close and personal with the wild Zigzagoon. "Snivy, iron tail~!" the young trainer called out. Responding quickly to her trainer's command, the little green pokemon lowered her stance, and her tail began to glow. Without so much as a small "Sniv~", the grass pokemon charged silently at her opponent, taking a small leap roughly three feet in front of the furry brown creature, and bringing her now-hardened tail crashing down on the foe. Now that they were taking the battle to the Zigzagoon, Xavier intended to end it quickly. He smiled to himself, noting Snivy's efficiency at delivering the attack. Whether or not it connected, Xavier would be pleased that his pokemon was sensible enough to keep her silence during a battle.

[Shikaru]

Zigzagoon | Normal-Type | Level 3 | Male | Gluttony
Tackle | Growl

This had not been Zigzagoon's lucky day. He'd been paralyzed and had even flinched, and now he could feel his muscles stiffening more. Unable to move at all, he could only watch as the Snivy's hardened tail slammed into him. At this point, he was just barely hanging in there.

Zigzagoon was hit by IRON TAIL
Zigzagoon is FULLY PARALYZED

[XAVIER CHEVALIER]

In the comfort of his own darkness

Things were going well for the rookie pair as Snivy landed her third consecutive attack. Snivy had brought her glowing tail crashing down on her opponent's head, using the momentum from her fall as well as the centripetal force that came with the her somersault in order to increase the damage she would inflict on the said foe. But even with the amount of damage Xavier could judge that the Zigzagoon had taken from the blow, the creature did not move much in response. This gave the trainer an idea of the normal-type's state of being.

Should he attempt to capture it now? For a brief moment, the wrestled with the temptation to make his first catch. Shaking his head though, the notion was quickly disposed. It wasn't worth it. Not when he couldn't even be sure if he would be able to look after his current pokemon well. With the battle looking like it was almost over, the white-haired fifteen-year-old's focus was entirely trained on the goal of putting the small normal-type out of commission (temporarily, at least).

Following the blow, his partner had used the attack's force of recoil to push off her foe's head with her tail. Using that momentum, the female starter had promptly done another somersault in the air so that she would land lightly just two feet or so away from the staggering wild pokemon.

Intent on not letting the wild pokemon have its chance to recover, Xavier called out the next attack the moment Snivy's feet touched the ground. "Snivy, pursuit~!"

In the blink of an eye, it appeared as though Snivy had vanished from sight, only to materialize just behind the enemy Zigzagoon as she executed the only dark-type attack in her arsenal.

[Shikaru]

Zigzagoon | Normal-Type | Level 3 | Male | Gluttony
Tackle | Growl

Finding that his limbs were still unable to cooperate, the normal-type braced for impact as best he could. Snivy's attack was quick, and more than enough to knock out the weakened Zigzagoon. He fell to the ground, body going limp.

Zigzagoon is FULLY PARALYZED
Zigzagoon was hit by PURSUIT
Zigzagoon has fainted!
Snivy gains 1 level!
Snivy is now level 6!

Poochyena | Dark-Type | Level 5 | Female | Quick Feet
Tackle | Howl

There was a soft rustle from the grass nearby, followed by a black-furred pokemon jumping out. She pounced playfully, landing just beside the Zigzagoon. It was like she saw the other pokemon and thought there was a game to be played. Tilting her head to the side in confusion, she looked down at the unconcious normal-type. Deciding that he must be taking a nap, she turned her attention to Snivy.

Wild Poochyena Appeared

[XAVIER CHEVALIER]

In the comfort of his own darkness

The rookie trainer's eyes shone in delight as the battle ended in a victory on their part. Had Xavier been a more assertive sort of person, he might have given a whoop of joy when the Zigzagoon fainted. But he wasn't, and so he didn't.

Snivy on the other hand, was not quite as shy about displaying her sentiments about her first victory. "Sniv~, Snivy," she called out, obviously trying to stand up a little taller than usual. Affixed on her face, was a huge grin as she looked eagerly towards her trainer, apparently waiting for some comment that went along the lines of a praise. Okay, so she wasn't the most subtle type of pokemon. Not that Xavier minded in any way. She had done very well, and he was certain that the little grass pokemon had matured some from the experience.

A soft chuckle escaped the trainer's lips. Lifting up Snivy's pokeball, he said, "Well done, Snivy." He was just about to call her back when a soft rustle caught his attention. Both trainer and pokemon shot their eyes towards the newcomer to the scene: a poochyena.

Seemingly to ignore the presence of a human, the smallish canine began sniffing at the fallen normal-type. For a fraction of a moment, neither rookies moved, stunned from the casual behavior of the intruder, which was a stark contrast to the heated battle they had been having not more than a minute ago.

But as the dark pokemon turned its attention towards his partner, Xavier had already made up his mind. A Zigzagoon might not have been a particularly desired addition to the team, but a Poochyena would be interesting. Promptly pocketing the pokeball, he called out an attack, "Snivy, glare."

Momentarily confused, the little grass pokemon did not respond immediately to her trainer's command. "Sniv~?" she seemed to ask if he expected her to resume a battle so quickly after her last victory. But noting her trainer's expression, she quickly complied, her own visage swiftly taking the form of the poker-face she had assumed previously when fighting against the Zigzagoon. Without wasting much time, the grass pokemon initiated the attack. It was convenient that her new adversary was already eyeing her.

[Shikaru]

Poochyena | Dark-Type | Level 5 | Female | Quick Feet
Tackle | Howl

A shiver ran down the small hyena's spine from the look Snivy gave. He reasoned that she must have been the one to knock out the Zigzagoon. Not wanting to fight, the dark-type turned her head up and let out a loud howl. Hoping this would shock the grass-type long enough for her to escape, Poochyena turned and started to try to run.

Poochyena was hit by GLARE
Poochyena used HOWL
Poochyena is attempting to run away!

[XAVIER CHEVALIER]

In the comfort of his own darkness

The rookie trainer gritted his teeth and cupped his hands hard to his ears as the dark pokemon's piercing howl filled the clearing. Out of the one eye that he held forcefully open, he saw that Snivy fared no better than he did. Not surprising, seeing as the grass pokemon stood much closer to the source of that awful sound. Her head as down cast as her too-short arms reached upwards to cover the area where Xavier presumed her ears to be.

However, this was no time to remain idle from shock. Out of the corner of his eye, the trainer had spied the Poochyena's attempt to flee. Not wanting to lose this opportunity to add what could possibly be a valuable new member of the team, he quickly raised his voice in the hopes that Snivy's ears were not ringing too badly for her to hear his command. "Snivy, pursuit~!"

Pursuit was a dark-type attack - something which Xavier knew would not be too effective against such an opponent. However, to the best of his knowledge, this was the attack that stood the most chance of being able to strike the fleeing pokemon. It was not Xavier's goal to harm the pokemon at this point in time. He merely hoped that a straight-forward confrontation with the dark-type would tempt it into staying just a little while longer. Well, long enough for Xavier to make his catch, anyway.

Due to the Poochyena's quick response, it was hard to tell whether or not Snivy's glare had effected the black canine. Fortunately for Xavier though, his steadfast partner was quick to recover. Shaking her head briefly to clear it, Snivy's eyes zeroed in on her foe, just as it darted off.

Feeling disgruntled and annoyed at being caught off guard by the newcomer, she shot off at top speed, flickering out of the scene and reappearing just as she was about to land a hit on the dark-type. She wasn't about to let this intruder mar the joy of her first victory, and she certainly wasn't about to let the other female get away after making her look bad in front of her trainer. Pride wounded and anger seething, the female grass pokemon swung herself round, putting as much force behind her attack as she could muster. Hopefully, she would have the opportunity to make it up to Xavier for her error.