HALFWAY GONE [MOD]

[KENNETH JACOB CAPHINOM]

"I'm not yet a day into my journey, and already, a great dilemma has presented itself." Kenneth stood alone, voicing his thoughts aloud even though he had no one to listen to him. Usually, he would favor such solitude, but he found himself desiring some company more than usual even at the beginning of his quest through the Unova Region. He was between towns now, and he had come upon a challenging quandary: the path before him had split in two, and he had no map to tell him which road would lead him to his destination.

With no information to help him make an informed decision, he was forced to default to his preferred method of making such decisions as these. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled forth a simple silver coin. "Heads, I go right. Tails, I take the left path," he said, and he casually flipped the coin into the air and caught it. "Left it is." After smiling briefly, he returned the coin to his pocket and began to walk again in the hopes that fate had guided him in the right direction.

He looked up into the sky to see that it was darkening as the sun began to set on this day. His countenance shifted to display a mild frown, an expression of Kenneth's disappointment. He would soon have to stop for the night, and that would mean ending the day without capturing even one new Pokémon. That probably wouldn't sound like a huge deal to most Trainers, but the very idea of it was nothing short of appalling to Kenneth, whose first journey had begun in nearly the same manner. Some illogical part of him had managed to convince him that to capture a new Pokémon on his first day would be a sign that he was certain to meet with far greater success this time around. Growing antsy as the clock ran down, the young man shifted into state of high alert, hoping to pick on any and every sign that a Pokémon worth catching might be near.

[LOSER!]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #d1dcdd; width: 350px; -moz-border-radius: 30px; -o-border-radius: 30px; -webkit-border-radius: 30px; border-radius: 30px; padding: 15px;] Female Skorupi Level 4 with the ability Sniper Knows Bite, Poison Sting and Leer A Skorupi crawled off right in front of Kenneth, though she even notice the boy. It was that time again, when the sky grew dark and she had to run off home, or else her family would get worried. She went as fast as her four legs could carry, which wasn't too quick, her eyes remained looking straight ahead. Catch the Skorupi's attention or let her pass?

[KENNETH JACOB CAPHINOM]

Kenneth heard the Wild Pokémon before he saw it, and he turned his head to see what was approaching him. Naturally, it was a creature he did not recognize, as he was not familiar with most Pokémon that did not make a home in his native land. Of course, that was what his Pokédex was for. Removing the device from its place on his person, the Trainer opened it up and aimed it at the unwary little creature.

"Skorupi, the Scorpion Pokémon. As soon as the tail claws close, its needle tips secrete poison. It can survive a year without food."

"Hm. Guess it's a Poison-type," said Kenneth, a note of disappointment apparent in his voice. "I certainly wouldn't ever choose one o' those if the choice was mine. I guess beggars can't be choosers, though." After expressing that sentiment, he pulled forth the only Pokéball on his belt to contain one of the fantastic creatures. As he threw it, he spoke, raising his voice to draw attention to himself. "Yo!" He called as his Pokéball released a brilliant white light. He didn't really know if there was some sort of etiquette to capturing Pokémon or if one just attacked at will. He opted for a happy medium. "Hope your ready for a battle!"

The light was gone now, replaced by the Pokémon gifted to Kenneth by his parents: a young Charmander. The creature called out enthusiastically as he became aware that he was about to engage in his first battle, and his trainer shared his excitement. With a somewhat nervous smirk on his face, Kenneth called out his attack much more calmly than most Trainers might. "Let's start simple. Hit it with Scratch!" At Kenneth's command, Charmander rushed forward and swiped at his enemy with his little claws. Their power was not likely too great, but if they could make contact, they could probably do enough damage to get the pair started.


[CHARMANDER used SCRATCH!]

[LOSER!]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #d1dcdd; width: 350px; -moz-border-radius: 30px; -o-border-radius: 30px; -webkit-border-radius: 30px; border-radius: 30px; padding: 15px;] Female Skorupi Level 4 with the ability Sniper Knows Bite, Poison Sting and Leer The Skorupi was caught off guard, as a result, the Charmander's attack hit her dead on. She actually flipped over from the force of the attack and as she scrambled back onto her legs, she looked over at the fire type. What? Had that pair been there the whole time? She hadn't even noticed. Either way, it looked like she needed to defend herself. She clicked her pincers angrily, saying nothing in particular. It was rude, in her opinion, to just attack someone without looking. The Skorupi rushed forward to attack, trying to jab the Charmander with her tail once she was close enough. Female Skorupi used Poison Sting!

[KENNETH JACOB CAPHINOM]

"Charmander, evade!" Kenneth called, but it came too late; his Charmander was already too close from using Scratch to escape from the Poison Sting, giving the Wild Skorupi ample opportunity to strike. The Fire Pokémon fell back after the attack connected, squinting and massaging its chest as it did so. The pain of the attack was not insignificant, but he was tough enough to endure it. Kenneth, on the other hand, hesitated to continue after witnessing that blow. He certainly hadn't had enough time yet to develop much of a bond with his first partner, but he still didn't like seeing the creature in pain. His reservations almost got the better of him, but they only held sway over him for an instant. After a short time, Charmander looked back at him expectantly, his eagerness to continue the fight apparent through the intensity of his gaze. It was a brief exchange of emotion, but it was enough to lend the rookie Trainer some confidence.

He decided that he wanted his next move to put some distance between Charmander and Skorupi. If he was lucky, the enemy Pokémon might prove incapable of attacking effectively from a distance, and that would give them the upper hand. To that end, he ordered an attack that would likely knock Skorupi back a good distance, making it necessary for the creature to advance head-on in order to launch a counterattack. "Charmander, strike back with Flare Blitz!" He ordered, and his partner followed through. The flame on his tail grew and spread to cover his whole body, and once he was thus empowered, he threw himself forward as quickly as his legs would carry him with intent to slam into Skorupi as hard as he could and send the Scorpion Pokémon packing.


[CHARMANDER used FLARE BLITZ!]

[LOSER!]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #d1dcdd; width: 350px; -moz-border-radius: 30px; -o-border-radius: 30px; -webkit-border-radius: 30px; border-radius: 30px; padding: 15px;] Female Skorupi Level 4 with the ability Sniper Knows Bite, Poison Sting and Leer Before she could even gloat and feel proud of herself for executing such a great attack, she was hit by the flaming Charmander. At first, the impact from the fire pokemon sent her staggering on her feet, but then the flames engulfed her body. Being part bug meant she didn't have much resistance to fire attacks, and as the flames covered her body, she feel over in exhaustion, closing her eyes as the world blacked out. Female Skorupi is available for capture!

[KENNETH JACOB CAPHINOM]

A satisfied smirk made its way across Kenneth's face as he watched his Charmander strike a decisive blow against the Wild Skorupi, sending it hurdling some distance away from them just as he'd hoped. The end result proved to be significantly more effective than the Trainer had guessed it would be, though; Skorupi went down and didn't get back up, its prone position and closed eyes suggesting that it had actually been knocked right out. Kenneth's eyes widened at the sight, and after the initial surprise had passed, his smirk was replaced by a smile most mirthful. He'd done it. He'd really done it! His opponent seemed to be down for the count, and now all that remained was to seal the deal. As if he wasn't convinced that things were actually as they seemed, he reached for an empty Pokéball rather slowly and clicked the button that changed it from the tiny ball to the palm-sized sphere. Without wasting another moment, he threw it.

The capturing implement soared swiftly through the air and did not fail to make its mark, striking the Skorupi squarely in the face. It shot open and released a stream of red energy that engulfed the Wild Pokémon and drew it in. Once it finally clamped shut, both Kenneth and Charmander looked at it hopefully, anticipating their first shared victory. For Charmander, it was his chance to make a good first impression and prove to his Trainer that he was lucky to have such a strong partner to start out with. For Kenneth, it was his chance to prove to himself that this journey wasn't going to be like the last one. This time, he would catch Pokémon, train them, win battles, and become the kind of Trainer that lesser Trainers aspired to be. Most importantly, he was going to create a destiny for himself that did not involve burying countless Pokémon corpses.

All of that could begin with this single capture...


[KENNETH threw a Pokéball at WILD SKORUPI]

[LOSER!]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #d1dcdd; width: 350px; -moz-border-radius: 30px; -o-border-radius: 30px; -webkit-border-radius: 30px; border-radius: 30px; padding: 15px;] Female Skorupi has been captured! Level 4 with the ability Sniper Knows Bite, Poison Sting and Leer The pokeball bounced off the Skorupi, only to absorb in the blue pokemon with a flash of red. The pokeball shook lightly, as though the Skorupi had accepted her inevitable fat and chose not to fight any more. A loud ding signaled the successful capture. Female Miltank Level 7 with the ability Scrappy Knows Tackle, Growl and Defense Curl The Miltank started bashing a tree with a tackle, barely taking notice of Kenneth. She hit it once, twice, three times, before she stopped to look up through the leaves. The tree shuddered from the attacks, before letting up its prize. With a satisfied grin, she picked up the apple that fell to the ground, before taking a look at the boy and Charmander. She grinned, leaned on the tree, and took a bite from the fruit, looking at the pair with vague interest.

[KENNETH JACOB CAPHINOM]

"All right!" Kenneth exclaimed, throwing his fist up into the air triumphantly. Charmander joined in on his celebration, leaping up and down several times and crying "Char-Charmander!" After allowing himself several moments to enjoy their victory, the Trainer collected himself and stepped forward to claim his prize. He swelled with pride as he took the Pokéball containing his first catch into his hand, staring at the red-and-white sphere as if in disbelief. "I did it," he said quietly, but a cry from his Charmander inspired him to smile nervously and reword his statement. "Sorry, I got caught up in the moment. We did it. Great job, Charmander." He got down on one knee and gave the Flame Pokémon a few light pats on the head, eliciting a satisfied "Char!" He chuckled lightly himself before minimizing the now-full Pokéball and placing it back on his belt.

He spun around suddenly when the sound of some heavy impact reached his ears, scanning the area quickly in search of the source. He was relieved to find that it was just another Pokémon ramming a tree for some reason, and he raised an eyebrow at it as it continued that behavior. "Okaaaayyy..." he said, and he pulled out his Pokédex to get a read on the creature.

Miltank, the Milk Cow Pokémon. Miltank produces very nutritious milk, a perfect drink for reviving sick Pokémon. Miltank are very even tempered and prefer not to battle.

He closed the device and began to ponder over the situation. He wasn't sure how much he liked the assessment of Miltank's battle spirit. Battles weren't all that mattered to him, but he was trying to become a successful Trainer, and that meant that he needed a team that could help him get there. Miltank apparently didn't like to fight, but on the other hand, this one did seem strong enough to take care of business if it had to. Further, its milk was apparently useful for helping Pokémon recover from sickness and injury, which could prove useful in the event that a Pokémon Center was out of reach. Kenneth decided that he would battle it and see how he felt afterward. If he decided that he didn't want to take it with him, his Pokémon could at least grow stronger from the experience.

"Hey," he called, drawing nearer to the Miltank. "I couldn't help but notice that I've caught your eye. Looking for a battle?" He approached this one more cordially to see how it would react, curious as to which method Wild Pokémon responded to more readily. He'd heard of a few cases where Pokémon just went along with Trainers without needing to be defeated first, and he wondered if that might work here. He still wasn't sure he wanted it to, though; the experience Charmander might gain from fighting Miltank might be more valuable than the Miltank itself, and Kenneth wasn't a huge fan of Normal types anyway.

[LOSER!]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #d1dcdd; width: 350px; -moz-border-radius: 30px; -o-border-radius: 30px; -webkit-border-radius: 30px; border-radius: 30px; padding: 15px;] Female Miltank is ready to battle Level 7 with the ability Scrappy Knows Tackle, Growl and Defense Curl She raised the half-bitten apple above her eye, as though enticing them to grab a bit to eat too, but tilted her head at the boy's offer. Battle? Why not? She took another large bite of the fruit before dropping it to ground. <Sure.> She called out, half-wondering if Kenneth could even understand her. She approached them, keeping to the grassy side rather than the path itself before taking a battle stance, her hind legs apart and her arms raised.

[KENNETH JACOB CAPHINOM]

"I'll take that as a yes," Kenneth said, basing his assumption on the Miltank's change in stance rather than its unintelligible cries. Charmander, on the other hand, understood every word, and he readied himself by widening his stance, narrowing his eyes, and smirking. He was ready and raring to go when his trainer turned back to him and asked, "Ready for another round, Charmander?" He responded with a satisfied "Chaaaarrrmander!" He had enjoyed his first battle and was happy to engage another person, but while it wasn't apparent, he was also acting to psych himself up a bit; this opponent was much larger than the last, and he wasn't sure how he was going to fare. He just hoped that he was strong enough to handle the situation, and he hoped his trainer had a sound strategy.

Fortunately, strategy was Kenneth's specialty when it came to battles, and this battle called for one that was not overly complex at the start. He assumed from the get-go based on Miltank's size that it would claim victory in a purely physical battle, and he assumed based on that same factor that the creature would have trouble hitting Charmander if his Pokémon kept some distance between them, so that was the initial plan. With that established, Kenneth was ready to begin. "Charmander, Dragon Dance. Follow up with Dragon Pulse," he said, again speaking rather calmly. Immediately, Charmander closed his eyes and began to move about rhythmically. A moment later, he began to glow briefly, feeling the increased power flow through his body. The increase in Attack and Speed would help him out if Miltank got to close, but his second order was meant to help keep them from happening. When the Dance was done, he opened his mouth wide and summoned a large sphere of shining blue energy that he quickly fired directly at Miltank.

[LOSER!]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #d1dcdd; width: 350px; -moz-border-radius: 30px; -o-border-radius: 30px; -webkit-border-radius: 30px; border-radius: 30px; padding: 15px;] Female Miltank is ready to battle Level 7 with the ability Scrappy Knows Tackle, Growl and Defense Curl Funny dance, that's what the Miltank thought at least. She snickered as the Charmander began to move in the weirdest manner to her. She thought this was going to be a battle, not a dance off. She got what she was looking for though. She held her ground, taking the attack. It often paid to be larger and heftier than most, this was just one example of such a time. The Miltank shook herself as she took the attack, looking determined now. The attack could have been stronger, in the pink pokemon's opinion anyway, but perhaps that was only because she was tough as well. The Milk pokemon charged for the Charmander, closing in the distance between them as she did. Female Miltank was hit! Female Miltank used Tackle!

[KENNETH JACOB CAPHINOM]

The attack went pretty much as well as Kenneth had expected it to. Miltank didn't seem overly phased by it, but it was clear that some damage had been done. More importantly, it had been done from a distance, and the benefit of that fact would become apparent as the enemy Pokémon recovered and prepared to retaliate. "Prepare to evade," Kenneth said quietly as Miltank got ready to come at them. It began to charge, and Kenneth found himself surprised at how quickly it was advancing. Still, the distance between it and his Charmander gave him just enough time to come up with a quick strategy that might help cement their victory.

"Dodge!" Kenneth called, nearly shouting this time, and the command came just in time for a narrow evasion by Charmander. Assuming that Miltank would slow down after the miss without stopping completely, the Trainer quickly followed up with another order. "Flare Blitz! Hit it from behind!" Without missing a beat, his partner allowed the flame of his tail to grow and engulf him before launching himself headlong at his enemy. The plan was to use Miltank's own momentum against it. If Charmander could hit it hard enough from behind, it might incur additional damage from being forced off of its feet and into a violent tumble. Bonus points of it managed to slam into anything, though Kenneth wasn't counting on that. Of course, the attack was a double-edged sword; if Miltank was quick enough to turn about and evade or resist Charmander's attack, it would be close enough to do some damage. It was heavy if nothing else, and Kenneth knew his Pokémon might incur significant even if Miltank simply fell upon him. It was his goal to avoid that, and if his strategy worked, he was sure that he could.

[LOSER!]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #d1dcdd; width: 350px; -moz-border-radius: 30px; -o-border-radius: 30px; -webkit-border-radius: 30px; border-radius: 30px; padding: 15px;] Female Miltank is ready to battle Level 7 with the ability Scrappy Knows Tackle, Growl and Defense Curl She's give it to the Charmander, he was fast. She had already readied herself for the tackle, but the Charmander disappeared from her sights, the next thing she knew, there was a scorching feeling behind her and she stumbled forward. Normally she wouldn't have lost her balance, but as Kenneth had planned, her own momentum helped with tripping her. She growled at this, picking herself up before charging in for yet another attack. Female Miltank was hit! Female Miltank used Growl and Tackle!

[KENNETH JACOB CAPHINOM]

Few things were so pleasing to Kenneth as a well-executed plan, and he couldn't help but smirk as he watched his Charmander's successful attack cause the larger Pokémon to topple over. Charmander, too, was quite pleased with itself, a satisfied "Chaaaarrr" escaping it as it stood waiting for Miltank to get back up. Unfortunately, what happened next ruined both of their moods. The Miltank let out a surprisingly threatening growl as it got back to its feet. The sound only caused Kenneth to eye it curiously, wondering what hidden depths of ferocity lay beneath the Miltank's amicable exterior. Charmander, however, was affected much more gravely. He did not lose himself, but he did hesitate, and that moment's hesitation was just enough to stall him when his Trainer gave the order "Dodge now!" Charmander gasped and shifted, but it was too late to evade. The Tackle attack threw him back several feet, and he hit the ground hard.

Kenneth could tell that the impact was as damaging as he'd expected, and he cast a concerned gaze upon his partner as the Flame Pokémon slowly rose to his feet. If he could stand, he could fight, so Kenneth didn't bother asking how bad the damage was; the Miltank could charge in for another attack at any moment. At least there was some distance between the two Pokémon again, making it unlikely that the Miltank would land another head-on attack. "Keep it together, Charmander," Kenneth commanded, his tone implying encouragement rather than the disappointment those words could have carried. With a determined nod, Charmander turned to face his opponent again, drawing in a deep breath and conjuring forth another explosive sphere to fire at his enemy upon his Trainer's command: "Hit it with another Dragon Pulse!"


[CHARMANDER used DRAGON PULSE]