Gotta Catch 'Em All!

About the Stadium (Again)!

2009-04-02T03:23:17Z

Yikes! April Fools brings back some bad early memories... ~~I haven't forgotten, Green!~~ Er, I hope no one was too badly pranked. (Ivysaur, are you and uh, your roomate okay? I think she's one of Hojita's sisters, right?)

There's this doctor guy who's rebuilding everything. The stadium isn't as important as dorms and hospitals, so I'm sure that's one of the last things on his list... which gives me time to put together some great ideas to improve it!

I'm having fun going back over my trainer notes from gym battles and writing down a few things I remember seeing in them. The arena in Indigo Plateau was really cool too! (Maybe I should email Lance? Hope he's doing okay, I kinda left him with my champion job, ha ha... Oh, right! Lt Surge is here, maybe he'll have some ideas, too! ~~Green's got a gym, I should ask him.~~)

My first suggestion will be to make it bigger! We'll have plenty of room for everyone to use it! And more room to put training equipment! Yeah!!

Uh, other stuff... Ms Midna, thanks for helping me out to find a great tuxedo! I sent mom photos of me wearing it, she likes it a lot! Heh heh, that was fun. It's a good feeling to go out into the city again without having to worry about danger.

[Private Thoughts]

It's strange, but I'm relieved that Charmeleon was joking. He's not my Pokémon or anything but... a trainer and Pokémon being pulled apart is a terrible feeling! I dunno if Green would have felt as bad about it as I would if my own guys were to leave me, but I don't think he'd take it lightly if a Pokémon were to run away.

Well... I guess it'd make sense if Green were treating them badly or something, but as his rival, I know he wouldn't do that.

...speaking of which, I'm still kinda shaking off the effects of... that 'war'. I've been asking mom to check on Squirtle's health; it sounds like he'll be back on his feet soon... I'm glad Pikachu's recovered and I guess Charizard's still resting. (She's always been so stubborn about getting hurt.) Rayquaza and Ivysaur seem to be okay.

... Green's Pokémon look like they're fine. Green looks like he's fine. Why am I still moping around?

...if I step back and look, there's still a big difference between us. A trainer's ability isn't just about how powerful his Pokémon are... the trainer's gotta be strong, too, both in mind and body.

I was planning on challenging him to settle our rivalry but... I'd probably lose again... maybe even worse than our first big battle. There's still more I gotta do. I want to make it so that I can give him the fight of his life and my Pokémon the battle of the century! I'm not giving up!

About the Stadium

2009-03-26T01:42:35Z

I'm glad a lot of people are helping out getting the city and the school back up and running! (Heh heh, teamwork always gets me pumped!) I'm proud of Ivysaur and Hojita giving our classmates a hand with the greenhouse! Ivysaur, Hojita, let me know if you need more seeds, okay?

As for me, I'm kinda scratching my head on the stadium. Charizard's still resting so I can't fly up there to see what the roof looks like. (Er, I dunno if I should bother Rayquaza... I'd rather him get enough rest too...) I checked out the doorway and walked around the whole thing, but going inside may be kinda risky. (The last thing I need is to get stuck in there if something falls on me.)

The outside took a lot of damage from... er... projectiles? (Ours or theirs?) ...so it it's got holes all over the place. I hope the inside is okay, it's a pretty open area anyway.

I want to go inside but... ~~I wonder if I can ask to borrow Green's Blastoise... naah, he'd either say no or laugh at me.~~ ...maybe I can ask Lash to borrow a tank... but I have no idea how to drive one...

Uh... I'll figure that out later.

Oh, uh, hey, I think I got a new roommate! It's the Hitmonlee from before! Ap... Apu... Apa... Nuts, I can't remember what his name was... Anyways, I'll miss Louie but I hope he gets that teaching spot!

And it sounds like we have another dance coming up! (Or that's what it sounds like even though it's called a 'ball'.) The last one we had was... eh... uh... interesting... Hey, team, Rayquaza, Manaphy, if you guys are healed up, did you want to go as a big group again? (Or uh, if you already have plans, that's ok too, I can catch up... ~~I'm not... I hope I don't... do that again...~~) I wonder if I've grown any taller though; I hope my suit still fits...

Phew...

2009-03-19T14:18:57Z

It's kind of a weird feeling... Normally, after winning a battle, I'd be really excited, but all I can feel is drained. Well, then again, this war we had wasn't like anything I've seen before...

I'm glad that everyone will be okay. And the school will be okay... and my Pokémon and my friends are still here... That was... really scary...

That battle with the weird... aparoid girl trainer has us all kind of beaten up. (Those weren't normal Pokémon!) I know our supplies are still kind of low so I sent Squirtle, who got pretty hurt, back to Prof Oak's place for now. (Thank you, Squirtle! You really came through for us! Get some good rest!) I think I'll tend to Ivysaur, Pikachu, Charizard, Manaphy, and Rayquaza here.

Hojita? Louie? Lucas? You guys alright? (Er, Lucas, your kendo stick didn't make it... I'm sorry. I'll buy you a new one someday!)

Uh... Hey, Green? Did you want to swap supplies around? I might have some stuff your guys need and the other way around. ~~Are you okay too?~~ Did you want to meet up?

((OOC: Team Green + Nyx, did you guys want to do a Team Log that we weren't able to put together for a group battle?
No rush though, we should wrap up the Team Red group battle log first, before starting a new one. (We're almost at the end!) But yeah, what do you guys think? It's just for the mon to talk to each other. ~~And Green to spaz about Blue's photos.~~))

Writer's Block: AKA, Tootin' my horn

2009-02-27T22:02:41Z

What's the story behind your username?

View 503 Answers

((OOC ENTRY, bandwagoning on the usernames thing))

Red haspokemon - actually was originally an Ash Ketchum journal that I picked up from someone else. It's very blunt for a trainer's username and has created some amusing followups for other characters:
Green hasmorepokemon
Blue hasbestpokemon
Krys/Crystal hasstarpokemon
Silver hasmeanpokemon
Lucas haslessbadges
Dawn hasmoreribbons
Jun hasmorebadges
Older!Red hasfancyredtie >3>;;;

;3; I feel so proud. ~~Where's our Gold and Yellow?~~

Blue's ambitious username is pretty self explanatory... as is Older!Red's username coming from his trademark red tie. :B A-hyuk...

City looks awful!

2009-02-23T14:49:26Z

It's pretty crazy out there! There's a ton of of overturned cars, fires, holes in buildings and shattered glass all over the streets! It's really tough to follow this city map trying to find the other communication towers for Pikachu! (All the street signs are pretty much gone.)

I know Pikachu's busy so I can't bother her to back me up but I'll find Ivysaur soon! Hojita, you're okay, right? Are you with your sisters?

Lucas, uh, sorry, I kinda splintered your kendo stick a little trying to lever a door open... (I-it's just on one side though!)

((OOC: I'm back in town but trying to catch up with studies. Will be slow with reading posts and making logs until 27th. Sorry... *deep bow*))
((Also, Cubey, I'm going forward with the idea that Red is helping Pika so he has been doing something other than sitting on his bed staring at the wallpaper.))

Team Red Group + Mini Hiatus

2009-02-18T17:47:21Z

I'm going to be out of town between the 20th and 22nd to attend my cousin's wedding. I apologize for the inconvenience to characters who wish to play with Red during the event. ;A;

Speaking of which, with the group signups going on, I wanted to know whose permission I have before I list Red and some Pokémon in there.

There was a discussion with Team Green and Nyx last night of a possible big team up, but the players decided the group was far too large for one common enemy. Therefore, if we have the time, a post-war log (maybe with the trainers patching the mon up) would be a better idea.

As for Team Red and others, I want to know who among the list below are interested in forming a group battle, or if anyone wants to join in, just comment.

Team Red and Co:
- Red (redundant but might as well list him)
- Squirtle (temporarily NPC'd by Snap)
- Ivysaur
- Charizard (depends on Ed's schedule)
- Rayquaza
- Pikachu
- Smeargle (depends on Dawg's internet)
- Manaphy

Again, we might have to backate or wait until late 22nd or early 23rd to do something.
So give me a yay or nay if you're on that list. Or feel free to comment, ask questions, etc. Thanks!

Comments screened for privacy.

Trainer Prep Notes

2009-02-17T15:07:05Z

It's gotten pretty serious after the speech we heard last night. I couldn't sleep well so I went through my closet looking for all the supplies I brought with me. (Sorry, Louie, I hope I didn't wake you up.)

I'm probably going to drop off most of these with Nurse Birdo and maybe carry one or two bottles of potions or full heals with me. It's kind of a tricky decision between carrying too much (they're pretty heavy) and having too little...

... I'm... kinda nervous... It's like preparing for a huge battle... but you don't know anything about your opponent except that they don't follow any rules... They could very well attack trainers or gang up on your team. ~~At least Team Rocket didn't actually try to kill me...~~

I need to make sure my Pokémon are well prepared. I think the moves they know are well-rounded and powerful enough but... there's always that nagging feeling that maybe I should teach them something new...

I gotta train up my own strength too so I can get out of the way in case something comes at me. I don't want them worrying about defending me while trying to protect themselves... Same for Rayquaza...

I kind of wish Squirtle was with us... but, I think it's for the best he's not here to worry about all the danger. Same with the rest of the team back on the ranch. I'll be counting on Ivysaur, Charizard, Pikachu and Smeargle...

~~I wonder how Green's doing?~~

I should try to sleep. ~~I wish Rayquaza was here too but I shouldn't bother him right now.~~

Valentines' Day!

2009-02-14T15:49:25Z

((*Red bought ~~very~~ small bags of Pokémon-shaped chocolate candy for his friends and people he runs into.*))

Hey, Happy Valentine's Day, everybody!

I remember from elementary school, we'd just pass out candy to the entire class so I hope I got enough for anybody who wants any. These were pretty popular where I'm from. Hope everybody's at least enjoying the weekend!

.... I guess somebody put up decorations... those uh, flying robots or something... I wasn't close enough to tell what they were exactly...

Oh yeah, thanks everybody who also sent me candy! I'll enjoy these!

Professor Leon, uh, Louie's... uh... ~~Pokémon~~ pet(?) isn't feeling very well. What do we do? (Wait, Louie, what is Sydia again?)

Rayquaza, it looks like the weather's pretty nice today. Um, if you've got time, you want to have lunch up there?

- - - -
[Private Thoughts] ((Very long, very sappy.))

It kinda took me a while to figure it out. These warm feelings, I mean. Ha ha, I guess I'm not very good at stuff like this because I'm so focused on training. It wasn't until I got here that I realize how much I'm missing.

Not that I'll ever give up my journey though...

I guess the writing class really helped... and uh, I wanted to follow the debate class... but I felt like I wasn't quite sure how to answer. Any given day, I would have jumped at the chance to tell the world about how much I love training! Being a trainer! Battling! Traveling to meet new Pokémon! But... his face kept appearing in my mind and I really had to sit down and think about it.

I kinda wished I had Ivysaur near me to help me concentrate but usually, I'd do that when I'm trying to come up with new strategy. This was something a little different...

Ha ha ha, I'm in love with Rayquaza.

It's like when I've figured out how to break through an opponent's battle tactic, like a light bulb goes off in my head... except now that I can tell how I feel, a lot of my confusion is gone! I just feel... really happy... and a lot lighter...

I thought it was that I really liked him before... sharing hugs, kisses and touches with Pokémon isn't out of the ordinary for me... well, for him, he did do a bit... more than what... other Pokémon do... but I... liked it...

It started making more sense when he sort of... mattered just as much to me as my goal to be a Pokémon master... If anybody else had asked me to give up my dream, I'd definitely refuse! But if he asked me to... I'd actually... stop and consider it...

... I hope that never happens... having to choose... but he is that important to me...

Hn................

I'd really like to see him today... and just... be close by. We don't even have to do anything special; I just want to be able to feel this way when I'm near him.

Ha ha, I can't stop smiling!
- - - -

((OOC Edit: The Pokémon candy come with a cute Pokémon sticker.))

WHAT A GAME!

2009-02-09T02:54:15Z

That was some ~~battle~~ game!!! And I thought it was hard just following a Pokémon battle with no more than four Pokémon on the field, but there were players everywhere in football! That's the most team work I've ever seen! It was awesome! I wonder how our coach does it! And how he trains everybody! ~~Does he feed them too?~~

Hojita and I cheered our lungs out! I hope we were a great crowd for the players! There's nothing like a stadium full of people rooting for you to win! (Uh, I couldn't hear a lot of what people were saying though.)

Heh heh, that game has me so pumped, I'm ready to jump back into training soon. But I gotta watch myself and figure out what's my next step ~~before Green does~~.

Great job, team!!!

- - - - -
((OOC Rambling)) Red's Voice:

My friend vulpixi_misa who I ganked a lot of Red icons from, posted this in her LJ:

It's basically Red's lines in Japanese.
It kills me that you can hear the most emotion in his fourth line to Ivysaur (Track 12). "Ganbatta na, Fushigisou!" ;A;

This is almost like a meme. How do you hear your characters? In English, Japanese or any language? (I think a lot of characters already have voiced lines in Brawl or other games but it'd still be fun to share.)
- - - - -
~~Valentine's Day is coming up huh?~~/////

Um... my throat's kinda fuzzy from all that yelling, I think... I wonder if I can ask the nurse what to take for it...

Music, huh?

2009-01-31T06:11:51Z

I think it's pretty cool we're getting a radio station! I've never heard any of the songs they played before (well, except Jigglypuff's song...) so it's kinda fun that I don't know what song they play next. ~~Kinda like the move Metronome?~~

I wonder if I can ask them to play some awesome battle themes in the stadium when we're training! It'd be great for doing basic target practice or just warm up exercises.

Speaking of training, I gotta figure out what I'm going to do next! Kanto's always gonna be home to me, but I should pick a new place to go after I finish school. ~~Uh, as long as Green's not going there.~~ There's even more gyms and way more different Pokémon to check out! Uh, do any of the Pokémon here have a suggestion? What region do you guys like best?

Right now, I want my team to rest up a bit; they deserve a good break! We should all relax then prepare for those finals exams. I'm also waiting for some berries to ripen so Hojita and I can make more blocks for everybody! Yeah!

YEAAAAAAAH!!!!!

2009-01-26T02:38:30Z

Hey, guys! We made just it back! It's been amazing! I'm exhausted but I can't seem to calm down! I can't believe it!

WE WON!!!

YEAAAAH!!! Squirtle, Ivysaur, Charizard and my other Pokémon were great!!! It's been so long since we've had such an explosive battle!!! The Elite Four is still as powerful as ever! And facing Lance in the end was really tough! He sure isn't the leader for nothing!

I really missed battling in a stadium! Just being in the middle of a great match! Hearing the crowd! (Pikachu and Smeargle were there to support us, thanks guys!) And everything relied on the decisions you make! That thrill was great to feel again!

Squirtle, Ivysaur, Charizard, I couldn't have done it without you guys! ~~I couldn't stop crying after the battle.~~ We did it! We made it! All of us! Together!!!!

Added: ((An hour later.))

Uh... okay, now I'm feeling tired... Gotta get some stuff ready for classes tomorrow though...
Ivysaur, Charizard, you guys deserve some good rest after all that battling. (I dunno if you got enough sleep at the Pokécenter there.) Great job! Let's have breakfast tomorrow!

Added: ((Ten minutes later.))

HUH? HUH?!?!?! Where'd everybody go?! Latias and Latios are gone?! Aw, nuts! I'll miss 'em a lot!

Just a few more days!!

2009-01-21T03:56:26Z

Yeaaah! Just a few more days before we head out to the league, guys!!! I'm so excited!

I put a lot of work into the team set up this time after all I've learned here and from my earlier battles. I'm so proud of my Pokémon! If I come back a winner, I'll make tons of Pokéblocks for everyone! (Gonna need your help again, Hojita!)

Um... I hope I'm back to normal soon... I saw that Green's back ~~but I don't want him to find out or he'll never stop making fun of me...~~

Added: Woke up this morning NORMAL! WHOA!!! ALRIIIIIGHT!!!!
~~No more tight underwear!~~

AAAH!

2009-01-15T06:35:42Z

I... I... DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENED TO ME!!!

UH...

UH........

DO I GO TO THE INFIRMARY?! WHAT DO I DO?!

My body's all... it's... I'm....

~~What if my Pokémon don't recognize me?!?!?!~~

League Challenge this Month! Whoo hoo!

2009-01-13T02:34:13Z

Hi, guys! Sorry I haven’t been around much. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the league re-challenge so I’ve spent a lot of time in my room figuring out some new strategy and taking a few weekend trips back to Kanto to train the rest of the team. (And trying to keep up with homework. I don't know what's tougher!)

I’m really excited! Mom’s even signed my permission slip to miss a few days of school so I can compete again! (Uh, can I borrow notes from somebody when I’m back?) Squirtle’s got a new move, and the other three Pokémon that Ivysaur and Charizard will work with are also in good shape!

There’s only a few weeks left! I can’t wait to see the Elite Four guys again! Lance, I hope we have a great battle!

Uh, Ivysaur, Charizard, I don’t know if you guys need permission slips or anything but I got mom to sign for you guys too. Ha ha...

Pikachu, Smeargle, I know we haven’t worked together much so I’m not gonna force you into a huge league battle. You guys are welcome to come watch though!

Hojita, if you want to make any pokéblocks while I’m not around, I can leave the ingredients with you. There still are a few berries inside the freezer. (Actually... uh... you might want to ask Professor Olimar or Chef Kawasaki to help you with the knife and the oven...)

Actually, Louie, can you help her if she needs it? Sorry for asking you out of nowhere, I’ll uh, buy you something cool when I get back.

Rayquaza, Ms Midna, Arcanine, Latias, Zigzagoon, Manaphy, and everybody else, I dunno if you guys want to take the long trip to Kanto to watch, but I think they do broadcast the battle here so I’ll give you guys the date and time if they show it live.

I'm all psyched up! I’m wearing the red bracelet for good luck too! ////

- - - -
((OOC: Red’s going to redo the league battle on the weekend of Jan 24 – 25.))

[To Haji, Cheebo and Kaos]

Is this okay with you guys or do you want a different weekend or time that your characters will be occupied? All this will be done offscreen to prevent NPCs exploding everywhere.

Kaos, I think you were okay with Red winning this one so he can get his title and move on. However, I think Lance will still be stuck doing the champion-position work while Red finishes the school year.

[To Brettish, Snap and Kylee]

This is a repeat of something I asked before.

After Red returns with the title, he and Green will battle sometime and Red will win, settling their score as a tie. Are you guys okay with this? Or do you NOT like the idea of your characters on equal grounds with Red's Pokémon?

I just wanted to get your response-slash-permission before I start doing things to Red. It can be as simple as 'Yes, my characters can work with this.' or 'No, I don't like this idea.' ~~or as random as 'It doesn't match the furniture.'~~

OOC Post - Pogeymanz Champeens

2009-01-09T14:22:46Z

I looked at recent events and got an idea. Kind of.

I'd like to discuss this with all of Team Red, Team Green, also Chicobo and Kaos.

I was notified that Chicobo has dropped Green and that Kaos is interested in picking him up. I figured with my recent inactivity and this development, we could try and change things up a bit.

What do you guys think of pushing the canon story forward?
As in, Red finally gets the champion title.

Canon is already a little out of whack in that Green is supposed to become a gym leader after Red gets the title. Also, I'm tired of the same song and dance Red has about 'I'm gonna beat Green!' and 'I'm gonna be a champion'. I'd like to get out of that loop.

I don't know if you feel the same way about Green and Red's Pokémon still stuck in that limbo either, but after over half a year, I think it'd be refreshing to change the character dynamics a little.

I was going to use my inactivity stage for Red to go train the rest of the team (being that it is a 6 vs 6 battle) to explain why he's barely around. (I still need to make him post that but I wanted to get your opinions before I go assume anything.) While Green is being transitioned (if/when Kaos gets accepted), we could use this stage in time as when the battle took place (most likely offscreen or we'll have NPCs all over the place.) Green can use his defeat as a reason to take a break from training/his gym/etc and get back to class more. I don't know.

So if Red does return a champion, he's not going to be all that egotistic about it. In fact, in his mind, he and Green are tied. I think this will make it easier for them to talk to each other instead of the usual 'I'm gonna win' 'No ur not!' banter. Same for the Pokémon, they can at least talk to each other a little more as respected rivals instead of having to work with the usual, uneasy tension.

Red's goal is still to become a master but after getting the title, he can sort of take a break and concentrate on school ~~and boyfriend tiems~~ and interacting with different people more. That's my plan anyways.

Anyways, what do you guys think? Do you prefer something new or keep as is? Additional ideas? Yay or nay? Paper or plastic?

Uh, other news, thanks for all your encouragement, guys. ;3;

Edit: Did Ed/Tip/Cheebo ever post? I think I missed it if he did. O__o;;???

EDIT 2:

It looks like changing anything is going to be more complicated now. Apparently, we bypassed Red's existence with Green losing his championship title to Lance instead and scooted into the Gen 2 story where Green is now a gym leader.

This means Red now has two 'rivals'. One being Green, his childhood rival, and one being Lance, to get the championship title from. Therefore, I can't kill two birds with one stone in this case; it'll have to be broken into two parts.

I guess either order works:
1. Battle Green first, then go for the title against Lance. OR
2. Battle Lance first, get title, then wanting to settle the score with Green.

I guess it depends on how fast we get a Green or how soon do you guys want to make any kind of changes. Or, back to the first question, do you want change at all?

Whoa! A New Year already!

2009-01-01T21:09:53Z

I can't believe the year passed by so fast! The same time last year, I was still haven't even challenged the league yet! Hope things are gonna be awesome this year!!

I tried to make some resolutions so uh, here they are for this year.

1. Get that championship title! (It was the same as last year but I'm not giving up!)
2. Train my Pokémon to be stronger! (Not just Ivysaur, Squirtle and Charizard, but the other three that I'll be using when I try the league again!)
3. Get better at... cooking? (Maybe just Pokémon food, so my Pokémon can eat healthy!)
4. Ivysaur and I are gonna perfect solar beam! I know we can do it!
5. Do something fun with Rayquaza more often! (Well, if he's okay with that...) ////
6. Get taller! (It's not really as important, but it would be cool!)

New Year's Eve was really nice... Heeeeh... ~~I could barely sleep.~~

Things are already off to a great start. Smeargle joined my team some time ago and now I've got Pikachu on board too! Hope everyone's having a super New Year!

Great Christmas!

2008-12-30T17:15:58Z

Hi, guys! It's good to be back! Ivysaur and Smeargle went with me to Pallet Town to spend Christmas with mom! She had an awesome dinner put together as usual! (We also saw Professor Oak and Squirtle!)

I showed her all the cool gifts I got from you guys (uh, except the speedo) and she's really glad I got great friends here. She stared at the bracelet I got from Rayquaza for a long time though...

I stored the TMs from Zigzagoon in my PC and let mom write in a few of her special recipes in the notebook I got from Ms Midna. She made the berries Hojita got for me into a pie. (Sorry, Hojita, we couldn't save any but you would have really liked it!)

It's definitely warmer in Pallet Town; there wasn't any snow at all, but everybody was celebrating Chrstmas anyway. Ivysaur, Smeargle, did you guys have a good time?

Rayquaza, ~~I missed you a lot~~ ah, uh, how're you doing? /////

Christmas Gifts! ((and Survey))

2008-12-23T16:12:24Z

Ah... thanks guys for all your gifts. I’ll take good care of them! (Though I’m not sure if I’ll actually wear the, uh, speedo...) I got a couple of things for you guys too... (I had to ask mom for a lot of advice, I hope you guys like the presents...)

Red’s Gift List:

For everybody - packets of assorted roasted nuts native to Kanto

Squirtle - Water toys, FDC souvenirs and photos from school

Ivysaur - A glowing miracle seed, to be worn as a pin or necklace, powers up grass moves

Charizard - A lava lamp (don’t stare at it too long, please)

Pikachu - A small poképod mp3 player, looks like a flat Pokéball with a screen on it

Smeargle - A pretty ribbon with a soothe bell on it, to be worn on neck, tail or in hair.

Rayquaza - A warm, thick cloud-patterned blanket for the winter ~~and snuggle tiems~~

Hojita - Berry growing starter kit (comes with seeds, a pail and a shovel)

Latias - A cute pokédoll plushie (looks like a Clefairy)

Latios - A shining star piece (can be sold for high price, Red actually found it on One Island.)

Lucario-sensei - Black belt for increasing fighting move powers

Lugia-sensei - White herbs for good tea (though it doubles as a good held-item)

Midna - A cute pokédoll plushie (looks like a Teddiursa)

Cane - Doggie shampoo and brush, great for canine fur (not as MANRI but still good for volume)

Lance - The finest dry-cleaning kit for his capes (Mom helped with that one)

Zigzagoon - Scope lens for adventuring fun (and for critical hits)

Manaphy - Sea incense (also powers up water moves)

Louie - A shell bell hand-crafted from Hoenn, makes a lovely chime

Lash (?!) - A cute pokédoll plushie (looks like a poofy Natu. Red thought it looked like her hair when he was picking gifts out for girls)

Team Green - Red left bags of pokéblocks and a full set of vitamins (HP up, Calcium, Carbos, Iron, Zinc and Protein) in front of their doors, he left his name off of them but it’s kind of obvious who these were from. He put extra yache berry pokéblocks in Bulba’s bag.

Lt Surge and Prof Goose - Jar of high-quality lubricant with a note: “I told mom a little about you guys and she recommended this stuff. I don’t know why though, I guess you guys use it on army machinery. Hope it’s useful.”

Uh... [Private to Rayquaza]
Miss Midna says to ask you about speedos. I think we all got one from that hawk guy and I think it's too tight for me to wear (or it looks kinda small)... Were you collecting them or something? She says you have one with a Caterpie on it. (Did you want mine? I'm, uh, glad I got something but I don't want to hold onto it if you wanted it.)

*Red's blushing but doesn't know why*

- - - -
((Here’s that Character Survey. This thing really helps you flesh out your character better!))
Red’s Character Survey:

Name and meaning:
Red – based on the color he predominately wears and originally based on one of the earlier versions of Pokémon released back in 1996.

Age and date of birth:
Age 15, February 27th, 1993

Physical attributes: (Elaborate on everything, from hair style to muscle tone to the their eyelid's tendency to flicker up and down during a boring teacher's lessons. Twitch.)
Red has short, dark brown hair that spikes around his crown, slightly covering the top of his ears. He has a tendency to mess it up further by scratching the back of his head when he does not know an answer or is embarrassed. He has golden brown eyes, a small nose and a roundish face that is slowly developing out of boyhood. The rest of his body has the average weight and height of a normal 15-year old; his arms and legs look normal-sized (as in not muscular) but they are well-built from traveling.

Distinguishing features: (Anything unusual—scars, tattoos, etc. Or an unusual color of hair. What makes your character an individual? Please do not say violet-coloured eyes.)
Red looks extremely average and can easily be unnoticed if he were the type to be inconspicuous. His red hat is his most recognizable feature.

Frequently used verbal expressions: (Either phrases “unbelievably pretentious!” or attitude.)
He introduces himself with “Hi, I’m Red, I’m a Pokémon Trainer!” to everyone regardless of whether or not they know what a trainer is. He’ll also reuse the same battle speeches “Good job!” “You can do it!” “I believe in you!” “Just a little more!” though he really does mean them.

He’s clumsy with talking to people about anything else other than Pokémon and often has ‘uh’ or ‘um’ when he’s trying to think of something to say.

Frequently used facial expression or other physical gesture: (They motion with their hands while they talk, never look people in the eye while giving speeches, tap their pens while listening to professors.)
Red has a stance during battles where he keeps one hand on a Pokéball, his legs slightly bent and apart and an eye on the fight. In daily circumstances, he’ll scratch his cheek, his head or fold his arms when he’s trying to think.

Education (and grade): (Please elaborate on education prior to, during, and after school, including their level of interest in their subject of choice (or as chosen by another) and their general academic behaviour. Did they attend primary schools? Home tutoring? Somehow, they managed to read and pick up other basic skills, right?)
Red received a basic education up to when he was ten years old. After that, he started his training journey and developed his knowledge through experience. He liked science classes best though not as much for math. His grades were decently high because his mother demanded them.

Academic skills: (Classes they excel at, whether or not essays are the thing for them, neat handwriting, attentive listening—how they manage to pass their classes or career.)
Red would much rather be out on his journey but he figures while he’s in school, he’ll get the most out of it. He tends to gear towards classes involving biological sciences or anything related to Pokémon, though he’ll do his best for the other classes because of his upbringing (his mother’s influence.)

Academic weaknesses: (And everything they manage to do to fail.)
As hard as he tries, he will do poorly in art, theatre and music. He has absolutely no talent in fine arts though he does try to have fun with doing the assignments. He also enjoys watching other people do well in these classes.

Main goal (dream) at this point in time: (Their main goal or dream is likely to change over time. How does it reflect their character? What hidden aspects are there to it? Elaborate.)
To be the greatest Pokémon trainer – the Pokémon Master; though his current goal is to at least obtain the title of ‘Champion’. Red also wants to enjoy every step of this journey with his Pokémon, whether win or lose. He is one of the few trainers in the world who would seek this title without selfishly placing his own happiness in front of his Pokémon’s.

Secondary goals: (Like before, but smaller things that are somewhere in the spectrum, but not at the top of the list.)
Red wants to travel all over the world to see every Pokémon in existence. Currently, though, he wants to get better at making pokéblocks for his Pokémon and train them a little more during the colder climate in Final Destination City. And in the back of his mind, figure out what that new but wonderful feeling he has for Rayquaza…

Love interest: (One hopes this will change over time. What draws them to this person? Is there a common characteristic in all those they adore? What types of relationships are they involved in?)
Rayquaza easily caught Red’s attention in being a legendary, but what sealed Red’s interest was that he challenged Red (to try to snap a photo of him. The easiest way to occupy Red’s mind is to challenge him.) Over time, Red developed a crush on Rayquaza, which turned into mutual affection. Red is still bumbling his way through the relationship being unfamiliar with how it works; he sticks with being honest about how he feels and cares, even if he can’t express them properly. He loves being the one to make Rayquaza smile.

Family: (At least 100 words on each character should cover occupation, family history, how family members met (your character's parents), and a basic personality description.)
Red’s mom – at first glance, she seem like the typical housewife mother who gives you welcome-home hugs, makes noodle soup for you when you’re sick, and sends homemade snacks to you when you’re away. She managed to raise Red by herself and influenced him greatly into being a ‘good boy’, so Red respects her like nothing else (rebelling against mom is just unheard of and not even considered an option in his mind.) She never speaks of Red’s father and may have some darker secrets about herself that she keeps well-hidden under her loving, motherly smile and fresh cookies. She thinks the rivalry Red and Green have is just a ‘phase’. She has mixed feelings about Red’s ‘boyfriend’; part of her doesn’t trust him quite yet, the other wants to torment him for fun. (Mom, are you bored?) She has an unnatural obsession with sending her son all different types of boxers.

Place of residence (city, house, etc.): (Where does your character live?)
Pallet Town in southeast Kanto region; it is a small town surrounded by forest, hills (used for Professor Oak’s ranch) and the ocean. Because of its size, the air is fresh and very healthy for Pokémon.
On campus, room BE-05 with Louie as his current roommate. (He used to room with Mallow and before that, with Marth.)

Worst past experience: (Please remember that experiences are not limited to relationships--early/childhood experiences would be best, unless something that happened to your character as an adult has had a more significant impact.)
His earliest worst experience was losing Green’s friendship, however it was easily turned into rivalry because they both became trainers. Red still hopes they can get along in some way or other and likes using Green as a driving force for improving.

His current worst experience is losing to Green in the Kanto league battles for the champion title. Not only did he gash the side of his ribcage, his Ivysaur was greatly wounded for using Solar Beam unprepared, which Red still feels guilt for making the command. He has been trying to put it past him and hopes to perfect the move with Ivysaur before re-challenging the league.

Best past experience: (Please remember that experiences are not limited to relationships--early/childhood experiences would be best.)
Red’s favorite memories are those where he ‘caught’ his Pokémon, or more specifically, when they joined him. His absolute best experience was starting his training journey with Squirtle.
More currently, his best experiences have been with Rayquaza where the two spent time with each other flying, cuddling, kissing or even having fun outside.

Hobbies: (All interests.)
Training Pokémon, caring for Pokémon, learning about Pokémon, battling with Pokémon, making friends with Pokémon, talking about Pokémon, spending time with his Pokémon… and being with Rayquaza.

Profession (aspired to): (What does your character want to be when they grow up? Or, if they're already an adult, what do they wish they were doing?)
As his goal states, Red wants to be the Pokémon Master, or at least become a really good trainer so he can enjoy working with Pokémon in any way.

Strengths: (Try and keep the number small—weaknesses are more important.)
He’s fairly quick to pick up strategy or improvising during a Pokémon battle which has been helping him win up until the fight with Green. However, during a match is the only time Red is ever perceptive about anything.

Weaknesses: (More important for role playing—please include several at least.)
Red’s physical strength is already poor compared to the rest of the brawler students and teachers. His worst weakness is that he is oblivious (or really slow) to many things outside the realm of Pokémon training, such as romantic interest, sarcasm, and any unexpressed feelings.

Habits: (Both the good and the bad.)
He makes stupid ‘uh’ and ‘um’ noises when he’s trying to think of something to say.
He takes off his shoes when entering someone’s house or room. (Mom’s upbringing.)
He reaches for his Pokédex in his back pocket when he sees a new Pokémon, whether he brought it with him or not.
He ‘freezes’ when he experiences a lot of anxiety at once.
He does change underwear every day.
During class, he places his pencil case on his right, his notebook in the middle and his textbooks on the left corner.

Any other information: (Basically an “other” category.)
Despite being from an eastern location, he still can’t use chopsticks well.
He chose Squirtle as his starter Pokémon mainly because of the coiled tail. (He almost took Bulbasaur. Charmander seemed extremely uninterested in Red and Green.)
He likes ponytails but his mother forbids him to have one. He thinks they look cool when they wave behind you during a battle. He’s seen Rayquaza’s ponytail curl when drunk but was too busy fussing over his boyfriend to really pay attention to it.

Possessions: (Details as well. What your character owns and what quality it is in.)
Red has various trainer items from his Kanto journey and has recently been given berries that grow outside his region for pokéblock-making. His most important possessions are his hat (in good condition, although a little faded), his pokédex (fair condition, he dropped it only twice), and his VS Seeker (the outside looks fine but the circuits might be wearing out from constant use.)

Wardrobe: (What your character wears and its condition. This should reflect their social status, financial situation, social involvement, etc.)
If it wasn’t for his mother, Red wouldn’t have cared what he wore. He makes sure to stay neat, clean, and simple with what he wears. T-shirt, jeans and a short-sleeve jacket are what he’s used to because they are comfortable for traveling and battling in. He doesn’t like the uniform shirts because of the buttons but rules are rules.
He also has a ton of boxers sent from his mother and a scarf or two.

What they would say about themselves:
Red thinks he’s a pretty good trainer. Definitely not perfect, but does well enough to put up a good battle and keep his Pokémon healthy and happy. There’s not much he can say outside of Pokémon training but he hopes he’s getting along with people.

What others would say about them:
If they even notice ~~Reed~~ Red, they would probably say he’s a good kid that stays out of trouble and does what he is supposed to do (which is boring). He tends to be hard working but also naïve. Also, he won’t shut up about Pokémon.

What is the one thing in the world your character would do anything to avoid?
Severely injuring Pokémon in battles or hurting Pokémon out of cruelty. He also hates seeing Pokémon, especially his own, have to suffer in any way. He’ll even throw himself in danger to protect Pokémon from harm.

What is the one thing in the world your character would do anything in the world to have?
~~World peace~~ Harmony and happiness between Pokémon and humans. As a Pokémon master, he thinks he can be an example and encourage others to also work towards this goal.

How did your character make their enemies? Their friends? (Although this doesn’t have to be detailed, explaining circumstances and what unites and estranges your character with others is important.)
Red makes rivals out of other trainers but he’s never considered them an enemy. The only people he had any anger for were Team Rocket when they were still active in Kanto. In school, there are a few people that dislike him (Charmeleon, Latios, etc) but he doesn’t let it bother him since they are Pokémon.

His closest friends are his own Pokémon, whom he feels are like different parts of himself. He probably cares more for them than himself but he knows that they would worry if he didn’t take good care of his own body. Rayquaza has graduated to status of ‘boyfriend’ and has introduced him to his own friends such as Midna and Cane, whom Red feels comfortable around now. He made other friends with Pokémon (Smeargle, Latias, etc) and non-Pokémon with his pokéblocks. Recently, he’s been taking care of Hojita for his Charizard.

What does your character fear? (Explain fears and the reasons behind them.)
Red fears being alone. He grew up with his mother, Green and Professor Oak around him. He’s always had Pokémon with him during his training journey. He’s not used to being completely alone and leaving him in solitude would probably stifle him.

Subconsciously, his fear is why he hates the thought of other trainers abandoning their Pokémon or not being around when their Pokémon need them. (Which is why he’ll even somewhat look after Green’s Pokémon while he’s away whether they want him to or not.)

What is irresistible to your character? (Explain why they can’t resist the irresistible and the reasons behind their inability to resist.)
Something that would make Red drop everything to do would be to take care of Pokémon if they were injured or suffering. For different reasons explained earlier, he would even forfeit a battle, catching a rare Pokémon or anything if he sees a Pokémon in trouble. It’s probably due to his good nature but Red would justify it with ‘it’s the duty of a trainer’.

Who does your character admire most? (The person, their admirable qualities, and your character’s reasons.)
Red admires people and Pokémon who do their best, whether they succeed or fail (which is completely unlike Green, who prefers results.) He also has respect for those who protect or watch over others like Lance and guardian legendaries.

OOC Post - Question for Mods

2008-12-21T13:24:04Z

This isn't a big deal; I just had something I wanted to ask the moderators concerning my future. Feel free to skip if you have better things to read, though I guess it's worth following if Red is of any interest to you.

To the Mods:

I better toss this up for discussion now since January's looming closer than I thought. Chicobo actually already knows a little about this since I talked about it on my personal LJ before.

My concern is that with my engineering license exam coming up in April, I have to start preparing for it months in advance. (In fact, compared to how much time my supervisor took, I'm late.) This 8-hour exam is only offered twice a year with a nasty 30% pass rate. I've got my boss and my dad on my tail about passing it, if not in April then in the October session.

This means a huge activity drop for Red; I could probably only get to him about once a week at most. I'm going to miss a lot of school events, logs, tegaki logs, etcetera. He'll be around to interact with his Pokémon (Ivysaur), Rayquaza, Hojita, and a few others, and then drop out of sight for days.

I'd like to ask the moderators if this is a problem. I'd like to know if it's a bit unfair that I'm still sitting on his existence (especially since he's a playable brawler), barely able to do much, for the next four months if there is someone else out there who really wants to play him and has the time and energy to do so. If that is the case, I would be cooperative in dropping Red and passing him to someone who has the interest.

Obviously, I would like to keep him. There was a lot of work in developing his relationships with other characters. (Speaking of which, Haji has also seen my personal entry about my super hiatus coming up so I'm not going to blindside her in case I do lose Red. We'll decide later what to do with Ivysaur and Rayquaza if that happens.)

I might be putting more weight on the issue than necessary since it's just my own problem, so if it's really not that big of a deal, just toss a 'yay' or 'nay' in the comments if you are okay (or not okay) with a 4-month activity decrease. I'm prepared for either answer.

Thanks!

Also, I'm in and out all day so I'll be slow to respond. Sorry

Cee, I hope you don't mind that I borrowed your idea of an OOC icon. -3-;;;

Mallow!?

2008-12-16T15:13:52Z

Sure has been a lot going on! I'm still shocked Mallow's gone! He mentioned something about going home to... ~~Nibbles~~ ~~Numbers~~ Nimbus Land? Mallow, have a safe trip! It was great meeting you! If your frog stick turns up, I'll, uh... try to send it there!

It's going to be kinda weird being alone in a room now...

Last week, Lance, his Dragonite, Ivysaur and Smeargle helped me test out the Yache berry pokéblocks. (It was cool being able to see Dragonite up close outside of battle!) Rayquaza also said they work so I think it's okay to use up the rest of the berries.

Hojita, I'll definitely need your help then! We'll make enough blocks for every Pokémon in the school! (And Chikorita too!)

Zigzagoon mentioned this already, but we found a bunch of broken toys buried in the park ~~while I was searching for something special~~. I'm no good at this kind of thing so if anybody's good at fixing stuff, we could really use your help.

- - -
Speaking of help... [Private to Midna]
Er... Ms Midna, recently uh... this is sort of a weird question but I don't know who else to ask... I got these... red marks on my neck ~~and down my body~~ and...

The truth is... Rayquaza put them there and I don't know if he'll be upset if I cover them up. I... kind of like them, but I don't want people to think I got attacked by something. (Ivysaur would get really upset. I don't want to show these to mom either.)

I can get around okay outside with my scarf on but my shirt collar barely covers them up if I'm inside. What do I do?
- - -

Winter break's coming up. I was thinking of spending some time doing some training, is that okay, Ivysaur? We can also go back to Kanto for a bit to say hi to mom, Squirtle and the other Pokémon! Pikachu, you can come with us if you want to check up on the professor! Smeargle and Hojita too if you guys want to see the ranch!

- - -
Also... /// [Private to Rayquaza]
Are you doing anything for winter break? I was hoping to spend some time with you, too... um, nothing specific...

((He's dorkingly embarrassed trying to type because images of that night keep popping into his mind.))
- - -

Hope everybody's doing okay. Looks like a lot of people are travelling already.

Time to get busy!

2008-12-05T20:25:26Z

Hey, guys! Uh, looks like I still have some of those Yache berry pokéblocks left ~~because Latios and Latias didn't want any~~ so if you want some, let me know.

Anybody who's already tried them, do they work or do they just taste like any normal pokéblock? (How do they taste anyway?)

Bwuh, it's getting really chilly! And I thought that one day Manaphy made snow was cold! Makes me think of how I'm going to make it through the Sinnoh region if I'm going to travel there in the future. Ivysaur, Rayquaza, Hojita you guys doing okay? Do you need extra blankets or anything?

OH! Some days ago, I met this really big red dragon named Hooktail! She can breathe fire (a lot of it!!) and fly and smash rocks! I bet she and Charizard would get along great! When Charizard's back, we gotta show her our strength too!

Oh right, Ivysaur, we should go train sometime! Pikachu might be interested in joining us too. Let's pick a good day!
- - -
OOC Log List/NPC List:

LOGs: (most of them are just ideas)
- Ivysaur - Solarbeam training
- Pikachu - Did you want to do anything?
- Zigzagoon - Searching for Miracle Seed Complete
- Rayquaza - ~~Red loses his virginity~~ Romaaantic development? Ongoing
- Lucas - continuing pokéblocks LOL (uke levels are high in this log) Ongoing
- Hojita - Making pokéblocks, hanging out with Red in general. Pending Dec 21
- Lance - Testing pokéblocksComplete

Anybody else interested in playing with Red? Anybody? ::crickets chirp::

NPCs: (which aren't really NPCs)
- mom - partially an NPC I guess, even though she exists in the game
- Squirtle - Red might briefly mention how he's doing back on the Pallet Town ranch. SOMEONE PLZ PICK HIM UP
- Swellowman - Little!Red used to watch his TV show when no league battles were on. You'll only see him on posters and random t-shirts.

Been a great weekend!

2008-12-01T02:39:21Z

((Backdated to Nov 23rd, Sunday))

Uh... I'm not quite sure what to make of Friday night but I think everything went pretty well...
Rayquaza, I'm glad we got to hang out. I'm glad you're alright.

[Private to Self]:

He had me worried when I couldn't find him in his room nor on the roof that night. Part of me thought he didn't really want to be bothered, but I wanted to make sure he was okay. It took me a while to figure out that I could trace his location with my Pokédex. (I felt a little guilty about that...)

Sure enough, he was still near campus so I went to catch up with him. When I found him, he didn't look well at all. Maybe the cold weather was making him feverish and dizzy. (I wasn't sure what he was saying sometimes.)

By the time I got him into his room, I was pretty tired (he's heavier than he looks). Luckily, he didn't seem to mind that I spent the night over. It was... uh, really comfortable sleeping in his arms... ~~I wouldn't mind doing that again.~~ I hope we didn't bother Latios too much...

We spent Saturday together. We didn't really do anything special, but being with him was really all I could ask for. I'm really glad he liked my gift. Kinda useless if he doesn't have water moves but it's still really cool.

Oh, hey! The Yache berry pokéblocks are ready! I'm bagging them up so if you guys want any, let me know! (I tried them and they're kinda dry. I couldn't figure out what to do about that... so uh, make sure you have water when you're eating these.)

Happy Thanksgiving, guys!

2008-11-25T15:29:46Z

Wow, Thanksgiving is just around the corner! Since I started travelling, I usually call mom from whichever city I'm in at the time; she then sends me a box of her snacks and I share them with my Pokémon and a few other trainers I'd run into. They're made with different nuts, dried fruit and bread crust.

She says her snacks have the power to help me win against the next guy who challenges me on the same day I get the box. ...kinda scary but it's always worked... ~~mom, what are these?~~

...um, anyways, you guys are welcome to try some when they get here!

Looks like everyone is listing all the stuff they're thankful for. I guess I should too!
- My Pokémon! I could talk about them all day! Squirtle, Ivysaur and Charizard who are with me, you guys are the best! Win or lose, you'll always be the greatest in my book!!
- My mom! I hope I can make her proud!
- All the friends I've made here! Mallow, Manaphy, Latias, (Latios?), Smeargle, Arcanine, Hojita, Pikachu (er, though I kinda already know you), Miss Midna and ... er... especially Rayquaza. I've never met anybody like you before...
- And uh, everybody else I don't know that well! Hi!
- Oh right! And teachers too! Thanks for sharing your ~~strategy~~ knowledge!

((OOC: Application all finished. *weak wave* X___X UGAH! What is this ABS MONDAY that I missed?!?!?!?))

Borrowing school kitchen again!

2008-11-20T16:51:01Z

Wooow, it's been a busy week so far! It's gotten colder so I better get a move on with the Yache berry pokéblocks. Hojita, if the first batch I make seems to work, you wanna help me make a mountain of them!? (You can make some for Chikorita and Bulbasaur! ~~Because I dunno if he'd take them from me.~~)

Chef Kawasaki, I hope you don't mind if I take up the counter and refrigerator. These berries are the size of pokéballs!

[Private to Ivysaur]:
Ivysaur, I really owe you one. Not just for the berries but... yeah, I... a whole lotta things recently... Makes me feel kinda spoiled that you're always there for me. Ha ha... If there's anything I can do for you as a trainer, let me know.

Oh right, if these pokéblocks work, we can practice Solar Beam outside. Er, um, I don't mind if you want to work out a bit while I'm still baking these, but please don't use the move yet. ~~I don't know what I'd do if I saw you hurt.~~

[Private to Rayquaza]:
Uh, I know your birthday's tomorrow and... I don't know what you usually do or if you have to be somewhere... if it's okay, I'd like to drop by and give you your present. ////

((Red has a wistful smile while typing.))

Er, this lady named Lash asked me about training. She says she commands an army or something... I gave her Professor Oak's name, but now that I think about it, maybe she could talk to Lt Surge? I think he does the same thing too... er, train Pokémon and is in the army, I mean.

((OOC: Guys, I'm putting together a big application form to take my engineering licensing exam. The application is due on Dec 1st and I have to list all the crap I've been doing for the past four years, get reference letters, talk to my old company for verification signatures, notarize the darn thing, complete an ethics exam, complete a law exam... all this just to TAKE the big test.

LOL the 8-hour exam from hell is going to be in late April, but I'll need to prepare for it from January on. I'll talk more about that later.

Anyways, this is to say I'm going to decrease activity for the next two weeks, is all. Those activities I listed above will probably have to be backdated, sorry. ;___;))

A lot to think about...

2008-11-11T22:21:34Z

I had some time to think about some stuff after the, uh, dance. I had a good time overall. It wasn't what I expected at first but it was great to meet some people I've never seen before.

[Private to Self - Hackable by close friends]

Eh... it's just some stuff I've been on my mind. You don't have to read it if you don't want to, it's kinda long. I usually don't write this much but it's helpful once in a while. Ha ha...

I know I blanked out at some point that night. It's kinda hard to remember exactly what caused it, but after I thought about it... and what was going on at the time, I figured out what it was.

.....it's probably not going to make much sense but this is all I could put together.

Have you ever... felt like a part of you was missing? It's kinda hard to describe. Not really an arm or anything, not really a memory, but a piece of you that you thought was always there... but when you turn and look, it's gone; it's a really... uh, weird feeling. There's just a big hole.

I think I was scared? No, wait, maybe it was panic? Whatever it was, it hit me all at once that I barely had any of myself left. I must have stopped breathing or something or whatever because when I finally snapped out of it, I think I was on my knees. I'm pretty sure I was shaking.

I tried not to think about it for the rest of the dance. I knew it was important but I had to find a time when I wouldn't worry anybody if I got really quiet. (Actually, I normally like doing a lot of thinking when I'm sitting next to a sleeping Pokémon. Weird habit, I guess. I just pretended it was Mallow.)

Anyways, here goes...

I came to this school as a team. With my team. It was me, Squirtle, Ivysaur and Charizard. This was a new challenge and whether we win or lose, we'll always have each other. I thought it'd be great if we can try different things and then come back and share our stories once we head back out for the league. It was okay if we made friends and had different classes. Nothing mattered as long as we were still a team with a goal.

Squirtle left back to the ranch. I wasn't sure what it was that bugged him but maybe this wasn't the place for him. He seems to be doing okay. I wouldn't force him to stay here if he didn't like it. It still made me sad though, he was my first Pokémon, he was there when I started being a trainer.

Charizard sorta disappeared. She's my toughest Pokémon. I wouldn't be surprised if she had something she wanted to do and went for it. I wouldn't stop her. But still, it feels really quiet without her roars or even her yelling 'Hey, kid!' at me.

Ivysaur had left at some point but she came back and that's probably why I never really thought about it until now because I thought they'd come back just like she did. She came with me to the dance and we talked about our team. I held her hand so we wouldn't get separated while we were going around the room.

...it wasn't until she was about to... or might... let go that I realized that I didn't want her to. That if she left, nobody else was there. Squirtle's gone. Charizard's gone. My own Pokémon were no longer with me.

I thought about this later. I kept asking myself if maybe I was a bad trainer. I never want to be a bad trainer. I never want to use Pokémon as tools and just throw them away when I didn't need them anymore. I've seen that happen a lot and it's terrible. At the same time, I was worried that it's possible Pokémon throw human trainers away too but... do they really do that? I don't think it's possible for Pokémon to think like that unless the trainer treated them cruely.

...which kinda loops back to me thinking if I did something bad.

...a lot like that feeling when I lost to Green...

...the only person I can ask is Ivysaur. I think I better talk to her again. I must have really worried her.

I'm glad everybody else is looking out for me though. Miss Midna seems to know what to do all the time. Hojita's counting on me while Charizard is away. Smeargle joined my team so I think that's great. I really treasure all the friends I've made here so I don't have regrets.

Um... uh... and Rayquaza's always been able to make me happy. I'll always be thankful for that. (Well, there are other feelings too but... uh... that's... I'll think about that later.) ////

Phew. Well, that's that. I'm not giving up though. I want to keep my part of that promise I made to become a master with my team.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Er, hey, Ivysaur, if you got a minute... er, can we go to the garden again? I want to check on the berries and also uh... talk to you. But if you're busy or something, it's okay.

Thanks, guys, for sticking with me all this time.

((OOC: Sorry for the Red ~~wangst~~ rant. It was worth trying once.))