The feel of home

[Kazza]

Having just exited the lab, Liam and his new companion, Xiuh, wandered along after the shiny Drator, Camo, who was showing them where to go and what to do next for this test that they were to undergo before leaving for the first proper route of the region. Apparently they were to catch a Pokemon to prove that they could take care of themselves but, when Liam had paused momentarily to put his starter pack in his actual backpack, he happened upon a Pokeball. When he had curiously pressed on the button, a Dorca had come out. He hadn't brought any Pokemon with him, he was sure - perhaps his parents had put her in there as a surprise? Either way, the creature, which had confidently said her name was Leviah, seemed happy enough to follow them around.

Now that they were out in the open, Liam glanced around at his surroundings. His eyes caught on a desert-looking patch not too far away, and he felt suddenly homesick. He missed the desert. If he had to choose an area to go to, that would likely be it.

"So... What now?"
Liam asked nervously. Xiuh and Leviah looked expectantly at their guide.

~~

Pokemon Out;
Xiuh - 1 turn
Leviah - 1 turn

[Ash]

The shiny Drator seemed to have momentarily forgotten what she was doing- she remembered with a high pitched 'oh' of surprise. The Pokemon stopped and turned, smiling brightly at the trainer and rocking from side to side cheerily. Save for the fact that her feet were anchored in place, she seemed to be moving all about. She was a strange one, to say the least.

<Okay, well the test is pretty simple! You're supposed to go to one of the different areas and try to capture a Pokemon! You can go about doing that however you want- don't feel obliged to stick to standard practices! Everyone's different~> the raptor chirped, getting off track a little bit. She managed to focus again rather quickly though. <You can search as long as you like. Feel free to pass over some Pokemon if they aren't what you want! Remember, you will have your teammate for a while, so things will probably be better if you and your partner get along with them!>

The Pokemon stopped there, seeming to think that summed it up. She stood smiling and doing her odd weaving in place dance. After a moment of silence, she let out a surprised 'oh' once again. <That's right! You can go to whichever area you want. I'll follow you to observe- and help if things get out of control! Don't worry, that is not usually necessary, I'm sure it will go fine!> And that, it seemed, was that. Liam was apparently free to go where he would and search around for Pokemon- with the hyper Drator as his 'backup'.

[Kazza]

It seemed that their guide had forgotten just what the purpose of their little excursion was. Liam smiled in amusement, as did Leviah. Xiuh stared doubtfully for a moment, before making a movement that was half wriggle and half shrug, and curling up so that he could be more comfortable while the "test" was explained.

All in all, the requirements were pretty straight forward, at least in theory. Liam didn't doubt that he'd find some way to over-complicate things, though. The Drator paused for a minute, and the trainer and his Pokemon stared at her in anticipation, waiting for her to finish. Just when they were sure that she had finished her speech, though, she suddenly remembered what she had wanted to say. She was a strange Pokemon, that was for sure, but quite nice nevertheless.
"OK then. I guess we'll head for the desert!"

Leviah nodded enthusiastically and Xiuh grunted non-comitally, a comedic contrast. As there were no objections, though, Liam grinned happily and began to move towards the sand.

His movement became noticeably smoother and more practiced as they crossed the threshold onto the desert-scape, and the trainer looked around eagerly. Being on the sand made him feel almost as though he was back home again, and it was doing wonders for his confidence.

~~

Pokemon Out;
Xiuh - 2 turns
Leviah - 2 turns

[Ash]

The Drator, still smiling, followed the pair. She didn't really seem to notice any change in the pace- she was humming behind the pair looking around at this and that. She kept equal pace with ease, not even seeming to realize that she was doing it. It was not very long before they entered the desert area, and Camo stopped a ways back. She had nearly forgotten, but she was only supposed to be observing afterall; unless necessary she was not to interfere with the test in any way. This was her first time, but she had seen the others give the test- she wanted to make them proud of her!

Meanwhile, the desert was dry and arid- like it should be. Rather odd in being so close to the other environments, places that contrasted each other so much. Had they not just been in a vibrant grassy field? The change from soil and grass to parched sand was dramatic and sudden. How the professor managed to have so many ecosystems co-existing was certainly a mystery. Some Pokemon had taken note of the trainer, but only one approached him.

It was a male Archen, and he flew from a nearby boulder, landing in front of the trainer. <Aye there, fellow. Been a while since one o' ye trainers came to this here area. Heck, this one strange feller had this here test just the other day, and he stayed in the grass right there at the entrance! Imma not judge him fer that, but I gotta say I was a wee bit disappointed,> the Pokemon said, sitting comfortably in front of the trainer. Something cried out in the distance and the Archen turned his head slightly, keeping his attention on Liam while he investigated.

Nothing was in sight though, and the bird did not seem to know what it was. He shrugged and turned fully back to the human. <Sorry about that- there's been some strange things goin' on. Not so much in these here 'fields', but the occasional Demon has shown up 'ere as well. Not to worry! It was probably just some shy desert dweller- we don' often get visitors, like I said. D'ye know what yer lookin for, or just gonna take a look around? I like that ye came here anyway- seem right at home in fact. From a dry place, ay?> The Archen continued. He did talk a good bit, but he was obviously trying to be friendly. He wasn't the sort to just launch an attack at a random stranger, at least.

[Kazza]

Liam's face was set into a determined gaze as he used his crutches to swing himself along. He was so fixated on reaching the strip of desert, which looked so much like his home (although most patches of parched sand looked like home - deserts were, visually, quite similar), that he didn't notice when Camo stopped and waited a ways back.

Pausing fora second, Liam leaned back on the crutches,closing his eyes and just enjoying the feel of home, or at least something very similar to it. It was beautifully warm here, with the sun shining down, warming his skin and the sand. It was probably a good thing that it was earlier in the day - he had a feeling that the desert would become quite heated around midday, and most of the Pokemon would hide from the harsh sun then. Then again, this was only a small desert, and it was situated amongst all sorts of other biomes - perhaps it didn't get as hot as a "real" desert would?

A fluttering noise prompted the cripple to open his eyes. He was greeted by the sight of an exquisite bird Pokemon, an Archen. Xiuh, from where he had curled up on the comfortably warm surface of the sand,appraised the bird. Leviah didn't even seem to notice the Pokemon as she stared off into the distance, humming a tune under her breath.

"Hello!" Liam greeted the Archen cheerily, admiring the beautiful feathers of the fossil Pokemon. He listened happily as the bird talked, not interrupting, but his attention was diverted by the unusual sound that had also captured the attention of his new acquaintance. The boy's head swung from left to right as he scanned the area for any possible source, but nothing immediately threatening jumped out to him. That didn't mean much, though - the sand was excellent at concealing things, he knew.

The Archen apologised, and Liam smiled understandingly.
"No problem, it never hurts to be a bit cautious."
The irony of that advice was not lost on the trainer, but he put such thoughts to the back of his mind.
"Ahh, I'm not really looking for any particular Pokemon, just one from the desert. It'd be nice to have someone from the same sort of place travelling with me - I'm from the Orre region. There's not much there aside from desert."
Again, the pale boy smiled. He had been truthful in what he had said but, honestly, the Archen seemed like an all-around nice guy, and he felt that he would make a good addition to his team. But how was one even meant to broach that topic? He didn't want to start attacking the bird, or even make him feel awkward. This was certainly a dilemma.

Xiuh seemed to know what Liam was thinking, but he remained quiet, almost dozing off on the ground. Leviah, however, snapped out of her daydream, and the first thing she saw was the Archen.
<Hello! Are you a new friend too? Are you travelling with Liam as well?>
The Dorca inquired cheerily, excited at the prospect of having another friend coming with them.

Liam blinked, and opened his mouth to form a reply, before closing it again, unsure what to say.

~~

Pokemon Out;
Xiuh - 3 turns
Leviah - 3 turns

[Ash]

The Archen nodded thoughtfully at Liam's remark. <Ah, Orre! I haven' been there meself, but I've heard tales from thereabouts! No wonder ye find yerself at home in this 'ere dry place. There are a lot of Pokemon lurkin' about, though as I said, a lot of 'em are fairly shy. Ye'd have to go a bit deeper in afore ye would find some of the hardier fellers- they're always itchin' for a battle,> the ancient Pokemon replied, before the Dorca finally took notice of him. He paused for a moment, then let out a hearty laugh.

<Aye there little one, ye can call me a friend if ye like. We just met! Liam eh? Good name! Well, no, I'm not travelin' with yer trainer miss, but I surely wouldn' mind,> the Archen responded good-naturedly. <It gets rather lonely 'round these 'ere parts, it would be nice ter get out and see what the res' o' the world's all about!> From the sound of things, the Pokemon would be happy to go with Liam- with or without a battle being involved. So far the trainer's foray into the route had been a calm and overall pretty good. However, fate seemed to decree that such would not last...

Another cry, this one much closer. It was a bone-chilling sound that could pierce one's ears uncomfortably. The Archen cringed at the sound, then turned around to get a better look. A black form rose from the sand, digging its way to the surface. When it emerged fully, it could be identified as a Skorupi- albeit a jet black and red, rather bloodthirsty looking one. The Pokemon snarled as it rushed at the Archen, which just so happened to be the nearest target, with a crazed slash.

To make matters worse, it seemed as if the quiet and lonely desert actually had far more Pokemon near the start than was apparent. And as the Archen said, they were not the most outgoing of sorts. Once the demon emerged, rifts could be seen around the group as various Pokemon fled by tunneling beneath their holes in the sand. This would have not been a problem, but the shifting and sudden loss of stability turned the relatively solid ground the young man had been standing upon into a vast sinkhole. It was not as dangerous or deadly a thing as a pool of quicksand, but if he or his Pokemon were buried in the sand with a rabid demon on the attack... Well, suffice to say that it would not be the best position to find oneself in.

nickname -- ( NONE ) species -- ( ARCHEN ♂ ) friendship -- ( 0/100 ) personality ¬ Honest, Sociable, Kind This Pokemon is honest- he gets to the point and tells things how they are. He doesn't like to lie, so if doing so becomes necessary he will simply be unusually quiet. He is a very sociable bird, enjoying interacting and speaking with others. He will talk about just about anything, but he does know when to be silent. He is kind, and will always try to avoid hurting anyone's feelings or judging others based upon initial impressions. He will give everyone a chance, but he will not take kindly to his friends being put into harm's way. Obtained ¬ Met in Professor's Field at level 4

type -- ( ROCK/FLYING ) level -- ( FOUR ) experience -- ( 0/8 ) item -- ( NONE ) ability -- ( DEFEATIST ) Starts with +3 Attack stat; All stats lower to -3 when HP falls below 50% move 1 -- ( QUICK ATTACK ) move 2 -- ( LEER ) move 3 -- ( WING ATTACK ) move 4 -- ( NONE ) move 5 -- ( NONE ) move 6 -- ( NONE ) health -- ( 20/20 )

[ Image ] nickname -- ( NONE ) species -- ( DEMON SKORUPI ♂ ) friendship -- ( -100/100 ) personality ¬ UNCURED DEMON This Pokemon is rabid, predictably violent, and will only use damage-dealing attacks. They target Angels if any are nearby, and when wild can spread their Demon virus to other wild Pokemon. Handle with caution! They have no rationale thought, running on pure killing instinct and thirst for brutality. Obtained ¬ Met in Professor's Field at level 4

type -- ( POISON/BUG/DEMON ) level -- ( FOUR ) experience -- ( 0/8 ) item -- ( NONE ) ability -- ( BATTLE ARMOR ) The Pokemon is protected against Critical Hits. move 1 -- ( BITE ) move 2 -- ( POISON STING ) move 3 -- ( LEER ) move 4 -- ( CRAZED SLASH ) move 5 -- ( NONE ) move 6 -- ( NONE ) health -- ( 20/20 )

[Kazza]

20/20
20/20

Liam mirrored the Archen's actions when the bird spoke about the Pokemon in this desert - it sounded a lot like the ones at home; most were shy, and lurked unseen beneath the sands, but the further towards the arid heart of the region you went, the more brave and aggressive they became. And, as they lived in one of the most harsh environments, they could often be terrifyingly powerful.

The little Dorca made no attempt to disguise her excitement and happiness at meeting a new friend. <Ohh, it's great to meet you! Ohh... My mistake! Ahaha!>
Leviah was practically buzzing with energy today, and she gave the Archen a friendly grin.
<That'd be great fun! You know what they say, the more the merrier.>
Her eyes slid past the pair, though, and she trailed off at that, seemingly slipping into another daydream of hers.

Liam could feel the smile on his face growing into a grin, and he was happily surprised by the bird's response.
"We'd love for you to come with us-"

That was the point at which the relatively calm afternoon took a turn worthy of a horror movie. A piercing cry rang out, cutting the trainer off mid-sentence, and sending a chill running down his spine. The noise managed to snap Leviah from her daydream, and Xiuh, too, was jolted back to reality.
<What on earth was that?!
The Snaran sounded nervous, and understandably so.

The next few seconds were almost in slow motion, and they were all the more terrifying for it. A red and black form rose out of the sand, snarling and clawing at the sand as it charged towards the group's new friend.
"Shoot! Xiuh, Leviah, Tackle, Water gun!"
Then the ground beneath his feet began to shift and crumble. Things just kept getting worse, didn't they? Adrenaline shot through his veins, and, acting purely by instinct, Liam leaned on one of his crutches, wresting the other from the sand and flinging it at the demon in a desperate attempt to distract it. He had read somewhere that uncaught demons could spread their affliction to other wild Pokemon, and he couldn't let the Archen be infected.

Leviah and Xiuh, meanwhile, were charging and slithering respectively towards the Skorupi. The Dorca, still running, shot off a water gun at the bug, while her teammate flung himself into the air in a surprising display of aerodynamics for a reptile, his body hurtling towards his target in an attempt to tackle it.

Back near the entrance to the desert, Liam was clinging to his one remaining crutch, and making a futile attempt to escape the shifting sand, but he was making little progress. While he could maneuver with only one crutch, he couldn't out-move the sand that kept sucking his support and his nearly-useless legs down.

Still, he was more worried about the safety of his Pokemon and the Archen than he was for himself - he wouldn't sink very far, and the real danger was not as close to him as it was to them.

~~

Pokemon Out;
Xiuh - 4 turns
Leviah - 4 turns

[Ash]

Skorupi - 6/20

The Archen had frozen at the initial appearance of the Demon, but he was about to yell out a warning to the trainer- though he found such unnecessary. The trainer apparently already knew about Demons, so there was no point in the bird telling him. The Archen also knew that Pokemon that had been captured were immune to the Demon virus- thanks to his occasional opportunities to chat with some of the professor's Pokemon. So while he was worried for the safety of Liam's partners, he realized that allowing himself to be caught or attacked by the demon Skorupi would likely just end up in himself contracting the foul state and becoming yet another enemy for the trainer.

He was about to take to the air where he would be out of reach- but where he could keep an eye on things or get help. Somehow Camo had not yet noticed the commotion. However the sudden unbalance and shifting in the sand made him stumble and he was sure he would fall victim to the Demon- when Liam flung his crutch at the Pokemon. His aim was true and the object struck the Skorupi forcefully in the face, causing the Pokemon to stumble. Thanks to the distraction, the Archen flapped his wings and took flight as Liam's Pokemon's attacks hit.

The demon Skorupi was prone and defenseless against the water gun and the soon following tackle, but it hissed and jumped back to its feet. Surely the barrage of assaults had taken their toll on the wild Pokemon, but he did not seem to notice the pain at all. He shrieked again, lunging at the nearby Snaran, Xiuh, with a Bite attack.

In the meantime, the Archen flapped desperately over Liam, grabbing onto his sleeve and trying to help him out of the sand pit. Sure, it wouldn't really hurt him any, but they would have a heck of a time digging him out later. <ACK! Hang on!!> came Camo's cry as she snapped out of her own reverie. She was blushing, but really she had not been shirking her duty- she had been distracted by a distraught Pokemon who was telling her about the very demon the group now fought- apparently the Skorupi had wrecked havoc further into the desert before tunneling his way to the front. She sent the Sigilyph, the Pokemon who had brought the report, off to the lab to inform the professor.

She adapted herself to the desert environment, changing into her ground form, and dove into the sand pit. <C'mon, we gotta get you to solid ground! You need to catch that Demon if you can! If it runs loose who knows how many Pokemon will get infected!> she cried, digging under him and pushing Liam out of the unstable sand. She started packing it beneath them as she worked, using her capabilities in her ground form to work with the sand and get a feel for how exactly to move it without making the situation worse.

[Kazza]

16/20

20/20

Initially, the Archen seemed to freeze when the demon emerged from beneath the desert, but, quickly, the little bird apparently regained his wits and spread his wings, about to leap into the air. That was, of course, when every creature lurking underneath the sand decided to burrow as fast and as far as they could to avoid the demon, and the fossil Pokemon stumbled.

Liam didn't have time to think before he flung the crutch, and he could only hope that years of throwing rocks with his friends might transfer over into tossing larger, less aerodynamic objects. It seemed that it had, as the metal contraption hit the Skorupi in the face. If the situation hadn't been so dire, the trainer might have laughed at the sudden stopping of the creature but, as it was, his attention was already elsewhere. The Archen had taken flight, and now his thoughts returned to the shifting sands beneath his feet, although one eye remained on the battle raging on ahead.

Both attacks had found their mark, and Xiuh had grinned at his success when the Demon shrugged off the damage and charged back at him. Fangs close around his scaly body,and the Snaran shouted in pain and surprise.
"Ouch! Son of a..."
He didn't finish his sentence, rather choosing to Tackle the rabid Pokemon again. Once he had attacked, and retreated back a few feet, Leviah launched another Water Gun - they were aiming to knock it out so that it wouldn't cause any more trouble before Liam could get to it.

The Archen's attempt to help was admirable, but only had a slight effect - he was not sinking quite as fast, although he was already up to his calves in the sand, and the pressure was uncomfortable against his misshapen legs, painful almost. Gritting his teeth,he pushed down on his crutch and attempted to shake his feet free. Camo, noticing their plight, was now coming to their aid, and, at her comment, Liam only nodded, his lips pressed firmly together in concentration and effort. Her attempts were speeding up his escape, that was for sure. His trainers suddenly broke free and, adjusting his crutch, he began to pivot his way across the softer sands and towards more solid ground, and the Demon. A hand went to his pack, reaching for a pokeball, as he prepared himself to make a second throw. Hopefully this one would be just as accurate as the first.

((Oops, forgot to post stats xD Here they are now, anyway))

nickname -- ( XIUH ) species -- ( SNARAN♂ ) friendship -- ( 50/100 ) personality ¬ Guarded, Reserved, Loyal This Pokemon is quite guarded, putting up a gruff exterior to protect himself from any sort of pain- namely emotional. He has had his share of disappointments and pain in life and has grown to almost prefer pushing others away rather than opening himself up to that agian. He is reserved, mostly keeping to himself and not releasing his guard very often. However, he is also intensely loyal to his friends, and if one takes the effort to break into his shell they would certainly never regret it. Obtained ¬ Received in Aryll Lab at level 5

type -- ( FIRE ) level -- ( FIVE ) experience -- ( 0/10 ) item -- ( NONE ) ability -- ( SOLAR POWER ) This pokemon's special attack is increased 1.5x and health decreases by 1/8th at the end of each turn during sunny weather. move 1 -- ( TACKLE ) move 2 -- ( TAIL WHIP ) move 3 -- ( WRAP ) move 4 -- ( NONE ) move 5 -- ( NONE ) move 6 -- ( NONE ) health -- ( 20/20 )

nickname -- ( LEVIAH ) species -- ( DORCA♀ ) friendship -- ( 0/100 ) personality ¬ Mellow, Daydreamer This pokemon is very mellow; there isn't a harsh bone in her body. She always does her best to be gentle and kind, and never complains. She tends to let her mind wander, though, and will often be seen staring into space. Sometimes she'll even trail off when speaking and have to be nudged back into reality. Obtained ¬ Laokian Opening Giveaway! (Level 5)

type -- ( WATER / DRAGON ) level -- ( FIVE ) experience -- ( 0/10 ) item -- ( NONE ) ability -- ( ICE BODY ) This pokemon is immune to hail damage, and restores 1/6 of its HP every turn in a hailstorm. move 1 -- ( TACKLE ) move 2 -- ( GROWL ) move 3 -- ( TAIL WHIP ) move 4 -- ( WATER GUN ) move 5 -- ( NONE ) move 6 -- ( SIXTH MOVE HERE ) health -- ( 20/20 )

~~

Pokemon Out;
Xiuh - 5 turns
Leviah - 5 turns

[Ash]

Skorupi - Fainted

The Demon did not even try to dodge either attack- in fact, it was simply trying to lurch at the Snaran again with another bite attack. It was far too focused on just attacking its 'prey'- it cared or thought of nothing else. So the two attacks hit the Skorupi, the Pokemon not even realizing how low its health had become until it blacked out in a cold faint. The Skorupi lay motionless on the sand- for the moment. There was no telling how soon it may regain it's consciousness.

That did not really matter though, as Liam threw the orb true, the capsule drawing the rabid Demon into itself with the customary red light. The pokeball closed and fell to the sand, rocking far too violently for a fainted Pokemon. However luck was with Liam as the ball soon echoed out a 'ding', signaling a successful capture. Well, it was not exactly as planned, but he had completed his test- hadn't he?

Camo panted a bit from her efforts, the quirky little raptor still unusually serious. <We should take him back to the professor...> she said, her high pitched voice a bit lower than normal. She seemed a bit shaken up- perhaps the Dragon was not as used to Demons as some of the professor's more seasoned Pokemon? <Good job Liam! Are you guys alright?> she added, her customary chiperness returning as she addressed the group.

Having caught the Demon, the Archen knew it was now safe for him to venture to the ground. The bird Pokemon flew over to Liam's tossed crutch, clasping it in his talons and heaving it off the ground. After trying to pull Liam up, the crutch was really much easier to lift- and the ancient Pokemon was fairly strong. The main issue was balance, and the crutch wobbled like a teeter-totter as the bird flapped madly to get the object back to the trainer. He was pretty worn out so he let himself sink to the ground with the crutch instead of hovering there for Liam to take it.

<Heh, huff, sorry there. Like I said, them Demons are gettin' a tad outta control, even 'ere!> the Archen panted, hopping off the crutch. He looked a tad bit disappointed, though Liam did not have to wonder why for long as the Pokemon spoke again. <Yeah, I wa' lookin' forward ter travelin' with ye, but trainers are only allowed one capture fer that there test...>

Camo seemed surprised, and started giggling. <Oh come now, that Demon doesn't count! That's a special circumstance- besides Liam HAD to catch him! Or, well, I think. You'd have to ask the Professor when you bring the Skorupi back- but if Archen wants to go with you then he is the subject of the test~ Which means, well, you're not quite done yet, right? Teehee~> Apparently, Liam had to go ahead to catch the bird- who was more than willing.



Liam captured the Demon Skorupi!

Xiuh & Leviah each gain 2 EXP!
Xiuh & Leviah each gain 3 Friendship!

Liam may now return to the Lab.


[div align="center"][table][tbody][tr][td][div style="background-color:#DDDDDD;padding:10px;width:170px;"][div style="background-color:#ffffff;height:96px;margin-bottom:10px;"][div align="center"][ Image ][/div][/div][div style="background-color:#ffffff;padding:2px;margin-bottom:5px;font-family:tahoma;font-size:9px;color:#555555;"][font color="#888888"]nickname --[/font] ( NONE )[/div][div style="background-color:#ffffff;padding:2px;margin-bottom:5px;font-family:tahoma;font-size:9px;color:#555555;"][font color="#888888"]species --[/font] ( DEMON SKORUPI ♂ )[/div][div style="background-color:#ffffff;padding:2px;margin-bottom:5px;font-family:tahoma;font-size:9px;color:#555555;"][font color="#888888"]friendship --[/font] ( -100/100 )[/div][div style="background-color:#ffffff;padding:2px;margin-bottom:5px;font-family:tahoma;font-size:9px;color:#555555;"][font color="#888888"]personality ¬[/font][/div][div style="height:70px;background-color:#ffffff;padding:2px;margin-bottom:5px;font-family:tahoma;font-size:9px;color:#555555;overflow:auto;"][b]UNCURED DEMON[/b]

This Pokemon is rabid, predictably violent, and will only use damage-dealing attacks. They target Angels if any are nearby, and when wild can spread their Demon virus to other wild Pokemon. Handle with caution! They have no rationale thought, running on pure killing instinct and thirst for brutality.[/div][div style="background-color:#ffffff;padding:2px;margin-bottom:5px;font-family:tahoma;font-size:9px;color:#555555;"][font color="#888888"]Obtained ¬[/font][/div][div style="background-color:#ffffff;padding:2px;font-family:tahoma;font-size:9px;color:#555555;"][div align="center"]Met in Professor's Field
at level 4[/div][/div][/div][/td][td][div style="background-color:#DDDDDD;padding:10px;width:170px;"][div style="background-color:#ffffff;padding:2px;margin-bottom:5px;font-family:tahoma;font-size:9px;color:#555555;"][font color="#888888"]type --[/font] ( POISON/BUG/DEMON )[/div][div style="background-color:#ffffff;padding:2px;margin-bottom:5px;font-family:tahoma;font-size:9px;color:#555555;"][font color="#888888"]level --[/font] ( FOUR )[/div][div style="background-color:#ffffff;padding:2px;margin-bottom:5px;font-family:tahoma;font-size:9px;color:#555555;"][font color="#888888"]experience --[/font] ( 0/8 )[/div][div style="background-color:#ffffff;padding:2px;margin-bottom:10px;font-family:tahoma;font-size:9px;color:#555555;"][font color="#888888"]item --[/font] ( NONE )[/div][div style="background-color:#ffffff;padding:2px;margin-bottom:5px;font-family:tahoma;font-size:9px;color:#555555;"][font color="#888888"]ability --[/font] ( BATTLE ARMOR )[/div][div style="height:53px;background-color:#ffffff;padding:2px;margin-bottom:10px;font-family:tahoma;font-size:9px;color:#555555;"][i]The Pokemon is protected against Critical Hits.[/i][/div][div style="background-color:#ffffff;padding:2px;margin-bottom:5px;font-family:tahoma;font-size:9px;color:#555555;"][font color="#888888"]move 1 --[/font] ( BITE )[/div][div style="background-color:#ffffff;padding:2px;margin-bottom:5px;font-family:tahoma;font-size:9px;color:#555555;"][font color="#888888"]move 2 --[/font] ( POISON STING )[/div][div style="background-color:#ffffff;padding:2px;margin-bottom:5px;font-family:tahoma;font-size:9px;color:#555555;"][font color="#888888"]move 3 --[/font] ( LEER )[/div][div style="background-color:#ffffff;padding:2px;margin-bottom:5px;font-family:tahoma;font-size:9px;color:#555555;"][font color="#888888"]move 4 --[/font] ( CRAZED SLASH )[/div][div style="background-color:#ffffff;padding:2px;margin-bottom:5px;font-family:tahoma;font-size:9px;color:#555555;"][font color="#888888"]move 5 --[/font] ( NONE )[/div][div style="background-color:#ffffff;padding:2px;margin-bottom:10px;font-family:tahoma;font-size:9px;color:#555555;"][font color="#888888"]move 6 --[/font] ( NONE )[/div][div style="background-color:#ffffff;padding:2px;font-family:tahoma;font-size:9px;color:#555555;"][font color="#888888"]health --[/font] ( 20/20 )[/div][/div][/td][/tr][/tbody][/table][/div]

[Kazza]

13/20

20/20

Even though both of their attacks had hit without any trouble, the two Pokemon felt nervous. Most wild Pokemon would have at least attempted to avoid them. Having never encountered a demon before, or even battled, the Skorupi's fixation on attacking and nothing else was unnerving to say the least.

They had just prepared themselves for their second round of attacks when Xiuh, moving to Tackle the Skorupi, connected with the Pokemon and then felt a sharp pain as the bug bit him, catching on his tail, just above the flames.
<Oww!>
The snake had been caught off guard, on the retreat from his attack, but, thankfully, Leviah's water gun hit too, and the Demon was knocked out, jaws releasing their hold as the Pokemon fell down.
<Uh, thanks...>
The Snaran muttered, looking at the ground in an attempt not to let his overwhelming gratitude be too obvious.

As the teenager threw the pokeball, he held his breath. The orb absorbed the Skorupi,and began to shake as if possessed by a particularly violent poltergeist. For a moment, Liam was sure that the creature would break free and they would have to battle it all over again. That was not a particularly pleasant thought. Thankfully, that frightening possibility was put to an end when the capture device abruptly stopped its rattling and let out a small noise.

"It's... over?"
The trainer murmured, as if doubting that the crisis could have been so easily diverted. But the pokeball remained still and the day remained quiet.

Still surprised and shocked, Liam blinked, staring at the pokeball. Xiuh scooped the orb up in his jaws and slithered over to his trainer, rearing up so that the male could more easily grab it.
As he leaned down and took the pokeball, Xiuh chuckled, as if he too was still realising that they had passed, and captured the demon.
<I guess we'll be needing that. But let's not let him out anytime soon, OK?>
Liam nodded, mute for the time being.

The Drator's words seemed to rouse the trainer from his distraction, and he nodded once more.
"Oh! Great job, guys. You did really well!"
He patted Xiuh gently on his scaly head, and scratched Leviah gently between her shoulders before straightening.

<I'm OK - Xiuh was the one taking the damage...>
The snake, now comfortably flat against the ground, reared up slightly once more, this time so he could make himself seem as large and impressive as possible.
<It's nothing, just a few scratches.>
Still, he flinched as he stretched a bit too far, pulling tender muscles, and hastily lowered his belly back to the warm sand. Liam gave him a concerned look, but spoke anyway.
"Yeah, I think we're OK. What about you guys?"
He hoped they hadn't injured themselves while attempting to free him from the sand.

The boy hadn't noticed the Archen flying over to his crutch, but he did notice when the bird placed it on the ground in front of him. "Oh, thank you! You've saved me quite a bit of trouble with that!"
His gratitude was evident not just in his words, but also in his voice and his face as he maneuvered himself into position to scoop up his other crutch. If there was one thing he had plenty of experience at, it was retrieving a dropped crutch from the ground.

Liam, once again, waved the comment away.
"Nonsense, you've nothing to apologise for - the fact that a demon attacked was beyond anyone's control."
Still, Liam's voice was also tinged with sadness. He would have enjoyed having the bird as a travelling partner - he was quite an agreeable Pokemon, and easy to talk to.
"Oh... Yeah..."
He gave the bird a melancholy smile, but his heart wasn't quite in it.

Then Camo started giggling. Liam gave her a perplexed look, entirely unsure of what was going on. Then, what she was saying sunk in - he could take the Archen with him after all! His usual grin spread across his face once more, his grey eyes practically shining with excitement.
"Alright then, let's go ask."

Placing the demon's pokeball in his bag, Liam swung his crutches forwards and moved swiftly across the sand, onto the grass and towards the lab. The new terrain didn't seem to hinder him as much now, and he moved with a determination that made him forget about his difficulties maneuvering on the grass for now.

Thread ended - Liam returns to the Professor's Lab

~~

Pokemon Out;
Xiuh - 6 turns
Leviah - 6 turns

Fainted
Demon Skorupi (Scorpio) - 1 turn