meteorman | (no subject)

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✦ Victory Road Battle Post ✦
Meet me in the parking lot behind the Dedenny's in thirty minutes if you want an asskicking.

This is a catchall for the purpose of allowing for more Pokémon battles! Think of it kind of like an IC inbox post, except instead of interaction over the Pokégear it's in-person battle threads. Go ahead and let me know below if you want a battle and any specific ideas you might have (you can also contact me any time at

mister_inkwell). You're also welcome to just go ahead and post a top-level if Ford and your character are in the same general area and you want to jump directly to a call-out. I don't mind spontaneous battles! Someone jumping out at you from the shadows unexpectedly and trying to kick your ass is kind of a staple of the franchise after all.

I've also put together a little form you can fill out if you want to quickly get across the kind of battle you're looking for and/or need a jumping-off point.

Preferred Pokémon Levels: I personally prefer a close level gap so the battle isn't super one-sided, unless it being super one-sided is the point of the thread.
Preferred Team Size: I like three on three or two on two best for roleplay purposes (a six on six battle would take quite some time!), but I'll roll with whatever.
Items Allowed: I'm good with both held items and healing items but it's very easy to find a reason for Ford not to use them if you don't want them.
Mega Evolution Allowed: I'm fine with this whether or not Ford has his Abomasnow with him.
Other Specifics: Ford's location and current team are both open to tweaking. He'd be willing to take a couple of warps or swap out some of his team members to be more level-appropriate in cases where the battle is agreed on beforehand. For random challenges on the street, what you see is what you get. I'm also totally fine with Rockets attempting to steal his Pokémon, though actual success will need to be discussed.

✦ Currently in Saffron City ✦

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It's around one in the morning, when suddenly Ford is gonna be hearing a faint, childlike voice in his head.]

Hey. Listen.

Edited 2018-02-22 09:31 (UTC)

[Ah yes, one in the morning, the time all good Fords are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and probably drinking a cup of coffee. Which he is, while flipping through the latest Pokémon Letters issue with the other hand. Sleep? Lmao.

When he hears the voice he doesn't drop his cup but he does very deliberately set it down to avoid dropping it later. He knows the whole 'hearing voices in your head' thing can go that way sometimes.]

...Yes?

You should go outside.

[It's said so matter-of-factly.]

Right now.

Uhuh.

[He's not convinced, disembodied voice.]

If I look out the window right now there isn't going to be some sort of life-threatening something-or-other down in the courtyard, is there?

[Because if there is, hotel management is gonna be so mad.]

You will see nothing.

[True if he looks he will see nothing out there. It's fine.]

Until you come.

[A pause.]

I am told to sound less ominous. I cannot.

If you come outside everything will be answered. This is not a trick.

That is exactly what you would be telling me if it was a trick. I'm old, not stupid.

[I mean. To a point. He's still going to get up, pull on his coat and head for the door. Then turn back around, walk back across the hotel room and pick up his coffee. This is coming with him.

He steps out into the hallway and starts to make his way down to the hotel courtyard. At least it's just one flight of stairs.]

We're waiting.

[Once Ford finally steps outside, there won't really appear to be anything or anyone out there. Once he steps a little further outside, a real voice suddenly speaks in the darkness.]

Stanford Pines!

[Elsa of Fuckin' Arendelle steps out of the shadows.]

I challenge you!

[Look she can barely keep a straight face and she's trying to sound Serious and not start laughing.

She just wanted to surprise him and who would ever expect Elsa to be up at this time of night?]

[Oh. Okay. We're doing this, are we? Ford shifts gears very quickly. An unknown disembodied voice inviting him somewhere doesn't require a whole lot of enthusiasm. A close friend challenging him to a little friendly competition? Very different.]

Queen Elsa of Arendelle! I accept your challenge.

[Time to just fuckin' slam back this coffee. Sadly he's not dedicated enough to fuckin smash the mug to the ground but it's a near thing.

Hey protip don't ever try and get Dramatic around a tabletop DM]

[It's very Validating to have him play along like he does, because she'd been a step away from feeling awkward about it. But honestly now she can walk away from this feeling Cool like how she pictured in her head.

It's at that moment her Elgyem, Grey, floats out from behind her to settle between them, floating ominously.]

It's time.

[Elsa looks so pumped right now.]

That's right! Who do you choose?

Oh, I know exactly who.

[Oh, there's only one clear choice here. Both because most of the Pokémon currently in the balls on the strap across his chest are very low level, and simply from a tactical standpoint. Ford grabs one of those balls and releases --

Oh boy. A huge creature emerges into the space between them, easily over twice as tall as Ford is. It's USS Cylops the Dhelmise, and this is one of its first real battles that's not against a twelve year old fucking around in the grass. One cryptid facing off against another. Who will win?]

[This is the first time Elsa has been up close and personal with Ford's Dhelmise. She's seen it around, but never like this. In the darkness, it's. A little creepy- but in a good way. Dhelmise is doing it's best and she appreciates that.]

Grey, let's use-

Imprison!

[Whether Elsa was going to use that or not, Grey is going to use Imprison. Which, is really not. Actually going to accomplish much, but it's pretty badass and Grey said it oh so ominously.

He's theatrical too, it's fine.]

[Elsa clears her throat.] Grey- we've talked about this. You can't go around imprisoning everyone.

[That's incredible. Not only did it use a move without her say-so but it used a move that serves no purpose whatsoever. Truly, Grey is Roswell's child, because that's a very Roswell move.

Honestly this whole battle is four incredibly theatrical people fucking around at one AM and that's a huge mood. USS Cyclops makes a noise like a creaking floorboard, like a cracking hull, like an anchor hitting the seafloor and disturbing something dangerous. Its wheel spins ominously, but it's better-behaved than Grey and waits for direction.]

Don't you pay it any mind, Cyclops! Use Growth!

[The green algae that makes up Cyclops' actual body writhes and glows. It twists up onto the wheel, covers more of the anchor -- basically, it beefs the fuck up. If Grey's going to waste time then Ford is going to set up.]

[Oh.

Oh that's very creepy. Elsa actually. Gets chills. It's all fun and games until you get legitimately freaked out by a ghost type.

She has to remind herself to stay chill and not let it rattle her. She's gotten so much better at that, especially after winning the contest. It made her more confident in her own battling abilities.

Yeah. She's not gonna let this weedy anchor scare her!!]

Don't let it scare you, Grey!

It doesn't.

Oh-- good! [She forgets Grey is

that. Sometimes.] Now let's try a Zen Headbutt!

[It's more to get Grey out of his head and into the battle, so something up close and personal is in order.

The silence that follows is vaguely palpable before Grey seems to relent and decide to listen. So there he go, coming in for a bonk with his noggin.]

Edited 2018-02-23 08:32 (UTC)

[b o n k

Grey's head connects with a dull splap against that mass of algae, and Cylops shrieks like a tearing girder. Its wheel spins very quickly and then snaps still again just as Ford shouts]

Wrap!

[Probably shouldn't have got close. Tendrils of algae shoot out, attempting to snare that little alien and give it The Squeeze.]

You aren't going to take that Zen Headbutt lying down, are you? Don't let him get away!

[There's nothing more fun than pretending a chill battle is Super Serious ok]

Great job!

[Listen, she's very proud of her little creepy alien child even if he's. A lot sometimes. He manages to be endearing about it. She isn't sure if Grey appreciates it, or just finds it unnecessary, but it's fine. She does it anyway.

Especially when she's as jazzed up at a battle as she is this one. It's honestly nice to just. Be a little hammy. Usually when she battles she's super focused on making sure she's making intelligent decisions and playing into her opponents weaknesses.

This time? She's just goofing around and trying out Grey in a semi-serious setting. Usually he just gets trained out in the field with randos she finds along the way- and wild Pokemon, too.

Honestly it's nice to feel comfortable enough to just be silly- usually she's so focused on trying to be, y'know, proper. Not overly so, but- well, listen. She's shy, it's fine. But with Ford it's not like that. With Ford, he can be just as much as she is.

Thinking about it, she can't help but smile fondly over at him, spacing out for a moment and not realizing Grey is getting wrapped all up in seaweed.]

This is fine.

[Oh- oh!] Grey! Don't let him do that to you! Use Psybeam!

[Finally a good fucking command.

PEW.]

[Ford has had much the same experience. Most of his battles are against other trainers at his level or gym leaders, and he treats those very seriously because in the end he is still a man who is very concerned with not coming across as Weak or Inept. This is very different, and in the same way it's very dissimilar to when he battles little five year olds and their two Pidgey. Those fights he goes easy on. Here he's holding nothing back, but he's also not really all that concerned with projecting a certain persona. He doesn't need a poker face here. He doesn't need to think too hard. He can just... have fun.

It's nice.

The Psybeam hits point-blank and while it's not enough to shake off the Wrap entirely, Cyclops does make a frustrated creaking sound and loosen its grip somewhat. Its algae curls and recoils in distress.]

You can shake that off! Mega Drain!

[This is what Cyclops is built for. Offense, certainly, but also the slow creep of damage, the stubborn wearing-away of defenses. Much like the ghost ship it's named for, Cyclops excels at the slow and inevitable.]

[Grey is trying his best to wiggle out of the seaweed, but even after hitting it with that attack it's still not possible.

And then his health is getting drained and he's not having a good time anymore.]

I'm dying.

Grey! Come on- you can still win this. Hit him with your strongest attack- Psychic!

I wish I knew Perish Song, so we could both die.

[That got deep.

But either way, Grey is gonna use what he knows is probably his last move trying to hit Dhelmise with a blast of psychic energy.]

[Sweet Moses, Grey, that's deep.

And, like, super relatable. Ford actually laughs. He likes this Elgyem! It's weird!

Cyclops screeches again. Its algae body writhes and contorts. That Psychic did some hefty damage even after the Mega Drain and it is not about it.]

Well, Cyclops, I guess we ought to give him what he wants. Shadow Ball!

[Aha. That, Cyclops knows how to do. It gathers up the strength it has left. A glowing black and purple orb of energy gathers at the center of its wheel, coalesces, crackles, and then bops Grey right down out of the grip of its Wrap and into the ground. It's super-effective and STAB-boosted. RIP.

Cyclops twirls its wheel and lets out a pleased rumble.]

Two on two?

[Ford is ready to keep going. He's having a grand old time.]

[At first Elsa had been quite alarmed when Grey developed a habit of talking about death and being sort of morbid like that, but now-? Now she realizes he's just being dramatic. She had one teenager out in the field compare him to a millennial, whatever that means. So now she just kind of laughs it off.

Honestly she isn't too surprised when it happens, but it still sucks seeing Grey get beat into the ground.]

Oh no! Are you-

Just let me rest.

Okay... [Elsa just sort of nyooms him into the ball with a gentle sigh. He's got a long way to go before he's There. But it's fine, she's patient.

She looks back towards Ford when he says that, and she breaks into a grin.]

Absolutely! And I know just who to pick!

[Her. Other problem child.

Baldur pops out of his ball, giving off a full body stretch that shakes his entire being before jumping up and letting out a puff of fire excitedly.

He's Ready.]

[Oh boy. Well now Cyclops is in trouble, because it sure is doubly weak to fire. And a couple of other moves Baldur knows, actually, because Ford bred that dang Vulpix and he knows the moves he bred onto it. Hooboy.

He could Surf here, but he doesn't. This is fun, and he doesn't want it to be over quite so soon. Much like how he always has Titania use a self-destructing move when things get dire, it's standard practice for his strategy now to know when to cut his losses. So he could Surf, but he doesn't.]

Cyclops! Metal Sound!

[The sound earlier, the horrible bone-chilling sound that made Elsa's skin crawl? It's got nothing on this. Cyclops makes an unearthly shriek that rattles the kitschy deck furniture in the courtyard and actually makes lights go on in a couple of the windows. Someone opens theirs to yell 'BE QUIET DOWN THERE! IT'S ONE IN THE MORNING!' to which Ford offers an eloquent]

Fuck off! I'm battling here!

[Sometimes it's easy to forget he grew up in Jersey. Other times it's very, very evident.]

Yeah!!

[Elsa shouts it before she can even stop herself. Just- how dare someone try and ruin their fun? It takes her a moment to realize what she did and she meets Ford's gaze for a moment before bursting into giggles, bringing a hand up to stifle her laughter. She isn't usually like this, but it's so easy to let loose when she's with Ford.

Baldur, on the other hand, is shaking his head fiercely trying to get the ringing in his ears to stop. He starts to run around in circles after a moment, itching to do something but knowing he needs to wait for her command.

He lets out an excitable yip, trying to get her to pay attention.

Mom!! Mom!!!]

Oh- right, Flamethrower! Finish it off!!

Edited 2018-02-23 10:33 (UTC)

[Aaaaand down it goes. The anchor hits the ground with a heavy WHUNK but Ford calls Cyclops back before its precious wheel can touch the cobblestones. He looks after his kids.]

Very good, Cyclops.

[Who next? His team isn't all that leveled right now, he doesn't have a lot of options... in fact, the only option he has is a bad one for a lot of reasons. Which means, because he's Ford Pines, he's going to go for it.]

Alright, Eostre! Let's turn this around!

[Eostre pops out of her Pokéball, no longer a bratty Steenee but a downright homicidal Tsareena. Her little pointy feet hit the ground harder than Cyclops' anchor. She takes in the scene in front of her, realizes who they're fighting, and her eyes widen. Oh yeah. It's on.]

Captivate!

[Gotta lower that Special Attack before Baldur can get in another Flamethrower, or her ass is Grass. Eostre looks very much like she wants to ignore orders and give Baldur a good Trop Kick to the throat, but she's a Queen (sort of). She can recognize good strategy when she sees it.

This is still, like, the angriest Captivate ever.]

[Elsa tenses up immediately upon hearing Eostre's name. Oh.

Oh.

Her expression darkens and she grips Baldur's ball tightly- if this were the second Mewtwo movie, it would be shattering. But it's not. Thank goodness.

Elsa isn't the only one having a moment, either. Baldur is also dealing with the revelation that he's about to have to fight Eostre.

Listen. Baldur has just as much of a grudge against Eostre as Elsa. From the moment he hatched, Eostre had it out for him. He would just be doing his thing, having fun, and she would put the smackdown on him. It led to many squabbles. It's the primary reason Elsa boxed her and then decided to give her up.

For Baldur, this is like facing his bully. It's very sobering. He goes from bouncing around excitedly to just standing there staring, until finally he bends forward and starts growling.

It's on.

Baldur tenses up and let's the Angry Captivate happen, since there's really nothing much he can do about it, but he shakes himself off and growls even more fiercely.]

You've got this. Use... Payback!

[It just seems oddly fitting, honestly.

So Baldur channels all his Feelings into a band of purple energy that gathers around him and lets it loose towards his Nemesis.]

[It bops her right in the face and knocks her backward several feet. She stumbles, flips, and rights herself. Hooboy is she mad.]

Eostre, keep calm. If you act rashly--

[Too late. She squares herself up and aims a Trop Kick directly at Baldur's dumb face. She could respect good strategy before Baldur actually had the audacity to attack her. And he did damage! How dare he!

It doesn't matter that it won't hit him that hard, even if it's high Accuracy means he can't dodge. It doesn't matter that lowering his Attack won't matter much when he's geared toward Special. She has to remind him who's in charge. Who's always been in charge. She lands safely back on the ground, breathing hard.]

Eostre!

[The tone in Ford's voice gets her to turn, but she doesn't have the good graces to look sorry. She likes him well enough but their partnership is new and this is a very special circumstance.]

[It's incredibly vindicating to see that she isn't the only one who has trouble getting Eostre to listen. It's also incredibly frustrating because she truly cannot understand what her problem is. Eostre had been so tender as a Bounsweet, so- why?

Elsa is on the edge of the proverbial seat right now; she knows how Baldur feels about Eostre. They've talked about it. So this must be even more intense for him and that's why she's determined to win this. For him.]

Brace yourself!

[He's gotten very used to Eostre's kicks, so it's really not hard to do. He lowers his head so it hits the hardest part and he skids back, letting out nothing short of the most feral growl he's ever mustered in his life.

When he looks back at her, it's almost taunting.

You think that hurt? Please.]

Hey, Baldur- how about we really piss her off?

[It's a mark of how much she's into this and also how much time she's spent around Ford that she doesn't even Think about using such language.]

Use will-o-wisp!

[With pleasure, mom.

His eyes flash and a few balls of ghostly, purple flames shoot out of his mouth and nyoom towards Eostre, casting an eerie glow across the battlefield.]

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Did you think I wouldn't do it

bless u

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