New Fizz City: The Metropolitan Zone

[grassyglide]

Analyzing your opponent, you give the Spewpa its orders to tackle the Cascoon. Well, a tackle in not the Pokemon move sense. Anyways, you at first watch the Spewpa harden itself, using its confetti-like skin to turn its soft, fuzzy hide into a solid, hard coat. The Cascoon eyes with interest, seeing the Spewpa copying its strategy. This doesn't really go well with the Cascoon at all. It decides that if it can't piece your defenses, it could try its luck whittling you down. It uses another Poison Sting, trying to fish for a chance of poisoning the Spewpa. You watch as the silken needle flies in the air, but luckily you thought about that ahead of time.

A bright blue light appears, washing over the area before centering in on the Spewpa. A blue, protective barrier surrounds it, and the Poison Sting harmlessly bounces off, protecting the Spewpa from harm. THe Cascoon's eyes fill with shock, not expect its attack to be protected against. With that came an opening, and Spewpa was going to take advantage of it.

You see powdery confetti fly through the air as the Spewpa lunges towards the Cascoon. It's aw was wide open, and filled with a greenish, bug-typed light. The Spewpa bites down on the Cascoon, causing the purple cocoon to wince in pain. It's obvious that was a hard-hitting, direct hit. It was obviously not dealing with the pain well and began to wince in pain at the attack. Its strength was faltering, but it still had a fight left and immediately retaliates with a Tackle. It gets so momentum going, and slams the Spewpa into a tree.

Your foe's on the ropes, but Spewpa is cornered. If you play your cards right, you might be able to finish the battle soon! What do you do?

Argyle was amazed at how angry and frustrated the Cascoon got when Spewpa pulled a Harden of its own. Argyle was aware that the Pokemon was upset from earlier, but the fact that it was that angry caught Argyle off guard. This one sure knows how to hold a grudge, Argyle thought to himself. Meanwhile, the Cascoon fueled by the anger of having witnessed Spewpa copy its strategy fired off another Poison Sting. Last time around, Argyle and Wisewoods had both winced as they saw Spewpa take the hit. This time, neither were afraid. Argyle had guessed that the Cascoon would try to be on the offensive rather than the defensive and had asked Spewpa to Protect itself. Fortunately, Argyle proved to be correct. Spewpa formed a blue shield in front of it as the Poison Sting was incoming. The blue light fended off the Cascoon's attack and Spewpa came out of it unscathed.

What's more, as the Cascoon recoiled with surprise at the defensive maneuver, Spewpa had an opening to land a direct hit on its foe. It launched itself towards the purple Cocoon Pokemon and bit down on it. The Bug Bite caused the Cascoon to wince with pain. Argyle, having winced with pain himself as Spewpa took the Poison Sting earlier, could only imagine how much Spewpa's attack had hurt the opponent. It seemed like victory was near.

In retaliation, Cascoon Tackled hard into Spewpa. The Spewpa's cry of pain as it slammed against the tree pierced Argyle's contemplation of victory. True, Cascoon had taken a good chunk of damage from Spewpa's earlier attacks, but Spewpa had suffered its fair share of damage as well. Only a moment ago Argyle had been confident that the battle was basically over. Now, he was getting worried that the battle was lost. Was he to go on the defensive or was he to go all out offensive with the hopes of finishing the battle now? It was a tough choice and his indecisiveness made him anxious.

I could try boosting Spewpa's defense again or trying another Protect, he mulled, but what if Cascoon's caught wind of our strategy and expects us to do so? Then, the foe can use that opportunity to boost its own defense. Better to get a hit on the opponent instead of letting it setup freely. But what if the attacks Spewpa has are not enough to finish off the Cascoon? Then, will I regret having not asked Spewpa to boost its defense if Cascoon hits back with a Tackle or Poison Sting? Would those be enough to do Spewpa in? Argyle shook his head in frustration. He couldn't get caught up in thought; he needed to act. Easier said than done, he had no idea what to tell Spewpa to do. It was quite a nerve-racking experience. Argyle who was typically calm, or at least liked to think of him as such, was the dictionary definition of flustered. As he was debating what to do, another thought crept into his mind. A dark thought filled with self-doubt. "Look at you struggling in this simple battle to decide what to do. Do you think this bodes well for your future?" it seemed to taunt Argyle.

Right when Argyle was getting trapped in that spiral of overthinking things and self-doubt, his partner Wisewoods gently pecked him on the head. It was the slightest of pecks, but that was enough to nudge Argyle back into the moment. He looked over to his left shoulder and nodded in thanks to his friend. Whenever Argyle seemed to find himself overthinking things and doubting himself, his Rowlet was there to assure him. This nudge that Wisewoods gave him helped cleared up any doubt he had. With confidence he said, "Spewpa! Let's try and finish this now. Hit that angry cocoon with a Tackle and then a Bug Bite!"

Still in the corners of his mind, that shadow of a doubt hid waiting for an opportunity to pounce again.

 

[blu3shift]

​

 

 Downtown - The Business & Commercial District

Downtown reply in Slate Gray

Downtown is the bustling financial center of New Fizz City and its most urbanized area, with historically laidback zoning restrictions giving rise to the tallest high-rises in the city. The biggest, busiest and most crowded area in the city, downtown it is a hive of activity for both shoppers and businesspeople alike; even if you're not mesmerized by the city's soaring skyscrapers and monuments, you'll be blown away by its flourishing arts, food, and fashion scenes. From famed museums and art galleries to world class sporting venues, you could live a lifetime and not experience all the amazing things downtown has to offer.

Amity Gardens: Spanning hundreds of acres, Amity Gardens is a popular meeting point among tourists and locals alike, offering much needed respite from the city hustle and bustle. The gardens make up for the city’s lack of green space and then some, boasting botanicals from around the world and a number of artificial lakes where swimming and fishing are permitted. Although urban Pokemon often spill out into the park, Amity Gardens boasts a more rural assortment of Pokemon found nowhere else in the city.​

"...Great, we're lost, aren't we?"
Elijah stared at his Pokédex with a puzzled expression on his face, panning and zooming the pixelated map on its screen with multiple furious taps, swipes, and pinches. Epoch, his Porygon, expectantly stared at him as it hovered by his side. It was about midday and he was roaming the sidewalks of New Fizz City in search of somewhere to stay for the night.

Yep, definitely lost. For some reason, Elijah's map wasn't showing his location at all, which probably wouldn't have been a problem if he hadn't been so confident in the shiny new gadget that he had bought in preparation for his journey to Fizzytopia. Tall towers of glass and steel reached for the bright blue sky above him, casting imposing shadows that seemed to stretch as far as he could see. While he was used to navigating the many twists and turns that major metropolitan streets had to offer, having grown up near Castelia City, the sheer scope of New Fizz's many intertwining roads and neighborhoods practically gave Elijah a headache. There was quite possibly no way that he could figure out where he was going without considerable effort on his part, and it wasn't helping that not even a day had passed since he stepped off of the plane that he took from Unova to get here in the first place.

When Elijah looked back up, he was both surprised and relieved to see what looked like a park that stretched on for miles. Finally, somewhere I can rest, he thought, setting aside his worries about being lost in an endless maze of concrete. He had been walking for hours—longer than he ever thought that he could handle—and he was more than ready to take a break, especially because it meant that he could get his bearings in the midst of all of this unfamiliar territory.

"Hey Epoch, let's try to regroup at the park. I'm wiped, and we could definitely use the time to figure out just where the hell we are." Elijah said to Epoch, both of them proceeding to cross the street to Amity Gardens.

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[TheKnightsFury]

blu3shift- In a strange new region you find yourself in a somewhat familiar setting. Having grown up outside the towering cityscape of Castelia City in the Unova region, you were no stranger to the concrete jungle. That said, New Fizz City was quite a bit larger than Castelia and you were having trouble wrangling your newly purchased technology. Whether it be by fate or sheer luck, you finally find yourself in a place where you can relax. After hours of pounding the pavement, you look up to spot a vast expanse of greenery, nestled into the heart of the city. You carefully avoid traffic as you cross the round, passing through the gates as you make your way into Amity Gardens!

The park is quite busy at this time of day, the midday sun hangs over head, casting a warm light across the gardens. Large trees provide shady retreats for those looking to keep cool. You watch a pair of Skwovet chase each other through the branches of a large oak tree, while a child's Yamper spooks a flock of Pidove. You continue to follow a winding path through the park, until you come along to a small lake. An old man sits on a bench, tossing bread crumbs out to a trio of Ducklett who hungrily snap up the offerings as they hit the water. Looking around, you spot a number of other benches, one in particular seems well positioned in a nice shady spot under a tree. Perhaps it would be a nice spot to sit down and collect yourself? A quick break could be exactly what you need.

 

[blu3shift]

blu3shift- In a strange new region you find yourself in a somewhat familiar setting. Having grown up outside the towering cityscape of Castelia City in the Unova region, you were no stranger to the concrete jungle. That said, New Fizz City was quite a bit larger than Castelia and you were having trouble wrangling your newly purchased technology. Whether it be by fate or sheer luck, you finally find yourself in a place where you can relax. After hours of pounding the pavement, you look up to spot a vast expanse of greenery, nestled into the heart of the city. You carefully avoid traffic as you cross the round, passing through the gates as you make your way into Amity Gardens!

The park is quite busy at this time of day, the midday sun hangs over head, casting a warm light across the gardens. Large trees provide shady retreats for those looking to keep cool. You watch a pair of Skwovet chase each other through the branches of a large oak tree, while a child's Yamper spooks a flock of Pidove. You continue to follow a winding path through the park, until you come along to a small lake. An old man sits on a bench, tossing bread crumbs out to a trio of Ducklett who hungrily snap up the offerings as they hit the water. Looking around, you spot a number of other benches, one in particular seems well positioned in a nice shady spot under a tree. Perhaps it would be a nice spot to sit down and collect yourself? A quick break could be exactly what you need.

Amity Gardens was actually kind of big. Really big, in fact. This became apparent to Elijah as he exhaustedly trudged down one of the many trails that cut through what seemed like a vast ocean of green. The skyscrapers of New Fizz City quickly faded into the background as numerous trees of all kinds of shapes and sizes took their place—Elijah wagered that some of them had been there from the moment that the city was founded if their size told him anything. While the park provided him a comforting respite as he continued to aimlessly wander the endless metropolis, Elijah was still very lost—and it wasn't helping that he was starting to feel a little lonely, even if he had a Porygon accompanying him.

Thankfully, that loneliness was quickly cast aside as he ventured deeper into the park. Trainers, citizens, tourists, and Pokémon dotted the sunlit landscape around Elijah—he noted Skwovet darting through trees and some kid's Yamper trying to scare off some Pidove as he shot an occasional glance at his Pokédex just to see if it somehow picked up a GPS signal or whatever it was that let this silly thing know what its current whereabouts were. Elijah sighed as it still came up blank—it looked like he was stuck with doing this the hard way. Maybe there was some sort of landmark nearby that he could spot on the map?

Eventually, Elijah arrived at a small lake surrounded by a few benches. It wasn't exactly the best thing to work with, but at this point Elijah happily took the opportunity, nearly collapsing on an empty bench situated under a moderately-sized tree as he attempted to collect himself. Epoch settled by his side a few moments later, expressionless as always. It wasn't until Elijah sat down that he noticed an elderly man feeding a few Ducklett some bread crumbs. A thought briefly crossed his mind to ask if the man knew where he was, believing that he had probably come to this park several times over the years, but he quickly decided against it, instead focusing on figuring out which lake in the green space marked "AMITY GARDENS" on his Pokédex's map was the one that he was sitting next to. It was probably for the better, anyway—the man seemed to be content in the serenity of the park, and Elijah didn't want to disturb that.

 

[TheKnightsFury]

blu3shift- You welcome the opportunity to take a break and collect yourself, settling down on the bench. The shade from the tree was greatly appreciated by both yourself and Epoch, who peered over your shoulder as you desperately tried to make sense of the map. Amity gardens had a number of lakes, which didn't make things much easier. You look around to see if you could spot any significant landmarks, something that might appear on the map. Squinting, you can just make out a large log cabin on the far side of the lake, almost concealed by a pair of large willows. Scanning over the map, you search around each of the lakes to see if any having a building located near them. Sure enough, one of them does! A quick drag of the figure across the lake from the building finally reveals your location. Breathing a sigh of relief, you begin to relax when a rustling above you catches Epoch's attention.

A shadow descends from the branches, landing atop you as you go into a startled panic. Epoch whizzes around, trying desperately to dislodge the ambusher. It scrambles all over your body, managing to avoid your flailing arms. It isn't until a booming voice cuts through the air that the attacker stops.

"Malloy I told you to stop attacking the hobos!" A large, robust man stomps across the grass, scowling at the Teddiursa that quickly leaps away from you. The bear cowers as the man staunches over him, his blonde mustache shaking with frustration. He sports a white shirt and deep green pants, while a ranger's badge adorns his chest. "I'm sorry sir but you can't sleep there, you'll have to move along. I'm head ranger Woody, Woody Johnson. I'm in charge of making sure Amity Gardens remains safe and clean, although that's proving difficult at the moment given how short staffed we are. Sorry about Malloy attacking you, homeless people making him nervous, now, how about you get back on the streets?"

Was this guy for real?! Sure you were a little lost and didn't exactly have somewhere to stay, but you weren't some street bum!

 

[blu3shift]

blu3shift- You welcome the opportunity to take a break and collect yourself, settling down on the bench. The shade from the tree was greatly appreciated by both yourself and Epoch, who peered over your shoulder as you desperately tried to make sense of the map. Amity gardens had a number of lakes, which didn't make things much easier. You look around to see if you could spot any significant landmarks, something that might appear on the map. Squinting, you can just make out a large log cabin on the far side of the lake, almost concealed by a pair of large willows. Scanning over the map, you search around each of the lakes to see if any having a building located near them. Sure enough, one of them does! A quick drag of the figure across the lake from the building finally reveals your location. Breathing a sigh of relief, you begin to relax when a rustling above you catches Epoch's attention.

A shadow descends from the branches, landing atop you as you go into a startled panic. Epoch whizzes around, trying desperately to dislodge the ambusher. It scrambles all over your body, managing to avoid your flailing arms. It isn't until a booming voice cuts through the air that the attacker stops.

"Malloy I told you to stop attacking the hobos!" A large, robust man stomps across the grass, scowling at the Teddiursa that quickly leaps away from you. The bear cowers as the man staunches over him, his blonde mustache shaking with frustration. He sports a white shirt and deep green pants, while a ranger's badge adorns his chest. "I'm sorry sir but you can't sleep there, you'll have to move along. I'm head ranger Woody, Woody Johnson. I'm in charge of making sure Amity Gardens remains safe and clean, although that's proving difficult at the moment given how short staffed we are. Sorry about Malloy attacking you, homeless people making him nervous, now, how about you get back on the streets?"

Was this guy for real?! Sure you were a little lost and didn't exactly have somewhere to stay, but you weren't some street bum!

Huh, that wasn't so bad, Elijah thought to himself as he dropped a marker on his Pokédex's map. It had only been a few minutes since he had started trying to piece together his whereabouts, and at this rate he could probably plot a route to the nearest hotel or Pokémon Center so that he could get to work preparing for the journey ahead. He turned to Epoch and managed to get out a "well, we've got one problem tackle—" before something dropped down from the tree above and sent him into a frenzy with a surprised yell.

Survival skills turned into survival instincts as Elijah struggled to shake off his assailant in between rapid adrenaline-fueled breaths. Epoch, conveniently following Elijah's last statement to the letter, attempted to assist him by repeatedly trying to knock off whatever it was that had suddenly ambushed its trainer, only for its efforts to prove futile as the attacker consistently avoided every counterattack from both parties. Was this how it was going to end? Elijah didn't want to think about his journey ending before it even started. He might as well be de—

"Malloy, I told you to stop attacking the hobos!"

The Teddiursa that had ambushed Elijah hopped off of him and returned to its trainer, who had somehow managed to arrive in the midst of the duo's panic. "I'm sorry sir but you can't sleep there, you'll have to move along. I'm head ranger Woody, Woody Johnson. I'm in charge of making sure Amity Gardens remains safe and clean, although that's proving difficult at the moment given how short staffed we are. Sorry about Malloy attacking you, homeless people making him nervous, now, how about you get back on the streets?"

...What? "Hobo"? He'd been sitting on that bench for five minutes! What was this "ranger" even talking about? In fact, what kind of ranger was he? Elijah didn't see any Styler on Woody, nor was he aware that they actually owned Pokémon—did his friends not tell him about this? Was this guy just a park ranger? What's with the mou—

Elijah took a moment to distract himself from his racing thoughts to focus on the situation at hand. He was apparently mistaken for being homeless? Why? He probably looked a little worse for wear from the beating that he took from "Malloy," and he was probably bleeding a little, but appearances aren't everything, right? Surely this Woody guy, being "head ranger," would be able to figure that one out. He'd have to defuse this situation just as quickly as it started if he didn't want to run into any more trouble. Elijah took as deep of a breath as he could in his panicked stupor and attempted to explain himself.

"S-Sorry offic—sir, I'm, uh, a little, um, lost? I j-just got here from Unova and my dex's location thingy wasn't d-doing its thing and I've b-been trying to find a hotel or something..."

At least it's better than nothing, Elijah thought as he shakily rose from the bench, arms raised in an instinctual attempt to show that he meant no harm. His Pokédex laid on the ground to his side, having been knocked out of his hands earlier due to his scuffle with the Teddiursa.

 

[TheKnightsFury]

blu3shift- There was clearly some confusion here that needed to be cleared up. Although its a bit of a mumbled mess, you manage to convey the fact that you're not some homeless person, you're a new trainer from a different region.

"Ahhh a Unovian? Should've figured you weren't a hobo when I saw your Pokemon, rarely see a hobo with a Pokemon, other than the occasional Rattata or a Joltik buried in his back." Woody chuckles to heartily to himself. "Jeez, I hope you've got some money up your sleeve if you're looking to crash in a hotel, New Fizz City hotel rates are really high at the moment. Tell you what though, maybe I could give you a place to stay." Woody thrusts his hand out, pointing towards the cabin you'd spotted on the far side of the lake. "The Ranger's Station has a few spare beds at the moment, its no hotel sweet but I'll let you crash free of charge if you lend a hand around the park. As I said, we're short handed and I've just about lost it."

In a matter of minutes, Woody had gone from calling you a hobo to offering you a job and a place to stay. He seemed pretty stretched and stressed at the moment, perhaps that's why he seemed a bit off? A bed in a central location was a good place to start, giving you a good foothold to further explore the city. Surely the jobs Woody needed doing wouldn't take too long, then you could get back out and look around some more.

"Well don't keep me waiting all day kid, you want the job or what?"

 

[blu3shift]

blu3shift- There was clearly some confusion here that needed to be cleared up. Although its a bit of a mumbled mess, you manage to convey the fact that you're not some homeless person, you're a new trainer from a different region.

"Ahhh a Unovian? Should've figured you weren't a hobo when I saw your Pokemon, rarely see a hobo with a Pokemon, other than the occasional Rattata or a Joltik buried in his back." Woody chuckles to heartily to himself. "Jeez, I hope you've got some money up your sleeve if you're looking to crash in a hotel, New Fizz City hotel rates are really high at the moment. Tell you what though, maybe I could give you a place to stay." Woody thrusts his hand out, pointing towards the cabin you'd spotted on the far side of the lake. "The Ranger's Station has a few spare beds at the moment, its no hotel sweet but I'll let you crash free of charge if you lend a hand around the park. As I said, we're short handed and I've just about lost it."

In a matter of minutes, Woody had gone from calling you a hobo to offering you a job and a place to stay. He seemed pretty stretched and stressed at the moment, perhaps that's why he seemed a bit off? A bed in a central location was a good place to start, giving you a good foothold to further explore the city. Surely the jobs Woody needed doing wouldn't take too long, then you could get back out and look around some more.

"Well don't keep me waiting all day kid, you want the job or what?"

"Ahhh, a Unovian? Should've figured you weren't a hobo when I saw your Pokemon, rarely see a hobo with a Pokemon, other than the occasional Rattata or a Joltik buried in his back."

Woody's statement of realization was like music to Elijah's ears. Glad that's over, he thought as he sighed in relief. While he and his Porygon were definitely a little worse for wear, at least he didn't have to make any new enemies right out of the gate—even if it was apparently really common among beginning Trainers from just about every corner of the globe—and that he could safely take off from the park and find himself a place to prepare himself for the road ahead. Resolving to do just that, Elijah bent over, reaching for his Pokédex buried in the grass when the park ranger standing next to him chuckled and continued to speak.

"Jeez, I hope you've got some money up your sleeve if you're looking to crash in a hotel, New Fizz City hotel rates are really high at the moment."

Of course. Amidst his rush to get to Fizzytopia in the first place, Elijah hadn't even thought about checking how much it cost just to have a roof over his head for the night. Last time he checked, he only had 3,000 Poké to his name—probably not nearly enough to get a room without going into overdraft, and possibly not even enough to grab some camping supplies for his trek across the region. He inwardly scolded himself—how could he have been so woefully unprepared? The situation felt oppressive, and Elijah knew that if he didn't speak up soon, then he'd probably actually become the hobo that he was just being mistaken for.

"Tell you what though, maybe I could give you a place to stay. The Ranger's Station has a few spare beds at the moment, its no hotel sweet but I'll let you crash free of charge if you lend a hand around the park. As I said, we're short handed and I've just about lost it."

...Or not? It seemed like Woody was one step ahead of him—and his offer was practically irresistible. Almost every single one of Elijah's needs were guaranteed to be dealt with if he helped keep things in check around Amity Gardens—a deal that was sweet enough that he would have immediately offered to shake on it if his hands weren't filthy from his impromptu battle with Malloy. In lieu of all formalities (there was no way that Elijah could ever be formal in this state), he decided to agree with just his mouth instead of using his hands.

"Sure, I'm game. What do I need to know?"

 

[TheKnightsFury]

blu3shift- "Excellent", Woody exclaims, "welcome aboard probationary Amity Park Ranger." He digs into his pockets and pulls out a spare badge, as well as a small walkie-talkie. He lightly tosses the pair of items to you. "The badge will allow others to recognize you as a Park Ranger, for better or worse. We don't have a great deal of power, although not everyone knows that. Sometimes you can bluff your way to a resolution, just remember where caretakers, not law enforcement. If you find yourself in a real pickle you can get me on the talkie, its range should reach to every corner of the park. Now, as for the tasks I need done, you can do them in whatever order suits you, once they're done you can head over to the Ranger's Station and we'll set you up with a room. The gardens on the west side of the park have gotten a bit wild and unruly, give them a good weeding and trim back the shrubs, they're should be a garden shed with some tools to help out. There was a concert up by the north lake last night and no one has cleared up all the rubbish. If it isn't cleared up soon we'll be knee deep in Pokemon scrambling in from the streets for scraps. Finally, we've had reports of vandalism down near the South Gate. See if you can't clear things up a bit and keep an eye out for potential suspects, radio me if you get a lead."

Malloy, who had briefly disappeared, makes his presence known once more. Rather than dropping out of a tree, the Teddiursa approaches you with a rather sorry look on his face, a trio of Sitrus Berries cradled in his arms. "Ahh, looks Malloy has brought you a gift as an apology for his actions earlier. I'm sure they'll prove useful." The bear drops the berries at your feet before scampering back to his trainer. "Good luck kid, now get to work!" Woody huffs as he turns and heads off to complete his own tasks.

You now have three tasks to complete, the question was though, where should you start?

 

[blu3shift]

blu3shift- "Excellent", Woody exclaims, "welcome aboard probationary Amity Park Ranger." He digs into his pockets and pulls out a spare badge, as well as a small walkie-talkie. He lightly tosses the pair of items to you. "The badge will allow others to recognize you as a Park Ranger, for better or worse. We don't have a great deal of power, although not everyone knows that. Sometimes you can bluff your way to a resolution, just remember where caretakers, not law enforcement. If you find yourself in a real pickle you can get me on the talkie, its range should reach to every corner of the park. Now, as for the tasks I need done, you can do them in whatever order suits you, once they're done you can head over to the Ranger's Station and we'll set you up with a room. The gardens on the west side of the park have gotten a bit wild and unruly, give them a good weeding and trim back the shrubs, they're should be a garden shed with some tools to help out. There was a concert up by the north lake last night and no one has cleared up all the rubbish. If it isn't cleared up soon we'll be knee deep in Pokemon scrambling in from the streets for scraps. Finally, we've had reports of vandalism down near the South Gate. See if you can't clear things up a bit and keep an eye out for potential suspects, radio me if you get a lead."

Malloy, who had briefly disappeared, makes his presence known once more. Rather than dropping out of a tree, the Teddiursa approaches you with a rather sorry look on his face, a trio of Sitrus Berries cradled in his arms. "Ahh, looks Malloy has brought you a gift as an apology for his actions earlier. I'm sure they'll prove useful." The bear drops the berries at your feet before scampering back to his trainer. "Good luck kid, now get to work!" Woody huffs as he turns and heads off to complete his own tasks.

You now have three tasks to complete, the question was though, where should you start?

Elijah caught the badge and walkie-talkie, almost instantly affixing the former to his black T-shirt. If the to-do list that Woody gave him was any indication, his work for the day wouldn't be a walk in the park—especially since the walk was long and the park was gigantic—but it was definitely worth it if it meant having an opportunity to get his hardly prepared self back on track. Besides, the exercise was definitely good for him; he was probably a bit out of shape, and the exhausting trek to the park definitely supported that claim.

Proceeding to clip the walkie-talkie onto his belt, Elijah thought over the three things that he'd have to tackle for the day. It was probably a good idea to take care of whatever this "vandalism" was last, since he'd need to stick around for a while to suss out whoever was behind it. He also wasn't super confident in his lawn care abilities, so he definitely wasn't raring to take care of the west side of the park right away. It seemed like taking out the trash was the best thing to start with—it didn't require a lot of effort, which was convenient for Elijah because his legs still felt a little like jelly, and recovering from a losing battle cut short wasn't doing him any favors.

Speaking of that losing battle, it looked like Malloy wasn't feeling too happy about it either. Elijah was momentarily taken aback by the Teddiursa offering him a few Sitrus Berries, but immediately figured out what his intentions were as Woody called attention to the Little Bear Pokémon's apologetic gesture. It wasn't enough to gain Elijah's trust, seeing as he was still dealing with the stinging pain from the incident, but he accepted it anyway, stashing the berries in his bag and quickly uttering a "thanks" in response.

With all of the formalities covered, it was finally time to get to work. Today was going to be a long day, and it would be even longer if he just stood there. As the head ranger turned to return to his duties, Elijah started towards the north side of Amity Gardens, Epoch in tow.

Obtained

Sitrus Berry (x3)!

 

[TheKnightsFury]

blu3shift- Pocketing the gifted berries, you pull up your map once more. Now that you knew where you were, getting around the park was surely going to be easier, not easy, just easier. It doesn't take you long to locate the north lake where the concert was held and you soon head off down the path. The terrain is relatively flat and you cover ground quickly. Pedestrians shoot looks at you as they pass by, eyes drawn to the shiny badge on your chest.

By the time you reach the north lake, you almost begin to regret agreeing to help. They're is rubbish everywhere! It seems the people of New Fizz City aren't the most eco-friendly. Most of the smaller trash cans spread around the clearing are overflowing. The smell of rubbish was already starting to get to you, a slight breeze ensuring its blown straight towards you. A ways off, there appears to be a small maintenance building. A pair of large skip bins rest against it, one for general rubbish, the other for recycling. As you walk out onto the clearing, a gang of Murkrow take flight, taking with them a small collection of shiny metal bits they'd picked from the scraps. There was a lot to do here and with limited hands, you had your work cut out for you. Epoch looks around, just as confused as you are as to where you should even start. Perhaps the maintenance shed contained some equipment that would make your job a bit easier and a bit more hygienic? As you look over the mountain of waste that awaits you, you notice a couple of piles of trash start to shake. Woody was concerned that the rubbish would draw in Pokemon from the streets, perhaps it was already too late?

 

[blu3shift]

blu3shift- Pocketing the gifted berries, you pull up your map once more. Now that you knew where you were, getting around the park was surely going to be easier, not easy, just easier. It doesn't take you long to locate the north lake where the concert was held and you soon head off down the path. The terrain is relatively flat and you cover ground quickly. Pedestrians shoot looks at you as they pass by, eyes drawn to the shiny badge on your chest.

By the time you reach the north lake, you almost begin to regret agreeing to help. They're is rubbish everywhere! It seems the people of New Fizz City aren't the most eco-friendly. Most of the smaller trash cans spread around the clearing are overflowing. The smell of rubbish was already starting to get to you, a slight breeze ensuring its blown straight towards you. A ways off, there appears to be a small maintenance building. A pair of large skip bins rest against it, one for general rubbish, the other for recycling. As you walk out onto the clearing, a gang of Murkrow take flight, taking with them a small collection of shiny metal bits they'd picked from the scraps. There was a lot to do here and with limited hands, you had your work cut out for you. Epoch looks around, just as confused as you are as to where you should even start. Perhaps the maintenance shed contained some equipment that would make your job a bit easier and a bit more hygienic? As you look over the mountain of waste that awaits you, you notice a couple of piles of trash start to shake. Woody was concerned that the rubbish would draw in Pokemon from the streets, perhaps it was already too late?

Elijah knew that trash-picking wasn't exactly going to be an easy task, but this was absolute garbage, in both senses of the word. The sheer scale of the mess left behind by the crowds of what must had been Trashstock 2021 was nothing short of breathtaking—in a literal way, because Elijah couldn't handle breathing in the fumes for five seconds at a time without nearly gagging. Was this enough to get whoever booked this venue fined? Probably, but that wasn't the temporary park ranger's issue. What mattered here and now was to clean up this literal wasteland before the city's wild Pokémon made it even more of a dump.

...Well, that would've mattered here and now if Elijah had anything to work with. His bare hands could only do so much—at most, he'd be limited to picking up a few pieces of trash at a time to one of the several trash bins dotting Amity Park's many trails. He'd probably need one of those fancy trash pickers and a few dozen garbage bags if he wanted to even make a dent in this before sunset. He thought back to what he saw on his way to the concert grounds: gawking pedestrians, gnarled trees, maintenance shed... perfect! Woody made it sound like there weren't many people tending to the park at the moment, so Elijah could probably walk over and get something to make his job easier.

He was about to turn around and go back south when he saw something stir amidst the sea of waste. Shoot, there's something here, he mentally noted, turning to his Porygon. Epoch, let's see what you've got. Elijah whipped out his Pokédex and checked Epoch's moves: Conversion, Conversion 2 (he was about to question why there were two of them before he checked the move descriptions), Recycle, Sharpen, Tackle... he might be able to work with this.

"Okay Epoch, I hate to do this but can you stay behind and make sure that nothing makes a mess? I have to go grab some tools. Go for a Sharpen and Tackle if you have to defend yourself. You could probably try Conversion 2 if things get too rough. I'll be back before you know it, I promise."

That is if Epoch could know it—for all Elijah knew, the Porygon couldn't do anything but follow the directions that he gave it. This wasn't necessarily a bad deal but he felt a little cheated, especially when he recalled the incessant speeches about "the bond between you and your Pokémon" that he'd get from just about every Trainer that he bumped into. Maybe he'd be looking into getting that upgrade that his friend mentioned later on when he was ready for it—didn't they say something about "improved AI?"

Again, this was a different topic for another time. Elijah was on a mission and nothing was going to get in his way, even if it meant even more fisticuffs with whatever was hiding on the way back—although he'd prefer not to do that, he was already exhausted from the events that had transpired over the past few hours. Turning around and setting his sights on the trail behind him, he began to retrace his steps towards the maintenance shed that he saw earlier, hoping that his completely immaculate and totally sound plan wouldn't fall apart.

 

[TheKnightsFury]

blu3shift- A somewhat monumental task was ahead of you and you were for the most part, ill-equipped to handle it. Thankfully, there was a possible solution nearby, the maintenance shed. Sure, it probably wouldn't have everything you needed and it was still going to be a lot of hard, disgusting work, but anything would be better than handling the discarded waste with your bare hands. While you backtrack to the shed, you give Epoch some clear and explicit instructions. The man-made Pokemon seemed to take in the instructions, but how it carried them out was yet to be seen.

It only takes a minute to reach the shed and you breathe a sigh of relief when you turn the handle and the door opens. Sure, it probably should've been locked, but you were grateful it wasn't. The contents of the shed are fairly sparse, although you spot a couple of things that could prove incredibly helpful. A wheelbarrow, a rake, a shovel and even a pair of thick rubber gloves! The short trip surely proved to be beneficial, but you shouldn't waste time, there was no way of knowing what sort of trouble Epoch had gotten himself into.....

Epoch hovered around the clearing, eyes darting from pile of trash to pile of trash. Suddenly, something catches its attention so it floats over to get a closer look. A pair of Rattata are pestering a lone Trubbish, tearing at its bag. The Poison type tries to get away from the annoying rats, running to another pile of trash. It starts to consume the waste but it isn't long before the Rattata catch up and begin to pick at it again. Epoch isn't sure what to do. It had instructions to defend itself, not others. So it just sat there, watching on as the Trubbish was continually abused by the pair of Rattata.

 

[blu3shift]

blu3shift- A somewhat monumental task was ahead of you and you were for the most part, ill-equipped to handle it. Thankfully, there was a possible solution nearby, the maintenance shed. Sure, it probably wouldn't have everything you needed and it was still going to be a lot of hard, disgusting work, but anything would be better than handling the discarded waste with your bare hands. While you backtrack to the shed, you give Epoch some clear and explicit instructions. The man-made Pokemon seemed to take in the instructions, but how it carried them out was yet to be seen.

It only takes a minute to reach the shed and you breathe a sigh of relief when you turn the handle and the door opens. Sure, it probably should've been locked, but you were grateful it wasn't. The contents of the shed are fairly sparse, although you spot a couple of things that could prove incredibly helpful. A wheelbarrow, a rake, a shovel and even a pair of thick rubber gloves! The short trip surely proved to be beneficial, but you shouldn't waste time, there was no way of knowing what sort of trouble Epoch had gotten himself into.....

Epoch hovered around the clearing, eyes darting from pile of trash to pile of trash. Suddenly, something catches its attention so it floats over to get a closer look. A pair of Rattata are pestering a lone Trubbish, tearing at its bag. The Poison type tries to get away from the annoying rats, running to another pile of trash. It starts to consume the waste but it isn't long before the Rattata catch up and begin to pick at it again. Epoch isn't sure what to do. It had instructions to defend itself, not others. So it just sat there, watching on as the Trubbish was continually abused by the pair of Rattata.

Getting to the shed was thankfully the easiest part of the day so far. Elijah let out practically all of the breath that he didn't know that he was holding as he slowly opened its creaking door, watching as light streamed into its dark, dusty interior. A wheelbarrow, rake, shovel, and a pair of rubber gloves glinted in the sunlight, catching his eye. The shovel and rake were covered in spots of rust, worn from years of use, but they sure as hell could get the job done and that's all that mattered to him. In fact, he could probably get Epoch in on the cleanup effort—after all, trying to do something of this caliber alone is a challenge in its own right. It would be like drinking with no cup, or reading a book without light, or a Pokémon trying to battle without its Trainer...

Elijah suddenly realized the mistake that he had made. What if Epoch was getting pummeled by one of those Murkrow that he saw earlier? What if Epoch was attacking someone else? What if Epoch was stolen?! He hadn't even left the city yet and he was already being incredibly careless as a Trainer. With a sudden rush of energy that he sorely needed, Elijah quickly dumped the tools that he saw earlier into the wheelbarrow, swiftly grabbed its handles, and sprinted out towards where he left his Porygon in a frenzied blitz. He hadn't even noticed that he left the door open in his effort to leave as quickly as he could.

Panting as he arrived at the worryingly welcoming trash heap, Elijah fervently scanned his surroundings for Epoch, eyes flicking back and forth until they eventually landed on a magenta-and-blue mass floating about twelve feet in front of him. Phew, it's safe, he thought as he let out another sigh of relief. What was it doing? Hopefully it hadn't gotten itself into a fight—

Before he could finish that thought, a trash bag zipped out from behind the pile that Epoch was hovering over, followed by two flashes of purple a few seconds later. Elijah quickly identified the trash bag as a Trubbish, being all too familiar with them back home in Castelia, but it took him about fifteen more seconds to realize that the purple was a telltale sign of a Rattata or two, and his Pokédex confirmed it. He went over to check as the Trubbish dashed to another spot, Epoch already one step ahead of him as it floated over to where he was standing. Were they... attacking the Trubbish? It was hard to see, but it definitely looked like it was taking a bit of a beating. He continued to watch the feud with abject curiosity when realization struck him.

Wait, don't rangers protect wild Pokémon? That's kind of my job now, isn't it? Elijah thought. He wasn't quite sure if he was mixing up Pokémon rangers with park rangers, the classes that taught him about the former role being nothing but foggy memories in his mind at that point, but he didn't care. Park rangers were stewards of nature, and if he was going to fill those shoes, then he was going to fill them well. He looked at Epoch, who was continuing to stare at the Trubbish. Why wasn't it even trying to intervene, anyway?

...Right. Elijah told Epoch to defend, not protect. The Porygon was a computer program, so it only did what he told it to. He'd have to tell Epoch what to do again if he wanted it to fight those Rattata.

"Epoch, let's take care of those Rattata!"

The Porygon emitted a dissonant chord that all but told him that it was having trouble understanding what he was telling it to do.

"...Okay, Sharpen, then Tackle those two Rattata. Keep it up until I tell you otherwise or they're knocked out. If the Trubbish attacks you, then you're allowed to fight back as well. Don't kill anything."

Arceus, I sound dumb, Elijah thought to himself. Was that last sentence even necessary? After all this was over he'd definitely take some time to learn how to talk to Epoch.

 

[TheKnightsFury]

blu3shift- Loading up the wheelbarrow full of rusted tools, you race back to where you had left Epoch. Out of everything that could've possibly happened in your absence, this wasn't the worst. Your orders had been followed to the letter, it hadn't engaged any of the wild Pokemon because none of them had been to bothered with it. As you arrive on the scene, you take a moment to absorb the situation. The Trubbish was trying to feed on the garbage, however a pair of what you soon identify to be Rattata, seem intent on badgering the poor Poison type. The living trash bag tries to avoid them but does little to actually fight back. You're now left to determine whether it was your place to step in and stop this violence. The Pokemons' presence would surely make your job a touch more complicated. Rangers were meant to protect wild Pokemon, but did that also extend to Park Rangers? In the end you figure you've got a duty to protect the park and at the moment, Trubbish is included in that.

You give Epoch some more explicit orders and finally it clicks into action. It adjusts its programming, the edges of its body becoming sleeker and sharper. With its attack boosted, Epoch zips forward, tackling one of the Rattata as it lunges in to tear at the trash bag. It rolls back a ways but its partner takes the opportunity to attack. It leaps at Epoch, fangs bared, but then at the last moment it recoils in disgust. What just happened? Epoch doesn't seemed to care and quickly tackles the Rattata that tried to attack him, sending it stumbling towards its partner. As Epoch floats back towards you, you notice it seems to be emitting a strange Stench. Speaking of stenches, the Trubbish seems to be getting a little fed up as it has begun to emit a poisonous gas. The gas could quickly fill the surrounding area, with both the Rattata and Epoch in the field of its reach. Despite this, the Rattata don't look like they're going to go away that easily and quickly regain their feet and prepare for their next assault.

 

[blu3shift]

blu3shift- Loading up the wheelbarrow full of rusted tools, you race back to where you had left Epoch. Out of everything that could've possibly happened in your absence, this wasn't the worst. Your orders had been followed to the letter, it hadn't engaged any of the wild Pokemon because none of them had been to bothered with it. As you arrive on the scene, you take a moment to absorb the situation. The Trubbish was trying to feed on the garbage, however a pair of what you soon identify to be Rattata, seem intent on badgering the poor Poison type. The living trash bag tries to avoid them but does little to actually fight back. You're now left to determine whether it was your place to step in and stop this violence. The Pokemons' presence would surely make your job a touch more complicated. Rangers were meant to protect wild Pokemon, but did that also extend to Park Rangers? In the end you figure you've got a duty to protect the park and at the moment, Trubbish is included in that.

You give Epoch some more explicit orders and finally it clicks into action. It adjusts its programming, the edges of its body becoming sleeker and sharper. With its attack boosted, Epoch zips forward, tackling one of the Rattata as it lunges in to tear at the trash bag. It rolls back a ways but its partner takes the opportunity to attack. It leaps at Epoch, fangs bared, but then at the last moment it recoils in disgust. What just happened? Epoch doesn't seemed to care and quickly tackles the Rattata that tried to attack him, sending it stumbling towards its partner. As Epoch floats back towards you, you notice it seems to be emitting a strange Stench. Speaking of stenches, the Trubbish seems to be getting a little fed up as it has begun to emit a poisonous gas. The gas could quickly fill the surrounding area, with both the Rattata and Epoch in the field of its reach. Despite this, the Rattata don't look like they're going to go away that easily and quickly regain their feet and prepare for their next assault.

Initially, Epoch seemed to have taken its commands in stride, sharpening itself and then tackling one of the Rattata with a level of precision that only a computer could achieve. This briefly soothed Elijah's worries that his first battle would end in disaster, but his nerves were struck once again when the Trubbish of all things released a cloud of gas that seemed to instantly cover the immediate area. In addition to that, Epoch had hardly affected the Rattata that it tackled, and it seemed to immediately get back up, somehow cringing at the Porygon in the middle of its attempt to fight back. This battle was getting a little too rough to handle, and things might have gotten worse if Elijah didn't do something.

"Epoch, get out of there!"

The Porygon floated back to Elijah, responding to his request to flee from what looked like a losing battle. It smelled awful, probably from the Trubbish stinking up the place, but he'd save getting to the bottom of that one for after he dealt with the cleanup. Both of them needed to regroup, and fast—Elijah didn't know how far that gas was going to spread, and those Rattata were still tenaciously attacking the poor Trubbish. He turned to the supplies that he had just grabbed from the shed and set his backpack down next to them, beginning to think about what he could use to help calm things down.

Shovel? No, bludgeoning a Pokémon into submission was the last thing that he wanted to do right now. Sitrus Berry? What good was healing someone if they were just going to get steamrolled anyway? Poké Ball? That would probably make whoever it hit even angrier, and he was not in the market for a teammate that absolutely hated his guts. No matter what angle he approached the situation from, Elijah couldn't really think of anything in the midst of all the chaos, but if he didn't do something fast, then the trash wouldn't be the only thing taken out today.

It seemed like letting Epoch keep going was the best plan of action, but not without some preparation. Elijah handed one of the Sitrus Berries that he grabbed earlier to Epoch (who was somehow able to hold it), and started thinking about how it could defend itself. From what he saw on his Pokédex, the only way it could deal any sort of damage was through a mere tackle, so he had to make sure that it was strong enough to do some damage. He also needed to make sure that the Porygon could handle whatever was in that gas, so maybe using one of those "conversion" moves was in order?

"Okay, let's try another Sharpen and Tackle. If you get hit by the poison, use Conversion 2 so that you aren't weak to it," Elijah ordered his Pokémon, throwing his surprisingly useful gadget back into his pocket. Dissatisfied with his plans but accepting that this was probably all that he could do without endangering himself, he watched Epoch move back towards the battleground with bated breath.

 

[TheKnightsFury]

blu3shift- With the Trubbish emitting a possibly harmful Poison Gas, you decide to call Epoch away for a moment. Its a smart play, as the gas spreads quickly and quickly consumes both of the Rattata, concealing them and the Trubbish from view, for now at least. This gives you a moment to consider your options. Whacking the Rattata with the shovel was a bad idea, catching them was likewise out of the question. Epoch was the only solution here but with its limited attacking options the Porygon would have trouble dispatching them quickly. You decided to stick with it, giving the programmed Pokemon a Sitrus Berry to hold should his health drop to dire levels. It sharpens some more as the Poison Gas begins to dissipate, boosting its attack further.

Once the Rattata are back in view, Epoch rushes in to deal with them once more. The first Rattata the Porygon strikes is already looking rather unwell, the Poison flushing through its system already beginning to take its toll. It doesn't take the hit standing still however as Tackle clashes with Tackle. Epoch's attack boosts prove the diverse as he quickly overpowers the rat, driving it into the dirt. It struggles to regain its feet and as it does, it decides this fight isn't worth its time anymore. It turns and scampers away, shaking violently every few steps as the poison takes hold.

Epoch gained 2 levels!

The other Ratatta is a different story. While Epoch was dispatching its friend, it has been busy further troubling the Trubbish. It appeared to be suffering from poison as well, although it was handling it remarkably well. Perhaps it just had more GUTS than its friend? It bites the Trubbish, tearing at its already damaged bag. As the bag tears, some Acid Sprays from the wound, dousing the Rattata, weakening it somewhat. Epoch would have to be careful dealing with this Rattata, it looked like it could deal some real damage!

 

[Alpine64]

​

Downtown is the bustling financial center of New Fizz City and its most urbanized area, with historically laidback zoning restrictions giving rise to the tallest high-rises in the city. The biggest, busiest and most crowded area in the city, downtown it is a hive of activity for both shoppers and businesspeople alike; even if you're not mesmerized by the city's soaring skyscrapers and monuments, you'll be blown away by its flourishing arts, food, and fashion scenes. From famed museums and art galleries to world class sporting venues, you could live a lifetime and not experience all the amazing things downtown has to offer.

Amity Gardens: Spanning hundreds of acres, Amity Gardens is a popular meeting point among tourists and locals alike, offering much needed respite from the city hustle and bustle. The gardens make up for the city’s lack of green space and then some, boasting botanicals from around the world and a number of artificial lakes where swimming and fishing are permitted. Although urban Pokemon often spill out into the park, Amity Gardens boasts a more rural assortment of Pokemon found nowhere else in the city. ​

Alan walked along the streets of the Downtown. He was amazed at the pure size of the district. Since he had never exited Lavaridge Town before coming to New Fizz City, he had never actually experienced city life. This caused him to feel quite anxious, but excited. Alan had no idea where to go first. There was however a certain building caught his eye, the Battle Tower

"Talon, we're gonna train up to battle there." Alan pointed at the tower since Talon was walking along side him. The Torchic seemed happier than usual which is to be expected since they were in a new place for once. He decided to put Talon back in it's ball and walked along the streets of the district. After a while, he ended up in the Amity Gardens since he was just wandering around without anywhere he wanted to go. Alan sat down in the grass. He then released Torchic and patted it's head.

"Do you like this place?" The Torchic jumped multiple times and begun running around the garden. Alan smiled and watched it. It bumped into a few people since it wasn't watching where it was going. Alan just sat there and took in the fresh air. There wasn't much pure fresh air when he lived in Lavaridge since it was so close to Mt. Chimney. Getting distracted by the garden itself, he lost track of Talon.

"Talon? Where are you? Come back!" Alan begun walking around, slightly panicked. Something pecked at his on of his legs. It was Talon.

"Hey, don't make me worry like that. I think you should go back in your ball." He then returned Talon to it's ball before sighing and walking around the garden again

 

[TheKnightsFury]

Alpine64- You'd already set yourself a goal to achieve in New Fizz City. You pointed out the Battle Tower to your Torchic, expressing your intentions to battle there once you were strong enough. You weren't going to get strong enough just by walking around though, you needed to do some training. Amity Park was a good a place as any to get some training in. There were wild Pokemon here and where there were wild Pokemon, there were sure to be other trainers. Your calves ache as you surge up a hill, but once you reach the top you find yourself with a great view of the sporting field below. While it didn't appear to be in use for a particular sport at the moment, a small group have gathered in the middle, eyes fixed on a battle that is currently taking place.

You walk down onto the field, watching the battle as you get closer. A scrawny young teen in baggy clothes commands his Pokemon, a Scraggy, as it makes quick work of his opponent's Zigzagoon. A Low Kick sweeps the Normal type of its feet and it doesn't rise from its position. One member of the crowd, an elderly gentleman, raises his arm towards the young boy, declaring him the winner. A young girl rushes out to scoop up her unconscious partner, before quickly rushing away with tears in her eyes. The boy smirks as Scraggy returns to his side, offering his trainer a fist bump which he readily accepts.

"Alright whose next?" The boy calls out to the crowd, "that's two wins in a row for me today, who wants to help me get a hat trick?" He looks around, eyes searching for his next opponent. Then he spots you. "You there, Stretch, can that Torchic of yours fight or what?" It seems you've been called out, would you accept the challenge, this kid's Scraggy seems formidable.

 

[blu3shift]

blu3shift- With the Trubbish emitting a possibly harmful Poison Gas, you decide to call Epoch away for a moment. Its a smart play, as the gas spreads quickly and quickly consumes both of the Rattata, concealing them and the Trubbish from view, for now at least. This gives you a moment to consider your options. Whacking the Rattata with the shovel was a bad idea, catching them was likewise out of the question. Epoch was the only solution here but with its limited attacking options the Porygon would have trouble dispatching them quickly. You decided to stick with it, giving the programmed Pokemon a Sitrus Berry to hold should his health drop to dire levels. It sharpens some more as the Poison Gas begins to dissipate, boosting its attack further.

Once the Rattata are back in view, Epoch rushes in to deal with them once more. The first Rattata the Porygon strikes is already looking rather unwell, the Poison flushing through its system already beginning to take its toll. It doesn't take the hit standing still however as Tackle clashes with Tackle. Epoch's attack boosts prove the diverse as he quickly overpowers the rat, driving it into the dirt. It struggles to regain its feet and as it does, it decides this fight isn't worth its time anymore. It turns and scampers away, shaking violently every few steps as the poison takes hold.

Epoch gained 2 levels!

The other Ratatta is a different story. While Epoch was dispatching its friend, it has been busy further troubling the Trubbish. It appeared to be suffering from poison as well, although it was handling it remarkably well. Perhaps it just had more GUTS than its friend? It bites the Trubbish, tearing at its already damaged bag. As the bag tears, some Acid Sprays from the wound, dousing the Rattata, weakening it somewhat. Epoch would have to be careful dealing with this Rattata, it looked like it could deal some real damage!

Epoch handled its next set of actions like it was nothing, crashing into one of the Rattata after sharpening itself once again. Elijah inwardly cheered as the rat fled, having held up his own against a Pokémon for the first time. Soon enough, he'd be able to do this without even batting an eye, the thought of mastering something that he didn't even know that he could handle prior to today exciting him. The other Rattata, however, was going to prove to be a bit more of a challenge; it looked tenacious enough to not go down without a fight. Elijah was about to order Epoch to attack again when he heard two beeps ring from his pocket. What was going on with his Pokédex? Curious, he took it out from his pocket and tapped on a flashing symbol that he hadn't noticed before.

↩ BATTLE LOG
-------------
[ ^ View earlier logs ^ ]
Epoch's Trace copied TRUBBISH's Stench!
Epoch used Sharpen!
Epoch used Tackle!
RATTATA flinched!
RATTATA was poisoned!
Epoch gained 2 levels!
Epoch is now at level 7.
RATTATA's Guts boosted its Attack!

...Huh. Guess I should really pay more attention to this thing, Elijah pondered, looking over the "battle log" that was on the screen. Not only did it explain why Epoch smelled awful, but it was also telling him what his opponents were up to and giving him a heads up whenever his Pokémon were getting stronger. He'd probably keep tabs on it in the future whenever he found himself in the middle of a heated battle. Another line of text popped up at the bottom of the log, prompting Elijah to keep reading.

Epoch learned Psybeam!

What the hey?! Wasn't that move, like, insanely powerful or something? Elijah pulled up Epoch's move list just to make sure that he wasn't hallucinating, and sure enough, the Psychic-type move was sitting there at the bottom like it was your average everyday attack that every Trainer knew that Porygon could learn. It kind of felt like cheating, and he wasn't entirely comfortable with that, but an attack was an attack, and it was probably the best option that he had to finish off the other Rattata. He figured that it would be safer, too—with every move that the Trubbish was making, it was becoming way more dangerous to stick with close-quarters combat.

"Epoch, use Psybeam on that last Rattata!" Elijah yelled, pumped but ready to end the fight. All this litter wasn't going to clean itself up, after all.