[ti]closed[/ti][C/Alkaid][Spawn] A Foxy Trek

Shalin refused to believe that desire sensors existed within the coding of video games. A machine running code did not care how badly someone wanted the specific outcome they were looking for. It was a gambler's fallacy; all one could do was continue to search until the Pokémon showed up. Even amidst the frustration of the search, she was having fun getting to know Nymris better!

Dizziness set in more intensely than it did the first time Nymris buzzed the glitch hunter. As much as she loved being thrown around faster than the eye could see, it was still tiring even on reduced thresholds -- both on the body from the extreme motion, and on the eyes. Even with them closed tightly, the rapidly-shifting background was almost like a strobe light while the wings were churning.

"I... might have to do the rest of the hunt on foot soon," the Beta Tester sheepishly admitted. That second wave of vibrations looked like it had taken more out of her than the first. As she trained with Nymris more, she imagined she would get better at it, but it was hard to imagine what she could even do to improve. The motion was simply too fast for the human eye to track!

Reluctantly, Shalin agreed with Alkaid 's assessment. "This is why I want to get some more experience under my belt," she sighed as she slid down from Nymris' wing, though she let the Pheromosa continue to wander. She stumbled upon landing on her own two feet, though she did not faceplant into the grassy ground. "It's part of the reason why I'm looking for a Vulpix. Take it to the Arena, evolve it, get a Huge Seal from the Arena, and you've got one quick and reliable ride." A bit unusual, but fast and functional. That and she wouldn't have to worry about being rocked seemingly at random.

Nodding, Shalin turned to face the same direction her companion was. "Probably. Hey, there's another patch of Tall Grass on the other side of those trees," she pointed. "Maybe we'll have better luck there." Nymris lagged behind, making sure the Foongus wouldn't be getting back up after a quick LUNGE that would have hurled Shalin off at her current skill level. She needed to do some work if she wanted to seriously look into combat riding!

"I am," Shalin answered. "As you're no doubt aware, Vulpix come in two varieties, and I'd like to raise both. You should think about getting a Huge Seal for yours, too. Queue up in the Arena. Win or lose, you still get Arena Points." As of yet, she hadn't queued up against randoms. She was afraid of people misrepresenting their rank and not having good matches, one way or the other. Mostly on the side of being swept due to a level disadvantage.

Before Shalin could further respond, a Jigglypuff had jumped her. Armed with a microphone, a pen, and the initiative, the fairy-type began to SING one of the most effective lullabies known in UNOVR. Having worn herself out from absorbing her Pheromosa's powerful vibrations, she quickly dozed off -- her Pokémon following her into dream land within seconds.

By the time Shalin had aroused, she was in a completely different part of the Grove. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself in Alkaid 's arms. "Where... where am I?" she asked, Nymris nowhere to be found. When she checked her party status, she noticed the Pheromosa was asleep and in his Poké Ball.

Oncs she was fully conscious, the girl shook her head. "Thanks for the save, but do you mind putting me down? I'm probably gonna have to walk the rest of the way at this rate."

"Wow, they sure are aggressive out here," Shalin gasped, still appreciative that the redhead was there to save her and prevent her from blacking out while asleep. "I'll need to be sure to keep my eyes open and flee from them as soon as I see them."

Once she was back on her feet, Shalin clicked open a Poké Ball, this one containing Flit, a Yanma that circled Shalin in a noisy buzz before landing near her. "What's up?" she asked the bug-type, who was quick to face a wild Deerling and charge at its face with mandibles wide open and ready to deliver a painful BUG BITE.

Shalin shrugged when Alkaid asked whether this would be a good catch for her. "Flit's kind of... made that decision for me!" she sheepishly answered.

It seemed like both of them were disinterested in continuing their current hunt. "That's fair," she sighed as Flit buzzed toward the Deerling, using the vibrations of a WING ATTACK to try to shred its seasonal foliage. Squealing in pain, the grass-type violently heaved to send the Yanma flying into a tree, landing a nasty CRITICAL HIT that left him in dire straits. Without a support Pokémon, Shalin had to bench the flying-type for a second one: Dondon, her Tropius.

"That's right! They evolve into Sawsbuck, but it's at a high level," Shalin answered. "It will be a while, but that makes it all the more sweet when it happens." Her smile widened when Alkaid mentioned a riding-obsessed person. "I...think I know who you're talking about," that smile grew to a smirk.

"Oh, yeah, I know exactly who you're talking about then," Shalin smiled as her Tropius took to the sky, ready to crush the Deerling from above to aid with the capture. She didn't expect to carry in this battle; the Kindler was more adept in fighting against the many grass-type Pokémon of this area. "I enjoy riding, too, but he won't even get off his Pokémon when he's in town. He'll only slide off when the game makes him. It's like he was born in the saddle or something."

Dondon's STOMPS, despite his heavy body, barely nicked the Deerling. She really needed to unlock the rest of her class slots, didn't she? Running around with a bunch of classless Pokémon was asking for trouble. Little did she know that an upcoming patch would do that for her!