Shalin Nariya
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Cowgirl
Mythstar
Posts: 461
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Dawn Gorsuch
OOC Username: RaikouRider
Arena Points: 26
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Post by Shalin Nariya on Aug 13, 2024 16:28:20 GMT 9
The two party slots indefinitely filled by Shalin's missing Pokémon limited her to effectively carrying four with her at a time. The CURSE status was a reminder of the horrors of her time in the MIDAS CORPORATION BUILDING in Ostellia, two of her favorite Pokémon effectively gone forever. She wasn't getting Reynir and Nymris back. As she walked toward NOONLIGHT SHRINE, already missing riding her Pheromosa, she looked at the tooltip for her ailment:
Wait, was she reading that correctly? Not only would she have to give up a Pokémon, but she could never own a Pokémon of that line ever again? That made the decision all the more miserable. Her starter was absolutely out of the question.
To give the rest of her team a chance at life, she had to end the life of one of her current Pokémon... or release it into the care of the Noonlight Shrine. Clicking open the Poké Balls containing her Phanpy, Tropius, and Yanma, all three of them cuddled around her as soon as they saw how blue she was. "All of you... I'm so sorry. But circumstances have forced me to say goodbye to one of you... forever," she sniffed.
OPEN {Party}Flit the Yanma (Levels: 3/3/3)
Saria the Bulbasaur (Levels: 3/3/3)
Ellie the Phanpy (Levels: 1/1/1)
Reynir the G!Ponyta (Levels: 1/1/1) Cond: X-ZONE
Nymris the Pheromosa (Levels: 3/3/3) Cond: X-ZONE
Dondon the Tropius (Levels: -/-/-)
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Alicia Westfield
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Player Character
Posts: 725
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Helen Rose
OOC Username: AzureGhidorah
Arena Points: 12
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Post by Alicia Westfield on Aug 18, 2024 15:04:14 GMT 9
”I thought I might find you here…”Alicia honestly wasn’t sure if she’d be wanted at this moment. The means through which she’d parted ways with most of the folks who had joined the ill-fated Midas Corp expedition was… not exactly pleasant. She’d been drunk on desperation and rage. Clawing towards anything that could give her the means to reclaim what was lost. She worried that she might have accidentally burnt bridges she wanted to keep around. That was what blind hatred did. And succumbing to it for even a bit could have dire consequences. ”I guess… whatever curse you got hit with was even worse than it first seemed…?” Alicia asked with concern. If it was simple and completely reversible, then Shalin wouldn’t be this deep in the dumps… ”Whatever little it’s worth… I’ll… try to help…”——————————————————————— {Party}Tikani (Bayleef) [3/3/4]
Giyun (Duraludon) [3/3/4]
Pearl (G!Ponyta) [3/3/3]
Sylvene (Pidgeotto) [3/3/3]
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Shalin Nariya
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Cowgirl
Mythstar
Posts: 461
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Dawn Gorsuch
OOC Username: RaikouRider
Arena Points: 26
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Post by Shalin Nariya on Aug 19, 2024 11:32:14 GMT 9
"It's awful," Shalin sobbed, all three of her Pokémon beady-eyed. "Way more awful than you think." They were some of her first friends she had made in UNOVR, and today, she would have to make an impossible decision: parting with one, for it to never journey with her again. "Thanks... I'll try to fill you in." She was visibly shaking, breathing in and out as she tried to put it into words that wouldn't completely traumatize both of them.
"So the curse completely prevents character advancement until I... Exalt or Sacrifice a Pokémon at a Shrine," she continued to shed tears, perhaps a little hard to understand. "How familiar are you with those two events?"
Alicia Westfield {Party}Flit the Yanma (Levels: 3/3/3)
Saria the Bulbasaur (Levels: 3/3/3)
Ellie the Phanpy (Levels: 1/1/1)
Reynir the G!Ponyta (Levels: 1/1/1) Cond: X-ZONE
Nymris the Pheromosa (Levels: 3/3/3) Cond: X-ZONE
Dondon the Tropius (Levels: -/-/-)
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Alicia Westfield
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Player Character
Posts: 725
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Helen Rose
OOC Username: AzureGhidorah
Arena Points: 12
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Post by Alicia Westfield on Aug 20, 2024 2:19:29 GMT 9
The words Shalin spoke hit her like a sledgehammer. She was stuck? Completely? And the only way to break it was to cast one of her friends away? How did anyone make that kind of choice, after seeing how much personality the Pokemon of UNOVR could have? ”Oh Shalin…”
Two of her Pokeballs shook vigorously, before bursting open on its own. Tikani materialized from one of the released energy bursts, nuzzling up to Alicia wordlessly while sending a regretful and understanding look Shalin’s way. Giyun emerged from the other, standing with them in solidarity. She and Giyun had felt Tikani’s loss the most keenly. And Tikani herself felt the pangs of regret at seeing how bad things had been in the wake of her passing. The pinkette clenched her eyes shut, leaning into the Bayleef as she thought about what little she did know.
”I’m only familiar with what can be read about the two options in various material, and just that was enough to convince me to never do it. Not without… well, being in your shoes right now at least, having no choice but to do so. I don’t know how much you’ve looked into it yourself. What I do know is that Exalting is a permanent affair. The Pokemon’s alive, but answers to the Legendary the Shrine is associated with.” Alicia began, glancing towards the nearby Noonlight Shrine. With the great flaming bird roosting nearby, watching over those who approached, how could anyone miss it? ”Moltres in this case, as you can see.”
… Did she continue on this train of thought? Unaware of the severity of the curse’s final stigma, she chose to do so. ”Sacrificing is inherently more traumatic. Death always is. But do you remember the place I mentioned, way back when we first met? The Everworld? You can actually go there and meet with its caretaker, Seta. I don’t know exactly what criteria you have to pass to gain its recognition, but you can ask it for a chance to reunite with one of your Pokemon that’s died. I had to do it once… I’d lost Tikani a while back, and desperately entered the Everworld seeking the chance to reclaim her spirit.”
”My own memories of that time are fuzzy and fragmented…” Tikani chimed in at last. ”… but I remember feeling a sense of terror for Alicia. Aspects emerged in the trial nearly broke her. While it’s possible, clearly, it is… harrowing.”
”Not denying that…” Alicia finished, nodding. ”Seta’s Trial is… heavy. It’s not something that can or should be undertaken lightly. But the heavier the trial… the greater the potential afterwards. Our time in the Everworld is why Tikani has Electro Drift as one of her abilities now.”
If only she knew… that a Trial wasn’t an option here…
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Shalin Nariya
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Cowgirl
Mythstar
Posts: 461
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Dawn Gorsuch
OOC Username: RaikouRider
Arena Points: 26
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Post by Shalin Nariya on Aug 20, 2024 5:38:03 GMT 9
Shalin listened to Alicia's understanding of the two options she had for unlocking her character growth, and neither were pleasant. Her eyes shifted toward the great Moltres soaring high above the sky, in defiance of UNOVR's height limit. "So I'll at least be able to visit them once they've been Exalted... when I come back to the Shrine."
Alicia's story of her harrowing journey through the Everworld made Shalin's skin tingle. "I... I don't think I could go through that," she frowned. "But what you're saying is... there's a hope I could get my Pokémon back... the guarantee of seeing my Pokémon again but never being able to adventure with them. Or perhaps never seeing them again, but having a chance to recover them..." she couldn't seem to string thoughts together. It was all so much.
That it straight-up broke a spirit as strong as Alicia made Shalin want to Exalt a Pokémon instead. Little did she know that if she went that route, she would get to experience both.
"I need some time to think about it and talk it over with my team," was her response to the Gardener. "Because if there was a glitch to cheat death, it had been patched long ago."
Alicia Westfield {Party}Flit the Yanma (Levels: 3/3/3)
Saria the Bulbasaur (Levels: 3/3/3)
Ellie the Phanpy (Levels: 1/1/1)
Reynir the G!Ponyta (Levels: 1/1/1) Cond: X-ZONE
Nymris the Pheromosa (Levels: 3/3/3) Cond: X-ZONE
Dondon the Tropius (Levels: -/-/-)
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Alicia Westfield
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Player Character
Posts: 725
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Helen Rose
OOC Username: AzureGhidorah
Arena Points: 12
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Post by Alicia Westfield on Aug 20, 2024 13:03:25 GMT 9
Alicia nodded softly. ”Maybe it’d be different for you. I didn’t exactly get to pick from a list of Trials. And from the sound of what I’d seen elsewhere, some are easier than others. But I can understand not wanting to take that risk.”It was something she hoped she’d never have to do again. Once was harsh enough. She couldn’t imagine two, three, or more… How much could someone change before they were just… incapable of appeasing Seta’s requirements? Eventually certain rhetorics would become tired, even if they remained heartfelt. ”Take every second you need. This decision should never be made lightly. Something will change, one way or another, irrevocably.” she finished when Shalin asked for time. It would’ve been especially true if she Sacrificed. Seta’s words were unforgettable. Nothing Leaves The Everworld Unchanged. It was certainly true for the Pokemon. Alicia was willing to bet it was true for the people as well. Just far more subtle. Would she recognize herself if she went through too many Trials? That was a chilling thought… ——————————————————————— {Party}Tikani (Bayleef) [3/3/4]
Giyun (Duraludon) [3/3/4]
Pearl (G!Ponyta) [3/3/3]
Sylvene (Pidgeotto) [3/3/3] |
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Alkaid
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Player Character
Posts: 544
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Laurence Anderson
OOC Username: Akivili
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Alkaid on Aug 21, 2024 10:54:11 GMT 9
Huh.
What was up at this place? He’d come by for a quick visit only instead saw not one, but two familiar visages… and one of them just happened to be the person he was looking for!
Hoping that they wouldn’t mind an intrusion from yet another visitor, he would quietly join them; but not before giving Alicia Westfield a bonk on the head the moment he was close enough.
“That was for what happened at the building, idiota,” he would say in her direction as quietly as he could before the air… the heavy air of the immediate surroundings would wash over him as well.
He was hoping to meet Shalin Nariya somewhere a little more private; but seeing as the object of the topic that he wanted to bring up was here, he would decide to do that somewhere else.
“Let me guess. This also has something to do with what happened in that cursed office building,” he would pick out. Close enough, he guessed.
(And yet for some strange reason, the wound on the back of his right hand began stirring once again.)
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Shalin Nariya
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Cowgirl
Mythstar
Posts: 461
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Dawn Gorsuch
OOC Username: RaikouRider
Arena Points: 26
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Post by Shalin Nariya on Aug 21, 2024 15:20:24 GMT 9
Nothing leaves the Everworld unchanged. Not even people. Shalin liked the way she was. Would a trip to the Everworld change her, too? "You're absolutely right. Not just about the Pokémon I select, but the fate I consign them to, as well," she replied, her fingers over the Poké Balls containing her three remaining partners.
As Alkaid tromped toward the Noonlight Shrine, the rap on Alicia's head snapped Shalin out of the trance she was in. "Hey, Alkaid ," she weakly waved to the redhead. "Yes, It's about that. The curse. I already told Alicia, but I'll tell you too. The curse completely locks me out of character growth until I Exalt or Sacrifice one of the Pokémon I had before I went to Midas," she explained. "No experience, no BYTES, no shopping. I'm completely frozen."
Her head tilted back toward Alicia as she gave Dondon a hug. "And I didn't tell you the worst part. Whichever Pokémon I exalt or sacrifice, I can't acquire another Pokémon of that evolution line by any means. That's also part of why it's so hard." Twiddling the three Poké Balls she had among her fingers, she grabbed the small dragonfly's, withdrawing him. "It's not Flit. After what happened in the Whimsical Woods, Alicia... I can't bear to give him up. It's got to be one of those two." Ellie and Dondon both started bawling, afraid of possibly never seeing Shalin again...
Alicia Westfield {Party}Flit the Yanma (Levels: 3/3/3)
Saria the Bulbasaur (Levels: 3/3/3)
Ellie the Phanpy (Levels: 1/1/1)
Reynir the G!Ponyta (Levels: 1/1/1) Cond: X-ZONE
Nymris the Pheromosa (Levels: 3/3/3) Cond: X-ZONE
Dondon the Tropius (Levels: -/-/-)
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Alicia Westfield
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Player Character
Posts: 725
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Helen Rose
OOC Username: AzureGhidorah
Arena Points: 12
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Post by Alicia Westfield on Aug 22, 2024 3:42:05 GMT 9
Alicia looked on, wondering about what she could say. How could she possibly help in this sit- ”Pff-HMPH!” came the strangled half-cry, half-gurgle as she felt a fist impact with the back of her skull. Instinctively raising her hands to cover the now-tender skin, she glanced over at Alkaid and grimaced. No need to raise a fuss. After all… she did deserve it… Unable to meet the man’s eyes, she turned her gaze towards the earth. Ruminating on the final moments once more with his arrival. Hidden as it was by her reluctance to show her face now, no one would notice the brief moment in which her right eye would turn yellow with a black sclera… a Wicked Eye even she had no knowledge existed within her currently. She then winced and groaned, changing from merely shying from Alkaid’s presence to actually seeming to have a headache. By the time she had recovered, she had blinked twice with the first dispelling the dark distortion. But it would be strange all the same to her. For Like Called To Like. Then her mind was locked onto another topic. The Curse had one final aspect with which to torment Shalin with. That she could never use that evolution line again. ”Oh Arceus… don’t Sacrifice then. If the Curse is going that far… even Seta might not be able to return your Pokemon to you.”It was at least good to know one of the three that Shalin had assembled was safe. But that was no cause for celebration. Knowing that you weren’t the one selected just meant that you had to have a friend ripped from your side instead. Alicia didn’t know exactly how much Shalin had bonded with her team. But the tears in the eyes of the Tropius and Phanpy were indication that they’d bonded enough… ——————————————————————— {Party}Tikani (Bayleef) [3/3/4]
Giyun (Duraludon) [3/3/4]
Pearl (G!Ponyta) [3/3/3]
Sylvene (Pidgeotto) [3/3/3] Shalin Nariya Alkaid |
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Alkaid
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Player Character
Posts: 544
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Laurence Anderson
OOC Username: Akivili
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Alkaid on Aug 22, 2024 11:12:38 GMT 9
While he was familiar with the notions of exalting—having witnessed some of his guild mates ‘back home’ do it prior to the ‘main event’ that turned their server to shit, well…
He was sorely tempted to ask Shalin Nariya if she deliberately chose one of the game settings that was meant for hardcore players (he knew of at least a few members of Capolavoro who had gone to that particular extreme to make their own gameplay a unique experience in and on itself—he was not one of those) because…
The way she’d described what had happened when she’d received the curse sounded hauntingly familiar to that gameplay ‘mode’ that Alcor (and secretly, Dubhe) had imposed upon themselves while they were still running around, providing their services to the other stronger Italian guilds.
His only question he would direct to the greenette.
“Did you get some sort of an item when you received that curse?”
For some strange, unknown reason he felt the flesh on the back of his right hand twitch; twitch much like that prickly sensation that spread from the tips of his fingers upward when he was… close to Alicia Westfield.
“The… the decision would be yours, and yours alone. Although… if it’s some consolation—I think you still have a chance to communicate with your Pokémon should you choose the option to exalt them.”
(He hadn’t gone that far when it came to that particular gameplay option; due to his specialty as a Tank and Support—him requiring as many Pokémon as possible on him in order to protect and resurrect.)
The urge to scratch at the back of his right hand wouldn’t stop bothering him, and absently he would begin to unwind the roughly-wrapped bandage that hid the wound beneath it. For a few seconds, he thought he saw the flesh bubble on it—or was that just his imagination?
(Or was it ‘the Beast’, sensing the presence of another so close by?)
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Shalin Nariya
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Cowgirl
Mythstar
Posts: 461
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Dawn Gorsuch
OOC Username: RaikouRider
Arena Points: 26
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Post by Shalin Nariya on Aug 22, 2024 12:09:11 GMT 9
Shalin's eyebrows raised at Alkaid 's curious question. "I...did," she answered. "It's this tome that, from what I understand, lets me make one Almighty attack per--" she stopped as she heard the impact of the redhead's fist against the back of Alicia Westfield 's head. Even in the pain of the subdual attack, the Gardener was as serious as ever. That warning was all it took to convince Shalin that she could not take a trip to the Everworld. Little she she know how soon she would be back there.
With a heavy heart, she also withdrew Dondon. Ellie, upon seeing this, loudly roared with her trunk before breaking into tears. "Ellie, I'm so sorry, but...I have to release you into the service of the Noonlight Shrine." She, too, sobbed, embracing the ground-type that was too heavy for her to lift. Ellie did her best to wrap her trunk around Shalin's arm, as if to give her one last farewell. "I promise I'll stop by to see you!"
With that, the Beta Tester walked forward at minimum speed toward the Shrine, Ellie already in front of her. She would make it to the altar well before her trainer would.
Alicia Westfield Alkaid{Party}Flit the Yanma (Levels: 3/3/3)
Saria the Bulbasaur (Levels: 3/3/3)
Ellie the Phanpy (Levels: 1/1/1)
Reynir the G!Ponyta (Levels: 1/1/1) Cond: X-ZONE
Nymris the Pheromosa (Levels: 3/3/3) Cond: X-ZONE
Dondon the Tropius (Levels: -/-/-)
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Alicia Westfield
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Player Character
Posts: 725
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Helen Rose
OOC Username: AzureGhidorah
Arena Points: 12
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Post by Alicia Westfield on Aug 23, 2024 2:34:15 GMT 9
Casting an odd glance towards Alkaid after her headache passed. Much like him, she’d made the connection that it seemed to have occurred in his presence. Given how things had gone the last time something odd like this happened… she was excessively concerned. But she didn’t dare voice it right now. The atmosphere was heavy enough with Shalin’s upcoming Exaltation. She agreed with a lot of what Alkaid was saying at the moment. Though she was curious about the question regarding an item. As well as concerned by the fact Shalin pulled out a book that looked suspiciously familiar. Briefly, a dark song would rise again as Shalin unveiled her tome, emanating from Alicia’s own pack. Until the pinkette drove her fist into the pack harshly, shutting up whatever it was. ”Ignore that, please.” Alicia insisted. ”We have other things to address first.”Then Shalin made her gut-wrenching call. With the Tropius disappearing back into his Pokeball, all that was left was the understandably distraught Phanpy. Alicia grimaced, kneeling down and folding her hands in her lap. The walk Shalin made towards the Shrine to conduct the Exaltation felt like a funeral procession… ——————————————————————— {Party}Tikani (Bayleef) [3/3/4]
Giyun (Duraludon) [3/3/4]
Pearl (G!Ponyta) [3/3/3]
Sylvene (Pidgeotto) [3/3/3] |
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Alkaid
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Player Character
Posts: 544
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Laurence Anderson
OOC Username: Akivili
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Alkaid on Aug 23, 2024 12:41:34 GMT 9
The moment they started talking about a ‘book’ (or to be correct, it was a ‘ledger’, but don’t tell them that) the same ‘bubbling sensation’ flashed across the back of his right hand. He—he would voice his concerns about the item later, because the greenette had made her choice.
He knew, somehow, that this choice would weigh down on her forevermore; all things considered.
He’d witnessed enough of how the exaltation ritual went back in the European server to know how this went; however doing it the first time always hit something different no matter the circumstance.
(He remembered being Dubhe’s exaltation witness when the idiot did it the first time. As to why they chose him, and not Mizar, their eternally-glued to the hip companion—was anyone’s guess. Maybe Mizar had been against the idea?)
He had little to say as the greenette went towards the shrine—noticeably moving at the slowest speed possible, because the feeling of dread, of saying goodbye (not forever, but just for the moment—but he was sure she didn’t know about that) and setting them ‘free’ would always strike a chord within him.
(He remembered just how many times he’d been witness to this ritual… and that was a lot, all things considered. He remembered that he was the witness to Aldebaran’s last exaltation before their guild leader had gotten banned and he was named de facto leader in their place after that happened… some things never did come easy, even if you were used to doing the motions.)
He would turn to the pinkette this time, eyebrows raised in confusion at her sudden gesture while waiting for the greenette to return.
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Shalin Nariya
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Cowgirl
Mythstar
Posts: 461
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Dawn Gorsuch
OOC Username: RaikouRider
Arena Points: 26
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Post by Shalin Nariya on Aug 24, 2024 8:32:13 GMT 9
As the sphere of Corruption surrounding Shalin faded, it was replaced with one of gleaming moonlight, illuminating her as a triumphant fanfare played. Just as she was going to green Alicia Westfield and Alkaid once more, a flurry of messages covered her entire UI, making it nearly impossible to see them. She looked overwhelmed. Were her friends to have formally partied with her, they would see the same thing. No fewer than thirty level-up messages.
Information> Shalin regained 775 BYTES!
Information> Shalin regained 1,060 Exp. Points!
Information> Shalin was elevated to level 5.
All of a sudden, multiple Poké Balls on Shalin's belt started glowing a brilliant white, the energy within so great that the Pokémon inside forced them open. White silhouettes of a Weedle, Bulbasaur, and Purrloin materialized in front of the girl, all three of them undergoing evolution simultaneously. With the newly-evolved Kakuna unable to move, Saria wrapped her larger vines around her and brought her to her trainer. Balan looked proud of his new form, but still as unfriendly as ever. Saria, on the other hand, tickled Shalin's cheek with one vine as she cuddled her Kakuna, making sure to keep the bug-type's underside away from any of her exposed skin. Even while pupating, Kakuna had a dangerous sting to them!
"These must be all the purchases I had pending when I got cursed," Shalin sobbed, this time in joy. "You're all starting to grow up now! Thank you so much for helping me through this." She turned away from Alkaid and Alicia Westfield , unsure where they were due to the blinding number of messages still scrolling by.
Alicia Westfield Alkaid {Party}Queen Zing the Kakuna (Levels: 3/3/3)
Saria the Ivysaur (Levels: 3/3/3)
Reynir the G!Ponyta (Levels: 1/1/1) Cond: X-ZONE
Nymris the Pheromosa (Levels: 3/3/3) Cond: X-ZONE
Balan the Liepard (Levels: 3/3/3)
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Alicia Westfield
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Player Character
Posts: 725
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Helen Rose
OOC Username: AzureGhidorah
Arena Points: 12
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Post by Alicia Westfield on Aug 24, 2024 19:35:02 GMT 9
The thing about UNOVR, Alicia had discovered on a meetup with Torino, was that the party system was almost overly responsive. Even if they hadn’t partied up before, a simple thought from both sides considering it was sometimes enough to make the invite and acceptation of party creation. So Alicia at least was bombarded second-hand by all the messages Shalin was getting. And each one carried a bitter, fanged dagger through the heart in her opinion. The price Shalin had to pay to get them was… harsh. Undoubtedly so. Too harsh even. Alicia herself wasn’t sure if she could have stomached doing it, even as far as she’d already gotten. ”Seems like it…” Alicia mused with a grimace. How could she approach this…? ”I’m not sure how much Alkaid and I did. But if we did help in any way, then you’re welcome… I just wish there had been another option.”Could they have done something about it if one of them had the Catalyst class? She’d been interested in it on and off ever since her wild and furious choice… And speaking of that, she took the chance to leave Shalin a bit with the distracting messages. Walking over to Alkaid, she grimaced and squeezed her eyes shut. Not wanting to worry Shalin with what had happened, she whispered so only the man she had wronged could hear her. ”For what little it’s worth… I’m sorry. It was just too soon… and I just wanted to lash out at everything. When you grabbed me, I couldn’t resist the wretched desire to take some of my anger out on you. You don’t have to forgive me. I’m not asking for that. But I am sorry for what I did…”——————————————————————— {Party}Tikani (Bayleef) [3/3/4]
Giyun (Duraludon) [3/3/4]
Pearl (G!Ponyta) [3/3/3]
Sylvene (Pidgeotto) [3/3/3] Shalin Nariya Alkaid |
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