Saint
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Weekend Warrior
Round 2
Posts: 386
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Angelo Alvarez
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Saint on May 29, 2023 0:57:59 GMT 9
Saint grunts, head bobbing for a moment as a heavy arm is thrown over his shoulders. He looks up to see the man grinning at him with the world’s most unnerving smile, and finds a shudder crawl up his spine.
“I feel like you’re tricking me into helping you grind,” Saint grumbles despite the fear he feels. There’s something infuriating about this guy—something that reminds him of someone he’d rather not remember.
“Is it really a trick? If I was actually shaking you down, I’d have demanded something rare for the cat,” Kazuki chuckles, eyes narrowing. “And it’s not like you have anyone else around to help you, hm?”
Heat burns over Saint’s face. Logically, he can’t fend for himself against another Duraludon, and there isn’t really—he supposed he could call Verai, but he hadn’t been able to send a friend request to the man, not with how distracted he was, being elated over capturing his Vulpix.
“… Okay.” Saint reaches forward, pressing his finger on the prompt.
YOU HAVE ACCEPTED THE TRADE! PROCESSING...
“Attaboy.” The weight over his shoulders is lifted, but then he gets a smack on his back so hard that he nearly topples over. Kazuki laughs again, saying, “Pleasure doing business with you.”
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Saint
•
Weekend Warrior
Round 2
Posts: 386
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Angelo Alvarez
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Saint on May 29, 2023 0:01:25 GMT 9
KAZUKI WHITED OUT!
The notification blinks on his screen. The Duraludon turns around, finding only one target left to pursue.
“Oh no,” Saint mumbles, before resuming his previous tactic of running the fuck out of the way. The Duraludon screeches, heavy footsteps shaking the earth as it pursues him on chunky, waddling legs, like a terrifying sci-fi version of Barney.
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Saint
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Weekend Warrior
Round 2
Posts: 386
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Angelo Alvarez
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Saint on May 28, 2023 23:43:50 GMT 9
Saint winces as the next hit comes, but somehow Kazuki is still standing. There are wounds and deep lacerations on the man’s body, as well as on his pokemon, but he doesn’t back down, weathering the next hit.
“Again,” he instructs Gumball, bracing himself to dodge the next hit as the popplio prepares to douse the dragon’s side with water once more.
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Saint
•
Weekend Warrior
Round 2
Posts: 386
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Angelo Alvarez
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Saint on May 28, 2023 22:12:42 GMT 9
The Duraludon takes a swing at him, and Saint’s heart just about leaps up his throat. He jumps out of the way, and as the beast moves to turn to him, the other team resumes the onslaught.
“Oi, you! Newbie!” Saint’s head snaps up to where the other trainer—Kazuki, his floating username says—is calling to him from the Duraludon’s back. “Try not to get killed until we get back!”
Get back? “Are you saying you’re about to die?” Saint sputters, wishing sorely that he had been able to teach Gumball how to heal or acquired a pokemon that can do so sooner. “Why do you have to fight it!”
“For the bytes,” Kazuki hisses, before yanking the Duraludon’s head to the side to get its claw away from his combusken.
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Saint
•
Weekend Warrior
Round 2
Posts: 386
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Angelo Alvarez
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Saint on May 28, 2023 21:37:24 GMT 9
Saint winces, pulling Gumball high enough that he covers his chin. That does not look fun. He’s still amazed trainers can even take on the pokemon themselves. This guy must be a maniac.
For whatever damage the pair do against their opponent, the Duraludon acts in kind. Saint doubts they’ll be able to keep it up at this rate. Guilt saturates Saint’s heart, being reminded that his main goal for this journey had been to aid other players in need.
“Gumball, can you try hitting it with water?” He says, moving a little closer. He’s still far enough that he can run if needed, but maybe helping chip its health down could give the other trainer a breather.
Gumball nods determinedly, before opening his mouth to let loose a jet of water.
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Saint
•
Weekend Warrior
Round 2
Posts: 386
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Angelo Alvarez
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Saint on May 28, 2023 21:27:10 GMT 9
He thinks he’s about to have a heart attack. His pulse is in his ears, and he can’t think of anything past RUNRUNRUNRUNRUN. The only upside to this is that the monster’s earthshattering cry had shocked Gumball enough for the popplio to stop, at which point he had scooped him up. Now all he needs is to ensure both he and his starter survive.
CLANK.
The Duraludon’s footsteps suddenly stop. Saint turns, only to see an unfamiliar trainer battling it—with his fists?
“Stop!” He says, concern in his voice. “That’s dangerous! Just run!”
But neither the trainer nor the combusken he’s accompanied by are paying attention, both focused on wearing down the Duraludon’s thick armor.
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Saint
•
Weekend Warrior
Round 2
Posts: 386
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Angelo Alvarez
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Saint on May 28, 2023 21:12:16 GMT 9
The Drilbur thankfully backs off once he manages to put enough distance between them. It sniffs in the air as it watches the chase, glad the human hadn’t tampered with its burrow further, before returning back down to nap.
Saint continues going after Gumball, who at this point has finally landed. Gumball had caught enough airtime to do a somersault, and even with his starter’s penchant for dramatics, he still couldn’t reach him in time to scoop him from the ground.
“I need to get back into running,” Saint mutters, willing himself to run faster before the popplio lands in the crosshairs of something that could harm him.
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Saint
•
Weekend Warrior
Round 2
Posts: 386
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Angelo Alvarez
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Saint on May 28, 2023 21:03:54 GMT 9
Saint stumbles after the blueberry ball that has just catapulted into the air, his eyes wide at the sky and completely missing the launchpad Gumball had used.
The launchpad that, as it turns out, is pissed.
The Drilbur screeches, bursting out of the ground and hitting him in the knee. “Ow! Ow, ow, ow!” Saint tries scrambling out of its way, but the little mole is relentless, hot on his heels as he resumes chasing (limping) after his flying starter. “Sorry! Gumball didn't mean to do that! Now please, I have to go!” spawn reset
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Saint
•
Weekend Warrior
Round 2
Posts: 386
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Angelo Alvarez
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Saint on May 28, 2023 21:00:34 GMT 9
The finish line is within reach. Gumball lets out a victory HONK as he tumbles at top speeds down the incline, but he can see through flitting glances that his trainer is not far behind. Alas, the man is too preoccupied with his rolling performance to notice what’s in store!
“Wh—GUMBALL!”
Or maybe he does!
Gumball laughs as he hits the little jutting stone at the end of the slope, sent careening into the air—to freedom. He spreads out his flippers like wings, backed by the sun peeking out of the storm clouds. Were it not for his trainer’s panicked yelling, there would be applause.
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Saint
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Weekend Warrior
Round 2
Posts: 386
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Angelo Alvarez
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Saint on May 28, 2023 7:56:44 GMT 9
With the defeat and capture of the nidoran, Saint feels a little more confident. Not much, but like 1oz more than what he started with.
Gumball, on the other hand, is absolutely riding this high. He’s rolling down the rugged incline, having escaped Saint’s clutches while his trainer had been preoccupied with the capture. He doesn’t care how young he is! Adventure awaits!
Saint stumbles down the incline, trying to contain his panic. So far, it’s been a pretty clear slope, and if he keeps this up, he’ll be able to capture Gumball right as the little popplio reaches the bottom. ENTERING THE TALL GRASS!
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Saint
•
Weekend Warrior
Round 2
Posts: 386
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Angelo Alvarez
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Saint on May 28, 2023 7:52:22 GMT 9
When they return to the steppes, the nidoran is waiting. It really must be its territory—its hunting ground, perhaps.
Gumball smacks Saint on his arm—“Ow! Hey!”—to make the man let go of him. He lands on the ground perfectly, having been restored to full health after his amazing refreshing nap at the big ol’ waterless watering hole.
Still, it takes Saint a second before he calls out an order for Gumball to use Water Gun, still hesitant to let his starter touch the poison type.
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Saint
•
Weekend Warrior
Round 2
Posts: 386
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Angelo Alvarez
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Saint on May 27, 2023 14:52:59 GMT 9
After hearing rumors about the Tree of Worms, Saint had opted to finally check them out. Having never explored a challenge tower before, he didn’t know what to expect.
He’s about a few minutes in when his leg slips, and the newbie screams as he’s sent tumbling down, the great tree’s roots, his entire path paved by moss, worms, and screaming birds in a sequence befitting of a Rube Goldberg machine, backed by the Benny Hill theme. Landing in the deep level’s pool only sends him further into the belly of the beast, as the flurry of attacks from other tower challengers drags him forcefully to the end.
He gets up on shaking knees, dazed. A massive Pidgeot comes hurtling towards him, death in its eyes, and he panics, tossing out his Vulpix, who pops out of the ball expecting snacks. Saint curses himself, realizing the tiny fox couldn’t possibly endure a head-on collision with this opponent. “Extrasensory!”
In a hasty move, the Vulpix gathers up all her psychic energy—
BOOM!
—only to yelp, sneezing it all out in a burst that shocks the Pidgeot into pivoting straight into the BLOOM DOOM’s kill zone.
VULPIX used EXTRASENSORY! NEXT PROMPT (#101): [Tower]twzDYf6Z1d50 1d50
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Saint
•
Weekend Warrior
Round 2
Posts: 386
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Angelo Alvarez
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Saint on May 25, 2023 22:44:41 GMT 9
It is a very long and painful trek to the nearest shrine. When he tries to head to the shrine supposedly in the steppes, a trainer there informs him that it’s defunct. Hence, why he’s made it here instead.
“I’m sorry, I'm sorry...” he mumbles, cradling Gumball in his arms, sitting at the edge of the abyss. The popplio sleeps peacefully, oblivious to his guilt. He's snuggled up against his jacket, wounds slowly disappearing from his bright blue body. Saint stays there, his legs dangling off the edge, waiting for his friend to heal. He dreads to think of how many more times this has to happen before both of them are strong enough to fend for themselves.
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Saint
•
Weekend Warrior
Round 2
Posts: 386
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Angelo Alvarez
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Saint on May 25, 2023 22:40:13 GMT 9
It hits, doing little to stop the Nidoran from charging again. It flips Gumball, causing the popplio to land ungracefully on the hard ground. Gumball, stubborn as ever, simply shakes his head, getting back up, but Saint can already tell from the bruises accumulated over his body and the way his flippers tremble that the popplio is on his last dregs of HP.
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Saint
•
Weekend Warrior
Round 2
Posts: 386
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Angelo Alvarez
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Saint on May 25, 2023 22:38:37 GMT 9
But it’s mis-timed. Instead of dodging at the last second, Gumball is on the receiving end of the Nidoran’s FURY ATTACK, causing the popplio to cry out. Even with his frantic flipper slap, the Nidoran remains unfazed.
Saint feels an edge of panic. He knows, reasonably, that losing at this stage of the game is natural, but where the other pokemon games gave him the comfort of distance, the deep dive of UNOVR doesn’t spare him from feeling wholly and entirely at fault for the pain his starter is experiencing. He calls out another order, frantic.
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