Matthew's Story
Our ship, the
Marigold sank. A feral Gyarados did it, whipping up a monstrous storm which engulfed the ship entirely and dragged it down into the eager maw of the ocean.
I was one of the lucky ones. When the first waves hit the ship, people inside were thrown across the room, slamming into tables, chairs, walls... those who were rendered unconscious, or who were badly injured never had a chance when the water came. But I was prepared. Something had been bugging me ever since the beginning of the long voyage, call it intuition. I was alert, and my training saved me. If I had slammed into the steel walls with full force, I would not have lived to tell this tale. Instead, it merely shattered the bones in my left arm. The rest of it I owe to Salvix and Flare.
I was dazed by the impact, and paralyzed by the pain, everything else seemed so far away, so unreal, only the pain mattered, the pain which engulfed my entire being so that I could not even think straight. It became clear to me later on that my training was far from complete, I allowed my pain to distract me from my true purpose. Flare never lost her head though, she never does. "The ship is sinking. Water will be coming soon," she had said, nipping me in the shoulder to catch my attention. "We have to go."
I didn't budge, so she was forced to drag me down the hall in an most undignified manner. Going so slow, we never would have made it. The water was what woke me. When the first wave came down the stairs and rushing into the hallway, I came to my senses, and realized the graveness of the situation. I spluttered and coughed and returned my soaking companion to her Pokeball, she would not be able to survive outside. I needed someone else, and Starwort was soaring the skies far from the ship...
I was able, somehow, to find my way to the opening, where the ship had presumably smashed upon the rocks. Salvix dragged me behind him, my left arm aflame and limp, trailing along as I clung to him with my right. I must've passed out or something, because the rest of the journey was a blur, but when I woke again, it was with the taste of sand in my mouth, and I was lying face down on a short stretch of sand, the waves lapping at my feet.
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Morphia" (Espeon), Psychic, Female
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I was fascinated with Pokemon even as a boy, and my brother, a great trainer whom I am still unable to beat, knew it, so when his Eevee gave birth, he decided to give me two from the litter. They were Morphia and Bolt. And since my village was small and there were few other children, they became my bestest companions, there was never a moment when you looked and they were not beside me, I even let them sleep in my bed! (And secretly fed them scraps of food which I had hated and snuck from the dinner table.)
Morphia, though older, was always the shy one, trotting behind me meekly while her brother tore around like a mischievous hurricane, and she still is. But really, that's what I love about her, her quiet but unwavering support is one of the things that kept me going when the times became hard.
Combat: Morphia doesn't excel in any area in particular, but is a spectacularly well rounded combatant, in speed, defense, and offense.
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Bolt" (Jolteon), Electric, Male
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Bolt is Morphia's younger and wilder brother, when I was a boy, it was she who brought me comfort, but it was he who brought me laughter. He was like a younger brother to me almost, if you get my meaning, always up to no good, with an insatiable curiosity and a knack for getting into trouble. I must've spent half my childhood running around the countryside chasing him or looking for him, and I was scolded more than once when he ravaged the house with his wild antics. There was no question really of what he should evolve to. A Jolteon seemed to fit his personality perfectly.
Combat: The most elusive and agile member of my team, Bolt relies on his speed and reflexes to win battles. With high energy and good endurance, Bolt wears his opponent down with quick hit-run tactics, crippling them with paralysis and exhaustion, and then if he gets a chance, ends the battle with his most devastating attack, Thunder.
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Flare" (Ninetails), Fire, Female
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Flare was the first Pokemon I caught in the wild. Actually, that statement is a little misleading. It was entirely an accident that I found her shivering in the bushes one rainy day. I nearly tripped over her and broke my neck.
...I never did find out what happened to her, perhaps her trainer had abandoned her, or she had been separated from her mother. I haven't asked her, and I probably never will. Whatever the reason, that rainy, cold night found her huddled, thoroughly miserable and bedraggled, cowering in the meager shelter of the plants. She was so sapped of energy when I came along, that she barely budged when I stumbled on her, or when I reached down to pick her out of the mud. Only when I had brought her into the shelter of a nearby cave, and had lit a campfire for the two of us, did she finally give me one forlorn mew.
I spent the next two days searching for a trainer who had lost his or her Vulpix, and at the same time questioning townspeople about nearby Ninetails. It was all in vain. In the end I decided that I couldn't just leave her, so I took her in. She didn't seem to mind, in fact, she was positively delighted with me after she had fully recovered, and was particularly taken by Bolt...
Combat: Flare a strategist, very intelligent - I find that she can respond to any situation with ease, with little or no direction from me. She has to be really, because though she is a powerhouse, spewing searing hot flames that beat down even the toughest of opponents, she is not built for endurance, nor is she well equipped with natural defenses. Her usual tactic is to find a way to pin down her opponents and then finish them off with one fierce blow.
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Salvix" (Sharpedo), Water/Dark, Male
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I captured Salvix during my stay in Terria. It began when Morphia sickened. She looked fine at first, and I wasn't too worried about it, but within a couple of days her situation was near critical. Her temperature was burning hot, and had no intention whatsoever of dropping. I was frantic. The city where I had come from was miles away, she wouldn't make it so far. Luckily, I stumbled across a remote fishing-village on the coast, where one family was kind enough to take us in. Once medicine was administered, her health improved dramatically, and so it was that three days later, when I heard of the fishermen's plight, I did not hesitate to offer my assistance.
Their problem was a gang of Sharpedos that had invaded the waters where the fishermen fished, and since fishing was what put food on the table for more than half the village, it was a major headache for the families. Unable to refuse the people who had been so kind to me, I climbed aboard family's ship on their next fishing expedition with Bolt at my side, ready to deal with anything.
The Sharpedos were ferocious hunters, and battle did not go easy, but in the end, we managed to shock them into submission. Their ferocity and uncanny intelligence had made an impression on me however, and since I was lacking a water Pokemon, Salvix joined my team. He is a bit dark and bloodthirsty at times, and seems unwilling or unable to speak, but he has always been a loyal companion to me, and has helped me out of some tough situations more than once.
Combat: Salvix is primarily an opportunistic, close-ranged fighter who is brimming with power and speed but is short on endurance. Because of this, he typically utilizes stealth and false lunges to confuse his prey, fading into the shadows each time, until finally, spotting an opening, he comes in, jaws wide, to finish the fight in an instant. Against land-based foes, he hurls himself full length out of the water, seeking to drag them into the watery depths and suffocate them.
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Starwort" (Salamence), Dragon/Flying, Male
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Starwort is a born warrior. I was exploring deep in the Meteor Falls the day I met him. Dusk was just beginning to set in, and I was horribly lost, half blind in the darkness, when he fell with a tremendous
BANG right in front of me. To my astonishment, he sprung to his feet immediately, as he he hadn't just fallen from a cliff onto his head, and appraised me haughtily. I backed away from his glare but he was not to be soothed. He aimed his skull at me and leapt with surprising speed and accuracy, I dodged aside, but the rock behind me crumbled. He came again, but this time I was prepared, and fumbled for the Pokeball which held Granik. The Bagon's boldness did not diminish the slightest, and he put one foot forward in an arrogant challenge to giant before him. I was dumbstruck by his courage and determination and knew in that instant, that this was the fifth Pokemon I had been searching for. Recalling Granik, I stepped forward, quite defenseless really, bent down, and held out my hand, touching his mind as I did, expressing my intentions wordlessly. We must've stared at each other for a whole minute before he relented, and though he joined me on my journey, he point blank refused to enter the Pokeball, deciding instead to waddle alongside me as we went.
Combat: Starwort is a well balanced fighter with good power, speed, and endurance, and is the most versatile of all of my Pokemon. He uses flight and agility to his advantage, dodging his opponent's attacks with fluid grace, and is able to easily switch between ranged and melee combat. Incinerating enemies with long jets of flame or raking them with claws of steel, he is formidable against both aerial and grounded foes.
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Streak" (Sandslash), Ground, Male
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Another born fighter, Streak relishes the taste of battle and gets along extremely well with Starwort. The two of them are like rivals, pitting their skills against each other in heated battles every once in a while and then collapsing on the grass, grinning contentedly and lazily at each other like old friends...
I found Streak while crossing a desert. Or rather, he found me. You can imagine my surprise when, in the middle of the day, in this empty expanse of sand, a Sandslash stepped up to confront me, as bold as you please. It turned out that Streak had been doing it for ages, seeking out and challenging trainers whenever he saw them, honing his battle skills. None ever beat him.
The battle between us was the most fierce I’ve ever had with any wild Pokemon. He put on a good performance, defeating Morphia and Flare before he was finally overcome by Starwort, then still a Bagon. Humbled and eager to continue his training with one he deemed superior to himself, he “spoke†to me of his request and has been at my side ever since.
Combat: Powerful both defensively and offensively, Streak’s only weakness is his mediocre speed, which he makes up with crafty ambush attacks from underground or sneak attacks from within the veil of a sandstorm.
Mod Notes:
Well...you still seem to have a bit too big of an idea of what they can do. But if that's a problem, you'll be the one who's surprised when they lose, so no skin off my back. Approved.