Jack and Jake [C,T,P]

[Paradox?]

Para paused before entering the tall grass. He had never traveled unto it, and it was a bit unnerving. What, he thought, lay beyond the first step? He didn't know, and he really didn't want to answer the question. He stood there, frozen. Jake sniffed at the edge of the grass, and slowly began to wander inside. Para wanted to stop him, to turn around and go home, but he knew it was too late. He took a step in, looking wildly for any ravenous pokemon that would assault him and Jake. He looked at his Houndour for support, and it looked at him briefly, walked forward, then looked back as if telling Paradox to hurry up. Para shrugged and took a couple of steps. The morning due tickled his calves and he took a deep breath.

---

It had been ten minutes and Para had already gotten comfertable within the grass. He found out it was much easier then previously said, like driving or riding a bike. It was so elementary, so he thought, he didn't know how it was possible to be scared of something so simple.

"Now it's time to get down to business."

Paradox had already decided upon how he was going to start his journey. He knew a lot about pokemon (the internet did wonders), and what different kinds there were. According to some masters, starting out with a Flying-type Pokemon was the way to go. But of course, he had been eying Poochyenas ever since he was but a wee lad. Ah, there was so much time, what did it matter in the first place? Jake was in a simply blissful mood. He was jumping around in the grass, getting low, his butt sticking in the air, waving his nose at Para. Jack couldn't help but smile, and he patted his Houndour on the head.

The sun had come up over the horizon just a bit more, and the clouds hung in the sky, motionless. Para smiled. This just might be a perfect day. He felt for his pack and reached inside of it. He pulled out a pokeball.

Now, who's going to be first?

And Jake kept playing and playing.

[Shonkey.]

A wild Rattata appears!

Level 7
Male

The Rattata seems to have just recently woken up, and he was on the search for food. It seems, however, that your Houndour looked good enough to eat... He charged at Jake!

[Paradox?]

Jake had seen it, or smelled it...or heard it (you can never be too sure with a canine with those sharp senses) before Para did. It was charging through the grass, and Jake began to growl at it. Para was confused, astounded even, at his change of emotion. First playful, then cautious. Well, Para knew it was just a matter of time until something like this would happen. He began to see the grass part with the oncoming pokemon, and he got ready.

Jake, let's take this slow. This is our first battle, and...I have to admit I have butterflies.

Jake seemed to pay no attention as his growl grew more fierce. Para retreated to a clearing to better see what was going on, and Jake followed cautiously, head still turned towards the rushing bull. Finally it showed itself, a pink little mouse. It didn't look all that harmful, then Para noticed the teeth. Those teeth could rip through steel.

Hold on Jake, let's get the info on this bugger.

He reached for his bag, dropped the pokeball he had in his hand, and pulled out the Pokedex. He marveled over it for a split second, then opened it. He had practiced operating this practically a thousand times on Jake, so he had no problem pointing the thing at the new pokemon and pulling the trigger.

Rattata, the mouse pokemon.
Cautious in the extreme, its hardy vitality lets it live in any kind of environment.

Rattata, eh?
Alright Jake, let's open up with ember!

He and Jake had been over all of Jake's moves a hundred times or more; Para could never be too sure that they were ready to get out of any fix. Jake continued to growl, and seemed to be working something up. Para's heart jumped. Jake seemed to bulrush him, but from the side as a dog would do, working around the Rattata in a tight circle. While on the run, he seemed to cough, but it wasn't saliva that shot up. A small volley of fiery embers flew up out of his mouth, hopefully raining upon the Rattata. As soon as this was complete, Para's heart was bouncing against his chest in a crazy drum solo.

Alright, Jake. Let's regroup! Come on, come on back.

Jake obediently retreated, a growl still deep within his throat. What would happen next?

[Shonkey.]

The Rattata saw Jake begin to circle him, and readjusted his charge to go directly for the pup. This seemed to be a bad idea, as soon as it was bombarded by burning embers. He couldn't react fast enough to avoid the attack, but at least he knew what this enemy was capable of. The Rattata seemed to disappear from sight, as it bolted at Jake with incredible speed, using Quick Attack. This pokémon was hungry, and nothing would stand in the way of its breakfast. Not even fire.

[Paradox?]

It was quick. Really quick. For a second, just a simple split-second, he had thought that the Rattata had simply teleported, as if it were some technique that all Rattata had. But a second later it reappeared, butting into Jake. Para let out a cry of despair and pain as he watched the hard-headed rat but his head into the soft flank of the Houndour. It flew back, flailed in the air, and landed in a heap about five feet back. Para could do nothing but watch in a sick kind of anguish. He had never seen Jake suffer before, and it was hard for him.

Jake! Are you alright? Um, er- ah... I, uh, Jake...

The words wouldn't come to him as he danced between choices and decisions. Then, the words flowed out of his mouth like a river. He was helpless to stop it.

Jake, use howl. Let's rally! Then follow up with ember again!

The outburst made him feel good. He felt his confidence begin to restore itself, and then he watched as Jake got to his feet, shot a quick glance at Para (seeming to say "Don't worry about me"), and raised up his head. He opened his mouth and filled the world with his howl. Para had heard it multiple times, but every time it made him smile with pride. Jake then began to charge the Rattata, using the same, circling technique as before. He seemed to be stronger, somehow, more precise. Everything he did was just a little bit quicker, a little bit sharper. He began to work his throat again, and this time, the battery of embers came quicker. It shot into the air and showered, hopefully right upon the Rattata.

You deserve that you worthless rat!

After saying that he felt two things at once. One was happiness, a sense of pride and victory. The other was sadness, pity. The Rattata seemed sad, and Para couldn't really help it. In time, he thought, the feeling will pass and I will be immune to this mess.

But he wasn't for a long time.

[Shonkey.]

The Rattata was a bit too quick-witted to fall for the same tactics again. Though he winced a bit at the volume of the Howl, he deftly dodged the Ember attack, using a Quick Attack to move out of the way. He still felt the pain of the first Ember, but that only drove him more to dodge the second. The Rattata took a solid stance at he stared at Jake, a mad look in his eyes. Though he was beginning to have second thoughts about his choice of food, he wouldn't give up just yet. He used Focus Energy, building up his awareness and cognition. Hopefully, it would allow him to land a more powerful Critical Hit, when he next attacked...

[Paradox?]

Para watched in surprise, disappointment, and a little bit of anxiety as the Rattata quickly dodged the ember with blinding speed, not unlike when he had slammed into Jake. Jake looked disappointed as well, as the Rattata seemed to dance right out of the attack. Para thought that maybe, just maybe, that the Rattata was learning, evolving. What if he couldn't defeat this Rattata? Had he made a mistake by becoming a trainer? Dropping out of school for a chance at glory? His thoughts were distracted when the mouse pokemon begin to stay still, as if he were focusing up or something. Jack didn't know if he was correct in his assumption or not, but he didn't want Jake to stick around to find out why.

Jake, use leer! Maybe you can throw off whatever ritual he's trying to do.

Jake, on command, began to give the mouse a vicious stare. Paradox, as he was called, was never on the receiving end of this stare, and hoped that it would keep on that way. What would the Rattata do next?

[Shonkey.]

The very energy of the Rattata seemed to be sucked out of him, when the Leer attack met his eyes. He slumped to the ground, unable to stand for a moment. Seemingly exhausted, he stood back up, in hopes that he could once again use Focus Energy.

[Paradox?]

A mixture of extreme victory and extreme happiness washed over Para as Jake peered at the Rattata. The mouse, drained, sunk down to the floor defeated.

HAHAHA! YES JAKE! NOW LET'S FINISH IT WHILE IT'S DOWN

...again, pity...

AND USE EMBER!

Jake, who was seeming as victorious and energetic as Para himself, rushed onward as calvary would towards the enemy. It howled in the air while running, perhaps of victory, perhaps of happiness, perhaps of both. It was their first battle, and things were going good. Para felt like howling himself.

Instead of circling the Rattata this time (to the surprise of Para), he almost jumped up upon him, and coughed up a raging shower of molten ashes upon the Rattata. Para felt an inch of hope, hoping that the Rattata would be too demoralized to escape like he did previously. Para realized that he had been clenching his teeth and fists, and he opened them to see that the fingernails had dug into the skin and it began to bleed. The best part was, is that he couldn't feel pain.

[Shonkey.]

Unable to draw the strength needed to dodge the oncoming assault, the Rattata was knocked to the ground as Jake pounced on him. It was then that the Rattata cried out in pain as the Ember attack flooded over him, burning him severely. After the attack, the poor Rattata was gasping for breath under Jake's weight, barely able to stay conscious through the intense pain.

OoC: Remember... You can't catch a pokémon if you KO it~♪

[Paradox?]

A wave of victory swept Para off his feet and sent him running towards Jake, as jubilant as he had ever been. It was odd, he thought, his emotions taking over himself like this. He looked like a small boy, frolicking through the grass. Embarrassment flared, and he slowed to a jog. When he was finally at Jake's position, which was a bit further away then it looked, he noticed that Jake was still looking at the Rattata. It was still conscious, one pitiful eye open, criticizing the duo. Pity flared, twice the amount of the embarrassment he had just faced, and he crouched down on his haunches, looking at the Rattata.

He took the pack off of his shoulders, and put it on the ground. He was still looking at the mouse, and Jake looked at him curiously. Para pulled out an apple, something he had packed this morning, and threw it up in the air. He looked at the mouse decidedly, and put it down in front of his face. The pity began to ebb, and Para felt happy and proud. Mostly of himself, some was still left over from Jake's "victory".

It was then he pulled out a second item: a potion. He had doubts about how he was "wasting a potion", and pointed it at the mouse pokemon like he had done the pokedex. He pulled the trigger, and a healing spray shot out of the nozzle. The mist floated down, in an eerie way that reminded Para of embers. He wondered what the Rattata would react. He expect gratitude, but deep down he was ready for a more hostile retaliation.

He reached for a pokeball, thought over it, then decided against it.

[Shonkey.]

The Rattata was utterly confused at you placing an apple in front of him. Since he barely had enough strength to move, he initially thought you were just taunting him. That's when the healing wave washed over him, from the potion. A few moments after being sprayed, he shook his head a bit, and stood. The Rattata snarled at Jake and grabbed the apple, almost scampering off into the distance. He thought for a moment, though, and realized that you could have simply allowed your pokémon to finish him off. Instead, you heal and feed him. He was quite confused, to say the least. Still, he sat quietly where he had grabbed the apple, eating it quickly. He kept an eye on both you and Jake, though, wondering what the purpose of this strange behavior was.

[Paradox?]

Para still squat on his haunches, watching the Rattata gobble up the apple. While doing this, a sort of admiration waxed within him, and he was quite indecisive on whether to adopt this pokemon or not. He stood there, thinking. He wanted to, but he didn't want to at the same time. Jake had sat down, imitating Paradox, and watched (with some envy I must add) the Rattata eat the food. Para's gaze was distant, and when Jake noticed this, he whined. Para payed him no attention.

It was soon after when he stood up. He grabbed the pack, donned it on his shoulders, and Jake stood up, excited. Para smiled and patted the Houndour on the head. He was surprised at how warm his muzzle was, a direct result of the ember attack he had executed three times. He nodded towards the Rattata, and began to walk.

Para seemed stoic, but inside emotions raged a brutal war. He had decided against it, for reasons undefined, and had chosen to continue his journey without it. Who knows, maybe he will come back one day and happen across the same mouse.

Off we go. How do they say it, Jake? We're off to see the wizard? Yeah, that's how it goes. The wonderful wizard of Oz.

And with that, they were off. To see the wizard.

[Shonkey.]

Upon noticing you leaving, the Rattata stood up and scurried after you, keeping at your feet. He was too puzzled at your actions, especially simply leaving him after all that, to let you go without him. He had seen enough trainers in his day, watching them from afar, and knew just what to do. The Rattata jumped up and headbutted a pokéball off of your belt, causing it to expand. After the ball hit the ground, the Rattata pushed the button again, allowing himself to get captured. It would seem as if you have a new pokémon, like it or not...

+2XP

[Paradox?]

As Para walked away, he heard a movement from behind him. He assumed immediatly that the Rattata had run away, thankful that he had scraped away with his life and breakfast. Para was happy for him. But the scampering didn't stop, and it got louder. Para turned to see that Jake had stopped some six feet back, and was turned around. He looked cautious. Para turned the rest of the way around to see the Rattata scurrying after him, finally finding a place at the base of Para's foot.

I, uh, don't have that much food le--

But to his surprise the mouse pokemon jumped up, and knocked a poke ball off his belt. It's going to steal my pokeball? Para was about to reach down and pick it up before the Rattata could flee with it when he witnessed something peculiar. Jake had his head cocked quissingly, and the Rattata pressed the center button with his little nose. Para watched in awe and confusion as a red light poured out of the ball, engulfed the Rattata, then retreated back into the ball. Para stood stuck in animation, his jaw slackened, as the event finished.

He quickly reached for the ball (noticed that it was slightly warm) and pressed the button to release the Rattata. The red light flew out of the ball once again, and the Rattata appeared safely on the ground. Jake still had his head cocked in that questioning move.

So I guess you're on the team, huh?

The Rattata seemed to nod.

Well, then, I suppose I outta name you. How about... (there was a long pause of thoughtfulness) Bandit?

Para liked the name. He liked how it reflected what had just happened. It seemed perfect. The Rattata seemed to nod again, thought Para later reflected on this, thinking that he had just imagined the nodding. Jake seemed to nod his approval at the name and the new addition, and the Rattata Bandit began along, as if he were ready for the adventure. Jake shortly followed him, seeming to motion for Para to come along.

He stood there for a moment.

Hold up, I'm coming.

And they started again. The duo was now a trio.

[Another Random PKMN ploxasaurasrex]