Responsibility [Mod]

[Endre Arthmael]

Jan 3, Year 1, Afternoon

So today was the day. Endre paid his fee at the inn for the last time as he checked out; such inns were, after all, free to trainers for reasonable use, and within the hour he'd be one. Of course, it would probably still be a while before he was in an inn again, barring to get his Pokemon checked. He rarely bothered in normal circumstances, being content to sleep just about anywhere. However, he did still appreciate a proper bed, and had wanted to make sure he was entirely well-rested (which maaay have turned into sixteen hours of well-rested) for the start of this day.

Well, that, and the streets were rather less friendly than usual, given the little menaces running aro- oh God there was another one. He shuddered and gave it a wide berth. They could be a lot worse, but he did not care for most vicious predators with too-many legs. He was still entirely unclear about the details of the Anorith invasion, but he was gonna do his best to help out once stepping on them no longer appeared to be his best bet. (Why couldn't it have been an Ursaring invasion? That he wouldn't have minded so much.)

He was so distracted thinking about the little buggers that he almost ran into a young girl at an intersection. "Ah, excuse me miss."

He didn't even notice her gape slightly as she looked up at him, though it was soon replaced with a weak smile. "Oh, no you're fine. I just wasn't paying attention." She gave a slight bow, causing him to his face to burn very slightly, as it always did when anyone more than a foot shorter than him did so for.. reasons. "I have to get going, but you have a nice day sir." Blushing rather more visibly herself, she smiled and waved before scurrying off.

"You too," he called lightly after her. She seemed like a nice girl, he thought. Had he seen her around town before? He couldn't especially recall. Ah well.

Continuing right along his way, he soon came to the Emissary. He hadn't been here very often- more when it was under construction than in all the time since, in fact, and after that it was usually only when the good Ambassador had announcements or town-wide events were underway- but he loved this place. Titanic and elaborate as it was, he didn't even have to duck through most of the doors! Least of all the grand entrance, of course.

Waltzing right in with a smile on his face, he approached the assistant currently on duty for his trainer forms and began filling them out. His handwriting left a little to be desired, but was legible enough, and he found by the time he was done he was actually getting a little bit excited. He was sure it was mostly the thrill of having no idea what the Pokemon offered to him would be and curiosity as to how the most powerful woman in their world would analyze him-

And suddenly he was rather less excited about the Pokemon again, wow that was a tangent for thought. It wasn't as though he'd never spoken to her before, but mostly just 'I brought the thing you ordered, ma'am' and 'is there anything else you'd like me to do for you, ma'am'. Having her full attention on a personal level, even if only for a few minutes, was pretty humbling, as well as nerve-wracking and exhilarating. The whole 'no idea what Pokemon to expect' concept had the latter effects as well, and remained present even if now greatly vying for his attention as he waited for the form to be processed and the Ambassador to be ready to see him. It even had him all but forgetting, at least for this one moment, the fact that he was about to be responsible for another sentient being's life.

By the time the clerk finally directed him on back, he was grinning rather nervously. Following her instructions, he found the room where Ambassador Nguyen awaited. "H..ello Anita~" he chimed, stumbling only slightly. Immediately he wondered if that had perhaps been a little inappropriate, but it was too late now.

[Olive]

"Yes, come in." The woman made an 'enter' gesture to the man, though she did not seem to really acknowledge him. Her normally tight bun was a little looser than normal. Anita was quite concentrated on her work at the moment. Her fingers massaged her temples as she analyzed some documents on the large desk. Not that she was normally very tan, but today she looked extra pale and her eyes seemed a little red as well. After a moment she sighed, put her hands to the desk, and smiled up to Endre.

"It's been quite a week hasn't it?" she asked, obviously referring to the swarm of Pokemon. "It's taking everything in me to just let these rookies handle this problem and not simply getting out there and doing the job myself." Leaning back in her chair, she released an irritated groan. it was almost unsettling to see the ambassador like this. She didn't seem stressed about the actual invasion, was it the ability of the current trainers that had her in this state? Once again, the lady sighed, but this time she opened her desk and grabbed a hand full of red and white capsules. "Let's see if we can't find you the perfect partner hm?"

"Alright, so first we have Nidoran here. This Pokemon," she gestured to the entire group, "like all of these guys start off small, but grow to be big, strong, and beautiful creatures. Much like yourself." Hm. That was really out of character for her. Anita really didn't seem to be listening to herself though. "They also have a rather terrifying poison, which might be useful out in the wild if you are, I don't, trying to find  edible berries? This one could sniff the bad ones right out.
Poliwag is a bit squishy, but they are extremely mobile Pokemon, both in and out of the water. They also evolve into very tough, physical attackers.
Teddiursa, although adorable right now, evolves into the huge and fearsome Ursaring. If you want claws and teeth, he's your guy.
Now, for the perfect combination of pure power and uninterrupted calm, Slakoth is the one. In every stage of its life it changes drastically, and its power only intensifies with its evolution.
Finally we have Pancham. I know. It and Teddiursa are quite similar, but this one is more of a break your jaw sort of Pokemon rather than a maul you to death kind of Pokemon."

Anita grabbed a bag of items from under her desk and handed it to the rather tall trainer. Inside the bag was an X-Gear, Data Log, First Aid Kit, Berry Sack, Spile, Canteen, Tool Bag, Mortar & Pestle, Weapon Sheathe, and a Quiver. She smiled at Endre. "You may choose three. And don't worry, I'll give you some more items to compliment those after you've made your decision."

[Endre Arthmael]

Endre grimaced a bit and nodded as she explained- or half-explained- her stress, but found himself quietly waiting. He looked over each of the choices carefully before and as she introduced each o-

..Did she just call him be- Endre flushed hard enough that even his skin darkened slightly.

Wait what had she just said about Poliwag? ..He was going to pretend he wasn't so distracted he'd missed that. Women didn't normally have this effect on him, but this was Anita fucking Nguyen. To even be speaking to her one on one was overwhelming and just..

Teeth! Claws! Yes he caught most of that okay good paying attention now.

He nodded as she continued. Actually, he almost picked one of them on the spot, but stayed the urge and waited for her to finish her whole spiel. Afterward, he grabbed the First Aid Kit, Berry Sack, and Weapon Sheathe. A moment later, he rethought and put the Berry Sack down to pick up the X-Gear.. before deciding he wasn't really good with technology. "If.. I could just sort of call from the public phones in the inns occasionally and get some tips on one my Pokemon's moves are I think I'll forego this a while.. As nice as it would be to save the money of buying one I.. don't think it would be as much use where I'm going."

The explanation was as much to himself as to her, but afterward he put the machine back down and took the Berry Sack again. "..As for you guys.."

Of all the Pokemon, there was one he'd always felt a particular... connection with as a species. It was, in his mind, his 'spirit animal', and that was all there was to it. It was not, however, especially practical. As much as he loved Slaking, he had to remember that Slakoth was rather less impressive, and that while he needed to ensure that the Pokemon he chose would make a suitable lifelong partner, it could also assist him with the immediate problem, which was a horde of wild Rock-types.

That said, the best choice for that particular job was Poliwag, and the fact that he'd missed much of her explanation for it aside, it did not especially appeal to him. Of the remaining choices, some had more potential than others, but...

Biting the inside of his cheek as he thought about it, Endre finally sighed and moved forward, taking a knee in front of Slakoth. "I'm going to be straight here. How would you feel about being wielded as a shield?" Anita's reaction to that question may also affect his decision.

[Olive]

Anita's brow twitched slightly as Endre made the comment about the X-gear. But she nodded slowly as he chose. Her gaze followed the large man as he kneeled down to Slakoth.

"How would you feel about being wielded as a shield?"

Her eyes narrowed in deep confusion and she tilted her head, but made out like she was just fixing her hair. Anita wasn't one to judge, but as odd of a question as that was, Endre seemed to have some sort of know-how so she made an effort to look it over.

Slakoth on the other hand, was very very - well, nothing really. It sort of smiled and rolled its head to the side. "Koth?" It waited a few moments after it responded to Endre to slowly pick itself up off the ground and into a sitting position. Slakoth's lazy smile grew a tad as it smacked its lips and scratched its cheek. It didn't really seem to mind either way. Behind Endre, Anita was leaning against her desk, she still looked confused, but this time it was more directed to the Pokemon.

"Hm, he's actually sitting up." She let out an impressed chuckle. "Hasn't done that in awhile."

[EssGee]

"..Mm." The longer he sat here, the more he felt.. just embarrassed, really. He didn't just want a Slaking. He needed a Slaking. Just... someday.

"Be that as it may.." he mumbled, then sighed. "I.. suppose I really should choose a Pokemon that can serve as more of a partner than a bludgeoning weapon, without the need for a lot of training just to do that shouldn't I.." Aside from that, he'd never been overly fond of Vigoroth. He felt he must have skipped that stage in his own evolution.. else it was the peak of his military days, and not a matter of choice, which left a foul taste in his mouth toward the idea.

It was still somewhat tempting.. although he couldn't begin to place the reason. He'd already explained, aloud at that, the reasons that Slakoth was not a wise decision, and found it strange that he was at all hesitating to follow through. He wrote it off as finding it difficult to give up on that special species connection easily, however, and forced himself to follow logic over sentiment at least for such a huge life decision. He was very aware that he was often prone to impulse, but for something this big he was making an extra-concentrated effort to control it.

"I suppose.." His eyes set for a while on Nidoran, though in the back of his mind he knew it was only because of the specific terms Anita had used in comparing the two males to each other. Clearing his throat, he started, "I.." before trailing off as he thought he vaguely recalled something. "..How does Nidoran evolve, again?"

Presuming Anita gave him a simple straightforward explanation, he nodded in understanding. So until someone discovered a Moon Stone mine.... Was that how evolutionary stones worked? Man it was a good thing he wasn't going into research.

The bears, then...

Had Anita remembered to show him the pamphlet of other starter options, he might have been very tempted by a certain crocodile, what with it being a much 'tougher' Pokemon of a favorable type, good against both the current Anorith problem and his oh-so-hated Fire-type dilemma. But, perhaps because of her current hazy state with the recent stress, she had neglected to point out these additional options to him, and with having paid little attention to trainer specifics before all of yesterday, Endre was not especially aware of them off-hand. If asked, he probably could have told you the professor had an array of Pokemon he kept in stock, but it was not a fact that stayed at the forefront of his mind, and he certainly couldn't have told you for certain that anyone else was allowed to give away the same set of species.

Thus, Endre remained under the impression that the Pokemon in front of him were his only options, which was an entirely valid reasoning and not just the author justifying not asking about the additional options to save herself the dilemma of having to choose between two such very excellent choices and potentially leaning even more toward Totodile despite it not fitting the 'feel' she'd wanted while playing this character as well.

Whoa when did that wall get there I could have sworn there were only three of them a second ago welp there were definitely four now it's funny how things like that worked.

Teddiursa or Pancham... Teddiursa or Pancham...? Endre considered it carefully before finally giving a firm nod. "All right... I do think I prefer controlled punches to frenzied mauling. So.. I'd like Pancham, please. If that's all right. Ma'am." He may have also recalled that, if memory served correctly, most of the Pangoro he'd seen were bigger than most of the Ursaring he'd seen, but of course so superficial a reason would not at all affect his decision, being a totally reasonable adult as he was.

[Olive]

"Fantastic," she replied. With that, Anita withdrew the other 4 Pokemon and handed Endre Pancham's ball. She gave a quick smile and returned to her desk to fish some junk out of a lovely little bamboo box. Pancham leaned back against the wall and stared at Endre with a mellow gaze. Its arms were crossed and it chewed on its leaf intently, then it nodded its head at Endre as if to say "Sup?" Well, at least he wasn't a ferocious monster... yet.

After finding everything that she needed, Anita went to pet Pancham, who made a failed attempt to avoid her gesture, then stood in front of Endre. In her hand was a sack full of items that she began to explain before even handing them to the tall man.

"Now in that sack are 5 pokeballs, a potion, and 3 long pieces of string." Ms. Nguyen made a gesture to the items he had chosen. "I am also going to give you 5 poiup berries," she looked at a pile of the purple berries on her desk to show their location, and then pointed to the wall near the door, "and that shiny iron short-sword over there."

Anita patted Endre's arm then reached over her enormous stacks of paper to retrieve another berry. It was small, just a few centimeters larger than a bean, but it was log shaped and completely white. She smiled and delicately placed the berry in Endre's hand. "This is a gift from me. It's a berry that will increase your Pokemon's level by one. We call it a Lolup berry," she rolled her eyes. "Bet you can guess who made that name up?" Then, with a suppressed laugh, she made her way to the door. She politely opened it and bowed her head to the tall trainer.

"I wish you luck with your adventures Endre."


(( not an extra berry, just explains the Promo one and because I wanted to show Anita's subtle crush on Endre and whatnot x3 ))

[Endre Arthmael]

Endre gratefully accepted the ball and the sack of items, both of which were moved to his own backpack. "Th-ank you very much," he said humbly. When she pointed out the other items he began to gather the berries and put them in as well, only to stop cold- or burning rather- when her hand touched his arm. Some primal part of him wanted to literally sweep her off her feet and just walk off with her, take her away from all the stress of her job, get her to let her hair down, show her the tranquility of the wild.

The rest of him remained cripplingly aware of what her job was and went right on being petrified by it.

The gift did not help. His face damn near matched his cloak. This is probably a new thing, he told himself. They make progress in Pokemon-related fields all the time. It is probably an entirely normal thing new trainers get lately. Get off your Virizion, Endre, you're nothing special.

At her comment about the name, he started to open his mouth with an, "Uh, actua--" but she was turning toward the door, so he shut up. Just as well, come to think of it. He could live with not having to admit he didn't get the joke. Like, if he actually had to guess, he might say Quercus Oak, given from what he'd seen and much more often heard, the professor either ironically or appropriately lived up to his name, being rather quirky. But there was no way he'd put money on that guess or even risk losing some pride by saying it aloud without good incentive.

When she turned and bowed-- he was rather glad he wasn't standing closer, he'd had about enough of that awkwardness for one mor-, er, day-- he decided that was a cue that he should leave and that he wouldn't bug her any longer. "Thank you very much, your-.. er, ma'am." What did you call an ambassador? He felt like she should have a fancier title.

Turning to his new Pancham, he gave his partner a little "C'mon" before heading to the door, stopping just before he passed under it. (He wasn't going to get over how much he loved these huge doors, by the way.) Turning on his heels, he remembered aloud, "Sword." With it hanging close to the door, it wasn't far out of his way, but it still felt like the icing on his cake of bumbling around like an idiot today.

Deciding that he didn't want to leave on just that, he looked over the short sword, flicked his wrist a bit lightly to test the weight, and then attempted to salvage his impression with something a bit more.. memorable.

His cape flew out with a whoosh as he dropped to a knee, jabbing the sword down in front of him and bowing his head before her. "My good Ambassador.. I swear to you I shall do everything in my power to quell this Anorith uprising, and to otherwise aid and expand our great city when that is done. So I pray you not worry. Just leave the field work to your humble servants." Yes. Yes that seemed satisfactory.

As he slowly stood, however, his eyes set on something he hadn't thought about: the to him very-visible cut he'd just left in her nice tile floor. As that harsh blush returned, he muttered something else incoherently under his breath and turned to briskly walk away.

Pancham hung behind for just a moment, staring at said cut, then gave a look as if to say 'what am I getting myself into..' After that, though, he just sighed and ran after Endre. At least it would get him out of an office, he guessed..

[Olive]

Anita's. Jaw. Dropped.

<Did he just?>

As Endre stood up from his very.. powerful.. gesture, Ms. Nguyen's eyes shifted so that she would not be looking at the large man at all. This was also to partially cover up her blush. She slammed the door after Endre scampered out and held her back against the door. Anita released the deep breath that she held and slowly cracked open the door to watch Endre walk out of the building. At this point she was blushing quite visibly. A cute little smile crossed her face as she watched him.

Damn was that a hot man.

She snapped back to her usual self as soon as she noticed her attendant giving her a confused look. Anita gave a hmph and dusted off her suit. With a shake of her head at the attendant, the ambassador slammed the door, again, and returned to her work... well more like daydreaming, but close enough. Who knew that the powerful feminist would get choked up by such a masculine and chivalrous act? She wrote a few words on a document then looked out the window to see Endre once more, "I might just..." she paused, "No.. No no. I don't have time for this now." Anita continued writing, looked out the window once more, and sighed dreamily. 

Good going Endre. You broke the Ambassador.