making Pops proud [starter]

[Jellal Hart]

PARTY	June 1st, 10:48 a.m., WINDY There stood a lone man. His presence was quite powerful even though he did not move. Only stood there staring at two stones on the ground. A warm breeze blew his blue-black hair into his eyes. Good thing too, if anyone was around he'd want the shield of hair to cover the fact that he was beginning to cry. Can't show weakness in front of other humans. Too bad it wasn't that simple. This man had gone through much in his short life and the most recent event was the last straw. His breaking point. He knelt down in front of the two stones. Tomb stones to be precise. One looked much newer than the other. The man began to whip dirt off of the older one, which was sizeably bigger, revealing an inscription. R.I.P. Ezra Joseph Hart A man who died fighting. For a cup of tea. (-June 1st, 2000) The man chuckled. Leave it to Mr. Hart to come up with something as equally fitting as it is ridiculous. Hart had never told the man his birthday. Maybe he didn't think it was important. Or maybe it was because he didn't like remembering his past. Either were plausible. Huh... 15 years today. You would have thought it had only happened yesterday due to this nagging pain still in his chest. Attempting to hold in his tears he turns to the newer tomb stone. This one was much smaller and seemed to be a bit makeshift. Almost like one you would have made for a deceased pet when you were a child. There was a small name engraved on the stone. Nucleus. The tears were flowing freely now. He didn't care anymore. Nucleus had been his best friend since the man was 3 years old. He was only a Solosis when they first met. Now he was gone forever. Just like Mr. Hart. Probably like his parent's too... NO. The man stood himself up abruptly and whipped the tears from his flushed face. There would be no more thinking like that. If he had learned anything from Mr. Hart  it was that you must always keep hope. And how to make a mean cup of tea. Pulling himself together he reached deep into his pants pocket, obtaining a folded letter addressed to him. It seems Professor Quercus Oak had finally getten around to responding to his inquiry about becoming a researcher. After a month of waiting and FOUR separate letters! -ahm- The letter told him that an appointment had been made for him to meet with the Professor today at 11:00 a.m. Checking his watch he realizes he should probably start heading to the Laboratory. Hopefully he isn't late. Don't need a lecture on tardiness forcing him to interact with people any longer than he already had to. He puts the letter back in his pocket and turns in the direction of the Lab. After walking a short ways down the road, the man pauses to look back at the adjacent tomb stones. This is for you guys. I won't let you down Pops and Nu.
ACTIVE SKILLS
Whisperer Lv1 Finder Lv1
NOTES
I SWEAR I'LL MAKE YOU PROUD

[Olive]

"Are you sure it's not here!?" 

"Yes! Professor, I swear I've looked everywhere!"

"Well, at least the he won't be here until," 

"Um... Professor..?" a young man who sat behind a desk pointed to the incoming trainer as he entered the building. The older man quickly shot up and scuttled towards the newcomer. 

"Yes! Jellal right?" he motioned for the man to follow him into his personal lab, which made up most of the building, but alas. The professor then led the soon-to-be-trainer to a desk with four pokeballs placed on the top. "I am Professor Quercus Oak," he dipped into a slight bow, "at your service!" With a seemingly forced smile, the man stepped behind the desk and clicked the release button on each of the capsules. "You're quite an interesting specimen Jellal, and I've chosen every Pokemon here based on your goals. Each has a special resonance to the energies that Mi-aro radiates. Therefore, I recommend all equally!" His already forced smile stiffened more, "Even the one that I may or may not have lost...."

"Again, I chose each based on their ability to detect and react to different energies rather than your personality, which is how I normally decide, but I'm sure one of these will be perfect for you!" Quercus filtered back into his regular grin before making a complete 360 and running into a deeper part of the room that was out of Jellal's sight. He could just barely make out the whispers of the older man, "I really need you to come out little bud! Jellal's here!"

Just as Oak continued his search for the missing Pokemon, Jellal felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, not from a chill mind you, but from static. A 'bzzt' sound crackled as a small metal creature floated down in front of the trainer. Aha! The final choice! 

Well Jellal, the choice is yours, how will you start your adventure?

[Jellal Hart]

PARTY	June 1st, 10:59 a.m., WINDY The walk was a bit longer than he had realized, so to compensated the man began picking up the pace from a stroll to light jog. Can't be late. Can't be late. Reaching for the front door of the Lab he looked down at his watch. One minute to spare. He let out a heavy sigh and allowed himself to catch his breath. No need in seeming panicked when he walked in. He adjusted his hair out of his eyes and straightened his loose shirt. Meeting new people always made him anxious. Finally feeling ready -er as ready as he was gonna be- the man tugged on the door. As soon as he opened the door, however, he wished he hadn't. They were yelling about something. Hopefully it wasn't about him. He's on time exactly, so that couldn't be it. "-e won't be here until..." "Um... Professor..?" Oh great. They were talking about me... The man wanted to crawl into a hole, or at least get away from these people. Why would they have been talking about him? As if coming here wasn't already nerve racking enough. Well, at least he had gotten his name right. Jellal had heard many a story about his complete lack of ability to remember someone's name. The professor motioned Jellal through a doorway into his large lab. This place was amazing. So much equipment and gadgets just sitting around waiting to be messed with. Keep focused on the goal at hand. Oak lead him to a small desk with four Pokeballs placed in a neat row. Did he just bow? What kind of man is this guy? "Erm- Nice to meet you." Should I, like, curtsy or something? But before he could even mentally laugh at his joke, the Professor was already releasing the Pokemon on the desk. Stepping back the give them room and examine them as a whole, Jellal realized that even though he may not have known what to expect, this definitely wasn't it. He didn't even know the name of some of these Pokemon, let alone how they could be of any use to him. Did he really just call me a specimen? Well at least they could help him with this energy research. Jellal had heard that there were Pokemon who would react to the Portal energy, but he didn't realize just how many there actually were. He lost one? That doesn't seem very professional. As the professor ran off out of his sight (presumably to find the lost Pokemon) Jellal decided to take a closer look at the ones that stood -or floated- in front of him. It looks like it's meditating... What's with that nose? Is this thing a floating ice cream cone...? A haunted.... tree stump... It had become painfully clear that Jellal was going to need a little more information before he could make any sort of decision. At least they were... cute... right? Just before he was going to call out to Professor Oak to inquire about the creatures before him, the hairs on the back of his neck began to raise. Almost as if someone was holding a rubber balloon directly behind him. Jellal whipped around to come face to face with what he assumed was his fifth choice. Magnemite. Now here's a Pokemon I recognize! "Professor, I found him!" He grabbed the Magnemite and put it over with the others. Oak appeared suddenly around the corner looking nothing short of relieved. Jellal was unsure of what to say and still didn't feel comfortable enough around this man to speak with him freely. However, this was going to affect everything about his journey and he didn't want to make any rash decisions. "Erm.... Professor... I think I'm going to need a little more understanding of these... Pokemon... before I can make a decision. Would you mind telling me a bit more about their abilities to react to the Portal energy? And a little personality insight would be a great help, as well."
ACTIVE SKILLS
Whisperer Lv1 (3 egg count/post) Finder Lv1 (uncommon Pokemon may appear)
NOTES
#NO INFORMATION GIVEN AT ALL

[Olive]

A bit of a sigh escaped the mentor as Jellal called him. Good, he was afraid the magnet would polarize the new invention he was working on. It was a devious one that Magnemite. "Ah.. yes.. Well," the professor nodded and waved his hand to the first, "This is Meditite,"

Meditite was in both a meditative and levitated state, until Quercus mentioned its name, at which, the young Pokemon cracked an eyelid then crashed to the ground due to broken concentration. With a flushed face, the psychic Pokemon gave a huff and turned its back to the trainer. Oak continued without missing a beat, "They are very dedicated Pokemon, most train hours every day to unlock their sixth sense, although this generally doesn't happen until they evolve. Meditite also seem to be able to not only see Portal Energy, but control it. I've noted this ability in a few other species, but I'd have to go to the books to find that."

The large, blue rock was impatiently bouncing its shoulders as Quercus gave his spiel about Jellal's first choice. But its attitude quickly changed when the professor gestured to it. "Next we have Nosepass, the 'Compass Pokemon'. Care to demonstrate?" It jumped from one foot to the other before spinning its arms, then body until its large red nose faced the back of the lab. "Nose is north!" he explained with a satisfied grin. "Nosepass's body is basically a huge magnet. So whereas Meditite can actually detect almost all PE within range, Nosepass will only respond to energy that shares its magnetism, and even then will only notice that its sense of direction is completely off. That being said, most crystals have some sort of magnetic material which means Nosepass would be great for finding more." Nosepass happily agreed with a full-body bow.

"So far you've seen a Pokemon that can detect energy, and one that can detect crystals, this one, Vanillite, can do a bit of both." Vanillite poked at the trainer's ragged pants as Oak continued, "We know these Pokemon have some electromagnetism since they are able to levitate, and they, oddly enough, require energy from the sun to do much of anything. It would take some experimenting, but I'm sure this Pokemon could come in handy. Not to mention, curiosity is always a plus!" It wasn't really that curious, it just wanted to know what Jellal tasted like. The Pokemon licked the trainer's fingers, completely oblivious of what was going on around it.

An adorable little sneeze brought attention to the next Pokemon. "Ah, Phantump, a personal favorite of mine." Ethereal arms plopped to its side when Oak called it up. It wanted the trainer to perceive it as a strong, and willing possible ally. This image was more or less thrown off by the cute sneeze that followed. Quercus gave a little chuckle. "Doesn't do too well in the cold though, " he eyed the Vanillite, then resumed. "Phantump, like Meditite, is able to see PE, but can't quite control it. However, unlike Meditite, I believe that they can actually find sources of PE, assuming there are plants in the given area."

'bzzt-'

"Finally, we have Magnemite. These Pokemon, like Nosepass, are basically living magnets. They don't care much for socializing with humans, and many trainers have lost their Magnemites simply because they wandered off. So if you choose this Pokemon, you'll need to spend plenty of time creating a strong bond between the two of you. But anyway," Oak looked back at the lineup then did a doubletake. Good Arceus, it was gone again. The professor sighed, "Ahem.. I'm sure it'll turn up soon.. This one in particular has a habit of finding my stash of inventions-in-progress and completely crashing them, it's a bit mischievous." Something of a yelp escaped Oak as the magnet dropped from the ceiling and sparked him in the fanny. Well.. if Jellal needed a confirmation, there it was... The professor shook his head and sighed again,

"Anyway... Magnemite are attracted to magnetic fields, and although I'm not entirely positive, or negative..." he allowed a moment to giggle at his joke, "Researchers do believe that the crystals, gems, and PE of Mi-aro all have some form a magnetic field, which would make this Pokemon invaluable to your journey."

"That being said, I do feel all of these will be able to aid you in some way. So, what do you think?"

[Jellal Hart]

PARTY	June 1st, 11:xx a.m., WINDY "Ah.. yes.. Well," He almost sounds like he doesn't want to answer me. Is it really that difficult of a question? "This is Meditite." The professor gestured to Jellal's first choice. It was a small onion headed Pokemon that was floating in the air in what Jellal could only think of as being an "ohm" position. Meditite, huh? Like meditate? That makes sense I guess. The young Pokemon cracked on eye open as Oak talked about it. -CRASH- Meditite hit the floor. Oh, no! "Are you okay, buddy?" Jellal reached out his hand, but the obviously angered Pokemon turned it's back on him and sat back on the ground in that aforementioned position. Feisty little guy. Well, at least he's driven. That always puts a point in my book. Did he just say that they can CONTROL Portal Energy? That was something Jellal never though he would have heard. He knew Pokemon could. Well... He knew that one Pokemon could, but he had assumed it was just because of all of their studies of the Energy... I'd like to see those books sometime. He just left that lie for the time being, however, because the Professor was already moving on the the next Pokemon. This guy really doesn't waist any time, does he? The large blue rock with the giant red nose had been anxiously waiting his turn to show off. And show off he did. Well, no one could pass on that nose. Demonstrate? What did he mean 'Compass Pokemon'? Immediately after his internal questioning had ended they had been answered. The Nosepass began spinning until it finally stopped with it's back to them facing the back of the Lab. So it's literally a giant compass. That explains the big nose. Guess I wouldn't have to worry about buying my own compass. It even gets scrambled by outside magnetism just like a compass.. Kind of unfortunate, but it makes sense. That ability to find crystals could definitely come in handy, though... Something to think about. The Nosepass took a final bow, showing that it was done with it's performance. What was with everybody bowing around here? And with that they moved on to the next victim. I MEAN.. candidate. Vanillite? It's NAME even reminds me of ice cream... The small snow Pokemon used it's stubby, icicle arms to poke at Jellal's pants. It was quite adorable, despite it's culinary counterpart. He bend down and started rubbing the snowy patch that covered Vanillite's head. Wow, this thing is freezing. It requires sun? That's odd. Won't it melt or something? The Pokemon moved it's head away from Jellal's hand and then began to lick his fingers. It's breath was a lot colder than it's snowy cover, making Jellal rethink his melting comment. I can see the appeal, I guess, but it doesn't seem very much interested in anything except licking my fingers. Kind of oblivious. With that thought he pulled away from Vanillite to move on. It looked disappointed for a short time, sad to have lost it's new play thing, but then found something else to occupy it's time. Which just so happened to be Jellal's next choice. The ice cream like creature moved close to the tree stump with eyes and began breathing on it. "Aaachoo." The dark-grey Pokemon let out a faint, albeit adorable, sneeze. Attempting to recover from said sneeze the Phantump placed it's... hands?... on it's side and gave a strong look. It really was trying to impress Jellal. However, due to another blast of below freezing air, the small stump let out another sneeze, knocking it off it's balance. Doesn't like the cold, huh? Good thing it's summer then. Jellal tried to get the Vanillite away from the Phantump. He could see that it was obviously suffering in the frozen breath, but this just prompted the ice maker to try at licking him once more. Professor Oak seemed to notice none of this though, as he blindly went along explaining Phantump's energy talents. Does this guy even care? Finding a source of energy would be very beneficial to understanding just how it's generated and how it moves. And from what I can tell Mi-aro is completely covered in plants. "bzzt" Feeling as if it had waited around long enough the Magnemite began buzzing impatiently. As the Professor began describing the magnet, it started to float up into the air. Jellal tried to tell the Professor that it was escaping again, but his mentor wouldn't let him get a word it. It doesn't like humans? Well, there's something we have in common. No wonder it keeps running off. And Jellal was no stranger to making deep, meaningful bonds with Pokemon, but the thought of starting over from scratch with one pulled out a bit of that pain in his chest. Putting that aside he tried his hardest not to look upset. The Professor, like with most things apparently, didn't notice his change in mood. He was too busy finally seeing that the Magnemite had run off again. I wonder if it's really meaning to ruin the gadgets or if it's actually just trying to help. That interest in machinery might be of some use if I decide to choose this one. With that thought the reality hit Jellal like a round kick to the face. He had to CHOOSE on of these Pokemon. Had to make a decision and leave the rest behind. He wasn't sure if he could do it... Thankfully this thought process was interrupted by the metal Pokemon reappearing and zapping Oak on the tush. With that attitude, maybe this thing really does just want to cause trouble. Hm... But being able to detect gems and crystals on top of Portal Energy is a really useful skill. This isn't going to be easy. What did he think? What he thought was that this decision was impossible. There's no way he could single out one of these creatures and leave the rest behind.. Backing away from the group he must have looked extremely worried because the Professor gave a comforting glance in his direction. I can do this. I just have to pick with is best for me. Examining the Pokemon again, as a group this time. He was trying his hardest to come up with an answer. The Meditite was still facing with his back to them, finally floating again. The Nosepass was doing it's former shoulder bounce anxiously waiting for a decision. Vanillite had gone back to 'playing with' the poor little Phantump, who seemed more like it was being tortured. It moved behind Jellal to try to put some distance between it and the floating freezer. The Magnemite had moved over to the Pokeballs on the table, looking as if it was trying to figure out how they worked. "I think... Um..." Jellal closed his eyes. This was the hardest decision he's ever had to make. Everything important had always just been thrust upon him and now he finally had to make a choice that would affect the rest of his life. "I... I choose Phantump." He wasn't sure exactly what it was about the tiny ghost tree that made him pick it, but there was just something there. It sort of reminded him of Nu in a way, when he was still young.
ACTIVE SKILLS
Whisperer Lv1 (3 egg count/post) Finder Lv1 (uncommon Pokemon may appear)
NOTES
I NOW HAS A POKEMAN TO CALL ME OWN.

[Olive]

An excited Phantump bounced up at being chosen. What an amazing day! After a large knockback sneeze, the Pokemon floated to Jellal and confirmed with an arm pump.

Quercus recalled the other Pokemon before wandering to a high shelf covered with items. He pushed a small button on the side which caused a pile to fall into his arms. With a bit of a wobble, the professor returned to the desk and laid the items out. 

"Phantump is an excellent choice! Now, let's get you some items to help you out!" Oak picked out a few of the items and handed them to the trainer. The pile included 4 pokeballs, an X-gear with a Holochip, a Data Log, and a Mortar & Pestle. The items that were still options for Jellal were either a Photo or Dex Chip, with 2 trainer and 2 survival items under 35₪.

---

Jellal received Phantump!
You may choose gender, ability, nickname, and 1 egg move.

[Jellal Hart]

PARTY	June 1st, 11:xx a.m., WINDY As soon as he said the name a rush of different emotions filled his body. Excitement for having chosen, guilt for leaving the others behind, worry that he may have made the wrong decision. All of this went away, however, as soon as he saw how happy Phantump was. It's eyes lit up and tiny mouth curved into a cute smile. Looking over at the other Pokemon, Jellal's heart broke a little. In part because some of them couldn't have cared less (Meditite and Magnamite), Vanillite seemed bummed (but he had a suspicion that it was because the Pokemon was losing its play thing), and Nosepass actually looked like it was trying to hold in tears. 'I'm so sorry.' He mouthed to the forgotten Pokemon. At that moment Professor Oak called the others back into their Pokeballs and handed Jellal Phantump's. The tiny tree was beaming until it let out one last sneeze that actually knocked it back a couple of feet, but it recovered quickly and floated up to it's new trainer giving him what he would refer to as an 'oh-yeah' arm. He did a small version of the arm movement and chuckled. "You are a little cutie, aren't you." Jellal was giggling, which hadn't been something he thought he would ever do again. Choosing Phantump was definitely the right thing to do. Although he still wasn't sure exactly why he did choose it. In his mind he would consider it a bit weak, but there was something about its spirit that just touched him somewhere he hadn't felt emotion in a while. Plus Phantump and Nosepass were the only two Pokemon that seemed like they wanted to go with him and it would be hard enough as it is to train a Pokemon from scratch without having to fight them the entire time. He was so busy playing around with his new Pokemon that Jellal hadn't even realized his mentor had walked away until he was walking back with a big pile of Items in his arms. As the Professor was handing him different items from the pile he was surprised to see such expensive equipment just being given away like this. He slipped the X-gear onto his wrist and began attempting to see how it functioned. He slipped the Data Log and Mortar & Pestle into his pack and then scanned the remaining pile on the desk. Great, more choices. As if my brain doesn't hurt enough. When he saw the Photo Chip he picked it up. Photography had always been of interest to him. "I definitely want this." He inserted the chip into his X-gear and continued his search. As he looked over the rest of the items his certainty began to fade a bit. "Um.. Can I have the tent and the water filter? And... uh.." Sensing his mental struggle the little, floating tree stump moved over to the pile and began sorting though the trainer items. It pulled out Burn Heal, Ice Heal, and a Giant Raw Corka. Looking up at it's trainer the Pokemon seemed please to having helped. Jellal picked it up and began looking at it, a bit surprise. Wow, this thing is really smart. "I'll take the Ice Heal and the Giant Raw Corka, please."
ACTIVE SKILLS
Whisperer Lv1 (3 egg count/post) Finder Lv1 (uncommon Pokemon may appear)
NOTES
LET'S SEE..... HE'S A MALE, HAS THE ABILITY NATURAL CURE, CAN DO IMPRISON (because I don't know what else to give him), AND I WILL CHOOSE HIS NICKNAME AT A LATER DATE

[Olive]

With a closed-eye smile the professor nodded. "Sounds good to me!" He swooshed the items back into his arm and returned them to shelf. With that, Oak grabbed a rolly chair, sat in it backwards, and wheeled back towards Jellal.

"So crystals huh?" there was a long pause as Quercus scratched his chin. He mumbled some words and made two feints of restarting the conversation before actually addressing the new trainer again. 

The Good Professor snapped and rolled to the desk, shoved the miscellaneous objects off, and pressed a few buttons. The result, a hologramic map of the discovered Mi-aro. He pointed to a small body of water north of New Pallet. 

"The first place I would search is the Crystilline Pool," his eyes showed extreme interest as he continued, "It's the only place we know for sure that has crystals. But as for the crystals themselves, we don't know much about them at all... " Oak paused once more before allowing another wide grin to cross his face. 

"As soon as you find a crystal, call me. I'm making this your mission Jerico." The professor stood up from his chair and extended his hand to the trainer, "To scientific discovery!"

---

Jellal received:
X-Gear with Holo chip and Photo chip
Data Log
Mortar and Pestle
Pokeball x4
Ice Heal
Giant Raw Corka
Tent
Water Filter

[Jellal Hart]

PARTY	June 1st, 11:xx a.m., WINDY Gathering up the items he had chosen, Jellal excitedly took off his pack from his shoulders and began organizing them into the pockets that filled the inside. He was so busy getting everything in the right place that he didn't even notice Oak until he was right in his face. Woah man, personal space please. But he only pulled back a little. Couldn't insult the man who just gave him a ton of items and a cute new Pokemon. Speaking of, where was that little guy? Looking around Jellal noticed that the young tree was snuggling against his side. DAW. "Yes sir. I've been interested in their properties for years and I believe there is much more to learn about how they store Portal Energy and how we can use that to our advantage in the future." Now this was a subject on which Jellal could talk for days. Maybe even longer. There was nothing more thrilling to him than discovering the way Portal Energy worked and how the society could utilize it. (OR how he could use it to get back to his parents...) He got a bit worried by the long, mumbly pause that followed and couldn't help but wonder if the Professor was mulling over how to tell him some bad news, when all of a sudden he just snaps his fingers and jumps up. This guy has got some serious issues keeping track of his mind. Maybe he should take some lessons from the Meditite.... SUDDENLY, after a little tinkering from Oak, HIS DESK LITE UP WITH A HOLOGRAPHIC MAP OF THE TERRITORIES THAT ARE KNOWN IN MI-ARO. I was like nothing Jellal had ever seen. Sure he knew what the territory looked like because of books he had read, but none of them had the feeling like this did. You could almost see the trees and dirt throughout all of known Mi-aro. This was truly a sight to which none else could compare (except maybe the real thing). Crystalline Pool. There's much to learn there for sure. Of course he had heard of this place, but there honestly wasn't much in the books about what to expect there. Only that the bottom of it glows and it is believe that is because of crystals that line the bed of the small body of water. Jellal's mouth curved into a giant grin. One that he will most likely lose once they got on the road, but for now he was excited. "This is a great honor sir, I am so looking forward to this journey to the future." He stood up and took the Professor hand. Phantump when flying a few feet because of the abrupt movement. "To scientific discovery!" And on step closer to finding my parents. They shook hands for a bit too long and slowly Jellal's grin faded to a faint, forced smirk to stay polite. He felt as if he had overstayed his welcome. It was time to leave and begin his journey. His adventure. This long road of exploration and discovery. Releasing the man's hand, he moved over to his pack and closed it up. Then he grabbed Phantump's Pokeball and (after a short 'see you later') he recalled the Pokemon. Turning towards the door, he began walking, but then paused just as he was about to leave the room. I need to do it, but it's going to hurt.... Doing a swift about-face you could tell that there was something wrong. The emotion had completely gone from his face and his eyes grew more intense with every passing second. "Professor, could I possibly have Changer added as one of my skill set? I feel like it might be useful to have on my journey." It's not him. Just remember. It's not Nu...
ACTIVE SKILLS
Whisperer Lv1 (3 egg count/post) Finder Lv1 (uncommon Pokemon may appear)
NOTES
WHY MUST IT BE A REUNICLUS?!

[Olive]

Oak looked shocked for a moment, likely just because he wasn't expecting a new trainer to ask for their skills to be changed already. He shrugged, <None of my business I suppose.> 

"Rainuuu!" the professor called in a singsongy tone. Moments later a series of arpeggiated notes sounded as the cell appeared. "Jellal here would like to add the Changer Skill to his set." Another odd noise dissipated from the creature whilst it moved to the new trainer.

Reuniclus' eyes glowed a bright blue as four small balls of energy appeared and began to circle Jellal. Within a few moments, the Pokemon gave a grin and floated to an unobservable area of the lab.

"There ya go Jamel! All set!"

---

Jellal added "Changer" to his Skill Set