Group RP Plates of Fate (the RP)

The sudden commotion definitely pulled Jake's attention over to the stranger. A contest, that girl said? ...Actually, who even was that?

Pick squawked at the attention being turned to the stranger (and away from him). Well, Rookidees were Rookidees.

 

Blake chuckled at the feisty bird devouring the entire berry. Before he could give his name though, the sound of two people crashing into one another caught his attention.

…

"Oy vey, the Bug-catching contest!" Blake exclaimed, before turning to the other guy with excitement in his eyes. "I've always wanted to join one! You get to run around with your partner and chase after some big bug 'mons and show how strong you are in battle!" He then quickly ran to the girl who was dusting herself off. "Oi clumsy lady, you know about the Bug-catching contest! How do you enter?"

 

The girl's yell drew very different reactions from Makoto and Kotone. First, Makoto was focused on why the girl was dressed as if she were being secretive, from the jacket to the hat. Was the dress anything to be embarrassed about? He observed the girl holding her jacket close to herself. But he would rather not get involved in the conversation.

Second, on the other hand, Kotone was shocked that Makoto hadn't bothered to come over to help her up. But the shock was only momentary, because the yell about a Bug-catching contest took her mind off other things. Unlike Makoto though, Kotone wanted to be part of the conversation, but she couldn't.

Even so, was it too much to ask to be ignored like this?! Kotone was still lying flat on the floor. It was then she heard Makoto's footsteps approach her.

"There are better places to nap than on the floor, you know," Makoto muttered.

"Mako-kun... you meanie..." Kotone mumbled. "Aren't you going to help me up?"

"If you want."

Now Kotone knew for sure that Makoto was messing with her. Like, he knew she was leading him to help her, and he wasn't taking the bait. Eventually, Makoto did help Kotone on her feet.

 

"So that's what's goin' on, huh." Jake scrambled to his feet as well, following the friendly stranger as Pick fluttered back to him. It wasn't on his itinerary before, but he had time, and hey, it sounded like a fun experience. 'Sides, the enthusiastic stranger was going.

He stopped near the girl who had fallen, hoping to get her attention. "Hey, are you one of the contest representatives or something? Or another contestant?"

 

@Jupjami @NyxieRina @ChocoChicken @122 Generation

Airin Fletcher

Well, great. The bug catching contest -- one more thing to explore. Not that Airin had any priorities or anything, just drawing a blank on what to do until recently. So now she gingerly nodded to Pamela's offer and stood up to follow her, though not without glancing at the redhead-and-blunet duo (no, not Pepe -- Airin didn't know this blunet guy) as if wanting to ask if they were okay.

Pepe Sylvan

Speaking of Pepe, said blunet's Incineroar seemed to be rather peeved at the gym leader's Miltank's valiant Rollout. I mean, sure, Rollout was super-effective to a fire-type, but the Incineroar managed to compensate it with his Draining Punch (said Incineroar was a male btw), eventually rendering the Miltank out of juice. So that's one Plain Badge for Pepe -- albeit not without Whitney joking about not giving him the badge.

 

In all this, Kotone couldn’t believe that she was ignored by everyone just like that. Even though she was on her feet, she had hoped at least someone would have been concerned for her - not counting Makoto. “Am I invisible? Does no one notice me? I literally just got in an accident!" she grumbled. "Hellooooooo?"

"That’s not a great way to grab attention,” Makoto whispered, half-amused. “We can worry about your accident later."

Kotone widened her eyes as if to glare at Makoto, but by then, Makoto was already on his way (hands in his pockets again). "Wah! Wait for me!" Kotone scrambled to follow Makoto's footsteps. At this point, Makoto had silently followed the other girl (that is, Airin) without saying a word.

 

"Well, it looks like you've been successful at that. Look how many people are going already!" Jake glanced around and the several people already heading out the doors. "And if you end up joining, sorry-I-didn't-get-your-name, I'll see you there!"

He quickly glanced towards the guy who had fed Pick earlier. "You wanna come with? The more, the merrier."

 

"You bet I am!" Blake smirked, pumping his fist in the air. "We're gonna fight so many 'mons, the Gym Challenge's gonna be a piece of cake!"

 

But it appeared that Kotone was excited - and impatient - enough that she practically walked ahead of the mute girl and towed Makoto with her. "Whoa! This sounds fun, Makoto-kun!"

Did this girl have no shame? Right in plain sight of everyone, she looked like the most enthusiastic of everyone gathered.. Already she was at the counter and had signed up, and then forced her blue-haired companion to join her. "Gosh, I could think of all the things we could see! And guess what? They allow us to take our partner Pokémon with us!"

 

@Jupjami @ChocoChicken @NyxieRina @122 Generation

Pepe Sylvan & Airin Fletcher

Just when Pepe was about to take his two Pokémon to the Pokecenter, someone crashed on him from his side. The blunet quickly scrambled to his feet before seeing who just bumped into him: a younger brunette who looked kinda... familiar... somehow? The brunette also got back on her feet with the help of her Espeon, then hurriedly signed, "Sorry," before running off to Goldenrod's northern gate. Standing there with mouth agape in incredulity (he knew sign but had no time to reply before she left off), Pepe soon pulled himself together and made his way to the Pokecenter, never mind that he was going against the crowd.

Airin Fletcher, a little bit later

While Airin had no qualms about adding a bug mon or two in her squad, she was soon faced with a different problem: she needed to choose a mon to come with her due to the contest's rule -- and made even harder when she was required to sacrifice either her mon's survivability or her disability accommodation. I mean, Effie was her translator mon but she was weak to bugs type-wise. Her other mon, however, should fare much better here but at the cost of Airin's ability to communicate with those who don't know sign.

Still trapped in her own dilemma, Airin stood aside to let other people register first and sent her second mon out. This second mon, a Decidueye, cooed to his human as if asking what she needed him to do. "Effie, Juno," the brunette addressed her two mons, then explained her case via sign and closed it with, "What should we do?" This, in turn, prompted both her Espeon and Decidueye to discuss it among themselves.

 

It didn't take long for Jake to find a place in the line for registration, Pick standing firmly on his shoulder and preening. Whilst waiting for his turn, he paused to take a moment to scope out the competition - he was here for a good time, sure, but that wasn't to say he wouldn't be trying to win at all.

Aside from the friendly stranger - whose Pokémon he didn't even know at that, he noted a girl with an Espeon and Decidueye. Even if she only got one Pokémon, she was starting off with a much stronger partner. There was this other girl with a Trapinch who looked like she was more at his level, with no offense meant to either of them. A red-blue duo stood ahead of him, leaving the line as they finished signing up - he would probably guess they held starters himself, but one could never assume a team.

Before long, he found himself at the front of his line, where he quickly registered himself and Pick. Well, it was a free-for-all. He was bound to meet much stronger, more serious Trainers. He'd just have to think his way out of this one if he wanted a shot.

 

Soon enough, the discussion came to a close with Effie offering herself to accompany Airin for the contest. "But... are you sure?" the latter's signing wavered at the "but" part with a rather guilty look at Juno. That, and the Decidueye's nod of assurance didn't help either.

So now the brunette recalled her Decidueye and signed up for the contest with her Espeon in tow.

 

"Name's Blake Crawley! I'mma leave Flames with you guys and register with Skipper," Blake told the guy at the counter once it was his turn to get registered. He gave Flames's Pokéball the paper-Registeel-thingy he signed with his name and Skipper's (though his handwriting could use some work).

 

Meanwhile, the local Nurse Joy had just finished treating Pepe's two Pokémon back to health. The blunet thanked the nurse for her service and made his way to the city's northern gate -- to where everyone else were going just awhile ago. Oh Arceus, just what in the world was going on over there?

(Whether Pepe will arrive just in time for the contest sign-up is up to host @NyxieRina to decide.)

 

Kotone was a little surprised at the sudden introduction she was given by this brown-haired girl. But being the socialite that she naturally was, Kotone adjusted to the situation immediately as if it were almost natural to her.

She replied with a bright smile and clapped her hands together. "Oh hi! I'm Kotone! Nice to meet you!" At that, she shook Pamela's hand without warning in flamboyant fashion. With her free hand, she took out a Poké Ball. "Here! Let me show you!"

A Litwick popped out of the ball. Kotone squealed, "This is Mochi!" to which the Litwick shyly waved at Pamela, although she secretly rolled her eyes at Kotone. Even Mochi was smart enough to question why Kotone even named her that.

Meanwhile, just a few steps away, Makoto went to register. "Makoto Yuki," he said to the receptionist. "I'll register my friend Aki here." (He was referring to his Gallade)

 

A little while later, Pepe barged into the National Park entrance. Turned out there were a lot of trainers registering for... what, bug-catching contest? I mean, what day was it even again? Oh well, whatever. "Ah, excuse me," Pepe waved down a nearby park staff. "Is the bug-catching contest still open?"

Meanwhile, Airin and Effie followed another staff to the entrance, seemingly unaware of a familiar someone who just entered the registering booth (?).