14th Grail: [Video]

[dressofheaven]

I don't tend to make a big deal out of this sort of thing, ordinarily. But under the circumstances it seems appropriate.

[Ilya holds up Claire's Rising Badge to the camera, then shows off the other seven badges pinned to her collar. She adds the last one and makes no effort to restrain her victorious smirk.]

That's the eight badges of Johto collected. I hope the elite battles over in Kanto give a bit more of a challenge. I don't suppose anyone can give me an idea of what to expect from them. I'd like to hear any stories you might have.

Oh, but I'm feeling nostalgic. Even if you haven't fought the elite matches yet, even if you only have one or two badges, why don't you tell me about them? It seems like as good a way as any to celebrate, at least until I get my little gathering underway.

Also, Claire, if you're listening. Gyarados still isn't a dragon type.

Comments

[awesmazings]

Hm, well...I think after Blackthorn we'll head back to Goldenrod. I'm gonna stay in town for a little while to pick up a few things and get the badge I missed, and then I'll probably head back to Azaela Town.

[video]

[dressofheaven]

If that team doesn't have a Garchomp, it doesn't deserve to be called an "elite" team.

[dressofheaven]

Enjoy yourself then! Even if those are two places I definitely wouldn't want to go.

[awesmazings]

I will! ...but now I'm curious, where would you rather go?

[dressofheaven]

Celadon, Cerulean... Olivine if I were back in Johto. Saffron's nice too. I kind of like Kanto better than Johto in general, really.

video;

[wing_attack]

Oh uh... not exactly. I... I was a hawk, most of the time.

[dressofheaven]

Oh! Like a Magus specializing in transformation magic, then. That's an interesting form to focus on though.

[wing_attack]

I kind of got stuck. I got the power back but then hawk was my default form.

[video]

[captainash]

Even if it has five fully-trained Gyarados instead?

[video]

[dressofheaven]

That's just asking for someone to come by with a powerful electric type and ruin her day.

... Come to think of it, I don't have any electric types.

[dressofheaven]

Oh dear. You were quite fortunate not to just lose your mind to the animal instincts when that happened. Transformation magic is really dangerous like that.

video;

[pipers_son]

Are ya sure? It sounds like ya have quite the party goin' on already! And I'd want ta bring Jimmy, so he doesn't feel left out.

video;

[dressofheaven]

Oh I wouldn't mind. Though you have a point, since we will be at the hot springs, and he might find that a tad... embarrassing.

[wing_attack]

Yeah, instincts can be... tough to deal with. But I spent enough time as a hawk to be able to overcome those instincts most of the time.

[dressofheaven]

I would think it would make it harder to hold on to your mind in an animal's body... but, well, you're the expert on this, I suppose.

[wing_attack]

Not really? I mean, it's just kind of like... learning what things you're going to end up doing anyway and turning it to what you need to do. Like... if you're trying to attack something, you just pretty much tell the hawk instincts "okay, this is prey" and let go for a moment.

[dressofheaven]

And what happens if the instincts are fighting what you want to do, or you can't let them do what they want?

[wing_attack]

Well... then you have to hope your teammates can rein you in.

[dressofheaven]

You had teammates? Well, that's helpful, at least. Most Magi are solitary.

[wing_attack]

It's... technically it's technology, not magic, but it's not from my planet, at least.

video;

[in_praetego]

I've been travelling with Alphonse Elric and my brother. We're heading to Olivine right now so I'm just kind of picking up where I left off. That brings my badge count to... four?

[ He can't help it. Talking to girls? That's one demon he was never taught to wrangle. But there's a smile there. He has to admit, that's quite an accomplishment, these badges. ]

Still a long way to go, though.

[dressofheaven]

Oh. I guess I wouldn't understand it all that well then. I'm a Magus, but technology is beyond me, mostly.

[dressofheaven]

You're halfway through, at least in Johto. Of course, the strongest ones are to come, but then again you must have some very highly trained Pokemon by now. In fact, I think my hardest battle was with Falkner, simply since my Pokemon weren't nearly as strong back then!

[She'd still had Berserker, though, and even as a Rhyhorn he'd been a force to be reckoned with, especially against fliers.]

[video]

[captainash]

None at all? What about Electric-type attacks? A little Thunder Fang or two would easily ruin a Gyrados' day.

[wing_attack]

"Sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." It's pretty much the same thing to us, but it doesn't matter. We still use it even if we don't understand it. Ax could probably explain it better, though he might have fallen asleep in that class.

I don't use all that much technology anymore. Talons aren't great for holding joysticks and stuff like that.