Pokewizard Quest: Gotta Cast Them All!

[JAGwin]

[X] An empty Pokeball and Official Pokemon League Hat (mint condition!).

[Tempest Kitsune]

[X] An empty Pokeball and Official Pokemon League Hat (mint condition!).

[bookwurm290]

[X] Some of Mom's research notes. "Passed down Traits of Pokemon, and The Effects of Materials on Them (501st Revision)"

[Bezzerker]

[X] Some of Mom's research notes. "Passed down Traits of Pokemon, and The Effects of Materials on Them (501st Revision)"

[JamestheFox]

[3] Some of Mom's research notes. "Passed down Traits of Pokemon, and The Effects of Materials on Them (501st Revision)"
[2] An empty Pokeball and Official Pokemon League Hat (mint condition!).

--------------------------------------------------

"Two hundred thirty first test. Pidgey wingsp... spans..."

You're not especially amazing at reading, just a LITTLE above the curve for your age, but you decide to try and read up on your mom's notes.

"During ex... extr... uh... Pidgey from Power Weight Clutch have s... cally similar speeds without in... Destiny Knot Clutch..."

This is... pretty hard to read stuff. Lots of big words you're having trouble understanding...

[] Keep going, maybe get a dictionary! (Locks in current activity, setting Harry's main interests and talents as a trainer.)
[] Try something else...
-[] An empty Pokeball and Official Pokemon League Hat (mint condition!).
-[] A scrapbook Mom keeps on a shelf.
-[] Some old videotapes Mom has tucked away in a closet, labeled "51th Indigo Grand Festival"

[Tempest Kitsune]

[X] Try something else...
-[X] An empty Pokeball and Official Pokemon League Hat (mint condition!).

[JAGwin]

[X] Try something else...
-[X] An empty Pokeball and Official Pokemon League Hat (mint condition!).

[MrRigger2]

[X] Keep going, maybe get a dictionary! (Locks in current activity, setting Harry's main interests and talents as a trainer.)

MrRigger

[JamestheFox]

You sigh, setting aside the notes for now.

---------------------

You smirk, turning your hat behind you. "You've put up a good fight, but you can't escape from Pokemon Master Harry Conifer!"

Your target sits before you, and you toss your Pokeball, which bounces off it. 3... 2... 1... "YEAH! I caught a-"

The lamp falls over from the force of the Pokeball bouncing off.

"Uh oh."

Machi peeks in, and gives you a very stern look as she puts the lamp back in place. You can't speak Pokemon, but you can tell the meaning behind the gaze: no roughhousing inside the house.

Hmmmmmm...

[]Go outside and continue playing "Pokemon Master." (Locks in current activity, setting Harry's main interests and talents as a trainer.)
[]Try something else...
-[] The Research Notes again, this time let's see if a Dictionary will help. (Locks in current activity, setting Harry's main interests and talents as a trainer.)
-[] A scrapbook Mom keeps on a shelf.
-[] Some old videotapes Mom has tucked away in a closet, labeled "51th Indigo Grand Festival"

[MrRigger2]

[X]Try something else...
-[X] The Research Notes again, this time let's see if a Dictionary will help. (Locks in current activity, setting Harry's main interests and talents as a trainer.)

MrRigger

[Tempest Kitsune]

[X]Go outside and continue playing "Pokemon Master." (Locks in current activity, setting Harry's main interests and talents as a trainer.)

[JAGwin]

[X] A scrapbook Mom keeps on a shelf.

[JamestheFox]

So... we got a three way tie.

As this is... well, kinda important as it decides Harry's primary MO as a Pokemon Trainer, I'll put a nice little spoiler that describes exactly what each choice eventually means. Should have done it when I first set this choice up. You don't have to look at it, but it's there if you do.

Spoiler: show

The Notes: A Harry influenced by these notes will be inspired to become a Pokemon Breeder. He'll primarily be more about Breeding Pokemon that are strong from the start, and be very good at Pokemon health-related issues. Most of his Pokemon will most likely be hatched, and they'll treat him as a mother-figure.

The Hat and Ball: A Harry that spends time playing with these will be inspired to go out and try to be a Pokemon Master. He'll primarily be very, VERY good at catching Pokemon and befriending wilds. Though he didn't raise them from birth, he'll have the ability to forge deeper bonds more easily than most trainers. Your team will naturally trust you, though you may not be amazing at training them or ordering them around.

The Videotapes: A Harry that watches these becomes inspired to become a Coordinator, and is skilled at teaching Pokemon to use their attacks in VERY unconventional ways. Any dunce can order "Charmander, use Ember!" but it takes an innovative mind to have Charmander fling Ember in an difficult to dodge yet beautiful or badass-looking pattern. If you're wanting to pull BS like "THEY'RE USING THUNDER AS ARMOR!" this is where you go to do that easily.

The Scrapbook: A Harry that reads the contents of the Scrapbook will be inspired to become a big time battler. He's not amazing at catching Pokemon, and he might have slight issues befriending them (though not moreso than most trainers). But he can train them and make them stronger, faster, more durable, better than they were born, as far as raw power goes, though they may yet be somewhat unimaginative in battle.

[Bezzerker]

[X]Go outside and continue playing "Pokemon Master." (Locks in current activity, setting Harry's main interests and talents as a trainer.)

[JAGwin]

oog: In that case...

ig: [X] Some old videotapes Mom has tucked away in a closet, labeled "51th Indigo Grand Festival"

[gamebrain89]

[X]Try something else...
-[X] The Research Notes again, this time let's see if a Dictionary will help. (Locks in current activity, setting Harry's main interests and talents as a trainer.)

[Wraith5]

Before I give my response, will Harry be meeting Ash at some point? I'm torn between two choices, but if we are NOT meeting Ash at any point, I'm definitely going for one of them. If we ARE meeting him eventually, I'm still trying to decide...... ah screw it.

[X]Go outside and continue playing "Pokemon Master." (Locks in current activity, setting Harry's main interests and talents as a trainer.)

[JamestheFox]

[Temp, Bez, Wraith]Go outside and continue playing "Pokemon Master." (Locks in current activity, setting Harry's main interests and talents as a trainer.)
[Rig, Game,] The Research Notes again, this time let's see if a Dictionary will help. (Locks in current activity, setting Harry's main interests and talents as a trainer.)
[Jag,] Some old videotapes Mom has tucked away in a closet, labeled "51th Indigo Grand Festival"

-------------------------

You go outside, and mess around out there, throwing the Pokeball at random things, pretending you were catching Pokemon after amazing battles.

"Pokeball, go!" You throw the ball, and it bounces off of a tree, into the edge of the forest. You frown, and walk over there, picking up the ball, only to notice something YELLOW put its hand on the ball at the same time. You look up, and see the owner. "Uh... hi there."

It leers down at you. "Hy... Hy pno no Hyp?" ("My... What have we here?")

"Umm... This is my Mom's Pokeball. It's... probably... really bad if I lose it."

It blinks, and lets go of the ball, and you can't help but notice the... swinging... pendulum... sooooo innnnviiiitiiiinnnnggggg-

"Stop right there!"

You snap out of it, and you're suddenly deep, DEEP in the woods, and it's nearer to nighttime than it was. You look over there, and see a young man, about 17 years old. He's clad in well-worn jeans, a black shirt, a sleeveless vest, and a more recent incarnation of the Official Pokemon League Cap than your mom's old hat. A badge of some sort has been pinned to it. A Pikachu sits on his shoulder.

"Hey, you're Harry, right? Yer mom's worried sick about you. Just get behind me."

You nod, and get behind him. You're... not sure what this is all about. But... he knows your mom?

"So you're the reason kids around here tend to go missing for a while, huh? Makes sense, you need to eat dreams, but you really can't be kidnapping folks for your daily bread. They got families that worry about them!"

The Pokemon turns to face you and the man, who grins in response.

"So that's how it is... Well, let's see what you've got, Hypno!"

He sends out his first Pokemon, a Pidgeot, and they immediately have it out. "Pidgeot, Wing Attack!" The bird flies forward, smashing into the Psychic type, slashing it with its wings.

You watch the battle, but if asked later, you'd say you couldn't remember a second. No, more important to you was the way he carried himself. The confidence, the way he egged on his Pokemon with wild motions.

And then, the cincher.

"You've put up a great fight, but you can't escape now! I'll take good care of you!"

You watch him turn his cap backwards, and then palm a Pokeball. Your heart seems to stop as he rears back, and...

"Pokeball, GO!"

The ball flies from his pitch, and hits the weakened Hypno square in the head. As it lands, and begins to shake, you mentally begin to count.

3...

2...

1...

The ball clicks, having completed the capture. The man runs up to the Pokeball and snatches it up, hefting it high.

"Aha! I caught a Hypno!"

"Pi Pikachu!" ("We gotcha!")

After striking a pose, he relaxes as the ball teleports away. You're just staring at him.

"... Hey, what's up? You okay there, kid?" He walks up to you, kneeling down, and patting you on the head, eyeing your hat. "... Huh, classic. You know, I got one of these back home."

"Assshhhhhh!" You look around a the new voice, and see a redheaded woman running up to you. "What was that all- Oh! Hey, there, little guy. Looks like you found him, Ash."

Ash smirks. "Told you we'd find him easy. Thanks for the assist, Pidgeot."

The huge Bird Pokemon settles next to you and the adults, and Ash pets it. It's... wow. You're pretty sure it's bigger than any of the Pidgeot you saw at the Bird Cage...

[MrRigger2]

Pet the giant bird Pokemon. We must test it's fluffiness.

MrRigger

[Tempest Kitsune]

Agreed with Rigger.

[Wraith5]

With the above.

...I had to read that 3 or 4 times to realize what actually happened there. My first thought was that the Hypno came out of the ball, then I thought it was a time-skip. LMAO.

[JamestheFox]

Albus sighs, relieved, as the clock hand finally shifts away from "Danger," and towards "Traveling."

"I don't know why you keep it so close, Albus," the woman across from him says. "It has nothing left to provide you but unneeded stress."

"No, it has one other gift... hope. I can work at ease knowing he's safe. That at least one bit of magic has followed him out there, no matter the distance. That will have to do, at least until we can find a way to him."

--------------------------------

You reach out a hand, and stroke its side. It's soft and smooth. It's not quite fluffy... but it's comfortable to touch. The bird looks at you, tilting its head.
You feel a little odd, locking eyes with it. It makes you feel tingly.
Its trainer, Ash, smiles. "Amazing, isn't he? He's actually one of my first... We've been through quiiiiiiite a bit together." He gives you a smirk. "Wanna ride?"

"Ash, we should focus on getting him home... the Professor's probably worried..."

"Yeah, I know," he says. "I'll go ahead and get him straight home. It's faster this way." The smirk on his face tells a different story.

The woman chops him lightly on the head. "You're impossible, Ash... Fine. But if you're not there and waiting by the time I get back..." Her face is stony, though there's a hint of a smile in her facade.

"Don't worry. Master's honor. Alrighty, Harry, let's go!"

You get on the bird, joined by him and his Pikachu, and you take off.

Ten seconds after clearing the treeline, you're moving fast enough to make the Bird Cage's DRAGONITE envious.

"How you holding up, kid!?" Ash asks, sounding a little worried. You raise a fist with your thumb extended, trying to reassure him.

Some would be TERRIFIED doing this... but you're far from that. You're ecstatic. You're, in a strange way, entirely at peace up here, moving at ABSURD speeds. And you're a little anxious. If this is just cruising speed... how fast could this Pidgeot go at full tilt?

Someday, you wanna test that limit.

----------------------

"Harry!" Mom scoops you up only seconds after you touch ground. "Where have you been? Are you-"

"Don't worry, m'am." Ash idly scratches Pikachu's cheek as he gets off of his Pidgeot. "He's fine. A Hypno was planning on using his dreams as sustenance for a while, it looks like. I don't think he meant any harm, though..." He crosses his arms. "Still, you probably should be more careful, huh?"

"Uh huh" is all you manage through the hug your mom is giving you right now. Ash smirks as you wriggle yourself a little loose from the vicegrip and look at him. It's a strange sensation, looking into his eyes. He looks at you for a while, an almost judging look in his eye.

"... That hat sure is an oldie, huh...?"

Mom looks down at you, and smiles. "Yeah. Got it in a raffle. Took me-"

"-about a million postcards, right? Yeah, I know the feeling." He walks up, and takes the cap off, handing it to Mom as you pout. "You should probably put it somewhere safe... As for you..." He kneels down to meet your eyes directly. You feel almost like he can see you in a way no one else can. "You want to become a Pokemon Trainer someday, huh?"

You nod.

"Heh. I look forward to seeing what kind of trainer you become..." As you lock eyes with him, he continues...

Pick One (If there is a tie, the GM will decide between the top choices)
[] "You've got the guts for it. It's a scary job sometimes, but I think you could probably push through anything."
[] "You've got the drive for it. Aim for the stars, and I'm sure you'll make an extraordinary Trainer."
[] "You've got the heart for it. Trust yourself, and trust others. You and your Pokemon will definitely go far."
[] "You've got the curiosity for it. The world is full of wonderful things... I'm sure you'll discover a few even I haven't seen."

"That's what I see, but it's up to you to fulfill it."

You nod. "I'll try..."

"That's the spirit. In the meantime..." He takes off his cap. It's a bit worn, but it's obvious he still takes great care of it. He puts it on your head carefully, and smiles. "I want you to hold onto this for me. It's got a lot of memories, and I'm sure you'll make many more."

----------------------

Time passes... the world spins on... Life continues. At home in the sky, and with an affinity for Pokemon not seen often even among trainers, Harry grows into the world that's adopted him.

Soon, now, he will begin his first great adventure. After all, all kids leave home someday...

What friends will he make along the way? What dangers will he overcome? And what awaits him at the final page? Stay tuned...

TO BE CONTINUED

[Tempest Kitsune]

[X] "You've got the heart for it. Trust yourself, and trust others. You and your Pokemon will definitely go far."
This. This is Ash down to his bones; and I'd love to see how a Hufflepuff Harry works out in this situation.

[Wraith5]

[X] "You've got the guts for it. It's a scary job sometimes, but I think you could probably push through anything."

Call me traditional, but I can't see Harry being Harry any way other than Gryffindor. I mean, he's not 'Harry' without the courage, right?

As for what my second choice would be, I'd go for the curiosity.

[JAGwin]

oog: If this wasn't a tough decision, I don't know what is.

ig: [X] "You've got the heart for it. Trust yourself, and trust others. You and your Pokemon will definitely go far."