Thread: Pokemon: A Trainer's Crutch (LilGunner/BennyQ)

Help Wanted! Pokemon Researcher seeking Help and Caretaker assistance on Mt. Silver Pokemon Ranch. Must possess at least five Gym badges and be capable of holding their own against wild Pokemon of the hills. Accepting candidates now! Please see Ranch Manager Aydin Durov. - Ad posted at local Pokemon Center, Route 28. Mount Silver was a wild place. Settled between the two regions of Kanto and Johto, it was the largest mountain and landmark for miles around. And a place where the most fearsome and strongest Pokemon could be found. Few trainers entered here willingly, as the battles along the road were enough to dissuade all but the most determined. In this anvil of conflict and intensity, only the best and strongest survived among the culling. And among those who did, few could forge out their own little fiefs and territories in which to inhabit and train consistently. Trust and strong bonds of fellowship and comradery were needed between one and their Pokemon, for otherwise they would soon fall by the wayside and have to slink home with their tail between their legs. For Aydin Durov , he had been here for nearly half a decade. He had been a trainer for nearly double that length before. He had battled through the gyms of Johto and Kanto with both successes and failures. He caught many Pokemon, helped some evolve, while struggling to bond with others. He had seen rare and uncommon species in his time. But as he aged, he knew his time as an adventurer was coming to an end. He didnt have it in his bones anymore to continue on the road, to seek out new challenges, while trying to raise and maintain his steadily growing roster of Pokemon. He decided finally to settle down and raise, to learn all that he could, and more. Luckily, there were a few institutions out there that were happy to assist with would-be researchers like him, especially ones who could indeed cut out their own niches in places such as Mount Silver. But it was not easy to do so. For a long time he had been unable to find a balance between his work and wanting to raise his Pokemon, his friends and companions through the many years. They were just happy for his attention, though he often struggled to dole it out fairly and to a satisfying end. That is why Aydin needed help, someone to help with the caretaking and raising, while he could finish his mandated work without interruption or further delays. His paymasters had a habit of becoming impatient. Because of this grant , he had been able to build himself suitable accommodations in the lowlands around Mt. Silver. The wilderness stretched for many miles all about the base of the mountain, with a single road coming in from the west via Kanto, Route 28. There was a small town there, aptly named Silvertown, with the only Pokemon Center for miles around. From there, it was a trek through the wilds to get to Mt.Silver and its surrounding regions. Around to the north, about a days travel, was the Durov Ranch. It was a modest estate, with a two storey manor with a hidden basement level containing his laboratory, and a fenced off land. The manor was classical in look, with arched windows, second floor balconies, and old fashioned furniture, yet it also possessed some elements of modernity, like a phone and computer, as well as a private electrical generator. Enough to power the underground lab where his secret research took place. It was wedged in a small bowl in the foothills, with rocky cliffs and slopes encompassing the estate on three sides, with a lakes edge on the fourth. Tall grass and dark trees surrounded it all, containing many species of fierce and hostile Pokemon. Boundaries had been long set and Aydins Pokemon knew to respect them, though the wilder ones often crossed over and conflicted with his own. He had many strong specimens to beat them back, such as his Ampharos or his Rhydon , or his lonesome Alakazam or his most powerful, his starter Typhlosion . Aydin however was always shadowed by his trusty Magneton . Or finding his Nidorina eager for pets upon her head. There were many others. His water Pokemon were led by his rare Dragonair , joined by various others such as a Starmie, Wartortle, Dewgong, Seadra, Remoraid, Cloyster, Chinchou, Poliwhirl, and the haughty Golduck who had an innate need to show off for any of the female specimens. Others included a Raticate, a Spearow, Hoothoot, an Arbok, Golbat, Gloom, Swinub, Venonat, Graveler which were found in abundance all around Mt. Silver, Sudowoodo, Sneasel, Ledyba, and Jolteon. Always perched on the tallest arch above his front door was his mothers old Xatu . And somewhere out there was someone who could help Aydin manage all these Pokemon. It wasnt hard work. Attached to his manor was a barn, which contained all their foodstuffs carefully marked and scheduled. Feeding itself took two hours, for both the late morning meal and the evening meal. Someone needed to police the boundaries, to make sure his Pokemon werent be drawn off by the flocks of Tangelas, Gravelers, or Larvitar-Pupitar who loved to contest those same boundaries. Heavens forbid a tribe of Ursarings decided to camp out nearby. There had been no peace that autumn and winter for Aydin. There were many others too who didnt like co-habitation with humans or their Pokemon companions. But Aydin persisted in his want for isolation and research. He needed help. On that very day, there was good news. A message from Nurse Joy at the Route 28 Pokemon Center informed Aydin that someone did indeed seem interested in the position. If only they could make it up there, he thought with a bitter smile. But sitting upon his porch, with his Nidorina and Magneton nearby, he awaited this individuals arrival. If they made it, that was proof enough of their trainer skill. But sometimes with such skill came arrogance that Aydin could do without. He had to somehow reconcile this need with the demands of the workplace environment he found himself in...