| 01 |'' oh, ocean, you understand me.

[ßukowski]

Ah, yes, this is certainly as advertised, inwardly mused the Omastar Pokemorph as a low hum of delight, and partially relief to have finally arrived on the isle, then rumbled in his bare blue chest. He'd made haste in getting off the boat barely an hour prior, looking like a junkie who needed his fix, and swiftly escaped the congestion of the port into the emptier expanses of Romulus. Signs marked various paths to the laboratory, yet he'd made his own detour to an isolated beach obscured by a thicket of tall, spindly reeds.

He sat in the shallows of the crystalline water, stark nude - too excited to change into his trunks and unwilling to ruin his first pair of underwear so soon - simply enjoying himself, running his hands through it and occasionally splashing about like a child. The name Solastella, at that moment, seemed entirely fitting to Milo; he could definitely find solace here. Although, the matter of getting his first Pokémon he found somewhat pressing, so he moved to submerge his body up to his shoulders one last time, his velvety navy locks swirling gracefully up around his collarbones as he savored the moment. There would be more time for beaches (and shores) later, he supposed, and stood.

The sun bright in the sky above, the droplets reflected the light in a brief glimmering display against his azure skin, quickly made work of by a small towel the 'morph had laid out. On the other hand, standing nude in a foreign land where someone might accidentally stumble upon him was not something he wanted to savor, so he grudgingly clothed himself in his lilac tunic and khaki shorts, tied his shoes and gathered his sparse belongings into his backpack. With a huff, and one last borderline lustful look at the sea, as if to affirm his eventual return, the Pokemorph parted the brush and took to main path heading toward the Laboratory.

-

The closer he got to the esteemed scientific facility, the place which would deal out his crucial companion in this strange new world, Milo became just a tad self-conscious of his appearance. Enough that he was simultaneously combing his long, still slightly damp hair out while walking, assuring its texture was glorious and luscious enough to really wow the staff - they surely wouldn't deny a man with good hair a just as good Pokémon. Both his comb and tangerine beanie found their respective places in his pocket and upon his head just as he neared the door, and placing a friendly toothless smile (as he found it best not to show certain people his teeth straight away) upon his lips, he firmly rasped the door with his knuckles. "'Allooo-ooo?"

[ZOM]

After a brief silence, a voice responded to Milo's call from within the lab: "Helloooo-oooo!" And then: "Just a seeeee-coooond~! You can let yourself in!"

The lab was what could be expected of the Solastella region. Although it had a large screen mounted on the far wall with a variety of images sliding by in a screensaver, and a few computers here and there, not to mention a multitude of gadgets on tables or haphazardly stored away and peeking out of drawers, the main room was decorated by wooden furniture and a beachy color scheme which made it all seem less sterile and sciencey. Also, the papers scattered everywhere probably had a similar effect. Currently a Beautifly morph was flitting around the room, attempting to gather up the mess with a Scolipede in tow, although both tended to drop half their load every so often. The former was simply too enthusiastic with their zipping about, and the latter didn't have very good grip with her multitude of stubby limbs.

"Sorry! Sorry!" The Beautifly morph didn't stop their futile efforts for Milo. With how they were flying so fast and looked so outlandish, it was difficult to discern their gender. It was very certain that they were a Pokemorph, though; if the wings hadn't been enough of a tip-off, their eyes were massive and multi-faceted, and tall antennae twitched atop their head. "Made a bit of a mess! Just a second, if you please!" Papers continued to drop and flutter away, settling on desks or keyboards or the floor.

The Scolipede, at least, understood that she was getting no where, and she could recognize a better way to spend time when she saw it. +Um, can I help you?+ She had paused in her halfhearted efforts to blink at Milo. She was rather big even for a Scolipede, but she seemed perfectly calm and even a little meek.

[ßukowski]

The just as singsong greeting which retorted from within the lab slightly started Milo, just barely, fluttering his eyes and briefly furrowing his brow as his smile slipped away. The voice seemed welcoming enough, however, so with a curious expression and a twitch of the tiny tentacles upon his arms, the 'morph opened the door and stepped inside. His hands, suddenly unsure of their proper place, loosely held onto the straps of his backpack while his large yellow eyes did their necessary dance about the room, assessing the comfortably chaotic lobby and its inhabitants. Once Milo somewhat grasped the other Pokemorph's appearance despite their whirlwind, he helplessly grinned, as Beautifly were a relatively common sight around Slateport for the fair weather and beauty contests. Yes, this was maybe a good sign.

"No, no, it's fine." The male cooed patiently, content in the moment and feeling unexpectedly secure enough to allow his rather gruesome, albeit blithe smile to remain. "Just take yer time."

On the other hand, the plated magenta Pok?mon which towed along behind the aide was largely of the strange and unknown to Milo. He thought perhaps he'd seen it in one of the numerous books he'd read before his journey - he was confident that he simply must've. For the creature remained a mystery as she addressed him, Milo was left obliviously caught up in his own thoughts and few beats passed until he eventually spouted inquisitively, "You're a Scolipede, right? Your eyes look a lot like mine." That was it. Scolipede. Silly him.

Nevertheless, Milo quickly realized that what he'd just said likely had no relevance to what was just asked - he'd seen the Scolipede's maw open and noted her docile, awaiting gaze. Uncharacteristically flustered, he cleared his throat, straightened his posture some, and put his hands in his pockets. "Hi, I'm Milo. I'm here to get my first Pok?mon. . ." He trailed off a tad, refraining from making a "I bet you get that a lot" quip.

[ZOM]

+Ah...+ The large bug-type inclined her head a little. She fidgeted awkwardly, wiggling her many legs. +Yes. I am. You aren't afraid of bugs, I hope...+ She let out a nervous giggle, but looked pleased, perhaps, by the comparison between her eyes and Milo's own. A lot of folks didn't like bugs, especially bugs as big and "scary" as she was. Even if it was a passing comment, having herself compared to this pretty human was flattering, and it put her somewhat at ease.

This boy seemed uncomfortable, noted the Scolipede, although she had worked at the lab with her trainer enough to know that nerves plagued most new trainers. She twitched her an antennae at him and nudged her nose against his forehead to try calming him down a bit. +I'm Mae,+ said the creature. It was only polite to introduce herself if Milo was going to. +Do you know what Pok?mon you want?+

Meanwhile, the Beautifly morph was finally having success with their paper-gathering. With a full stack in hand, they slowed to a stop by one of the desks and put the papers down delicately. There were some pages still scattered about, but the morph could grab them up later. "Phew!" Grinning wide, they turned their attention to Milo and flitted over. "Milo, you said? A pleasure! I am Farah. Sorry for the mess! Had a bit of an accident. You understand." They extended out a hand to be shaken, and stared with eyes that never seemed to blink. "Mae's been looking after you just fine, I am sure! You want a Pok?mon, yes? Just fine, just fine. Mae, if you could get the boy his phone and ID, please?"

Mae bobbed her head, shyly held up a limb at Milo in a "one second" sort of gesture, then obligingly headed over to one of the shelves which housed several bins. Most of the bins were carefully organized and full of Pokeballs, but one was stuffed to the brim with smartphones, and another contained an impressive number of sleek black cards. The Scolipede scooped up a phone and an ID.

"Did you say which Pok?mon you wanted, friend? We have got just about everything you could imagine, you know! Lots of choices. Loads."

[ßukowski]

Milo murmured as his eyes crossed upwards by attempting to follow the tender brush of the creature's snout against his forehead, just below his first ivory spike. A basic dosage of affection from a Pokémon among the world's finest natural remedies, the distress threatening to invade him shuddered and dispersed, and he felt his confidence swell to its usual might like an easing warmth from a fire. It shined from the blue boy's face and saturated his already fantastically flowing movements, bobbing up on his tiptoes - even at 6'0" - to tentatively stroke between the Scolipede's long twisted horns and return the good will. He liked the insect, in all of her looming figure and soft demeanor.

All of Mae's next sentence but the words "Pok?mon" and "want" were obscured from Milo's comprehension, though with the upward infliction it was easy enough for him to decipher. It came as a sharp realization that he hadn't really thought too long about his starter choice, or so he recalled, but then his eyes lit up and in a short flurry of movement - dumping his bag off his shoulders, holding it by a strap while his free hand nimbly unbuckled one of the front pockets - produced a piece of messily torn-out sketchbook paper folded into fourths.

When the Beautifly 'morph finally joined them, Milo averted his attention from the tattered parchment and returned the grin gracing their remarkably androgynous visage. He casually set his pack on the floor beside his feet and flung his marine hair behind his shoulders before speaking, "Mae's been wonderful," casting a tiny nod at the Scolipede, "and let me just take a look at this paper here and I might be able to give you a clue." Spindly fingers unfolded the note, and there were several cartoon-like scribbles of different Pokémon that Milo had brainstormed while on the ferry. The two main features were Tropius and Corsola, the former a offering days of relaxing prehistoric fun under its mighty leaves at the beach, the latter water-loving and sharing Omastar's dual typing. Both tempting choices.

Milo trailed from his doodles to watching the obedient ringed creature's movement and admiring the sheer amount of technology the lab had lying out, but snapped back to the greater number of unblinking facets staring at him from his peripheral vision. "I would like to see a. . ." He scrutinized the paper a last time and refolded it. "Tropius, please."

[ZOM]

"Ooh," Farah said, peering curiously at the note as it was unfolded and revealed. The doodles were rather cute, Farah thought, although Milo clearly wasn't much of an artist. The morph giggled and turned their gaze back to Milo. There had been several critters scribbled on the paper, although some species had been drawn bigger or more frequently, so they would have to wait for the Omastar morph to clarify which he wanted. Farah liked riddles, but not when they pertained to things like this! Getting one's first Pok?mon was important.

Farah wasn't disappointed by Milo's decision. They beamed and did a little twirl in the air. "Tropius! Oh, a grass-type, and one that never seems to receive the love it deserves...! A wonderful choice! Wonderful!" The Beautifly morph eagerly zipped over to the back door by the large wall-mounted monitor. "Come, come! You will have to go to them, since they are too big to come to you." Trying to fit a bunch of Tropius inside the lab had been one of Farah's least wise decisions; the last time they had tried, they'd gotten in a great deal of trouble for the damage it had caused.

The Beautifly morph flitted out the door, and Mae followed suit much more slowly, although she paused first to give Milo his new smartphone and snap a picture of him with the electronic ID. It was an amusing sight to see her fumble with the tiny card, but she somehow managed. +Please take care of this. It doubles as your credit card. There should already be 100 soleres on it.+ With a nod and another gentle, affectionate nudge of her nose, she trotted after Farah, who was already halfway across the field behind the lab.

A small herd of Tropius was easy to see in the open field. Their long necks stretched high, and Farah had captured their attention, directing it over at Milo. They watched him curiously from afar. "Come, Milo, come meet them! You may only take one, but please get to know them all before deciding which!"

[atrb=border,0,true] ♀ Tropius, Lv 5 #1 Scroll for more details Party hard, brah! -NAME- fancies herself to be a real "beach babe." She loves to soak up the sun and take a dip in the ocean, and also may be the world's only surfing Tropius. She has a very chillaxed way of speaking and refers to literally everyone as "dude," "man," "bro," or "brah." At the same time, she loves to have a good time and can really move fast when she wants to, despite her usually relaxed demeanor. Battling isn't really her style, but as long as it's all in good fun she'll give it a go. Mostly she'd rather hang ten with her bros or kick back with a tasty bunch of bananas. Name: - Ability: Chlorophyll Moves: Leer, Gust

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♂
Tropius, Lv 5
#2

Scroll for more details
This Tropius is painfully stiff and serious, all the time, without exception. He doesn't walk, he marches. He doesn't speak, he orders. And he can't take a joke to save his life. This makes him a rather poor conversationalist, and chances are if someone begins to have fun around him he'll have to spoil it all by trying to bring up any and all responsibilities that might need tending to. On the flip side, he is unflinchingly loyal to those who have gained his respect, and he is more than willing to sacrifice his own safety for that of a friend. He battles with skill and focus, but his determination to win at any cost can result in some very serious injuries.

Name:
-

Ability:
Solar Power

Moves:
Leer, Gust

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♀
Tropius, Lv 5
#3

Scroll for more details
-NAME- may be silly and prone to daydreaming, but she's one of the sweetest creatures you'll ever meet. She goes out of her way to help anyone and everyone, and can never allow someone in need to go unaided. Even if she can be bumbling and dim-witted, her intentions are pure! Her disposition is unfailingly sunny, and her enthusiasm for everything she does tends to be infectious. However, she absolutely refuses to battle unless it's in the defense of someone else.


Name:
-

Ability:
Chlorophyll

Moves:
Leer, Gust

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[ßukowski]

[/b] I wasn't too sure, but I kinda took control of the Tropius since you gave me their personalities. I hope this is okay.][/ul][/ul][/right]

---

The offer of meeting a variety of Tropius in lieu of a staunch, impersonal process took its careful time formulating itself in Milo's head, prolonged by flashing a quick toothy grin for his ID, sliding it haphazardly in a pocket, and then stalling behind as Mae pursued her trainer. When it finally snapped into place, the Pokemorph who was so close to becoming an official trainer that the realness of the situation finally bared its whole self to him, instantaneously barreled outside past the magenta creature with unbridled zest.

The field was vast in serving as a home and haven for a great many Pok?mon, though Milo made swift work of catching up to Farah without his bag. The looming tropical beasts' gazes focused upon him from the shade of their green visors at the lab assistant's cry, and he tried to convey through his countenance some semblance of calm, cool confidence rather than overwhelming excitement. Becoming an effort in vain, however, as a smile forced its way to his features. "Oh man, this is amazing.[/b]" He said loudly enough for the two to hear, reanimating more cautiously toward the herd.

The trio mulled about in distinctly different manners, Milo scrutinized, and the first one to hesitantly approach him was the sweetest looking one. She parted the long grass with her massive body and arched her slender neck down, slightly ushering her armored head for the strange man to take a banana. A light quizzical noise sounded in her throat, but he smoothly rejected and put his hand on her cheek in a show of gratitude.

They were interrupted by the stoic one, who announced himself through powerful footfalls and by abruptly cutting in front of his well-meaning comrade, separating her and Milo. The giant's defensive, stern snort whilst looking him in the eye was encouragement enough for the Omastar-featured lad to swallow hard and address the last of the Tropius hanging farther away, looking promisingly pacific and tranquil.

The dinosaur remained ever placid as he neared, which gave him the courage to stand before her in her shadow with his hands on his hips and his head cocked, smiling up at her from far below. A rumble vibrated somewhere deep in her chest and her head sluggishly descended to equal level with the male, considering his azure complexion and bright eyes. She caught him off guard by bumping her skull against his chest gently and divulging a few words, though all Milo caught of it was "dude." The Tropius. Calling him dude. He smiled wider.

"Well heya, brodette.[/b]" Milo retorted, briefly scratching his beanie with his left hand as if this were the most confound thing he'd ever encountered. He quietly clicked his diamond-skewed teeth together as the grass-type curiously sniffed his spikes, his tentacles that subconsciously cringed away from her mouth, his face that was left with a slight misting of moisture that he dare not offend the Pokémon by immediately wiping away. She rumbled again, this time nuzzled Milo's tunic and he took it as an okay cue to chuckle and buoyantly throw his arms around her snout.

He stepped back, nodding some silent message of affection at the bodacious Tropius that lofted her head high in the air to watch him return to Farah. The boy didn't say anything at first and turned with his back to the employee to admire all three of his choices for what seemed like a long minute and a half - he would've thought longer if he weren't being considerate. Then he sighed heartily, as if all that thinking had worn him out, and swiveled around. "Could I have her, please? The one that called me dude? She seems. . .fitting." He cast a look over his shoulder at her, excitement coursing through him. This was the choice he'd been waiting nearly 5 years to make.

[/blockquote]

[ZOM]

(yep, that's fine! no worries. :3)

Farah watched quietly, wearing a pleased grin, as Milo inspected the trio of Tropius and interacted briefly with each one. From the looks of things, his choice was obvious; he immediately clicked with the third Tropius he inspected, the one that was always lumbering off to the shoreline to wade in the water or, astoundingly, to surf on whatever flat piece of wood she could find that was big and sturdy enough. She was a good choice, anyway -- relaxed, but fond of activity, and quite friendly. That wasn't to say the others weren't wonderful options, too, though! Farah would happily look after the pair that was left behind, as the morph did with all lab Pokémon.

Sure enough, Milo's decision came as no surprise. "Of course you can! I will go get her Pokeball, and then you can be on your way." Farah zipped away again, back to the lab building. That left Mae, cheerfully watching Milo and the Tropius that was soon to be his. The other two meandered away, the female looking somewhat dejected and the male as stern-faced as ever.

+I hope you two get along wonderfully,+ said Mae, clapping several pairs of her little feet together. +Milo, do you have any questions...? I am happy to help if you can think of anything else you need.+

Farah was quick, and already they could be seen flitting out the door again. "Maaaaaaaaaaaae!" they called out. "Think faaaaaaaaaast!" They drew their arm back, then lobbed a Pokeball in the group's direction. Apparently, the Beautifly morph had a strong arm; the capsule made the distance easily, and Mae bounced a little to catch it in her mouth, casual as could be. She offered it out to Milo, and Farah continued towards them at a much more leisurely pace.

[img]http://i.imgur.com/IjiL1.png[/img] Trainer ID
[img]http://i.imgur.com/C8Owi.png[/img] Smartphone

[img]http://www.serebii.net/blackwhite/Pok?mon/357.png[/img]
[b]Tropius, Level 5[/b]
[b]Name:[/b] Your choice!
[b]Gender:[/b] Female
[b]Ability:[/b] Chlorophyll
[b]Moves:[/b] Leer, Gust
[b]Overworld Moves:[/b] --
[b]Nature:[/b] Party hard, brah! -NAME- fancies herself to be a real "beach babe." She loves to soak up the sun and take a dip in the ocean, and also may be the world's only surfing Tropius. She has a very chillaxed way of speaking and refers to literally everyone as "dude," "man," "bro," or "brah." At the same time, she loves to have a good time and can really move fast when she wants to, despite her usually relaxed demeanor. Battling isn't really her style, but as long as it's all in good fun she'll give it a go. Mostly she'd rather hang ten with her bros or kick back with a tasty bunch of bananas.

[ßukowski]

There was a pang of remorse to be felt for the morose gait of the rejected Tropius, sweet as could be, and yet Milo was already too off in the future to care much, imagining the splendor of having a monstrous tropical dinosaur at the beach. Oh, yes! Lounging underneath her great fronds in the noon sun, teaching her to swim - knowing nothing of the passion for water she already possessed. The Omastar-like lad happily watched Farah spring away and faced Mae, having grown much fond of her in such a short period, and his hands found his hips and his chin raised to a haughty, mostly joking angle. "Nah, you guys have been a real help. I'm pretty dang proud of myself for actually getting all the way here and actually getting a Pokémon though. Man.

[/b]" said he, cracking a tiny smile.

"I think I'm ready to go. Excited to see what's lying out there for me, y'know?" Milo added, standing there idly he used both his spindly hands to adjust his beanie and smooth his mass of dusty blue hair spilling down to his chest of any bedlam. A Venipede, he noted inwardly whilst doing so, ought to make a good addition to his team after he caught a Water Pokémon. His hands fell back to his sides afterwards and he jubilantly perked up at Farah's speedy return, exhaling with excitement and a smidgen of concern when the Pokeball was pitched - he was pretty sure that didn't harm the Pokémon. Pretty sure. Regardless, the 'morph didn't question and eagerly accepted the precious metallic sphere, smoothly brushing his fingers across the vessel which contained his faithful companion from then forth, a wonderfully hallmark event.

"I can't thank you enough. Like, really." Milo reluctantly finished staring at his ruby reflection in the Pokeball's surface as he spoke. "It's all gonna be awesome.[/b]" His voice and body language dripped with poorly contained fervor, zeal; this was not the time for patience. Firmly gripping the Pokeball in his left hand, he gave a conclusive, yet earnest nod to the two kind folk. "I'll see you guys around, I guess. Thanks again - bye![/color]" To hasten matters, his impish side was slowly but steadily emerging, stifling an urge to try the whole "you have something on your shirt" on Farah. Thus, prepared for what lie ahead, he strode back through the laboratory, snatched his trusty backpack, and went out the way he'd came. Time to hit the beach!

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