Johanna found herself blushing slightly as Megan made swimsuit comments. She wasn’t quite certain how to respond to that. But luckily their topic moved on.

“I have been to Sinnoh and Kalos a few times, but that was mostly just generic vacationing, no real exploration outside tourist traps.” Johanna explained as she thought back to the few vacations she was forced to go on with her family.

“I got this little friend here in one of those Rifts.” Johanna explained. Though moving her focus back on the adventure they were about to embark on.

“As long as we don’t get TOO hurt, the one I brought should be able to.” Another explanation given. She had figured it good and proper to give the little Slowpoke some experience.

“But while we are at it. What did you bring? Besides - “ She gestured toward the Steel Serpent.

MISSION: THE GREAT CHASM OF HOENN
TEAM:

Up and up they went. Johanna did her best to stay on the Hydreigon’s back. The Flutter Mane following behind as best it could.

Her gaze darted back and forth between the ground to keep tabs on their tiny attackers and the heavens to make sure they did not fly into something weird.

Unfortunately for Johanna the ‘weird’ had decided to fly into them. it seemed the commotion had attracted flying attention. Celesteela flew toward them behind it a trail of incendiary gas floated, ready to be lit with the smallest of sparks.



PROMPTS:
- 12 involve being ambushed or trapped.
- 23 involve the classic trope of running/fleeing through a bamboo forest/fields.
- 26 involve the classic trope of a swordsman's showdown or duel, the training of the blade, to intrude and explore a bamboo fortress heavily guarded by kartana.
- 21 involve deadly, incendiary gas from celesteela that can suffocate or burn down stretches of land/flora/you and your pokemon.

It would be no lie to say Johanna missed being on the roster. But it was simply not in the cards right now. Luckily the sadness wasn’t long lasting as Lam’s brightened curiosity made her feel better about it.

“Perhaps. Though I hope you all will give me a proper challenge.” Johanna beamed a wide teasing grin at Lam, making it so painfully obvious that what she said was a joke. She was certain the quality in Gym Leaders hadn’t dropped. The only thing she feared had dropped was her skill as a trainer.

“Eager to fight is quite the understatement.” Johanna spoke. Admittedly both snakes were aggressive like that, but at least one of them knew how to behave. But for all her complaints she accepted the offering of the Grafaiai all the same with another quick capture.

“Glad to hear the gym is running as smoothly as it can here in Hoenn.” Her smile turned more reassuring as she continued. “Mind if I ask what that ‘ehhh’ entails?” It could be a personal matter after all.

And as Vas the Seviper sees Noodle engage in fighting another fire is lit within it. It needed another prey and luckily it smelled Toxicroak nearby. It slithered off once more. This time Johanna made no remark nor attempt at containing it for she knew it was futile.

Toxicroak may have been anticipating the attack. But even though it threw MUD BOMBs at the Seviper it failed to amount to much, as the slithering serpent easily dodged the assault before delivering a binding COIL followed up with a quick and decisive CRUNCH.



OOC: Capturing Toxicroak
DW-TypesDW Fire/Poison

Dragapult felt its force slamming into the body of his opponent, only for retaliation to be delivered swiftly with a DRAGON CLAW.

It groaned and hissed in pain and cursed the attack with all of its fervor. A dark indigo aura began to surround the Dragapult as CURSED BODY activated, attempting to rob the Salamence of its DRAGON CLAWS.

But that was not all. Dragapult would retaliate, it could not regain the speed for another Dragon Rush at this proximity. But it could fire its small dreepy at the Salamence hoping to cause and INFESTATION.

A lot of things were happening all at once. Abilities manifested, rioting began. If she didn’t have Andrea Vaneau to focus on, Johanna might have felt overwhelmed. But helping Andrea, keeping her safe, pushing her onward with her ability until they were free. That was something she could do.

She got onto the platform and descended. Down and down they went along the way picking up more prisoners until at last they reached the Feeding Pit. But by then she was feeling the price of the powers she was granted. A nauseating pain wriggled through her veins like a hundred tiny Seviper gorging themselves on her insides. In a feeble attempt to rid herself of the poison she tore off her mask, revealing herself for all to see.

But she would not succumb to it. Badly Poisoned she may be, but the indomitable human spirit within her had found purpose, and through purpose she would succeed.

The masked ogre stepped into the Feeding Pit, a new mask adorned it, but it was the ogre of that Johanna was certain of. She looked toward Andrea Vaneau with a nervous gulp and spoke.

“If we are going to reach it, I think this is our last chance.” Her voice betrayed the cool facade she tried to uphold. She tried to put a reassuring hand on Andrea’s shoulder even though the hand itself trembled like an earthquake.

“Ready when you are.” Johanna didn’t know what Andrea’s plan was, but she would follow it all the same. And with her powers she would try one thing that was perhaps incredibly risky. But if it succeeded it could give Andrea an avenue to reach the ogre.

She tried to hook the Hearthflame masked ogre onto the Toxic Chain Network, and with it hopefully allow her own, and most of important of all, Andrea’s desire to help it wash over it.

TLDR:
- Johanna is overwhelmed but focuses on Andrea.
- Johanna feels the effect of the Badly Poisoned condition on the way down, and tears off her mask.
- Johanna resigns herself to what she believes is their one last chance of helping Ogerpon.
- Johanna uses her Toxic Ability to try and Hook Ogerpon onto the network to allow Andrea's desire to help it wash over it.

Toxic Chain Antenna

"The Toxic Chain Antenna boosts the power and effectiveness of the Toxic Chain abilities of willing allies within a "Narratively fitting" radius around her by sharing thoughts, feelings and willpower"

(Author's Note: Allies = anyone or anything Johanna desires to work with/alongside)

MBMLk5kY (salac'ing)
( salac'ing 2)
( salac'ing 3)

Johanna worked through the week, struggling as best she could, bleeding as best she could for the wardens, keeping her head down as much as she needed to, to not become another target of their vile wardens' whims.

And when the hell of the waking world ended, she dreamt of Ultra Megalopolis. She walked its streets and talked with its people, learned information that others had gathered. Kindled hope alongside friends, and readied herself for what was to come as Azelf’s dreaming voice reached her.

The day arrived. Johanna ate the mochi not noticing that Andrea Vaneau did not. She figured she would need the energy.

[player]https://file.garden/ZedspRo9KEiz9gm9/Hoenn/Drums%20of%20Liberation.mp3[/player]

Her heart beat like a drum as her rebellious desire for freedom had been rekindled by sparks of hope. She was ready to fight. But most importantly, she was ready to help Andrea and that creature in the feeding pit with escaping.

The riot began, and for all of her fire she knew not what to make of herself. Should she lounge at the Wardens or run? Neither choice was picked as Andrea urged her to join her in flying down to the basement.

And in that moment Johanna was reminded of what she fervently desired not only in here but out in the world. Unity, Understanding, Compassion, helpfulness. And in that moment her WILLPOWER manifested a TOXIC CHAIN ANTENNA, an antenna that would allow herself and those around her to willingly share their thoughts, feelings and Willpower to empower each other.

Though others could join in on this public channel shared between all willing minds in the vicinity, Andrea may be the first to feel Johanna’s fervent desire to help her succeed in not only freedom but saving that creature in the feeding pit, alongside feeling its boosting effects as Johanna’s Toxic Antenna attempted to empower the dragon-enthusiast.

TLDR:
- Johanna survives through the week.
- Johanna accepts Andrea Vaneau's hand of rebellion, and tries to fly with her down to the basement.
- Johanna awakens her Toxic Ability.

Toxic Chain Antenna

"The Toxic Chain Antenna boosts the power and effectiveness of the Toxic Chain abilities of willing allies within a "Narratively fitting" radius around her by sharing thoughts, feelings and willpower"

(Author's Note: Allies = anyone or anything Johanna desires to work with/alongside)

- Attempts to boost Andrea by projecting her desire to see Andrea Succeed in all her endeavors.

qNPHWOxE (Salacc'ing)
(Salacc'ing nr 2)

Johanna sighed with amused defeat as Andrea called her out on the exact thing that she had been about to do.

She might have argued her case for the action had it not been for the pleading tone. She couldn’t deny someone who so desperately needed human comfort.

Honestly, she could use that as well. And so she climbed into the cot, and made of herself the little spoon resting as comfortably as one could against the pillow known as Andrea.

And for a moment she prayed sleep would be a kinder experience than reality.

The cots space was limited, so though Johanna did her best to try and accommodate for Andrea Vaneau more often than not as she woke from the collective dream some mishap was bound to have happened, whether it was a knee in her side or an elbow in her face. All of it felt like tickles compared to what she was otherwise offered.

The Laughing Hour was horrible, scarring, and though no matter how many times she experienced it, she felt sick to her stomach, and worst of all vile for laughing along. Though she felt the Toxic Chain force the response, deep down she felt that if she had just tried hard enough she would have been able to resist. But she didn’t, and so she felt just as evil as the wardens were sure to be.

But The Laughing Hour paled in comparison to seeing how Andrea Vaneau’s fixation on the Feeding Pit creature was turning to obsession. It tore at her heart to see a friend suffer like that and worse, it tore to see such effort unrewarded.

And so deep in the pits she found herself helping her friend as best she could, wrestling the beast or at least trying to. She hoped to tire it of its near boundless beating-energy. And she was rewarded in kind with beatings of her own.

Each blow that was hammered onto her left a mark, and yet she joined in Andrea’s chorus.

“Listen to her! We can be free, just let us help you!”

TLDR:
- Johanna lives her prison life.
- She spends a lot of time cleaning the FEEDING PITS (Main action)
- She tries to help Andrea Vaneau in wrestling with the Feeding-Pit-Beast and try to appeal to the goodness in its heart.

wkx_L|uK (Salaccing this)
(Salaccing this 2)
(Salaccing this 3)
(Salaccing this 4)
(Salaccing this 5)
(Salaccing this 6)

Tag

The work was rough, the beating rougher. There were times where Johanna just felt like lying down and letting the comforting darkness of despair take her. And yet she never did. She couldn’t give up. If she did, his death would have been for nothing.

The chilling water that rained down upon her was a soothing chill to her bruised and aching body, a soothing chill which she enjoyed in silence. She solemnly took a moment to wash herself though unlike her cellmate she did not strip top nor bottom. They were all still strangers and even in prison-despair she found a sense of shyness.

When they were all led away, she took a moment to look back and steal a brief look upon the beast for however long she was allowed to and for a brief moment ponder its unfortunate situation while noting down an orange.

But then she was forced onward, and not long after she found herself in a new set of clothes, dry clothes, scented even. Had it not been provided by their prison wardens she might have been appreciative of the gesture.

The same could be said for the food. She felt no joy in eating the mochi. Honestly it made her want to vomit for no other reason than who gave it to her. But she kept it down knowing better than to waste sustenance.

And so she went to bed, the little spoon to Andrea Vaneau’s big spoon. And there she found rest. The comfort of another person, even if that other person was a stranger, allowed her to dream.

But where she had prayed for a dream of freedom she found one of a dream-like city she did not recognize. But unfamiliar scenery did not stop her from exploring. She saw people walking by, some faces she presumed to be people from Hoenn, and the others carried the faces of the prison guards.

Now of course she could assume that this was simply just a dream and enjoy it as such. But on the off chance that this WAS some weird collective dream formed by all those in the area that meant there was a chance that perhaps her Pokemon would be here too.

And so she set out searching down streets, alleys and everywhere else she could get to. It took a long time but at last she found them, all of them, even Retnauh the one who had succumbed to punishment. Bundled together, yet separated into different displays, each bobbling in some weird fluid. All of them, even Retnauh…

Johanna felt the tears running down again. Oh this was no dream of freedom, but a taunting dream of despair, a reminder of her failure.

She knew this dream was lying to her. The cruelty they had subjected her to during the day suggested as much. They would have no reason NOT to simply end the life of one as an example. Johanna was convinced that the sight before her was simply wishful thinking made manifest for a moment. And yet the sight paved a path for hope, a hope which made call out to each Pokemon, and when that didn’t work she raised her fist and began to beat with all her might against the glass trying to break through to her friends on the off chance that this wasn’t simply wishful dreaming. All while calling out for them with their names!

But it didn’t seem to work, they didn’t even seem to react. She kept beating until her hands felt like weights of iron on her sides. By then all she could do was let her tears of despair and frustration run as she allowed her forehead to rest against the glass all while muttering.

“I will save you, I promise.”

TLDR:
- Works
- Bathes in the cold water, keeping her clothes on.
- Gets new clothes. And eats Mochi, then goes to sleep as Little spoon.
- Dreams of the city where she walks around looking at faces and stuff, until she finds her Pokemon. She tries break through to them, but fails. Sadge.

Tag

Andrea accepted the hug, and Johanna delivered it for as long as the broken woman wanted and allowed it. “We beat them by being smarter and tougher than them.” Johanna tried to reassure Andrea and herself at the same time.

But perhaps the words were just hollow hope.

“They may have power and authority right now, but they will mess up at some point.” Another fickle hope that Johanna had to claim to or otherwise fall to despair.