Melody spotted the creature before her master did, and drew her attention to it with a quiet tune. Atop dry land, three feet of sass glared at the pair, sharpening its claws against a rock as if to challenge them. At least, that was how Annie saw it. It reminded her a bit too much of thugs in a bad part of town, daring any passers-by to make a move, or mind their own business. Normally, Annie would have been happy to do just that. She was just a child after all, and most of those thugs either had tough teams or knives to back up their stares…

But out there? In the wild, deep in a cave? The stunt left her feeling irritated, or just a little brave. Mostly the latter, since she already had her trap card in play. “Me-lo-dy, that Pokemon looks super tense. Why don’t you sing it a song?” The Lapras was more than happy for a reason to share her tones. Musical notes floated out of the monster’s mouth as it sang a beautiful melody and drifted through the air towards the creature. As soon as it realised it might be in danger, it attempted to show its agility by dodging every note. Key word: attempt – though it’d made a good show of avoiding the first few, it only took one quaver bursting in its face to knock it into a deep slumber. From there, all Annie had to do was grab a Pokeball and lob it across the water. If the Sneasel had been awake, it might not have taken kindly to being beaned on the head!

❤ wizz

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annie's tracker

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“You know, times like these, I wish I’d met you sooner.” Annie hugged the neck of her Lapras as she sat on her shell. High tides had flooded the cave, but Melody’s species hadn’t earned the title of Transport Pokemon for nothing. There were few things the monster enjoyed than ferrying people and Pokemon across water – an ideal companion for a small child that couldn’t pay her way across. “I mean, think about it. If I’d met you back in Kanto, I could’ve just left! No waiting for weeks for a ship to sneak onto – you are the ship!” Melody made a sound that her trainer assumed was its equivalent of a scoff. “Seriously, it’s cool! You’re cool.” She reached up to pet her Pokemon’s head, realised for the third time that day that she couldn’t reach, and settled for patting the back of her neck.

They were on the hunt. Annie was by no means a Pokemon master, but she’d heard rumours of ice-types lurking in the caves. Even she knew that they were a rare breed, and while she was already sitting on one (well, sort of), she knew that any self-respecting trainer kept a good variety of Pokemon. At least, that was what she had told her Pokemon, to excuse the fact that she’d really wanted to visit the weird changing cave as the tide lowered.

❤ wizz

Annie followed suit, carrying everything to her name on her person. Thanks to their efforts, the fire hadn’t reached her gear, and it’d been far enough away to avoid the rain entirely. She’d mentioned a few times how happy she was not to have to drag a waterlogged sleeping bag around, among other things. Many, many other things. It’d been a while since she’d had a captive human audience, and that meant that he got to hear a lot of happy hot air.

“Fortuna did great! She’s not much of a fighter, but man, we would’ve been lost without her…”
“How did you get a whole house to yourself? Do you have to climb a tree to get to it?”
“Hey, how much is a phone these days anyways?”
“What do rangers do, anyway? Are you guys like the super-police?”
“Why were you awake that early, anyway? If it was up to me I’d sleep until twelve!”
“How do water Pokemon float like that, anyway? Do the Pokeballs do that?”

Whether or not he answered didn’t matter, and he’d likely quickly realise as much. She’d keep talking for most of their journey (occasionally interrupted by her rumbling stomach) until they stepped into his quarters. It was tidy. Uniform. “Feels like a house you’d see on TV,” she mused. Annie barely looked like she belonged, with her baggy clothes that were likely the wrong size and half a bedhead from her rude awakening.

Before he could even introduce his Litwick, the girl was off, rushing over to stand beside him. “Ooooo, he’s so cute! Hello there, little guy! Don’t worry, Annie’s going to find you some friends. We can have him play with one of my guys, right? Then he won’t be so lonely.” Her trembling fists struggled with the need to respect a Pokemon’s personal space, and her need to pet anything adorable. “Anyway, later, later! Oh, is that a poster? So you’re, like, a spooky-type trainer, right? Huh?” She turned back to him, having successfully forgotten that she was hungry, and that they were there for food. Her eyes transitioned from overjoyed to mildly confused. “Er… I usually don’t get to choose.” Beyond what to steal, anyway. “Can we make pancakes? Oh man, I haven’t had pancakes in months! Can Pokemon eat pancakes? I’d have to save a bit for the guys. Just a little treat for working so hard, and to break up the usual meals, you know?”

❤ wizz

Hers was a simple train of thought. Sleeping rough wasn’t nearly as fun when it was cold. Some parts of Hoenn weren’t as cold as others. If she went there, she wouldn’t be cold for a while. If she caught a fiery Pokemon befitting of her team while she was there, she wouldn’t be cold ever again! Thus, her arrival at the Fiery Path, with everything to her name on her person. Baggy clothes, a filled hikers’ backpack that she’d ‘commandeered’, and nine Pokeballs left to complete her family.

In light of her lack of a phone, navigator or any knowledge besides glancing at a map, she was quickly learning the hard way that she wouldn’t be staying for long. It wasn’t just warm, it was immediately and unpleasantly muggy – no doubt thanks to the steam vents blowing vapour into the path. Not to mention that it was a cave. The main path was well lit, but she could see packs of Pokemon lurking in the dark, waiting for an unsuspecting trainer to make the wrong move. It was like walking into the bad part of town, and Annie had done enough of that for the month.

‘But there was still a job to do’, she reminded herself! She took a deep breath (of gross, humid air), put on her overly-determined frown and stomped further into the path. She would catch a living heater that day, if it was the last thing she did! It would be adorable, it would be friendly, and it would know how to start campfires so she wouldn’t spend half an hour rubbing sticks together anymore!

❤ wizz

The girl gave a nod, beckoning for the Chansey to follow. “Shout if you see anything dangerous,” she called to the party, though she doubted anything could take them by surprise at that point. Absol, Oreo, Espeon, Annie and Chansey ventured into what most sane people would call a bad idea. At least, the girl reasoned, there was no way she’d burn to death while soaked.

Besides, she was in capable hands. The man’s disposition had barely wavered throughout the disaster, and he was doing a much better job than herself at pretending he knew what he was doing… If he was pretending at all. On the other hand, she jolted at the crash of yet another tree. She tried, and mostly failed, to play it off with a few wild gestures. “Thought I saw something… Never mind, just excited.” Her Pokemon wasn’t convinced or impressed, but urged the child on with a few positive calls.

Soon enough, they found what appeared to be the source of their troubles. Someone, or something, had picked a fight in the night. Whether the darkness had affected their aim, or the culprit hadn’t thought their attack through, they’d destroyed dozens of homes, and perhaps lives. Those weren’t the kind of thoughts Annie wanted to be having before breakfast, and if the man looked, he’d see as much on her face. “It’s just… such a small thing. One bad move and everything’s on fire.” The spirit had left her voice as she surveyed. “And if we hadn’t been here…” She fell silent, shoving her hands into her pockets. Her eyes widened at the ground. “If we hadn’t woken up…”

A hard tap from Fortuna acted as a brief distraction, and the Ranger’s commands provided something more substantiable to focus on. It might have even been enough to keep her happy, but a brush with death was hard to let slide. It wasn’t until he addressed her that she remembered to look up, as if snapped out of a daydream. “…Yeah. Go, Fortuna.” Chansey gave pause, if only to give her master a concerned look. She waddled off to obey within seconds, keeping the Espeon within her sights while keeping at a distance to cast the Rain Dance elsewhere.

Annie kept her head low as her eyes followed the monster, until Orion addressed her again. “Huh?” An eyebrow slowly raised. “No, it’s fine. I… had to. Didn’t want to see that happen again.” Her mouth hung open as if it had more to say, but with a shake of her head she decided against it. “We’ll get going, after your friends show up. I don’t think I’d be that helpful, my camping stuff is either soaked or charred, and I have no idea where we’re getting breakfast from now. Not that I did before, but I bet the stores in Fortree will take a while to open now.” She showed a frown for half a second, but that too was shaken off. “I should be thanking you, Oreo. It was nice to have somebody around to help. Maybe I should say more, but this-“ She stretched her arms out, gesturing to the blackened remains of the forest, and the ongoing blaze in the distance. “Doesn’t feel like the best place to talk.”

❤ wizz

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Annie’s a migrant from Kanto, but she’s not all that upset about it. After a rough life bouncing between the orphanage and foster homes, the idea of hitting the road on a trainer’s journey, with nobody to rely on but herself, is very appealing. She’s learned a fair bit about the land and its Pokemon along the way, and worked her way up from being a hobo out of necessity, to being a drifter by choice. [break][break]


She’s a (mostly) reformed criminal, boisterous to the point of being obnoxious, curt, says what’s on her mind, always has a lot on her mind, suspicious of kindness, doesn’t take kindly to being commanded and often insults people without even trying. It’s not all bad, though. She’ll rarely be seen upset for long, and is always bursting with energy. A near-childlike enthusiasm and curiosity for the world around her means she always wants to see and learn more. Once she has her eyes set on a goal, she’ll move mountains to accomplish it. On the rare occasion that she isn’t the worst-off person in the room, she can be caring and even charitable, especially if they need a pep-talk. It’ll take some resilience to get through an encounter with Annie, but it may be worth it for the heart of gold deep down. Deep, deep down.

PLOT HOOKS
WHAT MISADVENTURES CAN BE HAD?

I’ve got a better idea of where Annie’s going now, but planning the journey there is for chumps that know what they’re doing. In the absence of a long-term plot (for now), here's a few scenarios that could lead to our characters meeting:[break][break]

You can never have too many friends! Having close to triple-digit numbers of Pokemon is great, but they can’t debate what makes a hat cool quite like a human can. Annie will strike up a conversation with almost anybody she meets, for better or worse, so just crossing her path is bound to be interesting. Asking about her Camp Tenets will eat at least two minutes of your life.[break][break]

Champion’s Road – As one of the few with the right to challenge the Elite Four, Annie’s starting to make a name for herself as a trainer worth her salt. There’s bound to be a few trainers out there surprised that a semi-notable trainer is a) a foreigner and b) a child. Some way want to test her skill themselves, and others might want to learn a thing or two from her.[break][break]

What is a leader, anyway? It’s one thing to get a job, and another to do it well. Annie has realised that she has a lot to learn if she’s going to become a true champion, and none of it has to do with her team’s strength. The trouble is, everybody has their own opinion on what a champion should be… But Annie could learn from all of them. This is a call to the heroes of Hoenn, self-proclaimed or otherwise, to show this girl how it’s done![break][break]

Whatever the Weather – Annie has a full team of Pokemon for the four main weather types. Why? It seemed like a good idea at the time. If any characters ever want to see the power of weather teams, or a mission calls for overcoming/making the most of heavy weather, she’s your girl! Weather teams seem to be very uncommon on this roleplay, so it could make for a unique challenge![break][break]

Old ghosts. Renouncing her criminal ways doesn’t just make them disappear. The more notoriety the girl gains, the more people seem to dig into her past. From her disadvantaged beginnings in Kanto to a string of altercations with the law and its enforcers, there’s a lot about Annie’s past that she’d rather people didn’t ask questions about (And then there’s the Type: Null…). In the age of information, nothing stays buried for long, and a more inquisitive character could make of that information what they would. Perhaps a character is sure Annie lightened their pockets before, and is out for revenge[break][break]

Frankenstein’s Pokémon – Annie has a Type: Null. It was created and obtained under circumstances that were suspect at best, and illegal at worst, so it’s no surprise that she’s hesitant to talk about its origins. Still, the Pokemon can attract attention, and not just because it’s the closest the Pokemon world has to a chimera. The number of its species in Hoenn is in the single digits, and attempts to scan it with a Pokedex throw up an error. Despite – or perhaps in spite – of its questionable origins, Annie is insistent on keeping the beast and showing it the affection every Camp Annie member deserves, so it often travels by her side. Threads surrounding the mystery of it are welcome! [break][break]

Got a house? Is it empty? Not anymore! Being homeless is great for roaming around, but every once in a while Annie will ‘just happen upon’ an empty house and sleep in a warm bed for the night. If it turns out to not be empty… Well, she’ll cross that bridge when she gets to it.[break][break]

Lorekeeper – A little invasion stopped Annie from getting much of an education, and she wasn’t exactly top of the class before that. Recent events have sparked an interest in the ‘gods’ of their world; the legendary beasts that walk amongst them. If your character happens to be an expert on them, then prepare for many, many questions. [break][break]

You know what’s better than having no money? Having one money! Annie’s happy to take on odd jobs as she travels the region, if it means her and her team get to eat well. This lends itself to taking on most missions, as well as helping whatever businesses will take a child on.[break][break]

A Stray in More Ways Than One – Annie has a job! It doesn’t pay, but it’s a start! Annie works the day shift at The Stray in exchange for that night’s stay in a room. If your character is ever in Rustboro and fancy a drink or meal, they might have the misfortune of being served by her. [break][break]

Missions Galore! Annie has attempted the following missions:

• Fire Force
• Wooloo Who Cry Wolf
• The Great Hoenn Bake Off
• How to Train Your Dragon
• Stay Afloat
• Pruning the Power Plant
• A Whale of a Problem
• The Agility and the Uproar
• We Require More Minerals

I'm open to try almost all of the others, assuming that we have the requirements for completion between our characters!

She didn’t acknowledge the correction, if she heard it at all. What she did react to was him explaining that her suggestion was perhaps the worst thing he could do for them. Of course it was. Only a racing mind could think that giving fire more air was a smart idea. “Right. Yeah, no, please don’t make the fire stronger.” Something about teaching his Pokemon a move on the fly mostly flew over her head, added to the list of questions she could pester the man with once they were done. Before that, they had a choice.

They’d done more than their fair share to help fight the fire. Nobody would blame her for walking away. And yet, as Melody fired the last of her water blasts, Annie hesitated. Perhaps she was too stubborn to walk away from a half-finished job. Maybe she had a particular vendetta against fire and the destruction it brought. Or this was all a ploy to make sure her camping gear wasn’t ruined.


Her gaze went from the man to the ground. They settled on her monsters, her false bravado starting their loop of confidence. Neither trainer or Pokemon would allow the other to see that they were weak, as long as there was a job to be done. When she met their eyes and saw their determination, she knew that she couldn’t give up before they did. Their look was relayed to Orion. “We can keep going. Just because it can’t spread doesn’t mean it won’t do more damage! People- Pokemon and their homes are in there!”

She turned to her sea beast, both hiding whatever strain they were feeling. “You’ve been fantastic, Melody. I’ll bring you back out when we’re near the fire again, alright?” She gave an understanding nod – it was only through the power of Pokeballs that she could be summoned on land, and it didn’t help her move in a timely manner. A ball was pulled out, and a Pokemon was zapped into it, leaving Annie and Fortuna to stare at Oreo expectedly. “Let’s go. Just lead the way.”

❤ wizz

Take a breath? She already took one whole breath, and it barely helped! He may have had a point, somewhere in there. Nothing was going to be helped by her freaking out. Her Pokemon would look to her for guidance, and she needed to convince them that she kind of knew what she was doing. She took a precious second out of her day to stare at the man. Help. Right, he’d said that he’d called for backup. Things weren’t so bad. It was just an inferno. “We’ll do what we can,” she repeated – quieter than him, and than anything else she’d said since she’d woken. “Do what we can. Right. I can do that.”

More of Orion’s Pokemon arrived, and she found herself feeling a pang of guilt. Half her team was already doing their best, and the other two were small and young, with no defence against the flames. They’d be no help scouting through the flames – not without putting their lives at risk in the process. Annie could be overconfident, but she wouldn’t have her partners bite off more than they could chew for her sake. So it was up to Fortuna and Melody, which wasn’t to say that they were doing poorly. In fact, with the Espeon’s support, she thought she could see less orange in front of them! Granted, that could have been because of the growing smoke, but she was choosing to stay positive. “Good thinking, Oreo! Hey, question! Do you think that your wingman could clear the smoke up?” It was so obvious that it was almost insulting, but she’d often forgotten easy solutions when under pressure. “Or I can have Fortuna copy the rain thing somewhere else, if they go off together. Not now, though!” She waved a dismissive hand at the Chansey. “You’re doing great for now, just keep up the super-water.” And so they did, empowered even further by a seasoned trainer’s quick thinking.

The sunrise was countering the darkness that came with the smog, and the heat form the blaze was slowly being cancelled out by the rain. Perhaps it would bother the man, but Annie? She’d spent too long on the road for a little thing like being drenched to slow her down, though the cold might become an issue once all was said and done. At least she’d gotten a free shower for her troubles.

❤ wizz

It doesn’t take long for help to arrive, but not the kind that she expected. An old man and his partner Pokemon, thinking that they had time for introductions. “Who knows and who cares?! We can find out all about the fire after it isn’t destroying everything!” Her tone was aggressive, but hopefully he’d understand that it wasn’t meant at him. Few teenagers could claim they’d been caught up in a natural disaster, and though she’d had the sense to try and stop it, her eyes reflected the flustered fear that she felt.

At least he seemed calm. Controlled. At least, much more than she was. It reminded her to take a deep breath – and then not to, because inhaling the smoke wasn’t doing her lungs any favours. His Pokemon didn’t look like water types, but as long as they could do something, anything to quell the flames, she wouldn’t complain. “Alright, let me see another Hydro Pump, Melody! If we can make some sort of line of water, the fire might not spread an- Wha?” Under any other circumstance, a Chansey wouldn’t have been able to sneak up on her, but the chaos allowed Fortuna to get close enough to pat her side. “What’re you doing he- You know what? Not important! Copy Melody and help her douse everything!” Fortuna nodded as much as a ball could, rushing back and past the strangers to aid her team member.

An already powerful move, enhanced by the rain and bolstered by Helping Hand. It would have been a sight worth cheering about, if not for their predicament. The force of her own attack forced the Lapras back a few feet. Fortuna took on a blue aura, mimicking her movements to unleash a jet of water onto the forest. She was sturdy enough to hold her position, but their power took even their users by surprise, and earned a confused glance from her trainer. “I don’t know how you did that, but keep doing it! Did you do that?” She pointed at Orion and Espeon, giving them all of half a second to respond before- “You know what? Not important! Just keep helping, somehow! Maybe there’s some guys stuck in there! Or whatever started the fire! I don’t know!”

❤ wizz

All she'd wanted was a snack. A free snack, preferably, but she would settle for a cheap one. But no, these treats were for charity and the money needed to go to a good cause (and according to at least four of the vendors, her stomach didn't count as a good cause). So Annie wandered, with empty pockets and a near-empty stomach, staring and hoping that fortune would shine upon her-

A hand and a voice yanked her away from her thoughts. She turned, eyes narrowed, to the distraction. A girl, pretty cute, agitated and making demands of good old Annie. She had half a mind to return fire with some harsh-spoken words of her own, but once she let the crime of grabbing her slide, an idea came to mind. Making food meant eating food, and selling food meant having money. Sure, there was the slight issue of making the food, but it sounded simple enough! Her frown relaxed, and her eyes widened, a devious glint appearing in them. "Well, lucky for you, I'm feeling generous today! The Great Annie Mei has never failed to make a sale, or make a rice crispie! Just one question!" Both hands rested on her hips. "Can we add eggs to it?"

❤ wizz

There was something in the tall grass, alright, but it wasn’t quite a Pokemon. From the brush, mere feet from Caius, popped a small, skinny girl, dirtied by nature with twigs poking out of her hair. Not that that seemed to bother her – instead, her eyes were set on the man, brimming with determination. “I’m looking for a small black fox!” she announced, already irritated if her tone was anything to go by. “He’s been running away from me all day, and chasing him got old about three hours ago! I know he’s here somewhere!” And with that, she disappeared into the grass again. The disturbed stalks that tracked her every movement were almost laughably easy to follow, though if he hadn’t known better, she could have easily been mistaken for a wild monster. She’d barely travelled a few feet before…

❤ wizz