Not So High and Mighty

Energy: 18 - 16 (entrance fee) = 2

For once, things hadn't gone awry before arriving at the renowned Black Mist Mountain. Devoting several days to navigating here, Cinder felt surprisingly good about the results of her efforts. Heh, no one's stopping me today! Heck, I bet I could do anything twice right now! I've got the supplies I need, I have the right mindset, and I've trained hard enough to the point that I think I can scale this bad boy! the fox thought with a small smirk on her face. Though not a challenge for any Flying type, she considered this her strongest test of skill yet. What with rumors of Absol not taking kindly to visitors, she felt obligated to check it out for herself and try to reach the highest point she can get to.

Then again, the rumors did sound a lot more than baseless. It wouldn't be uncommon for them to be so territorial over their homeland considering Pokémon could walk in and out as if they owned the place. Maybe I should be... Nah, I got this! They'd probably understand if I just wanted to go to somewhere really high. Who knows? Maybe I might make some new friends! the Vulpix noted, picking up the pace and continuing her exploration. Even as low as she was, the view was still decent despite the ominous mist. If the situation got worse, Energy Ball could always light her path without harming the landscape.

It wasn't long before the silence began affecting her to the point that any conversation or sighting of a friendly face would make things better. "Hello? Anyone alive over here?" she stopped, calling out for a reply while diligently looking around. It was probably a bad move, but she could care less. Cinder really just needed something to show up at this point.

[Energy: 22 - 16 (Entrance Cost) = 6]

Standing at the foot of Black Mist Mountain, Ashen the Houndour stared up at the sky, searching for the peak. She had seen it a few hours before, but now that the area's trademark fog was obscuring her vision, all she could make out was the base. It was a bit humbling to be standing next to something so massive... And apparently dangerous, too. Ashen had been told by her mother that the dungeon was home to all kinds of tough Pokemon, all well-suited to the harsh terrain. Of particular note was an extremely territorial pack of wild Absols, which she was instructed to stay far away from if possible. 

Despite all of this, Ashen found the mountain to be captivating for some reason. Perhaps this was simply because it didn't resemble Pecha Forest in any way. After a few years of training in the woods daily, it was nice to finally have a change in scenery! Once I find a partner to form an exploration team at the guild with, I'll be able to travel a lot more, The Houndour thought, smiling at her realization.

If she could scale the mountain, then she would be more than prepared to take on missions at the Grassveil Guild! In fact, that was the main reason she had traveled so far to train: to prove to herself that she could handle the rigors of life as an explorer. Eager to gain the self-assurance she would need to stand in front of Guildmaster Faye and ask for a job, Ashen started towards a spot on the ridge that looked promising when... 

She heard a voice. Stopping dead in her tracks, the hound looked around, but couldn't see much thanks to the dark mist that shrouded the area. She could smell somebody approaching, however... They had a thick, smokey musk that she immediately recognized as belonging to a fellow fire type. "Uhm... Y-yes, I-I'm here!" Ashen nervously rasped, wondering to herself how she had managed to bump into somebody else in such a desolate area.

Energy: 2 + 10 (Oran Berry used) = 12

Actually hearing a voice wasn't the surprise, but how fast the response came was what caught her off guard. Was the source nervous or something? "Uh... Yeah. Could you, you know, come a little closer? I like talking and all, but it's really, really creepy when you're in the fog and all." she stated, stopping to dig through her bag for an Oran Berry. A little boost to her morale and energy here and there wouldn't hurt. After quickly wolfing down the small morsel, she steadied her bag again and moved towards the voice slowly. This was a mistake seeing as Cinder jumped back in surprise when she almost bumped into the Houndour. "Gah! S-Sorry, didn't see you there for a second!" the Fire type apologized, bowing her head for a moment before smiling back at her.

"I'm Cinder. Nice to meet you!" she beamed, extending her paw to shake with the Houndour. From what she could tell, whoever they were, they didn't seem threatening in the slightest. The only thing that bugged her was judging if her introduction was too enthusiastic to the point that it would scare her away. Their stutter didn't make it impossible either: she sounded almost wary of Pokémon she encountered. It wasn't like the Vulpix would know anyways, she hardly payed any attention to any red flags regardless. "Whatcha doing around here anyways? The mountains aren't exactly the best place for a stroll, you know. What with the Pokémon living here and the incline, I doubt that's the reason.

Ashen hesitated when the Pokemon asked her to come closer, but eventually nodded in agreement and began to pad towards them. Since she was able to hear and smell exactly where they were, she wasn't nearly as surprised as the Vulpix when they almost bumped right into each other. "N-no, that was my fault... P-probably should've told y-you I was... Uhm, y-you know, c-coming y-your way," Ashen told the stranger, awkwardly staring down at the ground with a humiliated expression on her face. Wow, that was quick... Already messed it up, She thought to herself, convinced that the Vulpix already thought she was weird because of her little slip-up. 

Ashen flinched a little bit when the vixen went on to introduce themself, taken off guard by their sudden burst of enthusiasm. "Uhm, Cinder, eh...? Oh, th-that's a nice name. I-I'm Ashen," The Houndour skittishly rasped, still unable to make eye contact. It took her a second to notice that Cinder had stuck her paw out for a handshake. She looked up, and reciprocated the gesture, hoping that she couldn't feel her shudder when they made contact...

"Uhm... I-I'm here to train," Ashen simply responded to Cinder's question, not finding it necessary to say much more. After all, the fox probably wouldn't care very much about her Guild aspirations... "Wh-what about you? The same...?"

Energy: 12

From what she could tell, Ashen was just a little anxious. That, or she was naturally very shy, but they meant the same thing, right? Not every Pokémon would be comfortable with meeting a stranger instantly, and Cinder knew that. After all, some Pokemon weren't that confident in their image anyways. The fox was just glad that she wasn't completely silent and nervous. "Me? I'm not really here specifically to train... I think? No idea. If you call 'scaling a mountain to test my limits and for the experience' training, then yes! In reality, the only thing I plan on doing is finding a partner and doing whatever they want to do. I've got no preferences anyways." the Vulpix explained. "Still, I think I really want to pursue something that has to do with adventuring! In order to do that, I need to get used to it... And that's pretty much why I'm here."

Hearing her parents' stories about adventuring had always been the few moments of her childhood that she would never forget. The fox's parents were probably her biggest inspiration and motivation to pursue her dream. "If you want, I could help you out with training. Not too experienced myself, but I definitely know how to hold my own in a fight. Feeling great today too, so why not?" she said with a grin on her face. Facing off against a Fire type that seemed like they knew what Flash Fire was would be great practice! Her last battle against a Charmander from the guild went well, so she had high hopes for this battle.

Wait... She needs to find a "partner"...? Ashen repeated in her head as the vixen spoke. Is she thinking about making a team at the Grassveil Guild or something? If she is, then this might be my lucky day! She thought to herself, her eyes widening slightly at her realization. After spending such a long time training and searching for a partner, she might finally come home ready to join the Guild! Before she could comment on that little detail, however, Cinder continued, challenging her to a quick sparring match. 

"Wait... Y-you want to battle? Do you really want to do that right now...?" Ashen asked, honestly a little surprised that the vulpine would want to do that rather than conserve her energy for the trip. I mean, if it's just a quick battle, it couldn't hurt too much... The Houndour supposed, shrugging and nodding at Cinder. "Uhm, o-okay... Just... Let's not go too hard on each other. I-I mean, we still have a mountain to climb," She told her new acquaintance, backing up and getting into a combat-ready position. Her right paw twitched in eager anticipation...

Energy: 12

The fox stopped to think about this for a second. Ashen was right when she said that they had a mountain to climb, but she didn't have to worry; if push came to shove, she always had some berries to bail her out, right? "Easy goes it, got it. Don't expect me to back down, though!" Cinder exclaimed with a smile. Getting into her own battle stance, she had a moment to carefully plan out her options before making a move that would cost her. Argh, Ashen pretty much makes my attacks harmless in comparison! Will-O-Wisp only works on non-Fire types, Fire Blast seems like a bad idea, Dark Pulse won't do much, and Energy Ball is as good of an idea as tucking and rolling off of the mountain! Just gotta mix it up and hope for the best, I guess...

Clearing her thoughts and taking a deep breath, the vixen focused her energy on thinking of the most twisted thoughts she could muster. Though it wasn't as much considering she's lived a very happy life, it was enough to power the move to a decent level. "Alright, I'll get this party started! Better watch out, because here I come!" Cinder warned, firing the attack in a black, wavy ring around her.

MCLikeANinja carried out 10 launched of one Black Mist Mountain :

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