PMDUnity - Writer's app. (temp.) - Team Shard

Team Shard
Date Joined:  9/26/13
Current Funds: 5st

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Evan
Pokemon Species:  Zangoose
Nature and Characteristic:  Serious; A little quick tempered
Gender:  Male                
Age:  Teenager
Ability:  Immunity (cannot be poisoned)

Strength: ***          
Intelligence: ***
Agility: ***
Charisma: ***

Total Points Left: 0
Type bonus: Charisma +2

Move 1:  Slash
Move 2:  Quick Attack
Move 3:  Fury Cutter
Move 4:  Double Kick

Accessory 1:
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Accessory 2:
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Accessory 3:
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Kate  
Pokemon Species:  Sneasel  
Nature and Characteristic:  Relaxed; Good perseverence
Gender:  Female
Age:  Teenager
Ability: Keen Eye (accuracy cannot be lowered)

Strength: **          
Intelligence: ***    
Agility: ****
Charisma: ***

Total Points Left: 0
Type bonus:  Intelligence +1, Charisma +1

Move 1:  Fury Swipes  
Move 2:  Ice Shard
Move 3:  Faint Attack
Move 4:  Agility

Accessory 1:
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Accessory 2:
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Accessory 3:
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========== WRITTEN TEST ===========

It was a beautiful day in Andalusst City. It seemed like everyone was taking advantage of it, as crowds bustled around and vendors peddled this and that. Evan couldn’t help but take in the surroundings, becoming briefly lost in thought.  Nothing about the city itself seemed to jog the Zangoose’s memory, yet there was something about it that seemed familiar.

“So, what do you think?”

Evan looked down at the Sneasel.  “Uh, well it’s defi-OOMPH!”

Evan fell over in a heap.  He looked up and found himself staring at a Furret, who looked upset about being bumped into.  "Watch it! Why, I oughta toss ya into the street for that!”

“Oh yeah?  If you saw me coming, why didn’t you move yourself?  Or at least try to get my attention?” Evan shot back.

“Um, Evan?” his companion piped up, “I don’t think he can see us.”

“What do you mean he ca-“ Evan began, but stopped when he noticed something odd.  The Furret’s eyes looked somewhat pale.  While they appeared to follow his movements well enough, something about them seemed to lend credit to the Sneasel’s statement.  Perhaps it was because they bore an angry expression.

A few seconds passed without anyone saying a word.  Well, great, Evan thought.  If this guy really is blind, then this is gonna make me a hit with a locals.

But then, a smile crept over the Furret’s face.  “Heh, just joshin’ ya.”

Evan blinked.  “Wait, what?”  

“Only uptight nerds fight over bumpin’ into each other,” the Furret replied, seemingly much calmer.  “I like your style, though. You new around here? I’m guessin’... stepped outta the fog and got all confused? How close am I?"

Evan scratched the back of his head awkwardly, somewhat taken aback by the aggressor’s sudden mood shift.  “Well, pretty close, actually.  It was more like the other way around, though.”

“Yeah,” the Sneasel added as they resumed walking.  “But I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone fall out of it like you did.”  Evan shot her a look.

The Furret put a hand to his chin in thought.  “Oh yeah? Think I’ve heard that one before… maybe not, though. My memory’s all fuzzy after ya scrambled my brain a few seconds ago.  Anyway… name’s Cuffin. Pleased to meetcha! Now, how ‘bout you tell me who ya are?"

The Sneasel was the first to answer.  “My name’s Kate!  I’ve lived here in Andalusst City my entire life!  Nice to meet you!”

Evan paused for a moment before answering.  “Uh, I’m Evan.”  He held his breath, hoping that Cuffin wouldn’t press him further.

Instead, the Furret simply nodded.  “Not bad, not bad. I wouldn’t name my kids that… but hey, it’s a free world.”  

Evan sighed with relief.  It was bad enough that he couldn’t remember anything prior to waking up in the fog, but something about the Furret struck him as odd.  As they walked, he noticed that Cuffin was having some difficulty keeping up as the crowd became denser.  Evan was certain they could lose him, though he had a feeling Kate wouldn’t let that happen.  Still, Cuffin quickly caught up with them again.  His eyes seemed to struggle to keep up with his surroundings for a moment, which suggested that he did in fact have trouble seeing.  

But what made Evan suspicious was how quickly the Furret snapped out of this behavior, his view once again becoming confident and forward.  Though his appearance suggested otherwise, he seemed very capable of walking on his own without bumping into anything.  Evan began to feel as though he had purposely bumped into him, a feeling that only grew stronger as Cuffin now stuck to the pair like glue.  He was definitely friendlier, but his prodding them with questions was starting to irritate the Zangoose.  

“So, you guys lookin’ into the guilds here? They look pretty desperate for newbies. Think you’d wanna join one of ‘em?”

Kate’s face lit up.  “Hey!  That’s a great idea!”  Evan immediately gave her a startled look before she continued.  “I mean, I’ve always wanted to join the Explorers Guild!  Now that Evan’s here, we can definitely form a team!”  She winked at Evan, who stood in shocked silence.  For a moment, he thought she was going to spill the beans about his amnesia.  He was certain that if she even gave so much as a hint about it, Cuffin would have picked it up immediately.

The Furret in question took a few seconds before answering.  "Really? I wouldn’ta pinned ya for that type. I guess they’d be glad to have ya, though. From what I know, they always want ya to have some kinda “team name” to work under ‘em with. What do ya think yours would be?"

Evan fell silent as Kate began pondering a team name.  He wasn’t entirely sure he liked where the Sneasel was going with this.  However, since he had no idea what the ‘Explorers Guild’ was, it was probably easier to let her do the talking here.  Eventually she spoke up.  “How about Team Shard?”  She glanced at Evan, who simply shrugged.  Is she asking me or telling me?

Upon hearing the proposed team name, Cuffin kept a silent, straight face for a few moments. Then, the grin he was suppressing came right out.  “Well, ain’t heard that one before. You might not wanna walk into the rough parts of town callin’ yourself that… eh, or maybe do it anyway if you can handle yourself. I mean, no doubt you can probably throw a punch, or maybe you’ve got a silver tongue. The guilds look for stuff like that. How ‘bout you tell me what ya think your strengths are, just to get your story straight for when they wanna know?”

Evan’s face paled.  “My…my strengths?  Uh…”  He turned to Kate, only to find her equally at a loss for words.  “Well,” he began, “I don’t really know what my strengths are.  I guess it’s something I want to discover for myself.”

“Yeah, that’s kinda how I feel, too,” Kate added.  “But I like being able to help Pokemon out when I can.  I figure joining the Explorers Guild will allow me to do that.”  

Though Cuffin had clearly been busting their chops, he seemed to listen intently to their explanations. To Evan’s surprise, he didn’t grin, nor wisecrack. He simply listened.  “Yeah… yeah, I can respect that. Everybody’s gotta get by in their own way, and there ain’t nobody who knows that better than me.”

That was oddly sentimental, Evan thought to himself as Cuffin walked ahead of the pair and into their path, forcing them to stop for a moment. He was smiling, though for once it seemed to be in a friendly manner, rather than amusement at their expense.  “I hate to deprive ya of my presence, but I’ve gotta bounce. I’m sure you’ll see me again, so don’t sweat it. I’m sure the guild’ll love to have ya.”  He tipped his hat to them in a coy manner before leaving. They watched as he narrowly, though stylishly avoided colliding with several objects and other Pokemon before he was out of sight.  

Evan wasn’t sure what to make of the odd Furret, but at least he was out of his hair, which meant he could now focus on the matter at hand.  He turned to Kate.  “So, when were you going to tell me about this ‘Team Shard’ plan?  I don’t recall joining a guild being mentioned as a way to get my memories back.”

Kate looked at him sheepishly.  “Well, it hadn’t occurred to me to ask them.  But it’s a good idea, really!  I’ve always wanted to join the Explorers Guild!”

Evan glared at her.  “And how is joining them going to help me?”

Kate’s face drooped, her voice getting quiet.  “Well, explorers go to lots of different places, right?  Maybe we’ll end up going somewhere that you’ll remember.”

Evan didn’t back down.  “Oh really?  Because it’s sounding like you just want me on board just so you can fulfill your dream or something.”

Kate looked hurt.  “What?!  No!  Look, you want to get your memory back, and I want to be able to help out as many Pokémon as I can!  If we team up and join the Explorers, we’ll both benefit from it!  I know we will!”

Evan wanted to refuse her offer.  He didn’t see how joining a guild was necessary to recovering his memory, but at the same time Kate’s reasoning made sense.  And she had refrained from mentioning his amnesia to Cuffin, though that was more due to the Furret’s shadiness.  He turned back to her.  “You’re sure this is going to help me?”

She gave him a small smile.  “It’s worth a shot.”

Evan was silent for a moment, then shrugged.  “Well, alright.”

Kate practically squealed in delight as she hugged the Zangoose.  “Oh, thank you, Evan!  I promise we’ll get your memory back!  You’ll see!”

Evan just stood there.  I hope so…