[Crispin Yates]

    Well, this was bound to be interesting. The mission posted on the board was more than a little odd, to be sure, but he couldn’t imagine it could be too bad. He was left wondering what kind of herb grew on the mountain that was so imperative to a good curry, and wondered if the man who assigned the mission would let them try a bite of it in the end. Crispin was never one to turn away the chance to try good food after all.

    He didn’t know this area very well yet, not having had the chance to explore around yet. Thankfully he saw that his companion for the mission was from the Lava Dorm, which hopefully meant that they’d know where they were going better than he did. Crispin waited at the base of the mountain with Endogeny at his feet, bouncing around excitedly, and Jove humming happily as he nested in his trainer’s hair. Aster was in her Pokéball at his waist, not being overly fond of the heat in the area around them.

    While he waited he leaned up against a part of the cliff, reading from his e-reader. He wasn’t overly fond of sitting around in one place for very long without keeping himself occupied one way or another, which is why he didn’t go far without it. As long as he wasn’t here for too long, then he wouldn’t get antsy enough to head out on his own. He’d rather go with someone who knows where they’re going than just wander around on his own, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t if it came down to it.

[Kotone Kato]

Kotone hummed merrily as she hiked up the trail to the base of Mount Magmadyne, Finn, her Eevee, curling cozily around her shoulders. Although she was a member of the Lava Dorms and had explored the mountain regularly, this was the first time she had heard of using a certain herb for curry. But, that didn't mean she was adverse to trying it. What's more, the reward, a "Spicy Monkey", made her more intrigued than anything. What was a "Spicy Monkey" anyways? Well, no matter, she grinned down at Leon, her Riolu, and Tae, her Deino, who were walking besides her. She would find out after completing the quest anyways.

As she grew closer to the dormant volcano, she noticed a boy standing up ahead. Noting the coloring of his uniform, Kotone came to the conclusion that he was her partner for the mission, although she did flush an unsightly shade of red when she realized that she was late. What's worse is that she came from the Lava Dorms, which was right there and she still failed to be on time. Grimacing, Kotone sped up, letting Finn just into her arms to avoid falling off, and didn't slow down until she was besides him. Offering him a sheepish smile, she said, "Hey, are you here for the spice quest? Sorry for making you wait. I'm Kotone Kato, it's nice to meet you."

Glancing up at the impressive bulk of Mount Magmadyne, Kotone decided that it would be best for them to get going soon. She had been most everywhere near the base of the mountain, and had seen neither leaf nor root of the herb, so she could only assume that it grew much higher up than she normally ventured. And, if that was the case, the two of them might spend quite a while climbing the mountain before they find what they are searching for.

[Eri]

Behold, Mount Magmadyne. A place where only the spiciest may thrive and chive. Waves of heat and spiciness pulse from the sleeping depths of this spicy earth dragon. Your quest? To obtain the spicy herbs from higher up and return with them in full, spicy condition. Before that, though, it seems we have a small issue!








Species: Spicemor
Gender: Male
Ability: Flash Fire
~Moves~
Slash
Bug Bite
Inferno
Hone Claws





Species: Spicekoal
Gender: Female
Ability: White Smoke
~Moves~
Shell Smash
Flame Wheel
Smog
Ember


Spicy, indeed. After you deal with that, be sure to decide which path to take.

A: Take the seemingly straight path up.

B: Take a somewhat curvy path to the side. Both of you roll a 1d10.

[Crispin Yates]

The first sign that anyone was coming was the bouncing blob at Crispin’s feet becoming considerably more bouncy. Endogeny bubbled happily as the person approached, nudging his trainer to get his attention. Looking up, Crispin smiled and waved in greeting, tucking his e-reader back into his bag. Judging by her uniform, she was who he was waiting for. She seemed flush, but Crispin didn’t think much more about it than the heat from the surrounding area.

Shrugging and shaking his head, he waved a hand to dismiss her worry. “Naw worries at al', it 'appens. Oi'd be a 'ypocrite if oi wus al' dat vexed. Yer made it, an' that's wat counts. Me name's Crispin, by de way.” Endogeny excitedly bobbed over to the other dragon type Pokémon, circling him once before going back over to his trainer. Crispin laughed and rolled his at his overly excitable Pokémon. “Sorry aboyt 'im, 'e's excited aboyt gettin' ter go oyt an' do sum explorin'. Well, 'tis proobably aboyt time we head oyt, 'uh?” Turning around, he tucked his hands into his pockets and began to take a few steps to going up the mountain, when he was quite suddenly, and rudely, interrupted.

Freezing in his steps, he lifted one eyebrow. “Well, dat wus fast. 'Tis almost loike they were waitin' for us.” For all the students knew, they were. Who knew what that crazy curry man had planned for them. Tapping his foot for a moment, his brow creased in concern. “If yer want ter take de tall wan, oi'll take de sturdy lookin' wan.” Without waiting very long for a response, he nodded to Endogeny. “Yer up, Geny.” Squirming slightly, the Goomy’s eyes narrowed as he suddenly grew serious, bouncing towards the other Pokémon. As he approached it, the Torkoal huffed. It’s armor seemed to crack away, but the steam flowing off of it grew more intense. The Shell Smash certainly made it look more intimidating, if nothing else.

That certainly wasn’t a good sign. Frowning, Crispin nodded again, focusing on the lava-turtle. “Geny, see if yer canny slow it down wi' a Drag’n Breath.” Bobbing in understanding, the blob-like Pokémon opened his mouth, a strong gust of wind assailing the flame Pokémon. It shuddered in place, flinching sharply as though it was having a harder time moving. Exhaling sharply at his luck, Crispin grinned. The turtle managed to push through it enough to release a powerful burst of Smog towards the tiny dragon, causing Endogeny to scrunch up his eyes and try to shake it off.

Other than coughing a little, it seemed Geny was able to shake it off pretty well. Smiling again, Crispin gestured towards the enemy Pokémon again. “Gran' so, Gen, let's try a Drag’n Pulse dis time.” Opening his mouth again, Endogeny focused on the turtle. This time, rather than just a gust of wind, a fierce beam of light shot towards the Torkoal. The enemy struggled to move this time, trying to fight back but not being able to move because of the previous paralyzation.

Grinning wide now, Crispin put his hand back into his pocket. “Dis is it, Gen, wan more ter finish it aff.” Bouncing up and down, Endogeny repeated his last attack. The Torkoal shuddered and laid down, breathing heavily as it passed out. Crispin frowned, wondering if it was the safest to just leave it there, but decided it should be okay. Looking to his companion to see how she was faring with her target, he glanced to their possible choices. There weren’t many, but Crispin knew right away what he wanted to take. Once it seemed like she was about done, he gestured with a thumb over his shoulder to the more ‘interesting’ route. “Wat d’yer tink, shall we?”

---

SPOILER: Click to show

Choosing Option B─
xOCxUtSo1-10

1-10

[Kotone Kato]

Tae growled as Crispin's Goomy drew a little too close for the Deino's liking. Although, he was quick to huff and turn away pointedly when Kotone shot him a warning glance. 

"Don't worry about it," she said, referring to the Goomy's friendliness. "And sorry about Tae. He's not that good with other Pokemon or people, for that matter." Following the other trainer, Kotone absentmindedly scratched Finn under his chin, at which he chirruped excitedly, before jerking to a stop to prevent herself from running into Crispin when he froze in his tracks. Peeking around him, Kotone saw two Pokemon blocking the way. Their eyes were narrowed aggressively, and, without a doubt, wouldn't let the trainers pass without a fight. So, she was all for it when Crispin suggested that she take the Heatmor down.

Sizing up her opponent, Kotone was just about to call Leon into battle when Tae charged forward with an insistent snarl. Eyebrows furrowing, she decided to roll with it. Depositing Finn on the ground, Kotone focused entirely on the fight at hand.

"Tae," she shouted upon seeing the Heatmor prepare to make a move. "Use Crunch!" The Deino flew at his opponent, sinking his teeth furiously into the Heatmor's left leg and held on doggedly as the other Pokemon flinched. Kotone's plan of action was always risky, but she knew she was better at blitzing than strategizing. If they could overwhelm the opponent, her Pokemon wouldn't have to suffer injuries.

"Good job, Tae," Kotone cheered as Tae leapt out of the way just in time to avoid a slash. The Heatmor released a frustrated cry and frantically rubbed it's claws together. Hone Claw, Kotone recognized the move, having read about it before. "Tae, use Dragon Pulse!"

The Deino took a deep breath and began charging it's move, releasing it in a blinding beam of light that hit the Heatmor head-on. The wild Pokemon staggered backwards, reeling and falling to it's knees. It was weakened; it was time to end this.

"Tae, one last time!" Kotone commanded. "Use Dragon Pulse!" But, just as the words left her mouth, Kotone saw Tae lower his head instead and rush forward. He was going for a Headbutt instead. At that moment, the Heatmor just barely regained its bearings and prepared to stand, mouth opening to roar a challenge at Kotone and her Pokemon. The air crackled with heat as the Heatmor stood daringly and prepared to deliver an attack, until Tae's Headbutt threw the Heatmor to the ground once again. This time, it didn't get back up.

Kotone's Deino paraded back proudly, head held high and completely ignorant of his trainer's irritation. Although Kotone wanted nothing more than to scold Tae for his irrationality, she decided against causing a scene in front of Crispin, who also appeared to be finished with his battle. So, with a exasperated sigh, Kotone turned away from Tae, who had encouraged Leon to join in which his antics, and grinned and nodded at the other trainer as he gestured towards the curvier path. It was definitely the road less traveled; neither trainers nor hikers tended to head that way when climbing Mount Magmadyne, and Kotone was eager to tackle it. 

---

SPOILER: Click to show

Option B

m1CqncCG1-10

1-10

[Eri]

Somehow or another, it seemed that you two became extraordinarily lucky. Maybe alternative pathways were good luck, like a rabbit's foot or a Buneary's leg? Well, old wives' tales aside, you two managed to make it up the pathway in question with minimal resistance. The occasional skittery thing that avoided you aside, it didn't seem like anything would bother you.

Up until you made your way close to the peak. After that, well.




Species: Roggenrola
Gender: Male
Ability: Sand Force
~Moves~
Stone Edge
Sandstorm
Iron Defense
Headbutt




Species: GeoDUDE
Gender: Female
Ability: Sand Veil
~Moves~
Explosion
Earthquake
Rock Blast
Stealth Rock

There's other, worse things scurrying about behind them, but, for now, you've got to handle these guys!

You're the only hope for that curry. Stay spicy!

[Crispin Yates]

A little taken aback by the other Pokémon’s hostility, Endogeny froze in place by his Trainer’s side. Blinking over at the Deino, he blew a few bubbles and squinted his eyes in a face. His ‘point’ made, he bounced a bit before turning to bob up the road. Crispin laughed, shaking his head at her concerns. “Don't worry aboyt it, Geny can 'andle a brusque attitude. In 'is own, silly way.” While they walked, Jove peeked through Crispin’s hair at the other trainer. The little bug Pokémon hummed happily, nesting further into his person’s hair once he was satisfied with seeing the other human.

Once his own fight was over and he was able to see that his companion handled hers just as well, he gave a breath of relief. While they weren’t too far into their hike yet so he didn’t expect any trouble already, it didn’t hurt to be cautious. Some people may have been concerned to see their companion’s Pokémon not listen to them, but it didn’t bother Crispin too much. They were at this school for a reason, after all, and it was just the other day that his own Aster got a little carried away.

Giving a silly little salute, he grinned to Kotone. “G’job takin' care av dat goon! 'Tis gran' ter see oi'm not de only adventurous wan on dis mission.” As they walked, Crispin remained quiet for the most part. For him it didn’t feel like an awkward silence, though. He was more content to hike quietly with someone and just enjoy the walk. Still, after a little way he cleared his throught and glanced over to Kotone, lifting an eyebrow. “So, 'ow're yer likin' de academy so far? Oi nu Ah've seen yer in a couple av de seem clapsses as me, already. Meself, oi'm still gettin' used ter it, oi admit.”

He started to continue for a moment when a rock suddenly jutted out in front of him. Tripping over it and just barely catching himself before falling flat on his face, he managed to spin and see what caused it. The ‘rock’ stood completely up, turning to scowl up at the trainer that had accidentally kicked him. From the rubble of the mountains Crispin saw another pile of rocks began to move closer to Kotone, but remained focused on his own trouble at hand.

Granted, it wasn’t as though it would be much of a ‘trouble’, so to speak. Before the Pokémon could do much more beyond scowl at the human, Crispin had taken off the occupied Pokéball from his belt and threw it. “Aster, yer up, start chargin' a solar beam!” The fuzzy cotton ball blinked as she was released, but quickly started to glow as the Cottonee began to absorb the light from the sun. Crispin had thought for a brief moment about having Aster use Sunny Day first to begin with, but thankfully thought of how that could backfire. The first things they encountered used fire, and the possibility of that happening again didn’t seem like it would be a smart idea.

While Aster charged, the Geodude they were facing grew more angry. More and more, angry enough to… throw a few sneaky rocks around Aster’s feet. Crispin blinked, smiled. He was very worried for a moment there that the situation could have gotten a bit more explosive, and was glad to see he was mistaken. Instead, Aster’s charging finished up, and a beam of bright light shot towards the sentiant pile of rocks.

It hovered around for a moment, before promptly collapsing on the ground. That was much better than the previous encounter. Turning to make sure Kotone was still holding up okay, he nodded towards her once she was all finished up. “Oi guess we shud continue on, 'mm?” Aster bobbed in place for a moment before turning and floating back over to her trainer.

[Kotone Kato]

Kotone laughed at Crispin's comment. "Thanks," she joked. "And if Tae gets any more adventurous, I'm going to have to put a leash on him before I lose him."

As they continued hiking, Kotone took the time to enjoy the scenery; although she came to Mount Magmadyne quite often, she never ceased to be amazed by the beauty of the dormant volcano. Just another one of nature's wonders, she thought with a fond smile. Then, as Crispin spoke to her, she turned back to face him as she replied, "It's really interesting here! Everyone I've met is really nice so far, and the classes sound pretty interesting. But, where are you from, if you don't mind me asking." He had a strange accent. It was not unpleasant by any means, but was simply not one Kotone was familiar with.

As they continued to climb, Crispin suddenly tripped over a rock and barely stayed on his feet. Kotone gasped, and was about to ask him if he was okay, when a Geodude sprang up between them. Backing away slightly from the wild Pokemon, Kotone spun around when she heard Tae growling at something behind her. It was another Pokemon, a Roggenrola this time, and Kotone was barely able to call for Leon when the Roggenrola threw down a set of jagged rocks at the Riolu's feet.

"Be careful, Leon," Kotone warned. "Don't step on them!" When the Riolu nodded solemnly, Kotone shouted, "Now, use force palm!"

Leon danced nimbly around the dangers underfoot, and drew close enough to the Roggenrola to strike the rock-type with a strong attack, knocking it back a few feet. It staggered to a stop. 

"Nice job, Leon!" Kotone said, approvingly. Fighting-type moves, if she remembered correctly, were strong against rock-type Pokemon. So, if Leon continued to use Force Palm, he should be fine and the battle would be over in a blink of any eye. "Force Palm, again!"

Sure enough, this time, when Leon struck the Roggenrola, it rolled to its side on the ground, unable to struggle back to its feet. Patting her Riolu on the head, Kotone grinned at Leon and thanked him for a job well done. Glancing back at Crispin, she noticed that he was waiting for her to finish. And, now that she was done, she grinned and replied, "Onward, comrade!"

Flashing him a mischievous smile, Kotone darted to the front, her Pokemon following her excitedly. They were all eager to see what would happen next.

[Eri]

You triumphed once more. Such a spicy pair of kids you are. Lo and behold! You can see the spicy herbs in question! . . . some of which are being eaten by a spicy pair of Pokemon. A bit annoyed that all your noise has ruined their meal, they rise to meet you. This is the final bout. You know, once you get win and obtain the Spice Herbs ™, your mission is over. You'll receive a spicy credit roll, with a spicy director's cut extra scene.

Well, maybe not. But you'll get spicy monkeys, so that's better than nothing.

Proceed, youths, and claim your (spicy) glory!






Species: Fraxure
Gender: Male
Ability: Mold Breaker
~Moves~
Dual Chop
Slash
Guillotine
Taunt
Iron Tail
Focus Energy





Species: Magmar
Gender: Female
Ability: Flame Body
~Moves~
Flamethrower
Feint Attack
Clear Smog
Confuse Ray
Cross Chop
Belly Drum


And what spicy final opponents they are. Great seasoning for the spicy reward.

[Crispin Yates]

Glancing at the rowdy Pokémon, Crispin liften an eyebrow and grinned. “Judgin' by wat oi’ve seen av 'imself, oi don’t tink 'e’d loike dat pure much. Oi’m sure it’d be prety amusin' ter see though.” While she responded to his question, he listened carefully. It sounded similar to his thoughts as well, and the corner of his lip raised in amusement when she asked about where he was from. “Me thoughts on de school are aboyt de seem as yers. Oi 'aven’t been as soshal as oi’d loike yet, but otherwise oi’m glad oi decided ter cum 'ere. As for wha oi’m from… well, oi suppose it wud be accurate ter say a bit av everywhere. Me mom an' oi 'av travelled al' over de place, although i’m not sure wha she started. Oi nu that’s wha me way av blatherin' came from, since oyt av anyone oi’d talk ter she wus de only wan dat stayed consistent.”

The fight on both sides went quite smoothly, that was for sure. Crispin was pleased to be able to look over after his own battle and see that she had easily finished her own. Despite his less-than-graceful start to his own, Aster was more than easily able to dispatch her own foe as well. Laughing at her eager reply, he turned and followed right after her with his hands in his pockets.

“As fun as dis is, dis better be bes’ darn curry in de warrld ter make us go through al' av dis. 'Opefully we’ll git ter try sum av it too, dat wud be funtarstic. ah, it shouldn’t be too far no─oh dear.” Midway through his sentence, he looked up to see their target. Along with the Pokémon munching away on them. Lifting an eyebrow, he smiled. “If 'tis gran' so witcha, oi'd prefer ter take de... wat wus it nigh... Fraxure. That's roi. Oi'd loike ter try an' brin' 'im back wi' us.” Lifting a hand up he ran it through his hair, gently pulling the Joltik that was resting there out.

“Awright Jo, 'tis yer turn. Let's make dis queck, bug buzz!” Jove fluffed himself out to try in vain to make himself bigger. Jumping off of his trainer’s hand, he leapt towards the large-toothed Dragon and landed on it, buzzing loudly and angrily. The Fraxure twisted in apparent pain, and tried to look down at the bug. Scowling, it seemed to scoff, shaking itself off, seemingly mocking Jove’s attempt to hurt it. Jove scowled his little face, crawling over the dragon to get to it’s face. Crispin could tell he was infuriated by that taunt, but thankfully the bug didn’t know any status related moves anyway.

“Againe, Jo.” He certainly didn’t have to tell the Joltik twice, and he buzzed angrily right from his spot on the Fraxure’s face. No matter how it tried to play it off, that time it certainly was hurt quite a bit by that point. Eyes enraged, it opened it’s mouth and it’s teeth gleamed sharp. Twisting its head, it attempted to get Jove in between them in a powerful Guillotine bite that would surely have finished him off, had the bug not been able to jump away at the last moment. Jove seemed to shudder in relief, but was still obviously very infuriated by the earlier taunt. Smiling, Crispin nodded, “Once more, ye got this!” Jove bristled again and charged the Fraxure again, crawling up it as he buzzed loudly once more. The dragon shuddered and tried to retaliate, but spun around and dropped, barely able to keep conscience.

Reaching into his bag, he pulled out an empty Pokéball and threw it at the Fraxure, kneeling down to pick Jove up as he skittered over into his trainer’s hand. Standing back up, he put the Joltik back into his nesting place in his hair and walked over to the now-still Pokéball, picking that up as well. “Very well done, Jo!” The little Joltik chirped happily, nesting further into Crispin’s hair. Walking over to where the herbs were, he picked plenty for the one who assigned their mission, as well as padding his bags with some for his own use in cooking later and to give to his newly caught Fraxure that seemed to like them.

Looking towards his partner, he nodded. “Well, dis wasn't too brutal, wus it?”

[Kotone Kato]

Kotone laughed at her companion's disgruntled statement. "If the curry isn't up to scratch, I'm not sure if the Curry Man is going to make it out unharmed," she joked, taking a moment to look out at the amazing scenery. They had currently broken through the city's skyline, and had a clear view of most of Harmonia Island and the ocean beyond it. Kotone remarked wistfully, "I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing this."

When she turned back to the trail ahead, Kotone noticed the herbs she and Crispin had been send to collect, as well as the Pokemon eating the plants. Immediately, Kotone knew that she wanted the Magmar — with her team currently lacking a fire-type — so, when Crispin asked to take the Fraxure, Kotone readily agreed. 

Turning away, she knew the Magmar was wary of her; it was watching her closely with narrowed eyes. No matter, even without the element of surprise, she was confident in her Pokemon. 

"Tae," she called, her Deino shaking its fur out excitedly. "Remember to listen to me this time." Kotone knew that Tae might not have even heard a word she said, but she wanted to give him a chance to redeem himself anyways. Hopefully, after seeing Leon perform perfectly, Tae would be more inclined to follow orders. "Now," Kotone spoke lowly, watching the Magmar for any openings. And, the moment it lowered its head to grab some more herbs was the chance Kotone was waiting for. "Use headbutt!"

Tae dashed forward, a bullet speeding across the battleground. In an instant, he had struck the Magmar with his tough skull, throwing it backwards before landing on his feet, eager for more. The Magmar righted itself quickly, however, and, before either Tae or Kotone could react, shot a disorientating light into the air. 

"Tae, look away!" Kotone called, recognizing the move as a Confuse Ray. Unfortunately, Tae was caught up in the light and was soon staggering around drunkenly. "Tae, snap out of it!"

Taking advantage of its opponent's weakness, the Magmar leapt forward, striking Tae with a faint attack. It wasn't very effective, but Tae still yelped in pain, unable to defend himself as he couldn't even sees straight. Kotone felt conflicted. She really wanted Tae in charge of this battle, as a learning experience for him, but, if it continued like this, it would be better to withdraw him than to let him get beat around. So, she decided to put her faith in her Pokemon, and shouted, "Tae, use Dragon Rage!"

When Tae shook his head furiously, as though clearing his mind, Kotone knew he had managed to snap out of his confused state. Breathing a sigh of relief, she watched as Tae struck his opponent with a bolt of light. And, this time, the Magmar was too weak to get back up as easily as it had before, panting weakly as it trembled. Seizing the opportunity, Kotone dug out a Pokeball and threw it at the weakened Magmar, watching with bated breath as it rocked back and forth before coming to a stop. Releasing a breath she wasn't aware she had held, Kotone walked over to pick up the Pokeball containing a new member of her team and turned to her Deino, who was trotting around gleefully. 

He's acting as though he wasn't even hurt, Kotone thought to herself fondly. Regardless, she called him over and patted him down gently, looking for any injuries that went beyond the scope of slight bruising. When she found none, Kotone ruffled the fur on his head kindly, and thanked him for his hard work. Wandering back over to the herbs, Kotone was just about to congratulate her partner for completing this mission when she saw a familiar Pokemon and froze, eyes widening almost comically behind her glasses. She had realized earlier that she had seen only two of Crispin's Pokemon, and had wondered about where the third one was. Kotone just hadn't expected for it to be a Joltik, a Pokemon she harbored an, admittedly, irrational fear of. Nonetheless, once it disappeared into Crispin's brown locks, she was able to breath a little easier, and she stooped down next to him to help collect the herbs, although she was very aware of the Pokemon hiding away in his hair. 

When they finished, she stood up and stretched her arms high above her head. Kotone reveled in the satisfaction of finishing a job without too many mishaps, not to mention she got a new teammate out of it as well. All in all, it was a good day, and she said as much to Crispin, adding on with a grin, "Yeah. Hey, maybe sometime when you're free, we can go grab something to eat or whatever, if you don't mind, that is." 

He was an nice enough guy, and Kotone wouldn't mind making more friends.

[Eri]

Well, would you look at that. You spicy kids managed to defeat, and capture, everything. How wonderful. More than that, you obtained the spicy herbs! Upon your eventual return, you were treated to one spicy plate of curry. And as for your reward?



. . . no, not a jar of Joltik. This wasn't a hard mission.

You both have the choice of an Aipom, Mankey, Chimchar, Pansear, Pansage, or Panpour. The gender, ability, and four level-up moves are, of course, up to you. Enjoy your spicy monkeys, kids. You earned them.

And stay spicy.