content: Iron Island is very... boring to look at, you think as you hop off the boat onto the short wharf, so it's a good thing you're here to train and not sightsee. You run up the stairs (taking them two at a time) and give the small house next to the second set a curious look - Does someone live here? You decide to check it out before you leave later and keep moving toward the abandoned mine, only to slow down when you see a man standing in front of the entrance. You walk up beside him and look up (way up, he's much taller than you) at him, cheerfully saying "Hi!"
He turns to face you, adjusting his snazzy hat and you kinda stare at him for a couple seconds. "...You are?" He asks in a quiet, calm voice and smiles when you introduce yourself as ****. "OK, you're ****. I'm Riley." He notices your staring but misinterprets it. "I'm a Trainer, yes, and it is a bit odd that I would be training here." You shake your head and tell him you're here to train too; Riley looks surprised for a moment before he smiles again, pleased with your answer. "Anyway, it's always nice to meet another Trainer. Here's a gift." He holds out a disk and you take it, almost dropping it when you realize it's an HM: HM04, Strength, used to move heavy boulders out of the way. Riley mentions what it is and that you'll need Canalave Gym's badge to use it, only to trail off into a chuckle as you promptly pull your badge case out and show him the Mine Badge shining in it. "My bad." He apologizes with another smile and glances at the cave entrance. "I'll be training inside. You can join me if you'd like." He vanishes through the entrance, and you linger where you are long enough to make sure your supplies are in order before you head in yourself.
It's dark in the cave, enough to be annoying but not enough to warrant using Flash. You have to squint for a couple minutes until your eyes adjust and you're surprised to see rusty steel drums and girders still left laying around - it all must have been left behind when the mining operation closed down. You fish a Repel from your bag and spray yourself with it before you start running around and map the place out in your head. This path leads to a dead end, there's a path that's blocked off over there, and the way forward involves a couple sets of makeshift steps... You note anything you can use as a marker and keep moving, battling wild Pokemon and other Trainers alike along the way. You get turned around a couple times, when you misremember the right path, but that's all part of the fun of exploring a new place.
When you reach what you think is the lowest level, Riley is waiting nearby and walks up to you. "****, I'm glad to see you here. If you don't mind, let's team up." He looks around and you do the same, noticing the Pokemon on this level look like they're on edge. "The Pokemon seem to be restless," Riley confirms with a frown. You agree to partner up with him, worried about what wound the Pokemon up like this. "If your Pokemon get hurt, I'll heal them up." He assures you, and the two of you start off.
Things are pretty quiet at first. You run into a few Trainers along the way and double battle them, finding you and Riley make a pretty good team and that your Pokemon get along well with his Lucario. Between battles, the two of you chat and he mentions Byron (the Leader of Canalave Gym) asked him to become a Gym Leader; You're impressed, but Riley turned the offer down out of consideration for Roark, Byron's son. At one point, he wonders if battling a trainer with the same type specialization as you would be like fighting yourself, since it's harder to beat yourself than anyone else. You keep your end the conversations going, telling him about the Gyms you've beaten and how you don't have a specialization since you couldn't imagine only training a certain type. You like him, he's smart
The chatting stops when you spot two Team Galactic Grunts hanging around ahead of you and you groan, "Not them again." Riley looks at you in surprise and then frowns again as he sees the look on your face. He's the first to step up to them, eyes narrowed, and both of them jump like they didn't expect to see anyone here (and they probably didn't). "I get it now." He says as you step up to his side. "You're responsible for agitating the Pokemon. I don't care what good reason you may have," he cuts one Grunt off the moment he opens his mouth. "But I don't want you bringing any trouble into the mine."
The Grunt glowers at both of you. "We're Team Galactic!" He declares. "We'll take all the Pokemon we want! Isn't that right, partner?" He turns to the other Grunt who nods emphatically. "You said it, brother! So that's what we're gonna do. We're abducting all the Pokemon from this rusted-out Iron Island!" The second Grunt puffs up with pride and promptly withers a bit when he notices the furious stares you and Riley are giving him and his friend. You've yet to meet a member of Team Galactic that didn't make you either confused or angry.
"To share in all the joys and all the sorrows..." Riley says quietly, voice full of anger and distain. "That is how all the Trainers and Pokemon live in Sinnoh! I won't allow anyone to defy that code of ethics! Come on, ****! This is one battle we can't lose!" You exchange a look and nod, grabbing your Pokeball as the battle starts.
The Grunts aren't bat at battling, but they're no match for you and Riley, fueled as you are by your anger at their mistreatment of Pokemon. Their teams fall in front of your Arlen and Riley's Lucario and they complain that the two of you and your Pokemon are too tough a combination to defeat as they recall their Pokemon and flee. Once they're out of sight, Riley breathes a sigh of relief and faces you with a wide smile. "Thanks. You really helped me out." You tell him you're glad you could help him defend the Pokemon that live here and your words seem to convince him of something. "Listen, I have a Pokemon Egg here. Would you take it with you?" You're startled by the sudden offer but you nod and say yes with a stammer. "Thanks!" He passes the Egg to you and you carefully hold it in your arms. "I'd like you to show the Pokemon that's inside the Egg all sorts of new places."
You promise you'll take good care of it and he smiles even more. "Spending time with you was very enjoyable. I intend to test my skills in other places from now on. Let's meet again!" You say you'll definitely see him again some day and he chuckles. "Take care on the way out." He tells you, and waves as you step onto the elevator down; You wave back, of course, and run through the rest of the cave with new excitement in your steps and your heart beating quick in your chest.
notes: ● by the time the memory ends, she has one hell of a crush on Riley and it's probably obvious to anyone who sees the memory. she stares at him at first because he's good looking and after battling the Grunts and being given a Pokemon Egg she thinks he's cool and handsome and a good person. ● while she battles exclusively with Arlen, her Empoleon, the rest of her team consists of Tova the Luxray, Esen the Togekiss, Patil the Eevee and Adelinde the Gabite. ● she takes Riley's declaration of sharing joys and sorrows being the way they do things in Sinnoh to heart and thinks he's right! the philosophy behind it resonates with her, sorta.
SIGPOS; iron island adventures with riley
He turns to face you, adjusting his snazzy hat and you kinda stare at him for a couple seconds. "...You are?" He asks in a quiet, calm voice and smiles when you introduce yourself as ****. "OK, you're ****. I'm Riley." He notices your staring but misinterprets it. "I'm a Trainer, yes, and it is a bit odd that I would be training here." You shake your head and tell him you're here to train too; Riley looks surprised for a moment before he smiles again, pleased with your answer. "Anyway, it's always nice to meet another Trainer. Here's a gift." He holds out a disk and you take it, almost dropping it when you realize it's an HM: HM04, Strength, used to move heavy boulders out of the way. Riley mentions what it is and that you'll need Canalave Gym's badge to use it, only to trail off into a chuckle as you promptly pull your badge case out and show him the Mine Badge shining in it. "My bad." He apologizes with another smile and glances at the cave entrance. "I'll be training inside. You can join me if you'd like." He vanishes through the entrance, and you linger where you are long enough to make sure your supplies are in order before you head in yourself.
It's dark in the cave, enough to be annoying but not enough to warrant using Flash. You have to squint for a couple minutes until your eyes adjust and you're surprised to see rusty steel drums and girders still left laying around - it all must have been left behind when the mining operation closed down. You fish a Repel from your bag and spray yourself with it before you start running around and map the place out in your head. This path leads to a dead end, there's a path that's blocked off over there, and the way forward involves a couple sets of makeshift steps... You note anything you can use as a marker and keep moving, battling wild Pokemon and other Trainers alike along the way. You get turned around a couple times, when you misremember the right path, but that's all part of the fun of exploring a new place.
When you reach what you think is the lowest level, Riley is waiting nearby and walks up to you. "****, I'm glad to see you here. If you don't mind, let's team up." He looks around and you do the same, noticing the Pokemon on this level look like they're on edge. "The Pokemon seem to be restless," Riley confirms with a frown. You agree to partner up with him, worried about what wound the Pokemon up like this. "If your Pokemon get hurt, I'll heal them up." He assures you, and the two of you start off.
Things are pretty quiet at first. You run into a few Trainers along the way and double battle them, finding you and Riley make a pretty good team and that your Pokemon get along well with his Lucario. Between battles, the two of you chat and he mentions Byron (the Leader of Canalave Gym) asked him to become a Gym Leader; You're impressed, but Riley turned the offer down out of consideration for Roark, Byron's son. At one point, he wonders if battling a trainer with the same type specialization as you would be like fighting yourself, since it's harder to beat yourself than anyone else. You keep your end the conversations going, telling him about the Gyms you've beaten and how you don't have a specialization since you couldn't imagine only training a certain type. You like him, he's smart
The chatting stops when you spot two Team Galactic Grunts hanging around ahead of you and you groan, "Not them again." Riley looks at you in surprise and then frowns again as he sees the look on your face. He's the first to step up to them, eyes narrowed, and both of them jump like they didn't expect to see anyone here (and they probably didn't). "I get it now." He says as you step up to his side. "You're responsible for agitating the Pokemon. I don't care what good reason you may have," he cuts one Grunt off the moment he opens his mouth. "But I don't want you bringing any trouble into the mine."
The Grunt glowers at both of you. "We're Team Galactic!" He declares. "We'll take all the Pokemon we want! Isn't that right, partner?" He turns to the other Grunt who nods emphatically. "You said it, brother! So that's what we're gonna do. We're abducting all the Pokemon from this rusted-out Iron Island!" The second Grunt puffs up with pride and promptly withers a bit when he notices the furious stares you and Riley are giving him and his friend. You've yet to meet a member of Team Galactic that didn't make you either confused or angry.
"To share in all the joys and all the sorrows..." Riley says quietly, voice full of anger and distain. "That is how all the Trainers and Pokemon live in Sinnoh! I won't allow anyone to defy that code of ethics! Come on, ****! This is one battle we can't lose!" You exchange a look and nod, grabbing your Pokeball as the battle starts.
The Grunts aren't bat at battling, but they're no match for you and Riley, fueled as you are by your anger at their mistreatment of Pokemon. Their teams fall in front of your Arlen and Riley's Lucario and they complain that the two of you and your Pokemon are too tough a combination to defeat as they recall their Pokemon and flee. Once they're out of sight, Riley breathes a sigh of relief and faces you with a wide smile. "Thanks. You really helped me out." You tell him you're glad you could help him defend the Pokemon that live here and your words seem to convince him of something. "Listen, I have a Pokemon Egg here. Would you take it with you?" You're startled by the sudden offer but you nod and say yes with a stammer. "Thanks!" He passes the Egg to you and you carefully hold it in your arms. "I'd like you to show the Pokemon that's inside the Egg all sorts of new places."
You promise you'll take good care of it and he smiles even more. "Spending time with you was very enjoyable. I intend to test my skills in other places from now on. Let's meet again!" You say you'll definitely see him again some day and he chuckles. "Take care on the way out." He tells you, and waves as you step onto the elevator down; You wave back, of course, and run through the rest of the cave with new excitement in your steps and your heart beating quick in your chest.
notes: ● by the time the memory ends, she has one hell of a crush on Riley and it's probably obvious to anyone who sees the memory. she stares at him at first because he's good looking and after battling the Grunts and being given a Pokemon Egg she thinks he's cool and handsome and a good person.
● while she battles exclusively with Arlen, her Empoleon, the rest of her team consists of Tova the Luxray, Esen the Togekiss, Patil the Eevee and Adelinde the Gabite.
● she takes Riley's declaration of sharing joys and sorrows being the way they do things in Sinnoh to heart and thinks he's right! the philosophy behind it resonates with her, sorta.