Gentleman Don's Blog

Hmf. It took me a while, but I decided to make one of these "blogs" for the interwebs. My name is Donald, but please call me Don if I know you. Mess with me, and my cane will fit rather nicely with the side of your head. Yes,I can Pokemon battle. Just because I'm old, that doesn't mean I can't defend myself. I have friends in numerous areas of the world. What can I say? I like to travel.

[gentlemandon]

And A Few Decades Later...: Gentleman Don meets Misty

[carrotspeppersandbugtypes-deact]

Misty nodded as he reacted, pulling the money from him and placing it in the tray of money underneath the counter-top.  Smiling once the bills were safely in place, she looked up at him and grinned when he spoke about when he had visited the Gym last.

"You must have visited when my sisters were the Gym Leaders here.  Or maybe even my parents!  They owned the Gym before us," she explained to the older man.

A blush threatened to appear on her cheeks, but she pushed it away and just laughed at the man’s guess at her age.

"Thanks for the compliment, sir.  Do I really look as old as twenty?  I’m actually seventeen!  I’ve been the Gym Leader here for a few years.  I took it over from my sisters about three or four years ago."

[gentlemandon]

"It was probably your parents or the people before them" Don admitted. "I was rather young when I went to the Cerulean City Gym." Young was being kind. Don was a young man willing to try the gym circuit once again. He didn't make it far, but he had a very enjoyable time.

He smiled and calmly said "So you must be enjoying your job. I knew many people when I was a child that hoped to be a gym leader or member of the Elite Four." It had seemed like a fun position.

"Hopefully I'm not interrupting any other business you have,"

[gentlemandon]

And A Few Decades Later...: Gentleman Don meets Misty

[carrotspeppersandbugtypes-deact]

Nodding, slightly tanned fingers typed slowly across the computer’s keyboard, and in a matter of moments, two tickets were printed out.  Ripping them from the printer’s mouth, she handed it to the older man.  “There you go, two front-row tickets!  I hope you and your wife enjoy the show.  That’ll be eight-hundred Poké, please.”

Upon the older man’s question, she smiled and put a hand on the back of her head.  “Well, the Gym Leader here is smart, and pretty, and a great Pokémon Trainer,” she replied with a teasing grin.

"And she’s also me!  I’m Misty, I’m the Gym Leader of this Gym!  Nice to meet you, Mr…?"

[gentlemandon]

800 Poke? He could afford that. Pulling out his warn down wallet, he started plucking a few bills casually, listening to the young woman's confession. "You're the Gym Leader?" he said, in a surprised tone. He wasn't going to deny that a lot of the new generation of trainers were exceptionally strong.

"I didn't expect one so young" he said. "I fought the Gym Leaders here when I was much younger. I wasn't expecting their successor to be well...you can't be any older than 20, are you?"

[gentlemandon]

And A Few Decades Later...: Gentleman Don meets Misty

[carrotspeppersandbugtypes-deact]

Forcing herself to hold back a roll of her cerulean eyes, she thought to herself that she should have guessed an older man like this wouldn’t be interested in a Gym Battle, but one of her sisters’ shows.

"Oh, you’re here for show times?" she asked.  Putting Azurill down on the floor, she walked over to the computer behind the front desk and brought up the list of times.

"Well, there aren’t any shows going on for today or tomorrow, but I can get you a ticket for one the next day, if you’re still gonna be in town," she explained.  She had done this about a million times.  While she was proud of being the Cerulean Gym Leader, sometimes, she hated what Daisy, Lily and Violet had turned it into.

"There aren’t that much sold yet, and I could get you one right in the front if you’d like."

[gentlemandon]

Great. There weren't many seats available for tomorrow. Well, it was as he put it to Nancy, there was a reason why he stayed for the extra day. When he heard there was at least a seat available, he decided to jump on it. "Two" Don corrected. "I generally don't go here, but my wife is very interested in seeing all these attractions since we're doing a trip around the Kanto region."

His eyes flicked to the Azurill for a few moments, watching the baby Pokemon before turning his attention back on the young lady. "I know this is a little random, but what's the gym leader like here?"

[gentlemandon]

And A Few Decades Later...: Gentleman Don meets Misty

[carrotspeppersandbugtypes-deact]

With a sigh, a white, but slightly tanned forearm swept across a forehead matted with slightly damp red bangs.  Cleaning a Gym was no easy work in itself, and it didn’t help that the main battlefield was a giant in-ground pool.  “Phew, this sure is hard work getting the pool spotless,” Misty muttered, leaning against the sweeper to regain her breath.  Looking down, she smiled at Azurill.  “But it’s worth it, don’t you think?”

"Azu!" the Polka Dot Pokémon replied, nodding her head with her usual happy-go-lucky air around her.  As she caught another drop of sweat with the back of her hand, a ping filled the entire room, telling Misty that there was a guest waiting in the lobby.

"Hm, I wonder if it’s a challenger," she said, leaning the handle of the broom against the wall.  Picking up Azurill and cradling her in her arms, she walked out to the main lobby.  To her surprise, it wasn’t a Pokémon Trainer, but an older man.  Nonetheless, she smiled at him in greeting, and approached him.

"Hi there.  May I help you?"

[gentlemandon]

Donald looked over and was rather surprised by the young lady greeting him. "Hello there" he said, tipping his hat. "I know I missed the show today, but my wife and I are visiting currently. We were wondering if there were any available tickets or shows in the next few days."

This place had changed since he had come here. Cerulean City was a very beautiful city and to have this as the gym was intriguing. Times had changed. "Is there anything available?"

[scientistdemarus]

Undella Bay

[scientistdemarus]

Damarus nodded. “Yes, with the increase in tourism and trade from the other regions brings along with it new trainers and new pokemon. Some non-native pokemon get released or hitch-hike into Unova’s wilderness. If they survive and procreate they might uproot native species of their habitat.”

The young scientist steadied himself as a wave washed over his legs. “At least the shoreline here looks to be doing well. In general Unova is still stable, but there are small pockets were non-native species are taking hold. Mostly here on the east side of the region. Hopefully measures can be taken to correct the situation now while its still manageable.”

[gentlemandon]

Wasn't one of his son-in-laws doing something somewhat similar? He had mentioned it during dinner at one point. How the habitats of certain Pokemon could be uprooted or altered dramatically as certain Pokemon wouldn't have a natural predator or such here.

"East side huh? Yeah I read something about that when they first started popping out a few years back. So you working for the League or something? Going around and doing all this seems like some big ol' job they'd want to do."

[gentlemandon]

The Battling Generation: Ash and Don

[gotta-ketchumall-archive]

This trip to the Pokemon Center was a peaceful one. Ash hadn’t been overdoing it on the battling, there were no gym trips, and no major competitions. But it was always good to stop, and make sure everyone was refreshed.

Besides… he kind of wanted to switch out his Pokemon. 

Being at home made the young trainer incredibly nostalgic. He started thinking about his first adventure, all of the Pokemon he had met and grown to love, the ones he’d parted ways with, and the ones in the Professor’s ranch.

Yeah. It was definitely time to make a phone call.

"Yes, Professor, I’m sure." Talks with Professor Oak were always pleasant. And he never gave Ash any trouble about sending back any of his Pokemon. In the spirit of being home, Ash sent back every one of his Unovan partners. And he was really excited about reuniting with the Pokemon the Professor had sent back. 

He smiled at the Pokeballs one-by-one as he put them back on his belt. And then he smiled at the partner on his shoulders, who, much like him, was excited to see some of his old friends. “Now it’s your turn, Pikachu.”

Not to send him back, of course, but to be given attention? For sure! Ash walked up to the healing counter and greeted Nurse Joy with an enthusiastic smile. “Could you take care of my Pikachu, please?”

Of course she could! And she was oh so chipper about taking him, too. Pikachu waved as he was taken back, and Ash turned away from the counter, blinking at the rest of the Center. What should he do while he waited?

[gentlemandon]

By this point, after a very quick scolding from Don, the waiters had given his wife the proper food and even discounted the meal as an apology. Don muttered a "good" and Nancy gave him a look.

"You don't need to be so harsh."

"I'm not being harsh when they can't get an order right."

Nancy sighed and shook her head. "So, what will you be doing today?" she asked.

"Well, we're near. I think i'll be walking to see them. You can take it easy at the Center--"

"Donald, you walking around by yourself is something you shouldn't do for very long" Nancy said sternly. "Your doctors--"

"I'm fine. I can walk and I can take breaks."

"This is almost as bad as the time you got on the treadmill one week after your surgery...."

"I wasn't going to lay in bed when I felt fine" Don grumbled as he sipped his coffee. "Besides, I'll have Rhydon and the others with me."

[gentlemandon]

The Battling Generation: Ash and Don

The Kanto vacation was certainly nice. They were taking breaks quite often so Don could have some breaks to relieve any stress on his legs. Getting old had its perks sure. Life could be interesting to watch and unfurl. He saw his family grow up and grow larger. He got to see his friends more and more. But downsides were another part of life no one could entirely ignore.

So here Don was, after having a nice meal with Nancy at a lodge/Pokemon Center. Well it was nice for the most part, but Don did have some issues.

"They didn't get your order right, Nancy."

"It's fine Don. I can wait."

"How do they expect people to keep coming here for the food if they can't even remember a simple order?"

Don was sipping his coffee, clearly annoyed that his wife didn't get what she wanted. Nancy smiled and shook her head. "You're not in too big of a hurry, Donald."

"I know I'm not, but they should be treating you better. You asked for oatmeal and they give you cantaloupe. That's not even remotely--"

"Excuse me?"

Donald turned to look at a smiling Nurse Joy. "Both of your Pokemon are all rested up. I also gave them their meals for you if that's alright."

"Thank you" Don replied, drinking his coffee. "It's very kind of you."

[scientistdemarus]

Undella Bay

[scientistdemarus]

Damarus was passing by the tidepools near Don when the older man spoke to him. He looked up from his clipboard to see who it was that addressed him.

"Nothing too interesting, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing." He replied. “I’m observing the number of native versus non-native species and keeping an eye out for any signs of the possibility that it could be effecting the ecology of the area. But so far…" He looked out towards the sea briefly, “This area appears to be in good health, and that’s comforting."

[gentlemandon]

"So you're studying to see if anyone's been messing with the ecosystem a bit?" Don asked. He stroked his mustache a bit, pondering this over. It was something worth noting. He wasn't exactly the most green person imaginable, but that sort of stuff was important he figured.

"Is this because of all those Pokemon outside of the Unova region suddenly popping up over the last few years?" he asked curiously. Trainers from all over had migrated over here, especially when the World Tournament took place. Did all those Pokemon, either being caught, released and so on cause all that.

[gentlemandon]

And A Few Decades Later...: Gentleman Don meets Misty

He was in Kanto for a few reasons. It was to visit a few friends and also pay respect to two friends of his. Nancy however had wanted to make it more than just the same old trek. So Don offered to take her to a few other spots she wanted to go. So Nancy, excitedly asked if they could see the Cerulean City Gym. Don was a bit preplexed until she found out what the reasoning was. She wanted to see the fantastic water show with the Cerulean Sisters.

Except they had missed the show.

"Well, we reserved a room at a hotel for a reason" Don said. "I'll just get some tickets for the two of us. You can do your errands. I'll meet you at the hotel a bit later" he insisted. Nancy eventually agreed but insisted Don take it slow and call a cab once he was done. There was no need for him to walk all the way to the hotel in this summer weather.

He nodded and after watching his wife go off in her own cab, he entered the Cerulean City Gym. Now...where could he purchase some tickets?

[professorsammyoak-deactivated20]

gentlemandon started following you

Don! It’s been ages! How have you been, my good man?

[gentlemandon]

Well, holding up with a cane mostly, but better to be that than laying down six feet under. Been on vacation with Nancy and the family in Unova, but I can't complain.

What about yourself?

[scientistdemarus]

Undella Bay (Open)

Generally, there were two kinds of people who gathered at the beaches of Undella Bay. There were the swimmers in their swim suits, who fought against the undulating waves in order to tone their bodies fit or those who were just enjoying a casual swim. Then there were the trainers who combed the beach or surfed on Pokemon while on the lookout for something new to catch.

But there was one individual on the beach who looked to be in some strange middle ground. Although Damarus Kotori was on the lookout for pokemon, he wasn’t properly dressed like a trainer. His pants were rolled up to his knees to prevent any stray waves from soaking the fabric, he switched to beach shoes that could get wet and protect his feet from the rocks of the tidal pools he was inspecting. He was also wearing a white, long sleeved shirt and a large straw hat to protect his skin, Damarus was much more used to the colder climates of Sinnoh. 

Being fashionable was certainly the last thing on his mind when there was science to be done! As Damarus picked his way through the tide pools he took note of the pokemon he spotted and wrote everything down on a clipboard he had. He was so focused on his work that nothing else around him seemed as important.

[gentlemandon]

Don had been on plenty of beaches in his lifetime. Undella Beach just so happened to be a vacationing spot for his family. While his children and their children enjoyed splashing around and seeing just how far out they could go without coming across a Pokemon. They had repel to make sure they weren't going to run into anything dangerous.

Don couldn't swim as well as he did in the past though. While he enjoyed wading around in the water, the grey haired man knew that swimming would tire him out much more than he would have liked. Still, he had a white shirt on and a pair of swimming trunks if someone decided to splash him.

He wasn't going to read like his daughter would on the beach. He'd just take a nice walk along the beach. It'd be nice and comfortable. Plus, if he needed to rest for a while, he could sit down and relax. So the elderly man began walking along the sandy beach, the waves gently slashing against his feet. He saw plenty of people scurrying around: people sunbathing, swimming, or even trying to get new Pokemon. The list went on.

Deciding to take a small break and see how his grandchildren were doing, he sat down near a few rock formations. He spotted a blond haired man poking his head around one of the tidepools. Curiously, Don, leaned in to get a better view.

"Finding anything interesting?" he asked.

[gentlemandon]

Old Versus New: Don vs Ash

[gotta-ketchumall-archive]

Well, it was finally over. The Vertress Conference, which Ash had looked forward to since he’d started his journey, had ended with one of his new friends taking the championship, and while he was definitely disappointed to have lost, he was happy for Virgil and had a lot of fun while he was there! He’d even beaten Trip and his Serperior for the first time, too.

Now that it was over though, Ash didn’t really know what to do next. He did know one thing: he’d made a couple of great friends that he wasn’t quite ready to leave yet. There were still things Ash hadn’t even seen yet!

But for now? A little bit of fun and relaxation could do himself and his team a lot of good. The group had spent plenty of time lounging around and getting to know one another a little better and now… they were just finishing lunchtime at the Pokemon Center. With everyone content, it was time to find something to do.

Many of the Vertress entrants had already left—particularly those who’d lost early on. Still, there were a lot of faces around that Ash recognized… except one. That’s weird. He thought he’d known everyone. But he didn’t put it past himself to forget or miss someone. So, with Pikachu in tow, Ash approached the older stranger, bowed respectfully, and expressed his curiosity. “Excuse me, sir? Sorry for asking but… were you in the Vertress conference, too?” 

[gentlemandon]

Don paused, slowly turning to face whoever called out for him. It was the young man he had bet on a few times. What was it? Ash Ketchum, that was it. Seemed nice enough and polite too. That was good to see, considering he had known plenty of bratty kids when he was a parent and grandparent.

"No, sorry" Don smirked. "I don't exactly fit in the category now, do I? Most of the trainers in the finals were closer to your age or at most, in their twenties right? I came here because a friend bought box seats for my wife and I for the matches." He didn't need to mention the gambling. No need for that anyways.

"You're Mr. Ketchum, right? I'm Donald. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

[gentlemandon]

Old Versus New: Don vs Ash

Don's doctors weren't too thrilled about him going on a trip hat wasn't a vacation so soon. But to Don, he scoffed it off. He and Nancy wanted to visit a few of their friends. Mercede, Drake and Charon were certainly on that list so they'd be going to each of the regions in due time.

Mercede was thrilled to see her friends and even had a gift for them: seats to the Unova League Tournament. The best of the best were showing up and were ready to duke it out. The three of them watched as each day, the battles grew more heated and intense. Various people cheered, booed and watched their favorites win or fall.

Don had a two favorites. A boy from the Kanto region and Virgil, a Pokemon rescue worker. Mercede would usually cheat, but Don didn't say anything, even if Nancy was downright atrocious as her betting. Thank Mew she wasn't a compulsive gambler.

The battles reached a fever pitch until finally it was all over: Virgil had won the battles (and Nancy was certainly poorer by the end). The group would be heading back to Black City, but Don wanted to remain around a bit longer. Call it curiosity, but he wanted to see who was still around.

Making his way to the Pokemon Center, Don entered. He had entered a few tournaments like before. It had been decades ago, but it seemed a lot easier. No Roman Battling, no worrying about everyone else. Now? Don didn't feel the need to do so. His Pokemon were fine for the time being.

Were there any other combatants in here?

[gentlemandon]

Hm...

I got a message to join some retirement community in Orre. I'll pass. I'd rather live in my damn house.

[gentlemandon]

Just got back from my trip

Hated it. But I'm ready to see my friends.

[gentlemandon]

OOC: I was removed from the masterlist

But I want to be readded. The reason why I haven't used Don in months is because my muse for him died around the time my inspiration for him also died, my Grandpa. Now I'm ready to bring him back. I've tweeked his lineup to removed some of the odd or overpowered choices, but his lineup still has the same theme and I'm satisfied with him.

Here's hoping he can be reapproved.

[gentlemandon]

I should see how the gang is doing later

It's been a while since I last talked with them.