The Arcane Realm: Land of Freedom and Magicks (FFAZ)

[Raves]

Raves: Thankfully only your heart had fallen, and not the rest of you, because it would have been even more of an embarrassing situation than the one you had planted yourself in. Menefer caught your eyes for a moment as if surprised by what you had said, but then he looked down and bashfully chuckled – that didn't seem like a bad reaction? Shyly, he moved some of his long mane from his face, eyes following your feet as they trudged over to the box. His gaze lifted, and he saw you with one hand at the ready. He seemed taken aback once again, even though you had voiced your suggestion, and then he laughed again.

“No, I think it still requires one person to open it. Here. Like this.” Menefer moved behind you, arms slipping past so that he could take your hands. The gesture made you shiver for more reasons than one: his skin was cold to the touch, hands not as soft as they might first appear, but not unpleasant to hold. He steered your hands into place, palms down into the slots, Menefer's hands above yours. You could feel his hair tickle your skin, you were both so close...

The box made some noises, as if something was moving in a deep and distant cavern, and the hieroglyphs began to glow a dark purple. There was a sudden, sharp sensation against both palms as if you had just been pricked – certainly enough to draw a bit of blood. It was only then that the box began to open, the top showing its secrets, piece by piece the top sliding open. You get a bad feeling. Your Pokemon get a bad feeling. The other Pokemon look nothing short of monstrously excited.

Menefer releases you carefully, checking to make sure you still have balance before he attempts to lean into the crate. There are various things in there, buried in sand, and Menefer is quick to root through. He drops a few things outside of it, including a Razor Fang, before finally picking out what interests him. His Banette looks like he hit the jackpot. It's a purple orb, swirling with ominous colours.

“It' was really here, and we found it... Finally.” Menefer breathed, voice intense, almost lustful. He sets his eyes on you and offers a hand. “And I found it because of you, Alex. Thank you, so much, for everything. I can't tell you how much this means to me, to my family, to so many people-- it has quite a story. I can tell you if you like, but first-- here.”

He seems to have totally forgotten the rest of the bounty in his outpouring of emotion. Maybe that means it's all yours? But right now, Menefer's holding out a hand expectantly, brown eyes intense and yet ever so soft as they long for you. Whatever dark aura that orb has, Menefer seems entirely oblivious to it. Maybe it's just in your head, or maybe that thing is holding him more than he's holding it. What do you do...?

His suggestion to his flash crush certainly seemed to make an impression, and yet the soft laughter went through one ear and out the other as Menefer seemed to insist it was a one man job, and having another brief glance at the openings, it did make some sense. Given the shape of the indents, that would require opposable thumbs to fill the blanks, and-

"Ah!" Alex gasped slightly as the man moved behind him and slipped his hands over his, cold to the touch and not as soft as expected, but not entirely horrible either. Some people didn't have the best circulation, and that meant their extremities were always a bit chillier and prone to the elements, but as his one organic hand felt the man manipulate his mitts to the slots, he felt something indescribable. The man behind him, hands on hands, his hair on his skin slightly tickling, his heart beating faster and faster as he could swear he could feel Menefer's breath on him...were it not for his position and situation, he almost wanted to bring those arms around him in a gentle embrace...

And then the box began to make some deep sounds, while the glyphs took on a bit of a sinister purple hue. What was more surprising though, was the sharp stinging sensation on the palms as he gave an involuntary gasp, almost jumping. Yes, even on the gauntlet he felt the sudden pain, unusual given said gauntlet was a prosthetic. Whatever this was, certainly seemed out of the ordinary. Still in the hands of the cute one, he watched the top of the box begin to slowly open, and despite the infatuated status Alex felt something...malevolent in the air. It was a definite feeling of unease, and even his pokemon felt it. Nothung had started sliding down the crater, crown of fire flaring up in anticipation. Nuhuko hovered nearby, staring hard at the box. Glasspine was instinctively stepping back. And all the time, Menefer's motley crew seemed inexplicably excited. Maybe he should be too, despite the stinging sensation in his hands.

The man released him with care, ensuring he was steady as Alex stopped trembling instinctively, before Menefer leaned into the box, starting to dig through the contents. Alex checked his squishy hand, rubbing it instinctively and piqued by the slight crimson smear. That surface was flat, yet somehow it cut me...was this what he meant by 'one person,' a small blood sacrifice? A few objects dropped, and after a bit of rooting around, he found what he seemed to be looking for, the Banette extremely excited at the find while Glasspine looked at the items strewn around and gave a squeak to Nothung, indicating the stuff to the Infernape. Without Alex's consent, the Sandshrew began to gather the objects up and intending to give them a look over with the three pokemon.

Alex meanwhile was transfixed on the strange purple orb, swirling with unusual colours in the man's hand, his intense voice seemingly filled with lust as he voiced finally finding it, to the man's confusion. Turning to Alex, he offered him his hand, thankful to him for his support and what the find meant to him, his family, and other people...wait what? Mention of quite the story, he offered the hand, his brown eyes deep yet soft once more, longing for him, and yet ignorant of the aura the orb in his hands possessed...Alex hesitated, his mind just clear enough for rational thought to sink in. Okay, so perhaps he's a fan of the occult. Nothing wrong with that at all. He did mention searching for treasure in the name of his lost sisters, but what other people? Is this really what one could call safe? Of course not, the box asked for a price in blood, and he paid it...but what the hell, you've been through worse.

"R-right...but it wasn't just me and my team, but you and yours too...I'm certainly curious on the tale of that orb though, as much as it gives me something of an eerie feeling, like I might have seen something similar in my time...though that might just be my head. I'm still a bit woozy from that box..." he sighed, stretching his organic hand for Menefer's, ready to take it and to sink into what mystery the man had for him. Even if it meant endangering himself, but what was a little danger in any sudden relationship? Most of all, he just wanted the guy to reciprocate the growing passion he had for him, even if this meeting would only be fleeting. He wasn't even aware of his pokemon behind him keeping a suspicious eye on the pair, he just wanted to listen to the story of the unusual orb, and to be in Menefer's arms for a moment...

 

[TheKnightsFury]

TKF: It wasn't that Billy's first assumption was that you would immediately take off, but he was presenting the option to you. You were an outsider, and if Pokemon were losing their minds and taking it out on whatever they set eyes on, that wasn't a danger that most people wanted to entertain. You, however, were different. You knew that there were more souls than the mere living here, and that in the future, this meadow would send them all to the new world. Every flower respresented a chance to reborn, and you couldn't let that be destroyed. Billy smiled faintly at you, glad for your assistance.

“Get everything and everyone else out of here that you can.” Billy told the girl, gradually releasing her, “We'll go and do what we can up there.”
“Just be careful.” The tearful girl said, nodding, and Billy and Megara ran after you both.

What you both saw over the hill was, as the girl had worded it, complete chaos. It was frankly a warzone: wild and captured Pokemon alike, throwing themselves at each other with no mercy or hesitation. The grass was a state, some trees had even been taken down and the flowers didn't even need describing at this stage. They were a sad state compared to before, and things were only going to get worse the longer this went on. Worst of all, in the mayhem, you could see Grotle and Bayleef taking part. Love did not conquer all. They were attacking each other. Trainers were trying to return their Pokemon with mixed results, beams of red and other colours sometimes dodged or interrupted by something other than their target.

“We need to get the trainer's Pokemon to safety if we can't break the spell.” Billy said. Megara had already joined in the fray, using her vine whips to try and pull an angry Sandslash back before it could dive underground and escape its trainer once more – and further damage the meadow. “It looks like Pokemon that weren't lured in are resisting it, but I don't know where the source is. Maybe if we can stop it, we can stop all of this, too – or stop it from getting worse.”

What do you do?

Xander was shocked to see the carnage that was taking place, but nothing was more shocking than seeing Grotle and Bayleef attacking each other. He couldn't believe that anything was strong enough to make his own Pokemon attack each other like this, especially considering Grotle's feelings for Bayleef. Seeing the Sandslash also confirmed it wasn't just Grass type Pokemon that were being affected, Xander thought that might be the case considering what had happened to the flowers. He was unsure whether recalling his Pokemon would work, so he decided to take a couple of different approaches. Quickly releasing Froakie and Chimchar from their balls, Xander urges them to remain calm despite the situation at hand. He then retrieved Bayleef's Pokeball, he'd try and recall her first. She wasn't as strong of a battler as Grotle, she'd take the most damage if they weren't stopped. In case it didn't work, Froakie and Chimchar would do their best to restrain Grotle. "Chimchar Fake Out Grotle then lend Froakie a Helping Hand, so he can try and surround Grotle with a Rock Tomb." Xander hoped that if they could keep Grotle contained, he could try and get through to it.

Billy had mentioned something about breaking the spell that was affecting the meadow and Pokemon. It was true, they needed to break it, but they also needed to find its source. If the energy was spreading through the meadow, surely it was spreading from a source? Braixen had been working to sense the energy of the meadow earlier, perhaps if her and Megara worked together, they could find the source of this energy as well! "Hey Billy, maybe Braixen and Megara could work together to try and find the source of the corruption? Like they did earlier with the meadows energy?" Xander turned to Braixen, the Fire type was willing to give anything a shot.

 

[Asteiri]

Missingno. Master​

'R-REALLY?' The Grimer lacked tear ducts to use to cry, but you could tell from the tremble in it's voice that it felt an overwhelming amount of emotions in this moment. It has always longed for a place to call home... but due to it's foul odor and it's meek tenancies it never thought that it would get one. It cupped it's hands together and looked up at you, clearly gracious of the offer. 'I'D LOVE TO MEET HIM.' The Grimer continued, clearly excited to meet it's possible new trainer. It leaned upwards, body touching the Pokeball as it was slowly sucked inside. There was no struggle, simply a satisfying click as the ball locked, finally giving solace to the dark typed Grimer.

You captured a Level 12 Male Alolan Grimer! It knows EM Clear Smog!

Now that Grimer had been obtained... you had some things you needed to handle. For one, the pollution of this once sacred place for lovers was a pressing issue. You could almost hear the twisted tree --- the lovers tree --- screaming for your aid. Help got to work, attempting to use her Grassy Terrain to infuse the natural ground with a little bit more... nature. The desolate Earth lit up with a brilliant green hue, the glow softening gradually as bits of grass slowly sprouted back up. Your expression lit up, you were gradually restoring the Lovers Grove to it's former glory. However, you could see that the pond near the oaks had suffered as well. Remnants of the body of Muk lingered in the pool, colouring it various splashing of colour --- like an oil spill across the open water.

You sigh, knowing your work has only just begun. However, Laugh begins to hear something. She turns, noticing a Sawsbuck approaching you. The large deer looks around nervously, it turns, looking towards where the Muk once stood. It's eyes light up, wandering towards the clearing. It bows it's head in gratitude towards you and your Pokemon, knowing that you have taken care of the creature that was tainting their homeland once and for all. It looks in the direction it had come from, causing your eyes to drift that way as well. Various other Pokemon wander towards the Grove --- including a Sunkern and a Cherubi. The Sunkern looks at Help, nodding to her as it begins using a Grassy Terrain of it's own. The Cherubi follows suit, joining in on the Grassy Terrain.

Help takes the hint, using hers again as well. With you combined power, the Earth gradually brightens, growing fertile and lush with foliage once again. The Sawsbuck closes it's eyes happily, walking over to the Oak. All seems well, until the Sawsbuck looks into the pond.

'This won't do...' It murmurs, mostly to itself. 'Lovers need this pond for gazing... it's important to the grove.' It tuts, running it's hoof through it, but the grime continues to cloud the once beautiful pond.

You efforts have not been in vain, yet it seems there is still more you must do. What do you do?

King Ghidorah ​

With the scale (hopefully) safe in Yamask's possession, you approach the large golden door. You wonder how much money this cathedral really has... first this enormous door made of gold, followed by this heavy key made of gold, and then that large scale that your Yamask totally pickpocketed. No point continuing to dwell on that fact though, knowing that you needed to find the Nun and the Mother Superior. You moved your hand to your pocket, taking out the golden key that you were given earlier by the large Drampa. You push it into the keyhole, turning it before giving the door a forceful push. Not only was it lavish, but also highly impractical. It was heavy enough that you could feel the force in your shoulders as you forced it open.

After straining yourself against the door, you walk inside the darkened space, looking around. You notice that it lead into an expansive corridor, starting off narrow and growing wider as it continued. You began to walk, following the path set out before you. It was dark, the only illumination you could truly see was from dusty lamps that were laid out against the walls. As you continue down the path, you wondered where Madeline and the silent nun had ended up. It was clear that this door had remained sealed, yet this was the only place they could have gone. You looked at your feet, noticing how dusty the floor was. It was rising as you walked, causing your nose to itch. You covered it instinctively... but it was too late.

Ah... ah... choo!

You sneezed loudly, more dust flying around you from the force of your sneeze. You wipe your nose, trying to clear any excess dust from your sinuses.

'Gesundheit!' A voice called. You instinctively wanted to say thank you, but you suddenly froze. You were supposed to be alone down here... other than the Silent Nun (who, as the name implied... was silent) and Madeline. But that voice certainly was not Madeline's. You took a few more steps forward, continuing to look around as you tried to find the speaker. What you had not noticed, due to the darkness of the room, was the small rock-like object on the floor that you had just passed. As you continued down, energy gathered in the rock and a purple smog rose from it. A Nasty Plot played in it's mind as the ghost materialized, watching you and your Yamask continue down the hall. It swung a Feint Attack at your Yamask, causing it to turn instinctively and be faced with the creature behind you.

​

What do you do?

Liltwick ​

"Nice to meet a fellow baker." He smirked, speaking with a certain level of coyness that made your skin crawl. He clearly knew that his baking was fantastic, and his tone reflected that. There was an air of wealth to him, the way he held himself, the way he was dressed --- everything about him exuded an aura of wealth that made you feel inadequate. Lucius patted the Blissey on the head, moving towards you. "I'd be more than willing to assist in any way I can. My Blissey is used to running the shop alone." The Blissey puffed out her cheeks, not enthused that she had basically been volunteered to watch the shop without consenting.

"I need to gather ingredients around the hamlet. You're welcome to come and see how a world class baker manufactures his craft." He smirked again. You had to admit that his arrogance was a bit off putting. But, getting to see how a pastry like the one you had just tried were made was certainly appealing to you. He did not even wait for you to answer before he was marching out the door. BB, the Blissey, sighed. She shot you an apologetic glance before you walked through the door, following Lucius.

The sun was shining high in the sky of Castle Town. You looked around, trying to spot Lucius amongst the crowd of people walking through the streets. You finally spotted the man, seeing him talking to a fellow merchant.

"Leo, come here!" He called, waving you over. He was talking to a man at a small stand surrounded by various fruits and vegetables. You walked over, giving a curt nod to the merchant. "The first step of owning a successful bakery is in the ingredients. Only the freshest will suffice in a perfect pastry!" He grinned, showing a toothy smile. The shop owner sighed, presenting Lucius with a box of fruits. "Thanks!" He smirked, looking down at his box. "Next stop, the farmer!" He ran off, not even making sure you were following him. You sighed, tuning to follow him.

"Kid, wait." The merchant that had sold the fruit stopped you. "Hey, be careful around Kovitz." He spoke in a hushed tone, looking around. "That man is trouble... his last apprentice has not been seen in a few months. We think he had something to do with it." You were taken back by his words. It was such a hefty accusation that you figured your doubt must be clear on your face. "It happens to all his apprentices. Mina was the last in a long line of missing folks. Kovitz says they move after he teaches them his tricks... but the pattern keeps repeating." The merchant sighed. "Sorry, kid. Just... be careful."

What do you do?

 

[Liltwick]

Liltwick ​

"Nice to meet a fellow baker." He smirked, speaking with a certain level of coyness that made your skin crawl. He clearly knew that his baking was fantastic, and his tone reflected that. There was an air of wealth to him, the way he held himself, the way he was dressed --- everything about him exuded an aura of wealth that made you feel inadequate. Lucius patted the Blissey on the head, moving towards you. "I'd be more than willing to assist in any way I can. My Blissey is used to running the shop alone." The Blissey puffed out her cheeks, not enthused that she had basically been volunteered to watch the shop without consenting.

"I need to gather ingredients around the hamlet. You're welcome to come and see how a world class baker manufactures his craft." He smirked again. You had to admit that his arrogance was a bit off putting. But, getting to see how a pastry like the one you had just tried were made was certainly appealing to you. He did not even wait for you to answer before he was marching out the door. BB, the Blissey, sighed. She shot you an apologetic glance before you walked through the door, following Lucius.

The sun was shining high in the sky of Castle Town. You looked around, trying to spot Lucius amongst the crowd of people walking through the streets. You finally spotted the man, seeing him talking to a fellow merchant.

"Leo, come here!" He called, waving you over. He was talking to a man at a small stand surrounded by various fruits and vegetables. You walked over, giving a curt nod to the merchant. "The first step of owning a successful bakery is in the ingredients. Only the freshest will suffice in a perfect pastry!" He grinned, showing a toothy smile. The shop owner sighed, presenting Lucius with a box of fruits. "Thanks!" He smirked, looking down at his box. "Next stop, the farmer!" He ran off, not even making sure you were following him. You sighed, tuning to follow him.

"Kid, wait." The merchant that had sold the fruit stopped you. "Hey, be careful around Kovitz." He spoke in a hushed tone, looking around. "That man is trouble... his last apprentice has not been seen in a few months. We think he had something to do with it." You were taken back by his words. It was such a hefty accusation that you figured your doubt must be clear on your face. "It happens to all his apprentices. Mina was the last in a long line of missing folks. Kovitz says they move after he teaches them his tricks... but the pattern keeps repeating." The merchant sighed. "Sorry, kid. Just... be careful."

What do you do?

There was a certain air to this man that was of wealth. He knew it, and seemed to flaunt it. Yet, as off putting as it was, Leo also felt a sort of captivation by it. He was being offered to learn these secrets that he had. To be able to make something as good as that pastry... That wasn't something he could so easily give up now, could he? Despite the inadequacy that he felt... Yes this was truly a good opportunity.

Leo just blindly followed the more experienced baker through the hamlet, still not familiar with its streets. The hamlet was certainly beautiful, with cobblestone streets and quaint brick houses. It was quiet here... Perhaps this would be a good place to settle down once everything was over. Then again... Rent must be super expensive here... Everyone here was a supposed master of their craft. And here he was, just starting out.

Leo was able to leave his thoughts by the time he arrived at a fruit stand. Spotting Mr. Kovitz in the crowd took a bit of time, but he did have this... air... to him that was enough enough to catch a whiff of the man was. he was at least a good tracker and scout despite his clumsiness. Though, considering he always had a silent step, it wasn't that bad of a trade off.

Leo just listen as Mr. Kovitz gave his lecture on that the best bakers use the freshest and finest ingredients. That made sense... Fresher something was the more potent its flavor. Why a freshly baked cake always tasted better than a cake you bought in a store's refrigerated pastry section. Besides, the cake usually dries out due to the the cooling and it just becomes this cold slab. It was gross.

He then was told that the next step was to head to the farmer. Eggs and milk most likely. Both were important in many pastries. Eggs helped set up a foundation and held things together. Milk made certain ingredients and pastries smoother, creamier, and sometimes richer... Depending on the milk's quality. Though, it was also useful in cutting richness as well. It all depended on the milk and what its being mixed with.

Though, before Leo could make his way to the farmer, the merchant pulled him aside and told him of some strange happens involving Mr. Kovitz. That apparently all of his previous apprentices have just... disappeared after their training was completed. The townsfolk thought Lucius was responsible for it, one way or another. It kept repeating... That was certainly troubling, but it was a risk he was willing to take.

Leo just gave the man a nod, and started to tail after his new mentor. Sure, the circumstances around him sounded suspicious and most people would be pushed away from that appearance alone. But, there was certainly more to him... There's more to everyone. Guzma was truly like a father, despite all of the nasty rumors that circled around Alola. Misconceptions just warp people... There had to be more to this.

"Everyone has some good in them..." Leo just muttered as he chased after Lucius.

 

[Missingno. Master]

Missingno. Master​

'R-REALLY?' The Grimer lacked tear ducts to use to cry, but you could tell from the tremble in it's voice that it felt an overwhelming amount of emotions in this moment. It has always longed for a place to call home... but due to it's foul odor and it's meek tenancies it never thought that it would get one. It cupped it's hands together and looked up at you, clearly gracious of the offer. 'I'D LOVE TO MEET HIM.' The Grimer continued, clearly excited to meet it's possible new trainer. It leaned upwards, body touching the Pokeball as it was slowly sucked inside. There was no struggle, simply a satisfying click as the ball locked, finally giving solace to the dark typed Grimer.

You captured a Level 12 Male Alolan Grimer! It knows EM Clear Smog!

Now that Grimer had been obtained... you had some things you needed to handle. For one, the pollution of this once sacred place for lovers was a pressing issue. You could almost hear the twisted tree --- the lovers tree --- screaming for your aid. Help got to work, attempting to use her Grassy Terrain to infuse the natural ground with a little bit more... nature. The desolate Earth lit up with a brilliant green hue, the glow softening gradually as bits of grass slowly sprouted back up. Your expression lit up, you were gradually restoring the Lovers Grove to it's former glory. However, you could see that the pond near the oaks had suffered as well. Remnants of the body of Muk lingered in the pool, colouring it various splashing of colour --- like an oil spill across the open water.

You sigh, knowing your work has only just begun. However, Laugh begins to hear something. She turns, noticing a Sawsbuck approaching you. The large deer looks around nervously, it turns, looking towards where the Muk once stood. It's eyes light up, wandering towards the clearing. It bows it's head in gratitude towards you and your Pokemon, knowing that you have taken care of the creature that was tainting their homeland once and for all. It looks in the direction it had come from, causing your eyes to drift that way as well. Various other Pokemon wander towards the Grove --- including a Sunkern and a Cherubi. The Sunkern looks at Help, nodding to her as it begins using a Grassy Terrain of it's own. The Cherubi follows suit, joining in on the Grassy Terrain.

Help takes the hint, using hers again as well. With you combined power, the Earth gradually brightens, growing fertile and lush with foliage once again. The Sawsbuck closes it's eyes happily, walking over to the Oak. All seems well, until the Sawsbuck looks into the pond.

'This won't do...' It murmurs, mostly to itself. 'Lovers need this pond for gazing... it's important to the grove.' It tuts, running it's hoof through it, but the grime continues to cloud the once beautiful pond.

You efforts have not been in vain, yet it seems there is still more you must do. What do you do?

Though there were no tears to be seen, the Grimer's emotional tone of voice said it all to Terri, who smiled encouragingly in response. With no further encouraging needed, Grimer leaned in and tapped the ball gently with his sludgy form. It didn't even shake in Terri's hand before clicking shut.

"They're going to love each other," Terri murmured as she looked at the ball in her hand." Then, she turned to look around at the grove. It was sad to see a place so reputed for its beauty to be in such a desolate state. The young lady gave a small sigh at the sight. But then, her attention was drawn by none other than her own Comfey, and more to the point, what she was doing- namely, firing grassy energy into the ground. This was a new one on Terri, who consulted her Pokédex.

"Grassy Terrain," droned the device. "The Pokémon infuses verdant energy into the surrounding area, helping grass to grow."

"Wow," Terri murmured in a hushed voice. "Help, you learned Grassy Terrain? That's amazing!" Even as she spoke, Terri could see the move's effects taking root, bad pun fully intended. The barren ground lit up with green energy, and grass slowly but surely began to grow. It wasn't a lot, and it did nothing for the ailing pond, but it was a start.

But things weren't stopping there. Even this little bit of grass seemed to attract a few Pokémon. A Sawsbuck, nervous at first, turned grateful upon realizing that Muk was no more. More showed up as well, including a Sunkern and a Cherubi, both of whom used Grassy Terrain attacks of their own.

Terri looked at Help as this happened. "This could work," she murmured. "Help, use Grassy Terrain one more time," she urged the Fairy-type. Help nodded and... well, helped out, adding another Grassy Terrain attack to the mix. And three did what one alone could not- the grove grew lush with all manner of foliage once more, and the grove was indescribably beautiful.

...Almost.

As Sawsbuck was quick to point out, no amount of Grassy Terrain use could fix the pond. It looked like an oil spill, remnants of Muk's poisonous form tainting the water.

Terri, Laugh, Help, Zoom, and Ava all approached the poisoned pond. Although there was a certain kind of beauty one could argue to exist in the multicolored remains, it was nevertheless nowhere near as beautiful as Terri supposed the pond once was.

"...Well, shit," murmured Zoom," looking into the murky, oily pond. "Grassy Terrain ain't helping with that."

"It's such a shame," murmured Help. "Hm... What if I used Heal Bell?" she asked.

"I'm not sure if Heal Bell would work on a body of water as well as it would on a human or a Pokémon," Laugh remarked. "I suppose I could use Psychic to try and separate the water from the poison... but where would we put the poison?"

At this, Zoom looked up at Terri. "Heh. That's it!" she grinned.

"But it's like Laugh said, though," Terri pointed out. "There's nowhere to put the poison."

"Oh, ain't there?" smirked Zoom. "Think about it- you maybe know of anyone what that might not only be OK with eating pure poison and filth, but would actually enjoy it?"

"Wha-" began Terri. Then, her eyes lit up as she realized what her Furret was getting at, and she looked at the Poké Ball still in her hand. "I forgot- Grimer," she murmured.

"Of course!" said Ava. "Back when I was on Keith's team, Strychnine always loved eating the most disgusting things. Even if this Grimer is in its Alola Form, it should still have similar tastes to a Normal Form Muk."

"Well, it's worth a shot," smiled Terri, at which point she threw the ball. "Grimer, come on out!" she exclaimed.

In a flash of light, the Alolan Grimer reappeared, looking around at his surroundings. First in confusion, then in wonder, but then right back to confusion again. "...It's beautiful again," he murmured in wonder. "But... why are we here?" he asked. "I thought you were gonna take me to this Trainer you were talking about?"

"I will," nodded Terri. "But first, we want to fix what's been done to this place. As you can see, we've gotten a good start on that... but the pond still needs help. And we think you can help with that- if Laugh uses Psychic to separate all the poison from the water, and lifts it out of the pond, would you be willing to eat it?"

"...O-of course," Grimer nodded. "If... if I can really help to fix this, then absolutely."

That was all any of them needed to hear. Laugh turned to the pond and focused, trying to use Psychic, first to separate the poisonous filth from the water, and then to lift said filth out of the pond, and into Grimer's waiting mouth.

Terri used Poké Ball!

--

--

...

...

...

*

*

All right! Grimer was caught!

 

[TheKnightsFury]

Meetan- Still shocked that Phil had scolded you, you do your best to apologise and convince the old farmer that these men weren't trustworthy. All you had to go off was a gut feeling and the leader's reaction to Phil's mention of your Trapinch, neither of which is enough to convince Phil. "I appreciate you getting me the full amount, I truly do, but what if that hadn't worked? None of what you've said is enough to convince me that these men could be poachers and I doubt any of the local law enforcement would be willing to take a gut feeling as evidence. Look into it if you want, but wait until I'm out of here." Phil certainly was in the mood for delivering home truths.....

You wait around while the men unload Phil's cart. Eridian continues his stare off with the Ariados, while you keep an eye or ear out for anything of interest. Leaning up against the side of the cart, you catch a small exchange between two of the men....

"Boss says we're heading out at sun down", one remarks, but before you can hear anymore they spot you and fall silent once more. It isn't long before they finish unloading the cart, their own vehicles were now filled with the produce, wherever they were going, they were taking it with them.

"Our business is concluded, on your way now", the leader shoots you a smile. He'd gotten what he wanted, Phil had gotten what he wanted, all parties were happy, except for you. "I'm afraid this will be our last exchange, we'll be looking for a more reliable supplier in the future." The man turns, caring little about Phil's reaction, while his Ariados hisses one last time at Eridian. The old man looks disgruntled, but at least he had what he came for. He climbs back onto his now empty cart and picks up the reins, preparing to turn Tauros around.

"You coming Alice?" Phil questions, "I can drop you back in the main square so you can do a bit of shopping if you'd like."


ShadowDRGN- Releasing Boss from his ball, the Pancham picks up the two remaining buckets and heads towards the lake with Buizel and yourself. Sure this wasn't the training yet, but maybe it could be considered a warm up? Not that you could consider it warm, this early in the morning it was still quite cold and the dew soaked grass didn't exactly help. You trudge through the forest, the buckets were light right now but you have a feeling the walk back is going to be much harder. Boss and the Buizel seem to be getting a long quite well, the pair having a nice chat as they walk side by side. Buizel seems to be opening up to Boss, maybe it would start doing the same with you as well?

It isn't long before you spot the lake, the early morning sunlight reflects beautifully off the crystal clear surface. It's almost hard to imagine the turmoil that could be happening beneath the surface. If the Full Moon really was causing some of the Water Pokemon to act aggressively, there would likely be a load of angry Pokemon out there. Buizel seems a bit wary about approaching the water's edge, but Boss seems to reassure him and the pair quickly fill up their buckets. You kneel down and do the same, rising back to your feet you groan as feel the weight of the full buckets. They had to weigh at least 15kg each, although Boss' and Buizel's smaller buckets would likely weigh about half that. You're about to turn and head back towards Mal's when you spot some water churning about 30 metres out. Whatever it is, it doesn't seem to be aware of your presence yet, but if you hung around for too long you would likely catch its eye. Mal had cautioned you against engaging with anything, your job was to retrieve the water but maybe you could do a bit of training of your own?

 

[King Ghidorah!]

King Ghidorah ​

With the scale (hopefully) safe in Yamask's possession, you approach the large golden door. You wonder how much money this cathedral really has... first this enormous door made of gold, followed by this heavy key made of gold, and then that large scale that your Yamask totally pickpocketed. No point continuing to dwell on that fact though, knowing that you needed to find the Nun and the Mother Superior. You moved your hand to your pocket, taking out the golden key that you were given earlier by the large Drampa. You push it into the keyhole, turning it before giving the door a forceful push. Not only was it lavish, but also highly impractical. It was heavy enough that you could feel the force in your shoulders as you forced it open.

After straining yourself against the door, you walk inside the darkened space, looking around. You notice that it lead into an expansive corridor, starting off narrow and growing wider as it continued. You began to walk, following the path set out before you. It was dark, the only illumination you could truly see was from dusty lamps that were laid out against the walls. As you continue down the path, you wondered where Madeline and the silent nun had ended up. It was clear that this door had remained sealed, yet this was the only place they could have gone. You looked at your feet, noticing how dusty the floor was. It was rising as you walked, causing your nose to itch. You covered it instinctively... but it was too late.

Ah... ah... choo!

You sneezed loudly, more dust flying around you from the force of your sneeze. You wipe your nose, trying to clear any excess dust from your sinuses.

'Gesundheit!' A voice called. You instinctively wanted to say thank you, but you suddenly froze. You were supposed to be alone down here... other than the Silent Nun (who, as the name implied... was silent) and Madeline. But that voice certainly was not Madeline's. You took a few more steps forward, continuing to look around as you tried to find the speaker. What you had not noticed, due to the darkness of the room, was the small rock-like object on the floor that you had just passed. As you continued down, energy gathered in the rock and a purple smog rose from it. A Nasty Plot played in it's mind as the ghost materialized, watching you and your Yamask continue down the hall. It swung a Feint Attack at your Yamask, causing it to turn instinctively and be faced with the creature behind you.

​

What do you do?

​

Hugo watched in horror as the mysterious, ghostly being materialized, growing larger by the second and seemingly dwarfing Yamask. He had recalled reading about these things, known as Spiritomb, in the past. They were one of the few Pokemon Hugo could think of whose origin matched the same level dread as Yamask. They were known to be the bounding and imprisonment of 108 souls. Clearly these 108 souls had done something worthy of such a horrible punishment, so there was no telling what the Spiritomb had in mind for Hugo.

But first, the Spiritomb would have to get through Yamask. The Spirit Pokemon spun upon being blindsided, coming face-to-face with his assailant. Yet despite being clearly undersized, Yamask didn’t show fear. Instead, Hugo could see the rage building within his eyes.

“Yamask!” called Hugo. “You ne—” but Yamask suddenly lifted his hands and Hugo found himself unable to speak. He screamed and called, but try as he might, no sound would come out. Clearly Yamask had taken great offense to the Spiritomb’s attack and he was going to handle this situation on his own.

But not quite like this.

Hugo looked on in awe as Yamask bathed itself in blinding, ethereal light. He couldn’t quite make out what was happening, but was able to see Yamask’s body lengthening, its head becoming wider and rounder. Still clutching the scale in one hand. After the light had faded, there was no Yamask. In his place was a large, solid golden sarcophagus, hovering inches from the ground. Four spectral arms shout out of the sides. Near the top, Hugo could see the same unmistakable blood-red eyes of his Yamask peering from an opening near the top. Below was a horrifying snarl of jagged teeth. The monster tucked the scale deep within its golden armor.

​

Yamask was no more. Long live Cofagrigus.

Within seconds, Cofagrigus threw itself into battle with the Spiritomb. Within its four palms, Cofagrigus formed four eerie blue flames, launching them at Spiritomb with a blistering Will-o-Wisp. Almost immediately after, his red eyes rolled back in his head, turning blinding white. Hugo had recognized this as Cofagrigus attempts to Disable the Spiritomb’s attack. And while not trying to lose the upper hand, Cofagrigus created a strong blast of Ominous Wind which it sent surging toward the mischievous Spiritomb, looking to put a quick end to this.

 

[ShadowDRGN]

ShadowDRGN- Releasing Boss from his ball, the Pancham picks up the two remaining buckets and heads towards the lake with Buizel and yourself. Sure this wasn't the training yet, but maybe it could be considered a warm up? Not that you could consider it warm, this early in the morning it was still quite cold and the dew soaked grass didn't exactly help. You trudge through the forest, the buckets were light right now but you have a feeling the walk back is going to be much harder. Boss and the Buizel seem to be getting a long quite well, the pair having a nice chat as they walk side by side. Buizel seems to be opening up to Boss, maybe it would start doing the same with you as well?

It isn't long before you spot the lake, the early morning sunlight reflects beautifully off the crystal clear surface. It's almost hard to imagine the turmoil that could be happening beneath the surface. If the Full Moon really was causing some of the Water Pokemon to act aggressively, there would likely be a load of angry Pokemon out there. Buizel seems a bit wary about approaching the water's edge, but Boss seems to reassure him and the pair quickly fill up their buckets. You kneel down and do the same, rising back to your feet you groan as feel the weight of the full buckets. They had to weigh at least 15kg each, although Boss' and Buizel's smaller buckets would likely weigh about half that. You're about to turn and head back towards Mal's when you spot some water churning about 30 metres out. Whatever it is, it doesn't seem to be aware of your presence yet, but if you hung around for too long you would likely catch its eye. Mal had cautioned you against engaging with anything, your job was to retrieve the water but maybe you could do a bit of training of your own?

Jason takes the time to familiarize himself with the scenery while they walk. Finally, a day where they don't have to worry about how far they've traveled or having shelter from the elements, or anything like that. It's his first time really out in the wilderness like this, too. In school, there would be the occasional field trip to somewhere like a national park or even to different Regions, but he'd always been forced to sit out due to his unruly behavoir. Now that he has some time to think about it, it's a little refreshing to be out here, away from the sprawl of buildings and roads, breathing fresh forest air.

Jason spaces out on the trip down, silently watching Boss interact with Buizel until he snaps out of it at the sight of the lake ahead of them. He kneels down at the edge of the water and dunks the bucket inside to fill it to the brim. As he rises to his feet with a groan, he can already tell that the trek back is going to be a chore. The wire-thin handles of the bucket are already digging into his fingers... it almost feels like they'd slice through his hand if he isn't careful. What does he need all this water for, anyways?

He glances over to check on the rest of the team and catches Buizel leaning over the water's edge, bucket beside him. He's scooping up water in his cupped paws and then pouring it into the bucket, filling it by barely an inch or two with each motion. Jason raises an eyebrow, before he remembers that the little guy is unfamiliar with human-made things. Setting down his pails, he kneels down in front of the orange Pokemon and takes the small bucket in his hands, "here. This is way faster, trust me," he says, dunking it in the water for a few seconds until it's full. He hands it back to Buizel and grins, "see? Way faster," he says before rising to his feet and grabbing his share of water.

Once everyone is ready to leave, Jason takes one last look at the lake before he intends to turn back, when he sees the churning water off in the distance. He squints and peers out towards the phenomena, trying to get a good look at whatever is out there, but it doesn't seem to be coming from something on the surface, "huh..." he grunts. Boss turns back to Jason as they're heading back up to Mal's and tilts his head. He follows the Trainer's gaze and spots the churning, too, and glances back to him fiercely, setting down the buckets to put his fists in front of him. Seems Boss certainly wants to sneak in some training.

Jason looks to Boss and shakes his head, "sorry, man. Trust me, I'd love to, but this is basically a delivery job, and you know the rules," he says. Boss just sighs and rolls his eyes, his body language practically reciting the rest, don't be late, don't damage the goods, and don't mess with cops, in this case, aggressive Water Pokemon being the cops. Jason sighs back and approaches the little Pancham, giving him a pat on the head, "hey. Don't worry, we'll get time to knock some heads together, but I'd rather not risk the Master finding out. He said he'd train us for a while, so why risk blowing that chance on just one fight?"

Boss thinks it over, and then reluctantly nods and catches up to Buizel to walk alongside him. Jason grins and picks up his buckets again, turning his back to the water as he follows behind the two Pokemon as they start their return to Mal's cabin.

 

[Meetan]

Meetan- Still shocked that Phil had scolded you, you do your best to apologise and convince the old farmer that these men weren't trustworthy. All you had to go off was a gut feeling and the leader's reaction to Phil's mention of your Trapinch, neither of which is enough to convince Phil. "I appreciate you getting me the full amount, I truly do, but what if that hadn't worked? None of what you've said is enough to convince me that these men could be poachers and I doubt any of the local law enforcement would be willing to take a gut feeling as evidence. Look into it if you want, but wait until I'm out of here." Phil certainly was in the mood for delivering home truths.....

You wait around while the men unload Phil's cart. Eridian continues his stare off with the Ariados, while you keep an eye or ear out for anything of interest. Leaning up against the side of the cart, you catch a small exchange between two of the men....

"Boss says we're heading out at sun down", one remarks, but before you can hear anymore they spot you and fall silent once more. It isn't long before they finish unloading the cart, their own vehicles were now filled with the produce, wherever they were going, they were taking it with them.

"Our business is concluded, on your way now", the leader shoots you a smile. He'd gotten what he wanted, Phil had gotten what he wanted, all parties were happy, except for you. "I'm afraid this will be our last exchange, we'll be looking for a more reliable supplier in the future." The man turns, caring little about Phil's reaction, while his Ariados hisses one last time at Eridian. The old man looks disgruntled, but at least he had what he came for. He climbs back onto his now empty cart and picks up the reins, preparing to turn Tauros around.

"You coming Alice?" Phil questions, "I can drop you back in the main square so you can do a bit of shopping if you'd like."

Alice couldn't believe him. She knew he was under stress, but seriously? These people screamed bad vibes. Perhaps he was sheltered or just distracted, believing the best in people - or maybe he did because if he considered the worst, his life would be in trouble. That wouldn't change these thugs and what they would have tried to do, though. She said nothing more, simply keeping an eye on the scene, her Bagon able to sense how infuriated his human was feeling. It probably didn't show beyond mild annoyance to the others, however, or at least not until the leader spoke. Alice initially returned his smile with a polite one, but once he said he was cutting business with the trader-- oof. If looks could kill.

"-- Yeah. I'd like that, thank you. Come on, Eridian." Alice prompted of the Bagon, who was returning the Ariados' hissing with a growl and hint of fiery teeth. Sure, maybe not in front of the elderly, but he had an educated guess at this point that Alice wouldn't mind if both the spider and his trainer went up in flames at this point. So long as the fire didn't touch her, what would it matter? It didn't seem like anyone knew them here. Reluctantly, and with a last sneer, Eridian moved to join his own human in the back of the cart. Both of them kept their eyes on the goons until they were led out of sight, and Alice only spoke when she was certain they were out of earshot.

"I'm sorry that you felt like we caused you trouble back there, but those men weren't going to listen to reason. You can completely ditch us after this if that's what you want-- and I was never going to start anything while you were there." Alice clarified, given that Phil seemed to suddenly think she was a loose cannon. "I have a lot of contacts outside of the Arcane Realm. I can always see if any of them are looking for people to trade with and suggest you once I can get in touch with them-- do you have a business card or anything?" She wanted to make up for the lost business in some way, even if she felt like they weren't much to lose in her own opinion. They would have screwed him over eventually, and Alice wouldn't have been there to save him, or anyone else most likely.

 

[TheKnightsFury]

ShadowDRGN- After assisting Buizel in the use of the bucket, you decide it is best to avoid whatever is going on out in the water. Master Mal had advised you to avoid conflict until you'd completed your training, it was probably best to heed his warning. With that in mind, you grabbed your buckets and begin the journey back to Mal's. Boss and Buizel push themselves to keep pace with you, but after a while your shoulders begin to groan. As you get closer and closer to Mal's the buckets seem to get heavier and heavier. They're not actually getting heavier of course, its just your muscles wearing out. Buizel and Boss are looking worn as well, their faces showing pained expressions. By the time you step back into the clearing surrounding Mal's house, your muscles are crying out for relief. Mal is sitting on the porch, sipping at a cup of hot coffee when you and your Pokemon place the buckets of water at the base of the steps.

"How are your arms feeling?" Mal questions, although your sure he knows the answer. "Well now that your warm up is done, how about we get you started on your training?" As he says that, the front door swings open and Machamp emerges from inside, holding some large wooden bowls in its hands. He makes his way down the steps and places the three bowls side by side on the grass. Next he retrieves a couple of the buckets and fills the bowls, you get a feeling like you won't be drinking from them however. "Next step in your training, slap the water", Boss and Buizel give each other a look, was this guy serious? If Mal wasn't, Machamp certainly was. The four armed Fighting type drops to his knees in front of the bowls and groans as he waits for you to get into position. Mal on the other hand, remains seated. For a master trainer, he really wasn't doing a lot at the moment.


Meetan- You hop back onto the cart with Eridian as Phil manoeuvres his way out of the alleyway. Eridian keeps his eyes on the warehouse, even as Tauros pulls you away, he didn't like anything about that exchange. You're left feeling disgruntled as well, you only wanted to help Phil, perhaps there was still a way for you to do that? Offering to give Phil's number to some of your outside contacts draws a smile from the old man once more.

"Thank you Alice, you really do have a kind and giving heart," Phil digs into his pocket before pulling out a small piece of card with his name and number on it. He hands it to you with a smile, "I know those guys really didn't seem on the level, maybe if you got some evidence to show that they're up to something the authorities would put a stop to them?" Tauros comes to a stop as you reenter the main market. "Well I guess this is where we part ways, for now at least. It has been a pleasure meeting you Alice." Eridian leaps down off the wagon, waving a goodbye to Tauros. You hop down as well, waving a goodbye to Phil as he steers Tauros through the bustling crowd.

Now on your own once more, you decide to have a look through the market. There are a range of different stalls. Some seem to be selling foods and medicine, you peer through the window of a shop filled with an array of different stones. You pass another stall with plenty of different held items, as well as another selling handcrafted Apricorn balls. As you continue your scouting sweep around the market, you pass a heap of different clothing boutiques, as well as what appears to be a dusty old record shop, with crates full of disk piled everywhere.

 

[Meetan]

Meetan- You hop back onto the cart with Eridian as Phil manoeuvres his way out of the alleyway. Eridian keeps his eyes on the warehouse, even as Tauros pulls you away, he didn't like anything about that exchange. You're left feeling disgruntled as well, you only wanted to help Phil, perhaps there was still a way for you to do that? Offering to give Phil's number to some of your outside contacts draws a smile from the old man once more.

"Thank you Alice, you really do have a kind and giving heart," Phil digs into his pocket before pulling out a small piece of card with his name and number on it. He hands it to you with a smile, "I know those guys really didn't seem on the level, maybe if you got some evidence to show that they're up to something the authorities would put a stop to them?" Tauros comes to a stop as you reenter the main market. "Well I guess this is where we part ways, for now at least. It has been a pleasure meeting you Alice." Eridian leaps down off the wagon, waving a goodbye to Tauros. You hop down as well, waving a goodbye to Phil as he steers Tauros through the bustling crowd.

Now on your own once more, you decide to have a look through the market. There are a range of different stalls. Some seem to be selling foods and medicine, you peer through the window of a shop filled with an array of different stones. You pass another stall with plenty of different held items, as well as another selling handcrafted Apricorn balls. As you continue your scouting sweep around the market, you pass a heap of different clothing boutiques, as well as what appears to be a dusty old record shop, with crates full of disk piled everywhere.

Alice absently pet her Bagon's smooth back and the hard cap of his head as the cart moved. It was reassuring to see that Phil still thought well of her after what had happened. Maybe he had simply scolded her to keep up appearances, or it had happened because of the pressure that he was under. "Thank you, I'll see what I can do." She told him, putting the business card into her wallet, on top of some of the store cards and other bits that she had crammed in there. "Yeah, that's what I was thinking of doing, actually. I'm hoping it works out, but these things are never so simple."

As one could expect, the market was busy, and Alice was honestly impressed by anyone willing to risk driving through that. She knew people well enough, people were stupid, it was asking to hit someone or have some other hassle come up. Still, Alice exchanged similar pleasantries as she disembarked, both woman and Pokemon waving off the elderly man and his beautiful, shy Tauros. Once they were out of sight, Alice made a move, at first perusing the stalls. She wasn't there long, at first peering through the window of the stone shop, curious by what items they might have. It didn't take long for her to move on, however, Alice's interests as predictable as ever.

"Ooh, Eri, look!" Not far away, there was the stall to end all stalls. As pretty as the clothing boutiques looked, this was better, and the dragon kept at his trainer's toes as the blonde bolted over to have a look. "Excuse me, do you have any Love Balls?" She'd purchase as many as she could afford or carry, whichever came first.

 

[Asteiri]

Lit​

Sure, hearing such things about the man who would be mentoring you was somewhat off putting. But everyone had some good in them... right? Lucius certainly didn't seem like a bad man. Quite the contrary. He had allowed you to sample his baking without question and had now taken you under his wing to show you the ropes of owning a bakery and the ins and outs of baking. You were sure the man at the stand was just paranoid. You nodded your head, trying to mentally assure yourself that this was the case.

Once you caught up to Lucius, you noticed he had quite the assorted basket of ingredients. A little olive oil, some fruits, some flour, and some sugar. All pretty standard ingredients, nothing that slapped you as suspicious. He was peering into the basket as well, counting his ingredients in an attempt to figure out if there was anything else he needed. He suddenly gasped loudly, noticing a key ingredient was missing from his basket.

"I missed the eggs!" He calls out, slapping his head in disbelief. "Hey kid, do you think you could go grab me some?" He asked, gesturing towards the various stands. You opened your mouth to explain that 'you didn't really know this market' but he was already speeding off, back towards the shop. You sighed, looking around the various stands again. Why did you have to grab the eggs? Especially in this horrific sea of shops and stalls. You had little idea as to what each of these shops even sold... let only where to go to get the eggs.

You walked through the crowded market, attempting to catch any sight of a stand that had the oval shaped food that you desired. "Hey! Balance it better!" You heard a voice within the crowd, turning your attention to see what you assumed to be a street performer with various eggs around himself and his Pokemon. A tall Kadabra was trying it's best to balance the egg on it's spoon while the spoon was inside it's mouth. But it kept getting frustrated and dropping the egg.

"Ugh! We're going to need more eggs if you keep this up!" Called the trainer, clad in magicians gear. seeing that bundle of eggs was certainly tempting... you wouldn't have to do as much work if you just grabbed those now.

What do you do?

Missingno. Master​

The Grimer you had befriended was ready to feast on the slime in order to salvage the once beautiful grove. The various Pokemon that had come to observe the grove watched anxiously as Laugh used her psychic powers to float the sludge into the gaping maw of your Grimer. He slurped it up without difficulty, and you and the group of Pokemon watched as the water gradually grew visible from beneath the sludge.

'It's working!' Exclaimed the Sawsbuck, watching intently as he gradually began to see more and more of his reflection within the pond. Your Grimer finally finished consuming the last of the multicoloured sludge, giving a loud belch as it finished consuming the remnants. It covered it's mouth in embarrassment, apologizing for it's rudeness and lowering it's head shyly. The Sawsbuck chuckled, bowing it's head towards you and Laugh. 'Thank you, Lovers.' He spoke in a calm, bellowed voice. A smile playing across his mouth. 'Allow me to present a gift to you.' He lowered his head again, antlers glowing as a pulse emitted from them, causing the leaves to regrow among the branches of the gnarled tree. With the leaves came the presence of the fruits once again, the fruits of love --- what you had come to find.

The Sawsbuck gave a small hoarse noise from it's mouth, turning towards the various Pokemon that had followed him into the grove. 'It's time to go.' He bellowed, causing the Pokemon to obey his wishes without question. However, the Cherubi from earlier darted through her friends, a nervous expression upon her face as she presented you with a small bundle of leaves. It was odd, almost like some sort of small satchel that was entirely constructed of leaves.

'I gotta go!' She quickly rushed off as fast as she had placed it into your hands. You turned it over, noticing messy scrawl written on it in Footprint Runes. Laugh, well versed in the language of Pokemon deciphered it. "THANK YOU FOR SAVING OUR HOME". You smiled at the gesture, opening up the package to reveal...

x1 Miracle Seed, x2 Mysterious Gummis, x1 Revival Herb, and x1 Big Mushroom (Worth $1000)

All that's left is to finally share the moment that you've been waiting for... what do you do?

King Ghidorah​

Yamask's transformation was breathtaking... but also horrific. The once small creature had been replaced with a hulking sarcophagus, a horrible toothy grin plastered across it's once expressionless face and piercing red eyes basically looking through the amalgamation of souls that stood in it's wake. Yet, the Spiritomb seemed undisturbed.

Cofagrigus sprang into action quickly, summoning blue flames in it's four hands which it blasted at the Spiritomb, inflicting it with a lasting burn that caused it to wince slightly. However, Spiritomb was ready to strike back, it went for another Nasty Plot but was quick to be slapped down by the unseen force of Disable that Cofagrigus had sent it's way. Spiritomb cried out in anger at this dastardly ploy, sinking into the ground and slamming into Cofagrigus with a Shadow Sneak. It jumped backwards after striking, twisting and swirling angrily as it kept it's eyes on Cofagrigus.

Hit by the super-effective attack seemed to do little beyond add to the sarcophagus's anger. It flung forward, lowering itself onto it's four arms as it did a mad crawl... dash... thing... towards Spiritomb, slapping it where it hurt with an Ominous Wind. Spiritomb groaned loudly as it felt the force of the hit... but it too was not yet done with Cofagrigus.

The Spiritomb had observed the power of Cofagrigus and devised a Foul Play to use it against the creature, sending it reeling back from the force of the hit. The two Pokemon stared at each other as they stood, waiting for the other to make another move.

Meanwhile, you simply stood, watching in horror as the two horrific ghost types battled it out. Although you had a mouth, you could not scream, and you simply moved it wordlessly --- hoping your thoughts would somehow reach Cofagrigus. What do you do?

 

[Missingno. Master]

Missingno. Master​

The Grimer you had befriended was ready to feast on the slime in order to salvage the once beautiful grove. The various Pokemon that had come to observe the grove watched anxiously as Laugh used her psychic powers to float the sludge into the gaping maw of your Grimer. He slurped it up without difficulty, and you and the group of Pokemon watched as the water gradually grew visible from beneath the sludge.

'It's working!' Exclaimed the Sawsbuck, watching intently as he gradually began to see more and more of his reflection within the pond. Your Grimer finally finished consuming the last of the multicoloured sludge, giving a loud belch as it finished consuming the remnants. It covered it's mouth in embarrassment, apologizing for it's rudeness and lowering it's head shyly. The Sawsbuck chuckled, bowing it's head towards you and Laugh. 'Thank you, Lovers.' He spoke in a calm, bellowed voice. A smile playing across his mouth. 'Allow me to present a gift to you.' He lowered his head again, antlers glowing as a pulse emitted from them, causing the leaves to regrow among the branches of the gnarled tree. With the leaves came the presence of the fruits once again, the fruits of love --- what you had come to find.

The Sawsbuck gave a small hoarse noise from it's mouth, turning towards the various Pokemon that had followed him into the grove. 'It's time to go.' He bellowed, causing the Pokemon to obey his wishes without question. However, the Cherubi from earlier darted through her friends, a nervous expression upon her face as she presented you with a small bundle of leaves. It was odd, almost like some sort of small satchel that was entirely constructed of leaves.

'I gotta go!' She quickly rushed off as fast as she had placed it into your hands. You turned it over, noticing messy scrawl written on it in Footprint Runes. Laugh, well versed in the language of Pokemon deciphered it. "THANK YOU FOR SAVING OUR HOME". You smiled at the gesture, opening up the package to reveal...

x1 Miracle Seed, x2 Mysterious Gummis, x1 Revival Herb, and x1 Big Mushroom (Worth $1000)

All that's left is to finally share the moment that you've been waiting for... what do you do?

To Grimer, this was a big moment. A chance to not only help to finally undo what he and the others have done to this place over time, but do so in a way that made use of his unique palate. Sludgy tears came to his eyes, knowing that not only was he getting a new home, but also redemption. He opened his mouth, waiting patiently. And he wasn't left waiting for long- Laugh saw to that, using Psychic to take the sludge out of the water and send it directly into Grimer's mouth. A disgusting, toxic prospect to most, but to Grimer, a tasty, refreshing beverage.

Sawsbuck was quick to point out it was working, and Terri's Pokémon were quick to confirm this. "Heheh, knew this'd work!" grinned Zoom. She turned and looked at Terri, with a look of admiration the likes of which she once thought she'd never deem a human deserving of. Terri was happy to be doing this, to be not only helping out the residents of this land, but also to be helping out this Grimer. Happy that there was a way that Grimer could even help to undo some of this damage. She'd even tried getting through to that Muk, and had Phantump not made such a sacrifice, Zoom was prepared to bet Terri would have kept on trying no matter how pointless it might have seemed.

Ava likewise could admire Terri's good heart. Ever since she and Sunny left Keith's team and ended up with Terri, the Alolan Ninetales wasn't completely sold on the idea, having only gone along with it because she trusted in the judgment of the Normal Form Ninetales she'd come to regard as an older sister. And right now, Ava was more certain than ever that Sunny's instincts were right on the money.

Help watched all this unfold with a smile on her tiny face. The Comfey was naturally predisposed towards helping others, a trait she most assuredly shared with her Trainer, which in turn was a fact that always delighted her whenever she was reminded of it. She even had a healthy respect for Grimer, who was likewise all too willing to do his part in restoring this grove to its former glory.

Finally, Grimer slurped down the last of the sludge, giving a deep, rumbling belch. "O-oh. Excuse me," he murmured sheepishly, covering his mouth. "I'm sorry."

Terri gave a giggle at this, but at that moment, Sawsbuck thanked them by employing a miraculous power, causing the tree's leaves and fruits to grow back. Terri and Laugh smiled at Sawsbuck, as he told the others it was time to go. And go they went, with but one exception- the Cherubi from earlier. The Weezing-shaped sentient fruit nervously presented them with a tiny bundle of leaves, almost like a satchel of some sort. "Thank you!" Terri called after Cherubi as she rushed away.

"What have we here?" Laugh asked Terri, floating over to look at the package, and at the messy scrawl Terri had just uncovered on it. "Footprint runes, I think?" Laugh murmured. "Do you need translation?" she asked Terri.

Terri shook her head. "Thank you, but... It's been a long time, but I think I can still..." As she murmured, she peered intently at the footprint runes. "It says... 'Thank you... for saving... our... home'," she said finally, before turning to Laugh. "Did I get it right?" she asked.

Laugh nodded. "Word for word," she smiled.

Terri gave a small giggle. "I still got it," she said triumphantly. Only by this point did it occur to either of them to actually open the package, take note of the items within. An interesting assortment, to be sure, and Terri packed them all safely in her bag. Then, she turned to her Pokémon. "Thank you, guys," she smiled. "Zoom, you helped try and talk some sense into those other Grimer and that Muk. I was really touched by some of the things you said."

"Meant every damn word," smiled the Furret. "I ought to be thanking you- wouldn't have known any of that to be truth if it weren't for you."

Terri smiled at this, and pulled the Furret into a hug, during which no small amount of tears were shed by aforementioned Normal-type, before allowing her some rest in her Poké Ball. Then, she turned to her Comfey. "Help, thank you, too," she said. "You made it to Grimer and helped him out, and then you even learned Grassy Terrain, just to help make this place beautiful again." The Comfey had no words for this, and after they also hugged, Terri withdrew the Posy Picker Pokémon as well. "And Ava, thank you for helping defend us when Muk and the Grimer were going up against us," she added, hugging the beautiful Ice/Fairy-type, before withdrawing her as well. Then she turned to Grimer. "Grimer," she smiled. "All the damage Muk's been responsible for... we couldn't have completely undone it without you."

"I... th-thank you," smiled Grimer. "I'm so glad this place is beautiful again... and I'm really glad I was able to help it instead of hurting it for a change." He fidgeted in place, and Terri found it easy to guess why- he'd just seen Terri hug her other Pokémon, and part of him wanted a hug as well, but he also knew better than to expect it. Not without reason, of course, in all fairness, but the mere sight tugged at Terri's heart so much.

"...Oh, just once," Terri smiled. "Come here." To Grimer's utter disbelief, a human was hugging him. It was not the most pleasant sensation for Terri, but she was still OK when the hug was over, especially knowing how much Grimer must have needed that. "And don't worry," she said. "Your new Trainer will give you all the hugs you want. You'll really love it with him."

"Um... if you say so," Grimer murmured uncertainly. It really all did sound too good to be true to him, but Terri wasn't worried. Grimer would soon see. Holding out the Poké Ball, Terri withdrew Grimer.

And following that, only one Pokémon present was left outside of her ball, and all present were quite content with that fact. Terri turned to Laugh, her usual smile made less mysterious by the loving look in her eyes as she gazed upon the Froslass. "Y'know, I should be thanking you, too," said Terri. "You're a big part of the reason why this place is so beautiful once more."

"I like to think we did it together," Laugh smiled back, just as loving a look in her own eyes.

"I like that," said Terri. As she spoke, she offered her hand, and the Froslass took it. Terri gently led the way, walking over to the eternally entwined oaks, whereupon they both sat themselves down in the shade. A beautiful view overlooking the nearby pond, it truly was everything they'd anticipated when they set out to the Arcane Realm in the first place. Of course, the view only played a small role in why Terri was so happy right now, the rest of said role played by who was beside her at that moment. A point of view not only shared by Laugh, but also emphasized by both parties as they very quickly chose to turn their attention away from the view and towards each other. Closer they moved to each other, both physically and emotionally, as their lips met, and as for what that led to in the moments what immediately followed... they were quite grateful to have been left in privacy by the local Pokémon, to put it mildly.

Soon, they were both back to enjoying the view of the pond, relaxing in each other's arms, resting their heads on each other, Laugh eternally grateful that her Ghost typing did not wreck the moment with any inconvenient instances of incorporealness, both of them indescribably happy to be where they were with who they were there with.

"That was wonderful," Laugh said, quietly, lovingly. "Better than I could have hoped."

"I know what you mean," Terri agreed. "I love you, Laugh. I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Terri," Laugh responded. After the silence that followed, she spoke up again. "I never did tell you, did I? That I... wasn't always a Froslass? And I don't mean Snorunt, either."

"You never did, no," Terri responded, curiosity and interest in her voice as she said this.

"I was human once," sighed Laugh. "A young woman, not far from your age... I wandered, I got lost in the snow on Mt. Scuffle... I died almost exactly the same way as I first found you. When I came to, I was hovering above my old body, frozen and lifeless in the snow. Other Froslass found me, and we came to see each other as sisters... but what disturbed me... Terri, they too were humans once... but they embraced the worst traits of my kind. Freezing stranded people on their mountain, regarding them as little more than decorations... it disgusted me. It disgusts me still. And Terri... it scares me," she admitted quietly. "I never want to become that... I... I never want to hurt you..."

Terri held Laugh reassuringly throughout her speech. "You won't," she whispered soothingly. "What they became is not an eventuality. It is a choice. They made their choice, and you and only you made yours. The worst of a Pokémon's kind is not what every one of them are doomed to become- just look at Keith's Stunfisk."

"...what if I told you I sometimes wonder how you would look frozen in ice?" Laugh asked, sounding terrified of what Terri might say or do in response to this.

But Terri still smiled, still held Laugh close. "You said it yourself- it disgusts you," she said. "You might think about it, but deep in your heart, you know you would never act on it, and deep in my heart, I know that, too. Laugh... what you are doesn't matter. Your choices are what define who you are."

Laugh couldn't help but smile in response to this. "What I am truly doesn't matter to you?" she said. "You're happy being with a Froslass?"

"I might have caught you in a ball, but to me, you are not my Froslass," responded Terri. "You are my girlfriend. My lover. The first thing I see when I wake up, and the last before I go to sleep... I wouldn't have things any other way," she stated.

At this, Laugh held Terri even closer to her. "Nor would I," she said. "Terri... were I still human... would you marry me?"

Terri gave her mysterious smile. "Were you still human?" she responded. "You say that as though I wouldn't be willing to marry you as you are now."

"But surely it's impossible," murmured Laugh. "There are laws..."

"There is one law," stated Terri. "It allows for a relationship such as ours, but under specific conditions, conditions I'm happy to say we meet. You were once human, and can remember being so. And me... well... you know my story," she finished, mysterious smile back in place.

"...That's incredibly specific," murmured Laugh. "But then... you mean to say...?"

"...that yes, Laugh, I will marry you," smiled Terri.

Laugh couldn't respond to this, so choked up was the Froslass as snowflakes welled up in her eyes. The couple embraced and kissed once more, after which they simply sat there, nearly as entwined as the oaks, looking out over the pond. A beautiful moment that neither of them wanted to end.

Obtained the Miracle Seed!

Obtained 2 Mysterious Gummis!

Obtained the Revival Herb!

Obtained the Big Mushroom!

 

[Liltwick]

Lit​

Sure, hearing such things about the man who would be mentoring you was somewhat off putting. But everyone had some good in them... right? Lucius certainly didn't seem like a bad man. Quite the contrary. He had allowed you to sample his baking without question and had now taken you under his wing to show you the ropes of owning a bakery and the ins and outs of baking. You were sure the man at the stand was just paranoid. You nodded your head, trying to mentally assure yourself that this was the case.

Once you caught up to Lucius, you noticed he had quite the assorted basket of ingredients. A little olive oil, some fruits, some flour, and some sugar. All pretty standard ingredients, nothing that slapped you as suspicious. He was peering into the basket as well, counting his ingredients in an attempt to figure out if there was anything else he needed. He suddenly gasped loudly, noticing a key ingredient was missing from his basket.

"I missed the eggs!" He calls out, slapping his head in disbelief. "Hey kid, do you think you could go grab me some?" He asked, gesturing towards the various stands. You opened your mouth to explain that 'you didn't really know this market' but he was already speeding off, back towards the shop. You sighed, looking around the various stands again. Why did you have to grab the eggs? Especially in this horrific sea of shops and stalls. You had little idea as to what each of these shops even sold... let only where to go to get the eggs.

You walked through the crowded market, attempting to catch any sight of a stand that had the oval shaped food that you desired. "Hey! Balance it better!" You heard a voice within the crowd, turning your attention to see what you assumed to be a street performer with various eggs around himself and his Pokemon. A tall Kadabra was trying it's best to balance the egg on it's spoon while the spoon was inside it's mouth. But it kept getting frustrated and dropping the egg.

"Ugh! We're going to need more eggs if you keep this up!" Called the trainer, clad in magicians gear. seeing that bundle of eggs was certainly tempting... you wouldn't have to do as much work if you just grabbed those now.

What do you do?

A bit of doubt stuck in Leo's mind as he went to go look for Lucius. Considering everything the man had done for him so far... Leo didn't want to believe the warning he got. It sounded more like paranoia than anything else. Leo sighed, and hoped it was just that: paranoia.

He was able to find Lucius soon after, and saw the man had a variety of ingredients already. Some oil, fruit, sugar, and flour. All of it was pretty standard in baking, with sugar and flour being some of the basic building blocks. Leo saw his mentor rummaging through the basket. Did he forget something? Lucius then stated he forgot the eggs, and asked Leo to get them. Seemed that answered that question. Though, Leo barely knew this market. Why task him?

Leo just nodded, only to see Lucius long gone in the direction of the bakery. Looked like he was stuck getting them, regardless of the answer. The boy just walked through the market, trying to see if any of the stalls had eggs. Was a bit hard, with people moving constantly and often obscuring the contents of a shop. He didn't want to stick out like a Deerling in the headlights.

As he walked through the streets, Leo did hear someone yelling above the crowd. He went towards the location of the noise, and saw what seemed to be some type of street performer getting frustrated at his partner Pokemon. It didn't look justified, considering what he was making the Pokemon do. A Kadabra, being forced to balance an egg on its spoon, with the spoon in its mouth... Without using any psychic powers. Seemed to be an unreasonable task, and the Pokemon obviously looked frustrated. Not to mention it was a waste of eggs.. Wait, eggs!

There just seemed to be a carton of eggs sitting next to the Magician. Seemed to be an easy fix to his problem. Just grab and go. Leo knew he could pull it off, but... Part of him didn't want to resort to flat out stealing. There had to be a better way. An idea went through his head at this time, hopefully he could pull this one off.

"Hey!" Leo shouted at the street performer.

"You're supposed to work with your Pokemon partner, not berate it when it screws up a task that you're not even helping it with," he sighed. "Not to mention you're wasting perfectly good eggs."

Leo then grabbed a Pokeball from his pocket. It was Honey's Pokeball, his Cutiefly.

"if you want to give these people an actual performance, I challenge you to a battle," Leo stated as he held the Pokeball towards the performer. "If I win, you give me the eggs and find a different act. If I lose, then I'll help you out with your current act. Deal?"

While his words seemed simple enough, the look on his face and tone of his voice showed he wasn't taking no for an answer. He was use to corralling unwieldy grunts. One street performer would be no different.

 

[TheKnightsFury]

Meetan- Upon spotting the stall selling Apricorn balls, your heart skips a beat. If there was one thing you loved, it was Love Balls. The precious pink balls were often hard to track down, they weren't sold at your run of the mill department store. It took a master craftsman to turn Apricorns into usable Pokeballs and it was a dying art, you just hoped that they still had some Love Balls left! As you approach the store, a pleasant old woman stares up at you, her head barely sitting above the counter despite her standing on a stool. She adjusts the thick glasses resting on her nose, allowing her to get a better look at you.

"Hello there sweetie", she greets you kindly, "looking for anything in particular?" You manage to spurt out the words Love and Ball, which prompts the woman to search through her remaining stock. "Oh it looks like I only have three left deary", she puts the two balls on the counter in front of you. "I'm afraid Pink Apricorns are few and far between at the moment, I haven't managed to find any for a few weeks now. I'll sell you them for $300 each. If you can track down some Apricorns I can also turn them into balls for a small favour, it'll take a little time though." Unfortunately it doesn't seem like you're going to be walking away with a horde of Love Balls like you'd hoped, but some is better than none right? However it seems that the woman isn't just a seller of Apricorn Balls, she's also a craftsman. If you had any Apricorns on you, now would likely be a good opportunity to get them changed into balls.

 

[Meetan]

It was a good thing, really, that there weren't as many left as Alice had hoped. The disappointment on her face was obvious, and Eridian murmured something snarky and snorted; a bit of smoke flaring from the sooty dragon's nostrils. The fact was, though, she'd have just gone and made herself bankrupt if the opportunity had presented itself and with so many shops around there was definitely the opportunity. Alice was a predictable creature, after all. "That's perfect! I'll take all three, and I have four apricorns I can give you, too! My babies brought them back from a holiday for me but I've not had a chance to switch them up yet." She explained, swinging her bag around to rifle through for the precious items, which she'd even stuck in a box for good measure. "What kind of favour did you have in mind? I didn't really have anything planned until later on..." She added. Of course, Alice wanted to get to the record store before the shops shut, but she also wanted to go and check out that warehouse - but maybe it would be better to catch them in the act as they were preparing to leave? It was hard to say, but it felt ballsy to plan a break in in broad daylight. Perhaps if they saw a police officer around, Alice could try to tip them off. Remembering herself, Alice also took out her cute wallet to set the money out for the transaction at hand, excited to transfer her Pokemon over (or perhaps find a new buddy to stick in one of them!) once she had the chance.

 

[Meetan]

Raves: Of course this is all unsafe and weird. You just set your hands into a box that demanded a blood sacrifice, and you felt the pain in your prosthetic one. The fact that you could just dismiss that said a lot about how woozy this whole thing had made you, or perhaps was just proof that you were thinking with Not Your Brain, Buddy-Pal-Chum. It was as if you hadn't even noticed the way your Pokemon were reacting to the whole thing, or how alarmingly delighted Menefer's Pokemon were in contrast. All was fair in love and war, you suppose, including recklessly embracing your beloved.

And he embraces you, at least. As soon as your fleshier hand lands in his, he pulls you slowly close to wrap an arm around you. You're held ever so sweetly against him, his brown eyes pooling into your grey ones. “Your eyes really are something. Perfect. Like the moon on the ocean at night.” Menefer observed silkily, distracted from the tale he was about to tell. He quickly remembered, though, and moved on. “You see, not so long ago, there was a region known as Talas. It was always old fashioned, and the people who lived there were either very rich or very poor. Rarely in the middle. My family and I were the former, and as you can imagine, we were very happy. My parents, sisters and I, and our Pokemon. A city like that, it's fond of its stories, and in Talas' last months stories ran rife of a curse place on our land. Of four Fizzytopians, old aristocrats whose iron fists and madness had spoiled our sands and doomed Talas to dust..”

His grip on you seems to tighten a little, words edged sharply like a knife. Yet, he's still trying to be gentle, one of his hands stroking over your black hair. It's as if the recollection has sent him back in time. “The details always changed, of course. Some said it was their greed, their lies, others said their laziness or just the evil in their souls – but nobody believed it to be true. Until the bodies of the dead rose, of people and Pokemon alike, to destroy all that lived there – every grain, every cell and soul. Noone survived, not even me. And the city, it was lost to the sands and into the winds, as if it was never there at all.”

Yep. He just said it. He and his sisters? All from a dead land, of one reduced to myth and memories, and they themselves? Dead. No wonder he's so cold and comfortable with the occult. Thinking of it, you've not felt his heart beat, either. “But this orb-- it will give me a second chance at life. Give us all a second chance at life. And perhaps I can restore Talas, or remake it anew, and take it as its leader. It's what my Pokemon and I deserve after these years journeying. And you can be a part of it, too, Alex. You can be with me, together, for as long as it takes--”

His eyes begin to glow a brilliant, bright blue, and the irises of his eyes reduce to slits. Something doesn't feel right, and you notice that his arm literally fucking unravels like spirals of skin, the bone doing the same even. Its colour changes, blue too, to look like a banner. It's familiar, and soft but tight – said fabric wound around your middle, unrelenting, and the rest of this beautiful man is literally fucking falling apart and fading into nothing until there is a giant, floating sword right in front of you.

“Forever.”

That'll be a yikes from me, fam. But what about you? You've gotta admit. That one massive blue eye staring at you is pretty, too. It matches the sky in the daytime and the material gripping your middle like a very secure belt! Cutting edge fashion, wouldn't you say? No? Maybe don't tell Menefer that.

-

TKF: You know that finding a source is important, but you have to get your Pokemon into safety, otherwise Bayleef is going to get absolutely decimated out here. Plus, you're going to need to go into this next fight with all that you have, because if the puppeteer behind this whole thing is strong enough to overtake Grotle's feelings for the other grass-type then it must be serious business. Megara's using her Aromatherapy to let loose a soothing scent, but that doesn't seem to be doing anything for the Pokemon, at least, and it's hard for any human around to relax in this war zone. The floral dinosaur meets eyes with your Braixen, and the two of them put their heads and magic together to try and get a sense for the enemy. You have your other Pokemon for the immediate task at hand, and with Bayleef successfully retrieved, that gave you hope that Grotle wouldn't need to get hurt in order to be saved.

Chimchar fakes out the rampaging Grotle, forcing it to flinch and temporarily halt its tracks. The water ninja gives its team mate a helping hand with trapping Grotle in the Rock Tomb, and while the rocks are certainly bulky and confining, it's done nothing more than tick the other off. You can both hear and feel the force of your angry Pokemon, tackling the Tomb and trying to break through it with its Superpower. That Tomb was not going to stand for more than a few minutes if you were lucky, so you'd need a game plan in mind. Recall Grotle the first instance you get, battle it down or attempt a heart to heart? Think fast, because Grotle's seeing red, and once it liberates itself, it's going to see all of you, too.

What do you do?

 

[TheKnightsFury]

TKF: You know that finding a source is important, but you have to get your Pokemon into safety, otherwise Bayleef is going to get absolutely decimated out here. Plus, you're going to need to go into this next fight with all that you have, because if the puppeteer behind this whole thing is strong enough to overtake Grotle's feelings for the other grass-type then it must be serious business. Megara's using her Aromatherapy to let loose a soothing scent, but that doesn't seem to be doing anything for the Pokemon, at least, and it's hard for any human around to relax in this war zone. The floral dinosaur meets eyes with your Braixen, and the two of them put their heads and magic together to try and get a sense for the enemy. You have your other Pokemon for the immediate task at hand, and with Bayleef successfully retrieved, that gave you hope that Grotle wouldn't need to get hurt in order to be saved.

Chimchar fakes out the rampaging Grotle, forcing it to flinch and temporarily halt its tracks. The water ninja gives its team mate a helping hand with trapping Grotle in the Rock Tomb, and while the rocks are certainly bulky and confining, it's done nothing more than tick the other off. You can both hear and feel the force of your angry Pokemon, tackling the Tomb and trying to break through it with its Superpower. That Tomb was not going to stand for more than a few minutes if you were lucky, so you'd need a game plan in mind. Recall Grotle the first instance you get, battle it down or attempt a heart to heart? Think fast, because Grotle's seeing red, and once it liberates itself, it's going to see all of you, too.

What do you do?

Xander allowed himself to take a quick sigh of relief. Bayleef was now safe in her ball, Braixen and Megara were attempting to locate the source of the chaos and Grotle was temporarily restrained. Temporarily was the issue however. Xander had a sinking feeling that the bulkier Grass starter would be harder to recall than Bayleef. Grotle was acting extremely aggressive, if they were going to get him back in his ball, they were going to need a bit of luck...

"Alright Froakie and Chimchar, time for the combo!" Xander was excited to finally get a chance to apply this, they'd practised it a couple of times and he didn't expect the first target to be one of his own Pokemon, but desperate times called for desperate measures. "Froakie, Water Pledge! Chimchar, Fire Pledge!" If everything went to plan, Froakie's Water Pledge would power up Chimchar's Fire Pledge, as well as create a glorious rainbow over the battlefield that would double the chance of them landing secondary effects! Froakie would then go in for a Lick, while Chimchar would go for a Thunder Punch, the goal being to paralyse Grotle so he could be easily recalled. Xander clutched the Grass types Pokeball, he just hoped he could get him into his ball before he did something he'd regret.

Xander turned to Braixen and Megara, the pair still working hard to try and locate the source of this disaster. "Do you think they can do it?" Xander asked Billy, the mage was oddly quiet. Maybe he was simply stunned by the events that were occurring, or perhaps he was deep in thought, try to think of a solution. No one knew the flowers better than Billy, if there was a way to save them, he'd know it.

 

[TheKnightsFury]

Meetan- Somewhat disappointed in the quantity of available Love Balls, you put on a happy face as you pull out your wallet and pay for the three Love Balls. You also pull four pink Apricorns out of your bag, catching the woman buy surprise. "Oh these are lovely Apricorns, they'll make perfect balls!" The old lady picks up the Apricorns one by one and turns them around in her worn, old hands, assessing them for any imperfections. "It's not too big of a favour, its just that I'm getting a bit old and to do it myself would exhaust me. Remember how I said some of the Apricorns aren't growing too well at the moment? Well I was hoping some good fertiliser would get the trees producing again. There is no better fertiliser than fresh Mudbray mud, if I had a constant source of that, my business would surely benefit." The old lady places a grey Heavy Ball on the counter. "I heard some travellers say they spotted a small herd of Mudbray just outside of town this morning. You look like a capable trainer, do you think you could catch me one? I'd have your balls ready for you by the time you get back of course."

The old lady's task was a simple one, catch her a Mudbray. It seemed pretty straight forward, but who knew what difficulties you'd encounter? If you spent too much time on this, you might not be able to check out any of the other stores, or worse, you could miss your opportunity to suss out what those suspicious men were up to. It was just after midday, you had a bit of time up your sleeve, but is it enough?

 

[Meetan]

Meetan- Somewhat disappointed in the quantity of available Love Balls, you put on a happy face as you pull out your wallet and pay for the three Love Balls. You also pull four pink Apricorns out of your bag, catching the woman buy surprise. "Oh these are lovely Apricorns, they'll make perfect balls!" The old lady picks up the Apricorns one by one and turns them around in her worn, old hands, assessing them for any imperfections. "It's not too big of a favour, its just that I'm getting a bit old and to do it myself would exhaust me. Remember how I said some of the Apricorns aren't growing too well at the moment? Well I was hoping some good fertiliser would get the trees producing again. There is no better fertiliser than fresh Mudbray mud, if I had a constant source of that, my business would surely benefit." The old lady places a grey Heavy Ball on the counter. "I heard some travellers say they spotted a small herd of Mudbray just outside of town this morning. You look like a capable trainer, do you think you could catch me one? I'd have your balls ready for you by the time you get back of course."

The old lady's task was a simple one, catch her a Mudbray. It seemed pretty straight forward, but who knew what difficulties you'd encounter? If you spent too much time on this, you might not be able to check out any of the other stores, or worse, you could miss your opportunity to suss out what those suspicious men were up to. It was just after midday, you had a bit of time up your sleeve, but is it enough?

"Oh, yeah." Alice had said as the shopkeeper prompted her about the Love Balls. She had recalled it, because it sucked to know that fighting for her favourite capture item was going to continue on for a while more, at least where the Arcane Realm was concerned. Sure, they could leave and go home anytime, but they seemed to be near impossible to come by there, too. "That sounds like something we could definitely do." She said. With Jasper's Mean Look and the combined senses of her other Pokemon, surely they could track down the herd before they got too far. "I've got one more shop to check, and then we'll head out that way and see what we can find." If her intuition was right, that Records Store sold more than music, and perhaps some TMs would help balance out the team's odds against not only the Mudbray, but against their intended targets later on, too.

Making sure the Love Balls were safely popped away, Alice asked what time the woman intended to pack up and where she could be find before heading off at a brisk pace towards the TM Shop to see what they had in stock. If it was all just the same fare and prices as her usual haunts, she wouldn't bother, but if they had sales items or anything else that would catch her eye, Alice would stick around to purchase some moves. Sure, the task the woman had set sounded easy on principle - Pokemon like Eridian likely wouldn't struggle against a wild Mudbray, but if they had to track down or even potentially fight all of its friends, it was going to consume their time, and all of it was precious right now. If they had to heal up, too, then that meant more cutting into their task tonight, and they couldn't risk those warehouse goons running off or they might never be found again.