The Arcane Realm: Land of Freedom and Magicks

[Missingno. Master]

Missingno. Master - A Sitrus Berry? Thank you child. Trevenant said, snatching it and gobbling it up, licking its lips while doing so. It wiped its mouth, then caused another Rock Slide, then rushing forward to give Talonflame a few Power-Up Punches to the head. Talonflame screeched in pain, giving Trevenant a Brave Bird strike, and then it began to Flame Charge at Wes. The Honchkrow at the side shot off a Hurricane, which shook the trees in the clearing, doing damage to everyone. It then blew a cold, chilling Icy Wind, and followed it by charging up a Sky Attack.

Phenac performed a Magnet Rise, following it with an unnerving look, then lastly, rocks circled around it, before directing them at both avian Pokemon. They seemed to not be keeping up much longer, even Honchkrow looked tired. Wes shot off a ball of electric energy at Talonflame, who swiftly dodged it, but couldn't escape the following Water Pulse. Its wings were scratched, feathers ruffled, mind troubled, body tired, and anger rising. It picked up speed against Wes, striking it and sending Wes flying, as it hit its back on a tree.

Morelull stood in place, draining energy from Honchkrow, who was just sitting there, charging up energy. Suddenly, it shot into the sky. A huge light blue bird figure shot at Phenac, smacking it down and thrusting you off. You fall to the floor, and Phenac crashes into the left side of the clearing. An entire tree tumbles to the ground, breaking in half.

Both sides looked very damaged and tired. What do you do?

"You bet," Gavin nodded as Trevenant accepted the Sitrus Berry. Then, with Trevenant healing up through the Sitrus Berry's effects, the battle resumed! Trevenant unleashed a lovely onslaught of attacks, but Talonflame and Honchkrow were fighting back without mercy. One thing Gavin couldn't help but notice was how so many of the birds' attacks seemed to impact the trees. Honchkrow's Hurricane shook the trees. Talonflame rammed into Wes, sending the Ambipom flying into a tree. Honckrow's attack hit Phenac with so much force that it sent the Shiny Metagross hurtling into a tree, breaking it in half and collapsing it entirely.

"Ow, fuck!" Gavin swore as he unsteadily got back up. "Gah... Guys, we gotta finish this, and fast- those flying fucks are using the battle to do even more damage to the forest! That ain't right!"

"Ambi! Ambipom!" Wes chattered in agreement.

"ME TA GROSS," droned Phenac, clambering back to his feet.

Morelull, meanwhile, was watching this go on. Her attempts at draining Honchkrow had had minimal effectiveness at best, and she was well aware of her immense type disadvantage here. Still, though, she knew there was at least one option she had, though whether it would work on them both or not remained to be seen. But she had to try it. Gavin didn't even seem to know she had this move at her disposal. and vaguely she wondered whether this new Trainer he had in mind for her would have picked up on this quicker.

"The fu- Morelull, what are you doing?!" Gavin exclaimed.

"Mor! Mor! Mor!" grunted Morelull, hopping determinedly forward on her tiny rootlike feet. Then, with mushrooms shaking wildly and glowing brightly, Morelull made her move. "Moooooooor!" she exclaimed as clouds of glittery blue dust billowed out towards the belligerent birds.

"Wh- oh, shit, that's right- Sleep Powder!" Gavin murmured. He grinned widely at this realization. "Nice one, Morelull!" he exclaimed. "Phenac, Wes, we got it from here, yeah?"

"Ambi!"

"ME TA!"

"Alright, then, Phenac, give 'em a Rock Slide!" Gavin commanded. "Any of them get close to you, they're to be force-fed a Thunder Punch! Wes, focus on the Honchkrow, just to be safe- close in with Acrobatics and then land a point-blank Zap Cannon!" Gavin dearly hoped this would do it- the birds seemed intent, for whatever reason, on damaging the forest no matter what, even using the battle to cause further damage to their arboreal accommodations. And while this was not good for Trevenant's mood, Gavin just plain didn't like what they were doing to begin with. After all, Gavin was from Orre- a desert of a region where trees were few and far between. The value of a few trees was not something he was about to overlook, so if he could stop this destruction, he was more than willing to.

 

[sixdragons_in_atrenchcoat]

sixdragons_in_atrenchcoat - "I am a professor!" The man yelled behind you, flicking a card towards you. It read, "Prof. Reinbacker." You enter a shop, which was for desert items. There were many things on display. Desert goggles, canteens, water skins, backpacks, and other related objects are all in your line of sight as you look around in the shop. You see shiny stones, lined up at the bottom of the display cases, which Gible proceeded to gnaw on.

You sit at a table, then a lady sat there with you. She was in her late twenties, and was wearing a ranger outfit, complete with an orange vest and boots. She had a Steenee sitting beside her, which was releasing a Sweet Scent into the air. Gible sniffed the air, smiling, which made the Steenee giggle.

"Are you going to the Desert of the Stars too? What's your name? Age? Where did ya come from? Is that Gible your starter Pokemon? Who'll be your desert guide? My name is Christine, by the way." She said.

Steenee seemed to already be in an engaging conversation with Gible, who was also engaged in it. The Steenee had light purple head leaves, and yellow skin. It sparkled in the light, it was clearly a shiny. Christine fumbled through her bag, bringing out a Sitrus Berry and offering it to Gible, who chomped it up happily.

Christine noticed you staring at her Steenee. "Ah, she's a Shiny. I got her from a lucky egg hatch." Christine enlightened.

Dracen looked over the card, then pocketed it. "Alright then," he said to himself.
The pair entered the shop, and to their delight it was full of useful items! Gible scampered around the shop eagerly, looking at everything. A woman and her Shiny Steenee approached Dracen and began to ask him a barrage of questions. Dracen tried to answer them all, startled. "Yes, we are heading into the Desert of Stars! I'm Dracen. ...Is that important? I'm from Hammerlocke - you wouldn't have heard of it. Yeah, Gible and I have been together since the beginning. ...Desert guide? Nice to meet you, Christine!" Gible and Steenee seemed to be having their own conversation, just as fast-paced as the humans'. Dracen cleared his throat after a bit of small talk. "Er, we're here to buy supplies for travel. We need Pokémon Food and heavy clothing for the sandstorms."

 

[DannyDrawsaLot]

Missingno Master - It's time this battle ended, I'm tired of the damage to my forest. Trevenant yelled, and caused a Rock Slide on both foes, following it a Shadow Ball at Talonflame, then two huge Leaf Storms. These did hefty damage, and the Talonflame fell to the ground. It let out one last sigh of defeat, and it had fainted.

Now, Honchkrow was alone. The Honchkrow ate a Cheri berry in a nearby tree, healing it of its paralysis and giving it back its speed, so it swooped into the air, dodging the Sleep Powder and thinking of some Nasty Plots. It then Snarled, lowering the special attacking power of you and your Pokemon, and causing both a Heat Wave and an Icy Wind simultaneously. This led to serious damage to your grass types, moderate damage to Phenac, and simple damage to Wes. Honchkrow swooped above Phenac, readying a Dark Pulse, only to be struck by a Rock Slide followed by a Thunder Punch.
Wes jumped in the air, performing some fancy Acrobatics and following it with a Zap Cannon, which all dealt intense damage to Honchkrow. It crashed into a tree in the clearing, and fainted as well.

Trevenant shot off Grass Knots in the direction of both Pokemon, securing them as Trevenant thanked you. He then asked you to help regrow the clearing, and together with Morelull, both her and Trevenant jointly used Growth to refurbish the forest.

Now, human, thank you for helping defend my forest. I have now seen that not all humans are toxic to nature. Trevenant then gave a gesture you were free to catch it.

What do you do?

sixdragons_in_atrenchcoat -
"Hello Dracen! Hammerlocke, where is that, Sinnoh? That Gible is your starter? Yeah, you need a guide before you enter the desert."

After talking with Christine, you tell her about your need of desert clothes and Pokemon food.
"I've got an extra set of clothes!" Christine said as she brought out a heap of cloth from her duffel bag. You examine it. Would this do? You eventually take it, put in in your pack, and then you left the store.

"Hey, do you know a guide?" You hear a voice behind you. It was Christine.
"I know a guide that lives around here. Should I call him for you?"

She flings out her Rotom Phone and called him. He picks up the phone and they talk for about 36.472 seconds, before she cuts it and he comes back from inside the desert. It was the professor you saw before.

"Professor Reinbacker!" Christine said, as she gave him a hug.
"Yes, Christine, its me. You called me. What do you need?" Reinbacker asked. He looked impatient, and his Ralts was just in a happy conversation with Steenee and Gible.

"Can you be this boy's desert guide?" Christine asked, gesturing towards you.
"Hey, it's you! Desert guide? Ah, that's fine." Reinbacker said, as he gave you a thumbs up.
"But you'll have to excuse my wife here, she's very, um, ecstatic, to say the least." he said, embarrassed by a tad.

Will you look for another desert guide or take up on his offer? Or more importantly, do you eat a meal first?

What do you do?

 

[DannyDrawsaLot]

DannyDrawsaLot,


First thing right at 9am sharp you heard a few knocks at your door.

"Rise and Shine buster, your tour starts today. Come meet us down in the lobby"
Amilia's voice sounded through the door and you heard her walk away from your door.

Better get going and meet them before they leave you, though you doubted they would leave without you.

Gathering your things and your gear you went down stairs to meet up with Thymest and Amilia.
Thymest was more relaxed around you it seemed and she carried herself with an air of purpose and excitement.

Today certainly was a exciting day, and after getting you and Thymest breakfast and your packed (surprisingly hefty but not impossible to carry ) bags she loaded you two up into a truck and drove to the desert.

What you were going to encounter here and see here was completely a mystery. Who knows. Perhaps you would travel this desert and see nothing or meet nothing.

Well... The meteorites counted as something but, you certainly hoped something exciting would happen.
Looking over at Thymest, you noted she kept shuffling and pulling cards from a deck you noticed she carried around. She would take a card, look at it, make some facial expression related to her thoughts and reshuffle the deck and pull out another card.

With these cards you could see artwork on them, but it wasn't pokemon related... Maybe they were Tarot cards of sorts? Or if they weren't perhaps she was substituting them for tarot cards because that was supposedly possible.

Will you speak to Thymest once again or will you do something else?

"Wait for me!" Danny chuckled as he ran after them down the hotel stairs. They went out for a sweet breakfast consisting of pancakes and sugary syrup with a bottle of Moomoo Milk, and then put their bags in the trunk of a truck. Danny sat in the back of the truck and looked out the window, gazing at the sand dunes and rocky outcrops. Thymest was fiddling with some sort of cards, but Danny thought it was best not to question, so he continued to look out the window.

He then started to question Amilia, showing his inquisitive side even more. Amilia was focused on the road, her hands on the steering wheel, and her eyes straight ahead. Thymest just sat there, shuffling through her deck.

"Are we there yet? When will we get off? Can we stop at a meteorite? Are there any oases in this desert? Are we staying here for the entire day? Will we be allowed to catch Pokemon? What happens if the truck is attacked? Or what happens if we get lost? Do you have a map or compass? Or a phone? My phone isn't working. Are there any legendaries here? Or, mythicals? Have any previous explorers died in this desert? Or, are there people who go missing here?"

Amilia stayed focused on the road, but she still seemed ready to answer nonetheless. Thymest was interested in Danny's questions, specifically the ones about getting lost in the desert. Danny was interested in these questions as well, and looked out at the hot sun, then looked back at the entrance to the desert. He started to feel that maybe, just maybe, they should turn around.

 

[Missingno. Master]

Missingno Master - It's time this battle ended, I'm tired of the damage to my forest. Trevenant yelled, and caused a Rock Slide on both foes, following it a Shadow Ball at Talonflame, then two huge Leaf Storms. These did hefty damage, and the Talonflame fell to the ground. It let out one last sigh of defeat, and it had fainted.

Now, Honchkrow was alone. The Honchkrow ate a Cheri berry in a nearby tree, healing it of its paralysis and giving it back its speed, so it swooped into the air, dodging the Sleep Powder and thinking of some Nasty Plots. It then Snarled, lowering the special attacking power of you and your Pokemon, and causing both a Heat Wave and an Icy Wind simultaneously. This led to serious damage to your grass types, moderate damage to Phenac, and simple damage to Wes. Honchkrow swooped above Phenac, readying a Dark Pulse, only to be struck by a Rock Slide followed by a Thunder Punch.
Wes jumped in the air, performing some fancy Acrobatics and following it with a Zap Cannon, which all dealt intense damage to Honchkrow. It crashed into a tree in the clearing, and fainted as well.

Trevenant shot off Grass Knots in the direction of both Pokemon, securing them as Trevenant thanked you. He then asked you to help regrow the clearing, and together with Morelull, both her and Trevenant jointly used Growth to refurbish the forest.

Now, human, thank you for helping defend my forest. I have now seen that not all humans are toxic to nature. Trevenant then gave a gesture you were free to catch it.

What do you do?

Trevenant bellowed about having had enough of the damage to the forest, with Gavin nodding his agreement. The battle raged onward, starting to near its conclusion as Trevenant pummeled Talonflame with a barrage of powerful moves that finally knocked it out.

Honchkrow had no intention of going down so quietly, however. Swiping a Cheri Berry from a nearby tree cured its paralysis, enabling it to evade Morelull's Sleep Powder and start its attempt at making a comeback. Gavin swore in shock as Honchkrow let fly two very different kinds of wind at once in Heat Wave and Icy Wind. Morelull screamed in pain, and Phenac wasn't enjoying the Heat Wave much, either. Wes wasn't too significantly impacted by either move, but damage was done nevertheless. However, as Honckrow drew closer to Phenac, the Shiny Metagross seized its chance, unleashing Rock Slide and following up with Thunder Punch.

And now it was Wes's turn to act. Gavin grinned as the impish primate used Acrobatics to close in, and then let loose a forceful Zap Cannon at point-blank range. He winced as Honchkrow was flung into a tree, but sighed in relief as it too fainted.

With Trevenant having secured the offenders with Grass Knot, he turned to Gavin, thanking him and asking him to help regrow the clearing. "Uh... I mean, sure, I'd like to help, but dunno what I could- wait a sec," he added, upon spotting Morelull. "Morelull, do you think your Growth attack could do something for this place?" he asked.

"Mor! Morelull!" nodded Morelull. And together, the pair of Grass-types set to work. Gavin was amazed- he'd never actually seen Growth used like this before, and wondered if such an endeavor could maybe be employed in Orre to lessen the whole "barren wasteland" deal.

Once the damage had been repaired, Trevenant thanked Gavin again, stating that he now saw that not all humans were toxic to nature. Gavin grinned at this. "Glad I could help you realize that," he stated. "Some humans are shit, ain't denying that, but there's definitely good ones as well." And then came the gesture. Nothing was said as to what it meant or implied, but Gavin didn't need no stinking explanation, he knew damn well what that was about. "Heh," he smiled as he rummaged through his bag with his right hand, as his left closed around the Shiny Charm what hung around his neck. "I guess there's only one thing to say to that, now, isn't there?" With that, he produced a most fitting sphere from his bag- green and black in coloration, not unlike the general color scheme of a dark forest, with a band and button as red as its intended occupant's foliage. Gavin took a deep breath and exhaled, holding the Dusk Ball out before him, first one he'd ever used out of his set of five. And then his eyes flew back open, full of a wild excitement you generally only see from a Shiny hunter about to do what they do best.

"Trevenant!" Gavin declared. "You shine for me now!" And with that said, he brought his arm back, and heaved the sphere right at the Shiny tree. "Go, Dusk Ball!"

*Gavin used Dusk Ball!*

 

[DannyDrawsaLot]

Missingno Master - You produce a Dusk Ball, which Trevenant happily entered. The ball shook once, twice, thrice, and blink! The Pokemon was caught! The Dusk Ball immediately opened, the Trevenant quickly remarks that he wouldn't like to stay in his Pokeball. He tells you that you have successfully defended his forest.

An old Torterra trudged into the clearing. It was larger than normal. Small Pokemon relaxed on its shell, and it seemed fine with that.
"Tort, terra-tort." it remarked to Trevenant, who nodded, before turning to you.
Sorry, but I can't be captured, Torterra won't let me. I'm the defender of the forest, so Torterra won't let me. Trevenant snapped his fingers, and the Dusk Ball exploded.

Step forward, Torterra would like to thank you for defending his forest. Trevenant said to you.
Stepping forward, Torterra shakes itself, and a small Phantump floats off, holding a pile of items. It spills them on the floor, and you see multiple berries and other small objects. Torterra grunts, and Trevenant tells you you may only pick 4 different items. Also, he tells you that Phantump is supposed to be some sort of consolation prize, and you were free to catch it if you liked.
You may pick 4 of these items.

• x1 Leaf Stone
• x1 Leek
• x5 Custap Berries
• x5 Nanab Berries
• x3 Sitrus Berries
• x3 Oran Berries
• x1 Absorb Bulb
• x1 Miracle Seed
• X1 Big Root

You may catch a Lv. 8 Male Phantump with the unnatural move Frenzy Plant. What do you do?

 

[Missingno. Master]

Missingno Master - You produce a Dusk Ball, which Trevenant happily entered. The ball shook once, twice, thrice, and blink! The Pokemon was caught! The Dusk Ball immediately opened, the Trevenant quickly remarks that he wouldn't like to stay in his Pokeball. He tells you that you have successfully defended his forest.

An old Torterra trudged into the clearing. It was larger than normal. Small Pokemon relaxed on its shell, and it seemed fine with that.
"Tort, terra-tort." it remarked to Trevenant, who nodded, before turning to you.
Sorry, but I can't be captured, Torterra won't let me. I'm the defender of the forest, so Torterra won't let me. Trevenant snapped his fingers, and the Dusk Ball exploded.

Step forward, Torterra would like to thank you for defending his forest. Trevenant said to you.
Stepping forward, Torterra shakes itself, and a small Phantump floats off, holding a pile of items. It spills them on the floor, and you see multiple berries and other small objects. Torterra grunts, and Trevenant tells you you may only pick 4 different items. Also, he tells you that Phantump is supposed to be some sort of consolation prize, and you were free to catch it if you liked.
You may pick 4 of these items.

• x1 Leaf Stone
• x1 Leek
• x5 Custap Berries
• x5 Nanab Berries
• x3 Sitrus Berries
• x3 Oran Berries
• x1 Absorb Bulb
• x1 Miracle Seed
• X1 Big Root

You may catch a Lv. 8 Male Phantump with the unnatural move Frenzy Plant. What do you do?

Gavin grinned as the Dusk Ball made contact, and even moreso as Trevenant was pulled inside. The ball shook a few times, then fell shut, but before Gavin could commence celebration, his new Trevenant sent itself back out, expressing a desire to stay outside of his ball. "Fine by me," Gavin shrugged. "Shit, I was about to send you back out anyway, so that we could talk potential nicknames for you- what," he added flatly as a tremendous Torterra wandered into their midst.

Torterra had a few choice words for Trevenant. Gavin's first thought was that they were simply parting words, until Trevenant turned back to Gavin and stated that Torterra wasn't allowing the protector of the forest to be caught. Gavin's heart sank, to put it mildly, and seeing the Dusk Ball explode rendered him speechless for the moment. However, he took a deep breath, pulled himself together, and gave a nod, resigned to this fact. "Yeah, I guess if this is where you're needed, who am I to complain?" Gavin conceded.

That wasn't to say that Gavin was leaving empty handed- Torterra was very much intent on thanking him for his role in saving the forest. A Phantump floated forwards, tiny arms full of various items that it spread out on the ground. Trevenant told Gavin he was to only pick four out of what was offered. Gavin gave a small shrug of his shoulders, as though to convey that he was fine with that. He scooped up the Leaf Stone and the Leek, then pondered over the offered bundles of berries before accepting the Custap and Sitrus (though if the chuckle he gave was any indicator, the Nanab Berries seemed to bring back some kind of amusing memory for him).

Finally, Gavin was offered the Phantump itself as something of a consolation prize, but this time, Gavin shook his head. "Appreciate it," he said. "But nah- Phantump, I get the feeling your place is here in the forest."

With everything said and done, with Gavin sufficiently rewarded for his efforts (even if not quite in the way he'd had in mind), Gavin knew it was time to get going. He bid a warm, albeit somewhat profanity-laden, farewell to the Torterra, the Phantump, and the Shiny Trevenant. He had to get back to Sludge Wave Coast, he knew- Morelull was surely dying to meet her intended Trainer by now, and Gavin saw no point in keeping the Grass/Fairy-type waiting.

~~~~~

"A'ight, Morelull, get out here!" Gavin exclaimed, hurling the Poké Ball into the air. He was back at Sludge Wave coast, standing with Terri Alph in front of her small, ruin-like house, and it was there that the Morelull appeared in a flash of light, looking up curiously at Terri.

Terri smiled, kneeling down to get closer to Morelull's level. "Hi, Morelull," she said.

"...Hi," Morelull replied.

"My name's Terri," Terri continued. "Gavin says you'd fit right in with me and my Pokémon. "

"He did say that," agreed Morelull. "But I'm not completely sure how true that is."

"Well, in that case, you can get to know me and my other Pokémon," Terri offered. "See for yourself how true it is."

"Wh- you can understand me?" Morelull asked wonderingly.

"Yep," smiled Terri. "And not just you, either- I can understand what any Pokémon says. You know, the way your mushrooms glow is really pretty," she added.

"Oh- oh, thanks," Morelull replied, already feeling a bit more at ease.

"And Gavin was saying how you helped regrow destroyed parts of a forest, that's really nice," Terri added, standing back up as Morelull had hopped into her hand. "If you want, I can call you Increase," she offered. "Since Growth seems to be a specialty of yours."

"That... that actually sounds really nice," agreed Morelull. With that, Terri walked away, Increase still in her hand, the two of them continuing to talk as Gavin chuckled at how quickly the two ended up making friends.

~~~~~

Elsewhere, Keith Masters and Willa Carnet were making their way through the woods just south of Sludge Wave Coast, headed north at a good pace. The woods were thick with trees and not exactly well-suited for travel, but this by no means deterred the couple. If anything, all it meant was that they had to stick even closer together, a notion most welcome to them both.

However, they soon heard something that made them both pause. "Wha..." Keith murmured. "Willa, you hear that?"

Willa nodded. "Sounds like... a crying child?" she replied.

"So it wasn't just me, then," stated Keith. "Let's check it out."

"Indeed," Willa agreed, and so they changed course, heading for the source of the crying. It was a quiet sort of crying, as though the child was trying to not cry, and yet couldn't help it. The sound tore at both Trainers' hearts, and they hastened to seek out the source.

Soon, they came to a small clearing. Keith and Willa exchanged bewildered looks, for sitting on a fallen log, while it was the source of the crying, was most definitely not a human child. A small spirit, bearing a wooden stump of some sort on- or as- its head, which prompted Willa to take out her Pokédex.

"Phantump, the Stump Pokémon. A Ghost and Grass-type," droned the device. "Phantump are born of stumps possessed by the spirits of children who died in the forest. Medicine to cure any illness can be made by brewing its leaves."

As Keith and Willa slowly wandered into the clearing, the Phantump turned around and spotted them, tears having somewhat stained its stump. "H-hello?" Phantump sniveled, sounding very much like a small child. "D-do you know where my mom is?"

Once again, Keith and Willa exchanged bewildered looks, then turned back to the Phantump who was looking up at them expectantly. "Uh... would you please give us one second?" Keith asked in a kindly tone. Phantump nodded mutely, at which Keith and Willa backed up a little and turned around to talk amongst themselves.

"What do you make of this?" Willa whispered.

"Willa, I don't think he knows he's dead," Keith whispered back. "You heard the Pokédex- Phantump are born from the souls of children who died in the forest. He must have been waiting for his mother and she never showed... Come to think of it, remember the news last month, about that woman who was found dead just outside the south entrance of the woods? And her kid, whose body was found deep in the woods? My guess is they got separated, she got killed in that Primeape rampage before she could find her son, and he died of starvation waiting for her."

"My Arceus," Willa murmured, tears in her eyes. "Well... should we tell him?"

"I don't know how we break it to him, but I think it has to be done," Keith replied. "We can't just leave him to wait forever, that's just cruel."

Willa nodded in agreement, but as the couple turned back around, Phantump had floated closer to them. "I... I'm dead?" he murmured in shock. "M-Mommy's dead??"

"...well, so much for breaking the news gently," Keith sighed.

"I'm afraid that's what it seems like, little one," Willa said gently.

"No... N-no..." Phantump sniveled. "M-Mommy..." And as Phantump resumed sobbing, Willa did the only thing that made sense in that moment- strode forward and pulled the Phantump into a hug. Keith joined in on the hug as well, and together they did their best to comfort the grieving ghost, only letting go once Phantump had let go of Willa. "OK... I... I think I feel a little better now," he sniffed. "Th-thank you, nice people," he said. "Um... s-so, I'm a Phantump now?" he asked.

"Yeah, you are," Keith nodded. Willa proceeded to take a small mirror out of her bag, and held it up, allowing Phantump to see himself as he was now.

"Ooooh," Phantump murmured, seeing what he now looked like. "I... I always kinda wanted to be a Pokémon... Um... c-can I go with you?" he added, turning to Willa. "Y-you're really nice, like Mommy was. Y-you're both really nice, and... w-well, Mommy told me n-not to trust strangers, though..."

"Then we should introduce ourselves," Willa said softly. "My name is Willa Carnet."

"And I am Keith Masters," Keith added.

Phantump's eyes widened a bit. "O-oh, I think I heard of you two before!" he murmured. "M-Mommy sometimes said those two names- p-people who were helping fight Team Turnback!"

Willa looked surprised. "Your mother knew of Team Turnback?" she inquired.

"Y-yeah, but she never liked to talk about them. Th-they're bad people," Phantump shuddered. "Sh-she always talked about how she would do s-something to expose how bad they really are..." At this, Keith and Willa exchanged looks, each realizing the same thing- this Phantump's mother's death might not have been an accident. Once again, they turned to talk amongst themselves for a moment.

"...do any Team Turnback higher-ups have a Primea-" Keith began.

"It's their boss's signature Pokémon," Willa hissed.

They turned back to Phantump, who thankfully, this time, hadn't noticed their private conversation. Instead, he was curiously looking at his own stubby ghostly hands. "Wow... um... m-miss Willa?" he added, looking up.

"Yes?" Willa said softly.

"Um... I... I know I have a name, fr-from when I was alive," said Phantump. "But it's OK if you just call me Phantump. I... I think that'd sound c-cooler when you're giving me orders in battle," he said with a small smile.

Willa returned the smile. "If that's what you want, then certainly," she replied. She then produced an Ultra Ball from her bag. "Here you are, then," she added. "But once you've been caught, you don't have to stay inside if you don't want to."

"Th-thank you," smiled Phantump, pressing a stubby hand to the button. He was sucked into the sphere instantly, which rattled around in Willa's hand before falling still. And then it opened back up, and Phantump reappeared, hugging Willa almost before he'd fully rematerialized. Willa hugged the Phantump back, and elected to carry him the rest of the way back home.

Gavin used Dusk Ball!

--

--

...

...
-?!

*

*

Aww! It appeared to be caught!

*Gavin obtained a Leaf Stone!*

*Gavin obtained a Leek!*

*Gavin obtained 5 Custap Berries!*

*Gavin obtained 3 Sitrus Berries!*

Willa used Ultra Ball!

--

--

...

...

...

*

*

All right! Phantump was caught!

Adventure complete! Thanks, DDAL! It was a cool adventure, and while the ending was definitely not what I'm pretty sure either of us had in mind, I'm pretty content with what I'm able to do with what I got nonetheless. First off, with Morelull finally going to her intended Trainer, nicknaming her Increase. And second, claiming that Phantump, no nickname, and declaring his Ability to be Natural Cure. Ultra Ball is #10 out of 10, finishing off that set of Ultra Balls completely.

 

[Missingno. Master]

THE ARCANE REALM​

"The moment man devoured the fruit of knowledge, he sealed his fate... Entrusting his future to the cards, man clings to a dim hope. Yes, the Arcana is the means by which all is revealed..." Nyx Avatar (Persona 3)

Once a simple place where new trainers were sent to learn the basics of adventuring, with the vast changes to Fizzytopia the Arcane Realm seemed to have faded from existence. Though gone, it was never forgotten by the bitter trainers who were forced into spending what felt like years in that simplistic place. A place where no growth was truly given, and only stagnation existed. Yet, when the realm disappeared, all were freed from their restraints and truly allowed to begin anew.

Now, it seems that the Arcane Realm has resurfaced in Fizzytopia. Showing up where the old Arcane Realm use to be, this new one is vastly different then the one that the denizens of Fizzytopia are use to. Now truly a place of magic and mystery, it says the very land itself is influenced by the “cards”/ What these cards are, and what they refer to nobody particularly knows. The only thing that is certain, though, is that this Arcane Realm is teeming with life, and has infinite possibilities for adventure.

The Forest of Wands​

Once monikered the Forest of Adventure, the Forest of Wands has been changed and twisted by the surplus of magical energy flowing through the Arcane Realm. THe once simplistic woods are now a labyrinth where magic flows through the roots of the trees and a sense of dread and whimsy encompass all who enter. Though, it was possible that this was here the entire time, like everything else, and the deep magic that flows through these woods caused trainers to dream of the much more simplistic Arcane Realm. (Please reply in SeaGreen)

VIII. Cave of Strength - Deep within the woods is a cave rumored to be filled with dangerous beasts. While the knights stay clear of this place, thieves, adventurers, and foolish children explore this place in hopes of trying to find treasure or just prove their mettle. Though, while the strong certainly prevail, there have been more than a few people who have gone missing within the cave. Some say a religious cult is to blame, others a demon. What really lurks there, though, is unknown.

"'...and found, to my surprise, that the unusually powerful wild Pokémon only made their home on the island's east coast, same as the strange creature I battled that day. Exactly what significance the eastern coast of Cinnabar holds to Missingno. is as yet uncertain, but my findings seem to indicate that there exists a direct correlation between the gathering of immensely powerful wild Pokémon and the presence of Missingno. and Pokémon like it.' Heh, you see now, Meowth?" Keith added with a grin as he closed his copy of Kanto Myths and Legends by Viridian Coffee and Anne Mewtruck, and stowed it safely back in his bag. The rumors of powerful Pokémon within this cave... Maybe, just maybe, it could mean..."

"...dat we's about to die?" Meowth supplied snarkily.

"Har har," Keith retorted. "I'm talking Missingno., Meowth. If there really is one to see in there..."

"Oh, yeah. Alls youse gots to do is fight yer way past Arceus only knows how many supa-strong Pokémon," Meowth rolled his eyes.

At this, Keith grinned. "You make it sound like a bad thing," was all he said before proceeding further onward towards the cave entrance. Though for all his recklessness and bravado, he nevertheless decided to play things a bit on the safe side, and produced a Luxury Ball off his belt, opening it up to unleash a powerful Ledian. "Stewie, I want you to keep your eyes out for signs of danger," Keith stated. "This cave's supposedly home to seriously dangerous beasts, and that could translate to some intense battles. You up for it?"

"Led Ledian!" Stewie declared firmly. Keith grinned, exchanged a fistbump with Stewie, and together they headed into the cave, Meowth still clinging to Keith's shoulder nervously.

 

[Raves]

Raves: The stakes are high, but as your Pokemon slowly but surely gain an advantage over their opponent, you start to get the impression that maybe they're beginning to enjoy the battle. Or, so it seems for Nuhuko at least, who is proving its superiority over its opposite. The longer things go on, the clearer your mind becomes, and you're set on a plan: take out the Solrock while you've got the chance, and make sure that twisted Banette doesn't get another shot at dragging your starter to an early, unmarked grave.

Strategy is something you're good at after all your near-death experiences, even in a pinch, and this shows through as the rocky sun is smacked into the ground and then yeeted into the air with a successful, but neutral usage of Earth Power. What comes up must come down, however, and with Ramses unable to levitate the Pokemon slams down into the sand like an incoming meteor. Dust flies up from where it lands, and for a few moments, your visibility is absolutely ruined. You feel the dirt burn and sting in your eyes, nose and mouth – the latter of which is now grimly dry from the sand that's invaded it. Absolutely disgusting, but on the upside, even Ramses' hardy form had to have felt that. If it got back up, it surely wouldn't be long.

And thank goodness that your orders otherwise started out defensive. Glasspine's protect flew up at the perfect time to endure Menefer's furious flurry of cuts, and although you couldn't see more than some glints , you can hear the wannabe-Pharoah roaring in frustration. Dirt is hardly an obstacle to the likes of a Sandslash, either, and as such Glasspine wastes no time in bulldozing the Honedge to the ground before unleashing a magnitude upon it. The ground shakes, and although it could be far worse, you still drop your keester to the earth, and Menefer's weak to the blast. All it does is serve to make the ghost even angrier, though, and it retaliates, following up its lash out with a slam from its iron head.

The dust began to clear, and you could see that while Glass was dazed from the brunt, it seemed to be fine. Nuhuko, too, was maintaining its position over Ramses, who was now having a Stomping Tantrum on the Lunatone. The defensive shield had helped against the magnitude brought upon it by Nothung's ally, and confident that the destiny bond would have worn off, the Monferno had unleashed attacks upon the malicious puppet. Ammie took them both, her gleeful grin momentarily turned upside down as she felt the damage. She was back to normal after, but Nothung swore that her eyes were flaring with vengeance, and her actions matched that for sure. Ammie screeched disarmingly, and before she could be muted, she disappeared... That couldn't be good. That couldn't be good at all.

You're winning, or so it seems, but for how long. What do you do?

Once again, the advantage Nuhuko possessed tactically over Ramses paid off as the sun pokemon was smacked int the sand, before the earth erupted beneath it, though it appeared as though the natural aversion to gravity helped negate any exploitation of rock's weakness to ground moves. Well, it was still effective, and as the Lunatone's beam barrage blasted into the rock pokemon, its current trajectory was airborne, unable to levitate, and hurtling down at speed. The resulting impact scattered sand everywhere into the air, and Alex was left spluttering as the coarse substance got everywhere as he hacked and spat at the invading substance, but on the plus side that surely meant their Solrock adversary was on the metaphorical ropes.

Glasspine meanwhile had successfully ruined the cutting streak of the Honedge, and even though his eyesight was currently as clear as a Zubat's, his ears could tell that Menefer was not pleased that the tactic had been thwarted, and even more so when the Sandslash stomped the ground and leapt at the sword before driving him into the ground like a bulldozer, before executing a reasonable magnitude that appeared to liquify the sand beneath Alex in an almost ironic twist, recalling the first bit of danger the region had thrown at him involving the Ancient Tomb years ago, when a poor guess at a puzzle left him and the then-Chimchar in similar conditions. Thankfully the quicksand very quickly stopped, but the result remained the same, with the human on his arse and his ankles steeped in sand that would take him a couple of seconds to pull out of. On the plus side, Nothung had enough clarity to erect his defensive shield, warding off the majority of the magnitude, and very quickly blasted the puppet with fire and not quite brimstone, the Banette's grin fading to a snarl, but then resumed its position, though the wise Infernape noticed the fiery vengeance in her eyes, the pokemon giving a sudden shriek before suddenly vanishing into thin air. Menefer by this point had recovered and the pommel of the sword slammed into the Sandslash in an Iron head technique.

Rubbing his eyes, Alex caught a grainy and tear-cloaked view of the situation: the Sandshrew was dazed by Menefer's strike but otherwise still good to go, the sword pokemon somewhat worse for wear? It was hard to tell with these inorganic things...but speaking of that, Nuhuko was currently getting repeatedly rammed by the Solrock who was using its psychic ability to throw itself at him in an improvised stomping tantrum, but Ramses was definitely faring the worst from the looks of things, while Nothung...was on his own, finger in ear trying to get what seemed to be ringing out. Vision-impaired as he was, Alex had a feeling he knew what had happened: Ammie must have disoriented the fire monkey with a screech before using the distraction to unleash a phantom force attack, something he knew was capable of bypassing nearly any technical barrier...but not so much physical ones.

"Nothung! Dig!" Alex coughed out, reaching down to wrench himself free from the sand. "Dig down to dodge that incoming attack - hak! - then get her position with hidden power ice and go for the finisher with shadow claw! - Hak! - Nuhuko, gyro ball out of there and finish them with shadow ball and signal beam! Gl- hak! - Glasspine, shadow claw as well, then trap him in a sand tomb and keep him pinned with hidden power steel!"

Continuing to cough, Alex was aware of the loose cannon in Ammie and was making a mental note to ready himself to dive out of the way the moment he felt something cold go down his spine: he had heard tales of Banette who had targeted humans, and given that Menefer wanted his body more than anything else, it would make little impact if said body had a gaping wound in the middle of it.

 

[DannyDrawsaLot]

Missingno. Master - After a small chat with your Meowth, fantasizing on the cave's contents, and sending out your Ledian, Stewie, for protection, you proceed into the cave. The cave is rather murky and black, but sunshine coming in from outside allows you to see. You hear whispers, and bug Pokemon are scuttling all over the walls. Stewie hovers beside you, his fists clenched and his gaze fixed, ready to defend you and Meowth from any threat.
As you go deeper and deeper inside, the light dims and dims. Then, a small flame is seen up ahead. You proceed towards it, but as you go, the flame disappears.

You find yourself in a small circular cave. There are two passageways, both lit at the end. Strange scratch like markings can be seen in the cave you are standing in the middle of. Two torches suddenly light up, and you see something on the wall. It is some sort of cave painting. In it is a picture of some powerful being, being worshipped by smaller underlings. In the next painting, the being is challenged by one underling. In the final painting, the being destroys the small underling with a wave of hand, which make the other underlings worship this being with more vigor.
You turn back to the two passageways. Suddenly, writing above the passageways light up.

The one on the left reads, "Many go in, one comes out. Many wish for strength, none thinks to doubt. Many feel prideful, many vain. But those that survive, will never be the same." Despite being a written inscription, a tone of ominousness can be felt. Deep in the left passageway, a roar echoes through.

The one on the right reads, "This is the easy way. Do not suspect. If you want strength, come here. Its for free!"
What do you do?

 

[TheKnightsFury]

Zorchic- Not willing to trust the boy on his word, you decide it is best to keep tabs on him. Selecting another Pokeball, you release your Starly. The Flying type looks at you with curiosity. You quickly fill it in on what has transpired and outline what you need it to do. It chirps happily, scouting and spying was something it was more than capable of doing. He quickly takes off, rising high into the air before levelling out. The boy was almost out of sight, but Starly was closing in slowly, he wouldn't get away.

With Starly following the boy, you had a little bit more time to kill before the boat would have to head back to port. You decide to give fishing another go, hopefully this time a jerk wouldn't show up and ruin it for you. You swing the rod back over your shoulder before flinging it forward once more, sending the lure soaring through the air. It plops into the water, quickly disappearing below as the float settles atop the water. Buizel watches closely, his eyes fixed on the float, waiting for it to show signs of a Pokemon taking the lure. He doesn't have to wait long as the float suddenly disappears under the water, you've got a bite! You quickly start to reel in your catch, battling for every inch of line. Before long your arms begin to ache, but you have a feeling that your catch is close to the surface. With one final heave you pull the Pokemon above the water's surface, revealing a Frillish! The blue ghost jellyfish floats just above the water, waving its tendrils menacingly, it seems to be displeased. Buizel stands at the ready, happy to fight the Pokemon should you wish to battle it.


Meetan- You manage to stifle your anger after a while, with a little bit of help from Axel. You might have missed the criminals now, but you knew where they were going. Perhaps it was better that you catch them in the act anyway? That way you would actually have proof of their misdeeds, rather than just suspicion and hearsay. The journey to the Desert of Stars would be long however and you'd have to make sure your team was properly prepared. At your request, Axel teleports you back to the Pokemon Centre, you just hope it isn't as busy as it was earlier......

Finally some luck. The Pokemon Centre is much quieter than it was earlier and you only have to wait a couple of minutes before one of the nurses offers to take your Pokemon. You hand them over and make your way over to the lounge to wait. A small group of people currently occupy the lounge, the dress is quite ornate. Bright colours and odd costumes, they certainly were a sight. One woman was glad in colourful skintight clothes, highlighting her elegant form. One man is so large that he dwarfs the chair he is sitting in, his muscles rivalled those of a Machamp! A few shorter gentleman wore bright baggy outfits, their hair was an odd colour and wildly shaped while their faces were caked in heavy makeup. At the centre of the group stood a man in a suit, a top hat sits atop his head while a well tended moustache curls beneath his nose.

"Make sure to get a good night's sleep you lot", the moustached man states, his voice quite pleasing to the ear. "We hit the road at the crack of dawn, we are due in the City of Pentacles in three days time and we can't afford to be late." The rest of the group groan in reply, they seem quite tired. The City of Pentacles was in the direction you needed to go, perhaps you could hitch a ride?

 

[Zorchic]

Zorchic- Not willing to trust the boy on his word, you decide it is best to keep tabs on him. Selecting another Pokeball, you release your Starly. The Flying type looks at you with curiosity. You quickly fill it in on what has transpired and outline what you need it to do. It chirps happily, scouting and spying was something it was more than capable of doing. He quickly takes off, rising high into the air before levelling out. The boy was almost out of sight, but Starly was closing in slowly, he wouldn't get away.

With Starly following the boy, you had a little bit more time to kill before the boat would have to head back to port. You decide to give fishing another go, hopefully this time a jerk wouldn't show up and ruin it for you. You swing the rod back over your shoulder before flinging it forward once more, sending the lure soaring through the air. It plops into the water, quickly disappearing below as the float settles atop the water. Buizel watches closely, his eyes fixed on the float, waiting for it to show signs of a Pokemon taking the lure. He doesn't have to wait long as the float suddenly disappears under the water, you've got a bite! You quickly start to reel in your catch, battling for every inch of line. Before long your arms begin to ache, but you have a feeling that your catch is close to the surface. With one final heave you pull the Pokemon above the water's surface, revealing a Frillish! The blue ghost jellyfish floats just above the water, waving its tendrils menacingly, it seems to be displeased. Buizel stands at the ready, happy to fight the Pokemon should you wish to battle it.

Jake and Buizel waited patiently for another bite, and...they finally got one! Jake tugged and tugged on the line, but boy, this was a hard one. Jake swore he saw a shape bobbing below the surface, though. Only a bit more to go!

With a splash and a yank, Jake pulled the Pokémon out of the water. It was a Frillish—a male one, at that. Intrigued, Jake pulled out his stock Pokédex, but before he could scan the Pokémon, he chuckled.

“Guess I’ll have to get this thing customized!” Jake said, looking over the device. He shrugged. “Maybe later.”

The trainer got to work, scanning the jellyfish-like Pokémon with his Dex.

Frillish, the Floating Pokémon. A Water- and Ghost-type. Legend has it that residents of a sunken ancient city changed into these Pokémon.

"Wow, that's cool!" Jake commented as he lowered his Pokédex. "I wonder if this 'King of the Lake' is ruler of this ancient kingdom! In that case, Frillish must be a resident. Catching him would save him from wandering endlessly. Yes, I think I'll catch this guy."

Jake turned to Buizel. "Ready, Buizel?"

Buizel nodded affirmatively. "Buizel!"

"Alright, then! Buizel, use Razor Snow on that Frillish! Get close to him with Quick Attack and strike with Ice Punch!" Jake shouted, pointing at the Floating Pokémon. He wasn't taking any chances with what the Ability of Frillish could be. The trainer quickly readied a Pokéball in his left hand.

"And block the Frillish's attacks with your Aegis of Frost!" Jake added, knowing that Buizel had his ice shield that he had received for Fizzymas. Jake knew that the Sea Weasel Pokémon could pull out the Aegis of Frost at any time.

 

[TheKnightsFury]

Zorchic- After scanning the Frillish with your Pokedex, you issue Buizel with his orders. You knew there was a chance that the Frillish had the Water Absorb ability, if it did than the last thing you wanted to do was help heal it. With your options reduced, you are forced to use what little options you have. Buizel leaps into the air, swinging his tail around as he sends a wave of razor sharp snowflakes spinning towards the Frillish. The Ghost type takes the hit, shivering a bit but otherwise capable of taking the resisted hit. Buizel surges forward with a Quick Attack. He's well aware the Frillish is immune, but the attack gives him momentum and helps him close the gap. He gathers Ice around his fist, preparing a powerful Punch to knock the Frillish down.

Buizel connects with the punch, a staggering hit to the Frillish's head results in both of them crashing into the water. Despite resisting the hit, the Frillish seems a bit shaken. It only takes a moment for it to recover though and it quickly prepares its reply. A bolt of ghost energy strikes Buizel, the Night Shade isn't exactly powerful but it still takes a toll on the sea weasel. The Frillish then latches onto Buizel with its tentacles and begins to absorb his vitality. The Super Effective attack was slowly wearing Buizel down and helping the Frillish recover from his previous attacks. Was this a fight that Buizel could win? If he couldn't get out of the Frillish's hold soon, it would likely be too much for him.

 

[Zorchic]

Zorchic- After scanning the Frillish with your Pokedex, you issue Buizel with his orders. You knew there was a chance that the Frillish had the Water Absorb ability, if it did than the last thing you wanted to do was help heal it. With your options reduced, you are forced to use what little options you have. Buizel leaps into the air, swinging his tail around as he sends a wave of razor sharp snowflakes spinning towards the Frillish. The Ghost type takes the hit, shivering a bit but otherwise capable of taking the resisted hit. Buizel surges forward with a Quick Attack. He's well aware the Frillish is immune, but the attack gives him momentum and helps him close the gap. He gathers Ice around his fist, preparing a powerful Punch to knock the Frillish down.

Buizel connects with the punch, a staggering hit to the Frillish's head results in both of them crashing into the water. Despite resisting the hit, the Frillish seems a bit shaken. It only takes a moment for it to recover though and it quickly prepares its reply. A bolt of ghost energy strikes Buizel, the Night Shade isn't exactly powerful but it still takes a toll on the sea weasel. The Frillish then latches onto Buizel with its tentacles and begins to absorb his vitality. The Super Effective attack was slowly wearing Buizel down and helping the Frillish recover from his previous attacks. Was this a fight that Buizel could win? If he couldn't get out of the Frillish's hold soon, it would likely be too much for him.

Buizel successfully landed his attacks, to Jake's delight, but the Frillish replies with a Night Shade, using its skill level to its advantage. Frillish then followed up with an Absorb, slowly draining Buizel's health.

Jake bit his lip gently, knowing that Absorb was Grass-type. If Buizel didn't escape from the attack, he might not last, and that was a problem for the trainer who had few Pokémon to begin with.

"Alright, Buizel, inflate that air sac of yours!" Jake called, hoping that the extra volume would be enough to push Buizel out of the Frillish's grip. "Spin your tail and use Quick Attack to leap like a Vaporeon! Once you're out of the water, fire back with Ice Punch and grab Frillish's head!" And drag it onto the boat so I can catch it without interruption, Jake added, using his aura powers for silent communication. The training aura user needed the Sea Weasel Pokémon to get the message, since Buizel had more aura control than others of his species. Their job wasn't to knock Frillish out so much as it was to befriend it.

Not to mention Starly...Jake hoped the Starling Pokémon was doing his job okay.

 

[Meetan]

Meetan- You manage to stifle your anger after a while, with a little bit of help from Axel. You might have missed the criminals now, but you knew where they were going. Perhaps it was better that you catch them in the act anyway? That way you would actually have proof of their misdeeds, rather than just suspicion and hearsay. The journey to the Desert of Stars would be long however and you'd have to make sure your team was properly prepared. At your request, Axel teleports you back to the Pokemon Centre, you just hope it isn't as busy as it was earlier......

Finally some luck. The Pokemon Centre is much quieter than it was earlier and you only have to wait a couple of minutes before one of the nurses offers to take your Pokemon. You hand them over and make your way over to the lounge to wait. A small group of people currently occupy the lounge, the dress is quite ornate. Bright colours and odd costumes, they certainly were a sight. One woman was glad in colourful skintight clothes, highlighting her elegant form. One man is so large that he dwarfs the chair he is sitting in, his muscles rivalled those of a Machamp! A few shorter gentleman wore bright baggy outfits, their hair was an odd colour and wildly shaped while their faces were caked in heavy makeup. At the centre of the group stood a man in a suit, a top hat sits atop his head while a well tended moustache curls beneath his nose.

"Make sure to get a good night's sleep you lot", the moustached man states, his voice quite pleasing to the ear. "We hit the road at the crack of dawn, we are due in the City of Pentacles in three days time and we can't afford to be late." The rest of the group groan in reply, they seem quite tired. The City of Pentacles was in the direction you needed to go, perhaps you could hitch a ride?

Axel swept them away to the Pokemon Centre, and the change in the state of it at least made her feel a bit better. Alice handed over her Love Balls, including Axel's after praising her psychic for his work and apologising for her attitude (sure, he might have understood and been used to it, but it was probably even more uncomfortable for a telepath to deal with than anything else). She moved to the lounge after to sit down, taking in the rest of the room. Alice was a nosy person by nature, and she enjoyed people watching, but to her pleasant surprise there were quite interesting individuals waiting for their own Pokemon here, too. Their outfits were colourful and fantastically varied, immediately making her think of some wild circus or other eccentric types of show and theatre. Alice tried not to stare, but it was hard not to eavesdrop. As it turned out, that paid off.


These people were travelling the same way that she was, whether they wanted to or not. This would work in her favour, if she could find a way to hitch a ride. Alice lingered briefly and quietly, blue eyes flitting between the television fixed to one wall, the screensavers of nearby computer terminals and her own phone. She wasn't scared exactly, but it was a big favour to ask and Alice didn't want to be rude, so it was taking some thinking. After a few short minutes, though, the woman stood up and approached with a polite smile. "Excuse me, I don't mean to be rude, but I have a favour to ask." She started kindly and hopefully, "I know you're going early, but I heard you're going to the City of Pentacles and I was looking for a way to go in that direction. If you don't mind, if you have space or whatever, could I catch a ride with all of you? There's no pressure or anything. And I'm a trainer with lots of experience and different kinds of Pokemon, so if you need help with anything like protection or something we can probably help you out." Alice added, hoping that the incentive might give the apparent leader more reason to accept her request. If not, then, well... Shit. They'd have to figure out something else!

 

[Missingno. Master]

Missingno. Master - After a small chat with your Meowth, fantasizing on the cave's contents, and sending out your Ledian, Stewie, for protection, you proceed into the cave. The cave is rather murky and black, but sunshine coming in from outside allows you to see. You hear whispers, and bug Pokemon are scuttling all over the walls. Stewie hovers beside you, his fists clenched and his gaze fixed, ready to defend you and Meowth from any threat.
As you go deeper and deeper inside, the light dims and dims. Then, a small flame is seen up ahead. You proceed towards it, but as you go, the flame disappears.

You find yourself in a small circular cave. There are two passageways, both lit at the end. Strange scratch like markings can be seen in the cave you are standing in the middle of. Two torches suddenly light up, and you see something on the wall. It is some sort of cave painting. In it is a picture of some powerful being, being worshipped by smaller underlings. In the next painting, the being is challenged by one underling. In the final painting, the being destroys the small underling with a wave of hand, which make the other underlings worship this being with more vigor.
You turn back to the two passageways. Suddenly, writing above the passageways light up.

The one on the left reads, "Many go in, one comes out. Many wish for strength, none thinks to doubt. Many feel prideful, many vain. But those that survive, will never be the same." Despite being a written inscription, a tone of ominousness can be felt. Deep in the left passageway, a roar echoes through.

The one on the right reads, "This is the easy way. Do not suspect. If you want strength, come here. Its for free!"
What do you do?

Further into the cave they ventured, and as they did so, the lighting dimmed more and more, as was to be expected the further away from the sunlight they got. Meowth clung to Keith's shoulder as best he could without extending his claws, a fact Keith was quite grateful for. Another thing he was grateful for was Stewie's presence- the Ledian was a powerful presence indeed, a former Shadow Pokémon, now purified and completely trustworthy, and easily one of Keith's strongest Pokémon. And not only was he strong, but Keith trusted him more than most to stay alert for potential danger- Stewie was Ginny's boyfriend, after all, Ginny being Keith's paranoid Pawniard and the self-appointed security for the Poisonous Palace, no doubt she'd have taught him more than a little about these sorts of things.

"What the..." Keith murmured. As the darkness had intensified to its worst levels yet, a flame flickered into view up ahead. But as he made to pursue it, it went out. Still, he proceeded in that direction. It wasn't much to go on, but right now, he'd take "not much" over "literally nothing." And sure enough, that paid off as they came to a small chamber. Two passageways sat before them, both illuminated at their respective ends. And as they tried to look around, their search was made quite easier by the presence of a pair of torches that lit up out of nowhere. The better for them to examine the cave paintings they could now see.

"Dey seem ta tell a story," Meowth murmured. "Some powerful bein', worshiped by its undalings... one o' dem challenges da bein'... and g-gets destroyed... and... and da othas just worship it more vigorously..."

"Sickening," Keith spat. "Some self-proclaimed god, no doubt, ruling by fear alone... where have we heard that before, hmm?"

"Yeah, dat sounds like Mt. Aduro all ova again," Meowth murmured. "I seriously hopes yer wrong, though."

"You and me both," Keith stated.

Stewie, meanwhile, was reading the inscriptions above the entrance to each passageway. "Led. Ledian!" he called over to Keith.

Keith approached. "Stewie, what do you got?" he asked. When Stewie, by way of an answer, pointed up at the writing, Keith began to read. "...huh," he murmured. "OK. Left one's seriously ominous, and the roaring I can hear from that direction doesn't exactly help. But the right one seems like a painfully obvious trap."

"Dunno how much pain'll be involved, though, since wateva's roarin' its head off ain't dat way," Meowth chimed in.

But Keith was shaking his head. "You remember that one chamber in Mt. Aduro?" he asked quietly. "That way didn't seem too dangerous either... not until the Heatmor started breathing in the toxic fumes from the hundreds of dead-"

"Alright, I get it, don't even say it," Meowth interrupted, looking nauseated at the very memory.

Keith nodded and said no more on that matter, and gladly so. It was bad enough he'd still sometimes see that grisly corridor in his nightmares without having to give it any real estate in his waking thoughts. Eugh. No thanks. "Alright... Both ways seem suspicious in their own ways," he stated. "The left path is a lot more obvious about it, the right path... well, common sense seems to dictate that it'd be a trap... But then, Meowth, what if that roaring..."

"...is a Missingno.," Meowth groaned, finishing the sentence exactly the way Keith had intended to. "Oy... and dat's wat we's really here fer ta see, ain't it?"

"Ledi..." Stewie murmured.

Keith turned to Stewie. "Stewie," he said. "We're taking the left path. We're expecting danger, and we'll need to respond appropriately should danger arise. You ready?"

At this, Stewie saluted his Trainer. "Led Ledian!" he declared.

Keith grinned, exchanging a fistbump with the former Shadow Pokémon. "Knew I could count on you. Alright, let's get moving, and be ready for action at the first sign of danger." Meowth and Stewie did not need to be told twice. As Keith started down the left passageway, Meowth was peering ahead, intent on putting his superior feline eyesight to good use, while Stewie was all set to set up Reflect or Light Screen at a moment's notice, whichever would be the bigger help. Both, even, if it seemed necessary.

 

[Maskerade]

TheKnightsFury: You trust your Pokemon to do the heavy lifting without either you or Cameron blowing your cover. It takes considerable trust, and an even stronger Bond, to pull off a two-on-two match without instructions, but you have the utmost confidence in your partners!

Totodile confidently lunges forward like a speeding bullet, surrounded by water, a fanged torpedo homing in on one of the Mightyena. As expected though, the other wild hound is prepared, and moves in to intercept Totodile with its vicious Crunch! The black canine jumps straight at the small croc, bare fangs enveloped in pure darkness... but fortunately, a barrage of exploding seeds pelts the Mightyena's side, interrupting its offense, and leaving the path clear for Totodile's Aqua Jet to make progress!

Mightyena falls to the ground, yelping in pain, and Bulbasaur looks to capitalize on the opening by firing off a Leech Seed! The magic seed flies through the air, but just as it is about to make contact, the hound incinerates it with a Fire Fang, reducing the seed to ash in a second... The beast regains its footing and, furiously, dashed straight toward Bulbasaur, flames still enveloping its spear-like teeth. It's coming in at alarmingly high speed too!

Totodile, meanwhile, finds its mark perfectly, crashing into the other Mightyena with great force. The enemy tumbles to the side, and the crocodile immediately follows up the attack with a vicious icy bite on Mightyena's tail! It freezes over quickly, the ice casing spreading to the creature's hind legs, rendering it immobile and helpless. It's at Totodile's mercy, but in sharp contrast, Bulbasaur is in grave danger, about to be devoured by the flaming fangs of the second foe!

What will your partners do now? Do you trust them to see it through to the end, or will you be forced to intervene directly?!

 

[Enigmatic Professor]

Danny Draws A lot:

You had this overall fear trying to settle in you, that you should turn around and not come back. Something just seemed to set you off about this place but you couldn't point out what.
Slowly Amilia answered your questions one by one as best as she could.

"No we aren't there yet, I'll let you know when you can get out, The meteorites are deeper in the desert but due to this area being a protected area we will hike in on foot after I park the truck at my usual spot.

We have enough food prepped in all our bags to last each of us three days out here. There are stories about a child that wound up transforming into a Dijn that loosely relates to Jirachi, but to my knowledge, there aren't any legendaries or mythicals.
Lost explorers yes, Deaths, no. Phone service sucks out here. Again in each of our packs is a GPS system with a set of instructions should I be separated from the two of you.
The catching of pokemon rule is kind of iffy here since it's hard to come across pokemon in big groups out here."

About two hours later Amilia brought the truck to a stop outside a cliff wall, where the path from town into the desert stopped.
"Alright we treck in and you two are to follow my orders to the T, do you understand? Not only are there pokemon but there have been rumors of bandits out in the desert but so far neither I nor other tour guides have come across them. Safety is the Utmost important thing here. There are animals that if they bite or sting you, you could be in serious pain and may have to lose a limb if the antidote isn't picked correctly."

After getting a nod from both of you she turned and started marching into the desert with the two of you.

 

[TheKnightsFury]

TheKnightsFury: You trust your Pokemon to do the heavy lifting without either you or Cameron blowing your cover. It takes considerable trust, and an even stronger Bond, to pull off a two-on-two match without instructions, but you have the utmost confidence in your partners!

Totodile confidently lunges forward like a speeding bullet, surrounded by water, a fanged torpedo homing in on one of the Mightyena. As expected though, the other wild hound is prepared, and moves in to intercept Totodile with its vicious Crunch! The black canine jumps straight at the small croc, bare fangs enveloped in pure darkness... but fortunately, a barrage of exploding seeds pelts the Mightyena's side, interrupting its offense, and leaving the path clear for Totodile's Aqua Jet to make progress!

Mightyena falls to the ground, yelping in pain, and Bulbasaur looks to capitalize on the opening by firing off a Leech Seed! The magic seed flies through the air, but just as it is about to make contact, the hound incinerates it with a Fire Fang, reducing the seed to ash in a second... The beast regains its footing and, furiously, dashed straight toward Bulbasaur, flames still enveloping its spear-like teeth. It's coming in at alarmingly high speed too!

Totodile, meanwhile, finds its mark perfectly, crashing into the other Mightyena with great force. The enemy tumbles to the side, and the crocodile immediately follows up the attack with a vicious icy bite on Mightyena's tail! It freezes over quickly, the ice casing spreading to the creature's hind legs, rendering it immobile and helpless. It's at Totodile's mercy, but in sharp contrast, Bulbasaur is in grave danger, about to be devoured by the flaming fangs of the second foe!

What will your partners do now? Do you trust them to see it through to the end, or will you be forced to intervene directly?!

(Feeding 1 Rare Candy to my Totodile, boosting him to lvl 37 and evolving him into a Croconaw)

The battle continued and Bulbasaur and Totodile continued to wear their opponents down. While Totodile had a firm advantage over his opponent, Bulbasaur was found herself on the backfoot. Fiery Fangs were coming straight towards her, if she didn't act quickly, she'd be forced to take a powerful blow. Acting mostly out of reflex, she lets loose a blinding Flash from her bulb, hopefully catching the Mightyena by surprise. She would follow up with a Power Whip to smack the Mightyena away from herself before it could get any closer.

With his eyes firmly fixed on his opponent, Totodile grins as he prepares his next attack. As he dashes forwards, his body begins to glow. He grows larger with each step, his form changing and developing, he's evolving! As he settles in his new form, Croconaw brings his arm down towards the Mightyena's head, preparing to land a Brick Break. He'd quickly follow with an Aqua Tail, seeking to put the Dark type down for good!

A massive smile stretched across Xander's face as he watched Totodile evolve into a Croconaw. It took every ounce of self control he possessed to stop himself from shouting out in celebration. They'd celebrate soon enough, once these Mightyena were no longer a threat. He had figured Totodile was close to evolving for a while now, but was under the impression the Water type preferred being a Totodile. He wondered why the Johto Starter had chosen to evolve now, what had changed his mind?

 

[TheKnightsFury]

Zorchic- Buizel was losing health fast and every bit lost meant a bit more gained for the Frillish. He had to get out of its hold. You shout out to the struggling Pokemon, instructing him to inflate his air sac. He does so to little avail, the Frillish isn't letting go! You then encourage him to break loose with another Quick Attack. Buizel spins his tail, propelling himself out of the water but failing to shake the Frillish loose. He crashes onto the deck of the ship, struggling for energy at this point. Sensing their isn't much strength left in the Buizel, Frillish releases its grip, allowing Buizel to catch his breath. Turning away from its opponent, the Frillish glares at you. You sense a rage in the opposing Water type, did this have something to do with the approaching full moon? The Frillish then catches you by surprise, firing off a Confuse Ray! The attack doesn't target Buizel though, instead you find yourself caught by the dazzling ray of light. Your eyesight spins like you're trapped in a washing machine, unable to see straight, you loose balance and begin to move around erratically.

Seeing the Frillish target you gives Buizel a boost, how dare it attack his trainer! He launches himself at the Frillish once more, slamming an Ice Punch into the back of its head. The ice from Buizel's fist spread across the Frillish's body, momentarily freezing it. This was the chance you'd been waiting for, throw that Pokeball! That was a task easier said than done right now, you were confused, how were you going to hit your target?!

~~~~~~~~~~
​

Starly sits perched on a nearby tree, watching the young boy that you'd sent him to watch. He seems to be training with his Pokemon, nothing too sketchy yet. Suddenly an Electroweb comes flying out of nowhere, Starly attempts evasive action but is caught in the web. "Well look at what we have here. You're an odd looking one, where did you come from?"


Meetan- You knew it was a big ask, but you hoped that offering to help out with Pokemon would make you useful enough to bring along. The moustached man greets you with a smile and flourish of hand. "Greetings good lass, yes you hear correctly, we depart for the City of Pentacles at day break. Talented with Pokemon? We have a few Pokemon performers in need of a skilled hand, perhaps you could be of assistance? Yes, yes that would work well, consider yourself transported! Oh I do believe I forgot to introduce myself, I madam am the Great Jean-Pierre, Ringmaster of the troupe de spectacle, the greatest performers in all Fizzytopia! Meet the current members of my troupe, the stunning Seraphina, the hulking Herakles and the fantastic fools, Eeny, Meeny, Miny and Mo!" The other members of the troupe welcome you, smiles spreading across their faces despite their obvious fatigue." Meet us back here in the morning and we shall begin our journey, but for now we must sleep." Jean-Pierre claps his hands, ushering the troupe off to their rooms.

A nurse soon approaches you, presenting you with your Pokeballs and a key to a spare room for you to stay in. It would be best to get some sleep and perhaps set an alarm. If you over slept you'd miss your ride and be left right back where you started. Hopefully travelling with the troupe would be a safe option, they seemed to be on the level, but you had no way of being sure at this point.