The Arcane Realm: Land of Freedom and Magicks

[TheKnightsFury]

Meetan- With chaos erupting, you urge Sera to get to a safe distance. At this point you were almost certain she was the pregnant lover, everything just made too much sense. Her 'indigestion', her curiosity about your walk, Hatenna being overwhelmed by her. The last thing she needed was to cop a heavy hit and risk losing her unborn child. Acting quickly, you toss Hatenna onto Bambi's back, instructing the Sawsbuck to move should the rampaging Copperajah head this way. With Sera and the others now out of the way, you rush towards the Steel typed with Mimi and Blaze. The Combusken focuses his energy before quickly closing the gap with Agility. Getting in close, he is almost stomped on by the gigantic Galarian native. Thankfully the Fire types Strength allows him to push the incoming limb away, although the Heavy Metal of the Steel type makes it a hard task.

Mimi has been busy trying to get a read on the Copperajah. Although it isn't exactly easy to do given the elephant's current mental state, the Mime Jr does manage to pick up something, which it then translates to you. Pain. Intense pain. What was the source of the pain though? It's trainer seemed to have no idea, Herakles was completely baffled. Watching the Copperajah closes, you notice that it seems to be favouring its right foreleg, gingerly holding its left one just off the ground. Was that the source of the pain? You notice a spark of electricity arc around the left foreleg, what on earth could be causing that?

 

[Missingno. Master]

Missingno. Master - Opting to sit by the gardener and await the arrival of the mage, you watch as the Parasect works with incredible haste to repair the garden. Where wilted flowers once stood new growth sprouts swiftly, and even the crater where the Skuntank exploded is swiftly filled in by the bug. All the while the man sits smiling, seemingly ignoring your question as to his identity, letting out a small laugh every now and then.

Just as the garden is soon to return to it's full glory the man finally speaks up, "What a shame, to not be able to see the meadow in its full glory." With that, his slight laughing becomes a full blown cackle as his garb twists and darkens, puffs of dark smoke enveloping the man before swirling out swiftly around him. The sight is practically paralyzing, as the smoke begins to envelope the entire area, until everything simply becomes black.

And as soon as the overwhelming darkness had appeared, it promptly fades away, leaving yourself and Meowth just outside the Cave of Strength once more. Mere feet away from you sits a man in a dark purple cloak, hood pulled up over his head so that the only thing that can be seen of his form is a large, toothy grin.

"Ah, the Cave of Strength," the man mutters, "a place one can enter with ease but can only leave by their own merit." Standing, he begins slowly striding towards the entrance, the shock of the event leaving yourself and Meowth as you find your bodies suddenly able to move once more.

Parasect was working fast, very fast indeed, to repair the garden, with new growth sprouting wherever wilted flowers once stood, and even the crater getting filled in.

The speed at which the Parasect worked, however, was not at the forefront of Keith's mind. Rather, he was slightly annoyed by the fact that the gardener had yet to actually answer his question about his identity. He simply sat where he was, occasionally giving a small laugh as Keith and Meowth exchanged bewildered looks.

This, however, did not go on forever. Just as Parasect looked to be wrapping things up, the man finally spoke, but rather than reveal his identity, he instead stated what a shame it was to not be able to see the meadow in all its glory. Before anything could be said in reaction to this, he gave an unnerving cackle, his clothing twisting and going as dark as the smoke that was starting to envelop him. Neither Keith nor Meowth could even move as the smoke engulfed the entire area.

And then, the darkness was gone. But, Keith was quick to notice, so was the meadow- they were back just outside the Cave of Strength! And there was a man beside them in a dark purple cloak, complete with hood over his head, so all that could be seen of him was a large, toothy grin. He spoke quietly about the Cave of Strength before getting up and striding toward said place.

"...WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" Keith exploded, once the extraordinary occurrences of the past minute finally caught up with him.

"I knew sometin' ain't seemed right about dat guy!" Meowth spat. "Always felt ta me-owth like he knew more den he was lettin' on! Hey! Youse!" Meowth added, leaping off Keith's shoulder and landing right in the man's path. "Stop right dere!"

Keith was quick to rush to Meowth's side, likewise standing in front of the cloaked man. "Who are you and what is going on here?" he demanded.

"And dis time, youse betta answer dis guy!" Meowth added, brandishing his claws. "I've had it up ta here wit all da screwiness goin' on today, so eitha start talkin' or come and get yer daily dose o' vitamin Fury Swipes!"

Keith had nothing to add to this; rather, he was trying to see if he could get a better look at the man's face, anything other than the grin. Wanted to see what, if any, emotions he could get from the guy's expression- he had absolutely no idea who they were dealing with here, and while he would be fine letting Meowth attack if the need arose, he also wanted to be damn sure that said need was actually arising here in the first place.

 

[Meetan]

Meetan- With chaos erupting, you urge Sera to get to a safe distance. At this point you were almost certain she was the pregnant lover, everything just made too much sense. Her 'indigestion', her curiosity about your walk, Hatenna being overwhelmed by her. The last thing she needed was to cop a heavy hit and risk losing her unborn child. Acting quickly, you toss Hatenna onto Bambi's back, instructing the Sawsbuck to move should the rampaging Copperajah head this way. With Sera and the others now out of the way, you rush towards the Steel typed with Mimi and Blaze. The Combusken focuses his energy before quickly closing the gap with Agility. Getting in close, he is almost stomped on by the gigantic Galarian native. Thankfully the Fire types Strength allows him to push the incoming limb away, although the Heavy Metal of the Steel type makes it a hard task.

Mimi has been busy trying to get a read on the Copperajah. Although it isn't exactly easy to do given the elephant's current mental state, the Mime Jr does manage to pick up something, which it then translates to you. Pain. Intense pain. What was the source of the pain though? It's trainer seemed to have no idea, Herakles was completely baffled. Watching the Copperajah closes, you notice that it seems to be favouring its right foreleg, gingerly holding its left one just off the ground. Was that the source of the pain? You notice a spark of electricity arc around the left foreleg, what on earth could be causing that?

Alice visibly cringed when Raji brought her heavy foot down, but thank goodness Blaze had handled it. She couldn't help but wonder what had caused the stomp to land so hard, but Alice didn't have time to worry too much about it- what counted was that Blaze was fine. Mimi conveyed the Pokemon's pain to her trainer and Alice's brows furrowed further. What was hurting this thing? It wasn't until the creature drew too close to comfort that Alice finally spotted something. Raji was walking funny, and something was circling her bad leg. Was Raji conducting electricity or something? Science wasn't her forte, really, but she could see that something was off.

"There's electricity around Raji's leg! I need an electric Pokemon that can draw it away, or something with Volt Absorb or maybe a Lightning Rod! It's around there!" Alice pointed out loudly and hastily. Unfortunately, she didn't have any of her electric types with her or anything else that fit the bill. She wondered if there was something else that she could do? "Mimi, can your psychic or fairy powers help? Can you isolate the electricity and move it? You could disperse it bit by bit to devices and charge them, or throw it at a rock and just let it fizzle out! I just need the electricity away from Raji! Unless you can find where its coming from - what's causing it?" Alice asked of the baby. She knew that these were big questions, but Mimi often underestimated her capabilities and then proved herself in practice. "Blaze, just keep trying to hold her back! Let her know that we're trying to help, but the more that she trashes the camp, the harder it'll be!"

 

[TheKnightsFury]

Meetan- You'd noticed the electricity coursing through Raji's leg, but you had no idea what could be causing it. It was times like this that an Electric Pokemon really came in hand. You had a couple, although none of them were with you! Without an easy answer, you're forced to think creatively and instead turn to Mimi. The Psychic/Fairy type might be able to use its powers to redirect the electricity. Willing to give it a go, Mimi focuses trying to redirect each spark as it appears. Unfortunately it isn't successful, the sparks are gone almost as quick as Mimi can spot them. Disappointed but not willing to give up, Mimi reaches out once more. If she couldn't stop the electricity, perhaps she could find the source. Concentrating, Mimi picks up on something she'd missed before. Another mind! This one was feeling more fear than pain, but there was also a lot of discomfort. Where was it though?

Blaze was doing his best to shepherd Raji away from the caravans. It took all of her strength but she was managing to push the bulky Galarian Steel type back. Letting out a tremendous trumpet, it rears back, brandishing its forelegs aggressively in your direction. It is then that you spot it, something was stuck in between the toes of Raji's injured leg! The small round ball seemed to be the source of the electricity, which continued to arc from it. It was clear the ball was the source of Raji's pain, but what was it and how would you go about getting it out?

 

[Faiyaa]

Faiyaa- Well aware that Marina's wrath could be far worse than that of the Great White Sharpedo if you allowed Popplio to get hurt again, you urge Vander to try and spook the shark. The Dhelmise sweeps forward, striking the Sharpedo quickly with an Astonish that luckily forces the much stronger Pokemon to flinch. Popplio quickly moves out of the way and strangely begins to dart around the reef, as if it was looking for something....

With the Great White Sharpedo flinched, Vander takes the opportunity to grow. The seaweed swells as the Dhelmise takes in energy, the possessed tendrils flail around intimidatingly. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to scare off the Sharpedo. The mighty whitey begins to tear through the seaweed with Icy Fangs, ripping and tearing its way through Dhelmise. Vander begins to fight back, wrapping it's anchor around its attacker before it begins to absorb energy from the rampaging fish.

Popplio shoots out of a nearby coral crop, clutching something in her flippers. She surges through the water towards you, handing you a glowing white conch shell. What was this meant to be? Why was it glowing? Popplio looks at you expectantly, what did it want you to do? It begins to let out long cries, holding its flippers up to its mouth. Wait......... did it want you to blow into the shell? Maybe it was magic? This was the Arcane Realm after all and you had just met a woman who was also a Pokemon. A magical conch shell wasn't that strange, all things considered.

You've received a Magical Conch Shell. Teaches a Pokemon a natural MT Move. Must be used in your next reply.

Teaching MT Grassy Glide to my Dhelmise, thanks!

Gary was intently focused on the battle at hand, and for good reason as Vanderdecken had the odds stacked against it, but he wasn’t oblivious to notice the Popplio swim off somewhere as if it were searching for something. The Sharpedo was pretty nasty, and the Dhelmise was doing all it could to barely keep up and siphon off some energy from the shark to recover. Not only did the Sharpedo possess a natural Dark typing as an advantage over the Ghost type, but it also had Ice Fang at its disposal to handle Vander’s Grass typing as well.

“This is not looking good,” Gary mumbled to himself before calling out “Keep up the good work, Vander!” to try and keep his Pokemon’s morale up. It was rare for Gary to be drawing a blank in the heat of combat, his years of Pokemon battling experience usually providing him with an encyclopedia of knowledge, but this time it was possible he might have bitten off more than he could chew. He wasn’t naïve by any means, but sometimes his compassion left him in unfavorable situations. This time was no different.

Popplio suddenly returned to Gary’s side, and it was holding up an unusual conch shell that seemed to be glowing. Gary didn’t really have the time for distractions, but Popplio seemed insistent that Gary do something with it, so he took it and held it up. As the sea lion pantomimed, Gary asked “You want me to blow into this?” At this point, Gary didn’t have the time to question anything and he had already seen enough of the supernatural today to require any other kind of answer. “Alright, here goes nothing…” Gary filled his lungs with his breathing apparatus before holding his breath and pulling the device out of his mouth. Putting the shell up to his lips, Gary let out all the air from his lungs as a strange sound rippled through the water. Gary quickly put the apparatus back in his mouth to reclaim his breath and watched, dumbfounded.

The seaweed draped all over the rusty anchor’s body began to glow with Grassy energy, and Vander seemed to be Gliding around the seaweed on the seabed with ease, as if it was being charged with chlorophyll. A smile crept onto Gary’s face as he regained his composure, armed with a new idea. “I’m not going to question this anymore! Vander, use your newfound power of Grassy Glide to ram into the Sharpedo and then hit it with another Absorb!” He still wasn’t sure if this plan would work, but it was better than nothing.

 

[Meetan]

Meetan- You'd noticed the electricity coursing through Raji's leg, but you had no idea what could be causing it. It was times like this that an Electric Pokemon really came in hand. You had a couple, although none of them were with you! Without an easy answer, you're forced to think creatively and instead turn to Mimi. The Psychic/Fairy type might be able to use its powers to redirect the electricity. Willing to give it a go, Mimi focuses trying to redirect each spark as it appears. Unfortunately it isn't successful, the sparks are gone almost as quick as Mimi can spot them. Disappointed but not willing to give up, Mimi reaches out once more. If she couldn't stop the electricity, perhaps she could find the source. Concentrating, Mimi picks up on something she'd missed before. Another mind! This one was feeling more fear than pain, but there was also a lot of discomfort. Where was it though?

Blaze was doing his best to shepherd Raji away from the caravans. It took all of her strength but she was managing to push the bulky Galarian Steel type back. Letting out a tremendous trumpet, it rears back, brandishing its forelegs aggressively in your direction. It is then that you spot it, something was stuck in between the toes of Raji's injured leg! The small round ball seemed to be the source of the electricity, which continued to arc from it. It was clear the ball was the source of Raji's pain, but what was it and how would you go about getting it out?

Alice always made sure to carry a variety of Pokemon with her, at least unless the situation specifically demanded otherwise or she had no other choice. As it was, though, this could sometimes shoot her in the foot. Sure, most of her Pokemon knew electrical moves, but in this case, she had needed an electric type specifically. Unfortunately, unless she took up criminality full time, Alice was going to have to adhere to the six-Pokemon law on that one. Yay. Mimi still gave her instructions a good shot, though, and while the fairy wasn't able to get the electricity away from Raji, thanks to Blaze's impressive muscles, they might just have found the source of the Pokemon's woes.

"Blaze, I've figured it out! Look,, it's that round thing in Raji's foot!" Alice shouted. She dared to move a bit closer then, although not toooo close. "Raji, girl, you need to sit or lie down. If you keep standing on it or rearing we can't get that thing out! It might hurt, but we're going to handle this, okay?" She tried to assure the steel beast, looking to her Pokemon once again for aid. Eridian was on standby, eyes narrowed with focus just incase this all went very pear-shaped. "Mimi, try to use your confusion to pull that ball out of Raji's foot. Keep it out of the way of anything else until we've figured out what it is. Blaze, use Mirror Move on Mimi's Confusion and try to help her pull the ball out! If you both work together, we might be able to fix this without having to physically get in there." She explained hopefully. It was their best shot, lest Eri or Blaze had to physically get in there. As for what that other presence was? Alice would get to that later, Raji was the more immediate problem. Besides, she already had her suspicions, it was just a matter of confirming or disregarding them...

 

[Sneasel12]

XVIII. Lake of the Moon - The largest lake in the Land of Cups, this place is rich in aquatic life and is a very popular place for fishers. It’s said that this lake wanes and waxes with the phases of the moon, and that the lake acts strangely the closer it is to a full moon and a new moon. Some say during a New Moon, an ancient temple can be seen floating in the lake, but it is hard to verify if it exists there and the lake is too deep to safely explore. During a full moon, the aquatic life becomes incredibly hostile, and the legendary “King of the Lake” has been said to awaken and surface during this time.

The Lake of the Moon, an interesting landmark within the Arcane Realm to be sure. The rumored changing of the topography with the moon's phases drew Michael here to examine the site, with scant little else on his plate at the moment. Surely something was behind the unnatural state of the body of water, something he could deal with in a timely manner. At least, perhaps he could were he not escorting a small army of fresh out of the egg Pichu. Five of his six baby mice were present, Annie, Angela, Asher, Axel, and Andrew, with the youngest of the siblings, Aren, left at home with their parents for now. The rambunctious scamps were proving to be a bit of a distraction already, climbing up and down the man's hoodie, swinging from the chains on his pants, and just being generally overly playful scampering about, forcing him to keep a regular eye on the group. Surely he could at least get some research done here and come back later to deal with the root problem, right?

Scooping Angela up and placing her on his right shoulder causes an almost immediate reaction in the group, the lot of them ceasing their play to climb up the man's body and perch atop him. With Asher winning the race to cling to the top of Michael's head, Annie and Andrew decide to rest for the moment in his lowered hood, while Axel takes his other shoulder for his vantage point. The group temporarily calmed, Michael finally begins his approach to the lake, ready to look for clues to begin uncovering the mysteries surrounding this very surreal body of water.

 

[Liltwick]

Sneasel12-

The Lake of the Moon. Number 18 in the recognized landmarks of the Arcane Realm. A place of mysteries based on the cycle of the moon, but they can also be said to just be illusions as well. It was best to come into this place with a clear mind, instead of being deluded about what you might actually find here.

With your horde of Pichu at your side, you make your way towards the shores of the lake. The water was crystal clear, reflecting everything with perfect clarity. It gently ebbed and flowed across the sands of the shore, and you could see a few boats on the water. Fishermen, ready to harvest the fish that made this place its home.

At this angle you would notice one thing, that there was a darker spot of water that seemed impossible to see through. It was this brilliant shade of royal blue, but no light seemed to penetrate the waters. It was in the shape of a waning crescent, just like how the moon was the night before. At the least that phenomena was accurate. But the temple and the so called "King of the Lake" wasn't so sure. No one has seen the former and its reported that any who challenged the later turned up as chum the day after.

It was then you noticed a small boat tethered to the shore, attached to a rusty iron rod. The rope was made of a material you could not identify at a glance, but the boat was obvious enough. Ebonwood, or Ebony, was a powerful wood in terms of magical theory. It was a conduit from spells of powerful destruction, but was able to absorb curses incredibly well. No one was near this lone boat, and it seemed too new to have been sitting here for a while.

With nothing else out of the ordinary at this time, seems like this was your best bet. Your Pichus also looked a little curious about the boat, but none of them left your side to go investigate it. It looked innocuous enough, but there was no way of knowing unless you investigated it.

What do you do?

 

[TheKnightsFury]

Faiyaa- You decide to give it a shot, the conch wasn't the first magical thing you'd experienced today and you had a feeling it probably wouldn't be your last. Taking a deep breath, you fill your lungs with oxygen before removing your breathing apparatus. Working quickly, you put one end of the conch shell to your lips and blow into it. A long low note ripples through the water, the sound wave carries with it an odd energy. You quickly place the breathing apparatus back in your mouth as you watch the energy awaken something in Vanderdecken. The Dhelmise was moving faster, smoother. The Grass type was gliding through the water, the spooky seaweed seemed strengthened. You couldn't believe it, the power of the conch had somehow allowed the Dhelmise to learn Grassy Glide! You weren't about to question it, this was exactly what you needed! Urging the anchor back onto the offensive, you watch with pleasure as he spins his seaweed draped anchor around in an arch, striking the Great White Sharpedo with a powerful blow. Before it can bite back, the seaweed wraps around it, absorbing more of the beast's strength. The beast isn't done though, it thrashes around, tearing at Vander with a Night Slash.

A powerful Moonblast slams into the Great White Sharpedo's flank. The beast cries out, turning it locks eyes with the shiny Primarina. Marina was back! Knowing it is out matched, the beast flees, crashing into a nearby bed of coral as it tries to jet away. The limestone crumbles, kicking up a cloud of sand that masks the shark's escape.

Vanderdecken gained 3 levels

That was one issue solved. The new issue was that Marina looked pretty pissed. The scowling Primarina makes a beeline towards you. For a moment you fear she's angry at you, but then you realise that Popplio has taken shelter behind you. Marina barks, calling out the young pup. You're left in the dark as the pair have a rather heated argument. At first Popplio shies away from Marina, but something the selkie says triggers something within the Popplio. It grows in confidence, arguing back with Marina. After a while, Marina's expression softens, then her throat begins to glow.

"Popplio wants to follow you now", Marina's voice rings through the water. "I was angry at her for not following my orders, but she feels indebted to you. When she was trapped, she gave up all hope in humanity, but what you did, the way you helped her, it restored her hope. She wants to work with you and become stronger, she trusts you. You have my blessing to capture her, if that is what you wish."

You may capture the Popplio! It is lvl 11, Female and knows the Egg Move Charm!



Meetan- You'd finally work out what was causing the Copperajah to act out, she had something stuck in her foot. For something to penetrate the hard hide of a Steel type like Raji, it must have been tough! You reach out to the hurting elephant, speaking calmly as you plead for her to calm down so that you can help. You looks at you with her big, watery eyes. She calms for a moment, gently lifting the injured leg, allowing you an opportunity to help. Working quickly, you instruct Mimi to try and pry the object loose with its Confusion. Alone, the tiny Psychic type isn't strong enough to dislodge it, but thankfully she isn't alone. Blaze mirrors the Mime Jr's move, eyes glowing as he uses Confusion as well. Together the pair manage to pull the sphere from Raji's foot, the Copperajah's relief is almost instant. Speaking of the sphere, now that you can get a better look at it, you notice it is covered in Iron Barbs! It also seems to have feet. And arms. And a tail. Hang on, this wasn't some sphere, it was a......

Toge! Togedemaru!
​

The Electric type lets out a discharge of electricity, causing Mimi and Blaze to release their hold on it. As soon as it hits the ground, it Zings away, zapping the grass as it flees back into the forest. It appears Raji must have stepped on the Togedemaru by accident and it was just trying to get free. With Raji settled, Herakles rushes towards the Copperajah. "Oh Raji my dear, are you okay?" The Steel type nuzzles the brawny brute with her trunk, she was really a big softy!

Mimi gained 2 levels! You receive 2 Rare Candies for Blaze's contribution!

"Herakles!" Sera cries, "are you okay, you're not hurt are you?" She rushes over to the strong man, she sure seemed overly worried about him....

 

[Faiyaa]

Faiyaa- You decide to give it a shot, the conch wasn't the first magical thing you'd experienced today and you had a feeling it probably wouldn't be your last. Taking a deep breath, you fill your lungs with oxygen before removing your breathing apparatus. Working quickly, you put one end of the conch shell to your lips and blow into it. A long low note ripples through the water, the sound wave carries with it an odd energy. You quickly place the breathing apparatus back in your mouth as you watch the energy awaken something in Vanderdecken. The Dhelmise was moving faster, smoother. The Grass type was gliding through the water, the spooky seaweed seemed strengthened. You couldn't believe it, the power of the conch had somehow allowed the Dhelmise to learn Grassy Glide! You weren't about to question it, this was exactly what you needed! Urging the anchor back onto the offensive, you watch with pleasure as he spins his seaweed draped anchor around in an arch, striking the Great White Sharpedo with a powerful blow. Before it can bite back, the seaweed wraps around it, absorbing more of the beast's strength. The beast isn't done though, it thrashes around, tearing at Vander with a Night Slash.

A powerful Moonblast slams into the Great White Sharpedo's flank. The beast cries out, turning it locks eyes with the shiny Primarina. Marina was back! Knowing it is out matched, the beast flees, crashing into a nearby bed of coral as it tries to jet away. The limestone crumbles, kicking up a cloud of sand that masks the shark's escape.

Vanderdecken gained 3 levels

That was one issue solved. The new issue was that Marina looked pretty pissed. The scowling Primarina makes a beeline towards you. For a moment you fear she's angry at you, but then you realise that Popplio has taken shelter behind you. Marina barks, calling out the young pup. You're left in the dark as the pair have a rather heated argument. At first Popplio shies away from Marina, but something the selkie says triggers something within the Popplio. It grows in confidence, arguing back with Marina. After a while, Marina's expression softens, then her throat begins to glow.

"Popplio wants to follow you now", Marina's voice rings through the water. "I was angry at her for not following my orders, but she feels indebted to you. When she was trapped, she gave up all hope in humanity, but what you did, the way you helped her, it restored her hope. She wants to work with you and become stronger, she trusts you. You have my blessing to capture her, if that is what you wish."

You may capture the Popplio! It is lvl 11, Female and knows the Egg Move Charm!

Gary couldn’t help but smile as Vanderdecken glided across the weed-covered seafloor and slammed into the Sharpedo. The Dhelmise then Absorbed back some of the health it lost before the Sharpedo retaliated with a nasty Night Slash. Things still weren’t looking great, but he was proud of the fact that Vander hadn’t backed down and pushed the much stronger opponent further than it probably had to. Just as he began contemplating Vander’s next move, Gary was surprised to see a powerful beam pulse through the water and slam into the unsuspecting shark. Reeling from the Moonblast, Sharpedo glared over at the interloper only to find an angry Primarina glaring right back. Knowing its place in the hierarchy, the shark immediately relinquished its will to fight and sped off like a wild torpedo.

Gary let out a sigh of relief and beamed at his ghostly anchor. “You did really great, Vander. You deserve a rest. Thanks, Marina, you really saved us… there…” he said, trailing off as he turned to meet her still ferocious gaze. As expected, she was not pleased about Popplio’s disobedience, and the young pup took shelter behind Gary’s back. After what Gary assumed was a heated conversation through a series of barks and yelps, something changed in the dispositions of Marina and the Popplio. Marina turned to Gary and declared that the Popplio wished to accompany Gary on his journey and work on restoring her faith in humanity.

Gary was elated. He had really taken a liking to the young sea lion and was more than happy to oblige. “You want to join us? I couldn’t be happier! I promise to show you all kinds of places, after we finish dealing with the bad people here first, of course!” Gary reached into his bag and pulled out a Friend Ball. “I had been saving this for a long time, but I think the time to use it is right now. What do you say?” The Popplio eagerly bumped her nose against the Friend Ball's button, as it opened up and pulled her inside. After wiggling once, the ball came to a halt with a successful 'ding' before popping right back open with Popplio at Gary's side. "Since we'll be travelling together from now on, it's probably best if I give you a name. What do you think, Muse?" The Popplio hardly needed to think as she beamed back at her new trainer with sparkles in her eyes causing Gary to laugh.

 

[Meetan]

Meetan- You'd finally work out what was causing the Copperajah to act out, she had something stuck in her foot. For something to penetrate the hard hide of a Steel type like Raji, it must have been tough! You reach out to the hurting elephant, speaking calmly as you plead for her to calm down so that you can help. You looks at you with her big, watery eyes. She calms for a moment, gently lifting the injured leg, allowing you an opportunity to help. Working quickly, you instruct Mimi to try and pry the object loose with its Confusion. Alone, the tiny Psychic type isn't strong enough to dislodge it, but thankfully she isn't alone. Blaze mirrors the Mime Jr's move, eyes glowing as he uses Confusion as well. Together the pair manage to pull the sphere from Raji's foot, the Copperajah's relief is almost instant. Speaking of the sphere, now that you can get a better look at it, you notice it is covered in Iron Barbs! It also seems to have feet. And arms. And a tail. Hang on, this wasn't some sphere, it was a......

Toge! Togedemaru!

​

The Electric type lets out a discharge of electricity, causing Mimi and Blaze to release their hold on it. As soon as it hits the ground, it Zings away, zapping the grass as it flees back into the forest. It appears Raji must have stepped on the Togedemaru by accident and it was just trying to get free. With Raji settled, Herakles rushes towards the Copperajah. "Oh Raji my dear, are you okay?" The Steel type nuzzles the brawny brute with her trunk, she was really a big softy!

Mimi gained 2 levels! You receive 2 Rare Candies for Blaze's contribution!

"Herakles!" Sera cries, "are you okay, you're not hurt are you?" She rushes over to the strong man, she sure seemed overly worried about him....

"That's it. Thank you, this'll be over in no time." Alice said soothingly. She was relieved that Raji wasn't in so much pain and frustration that she refused to listen, her stillness helping Alice's Pokemon complete their goals. Mimi might not have been much good for this on her own, but together with Blaze, they managed to come through for the steel elephant. The relief on her face was immediate, and Alice's heart swelled. It always made her feel warm and fuzzy and accomplished when they managed to do good like this. "There. All sorted."

Alice's blue eyes shifted next to the spiked ball that they had pulled from the giant's foot, and she was soon frowning. That ball was a body with appendages. "Oh, shit, it's alive-- Yahh!" The blonde practically jumped back as it discharged its electricity, uselessly holding an arm above her head like it would somehow help. Thankfully it missed her otherwise she would've been fried. Mimi and Blaze weren't so lucky, but they seemed able to shake the shock off, so it clearly wasn't too intense. "Well... There goes that." Alice said Togedemaru were cute, but she was in no rush to try and chase it down for a capture. No, her attention was firmly on the crew - first on how adorable Raji was, and then on Sera. Well, that didn't line up with her suspicions at all...

Alice glanced down at Eridian, who'd been on standby, only breaking eye contact to pick up the shaken and clingy mime who'd come running back for a cuddle. If Eridian's hard gaze meant anything, it was probably that they were on the same page. "I guess we solved that one." She muttered quietly, purposely obtuse so as to not give away the real meaning to anyone who might be eavesdropping. "Good job, Blaze!" Alice added to the Combusken, the two exchanging a high five. "Let's get to helping everyone get their carts together, yeah? And then we can see how things go from there..." Herakles had to go running to the grove at some point, didn't he? Or why else leave the letter there? Maybe they'd run off together. Alice and her team would keep their eyes out just incase, but it was best not to draw attention or try any kind of subtle confrontation where everyone was so highly strung. That was just asking for a disaster. Not to mention, if they were so worried about their livelihoods over a pregnancy, Alice really had to wonder: what kind of show was being run here, anyway?

 

[Raves]

Raves-

The Meadow of Judgement. Once stained in the blood of heretics, its now a place with inherent magic. After all, death causes a massive swirl of ether to gather in places such as this. It is also said every flower here symbolizes a person who will be saved on judgement day. You notice that the flowers here seem... Surprisingly hearty. That they sway to avoid attacks and aren't affected by the effects of mage craft.

Making you way through the meadow with Xigua and Stasis, you notice a few people practicing some form of magic in one way or another. Most of it looked interesting, but it was obvious enough that they didn't want to be interacted with. Furthermore, nothing of what they were doing really seemed like it would hint to this place's dark past.

You then spot something intriguing. A small patch of flowers, stained blood red, blooming in the middle of the meadow. Nothing else seemed to be growing there, and the earth itself felt different. There was something here with this flowers that seemed to hold a key. Especially considering their color and shape was different from everything else from this garden.

Checking your little pamphlet, you see a small little paragraph about this flowers. Higanbanas - Red Spider Lillies. In the language of flowers, they represent final goodbyes. They also only grow in spots where those goodbyes occur. Only native to the Kanjohto region, it is quite an oddity that they would grow in this meadow. There seemed to be warmth emanating from these flowers... Almost like they were filled with blood.

What do you do?

The meadow's flowers were as vibrant as they seemed, and the very plains themselves appeared to be as full of them as he had heard. Merely walking through the plants, Rory could feel his legs tingling, as though the magic within was flowing into him and empowering him...or that might just be the grasses on bare legs. Yeah, probably the latter. However, there was the odd figure here and there in the midst of proving that, yes, magic was indeed a real thing here. One was generating small sparks, another manipulating soil in the air to form shapes, but the teen merely looked for a few seconds before continuing. After all, nothing broke concentration like a nosy spectator, and the last thing he wanted was to get on the wrong side of a wizard who could turn him into a Froakie.

Besides, the spells they were performing weren't anything malicious, more akin to terraforming or other druidic arts like thaumaturgy, whatever that was. Xigua continued to scuttle beneath him, and Statis hovered above, but the three of them soon paused upon an unusual sight. "Huh?" he mused, trying to comprehend the sight. Amidst the many flowers, there was a small patch of them, scarlet like blood, simply in the middle of the park on their own. Heck, the soil felt...different. The Wimpod seemed a little uncomfortable, but nevertheless remained stalwart while the Elgyem appeared fixated on them. The shape of the plants was also abnormal, and remembering his touristy nature Rory quickly dug out the pamphlet of the area and began to skim through it before finding a small article on them.

"Higabanas, the red spider lily. Representing final goodbyes...growing only where said goodbyes occurred...I think we mighta found a clue," he piped to the pokemon, though he was puzzled as he read further. "Native to Kanjohto...unless someone planted these here for something?" His mind was transfixed on the flowers, which on top of their odd colouration appeared to emanate some sort of warmth. Curiosity overcame common sense as the teen slowly and carefully approached the blood red flowers for a closer look, seeking to gently poke at them a little and to see just how they functioned. Statis remained focused on the scene, eyes focused on the trainer, as the bug type held back, uncertain on the scent.

 

[TheKnightsFury]

Faiyaa- "A fitting name", Marina smiles, although you can sense she is somewhat saddened by the Popplio's decision. She could at least take solace in the fact that you were an amazing, caring trainer and not some wicked scientist bent on success. "I've cleared all the traps surrounding the temple, thankfully no Pokemon had fallen for them yet, although I'm sure it was only a matter of time. You didn't happen to spot any signs of the seaweed we're searching for did you?" Unfortunately you hadn't, the only thing out of the ordinary you'd found was that magical conch shell. Suddenly, Muse begins to bark, spotting something odd.

You turn in the direction the Popplio is facing, the direction the Sharpedo had fled in. The cloud of sand had settled, revealing something odd in the ruins of the coral bed it had destroyed. The crash seems to have revealed the entrance to an underwater cavern! With a large portion of the coral smashed apart, there was now a large enough opening for you all to fit through. The strange thing about the cavern was the warm glow that emanating from within, more magical energy? Marina seems to think so, the Primarina rushes through the water, leaving you to follow. You have to be careful not to cut yourself on the jagged coral around the entrance, but manage to slip through the opening unscathed. Popplio stays close to your side as you swim deeper into the cavern, Vander following up the rear. The glow gets brighter as you get deeper into the cavern, until eventually you find the source. A large bed of golden seaweed waves gently back and forth. The bright purple rings on the weed were more than enough to confirm it, this was exactly what you were looking for. Marina can barely contain her excitement and she rushes in to retrieve some.

This is a grievous error. As soon as she reaches the bed, a Dragalge rises, ensnaring her in a painful embrace. The Poison/Dragon type is rather large, almost twice the size of any you'd seen before. Its colour was almost identical to that of the strange seaweed it was slumbering in. Could it perhaps be imbued with the seaweed's power? Marina yelps in pain, you had to help her!



Meetan- Crisis averted. You were happy to let Togedemaru flee back into the forest, the poor Pokemon had already been through enough. The chaos had one positive though, you were almost certain that you knew who the father of Sera's secret spawn was. She'd been all too quick to throw herself to Herakles' side, if she was trying to keep this all a secret, she was doing a shocking job at it. Perhaps pregnancy hormones were already starting to affect her judgement? Regardless, if your hunch was right, that meant Herakles would soon need to sneak off to the pair's meeting place. You'd keep a close eye on him, but there was another mystery to solve here as well. Why did they have to run away? What was Sera afraid of? Perhaps the only way to solve that mystery was to confront Sera? Maybe you could help her find away to solve her situation?

You continue to ponder your options as you help the members of the troupe clean up the carts. Blaze puts his strength to good use again, helping to flip up the toppled carts. The three of the harlequins then start to repair the damage, they were surprisingly skilled at repairs. You help Sera pick up some of the goods that were sent flying, noticing that she's being rather cautious when she bends over to pick the objects up. With the mess all but cleared, you overhear Herakles mention something to the Ring Master. "I'm going into the forest to find some apples for poor Raji, I'll be back shortly", the hulking strong man states.

"Make it quick, we need to get moving soon, the incident has already delayed us." The Ring Master replies, leaving Herakles to go about his business. The strong man makes a beeline for the grove, if you were going to follow him, this was your chance.

 

[Meetan]

Meetan- Crisis averted. You were happy to let Togedemaru flee back into the forest, the poor Pokemon had already been through enough. The chaos had one positive though, you were almost certain that you knew who the father of Sera's secret spawn was. She'd been all too quick to throw herself to Herakles' side, if she was trying to keep this all a secret, she was doing a shocking job at it. Perhaps pregnancy hormones were already starting to affect her judgement? Regardless, if your hunch was right, that meant Herakles would soon need to sneak off to the pair's meeting place. You'd keep a close eye on him, but there was another mystery to solve here as well. Why did they have to run away? What was Sera afraid of? Perhaps the only way to solve that mystery was to confront Sera? Maybe you could help her find away to solve her situation?

You continue to ponder your options as you help the members of the troupe clean up the carts. Blaze puts his strength to good use again, helping to flip up the toppled carts. The three of the harlequins then start to repair the damage, they were surprisingly skilled at repairs. You help Sera pick up some of the goods that were sent flying, noticing that she's being rather cautious when she bends over to pick the objects up. With the mess all but cleared, you overhear Herakles mention something to the Ring Master. "I'm going into the forest to find some apples for poor Raji, I'll be back shortly", the hulking strong man states.

"Make it quick, we need to get moving soon, the incident has already delayed us." The Ring Master replies, leaving Herakles to go about his business. The strong man makes a beeline for the grove, if you were going to follow him, this was your chance.

Alice's suspicions were only ramping up further, although she couldn't help the bit of self-doubt that nagged at the back of her mind. She couldn't blame anyone else for not being suspicious of Sera because her relationship was obviously secret. Why would anyone else suspect one of the performers to be pregnant? No, it was just that the answer to this whole thing felt so obvious she was just waiting for a whiplash-inducing twist. The idol tried to push the expectation down, though, noting how Sera struggled to pick things up, of the Hatterene's avoidance of her own trainer - it all just lined up too well, and now the Strong Man was off into the grove to boot. Yeah, it all really did seem like the right tree to bark up.

"We'll make sure he gets back safe and in good time. And that gives us a chance to take more pictures of the Grove and stuff before we move on, don't worry about him." Alice had waited for Herakles to go before speaking to the Ring Master, keeping her voice quieter and casual to try and keep her action on the down-low. She didn't wait for him to argue or for anyone else to, for that matter, Mimi still in her arms as she started in the direction Herakles had gone. Alice made sure not to rush, of course, given that she didn't want the man to realise that he was being followed just yet. No, it was best to hang back and see what he had in mind. For that reason, her Combusken had to return to his ball, the smaller Mimi and Eridian the better choices for such a stealthy task. Alice was of course expecting the performer to gun straight for the letter, but what would he do after that? And if he didn't then what would he do? Either way, Sera would be the one to talk to next. Once everyone was on the road, they'd be separated and likely minding their own business. Besides, if they were on the move, it would be harder for Sera to flee or try to summon some kind of intervention. Not that she was meant to feel interrogated, of course, but Alice had lived in this dimension long enough to know that things were rarely as chill and straightforward as she'd like them to be. Stupid sexy plot obstacles.

 

[Sneasel12]

Sneasel12-



The Lake of the Moon. Number 18 in the recognized landmarks of the Arcane Realm. A place of mysteries based on the cycle of the moon, but they can also be said to just be illusions as well. It was best to come into this place with a clear mind, instead of being deluded about what you might actually find here.



With your horde of Pichu at your side, you make your way towards the shores of the lake. The water was crystal clear, reflecting everything with perfect clarity. It gently ebbed and flowed across the sands of the shore, and you could see a few boats on the water. Fishermen, ready to harvest the fish that made this place its home.



At this angle you would notice one thing, that there was a darker spot of water that seemed impossible to see through. It was this brilliant shade of royal blue, but no light seemed to penetrate the waters. It was in the shape of a waning crescent, just like how the moon was the night before. At the least that phenomena was accurate. But the temple and the so called "King of the Lake" wasn't so sure. No one has seen the former and its reported that any who challenged the later turned up as chum the day after.



It was then you noticed a small boat tethered to the shore, attached to a rusty iron rod. The rope was made of a material you could not identify at a glance, but the boat was obvious enough. Ebonwood, or Ebony, was a powerful wood in terms of magical theory. It was a conduit from spells of powerful destruction, but was able to absorb curses incredibly well. No one was near this lone boat, and it seemed too new to have been sitting here for a while.



With nothing else out of the ordinary at this time, seems like this was your best bet. Your Pichus also looked a little curious about the boat, but none of them left your side to go investigate it. It looked innocuous enough, but there was no way of knowing unless you investigated it.



What do you do?

Staring over at the deep blue water, Michael is entranced by the shape of the lake having taken the form of the moon from the previous night. But before he can muse on it for too long his eye catches sight of a small boat of Ebonwood, a rope attached to lead to a rusted iron rod tethering the boat to shore. Between the lot, while he didn't recognize the material of the rope, what worried him most was the fact that the iron has become rusted while the boat was so new. Was this simply an old rod being re-used, or was the boat simply older than its fresh appearance gave hint to?

Michael wasn't the only one perturbed by the vessel, Alexander climbing out of his hood to look closely at the boat, while Angela took his place next to their sister in the man's hood, even going so far as to pull the hood up over the two of them slightly to provide a place for the sisters to hide. Noticing the Pichus hadn't made a rush to play with the boat, Michael places both Asher and Axel on the ground to see how they react, only for the both of them to back up behind his legs for shelter. At least the lot of them had good instincts.

Deciding he was unlikely to get any further information from a cursory glance, the man went to see if he could remove the iron rod from the ground to see how the boat would react to no longer being tethered to shore. He would much rather avoid touching the boat itself for now until he understood what enchantments might be at play here first.

 

[Sneasel12]

ChrisClark13 - The Fool's Path, a road that wanders the whole of the Arcane Realm and its many points of interest. With your new starter by your side, it seemed the obvious place to start out, what with its symbolic nature of the beginning of journeys. Yet, now the Vulpix has found herself sitting on the road, clearly a bit worn out despite not having walked particularly far just yet. Hoisting her up and onto your shoulders, you soldier on, walking with her weight as she stares down at the waving tails on your fursuit, the very same garb that seems to be drawing looks from other travelers as you walk along, causing a great many of them to give you a wide berth and move to the edge of the path in order to get by you.

Up head you spy the Magician's Hamlet, the road forking to the town known for its many craftsmen and beautiful buildings, as well as off further along to lead further into the Arcane Realm. Just as you are approaching the intersection, a bit of a ruckus stirs passed some of the other travelers, startling a fair group as a small, brown, vulpine creature balancing itself precariously atop a pale blue ball with red markings, barreling through the crowd. Just as soon as you notice it, it barrels into your leg with a crash, causing it to fall to the ground with a short "Vee!" and the ball to unfurl into another small creature with four short legs, floppy ears, and a short trunk. The duo glance over at what they had bumped into, only to spot your odd appearance.

Startled by your attire, the two playing Pokemon part ways, the small elephantine creature running back off towards the Hamlet while the brown and white fox like creature runs along the road leading further into the Realm.

Missingno. Master - Promptly calling out the man for his new, strange appearance and the dark fog that had just transported you back to the entrance to the Cave, yourself and Meowth make your displeasure towards his cryptic ways known and known well. But the man doesn't even bother to grace you with turning his face back towards you, instead opting to stare directly towards the cave entrance. That is, until you get directly into his face, attempting to get a better look under his hood, where you are met with a piercing gaze of bright red eyes, his smile widening as he seems to look straight through you.

"Why, have you not yet realized what has become of you? What more is to come for you to leave?" The man slowly raises one arm, a bony finger cloaked in a dark purple glove pointing towards the cave. "You cannot leave this cave aside from your own merit, and as such part of yourself has been lost here."

The further dodging of your question is made only more obvious as he simply places his hand on your opposite shoulder to Meowth, a cold chill running through the area he touches before he simply begins to walk past and into the cave. "Perhaps you'll find it once you help this boy, or perhaps the boy requires that you find it to save him." Removing his hand from your shoulder he presses on, "It is quite the conundrum. But then, why ever were you sent to find me if you could do this all on your own?"

TheKnightsFury - With things getting more complicated by the minute and the newfound knowledge, or rather confirmation of the idea that your would-be boss, this man supposedly named Ralph, had a massive bounty on his head, a difficult choice had to be made as the guards rounded the corner. To stick with this man and discover what may have happened to Wolfgang's goods, even if it meant he might further string you along, or to cash in and get out, an easy way out of this situation appearing before you as the Zigzagoon's eyes stare out from behind a couple crates, waiting for you to distract the oncoming guards.

Opting to get what was coming to you for the hell you had already endured so far on this day, a swift shout of orders sees Toxtricity into action, a net of electricity shooting out from the lanky creature's palms and wrapping around the crates, trapping the Zigzagoon within. Noticing your shouting, the guards come running, shoving a few merchants and likely pickpockets out of the way as Toxtricity picks up the small creature, rubbing its skin along its fur to induce paralysis and causing the Zigzagoon to stare at you, likely confused as to how this is helping the mission in any way.

"What seems to be the problem here?" The foremost guard prompts you, a large, burly man with a captain's insignia pinned to his chest. Meanwhile, the two remaining guards loose a couple Pokemon into the street, a Meganium and a Drifblim, which promptly begin using Vine Whip and Psychic to clear the area of debris and create a cordon to prevent any other people from interfering.

 

[Liltwick]

Raves-

Drawn in by the spider lilies, you reach towards their scarlet petals. The warmth increased as reached closer, and it soon felt like you were pushing your hand through a warm, sticky substance. It felt akin to a pool of blood, but nothing in the area suggested there was actual blood. You then grazed the flowers, and their tendril like petals tickled under your hand. As you reach closer, you feel something... fluffy. You then feel an incredibly heat and instinctively pull your hand back. A small plume of embers come from within the flower patch, but the plants themselves did not catch. They were not natural.

There was then some rustling in the fields of flowers as something flew out. You could see a patch of white followed by some red spires. But the vision soon faded as the area turned dark.

"Damn it!"

You heard someone shout, the sound echoing throughout the meadow. Looking over, you could see one of the mages look a little charred as a thunder cloud hung above them. They then sent out a Psyduck, who quacked in confusion before noticing the dark, storming mass above. It then tilted its head, and the storm started to clear it due to its Cloud Nine ability.

You then take notice that the flowers started to glow a bright crimson red. They were to be drawing in the magical energy of the failed magical experiment. The area also felt warmer as well. At the point Xigua was inching his way towards the flowers, the Wimpod strangely attracted to the warmth as well, and started to tug at one. It couldn't hurt to pick just one for him, could it?

What do you do?

Sneaze-

You, and the horde, go and investigate the rusted iron rod tethering the boat to shore. It seemed harmless enough, and it looked like that the boat was freshly tied to the post. On closer inspection you could see various different scrape marks from different kinds of rope on the rod. Though, it certainly was strange that an something as old as this was used to keep something as new as the boat to stay ashore.

You then heard footsteps running towards you, and the horde instinctively moves to form a protective barrier around you. A figure soon comes into view carrying a load of fishing supplies and then stops about 30 ft in front of you panting. It was a younger woman wearing a pink angler's vest, a pink hat with sunglasses on it. Her eyes were a vibrant green and she kept her blonde hair in twin tails.

"Ahh what are you doing with my boat I jsut had that made oh my god oh my god I knew I shouldn't have stopped my alarm!!!!" she yelled ut, almost not being able to breath between her words. She then hung her head and collected herself.

"Hi, I'm Haley. Third generation angler for the Fisher family!" She introduced her self, winking with a cheeky smile while giving a thumbs up.

"I don't know what you and your Pichus were doing with my boat, but if you excuse me I need to get out on the lake," she stated as she headed for the boat. The horde, with varying reactions, make their way to block off her path. She examines them, and notices the worry on Annie's face.

"Okay darlings, I'll be fine. My boat's cursed, sure, but it's a curse to prevent people that aren't part of my family from using it," she boasted, her eyes shining with mischief. "It's also blessed to give us bigger hauls. Why it looks so new, well, I happened to have it touched up by one of the woodworkers at the port city. Now, if you excuse me, I must be going."

She then jumped over your horde, took the rope, and pushed it off from shore. Seems that solved the mystery of the boat, but nothing really to incline towards the mystery of the lake. She did mention the port city... And your horde seemed interested in that as well. But from this lake, its about a three day's trip on foot. There was always the idea to try and explore the rest of the Land of Cups. Surely there were some magical phenomena that wasn't based on the lunar cycle you could observe.

What do you do?

 

[TheKnightsFury]

TheKnightsFury - With things getting more complicated by the minute and the newfound knowledge, or rather confirmation of the idea that your would-be boss, this man supposedly named Ralph, had a massive bounty on his head, a difficult choice had to be made as the guards rounded the corner. To stick with this man and discover what may have happened to Wolfgang's goods, even if it meant he might further string you along, or to cash in and get out, an easy way out of this situation appearing before you as the Zigzagoon's eyes stare out from behind a couple crates, waiting for you to distract the oncoming guards.

Opting to get what was coming to you for the hell you had already endured so far on this day, a swift shout of orders sees Toxtricity into action, a net of electricity shooting out from the lanky creature's palms and wrapping around the crates, trapping the Zigzagoon within. Noticing your shouting, the guards come running, shoving a few merchants and likely pickpockets out of the way as Toxtricity picks up the small creature, rubbing its skin along its fur to induce paralysis and causing the Zigzagoon to stare at you, likely confused as to how this is helping the mission in any way.

"What seems to be the problem here?" The foremost guard prompts you, a large, burly man with a captain's insignia pinned to his chest. Meanwhile, the two remaining guards loose a couple Pokemon into the street, a Meganium and a Drifblim, which promptly begin using Vine Whip and Psychic to clear the area of debris and create a cordon to prevent any other people from interfering.

Zigzagoon had no fucking clue what was going on, making him slightly more clueless than Xander at the moment. Had he made the right decision? He probably wouldn't know until it all came to a head, but he felt a little bit better about being back on the right side of the law at least. Toxtricity had netted the Galarian variant and paralysed it, there was no escape for the slippery thief. The commotion was more than enough to draw the attention of the guards, one of which seemed to be a captain. The man began to question him as his subordinates began to clear the area with the help of a Meganium and a Drifblim. Now Xander had to think. If he gave the captain the full story, he might not trust Xander enough. If he lied, the captain would likely see right through him. Perhaps he could just tell a version of the truth that painted him in a better light?

"I was carrying out a job for some merchants from the city centre. While working a lead, I was incapacitated by a kid and his Wigglytuff. When I woke, a man threatened my life and that of my Pokemon if I didn't help him steal something from you. That man is none other than Ralph, a man I believe you've been looking for? This Zigzagoon is his, it should serve as proof, a couple of street vendors just confirmed it. I know the Ralph's compound and his exit strategy, if we work quickly we might be able to take him down. All I ask is for my share in the bounty, and if you could spare a medic to give myself and my Pokemon a look over I'd appreciate it, it's been a tough day." Xander wasn't sure if the captain would go for it or not. Grookey and Rookidee were looking at him, still unsure what exactly there trainer was trying to achieve.

 

[Sneasel12]

Sneaze-



You, and the horde, go and investigate the rusted iron rod tethering the boat to shore. It seemed harmless enough, and it looked like that the boat was freshly tied to the post. On closer inspection you could see various different scrape marks from different kinds of rope on the rod. Though, it certainly was strange that an something as old as this was used to keep something as new as the boat to stay ashore.



You then heard footsteps running towards you, and the horde instinctively moves to form a protective barrier around you. A figure soon comes into view carrying a load of fishing supplies and then stops about 30 ft in front of you panting. It was a younger woman wearing a pink angler's vest, a pink hat with sunglasses on it. Her eyes were a vibrant green and she kept her blonde hair in twin tails.



"Ahh what are you doing with my boat I jsut had that made oh my god oh my god I knew I shouldn't have stopped my alarm!!!!" she yelled ut, almost not being able to breath between her words. She then hung her head and collected herself.



"Hi, I'm Haley. Third generation angler for the Fisher family!" She introduced her self, winking with a cheeky smile while giving a thumbs up.



"I don't know what you and your Pichus were doing with my boat, but if you excuse me I need to get out on the lake," she stated as she headed for the boat. The horde, with varying reactions, make their way to block off her path. She examines them, and notices the worry on Annie's face.



"Okay darlings, I'll be fine. My boat's cursed, sure, but it's a curse to prevent people that aren't part of my family from using it," she boasted, her eyes shining with mischief. "It's also blessed to give us bigger hauls. Why it looks so new, well, I happened to have it touched up by one of the woodworkers at the port city. Now, if you excuse me, I must be going."



She then jumped over your horde, took the rope, and pushed it off from shore. Seems that solved the mystery of the boat, but nothing really to incline towards the mystery of the lake. She did mention the port city... And your horde seemed interested in that as well. But from this lake, its about a three day's trip on foot. There was always the idea to try and explore the rest of the Land of Cups. Surely there were some magical phenomena that wasn't based on the lunar cycle you could observe.



What do you do?

Just as he was piecing together the puzzle of the rather oddly new boat, a young woman came running up shouting to get away from the vessel, decked out in pink and shouting about her alarm for some reason or another. Michael chose to just give the woman a quizzical look before she began to collect herself and give a short but rather cheery introduction, only to immediately begin dashing at the boat to get onto the lake.

Much to Michael's surprise, the entire horde of Pichu moved to block her path, clearly concerned about her safety aboard the vessel. She moves to lessen their worries, explaining that the curse only affected those not of her family, to which Michael could only be grateful that he had shown some restraint instead of attempting to board the boat right off. Of course, her comment goes immediately to the wayside as she simply jumps over the Pichus and runs up and into the boat before leaving shore.

"What an odd woman..." Michael mumbled out, waving his hands to attract the attention of the Pichus, who stop staring out at the woman disappearing into the water and collect around their trainer. "Right. We have a lead of some kind, but it's quite a ways away. Alternatively, we could look around this area some more to see if we can pick up on something else."

The idea of a split decision sent the Pichus into a frenzy, the group arguing with each other over where to go, causing the tossing of small yellow bodies through the dirt as the debate began to get physical.

"Okay, okay, let's take this to a vote." He chuckled, holding out both of his hands. "Touch the right hand if you want take the long walk to go over to the docks, and touch the left hand if you want to stay here in the Land of Cups."

Staring up at the man's hands for a moment, the Pichu begin to think, before Annie runs up and places her paw on his right hand. Axel is next, taking his left, quickly followed by Angela to the very same hand. Andrew thinks before placing his paw on the right hand. Now being the tie breaker, Asher looks back and forth at the hands, before sticking his tongue out at Axel and running over to the right hand, eliciting a chuckle from the trainer.

"Well, that's the vote."

Michael then begins collecting the Pichu on his shoulders and in his hood once more, and moves to make his long walk to the far off docks in search of more information on this boat.

 

[ChrisClark13]

ChrisClark13 - The Fool's Path, a road that wanders the whole of the Arcane Realm and its many points of interest. With your new starter by your side, it seemed the obvious place to start out, what with its symbolic nature of the beginning of journeys. Yet, now the Vulpix has found herself sitting on the road, clearly a bit worn out despite not having walked particularly far just yet. Hoisting her up and onto your shoulders, you soldier on, walking with her weight as she stares down at the waving tails on your fursuit, the very same garb that seems to be drawing looks from other travelers as you walk along, causing a great many of them to give you a wide berth and move to the edge of the path in order to get by you.

Up head you spy the Magician's Hamlet, the road forking to the town known for its many craftsmen and beautiful buildings, as well as off further along to lead further into the Arcane Realm. Just as you are approaching the intersection, a bit of a ruckus stirs passed some of the other travelers, startling a fair group as a small, brown, vulpine creature balancing itself precariously atop a pale blue ball with red markings, barreling through the crowd. Just as soon as you notice it, it barrels into your leg with a crash, causing it to fall to the ground with a short "Vee!" and the ball to unfurl into another small creature with four short legs, floppy ears, and a short trunk. The duo glance over at what they had bumped into, only to spot your odd appearance.

Startled by your attire, the two playing Pokemon part ways, the small elephantine creature running back off towards the Hamlet while the brown and white fox like creature runs along the road leading further into the Realm.

Curtis instantly recognizes the brown fox-like Pokemon, it's an Eevee! Everyone knows that's what an Eevee looks like! Though as far as that weird long-nosed Pokemon went, he had never seen it before. Though, of course, that didn't matter to him because his entire attention was focused on the Eevee that was running away down the road! But why was it running away though? He just wanted to be friends!

He takes a look around to gather his bearings and notices that everyone is... avoiding him for some reason? But why? Usually, people think his suit is cute...? Oh, right! He had forgotten that he was not supposed to put the hood down! His parents had told him that suits like this look awkward and that it's sometimes even bad luck... Oh shit! Bad luck! Of course, that's why everyone was acting weird! He was being bad luck right now!

The Ninetails cosplayer quickly set down his Vulpix to free his hands so he could put his eared hood back up. Then, he ran as hard as he could after the Eevee. "Wait, please come back! I just wanna be friends with yooouuu! I'm sorrrryyy!!!"

Meanwhile, Annahime the Vulpix sneezed at the dust her idiot trainer had kicked up. What, what the hell had just happened? Why was her trainer running off like that!? Like- like some idiot kit that was chasing after a toy! Barking and yipping angrily, she ran off in pursuit of the idiot. "Pix! Pix! Pix! VuuuulllPIX!!!" Why, Gods above why!? Why she stuck with this idiot!?!