Route2
@PKMNB0Y

“Ha. Well, I suppose if you’re asking I can’t exactly refuse.” Laurel responded, a somewhat smug smile as though she was doing Richard a favor by going along with what was effectively her own idea. “I suppose I could lead the way. It's not a terribly hard journey.” Laurel started walking, Munchlax waddling along behind her as Nurse joy waved by to the three of them. “Since you’re new to Eidda, the easiest path from here is to head up through Route 2 then through Route 5. Its almost a straight line, right through the forests and then through the Central Plains area. Never been on this side of Eidda before, but I’ve heard the plains around Giervor are rainy and tend to be a bit gloomy. I’ve heard the people from there are similar.”

By now the pair would end up on the northern end of Byjerlfal, the commercial district fading into the background noise as the hustle and bustle of the crowds and people slowly fell away. The paved roads and sidewalks would soon give way to nature and the pair would find themselves on…



“Nnhn, its a bit hot out here…”

Laurel grumbled lightly as the warm sunlight filtered down from above. Route 2 ran between the rocky coastline and the dense forest outside of Byjerlfal, traveling between the two before eventually flattening out near route five where Route 2 met Route 5 and Route 4. Many beach goers that wanted a little more privacy than what the resort offered could be found here, along with families and other people camping along the beach shoreline and several boats could be seen out in the distance, gently sailing upon the calm waters.

Standing on a small rocky outcropping some distance away from people, Richard would see someone. If he had been paying a small amount of attention to all the fanfare surrounding the contestants, he’d recognize her immediately. Clementine, her name was. She seemed to be well, painting.

Maybe he wanted to go over and say hi?

“I much prefer the coolness of the north…anyways,” Laurel nodded. “I think I’m going to take a bit of time and train and look for more pokemon. Are you going to continue? I do remember that assistant…Frieda, saying there was a cave system here that might have some interesting pokemon.”

---

@Thayr
Route 1

The Nickit continued to try and tear and rip through the fabric, but ultimately it seemed as though it was not tough or strong enough to rip and tear it. After a minute of trying and Dancing growling at it, the NIckit released leaving only some bite marks behind as the pokemon narrowed its eyes at Dancing. It almost looked like it was going to attack.

“Niiii.” But a small whine from the first Nickit caught its attention, turning its head towards it as the first was now growling at it alongside Dancing. With an annoyed huff, the Nickit would disappear back into the forest. The first yawned, and started pawing at Islas leg for more food. Did she indulge this little pokemon, or was it only trying to get more free food before bolting?

She could try getting a pokeball out and seeing if it wouldn’t mind being hers.



Wailords Rest
@Bartimaeus@Crusader Lord
Urban Exploration

Truthfully, this battle was extremely low stakes all things considered. Just a casual battle between a Buneary and an Aron. By all rights, the Aron should normally have had no problem with such a matchup had it not been for the power up punch. As the small steel type barreled towards the Buneary, it’d raise a sharpened claw. Sir Lopsalot would bounce again, and raise its little fist right towards the Aron. Arons claws met Lopsalots torso. Lopsalots fist met Aron’s face.

Sir Lopsalot fell to a knee as the force of the punch caused Aron to skid across the floor.

A moment of silence fell over the crowd as they looked on.

“A…aroooon….”

Aron tried to stand once more, but found its legs unable to support itself. Sir Lopsalot would just barely manage to stand.

This was followed by a cheer, and a hearty laugh from Tuule.

“Well now, ain’t that something…” He’d chuckle, recalling Aron to the pokebally.

Clarissa won the battle! Clarissa got 2000p for defeating Gym leader Tuule!

“Gahaha, good work lass. That little bunny of yours is a tough fella.” He’d walk over, offering a hand for her to shake. “Too bad that wasn’t an official match or you’d have yourself a nice little new badge for your troubles, heh.

“Huh, she actually won against Tuule…” Beryl mused from the sidelines. “Welp, someone’s just made bank over at the betting tables, ahaha.” Well, the battle was over now. Her food was ready and unless there was anything else she needed from Tuule, she could probably leave without much trouble. She still had those murkrow to find, after all.



Outside of Camphor’s lab
@Savo@XxFellsingxX
Lab

“Tch-!” There was little Remi could do to counterattack a Bullet Punch at this stage. Riolu closed in on Cottonne, and with a flurry of punches fast as bullets, the small cotton ball gave a small cry of annoyance as it was laid into. The force of the punches knocked it back onto the ground. “Cottonnee-!”

Ko’ed it.

Jill and Yuu won the battle! They received 3000p!

Aster Grew to level 7!
Jojo Grew to level 7!

“Haa…what a stupid battle.” Remi grumbled, frowning as he’d return his pokemon to his pokeball. “Well, whatever. Good job and all that.”

“Remi don’t be a sore loser…”

“Were you paying attention? The guy barely stuck to proper battling rules…” He gave a sigh and a shrug, shaking his head before glancing over to Yuu. Nevine proceeded to grab the smaller male by the shoulders, pull him into a small hug and tug the sides of his face. “Weh! Hey don’t pinch my cheeks-!”

“Don’t worry…he’s just…sulking. It wasn’t a great matchup Remi…”

“But still!”

“...uhm. Do you want anything else…? Were planning on heading to Wailport…”



Pines End
@Pyromania99

Making her way through Route 1 wouldn’t be too much more difficult. The pokemon that lived here weren’t particularly strong and if anything, were a bit too familiar and unafraid of humans sometimes. That said, it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to train some here on her way. With Snow and Pidgey being healed up by Clara they could make their way forward without worrying too much, and training wouldn’t be that hard.

The grass types that were common here proved very little challenge for Pidgey or Snow.

Pidgey grew to level 7!
Snow grew to level 8! Snow learned Ice Shard!

So onward they’d continue to…



Stepping out of the Winding wood, Camila would find herself standing on the outskirts of Pines End. Named aptly, as this is where the forest stopped and the plains began. Small houses dotted the landscape, large wind turbines cresting many hills, harvesting power as gently rolling farmland spread out in the distance. The small town wasn’t known for anything spectacular aside from its sleepy atmosphere and being a popular getaway for those that still wanted modern amenities while being closer to nature. The only claim to fame the town had was the ancient shrine to an ancient pokemon. There was the large hotel too, which recently opened that promised a good nights sleep, even if you were having trouble sleeping.

Apparently they claimed their beds were so good you could sleep for days…



Camphors Lab
@Vertigo

---

Heading past the reception desk and into the back of the lab, Chloe would find it…disconcertingly empty. There was not a single person to be seen. Not a hint of some assistant and not a hint of any pokemon. In fact, there didn’t look like there was anyone in the building at all that she could hear. It was eerily quiet, only her voice and her footsteps.

tug

Something, proceeded to pull on her hair. Turning around she’d find…



“Fluuuur?”

It…looked like a Misdreavus, but it was hard to tell if it actually was one. It was too spiky and had a few too many appendages. Apparently, it had a strand of her hair in its mouth and was idly munching on it without a care in the world while giving her a somewhat smug ‘what you gonna do about it’ look.

---

Location: Route 1
Mentions: N/A

Isla watched as the Nickit struggled with the thick material, chewing away and adjusting its angle before the first joined-in with Dancing in growling away in annoyance at the unwelcome one. The second soon set off and away, the first yawning as it pawed away at her leg. Well, that was quite unexpected…it was soon enough becoming rather comfortable, comfortable enough that it was wanting something or another more. She giggled at the motion, one hand reaching out to tentatively scratch behind the fox's ears.

The question, she supposed, was whether or not he was…would trust really apply to a Pokémon? Probably. Isla trusted Dancing and he, she guessed, trusted her. The little guy hadn't warned her of the second, sneaking up behind, and even probably helped him out in one way or another. But he had growled away, and he had drove off the second…it was entirely possible that such had been out of self interest, true, but surely he'd be more needy about begging for food. It was all hypothetical, anyways, all suspicion. She supposed trust had to be met with trust. After all…what Pokémon ran while being pet?

Her free hand reached into one of the cargo pockets, withdrawing a little bar - the ship restaurant had said it was part snack, part candy, and entirely loved by the little friends as well as by people. Opening the wrapper with one hand was by no means an easy feat until her hand found the little plastic tab. A flick and she felt the wrapper deflate a little in her hand, the pressure seal broken. Pinching it with thumb and forefinger, while also adjusting it against one leg, slowly the snack was revealed - bright blue, smelling vaguely of berries and probably half a dozen other things beyond Isla's senses.

Dancing had been careful to watch the second Nickit run off, stare off into the forest to make sure more didn't sneak up, yet the smell of food and the attention to another had certainly driven him back to the most important matters. A paw on the top of Isla's head was his way to get attention, a stare at the bright bar his way to communicate exactly what he wanted. Isla started slightly at the unexpected touch, head moving just a tad to see what he was looking at. Another fit of giggles at the strange circumstance. It was all patently absurd.

"You're all just needy, needy, needy," she half-heartedly exclaimed in a soft tone, prodding fun at both of them. Holding the bar low to the Nickit, with her thumb as a fork she pinched off a block perhaps two inches long in front of the fox before shifting out more by pushing the wrapper against her leg. The same was given to Dancing, though he caught the piece in his mouth as it fell off. Gnawing away at the treat was surprisingly easy, almost like taffy.

Smiling while slowly, almost, shaking her head Isla looked down at the Nickit. She'd been petting at it the whole time, becoming bolder as the moments slipped by. Almost unthinkingly, she began talking with the Pokémon, her voice probably better used for the smallest of children in its positivity and bubbliness. "Aren't you just a happy little guy, huh? A hungry little guy? The other guy was a grump, but you aren't. You're just a lil guy with a big floofing tail." Pausing, she added, "You don't seem so scared. Do you maybe want to see more? Go out a bit?"

---

With his hands in his pockets and Luna following close behind him, Richard silently followed behind Laurel as the group left Byjerlfal City behind. Given how eventful the last few hours had been, the walk itself was a nice change of pace, but the brief thought that the luxuries of the city would momentarily be out of reach did bother him slightly. Given how he knew what he had signed up for, though, Richard had no room to complain.

When the smell of seawater grew stronger, though, the young man took a brief moment to pause and look around at where they had ended up. A far more "natural" beach swarming with vacationers and their Pokemon stretched out into the distance, and even from where they were now Richard could hear the chatter and cries of... Well, everyone and everything, really. It was far more muted than if he was closer, of course, but the Trainer had no intention of heading out onto the sandy beaches at that point in time.

It was then, though, that Laurel announced her intentions to spend some more time on the route. Hearing that, Richard brought one hand towards his chin and considered his options for a moment. After all, blindly walking ahead (even with his Rotom Phone's map at hand to guide him) meant that Luna would gain no practical experience whatsoever; sticking with Laurel, on the other hand, could possibly stymie both of their chances at gaining proper training independently. There were a few other options to try and handle the situation, but only one really stuck out to him as the "best".

"Mmm... Well, I guess that it'd be remiss of me to not explore, so I'll probably go check out those caves," he replied, waving to Laurel as he walked off towards wherever his phone determined the actual entrance to that system was. "Since you're in the area, I hope you won't mind if I reach out to you in case something goes terribly wrong in there. Hopefully it won't, but it doesn't hurt to be careful, y'know? See you later."

If anything, though, the Pokemon in the caves would hopefully provide Luna with a proper challenge; with any luck, though, it wouldn't just be training that'd be handled there. A new team member to shore up the Snivy's vulnerabilities would be quite useful, but Richard chose to keep his expectations low in hopes that they would be exceeded by some stroke of luck or another.

@Rune_Alchemist

As Camila found herself stepping out of the forest, there was a town, Pine's End, an aptly named little place that had a cozy atmosphere. "Man, it's not been that long, but it feels like it's been all day." The assistant mentioned to herself. Her Pokemon were a good bit stronger now. Training was always a good thing to have, but honestly it didn't matter too much to Camila. It was better to have Pokemon that could handle a bad situation, but her biggest focus in this adventure was studying Pokemon. With that in mind however... "I think I'm going to go see that shrine that's suppose to be here."

For now, she started off towards where the Shrine was. It was quite pleasant how peaceful it was here. Behind her was the forest she just exited and past the town itself was a nice grassy plain. "I wonder what kind of Pokemon is suppose to be worshipped at this shrine. It's leaving me a bit giddy with excitement. I remember hearing about this but I've never heard much details on it." She mentioned to herself, thinking aloud.

---

Location: Camphor's Lab Mentions: @Savo @Rune_Alchemist

---

Ever since Jojo had taken out the Slakoth, Aster had been sulking. Her stubby arms were crossed and she looked genuinely miserable. Jill must have sensed this because as soon as the battle was over, he walked over to the Aipom and gathered her up in a big hug. "You did pretty good, Aster," she said. This didn't seem to make the monkey Pokemon's mood any better... but it didn't seem to make it any worse either, as she didn't make any attempts to get out of her trainer's grasp.

Jill raised her head when Yuu addressed her, seeming more than a little confused by his words and demeanor. Was he... upset with her? It seemed that way, though she had no idea why or what she could have done to incite such a reaction. They'd won the battle, hadn't they? That was supposed to be a good thing, but he didn't seem entirely happy about, at least not happy with her. She felt an awkward lump forming in the pit of the stomach as she quickly went through her mind, trying to figure out what it was she could have possibly done wrong. She was so engrossed in this that she almost missed when Yuu addressed again.

"Huh? Oh, err, sure," Jill said, a little surprised he'd invited her considering how he'd been acting. "We'd love to come along, wouldn't we Aster?" She looked down at the Aipom in her arms, who simply turned her head away. It seemed like she didn't want to even look at the riolu, she was that upset with him. Jill frowned. "Oh, come on, don't act like that. It's rude." Aster didn't respond, continuing to seem gloomy. Jill sighed, and gave a small bow to the three other trainers. "She gets like this sometimes, I'm sorry." She then raised her head back up somewhat abruptly, as if recalling something. "Oh, is it okay if you guys wait a moment for me? I still need to return this." Still holding Aster in one arm, she picked up the bucket she had gotten from the lab her free hand, holding it up and waving it over her head.

Route2
@PKMNB0Y

---

“I did not sign up to babysit you…” Laurel replied, frowning. “If I am not in the middle of something, I suppose so, though I don’t know how you expect me to find you in a cavern system…”

“Muuunch?”
“Spriii~”

“H-hey!” Munchlax was tugging on Laurel’s dress, while Verdue had run off ahead into the forest. “C-come back here you troublemaker!”

Laurel vanished into the forest, leaving Richard to find the caverns himself. Heading down a rocky path towards the beachfront, he’d walk along the sandy shores, passing several people before eventually finding himself standing on some rocky outcroppings a bit of a ways down route 2 and away from people. However, he could see the caves Frieda were talking about now, though. The entrance was fairly inconspicuous, about big enough for two people to enter shoulder to shoulder.

Stepping inside, the smell of sea and salt became prominent…



The wet stone beneath his feet shimmered in the sunlight filtering in from the outside. The cavern walls were natural, bowing out as they traveled up before coming back together at the top making a tube-like rocky passage into the cliffside. Venturing a little further inside, a stream of sea water would soon flow in from a channel carved into the right, flowing down as the floor gently did. A few Zubat would rather irritably fly from their ceiling nests before flying deeper into the cave at him disturbing them. Magikarp could also be seen getting carried away by the relatively swift current of the stream deeper into the caverns.

Thankfully, it seemed as though there was plenty of light to see in here. Durable lanterns had been set up, likely by the league or some other local authority to make sure beginner trainers and people didn’t get completely lost here. Looks like there might be someone else in here too, were the muddy tracks on the ground were anything to go by. Might be some other trainers in here.

Now, it was possible to go deeper. The caverns seemed to slope gently downward below sea level, but it was fairly open and wouldn't be hard to train here instead, or find a pokemon that might be useful.

Descending into the cave his first obstacle would well, probably be an unfortunate one. Those Zubat he had annoyed earlier with his presence? Well...



One screeched and flapped its wings irritably at Richard.



A second fluttered down from the ceiling behind him, putt itself between him and the exit, and if that wasn't bad enough...



A third soon joined the second. He now effectively had a very angry Zubat in front of him, and two behind him blocking the exit. So, his only choice now, was to either somehow run past the two Zubat, or make a break for it deeper into the cavern and hope that they didn't decide to chase him down that way.

Losing them, at least, wouldn't be too difficult...probably.

---

@Thayr
Route 1

Thankfully at least, the Nickit leaned eagerly into the pettings. It seemed happy enough being spoiled by Isla at least. It allowed Isla to pet it all over, in return of course, if it was continued to be plied with treats and other foodstuffs from the trainer. Whether she did or not though, once the question was asked it’d hop away, tilt its head at Isla and Yip at her as though it was thinking, its tail swishing back and forth against the ground in thought.

“Niiii.” With a paw pointed at the bag of treats, it would nod as if saying ‘feed me more, and yes.’

Supposing Isla did, then and proceeded to use one of her pokeballs…



Well, here she was now. Up one pokemon, and not a scratch on her or her pokemon. Now certainly all pokemon weren’t going to be this easy - or could be tamed in such a fashion. Ones with more ornery temperaments certainly wouldn’t be befriended so easily…but perhaps, this was a start.

For now though, she was free to continue searching for more pokemon or continue on her way to Pines’ End.

It seems whoever owned the motorcycle had left while she was busy with the Nickit, though. Seems they rode off in the direction of Pines end, but with a vehicle like that they were likely already long gone.



Outside of Camphor’s lab
@Savo@XxFellsingxX
Lab

“Wow, someone’s got their head so far up-” Nevine’s hand plastered itself over Remi’s mouth, muffling whatever he was going to say to Yuu.

“The Manor? Didn’t camphor say…it was a bad idea to go…?” Nevine frowned as Remi would pull Nevine’s hand off of his mouth.

“Hmph, yeah, she did.” Remi frowned, grumbling lightly. The young man would take a moment to glance up at Nevine who shook her head, and would ultimately let out a sigh. “...and as much as I’d like to see you get your butt kicked, I’m not going to force Nevvy to go somewhere she doesn’t want too.”

Nevine breathed a sigh of relief before patting Remi on the head.

“So yeah, we’ll say no. We got stuff to do in Wailport anyways.”



Pines End
@Pyromania99

The shrine was probably the most prominent feature in Pines End. Situated against the tree line, it was the now the second largest building in the town. Made and constructed of wood, and its design apparently hasn’t changed for the many hundreds of years that it had been built here. While all the other buildings had embraced modernity, it however, remained firmly rooted in the past, it seemed. Several stories tall, though, and a worn dirt path led the way. Worn, wooden totems depicting some pokemon stood at either door of the entrance to the place, and a small stone fence separated the temple grounds from the rest of the town. Between the fence and the temple itself, was a large field of flowers rife with pokemon from what she could see.

Heading through the gates, and walking up the path past the flower beds where she’d soon find herself standing in front of the temple. A black haired girl with glasses had just exited the temple at just the time Camilla walked up.

“...we’re closed.”

She’d say rather brusquely to Camila before starting to walk away around the temples side.

With the pair having parted ways, Richard continued ahead in relative silence, with Luna continuing to follow close behind. The path that his Rotom Phone guided him down wasn't particularly dangerous, thankfully enough, and that lent itself well to making sure that he didn't go stepping on any toes on the way into the cavern proper. The smell of salt in the air was strong before he had entered—no thanks due to the ocean being so close by—but the intensity of that smell seemed to double once he took a few steps past the entrance. He didn't seem to be the only one who had noticed, it seemed; though he had grown used to the smell of seawater over the last few months stuck on the ocean blue, Luna's scrunched-up nose and mild look of displeasure made clear her feelings on the matter.

Turning to look at the grass snake Pokemon with a wry smile, Richard knelt down and patted her on the head.

"Well, we're going to be exploring a lot from here on out; don't think everywhere is going to be like this," he remarked before standing back up and continuing further down the cavern. It was at that point, though, that luck seemed to line up against him.

Though the Magikarp weakly swimming through the waters nearby barely deserved notice, the Zubat flying overhead were a bit more annoying—and, as far as he could tell, they seemed to think the same of him as they began to fly off through the cavern. Well, most of them did, at least. It seemed there was one in particular that had it out for him, and the other two wanted to make sure that he didn't just try to bail.

There was a brief moment of silence as he turned towards Luna, who in turn looked back towards him; then, almost as if in sync, they turned towards the sole Zubat standing in their way.

"...Luna?" he asked, keeping his eyes trained on the Zubat until the Snivy walked up next to him.

"Sni?"

"I've got... A dumb plan. It might work. Might not; heck, might even make these guys angrier if it doesn't work or even get more after us," Richard continued as he beckoned his Rotom Phone in front of himself. "Okay, just have to pull up this app, turn this up to max, and... Okay. Cover your ears and, when I start moving, run. Rotom, do your best."

As the Zubat continued to stand in their way, Richard quickly brought one hand to cover one ear and, after using the other to signal his phone, quickly covered the other. A high-pitched screeching noise began to radiate from his device, and Richard wasted no time in booking it past the Zubat and further into the cave. Luna was startled all the same, of course, but if there was anything she was good at, it was running.

So run she did, as the two attempted to break past the Zubat and run further into the cavern. The Rotom Phone stopped the ear-wrenching noise after a few seconds' delay before zooming past to catch up with its owner. There didn't seem to be any more Zubat and the noise wasn't loud enough to pull attention from any more from a few feet around the phone, so hopefully that disorienting noise would be enough to allow the duo to dodge the encounter and explore a bit more.

Hopefully the Zubat wasn't going to be the type that held grudges, else they might have to face it afterwards anyways when they tried to leave.

...Maybe there were other exits they could use instead?

@Rune_Alchemist

As the small steel type barreled towards the Buneary, it’d raise a sharpened claw. Sir Lopsalot would bounce again, and raise its little fist right towards the Aron. Arons claws met Lopsalots torso. Lopsalots fist met Aron’s face.

Sir Lopsalot fell to a knee as the force of the punch caused Aron to skid across the floor.

A moment of silence fell over the crowd as they looked on.

Clarissa held her breath for a moment as she watched on, doing so without even taking notice, as she watched on while silence came over the crowd of sailors and spectators. A simultaneous exchange of blows, a notable impact, and an event that could take them out either way perhaps. Sir Lopsalot just had to hold on a bit longer....she could feel the emotion without even having to read Sir Lopsalot's mind. The palpable tension. The grit as he dug for what strength he had left.

“A…aroooon….”

Aron tried to stand once more, but found its legs unable to support itself. Sir Lopsalot would just barely manage to stand.

This was followed by a cheer, and a hearty laugh from Tuule.

“Well now, ain’t that something…” He’d chuckle, recalling Aron to the pokebally.

"Bun...Bunbunbun!!!"

A victoriously joyful cry from the little Buneary came out, though rather than some kind of brag he seemed to be more just plain excited than anything else. Albeit he was still tired all the same, and it was easy to tell by him still barely being able to stand.

Looking into the mind of her Pokemon, though, Clarissa could feel a sense of grateful relief wash over the Buneary at the same time as the wave of excitement came over him as well. It was bizarre, and yet she didn't feel it was too bizarre because....she somewhat felt the same. The wave of mostly relief washing over her mind, the mild excitement she was trying to hold back as she walked over to Sir Lopsalot and picked up him again in her arms, and even a tiny bit of something else trying to meagerly pop into her thoughts...pride? Pride in her Pokemon partner, at least, if nothing else. But she? She had done little of the work compared to her Pokemon really.

Win or lose, though, it had been their first battle...and while she had tried to brace for a potential loss, instead they'd gained a hard-fought victory! The psychic's face would breifly shift as a small smile came to grace her lips, even if just for a brief bit, though she would soon try to reassert control back into her usual stoic front as soon as she would take notice of what she was doing eventually. Still, Tuule seemed to be approaching her now, and she didn't want to, er, seem like she was bragging or anything either. Or too overly e-excited either really...

“Gahaha, good work lass. That little bunny of yours is a tough fella.” He’d walk over, offering a hand for her to shake. “Too bad that wasn’t an official match or you’d have yourself a nice little new badge for your troubles, heh.

Clarissa paused for a moment at the offered handshake, her back lightly tensing up, though ultimately would extend one of her hands to shake Tuule's back. Not the most confident handshake despite her and Sir Lopsalot's bare win, admittedly, yet it was firm enough as she tried to be professional about things as best as she could. Not that she wasn't having to devote some energy to containing herself a little bit even so. Heh.

"Thank you, but truly I give most of the credit to Sir Lopsalot here. He's a hard worker for sure....and I'm very proud of him," the psychic would somewhat shakily admit as she looked down for a second, lightly squeezing the sore but happy Buneary closer to her for a moment as Sir Lopsalot smiled as big as he could back at her like a big goofy idiot despite it all, before looking back up as Tuule, [color]"As for an official match with you, I look forward to it one day! Though admittedly we've only just begun our journey today."[/color]

"Bun!"

*rumble rumble*

A breif flush of embarrassed red and pink came to the girl's cheeks for a moment.

Oh. Right. She had been waiting for food before the battle, and they did still need to get to those troublesome Murkrow! She wanted to catch one, she hoped, and likewise Sir Lopsalot had seemed to want to fight them more since they'd learned of Wobby's poor tale of being bullied by them-...ah. Wait, that last part she'd mistakenkly picked up among his more recent 'thoughts' when looking into his mind to see how he felt. But still, they had to strike while they had daylight! Then she had to be at the contest, then linger afterward, before hopefully reuniting with her compatriot to leave the city the next day. Hopefully.

---

Location: Route 1
Mentions: N/A

Isla smiled at the Nickit's response, slowly nodding as she drew out another small piece of candy. As he nibbled away and she petted him, one hand drew down into one of her cargo pockets. That assistant was right, the girl thought, and really it seemed almost benign now that Isla considered it from the angle presented before. He seemed comfortable enough about the whole ordeal, about going along with her and the pampering. Ah, there one was…she drew out that Pokéball, holding it out in one hand.

Click the button and it snapped open, a sudden flash of light as the Pokémon disappeared before her eyes. Shafts of light between her fingers, fur turning into just…weightless nothing amid the slightest heat, and there he was, gone. The Pokédex chirped out a description by the Professor yet again, something Isla paid half-attention to as she looked down at the red and white ball in her hand. It didn't seem all that weighty, considering what it did. Honestly, it could be pretty useful for carrying around most anything…why only Pokémon? Another passing question about things here or there.

Glancing up at Dancing in the corner of Isla's vision, who still sat on her shoulder, the girl couldn't help but notice his attention on the flash and the Pokéball she held. Passing it to her other hand, Isla reached up to pet him between the ears.

"It's ok, Dancing, don't you worry. I won’t forget to spoil you too."

He yawned in return, head going down low to once again drape over the favored shoulder. She took it as a good enough answer, clicking the Pokéball open with another flash of light. Pocketing the thing, as there was that Nickit before her, she sucked at her tooth briefly. What was a good name for him, anyways? Something…something descriptive like Dancing was, something descriptive and ironic. Something funny. There was a number of names, sure, but they seemed either rude or just…rough, not easy to go and say. Reaching over, she pet him as well, idly so.

"Hello…" Oh to heck with it, name'll have to do. "Hello Swiper."

He looked up, eyes wide before leaning into the pets with a whine. Side-eyes soon came though, up to the perch that Dancing held, and Isla was immediately reminded about that Pokédex entry. They were sneaky little guys who just tended to want things because they were things…she suspected this guy was interested because she gave something without him having to work with it. He looked up, though, eyes wide in those little mental calculations on how to gain that shoulder perch.

Dancing, for his part, looked down amid his fluff collar and yawned again. Swiper whined out his response, numbers seeming to click into place as he decided that there was a free enough equal perch. With about as much agility as much be expected, in a flash the fox went from there on the ground to Isla's other shoulder, almost in what seemed to be a single leap but the weight she felt told her he'd gone up her arm. Of all the things, though, she barely had enough time to give out a surprise as he padded in a little circle before settling down as well. Isla sighed inwardly. She had only so many shoulders to give up.

Getting to her feet slowly, perhaps a tiny bit unsteadily, the girl considered her future options. She could go to the researcher deeper into the Lost Woods, true, yet it seemed like that bike from before had gone off and away…it could have been that researcher and Isla wasn't entirely certain that she wanted to trek further in there. After all, there were those signs…and besides, if they hadn’t come yet, would Isla's statements change things? She couldn't imagine so. Standing there for a few moments, between one issue and another, she finally made a choice and began the little trek to Pine's End.

---

Seasalt caverns
@PKMNB0Y

The Zubat menacingly floated near the pair, flapping their wings and screeching irritably. If he had been only a few seconds later, there was a good chance that they’d be attacking him. However, before any of them could, the Rotom Dex would let out a high pitched screech. The three Zubats recoiled in seeming pain, their fluttering and wing flaps becoming erratic and causing them to crash and lose their sense of direction for a brief moment, giving Richard just enough time to book it past them.

Heavy footfalls echoed off the cavern walls. Richard would at least take note of a few more pokemon in his mad dash further in. A few barboach leaping out of the river and shallow, muddy puddles of water. He’d almost trip over a Nacli on his way deeper in, and a rather Irritable Binacle gave him a glare as he’d pushed deeper into the Seasalt caverns…

Soon enough, though, Richard would find himself much further underground. Good news, he had lost the Zubats. As soon as Richard would near a particular cave path that led further down that was near a waterfall, they’d shriek and turn back, seemingly unwilling to go past down there with him. Bad news though, was that he likely hadn’t been paying attention to where he was or how he got here. At least he was safe for now, though. A few curious Nacli were staring at him from a perch on a rocky shelf. The aforementioned waterfall seemed to fall deep into the earth below.

---

@Thayr
Route 1 -> Pines End

With a new partner in hand, Isla would thus head back down Route 1, the quiet natural trail being easy to navigate until eventually she’d arrive at her destination.



Stepping out of the Winding wood, Isla would find herself standing on the outskirts of Pines End. Named aptly, as this is where the forest stopped and the plains began. Small houses dotted the landscape, large wind turbines cresting many hills, harvesting power as gently rolling farmland spread out in the distance. The small town wasn’t known for anything spectacular aside from its sleepy atmosphere and being a popular getaway for those that still wanted modern amenities while being closer to nature. The only claim to fame the town had was the ancient shrine to an ancient pokemon. There was the large hotel too, which recently opened that promised a good night's sleep, even if you were having trouble sleeping.

Apparently they claimed their beds were so good you could sleep for days…



Wailords Rest
@Bartimaeus@Crusader Lord
Urban Exploration

“Well, good job on that win there, Missy!” Beryl said as Clarissa would return to her table. The food was still fresh and hot, and Wobby would give a friendly salute and his usual Wobbufet. “Them bettin folk sure are happy. Not every day the Gym Leader fights and not every day someone can beat ‘em so easily. Granted, that matchup was pretty poor once that fightin’ move came out, eh?” Beryl grinned, giving Clarissa a wink. “You need anything else, lemme or Wobby here know. I gotta get back to the kitchen.”

The rest of the meal would pass without incident, and there wasn’t much else to do in the cafe unless she wanted to go bother what was said to be someone that worked for Keira. Maybe taking a bet could be a good idea? Probably not, really though. Either way, once she finished her meal she and Riley should he want to, could easily head back out. It was getting a bit on in the day, so finding the Murkrow likely wouldn’t be much harder, though they’d still need to keep Beryls words in mind - nesting on the roof of a nearby old toy factory.

Should be fine to go poking around there.

---

Location: Pines End
Mentions: @Pyromania99

Isla took a moment, enjoying the quiet and peace that just sort of seemed to resonate from…everything, really. The cool enough breeze through the plains, the turbines in the distance, wind over the fields passing by in great, shimmering waves, almost like waves…the motion of it almost reminded the young girl of home. The wind whistled as it ran through the trees before passing through the fields, a slow, long sound. She closed her eyes, breathing in slowly to match the sounds of the field.

It was…nice. Calm. Slow. It wasn't the city, bustling about in teeming crowds, the noises of the street everywhere. It wasn't the forest, where she seemed to have to always keep an eye out for things here and there. It was just…nice. Calm. It was like home had got up and moved out into the countryside, bringing along with it the very waves. Isla could only see a few people in the distance, down the little road, some people and some Pokémon, and they seemed relaxed enough too.

The only intrusion to the quietness seemed to be a hotel, plopped down among the low ceiling houses and smaller shops. It seemed new enough, vaguely followed some of the same designs, true, some of the same roof shapes here and there but she could see it was clearly newer than the others. The other houses were weathered, well-worn, built to last and all the other adages that could be applied to those smaller places, but the hotel…the paint was new, not yet quite discolored. It almost didn't fit, really, but she couldn't blame it for that. You couldn't build age into a house, Isla thought with the smallest inward smile, but at least there was an effort there to not stand out too far.

In a further little distance she could see what looked to be an older structure. Set against the tree line, the wooden building was a bit smaller than the hotel and…just seemed removed, out of time. A dirt road let up to it, lines with wooden totems, figures of Pokémon, and the whole of the place just sort of clicked something in Isla. It intrigued her, talked about stories where those stories were written back in those centuries past, much unlike that museum from before. It was just…interesting in so many ways, and for a brief moment Isla wanted to see what was inside, talk to the caretakers of the place, something, anything.

Next to the building, on that dirt path, she could see someone who, honestly, Isla hadn't been expecting to see so soon. It took a moment for her to realize who it was in that distance, against that darker lighting, built it was Camila. Well, that was just…interesting. What had she found? What had she done? What was she going to do? Isla had a handful of questions she suddenly wanted to ask, to catch up in one way or another, and yet…she could see another figure walking back around that shrine, brisk enough that there had to be some sort of story. Was it closed? She wasn't quite sure. Did people, normal people, just go around that way? Isla really wasn't sure about that.

Her train of thought was suddenly interrupted by the aspiring curiosities of a newfound friend. Of course, he had been awake during the whole trip over, eyes open wide while smelling the world, but now found it to be the perfect time. Using Isla as a springboard, and with far less warning, he turned before leaping directly over a fence and into the tall grass. Isla just sort of watched, smiling just a moment at the sight. The tip of his tail, held up as almost a flag, betrayed the fox one way or another.

"Swiper, get out from there."

"Niiii," the grass responded, tail holding still for a moment before he bounded left, right, left, right.

Isla watched, standing there off to the side of the road, smile still there. He had to eventually run out of space, didn't he? Surely it was so. No Pokémon just had unlimited motion, just screaming about at full throttle. She made a mental note: Let Swiper tire himself out before getting him on the shoulder. He had to have just been storing up all that energy on the walk over. A nose poked out from the grass and between the fence posts, to which she leaned down to boop on the end, and zip! It recoiled back like a spring. Again, it slowly poked out a post over, closer to her leg, and she tried to boop him again. The nose zoomed back among the grass.

Straightening back up to declare in a sing-song voice, Isla went, "Well, I suppose we'll have to eat all these snacks by ourselves, won't we, Dancing." A step away from the fence and another ready down the street, the little Eevee on her shoulder yawning awake at the word to look expectantly around for the proclaimed gold, and Isla watched the fence posts. A little shape darted out between them, and maybe even under them a bit, to slam with full weight against Isla's leg; well, that helped enough. She drew out the little bar from before as Swiper weaved between her legs, walking along to break off a piece for Dancing and another for the offending villain. The smile kept on, though. Isla couldn't stay annoyed at such cuteness.

Walking up, dirt soon under her shoes on the way up to the shrine, Isla waved to Camila as she approached. "Hey! How's it going?"

---

With his plan to flee the Zubat without further issues succeeding (as har as he could tell), Richard continued sprinting through the torch-lit caves to try and make as much distance away from the entrance as he could. By the time he had finally slowed down enough to gather his bearings, though, it seemed quite apparent that running blindly ahead left him with little recourse as to what path he had taken to get here. As Luna, who had run after him as best she could have in his haste, finally slowed to a stop a few paces behind him, Richard took a deep breath and turned around to confirm that she was still in well enough condition after their brief sprint.

"Sorry to spring that on you all of a sudden," he apologized, "but good job keeping up. We should be okay now, so let's take a moment to breathe before we figure out what to do next."

After a few pats on the head, Richard glanced around the area before briefly losing himself in thought. There were more than a few Pokemon here that would function well enough as combat training, and with that massive waterfall blocking any chance of (safe) exploration deeper in, it seemed reasonable to buckle down here for a while.

"...Right, I've decided. Luna, you see those Nacli up there?" he asked, gesturing at the cluster of Rock-type Pokémon staring down at them before reminding himself to point at the group with his Pokedex. "We'll start by trying to find more of those closer to ground level, but if that fails... I guess we try to get one of those down here."

Given how he had almost tripped over one on the way here, finding more at ground level shouldn't be too difficult...

@Rune_Alchemist

---

Location: Camphor's Lab Mentions: @Savo @Rune_Alchemist

---

Jill's face briefly fell when Yuu said he would not wait for her. After all, she hadn't exactly been planning to linger in the lab. She would just run in, return the bucket, thank Frieda again if she was still about and rush out. However, he did seem genuine in his promise that he would wait for her at the Pokemon Centre, so her smile returned and she gave him an awkward thumbs up. "Sure thing!" she said. "See you there!" With that, she turned and made her way back into the lab.

As she was doing this, Aster had somehow managed to wriggle out of her trainer's arms and crawled up onto her shoulders, still very pointedly not looking at either Yuu or his Riolu as she did so.

The walk to the place wasn't all too long. It was down a worn dirt road with scenery that at least Camila thought was beautiful. Totems of Pokemon at the entrance surrounded by a field with Pokemon all around. The assistant had to wonder if they belong to anyone or if they were wild. None seemed to be especially afraid of her or attacked as she walked the path with Snow so she assumed they were very use to humans if they were wild ones. That's when Camila and her fox arrived at the front of the old, wooden building.

“...we’re closed.”

Well, Camila was sort of hoping to be able to visit this place a little more closely. It was a place she'd not had the chance to see before but what seemed to be the caretaker of the place seemed to be saying the place was closed. That was... Odd. No, it almost seemed like she just didn't want people around the place for some reason. Like she didn't want to bother. At least, that was sort of a gut feeling that the assistant had. "What do you mean by closed?" The place didn't seem to be in disrepair and it seemed to be rather busy around here, though it was mostly Pokemon and not so much the people. "I'm one of the assistants at Professor Camphor's lab. I was on my way through the town and thought I'd come visit the place since it was here, but if it's closed... Well, could you at least tell me when it'll be open again? Or why it's closed down?" The woman asked with a smile.

It was then that she heard another person before she saw them. From behind was a familiar face. One of the workers that Professor Camphor brought in. "Oh! Umm, Isla, was it?" She felt like she had used that exact same wording not all too long ago. "I'm surprised anyone came out this way toward Pine's End." The assistant mentioned to Isla. "Is your Eevee doing well?" She asked before her eyes lit up remembering something.

"Oh! Sorry Isla, one minute." She then turned to the girl with the glasses. "So, yes, apologies. When will you reopen? I have a scientific curiosity... Not to mention a personal one at that."

Seasalt caverns
@PKMNB0Y

---

Finding more Nacli indeed, wasn’t too difficult. It seemed they were one of the more common pokemon in the caves. Finding one he wanted to get however, would prove just to be a matter of patience. The first one he’d find wouldn’t be too difficult, though it didn’t have what he was looking for and would choose to flee if it was given a chance. The second, though, would opt to fight instead of flee though still would be affected by Luna’s Glare.

The third he ran into, was a particularly small Nacli. It, though, rather confidently slid out in front of Richard and Luna, hopping up and down. With a battle cry, it would charge right ahead as glare hadn’t worked on it! A blob of mud would be launched towards Luna as it attacked with a Mud-Shot!

---

Pokemon Center
@Savo
Lab

For the most part, Remi and Nevine remained silent on their way to the pokemon center. Remi, particularly, seemed to pout and avoid speaking with Yuu while Nevine just didn’t seem all that talkative in the first place. Once they arrived, their pokemon would easily and quickly be taken care of.

Da-da-dada-da! Yuu’s, Remi’s, and Nevine’s pokemon were fully healed!

Remi, would content himself with sitting near the front of the pokemon center, ordering a few refreshments and making a point of still ignoring Yuu. Nevine…had laid Slakoth on the table, and was seemingly using it as a pillow as her face was currently face down in its fur.

“Hey, Yuu.” It wouldn’t be until a few seconds later that Remi would chime in. “You really planning on going to that forest?” He’d question. “Tch, if I wasn’t with Nevine I’d totally go with you.” He’d pout again, poking out his lip and taking a long sip of the freshly brewed coffee. “Word of advice from a local, Yuu. Rumors say that place supposedly, somehow, makes people see things from their past. I’m not saying I believe in that stuff, but pokemon have some weird abilities sometimes.”

---

Pines End -> Temple
@Pyromania99@Thayr

“...Never-” The woman started to initially say, frowning lightly as Isla would walk up not too long after, earning a tired grumble from the glasses-wearing woman. Upon hearing that she was from the lab, though, the woman’s expression softened only just slightly. “You work for Professor Camphor…? Well…look, the temple isn’t open because I say its not. But if you’re with the professor, then…you know a lot about pokemon right?” The woman frowned, weighing her options before sighing.

“Alright, you can come in, but don’t touch anything…and try not to uhm, be too excitable…” She’d say, turning around and opening the large wooden doors to the temple, their ancient but well taken care of hinges creaking open as she’d lead them inside. “For starters, my name is Yasu. I’m…well, the priestess here I guess, if you want to call it that, though most days I just clean and make sure the shrine is well taken care of…”

The interior of the Shrine was just as the exterior. Primarily made of wood, though well maintained even if it was obvious some renovations had taken place over the years. The temple seemed to consist of a mix of local Eidda styles and those perhaps found more in Kanto or Johto. The room they found themselves in seemed to be a large, single, room with a high ceiling. Ornately carved around the door they had walked through was depictions of foliage, leaves, and various old depictions of pokemon.

In the far back of the room, was a somewhat smaller looking building, a slanted roof and walls made of stone. Old, weathered writing hanging on a wooden plaque hung over the wooden doors which were sealed tight with thick ropes. Camilla would recognize the writing as written word used by old civilizations, though she couldn’t quite read it. A few rooms were off to the side that seemed to be a small kitchen and living area.

“Right…” Yasu sighed, frowning lightly. “Hatty?”

“Teeeen?”

Bouncing out of one of the rooms, a pink and blue pokemon bounced out of the room and walked up, hiding behind Yasu’s ankles.

“We have visitors.”

“....Haaa…?”

The Hattenna’s antenna drooped lightly, as if it wasn’t too impressed with the two of them.

“So, if you really are interested in the shrine and not just here to gawk like some tourist,” Yasu pointedly stated. “Then you can visit. As for what I want help with…I’m looking for information on a pokemon that you might know about or have seen. It’s a small pokemon, small body, green in color. Two antennas. I realize that is not the best description but it's all I really have to go on.” Distinctly though, she hadn’t quite given an actual reason as to why the temple was closed.



Camphors Lab

---

@Vertigo@XxFellsingxX
The pokemon, irreverently stared at Chloe, lightly chewing on her hair through the entire rant without a care in the world. Until it had the hair forcibly yanked from its mouth, upon which it would give an impish, ghostly giggle. The odd Misdreavus would completely ignore the lecture, instead floating down over to Snuggles and -

“Why is someone yelling in my lab-!”

Before it could do what it was about to, someone else started shouting. Just down the hallway, a short woman wearing a labcoat and a darker skinned younger woman with red hair had just turned the corner. The smaller one, she’d immediately recognize as Professor Camphor. The irritated expression she was wearing seemed to indicate she wasn’t too happy about something.

“Uhm, and who are you…? This lab is private property and we don’t usually allow people-”

“Ha? Wait, I recognize this one. Chloe Rothschild.”

“Oh! She was one of the-”

“LATE.” Camphor would interrupt loudly. “Now why the f-”

“Ah professor!” Before Camphor could finish the sentence, Frieda would wrap her hands around Camphors mouth, silencing whatever it was she was about to say. “A-ah I’m sorry, Miss Rothschild. I’m Frieda, Camphors assistant.”

“And also way too soft.” Camphor harrumphed, pulling Frieda’s hand away from her mouth. “Look, I don’t have time to catch you up personally. I’ve got a meeting with the head of the Mexatus Institute’s R&D and with Mr. Mexatus himself regarding the preserve. Frieda, you can handle her.”

“A-ah, yes professor! I can, you uhm, go to that meeting. There’s some freshly made coffee next to your desk!” Camphor waved the two of them off, before continuing down the hallway.

The odd Misdreavus, seemed to have vanished without anyone else seeing it when no one was looking…did she want to mention it? Didn't seem like the professor or Frieda saw it.

“So, uhm, Miss Chloe? I’m really sorry about that. The Professor really doesn’t like tardiness…uhm, with that said if you’ll follow me we’ll get you registered and all set up. Are there any questions you have?” Upon reaching the reception area again, she’d notice Jill, giving her a friendly wave.

“Hello Jill. I saw your battle out there! Did you guys have fun? I’d like to talk more, but we have a late arrival here and I need to get her registered and all settled in...”

Well, good job on that win there, Missy!” Beryl said as Clarissa would return to her table. The food was still fresh and hot, and Wobby would give a friendly salute and his usual Wobbufet. “Them bettin folk sure are happy. Not every day the Gym Leader fights and not every day someone can beat ‘em so easily. Granted, that matchup was pretty poor once that fightin’ move came out, eh?” Beryl grinned, giving Clarissa a wink. “You need anything else, lemme or Wobby here know. I gotta get back to the kitchen.”

\

"T-Thank you. Yes, that move is quite handy to have. In that sense we perhaps were a bit lucky I believe."

She didn't want to be cocky in word, even if her face was back to its usual drilled stoicism, but it was a bit lucky they'd faced an opponent so badly weak to fighting moves. Not that she felt the most comfortable accepting any sort of praise really. Even then, however, it wasn't a guarantee that they'd have won anyway with a supereffective move. Their opponent could have been just as prepared! Yet how one of Sir Lopsalot's parents had learned such a movie she had no idea....perhaps a Pokemon released by a trainer somewhere? Either way it had served them well in this instance, and for that she was grateful.

Sir Lopsalot, for his part, would simply keep smiling big like an idiot as he sat in his trainer's arms while she sat down once more at the table. He had taken a bit of a beating, that was sure, but he'd come out on top! That was far from what he'd expected, perhaps, but he ws happy all the same! Still....mmm, hot food~

"Bun."

Clarissa looked down as the Buneary in her arms tugged at her shirt collar before pointing to the food in front of them.

[color=violet]"Ah. We can eat, but before we leave I must apply one of the Potions the Professor gave me to heal you back up."

"Bun..."

"Yes, its nessecary. We still have to go hunting after those Murkrow, after all."

"Bun...Bun Bun."

With a sigh of defeat, the Buneary crossed his little arms and tried to look away. But the tone of his voice seemed to say it all really, at least in Clarissa's mind, before she looked back to Ripley. Hmm. It had been a fast battle, but it had felt like ages since the two had spoken despite it being such a short time period. Odd. Even so, she did want to make sure of things before they went onward.

"Thank you for your patience, Ripley. I hope we haven't waste too much time....but once we eat, I hope we can catch up to those Murkrow before it gets too late in the day.

Once it gets late enough, though, I will have to head to the Contest. Likely have to stay the night at the nearest Pokemon Center really. But if you'd be willing to meet me there after the Contest, then I-....it'd be nice to keep traveling in a group, I mean."

If he still wanted to keep on traveling with her, then she was open to it. But if he came to have other ideas, well, then she'd have to make do. Or, if nothing else, see if one of the other trainers wanted to group up if they were still in Byjerfal by then. Hmm. There would be time to think on those things later, especially since she had to steel herself for enduring that Contest and the aftermath.

As for now-



.....

The rest of the meal would pass without incident, and there wasn’t much else to do in the cafe unless she wanted to go bother what was said to be someone that worked for Keira. Maybe taking a bet could be a good idea? Probably not, really though. Either way, once she finished her meal she and Riley should he want to, could easily head back out. It was getting a bit on in the day, so finding the Murkrow likely wouldn’t be much harder, though they’d still need to keep Beryls words in mind - nesting on the roof of a nearby old toy factory.

Should be fine to go poking around there.

Indeed, Clarissa and Sir Lopsalot would eat up, take the time to apply a potion to the battle-roughed Sir Lopsalot, and then try to see if they could get any further instructions on how to get to that 'old toy factory' that Beryl had mentioned if the other woman knew anything before heading out. The meal itself had been lovely, to say the least, but had been more filling and frankly heartier than Clarissa had expected for the most part. Perhaps that was good, however, considering the time they'd be busy for the rest of the day anywho. Murkrow, the contest, the afterward, and then trying to get some rest at the nearest Pokemon Center (big cities might have more than one, right?) before tentatively leaving the city the next day to continue onward.

Still, were Ripley willing to still come along and help find the Murkrow still, then he was very much welcome too. Even so, Clarissa had made clear she didn't want to rush him and his Pokemon getting to enjoy their own meal either. If he still wanted to join up with them as a group as well, then she had made clear that if he needed he could catch up with her and Sir Lopsalot at the nearest Pokemon Center they'd try to settle down at for the night. Herself and Sir Lopsalot had eaten quite a good bit faster than she'd anticipared in the end,really, albeit they had both been a tad ravenous and genuinely hungry as well.

However, feeling a bit embarassed about the situation she had elected to at least temporarily 'go ahead' to seek out the Murkrow in time to catch a good one before the Contest. It was an odd thing, but Sir Lopsalot had at least gone along with it in the end. Well, her Pokemon had gone along with it after a final goodbye salute to Wobby for some reason. Such an adamantly odd little Pokemon he could be at times....but that was her partner in a nutshell really. And it was something perhaps a bit endearing, in the psychic's own mind, about him to boot.

Still, the duo would do their best to get directions and seek out the factory. They had no time to lose! It was time to catch a Murkrow!