What a sorry state of affairs this was. This place should have been teeming with guardsmen and yet, the command center was barren for lack of a better word short for a few engineers and mechanics tinkering away. It was deplorable that the kingdom refused to send any aid to a region experiencing such unprecedented increase in monster attacks though if Nolan had to wager as reason as to why he could give a few reasons, and none were pretty.
They were soon waved down by someone. A sergeant judging by the uniform, but otherwise unremarkable. Nolan stood there and let Ria introduce themselves as the mages that took the job and showed them the job listing since she was the one holding onto it. The sergeant spoke to them cordially and he did not receive any stink eye from her. At least someone in this guard was able to act with any modicum professionalism. Still, he was not surprised that they were being relegated to being just back up to sit on the sidelines until they were needed to do what the guard could never hope to do.
The intel was shaky at best though. He understood that there were not enough resources to have the guard keep track of the location of these creatures, but this was pathetic. At best nothing would happen, and the job is completed without a hiccup and at worst it would become a massacre and the fault would fall upon not the shared shoulders of soldier and mage, but the guild mages only. They had the most to lose.
"So, how are we dealing with the chain of command? Are we to take orders or is this a partnership?" asked Nolan crossing his arms. "I am willing to work with your men, but the question that needs to be asked is if they are willing to work with me."
"Hey, I'm talking to you! Don't you walk away from me!" shouted Victor uselessly at the figure that retreated into night. He stood there, bewildered and shaking with rage. "What the hell is wrong with this school?!" The boy shouted again and, in his frustration, kicked someone's clothes that were left strewn about.
His anger did eventually simmer down. Victor tiredly looked down at the water like the valet was. He could not help, but to think what that voice said.
"Water... I see. The gateway, the horizon, the boundary..."
It really was the water that was the doorway. He had a suspicion, but it was strange. If this stupid tradition existed and it was not some sick joke concocted by Ms. Top 15 Science Track, then this should have happened before. Some other students, even the freshman this year, pressured by tradition should have been sent to that piña colada deathtrap and either died or made it out, but either way there would've been rumors and urban legends. There should have been panic over students disappearing. There should've been, so why was it happening now?
It wasn't just some freak accident that they ended up in another world and it was not some weird coincidence that the blue valet appeared in their world when he went to investigate the docks. No, he absolutely refused to believe that it was some cosmic coincidence that the fabric of reality opened its maw and spat them out in another dimension just because they won the eldritch lottery. Something happened, something forced a gateway between their world and that other world, and they were either collateral or they were being strung along by something greater than what they could comprehend. All of this led back to the blue valet and the man in black. They were the only lead that he had.
It was crazy and even a jump to conclusions with what little evidence he had, but it was either believe that there was meaning in what he went through or fall into existential dread.
The question was if he could bring himself to take a leap of faith into the sea. For all he knew, there was a possibility that he could be sent to a completely different world. And what were the odds that his peers were still alive? If they were he knew how to get them out of there though surely, they would've figured it out on their own, but they would have to Mission Impossible it back to the docks like he did. It was not like he needed to do it. Why should he risk himself his safety for them?
Victor glanced at the water, to the clothes, back to the water, and sighed. He gathered up their clothes and looked down at the water. "If I die over this, I swear..."
He jumped into the water and hoped to whatever god there was that he would make it out this alive.
That was the kind of answer that he expected from her. If she already knew how awful his reputation was already and still offered to work with him and show him around town, then she was aware of the consequences that it could have for her and yet she still stood her ground. It was both admirable to stand by her convictions, but equally as foolish to stick her neck out for someone like him and naive to underestimate how quickly people could turn on her. It was far easier to say screw what other people think versus the reality of it.
Nolan flinched from her touch though his face was not flushed red. Given how standoffish he had been, it should have no been no surprised that he did not like to be touched. Give me a break. I'm not here to make- Hey! He did not even get the chance to finish the edgy thing he was about to say as she clasped his hand with both of hers dragged him by the arm with great skips. Uncharacteristically he stumbled forward due to not expecting Ria to just suddenly tug him away to... a pastry shop?
She really goes by the beat of her own drum. Nolan thought while he listened to her ramble about how great the streusel from this particular patisserie were. Ria really was easily excitable. Everything grabbed her attention and she just kept jumping in between them like a kid in a candy shop and just as demanding too. She was dead set on taking him to the patisserie, one of the many places he would be dragged around for certain. No matter how he looked at it, she was not going to let him go skulking back in his room now that she had her clutch on him.
Knowing that he had no chance to escape, Nolan heaved a heavy sigh and said, "Fine, fine, you can treat me. However, I do not like owing people anything. I'll treat you later."
He of course followed her because he agreed to work with her on the job. The job and his flustered blushing were completely separate matters, and he of course was able to maintain a professional enough conduct for a job. It would have been stupid to dwell on something that she never intended to ask. However, he really did hope that she did not notice him blushing earlier. By the gods it would have been embarrassing if she did.
So, what misadventures was Victor having while everyone else was awakening supernatural abilities that go beyond human comprehension? For the starters, he was doing his best to not get caught and kiss any hope of having an academic career and social life goodbye. There he was, almost butt naked with his modesty saved by his swim trunks and dripping wet from what he assumed to be the spring water he was slammed into or the primordial darkness that he had just been floating in. Every single nerve in his body screamed at him to go back to his room, to just let this night end and put whatever that hell was behind him, but he couldn't. He needed some bloody answers for that tropical flavored nightmare.
Actually, there were many reasons as to why he had to go back to the dock. First off, his wallet with his student ID was in pants and if they died then Victor was going to be suspect for a kidnapping, murder, or God knows what if they did not find their way off the island. He could not tell them what happened and even if he did, no one would believe him because even he did not believe it and he was the one who went through it. 'Yes officer, we jumped in the water and went through some primordial soup and ended up on an island to be attacked by some multi-eyed, winged hell frog.' They would have declared him insane, and he would have to live with the guilt that he was the only one who survived by sheer dumb luck.
He needed to figure out what happened, how he was able to leave that other world, and if possible, get back there and tell his schoolmates how to escape if they were not already dead. First, however, he needed to get off the school grounds proper and get back to the docks.
Water dripped down his body, leaving a wet trail behind him as he walked through the school corridors. Thankfully there was no one on the second floor of the school building at the same, so he made his way down to the ground floor and it was just a straight shot to get the exit, until he stumbled upon his first obstacle. Before Victor could turn the corner, he peeked his head past it and saw it was some kid stumbling around struggling to hold a quite large tuba case as they walked quickly as they could. They were probably late, and it looked like they were doing their best to keep their grasp on it and it was partially blocking their field of view.
Right, there was a music club at this time. Some of his classmates in the Arts Track joined it and he recalled talking to some of them about it. It was unlucky that he came across another person, but it wasn't a problem. One upside of being barefoot is that no one could hear his steps. So, Victor stealthily and carefully walked on the side where the tuba player's vision was obscured and even if they noticed, it would have been too late because he already gone.
Victor sighed a breath of relief as he finally made it outside the building though the real challenge had only just begun. Immediately, he made for a mad dash for the closest thing to hide behind, the bushes in this case, and surveyed his surroundings. This was where obstacle two reared its head. Peeking from the bushes Victor saw the groundskeeper preserving and maintain the beauty of the school campus with quite the funky enthusiasm. As they swept, it looked like they were moving to the rhythm.
"You'll never see it coming," the groundskeeper sung to themself. They were wearing headphones!
Taking advantage of that, Victor crept as quickly as he could whenever the groundskeeper was not looking his way to find new cover. It was a delicate balance where he could not make sudden movements that would be caught out of their peripheral vision, nor could he be so slow that if he took too much time then he would be caught. However, just as Victor was ducking behind a tree he noticed that the groundskeeper turned around at the last second and caught a glimpse of him and made their way over to investigate.
Victor in his panic looked around to see where he could hide, but there wasn't. It was either make a mad dash or get caught. That was until he looked up at the tree and a thought occurred.
The groundskeeper was perplexed; they could have sworn they saw someone not wearing their uniform, or anything at all for that matter, around the tree. They circled around it, but there was nothing. That was because up above him was Victor holding onto for dear life on tree branch, his legs and arms hooked around it like a Koala clinging to its mother.
I am a tree, I am a tree, I am a tree, I am a tree, was the mantra that he kept repeating to himself over and over again in his mind. Victor could feel the droplets of water gather at the tips of his hair just ready to drip down. I am a dry tree, I am a dry tree!
A droplet of water fell from Victor's head and narrowly just missed the groundskeeper. They eventually just shrugged and walked away, chalking it up to their imagination.
Victor sighed heavily with relief and dropped himself back onto the ground, landing on his feet. There was no other incident with the groundskeeper as he made his way through the grounds. Eventually, he lost sight of them. He was only going by memory at this point, but he thought that he was getting closer to the path that led to the docks.
If it were not for the risk of being charged for public indecency and having to avoid being seen by the school populace, this would have been a relaxing walk. However, this was not a relaxing walk. He could hear obstacle number three coming his way, a bunch of high school girls with smartphones. Forget being caught by tuba kid or the groundskeeper, if he was caught in 4k by them then his life would have been completely over. Victor did not need his photos plastered on social media that way!
Without thinking, he dove behind a tree that was between him and the four social executioners. Thankfully, it was dark out, so they did not notice him peeking to keep track of their movement while there were still lights that lit up areas. It should have been simple; he should have been able to wait it out for them to leave. He shifted his position to get a better view when he heard a loud CRACK. His eyes shifted down and saw that he had stepped on a branch, which he broke. Fuck.
"What was that?"
Victor heard one of the girls ask. He could hear their footsteps walk towards his way. His eyes widened in panic as he thought of every way of trying to explain his way out of the situation, every excuse, every bargaining chip, but he realized that none of that would save his skin when the majority of the students here had everything they could ever want. It was all social currency, and he was about to go bankrupt if he could not figure a way out of the situation. Then inspiration struck.
He began to make very audible sounds of a couple making out, which made the footsteps stop. He needed to sell it so, to make it somehow more convincing he pulled out the strongest, sultry Valley Girl impersonation possible and moaned out the first name that he could think of, "Oh Daniel~" This was then followed by more passionate kissing sounds.
He kept up the noises for the awkwardly long amount of time it would take when he heard 'Oh Daniel' not from him, but from one of the girl's phones and giggling as they finally walked away. Victor's face flushed red, and he curled up against the tree doing his best to not groan in embarrassment. Was him moaning Daniel's name going to be all over every student's social media account? Very likely. Was Daniel going to find out about it? Also yes, but goddamn was he convincing.
Finally, after all that time, Victor finally made it to the path that led down to the docks. Remember when being barefoot helped? He took that back. The damn path was covered in rocks and they sure loved to remind him that he did not have his bloody shoes on. Every step his took was as delicate as he could so he would not have shredded meat for feet.
Eventually, he did find his way down the switchback and arrived at the docks. He found everyone's clothes miraculously still there and not in the water after the freak accident with Maeve. At this point, he had already dried out save for his slightly damp swim trunks, so he just put his uniform back on.
"Fully clothed at last," Victor said to himself as he straightened his clothes. He dusted himself off and then began his investigation. He walked around the dock, trying to find anything completely out of the ordinary. Besides the clothes strewn about, there was nothing.
Was there really nothing? Did all of this happen just like that like they won the cosmic lottery of being royally screwed over? Victor craned his neck up to the night sky and sighed exasperatedly when he saw something impossible. His eyes widened and a familiar cold sensation ran down his spine. Lit by the pale moonlight was a man with white hair and a blue valet uniform standing on cliff tops looking down at the water.
A boiling sensation brewed in him, a volatile rage that bubbled forth. His teeth gnashed and his breathing became shallow and more rapid. "Hey, hey you!" Victor shouted as loud as he could, not caring if he would be caught anymore. He continued to shout with that vitriol, "I've seen you before and you've seen me! Who in the fresh hell are you and what the hell is going on?! Talk to me goddammit!"
"Well, there is something though I'm not sure if they're related, but there are strange lights that appear in the woods at night. A green colored light. Make of it what you will."
When asked about if there was a map, she just shook her head and said, "There aren't any maps I'm afraid. Even before Cipher the Deep Woods was an inhospitable place for people to wander into and frankly, given with what you told me I'm surprised that your head is still attached to your neck. I don't even want to imagine what lives in the deepest corner of it." Considering what Jason had just gone through previously, it should have not come to any surprise that the forest was unmapped.
However, the librarian looked thoughtful though conflicted as if she should not tell him something. It must have been important though because before he could leave, she tentatively said, "There is a woman that lives in the Deep Woods, Helga. She knows her way like the back of her hand, but... well, let's just say there is a reason why she lives there. You can bargain with her, but I would be prepared for a big ask in return."
"Well, good luck."
Jason would eventually leave the library and then the entirety of Starbor to go train before his excursion into the Deep Woods. The sun above him had already long set and darkness had consumed the forest because he had a long, long day of nearly dying, fighting a bird, and exploring the village. Eventually, he would find himself outside of the village in the forest proper.
Starbor Woods
Before you lay a forest of impossibly large trees. Even when you craned your neck to look all the way up, you would soon realize that you cannot see the end of them. Where the sky should be was a thick canopy of leaves with beams of light piercing through that would act as the light source for the woods and that is not even acknowledging the sheer width of these trees. While varying in width, on average they looked like they could be buildings. It would take a few minutes to walk around even the thinnest of the trees. The roots were massive as well, some protruding the ground in towering arcs with large patches of moss growing on them.
You do see some trainers and others walk through, but you specifically were finding a lot of Bug-Catchers and Bug-Maniacs around and that is not without reason. There were small bug-type Pokemon crawling about the trees. On the ground were a variety of small grass-type Pokemon as well going about their own business as well. Not only that, but there were a number of people in harnesses climbing up the trees It would make anyone wonder what was up above in the trees.
There was, surprisingly, a road going through the forest and another dirt path that offered a safe path through the woods though whether or not you follow it is entirely up to you. While it may be a bit dangerous to get off the beaten path, perhaps there are things that people miss?
What could be seen right now were a couple of caterpillar-like creatures skittering around the ground and along the massive columns of trees.
Pokedex Entry #664-Scatterbug, the Scatterdust Pokemon. When under attack from bird Pokémon, it spews a poisonous black powder that causes paralysis on contact. The powder that covers its body regulates its temperature, so it can live in any region or climate.
Pokedex Entry #265-Wurple, the Worm Pokemon. Using the spikes on its rear end, Wurmple peels the bark off trees and feeds on the sap that oozes out. This Pokémon's feet are tipped with suction pads that allow it to cling to glass without slipping. Pearl. It spits a white silk thread that turns sticky when coming into contact with air. The silk is used to immobilize foes.
Scurrying around the ground were these grumpy looking mushroom Pokemon, watching those passing by curiously.
Pokedex Entry #285-Shroomish, the Mushroom Pokemon. Shroomish live in damp soil in the dark depths of forests. They are often found keeping still under fallen leaves. This Pokémon feeds on compost that is made up of fallen, rotted leaves. If Shroomish senses danger, it shakes its body and scatters spores from the top of its head. This Pokémon's spores are so toxic, they make trees and weeds wilt.
Connected Areas:
Route 4 Corrupted Marsh Starbor City
1. Find Pokémon. Can be specified what kind of Pokémon is being searched for, and how you search. 2. Train Pokémon. With this command, we can jump ahead in time and skip posting about grinding. 3. Seek trainers. There should be some trainers among those walking back and forth in the area. 4. Talk. There’s plenty of travelers around. Maybe seek answers to any burning questions you have. 5. Move along. Move along normally, letting any events that may come happen naturally. 6. Hurry along. Intentionally avoid confrontations and try to get safely to the next destination. 7. Specify. If you specify what you want to do, the GM will take it into account and tell the result. 8. Trigger random event. Force the GM to use his imagination to make a scenario for you. 9. Area Specific: Climb Trees. Arborist Gear or Pokemon required.
Deciding to start his training, Sable and Murus. Sable herself was able to make quick work of the bug-types and Occisor did not struggle as well though Murus, not having very powerful moves made much slower progress though got there eventually.
Sable is now level 15. Sable learned Bite! Occisor is now level 12. Occisor learned Wing Attack! Murus is now level 14. Murus learned Shadow Punch!
Deciding to delve deeper in, Jason walked for a number of minutes until he the familiar mist began to roll in through the leaves and bodies of the trees. It was even darker than before, requiring him to use the flashlight function on his phone to even see where he was stepping. A sense of foreboding began to creep in his bones, but he kept on going.
Deep Starbor Woods
Deep Starbor Woods was a place that many actively avoided and perhaps for good reason. The mist that permeated the area cutdown the visibility within the woods and somehow, the canopy above was thicker than before, making it darker. This was a tad big dangerous as there were some drops that if someone were not paying attention, they would find themselves with some very broken limbs or fall in a river down below. That is if they don't fall in some webs and find themselves on the wrong end of a hungry bug-type. Actually, people just needed to be careful of these webs in general as they were littered all over the place.
Due to the lack of people travelling and lack of people volunteering to enter, the path that led to the Deep Woods was essentially now just a dirt, rocky path covered with moss. Yes, this place was not exactly a place that experienced a lot of foot-traffic in general, but that meant that there were possibly encounters that people had limited experience about or never had seen before.
From what can be seen, the Pokemon responsible for all of the webs in the area were these green spiders with markings meant to scare predators away from them.
Pokédex Entry #167 – Spinarak, the String Spit Pokémon. With threads from its mouth, it fashions sturdy webs that won't break even if you set a rock on them. Although the poison from its fangs isn't that strong, it's potent enough to weaken prey that gets caught in its web.
There were also these horned caterpillar things with big, pink, round noses and every now and again, sentient yellow cocoons could be seen hanging above from strings of white.
Pokédex Entry #013 – Weedle, the Hairy Bug Pokémon. Weedle has an extremely acute sense of smell. It is capable of distinguishing its favorite kinds of leaves from those it dislikes just by sniffing with its big red proboscis (nose).
Pokédex Entry #014 – Kakuna, the Cocoon Pokémon. Kakuna remains virtually immobile as it clings to a tree. However, on the inside, it is extremely busy as it prepares for its coming evolution. This is evident from how hot the shell becomes to the touch.
However, the main reason as to why many people avoided took the form of very angry bees with drills for arms. You know what they are.
Pokédex Entry #015 – Beedrill, the Poison Bee Pokémon. Beedrill is extremely territorial. No one should ever approach its nest—this is for their own safety. If angered, they will attack in a furious swarm.
1. Find Pokémon. Can be specified what kind of Pokémon is being searched for, and how you search. 2. Train Pokémon. With this command, we can jump ahead in time and skip posting about grinding. 3. Move along. Move along normally, letting any events that may come happen naturally. 5. Hurry along. Intentionally avoid confrontations and try to get safely to the next destination. 6. Specify. If you specify what you want to do, the GM will take it into account and tell the result. 7. Trigger random event. Force the GM to use his imagination to make a scenario for you.
Now, Slayer, Avem, and Lucha all had methods of actually combating the poison and flying-types that littered the forest and just tore through whatever they were training against. However, Slayer failed to knock out a particular strong Spinarak and received a nasty blow from its Poison Sting and is now poisoned. Slayer is slightly over half health.
Slayer is now level 16. Slayer learned Teleport! Avem is now level 13. Avem learned Double Team! Lucha is now level 13. Lucha learned Aerial Ace!
Now, on to the quick catch. It wasn't hard to find one of the angry shades of yellow buzzing around and Jason enacted his plan with Occisor to whittle down its health with a few hard-hitting quick attacks though a well timed Twin Needles caused Occisor to be poisoned as well though faced little damage otherwise. Eventually, Jason did throw a Pokeball and the Beedrill was absorbed into it in a flash of white light.
It rolled once... it rolled twice...
It broke out! The Beedrill let out a proud battle cry and was soon recaptured into another Pokeball.
It rolled once... it rolled twice...it rolled thrice!
Jason caught Beedrill!
Gender: Female Type: 11 Personality: (Up to player.) Quirks/Talents/Aspirations/Other: (Up to player.) Level: 11 Moves: Poison Sting, Harden, Twin Needle, Fury Attack Ability: Sniper If the Pokémon's attack lands a critical hit, the attack is powered up even further. Held Item: Currently at low hp.
New Pokémon caught! Jason earned 500P!
Would you like to give a nickname to Beedrill?
If Jason wanted to continue going through the forest, he only had two options before him: either walk around aimlessly and go deeper into the woods without any help or sense of direction or he could try to get the help of that Helga woman. Or do you go back to heal? It's late and if one is unprepared, there could be great consequences. @Lunarlord34
So, Steph decided to delve deeper into the ruins on Route 4. She would walk along the moon lit river, taking in the peaceful sights and sounds. Ghost-types looked at her with curiosity from afar for she gave off a strange feeling that was not typical of people, something that drawn in spirits as if she was bound to them like another visitor that had crossed through earlier. There was an occasional Wooper popping up from beneath the current to reveal its dump, happy expression without a single thought behind its beady dot for eyes. The ruins only helped to make it ever so atmospheric and mysterious to overall make one of the more awesome nighttime walks that anyone could have though there was nothing off about it. The only thing strange was the indecipherable writing on many of the ruins. Perhaps the rumors were simply overblown?
At a certain point though, she would find that there was only silence. All of the Pokemon, even the ghosts, were absent. Even for someone as brave as her, she would have felt a shiver of dread. She all of people would understand it more than anyone. In nature there is always noise, life. If the wilderness was silent, then that meant that there was something entirely wrong with these ruins.
With no warning, she would begin to feel a sense of panic and fear radiate from her within. It was if an icy, ragged hand gripped her heart. Her fight or flight instincts kicked in, an overwhelming need to get away from the ruins screamed and screamed. Steph's breathing would become shallow and quick, and a cold sweat raced down her brow. She would have had no choice, but to run away as fast as she could.
Fortunately, luck was on her side. Before Steph fled, the runes of the ruins lit up with a gentle, soft light blue that washed away the fear and panic that she suffered from though eventually the light flickered away like a dying flashlight.
Does Steph continue onward?
1. Find Pokémon. Can be specified what kind of Pokémon is being searched for, and how you search. 2. Train Pokémon. With this command, we can jump ahead in time and skip posting about grinding. 3. Seek trainers. There should be some trainers among those walking back and forth in the area or some fisherman wanting a brawl. 4. Talk. There’s plenty of travelers around. Maybe seek answers to any burning questions you have. 5. Move along. Move along normally, letting any events that may come happen naturally. 6. Hurry along. Intentionally avoid confrontations and try to get safely to the next destination. 7. Specify. If you specify what you want to do, the GM will take it into account and tell the result. 8. Trigger random event. Force the GM to use his imagination to make a scenario for you. 9. Area Specific: Shop. Fishing Store, a place to get a fishing rod. Closed at the moment.. Mysterious Ruins. Of unknown origin, ancient markings on them. Explore further?
Tristan did not hear any growling come from the woods. That was his imagination running wild.
So, Tristan and Faye formed their shaky alliance and walked through Route 1, taking in the countryside as they made their way to their next step on their journey. The morning was still quite young though there were still farmers toiling away their cattle; Tauros and Milktank being led to their pastures while young Wooloo and Mareep were led to farmhouses with baskets filled with white and yellow wool outside.
Eventually, they would begin to smell a strong floral aroma and hear a joyous cacophony of different music the closer they were to Florasong. After a while, they soon found themselves in a place that was a sharp contrast to the hustle and bustle of Grand Glory.
Florasong Town
There are two things that people experience just as they are about to enter the town. The first is the sounds of music of various genres being played along the streets by hopeful musicians. One would expect it to be a cacophony of noise and dissonance until one would realize that the musicians were playing back to one another in an exercise of improvisation and collaboration to create melodies that suited to the town's visual aesthetic. The second thing that one would experience just as they enter town is the floral assault on the olfactory senses. Everywhere no matter where one turned, there were flowers as far as the eye would see. Potted flowers, garden beds, hanging baskets, and more just about every turn.
The atmosphere was joyous and festive and yet, there is a soothing feeling that one would not find in the hustle and bustle of city streets. One could find people sitting around and relaxing at the outdoor cafes that littered the town and watch not only the musicians, but visual artists paint the idyllic town. After all, this was a town famous for its artistic and musical scene.
One of the crowning jewels of Florasong was what people called Aria's Park, a memorial to the founder of Florasong Town, which is a wonderous garden filled with flowers from all over the world and has many volunteers constantly maintaining it. If one isn't interested in flowers though, it was also home to many Pokemon that were attracted to the aroma and nectar of flowers.
Then there were Florasong School of Music, the place where every aspiring professional musician in Evig and even the rest of the world would kill to get into though that is nothing compared to the Florasong Opera House where any musician worth their salt would try to get a chance to perform there though the competition was stiff. After all, all the street musicians were all people who wanted to play there. The opera house was also the town's Gym.
Aside from that there were a few other places of interest. To start, there was a research facility that researched the Pokemon that lived in Aria's Park and there were other shops aside the Pokemart that sold some things of interest to a Pokemon trainer. There was a berry emporium and an artisanal Pokeball store. There was also a dilapidated old building that gave off some serious bad vibes.
There were Pokemon that wandered around the streets. There were some bipedal rats with strange eyes scurrying around looking very shifty, constantly keeping a look out. Then there were some very friendly canine Pokemon that were laying around by the flower beds in spots with the sun shining down on them and some just walking around living their best life. There were also some red bugs that hung around the musicians that made a sound akin to that of a xylophone.
Patrat, the Scout Pokemon. Using food stored in cheek pouches, they can keep watch for days. They use their tails to communicate with others. Extremely cautious, one of them will always be on the lookout, but it won't notice a foe coming from behind.
Kricketot, the Cricket Pokemon. It shakes its head back to front, causing its antennae to hit each other and sound like a xylophone. It chats with others using the sounds of its colliding antennae. These sounds are the hallmarks of fall evenings.
Lillipup, the Puppy Pokemon. This Pokémon is courageous but also cautious. It uses the soft fur covering its face to collect information about it surroundings. This Pokémon is far brighter than the average child, and Lillipup won't forget the love it receives or any abuse it suffers.
Connected Areas Route 1. A hilly route filled with many ranches and farmland. Lake Charity. A massive body of water. Used to travel between Starbor Village, Valstille City, and Florasong Town. Route 2. West of Florasong.
1. Find Pokémon. Can still search for Pokémon in towns and cities. 2. Talk. In cities, there are considerably more people one can talk to. Specify what kind you’re looking for. 3. Exit. Exit the town to any of the connected areas. 4. Specify. If you specify what you want to do, the GM will take it into account and tell the result. 5. Trigger random event. Force the GM to use his imagination to make a scenario for you. 6. Notable Buildings. Visit any of the facilities of the city! 6.1. Pokémon Center. Heal all your Pokémon. 6.2. PokéMart. Go to a store and buy things. 6.3. Research Center. A place used to study the Pokemon in Aria's Park. Maybe there is a point of interest? 6.4. Florasong School of Music. Not really just a building, but a general campus. 6.5. Florasong Opera House/Gym. ??? 6.6. Lyan's Berry Emporium. For all of your berry needs. 6.7. Critical Capture. To get unique Pokeballs. 6.8. Aria's Park. A beautiful park filled with flowers and Pokemon. 6.9. Dilapidated House. Gives off really bad vibes. 7. Street Musicians. Care to give them a tip?
"From divine floods to this? God really decided to step up his game then," said Kauro with a chuckle at the mocking theories though he did not take it personally. How could he? Everything was completely absurd, and death was around every corner and behind every closed door. If it were not for the fact that doing so would attract whatever the hell was outside to them, Kauro would have busted his gut laughing at how preposterous it all was. Seriously, him and two other guys after figuring out they were experiencing the strange phenomena as him were pulled into a hellscape that looked like the flipside of their world. Everything about that should terrify him and yet, the ever-looming threat of death found no hold on him. He still had that same grin on his face.
Kauro patted the tall boy's back and said, "Don't worry about it. Just focus on surviving." It was all they could do given the situation.
They waited while the cashier offered to take a peek outside the building followed by a shrill screaming that did not come from him. It came from outside though it did not overstay its welcome. They were not the only ones that were pulled into the world after all. It would have been foolish to think that it was the case. What was surprising, however, was that it was another student from that was a victim. In a city as large as theirs, filled with so many people what were the odds that it was another student from their school to be pulled into this world too? No, what were the odds that it was just that kid and them to be pulled from their world into this blood-soaked hell in the general vicinity? It was a statistical anomaly.
Kauro knew that his school was facing a disproportionate amount of missing people cases because of Strange Gospel, but thought at the very least that there had to be victims outside of the school that were under reported. It would have been odd if that was not the case, but that may have very well been the case. So why target Yamamura High School students? There were too many missing puzzle pieces. They had no way of solving the mystery if they hid themselves away. No, they couldn't hide anyway.
"There's no way we could barricade the entire store by ourselves; they're too many points of entry for us to cover and too few of us to stand guard. I don't know what's out there, but if we're cornered in here then we're dead." They were in a store. There were many windows, air ventilation, and of course doorways that any unsavory creature could use to force their way inside. If anything, they would have been trapped with it.
Did Nolan notice? No, no he did not. His remark came as a response from his time working as a freelance mercenary around the neighboring kingdoms for the last few years. No matter the job there was always someone that claimed that there was an 'easy' job only to be the first to have their existence be put in the past the tense, but Nolan trusted his abilities enough to get him through the direst of situations. Every battle, every foe, every job, every balance of life and death was experience that he gained and committed to memory and body. He was fortunate though in that regard; not many could be taught by those who perfected combat like his fellow God Slayers. No, what filled him with apprehension was that he would be working side by side with another guild mage. Any jobs that Nolan had taken ever since he joined Rising Stars, he took on his own. It was purely out of precaution. It took one person, just the wrong person to recognize his magic for what it was and then it was over for him and the guild for harboring a God Slayer.
For now, he was safe given how ignorant the denizens of the kingdom were in regard to magic as a whole and he doubted that Ria would know what God Slayer Magic looked like either. She just smiled and laughed without a care in the world. "They're either desperate, or they're holding something back to make the guild look like fools when it goes tits up. Either way, it does not change the fact that we will succeed," he said to Ria while they made their way through the guild hall. It was quite easy with many in the hall giving them plenty of way as he walked to the door like they were trying to avoid being bitten by a rabid dog.
He clicked his tongue at the sorry sight. Cowards, the lot of them.
Nolan pushed the door open and let Ria go through first before following suit. Unlike Ria, he did not carry the burden of meeting expectations. For him, it was just another job. He looked around, not really appreciating or absorbing his surroundings with any hint of joy like she did. It was just another place for him. A place that he would soon forget. It didn't matter. The only thing that got his attention was the girl's heterochromatic eyes boring into him.
Again, Nolan still did not understand why Kiba left him alone with Ria and even if he did ask there was no way he'd get an answer out of that self-imposed mute. However, the implication of what could have been mistaken from her invitation did not go completely over his head. His cheeks to the tip of his ears blushed red at the invitation despite his resting bitch face not budging an inch.
No, this was not a date. The idea that anyone would even want to ask him out was so outlandish to him because who in their right mind would want to date someone like him? How arrogant would one have to be to assume that someone was trying to ask him on a date anyway? Yeah, she was not asking him on a date. Why would anyone? And this was Ria, Ms. Ball of Sunshine, the friendliest person in the guild that walks around doing her best to brighten everyone's day. She was just trying to make friends with him like she does with everyone else in the guild. She would have asked anyone else. He wasn't special.
"I, um, it's not that I wouldn't be interested. It's just..." He ran his fingers through the back of his hair, digging his nails into it in annoyance as he exhaled through his teeth. "You'd be better off not being associated with me outside of the guild. I would just ruin your reputation."
Yeah, no Victor saw the leap that the hell frog made and just booked it as best as could with the unconscious Sophia clung to him. Well, he would have if she would stop being a hindrance to their own survival! Victor just as he was about to make a mad dash like the rest of his peers, Sophia's body spasmed, which made her fall off him.
For the love of... This girl was continuing to prove that if one looked up the definition of 'dead weight' they'd find a picture of her next its definition! Truly there has been no one as fitting for term as she dangled uselessly on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and let's be honest here, that was an insult to potatoes everywhere. It was as if the universe made her its butt monkey and then made her everyone else's problem too. If it were not for the fact that leaving her for dead would have weighed on his conscience, Victor would have left her on the ground to be chow for the warty fucker.
He did not have time to even react to what had happened. One moment he was reaching down to pick up Miss Top 15 and then the next thing he knew he felt his body crumple as he was sent flying, the air was forcibly pushed out of his body and crashed into the spring. Then there was just nothing.
Victor drifted in the waters, his consciousness fading in and out as he drifted deeper and deeper into the spring until the all too familiar icy chill dug its nails into his bones. His eyes fluttered open only to be greeted by the darkness from when he fell into the ocean. Again, he was floating in place though he was uncertain as to what would happen next. When he first fell in, he was flying above another ocean, heard a voice that boiled his insides as if molten tar was poured down his gullet, and them woke up on that beach.
A sense of fear grasped his heart for whatever the awaited future would be. Would he be sent to another island again filled with demon frogs or somewhere else. Was there even something else to come? The only thing more terrifying than being transported to some unknown world, was nothing else happening; to float in the darkness along with no end in sight. A true hell.
The silence was broken. The voice appeared again and warmth washed over him.
"Water... I see. The gateway, the horizon, the boundary..."
Victor did not even get a chance to ask what it was talking about. Light broke through the darkness and his eyes shot wide open. He wasn't floating anymore; his back was pressed against something smooth, yet cool and solid though his vision was completely out of focus. The young Frenchman shielded his eyes from the brightness as he sat back up because it turned out when someone goes from complete darkness to light, their eyes don't adjust immediately.
"Am I dead?" He asked himself in disbelief, his free hand pressed against the ground. It wasn't just smooth and cool; it had ridged and gaps just like tiles. Upon this realization, his hand fumbled around the surface desperately clarifying that what it was and then became hyper aware of not just his surroundings, but himself. Victor was drenched from head to toe, his hair clung to his face and sand in, well, places that won't be mentioned.
Victor scrambled to his feet and spun around to get the full view of his surroundings. It was the second-floor bathroom back in school. The strength in his legs almost gave out on him and he held himself up by balancing against the sink. His breathing was rapid and sharp as he felt a volatile mix of emotion sit in his stomach like bricks, beads of cold sweat ran down his head. In between panicked short breaths Victor asked himself, "Why am I...? How am I...?" Tears welled up at the corners of his eyes and his hand, shaking, covered his mouth as if he was trying to hold back a scream.
There was no time to panic though. For as far he could tell, he was back in school while everyone else was still stuck on the island with that beast. He leaned forward onto the sink and pushed the wet hair out of his eyes that stared at his own reflection in the mirror. "Calm down Victor. You won't get anywhere like this."
Victor poked his head out of the bathroom to make sure that there was no surprise students or janitors walking down the hallway before he made his way out of the building. The only thing he could do now was go back to the docks and investigate the area to figure out what happened, and well, get his clothes back too. He was sure to be sneaky though as he no doubt would have had a bit of trouble explaining why he was just wearing swim trunks on campus in the middle of the night.
"We can either figure out a way to save ourselves and investigate or we wait to see what happens. I don't know when we'll back pulled back in, but the reality is we are probably short on time if we can hear that heartbeat." What were they supposed to do? If they could be pulled back into the world whenever the forces wanted to, they would have no choice in the matter. The only thing they could do was to learn about what was happening and see if they could gleam anything from it. For Kauro, that was a joy, but for the others it was a terror.
The cashier caught on from Kauro's pretty blatant excitement and asked him why he did not seem to be panicking in the face of very possible death. All color in Kauro's face drained away as soon as he was called out for understandably his inappropriate level enthusiasm for their situation. He had been so excited by all the wild possibilities that the case presented that he forgot put on his 'Popular Guy' facade. "Ah, sorry. Uh, you see," he trailed off to think of any excuse to get him out of this situation. Maybe death would have been better at this rate.
However, a convenient distraction came in the form of a tall, rather dim purple haired boy. Kauro looked up at him with an expression that asked, 'how stupid could this guy be'. Yes, these theories were out there, but did this guy really understand what they saw and what's been happening? Kauro asked as bluntly and coldly as possible, "What else would you call that blood flooded world other than a chopping block? In the face of absurdity, expect equally absurd theories. Yes, I have no proof, but is this seriously the time to be a sceptic when you witnessed it yourself? We're not playing by the rules of this world anymore so-"
There was something wrong. It was as if everything seemed normal, like a living room that was neatly in order except for a picture frame that was just ever so slightly titled. Where were the other shoppers? The silence was unnatural; the busyness of the city streets ceased as if it was paused. This was then followed by the light being snuffed away. Then it was followed by the most pungent of smell, an overwhelming scent of iron that flooded his nostrils. Blood soaked the floor and blood poured in thick, viscous streams from fridges and the heartbeat echoed in their ears. They were back on the chopping block.
Kauro took the knife presented to him, his eyes never leaving the store entrance. "Move quickly and quietly. Be on alert. We don't know what's here."
@Zarkun "Well, to be honest the only thing I am fairly certain is that there is a shrine in the Deep Woods though I could never confirm it because it's too dangerous for someone with no Pokemon to go wandering around. Perhaps you can find some clues there to find the other shrines if it even exists," explained the studios woman. Obviously, if she were a trainer with any bit of skill then there would have been no need to rely on a relatively green trainer. Not like she had any choice at this point though.
Jacqulyn fished around her cluttered desk of notes and off-brand Pokemon Starbucks (Staryubucks? Gardbucks?) and handed him a leatherbound notebook and a blue pen. Opening the pages would only show clean sheets of lined paper.
Jason obtained Notebook!
"Take careful notes of any observations you deem important. Now if you excuse me, I need to get back to work," said Jacqulyn, but as soon as she sat down her head hit the table and the entire library was filled with the foghorn-esque sound of her snores. Sleep had finally got its grasp over her and was now trapped in the land of nod.
The librarian just absolutely sick of this shit turned to Jason and said wearily, "She's always like this. Can I help you with anything else or would you be on your way?"
What does Jason do?
1. Find Pokémon. Can still search for Pokémon in towns and cities. 2. Talk. In cities, there are considerably more people one can talk to. Specify what kind you’re looking for. 3. Exit. Exit the town to any of the connected areas. 4. Specify. If you specify what you want to do, the GM will take it into account and tell the result. 5. Trigger random event. Force the GM to use his imagination to make a scenario for you. 6. Notable Places. Visit any of the facilities of the city! 6.1. Pokémon Center. Heal all your Pokémon. 6.2. PokéMart. Go to a store and buy things. 6.3. Kiosk. Great place to ask for directions. 6.3. Farmer's Market. Berries, herbs, and various other crops can be found here. 6.4. Stone Emporium Various kinds of stone mined from Rheinvale. 6.5. Battle Items. Items helpful for Pokemon battles. 6.6. Contest Items. Accessories for your Pokemon to look their most fabulous. 6.7. Inventor Betrand's Store. Absolutely mad inventor. What he has for sale is up in the air. Whether or not it'll blow up in your face is also up in the air. 6.8. Food Carts Various kinds of street food. 7. Rail Carts. Take a cart to help you get around the village. Agriculture District, the Scholar District, the Market District, and the Entertainment District
The instant Steph reached Route 4 cool fresh air filled her lungs, a reinvigorating sensation after spending her day mainly around the exhaust of cars, the brining sea air of the port, and the inhuman stink of the sewers. It was quiet by comparison with only the local wildlife breaking the silence of night. Perhaps this was a bit of whiplash for her given she had been surrounded by crowds of people all day, but it was also a familiar comfort. There were plenty of nights like this back on her family farm in Galar though the only difference was that for the first time in her life she was on her own.
However, it was unlikely that she would be dwelling on that train of thought. Her sense of adventure fueled her desire to find the ruins, which led her to see if there was anyone at this time though she did find some random guy setting up a tent off to the side.
"The ruins? Uh, yeah they're down that way." They pointed towards the river. "I wouldn't venture too deep though. The place gives me the creeps."
They really weren't that hard to find. They were located by the river that flowed through the route. The remains of the ruins were mainly stone constructs such as moss-covered arches, intricately carved grand gates that were now partially freestanding with some connected to walls, pillars in various states of disrepair with the remains of some laying on their sides, and various places that may have once been buildings. Of course, there were the aforementioned free-standing walls that looked like they were part of something once, but now confuse people with their strange markings where the occasional Yamask would pop out from one of the walls though the ghostly energy that came from the ghosts differed to what was in the ruins.
Steph had no idea about the history of the region or any insight beyond the fact that people lived here. It was up in the air whether or not she even cared about the history behind it and just was more excited by the fact that she could explore something old and could fall on top of her at any moment like a kid in a jungle gym. If she felt like it, she could explore even deeper.
The ghost-types, Golets and Galarian-Yamasks, were watching her with great curiosity though did not approach the wildfire girl.
What does Steph do?
1. Find Pokémon. Can be specified what kind of Pokémon is being searched for, and how you search. 2. Train Pokémon. With this command, we can jump ahead in time and skip posting about grinding. 3. Seek trainers. There should be some trainers among those walking back and forth in the area or some fisherman wanting a brawl. 4. Talk. There’s plenty of travelers around. Maybe seek answers to any burning questions you have. 5. Move along. Move along normally, letting any events that may come happen naturally. 6. Hurry along. Intentionally avoid confrontations and try to get safely to the next destination. 7. Specify. If you specify what you want to do, the GM will take it into account and tell the result. 8. Trigger random event. Force the GM to use his imagination to make a scenario for you. 9. Area Specific: Shop. Fishing Store, a place to get a fishing rod. Closed at the moment.. Mysterious Ruins. Of unknown origin, ancient markings on them. Explore further?
Chrys
Noctis
wintersoldier
Xaltwind
Fetzen
Snowdrops
Choking on Mud
Festive
Kronshi
Estylwen
