Thread: The Cloud Garden Recorded History

Ooc: *Jumps on the bandwagon* Happy Birthday!

Originally Posted by enchantress

COMET’S CORNER
ades: Rather nervous at the prospect of approaching a strange settlement way out in the middle of nowhere, you stare down into the crater for quite some time, wondering what on earth to do before Water finally makes the decision for you, dashing off down the side of the crater. Left with no choice but to follow, you race off after him, taking the rugged stairs two at a time in a desperate attempt to catch up. You almost tumble a few times and briefly wonder if you’ll make it down there without breaking your neck in the process, but after a minute Water suddenly stops dead in the middle of the trail. Finally catching up with him, panting heavily while trying to catch your breath, you don’t even think to find the reason for his abrupt halt until you hear a faint, “Nineeeee,” close by. Frowing, you look up and see an injured Ninetales laying on the path. It looks pretty badly beaten up and the fang marks on it’s neck cause a chill to run up and down your spine. This Ninetales has not only been outnumbered in battle judging from the condition it’s in, but it’s been poisoned. You’re going to have to seek some medical attention for it quickly if it has any hope of surviving.

Carefully lifting the beautiful cream-colored fox into your arms you place it gently on Water’s back before climbing up behind it to hold it steady, and without even waiting for your instructions, Water continues his advance down into the depths of the crater, knowing there must be help available somewhere within the Beta Settlement. After a few minutes you reach the bottom of the crater only to find there aren’t many people around but you soon come across a sign with several arrows pointing toward the locations printed on it.

Pokémon Center -->
<-- Battle Dome
Tech Lab -->
<-- Processing Plant
Training Center -->

What will you do?

John fought back the bile that forced itself up as he examined the Ninetales' injuries. What sort of despicable creature could do such a thing? Its cream coloured coat was stained with dark bruises and dried blood, but John could still feel the silky smoothness of the fur as he held Ninetales in his arms. John worried that Ninetales could be in serious trouble. The wild Pokemon lay silent and twitched every so often- a clear sign of poison.

A shudder ran through Water's body as the crater finally flattened out into a clear plain. They were almost there.
"Don't worry Ninetales, we're here. Water, lets go to the Pokémon Centre." John said, spying a sign that gave the directions of the town.

Absently, John wondered why Water was listening to him now. He had never let John ride on him before, and did so with no argument at all. Definitely strange, although maybe Water realised that Ninetales was in no condition to be jolted around by walking.

Water sped towards the Pokemon Centre carefully.

Originally Posted by enchantress

Quilava: Mike eyes your two Pokémon, listening closely to your every word. He still seems a little hesitant, perhaps because he is unwilling to endanger your Pokémon, but he is obviously quite desperate to have asked for your help in the first place. “Any of those Pokémon should do,” he replies quietly, “but with the Scyther attacking on a more frequent basis, we’ll have to hurry. This little Nidoran, “ he continues, nodding toward the frightened Pokémon, “is one of only five left in the herd. There were once dozens of babies but...." his words trailing off into silence as he stares at Nidoran cowering away from it’s newly evolved mother.

“We must leave immediately,” he pipes up a few moments later, walking over to Nidoran who runs to him for protection. Having known Mike all of it’s life, Nidoran currently feels safer with him than with it’s mother. Mike lifts Nidoran into his arms, cradling the little Pokémon gently while his gaze turns toward Nidoqueen. “Don’t worry, give Nidoran some time and he’ll be fine. Now let’s head back to the valley so we can sort out this problem once and for all.”

Nidoqueen nods and follows Mike as he joins you and leads you deeper into the forest. After a half hour walk you emerge into a beautiful valley with a river running through it, but what immediately catches your attention is a work camp set up by the side of the mountain. There are bulldozers and various other forms of heavy machinery littering the area, piles upon piles of rubble and two other forest rangers who wave to Mike as you approach. You see the tunnel entrance they are trying to unblock and the ranger’s obvious surprise at the sight of Nidoqueen makes this situation really hit home for you. You’ve walked into something much bigger than you had initially thought and it’s now making you rather uneasy.

Mike quickly explains what has happened before leading you into the tunnel. You can see the work they have done has indeed stabilised the mountainside, but when you see the wall of rocks blocking them from going any further you understand that something needs to be done. Half an hour later you find yourself standing on the opposite side of the mountain with Mike who had left Nidoran and Nidoqueen behind with his workmates.

“This is it,” Mike says nervously, eyeing the small hole which is no larger than a soccer ball. Gazing into it you can see there is a small tunnel leading further into the mountainside but you cannot see very far due to the darkness inside. “You can send in a Pokémon and we’ll attach this video camera to it,” he says, holding up a small helmet like thing with a camera on the top and a strap underneath, obviously to hold the helmet securely in place. “There is a flashlight fused onto the camera so your Pokémon can see what is ahead and a small microphone is set into the inside of the helmet.” Mike then hands you a walkie talkie. “You can communicate with your Pokémon using this. He’ll be able to hear everything you say, so if you think it’s too dangerous you can call him back at any time. Also, as an added safety measure we’ll attach this rope to him,” Mike continues, holding up a thin, but heavy duty length of chord. “If anything unexpected happens and he’s unable to return of his own accord, we can pull him out to safety.”

Mike then looks at you earnestly. “I know I’m asking a lot of you but the final decision is yours. Please know that you don’t have to do this if you think it’s too dangerous.” Looking back and forth between Mike and the teeny tiny hole in the mountainside, you begin to weigh the options, wondering what to do.....

Happy B-day again Tess. =) *can not think of anything to give you*(=P)

Listening intently to Mike's words, Stephen sighs a sigh of relief, as he finds that the Pokemon that he chooses to use could be in slight danger, though could be pulled to safety at any time. Stephen sighs, and then sharply inhales. "Hm..." Stephen murmurs, as he mulls over the situation in his head. "Well, there's no time like the present." He kneels over. "Bulbasaur, I know I just met you, but do you think that you could do this for me?" Bulbasaur stares into Stephen's eyes for a few moments, before she looks to the ground. Suddenly, she looks up at Stephen, with a cry of "Bulba!", in agreement. Stephen takes the helmet from Mike, and places it on Bulbasaur's head. Stephen attaches the rope, and nods. Bulbasaur nods as well, and jumps into the hole. Stephen bites his lip, as he quietly mutters, "Be careful."

Adam walks into the cloud Garden zone.He decides to go to the Cloud Forest.Before gouing to the foest, Adam sits down and decides to rest.He soon falls asleep for a few minutes but wakes up after realizing he needs to go.

Adam: It seems like a good place to start.I need a new teamte for my team.Hey, go Bulbasaur!

A green dinosaur with a bulb on it's back appears.This Pokemon is a Bulbasaur, a grass type Pokemon with strong abilities.

Adam: Onto the Cloud Forest!

Bulbasaur: Bulba! <Alright!>

Bulbasaur runs around in circles excitidly.Adam gets everything prepared to leave and tells Bulbasaur that he's ready.Adam and Bulbasaur run towards an adventure.

Wayne sighed in relief as he entered the Cloud Garden. Looking at the beautiful scenery in front of him, Wayne then looked down and then bent down to carry his companion, his brave, grass dinosaur. “Hey Bulbasaur, don’t you think this is the most beautiful place you’ve ever seen? You could probably enjoy any place in the Cloud Garden, wouldn't you Bulbasaur.” Nodding in agreement Bulbasaur then started to move around, as a sign of wanting to get down from his trainers arms. Letting Bulbasaur down easily Wayne then smiled. “Don’t you think Venonat would enjoy this weather and panorama?" Bulbasaur then started to move around playfully and happily at the thought of being with his teammate. Wayne then unclipped a pokeball from his belt and then the round device released a purple bug. Grinning at his two playful pokemon Wayne then decided where to go. “Hey guys how do you feel about going to the Comet’s Corner? They say it‘s one of the most pleasant places of the Cloud Garden.” The two pokemon started to jump in joy and then the two pokemon and the trainer, one in each side of their trainer, started to walk towards their new destination, The Comet’s Corner.

Originally Posted by enchantress

MYSTERY ISLAND
Arn: Less than impressed to find that playtime is over, you quickly get yourself together, scoop Chowder up and head out the door to see what’s going on. Surprisingly enough the Saloon, which had been full only a few moments before, is now empty except for the bartender who is calmly wiping down the bar as though nothing has happened. His expression is bland, showing he is used to this sort of behaviour, so you head down the stairs and out through the Saloon doors, briefly wondering how the mess of your Missy/Glalie battle had been cleared up so quickly.

Once outside you find there are people everywhere, mostly gathered along either side of the street as though watching a parade. There are Rapidash tied to the railing outside of the Saloon who are drinking from a trough of water, and the people in the street are dressed strangely, kind of like they did in the old cowboy movies. Ignoring the faint tune of Time Warp playing somewhere in the back of your mind, you take a few steps forward to get a better view of what’s going on when you see two men facing off against one another in the middle of the street, their hands hovering over gun holsters on their hips.

Trying to come to grips with what is going on, the sudden stark realisation of exactly what is happening chills you to the core. You don't know how or why this has happened, but you are no longer exploring a ghost town, you are standing in the middle of a real town, a town of the past, and you are about to witness your very first cowboy showdown.

You notice the same girl you had encountered in the room moments before, standing on the sidelines with everyone else. You also notice that she’s looking more worried than excited/curious as she had been when she raced down here, and just as you see the two cowboys reach for their guns she runs into the street toward one of them screaming out, “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Your reaction?

Waltzing out of the lavish bedroom and into the main Sallon area he sudenly realised that the saloon he was in weas the exact same one that MissyD and her friend occupied, but as he looked around nistead of death, and the ocassional Ghostie there was life and hell it looked like a lot of it, the bar tha he destroyed a tad while battling MissyD Was clean, it was like brand new and lookde bloody amazing, scanning the room about he saw the girl who enterde the bedroom runnig outside with a weird look on her face, following dwonthe stairsh burst through the swinging doors to be meated with yet another amazing sight, the sun was shininghevily, the decaying buildings standing as strong as ever and people...atual living andbreathing people were walking and talking, and screamin where the large crowd was infront of him that the girl was pushing thruogh, continuing his followign he got to the front where 2 cowboys were standing across from each other, bothhands dangling over a Gun holster that held two seperate silver guns awaiting their usage.

"Wow, looks like a showdown at Dawn type of thing, never thought i'd get to see one of these while I was alive, but this is a...." As he was in midsentence e notices the girl running straight towards one of the Shooters screaming for him to stop, looking at the other he sees the gunh olster popping open and thinking quickly he comes up with a plan, of sorts.

"Shit, this is bad bad bad, Chowder you need to act as quick as possible Cast a Double Reflect infront of the Guy and Girl to hopefully protect them from the bullet."

Aww, fankoo for the birthday wishes *huggles for everyone then hands out ‘loons* These balloons come in the shapes of all Pokémon currently in existence. Choose one and have a wonderful day!


CLOUD FOREST
Tyr: Your last update is here

ABL: Your last update is here

Quilava: Bulbasaur eagerly agrees to help, possibly partly to impress her new master, possibly because the thought of a little adventure and/or excitement appeals to her, but whatever the case she is happy to feel useful and once buckled up to all of her safety equipment and with her helmet securely in place, enters the miniscule hole in the mountainside showing no fear whatsoever.

Mike grins, impressed with Bulbasaur’s bravery, but his expression soon turns to one of concentration as he watches the monitor held in his hands, examining the tunnel carefully as Bulba proceeds along it. Glancing over his shoulder you also watch her progress, the small flashlight attached to her helmet giving off enough light for her to see at least a meter in front due to the small confines of the tunnel walls. At one point Mike notices something on the monitor and asks Bulba to look to her right so he can have a better view, but it turns out to be nothing more than some moist clay embedded within the tunnel wall.

Proceeding further along the tunnel you can see that it is becoming wider, and as Bulbasaur looks around, you can also see there is more head room above her. Mike smiles, pleased with this development as this means it will be possible for him to send Bulbasaur back in with Pokéballs containing larger and stronger Pokémon should they be needed. Bulba travels further the tunnel which appears to be growing larger and is now at least one meter wide and almost two metres high but Bulbasaur soon stops, pointing her head downward to reveal a large drop in front of her. As the camera attached to her helmet peers into the darkness there is no way to tell just how far it goes but neither you or Mike are prepared to endanger her so he instructs her to look around the edges of the hole and you can see that on the left there is just enough of a ledge for her to make it to the other side though it does look slightly unstable.

Mike ensures that the safety rope attached to Bulbasaur is nice and taut before instructing her to move slowly forward. At one point the ledge begins to crumble and although Mike pulls on the safety line, Bulbasaur is safe, having regained her balance quickly. She tests her weight on it again, carefully making her way across, and after a couple of minutes in which you held your breath almost the entire time, she makes it safely to the other side.

Releasing a sigh of relief you both smile, happy to see she is still safe and sound and that things are progressing well when all of a sudden you see movement dead ahead of her. Mike quickly turns the volume control up so you can hear what’s going on on Bulba’s end and all you can hear is a terrible screeching sound and the pattering of feet as something moves closer to her. The monitor goes grainy and you can see a lot of static, making it almost impossible to make out what is coming for her when you see a flash of purple and two fangs on the screen in front of you as whatever it is attacks Bulbasaur. What will you do?

Archaic: Being sure to let Treecko know who is in charge here, you order Omekekashi to finish Mankey off. She gives you a sly grin, nodding slightly before turning back to the monkey and Tackling it while it is still on the ground, her horn gouging deeply into Mankey’s wound causing it to faint dead away in an instant. Level up for Omekekashi. In the branches above the other Mankey begin hopping up and down, screeching with rage before dropping to the ground in front of Omekekashi, looking ready to gang up on her. She simply Leers at them however, with a rather sadistic look in her eye and they think better of it. Backing away, they pick their fallen friend from the ground and disappear into the trees, one of the Mankey casting one final, filthy look back over it’s shoulder before disappearing into the brush.

Returning to your side for some well-deserved praise, Omekekashi stares at Treecko in a way that makes his heart skip a beat and he unwittingly takes a step back, self preservation obviously very high on it’s list of priorities. Treecko chooses to ignore Omekekashi’s death stare however, preferring to turn his attention to you. While the look in your eye isn’t any more friendly than Omekekashi’s, the fact that you don’t have a horn dripping with Mankey bloody protruding from your forehead eases his nerves slightly.

“Well done!” Treecko praises, feigning excitement over your win. “Well... err... We’d better get moving then! We have a long trek ahead of us!” and before you have an opportunity to respond he begins walking, obviously hoping to avoid a confrontation due to your obvious displeasure for the trap he had set for you.

Following close on Treecko’s heels you glance at your surroundings, taking in every detail so that you may find your way out again should the mischievous gecko somehow escape you, but while you take note of where you are, you’re careful not to let Treecko out of your sight, and after having seen the way you battle, and that you’re not as easily fooled and he had first thought, Treecko doesn’t attempt anything stupid, at least not yet.

A couple of hours later, Treecko slows his pace, raising a finger to his lips. “Shhhh!” he warns, nodding toward the dense foliage ahead. “We are near Stagbeetle country and they do not like intruders. We will have to be careful but I warn you,” he continues, “Do not show the beetles disrespect or you will not see another day.”

You stare at Treecko for a moment, but something in his tone and expression strikes you as sincere so you nod, following silently behind him as he tiptoes forward. Suddenly some rustling in the bushes to your right catches your attention and both you and Treecko stop dead in your tracks, watching the bushes alertly, yet a moment later you see it is only a Venonat who comes hurtling out of the foliage at such high speed that it doesn’t see you and it crashes straight into your legs. It rebounds, landing flat on it’s back, looking up at you with a mixture of surprise and fear. You can see it is badly battered and you can’t help but wonder what had attacked it. Squeaking with fright, it hops to it’s feet and races for the bushes on the opposite side of the path, determined to escape whatever it is fleeing from when a split second later four Pinsir come crashing though the bushes from where Venonat had appeared.

Seeing you standing there, the Pinsir decide you are much more interesting than the little insect they had been pursuing and they quickly surround you. You hear Treecko take a deep frightened breath as he has nowhere to hide. Looks like you have a situation here. What will you do?

Solarsaur: Heading through the forest with Bulbasaur by your side you enjoy the beautiful calming effect of the morning sun as it filters through the canopy of leaves above, the streaks of sunlight dancing about as a gentle breeze causes the leaves to rustle slightly in its wake. The sounds of nature fill your ears as the inhabitants of the forest go about their daily business. After several minutes of peaceful wandering Bulbasaur suddenly stops dead in his tracks, his head cocked to one side as though listening to something. With a small frown creasing your brow you watch him curiously for a moment, wondering what it is he can hear when a low rumble suddenly issues from his throat. Slightly nervous now you look in the direction Bulbasaur is staring when you notice the foliage is rustling as something moves through it headed in your direction. A moment later the bushes part to reveal a Shuckle who looks just as surprised to see you as you are to see it. What will you do?


MYSTERY ISLAND
Arn: Surprisingly enough, the stark realisation of the fact that you are now living in an era that existed 100 years before you were even born is of little importance to you as you have more urgent matters on your mind. Despite the fact that you didn’t get any of the action you had been hoping for, your instinct to protect this girl from being hurt kicks in. Wasting no time you order Chowder to cast a double Reflect in front of the girl and the young man she has leapt out to protect and as the crowd cries out when the other gun totin’ cowboy fires his pistol a faint golden sheen is seen to appear in front of them both and the bullet bounces off, ricocheting off the Reflective Wall and slamming harmlessly into the middle of the dirt street.

For a few long seconds there is total silence before someone in the crowd screams out, “WITCH!” and before you even realise what is happening the crowd the rest of the crowd has also started crying “WITCH!” and have surged forward and grabbed the girl, dragging her off up the street despite her cries of protest, and into the Sheriff’s Office to have her locked up until she can be dealt with. So surprised by this startling turn of events, you can do nothing but stand still and watch, rooted to the spot as you are shocked by the reaction of these people to something as innocent as a Pokémon’s defensive attack. Finally feeling sensation return you make a step to move after the crowd but feel a restraining hand placed gently on your shoulder. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

Spinning around you see the Barman who must have followed you outside. “I saw what you did,” he says calmly, “but if these people know it was you responsible for reflecting that bullet then you’ll be burned at the stake right alongside Faith.” Uh-oh, looks like trouble. Whatever shall you do?


COMET’S CORNER
ades: Reading the sign in front of you, you gently stroke Ninetales, giving it whispered words of encouragement while trying to reassure it that all will be fine. Even Water doesn’t need to be told where to go next, he takes one look at the sign before speeding off to the right. A few minutes later you find yourself in civilisation of sorts. There are buildings around now, some industrial, some residential, and right smack in the middle is the Pokémon Centre. Dismounting Water, you take Ninetales gently in your arms before returning your stony friend to his Pokéball and dashing through the front doors of the Centre. You are met by a blast of cool air and excited chatter as you notice a group of school children standing around a nurse who looks up the moment you walk in. Her curious expression at the sight of a stranger in these parts disappears in a split second when she sees Ninetales in your arms and she rushes toward you through the crowd of children gathered around her.

“Oh my!” she cries, distressed. “That’s Annabelle! Little Katie’s Ninetales! She’s been missing since last night!” Immediately calling for a stretcher the nurse turns back to you. “Where did you find her?”

Explaining where you had found Ninetales, the nurse nods, obviously not too surprised by your story. By this time the stretcher has arrived and she takes Annabelle from your arms, laying her gently on the stretcher. “Annabelle is very lucky that you happened upon her when you did,” she says, her voice filled with worry. “Even now I can’t be sure she’ll make it after having laid beaten and poisoned for so long, but at least she has a slim chance now, thanks to you.” The nurse then turns and rushes off into the emergency room with Ninetales leaving you alone in the waiting room with several children eyeing you suspiciously.

Just then the doors to the Pokémon Center slide open and a very distressed little girl of about seven, with tears streaming down her face, comes charging through the doors with another child in tow who had obviously run off to get her the moment you had arrived. She races up to you and begins pounding her little fists against your chest screaming, “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY ANNABELLE YOU MONSTER? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER!” but before you have a chance to react to this startling turn of events, a man who must be her father, pulls her away from you.

He looks to you apologetically. “I’m sorry about that little outburst. We were only informed that Annabelle had been found a few minutes ago,” he says, nodding toward the boy who had entered the Center with Katie, “and when Katie heard Annabelle had been badly hurt she became hysterical. I could barely keep up with her on our way over here.”

By now Katie has her arms wrapped tightly around her father and is sobbing heavily, her tears making a large, damp patch on his trouser leg. “I want to thank you for bringing Annabelle in here, but I am curious as to where you found her. We’ve been searching all night.”

After explaining again what had happened, Katie’s father holds out his hand. “I’m John, he says, introducing himself, “And it appears we owe you for finding and saving Annabelle. If there is ever anything we can do for y....” but his words are cut off as the nurse appears from the emergency room. Her expression is glum, and she can barely break a welcoming smile when she sees John and Katie which doesn’t make you feel very hopeful regarding Annabelle’s prognosis.

The nurse explains that Annabelle has severe internal injuries and that there are large amounts of poison which had spread throughout her entire system. She has done all she can for Annabelle’s physical injuries which will heal given time, and that Annabelle has been treated with a larger than usual dose of anti-venom, but after having suffered through such massive toxic poisoning, there is no guarantee she’ll make it through the night.

Her words send Katie into a renewed bout of tears, and John’s expression turns dark, his thoughts unreadable. The nurse explains there is nothing that can be done now but to wait and she allows John and Katie a few minutes to visit their injured Pokémon. Several minutes later they return, thanking the nurse before walking up to you.

“Please let me thank you for what you have done,” John says, his voice thick with restrained emotion. “I can show you around, help you with anything you wish to know about the area, and if you need a bed for the night I can offer your our spare room for the duration of your stay.”

What will you do?

Wayne: Deciding to begin a new journey upon the flat plateau of Comet’s Corner which overlooks most of the Cloud Garden, you stand and stare at the skies with Bulbasaur and Venonat by your side. Wondering if the rumours of shooting stars and meteor showers which are supposed to be common in this area, are true, you take in the beauty of the land but soon find yourself itching for adventure and so head off into the distance, wondering what kind of mysteries await you. Several minutes later, a sudden meteor shower captures your attention and you watch, awestruck, as beautiful streaks of light trail though the night sky. One of the streaks looks to be a little too close for comfort and you find yourself worried slightly as it comes closer, streaking in at a fast rate. With the sudden realisation that it is about to hit land you dive for the ground when you feel the earth tremble beneath you. The trembling lasts for what seems an eternity but is only in actual fact a few minutes, before finally abating. Rising to your feet and looking in the direction of the crashed meteor you see a smoke trail rising into the air a few miles from where you are standing. What will you do?


RAINBOW WATERFALLS
WolfinOutlawAsi: Highly amused by Treecko’s antics, your first instinct is to study it and what better way to do so than to capture it? Eyeing it thoughtfully, unable to suppress an amused grin, you turn to Fleece who is slightly intimidated by Treecko’s boldness. Gently encouraging Fleece to engage in battle, your little lamb moves closer to Treecko, waiting for just the right moment to make her first move. Watching Treecko closely, Fleece gains some confidence from your encouragement, feeling she can do this if she sets her mind to it. Without any warning at all, both Pokémon make their moves in the same split second, Fleece releasing a bright Flash of light from her woollen coat just as Treecko swings from the tree branch, somersaulting in midair before landing on the ground in front of the surprised Fleece. Thanks to Treecko’s deft movements, it had managed to evade the full effect of Fleece’s blinding flash but it is a little disoriented, blinking rapidly while trying to focus upon it’s “playmate”. Fleece, seeing her opening, leaps forward, hitting Treecko with Tackle, grounding the little wood gecko who punches forward with it’s fist, Pounding Fleece hard in the chin. Fleece leaps backward, surprised by Treecko’s blind hit while Treecko rises to it’s feet, grinning broadly, obviously enjoying this game despite its slightly impaired vision. What will you do now?


DELIBIRD RIDGE
Radical Edward: Recalling Fealty, who has done an amazing job of saving Bast despite taking damage himself, you rummage around in your pack in order to find something to give Bast a bit of an edge in this battle considering the size and weight of her opponent in comparison to her small and delicate frame. Finally coming across the small capsule you are looking for, you quickly extract it from your pack, tossing it to Bast who gulps it down in one swift movement.

Immediately feeling a huge boost in energy from the X Attack she has just ingested, she watches as you release Atlas who stays on the sidelines, prepared to intervene if the battle became too much for Bast to handle alone. Feeling a boost in confidence she starts off this round of battle with Assist, drawing upon Atlas’ energy. Bast’s paw glows white and while you watch you see a Water Gun shoot from it. It’s most definitely the strangest sight you’ve ever seen but it’s effect is brilliant as it streams into Tauros’ eyes, temporarily blinding the enraged beast who immediately charges for Bast, slipping in the mud which has now formed at its feet due to the assault from the water attack. Tauros takes another painful tumble and you can’t help but flinch in sympathy for the bull as you hear the bones in its knees crunch upon impact with the ground. It’s having a great deal of difficulty rising to it’s feet this time after it’s second fall and while it’s still down, Bast begins Singing once more, hoping to lull it to sleep.

With Tauros writhing in agony on the ground, it’s pain filled cries turning into frustrated, painful snorts, you can’t help but feel sorry for it. Bast continues Singing, and it’s obvious Tauros is beginning to wear down, it’s drowsiness a welcome bliss as it falls slowly into slumberland despite the excruciating pain it is experiencing. Your reaction?

Solarsaur: Heading through the forest with Bulbasaur by your side you enjoy the beautiful calming effect of the morning sun as it filters through the canopy of leaves above, the streaks of sunlight dancing about as a gentle breeze causes the leaves to rustle slightly in its wake. The sounds of nature fill your ears as the inhabitants of the forest go about their daily business. After several minutes of peaceful wandering Bulbasaur suddenly stops dead in his tracks, his head cocked to one side as though listening to something. With a small frown creasing your brow you watch him curiously for a moment, wondering what it is he can hear when a low rumble suddenly issues from his throat. Slightly nervous now you look in the direction Bulbasaur is staring when you notice the foliage is rustling as something moves through it headed in your direction. A moment later the bushes part to reveal a Shuckle who looks just as surprised to see you as you are to see it. What will you do?

Adam: Interesting.Shuckle, would you like to battle? I don't want to attack for no reason.If you don't, I'll be on my way.

Bulbasaur: Bulba!

Adam: It's better to ask Bulbasaur.You shouldn't just barge in and attack them.

Bulbasaur: Bulba.

Bulbasaur starts to walk around a bit mad at me.

Originally Posted by Enchantress

RAINBOW WATERFALLS
Will: The boy stares at you, horrified to think that you'd even dare enter the river with all of those Tentacruel lurking about in its depths, but after gaping at you for several long seconds, he leaps onto Milotic's back, holding on to you tightly. "I hope you know what you're doing...." he says, as Milotic begins to wade out into the river. Forming a bubble of air around you so you can breathe underwater, Milotic begins to descend into the lake and is soon completely submerged. "I'm Mike by the way," the boy says, before falling silent again, not exactly sure what else to say.

The water is surprisingly clear, and you find yourself able to see well enough, but one thing that strikes you immediately is the lack of sea life down here. There are no water Pokémon whatsoever, and Milotic, sensing danger, immediately heads to the bottom of the lake to hide in amongst the tall reeds. Nothing happens for several minutes as you and Mike look around, trying to find any sign whatsoever of where the Tentacruel could have disappeared to, but there is nothing. Suddenly, you hear some movement from above and notice a little girl splashing about in the water with her Squirtle while her father releases a Blastoise to watch over the pair before returning to the river bank to unpack the picnic lunch he had prepared for them.

You immediately sense something ominous, and you watch, knowing what is about to happen. You want to warn the man to get his daughter and Pokémon out of the water, but you also know that if you want to find Gyarados and Feraligatr then you must stay where you are. It is only moments before you see two Tentacruel appear from a murky patch of water by the riverbank, rising out of the reeds they had been lurking in while awaiting their next victim. Approaching from beneath, the first Tentacruel grabs hold of Blastoise, dragging it down while Blastoise struggles to fight it off. The second Tentacruel then moves in, helping the first to secure it's victim, before both submerge with Blastoise in their grasp.

You can hear the faint screams of the terrified girl above, muffled due to the fact that you are underwater, but it is now time for you to find where the Tentacruel are going and so you watch as they drift lazily over to the base of the waterfall, disappearing through the cloudy, churning water that is crashing into the river from above. Whatever shall you do?

Loki offers his hand to the boy as he jumps on Milotic's back saying, "I hope you know what you're doing...." Loki thinks to himself, "Yeah, me too!"

As Milotic takes them under, the kids says, "I'm Mike by the way." Loki replies, "Loki, nice to meet you."

As soon as they get under, Loki quickly notices the unsettling view. Almost nothing is there besides them. Milotic quickly senses something and dives deep to the bottom of the lake to hide amoung the reeds.

Not too long after, they hear splashing above. A child and her Squirtle. A Blastoise that watches over them. They know the danger is coming. The Tentacruel will be there soon to take them away, just like Gyarados and Feraligatr. Loki signals Mike to stay silent, otherwise they'll be caught themselves.

Soon enough, the Tentacruel show up! Quickly they entangle the Pokemon with their tentacles and drag them off. The girl's screams put a knife through Loki's heart, knowing her pain and tears are the cost of retrieving Gyarados. He thinks to himself, "Her pain will be over when we save all the Pokemon that have been captuered."

Loki watches carefully as the Tentacruel drag their victims under the Waterfall. Loki gestures Milotic to follow stealthily, but he holds great concern for Mike. Witnessing such a horrifying event might hurt his spirit. Still, he continues, getting closer and closer to the enemies' lair. Soon they will see just what has happened to their companions. And the time for vengeance is at hand.

Originally Posted by enchantress

DELIBIRD RIDGE
Radical Edward: Recalling Fealty, who has done an amazing job of saving Bast despite taking damage himself, you rummage around in your pack in order to find something to give Bast a bit of an edge in this battle considering the size and weight of her opponent in comparison to her small and delicate frame. Finally coming across the small capsule you are looking for, you quickly extract it from your pack, tossing it to Bast who gulps it down in one swift movement.

Immediately feeling a huge boost in energy from the X Attack she has just ingested, she watches as you release Atlas who stays on the sidelines, prepared to intervene if the battle became too much for Bast to handle alone. Feeling a boost in confidence she starts off this round of battle with Assist, drawing upon Atlas’ energy. Bast’s paw glows white and while you watch you see a Water Gun shoot from it. It’s most definitely the strangest sight you’ve ever seen but it’s effect is brilliant as it streams into Tauros’ eyes, temporarily blinding the enraged beast who immediately charges for Bast, slipping in the mud which has now formed at its feet due to the assault from the water attack. Tauros takes another painful tumble and you can’t help but flinch in sympathy for the bull as you hear the bones in its knees crunch upon impact with the ground. It’s having a great deal of difficulty rising to it’s feet this time after it’s second fall and while it’s still down, Bast begins Singing once more, hoping to lull it to sleep.

With Tauros writhing in agony on the ground, it’s pain filled cries turning into frustrated, painful snorts, you can’t help but feel sorry for it. Bast continues Singing, and it’s obvious Tauros is beginning to wear down, it’s drowsiness a welcome bliss as it falls slowly into slumberland despite the excruciating pain it is experiencing. Your reaction?

I shall take a tauros 'loon, to comemerate the fight this one put up

Watching sadly as the magnificent beast crumples to the ground, moaning in agony, ben feels that he has caused the beast enough pain and should be on his way.recalling Bast but leaving Atlas out in case of need, ben whips up a makeshift splint for the tauros's leg and applies a potion, hoping to make it as comfortable as possible.seeing that that he has done all he can for the beast,Ben turns toward the pillar that contains his goal.Glancing to Atlas, Ben nods and the giant amphibian also nods and hoists Ben onto his back.securing himself on his Swamperts back, ben begins yet again to ponder that feeling of Somthing he missed in his dreams as Atlas trundles off in the direction of the pillar

Originally Posted by enchantress

Archaic: Being sure to let Treecko know who is in charge here, you order Omekekashi to finish Mankey off. She gives you a sly grin, nodding slightly before turning back to the monkey and Tackling it while it is still on the ground, her horn gouging deeply into Mankey’s wound causing it to faint dead away in an instant. Level up for Omekekashi. In the branches above the other Mankey begin hopping up and down, screeching with rage before dropping to the ground in front of Omekekashi, looking ready to gang up on her. She simply Leers at them however, with a rather sadistic look in her eye and they think better of it. Backing away, they pick their fallen friend from the ground and disappear into the trees, one of the Mankey casting one final, filthy look back over it’s shoulder before disappearing into the brush.

Returning to your side for some well-deserved praise, Omekekashi stares at Treecko in a way that makes his heart skip a beat and he unwittingly takes a step back, self preservation obviously very high on it’s list of priorities. Treecko chooses to ignore Omekekashi’s death stare however, preferring to turn his attention to you. While the look in your eye isn’t any more friendly than Omekekashi’s, the fact that you don’t have a horn dripping with Mankey bloody protruding from your forehead eases his nerves slightly.

“Well done!” Treecko praises, feigning excitement over your win. “Well... err... We’d better get moving then! We have a long trek ahead of us!” and before you have an opportunity to respond he begins walking, obviously hoping to avoid a confrontation due to your obvious displeasure for the trap he had set for you.

Following close on Treecko’s heels you glance at your surroundings, taking in every detail so that you may find your way out again should the mischievous gecko somehow escape you, but while you take note of where you are, you’re careful not to let Treecko out of your sight, and after having seen the way you battle, and that you’re not as easily fooled and he had first thought, Treecko doesn’t attempt anything stupid, at least not yet.

A couple of hours later, Treecko slows his pace, raising a finger to his lips. “Shhhh!” he warns, nodding toward the dense foliage ahead. “We are near Stagbeetle country and they do not like intruders. We will have to be careful but I warn you,” he continues, “Do not show the beetles disrespect or you will not see another day.”

You stare at Treecko for a moment, but something in his tone and expression strikes you as sincere so you nod, following silently behind him as he tiptoes forward. Suddenly some rustling in the bushes to your right catches your attention and both you and Treecko stop dead in your tracks, watching the bushes alertly, yet a moment later you see it is only a Venonat who comes hurtling out of the foliage at such high speed that it doesn’t see you and it crashes straight into your legs. It rebounds, landing flat on it’s back, looking up at you with a mixture of surprise and fear. You can see it is badly battered and you can’t help but wonder what had attacked it. Squeaking with fright, it hops to it’s feet and races for the bushes on the opposite side of the path, determined to escape whatever it is fleeing from when a split second later four Pinsir come crashing though the bushes from where Venonat had appeared.

Seeing you standing there, the Pinsir decide you are much more interesting than the little insect they had been pursuing and they quickly surround you. You hear Treecko take a deep frightened breath as he has nowhere to hide. Looks like you have a situation here. What will you do?

Mamoru smirks proudly as Omekekashi returns to his side, pulling a pair of potions out of his pocket and handing them to her, then turning back to Treeko.

Glad that it finally seems to be getting on with the job it promised, Mamoru follows close on Treecko’s heels, glancing at his surroundings, taking in every detail, so that he may find his way out again should the annoyng gecko somehow escape him, but still careful not to let Treecko out of his sight.


Hours later...
Surrounded by Pinser, Mamoru smirks. Perfect...
"Well, well, what fine specimens we have here....I do believe you deserve your fee Treeko. Not only have you brought us to Pinser territory, as promised, but the Pinser here seem to be exactly what we've been looking for. Such rich dark tints to their carapaces....is that natural I wonder, or is it an effect produced by dried blood? What do you think Omekekashi? Do you see any that take your fancy, my dear? I'm sure there must be one here that suits your tastes and mine."
Beside him, Omekekashi simply licks her lips, taking a good look at the Pinser surrounding them. Either which way, this will be fun indeed...

Originally Posted by enchantress

Aww, fankoo for the birthday wishes *huggles for everyone then hands out ‘loons* These balloons come in the shapes of all Pokémon currently in existence. Choose one and have a wonderful day!

QUILAVA R T3H MINE!!!!!!!11111

Quilava: Bulbasaur eagerly agrees to help, possibly partly to impress her new master, possibly because the thought of a little adventure and/or excitement appeals to her, but whatever the case she is happy to feel useful and once buckled up to all of her safety equipment and with her helmet securely in place, enters the miniscule hole in the mountainside showing no fear whatsoever.

Mike grins, impressed with Bulbasaur’s bravery, but his expression soon turns to one of concentration as he watches the monitor held in his hands, examining the tunnel carefully as Bulba proceeds along it. Glancing over his shoulder you also watch her progress, the small flashlight attached to her helmet giving off enough light for her to see at least a meter in front due to the small confines of the tunnel walls. At one point Mike notices something on the monitor and asks Bulba to look to her right so he can have a better view, but it turns out to be nothing more than some moist clay embedded within the tunnel wall.

Proceeding further along the tunnel you can see that it is becoming wider, and as Bulbasaur looks around, you can also see there is more head room above her. Mike smiles, pleased with this development as this means it will be possible for him to send Bulbasaur back in with Pokéballs containing larger and stronger Pokémon should they be needed. Bulba travels further the tunnel which appears to be growing larger and is now at least one meter wide and almost two metres high but Bulbasaur soon stops, pointing her head downward to reveal a large drop in front of her. As the camera attached to her helmet peers into the darkness there is no way to tell just how far it goes but neither you or Mike are prepared to endanger her so he instructs her to look around the edges of the hole and you can see that on the left there is just enough of a ledge for her to make it to the other side though it does look slightly unstable.

Mike ensures that the safety rope attached to Bulbasaur is nice and taut before instructing her to move slowly forward. At one point the ledge begins to crumble and although Mike pulls on the safety line, Bulbasaur is safe, having regained her balance quickly. She tests her weight on it again, carefully making her way across, and after a couple of minutes in which you held your breath almost the entire time, she makes it safely to the other side.

Releasing a sigh of relief you both smile, happy to see she is still safe and sound and that things are progressing well when all of a sudden you see movement dead ahead of her. Mike quickly turns the volume control up so you can hear what’s going on on Bulba’s end and all you can hear is a terrible screeching sound and the pattering of feet as something moves closer to her. The monitor goes grainy and you can see a lot of static, making it almost impossible to make out what is coming for her when you see a flash of purple and two fangs on the screen in front of you as whatever it is attacks Bulbasaur. What will you do?

QUILAVA R T3H MINE!!!!!!!11111

Stephen watches as Bulbasaur continues successfully into the tunnel, coming across a crevice. With her solution found, Stephen nods and watches the screen when there is suddenly a horrible screeching noise, as the screen begins to become staticy, and quite hard to see. Through the snow, Stephen makes out a slender, purple body complete with a pair of fangs. Stephen gulps, and says into the headset, "Bulbasaur, it's all right! Let's do this! Use a Safeguard to protect yourself from any of it's attacks, and then start up a Swords Dance! Then, after it attacks causing the Safeguard to go down, Tackle it for all it's worth!"

OOC: *Huggles Onix balloon.*

Originally Posted by enchantress

COMET’S CORNER
ades: Reading the sign in front of you, you gently stroke Ninetales, giving it whispered words of encouragement while trying to reassure it that all will be fine. Even Water doesn’t need to be told where to go next, he takes one look at the sign before speeding off to the right. A few minutes later you find yourself in civilisation of sorts. There are buildings around now, some industrial, some residential, and right smack in the middle is the Pokémon Centre. Dismounting Water, you take Ninetales gently in your arms before returning your stony friend to his Pokéball and dashing through the front doors of the Centre. You are met by a blast of cool air and excited chatter as you notice a group of school children standing around a nurse who looks up the moment you walk in. Her curious expression at the sight of a stranger in these parts disappears in a split second when she sees Ninetales in your arms and she rushes toward you through the crowd of children gathered around her.

“Oh my!” she cries, distressed. “That’s Annabelle! Little Katie’s Ninetales! She’s been missing since last night!” Immediately calling for a stretcher the nurse turns back to you. “Where did you find her?”

Explaining where you had found Ninetales, the nurse nods, obviously not too surprised by your story. By this time the stretcher has arrived and she takes Annabelle from your arms, laying her gently on the stretcher. “Annabelle is very lucky that you happened upon her when you did,” she says, her voice filled with worry. “Even now I can’t be sure she’ll make it after having laid beaten and poisoned for so long, but at least she has a slim chance now, thanks to you.” The nurse then turns and rushes off into the emergency room with Ninetales leaving you alone in the waiting room with several children eyeing you suspiciously.

Just then the doors to the Pokémon Center slide open and a very distressed little girl of about seven, with tears streaming down her face, comes charging through the doors with another child in tow who had obviously run off to get her the moment you had arrived. She races up to you and begins pounding her little fists against your chest screaming, “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY ANNABELLE YOU MONSTER? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER!” but before you have a chance to react to this startling turn of events, a man who must be her father, pulls her away from you.

He looks to you apologetically. “I’m sorry about that little outburst. We were only informed that Annabelle had been found a few minutes ago,” he says, nodding toward the boy who had entered the Center with Katie, “and when Katie heard Annabelle had been badly hurt she became hysterical. I could barely keep up with her on our way over here.”

By now Katie has her arms wrapped tightly around her father and is sobbing heavily, her tears making a large, damp patch on his trouser leg. “I want to thank you for bringing Annabelle in here, but I am curious as to where you found her. We’ve been searching all night.”

After explaining again what had happened, Katie’s father holds out his hand. “I’m John, he says, introducing himself, “And it appears we owe you for finding and saving Annabelle. If there is ever anything we can do for y....” but his words are cut off as the nurse appears from the emergency room. Her expression is glum, and she can barely break a welcoming smile when she sees John and Katie which doesn’t make you feel very hopeful regarding Annabelle’s prognosis.

The nurse explains that Annabelle has severe internal injuries and that there are large amounts of poison which had spread throughout her entire system. She has done all she can for Annabelle’s physical injuries which will heal given time, and that Annabelle has been treated with a larger than usual dose of anti-venom, but after having suffered through such massive toxic poisoning, there is no guarantee she’ll make it through the night.

Her words send Katie into a renewed bout of tears, and John’s expression turns dark, his thoughts unreadable. The nurse explains there is nothing that can be done now but to wait and she allows John and Katie a few minutes to visit their injured Pokémon. Several minutes later they return, thanking the nurse before walking up to you.

“Please let me thank you for what you have done,” John says, his voice thick with restrained emotion. “I can show you around, help you with anything you wish to know about the area, and if you need a bed for the night I can offer your our spare room for the duration of your stay.”

What will you do?

“Please let me thank you for what you have done,” the father said, his voice thick with restrained emotion. “I can show you around, help you with anything you wish to know about the area, and if you need a bed for the night I can offer your our spare room for the duration of your stay.”

John took a long, hard look at the man standing in front of him, noting the slump in his shoulders, the wearied expression on his face and the dark patches under his eyes. It only took a seconds worth of consideration before John replied:

"I'm sorry, but I can't accept your offer for staying. I don't want to trouble you or Katie any further and I really do need to get a move on. I'm a trainer you see, and we're not comfortable unless we're out catching Pokémon."

He said this with a little grin, but the stark reality of the present situation tempered his humour. John leant down and came face to face with Katie.

"I really hope Annabelle gets better soon. Tell her to get well soon."

Turning to the father again, he shook his hand and started to turn, when an idea popped into John's head.

"Then again, there could be something you could help me with. Do you know where all the Pokémon are?"

Originally Posted by enchantress

Aww, fankoo for the birthday wishes *huggles for everyone then hands out ‘loons* These balloons come in the shapes of all Pokémon currently in existence. Choose one and have a wonderful day!
COMET’S CORNER
Wayne: Deciding to begin a new journey upon the flat plateau of Comet’s Corner which overlooks most of the Cloud Garden, you stand and stare at the skies with Bulbasaur and Venonat by your side. Wondering if the rumours of shooting stars and meteor showers which are supposed to be common in this area, are true, you take in the beauty of the land but soon find yourself itching for adventure and so head off into the distance, wondering what kind of mysteries await you. Several minutes later, a sudden meteor shower captures your attention and you watch, awestruck, as beautiful streaks of light trail though the night sky. One of the streaks looks to be a little too close for comfort and you find yourself worried slightly as it comes closer, streaking in at a fast rate. With the sudden realisation that it is about to hit land you dive for the ground when you feel the earth tremble beneath you. The trembling lasts for what seems an eternity but is only in actual fact a few minutes, before finally abating. Rising to your feet and looking in the direction of the crashed meteor you see a smoke trail rising into the air a few miles from where you are standing. What will you do?

I'll take a Bulbasaur Balloon. Thank you Tess. ^-^
Wayne started to worry as the meteor started to get closer. Going down for cover, he felt a little trembling beneath him. Wayne checked for both his pokemon to be ok and then he started to feel horrified and curious at the thought of something of outer space coming so near him and his pokemon. Feeling an urge to go investigate the meteor Wayne reacted to his courageous side and decided to go there. Returning his purple bug pokemon to his pokeball Wayne slowly bent down to take a look at his Bulbasaur. "Bulbasaur, you feel like going to the meteor to explore it?" Bulbasaur looked happily towards his trainer and then started to walk ahead of him. Wayne knew that Bulbasaur was just as curious as him or even more. "Bulbasaur wait up." Bulbasaur then responded by turning around. "Even though we aren't close to the meteor we have to stay together because who knows what the meteor attracted or if there is something in it. Anyway we'll go in the direction of the smoke. Ok Bulbasaur?" Bulbasaur nodded and then they both set off in the direction of the meteor crash site.

Originally Posted by enchantress

[size=1]Aww, fankoo for the birthday wishes *huggles for everyone then hands out ‘loons* These balloons come in the shapes of all Pokémon currently in existence. Choose one and have a wonderful day!

RAINBOW WATERFALLS
WolfinOutlawAsi: Highly amused by Treecko’s antics, your first instinct is to study it and what better way to do so than to capture it? Eyeing it thoughtfully, unable to suppress an amused grin, you turn to Fleece who is slightly intimidated by Treecko’s boldness. Gently encouraging Fleece to engage in battle, your little lamb moves closer to Treecko, waiting for just the right moment to make her first move. Watching Treecko closely, Fleece gains some confidence from your encouragement, feeling she can do this if she sets her mind to it. Without any warning at all, both Pokémon make their moves in the same split second, Fleece releasing a bright Flash of light from her woollen coat just as Treecko swings from the tree branch, somersaulting in midair before landing on the ground in front of the surprised Fleece. Thanks to Treecko’s deft movements, it had managed to evade the full effect of Fleece’s blinding flash but it is a little disoriented, blinking rapidly while trying to focus upon it’s “playmate”. Fleece, seeing her opening, leaps forward, hitting Treecko with Tackle, grounding the little wood gecko who punches forward with it’s fist, Pounding Fleece hard in the chin. Fleece leaps backward, surprised by Treecko’s blind hit while Treecko rises to it’s feet, grinning broadly, obviously enjoying this game despite its slightly impaired vision. What will you do now?

*chooses a Skitty balloon* :D

[color=aqua]~Stormy Skye~
"Come on Fleece you can do it!" I yelled excitedly as Fleece clambered to her feet, after the Treecko's surprise hit. Thankfully not taking too much time being surprised, Fleece got back into battle stance and baahed, determined, at the Treecko. My blood was moving, excited to finally be in a battle. I fingered the pokeball in my hand as I watched my pokemon start to charge for another tackle. I was greatly anticipating the moment of truth, when I would let my pokeball fly and wait with baited breath to see if it would catch this pokemon. But that moment was not to come just yet, and I knew it. "Ok Fleece, Tackle again and then hit it with another flash. If it cant hit you then you cant be hurt! Keep it up!"

CLOUD FOREST
Tyr: Your last update

ABL: Your last update

Quilava: You see a burst of bright light appear on the screen and sigh with relief, knowing Bulbasaur has created her Safeguard just in time to avoid the enemy attack but you are still nervous as you are not exactly sure of what is attacking her. Her opponent hits the dome of energy surrounding her and bounces off it, falling back and you make out the form of a Rattata. Bulbasaur then begins spinning rapidly, making you a little dizzy as the camera spins too fast for you to make anything out, but all of a sudden the camera is flying through the air and smashes into the tunnel wall as Rattata whacks Bulba with a Tackle, which has broken her out of her Swords Dance and sent her reeling. She quickly regains her footing however, but you see another purple streak as Rattata moves in with Quick Attack causing minor damage. Bulba, now very annoyed, leaps forward to attack with a Tackle of her own.

While it looks like Bulba has finally gotten her bearings and can hold her own against Rattata, Mike is getting nervous. “Shall I pull her out of there?” he asks, a worried frown creasing his brow, “Or would you rather she battle?”

What will you do?

Archaic: For once Treecko is left speechless as the Pinsir surround you, their expressions less than friendly. It appears he hadn’t expected to come into contact with the Pinsir quite so soon and hides behind you, expecting you to offer him protection. You are undaunted by the stagbeetles however, showing your lack of fear in both your expression and tone of voice which, lucky for you, has prevented an instant slaughter, one in which you would have been their victim.

The Pinsir talk amongst themselves while Omekekashi watches on, her little eyes clearly showing her eagerness for a bit of action. It doesn’t take long for the Pinsir to reach a decision as they prepare to take you with them, two of them taking position in front of you while two move behind, prodding you to move along. Following the two Pinsir in the lead, you wonder where it is they are taking you and it isn’t long before your question is answered. You hear Treecko whisper something about you being in the heart of Stagbeetle country before you break into a massive forest clearing. The area is dark and dank, all light from above cut off by a thick canopy of leaves, but you can see well enough to know that if you’re not going to be dead in two minutes then you are in for the treat of a lifetime.

As you are led into the middle of the clearing Pinsir appear everywhere, emerging from the forest to watch the developments. You are brought to a halt, guarded by three of the Pinsir who brought you here while the fourth breaks off from the group and approaches a lone Pinsir who looks to be much older than the rest. For some reason you can sense this one holds a position of authority and as the first Pinsir approaches and bows before it before speaking quietly, your suspicions are confirmed. The elderly Pinsir listens to the young one, it’s eyes never leaving yours as you stand watching the hushed conversation take place. The old Pinsir then nods, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture. The first Pinsir bows again, heading back toward you and taking its position with the other three.

The elderly Pinsir raises his hand which you presume to be a signal of some sort causing several Pinsir standing on the edge on the clearing to rush off. He then walks up to you, his back straight, his eyes not leaving yours. He stops in front of you examining both you and Omekekashi closely, his gaze barely even registering Treecko’s presence. Looking back to you, he speaks, “You dare to enter Pinsir territory?” he asks, his expression stony. “No man is welcome here but my scouts inform me you are different to others. Tell me what you are doing here and we may spare your life.”

What will you do?

Solarsaur: At the risk of sounding like a total bitch, please do not reply like that again or next time I will skip your post. I’m finding it hard to believe you managed to pass the RP Test at all and I know that if you’d given that kind of reply in the test you would have failed. You’ve given me very little to work with so please put more thought and effort into your replies from now on, that’s all I ask.

Shuckle stares at you curiously before watching Bulbasaur pace around, apparently mad with you for some reason Shuckle can’t quite fathom. Eyeing you both for a short time it soon becomes bored, wandering off slowly into the bushes. By the time you realise Shuckle is gone there is very little to do other than to continue with your adventure and so you set off again with Bulbasaur in tow who is left wondering how a possible battle opportunity slipped away unnoticed. After a half hour of uneventful travel you enter a forest clearing where you are confronted by a most unusual sight. Standing right in the middle appears to be a shrine of some sort while various bug and grass Pokémon stand around it, paying homage. The moment they see you enter the clearing they all scatter, afraid of seeing a human in these part. Moving closer to examine the shrine you see the Pokémon have left small offerings of various fruits, vegetable, berries, acorns and other knickknacks they’ve picked up in the forest, apparently abandoned by other trainers such as yourself who had been passing through. You don’t see anything of great value but an inscription carved in the statue catches your attention:

Deep within the serpent’s lair great treasure you will find
Let caution guide you or beware for illusions often blind,
Allow greed to overwhelm your soul and suffer for all time
The insanity of those before who know not peace of mind.

Frowning as you read over the cryptic inscription you wonder what it could mean when you hear a voice behind you. “I.. I wou.. wouldn’t go there if I were you.”

Spinning around you see a man in his twenties skulking by the treeline. He has long filthy brown dreadlocks into which leaves, grass and God only knows what else are now entwined. His clothes are ragged and filthy and while you can see that he must have once been a handsome young lad, there is very little light left in his pale blue eyes. There appears only madness now, a deep sense of paranoia. “Eeeevil things I tell you!” he yells with an insane look in his eyes. “Don’t go there!” He appears to be attempting to swat imaginary insects off himself while he curses at his invisible attackers and you watch him closely, not exactly sure how to react.....

Watcha gonna do?


MYSTERY ISLAND
Arn: Surprisingly enough, the stark realisation of the fact that you are now living in an era that existed 100 years before you were even born is of little importance to you as you have more urgent matters on your mind. Despite the fact that you didn’t get any of the action you had been hoping for, your instinct to protect this girl from being hurt kicks in. Wasting no time you order Chowder to cast a double Reflect in front of the girl and the young man she has leapt out to protect and as the crowd cries out when the other gun totin’ cowboy fires his pistol a faint golden sheen is seen to appear in front of them both and the bullet bounces off, ricocheting off the Reflective Wall and slamming harmlessly into the middle of the dirt street.

For a few long seconds there is total silence before someone in the crowd screams out, “WITCH!” and before you even realise what is happening the crowd the rest of the crowd has also started crying “WITCH!” and have surged forward and grabbed the girl, dragging her off up the street despite her cries of protest, and into the Sheriff’s Office to have her locked up until she can be dealt with. So surprised by this startling turn of events, you can do nothing but stand still and watch, rooted to the spot as you are shocked by the reaction of these people to something as innocent as a Pokémon’s defensive attack. Finally feeling sensation return you make a step to move after the crowd but feel a restraining hand placed gently on your shoulder. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

Spinning around you see the Barman who must have followed you outside. “I saw what you did,” he says calmly, “but if these people know it was you responsible for reflecting that bullet then you’ll be burned at the stake right alongside Faith.” Uh-oh, looks like trouble. Whatever shall you do?


COMET’S CORNER
ades: Deciding to forego John’s offer for the moment seeing as he has enough to worry about, you kindly offer Katie your support. The little girl looks up at you through bloodshot eyes but has trouble breaking a smile and instead nods before looking to the floor, her expression as miserable as ever. Taking your leave you suddenly remember it would be helpful to know where to find Pokémon around here and ask John where to look. He smiles and walks toward the door, “Follow me,” he says, leading you outside.

“There isn’t much to find around here I’m afraid,” he says, walking slowly so you may talk properly. “If you wander the plains you will find scattered Ground and Rock type Pokémon, even the odd Fighting type, and on occasion you may cross paths with Fairies such as Clefairy or Jigglypuff, and even a few scavengers like Rattata, but there are rumors of colonies of rare types living somewhere out there though we haven’t found any yet.” He stops speaking for a moment, looking worried about something. “I wouldn’t suggest travelling the plains alone however. There is a rogue band of trainers on the loose causing destruction wherever they go. They’ve attacked our settlement twice and I’m positive it was them responsible for the vicious attack upon Annabelle, as a warning to me.”

You hear Katie draw in her breath at the mention of Annabelle and she begins sobbing again, rushing back to the Pokémon Centre to be with her beloved Ninetales, John watching his daughter as she disappears inside. “Annabelle belonged to my wife, Julia” he says softly, “and was given to Katie on her 5th birthday. One week before Julia died. Annabelle is Katie’s last living link to her mother so you can understand why she’s taking this so badly....”

Returning his full attention to you, John continues, “If you plan on travelling the plains, please be very careful. You’ll need some strong Pokémon by your side in case you run into trouble and at least one Pokémon built for speed if you need to outrun danger.” John appears to think about something for a moment before adding, “We do breed and raise our own Pokémon here on the settlement however, and they are sometimes given out as prizes in the Battle Dome to some of the younger ones who are beginning their training but haven’t left home yet. We cover most types and it will give you a chance to level up your current Pokémon while you battle.”

What would you like to do?

Wayne: Doing what any normal person would do when seeing a meteor crash land near them, you immediately set off to investigate. Bulbasaur is just as excited as you, if not more so, and eagerly leads the way. Luckily you don’t come across anything dangerous upon your journey, although when you reach the site you notice many curious Pokémon standing around the rim of the crater who had also come to investigate, but when they see you approaching they soon scatter, not used to seeing a human in these parts. Now that you are near, you can see the meteor doesn’t look like a meteor at all. It isn’t made of rock like most meteors, or ice like a comet, it appears to be smooth and you can see a metallic sheen reflecting off its side from the small flames and glowing embers scattered on the ground around it.

More curious than ever you make your way down the side of the crater being careful not to burn yourself on the heated ground and when you approach the “meteor” you see it is more like a small space pod from a science fiction movie. Realising that if this is a pod then there must be something inside you look at it for a while wondering whether or not it will be safe to open it. After all, who knows what could be inside? It is while you are standing there musing over your options that you hear a small clanging sound coming from inside. Ting... ting... ting... Thwack! Ting... ting... ting... Thwack!

Bulbasaur looks up at you with a raised eyebrow, even more curious than before and urges you to open the pod to see what is inside. You hesitate for a moment, wondering what could be making that noise, Ting... ting... ting... Thwack! Ting... ting... ting... Thwack! but your curiosity soon overpowers your sense of logic as well and you reach for what looks to be a release mechanism for a door on the outside of the pod. Suddenly you hear a loud hiss as the door opens and you look inside to see something rather amazing. Staring at the tiny Pokémon who looks up at you with a big grin when it realises it now has an audience for it’s musical rendition of who knows what tune it is playing, it happily bashes a little more vigorously with the spoon in its hand upon un upturned bowl, Ting... ting... ting... then on a wooden box, Thwack!

It repeats its little tune, Ting... ting... ting... Thwack! Ting... ting... ting... Thwack! Ting... ting... ting... Thwack! before looking up at you with adorable little eyes and happily crying, “Togepi!”

Whatever shall you do?


RAINBOW WATERFALLS
Loki: Hearing the little girls’ cries practically rips your heart out but you know that if you interfere you will have no hope of ever finding Gyarados or any of the other Pokémon stolen from trainers visiting the river. You watch silently, awaiting your chance to follow, and the moment the Tentacruel disappear beyond the waterfall you move after them.

Milotic glides swiftly forward, not wanting to lose sight of the jellyfish Pokémon. The journey through the churning water at the foot of the waterfall is anything but pleasant, as you find yourselves being tossed around, the water crashing down on top of you and spinning you around for what feels like an eternity. Mike grabs hold of you so tightly that you feel your ribs my be crushed, but just when you think you’ll never escape the powerful churning mass of water, Milotic breaks free and you find yourselves on the other side.

Looking around you find yourself in an underwater tunnel. There isn’t a lot of marine life along here, but about twenty metres ahead you can see a light. You notice a large shadow rising to the surface of the water and stay back, close to the wall, recognising it as belonging to the two Tentacruel who still have Blastoise wrapped up tightly in their grasp. You can’t see much as the Pokémon reach the surface but you see a fair bit of splashing before the Tentacruel part and submerge again, returning the way they had come.

Hiding in the tall reeds along the bottom of the tunnel you, Mike and Milotic all stay as still and quiet as possible, watching as the Tentacruel approach and then pass right over top of you before disappearing through the churning water at the base of the waterfall, most likely to go and lurk in search of their next target. Sighing with relief, happy to have not been discovered, Milotic heads up the tunnel and slowly rises to the surface of the water and into the light.

What confronts you is amazing to say the least. A large underground cavern, obviously a natural formation, has been converted into a base of some sort. There are cages and tanks all around the place, some empty, some containing various water Pokémon, and you see three men hauling the unconscious Blastoise across the room before dumping it unceremoniously into one of the larger cages. Locking it securely they walk off into another tunnel on the opposite side of the cavern to where you are hiding and as they do you hear one of them say, “This one will be worth a pretty penny, it’s got a lot of fight in it.” The other two laugh like a couple of drunk baboons which you hear echoing around the cavernous room before they disappear into the tunnel.

Taking a careful look around the room you can see that it’s empty, at least of people, and your eyes fall upon a long rod hooked up to a battery of some kind. It’s sitting right next to the water and you realise they must have used it to zap Blastoise so it couldn’t fight them. You can’t help but wonder what is going on here and how they have managed to make a base in here but you brush those thoughts to the back of your mind for the time being since your first priority is to find Gyarados. What will you do now?

WolfinOutlawAsi: You urge Fleece on as she regains her feet, glaring at Treecko and crying out with a determined, “Baaaaah!”, sure to let Treecko know she has no intention of losing this battle. Treecko grins broadly, happy to know its new friend is enjoying their game and when Fleece charges forward to Tackle, Treecko lifts its tail to Absorb damage from the attack but with it’s vision still slightly impaired it has misjudged Fleece’s position and Fleece rams right into Treecko’s stomach causing the cheeky gecko to expel a huff of air from its lungs as it lands flat on its back, winded from the attack. This doesn’t put Treecko off however, it seems even more delighted than ever to see its playmate so into the spirit of the game and even though it’s still down, it whips its tail around to whack Fleece right across the face with Pound. Baahing indignantly Fleece releases a bright Flash, this time making sure Treecko gets an eyeful as it hops to its feet. Treecko rubs its eyes frantically, unable to see anything but a dazzling display of dots before its eyes. With her opponent temporarily blinded, it appears Fleece most definitely has the upper hand now. What will you do?


DELIBIRD RIDGE
Radical Edward: Deciding that enough is enough, you end your battle with Tauros, doing everything you can for the injured beast before climbing aboard Atlas who heads off into the distance. You think back to the battle, thinking it was just a little too easy, and wonder if perhaps Tauros had already been weakened somehow. It’s not normal for a Pokémon like that to go down so quickly, but you soon let thoughts of the bull leave your mind as more important matters drift back into your consciousness. The pillar is looming before you, so close that you can make out the enormous Aerodactyl head at the top. The image of the bird has been expertly crafted, carved straight into the rock, and you think back to what the mysterious man had told you about the tribespeople who had defeated it. They had supposedly been expert craftsmen, capable of making just about anything, and as you stare at the carving in all of its ferocious glory, you don’t doubt this fact for a moment as the image of the creature exudes such an aura of terror that you feel your spine tingling with nerves. It’s no wonder few people have ever travelled here.

The rest of the day passes uneventfully, and as dusk approaches you once again see the familiar smoke trail rising into the air. You approach slowly this time, knowing who you will find and when you approach the campfire and greet the man boiling his tea over the flames you take your usual seat. You once again share a meal and warm yourself by the fire before falling into a restless sleep, the voice of the man echoing through your mind, “Not everything is as it appears. Trust your instincts and let your heart guide the way....”

In your dreams you see people, people who look like they don’t live in these times. They are clad in ancient Bedouin clothing and they live in caves. You can sense these people are anxious, constantly looking to the skies with fear in their eyes. The children are not playing, they are instead loading food onto a makeshift cart while the women prepare what little food they have left. The men sit around sharpening spears and other weapons. There is no laughter, not a sign of happiness, and the atmosphere is one of pure misery.

You are standing amongst the people but they cannot see you, but out of nowhere a little boy appears. He stands in front of you and smiles as though it’s perfectly normal to see someone dressed as yourself standing in their midst. You are surprised by this but then smile at the boy who points to the sky over your shoulder. Turning your head you see a great shadow approaching, directly in line with the sun. You cannot make it out but you know what it is. The next minute you hear screaming as people run for cover. Men and women run around lifting the youngest children into their arms before dashing off and disappearing into their caves. Not everyone makes it though and you hear a terrifying screech as the bird descends from the sky, wreaking havoc to everything in it’s wake. You hear the screams of people now and see the bird take off into the sky again, the body of a young boy clutched in it’s talons.

Suddenly you sit bolt upright, sweating and panting heavily as though waking from a nightmare. The air is cool on your face and it takes a moment for you to realise where you are. It is morning again. The campfire has burned out and the old man is gone, leaving you alone in the fresh morning air with the fragmented memories of your dream haunting you. You try to piece them together but there are things you cannot remember which is more frustrating than ever since you can now remember some small details but you cannot waste time pondering too heavily on these thoughts so you head out once more on the final leg of your journey to the mammoth pillar.

After another days’ hike you finally reach your destination. It is dusk again and you are tired, cold and hungry but there is no campfire awaiting you on this night. Instead you stand before the base of the obelisk type rock, reading an inscription carved into a stone wall blocking what was once the entrance to a cave or tunnel of some sort leading inside.

The spirits of men, women and children lie
Within the chamber where they did die,
Their restless souls searching for peace
Trapped forever with the eternal beast,
To enter you must show that you do care
The vision of future in your ethereal stare,
This inner sight will show you the way
Into the dark from the light of day.

What will you do?