Pokémon: Winds of Orlana [Advanced | PG-16 | Started | Not Accepting]

[Bringerofcake]

"Erm...Professor..." Bahnes piped up, after the professor had finished her speech and given out her items to the right people, "I'm not sure if it's my place to ask, but the reason that I've been searching for you is to ask you for one of those Pokedexes there, if you happen to have any more. I've been experimenting with Pokemon myself, you see, and hope to discover as much as I can about all (ethical) aspects of our world and how the Pokemon relate to it. To do that, I would need a Pokedex. If you cannot," he added, as a slight bit of color went to his cheeks, "I completely understand."

[encapturer]

Well, that's sudden, Lisa wasn't sure exactly was going on, but apparently someone was doing something shady. Still, she nodded in agreement, since she could do at least that much. Well, I won't be back anytime soon, so I should call home... Lisa took out her Pokenav from her pocket, planning to call her parents. After the device opened up in her hand, Lisa looked up at trainers around her, the people she will be travelling with at least until Siennaville.

 

Why don't I get their numbers?

 

She decided to wait until Bahnes got his reply about the Pokedex before asking, though. It would be rude to interrupt, after all. Lisa wasn't that interested in Pokedexes, while one would be helpful, it would probably be wasted on her. For now, she would just be satisfied with establishing a line of communication.

[Guest Tainted Black]

Josh began with "Yes ma'am, I will keep watch." He nodded his head respectfully, and slowly packed all the things he had been given, right there. He had carried them around with him, and, now that they stopped, decided to stop. As he packed his things, he took a moment to fidget with the Pokedex. He could not believe that this Pokedex was his very own, and no one else could claim it as theirs. He OWNED it now, although it was technically loaned. He packed it as well, and was consumed by thoughts of his Pokemon and Adventure. He heard Lisa ask for numbers, and mentioned his Pokegear, scribbling on a piece of paper, and handing it to her. "That's my Pokegear number."

[Shradow]

Daisuke was taken aback by the quick appearance of the familiar face of Nathaniel. "Uh, yeah. I remember you from the bridge. Nathaniel, was it?" Daisuke crouched down at another familiar creature. "And your Gible. Wait one second." Daisuke stood back up and brought Munchlax from his Pokéball. "Hey Munchlax, its your old friend Gible." Although Munchlax wasn't listening, as a nearby berry tree had gained his attention. "Oh well." Daisuke turned to Robert. "Oh, Robert, this is Nathaniel. Nathaniel, this is Robert. Nathaniel, Robert and I were heading towards Ivy Town. Are you also heading there?"

[Saiba Aisu]

GM Post: Peach Town

GM Post: Peach Town

 

[spoiler=GM Post: Pokémon Laboratory, Peach Town]

 

Professor Sycamore raised one slim eyebrow and gave Bahnes an intensely skeptical look; however, only a moment later, she relented with a sigh and handed him another Pokédex from the locked drawer. "There's nothing I wouldn't do to help a fellow researcher," she said in an unnaturally loud tone before grumbling irately something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like, "You kids are going to be the death of me."

 

"Anyways," the Professor continued after a moment, straightening and returning to her usual animated self, "I think those supplies should be enough to see you through the Ivy Woods if you ration your food properly and take good care of your equipment. However, in the event that you run into any trouble, you can always take a detour at Ivy Town—apart from the Pokémon Gym, there's not too much else of interest to be found there, but there's bound to be someplace that will supply travelers like yourselves in a pinch."

 

She waited while the four Trainers exchanged their Pokégear contact information; when they were done she guided them back to the doorway of the building, which she locked behind her with another specialized code on the keypad. The group was just in time to witness the beginning of a glorious dusk—the sun was a scarlet-orange color that displaced some of its fiery glory to the sky that surrounded it.

 

"I don't think you'll get very far tonight," Professor Sycamore said, crossing her arms and gazing at the sunset. "Still, the first step is always the most important in any journey, so I suggest you get started. So long as you stay on the path, you should be able to cover a decent amount of ground before nightfall. I'd say you have one more hour of light, so you'd better hurry and find someplace suitable to spend the night."

 

The pink-haired woman led them past the side of the building, under the shadow of the windmill, where an elegant steel gate opened directly onto a small field that bordered the winding path towards the Ivy Woods. In the fading light of the sunset, the companions could just make them out—a shadowy emerald blur against the horizon that stretched far away to either side. Professor Sycamore opened the gate and indicated that they should go through; one by one, the four Trainers did as they were told until they all stood just outside of the Pokémon Laboratory.

 

"Keep each other safe and don't do anything overly stupid," Professor Sycamore told them, her fingers typing out another code on the keypad; with a smooth mechanic click, the gate swung shut once more, securing the pavilion for the night. "It would certainly be a shame to lose all that equipment I gave you this early on."

 

The expression on the woman's face was teasing but her eyes were kind—she lifted her hand in a little wave to the four Trainers gathered on the other side of the gate.

 

"Your adventure begins now," she told them, moving away slowly back in the direction of the house. "Lisa and Bahnes, I'm counting on you to take care of Josh and Jason—however precocious their battling styles may be, they're still just Rookie Pokémon Trainers, so be sure to teach them the ropes, alright? Remember what I told you; keep your eyes open and your mouths shut until you can contact the Siennaville Police; there's no telling who could be involved in this bizarre situation. Good luck to you all and good night—I won't say goodbye since we may be seeing each other again sooner than you might think."

 

With one last wave and a sardonic smile, the extraordinary woman moved off into the dusk, her footsteps echoing across the pavilion. In a moment she was but a slender shadow moving towards the house; soon afterwards, she disappeared from view.

 

[Guest Tainted Black]

Josh thanked Professor Sycamore again, and stepped out, calling goodbye to her, and calling the others to hurry up, as he walked away from the lab. "An hour of light, eh? Not much time at all. Still, it's a start." he thought, giddy like a schoolgirl. "Wait, what?! Aschoolgirl?!" he asked himself, realizing his subconscious thought, "NO! Like a little boy getting a brand new toy. Yeah, that's it!" He thought, letting out an audible chuckle, eagerly and briskly walking down the trail, to the beginning of his Pokemon adventure.

[Zerato_AST]

"Yeah, I'm heading to Ivy Town," Nathaniel answered, straightening up a bit as he spoke to Daisuke, "I plan on challenging the Gym Leader there." Looking around at the eerie scenery, Nathaniel shivered slightly. "It's a good thing we ran into you two, it's starting to get a bit creepy here. I'd hate to have to walk through these woods alone." Turning towards Robert, he added, "In fact, it was your Duskull that caught Gible's attention. What made it jump like that?"

[encapturer]

As the group left the building, Lisa couldn't help but smile, since one of her goals were met. She waved back to Professor Sycamore, since she obviously wasn't as mean as she made out to be; though she'll have to ask about why she was denied her starter Pokemon the times she did.

 

"What do you guys think about camping out?" Lisa asked as she adjusted the straps on her backpack. The extra supplies given by Professor Sycamore unbalanced the bag, making it uncomfortable to walk even when balancing on her rod. "Looks like we'll probably have to," she added. There was no disappointment in her voice, since sleeping in the wilds was a sign that one was on an adventure, after all.

[Tempest Dahlia]

Duskull stared at Gible with severe miscontempt.

"Hello!" Robert said exitedly, briefly and briskly shaking Nathaniel's hand. "And what an adorable Gible you have there! Is it still a baby?" he wondered.

After a few minutes of conversation, it seemed as if their new friend would be coming with them. "No problem!" Robert said.

"Duskull is just the timid type: Anything will make him jump." Duskull tackled Robert, pretending to be angry at him for that comment. "Oh Duskull, l was joking!" Robert laughed.

[encapturer]

The group didn't get too far into the forest before night was upon them. While setting up camp, Lisa took the time to admire the scenery; she really only explored Ochre woods, and these Ivy woods were unique in their own way. The Pokemon seemed to act different as well, she noted, reminding herself that she should catch a second Pokemon at some point.

 

Lisa checked her supplies once more before turning in for the night. She had her PokeNav, some food, and her Pokeballs, all empty. Floatern was currently making his bed in the soil nearby... odd for a bird Pokemon, but since he liked it that way, Lisa lets him out to sleep in the dirt when possible. Lisa smiled softly as she watched him rest.

 

Still wearing the same clothes from this morning, Lisa drove her rod into the ground next to her bed. She was fearful that someone would come and take it, but there was no alternative option available. After dropping her bad against the rod, Lisa climbed into the surprisingly comfortable bag.

 

"Goodnight!"

[Aesirson]

After that Jason had thanked Sycamore for everything he was quick to catch up with the three others. He was very happy to finally have his very own Pokémon and Pokédex.

 

When they made their camp Jason sent out Squinky so that he could sleep outside his Pokéball.

"Squinky, you remember me, right?" Jason said and smiled at the Pokémon, who smiled back at him. "Go an play and I'll make myself a place to sleep."'

While Jason was, with a bit of problems, was unpacking his sleeping bag Squinky made himself a bed next to Floatern in the wet soil, where it apparently liked to be.

[Saiba Aisu]

GM Post: Ivy Woods

GM Post: Ivy Woods

 

[spoiler=GM Post: Ivy Woods, Group #1 [b]Please read, Shradow, Zerato_AST, and Tempest Dahlia[/b].]

 

A cool breeze sifted through the towering trees of the Ivy Woods, swirling around their ancient boughs and making their emerald leaves rustle in the shadowy darkness with its passing. Slowly and almost imperceptibly the scant starlight that managed to penetrate the thick canopy shifted as the inky sky above shifted to a pale gray color, heralding the approach of the rising sun. Grouped in rough semi-circle upon the forest floor in their sleeping bags, the forms of Nathaniel, Robert, and Daisuke could be made out, all of them slumbering peacefully with their Pokémon nestled not too far away. Presently, the gray light grew stronger and gave way to a golden-green color as morning broke upon the Ivy Woods, followed closely by a steadily growing chorus of birdsong.

 

Yawning with almost indecent enthusiasm, Nathaniel and others rose and stretched, eager to welcome the new day. Unnoticed by them, Gible sat up and sniffed the air around the campsite, as if he had picked up some mysterious scent that only he could smell—not too far away, Munchlax and Duskull tensed similarly. None of the companions had much time to appreciate the pleasant appearance of their surroundings, however; suddenly, before anyone could prevent him, Gible gave a short cry and dashed forward off the path and into the undergrowth at full speed. In only a few moments, the tiny shark-like Pokémon had disappeared into the dense trees.

 

 

 

[spoiler=GM Post: Ivy Woods, Group #2 [b]Please read, Kuroda, Encapturer, Marsuvees, and Bringerofcake[/b].]

 

Not too far away, Lisa, Josh, Jason, and Bahnes were waking to conditions that were very similar—with a shared sigh of satisfaction, the four Trainers rose and stretched, refreshed from a good night's sleep under the shadow of the trees. Although they had brought additional clothes to change into as needed, there was no stream or other form of running water so close to the outskirts of the forest, so they decided to stay dressed as they were for the moment, rather than get any other clothes dirty. Using some of their water they washed their faces and hands and then shared a pleasant breakfast, composed mainly of the nonperishable food Professor Sycamore had provided, although some of the Pokémon nibbled on a few tidbits they had found, mainly seeds and berries.

 

They were in no hurry, so eating breakfast took longer than they had expected. Realizing that they had better get started on the day's journey, Lisa instinctively took the initiative and began packing the items away; a few moments later, the companions had risen and continued their journey through the Ivy Woods, their footsteps resounding against the path that wound through the trees and thick undergrowth. They made good time due to Lisa's good pace as well as her skill in picking the best path to navigate the well-varied terrain. Although it was difficult to tell due to the thickness of the green canopy that joined above them, the companions were reasonably certain that it was around midday when they came to a halt for a well-deserved rest.

 

As usual, the athletic Lisa gathered her breath quickly and was soon ready to continue; however, before she could urge her companions into action, her sharp eyes caught an all-too-similar indication of disturbed undergrowth—it instantly put her in mind of the signs she had seen in the Ochre Woods. It was clear that several large Pokémon or people had passed through the area recently—however, the lazy and careless manner in which they had pushed off the path and through the plants suggested that the perpetrators were human.

 

 

 

===

 

[spoiler=OoC. Please read, [b]everyone[/b].]

 

OoC: Alright, everyone. These GM Posts are designed to further advance the plot and begin drawing the Ivy Woods arc to its climax. Please refer to the GM Post that corresponds to your group for details—however, for further clarification, I will state the following: Please do not assume that the two posts are related, as they are not. Nathaniel's group did not push through the undergrowth, nor is Gible chasing after the scent of Lisa's group. For this reason, under no conditions should the two groups stumble upon each other at this point—for the time being, the first group should give chase to Gible while the second group should honor their promise to Professor Sycamore and explore the tracks.

 

[Guest Tainted Black]

Josh was finishing taking care of his packing, and watching Fen run around, chassing a leaf around, causing him some laughter. He noticed Lisa's distraction as he put his Pokegear in the bag. "What's wrong, Lisa?" He asked, walking to her, and noticing the undergrowth. "IS this... what I think it is...?" He asked, recognizing the damage. He looked back at his Wulfyr and called to it. "Hey Fen, c'mere buddy." The little wolf ran up, hugging his leg and biting it. That earned Fen a smack. "Time to go. In your Pokeball." The wolf made a small noise as the beam hit him. "We should get moving, guys."

[Zerato_AST]

Nathaniel sat up sleepily; it took him a couple of seconds to register what had just happened. "Gible...?" He yawned at first, before his icy blue eyes snapped open and he stood up suddenly to full attention. "Gible!" He ran over to the area of undergrowth that Gible had disappeared into. Growling with frustration, he turned to Robert and Daisuke. "Come on, get up! We have to go after him!" Not bothering to wait from a response from either of the two, he left them and his possessions - which were strewn about the campsite - behind, taking off after his pokémon. 'I should never have let him sleep out in the open like that...' Nathaniel thought to himself, 'I should've known something like this would happen - he's far too excitable!' "Gible!" He called out, "Gible!"

[Shradow]

Daisuke quickly fix the place where Gible and Nathaniel had first disappeared into the foliage into his memory. "Munch..." Munchlax mumbled sleepily, roused by the noise. Daisuke quickly slung his pack, pre-packed and ready go from yesterday, and tried to pick up the sleepy Munchlax. Unfortunately, he was still sleepy and it took a bit of time. He quickly turned back to Robert, saying, "Robert, if it's not too much trouble, grab his stuff before you follow. I'll track them down, then call for you." Daisuke ran into the forest as fast as he dared, being carefully to avoid anything that would slow him down, but also looking out for signs. Due to his long field studies on Pokémon, he was a skilled tracker. He hadn't been fast enough following, so there was no chance of him hearing either of their voices in the thick forest foliage. He didn't pay attention to what were obviously Nathaniel's doings, but he noticed the smaller things that could've been done only be the smaller Gible: small footprints, low lying plants fully brushed aside, small patches of upturned grass. He hoped he was on the right track, for these things could also mean he was following another random Pokémon. If that was the case, he could get lost in the large expanse of Ivy Woods.

[Hydra of Ages]

Eri glanced around curiously as the trees began to surrounded, like soldiers from a great army. It seemed the farther they walked the more of them there were; which would make sense, since she was walking into a forest.

 

At first, Eri was elated. She'd been around trees before, but never into a forest like that. It was odd, she found. Strange scents everywhere, and it was hard to see anything. Even the path she was walking had suddenly got rocky and bumpy, which would, more than likely, be rather dangerous if it were wet. She was rather relieved that she had remembered to wear flats that day.

 

Lancelot had no trouble moving his coils over the rough terrain, and squeaked in pleasure at the new scenery. Even when the surroundings began to darken, the sun blocked out by all the foliage, the dragon betrayed no signs of being scared, or even apprehensive. Sedated by this, Eri was calm as well, and reacted with only a bit of surprise when she noticed the path she'd been following had suddenly disappeared.

 

She stopped her moving, glanced around puzzledly, and muttered a little quietly. "Uhm, Lancelot? I think we're lost..." she muttered after a moment, glancing around. She thought she saw something out of the corner of her eye, and whipped around, only to find it had evidently been a figment of her imagination.

 

A chill went down her spine.

[encapturer]

Lisa kept silent, only nodding in response to Josh. Not one to wait, she immediately set off in the direction the rough tracks went. She proceeded slowly to make sure those behind would not lose sight of her, and to make sure she was on the right path. Fortunately, whoever made these paths left their mark all over the place. Were they in a hurry?

 

Lisa dug into her pocket as the group continued to follow the tracks. While her right hand wielded her rod which she used to clear a path, her left hand grabbed hold of her Pokeball, which she was ready to release at a moment's notice. Lisa liked a challenge, sure, but since there may be a chance that whatever is happening here is related to what happened back in Ochre Woods... the group may be attacked at any time. She wasn't a fan of surprise attacks; she would get caught off guard usually. Fortunately, she was on edge now, and prepared for almost anything. Anything she could imagine, anyway.

[Bringerofcake]

"Wait a minute..."

Bahnes dug a Pokeball out of his pocket and released it. He hadn't said a word beforehand, he usually took some time in the morning to turn on his brain. Well, his brain was on, and had an idea. Magnemite popped out of the ball, hovering around the scene.

"Ok...Magnemite, usual scanning procedures."

The Magnemite shut its eye and let out a brief burst of electricity. Not nearly enough to harm someone more than a static shock, but still enough for Bahnes' purposes. It stood still for several seconds, then faced Bahnes.

"Nothing? Not even residue?"

The Magnemite's eye almost frowned. Its entire frame bent a little bit. Bahnes eyed it.

"Come along then. You can stay out for a while."

The Magnemite immediately looked chipper, and floated along Bahnes' shoulder, just as Atominor had done the previous day. Bahnes moved with the group as they ventured on through the forest.

[Otaku-sama]

She stopped her moving' date=' glanced around puzzledly, and muttered a little quietly. "Uhm, Lancelot? I think we're lost..." she muttered after a moment, glancing around. She thought she saw something out of the corner of her eye, and whipped around, only to find it had evidently been a figment of her imagination.

 

A chill went down her spine.

[/quote']

 

The brambles around the end of the path shook more and more loudly, as if there was something getting closer. When the noise was at its climax, a pink ball popped out of the bushes. The ball seemed to grow legs as the creature slowly made it's way out of the brambles. The creature was revealed to be a Jigglypuff with a fluffy lock of hair on its head, dragging a large handbag behind it. The Jigglypuff stopped in the clearing and only turned around after resting for a minute. The Jigglypuff was startled by the human and the snake-like Pokemon behind him, but did not appear scared. The Jigglypuff simply continued to drag its cargo across the forest floor.

 

Then, a voice was heard calling from the forest.

 

"Maro! Maro-chan! Get back here! This ain't funny anymore!" a female voice called out. As soon as the Jigglypuff heard the voice, it seemed to panic and started to frantically drag the bag with it. Then, a woman with a large sun hat burst from the brush and grabbed the bag away from the Jigglypuff.

 

"Maro-chan! Why would you do something like that! Now we're in the middle of a forest with no way of finding our way back! What are we gonna do without a tent or anything?!" Nyoko scolded Maro, grabbing its ears in a punitive manner. After a few seconds of this, Nyoko noticed that they weren't alone.

 

"Oh...Hey there! Sorry if we disturbed you! I don't know what's gotten into Maro-chan, but somehow he managed to get into the forest with my bag. I have really got to stop daydreamin' like that..."

 

OoC: I have returned.

[Tempest Dahlia]

"What's... going on..." Robert wondered groggily as he began to pi picking up Nathaniel's belonings. A few minutes ago he was full of energy, but now he felt sleepy. Duskull seemed to experience the same wave of laziness that wafted through the air: he swayed in place, as if mesmerized.

Robert also wondered why Gible suddenly ran off, but he quickly dismissed the thought: he hardly knew it. He could have simply been a rash Gible, after all.

Robert picked up the last of the supplies, then sat on the grass.

[Aesirson]

Jason looked at the disturbed growth and then at Squinky, who was looking around himself, looking a tad bit worried about something.

"Hey pal, return to your pokéball!" Jason held up the sphere which sent out a beam that dragged Squinky into it. He then looked at Lisa, Bahnes and Josh.

"What do you guys think happened here?" He asked and followed them into the undergrowth, looking around himself watching out for Pokémons.

[Hydra of Ages]

Eri blinked as the small pink pokemon revealed itself, dragging a sizable handbag behind it. Lancelot slithered forward a little, cocking her head to the side as she examined the new creature, but shied away once more once she felt the vibrations in the ground of yet another being approaching, twining herself amidst her trainer's legs.

 

Eri glanced down and made a note of to try and not trip over the dratini, before she noted the arrival of an overly large sunhat. It took her a couple seconds of puzzlement to note that the that the hat was attached to a girl- one as tall as she was, for that matter.

 

"Oh, uhm... it's no problem..." she responded mildly to the black-haired sunhat-wearer. She didn't expect to come across someone else so quickly, she admitted, especially someone with such a large hat. She was tempted to call it 'gaudy', but something about it just seemed to shake off the label. Perhaps it was the size?

 

While she mentally mused the fashion implications of this recent discovery, Lancelot unwound herself from her leg and slithered around to the new arrival, the fins on either side of her head twitching suspiciously.

[Zerato_AST]

Nathaniel sped through the trees around him, still calling out to Gible. He looked about frantically, when he could just make out the small, blue form of Gible ahead of him. Unfortunately, the undergrowth was becoming increasingly dense around his feet, and Nathaniel found himself stumbling uncontrollably as he attempted to keep up with his pokémon. "Gible!" He cried between breaths, "Stop...Please! What's wrong!?" The tiny dragon didn't answer, but sped up as it swept past small plants and shot over any protruding tree roots. Letting out a cry of exhaustion, Nathaniel pressed on - even though his burning thighs were begging him to stop running - trying to keep his attention focused on the frantic creature just ahead of him.

[Saiba Aisu]

GM Post: Ivy Woods

GM Post: Ivy Woods

 

[spoiler=GM Post: Ivy Woods, Group #1 [b]Please read, Shradow, Zerato_AST, and Tempest Dahlia[/b].]

 

Just when Nathaniel thought he could continue no further, the tiny blue-colored Dragon Pokémon he had been pursuing came to a sudden halt in front of him, standing on its hind legs and sniffing the air while it looked around the area curiously. Using the last reserve of his energy, the Trainer sprang forward and seized Gible off the ground in both arms, holding him tightly off the ground in case he decided to bolt once more. That in itself was very strange, though, the boy realized, remembering how Gible was generally a very well-behaved Pokémon.

 

He stepped forward with a sinking feeling, realizing that the frantic chase had led him far off the beaten path through the Ivy Woods, right into the middle of a dense thicket of emerald undergrowth. Although he should have felt panicked, Nathaniel could not seem to feel any sort of alarm at the fact that he was hopelessly lost—rather, the most he could muster was a vague sort of concern, which was quickly counteracted by the cool assumption that he would somehow manage to find his way back, sooner or later. Stepping forward into the trees, Nathaniel's skin twinged slightly, as if he were being watched—however, instead of feeling frightened of any unseen watchers in such a remote place, he calmly reasoned that it was only logical that he would get that feeling in a forest of this size, where life seemed to flourish in all its forms and colors.

 

There was a crashing noise behind him, as if someone were tearing through the undergrowth, scattering leaves and twigs as they ran. Turning slightly, Nathaniel saw that it was Daisuke, and not too far behind, he could discern the form of Robert following him, carrying most of their supplies. Nathaniel waited patiently for them to catch up with him, and as they drew nearer, he watched disinterestedly as they too fell under the mysterious power's sway, their expressions of alarm and confusion fading to tranquil serenity. It was as if there were some sort of soothing influence in the air, in the rustle of the leaves, and in the occasional creak of the trees—an ancient power that calmed the mind and body alike and discouraged passionate emotions.

 

In the crook of Nathaniel's arms, Gible wriggled slightly; Nathaniel bent down and released the landshark Pokémon, somehow certain that he wouldn't dash off again like before. Gible turned at once and began to walk slowly forwards into the heart of the Ivy Woods, while Nathaniel, Daisuke, and Robert followed closely behind at a leisurely pace.

 

OoC: Shradow, Tempest Dahlia, and Zerato_AST, your characters have now fallen influence to the mysterious and ancient power which controls the deepest parts of the Ivy Woods. Although you are still moving of your own volition, you no longer feel any fear or concern, merely a calm curiosity in moving closer to this power and discovering its source. Please don't be alarmed; I promise, this power is benevolent, otherwise Gible wouldn't be walking so eagerly towards it.

 

 

 

[spoiler=GM Post: Ivy Woods, Group #2 [b]Please read, Kuroda, Encapturer, Marsuvees, and Bringerofcake[/b].]

 

Moving further in pursuit of the mysterious set of tracks, Lisa, Josh, Jason, and Bahnes moved quickly over the forest floor, doing their best to avoid making any noises that would alert their quarry of their approach—then again, they didn't have much of an idea what the perpetrator even looked like, save that it was humanoid in form. Suddenly, Lisa pulled up short, her expression slightly confused as the tracks disappeared in a fairly large square-shaped indent, as if some sort of box or machine had been recently placed there.

 

Looking up from the path, she could see that the square-shaped indent continued forward for a little bit before changing into a set of deep ruts, as if whatever had caused it had been lifted onto a wheeled surface and dragged away. The other three members of the group caught up with their guide, momentarily regarding the strange set of tracks before sharing a quizzical glance—why would someone go to the incredible trouble of lugging a large piece of machinery through such remote and troublesome terrain as the Ivy Woods?

 

Before the companions could discuss the mysterious tracks or come to any sort of agreement, there was the sound of voices ahead, as if people were moving through the undergrowth towards them.

 

"I don't understand why we have to patrol the area," one of them said in an exasperated tone; from the depth and pitch of the voice, it was clear that the owner was male. "The Ivy Woods aren't exactly a popular tourist destination."

 

"I don't make the orders," a second voice replied, this time female, in a bubbly but commanding tone that discouraged any form of disagreement, "I just enforce them. Don't worry your pretty little head about whether or not we meet anyone—after all, it wouldn't be nice to not follow orders."

 

There was a crack and rustle up ahead as someone stepped on a twig and then pushed through a leafy branch, revealing a group of three people who froze when they saw the four companions huddled together looking at them. The strangers seemed oddly dressed for traveling through a forest—the two males each wore a black long-sleeved shirt with a jagged letter "C" emblazoned upon it in white, as well as a pair of white pants and black boots, as if they were in some kind of uniform.

 

However oddly dressed the two young men were, the attention of the group was instantly drawn to the third member, a slender and petite girl with large green eyes and soft brown hair that fell to her shoulders, topped off with a small black bow pinning part of her hair up. She was dressed in a similar manner, save that her blouse was short-sleeved, she wore a short white skirt, and her boots reached to just under her knees.

 

The girl took control of the situation at once, striding forward in an fetching manner, skirt swaying slightly, coming to a halt in front of the companions, placing her hands on her hips.

 

"And just who might you be?" she giggled playfully in the same voice that had spoken before, smiling at the three boys.

 

OoC: Alright, everyone. Thanks for your patience regarding this matter—as you can no doubt tell, I have been quite busy. Anyways, this GM Post should bring you back on track with the advancing plot, so just take it from here. While I'm fairly sure that all three of you can put two and two together, your characters shouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions. For the meantime, just interact with these strangers. Another GM Post will follow presently.

 

[encapturer]

"Just Pokemon Trainers..." Lisa replied to strangely dressed girl. She sounded somewhat sarcastic, and had a little smirk on her face. It probably would have been better if Lisa was more cautious around these strangers, but she preferred to get straight to the point. "What's going on here?" Lisa asked back quickly, not letting any of the uniformed people to respond to her answer. She kept one hand on her rod, which she was balancing on right now, and let her other hand hang free, in case she needed to call on Floatern's assistance. After all, these people might be the ones who caused the problems back at Ochre Woods.