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 Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2015 2:42 pm
Desert Plains Pokemon Types Located Here:  
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Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2015 7:38 pm
Guildmaster Veilmys  "I don't let just any ragtag adventurer into my guild, friend! Let's see what sort of moxie you got! In each of the dungeons of our region I've placed a colored bowtie! Be a dear and fetch it for me will you?"Location: Your ChoiceFloors: 4 (That's two pages in size 14 font minimum!) Rewards: x1 Colored Bow Accessory + Partner Voucher-only after completing this mission can you roll for your partner Pokemon. Team Oddball's First Mission: Find That Bow, Q!
Active Members: Q Q surveyed the land before him, ripe for adventure – an unexplored wasteland, obviously not meant for the faint of heart. Indeed, only the most rugged and hard-boiled adventurers could ever possibly brave such a land – so it was probably a good thing he was among that number. After a few moments, the Elgyem finally spoke. “Huh… not exactly full of life, is it?”Well, that was an understatement, but he supposed that was only to be expected – a desert wasn’t exactly going to be teeming with life. He grinned, shifting his goggles off his forehead and putting them over his eyes before striking an overly dramatic pose. “All right, Team Oddball! Missiooon… START!”When the Elgyem got no response whatsoever, he looked down at his “partner” and the dopey look on its “face”. Okay, so maybe a random rock he’d picked up and drawn a smiley-face on didn’t make a terribly good team partner… he REALLY needed to make some friends… Shaking his head, he left the rock there, deciding to head forward on his own. Some thousand or so steps later, he was panting heavily as he continued looking. Sand... rocks... rocks... rocks... sand... rocks... In the name of Arceus, how is it that he could find so many rocks and not a single bow?!? If he didn’t know any better, he’d swear the things were moving around him as he spoke! …Wait a sec… Q immediately whipped his head around to stare suspiciously at the rocks behind him. Yep, he was pretty sure he saw one of the larger rocks twitch under his scrutiny. The young Pokémon immediately hovered over to examine the rock in question more closely. “Hmm…” Deciding this warranted some investigation, he proceeded to probe the rock the same way he probed a lot of things – he concentrated and used the close-range variation of Psycho Cut, forming a blade of psychic energy that extended from his hand. He then used the blade to poke the rock to see if it would yelp in pain… and the makeshift sword went right through with no resistance whatsoever, indicating that it was just a normal rock. Q blinked, pulling his hand back to his side and allowing the makeshift “sword” to vanish. “Huh… guess I’m just being paranoid.” With that, he turned to continue his quest… …and promptly yelped as he was abruptly sucked into quicksand, barely managing to hold his breath in time to avoid choking on sand as he fell through. As he resigned himself to dying via quicksand before he’d even completed his first mission, he suddenly found the soft sand he’d been traveling through replaced with a cold, hard surface, darkness, and a pounding headache… no, wait, his head was just embedded in the floor of something face-first - probably something made of rock, judging from the texture and pain levels. Thank goodness he had a tough noggin. After shaking his head to clear it, spitting out what little sand he’d inhaled, and making sure his goggles weren’t cracked, Q looked around with interest. “Intriguing… I seem to have stumbled into a series of caves buried underneath the sand… exactly the sort of place an adventurer would need to look for a vitally important item of vitally vital vitality like the bow I’m looking for! ONWARD, TEAM ODDBALL!” With that, he wandered off once more, determined to find his prize. Of course, soon enough, he found his way blocked by a rather large boulder. Looking around, he concluded that there was no way around the massive rock… so he’d have to make a way around it. “All righty, may the Force be with me!” With that, he formed another Psycho Cut blade, using it to carve out an opening large enough to fit through. Granted, it was slow going, but this was for the sake of adventure! A couple of hours later, Q finally managed to chip away enough of the cave wall to squeeze between that and the boulder. He turned, fully intending to continue… and then froze, locking eyes with what had to be the biggest Claydol he’d ever seen in his life. Of course, he’d never seen ANY Claydol, so that probably wasn’t saying much, but still, the guy was honkin’ HUGE! …And judging from the amused stare he was getting, he’d said that last part out loud. And now the Claydol was nodding with even more amusement, so Q had probably forgotten to turn on his metaphorical brain-to-mouth filter before engaging in conversation again. Yeah, he was just going to shut up now. However, before Q could go anywhere and/or make a bigger fool of himself, he spotted what he was looking for in a nearby pile of assorted knick-knacks – a bright red bow. “Ah-hah! So that’s where it is!" Then, realizing the pile probably belonged to the massive Ground-type next to him (who he most definitely did NOT want to anger if he could help it), he glanced over. "Hey big guy, mind if I take that bow there?” The Claydol seemed to consider it… and consider… and consider… Q had started wondering idly if it would be best to just grab the bow and make a run for it when the Claydol finally nodded. “Sweet!” Q zipped over to the bow, grabbing his objective and and holding it up in the air triumphantly. “Ah-hah! Team Oddball, first Mission… SUCCESS!” Then he paused, looking around the underground cave system and seeing no exit. “…Now how do I get back to the Guild?” He KNEW he should’ve had his dad teach him Teleport… The Claydol shook its head in amusement, eyes glowing, and a moment later Q was back at the guild. The Claydol hoped it would see the strange little being again sometime – he seemed rather amusing, if only in small doses. Elsewhere, Q yelped as he dropped several feet in the air, landing right in front of the Guild Master... face-first. Still, he managed to hold up the bow for the Guildmaster to examine; he hoped it was the real deal - he REALLY didn't feel like traipsing through the whole desert again... especially with the headache he had now. (Huh... this looked longer in the Word Document I used to judge the "two pages in size" thing... sweatdrop )
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Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2015 8:00 pm
 Veilmys
Veilmys had only just barely walked into the main hall when Q suddenly returned. Well... "returned" was putting it a bit mildly. The Sylveon yelped in surprise and danced back a few steps before he realized what was going on. "That was... sudden. You had quite the adventure, didn't you?" But, surprise or no, Veilmys took the bow as it was offered and carefully conducted his usual examination. Prodding claws gently tugged at the back of the bow until a bright blue thread was made visible which left Veilmys to smile and nod, very much satisfied. He returned the bow to Q and, at the same time, handed him a voucher. "Congratulations! With this, you're an official member of the guild. You can head to the partner assignment office to receive your partner whenever you wish."
Hopefully, Q would meet a partner with a spirit just as his own.
((Your mission length was fine. It was over two pages and while we won't accept a mission significantly below the marker, we're not up-tight either. Your mission was more than adequate in length, style and quality.))
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Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2015 8:20 pm
Fortunately, by the time Veilmys had finished examining the bow, Q had managed to get to his feet. He grinned at the news - he was an official Rescuer now, and could get his own partner and everything! "Awesome!" He gave a little jump in the air, then abruptly had to steady himself. "...Think I'd better go get something for my head first, though..." He headed out, eager to get his new partner... after tending to his head, of course. He was no doctor, but he was pretty sure seeing spots wasn't supposed to be healthy.
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2015 11:44 pm
Client Pikachu  "Hey, my brother doesn't think there's anything cool in those old ruins near the desert! Mind escorting me there so we can prove him wrong?" Location: Desert Plains Floors: 6 Rewards: 500PD + Thunder Shock TMMission Accepted by: Team CatalystMembers Present: Keivera & Arlyn Keivera was up bright and early. She was eager to get things underway, so after rousing Arlyn from his sleep and grabbing a quick bite to eat they went outside to wait for the Pikachu to show up. They didn't have to wait very long though. The Pikachu must have been as eager as Keivera was. He showed up right on time and carried a knapsack over his shoulder. As he approached, he greeted them warmly.“Good morning! Since you and your partner agreed to escort me to the Desert Plains I brought food for us today. It isn't much. I just brought half a dozen apples, but it should hopefully tide us over till we return this evening. Ready?”Keivera replied with a curt nod, “Yes, we're ready.” Then, without a word, she bent her head down to let Arlyn climb on top of her head. The client preferred to walk though.
It took a couple of hours, but they finally reached the desert. By this point, it had already started to become quite hot. The sand was blistering, but thanks to the padding of her hooves it didn't hurt. Instead, the heat was just slightly uncomfortable. She wasn't quite sure how the client continued to walk as he did, but she wasn't going to complain. Everything was quiet except for a faint breeze gently blowing grains of sand off the top of the surrounding sand dunes.
For the early part of the day, time passed by uneventfully. Except for Arlyn's low mumbled protests about having to get up early, the heat, and hoping he didn't shrivel up and dehydrate. She couldn't help but overhear them cause he was practically right in her ear. She wasn't sure if their client could hear him or not, but if he did he gave no indication of it.
Just as they neared the bottom of a sand dune, she felt Arlyn shift uneasily on her head before he whispered in her ear, “Don't look now, but we have company tailing us.” Keivera moved her head slightly to indicate that she had heard him, but she didn't make a sound as the trio continued forward. She strained her ears to try and hear what Arlyn did, but she couldn't make anything out. She didn't doubt her partner; Marill were known for having impeccable hearing, and Arlyn was no exception. She did, however, want to be prepared for the attack that was coming.
Several minutes passed by without incident before she heard it. There was movement in the sand. By that time though, it was too late, the attack had already begun. She felt the sand beneath her hooves give way as a white Sandslash with red red quills came up to smack her underside full force. It had dug into the sand for a surprise attack. Her front half was knocked up, and she toppled backward sending Arlyn flying. The client, in the meantime screamed in surprise and used his agility to get far away from the action, but still within sight of all the participants.
The sand, although somewhat giving, still hurt. Being as large as what she was, Keivera was slow to get back up. Thankfully, Arlyn - being the ball of a mouse hat he was – was able to bounce right back to his feat and had already regained his footing when the odd Sandslash went to cut Keivera. Instead of claws meeting flesh, the claws and body of the assailant met Arlyn's watergun which prevented it from advancing further. The ground type let out a cry of pain as the watergun hit it square in the face.
Either realizing its mistake, or close to fainting thanks to Arlyn's attack, the Sandslash dove back beneath the sand. This time, it didn't resurface near them, but near the client instead. The small electric type was a much easier target. By this time, Keivera was back on her hooves and raced in the direction of the Pikachu. She wasn't fast enough to reach him in time to prevent the magnitude that rippled across ground though. The Pikachu was tossed around like a rag-doll. By the time, Keivera got close enough to hit the enemy it had already dug back into the sand. Everything was quiet and still. The tiny yellow mouse had been knocked unconscious by the concussive effects of the magnitude it had endured.“Arlyn! Get over here! Client down!” She called out, an urgency in her voice that hadn't been there earlier. She wasn't sure if the Sandslash was gone for good, or if it was just lying in wait to take them by surprise again.
While Arlyn rushed to her side, Keivera kept an eye out over the dunes around them. She didn't see any movement, nor did she hear anything besides Arlyn's slight panting as he covered the gap that had been created during her dash to the client. That didn't mean anything though. She hadn't heard the other approach either.
As Arlyn finally reached her, she turned to look at him then gestured to the Pikachu with her head. “Use your watergun on him. We can't continue safely with him in this shape. He needs to be awake at the very least.” Arlyn didn't argue with her as he used his watergun again. From the looks of the stream of water, Keivera could tell he was holding back greatly on the force. This was only meant to rouse the little mouse, after all, not hurt it.
After a brief spritzing with Arlyn's watergun, the client began to rouse. He groaned as he woke. “Ohhhh....my aching head. What happened?”“Easy there,” Keivera said, “Don't move too much too soon. That Sandslash came over here and gave you a good thrashin'. When you feel a little less woozy we'll leave again, but I must ask that you stay a little closer to us if we encounter any more enemies. You ran too far for me to be able to stop the Sandslash from attacking you.”
The Pikachu groaned again and simply nodded.
It only took about ten minutes before the Pikachu indicated that he was ready to move again, though he still appeared slightly dazed. So, with another curt nod Keivera lay down on the sand to make it easier for the Pikachu to climb up onto her back. “Arlyn, help him climb up.” She said, addressing her partner before turning her attention back to the yellow mouse. “You shouldn't walk too much right now. I'll let you down in a little while, but we really shouldn't linger here any longer.”
Too dazed to argue, the Pikachu let Arlyn help him onto Keivera's back before Arlyn took his place back up on Keivera's head. With the two tiny mice in tow, Keivera got back up and walked over to where the Pikachu's knapsack had landed earlier only to discover it was empty. There was a faint trace in the sand where something, probably the odd Sandslash, had resurfaced quietly while she and Arlyn had been distracted rousing their client.
Keivera frowned and let out a slight sigh in frustration as she bent her head down to pick up the knapsack with her mouth before turning her head around to offer it to the Pikachu. Without a word, the knapsack was taken and so the journey began again.
It was midday now, and the sun hung directly overhead. They were without food and water. There was also no shade around at all. She herself was having a hard time continuing, but she had to press forward. They hadn't found anything worthwhile and the Pikachu, who was still presently riding on her back, was counting on them to guide him to the ruins that were out here so that he could prove his brother wrong.
Then, in the distance, Keivera could see a cloud of sand and dust. There were two figures - that she could see - enshrouded by the dust headed straight toward them. She didn't think she could outrun them with two passengers, so wasting energy on trying to run was futile. Quickly, she scanned her surrounding and spotted part of a rock, covered lightly by sand. This would have to do.
She trotted over to the rock and began using her hooves to expose more of the rock. It wasn't much, but it would be some cover for the Pikachu to hide behind during the impending battle that Keivera was certain was about to ensue. “Untie your knapsack, lie down on your stomach, and pull the sack over top of you. I'm going to put a bit of sand on it so it hides you a bit more. Stay here, and don't move,” she addressed the Pikachu before allowing him to hop down.
Quickly, the client did as he was asked and Keivera dusted the top of the knapsack covering the electric mouse with some sand. Then, her and Arlyn moved twenty-five yards away so that the fighting wouldn't be near him.
Then, the dust cloud reached them and there turned out to be more than just two pokemon, there were four. There was a Ponyta, Growlithe, Vulpix, and a Numel. Great. Just what she wanted, fire types. However, they didn't attack. Instead, they circled her and Arlyn in thirty foot radius. What were they waiting on? Then, as the four fire pokemon stopped circling, two Sandile and two Drilbur erupted from the ground, completing the circle around them that the fire types had made in the sand as they ran.
Ten feet in front of her, one last pokemon emerged. The Sandslash from earlier burst out of the ground and landed in a battle ready pose to address them. “Earlier, I attacked you and took your food in hopes that you would turn back. Now, you leave me no choice but to muscle you. How, is entirely up to you though. My fellows and I give you one chance, and one chance only to leave the desert under our escort. If you refuse, then we will be forced to beat you into submission and discard you outside of the desert for someone to find.”Then the Sandslash looked around. “Wait, where is that Pikachu you were with earlier?”
Keivera grinned. So, they hadn't noticed her hiding the client. Good, this would give her something to work with. “I will protect my client with my life.” She snorted and stamped the ground. “Why do you want us gone so badly? We haven't done anything other than defend ourselves.”The Sandslash glared at her and his quills raised in anger. “Strangers are not welcome here,” he spat. “Always trouble.”
So, they had some bad experience with outsiders. That explained a lot, however, she had agreed to the Pikachu's request and if she could manage it she'd like to keep her promise. “We didn't come out here to cause trouble. We only came to look at the ruins. Nothing more.”This only seemed to anger the Sandslash more. “Those ruins are there because we welcomed outsiders into our homes generations ago and were betrayed! My entire family, gone! Gone because of pokemon like you! Gone because the outsiders turned on us, pilfering and pillaging; they killing anyone and everyone that was in their path!”
Keivera's ears drooped. She had no idea that the ruins held such a haunting memory for the Sandslash. Her heart went out to him. She wished desperately that she could convince him that they meant no harm. Her eyes became watery as the Sandslash spoke of his departed family. The hurt in his voice was immense. “I'm sorry for your loss. I couldn't imagine the pain you must feel, but I can only pray and hope that you'll believe me when I say that we don't mean any harm.” She paused for a second, however she was quick to continue before the Sandslash had a chance to cut her off. “Perhaps it would help if I told you why we came out here. You see, we – that is my partner and I – are part of a local guild. The Pikachu you saw earlier is our client. He wanted to see the ruins, but he means no disrespect. We are simply here as an escort. Is there any way that we could persuade you to let him just look at the ruins? We'll go blindfolded so that we can't find our way back if you'd like and we'll never speak of what we see either if that is your wish.”The Sandslash's quills stayed raised until the Growlithe spoke up. “Sir, if I may; I was once not part of our our community. Perhaps they should be asked to prove their worth as I was asked, and leave the decision of their fate up to those of a higher power.”Slowly, as the Growlithe made his suggestion, the Sandslash lowered his quills. At the end, he sighed and closed his eyes as he nodded. “Perhaps...but there is still one missing. Where is your client?” He questioned again. Keivera was hesitant to answer. “Do I have your word that he will remained unharmed?”The Sandslash's quills rose again briefly before flattening back out with a sneer. “You are hardly in a position to negotiate anything, but I give you my word that your client will remain unharmed.”
If these pokemon were going to ever trust them enough to let them near the ruins, she was going to have to trust them first. She just hoped she wasn't making a mistake and with that she took a deep breath and nodded. “Alright. I will trust you.” She turned around and faced the direction of the rock. “You can come out now. They aren't going to harm you.”There was a moment of hesitation before the Pikachu finally stood up. He looked wary, however, he had done as Keivera had asked. Keivera nodded and turned her attention back to the Sandslash. “Now, what must we do to prove our worth?” She just hoped she wasn't going to regret that question later.The Sandslash turned to the Vulpix and then the Numel, gesturing for them to come forward as he spoke. “First, you are to submit and let your mind be overcome by the effects of their sleep inducing abilities.” Referring to the Vulpix and the Numel as they came to stand beside the Sandslash. “What comes next depends on whether or not you fight the sleep. We will speak further when you awake.”The Sandslash then turned his back to them, as did the rest of the pokemon encircling them. The Vulpix's eyes began to glow a faint purple as it used hypnosis, while the Numel simply swayed its head and yawned at them. Keeping the Sandslash's words in mind, Keivera dropped her guard and stared straight at the Vulpix, and within seconds her legs buckled as she let herself succumb to unconsciousness. The last thing she heard was the yawning of both the client and Arlyn before everything went black.
When Keivera first regained consciousness, her senses felt dull; her hearing was muffled and her vision was a blur. The remnants of the hypnosis still had her sleepy. Then, Arlyn was in her face, slapping her muzzle before squirting her with a strong stream of water which shocked her back into full alertness. She stood up quickly and shook her head to get the water out of her eyes. She was certainly awake now.
Taking a moment to look around afterwards, she noticed that it was dark out. There was only the moon and the stars for light. Now that it was night, it was a lot colder, and having that water sprayed in her face hadn't helped matters. Her stomach growled as a reminder that she had gone the entire day without food. She felt weak, but this was probably part of the Sandslash's plan.
Then, it occurred to her. There was no one else around except for Arlyn and the client, who was still sound asleep. Where had all the other pokemon gone? Turning to Arlyn, she made an inquiry. “Arlyn, was there anyone around when you woke up?”
“I thought I saw a shadow moving away from us in the distance, but I couldn't tell for sure. I was having a hard time hearing and seeing when I came to.” Arlyn replied. Keivera could tell her partner was uneasy. None of this made sense. By this time, the little Pikachu was beginning to stir. “Arlyn, go watch our client. I'm going to take a quick look around.” She spoke softly as she walked out a small distance from the two mice.
They were still in the desert, and there was no way for her to get a baring on which way the guild was. Either this was a trick used to get rid of them or this was part of that “test” that the Sandslash and Growlith had spoke of.
There was a slight breeze that sent a chill down her spine. Then she noticed the scent that it carried, food. It was faint, however, that didn't stop it from making her stomach grown further in protest. The cloudiness began to creep back into her mind and with it came a soft voice as well as an image.
“Come...you have been summoned...” It was faint, almost like a whisper. The image that came with it was that of a rock off in the distance, and beneath it, she couldn't explain it, but there was a spot beneath the rock that – despite looking no different than the rest of the sand – she knew it to be the source of the voice, as well as the pleasant aroma.
Without hesitation, she went back to her partner and the client to try and explain. “I know where we must go. There's this rock...and...we just need to go.” She was having a hard time articulating her thoughts due to the cloudiness of her mind.
Despite the concern showing on his face - and the skeptical look on the Pikachu's – both climbed up onto her back as she lowered herself for them to climb aboard.
Letting the image and the voice in her head guide her, it took only minutes for her to locate the rock. “Come closer...” the voice whispered in her head. “Closer...” the voice repeated again as she stopped and looked at the rock and sand before her. When she didn't move, it repeated a third time but louder, “Come closer!” It was a command, not a request.
Without another thought she took a few steps forward and felt the ground give way beneath her hooves as she began to sink into the sand. It was quicksand. The two mice cried out in alarm and began to fight each other as both scrambled to gain the higher ground on her head. She too, began to fight in an attempt to backpedal out of the quicksand, but it was no use.
“Stop fighting!” The voice was very clear now. “Relax.” The voice was more urgent now. Somehow she knew that it was right and she stopped struggling as she addressed the two fighting mice. “Quit! You'll only make it worse. Just trust me.” Now was not the time to tell them about the disembodied voice in her head.
Arlyn quit fighting, but the Pikachu still climbed up to her head after shoving Arlyn down; he looked around frantically for something to grab or jump onto despite the fact that sand – and the one rock twenty feet away – was all that surrounded them.
“Good...” the voice continued. Without warning, the sand finished engulfing them. There was a second delay between being swallowed by the sand and the thud of her body hitting a cold stone floor in a well lit area with high ceilings.
She groaned as she began to pick herself up off the floor. Her gaze wandered over the room as she stood. Three Delphox stood against the wall, watching them with a keen interest.
“We've been expecting you.” The middle one purred. One of them had been the source of the voice in her head as well as the image that had guided her. “Our leader has deemed you worthy of an audience. My sister shall guide you, but stay close. It is easy to get lost down here, and if you are found prowling too far away from her the rest of the colony has already been given permission to kill you.” She smiled coyly. Keivera nodded and turned her gaze to her companions to make sure that both of them had heard their instructions before following after the Delphox that walked off toward a corridor on the right. The Delphox took them through many different hallways, all filled with twists, turns, and splits. It would have been easy to get lost without the bipedal fox to follow, but after what seemed like half an hour she began to hear what sounded like running water. Soon after, they arrived in a room that wasn't quite as well lit as the rest of the cave system had been.
The room was vast and beautiful. The floor was a mixture of different colored stone laid in a mosaic-like fashion. In the center was a large ornate bowl that contained the dying embers of a fire. The walls were decorated with more brightly colored stone tiles and every ten feet there was a spout from which water slowly flowed. The water fell and collected in golden fountains studded with precious jewels. In the very back, there was a throne carved from stone, decorated in silver, gold, and black agate. Beside it, were four additional hallways on each side that were obscured in darkness.
Keivera was in awe. The place was stunning.
The Delphox that had led them here paused and turned to face them. “Wait here.” Again, it was a command and not a request. The Delphox left them and wandered down one of the eight hallways. Soon, Keivera could hear footsteps again as the Delphox returned with the Sandslash they had been dealing with earlier as well as the rest of the entourage that had encircled them that afternoon. This time it was the Sandslash that addressed them. “Our leader has seen fit to give you an audience. You will kneel before him and treat him with respect. You will answer his questions and only speak when spoken to. Failure to do so will result in your immediate termination.”
Keivera nodded. “I understand.” There was no going back now. She just hoped the other two would behave. Arlyn and the client simply nodded, both hiding behind her front legs.With his instructions clear the Sandslash called loudly. “All hail our mighty King Alfred!” With that, the entire entourage knelled facing the throne. Keivera, Arlyn, and the yellow mouse followed suit.Large footsteps could be heard as a larger than average bluish black Tyrantrum emerged, slowly making his way to the throne. No wonder their leader commanded so much respect, he was monstrous in more ways than one. When King Alfred sat down he addressed the group. “You may rise, my subjects. Part so that I may look at these outsiders.” His followers did as they were told, and after a moment Alfred spoke again. “Mmm...Outsiders, come closer so that we may speak. I will hear your tale, but be brief.”
Keivera looked at the Sandslash to make sure it was alright for her to move, and with an approving nod she rose and walked to the other side of the brazier. “Your grace,” she answered him, “My name is Keivera and this is my partner, Arlyn.” She gestured to her friend. “We are from The Guild of Eclipse. We are an exploration team. This Pikachu is our client. He asked us to take him to the ruins because he didn't believe them to be just ruins. As his escort we are sworn to protect him and do our utmost to see that his request is met. Your subjects brought us before you so that you may pass judgement on us, to approve or deny our request and - should it be approved - under what terms.”
Keivera had tried to be as brief as possible. She kept her gaze slightly lowered, fearing that to stare would possibly be considered an insult. There was a long period of silence as Alfred weighed her words. She could feel his stare on them. It was unnerving, although she tried not to show it.
“My subjects have been betrayed by outsiders before. What reason would I have to trust you with the secrets of my kingdom?” Alfred questioned, waving a claw in their direction. “Your grace, I can give you no reason other than my honor as a member of the Guild Eclipse. Truthfully, you have no reason to trust us, but we have done everything that has been asked of us up to this point faithfully. I just hope that this might somehow convince you and your subjects that I am worthy of your trust.” She spoke boldly, perhaps too boldly. “My only concern, should we be deemed unworthy, is that my client and my partner are let go unharmed. If deemed unworthy, I will remain behind willingly to face any punishment that awaits, but spare my companions.”
Keivera was startled slightly when Albert stood up from his throne and walked toward her. It was downright terrifying. She wasn't sure what to expect she feared that perhaps she might have somehow offended the giant reptile. Albert stopped five feet away from where Keivera stood before he spoke again. “Keivera, Explorer from The Guild of Eclipse, look me in the eye and tell me yes or no if you would indeed stay behind and put your fellows before you.”
Keivera looked up into the face of the Tyrantrum. As she answered him her voice didn't waver. “Yes. I would want them free and unharmed instead of myself. I would do this because I am responsible for them as their leader.” She hoped that by using some of the King's own words, she might be better understood.King Albert stared at her for a few seconds before he grunted and looked to his subjects. “Your presence is no longer required. You may leave us.” Then, turning his gaze back to Keivera he addressed her. “I believe you, Keivera, Explorer of The Guild of Eclipse. You and your companions may follow me. I wish to show you something, but you may never tell anyone outside these walls what you have see. Am I clear? Do you agree to these terms under penalty of death should your word ever be broken?”“Yes, your grace. I agree to these terms.” Keivera said. Arlyn and the Pikachu both nodded in response as well.Satisfied with their answer the large Tyrantrum turned and walked down one of the hallways. “Follow me.”
Silently, Keivera and her companions followed King Alfred through a long hallway. At the end there was an opening guarded by two Kabutops. As their King approached they stepped aside. “Leave us,” Alfred told them as he stepped through the opening. With a bow, the Kabutops guards left and Keivera followed Alfred inside. The room was dark. The only light visible came from the torches outside in the hallway. Alfred opened his jaws, a light flame slowly encasing his fangs as he bit down on a rope that Keivera had failed to notice. Alfred's fire fang ignited the rope, which burned quickly. The rope was attached to lamps that had been placed securely into nooks all along the wall of the circular room. The lamps ignited and filled the room with light. Keivera squinted against the light. As her eyes began to adjust, her sight focused on the shrine that was against the far wall. There was a semi-large stone. It was about the size of of an average Miltank. It was dark purple in appearance.Alfred looked back down the hallway to make sure they were alone before he spoke. “Before you is a large Dusk Stone. My subjects found it in the desert when those ruins weren't actually ruins. They believe it to be from another world. I think the families that lived in that old city had been there for generations and hadn't left. Thus, their view on the world is narrow and their knowledge limited mostly to the desert. They adopted me as their King after I chased the last of the bandits away from the smoldering remains of their old city.” The Tyrantrum was staring at the Dusk Stone sadly. “There were few survivors, but together, over many years we rebuilt the city down here. This Dusk Stone is their treasure, and it is one of the only things saved from that terrible day.”
There was a heaviness to Alfred's voice as he recalled this history of the stone. Keivera could only guess what other horrors this giant patriarch might have seen.
“Now you know the ruin's secrets, and if you so desire you may stay here to live with us, or you may return to the world above. Just remember your promise, should you choose to leave. But, know this, once you leave it is likely you shall never return here.” King Alfred turned to regard them. “We have an abundance of food and water. Our location is secret and secure. It is very safe here and you could live in peace, away from the chaotic world above. The choice is yours...” Alfred watched them and waited for an answer. Keivera bowed her head respectfully, “With all due respect, your grace, I'm afraid I will have to turn down your offer to stay. I believe there is much good in the world that I can do, and I cannot accomplish that from here.”With a nod, Alfred motioned for them to follow him. “Very well, I understand. I shall take you back to my throne room and summon an escort for you. They will take you to the edge of the desert. Of course, you'll have to be put to sleep again. Our location must remain a secret, but don't worry. My guards will watch over you till you wake up. You will be kept safe.”
Keivera hated the thought of being put to sleep again, but if that's what it took to get her home again then so be it. With luck, maybe they'd make it back to the guild in time for breakfast.
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2015 9:06 am
Claudius would be awaiting Team Catalyst's return when they strode into the Main Hall the following morning, a smile crossing his face when he found both they and their client to be in good condition. "Welcome back," he said with a nod, "I trust your escort mission was a success?"
The Aurorus looked down at their Pikachu client expectantly and the Electric Type nodded after a moment. "Yeah, we definitely proved my brother wrong," he said somewhat hesitantly, glancing side-to-side as if afraid someone else was listening.
Claudius frowned, tilting his head curiously at the Pikachu's peculiar actions but didn't press the matter any further. "Then I think congratulations are in order," he said lightly, turning to look at Keivara and Arlyn with a smile. "You've done well completing your first mission together," he told them, "So well, in fact, that a couple of other Pokemon returned ahead of you. Apparently they heard of your exploits?" Clearly the Aurorus suspected that something strange was going on here, but he didn't voice the claim directly. "I'll go fetch them for you, shall I?" he said, turning a significant gaze on the Sawsbuck and Marill pair, "I look forward to reading your report on your findings. I've been pondering a visit to those ruins myself." Claudius departed without another word, disappearing down the hall to fetch the other Pokemon he'd mentioned.
Their Pikachu client stood uncomfortably to the side for a moment, staring at the ground for a long time. "I'm...sorry about your rewards," he said after a moment, unable to look up at them. "I had them in my bag but...well..." The Electric Type shook his head, putting his head in his paws. "What am I supposed to do? I can't explain anything to my brother, I can't thank you properly for helping me out, I've made a mess of this whole thing somehow." He was clearly upset, and a little overwhelmed by everything that had transpired--it almost seemed like he was about to cry.
"Excuse me," a voice broke through the tension in the room, heralding the arrival of a Growlithe and a Delphox from the hallway that Claudius had departed to. "We're here to express our apologies for what transpired before." He mentioned nothing of the events themselves, but simply nodded to the Delphox beside him.
The vixen smiled almost eerily. "We've brought back the items that were taken from you," she said in a familiar lilting voice, setting a small parcel down in front of the Pikachu.
"But, this is..." the Electric Type's eyes lit up as he discovered not only the rewards, but also six freshly picked apples, ripe and ready to be eaten. "This is great!" he cheered, eyes lighting up as he pulled out a pouch which he proudly offered to Arlyn and Keivara--inside they would find the PD and TM, that they'd been promised. "Take these too," the Pikachu said, offering an apple to each of them, "I bet you're just as starving as I am!"
The Delphox cleared her throat, causing the Pikachu to freeze and glance at her guiltily. "There are two other matters to attend to first," she said, not unkindly. "First, we have a package for you two especially. Courtesy of..." She smiled that unsettling grin again and laughed as she handed over a small box to the pair.
"Secondly," the Growlithe said, apparently eager to make his point, "we came here by choice. Returning what was taken is only the official reason for our journey, not the personal reason."
He would go on to explain that both he and his Delphox companion were interested in joining Team Catalyst, and their client proceeded to trip over his own words to throw his name into consideration too. However, as the Guild rules stated, they would only be allowed to accept one of the group.
Rewards:
-2 MP
-500 PD
-Thunder Shock TM
-Pikachu, Growlithe, or Delphox Recruit
Explorer Bonus:
-The box from the Delphox was revealed to be a present from King Alfred himself! An incredible honor indeed. The Tyrantrum had admired Keivera's resolve so greatly that he chose an object from the colony's treasury to send with his citizens as a gesture of goodwill. While there were many things in the treasury, he at last settled on one of three significant objects:
Dusk Stone // Sand Tomb TM // Hypnosis TM
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Crew
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2015 12:45 pm
Team CatalystMembers Present: Keivera & Arlyn Keivera smiled as the Growlithe and Delphox explained their reasons for being there. All three pokemon were eager and deserving of a chance, but they could only pick one. So, after a discussion with Arlyn a choice was made despite the difficulty. “I appreciate the interest that all three of you have expressed in my team, however, guild rules state that I may only choose one. After much consideration, Arlyn and I have reached a decision.” She then turned her gaze to the Growlithe. “We would be proud to have you join us.”The Growlithe's tail began to wag as he nodded. ”Thank you for the opportunity, Keivera. I will inform your superior of your decision and meet you back in your room.”Keivera nodded and explained where their room could be found before saying farewell to the client and the Delphox. She hated to see them leave, but rules were rules. As they all went their separate ways, Keivera's thoughts turned to the report she'd have to dictate to Arlyn. Claudius would be expecting their report soon.================================================================================================================ ================================================================================================================ ================================================================================================================ Later, a note was dropped off at Claudius' room. A copy of the memoir was kept for record purposes by Team Catalyst. Team Catalyst Records Memo To: Claudius
From: Team Catalyst
Subject: Our Trip SummaryI, Arlyn, write this as dictated by Keivera.
We are sorry to disappoint you, however, we cannot disclose exactly what happened out in the desert. We took an oath promising that what happened would remain a secret; that oath should not be broken. And so, a formal report can not be filed. Instead, we leave you this memoir as well as a separate promise. We promise that we conducted ourselves in a manner that you and Guild Master Veilmys would approve of. If the truth could be revealed, we believe you would be proud.
On this matter, we can say no more.
Sincerely,
Keivera and Arlyn – Team Catalyst
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Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2015 12:08 pm
Guildmaster Veilmys "I don't let just any ragtag adventurer into my guild, friend! Let's see what sort of moxie you got! In each of the dungeons of our region I've placed a colored bowtie! Be a dear and fetch it for me will you?"Location: Your ChoiceFloors: 4 (That's two pages in size 14 font minimum!) Rewards: x1 Colored Bow Accessory + Partner Voucher-only after completing this mission can you roll for your partner Pokemon.
Drilling upwards, Bahadur made his way above ground, breaking the dry earth near the surface to wriggle his way backwards out of the hole he had dug. The instant he was exposed he could feel the heat radiating from above. Cracking his unwilling eyes open just a smidgen was enough to let the harsh sunlight blind him momentarily. Being who he was, though, Bahadur toughed out the pain and waited for his narrow vision to clear. As it did, the dusty, rugged terrain of the Desert Plains.
”Now...” His outspoken thought trailed off quickly as he searched for a good place to start looking for one of these ribbons he was sent out to find. He couldn't sense the layout of the bare land when he was above ground with his whiskers, but his powerful sense of vibration could pick up movements in the air to alert him of another's presence. Fortunately there seemed to be a flying pokemon of sorts in the distance, both visible by sight and feeling.
Heading in that direction, Bahadur opted to use his minuscule wings to move towards the pokemon instead of traveling underground. He didn't want to startle the other pokemon. As he flew nearer, he could make out the distinct form of a flygon. Soon he could tell that the dragon could sense him as well. It landed and watched as the normal type approached.
”Can I help you?” A deep, manly tone escaped the dragon as it looked down at the little winged pokemon that neared it. Bahadur offered a smile of sorts and nodded smoothly.
”If you would, friend, I am searching for something.” He mentioned in a polite manner, getting the feeling by the ridged demeanor of the dragon that he was one for a more respectful approach, ”A ribbon or bowtie. Have you chanced upon something of this description?”
A scoff of disbelief passed through the dragon's lips as it rolled its eyes beneath its natural goggles, ”Actually yeah, I have. My son has been obsessed with a ribbon lately. I've been trying to get him to give it to me since I know its not his, but he throws a fit and creates a huge sand trap to bury himself in every time I get near it.”
”Quite the predicament you've got there. Children can be like this sometimes.” Bahadur agreed with a nod, noting every detail of what was being said in his mental journal. He hummed a mock hum in order to portray the appearance of carefully mulling something over before he smiled again at the father, ”How about I give it a go? I have been told I'm good with children, and I would be as gentle as possible when trying to get the ribbon. If you don't mind, of course.”
”Sure, take a wing at it,” Bahadur could sense a note of relief in the dragon's tone as he agreed, ”It'd be great if someone could get it away from him. He's just beyond those two rocks out there, I've been keeping an eye on him from above. I just can't get near him with the state he's in.”
The dusparce carefully took in the information before turning to look in the direction he had been pointed in. He nodded sharply before addressing the flygon again, ”All right, I'll be back shortly.”
”Hah! Yeah, good luck with that.” the father laughed in an unconvinced manner. Bahadur simply turned and head in the direction he was sure his target was at. He traveled by air again and slowly made his way towards the duo of rocks in the distance. As he neared them, he realized that by 'rocks', the flygon had meant 'huge jagged boulders'. They were almost pitch black in color with sharp bits of stone poking out in every direction. And just beyond these dangerous boulders, the dunsparce could see a whirlpool of sand only a few feet in diameter in the ground.
”Hello?” He cheerfully called out as he neared the swirling pit. A clacking noise replied to him as the little face of a young trapinch popped out from over the edge of the vortex. Bahadur offered a grin to the child and tried to read its expression in turn, but it was proving difficult with the pokemon's dull eyes and jagged smile it wore at all times. The dunsparce cleared his throat before continuing, ”Hello, little one! Your daddy tells me you have something that actually belongs to me?”
The trapinch tilted its head slightly and gave its jaws a little snap before disappearing into the ground. Bahadur came closer to the pit and looked for the little guy, wondering if it was running away from him. But before he could think about diving in after the trapinch, it popped back up to the surface with a black ribbon in its teeth. Bahadur faked a surprised gasp before smiling and nodding.
”That would be it! Would you mind giving that back to me?” He asked with extra sweetness stirred into his tone. The sugar didn't seem to work, though, as the flygon's son immediately became distressed, clacking its teeth together and throwing sand in every direction as it began to thrash about. Bahadur hummed when he realized that just asking for the ribbon wasn't going to work. But he couldn't attack the child. That would be an unfair battle, and he doubted he'd live long if the flygon saw him beating on his child. It looked to him like reasoning was the only way to go.
”Hush! Hush, little one!” Bahadur started loudly, effectively gaining the attention of the frantic child. Once the trapinch's eyes were on him, Bahadur smiled again and nodded, ”Okay, I won't take it.”
”Really?” A young, confused voice came from the trapinch. Bahadur noted the fact that it could speak as he nodded encouragingly.
”Yes, really. But I would be careful if I were you.” He stated in a warning tone. The little orange-brown head cocked to the side as the dunsparce quit hovering and settled on the ground, ”I think your daddy hates thieves. And since you stole that ribbon...” Bahadur motioned with his head towards the black cloth hanging limply from the trapinch's mouth.
”He no hate me! I found dis! Not steal.” The young one protested, crawling backwards into the hole it had dug just a bit.
”But he thinks you stole it. He said he knows its not yours.” Bahadur listened as a small indignant whine came from the child, and he made sure to continue on, ”I don't think you're a thief, though. If you give it to me, I'll make sure to explain everything to your dad so he won't hate you forever.” The dunsparce offered.
”But... I found it.” The ground pokemon reluctantly answered, the hesitation in its little voice revealing the self-doubt. Bahadur hummed and sighed as if he were dissappointed.
”That's your choice then. I don't think I could make him believe you're not a thief without the ribbon, though. Well, then, see you later.” Bahadur flapped his wings and began to lift himself up from the ground again, turning and slowly moving as if to leave the trapinch behind.
”W-wait!” Bahadur nodded in satisfaction internally as he turned to see the trapinch trotting towards him with the ribbon. It came up to him and scratched the ground nervously, ”Okay, you can have. Make daddy no hate?”
Bahadur smiled and nodded, ”Of course! Come on, lets go back to your father together and explain how good you are for giving it back.” The trapinch nodded in response and they began moving passed the pointy boulders to head back to the flygon. Once they ad crossed the scorching plains and back to where the dragon resided, the trapinch ran up and dropped the ribbon at his father's feet.
”I good! Not steal, give back!” It explained, leaving the flygon father to gape disbelievingly at his son, then over at the dusparce just a few paces behind.
”You actually did it?” The flygon's question was answered as Bahadur nodded. A sharp toothed grin came over the dragon's features as he picked up the slightly tattered ribbon and rubbed his son's head affectionately, ”That's amazing! Thank you!”
”It was no problem. Do you think you can tie the ribbon around my tail for me? I really must be heading out.” He asked politely, growing rather bored and wanting to head back to the guild as soon as possible. The flygon more than willingly obliged and did so, waving a goodbye as Bahadur went off to find the tunnel he had made that would take him right back to the guild's headquarters.
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Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2015 1:15 pm
Veilmys
Veilmys was waiting long before Bahadur’s return to the guild, his long ribbons flicking in the breeze. It was much more comfortable here than in the desert where the Dunsparce had last ventured. ”Welcome back!” the Sylveon greeted, cheerful as ever as he looked over his newest guild member.
”You certainly had a short trip- you made good time in getting here.” The Sylveon, in all honesty, had not expected the Dunsparce to be back so soon. He’d underestimated him. ”That said, might I see your ribbon for a moment?” The question was, of course, very polite. Accepting the dark ornament from the Dunsparce with one of his ribbons, he flipped it over and carefully untied the blue string from the back.
”Congratulations,” Veilmys beamed. ”You’re an official member of the guild!” He offered the ribbon back to Bahadur, quite pleased. ”This ribbon now belongs to you, as does this voucher. If you bring that voucher to the partner assignment office, they’ll help you meet your new partner.”
Veilmys paused, a smile of mild concern on his face. ”Though perhaps you might stop for a drink, first- you were in a desert, after all.”
{{ OoC: Excellent! The only real errors I could spot were some sentences that maybe got split apart somewhere in the writing process. Other than that, it was a fun read! I enjoyed seeing a character who reasons his way through challenges instead of fighting, and the way you described his senses was very intricate. C: }}
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Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2015 5:02 pm
Bahadur scrutinized the reactions of his Guildmaster carefully. He nodded carefully as he received advice from the young sylveon, "Of course, I wouldn't want to get dehydrated. Thank you, Guildmaster. I will be seeing you then." He responded, figuring referring to Veilmys by his title would win him a few brownie points.
After getting back his ribbon Bahadur was off to see who his new partner may be.
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