Poisoned Waters ((Joey/Mod))

[Rane]

((OOC: Going to be using my Purrloin for this quest ))

Rane shivered as the cold wind billowed through the air. Even with her gray jacket hood up and a red scarf wrapped around her neck, Rane still felt her entire body tense up in hopes of keeping her body warm. The Purrloin trotting along beside her seemed to be more accepting of the cold weather. With her tail raised high and the look of content across her features, Sasha welcomed the cool breeze that ruffled her fur. Rane figured the thick coat of fur that covered the feline was what was keeping the cat from freezing to death like she was.

Although the wind was cold, the sky was a beautiful blue with the thick clouds glazing through, keeping the sun from shining its rays at full power.
I could use a little warm sunlight,Rane thought sulkily.
The pair neared the bank of a lake, which was situated at the edge of Cherrygrove city. Cherry blossom petals spiraled down from the trees above and descended down. Rane had heard that the view of the lake was especially beautiful during this time of the year, and she wasn't going to pass up on the opportunity. Suddenly, Sasha stopped dead in her tracks, nose to the air and ears pricked in alarm.

"What's wrong?"Rane asked, noticing her Purrloin's sudden change in demeanor.

"Something smells....awful,"the feline growled, curling her lips in disgust. The Purrloin bounded forward, reaching the bank before her Trainer. The feline's fur stood on end and she let out a hiss of disgust.
Startled, Rane jogged over, wondering what was causing Sasha to get so worked up.
"What the heck.."Rane muttered, gazing down at the waters with disbelief.

Before them was the body of water, filled with a purple and black hue as opposed to the usual light, clean blue. The rancid smell of acid filled the entire air around it, causing both human and Pokemon to gag from the smell.

[The REAL Joey]

With Rane and Sasha picking up on the vile and disgusting state of the waters surrounding Cherrygrove, it would appear one other would be shocked by this nasty pollution of what should otherwise be pristine waters. Moving in closer and pulling a retort of displeasure at the foul stench, appeared to be a blue haired trainer in her late teens. "My goodness... What is going on here? I've never seen water so foul." Looking up herself, she looked further down the bank and noted a fellow trainer. Wondering if she had any idea as to what was going on, she made her way along. "Oh! Hello there!" She greeted gingerly. Given how much of a beginner she was to Pokemon, she was a little cautious in how she interacted with other trainers. She knew of the golden rule of a trainer's eyes meeting they would have to partake in a duel but with matters as dire as this there was no doubt any reasonable minded trainers would ignore a confrontation in order to get to the bottom of this wretched pollution.

"Umm... What exactly is going on here? These waters look so... Awful." Looking back down to reassure herself she hadn't imagined the disgusting filth floating in the water, she let out a small gaps as she noticed all manner of refuse and litter floating along also. Turning back to the girl, Remi bowed her head and greeted herself. "My name is Remi. I was on my way to Violet City but I couldn't help but notice how poor a state this water was in." Shaking her head, she thought back to when she left out from Cherrygrove. "I seem to remember a local spitting out some water he had poured... Something doesn't seem right." A strong sense of resolve and justice instilled in Remi, she wasn't too sure what was up but if there was trouble she was willing to pitch in and help solve the problem. "I don't suppose you've heard anything? Perhaps we should see if any of the local Cherrygrove authorities have any idea."

OOC: I'll be using Jotunn the Bergmite.

[Rane]

((OOC: Do you have any preference of the stops we make?))

The sound of footsteps from afar alerted Sasha. The feline pricked her ears and turned her attention towards the source of the noise. She spotted a blue-haired woman making her way towards their direction. The Purrloin let out a warning hiss to her Trainer, tugging at Rane's pants to get her attention. Alerted by Sasha's hiss, Rane looked towards the direction along the river and spotted the other Trainer.
"Hello,"Rane answered back in the same cautious manner. Rane realized she hadn't really interacted with other Trainers as much along her journey. Those that she met along the way only demanded battles. But the girl before her didn't seem all that aggressive, instead her attention was also on the murky waters before them.
"I have no idea...I just came by here and saw all this,"Rane replied to the Trainer, gesturing to the scene before them.
"Oh, I'm Rane by the way. And this is Sasha,"Rane quickly added, lightly tapping her fingers on her Purrloin's head. Sasha merrily glared up at Remi with narrowed green eyes, swishing her tail but giving no form of greeting to the stranger they just met.

"Actually..now that I remember, I think I saw a poster at the Pokemon Center...something about the waters being contaminated. But I didn't think much of it so I didn't exactly pay attention. But I'm guessing this is the situation they were talking about,"Rane muttered pensively.
"I guess we can try to poke around town and see if we can find out more about this."

Rane wasn't exactly the type to get involved with problems that didn't affect her. She could very well just leave this a mystery and continue on her journey. But something about Remi's demeanor and the sense of justice sparking from her eyes probably seemed influenced Rane to help out . Besides, curiosity was the main motivation for Rane to try to get to the bottom of this.

"Tch, I don't se why we should go along with this. I say we just leave. This'll probably pass after a few days,"Sasha growled, still glaring at Remi with distrust.
"I say good day to you. We will be on our way. Goodluck on all this,"the Purrloin meowed dismissively.

"Sorry about Sasha. You can ignore her. I don't think she takes a liking to strangers,"Rane said apologetically to Remi, patting the snarling Sasha to calm the feline down.

[The REAL Joey]

A little unsure of the hissing Purrloin, Remi didn't really know to handle a Pokemon reacting in such a manner. At this point, the cat was definitely out of the bag with how inexperienced she was with Pokemon as a whole. It was only when Rane reciprocated conversation that Remi lighted up, her attention diverted. "Oh! It's okay... I have a Pokemon who is a little like that. She usually turns her nose at most people." Smiling and brushing aside how Sasha acted, Remi bowed her head again to greet them both. "So Rane and... Sasha. Pleased to meet you both." With their introductions aside, it meant they could further speculate as to what exactly was going on with this poisonous predicament. "If we group together perhaps we can get to the bottom of this." Placing a contemplative finger on the tip of her chin, the rookie trainer thought over how best to proceed. "Let's head back. I'm pretty sure Cherrygrove is back that way."

Pausing, she had a somewhat obvious look of realisation spread over her expression. "Where did Gex go? He was here a minute. Oh." Looking up, it seemed they were beside a large cliff. Near the top seemed to be a big tree with a green lizard perched on there. "Ah! Gex!" Waving to the creature, it appeared to be something Remi was familiar with. Smiling happily, she turned back to look at Rane who may have been rather lost. "Oh. That's Gex. He's been my friend as long I can remember." Her head turning to look at a nearby signpost, she took in the name of the locale they were in. "Blue Moon Falls... That's a pleasant sounding name." Moving over to the way up along the cliff, Remi bowed her head in apology. "Would you mind if we go and collect my Pokemon?" Her head trailing up along the cliff path that led to the top, it meant they might possibly be able to oversee the entirety of the route for any ideas as to why this water was so polluted. "I wonder if it would be a good vantage point. Oh. Come on Gex! Sorry!" Moving off, she hoped to reign in her Grovyle.

OOC: Not really got any sort of agenda. Would like to visit all the stops as i'm pretty sure they all have some sort of influence to the quest. Perhaps if we go down the list bit by bit? So next is the tree?

[Rane]

((OOC: yea let's go to each stop then i'm not too sure exactly when a mod should come in?))

"It's nice to meet you too,"Rane responded, nodding back to Remi with a smile. The exchange was polite and expected when meeting a new person, but Rane felt slightly awkward throughout the introductions. The Trainer realized she rarely interacted with other Trainers on such a close level. Most of the other Trainers, such as a certain red-head, didn't exactly give her time to go through friendly exchanges before storming off in defeat. Rane was slightly intrigued to make a new friend ...but that would have to wait after they solved this mystery. Rane just hoped she didn't come off as awkward to Remi as she is imagining herself doing so.

"Oh..that's your..Grovyle?"Rane questioned, gazing up and spotting the Pokemon crouching at the top of what looked like a fruit tree. Remi responded by saying the Gex was an old friend of hers.

"Ah, that's nice. I can't say the same about Sasha here. But we're getting there,"Rane responded lightheartedly. The mentioned Purrloin just rolled her eyes and let out a disgruntled growl.
Great...more company from these...plebians,Sasha thought, swishing her tail in annoyance.

Rane traced the cliff trail to the top with her eyes, internally groaning. Rane wasn't exactly the most athletic, and she was the type to avoid any sort of extra hiking. But the girl wasn't about to admit that about herself in front of another Trainer she just met.
Besides..that is a good vantage point..maybe we can see what's causing all this contaminated water,"Rane thought to herself, nodding to Remi that she would follow after her. Rane had a feeling it wasn't going to be that easy to solve this mystery, but they had to start somewhere.

"Hey! I still think this is a waste of time. Why can't we just leave these two idiots on their way and we go ours,"Sasha snarled, crossing her arms and planting her paws on the ground. Rane looked back, making eye contact with Sasha's narrowed green eyes. She got the gist that the feline was not happy about joining in.

"You know Sasha, you should learn to keep an open mind. Maybe if you were less selfish once in a while, that dark black hole of a heart might just lessen up a bit,"Rane said, with a playful wink before turning back around and following after Remi.

Sasha gave a loud hiss, her fur bristling in indignation.
"Tch...."the Purrloin spat before grudgingly giving in and bounding after the pair.
"This doesn't mean I'm happy about this. If that girl or that lizard end up being idiots like I predicted, I'm leaving for sure,"Sasha growled, glaring daggers at Remi behind her back.
Rane just ignored Sasha's snarling and grumbling, knowing full well the Purrloin was reluctant following after them, but a small smile of satisfaction still crossed her features.

[The REAL Joey]

As they made their way up the trail to the top of Blue Moon Falls, Remi nodded and explained a bit more about her past with her partner. "I grew up in Goldenrod and Gex, who used to be a Treecko, was this stray Pokemon that hung out with our group of friends. When I told him I was going to be setting off to become a trainer he wanted to come with me." Although she didn't go much further into the experiences they had shared since their journey started, it was apparent they had a strong bond if he had started off as a Treecko and was now a Grovyle. With Rane mentioning about Sasha and herself, Remi smiled politely. She was aware Sasha was a little distant but she felt deep down each Pokemon had a good side to them that could be bonded with. "I'm not too sure what sort of Pokemon she is but she has a very beautiful fur coat. I'm jealous!" Smiling, it was perhaps the first time Remi had met a trainer who was amiable in their conversation with her. As Rane had met a certain red haired youth that enjoyed playing the part of a bully, it was unbeknownst to them both that Silver was someone Remi had also bumped into as well. Remi and Rane had a lot more in common than what they truly knew.

Pushing on with the steady ascent upwards, even Remi was feeling the burn of the hike. There was no doubt this would act as a perfect vantage point to survey what was going on. With the two eventually making it up there, it seemed as if Gex was still relaxing cavalierly on top of the tree, slowly plucking fruit from the tree and indulging in it. "Ooooh! Gex! Come down at once. We need to find out what is going on here. Sorry, Gex is usually a lot more attentive than this." Stepping forward, she began to shake the tree in order to get her Pokemon off. As she gave it a thorough shake, Remi looked over to Rane and Sasha and quizzed if there was anything out of the ordinary that could be seen. "Can you see anything? It's quite surprising how high up this cliff is." She noted, taking a moment to look over off to the side and view the drop down. Only briefly seeing a glimpse as she shook, she couldn't help but notice a large industrial looking building on the horizon. Saying nothing about it, she gave the tree another shake. "Off Gex!"

OOC: If we leave this open for a reply now, the mods can do whatever in noting the tree has been shaken and then we can move to the next pit stop. That's the guide in Cherrygrove.

[latani]

Cherrygrove City Outskirts
Blue Moon Falls
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Once heralded as one of the most spectacular views in all of Johto, rivaling that of Ecruteak's Bellchime Trail in autumn, Blue Moon Falls was now a sad shadow of its former glory. The poisonous soup churning below the cliff produced a rather noxious odour, driving off even the most hardy of Pokémon. Nestled high above the water, the current state of the tree Gex was currently perched in seemed to be in hearty condition despite the deplorable state of the falls. The apples currently being munched upon by Remi's partner had not suffered any ill effects either, wonderfully crisp and juicy, a stark contrast to anything unfortunate enough to be near the polluted lake below.

As Remi gave the tree a shake to retrieve Gex, several apples loosened by his picking wobbled violently, clinging to their branches obstinately. But by the second shake, quite a few of the bright red fruit came tumbling down from the tree and hit the ground with solid thumps. Most landed at the base of the trunk, though three more built up enough momentum to simply drop off the cliff. Moments later, splashes sounded out as they landed in the mucky water and bobbed on the grimy surface.

Two of the apples went floating merrily away, carried by the slow churning current hidden beneath the pollution. One, however, was claimed by something that remained beneath the surface. The apple plunged underwater with a nearly silent splash, only ripples spreading out to mark where the fruit had once been. But unless the two girls felt like snacking on the apples lying around the tree's base, there appeared to be nothing else of utmost interest for the time being.

---

The apple tree was shaken!
Several apples came loose, falling to the ground and into the water.

Nothing special seems to happen. Proceed to the next stop for more clues.

((OOC: Wasn't sure if the guide needed to be introduced, so I left it open for you two to proceed as you like.))

[Rane]

"That's nice you two had such a close bond since the very beginning,"Rane commented to Remi, trying her best not to let her shortness of breath be heard in her voice. The trek up the cliff wasn't easy, and Rane could already feel a slight soreness beginning to form in her calves. Sasha had no trouble scaling the uneven path, leaping and trotting with ease, keeping a little bit ahead from the humans. The Purrloin blinked when Remi complemented her beautiful fur, and just gave a dismissive wave of her tail in response. Sasha pretended Remi's words didn't mean anything to her, but the irritation she had towards the other Trainer lessened slightly.

When they finally reached the top, Rane barely noticed the cold wind at all. Instead, her jacket seemed to contain all the body heat she had accumulated from the hike up. While Remi was trying to get her Grovyle down from the tree Rane walked towards the edge of the cliff, looking down at the scene before them. The scene was quite breathtaking, and Rane could imagine sitting under the apple tree and just taking in the scene. However, there was something off about the scenery. Rane could see the waterfall cascading down into the waters. The pure blue water starting at the top of the fall slowly descended into the murky waters, pooling into the lake and travelling down towards the town. The entire body of water was a ghoulish blue and purple swirl, and the toxic smell was strong enough to even reach where they were standing atop the cliff.

"The waters look...awful. I see the falls...but all the water looks tainted. It's all going towards Cherrygrove City. I'm guessing if we head towards Blue Moon Falls we can maybe find the source,"Rane pondered aloud to Remi, turning to the other Trainer. The scene before Rane was Remi insistently shaking the apple tree while the Grovyle clung on stubbornly.
I don't think I'll see something like this everyday...[/color]Rane thought, slightly amused.

Apples began cascading down the tree. One nearly fell right on top of Sasha. The Purrloin managed to leap away with a hiss of surprise, the apple thudding just inches from her face. Scared that another apple was going to smack her on the head, the feline leaped away at the edge of the cliff, away from the range of falling apples. Sasha watched as the some of the apples fell down to the waters below.
"Watch where you're shaking those things!"Sasha snarled at Remi, fur bristling in aggression. The cat Pokemon glanced down at the huge drop below her, slightly nervous she might accidentally misstep and tumble down. Her ears pricked as she noticed one of the apples suddenly bob before sinking into the grimy waters, not even resurfacing.
Weird..Sasha thought, turning away and brushing the observation aside, figuring it was nothing.

"Cool, free snack,"Rane said, holding out an open palm and catching one of the apples in her hands. She turned back to the Blue Moon Falls. She tossed the apple up and down contemplatively, narrowing her eyes as she spied a factory-looking building near the top of the waterfall.

"I think that building is worth looking into,"Rane suggested to Remi.
"Maybe we should ask around town about that factory. Maybe it was just built and it's causing all this water pollution. If not..then something has happened there that's causing all this suddenly."

"That is, if you can get your Grovyle down,"Rane added with a smirk, taking a quick bite of the apple.

[The REAL Joey]

Giving the tree some more welly, Remi looked over as she listened to what Rane had to say. Considering up to this point Remi had to do a lot of guess work not only as a novice but as someone who had rarely set foot out of Goldenrod, it was reassuring to have a second opinion who could offer some more insight. "That sounds the safest bet. At least we've... Huff... Got Gex back almost... Huff... Trust me, I will get him down!" Nearing tiring out, she gave the tree one final shake and was somewhat shocked as a number of apples came tumbling off the tree. As a number of them fell to the floor around the tree, a number of them seemed to go rolling off and fell off the cliff top itself and into the murky waters below. "Oh! What a waste." For someone who had been bought up in such an austere conditions, it was something Remi hated to see with food going to waste. Nevertheless, the final shake seemed to have done the trick. Losing his balance, Gex came tumbling down but managed to land with some grace.

Ever the cool customer, he shoved his shades back up to secure them and took a look at Rane and her Pokemon. Nodding his head as if in greeting to their presence, Gex bent over as he spied a number of leftover apples and presented one up to Remi who accepted having seen Rane pick one up herself. "Oh! Thank you Gex." Bowing her head delicately, she brushed it against her jacket sleeve before taking a bite out and displaying a delighted expression at the taste. "Mmm. Just right." As she indulged in some more of the apple, Gex moved over to Sasha, unaware of her nature. Realising she may have had some difficulty in eating with her paws, the Pokemon tossed the apple up in the air and with one of his bladed leaves, sliced and diced rather swiftly as a number of more manageable pieces came down into his palm. Offering it to her, it appeared the Pokemon wasn't too aware cats may not be the biggest fans of such food.

Nevertheless, having a moment to catch their breath from the hike, Remi listened to Rane's suggestion. "I definitely agree. It does look... Rather ominous." Her emerald hue eyes glancing over, there was a definite nastiness about the infrastructure. "OH! I know. If we return back to the city, I remember there being a spritely older gentleman. He seemed quite versed about anything you could think of about Cherrygrove. Maybe we should start there?" Finishing off her apple, Remi let out a small sigh. "Oh... We've got quite a descent down. At the very least, it's downhill." Glancing over to Rane, Remi nodded. "Are you familiar with the way back to Cherrygrove? I'm still a little... Unsure." Smiling with a nervous hint to her expression, it was just another reminder over how new to all this she was.

[Rane]

Rane chuckled as Remi finally got her Grovyle down from the tree. That Grovyle is such a gentleman,[/i][/color]she thought, watching Gex offer his Trainer some apples. Rane was slightly envious that Remi could have such a close relationship with her Pokemon already; for Rane, she still needed time to bond with her Pokemon.
I don't think I should ask about the shades though...Rane thought, noting the sunglasses on the Grovyle as she nodded to him in greeting. Another thing one didn't see everyday. The Trainer slightly tensed as the Grass Pokemon sauntered up to her Purrloin and offered the feline apples. Rane fully expected Sasha to snarl and maybe scratch at Gex, and the girl wasn't inclined to break up a fight between two Pokemon.

Sasha, however, just pointedly sniffed the apples that the Grovyle offered her and took one slice daintily between her teeth, munching on it without much complaint. Rane couldn't help stare, surprised that the Purrloin wasn't snarling or anything. Sasha pricked her ears and glanced up furtively at Rane.
"What? I was hungry, okay?"the feline said defensively, finishing off the apple slice with a gulp. Glancing back at Gex, the Purrloin seemed to blush a little. However, she quickly flicked her tail and meowed curtly to Gex, "Thanks. But I'm good now. Just keep an eye on your...air-headed Trainer."

Rane just shrugged, deciding miracles did happen sometimes and she wasn't going to question her suddenly docile Purrloin's behavior. She turned her attention back to Remi and nodded at her suggestion.

"Yea, I can lead the way back. We can get to the center of town and see if the old man will be around there...hopefully,"Rane said, leading the way down the cliff. The walk down was certainly much easier and the group was able to make it into town with no trouble.

"Hm...there's a lot of people around...do you see an old man anywhere? Or do you think we should ask around?"Rane pondered aloud, glancing through the streets. Sasha kept close to Rane, keeping her own green eyes alert for any signs of danger.

OOC: Sorry, kinda sped it back to town. I'm guessing a mod is going to come in for the Old man?
Edit: @mod: waiting for joey's reply first

[The REAL Joey]

OOC: I am SO SORRY this took as long as it has to reply. Hopefully we can get this back on track. Hope this post sets it up for the mod.

As the group made their way back to town, Remi was merely happy to have someone who was able to locate them back. "I'm going to have to remember this route back. No doubt i'll be strolling back and forth with my journey so thanks for this." Bowing her head respectfully, they entered back into the modest city. As Rane deliberated on their next action, Remi took a quick look over where they were and recalled back to her first time in Cherrygrove. "Oh! I'm certain the gentleman was around along there." She said, pointed with certainty down a road. "Shall we look?" Moving along, they stood outside a house. One of which Remi seemed certain was the one they were looking for. "I'm sure. This is where the knowledgeable gentleman lived. He was sitting outside and introduced himself the last time we were here. Isn't that right Gex?" Turning to the spectacled Grovyle, the Pokemon nodded his head before lowering his shades and showing off his gaze at the door. Turning her head, Remi noticed a man had appeared. Hoping to get his attention, she bobbed up and down, waving whilst calling out. "Oh! Hello! Sir! We were hoping to talk with you about Cherrygrove!" Calming down, there was no doubt his attention had been grabbed.

[Deleted]

The kind elderly gentleman did not take very long to respond to Remi regarding her inquires about Cherrygrove. " Ah yes come in, come in, Have some tea and scones. I have some news regarding recent events here in our small town. Recently a large group of our townsfolk have been getting very ill after drinking the water found in Moon Falls. I have heard rumors that some evil organization is behind it all but all I know for sure is something strange is afoot." As he led the two young trainers into his house he sat down in a large red chair as he invited the two to sit on the nearby couch. " Please make yourselves at home. This tale will take a bit to really go into so I do hope you have the time."

Waiting for his guests to take a seat he then continued. " here is a local population of Quagsire that call those falls home and if something has happened to the water I fear for their safety. The do not adapt very well to major changes in water quality. I do wish I knew what might be causing it but if I were you I would pay a visit to the chemical plant that is not very far from the falls. Someone there might know for sure what is going on and maybe even be able to help you out. I do hope you are able to get to the bottom of this soon before it is too late." As he began to stand up he walked over to a closet containing a few jackets. He reached into one of them and found what he was looking for.

" I want you two to have this Rage Candy Bar that I received as a souvenir when I visited Mahogany Town a while back. I have a feeling it may prove useful should things turn sour on your quest. I really wish I knew more but alas my information has run dry. I wish you both the best of luck." he said as he led his guests back to the front door so they could find the source of the water pollution.

The elderly gentlemen has given you a Rage Candy Bar to use during this quest. It cannot be kept if it is not used by the end of the quest so be sure to take advantage of it's healing powers if need be.

Ooc: I hope I did a good job. This is the first time I have rp'ed as the elderly gentlemen.

[Rane]

((@ mod, could you exchange Indra(the magikarp) with Sasha (the purrloin) into my party, since this quest requires the pokemon in the party. Thanks!))

Rane entered the gentleman's home, somewhat relieved to be able to sit down after the long trek from the hill to the city. She listened intently to the elder's story, frowning slightly at the disturbing tale. Hearing that the not only the city dwellers were suffering from the poisoned waters but also the Quagsire gave Rane a rush of motivation to get to the bottom of this ordeal. She gave a quick glance at Remi to see how she reacted, although Rane had a sneaking suspicion the other Trainer had the same idea that she had.

"Thank you for your hospitality. And you've been a lot of help,"Rane said, graciously bowing her head to the elder gentelmen as he escorted them out.
"We'll do our best to get to the bottom of it. Come on Sasha, we're leaving,"Rane added, gesturing for her Purrloin to follow.
The purple feline had already made herself comfortable on the chair, curled up and everything. To be forced to move out made Sasha growl out her displeasure. But she made no other argument as she reluctantly uncurled herself and trotted over to Rane.

With a final wave to the gentlemen, Rane exited the house and pocketed the candy bar he gave. She had heard of these candy bars before and the rumor that they were useful for healing Pokemon. She had a lingering feeling she might need it later.
"So I guess we now know where we're headed,"Rane said to Remi, nodding towards the direction of the plant.