Shady Glen

[Venominon]

As Venom found himself once again passing through Azalea Town, he found that a frost had covered the landscape, making the entire area rather cold. This was likely a result of all the rain that had plagued Azalea Town and all surrounding areas not too long ago. Nevertheless, the ninja didn't let it stop him, or even slow him down, as he ran through the small town with a big and eager smile on his face. He was extremely determined to get through the Ilex Forest and reach Goldenrod City on the other side. Why? Well, Goldenrod City was the biggest city in all of Johto, with plenty of pretty much everything to go around. And that included Poison type Pokemon.

Thanks to all of his research, Venom knew that many wild Poison type Pokemon called Goldenrod City, as well as the areas around it, their home. Grimer, Gastly, Koffing, Gulpin, Trubbish, and one of Venom's most favorite Poison type Pokemon, Seviper. The thoughts of those Pokemon alone were more than enough to keep Venom warm, as he dashed through the frost-covered landscape, reached the Shady Glen, and jumped up into the trees, continuing his journey through the Ilex Forest from said trees. Of course, the Poison type trainer made sure to be careful as well, not wanting to bring harm to himself or any wild Pokemon that may have been lurking about. If there was a Pokemon in the next tree ahead of him, he'd quickly jump to the one next to it, then continue on his way. Thankfully, because of his last trip to this forest, Venom knew exactly where he was headed first.

OOC: Heading for the Dense Thicket.

[Caramell 🍬]

 
MISHU MIZUMA
Dark Type Trainer •
Education / Science

Mishu paused at the entrance to Ilex’s forest and studied the long pathway that led away from Azalea. Would the mysteries of the raging Pancham come to light within the stark darkness of the surrounding woodland? Would she have more clarity than she did after capturing the strange creature only to learn that there were more than one causing the commotion? A soft sigh escaped her lips. Mishu reached her hand up to nervously scratch the back of her neck and slowly began walking down the winding trail that carried her between densely packed pines and massive oaks.

Some of the newer trees that popped up between the elder giants looked like mere twigs popping out of the ground. Many stood tall with their three or four leaves clinging to their tiny branches, though a few were already snapped in half. Soft amber eyes paused and reflected on the strange sentiment that this could leave behind. It was a natural occurrence in a heavily wooded area, where flora grew rampant at every turn and fought with each other for the scraps of sunlight that floated through the canopies high above. She was sure some simple Pokemon like the familiar rats that flooded many popular city streets or wily racoons that scavenged overturned trashcans might have caused it.

That was another mystery all of its own accord and one that did not need her reflective recollections. Mishu pushed herself back up and dusted her hands off when a loud shout caught her attention further in the forest. Was someone hurt? The screaming and crying that carried on sure sounded like it, though as she neared it only sounded like someone was upset with themselves and frustrated. Perhaps they lost something and were trying to retrace their steps? Or maybe a wild Pokemon got away from them before they had the chance to snag it inside of a trusty Pokeball? Though Mishu had been lucky on most of her journey with the ones she collected and only unlucky with the ones she didn’t really want but ended up capturing anyways, she could understand the agony of letting one you want get away.

The trees seemed to twist in front of her, jutting out of the ground along the marked and unmarked parts of the pathway in odd directions. It caused Mishu to break from her brisk run into an immediate halt to avoid slamming into one of the trunks. Eventually, she folded the bike up and packed it away inside of her bag, figuring that this tool was ill equipped to help her navigate the forested region. What would she look like bruised and beaten underneath a tattered bike after slamming it too hard into one of the nearby tree trunks? A funny sight, possibly, and a lesson for future cyclists looking to travel through Ilex for sure.

“Hey!” Mishu placed her hands cupped around her mouth and shouted to a strange looking lad that paced back and forth in front of two wide brimmed oaks. Something was troubling him greatly, but what? “Are you alright? Did you lose something in the woods, young man?” She needed to solve the mystery of the Pancham that caused havoc in Azalea’s streets, in case there were more than the two that had already been caught. But this lad seemed like he might need her help more. What would it hurt to stop along the way and be a good Samaritan in her life, anyways? And who knows, maybe his problem was related all the same to her own mysteries that stumped her along the way.

Set at Night

WORD COUNT: 603 words
OOC: Starting Wild Goose Chase quest. Also self-updating team to add Pancham & remove Suraimu.

^{Mishu | Kotaro | Wanigara | Karasu | Yōsei | Reukurotta | Suraimu}

[Avalon]

"Oh, I've really gone and done it this time," whined Sylvester as he paced back and forth through the Shady Glen of the Ilex Forest. His family had run the Charcoal Kiln in Azalea Town for how many generations, using their Pokemon to create charcoal for the people of Azalea and beyond, and here he was; their heir apparent to the family business, unable to get a couple of Farfetch'd to listen to him. His father had sent him off into the forest with the birds to find some logs they could use for a large order that had been placed.

But the birds refused to listen to him; maybe because he didn't have any badges or maybe the birds could just sense his fear. Ever since he was a kid (well, an even younger kid, as it were), those two birds had always unnerved him a little bit. It was laughable, him being afraid of the Pokemon he was supposed to be training and using in his work. Sylvester had taken them into the forest, and as soon as he had called them out to chop some wood, the three of them had found themselves attacked by some of the local bugs. When he tried to order them to defend him, the birds instead took off into the forest during all of the chaos.

Sylvester had gotten away from the bug, but now he had little idea of how to find his father's birds. Sure, he knew relatively where they were, but he couldn't very well go much deeper into the forest with no Pokemon to protect him. And he refused to go back to his father empty-handed, to tell him that he had lost the family's prized birds in the forest. Sylvester was about to give up hope and turn around to return with hat in hand, when Mishu emerged and called out to them.

"Oh, a Trainer! This is perfect!" Sylvester called out, approaching Mishu. "My name's Sylvester, I'm an apprentice charcoal cutter back in Azalea. I was out here collecting wood for my pops, but I...well, I lost our Farfetch'd. I saw where they ran off to, but I don't have any Pokemon of my own to defend myself...And the Pokemon here have been getting pretty ornery lately." Sylvester could hardly keep his lip from quivering, fearful of the entire situation. "If you could help me get my Farfetch'd back, I'd be able to give you something that could help you out in these woods. A secret technique my family's been using to cut down trees for charcoal for generations, is what my pops said."

Sylvester waited for her response, waiting to see if she would agree to help him out. He knew that navigating this forest was pretty much impossible without the ability to slice through the smaller trees; the paths on this route were like a maze, especially when you got to the ones that were blocked off by growing foliage.

"I can give you some hints about where I last saw them...I don't know this forest too well, but I can try. One of them took off towards this really darkplace; the other ran towards a place where everything was really...brown?" Sylvester seemed a little unsure of himself. These woods were haunted, said to possess many mystical secrets to them. How was he supposed to know that he saw what he had thought he had seen earlier? He just hoped that Mishu would be willing and able to help him, lest he face his father's wrath when he returned home. The apprentice sighed, his shoulders slumping considerably as he sat on the ground, enjoying the shade of the massive oak tree that stood over him. "Sorry I can't be more help. I don't even know if they are still there, they might have ran off somewhere again by now."

Sylvester needs help finding his lost Farfetch'd!
Will Mishu help this little boy find the missing Pokemon?

[Caramell 🍬]

 
MISHU MIZUMA
Dark Type Trainer •
Education / Science

The thirty year old educator paused along her trail and awaited Sylvester’s arrival as soon as the youngster started walking in her direction. His voice seemed to carry a lilt to his words, as though her mere presence brought him a bounty of hope. Though Mishu was an outsider to the world around this area, she couldn’t be expected to know the layout of the land. Sylvester’s introduction gave her greater insight into who he was and what his role in his town was. He was a charcoal maker in some form or another, offering aid and support to his family who seemed to run the business and maintain it while using their son’s help along the way.

“Charcoal is very useful.” Mishu humored with a soft smile, nodding her head along as she listened to Sylvester speak. What was a daily production like? Did they make hundreds to keep the residents of Azalea safe and warm in the midst of the worst winters imaginable? “I imagine your family gets a large order around winter? Though, a good barbeque party might need some charcoal too for their grills.” The black-haired trainer twirled her fingers through her thick, curly hair and laughed softly with a warm smile. When Sylvester continued and explained that his family’s Pokemon were missing, Mishu nodded her head firmly.

She was sent into the wooded area to observe the local environment and determine if there was some hidden reason that the Pancham around Azalea were coming out of hiding to terrorize the town’s streets. She owed it to Professor Elm and to Mrs. Aberton, whom she’d spent the previous night at the older lady’s house to try to uncover the mystery. “I’m on my own research mission inside of Azalea, though I definitely don’t mind helping you out. Tell you what? I’ll do my best to find both Farfetch’d and be sure to bring them back to you.” Mishu bent down and placed her hands on her knees so that she could make herself match Sylvester’s eye level. Mishu was taken aback by Sylvester’s offer of a gift, though. She didn’t need compensation just to do the right thing.

“Do you have any idea which direction they took off in?” Mishu was hoping that this young lad would be reasonable and smart. Northwesterly or eastern were the kinds of directions she expected. Even just pointing in the general direction would help her out the most. But when he described the locations as vague descriptors that could fit most of a forested landscape in all honesty, it just caused Mishu’s face to drop in confusion. What? Wasn’t a forest full of trees with bushy leaves that changed colors throughout the seasons generally considered ‘really brown’ sometimes? And didn’t their large canopies that shielded out most of the sunlight create ‘really dark places’? That wasn’t exactly helpful…

“Well…uh…” Mishu smiled faintly, pushing herself back up to straighten her stance. “Like I said. I’ll do my best to help you. Could you point in the general direction, though? I’m afraid I don’t know Ilex at all so any description at all might fail me.” Mishu tried to explain to Sylvester. Shortly after their interaction, the dark haired educator would spin around on the tips of her heels and march off towards a random direction in the forested region of Ilex. This was…going to be quite the task at hand. Finding wily birds in places that were described as ordinary descriptions for most forested areas with the possibility that they may flee to another location. Oh, boy!

Set at Night

WORD COUNT: 603 words
OOC: Moving to Gloomy Ravine !

^{Mishu | Kotaro | Wanigara | Karasu | Yōsei | Reukurotta | Suraimu}

[Caramell 🍬]

 
MISHU MIZUMA
Dark Type Trainer •
Education / Science

The small black and white panda jumped through the densely packed forest with ease. Though she was technically following Mishu at a distance, she found no need to move at such a slow and leisurely pace. Her trainer would pause along the trails where wild bramblebushes wrapped long spiky tendrils around the large trunks of live oaks and blocked her path. Kumaneko would easily jump over them or brazenly run through them, allowing the vines to entangle her only temporary as she ripped and tore her way through the bush. Nothing could hold her back, at least not in the fearless mind of the warrior.

Mishu huffed and puffed along the trails. There were so many twists and turns that it would cause her to stop several times, and even retrace her steps along the way. She felt lost and confused as she pushed her way past two large ferns only to come face-to-face with a large boulder. The massive rock was nearly as tall as the ebony educator, which caused Mishu to blink in confusion for a split second before she would eventually turn away and find a new pathway through the forested region. As the trail began to widen, creating long paths from the many others that must have traveled along the same trails, Mishu would sigh deeply in relief. Thank goodness!

She began jogging along the dirt path lined with wide oaks and tall pines. The dense fog was still heavily congesting the area, making it hard for Mishu to make anything out. She was unfamiliar with Ilex by natural manners and would have not known if she were heading closer or farther from the familiar dark-headed boy who asked for her help originally. With the fog making the trees in the distance look like giants looming over her, she had no hope of knowing which way she was traveling in. Though, as she noticed the familiar large path that ran through the heart of the Shady Glen before forking off into two separate directions, Mishu felt a huge wave of relief hit her in the chest. Finally, she could reunite with Sylvester and at least give him one of his birds!

“Hey, Sylvester?” Mishu placed her hands around her mouth, cupping it in a makeshift megaphone, and shouted at the top of her lungs. She turned her head this way and that and searched through the expansive branches of the surrounding trees and nearby bushes for any sign of life. What was the young boy doing around this time? “Are you still around here?!” The strange looking duck waddled near Mishu’s feet while rolling its eyes as it clutched its large leek against his chest. Farfetch’d couldn’t exactly be described as being ‘enthusiastic’ about its reunion, that was for sure. “I’ve managed to find one of your Farfetch’d!” She wanted to drop it off with the lad and hope that this wily bird didn’t immediately jump ship as soon as she turned her back to hunt for the other bird.

Set at _

WORD COUNT: 507 words
OOC: Coming from Enchanted Orchard. Looking for Sylvester!

^{Mishu | Ziggy | Wanigara | Akira | Yōsei | Reukurotta | Kumaneko}

[Avalon]

Mishu returned to the Shady Glen by the entrance to Ilex Forest, her Pokemon going alongside her. As Kumaneko charged through the vines and bramble, the little panda also proceeded to scare off pretty much every Pokemon within the area alongside the paths they walked. Bugs and plants squirmed out of the way, hoping to avoid being the next to be torn through in the Pancham's little warrior rampage. The Farfetch'd trailed along, predictably unenthused about the situation.

Through the fog, Sylvester could still be seen pouting and biding time by the foot of a large tree. With no Pokemon of his own and no desire to return home empty-handed, he had nothing else to do besides sit and wait. As he heard Mishu call out to him, he rose up from his spot on the ground and ran over to meet her halfway. Before he could speak to her, his eyes drifted down to the sight of the familiar duck.

"Farfetch'd, you came back!" Sylvester called out, reaching out and wrapping his arms around the duck. Slightly annoyed by the gesture, the duck began comically thwapping the boy on the head. None of the hits were enough to hurt or even draw blood, seeming almost like a gesture of affection between the two. Farfetch'd had no love for listening to the boy's orders, but he also had no intention of hurting him in anyway. "Thank you so much! Now if you can just find the other one, I'll be able to go home and face my father!"

He looked down the path from which Mishu and her crew had wandered in from, realization dawning on him. "You know, that path looks mighty dark...so I guess the one that's left is the one I saw surrounded by all that brown. Sorry I can't be more help. But I'll give you something good, I swear, just as soon as I get my dad's Pokemon back!" he said excitedly, arms not being released from the duck even through all the talking and head-hitting.

You've returned the first of Sylvester's Farfetch'd!
Find the next one to complete the Quest!

[Caramell 🍬]

 
MISHU MIZUMA
Dark Type Trainer •
Education / Science

Leaves rustled through the trees. The tall wild wheatgrasses buckled and swayed, creating soft whirring that whispered between densely packed bushes. Small squeaks and squeals carried conversations of wild creatures that slowly disappeared as they approached the entrance to Ilex where they’d met Sylvester earlier and agreed to take on the task of helping him find his wily birds. Though the dense fog clung in the air, wrapping their quiet hands silently around the massive oaks and slipped their way up through the board, vibrant green leaves of the gigantic wild magnolias that decorated the area. Kumaneko rushed towards some quick shuffling, slamming her hands down in a valiant display onto the ground as she seemed to attack the air itself.

“I will never rest!” Kumaneko slammed her small fists on either side of her body boldly and held her head high. Coffee black eyes stared firmly through an intense focus. Kumaneko craned her head in either direction, carefully observing every single movement around her. The way the wind played with the leaves, gently tugging on their edges and managing to break a few free from their attached branches, were troublesome finds. The grass dancing playfully along with the falling leaves, swaying as though they were jiving to some sweet, soft melody caused Kumaneko to huff heavily and frown. Enemies could be lurking anywhere! She needed to be ready.

Mishu smiled as she caught a glimpse of a strange humanoid silhouette rustling in a speedy haste to her side. Though the form was hard to make out at first, the obvious excitement was nearly unmistakable. The way Farfetch’d straightened up and moved restlessly at her side, before being reunited with its trainer’s son, was also a dead giveaway. She hadn’t come closer to solving her own mystery, which caused the curly haired trainer to feel a twinge of disappointment at her inability to resolve Azalea’s problems. But it felt good to at least help this young lad out with his troubles.

“He was a feisty one. I recommend some more physical challenges beyond just chopping down trees. Galarian Farfetch’d love to best each other in official matches and can even evolve when they train hard enough.” Mishu tried to explain to Sylvester, hoping he’d take what she said to heart. Sylvester continued to describe the other location and though he didn’t seem to change it much and remained as vague as ever, the ebony educator would immediately nod her head firmly with a wide smile. “I’ll definitely help you out, Sylvester. The only thing I might need in exchange is a little help finding my way towards Goldenrod.” Mishu laughed, feeling a little odd about accepting a promised prize as reason to help him. She would help because it was the right thing to do.

Mishu would then turn away from Sylvester towards the other direction she’d yet to travel down and snapped her fingers to get her Pokemon’s attention. It took Kumaneko a moment, who was busy chasing fairytales and slashing blades of grass up into diced bits to prove her own strength and worth. When she realized they were moving on, the small panda would race on the tips of her toes in the new direction. There were sure to be challengers wherever they were headed. She would be there to meet and greet every single one of them. A true warrior would never back down from a challenge – even one that existed only in her head.

Set at _

WORD COUNT: 582 words
OOC: Heading to Luminous Vale.

^{Mishu | Ziggy | Wanigara | Akira | Yōsei | Reukurotta | Kumaneko}

[Caramell 🍬]

 
MISHU MIZUMA
Dark Type Trainer •
Education / Science

Mishu turned a corner and sighed softly underneath her breath as she noticed familiar tracks on the ground. Some were small paws the shape of a bear’s, with many bird feet smashed across them, and a few shoe prints that fit Mishu’s feet. She’d been here multiple times, though each felt uniquely different than the last. While the first bird didn’t feel like it was nearly as much trouble to deal with, carrying the latest squawker in her arms as it argued consistently with her newly evolved Mightyena was quite the chore in itself. The rain made it so much worse, too! She was dry inside of her poncho, though her hands felt it the worst whenever they slipped out of the edge of their sleeves naked into the watery world around her.

“Sylvester?!” Mishu cupped her hands carefully around her mouth and called loudly after setting Farfetch’d near her feet on the ground. She’d scanned the feathered avian from head to toe for the injuries she was afraid Reukurotta might have left while they traveled through the densely packed forest. Though it quacked melodramatically any time she tried to make it walk with them and refused to be placed on the ground near Reukurotta, Mishu couldn’t find a single thing wrong with it. When she placed it on the ground this time, Farfetch’d immediately jumped back up onto its feet and leaped at Mishu’s arms with widened, alarmed eyes. “Hey, wait!” Fafetch’d pleaded. “Don’t leave me at the mercy of your canine! He’s a monster just waiting to rip me to shreds!”

Mishu smiled and turned patiently to the small duck. While she tried to sympathize with it, she couldn’t keep carrying Farfetch’d any further. She was sure Sylvester would be along shortly as this was where she’d met him the first time and where she’d dropped off the previous Farfetch’d already. “It’s alright Farfetch’d, I promise. Sylvester should be somewhere nearby…” Mishu spoke softly and turned her head towards several live oak trees in the distance where she thought she could hear the sounds of footsteps approaching. Reukurotta smirked and slipped one paw around Farfetch’d shoulders to pull the bird closer to him. He pressed his face against the side of Farfetch’d own face with a Cheshire cat like grin. “Hello my friend.” Reukurotta growled softly. “That likes to lie and say I hurt you…where did I hurt you now?” Reukurotta asked with a devious smirk.

Set at _

WORD COUNT: 412 words
OOC: Coming from Luminous Vale!

^{Mishu | Ziggy | Wanigara | Akira | Yōsei | Reukurotta | Kumaneko}

[Avalon]

When he had first lost his father's Pokemon, Sylvester had been so sure that all was lost. That his father would berate him, maybe even disown him for losing two living creatures like he had. But then just as he was in the pits of despair, Mishu had come along and agreed to help him get them back before his father learned the truth. And then when she was gone, he worried as to whether she would be able to accomplish the task. Getting those two ducks to do what they were told seemed impossible.

But then she came back with one, and Sylvester allowed himself to get his hopes up. She had subdued the first, now she just had to hunt down the second. Sylvester knew he could do nothing to really help beyond just waiting for her return and keeping this first Farfetch'd close so as to avoid any further mishaps. So Sylvester sat on the ground, trying to reason with the first returned Farfetch'd and get it to listen to him just for a moment. Father would be so disappointed in all of them if they returned empty-handed after all of this mess they had gone through together.

Mishu's calling out of his name echoed through the trees, earning his attention rather quickly. Ilex Forest, for all of its dense populations, was eerily quiet even through the storm that had set in. Sylvester and his first Farfetch'd ducked out from under the alcove of trees they had been using for cover, finding the Dark specialist and her former prey waiting for him. Sylvester beamed, rushing over to greet the returned bird and wrapping his arms around it. The duck squirmed a bit under the boy's grasp, but did little to actually try and break free.

"Thank you so much, miss Mishu! I owe you so much...Dad always said to repay someone whenever they help you out, so here!" Sylvester began rifling through his pockets, retrieving a disk in a container. Mishu would be able to recognize it easily enough considering how commonplace TMs or HMs had become. "This is Cut, it's the secret technique my family has been using to make Charcoal for generations. Your Pokemon look pretty strong, so they shouldn't have any problem using it to cut down any trees that get in your way! Anyway, I gotta get these guys back home before dad starts to worry about us!"

He set the HM in Mishu's hand and patted the Mightyena on the head with only a slight degree of apprehension before running off, a duck's wing being held in each hand. From a distance, it might look like a child running off with two much smaller, weirder looking children.

Mishu received HM01: Cut!

[Caramell 🍬]

 
MISHU MIZUMA
Dark Type Trainer •
Education / Science

Mishu’s smile was soft and warm. Sylvester was a sweet boy who just needed the aid of someone older and more capable. She might not understand the family dynamics where Sylvester’s father sent him out traveling with his wily ducks to collect logs on his own, but she could appreciate a concerned lad who was worried about their Pokemon. “You’re definitely welcome, Sylvester. But really…it’s my pleasure to help you.” The thirty-year old tried to insist. As the young lad dug around and pulled out a small disc that contained a Hidden Move, she simply bowed as she accepted it from Sylvester and tucked it away inside of her bag. “If you insist, I’ll accept this HM. I appreciate it, Sylvester. I’m sure it’ll help us travel through the deep depths of Ilex.”

Sylvester bidded Mishu goodbye. She glanced back up at the skies, whose thick thunderous clouds disappeared as the heat and humidity settled in. It was muggy! The heat burned through the thick branches that stretched over their heads and tried to block out most of the harsh sunlight. The humidity from the recent rains singed through their clothes in the open heat, causing her clothes to stick against her dampened flesh from sweating. “Have save travels back! If you ever need help talking to your dad about letting you travel and gain a few badges to help you, let me know. I might be able to politely explain how essential they can be.” She waved with a soft smile, then turned to stalk her way through the dense forested region of Ilex.

Some trees would ultimately stop her along the way. For this reason, before setting off Mishu would turn to her small fighter who proven she wouldn’t give up without a fight. She called Kumaneko out and over to her as she pulled out the Hidden Machine and held it carefully towards the small panda. Kumaneko backed up and flexed her hands in small fists apprehensively as she stared up at her trainer. “Don’t worry, Kumaneko! This is a new move you can learn called Cut. It lets you slash through trees in our way and gives you a new powerful move in battle. So…what do you say?” Kumaneko pulled her lips back as she growled defensively and thought about it carefully. The wild ducks used this move against her recently in battle, and it seemed like it could pack a punch when used correctly. Reluctantly, Kumaneko reached out and touched the disc, letting herself learn the new move successfully. They would then set off through the dense forest together.

Set at _

WORD COUNT: 438 words
OOC: Teaching Kumaneko Cut and having her forget Taunt. Moving to Dense Thicket!

^{Mishu | Ziggy | Wanigara | Akira | Yōsei | Reukurotta | Kumaneko}

[Venominon]

After a very eventful day and night, as well as a good night's sleep, Shinya finally began to stir from his slumber, stretching and yawning, as the sunlight peeked through the branches of the tree he had chosen to sleep under. Since he wasn't surrounded by cops or in a jail cell, it looked as though Shinya had managed to slip through the normally firm grasp of the law yet again. With that in mind, the Team Skull grunt smirked and chuckled to himself a bit, as he stood up and started to prepare breakfast for himself and his Pokemon. "Tch. Who says ya can't outrun the law? Looks to me like I can. And pretty easily at that." The Alolan trainer remarked to himself, sounding quite proud of his latest trail of destruction. And what better way to celebrate than with a good breakfast?

After letting his team of Bug types out of their respective Pokeballs, Shinya and his Pokemon started to dig in, while Shinya explained to them what they'd be doing next. In between mouthfuls of food, of course. Shinya may have been rude, but even he didn't talk with his mouth full. Put simply, Team Skull would be traveling through the Ilex Forest next, able to see the first area of the forest just beyond their little picnic area. Said first area was known as the Shady Glen, home to several other Bug type Pokemon, but none that Shinya would bother capturing for his team. As far as the Bug type trainer was concerned, the various Bug types of the Ilex Forest were nothing compared to the Bug types he already had.

With their goal set, Shinya and his team soon finished eating, packed up their supplies, and left some garbage behind, not that any of them really cared. From there, Shinya called all six of his Pokemon back to their Pokeballs, then put them away and headed for the Shady Glen. He knew that it would be a long trek through this dense woodland, but it was nothing he hadn't been through before. And speaking of things Shinya had seen before, almost immediately after entering the Shady Glen, he spotted a lone young man, pacing back and forth and looking very distraught. Even though it was none of his business, Shinya was feeling a bit bored, shrugging his shoulders as he decided to approach the boy and see what was up, questioning him in a tone that perfectly mirrored his boredom. "Hey, kid. What's the matter? Lose somethin'?"

[Pixel]

Sylvester was in deep, deep trouble. The deepest, worst trouble. His father was going to turn him into firewood for this if he didn't fix it. The older man had implied he was going to entrust Sylvester with more responsibilities soon, now that he was getting closer to being an adult, and part of that included being able to go into the forest alone to collect wood for creating charcoal. This was a test, Sylvester knew, and he had failed it the moment he stepped into the forest. The farfetch'd he was supposed to keep under control and have cut down a couple small trees had run off in different directions, and he had been unable to catch either before they escaped deeper into those perilous woods. 

He would have gone deeper and chased them down, but without a pokemon, he would be toast! One of the evil spirits out there would get him and drag him to his doom. Or he'd be besieged by wild pokemon. Every child was taught from the time they could walk to never go into areas with wild pokemon alone. They could get hurt. 

Arceus, how could this day get any worse? Failing to fetch firewood AND losing his father's pokemon that were integral to the family business? He was ready to start crying.

But then, he heard it, a voice. Someone was here. He wasn't alone. Sylvester ran up to the guy, "Hello! My name is Sylvester and I'm an apprentice woodcutter from Azaela. My family makes charcoal. And I was sent out here with two farfetch'd to cut wood, but they ran off. They can't have gotten far. One was heading to the part of the forest where you can get high quality wood, the stuff you use for furniture or fancy flooring. Only a more experienced woodcutter is allowed to cut those trees. And the other went to a dark, wet, spooky part of the forest where the wood is always too wet to do anything with, even just burn it for firewood! Please. Can you help? I'll repay you if you can. I promise."

Sylvester needs help finding his lost Farfetch'd!

Will Shinya help this little boy find the missing Pokemon?

Mod error on the hints! For future mod reference, use these below provided to Venom in the Gloomy Ravine:

SPOILER: Click to show

"Hey! Hey sir!" Wait...was that Sylvester? What was he doing out this way? Maybe he was feeling more confident with Venom out here looking for the farfetched and had gotten out of that fear paralysis. He stumbled and started to pant, hands on his knees. "Right when you left, I saw them go by! I ran after them but they escaped again! And this time I know for sure where they are. One ran off into this are where a big gap runs between two hills and it's hard to climb, so you'll have to watch you're step. You know you're in the right place if you start seeing a lot of spearow and pidgey. And the other one has a lot more flowers than trees and the hills are a lot more manageable there. Kurt likes to go that way for the apricorn trees and I think someone once reported seeing a cutifly there."

[Venominon]

At first, Shinya listened to Sylvester's rather long-winded answer to his questions with an uninterested expression upon his face, waiting for the younger male to finally finish speaking. After all, the boy's current predicament had absolutely nothing to do with Shinya. So, why should the Bug type trainer take time out of his journey to search for a pair of Wild Duck Pokemon? Well, that answer came when Shinya heard Sylvester say the word "woodcutter", turning to face him as his expression changed into one of intrigue. Continuing to wait for the apprentice woodcutter to wrap up his plead for assistance, Shinya gave his chin a few scratches, wondering if perhaps this young woodcutter held the key Shinya needed to advance further into the Ilex Forest and reach Goldenrod City on the other side. If so, then perhaps one more side quest would be beneficial for Shinya and his team after all.

Granted, if Sylvester actually did have the HM for Cut on him, the Team Skull grunt could've simply taken it from him pretty easily, especially since Sylvester didn't have any Pokemon around to defend himself with. However, after all the pain and mayhem he caused just yesterday, Shinya didn't really have it in him to cause any more so soon. Besides, if these two Farfetch'ds had experience working for a skilled woodcutter, then they were probably pretty strong. And although it was still quite a ways off, Shinya's Pokemon needed all the training they could get in preparation for their eventual gym battle against Whitney. "Hey, hey. Take it easy, kid. Relax." Seizing the opportunity to speak up as soon as it presented itself, Shinya began to grin at Sylvester, his tone of voice much calmer than Sylvester's was.

"Team Skull is on the case. My Pokemon and I will have your birds back to ya before your boss even knows they were gone. So, ya just sit tight right here, try not to cry, and have that reward ready for me when I get back. Do that, and we're cool." The Alolan trainer assured the apprentice woodcutter, then stepped past him and headed for the deeper parts of the Ilex Forest without even bothering to wait for a response from him. Based on the descriptions Sylvester gave him, Shinya already had a pretty good idea of where the two Farfetch'ds had ran, or flown, off to. It was a bit annoying that Sylvester didn't just give him the name of the two parts of the forest he was describing, but whatever. One way or another, Shinya would find them, make them return home, get the HM he needed, and continue on his journey through Johto.

OOC: Heading for the Gloomy Ravine in search of the first Farfetch'd.

[Venominon]

Sorry to double post, but returning from the Enchanted Orchard.

After a good fifteen minutes hike, Shinya and Sylvester had made their return to the Shady Glen where this literal wild goose chase began. But from this point on, the Alolan trainer would continue alone, glancing at Sylvester as he continued his stride, heading north this time around. "This time for real. Stay put, and Team Skull will have your stupid birds back to ya in no time flat. I can't promise that they'll be in one piece though." Shinya snickered to himself a bit, then picked up the pace before Sylvester had the chance to respond or voice his concerns, heading for the next location in the Ilex Forest. The Luminous Vale. Which is exactly where he knew that one of the Wild Duck Pokemon had run off to this time around. And neither it, nor its partner in crime, would be escaping from Shinya this time.

OOC: Heading out for the Luminous Vale.

[Pixel]

What better place to escape notice from the law than in the max-like Ilex Forest? Silas quite honestly had no love for the wilderness, as he was a city boy by birth and preference, but needs must and all that. He even changed out of his usual suit and vest for a long pair of pants and some hiking boots. The weather was chilly, which was no surprise when it was deep into winter and there was snow underfoot. 

Surely nobody would come looking for him out here when he caused trouble in Cherrygrove. And memories were often short in busy towns full of trainers. In the dark, at best the officer and homeowners saw brief flashes of his appearance. But a man dressed in all black wasn't exactly going to be bringing him down any time soon. However, just in case, he would make sure he put some good distance between himself and trouble. 

At his side was Mercenary, who looked very much at ease as the trees seemed to grow closer together than before. As if she was from a wooded dark place much like Ilex. Above him, Syndicate flew, keeping a literal bird's eye view on everything below. Which of course meant searching for shinies. Always searching for shinies. 

"Child!" crowed the honchkrow after a little while of walking and Silas cocked his head curiously. Now why would Syn alert him of another person in the forest? Were they acting oddly? Silas kept moving until he reached a sort of clearing within the part of the forest known by those in Azalea as the Shady Glen. There, looking about, seeming somewhat distressed, was indeed a child. Or perhaps a young teen? It was hard to tell and Silas didn't exactly care.

But he did his due diligence and approached with a friendly smile, "Hello there young man! I wasn't expecting to see anybody on my travels today. Is something amiss or perhaps you're lost? I know the way back to Azalea if that's where you want to do?" He motioned behind him like a good, helpful citizen who didn't rob innocent people of their pokemon and possessions. 

Merc sniffed the air and stared at the boy, her spaded tail flicking. She was at ease, powerful and confident as she idled at Silas' side. She accessed the situation and deemed the boy a non-threat. There was no need to start making a fuss or blowing smoke to intimidate him. Absently, Silas pet her head like she was a friendly little lap dog and not a loyal guard and fellow menace to society.

—

Word Count: 434 (+400) | OOC: 

Starting the Goose Chase Quest please!