Dense Thicket

[Professor Oak]

[Professor Oak]

1 per Ilex visit
This tree looks like it can be cut down!

No matter how many times travelers leave a wake of destruction in the Dense Thicket it always seems to live up to its name. As such, there's always all manner of goodies to be found beneath the roots webbing their way all throughout the wood. Who knows what treasures one could find cutting through the tangle.

Common	Common	Uncommon (1/4)	Uncommon (1/4)	Rare (1/8)
Nothing	Spearow LV 10 - 18	Antidote	Luminous Moss	TM20: Safeguard

[Mod Required] Once you've cut your way through you can progress to the inner maze of Ilex Forest. Don't stay too long, or the lost spirits may get their grips on you...

[The REAL Joey]

Entering from Shady Glen.

After progressing just a little further out of the glen, Joe's attention was immediately stolen by the looming tree that towered over them off in the nearby distance. It was hard not to look at it with awe and wonder simply because of how gnarled it looked. "Heh. Obviously the forest's way of saying do yerself a favour and turn around." Stopping in his tracks, the thief admired it some more. "Phew, I guess this is where that gift Syl gave us comes in handy." Turning to his Gallade, Joe was slightly unsure on how to use a HM move, having never done so before in his life. "Well... Errr... Mind using Cut here Lupin? Hack away at it like it's going outta fashion or summat." Nodding, Lupin stepped forward in a stride and with an extension of his elbow like blades, closed his eyes and slashed forward with incredible precision.

At first it didn't seem as if anything had happened but it was only when the tree began to slide on its now diagonally cut resting spot that Joe realised it had been a clean slice. "Woah hoah! Way to go Lupin! Hey! TIIIIIIMBEEEERRRR!" Jumping backwards feebly, Joe let out a raucous laughter as the tree was now out of their way. "I always wanted to say that. Guess that's one thing to tick off the to do check list." Looking beyond where the tree had stood however, there seemed to be an unshakeable sense of trepidation. "Huh... That place is givin' me the creeps but I know better than to sulk about with my tail between my legs. Alright gang! Stay close and keep yer eyes out. The boogeyman might come and get'cha." Moving forward, the group cautiously positioned their legs over the thickets with every small step as they advanced into the inner section of the forest.

They were literally seconds away until Joe smack his forehead and remembered something important. "If we're going into the heart of the forest, i'm pretty sure there'll be no wireless signal. Better go and contact the gang before I go missing." Shoving up his leather jacket sleeve, Joe revealed his worn Poketch that proudly sat on his wrist and began tapping the screen to get to the communications app. After a small flick down, he proceeded to Looker's tab. "Alrighty, just give Looker a bell and..." Pausing, Joe watched as the line seemed dead. "Hm. The wireless strength is still 4 bars but he ain't pickin' up. That's not good. I'll try someone else." With a shift through his contacts list, he picked out the next best friend, Rocko. Funnily enough, the usually bumbling oaf picked up right away. "Oh goddamit Joe, things are not good. Looker's gone APESHIT." Joe frowned and tried to calm his friend down. "Wait, what's up? Looker doesn't usually go off the deep end..."

Rocko sighed and explained. "This is it. The other day he noticed there was something odd about our own hosted network system and he locked himself away in his little look out room to sort it out. Eventually, he came out looking as green as his hair. Some whizz kid managed to get into dem systems and..." Joe gulped anxiously, this wasn't sounding good. "Go on." Rocko hesitated but eventually broke with the news. "Well, some fancy pants hacker got in and stole some of your Pokemon from your box system." Joe's eyes widened upon hearing the devastating news and immediately burst out in anger. "WHAT?! Who the hell does this schmuck think he is?! Who got taken? Huh? HUH?!" Rocko sensed that Joe wasn't in the best of moods and tried to keep it blunt. "Right. I'll get Looker to send ya a list but... We dunno who it is. Looker's trying to reverse track him now. Huh...? Wait...? Y'sure? Alright. Looker wants a word Joe."

Listening intently, tapped his Poketch as another active communication tab notification popped up. "Looker, please tell me Rocko's just having shits 'n giggles with me." Looker sighed and replied as bluntly as ever. "Joe. I am afraid that what he said was true. Some... Person managed to bypass my firewall and take a number of Pokemon. I'll send you a collective list but thankfully none of your prized members are taken. Nevertheless, I am doing everything humanly and inhumanly possible to hunt this hacker down." Joe scrunched up his forehead and wearily rubbed it. "Argh... This is bullcrap. This guy must think he's some hot stuff to be gettin' away with that. Let me know of any updates. Oh wait, that's why I called. I'm heading in Inner Ilex so my comms are gonna be down. I'll get back in touch once i'm out." "Very well, Looker out." "Yeah, seeya buddy. Good luck huntin' him down. I suspect you're taking this pretty hard because you thought your defences impenetrable, hah?" Looker coughed abruptly and denied. "No, that isn't it at all." Joe ended up laughing and said his goodbye. "Seeya."

Looking down, he noticed a list had been mailed immediately. Scrolling down, he side when he saw some of the names. Standing there for a few moments, he eventually looked into the heart of Ilex and murmured. "Very funny. You gotta have some serious balls to steal from a thief. When I hunt this ***** down he's gonna realise that's one thing you don't do."

Bravely going into the unknown; Forest Shrine.

[Nada]

Over the River &
Through the Woods

---

(Highlight v)
---[Entering from Shady Glen]---

The trek through the beaten bath was nice for Nadia. No longer had she to worry about where she stepped for scraping her exposed legs to the tall grass and twigs, nor did she have to think about having some tick leaping onto her and playing vampire. The woods were nice and all, but a sundress is hardly the kind of clothing suitable for going off road hiking in.

"Chuchu," Chuchu commented, pointing ahead at something.

"Something up, girl?" Nadia asked.

"Pikachu-chu!"

Hopping off Nadia's shoulder, the little yellow Pika dashed ahead to a gnarled old tree. While the rest of the forest was still lush and green, this one looked old and more than likely dead. Not a single leaf to be found on it, mushrooms growing at its base. Yeah, this tree was no doubt old beyond belief and dead, decaying from the inside with a termite infestation. While it seemed to be blocking the path in some ways, only idiots wouldn't be able to simply walk around it and be on their way. But yet, an idea came to the girl.

"This is quite the tree, huh Chuchu?"

"Chu."

"I just got to thinkin'," Nadia continued. "We got that nifty little HM that Sylvester just got us, right? I hear it is useful for hacking up obstacles in paths. Well, this tree really isn't in the way, but since it is obviously dead, I was thinking of trying it out!"

Consulting to the Pokedex ap on her PokeGear, Nadia looked up some information about her Pokemon. Trying to figure out which member of her team could learn the move Cut, it was narrowed down to two choices: Richie and Strawberry. Thereafter, the choice on who to teach the move to was obvious to the girl, considering the events that had just happened earlier. Though Richie could learn it, Nadia doubted that he'd even be in the mood for it. He seemed rather grumpy earlier, not wanting to deal with anything and be by himself. To get him out to Cut at this tree wouldn't put him in a better mood and there was a chance with the funk he was in, he wouldn't do it anyway. So, that just left one other choice: Strawberry!

Nodding at the choice, she put her PokeGear away and from her bag, Nadia drew forth the Pokeball with a little pink heart on it. Enlarging it in her hand, she pressed the button once more to open it up. From within, that brilliant bright flash of light followed by many, many sparkles as the little pink Buneary came out in the light of day once more. Strawberry stood with her paws to her cheeks, looking as cute as she could get. Somebody was in a good mood!

"Hey there, pretty girl!" Nadia got down on her knees before Strawberry, stroking the bunny's head. Chuchu also got off her trainer's shoulder and stood next to the little rabbit. "We're going to try something new today with you, alright? We're going to teach you a new move and then test it out on that tree. Okay?"

"Bun-bun!" Strawberry was pretty much chirping with delight. Ah, still so young and still so jolly. Strawberry just loved it when she was getting an form of attention!

Going into her bag once more, Nadia quickly nabbed the HM for Cut that had still been sitting right on he surface. It was a total mystery to her as to how these things worked specifically since all it seemed to consist of was placing the disc on the forehead of a Pokemon capable of learning the move within and... poof! That was it. Maybe when Nadia gets to Goldenrod and takes the Bullet Train back home for a brief visit with her family, she'll ask her dad the specifics of how these things work.

---

Had Strawberry forget Defense Curl and learned Cut!

---

"There! That should do the ticket!"

After teaching the move to Strawberry, it was time to get down to business. Knowing what is expected of her, Strawberry turned around, puffed out her chest, and stared at the large, dead tree. They did a similar training routine when Strawberry first was taught how to use Ice Beam, so she was looking forward to using her knew move.

"See that large tree?" Rhetorically asked question,"I want you to use Cut and slice it down to the best of your abilities!"

Strawberry huffed in a large breath and exhaled. To Nadia, the tree was big. But to the little Buneary, this tree was larger than life. When one is so little to begin with, everything else always looks so much bigger, much the case of this tree. It wasn't going to be easy, but Strawberry would try her very best to do her trainer proud.

Leaping into the air, Strawberry recoiled both of her ears in as tightly as she possibly could, focusing energy into them that created a white glow to emanate from them. Right when she was about to hit the tree, Strawberry released her left ear and cut a decent gash into the bark before recoiling it. Then with her right ear, she dug deeper into the wood before recalling that ear back, then launched out the left ear again. She was certainly cutting at the wood, but these weren't power-packed punches being thrown that cut down the tree instantly. Rather, it took somewhere between one to two minutes before the structure of the tree started to buckle under its own weight. When the tree was going to topple over, potentially crushing the little rabbit that stood in its hallowed out area, Strawberry executed a marvelous jump straight up that caused the tree to be shoved in the other direction. The wood splintering, Strawberry reached safety before any sort of debris could hurt her. Moments later, the large tree came down with a mighty crash that echoed through the woods.

"Bun... ear... bun... ear..."

Strawberry had exhausted herself. Cutting that tree wasn't a simple task at all, plus forcing all of the dead weight in the opposite direction also had her pretty tabbed on top of that. Regardless of being out of breath, she had felt pretty good about herself. Strawberry would need a little break to catch her breath, but it still felt so good!

"Spectacular, Strawberry! That's how you get the job done!

"Pika-pika chuchu!"

Both Nadia and Chuchu applauded the bunny's efforts, in which response Strawberry pulled her cotton-like fur up over her head, squirming around in embarrassed delight. But soon, she let go of her own fur and fell back on her own rear end, panting for some air. She hadn't caught her breath yet.

"Don't worry, take your time, girl. Just rest up now in case we need you down the road." Picking up the heart stickered Pokeball once more, Nadia held it forward and recalled Strawberry back in. Looking at Chuchu, lowering her arm and letting her climb back up on her shoulder, it was time to get a move on.

(Highlight v)
---[Exit to Forest Shrine]---

---

[latani]

The trees seemed to be packed more closely together the farther they ventured. It could easily inspire a sense of claustrophobia. Judging by all the moss on the trunks, as well as how little light filtered through the tall, vast trees, this part of the forest was old and mostly untouched. Noises came from all around, varying from shrieks and bird songs to the loud squeaking of the smaller critters and grunts from the bigger ones. These all freaked Saphira out, who was clinging to Tanya's coat and sticking close to her trainer.

Starscream had long abandoned flying; the trees and their hanging branches proved too thick for manageable passage. He plodded along before his trainer, keeping an eye out for danger so it would have to deal with him first. But soon enough he came to an impasse, a large tree blocking their path forwards. Tanya stepped around him and surveyed it. Her green eyes twinkling, she knew exactly what to do. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a ball and released its occupant.

Ironhide grunted as he landed, looking around the thicket before glancing at his trainer. She tugged her leg from a bramble bush and sighed, feeling the prickling thorns against her skin despite the layer of clothing supposedly protecting her. The girl ran a hand through her hair and then looked at Ironhide, pointing at the tree in front of them. "I didn't teach you Cut for nothing. Could you clear that tree for us?" Tanya asked the small metal Pokémon.

He turned back with a nod and lumbered towards the tree, looking it up and down as he searched for a weak spot. There was a bit of rot just above one of its exposed roots, which served as a good spot to climb up and gain access. Ironhide shimmied up the root and trotted on the top before stopping at the trunk, turning to one side and crouching down. With a battle cry the Aron lunged forwards, turning as he went so that his right paw went slicing through the weak point of the tree's base.

A huge groan followed the sound of bark being sheared clean off the trunk. Ironhide hurriedly retreated to Tanya's side as the old tree groaned even louder and began making ominous cracking noises, splitting in half at the spot he had cleaved through. A great whooshing sound preceded the tree's fall, which was quickly replaced by it crashing noisily into the ground, sending birds shrieking into the sky. Tanya winced at the cacophony of sounds, shaking her head again.

"Thanks Ironhide." Recalling the Aron, she cautiously approached the fallen tree and was mindful of any pieces of it that might want to impale her feet. "C'mon you two. Starscream, just glide over, and watch your feet Saphira," the teen instructed her partners, trudging past the debris and making it clear to the other side. They did as told, joining her shortly after. Breathing deeply, Tanya looked further into the forest, down the path that lay ahead. "Well, let's see what else there is here."

Exit to Forest Shrine

[Kataya]

Sandy Katayko

The scars of your love...

------------------------------------------------

[Coming in from Shady Glen]

“It’s so sharp in here you can poke an eye out!” Sandy fretted. She had since entering, returned Hotaru and Victoria, because it was just too…pointy in here. She sighed and pushed away some of the pointed branches softly, feeling a small cut open. Damn, must have been the fifth scratch since she entered.

“I must look like a well seasoned traveler... or a scratched up troll.” She really did need to get out of here, now she was just being silly. Shaking her head, she continued through the thicket, small stalks of bracken brushing her pant leg as she passed them.

It was no sooner than she swore she wasn’t going to get out of the thicket when she came face to face with the trunk of a giant tree. She stared at it blankly for a moment, shaking her head softly. She quickly called out Darryl, who looked around in confusion, then at Sandy. Sandy had taught her cut just before entering the Thicket, and she was suddenly glad she had.

“Come on Darryl, I need you to cut down this tree, alright?” Darryl glanced from her, to the tree, and then held up her claws, setting to work. It wasn’t long before the large tree was downed and Sandy was able to pass through.

“Let’s go girl.” She commented, taking the small creature into her arms and jumping over the fallen tree with all the grace of a clumsy Hoothoot. Well, at least she was across it.

[Exiting to Forest Shrine]

------------------------------------------------

They leave me breathless...

[Morrigan]

[ Entering from Shady Glen ]

Walking on ahead with Nidoqueen and Arbok trailing closely behind, the dirt path they were using as a guide began to slowly merge in with the already flat, dull, earth and the many tall trees which surrounded them grew tighter together. Nettles and thorned branches were also becoming more intrusive, her double layered frilly skirt having been snagged multiple times already, thread and small snippets of material being torn off and ruining her outfit completely. Not to mention the odd scrap against her bare arms and legs. Sighing angrily, she turned her back back only to see Arbok slithering about cautiously and Bellatrix bulldozing through any branch with little care in the world.

Suddenly stopping abruptly, Sharada grunted in unison with Bellatrix, their reasons for doing so differing. Turning to her giant beast, she pointed angrily to a large tree close ahead, "Imagining that the path was still here, my guess would be that we need to continue by going around this tree. Of course, we could just walk around it but where is the fun in that." Crossing her arms and nodding proudly, the brunette pulled a grin, "So go use Cut on it! I'm pretty sure you have some steam to blow off." Parting her jaw to let out a roar like cry, the armoured beast stomped forward with great power, eyes glaring menacingly at the tree trunk that opposed her. Standing back a few steps, the brunette placed a comforting hand on Arbok's hood, smiling with an intrigued glaze to her eyes as she waited for Nidoqueen to attack.

Taking a moment to concentrate, the giant Nidoqueen forced all power to her claws and with more of a punching motion than a slash, jabbed both of her hands into the center of the tree trunk. For a few moments, nothing happened at all, until a creaking sound echoed throughout the woods. Within seconds, the tall tree before the trio split in two down the center, falling apart and leaving nothing but a tree stump and the continued, worn down path. Curling her lips upward, Sharada clapped her hands together energetically, "Great job, Bellatrix! Thats what I'm talking about!" Noticing that the path was still a bit thin, she looked from Nidoqueen to Arbok before lifting up a Pokeball. "The path is a bit tight, Arbok. Since you have been by my side since finding the Farfetch'd, you deserve a break for a while." Smiling gently, she retreated the understanding serpent to it's safety haven, shooting Nidoqueen a stern nod before continuing on.

[ Leaving to Forest Shrine ]

[Tyger]

Incoming from Shady Glen

Really though? Heal Pulse is a good move. I don't see why you made me forget it.

Surreo complained, crossing his bladed arms as he walked alongside his trainer, with Simba at his heels. Justin usually tuned out annoying things, but this was in his mind and unfortunately stuck there. Therefore, no drowning out. I just don't see you as the healing type. How many double battles do we get into? He asked, raising an eyebrow. Besides, you're strong. I think it's the better thing. Would you rather have forgotten Slash? He asked, which shut the Gallade up. Simba merely walked along side them, listening to the bickering. To keep the lion in the loop, both Justin and Surreo's thoughts were transmitted to the lion.

The path they'd walked along seemed to get longer and longer, with no trance of an exit in sight. Although he was done growing, the photographer couldn't help but be hungry all of the time. What if we starve? He asked aloud, receiving a scoff and a snort from both the lion and the Gallade. No one said anything until they reached the giant tree in the middle of the road. It was enormous, just big enough to be a pain in the ass to cut down... unless you knew cut.

Surreo got down to it, a light seeming to extend on his arms, shining bright as he slashed at the tree. Immediately, the gargantuan behemoth swivelled and fell to the ground. Well, almost squashing Justin the process. Luckily, he managed to dodge in time. Ey! You coulda killed me! He hollered, and Surreo only managed a smirk. I could have healed you with a Heal Pulse though... oh wait. he stopped, continuing to walk. Not anymore. He teased, and Justin rolled his eyes before following in suit. Luckily, Justin knew Surreo was just messing with him.

Following the path to Forest shrine!

[The REAL Joey]

Emerging from Shady Glen

Having trekked a fair distance from the heart of Shady Glen, it started to become apparent that they had now transitioned into another part of the forest entirely. Gone were the shady, looming environments from the tall willowing trees of the glen. Now they were greeted with a harsh and uncomfortable looking sea of thickets as far as the eyes could see. "To think the forest could change so radically in the space of a mile or so." Realising there was more to this forest than met the eye, Tobias continued on gingerly as he followed in the wake of his Duskull butler. "Had we been still in Unova, they would have rightly deforested this impedance and made it fit for travel." Gritting his teeth as he noticed the sea of thorns getting ever more present, he let out a final condemnation to the future of the forest. "I'll be sure to send in a team of lumberjacks to tear down this entire forest once I get to actual civilisation." As he finished, he noticed Charon had stopped and had levitated upwards in line with Tobias' sight to get his attention. "Master, we are unable to proceed. The forest has closed itself off, none can enter." Not understanding what the spirit butler was saying, Tobias looked dead ahead through the ghost and was at least smart enough to piece two and two together.

"Impossible..." He muttered. He had been through plenty of normal forests back in his homeland but there was definitely something unnatural about this sea of trees. Almost insidious. For the thicket branches to seal off the path in such a manner, it was clear something was afoot. Raising a hand in front of him and brushing it to the side to gesture Charon out of the way, Tobias reached in and bought another Pokeball from within his jacket. "Preparation is key." Tossing the Pokeball forward, his next choice of Pokemon was a familiar one. Having used it to butcher the Slowpoke of Azalea's well, the chaotic little husk twitched manically at the thought of more cutting to be had. "Yin. Cut our way through." Letting out a click with its mandibles, the Pokemon remained perfectly still as it looked at the dense nest of thickets before them. A scythe had been perfect to prize off the Slowpoke's tail but this would take something greater. Summoning forth a physical manifestation from out of thin air from the world of spirits, a brutal looking chainsaw hovered mid air as it began to rev up, ready to take on the barrier of thorns in front of them. Swinging through the air with great intent, the ethereal saw made short work as it prized through the would be fortress of thickets. Letting out a snarl as it cut through without falter, it wasn't long before they now had a path open to them once more. "Return." Ordered Tobias as he recalled the Shedinja. If he had left the Pokemon out any longer, his dreams of deforesting Ilex would be realised. There would definitely be no need for that assortment of lumberjacks laying waste.

Hovering forward, Charon's single eye gazed at the way forward. "Master, I detect hostile presences further on. We are not alone." Feeling a sense of dread as he looked down the path deeper into the forest, Tobias took a step forward. Now was not the time to let a bit of foreboding get the better of him.

Breaching inner Ilex.

[Deleted]

Coming from Shady Glen


As Maechbaby and Kamikaze were stopped by the fallen tree poor Shellshocker finally managed to catch up with the pair as Marchbaby forgot to recall him before running off. As sharp as Kamikaze's claws were she did not know Cut yet but as Marchbaby remembered the HM that Sylvester gave him he thought now would be a great time to teach her the move so that they would be able to continue on their journey. The young man was not sure if it would work or not but it could not hurt to at least give it a try. He reached into his backpack and took out the HM before handing it to Kamikaze. She seemed to almost immediately learn the technique but she seemed to forget Quick Attack in the process.

He did not really mind if she forgot Quick Attack as it was not the greatest move of a Weavile to know as Cut was more important right now anyways. Just as the young man was about to order the young weasel to cut the tree Kamikaze sped off towards the tree at a blinding pace. She slammed her claws down on the tree and snapped in into small splinters before she looked back at Marchbaby. The young man was absolutely stunned by yet another amazing display of power and speed that Kamikaze was so good at displaying. The young man still could not get over the fact that a Pokemon of such small size could have such a devastating attack on a tree despite her size. As he tried to come to grips with the reality of her strength Kamikaze just smiled as she knew that she had impressed her master yet again. As he slowly recovered from the stunning display he knew that it would e best to continue on and see what other surprises the Ilex Forest may have.

" Alright Kamikaze that was an awesome display of power. That will be great to have such a strong Pokemon for later on but I think we really need to explore more of this forest so that we can perhaps find some more Pokemon for our team. If the rumors are true that I heard back in Blackthorn there is a lake somewhere in the forest that a spirit likes to hang out around. Considering it is nighttime let's go and try to find out if the rumors are true or not." He said as they walked down one of the paths in the forest.


Heading to the Forest Shrine.


Ooc: Kamikaze uses Cut on the tree to be able to continue on.

[Morrigan]

- Entering from Shady Glen. -

Grass buddies at hand, Catherine walked on with her hands behind her back, head lifted as she took in the scenery around her. "Huuh. The trees here sure are getting thicker! It'll get harder to squeeze past em all soon!" Having followed along the dirt path from Shady Glen, it had slowly begun to fade under the cover of grass and moss, meaning she had to rely on her Pokemon to lead her. Having such a poor sense of direction, it would be literally impossible to traverse if she didn't have Pokemon of the forest on her side. With the much braver Atlas taking the lead by exploring overhead through the trees, it meant down on the ground she was left with Orchu, the Tangela she had captured earlier on. Not portraying any signs of regret or disapproval, the Tangela was simply happy with walking back through the familiar setting. Little red boots squeaking against the ground, the sound soon stopped as they came across a humongous tree.

All of a sudden, Atlas emerged and landed in the center of the path, before the giant tree. Turning his head as he waited for his trainer to catch up, Catherine made a short sprint forward with her arms folded at her waist. "WOAH! Look at the size of this one!" Catherine exclaimed with awe, "Looks like it has been growing here for some time now." Pausing, she placed a hand on the bark of the tree before raising a smile very unfitting of her next few words. "It's a shame we're gonna have to cut it down!" Exclaiming her words as though they were fact, both Atlas and Orchu nodded in agreement before looking on in horror after a moment of realisation. Spinning on the spot, Catherine stretched out her hand as she explained her reasoning to them. "I mean, the path leads and ends here, surely that means that the tree is just super overgrown! Besides! This is a HUGE FOREST! What are they gonna do with one lil tree down? Plus, Syl gave us that special move for a reason!"

Lifting the said item up in between her fingertips, she stuck out her tongue cheekily and offered the choice to either of her partners, "Any takers? We'll be doing travellers a favour by clearing the path again." Uncertain, Atlas stood with a bemused expression, arms folded loosely. It ended up being a pair of red, squeaky boots that stepped forward to take on the task. "Heehee, you understand me, right Orchu?" Moving down into a squatting position, Catherine slotted the HM into her CGear and displayed the information on the move Cut to Orchu. Taking it in almost instantly, the bundle of vines nodded abruptly and stomped forward with pride. Unleashing his vines, the Tangela let loose a series of ultra fast swipes, which pierced the silence as all what could be heard was a swift crack. Parting her lips to yell timber, the sound of the crashing tree covered her words but at the very least, opened the path for them.

"YESSS! Let's move on, guys!" Running forward a few paces, she momentarily turned and rolled her arm in the air in a beckoning motion, only moving again when she was certain her Pokemon were hot on her tail.

- Moving to Forest Shrine. -

[Tiki]

-from shady glen-

Finishing Sylvester's quest to find the Farfetch'd, Alex felt much better from his battle with Bugsy. Though he was happy that his knowledge of bug type Pokemon had paid off, and he was a bit proud of that. A bug versus bug battle. Now with that behind him, physically and emotionally, he moved on to see if he could find his way to Goldenrod City.

Soon, he found himself in a different part of forest with denser trees together. Maybe it was new trees growing on top of the nutrients of old trees, or something like that. Or thinner variants of tree growing in the spaces between the big trees. Those he thought was reasonable. Until he saw a Zubat who somehow was stuck between the branches of the trees. He wasn't sure what to do.

"Hey, um... Zubat! I'll get out out of here. But the tree might fall down though. So hang tight!" He spoke with the unfortunate Zubat. Then, he sent out his Bidoof, named Stunt, to use Cut on the tree, and thus making the tree trunk fall. After the tree trunk fell, the Zubat was no longer stuck between the branches and was freed. The little purple Pokemon flew away happily. And Alex continued his way to find the exit to Goldenrod City.

OOC: there's so many trees on this forest and why cut down this one? I just realize the strangeness of pokemon logic. You can just... walk around the trees.

-cut my way to Forest Shrine-

[Tiki]

-coming from Shady glen-

With the quest of the forest boy behind him, Ethan now was looking forward to his next goal, which the immediate one would reaching Goldenrod City. With his levitating Baltoy and Cottonee next to him, the trio began their long journey through the forest. Each step that they walked would bring them closer to the big city in Johto. Eventually, he came across a place with really narrow but dense trees. Seeing that there could be a path up ahead, he sent out his Bidoof to use Cut on those trees, and finally making a clearing to move forward.

-going to Forest Shrine-

[Marchbaby]

Coming from the Shady Glen



As they came upon the Dense Thicket a large tree was blocking their path. For most trainers this obstacle would have prevented them from traveling any further however Tyler's Volcano had a move which could fell the tree in a single blow allowing them to continue on the path. " Go Volcano use Cut on that tree." He said as the fire type extended his claws and cut the tree down so they could pass through. Once the path was clear they made their way to the Forest Shrine hoping to encounter some spirits soon. 

[Tyger]

Rhoan uses cut on the Tree, and proceeds forward to the Forest Shrine.

Coming in from Shady Grove The morning had been rather uneventful, given that Rhoan wanted absolutely NONE of this. Ilex was huge, and a time sink. She could be putting more effort into climbing the ranks of the Rockets, or even attempting to catch some Pokemon and strengthen up her team. In fact, she had picked up a few specimen while on a boat for a festival. Training them was more useful than sitting on Ares's back while the sun peeked through the occasional gap in the foilage above. "This is bullshit." Both Tyrana and Ares snorted in agreement. The Cut HM she'd gotten would prove useful soon enough. She'd sliced off a tail of a Slowpoke (which of course reminded her of the bloody night her ladder climbing truly began, even if it meant putting up with Proton) with it, and now it would be put towards any unseen obstacles in her way. Like this tree for example. "Hold, Ares." Rhoan's hand went up in a signal and the bull stopped immediately. Hiking her leg over the bulky shoulders of the Tauros, Rhoan slid off the saddle and gave Ares a pat. "You're getting really good at that. Keep it up. These signals are doing wonders, via touch and sound." The Tauros simply pawed at the ground and stared ahead at the large tree blocking the path. Ares could probably jump over it, but he'd sustain an injury if he landed wrong. Rhoan didn't want to risk that. Instead she rifled through her pokeballs until she found the one she needed. "Reaver, c'mon out." There was no bright flash of light though, or digital sound as the Pokemon materialized. Reaver simply wasn't within the capsule. "God dammit, where are you..." Rhoan scratched at the back of her head as she thought. The little Joltik squeaked with amusement as she dodged Rhoan's fingers within her head of hair. Static electricity did wonders for Joltik, and what better place than on the head of the redhead? "Quit fooling around. Let's take down this tree." Rhoan didn't stand for cute much, but results did strike a chord so Reaver hopped out of Rhoan's hair and bounded towards the tree. It was almost comical how quickly the bug was able to chop down the standing monolith but it fell without so much as a creak before crashing down to the forest floor. When the leaves settled, Rhoan gave the little bug a rub on the top of her head before hopping back up onto Ares. "Good job. Guess this means we're going in deeper, huh? Let's go." The Rocket caravan continued forward with a squeaky, happy Joltik. Progressing to Forest Shrine

GRAYE'S MARINADES