Dense Thicket

[Lamont]

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Dense thicket was an understatement. There was barely room to breath at times. Damien and Jade moved along the trail while being clawed at by various bush and tree poking into their space. The young treecko managed to keep claustrophobia away by exercising her new move on small clumps of some of the more aggressive vegetation -- something the ranger was quite happy to let her go about doing. He would just keep focus on not losing sight of the thin dirt rails that constantly disappeared at his feet with the abundant growth. Based on the directions he was given before entering today he expected they'd eventually a point where walking just wasn't going to be possible any longer. [break] [break]

And so he did. The bushes broke away to a small somewhat-more-open area dominated by a massive gnarled tree. It was barren, old, naked mangled branches reaching every direction like a thick web. Its roots had long overgrown the soil beneath it, humping out like growing hills. The way the knot near the top of its broken trunk sat it almost looked like some deep sea creature erupting from the sea; mocking grin stretched across its face. [break] [break]

Jade poked Damien after a few moments of awed silence. His eyes darted down to her bright visage beaming up at him. "Heh, sorry," he apologized, turning back to view the grand old tree. Long dead it was, likely from a fire an age ago. Still, it held a majesty that made him feel a bit sad about having to cut it down to progress. Damien sighed, "Well this is the easiest way she said so... Go ahead Jade. Let's see if you can handle something this big." The grass type chirped, puffing out her chest and giving a thumbs up before skipping closer to the decrepit sentinel. [break] [break]

It was certainly a thing to witness. The tiny spec of pokémon swiping cleaning across the base of the trunk easily more than five times her thickness. The tree groaned as a sliver of its outer bark held together, making a desperate attempt to keep itself standing but... Gravity won out. The tree fell. [break]
"Wow! No one's going to mess with you Jade," the ranger complimented. The gecko pokémon clapped her hands and jumped onto the felled tree triumphantly. "Don't let that go to your head though," he laughed. "Come on, we still have more forest to get through."

Word Count: 404

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((Coming from Shady Glen. Adding 400 words to Incubator. Going to Forest Shrine.))

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[Dan]

Coming from Shady Glen

Ororo looked toward the path ahead, as she came out of the shady glen she could tell she was going deeper into the Ilex Forest. Polipop was sure of his way and confident about this adventure, but Ororo couldn’t help but feel anxious that they were going the wrong way. She found that her Pokemon were typically more intuitive than her, so she trusted her team’s leader to take initiative in this adventure.

“Hmmm… we’re going the right way, yes? You’re sure?” Ororo asked politely yet skeptically. Polipop nodded his head and pointed ahead. Something in the distance was standing tall. Ororo knew she wouldn’t have remembered seeing something like that, so she knew that she was at least not visiting a part of the forest she had already been to. She trusted her Poliwhirl’s assurance regarding their path and continued following him and his upbeat skip.

((147 words to incubator.))
Going to Shrine

[Andrew]

OOC NOTES:

...Entering from Shady Glen.

Yael learns Cut in the place of Quick Attack.

Leaving for Forest Shrine...

A few steps into this new section of the forest and Andrew was certain he'd made the right call in going back for Yael. The trail led straight to a dense thicket that mysteriously seemed untouched by people or Pokémon. Without the necessary skills, it seemed impossible to pass through. Andrew grabbed ahold of his Lopunny's Poké Ball and lightly tossed it above his head. The rabbitlike creature cautiously investigated the area as she was released.
'Where are we?!' she asked in an accusing tone, her abandonment issues showing again.

Andrew was oblivious to her panic and calmly laid out his proposal for getting through the grove. "Okay Yael, here's the plan: Right here, I have a machine that can teach you how to Cut down trees. I think it's our best bet for getting through this forest." Yael released a manic laugh.
'Oh, why didn't you say so? I can do that,' she confirmed, breathing a sigh of relief.

Andrew returned a puzzled look but carried on all the same. "Okay great, then here we go." He prepared the HM and gave it the Lopunny. Within a short moment, she'd already mastered the move and returned the machine to her trainer. She  demonstrated an uppercut to confirm it had be successful. "Amazing! Let's do this then! I guess we can cut through here." He gestured to the part right beside them. Yael nodded to stepped up to challenge, flailing her arms about and powerfully tearing through the branches. Andrew followed slowly, in awe at the what nature could do. He wondered if a Pokémon could possess the power to create this. Maybe they were purposely trying to block people out.

It seemed a little wrong to destroy it but Andrew was able to comfort himself with the fact that there really didn't seem to be any other way through. "Thanks Yael, that was great!" The newly evolved Pokémon blushed. Andrew was glad to see she was much less on edge than before, although he wondered what it could have been about.

[Tarlar]

--Entering from Shady Glen--

Astrid felt pretty sure they were on the right track, not because there was any sign of the farfetch'd anywhere, she didn't know what to look for either, but because this part of the forest was pretty dense and dark in her opinion.
The path was overgrown and didn't seem to be used often, the undergrowth on both side was high and dense with fewer and fewer options to leave it and venture into the forest. Creepers were crawling up long the tall trees and the ground was littered with fallen giants that gave way to plenty of new sprouts, here and there brambles were spreading and had long tendrils sent over the path but they were no trouble for Yakul's hard hooves.
Pia was flying in circles above, although she was rather troubled with all the branches poking in all directions, which she need to dodge or land on all the time, the slow speed that Astrid and Yakul was making on the ground didn't help her either but she didn't complain.

The sound of Yakul's hoofsteps were mostly softened by the greens on the path but then suddenly it was loud and clear as if she was walking on rocks. Astrid's surprise made the skiddo stop and the woman dismounted to see if there should be something hidden and to her surprise she found cobblestones.
"I wonder..?" She mumbled and looked thoughtful at the path while Pia landed beside her wondering what was holding them up. When the trumbeak couldn't see anything of importance, she cawed impatiently and Astrid nodded and mounted again so they could continue.

The path became more and more overgrown and the brambles spread more and more until they reached what looked like a wall blocking the path. A closer look revealed it was and old tree that had fallen and in the clearing it had made new young trees had shot up and brambles had covered the space in between.
"This is not going to be easy" Astrid said and broke the silence, Pia shook her feathers annoyed not liking giving up. Astrid dismounted and called out Janus, while Yakul took a few steps forward and sniffed the brambles, she snorted when she got too close to the thorns and cut her snout, then she backed and refused to get close to them again.
"You are small Janus, please see if you can go through and if the path continues on the other side," Astrid said and the small joltik disappeared into the brambles. They waited for a while but then the tiny yellow pokemon reappeared, and nodded eagerly, the path did continue on the other side.
Astrid looked doubtful for a moment but then determined, "we need to try, Pia, you start out but do not hurt yourself," she said and let out Lykke again.
Pia tried first her beak and then her rock smash but where her moves where good against solid rocks, the young greens just gave away and Astrid called for her to stop before she went all in.
"You try Lykke, a few embers but all of you, be ready to put them out, we do not want to start any fires!" Astrid said but she hadn't needed to worry. Lykke's flames was far from strong enough to handle this lot and only some of the leaves crumbled in the heat.
Yakul trotted forward and stomped a few embers into the ground and Astrid shook her head a bit.
"No, this is beyond out capabilities, I do really hope there is another way through to Goldenrod City other than this one," Astrid said dryly and looked up at the canopy, didn't really look like a bird could easily go through there anyway.
Lykke got recalled but Astrid let Janus stay out and ride on Yakul's head as they turned to go the way back they had come.

Wordcount: 649
--Returning to Shady Glen--

[Tarlar]

--Entering from Shady Glen--

Time flies when you are having fun and Astrid really enjoyed chatting with Hector, he eagerly told her about his battle with Falkner which had been a really close call but his pokemon had pulled through. He then listened wide eyed as Astrid told about her gym battle.
"You have a scyther too?!" He exclaimed impressed and couldn't keep his envy out of his voice.
"Yes, but he needed all the help he could get to win over Bugsy's" Astrid laughed and Hector sighed wistfully.
"But you have one, how did you find it?" He asked hopefully and Astrid sent him an apologetically smile.
"I helped him hide in my garden when others were chasing him, they didn't look like good people at all, and later when I had started my journey we ran into each other and he decided to join," Astrid explained and chose to not tell Hector, that Ove was shiny as well, looked like Hector was envious enough.
"Really?" He asked and looked a bit sad.
"That is often how people who are not trainers get pokemon, we often have several encounters with pokemon that lives in the same area, that is how friendships starts. I also have a joltik who moved inside the house and lived there for years," she explained and they shared a laugh.
Hector was quiet for a bit and looked like he was debating whether he should say something or not, but in the end it bubbled out of him.
"It's just that I have been really unlucky when it comes to meeting new pokemon, and I love the ones I already got but everything I have met is either normal type or flying type and most trainers I battle has at least 1 pokemon which is something else," Hector explained and looked guilty.
"I know it doesn't make any difference but I like a small team and have different types, but I haven't run into anything special. My friend have caught a ralts in Cherrygrove, and my mom goes on and on about the meditite she found and helped in Azalea. I only ran into zigzagoons and several flocks of drifting hoppips!" He exclaimed a bit frustrated and then looked guilty.
"I have only found one other pokemon but I have bought that one," he confessed and looked away.
"So? I have bought and sold pokemon as well, and given some away too. As long as you are aware of not supporting poachers and the pokemon get a better life, I see no problem with it," Astrid stated as a matter of factly and Hector looked up at her hopefully.

"But we are here now, so time to get to work," Astrid said as they reached to overgrown bramble that covered the tree, blocking the road effectively. Hector stared.
"How are we going to get through that!" He exclaimed and Astrid chuckled.
"I said I have been taught a way that should get us through, but I need all the help I can get," Astrid said she let out Lykke and the rest of her pokemon. Hector let out a pidgeotto and a bellsprout and after a bit of hesitation, an eevee.
Astrid smiled and instructed how to help remove the brambles and what else Lykke cut up, when she went to work, and apologized that she herself was limited what she could do physically but promised she would make them all dinner tonight.
Lykke went to work and the others began clearing away the debris she cut loose. Hector's raticate, pidgeotto and bellsprout were effective and worked well together but it was clear the eevee was new and didn't know the other well.
She seemed fascinated by Lykke and her work, and raced around going in the way the times she wasn't staring excited at the quilava.

Wordcount: 639
(ooc: waiting to see what happens by the cutting.)

[Lamont]

It was quite a bit of work rooting through the thicket of the forest. Somehow, despite being the recommended path to cross over into the denser wood of Ilex, it was never the easiest section to get through. It seemed that the forest itself wanted to keep people out as thick bush, brambles, and root weaved its way expertly in every nook. Luckily the vegetation, while fast growing, was not the stuff of thick old bark that splintered dangerously if not cut down with care. The fresh growth was soft. Though that just meant it was more pliable and harder to break at times.

Eventually though Lykke was able to open up a path large enough for Astrid to comfortably stride through without the worry of being pricked by any thorns. A spearow watched from up high, glaring down at the group cutting away at the thicket, but it didn't feel motivated enough to pester them. Their efforts through the dense thicket went ultimately uneventful, which some would consider lucky but would leave treasure seekers disappointed.

---

Nothing was discovered through the thicket this time

[Tarlar]

Time flies when you are in good company and the work went on steady and without any interruptions. The spearow got a few glances at first but when it didn't do anything it got ignored except for a dry "I told you that is all that I'm meeting" from Hector. It only confirmed his belief that he would never meet anything else than common pokemon, but he had a bird already and he planned on getting a cool umbreon soon.
The eevee didn't have much time to listen and work with him even though he tried, she was much more interested in investigating everything around them and soon began to mimic Lykke's work, which looked fun when she tried to breathe fire and she cut herself a few times on the thorns.
Astrid watched with a frown as she saw how the eevee shied away from the shadows and preferred to stay in the light, she had a hard time imagine the eevee as a mysterious umbreon although she might change personality with the evolution.

"Do you not think this is enough?" Astrid asked after an hour or so of work and they paused to look at what they have done.
"We can get through and you have even made it so wide that I can ride through on Yakul without touching the sides!" She chuckled, of course there were still a few brambles crossing and sticking to the ground but they were easily avoidable.
They all agreed and Astrid mounted Yakul and lead the way through the opening.

Wordocunt: 260
--Leaving for Forest Shrine--

[Marchbaby]

Coming from Shady Glen


As Kevin reached the Dense Thicket the area certainly lived up to it's name. There were vines and tree trunks and other various thick plants everywhere. Such a mess would usually be impossible to pass through however Eiskalt had just learned Cut and Kevin took full advantage of the move to get through the area. " Eiskalt use Cut to make us a path through this mess. We can always come back later to search for Pokemon but getting to Goldenrod is the top priority." After a few moments there was just enough space for Kevin to fit through as he made his way to the next area.

Heading to the Forest Shrine.

[Hunter]

Maxwell king

» Word Count:240
OOC: Coming from Shady Glen! Edward uses Cut then off to Forest Shrine

Jupiter had been bounding ahead of Max and Edward as they travelled from Shady Glen to the Dense Thicket, the bubbly sheep pokemon however begun to slow her breakneck pace as the vines and tree trunks begun to block the path ahead. There were various different types of thick plants among the vines that made travelling forward impossible to those unable to cut their way through. Max remembered the warning that Sylvester had given him before, this surely must have been what the boy had been referring to,

"Alright Edward, your time to shine mate, cut us a path through this absolute mess of a place"

Edward nodded his head in acknowledgement of his trainers request, Jupiter moved out of the road and to that the mantis pokemon genuflected to his electric type teammate as a sign of respect. Edward begun to swing his white scythe like forearms like they were over-sized hedge trimmers, the recently taught normal type move seamlessly cut through the thick vines like a knife would cut through butter. Max was impressed with Edward's technique with his new maneuver, he was a fast learning that oozed potential in the battling scene, he just needed more time to grow and practice. Once the area was clear enough to travel through Jupiter took it upon herself to continue leading the trio along the beaten path,

"Nice work Edward, we'll have to get you a battle soon enough boy"

[Marchbaby]

Tyler walked along the path surrounded by thick brush. There was not a lot of space to work with but thanks to him cutting a log the last time he was here he was able to make his way through the area. He just hoped once he got where he was going their target would not be too hard to find.

Moving to the Forest Shrine.

[Venominon]

Coming from Shady Glen

Having gotten his hands on the HM for Cut, Venom was finally ready to venture into the deeper and more dangerous areas of the Ilex Forest. Through his studies, Venom had heard rumors about spirits that wander the deeper parts of the forest and attack those who dared to enter. The ninja wasn't sure what to make of these rumors, but if they were true, he was fully prepared to face them, determined to make it to Goldenrod City. That said, this particular part of the forest wasn't making it easy for him. Even a ninja like Venom was finding it rather difficult to negotiate the trees and branches all around him. Fortunately, Venom had just the thing to deal with this very dilemma.

"Well, now seems like as good a time as any to give Cut a try. Cyndaquil, I choose you!" Venom called on the Pokemon that he met back at the Sprout Tower, and her flame started burning brightly as soon as she was released from her red and white orb. "Phew! It feels good to finally be out of there! What's my mission, master?!" The Fire Mouse Pokemon asked and looked up at her trainer with a great amount of enthusiasm, very happy that he chose to call upon her of all of his Pokemon. She may not have been a Poison type, but Venom still needed her for this particular job, pointing at the big trees in front of them as he gave her his command. And even though the rain was coming down hard all around them, Cyndaquil managed to ignore it for the most part, far too happy at that particular moment to really notice the weather.

"See those trees that are blocking our path? Use Cut and get them out of our way, Cyndaquil!" Having been given her orders, Cyndaquil's flames burned even brighter, as she charged straight for the trees. "Leave it to me, master! If there's one thing I can handle, it's annoying plants!" The small Fire type thought back to the time when she and Venom fought side by side against the Bellsprouts and sages of Sprout Tower, cutting down all the trees in their way with a single movement as she did. Venom did feel kind of bad about destroying part of the forest, but he didn't have much of a choice, and smiled at Cyndaquil once the job was done. "Nicely done. Thanks, Cyndaquil. I should be able to take it from here." With the obstruction gone, Venom called Cyndaquil back to her Poke Ball, then ran down the path she opened for him, continuing his journey through the Ilex Forest.

OOC: Venom has Cyndaquil cut down the trees blocking the path with Cut, then moves on to the Forest Shrine.

[Tiki]

-Coming from Shady Glen-

The clicking of hooves that she thought she heard earlier in the forest was making its sound again. Soon, she was blocked by a large tree standing in the way. Just when she's thinking what to do with the tree, the clicking sound got louder and more frequent. In a matter of minutes, the sound revealed itself to be...

A Skiddo jumping out of the woods. It appeared it had taken an interest in Penelope, but now they're both stuck behind the tree. The Skiddo tried to slam toward the tree but to no avail. Perhaps, the Skiddo had been running around the forest asking for help? Then, the young pokemon bleated to ask Penelope for help.

Just as she ventured away from Sylvester's home, she stumbled across a large tree standing in the way. Penelope put her hands on her hips disgruntledly, and then sent out her Bellsprout to Cut the tree. Soon, the tree fell downward from the cut, creating a loud thud on the ground.

-Waiting to see what happens after Cutting-

168 words

[antonius]

Level 10

As Penelope watches her bellsprout use cut for the first time, the tree falls making a loud sound. As the tree is falling, a spearow flies out of the branches and dive bombs toward the bellsprout out of frustration of its home being cut down. Sure, it could rebuild a nest in one of the many other trees but this one been in the flock for a couple of seasons and finally felt like home.

"Spee row spear spee!!!" >>What do you think you are doing cutting down my home?!?! Do you understand how long it takes to build a nest like that? You will pay for that you walking weed!!<<

The sound draws the attention of some of the other Pokemon who are also annoyed that another tree is fallen. It seems all the humans think that this place is only useful for tree cutting.

>>Go get the human.<< Comes from one direction.

>>Teach the bellsprout about respecting one's surrounding.<<Calls out another Pokemon.

>>Couldn't they at least headbutt the tree instead of cutting it down? The headbutts often knock out dead tree limbs or some random trash which gets blown into the branches.<< A third Pokemon complained.

Please fight it here

[Tiki]

The Skiddo wasted no time to knock the Spearow out. It seemed like the Spearow was distracted by the hiding audiences as it cawed a lot during the battle. Penelope smiled and asked if the Skiddo wanted to follow her, to which it agreed. After the battle ended, the noise of the chattering audiences were gone as they scampered. Their foot steps of fleeing became fainted. Penelope looked around and don't see anymore Pokemon.

She began walking through the area again, with her Bellsprout riding on the Skiddo as they continued. It felt like forever until they reached the next part of the forest, although it was likely just several minutes tops.

-Forest Shrine-

[Marchbaby]

Coming from the Forest Shrine

Tyler entered the Dense Thicket with the goal of reaching the Pine Gap still in his mind. Though a few useful items were sometimes found in the trees in the thicket Tyler did not want to waste time looking. " Nothing here is worth the effort right now. The Pine Gap is still a good distance away. The sooner we get there the better." He said as he continued to make his way to the right part of the forest.

Heading to the Shady Glen.