Forest Shrine

[Tiki]

-Dense Thicket-

She came across a shrine in the middle of the forest. She stretched and sat down for a bit to drank some water again. Penelope was curious who built the shrine, but she was tired and this wasn't exciting to look at anyways. After a couple minutes, she felt rested and was ready to go again, as she's starting to feel uneasy in this shrine.

She walked behind the shrine, and thought she saw an opening where she could explore. Hopefully, this would lead her out of the forest, she thought. She stretched again and then got ready to move toward the next part of the forest.

-Mushroom Bank-

[Marchbaby]

Coming from the Majestic Grove

As Tyler reached the Forest Shrine he was still in a hurry to reach the Pine Gap. The Shrine did not have any Pokemon and with Chikorita already rescued there was no point standing around. " Let's get a move on. This shrine gives me the creeps. I still think this place suffers from a residual haunting. Best not to stick around and find out." He then made his way to the Dense Thicket wasting no time to even thank Celebi for it's help earlier.

Heading to the Dense Thicket.

[Marchbaby]

Coming from the Dense Thicket

As Tyler reached the shrine he could not get away from the area fast enough. He could sense some evil still remained even after he had defeated the Gengar. It was not in his interest to pick another fight with the spirit now that Chikorita had been saved. Though he would have loved to try and capture the Gengar he did not have many Ultra Balls left and he doubted any attempt would work given how strong the curse in the area was. He quickly made his way towards the Mushroom Banl without a second thought.

Heading for the Mushroom Bank.

[Venominon]

Arriving from the Majestic Grove

Venom had only visited the Forest Shrine once before, and only for a few minutes, but that was all the time he needed to know that there was something very evil lurking around this location. He was unable to do anything about it last time, but now that he held the Cleanse Tag in his left hand, he had a feeling that things would play out differently this time. So, after mentally preparing himself for whatever was lurking in the fog, the ninja raised his guard, kept all of his senses on high alert, and kept a strong grip on the Cleanse Tag as he called out to the evil entity he was sensing. "Hey, evil spirit, my Pokemon and I have taken down all of your minions! And I've got the Cleanse Tag right here! Just try and take our souls from us if you think you can! I dare you!" There wasn't even a single hint of doubt in Venom's voice, but there was plenty of anger and determination. The Poison type trainer had had enough of all these evil spirits tainting a place as pure and beautiful as the Ilex Forest, and he was extremely eager to put a stop to it once and for all. Not to mention get the Cleanse Tag to the Chikorita who was still desperately awaiting his return.

OOC: Awaiting encounter with evil spirit.

[Caramell 🍬]

A white blanket enveloped the land, creating a strange and otherworldly presence. Large shadows loomed inside of the suspended water droplets like silhouettes painted in the distance. Two long poles stood affixed to their spots, with a horizontal pole crossed over their tops from one to the other. From a distance, it looked as though they were two scrawny trees supporting a fallen tree on the top as they appeared as nothing more than shadows. Fixed in the center was a large, rectangular shadow with a sharp triangular top and several small pillars looming as dark shadows leading up to the shadowy shrine. The fog that snaked its way around the Forest Shrine seemed peculiar as though its anomalous presence was caused by something other than a natural weather phenomenon, though an icy rain poured down through the dense fog.

“Heeellppp meeeee~” The voice rose up over the dense fog and beckoned Venominon and his team closer. Though, as the troupe would chose to venture closer to the tall forest shrine, they would find a series of concrete steps carefully fixed into the ground and leading up its gently curving slopes. The stairs carried the troupe closer to the shrine, allowing Venominon to eventually see that the strange scrawny trees were large wooden pillars marking the entrance to the rectangular-shape shadowy figure with a triangular top that was the shrine. “I won’t…*cough*…make it…*cough*…please help me…!” The voice insisted with its strange and singsong manner. Two large red eyes appeared high above the shrine in the dense fog, floating above the world without a body. They glowed with a strange and eerie, sinister appearance.

Venom called to the spirit, beckoning it to steal his soul. The spirit laughed, shaking the trees that surrounded the forest shrine. Their tall tops rocked back and forth, bending as though their trunks would snap and send them spiraling to the grassy ground below. Did this man think that he had what it took to take on an otherworldly being? The spirit obliged, appearing as a large shadow with long, sharp triangular ears and several spikes peering out from its back. It floated down onto its feet and stared at Venom, raising one finger to point towards the ninja with a devious grin. “Yess…” It spoke in a strange, child-like voice. “Help me…I won’t make it…without souls to eat!” Though as it spoke, its voice twisted away from the child-like sounds to a demonic sound and ended with the sounds of children screaming in pain that faded into the distance and ended with the howls of the icy rain that raged on around them. Gengar waited to see what the ninja would do as it stood there glaring at him in delight.

Evil Spirit Gengar has appeared!

Decide what Venom will do here.
Whirlipede's HP 18% [12/66] | Weather is raining!

[Venominon]

It was finally over. Team Toxic had done it. They rid the Ilex Forest of all evil spirits, ensured the safety of all the wild Pokemon that called it home, scored a very useful item known as the Cleanse Tag, helped some peaceful spirits find their way into the afterlife, and even earned the gratitude of the Time Travel Pokemon itself. Celebi. It took both Venom and Skorupi a moment to process everything that had taken place before their very eyes, but the poisonous pair came back to reality the instant Celebi appeared and started interacting with them. Just getting to see a legendary Pokemon was both an honor and a privilege to Venom, as both he and Skorupi couldn't help smiling and bowing to the Psychic/Grass type as soon as she put Skorupi down.

"I knew you'd be here. I just knew it. Please, there's no need to thank us, Celebi. Team Toxic is always more than willing to do anything that needs to be done for the betterment of this world." Even though Celebi wasn't a Poison type, Venom could barely contain his excitement as he spoke to it, never imaging that he'd ever get the chance to do so at all. Then, as he heard Celebi speak to him, Venom lost his smile and raised his head, wondering what the Time Travel Pokemon meant by "set things right". Before the ninja could ask about it, he got his answer, looking on in awe as time started to flow backwards all around him and his Pokemon.

Of course, Venom had heard the stories of Celebi's powers, but actually getting to see it firsthand was another thing entirely. However, the Poison type trainer's attention was immediately drawn towards Chikorita, as the Leaf Pokemon slowly entered the area, moving backwards with the flow of time. When Celebi's powers finally came to an end, and the flow of time returned to normal, Venom finally understood what happened to Chikorita, able to piece together the rest of the story with his imagination and knowledge of the evil spirits that he and his Pokemon defeated. The ninja then watched as Celebi healed Chikorita with just a single touch, bringing the smile back to his face right away, as he breathed a quick sigh of relief. Skorupi smiled again too, and she even laughed a bit once Chikorita ran over to her and Venom, giving them its headbutts of gratitude. "Hey now, easy. I just fought a really scary ghost, and his attacks really hurt."

"I'm glad to see that you're okay now though, Chikorita." Skorupi said to Chikorita in a friendly tone, then turned to face her trainer, looking up at him with pleading eyes. "I know Chikorita's not a Poison type, but can we keep it, master? Please!" Fortunately for the Scorpion Pokemon, it was next to impossible for Venom to say "no" to her when she gave him that look, as he reached for an empty Pokeball from his bag. "Now, now, Skorupi. There's no need to beg. In all honesty, I was already planning on taking Chikorita with us." Venom could already see clear as day that the Grass type really wanted to tag along with them on their journey, and he happily accepted, tossing the Pokeball down at the Leaf Pokemon, then watching it stop shaking and get transported to his PC.

With that, Venom and Skorupi faced Celebi once more, smiling at the legendary Pokemon once again. "If you ever need our help again, please feel free to ask. We'll come running right away. I'm not sure if we'll ever see you again, but we'll definitely never forget you, Celebi. Take care." The ninja and his Pokemon gave Celebi one more bow, then slowly turned away to leave, having completed their mission successfully. "And thank you too, Skorupi. You and Whirlipede really stepped up today, and I'm proud of both of you. Take a good rest, my friend. You've earned it." Venom called Skorupi back to her Pokeball, then faced the path ahead of him. As close as he was to the Ilex Forest exit, there was still one more thing he had to take care of back in Violet City. And now that he had the Cleanse Tag, he had to wonder if an even greater challenge was awaiting him at his next destination.

OOC: I'll pass on having Skorupi learn Scary Face, but of course I'll take her rise to level 27. And as for Chikorita, I'll leave its stats blank for now. Just add it to Venom's PC for me please. Thanks. And now that his work here is done for now, Venom will be moving back to the Dense Thicket.

[Venominon]

Coming from the Dense Thicket

After toppling the insurmountable tree once again with the help of Cyndaquil, Venom continued on his journey to Goldenrod City, determined to reach it before dusk. He wanted to capture as many Poison type Pokemon as he could before calling it a day, mostly because getting to sleep would be difficult, given how excited he was. However, as he passed the Forest Shrine, he couldn't help feeling a sense of nostalgia. True, it had only been one day, but encountering a Pokemon like Celebii was something that really left an everlasting effect on any trainers that were so fortunate. So, after giving the shrine a smile and a bow from the tree he was in, Venom thanked Celebii once again, then continued on his way. Naturally, he was very happy to see that Celebii's return to the Ilex Forest was already starting to show, as all the Pokemon and vegetation in said forest already looked much stronger and livelier than they did back when the evil spirits were running amuck.

OOC: Venom heads for the Mushroom Bank next.

[❤ Aphrodite ❤]

Coming from Dense Thicket...

The thick mist surrounding the enchanting forest made it almost impossible to travel though at times. Not to mention it made the once tranquil and beautiful forest appear to be more spooky than anything else. Luckily, Aphrodite had managed to make it to her next location without getting completely lost. "A forest shine?" Aphrodite questioned her warm amber eyes taking sight of the ancient and majestic shrine centered in the forest area. She slowly took a few steps towards the sign placed beside the small structure. "The Forest Shrine is in honor of the forest's protector." She read aloud. "The forest's protector? What Pokemon protects this forest?" She asked in a soft voice as she continued to stare at the shrine for a few seconds. Her eyes soon shift away from the shrine after what she thought was a ghostly silhouette showing on the other side of the shrine. "H-hello? Is anyone there?" She asked, she soon started to feel a bit uneasy around the shrine.

One of Aphrodite's Poke Ball soon started to shake inside of her design bag. Within seconds, her lovely and elegant Kirlia would appear next to her. "Titania? What are you doing outside of your Pokemon?" She questioned her Kirlia. It was out of character for Titania to summon herself. Titania carefully walked over towards the mysterious shrine and placed her gentle hands against it. "Calm down, I can sense your pain that this evil presence has caused you. I will do what I can to save you," The Emotion Pokemon spoke telepathically to someone. Aphrodite stared at her Pokemon interaction with the shrine, she had no idea what was going on. However, she knew that there was something a little too off about this area and what about that ghostly silhouette that she noticed a few minutes ago? What it real was she simply imagining it?

Titania's finally removed her hands away from the shrine before walking over towards her trainer. She would then grab a hold of Aphrodite's hand gently before leading her away from the mysterious shrine. "I suppose I'm not the only one having a weird feeling about this place, huh?" Without taking a single look back, Aphrodite and Titania would head towards the next area.

Next stop Majestic Grove...

[❤ Aphrodite ❤]

A deep sigh of relief escaped from Aphrodite's mouth as she glanced up at the shrine. "Whew, we finally made it. It's time to handle our business." She stated with a half-smile. Despite the dark and eerie feeling surrounding Aphrodite and her Pokemon, she was able to muster up a little bit more courage to move towards the shrine a little closer. She would glance over at her Pokemon and give them a quick nod. She noticed that Titania still seem to look a little tired, so she decided to give her a Soda Pop to heal her up before the fight. "Ready yourselves, I am not sure what this evil spirit is and I do not know how strong it is going to be..." She told her Pokemon. Titania and Salem nodded their head and stared towards the shrine as the two of them prepared themselves.

Aphrodite could feel the Chikorita resting in her eyes starting to shiver and cry out in pain. "There, there. You're okay! We're about to break this curse and free you," she told the whimpering grass-type Pokemon. Aphrodite then reached into her bag and pulled out the Spell Tag. She positioned it towards the shrine and gently starting to wave it back and forth. "Evil Spirit! Reveal yourself! We're going to put an end to this curse that you've got over this forest and this Chikorita!" She called out. "Titania, get ready to use a Psychic!"

---

Aphrodite used a Soda Pop on Titania. Previous health before Soda Pop used: 39/70
Evil Spirit Encounter!
Kirlia used Psychic!

[Caramell 🍬]

Time claimed the shrine. Long vines stretched up over the height of the shrines and wrapped around their walls in thick waves. Bright green leaves shot out from the small vines in thick clumps, making it nearly impossible to see the relic that lay hidden underneath them. Some of the vines were prickly, with small thorns that jutted from them at odd angles and might snag an unsuspecting finger if it tried to caress the side of the shrine itself. Still, an evil presence lurked. An eerie fog swallowed the shrine up, and though it dense enough to obscure your nose off your face, it was unlike any normal fog one would experience. Two large glowing red eyes floated on the fog and stared quietly, silently awaiting their match.

As Aphrodite lifted the Cleanse Tag and waved it around the area, an outline shaped itself around the pair of glowing red eyes. It was large and round, with two pointed fox-like ears situated on top. A long smile swept across the face just underneath the pair of glowing red eyes. Once the mysterious evil force dropped to the ground in front of Aphrodite and her Pokemon, it would gesture towards the young Chikorita in her hands and motioned for the trainer to hand the sickly Pokemon over. It wanted nothing more than to suck the rest of Chikorita’s lifeforce from its body. Though its long ears twitched, the smile converted to a sharp frown, and it spun around in anger as it noticed Titania preparing to assault it.

Immediately, a ghostly hand shot out from the dense fog and slammed into Titania with all of the might that Gengar could muster. Titania cried out from the impact and stumbled backwards on her nimble feet, nearly drained from the attack alone. Gengar smirked, nodding its head in approval, and turned back to Aphrodite as it took two daring steps towards her. This matter was far from over. And Chikorita was once step closer to being all Gengar’s for the taking! Then a powerful blast of psychic energy shot out from behind Gengar and nearly caused the giant beast to keel over in the grassy ground underneath it, though it managed to just barely hang on. In a hurry to finish the fight for once and for all, it gobbled down its Liechi berry.

Evil Spirit Gengar appeared!

Level 25. Please continue the battle here.

Titania's health fully restored.
Salem's should have been 82% [48/58] last battle as noted in BD thread, unless I missed where you healed him? So setting it back there.
-1 Soda Pop deducted from inventory.

[Caramell 🍬]

 
MISHU MIZUMA
Dark Type Trainer •
Education / Science

The heat poured over them as they traveled through the heart of Ilex. Though the surrounding trees provided plenty of shade to help keep some of the temperatures down, it didn’t stop the stifling heat from nearly choking them. Mishu paused along the way with a loud sigh. She would rest up against a stoney old light fixture that looked as though it hadn’t been used in centuries and pull her bag off her back to place in front of her on the ground. As she knelt down, Mishu pulled out two bottles of water. One of them she opened and poured into a small bowl for Kumaneko, while the other she drank herself greedily. “Come here, Kumaneko. I need you to drink some water before we go any further. Dehydration and heat strokes are a real threat!” Mishu called out to her small cub in alarm.

Kumaneko crossed her arms as she approached the plastic bowl. She studied the clear depths of the clean water carefully. The panda picked the bowl up with both hands and swished the water around for a minute, before gulping it down eagerly. “A true warrior can survive days no matter the elements and not be phased.” Kumaneko spoke, though it was more for herself than anything else. The heat was beginning to get to her too, making her limbs feel tired and causing the small cub to want to curl up underneath the shaky oak trees around them and nap. It was too hot to even do that, but it was also just too hot to be awake! “You know…you really are a strange one…” Mishu laughed with a warm smile as she watched her Pokemon treat the drink she offered as though it might be poisoned.

“Wait…what’s that?” Mishu turned towards the shrine with shocked astonishment. The center of the shrine, which looked as though it had been built centuries ago and subsequently forgotten about, began to glow with a strange red light. Two red lights peered through the strange glow, almost searching with general malice. Mishu slapped herself and shook her head vigorously. She obviously needed a more nutrient rich diet – something the cheese crackers she’d eaten just moments before wouldn’t provide – or better quality sleep. She was seeing things now? The last thing she needed to slow her down from her mission was to follow some wild conspiracy theories through the heart of Ilex after invisible spirits whose existence were nearly always made real only through one’s own belief and not through tangible, scientific evidence. “Come on, Kumaneko…let’s go….” Mishu called to her small bear.

Set at _

WORD COUNT: 440 words
OOC: Come from Dense Thicket and heading to Majestic Grove.

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

[Tiki]

After mushroom kingdom shenanigans

Fainted count:
20 Paras
19 Foongus
4 Shroomish

Coming back from the Mushroom Kingdom, Penelope found herself looking at the weird shrine again. Perhaps this time, she should really look into this. However, after walking around it and inspecting it, she found nothing weird or particular about this thing either. Besides coming from the way she headed toward the shrine from the Mushroom area and from where Sylvester was, there appeared to be a third path.

She headed toward the third path, with her Pokemon slowly walking behind her. She wasn't sure what to expect, but it wasn't battling a lot of Paras and Foongus! She was surprised she still remember that shrine she passed by once.

going to Majestic Grove

[❤ Aphrodite ❤]

Aphrodite and Titania watched as Salem mustered up his strength and took down the evil spirit without any serious issues or concerns. A large grin soon curved against the concerns of their lips as the two of them watched the evil spirit fade away into the shadows. "Excellent work, Salem. We shouldn't have to worry about that evil spirit anyway." She stated with another wide grin. Meanwhile, a blinding light would soon surround Titania's body and within a few seconds her small frame body would start to transform into a taller, more feminine, and regal right before Aphrodite, Salem, and the Chikorita's eyes. "I knew it! I had a feeling that you were getting closer to evolving Titania. You look absolutely beautiful!" She stated in admiration as she stared up at her newly evolved Gardevoir. She did notice that her Gardevoir looked a lot different from the ones that she was used to seeing back in the Hoenn Region. Instead of the green and white coloring. Titania's colors included pink and white. She did not think that her normal Pokémon woudl have turned into a shiny Pokemon, but perhaps the bond that the two of them shared encouraged her Pokemon to alter her color a bit. Tatina would greet her trainer with a graceful bow before floating over towards in her an elegant manner.

Aphrodite and her Pokemon's attention soon shifted away from the newly evolved Gardevoir and focused on majestic fairy-like Pokemon that magically appeared in front of them. Aphrodite and her Pokemon's eyes widening, witnessing the legendary Pokemon used its abilities to fully heal the ill grass-type Pokemon from the evil curse before fading off into the distance. "Thank you!" She called out to the Celebi, waving goodbye to it.

"Now, that you're all better. I think it is time for us to head out of this forest. Would you like to come along with us?" Aphrodite would asked the grass-type starter. It would nod its head before gently caressing its left against her hand. Aphrodite replied with a warm smile before taking an empty Poke Ball and gently tapping it against the Chikorita's head.


[Img src="https://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/bw/chikorita.png"]
[B]Chikorita[/b]
Gender: [Choose]
Level: 10
OT: Aphrodite Beaumont
Moves: tackle, Growl, Razor Leaf, Poison Powder
Ability: Overgrow
Nature/Personality: [Choose]

---

Aphrodite used a Soda Pop on Titania. Previous health before Soda Pop used: 39/70
Evil Spirit Encounter!
Kirlia used Psychic!

[Caramell 🍬]

Team Notes: Kumaneko HP 30/60 | Ika HP 100%.
Ghost Encounters: Cypress Rest, Eerie Wood, Putrid Swamp, Sombre Valley, Twilight Glade, Majestic Grove

 
MISHU MIZUMA
Dark Type Trainer •
Education / Science

They approached a desolate area full of stone pillars with noticeable erosion. The stairs that led up the long walkway of the old shrine was flanked on either side by small stands where one might place lights to cloak the usually dark and somber forest in brighter lighting. Though, many of the containments for the lights were worn, with openings that were either missing their doors, wouldn’t open when budged, or busted and rusted through. Mishu stopped and stared in awe, pulling out her journal to make a few notes of the place. It wasn’t the first time she’d been here, and even then something felt different about the place entirely. But now, she could feel a strange sense like eyes watching her through an invisible mist, ready to snatch her up and ferry her off to another realm.

Kumaneko shook her head firmly, locked in her heated discussion with her traveling companion. Ika was just young and inexperienced. That’s the only sense that the small cub could make out of it. How could she still be so trusting, after all the pain and suffering these strange and evil creatures caused her? She huffed though flared nostrils, “when you show me a kind and helpful ghost, then show me.” She snapped with a low growl. How could she trust them? Ever? They’d chased her from her old life, her old family, her old home. She loved Mishu dearly in her own ways now, given how much her trainer had been through to help her, but she could never forget about her old life. And now, she could never have it back. Nostalgia tugged at her heart as part of her longed for the ways things used to be.

“You’ve only met some suffering souls.” Ika continued, shaking her entire body to shake her head. She floated up and danced around her companion as the healing potions her trainer used on her along their travels took their effects. She felt right as rain! Whatever lurked beyond this strange place, and whatever caused them so much suffering, she was sure if she stayed determined enough to solve it, she might be able to save the spirits yet. “They probably long to go to their proper afterlife. But can’t. I can’t imagine what sorts of horrid monstrosities keep them bound here to the mortal realm.” Ika insisted firmly. Why else would trapped souls stay locked in this earthly realm with physical creatures and a world full of a past they could never return to?

“You’re too idealistic, Ika.” Kumaneko insisted as Mishu reached inside of her bag and pulled out the Cleanse Tag to hold up in the air warily. Something felt…right about this. Was it the words she was trying to remember that the ghostly girl had told her? Or was it something else driving her to perform this strange act? “Be on guard, you two.” The blue-haired trainer called over her shoulders while keeping her eyes locked firmly on the shrine in front of her. A strong gust of wind swooshed past her, sending her hair flying in different directions with many strands falling in front of her face. Mishu pulled them back with her hands to clear her vision. They had to save this Chikorita!

Set at Day

WORD COUNT: 550 words
OOC: Coming from Majestic Grove. Looking for encounter! [Ika healed in previous Majestic thread link].

^{Mishu | Ziggy | Wanigara | Sakka | Yōsei | Ika | Kumaneko}

[Goni]

Caramell 🍬


"The shrine… "

"Another soul shall join me soon…"

"Stay here… "

"Stay with me… "

The atmosphere was thick with an oppressive feeling. As Mishu held the Cleanse Tag high in the air, the doors to the shrine shuddered slightly before opening a crack as a shadow whizzed out of it, and then the doors shut once more. “Your life force… it’s weak.” An ominous voice called out, echoing around the shrine in a medley of voices. “But that doesn’t matter… your life force will be mine soon, like all those who came before you and all those who will come after…”

A strong wind burst from behind Mishu, almost forcing the Cleanse Tag from their hand. “I should congratulate you I suppose… You’ve survived this far… But foolishly you continue… and for what? A dying pokemon? The world is cruel… the wilds are cruel… and all I can force to join me shall… you too will face a fate worse than death… the poison will get you and all your companions… I can’t wait for your voice to join my choir.” A cheshire smile floated in the air, a tongue creeping out of it and salivating gently. As it moved closer to Mishu, a form took shape. A large purple spirit with piercing red eyes locked on to Mishu. 

“I can’t spend too long watching you… I have another I need to keep here... So lets make this as quick as possible... Just succumb to the poison, I promise the afterlife isn't so bad... for some.”

A deathly apparition appears before you, its voice like an arbok wrapping itself around you, its eyes like the moon, inescapable. This is the soul of something ancient. This is the soul of something ancient that wants to devour you.


A level 25 Gengar won't let you escape.... You can try to battle it here.