Ethereal Lake

[Lamont]

The glow of the ghostly woman brightened as she judged the individual standing at the bank of the lake, causing any eyes upon her to cringe as she destroyed any night vision they would have adjusted to in the dark of the eve. Though somewhat a hazy figure it was clear she was not to please with what she had found in Tyler, and his words didn't do much to improve her thoughts of him. The faint forms of her arms raised and crossed, head dipping down to the surface of the lake as she considered.

"If you know of the rumors about me then you must be aware of the other tales," she started, eyes still gazing down at the black mirror her form was half submerged in. "You should be afraid. You, Tyler, you are not a good person and this forest knows it. You would do well to take care or the Forest will claim you like so many others that have wandered in here with ill intent."

Flora's image shuddered for a second so that she was now looking up at the Rocket and his fearsome pokémon. Her expression had shifted, as if an idea had occurred to her. She then continued, "But it is also those evil spirits that may lead you to a great prize if you have the strength to survive." The girl's glow dimmed, hands going behind her, and she smiled. "There is a very rare pokémon currently within these woods that is just exactly what you're looking for, Tyler. But, it is plagued by the curse of the evil spirits and could die very soon unless someone intervenes."

She paused for a moment to bring a hand forward and touch a finger to the lake. In a wave of light and color the water's surface rippled to life and formed an image. It looked like some sort of shrine deep within Ilex. But it wasn't so boring as that. There was a power visibly emanating from the structure. "This is the Forest Shrine. Within its walls is the guardian spirit. You will need to free the guardian from the dark gaze imprisoning it if you hope to lift the curse of the rare pokémon withering in the woods. But... you will not simply be able to waltz in there and expect Mania's claws to get you to victory."

Lifting her finger from the lake the image disappeared. "There is a cleansing seal crafted by powerful Hex Maniac long ago, kept in the sorrowful valley of Ilex. You must find it to have a hope of escaping the grips of the phantom fog weighted with vile souls only too eager to add your own to their number. Get the seal, find the shrine, and do what you do best: destroy your opposition. Only then can you have a prize you're unlike to come upon again."

The faintest twitch of a crooked smile flickered across the ghost girl's face before a sudden burst of wind and light erupted from her. The force sent the calm water into a rage of waves while her form lit up the entire area in a flash of illumination. After a moment it settled, and in her place was an unconscious Chikorita. The breathing was heavy and an unsavory aura encircled the pokémon. Given its condition it was unlikely to survive should it be left alone.

[Marchbaby]

The tale of evil spirits intrigued him as it sounded exactly like something that could be a huge payday though he did not heed the warning about being afraid at all. " Ah good so this trip is not wasted then, if there is evil spirits here the prize must be great." He then listened to the spirit as she continued her story. As she mentioned a rare Pokemon under the curse of the evil spirits his interest reached a fever pitch as a rare Pokemon of any kind would make doing a good deed worth it in the long run. It was not really his nature to show any level of care towards his Pokemon but he did not care what happened to the Pokemon he rescued once  he left the forest.

" So the rare Pokemon is cursed, sounds like a fun life to be honest, hell I might just keep it for myself since it should be used to going through a living hell then. I do not usually care for anyone's well being however if this Pokemon is as rare as you say I can breed it to make bundles of cash off the eggs or sell it but either way my pockets will be quite happy." He did not care if the spirit would be impressed by his answer either as even he would not go back on his word when money is on the line.

The final bit of her story did not impress him that much as he doubted a cleansing ceremony would do much good but he had to play along though Mania's claws would certainly go a long way towards cleansing the spirits on her own and her illusion ability would only make the journey all the more fun. " I shall destroy them all even if I have to grab some worthless seal. Mania shall tear through them all like a dagger pierces the heart of a thief. None shall stand in our way."

Now that his goal was clear he just had to make his way towards the location of the seal as he picked up the Chikorita. Mania stood beside him ready to obliterate the spirits that got in their way and she would have all the fun in the world doing so as she began to shift the environment around her to her bidding.  Not only would they take away the home field advantage the spirits had they would also take their sanity as a bonus.


Ooc: Heading to Cypress Rest.

[Lamont]

He hoped they'd gone the right way. The air was getting more humid; thick. Didn't seem the kind of route a fire type would enjoy. The ranger looked around for any further signs, following even the quietest of noises with his eyes. Booker didn't seem all to sure any more either, which made the travel to the next region of Ilex a very slow one. With every step they took further down this path the young lad looked more and more unsure about proceeding along it. Then the sparkling waters broke through.

"Maybe we should try the other way," he finally voiced his doubts after a moment of staring over the large body of water before them. Ethereal Lake probably. Booker half whined in response, but took to even more diligently sniffing about for clues. The ranger sighed and smiled. "Alright, but just a little bit longer. If you don't find anything we'll try the other route. It seemed a bit drier."

The boy's call to his hound didn't deter the pokémon. Booker hastened forward around the lake's perimeter, sticking closer to the tree line and away from the marshy edge scattered with tall blades of grass and cattail plants. Damien began to follow, looking up to the skies above. Still warm and sunny, but seemingly close to the evening. It was a big muggy with all the moisture trapped in the area. He removed his hat and fanned himself as they moved along.

"Hmm?" His eyes darted across the lake as something bright and ethereal caught the corner of his gaze. The young ranger blinked, not seeing anything now, but as he looked away he again swore there was something faint and moving over the calm water. Damien stopped, squinting now to double check. A surskit skated between a grouping of reeds not too far away. He relaxed. "Ah."

Barking took his attention next. Head snapping to the origin of the alert he saw a happy herdier eagerly awaiting.
"Found them?" The question was asked but he had little doubt it was anything else. Booker was probably his most dependable pokémon in this regard.

As he approached he didn't see anything definitive on his own, but Booker started leading him down another path. He'd just have to trust the herdier.

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Word Count:   381
BIKE: ON

((

Coming from Majestic Grove. Moving to Cypress Rest.

Adding words to incubator.

))

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[Marchbaby]

Coming from the Majestic Grove.

After running after both Samantha and Oracle for what felt like an eternity he finally caught up to the pair standing by the side of a lake that seemed to have an otherworldly feeling to it. Though his own Aura powers were not as sharp as they once were he could see why both canine Pokemon had been drawn to the area. " I can sense something here as well. It is not as evil feeling as the energy coming from the nearby shrine but there is something going on here. I think we need to look into this before we can head to Goldenrod. This might be dangerous if a younger trainer came here by mistake."

Both Samantha and Oracle were so fixated on the lakes energy that they did not pay attention to Kevin at all. Both Pokemon were fascinated by the energy coming from the lake though Oracle was the most entranced barely able to move as the energy from the lake seemed to call out to her. " I can feel the lake calling out to me, someone or something needs our help. This power is absolutely stunning, I have not felt such power as this before." Just as soon as she finished speaking she raised her paw at the lake trying to reach out to whatever was calling to her.

Kevin was a bit nervous however as he did not feel any evil vibes coming directly from the lake he decided not to stop her but rather to join in hoping to summon whatever was calling out to them. " I can feel your presence here. I do not sense any evil from you so if you are seeking help we will gladly provide assistance." As he waited for a response a mysterious mist started to cover the lake and strange ripples formed in the water heading towards Oracle, Samantha,, and himself. " I am an Aura Guardian and I mean you no harm. Me and me Pokemon were drawn here by your power. We felt a more evil power near the shrine but your power was too much to ignore." As he hoped to get an intelligent response Eiskalt extended her claws just in case. Unlike the others she was not about to let her guard down no matter what.

Before she could strike however Oracle held her other paw back towards the weasel to try and calm her down while still staying focused on the huge surge of power coming from the lake. She could tell something was about to happen and she did not want Eiskalt to scare an innocent spirit off.


OCC: Starting the Blessing of the Forest quest.

[Tarlar]

The mist drifted in and the temperature dropped a few notches, an eerie silence spread as if the mist blocked it out although it didn't feel maliciously, just, desperate. For several long moments nothing happened, Oracle could feel the aura of something as a little breeze which kept brushing past, in and out of reach as if it was moving around agitated or searching for something.
Then as if two wires with electricity got connected, there were a snap of connection and it was held strong. Oracle was briefly flooded with feelings of sadness, fear, anger and despair, followed by foggy images of fallen trees and running pokemon, and a looming of tall shadows over it all, which felt malicious.

The mist began to swirl and a shadow formed out over the lake, it turned out to be a young girl who slowly walked over the water's surface towards them.
"I know you mean me no harm.. Kevin," the ghost said slowly and looked at Oracle and Samantha for a moment before turning her head back at the human, her eyes full of pain.
"Please I need help, the ones who wanted to destroy the forest so many years ago, still lingers around and their hatred of the forest is slowly corrupting and twisting it. Their deforestation was stopped back then and I need you to stop what they are doing now," she pleaded and turned half and gestured for them to look as she waved a hand. The reeds parted like she had pushed them aside and revealed a green pokemon breathing shallowly, its usual green leaf had withered to be a shadow of itself and it didn't react to its surroundings.
"This little one doesn't belong here and didn't have my protection. The Dark Souls has poisoned it and all my attempts to save it has failed, its only hope is the Forest Guardian," the ghost girl said distraught and had to try a few times before she was able to continue.
"But the Guardian has been taken prisoner by these evil spirits and this little one doesn't have much time left. Please you must free the Guardian so they can save this one's life and cleanse the forest once more!"
The girl bend down and touched the surface of the water, it rippled and an image of the shrine Kevin had passed earlier appeared. "This is the shrine where they have trapped the Guardian, but they are not brave and they are hiding so they will not face you if you try challenge them. I think I know how you can force them out though, in the sorrowful valley there once lived a Powerful Hex Maniac and some of their relics are still left behind. Bring one of these to the Shrine and then you can force the spirits out and free the Guardian!"
The ghost began to fade out and she looked worried. "Please hurry!" Her plea was a faint whisper as she disappeared, leaving behind the chikorita, who whimpered. The grass type's current state taken in mind it probably wouldn't be a good idea to leave it alone.

[Marchbaby]

As Oracle was nearly overcome with the multiple emotions she felt all at once Kevin was stunned by the appearance of a spirit. Very rarely would a human spirit come forward when called but this one seemed to be facing great strife. The story she told tugged at his heartstrings as he struggled to not be overwhelmed by the various emotions he could feel as well. What was worse however was seeing the sickly Chikorita barely clinging to life afflicted by some foul curse. He could not leave the young grass type to die no matter how challenging it would be to break the curse.

" It sure seems like this curse is far more powerful than I thought. If what that great spirit said is true it seems as though heading directly to the shrine is not an option yet. We will have to look for whatever that Hex Maniac left behind and hope it can help us break the curse. I will carry Chikorita for the time being as there is no way the poor thing could walk right now." As he lifted the Chikorita onto his shoulders Oracle and Samantha both started to scan the forest for any hints of protective magic that might help break the curse.

After scanning for a few moments Oracle was able to detect a very faint reading deep in the forest and alerted the others. " I can sense some kind of magic but it is so faint I cannot say how much use it will be for us. I can also sense a great presence of evil up ahead as well so I believe our quest will not be as simple as we would like. For Chikorita's sake we must move quickly." Before she could even take a step Eiskalt walked up next to her offering to serve as an escort as her type would counter any evil spirits who might try and get in their way.

" Let's not waste any time. This forest is like a maze in even the best of times but in an emergency like this it can be a real roadblock and I am not sure how long Chikorita can hang on for. We can try this path and hope it will take us in the right direction. Eiskalt I am counting on your claws to keep the path ahead as clear as possible." The group then headed down a path trying to find anything to help them break the curse.


Heading to the Cypress Rest.

[Lamont]

With every step he could feel the temperature drop. The sky began peaking through as trees spread further and further apart. They had gone the wrong way. Yet even with this dread top of mind he kept following the confident hound leading the way. Any wavering comment resulted in the herdier barking happily and insisting they continue; so he'd trust him. It wasn't until the sight of the lake beneath a full starry sky did it dawn on the boy, "You were leading us back to a known location..."

The words sputtered out of his mouth before his lips went askew into a smirk.
"Of course you were," he half laughed, looking fondly upon the smug canine standing a few feet away. "Given no leads, where else was I expecting you to take us?"

Damien sighed, smiling at the stars reflected in the dark waters of evening. It was an uneasy smile. They had been here too long. He grew up in Azalea, he knew the stories. Perhaps they were just tales to keep trouble making youngsters from staying out too late. He'd have to hope for that.

"How 'bout a rest boy?" He hid the feel of unease in his voice, though Booker would still tilt his head. The hound seemed unsure his work was done. "It's alright, you've been at it all day. I should be able to backtrack from here." That seemed enough to convince the herdier, even if it wasn't for Damien. The ranger remembered the descent into this area being rather unpleasant, and with all the dew settling for he evening it was likely to be even more trecherous even excluding the dark that surrounded them.

After the flash of light that withdrew his pup, the ranger took to adjusting his head lamp. It was a cheap little thing, but more convenient than holding a flashlight in hand when it came to wild terrain. He hit the button multiple times to shift it to red light now that he was on his own. Though, as he did he could swear he saw a flash of something light up upon the edges of the lake.

The boy's eyes squinted as they took time to adjust from the color shift. Dark vision returning ever so slowly with the fade of white light. He was amazed to find that yes: there was definitely something faintly illuminated along the lake.

A shiver numbed his fingers more than any cold could through his gloves. A fear of children stories wracking his mind he couldn't help but hesitate and stare at the odd shape, cylindrical, ebbing, right amongst the reeds.
"Someone's phone...? Or gear?" he muttered to himself as a way of trying to rationalize the phenomena.

Eventually he started forward to investigate.

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Word Count:   462
BIKE: OFF

((

Coming from Eerie Wood. Beginning Side Quest. Adding words to incubator.

))

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[Marchbaby]

The cylindrical shape Damien spotted in the reeds started to glow brighter as they approached him. The odd phenomenon would likely have sent a smaller child running for the hills in fright however the well lit object did not give off an evil presence but rather a very friendly vibe. After coming within a few feet of him the weird object started to morph into a humanoid shape. The sprit had taken the appearance of a young girl and wasted no time in asking Damien for his help. " Please you must help, many years ago evil men tried their best to destroy this peaceful forest. They were stopped in life however their spirits have placed a horrible curse on the land. This plague can only be stopped by someone pure of heart."

She stopped for a moment to cast a gust of wind revealing a Chikorita hidden in a bush nearby. " This poor Pokemon is barely hanging on, the curse has rampaged it's body. I have done everything I can but only the forest guardian Celebi may save it now. The great spirit has been trapped by the spirits however and that is where you can help." She paused for a moment to watch the poor Chikorita struggle as she tried to offer advise to Damien. After a moment she was able to offer a bit of advice as to how he could free the great forest guardian.

" Somewhere in the Sombre Valley a great Hex Manic once lived alone. She does not seem to reside there anymore however she may have left behind a magical item to lift the curse of the evil men. Please you must go there and then use what you find to life the curse at the Forest Shrine. You are the only hope Chikorita has. Tell the great spirit Flora sent you once you have freed it and it will know you are trustworthy." She then disappeared into a thick mist leaving behind no trace of her existence besides the cursed Chikorita. The grass type groaned as it struggled to breathe as it could only hope Damien would be it's savior.





OOC: I do hope I did this ok. I cannot believe how few members have taken on this quest over the years.

[Lamont]

The closer he got the more apparent his hope to find some common object simply lost by a fellow traveler of the woods was in vain. He could feel a numbness come into his finger tips. A tingle crawl up through his limbs. He stopped. Some would call him silly, believing in such tall tales of a haunted forest when dusk fell, but there was definitely something wrong. Or... not wrong, but different; off. As his mind hesitated, working through his decision and fears, it was a couple seconds later before he noticed that the glow was still getting closer.

His hair prickled upon this observation. The cylindrical shape grew and morphed suddenly, sparkling magnificently in a calming light. Damien was rooted to the spot. Transfixed by the phenomena transpiring before him he only stared at the soft young girl whose figure coalesced a mere few feet away. She called to him; pleading. With a flick of her wrist a gentle whirlwind sprung up around a mound of foliage and revealed a pale green pokémon. It was struggling to breath.

"Celebi?" he muttered in echo of the specter's words, obvious bewilderment in his tone. His brow tipped to look at the illuminated spirit in disbelief but she only continued, and before he could fully process her words she evaporated into the air.

Damien stood there, mouth partially agape with half formed questions spinning. After a few seconds of standing dumbly staring out over the lake, no light but the reflection of stars glimmering off its surface now, a pained grunt from the chikorita drew his attention.
"Dream or not..." he whispered to himself, clenching his fingers into his palms to try and rid himself of the numbing tingle. The young lad carefully stepped closer to the wild grass type. It only turned its head on his approach, big pleading eyes twinkling up at him. The ranger let out a calm sigh, feeling a weight lift from his lungs. Damien reached out to pull the cursed pokémon into his arms.
"I can't just leave you here like this."

His gaze lifted to the encircling treeline, the head-mounted light barely highlighting their edge at this distance. A shiver crept down his spine and he adjusted chikorita closer to his core. The forest seemed so much more foreboding at night. Damien started heading in the general direction he remembered the path from before.

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Word Count:   400
BIKE: OFF

(( Leaving to Cypress Rest. Adding words to incubator. ))

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[Venominon]

Coming from Majestic Grove

The further Venom ventured into the Ilex Forest, the more curious he became. Just what were these ominous presences he had been sensing ever since he arrived at the Forest Shrine? What were they doing here? And how could Venom handle them? All these questions and more raced through his mind, as he ran through the trees and down the path. However, Venom's train of thought came to a complete stop as soon as he heard the sound of raindrops falling into what sounded like a lake. And sure enough, after following the sound, Venom came upon and one and only Ethereal Lake.

Even with the rainfall constantly rippling its surface, the lake was a true work of beauty. Mother Nature at her finest. For several minutes, Venom just stood there on the edge of the lake, looking out over it in awe, taking the time to fully appreciate its beauty. Unfortunately, this moment was interrupted by the sounds of a Pokemon in distress. As soon as he heard those sounds, the ninja snapped out of his trance right away, let out a small gasp, then quickly turned in the direction in which the sounds he was hearing came from. Awe was replaced by concern, and concern was replaced by shock once Venom located the distressed Pokemon.

The Pokemon in question was a true rarity, and definitely not native to the Ilex Forest. The Leaf Pokemon, Chikorita. How such a rare Pokemon came to be here could only be speculated, but if the Poison type trainer had to guess, he figured that another trainer probably got tired of it and just left it here to fend for itself. And from the looks of it, this Chikorita didn't fair very well on its own at all. It was sick. Very sick. Just one look, and Venom could tell that it had been badly poisoned. As for what kind of poison, well, that had even a Poison type expert like Venom stumped.

The ninja slowly knelt down beside the Leaf Pokemon and did his best to treat it, but even he couldn't tell what kind of poison it had been afflicted with, which made treating it extremely difficult. Maybe even impossible. However, being the kind of person that he was, Venom simply refused to give up, walk away, and leave such a young Pokemon to die. "You're gonna be fine. I promise." Venom spoke to the Grass type in a gentle and caring tone of voice, doing anything and everything he could to ease its pain. He thought that maybe if he could at least stop the pain or slow the poison's progression, then Chikorita would be able to tell him who or what did this to it. If Venom had that information, then making a cure would be a fairly simple task. That said, it didn't look like this Chikorita had much time left at all.

OOC: Venom is here for the Forest's Blessing quest. Requesting an official start for it please. Also, I'd like to place Cyndaquil back in Venom's PC, and put Whirlipede in Venom's party in her place. Thanks.

[Marchbaby]

Just as Venom started to wonder about the nature of Chikorita's affliction a gust of wind blew over the lake and a thick mist started to form in the center. Within the mist a blue figure appeared and started to float above the water quickly making it's way towards Venom. As the figure was close enough for Venom to hear her the spirit started to explain what had happened. " This Chikorita is the victim of a terrible curse brought upon by evil men who wished to do harm to their forest, even in the afterlife their hatred of nature continues to cause harm. The poison that Chikorita suffers from can only be cured by the power of Celebi."

She paused for a moment to allow Venon to process everything before she continued. " The great Celebi lives near the forest shine however the curse has trapped the great being and it cannot help until you are able to find an item that can break the curse. An old white witch used to live somewhere deeper in the forest, she may have left something behind that can help. Be mindful of the evil spirits who will try to stop you along the way. They will certainly know what you are up to. Please save Celebi and Chikorita." She then started to fade away as a calm feeling overtook the area for the time being.

While the curse had not yet overtaken this part of the forest it was only a matter of time until it did unless Venom managed to put a stop to it. Chikorita would not last much longer either so he would have to act fast.

Will Venom search for the white witches item>

OOC: Pokemon have been moved.

[Venominon]

The sick Chikorita had Venom's undivided attention, as he tried desperately to heal the Leaf Pokemon. That is, until the rather sudden gust of wind blew passed him, and Venom began to sense a new and unknown presence. "Huh? What's this? Who's there?" Venom quickly looked up from Chikorita and narrowed his eyes at the lake, sensing the unknown presence coming from it. But then, as soon as the blue figure took form right before the ninja's eyes, those eyes widened with shock, as well as some awe. "What the...A ghost?...A real ghost?" Venom had seen Ghost type Pokemon lots of times in the past, but never an actual human ghost. Still, rather than overreact, Venom waited to see what would happen next, but made sure to keep his guard up as the ghost approached him too.

Then, as the spirit began to speak to him, Venom was shocked yet again to learn that Chikorita's condition was the result of a curse, rather than a type of poison. "I see. So, that's why I don't recognize this poison. Damn greedy humans. I shouldn't be surprised, but it still makes me sick." The Poison type trainer said in an infuriated tone, clenching his fist in anger at the very thought of all the damage those humans that the spirit spoke of had done to the Ilex Forest and its Pokemon. However, he quickly regained his composure at the mention of Celebi, the Time Travel Pokemon and the guardian of the Ilex Forest. "Of course! Celebi has the power to heal wounds and imbue plant life with its own strength." The ninja commented on that part of the spirit's explanation, but then wondered why Celebi hadn't already come to Chikorita's aid, since it appeared as though the Leaf Pokemon had been suffering for quite a while now.

Fortunately, the spirit had the answer to that as well, which Venom listened to very intently. Naturally, it came as yet another shock that a Pokemon as powerful as Celebi could be bound by a curse of all things. The Poison type trainer knew right then and there that whatever kind of curse this was, it must've been an extremely powerful one to say the least. Be that as it may, with Pokemon in danger, Venom wasn't about to give up or run away. "I will save them. I swear I will. Thank you for telling me what I need to do." Venom said to the spirit just before she vanished in a confident and determined tone of voice, giving her a bow of gratitude as well. 

Now that he knew what he had to do, Venom got back on his feet and took one last look at Chikorita, able to tell right away that the Grass type wouldn't last much longer. "This explains the bad feeling I've had from the moment I entered this forest. No matter. I have no time to waste. I'm not entirely sure what I'm looking for, but if these evil spirits are still lingering around this part of the forest, then it must be around here somewhere." Venom said to himself, then quickly rushed off towards another part of the forest, knowing that whatever he was looking for couldn't be too far away. Whatever he was looking for, he hoped that he'd be able to find it and bring it to the Forest Shrine in time.

OOC: Venom begins the search for the witch's item, and quickly moves on to the Cypress Rest.

[❤ Aphrodite ❤]

Coming from Majestic Grove...

"Whoa! Titania hold on! What's the huge rush?" Aphrodite asked her Pokemon, who was currently tugging her through the path that would lead them to the Ethereal Lake. The fairy-type specialist still felt slightly confused by the sudden change in her Pokemon's behavior. Her Kirlia was known to be quite mild-manner and elegant. However, she was being the complete opposite of those terms at the moment. Little did Aphrodite know that her Pokemon's odd behavior was due to the emotions that she felt back at the Forest Shrine. There is someone suffering within this forest and that someone needed their help.

Aphrodite's golden eyes soon widened at the sight of the beautiful lake placed in front of them. The thick mist could not blind anyone from the beautifulness of the lake. "Wow! This is the most beautiful area that we've visited in the forest, so far!" Aphrodite stated at awe as she continued to stare at the lake admiring its beauty. Titania on the other hand found herself focusing on other things as she felt the emotions of someone suffering growing even stronger around her.

"Your presence is stronger here... I know that you are around here somewhere...Where are you? Reveal yourself, so that we can help you," Titania spoke using her psychic abilities to communication with those around here. Within a few seconds the sound of a Pokemon crying out in pain echoed through the surrounding area.

"Wh-what was that?" Aphrodite asked out loud, turning her attention away from the lake and towards the direction of the painful cry. "Titania...Where are you?" She questioned slowly walking around the lake in search of her Pokemon. Within a few seconds, she found her Kirlia attempting to care for an ill Chikorita.

"A Chikorita? That's a rare sight. It doesn't look too well. Unfortunately, there's not a Pokemon Center around that we can take it do," Aphrodite stated, kneeling down to take a closer look at the Chikorita. The Leaf Pokemon seem to have been poisoned by something or someone. Perhaps, it had managed to get into a fight with a Weedle or Beedrill. "Let's see what I have in my bag," she added, searching through her belongings.

"You're the one that I've been searching for in the forest. Don't worry, we're going to take that suffering away from you," Titania spoke in a soft and caring tone. She would use her magical powers to purify the mist around her in hopes that a Life Dew would be enough to heal the ill Pokemon. Unfortunately, Titania would discover that her sparkling healing dew would not be enough to heal the grass-type Pokemon.

"This isn't looking good, Titania. We're low on healing items and I'm not sure if an Antidote would even be enough to take care of this sort of poison," Aphrodite sighed and shook her head. "We're going to have to think of any way to help this Chikorita."

---

Swap out Sentret for Alolan Ninetales. I would also like to take the Soothe Bell from Kirlia and give it to Gallade. I would like to give Evolite to Kirlia.

[Caramell 🍬]

A strange fog swelled up over the surface of the water. It spun in a soft, almost dizzying pattern as the wind whispered through the trees, causing their long branches to stretch out from their thick trunks and try to ensnare the bodies of anyone walking through their depths. “Help the wretched soul…” A strange and otherworldly voice called from deep within the Ethereal Lake, rising up over the foggy waters with a soft, melodic tune. Piercing blue eyes seemed to illuminate from within the depths of the fog itself, while wild, whiten hair floated around the form of a small child. The fourteen year old girl walked through the water – half floating, half sinking in its surface – towards Aphrodite and her Pokemon.

Once she reached them, the small child would pause near the side of the wounded Chikorita, who lay on the ground gasping and wheezing. The small plant Pokemon kicked its legs wildly while shaking and convulsing on the ground beside Aphrodite and her Pokemon. No amount of antidotes or other healing medicines in the world would seem to touch the poisons that seeped through its veins. The ghostly child’s piercing blue eyes seemed to burn as it turned to stare down at the injured Pokemon with a deep sadness that swelled in the pit of her stomach. “Evil lurks through this forest…wishes to cause harm to all who wander within its depths…this evil has poisoned this poor Pokemon…no antidote or healing potion will be strong enough to cure…”

The words were almost like a song as they floated off the ghost child’s tongue. It reached down and caressed the Chikorita’s face, though its hands sunk through the Pokemon with just a tough. The sadness that swelled inside of her chest floated from her fingertips and seeped into the ground, causing the soft cricketing and chirping of the wildlife in the nighttime forest to cry with her and weep for Chikorita’s life that seemed to hang in the balance. “You must seek out the forest shrine at once. Take Chikorita there and allow Celebi to come cure it. Hurry, for I do not feel this Chikorita has very long left to live. But be careful…the spirits of the evil men that wished to do harm to this forest…that did harm to this Chikorita…they lurk throughout the whole of Ilex and may come for you to finish what they’ve started with this Chikorita…” The ghost child warned Aphrodite, while urging her to help the injured Chikorita.

Beginning Forest's Blessing....

Please seek out the Forest Shrine to help cure Chikorita.

[❤ Aphrodite ❤]

It Aphrodite and Titania did not pay too much attention to the quiet and thick fog creeping up on them then the sound of the whispering wind and eerie voice would soon capture their full attention. Aphrodite and Titania quickly turned their attention away from the ill grass-type Pokemon to focus towards the lakefront. Aphrodite immediately gasped and took a few steps back as her warm amber eyes widened at the sight of the ghostly figure floating towards her and her Pokemon. Titania swiftly leaped in front of her trainer with her arms spread out in a defensive manner as she locked her crimson eyes on the moving figure creeping through the fog. It was not until Titania sensed that the ghost of the lake maiden did not wish her trainer, her, or the Chikorita any harm that she found herself lowering her guard.

However, Aphrodite still keep a keen eye on the spirit as she watched her moved even closer towards them and the ill Pokemon. Aphrodite and Titania soon shifted their attention back towards the whimpering Pokemon after hearing the maiden express that there is no medicine that will be able to heal the Chikorita from its curse. Aphrodite felt her heart sink down to her stomach after hearing the unfortunate news.

"We will do whatever it takes to make sure that this Chikorita becomes free of its curse," Aphrodite assured the ghost girl as she carefully kneeled down to pick up the Chikorita and carried it in her gentle arms.

"And we will punish anyone that tries to stop us from helping it, too." Titania stated in a serious tone.

Without wasting too much more time, Aphrodite and Titania thanked the forest spirit for her knowledge and bid her farewell before making their way back towards the Forest Shrine.

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Heading to Cypress Rest...