Cypress Rest

[Lamont]

"Whoa!"
His foot slipped on the slicked earth. The ridge had been a bit more steep than he'd liked, and mixed with some of the worst footing he'd encountered in a long while. A tumble of plant matter and muddy clumps tumbled down the side of the hill. Booker moved out of the way of the debris then padded right back to the base in concerned interest for his trainer. Damien leaned in more to try and better control his distribution the rest of the way down.

"Okay... We're not going back this way," he stated assuredly once he'd reached solid ground. The lad clapped his gloves together and wiped away some of the dirt still clinging to his clothing.
"Are you alright boy?" Kneeling down the young ranger went to a quick inspection of his companion. It looked like the herdier was lightly favoring his right side, but the pokémon nuzzled Damien's hand and trotted a few paces away with an expectant look. Damien frowned in thought. "Alright, if it's just a bit further. But we're being more careful going forward." The hound barked, wagging his tail a couple times as if in agreement before proceeding to lead his trainer further into the forest.


It was several minutes of walking until they broke into a more open area. Once there Booker quickly homed in on a lightly charred twig. Damien pinched it in his fingers, the seared wood crumbling into black dust under the pressure.
"Good job Booker."
The ranger stood silent as he looked around the area. No other obvious signs, but this was fresher than the last they'd discovered. Those litleo had to be nearby somewhere. "Paw still good?" he questioned, gaze turning back down to his pokémon. The dog huffed and nodded. "Stay close." Booker then resumed trying to track their quarry.

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Word Count:   306
BIKE: ON

((

Coming from Ethereal Lake. Staying for Encounter.

Adding words to incubator.

))

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[Tarlar]

A bellsprout had had quite an exciting day as this was usually a calm place for the grass and bug types but suddenly things had been on fire! Right now the area was calm but who knew when the fire would be back? It was standing near a tree and tried to pretend it was just another sprout but it was shaking from fear and would lash out on anything which came too close.

Bellsprout [lvl 8] is pretending to be a sprout but is shaking violently.

Shiny: I4EwNZpf1-421-42

[Lamont]

The ranger didn't have to wait for his sleuthing hound to see the shivering sprout on their way.
"Hold up." Booker paused and looked around, wriggling his nose in the air. The pair looked at the bellsprout, likely causing it even more stress. Damien realized this quickly and turned himself to face the herdier at his feet.

"We'll try to go around it." He spoke softly, as if any sudden noise could set the wild pokémon off. "Think you can follow it Booker?" The boy received a stifled grunt from the dog. The two padded along, taking a wide birth from the grass type trying to camouflage itself against the tree.

Giving the bellsprout a wide birth would take them quite a bit out of their way. Damien made sure to keep Booker well away so as to appear as least menacing as possible as they traveled through the area. They had to slow a couple times near the end as Booker tried to pick up the trail once again and ensure they didn't wander off too much.
"Got it?" The herdier wagged his tail and skipped forward.

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Word Count:   188
BIKE: ON

((

Running for another Encounter. Adding words to incubator.

))

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[antonius]

As Damien and his herdier continued to search, a bidoof came waltzing by and try to take a sniff of the herdier.

Level 8

[Lamont]

So focused on not upsetting the bellsprout, Damien hadn't even noticed the bidoof until a loud crunch by his feet. He almost jumped. Booker was doing well to remain calm and quiet, having merely just watched the friendly bidoof come up close for some good sniffing. As the trainer froze to the side, the two pokémon each took turns taking in each other's scents. It was nearly a minute of this, which gave ample time for the ranger to relax in his assessment that this plump little beaver wasn't going to suddenly attack them without provocation.

"You're a friendly one," he chimed quietly, smiling down at the normal type. Booker's tail wagged happily, as if Damien's acceptance of the docile wild pokémon was a sign bidoof was a friend.

The young lad moved his pack to one shoulder so he could dig a bit into it.
"But I'm afraid we can't have you following us. Can't risk scaring off those fire cats," he continued to himself, half mumbling. His fingers found the foil paper of some old snacks he'd been keeping around and pulled it out. He snapped a small bit off and knelt down to attract Bidoof's attention.
"So let's keep you a bit occupied."

He smiled as the wild pokémon sniffed about the tasty treat only to nibble it up a moment later. Damien then revealed the rest of them. Making sure Bidoof knew he had them, Damien then tossed the small bundle back behind them, keeping the paper in hand of course. The pieces scattered lightly, but they weren't so far away the Bidoof didn't see them all land. With their company distracted, Damien signaled for Booker to hasten their pace away from the wild pokémon.

Once they were out of sight, having taken a little detour once again to dip down a little ridge, Damien paused them so he could give his herdier a treat as well.
"You've got us this far boy, just a little bit more."

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Word Count:   332
BIKE: ON

((

Running for another Encounter. Since I can't run from a 3rd one just a reminder to setup the Battle DB thread for me, ty!

Adding words to incubator.

))

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[antonius]

As Damien continued his purposeful searching and giving free food to the curious bidoff, he continues on until a Kakuna literally drops right in front of him not giving a chance to stop. The collision made the kakuna really mad at the ranger.




Level 14

ShinyRA_sUuds1-42

Battle Here

1-42

[Lamont]

Booker barked after the kakuna as it disappeared through the trees. He remained vigilant even after the bug was out of sight. Same as his trainer. The pair, ever cautious, made sure the cocoon pokémon was well and gone before they dropped their guard.
"Good boy." Hands eagerly went to rub the scruffy hound's neck upon return from a job well done. With snacks so recently dispersed it seemed appropriate to distribute some to his own pokémon this time. The pellets enjoyed by herdier were of a nicer quality than what bidoof received. Offering a nice textural crunch as the dog bit devoured them the treats were quickly gobbled up.

Damien in the meantime took the opportunity to reassess their path. No signs of their quarry from what he could tell. The boy frowned and considered. Perhaps they'd gone too far when avoiding that bellsprout?

"Here, take another good sniff." The ranger held out the burnt twig from earlier in the forest, having kept it snug in an outer mesh pocket of his bag. Tongue lapping the edges of his lips, Booker delayed half a second before complying. With the scent renewed in his senses the tracking hound went back to a fresh sleuth around the area. Damien waited patiently, eyes following his companion as he wandered; nose pushing up the odd leaf as it traveled the ground. Eventually a bark would signal it was time to move. Though, Damien noted that it didn't sound all too confident.

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Word Count:   248
BIKE: ON

((

Waiting for another Encounter.

Adding words to incubator.

))

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[Tarlar]

As Booker sniffed around he could find small traces of the smell he was hunting, but it wasn't enough for him to start tracking. Instead his nose ran into something soft and he and the bidoof he had accidently found both lifted their heads nose to nose.
The beaver snorted as if to get rid of a bad smell and looked at Booker with a raised eyebrow.

Bidoof level 13 ended up nose-to-nose with Booker

Shiny: 4E|jgfaO1-421-42

[Lamont]

The young lad had decided to take a more active participation in the search for the supposed swarm. The trail Booker was leading solidified his suspicions. There was much back and forth and quite a few pauses as well. The herdier was trying his best, he knew, but Damien felt that they were at the edge of losing their quarry altogether if he didn't do something. None of his other pokemon possessed the skills Booker did in this respect so it would fall onto the ranger himself.

"Booker, see there?" Damien pointed to a short incline nearby. Propped on top was a mossy set of rocks holding in place a thick trunk that stuck over the edge of what the ranger would guess to be another shallow valley in the area. Before he could continue he heard his dog grunt in surprise. Damien whipped around to see a familiar beaver pokemon almost nose to nose with the herdier.
"You again?" He spoke without thinking. Maybe this one looked a bit bigger... but he was no expert on such things.

"Booker, heel." The young lad accompanied the vocal instruction with indication of his finger to direct the herdier to his side. The bidoof just snorted again in the wake of the ruffle hound. It didn't seem immediately hostile, but watched them. The ranger hmmmmd quietly, reconsidering his initial assessment. The wild bidoof stared at them for a moment, wriggling its nose, then stopped paying any attention to them.

A silent sigh of relief escaped him. It was good it wasn't the same bidoof. He didn't want to have to curb any bad habits. With his herdier attentive, Damien signaled for them to back away and climb the short hill. The reached the top of the ridge fairly easily, providing a decent few of the immediate area. It was only at this moment it dawned on him he did have someone else that could lend Booker some help.

Damien pushed a finger into one of the balls on his belt to release one of the newest additions to his team. The blue tadpole-like pokemon materialized almost curled up into a little ball. The young pokemon quickly took stock of his surroundings then padded closer to his trainer for a bit of security.
"Hey there Domino, I could really use your eyes on this. We're looking for an elusive pokemon in the area. It's a feline about this big..." the boy gestured, hand raised above the ground roughly where he guessed an average litleo would stand, "... dark brown fur with a lick of red."

The herdier went stone still as he saw Damien call out another pokemon to search. His nose twitched and he went to sniffing again immediately.
"Booker is leading," added the ranger, "If he sleuths out something promising I want you to home in and do a good scan of the area, alright? But for now just try and see what you can find."

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Word Count:   494
BIKE: ON

((

Running. Waiting for another Encounter.

Adding words to incubator.

))

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[Tarlar]

Almost instantly the moment Booker dived his nose into the ground, he picked up a scent which did not fit into the lush, damp forest: something charred. Removing a few dead leaves revealed a burned piece of wood, and with it he could smell a scent of a pokemon, he hadn't encountered in the forest before. Now he had a scent to follow it was pretty easy.
Not long after they would spot the sought out pokemon among the trees, there were only one and it didn't look comfortable as it kept looking around on high alert.

A highly alert Litleo [lvl 10] is spotted!
Woo!
Proceed to the battle

Shiny: 1MS_xPDE1-421-42

[Lamont]

"Yes!" Damien found the word slip through his teeth in relief as the ball snapped shut with a satisfying click. Following was a deep exhale. "Excellent job Booker. You kept litleo contained like a pro," he beamed at the herdier. Of who was equally as excited. Or perhaps moreso as one could deduce from the speed of the stubby tail propelling the young dog pokémon toward his trainer. A second of urgency rose before he could be pet for a job well done however, as the newly assigned pokéball would momentarily be left on its own. Booker followed the ranger happily as the boy plucked the resting device from the forest floor.

"Can't have you wandering off after all that..." he commented to himself. With ball in hand he knelt down to give Booker a few good rubs before sending it off to storage.

"Alright, we better get back before it gets too late in the day. I'm sure you and Dominoe could use some rest, and someone's going to be really happy to get that catch." He paused, allowing his companion a word of his own. "How's your paw?" Damien signaled with an open palm, though the herdier wasn't quite sure what to make of it. The ranger moved his hand to lightly poke the leg of which earlier in their journey had taken a bit of a twist on their journey down into the lake valley. That seemed to get across his request as Booker looked to the once again open palm and raised his paw into it.

Some indecisive vocalizations rumbled from the trainer. Eyes squinting down he looked at it for a good moment before letting the herdier go.
"I don't see anything worrying, though... I'm not exactly an expert. It's not bothering you?" he questioned, concerned about the last tackling tumble the normal type had with their last foe. Booker simply barked a cheery reply.
"Alright. Let's go then."

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Word Count:   324
BIKE: OFF

((

Leaving for Eerie Wood. Dominoe learning Bind over Pound. Adding words to incubator.

))

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[Marchbaby]

Coming from the Ethereal Lake

As Kevin and his group of Pokemon left the Ethereal Lake behind they entered a misty area of the forest with few signs of life at first glance. It did not look like an area most Pokemon would want to live in even without a curse lingering throughout the area but if any other Pokemon lived here the curse seemed to keep them at bay. As dead as the area seemed however both Oracle and Eiskalt could feel the curse start to surround them. Oracle could sense an evil spirit was about to striek at any moment and warned everyone so they could be ready.

" I can sense a foul spirit here. The energy is so strong we cannot press on so long as it protects this area. We have to do something to put an end to this madness." As she gave her warning Kevin and the group waited to see when the spirit would have the bravery to strike.


OOC: Waiting on the spirit encounter.

[Caramell 🍬]

Cypress Rest was a tangle of true and false cypress trees. Some were massive trees with thick trunks that seemed to sprout from a central base in different directions with heavy green foliage that clamored towards the heavens above. Some were smaller, cone shaped bush-like trees covered in needle-like leaves and held a dome-shaped appearance. And some, found near the waterways of swampier settings, had a bald appearance where few needle-like leaves seemed to cling to their sparse branches. The normal Pokemon in the area had disappeared as a strange an ominous presence stretched throughout Cypress Rest and caused a strange, dense fog to billow up through the wavering trunks of the forested trees. A soft call echoed from somewhere deeper in the forest, calling out to those that would listen.

“Inntruudderrrss…~” The voice echoed, seemingly coming from all directions and making it impossible to hear. Should Kevin try to look around to find it, he may find it rather confusing. Strange, large white eyes appeared like shadows in the treetops and faint screamed echoed from their large branches. They would disappear and reappear in different spots as they called out to Kevin, making the voice echo through the tall cypresses and beckon the team to come and find the missing apparition. “Leeavvee thiiisss placeee….” They called, a hiss that clung to the air. Should Kevin pay close attention to the eyes as they illuminated and disappeared, he may be able to make out a faint tell-tale gaseous purple form that floated through the trees. This would make it easier for the lad to track the Pokemon and keep up with its ever-shifting direction, until he was able to face off with it in battle.

---

A Wicked Gastly [Level 16] is trying to scare Kevin off!

^{Please select a Pokemon to battle!}
Proceed to your battle!

[Marchbaby]

As Eiskalt quickly dispelled the evil spirit before them the immediate area around them felt a bit less heavy. The curse had not been entirely lifted but it had been weakened enough that the path forward was now clear. " Great work Eiskalt, I can still sense plenty of evil about but defeating that spirit definitely weakened the curse ever so slightly. I have no doubt there is going to be plenty more in our way but at least there is one less in our way now." As Kevin looked towards his shoulder at Chikorita who was still in terrible shape Oracle was able to sense the remnants of magic slightly better now that the evil Gastly could not disrupt her powers.

" That spirit must of had more power than I thought to disrupt my Aura powers that much. I can sense the spells a little better now deeper in the forest. There has to be more spirits however as I also feel their presence as well. I cannot tell how many more will get in our way but this curse is very impressive in terms of it's power." Samantha also was impressed by how resilient the curse was as well. She was not fully trained in her magic powers yet but no spell she knew could come close to matching this curses potency.

" I could really learn a few things from whoever came up with this curse. Such power being used for good instead of evil such as this would have so much potential. It truly is a shame to see such a power go to waste. I would never waste so much power on such a heartless action." Now that they were free to leave the area Kevin and the group made their way down a path that looked like it might be the way out though it was hard to tell.

" This looks like a promising route to take. I have no doubts another spirit will try and stop.us soon so Eiskalt be ready to deal.with another foul spirit at any time. I doubt they will give up just because we took down a single member of their army. They will likely seek vengance for their fallen comrade." With the group on edge they left the Cypress Rest behind for the time being. They had no clue where they would end up next but at some point following different paths would have to lead them to their objective especially with Oracle tracking the remnants of a spell.






OOC: Leaving the Cypress Rest. Heading to the Eerie Wood.

[Lamont]

What were the odds that, in this labyrinth of a forest, given the generations of fairy tales, he would encounter a gentle spirit? His first ever. What were the odds she would be the only one?

Damien's eyes dropped to the critter in his arms, keeping his head up to avoid flashing chikorita with the head lamp. Every step he took that gained distance from the lakeside the panting and tiny moans seemed to worsen. The grass type buried her head ever deeper into the crook of his arm. He could feel the fever wracking it through his jacket.
"You just hold on," he spoke, grasping for anything immediate he could do to try and ease the pokémon's suffering. He wasn't sure if it was better to try and cover chikorita more to keep it warmer amidst the damp chill of the forest or if he should be letting the cool air combat the fever. He quieted a sigh. A curse probably wasn't something body heat could burn out.

The ranger adjusted his hold so he could more easily free his dominant arm should the need arise. There was a quick glance at his pokégear to see the time before his palm rested on the faint green body.
"Okay... where are we..." he muttered to himself. His head angled to each side to keep track of any off shoots spawning along the pathways. The ranger really wished he had Booker at his side. The longer he looked at the infinite darkness that completely surrounded him the more vulnerable he felt. "I recognize that one." His gaze lingered but momentarily on the interestingly curved trunk of a pair of trees. Bowing away from each other as if a sphere had once been placed between them in the years they grew. "There should be a little dirt cliff up here... and then things should start opening up a bit more," the boy confidently spoke to his companion. It was helping him stay calm at least. Damien could only hope it was helping the chikorita.

"We just tracked down a little fire starter today in this area ahead. Probably saved Ilex from an unwanted element," continued the ranger. He would pause to consider a second. "So we should be able to make some good time toward the shrine." Damien bit his lip lightly before moving his wrist gear so a finger from his left could push on one of its side buttons to progress the screen to his GPS. The screen intermittently flashed a 'lost signal' message but it was better than nothing and likely his only hope at managing to find out where he could deviate from Booker's previous path. Ending up back at the lake a third time would be unfortunate.

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Word Count:   460
BIKE: OFF

(( Entering from Ethereal Lake. Waiting for spooks. Adding words to incubator. ))

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