The Archaeology Zone's Recorded History

[Shadowshocker]

Atlas City

The Market

Stark
"Carolina?" A slurred voice is heard from behind you, and before Lawrence can shoot you with a "what do you think you're doing?!" look, both your attentions have already been directed to the lumbering person at your back. "Did you shay Carolina?" drawls the tourist. "And she's -- haec! -- your girlfriend?"

"The gentleman said no such thing," says the bartender curtly, much to your surprise. "I think you've had a drop too much, good sir."

"Non -- hic! -- shensh!" Gesticulating somewhat unsteadily, the woozy visitor lumbers towards you with unstable gait. "He menshuned Carolina, and boy, I got me a pone to -- hoccp! -- bick with that..."

"I've told you, sir," the bartender repeats, this time with a cloudy quality to his baritone. "There's no one by the name of Carolina around here. You must have been mistaken."

"Mish... hic!... taken..."

"Now, why don't you go back to your seat, good sir." Nodding kindly, the bartender gestures towards the tourist's original location, at which the punch-drunk person mumbles something incoherent before shuffling back to his seat -- all the while with the two of you looking flabbergasted at how quickly the source of likely trouble was subdued.

"Heh heh! No need to look so frightened, gentlemen. I'm not going to eat you." With the bartender beckoning you with an assuring voice, you swivel back to face the now-smiling man. "Every now and then some trouble pops up, so I have my little team help me out." Motioning to his side, he directs you to a bunch of Exeggcute you hadn't noticed on the counter, who have begun to leap up and down excitedly at having being spotted. "They use a touch of Hypnosis to calm down any guests on the verge of causing a ruckus. Saves us the cost of having to hire bouncers. But that was some bold move there, kid," notes the burly man, glancing at you. "It takes someone with guts to bring up that name, so I've heard these days."

"Then you know who Carolina is?" says Lawrence, leaning forward such that he barely needs to speak above a hiss. "You know where she is?"

"Victims of her too, are you?" Shaking his head, the bartender hands a pair of polished mugs to the cheery eggs, who immediately start using their psychic powers to assist in the drink-making. "Though we tend to know her as "the Whisper" these days. She's that good a master thief; comes and goes as like a whisper in the wind."

"Then you know where she is?" Lawrence asks, leaning even further and gazing at the bartender with such intensity, you almost swear he could burn holes from his vision alone.

"Whoa, whoa. Calm down, kiddo." Gently patting Lawrence on the shoulder, the bartender glances about briefly before going on. "You're not the only one who's looking for her; I'm sure you noticed. But that's about all I can tell you. She comes and goes without notice, and no one's ever managed to catch her in the act."

"Until today... sort of," you think to yourself.

"What I can tell you, though... somehow, there is one thing that stands out through all this." Coughing slightly, the bartender casts a few more furtive looks to the sides, before leaning in closer such that you're all almost huddling. "I'm guessing that she told you about the thirteenth floor?"

At this remark, your eyelids fly wide open more than they've ever done. "What's that got to do with anything?" questions Lawrence.

"It's a bit of a long shot, I don't mind admitting. But your friend here seems to confirm her modus operandi, anyway," mutters the bartender. "Now, I've been at this job for some time. You tend to meet a lot of people who'll tell you their troubles after a glass or two. From what I understand, the one similarity between the Whisper's attacks... is that she always mentions the 13th floor."

"That's it? That's what stands out?" repeats the Atlas local next to you, skepticism distinct in his tone. "That's what the tourism board tells everyone!"

"Yeah, I know. They mention the 13th floor of Emporium Hotel to draw in the tourists looking for a spirit and a scare," the bartender nods. "This wouldn't be an issue... if not for the fact there is no 13th floor."

"What?!" Lawrence exclaims, almost a little too loudly. "But the Emporium is twenty storeys high!"

"No, no... that's not quite what I meant. Some hotels don't use the number 13 in numerating their hotels; instead they skip from the 12th to the 14th. It's superstition," explains the bartender, just as the Exeggcute nudge two cups of Pecha cocktail next to you. "The management made that decision about a year ago."

"A year ago..." Frowning, you see Lawrence make the connection you established -- the time period seems to match the point in time when Carolina's behaviour supposedly changed.

"Since then all the numbers have been altered from the twelfth floor onwards, and all incorrect references were likewise altered. It's strange that anyone would still mention the numerical 13th floor," adds the bartender. "Now, I might be reading too far into this, but just so you know, there's little else I can tell you about her... Right then, gentlemen, enjoy your drinks. This one's on the house!"

Turning back to handle other duties, the bartender leaves you with your drinks, and a piece of information you're not quite sure what to make of. It certainly seems like a long stretch, but it does seem to be your only available lead...

The Isle of Talas

The Sphinx

Food Guy
With her main methods of attacking under proverbial lock and key, Dot ends up having to resort to her mouth to get things done; raising her head high as she can before coming back down with the sharpest Bug Bite she can manage. A jolt of agony seems to shoot through the extended tendril, albeit taking a few seconds before Weepinbell's eyes seem to widen slightly from the sensation, and to your shock the pitcher plant begins to throttle Dot while smacking her against the ground in a painful series of Vine Whip.

Valiantly, Dot executes a few more moments of desperate struggle, but with her insectoid abilities locked down from Weepinbell's earlier Gastro Acid, her natural powers don't seem to kick in. Angrily and painfully she executes another Bug Bite, this one managing to convince the Grass/Poison-type to relent, releasing your Ledian in an upwards swing as the vine retracts. This gives Dot enough time to ready herself, firing another Psybeam from the tips of her antenna, but her weariness is showing as the attack wavers slightly. Still, its aim manages to remain true, socking into Weepinbell as it dizzily recoils from the mental blast, spinning about before collapsing onto its back. From its completely aimless gaze and pooling acid saliva, it's rather distinct that the carnivorous pitcher is no longer capable of continuing the fight. Level up for Dot.

Tired but smiling, Dot flitters her way down to you, landing on your shoulders with her arms holding onto your neck. Patting her on her white hands, you opt to do the proceeding this time, leaving the fourth chamber behind as you run on, while making sure that Dot is safely supported on your back. It just takes a bit longer for you to reach the fifth riddling chamber, where a smiling Chansey is waiting.

"You've made it! I'm so happy for you!" she cheers, clapping her little hands together. "You must be exhausted after all those battles. Here!"

Picking up the egg in her pocket, she motions towards you to touch the white ellipsoidesque object, and as you do you feel a kindred warmth emanate from inside the egg, almost like the healing lights you would normally see in a Pokémon Centre. A surprised cry is heard from Dot, and when you turn to look at her you find that she seems to have recovered fully from her wounds and exhaustion.

"My Softboiled should have healed your team to full health," Chansey explains. "You'll need it to get through the rest of the battles! But to get through here, I need you to show me exactly what this tablet tells you to!"

Producing a small stony slab from behind her, Chansey passes the piece of rock to you, which upon first inspection appears completely blank but even as you watch, lines start to form on the smooth surface, almost as if they were responding to your contact...

Linked to the 127th one in deed, not by name but in sound.
A glare to lower the fence,
A speedy charge offence.
A skill to form a set,
A move we don't know yet.

Can you puzzle out what you need to do this time?

[Stark]

Atlas City

The Market

Stark
"Carolina?" A slurred voice is heard from behind you, and before Lawrence can shoot you with a "what do you think you're doing?!" look, both your attentions have already been directed to the lumbering person at your back. "Did you shay Carolina?" drawls the tourist. "And she's -- haec! -- your girlfriend?"

"The gentleman said no such thing," says the bartender curtly, much to your surprise. "I think you've had a drop too much, good sir."

"Non -- hic! -- shensh!" Gesticulating somewhat unsteadily, the woozy visitor lumbers towards you with unstable gait. "He menshuned Carolina, and boy, I got me a pone to -- hoccp! -- bick with that..."

"I've told you, sir," the bartender repeats, this time with a cloudy quality to his baritone. "There's no one by the name of Carolina around here. You must have been mistaken."

"Mish... hic!... taken..."

"Now, why don't you go back to your seat, good sir." Nodding kindly, the bartender gestures towards the tourist's original location, at which the punch-drunk person mumbles something incoherent before shuffling back to his seat -- all the while with the two of you looking flabbergasted at how quickly the source of likely trouble was subdued.

"Heh heh! No need to look so frightened, gentlemen. I'm not going to eat you." With the bartender beckoning you with an assuring voice, you swivel back to face the now-smiling man. "Every now and then some trouble pops up, so I have my little team help me out." Motioning to his side, he directs you to a bunch of Exeggcute you hadn't noticed on the counter, who have begun to leap up and down excitedly at having being spotted. "They use a touch of Hypnosis to calm down any guests on the verge of causing a ruckus. Saves us the cost of having to hire bouncers. But that was some bold move there, kid," notes the burly man, glancing at you. "It takes someone with guts to bring up that name, so I've heard these days."

"Then you know who Carolina is?" says Lawrence, leaning forward such that he barely needs to speak above a hiss. "You know where she is?"

"Victims of her too, are you?" Shaking his head, the bartender hands a pair of polished mugs to the cheery eggs, who immediately start using their psychic powers to assist in the drink-making. "Though we tend to know her as "the Whisper" these days. She's that good a master thief; comes and goes as like a whisper in the wind."

"Then you know where she is?" Lawrence asks, leaning even further and gazing at the bartender with such intensity, you almost swear he could burn holes from his vision alone.

"Whoa, whoa. Calm down, kiddo." Gently patting Lawrence on the shoulder, the bartender glances about briefly before going on. "You're not the only one who's looking for her; I'm sure you noticed. But that's about all I can tell you. She comes and goes without notice, and no one's ever managed to catch her in the act."

"Until today... sort of," you think to yourself.

"What I can tell you, though... somehow, there is one thing that stands out through all this." Coughing slightly, the bartender casts a few more furtive looks to the sides, before leaning in closer such that you're all almost huddling. "I'm guessing that she told you about the thirteenth floor?"

At this remark, your eyelids fly wide open more than they've ever done. "What's that got to do with anything?" questions Lawrence.

"It's a bit of a long shot, I don't mind admitting. But your friend here seems to confirm her modus operandi, anyway," mutters the bartender. "Now, I've been at this job for some time. You tend to meet a lot of people who'll tell you their troubles after a glass or two. From what I understand, the one similarity between the Whisper's attacks... is that she always mentions the 13th floor."

"That's it? That's what stands out?" repeats the Atlas local next to you, skepticism distinct in his tone. "That's what the tourism board tells everyone!"

"Yeah, I know. They mention the 13th floor of Emporium Hotel to draw in the tourists looking for a spirit and a scare," the bartender nods. "This wouldn't be an issue... if not for the fact there is no 13th floor."

"What?!" Lawrence exclaims, almost a little too loudly. "But the Emporium is twenty storeys high!"

"No, no... that's not quite what I meant. Some hotels don't use the number 13 in numerating their hotels; instead they skip from the 12th to the 14th. It's superstition," explains the bartender, just as the Exeggcute nudge two cups of Pecha cocktail next to you. "The management made that decision about a year ago."

"A year ago..." Frowning, you see Lawrence make the connection you established -- the time period seems to match the point in time when Carolina's behaviour supposedly changed.

"Since then all the numbers have been altered from the twelfth floor onwards, and all incorrect references were likewise altered. It's strange that anyone would still mention the numerical 13th floor," adds the bartender. "Now, I might be reading too far into this, but just so you know, there's little else I can tell you about her... Right then, gentlemen, enjoy your drinks. This one's on the house!"

Turning back to handle other duties, the bartender leaves you with your drinks, and a piece of information you're not quite sure what to make of. It certainly seems like a long stretch, but it does seem to be your only available lead...

"The Whisper...." Stark said softly as he mulled over all of the information he'd just received, "You know one of these days I should get myself a cool nickname." He winked in Lawrence's general direction to let the man know he was kidding. While this probably wasn't the best time to be joking around, Lawrence was so uptight that Stark needed to do it just to break the tension and keep himself from falling into the overly dark and driven demeanor that Lawrence was trapped in. From the beginning, Stark's greatest asset had always been his determination, but with that trait came certain pitfalls that he had learned to try to avoid. One of which was losing his focus and not thinking things out. Tunnel vision would get them no where.

His eyes wandered to the exeggcute sitting on the bar and he smiled. It was a brilliant way of keeping problems at a minimum. And while clever and somewhat distracting, Stark found no inspiration on their next move by looking to them. At least not directly. He swiveled in his seat and took a healthy drink of the beverage provided to him. His eyes scrunched as he found it to be a little stronger than expected. Good, but unexpected. Like Carolina.

"So the hotel has no thirteenth floor, yet Carolina distinctly told me that there was one and that it was haunted. The tourism board tends to send people here with the promise of spirits and scares, yet when they arrive..." Stark began talking his thoughts out. For some reason he found it a little easier to concentrate on the details talking them out, "When Houndour used her Shadow Ball, the attack was far more powerful than anything she could have mustered. Unless she's even stronger than I figured. I think her attack was augmented somehow. Or maybe even combined with another attack. I had this feeling when we were in the alley. I can't explain it exactly, but it wasn't natural. More like supernatural. If this hotel does house some spooks... If we were smart we'd go outside and count the floors to see if there is maybe a hidden floor, but seeing as how I'm a little impatient and time is not exactly our ally, I think our best course of action is to head up to the fourteenth floor and have a look around. Afterall, the fourteenth floor technically is the thirteenth floor. If we can't find anything there, we'll move down to the twelfth floor and see what we can find there. Make no mistake, I completely understand that every second we waste counts. If Carolina is here, or if we can find a clue to her whereabouts, we need to go with what we have for information."

Standing up, Stark tossed a couple of coins on the bar, "Hey thanks for the drink," he called out to the bartender. Turning back to Lawrence he added, "Let's go. We've got a lot of work ahead of us."

[Shadowshocker]

Atlas City

The Market

Stark
Moving away from the bar, the two of you shift through the wafting smoke, eventually reaching the outside of the sector and back in the main lobby.

"Hmmmm... Even if we were to move upwards by the stairs or elevator, there's no way we can make our way up. We don't have identification to show that we're legitimate guests," mutters Lawrence as he thinks. "We need some form of distraction... Aha."

As you watch on in bewilderment, Lawrence picks up the sole PokéBall attached to his waist, and seems to whisper a series of hushed instructions at the switch before nodding at you. "Just stay close and follow my lead," he says, flicking the PokéBall behind his legs and stealthily depositing its contents. From behind your collective legs you spot a brown ball of fuzz roll between the decorations and furniture, but before you can pay further attention you have your wrist tugged by Lawrence in the direction of the lifts.

"KYAAAAAH!! It's a wild Raticate!" you hear a woman scream, and you realise what Lawrence must have meant by a distraction. Several guards, dressed in navy blue uniforms, run out from practically nowhere as lady tourists and hotel workers alike shriekingly try to evade the scuttling rodent. As Lawrence jabs the "up" button of the lifts you see some brief flashes of white light as trainers send out Pokémon of their own, but amidst the chaos you can tell that Raticate, with lots of stealth experience up its proverbial sleeve, is proving far to fast to handle, let alone catch.

"Go! Go!" Urging you as a pair of doors slide open, Lawrence pushes you into the vacant transport pod, ramming the button with the number 14 neatly imprinted on. "Raticate, return!"

With skill you're rather impressed with, but not quite so surprised over, Lawrence flips his PokéBall open, releasing a crimson bolt of energy that neatly catches Raticate from afar even as the doors begin to close, returning back to the containment device in a split second just as the intricately plated metal panels slam shut. You feel the floor beneath you surge as the mechanisms begin to kick in, starting to raise to higher levels as an digital indicator shows you.

"We should be able to perform some investigations before they know what's up," breathes Lawrence, but no sooner than he says that a jerk abruptly shakes the lift as it comes to a jarring halt, buffeting you slightly as it does so.

"What's wrong? Did they already catch on?" shouts the young man as he looks up, and as you join him you find to your horror that the indicator lights have blanked out. Growlingly Lawrence tries pressing the number 14 button again, but as he does so repeatedly you notice that along the panel of twin columns of numbered buttons and symbolled ones below, one of the unnumbered buttons is strangely blank... or is it? Even as you watch on markings seem to appear along the plastic surface, and as the lines thicken and become clearer you can't believe your eyes.

"Wha..." Having noticed the phenomenon, Lawrence likewise looks downwards at the sight that has stolen your speech, and his own voice seems to disappear at once as well -- for the lines on the strange button have formed the number 13: that of the mystery floor.

"Is this..." Sweating as he looks towards you, Lawrence looks equally in disbelief as you are. Your suspicions of something supernatural seem to have been affirmed, but it's precisely that point which makes this entire endeavour take a newer, sinister turn. You might take another step closer to finding Carolina and Houndour, or it might take you past a point of no return...

What will you do?

[ZoraJolteon]

The Lost City of Axal

The Celestial Temple

ZoraJolteon
While the reanimated Tauros statue continues to apply the unique method of pumping up his statistics, Myria begins to apply some of the skills he's come to pick up himself, beginning to flaunt his sepia flowers in a Charming manner. Though the Roselia's size makes it hard for Suruta to immediately catch on, as the bull's eyes gaze downwards the sight of Myria strutting his stuff has a prompt effect on the Tauros; causing him to pause in his whipping and paw cautiously towards your Roselia. By the time Suruta has neared close enough, Myria suddenly performs a backflip, launching a veritable whirlwind of Petals out of his spinning blossoms that start to Dance about the moving statue.

Not having anticipated this sort of technique, Suruta grunts and bellows out of instinct; his hooves thundering against the ground while you and Myria step back to a safer distance. Somehow, even as the pieces of botany tear against Suruta's skin, you find that they don't appear to be doing added damage against an opponent of supposedly geological composition. You realise after some thought that in spite of the unique circumstances, you must be still fighting an otherwise normal Pokémon battle, and the standard mechanics of element still apply.

Snorting while he shakes off the swarm of petals, Suruta rounds briefly along a bit of the room's circumference before turning to charge at Myria; this time with his disc-tipped skull taking on a strange blue aura. While you dive to the side in time, Myria doesn't quite have the advantage of covering distances, and before he can get out of the way quickly enough Suruta has already picked him up with a Zen Headbutt and tossed him aside, flinging Myria against the pedestal where the statue originally stood. Painfully Myria stands to his feet, not down yet but having taken a rather significant strike nonetheless. You'll need to strike harder and faster if you want to stand a greater chance of victory...

Snarling under his breath as Zora watched his companion recover from the powerful attack, he mulled over the best course of action to respond with. Tauros' strength lay mainly with its physical attacks, and if weakening their raw power through Charm hadn't been sufficient, perhaps he could make them more easily avoidable...
"OK Myria!" he ordered. "Lets choke this beast on your Cotton Spores! Then dish out some proper retribution..."
Zora paused for a moment to consider what attack would be suitable. Giga Drain would help recover some of the HP Myria had lost, but it also wouldn't inflict that much damage to Tauros. Then there was Extrasensory, or continuing with Petal Dance, or...
"Oh, sod it." he announced. "Lets just go with Leaf Storm."

[Stark]

Atlas City

The Market

Stark
Moving away from the bar, the two of you shift through the wafting smoke, eventually reaching the outside of the sector and back in the main lobby.

"Hmmmm... Even if we were to move upwards by the stairs or elevator, there's no way we can make our way up. We don't have identification to show that we're legitimate guests," mutters Lawrence as he thinks. "We need some form of distraction... Aha."

As you watch on in bewilderment, Lawrence picks up the sole PokéBall attached to his waist, and seems to whisper a series of hushed instructions at the switch before nodding at you. "Just stay close and follow my lead," he says, flicking the PokéBall behind his legs and stealthily depositing its contents. From behind your collective legs you spot a brown ball of fuzz roll between the decorations and furniture, but before you can pay further attention you have your wrist tugged by Lawrence in the direction of the lifts.

"KYAAAAAH!! It's a wild Raticate!" you hear a woman scream, and you realise what Lawrence must have meant by a distraction. Several guards, dressed in navy blue uniforms, run out from practically nowhere as lady tourists and hotel workers alike shriekingly try to evade the scuttling rodent. As Lawrence jabs the "up" button of the lifts you see some brief flashes of white light as trainers send out Pokémon of their own, but amidst the chaos you can tell that Raticate, with lots of stealth experience up its proverbial sleeve, is proving far to fast to handle, let alone catch.

"Go! Go!" Urging you as a pair of doors slide open, Lawrence pushes you into the vacant transport pod, ramming the button with the number 14 neatly imprinted on. "Raticate, return!"

With skill you're rather impressed with, but not quite so surprised over, Lawrence flips his PokéBall open, releasing a crimson bolt of energy that neatly catches Raticate from afar even as the doors begin to close, returning back to the containment device in a split second just as the intricately plated metal panels slam shut. You feel the floor beneath you surge as the mechanisms begin to kick in, starting to raise to higher levels as an digital indicator shows you.

"We should be able to perform some investigations before they know what's up," breathes Lawrence, but no sooner than he says that a jerk abruptly shakes the lift as it comes to a jarring halt, buffeting you slightly as it does so.

"What's wrong? Did they already catch on?" shouts the young man as he looks up, and as you join him you find to your horror that the indicator lights have blanked out. Growlingly Lawrence tries pressing the number 14 button again, but as he does so repeatedly you notice that along the panel of twin columns of numbered buttons and symbolled ones below, one of the unnumbered buttons is strangely blank... or is it? Even as you watch on markings seem to appear along the plastic surface, and as the lines thicken and become clearer you can't believe your eyes.

"Wha..." Having noticed the phenomenon, Lawrence likewise looks downwards at the sight that has stolen your speech, and his own voice seems to disappear at once as well -- for the lines on the strange button have formed the number 13: that of the mystery floor.

"Is this..." Sweating as he looks towards you, Lawrence looks equally in disbelief as you are. Your suspicions of something supernatural seem to have been affirmed, but it's precisely that point which makes this entire endeavour take a newer, sinister turn. You might take another step closer to finding Carolina and Houndour, or it might take you past a point of no return...

What will you do?

"Yeah... this is it," Stark responded feeling his throat dry up. A shiver ran up his spine. The odd events of the elevator ride sending a chill through him. If anything, there was no turning back now. no matter how much he may have wanted to. Still, for Houdnour and Carolina's sake there was no choice. If it was otherworldly factors guiding the road ahead, he would need to stay sharp. The last thing he wanted was to find himself trapped somewhere with no escape. Or an even worse fate. His hands clenched tight. This was it. All in. Do or die. Well maybe do or die wasn't the best choice of phrases. With a surprisingly shaky hand Stark reached out and pushed the button to the thirteenth floor.

"We'll get through this," he reassured Lawrence although it was more to reassure himself that what they were about to do was the correct choice, "We'll get through this and before you know it, Carolina will be back to her old self."

Stark shifted nervously on the balls of his feet. His mind raced for something other to think about than the unexpected, "You know that was some pretty quick thinking back there," he said to Lawrence, "Letting Raticate distract everyone while we took the elevator. I'll have to remember that trick in the future."

His hand instinctively ran across the pokeballs at his belt. He hadn't really faced off with ghosts before. He knew a few tricks for battling ghost pokemon, but all things considered, he wasn't sure that would be enough. A few deep breaths relaxed him and helped to clear his mind and focus on his senses. While the ever present agitation of the situation would likely remain for a while at least it wouldn't overpower him. It was a simple instinct of fight or flee, and while his body wanted him to flee, his mind knew that fighting was the only option they could follow if they ever wanted to see their loved ones again. He grasped a pokeball in his hand and expanded it, looking once more to Lawrence.

"I don't know what's waiting for us, but I plan to be prepared for anything," he said hoping he sounded braver than he was feeling.

[Shadowshocker]

Atlas City

The Market

Stark
A surge of power -- rather, a mist of energy -- seems to permeate your finger as it presses the spooky button, and just as you remove your finger from it you feel the elevator slowly rise up as it did before, but this time a grave miasma appears to have seized the metal box in sinister grasp, giving it an aura more resembling the inside of a coffin than a lift. The indicator lights, now a vividly violent lavender as opposed to its original generic red, form the subsequent numbers as you move slowly up the floors, each number taking an eternity to change: 9... 10... 11...

12...

The doors open up with a deathly hiss, as the 2 turns into a 3, revealing nothing but darkness ahead of you. Tensing your knuckles you take a step out into the black, holding onto the lift's doorframe just in case. You are promptly surprised, however, as your foot seems to rest on an invisible floor, and carefully you ease yourself out such that you're completely outside the elevator, standing in -- on the darkness. It doesn't take long for Lawrence to join you, and once he's ascertained that at least, your positions are safe, he brings his hands to cup around his mouth.

"CAROLINA!" he screams, his voice not even seeming to echo, as though the darkness soaked up his volume like water through a sponge. "CAROLINA! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"Oh ho ho ho ho." A deep, yet wraithlike voice booms through the empty void, stunning the both of you. "So nice of you to join us..."

"Who are you?! Where is my sister?" roars Lawrence; his eyes darting everywhere to catch a glimpse of the mystery presence.

"Now, now. Good things will come to those who wait," chides the voice, eliciting a snarling growl from the young man beside you. "I think you two have interfered far enough as it is, don't you? Everything will happen in due time... but if you don't wish to wait any longer, that too is fine... the outcome will not change."

As you are left to ponder what this means, a pair of shimmering forms suddenly appear some ten metres ahead of you, and as they materialise you can scarcely believe your eyes; the same for Lawrence as he gazes upon the familiar figure.

"Carolina?!" Scarcely getting the name past his lips, Lawrence runs forward to meet his sister, but even as you chase after him you can't shake the feeling that things are either too easy, or something is horribly, horribly amiss...

"Flamethrower."

The command, though coming as a whisper, sounds akin to the swishing sound of a falling guillotine, and before you know it a pillar of flame slams into Lawrence full-bodiedly, raising an agonised howl from him as you grind to a shocked halt. As the fires dissipate into wisps, you run over to Lawrence, lying on the black with patches scorched through his clothes and burns on his exposed skin. You bite your lip as you witness his condition, but a gaze towards Carolina disturbs you even more than you ever were in this adventure: alongside Carolina is a familiar Houndour, flickers of heat still tingling through her fangs, and both females look back at you with indifferent gazes, though their irises blaze with the same purple you saw in the elevator. Something supernatural is definitely in action here, but unless you get past the ghostly mystery surrounding these two you're not likely going to get any further...

[-Hayward-]

Rapa's Temple

Lacuna City

Hayward
Tersely extending the amulet over the two fallen teenagers, you are no longer surprised by the sight of Kiru and the girl melting into the vermillion fog surrounding them, eventually rendered into gaseous form as they spiral towards your sacred trinket. Rumbling as the mists permeate the discus, it doesn't take long for the amulet to rattle strongly at its stage of completion, and as you bring the circle to your eyes for closer inspection you notice that now the dark side of the moon pattern has started to emanate a peculiar miasma of its own, appearing darker as if to match the gleaming white area. Determinedly, you clutch the amulet tightly in your palm, convinced that whatever happens now, you've completed the mission that was set for you, and you do an about-turn to make way for the Lacuna forum.

***

While it's your only your third time through the local forests, and only the second in near pitch-black conditions, the pulse of your heart pumping strongly through you seems to shut down all other forms of distraction and fear. Every fibre of your body is focused on getting to the town centre as soon as possible, where you might finally solve the mystery plaguing the ancient city as far as your own time. A wave of wind seems to wash over you as you finally break through the parameters of the forum; your senses seeming to kick up another notch as they begin to perceive what you can only explain as a strong foreboding of awareness. Coming to a halt at the very epicentre of the open space, you glance down at the Lunar Amulet around your neck -- as though reacting to the target location, the patterns on the flat disc have started to switch between its lunar phases faster than ever, accelerating to the point that the entire object is a blur.

Without warning the discus rips free from the confines of the string about your throat, spinning into the air much like an ordinary coin, except the metallic pecuniary you're familiar with usually doesn't spew out two-toned smoke. The four spirals of coloured gases merge into two, and you sharply remember the bizarre phenomenon you had witnessed only hours ago in this very forum. Sure enough, the masses of mist begin to congeal into the two celestial forms that had earlier clashed in mid-air, and as they fully materialise you notice from their expressions that neither of them has expected this outcome any more than you.

"What is the meaning of this?!" snarls the dark spellcaster. "I was supposed to be readying the troops to do battle... This is more your handiwork, isn't it?!"

"For one, I hardly have hands!" the other entity snaps. "And for two, I should ask you the same question!"

"That's enough, Darkrai, Cresselia. From the both of you." The sound of a third supernatural, yet familiar voice seems to immediately calm your heart as another beam of radiant light descends from the sky, forming a mass of glittering sparkles above you all, and sure enough you recognise the very deity who had sent you on your rescue operation.

"Arceus!" exclaims the crescent creature, before she appears to frown deeply. "You would side... with the likes of him?!"

"Side with me, she says!" retorts the wraith as his smoky hood strongly wavers. "After what she's done to --"

"You two know only so well that I side with no one but the truth." Speaking with no less majesty than before, the quadruped addresses the angry pair before it, but this time you can't help detect a hint of severity in its voice. "Both of you have played these humans, treating them little more than pawns in your games of domination and superiority. You were both meant as symbols, representatives of balance that Lacuna embodies, and now your internal conflict has come to the point that it endangers Lacuna itself!"

"It wasn't me!" Cresselia insists. "He started the whole thing, with his ritualistic --"

"I started it?!" growls Darkrai. "If anyone started this pitiful excuse of a disaster, it's --"

"I said..." As the one known as Arceus rears its head, you somehow know instantly something big is going to happen, but little else prepares you for the following events. "ENOUGH!"

With that final word booming across the sinister atmosphere, you instantly note a peculiar sound reaching your ears, seemingly emanating from Arceus itself. A shiver develops through your body as the music continues; its melancholy, soft yet piercing tone rippling fear in every cell of your body, speaking clearly of untimely death, of innocence lost. Before you know it Darkrai and Cresselia both howl in unison at the sky, clawing desperately for non-existent supports to grab onto, before they crumble to the ground in comatose positions. Breathing heavily you look to the sacred being, not having expected this sort of terrible power.

"You need not worry, Benjamin Hale. My Perish Song[B] was not directed at anyone other than the intended recipients," Arceus explains kindly. "These two will not stay like this forever; it would take more than a fainting episode to end the stuff of legends." As it speaks, you realise that the one of Origin has began descending its way towards you, for a closer face-to-face conversation, and you feel its radiant warmth surround you in brilliance.

"I sense the queries you have within you, Benjamin Hale, and you have a most deserved right to understand," continues Arceus. "Lacuna was, as you might have heard, a community founded with balance in mind. As the moon experiences both light and darkness, so does the city built in its image, and prospers under its light. Cresselia and Darkrai were sent to assist in Lacuna's natural cycle of existence, and as they supported the citizens from behind the scenes, the people came to respect and worship them. Unfortunately, as you see, this led to the harsh competition that culminated in the clash you witnessed.

"I knew, at once, I had to intervene, yet I could not do so without putting the Lacunans at risk, or alternatively subdue one of the two and fail to win over the other. I needed the assistance of someone who had ties through time and space to Lacuna; someone who would be able to bring together the 'keys', whose identity you came to figure out," it adds. "You turned out to be that individual, Benjamin Hale -- millenia ago, a person named Ben much like you lived in this community, sharing a bond of friendship with Ikira of Saros and Kiru of Rapa. With this affinity, you would also be best to seek out their doubles in Lacuna -- for each entity, there lives another emulating their differences; yet without one the other cannot survive. The keys were separate in Rapa and Saros' domains, and only through overcoming them could they be united. It is for this reason that you were chosen, Benjamin Hale, and you carried out your duty with exceptional skill. Now, thanks to your admirable courage and dedication, Lacuna may progress in the way that I had intended, and at this, Benjamin Hale, I bid you farewell."

Not having said a word through this encounter, the news of your sudden departure has you gazing into the eyes of Arceus imploringly -- if anything, you haven't had the chance to say goodbye to the acquaintances you made in this time, but it's too late as a white light emanating from the holy creature consumes you, whiting out your senses like they were at the start of your adventure in time...

***

"Hey, kid! Kid! Wake up!"

The sounds of a girl's voice and the sensation of someone slapping you awake has your eyelids flying open as your vision clears. How long has it been since you were out? And who is this figure crouched above you?...

"...Ikira?" you croak; your voice weaker than you had imagined it would be.

"Ikira? Who's Ikira?" laughs the female, and you slowly realise this voice is different from the Lacunan girl you crossed paths with in the past, as the features above you steady into a face framed with black hair and holding a pair of soft brown eyes. "I'm the great archaeologist, Gisaki Rifiyu!"

"I'm not surprised he's confused, Gisaki, the way you slapped him silly," remarks a nearby male, shaking his head of blue, neck-length hair. "Any more, and you might have readied him enough to be shoved into an exhibit."

"Aw, c'mon, Noel!" Gisaki whines.

"Alright, you two. That's no way to behave around someone who just recovered," chides a third voice, and its owner -- a young woman in her mid-twenties with pink hair, brown eyes and sporting an explorer's outfit much like the young ones walks towards you, kneeling to look you in the face. "I'm Ms. Theria. Are you alright, dear?" Still not too ready for long speech, you settle for nodding in response.

"That's good to hear. I wish we could offer more assistance, but I'm afraid we're rather busy," nods Ms. Theria. "We're on the verge of making new discoveries about the Lacunan civilisation; it seems to have been much more advanced than what we first thought. The first investigation team will be arriving in about an hour's time, and the place will need to be cordoned off for our investigations, but there'll be a supply truck moving back and forth to keep the team prepared. Perhaps you could hitch a ride from them if you'd like, but we must be going. Come along, you two."

As the trio of archaeologists take their leave, you sit up properly for a note of where you are. Catching a sight of the Moon Stone you had touched at the start of your adventure, you realise with a jump that sure enough, you've returned back to your own time -- except, this time, the streets seem to be paved with proper stone and mineral as opposed to dirt, and instead of dilapidated houses the structures about you seem in much better shape -- as though they were simply preserved in sand and sediment, a far cry from the crumbling village you had seen when you first came by.

Did your adventure truly happen though, you ask yourself, and as if in response to your query you feel a strip of warmth at your neck, and bending down you see the black string that held the Lunar Amulet still around your vocal chords. A soft vibration pulses through your bag, alerting you not only to the fact that your normal attire has magically reappeared, but also that something new must have found its way into your inventory. Opening up the haversack and checking its contents, you're astonished to find a new Nugget, a Moon Stone, as well as a shining, pink plate with the following inscribed on its surface in tiny lettering:

When the universe was created, its shards became this Plate. The power of defeated giants infuses this Plate. Two beings of time and space set free from the Original One. Three beings were born to bind time and space. Two make matter and three make spirit, shaping the world. The Original One breathed alone before the universe came. The powers of Plates are shared among Pokémon. The rightful bearer of a Plate draws from the Plate it holds.

Marvelling at the gifts you're certain must have come from Arceus, it might go without saying that your trip to Lacuna has proven its worth after all. Not only that, you've gone on the epic trip of a lifetime, fostered ever closer bonds with your Pokémon, and saved an entire civilisation from an unwarranted tragedy. Picking your items up and standing on your feet, you feel a new surge of confidence rush through you, as though the world was at your fingertips and no accomplishment seemed too far to reach...

And in the worlds of Fizzy Bubbles, you feel that this might very well ring true.

Note: Upon replying to this update, you will be free to leave the Lost Cities of Talas for new adventures elsewhere. It's been a considerable ride of an adventure, and I hope you enjoyed it yourself as much as I did writing it.
*end transmission*

As the three archaeologists turned to leave, Ben quickly sat up and brushed himself off. He bid the scientists farewell and watched as they departed. Scanning his surroundings with his grey-green eyes, he bolted in surprise at the much-improved condition of the ancient, adjacent buildings. He could have sworn they were nothing but ruins. Shaking his head in disbelief he muttered, “Was it all a dream…?” Before he could wonder anymore however, he felt a faint trace of string around his neck. Grasping it carefully in his fingers, he discovered that it was the unmistakable cord from the Lunar Amulet. A memento of the adventure of a lifetime. “So it did happen after all…” he mused.

How his present-day clothes had returned he didn't know. He hadn't had time to change or even collect his belongings, yet the white ceremonial robe and fibre tote bag Ikira had loaned to him were gone. For a moment, panic flooded Ben as he thought that maybe his Pokemon companions had been left behind as well, but a quick check of his brown, canvas messenger bag revealed that they were all present and accounted for. Mixed in with his meagre possessions, Ben was startled to discover a Moon Stone, a Nugget, and a shimmering, pink plate with a curious message. As Ben read the tiny words inscribed on the mysterious relic, he concluded that the gifts must certainly have come from Arceus. Silently thanking the Original One for his generosity, Ben rose to his feet and felt a sudden surge of confidence rush through him. With the help of his Pokemon, he had saved an entire civilization from complete destruction and now no challenge seemed too difficult.

“What now?” he asked himself as his gaze fell on the town's empty buildings. He felt sorry that he had not had the chance to say goodbye to Ikira and Kiru properly before he left. It would have been nice to explain himself. For a moment, Ben considered lingering in Lacuna to find, as Arceus had said, their present-day counterparts. But after a moment of silent thought, he shrugged and decided to catch a ride from the supply truck. “Maybe some other time…” he thought. “Maybe some other time…”


- For point of reference: collecting 1 Moon Stone, 1 Nugget, and 1 Mind Plate

- Many thanks to Shadowshocker for the great adventure: time-traveling, Cressalia, Darkrai, Arceus - It was a truly unforgettable second journey. *bows respectfully*

[Stark]

Atlas City

The Market

Stark
A surge of power -- rather, a mist of energy -- seems to permeate your finger as it presses the spooky button, and just as you remove your finger from it you feel the elevator slowly rise up as it did before, but this time a grave miasma appears to have seized the metal box in sinister grasp, giving it an aura more resembling the inside of a coffin than a lift. The indicator lights, now a vividly violent lavender as opposed to its original generic red, form the subsequent numbers as you move slowly up the floors, each number taking an eternity to change: 9... 10... 11...

12...

The doors open up with a deathly hiss, as the 2 turns into a 3, revealing nothing but darkness ahead of you. Tensing your knuckles you take a step out into the black, holding onto the lift's doorframe just in case. You are promptly surprised, however, as your foot seems to rest on an invisible floor, and carefully you ease yourself out such that you're completely outside the elevator, standing in -- on the darkness. It doesn't take long for Lawrence to join you, and once he's ascertained that at least, your positions are safe, he brings his hands to cup around his mouth.

"CAROLINA!" he screams, his voice not even seeming to echo, as though the darkness soaked up his volume like water through a sponge. "CAROLINA! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"Oh ho ho ho ho." A deep, yet wraithlike voice booms through the empty void, stunning the both of you. "So nice of you to join us..."

"Who are you?! Where is my sister?" roars Lawrence; his eyes darting everywhere to catch a glimpse of the mystery presence.

"Now, now. Good things will come to those who wait," chides the voice, eliciting a snarling growl from the young man beside you. "I think you two have interfered far enough as it is, don't you? Everything will happen in due time... but if you don't wish to wait any longer, that too is fine... the outcome will not change."

As you are left to ponder what this means, a pair of shimmering forms suddenly appear some ten metres ahead of you, and as they materialise you can scarcely believe your eyes; the same for Lawrence as he gazes upon the familiar figure.

"Carolina?!" Scarcely getting the name past his lips, Lawrence runs forward to meet his sister, but even as you chase after him you can't shake the feeling that things are either too easy, or something is horribly, horribly amiss...

"Flamethrower."

The command, though coming as a whisper, sounds akin to the swishing sound of a falling guillotine, and before you know it a pillar of flame slams into Lawrence full-bodiedly, raising an agonised howl from him as you grind to a shocked halt. As the fires dissipate into wisps, you run over to Lawrence, lying on the black with patches scorched through his clothes and burns on his exposed skin. You bite your lip as you witness his condition, but a gaze towards Carolina disturbs you even more than you ever were in this adventure: alongside Carolina is a familiar Houndour, flickers of heat still tingling through her fangs, and both females look back at you with indifferent gazes, though their irises blaze with the same purple you saw in the elevator. Something supernatural is definitely in action here, but unless you get past the ghostly mystery surrounding these two you're not likely going to get any further...

This was bad. As if it wasn't bad in the first place, but this was truly bad. From the moment he pressed the button and felt his skin crawl he knew that would get worse before they got better. He just didn't realize how much worse. Now he knew. The darkness had surrounded them completely. Stark's nerves were on end even as he pressed forward intent on rescuing Carolina and Houndour. Lawrence's shouts being engulfed into the darkness didn't exactly help either. Wherever they were, it wasn't Kansas that was for sure. His eyes sharply shot from side to side as if to see something that wasn't there. Pursing his lips, Stark took a few steps forward only to stop upon hearing...

"Oh ho ho ho ho." A deep, yet wraithlike voice boomed through the empty void, stunning the both of you. "So nice of you to join us..."

"Ohh... that doesn't sound ominous now does it?" Stark sarcastically commented to himself as a way to keep himself calm. Before he could say another word Lawrence was shouting at it. The thought that Lawrence's demands were probably not the best approach in this situation crossed his mind, but it was far too late to do anything about it now.

"Now, now. Good things will come to those who wait," chided the voice, eliciting a snarling growl from the young man standing beside Stark. "I think you two have interfered far enough as it is, don't you? Everything will happen in due time... but if you don't wish to wait any longer, that too is fine... the outcome will not change."

"That does not sound good for us," Stark once more commented quietly as he tried to understand what the voice meant. What outcome did it expect to play out? There were still too many questions and not enough answers. Stark's grip on the pokeball in his hand tightened. Something wasn't right. Something....

His thoughts were quickly disrupted by the sight of two forms. By the time he had recognized the first, Lawrence was calling her name. "Carolina?!" Scarcely getting the name past his lips, Lawrence ran forward to meet his sister, but even as Stark chased after him something in the back of his mind kept telling him that something was wrong. What that something was, he didn't have time to think about as a stream of flames hit Lawrence square in the chest knocking the man to the ground. Without a thought, Stark knelt down next to him and did his best to help extinguish the embers. His eyes narrowed even as his brow furrowed. Turning back to their attackers he found his expression changing from calm and determined to horror as the sight of Houndour standing next to Carolina, flames still lit in her mouth, looked back at him.

"No....." he gasped at the sight of his beloved pokemon cursed with the same purple glow in her eyes that was found within the elevator, "Houndour..... what happened to you?"

Rising up Stark felt a mix of horrified anger mixed with his determination to save his partner overcome him. His breathing increased in pace as his teeth tightened along with the scowl on his face. Raising the pokeball in his hand he released Luxray in a flash of brilliant white light that contrasted sharply with the surroundings, "Luxray. Throw up a Light Screen! and do whatever it takes to keep it up until I tell you to drop it," he called out to his lioness. If anything, maybe he could talk things out. Buy some time to figure out what happened and find a way to reverse it.

"What have you done to them?!" he shouted out into the darkness. His eyes quickly returned to Carolina and Houndour as he pleaded, "Houndour. It's me. Stark. You know me, girl. Let me help you. We can beat this. You and I. Together. You too Carolina. You don't have to do this."

[Food Guy]

[center]

The Isle of Talas

The Sphinx

Food Guy
With her main methods of attacking under proverbial lock and key, Dot ends up having to resort to her mouth to get things done; raising her head high as she can before coming back down with the sharpest Bug Bite she can manage. A jolt of agony seems to shoot through the extended tendril, albeit taking a few seconds before Weepinbell's eyes seem to widen slightly from the sensation, and to your shock the pitcher plant begins to throttle Dot while smacking her against the ground in a painful series of Vine Whip.

Valiantly, Dot executes a few more moments of desperate struggle, but with her insectoid abilities locked down from Weepinbell's earlier Gastro Acid, her natural powers don't seem to kick in. Angrily and painfully she executes another Bug Bite, this one managing to convince the Grass/Poison-type to relent, releasing your Ledian in an upwards swing as the vine retracts. This gives Dot enough time to ready herself, firing another Psybeam from the tips of her antenna, but her weariness is showing as the attack wavers slightly. Still, its aim manages to remain true, socking into Weepinbell as it dizzily recoils from the mental blast, spinning about before collapsing onto its back. From its completely aimless gaze and pooling acid saliva, it's rather distinct that the carnivorous pitcher is no longer capable of continuing the fight. Level up for Dot.

Tired but smiling, Dot flitters her way down to you, landing on your shoulders with her arms holding onto your neck. Patting her on her white hands, you opt to do the proceeding this time, leaving the fourth chamber behind as you run on, while making sure that Dot is safely supported on your back. It just takes a bit longer for you to reach the fifth riddling chamber, where a smiling Chansey is waiting.

"You've made it! I'm so happy for you!" she cheers, clapping her little hands together. "You must be exhausted after all those battles. Here!"

Picking up the egg in her pocket, she motions towards you to touch the white ellipsoidesque object, and as you do you feel a kindred warmth emanate from inside the egg, almost like the healing lights you would normally see in a Pokémon Centre. A surprised cry is heard from Dot, and when you turn to look at her you find that she seems to have recovered fully from her wounds and exhaustion.

"My Softboiled should have healed your team to full health," Chansey explains. "You'll need it to get through the rest of the battles! But to get through here, I need you to show me exactly what this tablet tells you to!"

Producing a small stony slab from behind her, Chansey passes the piece of rock to you, which upon first inspection appears completely blank but even as you watch, lines start to form on the smooth surface, almost as if they were responding to your contact...

Linked to the 127th one in deed, not by name but in sound.
A glare to lower the fence,
A speedy charge offence.
A skill to form a set,
A move we don't know yet.

Can you puzzle out what you need to do this time?

Dot raised her head before she brought it back down, biting into Weepinbell's vine. It took a little while for the grass-type to register that it had been bitten but once it had, it began to throttle Dot and smashed her against the ground with a Vine Whip.

Dot continued to struggle against the Weepingbell, waiting for her Swarm ability to kick in. But Weepinbell's earlier Gastro Acid had stopped it from working. Dot angrily bit down again, this time making Weepinbell let go of the Ledian, but still throwing her up as it did so. Doing this allowed Dot to ready herself, a Psybeam firing from her antennae. Her weariness showed when the attack wavered a little but the beam still managed to hit Weepinbell, making the grass-type recoil dizzily before it collapsed. Looking at the non-moving figure of Weepinbell, Karmas could tell that it wasn't going to be able to battle anymore.

A very tired but still smiling Dot flew down onto Karmas shoulder's and wrapped her arms around his neck. He patted her hands, deciding to let Dot rest on his shoulders while he walked. This time to get to the next chamber took a little longer than normal usual. Upon entering the chamber he saw a smiling Chansey.

"You've made it! I'm so happy for you!" she cheered, clapping her little hands together. "You must be exhausted after all those battles. Here!"

The Chansey picked up the egg from her pocket and motioned for Karmas to touch it. As Karmas did he felt a warmth from the egg and then he heard a surprised cry from Dot. Looking at his bug pokemon Karmas saw that she was fully healed.

"My Softboiled should have healed your team to full health," Chansey explained. "You'll need it to get through the rest of the battles! But to get through here, I need you to show me exactly what this tablet tells you to!"

Producing a small stony slab from behind her, Chansey passed the piece of rock to Karmas, which upon first inspection appeared completely blank but even as Karmas watched, lines started to form on the smooth surface, almost as if they were responding to Karmas' contact...

Linked to the 127th one in deed, not by name but in sound.
A glare to lower the fence,
A speedy charge offence.
A skill to form a set,
A move we don't know yet.

Karmas read the rock several times before he attempted to solve the riddle.

"Okay, I've thought about this for a while and the answer that I keep coming up with a Gliscor," said Karmas to Chansey.

After that Karmas gripped Dot's hand and wished that he was right.

[Shadowshocker]

Atlas City

The Market

Stark
Your words come frantic, and as she surmises the situation Luxray gives a low growl at the apparent sight of one of her comrades going renegade, but even the electric lion's Intimidate seems to have no distinct effect on Carolina or Houndour. If anything, the appearance of another of your Pokémon seems to arouse something stronger in your present opponents; the flames burning with greater intensity in their cloaked irises. In the blink of a second Carolina's eyelids arc into a frown, and instantly you feel your senses buzz like a Combee swarm on the rampage. Hearing another whisper you instinctively shield Lawrence from the expected assault, but as the series of Sludge Bombs fly at you Luxray activates her Light Screen technique, erecting a protective barrier against which the poisonous projectiles explode relatively harmlessly against.

"Ugh..." Clutching onto your hand for support, Lawrence barely manages to pull himself up to a supported lying position. "Lina... it's me, Lawrence... don't you recognise me? I... I'm here to help you..."

At Lawrence's pained pleading, you notice that Carolina's left eye seems to twitch for a moment -- or did it? It passed by so quickly you're not sure if it even happened. Taking a deep Howl that chills and unnerves you to the very bone, Houndour follows the technique with a bound in the air, and before Luxray can react accordingly the pawful of Rock Smash comes crashing down on Luxray's forehead. With a snarl, Luxray swings her head and tosses off Houndour, the latter performing a backflip and perfect three-point landing you've never seen her perform before.

"There's no doubt about it. Whatever we're facing, it's controlling the both of them," grimaces Lawrence. "I don't want to do this, but -- uargh!"

Falling onto his back, Lawrence cringes from the agony of his injuries, and it seems that with your ally currently indisposed, it's up to you to do the inevitable. Like it or not, unless you apprehend your friends, you're not going to get much farther at all...

The Isle of Talas

The Sphinx

Food Guy
You state what you believe to be the answer, and as Chansey's mouth extends into a shocked gape you realise with a sick lurch that somehow, you've quite likely erred in your judgement. The floor suddenly seems to give way beneath you, and before you know it you find yourself falling down a trapdoor; Dot clutching onto you for dear life and squealing as Chansey peers over the square gap you've gone through, her face quickly diminishing in size to the point that there's nothing around you but stone and darkness, with no apparent end in sight. Placing a hand on Dot's arm you feel panic hold you; what's going to happen now that you've failed in completing the set of tasks laid out for you?

The answer comes abruptly, when you least expect it, as the exit slide suddenly arcs along horizontally, and you spot what seems to be a rectangle of light. Accelerating onwards, you are overwhelmed by the brilliant shine, and before you realise that you've arrived outside you are unceremoniously dumped onto the sands with a solid thump. Wincing, you barely manage to pick yourself up when you notice the Sphinx's mouth closing with a stony, sliding noise: apparently the exit from which you fell, impossible as it seems.

"It is a pity, but it seems the challenges within were too much for you, young one," sighs the Sphinx before her voice recovers its majesty. "However, one should not let temporary adversity stand in the way of progress, Karmas. You will be permitted to enter the chambers again, but you must clear a full set of twelve tasks in addition to my own should you choose to do so, or you may opt to leave my grounds. In light of your accomplishments inside, so far, I reward thee."

From beneath the sand you're astonished to see a lumpy satchet lift up from beneath the silica, revealing itself to be a bag full of Soft Sand; your prize as apparent consolation for clearing four riddles out of twelve. Will you, though, choose to go again or opt to call it a day?

[Food Guy]

[center]

The Isle of Talas

The Sphinx

Food Guy
You state what you believe to be the answer, and as Chansey's mouth extends into a shocked gape you realise with a sick lurch that somehow, you've quite likely erred in your judgement. The floor suddenly seems to give way beneath you, and before you know it you find yourself falling down a trapdoor; Dot clutching onto you for dear life and squealing as Chansey peers over the square gap you've gone through, her face quickly diminishing in size to the point that there's nothing around you but stone and darkness, with no apparent end in sight. Placing a hand on Dot's arm you feel panic hold you; what's going to happen now that you've failed in completing the set of tasks laid out for you?

The answer comes abruptly, when you least expect it, as the exit slide suddenly arcs along horizontally, and you spot what seems to be a rectangle of light. Accelerating onwards, you are overwhelmed by the brilliant shine, and before you realise that you've arrived outside you are unceremoniously dumped onto the sands with a solid thump. Wincing, you barely manage to pick yourself up when you notice the Sphinx's mouth closing with a stony, sliding noise: apparently the exit from which you fell, impossible as it seems.

"It is a pity, but it seems the challenges within were too much for you, young one," sighs the Sphinx before her voice recovers its majesty. "However, one should not let temporary adversity stand in the way of progress, Karmas. You will be permitted to enter the chambers again, but you must clear a full set of twelve tasks in addition to my own should you choose to do so, or you may opt to leave my grounds. In light of your accomplishments inside, so far, I reward thee."

From beneath the sand you're astonished to see a lumpy satchet lift up from beneath the silica, revealing itself to be a bag full of Soft Sand; your prize as apparent consolation for clearing four riddles out of twelve. Will you, though, choose to go again or opt to call it a day?

As Karmas said his answer, Chansey's face turned into one of shock. Karmas looked at the pokemon for a couple of seconds before he realised that he must have answered wrong. The floor suddenly gave out from underneath the trainer's feet and he started falling down a trap door; Dot holding onto the trainer for dear life. As Karmas fell he started to panic as he wondered what was going to happen to him and his pokemon.

But his answer was answered as the hole became horizontal and Karmas saw a rectangle of light. As he accelerated towards the light, it became overwhelming and before he knew it, the trainer was dumped onto the sands with a solid thump. As Karmas picked himself up, he saw the Sphinx's rocky mouth close; which apparently was the exit in which Karmas had fallen out of.


"It is a pity, but it seems the challenges within were too much for you, young one," sighed the Sphinx before her voice recovered its majesty. "However, one should not let temporary adversity stand in the way of progress, Karmas. You will be permitted to enter the chambers again, but you must clear a full set of twelve tasks in addition to my own should you choose to do so, or you may opt to leave my grounds. In light of your accomplishments inside, so far, I reward thee."

Karmas watched in amazement as a lumpy sachet floated up out of the ground, revealing itself to be a bag of Soft Sand. Karmas took the bag and took one last look at the Sphinx and started to walk away with Dot by his side. He may have not been able to complete the Sphinx this time but one of these days Karmas would come back and make it into the centre of the Sphinx.

Thanks for the adventure Shadowshocker. I might return to Talas for an adventure at a later date, but for the moment I've had my fill of it.

[Treepandaone]

Whoo! Thanks to Tess (thanks tess) I am able to adventure. Thanks for taking me on Shadow.

The Lost Cities of Talas
The Lost City of Sobek

The first of the lost cities to have been unearthed, Sobek is the most extensively examined of the five known ancient civilisations. Despite the fact it's surrounded by desert, a thick, healthy layer of the greenest of grass has grown since Sobek was first uncovered. The dig site is extensive, and even though it is believed this city was the main agricultural centre of Ancient Talas, some of its areas raise questions as to what kind of rituals the people who once dwelt here may have performed. Here you will find many places of interest such as the Pokémon Centre, Research Lab and tourist stalls, as well as several interesting excavation sites to explore.

Areas:
Research Lab: Any fossils unearthed can be taken here for examination. Occasionally one of the professors may have a job opening, so if you're looking for something to do it can't hurt to swing by and see what's available.

Sat on a giant rock, the beginner trainer, Matthew Brown was having a rest from the days travels, flicking open his Pokédex in search of the map feature. Matthew looked down as the golden hub of the pokedex created a small glint as it refracted the sunlight, as he studied the map with great enjoyment. Noticing the flickering dot, Matthew followed the path with his finger as it lead to his preferred destination, nodding gently as he felt more confident about the journey.

Matthew looked at the path he was following, the broad road leading to Talas, the beginner trainer wondered what new adventures awaited him at his destination. Matthew had heard rumors about the area almost everywhere, consulting his Pokédex about its vast wealth of diverse cultures, habitats, people, and most importantly, Pokémon.

In his hood, a small white cloud-like creature slumbered away, basking in the warmth of the fluffy jumper on the cloudless day. Remembering back to the day that Matthew had received his casino prize and partner Pokémon as a Castform, he smiled as he looks upon the resting Pokemon. Now, it would be his partner Pokémon for this new journey to this new land of Talas.

Among the rumors that Matthew had heard, was that of a research lab, proficient in all kinds of rare and ancient pokémon, and the opportunity of a job, even just for a day would give him a great feeling of satisfaction and development. Awaking in the commotion, Castform sluggishly got up and begun to move toward Matthew’s shoulder to see what was so amazing. Not seeing the weather Pokémon on the move, Matthew’s hand trod extremely close to Castform's body, trying to wake it, but a quick nuzzle from Castform informed Matthew that he was already up. Matthew scratched the back of Castform’s neck, the small weather pokémon rubbing back as the cool breeze swirling his hair.

Noting his Pokémon was awake, Matthew quickly scrambled down the rock, jumping back onto the open road as dust rose in a bombshell effect at the trainer’s heavy landing. As the dust settled, Matthew stuck out his chest, took a deep breath, and set off once more. Matthew took in the sights and the sounds of the new place, as he set off once more with promise of exploration and adventure from the ancient land.

[Shadowshocker]

A couple things to mention: With their states of sheer inactivity, the adventure of LordAndrew has been discontinued, and the same will apply for ZoraJolteon without a new reply in a week. On a lighter note, Here's welcoming Treepandaone, the newest member to set foot in the Cities of Talas!

The Lost City of Sobek

Research Lab

Treepandaone
Trekking along the sands you and Nimbus head for your intended destination: the Lost City of Sobek where scientists researching the ancient civilsation have set up a considerable base of operations, almost as if it had the aim of usurping the present-day city of Atlas in function. Sand makes an abrupt break into patches of grass, and noting this change you briefly gaze behind you in wonderment at the change in terrain. Heading further into the green landscape, tents of other Trainers camping out can be seen, before you spot the looming figures of several establishments constructed out of brick and steel; the ever-familiar Pokémon Centre with its ever-familiar logo, some shops selling Trainer supplies and trinkets probably designed according to Sobek fashion. The building of your interest, though, lies a distance away from several deep trenches ahead cut out for excavation: the Research Laboratory, where perhaps you might find some profitable experience. Beckoning to your Castform, you proceed towards the scientific establishment; the crystal-clear doors sliding open upon sensing your presence.

A fresh, inviting wave of air-conditioning greets you as you step onto polished tiles, and you instantly gaze about in wonderment at the laboratory's interior. Pipes and chambers softly glow with stasis liquid flowing inside them while a plethora of processors hum and whiz in their endless calculations. Impressive sets of chemistry and observational equipment lie across the shiny workstations, alongside personal computers you're sure are nothing less than the latest models. What somewhat surprises you, though, is the apparent lack of personnel manning their stations, but as you move deeper amongst the desks you spot a solitary figure working at what appears to be an electronic microscope uplinked to a computer.

"Hmmm... Aha... But... hmmm." The figure mutters to himself, deeply engrossed at whatever it is he's viewing through his eyepiece, and it isn't until you and Nimbus are but two metres next to him that he detects that he isn't alone.

"Whoa!" Jumping slightly at the sight of you, the dark-haired young man nearly flings his glasses off in surprise before he coughs and manages to compose himself. "Ah, a Trainer! I wasn't expecting anyone to be around at this time, but it seems that I've come across a problem and could use the help. I'm Glenn, by the way -- Glenn Nade," he introduces, shaking you by the hand.

"I think it goes without saying you know what we do here at the Sobek Research Lab," Glenn continues. "Recently, I've had a couple of acquaintances -- rather, close friends of mine, working for another company based far away from here -- send me some samples of a peculiar mineral, which I've been studying. According to them, even the slightest amounts of this mineral could instantly replicate the DNA of Pokémon at exceedingly fast rates, causing growth spurts and sharp increases in a Pokémon's aptitude, even reanimating ancient fossils.

"Of course, this is all extremely revolutionary information, more so since my friends told me that they had, in fact, witnessed the mineral's properties in action -- the trouble was, it caused giant Pokémon rampages in the wildlife there, and there were various incidents. As a matter of fact, they're still clearing things up after the last major incident," he adds, tugging his collar a little, "Which is why they've asked me to help out in furthering research on the strange crystalline minerals." Standing aside, Glenn offers you a look into the eyepiece, through which you see beautiful fragments of the mineral; each with the appearance of pure, gleaming ice, almost exuding a faint aura of their own.

"Unfortunately, we don't have any fossil samples left we can experiment on. The message my friends gave me stated that overexposure to the crystal could result in disastrous consequences, and it is therefore imperative we experiment on fossil DNA. Trouble is, we don't have any left and the others have gone for a field study, leaving me behind to man the labs," sighs Glenn. "This is where I'd like you to come in, Trainer, if you're not minding. I need you to go into the grounds of Sobek and see if you can't find any fossils to bring back. What do you say?"

Indeed; what do you say?

[Shadowshocker]

The Lost City of Axal

The Celestial Temple

ZoraJolteon
Juggling several options in your head you eventually decide on slowing Suruta down for an opportunity to let the damage really fly, and Myria promptly responds as he spins up a mass of Cotton Spore; the small cloud soon turning into a sizeable miasma. The flurry of puffy seeds manages to catch the statue as he comes, and you hear a confused thundering of hooves as the entire of the Tauros statue is enveloped in the floating mess of plant particles -- a considerably impressive accomplishment for Myria, considering the difference in size. A loud bellow follows a series of frustrated snorts, before Suruta eventually is seen bursting from the surrounding spores; his head bowed in a blind Horn Attack, missing your Roselia by metres. A CRUNCH fills the air as the momentum drives him hornfirst into stone, and by the sounds of his pawing and snorting it becomes apparent that the Bull has jammed himself solidly in the chamber's walls.

Noting this tactical opening Myria raises his thorned head while lowering his floral arms, and as he does so blips of botanic power start rising out of nowhere around him; more forming and rising in erratic spirals as the seconds tick by, swirling together in a pretty display yet blazing with devastating potential. With a flourish of his flowers, Myria sends the Leaf Storm spiralling towards Suruta, filling the room with a whoosh of wind as the Wild Bull's behind is peppered with the Grass-type squall. Violently, Suruta Thrashes about from the pain in his backside, and you hear the sound of crumbling as Suruta wrenches himself from the wall, tearing out chunks of stone in the process. You watch the glaring eyes now burn with visible bloodlust as the hooves pound the floor dangerously, and turning to Myria you notice him panting; the technique having notably drained a fraction of his attack capabilities.

What will you do now?

[Treepandaone]

The Lost City of Sobek

Research Lab

Treepandaone
Trekking along the sands you and Nimbus head for your intended destination: the Lost City of Sobek where scientists researching the ancient civilsation have set up a considerable base of operations, almost as if it had the aim of usurping the present-day city of Atlas in function. Sand makes an abrupt break into patches of grass, and noting this change you briefly gaze behind you in wonderment at the change in terrain. Heading further into the green landscape, tents of other Trainers camping out can be seen, before you spot the looming figures of several establishments constructed out of brick and steel; the ever-familiar Pokémon Centre with its ever-familiar logo, some shops selling Trainer supplies and trinkets probably designed according to Sobek fashion. The building of your interest, though, lies a distance away from several deep trenches ahead cut out for excavation: the Research Laboratory, where perhaps you might find some profitable experience. Beckoning to your Castform, you proceed towards the scientific establishment; the crystal-clear doors sliding open upon sensing your presence.

A fresh, inviting wave of air-conditioning greets you as you step onto polished tiles, and you instantly gaze about in wonderment at the laboratory's interior. Pipes and chambers softly glow with stasis liquid flowing inside them while a plethora of processors hum and whiz in their endless calculations. Impressive sets of chemistry and observational equipment lie across the shiny workstations, alongside personal computers you're sure are nothing less than the latest models. What somewhat surprises you, though, is the apparent lack of personnel manning their stations, but as you move deeper amongst the desks you spot a solitary figure working at what appears to be an electronic microscope uplinked to a computer.

"Hmmm... Aha... But... hmmm." The figure mutters to himself, deeply engrossed at whatever it is he's viewing through his eyepiece, and it isn't until you and Nimbus are but two metres next to him that he detects that he isn't alone.

"Whoa!" Jumping slightly at the sight of you, the dark-haired young man nearly flings his glasses off in surprise before he coughs and manages to compose himself. "Ah, a Trainer! I wasn't expecting anyone to be around at this time, but it seems that I've come across a problem and could use the help. I'm Glenn, by the way -- Glenn Nade," he introduces, shaking you by the hand.

"I think it goes without saying you know what we do here at the Sobek Research Lab," Glenn continues. "Recently, I've had a couple of acquaintances -- rather, close friends of mine, working for another company based far away from here -- send me some samples of a peculiar mineral, which I've been studying. According to them, even the slightest amounts of this mineral could instantly replicate the DNA of Pokémon at exceedingly fast rates, causing growth spurts and sharp increases in a Pokémon's aptitude, even reanimating ancient fossils.

"Of course, this is all extremely revolutionary information, more so since my friends told me that they had, in fact, witnessed the mineral's properties in action -- the trouble was, it caused giant Pokémon rampages in the wildlife there, and there were various incidents. As a matter of fact, they're still clearing things up after the last major incident," he adds, tugging his collar a little, "Which is why they've asked me to help out in furthering research on the strange crystalline minerals." Standing aside, Glenn offers you a look into the eyepiece, through which you see beautiful fragments of the mineral; each with the appearance of pure, gleaming ice, almost exuding a faint aura of their own.

"Unfortunately, we don't have any fossil samples left we can experiment on. The message my friends gave me stated that overexposure to the crystal could result in disastrous consequences, and it is therefore imperative we experiment on fossil DNA. Trouble is, we don't have any left and the others have gone for a field study, leaving me behind to man the labs," sighs Glenn. "This is where I'd like you to come in, Trainer, if you're not minding. I need you to go into the grounds of Sobek and see if you can't find any fossils to bring back. What do you say?"

Indeed; what do you say?

Matthew carried Nimbus in his arms as he set off for the lost city of Sobek, the sands underneath his feet were soft, depressed under his feet. The forest area was a vibrant place, colour streaming off in every direction from the old and the new, trees combined as Matthew gasped in awe at the old lands, how persevered it was in beauty. Matthew looked on ahead once more, no sign of the scientists home appeared apparent but the feeling was there, his heart quickening at the thought of the research conducted on the ancient city. As Matthew looked down, he saw the sand quickly change to green, lush grass, the change in scenery fascinating him, the terrain able to change in an instant had his mind in wonderment, the technological advances of what they could do filled his mind. Shaking the thoughts quickly, Matthew headed further into the terrain, he noticed the tents of other Pokémon trainers had him jolt still, wondering if he should take time out to have a couple of quick battles. As he stood there, he felt nimbus break from his arms, pulling him gently away from the trainers, the small weather pokémon more interested in the cities research facilities. Chuckling, Matthew conformed to the Pokémon’s will as he set off once more, the looming steel of the familiar Pokémon center passing him by. Walking further he saw the Marketplace, one of the points of interest he thought of going to as the shops selling trinkets designed according to Sobek fashion. Ignoring it from fear of distraction, Matthew looked far ahead, the research facility lying deep near trenches cut for excavation.

As Matthew arrived at the research facility, he found the crystal clear doors slide open at his arrival, Castform zipping around his head in excitement. Matthew stepped through the doors, a wave a of cold air refreshing relief from the boiling outside welcoming him as he stepped further inside the research facility, the polished tiles gleaming. Looking around, Matthew gasped, the interior a haven science, Pipes and chambers softly glowing as the stasis liquid flowed from within. Glancing through the facility once more, Matthew was greeted by Impressive sets of chemistry and observational equipment, each being the latest and best of their respective brands, but as Matthew looked harder, he was surprised at the lack of people there, wondering through the lab until he saw one solitary figure working, an electronic microscope uplinked to a computer.

"Hmmm... Aha... But... hmmm."

Matthew approached the man, completely unaware of his presence until he and nimbus stood a few meters away from him, the man appearing deeply engrossed in his work. As he looked up, Matthew’s eyes widened in shock as the man jumped. Matthew noticed the dark haired man nearly fling off his glasses in surprise, the young man coughing and composing himself as Matthew smiled.

"Ah, a Trainer! I wasn't expecting anyone to be around at this time, but it seems that I've come across a problem and could use the help. I'm Glenn, by the way -- Glenn Nade,"Matthew beamed at the man, shaking his hand as he looked further at the scientists abode

“I’m Matthew. Matthew Brown.” Matthew said, introducing himself.

"I think it goes without saying you know what we do here at the Sobek Research Lab," the man continued, Matthew nodding in understaning. “Recently, I've had a couple of acquaintances -- rather, close friends of mine, working for another company based far away from here -- send me some samples of a peculiar mineral, which I've been studying. According to them, even the slightest amounts of this mineral could instantly replicate the DNA of Pokémon at exceedingly fast rates, causing growth spurts and sharp increases in a Pokémon's aptitude, even reanimating ancient fossils.” Matthew nodded once more, his mind wondering off to imagine the fossil Pokémon, snapping back into reality as the man continued.

"Of course, this is all extremely revolutionary information, more so since my friends told me that they had, in fact, witnessed the mineral's properties in action -- the trouble was, it caused giant Pokémon rampages in the wildlife there, and there were various incidents. As a matter of fact, they're still clearing things up after the last major incident," Matthew’s eyes widened, the thought of that much Power in a pokémon fascinated him. "Which is why they've asked me to help out in furthering research on the strange crystalline minerals."

Matthew nodded as Glen offered him a look in the microscope. Bending down, Matthew looked in awe at the fragments of the mineral, the gleam and natural beauty protruding from something as simple as he saw the pure gleaming ice characteristics of the mineral almost produce a faint aura.

"Unfortunately, we don't have any fossil samples left we can experiment on. The message my friends gave me stated that overexposure to the crystal could result in disastrous consequences, and it is therefore imperative we experiment on fossil DNA. Trouble is, we don't have any left and the others have gone for a field study, leaving me behind to man the labs," Matthew saw the man sign, stroking his beard as the thought of the men leaving filled his questions as why there we so few people. "This is where I'd like you to come in, Trainer, if you're not minding. I need you to go into the grounds of Sobek and see if you can't find any fossils to bring back. What do you say?"

Matthew’s eyes widened once more, nodding as he thought of the help he would be giving.

“I would be glad to help”

Grabbing a Pokéball from his belt he looked down. Running toward the doors, Matthew felt the crystal slide open once more as he threw his Pokéball into the open space, his Rhyhorn bursting out of the Pokéball with a massive roar, stretching his muscles before looking at his trainer.

“Ok Rhyhorn. We’re going to sobek to find some fossils!”

Jumping on Rhyhorn’s back, Matthew felt Nimbus settle in his hood, the warm fluff of the cotton being the perfect place for the weather pokémon. With that, Matthew set off, the gentle thump of Rhyhorn’s feet stamping on the floor.

[ZoraJolteon]

The Lost City of Axal

The Celestial Temple

ZoraJolteon
Juggling several options in your head you eventually decide on slowing Suruta down for an opportunity to let the damage really fly, and Myria promptly responds as he spins up a mass of Cotton Spore; the small cloud soon turning into a sizeable miasma. The flurry of puffy seeds manages to catch the statue as he comes, and you hear a confused thundering of hooves as the entire of the Tauros statue is enveloped in the floating mess of plant particles -- a considerably impressive accomplishment for Myria, considering the difference in size. A loud bellow follows a series of frustrated snorts, before Suruta eventually is seen bursting from the surrounding spores; his head bowed in a blind Horn Attack, missing your Roselia by metres. A CRUNCH fills the air as the momentum drives him hornfirst into stone, and by the sounds of his pawing and snorting it becomes apparent that the Bull has jammed himself solidly in the chamber's walls.

Noting this tactical opening Myria raises his thorned head while lowering his floral arms, and as he does so blips of botanic power start rising out of nowhere around him; more forming and rising in erratic spirals as the seconds tick by, swirling together in a pretty display yet blazing with devastating potential. With a flourish of his flowers, Myria sends the Leaf Storm spiralling towards Suruta, filling the room with a whoosh of wind as the Wild Bull's behind is peppered with the Grass-type squall. Violently, Suruta Thrashes about from the pain in his backside, and you hear the sound of crumbling as Suruta wrenches himself from the wall, tearing out chunks of stone in the process. You watch the glaring eyes now burn with visible bloodlust as the hooves pound the floor dangerously, and turning to Myria you notice him panting; the technique having notably drained a fraction of his attack capabilities.

What will you do now?

"Nice going Myria!" Zora congratulated his Pokémon, impressed with the significant damage he had inflicted upon the opposition. "Okey dokey then." he continued, having already taken the time to fully think through his next set of attacks following the rather impulsive decision to carve away his companion's stats with that Leaf Storm technique. "Your Special Attack might have dropped, but we've got a new trick up your sleeve to handle that. Pump yourself up with a Swords Dance, then let rip with some Seed Bombs!"

[Shadowshocker]

The Lost City of Sobek

Research Lab

Treepandaone
"Oh, wait! Hold up!" Just as Rhydon nearly brings you out of the laboratory, the frantic cries of Glenn catch your attention in time for you to turn around, noting the scientist running towards you.

"I think you ought to know," Glenn continues breathlessly, "I'm afraid it's not quite proper or safe to go about Sobek willy-nilly. There are some locations where excavation is still ongoing and are sealed off to the public, and other parts that haven't yet been explored and might be life-threatening.

"Theoretically, however, there are a couple of places that could prove promising. Farity's Pond was mentioned by some archives to be the resting place where the goddess Farity watched over extinct Pokémon who fell in an ancient plague. It's likely a myth, although preliminary tests have found traces of fossil in the water -- if you have a Pokémon who can use Dive, it might prove a worthy experience," suggests Glenn. "The other place I'd recommend would be the Colosseum. Chances are, there'll be remains of ancient Pokémon there from those times, although you're not so likely to find intact specimens; those would be most preferable. The place has also been reported to be home to some of the most feral of local Pokémon, but it's still an option above..." At this, you notice Glenn shudder, and the scientist's subsequent silence gives you the idea that if another choice exists, it's not somewhere you'd be advised to try.

"Well, Matthew, that's the best of what I can tell you. Good luck; I hope to hear from you soon," he smiles, as Rhyperbeam turns to transport you out of the laboratory. With the ground shaking slightly as Rhyperbeam stomps onto the grass, you feel the sunlight beat down onto your sleeves while you ponder where you'd stand the best chance of fulfilling your mission requirements. As it is, a handy signpost in a bit of clearing ahead indicates in brightly yet neatly painted arrows the directions to the various locations in present-day Sobek: Farity's Pond, Farity's Shrine, the Colosseum, and Caiman's Temple.

Where will you choose to go?

The Lost City of Axal

The Celestial Temple

ZoraJolteon
Opting to go for another approach so as to factor in Myria's lowered special attack statistics, you issue fresh orders to your shiny Roselia who nods in response. Bringing up his arms gracefully he starts a Swords Dance, and though one might not have realised it simply by looking at the balletesque display Myria feels the power flowing through him. In this time, though, Suruta comes charging as the period of Thrash continues, and while the both of you manage to sidestep the attack as the statue thunders by Myria still gets stomped underhoof in the Tauros' blind flailing.

Tottering from the heavy impact as Suruta ends up slamming into the wall again, Myria tries his best to right himself before swinging his flowers about, power accumulating in them as he does so. Leaping into the air Myria launches his Seed Bombs; the barrage of botanic explosives ripping free from the red and blue petals, raining damage unto the reanimated monument. Much to your surprise Suruta shakes his head, pummeling his horns against the bit of wall he last landed himself in, and you soon realise that the confusion after-effect of Thrash must be kicking in. With the damage you've been doing, this might be the opportunity you need to end this battle...

[Treepandaone]

The Lost City of Sobek

Research Lab

Treepandaone
"Oh, wait! Hold up!" Just as Rhydon nearly brings you out of the laboratory, the frantic cries of Glenn catch your attention in time for you to turn around, noting the scientist running towards you.

"I think you ought to know," Glenn continues breathlessly, "I'm afraid it's not quite proper or safe to go about Sobek willy-nilly. There are some locations where excavation is still ongoing and are sealed off to the public, and other parts that haven't yet been explored and might be life-threatening.

"Theoretically, however, there are a couple of places that could prove promising. Farity's Pond was mentioned by some archives to be the resting place where the goddess Farity watched over extinct Pokémon who fell in an ancient plague. It's likely a myth, although preliminary tests have found traces of fossil in the water -- if you have a Pokémon who can use Dive, it might prove a worthy experience," suggests Glenn. "The other place I'd recommend would be the Colosseum. Chances are, there'll be remains of ancient Pokémon there from those times, although you're not so likely to find intact specimens; those would be most preferable. The place has also been reported to be home to some of the most feral of local Pokémon, but it's still an option above..." At this, you notice Glenn shudder, and the scientist's subsequent silence gives you the idea that if another choice exists, it's not somewhere you'd be advised to try.

"Well, Matthew, that's the best of what I can tell you. Good luck; I hope to hear from you soon," he smiles, as Rhyperbeam turns to transport you out of the laboratory. With the ground shaking slightly as Rhyperbeam stomps onto the grass, you feel the sunlight beat down onto your sleeves while you ponder where you'd stand the best chance of fulfilling your mission requirements. As it is, a handy signpost in a bit of clearing ahead indicates in brightly yet neatly painted arrows the directions to the various locations in present-day Sobek: Farity's Pond, Farity's Shrine, the Colosseum, and Caiman's Temple.

Where will you choose to go?

"Oh, wait! Hold up!"

As Matthew climbed aboard his Pokémon he was stopped just before going out of the door, turning around in surprise, Matthew found himself face-to-face with the scientist once more. Tilting his head in wonder, Matthew proceeded to give the floor to the man, the flustered look on his face becoming quite concerning for the trainer.

"I think you ought to know," Matthew looked at Glen on the edge of his seat, the news important. "I'm afraid it's not quite proper or safe to go about Sobek willy-nilly. There are some locations where excavation is still ongoing and are sealed off to the public, and other parts that haven't yet been explored and might be life-threatening.” Matthew’s face fell at the news, forgetting all about the Pokémon’s rampage had limited his places to go as he stroked his beard.

"Theoretically, however, there are a couple of places that could prove promising. Farity's Pond was mentioned by some archives to be the resting place where the goddess Farity watched over extinct Pokémon who fell in an ancient plague. It's likely a myth, although preliminary tests have found traces of fossil in the water -- if you have a Pokémon who can use Dive, it might prove a worthy experience,"

Matthew looked down at his belt, each Pokéball holding one of his team members but under inspection he shook his head, with no water pokémon present on his team meant he couldn’t dive down to the deep depths. Thinking for a second, Matthew decided that the Farity Pond seemed out of the equation. Looking back with an awkard smile, Matthew noted for the scientist to continue.

"The other place I'd recommend would be the Colosseum. Chances are, there'll be remains of ancient Pokémon there from those times, although you're not so likely to find intact specimens; those would be most preferable. The place has also been reported to be home to some of the most feral of local Pokémon, but it's still an option above..."

As the scientist shuddered, he saw there was another choice, but the acquisition shown had Matthew curious. Twiddling his thumbs he tapped his head gently, thinking between the two thoughts before looking down, his Pokémon his most prized companions, their life being too risky to try the third suggestion, the option too explainable for words.

“We’ll go to the Colosseum!” Matthew said, tapping on Rhyhorn’s head as he felt the rock pokémon jerk forward, ready to leave.

"Well, Matthew, that's the best of what I can tell you. Good luck; I hope to hear from you soon," Matthew looked at the scientist as he departed, the large rock giant’s feet stomping on the grassy landscape as he felt the sunlight beat down on him, pondering on the mission success.

[Shadowshocker]

The Lost City of Sobek

Research Lab

Treepandaone
Going in the direction of the Colosseum indicated by the respective arrow, Rhyperbeam trudges on bringing you and Nimbus steps closer to your selected destination. As you move on in the blazing sunlight beating down on you, you notice that as you advance the grass seems to thin out, and by the time the Laboratory is almost out of sight the vegetation has given way to dust and rock.

A good ten minutes of tank-like, yet steady trekking onwards later, you see the looming Colosseum -- a structure about three generic storeys high, surrounded by doorways and stairwells guarded with pillars; half of the ancient structure having apparently collapsed from the ravages of time, leaving behind a gap in the building that looks like a giant took a bite out of it. Dismounting from Rhyperbeam, you lead the path ahead into one of the many archways, moving into the abandoned sands of the arena floor. While the shifting silica betrays little of the vicious, violent past, having shifted for countless times over the years, you can still see the scars and stains on the crumbling walls, almost screaming out in petrified, silent agony as you look around the landscape.

Before you can do much else, however, you hear a furious rattling of chains, followed by an explosion of dust and rock ahead as something busts through one of the ancient hatches. A Machamp, bearing festering wounds and deep gashes, howls at you with a look of distinct pain and anger before charging...

[Treepandaone]

The Lost City of Sobek

Research Lab

Treepandaone
Going in the direction of the Colosseum indicated by the respective arrow, Rhyperbeam trudges on bringing you and Nimbus steps closer to your selected destination. As you move on in the blazing sunlight beating down on you, you notice that as you advance the grass seems to thin out, and by the time the Laboratory is almost out of sight the vegetation has given way to dust and rock.

A good ten minutes of tank-like, yet steady trekking onwards later, you see the looming Colosseum -- a structure about three generic storeys high, surrounded by doorways and stairwells guarded with pillars; half of the ancient structure having apparently collapsed from the ravages of time, leaving behind a gap in the building that looks like a giant took a bite out of it. Dismounting from Rhyperbeam, you lead the path ahead into one of the many archways, moving into the abandoned sands of the arena floor. While the shifting silica betrays little of the vicious, violent past, having shifted for countless times over the years, you can still see the scars and stains on the crumbling walls, almost screaming out in petrified, silent agony as you look around the landscape.

Before you can do much else, however, you hear a furious rattling of chains, followed by an explosion of dust and rock ahead as something busts through one of the ancient hatches. A Machamp, bearing festering wounds and deep gashes, howls at you with a look of distinct pain and anger before charging...

As Matthew stopped at the arrows, he found himself perplexed as to which direction he should take, with the words of the scientist still ringing in his ears, he chose the coliseum, with the rumors of strong pokémon not only firing up his appetite for adventure but also sending a slight tingle down his spine. As he head toward the path he lost himself in thought, the hypnotic pounding of the rock giants feet fueling his passion, the pokémon on the brink of evolution as Matthew remembered the Pokédex entry for evolving. Matthew leaned back, forgetting the Castform in his hood as he sat up instantly at the thought before finding the weather Pokémon bustled in his lap, chuckling at the situation and stroking Castform. Withdrawing a Pokéball from his belt, Matthew clicked the middle button, the ball enlarging in his hand before swallowing Nimbus.

“I may call upon you later my friend, but until then, rest safely.”

As the journey continued, Matthew looked around at his surroundings, the lush, rolling plains of grass thinning out as the laboratory’s view grew deeper and deeper from sight, the haven of technology seemingly vanished from the picture as he became more surrounded with nature, its glorious appearance overflowing in the outer reaches of Sobek, the bubbling atmosphere amplified by the reincarnation of the lost cities into a wondrous, admirable sanctum for all things green and silver, merging steel with plants. As the minutes wore on, Matthew found the green disappear slowly to make way for dust and rock, the feeling itself giving him little imagination to compare against as the adventure continued.

Matthew jolted upright, the journey nearing complete as he found his eyes adjusting to the setting, the tank like walking had forced him into a small nap on the rock Pokémon’s back as he felt rejuvenated by the short rest. Rubbing his eyes gently and stretching, Matthew looked ahead as the coliseum loomed into view, the three generic stories of rock and stone imposing its dominance as even its study walls, doorways and pillars unable to beat time itself as the ravages of age see the coliseum broken and bruised, Matthew tilting his head in such a position it looked like a giant bite had been taken out of it.

Dismounting his Pokémon, Matthew rubbed the rocky exterior of RhyperBeam, the pokémon having done a good job of escorting the trainer to his destination as he smiled, still looking round at the coliseum before spotting a path. Following it, Matthew found it lead up to one of the many archways of the old and broken building, moving to the abandoned sands of the coliseum floor, the rumours of a violent and bloody past seemingly apparent from the shifting over the countless years that proceed it, the scars and stains on the crumbling walls still apparent after the long years. Before he could do much else, however, Matthew suddenly heard the rustling of chains. Standing dead still he felt his ears prick up as he turned to face the origin before suddenly shielding his face as an explosion of rock surrounded him, the noise so loud forcing Matthew to cover his ears with his free hand. Composing himself back to his position, Matthew stared at a Machamp, the Pokémon bearing wounds and gashes of horrible deceit as it howled. Matthew’s eyes widened as the Machamp began to charge as Matthew looked to Rhyhorn for his support.

“Rhyhorn, trip him up with an Earthquake, his momentum should allow you to get in a Mega Kick. After that, try a Submission.”

Matthew shuddered at the thought of unnecessary violence as he turned to the Machamp.

“Machamp, stop. We are only here to collect fossils. I can help you, I have healing aids with me.”