The Lost Cities of Talas - The Archaeology Zone

[Pengyzu]

The Lost Cities of Talas
The Archaeology Zone

Long since buried beneath the desert sands, the lost city of Sobek was discovered after a ferocious sandstorm uncovered part of an ancient abode. When archaeologists heard of the discovery they flocked from all over the world to examine the area, eventually unearthing several more vicinities in which the ruined remains of ancient civilisations have been laying undisturbed for thousands of years. Portions of the strange writings and hieroglyphs discovered in these lost cities have been translated, fuelling speculation that the entire island of Talas is somehow tied in with the heavens. Items, carvings, texts, as well as some rather unsettling discoveries and mysterious events have helped to cement these theories in the minds of some, while others dismiss them as fantasy. Each of the cities are believed to be connected to the others somehow, but there are still missing pieces of a much larger puzzle to be found, leading scholars to believe that there are more cities that have yet to be discovered. Talas has now become a popular archaeological site which attracts scientists, scholars, tourists, and trainers from across the globe.

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:
Farity's Pond: A large freshwater pond in the centre of the city. How it has miraculously filled with water is still a mystery, some saying Farity herself has imbued it with life. A statue of the Goddess rises from its centre, a Feraligatr, Croconaw, and Totodile protectively surrounding their mistress. The fresh, cool water attracts many wild Pokémon, while people visiting or working in the area like to submerge themselves to cool off under the harsh, desert sun.

A young boy trudges through the streets of the lost city as he wipes off some sweat off of his forehead. "Still hot as always... When I came here, I didn't expect it to be THIS hot"

"Well what did you expect from a desert?" exclaimed telepathically by the Ralts.

"Sorry! I was just looking for places to catch some Pokemon. The problems don't stop there though, we're running out of water as well. I knew I should have brought a bigger jug in a desert." replied the boy with an indifferent tone.

The trainer decides to keep walking towards the site of the supposed, pond of a goddess. His faithful partner decides to catch up to its trainer.

...

The sun is beating down the travelers. They look significantly tired and pale. Their movement starting to slow down as sweats run down their faces. Not a single wind blew, but every time it DID blow. It blew warm and dry air, only making people unaccustomed to the desert even more uncomfortable. The duo exchange glances as a mirage-like view appears.

"Is that the pond I see?!" shouted the trainer. "Oh boy! We're so close to having a fun adventures, I can feel it! Come on! First one there is a rotten egg!"

Tourists stare at the two as they reach the pond.

"What are you guys looking at? I'm just having a nice conversation and game with my Pokemon, anything wrong with that?"

The tourists looked away with that response. "He must be loco," whispered one of them.

[John's Knight]

Finally, here are some updates. Everyone who has posted on Talas is in my group. Now, remembering some of the rules, and stating a few others:

• Please remember to reply with font size 1, in Dark Orange
• Always keep a link to your FB profile in signature (and obviously, that means you need to show the signature), or in your post.
• If you're on a battle, please bold your attacks to make it easier to read. I'm comfortable with 3 attacks per round.

Now let's go.


Rotom310 (note: your intro post was very good, except for a very small part - “he spotted a few other cars around”. You made sure no one was other luckily, but that bit is self-updating, since you yourself added elements to the scene. A very minor element, obviously, but just wanted to point it out ^-^)

The ruins of the Sovereign Valley were certainly famous, many of its riches already on display on the Atlas Museum and several others, their exhibitions gathering hundreds and some even thousands of both experts and laymen. “Many of its riches”, you ask? Well, some speculate that there are still several hidden chambers in this vast maze of catacombs – and following the archaeologist tradition, the better hidden it is, the more valuable its contents. These were unfortunately very well hidden – no new discovery had been made in the last two years. Even the most modern technology could not pinpoint any new chamber, and fewer and fewer archaeologists were ‘wasting’ their time there. Were they wrong? Had they discovered everything there was to be found? Or were you the one who would discover something new, something exciting? Time would soon tell.

Korvéo was the first to enter the catacombs, believing to have seen something shiny in there. You quickly follow suit, finding no one in the first chambers you visit, although there are signs of them being recently visited. The Murkrow seemed a tad disappointed, nothing shiny was in sight, that had probably been the sun reflection on a more polished stone or something. As you continue your tour, you couldn’t help but notice some interesting paintings in a small chamber, although in a worn-out state. Time goes by indeed. It appeared to depict a population, both human and pokemon (a well-restored Claydol made that clear), and pictograms of their houses surrounding a bigger building, the king’s palace most likely! Certainly beautiful, but much was to be done if they were to return to their former glory. “Krow!” you hear Korvéo, spotting a small golden coin on the floor nearby. As he flew forward to pick it up however, something spherical rapidly slammed into him, pushing him to the ground. The creature soon revealed itself to be a Sandshrew, the mouse pokemon glaring at you. Your presence was clearly unwanted. “Shrew!” you hear, turning around to find another mouse standing at the door, and it didn’t look like it was going to let you go either.

What will you do?


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Flame Mistress (note: this might be nitpicking, but although the description of the zone mentions that ‘terrifying screams of those long since departed can be heard echoing’, the way you mentioned that scream from out of nowhere sounds like self-updating, at least for me. Again, might be nitpicking, but nevertheless be careful about not adding elements to an environment, and you’ll be fine ^-^ )

As you set foot into the Sun Temple, the rumors regarding eerie and frightening screams that echo throughout the maze of halls, terrifying whoever deems itself brave enough to hear them suddenly rush through your mind, you even thought you yourself had heard one of them seconds ago! That was probably the wind, you quickly think, discarding whatever evil force might or might not exist there. Gulping your fears, or at least trying to do so, you continue walking through the temple, slowly taking each step towards the top. Although a few more to go, you can easily see the old altar where supposedly many sacrifices had been made to the gods, and old stains of the departed’s blood could be unfortunately seen, making one wonder of what history revolved around it. The rest of the temple seemed particularly well restored, its white and imposing columns ‘paving’ the way to its center altar. However, rumor has it that no chemical whatsoever managed to clean away any of the blood spots on the altar – either that, or no one scrubbed it away efficiently.

What catches your eye next was something you were not expecting to see - a small red (somewhat… viscous?) liquid, slowly oozing down each step. You follow the red trail with your eyes – it came from the altar… Decreasing your speed by half, you continue moving forward, your vision beginning to spot something on top of the altar. What – or who – was it?

Once you saw it, you immediately moved your head away from it, covering your Vulpix’s eyes. Although you just looked for a second, the image was unfortunately clear in your head: there lied a girl whose blonde hair and white simple robe were stained red, her cold, blue eyes gazing at the infinite horizon. A darker hue surrounds a small rip on her clothes, right about the middle of her abdomen. Had she been…stabbed?

“We have a guest!” you suddenly hear. Behind you stood a man with strangely ornamented robes, a mask on his head, heading towards you, quickly taking each step. Your disgusted look did not escape his eyes, and almost as if answering you, he said “Do not worry, for she did not suffer!” His fingers now running through her beautiful hair, he exclaims “She was but a small sacrifice to our God of Sun, the blazing Faros! It was a great honor!”

“But now, we shall see if it was meaningful or not to our God!” Lifting his arms, he claimed to the skies “Come forth!” Above him, a solar-like object materialized, the Solrock’s eyes glowing an angry red. “Let this sacrifice grant us power! Power to strike down those who oppose you!” he shouts, before looking down upon you. “…But you’ll have to do for the time being. Solrock, let’s see if Faros was pleased with our sacrifice and granted us more power.”

Pointing towards you, he orders “Eliminate these peasants.”

What will you do?


----------


King Ghidorah
Quickly defending his trainer, your Krabby seemed ready to battle as well. The Buizel gives a quick glance at your pokemon, although it doesn’t seem to think highly of your starter friend. Surely, you would make him regret its rash judgment. Calling out to your crab pokemon, he quickly starts by shooting a rapid barrage of small Bubbles towards the otter pokemon, although they seemed to be more of an annoyance than an actual threat. Slightly bothered at his starting attack, he quickly moves towards his opponent, opening his right claw, aiming at the Buizel’s throat. It, however, wasn’t that easy to caught off-guard, as it Quickly dashes to the side, dodging your Krabby’s Vicegrip, and with the same speed, Attacks the crab from his left side, sending him gliding through the water surface, quite the impact.

As your Krabby regains its composure, the Buizel smirks before letting out a menacing Growl, it was certainly a worthy opponent and Krabby should be more careful if he wants to be victorious. However, that wasn’t over. The otter dashes forward for just a small distance, firing away a small Sonicboom. Strangely enough, it wasn’t aimed at the crab pokemon, but at the water who stood in front of him, the impact of the small force creating a small wave who splashes over your pokemon. It seemed more of a warning than an actual attack, your opponent smirking at your battler. The Buizel took no damage whatsoever this time, showing off both its agility and attack strength. Your pokemon however, took some damage from the quick attack he had received, and the growl and sonicboom tidal-splash had been somewhat intimidating. It was still early though, and the tables could easily be turned.

What will you do?


----------


uhhhhh
The man glares at you suspiciously while you point out the direction the Aipom group had followed. “Bloody monkeys” he snarls, finally catching his breath. “You seem to be telling the truth, so I’ll trust you. Useless trying to follow them now, they can bloody well hide and they’re probably far from here now as well.” His face still showing a reddish angry hue, before returning to his stand he warns you. “Take care of your belongings, the Market has been a playground for these Aipom for the last two weeks, and they’re been stealing both merchants and tourists. Random stuff, both valuable and worthless - pretty quick bunch too, no one’s been capable of catching them. Be careful, and please enjoy your visit.”

He quickly blends into the crowd, disappearing between the stands and visitors. You continue your tour; hopefully it wouldn’t be disturbed by a theft, not a nice way to start your day at all. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before you heard similar words to the ones you had heard only a few minutes earlier. “Return those immediately, lousy thieves!” You spot an angry woman pointing and yelling at the top of what was probably her tent, threatening the duo of dancing Aipom, their handsy tails juggling between them a few bottles of Potion they had probably taken from the healing-stand owner. That was a particularly amusing show, had it not been a theft. Gaspard on the other hand had been more careful, poking you to look at the stand that stood on the opposite side. While everyone was looking at the Aipom, you spot another characteristic round hand-tail behind the other tent, stealing some jewelry on the stand. Its owner wasn’t noticing however, its eyes focused on the juggling duo who provided a sort of entertainment while the third one appeared to be the real thief. Quite the scheme.

What will you do?


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GalaxyEyes (note: although it was better than what you had previously written, you still didn’t give me much to work with; I’ve taken the liberty of making your pokemon attack, so that this wouldn’t be a boring update (; )

Both terrified at what you were seeing in front of you, you had little time to react to the cold order from your clone. As the other Gothita’s eyes begin glowing with a tainted red hue, you did what you could as quickly as possible – “Gothita, dodge!” you ordered. Your pokemon somehow manages to dodge the faint red beam, the clone a tad upset for missing its target. However, it wasn’t much of a problem for its ‘trainer’, as he repeated “Another Confusion”. Its eyes still glowing red, it quickly fired another confusing beam, and yet again your pokemon managed to dodge it. “CONFUSION!” the trainer yelled, now he was the one who was angry. Your Gothita however also seemed tired of doing nothing but dodge attacks, and decided to counter with her own Confusion. Her eyes glowing with a calming blue shade, her attack was faster than her opponent’s, and hit her clone.

What happened next however was unexpected. Not only did the Gothita held its head in pain, but also its trainer, who moaned in pain. That was indeed curious, had your Gothita hit both of them? To make things weirder, your clones begin shaking strangely before dissipating into thin air, a startled Misdreavus taking their place instead. The ghost didn’t seem too pleased with the chain of events, glaring menacingly at you two.

“Not bad.” She snarls. “Your Confusion was more powerful than I anticipated, and made me lose my focus and control of my illusion. But let’s see now how you deal with a proper ghost now. Oh, and…” Her body began glowing blue, and then it was your Gothita’s and your own. “Don’t think about leaving. My Mean Look is quite effective.” Looks like there is only one way out now.

What will you do?


----------

Trainer Andy
Enjoying the company of your trusted Turtwig during a very long walk through the jungle, you decide to set up camp near the shores of the lake that surrounded Rapa’s Temple, which was itself shrouded in mystery. Few had had the guts to venture into its chambers, and those who did never managed to return – their bones however reached the shore quite easily, how lucky of them. Myths and horrors engulf the small island, and the inscription “Herein reside the Rapa; Death to those who enter” on the entrance of the temple certainly does not help searching for those brave enough who want to search for the truth. Nevertheless, you (still) decide to set up camp for the night in that dangerous zone – might be the last thing you decide, but perhaps you’ll be lucky to survive.

And lucky you are indeed! A few small noises here and there throughout the night, those damn Hoothoots never do shut up. The sun shined brightly, illuminating the beautiful surroundings – if you didn’t know of those tales of horror, you could easily consider this as a vacation spot. You notice that you weren’t the only one there – a young couple, both wearing Indiana Jones’ wannabe’s clothes, both analyzed the island of Rapa with their binoculars.

“Oh hello there!” The woman appears to notice you as well, waving happily. “I’m sorry, did we wake you up? I can be a tad loud before an adventure!”

“Sorry ‘bout that!” the man replies, putting away his binoculars while she pat him gently. “The name’s Phil, and what my wife was probably going to say next is that we’re planning to go to that there island of Rapa. I doubt you set camp here just for the views, so if you want you can come with us, we can provide you a ride there!”

What will you do?


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CyberBlastoise
Happy to see again your trusty Silver, you quickly pull out your pokedex to analyze the bulb pokemon who stood silently in front of you. “Hey there li’l Petilil” you greet the grass little trooper. “Are you lost?” Your answer was not given any answer – at all. The grass pokemon continued there, motionless, not even its eyes meeting yours. But that was just for a short time.

“INITIATE BATTLE”

Those words echoed through the infinite space, and almost like a reflex you return to your Blastoise’s side. Whose voice was that? Seemed somewhat robotic (and cliché’d as well), but no one else was there besides you three. You had more to worry however, as the small bulb pokemon appeared to return to life, quickly gathering a considerable amount of glowing energy between its three leafs. The Solarbeam seemed ready to be fired, until-

“REVERSE MODE – ACTIVATED”

The orb of energy quickly dissipated into thin air. While you two were still extremely confused, the bulb pokemon had its mind clear, and to shock you even further, it had fired – how could this be? – a Water Gun at your Blastoise! Silver managed to easily dodge it, but regardless of whatever the hell was happening, one thing appeared certain: this was a crazy-looking battle.

What will you do?


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Celebii 151
You take your time to fully analyze the situation in front of you; having asked for a riddle to the mythological Sphinx, a Baltoy had emerged from the sand, seemingly protecting the entrance to its master’s chambers. “It is not what it looks like” you had heard, quickly assuming of a fake or impersonator creature that was mimicking the psychic pokemon’s appearance. Not entirely sure of your answer, you say “May this Baltoy be a Zorua or a Zoroark, utilizing its Illusion ability?” Indeed, it was a smart choice – the Zorua line was the only one with that ability, its transformation being merely an illusion, allowing Zorua and Zoroark to keep its type and moves. Biting your lower lip, you stand firm in your ground, waiting for the words you hoped you had not heard.

“Incorrect”

The resonating word takes its time to fade, almost as if to shame you further. The Baltoy did not seem pleased with your answer as well, its eyes now showing an angry blue. Engaging in a quick spin, you almost feel the urge to clean your eyes, as what was once a Baltoy, was now escorted by two other. The Double Team had made the situation slightly more threatening, as the three Baltoy continue their slow movement, starting to encircle you. As it had been postulated before – you answered incorrectly, you have to pay the consequences, and the Baltoy seemed eager to make you pay it.

What will you do?


----------

Poke_Hunter(no problem, after all you’re just starting; your reply was excellent, keep it up and you’ll do great ^-^)

Quickly shouting out orders to both your pokemon, Terrance the Turtwig is the first to act, setting up a green spherical barrier around you to Protect yourselves from any harm. The timing was excellent, as the Excadrill had just hit the floor with his right iron claw with such force that most of the rocks created by ceiling’s collapse were projected towards. Fortunately, the Rock Slide was negated by Terrance’s protective dome, some of them ricocheting back to the chamber’s walls, while most just fell to the ground nearby.

“Impressive” the man claimed, but that was the only word he said, as your Joltik seals his mouth shut with a strong String Shot he had quickly fired. The man tried to rip it out of his face, but it was to no use, and he could only watch Terrance mimicking the Excadrill’s previous move, firing forward another Slide of Rocks. The subterrene pokemon however was no ordinary foe, his claws suddenly glowing white, using his Metal Claws to easily crush whatever was thrown at him. Unfortunately for him, there were simply too many boulders to be crushed, a few of them actually hitting the mining pokemon, quickly shrugging off the hit.

Both pokemon proving themselves to one another, the Excadrill was next to act, this time Slashing away the bug string that stopped his trainer from talking. “Cheers, Afiar” he thanked his pokemon, before returning to you. “You have good pokemon, no doubt, but give it a rest. My Excadrill is far more powerful than yours, and even in the remote case that I lose, you won’t manage to leave this place alive. You have terribly bad luck, and you’ve stumbled upon something you shouldn’t have seen.”

With a sight, he continued. “Let’s go, boss’ orders. Hone your Claws, and Slash that bug. Hit the turtle next with a Drill Run . Be careful to not hit the walls, we can’t risk any more damage.”

What will you do?


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takkupanda
Finding yourself in the Axal Field, you observe the rich variety of fruits, apricorns and berries scattered through the garden, certainly those would make fine ingredients in the art of blocks and poffins making. However, your culinary thoughts are soon interrupted by a screaming “Help!” coming from deeper inside the field. Standing still from the scream, you try to figure out from where exactly came from, the many trees turning the field into a miniature maze. However, no need to walk any further; you suddenly see a small girl carrying a badly hurt Poochyena in her arms, before tripping in a nearby root and falling to the ground. Behind were was a menacing Pinsir, slightly bruised but nowhere near the state of the dark pup. None of them appeared to notice you however, all of them focused on the matter on hands.

“Pooch, try a Sand Attack, please!” she screams in tears, quickly picking herself up while the bite pokemon tried his best to throw sand at the stagbeetle’s eyes. It was a semi-successful attack however – while he did blind the bug pokemon, the Pinsir angrily flailed its white-glowing arms, the Brick Break attack luckily hitting the Poochyena, slamming him into the nearest tree, Pooch collapsing from the super effective move. “Nooo!” she yelled, scooping her pokemon into her arms defensively. “Just stop it already! We already gave you back those Pecha Berries we took!” she cried, but that was to no avail, the Pinsir slowly moving towards her, its arm still glowing white.

What will you do?


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pengyzu (note: that last part with the tourists, especially with one of the speaking, is considering self-updating (you added elements to the description of the area), which is frown upon here on FB; please be more careful in your future replies ^-^)

You quickly reach Farity’s Pond, a place of unimaginable beauty – well, maybe not beauty per say, but more like usefulness, as your water reserves were near their end and every drop of water was more than welcome – especially if all those drops form a small pond. The statue of the ancient Goddess and her protectors standing majestically in the middle of the pond, it was certainly a tourist-gatherer, many of them taking pictures near it and some even refreshing themselves from the blazing sun in its cooling waters. What catches your sight however is a nearby pokemon battle between two lads, only clearly older than the other. On one side stood a Corphish, while on the other was a fairly beaten Lotad.

“You just make this too easy Tod!” the Corphish trainer remarked, smirking at the other pokemon’s imminent defeat. “Shut up, Rod!” the small one yelled, visibly concerned. “Lotad, let’s give it our best! Try another Energy Ball!” The water weed pokemon struggled to gather his grass energies, but it was to no avail, as the crab pokemon quickly rushed towards it, slashing him with his Fury Cutter, which proved to be the final attack, Lotad collapsing on the floor. “And that’s a KO for us!” Rod exclaimed, congratulating his Corphish. “Well, you do recall our little bet, don’t you?” Rod asked.

Tod’s eyes widened. “I never even agreed to that!” he quickly exclaimed, picking Lotad into his arms.

Rod shook his head. “You know exactly how I do my battles. The loser has to give up his pokemon to the winner. So, give me your Lotad, now. He’ll be better off in my winning hands than in your weak arms.”

“Oh c’mon Rod!” he yelled. “He’s my only pokemon, you know that!”

Rod’s face became even more serious. “I don’t care about that. Give me your pokeball now, or my Corphish will gladly take it from you” The Corphish’s claw began glowing white, preparing to deal a Crabhammer if necessary to the little boy.

What will you do?


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gmoyes - repost

[Azran Flame]

Flame Mistress

As you set foot into the Sun Temple, the rumors regarding eerie and frightening screams that echo throughout the maze of halls, terrifying whoever deems itself brave enough to hear them suddenly rush through your mind, you even thought you yourself had heard one of them seconds ago! That was probably the wind, you quickly think, discarding whatever evil force might or might not exist there. Gulping your fears, or at least trying to do so, you continue walking through the temple, slowly taking each step towards the top. Although a few more to go, you can easily see the old altar where supposedly many sacrifices had been made to the gods, and old stains of the departed’s blood could be unfortunately seen, making one wonder of what history revolved around it. The rest of the temple seemed particularly well restored, its white and imposing columns ‘paving’ the way to its center altar. However, rumor has it that no chemical whatsoever managed to clean away any of the blood spots on the altar – either that, or no one scrubbed it away efficiently.

What catches your eye next was something you were not expecting to see - a small red (somewhat… viscous?) liquid, slowly oozing down each step. You follow the red trail with your eyes – it came from the altar… Decreasing your speed by half, you continue moving forward, your vision beginning to spot something on top of the altar. What – or who – was it?

Once you saw it, you immediately moved your head away from it, covering your Vulpix’s eyes. Although you just looked for a second, the image was unfortunately clear in your head: there lied a girl whose blonde hair and white simple robe were stained red, her cold, blue eyes gazing at the infinite horizon. A darker hue surrounds a small rip on her clothes, right about the middle of her abdomen. Had she been…stabbed?

“We have a guest!” you suddenly hear. Behind you stood a man with strangely ornamented robes, a mask on his head, heading towards you, quickly taking each step. Your disgusted look did not escape his eyes, and almost as if answering you, he said “Do not worry, for she did not suffer!” His fingers now running through her beautiful hair, he exclaims “She was but a small sacrifice to our God of Sun, the blazing Faros! It was a great honor!”

“But now, we shall see if it was meaningful or not to our God!” Lifting his arms, he claimed to the skies “Come forth!” Above him, a solar-like object materialized, the Solrock’s eyes glowing an angry red. “Let this sacrifice grant us power! Power to strike down those who oppose you!” he shouts, before looking down upon you. “…But you’ll have to do for the time being. Solrock, let’s see if Faros was pleased with our sacrifice and granted us more power.”

Pointing towards you, he orders “Eliminate these peasants.”

What will you do?

Oh, sorry about that. And I say I should run like hell. But that's just me. ^^; Also, Charlotte can't move for the purpose of this post, but it's because she's paralysed with fear, not by some strange unseen force.

What she saw on top of the altar was the polar opposite of what Charlotte had been expecting. After all, who would expect a bloody corpse, that of a girl with silky blonde hair and icy blue eyes with only a simple robe on, lifelessly staring into the sky she will never see again, right before their eyes?

Her first instinct was to puke on the ground and empty as much of what little breakfast she had eaten as possible. However, even though her stomach was practically doing shaky somersaults, her breakfast refused to come up. She shut her eyes as quick as possible, and shielded Flare's eyes as well, trying to block the image out of her mind, but in vain - even though she had only caught a glimpse of the dead body, she could still vividly see the girl on the altar, the gaping hole in her abdomen still as dark as ever, her turquoise eyes still unmoving, and... oh. the blood. It was everywhere, just everywhere, and it was all too horrible for Charlotte to bear.

"We have a guest!" A voice suddenly announced, and her eyes opened instinctively as she turned around on the spot. Standing in front of her was a strange-looking man dressed in ornamental robes and a mask on his head. She couldn't help but slightly flinch as the man took brisk steps towards her. However much she tried, she couldn't wipe the disgusted look off her face, and taking notice of it, he spoke again, almost answering her. “Do not worry, for she did not suffer!” He exclaimed, running his fingers through the girl's smooth, flawless hair in a way that almost managed to convince her breakfast to surface after all. “She was but a small sacrifice to our God of Sun, the blazing Faros! It was a great honor!”

Honour? Charlotte thought, her feelings a mixture of anger towards the man, pity for the dead girl, and disgust of the whole situation. What she wanted to do right now was to run like hell from this place, but for some reason she found her legs stuck to the spot, unable to move, and moreover, rather intrigued. She knew that she well shouldn't be fascinated, but she couldn't help it; there was just this... something about the situation. “But now, we shall see if it was meaningful or not to our God!” The man continued, ignoring Charlotte's expression if there was one on her face. Lifting his arms, he called out to the skies, “Come forth!” Above him, a strange, sun-like, glowing Pokemon which Charlotte had never seen before appeared, its eyes glowing an angry red. “Let this sacrifice grant us power! Power to strike down those who oppose you!” The man shouted, before looking down upon Charlotte. “…But you’ll have to do for the time being. Solrock, let’s see if Faros was pleased with our sacrifice and granted us more power.”

Pointing towards the now trembling Charlotte, he ordered in a haunting voice, "Eliminate those peasants."

Only then did Charlotte really realise what was happening, and instinctively turned around to run, only to find herself paralysed with fear. The strange Pokemon was approaching her at a dangerous speed, and she knew that she didn't have time to do anything, for instance checking what species the Pokemon was with her Pokedex. Her only option was to attack. She hated to pit her beloved Flare against this monstrous beast, but she had no choice. "Flare, use Heat Wave, Roar if you can!" Charlotte quickly ordered. She had no idea what type the Pokemon was, though it looked like a Fire-Type; Heat Wave was Flare's strongest move, and using Roar was her only chance of getting time to escape. Behind her back, she crossed her fingers.

[John's Knight]

Flame Mistress No prob ^-^ and you could try to run away; I can’t guarantee you’d make it out of there though >=]

Without any other reasonable option, you call out to your Vulpix to attack the masked man’s Solrock. The solar pokemon did not seem startled at all at your commands, continuing levitating above the one who had summoned it. Ordering her to use its most powerful move, the fox pokemon lets go of your arms, and as she reaches the floor, she takes a deep breath before exhaling a large round of condensed heated air towards her foe. As the Heat Wave headed forward, the solar pokemon calmly kept its place – a small flame appeared in front of it, quickly blasting forward a Flamethrower. Both fire attacks met each other, none seemingly having an advantage over each other, being a matter of time before completely negating themselves.

“Oh my!” the masked murdered exclaimed. “Such a majestic dance of flames we had there! Faros would be most pleased at this fiery show, and at your pokemon as well, young traveler! Had we met under other circumstances, we would have invited you to rejoice under the grace of-
His devoted speech was interrupted by a sudden Roar, your Vulpix’s threatening voice echoing through the empty temple. It threatened none unfortunately.

“The rudeness! The nerve!” he appeared appalled at your move. “You dare interrupt me with such noise?” His devotee’d voice suddenly turned cold, similarly to the time he had ordered your elimination. “Solrock, show them some discipline.”

The solar pokemon’s eyes glow again in the same hue of the girl’s oozing blood, apparently unaffected by Flare’s previous roar. Again, a feeble flame appeared in front of it, quickly turning into another straight jet of flames, the Flamethrower hitting your Vulpix spot on. Even considering Flare was a fire pokemon, the attack did considerable damage, as the small fox got back to her feet while letting out a small groan of pain. This was no ordinary foe indeed.

“Splendid!” he yelled again. “Let us continue! Increase your speed with a Rock Polish, and follow with a Rock Throw! But be careful, let us not do any damage to Faros’ Temple!” The solar pokemon did not exactly reply, but was certainly ready to do its master’s bidding.

What will you do?

[Pengyzu]

pengyzu

You quickly reach Farity’s Pond, a place of unimaginable beauty – well, maybe not beauty per say, but more like usefulness, as your water reserves were near their end and every drop of water was more than welcome – especially if all those drops form a small pond. The statue of the ancient Goddess and her protectors standing majestically in the middle of the pond, it was certainly a tourist-gatherer, many of them taking pictures near it and some even refreshing themselves from the blazing sun in its cooling waters. What catches your sight however is a nearby pokemon battle between two lads, only clearly older than the other. On one side stood a Corphish, while on the other was a fairly beaten Lotad.

“You just make this too easy Tod!” the Corphish trainer remarked, smirking at the other pokemon’s imminent defeat. “Shut up, Rod!” the small one yelled, visibly concerned. “Lotad, let’s give it our best! Try another Energy Ball!” The water weed pokemon struggled to gather his grass energies, but it was to no avail, as the crab pokemon quickly rushed towards it, slashing him with his Fury Cutter, which proved to be the final attack, Lotad collapsing on the floor. “And that’s a KO for us!” Rod exclaimed, congratulating his Corphish. “Well, you do recall our little bet, don’t you?” Rod asked.

Tod’s eyes widened. “I never even agreed to that!” he quickly exclaimed, picking Lotad into his arms.

Rod shook his head. “You know exactly how I do my battles. The loser has to give up his pokemon to the winner. So, give me your Lotad, now. He’ll be better off in my winning hands than in your weak arms.”

“Oh c’mon Rod!” he yelled. “He’s my only pokemon, you know that!”

Rod’s face became even more serious. “I don’t care about that. Give me your pokeball now, or my Corphish will gladly take it from you” The Corphish’s claw began glowing white, preparing to deal a Crabhammer if necessary to the little boy.

What will you do?

The two reach Farity Pond and marvel at the sight. It wasn't the statue that made them awe though, it was the nice and refreshing looking waters. They involuntarily walk towards the pond; but as they made their way to the pond, something else caught their eye, a battle raging on between two lads, one that is clearly older than the other one. There's a Corphish and a Lotad in the battle, with the Lotad looking severely beaten. Rey panics as he doesn't know what to do! It looks like the Lotad is in terrible danger. Rey walks closer to the battle to see what's happening.

"Hey Ralts!"

"I have a name you know."

"Oh sorry! Hey Kara! Don't you think that this battle is so exciting?"

"Not really. All I see is a one-sided match."

"I guess you're right... Wait... What's happening here?!"

The crab makes its way toward the weakened Lotad with his claws glowing white and deals the final blow. Lotad is now unconscious as his trainer rushes over to him.

"Another KO for us! Do you remember our little bet, Tod?"

"I never agreed to that!" quickly exclaimed Tod as he picks up his Lotad.

"You know exactly how I do my battles, the loser has to give up his pokemon to the winner. So give me the stupid Lotad now! He'll be better of with me winning than in your weak and incapable hands!"

("What the heck! This boy! That rule! Team Whatever much! Why is he even forcing the boy! Gah!" Rey lets loose a scream in his mind. "Calm down. Your negativity pains me" says Kara.)

"Oh c'mon Rod!" he yelled. "He's my only Pokemon, you know that!"

"I don't care about that. Give me his Pokeball now, or my Corphish would gladly take it away from you"

Rey began to lose it. His temper couldn't handle it anymore. The demeanor of this boy makes his blood boil. Kara comes closer to Rey to try and snap him put of his anger spell.

"Stop it! Stop forcing him to give his Pokemon! Pokemon battles are about having fun! This ISN'T fun! You shouldn't even be bullying a kid! You have ruined your Pokemon with sick and twisted ways. Now step away from that little boy and recall that bad egg of yours or else " he exclaims as a tear swells up.

Rey uses his link with Kara to give some orders. "The precious water can wait for now. Kara, attack Corphish with Thunderpunch if he tries to attack. Twice if you have to. I'll go over to Tod. Please hold on."

He dashes his way to Tod's side. "You're safe now. Hopefully... I'll do my best to protect you and your Pokemon. Also... nice match you had there but you shouldn't go around willy-nilly with little experience." He smiles at the boy, trying to give him a sense of reassurance.

[x]

[Charminions]

The Southern Pyramid: A large pyramid located in one of the most hot and barren parts of the land, and seemingly dedicated to the God of Fire. Only a single corridor appears accessible, as it seems a task needs to be performed in order to enter the vast network of halls and chambers within.

Charm feebly walked through the vast desert, aided by a walking stick. Sweating through his cheap desert robe, Charm glanced to the side to see how his partner was doing. The Combusken was happily marching along side his master, not minding the intense sun at all. Oh the joys of being a fire type Pokemon, Charm thought to himself as he drank some water out of his bottle. He took a quick stop to take a look at his map. Apollo proceeded to look skyward and bask in the warm sun while his trainer was busy with his map.

"Okay, so The Southern Pyramid shouldn't be that much farther from here," Charm looked around to see any sign of a large pyramid. To no avail, Charm contemplated whether they were lost or didn't travel enough yet.

"Well... let's keep going forward and see where we get," Charm called out. Apollo nodded and the duo continued walking through the sands.

After about another two hours of harsh desert traveling, Charm wiped a sweat off his brow to see a huge pyramid in front of him. His tired look quickly became full of excitement and joy.

"We're finally here!" he cheered as the flame chicken jumped up and chirped with joy. "Come on Apollo, let's go pay our respects to the God of Fire," he said to Apollo. The Combuken nodded as the two walked to the corridor, only to find that it's closed off.

"What the hell? How do we get in this place?" Charm asked but Apollo only tilted his head in confusion. They both began looking around for answers, the scent of adventure fueling their eagerness.

[uhhhhh]

uhhhhh
The man glares at you suspiciously while you point out the direction the Aipom group had followed. “Bloody monkeys” he snarls, finally catching his breath. “You seem to be telling the truth, so I’ll trust you. Useless trying to follow them now, they can bloody well hide and they’re probably far from here now as well.” His face still showing a reddish angry hue, before returning to his stand he warns you. “Take care of your belongings, the Market has been a playground for these Aipom for the last two weeks, and they’re been stealing both merchants and tourists. Random stuff, both valuable and worthless - pretty quick bunch too, no one’s been capable of catching them. Be careful, and please enjoy your visit.”

He quickly blends into the crowd, disappearing between the stands and visitors. You continue your tour; hopefully it wouldn’t be disturbed by a theft, not a nice way to start your day at all. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before you heard similar words to the ones you had heard only a few minutes earlier. “Return those immediately, lousy thieves!” You spot an angry woman pointing and yelling at the top of what was probably her tent, threatening the duo of dancing Aipom, their handsy tails juggling between them a few bottles of Potion they had probably taken from the healing-stand owner. That was a particularly amusing show, had it not been a theft. Gaspard on the other hand had been more careful, poking you to look at the stand that stood on the opposite side. While everyone was looking at the Aipom, you spot another characteristic round hand-tail behind the other tent, stealing some jewelry on the stand. Its owner wasn’t noticing however, its eyes focused on the juggling duo who provided a sort of entertainment while the third one appeared to be the real thief. Quite the scheme.

What will you do?

Connor gulped while looking at the man in front of him. He was nervous that the man may be unreasonable and mistake him and Gaspard as thieves and he didn't want a fight to happen because of this. “Bloody monkeys” he snarls as he finally caught his breath. Connor has sweat running around his face, probably both due to the heat and how nervous he was now. “You seem to be telling the truth, so I’ll trust you," Connor and Gaspard inwardly did a breath of relief, "Useless trying to follow them now, they can bloody well hide and they’re probably far from here now as well.”

"Well that's too bad sir," Connor had finally managed to speak. Gaspard shared his sentiments with his trainer as well, "Ai-ai," The man's face was still showing a reddish angry hue, before returning to his stand. He then warned the photographer, “Take care of your belongings, the Market has been a playground for these Aipom for the last two weeks, and they’re been stealing both merchants and tourists," Connor subconsciously grabbed the bag on his side where his camera was placed when he heard that, "Random stuff, both valuable and worthless - pretty quick bunch too, no one’s been capable of catching them. Be careful, and please enjoy your visit." Connor replied to the man, "Thanks for the tip sir, I'll be careful." The man quickly blened in to the crowd until Connor and Gaspard could no longer see him.

"Man, the situation here in the Market's pretty bad isn't it Gaspard?" he said to his partner who nodded and replied, "Aipopom." As the duo wandered further into the Market, Connor said to Gaspard, "Ok Gaspard, stay close to me all right? I don't really want you to be branded as a thief, especially with the other Aipom on the loose. We dodged a bullet that time, so you it's not going to be very pretty if you were mistaken as one of them again," it was then that Connor heard someone shout:

“Return those immediately, lousy thieves!” screamed a woman who was threatening two dancing Aipoms who were juggling some potions that they probably had stolen from her. "Oh man not again... on second thought Gaspard I think you should return to your ba-"It was then that Gaspard poked him and pointed at something else, "Huh? What is it?" It was then that Connor's eyes widened as he saw a round-handed tail, most likely another Aipom, stealing some jewelry on the stand.

"Now I see... those two were acting as distractions while another Aipom actually steals something else. They weren't after the potions, they were after the jewelries," Connor had thought, "You know, I wouldn't be surprised if they were actually owned and trained by someone you know? This is a bit too elaborate for them to be doing on their own," while Connor was busy thinking, Gaspard wanted to help stop the thieves, "I understand that you want to stop them Gaspard, but this way too risky for you to do! For one, people may mistake you for one of them and I'm not risking that again. I'm gonna have to return you to your pokeball. Please understand," while Gaspard frowned at his trainer's decision, he complied and returned back into his ball.

Connor then took out another ball, the one he had just recently gotten from the Adoption Center, "Now then... I think it's time for you come out, Foster!" Connor said as he sent out the Shuppet. "All right Foster, we don't have much time. I want you Knock Off the jewelry from that Aipom over there, think you can do that?" Foster nodded, "Shupp-shupp!" as Foster started to act, Connor had shouted as he was pointing at the other Aipom's direction, "You're being distracted by those two! Another one of those Aipom wants to steal your jewelries over there!"

[takkupanda]

takkupanda
Finding yourself in the Axal Field, you observe the rich variety of fruits, apricorns and berries scattered through the garden, certainly those would make fine ingredients in the art of blocks and poffins making. However, your culinary thoughts are soon interrupted by a screaming “Help!” coming from deeper inside the field. Standing still from the scream, you try to figure out from where exactly came from, the many trees turning the field into a miniature maze. However, no need to walk any further; you suddenly see a small girl carrying a badly hurt Poochyena in her arms, before tripping in a nearby root and falling to the ground. Behind were was a menacing Pinsir, slightly bruised but nowhere near the state of the dark pup. None of them appeared to notice you however, all of them focused on the matter on hands.

“Pooch, try a Sand Attack, please!” she screams in tears, quickly picking herself up while the bite pokemon tried his best to throw sand at the stagbeetle’s eyes. It was a semi-successful attack however – while he did blind the bug pokemon, the Pinsir angrily flailed its white-glowing arms, the Brick Break attack luckily hitting the Poochyena, slamming him into the nearest tree, Pooch collapsing from the super effective move. “Nooo!” she yelled, scooping her pokemon into her arms defensively. “Just stop it already! We already gave you back those Pecha Berries we took!” she cried, but that was to no avail, the Pinsir slowly moving towards her, its arm still glowing white.

What will you do?

As Marcelo and Broly walked through the creepy garden looking for a trace of life, they heard a scream for help from somewhere not far, but the voice echoed from the trees in the garden making it difficult for them to figure out where it came from.

"Broly, you heard that? Do you know where it came from?" whispered Marcelo. But before Broly could respond, a small girl appeared from behind a tree. She was carrying an injured Poochyena in her hand and appeared to be running away from something before she tripped in a root and fell on the ground. As she watched in horror, an angry Pinsir that was chasing her appeared from behind the tree. Marcelo and Broly quickly hid behind a tree while Marcelo opened up his Pokedex and pointed it towards the Pinsir.

The Pokedex started in a crackling voice: "Pinsir, the Stag Beetle Pokemon. It grips prey with its pincers until the prey is torn in half. What it can't tear, it tosses far."

As if it's looks weren't scary enough, the description sent a shiver down Marcelo's spine. The girl called out for help from the already injured and weak Poochyena which tried to blind the stagbeetle by using a Sand-Attack. But it didn't help, as the blinded Pinsir angrily flailed its glowing arms around, hitting the Poochyena with a mighty Brick Break and knocking it out beyond all doubt. As the Poochyena fell on the ground, the girl took the Poochyena back in her arms and begged the Pinsir to leave them alone, for they had returned the Pecha Berries they must have mistakenly taken. But the Pinsir kept moving towards her in blind rage, showing no mercy.

Marcelo knew she had to be helped. But the Pinsir was too strong. But seeing how bravely the tiny Poochyena stood up in front of the Pinsir, Marcelo realised that he had to at least try. Marcelo and Broly scurried to the scene, ready for battle; Broly stood in front of Marcelo glaring into the Pinsir's eyes. "Leave her alone! She meant no harm!", said Marcelo assertively. "Broly, Roar to scare him out of his rage! If he still wants to battle, use Ember! Try another Ember if you need!", Marcelo ordered Broly while he tried to help the little girl back to her feet, "Are you okay, Miss? Everything will be fine now... What happened out there? Why is it attacking you?", he asked.

[Trainer Andy]

Trainer Andy
Enjoying the company of your trusted Turtwig during a very long walk through the jungle, you decide to set up camp near the shores of the lake that surrounded Rapa’s Temple, which was itself shrouded in mystery. Few had had the guts to venture into its chambers, and those who did never managed to return – their bones however reached the shore quite easily, how lucky of them. Myths and horrors engulf the small island, and the inscription “Herein reside the Rapa; Death to those who enter” on the entrance of the temple certainly does not help searching for those brave enough who want to search for the truth. Nevertheless, you (still) decide to set up camp for the night in that dangerous zone – might be the last thing you decide, but perhaps you’ll be lucky to survive.

And lucky you are indeed! A few small noises here and there throughout the night, those damn Hoothoots never do shut up. The sun shined brightly, illuminating the beautiful surroundings – if you didn’t know of those tales of horror, you could easily consider this as a vacation spot. You notice that you weren’t the only one there – a young couple, both wearing Indiana Jones’ wannabe’s clothes, both analyzed the island of Rapa with their binoculars.

“Oh hello there!” The woman appears to notice you as well, waving happily. “I’m sorry, did we wake you up? I can be a tad loud before an adventure!”

“Sorry ‘bout that!” the man replies, putting away his binoculars while she pat him gently. “The name’s Phil, and what my wife was probably going to say next is that we’re planning to go to that there island of Rapa. I doubt you set camp here just for the views, so if you want you can come with us, we can provide you a ride there!”

What will you do?

Andy regarded the two for a moment, waiting for the last few threads of sleep to disentangle from his brain so he could formulate a response.

Looking across to the island, he certainly was interested in exploring it and the structure in its centre, despite the foreboding feeling that seemed to emanate from it.
Looking back at the couple Andy began the think again. The man, Phil, and the woman, who he didn't remember introducing herself, certainly seemed the part of explorers, although just looking at them didn't give away whether they were experienced in this particular area or just amateur adventurers. The thought made him think back to his youth, crawling through tall grass and digging in the dirt to find "treasure" (which usually only ended up being discarded bottle caps or empty Potion bottles).

"I'm very interested," He said finally, these memories reigniting his curious, adventurous side. He still attempted to scrutinize the pair as he spoke. "And the place certainly doesn't seem like somewhere to be exploring alone." Andy reasoned, casting a quick glance to the bones littering the area. He shuddered quietly and returned his gaze to the pair.

"Sure, as long as i'm not getting in the way or anything, i'd love to come with you." He stood up slowly, and extended a hand to Phil. "I'm Andy, by the way, nice to meet you both."

[gmoyes]

gmoyes (note: in your replies you can not control your environment, as it is considered self-updating; although the description of the lab says "Occasionally one of the professors may have a job opening", indeed there are probably people in there, but you can't describe it as "busy people" rushing from one place to another; please be more careful about this in the future ^-^)

Repeatedly scolding yourself for not bringing some bottles of water for this heated journey, you eventually reach the Research Lab, the mechanical doors quickly sliding open, the cooler temperatures welcoming you to the science institute. A little bit shy, you don’t really know what you should do there, as several scientists rush from one place to another, such a hectic place!
“Hello there!” You’re suddenly greeted by the young lady at the welcome stand. “Are you a trainer?” she asks, receiving a nod from you. “Well, then, might I interest you in our free tour today? Should you accept, please just wait in that room, and you’ll get your tour in a few minutes” As she handed you a small pamphlet, she pointed to a dark red door on the opposite side, that was the waiting room.

SPECIAL OFFER!
Just for today, the Research Lab will fully open its doors to public, organizing one tour around this institution. Completely free of charge, this is your only chance to see what happens behind the curtain, including recent researches, a fossil exhibition, as well as some other secrets that you’ll find intriguing in the least.

We hope you enjoy!

As you finish reading the pamphlet, your mind started to work excitingly. You couldn’t have been luckier! Just for today, and without any special favour, you could get a free tour around the research facilities. Why not, you ask yourself, as you gladly come into a small chamber, although not empty – indeed, many were gathered, your eyes spotting scientists and trainers alike. Interrupting your thoughts, everyone spots a woman, about 1.65 meters tall, her long black hair curled on her white medical-looking coat, pushing the doors away, walking with a steady pace. “Good morning, everyone!” she says, observing her crowd. “I’m Dr. Foster, one of this laboratory’s archaeologists, and I shall be your tour guide for today.” Her beautiful blue eyes gathering everyone’s attention, she continues. “I know you all must be very excited with what is going to happen. This is a very rare event, and it probably won’t happen in near future, so I hope you enjoy it as much as possible. Since you seem to be ecstatic, I won’t delay the visit anymore. Shall we?”

Turning around, she disappears as she exits the room and passes through another set of doors, and all the visitors, you included, quickly rush in to enter it, some of them acting very competitively and pushing each other away, as to enter the Research Lab first. As all of you enter, you walk down the corridor, following Dr. Foster. In the wall, several photographs were hanged, and in your quick pace you read one’s description “Dr. Kamus and the Archen”, a man who appeared to be in his late 50s pointing to a group of fossils.

“Before I show you history, I must tell you this lab’s history. This Research Lab was founded on 1990 by Dr. Kamus Mespira, a renowned archaeologist who practically lived on this desert, digging every squared meter of sand there was. Years before, he was mocked by his colleagues, as his instinct was certain that there were fossils in a place that no man considered archaeologically valuable. Indeed, he dug, and dug, but found nothing. However, one day he met Dr. Ethos Tomus, the founder of the Paleontological Center of the Sunny Dryland, set in the continent of Fizzytopia, and top archaeological institute in the world at that time – and still today! Dr. Tomus gave him his help, and more importantly, his trust, believing there was certainly something in that spot, something big. And indeed, they were right – in 1988, Dr. Kamus discovered fossils of a large community of never-before-seen pokemon fossils, afterwards baptized as Archen. Quite the instinct he had there! After his discovery, he built this Research Lab, affiliated with the ‘Bones Center’ of Fizzytopia, becoming one of the most talked archaeological centers of this continent!” She states. You start to feel an increase in temperature, and in the far end of this historical tunnel, the light shined upon them, a window separating you from the exterior.

As you get closer to it, you realize that the window is quite long, stretching for about 8 meters to the right. However, you see the windows entrapping that location, forming a square around it. Looking down, you see some archaeologists digging and cleaning some rocks, while three Nidoqueen fire a Blizzard at them, which combined with the intense heat, would create a gentle cooling breeze. “And this is the Crypt, another nickname given by our workers, since they’re in a lower level than ours. If it weren’t for those Nidoqueen, our scientists would probably be dead by now, as the temperatures are extremely elevated. We created a, well you can call it a sub-station, here, as we presume this was the location of a large pokemon community, a fact that justifies the findings of several fossils. Moreover, we presume we are looking at the biggest Lileep fossil ever encountered. But let’s continue our tour, there’s much more to it.”

Turning to her right, she continues walking, and the group follows her, some of them still observing the “Crypt”. “Now you’ll look at our fossil exposition. With high technology, we managed to create faithful replica of the fossilized pokemons.” She states, and as gets near the door, you realize it’s mechanical, as it slides open to her. As you enter it, the hall was greatly large; a community of Snorlax could easily sleep there, and there would be plenty of room left. “I’ll give you some time now to observe the fossils.” Dr.Fosters says, before exiting the room. You start looking around, staring at the fossils. In top of them stood a picture of their appearance, as well as characteristics and other details.

However, you suddenly hear a loud scream, followed by a threatening roar. As you turn around, a large pokemon rushed through the room, the visitors running for their lives. The dinosaur creature, much similar to the ancient Tyrannossaurus, appeared from thin air, as there was no sign of forced entrance in the wall. The Rampardos notices you, and quickly changes his trajectory, rushing towards you.

What will you do?

(sorry, this is the third time writing it up and I sort of lost focus after I lost two almost done replies)

Alex grinned and nodded in thanks to the lady and browsed through the brochure. He couldn't believe his luck, the day he entered the lab there was a tour going on. As he entered through the door though, he was slightly disheartened at all the other people that shared his luck. Figures, he gets lucky but that luck had some down sides. This was why he hated thing like gambling. Though the crowd was a well mix group of trainers and scientists with himself being both. He figured it could have been worse. He waited patiently off to the side with his two steel types looking forward to what he might discover.

Then a female scientist entered trough a door on the other side of the room and introduced herself a Dr. Foster and that she would be the group's tour guide. Alex caught himself staring at the woman and quickly looked off to the side with heat rising in his cheeks. He mentally told himself to focus and to listen. She could have had some important information, though it was hard to hear with a couple of the trainers in the group were goofing off and fooling around. He kept his distance away from them and followed the group out the door.

The group ended up in a hallway adorned with various photographs of operations the people here must have done, including one of a man examining a bunch of fossils and the caption identified them as a Dr. Kamus and Archen. The group paused while thier guide explained who Dr. Kamus was and that after a long time of searching, discovered fossils of the pokemon Archen and founded this research center. Alex was amazed at all the work the man had done. He always figured the ancient bird pokemon was native to Unova, though maybe it had something to do with the fact that in both places the pokemon fossils were found in the desert. The doctor sure had ambition, something that a lot of scientist have but in a very narrow field. For Alex himself, it was battling and non-biological pokemon.

The group continued down the hallway to a window overlooking some workers chipping away at rock while a couple of Nidoqueen stood nearby releasing a Blizzard to cool things down. Dr. Foster refered to it as 'The Crypt', a rather creepy name but it sort of fit. Alex briefly wondered why they were using the poison types when an ice or water would be more efficient, but then remembered that in the dry heat of the desert they wouldn't last long. The Nidoqueen however, were used to the climate. He was glad that he wasn't in there, and though it would be exciting to make a great discovery, he doubted he could handle the heavy lifting or the conditions.

Finally the group came to a large hall filled with a bunch of displays of fossils. Their guide let them have free reign of the room and stepped outside. Alex immediatly went over to the nearest display case which held a translucent orange egg-like thing. The plaque sitting beside it indentified it as an old ember, and that a pokemon called Aerodactyl could be revived from them. A picture was provided of the fossil pokemon and he shuddered as he looked at it. He didn't know why, but he had a bad feeling about the ancient preditor. Maybe it was just the fangs and claws, but he felt uncomfortable about it. Suddenly a huge roar rang throughout the room. Whipping around he spotting a bunch of people scrambling to get away from a large grey and blue pokemon. Alex identified it as a huge, pissed off and probably powerful Rampardos.

The rock type turned toward him and lowered its head. Alex swore and stumbled backwards. He was glad that Magnemite and Bronzor were out of their pokeballs, by the time he pulled them out and released them, he would already be dead. "Magnemite, Metal Sound! Make it lose focus. Bronzor, follow that up with a Hypnosis. If for some reason it doesn't work, keep your distance and hit it with Thundershock and Confusion." His partners bobed a nod and the magnet pokemon rubbed its magnets together creating a harsh screech while Alex tried to crawl backwards, trying to find shelter.

[Azran Flame]

Flame Mistress No prob ^-^ and you could try to run away; I can’t guarantee you’d make it out of there though >=]

Without any other reasonable option, you call out to your Vulpix to attack the masked man’s Solrock. The solar pokemon did not seem startled at all at your commands, continuing levitating above the one who had summoned it. Ordering her to use its most powerful move, the fox pokemon lets go of your arms, and as she reaches the floor, she takes a deep breath before exhaling a large round of condensed heated air towards her foe. As the Heat Wave headed forward, the solar pokemon calmly kept its place – a small flame appeared in front of it, quickly blasting forward a Flamethrower. Both fire attacks met each other, none seemingly having an advantage over each other, being a matter of time before completely negating themselves.

“Oh my!” the masked murdered exclaimed. “Such a majestic dance of flames we had there! Faros would be most pleased at this fiery show, and at your pokemon as well, young traveler! Had we met under other circumstances, we would have invited you to rejoice under the grace of-
His devoted speech was interrupted by a sudden Roar, your Vulpix’s threatening voice echoing through the empty temple. It threatened none unfortunately.

“The rudeness! The nerve!” he appeared appalled at your move. “You dare interrupt me with such noise?” His devotee’d voice suddenly turned cold, similarly to the time he had ordered your elimination. “Solrock, show them some discipline.”

The solar pokemon’s eyes glow again in the same hue of the girl’s oozing blood, apparently unaffected by Flare’s previous roar. Again, a feeble flame appeared in front of it, quickly turning into another straight jet of flames, the Flamethrower hitting your Vulpix spot on. Even considering Flare was a fire pokemon, the attack did considerable damage, as the small fox got back to her feet while letting out a small groan of pain. This was no ordinary foe indeed.

“Splendid!” he yelled again. “Let us continue! Increase your speed with a Rock Polish, and follow with a Rock Throw! But be careful, let us not do any damage to Faros’ Temple!” The solar pokemon did not exactly reply, but was certainly ready to do its master’s bidding.

What will you do?

Charlotte looked on in dismay as Flare's Heat Wave was negated by the strange Pokemon's Flamethrower (confirming her suspicions of it being a Fire-Type in the process). “Oh my!” the masked lunatic exclaimed in the heat of the battle, making Charlotte look at him with disgust. “Such a majestic dance of flames we had there! Faros would be most pleased at this fiery show, and at your pokemon as well, young traveler! Had we met under other circumstances, we would have invited you to rejoice under the grace of-" He was then interrupted by Flare's Roar, which unfortunately did nothing to the sun-like object, and cried out, appalled; “The rudeness! The nerve! You dare interrupt me with such noise?” His voice suddenly turned cold and icy, sending chills up Charlotte's spine. “Solrock, show them some discipline.”

So the Pokemon was called Solrock. Charlotte didn't remember hearing its name anywhere else, but tried to remember where she had seen it. The only thing she could remember was the sun, however. “Splendid!” he yelled again, snapping Charlotte out of her trance. “Let us continue! Increase your speed with a Rock Polish, and follow with a Rock Throw! But be careful, let us not do any damage to Faros’ Temple!” The Solrock didn't respond, but certainly looked like it was going to attack them for real.

A flurry of thoughts was going through Charlotte's head. What she did realise was that Solrocks weren't Fire-Types at all, but instead Rock-Types; it was even in their names, and she hadn't realised that. But what really mattered was the fact that Flare was at a huge disadvantage, and that she probably wouldn't stand a chance. She tried to find anything that she could use to deflect the Solrock's attacks, but her attempt was futile as she found virtually nothing that seemed to be able to do the job. Exasperated, she decided to go for the only safe option left.

She ran like hell down the stairs.

[King Ghidorah]

Finally, here are some updates. Everyone who has posted on Talas is in my group. Now, remembering some of the rules, and stating a few others:

• Please remember to reply with font size 1, in Dark Orange
• Always keep a link to your FB profile in signature (and obviously, that means you need to show the signature), or in your post.
• If you're on a battle, please bold your attacks to make it easier to read. I'm comfortable with 3 attacks per round.

Now let's go.




King Ghidorah
Quickly defending his trainer, your Krabby seemed ready to battle as well. The Buizel gives a quick glance at your pokemon, although it doesn’t seem to think highly of your starter friend. Surely, you would make him regret its rash judgment. Calling out to your crab pokemon, he quickly starts by shooting a rapid barrage of small Bubbles towards the otter pokemon, although they seemed to be more of an annoyance than an actual threat. Slightly bothered at his starting attack, he quickly moves towards his opponent, opening his right claw, aiming at the Buizel’s throat. It, however, wasn’t that easy to caught off-guard, as it Quickly dashes to the side, dodging your Krabby’s Vicegrip, and with the same speed, Attacks the crab from his left side, sending him gliding through the water surface, quite the impact.

As your Krabby regains its composure, the Buizel smirks before letting out a menacing Growl, it was certainly a worthy opponent and Krabby should be more careful if he wants to be victorious. However, that wasn’t over. The otter dashes forward for just a small distance, firing away a small Sonicboom. Strangely enough, it wasn’t aimed at the crab pokemon, but at the water who stood in front of him, the impact of the small force creating a small wave who splashes over your pokemon. It seemed more of a warning than an actual attack, your opponent smirking at your battler. The Buizel took no damage whatsoever this time, showing off both its agility and attack strength. Your pokemon however, took some damage from the quick attack he had received, and the growl and sonicboom tidal-splash had been somewhat intimidating. It was still early though, and the tables could easily be turned.

What will you do?

Krabby looks a bit dazed and shaken up. The Buizel's rapid fire attacks and evasiveness appear to be posing a much more formidable threat than originally assumed. However, Hugo was sure Krabby was capable of taking Buizel on. The Buizel was testing Krabby. Playing with him. Showing who was dominant. Arrogance, Hugo knew, was often a fatal flaw. Exploiting it could lead to it's downfall. Hugo motioned to Krabby who drew near.

"He's a tough guy, Krabby," Hugo explained. "He thinks he's better than you. He thinks he's tougher than you. He's trying to show off. We're not going to let that happen, are we?"

Krabby furrows his…uh…brow…and angrily clinches his pincers together.

"Here's what we need to do. First of all, his speed is tough. He can easily dodge attacks and then slam into you on his own. So pretend like you're going to use Vicegrip again. Lure him in. Make him think it's the same tactic. Then right as he's about to collide with you, use Harden and make him take more damage on the impact."

*click click* responded Krabby.

"Then, before he can retaliate, grab him and bring him down hard with Slam. And then throw him off. Use Agility to confuse Buizel. He thinks he's so fast. Well we'll be faster!"

[CyberBlastoise]

CyberBlastoise
Happy to see again your trusty Silver, you quickly pull out your pokedex to analyze the bulb pokemon who stood silently in front of you. “Hey there li’l Petilil” you greet the grass little trooper. “Are you lost?” Your answer was not given any answer – at all. The grass pokemon continued there, motionless, not even its eyes meeting yours. But that was just for a short time.

“INITIATE BATTLE”

Those words echoed through the infinite space, and almost like a reflex you return to your Blastoise’s side. Whose voice was that? Seemed somewhat robotic (and cliché’d as well), but no one else was there besides you three. You had more to worry however, as the small bulb pokemon appeared to return to life, quickly gathering a considerable amount of glowing energy between its three leafs. The Solarbeam seemed ready to be fired, until-

“REVERSE MODE – ACTIVATED”

The orb of energy quickly dissipated into thin air. While you two were still extremely confused, the bulb pokemon had its mind clear, and to shock you even further, it had fired – how could this be? – a Water Gun at your Blastoise! Silver managed to easily dodge it, but regardless of whatever the hell was happening, one thing appeared certain: this was a crazy-looking battle.

What will you do?

Bill analyzed the situation for a moment. Something was very amiss here, first a robotic voice trying to "initiate [a] battle" then suddenly the Petilil suddenly attacked. When Bill saw that Solar Beam he was about to call out to his Blastoise, when suddenly it disappeared, leaving both Silver and Bill in shock. The powerful grass-attack dissipated into a weak Water-attack, which Silver dodged with ease. "Well, this is interesting," Bill stated.

He thought about the situation, if this "reverse mode" as it was called was still active, then ice type attacks may not have any effect, in fact, Bill had no idea what to expect. He commanded, "We better stick with the attacks with standard effectiveness, for now, Silver. First use Zen Headbutt. Follow it up with Rapid Spin, finally use Pay Day." This was going to be a weird battle, and Bill hoped that this would at least keep things...as normal as possible.

[FlashFusion]

Celebii 151
You take your time to fully analyze the situation in front of you; having asked for a riddle to the mythological Sphinx, a Baltoy had emerged from the sand, seemingly protecting the entrance to its master’s chambers. “It is not what it looks like” you had heard, quickly assuming of a fake or impersonator creature that was mimicking the psychic Pokémon’s appearance. Not entirely sure of your answer, you say “May this Baltoy be a Zorua or a Zoroark, utilizing its Illusion ability?” Indeed, it was a smart choice – the Zorua line was the only one with that ability, its transformation being merely an illusion, allowing Zorua and Zoroark to keep its type and moves. Biting your lower lip, you stand firm in your ground, waiting for the words you hoped you had not heard.

“Incorrect”

The resonating word takes its time to fade, almost as if to shame you further. The Baltoy did not seem pleased with your answer as well, its eyes now showing an angry blue. Engaging in a quick spin, you almost feel the urge to clean your eyes, as what was once a Baltoy, was now escorted by two other. The Double Team had made the situation slightly more threatening, as the three Baltoy continue their slow movement, starting to encircle you. As it had been postulated before – you answered incorrectly, you have to pay the consequences, and the Baltoy seemed eager to make you pay it.

What will you do?

"Incorrect!" The word was still ringing in Cele's head. "I'm so stupid." Cele said. "I failed the first riddle, while almost everyone else gets through." Cele yelled at no one, kicking himself in the leg, repeatedly. “The Baltoy wasn't a Zorua? Then what was the answer?” Cele asked the Sphinx, almost certain she would not answer. Before Cele could get an answer, the Baltoy had commenced its actions, utilizing Double Team to create two identical clones of itself. They all slowly approach Cele menacingly, as if to scare him. Cele realized the only way was to battle for another chance with the Sphinx. “Boing, Neptune! Get ready for battle!” The two Pokemon looked rather surprised, though they trusted their trainer fully. “Boing, use Odor Sleuth to identify the correct Baltoy, then Shadow Ball it. Neptune, use an Ice Beam followed by a Water Pulse!”

[JustAnotherUser]

Poke_Hunter(no problem, after all you’re just starting; your reply was excellent, keep it up and you’ll do great ^-^)

Quickly shouting out orders to both your pokemon, Terrance the Turtwig is the first to act, setting up a green spherical barrier around you to Protect yourselves from any harm. The timing was excellent, as the Excadrill had just hit the floor with his right iron claw with such force that most of the rocks created by ceiling’s collapse were projected towards. Fortunately, the Rock Slide was negated by Terrance’s protective dome, some of them ricocheting back to the chamber’s walls, while most just fell to the ground nearby.

“Impressive” the man claimed, but that was the only word he said, as your Joltik seals his mouth shut with a strong String Shot he had quickly fired. The man tried to rip it out of his face, but it was to no use, and he could only watch Terrance mimicking the Excadrill’s previous move, firing forward another Slide of Rocks. The subterrene pokemon however was no ordinary foe, his claws suddenly glowing white, using his Metal Claws to easily crush whatever was thrown at him. Unfortunately for him, there were simply too many boulders to be crushed, a few of them actually hitting the mining pokemon, quickly shrugging off the hit.

Both pokemon proving themselves to one another, the Excadrill was next to act, this time Slashing away the bug string that stopped his trainer from talking. “Cheers, Afiar” he thanked his pokemon, before returning to you. “You have good pokemon, no doubt, but give it a rest. My Excadrill is far more powerful than yours, and even in the remote case that I lose, you won’t manage to leave this place alive. You have terribly bad luck, and you’ve stumbled upon something you shouldn’t have seen.”

With a sight, he continued. “Let’s go, boss’ orders. Hone your Claws, and Slash that bug. Hit the turtle next with a Drill Run . Be careful to not hit the walls, we can’t risk any more damage.”

What will you do?

The rocks came a-clattering down, and although they made loud impacts, they weren't able to break through Terrance's screen. Note to self;, he thought, thank Ben for giving Terrance all those TMs. when the cascade of stones finally finished falling, Dan stood, getting out of the hunched position he had been in under the shield.

"Impressive." That was all the man could get out before Zapz turned and stuck his trap shut with his kind's strong, sticky string. Dan smiled cockily.

"Thanks, but we're not done with yet. Terrance, now!" The Turtwig nodded, then started to gather up a cluster of rocks - both general debris and some of the stones the Excadrill tried to collapse onto them - before tackling them, sending them flying at the Drill Mole. His trainer yanked at the string, crying some heavily muffled orders, to no avail. However, the Excadrill wasn't only strong - it was fast, and smart too. It tore straight through the rocks with a glowing claw of iron. While some pieces flew all over, a few managed to punch through, striking the large driller mole in the chest. It staggered, but was back forth in an eyeblink.

The Excadrill then drew one claw and slashed his trainer's mouth free. The man inhaled deeply, before thanking his mole compatriot - apparently by the name of Afair - before turning his attention to Dan. “You have good pokemon, no doubt, but give it a rest. My Excadrill is far more powerful than yours, and even in the remote case that I lose, you won’t manage to leave this place alive. You have terribly bad luck, and you’ve stumbled upon something you shouldn’t have seen.”

"Well, that last part is blatantly obvious, but don't think for a second I'm not going down without a fight!" Dan was determined - he wanted out of here alive, as any normal person would want. The difference between him and man others, however, is a motley crew able to back him up. The man sighed deeply before turning to Afair. Let’s go, boss’ orders. Hone your Claws, and Slash that bug. Hit the turtle next with a Drill Run . Be careful to not hit the walls, we can’t risk any more damage.”

Dan thought fast, then remembered something - the kissing booth from Valentine's day. "Zapz, boost your Agility while he sharpens those claws of his, then under his slash and Tickle him into submission! Terrance, a pair of Energy Balls should suffice; one while he's being tickled, and the other while he's coming in for Drill Run."

[Treecko's Awesomeness]

The Lost Cities of Talas
The Archaeology Zone

The Isle of Talas

Laos River: A long and winding river lined with tall palm trees snaking its way throughout this vast desert island. Many wild Pokémon can be found basking upon its banks, while families love to sit by the water and watch the barges sailing by.

TA looked at the great river before him, squinting as the hot desert sun reflected off the water into his eyes. His Treecko was lounging in the shade of a nearby palm tree, waiting for his trainer to give the signal to move out.

"Alright, Nav," said TA. "We've rested enough. I've heard this is a great place to explore on a journey, and we need to set out before we get too comfortable."

"Treecko!" Nav said as he jumped up and walked over to TA's feet.

TA laughed. "I'm glad you're excited! Let's head downstream to start off. What do you think?" After receiving a nod from the Pokemon, TA smiled and headed off.

(Stats in sig)

[Thrain]

The Lost Cities of Talas
The Archaeology Zone

Areas:
Laos River: A long and winding river lined with tall palm trees snaking its way throughout this vast desert island. Many wild Pokémon can be found basking upon its banks, while families love to sit by the water and watch the barges sailing by.

Profile

Arriving upon the embankment of the Laos River, Eric and Blaze looked out across the water, marveling in their surroundings. Palm trees grew along the edge of the stream while barges motored through the water, cutting V-like lines across the glassy surface. The arid desert surrounding the river seemed to stretch out for an eternity, well past the horizon. Tourists mingled among one another while they swam, talked, laughed, and battled with Pokémon. All of the elements of the river's environment blended together to form the perfect spot for a vacation paradise; the dry climate created the perfect stage for some water fun. It's no wonder this place is so popular with families, Eric thought.

"I bet the river's also the perfect spot to catch some Pokémon," Eric muttered aloud to his partner. Blaze barked, heading farther up the stream sniffing the ground like crazy. Eric followed behind, absentmindedly thumbing through a guidebook regarding the area while he kept his eyes peeled for any wild Pokémon...

[OkikuMew]

The Lost Cities of Talas
The Archaeology Zone

Long since buried beneath the desert sands, the lost city of Sobek was discovered after a ferocious sandstorm uncovered part of an ancient abode. When archaeologists heard of the discovery they flocked from all over the world to examine the area, eventually unearthing several more vicinities in which the ruined remains of ancient civilisations have been laying undisturbed for thousands of years. Portions of the strange writings and hieroglyphs discovered in these lost cities have been translated, fuelling speculation that the entire island of Talas is somehow tied in with the heavens. Items, carvings, texts, as well as some rather unsettling discoveries and mysterious events have helped to cement these theories in the minds of some, while others dismiss them as fantasy. Each of the cities are believed to be connected to the others somehow, but there are still missing pieces of a much larger puzzle to be found, leading scholars to believe that there are more cities that have yet to be discovered. Talas has now become a popular archaeological site which attracts scientists, scholars, tourists, and trainers from across the globe.

The Lost City of Lacuna

Located at the bottom of a deep valley laid out in the shape of a crescent moon, the Laos River provides the surrounding area with a rich source of nutrition. Thick jungle surrounds the ancient city whose inhabitants appear to have worshipped cats. Statues and inscriptions depict a very large, very muscular, panther-like feline as tall as a man whilst on all fours, but whether this creature is an extinct Pokémon or something else is anyone's guess. No references have been found in relation to this mythical beast, leaving many to wonder if it actually existed, or was simply a God worshipped by those who inhabited the city.

The Moon Temple: A large temple dedicated to Saros, the God of the Moon. It is said that at various times strange events occur, all of which are related to the moon itself, whether that's during a solar eclipse, lunar eclipse, or under the light of a full moon. Quiet and serene, this temple has an almost magical aura about it, leaving many feeling calm and collected even under the most stressful of circumstances.

When I learned about Talas, I was blown away by the possibilities of the place. Every single corner of it had a mysterious or mystical feeling that I love so much, being curious and having a thing for ancient stories and legends. After thinking for days and many games of eenie miney, I finally decided to go to Lacuna's Moon Temple.

I sit on the temple's rocky floor, taking all in the relaxing atmosphere of the sanctuary.

"Man, I never thought it was true that coming here calms anyone down, well I'm sure proved wrong right now!"

Max, my Poochyena, quietly barks and nuzzles my arm.

"Sheesh, even you, who's usually a furball of energy, is now all mellowed down like a marshmellow!" I giggle, finding his unusual reactions quite funny.

"They say that stuff happens here depending on what's the phase of the moon it's at..." I grab my Pokédex and look at the calendar application. "according to it, it's gonna be the new moon soon... Lots of religions and beliefs related to new moons are about new beginnings and changes, if I remember right... Kinda fitting, if you think about it," as I pet Max's head and ponder about how it is the first time we set foot in Talas, and how we are still just starting adventuring, instead of working and staying at home like we used to. "Wonder what it'll happen here with that? And if we're gonna see something, for that matter..."

[kaisap112]

Areas:
Port Pearl: A large, bustling port developed to handle the large amount of traffic now navigating the Laos River into Atlas City. Cargo ships, fishing trawlers, ferries, small tourist boats, and even five star cruise liners, all dock here. Café's, restaurants, boutiques, a couple of small inns, and a tour company all line the river banks making it a central hub of activity for the thriving metropolis of Atlas City.

Happy to find a peaceful area close to water, Noriko walked along the docks. With all that had been going on lately, she had barely had any time to bond with her new Pokémon, Callias the Finneon. Spotting a quiet spot, she pulled out a Pokéball and called out her new friend. Callias was the quiet type, but seemed to enjoy the waters he was in. While Callias swam happily in circles, Noriko sat down and watched the ships and cruisers go by in the distance. "If only I could ever go on a cruise," she thought to herself, dreaming of full meals at the buffet, tax free shops and the sound of the waves lulling her to sleep at night.

Callias jumped out of the water, spraying small droplets of water on Noriko. "I suppose we could do some training while we're here, right? Gotta get ready for Contests!" Noriko got up on her feet. "Callias, try to use Surf for as long as you can, we need to build your stamina!" While Callias got his training underway, Noriko wondered what else she could do around here: the place seemed busy enough for it. The focus of the day was Callias though, so going too far away from the water would be out of the question.

Clapping her hands at her Pokémon's effort, Noriko called out to him: "Good job, Callias! Now try to do the same in the form of a Voltorb!"

[takkupanda]

Hi guys! Welcome to the lost lands of Talas! Since this is my first update here at FB, I would like to apologize in advance for any errors that I might have made (especially, calling any Growlithe - Broly). I hope you have a nice few adventures here and enjoy!

The Southern Pyramid:

Charminions: After making your way through the hot barren desert with some difficulty, you and Apollo finally find what you were looking for - the Southern Pyramid. This ancient Talasian monument dedicated to the God of Fire may look like a daunting sight to many, but it was an exciting one for you and Apollo. You decide to go inside and pay homage to the God of Fire. As you enter the only open corridor, you see a very old architecture in general, with sculptures of Blaziken in weird poses embossed on the walls. The corridor is lit with candles which are mounted on Litwick statues. How the candles keep burning is a mystery, but the thing that worries you more is that the only corridor leading to the insides ends in a stone wall with only one stone at about face height missing. The opening thus made is about the size of a brick. You try to peep through it, but it is too dark to see inside. You start looking around for clues about how to get in there and find a half burnt piece of parchment on the floor which says:

* * * Welcome to the Southe...
* * * * * * * * * The Pyramid of F...

Those willing to enter the great P...
must light the torch on the far sid...
with fire. The torch is exactly stra...
from the hole in the stone wall. Y...
one chance to light it. You cann...
miss the target.

Note: If you mis............rget, ...
.......

...The lines after that are all burnt out. It’s your luck that at least some of it was legible and you can try to make some sense out of it.

What will you do?

====================

Laos River:

Treecko's Awesomeness: You and Nav start on your new quest after a nice rest in the shade of a Palm tree along the serene Laos River. It is a nice though rather hot sunny day as you walk along the sandy banks of the river with your Treecko alongside you. Despite the overall quietness of the surroundings, you do see occasional spurts of activity along the riverside. A barge sails upstream and a flock of Wingulls follow its trail attempting to catch the fish are tossed along with the water that is churned out of its turbines. You also see a couple of Aipom hopping from one palm tree to another on the other side of the river. Overall this looks like a peaceful place with not much happening.

Nav seems very excited about the first adventure and seems to be constantly looking around as if in search of something interesting. You keep walking waiting to see something interesting, but you keep being pulled back to the thought of how nice a place this would be to just relax and have a day off. Your thoughts are interrupted as Nav spots something at a distance straight down the same bank and starts running towards it. You follow him along the riverside and see an orange coloured furry dog running towards the two of you in the distance. You quickly recognize it as a Growlithe. Happy about having spotted a Pokemon, you and Nav sprint faster towards it. As you get closer, you see the puppy Pokemon being followed by another trainer like you. You slow down but Nav goes ahead till the two Pokemon are face to face and start glaring at each other. Looks like they want a battle!

What will you do?

(You and Thrain have a joint decision to make about whether to battle, continue adventure together without battling or just walk past each other continuing your own adventures. Communicate between yourselves via PM/VMs and reply accordingly in the next update. If you decide to battle, you get to make the first set of orders and hence you have to post first. Also, if you decide to battle, RP the stats of the battle like 1-vs-1, 2-vs-2 or whatever. Avoid switching in the battle and start with Treecko vs Growlithe. Please let me know via PM/VM - preferably on UPN - if you have any problems.)

----------------------------

Thrain: You and Blaze arrive at a fairly active spot on the banks of the Laos River where there are many tourists having a great day off. You see the tourists swimming, playing, battling and enjoying in general in the classic combination of the desert sun and the cool waters of the river. Your thoughts drift towards the potential of this place to offer excellent quality recreation, but soon you snap out of it because that’s not what you are here for.

Getting back to the primary motive of your visit to this wonderful place, you start heading upstream led by the excited and frenetic sniffing of Blaze as you look out for wild Pokemon. Given that there was so much human activity close to the place where you started, it is only natural that there weren’t many wild Pokemon there. So you head further away from the crowd and find that the river there is quite peaceful and pleasant. On the other side of the bank, you see a Kingler dig out some sand so that it could stay cool under the sand and away from the heat of the sun, but you realize that it is difficult to cross the river at the moment and keep walking. You realize that Blaze’s sniffing has become much less wild and much more concentrated as he seems to have picked up some scent. His ears also twitch, meaning that he must have also heard something. He starts moving ahead faster and you have to increase your pace too and soon you have to start running to catch up with Blaze. After a while he stops sniffing and starts looking ahead and running faster. You also look ahead and see a green reptile like Pokemon running towards you. Soon you realize that it’s a Treecko! Excited at having finally found a Pokemon, you sprint faster but soon realize that it is being followed by another trainer. You slow down, but Blaze keeps going till the two Pokemon are face to face, glaring at each other. Looks like they want a battle!

What will you do?

(You and Treecko's Awesomeness have a joint decision to make about whether to battle, continue adventure together without battling or just walk past each other continuing your own adventures. Communicate between yourselves via PM/VMs and reply accordingly in the next update. If you decide to battle, Treecko's Awesomeness gets to make the first set of orders and hence he has to post first. Also, avoid switching in the battle and start with Treecko vs Growlithe. Please let me know via PM/VM - preferably on UPN - if you have any problems.)

=================

The Moon Temple:

OkikuMew: You and Max sit in the evening twilight on the rocky floor just outside the temple feeling extremely relaxed and comfortable. You check the calendar application in the Pokedex and it shows that it is a new moon day which gives you a feeling that something special is bound to happen. You wait patiently for that enjoying the peaceful aura of the Moon Temple as time passes and it starts to get dark.

As you are lost in the thoughts about having begun your new adventure, you hear some sounds echoing from the inside of the temple. You and Max get up in excitement and rush to check out what that is. Inside the temple, you realise that it is getting noticeably darker and you cannot see much except for a pink sphere. That pink ball starts hopping closer to you and soon you realize that it’s a Jigglypuff! Glad to see that it has audience for its prayers for the new moon day, the Jigglypuff takes in a deep breath and starts Singing.

You assess the situation in your mind in a split-second and visualise a rapid series of events which will end up in you falling asleep in this Moon temple in the pitch blackness of the moonless night and you have a clear gut feeling that that would not be a situation you would want to get into, especially on a new moon day. You realize that you should stop that song, or else you might never know what would happen. Under normal circumstances, you would have panicked by this point of time, but the mystical aura of this place helps you keep your calm. But you know that you should act fast, or else...

What will you do?

==================

Port Pearl:

Kaisap112: Walking along the docks of the busy port of the busier city, you find yourself trying to bond with your newest Pokemon Callias. Finding a peaceful spot, you release your Finneon who happily swims in the water. You see many gigantic cruisers around and cannot help but wonder how it is like to be in one of those. But focusing on your primary purpose of coming here, you start training with your Finneon by asking him to practise Surf. Callias, despite his small size, is able to summon a big wave which he stylishly rides on. Happy with your Finneon’s performance, you clap and ask him to perform it again in a different way.

While your Finneon has another go at it, you notice another huge cruiser which docks itself not very far from you. This one is even more attractive and you get lost in your thoughts again. Snapping out of those, you get your attention back to the Finneon and see a Wingull soaring over it along the warm air currents. Callias appears to have spotted the seagull Pokemon as well and cowers in his place. The Wingull then stoops, beak open, heading straight for the wing fish Pokemon. Being an expert at catching fish, it won’t have any problem hunting and devouring your little Finneon.

What will you do?