Lyanazia - The Tribal Zone

[Food Guy]

Originally Posted by Empoleon-Dynamite

The Reverse World

Pikagod: In a nutshell, you’d been faced with a twin you didn’t know you had, and now you’d be walking miles in his shoes in search of a powerful artefact. There was a dark twist in the foggy clouds above, blocking the starry night’s sky and downing a chilling impression something frightening was in the works. You bow your head, watching as the moonlight glittered against the speedy waterway. An unsafe drop would lead to a tribal canoe, barely roped against a stable trunk and suspended by the water reefs. Despite the fact your blistered feet had about enough of walking, the idea of a leisurely raft seemed to pique the hidden sailor within. With that another Pokeball leaves your hand and plops into the river, sinking out of view. The dark riverbank suddenly flickers a dazzling white, a bluish manta ray swimming against the fast current, skimming across the surface as though he hadn’t had a good swim in a while. His antennae prickle upward as he listens intently to your orders, Zoran bracing himself for a technique he’d be troubled to pull off. The Wicked Pokémon crosses his arms as he light-footedly hops onto a branch with a good vantage of the wide canal whilst Ray-Ray leaps from the surface with his beady eyes scrunched with determination. Suddenly! A cyan sphere bursts from his maw, the Pulse of Water spinning rapidly in place. Mantine quickly dips back in the water, with the sphere still suspended above the river bank. Zoran grits his wooden face in concentration, his fan-like hands glowing with an icy tint. Wafting the appendages rapidly, the Shiftry manages to muster up a blustery Blizzard which downs against the Water Pulse right on queue. The two attacks bond together, splattering against the steep drop and creating a frozen stairwell to the canoe in the blink of an eye. The bridge looks rickety to say the least, and the fact white froths of water were pumping against it cause you to scuttle down it before it had a chance to collapse. You’re lucky enough to make the five-foot scramble, trying to keep your balance as you gripped the sides of the wooden boat whilst the icy bridge behind hastily crumbed in less than a few seconds. Zoran drops out of the tree, landing safely on the nose of the tribal canoe without losing momentum. With Ray-Ray’s shadow still visible beneath the water’s surface, you try your hand at untying the tight knots keeping the boat still. Sooner had you unravelled one knot, Zoran slashes the other, pushing the boat into action for a wobbly departure. Gripping the sides with all your might, the wooden raft speeds down the white rapids of the jungle’s unsteady terrain, giving you little time to absorb the surrounding environment. A few greyish Zubat flutter past but you’re all too preoccupied in steadying the canoe at every turn, the thought of crashing into the jagged rock formations at the foot of every cascade sending you on high-alert. After one of the most hectic five minutes of your life, you find the hazardous rapids subside into wider waterways with a gentle current. The manta ray leaps a few feet out of the water, reciting his name and performing an arch over your kayak. In any case both your comrades where out of harm's way. Sailing at a slower pace gives you a better view of the backdrop; the riverbank had become marshier, with thick mossy shrubbery layering against the murky shores. Trees branches snaked their way from one side of the broad river to the other, a few snowy white Noctowl sending you a hypnotising gaze from above with their ruby eyes. A family of purplish Wooper where snoozing on the outskirts, and with all natural wildlife taking a shadow form you could only wonder how you’d managed to avoid an attack for so long... perhaps you’d thought too soon! A few splashes down the course of the waterway sends Ray-Ray on high alert; coaxing him into circling the canoe protectively. Suddenly the unsettling glow of dozens of red dots cause you to took your arms into the Kayak. *snap!* A few of the fish jet forward to the manta’s surprise, taking sizable a chunk out of the canoe! A few punctures in the ride cause it to slowly begin filling with water. Warily gazing outward you discover the waters to be infested with Carvana! About six where harassing your Mantine whilst the rest took their pick at your boat! It looked as though you were in trouble!

What will you do?

With Ray-Ray and Zoran's Water Pulse and Blizzard making a nice, if somewhat rickety and probably unstable, bridge for the trainer and his pokemon to cross. Getting down the staircase/bridge, Karmas went as fast as he could and was lucky that he did. He only just made it off before the bridge began to crumble away into nothingness. Getting onto the kayak Karmas started to untie one of the knots as Zoran jumped down from a tree branch onto the small boat. Karmas let out a sigh of relief when he finally managed to untie the knot and Zoran merely slashed at the other piece of rope keeping the boat still.

"Thanks," said Karmas, as he gripped onto the sides of the boat for dear life.

The boat sped down the rapids, going so fast that the scenery was a mere blur of nondescript shapes and colours. Granted a few Zubat did happen to fly past, but Karmas was a bit more concerned with turning the boat and not smashing into sharp pointy rocks of doom. However after five minutes of Karmas screaming 'I'M GOING TO DIE!" the rapids subsided, leaving the trio in a gentle current. Realising that he hadn't actually seen Ray-Ray at all in those five minuted, the trainer frantically looked around for the Mantine and was relieved when he saw the manta ray jump over the kayak. Now that he knew where his pokemon was, the trainer looked around at the scenery, something that he couldn't do during the death trip. He saw several white Noctowl fly past, with a family of purple Wooper snoozing. With all of nature taking on a shadow form, Karmas just couldn't stop wondering why he hadn't been attacked yet. However, the trainer might have though too soon, a few splashes down the river making Ray-Ray circle the boat protectively. Suddenly dozens of red dots appeared, making Karmas bring his arms into the kayak and just in time. Snap! Several fish managed to get around Ray-Ray and take a couple of chunks out of the boat, with water filling in from the puncture holes. Looking out into the water Karmas saw that the river was infested with Carvanha, and six of them were harassing Ray-Ray!

"Ray-Ray, you need to beat these Carvanha! Start off with a Signal Beam then use Swift and finish off with another Signal Beam! Zoran I want you to use Razor Leaf on the Carvanha and then use a Twister to pull the Carvanha out of the water and finish off with another Razor Leaf!"

[Empoleon-Dynamite]

Xiaolin Temple

Hayward: Sporting a wok and some particularly spicy ingredients, you decide to kick start your cooking challenge with a vegetable stir fry. You slide the bowlish pan atop of a large hob, twisting an undersized knob on the stove to full which welcomes the flickering noise of ignition. Having listened intently to you orders, the chubby sumo takes it upon himself to gather the ingredients, stumbling in with a heavy barrel of vegetable oil in one hand and a jar of reddish Berries which made your eyes swelter just looking at. You delegate the fighting type a task of pouring a couple of drops of oil onto the wok whilst you paid close attention to the Touga Berry. Twisting the jar open with your good arm welcomes a fiery aroma, a blazing heat burning within the chilli. Dicing it into small pieces, you sprinkle the ingredient into the pan which was making a sizzling noise. It’s not long before you find Sumeo running in and out with jars of food and a cheeky grin, passing you the fresh Mushrooms, Cornn, Chople, Rindo, Tamato and Occas. You pay careful attention in measuring the ingredients, throwing them into the wok as you go along. At this point, Sumeo grabs a big wooden spoon, and the two of you take turns stirring it until a satisfying aroma fills the air. You scoop two bowls of cabbage into the pan whilst Sumeo adds a squirt of spicy puree. Sprinkling some clumps of Niniku Berry leaves you with a pretty tasty looking stir fry. It seemed a custom for chefs to taste their food, so Sumeo quickly takes his spoon to the steaming medley of vegetables and exclaims in approval! It looked as though your work was done, so you shuffle the cooking onto a dish, ready to be served to the swaggering Kaito.

The name of the game is cuisine. You’ll have three noblemen to prepare for: Kaito, Sensei and Mr.Hwan. Let’s continue with Sensei, he prefers his food Sweet and Traditional. Take that however you want to, but the outcome of the food you prepare will have an effect on your adventure in the long run. What you have to do is take me through what ingredients you’re using, and a step by step guide of how you’re preparing the meal. All you have to prepare is a main course. You’ll have an unlimited supply of any and every ingredient and cooking aide you can think of - be creative and imaginative and please use online recipe books if it helps. Once you’ve prepared Kaito’s meal, I’ll update you on how it goes, and then you’ll move onto the next nobleman. You can use your Pokémon to help with tasks too if you want, the other workers will only be observing and won’t be helping.

One of the waiters rushes in, yelling something in a foreign tongue causing you to jump out of your skin. The kitchen staff rush together, grabbing your three dishes as you can only assume the esteemed guests had arrived. The three dishes are placed neatly on an ornate cart, as two of the waiters proceed to the banquet out of the kitchen and into the eating area. As the doors flap open you realise the diner was much more luxurious than you’d anticipated. The open space had a dark ambiance, a few paper lanterns colouring it a soft scarlet. The mahogany furniture was complemented by a vase holding a single plum blossom on each table. There where plenty of small eating booths on the outskirts of the room, like most Chinese restaurants you may have visited. At the hub of the dining room was long table which stood out as the most esteemed. You suddenly spot three figures walk through the front door. There mere presence coaxes a lady perched in the corner of the room to begin strumming a harmonic string instrument. A Kriketot scuttles by her side, accompanying the Chinese melody with the occasional “ding”. Sensei instantly nods in your direction, even though you where hard to pick out from the crowd of workers. Kaito sticks close to his master, not a strand of his thick black hair out of place as stern as usual. The third figure rests an arm on the back of his bald head and rubs his belly enthusiastically, he looked quite cheery compared to his counterparts - and didn’t quite have a warrior’s figure.

The three take a seat on the largest table, Yuri rushing forward with a jug and offering a choice of beverages. She drops the jug and gives Kaito a brotherly nuggie, causing him to scowl much to Sensei and Hwan’s amusement. Wit the three chatting, the man in the white bandana strolls forward with the food cart. “... and for you Kaito San; Vegetable Stir Fry”. The chef smiles courteously, eager to witness their reactions. You were just as keen too, poking your head out of the door as Kaito sticks a pair of chop sticks into the bowl, swirling it around to grab a mixture of crisp vegetables. He pulls the chopsticks out of his mouth, slowly chewing with his face scrunched in curiosity. Sensations of flavour enter the apprentice’s tongue, with the peppers being the most overwhelming. You notice his eyes puff up slightly; perhaps the Touga Berry was too spicy after all? He finishes chewing and drops the utensils.

“Chef, I see through my criticism you have improved. Next time I expect even better”, Kaito nods subtly, and it isn’t long before he’s chugging from one of the large jugs of water, perhaps too cocky to admit he found it too spicy. The chef laughs nervously, catching the boy’s attention. Sensei seems to sigh to himself once more, which makes you question why the old man had chose to mentor such a brat.

“You see, I cannot take responsibility for this marvellous dish”, the man explains, causing Kaito’s eyes to widen in shock, “It was in fact, the traveller, who made this dish. He’s actually a very good co-“the adolescent drops his chop sticks in disgust, noticing your head poking out of the kitchen door ever so subtly.

“That... Trespasser... You have him cooking us food, do you!?” Kaito jumps to his feet, causing the chef to cower backward. Maybe this was a bad idea after all. You where just about ready to rush out the back doors if not for your better instinct telling you to stay put. Sensei remained calm and collective, readying himself in case Kaito’s agression needed to be caged. Hwan on the other hand seemed completely oblivious to the whole thing, still chowing down on his dish like a starved dog. Yuri was frozen in shock, taken back by her brother’s ugly side which continued to crop up.

to be continued... please go back and prepare Sensei’s meal

The Reverse World

Pikagod: You find yourself tucked into the centre of the canoe, flinching at the noise of vicious snaps on the outskirts of the murky water. Ray-Ray attempts to dodge the platoon of hungry Carvahna, but it isn’t long before a few nip at his tail and halt his getaway. You volley some fast orders to the manta, bearing in mind that the piranha would make quick work of the wooden boat if given a chance. Zoran also follows suit, hopping up from the kayak onto one of the several mossy branches snaking from one end of the lake to the other. You barely manage to poke your head over the side, the part-flying type ripping his way through the swarm of nippers and leaping into the air. Like a bomber plane, the stingray bombards the lake with a few zaps of his Signal Beam before dipping back into a quieter sanction of water. The Shadow fishes bark in frustration, a few of them scuffed by the attack. The school of Carvahna leave Ray-Ray with little time, the stronger of the pack managing to keep up with the manta and exercise some painful Bites. A few of the shadow types cling onto either of his wings with their powerful jaws, gnawing sharply as he cries in pain. Zoran is alerted to this, lifting up his leafy arms and slashing them down in an x-motion. Suddenly, several Leafy shuriken spin forward, Razoring into the three fish who where attached to Mantine. The trio yelp but keep hold of their grip, the stingray finding it hard to wriggle loose. He flounders out of the water again, unable to stay airborne with the added baggage. The ray then shoots a flurry of glittery stars spur outward, Swiftly meandering like homing missiles and splashing against the Carvahna wrestled to his body. One of the shadowy kippers looses its grip, plopping back into the greenish waters and joining its school. Mantine nosedives back into the water, Shiftry beginning to waft his limbs to produce a gust of wind. The airstream hits the water, creating a small cyclone with a purplish hue. Growing into a full-blown Twister, the draconic attack begins to reel in Carvhana by the five! About a dozen of the nasty Pokémon hurtle through the whirlpool, crashing into each over uncoordinatedly with a few of the weaker ones taking a big hit. As the Twister subsides, your allies join forces in releasing a joint flurry of Razor Leaf and Signal Beam – the manta dealing some decent damage to a few of the dizzy fish and the ninja managing to unfasten one of the Carvahna from Mantine’s underbelly. Whilst taking on a whole school of piranhas was an impressive feat, not one of the dozen had fallen yet, and one of the stragglers still had a firm seize of Ray-Ray’s tail.

[-Hayward-]

Originally Posted by Empoleon-Dynamite

Xiaolin Temple

Hayward: Sporting a wok and some particularly spicy ingredients, you decide to kick start your cooking challenge with a vegetable stir fry. You slide the bowlish pan atop of a large hob, twisting an undersized knob on the stove to full which welcomes the flickering noise of ignition. Having listened intently to you orders, the chubby sumo takes it upon himself to gather the ingredients, stumbling in with a heavy barrel of vegetable oil in one hand and a jar of reddish Berries which made your eyes swelter just looking at. You delegate the fighting type a task of pouring a couple of drops of oil onto the wok whilst you paid close attention to the Touga Berry. Twisting the jar open with your good arm welcomes a fiery aroma, a blazing heat burning within the chilli. Dicing it into small pieces, you sprinkle the ingredient into the pan which was making a sizzling noise. It’s not long before you find Sumeo running in and out with jars of food and a cheeky grin, passing you the fresh Mushrooms, Cornn, Chople, Rindo, Tamato and Occas. You pay careful attention in measuring the ingredients, throwing them into the wok as you go along. At this point, Sumeo grabs a big wooden spoon, and the two of you take turns stirring it until a satisfying aroma fills the air. You scoop two bowls of cabbage into the pan whilst Sumeo adds a squirt of spicy puree. Sprinkling some clumps of Niniku Berry leaves you with a pretty tasty looking stir fry. It seemed a custom for chefs to taste their food, so Sumeo quickly takes his spoon to the steaming medley of vegetables and exclaims in approval! It looked as though your work was done, so you shuffle the cooking onto a dish, ready to be served to the swaggering Kaito.

The name of the game is cuisine. You’ll have three noblemen to prepare for: Kaito, Sensei and Mr.Hwan. Let’s continue with Sensei, he prefers his food Sweet and Traditional. Take that however you want to, but the outcome of the food you prepare will have an effect on your adventure in the long run. What you have to do is take me through what ingredients you’re using, and a step by step guide of how you’re preparing the meal. All you have to prepare is a main course. You’ll have an unlimited supply of any and every ingredient and cooking aide you can think of - be creative and imaginative and please use online recipe books if it helps. Once you’ve prepared Kaito’s meal, I’ll update you on how it goes, and then you’ll move onto the next nobleman. You can use your Pokémon to help with tasks too if you want, the other workers will only be observing and won’t be helping.

One of the waiters rushes in, yelling something in a foreign tongue causing you to jump out of your skin. The kitchen staff rush together, grabbing your three dishes as you can only assume the esteemed guests had arrived. The three dishes are placed neatly on an ornate cart, as two of the waiters proceed to the banquet out of the kitchen and into the eating area. As the doors flap open you realise the diner was much more luxurious than you’d anticipated. The open space had a dark ambiance, a few paper lanterns colouring it a soft scarlet. The mahogany furniture was complemented by a vase holding a single plum blossom on each table. There where plenty of small eating booths on the outskirts of the room, like most Chinese restaurants you may have visited. At the hub of the dining room was long table which stood out as the most esteemed. You suddenly spot three figures walk through the front door. There mere presence coaxes a lady perched in the corner of the room to begin strumming a harmonic string instrument. A Kriketot scuttles by her side, accompanying the Chinese melody with the occasional “ding”. Sensei instantly nods in your direction, even though you where hard to pick out from the crowd of workers. Kaito sticks close to his master, not a strand of his thick black hair out of place as stern as usual. The third figure rests an arm on the back of his bald head and rubs his belly enthusiastically, he looked quite cheery compared to his counterparts - and didn’t quite have a warrior’s figure.

The three take a seat on the largest table, Yuri rushing forward with a jug and offering a choice of beverages. She drops the jug and gives Kaito a brotherly nuggie, causing him to scowl much to Sensei and Hwan’s amusement. Wit the three chatting, the man in the white bandana strolls forward with the food cart. “... and for you Kaito San; Vegetable Stir Fry”. The chef smiles courteously, eager to witness their reactions. You were just as keen too, poking your head out of the door as Kaito sticks a pair of chop sticks into the bowl, swirling it around to grab a mixture of crisp vegetables. He pulls the chopsticks out of his mouth, slowly chewing with his face scrunched in curiosity. Sensations of flavour enter the apprentice’s tongue, with the peppers being the most overwhelming. You notice his eyes puff up slightly; perhaps the Touga Berry was too spicy after all? He finishes chewing and drops the utensils.

“Chef, I see through my criticism you have improved. Next time I expect even better”, Kaito nods subtly, and it isn’t long before he’s chugging from one of the large jugs of water, perhaps too cocky to admit he found it too spicy. The chef laughs nervously, catching the boy’s attention. Sensei seems to sigh to himself once more, which makes you question why the old man had chose to mentor such a brat.

“You see, I cannot take responsibility for this marvellous dish”, the man explains, causing Kaito’s eyes to widen in shock, “It was in fact, the traveller, who made this dish. He’s actually a very good co-“the adolescent drops his chop sticks in disgust, noticing your head poking out of the kitchen door ever so subtly.

“That... Trespasser... You have him cooking us food, do you!?” Kaito jumps to his feet, causing the chef to cower backward. Maybe this was a bad idea after all. You where just about ready to rush out the back doors if not for your better instinct telling you to stay put. Sensei remained calm and collective, readying himself in case Kaito’s agression needed to be caged. Hwan on the other hand seemed completely oblivious to the whole thing, still chowing down on his dish like a starved dog. Yuri was frozen in shock, taken back by her brother’s ugly side which continued to crop up.

to be continued... please go back and prepare Sensei’s meal

In the kitchen of a whitewash building nestled in the mountains of the southern island nation of Lyanazia, the trainer Benjamin Hale put the finishing touches on the Spicy Vegetable Stir Fry he had prepared for Kaito and paused to steal a quick whiff of the completed dish’s savory aroma. At just that moment though, the servers hurried into the room, grabbed the meal Ben had prepared, and like an Arcanine using Extremespeed, hustled it out to the main banquet hall. Curious, Ben followed them at a distance.

Poking his head through the slightly-opened swinging doors, Ben watched as three Chinese gentlemen glided into the room from outside. Ben recognized two of the men instantly, Master Sensei and Kaito, but the third he wasn’t sure about. He couldn’t recall having met the rotund gentleman earlier, but supposed he was the dinner party’s third guest, Mr. Hwan. Watching them take their places at the table, Ben marveled at their contrasting appearances and wondered what was the basis of their connection. Master Sensei saw Ben and nodded politely in the boy’s direction. Ben returned the silent greeting with a small wave. Nearby, a Kricketot accompanied a female musician in creating a beautiful tune that mixed with the pleasant aromas from the kitchen to give the low-lit dining room a welcoming ambiance.

Yuri filled the men’s cups and greeted her brother playfully while the head chef brought Kaito his meal. “... and for you Kaito-san; Vegetable Stir Fry,” he announced, beaming in anticipation, wondering how the man would respond. Ben strained his head to try to catch a glimpse of Kaito’s reaction, too, hoping that a successful dish might help to soften the antagonistic man’s attitude towards him.

Kaito ate slowly, clearly savoring each bite, and Ben noticed that the man’s eyes began to water as he bit into the various spicy berries mixed into the dish. “Chef, I see through my criticism you have improved. Next time I expect even better,” Kaito remarked, nodding subtly, but reaching for a large jug of water nonetheless. Ben grinned, realizing the stern man had indeed enjoyed the meal.

“You see, I cannot take responsibility for this marvellous dish,” the chef suddenly remarked, and Ben saw Kaito’s eyes grew wide in surprise. “It was in fact, the traveler, who made this dish,” the chef continued. “He’s actually a very good co-”

Kaito however had glanced around the room and spied Ben peeking through the kitchen door. Dropping his chopsticks in disgust, he exclaimed contemptuously, “That... Trespasser... You have him cooking us food, do you?!” The stern man jumped to his feet. Nervous, the chef backpedaled quickly. Ben’s shoulders slumped in disappointment as he thought that maybe it had been a bad idea to help out after all. He even momentarily contemplated trying to make a hasty getaway through the kitchen’s backdoor. However, the other two diners appeared to pay Kaito no mind, and after a moment of thought, Ben realized he was in this thing pretty deep, and it was probably too late to turn back now. Besides, Yuri was counting on him, too, and he didn’t want to disappoint her. Retreating to the kitchen, Ben put on a determined expression and resolved to prove himself to Kaito one way or the other.

Ben knew that Master Sensei had requested something Sweet and Traditional and he dragged a hand through his short brown hair as he thought hard to remember a suitable recipe. After a moment of contemplation, he snapped his fingers, settling on a Mixed Fruit Salad. In order to make it, he knew he would have to start out with a large, ripe Watmel Berry. The exceedingly sweet berry was known to grow in excess of 20 inches in diameter, and Ben figured it would make a suitable, edible "bowl." He planned on cutting the enormous Berry in half, then hollowing it out, and using it to hold all of the other tasty ingredients he was planning to add.

Once the “bowls” were ready, Ben planned to add some creamy yogurt made from fresh MooMoo Milk, then top it off with bits of crunchy granola, four teaspoons of Sinnoh’s finest Sweet Honey, and a mixture of the juiciest, mouth-watering-est fruit he could find, starting with the popular Magost Berry. The boy knew that the small pink berries were well-loved by Pokemon for their dreamy sweetness, so he figured adding a generous helping would be a good place to start.

After that, Ben planned to dice up two of the curviest Mago Berries he could find, then mix their pieces together with a pint of freshly plucked Bluk Berries, eight plump Grepa Berries, and the slices of three peeled Pecha Berries. He would then add the fruit mixture, along with the MooMoo Milk Yogurt, and granola to the Watmel "bowls." Finally, if the pantry happened to have any of the super-rare Micle Berries lying around, Ben hoped to sprinkle in a handful of the tiny, oblong green berries. They were known to increase the sweet taste of foods they were eaten with, and he figured it couldn’t hurt.

His recipe in mind, Ben set about preparing his second dish…

* * *

OoC: Emp, thanks for the speedy update. It has been a fun challenge trying to come up with interesting recipes that might actually taste good for my past two replies. I can't wait to see what the next dish will have to be. Again, I tried to primarily use Poke-earth foods. For ease of reference, here is the recipe I’d like to follow, if I may:

.:Ingredients:.
a. 1 LARGE Watmel Berry, cut in half and seeded
b. a generous helping of Magost Berries
c. 2 Mago Berries, diced
d. 1 pint of fresh Bluk Berries
e. 8 plump Grepa Berries
f. 3 Pecha Berries, peeled and sliced
g. a handful of Micle Berries
h. 2 cups of frozen yogurt made from fresh MooMoo Milk
i. 4 teaspoons of Sinnoh’s Sweet Honey
J. 1 cup of crunchy granola

.:Procedure:.
1. Wash the Berries with soap and hot water, then rinse to prevent e. coli and salmonella
2. Lop off the bottom of the Watmel Berry and scoop out the seeds to make a “bowl”
3. In a separate dish, mix together Magost, Mago, Bluk, Grepa, and Pecha fruits
4. Fill the Watmel “bowl” with MooMoo Milk yogurt. Top with fruit mixture, granola, and Sweet Honey
5. Sprinkle on Micle Berries, if available

___________________________________________

[image courtesy of luxraymaster]

[mew-the original]

Originally Posted by Empoleon-Dynamite

Garden of Iris

Music Box: Whilst trespassing wasn’t an activity you enjoyed, the fantasy budding from the flowery hedgehog manages to cloud your better judgement coaxing you into stepping foot in the fairytale bastion. With that you set your sights on the carpeted stairwell with Jurasic and Morph following suite. It made sense you’d reach the pinnacle of the tower by following any and every flight of steps you met, so you hastily wipe the muck off of your sneakers before trailing up the threaded carpet. Beautiful stain-glass murals coloured the foot of the grand hall, the sun’s rays creating a Technicolor reflection against the scarlet throw. You admire the heavenly rainbow without getting too distracted or slowing your pace. Ambling up the flight of stairs you keep your wits about you, the idea of running into a landlord putting a thorn in your side, especially given the track of muddy dino-prints your reptilian comrade had set. About thirty minutes pass, at which point you’re panting for breath given you’d climbed about seven stories already. The same can’t be said for the T-Rex ahead, whose impressive sense of smell seemed to be doing you well for a change as he seemed to know which corridor to follow at every turn. You meet an open door leading to a spiral staircase which didn’t seem all that glamorous compared to the rest of the castle. Instead of the whitewash walls it sported a greyish medieval hue, the floors made of old oak rather than luxurious marble. Still, Jurasic snorted franticly at the door, his hunting instincts insisting the flowery legendary was ahead. With that you take lead, travelling up the spiral stairwell which would match that of the tallest tower... and boy did it live up to its description! Whilst you’d been animated just a few minutes ago, by the time you’d reached the top each step was harder and harder to climb. Staggering up the last few steps felt like a hike up Terror Mountain – thank goodness that was over. You open another oak door, welcomed to a warm room faintly lit by a dozen or so candles. There wasn’t much to look at, a few trinkets scattered in the crevices, but this attic looked like it served as nothing more than a storeroom for the goddess’s old junk. Suddenly! You spot the Shaymin at the corner of your eye, sat on a dusty old dresser trying to open a heavy brown book with his nose. You gently walk to its side, it doesn’t run away for a change. Noticing it struggle to open the hardback, you blow the dust off of its front. Fizzby Tails for Grizzly Kids. You turn the front page, a tingle of magic running up your arm giving you shivers. It looked like a contents page, with three titles accompanied by an animated illustration. The first story was Hansel and Gretel, accompanied by a drawing of two chubby Lickitung sporting green lederhosen where leisurely skipping through a forest, the one with blonde pigtails dropping bread crumbs in her wake. The next one was titled Jack and the Beanstalk, beside it a Riolu dressed in rags was climbing up a giant stalk which seemed to snake all the way up to the clouds. The third, Goldie Locks, pictured with a Smoochum making a mess of someone’s home and scoffing its weight down in porridge. Shaymin meeps enthusiastically, it looked as though he wanted you to read him a story, but which one piques your interest?

What will you do?

After finally reaching the top, Tim opened the larger oak door, feeling rather relieved his long treck was over. Looking over, the exhausted trainer noticed that Jurasic wasn't doing as well as he was just a few minutes ago. "Poor little guy," Tim huffed, "Why don't you take a nice rest." he suggested while secretly wishing he could do the same. The young dinosaur, despite being curious about the Shaymin, was feeling too tired from the stairs to keep going from now and peacfully went back into his pokeball. Little Morph chirpped to Tim, pointing out Shaymin who seemed to be struggling to open the book. Tim approached, half expecting Shaymin to run away, but this time the little legend didn't flee. Suprised by this, Tim thought that maybe Shaymin wanted him to open the large book titled Fizzby Tails for Grizzly Kids. The curious trainer opened the book, feeling the magic trickle from the book to his arms. It became apparent to Tim that there was something different about this book... it wasn't normal. As he opened the book, Tim quickly took interest in the tale Hansel and Gretel. "I remember my mother used to read this tale to me all the time when I was little..." he reminisced. "How about we read Hansel and Gretel? I think you'll enjoy it Shaymin..." Tim said warmly to the hedgehog.

[Food Guy]

Originally Posted by Empoleon-Dynamite

The Reverse World

Pikagod: You find yourself tucked into the centre of the canoe, flinching at the noise of vicious snaps on the outskirts of the murky water. Ray-Ray attempts to dodge the platoon of hungry Carvahna, but it isn’t long before a few nip at his tail and halt his getaway. You volley some fast orders to the manta, bearing in mind that the piranha would make quick work of the wooden boat if given a chance. Zoran also follows suit, hopping up from the kayak onto one of the several mossy branches snaking from one end of the lake to the other. You barely manage to poke your head over the side, the part-flying type ripping his way through the swarm of nippers and leaping into the air. Like a bomber plane, the stingray bombards the lake with a few zaps of his Signal Beam before dipping back into a quieter sanction of water. The Shadow fishes bark in frustration, a few of them scuffed by the attack. The school of Carvahna leave Ray-Ray with little time, the stronger of the pack managing to keep up with the manta and exercise some painful Bites. A few of the shadow types cling onto either of his wings with their powerful jaws, gnawing sharply as he cries in pain. Zoran is alerted to this, lifting up his leafy arms and slashing them down in an x-motion. Suddenly, several Leafy shuriken spin forward, Razoring into the three fish who where attached to Mantine. The trio yelp but keep hold of their grip, the stingray finding it hard to wriggle loose. He flounders out of the water again, unable to stay airborne with the added baggage. The ray then shoots a flurry of glittery stars spur outward, Swiftly meandering like homing missiles and splashing against the Carvahna wrestled to his body. One of the shadowy kippers looses its grip, plopping back into the greenish waters and joining its school. Mantine nosedives back into the water, Shiftry beginning to waft his limbs to produce a gust of wind. The airstream hits the water, creating a small cyclone with a purplish hue. Growing into a full-blown Twister, the draconic attack begins to reel in Carvhana by the five! About a dozen of the nasty Pokémon hurtle through the whirlpool, crashing into each over uncoordinatedly with a few of the weaker ones taking a big hit. As the Twister subsides, your allies join forces in releasing a joint flurry of Razor Leaf and Signal Beam – the manta dealing some decent damage to a few of the dizzy fish and the ninja managing to unfasten one of the Carvahna from Mantine’s underbelly. Whilst taking on a whole school of piranhas was an impressive feat, not one of the dozen had fallen yet, and one of the stragglers still had a firm seize of Ray-Ray’s tail.

Quickly relaying his orders, Karmas watched as Zoran jumped from the kayak onto a branch. Peering over the edge of the boat, the trainer watched as Ray-Ray jumped into the air, and sent several zaps of his Signal Beam into the water. As Ray-Ray dived into a more peaceful part of the water, the Shadow Carvanha let out barks of frustration, a sigh that a couple of them had been hit by the attack. However the were quickly able to catch up with Ray-Ray and give him a couple of nasty Bites. Ray-Ray cried out in pain, Karmas took a look at his pokemon and saw that a couple of Carvanhas had attached themselves to his underside. Seeing the trouble that his comrade was in, Zoran slashed his arms down; sending Razor sharp Leaves at the three water/dark types. They let out cried of pain, but the pokemon still clung onto Ray-Ray. Trying to wriggle his way loose, the Mantine jumped up into the air but failed due to the weight of the fish. Growling in frustration, Ray-Ray shot out a barrage of shining stars which Swiftly made their way to the Carvanha attached to his chest. The attack forced one of the fish off, the Carvanha quickly swimming back to its school. As Ray-Ray dived back into the water, Zoran began to spin his arms around and make a gust of wind. The wind hit the water and a small tornado began to form. Quickly growing into a full blown Twister, the attack began to suck in the Carvanha. About twelve of the fish were sucked in, the ferociousness of the whirlpool causing them to smack into one another. Zoran and Ray-Ray looked at each other, and as the Twister subsided, they let out a barrage of Razor Leaf and Signal Beam. The manta's attack managed to do a decent amount of damage to the fish, while Zoran was successful in knocking a Carvanha off of Ray-Ray.

"Good work guys!" called out Karmas, "Now, Zoran, I want you to use another Twister then follow it up with a Razor Leaf and finish off with a Nature Power. Ray-Ray, I want you to use a Swift on the Carvanha on your stomach, then use Signal Beam on them and finish off with Supersonic!"

[Empoleon-Dynamite]

Xiaolin Temple

Hayward: Tossing aside the dirty dishes of a sizzling stir fry, you begin making space for your next course. Yuri hastily rushes over the tabletop with a clean rag, the counter holding no signs of spicy chillies which would no doubt spoil the next meal. Wavering onto a sweeter dish, you send the stout Makuhita off into the pantry to gather some fruity ingredients. It’s not long before he waddles back in with a hefty Watmel the size of his head. You pat the chubby sumo on the head affectionately, plopping the crop onto a chopping board slicing it clean in half with a large kitchen knife. The two wedges into bowl shapes, you and the fighter taking a spoon to each and hollowing them out to about an inch in thickness. Sumeo particularly enjoys this task , scoffing the delicious filling and spitting any pips into a waste bin. Sumeo grabs two glass jars sporting a Miltank and Combee sticker, respectively. Tossing one your way, you quickly pour the creamy white yoghurt into the pinkish bowl. You top off the white mixture with of oats and raisins, marinating the crunchy desert with some teaspoons of golden honey. With generous room left in the pair of bowls, what’d make a fruit salad sweeter than some tropical berries? You send the zealous Makuhita on another food run, this time for about half-a-dozen different types of fruit. He rushes back in a few minutes later, sporting a large bowl of harvest with a cheeky grin. You measure the ingredients accordingly, fervently picking off any unripe produce leaving a mixture of fruits mottled all sorts of colours. You add the finishing touches with another topping of yoghurt and honey, the finishing touches just short of a Micle Berry or two which was a real shot in the dark. Suddenly! Makuhita bounces in with a spring in his step, something nestled within his blackish paws. He eagerly untangles his mitts to reveal a pea-sized berry with a shiny green sheen. You can only assume the tropical climate is bustling with all sorts of rare delicacies, warily plucking the berry from his chubby paws and grating it onto the fruity medley. Whilst small in quantity, the sprinkles of sweet Micle manage to consume each salad bowl with a syrupy aroma. Clapping your hands to gesture the desert was all set, right on queue a few of the kitchen staff take charge and shuffle the melons onto a rounded plate beneath a cooler, with the third serving next on your agenda.

The name of the game is cuisine. You’ll have three noblemen to prepare for: Kaito, Sensei and Mr.Hwan. Your final meal is for Hwan, the focal goods trader of the village. He prefers International food. Take that however you want to, but the outcome of the food you prepare will have an added effect on the adventure. What you have to do is take me through what ingredients you’re using, and a step by step guide of how you’re preparing the meal. All you have to prepare is a main course. You’ll have an unlimited supply of any and every ingredient and cooking aide you can think of - be creative and imaginative and please use online recipe books if it helps. Once you’ve prepared Hwan’s meal, I’ll update you on how it goes, and then your cooking challenge will be over. You can use your Pokémon to help with tasks too if you want, the other workers will only be observing and won’t be helping.

One of the waiters rushes in, yelling something in a foreign tongue causing you to jump out of your skin. The kitchen staff rush into an unorderly huddle, grabbing your three dishes as you can only assume the esteemed guests had arrived. The three dishes are placed neatly on an ornate cart, as two of the waiters proceed to the banquet out of the kitchen and into the eating area. As the doors flap open you realise the diner was much more luxurious than you’d anticipated. The open space had a dark ambiance, a few paper lanterns colouring it a soft scarlet. The mahogany furniture was complemented by a vase holding a single plum blossom on each table. There where plenty of small eating booths on the outskirts of the room, like most Chinese restaurants you may have visited. At the hub of the dining room was long table which stood out as the most esteemed. You suddenly spot three figures walk through the front door. There mere presence coaxes a lady perched in the corner of the room to begin strumming a harmonic string instrument. A Kriketot scuttles by her side, accompanying the Chinese melody with the xylophonic chimes of its antennae. Sensei nods in your direction, even though you where hard to pick out from the crowd of workers. Kaito sticks close to his master, not a strand of his thick black hair out of place as stern as usual. The third figure rests an arm on the back of his bald head and rubs his plump belly enthusiastically; he looked quite jolly compared to his company.

The three take a seat on the largest table, Yuri rushing forward with a jug and offering a choice of beverages. She drops the jug and gives Kaito a brotherly nuggie, causing him to scowl much to Sensei and Hwan’s amusement. With now engaged in everyday conversation, the man in the white bandana strolls forward with the food cart. “... and for you Master Sensei; a delicious Fruit Salad”. The chef smiles courteously, eager to witness their reactions. You were just as keen too, poking your head out of the door as the wrinkled man spoons a cluster of fruits and granola. His bushy grey brows narrow as he places the spoon beside his dish, chewing the blend of berries with a trivial grin. You notice him quickly scoop up a second bite, this time dipping the spoonful into the creamy veneer. The old man held a satisfied facade, not a look of cringe beneath his mysterious guise.

“A delicious serving, my friend”, the wise elder grins softly, “Perhaps the regal Arcanine should sample the lake outside of its valley”. The proverb manages to highlight his esteem for your efforts as well as a strong sense of optimism, although you can’t help wondering if you strayed too far from the book with a non-traditional take. In any case, you get the firm impression his taste buds have been tantalised as he gradually hollows out each fruit bowl of its sweet filling. That was the least of your worries though, as the adjacent apprentice was beginning to kick up a fuss.

“You see, I cannot take responsibility for this marvellous dish”, the man explains, causing Kaito’s eyes to widen in shock, “It was in fact, the traveller, who made this dish. He’s actually a very good co-“the adolescent drops his chop sticks in disgust, noticing your head poking out of the kitchen door ever so subtly. The

“That... Trespasser... You have him cooking us food, do you!?” Kaito jumps to his feet, causing the chef to cower backward. Maybe this was a bad idea after all. You where just about ready to rush out the back doors if not for your better instinct telling you to stay put. Sensei remained calm and collective, readying himself in case Kaito’s agression needed to be caged. Hwan on the other hand seemed completely oblivious to the whole thing, still chowing down on his dish like a starved dog. Yuri was frozen in shock, taken back by her brother’s ugly side which continued to crop up. Sensei grasps the boy’s threaded sleeve like a vulture to its prey, a feat which more or less overpowered the rogue warrior.

“Please Kaito, be seated”, Sensei mutters softly, softening his grip into more of a supportive gesture.

“I will not eat a meal prepared by someone I don’t trust”, Kaito replies, tugging away from Sensei’s, storming out of the dimly lit bistro.

“Is it that you do not trust the boy, or that you feel threatened by him?” Hwan blurts with Kaito just a foot away from the door, a slight smile on his face as though he had Kaito all worked out. The white clothed labourers seemed taken back by the usually easygoing man’s wise outburst. “You think you’re so tough, when really, you’re just a spoilt brat!” he laughs, a slur in his speech as though he’d had too much wine with his midday meal.

to be continued... please go back and prepare Sensei’s meal

The Reverse World

Pikagod: You complement the two fighters on their efforts, whilst in all honesty you where fighting a struggle that’d be tricky to pull away with. One of the piranha was sinking its teeth into the manta’s tail, causing a great deal of panic for the juvenile Pokémon and slowing his speed. The Carvhana was determined to keep a hold, not about to miss out on its first feast in weeks. And by the looks of the pushy swarms of rowdy fish, this was the smallest of Ray-Ray’s troubles. Zoran is first to spring into action, perched atop a tree like some sort of puppet master as he frantically fans his appendages. A gust picks up on the swampy bed, the murky lakes gyrating into another Twister! Almost all the fish are sucked into its eye, whacked with streams of draconic energy with the weaker of the school taking big hits. The Wicked Pokémon notices a cluster of the savages swimming against the vicious current, coaxing him into another Razor Leaf aimed at the eye of the storm. The thin green blades hit several of the submerged shadow Pokémon, a few of them finally giving up and swimming downstream to lick their wounds. Thinning out the herd leaves you with about six or so hungry Carvhana frenzied by the taste of blood coursing from the Mantine’s tail. He helplessly flails from the water to an uproar of snaps, spitting a flurry of stars to beat off the straggler. The Swift projectiles splash against Carvhana’s dorsal fin who winces in pain. Adding insult to injury, the Ray persists with a high pitched Signal Beam of bug energy, bulleting it between the eyes with just enough force to loosen its jaws. The Carvhana splashes back into the river, swimming downstream with the rest of his weakened siblings. Whilst you’d trimmed down the weaker of the mix, this left one fuming quintet of stronger fish. Two of them dive beneath the water in Ray-Ray’s direction, whilst the other three persistently leap from the water in hopes of fastening onto Zoran’s wooden hide. The manta also submerges, releasing a Supersonic echo causing enough confusion to lead them off his trail for the time being. Meanwhile, Zoran’s nature power transforms into a stinky Mud Bomb which splashes against both the fish whilst in mid-air, lowering their accuracy slightly. Whilst you’d managed to get a hold on the tricky situation, a few movements outside of the confined battle area send your senses on edge. You timorously scope the surroundings, taken back by the ruby eyes of a few Tangrowth in the bushes, a Feraligatr and a few Croconaw slowly pushing near with their trunk-like tails. Whilst none of these new threats had shown any signs of aggression, you’d had one two many encounters with their kind to take them lightly. A clean getaway down stream seemed just as unlikely though given the state of your kayak, what will you do?


Garden of Iris

Mewsic: Caught up with the fact you’ve just about broke into the enchanted bastion, you waver on pushing deeper into the cosy attic with the flowery bait snuggled on the bureau. The tame hedgehog persistently nudges the open hardback with its snout, slight whimpers giving you the impression she could do with a good fairy-tale. Hook line and sinker, you wane toward the oak dresser, noticing a few warm trinkets such as an ink dabbed quill lay softly on a scruffy mound of tanned parchment which gives off a vibe that the cluttered old garret was once quite lively a few centuries ago. Blowing against the brownish book causes a spurt of dust to rush up your sinuses, your eyes watering too. Shaymin sneezes cutely, hopping down onto a plump footrest and curling into a ball. Ditto and Craniados get comfortable too, sat around the chest of drawers on a couple of crammed boxes probably housing some unused furniture. You adjust the flickery oil lamp just inches from the book pressing your finger against the first few pages and skimming through until you found the story you where looking for. An archetypal tale of two siblings stemming all the way from olden Germany, although the specifics where still fuzzy given the age you last heard it. Taking a deep inhale, you mask your usual tone with a contemporary reading voice...

Hansel and Gretle
Once upon a time a brother and sister named Hansel and Gretel lived with their mother and
father at the edge of a huge forest. When our story opens, they are alone in their small cottage,
hard at work at their chores, and very very hungry. Gretel teases Hansel for being a grump, and
promises to tell him a secret if he will cheer up -- there's Moomoo Milk in the cupboard, and their
mother will make them a tasty batch of Poffins when she comes home. Hansel ignores his sister
and guzzles the milk, but Gretel warns him that their mother will be angry if they don't get back
to work. Hansel refuses; he prefers to dance. Gretel thinks that's a wonderful idea, and she
starts dancing too. In the middle of all the fun, Mother comes home in a very bad mood, angry
at them for not having finished their work. She sends the two hungry children out into the forest
to collect wood, with Hansel dropping bread crumbs so they did not get lost...

...You push your fingers towards the page, about to turn only to lose sight through the cute huffing and puffing of the snoozing legendary. Suddenly, its face scrunches up, mumbling to itself as though it was dreaming. You find yourself hipnotised by its charm, until the steely faced expression of concern emanating from Craniados pulls you away from the daze. Your heart begins to race as you wonder what the hell was going on, looking down to your lap you notice the heavy book shimmering a golden yoke. Ditto falls apart like a puddle of water, climbing up your leg and fastening onto your shoulder in panic as an explosion of dazzling flares bursts from the enchanted hardback. Jurasic maintains his courageous guise, barking wildly at the unknown phenomenon. The hedgehog twitches again, causing you to thrust the book out of your possession as it rattles frantically. Your eyes fixate on the open hardback with its pages swirling around like some mystical vortex! Before you can move a muscle the current heaves you in, Craniados failing to resist it too! The last glimpse of the wooden attic fades away, the four of you plummeting through the contents of the storey faster than you can keep up. You stretch out for the small Shaymin, wrapping her up in your clothes and bracing for impact. Your eyes jam shut as the golden wormhole grows ever brighter, falling at the speed of sound before!

“Guten Tag!” an odd voice exclaims. Suddenly you suffer something like a wet mop chafe against your face, slobbering all the way up once or twice which is enough to liven your senses. Your head starts to pound, what just happened? Regaining consciousness you weakly reach your feet, weakly opening your eyes with a somewhat blurred vision. Your comrades where all accounted for, the cocky dinosaur marking his territory on a nearby oak, with the blob and hedgehog still hanging about yourself. However, in the midst of the quant forest aperture, there where two unknown figures. Both quite chubby, the one giving you little space to breath dressed in green lederhosen, while the female of the species sporting a black and white Fräulein. The flowery Pokémon suddenly nuzzles its way out of your jumper, yawning cutely before hopping down to the neatly trimmed pasture of the fairytale woodland. It sniffs about some toadstools with curiosity, shrinking backward as a few Shroomish pop out of the underbrush in curiosity. You switch your attention back to the Long Tongued Pokémon, who’s eyes hadn’t moved from you since you’d gotten up. “Sprechen Sie Englisch!?

[-Hayward-]

Originally Posted by Empoleon-Dynamite

Xiaolin Temple

Hayward: Tossing aside the dirty dishes of a sizzling stir fry, you begin making space for your next course. Yuri hastily rushes over the tabletop with a clean rag, the counter holding no signs of spicy chillies which would no doubt spoil the next meal. Wavering onto a sweeter dish, you send the stout Makuhita off into the pantry to gather some fruity ingredients. It’s not long before he waddles back in with a hefty Watmel the size of his head. You pat the chubby sumo on the head affectionately, plopping the crop onto a chopping board slicing it clean in half with a large kitchen knife. The two wedges into bowl shapes, you and the fighter taking a spoon to each and hollowing them out to about an inch in thickness. Sumeo particularly enjoys this task , scoffing the delicious filling and spitting any pips into a waste bin. Sumeo grabs two glass jars sporting a Miltank and Combee sticker, respectively. Tossing one your way, you quickly pour the creamy white yoghurt into the pinkish bowl. You top off the white mixture with of oats and raisins, marinating the crunchy desert with some teaspoons of golden honey. With generous room left in the pair of bowls, what’d make a fruit salad sweeter than some tropical berries? You send the zealous Makuhita on another food run, this time for about half-a-dozen different types of fruit. He rushes back in a few minutes later, sporting a large bowl of harvest with a cheeky grin. You measure the ingredients accordingly, fervently picking off any unripe produce leaving a mixture of fruits mottled all sorts of colours. You add the finishing touches with another topping of yoghurt and honey, the finishing touches just short of a Micle Berry or two which was a real shot in the dark. Suddenly! Makuhita bounces in with a spring in his step, something nestled within his blackish paws. He eagerly untangles his mitts to reveal a pea-sized berry with a shiny green sheen. You can only assume the tropical climate is bustling with all sorts of rare delicacies, warily plucking the berry from his chubby paws and grating it onto the fruity medley. Whilst small in quantity, the sprinkles of sweet Micle manage to consume each salad bowl with a syrupy aroma. Clapping your hands to gesture the desert was all set, right on queue a few of the kitchen staff take charge and shuffle the melons onto a rounded plate beneath a cooler, with the third serving next on your agenda.

The name of the game is cuisine. You’ll have three noblemen to prepare for: Kaito, Sensei and Mr.Hwan. Your final meal is for Hwan, the focal goods trader of the village. He prefers International food. Take that however you want to, but the outcome of the food you prepare will have an added effect on the adventure. What you have to do is take me through what ingredients you’re using, and a step by step guide of how you’re preparing the meal. All you have to prepare is a main course. You’ll have an unlimited supply of any and every ingredient and cooking aide you can think of - be creative and imaginative and please use online recipe books if it helps. Once you’ve prepared Hwan’s meal, I’ll update you on how it goes, and then your cooking challenge will be over. You can use your Pokémon to help with tasks too if you want, the other workers will only be observing and won’t be helping.

One of the waiters rushes in, yelling something in a foreign tongue causing you to jump out of your skin. The kitchen staff rush into an unorderly huddle, grabbing your three dishes as you can only assume the esteemed guests had arrived. The three dishes are placed neatly on an ornate cart, as two of the waiters proceed to the banquet out of the kitchen and into the eating area. As the doors flap open you realise the diner was much more luxurious than you’d anticipated. The open space had a dark ambiance, a few paper lanterns colouring it a soft scarlet. The mahogany furniture was complemented by a vase holding a single plum blossom on each table. There where plenty of small eating booths on the outskirts of the room, like most Chinese restaurants you may have visited. At the hub of the dining room was long table which stood out as the most esteemed. You suddenly spot three figures walk through the front door. There mere presence coaxes a lady perched in the corner of the room to begin strumming a harmonic string instrument. A Kriketot scuttles by her side, accompanying the Chinese melody with the xylophonic chimes of its antennae. Sensei nods in your direction, even though you where hard to pick out from the crowd of workers. Kaito sticks close to his master, not a strand of his thick black hair out of place as stern as usual. The third figure rests an arm on the back of his bald head and rubs his plump belly enthusiastically; he looked quite jolly compared to his company.

The three take a seat on the largest table, Yuri rushing forward with a jug and offering a choice of beverages. She drops the jug and gives Kaito a brotherly nuggie, causing him to scowl much to Sensei and Hwan’s amusement. With now engaged in everyday conversation, the man in the white bandana strolls forward with the food cart. “... and for you Master Sensei; a delicious Fruit Salad”. The chef smiles courteously, eager to witness their reactions. You were just as keen too, poking your head out of the door as the wrinkled man spoons a cluster of fruits and granola. His bushy grey brows narrow as he places the spoon beside his dish, chewing the blend of berries with a trivial grin. You notice him quickly scoop up a second bite, this time dipping the spoonful into the creamy veneer. The old man held a satisfied facade, not a look of cringe beneath his mysterious guise.

“A delicious serving, my friend”, the wise elder grins softly, “Perhaps the regal Arcanine should sample the lake outside of its valley”. The proverb manages to highlight his esteem for your efforts as well as a strong sense of optimism, although you can’t help wondering if you strayed too far from the book with a non-traditional take. In any case, you get the firm impression his taste buds have been tantalised as he gradually hollows out each fruit bowl of its sweet filling. That was the least of your worries though, as the adjacent apprentice was beginning to kick up a fuss.

“You see, I cannot take responsibility for this marvellous dish”, the man explains, causing Kaito’s eyes to widen in shock, “It was in fact, the traveller, who made this dish. He’s actually a very good co-“the adolescent drops his chop sticks in disgust, noticing your head poking out of the kitchen door ever so subtly. The

“That... Trespasser... You have him cooking us food, do you!?” Kaito jumps to his feet, causing the chef to cower backward. Maybe this was a bad idea after all. You where just about ready to rush out the back doors if not for your better instinct telling you to stay put. Sensei remained calm and collective, readying himself in case Kaito’s agression needed to be caged. Hwan on the other hand seemed completely oblivious to the whole thing, still chowing down on his dish like a starved dog. Yuri was frozen in shock, taken back by her brother’s ugly side which continued to crop up. Sensei grasps the boy’s threaded sleeve like a vulture to its prey, a feat which more or less overpowered the rogue warrior.

“Please Kaito, be seated”, Sensei mutters softly, softening his grip into more of a supportive gesture.

“I will not eat a meal prepared by someone I don’t trust”, Kaito replies, tugging away from Sensei’s, storming out of the dimly lit bistro.

“Is it that you do not trust the boy, or that you feel threatened by him?” Hwan blurts with Kaito just a foot away from the door, a slight smile on his face as though he had Kaito all worked out. The white clothed labourers seemed taken back by the usually easygoing man’s wise outburst. “You think you’re so tough, when really, you’re just a spoilt brat!” he laughs, a slur in his speech as though he’d had too much wine with his midday meal.

to be continued... please go back and prepare Sensei’s meal

Ben put the finishing touches on his second culinary creation and let out a grateful sigh. Marooned in Lyanazia, he had been appointed the task of assisting Yuri, one of the village girls, with her daily chores to repay the Xiaolin Monastery for its hospitality. He was currently inside the kitchen of the tiny mountain hamlet’s principal eatery, wearing a toque, and preparing the main courses for a trio of hungry aristocrats. The village’s chief chef had recruited him to help with the dinner preparations, and with the sprinkling of the Micle Berries on top of Master Sensei’s Mixed Fruit Salad, he had completed his penultimate meal. While he wasn’t sure he had followed the most Traditional of recipes, he hoped the wizened sage would at least appreciate the dish’s Sweet flavor.

Ben’s heart raced. Two dishes done, one to go, and he had a feeling it would be his biggest challenge yet. Would the village nobility like his cuisine? How would they respond? He wasn’t sure. Even if his dishes hadn’t been exactly what the chef had in mind, he hoped that his creativity and originality would at least impress his patrons. Cooking had never been Ben’s forté. “But when you never have the money to buy any ingredients, how can you ever practice or improve?” the boy thought to himself ruefully. Thankfully though, he did have Suméo’s help. The plump little Makuhita had certainly surprised him, turning out to be a natural in the kitchen. It was almost as if Suméo had some kind of inborn talent or instinct when it came to food. Ben glanced at the chubby yellow-gold sumo wrestler nearby and smiled. Suméo was once again gazing longingly at the seemingly endless barrels of ingredients, shelves of provisions, and containers of food that filled the room. Topknot wiggling excitedly, he hungrily licked his lips.

A small grin spread across Ben’s face and he chuckled to himself as he paused for a moment to consider the sheer irony of their present situation. He and his team had been out of money and out of food more times than he could remember. It seemed like ages since they had had a good healthy meal, and here he was, in a room filled to overflowing with every kind of edible thing imaginable, and again, he wasn’t able to eat it. Maybe someday his ship would come in, but for now, he had a job to do.

Just then, the order for the third nobleman came in. It was for Mr. Hwan and it called for something International. Ben paced around the kitchen as he racked his brain in an effort to come up with a recipe that would delight the jolly man. He crossed to a nearby window and looked out, lost in thought. He tried recalling other eateries he had visited in his many travels. The Seven Stars Restaurant, the Café Cabin, and that little diner in Celadon City - he could never remember it’s name - surely they had served cuisine from around the globe. If only he could remember.

Ben dragged a hand through his short brown hair and thought hard to come up with a suitable meal for Mr. Hwan. He needed something different, something like… Snap! After a moment of further contemplation, he suddenly snapped his fingers, turned away from the window, and proceeded back to his work station, his mind made up. He wasn’t sure if Mr. Hwan would consider what he was planning International, but he suspected the nobleman had never eaten anything like it before.

Glancing around the room, Ben mentally ran through a checklist of the ingredients he would need, first for the crust:

~ 2 packages dry yeast
~ 2 cups warm water
~ 1/2 cup salad oil
~ 4 Tbs. olive oil
~ 1/2 cup cornmeal
~ 5 1/2 cups flour

Then for the filling:

~ 3/4 to 1 lb. sliced mozzarella cheese
~ 1 28-oz. can of plum tomatoes, coarsely crushed
~ 1 tsp. basil
~ 1 tsp. oregano
~ 2 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed (according to taste)
~ salt
~ grated Parmesan cheese
~ 3 Tbs. olive oil

Next, he reviewed the steps to prepare his dish:

~ In a mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water.
~ Add the salad oil, the olive oil, the cornmeal and 3 cups of the flour.
~ Beat or process for 10 minutes.
~ Using a dough hook, mix in the rest of the flour.
~ Knead for 10 to 15 minutes.
~ Put the dough onto a countertop and cover it with a very large metal bowl. Allow dough to rise until double in bulk. ~ Punch down and allow to rise again. Punch down again.
~ Oil two large round deep dish pans or cake pans. Divide dough between the pans.
~ Put a little olive oil on your fingers and press/push the dough to the edge, and up the sides of each pan. The dough should be 1/8 inch throughout.
~ Layer the mozzarella cheese all over the bottom of the pies. Next add the tomatoes, basil, oregano and garlic. Add salt to taste.
~ Bake in a pre-heated 475 degree F oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is golden and gooey and the crust is a light golden brown.

Ben knew it was an incredibly popular dish in the States. In fact it was an indulgence few teenagers could resist after athletic competitions, while hanging out with their friends, or when just trying to escape the chill of the Windy City on a snowy, winter night. “Birthed” in the city of Chicago, Mr. Hwan’s meal was known as Deep Dish Pizza and of course, was quite unlike the classic Italian pizza, which had a thin crust and delicate toppings. The idea behind Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza was that the more one loaded onto the pizza crust, the better the pizza would be. With mozzarella cheese on the bottom, the crust and toppings would all bake and ooze together, resulting in a hearty, unforgettable dining experience. True it may not be the most exotic or exciting of dishes, but it was filling and sure to satisfy the heftiest of appetites.


*OoC: Please go easy on me if this recipe isn’t quite International enough. Being a Chicagoan, I just couldn’t resist using my RL hometown’s “trademark recipe.” I did debate over using a few other dishes, such as Jambalaya, Falafel, Kimchee, and Ugali, but in the end, I opted to just stick with something I knew, yet at the same time could probably be considered International by a “Chinese nobleman” living in a secluded mountain settlement.


_________________________

[image courtesy of luxraymaster]

[Empoleon-Dynamite]

Au contraire Hayward, it makes perfect sense for an American, or arguably Italian, dish to be considered international in this sitch :L

Hayward: You’d made up two characteristic bowls of chow the likes the mountain settlement would’ve ever seen before, but sure enough there was one last order which didn’t seem a tall one from your point of view. Whilst you’d somewhat strayed from a traditional dish, you’d have the next course in the bag given you’d travelled from corner to corner in the past few years. Sporting a cocky smirk you pick a hometown specialty, your own fine-tuned recipe that’d no doubt be unheard of in the mountain settlement. You share your idea with the chubby chef who wipes off any watermelon sauce around his chops and springs into action. He toddles out of the pantry with several brown sacks mounded almost twice his height, plopping them onto the counter effortlessly as you fill a measuring jug. Yuri smiles nervously as you bump past each other near the hefty pots of mountain water, she was making simple rice dishes which you could only assume where for the rest of the villagers. Sumeo holds out a large basin, coaxing you to fill it with the cool liquid and a good measure of yeast. One by one you add various oils to the jumble, topping it off with a near-sack-full of flour giving it a sticky feel. Right on queue, Sumeo doles out a flurry of Force Palms against the pasty mix, occasionally followed by another churn of flour via your trusty wristwork with a hook-like utensil. You rinse and repeat for about 10 minutes, the foodstuff starting to take form. It was the cheery Makuhita’s turn to knead it out, the type of job his blunt fists where made for as he thumps the hunk of dough against the marble countertop with a sporadic “hya!” That was enough of the martial antics, you re-enter the kitchen sporting various pizza filling whilst the chubby sumo had flattened the pizza base to a sizable inch.

Taking shape of a Chicagoan pizzeria you cover the base with a metal bowl, allowing the yeast to do its magic. Sumeo pipes in delight as he licks the dough off his paws, his chubby cheeks mottled in white flour. Leaving him to punch down the rising base you take little time to whip up the remaining ingredients and apparatus. The dough is hastily split onto two deep-dish pans, pre-drizzled in olive oil, coated in grated mozzarella and topped off with tomatoes and various cloves. You add a pinch of salt into the mix, smiling proudly at the raw dishes with high hopes they’d keep their flavoursome shape when introduced to a new Fahrenheit. You find an old stove, placing the dishes within and adjusting the knob. You had a good hour before all dishes where ready to serve, so it was best to brush up your appearance and clean up any mess made. Makuhita ensures no mozzarella goes wasted, clearing the countertops of any food scraps and storing some leftovers in his rolls of flab. The rest of the workforce each grab a bowl of boiled rice, the head chef gesturing two bowls in your direction, “You look hungry, traveller. I may be short on ideas, but my rice is the best you’ll find this side of the village! It’s the least I can offer you for your hard work!” You weren’t one to turn down a free meal, both you and the wrestler taking the offering with a keen eye on the time. A while passes and the cheesy aroma emanating from the cooker is enough of an indication your Pizza Pies where ready. You shuffle the crispy looking dishes beside the spicy stir fry so it wouldn’t cool down, although you could only assume it wouldn’t be long before the noblemen arrived.

One of the waiters rushes in, yelling something in a foreign tongue causing you to jump out of your skin. The kitchen staff rush into an unorderly huddle, grabbing your three dishes as you can only assume the esteemed guests had arrived. The three dishes are placed neatly on an ornate cart, as two of the waiters proceed to the banquet out of the kitchen and into the eating area. As the doors flap open you realise the diner was much more luxurious than you’d anticipated. The open space had a dark ambiance, a few paper lanterns colouring it a soft scarlet. The mahogany furniture was complemented by a vase holding a single plum blossom on each table. There where plenty of small eating booths on the outskirts of the room, like most Chinese restaurants you may have visited. At the hub of the dining room was long table which stood out as the most esteemed. You suddenly spot three figures walk through the front door. There mere presence coaxes a lady perched in the corner of the room to begin strumming a harmonic string instrument. A Kriketot scuttles by her side, accompanying the Chinese melody with the xylophonic chimes of its antennae. Sensei nods in your direction, even though you where hard to pick out from the crowd of workers. Kaito sticks close to his master, not a strand of his thick black hair out of place as stern as usual. The third figure rests an arm on the back of his bald head and rubs his plump belly enthusiastically; he looked quite jolly compared to his company.

The three take a seat on the largest table, Yuri rushing forward with a jug and offering a choice of beverages. She drops the jug and gives Kaito a brotherly nuggie, causing him to scowl much to Sensei and Hwan’s amusement. The jolly fellow is first to reach out for a wine bottle, it was clear as day he wasn’t under a training regime of any sort. With everyone engaged in everyday conversation, the man in the white bandana strolls forward with the food cart. “... and for you Hwan San; a American Pizza Pie”. The chef smiles courteously, eager to witness their reactions. You were just as keen too, poking your head out of the door as the man grabs a slice, bits of stringy cheese dangling from the greasy wedge. His eyes glaze with animation; you could guess he’d just figured out what kind of dish you’d prepared which said a lot about his cultural knowledge. The tradesman takes a sizable mouthful, slurping up strings of cheese rather messily compared to his associates.

“mmnmnnh..tasty!”, Hwan mutters with his mouth full, “mmmnnhhnnn..” You can’t help feeling that was easier than you’d thought at first. You’d worked up a sweat in the kitchen but it looked as though your efforts had paid off, maybe this was your true calling. Before that thought could even cross your mind you find yourself distracted by the hustle and bustle about to kick off in the ornate diner.

“You see, I cannot take responsibility for this marvellous dish”, the man explains, causing Kaito’s eyes to widen in shock, “It was in fact, the traveller, who made this dish. He’s actually a very good co-“the adolescent drops his chop sticks in disgust, noticing your head poking out of the kitchen door ever so subtly. The

“That... Trespasser... You have him cooking us food, do you!?” Kaito jumps to his feet, causing the chef to cower backward. Maybe this was a bad idea after all. You where just about ready to rush out the back doors if not for your better instinct telling you to stay put. Sensei remained calm and collective, readying himself in case Kaito’s aggression needed to be caged. Hwan on the other hand seemed completely oblivious to the whole thing, still chowing down on his dish like a starved dog. Yuri was frozen in shock, taken back by her brother’s ugly side which continued to crop up. Sensei grasps the boy’s threaded sleeve like a vulture to its prey, a feat which more or less overpowered the rogue warrior.

“Please Kaito, be seated”, Sensei mutters, softening his grip into more of a supportive gesture.

“I will not eat a meal prepared by someone I don’t trust”, Kaito replies, tugging away from Sensei’s, storming out of the dimly lit bistro.

“Is it that you do not trust the boy, or that you feel threatened by him?” Hwan blurts with Kaito just a foot away from the door, a slight smile on his face as though he had Kaito all worked out. The white clothed labourers seemed taken back by the usually easygoing man’s wise outburst. “You think you’re so tough, when really, you’re just a spoilt brat!” he laughs, a slur in his speech as though he’d had too much wine with his midday meal. You could sense the rage coursing through the teen’s body, alas, his face unscrunches. The apprentice looked completely speechless, still, you could barely move a muscle with his mood swings a sure sign for trouble.

“Kaito, Your rudeness dishonours us all. I warn you, do not further shame yourself”, Sensei adds sternly. The boy looks at his shoes like a told off child, silently ambling in your direction,

“Honoured guest, I must beg your forgiveness.” He musters up a bow, winking at his sister before setting off out of the bistro. The tension could be cut with a bread knife, but sure enough a few regular villagers sporting white robes begin to fill the restaurant. The lady perched in the corner begins to strum the instrument as though nothing had happened, her shivery Kriketot snapping back into the rhythm with his soothing chimes. Yuri suddenly rushes through the kitchen and out through the backdoor, Sumeo and yourself wondering in tow. You can barely keep up, reaching the paper doors only to find the Chinese girl perched lowly on a swing set dangling from a hefty sycamore. The vivid sun had waned to the centre of the streaky sky, inches from the eagle’s stony bill. A trip to sensei’s temple would be next up, but was cheering up Yuri more important than a prepped reunion with the yoga chimp?

[-Hayward-]

Originally Posted by Empoleon-Dynamite

Au contraire Hayward, it makes perfect sense for an American, or arguably Italian, dish to be considered international in this sitch :L

Hayward: You’d made up two characteristic bowls of chow the likes the mountain settlement would’ve ever seen before, but sure enough there was one last order which didn’t seem a tall one from your point of view. Whilst you’d somewhat strayed from a traditional dish, you’d have the next course in the bag given you’d travelled from corner to corner in the past few years. Sporting a cocky smirk you pick a hometown specialty, your own fine-tuned recipe that’d no doubt be unheard of in the mountain settlement. You share your idea with the chubby chef who wipes off any watermelon sauce around his chops and springs into action. He toddles out of the pantry with several brown sacks mounded almost twice his height, plopping them onto the counter effortlessly as you fill a measuring jug. Yuri smiles nervously as you bump past each other near the hefty pots of mountain water, she was making simple rice dishes which you could only assume where for the rest of the villagers. Sumeo holds out a large basin, coaxing you to fill it with the cool liquid and a good measure of yeast. One by one you add various oils to the jumble, topping it off with a near-sack-full of flour giving it a sticky feel. Right on queue, Sumeo doles out a flurry of Force Palms against the pasty mix, occasionally followed by another churn of flour via your trusty wristwork with a hook-like utensil. You rinse and repeat for about 10 minutes, the foodstuff starting to take form. It was the cheery Makuhita’s turn to knead it out, the type of job his blunt fists where made for as he thumps the hunk of dough against the marble countertop with a sporadic “hya!” That was enough of the martial antics, you re-enter the kitchen sporting various pizza filling whilst the chubby sumo had flattened the pizza base to a sizable inch.

Taking shape of a Chicagoan pizzeria you cover the base with a metal bowl, allowing the yeast to do its magic. Sumeo pipes in delight as he licks the dough off his paws, his chubby cheeks mottled in white flour. Leaving him to punch down the rising base you take little time to whip up the remaining ingredients and apparatus. The dough is hastily split onto two deep-dish pans, pre-drizzled in olive oil, coated in grated mozzarella and topped off with tomatoes and various cloves. You add a pinch of salt into the mix, smiling proudly at the raw dishes with high hopes they’d keep their flavoursome shape when introduced to a new Fahrenheit. You find an old stove, placing the dishes within and adjusting the knob. You had a good hour before all dishes where ready to serve, so it was best to brush up your appearance and clean up any mess made. Makuhita ensures no mozzarella goes wasted, clearing the countertops of any food scraps and storing some leftovers in his rolls of flab. The rest of the workforce each grab a bowl of boiled rice, the head chef gesturing two bowls in your direction, “You look hungry, traveller. I may be short on ideas, but my rice is the best you’ll find this side of the village! It’s the least I can offer you for your hard work!” You weren’t one to turn down a free meal, both you and the wrestler taking the offering with a keen eye on the time. A while passes and the cheesy aroma emanating from the cooker is enough of an indication your Pizza Pies where ready. You shuffle the crispy looking dishes beside the spicy stir fry so it wouldn’t cool down, although you could only assume it wouldn’t be long before the noblemen arrived.

One of the waiters rushes in, yelling something in a foreign tongue causing you to jump out of your skin. The kitchen staff rush into an unorderly huddle, grabbing your three dishes as you can only assume the esteemed guests had arrived. The three dishes are placed neatly on an ornate cart, as two of the waiters proceed to the banquet out of the kitchen and into the eating area. As the doors flap open you realise the diner was much more luxurious than you’d anticipated. The open space had a dark ambiance, a few paper lanterns colouring it a soft scarlet. The mahogany furniture was complemented by a vase holding a single plum blossom on each table. There where plenty of small eating booths on the outskirts of the room, like most Chinese restaurants you may have visited. At the hub of the dining room was long table which stood out as the most esteemed. You suddenly spot three figures walk through the front door. There mere presence coaxes a lady perched in the corner of the room to begin strumming a harmonic string instrument. A Kriketot scuttles by her side, accompanying the Chinese melody with the xylophonic chimes of its antennae. Sensei nods in your direction, even though you where hard to pick out from the crowd of workers. Kaito sticks close to his master, not a strand of his thick black hair out of place as stern as usual. The third figure rests an arm on the back of his bald head and rubs his plump belly enthusiastically; he looked quite jolly compared to his company.

The three take a seat on the largest table, Yuri rushing forward with a jug and offering a choice of beverages. She drops the jug and gives Kaito a brotherly nuggie, causing him to scowl much to Sensei and Hwan’s amusement. The jolly fellow is first to reach out for a wine bottle, it was clear as day he wasn’t under a training regime of any sort. With everyone engaged in everyday conversation, the man in the white bandana strolls forward with the food cart. “... and for you Hwan San; a American Pizza Pie”. The chef smiles courteously, eager to witness their reactions. You were just as keen too, poking your head out of the door as the man grabs a slice, bits of stringy cheese dangling from the greasy wedge. His eyes glaze with animation; you could guess he’d just figured out what kind of dish you’d prepared which said a lot about his cultural knowledge. The tradesman takes a sizable mouthful, slurping up strings of cheese rather messily compared to his associates.

“mmnmnnh..tasty!”, Hwan mutters with his mouth full, “mmmnnhhnnn..” You can’t help feeling that was easier than you’d thought at first. You’d worked up a sweat in the kitchen but it looked as though your efforts had paid off, maybe this was your true calling. Before that thought could even cross your mind you find yourself distracted by the hustle and bustle about to kick off in the ornate diner.

“You see, I cannot take responsibility for this marvellous dish”, the man explains, causing Kaito’s eyes to widen in shock, “It was in fact, the traveller, who made this dish. He’s actually a very good co-“the adolescent drops his chop sticks in disgust, noticing your head poking out of the kitchen door ever so subtly. The

“That... Trespasser... You have him cooking us food, do you!?” Kaito jumps to his feet, causing the chef to cower backward. Maybe this was a bad idea after all. You where just about ready to rush out the back doors if not for your better instinct telling you to stay put. Sensei remained calm and collective, readying himself in case Kaito’s aggression needed to be caged. Hwan on the other hand seemed completely oblivious to the whole thing, still chowing down on his dish like a starved dog. Yuri was frozen in shock, taken back by her brother’s ugly side which continued to crop up. Sensei grasps the boy’s threaded sleeve like a vulture to its prey, a feat which more or less overpowered the rogue warrior.

“Please Kaito, be seated”, Sensei mutters, softening his grip into more of a supportive gesture.

“I will not eat a meal prepared by someone I don’t trust”, Kaito replies, tugging away from Sensei’s, storming out of the dimly lit bistro.

“Is it that you do not trust the boy, or that you feel threatened by him?” Hwan blurts with Kaito just a foot away from the door, a slight smile on his face as though he had Kaito all worked out. The white clothed labourers seemed taken back by the usually easygoing man’s wise outburst. “You think you’re so tough, when really, you’re just a spoilt brat!” he laughs, a slur in his speech as though he’d had too much wine with his midday meal. You could sense the rage coursing through the teen’s body, alas, his face unscrunches. The apprentice looked completely speechless, still, you could barely move a muscle with his mood swings a sure sign for trouble.

“Kaito, Your rudeness dishonours us all. I warn you, do not further shame yourself”, Sensei adds sternly. The boy looks at his shoes like a told off child, silently ambling in your direction,

“Honoured guest, I must beg your forgiveness.” He musters up a bow, winking at his sister before setting off out of the bistro. The tension could be cut with a bread knife, but sure enough a few regular villagers sporting white robes begin to fill the restaurant. The lady perched in the corner begins to strum the instrument as though nothing had happened, her shivery Kriketot snapping back into the rhythm with his soothing chimes. Yuri suddenly rushes through the kitchen and out through the backdoor, Sumeo and yourself wondering in tow. You can barely keep up, reaching the paper doors only to find the Chinese girl perched lowly on a swing set dangling from a hefty sycamore. The vivid sun had waned to the centre of the streaky sky, inches from the eagle’s stony bill. A trip to sensei’s temple would be next up, but was cheering up Yuri more important than a prepped reunion with the yoga chimp?

As always Emp, thanks for another great, speedy update. I hope my reply does it justice!


In a single moment your whole life can turn around. “Hey, Yuri!” Ben hollered, chasing the village girl through the restaurant’s backdoor. She was headed in the direction of a stately sycamore tree not too far away. At his side, the Makuhita Sumeo, struggled desperately to keep the pace, but his short, stubby legs would only turn over so quickly.

"Why won’t the boy slow down?" the chubby, yellow-gold sumo wrestler wondered. “Doesn’t he know I helped out enough in the kitchen already?” A light bulb suddenly went on Sumeo’s head; thinking about the kitchen had just reminded him of the food scraps he had pinched from the pantry while cleaning. His mind was made up. This was as far as he was going. He had already done more than his fair share in the kitchen. The boy could handle this one on his own.

Red-faced and wheezing like a popped balloon, Sumeo collapsed in a heap on the ground. He pulled out his secret stash of leftovers and immediately began devouring them. Seeing his portly partner’s gluttonous antics, Ben smacked his forehead in frustration and reached into his bag for a Steel Ball. “If you eat it all now, you won’t have any for later,” he remarked wryly as he tapped the trigger switch, returning the Guts Pokemon.

Sumeo dealt with, Ben trotted over to where Yuri was sitting by herself on a swing dangling from one of the tree’s many branches. “Hey, Yuri,” he began, “Why’d you leave so…” but suddenly he stopped. It seemed to him that maybe the girl had been crying. Unsure what to say to console her, Ben stood there for a minute staring straight into the ground. He looked up and to the left slightly - the sun was nearing the Eagle’s beak - then back down again. He shifting one of his running shoes absentmindedly. He had never been good in these kinds of situations.

Ben stood with his eyes closed for what seemed like an eternity. At that moment it felt like the whole world had caved in, but he couldn’t explain why. All he knew was that he had been in this tiny mountain village for less than a day, known this girl for less time than that, and he simply couldn’t stand to see her so downhearted, especially knowing that it was all his fault.

When Ben finally looked up, he spoke quietly. “Look. I’m really sorry about what happened today. You and your brother are both upset because of me. If I hadn’t gotten lost here…” There was a long pause. A dozen clauses that could have finished that incomplete sentence flashed through his mind, but he wasn’t sure what Yuri’s reaction would be, so he simply said, “Thanks for sticking up for me earlier.” There was another long pause. Ben felt like he had nothing left. “Master Sensei told me I was to meet him when the sun met the Eagle. He thinks Medeo should be fully recovered and I can leave then. I just wanted to let you know that I had a lot of fun helping you finish your chores today.”

As he turned towards the Monastery, Ben’s grey-green eyes swept the mountainous countryside one more time. At this hour of day, the view was simply breathtaking, and he regretted that things hadn’t worked out better. He would have loved to have explored the area with Yuri. “Your home is beautiful, Yuri,” he said. “Thank you for showing it to me.” He paused, then added, “I just wish I knew what to say to make you feel better… I just wish there was some way I could make it up to you.”

___________________________________________

[image courtesy of luxraymaster]

[Food Guy]

Originally Posted by Empoleon-Dynamite

The Reverse World

Pikagod: You complement the two fighters on their efforts, whilst in all honesty you where fighting a struggle that’d be tricky to pull away with. One of the piranha was sinking its teeth into the manta’s tail, causing a great deal of panic for the juvenile Pokémon and slowing his speed. The Carvhana was determined to keep a hold, not about to miss out on its first feast in weeks. And by the looks of the pushy swarms of rowdy fish, this was the smallest of Ray-Ray’s troubles. Zoran is first to spring into action, perched atop a tree like some sort of puppet master as he frantically fans his appendages. A gust picks up on the swampy bed, the murky lakes gyrating into another Twister! Almost all the fish are sucked into its eye, whacked with streams of draconic energy with the weaker of the school taking big hits. The Wicked Pokémon notices a cluster of the savages swimming against the vicious current, coaxing him into another Razor Leaf aimed at the eye of the storm. The thin green blades hit several of the submerged shadow Pokémon, a few of them finally giving up and swimming downstream to lick their wounds. Thinning out the herd leaves you with about six or so hungry Carvhana frenzied by the taste of blood coursing from the Mantine’s tail. He helplessly flails from the water to an uproar of snaps, spitting a flurry of stars to beat off the straggler. The Swift projectiles splash against Carvhana’s dorsal fin who winces in pain. Adding insult to injury, the Ray persists with a high pitched Signal Beam of bug energy, bulleting it between the eyes with just enough force to loosen its jaws. The Carvhana splashes back into the river, swimming downstream with the rest of his weakened siblings. Whilst you’d trimmed down the weaker of the mix, this left one fuming quintet of stronger fish. Two of them dive beneath the water in Ray-Ray’s direction, whilst the other three persistently leap from the water in hopes of fastening onto Zoran’s wooden hide. The manta also submerges, releasing a Supersonic echo causing enough confusion to lead them off his trail for the time being. Meanwhile, Zoran’s nature power transforms into a stinky Mud Bomb which splashes against both the fish whilst in mid-air, lowering their accuracy slightly. Whilst you’d managed to get a hold on the tricky situation, a few movements outside of the confined battle area send your senses on edge. You timorously scope the surroundings, taken back by the ruby eyes of a few Tangrowth in the bushes, a Feraligatr and a few Croconaw slowly pushing near with their trunk-like tails. Whilst none of these new threats had shown any signs of aggression, you’d had one two many encounters with their kind to take them lightly. A clean getaway down stream seemed just as unlikely though given the state of your kayak, what will you do?

Karmas looked at the scene in front of him with hidden despair. A Carvanha was currently sinking its teeth into Ray-Ray's tail, which caused a lot of pain for the Mantine and had slowed him down considerably. The fish wasn't prepared to let go of its possible meal ticket, and by looking at the school of fish it was merely the smallest of Ray-Ray's increasingly bad problems. Zoran springs into action before Ray-Ray, frantically fanning his leafy hands. A breeze starts to pick up before the swamp once again forms a Twister. The attack sucked in the majority of the fish, whacking the Carvanha with draconic energy. Looking into the twister, Zoran spied several of the shadow pokemon fighting their way against the water's current, so he released another Razor Leaf. The razor sharp leaves hit a couple of Carvanha, several of them giving up the fighting and swimming down stream. Despite this bit of good luck, Karmas saw that were still around six Carvanha left, now in a frenzy thanks to the blood coming out of Ray-Ray's tail. Speaking of the Mantine, he was flailing his way out of the water, spitting a Swift at the Carvanha attached to his tail. Despite wincing in pain, the fish still didn't want to come off. Continuing to attack, Ray-Ray fired a Signal Beam hitting Carvanha right in between its eyes. The attack was enough to make Carvanha let go and swim its way to the other Carvanha that had lost interest beforehand. Now with five of the pokemon left, Karmas suddenly realised that they were the strongest of the bunch. He watched in horror as two Carvanha dived in Ray-Ray's direction while the other three jumped up at Zoran. Intent on getting a little revenge, Ray-Ray also dove under water firing off a Supersonic. The attack confused the water/dark types long enough to put them off Ray-Ray's trail, much to the Mantine's delight. Meanwhile Zoran's Nature Power transformed into a Mud Bomb, hitting the Carvanha in the air and making it harder for them to see. While it seemed to Karmas that his pokemon had the situation under hand, some movement caught his attention. Looking around, the trainer was alarmed to see several Tangrowths in the bushes, and a Feraligatr and a couple of Croconaw coming closer. While they didn't seem to be a threat at the moment, Karmas wasn't willing to take any risks. The thought of a clean get away down the stream occurred to Karmas but given the shape the kayak was in, it didn't seem like it was going to happen anytime soon. Not having much time to think, Karmas hovered his hand over Banane's ball, getting ready to release the Tropius if he needed to. But first he had to give some orders to his fighting pokemon. "Okay Zoran, I want you to hit the suckers with a Mega Drain then follow it up with a Razor Leaf and finish it up with a Leaf Storm. Ray-Ray hit them with an Aerial Ace the use Signal Beam and finish up with a Hydro Pump!"

[Arc_Angel]

Originally Posted by Empoleon-Dynamite

Lost Jungles

Arc Angel: In the heat of a traumatising scuffle, you feel the mysterious heroine press you backwards with a disquieting glint of concern welling in her cerulean iris. The heavy downpour hammered against the thick canopy of shrubbery, beating its way through the murky foliage and pattering against your skull. Despite the cold chill your blood was boiled, a flood of tears trickling down your face from the moment the goddess released you from your spellbound state. The bottled emotions rattling through your mind where all let lose at once, your legs juddering as you continued to hold back the anger which was bursting to explode – even Impish would be torn apart by the near god-like antagonist. Despite the heartache you’d yielded to, the thought of further torture was just a few seconds in the making. Taking quite literally to her words, you withdraw the comatose bear and lifeless sack of toxins and dash to the nearest break in trees. It was tricky trying to make out the blurry branches camouflaged in a muffle of moss amidst the veil of tears masking your eyesight. You took whatever risk you had to, closing your eyes tight as you could, venerably rushing away from the skirmish and vowing never to look back. Desperately shambling over thick roots and waving past curtains of vinery, the sound of your own footsteps pounding against the damp soil giving you little else to think about. Less than a minute passes as you wrangle your way through the trickiest thicks of the Lost Jungle, the likes of which most trainers would shudder think of. Rolling up a muddy sleeve you wipe away the moist drips running down your cheeks, almost certain you’d gained enough leeway. You weren’t out of the woods just yet by any means, a collapsed block of timber catching your ankle as you scurried onward sending you flying off of your track!

The fall sends you tumbling face first against the spiked fragments of a buckled oak, fortunate that the torrential shower and sticky moss had weathered the blunt splinters to a point they shatter on your weight leaving less than a few grazes. You groan weakly, in need of a hero when all you had was an ethereal felon with a Dissociative identity disorder. Reaper settles his keystone on the log beside you, but he doesn’t bother to pick you up despite a familiar red fluid trickling down from your head onto the shattered remains of a lightning-stricken tree. You hadn’t fallen under however, the pitter-patter of rainfall still leaving you very much conscious as you weakly attempted to recompose yourself. You press your chafed fingers on the bits of log, digging your feet into the muddy thickets as you groaned in pain. Despite how physically and emotionally drained you felt there was no giving up now. You owed it to Pokémon who’d fought by your side. One leg at a time, you get to your feet, a distinct sensation of victory filling the air with the apathetic Spiritomb phasing to your side on queue. It doesn’t take long to sink in that you were still on a runaway, making your way through a small span of uneven terrain you’re left with another choice as for what to do next. You find yourself panting for air, scanning the leafy expanse for any source of life. There was something… a gentle crunching of dead leaves prickling your ears. A few low grunts cause your heart to skip a beat, but the noise was only that of a passing Stantler drinking from a shallow stream. There was a sharp silence, something didn’t feel right.

The strapping antelope’s eyes widen, its black pupils dilated as its rear stiffened. The cream coloured quadruped was less than subdued; breaking away from the hazy tributary as if scared out of its wits. You could only imagine the types of predator lurking in such dark stretches, with a distinct sense of empathy causing your body to instinctively curl into a defensive stance. The stag flinches at the very twitch of your limbs, you almost feel in a safe position until it crumples its face and fearfully stampedes forward in its own defence! Under usual circumstances you would’ve had a chance to swiftly react – perhaps send the mighty Macabre to telekinise a barrier – but is was all too quick for your all too tethered reactions. The antelope kicks through thickets of grass, mindlessly lunging forward in little less than the blink of an eye! A loud thump and you slam rearward down a drop of uneven terrain. The forest grows abruptly silent, you gasp in shock, wincing upward at the dusky sky unable to make a noise as blood pours up your throat. Your pale hands shake feebly, hovering over your blouse which was entirely severed and painted a deep red. Trying best not to succumb to the screaming pain you notice the Keystone rattle furiously beside you. More than it had ever had before. You could only hope Reaper would take away the pain, heal your broken bones and sew up your punctured lung - or at least scar the beast that had so chokingly rammed you against the toothed rocks of the cavernous valley. No such events happen under your witness. The pain grows too hard to bear, and you resist any further attempts of sitting up, the back of your head falling flat against the lifeless terra.

Lifted, all pain suddenly slips away, your spirit drifting through dark recesses almost through instinct. What you experienced now you where likely to forget, nothing felt right, but everything felt right. You look down at your former self, an empty carcass with no ties to you now. Not even your Pokémon could stop you from, transcending. Ahead, a bright light. Glorious warmth emanating from it. Your family, you feel your parents helping you break away from this world and into the next. There was so much light there, so much peace... Suddenly you feel your mystical journey grind to a halt. Your spirit faltering backward. It was a disgusting feeling. The warm light grew dimmer and colder, the sense of company from the two you had loved and lost weakening with it.

You start to feel again. Exhaustion, pain, misery, to name a few of the sensations now rattling through your mind. There was nothing motivating you to wake up, a thick quilt covering your body and you could only assume you’d been dreaming. The now dry locks of brunette drape softly against a plump pillow – you’d spend whatever time you could resting and face the burden of reality in the morning...

“Stacey...” a calm voice rasps faintly “Stacey, wake up my dear we don’t have much time”. With that, you feel a pair of warm hands caress your own motherly. You whimper jadedly, opening your eyes to what looked like a queen’s bedroom. Dawn had broken and the morning sun was serenely flickering against a stained glass window. The room was painted a chalky white, complimenting the dark brown oak of your four-poster bed and the adjacent dresser. As you look away from the extravagant features of the luxurious suite, you find yourself fixated on the cerulean eyes of the blonde goddess.

“I know what you’re about to ask, your Pokémon are fine”, she smiles, walking across the room gracefully unsure where to start, “What I’m more worried about... is you, Stacey”. Her weak smile suddenly slumps into a grave stare of concern, causing some confusion. You slowly slide away the silk duvet, terrified at what you may find. Inch after inch, you uncover the open wounds. The sight of a few sharp cuts sends you sick, but these scratches paled in comparison to the gaping puncture below your breast. Bones and organs you expected to never see where exposed so unnaturally. Tears begin trickling down your face as though you’d known all along, but you’d somehow repressed the sickening truth that things would never be the same. You’d come face to face with some of the most perilous feats, you had treasured a naive sense of invincibility for so long.

“I was lucky I managed to fend off those fiends before you crossed over, but I could not permanently revive you”, she pauses again, choosing her words very carefully which was all too difficult in this situation, “You’re dead Stacey, but you’ll remain here, with the living. I’m afraid you have unfinished business”. The woman paces to a door obscured by one of the oak trunks of your bed, turning its handle and letting in a warm breeze of fresh air.

“How about we have some tea, you’ve been up to so much in the past few days I think it’s time we have a chat”, the worry in her voice panics you somewhat, but alas you manage your way out of the cosy sheets and onto your feet. Your ragged attire had been replaced with a lavender nightie which gave a similar scent to its colour; thankfully it did a good job of covering your mortal wounds. You follow Iris into the bedroom’s balcony, where she was now sat at a circular table with two chairs. There was an ornate tea set laid out, small pots of sugar and honey complimenting a much larger teapot. Beyond the balcony you could hardly imagine the world was in such disarray, acres of blooming meadow flowing delicately against the soft breeze. You notice a cluster of Buneary peeking from their burrows, wheedling into wondering what’d become of Reaper and your other Pokémon.

“Please, sit down”, Iris gestures the bordering seat with a warm smile, “I can sense the cloud of confusion hazing in your mind. I’m sure you have many questions, so please, ask away”. Flashes of yesterday flutter back. A toothless hag muttering about destiny. A villainous shaman readying to destroy you for reasons you couldn’t possibly comprehend. You’d caught a glimpse of the Renegade Pokémon. Surely you’d need your questions answered before you went any further…

Emp, I just wanted to say thank you for continuing to provide me with updates, this was one of the best storylines I have encountered and I feel privileged that you chose to share it with me … oh and sorry for the late reply again ^-^;;;

The storm continued to rage almost drowning out the sounds of sorrow and anguish produced by the lone human lost in the forest. To an outsider this picture was a strange one, it almost looked to be a beautifully haunting painting, depicting such deep emotions and colours, but to Stacey it was all too real. This was a nightmare she had been forced to endure from the very moment she entered Memory Lane to right now she had been played like a puppet. There was a greater force pulling on her strings watching her fight against it only to fail and dance for them in a depraved game. She was beginning to feel that she had been chosen to suffer from the start, given a chance of happiness for it to be robbed from her time and time again. If this was another test she had failed and she didn’t care, she no longer cared. She had picked up new friends along the way only to drag them down into her misery making them suffer all the evils coming to her did that make her any better than the wicked creatures torturing her? Stacey’s mind had drawn itself into the dark corners she saved all her fear, sorrow, negativity and horrid memories and she was struggling to get back out. With only Reaper available to bring her out of one of her depressions and not knowing how it looked like she could very well lie in the dirt and rain forever. This time however she felt something that drew her out, her head was throbbing and a thick liquid was trickling out of a gash there. Stacey frowned her tears slowing as she began to shake, her body very cold and suffering, it was acting to survive and wouldn’t let the feeble mind draw it to death. Stacey blinked and saw Reaper staring at her with a look of almost concern … he had never shown concern for anything before. As he saw her focus on him his expression changed to indifference as he searched the forest for any more dangers then telling Stacey to move.

Her whole body ached and pulling her wrist from underneath her Stacey pressed her fingers that were tingling from loss of blood flow to the log that had caused her injuries. Reaching her other hand to the wood she shifted legs into a kneeling position before slowly making it to her feet wobbling very unsteadily. Stacey felt a groan of pain escape her mud-covered lips and held a hand to her head drawing it away to see the blood dotting her palm. Stacey sighed now back to reality and out of the recesses of her mind as she tried to draw focus on what she was doing. Reaper was by her side immediately and was staring back at where they came, that’s right, they were running. Snorting Stacey felt a little comfort in anger as she came to the conclusion that she was good at that either, can’t even run without falling.

“Right,” she muttered quietly as she scanned the forest feeling the harsh rainfall batter her and in her weak state she nearly fell over again. Suddenly a noise filled the air, a soft grunt and the crunch of leaves under foot and Stacey felt her heart stop, had they caught up to her whilst she had been lying prone. Not daring to look she slowly moved her head knowing that any fast movement would sending her crashing to the ground again she saw the cause of the noise. A Stantler was drinking from a nearby stream but as a deadly silence suddenly filled the air, the sound of her increasing heart beat filing her ears Stacey had the awful feeling that something was dreadfully wrong. The Stantler brought its head up from its drink and its whole body stiffened as if sensing some deadly predator lurking in the undergrowth. Stacey felt her own body shift into a defensive position hoping to be ready to ward off any attack when Stantler turned to her seeing her movements and panicking. Its body shifts and it begins to stampede in defence … towards her! Stacey couldn’t think, couldn’t move, couldn’t save herself, all she could do was stare in shock and panic as the Stantler closed the distance between them in a heartbeat. She blinked and it happened, the Stantler rammed her, its antlers forcing into her abdomen the skin weaker than the hardened bone as they speared through the flesh. Stacey didn’t even feel the pain as she was thrown through the air and down a slope of uneven terrain her body breaking in new places with every impact she made with the ground.

She came to stop at the bottom sliding like a broken doll along the mud before she felt anything … the pain was excruciating. She couldn’t scream as blood began to force its way up through her throat her lungs and stomach punctured, the former trying their best to continue with their job futilely. Weakly and with shaking hands she reached up to her chest feeling the holes their blood pouring traitorously from her body staining the ground as a large puddle formed. All she felt was shock as the pain overwhelmed her and tears ran from her eyes again. She didn’t want to die, why did this happen? It had been so quick, so pointless, she had hoped when she eventually met her end she would be very old surrounded by those who loved her or die heroically in an act of bravery. But no, a startled Stantler had rammed her trying to defend itself, as if she could have caused it any harm in her previous state. Stacey felt her bones broken pushing through her skin, her legs bent in an awkward and ugly position that would leave her paralysed if she lived, not that was going to be an issue. Reaper quickly floated over to her and looked down in shock too not knowing what to do, soon he would be left alone with a dead trainer in a forest with the evils of the world hunting him down and he didn’t like that idea. He didn’t like or love anyone but this woman was tolerable at least and though he had seen many worse deaths this, caused many of them himself it seemed a waste, pointless just like his trainer had been thinking.

Stacey turned her head weakly to see Reaper as tears clouded her eyes. ‘Reaper, please can you not heal me? Help me I.. I don’t want to die!’ she begged mentally, not able to speak. She knew he couldn’t and it was pointless asking but she had to try for if a miracle occurred and she had missed the opportunity for it she would regret it later. She felt that next, only a minute had passed and her body was drawn closer to death, but she felt and thought so much in such a short space of time. She regretted so much, not spending more time with her Pokemon, watching them grow old, finding a partner of her own, someone to spend the rest of her life loving and caring for. She regretted the wrongs she had never made right, the things she had never dared to try, she regretted dying As her heart pumped the last of her blood uselessly away from her body to the ground she felt the pain disappear. She whispered goodbye to Reaper as blood ran from her mouth and she was gone.

She was floating, away from her body, away from the harsh cold and cruel world and into the bright sky. It felt so wrong but so right at the same time, she could see her body on he ground below her, a picture of death and suffering but no longer felt anything for it; she had severed all ties to that now. She knew that she was leaving her Pokemon behind but she no longer cared where she was going was bright and warm and peaceful. Tears of joy ran from her non-existant eyes as she felt her parents, her brother drawing her to them, she would see them again, oh how she had longed for that.

“Mummy, Daddy … I’m coming home,” she called to them feeling like a child all over reaching out her hands wanting to embrace them feeling close just for the action. Suddenly her journey grinded to a halt and she felt herself moving away from the light. A sick feeling filled her and the light grew cold and distant.

“No … NO I want to be with you, let me be with you!” she yelled as she felt them slip away and darkness surround her.

Her senses began to re-awaken, her hearing first as light noises filled her ears followed by touch, her skin prickled at the familiar sensations. It felt like she had a thick quilt covering her body warm and heavy, it provided little comfort as her misery and exhaustion quickly followed. She must have been dreaming, what a cruel dream for her mind to conjure up, that was the closest she had felt to her family in the longest of times, she was even torturing herself how ironic. She remembered dying, had that been a dream too, she didn’t feel like she was dying. Too tired to think anymore Stacey decided to just rest and leave the thinking till morning. Just as she had begun to drift off again she heard someone calling her name and wrinkled her nose and brow hoping they’d see she was asleep and leave her alone. No such luck as they called to her again rubbing her hands with their own, they were warm she could feel that much but she didn’t care to wake up. The female voice tried again alerting her that they had little time to act, act for what? Groaning in annoyance Stacey opened her eyes blinking the sleep from them only see sunlight as dawn greeted her, it was morning? How typical. As she became more alert she saw that she was in a gorgeous bedroom in a luxurious bed, the room was light and airy and light beautifully by the sun pouring through the stained glass windows. Stacey turned to see the culprit behind her too early awakening when she saw the beautiful blonde from before, she looked like a goddess perhaps she was one and had she saved her? What about her Pokemon, were they alright?

As if sensing her concerns she eased them by telling her that her Pokemon were safe, that was a relief if nothing else. “What I’m more worried about... is you, Stacey” she said looking weakly at her as Stacey frowned, what about her? It was as if her words had triggered something inside her as the door to her memories opened and she was flooded with the pictures and sounds of the past day. Shaking and already feeling tears prick at her eyes again she pushed the quilt off her body revealing a lavender coloured nightie and pulling it up inch by inch she began to feel discrepancies in her shape and soon she discovered why. No longer soaked in blood she could see the damage caused by the Stantler in its attack, there were gaping holes under her breast and in her abdomen, not covered by bandages to hide them no her wounds reveal her organs and bones were on show for all to see. Staring at them she felt herself shake more and more as she hyperventilated before roughly shoving the material back down her body and pulling the quilt up to her neck. She cried again, it felt that was all she was good for as she realised that she had died, no-one could be walking around with a wound like that and still be alive. She remembered dying, it had hurt, it was pointless, but then, she hadn’t been dreaming, she was torn away from her family to be like this, what was she? Deep down she knew the truth but had hoped it was a lie, part of her had felt invincible, she had been thrust into the harshest situations and had come out on top and she had her Pokemon with her but this had truly made her realise how vulnerable and weak she truly was.

“I was lucky I managed to fend off those fiends before you crossed over, but I could not permanently revive you”, she said pausing as I choosing her words carefully. “You’re dead Stacey, but you’ll remain here, with the living. I’m afraid you have unfinished business”. Stacey turned to face her again wiping the tears from her eyes tired of feeling so weak. So it was her that had stopped her crossing over, going to what could be considered Heaven to be with her family. She couldn’t be too mad her after all the evil ones had been the ones to cause all this and she had tried to revive her fully but been unable to do so. She was dead, she had said that much but was walking with the living with unfinished business, she felt she had a lot of that did that mean she would be like this forever, a walking corpse? The woman walks over to an oak door and pulls it open letting the warm air from outside the room to breeze in.

“How about we have some tea, you’ve been up to so much in the past few days I think it’s time we have a chat”, she suggests still sounding worried and concerned. Stacey guessed that she was concerned about Dim Sun, he made Stacey concerned too but now she was dead he didn’t seem to matter, she felt like nothing mattered. Sighing she pushed the covers from her body and slipped out of bed thankful that her wounds were covered by her new attire and followed the woman out onto the balcony. There was a large circular table set out with chairs for the two of them and upon its surface there was an ornate tea set with milk, honey and sugar ready to be served. Turning away from the table Stacey walked to the edge of the balcony and looked out at the acres of woodland stretching as far as the eye could see, it was beautiful and a far cry from the turbulent vicious jungle she had been running through not long ago. She wondered how far away this sanctuary was from where she had died when the woman, Iris if she recalled correctly, interrupted her thoughts. She offered her a seat offering to answer any questions she had and she had many not all of them relevant or pertinent. She walked over to the chair and sat down gently, feeling fragile wondering if she could damage her deceased body further. Stacey’s mind wandered back to the beginning, from whence this all started it all seemed to link together somehow and perhaps Iris could shed some light on it all. She stared at the tea set and wondered if she could even eat or drink in this state, she didn’t feel hungry or thirsty, she just felt …

“I feel numb,” she voiced her end train of thought still staring at the tea. “I don’t know if I can feel anything other than numb, no that’s not true, I am jealous. I see the life out there and feel envious, why do they get to live and I don’t? Why should I die, what did I do deserve this?” she asked wanting to vent her frustrations. It was a selfish question but right now she wanted to be selfish, why not after all. Most people who died were done and didn’t have to suffer this, but not her, she had to walk amongst the living, a fraud, something so unnatural she felt as if the world would rat her out and she would have to meet death all over again. After composing herself she ran her fingers round the empty tea cup enjoying the sensation of feeling knowing that she shouldn’t be.

“I suppose I should ask something a little more relevant. How do you know who I am? How does that demon who I am? Who are you both you have abilities no human should?” she started with and as soon as she started she felt she could stop, she had wanted answers for so long now and someone had offered to give her answers, she would ask her everything; it wasn’t as if her dead lungs would require the oxygen so could keep talking forever.

“This all started in a different country altogether, I walked along a road of memories and met an old woman, she told me of a destiny in a new world,” and Stacey proceeded to tell her tale. As she move through her recollection of events hoping it would help Iris answer her questions she remembered a sonnet that had been spoken before she came here. Stopping her tale she spoke the words,

“Commemorations are in order,
Relieve your anxiety,
Welcome new member,
To the Dim Sun Society…”

Stacey frowned before continuing on with her story explaining the events that led up to this point stopping to catch breath on habit.

“How is it my destiny to die? Especially like that, seems like a pointless destiny to me.” She said bitterly before sighing, she needed to get off this pity train. “Dim Sun mentioned Giratina, I saw it when I first came here, it charged right past me. I remember feeling amazed, it was beautiful, a ghost I thought I’d never see. What does he want with it?”

“You mentioned unfinished business, I feel one part of that would be finding a safe home for all my Pokemon as I will be gone permanently again I need to know they’re safe. There are many things I feel I still need to do but perhaps my real unfinished business is to find my destiny, and if it is to stop this demon, to help you do that.” Stacey finished talking leaning back in her chair hoping that she could some answers already prepared for the possibility that they wouldn’t be what she wanted to hear.