Ask to Join Pokémon: Myths of Arkhaios

[Charlotte Pryce]

Location: Steadfast City, Capital of the Fist Clan​

Charon watched as midsummer turned to winter right before his eyes. The spartan yet pleasant surroundings he was accustomed to seeing in Fist Clan territory sank beneath a shroud of ice and snow. Overhead, his Froslass, Khione, loomed over the city like an angel of death. Brittle snowflakes twirled around her like dance partners.

Charon whistled as he marched through the street, grateful for the fur-lined boots he'd purchased the day prior. He gazed upon the many rows of petrified faces lining his path, humans and Machamps whose expressions were carefully preserved in their icy cocoons. They all looked so surprised.

Charon pondered how many citizens were still shut in their cabins. Perhaps they had seen the storm coming and decided to wait it out. More likely, however, the Blizzard had caught them completely unawares, freezing their doors shut before they could climb out of bed. It mattered not to Charon so long as no one got in his way.

He felt a tap on his shoulder. Khione floated beside him, cooing softly. "You've found him, then?" He asked.

Khione nodded and rose higher into the sky. Charon trudged after her. Despite not seeing his homeland in two years, he was almost certain where the king was hiding. His suspicions were confirmed when Khione made a beeline for the grand hall.

Predictable.

Charon drew his sword and approached the door cautiously. It was frozen solid, like the guards standing before it. Bless Khione. She knew her handiwork. Charon turned the sword over in his hand. Its Charizard-shaped hilt glistened despite the overcast. He pointed the blade at the door and spoke in a clear, calm voice.

"Fire Blast."

The eyes of the Charizard hilt glowed bright red. One heartbeat later, a plume of fire shot from the blade, obliterating the door. A fist collided with Charon's jaw, and within two seconds, he realized a large man and his Annihilape were rushing him.

Fortunately, Khione was prepared. She drew the Annihilape's Shadow Punch and countered with Poltergeist. Wasting no time, Charon recovered his sword and held it to the king's neck.

"Call off your Pokémon, or I'll end you here!"

The threat proved unnecessary, however, as Charon's Froslass finished off the Annihilape with Frost Breath.

"Your Highness," Charon spat with mock reverence. "I don't suppose you remember me."

The bronze-skinned giant of a man did not answer, but Charon could sense his pulse racing.

"Great King Asterion!" Charon continued. "Leader of the fiercest tribe of warriors. Ruined by Froslass and a cursed child."

At the word "cursed," Khione's head snapped toward Charon. However, the word "ruined" brought realization to the king.

"Y-you..."

"He remembers!" Charon released King Asterion from his grip and swung his blade around. "After these years, I thought you would've forgotten. I suppose you think it's fair compensation for ruining my life."

Charon had to bite back the bitterness in his voice. "Well, it's not. And I am here to get every cent that I'm owed."

"Killing my clan wasn't enough for you?" Now that the king had regained his voice, he sounded furious.

"Kill them?" Charon chuckled. "On the contrary, that was never part of my plan."

"But you--"

"I wanted your people out of the way." Charon spat. "Once we're finished here, my allies will thaw them and their Pokémon out. My business is with you and you alone."

King Asterion straightened up. "What do you want then?"

"Your spear, to start with," Charon answered, taking the weapon. "And the Tauros manuscript."

The king stiffened. "I don't know--"

"Don't toy with me, highness." Charon hissed as he pointed his blade at Asterion's throat. "The manuscript is within these walls." He paced back and forth, scanning the room. His eyes fell upon a tapestry of a man wrestling a bull-like creature. He stopped suddenly, ripped the tapestry from the wall, and revealed a hidden scroll and dory spear.

"Obvious, like most hiding places." Charon took the spear and the manuscript before facing King Asterion.

"We're done here." He gestured for Khione to follow him, turned his back, and prepared to leave. He took his fourth step when Charon felt something whoosh past his right ear. Khione leaped into action, and a howl and a scream pierced the air.

Slowly, Charon turned around. The former King Asterion stood with his arms raised and mouth hanging open. Crystals covered his skin, hair, and eyeballs, the results of a point-blank Sheer Cold attack.

Charon sighed and faced the doorway. He pried the knife from the wall and cursed himself for not thinking the king had a concealed weapon. Taking a deep breath, Charon ventured out into the sunlight. The Blizzard had vanished. He clutched the spear, which bore a remarkable likeness to a Heracross horn.

"Well, Mom." He said to himself. "That's two down and sixteen to go."

3 Years Later...​

Location: Oracle Pillar, Mystic Tribe​

Clarisse ran as fast as she could. The click of her sandals against the concrete path made her sound like a charging Doduo. Her Espeon pal, Sage, was hot on her trail, probably to ensure she didn't lose or break the jar she was carrying. Every year, citizens and representatives from all eighteen tribes convened at Oracle Pillar to hear the Grand Oracle speak. As an acolyte, Clarisse was tasked with collecting the casting jars, jars in which people tossed clay shards with questions written on them for the oracle.

Clarisse had one hour left to return all the jars to the temple before the ceremony, and she was almost certain the Grand Oracle would disapprove of her being late. Traveling to and from the temple would have been easier without all the people in the way. The crowds at the tribal camps weren't so bad. They rarely spoke to her. Heck, they barely even looked at her. But the merchants were...

"RARE CANDIES! RARE ITEMS! GET THEM HERE!"

"Delicacies straight from Pixie Tribe! While you're at it, check out our performance schedules!"

"FRESH FISH!!! HADDOCK! COD! MAGIKARP!"

...annoying. Clarisse would almost be glad when they left, even if they were her only glimpse of the outside world.

"Eveh!"

"Not now, Sage," Clarisse hollered over her shoulder. "I need to get these back to the--Ack!"

One of the cement slabs was higher than the rest and caught Clarisse's sandal. She landed face-first on the ground, shattering the jar.

"Oh no!" Clarisse attempted to scoop the shards into her tunic. The Oracle was going to kill her!

Sage shot her a peeved expression as if to say, "I tried to warn you."

"Shut it!" Clarisse snapped. "Just help me."

WELCOME TO THE MYTHS OF ARKHAIOS ROLE-PLAY!

IN A FEW MOMENTS, YOU AND THE REMAINING REPRESENTATIVES, TRAVELERS, AND MERCHANTS FROM THE EIGHTEEN TRIBES FOUND IN ARKHAIOS WILL GATHER TO HEAR THE ORACLE'S PROPHECY. DO YOU...

(A) Explore the area, including the campgrounds, grand temple, and marketplace
(B) Strike up a conversation with someone from another tribe (i.e., talk to another player)
(C) Offer to help the thirteen-year-old girl who dropped a jar of clay shards on the ground
(D) None of the above

THE CHOICE IS YOURS. ENJOY!

 

[GEN1E]

Hemlock

"You... sure we should be here? I know that we could find new ingredients from all over Arkhaios, but there's lots of people...." The mysterious doctor whispered under their mask, staring at the crowds that gathered to see the Grand Oracle. Their voice had a calm quality to it, and it didn't sound specifically male or female. Nobody could really tell, after all.

Hemlock hadn't attended this annual tradition since they were a child, so there was a lot that changed. There were merchants and citizens from every single tribe in the region, all here to witness this grand ceremony. They wanted to be on the outskirts, so that they would draw too much attention to themselves.

Hopefully they wouldn't run into anyone from the Toxic Tribe here.

With a cheerful chirp, the Spritzee seemed to insist that Hemlock stick around. It was perched on a long branch that jutted out from the sack on Hemlock's back, which was a spot he enjoyed. His eyes darted around, searching for anything that might be worth keeping.

This was Nerium, one of his Pokémon. He had a knack for finding precious items, whether it's rare components to his master's elixirs, to valuable jewels and coins. With his keen sense of both smell and sight, he was a vital asset in their travels.

"Alright, I guess the benefits outweigh the downsides. Just try not to go too far, Nerium. I don't wanna take any chances." Hemlock sighed, but the Spritzee perked up, his wings ruffling. He must have smelt something interesting in the air, and wanted to go check it out. Nerium pleaded with his master to allow him to take a look, squawking and cawing relentlessly.

"Fine. Just a few minutes, okay? I wish to peruse the stalls and see if there is anything worth picking up." Hemlock spoke, their voice filled with kindness and resolve. With a nod, Nerium then flew off, determined to find where the scent was coming from. That's when they heard a low gurgle, that would have been intimidating to anyone else.

But for Hemlock, it was the sound of a friend.

"Anthrax! There you are!" Hemlock beamed with joy, as the Dragalge leaned down to nuzzle their cheek. Hemlock knew that Anthrax was a bit needy, but it came from her desire to keep them safe. It was the same when she was just a Skrelp in a pond, who wanted to see the world someday.

And some things never change...

"C'mon, I want to see if there's any merchants from the Pixie Tribe or the Insect Tribe. I need some Shield Dust from a strong Ribombee for this new tonic I'm working on, as well as some petals from a Vileplume. It's supposed to prevent, maybe cure any kind of status condition in an instant!" Hemlock said as they began to walk towards the merchants, their Dragalge in tow.

—

Nerium had finally tracked down that peculiar aroma, having flown over many people and Pokémon, but it had come from an unexpected source. As the Spritzee landed, he sniffed the air one last time, confirming his suspicions. The source of that strange smell was...

A fragrant heap of broken pieces, made out of clay.

It was pretty disappointing, but it could serve as ingredients in an elixir of some kind, right?

Nerium pecked one of the fragments, which only made his beak hurt. The clay was solid, which indicated that it was still fresh but was recently shattered into these pieces. He guessed that the culprit was the brown-haired girl with the blue robes, and her Espeon, who were trying to get the fragments back together.

Silly girl, doesn't she understand that once you break stuff, you can't just put it back together?

He grabbed a large shard that appeared to have writing on it, though unfortunately Nerium didn't know how to read. The Spritzee decided to take it back to Hemlock so they could figure it out, since they were smart and human and all that. He managed to get the inscribed clay shard in his beak, before managing to take flight once more.

As Nerium flew back the way he came, all he could think about was the shard was pretty heavy. He hoped the fragment was actually useful.


@Charlotte Pryce (Clarisse)

(I chose C, kinda)

 

[Inkage]

Just outside of the enigmatic abode of the seers walked a man of uncommonly old age. He walked, his wooden shoes and cane clacking against hard stone and making it sound like a spider was afoot. The man did evoke certain spider-like images, with his webbed hands and wispy hair that frizzed around his head and down his back. But the scarf around his neck was a special make, ruining the effect. It was stitched together leaves, and a careful eye could discern exactly who or what had made it.

Or not, since the culprit walked besides him, working upon another one and making it obvious to anyone paying attention exactly who lavished such loving handiwork on this wretched web man, who scowled with an outlook and hardiness caused only by great age. A Leavanny easily kept up with him, at his slow pace, and guided him slightly with it's body to avoid bumps in the road. Whenever she made contact, the old man bumped her back a bit, and the Leavanny would retreat slightly, beaming in a motherly way.

This was Horun. If you need further description, the one penning this chronicle advises you to look above again because you don't. Horun is simple and you've been told all you need to know.

Horun had another Pokemon ahead, who scouted for danger as they entered their destination: a town of the mystic tribe. As Horun stood there not admiring the glittering windows and loud call of the merchants, his second Pokemon, a Heracross, fell back and stood at his side, opposite Leavanny. He, for it was a he, also had a scarf of leaves.

"Now why was I here again?" he asked the wind. It was Leavanny who answered instead. She brandished a letter from Horun's only friend, Kyopin. You shan't be bored with the details; the gist was that Kyopin wished to pass wares to a merchant he knew in the city, to sell in his stead since he had caught a cold and couldn't come. Horun was the runner, and all the wares were packed on Heracross's back, ready to hand to the merchant when they arrived.

Horun took the letter from Leavanny and opened it to read the address he had walked so far to get to. Memorizing it, he put the letter away and gave it back to Leavanny, who promptly stuck it in Heracross's pack. With a quick sigh, Horun entered the town properly and begun his search. He reluctantly had to ask around and eventually found the man he was looking for.
"You must be the runner Kyopin sent then," the merchant said after Horun gave him the letter. "Correct. Here's the junk," he replied curtly. Taking it off Heracross's back, Horun handed the 'junk' to the merchant and turned to leave without so much as small talk. "Hey, wait!" Called the merchant. "You only just got here!" Horun looked at him, shaking his head. "I did what I came here to do. I'm going home."

So with that, he left the merchant alone and started walking back where he came from when he was tugged on the sleeve by Heracross.
Horun looked at him, and Heracross pointed all over. Despite what Horun said, Heracross wanted to explore before going back to their boring smoke bomb existence. Horun sighed, wrestling with his own adventurous spirit. After a short while, he said "Fine. One circuit around the city. Then we're finding an inn to sleep in and we're returning home tomorrow." Leavanny clapped with delight, for even her positive self was not looking forward to walking so far again. Turning back, Horun began his exploration, at a loss of what to do now that he wasn't headed to an exact destination. He overheard something about a tradition of some sort and he remembered the second reason he agreed to go on the loathsome errand.

"Oh yeah, that seer's going to be doing the whatchamacallit today...and here I was going to leave before I even watched the thing!" Heracross sighed. His master's shoddy memory was going to be the death of him someday.

"They'll probably be doing it later. I'll head to the center of town and wait it out," he said, and began to trod over. Heracross and Leavanny looked at each other and followed, wondering why their human was so eager to explore now. After all, they didn't think anything of some fancy oracle who was weak to bug types anyway.

Although maybe they'd have something to be interested in...one never knows what that sage is going to say. It could be life changing for them.

Them and everyone there.

(Feel free to do as you please. Horun doesn't like people but interactions are still open. This way, even if nobody talks to him he still is where he needs to be)

 

[Draco Nightshade]

Freya Stark

"I can't believe Father sent me here instead of coming himself." Freya sighed in frustration, occasionally flapping the edge of her Beartic Pelt Cloak to relieve her of the building heat. Being from the Glacier Clan, she had a tendency to heat up quickly in the warmer climates of the region.
"Arc!" Blade barked in agreement with Freya, the Arctibax a rare and unusual sight anywhere using his ability to try cooling her down some.
Freya could not help but smile at the still small Ice/Dragon type. "Thanks Blade." She rubbed the back of his head before moving on. "Come on, let's see what this place has in store for us."

Licht

Licht sat on the ground, his back against a building and his Ponyta, Zephyr, lying down next to him with her head in his lap. Being blind, Licht mostly relied on smell and sound to get around. The current problem? The town was positively flooded with scents and sounds that overwhelmed his heightened senses. "How'd we end up here girl?"
Licht absentmindedly stroked the Flying type Pokemon as he wondered about their current circumstances, his walking staff in his right hand. Zephyr wondered the same thing as her human. Sure, it was considerably easier for him to get swept up in the flood of activity, but even she was unsure of how they wound up here. The journey itself felt like it went by in a blur.

 

[Charlotte Pryce]

While Clarisse struggled to collect the shards, her Espeon companion noticed something else—a tiny bird-like Pokémon with a hooked beak larger than its wings had landed amongst the heap. It started pecking at one of the clay fragments, one with squiggly lines all over it.

"No sense worrying about the vase," Clarisse muttered without looking up. "We can dump these into an empty pithos back at the temple. Just get the ones with the writing on them."

The second those words escaped her lips, the fluffy bird picked up a large shard and flew off.

Well, maybe "flew" wasn't the right word. The Pokémon appeared to levitate while occasionally flapping its wings. Either way, Sage couldn't let it escape with its prize. With a battle cry, the Espeon raced after the Spritzee. Clarisse finally noticed something was up and ran after him.

Navigating the crowd was not difficult for Sage. He was used to weaving through the narrow passages under the temple. The same could not be said for Clarisse. She struggled to keep up due to the heap of clay fragments she was desperate not to drop. The Spritzee's efforts were slowed, likely due to selecting a shard as big as its body.

Sage decided to get creative. The second the crowd thinned, the Espeon took his shot. The Spritzee flew toward a tall figure that Sage mistook for another Pokémon. However, before it could reach its destination, the bird Pokémon was blocked by an invisible barrier: Light Screen.

"Sage!" Clarisse shouted, realizing at once what her Espeon had done. She rushed towards the Spritzee and the masked figure, hoping to prevent a crash.

"I'm so sorry!" She said candidly. "Are you okay?"

@GEN1E

 

[Your-Friday-Filet]

Lilith
The industrious weaver, having just arrived from an arduous and lengthy trek from her homely village, looked a combination of exhausted and anxious she hadn't worn since she was a child. In a rather surprising turn of events, she had been chosen by the elders of the Insect Tribe to represent them at this event, and she certainly wouldn't let her people down, especially as many of them still resented her. Sighing as she sauntered along the streets of the Mystic Village, she wondered if she had been chosen by them just so they wouldn't have to deal with her for any given period of time. Nonetheless, she had been selected to weave a tapestry for the Grand Oracle to receive, which was to 'capture the essence' of this particular annual event.

She paced around with an utter indignation, as, though she feared to tell anyone, her one Pokémon, Nell the Ariados, had snuck out on her journey to the village, somewhere in a forest. Seemingly, this wouldn't be such a deal, as she could simply substitute her silk for any variety of cotton, wool, or inorganic material. But, in settling for these alternatives, Lilith would have betrayed herself, and she simply couldn't abide by spoiling what should be the highlight of her life on such unbecoming materials. Presently, she made her way to the marketplace, hoping to bide her time and wait for some one to report a missing Ariados. While she was at it, she also began giving her business information to any and all vendor or passerby that she could manage, but something in her undertone suggested she was vulnerable of something, and many turned their heads. She shuddered at their refusals, but pressed on nonetheless, not really knowing what exactly she was doing, but hoping and praying it would all work out in the end.

Buck
Having continuously roamed the lands for opportunity, the enigmatic Pokémon Trader had been shunned out of plenty a village in his time, even his own. But, for whatever reason, he was always welcome during times of festivity; as it was then, more than ever, that the elders and authorities loosened their grip and began feeling more empathetic towards the less fortunate. Having being graciously accepted by the Village's guards, Buck gave a wink and a nod as he sat atop his rag-tag caravan. The two Mudsdale in front pulled the odd configuration, a large cage upon a cart with wheels, as Gaia, Buck's resolute Ursaluna, stood on guard behind the cart, as if to keep any of the Pokémon that clamored inside of it in line. He grinned even more as he saw the merriment that begot every part of the Mystic Village, as something of a contented arrogance in his ways finally began to make sense to him.

Arriving to the more out-of-the-way section of the marketplace, Buck hopped off the cage, giving one of his Mudsdale a pat, and began heckling all those who could hear about the sale underway. Many walked passed, though a fair amount were intrigued, as Buck gave almost unbelievable claims about the Pokémon he had a captured. With much haste, somewhat of an auction was beginning to manifest, with the prices flying higher and higher by the sudden raising of a hand. It was for a Scyther, which Buck claimed was quite tame, despite the creature's glaring look of blistering hatred to every other lifeform, additionally touting that it would make an excellent companion for all means of battling, homelife, and artisanal appeal. Buck seemed to be reading the eclectic, little crowd like a book, as he got an exurbanite amount of money for the Scyther. He smiled widely as he gave the Pokémon to its buyer, a somewhat overworked-looking mother, who had bought it for her two pestering little children. Off the first buyer went, clearly already feeling his auctions' trademark remorse as the insect proved quite troublesome for her to handle almost immediately. Buck only continued the auction, raising the stakes by bringing out an all-to familiar Ariados he had captured in the nearby forest.

 

[coloredscribblis]

...why on Earth was this the year that Twila had to be involved in things, she really didn't know.

It wasn't that she lacked faith in the, what's it called... Grand Oracle, right? It was just that every aspect of it all proved to feel like a Marill's used a charged-up Rollout right into your head. Loud merchants, a long journey, no immediate way to self-comfort herself if it all got too much.

It was probably her fault that she had agreed to coming along for once.

...a mistake, she had found. How could anyone deal with this?

"Bree...?"

"I... I know, Rita. Everybody in the world doesn't see things how I do. Can't just blame everyone for living. Stay close, p-please."

Twila had sighed to herself, tightening her ponytail for safety's sake. The fact that her Ribombee and Marill were sticking with her proved to be a lucky enough break, like a bit of a way to say... 'Hey, you can't be a jerk just because you're stressed and the opportunity presents itself.' And she did appreciate that, really.

For now, she just had to... 'lock in', as she said. Make do with her surroundings, wait for that Oracle situation to calm itself down, and hope with every aspect of her timid heart that nobody would drag her into something that she didn't wish to be involved in. Even if that was just about everything right now.

 

[Cmeriwether]

Nefeli, "Wandering Exorcist" Current Location- Oracle Pillar, Mystic Tribe, In the Marketplace.

A tall, red haired young woman Had been walking with a what seemed Like a double of herself. A young woman with long, tied back, red hair, her violet eyes looking around the marketplace to attempt to find a piece to fix a section of a Harness used to fly a Pokémon. The woman wore a ominous purple cloak over her body, the hood was up so that she was less likely to be driven away looking for this piece. There was a pair of Swords floating around, not far away from The woman. However, something on the harness of her largest Pokémon was glowing, as if it was possessed.

"Wanderer, how did you get in Transport's Harness? I thought I put something to keep ghosts from taking over. Guess it's back to the drawing board for that," the woman muttered, "Now, back to the situation at hand, how much would it be to buy this leather strap to fix the Harness?"

"Around 2 coin," a merchant responded.

The merchant looked up to see the woman's violet eyes, with a look of shock on his face. The merchant had to take a double take to make sure that he was seeing this right. Those Violet eyes were something not commonly seen, especially outside of the Sky Tribe. The woman looked confused at the double take.

"You have something that is typically seen within the Sky Tribe, Miss, even then, it is not common to see. Keep that in mind if you ever want to figure that out..."

"Thank you," The young woman then handed two coins to the merchant, as the merchant handed over the piece of leather.

As The woman thanked the merchant for even talking to her, she walked off to somewhere more secluded with her Tropius, so that she can make a attachment to fix the damaged portion of the Harness. As she looked over Transport's Harness, Wanderer popped out from where he was and hopped into the piece of leather, holding it in place while the woman brought the rings together, to where the piece of leather would hold the two rings. As she put the piece in the rings and made sure it was nice and all set, Wanderer popped out, then back in the bag.

 

[GEN1E]

Hemlock

“That’s an… odd request. Usually, people just ask for the Honey collected by my dear Dahlia.” The baker, who was from the Pixie Tribe, explained as he petted his Cutiefly. He was nervous, probably from Anthrax staring at him too hard. The stall was filled with sweets and confectionery, making Hemlock drool a little behind the mask. They were pretty tubby, a testament to how much they loved food, which was useful in the wilds of Arkhaios.

They certainly weren’t picky, from meat, to berries, even mushrooms. If it tasted good enough, they would gobble it down.

“Well, it’s for an experimental potion that I’ve been devising for some time now. Do you have any other Pokemon that produces this… Shield Dust?” Hemlock asked in their usual tone, a weird blend of immaturity and intellect that seemed way beyond their age. You couldn’t really tell how old they were, whether they were a bunch of children in a trench coat, or a wise old man like the Oracle.

“Well, I do have this odd Ribombee… Her name is Nougat, and I’ve never seen her collect even an ounce of honey. Instead, she defends the other Cutiefly from any threats, especially other Pokemon. Once, I saw Nougat fighting off a Beedrill that was twice her size, and she managed to defeat it without getting poisoned at all.” The baker said, and Hemlock’s eyes lit up in realization. Could it be?

“No matter how many Poison Stings the fiend used, she just didn’t seem to get injured. And now that you mention it, when I checked on Nougat after the fight, she was covered in this mysterious white powder…” He finished his tale, and Hemlock slammed their gloved hands against the stall in excitement.

“Oh, that’s it! Sorry about that, but if you don’t mind, may I have some?” Hemlock clarified, as Anthrax reached into their sack with her kelp-like tendrils, and pulled out two vials. One was empty, while the other one had a mysterious pink fluid inside that shimmered in the light.

The baker called for Nougat, who flew out and hovered in the air next to them. The Ribombee had a distinctive scar on one of her eyes, a sign that she had been in many fights. Even though she was buzzing around the stall, she looked pretty stoic, like a guard watching over her ward.

Hemlock took the empty vial and pulled out a metal funnel from their pocket. They connected the two pieces together and held the makeshift contraption under Nougat. The Ribombee seemed hesitant, but after a nod from the baker, she began to shake herself off. White powder fell from her body, which was collected by the vial.

“Thank you for the Shield Dust, my good man. As a token of my gratitude, please accept this tonic. I call it the Flavorful Enhancer, although there are several kinds for different dishes. With just a few drops of this, any dessert you make will become more luxurious and delectable than your tongue could imagine!” Hemlock explained in an informative tone, as he gestured to the strange liquid within the other vial. They sounded a little too excited to be sharing this knowledge, but the baker couldn’t deny it was a good deed.

“Not to be rude or anything, but does it work?” He asked as Anthrax gently placed the vial on the stall. This mysterious doctor had shown up out of nowhere and just given him a magic elixir that could change his life, and he was still processing it.

“Yep, it sure does! Believe me, I’ve eaten enough to know that.” Hemlock joked as they began to walk away from the stall. “Now, I really must be going. Who knows what I’ll find next at these crossroads…” Their words trailed off as they went into the crowd, their menacing Dragalge following behind them like a loyal Mastiff.

They were certainly a mystery waiting to be unraveled.

—

Nerium was floating as fast as his little wings could take him, still biting down on that cumbersome clay shard. It was being chased by that girl and her Espeon, which wasn’t the best predicament since the pink feline-like Pokemon looked like it could gobble him up in one bite.

Whatever those lines meant, it must have been really important.

The good news: Nerium could smell his trainer nearby. It was the one thing that the Spritzee didn’t understand after all this time, how someone who constantly worked with poisons and foul-smelling materials in their concoctions, managed to smell so pleasant. It was never able to tell what it was, but it made locating them trivial.

The bad news: The Spritzee slammed into a barrier he couldn’t see and tumbled to the ground, spitting out the shard into the crowd. He blinked a couple of times, before checking his beak in a panic, hoping it didn’t break from the impact. Nerium struggled to get back in the air, and its tiny legs weren’t getting it anywhere. He heard the girl's footsteps, and resigned himself to his fate.

Well, this was the end for this plucky little Spritzee. He was about to become an Espeon’s chew toy.

That’s when it turned around to see multiple streaks of light green energy careened towards Espeon, slamming into the Psychic-type with a surprising amount of force. Nerium could hear a faint buzzing in the air, which bugged him to no end.

Struggle Bug.

Nougat hovered in front of the Spritzee, who was extremely confused by the sudden aid. But to the Ribombee, it was quite simple. This Espeon was hunting down an innocent Spritzee, just like Vespiquen and Beedrill would prey on Cutiefly. She wasn’t going to let this stand.

And justice always prevails.



@Charlotte Pryce (Clarisse)

 

[Charlotte Pryce]

Name: Clarisse​

Location: Market Place, Mystic Tribe​

Watching the Spritzee stop midair and take a nose dive made Sage grin.

Too easy. He thought.

The Espeon's amusement was short-lived, however. Before he could predict the attack, several beams of lime-green light smacked into his body, tossing him aside. Sage felt the sting of a dozen needles. Irritated, he gritted his teeth and rose slowly to his feet.

His attacker, a dainty bee-like Pokémon, hovered between him and the thief. The Espeon let out a small roar and charged. He was unfamiliar with the move Bite, but a good Quick Attack to pin that pesky insectoid to the ground would be good enough.

Meanwhile, Clarisse had caught up after dropping and recollecting a handful of the rescued shards. She stopped about two feet away from where Sage and the Ribombee were going at it. She yelled at Sage to stop, but the Espeon did not heed her command.

Proud Sage. Despite his weakness to Bug-types, the Espeon could not stand losing to a small opponent. Make that two small opponents.

Clarisse looked from the fight to the Spritzee. It didn't look badly hurt. Thank goodness! However, her relief turned to panic when she saw that the Spritzee no longer held the enormous shard it had snatched earlier. She scanned the crowd, desperate to spy the brown and black clay with writing etched on its surface.

Praying Sage wouldn't go too far, Clarisse turned her back. She bent over and searched the nearby area, occasionally jumping out of the way when it looked like a passerby might bump into her. Finally, she spotted a familiar shape.

Could it be? It was! The missing shard.

Clarisse got down on her knees to grab it when---Crack! Clarisse sprang to her feet. Someone with large feet came out of nowhere and crushed the clay piece beneath their boot. Clarisse froze, dumbstruck. Not because the shard was now in three pieces. No. It was because of the message she decoded one split second before the piece of clay cracked.

GRAND ORACLE, WHY DO YOU LIE?

@GEN1E

 

[Draco Nightshade]

Licht

Zephyr raised her head from Licht's lap, her ears twitching as she sensed something oddly familiar. Feeling the lack of weight, Licht turned to the Ponyta slightly puzzled. "What's up girl?"
Rather than attempting to answer her blind human, Zephyr stood up on her hooves and tugged on his old cloak. "Ok, ok. I'm up."
Licht groaned as he reluctantly stood up, his staff in hand. His joints popped as he stretched, before his left hand found Zephyr's shoulder. "Ok, Zephyr, where are we going?"
Zephyr led Licht through the marketplace as she searched for that familiar scent of home. It took some time, but she eventually found it. A red haired woman with a Tropius. Without hesitation, Zephyr neighed in their direction.
@Cmeriwether

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Wuijah, the Wandering Witch​

Such noise. Such... rowdiness. At such a spiritual place.

Wuijah wasn't quite sure how she felt about it.

On one hand, it was something useful to Wuijah. She doubted she would be able to get this close to the Mystic Tribe's Oracle Pillar, to their temple, to the Oracle themselves, without the crowd being here. Those of the Specter Tribe did not get along with the other tribes, but Wuijah had always thought the Mystic Tribe regarded her with an especially cold shoulder. Despite the crowd, all of these merchants were yelling, wandering about, selling their wares on these hallowed grounds. It was making this ceremony into a crass festival of greed. Surely the spirits would not be pleased. Wuijah would have thought the Mystic Tribe would not let it get this far out of hand.

Despite there clearly being many people of many clans and tribes here, Wuijah still kept to the shadows and the alleyways between the food stalls and merchant stands. It was where she felt the most comfortable, a little out of the crowds.

Wuijah could feel her stomach growl. The scent of food waft strongly through the marketplace. She would need something to eat, and soon, if she was to learn anything from this spiritual retreat she was on. But first, she supposed she would have to earn it. All these merchants were earning quite a bit of coin... was it truly so terrible if she benefitted as well?

Wuijah watched the crowds pass from her shadowy alleyway. There truly was a diverse group gathered here. Wuijah picked out the most interesting one, closest passing by. A young woman, about her own age, but one that couldn't be more different. She was dressed in heavy furs and weapons, with long, wavy, blonde hair tied back. Her style of clothing was unfamiliar to Wuijah, as was the Pokemon that was accompanying her. Some sort of Steel type? She didn't seem like any member of the Alloy tribe Wuijah had met before. But she was the last to judge a person based on their Pokemon of choice.

"My lady..." Wuijah emerged from the alleyway slightly, speaking to Freya with a raspy voice. She watched Freyja through her own crazed, long black hair. "A coin for your fortune? A palm reading, perhaps?"
Wuijah stared at Freyja, grinning madly. She couldn't help it. The mere thought of showing off her powers of the occult was always something that excited Wuijah...

@Draco Nightshade

 

[GEN1E]

Hemlock

Nougat wasn’t scared of the Espeon, as she quickly dodged the Quick Attack like a skilled fencer. While it was agile, it couldn’t fly at all, leaving the feline-like Pokemon at a clear disadvantage as she buzzed around it in circles.

Nougat had a harder time fighting Combee.

She fired back with another Struggle Bug, watching the streaks slam into Espeon’s side, knocking it against another stall and dropping some apples and a confused Applin on her opponent.

It looked back at the Spritzee, who was still trying to get back on the nubs that were his feet, and needed some assistance. Nougat flew to its side, and grabbed onto his pink wings as she helped Nerium stand on his two legs.

The Spritzee seemed thankful for the aid, as he gave a quick nod as he took a faint whiff of the air around them. His trainer could still be here, since their scent lingered like a trail of breadcrumbs.

The Ribombee gave a shy smile as she bowed to Nerium as a sign of chivalry. It was something she believed in, ever since she was a Cutiefly listening to the vibrant stories that its trainer would tell while he baked some table bread for the customers.

It was her honor to save an innocent, and she hoped to serve with a real knight someday.

But before Nerium could fly away, the Espeon managed to tackle Nougat, biting into her side, causing both Pokemon to roll into another booth with banners of all kinds. Red ones, blue ones, even some with intricate coats of arms. They rolled into a medieval display in their struggle, causing a grey suit of armor to clatter to the ground.

Nougat dodged the pieces of metal, and got back in the air, eager to continue the brawl. But she halted at the sight of a Pokémon behind Espeon. A blazing tongue lapped at the air, like a whip ready to strike at the two rascals who messed up the stall of his trainer.

“Heat… HEATMOR!”

@Charlotte Pryce (Clarisse and Sage)

—

Hemlock was wandering the market, searching the booths for any interesting trinkets or ingredients, when they came across an odd sight. A large cage upon a cart with wheels, pulled by two Mudsdale, with an Ursaluna to guard the contraption.

There was a crowd of common folk around it, yelling numbers and sums at the cart, in some sort of auction. What they were bidding on was made clear, as a large Ariados writhed inside the cage, rattling as the arachnid tried to break free.

“Hey, I need Toxic Thread! C’mon, let’s go check it out.” Hemlock exclaimed as they tried to budge their way through the herd of people like they were Wooloo grazing on the plains.

In the center of the crowd was a shabby man with black hair in a leather tunic, with boots reinforced with scavenged iron. He had a dagger and a blade in a sheath in his tunic, and his trousers looked like they'd seen every nook and cranny of the wilderness. He wore a crimson cloak, though its color had faded from his travels. Unfortunately, the crowd had become too dense to weave through, leaving Hemlock and their Dragalge on the outskirts. With their large figure, whatever gaps they could find in the horde were too small for them to squeeze past and make their way to the front.

Besides, Hemlock didn’t have the loudest voice, even without the mask, so there was no way anyone would hear their offer.

That’s if Hemlock had one.

“That’s unfortunate… I have nothing to bid with, no money to my name. Guess I have to wave that Ariados goodbye…” Hemlock sighed, resigning themself to losing this golden opportunity. It was hopeless, what could they even do?

Anthrax simply put its kelp-like fin on its face, before pointing at the bag of their back. The answer was right in front of their nose, or behind it in this case.

“Of course, the one commodity I have, potions! Thank you, dear friend.” They spoke as they reached behind themselves and pulled out a large glass flask with a sickening green fog inside it. It was a foul concoction, algae and grime stuck to the bottom of the container. It was labeled “Biological Repellent” and they had used it to ward off Pokémon without having to fight them.

“Good thing I’m already wearing a mask.” Hemlock’s remark was followed by gently removing the cork on the vessel, causing a thick fog to escape from its glass prison. It shrouded both them and the Dragalge in a mist that wasn’t poisonous, but smelt like it could kill a man.

The people near him immediately began to retch and gag at the vile aroma, as some withdrew from the auction. The horde of civilians split in half like the banks of a river, allowing Hemlock to safely walk to the front of the crowd with Anthrax in tow.

In the fog, he looked like an ominous spirit.

“Hello, good sir. I have not any coins to my name, but I wish to make a bid with… an alternative currency.” Hemlock stated as he took a bow, walking out of the fog like a member of the Specter Clan. It was usually enough to frighten the bravest of souls, but the man in the red cloak didn’t seem to be rattled by his presence.

Anthrax pulled a large ornate bottle from Hemlock’s sack, revealing a teal concoction that bubbled with every movement. “I can see that your business revolves around collecting rare Pokemon. This potent elixir attracts the most exclusive and unique Pokemon out from the depths of the wild, crafted from berries and real scales from a Dratini.”

The Dragalge slid the bottle into Hemlock, who took it with a cheeky grin. Well, they weren’t sure if the leader of this auction could tell, but it was worth a shot. “Trust me, I’ve been attacked by enough Arkhaian Durant to know this stuff works. If you want a bigger bargain, I’m willing to raise the stakes.”

It was a hell of a gambit, and they hoped it would work.

@Your-Friday-Filet (Buck)

 

[Draco Nightshade]

Freya Stark

Freya had been busy browsing the stalls with Blade when she heard a raspy voice call out from an alleyway. Something about, fortune telling? Freya decided to investigate despite never really believing in the practice. She shrugged before making her way over. The owner of the voice was a young woman, about her own age but with an entirely different aesthetic. Black hair, dark robes and a crazed look on her face. Must be from the Specter Tribe. Freya thought to herself before bringing herself down to Wuijah's level, offering her water skin. "You sound a bit dry. What do you say we take care of that detail before you try reading my fortune?"

@Captain Cardboard

 

[Charlotte Pryce]

Clarisse

Sage was tired---tired of being tossed around like a rag doll all over the marketplace. Crashing head over heels into a medieval display was the last straw. Squirming his way out from under the pile of metal, the Espeon felt his pride tear in two. He had no fight left in him.

He was, quite literally, down to his Last Resort, and he didn't need his foresight to guess that these two dainty Fairy Pokémon still had more tricks left up their sleeves. He was debating whether fainting or fleeing from battle would be more humiliating when he felt a sudden shift in the atmosphere.

A warm waft of air ran up Sage's neck and spine, making his lavender fur stand on end. The Espeon turned his back to his opponents just long enough to see the hook-faced, whipped-tongued fire Pokémon staring him down.

So much for dignity.

Sage mewed loudly for help, then assumed a defensive stance. His entire body shook, but he did not want to show weakness. He was planning his escape route when Clarisse ran up to the stall.

"Sage!" She hollered.

Her eyes were red and puffy. She looked like she had been crying. Her hands and blue robes were no longer overflowing with clay shards.

"Why--what on earth happened here?"

Clarisse glanced around at the result of the Espeon and the Ribombee's tumble. She gazed at the Heatmor with a mix of horror and disbelief.

Her shoulders sagged and she sighed. "I suppose you want me to pay for this."

@GEN1E

 

[=Nightshade=]

People. People everywhere! So many people. The markets were bustling, sights and smells and sounds that were all new nearly overwhelmed Bear’s senses as she romped through the streets on a three-legged gait. She nearly ran straight into a Herdier, brought up short by a warning growl— then the girl growled back, playfully, and raced off in a new direction, chasing strange, delicious scents.

A colorful cart selling fried fish caught Bear’s attention first, and she hopped up on her good leg, propping herself up on a corner with her arms. She watched the vendor in fascination as he lifted a golden brown delicacy from sizzling oil and dusted it with something powdery and red. It smelled smoky and herbal and peppery and— Bear sneezed and dropped back to a crouch. Too much pepper.

Bear had never been out in one of these festivals before, and it was so much more exciting than she’d imagined. People wore such strange things, and so many new creatures and creations caught her eye everywhere she looked. A kite in the shape of a fiery bird looped and dipped in the sky, dragged by a cheerfully screaming child. Bear laughed brightly and made as if to chase after the kite, only to be stopped by gentle hands around her midsection, holding her back.

The unruly girl turned back with a pout to the woman that held her. “Aw, come on, Miss Lena!” Bear protested. Her voice still sounded like that of a little kid’s; she hadn’t had much practice speaking in the forest she’d spent a few crucial years of her childhood. Still, she had been improving. “I wasn’t gon’ do anything! Jus’ go chase it.”

The older woman smiled magnanimously and knelt before Bear, lightly brushing the dirt from her clothes. “You’ve hardly been out an hour, and you’re already a mess,” Lena chided. “Come, child. The ceremony will begin soon. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

Bear grumbled, but went along with her caretaker into their home, allowing Lena to plait her hair into some semblance of neatness and strap on her prosthetic. Now when she limped along on two legs she looked practically civilized! Bear didn’t like that one bit. But she supposed, since it was just for a few hours, she’d live with it, be nice about it and not make a fuss, to make things easier. She could go back to being wild once the ceremony was over.

Bear was emerging from Lena’s home, reluctantly upright, when a flash of light sent her staggering back into the doorframe, quite literally unbalanced. The Abra that had appeared before her almost seemed to laugh as it hovered upside-down in front of the girl. Then he vanished, only to reappear near the next home over. “Blinky!” Bear called excitedly. Then she hesitated. “Aw. Can’t chase you ri’now. Gotta go to the big pillar.” Lena had waved her on ahead to explore some more if she’d like while the older woman spoke with old friends from other lands.

In uncharacteristic accommodation, Blinky teleported back to Bear at her explanation, levitating along by her shoulder looking rather bored. Still, if the egotistical critter had had no interest, he wouldn’t have followed; Bear couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps the Abra sensed something she couldn’t.

Bear put the thought from her mind. That would be just silly.

 

[EeveeBlueSisters]

Aria, Somewhere in the outskirts of the forest away from the tribes

A young girl riding on top of a Girafarig wearing a Fushia colored vest with a handle attached to the back, walked along a path with an Espeon walking along beside them. The vest had written words at the side of the vest labeled "Eye Seeing Pokemon" in white letters. The Espeon had cherry blossoms resting on her ear as the young lady had white colored hair with the tips of her original hair at the ends, a light pastel blue. A white bandage wrapped around her eyes to protect them from the sunlight as her long bangs covered both eyes but, could still be seen at the sides of her head.

The outerwear was royal-casual as her touch and sense of smell picked up a lot of the senses and sounds ever since she lost her sight. She left her father as they lived in a comfortable home further away from all the tribes as he took care of her ever since her mother died. She made the decision to travel on her own to follow her dream despite her blindness, a traveling pokemon coordinator. She had been traveling for a long while using her coordinating skills with her pokemon to earn money for herself without using the money she was already "given" due to her royalty status.

She wanted to earn currency through her hard work, not through her royalty status. She had to give herself a stage name while performing and with some careful thinking, she came up with the name "Cecelia" meaning blind in Latin. She felt this was a good fit for her since she was blind. She created flyers with her stage name to bring out her audience as Cecelia to earn her income. She looked to Primrose, the Espeon that was walking beside her.
"Prim, which tribe should we visit next for our performance?" She asked her. "Espe!" She smiled as Ari read her mind. "I see....how about you Rina?" She looked to the Girafarig she was sitting on. "Rig!" She responded. Ari nodded as she looked up at the sky as the wind blew through her hair that had picked up.

(Well, it can't be B,C, or D since she is not in a tribe or even in one and she is too far away from the girl to interact with her and D isn't going to cut it either so my answer is A :3 She is a traveling performer so she visits a lot of places to grab materials for her herbal needs. Anyway, she is free to be interacted with depending on which tribe is closest to do her performance ^^)

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Wuijah​

Marketplace - Dark Alleyway

Wuijah stared curiously at the waterskin offered her. An act of kindness was rarely seen by her, especially by someone she was trying to offer her services to her. It was something that Wuijah found most intriguing. The witch wanted to know more about this girl, and wanted to know if now. She looked over the waterskin cautiously, as if expecting a trap of some sort, before slowly accepting it from Freya.

In a flash, before Freya could withdraw her hand, Wuijah had grabbed her wrist. The witch held it tightly, pulling Freya closer and turning it over so Freya's hand was open.
"Hm... Yes... the Heart and Head line, hmmm... and the Life Line, very interesting... hmm...." Wuijah muttered to herself, looking over Freya's palm. The witch suddenly paused, and ran a finger over one of the lines of Freya's palm.

"This Fate Line... hmm..." Wuijah looked up to Freya, before grinning. "You... you are a member of the Glacier Tribe. And not only that. This Fate Line... you are someone important in the tribe, hmm? An heir to the tribe's leader? Or perhaps one closely related?"
Wuijah figured there would be many people of many different tribes attending this ceremony of the Mystic Tribe, but she hadn't thought she would be running into anyone of any importance! If her reading was correct, well... this could be quite interesting indeed, ceremony or no ceremony.

 

[Draco Nightshade]

Freya

Blade growled sharply at Wuijah's quick movement, only settling down when Freya raised her other hand. She was intrigued. "You're right, I'm the Glacier tribe's heir, Freya Stark. The Arctibax is Blade. My partner."

Blade gave a huff as Freya removed her hand from the strange woman in front of her. "You are quite an enthusiastic woman, aren't you?"

Freya had to admit she was surprised at Wuijah's speed and accuracy.@Captain Cardboard