Game of /Pokémon/ [IC]

[kosuke]

Ersclud Sephur​

Ersclud equipped himself with his armor, and then he hurriedly ran to the room where Princess Misty is located.

"I have come back, your Gracious Majesty..What is it that you want me to do today?" He said while bowing. He is obviously panting because of the running he did.
"I want you to deliver this letter to a farm just before Olivine..When you get there, look for an old man and give this to him."
"Yes, your Gracious Majesty"

Ersclud was surprised of the princess's sudden change of mood. It was just a moment ago when the princess acted strange, but now she is on a happy mood. Ersclud thought of it more. In his mind, the important thing is that the princess is already in her good mood. He then took a deep breath and left, but before he proceeded to the destination, he stopped by to his room to call his Politoed and grab his bag.

Dio, let's run through the woods." said Ersclud. "Po--politoed" They immediately ran afterwards. It was very lucky that they didn't get lost.

At last, they arrived to the destination. They proceeded inside and saw the old man. Ersclud then gave the letter. The old man looked really glad to see them. It even gave them some milk, and offered them to spend the night there. They were really wore out because of the long trip, so they accepted the offer. They slept for the night.

"Wake up, Dio..We should go now" said Ersclud. Dio woke up. It was still midnight, but still they had to leave. They left the farm, and traveled through the woods once again. Ersclud felt really odd about what is happening. Normally, there should be wild Pokemon that attack them one after another, but the forest seemed very quiet. He decided not to to have thought of it even more. He, with his Politoed, just travelled without any more worries. They got back to the kingdom. Just in time for the sunrise.

"It was a great trip..right, Dio?" Ersclud said while looking up at the sunrise. He smiled for a while. He had not seen the sunrise for a long time. When the sun finally risen, he proceeded to his room. As he was about to take a nap, he saw a group of Pidgey's flying. That strike him as odd, because the Pidgey's were holding something. A paper. Seems like a letter.

 

[Obscurity]

Melisandra Bernières

A stiff wind rustled the pages of Melisandra's book as she glanced absently at the words meticulously written on the page. The material presented within had long since lost her interest, but she still kept up the facade of her studiousness in what she was reading. The book was of some western import variety, pertaining to the tactics and weaknesses of water types. Not exactly the most gripping literature to be sure, but she had tried her best to swallow the dryly written material as best she could. It wasn't that she didn't have a taste for poorly written, dull source material, but the town around her seemed so alive and full of exuberance today, that it was difficult to focus. Tucking a loose strand of crimson hair behind her ear, she finally gave up and shut the book with a firm thunk and a creak of its leather bound spine.

"Drif, drif?" The voluminous balloon Pokemon to her right asked her suspiciously. Melisandra ignored him, knowing that her answer would be obvious to her long time partner. He always knew when she was having a difficult time focusing and his asking was simply a courtesy he extended to her from time to time. Melisandra's hand ran to the fine chain that hung around her neck, her fingers toying with it absentmindedly. It was a bad habit, one that she admitted to. Something that gave her comfort, or helped her think. Some people scratched their chin, others twirled their hair, Melisandra played with her Maesters' chain. It was an odd thing, that chain. For men as part of the order the world over, it was a symbol of pride and a declaration of their masteries. For Melisandra, it should have been the same, but it never was. Others always thought her an impostor, a witch even. Of course, her fiery red hair didn't help discredit that rumor. Even though she was recognized as a full Maester, laymen assumed that it was a lie that could only stem forth from a woman's mouth. They couldn't conceive of the idea that a girl of such low station, or even one that had been highborn, could be so well educated.

A little sigh escaped her lips as she looked around at the unraveling madness of market day in Lavender Town. Her seat outside the inn was a great place to spy the comings and goings of traders and people of industry. A group of children were playing raucously in the nearby field, a game of Psyduck, Psyduck, Swanna. A rather pudgy lad looked to be getting the short end of the stick, as was the case with most children's games. Then again, somebody always had to get the short end, if another was to wield the broadside.

"H-hey there, purty lady," a drunken voice rang out behind her. It wasn't yet obvious that the voice was geared in her direction, but she stiffened nonetheless. She had heard the lecherous tone before, the type of voice that was often found near inns and taverns across the land. "I'm talkings to youse, Red!" A lumbering man appeared in her peripheral, no bottle in hand, but the stink of liquor radiating from his body. It was obvious that this was either going to be a very bad, or very entertaining conversation for Melisandra. She knew what his type wanted before he even asked for it. "I gives you, uh, two coins for yur services," he bellowed unabashedly.

"I'm sorry, sir. To what services are you referring?" Melisandra gave his body a cursory and judgmental glance. "I see that you don't require my medical expertise and we are hardly about to lay siege to a castle, so I doubt you need me for warcraft. I do apologize if I seem just the slightest bit confused by your request."

The man did not take kindly to her flippant attitude, his face blushing with anger and understanding that he had just been oh so kindly told to get lost. "You knows exactly what kind of services I was askin' 'bout! You just sittin' here, pretending to read that book of yours. I bet you can't even read, a little farm Poochyena like you!"

"Oh, I assure you, sir," she interrupted him. "I can read quite well. For example, the book of laws. Have you heard of it?" She stared at him squarely in the eyes, unflinching. As determined and strong as she may have seemed on the outside, she still couldn't quell the slightest rising fear that shook her inside. "Of course you have, you're a smart man. One who would know not to harass another in view of others."

"You think the law gives one pence about a girl like you?" He grabbed her by the bodice and lifted her from the seat, her feet dangling like a doll's as he held her inches off the ground.

"I'd like to think the law cares about everyone. Of course, we could put that to the test if you'd like." Sweat began to bead down from her brow and her face lost some composure as his alcohol ridden breath spewed from his mouth and into her nostrils. "I assure you, my voice can become quite shrill when I need it to and I'm sure those guards over there would love to come running and show their valor in front of a crowd like this." Her eyes gestured over the hulking man's right shoulder to the men in question, who were currently busy bartering with a dairy farmer. "I promise, I can play the helpless farm maiden as well as the next girl. I am a little farm Poochyena after all."

The man thought about this for a second and slowly began to lower her to the ground, her feet finally touching earth once more. He let out a snort and removed his hands from her bodice, but not before clenching them a few times to make his anger known. "Lucky girl," he grumbled under his breath. "Let's see how tough you are without guards scampering about." Giving her one last derisive look, he pushed her firmly back into her seat, hard enough to cause a little shriek of pain to escape her as she watched him go.

"Luck has nothing to do with it," she growled and rubbed the small of her back assuringly. Drifter floated quietly nearby, not interrupting the events exactly as Melisandra would have wanted. He could have protected her, yes, but Melisandra didn't give the command. Had things gotten out of control, a simple hand signal would have been enough to spur the ghost into action. But Melisandra hadn't wanted to hurt the man, no matter how boorish he may have been. There would have been little gained from it.

A few of the nearby townspeople gave her curious looks as she stood and wiped off her garments. They had watched the events without even the slightest hint of coming to her rescue. Just like a flock of Mareep were prone to do when a predator came around. You could never count on others for help, that was a rule she learned long ago.

"Come on, Drifter, we really should be going."​

 

[<Challenger>]

Ser Rodrick Westerly

Rodrick nodded in understanding. "Of course not, princess." The princess would obviously be tired, seeing as she gets sick just about every other week. He laughed a little. He just couldn't help but feel free. This was his first quest! There were two goals he had on this quest: To rid Rhoto of the Mad King, and to win the hand of Queen Erika. The princess had seemed pleased when she heard that Haru would be the fourth member of their kingdom's envoy. To be honest, Rodrick was glad to have the boy along as well. The princess would be much safer with her own personal doctor travelling with them, and he was not too shabby when it came to tonics and patching up wounds when it came down to it. The Forest Kingdom's troupe consisted of a sickly princess, a babyish (But skilled) apothecary, and two grizzled, battle-hardened soldiers. Hopefully the Sky Kingdom's group would seem just as fit as theirs...

Rodrick began to zone out, but he returned to reality when the princess pointed out a few bee-like pokemon. "Those, princess, are Beedrill." Rodrick had dealt with the pokemon countless times in the past. "They seem rather menacing at first, but once you've dealt with them enough, they're not so tough." He unsheathed his sword and swung his buckler shield from around his back. "Fia, get back." He gave a gruff command and looked to Khan. The Toxicroak looked like he was ready to destroy the Beedrill. "Let us take care of this." He held his shield in his arm and waited for the right moment: Three of the Beedrill darted at him at the same time, but he raised his shield in time for all their stingers to be caught in the wood. They couldn't remove them, giving Rodrick enough time to swing his sword at an angle to slice all three of them in half. Khan took a running start and leapt into the air. He used a ferocious Poison Jab to take one out, spun around and gave a Mega Kick to another, and finished a third with Brick Break. The final Beedrill went straight for the princess, but Rodrick threw his shield like a discus, completely decapitating the attacker. "And that, m'lady, is how you deal with Beedrill."

 

[Sir Bastian]

♚ Rowan de Corbeil / Rex

Blackthorn City - Marketplace

The marketplace of Blackthorn was always a busy place, nearly no matter the time of day. Traders shouting out about their wares, travelers and merchants haggling with the salesmen, trying to push down the price, people and kids darting back and forth over the cobblestone streets with all kinds of shouting, yelling, cheering, laughing and a world of scents flew around everyone there.

Rowan always quite liked the marketplace. Despite having grown up largely in the castle, he had still gone on patrols in the kingdom itself, and had taken a liking to the people of the city. In his eyes, there would be no crown without a people to lead, and he thought of himself as a bit of both.

Walking down through the streets with a hand on the hilt of his sword, he had gotten dressed up in his usual, somewhat regal-looking armor fairly early on and gone out to practice his swordsmanship at the training grounds and afterwards, he had gone to his favourite tavern for a quick bite of breakfast.

Now, he was heading back to the castle, taking his favourite route through the city; Through the marketplace. He raised a hand and gave a smile, waving to one or two people here or there, some of them being the traders whom he'd bought quite a lot of things from over the years.

"Hey, Rowan! Been out training, huh? You should think about buying a new sheath for your sword!" a big, burly man in an apron called out from behind a stall with a grin. Rowan responded with a smile and gave a little wave to him as he passed. "No thanks, I'm counting on this one lasting me quite a while. But I'll keep your offer in mind!"

He walked over to a fruitstand with a young lady with golden hair and a cotton dress standing behind it, giving him a smile. "Good morning, Rowan."

"Hey Abigail. Fruit selling well as usual?" he asked while picking out a shiny, red apple, raising it up and taking a bite of it while rummaging through a pouch hanging off of his belt at his left side.
"Well, at times, though… it could be better. I'm not complaining though! How's the prince?"

Rowan grinned and handed her a few coins, giving her a little wink. "You know I can't talk about that without his permission. I'll ask him for you though." With a smile and another wave, he moved down the street again, taking a little bite of the apple every now and then while listening to the sounds of the bustling city and taking in the sights and scents as he did nearly every day.


As he exited the marketplace and moved into a slightly less busy part of town, a guardsman came running up to him, panting for air. "S-sir! Your presence is requested by the king in the council chambers!"

Rowan's brows furrowed. He wasn't often taken into the meetings without Cyrus actually asking him to be there. "What's it about? Do you know?"

The guard gave a little shrug. "Something about the prince and a journey, sir."

The prince… and a journey? Where is he going? This sounds a little… odd. "Right then, I suppose I better hurry up, then. Thank you." He gave a firm nod to the guardsman, who turned and made off in a dash back to the castle, Rowan taking another, contemplating bite of the apple before tossing it aside and moving swiftly towards the castle again, the ends of his long tunic billowing slightly around his knees.

It didn't take long for him to reach the chamber, which he entered, under the stares of the nobles, the guardsmen, the king, queen, and of course, Cyrus. With the hand still on the hilt of his sword, he moved his arm in front of his chest and bowed deeply to the gathered around the table.
"You called for me, sire?" After the bow, he stepped over, taking his place ever so slightly behind Cyrus and to his side, sending his friend a little glance before looking back to the king, a serious expression painted over his usual cheerful-looking face.

 

[miltankRancher]

Sin Rascalwolf || The Great Sea
Chapter 1.1: The Wandering Duke

Sin was surprised by the amount of people he encountered in the less bustling parts of the kingdom. It seemed like people are quickly buying off and selling merchandises, and going into the farther and more unknown parts of the world. Sin saw himself in these people as he was once a refugee himself. He shuddered at the memory of the rogues and his fallen dukedom. I will be rebuilding my kingdom once more. In the right time.

Being a duke, Sin had no problems interacting with the general population. He loved the masses, unlike the nobility he just left, save for Princess Misty. The people loved him too, knowing him as "one of those in power really willing to lend a hand." Sin smiled as he walked amongst the crowd.

"Sin Rascalwolf!" a booming voice echoed above the general chatter of the people. Sin turned with a smile, knowing full well, whose voice it belonged. "You dirty duke, what're you up to now?" A man of about fifty was standing a few feet away from him. He looked like a jolly good-fellow; large and round belly, a thick beard, and glasses. He was dark-skinned and wearing a bright red turban on his head.

"Monsieur Ahiko," Sin mocked a bow. "The nobles' stink were filling my nose, and I need a stint of fresh air." Ahiko laughed.

"And you decided to walk in the market place? A strange choice of location, ain't it? Come, walk with me." Ahiko is one of the people who fled with Sin when the rogues attacked Humilau. He is a mechant, and is used to travelling around a lot. "So, what are we up to?"

"I am just waiting for the meeting to end, at least an hour from now. Afterwards, I will accompany Princess Misty wherever she decides to go. Or, if needed be, I will explore the nearby lands with Seafarer." Ahiko was nodding. "I thought I saw a nice little cave from our expedition from yesterday."

"Well, seeing as you have some time to spare, do you mind accompanying me outside? I just have some...let's say, products to procure."
​

 

[ナギ]

chapter one: HAZEL // Kingdom of the Skies.3

An extremely busy market day in Lavender, it was no problem at all for Hazel and her Sableye to escape town by the use of Hazel's dark cloak. She even managed to slip two beautifully red apples from a fruit vendor under it, luckily without being discovered. She felt no remorse, as she was sure the vendor would have no trouble at all turning a profit on a day with such bright weather. Besides, two apples were nothing compared to what she'd seen others take anyway.

Right as she was thinking that, she noticed an older man trying to hit up a young lady a short distance away from her. Luckily, the woman had an air of confidence about her, despite her petite stature. It seemed to be justified, too: a large, balloon-like Pokémon was floating by her, seemingly readying itself to attack as its master commanded. Judging this woman needn't be saved, Hazel walked on. But a subdued shriek suddenly came from a bystander as the buffoon lifted the woman up into the air by her clothing. Hazel watched, unsure if her initial judgment had been misplaced, until the situation changed again. The man put her down and scurried off. Surprisingly, at least to Hazel, for the victim did not order her Pokémon to attack. Rather, she threatened him with words. An impressive feat, as in Hazel's experience that kind of men wouldn't listen to reason, especially when drunk. Not that she'd ever been patient enough to try.
The danger subsided and everyone went back to going about his or her usual business. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened, after all. People keep to themselves. No one risks their own safety to help someone else. That's a basic rule of life. Of survival. After all, you never know when someone might stab you in the back. Ever since the passing of her father, Hazel had abided by this law as well. It's the easiest – and least painful – way to get by.

Trump had climbed onto her cloaked shoulder and was looking around excitedly. They were approaching the south gate that led out of Lavender, and since he'd never left the city save from trips to Rock Tunnel, this was a completely new experience to him. Hazel nodded at the guards as they did at her when she walked past, finally out of the gate. About twenty metres past, she stopped and took the map out that was enclosed with the letter.
Two paths stretched out before her; one to the west, and one south. Obviously the west path would bring her to her destination quicker, even if it meant having to travel a short distance through the woods. Putting the map back in her pocket, Hazel looked back at the city she'd lived and loved all her life. A little sigh escaped her lips as she turned around and started walking down the path headed westward.

 

[Zavytar]

Carmine Royale Cross
Lavender Town​

Lavender Town was busy that day. It was Market Day, and the streets were full of merchants and traders, all showing a wide array of products and goods. The townspeople were buying and most of them looked content with their purchase, and a wide grin could be seen on almost every merchant. Among the crowd, a dark Gengar was skipping around. It looked happy and it seemed to be having a good time. But as he smiled and walked around happily, its eyes scanned the area. And among the crowd, all the different people, one caught its attention. With a smile on its face, it skipped around towards this short, moustached merchant with a tall red hat.

The moustached man was standing by his stall, having just sold another product of his. He smiled sneakily as he received the small bag of coins. "Keheheh! Thank you for your purchase, come again!" the man said. While the customer left, looking at his new acquisition with sparkling eyes full of joy, the merchant turned back to count his money. His eyes sparkled like the coins in the bag, and he chuckled, as he put the bag away. After that, he saw a Gengar skipping happily in his direction. He looked even more elated before looking at a certain mark on the Pokémon's face. A scar. An X-shaped scar.

The merchant turned pale, and he gulped down. Quickly, he gathered all his bags of gold, and put them in a small cart. Seeing the Gengar was coming towards him, he hastily took the cart and attempted to make a run for it, heaving his stall behind. The Gangar chuckled and followed in the same pace. The sneaky short man in the red top hat ran as fast as he could, taking the cart and his money with him. The cart was beginning to get too heavy for him, but the sneaky merchant was unwilling to let go of it. Even if it could have saved his life. The Gengar that was skipping after him suddenly turned when he reached the north exit of town. The merchant sighed in relief and let go of the cart to rest for a while; he thought it was all over.

This wasn't the case however. Out of nowhere, a dagger flew and pierced the man's clothes, leaving him stuck against a nearby tree. He tried to scream, but a voice shushed him.

"Quiet."

The merchant's eyes got fixed on the man that suddenly appeared before him. He was scared, and starting to sweat. He knew who this man was: everyone in Lavender Town knew who he was, and he knew he was after him. And no man who found himself on one-eyed Carmine Cross' list ever lived to tell the tale.

"P-Please...Let me live..." the merchant cried, "I've never done nothing to nobody!" Carmine Cross said nothing and took another dagger, and held it against the man's throat.

"That's none of my business." he coldly said.

"WAIT! I've scammed a few in my past, just let me go, take my money, it's on the cart over there, it will be all yours, just please, don't kill me!" the merchant said, sobbing. He was too distracted to see that the Gengar that was once chasing him had hidden in his shadow.

"I won't kill you." he said, stepping away. "Shadow Ball."

"What? No, no! NO!" was all he said before the Gengar made a ball of shadows and fired it, disintegrating him completely. All that was left of the sneaky conman merchant was his top hat. Cross approached the tree and removed his other dagger from it. He put both daggers back on his belt and grabbed the top hat. "Good job." he said to the Gengar, "Now let's get back to get our cut." Gengar grabbed the cart and both of them headed back to the busy Lavender Town. Cross took the red top hat with him. He always did that to the ones on his list. The assassin's red sashes, Cyrus Greene's Compound... He always took something from his victims, considered his war trophies. What was life without whimsy anyway?

 

[jov0006]

Act 1, Scene 2: A Call to Arms
Sirilia Eduine Halia - Kingdom of the Skies

Sirilia tried to be inconspicious, but she knew it always failed. She was too lazy to get changed from her armour, and she even slept in it. Sirlia had no need for maids and servants, being the stubborn person she was, and headed over to a bread stall. In the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a Gengar chasing a man desperately pulling his cart.
"Probably some assassin, might even be Carmine and his Gengar," Sirlia thought as she considered that it was market day, the best time and place to murder someone and that the guards probably wouldn't give a damn.
"Could I have three loaves of bread please?" Sirilia asked the man working at the bread stall.
"'Ere you are ma'am, 'at will be 900P," The bread stall man replied.
Sirilia slammed her hands against the bread stall desk, "WHAT? The marker over there clearly says 100P each!"
The bread stall man laughed, "Ye, but you c'n affor' it. Ya flashy arm'r clear'y sa's it."
"Flashy? FLASHY?" Sirlia drew her sword from her scabbard and pointed it at the man's neck, "I need this armour for flying! Now here's your 300P, now hand over my three loaves of bread!"
Sirilia regretted taking matters into her own hand, soon a crowd of people surrounded her and the bread stall man and became to mumur immensly.
"F'ne t'en, take 'em!" The bread stall man threw them at Sirlia, who failed to catch them, leaving them in the muddy ground.
Sirlia punched the man in the jaw hard, "I'll go to another stall, thanks. Oh, and I'm keeping my money."
She pushed her way through the crowd as she tried to ignore the cheers and jeers that she hated. Sirlia hid in an alleyway before she went back to Skarr, as a lot of people were looking for her.
When she returned to Skarr, she noticed several beige and brown feathers scattered about and Skarr gave a cry that a messenger Pidgey came.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOU ATE THE MESSENGER PIDGEY!?!?!?" Sirilia shouted at her friend who gave a cry that indicated that it tasted nice before pointing to a letter.
"A letter?" Sirilia picked it up, she speedily read it and understood what it meant, "It's time to go Skarr."
Sirilia withdrew her sword as she mounted Skarr, "We're fighting again."

 

[YellowGardevoir]

Ser Imito Atarashi

Imito loved flying. Even if it was on borrowed wings. However, like all good things, the time for flying cam to an end as night fell. spotting a clearing an a rocky out-cropping, Imito pointed. "Down there Kouryu."

Kouryu grunted, indicating that he understood. He flew down to the clearing with slow wing flaps, lowering his speed to make for an easier landing. Still, his landing made a loud thud. When Imito dismounted, Kouryu gave a low rumble. "Sala, salamence?" Imito had been around long enough to know what Kouryu was asking. He laughed.

"Yes. We can eat soon," he said. He poked Kouryu's stomach. "But maybe you don't need it tonight. I think you're getting kind of chubby. Pretty soon you won't be able to get off the ground."

Kouryu looked at Imito, growling deep and low. Imito laughed again. "Oh, come on. You know I was just fooling around with you. But if you want a warm dinner, I'll need to make a fire first."

Imito set about gathering tinder. Whenever he came across a bigger log, he put it beside where he was going to build the fire. This would be fuel to keep him warm over night. Nights were cold in the Dragon kingdom, and even though Kouryu could keep him warm, Imito preferred sleeping under the stars. When he had a good sized pile of tinder and smaller pieces of fuel, he had Kouryu light up the fire. Kouryu was well trained, and had lots of experience making small flames to help Imito start fires.

As the food was cooking, Imito couldn't help admiring Kouryu's scales in the flickering firelight. Fully grown dragons really are beautiful, he thought. Then warm and full of food, he rolled out his bedroll and went to sleep.

 

[Kikpanther]

Katherine Burke Goldenrod City

"Absolutely not!"

"Father, please!"

"I won't allow it!" Katherine's father paced the room, shaking his head back and forth and grumbling more refusals to himself. He and Katherine had been fighting all morning it felt like and midday was seeping into the day. Earlier a bird had come into the city with news on its wings. A call it was, a call for members of all four kingdoms to unite and take down the Mad King. A commoner had been the one to get the message and the news spread quickly throughout the city, however, instead of ready arms and men, they only laughed at the letter. The thought of anyone being able to fight the Mad King was... It was ridiculous to them. The pigey that delivered it only got annoyed with them, took its letter, and left. It's message was left fresh in Katherine's mind, though, and with no one in the city willing to help it seemed as though she herself would be the one to carry out the mission. Her first obstacle seemed to be her father.

"This is for the good of all of the kingdoms! Someone has to go!"

"And it won't be you!" Katherine could tell by her father's face that he was serious, and while she didn't agree, understood his emotion. She was his only daughter, after all. In fact, she was his only child, her mom struck barren after a disease. She was sure if she were born a boy he would have been more than willing for her to leave, but she was not, as much as she wished to be at the moment. "There are plenty of others in the kingdom to go in your stead!" He continued. "Strong and worthy men like knights and nobles."

"Worthy!? Am I not worthy?" Katherine's father's eyes widened for a moment, making him look silly coupled with his red face.

"Now you know that's not what I meant, Katherine."

"Then what?" She questioned, her eyebrows furrowed and her mouth at a frown. "Is it because I'm not manly enough?"

"Precisely!" He father exclaimed, almost as if she had hit the jackpot. "This isn't a mission for a woman such as yourself. This is for the sons of the Great Sea not the daughters."

"And what if none of those sons arrive?"

"Oh, but they will. There are noble men in our great kingdom, you know that, Katherine. And besides, there are soldiers from the other kingdoms flowing in as well. There are more than enough people for this trip."

"Trip!?" Katherine had to hold back a growl. "This is not a trip, Father, this is a mission! This is a journey for the good of our world! We can't live with the Mad King over us, you know that as well as I do! I'm more than capable of taking care of myself, I've proven it when I left the city to deliver orders. And I won't be by myself you know. I'll have Mantle with me." From behind them, the mentioned Mantle gave a small tort in agreement. He righted himself for her father, displaying just how capable he knew he was. It was like a promise. He wouldn't let Katherine get hurt and Katherine's father could easily interpret that message. The doubt was still in his eyes though, the misgivings swimming in his mind. He looked at his daughter, considering it for a moment. He even seemed almost ready to give, but the smile could hardly begin before he shook his head and once again refused.

"That is final," he ended and turned from her. Walking deep into their home still flustered, but more assured of himself. Katherine sighed, defeated, and let her legs give under her as she fell into the chair of their kitchen table, almost as if her legs had given out under her.

"What can I do?" She asked the air, but as always her eyes turned to Mantle for the answer. The Wartortle seemed to think for a moment and soon a mischievous grin appeared on his face. He gestured towards the door, another tort escaping from him. If he had eyebrows, Katherine was sure they would be temptingly raised. "I don't think I can do that." Mantle gestured again. "Sneak out?" Katherine's eyes widened for a split second as she caught herself and immediately brought her voice to a whisper. "That's crazy talk!" Crazy because as soon as she left there would be signs posted up and dogs after her. Crazy also because that meant going against her father's wishes.

Katherine had a great respect for her father, to outright defy him seemed... Unimaginable! And yet... Katherine sat back into her chair, head to the ceiling. And yet... What else could she do? It's was true, maybe. Others might respond to the call. She may not even be needed, just a girl who had to tag along because it'd be too embarrassing for her to return home. True also, she had Mantle, her greatest companion and true protector. She could also wield a small sword and dagger, but what force would that be against the likes of the Mad King? Such an overwhelming power couldn't be brought down by such... Small weapons. A team of soldiers and knights and nobles would not need her, would they?

Katherine stood up from her chair and went to the door of her home, the tail of her dress following behind her. She opened the door and left her home, Mantle following close behind her. And even so... What if she were right? What if none of them came? Both prospects seemed to be the worst option. She would either be a burden or a woman alone. What if they rejected her anyways, even if she was the only one? Her father was right, she was a woman. Women weren't meant to gallivant and fight and save. She was only taught to fight in case she needed it, but it was not an invitation to throw herself into danger.

Katherine sighed. It was true, if she were a man this fight would be more than easy. The city folk may even cheer and give her a horse and sword.

"If only..." She murmured to herself. Yes, if only.


​

 

[Zavytar]

Carmine Royale Cross
Lavender Town​

Carmine Cross and Gengar were back in the busy streets of Lavender Town. They opted to go through the less crowded parts of the town, since the mercenary was well-known in Lavender Town and there was no need, in his opinion, to go high profile at that moment. A few people there recognised him though, but a glare from the one-eyed man was all it took for them to keep quiet. Cross and Gengar kept moving, with Gengar taking the dead merchant's cart and his bags o' gold, towards a stall where a man was sitting. The man saw them and smiled.

"So, I believe that sneaky rat will no longer be a bother to me." the man said, looking at the red top hat that Cross was holding.

"Indeed. Mack has gone out of business." Cross replied. He motioned for Gengar to let go of the cart. "This is what he had. Now, as for the extermination services..."

"Oh, yes." the man said, as a Machoke moved some bags to the stall, "I will be taking what that rat owed me from there. It's about half of it, and you can have the other half. And I won't be needing that rusty old cart, so feel free to take it."

Cross smirked. "Pleasure doing business with you." he said, then left, followed by Gengar and the cart. Both strolled around the marketplace, not bothering to keep a low profile anymore. Cross, however, stashed the red top hat under the bag, so people wouldnt start asking about it. He'd say he bought it for someone anyway, and one of his glares would make those people keep their pie hole shut, but just in case...

After some minutes, Carmine Cross was beginning to get bored. Shopping wasn't exactly his kind of activity, and having so many staring at him and mumbling was beginning to get on his nerves. He told his Gengar they were heading bach to the Compound, to which the Pokémon nodded. They began to head for the west exit of town, but they were interrputed by a Pidgey which landed on top of the cart. Gengar stopped, and both of them examined the bird. It was holding some letter. The bird dropped the mail on top of the cart then flew off into the blue yonder.

Cross grabbed the mail and read it. With some nods he put it away and turned tto Gengar. "It's time." he said, "We must head for Viridian City at once. We'll deposit all this money at the Compound then get ready and leave." Gengar nodded and chuckled. This was a serious battle, a war, and one of the Phantom's greatest missions. As they both headed for the Cross Compound, both beings smirked in unison.

 

[SylveonStar]

Sakura nodded as Rodrick identified the Pokemon as Beedrill before he He unsheathed his sword and swung his buckler shield from around his back calling to Fia and telling her to get back. With a relieved sigh as the Leafeon did as she was told and swiftly returned to her side. Patting Fia with one hand gently she put her other hand over her heart as she wached Khan and Rodrick deal with the Beedrill. She felt a brief moment of panic as the last one still alive went for her but Rodrick swiftly took it out with his shield.

"It seems I have much to learn Rodrick" she looked at the older man thoughtfully. "I'm glad I have you to protect me though." she smiled walking over to him after picking up his shield and handing it back to him. "I know I won't have anything to fear" she smiled a bit more at that as Fia joined her near Rodrick.

 

[Obscurity]

Melisandra Bernières

"You know, I never get tired of this view," Melisandra called out over the soft sound of the gusting wind. "I mean, this is not a view humans were ever meant to enjoy. Our souls are rooted to the ground, bodies forever touching the warmth of dirt. I guess maybe I'm lucky, in one way or another."

"Blim, drif..." Drifter answered her absentmindedly, not really listening to her ramblings. His attention was better served guiding them on the airways over Lavender town. The hustle and bustle of market day was now a growing speck, hard to perceive even with Drifter's almost all seeing eyes.

"Got something on your mind up there?" Shifting in her makeshift harness, Melisandra swung herself about in her elaborate, leather swing, trying to get a feel of her companion's complexion. It was a bit crude, the swing, but she dangled comfortably down while Drifter floated along. To other flyers who could ride soundly on the back of their birds, it may have looked a bit silly, but it worked. Drifter's expression betrayed nothing of his inner thoughts, as she knew it would, but it was worth trying. It wasn't as if she had anything better to do during the trip. She sighed when he failed to give her an answer. "Fine, be stoic then."

Minutes and then hours passed, quiet but peaceful, if a bit boring. The view was the only saving grace for her, as she looked down on the landscape rushing by beneath her. "I'm so bored," she exclaimed, as she threw her body backwards and dangled upside down in the straps of her harness, the blood rushing to her already rosy cheeks. "Come on, Drifter, it's like talking to an inflatable stone!" Still no answer. An annoyed growl emanated from her throat. She dangled for as long as she could, before the blood rush became unbearable. Swinging back up, she pulled out the letter tucked safely into her breast pocket. She fingered the seal gently, feeling the indentations of the wax and mark of the press to indicate its sender. The memory of the carrier Pidgey's arrival was still fresh in her mind. It was unexpected, especially when she figured out it was actually meant for her and not someone else.

A call to arms was what the letter entailed. Like any that could be read about in the fables of old or heard in the songs of bards. A plead for the world's most valiant heroes and sell-swords. One thought kept running through her mind; why did the message come to her? Who was she but a Maester, a female Maester who had the respect of not a soul. No Lord had ever prevailed upon her for her insight or probably even knew her name. Unless, yes it had to have been. Her former teacher had surely whispered her name in the right ears. He was so good at that after all. She couldn't help it, but a giggle snuck out before she could reel it back in. "They must be ever so desperate if they have to suck up their pride and ask a lowly woman for help." Her voice oozed with sarcasm as she spoke into the air, her teasing, self depreciating tone lingering on every word.

Unfolding the paper, she read it again, and again, and again. She read it so much that the words became ingrained in her mind, running through it like a demon on the loose. It wasn't often that she felt self-doubt, but it was hard to deny its presence now. Was she good enough? Could she possibly earn the respect needed to be considered an equal in this band? Only time would tell what the answers to these questions would be and she wouldn't get them by staying out of the action.

"Drif..."

Melisandra snapped out of it and looked up to Drifter before shooting her gaze downward. That little noise was Drifter's way of telling them they had arrived at the designated coordinates on the included map. Not a second too soon, for in her distraction, a stray wind came and ripped the letter from her grasp and sent it tumbling, forever lost in the wind. "Spawn of Darkrai!" She cursed and looked after the letter as it fell gracefully to the ground. "I hope I don't need that for identification or anything."

"Drifter, bring us in nice and easy. Make no mistake, our enemy isn't here, but our battle starts the minute we land."

​

 

[kosuke]

Ersclud Sephur​

When Ersclud saw the Pidgey's carrying the letters, he got up and hurriedly went outside. He was really exhausted that time, which causes his speed to become slower than usual. It is really obvious to him that it won't be a success, but still he chased them until he dropped down on the ground. He was panting real hard. He looked to the Pidgey's once more, and he noticed that some of them dropped their letters.

"Huh? Why are some of them dropping their letters? Are the letters intended to our kingdom? Why are the others not dropping their letters?" So many questions were brought to his mind that time. That really gave him a headache, but he was too tired. He don't have the strength to think of the answers to his questions. He lost consciousness afterwards.

Ersclud heard a very loud yelling noise. "Hey boy! Ye're blockin' mah way!" He gently opened his eyes. He looked around the surroundings. By the looks of it, he knew he was not in his room. He looked around once more. His eyes widen in surprise, and he got up quickly. That time, he realized that he is at the plaza.

Ersclud heard the loud yelling noise once again. "Hey boy! Get outta mah way or else-!" Again, he looked around. He found a thin old man. It looks really angry. "Uhm..uh.. I'm sorry, mister. I'll get out of the way." said Ersclud. He then stepped aside and let the man pass. He looked at the giant clock, and found out that the time was 6:48AM.

"Oh no! I've got to go to work now." said Ersclud. He ran to the castle. It seems that his energy has recovered. He can ran his fastest now. The plaza is just a few steps from the castle, so he got there in a minute. He entered Princess Misty's room.

"Your Gracious Highness" Ersclud bowed.

"Take this letter to an old man living at Ilex Forest. His name is Seath Icarus." said Princess Misty.

Ersclud's eyes widen in surprise. He knew that Seath Icarus was a legendary knight years ago. Icarus was his idol when he was still a young boy. The princess giggled because of Ersclud's reaction. Then, Ersclud remembered something.

"Uhm...I've got something to tell you, Your Gracious Majesty. I saw a group of Pidgey's a while ago, and they're carrying a letter."

"Oh.. That letter..." Princess Misty's joyful mood suddenly changed. Ersclud was shocked. He began to think as to why she changed mood. That letter must've been something really important.

 

[ORegan]

Ser Guirmean Bevan - Forest Kingdom

The camp's setup continued as planned as the day progressed. Every man in the envoy had their jobs to complete, and that included Guirmean. Even though the seasoned Guardian was the ranking officer of the group, he gave the job of foreman to one of the more elderly in the force that had more experience in building temporary bases. While Guirmean and a few others built the Queen's tent, others were tasked with the tent for those sent from the Sky Kingdom and another small group set about building a special tent for the apothecary who will be a member of the journey's cast to create any last minute remedies before leaving.

Guirmean glanced over at the tent which would soon be filled with basic medical supplies. He knew Haru quite well from being a patron of his for the last few years. The young man was quite the prodigy when it came to healing tonics and other medical quandaries and Guirmean was more than pleased he was chosen to accompany them. Even if Dearc was a bother and chose to perpetually grimace in front of everyone but Guirmean, he could tell the large insectoid was grateful for the amazing work Haru puts into his calcium tonic. Other apothecaries they've gone to in the past solely concentrated their efforts into making an elixir that only promoted exoskeleton growth, but Haru goes the extra step and infuses his creation with pain relieving herbs to dull Dearc's constant pain.

Dearc, who lacked any real ability to assist in the camp's construction due to his combat orientated limbs, stayed ever vigilant high up on a tree. Guirmean mentioned to the Mantis Pokémon that the Skylanders (lol) would most likely be traveling by air from the west and that Dearc was to keep a lookout for them. He stood statuesque in his watch and refused to even blink. A low snarl was let out for a moment, which was a sign of the medication's effect wearing down. Dearc was currently not wearing his armor, and the wind blew the branches around him in various directions. It was a little windy and with each sway a few branches would sway into the Pokémon's various crevices where the natural armor was thin and softer than the rest of his body.

Noise from the north startled many wild Pidgey who fanatically squawked and flew about trying to instinctively get away from some unseen foe. Dearc picked up on the commotion and left his perch, awaiting this phantom enemy to reveal itself. Guirmean watched his old friend's reaction and quickly put a hand on the hilt of one of his short swords and likewise walked towards the approaching presence. From the darkness of the forest emerged a boy not older than fourteen running tiredly towards the camp. Guirmean almost laughed that such a small child could cause this much of a ruckus. Dearc did not share his master's amusement and flew back up to his lookout position, irate as always.

When the lad got closer, Guirmean was able to make out the dressings of a person serving the royal family. "a member of the Royal family's services so far from the castle? He must be a runner…or a very lost cook." The boy approached Guirmean and spoke in between panted breaths. "Sir…I'm here for….what I mean to say is….I have a message for….a letter for Ser Guirmean Bevan."

"Easy now, catch your breath. You can't deliver anything properly if you're wheezing like an aged man climbing a Mount Moon. I'm Ser Guirmean. Give me the message when you're ready, boy." Guirmean leaned against a wagon's edge while waiting for the boy to fully relay the message he had. If he ran this far out of the kingdom with that much haste, it must've been important.

Still out of breath, the runner tried to do his job as quickly as he could, but this only resulted in mish-mushing the message into a form of random sounds that one could hardly decipher as a language. "The Queen….Erika…Princess….Instead…sending….expedition…kingdom…"

"Guardian of the Forest, have mercy! Here, just hand me the letter and stop trying to speak so quickly when you're exhausted. You'll pass out that way." Guirmean took the letter and read it over himself. It was a letter from the Queen, or at least a letter from one of her advisors. It stated that she would be sending another member of the Royal family on the expedition in her stead so she could continue to watch over the Kingdom. To Guirmean, this was great news. If anything were to happen to Queen Erika during the coming battles, the Kingdom would be in turmoil with the transition of a new leader taking her place in addition to freeing themselves of tyranny.

"So does this mean Ser Rodrick will be staying by the Queen's side as usual? Are they sending another in his stead as well?" Guirmean asked the runner. He didn't expect the lad to know the answer, but it never hurt to ask the messenger boy questions. "I'm not sure Ser….I have no….information about him."

Somewhat dissatisfied with not knowing if the Captain was keeping at his post beside her gracefulness the Queen or taking part in the important glorified assassination mission, Guirmean pulled out a few coins and handed them to the boy. "Thank you for the delivery. You can rest here for the night. The mess hall… or I guess I should say mess tent….should be set up shortly. Tell the men cooking that you have my permission to eat with the rest of the men, but you are to start heading back to the castle tomorrow after breakfast. This campsite is exposed more than the castle's walls and can be targeted at any moment, not a place for a budding young man such as you to be. "

The camp inched nearer and nearer into completion as the day progressed. The Royal tent was finished and Guirmean focused his efforts into creating a landing pad for the Sky Kingdom's representatives to easily find a safe spot to touch down on. The landing zone was crude but effective in design. Multiple large rocks lined in a spacious square created an obvious marker to those in the air and a fire with burning hay let off black smoke to allow identifying the campsite easier. Other built areas of the camp included multiple tents to quarter the Guardians, a makeshift armory, and a tent with enough food to last three days for the currently planned amount of men in the base. In time, the Guardians would be expanding the small base to accommodate a larger force should the Kingdom's 'champions' fail their task, but for now it was to be used to start them out on even footing.

Midday came and went, and the final touches were being put onto the site. While all the main features of the camp were completed, the men took to creating a few more fire pits to keep them warm throughout the night. Dearc continued his persistent watch for activity while his master ate a late lunch of boiled turnips and potatoes. It wasn't the most enticing meal the man had ever eaten, but it was a dish he had grown accustomed to after time as a Guardian. Dearc's vision caught wind of a purple object floating towards the camp. The Scyther flew to his master to warn him of the unidentified flying object with such haste that the large mantis knocked over the messenger boy who proceeded to drop his plate of food.

Guirmean put down his food and followed his Pokémon partner over to where the lone Drifblim was landing. Other members of the Guardians had their bows trained of the Pokémon and its rider, unsure of their intent. The lead Guardian gestured with his hand for them to lower their weapons and approached the Pokémon's rider. He assumed her to be of the Sky Kingdom's selected 'warriors,' but still kept his greeting vague on the chance that he was wrong. With a pleasant smile given out of formality, he removed his hood from the top of his head and made his face clearly visible"I take it you're a member of our current travel group. I'm Ser Guirmean Bevan; one of the many Guardians of the Forest you see camped out here. And you are, my lady?"

 

[kosuke]

Ersclud Sephur​

"Here. Read this." Princess Misty handed over a letter. Ersclud recognized it. It was one of the letters those Pidgey's earlier were holding. Ersclud grabbed grabbed the letter and read it.

After reading the letter, Ersclud handed it back to the princess. He remained silent after that. He didn't know about all of it before. He was just a messenger after all. He has no responsibility in defeating the King that is stated in the letter. He is just a servant. Not a knight, or a mercenary, or a royal. Just a servant.

"I'm going to leave now, your Gracious Majesty." said Ersclud with a low and serious voice.

Ersclud left the princess in the room. He is really thinking of it really hard. He thought that he might be of help to them if he help them in defeating the king, or he might be a burden instead of a help. He tried not to think of it anymore, but something is pushing him to think of this. He look around his room. He found nothing unusual. He thought of the letter once more while packing up his things. While doing that, something came up to his mind.

"Right! I've got a friend to help me." He smiled, and then loked around. "There you are, Dio!" he shouted gratefully. "Po-politoed?" Dio seemed to be confused. Its not like Ersclud always do that to him. In truth, Ersclud only did that once before: When Dio was still a Poliwag. Dio smiled to Ersclud, and they had a short conversation. Of course, Ersclud did not understand what Dio says, but there's something like a connection in the two of them, which made him understand what Dio is saying, a bit.

Ersclud shouted with full determination."That's it! I'm going to help them in slaying the king." His eyes is sparkling, and Dio looks amazed. He has never seen Ersclud like this before. Ersclud then ran to the princess. He has no doubts now. He will help them with whatever he has and knows. He entered the room where the princess is.

"Your Gra--"

"I accept your help, servant" said the princess. Ersclud was very surprised. He haven't even finish his sentence yet.

"You want to help in defeating the king stated in the letter, right? Then go. Just don't forget to deliver the letter I gave you to Mr. Icarus" said Princess Misty, smiling.

"My gratitude, your Gracious Majesty." Ersclud said smiling. He almost cried, but he managed to prevent his tears. He then left, and get back to his room to fetch Dio.

"OK, Dio! We're heading to Cherrygrove!"

 

[miltankRancher]

Sin Rascalwolf || The Great Sea
Chapter 1.1: The Noble Duke

It seemed that the products the merchant was trying to procure were Rare Candies. Sin was not entirely sure regarding the legality of the transaction (as Ahiko met two burly looking guys who simply gave him a bag of the items and he handed a cheque) but Ahiko assured him that all is taken care of and he need not worry. Ahiko was long gone before Sin realized that Ahiko did not mention the legality issue.

Sin knew that the meeting had concluded as he encountered one of the lesser nobles, running around the courtyard. Sin immediately went to his room, and found his Pokemon dozing off in the carpet. The Samurott was lying down, its head rested on its paws.

"Seafarer, up," Sin whispered as he stroked the Pokemon's mane. Seafarer opened one eye, and growled, clearly annoyed that his trainer woke him up. "Hey, you've been sleeping for a good fourteen hours now. It's time to get up, you lazy otter." Seafarer emitted what would be the Pokemon equivalent of a sigh and stood up, stretching its hind legs. It shook its head. "Come on." Seafarer followed the duke outside the door. It was nice walking with a Pokemon behind him, and it was nicer that it was an intimidating one like Seafarer. Sin and his Pokemon immediately went to Misty's room. The girl was sitting on a chair when Sin saw her. She was reading a letter.

"Misty." Sin bowed as he entered the room. Seafarer mimicked his trainer. A letter-boy went up to him and handed him a letter.

"Read it," was everything Misty managed to say.
​

 

[SylveonStar]

Sakura smiled as Rodrick nodded in response to her words. "you'll have nothing to worry about Princess" he smiled at her before looking at the road in front of them. "we are getting close to the camp, we should reach it within the next couple minutes. Do you need to rest m'lady? We've come a long way" he glanced at her the same way her father did when he was worried.

"I'm fine Rodrick...I can last a few more minutes. There will be plenty of time for me to rest when we reach the camp" she held her can in a firm grip and glanced down at Fia. The leafeon was giving her the look that said "tell the truth". Shaking her head Sakura smiled at Fia. "Don't worry I'm fine Fia" she looked around at the trees spotting a few Pokemon looking at them then hiding behind the trees again. I think those are Caterpie...one of the guards had one before it evolved. she thought excitedly. Those Pokemon didn't look dangerous...in fact they looked to be more scared of her. Overall it was all just amazing to her what it was like out here. I'll do my best to make Auntie proud that she sent me she thought determinedly as they entered the camp. Looking around she spotted Ser Guirmean talking to a woman with fiery red hair with a Pokemon that was purple and resembled a hot air balloon.

What is that Pokemon? It looks really cool she thought taking a few deep breaths. The journey here from the castle had really tired her out. Making her way over to Ser Guirmean, though she wasn't going to say anything yet. He was talking to the other woman and one of the many lessons her mother had grilled into her was that a lady never interrupted.

 

[Karma]

♚ CYRUS DROGANNI

blackthorn city - royal palace

As the guard scurried out of the council chambers, Cyrus could hear the heavy metal of his boots pound upon the marbled floors like a drum beating to the rhythm of his fluttering heart. This was all very sudden. All the plans he had set for himself vanished as did his inner peace. He was at war within himself within a war that had both nothing and everything to do with the prince. This conflict of mind all came from a single letter. The same one that was being passed from one wrinkled hand to the other as it made its way down the table. Talk of the Mad King and the plot to overthrow him resurfaced full force among the gathered group. Questions of when, why, and how rested on a teetering state of uncertainty.

Cyrus stayed silent through it all. He didn't trust himself to speak. Not until the familiar, comforting face of Rowan was to walk through the doors. Instead, he took to fiddling with the pendant once more realizing it was neither a princely thing to do nor a show of proper manners, but caring not. No one was watching the young man anyway. Their crooked noses were stuck in a map, or their pruned lips were busy discussing the details of his journey.

Taking a sideways glance, he saw his father sitting with his elbows on the table and fingers entwined as he listened to the words of his trusted companions. Cyrus, not as intently, caught bits and pieces of the conversations as his mind wandered.

"I hardly believe that the Kingdom of the Forest will even raise a finger to help in this insane plot."

"Are they even capable of fighting?"

"We are sending him on a suicide mission."

The prince inwardly agreed to the last bit, if only a little. He wasn't a coward so much as he knew this was a dangerous journey, and his uncle was right. Who was to know if the other kingdoms were sending anyone for certain? They could back out. He, and his people from the Dragon Kingdom, could be the only ones standing against the Mad King. Suddenly, it was getting a little harder for him to breathe.

Pulling his attention away from the arguments, Cyrus turned towards a large open window. Cupping his hands together he whistled a small tune. Its pitch started with a low note before gradually strengthening to a higher frequency, and at the fourth it reached its peak before dropping low again with a single note. On cue, a serpentine like Pokémon flew in effortlessly with its golden scales reflecting the light around the room like a shattered mirror. It circled the table twice, catching the immediately attention of those present, before coming to rest at Cyrus' side.

The prince reached out and stroked her head softly. "Good morning, Aurora."

The Dragonair gave off a purr like sound as she leaned into his touch. He could tell she had been bathing in the sun from the warmth emitted from her body. A gentle aura that always settled when they were together calmed his nerves and he felt like he could breathe properly again. She curled in on herself by his feet and rested her head on his lap. It was something she did often, ever since they became partners. It comforted them both simultaneously.

It startled everyone but the prince and his Pokémon when the chamber doors opened to reveal a perplexed looking Rowan. Cyrus smiled at the presence of his friend and protector as the man bowed. "You called for me, sire?"

The king straightened and beckoned him closer. Cyrus' gazed followed him as Rowan took his place behind and to the side of him. Their eyes met briefly before the knight's attention was directed at King Lance. The prince could tell he knew something was off. His stance was stiff, and all expression was wiped from his face.

As he did with Cyrus, the king beckoned to the letter sitting on the table, giving Rowan permission to read its content.

"I am sending Prince Cyrus on this journey, and I want you to accompany him. You should depart immediately. Tonight."

 

[Zavytar]

Carmine Royale Cross
Cross Compound (West of Lavender Town) -> Viridian City​

The cart was parked outside the Compound. The cash had been already stashed. Carmine Cross and Gengar had already taken what they needed to take, and were ready to leave for the meeting point. It was in Viridian City, and Cross knew a shortcut. One of his victims was to be eliminated before reaching that destination, and the path had helped him ambush him right as the city appeared on the horizon. But enough rambling about Cross's past, it was time for him to head back there again, this time for a greater purpose than just a paid hit.

Cross hopped on the Ghost Pokémon's back, and then both began to move very swiftly while Gengar levitated. They looked like one big shadow as they left the compound and entered the woods. With great skill, Gengar moved through the trees as if it was swimming in them, while Cross cut whatever branches may bother them with his daggers. They sure made one heck of a team, ain't that right?

It took several minutes of moving through the woods like ninjas before they arrived at a small clearing. Both stopped to rest and stretch for a little while. As Carmine Cross stretched his arms and legs, he smirked. They were close, he could tell. He remembered going through those woods as if they had gone the day before. Gengar went over to a bush and took some Berries that they both ate so they wouldn't arrive with an empty stomach. Once both of them were good to go again, Cross hopped on Gengar's back again, and both continued to move through the forest as if they were one being. A shadow. A Phantom.