[PKMN FULL] D E L I V E R A N C E ♢ (IC)

[moon]

D E L I V E R A N C E ♢

pokémon adventure RP set in feudal times | rated M for now | spots are CLOSED​

< OOC thread found here >

Party's current location: gathering in Viridian Valley.

♢ PLAYER LIST

- ABACUS HEMLOCKE and Elian the Mankey (Roni)
- SAVANNA STAMRICH and Bella the Bellsprout (MewTheMega)
- QORK ASHTAR and Pei the Reuniclus (starwalker)
- KUDZU WOOD and Oak the Phantump (Pikaboo)

 

[moon]

PADRA ♢ Viridian Valley outskirts
Monday August 1, morning

It had been raining all night, but the skies were clearing up now. Padra finished his morning coffee - a strong concoction many in the village certainly didn't share his passion for - and looked around his hut pensively. It wasn't much, but it had been home for a long time now. Many years. And the young people he had met in this town had become family to him. As close as possible, at least. It wouldn't be easy to send them off, but he was certain that Kudzu and Qork could make the journey. He had called them here asking for their help, but not told them all details yet. They would arrive at any moment now.

A noise from underneath his dinner table made the old man chuckle and scratch his long, gray beard.

"Come out, little friend. You can't keep hiding, how will they be able to care for you then?"

A long face peeked out, and then the creature finally crawled out and booped its nose on Padra's knee.

"I know. I know exactly how you feel. I wouldn't want to part with it either, but it is too dangerous for you to go."

He knelt down and pet the Cyndaquil on its head lightly, with a deep sigh. Cyndaquils never really seemed to open their eyes much, but Padra knew that it saw him well. Studied him. It trusted him, thankfully. They needed trust, if they would be able to get through this and see Kanto still standing.

​

"I'm sorry. It seems selfish of me. But you can't travel alone to-"

A knock on the door made the old man stand up straight. Time to get on with it.




QORK ♢ Viridian Valley outskirts

Somehow, it had already been a terrible morning. The morning sunlight was glistening on the meadows, annoying Qork's eyes. She had had a double dose of Padra's nasty "coffee" brew already, but it still hadn't dulled her budding headache. Pei insisted on trying to pat her on the head as he floated next to her while she walked, which she didn't really have the heart to ask him to stop with, even though it rather made things worse than soothe the pain.

Maybe she was worried. Her instincts weren't bad, and when Padra Leafer suddenly asked her for aid without revealing details, and with such a strangely serious look in his eyes, there was just no way it wasn't going to be something unusual about it. Yeah, that was probably the cause of her headache. She'd have to ask him for something better than coffee, in return for whatever he needed her for.

When she approached the hut outside of town, she realized that there was already someone else there though. He had probably taken another path here, or she had been so lost in her own head that she hadn't noticed him walking not too far ahead of her. She wasn't too surprised; this man was closer to Padra Leafer than most.

"Good morning, Kudzu," she said when she was only a few meters away, and forced a polite smile to the front. "Early business with the old man?"



((OOC hints to get you started: if it is alright, Kudzu can start here, and one of us will be the one knocking on Padra's door in the end. Feel free to start your first post elsewhere though, explaining as little or much as you wish about Kudzu's morning, and just end it here at Padra's door with Qork addressing him and his response etc. Remember that you only control your own character(s), like your main, your pokemon, your family and any additional villagers and pokemon you wish to feature that I haven't specificially presented as GM-controlled chars.

Abacus and Savanna should also arrive here very shortly, as Padra has asked you for help as well. Feel free to write about the mornings of Abacus and Savanna respectively in the town if you like, or wait for Kudzu and Qork to go in and then you may write about arriving later.))

 

[Roni]

ABACUS HEMLOCKE ♢ Viridian Valley
Monday August 1, morning

A chorus of rooster crows echo around the fields. Abacus slowly opens his eyes to the sound of his natural alarms, rising from his straw bed and stretching his arms up. He steps outside to taste the warm morning air, filled with petrichor from the remnants of yesternight's rains. What a good morning it is.

He looks over to his left side and spots a familiar scruffy furball, already out and about tending to the plants and animals in their yard.

"Hmph, another day where you beat me to the punch of waking up eh?" he jokes with his partner, and Elian smirks with pride. They've had a little contest these past few days where they see who can rise earlier. The winner gets a larger share of all the meals for the day. So far, the little Mankey is on a three day streak.

After a few more minutes of morning work, the two step back inside to eat. Abacus opens the cupboard to some cheese, bread, and eggs. He's feeling hard boiled today, so he sets up the cauldron over a flame to heat some water. Waiting for it to boil, Elian and Abacus do push-ups together, warming up their body for another long day of labor. Abacus doesn't even bother to stage a competition for this; his body weight compared to Elian's is just too disproportionate to make it a fair fight.

A hearty meal awaits them after the mini workout. The two dig in quietly, taking in the calmness of the early morn. Another sweaty day is to come, but before that, Abacus remembers that Padra Leafer, the neighborhood eccentric old man and long time friend, wanted him to visit to help with something. What could it be?

 

[Duck]

KUDZU WOOD ♢ Viridian Valley outskirts

It was a beautiful day, Kudzu decided. The sun was shining, he'd had a nice night of sleep, Oak was cooperating for the first time in Arceus knows how long, and perhaps most importantly: Padra had asked for his help and it looked like it was something serious!

Sure, he felt a little bit more … frantic than usual when asking for help, but Padra was nothing if not eccentric. Kudzu brushed off his worries as he practically skipped his way to the Padra's house, occasionally stopping to take note of some interesting herbs and any possible future gigs - it always paid off to be vigilant.

"Good morning, Kudzu. Early business with the old man?"

He was so lost in his thoughts that the sentence took him by surprise. He quickly identified the source as Qork near Padra's hut … Did he ask for other's help as well?

His face fell for a second, before returning to his usual smile. "Good morning, Miss Ashtar. I do, yes. How about y-" he started only to notice that Oak decided that the conversation was beneath him and just strolled into the hut, phasing into the walls.

"-ourself …" he finished, moving closer to the wall, and knocking on the door. "Sorry for Oak barging in." he said louder, so Padra would hopefully not be taken by surprise.

He turned to Qork and gave her an uneasy smile, "And sorry for the interruption. Oak is …" he stopped and sighed before continuing "Oak can be a bit troublesome sometimes. But how about yourself? Do you have any business with Padra too?"

 

[moon]

QORK ♢ Padra's hut

"Oak can be a bit troublesome sometimes. But how about yourself? Do you have any business with Padra too?"

Qork let herself smile warmly at that excuse, and she waved briefly up towards the green blob in the air that was Pei. "You have a good head on your shoulders. I'm sure you'll get him under control one of these days. And yes, I intend to speak to Padra as urgently as he considers necessary."

At that, a high pitched squeaking sound came from inside the hut, and the door slammed open, nearly shoving Kudzu in the process. Out came running a small beige and blue-grey creature, and when it stopped to turn back just a meter in front of Qork and the Reuniclus, its back suddenly flared up with fire.

"Oh dear." Padra emerged in the doorway, shaking his head and raising an eyebrow at Kudzu. "Good morning, my boy. Thanks for the warning. Unfortunately my new small friend Cyndaquil here didn't quite get it. She's a nervous one."

Then he seemed to finally spot Qork as well. "Ah, you're both here! Wonderful. The thing I am about to ask of you two is most important, see."

The woman nodded respectfully towards him. "We're both needed... For the same thing?"

She was definitely not the one to judge Kudzu Wood. For all the things the other villagers said about him, and the way she had seen them treating him since she arrived in town, she had never really seen anything from the dutiful teenager - well, nowadays man - that would justify her thinking of him that way too. But the fact was still that she and him... They were not really the same. They didn't do the same jobs, at least. So what could this be about?

 

[Duck]

KUDZU WOOD ♢ Viridian Valley outskirts

A high pitched squeaking sound came from inside the hut, and after that Kudzu got red no matter the reassurances that Qork had given him. When the Cyndaquil came out, flames bristling, he started to feel like crawling into a hole and dying out of embarrassment.

His day had gone from great to bad in the span of five minutes, but it was only after Padra came out that it became the worst. Apparently Padra didn't trust him to do whatever he needed, and Qork most likely wanted nothing to do with him if that question was any indication.

So Kudzu did what he always did in these situations. He splattered on a smile, and as far as he was concerned it was still the most beautiful day of them all.

"If you need the both of us, it's gotta be something big." he said, before taking out a small herb from his pocket and offering it to the Cyndaquil as a small sign of apology.

 

[moon]

QORK ♢ Padra's hut

Qork watched as Kudzu gave a herb to the frightened fire pokémon, and to her surprise, the flames on its back went out as it reached up and sniffed at the offering. Maybe he wasn't bad with pokémon in general; it could just be the Phantump that was rash.

"Yes," Padra said thoughtfully. "It is way too risky to just send one of you. Or to go through any official channels. There are very few people I can trust at this point, unfortunately. Come here, my friends."

They followed Padra inside of the humble yet cozy and relatively well furnished hut they had been in many times before, not bothering to close the door as the morning was pleasantly warm. Something felt a little different this time though, Qork couldn't help but feeling. As if some things were missing from the shelves.

The old man went to a specific chest and unlocked it. When he turned back to the young people, he was holding something in his hands. A smaller wooden case, no bigger than one of his hands themselves.

Padra solemnly offered it to Kudzu Wood.

"It is critical that you keep this safe and deliver it to the Academy of Philosophy in the Cerulean Spires."


((OOC: at this point, feel free to have Savanna and Abacus drop in! You could even have arrived just now and overheard the last sentence. Feel free to react!))

 

[Jazzy]

SAVANNA ♢ Viridian Valley
midnight

Savanna lay awake in her bed. The sounds of the downpour clattered against the roof. In the middle of the room, a bucket caught seeps of water dripping down. I'll try to fix that tomorrow, Savanna thought to herself. Right after seeing what Padra wants.

Earlier that day, Savanna found a letter addressed to her. It was from Padra Leafer. The letter requested her assistance the following morning.

Normally, Savanna was the one who sought out Padra, seeking information and knowledge on herbs, concoctions, and other mixtures. Padra Leafer taught her most of what she knows. However, it was odd that he specifically requested her.

Savanna turned, clutching her covers. Her two younger siblings - twins - lay restless. They each clutched part of Bella, a Bellsprout who had practically been adopted into the family. Bella was technically Savanna's Pokemon, but she was loved by each member of the family regardless.

With the sight of seeing her relaxed siblings, Savanna closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

She awoke to the sound of birds chirping. Sunlight gleamed through the window. The twins were still asleep, though Bella had abandoned them to rest on the floor. Savanna got up, and dressed herself. She wrote a note explaining where she was going, and that she would be back later. As she opened the door to leave, Bella hustled up, and followed Savanna out.

Savanna approached the outskirts of town, where a small hut had been erected. Smoke blew out of the chimney. A variety of exotic herbs and plants grew around the cabin. Savanna had always been jealous of Padra's garden.

Savanna stopped in front of the door. As she was about to knock, she heard noises from inside. Voices. Savanna pressed her ear against the door to try to listen in. However, the door being slightly ajar, she stumbled through. Inside, Padra Leafer stood with two others, Kudzu, and Qork. It looked as though they were in the middle of a heavy conversation.

Savanna couldn't help but be embarrassed.

 

[Roni]

ABACUS HEMLOCKE ♢ Viridian Valley

"You ready Elian?" Abacus asks as the last piece of bread disappears from the little scruff ball's hands. Properly satiated, Elian motions towards the rice fields, but Abacus stops it in its tracks.

"Whoa, steady on. Aren't you forgetting we have to visit Padra first?" Abacus questions, and Elian scratches the back of its head, flustered that it completely forgot about that little detour.

The two of them received a letter the previous day asking for their presence in Padra's hut, but it seemed strange that there was no reason written as to why. Was Padra sick? Did he want his collection of books back? Abacus hoped it wasn't the latter, as he was still to finish them all.

After a short walk, they see the cozy little hut from a distance, just a little bit beyond the town. Although a lovely sight, Abacus couldn't help but feel uneasy whenever he traversed the outskirts. Five years removed from the traumatic incident, the feelings of dread still linger within him. He tightens his grip on his tanto. Elian notices this, and jumps to Abacus' chest, engulfing him in a warm embrace. Abacus takes a deep breath, and returns the hug, smiling.

"Thank you. I could never go out here without you, you know?" Abacus says, and Elian smiles, reassuring him that it will never leave his side.

Upon drawing closer to the hut, they notice a black-haired girl in a green and yellow kimono pressed towards Padra's front door. It's a familiar face, but Abacus couldn't quite understand what was happening. Not a second later, the door gives away, and the girl falls inside. Abacus and Elian are understandably shocked, and sprint towards her to make sure she's ok. Getting close, he confirms his suspicions that it's indeed Savanna.

"Whoa hey, Savanna are you ok? What on Earth are you do-"

Abacus stops mid sentence, as he looks up and sees two other familiar people, Kudzu and Miss Ashtar, standing with Padra. His bewilderment only grows. Either something big is happening here, or Abacus isn't the only one who has books to return...

 

[Duck]

KUDZU WOOD ♢ Viridian Valley outskirts

"There are very few people I can trust at this point, unfortunately. Come here, my friends." Padra had said, and Kudzu raised an eyebrow. While he wasn't exactly the most well liked man in the valley, he didn't really have a lot of enemies either.

And it was when he brought out the wooden box that Kudzu got worried. They'd talked many times about the Academy of Philosophy and Kudzu couldn't remember a single time Padra didn't slip in at least one disparaging remark about the academics therein. If this was happening then things were likely getting serious.

"Whoa hey, Savanna are you ok? What on Earth are you do-"

And at that moment Kudzu turned and saw his baby brother (well, kinda) trying to help a girl in a kimono up from the floor - Savanna, probably. A friend of Abacus', Kudzu supposes.

Abacus stared wild eyed at the group and at that moment a troublesome thought came across to Kudzu. He tried discreetly to palm the box into his pocket.

"Surely you're not asking them to help us with this task, right?" Kudzu whispered between his teeth in harsh tones to Padra. "This trip should be much too dangerous for teenagers."

 

[moon]

QORK ♢ Padra's hut

"This trip should be much too dangerous for teenagers."

Qork had not missed the way Kudzu hid the box he had been entrusted. And she agreed. Even though she herself had many questions about this, they should probably deal with the young ones first.

"He's right. They've probably just accidentally arrived here at the same time as us. And will leave soon again. Right?"

To her surprise, Padra shook his head and smiled. "Savanna! Are you quite alright, there? And Abacus, my boy. I'm very happy to see you all here. It really means a lot."

He gestured towards the Cyndaquil, who had unfortunately flared up again at the sudden appearance of the two newcomers, and seemed to slightly be hiding behind Kudzu's legs.

"I am going on a trip. And I was hoping that the two of you," he looked at the teenagers again, "would be willing to look after this Cyndaquil together for me. She's a bit particular and doesn't seem to want to leave this house much, which sometimes leads to a bit of a fire hazard... But she has a good heart, I assure you."

Qork had even more questions popping up in her brain after that, but waited for the kids to react before she attempted to voice them.

 

[Jazzy]

Savanna ♢ Padra's hut

Savanna's mind rushed. The reason Padra had brought her - and three others - was to babysit?

Savanna smiled. "Of course we - I - will!" Savanna was used to babysitting. She tended to her younger siblings daily.

She turned to Abacus. He was one of her friends. They worked together in the fields quite often. As for the other two, she could recognize them from around town, but couldn't quite name.

 

[Roni]

ABACUS HEMLOCKE ♢ Padra's Hut

"I was hoping that the two of you would be willing to look after this Cyndaquil together for me. She's a bit particular and doesn't seem to want to leave this house much, which sometimes leads to a bit of a fire hazard... But she has a good heart, I assure you."

Padra says, and Abacus stares blankly at him, quite surprised. He looks over to Elian, who expresses the same face as him, then to Savanna, who was already smiling.

"Of course we - I - will!" she said, before turning to Abacus. He panics, as it was clear they were waiting for his response.

"I uhh... yes, of course Padra. We'll do our best to make sure she's okay." Abacus manages to croak out, before continuing his blank stare.

There were still so many questions plaguing his mind. Why were he and Savanna requested to look after Padra's Cyndaquil? And what were Kudzu Wood, his long time big brother figure, and respected diplomat Miss Qork Ashtar, doing here?

 

[moon]

QORK ♢ Padra's hut

"Now wait just a minute," Miss Ashtar said and held up a hand. "If you are coming with us, why isn't your Cyndaquil? Bonded pokémon don't like being separated from their trainers for a long time, and Cerulean Spires is..." she blushed, realizing she had outed their destination in front of the kids. "Well. Secondly! I wasn't aware that you had a pokémon partner to begin with, Leafer!"

Padra stroke his beard and looked at the Cyndaquil again, still standing close to Kudzu.

"She's not exactly bonded to me. She was with someone else, who is no longer with us."

The Cyndaquil actually growled at that, a strange little noise.

"I feel obligated to keep her safe and away from loneliness now. And I am not going with you. I'm afraid that would be too obvious. Instead, I will travel elsewhere. To misdirect, as it were."

Qork's eyes narrowed as she realized what he meant. He thinks he is going to be followed. So he wanted them to travel quietly to the real destination while he led the pursuers off the real track. What ever could this be about?

 

[Duck]

KUDZU WOOD ♢ Viridian Valley outskirts

Kudzu's eyes narrowed. He thought of Padra as a very smart man, but there were very few reasons that were good enough to involve children in any kind of missions that needed misdirections.

Whatever it was that he wanted delivered was apparently being eyed by other people, and that just made this task a whole lot more dangerous.

Kudzu sighed and tried to put on his pleasant smile again. He didn't quite manage to do so.

"Well, now that you've entrusted them with the Cyndaquil, why don't we brew some tea so the three of us can discuss your trip in more detail?"

 

[moon]

QORK ♢ Padra's hut

Padra nodded and bent down to give Cyndaquil a little pat on the head before ushering it towards Savanna and Abacus.

It did not want to leave Kudzu. It kept running back to him, even though it seemed to be keeping an eye out for the Phantump.

"Is that going to be a problem, Leafer?" Qork asked calmly.

The old man scratched his head and then asked for the small box back from Kudzu momentarily. Instead, he handed it to the woman.

Qork had barely taken the thing in her hand before Cyndaquil was in front of her instead, flaring up anew and giving Padra Leafer a stubborn look. He sighed.

"I suspected as much..." he began, crouching down to the pokémon's level. His back creaked slightly, making Pei the Reuniclus worriedly reach out to steady him. After a thankful little glance at the floating green blob of arms, Padra shifted his attention back down. "Little friend. You have to let them go. Trust me, please. The humans I send this to can figure things out. It will be worth it."

Qork had to step away a bit when the flames on Cyndaquil flared up further. "This is going to be a problem," she muttered. "It will burn down the town the moment the kids turn their back on it."

"What's more, she really doesn't want to part with that," Padra said, standing up again (with a little help from Pei).

He turned his gaze to Abacus and Savanna, and Qork could see him think hard. Hemlocke was a trustworthy boy, from what Ashtar knew. He was a hunter, could take care of himself - and others too, if his Mankey companion was any measurement of that. The girl, Ashtar knew visited Padra every so often, and had a major interest in botany, perhaps alchemy... They were both good people, she was fairly convinced of.

"Ah, there really is not enough time to argue," Padra finally said, starting to move towards a desk. "Or for much in the way of tea, sadly. The day grows older by the minute. I'll show you the route that should be the quickest to Cerulean."

"Shouldn't the young ones leave? No offense," Qork said, adding the last part politely towards Hemlocke and Savanna.

Padra faced the younger ones as well now, and Qork saw his face take on the same serious look it had had yesterday when he had asked her to visit him now.

"No, they might need to hear this too. You are not small children anymore, Abacus and Savanna. It wasn't long ago that Mr Wood and Miss Ashtar were much like you themselves. You are both skilled in your own might, and you both have trusted pokémon spirits with you. It is of utmost importance that that item," he gestured towards Qork who still had it half hidden in her hand, "reaches the Academy's High Philosopher in Cerulean Spires. And the Cyndaquil. Your job will be to keep her safe. Will you please help me?"

 

[Jazzy]

SAVANNA ♢ Padra's hut

Savanna couldn't believe it! This was such a fantastic opportunity! She'd always wanted to travel outside of Viridian Valley. She'd just always been so busy taking care of her siblings that -

Oh. In the moment she'd spent fantasizing leaving, Savanna had completely forgot about her siblings. They weren't old enough to stay by themselves for this long. She would have to figure out something to do for them; Savanna just knew she wouldn't let this opportunity pass her by.

Savanna broke the silence. "I'll help! I'll go."

Looking around, she waited for the others' reactions. Savanna could have sworn she saw a smile cross Padra's face.

 

[Roni]

ABACUS ♢ Padra's Hut

A thousand thoughts entered Abacus' head the moment Padra asked him to come along with them to the Cerulean Spires. Getting all the way down here to the outskirts was enough of a challenge for him, but to venture that far out? It seemed like a death sentence.

Abacus hadn't left the village at all for the past five years. It was his safe space, one he didn't mind to stay in forever. And today, he was fully expecting to simply run a short errand for Padra, then head back to the familiar fields. He did his best to keep a stoic front, but inside, he was absolutely terrified.

"I'll help! I'll go," Savanna's cheerful tone broke him out of his thoughts, along with the unsteady silence in the room. He knew that now it was his turn to do so.

Just as he was about to open his mouth, Abacus felt a presence by his feet. Elian held on to him, with eyes that showed it was excited. It was clear to Abacus that his partner wanted to go, and would keep him safe and with company every step of the way. Abacus managed a smile, then looked around at all the people who would come with him, finally landing on the sweet little Cyndaquil. If there was any reason to not be afraid, it would be because this time, he won't be alone.

'Everyone trusts me. All I need now... is to trust myself.' Abacus thought to himself, before closing his eyes and heaving a deep sigh. He finally looks back at Padra, smiling lightly.

"I'll help as well."

 

[moon]

PADRA ♢ Padra's hut

He could see Kudzu twitch, and Qork opening her mouth to say something - protest, perhaps - but in the end they both remained silent. Trust. Good.

"Thank you," Padra said to Abacus and Savanna. "And you two too, if you are to accept the responsibility I put on you," he added towards the adults. "Keep the box on one of your persons at all times. Don't put it away, don't lose it. Travel to the Academy as inconspicuously as possible, and hand it over to the High Philosopher - along with Cyndaquil, I suppose. There is a letter for the High Philosopher inside. And there is no need for you to open the box. As frustrating as it might feel for you, it truly is better the less you know. Rest assured there is no evil I ask you to carry out, though!"

After a laughter of his that only got a nervous face out of Qork, Padra showed them a scroll with a map of Northwestern Kanto, onto which he had hand-drawn a suggested route. There were reasonably well traveled roads one might take, around the Dark Forest and south of the Mountains of Moon. Of course, if a party was able, it would be a shortcut to trek through the forest instead, and perhaps on winding paths through the chilly mountain terrain rather than around it. Padra hoped that the four of them would make the right decisions, but hinted that he considered them capable enough to be able to make the shortcuts.

"You will be seen less taking those paths rather than the main roads, too. Not that I believe anyone will be following you. They will be looking at me, and I will go in an entirely different direction."

"Where to?" Ashtar asked, her curiosity - or need to be in control - taking over at last.

"It's best you do not know that. Just in case."

"That is not really comforting, Leafer. Will we see you again when we return from Cerulean?" she asked then.

He sighed and looked at them all in turn, then forced himself to muster a smile.

"If fate wills. You should leave as soon as you are able. I wanted you to be well rested, hence I let you all sleep through the night. But time really is of the essence. You should go to your homes and pack the things you need, immediately. Then set off."



QORK ♢ Padra's hut

Qork sighed, but nodded. She could do a delivery run. She could work with Kudzu Wood, and if nothing unusual happened, it wouldn't be any trouble keeping a reasonably capable younger man and woman alive. There was just this headache bothering her still. A headache telling her that there was nothing about this that wasn't unusual.

She turned to Kudzu Wood, studied his face for a moment, before looking at the others as well, all gathered around the map on the table.

"What are you all thinking about this?" she asked the newly formed party. "The route? Would you be ready to meet at the northern edge of town within the hour?"

 

[Jazzy]

SAVNNA ♢ Padra's Hut

Savanna stared blankly at the map. It seemed simple enough. They just had to decide whether to take the shortcut. Savanna personally thought they could do it, and even Padra agreed.

She placed her finger on the map, and traced a path through the forest, and mountain; the shortcut path. It was considerably shorter.

"I vote for the shortcut path." She stared, waiting for a reaction. When nothing came, she continued, "Padra obviously thinks we can do it. And if this box - whatever's inside - is so important, then we should take the shortest path to get there, right?"