Pokémon Odyssey: A New Beginning [T] [Best Veteran 4Q '12]

Status
Not open for further replies.
So it was decided. They would go through Eden Forest. Hanso had not entered the Korhal Mountains before, yet he was not keen on doing so anytime soon. He was secretly glad that they wouldn't be going that way.

Guardia clapped her hands together and rubbed them. "Great! Then it's settled!" she exclaimed. Walking over to the table, she leaned over the map and spoke once more. "Since we're going in a small group, the best chance we have is cutting straight across the plains and right to the western edge of the forest. With any luck, we'll find a thief that'll guide us the rest of the way inside."

"And if we don't find someone?" Zane asked, eying her. Lyn just smiled and replied.

"Well then we'd better go back the way we came and go through the mountains because there's no way we'll find the path inside on our own."

On second thought... To be honest, Hanso was not exempt from the general feeling that the Gold Tribe held towards those in the Thieves' Forest and vice versa. Plus, they were just going to waltz in and hope that a thief will find and guide them? Even if Guardia had connections, the forest's residents would not welcome them in like they were the best of buddies.

The remainder of the meeting didn't hold much for Hanso, other than that they would leave in about two hours and they had to disable the watchtowers in a week's time. The Gallade lingered for another minute or so, leaving him to be the last one to leave the room. Other than Vigil and Guardia, anyways. Hanso looked between them for a moment before leaving the room himself. I really really want to learn a few certain things...

~~~~~

As Hanso made his preparations for the journey, he debated about using Demas' machine. He wished that there wasn't any chance of death at all, but on short notice, that wouldn't disappear, if Hanso understood correctly. Ten percent of death was small, compared to going into the Thieves' Forest, but it was still there. Besides, Hanso did not want to die just because he tried to use a machine.
On the other hand, it was more likely that someone would die on this mission, if things went wrong somewhere along the way. Plus, Hanso could actually learn something useful, something that would help outside of battle.

Hanso finished his packing, pulled his pack on, and left his tent. He'd pulled his bracer back onto his right forearm.
He would probably find Demas and his move learner in the courtyard again. There was a bit of time before the Gold Tribe would leave. Hanso stood still for a moment, then nodded to himself and left to look for Demas.


He found Demas and his machine some time later. As Hanso approached Demas' back, the Raichu was opening the move learner. "Yo! Absol! You still alive? Please be alive! I don't want to be arrested for the death of a Gold Tribe member."

"Lucky I'm around, then," Hanso said, grinning slightly. "Besides, the move learner would be directly responsible, not you." Putting his pack on the ground, he asked, "Would you mind if I took a turn?" Unless whoever's in there is dead.
 
Eternity City

Calamity saw Demas grinning, pleased someone took notice to the machine.

"I knew that at least one of you would see my invention for the accomplishment that she is! Now come on!" He said, pushing Calamity into the contraption. Calamity didn't do much to fight it as he allowed himself inside. The machine was enclosed around him and for a moment nothing happened. Calamity took notice how the machine looked larger on the outside. Inside of it, it looks rather tight, although there was still enough room to maneuver, if barely.

Calamity heard a pull of a lever and a push of the button and the machine seemed to activate. As he was unsure of how it worked, Calamity pictured in his mind the ability he wanted to know, and a tingling feeling surrounded him. At first, it wasn't too bad, but then it slowly began to get a bit bothersome. Calamity felt his head was getting dizzy, and on a few occasions he almost felt like fainting. Calamity could now feel a stinging feeling penetrate his body, as if needles were pinching all around him, yet he couldn't detect the origin nor shake them off. It was an unusual pain, but he didn't actually think it was physical, but instead all in his head. At least, that's what he assumed. Still, it was painful. But he held his grip, and eventually, the doors opened up. Demas called for him.

"Yo! Absol! You still alive? Please be alive! I don't want to be arrested for the death of a Gold Tribe member."

Calamity grunted as he stepped it. "It's...it's alright. I think I'm fine." He said. He looked down at his body, wondering if it had worked. It must have, since he seemed to be alright. But he would find out soon for sure once trouble started.

"Would you mind if I took a turn?" Hanso, who was also outside, asked. Calamity stepped to the side of the machine, allowing for him to enter now. "Be my guest, brother. I suggest closing your eyes. It gets a bit...dizzy in there."

Calamity turned to Demas. "Thanks for that." He said, giving the scientist a nod. "Hopefully I'll put it to good use. I'll see you in front of the gate, TrueStriker." Calamity said to Hanso as he began to walk to the direction of where he was to meet the others. If the machine did work, then he had an ability now that he hoped would be put to good use, whether against Thieves, Ancients or Sentinels. If it didn't work, he made a mental note on his next trip through Eternity to break Demas' unsafe machine...and maybe his legs too...
 
(OOC: A quick post as Demas.)

"It's...it's alright. I think I'm fine."

Demas gasped in relief, "Thank Arceus! I don't think that would have been a good endorsement for her... uh, I mean it's great that you didn't die!" The Raichu looked up at the Gallade with a smile, "And already another? This is my day! Just get in and the machine will do the rest! Come on now!"

Demas waited until Calamity was out of the way and shoved TrueStriker into the machine and slammed the door shut. "Please work again!" Demas murmured to himself as he pressed another button and pulled down on the lever again. The machine whirled and shook slightly for a few minutes before it stopped. Demas smiled and opened the door and quickly backed away coughing as this time smoke billowed out. "This can happen sometimes! Don't worry about it... unless this time an actual fire started, then you can worry! ...No fire happened... right?" The Raichu called into the cloud. "You alright in there?"
 
"It's...it's alright. I think I'm fine," Calamity said.

Demas gasped in relief, "Thank Arceus! I don't think that would have been a good endorsement for her... uh, I mean it's great that you didn't die!"

"Be my guest, brother. I suggest closing your eyes. It gets a bit...dizzy in there." Calamity turned to Demas. "Thanks for that." He said, giving the scientist a nod. "Hopefully I'll put it to good use. I'll see you in front of the gate, TrueStriker." Calamity said to Hanso as he began to walk to the direction of where he was to meet the others.

The Raichu looked up at the Gallade with a smile, "And already another? This is my day! Just get in and the machine will do the rest! Come on now!"

You already forgot about yesterday? Hanso thought just before the Raichu shoved him into the machine and slammed the door shut. There was enough room to turn around, but not much more. Since the door had shut, Hanso hadn't had much time to see what the inside looked like before it got dark.
He kept what he wanted to learn in his mind. As the tingling started, his right arm began to ache a little. Strange... When he started feeling dizzy, Hanso closed his eyes as the Absol had said. It didn't help much. His arm's ache grew a little when the feeling of being stung multiple times came. Hanso opened his eyes, but he still couldn't see in the dark. When he tried to take a deep breath, he smelled something...like something was burning...
Smoke. I'll haunt him for the rest of his life if I die in here!

When the doors opened up, the smoke billowed out, and the sudden light partially blinded Hanso for a few seconds. He stood still for those seconds, coughing, before rubbing his arm as he stepped out. "I can see...why there's a..." Hanso leaned against the side of the machine, away from the door. "...chance of dying..." He coughed again, standing back up. "If there was a fire, then I didn't see it."
 
Eternity City

As Zane stood by waiting at the gates of Eternity City, the others slowly started to appear. Dryad came first. The way she walked as she approached them almost radiated an air of confidence, and maybe even a tad bit of arrogance. But that may be just on Zane's part from what he heard about her before. Zane wasn't familiar with her personally, but he heard stories. She was in many ways similar to Lyn as they both seemed to approach their tasks as members of the Gold Tribe in unorthodox ways. Followed by Dryad was Defender, who walked up to the group and acknowledged them.

"Hey Vigil, I'm ready." He said. Zane responded with a affirmative nod, although he wanted to say more. Defender was with Zane since the very beginning of the post-invasion. He fought with him through the ends of Gold City. He accompanied and established Liberty Town together with him. He helped free Hazone and the others from the torturehouse together. He made the long journey to Poseida with him, and was central in the war in Eternity. Defender, along with Sword and Shield and Calamity had been here since the very beginning. He was thankful to have companions like him.

Followed by Defender came in Sword and Shield, then Calamity, who seemed to walk with a chip on his shoulder. He almost looked like he was trouble, or at least deep in thought. The rest followed soon after. Kivir came as well, with a small group of Pokemon with him. Everyone, it seems was there. Except Lyn, who was once again late for the party. Zane looked around through the streets of the outer courtyard for any sign of her. There was quite a bit of Pokemon around now, so he couldn't spot her. He gave glances to the others, in which some of them shrugged.

Eventually, Zane spotted her approaching with her sack on her back, ready to go. "Sorry about the wait!" She said, looking around to see everyone else arrive before her. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get a move on!"

Belas nodded to a soldier on the gate, who commanded a group of Golem to open the gates. Slowly, the wooden doors parted in loud creaks and breaks as the doors opened before them, revealing a multitude of paths extending out into the city. The three-way fork in the road was to get to three major areas: the right path took a traveler to Poseida. The southern path took one to Gravel City, and the left path took them to Albia. The Gold Tribe, since they were heading to the Thieves Forest, wouldn't be traveling very far on either. They would cut through the plains and make a straight path for the western-most edge of the forest. From there, well, there was no real way of know what exactly would happen, so there really was no way to plan for it.

"I'll prepare the army." Belas began. "We'll will march on Gravel City tonight, and if all goes well, to Shine Outpost within the next days afterwards."

Zane nodded at Belas. "We'll see you in Albia in a week. We'll get it done."

"Good luck, Gold Tribe." Hazone said. As the Gold Tribe prepared to leave.

"And you as well." Zane replied. Zane turned around, and headed out the doors of Eternity City. The next phase of their journey was about to begin.

**************************

The Gold Tribe walked for quite a while on the plains without nothing happening right away. Minor conversation broke out between a few Pokemon, but for the most part, nothing noticeable. The path itself wasn't anything remarkable either. The plains seemed to go on for miles on end with very little else in terms of scenery. That is, until they reached a rather large statue in the middle of the plains. The statue was of a Gold Tribe member, a Salamence called "Dragonheart" who fought in a conflict 100 years ago. The statue was often visited by Gold Tribe members on their way to either Albia or Eternity City to pray for good luck on their journey. Gold Tribe members say that touching the statue brings this luck. As Zane approached it, he placed a hand on the statue, looking up into the eyes of the Salamence, who's eyes were fixated upon the East, as if glaring into that direction. Zane looked up into the sky. It was getting close to sunset, having been walking for quite some time already. Zane dropped his bag onto the ground.

"Let's rest here for the night. We'll continue the journey tomorrow. Wildfire, care to start a fire?" Zane asked as the others began resting as well.

Calamity approached the statue of Dragonheart and places his paw on the foot of the statue, before dropping over to the side of Zane, and the fire that Wildfire was now making. Eventually, everyone was unpacked and gathered around the fire. Silence filled the air as the sun now faded behind the everlasting plains. Zane closed his eyes to take in the freshness of the night air, but was suddenly interrupted by a voice, coming from Guardia.

"Gee...you guys don't talk much do you?" She said, looking around at the others. Zane opened his eyes and blinked at her. "Well, if you aren't going to start talking, I will. I mean, I don't really know a lot about you guys, other than your names. I know Vigil, but the rest of you are strangers. How about you tell me about yourselves a bit?" She asked, although the way it was asked it seemed more like a demand. Zane wondered where she was going with this. He never really bothered asking much about the others personally. He didn't think it was his business, and it was a sort of unspoken word that such didn't need to be said. They were all bound by the mission they had to do, and the oaths they took, and that was it. Lyn had something else in mind, it seems.

"Like for example..." she began turning to Defender first as she spoke. "Whats with that bracelet you have? I always see you with it." She said to him, before turning to TrueStriker. "And you. What's the story with your eye? And your bracer? I always see you with that too." She then turned to Speculum. "And you. What's with the monocle you have there?" Afterwards, she turned to Wildfire. "You. Why do your flames turn that strange color in certain conditions? What's up with that?"

She waited for the responses. Zane was a bit curious too. He would never ask the questions himself, but now given that they were asked, he wanted to know a bit more about the brothers and sisters following him.
 
Penance Malum​

It was soon after Penance arrived that everyone else soon came over and they were all together again. It was so amazing that they were now numbering this many. If their good luck continued then Penance could expect them to come across more Gold Tribe members in hiding. Perhaps even on their way to the forest they could come across one or two? It seemed like a long shot, but still, they had come across these brothers and sisters, surely there was one or two more out there, waiting for them to come.

The group headed out and the way there was actually quite easy. There weren't any Sentinels blocking their path or any Ancients sent to stop them. All there was to accompany them was a cool breeze. Much better than when they trudged through the desert. Every so often some of the others would start up a conversation, but Penance didn't really participate. He would listen to what they were saying, but it really seemed to be trivial stuff and didn't relate to the mission at hand. It didn't take that long before the group came to a large statue of a Salamance. Penance had heard of this statue. Apparently it was of a deceased Gold Tribe member named Dragonheart. Penance was hazy on what heroic deeds this brother had done, but he knew that it was considered good luck to touch the statue. So after Calamity stepped away from the statue that's what Penance did. It didn't hurt to have too much luck.

Vigil and Wildfire start up a cozy fire and soon enough everyone was gathered around the fire. It was very quiet, until Guardia began to speak. "Well, if you aren't going to start talking, I will. I mean, I don't really know a lot about you guys, other than your names. I know Vigil, but the rest of you are strangers. How about you tell me about yourselves a bit?"

Penance smiled. That did seem like a good idea. Penance really didn't know much about the others due to his young age, but this could be a good way to get to know his brothers and sisters and have them get to know him. Penance initially thought that some questions that were going to be asked would be stuff like where they grew up, why they joined the Gold Tribe, and other such stuff. He wasn't prepared for what was actually thrown out.

Guardia turned to him, "Whats with that bracelet you have? I always see you with it." Penance was aware that Guardia was talking to the others but Penance tuned it out. My bracelet. Penance looked down at the very thing he wore on his wrist. Fear spiked up in his heart. He couldn't tell the others what his bracelet was for! What would he say? That he had been cheating this entire time!? Vigil and the others would be disappointed, maybe even to the point of kicking him out of the Gold Tribe!

Penance was silent for a bit and noticed the others were looking at him for an answer. Just stay calm Penance, you can do this. Lie! Lie like you never have before! Penance cleared his throat, "Um, w-well, there actually is nothing special about my bracelet. I-I just like wearing it." He stammered out as he unconsciously began to rub at it. Only one wish echoed in his mind as he called upon his luck, to somehow get the topic off his bracelet in any way possible!
 
Ragnaros "Bloodthirster" Phylax
​
The clouds formed etheral castles underneath the Salamence who was flapping his red wings, travelling gently through the sky filled with sunshine; he barely felt the immense power of the wind onto his sturdy body as he looked as far as the eye could see - only clouds. Ragnaros, no matter how many times he had risen above the clouds, could not stop enjoying the sensation of flight. He shook his head, remembering about his mission to search for his allies.
The Salamence dove downwards, shooting through the puffy clouds that protected Ragnaros from the groundlings of Albia - he half shut his eyes, trying to see through the cloud he was above right now to spy on the city. Then, after a brief moment of floating and consideration, he set off towards the west, heading for the foot of Korhal Mountains where his home cavern was; the sun was setting down, leaving Ragnaros' personal playground with a grim essence.
Ragnaros suddenly flapped his wings, stopping flight and locking his sharp, blue eyes on a fire that was brimming from the plains, then he stared at the giant stone statue of a mighty ancestor of his. The sun had set completly, the fire lighting the Salamence statue in a menacing way, flattering its might. Ragnaros tightened his fists and grunted in anger as he dove once again.

"Thieves.. they've no business here."

The ground was getting closer and closer - now he was able to see that a group of Pokemon had gathered around the fire; Ragnaros was darting through the night sky, and when he was in range, he opened his mouth and unleashed his flamethrower with a nasty sound. The flames covered his line of sight, some licking the ground.
The Salamence landed heavy on the ground near the statue, about fifty feet away and gazed at his opponents.
But he didn't proceed further with his attacks; he smirked in confusion as he stared at the strangers - there was something odd about them. The fire they had lit was reflecting onto little pieces of metal, Ragnaros realising they were all wearing the Golden Tribe's emblem.

".. I can't believe this! The Gold Tribe!"

He said as he flashed his long tail above his wings; the Gold Tribe's emblem was stuck near the tip of it.​
 
Hanso had grabbed his pack and headed for the gates. Only a minute after leaving Demas and his machine, the Gallade saw the Machoke from the day before, setting down a stack of boxes. At about the same time, Vanni saw him and called, "Hey! Wait a sec'!" When he got closer, the Machoke said, "Needed t' talk to you for a minute. That Gardevoir from Shine City your sister or somethin'? You two look so much alike, now I think of it."

Hanso hesitated, then replied slowly, "Yes...her title 'DeepHealer'?"

Vanni nodded, a bit vigorous. "Yeah, that's it. She mentioned someone named 'Hanso' a few times. You prob'ly would've wanted to know this if we'd had time yesterday. The last I saw of her was just before a bunch of Ancients got between us. Dunno if she lived or not, but she'd still had some fight left." The Machoke stopped. "You okay?"

The Gallade stared at Vanni for a few moments. "Yeah," he finally answered. "Was she still standing?" When Vanni nodded, Hanso let out his breath. "Thank you, Vanni."


Later, the Gold Tribe was walking out the gates of Eternity City, Hanso among them. The walk over the plains gave him the time to think over what Vanni had said. He now knew something that he hadn't known before. Brynn had been standing when she and Vanni parted ways during the battle. And if she could stand, then she could teleport. Hanso breathed easier now; he felt she had had a chance to survive. Now he only needed to look for her once they were done with the Silver Tribe.

Soon, the Gold Tribe came to a statue standing on the plains. It was Dragonheart, a Salamence who had been alive a hundred years before. Following Calamity, Vigil, and Defender, Hanso placed his own hand on the statue's base. It was considered good luck; if it existed, they would need it on this particular journey.

It wasn't long before everyone had set up camp and unpacked for the night. Hanso was sitting with his back against his pack, with his bracer on the ground beside him. He had a Pecha Berry out (the Chansey had recommended eating them as part of his diet for the next few days) when Guardia spoke up.

"Gee...you guys don't talk much do you?" She said, looking around at the others. "Well, if you aren't going to start talking, I will. I mean, I don't really know a lot about you guys, other than your names. I know Vigil, but the rest of you are strangers. How about you tell me about yourselves a bit?" She asked. There a demand in there? Hanso thought, popping the berry into his mouth.

"Like for example..." she began turning to Defender first as she spoke. "Whats with that bracelet you have? I always see you with it." She said to him, before turning to TrueStriker. "And you. What's the story with your eye? And your bracer? I always see you with that too." She then turned to Speculum. "And you. What's with the monocle you have there?" Afterwards, she turned to Wildfire. "You. Why do your flames turn that strange color in certain conditions? What's up with that?"

Hanso frowned, swallowing. Curious to the point of asking bluntly, which would inevitably lead to trouble with someone sometime. So he thought. Defender was silent; since he'd been addressed first, it seemed that he should answer first. "Um, w-well, there actually is nothing special about my bracelet. I-I just like wearing it." The young Golduck started rubbing his bracelet.

Hanso snorted quietly. He hadn't heard Defender stutter before, so what was up? Then Hanso remembered what Guardia had asked him. Turning his head to face the others, Hanso said, "I was born with this eye. I've heard some say that it's what--"

A stream of fire from the sky interrupted. A second after the flames came to his attention, Hanso teleported to the ground beside the base of the statue, standing with his arm-blades extended to their full length and glowing blue. Hanso grunted; it smelled like something was burning. It could be that something was, or the smell could have just come from the flames. No time to see, though, need to--

".. I can't believe this! The Gold Tribe!"

Hanso had almost thrown a blade of energy at the Salamence's back; hearing the exclamation stopped him. The Gallade teleported back to his place near the fire, his blades still out but no longer glowing. He could see an emblem flashing from the dragon's tail. "You're not the first to think that," Hanso replied, his arm-blades sliding back in. How could the Silver Tribe think it had squashed all but a few stragglers?
 
Replicus 'Speculum' Decendas
Gold Tribe​

It was finally decided that the Gold Tribe would try and make it's way through the Thieves Forest, which was equally as suicidal as the Mountains, but they probably had a bit higher chances of survival with Guardia by their side. But, the thieves hated the Gold Tribe, and even though Guardia knew their leader, she had mentioned it herself that they didn't know that she was a part of the Gold Tribe. There were still a rather high risk factor here, but Replicus knew they could hold their own when confronted with the thieves in a battle.

The members in the tent left Vigil and Guardia alone in the war tent for them to discuss further plans. The others hurried away to prepare themselves for the journey ahead, which was once again, a long one. While Calamity headed towards the odd machine Demas had built, Replicus walked towards the main market of the city. He stocked up on supplies, including food, medicine and water, which he made sure he packed safely into a small backpack. After he was done, he headed towards the gates of Eternity City, where the rest of the Gold Tribe was waiting. They bid their farewells and departed for the forest.

The current trip was equally boring for Replicus like the previous one. The party just kept walking endlessly waiting for the forest to arrive soon. Nobody talked or did anything during the trip, just kept walking on. If trips like these were going to become common he would have to quit the Gold Tribe soon. The group finally reached the statue of Dragonheart, where they decided to spend the night.

The sun had set, and Replicus was all prepared to sleep, when Guardia broke the silence.

"Gee...you guys don't talk much do you?" She said, looking around at the others. Speculum got up, and looked at her with a drowsy face. "Well, if you aren't going to start talking, I will. I mean, I don't really know a lot about you guys, other than your names. I know Vigil, but the rest of you are strangers. How about you tell me about yourselves a bit?" Replicus smiled, she was just like him, bored about the trip and she finally decided to speak up. Replicus appreciated that.

"Like for example... Whats with that bracelet you have? I always see you with it. And you. What's the story with your eye? And your bracer? I always see you with that too." She then turned to Speculum. "And you. What's with the monocle you have there?" Afterwards, she turned to Wildfire. "You. Why do your flames turn that strange color in certain conditions? What's up with that?"

"Whh-ooo-aa... she's like a crazy 4 year old..." Replicus thought, trying to absorb all the questions the Pokemon had blasted at the group. The first to answer was Defender, who was actually stuttering, which seems rather off to Replicus, but he kept quiet. After him, it was TrueStriker's turn, but he could never manage to complete his sentence because they were interrupted by a rather unpleasant event.

Replicus heard some noise from above, and immediately looked up towards the heavens. In the sky was a Salamence, who had proceeded to blow a Flamethrower in their direction.

"Crap...!" Replicus muttered, as he quickly transformed into a Graveler and shielded his brothers from the flames. He did fall down on one knee though, the attack was powerful and Replicus had taken the full blast. He was quickly back on his feet though, a bit disoriented, but nevertheless ready for battle. Finally some excitement.

The Salamence landed a few feet away from the statue, and then probably noticed that something was not quite right. He had probably managed to spot the Emblems on the Pokemon in front of him, which managed to get quite a reaction from the Dragon.

".. I can't believe this! The Gold Tribe!"

TrueStriker, who had teleported near the statue to dodge the attack, now arrived back near the fire. "You're not the first to think that," He said, as he withdrew his blades. Replicus, though, was still on the attack, ready to jump into battle.

"You dumba**, you almost killed us!" Replicus yelled at the Salamence, and smashed a foot into the earth, trying to somewhat intimidate the Salamence subconsciously.
 
Ragnaros "Bloodthirster" Phylax​

"You're not the first to think that," ​

Ragnaros remained silent and calm, taking it easy, breathing the fresh air of the plains and exhaling it as steam from his nose
. He first stared at the Gallade who had instanly appeared battle-ready. But then a Graveller next to the others spoke in a bothersome way.​

"You dumba**, you almost killed us!" ​

"My humblest apologies, but I had the impression that members of the Gold Tribe do not die with a single flamethrower."​

The deep sarcasm in his voice was accompanied with a harsh smile as he looked down upon the mouthful Graveller. But then his expression hardened as he looked at the others in the group, evaluating them.​

"I am Ragnaros 'Bloodthirster' Phylax. I did not have any intentions of hurting my allies - only the foolish ones to disrespect my ancestor's statue."​
 
Last edited:
Plains of Valkaria

Zane listened as Defender was the first to speak about his bracelet. To Zane, he seemed nervous, and flustered. Apparently, Guardia had touched upon a sensitive subject. At least, that was what it seemed like to him. Before, he was curious. Now, he wondered what really was so special about that bracelet. Lyn cocked an eyebrow as well, not buying his story. However, Hanso spoke, and it seemed the subject of Defender's bracelet was put aside, and Zane was guessing the Golduck would be thankful for that.

"I was born with this eye. I've heard some say that it's what--" TrueStriker began, but never finished as their conversation was interrupted by a blast of fire that filled the air right at them. The attack was sudden, with Zane unable to get a chance to respond. However, Speculum was quick to respond and shielded the others partially from the flames. Even so, the attack was clearly a powerful one. Zane was now prepared to fight the enemy who had appeared. The others also prepared as their eyes darted to see which foe had unleashed the attack. It was a Salamence. However, no second attack came as the Pokemon realized who they were.

".. I can't believe this! The Gold Tribe!" He said to them. Zane didn't lower his guard at first, even after he said this, that is, until he flashed his own emblem to them. He was also of the Gold Tribe.

"You're not the first to think that," He heard TrueStriker say from the side. From the corner of his eye, he could see Hoodhide shifting in place, remembering how he first attacked Zane when they met in the Sovereign Rainforest.

"You dumba**, you almost killed us!" Speculum yelled to Salamence. The Salamence responded quietly with a smile, yet with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "My humblest apologies, but I had the impression that members of the Gold Tribe do not die with a single flamethrower."

Zane smiled a bit at the Salamence, and lowered his guard. The Salamence appeared to be observing them with his sharp eyes before speaking once more. "I am Ragnaros 'Bloodthirster' Phylax. I did not have any intentions of hurting my allies - only the foolish ones to disrespect my ancestor's statue."

"I understand. It was a misunderstanding, brother. Pay it no mind. Nevertheless, it is pleasure, Bloodthirster. I am Vigil." He said, before turning to the others and pointing at them as he introduced them. "With me is Defender, TrueStriker, Speculum, Sword and Shield, Calamity, Hoodhide, Dryad, Wildfire, and Dark Lightning. There is also Kivir of the Alpha Alliance here, as well as Guardia, daughter of Rey. We are on an important task for the Alpha Alliance."

Hoodhide waved a hello at Bloodthirster at the call of his name. Dark Lightning bowed in respect, while Calamity gave a nod of the head. As Zane concluded speaking, Guardia stepped forward and approached Bloodthirster, her arms crossed as she observed the Salamence. She didn't speak for a moment as she seemed to just be observing him. "You ought to be more careful next time, brother. Had you not realized we were with the Gold Tribe, I might have killed you." She said, with a smile appearing on her face, saying so in almost a joking matter. "What brings you here anyways?" she added with a look of curiosity.
 
Ragnaros 'Bloodthirster' Phylax
​
Ragnaros listened carefully to the golden Bisharp claiming to be named Vigil; he gave him slight nods after every Pokemon he introduced. In his mind, he was trying to memorize all of them, but he was never good at that - instead, he was observing every Pokemon on the group trying to determine which ones they would make good allies in battle. He sharpened his eyes as they did a circle all around and fell again on Vigil, who seemed like a fierce warrior.
I can sense righteous fury in this guy, Ragnaros thought.

"... there is also Kivir of the Alpha Alliance here, as well as Guardia, daughter of Rey. We are on an important task for the Alpha Alliance."

The Salamence slammed his tail on the ground and tapped his feet as Guardia, the daughter of Rey, approached him with her arms crossed.

"You ought to be more careful next time, brother. Had you not realized we were with the Gold Tribe, I might have killed you."

The Bloodthirster frowned upon her smile, deciding to keep his thoughts about who would kill the other to himself. He was never fond of foolishly cocky people.

"What brings you here anyways?"

"What brings me here is little of importance. We're on the same side, so I'll help you. That's just it."

His loud voice sounded serious, implying he didn't like talking about his past deeds to the Gold Tribe. All in good time, he thought as he approached Guardia and the others with heavy steps. When he reached very close to her, he spoke again, this time towards Vigil; he couldn't help himself from admiring his gold body reflecting the light the fire nearby was giving off.

"So"

He paused, frowning, thinking for a bit.

"Vigil, right? You spoke of an important task for the Alpha Alliance... you have my full support, brother."​
 
Plains of Valkaria

Bloodthirster stayed quiet as Lyn seemed to tease him. Whether his patience over the years as a Gold Tribe member took over, or whether this was his natural personality, Zane was still unsure. However, he was sure he'd find out the long he spent with the Salamence. The Salamence's answer on the reasoning of his whereabouts was even more ominous to his personality. He seemed to Zane like a no-nonsense member, but perhaps that was someone they needed right now. Either way, he was welcome help to the cause.

"It is great to have you with us, brother. You are most welcome among us." Zane told him. "I might as well fill you in on what has been going on on our end. No doubt you've heard about the events of Eternity City from somewhere..." Zane began relaying the tale of the battle that happened there, and the aftermath decision of the Gold Tribe's assignment to go through the Thieves Forest to take out the Albian watchtowers. Zane wondered his reactions particularly to the Thieves Forest part of the plan. It wasn't like anyone of them here actually wanted to go there in the first place (well, maybe besides Guardia), but they had no better alternative. When Zane was finished explaining to Bloodthirster, he looked up to see the sky grow pitch black. Zane spoke.

"Well, it's pretty late. We should get some rest. We'll have to start early tomorrow if we want to reach the Thieves Forest before dark." Zane got into a comfy spot on the soft grass next to the statue. The others went about preparing for bed as well. Dark Lightning stomped out the fire that was made. Before Zane went to sleep, he turned to the statue of Dragonheart once more, and spoke softly to it. "Watch the skies for us, brother." He said, before laying down, and slowly, falling to sleep.


*****************************************************************

Are you afraid? A voice said spoke to Zane in his mind. Zane opened his eyes. He found himself in a familiar white space that seemed to extend forever. He sat up, and looked around. The source of the voice was right in front of him. It was a Roserade, but it wasn't one he recognized. He saw the he wore a Gold Tribe emblem, but Zane was sure he never met him.

'What?' Zane asked the Pokemon, staring at it, wondering what it meant. The Pokemon spoke again.

'Are you afraid, Vigil?' The Roserade said again, his eyes looking straight into Zane's. Zane felt as if with his stare, he was reaching into his mind and plucking out information from his brain.

'A Gold Tribe member is fearless, no matter the obstacle.' Zane replied to the Roserade.

'That was not the question I asked you. I asked if you were afraid.'

Zane paused for a moment. '…Yes.' He finally said as his voice echoed through the room.

'What is it you fear?' The Roserade asked. Zane answered in a reluctant voice, as if he had no choice. It felt as if he had to answer, even if he didn't want to.

'I…fear we might not succeed. I fear that what we do won't be enough in the end. I fear my direction will lead to the death of my brothers and sisters. The death of the Gold Tribe.'

Both of them stared at each other, the Roserade seeming to analyze Zane while Zane stared simply to get some sort of answer in return. The Gold Tribe Roserade spoke once more.

'Do you know why the Gold Tribe has titles?' The voice asked Zane.

'…The old ones gave themselves the titles as a sign of respect amongst each other, and recognition, right?' Zane replied in a questioning manner. The Roserade gave him a shake of the head, and spoke back, his speech sending a slight shiver down his spine.

'The original Gold Tribe members gave themselves titles because they sought to rid themselves of all attachments as beings. You are given and referred to by your titles because you HAVE no names now. You are not Pokemon. You are not beings, or citizens of the Alpha Alliance. You are tools. Tools that are used to defend Valkaria from anything and everything. And tools such as you are expendable. If necessary, you will be tossed aside. If necessary, you will be damaged. If necessary you will broken. If necessary, you will be destroyed. You will fulfill you function as is necessary at whatever cost, even your 'life'. Because that, is what the Gold Tribe is.

Zane opened his eyes, startled. The sight of the morning sun filled his eyes as he tried to figure out where he was. The memories of last night filled his mind, and he looked around to see the familiar statue of Dragonheart right by them, and the others close by. Some had begun to stir from their sleep while others were already awake when he had awoken. He sat there for a moment, contemplating his latest dream as vividly as he could remember it at the same time chewing on some food he had packed in his bag. After a few more moments of thinking about the dream, he decided to put it aside for now and wake the others.

"Brothers, sisters, come on. We've got to get moving soon again, he said. The others quickly began moving and gathering everything they needed to. After packing up everything Zane had brought, he was reading to move again, and continue on to the next leg of their journey to the Thieves Forest.
 
Rosaleon "The Window" Vermillia

Augh! Finally! We have arrived...

Rosalee smiled to herself, but not a whole lot. She was happy, but not that happy. She had been traveling for some time (by herself, of course) and part of her was getting used to the silence (though it did make her mind wonder and when it got that way she got wondrously creative), well... Near silence. She didn't mind the noises of nature too much. As long as it didn't get overly repetitive. She played with one of her ear tips absentmindedly, thoughts silent, yet active and walk more of a stroll. She was enjoying something that only she saw. A little fun projected by her own mind. That thought made it all the more entertaining, that she was the only one that could have this.

Her steps were even and unrushed and her eyes unconcerned. A breeze brushed passed her, warm in the night. For her, it gave the moment the affect of a dream. She loved it. Active, yet cozy.

Rosalee's destination was just ahead. Now in Albia, she just needed to regroup with the rest of the sentinels and who and whatnot. She entered in due time and in a period she thought was too fast, she was in the room with Frost and her other loyals. She said nothing, feeling too relaxed to say anything. She did not feel obligated to make a noise. If she were needed to speak, someone would call upon her.

(horribleterrible :X I apologize)
 
Penance Malum​

Penance was more than glad when TrueStriker the heat off of him. He had seen the shifty eyes the others had made and he knew that he had just botched his chance at a cover story. What was even better was that his wish had come true! And in a good way! A Salamence had just come down from the sky and after a little misunderstanding it was revealed that they had found another Gold Tribe member. Penance couldn't be happier! He would have kissed his bracelet... but that would have only drawn everyone's attention back to it, and that was the last thing he needed. After everyone calmed down it was already late enough and Vigil ordered everyone to go to sleep and Penance found a spot and did so gladly.

Penance's dreams weren't so great this night. Usually he had great dreams, but tonight was different. He could hear voices whispering around him, they sounded really angry. They were all talking about one thing... how he was lying to everyone. Penance twisted and turned in his sleep and more than once woke up. Every time he tried to go back to sleep the voices would just taunt him some more and would force him to wake up once more. His body was beginning to shake and he was starting to break out in a cold sweat. Everyone else seemed to be in a deep sleep so Penance just continued to try and get some sleep. When he woke up for the fifth time he just gave up and stayed awake. He looked up at the statue of the Salamence and moved around the sleeping bodies and finally approached the stature. Dragonheart seemed to be looking down at him as Penance gulped and placed a hand on the statue. He closed his eyes tight. Dragonheart... please give me the courage to tell. He thought desperately in his mind. Please, let them understand! He looked back up and could have sworn he saw a bit of smile on the Salamence's face.

Penance went back over to his sleeping spot and found that it was now much easier to fall asleep. Finally morning broke and Penance rose up and stretched as Vigil roused them. Penance grabbed his pack and once everyone was set they followed after the Bisharp. For a while Penance was content with following the others but then he began to feel anxious. He had just asked Dragonheart for help last night and had pretty much promised the ancient Gold Tribe member that he would tell. Penance cast a glance toward Vigil and rubbed his bracelet. Please let him understand. Penance prayed. He sped up until he was next to Vigil. "Uh... Vigil. Can we talk? Privately?" He asked nervously as he subconsciously rubbed his bracelet once more.
 
Ragnaros "Bloodthirster" Phylax​

Ragnaros listened carefully to Vigil who explained their objectives, he simply nodded in response - an idea of a strategic approach on Albia's watchtowers started taking shape in his mind. While he was feeling excited he would fight besides his allies once more, he didn't show any signs of it; his thoughts were hidden behind the solid, serious expression he always had when the Gold Tribe needed him.
The golden Bisharp suggested they slept so they would be ready for their march on Eden Forest tomorrow. The Salamence walked away from the group, smirking and staring at the vast night sky above the plains.​

Sleep? I'd rather stay awake and alert.​

Time passed, the Salamence had settled down on a grass patch, sometimes staring at the stars, sometimes at the hills. Meanwhile, he was recalling Albia and its watchtowers - pictures from above, as he stalked the city from the clouds.
He scratched the ground with his chubby foot, throwing away pieces of the destroyed grass to make way for one of his usual drawings.​

Let's see, about those towers... we are definitely going to have casualties if we don't approach carefully.​

Ragnaros drew a circle on the ground, indicating the watchtower, and a thick line in front of the circle that was supposed to be the Gold Tribe, or what was left of it. ​

.. conclusion is, if we attacked only from the ground, they would tear us apart one by one! How about...​

Bloodthirster turned his head and stared at his new found allies for somebody with strong ranged attacks - then his eyes fell on the sleeping Vigil. The moon was reflecting on the steel Pokemon and on his own eyes as well... He suddenly caught movement between the sleeping bodies; the Golduck was apparently awake and headed towards the statue of Dragonheart.
After staring without much interest in him, he turned his attention back to his sketch on the ground.​

I need Vigil to plan this; as much as I'd like to blow some Albians in the air all by myself... teamwork is necessary here.​

Ragnaros let out an intentional sneeze, blowing out hot steam out of his nostrils onto the sketch, erasing it forever.
After a while awake, he considered sleeping for the following day's mission.​

The morning sun of the dawn woke him up softly in the grass patch. He opened his eyes, feeling refreshed even though he had not slept much. The dragon spread his wings wide and launched himself from the ground with a slight grunt - he circled around the sky for a bit, enjoying the rays of the sun appearing above the forest.
After stretching out his body and taking the cold aura of the morning sky into him, Bloodthirster dove towards the ground.
He blew some steam as he landed on the ground far from the rest of the Gold Tribe, and then begun walking towards the group with a determined expression on his draconic face.​
 
Last edited:
Plains of Valkaria

The group had begun to move once more to their destination. However, it was not long before Defender had come up to Zane. Zane noticed that he looked a bit nervous, as if something was bothering him.

"Uh... Vigil. Can we talk? Privately?" He asked Zane. Zane looked at him curiously, then nodded. He called out to the others. "You guys go on ahead. We'll catch up." They proceeded onwards while Zane waited for them to get a measurable distance away, before looking back over to Defender.

"All right." He began. "What's on your mind, brother?" Zane asked him, wondering what this was all about.

******************************************************************

Albia

Frost sat on the throne for a while, contemplating the the last few days' events, from the defeat at Eternity City to the current situation she found herself in at Albia. Herself, along with Deluge and Ignitus now occupied the silent, dark Hall of Albia with no others, until another entered silently. Frost recognized her immediately as the Sentinel known as "The Widow". She hadn't had much contact with her, but her reputation preceded her.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Frost exclaimed, looking at the new arrival as she entered the hall. "What are you doing here, Widow?" Frost asked, leaning back in the throne she occupied, looking down at her as she did almost anyone else, as if they were below her standing, even though all Sentinels were technically equals.

"Lord Auron probably sent her." Deluge added grimly. "It certainly says a lot if he has the four of us guarding a single city. Losing Eternity was big. Perhaps even bigger than I first assumed..."

As Deluge's voice trailed off, an Ancient soldier entered the room behind the Widow. A Kabutops. He looked out of breath.

"Lord Sentinels..." He began, panting quite heavily. Frost eyed the Ancient. She was obviously displeased with his presence here.

"What reason do you have for interrupting us here?" Frost said, getting quite angry now. The Ancient gulped and tried to catch his breath.

"Riots in the city streets. Rebellions are starting in Albia."
 
Penance Malum​

Penance gulped as Vigil walked away with him. "What's on your mind, brother?"

Penance sighed as he looked down. He was silent for a little as he wondered what the best way was to phase his his confession. Should he go for a blunt approach, or would he phrase it in a sympathetic way. Argh! This was too hard! Dive head first it was going to be!

"Vigil... I've been cheating!" He blurted out. He squeezed his eyes tight. "My bracelet. It's... infused with luck. Nothing I've been doing has been because of my abilities or because of my training. It's all been due to my luck. It was luck that I wasn't killed when the Silver Tribe attacked, it was luck that I found you, and it was luck that I didn't die in the city. It was all luck." His face was crestfallen. "When my mom gave me my bracelet, she died. Her spirit resides in this bracelet, watching over me. She's the reason I haven't died yet. It's not me, it's all luck. Even finding my dad was luck." His voice was starting to crack at this point, but he had to continue.

"It was all because of this. Not me. I didn't do any of that stuff and the moment you take the bracelet away I'm nothing. I've been cheating this entire time!" Aquilus hung his head, "I'm not Gold Tribe material. I never had been. I'm just a phony. Nothing else. I'm sorry for lying Vigil. ...I can find my way back to the city or maybe to some other place."

Penance knew exactly what Vigil would do. He would be banished from the Gold Tribe, plain and simple. He would disgrace his entire family and have to live out his life in isolation. Penance could deal with that. It would be just what he deserved.
 
Plains of Valkaria

Zane looked at Defender as he attempted to compose himself. Zane politely let the Golduck take his time in deciding when and how to speak. Judging by the way he was going about speaking, it must have been a difficult subject to bring up.

Zane said nothing as he let Defender speak his mind. When he first mentioned he was cheating, at first, Zane did not fully understand. He almost gave him a chuckle, but held it back as he assumed this was serious. But, as Defender continued to explain the purpose of the necklace, Zane's smiled dropped, and instead was replaced with a look of seriousness. He finished speaking as he hung his head.

"I'm not Gold Tribe material. I never had been. I'm just a phony. Nothing else. I'm sorry for lying Vigil. ...I can find my way back to the city or maybe to some other place."

Zane looked up into the bright morning sky. He reminisced on an event that led himself to becoming a Gold Tribe member. He thought it would be an appropriate tale to tell right now.

"You know, my grandfather was in the Gold Tribe. He was probably the inspiration that made me want to join myself. Back then, I wanted to join the Gold Tribe to become a strong warrior, the strongest, and also to embark on grand adventures like he had as a member. I was convinced this was the life of the Gold Tribe. Be the strongest warrior you can be, and see the world. That kind of thing." A smile appeared on Zane's face as he looked down to Defender. "Obviously, my grandfather gave me a pretty harsh lecture on what it truly meant to be in the Gold Tribe. I didn't understand at first, but I think as time passed, I slowly began to realize the concept....It's not about how hard you hit, or how much power you possess. There were warriors in past histories that far surpassed the powers of many of us, but that didn't mean they were meant to be in the Tribe."

For a moment, Zane remember the dream he had last night, about the Roserade telling him about what the Gold Tribe's purpose really was. His words filled his head for a moment. You are tools, He heard in his head. He pushed the voice out of his head and returned his attention back to Defender.

"A Gold Tribe member is selfless, putting the Alpha Alliance and it's citizens above anything else, even their own safety. We are watchful protectors, the first and last line of defense, the core and hope of the Alpha Alliance. But most importantly, we are Pokemon of respect and dignity. We have such few numbers because many do not wish to, as they would say waste their lives on such things. But those of us who do this understand that there is something more than just the individual. And in that category, I don't think there's many who can top you in that category."

Zane gave the Golduck a smile. "So maybe the bracelet does make you lucky. If that's the case, use it. Such a power is not something one should waste. But don't rely upon it. Rely upon yourself. If you take yourself away from the bracelet, it is just a bracelet. If you take the bracelet away from yourself, you are still the same brother of mine that I fight alongside every day. You say you don't have what it takes to be in the Gold Tribe. I say you have more than so many others, and you have yet to realize it. Trust in yourself, Defender."

Zane looked over to the side and saw the others were quite a while ahead of them already. Looking back at Defender, he patted him on the shoulder as he motioned him to follow.

"Come on, brother. We've got a mission to do, and you're not getting out of it that easily." He said in a joking manner.
 
Penance Malum​

Penance was tense throughout the speech. Maybe Vigil wouldn't say it at the beginning and he was waiting for him to relax before he would shout out his verdict and just leave him out here all alone. Penance could feel anxiety flow through his body as Vigil began to tell him about a story of his life. Penance just knew this would be when Vigil would lay his judgement. As the story dragged on Penance just become more and more tense, no doubt the reaction Vigil was looking for.

"But most importantly, we are Pokemon of respect and dignity. We have such few numbers because many do not wish to, as they would say waste their lives on such things. But those of us who do this understand that there is something more than just the individual. And in that category, I don't think there's many who can top you in that category." Penance looked up in confusion. Vigil... was giving him praise... after what he had done!?

"I say you have more than so many others, and you have yet to realize it. Trust in yourself, Defender." Penance blinked in surprise and looked down at his bracelet. Would the others not be mad that he had something they didn't? More importantly, did he really have this power within himself? It was a hard concept to grasp onto and more so in Penance's confused mind. He had just been ready to be tossed away and yet Vigil reassured him and even gave him praise.

"Come on, brother. We've got a mission to do, and you're not getting out of it that easily." Penance looked up. "Right." He said as he followed after Vigil. Penance looked at Vigil and if the Bisharp payed attention to the Golduck's gaze he would have noticed a small bit of respect shining right at him from those eyes.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top