Autumn: *I sat at the edge of the dark forest, observing the strange aura that was expelled from its depths. Something had happened here to make it shift so rapidly to an evil state. From what I could sense, an evil artifact or rune must have been placed at the center, only to be stopped by a more pure being. This would explain how the rest of the forest was lush and full of life. No doubt, Lily must have contributed to maintaining this barrier. As I sat in silence I picked up on a low thudding sound off in the distance, a very large Pokémon was near, and it seemed to be coming from the forest in my direction. A Pokémon from this forest could very well be a threat, corrupted by whatever was at the center of its expanse. I stood up, quickly drawing a rune in front of myself, As I did so the symbol for "protection" glowed in fire in front of me, lighting up the area around me for a brief moment before disappearing. It took only a few moments for the Pokémon to appear only a short distance in front of myself, it was a rather disheartened charizard. She appeared to be lost and afraid, troubled by something she must have seen out there. I felt sympathy for her, she clearly wasn't an enemy as I had predicted. I stepped past my protective barrier, the symbol igniting in flames once more before completely dissolving into nothingness. I stepped into view of the charizard to make my presence known, hoping that I wouldn't frighten her any further than she already was* "Hello?"
Seraphina: *She looked to the night sky with furrowed brows through her tears, furious with herself for allowing her emotions to get the best of her. She sobbed quietly as she tried to make sense of the unfamiliar terrain, her wings hanging uselessly on her back as she had yet to master their use. The gruesome images implanted into her mind by the Gengar continued to penetrate her consciousness, serving only to intensify the volume of her weeping. She stopped for a moment to wipe her tears when, much to her surprise, a Leafeon appeared before her. Startled, she gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. Her eyes darted up and down on the figure before she exhaled heavily and slumped a bit. Her expression shifted from one of sadness to irritation. She wasn't familiar enough with the "other" Leafeon to know that this wasn't her, causing her to mistake her identity. She shifted her eyes away, not wanting to make direct eye contact when she croaked out* "Listen...I'm sorry about all of that...I wasn't exactly in my right mind and..." *She trailed off, the sound of Xeno's angered tone echoing in her mind. It was apparent that she had been crying for sometime now, her eyes puffy and her cheeks flush. She was absolutely exhausted (what led her to falling asleep in a random location in the first place) and simply wished to be safe. Thunder rumbled in the background, ripping her out of her thoughts and back to the present moment (one tends to zone out a lot when sleep deprived). With all that she had been through in the last 48 hours (Faranth battle, cave destroyed, Stella injured, horrific nightmares, being lost in a strange place etc etc...) all she wanted was rest and comfort. She wanted to feel safe, to feel comforted. Through choked out sobs she wimpered* "Can you...-sniffle- just...take me where they are, please?"
Autumn: "Sorry about what?" *I replied swiftly, confused by her response. She seemed to have mistaken me for someone else, perhaps she had met Lily? though I wouldn't Imagine Lily would leave anyone in those woods, certainly not alone. But, if it was Lily then she would have sent a search party by now. If I knew her as well as I thought, then she would most likely check local towns first. Pokémon around here were often kind enough to take others in that were lost. It was one of the most charming things about visiting Sinnoh* "I think you might have me mistaken for someone else. My name's Autumn, I'm actually here to perform for a friend in the nearby town. I can take you there if you would like? You look like you could use the rest... And if you have someone looking for you, they probably will check around the town first anyways" *I stated softly, hoping to project a similar calmness onto her. If all else failed I could use an enchantment to manipulate her mind to relax, seeing as she would be too exhausted to resist it, poor dear*
Seraphina: *Her eyes narrowed and her brows furrowed, confused and embarrassed. Her already flush face deepened in color as she looked away, mortified. A single tear escaped the corner of her eye and rolled down her cheek, evaporating quickly due to her high body temperature. She had dealt with enough mind games to last a lifetime. She mulled over her options as she stared blankly at the Leafeon. Trusting strangers has gotten her into trouble in the past (ask Stella lol) and she was in an unfamiliar location. Should things get hairy, she had the competitive advantage being a fire type...however, she became increasingly aware of her exhaustion as the Leafeon went in and out of focus, her vision blurring and her reaction time diminished. Surely, she would lose. As she pondered, her mouth hung open ever so slightly, unbeknownst to her. What if the Leafeon was an ally of Faranth's? She couldn't take any chances in this strange place. The encounter with the Houndoom left her concerned enough as is. Should she accept this strangers help? Through her clouded judgement and current state of cognitive impairment she decided it would be best to just scare her off and wait. Surely her friends would come for her? No, she couldn't be trusted. She shook her head slightly to "wake her self up" before waving her hand (claws?) dismissively. Clearly, intimidation wouldn't work in this case, as the Leafeon had just observed her weeping like a child. Still, she'd have to try something. She straightened up her neck and back, opening up her wings slightly (to look larger) as she loomed over the Leafeon, her large body casting a shadow in the moonlight over Autumn.* "Oh...my bad. I uh...I'm fine, just leave me alone, I'm err, waiting for somebody...Go away" *Try as she might, her attempt at a stable, critical tone came out closer to that of a whimpering Rockruff. Her deep blue eyes were shifted to the side, indicating her lack of confidence as she refused to make eye contact.*
Autumn: *The Charizard wavered for a moment, seeming to contemplate deeply over what to do next before waving a claw dismissively. She suddenly stood over me in what I perceived to be an act of intimidation...I wasn't impressed in the slightest. Her form was less than solid, she refused to make eye contact, and her voice was scarce with little force to drive its meaning. Despite this I could tell she would be a challenge if she were in her best condition. however, based upon all that I had observed she was inexperienced in both level and knowledge of sorcerers. This was an advantage that I held over her, one that could easily turn a battle in my favor if things went south. All things considered, I would have to manipulate her mind into trusting me, luckily for me, my specialty as a sorcerer is fire. An element of passion that worked extremely well for me as a grass type. Given that a charizard is a fire type, the process of manipulating her mind would be easy due to her condition. Still, I didn't like performing this type of sorcery as manipulation was considered a darker form than what I should be using. I mumbled my next response, unable to seek another alternative as I could tell that it would rain soon* "I see...If you change your mind, just follow me and I'll take you to the town" *I then drew the runic symbol of "trust" in the air in front of both of us, playing it off as a wave of goodbye so as not to draw suspicion. Of course, the action of waving hopefully wouldn't matter, if the sorcery worked as it was intended then she would think that her actions were of her own will. As I began to leave her the symbol suddenly ignited in front of the charizard. With that I quickened in order to put distance between her and I if the rune didn't work, stopping only just within both of our views. As I awaited her response I suddenly felt a considerable amount of energy sapped away from me, the cost of using such sorcery*
Seraphina: *She exhaled deeply, knowing that her actions appeared foolish in the eyes of the Leafeon. Nevertheless, she felt relieved that her pitiful attempt managed to get the Leafeon to bog off. She observed as the Leafeon waved in a rather peculiar fashion, something like Seraphina had never seen before. It almost appeared to her that she was writing or drawing something* [Must be a 'Sinnoh' thing...] *She thought. She watched as the Leafeon sauntered away before having her attention snatched away by-flames? As the flames danced before her eyes she felt her pupils contract and her body go numb. She felt a strange sensation, reminiscent of the blankness she experienced when she had met Maxine. For a split second she had a thought flash through her mind imploring her to resist but she was quickly spellbound by the promise of trust and the compelling thought of relaxation. She sighed deeply before slumping over somewhat, her body language shifting from one of apprehension to one of ease. The spell would serve to temporarily mollify her suspicion of the the Leafeon. She blinked hard before rubbing her eyes and looking around, seemingly confused. [Wait? What the heck am I doing, she's trying to help and I'm pushing her away! Jeez, I better get a hold of myself before I lose it!] "Hey, uh, wait up. I-I'll go with you...No point in staying out here where it isn't safe. For me that is...Anywho, I believe you, they'll probably look for me in town like you said..." *Her exhaustion and state of mind made her all the more vulnerable to tricks of the mind. She jogs over towards the Leafeon. She felt a sense of kinship towards the stranger, though frankly, she had no idea why. After all they'd known each other for mere minutes. She gave out a final sniff and wiped one last tear, the sorcery subduing her fear and replacing it with a warm feeling of closeness*
Asteria: *An overwhelming sense of relief crashed through me like the white caps of a wave. I had never been so sure, yet unsure about how I felt about anyone. I usually hid myself behind a shield of defensiveness to protect myself from a feeling of weakness. It helped me never to feel vulnerable, yet somehow I was relieved that I didn't have to keep pretending. In this moment, I had completely given it up and somehow Stella accepted me without questions or doubt. Despite all the aggressiveness I had shown her previously. I didn't know what to say to her, my mouth hung open as I tried to react* "Stella..." *I only managed to let out a pitiful tweet before I stepped forward, wrapping my wings around her, I cried happily against her. Enjoying the softness of her feathers. I laughed happily in intense joy. Letting out a joke to her in reaction to her her previous behavior* "Stella, I-I know that we're partners now...but please don't ever preen my neck in public again" *I cooed*
Autumn: *I smiled at the charizard as she walked beside me. From what I could tell by her posture, my spell worked without a hitch. She was now in the pads of my paw, of course, not that it was a bad thing. I just wanted to help her and save her from the impending storm. But now that I thought about it, why was she out in the woods in the first place? And who is she? I hadn't seen her before in these parts, grant it, I didn't live around her either. In fact, I don't even live in this region. I just needed to know the basics, I don't need to take anything too far while she was in this condition. After all, I didn't know to what degree her trust went, she could very easily tell me everything that I want to know in a greater deal then necessary. Better play it safe* "So, what's your name? And where are you from? If you don't mind me asking of course" *I asked as politely as possible, careful to present direct questions in order to avoid learning things I definitely shouldn't know*
Seraphina: *She had a far-off gaze in her eyes as she turned to address the Leafeon. Her face was slightly flush as as she stuttered through her speech* "N-names Seraphina. I came here from Kanto with my f-friends to escape from...her." *Through her clouded mind she tried her best to muster out a response. The spell served to subdue the uneasiness that she should be feeling, resulting in her voice sounding unsure. She seemed to be rather flustered and confused as she spoke, an effect that would likely subside as she adjusted to the effects of the sorcery*
Stella: *She deeply cherished Asteria's warm embrace as she closed her eyes and wrapped her 'good' wing around the small flying type Pokémon. She was thoroughly enjoying the moment before she processed what Asteria had just said, her eyes popping open in surprise. She tried her best to recall what had happened in the clearing under the influence of the berries, but to no avail. She connected the dots, resulting in her feathers giving a ruffled appearance, the equivalent of a blush. She felt mortified, realizing that she must have been a bit too open about how she'd felt about the Talonflame when her inhibitions were hampered. She cleared her throat before looking away an awkwardly apologizing* "Erm, I apologize for my actions..."
Autumn: *I stopped dead in my tracks upon Seraphina's response. The region was all too familiar. Close to where I was born actually. But, if Seraphina was running from someone...Then she must be alive* "Seraphina...I need you to answer a few questions..." *My voice suddenly hardened, no longer resonating my previously gentle tone* "Are you running from Faranth? Do you know Lily? Freyr? Who are your parents? Are you a member of the Sun Guild?" *I rapidly shot off the questions as the answers were of immediate importance. I needed to know what she knew, where she's been, and if she was up to the task of responsibility. She was necessary for defeating her...and Freyr would want to meet her if she is who I think she is*
Xeno: *I pushed passed Lily as she walked down the stairs, in no mood to respond to her question. The thunder off in the distance brought with it every fear that I could have for Seraphina at the moment. My pace suddenly quickened as a result and my appendages rose as I sensed the aura around us. A pulse of aura extended outwards, reaching for anything familiar. This required intense focus to perform such a feat and my face contorted as I strained my mind in response. I continued to walk with my eyes closed. My energy wavered as I was reminded of the lack of sleep that I've had in the past few days* "Maxine...I need your help to keep my energy up" *I stated this quietly, my body shaking as I did so. This action required a lot of energy in time as I had only been able to cover a small area in the time it took us to reach the bottom of the tree*
Seraphina: *She yawned deeply and let out a heavy sigh as she was now incredibly relaxed due to the effects of the spell. She was still just as hungry and exhausted as before, but now was having difficulty focusing on what it was that had made her so upset in the first place. Her cheeks were quite flushed at this point (she's a blushy gal) as she tried to mutter out her response. Her muddled brain was confused by the multitude of questions in quick succession, their disturbing nature confounding her even further (since the spell is forcing her to stay calm). "I-I uh...I know who that is, that name...she's a terrible Pokémon...we had to leave home...because of her..." *She took short pauses during her speech, having to frequently collect her thoughts. The spell alone wasn't what was slowing her down so much, but rather, the mild confusion that followed thinking of unpleasant things under the spells influence.* "Lily? Yeah...I know her..." *she said furrowing her brows* "Everything else? No clue..." *She was having difficulty adjusting to the haze the spell put over her thoughts*
Maxine: "Yes...Yes of course, dear. I'll do what I can." *It was quite unusual for Maxine to use her powers for the benefit of others. Years of honing her mind warping abilities of persuasion strengthened her in ways that could not be seen just from looking at her. What she lacked in offensive ability she more than made-up for in her psychic acuity. She cleared her throat before lowering her head slightly, her eyes and ossicones beginning to glow a faint pink hue. Massive amounts of psychic energy flowed into Xeno to use at his disposal, with the intent of refreshing his mind and increasing the range in which his aura could travel. Of course, she could have just tried scanning the area herself, but combining Xeno and her own abilities would prove to be the most effective choice. She tried her best to focus her psychic energy, as she had not ever used it in such a manner. She closed her eyes as the energy continued to flow into Xeno, not wanting a disturbance to somehow affect how the energy would influence him.*
Drake: *I stared at Kamaria from outside the door, watching her with great interest. I’ve known Lily for quite some time and I remember her mentioning the adventurer before* “So you’re the famous mystery dungeon explorer that helped Lily while I was away, I imagine you must be proud how far she’s come. She’s one of the most requested rescuers in this region now and she acts independently on most jobs. Not many Pokémon can do that”. *I shook my head as I remember a much younger Lily, an eevee that wanted to be an explorer but was too weak to actually accomplish any of the missions on the bulletin board* “She had spirit, I remember when I relied on her more than she relied on me, but that was some time ago...” *I reflected on the past and remembered a time when I was far less intimidating, bullied by my peers even. Lily was the only one there for me at the time, even though she had a completely different past*
Autumn: “hmmm” *I though deeply on the matter. ‘She definitely fit the description of who I was contracted to find from her age and birthplace. Perhaps I should should explain to her the situation, see if any of it would ring any bells. A blood sample could certainly tell me everything I needed to know, but obtaining it would be difficult and would break the spell if I did it myself. Maybe if I just...’ a sudden drop of rain fell on my muzzle, breaking my concentration as I thought about what should be done. A sudden roar of thunder crackled through the air and I could tell that a downpour was imminent. I glanced at Seraphina, a Charizard shouldn’t be out in the rain.* “nevermind the questions darling, let’s get you someplace safe. You can relax with some good food, drinks, and entertainment on me. I’ll pay for everything” *I returned to my normal cheery voice to ease the confused looking Charizard. knowing that we were close, it wouldn’t take long for us to walk the rest of the way, but it was impossible to avoid the rain. So, I whispered under my breath the word for “deflection” which caused another symbol to appear in the air, this time with water instead of fire. A magical dome shined briefly around us in rainbow colors before disappearing entirely. As rain fell, they simply moved around the barrier as if there was glass in the way. Each droplet of water sapped a small amount of energy from me, we needed to move before it got too heavy. I quickened my pace towards the tavern, keeping a close eye on Seraphina to make sure she was still under the protective shield.
Seraphina: *She grinned at the Leafeon in her blushy stupor, quickly dismissing the befuddling questions. She felt the first droplets of the rain hit her skin, causing her eyes to widen in suppressed alarm before she noticed what the Leafeon had been doing. She watched mesmerized as the rainbow colors formed into a luminescent dome before disappearing. She looked up and watched with astonishment as the water droplets poured off of the barrier. She had never seen anything like this before and was filled with childlike wonder, her mouth hanging open ajar.* "H-how'd you do that?!" *Her voice was filled with giddy delight, you could practically "see" the stars in her eyes. She kept pace with the hasty Leafeon, jogging along side her as she looked up at the magical dome as it followed them*
Kamaria: "Moi? Ah, my dungeon exploring days are far behind me now. Oui, that was many moons ago..." *she paused before continuing* "Yes yes, I am quite pleased at Lily's success..." *She continued munching on the crisps that she had found in Lily's cupboard as she reminisced the glory days of traversing through the endless mystery dungeons. She was quite the skilled explorer at the time, known throughout the region for her high success rate and unmatched speed. She heaved out a heavy sigh while she was deep in thought, quickly clutching at her abdomen half-way through her breath. She felt a sharp cutting pain due to her wound, causing her to let out a hiss. Though she usually toughed out the pain of her injuries, she found herself searching Lily's colossal medicine cabinet for some dried Cheri berry, a powerful pain killer that was hard to come by.
Autumn: “...” *it took me a moment to collect my thoughts on what Seraphina was asking and I wasn’t sure it was safe to explain it* “well...what I’m doing is called sorcery. A uh type of magic if you will. Most Pokémon can’t use it, but it’s found in everyone...It’s an ancient trait that existed a long time ago, back when Pokémon lived under kingdoms. It was passed down among ancient lines genetically and works similarly to the move hidden power. Pokémon who are able to tap into this magic are able to use their very spirit to manipulate certain elements. It’s unfortunately not something I can teach you...The charaizard tribes didn’t have a lot of Pokémon who carried that gene” *I paused for a moment, my tone shifting darker as I recalled the history of sorcerors and enchanters* “Consider yourself lucky, sorcerers such as myself tend to get mixed up in lots of dangerous battles, it’s our own little curse. It’s also the reason why we’re banned in a lot of cities, the sign of the sun guild no longer having a good name among Pokémon” *I tapped the front of my silver armour breastplate that I was wearing, drawing attention to the large sun-like sigil that was carved into the front and the amethyst crystal that lay in its center* “Don’t tell anyone that I told you this, lately we’ve been trying to lie low to see if we can be forgotten entirely and reclaim a good name. You must promise me this, promise not to tell anyone” *my face adorned a serious expression as the smile disappeared from view* “Sorcerors take promises very seriously, a promise binds your soul with mine. I’ll know if you break it.” *I stopped to reach out a paw to Seraphina, a sigil of both fire and water dancing in my hand. Though potentially intimidating, the sigil wasn’t harmful, it represented my spirit, and I had heard it to feel warm and gentle from Orion. The only Pokémon that I had made a promise to before*
Drake: “Did she ever tell you about me?” *I mumbled the question, remembering how I had abandoned Lily on the adventuring team due to my constantly shifting ‘personality’. I hadn’t given it much thought since it happened, it served as a permanent reminder of my previous life, a life that I would rather forget now*
