In hindsight, leaving the path by which she came hadn't been the wisest choice Olivie could have made. A sprint back to the place she though she'd left it to follow the Nidoran tracks revealed only another stretch of thick forest. A sinking feeling soon set in, and Bernard echoed the realization that, despite losing the enraged but rather slow Nidoqueen and Nidoking, the day's misadventures had only just begin. With their Pokemon serving as extra eyes and ears, Bernard and Olivie steeled themselves to find a way out of the confusing fairy woods. They could not have known, of course, that every panicked step away from the Nido burrow left them deeper and deeper within. Hours passed. Never did the group come across the same landmark, be it a fallen tree or a Pokemon hive, but the terrain simply would not end. Only the rustle of grass and the crunch of twigs beneath shoes and feet remained the same. Still, the monotonous exercise took a toll on the trainers and their partners. Olivie felt herself steadily growing more dazed as her fatigue and frustration built up, and Bernard didn't seem to be doing any better. The sheer variety of the forest floor through which they navigated demanded constant attention and movement, and in what seemed like no time the brunette's ankles, soles, calves, and spine were killing her. A short while after midday, judging by the bright light streaming through the canopy from directly overhead, the waylaid crew stopped on a grassy knoll near a babbling book. Olivie laid flat on the ground after splashing water over her face, while Bernard produced rations from his backpack to hand out. The Pokemon took care of themselves for the most part. Gespenst rooted himself in the soul with his withered flower beneath the sun, ready to photosynthesize. After finding a patch of mushrooms, Verrine picked and ate them voraciously, ignoring the Lopunny Gretel who nibbled in silence on grass nearby. Buck put his prominent buckteeth to work on the bark of a young aspen tree, tearing away the outer covering to gnaw at the tender, supple fibers beneath. After receiving leave to go, Painkiller vanished into the underbrush without a moment's, and did not return for the duration of the communal meal. Olivie's new Nidoran, meanwhile, lay beside his new trainer on the knoll. Bizarrely, he seemed completely amenable to the idea of having a master, or perhaps being away from his overlarge family. An Oran berry, plucked from a shrub opposite the brook, brought him back to health. Before long, the group set off once again. This time, only two Pokemon remained outside their pokeballs: Verrine and Painkiller. Following the Bisharp's return from parts unknown, Olivie had avoided him, for when he appeared he had a telltale stain of blood near his mouth. The idea of such a terrifying metal monster voraciously hunting and devouring prey unnerved her, but in the end, a forest seemingly without end unnerved her more. The energy regained from the rest melted away, replaced by feelings of hollowness. Olivie began to loathe the Pansear that rejected her ownership, for she could have at least burned down a few of these blasted trees. Time slid by and the group trudged on. Her gait become slower and lazier, matching her rival's, until the two couldn't trudge on any longer. They collapsed against a towering tree. As she slid to the ground, wheezing, Olivie wanted to get mad at herself but couldn't find the energy to. [color=954535]“Jeez...what is wrong with me...? I can run a mile a day no sweat, and I exercise all the time. A little hike in the forest shouldn't be...be any problem.”[/color] A yawn forced its way out. The sunlight was hinting at orange. Was the day already nearing its end? It felt like only a few moments...or like forever. The girl couldn't tell. [color=3EB489]”I know what you mean. I'm not as good physically, but even still, I'm pooped. Not 'collapse from exhaustion' as much as, um, 'drop asleep', though. What a boring day, after all that action in the morning.”[/color] Something clicked in Olivie's mind. She shouldn't be feeling as poorly as she did. There was no good reason at all. She slept well, ate well, and was in good condition. So why did she feel like a sack of potatoes gone moldy? [color=954535]”Wait a sec. Wasn't the deal with fairy-type Pokemon that they do all sorts of crap to lure people out into the forest and never let them go?”[/color] The thought that she might have been had, all of a sudden, got her worked up. [color=954535]”I bet there's some kind of fairy foul play goin' on. Any way we can track it down?”[/color] Her out-of-the-blue conviction inspired a little pep in Bernard as well. [color=3EB489]”Uh...yeah! Painkiller would be alright, but if anyone can take on a fairy, it's Scylla. She's very good against all kinds of non-physical attacks, and its Poison typing...well, I'll just show you.”[/color] In a flash, the Tentacruel appeared. Bernard relayed his directions immediately, and his Pokemon raised her tentacles into the air as if feeling the breeze. In dead silent, it turned ninety degrees to the left and began to float forward. Olivie charged after her with Verrine tucked beneath her arm like a football, and Bernard followed right behind with Painkiller. Night fell, turning Feyhollow Forest grim as a fairy tale. Pinpricks of light appeared among the trees, dancing merrily. Olivie ignored them as best she could, focusing on the glowing orbs of the Tentacruel before her. A song drifted to her through the still air, though she couldn't say if it were her imagination or something really out there. Before long, a whole host of lights became visible through the darkness. Olivie gasped in awe at the rhythmically flashing assortment of pinks, purples, and blues. Behind her, a sharp intake of breath signaled that Bernard saw them, too—and that he didn't like what they saw. [color=3EB489]”Oh my God. That's more Morelull than I've ever seen. Olive, we've gotta run. If we keep looking, they can put us to sleep. Forever.”[/color] Olivie stirred from her observation to shake her head and point at a shape revealed by the eerie light. [color=954535]”Look.”[/color] Among the Morelull, and brushed by the feelers of a Sylveon, a woman scarcely older than Olivie plodded along mindlessly. From her, the hair-raising song resounded. [color=954535]”I wasn't imaginin' it. They've hypnotized that chick or something.”[/color] A hand clamped down on her shoulder. When she tore her eyes away from the Morelull to look, the girl found Bernard looking very serious. [color=3EB489]”I saw. But fighting them all is impossible. Scylla is trained to fight fairies but we're not. They can hypnotize us just as well, or put us to sleep, unless you wanna get poisoned.”[/color] [color=954535]”Poisoned? Whaddya mean?”[/color] A narrow pair of eyes scrutinized Bernard as if they could find that he meant etched in his face. The bespectacled young man scratched his head. [color=3EB489]”Well, the shock of the poison would prevent us from falling asleep. But it could also, I dunno, kill us! I mean, I really do want to help, but we'd be really sticking our necks out for the axe.”[/color] Already, Olivie's fighting gloves were on. She turned to face the group of fairy-types, now drawing too close for comfort, with a look of rage on her face. [color=954535]”I've made my decision, and I'll bet my life on it! Hit me up!”[/color] From her Pokeball she released her new Nidoran, who shook his head aggressively at the flickering lights close by. Scylla and Painkiller advanced to stand by Olivie's side, and once Bernard reluctantly nodded his approval, the Tentacruel brushed both her trainer and the brunette with her tentacles. Immediately the poison surged through their veins, causing the sensations of burning coldness as well as pins and needles to afflict them. Their hands shook and their heads hurt, but they stood ready to battle to save Cici. [hider=The Benevolent Beauty Turned Boisterous Bruiser] [b]Current Location:[/b] Feyhollow Forest [b]TP:[/b] 33 + 1 = 34 [b]CP:[/b] 16+ 1 = 17 [b]Interaction:[/b] [@LuckyBlackCat]'s Cecilia Taylor (The Resonant Raven-haired Roamer) [b]Pokemon:[/b] Buck the Bidoof – lvl 3 (battle) – healthy, winded Gespenst the Cacnea – lvl 4 (battle) – healthy, winded Verrine the Karrablast – lvl 3 – healthy Nidoran♂ - lvl 1 - unconscious [/hider]