[@Pirouette] 

The map was bought, Elana doing her duty as the one currently in charge of the store, and then nodded with a little smile as Erika said she’d call, and waited calmly as she clarified herself. [color=f0b4a3]‘I’ll look forward to it.’[/color] She simply responded with a smirk, before waving her off and then leaning back to play with her phone again. Though, then, as Erika left, Ewan entered. A short while later, Ewan came out again stuffing several documents of maps into his bag.

[color=668570]‘You bought… all the maps?’[/color] A somewhat wide-eyed Joshua asked him.

[color=decdad]‘… In case we get lost. We’ll explore naturally until then.’[/color] Ewan swiftly addressed what he assumed was Joshua’s concern. Joshua gave a slight smirk, but then turned worried again.

[color=668570]‘Dude. Weren’t you the one saving money while I wasted mine?’[/color] Joshua quickly asked, looking on fearfully.

[color=decdad]‘I was saving them to spend at a time like this.’[/color] Ewan simply replied. Joshua laughed a little hesitantly, looking fearfully at his friend.

[color=668570]‘So, how much do you have left?’[/color] Joshua asked.

[color=decdad]‘205P.’[/color] Ewan replied the miniscule amount, making Joshua recoil and laugh a bit.

[color=668570]‘Well! Guess we’re gonna have to earn some money, then!’[/color] Joshua chuckled, as they turned to embark from the town.

Before that, Erika went to the Pokémart, to get 5 Potions and 3 Pokéballs. 3 Pokéballs go for 600P, 5 Potions for 1500P. That’s 2100P total. As long as she was fine with this price, she can add these to her inventory. Now, then.

To leave Lakewatch Town, they probably had to cross water. Joshua proudly took the chance to offer himself to be Erika’s personal rowman for the moment, so she could sit and be all comfortable in the canoe while he stood and rowed for her. She could act as she pleased about that. A short while later, they could bind the canoe on the opposite side of town, and they could embark.

Onwards, towards…

[hider=Route 5][center][h2]Route 5[/h2]

[url=https://i.imgur.com/ooiWtLz.jpg][img]https://i.imgur.com/ydwR9zd.jpg[/img][/url][/center]

Just as Stillwood Village is the least visited settlement in Isson, Route 5 is among the least travelled routes on Isson main landmass. The route is a steady incline from Lakewatch Town to Stillwood Village, with some elements of the base of Mt. Chill nearby, the waters of Dragon Lake next to it too, sporadic forest from that surrounding Stillwood Village and some of the plain elements from route 6 as well, along with a very traveller-friendly road makes Route 5 perhaps one of the most naturally stunning routes of Isson. There are no roads for asphalt here, only travellers are explorers seeking or exiting Lakewatch Town for some reason, as well as Pokémon trainers on their journeys.

A peaceful route without any real dangers, it still offers a lot of variation. Walk on the west side by the waters of Dragon Lake to potentially encounter some Pokémon of the lake. Walk by the mountains on the east and perhaps feel some of the radiating cold of the range of Mt. Chill to perhaps see some more mountainous Pokémon or maybe an ice Pokémon that stumbled out of their caves. The route is a bit cold, attributed perhaps best to the proximity to the Frozen Cavern, and it gets colder the closer the mountain you go. Multiple rivers run down from the mountains, part of Mt. Chill that melts, but efficient wooden bridges help passage over. And of course, patches of forest here and there.

The south of Route 5 opens up towards what people call the Vast Plains, or simply Route 6. There parts of the Endless Forest spread out to make things a bit more covered in trees, but as soon as you leave this forest, all you’ll see is plains as far as you can see, and that’d be Route 6. On the other side of the route is the forest that covers Stillwood Village, you need to enter the forest to get to the village. At the middle by the lake is Lakewatch Town, resting a bit above Dragon Lake. And, of course, the passage up to the Frozen Cavern lies up that hill, for those who want to brave the range that leads towards the enclosed and frozen Route 9 on the other side.[/hider]

… And as one travels Route 5, one might realize that the route’s grass contain many Deerlings walking around, enjoying the relative lack of humans and other dangers. Upon approach of any humans the timid Pokémon are however quick to run and hide in any patches of tall grass or forests they can find. Most of them are pink in color, not really helping them hide anywhere as their spring-form’s really colorful, but closer to the Frozen Cavern there are Deerlings that still haven’t shifted from their winter form.

[center][url=https://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/6/68/585Deerling-Spring.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/aWwOddi.png[/img][/url] [url=https://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/d/d4/585Deerling-Winter.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/iqjHr5s.png[/img][/url][/center]

[center][color=6ecff6][i]Pokédex Entry #585 – Deerling, the Season Pokémon. A Pokémon known to live in mountain grass, it changes it’s appearance based on current temperature and humidity, effectively giving it a new form for each season. People used them to foretell the current season. They live in herds and are very timid with other living beings, hiding quickly.[/i][/color][/center]

And, also. Every here and there on the route there’s a couple of rather distinct leaves just sticking up at random, sometimes in very odd locations like in the middle of the road or right in the middle of nowhere. If Erika couldn’t figure it out by herself, Ewan could point it out for her. They’re sleeping Oddishes.

[center][url=https://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/4/43/043Oddish.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/7f0Qaw5.png[/img][/url][/center]

[center][color=6ecff6][i]Pokédex Entry #43 – Oddish, the Weed Pokémon. During the day, Oddish finds nutrient-rich soil to sleep in and absorbs, specially preferring cold soil. When touched by the moonlight, it then pulls itself up and starts wandering, spreading its pollen and looking for a new place to sleep. If it is pulled up by an aggressor during the day, it shrieks out loudly.[/i][/color][/center]

… So, yeah, it’d find plenty of cold soil on this route next to the Frozen Cavern. Natural Oddish habitat.

That’s what was immediately obvious, but surely, there was more waiting around here, largely depending on where they’d look. Now, then. What now?

[hider=Suggestions to actions]1. Find Pokémon. [i]Can be specified what kind of Pokémon is being searched for, and how you search.[/i]
2. Train Pokémon. [i]With this command, we can jump ahead in time and skip posting about grinding.[/i]
3. Seek trainers. [i]While not many, there are still trainers and explorers in the area, mostly trying to get to the next.[/i]
4. Talk. [i]You could seek someone out to talk to them, if you want to.[/i]
5. Move along. [i]Move along normally, letting any events that may come happen naturally.[/i]
6. Hurry along. [i]Intentionally avoid confrontations and try to get safely to the next destination.[/i]
7. Specify. [i]If you specify what you want to do, the GM will take it into account and tell the result.[/i]
8. Trigger random event. [i]Force the GM to use his imagination to make a scenario for you.[/i]
9. Area Specific: Random House. [i]Uh. There’s an excessively out-of-place red house in the middle of the route, the door standing wide-open. … Want to visit?[/i][/hider]

[i]Connected areas: [/i]
Lakewatch Town. [i]Right behind you.[/i]
Stillwood Village. [i]In the north lies the forest which hides the village, Mt. Strength lying behind it..[/i]
Route 6. [i]Vast plains start in the south-east, this route leads towards Raremine Town.[/i]
Frozen Cavern. [i]After an incline up to the ridge of Mt. Chill, a cavern of ice could guide the way to Route 9 and Cooldome City.[/i]
Endless Forest. [i]To the south, a dark forest looms. There are no indications as to why you’d ever want to go there.[/i]

[hider=Route 5, known Pokémon]Common:
#43 Oddish
#585 Deerling

Uncommon:

Rare:[/hider]

__________________________

[@Rune_Alchemist]

Froakie Quick Attacked, away from the larger Fighting-type, just about exactly in time to avoid a huge slab of concrete being swung down and cracking open the floor beneath him, increasing the damage. Froakie stumbled a bit further away, it’s huge eyes even wider as it considered what kind of danger it had just been in… but then Conkeldurr came flying.

[color=c75b14]‘Alright, Conkeldurr! Chase him down!’[/color] Hector commanded, giving a glance at where Ralia had mounted Lure, but otherwise focused on the current target.

So, Froakie with Quick Attack was clearly faster. But, Conkeldurr had a slew of experience and was much, much stronger, and used its own slabs to launch itself off the floor at where he predicted Froakie would be. The little frog, so far, managed to precisely dodge as Conkeldurr smashed up more and more of the floor, turning the arena uneven and very hard for Froakie to dash around without stumbling. Somewhere Conkeldurr managed to pick up the second slab, and a very panicked Froakie was trying to Quick Attack around on the remaining floor while Conkeldurr launched himself at the frog.

Froakie was getting tired, so many Quick Attacks in a row was taking on his limbs. Conkeldurr, while getting more and more damaged by the poison in his veins, showed none of this exhaustion. If this continued, it was clear that sooner or later, Froakie would make a mistake.

But for now, he lived.

[color=b39b7b]‘CONKELDURR…!’[/color] The enemy roared, hunting to predict where Froakie’s Quick Attack would go next with confidence, and Froakie was preparing to attempt dodging again. Ralia and Lure had been allowed to have their conversation for now. Though, yeah. Without assistance, Froakie was probably out pretty soon.