[@Joshua Tamashii][@Lunarlord34] Everything made an active effort to avoid Steph's attempt at training her Pokemon more lest they would be reduced to nothing, but experience points. Yup, that was definitely the reason. It was not like the GM was not trying to keep everyone from getting over leveled. Yup. Anyway! The Aipom pouted, dissatisfied that it had not gotten the reaction that it sought. It just climbed up higher in the towering trees until it disappeared from sight. Well, it was not like they were going to go after the mischievous ape. After all, Amelia was the one that was trying to direct them away from potentially chopping down or climbing up a tree from getting to the ape. Well, at least Freya was trying not to at least. [color=ed145b]"Alright, fine. It gets to see another day,"[/color] she said with a shrug and followed Amelia's lead. What was she going to do? Not follow the small medium currently at large that could hopefully lead them through the woods? Well, maybe she should have not done exactly that. The further in they went in the forest, the darker it got as the canopy above somehow grew denser with each step they took on what was increasingly becoming an incline. Stone and other bits of dirt crunched beneath their feet as mist began to roll in and the sound of rushing water could be heard down below. [hider=You're now entering...] [center][h1]Deep Starbor Woods[/h1][/center] [center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/05/a9/f9/05a9f921f97eff95ff1e893715c5f6a5.jpg[/img][/center] Deep Starbor Woods was a place that many actively avoided and perhaps for good reason. The mist that permeated the area cutdown the visibility within the woods and somehow, the canopy above was thicker than before, making it darker. This was a tad big dangerous as there were some drops that if someone were not paying attention, they would find themselves with some very broken limbs or fall in a river down below. That is if they don't fall in some webs and find themselves on the wrong end of a hungry bug-type. Actually, people just needed to be careful of these webs in general as they were littered all over the place. Due to the lack of people travelling and lack of people volunteering to enter, the path that led to the Deep Woods was essentially now just a dirt, rocky path covered with moss. Yes, this place was not exactly a place that experienced a lot of foot-traffic in general, but that meant that there were possibly encounters that people had limited experience about or never had seen before. From what can be seen, the Pokemon responsible for all of the webs in the area were these green spiders with markings meant to scare predators away from them. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/IFd1Bl4.png?1[/img][/center] [color=6ecff6][i][center]Pokédex Entry #167 – Spinarak, the String Spit Pokémon. With threads from its mouth, it fashions sturdy webs that won't break even if you set a rock on them. Although the poison from its fangs isn't that strong, it's potent enough to weaken prey that gets caught in its web. [/center][/i][/color] There were also these horned caterpillar things with big, pink, round noses and every now and again, sentient yellow cocoons could be seen hanging above from strings of white. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/pEjZVSw.png?1[/img][/center] [color=6ecff6][i][center]Pokédex Entry #013 – Weedle, the Hairy Bug Pokémon. Weedle has an extremely acute sense of smell. It is capable of distinguishing its favorite kinds of leaves from those it dislikes just by sniffing with its big red proboscis (nose). [/center][/i][/color] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/rrtMsPR.png?1[/img][/center] [color=6ecff6][i][center]Pokédex Entry #014 – Kakuna, the Cocoon Pokémon. Kakuna remains virtually immobile as it clings to a tree. However, on the inside, it is extremely busy as it prepares for its coming evolution. This is evident from how hot the shell becomes to the touch. [/center][/i][/color] However, the main reason as to why many people avoided took the form of very angry bees with drills for arms. You know what they are. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/LlkNNM9.png?1[/img][/center] [color=6ecff6][i][center]Pokédex Entry #015 – Beedrill, the Poison Bee Pokémon. Beedrill is extremely territorial. No one should ever approach its nest—this is for their own safety. If angered, they will attack in a furious swarm. [/center][/i][/color] [color=ed145b]"Sheesh, can't exactly say that this is a welcoming place."[/color] Freya said with a shudder. She made an effort to stay smack in the middle of the path away from the intricately detailed webbing that hung from the trees and whatever open crevice they could be made in. Her eyes shifted about to get a grasp of their surroundings though the path was windy, and the mist clung to the air like a sap to skin. However, as she turned her head and came face to face with a Spinarak just hanging around on a web, minding its own business, barely a couple of inches from her. [color=8dc73f]Spin?[/color] It tilted its head quite adorably at Freya though the color had run from her face. Her mouth opened and never had Amelia nor Steph ever heard anyone or anything living or otherwise make such a horrible screech in their lives. The poor young woman looked like she was about to keel over even though that unfortunate Spinarak had already scuttled away in a fright. [color=ed145b]"Spiders, why is it always spiders?"[/color] The older girl looked down to Amelia and asked, [color=ed145b]"Please tell me we don't have much further to go."[/color] Amelia would definitely feel that they were getting closer, but because they were getting closer, she could finely point out that it was not that this part of the forest was specifically haunted with ghost-types. Rather, there was a point in the forest that had an unusual concentration of these spooky critters. From her experience from her nightly escapades in the Mellow Grove, the graveyard near Florasong, she could draw her own conclusions. What do they do? [hider=Deep Starbor Woods] Common: #013-Weedle #014-Kakuna #015-Beedrill #167-Spinarak Uncommon: Rare: #123-Scyther [/hider] [/hider] [hr] [@Zarkun] Helga looked up towards Jason while she treated his Pokemon, currently the very sparkly Totodile. She was applying ointment to the gator on her table before he came back in from whatever business he had outside. [color=C7B56F] "No thank you for patching up your Pokemon? How rude. Isn't that right?"[/color] The gently pat Sable on the head with her oversized gorilla hands before she returned it to its own ball. [color=C7B56F] "Still, I have to say. You're really living up to your epitaph."[/color] She lumbered over to her cabinets and began to fish around them; a gentle clatter of dishes could be heard. With her back towards him she said, [color=C7B56F]"There is no shortcut, Jason. I understand that you're impatient, but you will not find strength by rushing headlong and it will bring you no peace. To seek strength recklessly, no matter well intentioned, only brings despair."[/color] Helga pulled a couple of wooden plates out though in her hands they looked more like toys used by kids when pretending to be cooks. She placed them on the table before returned her focus to Jason. [color=C7B56F]"Continue your journey and grow, that is your only course of action. Face its challenges and adversities, and then perhaps you will become stronger. Was that not your original plan anyway?"[/color] She looked apologetic for not being able to give him the answer that he was looking for though she had things that she needed to do. [color=C7B56F] "But right now, what you need is rest. You're no good to anyone if you burn yourself out. Now be a dear and sit down while I make some food."[/color] If her coffee was anything to go by, this could be horrifying.