Post by sandragon13 on Oct 30, 2007 23:55:06 GMT -5
The last rays of the fading sun streaked the darkening sky as the world slowly plunged into night. A valley of rolling dunes, rusty copper in the twilight, lay quiet beneath the blackness stretching from the east. Not a creature stirred, the only movement a gentle breeze stirring the dry grass. Through the massive shadows of the dunes, a group of young trainers wandered, as if lost at sea. Each was unique, matching any description one could imagine. These strangers had assembled here, beckoned by some unknown, unrecognizable calling, to gather. The vale was massive, stretching to the horizon in all directions. It was not so much the size that disturbed them, only the sheer, deathly stillness of it all. The wind made hardly a whisper as it passed their ears, carrying with it no sound. With night drawing close around them, some among the group were tense, others eager to meet whatever fate lay in store for them. Though they felt anxious, ready, nothing could prepare them for what lay in wait for them ahead.
Cresting a great ridge of sand, the group was startled to notice a figure, barely visible against the dark dune, standing on the next rise. It appeared to watch them for a second, then vanish into thin air, leaving not a trace behind. The one known as zuty rubbed his eyes and peered into the shadow.
“Gadzooks,” he said to himself, wondering if anybody else saw what had just occurred. “Did anybody else see what just occurred?” he asked, “just wondering.”
“I saw something too,” said pikafan, moving to the front of the group and standing beside zuty. “It was…ragged-looking. Whatever it was, I hope it doesn’t decide to follow us, especially in the dark.”
“Maybe it was a Blastoise, you know, like sandragon’s. After all, we haven’t seen him since we got to this area,” offered lunit, joining the two mods.
“I like turtles,” commented zuty, gazing into the distance.
“Yes, we know,” said pikafan, rolling his eyes at the nonsensical statement. “In any case, we have to keep moving. Whatever has brought us to this place is still calling us, and we’re not going to find it by just standing here.”
With that, the group continued down the dune, toward where the figure had stood mere minutes before. Little did they know that they were still being watched…
A few minutes later, the small group of trainers had descended to the shadowy crevasse between the two great sand ridges. The sun was all but gone, the burgundy twilight above giving way to black like the dying embers of a fire. Suddenly, zuty halted.
“Hang on, I think I hear something…It’s coming from that way,” as he pointed down the gap, where the shadow was deepest. From the blackness the group was able to discern a group of figures, hobbling along towards them. Instinctively, hands snapped to belt-mounted pokeballs, ready to fight whatever menace now approached them. Suddenly, a deep, gravelly voice spoke, from the direction of the attacker.
“At ease, children. We mean you no harm.”
With that, the first of the figures emerged from the deep darkness. An old man, hunched over and dressed in torn clothing, made his way forward. On either side of him, a tall, thorny Cacturne watched the group carefully. lunit glanced behind the man; a number more of the scarecrow Pokemon lurked in the shadows, their yellow eyes silently glaring. Directly behind the old stranger, however, is what had captured the group’s true attention; a towering cactuslike Pokemon they had never seen before. It was bristling with spines, head was adorned with a large hatlike structure, eyes that glowed gold with supernatural power, and carrying what appeared to be a massive scythe. Much of this large, unknown Pokemon was still hidden by the shadows of the dune, but enough of it was visible to strike fear into the entire group.
“I have been sent,” began the old man, snapping the group’s attention away from the barbed monster behind him, “by an old friend. He extends his regards to those who wander the Desert Land in pursuit of glory, knowledge, and truth. In honor of this ancient holiday,” he motioned toward the rusty harvest moon now rising in the eastern sky, “he has decided to award those brave souls who have survived thus far. The desert holds many secrets, and not all of them were meant to be known.”
With that, he motioned to a Cacturne that flanked him. The Grass/Dark type stepped forward, holding in its arms a large, ornate chest.
“Within this chest lies your reward. You each may choose one, but I only have one of each. Choose wisely.”
Lifting the lid of the dark wooden chest, small inlaid jewels glinting in the rising moonlight, he stepped back and allowed the group a look inside. Nestled in dark velvet-lined grooves lay a number of odd pokeballs, some in colors and designs never seen before. The shiny paint on each reflected the moon’s glow as the group gathered round.
zuty noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Glancing upward, he managed to discern the outline of a large, black bird soaring overhead, flanked by a pair of green, dragonlike Pokemon. sandragon had struck again, he realized, vanishing just as silently as he had come.
Within the chest lay:
-A blue-and-black ball with a pale-yellow crescent marking
-A dark-blue ball with azure bubbles atop it
-A red ball with yellow markings
-A greenish-blue ball with black netting
-A yellow ball with a red-and-blue triangle dividing it horizontally
-A blue ball with a pair of red spots near the sides
-An ordinary, red pokeball, with a chip in the paint near the side.
-A black ball with a pair of yellow stripes
-A ball that is entirely crimson-A white ball with a red band dividing it
-A red pokeball with no paint chips
And one empty groove, containing nothing. It appears there was once a ball here…
-sandragon13
Cresting a great ridge of sand, the group was startled to notice a figure, barely visible against the dark dune, standing on the next rise. It appeared to watch them for a second, then vanish into thin air, leaving not a trace behind. The one known as zuty rubbed his eyes and peered into the shadow.
“Gadzooks,” he said to himself, wondering if anybody else saw what had just occurred. “Did anybody else see what just occurred?” he asked, “just wondering.”
“I saw something too,” said pikafan, moving to the front of the group and standing beside zuty. “It was…ragged-looking. Whatever it was, I hope it doesn’t decide to follow us, especially in the dark.”
“Maybe it was a Blastoise, you know, like sandragon’s. After all, we haven’t seen him since we got to this area,” offered lunit, joining the two mods.
“I like turtles,” commented zuty, gazing into the distance.
“Yes, we know,” said pikafan, rolling his eyes at the nonsensical statement. “In any case, we have to keep moving. Whatever has brought us to this place is still calling us, and we’re not going to find it by just standing here.”
With that, the group continued down the dune, toward where the figure had stood mere minutes before. Little did they know that they were still being watched…
A few minutes later, the small group of trainers had descended to the shadowy crevasse between the two great sand ridges. The sun was all but gone, the burgundy twilight above giving way to black like the dying embers of a fire. Suddenly, zuty halted.
“Hang on, I think I hear something…It’s coming from that way,” as he pointed down the gap, where the shadow was deepest. From the blackness the group was able to discern a group of figures, hobbling along towards them. Instinctively, hands snapped to belt-mounted pokeballs, ready to fight whatever menace now approached them. Suddenly, a deep, gravelly voice spoke, from the direction of the attacker.
“At ease, children. We mean you no harm.”
With that, the first of the figures emerged from the deep darkness. An old man, hunched over and dressed in torn clothing, made his way forward. On either side of him, a tall, thorny Cacturne watched the group carefully. lunit glanced behind the man; a number more of the scarecrow Pokemon lurked in the shadows, their yellow eyes silently glaring. Directly behind the old stranger, however, is what had captured the group’s true attention; a towering cactuslike Pokemon they had never seen before. It was bristling with spines, head was adorned with a large hatlike structure, eyes that glowed gold with supernatural power, and carrying what appeared to be a massive scythe. Much of this large, unknown Pokemon was still hidden by the shadows of the dune, but enough of it was visible to strike fear into the entire group.
“I have been sent,” began the old man, snapping the group’s attention away from the barbed monster behind him, “by an old friend. He extends his regards to those who wander the Desert Land in pursuit of glory, knowledge, and truth. In honor of this ancient holiday,” he motioned toward the rusty harvest moon now rising in the eastern sky, “he has decided to award those brave souls who have survived thus far. The desert holds many secrets, and not all of them were meant to be known.”
With that, he motioned to a Cacturne that flanked him. The Grass/Dark type stepped forward, holding in its arms a large, ornate chest.
“Within this chest lies your reward. You each may choose one, but I only have one of each. Choose wisely.”
Lifting the lid of the dark wooden chest, small inlaid jewels glinting in the rising moonlight, he stepped back and allowed the group a look inside. Nestled in dark velvet-lined grooves lay a number of odd pokeballs, some in colors and designs never seen before. The shiny paint on each reflected the moon’s glow as the group gathered round.
zuty noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Glancing upward, he managed to discern the outline of a large, black bird soaring overhead, flanked by a pair of green, dragonlike Pokemon. sandragon had struck again, he realized, vanishing just as silently as he had come.
Within the chest lay:
-A dark-blue ball with azure bubbles atop it
-A blue ball with a pair of red spots near the sides
-A black ball with a pair of yellow stripes
And one empty groove, containing nothing. It appears there was once a ball here…
-sandragon13