Dr.Gunsforhands
It's been a heck of an afternoon in the town of Lakeside.

The date is June 11th, 202X. It's been a muggy summer so far, but that much is something you get used to in the part of the country. It's not enough to stop you from taking a walk to run errands, as loath as you might be to do so this close to the local Sheriff's office. Then again, perhaps you're purposefully out to protest or harass them. While few in Lakeside would openly agree with you, you know Sheriff Wallace Leijon to be the worst of a loathsome lot. He lies to get convictions, to defend his subordinates' numerous human rights abuses, to take bribes from the wealthy and to keep the poor in line. He's gained popularity and won reelection as a single father raising a teenage daughter, but if you happen to know Lily, you know that's hardly a point in his favor.

All these thoughts and more likely occur to you as you see a passing cop car or the station itself in the distance on your walk. Just then, your train of thought is interrupted. The strange app that recently appeared on your phone, which despite its resemblance to Pokémon insists on calling itself  Meta-Nav , loaded itself up and started spamming notifications about a gym and monsters nearby. As you dealt with that, the fog around you thickened to the point where it was nigh impossible to see where you were going. No matter how you tried to navigate, your usual sidewalk somehow took you to the edge of a forest, where you met up with a few other wanderers in the same situation.

 
 Spoiler: Tech EDU DC 7 
The app seems to download itself from an invisible source, using neither cellular data nor wi-fi in the process. You vaguely recall stories of a virus in Japan that did something similar with a swath of PDAs and handheld consoles, collectively known as COMPs. That would have been almost 20 years ago, though, likely before you were born. The so-called Demon Summoning Program is mostly a meme these days, the original reports now inseparable from the silly copypastas they later spawned.
 

 
 Spoiler: Occult EDU DC 7 
The fog makes you feel hazy and disoriented, like you're walking into a dream. The forest strikes you as a dreamlike liminal space, too. Somehow, deep down, you know you're not in Proverbial Kansas anymore.
 

 
 Spoiler: General EDU DC 7 
Fog is extremely unusual this time of year; it usually only happens in winter. Also, the park in town doesn't have a dense light-blocking canopy looming overhead, like it's trying to be a rainforest and almost succeeding.
 


This place looks a little like a park in town that you know, but if that's where you are, this part of it is entirely unfamiliar to you. Any attempt to reorient yourself or call out using your phone returns nothing but garbage noise. While you're waiting for service to come back, though, Meta-Nav cheerfully gives you something to do - there's a monster to catch, and wouldn't you know it, it's probably one of your favorites! It looks like it's hurt or something, though? Maybe it's just the tutorial. You touch the starting pokéball icon and swipe it up to throw it...

...only for it to literally launch out of your phone and catch a monster that has somehow appeared in front of you in reality.

That's certainly something!

You don't have much time to think about it, though. As the ball dematerializes and returns to your phone as an icon, you see a pair of inhuman shadows approaching in the fog, inky black monsters that look like a combination of a rat and a slug. They shout at you with chittering and distorted voices. "HEy! ComE BaCk here! yoU wiLl pAy for pOacHinG poKémon oN LeIjon terRitory!"

They lunge your way, and it quickly becomes apparent that they're immune to normal weapons or to reason. You flee into the fog the way you came, and  end up in a situation already described. 
 
 Spoiler: Same as the OOC intro 
 As the chittering, bucktoothed shadows chase you through the brush, you find a small building at the woods' edge. It's unfamiliar, but the light pouring out through its windows and a neon Pokéball sign seem to indicate that it's open. Without a second thought, you dive inside and pull the door closed behind you. The shadows slam against the glass and try to claw their way through, but you just manage to seal it and turn the lock.

Relieved, you finally get a look at the building's interior. A large fan above the hanging light fixture casts a faint, rotating shadow on the ceiling in an otherwise well-lit waiting area, with a few benches of seats and a single computer in the corner like you'd find in a hotel. At the other end of the room, a young woman in a cartoonish nurse uniform watches you from behind a counter. Her yellow eyes are striking, though so far they only seem to express mild amusement.

"Hello, trainers. Welcome to our Pokémon center!" 
 

 
 Spoiler: Pokémon EDU DC 7 
When you first catch your monster, it makes a sound that seems like it's grateful to you for finding it. You notice in the game interface that it would be available to use, but it currently has the Faint condition. Also, yeah, that nurse definitely has one of those healing machines from the games behind her.
 


Behind the strange lady, you see an also-strange machine built into a chase in the wall. Hanging above the machine is a plaque, apparently displaying the nurse's veterinary credentials. Seeing as the diploma is mostly illegible and has apparently been issued to one, 'Nurse Liz,' one may find oneself questioning its veracity.
Feathersnow
 Hello, Ma'am!  I'm Jean MacElroy.  I seem to be lost. You say this is a "Pokémon Center?' 

Jean knew she couldn't really be lost.  This place wasn't here before! But best play along, she didn't want to be the first to say it.
Zelphas
Going for a "walk"... right. Ronnie's physical therapist suggested that going outside, getting some sunshine and breathing in fresh air, would help her, and her parents insisted that she follow that suggestion, so here she is. "Walking". As she wheeled her way down the poorly-kept, bumpy sidewalk, Ronnie isn't sure what possessed her to pass anywhere near the police station; pure spite, probably, like everything else she does recently. She'd rather be at home, diving into more ghost stories.

Speaking of which... Ronnie looks up from her phone (  Demon summoning? It almost fits  ) to eye the mist suspiciously, noting the dreamlike atmosphere with rank distrust. Under her clothing, the barely-old scars begin to burn. The Pokemon's appearance in front of her brings a twisted expression, almost a smile to her face; well, she's felt ready to scream explosively for a while now, so she supposes it's a kindred spirit. Then come the monsters.

Ronnie doesn't know how she got to the building so fast; her arms barely even burn, and she's not used to the wheels of her chair quite yet. Her phone, still open to the weird app, catches her attention for a bit, and then she puts it away, surveying the room through narrowed eyes. One  particular  other member of their group (the one with a last name starting with 'L') receives a furious glare before she is apparently dismissed, and Ronnie wheels up to the counter.

  "I don't think we're in metaphorical Kansas, J-Bean; she probably isn't human,"   Ronnie interjects roughly into Jean's conversation, pulling herself up close to the counter and fixing the yellow-eyed woman with a hard stare.   "Hey. Got a Fainted Pokemon here in need of healing. You universal healthcare like the games, or are you gonna try and charge me?"  
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
I suspect this actually does nothing. But for flavor's sake, here's an Intimidate roll:  (5d6)[ 15 ] 
 
Dr.Gunsforhands
"Hm?" Ronnie's intensity is enough to get the nurse to blink and change her expression. She knows you mean business. "Oh, no, it's free. There is only one condition: that you take responsibility for everything you do once you leave here. Can you accept that?"
Kuro Dmon
 "I get the feeling we don't have much of a choice in the matter."  pipes up another voice. David approaches towards where the others 'stand' near the counter, still looking back at the doors thankfully keeping the bizarre phantasms at bay.  "Even if this is a dream and I just fainted due to my travels, I don't much like dying in my nightmares, and I wouldn't recommend chancing it now."
 
With a pause, David finally turns away from the doors, stopping for a moment to look up the other more normal looking people with an eye of curiosity, then fixing the Nurse with a determined glare, not feeling much safer starring into her yellow eyes.  "I formally accept whatever consequences my actions produce, if I must. Care to share any info you might have, along with your services?"  he asks, clutching one fist to his heart and setting his phone onto the counter with his other hand, tapping on the mysterious icon that so recently and strangely made itself home.
Llyarden
Everyone knew Lily Leijon.  Immaculate, muscular, distant...a few people who'd dared to get to know her had said that she wasn't too bad, but, I mean, really who'd say anything different about the Sheriff's daughter?  There were certainly some horror stories about what had happened to the last guy to ask her on a date.  (As far as Lily herself knew, he just straight up hadn't shown for the date, and she'd been mad about it for the next couple weeks.)

Today, though, the Lily who burst in the doors with the others was very different.

Lily...well, it was hard to say whether she noticed Ronnie's look and ignored it, or whether she didn't notice it at all.  Certainly her own expression didn't change any as she burst in through the doors with the others, pressing her back against them even after it had become apparent that the lock was more than capable of keeping the doors closed.

  "Leijon territory, huh?"   she said, quietly, reflecting on what the  monster  person in a suit had roared at them.    "Whatever kinda sick joke this is..."    She trailed off before finishing that sentence.    You sure know my dad well.  

Ronnie's next words caught her attention.    "What do you mean, she's not human?  How can she not be human?  This isn't a video game."  

Lily looked down at her phone, still clutched in her grip.    "It...it can't be.  I have to..."  

She trailed off again, looked back up at the yellow-eyed nurse.

  "...to take responsibility."  

She stepped up to the counter, next to Ronnie and David.  She knew the latter by reputation, a tragic accident.  She knew not being able to get to the car quicker was weighing on her dad's mind.

Or...at least, she'd thought it had been.  Before.

  "Yeah,"   she answered the nurse, holding out her phone.    "I can work with that."  

Her free hand was clenched into a tight fist.
Zelphas
Ronnie's smile in response to Lily's surprise is sharper than a snarl.   "Dying in your nightmares sucks. I died a few weeks ago, with some generous help from our dear Sheriff. Something that looked like the devil brought me back. So I agree; it's not a video game."   Her words are blunt, thrown rocks.

She turns her twisted smile to the 'person' behind the counter.   "I'll take responsibility for my actions. Gladly. No one else's."  
Feathersnow
 I stand by my actions and take responsibility.  A girl scout can do no less 

This sounded like a pact, like spirits were involved.  This didn't scare Jean.  She had a feeling they weren't all bad, and they hadn't asked more than she was willing to give freely...
Dr.Gunsforhands
The phantasms beyond the glass door seem to be gone, replaced with a starry night sky. It looks almost like the pokémon center is drifting through space.

"Excellent! Then I will just need to see your pokémon." Nurse Liz sweeps her hands over everyone's phones to eject the pokéballs. "I'm delighted to make your acquaintance, Miss Girl Scout J-Bean. You can call me Elizabeth."

She loads the balls into the oven-looking contraption behind the counter, closes the door, and presses some buttons on an inscrutable control panel. It lights up, displays holograms with icons of each pokémon with gradually-rising health bars, and plays some  tinny music  to pass the time. It seems this process takes a bit longer than it does in the games.

"This should be a good time to ask for information, I think. You mentioned you were lost, right? The place you just came from is a cognitive route, being imposed on reality by its gym leader. Most humans choose not to see it and leave it be, but as champs in the making with pokémon of your own, it seems you are in a unique position to challenge it. For what it's worth, I'm inclined to believe in you."

The machine makes the characteristic loud jingle to indicate it's done. The door opens itself, and in four bursts of light, the pokémon erupt from the machine and run to join their respective trainers, offering hugs or high-fives or shy side-glances according to their respective natures.

"Well! They seem excited. I guess they believe in you, too."
Dr.Gunsforhands
Your pokémon believe in you so much that they drag you out through the space door!

Thankfully, it doesn't actually go to space. It leads right back to the forest area you just came from, opening onto a route darkened in the shade of a high canopy and surrounded with dense brush and ivy.

 
 Spoiler: Survival DC 9 
You're pretty sure the exit is down the path on your right.
 

 
 Spoiler: Perception DC 9 
You see the tail of one of the big slug-rats at a fork down the left path. From the right path, you can just barely hear some of their distorted voices.
 

 
 Spoiler: Perception DC 12 
"We didn't see them come this way, no."

"Good! Now let's make sure they don't leave. King Leijon says they can't get away without signing a confession."
 
Llyarden
Lily yelped in surprise as she was half-tackled, half-hugged, by a small, pink...thing.  The sum total of her Pokemon experience was from memes and popular culture osmosis, so she had no idea what the Pokemon was.  All the same, though, it made one thing undeniable.

  "This really is...real, huh?"  

She looked down at the pink Pokemon.  She'd never had a pet.  Never been allowed one.  Learned quickly enough not to bother asking, just another thing to add to the list of how to behave.

Not that this thing really looked like a pet at all.  It looked more like some sort of strange doll.  A strange doll that was holding a hammer like it had jumped out of some horror story.  Lily half expected it to be blood-stained.

  "Is that how you fight?"    She poked the hammer with one finger - and the Pokemon whipped it away from her, cradling it close, and squeaked angrily at her.    "Okay, okay!  My bad."  

It sulkily ignored her for a few moments, polishing the hammer where she'd touched it, before apparently forgiving her and bounding past her towards the exit of the Pokemon Centre.

Lily stumbled slightly, disoriented by the sudden change from space to jungle.    "So now we're in 'Leijon Territory' again, huh?"    She looked back to where they'd just come from, wondering if the Pokemon Centre was going to still be there or if it had vanished.  At this point it wouldn't surprise her.

  "Don't suppose you know how to get out of here?"   she asked the little pink Pokemon by her feet, as it looked up at her expectantly.
Kuro Dmon
 (excited, huh? Not so sure about that...)  thought David, starring down at the small bipedal creature that stood before him. The two frowned at each other in silence, clearly sizing the other up. The trainer was the first to break eye-contact, looking from the creature to the others still with them. Some Pokemon he was acutely familiar with, while some he had long since stopped playing the games before the generation they were introduced. Still, more that he could figure out than some of their trainers, particularly the contrast between the most intimidating wheelchair user he had ever met, who made the others seem almost bubbly in comparison.

 (Next time I'm laying off the VODs after work)  David muses to himself, looking back down to the Riolu, which had never stopped glaring at his new master. And as David's look crumbles a bit, it continues to gaze unfaltering as the pair walk with the others out of the odd Pokemon center. For his part, David instinctively moves to the head of the group to grab the door for the others, just because that was what he was taught. Taking a moment to appraise Elizabeth one last time while waiting for anyone else, options and opinions on this scenario still swam through his mind.

 "If it doesn't, I have ideas."  David replies to Lily's question, stepping forward and looking around.  "Something about the way the trees and everything look.... I could be wrong, but I think  that way  is the exit."  he points down the path to the right.  "So it's a matter of trying to see if we can get out of here as quickly as possible, or if anyone feels like doing any investi-"  His words are cut off by the Riolu squawking at him for his attention, having dropped into a fighting stance and stopped appraising its trainer.   "-gating...  though, I don't think anywhere is safe at the moment."  he adds, balling up his own fists.
Zelphas
Ronnie looks down at the pink-and-yellow... rabbit thing... in front of her.   "Whismur?"   she mutters with incredulous disdain.   "My companion in whatever messed-up alternate reality this is is a gorram  Normal-type ?"  

Funny thing about wheelchairs; there are methods for the person in the chair to keep it in place and stop the wheels, but a sudden, quick action is hard to protect against. All it takes is one hefty push from the silent, diminutive Whismur  to send Ronnie careening back out the door of the Center before she can stop herself.   "Looks like  someone  wants headphones playing heavy metal glued to her ears,"   she growls at the Whismur, who simply stares back at her silently.

Ronnie's senses aren't the most attuned to the world around her, but some quirk of the eldritch mechanics of this location works in her favor; she stiffens, turning her head to catch the voices in the distorted air. Her mouth spreads in a snarl.   "Signed confessions, huh? Oh no; I'll take responsibility for  my  actions. Two of Leijon's little monsters are blocking the right,"   she calls out gruffly to the rest of the group, bending to start the process of maneuvering her chair in the right direction. It is at this moment, looking down, that she realizes that the massive burn scar on her body is glowing.

Ronnie stares at the red whorls and curving lines glowing faintly out from underneath her clothes, her shock giving way quickly to disgust.   "Is  this  the power you meant? I'm a glow stick? That's it?"   she shouts up at the twisted trees, slamming her fists angrily on the armrests of her chair. The chair bounces oddly, causing her to look down again... and notice that she is floating, ever so slightly, above the ground, chair and all.

  "Hmph. Better. Still not good enough!"   with one last look up at the sky, Ronnie jerks her head towards the right path.   "Let's go, Normal type."  
Feathersnow
Jean looks at the little goth dragon that was her partner. "So, you aren't the one sending me messages, I assume? You know who it is?  I suppose you couldn't tell me, anyway."

The Deino borks excitedly!  They are going on an adventure!
Dr.Gunsforhands
Following Ronnie's initiative, the group proceeds down the path on the right and rounds a corner to find the spooky forest's exit.

The path meets a circular area reminiscent of the real park. Where the park has a small garden at its center, here stands a big golden statue of a man in a costume. You can tell it's meant to be Sheriff Leijon, you'd know that goatee anywhere, but the costume itself looks like a combination of a lion and robocop, with a visor incorporating his trademark cop shades and a flaming torch set in the back of his helmet.

 
 Spoiler: Poke EDU DC 12 
The design looks like it was modeled after Solgaleo, except Solgaleo isn't a fire type?
 


The shadows hear the barking and footfalls of the party and are ready to spot you as you show up. "Poachers! Hold it right there!"

Rather than lunging at you as they did when you didn't have any pokémon, the two creatures rear back and clutch their oily claws onto what passes for their heads. After a second of weirdly visceral pulling, they tear off pieces of themselves and hurl them towards the group. On landing, the balls of shadowy goo burst open and become hostile pokémon!

 Map 
 
 Spoiler: Combat 
Each round, say what your trainer intends to do and what orders they give their pokémon. Spend AP and roll dice in the die rolls thread as needed, including the results of rolls in your post.

Once each player's actions are in, I will execute your actions and those of the enemies in speed order and post the results.

Most monsters won't use their speed to screw you out of actions, but in the rare case that enemies happen do something that would interfere with your turn or vice-versa, I'll make rolls to see if anyone is successfully bamboozled. I may reposition your pokémon to account for enemy movements as well.
 
Feathersnow
 "Dana, channel your inner rage at the pointy worm!" 

Jean tells her Deino to use Dragon Rage at the Weedle!


Jean stays in place, not sure if running out into the battle is a good idea...
Zelphas
  "Well, that was just gross."  

The flames are licking out from her scars, burning down her hands... Ronnie stares at her clenched fist, entranced for a moment by the leaping, ghostly violet flames encompassing it, giving off a deep chill.

Her lips peel back into a feral grin.

  "You."   she says, pointing without looking at the silent Whismur next to her.   "Scream."  

With that, she lurches forward, punching down at the green caterpillar Pokemon in front of her, while her Whismur opens its mouth too wide and begins to shriek.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Attacks rolled in the Dice thread: Ronnie did  24 Ghost Physical  damage, Echo did  33 Normal Special  damage, both to the Caterpie.
 
Kuro Dmon
 "Pokemon the Edgy Goth Edition. Nnnneat."  David remarks upon watching the shadows mutilate themselves into combatants.

Without waiting for a command, the Riolu rushes forward at high speed, splitting off to attack towards the more formidable looking worm creature. As his new  allies , Ronnie in particular, start battling, he sighs, before wordlessly dashing forward to join the fray, his brown eyes glowing bright yellow.  "Be careful; they might have weird tricks!"  David warns, as he throws a kick at the nearest combatant.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
 Made the rolls in the Dice Thread. 

Riolu's using Quick Attack, so I think that actually lets him go nearly first if I remember how Priority moves work. 23 Normal Type Damage to the Weedle.

I left David's target ambiguous, since I didn't know if one of the nearest ones would even still be up, let alone which enemies would be closer to replace it. Being at the back of the bus....
But I spend 2 AP for the Scene to gain Aura Vision (and Aura Pulse), which... honestly, I feel like the rules are somewhat vague on what you get out of Aura Reader, but I figured it might be good if it can tell me anything about the targets. Then, just a Struggle Attack for 24 Normal Type Damage; I'da gone with the Weedle as well, but it might not be up by the time the Trainer can kick at it, so I'm hoping something else will be close enough by then to get kicked.
 
Dr.Gunsforhands
While everyone else is powering up, Riolu eagerly jumps through the crowd to swat the poisonous bug on the left, knocking it on its side. The big bird swoops in to intercept and mercilessly pokes Riolu with its beak, proving immediately that super-effective damage is indeed a thing in this cognitive world.

At the same time, the rat rushes forward and tackles into Echo, sending the pink puffball tumbling backwards past Dana and into Jean's legs.

While Jean steps back and makes sure the little whismur is alright, she hears a voice in her head.  My mind to your mind! My thoughts to your thoughts! Happy warrior who would challenge the Earth, use my power and seize justice from its prison! 

Lily has a similar experience, but it's not so easily put into words. A memory of her mother's voice, singing a song with no words in particular. A feeling pouring out more from her lungs than her brain.

Meanwhile, the fight in front of them has become quite the brawl. Ronnie, Tinkatink and Dana are covered in silk from the caterpie's string shot attack. Ronnie and David are both raining punches on the little green jerk, but it's more rubbery and resistant to the blows than the weedle is. Lily's Tinkatink has stepped up to face the rat and is bonking away with its spiky metal mallet.

Just as the weedle recovers from Riolu's attack and is about to deliver its revenge with a finishing sting, Jean's Deino climbs onto the bench and gets it first, a clear shot with its spiffy blue dragon rage.

Finally, Echo has had enough stress and screams as instructed. The sound rattles the caterpie much more effectively and leaves it collapsed on the ground.

Using his own mysterious new power, David gets a close look at these monsters' auras, smoky and corrupted as they are. He doesn't have much basis for comparison yet, but he can easily tell the difference between the auras of his friends' pokémon and those of the shadows. With a puff of smoke, the KO'd bugs both disappear, and David sees their auras merge back into the ambient haze of the route itself.

 
 Spoiler: Numbers (Edited) 
Riolu takes 29 physical flying damage from Peck, before applying weakness and defense.

Echo takes 24 physical normal damage from the Rattata's tackle, before applying effectiveness and defense.

Ronnie, Tinkatink and Dana all take -1 Speed combat stage from String Shot.

Weedle tried to attack Riolu but missed.

The weedle and caterpie are both knocked out and have vanished from the map.


EDIT:

Discord hosts maps better than imgbb for some reason!

From now on, after the first round of combat, I will post the next round's initiative order so everyone knows what to expect.

X: Enemy Spearow
13+: Riolu
X: Enemy Rattata
10: Lily &amp; Jean
X: Enemy Caterpie, Weedle, Cherubi &amp; Poochyena
5: David
5-1: Ronnie &amp; Tinkatink (String Shot'd)
4: Deino
1-1: Whismur (String Shot'd)
 

 
 Spoiler: Map! 
 
 


(We've worked out what we needed to work out, so the good guys can start their actions for the round... now!)
Llyarden
Lily winced as the monsters straight up tore themselves apart to become Pokemon.  But in the grand scheme of things that was not exactly the weirdest thing that had happened today.    "Well, at least I recognise  some  of them,"   she muttered to herself.  How many times in the old Pokemon games had she whited out because of a Weedle poisoning her Pokemon?  She didn't want to know what that would be like here.

Fortunately, before she had to worry about it, down went the bugs.    Good job, Lily.  Way to look useless in front of the others.    She tried not to hear it in her father's voice.

  "Uh, pink thing?  Get around the Rattata!"  

The little pink Pokemon chittered exuberantly and obeyed, slipping under the wheels of Ronnie's wheelchair and swiping once again with its mallet as its...Trainer?..stepped up and tried to stomp the Rattata with a somewhat clumsy attempt at an axe kick.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Lily holds her action to speed 5.
Tinkatink Disengages one square to be north of Ronnie and then Metal Claws again for  31 Steel Physical Damage 
Lily, now that there's room, Shifts up and Rock Smashes at the Rattata for  19 Fighting Physical Damage plus -1 Def CS. 
 
Feathersnow
Dana, try that on the puppy-thing!

Jean can't easily use a move herself, but tells her companion (?) To try dragon rage on the poochyena.
Kuro Dmon
Riolu's reflexes are sharp enough that even while rushing forward to strike one foe, it sees the aerial strike coming. Bending into the blow, Riolu retaliates within seconds against its sharp attack.

 "Hmm. Easy enough so far..."  Surveying the battlefield, David stares at the last pair of combatants that had not rushed forward to challenge them. Doubting that would last long, he flexed the fingers in his fist and continued forward himself, feeling no need to direct the already battling Riolu from changing its tactics as it darted to the next combatant with a speedy hit. David intentionally aimed a downward punch at the dog with the intensity of a karate student attempting to break blocks.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
 Rolls here. 

First, a counter to the Spearow, giving it 29 (I *think* either Fighting or just outright, since there's no roll; just double what was taken) physical damage while only suffering 14 in response (PTU rounds down, apparently. Interesting). Then either to it if it's still up, or to the Poochyena, a Quick Attack for 26 Normal Damage.
David also gonna follow up with a puncho to the doggo, specifically a Rock Smash for 31 Physical Fighting Damage.
 
Zelphas
Ronnie ignores the Caterpie string sticking to her, her eyes lighting up strangely in the excitement of simple, uncomplicated violence.   "Good! Keep screaming! Yes!"   she yells back at the Whismur. Seeing that the others are attacking everything nearby, Ronnie careens forward on her wheelchair, spinning back towards the Pokemon that has hung back at the moment and swinging a clumsy punch--which hits nothing but air, much to her annoyance.

Meanwhile, the Whismur, still shuddering from her own voice's echoes and the attack of the Rattata, runs forward and lets out a screech aimed at the other Pokemon hanging farther in the back.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Ronnie  misses  her attack on the Cherubi, but...

Echo deals  41 Normal Special Damage  to the Poochyena.
 
Dr.Gunsforhands
Rolling and parrying the spearow's pecks, Riolu builds up enough martial momentum flip itself above the bird and dive-kick it into the ground before springing off in pursuit of its next opponent. The poochyena overconfidently tackles Riolu in return, but David comes up not far behind and successfully team-attacks to knock it out.

Dana huffs and puffs and charges up her breath attack, but since the puppy thing and its bird friend have already gone poof, she looks over her shoulder for direction from her trainer...

As Tinkatink tries to move into position, the faster rattata rams hard into the fairy and knocks her off-balance. The ploy doesn't protect the monster from Lily herself, and her powerful kick proves as effective on the monster as a pokémon's attack would be.

 
 Spoiler: Occult EDU DC 10 
Before they turned into pokémon, the shadows came off to you as the totally-immune-to-earthly-damage kind. Once they assume this physical form, they're as vulnerable to your attacks as their pokémon type would indicate. Thus, it seems that challenging shadows to battles is the best way to defeat them!
 


Seeing that the rattata is also knocked out, Jean can quickly direct her companion to the eerily cheery cherry creature. Ronnie and Lily follow suit, and their three pokémon leap into action to smash/torch/EEEEEE the last foe into shadowy dust.

Their job done, the fighting pets run back to the sides of their respective trainers, eagerly waiting to see where they go next.

 
 Spoiler: Experience! 
You cleared the tutorial battle! Each of you gets 11 experience for your pokémon and 1 trainer XP.

I'll go to the OOC for feedback on how the battles are run going forward.
 


The area seems to be blocked off to the left and right. Directly across from you, an exit sign almost glows as it reflects the flickering firelight from the head of the golden Leijon statue.

While you're deciding whether to go for the exit or not, you look at the statue's base. It's surrounded by a small garden of viny berry plants, and at its front there is a simple plaque, whose message probably makes you extra angry:

 To Protect the World from Devastation. 
 
 Spoiler: Pokémon EDU DC 8 
You recognize the phrase. You don't know why it's here. Sheriff Leijon is devastation incarnate and knows nothing about pokémon in real life.
 

 
 Spoiler: General EDU or Survival DC 8 
The berries are harvestable. Most of them look poisonous and bad to eat, but there are 8 plump blueberries - mechanically Oran berries - that can each restore 5 HP.
 
Feathersnow
Jean looks at the berries and starts picking them.  These might come in handy later... 
Kuro Dmon
 "Welp. Can't say we get to participate in a dog fight every day..."  David muses as the last shadow fades from existence. With the battle properly finished, he inspects the gash left on his Pokemon by the bird, then surveys the area.  "So now what? Is it worth pressing our luck to see what else can be found in here? Do we head back to see if we can find Nurse Liz? Or do we just get out, rather than test if we can get killed in here?" 
Zelphas
Coming out of the haze that the fight seems to have brought her into, Ronnie makes a  tsk  sound in the back of her throat.   "Can't fight the shadows directly, huh? Cowards."   Almost absentmindedly, her chair hovers back over to the Whismur, which is still shaking and looking around as if ready for a fight.   "Good,"   Ronnie tells it roughly, pulling the pink-furred creature up onto her lap.   "Maybe we'll be useful to each other after all."  

At the exit, Ronnie's eyes dart between the gaudy golden statue and the plaque in front of it.    "What, not over the gates? Is that too 'arbeit macht frei', even for you?"    she mutters to herself, purple flames crawling all up and down her arms. After a few moments, the flames disappear, and Ronnie sighs.

  "Do what you want,"   she says shortly to the others.   "I'm getting out of our  lovely  Sheriff's personal playground, or whatever this crazy space is supposed to be."   With that, she turns and heads directly towards the exit sign, deliberately turning her back to Leijon's statue.
Feathersnow
 Wait, David, I think I can help your friend   Jean looks over and lays hands on David's companion, prompted to try a healing power granted by mysterious means!

 Ronnie, I can't tell you what to do, but... I feel we are here for a reason.  Inside that... man's... mind.  Don't you want to fight him on his own turf? 
Dr.Gunsforhands
Even as Jean and David are trying to convince her, Ronnie leads the group under the exit sign, and your phones all ping and make a gentle announcement: "Leaving route area."

The jungle environment ripples and fades away around you, along with your pokémon. In your scramble to figure out what's going on, you see the gardener behind you, unaware of anything having changed. He only spares a glance for your sudden appearance and resumes shoveling wood chips into the flowerbed.

Your phones' Meta-Nav lists the status of your pokémon, and shows the entrance to the park labeled as Route 1 - Shield Forest. It provides a big Enter button wen you tap on it, which should allow you to head back into... whatever that was.

You were already in there for a while. The sun has now just set, leaving behind a fading pink aura in the sky to the West. Beneath that aura, the streetlights come on in front of the police station just down the street, lighting up the countenance of the real Sheriff Leijon as he steps onto the sidewalk. He is facing your way when he notices you. He stops and stares for moment, his expression hidden behind those big shades he wears even at night.

Without so much as wave, he turns around and walks around the other side of the building to the parking lot.

 
 Spoiler: Your pick of Intuition DC 10 
He was going to go to the park, but seemingly changed his mind after seeing one of you.
 


Now what? Do you go home for the night?
Dr.Gunsforhands
You all exchange contact information - whether you like it or not, since the game registers your past party members - and depart to your respective homes.

David finds that there is exactly one more bus scheduled to go from here back to the university.

During the night, Ronnie feels a presence she hasn't felt since the accident. Amid orange and purple flames, it shows visions of twisted, winding objects - a rotting tree root, a glowing train track, a helix of rubbery ropes, and a huge steel cable. She feels a lurching sensation as she's pushed along the cable for what feels like miles. Finally, the metal path terminates in a massive claw, gripping the side of a massive, beating heart.

Jean's dream is more straightforward. The voice that's been pestering her mind does so again, with no accompanying visuals to speak of.  You will need to work quickly, happy warrior. I sit captured by the one who would call themselves champion and lead your world to ruin. To defeat them, you must first take the badges from each of the Elite Four who support their power. One of those Elites is already coming for you and your scouts, but the King of the Jungle should still come first. There is a key that you must find to challenge him, and the opportunity will disappear in five days. 

Lily's evil dad doesn't come home that night.

-

The next morning,   David   goes to his summer Computer Science class, and then has some options for activities that the university's enthusiasts are always running. There is a  martial arts club  that has regular classes, a different style each day. The  media studies club  has a small theater showing various old movies, art films and anime. The  geology club  and some grad students are giving poster presentations, showing off publications, and selling those little glossy colored rocks for kids.

  Lily   saw an ad for the geology club event. They feature some crystals that kind of remind her of the stuff embedded in Tinkatink's body, and she decides to go look out of curiosity.   Jean   runs into her on the way. Some of the younger girl scouts are also attending the poster presentations, and Jean was conscripted to mark the points for their geology badges. You both notice that some people are looking at Lily strangely and whispering among themselves. You needn't make a perception check to hear why; one of the young girl scouts walks up to Lily and starts talking to her directly. "You're the sheriff's daughter, right? Is it true? Did they catch him?!"

  Ronnie   goes to physical therapy at a clinic just west of the Junes department store. The doctor said that your condition was promising, but it will probably be another four months before you can stand and then ten more before you can reliably walk - longer than you can wait to do this whole Pokémon thing. As you do your exercises, your therapist, Jan, and the receptionist, Deb, older ladies both, talk about the day's gossip. "Did you hear what they're saying about the commotion this morning? Sheriff Wallace chased someone down by the overpass. They say it was a drug dealer. International! And you know what else?"

"I heard he thinks he caught his wife's killer."