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Sojaveña Wilds Las Picaras Bandit Camp

Reader mode
Silver narrowed his eyes, somewhat alarmed by the news.

‘Well, isn’t this such a lovely world! Bloodthirsty monsters that wouldn’t be outta place in a horror B-movie and wild Pokémon who would gladly maul you if you cross them in a way or another? Things just keep getting better and better, don’t they?’ He sighed and shook his head. ‘Gods. Can I just go back to my world filled rainbows, hugs, power of friendship, and all that nonsense now? Or maybe get some super-duper-awesome power to, I dunno, thwart evil and stuff, like in those shonen manga?’

He looked up, idly wondering if some divine power would have listened to his thoughts and took pity.

…But nope. It seemed that the deities of that world were just as unfair as its inhabitants. It’s not like he expected any other result, but it still sucked.

“Tch. Well, whatever!” Silver turned to the dual-headed Pokemon. “And d’you know the location of those Escarpa hills and whatnot? If only to know which direction we should never take?”
 
Tarahn ate several bugs (not pokemon, little crunchy wiggly guys that didn't talk), which wasn't as good as a pumpkin full of ground meat at the pokemon center, but it was better than nothing. Everybody protested when he tried to drink water out of the barrel they were all standing around splashing metal things in, so he just came back when they'd moved on to some other task.

It was getting annoying: there were still no trainers around, which always tended to turn things into a tail-measuring contest. Normally Vleridin or Rufus would have sat on someone by now, and he could always Toxic, Thunder Wave, and Flatter somebody to show them where they were at as far as picking on him went, but nobody had even had a little battle. That said, even he remembered the rhyme the more senior ranger pokemon repeated over and over: Dipshits Missed Trips. Do something stupid now, miss something cool later.

Eventually, the Scovillian offered them clothes, which sounded fun. Tarahn grabbed a hat out of the bag that looked like, if it hadn't gone all the way through a Nidoking, it had at least only done a U-turn after a while. It definitely had a bite taken out of it. He put it on his head, since that seemed to be what everyone else was doing. More importantly, a slightly moldy belt with a pouch on it could go around his waist, and his paws could hold things and put them in the pouch, which meant he could carry things without using his mouth. The possibilities were endless.

The others started talking about battling wild pokemon! Yeah! Especially one called Pheeralz that sounded pretty dangerous.
 
"Trial by combat?" Aige was annoyed, but had no avenue to show it.

"Outdated for sure- but romantic. Not that I'm interested."

The Roggenrola hesitated. "Although, proving yourself with your strength is a nice way to place yourself above reproach," she said, a little quieter.

"Anyway," she continued, "While I don't suppose I have to worry about bloodsuckers, I'm sure there's some reason for the stories. There's a little truth in everything."

The football stone relaxed, waiting to hear how the other group would answer Silver's question.
 
Chibi Pika said:
Nero rolled his eyes, but Rillo seemed to brighten at someone asking him to elaborate for once, because he shuffled over to Rodion. "Not Golbat--they're mon that look normal at first glance, til you see the crazed look in their eyes and hear 'em speaking in tongues, and by the time you get that far, you're as good as gone!"

It was clear that none of the other bandits were paying him any mind.
Click to expand...

Lyle briefly flared up and stared at Nero and his tale of these... "bloodsuckers". It was probably just a legends from the way that the others nearby were just ignoring it, but in a world where there were Pokémon that lived that apparently weren't capable of speaking or reasoning, and everything that had already happened to them so far with the Voice and coming to Forlas... he wasn't so sure.

Either way, he was glad that they hadn't gotten run off from camp earlier, especially since those 'Roughlanders' that sounded an awful lot like the Wilders back home seemed like the aggressive type from what the Outlaws had to say about them.

"... Nice neighborhood," Lyle harrumphed, as he continued to paw through the effects in search of a bandana. "Though I'm surprised that you all don't have more problems with these 'Roughlanders' of yours with a band this small."
 
Cresselia92 said:
“Tch. Well, whatever!” Silver turned to the dual-headed Pokemon. “And d’you know the location of those Escarpa hills and whatnot? If only to know which direction we should never take?”
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"These days, that's them hills south 'o here," Hob said, jerking a leafy arm in that direction. "Used to be this whole region, 'til the city folk started movin' west. This rate, there'll be trains runnin' from coast to coast."

"More trains means more opportunity, that's what Sonora says!" Sera piped up.

Spiteful Murkrow said:
"... Nice neighborhood," Lyle harrumphed, as he continued to paw through the effects in search of a bandana. "Though I'm surprised that you all don't have more problems with these 'Roughlanders' of yours with a band this small."
Click to expand...
"Eh, we got different priorities, us 'n them. They got no money or goods, and we ain't exactly the homesteading type. If they've got beef with anyone, it's the folks in Frontier Town." He gestured to the settlement off on the western horizon.


The sun crept across the horizon as time was busied with chatter and chores. Eventually the red glow of twilight had melted into the sky and the day's heat finally began to recede. It seemed that the group's leader had yet to return, though...

"Might as well grab some shut-eye. Reckon Sonora'll be back sometime in the night," Hob announced.

The bandits had their tents to retreat to, but for the newcomers, it seemed that sleeping under the stars was in order. Some empty sacks and spare tarps could make for an impromptu bedroll, if needed.

And it really was a gorgeous night, countless silver lights glittering in the darkness.
 
Chibi Pika said:
Nero rolled his eyes, but Rillo seemed to brighten at someone asking him to elaborate for once, because he shuffled over to Rodion. "Not Golbat--they're mon that look normal at first glance, til you see the crazed look in their eyes and hear 'em speaking in tongues, and by the time you get that far, you're as good as gone!"

It was clear that none of the other bandits were paying him any mind.
Click to expand...

"Eh..."

Rodion blinked, unsure what to make of Rillo's rambling. On the one hand, it sounded like a tall tale, which given how jumpy the Heliolisk seemed to be, was rather likely. On the other hand, he and the others were summoned to this world due to it being in some kind of danger. Given how strange this day had been so far, perhaps it was wise to not dismiss Rillo's story entirely.

"Sure... something to keep in mind while travelling I guess."

As the day progressed and evening eventually came, Rodion opted to try and follow Hob's advice.

He took a one of the empty sacks and made an impromptu bedroll, settling in and letting his eyes drift upwards towards the stars. All the while, he couldn't help but wonder... just who was this 'Sonora'? And why had he gone off on his own?

The Buizel yawned and pawed at his eyes. It'd been a busy day for him. There'd be plenty of time to get to the bottom of things after a bit of rest.
 
At the end of the day, Aige briefly entertained the notion that the "help" they had all been summoned for was a euphemism for housekeeping and that they were saviors of a nation of hoarders.

The Roggenrola simply fell flat on her back with no fanfare, what she lay on made little difference. An unpleasant realization occurred to her as she stared upwards that she hadn't seen the night sky for weeks before now.

"It's like being reassigned away from the city," she mumbled. "I hope I didn't just fall for some scam with this whole business..."
 
Lavender carefully took one of the sacks and spread it out over the sand nearby Rodion, gently stamping it down with his paws before lying down on it. He curled up into a small ball and shifted his poncho so that it served as a makeshift blanket. He hadn't been to many deserts back home (the dry kind anyway, some Pokemon he knew liked to call tundra "cold deserts"), but he did know that it grew cold. Too cold because of the lack of humidity to hold the heat from the sand.

The little Eevee looked over at the Buizel and felt the temptation to question him. Ask if he was an outlaw, considering his mannerisms and behaviors throughout the day. But Lavender pushed the urge away, knowing now was a bad time. They needed privacy, not only for the criminal group, but from their own companions. Harmony and unity needed to be kept. It was their only true strength when their bodies were still feeble.

"We all shouldn't rest at the same time," he told his companions, keeping his voice low so only they heard him. "We should all take turns keeping watch in case something happens during the night. We aren't safe despite being in the supposed good graces of these desert Pokemon."
 
Rodion opened one eye and turned his head to look over towards Lavender.

"While I'd normally agree, it sounds like we're only gonna get a couple hours of sleep before this Sonora comes back," he said. "Since we'll be traveling for the rest of the night to that town in the distance, I'd suggest you get some rest before we head out."
 
Lavender frowned.

"You make it sound as though it's guaranteed Sonora won't have issues with us ," he said flatly. "Quite the confidence you have."
 
• Desert skies are beautiful!
• We worked all afternoon. Can we rest now?!


That brand new world might not be nearly as friendly as his own world (shady people and Pokémon notwithstanding), but Silver couldn’t deny that desert sky was truly something spectacular.

Laying on his back and with his gaze fully adjusted to the darkness, he observed the constellated twinkles in awe, his own eyes and gems reflecting the dazzling glow of those cosmic fireballs. The Johtonian skies were beautiful, no doubt about that, but in that desert far away from light pollution, he could fully take in the true beauty of the firmament.

He curled himself up underneath his poncho to preserve his heat and rolled on his side to catch some much-needed Z’s, when he heard the exchange between Rodion tand Lavender. Slowly, he lifted his head to look more properly at the worried Eevee, before chiming in with a hushed tone.

“Hey. I understand not wishing to trust these people, and I also understand that this Sonora might have a deal or two with us. I’m somewhat wary of them, too.”

Silver stretched his limbs and blinked, trying to keep his tiredness at bay a bit longer. Gods, he could barely feel his muscles.

“However, I also think we need some proper rest, after working all afternoon under that burning sun. After all, wouldn’t we have better luck at handling whatever might come if we’re refreshed? Exhaustion would just make it harder to focus and much easier to do something stupid, and we’ll probably have to walk the entire night to reach Frontier Town.” He tilted his head. “Besides, those same people might vouch for us. We helped them out with their camp, so that’s gonna count for something. Dontcha agree?”
 
Rodion nodded with Silver in agreement, before glancing back at Lavender.

"It's up to you how you spent your evening, but I'm gonna get some sleep. If you're really that worried about what Sonora will think of us, you should probably do the same. Even if things do go wrong, it ain't gonna get easier with you being exhausted."
 
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Lyle curled up against a wadded-up bag, donning a scarf about his neck he'd dug out from among the clothes Hob and Nero as he watched the fire from his back light up his surroundings.

He overheard Rodion and Silver talking in the background, and briefly glanced at them. He wasn't sure how much credit they were really going to get from 'mons who gave him the distinct feeling they didn't really want them there. But he supposed that they had the right idea.

Tomorrow was another day, and it was best to face it after a good night's rest.
 
As the sun went down, the other pokemon wound down their activity and started laying out cloth to sleep on. When they started talking about "in the morning", Tarahn realized they intended to sleep the whole night like humans. Night was the best time for mischief!

Spiteful Murkrow said:
Lyle curled up against a wadded-up bag, donning a scarf about his neck he'd dug out from among the clothes Hob and Nero as he watched the fire from his back light up his surroundings.
Click to expand...

Well, if they weren't going to do anything, they might as well sleep. Tarahn made a beeline for the warmest-looking pokemon in the group, Lyle the Cyndaquil, and flopped down next to him. He rolled onto his back, paws curled, and gave Lyle a slow blink to show that he was being friendly.

"Are you sleepy?" he asked Lyle.
 
Lavender looked to the Sneasel and the Buizel with a blank stare, then stood up. It was slightly difficult to tell with how the poncho borderline covered the entirety of his legs.

"Sleep then. I'll keep watch if it's such a short amount of time. I won't be able to sleep."

Then he started searching for a vantage point to keep an eye on the group close by. Even if it was just a small boulder to perch atop of.
 
The night went on, punctuated by the newcomers settling down to sleep and Tarahn prodding Lyle for conversation. Lavender had taken the first watch, perched upon the rocky outcropping that bordered the campsite. It gave a good view of the road, had there been any travelers at this hour. It would appear that there was not much to watch for.

But looks could be deceiving.

The only forewarning was a faint, floral scent, and the glittering of blue pollen. Anyone still awake would find their grasp on consciousness rapidly slipping through their paws. A dark, vaguely feline silhouette darting in and out of the shadows would be the last thing seen before giving way to a powder-induced sleep...


Morning. The red glow of dawn creeping across the horizon. Rare moisture coating the vegetation in a layer of dew that would quickly evaporate in the sun. Whoever awoke first would find the campsite gone. Packed up and went, and the bandits along with it. A bit of poking around the area would not reveal much more than a forgotten(?) half-empty canteen, a few tins of beans, and pawprints in the sand.

It would appear the group had, unfortunately, been ditched.

But it was still early, and the temperature still cool. The settlement on the horizon--what was it called, Frontier Town?--would look particularly inviting in the golden glow of dawn. And perhaps there was a chance that the rest of their would-be allies were there.
 
Lavender woke up from his pollen-induced slumber the next morning to thankfully find none of them had been kidnapped or had their goods taken (though they had never had any to begin with, to be fair). Fire burned in his cheeks as he made his way off his perch and drew closer to the group. A very, very enticing urge came over him to bite Rodion and slash the Sneasel in the face.

He opted instead to kick up dirt into both their closed eyes.

"Get up. We're leaving," he ordered.
 
Aige was a little glad that they had been abandoned when she woke up. Sitting up, she watched Lavender as he addressed the others.

"I agree that it's good to get going," she called, "Though I don't think we need to be so rough going about it."

The Roggenrola walked over to the rest of the group. "Let's just focus on making the best of how we are now. Alive and capable, if anything!"
 
TLTR:

- Rude awakening. Is this The Legend of Zelda now?
- Rule number one: Never betray Silver. He won’t take things well.
- Sleep Powder? Silver would make a swell detective.
- Silver shows his most Silver-y side by cursing the heck outta those bandits!


He did it! After working so hard for so long, he finally, finally did it! The entire world watched the event on streaming to celebrate the crowning of a new Champion: Silver Tsubaki, accompanied on the podium by his best friend Ordile the Feraligatr. The rest of the team wasn’t far behind, and waited patiently for the group photos that would follow.

Alternating flashes of cameras illuminated the competitors and their Pokémon friends, and Silver held his trophy high to show that yes! He won! He was the strongest Trainer in the entire world!

He turned to Hibiki, who was standing on the second place with a silver medal tied to his neck. Bakphoon was roaring with might and lighting up his flames, apparently not caring much about being second best.

“So! At long last, I beat you. D’you got something to say about that, Hibiki?” Silver asked his rival, grinning with pride.

That ever-smiling kid only smiled wider, and he readjusted his yellow and grey hat. “Oh yeah! There’s only one thing to say.”

Hibiki leaned forward, smirking mischievously, then he opened his mouth to speak. But instead of words, a stream of sand burst outward, right on the face of a befuddled Silver…


“Agh!” Silver jolted upright, his eyes wide open and his tail feathers spread out entirely. In a panicked Sneasel frenzy, he shot glances around, trying to find potential threats. “Sand! Sand on face! Is a storm coming, or—?!”

Whatever dazed thoughts crossed his mind muted instantly when he traded glances with the annoyed Eevee and the much calmer Roggenrola. The burst of adrenaline dissipated as quickly as it came, and he finally registered his surroundings. Hold on… the camp! Where was the camp?!

“Wait…”

Realization began coiling in his mind, and his shock quickly turned to the painful sensation of betrayal. Something he wished he would have never remembered.

Silver looked at himself. The poncho was still there. But something was… different about it. He noticed some kind of blue powder on a few spots, so he ran the flat of his claw on it and brought it to his nose to analyze the scent. His heart skipped a beat when he realized what that powder was.

“…Sleep Powder, or something with similar properties.”

So, that was why he fell asleep so quickly and so heavily. He always prided himself as a light sleeper and he rarely dreamed. That meant…

“That gang… no, t-they really…” Silver tightened his fists and the claws began tingling again. “Those BASTARDS narcotized us and left us behind!”

Idiot! He was such an idiot! For once that he dared to give some glimpse of hope, to try to see the best in the worst of people like… like Kotone would do… he was backstabbed. Those hooligans did what she would do.

“Screw ‘em!” Silver barked, deciding to let off some steam and venom by shredding the bag he used as a mattress. “Screw those imbecilic, backstabbing sons of a b—”

And he went on on a tirade of curses of all kinds, only stopping to catch his breath when there was nothing else to shred. Besides, he needed to spare his energy for the trek.

“Oh, and one last thing: Screw ‘em! I hope those arseholes fall in some quicksand or whatever desert trap!” He breathed deeply one last time to calm down completely, then turned to the others. “Yeah, well, we got bamboozled! Time to look for this Frontier Town. If we’re in luck, we might be able to find some road or something.”
 
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