Test 1.

[azumods]

VALOR Your arrival at Lake Valor is met with no fanfare at all, nor are there any obstructions; it seems that Team Galactic has moved on from here, the area devoid of activity and strangely-dressed people for the time being. The area is also largely devoid of water. There's some, in the area that presumably was the lake once; however, it can hardly be called a proper lake now. There's a massive crater in the middle of the clearing that that now-unobstructed path through the woods takes you to; it's refilled some since whatever incident caused it, but the water is only about knee-high at the deepest and generally incapable of impeding you much if you should choose to wade into it. Whatever you choose to do, there's a massive, raised area in the middle of what's left of the lake, a rock formation of some sort; it's capable of being scaled with reasonably little difficulty. An opening is visible in the rock face, large and gaping, leading inwards and downwards into a cavern system of some sort. Your exploration starts now; time to see if there really is nothing worth reporting in the area.

Comments

[azumods]

[Any Pokémon that are out with you will, in accordance with their general nature or personality, begin displaying a sense of fear or trepidation; it isn't overwhelming, they aren't straight-up terrified and unless they're particularly skittish they won't bolt, but they will start seeming visibly nervous or displeased with the idea of going in there and whatever's about to come as a result.]

[semistableman]

[Well, he might as well address Flora, then. She's the curious sort, so this is new for him.]

Something wrong, girl?

[heritrix]

It's not just her.

[Rin observes her own pokemon with some interest, particularly her Gligar. This is a first.]

Whatever's inside that cave, they're all getting worked up over it.

[anythingforyou]

[...Arion is not very good at this emotion business, so it kind of. Results in him basically biting at Camilla's pantleg and trying to tug her back. Away from the scary place.

Of course, seeing Flora react too...]

...This place doesn't seem to be giving our Pokemon good feelings, does it?

[Camilla kind of just crouches down to try and pet Arion a bit to calm him down, but lord.]

We need to be careful.

[semistableman]

Doesn't seem like a good sign, that's for sure.

[Maybe that's why Saturn decided to bail?]

[anythingforyou]

[God, that makes sense.]

I hope this doesn't mean they'll begin to run away...

[takestheblame]

...if it's affecting those who hadn't shown any improvement until now then we may be getting into a lot of trouble.

[Daigo doesn't seem that affected, but Bito is slowing down a lot, looking around himself as if he expects something to spring up and attack him. Kiryu talks quietly to him, telling him he'll stay close]

[radiantflame]

At the same time, it would be foolish to enter without their aid.

[She sighs, and returns Gible to his pokeball. Torchic, meanwhile, scrambles up onto her shoulder.]

[anythingforyou]

...Mòrag is correct. If worst should come to worst, we will need to rely on their strength in order to come out unscathed.

[Her partner really doesn't like this, but they need to press on, don't they? They have their orders to follow, if nothing else.]

[anythingforyou]

Wait, even the captured ones...?

[what the actual hell lies in this cave]

This must be something dangerous, then, if even they react.

[enjoymyatelier]

I don't think it'd be wise to turn back, because we could be on to something, but... well. For all we know it could be reverence if the Lake Deity returned after Team Galactic left.

Does anyone have anything we could use as an offering?

[...please ignore the Frillish trying desperately to hide behind him, thanks. as well as the Murkrow kind of huddling just a little bit closer to his face.]

[eudaimonikos]

They don't take blood sacrifice, I asked. Could give it some berries or something?

[bloodspent]

[Jake will just be picking up his Scraggy, because what the hell is this- ]

...Yeah, this is new. These guys usually aren't too big on self-preservation.

[eudaimonikos]

[Michael can't pick up Janet, but he's holding Quaver in his hands to keep the bird's claws from digging into his shoulder.]

Probably not a great sign.

[bloodspent]

Yeah, this sort of thing says either "potentially really good" or "immediately really bad", and I'm leaning toward the latter right now.

[eudaimonikos]

Same.

[He offhandedly returns the bird to its Pokeball to free up his hands. Janet, at least, isn't running away, but the fur on her back is bristling up. Michael's never seen that happen before...he run a hand over her distractedly.]

Almost wish we'd brought one of the townspeople. Just to see. Is everyone still...?

[He turns to scan the group rather than finish his sentence. Yeah, all still here.]

[niceoppai]

[Welp, combined with Lemonade's existing personality, the Maractus immediately hightails it backwards, leaving her hat. Chelsea runs after and lunges, almost crashing to the ground just to keep her Pokémon where she is.]

Hey, wait!

[eudaimonikos]

Wh - put her back in her ball, we can't have anyone running off.

[He'll go over to help...uh, deal with this, maybe?]

[niceoppai]

Right!

[With the flailing Maractus covered, Chelsea fumbles for the ball and puts her back in. She sighs and slumps over, then goes to retrieve the hat.]

What was that about?

[eudaimonikos]

They're all nervous...maybe yours is just a coward.

[He sounds more distracted than actually insulting, even though wow rude?]

[perfectselfie]

I wonder if they didn't remember what Team Galactic did before and are scared they'll have to repeat it...

[hyruglyphics]

[ Miphanus is... well, it's hard to read the expression of a single eyeball, but it's floating slower behind Zelda, as if caught between some skittishness and a reverent curiosity for what lies ahead. Zelda smiles for them and pats them to try to reassure them, but she's now thankful she doesn't have Likcitung out. Even if she's now curious. ]

Be strong, Miphanus. I know your heart is true.

[ She hopes.

... On this not though, while we're all pausing here, she's glancing around just to kinda check - are there any wild pokemon around his crater at all? any curiously dying Magikarp please no ]

[azumods]

[The Magikarp are dead. okay no it's not that kind of game I promise -

That said, there actually doesn't seem to be any wild Pokémon around the entrance of the cavern itself. Weird. (Or perhaps slightly less weird, given the reaction your Pokémon seem to be having.]

[hyruglyphics]

The wild ones seem to avoid this area as well. ... I wonder if this lake was always so dry, or if some force acted upon it...

[ Actually, as she takes some photos around here with the Slate, she does sort of try to do what she can to survey this. Does this look like it's a recent change to the lake (IE there's like dead algae/water plants/stuff is still kinda damp/etc or it's been like this for a while... ? ]

[azumods]

[It's been like this for a while.]