setting a trip

Sorren hastaly scrawled something down in his journal and put it in his bag. he packed some of his training gear and a bit of exploration stuff, but he really had noting to his name. maybe he would start wearing cloths when he evolved. "staff, check; blindfold, check; bag of salt, check; metal pan, check; food, check; water, check; map, check; compass, check; rope, check; training waits(almost forgot those), check; extra pens and ink for journal, check. i think that's all my stuff. i really need to get some more stuff, this is a small check list. oh, forgot money, i have that already in the bag." Sorren said, slinging a wood staff over his shoulder and onto his back. his bag was heavy, but Sorren just saw that as another training opportunity. he turned to the door of his room, he told shaman to get ready, maybe he already was? still, they needed to go over the plan before he packed the map up. he poked his head out into the corridor. "HEY SHAMAN, ARE YOU OUT THERE? WE NEED TO TALK" Sorren yelled. the guild wasn't a massive building, and it was daytime, so most guild members were out, if shaman was there he would probably hear Sorren.

Shaman yawned as he walked the halls outside the sleeping quaters of the guild Sorren had told him to pack but in all honest he had nothing to bring all he really had was his cloak and what money he had made so when Sorren had told him to pack he had went out and got some grub at the food court.Now walking back he heard Sorren yell. " Right here no need to yell." Shaman turned the corner to the hall they occupied. The hood of his cloak was up so that the shadow's hide his face the only thing you could see was his snout which came a little ways out of the hood.

Sorren saw shaman walk in with the cloak on, Sorren had know idea why he wore it, but it was rather cool looking. "ok, this is a map of the region, here is grassveil" Sorren said, pointing to a spot on the map, then swung his arm around to the near opposite of the map. "and here is rainfront. to get there you need to either cross through Serene cave, or go over the mountain. i have a few tips about getting through the cave scrawled down in my journal, with that and my prior experience getting here i can safely say we will get there in three days time. that reminds me, i need to get a clock, it would be nice to know the time in the cave. i have a lantern and three days worth of oil ready to be picked up from a local store, so we don't have to worry about the dark. i also have my guild bag and it's contents there as well, i needed a patch sewed and i didn't have another bag at the time, anyway once we get their i have arranged to rent out a small cottage a while down the beach from rainfront. it should be nice and cozy. there is only one thing that we need to take care of before we leave." Sorren said, sitting down on his bed.

Shaman pulled down his hood as Sorren had showed him the map his eyes stung the shadows of the hood had made his eyes adjust to the dark and pulling it down back to the light had hurt. He blinked it off but he still had slight pain that was strange normally his eyes adjusted better. He ignored it and looked to the map. The mountains huh shaman hated the cold and mountains were all cold around this place oh well it would be a challenge and shaman welcomed challenge. As ded started to no longer talk of there route but what they would need shaman pulled his hood back up as he finished he looked threw the hood at him. " and what's that?" Shaman asked. As he asked his vision slipped from normal to aura vision he closed his eyes and allowed himself to see aura instead.

"there is a certain dr- wait are you using aura vision?" Sorren asked, seeing that shaman was still focused on him even though his eyes were closed. Sorren was worried about the almost mind reading capabilities of aura vision, and he also remembered something that someone once told him about it.

Shaman opened his eyes. " I was yeah. I turned it off now." Shaman assured him. " Why does it matter?" He asked more curious then mad or defensive.

Sorren rubbed his forehead. "just don't do it to often, I've herd that it can blur the lines of reality, make you see things that aren't there, and generally make you crazy from overuse. plus you're still just a riolu, you shouldn't overload your aura..um bauble things. never could figure out what they were called. maybe it was aura receptors, anyway just be careful. back to business, we still need to see if cobalt will come with us. she has some demons to face, and i intend to help her beat the crud out of them." Sorren said, packing the map and slinging his bag over his shoulder.

Blur the lines of reality? Shaman seemed slightly off put by that his mouth twitched at the mention. He shook it off it was nothing he convinced himself. Shaman pulled his hood down if he wasn't to be using his aura vision then he would have to have it pulled down for the time being. " Let's stop by the cafe and give her the last offer after we get our supplies. " Shaman suggested.

"just what i was thinking c'mon, let's go." Sorren said. they made their way into town. Sorren got his exploration bag back and stuffed it inside his larger travel bag. after they finished at the tailers (they don't get much business) they headed off to the general store. "i think i'm good on suplies, but i want to make sure before we go." Sorren said, looking over the goods in stock.

Shaman let Sorren look through his goods Shaman pulled his hood back up and entered his aura vision again he was getting in the habit of pulling up the hood when he did so it almost made everything in aura vision seem clearer. He counted the people ahead of them that he could see using his power. Is the distance getting greater? He wondered he could count ten but they were way off the path.

"oooh, sunglasses. a staple of beach-time fun." Sorren said, eyeing the price-tag. "well i'm good. let's head to the cafe." Sorren said, a gental breeze wafing the sent of pollen to his nose. spring was literaly in the air. he started down main-street.

" Hey if we're going to the beach you think I could surf?" Shaman asked he had always thought surfing was really cool often times water pokemon could surf on there attacks he had always wanted to have such an attack but alas he didn't have any liquid based attacks.

"yeah, one of arty's buddies has a surf shop in rainfront, i'm sure we can rent some boards. sounds like fun." Sorren said, as they arrived at the front of the cafe. the smell of lunch and the sound of hapy costumers filled sorren's senses. he should say hi to dyami while he's there.

" Nice!" Shaman was looking forward to that now. As they entered the cafe he lifted his hood again sensing the happy auras of the people around the cafe. It was refreshing to sense no negative auras as he normally did that or indifferent auras when people were bored and uncarring of things. He quickly scanned for dyami and cobalt he found them and then put his hood back down as he returned to normal vision.

The shiny Rufflet and the Dragonair were chatting in one corner of the Cafe, having nothing else to do whilst the customers were eating or debating what to order. At a comment of Dyami's, Cobalt even cracked a small smile.

Then, Dyami was called to a nearby table and Cobalt was left glancing around the Cafe to see if there was anyone else ready to order. She quickly caught sight of Sorren and Shaman. She took a deep breath before slithering over, knowing that they were here to offer her the final chance of going with them to Rainfront Town.

Sorren smiled as cobalt made her way over. slithering. man that word is creepy. anyway once she was standing(?) infront of the two explorers sorren began to talk.

"Look, i know we did some stupid things the other day to try and get you to come with us on our trip, but the truth is, i want to help you face whatever it is that is making you feel so bad. i owe it to you after that time at the pond. not just that, i feel bad letting your past continue to haunt you when i could have done something about it. so, last chance. Wanna come to rainfront with us." Sorren said, ending it with a smile and sticking his hand out in -er, never-mind. he mentally slapped himself for forgetting the lack of limbs on the tiny dragon.

Shaman blinked the last traces of his aura vision from his eyes from switching between them so quickly. He looked to Sorren and then Cobalt. Sorren was an okay talker Shaman wasn't much of one thou he stayed silent giving no sign of disagreement but he made a slight nod to cobalt to encourage her.

Cobalt listened to Sorren intently, even smiling slightly at his lapse of common sense when he extended his hand..er.. paw? claw?
The Dragonair stood, hesitant for another moment, but who was she kidding, she knew she had already made up her mind.
"I'll.... I'll come with you...." she said finally in a quiet voice. She knew that at some point she would have to go back to Rainfront anyway. Why did she need to delay it any more? She had already informed Dyami that she would be taking leave from her job here at the Cafe.. she didn't want to go back on that decision.

"cool. do you need time to pack? we have enough supplies for you, but you might have some personal stuff." Sorren said.

" We've got time to kill, go ahead and get whatever you need." Shaman said also as he scratched the back of his head, this is gonna be one heck of a vacation he thought. He couldn't help but have a nagging feeling something bad would happen at rainfront but there was no way to know unless they actually went there.

"No..." she replied. "I don't have anything I need..."
Unbeknownst to most Pokemon, all Cobalt had to her name was the poke she earned working at the cafe and the orbs on her neck and tail. Everything else, she had left behind when she had fled her home all that time ago.

Sorren smiled, trying to lift cobalt's spirits.

"well we can leave anytime. this was our last stop before going to serine cave. we have a good 3 days walk ahead of us, amusing we can keep on track. like i said we have extra provisions for you, including an extra bedroll. it's damp in those caves. I've got a map, so it should be easy enough to get through the caves. all we need to worry about are the wild Pokemon. any questions?" Sorren said, laying out in detail what the trip would be like.

Shaman curled his cloak tighter around him as Sorren told them where they were going he really didn't like sleeping in caves. It reminded him of before he was part of the guild and had to sleep out in the wilderness the cold nights and the scary noises of the forest. He shuddered but kept a tough face not asking any questions.

Cobalt nodded as Sorren spoke, answering with a soft "No" to having any questions.
Her mind, though she didn't show it, was once again occupied with thoughts of when she had first fled from Rainfront Town.... or more accurately, Pricklemist Hill.

"alright then, let's go!" Sorren said enthusiastically.

some time later...

the group stopped at the looming entrance to serene cave, it's giant black maw open and yawning for them to enter.

"Man that's creepy." Sorren said. he brought out the lantern and lit it with a puff of fire. "alright let's get a move on." he walked into the darkness, a ball of viability created by the lantern lighting the way. a content drip could be heard as water was falling from stalactites. a reflection of Sorren in a puddle was rippled by his foot as he walked through it.