Summer Camp at Goldenrod

[CateranEnforcer]

On a normal day, the sun would rise over the peaceful landscape of National Park. The already warm breeze would waft through the grass and leaves making a pleasant sound. Today, however, the hustle of the crowd at the entrance downed it out. One by one, young campers were arriving, some alone and others escorted by friends and family. Besides that, there was a group of onlookers and well wishers gathered near the checkpoint. There was even a news crew flitting about to find out more about the fledgling trainers who might next earn their badges.

Each of you first enter from the park's south checkpoint. Though much of the park is open to the public, you receive a name tag that identifies you as a camper after presenting your credentials that will allow access to the campgrounds. Also on the nametag is a small picture of a Scyther. Porters come to take your bags and assure you that they will reach the camp safely. Then you are allowed to pass and enter the fairgrounds beyond. This area is crowded and people you assume are camp staff members are trying to keep things as orderly as possible, with not much success.

The purpose of the picture becomes evident when you peer past the crowd and see a number of people holding up large signs with pictures of various bug pokemon. Some of the campers have already begun to line up near some of the signs, most looking shy or confused while surrounded by people they’ve never met before. You can spot a brown haired woman in a green button up uniform looking shirt vigorously waving her Scyther sign in the air hoping to draw attention to it. Her own name tag reads “Mia.”

[CosmicOccurence]

Margret was feeling a bit overwhelmed as the sea of legs loomed in front of her. Seeing from a Growlithe's point of view was fine when in open fields or when there was plenty of open space. In this crowd though, she might as well be blind ... which she was ... but not really because she was looking through Gawain's eyes. It was confusing even for her sometimes.

As always, she could smell the lovely scent of body odor perfuming the area, another downside to channeling a canine pokemon. Someone had definitely been having semi-expired milk and it was disgusting. She used her cane to help her avoid walking into anyone as Gawain deftly wove between her and others, nudging her to stop and move when she couldn't figure out how to navigate the legs on her own.

Her parents were there too of course, there's no way they would let her go on her own. They were worried enough with this whole camp business as it was. When the nametag was shoved into her hands, she bent down so Gawain could see it. There were some words on there she couldn't read, a picture of her face, a scyther icon, and what she recognized as her name. She'd been trying to learn to read ever since her powers developed, but reading was hard. How was she supposed to know what any of those symbols meant? And by the time she sounded one word out she'd forgotten the others. Her parents said that its easier for kids to learn than teens, but that didn't make her feel any better about her illiteracy.

Looks like you're a Scyther, her dad said, Their sign is over there,. He paused for a second, and Margret knew that he was pointing when he said, Whoops, sorry honey. The sign is forward and to the left. Here, we'll guide you, Concern layered his voice, and Margret knew that his doubts were resurfacing.

When he tried to grab her arm, she yanked it out. I can do it on my own dad, she said grumpily. I don't want them to think I'm totally useless. They'll probably already be disappointed to have a blind girl at camp with them.

Gawain led the way, and Margret got a little more assertive with her cane work. Usually people were pretty good about moving aside when they saw her cane, and soon she saw the Scyther sign ahead of her. She'd been told Scyther were green, but, as usual, she just saw everything in shades of grey.

Hi, I'm Margret. I think I belong in your group. Her parents hung back for this, thank Arceus, and she stuck a hand out in front of her. She was getting pretty good at putting it where most people would expect it, but she still had a bad habit of looking up at the sky when talking to people, since from her perspective the girl towered over her by several times her height. When she realized how ridiculous she looked, hand held out, head tilted back, she quickly corrected. At least she thought her face was pointed in the right direction. It was always kind of tough, that.

Spoiler

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Consider Gawain the growlithe always channeled and shared senses unless I say otherwise. Also always out. Right now he's wearing his harness identifying him as a seeing/eye pokemon, so most people would probably not try to pet him, and he would ignore such attempts.

AP: 4/5

[Lorrel]

The sun was up. It was bright and sunny, and Constance was ready to go. She made sure she had all of her things packed, grabbed her pokeballs and made her way to the door.
She reached to the side to grab her bag, struggling with the weight.

I see I have a hitchhiker, she muttered as she slung the bag over her shoulder and made her way to the National Park.

As she got close, she saw the enormous crowd. There were people everywhere, and the noise was surreal. Constance felt sorry for the poor critters who normally made this their home. She doubted they were happy with all of the uproar.

Constance marveled at the size of the crowd. Wow, this is even bigger than graduation day at P-Tech.
And much like graduation day, there were families everywhere. For the first time since she left, Constance actually felt alone. Shaking the thought from her head, Constance reminded herself that even if her family was here, she would not be getting the happy hugs and tearful goodbyes the other campers got. She would get a stern lecture about not embarrassing the family. She carefully made her way through the mass of people towards the south checkpoint, as indicated in her registration package.

The attendant at the gate handed her a Scyther name tag, once again triggering unpleasant memories of home, and her last battle at Pokemon Tech against her cousin's new found Scizor. Constance smiled at the attendant anyway, putting on her cheerful face. She was determined to make this a fresh start, and a happy new chapter in her life. Her smile returned, she continued on.
Scanning the crowd Constance looked for the Scyther sign bearer and tried her best to make her way there without getting trampled by the other campers who were busy searching for their own signs.
With a series of Excuse Me's, Constance was finally able to reach the Scyther sign.

Hello, I am Constance Le.... looking forward to a fun summer, she continued weakly, I think I am supposed to be in this group, I have a Scyther on my name tag. She points at her name tag as if the person had no idea what Constance was talking about, feeling foolish immediately afterwards. Not the first impression she was hoping to make.
Constance takes time to look around at the other signs, and to see if anyone from her group has arrived yet. She also takes note of any wildlife that is brave enough to stay in the area even with the onset of campers.
While waiting she absently scratches the bag riding, perma sleeping Tru behind the ears.

[Nap Captain]

Nessa's mouth made a wide O of wonder when they arrived: they were finally here and camp was about to begin. She had to use all of her willpower to stop herself dashing straight into the crowd, especially when she was handed her name tag. But Mom was still not in a good mood, and Nessa wasn't about to risk her summer of freedom (and possibly more!).

She said her goodbyes as demurely as possible to Mom: her dad had had to stay home with Alice who couldn't make the journey, so Nessa had already said the important farewells.

"Now Fig: it's up to you to keep her out of trouble, understood?"

The Nidoran gave a curt nod and grunted. Fig had been trying to keep Nessa out of trouble for years, to mixed success.

As soon as Nessa had finished the last painful hug and knew she was dismissed she sprinted through the crowd, eager to join her fellow campers: she was rarely this excitable, but today was an exception! Fig bounded gamely after her, perhaps buoyed up on her enthusiasm.

"Hi there, I'm Nessa," she announced birghtly. "I've been super looking forward to this! And this is Fig," she added, introducing the Nidoran, "She's excited for this as well: I can tell."

After introducing herself, Nessa covertly assessed her compatriots, trying to get an idea of who exactly she would be spending the next few weeks/months with.

[AutumnLotus]

With a sudden jolt of the brakes, the intercity bus came to a stop in Goldenrod, specifically a block from the National Park. The interlocking doors began to swivel open, and with it came a disheveled young woman. Her thick brunette hair was currently pulled back into a ponytail, her bangs wrapped into a simple braid that wove around to the back of her ear. She wore a loose tank top, more a formality then coverage, with a modest bikini underneath. For bottoms she had decided on wearing a shorter pair of cargo shorts. On her shoulders was her Vaporeon, Siren, who seemed to share the same displeasure from the ride.

Haukea hated mechanized travel. The sounds of the engine, the bumps on the road, and all the people! She could barely tolerate her Mother's car, let alone a rusty column of steel and plastic that was the bus. But she was free now! And that meant that she was at her destination, full of people but with a shared interest in pokemon. Doing her best to calm her racing heart, the girl made her way into the crowded entranceway.

Getting called over by a uniformed official, Haukea presented herself for her credentials. Everything seemed to be exactly as was explained to her on the phone, except for the Name Tag.

"Why does is have to be Bug types? Anything but this" the girl muttered to herself, cringing at the mere thought. But rules were rules, she supposed, and made her way further into the park to find the group handler. It didn't take long to find them (the billboard was a dead giveaway) and Haukea was pleasantly surprised to see other camp goers were already around the uniformed woman. 'This makes things a whole lot easier'.

"Alola, Hiya! It's nice to finally meet you all" Haukea spoke brightly, gesturing her hands in the traditional Alolan greeting. It was likely foreign to everyone, and he mother always discouraged it after they moved into the country, but the girl refused to ignore her past. Plus it usually got interesting responses.

"My name is Haukea. And this.." she continued, nodding her head to her friend located on her shoulder, "Is my best friend Siren". Said Vaporeon raised it's head slightly from where it lay, letting out a soft coo before going back to sleep. Haukea let out a soft laugh, rubbing the creature behind her fin crest before looking back to the group.

[CosmicOccurence]

Margret greeted the others cordially, though she had some trouble keeping track of which pair of legs belonged to which voice. Eventually she gave up and just began memorizing them by scent. Haukea smelled like salt, Nessa bore the unmistakable scent of poisons, though she didn't seem sick herself, and Constance ... well Constance smelled, of stress. She thanked Arceus for Gawain's nose.

This is Gawain, she said, indicating the Growlithe. He's pretty friendly, but will probably ignore you until his harness comes off later. He's on the job right now. Gawain was quickly distracted by Fig, and Margret lost sight of the humans for a minute as the Nidoran filled her view.

She bent down, reaching her mind out to the Pokemon to see if she could form a connection with it. It usually wasn't too hard, but she was still mastering the skill.

Hi girl, Margret said, attempting to convey her welcome and pleasure at seeing such a pokemon that interested Gawain.

Spoiler

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Not sure if i need an intuition roll, but since I don't know the pokemon I'm assumign so.

Channel roll dc 15 (4d6+2)[18]

[CateranEnforcer]

As all of you move to line up near the Scyther line, you get a better look at the other groups. You see six signs holding staffers, each with a different bug type. You see a Beedrill, Ariados, Butterfree, Ledian, and nearest to you is the Pinsir group. Margret hears whispers as she walks past, and through Gwain’s ears she hears very clearly the doubts and the questions that the onlookers have concerning her blindness.

The woman smiles and greets each of you as you arrive, while trying to make a note on a clipboard. When it seems like she’s matched all your names to her list "Well aren't I a lucky one! I'm very happy to meet you all! My name is Mia and I am I going to be your camp counselor while you are here. When I'm not teaching or running activities, I'll be staying with you in your cabin. Maybe I'll see you down at the ranch we have set up and show you how to ride sometime?" She looks around at the other groups around you to see how they are fairing. “It’s looks like it’ll be a few minutes while everyone gathers up, but it shouldn’t be too much longer. Our first activity is supposed to be something of an icebreaker, so why don’t we share our...”

Before Mia can finish her thought, a well dressed man walks up to your group with a microphone in hand and camera man following him around. “Excuse me! Could I ask the young trainers a few questions? What is it you are looking forward to most here at Summer Camp?” He shoves his microphone at you insistently while the camera captures it all while being uncomfortably close.

As if that wasn’t enough, an argument breaks out on the other side of you as a well dressed young man with a name tag argues with a group of porters who are apparently handling his things too roughly. He looks an awful lot like the rude boy Constance saw briefly at the daycare center. His wartortle has a painful looking leash on that he tugs at as he paces around scolding the men.

[Lorrel]

As the other cabin mates gather Constance warmly greets the other girls.
Hi, I'm Constance. The sleep artist in the bag is Tru. I think we are going to have as great time this summer! I can't wait to see what they have in store for us.
Constance makes mental notes of each of their Pokemon so she can learn more about her new friend's partners when she has a chance.

When the reporter arrives Constance tries to hang back; she definitely doesn't want to make a spectacle of herself. She just wants to fit in with the crowd. Constance smiles shyly at the questions, and is relieved at the interruption from the ruckus.


As the commotion with the boy flares up, Constance is not that shocked to see the perpetrator.

Figures he'd cause a scene here too. No matter how hard people try, you can't breed decency or buy class.

Spoiler

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Constance will keep an eye on the boy, and if he continues his tirade or looks to become physical she will try and lure the cameraman over to the boy before confronting him again. Nothing like the threat of national embarrassment for his familyto ensure better behaviour, and so much for staying as part of the crowd.

[Nap Captain]

Spoiler: Margaret's channelling

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Fig is an old soul with a stubborn streak: her willpower reminds you of Gawain's. No wonder she's interesting to him. The Nidoran is curious about this connection, but you feel as though there's a distance between the two of you, she is clearly very focused on looking out for her Nessa (almost as though she's a parent).

Nessa was quick to try and approach Margaret with a welcoming smile, which she realised too late wouldn't be helpful. "Margaret, did you say? Where have you come from? Do you know anyone else at camp?" Having seen the effect Alice's illness had had on her, Nessa wanted to make sure Margaret didn't feel too isolated by all the new experiences.

Nessa wasn't particularly enthused by the news reporter's questions. She wasn't an outgoing type, but sensing the reluctance of her fellow campers, she spoke up shyly: "Um... Well I'm looking forwards to learning all about pokemon, and exploring the wilderness. Mom hates it when I go out on my own." Why did I add that last bit? Mom's going to be fuming when she watches this! Nessa blushes and then gestures for one of the others to speak up: she doesn't want to be the only one who makes the news.

[CosmicOccurence]

So many water pokemon, Margret thought as she severed her link with the Nidoran. It clearly had more on its mind. I wonder if Gawain and I will even have a shot at this camp. She feels a sharp nip on her legs as Gawain bit her, reminding her of her unspoken promise that she would try to do better. Still, against a Wartortle? She just didn't see any way.

While Gawain could tell where the camera was pointed as she turned her attention to the reporter, she intentionally looked about a quarter turn to the right, pretending she had no idea where it was. Sometimes being blind had its perks. I'm just excited for the opportunity to be chosen. Winning a gym badge would be a dream come true for me. I just can't believe I was even chosen. It wasn't really a dream of hers, but she figured it would be a good soundbyte. One they couldn't use because the visual was horrible when she was facing the wrong direction. And 'blind girl goes to camp' wasn't exactly a riveting headline either. Margret was still salty that she was chosen as a media op, since she knew her battle record didn't get her in. In the 600 person tournament recently she hadn't even made it past the first round. But she would milk the training here for every cent it was worth. She more than anyone needed a battling boot camp, that was for sure.

[AutumnLotus]

The sudden appearance of the media duo certainly caught Haukea off guard, but was not a bad surprise. It made sense for the camo to publicize it's campers and their experiences. Although it did seem to unsettle her new camping partners. Co-Campers? Co-Campers. It was at that moment, however, that the young woman noticed that the seemingly vision-impaired co-camper seemed uncomfortable with the cameramans attention. 'That won't do', and with that idle thought Haukea moved up beside the other girl, trying to catch the camera crew's attention.

"Well I'm definitely here to make some friends. Me and my Vaporeon partner are always up to helping others" Haukea proclaimed happily, smiling wide to the media crew. Siren did her part by not being asleep, shivering off her drowsiness which reflected the strong sunlight off her shimmering pink scales. The girl for her part gently placed a hand onto Margret's back in a, hopefully, calming gesture. Haukea had experience dealing with younger kids, and this often helped them cope. Does it work with her age group? The Alolan certainly enjoyed the touch of friends, but she was a hugger so that might be biased. 'Oh wrll, what's done is done. Let's see how this goes'

[CateranEnforcer]

The camera captures all of your responses and the reporter smiles along with you while ignoring the glare Mia sends his way for interrupting her. That's just fantastic. It looks like you're going to have a lot of fun and notoriety here. He looks like he is about to follow up with more questions when a cheer rises up from the south entrance. That's her! We can't miss this Billy! Without another word he rushes off towards the south.

It's hard to see past the crowd, but it doesn't take long for it to move aside as a couple of Granbulls clear a path with a mean look. Following behind them are two female trainers, dressed up in pink and white tank tops, white shorts, and sunglasses. Pink and white were the colors of the Goldenrod gym so it's no surprise when following close behind these two you see none other than Gym Leader Whitney.

She strides with confidence in front of the row of campers and when she speaks, her voice carries over the whole of the assembled group. "Hello everyone, it's very nice to see such enthusiasm for the first ever Goldenrod Summer Camp program!" She waits for the scattered applause to end before continuing. "However, I want to keep this short and sweet. Our campers have a lot to do today and I want to send them on their way. So for that reason I'm going to close most of the public areas of the Park today so they can make us proud! So please, respect their space and cheer them on for me!"

With that, the audience does as asked, and they raise their voices to shout out encouragement and support. The crowd finally backs off with the help of Whitney's bodyguard trainers and you are left with your group and some breathing room at last. Mia in particular seems happy about this. "Whew I'll be glad when we get to camp. It's much more peaceful there, I promise. So, as I was saying, the first activity is supposed to help you get to know each other a little bit better. The four of you are going to have to follow a few clues to find the location of your cabin! Your first stop is Memorial Trail, where you'll find little statues of our team pokemon. Your first clue is there! It's easy to find, just inside the entrance."

Mia stops for a moment to crouch down to get into a small backpack behind her. She comes back up with some Pokegear devices and passes them out to you. "If you get really lost you can call me on these, but I believe that you'll do just fine. Opening ceremony happens tonight at dusk so try to make it by then! Oh, and feel free to get to know the other teams! I'll be here if you have any questions, but otherwise I'll see you tonight!"

Spoiler

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You get pokegear! Should be as full featured as in the core book.

[CosmicOccurence]

Margret jerked back from the foreign hand on her back. With her parents gone, she couldn't think of anyone who would be touching her. Gawain immediately jerked around at her reaction, the Growlithe showing her what was going on. She took a small step away and turned towards the arrival of Whitney.

Margret had never met Whitney before, but who hadn't heard of her? The girl was a genius, and one of the youngest gym leaders in the world, let alone the region. Hopefully I'll be getting a badge from her soon, she thought.

At the thought of the scavenger hunt, Margret smiled. It should be fun. However, when she got handed the Pokegear, she turned a blank stare towards Mia. No problem Mia, she said, I'm sure the Scythers will make it without too much of a problem.

However, could you just tell me your number? Or are you on speeddial? Because there's no garuntee I'll be able to find you on this thing. She had her parent's numbers memorized of course, and Growlithe had a hard time distinguishing small details, especially on electronics. Smell was her companion's sense of choice.

[AutumnLotus]

Haukea pouted at the other girls retreat from her hand but was quick to drop the feelings of disappointment from her mind. The first rule of making friends was to accept their feelings, even if they don't make sense to you. Nodding to herself, the young swimmer listened to Mia and her continuing speech. Which did reward her with a present, an interesting looking pocket device, from said adult. This was the first time seeing such an item, and only had the vaguest ideas on what it was for. She wasn't much for television, but had heard her mother talk about something called a Pokegear once. Hopefully the thing was waterproof, or else there would be a problem.

Haukea immediately opened it and began to idly fidget with the device. 'It definitely has a lot of features. But also a phone? Doesn't seem that helpful unless you don't mind not having privacy. But this weather app could be useful..' the girl thought to herself as she continued, eventually finding preregistered contact information. Scrolling past them, she immediately added in her Mother's contact information. It's doubtful she would ever need to call, but just in case the number was placed at the top of the speed dial functions.

Finishing up her task, Haukea finally took the time to actually truly See her new campmates. There was the girl she just failed to interact with, Margret. Skittish but passionate in being here, or so Haukea perceived it. Constance seemed a bit more shy, but that was natural given the amount of new people. She sympathized, and hoped to get to know her more. But Nessa was the person that interested her most. Just being near her gave Haukea the impression the girl was close to nature. The smell of foliage and dirt was hard to ignore. To some this might dissuade them from interacting with the girl. But to the Alolan this was a sign of a kindred spirit. Messing around with the dial of her new Pokegear, the young woman made her way over to Nessa's position in the group while fiddling with the map function.

"Hey there Nessa~. You seem pretty at home in nature. Do you want to help me when we start navigating the park? It could be a nice chance to bond as team members, yeah?" Haukea advised with a broad smile. Practice made perfect, even in friend making.

[Nap Captain]

Notoriety? Who said anything about notoriety? Or did she mean me? I'm not looking for notoriety, am I? Anxiety briefly tempered Nessa's excitement, as she wondered just how she was perceived by others, but it quickly faded as Whitney arrived. Honestly Nessa wasn't all that bothered: she had never had an ambition to win Gym badges or look up to Gym leaders, but she guessed Whitney was a pretty cool role model if she had to pick one. Plus with all this fanfare, it was easy to get swept up in everything.

She fiddled with the pokegear curiously: she'd never had something like this before and she was well aware how expensive one was. She knew with a deep certainty that she was going to end up breaking this before the camp was over and there would be trouble...

"Hey there Nessa~. You seem pretty at home in nature. Do you want to help me when we start navigating the park? It could be a nice chance to bond as team members, yeah?"

She turned to her fellow camper, the athletic looking one (she was shoulder-carrying a Vaporeon!) who seemed outwardly the most confident of all of them.

"Er yeah, sure. You're Haukea right? Yeah, I mean I know a few things, I guess navigating can't be too hard." She noticed the Nidoran giving her a scathing look. "Shh Fig - I don't get lost very often!"

Hoping her new friend hadn't lost confidence in her she turned back to Haukea and said: "Right, let's get started! Anyone know if this thing has a map?"

Spoiler

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Possibly being daft, but where in the rule book does it mention what capabilities a pokégear has? DO we need to roll to know where Memorial Trail is, and if so would that be General Edu? If so (3d6)[10].

[Lorrel]

Constance is happy that the reporter is distracted by the entrance of Whitney, and she too quickly forgets about the rude boy from the Day Care. She watches in silent awe at the adoration Whitney receives from the gathered crowd. Maybe someday she too could feel that kind of acceptance. Wouldn't that be a change from the way her life usually went.

She listens eagerly as Mia explains their first task, and takes note of her Pokegear.
Wow, this is so great. Just like the sets we used back at school. I have always wanted one for my own. Thank you very much Mia. Even in her excitement, Constance managed to remember the manners that had been driven into her. She quickly straps on the device to her arm for easy access.

Constance sees Margret's hesitation with the device and walks over. Hi, Margret was it? I'm Constance, one of your fellow campers. I have used these devices quite a bit and can help you find Mia's number if you'd like. I am sure it is programmed in. We can also register all of our numbers in there too - you never know when we might need to keep in touch.

Spoiler

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If Margret allows, Constance will ensure Mia's number is saved in the PokeGear and add her and the others grils' numbers in as well (if they want.)

Upon hearing a question about a map, Constance responds. This model is definitely capable of having a map feature, I wonder if they loaded it in? Either way, Mia mentioned that the Memorial Trail is just inside the entrance. We might as well start heading that way. Being a National Park, I bet there will be a trail marker. If not, at least we will be away from the lingering crowds and can make a plan in peace.

[Nap Captain]

Upon hearing a question about a map, Constance responds. This model is definitely capable of having a map feature, I wonder if they loaded it in? Either way, Mia mentioned that the Memorial Trail is just inside the entrance. We might as well start heading that way. Being a National Park, I bet there will be a trail marker. If not, at least we will be away from the lingering crowds and can make a plan in peace.

"Oh yeah..." Was it too early to tell them that Nessa had perfected the art of pretending to listen to people in positions of authority, without actually taking anything in? Yeah probably too soon.

Trying to hide her blush, Nessa motioned to Fig the Nidoran to get her to stay close (not that there was much to worry about there) and with her new found friends headed towards the entrance to the park.

[CateranEnforcer]

Mia puts her hands to her mouth as she realizes she didn't consider Margaret's blindness. "Oh I'm so sorry! Yes my number is already in there as the first contact. I'm sure we can find a way to set it up so you don't have to read it. I'll ask Bruce about it. He's the Butterfree councilor and he set these up." She smiled brightly when she saw the group taking to each other. "I'm glad to see you all getting along! Like I said, Memorial Trail can't miss it. I'm not supposed to help more than that unless you call me. Good luck! I'll see you tonight!"

While checking out your new Pokegear, you can get a general idea of its functions. A big Silph Co logo pops up as you turn it on. There is indeed a map loaded into it you can get a good idea of what the park looks like. The southern side where you are is a collection of walking trails, picnic areas, benches for relaxing, and even a playground. The northern side is famously shaped like a pokeball if looking from above and is a massive area of wilderness where it is very common to find the bug pokemon that call those fields home. It is also a great wide open space for pokemon battles. A man made lake fills completes the picture at the center.

Park signs direct you to the various walking trails, many of which have their own map painted on them. There is another sign every so often that reads Pokemon battles prohibited on trails. Please use designated areas. This seems to be the starting point for everyone as you see campers all over the area, making their own way down the trail. Many of them have their pokemon out and seem to be demonstrating their moves or showing off their babies. One group runs off north to the open area. A boy with a Ledian name tag calls out to you as he jogs after them. "Hey! Team Beedrill is having a battle for leadership! We're going to watch!" He continues without waiting for a reply.

"What a waste of time." The blonde boy with the Wartortle says from nearby. He seems to have wandered over here from his Pinsir group. His own name tag reads Henry. "Nice Vaporeon you have there girl. I should get my father to have you join our group. I'll trade you for Rattata boy over here." He jerks his finger over his shoulder to indicate a younger looking boy in his group who looks very intimidated by Henry.

[Nap Captain]

Nessa continued to bubble along, telling the rest of the girls about her passion for medicine and that she was really hoping to learn more about Pokemon medicine at camp, as well as find new and exciting creatures.

They're fighting for leadership? Boys... Nessa noted how that idea hadn't even come up in their group, which was telling.

She was more concerned about the boy who appeared to be trying to steal her new-found friend, but she didn't know Haukea well enough to speak on her behalf. Maybe she knew this kid with his suave looking wartortle. Nessa fiddled with the new pokegear she'd been given, adding her family's numbers and flicking through the apps, whilst subtly trying to watch the interaction between Haukea and this new boy.

[AutumnLotus]

Haukea began her walk with her new group, watching the other campers running along the main trail. She was so glad to see everyone so excited, just like herself. Although she was was fairly surprised at how varied the ages of the people around her were, what really caught her attention was the newly appeared boy talking to her. Not the group, but her personally. Maybe this person knew about her. Maybe he knew . That pang of paranoia was only encouraged as she looked down to the boy's pokemon, a Wartortle wearing an uncomfortable looking collar of some sort. She knew just how to respond.

"That's sooo sweet of you!" Haukea responded, sweet honey seeming to pour from her tongue with every word. "I wouldn't want to be a bother for you or your family, though. And your partner seems just as reliable as ol' me. A Smart Haole like you could really teach your youngers a thing or two, yeah?"

Siren, for the Vaporeon's part, decided to slide off the girl's shoulders and onto the ground. She seemed disinterested in the new human, and only briefly glanced at the Wartortle before turning with a flop of her finned tail and moving back with the groups other Pokemon.

[CosmicOccurence]

Margret felt like rolling her eyes. This guy was an arse, but no doubt a skilled one. With an evolved Pokemon, and a water type at that, she had no intention of challenging him to a battle, but she could make him a little uncomfortable at least.

So she walked straight into him.

She played up the blindness of course, conveniently putting the cane where he wasn't and pretending she couldn't actually see: she was happy nobody knew about her abilities yet. To others, she appeared just as a blind girl walking forwards and this boy not getting out of the way. She'd done this a few times. Usually it inspired deep discomfort, but she wouldn't be surprised if this kid had a different reaction.

As she collided with him, she went sprawling right on the leash that he held, hoping that it would get yanked out of his hands. Gawain played his part too, the Growlith worriedly nosing her and whining.

[Lorrel]

Leaderhsip challenge? It's summer camp what is a leader even going to do? Seems rather foolsih, but children will play, I suppose. Constance said dismissively. Some people just couldn't live their lives without ensure they were better than someone else. She was glad that her new friends did not seem like that type.
She looked around at the other groups, trying to get a sense of the overall makeup of the camp. Constance was here because she had no where else to go, but the rest of the campers looked generally happy to be here, and that made Constance happy. She was looking forward to being away from the dour setting and eternal jockeying for status.

Somehow Constance was not shocked to see the rude boy from the day care. It seemed like he would be her shadow at camp, a lingering reminder of the family and life she had left behind. Still, it was better that there was only one, instead of a whole clan of them.

Stiffing a chuckle, Constance watched as Henry, the poor mannered boy from the day care was rebuffed when he tried to recruit Haukea. Constance had no idea what Haole meant, but to her it was clear it was not a term of endearment.
What audacity, Constance thought to herself. He as already determined the "value" of his cabin mates and decided they weren't good enough.

Constance tried to remain inconspicuous while keep an eye on the boy; she was not going to pick a fight with Henry for no reason, but she was on guard for one of his tempter tantrums.

Oh no! Constance cried and leapt forward as Margret went crashing into Henry. Are you ok? What happened, do you need help?

[CateranEnforcer]

Henry seemed conflicted by Haukea's reply. He didn't like that she was refusing him, but she did so in such a way as to appease his ego. Still he persisted. "I really am just trying to offer you the best chance you may have to get your badge. Don't want anyone holding me back is all. Well, what about the rest of you? Anything is better than…" As the boy turns to address the rest of you, Margaret collides with him. The leash is pulled from his hand and in surprise, Henry stumbles to his hands and knees. His wartortle bends a little but stands steady even with the extra weight on his neck.

As this is happening, the other three Pinsir campers come running up; a blonde, well dressed girl named Charlotte, a brown haired boy named Drake with sleek shades over his eyes and a length of chain hanging from his denim pants, and a younger boy named Joey of about fourteen with dusty hair like his Rattata. Charlotte is of a identical height to the rude boy and her face bears a clear family resemblance to his. Her and her Heracross help a sputtering Henry to his feet. Meanwhile, Joey leans down to peer down at Margaret seeming unsure if he should try to help and his Rattata comes up and sniffs the air near your Nidoran and Growlithe without coming too close.

"You stupid girl, that was on purpose! You trying to start a fight with me?" Henry scrambles for the leash and and he unhooks it from his pokemon's collar. "You better watch yourself. My wartortle can wipe the floor with your little pokemon. Maybe even Ratboy is better than you. He can at least can see where he's going."

[Nap Captain]

Nessa was mild-mannered. Everyone knew that. Even her mother who had wrestled with Nessa's stubborn ways for the past 16 years knew that Nessa might be hard-headed, but she would always disagree calmly. Except, when a line was crossed. It couldn't be for just an insult. It had to be for those insults. When they insulted Alice's sickness, or the way her sister struggled with physical tasks: that Nessa couldn't bear.

"Pity you won't be able to see it: you'll be too busy spitting dust after we wipe your face in the dirt!"

Fig was next to her bristling with rage and anger as well, neither of them was holding back their feelings well.

[CosmicOccurence]

Oh, so he was that kind of guy. While she was upset that he'd called her bluff, she was more upset at how much of downright nasty person he was. Could he be any more self centered? And really, insulting her because she was blind? Margret made disparaging jokes about it all the time, but it was always different when someone else did it.

The feisty part of her wanted to try and take him down right now. She liked to put idiots in their place. However, that Wartortle ... there was just no way Gawain was going to win that battle. Maybe Bors after he grew a bit, but she knew when she was beat. Which she suspected would be most of the time while she was here.

If you're so much better than me, then why are you here? Margret asks. And I'd be careful about getting too close to me. The doctors have got my immune system mostly under control, but sometimes I get a bit contagious. I'd hate for you to end up sad and depressed like me. Her voice dripped with sarcasm, but she tried to make at least a modicum of effort to make the bold faced lie believable.

Spoiler

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Guile: (3d6)[8]

[Lorrel]

Seeing the events play out, Constance wasn't surprised at the rude boys behaviour. She had no idea if he would even remember her from the day care, but it didn't really matter.

I see your fine breeding and well honed manners are on display once again Henry. Another childish outburst, and in front of all of these people. Your mother must swell with pride.
Were you not taught to fix your own shortcomings before looking for fault in others? Perhaps if you learned to control your Pokemon *without* a leash, then people wouldn't trip over it. Maybe someday you will be a good enough trainer to let your wartortle walk around on its own, like Joey and his Ratatta. It gives you something to aspire to I suppose.

Constance shook her head disparagingly and looked at the boy with the same condescending look she usually got from her mother. Who knew that a life of not being good enough would come in handy to try and put bullies in their place. She keeps an eye on Charlotte to see how she responds.

Spoiler: Perception

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Perception Roll (4D6) [roll]4d6[/roll]
(From OOC) (4d6)[6][2][1][4](13)
Edit to fix roll code. I think I broke it when I previewed the message.

[CateranEnforcer]

Henry takes a step back at the combined verbal assault. He even seems to look at Margaret as if she really was contagious. Charlotte leans in to whisper quietly to him, and Henry nods his head. "You're right, this is another waste of time. They deserve each other's mediocrity. We're leaving, come on Ratboy. Follow my example and even you can surpass these scrubs. I just hope they don't bring you down with them." That last line was to Haukea. He hooks the leash back on to the wartortle's collar and tugs him along down the trail. Charlotte walks right beside him and the two seem to be conferring with one another. Joey straightens up and waves goodbye shyly before following behind. Drake simply shrugs, spits on ground, and brings up the rear of the group, seemingly apathetic.

With that aside, you can hear the sounds of kids cheering to the north in the open area, likely from watching the battle happening there. Ahead of you is a sign pointing down Memorial Trail. The path is marked by hard soil and lined on either side with flowering bushes. There is a plaque visible from here resting on a block of decorative marble. Pinsir group walks past it without a glance and turns sharply behind the vegetation, but you can still see their top halves as they look down at something. The trail seems to wind around this open field, with only the occasional small tree. Smaller plaques are visible from here along the ground.

Spoiler: Constance

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You can hear what Charlotte whispers to Henry,"Not here. Later."

When they leave, you can hear them talking about using their map to skip straight to their cabin.

Spoiler: Intuition 5

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You can notice that Henry is no longer speaking to you directly or making eye contact with anyone other than Haukea. He seems thoroughly rebuffed.

Spoiler: Intuition 10

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Henry's wartortle seems to take a bit of pleasure from his trainer's embarrassment.

[Lorrel]

Despite her participation in the confrontation, Constance was happy that it was over. Camp was supposed to be about fun and friends, not dealing with entitled jerks. She had enough of that at home. She made sure to take note of Charlotte's lack of surprise or anger at her brother's actions. The boys behavior may be symptomatic of the entire family.

Constance overhears the other group as they move off into the woods. Figures they would consider using their maps as a shorcut. Some people only see finish lines and fail to enjoy the journey.

Looking at her new friends Constance says in a slightly louder than needed voice. Let's get going. We have lots of clues to find, and we don't want to be stuck using our maps like a bunch of fools.
Constance starts down the trail, keeping alerts for any signs of their next clue.

Spoiler: Perception and Intuition Rolls

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Perception for spotting the next clue
(4d6)[5][4][2][4](15)

Intuition Roll for the previous post
(2d6)[3][4](7)

[Nap Captain]

"That was unpleasant," Nessa muttered quietly. "Come on Fig: let's look for this Scyther plaque."

Nessa headed over to where the Pinsir group was searching, and examined each of the plaques in turn to identify their cabin's.

[AutumnLotus]

Haukea watched as the rich boy's group wandered off, obviously frustrated by her and her group's backtalk. Not very surprising, she admitted, but there was still hope for better relations once they start having to live in nature for a few weeks. Hard to act cocky while covered in dirt. Although the girl would have to keep an eye out for this Charlotte girl. She is either the cause of that boy's huge ego, or just a bystander that could be persuaded to help. Time changes many things, and all that.

Back to Realty, Haukea had realized that parts of her group were already on the move to find their landmark. This little drama had put them behind a few groups, so haste was definitely needed until they get to their cabin. Waving her hand towards the vaporeon on the ground, the girl gestured to Siren yo follow her before making her way into the forest. The Pokemon quickly follows, a light strong in their step at the prospect of getting away from the streets and into the forest.