Arrival

[bravenewmods]

They were noticed a half hour before they arrived.

The Guardsmen atop the city walls, their keen senses trained to observe anything out of the ordinary, had not failed to observe the flight of birds disturbed from their nests and the distant shuddering of trees. The pace was steady. Not of wild Pokémon meandering about, but of something with fixed, determined purpose.

News spread quickly, as it ought. The Council was aware of the situation in five minutes flat, and the guard on the walls surreptitiously tripled in the same amount of time. It didn't take much longer for idle citizens to realize something was amiss, and as the rumors propagated -- There are people coming through the forest! -- so, too, did the number of people thronging at the gate craning their necks to get a look.

They emerge from the forest, their pace brisk and their numbers thirty strong. Many wear attire that is hardy, made for traveling - leather boots, thick wool pants, and long jackets in shades of deep crimson and black. Others, clearly of some higher rank, are clad in suits or other formal wear; a few wear pristine white coats that must have only just been changed. As they approach, most stare coolly upwards at the assembly gathered before them atop the walls of the city.

At their lead stands a man with a mild smile and shaggy red hair. Two others stand close beside him: a young woman in a crisp, fur-lined white coat, sleek black hair pristine and perfectly in place and a gentle smile on her face and an aloof woman with brown hair wearing a sharp suit who appears extremely disinterested in the proceedings.

The company pauses. And there is a long, awkward silence before the man with the red hair takes a step forward. He speaks, and his words, though understandable, have a strange, foreign inflection.

"My name is Rory Donnachaidh. We have come on behalf of our people to serve as a diplomatic presence to your city."

...Another awkward pause.

"...I believe it is appropriate to say - take us to your leader."

He smiles more broadly, as if he's made a joke.

---------

We are Team Evolution.

We represent a group of people with a common purpose - to restore humanity to the peaks it once ascended and to raise up all Pokémon alongside us. We call ourselves Team Evolution for the only path forward for both human and Pokémon is to evolve. When we realized that our signals could be detected no longer, our scouts reported that the reason was human sabotage. Imagine our surprise to learn that a human civilization lay so close to those mountains... But what do I say? You, of course, must all have experienced surprise in equal measures, no?

We have come here for reasons twofold: to establish relations with this city and to retrieve the materials that you have been holding for us. It was a prototype, you see, and we would wish to have it returned.

Of course, we understand that you have little reason to trust us and great reason to drive us away. We will not attempt to enter your city if that is preferred - but we will camp outside, between the forest and the gates, for the space of 10 days, after which we will depart, with or without our materials. We hope you will be willing to speak with us during this time. We would also like to... hold a demonstration to explain our actions, if you and your Council are willing.

Please, come and speak with us if you have any questions. That is an offer extended to anyone in your fine city. I shall personally ensure that any visitors are treated with the greatest of courtesies...

((For approximately 10 IC days, the people of Team Evolution will be camped outside of Union. The next part of this event will require sign-ups. There is an accompanying OoC post to this post here. Please see that post for more details.

Please feel free to use this IC post to talk with the NPCs. All responses here will receive an NPC response.))

Comments

[tagteams]

[You damn right she is going to investigate this group. She had to fetch the broken bracelet device that she left with a group of Engineers, the one that the men put on Valor when she found him. They could be the same men or related, they could not, but she just had to ask.

Valor is on her shoulder, he's feeling so much distrust and uncomfort from them as much as Quinn is feeling. Edan is also on the same shoulder, being very much interested in these guests. She approaches Rory right as she spots him taking notes.]

Excuse me, sir. May I ask you a few questions?

[naturaldissension]

Yes, of course.

[He will set his notes aside and stand to address her, his demeanor the perfect model of servile helpfulness.]

What is it you would like to know?

[tagteams]

I just want to ask if you have ever seen something like this before.

[She digs the device out of her bag and offers it to Rory. A very hard steel bracelet device with a rough cut that looks like it took days to cut.]

[naturaldissension]

Hm...

[A frown creases his face as he picks it up and turns it about in his hands. He expresses what seems to be genuine puzzlement.]

It is a sort of shackle, yes?

[He hands it back politely, his demeanor a bit colder.]

I assume you do not show me this to make veiled threats? It would not fit well on me, I'm afraid!

[tagteams]

No, sir. Men from the northwest attacked one of my Pokémon companions and put this on him. [She takes it back, putting it away in the safety of her bag.]

I'm not trying to accuse you or your team of hurting Pokémon, I was just looking for answers in case of poachers out there.

[naturaldissension]

Ah -- I understand.

Men from the northwest...

[He continues to look a bit puzzled.]

Neither I nor my affiliates have any wish to harm Pokemon in such a manner - perhaps in a more practical sense, it would not serve our goals. Perhaps there are more humans out there than we are yet aware of.

[tagteams]

Yes. That's a possibility of other unknown settlements. [She nods. Her birds seem a bit uneasy still, but she is keeping them calm before they end up pecking faces. There is a chance that he could be lying, but giving that he's puzzled about the shackle, she will believe him.] I'm a Ranger for Union. Along with the city, the safety of all Pokémon is very important to me.

And... I guess I want to ask where did you come from? You must have traveled a long way from your own city.

[naturaldissension]

We are also from the north - lying against the southern sea as your city does, I fear most everything is 'north' in relation to you. Many of my associates hail from a city called Gigas, though I was personally born in a smaller settlement. As for Team Evolution, we have several bases scattered around the continent.

It is several weeks' travel to the nearest one, at least; perhaps longer for those who are not accustomed to marching long distances.

[A slight pause.]

I hear 'ranger' and I think of a woodsman patrolling the forest. Is that what is meant?

[tagteams]

Correct. Our task is to study the outside world, patrolling is just one of them. Protecting the city from outside forces, record migration of Pokémon while conserving the wildlife. Just a few of the multiple tasks a Ranger does for this city.

[A small pause.]

I guess you are right on the north part. We have no boats of visitors coming from the ocean as of yet. Still, it's been a long time since we had major guests traveling to see us.

What kind of city is Gigas like? Are the Pokémon different compared to here?

[naturaldissension]

Ah, I understand. So you are perhaps my equivalent - with a narrower focus. The Rangers of Union are those who venture furthest from the city, then?

[Rory pauses at the questions about Gigas.]

You may wish to question some of my associates who were born and raised in the city. From what I have seen, the Pokémon around this area are perhaps more docile. Grass and Bug-types, as befits a forest. Gigas is an immense, sprawling place, more mountainous - the people there are dedicated to advancing technology as much as they can, and so we find ourselves natural allies.

[tagteams]

That's right. We are the ones who work outside of the city. We usually go as far as we can until we start to lose signal in our Warp Bands. Of course, Rangers aren't the only one who go outside the walls. Trainers and even regular citizens go outside the walls to see the world for themselves.

Gigas sounds quite interesting for another settlement. Maybe someday we could take the chance to see it for ourselves.

[naturaldissension]

That is not for me to say, I fear. Though we consider Gigas an ally, we are here today only on behalf of our own group. We can certainly communicate your interest in establishing relations, of course.

[He seems to be gently steering her away from the thought of showing up unannounced at Gigas's front door.]

May I ask - what... do you mean by 'Warp Band'?

[tagteams]

Perhaps.

[That's all she can say on communicating between cities, but getting a chance to visit another settlement would be nice. She holds out her wrist towards Rory, the one with her Warp Band tightly secured on.]

These bands are our communication device along with letting us summon our Pokémon to our side when needed.

[naturaldissension]

Hence the 'warp'. How intriguing - and they are called across great distances to your side with ease?

So you, too, must have the ability to convert Pokemon into an energy form.

[tagteams]

That's right. Since you never heard about the bands, you have another way to summon Pokémon to your side, correct?

Band or not, many of us have a certain Pokémon that stays by our side at all times without being attuned to the Warp Band. Like Valor here.

[Cue Valor puffing his chest out in pride. Yeah he thinks he's the shit.]

[naturaldissension]

Not as such - our companions are also with us at all times, though they reside in their energy forms. Though we pride ourselves on our innovation, we have yet to master any form of... 'warping'.

[He glances towards Valor and chuckles.]

I fear my own Pokemon are a bit... large for that.

[tagteams]

Some even have Steelixes wandering around so we never had a problem with size.

[She laughs a little.]

Not to worry. We have a certain area for Pokémon to eat, rest, and have tons of room if they can't fit into our homes. If they are attuned to our bands, they just come to us with no problems at all.

[naturaldissension]

Such a facility must be extraordinarily large, given the different needs of different types.

I suppose there must be someone inside prepared to send them to you at a moment's notice?

[tagteams]

Not needed. I think it would be best if I just show you.

[She activates her band, the prongs starting up an transmission. She presses a few more buttons and a flow of light starts to flow to her. That light took form into a Pikachu, who is pretty excited to see Quinn.]