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

[bnw_sheepy_npcs]

[He would find her meeting with another of his colleagues, speaking on certain matters. However, as he spoke, she brought up a hand to the person she was speaking to, turning and greeting Jade.]

I am, thank you very much. It's interesting, I don't get to visit many other human establishments.

[antiseptic]

[An interesting turn of phrase.]

That's a pity. Why not?

[bnw_sheepy_npcs]

Such large communities are quite rare, indeed! It is a treat for us.

[antiseptic]

[It's difficult to surprise Jade, but his eyes widen slightly at that information.]

Oh? Is this not the first settlement you've discovered?

[bnw_sheepy_npcs]

We have come across small, pocket communities in our travels, however most are fairly nomadic in nature.

[antiseptic]

I see... I'm afraid that's the first I've heard of it. [How odd that the Union had never encountered them.] Are there any groups nearby?

[bnw_sheepy_npcs]

That, I could not say. This is our first venture this far south, and our mission was to retrieve our machines. Although, exploring your city and learning about its people far surpasses that for many of us, myself included.

[antiseptic]

[Which would indicate that their settlement (and probably those of the nomads) are up north. Jade makes a note to venture up there later on, once he's learnt all he can from the newcomers.]

Learning that there are other humans out there was quite a surprise for us as well. [He's uneasy about the fact that they're being given free access to the Union's store of information, even as scattered and limited as they are.]

[But, there's no use on dwelling on what he can't change. He may as well continue trying to learn more while giving away as little information as possible.]

Are the nomadic groups you mentioned working with Team Evolution?

[bnw_sheepy_npcs]

We recruit from anyone who shares our common ideals, yes.

[antiseptic]

[Which is, presumably, not all of them. His red eyes narrow thoughtfully.]

And how many people are working with you in total?

[bnw_sheepy_npcs]

Several hundred, at least. We are simply one small division of a larger whole.

[antiseptic]

[This has been quite a day for surprises. Remarkable, to think that there would be so many other humans around...]

That's quite a large number. Would I be correct in assuming that every division has their own responsibilities?

[bnw_sheepy_npcs]

That would be correct.

[antiseptic]

And what would yours be?

[bnw_sheepy_npcs]

My division's role, or the role I have within it?

[antiseptic]

[He smiles cheerfully.]

Why not both? Ah, by the way, I don't believe I've caught your name yet.

[bnw_sheepy_npcs]

We are a research division.

[She looks surprised.]

My apologies, how rude of me. My name is Crystal Verdine, and I am a doctor of Pokémon Evolutionary Biology.

[antiseptic]

[A research division...? Ah, yes, that made sense. They had been looking for the machines, after all.]

In that case, I'm sure you'll have much to discuss with the Pokemon researchers here. [It's too bad that the people of the Union will probably be too helpful; Jade knows that not many shares his sense of secrecy.] Has Team Evolution made much progress with studying Pokemon? I'm afraid our own knowledge is rather limited.

[He sees no need to emphasize the Union's strengths. Maybe it'll dissuade her from investigating too deeply.]

[bnw_sheepy_npcs]

We have cataloged quite a few indigenous species. Unfortunately, I do not have most of my notes with me, otherwise I would be more than happy to compare them.

[antiseptic]

I hope we'll have an opportunity to do so at another time. Knowledge is quite hard to come by.

[Even if he can't be sure they'll be given deliberately-sabotaged notes.]

Is your research related to the machines we've found at the mountains?

[bnw_sheepy_npcs]

It is, I have written a few papers specifically on evolutionary theory. The machines were made specifically to induce early evolution. For that reason, I do feel at least partially responsible for the trouble that they have caused, even if the machines were not my own creation.

[antiseptic]

Is that the only purpose of the machines?

[Nobody in the Union will be forgetting those earthquakes any time soon, that's for sure.]

[bnw_sheepy_npcs]

[She nods.]

That is their only purpose.

I imagine that there are many theories already circulating that we meant the people of Union ill, and that is the furthest from the truth. Our knowledge of the world is limited, and we had no idea that other civilizations existed in this area. We simply chose it for its distance away from any known human establishments as well as from Gigas, should something go wrong. Had we known...

[antiseptic]

[Gigas? That's probably their settlement. He'd ask about it, but he'd rather pursue their current line of conversation right now.]

Yes, what happened was quite unfortunate, but I'm glad it's a misunderstanding rather than a deliberate attack. I presume you'll be continuing the experiments at another location?

[bnw_sheepy_npcs]

[She nods.]

Correct.