Brave New World

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.))