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[birdy51]

With surprising speed for an old woman, she grabs Lina's hand. It's cold and fleshy to the touch. Up this close to her, you can see her milk-white eyes. Her breath smells of booze. Bony appendages move across Lina's palm and upon her wrist.

"Hush. Hrm... Kukukukuku. First, your past. Hmm... See a high house, fields and manors. A gilded cage. But the cage door was left open. You come from wealth, but forsook it for freedom. I see open sky's and bleak earth. Freedom came with a cost I see. Now what's this? I see a grey haired man clad in red, a trainer not too far from yourself. He's looking about.. Looking and... Ah... I see it now."

Mericifully, she releases her clammy old lady hands.

"You're being sought out by one who wish to do you ill. You would do well to avoid this man, for he bears an evil eye towards you. From what I can sense, a trainer far beyond the skill of anyone in your group. Beware of any encounter with this man if you value your freedom little bird. Kukukuku..."

[Kansa]

Leaf overheard the old woman talk and looked over with interest,
"Could you tell us anything more about him?"

[Powder Miner]

Corrie pauses for a moment... and then in a flash hands the old woman 100 Poke.
"I think I want one of these too, actually!"

[birdy51]

The old lady looks at the two youngins with a wry cantankerous smile.

: "One moment. I need to fill up the fuel tank dearies."

In a twinkling, she reaches into her jacket pocket and produces a small flask full of what smells like some kind of really hard liquor and downs it heartily. The Matron throws her head back and sticks out a pointy tongue.

: "Eheheeeee! Ah! Thash's the good stuff! Now were we... Ah! Yes!"

Leaf overheard the old woman talk and looked over with interest,
"Could you tell us anything more about him?"

: "Hmm... From what I could see with my mind's eye... He was wearing a red uniform. Like an old officer in the military. He seems like an old grey beard. A rather handsome old gray beard mind you. Kukukukuku!"

Her eyebrows twitch ecstatically.

Corrie pauses for a moment... and then in a flash hands the old woman 100 Poke.
"I think I want one of these too, actually!"

She takes the money and quickly goes through the same process with her as she had for Lina. The milky eyes. The vaguely creepy old lady hands. The Matron crooned happily and began to speak.

: "Ah yes... First, the past! I SMELL COOKIES! Hohoho! Hmm... How my mind wanders... I see two hands side by side working the same bread we call Life. Hohoho, I see you are your father's daughter. Hmm... I see you seek to live a life that is full of nutrition, experience! Ahah! Now I smell many things! Kukuku... But not all the scents derive from your hearth. You had best keep working on your cooking dear, for your ability to do so will be tested some time in the future!"


: "Ok. That's all great and fantastic. But you still haven't said a thing about why they're here. And while we're on that subject, you haven't told me why I'm here and- Wait, is this ship moving?"

She moves to the opposite side of the deck. By now the ship had already cleared port by a large margin.

: "Sonuva bitch."

: "Kukukukukuuuu! Don't you worry your pretty little head Miss McClure! This is all in accordance with the great PLAN!"

Cackling madly to herself, the old Matron takes yet another sip of her flask.

[Taricus]

"There's no bloody great plan you drunken biddy." Thomas interjected rather suddenly. "All it happens to be is a few events that just coincided with one another. Not some big plan that some outside entity has conjured up for their entertainment or whatever."

[birdy51]

: "Kukukukuku! You've got spunk I see! For that, I don't even need to a reading. You think whatever you want that doesn't hurt your little head. But rest assured, there are entities planning everywhere across the globe."

She leaned forward, her wrinkly features massaging into a toothy smile. A dribble of a browinish liquid escaped her maw and ran down her chin.

: "A malign influence is infesting the islands. They're planning things. Malicious things. We may call the islands our home, but they would call them... An opportunity. Kukukukuku!"

: "We'll arrive at Tonic Island within the hour. I know many things, but I do not know everything. All I can say is... Good luck trainers! May fate smile upon you!"

Placing her palms flat onto the table she arose in a shaky state brought on by a combination of intoxication and old age. Cackling gleefully, the Matron hobbled her way out to the starboard side exit of the ship's cabin and disappeared around the corner heading towards the bow of the ship. Wendy reacted badly to this gesture and quickly got up to chase her down.

: "Hey! We're not done here lady! You said you would tell me what you know about Saxon!"

[Kansa]

Leaf paused for a moment as he watched the old lady move away, after a while he turned to the reporter.
"What did she say she knew?" curiosity was plain in his voice

[birdy51]

Wendy sits back down rubs her temple.

: "Something. She said she knew something. She told me enough to get me on this boat and then clammed up. Listen. You kids don't mind if I talk for a bit do ya? I've got a few things on my mind."

[Kansa]

Leaf sat down as well and smiled,
"I don't mind, we have time to spare anyway"

[Criptfeind]

After considering the words of the old hag Lina sat down with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Yeah, I guess we might as well listen, we got a while until tonic anyway. And apparently at least one person here thinks something is going on... Although I'm not sure of the quality of that opinion..." Lina says, her eyes lingering with faint distaste on door the witch left though.

[birdy51]

: "Damn straight. That old gal's coocoo for something. Take a seat. This might take a bit."

Wendy reaches down into her purse and produces a box of cigarettes. She lights up with a cheap orange plastic lighter and takes a short drag. After a few moments of this, she seems more relaxed.

: "Alright. So it goes something like this. I haven't actually had a case in a while. I'm employed as a reporter for the Orre Sun. Small territory of the League, it's alright if you don't know it. But my business is competitive and I haven't been able to cover a case before somebody else in... Well years. You print first, you place first, ya know? I was out covering some side story in the desert when Greevil got taken down. By the time I got to town, the place was swarming with other reporters. My boss never let me live it down. Anyways..."

: "So I get here when there is all this commotion about a new region. Not a new territory; a real full-fledged region, I got ecstatic. I can cover that. I can cover all of that. So, I took a risk and dipped into my savings account. That bought me the press ticket to get out here. I thought that if I could get an interview with President McKenzie, I could strike it big. You know what happened then. But then I started hearing things about this Saxon character. I looked him up through some of my connections. The dude's got a record. He was an enforcer for Team Rocket back in the day. A real rough and tumble guy. He covered security for the Celadon Game Corner's Pokémon distribution racket. After they dissolved there, he got caught up in the Rocket Resurgence in Johto and eventually got arrested during the Goldenrod incident. They brought up enough charges against him to put him away for life, but they couldn't prove any of them. He didn't leave a whole lot of evidence against himself. Saxon got acquitted."

: "It's around that time that he immigrated to the islands. Apparently, according to that old hag, he caused a pretty damn big stir when he arrived here at Shanty Town. Old habits die hard. It wasn't long before he was getting a crew together and pushing around the locals. He started construction of the Rook's Nest and began running the Town as his own personal paradise."

Wendy reclines for a moment. Her cigarette was now nothing more than a nub that she wiped out on the table.

: "That's not the end of the story though. Apparently, Saxon got his ass whooped by some old geezer a few years ago. Big time. Enough to shake him a little bit. But I don't really believe her. Men like that don't change. I don't know how he sweet-talked himself into becoming a prospective Gym Leader, but he's bad news. Between him and McKenzie, I don't really trust either of them."

: "But, there you have it. Now you know you at least know what I know."

[Powder Miner]

Corrie's eyebrows shoot upwards.
"I... didn't know any of that."

[Weirdsound]

Franklin smiled. This reporter worked quick. "...I'd dispute the notion that men like that don't change, but yeah. I wouldn't trust Saxon any further than I could throw him."

"Huh? You know Franky? I had no idea he was into the whole mystic mumbo jumbo stuff, doesn't seem the type. Anyway, it might be interesting! Sure! How much do you charge for a reading?"

Franklin shrugs. "She was the only person in the market selling a decent knife. I put some money down and had it on layaway. Hope she brought it so she could complete the transaction when I get the money..."

"There's no bloody great plan you drunken biddy." Thomas interjected rather suddenly. "All it happens to be is a few events that just coincided with one another. Not some big plan that some outside entity has conjured up for their entertainment or whatever."

Franklin shoots the guide another nasty look. "There is always a plan. The outside entity usually wants money and power, not entertainment. Hopefully its not a diabolical one though; Odds are good that we are all pawns."

[birdy51]

The yields from the last battle were... 48 PEXP and 1 TEXP!

((For the most part, I'm going to try to have Trainer Battles give more PEXP than battling Wild Pokémon. In this case, it'll probably be enough to give a Pokémon a level and then some.))

---

Last time on Paradise Islands...

Not long after the conversation around the table had finished, the party and Wendy landed on Tonic Island. Unlike Secund Island, it is a mountainous region of great hill, stones, and caverns. Sheep-like Pokémon called dot the hillside, tantalizing the party with their adorable black eyes and wool. However, it would seem that both the captain and the mysterious Matron Memoria had gone missing. At any rate, the party went up to town.

But before they could quite arrive, a party of black-clad hooligans were busy accosting one of the locals, a young girl upon the stone bridge into Requisce Town. Undaunted by Frank's threats of violence, they went as far as to push the girl off the bridge. Thankfully, she was saved by her Pokémon and the documentary team swung into action. Though it was a confusing fight, the team was able to take down the hooligans one by one and pegged the last one with Mean Look.

The hooligan refused to tell the team anything other than that they were here to "keep her busy" and that they were "looking for some stupid stones". The girl, who revealed herself as local Gym Leader, Celesta took offense to this and pinned him against the wall in a chokehold. Her Pokémon, a Togetic had to calm her down  with Corrie's aid. After that, Frank continued to try to ply more information out of the Hooligan, but was delayed in doing so by one Agent McKartney with the International Police.

Despite his seedy looks, the party wasn't able to divine anything concrete against him, as he had a badge and seemed to carry himself with sufficient authority. However, Wendy, spurred on by Frank decided to join Agent McKartney and decides to do a report on the incident. McKartney begrudgingly accepts to allow this. The party heads back towards the town with Celesta, while Wendy and McKartney begin to take care of the fainted and defeated trainers.

And so the adventure resumes...

---

After a five minute walk, the party arrives at the town proper. It consists of small stone houses made of heavy cut metaphoric slabs formed from years of labor. A few homes here and there seem to be constructed with wood, but this particular island doesn't seem to have many trees at all. Adding to the surreal seen, there some places where the houses have seemingly caved in as moss and vines cover the wreckage. Celesta, who had not spoken a word on the way over began to speak as they neared the center of town where a well plaza had been constructed. She rubbed palms anxiously.

: "Thanks... Again. This is... Home."

She pauses, before pointing to a small stone dwelling not far off from the fountain plaza. Each word she speaks seems to have to fished from her mouth.

: "I live... There so... Don't be... afraid to... Just ask if you need anything... You're... with the... Docun-... Documentary... right?"

[Weirdsound]

"Yeah. We are. I think the plan was to go and capture some footage of the local scenery and wildlife, and then some of the kids might want to challenge you for the Camera. You know where we could find some good views or intresting Pokemon?"

Frank taps his right foot. He hoped the girl could provide a quick answer, so he could be off to the Pokemon Center to heal Jessie and sell some footage.