Valencia's expression dropped into one of worry; it didn't seem right for them all to be arguing so soon. She personally didn't believe that Ven was Team Cipher, but then she didn't have very much knowledge of them, and the other boy seemed to. The blue-haired one's interrogation, if you could call it that, was a bit tension-generating, and the response just made her wish there was something else to make them all stop arguing.

Which was why, when the column of flames burst into the sky, she smiled. "Look," she said softly, pointing. "Maybe it's someone else." She glanced at each of the others in turn. "Should we go investigate?" She wasn't sure what the response would be, but she personally found herself curious. Besides, Valencia really, really, wanted to take attention off the animosity brewing between the males of the group.

Zeke, perhaps sensing her anxiety, made a slight trilling sound, and brushed her cheek with his head, which made her smile softly before turning around. "Well... I'm going. You're all welcome to come along." Shrugging a bit, Valencia set off in the direction of the flames, shoes making no noise against the soft carpet of pine needles beneath her feet. The forest really was beautiful, she decided, with its verdant canopies and the lush foliage at ground level. The thick leaf cover here (for it was not a pine forest alone) blocked some of the sun's light, causing the rays to create a stippling effect on the ground, leaving the area in a near-twilight.

Clearing the grove, she came to a small break in the trees. A Dragonite was hovering in the air, and if she had to hazard a guess, it was the source of the flames. "Hello there," she told the Pokemon gently. "Are you the one that bright us here?" She took a few cautious steps forward, unsure how the creature would react to her presence, and the new angles caused her to spot a person, this one wearing a cape. "Oh... um, sorry. I didn't see you," she managed a bit awkwardly. Meeting people was never her thing. "Are you, by chance, not sure how you got here?" Oh, please don't let him be local. I don't need people thinking I'm completely crazy...

Ocean had been watching them from the trees. She didn't like what she saw. These trainers could ruin their plans. She wondered if she could fight them all by herself. She only had five pokemon, though.
Then, a blast of fire interupted her thoughts. She didn't know what it was, and she really didn't want to find out. She thought that if she could stay quiet until the trainers were gone, she could make her escape. She turned to get into a different possition when a branch she grabbed onto snapped. She quickly regained her balance and held her breath.
I hope no one heard that!

it was barely a minute after Dragonite had fired the "signal". He hadn't expected for seomeone to appear so fast.
The girl that came didn't notice him at first, only Dragonite, but he waited until she saw him. "Oh... um, sorry. I didn't see you. Are you, by chance, not sure how you got here?"
He waited a second before replying. He was pretty sure that this girl was in the same situation as he was now. "I... think so, yeah. I'm not sure but if I remember well, it was a Celebi. Do you know where we..."
"Draaaa", Dragonite interrupted him. Rance sighed and said "Ah, excuse me a second please" to the girl. Then he asked "What is it, Dragonite?"
"Drag." It landed, picked up a branch from the ground and broke it with its paws.
"You heard a branch break? Can't you go and see that on your own then, please? I want to see if there are more people around."
Dragonite nodded and flew off, while Rance turned back to the girl.
"Sorry. Dragonite can't wait to tell people things like this..."

"Not very composed are we now?" Geldin whispered from behind Ocean. He came up without a sound not giving her a chance to react before he spoke. Geldin knelt down not at all worried that she would be a threat. Although Geldin is fairly new he is very outspoken, though that hadn't gotten him anywhere as far as being know around Team Cipher. The chances of this person noticing who Geldin was is are very slim. Giving barely any time to react Geldin continued, "Or were you trying to give yourself away?" Now Geldin was clearly teasing her, and anyone could notice that; even a slowpoke would notice right away. Not giving a second to answer he asked a question that could pose a threat if the asker wasn't a Team Cipher member. "Are you a member of Team Cipher?" with that Geldin finally gave a break to speaking letting Ocean respond this time.

Valencia grinned. "Oh, that's okay. I understand." She threw a glance in the direction Dragonite had flown off in, and then remembered that she'd been asked a question, or at least part of one.

"Actually... the thing is, I think we might have wound up in the past somehow. Celebi can do that, and it seems to be what makes the most sense, what with the forest and all." She gestured broadly to the trees around them, and shrugged. She wasn't really sure if she could or should say anything else; conversation was a bit awkward for her at the best of times.

She thought she caught a noise form behind her. Could that be one of the others approaching? Oh, wait... she hadn't told him about the others. That might be worth mentioning, now that she thought about it. "Also," she appended, "it's not just us, either. There are a bunch of people back there. I'd tell you their names, but I only know one." Oh, right. "I'm Valencia, by the way."

Mikhail shrugged, shot a glance at the remaining trainers in the area, and followed after the Valencia girl. Her idea seemed t be a bit more productive than just standing here, anyway.

He was far enough behind that he caught the snapping sound, and turned abruptly to face the source. The canopy was in the way of his line of sight, but the low voice confirmed it. There was someone up there. His eyes narrowed as he tried to decide whether to call them out or not. Probably more Ciphers, now that he got to thinking about it.

Shaking his head, he decided against it. Let the fools snoop around. What were they going to hear? Nothing from him, that much was certain, and the others hadn't bothered to heed him either. If they could be brought so easily away from suspicion and to trust, then another reassurance that everyone here was in fact an ally would be all it took to make anything he was willing to say pointless.

So let them all figure it out the hard way, if it came to that. He was pretty sure he heard Lucario sigh in his head, but it was quiet and he chose to ignore it, instead pushing through the tree line to where Valencia was presently conversing with yet another new person. This one had been at the original parking lot; you didn't exactly miss a guy randomly wearing a cape or anything.

"There are a bunch of people back there. I'd tell you their names, but I only know one. I'm Valencia, by the way." Mikhail resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He wasn't sure people were supposed to be quite that friendly, especially not if you could tell it make them a bit nervous. But whatever; it probably wouldn't hurt to introduce himself. It wasn't as though he'd used his first name at Cipher, so it wouldn't likely mean anything to the person or people in the tree.

Lifting his shoulders in some approximation of a shrug, he leaned back on a tree trunk a few yards from them. "Mikhail," he offered, if a bit reluctantly.

Yong was hiding in the trees out on scout duty as Team Cipher's leader had told him to. Yong then saw two kids walk by under from where he was and decided to spy on them to find out why they were out this far in the forest.

Yong then heard one of the kids say that he was "Mikhail". "I know that name from somewhere", Yong whispered under his breath. Yong searched his memory for the name that he recognized.

"Oh yeah! Now I remember! He was the one who left Team Cipher after they caught the Celebi and altered it into Shadow Celebi, but how did he get in the past?

That didn't matter to Yong right now for he was infuriated that someone could leave Team Cipher in their greatest moment. Yong motioned over his Infernape who was in another tree. Infernape then bounced across trees to Yong.

"Ok Infernape use Fire Blast on those two down there!", Yong ordered Infernape. "Infenape!", was Infernape response as it shot a mouthful of flames at the two innocents.

"Valencia and... Mikhail", he repeated after both had introduced themselves. "I'm Rance. Nice to meet y-"
He was cut by Infernape's Fire Blast, which he just heard coming through the leaves, and jumped out of the line of fire before he could get burnt. With a grim look on his face he took one of his Pokeballs. "A fire attack, huh... according to the strength, the Pokemon that fired that must be a fire-type. Then Gyrados will probably do best." He threw the ball in front of himself, and Gyrados emerged from it.

Meanwhile, Dragonite was already too far away to hear the fire. He was looking through the branches, overflying the forest, but no one was to be seen anywhere. *Probably that was just some Hoothoot which has sat down on a rotten branch...* he thought, before slowly turning around in mid-air. Was it wise to return now? He still wanted to see what had happened with that branch, it may as well have been some tasty Stantler... licking his lips he proceeded to land in a small clearing, to continue on foot.

"Gah! Another got in the way!", Yong said angrily. "Looks like I'll have to deal with this guy first", Yong thought.

Yong and Infenape lept to the ground from the canopy above. "Ok you three tell me your names and why you are here before I burn down this forest along with you", Yong said cautiously eyeing the Gyrados which stood not from where he was. Yong knew his Infernape could be a match even for the legendary red Gyrados!

"And you", Yong said pointing his finger at Rance," will pay for intruding on my plans, so you better put that Gyrados away before my Infernape harms it too much because their are no Pokemon Healers close to this area", Yong said.

Listening to the unknown person's words, Rance tilted his head to the side. "That's true... there's no healing center around here... which is why I'd advise you to leave us now. Gyrados, Dragon Dance", he said then, and Gyrados began to move around, slowly increasing its speed and power.

Not having found anything of interest, Dragonite was getting bored slowly. He decided to return to Rance, to see if he had any treats left for him.

Listening to the unknown person's words, Rance tilted his head to the side. "That's true... there's no healing center around here... which is why I'd advise you to leave us now. Gyrados, Dragon Dance", he said then, and Gyrados began to move around, slowly increasing its speed and power.

Not having found anything of interest, Dragonite was getting bored slowly. He decided to return to Rance, to see if he had any treats left for him.

Geldin decided to walk around, aimlessly for the most part. Soon he came across two trainers that seemed to be battling, but there was tension about the area. Geldin could easily notice this could be bad, and he had to act quickly lest he wanted to wind up in the mess somehow worse than if he did nothing. Taking off a Pokeball and a Luxury ball from his belt, expanded them and gave them a toss. "Shibirudon use Thunder in front of Gyrados, Shanduraa use Flamethrower in front of Infernape! Slow this for a second my Pokemon!" Geldin followed his Pokemon out from the bushes immediately after, this way two foreign Pokemon wouldn't confuse them too much hopefully. "The way this seems I figured this isn't a battle for fun you two, what is going on here?"
(Shibirudon and Shanduraa are linked to a site with info on them. To know their abilities and all of my Pokemon Click Here)

"Nice to meet you t- oh!" Valencia tensed and dove to the side as the fire blast aimed straight for them ignited, and hit the ground a bit hard. Frowning, she stood in time to see the trainer who had directed the strike appear. What kind of person ordered his Pokemon to directly attack a human being? If she hadn't seen the flicker of flames out of the corner of her eye, she would have burned alive!

Then the guy had the audacity to threaten Rance's Pokemon, saying that there was no center around. Valencia, being more cautious than most, actually had a large amount of hyper potions, super potions, revives, and other such supplies with her, but she wasn't about to tell him that. Still, neither would she interfere in a battle that was not hers, as much as she wanted to take this guy to task for being such an incorrigible jerk. And that was saying something; generally, the Professor's daughter was slow to anger and even slower to act upon it.

Apparently, however, someone decided that it was all well and good to interrupt a Pokemon battle, and a Shibirudon and Shanduraa appeared out of nowhere, followed swiftly by a trainer. Being well-educated in the area of regional Pokemon variation, she was not at all put-off by these particular varieties; they were actually in her Pokedex.

She was starting to wonder if that piece of technology would even work here, but dismissed the thought. There were more pressing matters to be dealt with, after all, and it wouldn't do to waste time. Zeke was trilling, clearly frightened of the goings-on, and she sent a reproachful look towards the guy with the Infernape and the one who'd interrupted. Honestly, for trainers, these people didn't seem to have much regard for Pokemon!

While Gyrados was Dragon dancing rance just noticed the new trainer and his two Pokemon attacking. "Gyrados, step back!" But the Thunder did not strike Gyrados anyway, instead it blasted the ground. Gyrados retreated, hovering behind Rance while looking at the new trainer.
he was using Pokemon abou which he did not know much, although he had seen them in newspapers and on TV, but he had never met someone who used them. *Not bad... he has at least two Pokemon unknown to me in his possession, and judging from the Thunder and Flamethrower, they are no pushovers.*
"You are right, whoever you are", he replied. "This is no fun battle... I'd rather call it self-defense against a Pokemon's attack aimed at humans. Why did you interfere?"

Ocean jumped down from the trees to join her fellow team Cipher member. She looked at everyone. "Anyone want to enlighten me on this situation?" she asked. One hand was on her hip. The other hovered over her pokeballs. She examined each trainer and their pokemon. Her hand moved ever so slightly as she decided in her mind which pokeball to use.

Mikhail was getting a little sick of new people and Pokemon popping out of the bushes. Valencia was fine, and Rance seemed like a decent enough guy, but he was pretty sure the rest of them were Cipher, at least judging by their actions. In fact, that one guy sounded like the voice he'd heard in the tree earlier, and the girl had come from a tree. Honestly, didn't they teach agents about stealth protocols anymore?

You wish them to be better at inconveniencing you? Lucario asked him wryly, and Mikhail shook his head.

Of course not. I just don't want to be constantly reminded of the incompetence of an organization I devoted a good chunk of my life to.

And then, just when he thought things couldn't possibly get any more ridiculous, the female Cipher member actually asked aloud what was going on. Rolling his eyes, Mikhail decided he couldn't avoid it, might as well get most of it out in the open right now. "Well," he replied sarcastically, "you, Team Cipher," he indicated the three of them with a sweep of the hand, "are currently in the process of irritating us, not-Team Cipher. Apparently, your organization thinks it's a good idea these days to use Pokemon to attack people, to break up battles in which your own members are participating, and also to break your shoddy cover in favor of making it blatantly obvious that you're here. I think that about covers it, doesn't it?"

"I am Geldin Meishi at your service," Geldin gave a slight bow but kept his eyes on everyone in the area. "And I figured this wasn't some random battle between two well mannered trainers." Geldin looked the trainers over, making sure he analyzed everything he could about them before acting upon anything. Not giving a second for anyone to speak after Mikhail had done so Geldin retaliated. "I follow my own command, not those Cipher, and never forget that." Though it was clear Mikhail had hit a nerve with his statement Geldin kept his voice at a reasonable tone and volume. "As for this battle I'll strike down attacks aimed for anything besides another Pokemon." He sent a quick look to each trainer, slightly pausing on Yong for only a moment longer than the rest. "Does everyone understand that completely? And before you respond allow me to inform you I do have more Pokemon." Geldin put extra emphasis on the 'I do have more Pokemon' and clearly meant it. He grabbed the rest of his small Pokeballs, two per hand, and got ready to send them out if there became a need for it. Clearly Geldin didn't want to take a single chance on anything harming anyone, his eyes even said that Geldin would stop the attack.

Yong smiled at his new accomplice knowing this was going to be all the more easier. Yong was cut off from his train of thought when Infernape jumped back because a Flamethrower almost hit him. Yong did not like seeing the guy with fairly new Pokemon,"Hey, kid! What do you think your doing! You have no matters in this business what's so ever!"

Yong was hitting his raging point as his fiery eyes burned with incredible passion and and newly found anger. "Ok I'm going to give you guys to the count of three to give me some answers! And by answers I mean why you are all here and who are you!", Yong shouted with rage at the crowd of people. "When I get to three, folks, I'm going to order Infernape to burn this whole forest down and Oceane and I here will be the only ones getting out alive......1........2........"

As Yong speaks Geldin looks to him and laughs, "Why burn it down? Think it through before acting stupid. How do you know one of us doesn't have a way to stop you before you can get too far?" Geldin holds up a Quick ball and a red and black ball, he then expanded both of them to get ready. If this was a bluff Geldin only gave a body language saying it was possible. Any bluff someone could find in him could only be taken as a fifty-fifty, though Geldin knew this wasn't a bluff.

As Geldin expanded her two other PokeBalls Rance looked at Yong, then at him. *They really don't care about the past... do they realize what consequences it could have burning down this forest?!* He bit his right thumb lightly, and used it as a whistle. Dragonite would hear that and return - he knew this call.
"We wouldn't want to cause anymore unnecessary destruction, would we?" he then said calmly, lowering his hand. His left one was already at his belt, close to two of his Pokeballs. Should it come to the situation, he would be quick enough to send his Pokemon out and extinguish the Infernape's fire.
"Why we are here, I'm not sure of it, but seeing that Team Cipher is here as well, I don't have to think much. As for me, you can call me Rance. Now leave us alone", he said to Yong calmly. "You know that my Gyrados has its already decent strength boosted with Dragon Dance. I could order it to cancel your fire in a split second." Plus, he did not say it out loud, but he had trained his Pokemon to act without him having to say everything. Gyrados would be fast enough to Hydro Pump any of Infernape's attempts to light the forest.
"Besides, you would not survive this place getting set ablaze either if you did so. An Infernape's fire spreads too fast in the first seconds. They don't have "Inferno" in their name for nothing, y'know?"

"Wow... it seems we have attracted a crowd, huh?", Yong said turning to Oceane. Yong knew that he could not bring five trainers down at once and especially one that was trained for Team Cipher! Yong considered his options and found it best to report to the boss about this forest incident.

"Come on, Oceane,", Yong said as he threw out his Pokeball and a Charizard emerged from the blinding blue-white light. "We have to get going our shift is over", Yong said as he climbed on Charizard's back patting the spot where Oceane is to sit while also returning Infernape. "We have to be going now", Yong teased as his Charizard was ready to take to the sky as soon as Oceane got on.

Geldin recalls Shibirudon and Shanduraa, then he puts away all but the red and black ball. "Well come on out Gochiruzeru, we could head out on our own once they leave." From the ball comes what must be a Gochiruzeru and it looks around for a second. The Pokemon hugs Geldin sounding excited, "Gochi gochiru," it seems kind of like the Pokemon has a crush on Geldin. "How are you Gochiruzeru?" asked Geldin as he put his hand on the top of the Pokemon's head. Happily the Gochiruzeru said, "Gochiru go gochi," and as if he understood Geldin nodded and smiled giving the Pokemon a light hug.

Mikhail shot Rance and Valencia a look that basically asked if the Ciphers were serious and dragged a hand down his face. He supposed he should be glad that they were only punch-clock psychos, but dang... what had happened to the organization since he'd left it? The one with the odd-looking Pokemon seemed to know what he was doing, but the other two...

Lucario chuckled in his head, and Mikhail sent the Pokemon a look. You need to learn to find levity, my friend, his friend admonished with a lupine smile.

Levity? Three-four Cipher agents show up and act insane, and you want me to find levity? he still wasn't sure what had happened to that guy who had brought the girl her Shinx. Or that girl, for that matter. Actually, he had no idea where any of the others had gone, except for Rance and Valencia, who seemed like the most competent of the lot anyway, except maybe that blue-haired kid, also missing.

"You know what?" Mikhail asked the other two non-Cipher trainers. "I'm in favor of finding somewhere else to be. How about you guys?" They needed to figure out what the heck was going on if they had any hope of getting back to the present, or the future, or whenever it was that they had come from.

Rance watched the other trainers - probably team Cipher members - leave, and recalled Gyrados while listening to Mikhail.
"I think that would be good, too", he said then. "We won't find much in this forest, and if Team Cipher has a Celebi, it will have an advantage on us in here."
Just as he finished, Dragonite landed behind him with a loud thud, and looked around to see why his partner had called him. "Draa?" he asked.
"They're gone, Dragonite. You can relax", replied Rance calmly.

Valencia grimaced slightly, but nodded at Mikhail's suggestion all the same. That had been... rather strange, to say the least. Then again, what about this situation wasn't too weird for words?

Sighing softly, she petted Zeke absently, casting about for a direction in which to go. All sides of this clearing looked about the same, really, and there was no way of telling exactly which way would get them out of here. "I don't suppose anyone has a Pokemon that can navigate really well, to find us a way out of here? At the very least, Dragonite could fly up and see what was going on, or maybe one of Mikhail's Pokemon... that Lucario was looking at her with measured intelligence, and she remembered that her mother had once told her that species could read auras and possibly even thoughts. It was a bit strange, to think about it that way, but then, Pokemon were fascinating like that.