Pokemon Tabletop United

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SpoilerI didn't want to immediately drop everyone into a possible combat scenario immediately after a long break, but I'm aware we've already pissed about a fair bit without making any progress so it won't be long until we're doing some actual adventuring.

PREVIOUSLY ON POKEMON TABLETOP:

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Spoiler
On the last episode of PTU, our plucky gang of unlikely allies met each other for the very first time during the presentation ceremony of their very own Official Trainer Licenses. As well as functioning as a combination passport, bank card, and form of ID, this little piece of plastic entitles each of our heroes to a not unsubstantial cash payout if they can just complete one relatively simple task.
All they've got to do to win their prize is make a round trip across the country, see the sights, and get a little stamp to prove that they've been there. What could possibly be easier? Maybe they'll even learn a thing or two among the way!

Of course the unspoken assumption that they're going to be travelling as a group might be the first major stumbling block, our gang are a generous mixture of shy, extremely outgoing, antisocial, and extremely antisocial. Less than five minutes after the end of the ceremony, one member of the party was already lying on the floor covered in fruit punch while another fled crying through the enormous arena doors.

After pulling themselves together and undergoing some retail therapy, some of the group also managed to get in a little combat training in a youngster's gambit to increase traffic to his family's shop.
In the pokemon centre recovering from their exploits, Theo and Nando overheard a conversation about a strange theft in the forest, while Ylva picked up a commission to deliver some medical supplies to a far-off pokemon shelter.

Eventually, nobody could think of anything else to do to put off the journey any longer, and it was finally time to set out towards the great outdoors.

AND NOW, THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES:



In contrast to the sleepy-but-active morning bustle of the city, the dusty paths outside are eerily quiet. Foot traffic out of the city isn't common -most travel by flying pokemon if they can help it, though even they stick to lanes above the road until they are no longer over sand- but even the skyways seem unusually clear today.

It took a little while for everyone to gather in front of the bank, and from there stroll down the steps of the city to the grand Southern gatehouse. The great walls of the almost-fortress they just exited loom overhead, blocking out the desert, serving as a reminder that what they're about to do might be state-sanctioned but isn't exactly always considered "safe". Regisalam might be the region's capital, but it's also located in what is unilaterally considered to be the single most dangerous part of the continent. The thick stripes of desert that split the continent don't just serve as a metaphorical reminder of ancient war, they're said to literally embody it.

The four paths leading out of Regisalam are said to be "protected" in some mystical fashion and are free from the worst terrors of the desert (even the humidity is higher on the road, somehow, and clouds are split into visible lines as they cross overhead), along with the circular path leading around the city's circumference, so everything should be fine. But still, there are stories.

Not one to let a moment go unsullied, Nando takes the opportunity to yell loudly and unintelligibly. Nobody takes any damage.



The South gate was generally agreed to be the most sensible choice given that you were already on the South face and have some medicine that wants to go South, but there were also reports of some kind of bandit pokemon on the path and it's not too late to change your minds.

A pair of Rangers astride enormous three-headed birds are your only company (their job to try and assist if someone does get lost in the sand, so at least you aren't entirely on your own). One waves and says "Hi kids!", adding a final unnecessary, "you stick to the path now!" just in case you hadn't got the idea.

This is your last chance to regroup and make nice, or talk tactics, before hitting the road proper. Still, the sun sits high overhead, the sky is mostly clear (not that it was ever likely to rain), and the day is yours. You've got a free pass for food and shelter, your pockets are filled with quasi-magical companion animals, and you're on a collective mission.
What could possibly go wrong?