This encounter should take place after encounter J1. It occurs when the PCs, led by Herrin, enter Willow's Den. This encounter will introduce the Temple and its Priestess and establish that this is effectively a pokemon center. It should be made explicitly clear that the PCs can come here for healing throughout the adventure.
The journey to Willow's Den passed quickly with additional company. Soon you started to pass by the farms surrounding the village that produced enough wheat to support the inhabitants of town. Rolling hills of wheat encompassed small farmhouses and barns. Every once in a while you saw a family working out in the fields. Eventually, Willow's Den comes into view. It appears picturesque as it sits behind the rushing Tirsmont River. The wooden buildings have large amounts of yard, and the chimneys that rise out of thatched roofs give off trails of smoke.
You cross a bridge to get into town, and Herrin takes you to the first building on the road while the family walked on down the road. The large structure's double doors stood open, and Herrin walked in without knocking. The floor was made of a light gray stone, and Herrin asked you all to wipe your feet on a rug before entering the room proper. Two doors in the back of the room interrupted the window filled walls that kept the room well lit. Potted plants dot the room, and ivy covers the walls in places where there are no windows. This large space was dominated by a waist high stone pedestal that had a statue of a small plant-like pokemon. Sunlight from a window in the roof lit up the statue to a point where it almost looked alive. Herrin knelt quietly on a step around the pedestal for a second before rising to face you.
"This is a temple to Shaymin. The entire town lives off of the harvest, so Shaymin is the most common patron god in these parts. The priestess, Hilda Ward, keeps stocks of berries to heal townsfolk and travelers."
Give the PCs a chance to ask a couple basic questions or pay their respects before introducing Hilda Ward. If the PCs choose to investigate, the doors on the back wall have plaques on them. One says 'Guest Quarters' and the other says 'High Priestess Quarters'.
A woman walks into the room from one of the doors on the back wall. She moved towards you quickly despite her short, portly stature. She wore her shoulder length graying hair down, and it swung as she walked. Her face was round and jovial, and it wore a smile that looked constantly in place. "Oh we have visitors!" she cried in astonishment. "I'm afraid I didn't hear you come in. Old age you know." Then, she noticed that your party's health left a lot to be desired, and her face turned into one of sympathy. "Another attack is it? I'm afraid there have been too many of those lately. And travellers getting the worst of it no less. Herrin dear, would you kindly go to my room and bring me the basket sitting inside my room?" Herrin nodded and walked through the right door on the back wall. Hilda turned to you and spoke again. "Well why don't you tell me what happened while we wait for my berries to come? I'll have you lot fixed faster than you can say zangoose."
Herring quickly returns, and Hilda uses her collection of berries to heal the PCs and their pokemon to full health. Have Hilda explain that she will always heal those who come in, and that she has enough berries stored to keep the town healed for a long time. She'll also offer the travelers rooms, but Herrin suggests that the PCs wait until after they meet with his father. If the PCs ask, Hilda will show them the gardens that she uses to grow the berries in the back of the complex. If they ask to take some of the berries with them, she tells them that she does not let trainers take berries out of the temple. This would be a good time to reinforce OOC that this is meant to be an effective pokemon center.
Maps: Temple Map
Each guest room has four beds in it, but can fit eight comfortably if some choose to sleep on the floor. Hilda puts travelling companions and families together if she can, with random strangers filling up leftover space. She hasn't ever filled all the rooms up, but, if she did, she would be willing to give up her own rooms to travelers while she slept in the storage room at night.
People and Pokemon: GDoc link to Hilda Ward sheet.
Hilda Ward was born and raised in a town near Willow's Den. She became an acolyte to Shaymin when she was very young and continued with her involvement with the church as she grew up. When she turned 20, she left to Willow's Den to take up her position as high priestess of the town. She has never married, and has no children. However, she cares for each and every person in Willow's Den as lovingly as if they were one of her children.
Hilda is a generally kind and caring person; she hates to see injured people or pokemon, especially young ones. She also is quite devoted to her patron deity Shaymin, and will try to convert the PCs to worshiping the deity when given the opportunity. Her kindly demeanor turns rather cold and sharp when somebody intentionally slights her patron, and she will attempt to usher those people out of her presence as quickly as possible. However, even to the rudest of people she does not refuse healing, for healing the sick was part of her sacred vow when she became high priestess at this temple.
What's Next: Herrin will usher the PCs straight to his father from here if they don't voice any objections. If they want to explore the town a bit, he'll give them a quick tour of the town before taking them to his father. Proceed to J3.
The temple will be a place that the PCs will most likely be using quite often. They should quickly become familiar with Hilda, and it is also a great place to meet townspeople. They are constantly coming in and out of the temple to pay their respects to Shaymin. Others will come to get healing. Feel free to introduce NPCs here. If you'd like to introduce characters not part of this adventure (say, if you have plans for a campaign going past this module) you can have them stop by as a traveler who is using the rooms as a resting place before moving onto their next destination.