[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Iron]

(...) "Let us go now. To meet with my friends, and...…show them to you."

Saying that, the rugged wanderer made his way back towards where the rest of the group was now lingering, eager to introduce his little one to them all. A great big man, with a fiercely cute little dog on his shoulder and a cuddly chubby baby snake in his arms.....what a sight that will be!
*Flashback End!*
(Since he has Angie out in his arms for now, the rest of the group can react to her as they please, if at all!)

"Hi! My name is Cliff, I'm a Pokemaniac if there ever was one! I love Pokemon Eggs! Breeding them, hatching them, taking care of them...just feeling them! Sketching them, all the different designs! They just feel right! I've researched all the different ways Eggs can hatch: speedily while traveling with other Pokemon, seasonally when secreted away in the wild, or very very very very slowly in the PC system! That's one thing I want to talk to Bill about, are you also heading for Bill? Hey, would any of you like to battle, just one Pokemon? I'll wager $800, how's that sound?"

The Dunsparce Egg was originally in Shiva's care after Valder has left it for them before it ended up going to Terra, she obviously remembers this the moment the mountain of a man joins back to them with a tiny little snakelike being in his arms, radiating joy and happiness all around. She's still a bit taken aback by Heart's teasing comment about needing her super duper psychic powers, but warms up quickly at the sensation that the Egg has finally hatched. Aww!~

She's not too shy to carefully approach Terra, congratulating him dearly for the hatching and curiously mustering the young one and gifting it a soft smile. Her Almanac showed that it's having a pedigree, but so far she can not spot anything really special about it - Maybe it'll show when this Dunsparce is raised? It probably will, or so she guessed. "It's quite a beautiful one, Terra... So adorable, and so small! Is it a he or a she? Will you raise it? Oh, and.... and.... *eagerness washes over her expression* May I stroke it? Very carefully? You'd allow me that, lil' Dunsparce? You don't have to be scared - I've handled many young Pokemon like you at home. Oh, and hello Anubi!" *waving to him* Doing fine?"


The joyful break and welcoming of the new snake soon gets interrupted by someone approaching them, Shiva does turn silent and a bit meek but perks up visibly the moment the word 'Pokemaniac' and 'love for Pokemon Eggs' fall, now mustering him with awoken interest. The offer of a battle causes an itching feeling in her hands, she also caught herself watching him in the eyes. A few seconds later, she raises her hand in an uncommonly energetic way. "I would, I would, yes! Battle, I mean. Please! You... You as someone with an interest in Breeding Pokemon HAS to tell me more about that, what you've hatched, and about your research on Eggs...  I'm Shiva by the way, come on!~" ^o^ *hand gesture of 'Let's go'* Towards the others: "Ah, we'll be back eventually, wait for me please, okay? Shouldn't take too long."

Along the way searching for a good battlefield, Shiva speaks up once more. "Only one Pokemon and 800$ is just fine! Ah, but... So we have to battle until fainting? I, eh, would rather not unless we have to...?"

Shiva's choice who will face Cliff already stands though, the white light coming from the tossed Ball manifests into a gracefuly flying creature: It's a benelovent archangel! "I'm counting on you, Raphael!"

"I don't mind if we battle until one Pokemon can just barely continue. No problem!"

"Currently I'm experimenting with placing Eggs in different environments. For example, an average Egg placed in the PC will hatch in about 30 months. Every month without a trainer is like a day with one. In the wild, even untended, it's a lot faster - maybe 3 months to hatch an Egg that would take a trainer 15 days. That's why places like the Shelter for Disobedient Pokemon, and some Daycares, sometimes use mechanical means to slow the Egg down (but not as much as the PC system, which almost stops time!)"

"Oh, it's so fun to be always carrying half a dozen Eggs! And that's what this beauty is for! Go, Talonflame!"

The magnificent fiery bird takes to the air, and soon Talonflame and Raphael are questing for a height advantage!

"Feel free to ask me any questions while we battle!"


Raphael: (5)
Talonflame: (1) + 3 Dex + 5 Survival = 9

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

(So it's without fainting, yay! No Items ether, I assuem? Is it actually still raining, will this have an effect on Talonflame's Fire Type moves?)


Ah... She should have known, indeed! The gifted handmade Talonflame Keycain by Belle on her bagpack sparkles a bit in the embers of the real bird sent flying, Shiva's thoughts wander to her own tiny Fletchling resting on Bill's PC. It belongs to her first few catches, one day she'll try raising it to a more fierce bird as well... For now though, her archangel visibly becoming competitive again demands all of her attention. Maybe yesterday's flight with Genie and Cottonee caused him to give his best, eventually he managed to pick up more speed as his foe. Much to Shiva's delight.

"Such a beautiful Talonflame... Oh, yes yes, it's indeed fun to carry lots of Eggs around, especially with such a precious hatcher! Currently it's two that are with me. Did you make the Breeder's Lisence as well then? But... Huh isn't it dangerous or...negligent to leave a Pokemon Egg untended? We at home, at my Father's Daycare, usually place them into a secluded box under a heatlamp until the owner picks it up or it hatches if that's been requested. No such thing as slowing the gestation process down." Shiva doesn't voice it, but she does indeed uncomfortable about just leaving a Pokemon Egg on its own.

"Ah, orders...!" Her gaze turns upward again. " That's the spirit, Raphael! Take care though, we won't battle 'till no strength's left, consider this more like some training! How about you'd show Talon how adorable you can be before slashing it with some air? Take care though for any signs of it trying to hit you steely-cold wings!"


---------------------------------------
Accuracy Roll Charm 1: 4 Dext + 3*Fight + 2 Allure - 3 Actions = 6d6
Effect: Lowers Talonflame's Strength by 2.
Secondary Effect: Quite useful in a 1v1 Battle.

Accuracy Roll Air Slash 2: 4 Dext + 3*Fight + 4 Channel - 4 Actions = 7d6
Accuracy Roll Air Slash 3: 4 Dext + 3*Fight + 4 Channel - 5 Actions = 6d6, still a Crit Chance!
Damage Roll: 3 Strength + 3 power of the move + 1 STAB = 7d6 as well.
Additional notes: Has 5*CD to flincg thanks to Serene Grace Ability.

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

[quote pid='53164' dateline='1537375029']
Anubi would just maybe want to chew on them, at best. They don't have an interesting aura without their inhabitants. 
Angie would be a little more interested, because she has an instinctive interest in minerals or other things that might be found while tunneling out a huge mazelike nest underground. So she just kind of investigates them with half-cracked eyes.
[/quote]

Terra's isn't too surprised by his blue bomber's disinterest in the shells, but when his serephim to be expresses curiosity in them, he decides to let her hold one for the time being to better study and/or play with it. He figures doing so would be harmless for both her and the babble, so why not let her have a little fun with it in the meantime? Plus, when the mountain of a man returns to the group, Nathan will be able to see the Item on her, and therefore a trade for the SR TM can happen much more easily/naturally!

Spoiler

She's not too shy to carefully approach Terra, congratulating him dearly for the hatching and curiously mustering the young one and gifting it a soft smile. Her Almanac showed that it's having a pedigree, but so far she can not spot anything really special about it - Maybe it'll show when this Dunsparce is raised? It probably will, or so she guessed. "It's quite a beautiful one, Terra... So adorable, and so small! Is it a he or a she? Will you raise it? Oh, and.... and.... *eagerness washes over her expression* May I stroke it? Very carefully? You'd allow me that, lil' Dunsparce? You don't have to be scared - I've handled many young Pokemon like you at home. Oh, and hello Anubi!" *waving to him* Doing fine?"

The simple monk chuckles in appreciation and nods back to her, a content smile on his face as he elaborates more about his chubby little snake.

"Thank you. He....yes, she is. Her name is Angie, and I will be raising her. *Looks contemplative, before nodding* If she lets you, then yes, you can. Angie? Will you let her pet you?"

Perking up at her name, the serephim to be listen to her papa, then looked over to the woman in question with childish inquisitiveness (tilting their head/staring) for several seconds , until she let out a soft, positive *Zzzzzsss* sound and leaned her head forward, a clear invitation for them to touch her. She's receiving vibes and a faint sense of familiarity from this woman, so she finds her request to be most agreeable.

Anubi pumps a fist back to the Fairy Trainer and nods, a zesty, toothy smile that wouldn't be out of place on Genie. He's a-ok, and raring for a Fight, anytime, anywhere!

Briefly, there was a comfortable silence between Terra and Shiva as they enjoyed each other's company, but it was broken when he suddenly frowned and spoke up, with feelings of thoughtfulness and....uncertainty belaying it and his words.

"Shiva, you are a Breeder. So, you know how to take very good care of all kind of Pokemon. Right? *Beat* .....Can you give me advice on caring for a Baby Pokemon? Never have done this before, so I don't have any experience. I.....don't.....want to make any......mistakes raising Angie and *Grimaces*......cause bad things to happen to her, if I can.....deny it. So....can you help me? Please....?"

...Well now, this is unexpected. But is it unwelcome too? Hmm....

[Iron]

It would probably make sense for Cliff to wait for a relative lull in the rain before challenging with his sole, Fire type, Pokemon.
We'll add in the No Applied Items clause, but those two things aren't mutually inclusive.

"Yep, couldn't live without my Breeder's License! It can be dangerous, but it's something some Pokemon do naturally. They hide their Eggs under rock piles, use their Moves to make the environment safer, pile up branches and debris, secrete them away in cavities, or even sneak 'em into other Pokemon's nests!!! I've invented a special pheromone that can hide one Egg from predators for up to ten years, if it's sheltered from rain. I'll give you a vial of it if you win!"

Pokemaniac Cliff Round 1

Togekiss sinks a little lower and smiles up at the Talonflame. When Talonflame smiles back, Togekiss uses his superior speed to suddenly regain defensive altitude!

Charm 1
(6)(4)(3)(1)(1)(1) -2 offense for Talonflame!

Talonflame plays catch-up.

Agility 1
3 Dex + 5 Survival + 2 Athletic -5 actions = 5d6
(6)(3)(5)(4)(3)
+2 Dex for Talonflame! Raphael is still first, but barely.

Air Slash 2
(2)(3)(6)(6)(2)(6)(3) = 3 successes
Evasion 2: 5* Dex + 3 Fight +2 Evade -6actions
(3)(6)(5)(2) So close!
(4)(1)(3)(2) Talonflame takes 1 dmg 7/8hp.
CD: (2)(2)(1)(2)(3)(1)

Air Slash 3
(1)(2)(6)(6)(5)(3)
(1)(2)(4)(5) Talonflame takes 2 dmg 5/8hp -1 pain
CD: (5)(2)(6)(5)(2)

Talonflame flinches 3

Flare Blitz 4
5* Dex + 3 Fight + 4 Brawl -1 pain -8 actions = 3d6
(5)(4)(3)
2* Str + 5 power +1 stab -4 vit = 4d6
(6)(4)(4)(1) Togekiss takes 3 dmg 6/9hp -1 pain
Recoil: (4)(3)(2) Talonflame takes 1 dmg 4/8hp -2 pain
CD: (5)

Flare Blitz 5
(1) Miss.

[Dragonstrike]

While rooting around in the Berry bushes, Nathan finds two misplaced discs! They're brown...and the Pokedex says they contain Stealth Rock!

Nathan hadn't been planning on doing much activity in these berry bushes, to be honest.  But he just had a feeling that something was going to be hidden in them.  Maybe it was because he found a Lum Berry.  Wouldn't be the first time he's found something in a Lum Berry bush.

He's rooting around in those berry bushes for a lot longer than he'd originally planned.  But it pays off when he finds what's obviously not one, but two TMs!

And Nathan's surprise and satisfaction only grow when he checks what the same colored TMs are: Stealth Rock.

Stealth Rock.

Only one of the most coveted moves by trainers worldwide due to how universally useful it is on anything that can learn it.

And he just found two TMs for it hidden in a berry bush.

Wow.  Lucky him.  He wonders if Basteele would be interested in learning the move...given how...forward she is for a Forretress, he's not sure...he'll have to ask Terra and Basteele.

Emerging from the bushes, Nathan looks around at what's going on.  Let's see...Heart seems to be examining something, Shiva's battling a Talonflame, and Terra...is handing something shiny to Angie?  That's piquing his curiosity.  Time to head on over there and investigate!

"Hey Terra.  Anubi.  Angie.  Whatcha got there?  May I see it?"  The question is directed at Angie specifically since she's holding whatever the item is.

(Given that Nathan has Noble Ancestry and an affinity for dragons, I think Angie might get along well with Nathan.  Don't worry too much about the flashback below this.  Most of it can easily be addressed in this present time scene)

---------

Flashbacking to the meeting Dunsparce thing, Nathan does feel just a tad left out when Terra asks for Shiva's help with Dunsparce.  He's fairly certain Forthright and Dunsparce might like each other, given how cuddly Dunsparce seems to be...well, maybe he can bring that up later.  It's an idea, though he doesn't voice it now.

Besides, most of that 'left out' feeling is overridden by wondering how Dunsparce learns how to fly, and thus evolve into the majestic Dunseraph.  So it's not a major concern atm.

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

(...)

Emerging from the bushes, Nathan looks around at what's going on.  Let's see...Heart seems to be examining something, Shiva's battling a Talonflame, and Terra...is handing something shiny to Angie?  That's piquing his curiosity.  Time to head on over there and investigate!

"Hey Terra.  Anubi.  Angie.  Whatcha got there?  May I see it?"  The question is directed at Angie specifically since she's holding whatever the item is.

(Given that Nathan has Noble Ancestry and an affinity for dragons, I think Angie might get along well with Nathan.  Don't worry too much about the flashback below this.  Most of it can easily be addressed in this present time scene)

---------

Looking up from Angie at the sound of their greeting, Terra spots Nathan's approach causing him to smiles and nod back to them. Anubi mimicked the motion to a degree by hopping and giving a singular sweeping wave of his paw, while Angie focused on the (to her) new person with quiet, intense curiosity, as if she felt there was something....noticeable about them. Almost like a.....bond of kinship between them, which was strange to her, considering that her current family only consisted of her papa, the doggie, and the rest of their Pokemon. Hmm....

When asked by the boy about her new toy/treasure, the seraph to be studied them for a few moments, tilting her head this way and that as she did so, before she let out a loud, content *Zzzzssss* , as if they had passed a test of some sort. She then 'handed' over the Shiny Dweeble Shell, using both her mouth and tail to maneuver it into their hands, watching them carefully as he studied it. He seemed nice enough, and she felt that he could be trusted, so she deemed he could handle her babble for a bit. She'd want it back lickity split, though, since it was their (her and her Papa) treasure, not his.

During this exchange, the simple monk eyed both his little one and the clever trainer with curiosity similar to that of his child, but remained quiet, so as not to interrupt the 'conversation' between her and them. That, and he wanted a little more time to ponder why his daughter seemed so intrigued with the boy, so his silence served him well in that regard too.[/i]

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

Looking up from Angie at the sound of their greeting, Terra spots Nathan's approach causing him to smiles and nod back to them. Anubi mimicked the motion to a degree by hopping and giving a singular sweeping wave of his paw, while Angie focused on the (to her) new person with quiet, intense curiosity, as if she felt there was something....noticeable about them. Almost like a.....bond of kinship between them, which was strange to her, considering that her current family only consisted of her papa, the doggie, and the rest of their Pokemon. Hmm....

When asked by the boy about her new toy/treasure, the seraph to be studied them for a few moments, tilting her head this way and that as she did so, before she let out a loud, content *Zzzzssss* , as if they had passed a test of some sort. She then 'handed' over the Shiny Dweeble Shell, using both her mouth and tail to maneuver it into their hands, watching them carefully as he studied it. He seemed nice enough, and she felt that he could be trusted, so she deemed he could handle her babble for a bit. She'd want it back lickity split, though, since it was their (her and her Papa) treasure, not his.

During this exchange, the simple monk eyed both his little one and the clever trainer with curiosity similar to that of his child, but remained quiet, so as not to interrupt the 'conversation' between her and them. That, and he wanted a little more time to ponder why his daughter seemed so intrigued with the boy, so his silence served him well in that regard too.

Nathan takes the shiny object very gently.  "Thanks.  You'll get it back lickety split, and in one piece.  Promise."  Nathan holds it up to the light, turns it around a few times, makes a few 'hmmmm' noises...

"...wow.  This is an intact Dwebble Shell.  And not just any Dwebble Shell.  This one belonged to a Shiny one...wow...that's a lucky, valuable find...finding an intact Dwebble Shell that wasn't from a Shiny one is difficult enough as it is from what I know..."

Nathan carefully hands it back to Angie.  And if she allows, he'll give her a scratch/rub underneath her chin, too.  "You take good care of that, alright?  Don't need your treasure getting broken, right?" The fact that he calls it a 'treasure' definitely oughta stand out to Angie.

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

Nathan takes the shiny object very gently.  "Thanks.  You'll get it back lickety split, and in one piece.  Promise."  Nathan holds it up to the light, turns it around a few times, makes a few 'hmmmm' noises...

"...wow.  This is an intact Dwebble Shell.  And not just any Dwebble Shell.  This one belonged to a Shiny one...wow...that's a lucky, valuable find...finding an intact Dwebble Shell that wasn't from a Shiny one is difficult enough as it is from what I know..."

Nathan carefully hands it back to Angie.  And if she allows, he'll give her a scratch/rub underneath her chin, too.  "You take good care of that, alright?  Don't need your treasure getting broken, right?"  The fact that he calls it a 'treasure' definitely oughta stand out to Angie.

Angie hums happily as the curious boy studied and then gave his critique on the S.D.S. , quite pleased with the second opinion that it was valuable as her papa declared it was. Today, she learned how wonderful validation was, and its all thanks to Nathan!

She took back her/their babble with calmness and graciousness, droning out an appreciative *Zzzsss* for how tenderly they handled the sparkiling hermit crab shell. When he subsequently declared it her treasure, however, she perked up greatly, 'blinking' and then actually leaning up in her papa's arms to fix him with an especially speculative and attentive stare.

Prior to that comment, she could quietly accept that he and her had some sort of odd, inexplicable connection between them, like a child is want to do with the unknown. With its utterance, though, she could feel a form of resonance coming from him, and knew that their was an tangible force at play, an arcane element of some sort that conducted, fostered, and galvanized a great understanding and admiration between them. 

It was, in all honestly, rather baffling to her, and ever so slightly intimidating too....but along the with those feelings was a greater sense of fascination too, coupled with a keen curiosity and slight eagerness to aquaint herself with him. 

Curious and more curious it gets with this boy......but not unpleasantly so. Hmm......

The smol chubby snake eye Nathan for some time, before she smiled at them, and leaned her head up a little more to be rubbed at that spot. Ah......how wonderful. She'll get her papa to do this for her, now that she knows how good it feels.

By this point, Terra grew more certain that something going on between his daughter and the clever trainer, until he finally 'realized' it, and remembered: Nathan was a rancher, a person experienced in handling in all sorts of Pokemon, in his case the Ponyta line.  The boy's Skill and/or the innate nurturing/caring quality in him could have been recognized by her, so maybe that's why they were getting along so well together. Hm....

In any case, he put that eureka moment to the side for a moment, and instead addressed the boy's comments about the S.D.S., bring out another one and motioning to/with it.

"That is not the only one. Found it and many others in box, in a ditch. Ten in all, including one held by Angie. *...I think. *Looks thoughtful, then nods* Yes, ten. Did not know what these where, other than sparkling pretty shells of crabs. Thought they were valuable too, but was not sure until now. *Smiles* Thank you for.....telling me more about them, my friend."

He paused at this point to collect his thoughts, then continued speaking in a more ponderous and tentative tone.

"...Nathan, you know a lot about Pokemon, yes? How to take care of them, and raise them right? *Beat*.....Can you teach me.....some of what you know? I....want to know because of Angie. *Shakes head* ....Never took care of a baby Pokemon before, so I...do not know what to do. So I want to learn much as possible. First from Shiva, and now, you. *Frowns, then looks down*....Since I am dumb, and bad with people and Pokemon. Afraid that I will.....mess up with her. I....do not to do that to her. Ever."

The rugged wanders trails off, and a disquiet falls between the two mean. Anubi sharply glances at his partner, a worried frown tugging at his lips, while Angie looks up at him, cooing out in confusion and concern, as if to say 'what's the matter?'

...

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

Angie hums happily as the curious boy studied and then gave his critique on the S.D.S. , quite pleased with the second opinion that it was valuable as her papa declared it was. Today, she learned how wonderful validation was, and its all thanks to Nathan!

She took back her/their babble with calmness and graciousness, droning out an appreciative *Zzzsss* for how tenderly they handled the sparkiling hermit crab shell. When he subsequently declared it her treasure, however, she perked up greatly, 'blinking' and then actually leaning up in her papa's arms to fix him with an especially speculative and attentive stare.

Prior to that comment, she could quietly accept that he and her had some sort of odd, inexplicable connection between them, like a child is want to do with the unknown. With its utterance, though, she could feel a form of resonance coming from him, and knew that their was an tangible force at play, an arcane element of some sort that conducted, fostered, and galvanized a great understanding and admiration between them. 

It was, in all honestly, rather baffling to her, and ever so slightly intimidating too....but along the with those feelings was a greater sense of fascination too, coupled with a keen curiosity and slight eagerness to aquaint herself with him. 

Curious and more curious it gets with this boy......but not unpleasantly so. Hmm......

The smol chubby snake eye Nathan for some time, before she smiled at them, and leaned her head up a little more to be rubbed at that spot. Ah......how wonderful. She'll get her papa to do this for her, now that she knows how good it feels.

By this point, Terra grew more certain that something going on between his daughter and the clever trainer, until he finally 'realized' it, and remembered: Nathan was a rancher, a person experienced in handling in all sorts of Pokemon, in his case the Ponyta line.  The boy's Skill and/or the innate nurturing/caring quality in him could have been recognized by her, so maybe that's why they were getting along so well together. Hm....

In any case, he put that eureka moment to the side for a moment, and instead addressed the boy's comments about the S.D.S., bring out another one and motioning to/with it.

"That is not the only one. Found it and many others in box, in a ditch. Ten in all, including one held by Angie. *...I think. *Looks thoughtful, then nods* Yes, ten. Did not know what these where, other than sparkling pretty shells of crabs. Thought they were valuable too, but was not sure until now. *Smiles* Thank you for.....telling me more about them, my friend."

He paused at this point to collect his thoughts, then continued speaking in a more ponderous and tentative tone.

"...Nathan, you know a lot about Pokemon, yes? How to take care of them, and raise them right? *Beat*.....Can you teach me.....some of what you know? I....want to know because of Angie. *Shakes head* ....Never took care of a baby Pokemon before, so I...do not know what to do. So I want to learn much as possible. First from Shiva, and now, you. *Frowns, then looks down*....Since I am dumb, and bad with people and Pokemon. Afraid that I will.....mess up with her. I....do not to do that to her. Ever."

The rugged wanders trails off, and a disquiet falls between the two mean. Anubi sharply glances at his partner, a worried frown tugging at his lips, while Angie looks up at him, cooing out in confusion and concern, as if to say 'what's the matter?'

...

Nathan blinks a few times.  "...ten?  You found ten?!  Oh my Arceus...that's...wow...I don't know exactly how much Shiny Dwebble Shells might sell for off the top of my head, but...wow...but that can't be a coincidence...now I'm wondering what happened to their inhabitants..." (Terra's free to chip in about how much he thinks they might sell for if you think he can estimate that, Windos!)

Once Nathan's processed that, he shakes his head to clear those thoughts before they go somewhere that's not very useful.  "...not that they're using them now, I suppose.  Finders keepers, I guess.  Just hope the Dwebble that were using the shells are okay...oh yeah, uh, Dwebble are basically crab pokemon, like Corphish.  They live in deserts and caves instead of in the water, though.  Wear rocks for shells.  Just in case you were wondering."

As for Terra's question...

"...first of all, you're not dumb, Terra.  Maybe a little slow compared to everyone else, yes, but not dumb.  So stop calling yourself that, alright?  It's not good for your self-confidence to be demeaning to yourself.  You know why I think you're not dumb?  Because you want to learn.  Learning...is good.  Great, even.  And just because you don't understand a topic yourself...well, that doesn't mean you won't get it if you keep trying to learn it.  I know I personally didn't understand at least half the stuff I've learned right away.  Some of it's cryptic, weird, and just outright unbelievable.  Hard to understand.  For example, those Unown we faced?  In large groups, they have a tendency to spell words, and it's used as a form of writing sometimes.  There's one Unown for each letter of the alphabet.  It can take some getting used to, but with practice, you can read it as if it was normal handwriting.  But what's really weird is when you get to what we call Elder Unown.  They're often found in really, really old places like deep in the Skull Ruins, and they don't all follow the standard alphabet because they represent a much older, mostly symbol based language.  No human today can read it, but...well, I'm slowly getting a grasp on how to do it.  I'm having to practice it a lot, and I'm finding it difficult to learn, but I'll get there eventually."

"...anyways, I guess I'm getting a little off track...the point is, if you keep learning, you learn from your mistakes, and you keep that drive and passion going, you can...eventually...overcome your shortcomings to some notable degree.  That's what I believe.  Alright?"  

OOC Note

A comment I read the other day on one of the High Rollers DnD videos on Youtube said something really interesting and relevant, actually.  Paraphrasing it, it said, 'A low Intelligence score does not mean your character has to be dumb.  Intelligence just indicates how 'book learned' the character is.'  (side note: this came up because it was a character creation video, and one of the players rolled two 18s...and a bunch of less than 10s.  And one 10, iirc.  He was considering playing a big, dumb, powerful Barbarian Rogue Goliath with a stat spread like that.  Which is what he did, lol)  And from what the Pokerole core book says about Knowledge, it's treated the same way in pokerole.  3 is equivalent to a college major in a specific area.  2 is equivalent to High School knowledge, while 1 is Elementary School.  0 is...well, barely know how to read and write (but it doesn't mean you don't.  Props to Nylon for RPing this all the way, though!).  Nothing there indicates that your character has to be dumb.  4 and 5 are where you are an expert in the field of your choice and when you're able to revolutionize your particular field of study respectively.  In Nathan's case, he's a history buff, so that's where most of his Knowledge resides, and what he's learning on this journey is going to eventually revolutionize the history books as Creshire knows them, no question.  In Terra's case, from what I currently know of him, most of his Knowledge is likely in Wilderness Survival and, funnily enough, Commerce.  Since the book starts specializing Knowledge in specific areas starting at 3 Knowledge, it could be possible for Terra to have 3+ Knowledge eventually, imo.  It might take a lot of time and practice, but he could probably get there.)

"...*ahem*...yeah, I'm, uh, pretty good with pokemon...lived around them most of my life.  Spent a lot of time around the young Ponyta back at the ranch in my younger days, and I've read some general tips on how to care for most pokemon in general.  There certainly wasn't any shortage of accidental burns when I was trying to copy what my mom was doing, that's for sure...hehe...Angie here, though...well, you could say I have a bit of affinity for Dragons and Dragon-like pokemon as well...though I didn't really know that until very, very recently...snakes and serpents aren't really too different from most Dragons, if you think about it.  They're actually more closely related than you might think."  Nathan winks at Angie.  She probably doesn't fully understand what Nathan's hinting at yet, but she will in time if Nathan's right about her...and he definitely thinks he is!  He's not sure all Dunsparce can evolve into Dunseraph, but he has a good feeling that Angie can.

Hmmm...now that he thinks about it...is that affinity for Dragons maybe part of why Aspis had suddenly taken a liking to him?  He's not too sure...that was before he'd 'awakened the blood', but...hmmm...Lucifer had seemed to have taken a liking to him too by the time they reached Atheneum...maybe it wasn't a coincidence after all? Or maybe it was, since he had just saved Lucifer's life and all...or was it? There's really no way to be certain, to be honest...(OOC, though, that was all totally a coincidence. Lol)

"...anyways, yeah, I can teach you a little about raising pokemon.  The general concepts are the same regardless of what kind of pokemon you're raising, after all.  Did you want to ask a few questions now, or save it for a little later?"

(BTW, Nathan's kinda momentarily forgotten about the Stealth Rock TMs. Terra asking Nathan about why he was rooting around in the berry bushes for so long would definitely jog his memory, though!)

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

Nathan blinks a few times.  "...ten?  You found ten?!  Oh my Arceus...that's...wow...I don't know exactly how much Shiny Dwebble Shells might sell for off the top of my head, but...wow...but that can't be a coincidence...now I'm wondering what happened to their inhabitants..."  (Terra's free to chip in about how much he thinks they might sell for if you think he can estimate that, Windos!)

Once Nathan's processed that, he shakes his head to clear those thoughts before they go somewhere that's not very useful.  "...not that they're using them now, I suppose.  Finders keepers, I guess.  Just hope the Dwebble that were using the shells are okay...oh yeah, uh, Dwebble are basically crab pokemon, like Corphish.  They live in deserts and caves instead of in the water, though.  Wear rocks for shells.  Just in case you were wondering."



As for Terra's question...

"...first of all, you're not dumb, Terra.  Maybe a little slow compared to everyone else, yes, but not dumb.  So stop calling yourself that, alright?  It's not good for your self-confidence to be demeaning to yourself.  You know why I think you're not dumb?  Because you want to learn.  Learning...is good.  Great, even.  And just because you don't understand a topic yourself...well, that doesn't mean you won't get it if you keep trying to learn it. 

(…)

"...anyways, I guess I'm getting a little off track...the point is, if you keep learning, you learn from your mistakes, and you keep that drive and passion going, you can...eventually...overcome your shortcomings to some notable degree.  That's what I believe.  Alright?"
  


"...*ahem*...yeah, I'm, uh, pretty good with pokemon...lived around them most of my life.  Spent a lot of time around the young Ponyta back at the ranch in my younger days, and I've read some general tips on how to care for most pokemon in general.  There certainly wasn't any shortage of accidental burns when I was trying to copy what my mom was doing, that's for sure...hehe...Angie here, though...well, you could say I have a bit of affinity for Dragons and Dragon-like pokemon as well...though I didn't really know that until very, very recently...snakes and serpents aren't really too different from most Dragons, if you think about it.  They're actually more closely related than you might think."  Nathan winks at Angie.  She probably doesn't fully understand what Nathan's hinting at yet, but she will in time if Nathan's right about her...and he definitely thinks he is!  He's not sure all Dunsparce can evolve into Dunseraph, but he has a good feeling that Angie can.

(…)

"...anyways, yeah, I can teach you a little about raising pokemon.  The general concepts are the same regardless of what kind of pokemon you're raising, after all.  Did you want to ask a few questions now, or save it for a little later?"



(BTW, Nathan's kinda momentarily forgotten about the Stealth Rock TMs.  Terra asking Nathan about why he was rooting around in the berry bushes for so long would definitely jog his memory, though!)

Terra nonchalantly nods back to the clever trainer, seemingly unphased by their incredulousness at his pirate's plunder of a find, before they abruptly stopped and began stroking their beard as he pondered the couple of questions unintentionally? posed by them.

"Hm....did not see any blood or.....signs of struggle damage on shells, so think the Dwebble they came from are alright.  Value on Shells, though....hm. Good size and shape, Pokemon Product, are Shiny, can probably be re-used by Dwebble or other Pokémon, minimal damage *Mumble Mumble* …Hm, estimate whole sale cost on all shells to be roughly $24000-$32000 based on being Rare Pokemon Products in good condition, so value would be $12000-$16000 if average person sold them, or $1200-$1600 per shell. *Beat, then shrugs* That is what I think. Never have run across or sold Dwebble sale before, so I am just guessing at their price."

Not sure if Nathan's had a first hand demonstration of the monk's hidden mercantile sense, but whatever the case they've got a prime example of it now!

(…)

At first, Terra looked taken aback by what the boy declared on his behalf, for they not only denied he was an almost complete cretin, but clearly stated/implied that if he kept trying to learn, he could be smart like him. Such a concept was almost inconceivable for the rugged wanderer, as a lifetime of being put down and/or overlooked for his intelligence by almost everyone had lead him to believe he was an idiot incapable of being knowledgeable about anything but his select fields of expertise. As a result, it made Nathan's challenging remarks more shocking, unbelievable, and bold than they should be, causing quite a stir within the normally stoic man.

This wasn't the first time he's heard such rhetoric, however. His family and the few friends he made back home also expressed similar faith in his intellectual capacity, so hearing the boy's words should only had validated what had been said. Right?

...Well, its not so simple, unfortunately. Due to aforementioned lifetime of discrimination against his intelligence and his relative isolation in both child and adulthood, such cruel notions had become ingrained in his consciousness, to the point he genuinely believed and accepted he was 'dumb' . Any sort of smart thinking on his part he usually attributed to his parent's teaching (if it were commerce/common upbringing Knowledge related), extrapolated from the wisdom/experience he gained throughout his time exploring/living in the wilds, or the smattering of information he worked hard at memorizing learning from various source, and not his own capacity for Knowledge.

As a result, the mountain of a man had inadvertidly formed a strong, self reinforcing notion that he was just a big, stupid guy only good at and for a certain for areas. Anytime someone said something to contradict that and insisted, he often believed they were only flattering/pitying him, or were just didn't know how idiotic he 'was', so he usually just convincingly agreed to avoid causing a fuss, his words having no real faith backing them. Up until now that worked perfectly, so...

"....*Smiles* Alright. I understand Nathan. Will take your advice, and work on being smarter for now on. Souds hard....but not impossible with your help."

...that is exactly what he did. He felt uncomfortable not being truthful to his friend, but he believe it was the right thing to do in order to spare their feelings and make them happy. Lying is bad, but not universally so, and the simple monk held that this was the case when it came to the matter of his smarts, so he felt justified for doing so to Nathan. Its all for the greater good, right...?

Of course, if Gallade is out and with Nathan, they could easily call Tarous shit on their lip service, but they'd also be able to discern the emotions/deep seated feelings that motivated him to lie to them. Continuing to bluntly convince them otherwise could work.....but it could also cause him to put down barriers and/or avoid the issue/them until sufficient time has passed if not handled carefully.

So, the question now was thus: Would Nathan call him out, or just leave things safely be?

(Oh yeah, I know all about how Low INT Not Equal Idiot, which I believe I've demonstrated in Terra amply enough. Problem is, my chara firmly believes otherwise, and has such low confidence/belief in that aspect of himself that convincing him otherwise will be a trail indeed. Heck, he just accepts and works around that he's 'dumb' without much negativity and matter of factly, so him never believing he'll truly get smart despite the contrary and have him contribute his learning to others/raw experience is not a problem. At least, not unless its made into one. Choice is up to you, mate! I'm happy to develop my character either way, really!)

Moving on from that (for now...), Terra looked intrigued at the glimpse the clever trainer gave him into their life, nodding and filing all said into his long term memory the best he can. Angie, meanwhile, was mostly perplexed by what they said, particularly the playful wink given to her. She knew their was significance to their words, but she couldn't quite recognize exactly what it was. How frustrating....oh well. She'll get the meaning in due time - she just has to be patience enough for it to come to her, or, bar that, learn. EXPerience is what makes a Pokémon grow, after all, so the inverse must be true as well!

He did inject once during their exposition on their background, however: "Uh....what does 'affinity' mean? Sorry for asking, but not sure about what you are telling me about it...." The seraph let out her own questioning *Zzzzzsssss?* as well, showing that she didn't understand the definition of it too. Shared ignorance on complex words must run in the family, eh?

As for accepting his entreaty for Pokechildcare and aid, he gave them a genuinely heartfelt smile, and bowed his head in gratitude.

"Thank you very much, my friend. *Thinks about it* …Later. Need time to.....think more and understand what Shiva told me, so I can remember it well. Maybe tonight, or tomorrow?"

*Thoughtful pause*

"Ah...almost forgot. What happened? *Points to where they came from* With you, and that Berry Bush? Was not......focusing on it, but saw you were excited and happy after......looking in it. *Beat* Did you find something good? Or something interesting?"