"Sticks? Like a Farfetch'd might use? No, I never heard of that! How adorable. Sometimes in Creshire, you come across a Pokemon who has the ability to learn some very strange skills. It seems to be something innate within them!"
"Exactly... Sticks a Farfetch'd uses from what I picked up." Some very strange skills, huh? Innated even... Looks like she has indeed a special exemplar os a Spearow here. Oh, Shiva began to look forward to have it at full health soon... Whether she'll keep the bird or not has yet to be decided, mostly by Spearow itself.
"Well now... Glad that I was, eh, somehat helpful with that Grimer-issue... Thanks again, see you and take care!~" With those words, she waved that Ranger goodbye and headed back towards the main path to meet up with the others again. Felt supsisingly good to have that toxic goo defeated... Bet it will be even more fun as soon as Helios as well as Fennekin have reached their final stage of evolution. It'll surely take quiiiite a while to get there, but an old saying told that the journey's the destiniy, right?
How neat, all of them were already waiting and up to continue the Route! Nathan was somewhat...more silent and concerned than usual, she connected that to the Deyo Flowers and the fact that his Kirlia got into a spat with Ven's Noibat - what was the bat called again? 'Lucifer', right?. Ven himself was somewhat in a delighted mood, it seemed... How neat to see after he was rather upset because of the same flowers. Looks like it wasn't just Shiva that was somewhat favoured by the stars at the moment.
Valder was as calm and silent as ever, but happy between the lines? (Most likely because of obtaining a Froakie, but Shiva herself doesn't know that) and Sage was just Sage... She barely knew that young boy yet, so she couldn't really tell a thing.
Corsage Port
You hasten to town with 4 hours left to nightfall.
Corsage is by far the biggest populace you've encountered yet in Creshire. Most of them are not permanent residents - but even right now, on an average day, there are more people bustling about than in the entirety of Ginger Town during their popular festival.
But for such a big, bustling, productive, town - there's an air of sadness about. It comes from the sea, washing in like a wave.
The houses are often large, with multiple stories. One out of every five or six houses has a high balcony facing the sea, winding about the houses, affixed with guard rails or windows or portals. Too many sailors just never came home, and now their widows walk these balconies in despair, haunted by the ghosts of the ocean's past.
You can see Wailmer in the distance, and swimmers with their Alomomala heading out from the gold-bricked lighthouse. A fog rolls in from that cove, warning everyone with a drop of foresight in their bodies that the sea contains things more dangerous than Wailord. Foreboding lives in the very bones of this city.
The Gym does nothing to alleviate this feeling. It is a large manor house, with a tower modeled after the lighthouse. All the stone is alabaster, a milky white scarcely visible in the fog. The top of the tower, with staring windows and crenelations, grimaces like teeth. The Gym Leader has his own widow's walk, high above the cliffs of the sea, but not too far from the shallower ports.
The docks are the heart of commerce, providing trade all over Creshire and to regions beyond, shipping across the sea. Gray ships fly gray sails against the gray sky. The sailors and their cargo are more colorful; you see plenty of red and green crates holding trainer supplies or crafts or even works of art, and the sailors usually wear bright blues and silvers. Their language is very colorful too. Some of the crates are marked with a grinning Rapidash - Mallorn's business empire is here too.
Not everything in town is gloomy, either. The statue of the Gym Leader is decorated with carnations, chrysanthemums, lilies, hydrangeas, roses, and elderberry blossoms. Shiva's mystic book says each of these corsages has a unique meaning - luck, meditation, death, understanding, passion, faith. The aquarium is painted in all bright colors, and decorated with colorful aquatic Pokemon murals. And when a sailor returns unexpectedly or after many dangers, their family almost always hosts a celebration!
The courthouse is in the center of town, and is constantly visited by sailors needing permits or being fined for minor offenses. The Pokemon Center is right across from it, surprisingly far from the gym.
Instead of a PokeMart, they have an open air market.
Shiva spots a crazed man in tattered clothes holding a sandwichboard sign. It reads, simply, "DON'T FALL ASLEEP."
Entering the outskirts of Corsage, Ventus immedianlty felt the wave of subtle despair crash into him, causing him to openly flitch from the contact. Raphael, who was in Ventus' arms at the time, notably started to wilt in the suffocating atmosphere of the port town, chirping morosely as their mood plummentsed. Sharply glancing down at their distraught little angel, the researcher flicked his wrist and recalled the chick to its Pokeball, before ferreting it away to his satchel.
Lucifer themselves, currently perched on Ventus' shoulder, quickly retook his favorite spot in Ven's tweed sweater, snuggling in and letting out a content screech. Ah...back to its nice and cozy place once more! The researcher raised an eyebrow at this, but just shook his head and just marched into town, unsually silent. The man looked grim and serious, not liking Corsage one bit from what he detects.
'This place...its feels so morbid. Its almost like the town itself want to suffocate me in its despair, snuffing out all positivity before it can ever take root in a person's heart. Raphael, at the tender age that they are, can't stand this place without suffering heartbreak; I believe they are not going out of their ball as long as we remain in Corsage. Lucifer appears unaffect; perhaps his draconic nature and overall energy counteracts the baleful atmosphere of this place. If I wasn't so inured to despair myself, this place would be a living nightmare. Once my business is finished here, and I take on the gym, I'm leaving pronto,' Ventus though, looking around the town in slight distaste.
The normally upbeat researcher is quick to pickup on the happier pockets of sentiment in town, but before he could investigate them he spotted the crazed man and his sign. Curiosity spiked, Ven warily walked towards the man, his arm ready to flick out Apsis Pokeball at a moment's notice. "Hello, good sir. While my inquiry might be intrusive, could you please explain the meaning of your sign?"
Order: Have a conversation with Old crazed homeless guy! Raphael is also not leaving their Pokeball for the duration of Ventus' stay in Corsage, as the little angel would likely wither away in the morose atmosphere of the place. Ventus might be able to endure the place, but for a baby Pokémon that is also an empath itself? Nope.
"Can't you read? It says 'DON'T FALL ASLEEP.' Fall asleep, and the end is nigh! They'll get you! Oh, that cursed howling, that morose gnashing of fangs! Down to the fires of hell you'll descend - and all it takes is a little nap, a little dream, a little rest! SPREAD THE WORD!!"
(06-22-2017, 03:51 PM)Iron Wrote: [ -> ]"Can't you read? It says 'DON'T FALL ASLEEP.' Fall asleep, and the end is nigh! They'll get you! Oh, that cursed howling, that morose gnashing of fangs! Down to the fires of hell you'll descend - and all it takes is a little nap, a little dream, a little rest! SPREAD THE WORD!!"
"....I believe I will take your advise to heart, good sir. Here, have some Pokedollars for the trouble, good sir, and this meal I made earlier for myself. Please, stay well and safe sir," Ventus says, reaching into his satchel to give them the sandwich he made earlier in the morning and $200 Pokedollars. Slowly, he departed from the homeless man's company, heading to what appeared to be the port of the town.
'That man might have been crazed, but madmen often speak words of wisdom in their rambling. Could the horror he spoke of drove him to such a state. Even if what he says is untrue, I can't take the risk. Unlike him, I have meditation to restore the clarity of my mind, so I believe I'll stay awake in this town as long as possible,' he though, searching for any night/graveyard shift jobs. If he's not going to be sleeping, he might as well spend the time making headway on paying off his fine. He shook off Shiva's comforting hand, not in the mood for companionship at all. Time enough for that later, once he settled all his outstanding debts....
Order: Ventus is going to spend the night looking for odd jobs to do at the port with Ariel, instead of sleeping tonight. What the old man said spooked him, so he isn't taking any chance about demons plaguing his dreams....
... It doesn't need any empathic traits or skills to feel that this town was no good. It was so different from Castelia City, although Shiva was could see the similarities. They were very small, but there was shipping, a harbour and people all around... Maybe those could be the only similarities to her home town. They probably are, unless the town proove otherwise, which was highly doubtful. The feelings here were outright the opposite - depression, gloom, darkness, whatelse, while Castelia was bright, busy, and filled with a determined and delighted eager. Oh, she'll need take double care to reenergize in her room of the Pokemon Center to prevent going mad or gloomy due to this town's atmoshere...
Almost immediately, she recalled her Pokemon that were currently out of their balls (Fennekin and Azurill). There is no need they shall endure this... Shiva also noticed that Raphael was seeimingly in distress over the place. Instinctively, Shiva moved a little loser to the Toogepi and his owner - to silently seek comfort as well as provide comfort.
The fact that dusk was falling and the light house - this must be the Gym... - were absolutely not helping. It was overshadowing the whole scenery like a Ghost-Type that was only waiting to lay their hands on a new tasty victim, ready to absorb all their life force. That statue over there MUST BE the Gym Leader himself then... Even as a lifeless statue, the stare his blank eye were giving was almsot painful. There is NO WAY EVER she'll battle him... It'd need good convincing to even get her entering the Gym. She held too much respect as well as an inkling of fear towards this guy, regardless of she never saw him in person and practically just read about him a few days ago...
Instead, she selected that kind of flower her mystic book connected with 'understanding' from the crate she filled with collected wild flowers and roses and layed it down among the others that were already laying there.
...
... ...
... ... ... There was another thing.
... ... ... ... A person with such a saying on their sign are never NEVER a good hint. People may mock over these most of time, but they gave Shiva things to mull over... You never know...
But before she could react aor even say a thing, Ven has already approached him and was seemingly questioning him about the meaning of his sign. 'DON'T FALL ASLEEp', huh... Well, if there's one thing for sure, then it's that Shiva will struggle to find a good rest this night. A pity... She felt like she was in need for proper rest, physically as well - probably more prominent - emotionally (still haven't digested Ven's backstory completely. Sorry, she isn't taking it very well.)
She approached Ven and carefully took him by the hand. Not to dragg him away, though, just to... Just because she was outright worried in silent. "Ven... Be careful with your words... Don't say anything that might cause distress or a ruckus."
(06-22-2017, 03:51 PM)Iron Wrote: [ -> ]"Can't you read? It says 'DON'T FALL ASLEEP.' Fall asleep, and the end is nigh! They'll get you! Oh, that cursed howling, that morose gnashing of fangs! Down to the fires of hell you'll descend - and all it takes is a little nap, a little dream, a little rest! SPREAD THE WORD!!"
Oh... If Shiva was worried before, she was outright scared NOW. Yep, she likely won't get any sleep this night... The effect will fire back at her soon enough.
Ven practically not responding to her only made things worse. Better make it to the Pokemon Center... Quickly...
Kirlia doesn't like this town.
At ALL.
It reminds him way too much of...shudder
Nathan picks up on this quickly. "Hey, Kirlia, it's okay. It'll be fine. You're not alone here. You have me, Swiftfire, and all our other friends."
It helps a little, but doesn't completely solve the issue.
Nathan's a little spooked too, even.
Don't fall asleep...darkness...dreams...nightmares...it couldn't be Darkrai, could it? It's not a pokemon that would be found in Creshire as far as he knows...those stories were mostly found in Sinnoh and Unova...he'd never heard of anybody encountering it, either. Just stories of what it did to people in their sleep...he firmly believed all the myths had some amount of truth to them, but he had no idea how true any of them might be...
"I'm going to head towards the coastline, guys. I'll catch up with ya in a few hours." Maybe some bonding time with his pokemon would help ease this intense despair he and Kirlia were feeling. Staryu was bound to enjoy the ocean, and Swiftfire would have plenty of space to run around. It might be quite late in the day, but that's all the better for Swiftfire since that means there's almost nobody on the beach that she has to worry about running over accidentally.
That, and Nathan kinda wanted a little solitude as far as human company went. He has a lot to think about...
Nathan's gonna go to the beach and do some relaxing after such a stressful day. Swiftfire gets to run around (a good distance from the water, of course), Staryu gets to see the ocean for the first time (as does Nathan), the bugs get to do whatever bugs do at the beach, and Kirlia and Nathan...well, they might be having a bit of a talk of some kind.
The old man looks at the sandwich and money like it amazes him. He wasn't asking for handouts and no one else has volunteered any in a long time. He runs back after Ventus and presses something into his hand.
Upon examination, it appears to be a broken pair of black sunglasses. They are missing a lens and the frame is cracked where the lens fell out.
Then he runs away, as if afraid Ventus will try to take the sandwich back.