[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Iron]

Hope that's right. I gotta go to work!

[Dragonstrike]

Nathan looks a little surprised Kirlia hadn't done more damage than that. Maybe he was taking it easier on Shiva too? Nathan has no banter in between rounds this time, though. Shiva's icy attitude and his focus on winning the battle have kept him quiet this time. If ice could be seen in Shiva's eyes, the fires of determination could almost be seen in his.

[Lord Windos]

One correction: It's not night yet.


Apsis flicks her tongue at a footprint, clearly picking up a scent. Yes, something was here....but then where did it go? There's nothing!

Ventus can only draw the conclusion that something came out of nowhere, left one print, then vanished. Then did it again, a few meters forward. Too far to have stepped as a single pace.

Ventus placed his head into his palms and let out an somewhat frustrated groan, not pleased with how elusive this daemon has proven to be. 'Staking out this location has proved fruitless, and Apsis is unable to ascertain the fiends location. All of my efforts have come to naught, then; nothing else to do but turn in for the evening...' he thought, raising his head and walking over to the outstretched hammock grumpily. He expected he was going to slay a vile fiend, not end up doing nothing useful in particular...

Taking out his pillow and blanket out of his satchel, he prepared his bed right in the daemon's lair, before climbing into it and getting comfortable. Rolling around to face Apsis, h the researcher told her : "Thank you for your efforts, my mighty snake, but forgive me for wasting your time with this search. Go out and hunt the beachside as repayment for this, and come back to guard me once you are finish. I won't be falling asleep until you return, so don't rush through your hunt on my behalf, " Ventus said, pulling out his research journal to review what he's already transcribed, and updating it with the new data he has found so far on his journey.

If nothing spectacular was going occur this night, he might as well use the time to do his job, the original reason he came to Cheshire in the first place.

Order: Let Apsis go around and hunt the local area, then return to her master's side, who will then turn in for the rest of the day. In the meantime, he just going to be writing in his journal, trying to take his mind off the dream demon.

[Iron]

Here comes Helios once again!

Shiva vs Nathan Round 9!

Bug Bite on Helios
(4)(4)(5)(5)
(2)(3)(1)(6) Helios takes 2 damage. -1 pain.

Draining Kiss on Azurill
(1)(1)(2)(4) Miss! This could be the break Shiva needs?

Bubblebeam
(4)(1)(1)(6)(4) Hit
4 dice, -3** vit for Kirlia
(5) Kirlia takes 1 damage. 5/7hp -1 pain.
Chance: (6) Kirlia -1 Dex

This shifts the initiative order!

Helios still considers Kirlia a showoff. He'll try to stop that dancer from dancin'.

Knockdown on Kirlia
2 Str + 2 Fight -1 Pain = 3 dice
(4)(6)(4)
Dmg: min 1d6
(6) Kirlia takes 1 damage. 4/7hp. -1 pain, -1 knockdown

Bug Bite
(3)(2)(6) Hit
(1)(1)(5)(3) +1 Helios takes 1 damage. 2/5hp -2 pain.

Azurill isn't using double actions

Draining Kiss, holding back
3 dice, -1 pain, -1 knockdown
(4) Hit
(3)(5)(5)(5)(4) 2 dmg. Azurill is out of the fight. She heads over to Shiva's side, happy to have done so well against a superior foe.
Kirlia 5/7hp.

It's 2 v 1 now. Abra can only take 1 more hit. Kirlia and Princess are quite fresh. Nathan, looking into Shiva's eyes, knows not to ask if she wants to forfeit now.

Shiva vs Nathan Round 10!

I've double checked my math. You should too, this is your last chance to catch a mistake that could cost you the battle!

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

As Azurill hopes back all happily, she gets picked up by her Master and instant-cuddled for her effort. First learning a new move, then randomly bringing up some red roses, and now doing an awesome performance in battle! Blue mouse was surely something special, as a Pokemon and as a friend.

However, the battle may be over, but Shiva refused to give up now. Especially when it was her Abra against his Kirlia. Helios just needed to take one glimpse at his Master to understand.

[Iron]

Kirlia retreats, glowering at Helios. Dance is an expression of Kirlia's very existence!

Grid is sent out to take his place. He has 5/6hp, no?

Leech Life
3 Dex + 2 Fight +1 Brawl
(2)(3)(5)(6)(4)(1) Straight, 6 high.
Grid is fully healed.
Helios is down to 1hp and loses the battle.

Shiva collapses from the strain of the battle! She is calling orders to Helios as she goes down, not quite seeing the situation...her whispers are barely heard. If anyone heard these orders, it is Helios.

Teleport
6* dice
(3)(3)(5)(4)(4)(5)

Helios appears beneath his master as she collapses. With his tail and shoulder, he props her upright, the girl held up nearly in his lap. He puts one hand on her shoulder and closes his own eyes in rest.

Helios gains 1 Loyalty
Azurill gains 1 Happiness

Kirlia gains 1 Loyalty and 1 Happiness
Staryu gains 1 Loyalty, knowing Nathan will take care of him and not risk fainting him without good reason. Not put him through unnecessary pain. Let him see the Ocean and battle.

Nathan's Defeated Pokemon: Swiftfire, Staryu, Porygon
All of Shiva's were ultimately defeated.

Therefore Nathan's team gains 18XP and he gains 9. +1 Bonus for fun choices, and roleplaying his merciful nature.

Shiva was the underdog and each of her victories are worth 5Xp. So she has 15Xp to spread among her team, and she gains 7XP for her character. +1 for a dramatic ending and a character development choice she has PMd me about.

[Iron]

When approached, Helios indicates that Shiva needs just rest.

[Iron]

Shiva spends the evening sleeping in Abra's lazy embrace. Eventually she recovers enough to be moved to the Pokemon Center, where she sleeps in that same old dorm. In her sleep, she thinks she smells something burning, but dismisses it as a dream.

Nathan gets a phone call from home as the sun is sinking low!

"Hi, dear! How's the adventure? It's raining a bit here. Quite nice, but it'll be foggy tomorrow! The Pokemon of the mountain are restless. I think they might Run soon."





Returning, Apsis curls around Ventus and they both fall asleep.

Ventus wakes up right away, it feels like. The beach is very dark, too dark to see anything, but he senses movement! First he hears a very clear howling, which is echoed from all directions! Then he hears the soft crunching of substrate - must be those crushed pearls/sand. The footsteps are too consistent and predictable to be from whatever creature left the footprints.

It's too dark to see anything.

Apsis seems to have been recalled back to her Pokeball, which you don't remember doing.

[Dragonstrike]

Nathan sighs.  He walks over to the middle of the battlefield first, picking up something sparkling in the waning sunlight...

It's Staryu's Mystic Water.  Somehow, the starfish had dropped it as it was sent out to battle Fennekin and Cottonee (ergo, @Iron forgot to account for it when Water Gun was used.  Should have been 5 damage dice, not 4.  3 Strength + 2 Power + 1 STAB + 1 Mystic Water - 2 Vit = 5 D6.  Didn't matter much in the end though, at least.)

He heads over to Shiva next.  Nurse Joy is already there.  "I think she just overexerted herself.  She's not used to getting that fired up over a battle, I'm sure.  Let's get her inside, and all our pokemon healed."

When Shiva wakes, she'll find an envelope containing the promised $875 for the Breeder's License, and a note accompanying it, which Nathan writes as Nurse Joy heals his pokemon.

That was an excellent battle, Shiva.  You surprised me quite a few times.  You're a very capable trainer, as I suspected since the day we met.  I have one more piece of constructive criticism for you, though: Don't lose yourself in the heat of the moment too much.  Battles are exciting and sometimes intense, but they're also dangerous, both during and after.  Particularly if you're on the losing side.  Try not to overexert yourself again.  Your pokemon won't be the only ones mourning if that happens at just the wrong time, after all...

On a lighter note, though, as promised, here's the money for half the cost of the Breeder's License.  You'll have to make up for that potion you used on your own, unfortunately.  I still need some funds for myself, after all.  

I'm looking forward to the next time we battle.  

-Nathan

When his pokemon are healed, he heads back outside before it starts getting dark.  He brings out all of his pokemon, thanking them for a job well done in that battle.  Particularly to Staryu and Porygon, since he purposely had them hold back and left them more open to being KOed.  Porygon doesn't seem to really care much, but Staryu seems to appreciate it.  Kirlia's smiling the entire time.  Yup, this was going well.  That's his wonderful trainer for ya.  He was still a little annoyed at Helios, though...  

Next up, he has Grid, Staryu, and Swiftfire do a little training to learn some new moves: Grid gets to finally master using Electro Web (15 exp), Staryu learns Bubble Beam (18 exp), and Swiftfire gets the ever dangerous Fire Spin (25 exp).  They don't spend too long practicing their new moves, but Nathan's browsing Staryu's move data while they're working on them...

Once the moves are learned, he recalls all his pokemon except Staryu and Kirlia.  "Okay, Staryu, I've had to do a little thinking.  You've been doing a terrific job with getting stronger lately, and I appreciate all the effort you've put in.  So, I think it's time I asked you a question..."

He pulls out the Water Stone he got back in Ginger Town.  "Are you ready to evolve?  Or would you rather remain a Staryu for a bit longer, maybe learn a few more moves first?  There's not a great deal of moves I've been looking at teaching you beyond Bubble Beam, but there are a few that could be useful.  Several of them, though, we could end up teaching you anyways with a TM later should we get one, and others are more easily replaced by other moves you or another of our friends know or will know later.  I'd like to know your thoughts.  If you're ready, all you have to do is touch the Water Stone, and you'll become significantly stronger in an instant.  But know that once you do, there's no going back."  He waits for Staryu's decision...

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Time Skip!

Nathan had just gotten inside his room in the Center when his pokedex's phone function starts ringing.  "Oh, hi Mom.  Was just about to call you.  Adventure's been going okay, I guess.  Had a pretty fun battle with Shiva today, actually.  I think we both learned a lot from it."

[Lord Windos]

Ventus shot awake at the sound of at sound of that distinctive howl echoing, looking hectically around the sandy clearing he was in, only to find that the night was too Kuyrem damn black for him to see anything. He also noticed that Apsis, who had been faithfully guarding his rest, was no where to be found, but he could detect that she was returned to her ball. 'What in Reshirim name forced my Arbok back into her ball?! Whomever or whatever it is, this most disturbing in its extreme...' the researcher though, eyes narrowed as he tried to spot what was causing such a Uproat.

Then he heard the crunching of footsteps in the sand, and it didn't sound like a dream demon prowling through the dark. Rolling out of the hammock into a crouch and one hand in his satchel (Fingering his Flash Ball)' and the other prepared to summon Slowpoke, he called out into the darkness. "Halt. Who or what come through the night to disturb my slumber? Please, identify yourselves. I don't want any discord to come between us..."

Order: Try to get an answer from whomever trying to sneak up on me. If they mean harm, Slowpoke Teleport the fuck out of there. Ven is not stupid enough to start a fight with no visibility...