[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Dragonstrike]

Swiftfire takes it, but she's not super impressed.  Particularly since that slash wound still smarts a little.  She doesn't outright ignore Aspis though, at least.

Masq is a bit too intimidated by the giant, merciless, female snake to really interact here.  Nope, no way was he going anywhere near her!  He was just fine with following Nathan out of there as fast as he can!

Nathan's in a pretty bad mood now as he starts packing up the tent.  He now has to use TWO potions to heal Swiftfire's wounds properly, and all because that stupid snake decided to wander off on her own just because of a petty, one-sided feud she has no stake in herself...ugh.  He barely has enough healing supplies as it is...Swiftfire is too important for getting through this swamp though to let her stay wounded like that...

Welp, two potions used on Swiftfire to heal 2 Lethal damage, leaving him with a singular potion in his inventory...unless someone else wants to help with that?

[Iron]

Tandal gives a cry! Up ahead is Route 10. "Beyond that mist is the Village. We can resupply if we make it that far. But while foot travel is fast along this path, there is little maintenance. These Pokemon don't fear humans. Sometimes the wilderness takes over the road for as much as half a league. I know the way, when this happens."

Along the road, Kirlia has another vision for all to see. Flames, rising high, consuming a building on the outskirts of Stair City... a building swamped in vines. The battle is having real consequences now, or at least whenever this vision shows.

Eastern Route 10 Encounters

As the road fades once more, Tandal takes you on a shortcut. "Simply keep that large peaked boulder in sight, and go north around any bogs we find. Like this. Yes, and we will avoid this one. And continue this way, yes, like this, good. Every season is different, but the pointy rock remains."
Soon, you come to something he can't explain: a glob of pinkish sap, stuck to a prickly bush. He sniffs it and makes a face.
"I am interested in following this sap trail. Anyone is free to come along with me. Otherwise, we are almost to the pointy rock, we can meet up again there."
He follows the sap until he comes to a relatively short tree, only ten yards tall. It is thick and plated with rings of bark, like the neck of Alolan Exeggutor. The trunk is thicker and squatter than that, and oddly bulbous, not tapering consistently. The leaves are dull red and very beefy, heavy and drooping. At the top, the tree's bare trunk suddenly gains many thick branches, oozing that same pinkish sap.
"Hmm. How very strange! One of the strangest things I have ever seen. I do not think I know this plant."

1. Name: Strange tree
Bid start: 1
Cap: None, with an opportunity for 1
Challenge: ???
Notes: To investigate the tree will take up an encounter!

2. Name: Valuable item
Bid start: 1
Cap: 1
Challenge: ???

3. Name: Best fishing hole Route 10
Bid start: 1
Cap: 2
Challenge: Varies by rarity of Pokemon.
Notes: as recommended by the Guidebook and confirmed by Tandal.
Tandal says the rarer Pokemon have lived longer and are stronger.

[Dragonstrike]

Well, there was some good news, at least.  Nathan ends up expending those two potions on Swiftfire after packing up the tent (Ventus still gets to carry it, though), but Ventus sleight of hands a potion to Nathan while the rest of the group is distracted.  Nathan doesn't say a word, but Kirlia gives Ventus a quick, silent thank you.  One less thing for Nathan to worry about...

No doubt Shiva's noticed how foul of a mood Nathan's in, as well...

...he doesn't want to talk about it, though.  Quite frankly, he's disgusted that Aspis would take advantage of his freely offered help and use it to still fulfill her own selfish wants...stupid, spoiled serpent...he didn't KO those Ninjask to give her an easy meal...she's quickly giving Nathan reason to actually not like her...he wasn't feeling inclined to help her out if something like that happened again...not if she continued to act that way and dislike him for reasons that aren't her own...whatever those reasons might be...

...there was no reason to kill those ninjask just for defending themselves, particularly when the snake didn't earn that feast herself.  As far as Nathan can tell, there's no reason for both the sociologist and his favorite pet snake to give him this much grief, either...

...he's got no desire to try and talk with someone who seems to ignore all reason.  He ends up ignoring Ventus completely for a good portion of this leg of the journey.  Trainers are as much to blame as their trusted pokemon, after all...
----------------------------------------------------
That vision...

...it scared Nathan.  Badly.

His mom was going to be freaking out...

He refuses to physically comment on the vision, though.
----------------------------------------------------

...that's weird...trees don't usually have pink sap, do they?

Admittedly, Nathan's curious about this weird tree too.

He sends out Princess and Zippy!

"What do you two think of this tree and its sap?  It's rather...odd, isn't it?"

Gonna join Tandal in investigating this weird tree!  Wonder what surprises are in store...

[Lord Windos]

The return to the campsite to pack up and the move onward ahead to Arrowroot was filled with both tension and, paradoxically, a certain sense serenity. This was mainly due to the fact that Ventus was almost entirely unsympathetic to Nathan's anger over Apsis' exploiting his aid/refusing his deal due to a various number of factor, but that, unlike the boy, who (at the time) was stewing in his own bitter resentment at his lack of control and failed expectations, he had made peace with his and his own mistakes regarding the Ninjack, and took/was taking steps to amend.

In the researcher's opinion, they think the young trainer is quite foolish to be mad at their sister/themselves for devouring those insects when he knows that is just what she does, and that his expectation of convincing her otherwise by using carrot and stick methodology was a loooooongshot effort considering her personality, high disobedience, and immense distaste for him.

That, or he was exceedingly naive enough to actually believe that he could reason with Apsis against pursuing revenge against her transgressor, and the subsequent hurt/fury/bitterness towards them/her that he (Nathan) his hopes being dashed was foolish in of itself because he created (in Ventus' opinion) unreasonable expectations for Apsis/himself.

There was also the boy's continued inability/denseness/stubbornness when it came to understanding the perspective/feelings of others and WHY they thought/felt that way adding into either assumption/opinion, but the researcher almost considered that a given with ANYTHING they did now in days, and so didn't dwell much on that thought.

Meanwhile, Ventus acknowledged and accepted that his lack/lax of discipline of Apsis recent behavior towards Nathan was to blame for her and Swiftfire being Lethally damaged. Instead of brooding over the incident, he choose to take it in stride, working to correct his/his sister's mistakes and to properly apologize to Nathan for them. To that end, he was going to get back in the habit of moderating his giant snake's more.....vindictive traits, and slipped a Potion to the boy to partially compensate him for the healing supplies expended on his horse's recovery. He didn't bother to try and vocalize an actual apology, though, given the boy's foul moods having the tendency to close them off and the fact that he was still thinking of what and how to go about doing it.....

It was when the group decided to halt their journey and scattered to investigate the given area for one oddity or another that gave him the opportunity to do so (come up with a good apology) in relative solitude. Ventus wandered over to a nearby tree, giving it his silent appraisal before he flicked his wrist to the ground, summoning his beloved Lucifer to his side, where upon they took a perch on his right shoulder and looked at him happily/curiously. "My brother, would you care to search the area for any Items that catch your appraising eyes, while sit her and meditate on a issue? I promise you two delicious apples if you find something significant or especially interesting, and spending the whole evening with you as well, so what do think of this arrangement, my little drake?" the empath said with a kind smile and rubbing them behind the ears while speaking. Lucifer didn't have to ponder their master's offer too long, as they were providing sweet treats of all kinds for doing a task he loves doing in the first place, and so swiftly let out an excited screech and shot of into the open sky, searching for the loot that would earn them their just desserts...

The researcher waved them good bye and wish them good luck, before crossing his legs and sitting down at the roots of the tree he was at, and delve into meditation to use the clarity of mind it brought to help him devise a decent apology.

It was during the point that he deeply in trace that Lilith, bored and a bit irritable from being cooped up in her Pokeball for so long, forced herself out of it with nary a struggle on her part, and looked at her trainer with an air of expectation to being lavished with attention/praise. Of course those hopes were dashed when she saw that he had apparently decided to take what appeared to be a nap to her, causing them to let out a huff of disappoint/discontent. Still, better outside and enjoying the afternoon than not, so the grassy chimera just hopped up onto their shoulders, and resigned themselves to enjoying only what nature provided her.

Order: More thinking about Ninjack Encounter, before Ventus sends Lucifer off to find the Valuable Item to retrieve/guide him towards, while he pseudo spends some time with Lilith while he meditates on his approach even more. Nothing bad should come from this.....I hope.

[Spiritmon]

Heart decided to take a look take a look in that. But then he remembered he doesn't have a rood. Before Ventus go he decided to talk with him since Heart feel something is happening since Nathan and Ventus return. "Shiva, can I join with you in the fishing? I don't have a fishing rod and I was kinda curious to find that Legendary Escartress."

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

Due to Shiva leaving the tent sometime after Ven stormed out probably because his...poisonous snake being in trouble, having investigated the area with Tandal and having taken her time to cry her eyes out over her very own latest acts of bravery + recovering a bit from that by staying at the spot and talking with Tandal about Apricorns and stuff, she was arrived at the camp when everyone else has already returned and were packing up their stuff to leave and continue the path to the village. No real progress on her own neither Ven's Mystery Gift, and the Breeder in Shiva was KINDA irritated that Tandal didn't even carries the egg of his in an incubator! He received a subtle weird-curious-disapproving look from her without saying a word to him.

When she arrived at the camp, greeted the others a normal-sounding good-morning and began to pack up stuff as well, Shiva relatively soon cottoned on how the air was thickening again, which neither had anything to do with Cottonee resting on her shoulder and gifting occasional nuzzles to her Master neither with any mist or swamp gas in the air.

- Nathan was in a bad mood currently. That was easy to see for her, while he gave (for her) clear signs that he desires to be left alone now. Fine, this is nothing Shiva wouldn't understand or accept, plus it seemed like his newly evolve Rapidash has gotten herself into a fight meanwhile given how he carefully sprayed Potion after Potion in her.

- Ventus, however, seemed overly fine to her. He was more quiet that he normally was, but nothing hinted to him being angry, dsitressed, mad or anything. Huh... Well, this was certainly nice to see, but it was still clear to her that they must have gotten at each other for the n-th time now.


Mentally, this hit Shiva to some degree. It was nothing new about them being in a fight and, quite honestly, her being introduced to his abomination of a Houndour was still fresh in her mind, but this all was almost inevitably keep them busy. Of course none cared to ask Shiva where she has been meanwhile for example, and while she wasn't taking this personally, it was still...not very nice. Her mind was telling her to adapt and move on and not dwell in things for too long, but all of this and more kept that streak of unhappiness and depression super-glued to her. Vitamin D and St- John's Wort could only help to some degree. What's a bit of bravery if none cares to applaud her - or was she simply enjoying yesterday's praise too much? No, what was wrong about feeling happy over others being proud of her, while she herself is valuing her own acomplishes the most? Nothing, right? Doesn't matter... On she goes.

Also, another vision!~ Since run-in with Gothitelle, Shiva was kinda enjoying them. However, the content of the vision kinda strenghtened her in her aim to meet up some of the Mamo folk, reveal her knowing about their native music and with their help summon the Southern Wind Incarnate to see if 'she' was indeed the key of a journey to the ends of the earth. Might have to discuss this with the others later as with 'her', it's a journey without return.

Alongside the way (before Tandal shows the shortcut), Shiva is mostly keeping herself close to Ventus, simply because she enjoyed his presence. After all her actions yesterday and this morning, she was literally thirthing for a bit of his presence to calm herself. Despite everything, he was there... She didn't spoke much though, nothing actually, and was very fine to walk beside him in silence while paging through the Guidebook of hers, checking whether there was anything she might have missed out earlier. And... THERE INDEED WAS! This fishing hole rumored to be the best of Route 10 certainly sounded promising, especially after she only riled in Horsea at a place where potential Milotic dwelled. True, being a child of the city wasn't very helpful with fishing... But nevermind, fishing also meant peaceful and patient waiting while keeping silent. Certainly sounded like an option to reenergate a little.

Problem was that VENTUS had a fishing rod, she hadn't. Hmm... Closing the Guidebook and keeping it held close to her chest, she began to just look at this oddball of researcher from the side in a curious, pondering and almost longing manner. She'll continue with this until she has gotten his attention! It was still somewhat visible that not too long ago she cried horribly.

[Nylon]

Valder will try fishing with that rod he acquired decades ago

[Iron]

You may have to take it in turns fishing in the relatively small spot, with only two rods between three people, but that's OK.

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

You may have to take it in turns fishing in the relatively small spot, with only two rods between three people, but that's OK.

(I was just about to ask if we could fish in turns anyway since three people and only two rods! Valder and Heart can try their luck before Shiva, but you can roll out what they hurl up simultaneously anyway for the sake of pace.)

[Iron]

Lucifer gets excited when he spots the glint of precious metal! He's disappointed when it turns out to be silver, not gold. It's a small hatchet still stuck in a tree. That's not the valuable part, though: the steel and the mahogany handle are traced with treelike patterns of silver! Value: 4500$, and no repairs necessary!