[Game] Lord Windos' PokeRole Adventure: Celadon City Vandel

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

"All old news, kaa-san.  Met 'em both and heard what they had to say.  Though Lindworm failed to mention exactly how bad everything had gotten..."  *grimace*


...

"It really wouldn't be much trouble.  I'll see if I can work something out when things settle down a little.  My fault or not, I'm not going to leave him that way if I can do something about it."

...

*blushes quite a lot in embarassment at the girlfriend guess*

"...*ahem*...yes, well...interesting.  I was wondering about that Dawn Stone part for sure.  I happened to acquire one yesterday as well, and Ridia definitely seemed very interested in it, so that certainly explains that...interesting that the process is so complex...and that the results can be so different for individuals...hmmm..."

...

"...*sigh*...yeah, I don't know if bringing the League's toughest trainer into this is the best idea right now...everything's just such a mess...Morty might be a good bet if he's not too engrossd in his training...paying him a visit on my own time relatively soon might be rather doable, too..."

...

"...well, I do have some other good news.  A little while back, I had the unique opportunity to teach Kingdra a new move.  A very...important one.  I doubt the Elders would have mentioned it if they know, but Kingdra was deemed fit to learn Draco Meteor by a Dragon Master.  Haven't had any incidents with it so far, either.  Have had one or two close calls, but I've got a good handle on Kingdra for the most part these days..."

"O-Oh! That's good, very good! Err...at least with Lindworm, anyway.  …He'd probably didn't want you to worry you about us or start blaming yourself, since there was nothing you could have done to stop....what has happened to us all in the wake of your Exile."


" Clair....she was probably.....very firm with you, wasn't she? *Sighs* She's grown harsher and more brutal since you were Exiled, and after the Elders...filled her in on everything, so I can't imagine she was.....all pleasant when she found you. *Looks pensive and apprehensive* Can you....tell me how your meeting went with her, and how's she doing right now? Well.... if you didn't end up escaping her entirely the first chance you got, which given how....unreasonable she is concerning you, might have been the only option you had left."

…

"*Nods her head* Very well, my little dragon, but don't let what happen eat you up from the inside out. ...Not Anymore than it already has, anyway. But...how would you be able to give us the money? The Elders, Council, and Clan Enforcers keep close watch over who and what comes into the city, and are closely monitoring our branch's activity for 'any inappropriate conduct' , so it would be next to impossible to give it to us via traditional means....*Sighs* We'll just make do, as we have for these last four years, so please don't worry about this my son...."

…

*Chuckles in her refined manner, looking very pleased with herself for getting you to blush like that!*

 "Oh, don't tell me you've been single this entire time Reiner! Ha ha ha, still just as shy around the fairer sex as your were my tiny little dragon I see! Well, hopefully you'll overcome it when you find the right women someday, and give me lots of adorable little grandchildren! If not, I can always set up an arranged marriage for you; mother knows what's best for her child, after all, Ha ha ha!"

…

"That's excellent news! Those are the most expensive Item needed for the Wyvreon Evolution Ritual, though the King's Rock and Destiny Knot are certainly not all that cheaper themselves.... *Politely shakes her head in disagreement at your later comment*  I believe the different 'Variants' of Wyvreon produced was due to how the Evolution Ritual was concluded, and not necessarily by their individual qualities. Otherwise, my Inari would be the energetic and Savage one, and my friend's Noble and dignified, given their respective personalities prior to Evolving. In sum, I think that if an Eevee is given a True Dragon's Blessing, they will evolve into a Noble Wyvreon, and if they display Draconic Moves they will evolve into a Savage Wyvreon. I would tell you more about their Abilities and Movepools, but I can't remember all those details off the top of my head since its been months since I preformed the Ritual and studied it all in detail, and all my notes on it are in my house in the waking world. If only I could get my hands on them now....sorry, my little dragon...."

[Essentially, each versions are mutually exclusive depending on how you end the Ritual, and have their own unique qualities. Noble is the Special/Calm one that is more Utility/Defensive, while Savage is Physical/Disobedient and MUCH more Specialized/Offensive. More details will be revealed depending on how you navigate that part of the conversation, and when you actually Evolve Ridia!]

"By...by the Dragon Gods!!! That means....you've fully bonded with your Kingdra after all this time!!! *Rushes forward to give you yet ANOTHER near spine breaking hug* I'm so very proud of you, my little dragon! Oh, how I WISH we could truly be reunited so that would could properly celebrate this, but for now....for this will have to do. You've come a long way despite the hardships forced on you, and I feel you are only going to become great still. No....I know it. "

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

"O-Oh! That's good, very good! Err...at least with Lindworm, anyway.  …He'd probably didn't want you to worry you about us or start blaming yourself, since there was nothing you could have done to stop....what has happened to us all in the wake of your Exile."


" Clair....she was probably.....very firm with you, wasn't she? *Sighs* She's grown harsher and more brutal since you were Exiled, and after the Elders...filled her in on everything, so I can't imagine she was.....all pleasant when she found you. *Looks pensive and apprehensive* Can you....tell me how your meeting went with her, and how's she doing right now? Well.... if you didn't end up escaping her entirely the first chance you got, which given how....unreasonable she is concerning you, might have been the only option you had left."

…

"*Nods her head* Very well, my little dragon, but don't let what happen eat you up from the inside out. ...Not Anymore than it already has, anyway. But...how would you be able to give us the money? The Elders, Council, and Clan Enforcers keep close watch over who and what comes into the city, and are closely monitoring our branch's activity for 'any inappropriate conduct' , so it would be next to impossible to give it to us via traditional means....*Sighs* We'll just make do, as we have for these last four years, so please don't worry about this my son...."

…

*Chuckles in her refined manner, looking very pleased with herself for getting you to blush like that!*

 "Oh, don't tell me you've been single this entire time Reiner! Ha ha ha, still just as shy around the fairer sex as your were my tiny little dragon I see! Well, hopefully you'll overcome it when you find the right women someday, and give me lots of adorable little grandchildren! If not, I can always set up an arranged marriage for you; mother knows what's best for her child, after all, Ha ha ha!"

…

"That's excellent news! Those are the most expensive Item needed for the Wyvreon Evolution Ritual, though the King's Rock and Destiny Knot are certainly not all that cheaper themselves.... *Politely shakes her head in disagreement at your later comment*  I believe the different 'Variants' of Wyvreon produced was due to how the Evolution Ritual was concluded, and not necessarily by their individual qualities. Otherwise, my Inari would be the energetic and Savage one, and my friend's Noble and dignified, given their respective personalities prior to Evolving. In sum, I think that if an Eevee is given a True Dragon's Blessing, they will evolve into a Noble Wyvreon, and if they display Draconic Moves they will evolve into a Savage Wyvreon. I would tell you more about their Abilities and Movepools, but I can't remember all those details off the top of my head since its been months since I preformed the Ritual and studied it all in detail, and all my notes on it are in my house in the waking world. If only I could get my hands on them now....sorry, my little dragon...."

[Essentially, each versions are mutually exclusive depending on how you end the Ritual, and have their own unique qualities. Noble is the Special/Calm one that is more Utility/Defensive, while Savage is Physical/Disobedient and MUCH more Specialized/Offensive. More details will be revealed depending on how you navigate that part of the conversation, and when you actually Evolve Ridia!]

"By...by the Dragon Gods!!! That means....you've fully bonded with your Kingdra after all this time!!! *Rushes forward to give you yet ANOTHER near spine breaking hug* I'm so very proud of you, my little dragon! Oh, how I WISH we could truly be reunited so that would could properly celebrate this, but for now....for this will have to do. You've come a long way despite the hardships forced on you, and I feel you are only going to become great still. No....I know it. "

"...yes, well, we've had a few tough spots here and there, Kingdra and I.  I'm very, very proud of her for getting through them.  Just have some...unfinished business the two of us need to take care of.  In the meantime, though, I'm also working on gaining the respect and trust of Yang, the Extreme Speed Dragonair that Lindworm took...that's going rather well so far too.  He's been very accepting and understanding."

...

"Like I said, I'll work something out when things settle down a little."

...

Reiner listens carefully to the details on Wyvreon's evolution ritual, trying to think of a way to jog Yuuka's memory...

"Well, is it possible we could try bringing Inari into this dream, or at least check his Summary?  You have his pokeball on your person and he's snoozing right now too, right?  I really don't know how this whole thing works, but maybe that's something that's possible?"

...

"...motheeeeerrr...can we please not talk about my love life?  Kinda hard to have one when you're trying to get out of exile..."

[Ah, yes, so, about the whole arranged marriage thing...I don't think I have to say who would have been the lucky gal if things had gone just a little differently for both her and Reiner, do I?]

...

"...I'm gonna be honest with you: things with Clair went fairly well at first, actually.  She was more reasonable about hearing me out than I think anyone would have expected.  But that damn artifact the Elders gave her messed everything up.  Messed her up because she couldn't truly handle it.  She needs some time to recover from the consequences, and I've had to keep her hidden away for both my safety and hers.  I ended up confiscating Megido's Revelation to prevent her (and anyone else) from using it any further.  Elders aren't going to be happy when they hear about that among other things, but they're destroying Blackthorn from the inside out with how they're acting.  Something has to change, and soon."

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

"...yes, well, we've had a few tough spots here and there, Kingdra and I.  I'm very, very proud of her for getting through them.  Just have some...unfinished business the two of us need to take care of.  In the meantime, though, I'm also working on gaining the respect and trust of Yang, the Extreme Speed Dragonair that Lindworm took...that's going rather well so far too.  He's been very accepting and understanding."



...

"Like I said, I'll work something out when things settle down a little."

"....If you insist, my little dragon. Just...don't stress yourself about it, okay?"

...

Reiner listens carefully to the details on Wyvreon's evolution ritual, trying to think of a way to jog Yuuka's memory...

"Well, is it possible we could try bringing Inari into this dream, or at least check his Summary?  You have his pokeball on your person and he's snoozing right now too, right?  I really don't know how this whole thing works, but maybe that's something that's possible?"


...

"...motheeeeerrr...can we please not talk about my love life?  Kinda hard to have one when you're trying to get out of exile..."

Ah, yes, so, about the whole arranged marriage thing...I don't think I have to say who would have been the lucky gal if things had gone just a little differently for both her and Reiner, do I?]

...

"...I'm gonna be honest with you: things with Clair went fairly well at first, actually.  She was more reasonable about hearing me out than I think anyone would have expected.  But that damn artifact the Elders gave her messed everything up.  Messed her up because she couldn't truly handle it.  She needs some time to recover from the consequences, and I've had to keep her hidden away for both my safety and hers.  I ended up confiscating Megido's Revelation to prevent her (and anyone else) from using it any further.  Elders aren't going to be happy when they hear about that among other things, but they're destroying Blackthorn from the inside out with how they're acting.  Something has to change, and soon."

Kaa-san seemed to beam even brighter the more you described how close you've become with your pseudo sister of a Dragon type, though she was snapped out of it when you brought up 'unfinished business' and Yang, looking both surprised and a little worried.

"Oh! So THAT was what Lindworm stole from the Dragon Den: an Elders experimentally breed Dragonair, and maybe even more! No wonder those wind bag become so....irate and immediately branded him a traitor. …I suppose he wanted to give you one as a sign of support, or....*Sighs* …to make up what he perceives to be his ultimate failure. He's always felt guilty that he couldn't prevent you from being exiled, though he kept those feelings and reservations to himself. Still....for him to do that...well, I'm glad you've managed to bond with Yang so quickly in such a short amount of time..."


(…)

That suggestion caused her to blink a couple of time, before she smack her forehead with the flat of her palm and mumbled "Why didn't I think of that." She then flicked the button on the Pokémon was holding in order to summon Inari (as that was his Pokeball)…to absolutely no effect, other that a errornous *Brzt!* sound coming from it. Cursing under her breath in draconic, she then tried to pull up her beloved fox dragon's summery, and thankfully THAT worked, causing the holographic screen on it to pop up , which she subsequently motioned for you to get a good look:

NOBLE WYVREON (Inari)

HP: 8 (VIT + 5)

Special Qualties (AKA: Surprises!): All Egg Moves, + 1 STR, DEX, Fight, Brawl, and Evasion.

Moves: All Egg Moves and Level Up moves of Eevee (She's had a LOT of time to train the little bugger!), Surf, Whirlpool, Defog, Fly, Strength, Flash, Roar*, Yawn*, Calm Mind* , Dragon Pulse EX* , Dragon Rage* , etc. (I don't have my list with me, but those * Moves are the ones I definitely remember they gain on Evolution)

Exclusive Move: Dragon Pulse EX - STR + 4, Spread Move, Roll 2D6 Chance Dice to nullify Opponent(s)' Ability, and Roll a 1D4 to determine how many Rounds this effect lasts. Once the effect is triggered and wears off, it can not be re-applied with this Move, but it can be extended by 1 Round every time the chance effect of this move 'procs' . Chance Effect overrides and nullifies the effects of all Ability Changing and Nullifying Moves/Items, with the exception of the Nullity Item.

Ability: IMPERIAL MAJASTY - If they are the first to move in battle (Initiative), this Pokémon will gain a Defense Boost of 1, and either a variant of Forewarn or further Damage Reduction (1D6 Dice for Secondary Effect: 1-4 - You Learn the Opponent(s) most Dangerous Attack, and the first Move Moves they will use the Round this ability takes effect, 5-6 : A Flat Damage Reduction of 1) . If they do not move first in battle, the opponent suffers a Dexterity Drop of 1, and the opponent(s) are either are Flitched or Disabled (1D6 for Secondary Effect: 1-4: Flitch the Target out of their First Move/Action of the Round this ability is triggered; 5-6: Disable the first Move/Action of the Target for 4 Rounds). These effects are mutually exclusive (Once one effect is triggered upon being summoned, the other effect won't trigger/the same effect won't trigger again unless this Pokémon is recalled), and the negative effects apply to ALL Pokémon on the Battefield.

(…)

Your kaa-san could only continue to cackle at your profuse blushing and embarrassment, but she eventually decided to take mercy on your poor soul/self esteem and stopped teasing you about it....for now.

(…)

Mother's Bullshit Dectector: Insight (3) + Knowledge (5) + Empathy (*3) - Believable Story (2) = 9D6 Dice; She WANTS to believe you, so she needs 6 Success in order to call you out on this half truthful story of yours.
(5)(4)(2)(5)(5)(3)(6)(2)(1) Fives Successes!

Your beloved kaa-san looks at you with a tad bit of discomfort, worry, alarm, and....uncertainty as you gave your....bowdlerized version of your entire confrontation with Clair, and began to wring her hands again as you vaguely described what.....happened to her. For the longest time she didn't say anything to you as she stared downwards and mulled everything over. Something seemed....off about her little dragon's story, and had a STRONG gut feeling he was keeping secrets from her.....

….but in the end she decided to set aside those doubts and believe in her son's story, and finally nodded her head at him with a certain amount of hopeful trepidation. She....she didn't want to entertain the notion that her son was lying to her, nor consider....other possibilities of what could have REALLY happened with Clair if she started down that train of logic...

".....Alright, my little dragon. I.....didn't think the Elders would hand out our Clans Sacred Treasure to Clair, or just how......DANGEROUS it really was. Please....take good care of your cousin to make sure she gets better, and when you come back home......teach those craven old fools a lesson they will NEVER forget. No one sets up and recklessly endangers OUR family for their own gain. Not without paying a PRICE."

She says those last few remarks with a smoldering heat and resentment you would scare believe, had she not used it earlier to curse out the Elders earlier. To put it mildly, kaa-san was just as displeased as you as to what...happened to Clair because of the Elder's shortsighted carvenous, if not more. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned indeed!

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

Kaa-san seemed to beam even brighter the more you described how close you've become with your pseudo sister of a Dragon type, though she was snapped out of it when you brought up 'unfinished business' and Yang, looking both surprised and a little worried.

"Oh! So THAT was what Lindworm stole from the Dragon Den: an Elders experimentally breed Dragonair, and maybe even more! No wonder those wind bag become so....irate and immediately branded him a traitor. …I suppose he wanted to give you one as a sign of support, or....*Sighs* …to make up what he perceives to be his ultimate failure. He's always felt guilty that he couldn't prevent you from being exiled, though he kept those feelings and reservations to himself. Still....for him to do that...well, I'm glad you've managed to bond with Yang so quickly in such a short amount of time..."


(…)

That suggestion caused her to blink a couple of time, before she smack her forehead with the flat of her palm and mumbled "Why didn't I think of that." She then flicked the button on the Pokémon was holding in order to summon Inari (as that was his Pokeball)…to absolutely no effect, other that a errornous *Brzt!* sound coming from it. Cursing under her breath in draconic, she then tried to pull up her beloved fox dragon's summery, and thankfully THAT worked, causing the holographic screen on it to pop up , which she subsequently motioned for you to get a good look:

NOBLE WYVREON (Inari)

HP: 8 (VIT + 5)

Special Qualties (AKA: Surprises!): All Egg Moves, + 1 STR, DEX, Fight, Brawl, and Evasion.

Moves: All Egg Moves and Level Up moves of Eevee (She's had a LOT of time to train the little bugger!), Surf, Whirlpool, Defog, Fly, Strength, Flash, Roar*, Yawn*, Calm Mind* , Dragon Pulse EX* , Dragon Rage* , etc. (I don't have my list with me, but those * Moves are the ones I definitely remember they gain on Evolution)

Exclusive Move: Dragon Pulse EX - STR + 4, Spread Move, Roll 2D6 Chance Dice to nullify Opponent(s)' Ability, and Roll a 1D4 to determine how many Rounds this effect lasts. Once the effect is triggered and wears off, it can not be re-applied with this Move, but it can be extended by 1 Round every time the chance effect of this move 'procs' . Chance Effect overrides and nullifies the effects of all Ability Changing and Nullifying Moves/Items, with the exception of the Nullity Item.

Ability: IMPERIAL MAJASTY - If they are the first to move in battle (Initiative), this Pokémon will gain a Defense Boost of 1, and either a variant of Forewarn or further Damage Reduction (1D6 Dice for Secondary Effect: 1-4 - You Learn the Opponent(s) most Dangerous Attack, and the first Move Moves they will use the Round this ability takes effect, 5-6 : A Flat Damage Reduction of 1) . If they do not move first in battle, the opponent suffers a Dexterity Drop of 1, and the opponent(s) are either are Flitched or Disabled (1D6 for Secondary Effect: 1-4: Flitch the Target out of their First Move/Action of the Round this ability is triggered; 5-6: Disable the first Move/Action of the Target for 4 Rounds). These effects are mutually exclusive (Once one effect is triggered upon being summoned, the other effect won't trigger/the same effect won't trigger again unless this Pokémon is recalled), and the negative effects apply to ALL Pokémon on the Battefield.

(…)

Mother's Bullshit Dectector: Insight (3) + Knowledge (5) + Empathy (*3) - Believable Story (2) = 9D6 Dice; She WANTS to believe you, so she needs 6 Success in order to call you out on this half truthful story of yours.
(5)(4)(2)(5)(5)(3)(6)(2)(1) Fives Successes!

Your beloved kaa-san looks at you with a tad bit of discomfort, worry, alarm, and....uncertainty as you gave your....bowdlerized version of your entire confrontation with Clair, and began to wring her hands again as you vaguely described what.....happened to her. For the longest time she didn't say anything to you as she stared downwards and mulled everything over. Something seemed....off about her little dragon's story, and had a STRONG gut feeling he was keeping secrets from her.....

….but in the end she decided to set aside those doubts and believe in her son's story, and finally nodded her head at him with a certain amount of hopeful trepidation. She....she didn't want to entertain the notion that her son was lying to her, nor consider....other possibilities of what could have REALLY happened with Clair if she started down that train of logic...

".....Alright, my little dragon. I.....didn't think the Elders would hand out our Clans Sacred Treasure to Clair, or just how......DANGEROUS it really was. Please....take good care of your cousin to make sure she gets better, and when you come back home......teach those craven old fools a lesson they will NEVER forget. No one sets up and recklessly endangers OUR family for their own gain. Not without paying a PRICE."

She says those last few remarks with a smoldering heat and resentment you would scare believe, had she not used it earlier to curse out the Elders earlier. To put it mildly, kaa-san was just as displeased as you as to what...happened to Clair because of the Elder's shortsighted carvenous, if not more. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned indeed!

"It's certainly not Lindworm's fault, and I hardly did it for selfish reasons alone, so I don't really regret my choices.  There's nothing he could have really done to prevent it anyways.  He has assured me he'll help when it comes time for me to return, and that's all I could really ask of him if he does want to get mixed up in all this."

...

"...huh.  Stronger than the average eeveelution...impressive.  Definitely to be expected with how difficult it is to obtain that evolution, though...I'll have to ask Ridia which form she'd prefer..."

...

"...I do have another question for you: what slanderous rumors have the Elders been spreading about me?"

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

"It's certainly not Lindworm's fault, and I hardly did it for selfish reasons alone, so I don't really regret my choices.  There's nothing he could have really done to prevent it anyways.  He has assured me he'll help when it comes time for me to return, and that's all I could really ask of him if he does want to get mixed up in all this."

...

"...huh.  Stronger than the average eeveelution...impressive.  Definitely to be expected with how difficult it is to obtain that evolution, though...I'll have to ask Ridia which form she'd prefer..."

...

"...I do have another question for you: what slanderous rumors have the Elders been spreading about me?"

".....*Sigh* I know, and he knows it too, but he still felt that his efforts to stand up for you are wanting, so he blames himself regardless. The fact he was willing to commit treason against the Elders in part for your sake and in part to spite their hidebound and fearful juridictions...its speaks volumes of the shame and injustice he feels. I do hope he escapes his Wild Hunt and can have a good life....he deserves it."

…

"Ha Ha, yes it is! We'd all be disappointed if the Dragon Evolution of Eevee was as flimsy are a Jolteon, or whimsical as a Slyveon! Hmm....if Ridia is the protective sort she'd might prefer to be a Noble Wyvreon's fortitude, but if she's as wild and competitive she'd want the fierce might of a Savage Wyvreon. *Shrugs* If anything, the choice is always left to you my little dragon, if she can't decide what she want to be."

…

…Kaa-san averts her gaze from you, and quietly says: "I rather not say, my son."

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

".....*Sigh* I know, and he knows it too, but he still felt that his efforts to stand up for you are wanting, so he blames himself regardless. The fact he was willing to commit treason against the Elders in part for your sake and in part to spite their hidebound and fearful juridictions...its speaks volumes of the shame and injustice he feels. I do hope he escapes his Wild Hunt and can have a good life....he deserves it."

…

"Ha Ha, yes it is! We'd all be disappointed if the Dragon Evolution of Eevee was as flimsy are a Jolteon, or whimsical as a Slyveon! Hmm....if Ridia is the protective sort she'd might prefer to be a Noble Wyvreon's fortitude, but if she's as wild and competitive she'd want the fierce might of a Savage Wyvreon. *Shrugs* If anything, the choice is always left to you my little dragon, if she can't decide what she want to be."

…

…Kaa-san averts her gaze from you, and quietly says: "I rather not say, my son."

"He might have an easier time of it if he were to partner up with me.  I'll have to ask him about that.  I'm rather impressed he managed to sneak into the Dragon Shrine and escape without getting caught on the way out.  Only one other person I can name who could potentially do that...heh..."

...

"She's a little bit of both from what I can tell, actually.  Were it not for her brother, she'd probably actively be looking for fights just for the heck of it.  I have a feeling she'll want whichever one she thinks she can help her brother with, though."

...

"...I ask because I could actually fulfill that request of yours sooner rather than later.  It's a...delicate matter, though, and you might not like what it appears to be on the surface.  If there's one thing I can tell you, it's that it would certainly change Blackthorn, at least for a little while. It could be quick, relatively quiet...I wouldn't be alone, but I would be able to minimize the damage, ideally.  I don't know if Clair will be able to return to her Gym Leader position when she recovers...Megido's Revelation...it changed her in ways I can't describe.  Don't want to describe, even.  I'm hoping she can return to it, though, but there's no guarantees.  Blackthorn's falling apart at the seams, and I haven't even directly done anything yet...heck, it'll probably still happen even if I don't follow through with my original plan, and that might even make things worse than they already are..."

"I'm considering other courses of action, but no matter what I do, it's going to be risky.  Dangerous for me.  Dangerous for you, Clair, and everyone else, even.  If I do settle on my original plan...I want you to know my side of the story, not just what the Elders told everyone.  I could tell you how much of what they said is actually true, and what they don't know that changes the context of it all.  But to do that accurately, I need to know what they've said."

"...*sigh*...seems my life has become nothing but damage control recently..."

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

"He might have an easier time of it if he were to partner up with me.  I'll have to ask him about that.  I'm rather impressed he managed to sneak into the Dragon Shrine and escape without getting caught on the way out.  Only one other person I can name who could potentially do that...heh..."

...

"She's a little bit of both from what I can tell, actually.  Were it not for her brother, she'd probably actively be looking for fights just for the heck of it.  I have a feeling she'll want whichever one she thinks she can help her brother with, though."

...

"...I ask because I could actually fulfill that request of yours sooner rather than later.  It's a...delicate matter, though, and you might not like what it appears to be on the surface.  If there's one thing I can tell you, it's that it would certainly change Blackthorn, at least for a little while. It could be quick, relatively quiet...I wouldn't be alone, but I would be able to minimize the damage, ideally.  I don't know if Clair will be able to return to her Gym Leader position when she recovers...Megido's Revelation...it changed her in ways I can't describe.  Don't want to describe, even.  I'm hoping she can return to it, though, but there's no guarantees.  Blackthorn's falling apart at the seams, and I haven't even directly done anything yet...heck, it'll probably still happen even if I don't follow through with my original plan, and that might even make things worse than they already are..."

"I'm considering other courses of action, but no matter what I do, it's going to be risky.  Dangerous for me.  Dangerous for you, Clair, and everyone else, even.  If I do settle on my original plan...I want you to know my side of the story, not just what the Elders told everyone.  I could tell you how much of what they said is actually true, and what they don't know that changes the context of it all.  But to do that accurately, I need to know what they've said."

"...*sigh*...seems my life has become nothing but damage control recently..."

"....*Sighs, and then wistfully and almost painfully smiles at you* You do never make things easy on me, my son, especially with that logical wit you inherited from me. Always getting in trouble, but you never let it put you down...…"


"*Heavily sighs* …The Elders claim you have joined Team Rocket, and have amassed enough power and favor in the organization to persuade them to march on Blackthorn and destroy everything dear to us. Upend the social order, destroy all our monuments, traditions, history, strip everyone that does not accept Team Rocket as their new rulers of their rights and Pokémon, and conscript and indocternate the youth into the organization. Dissolve the entire Dragon Clan, or turn it into their puppet, and completely undermine and bleed out the wealth, power, and authority of our Clan and its Gym. Ranshake the Dragon Shrine and all our secrets, destroy it completely, and erect their own base of operations there. In sum? Turn Blackthorn and The Dragon Clan into less than a shadow of its former self, or remake us all in their identity and image. "

"*Darkly chuckles at this point, as she pauses to let all that she said sink in, before continuing* Some of the even wilder, darker and more morbid rumors claim that they would rape both men, women, and Pokemon alike, slaughter all resistance to their rule, and bring great evils and plagues upon our people, but I doubt that even Team Rocket is capable of such cruelty. No...they are a more insidious evil, corrupting, twisting, bending all that IS towards their own dire aims, in pursuit of whatever the higher ups wish to accomplish. Such is their nature.....always wanting, but never being sastified with whatever they gain. Like a monstrous Dragon with a greed that is endless and impossible to sate, possessing apathy at best for those lesser than itself and not a part of its horde, and cruel contempt in its most foul of moods....."

"*Pauses again to catch her breath, before sighing and then changing the topic altogether* I wouldn't claim that Blackthorn is ready to collapse in on itself either, my son. Things may have been.....uneasy since your Exile, but its only recently that things have....flared up. For the most part, Blackthorn had endured and recovered in the wake of your Exile besides our family's ostristration and how...tightly information was control concerning you, but the.....shocking events and the Elders decrees these past few weeks have revived that old blighted drama and memory of those ignoble days of our history. It has put the city into a heightened state of alert and apprehension as to what is to come, and I now fear that Clair doesn't make her return soon as you said, or more shocking events crop up like Weedle in our gardens.....the mood will turn outright paranoid and hostile to the outside world as the Dragon Clan prepares for preconceived disaster, invasion….or not. *Heavily sighs* Dark times are coming to Blackthorn, I feel, regardless of.....anything you do to attempt to fix things. "

Kaa-san hangs her head as she finishes describing things to you, and in that instant she looked several decades older as the stress and fear from EVERYTHING in the past years of your Exile has come back to haunt and torment her.

She then looks back at you, with a tired yet piercing stare, like an exhausted lioness that was still ready to pounce on her prey.

"Now, its your turn to explain yourself, Reiner Arendse."

...Well, this could end badly.

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

"....*Sighs, and then wistfully and almost painfully smiles at you* You do never make things easy on me, my son, especially with that logical wit you inherited from me. Always getting in trouble, but you never let it put you down...…"


"*Heavily sighs* …The Elders claim you have joined Team Rocket, and have amassed enough power and favor in the organization to persuade them to march on Blackthorn and destroy everything dear to us. Upend the social order, destroy all our monuments, traditions, history, strip everyone that does not accept Team Rocket as their new rulers of their rights and Pokémon, and conscript and indocternate the youth into the organization. Dissolve the entire Dragon Clan, or turn it into their puppet, and completely undermine and bleed out the wealth, power, and authority of our Clan and its Gym. Ranshake the Dragon Shrine and all our secrets, destroy it completely, and erect their own base of operations there. In sum? Turn Blackthorn and The Dragon Clan into less than a shadow of its former self, or remake us all in their identity and image. "

"*Darkly chuckles at this point, as she pauses to let all that she said sink in, before continuing* Some of the even wilder, darker and more morbid rumors claim that they would rape both men, women, and Pokemon alike, slaughter all resistance to their rule, and bring great evils and plagues upon our people, but I doubt that even Team Rocket is capable of such cruelty. No...they are a more insidious evil, corrupting, twisting, bending all that IS towards their own dire aims, in pursuit of whatever the higher ups wish to accomplish. Such is their nature.....always wanting, but never being sastified with whatever they gain. Like a monstrous Dragon with a greed that is endless and impossible to sate, possessing apathy at best for those lesser than itself and not a part of its horde, and cruel contempt in its most foul of moods....."

"*Pauses again to catch her breath, before sighing and then changing the topic altogether* I wouldn't claim that Blackthorn is ready to collapse in on itself either, my son. Things may have been.....uneasy since your Exile, but its only recently that things have....flared up. For the most part, Blackthorn had endured and recovered in the wake of your Exile besides our family's ostristration and how...tightly information was control concerning you, but the.....shocking events and the Elders decrees these past few weeks have revived that old blighted drama and memory of those ignoble days of our history. It has put the city into a heightened state of alert and apprehension as to what is to come, and I now fear that Clair doesn't make her return soon as you said, or more shocking events crop up like Weedle in our gardens.....the mood will turn outright paranoid and hostile to the outside world as the Dragon Clan prepares for preconceived disaster, invasion….or not. *Heavily sighs* Dark times are coming to Blackthorn, I feel, regardless of.....anything you do to attempt to fix things. "

Kaa-san hangs her head as she finishes describing things to you, and in that instant she looked several decades older as the stress and fear from EVERYTHING in the past years of your Exile has come back to haunt and torment her.

She then looks back at you, with a tired yet piercing stare, like an exhausted lioness that was still ready to pounce on her prey.

"Now, its your turn to explain yourself, Reiner Arendse."

...Well, this could end badly.

[Well, this certainly took me long enough to type and tweak until I was satisfied with it.]

"Pull up a chair.  You won't want to be standing.  And please don't interrupt me until I'm done."

Reiner gets a chair of his own.

"What they didn't tell you, partially because they're making assumptions based on old news, is that I'm in a position to bring Team Rocket to its knees if I do everything right.  I'm not going to mince words.  Yes, I'm a part of the organization.  They picked me up two years ago in Mahogany.  Frankly, while I technically do owe a lot to them, recent events have...opened my eyes, let's say.  You're not wrong about that description of the group.  I've been looking for a way out.  The problem with just leaving is...well, that'd put you and all of Blackthorn in peril.  No Gym Leader present, and they can practically just waltz right in, with or without my help.  And I'd have to run from both them and the Wild Hunt.  Not ideal.  I was approached by a member of the National Guard recently, though, and he gave me some additional things to consider.  That friend I met earlier this week...she was the first real hope I found that maybe I can prove the Elders wrong, approach this a different way.  Malcolm...was the first one who gave me a potential way out.  Clair gave me a potential solution."

He tiredly shakes his head.

"...things never seem to be that simple, though...M.R. messing up Clair has thrown a huge wrench into things...now I'm waiting for her to recover, and I don't even know if Malcolm's offer is still open, or if he's changed his mind due to a misunderstanding...I hope to the Dragon Gods that it's still an option, that he's still willing to work something out...I don't even want to touch this situation until Clair's up and about again or I have no other choice but to act...and there are others I need to make sure don't get caught in the aftermath of everything..."

...

"...I can stall things for maybe a week or so.  If I'm lucky, maybe a little more.  Hope Clair recovers by then.  Team Rocket won't act during that time.  After that...I need to get myself and Clair back into the City before Team Rocket gets there so we can prep everyone to fight back.  Or discreetly get the National Guard to help stop Team Rocket from getting in in the first place.  Or gather enough allies to attempt to crush the problem at its source before any unwanted trouble is caused...those are the three potential solutions I've had to look at and consider...oh, the irony...the only hope Blackthorn has of getting out of this mess I created rests on my shoulders..."

...passionate about this topic as he is, Reiner starts muttering to himself after saying all that.

"...bah...and to think this all started because of a Purple Dragon Scale and a yellow bird pokemon...if only she had shown up before the recruiter did...none of this would even be an issue if that had happened..."

[Lord Windos]

For the longest time, only the only response to you grand confession and future 'plans' from your kaa-san was silence. Deep, moody, fraught with tension silence. It seemed all the more oppressive as she stared at you from her seat, her face a blank, painfully expressionless mask as she contemplated everything you told her. At this time, you noticed you couldn't get a read on her emotions with you empathy as you tried to instinctually probed her mood for hints to her thought process, as if it just refused to work on her or in this strange dream realm you two resided in.


Her hands, though, folded in her lap and so tightly clenched together you could see the veins , were a tell tell sign of how furious she was.

After what felt like an eternity passed, your kaa-san finally reacted: by simply saying to you while staring deeply in your eyes: "I was afraid that was true, for joining up with that band of criminals seemed like the sort of short sighted trouble you'd often get up to. Only far, far worse. Reiner Arendse, I am extremely disappointed in you."

Those words, so rarily uttered in your like and only when you erred most egregiously with her, felt like burning vitriol had been dump straight onto an open wound, filling you with the deep sensations of shame and regret. Before you could get the chance to react/respond, however, her expression softened a tad as she let out a sigh, and continued: "However, despite you criminal behavior and immense foolishness my son, you are still my little dragon, and I love you with all my heart and soul. That will never change, no matter what you had, have, or will have done."


Your kaa-san then slumped forward in her seat, one hand already meeting her face as it craned down, avoiding directly looking at you while she massaged away a stress headache that threatened to build.

"I can understand why you allowed yourself to be conscripted into their ranks: they recognized and acknowledged your power and skills despite them being overlooked by The Dragon Clan, they provided you the necessities and a means to gain power and other resources, and a purpose, drive, and method to accomplish your own goals: to seek out and get revenge on the Elders that wrong you. (Depending on how you think Reiner would react to that analysis) Don't looked so/If you are surprised I know all that, my little dragon. Your my son, and I'd be a poor mother if I didn't know you like my dance routines and extensive knowledge of Eevees."

She paused for a moment to look back up at you in with tired, melancholic, and still quite disappointed eyes.

"What I don't understand is why you didn't seek help from elsewhere, my little dragon. There are many, many other opportunities or professions you could have taken instead of a life of crime, and someone of your background and training would have been a rare community that many nobler people would cease the chance to appropriate you. Even if you were too prideful-which I hope you were not, for I raised you better than that-, or feared the consequence of the trouble your Kingdra caused before you could fully tame her, you could have easily sought help from three different groups you knew very well would provide it: my fellow kimono girls back in Ecruteak City, Gym Leader Pyrce and his Acolytes, and your cousin Lance himself. "


"...My friends would have been more than willing to house and provide you the stability and support you needed to finish taming Kingdra and get back on your own feet, and Morty would have taken you in and furthered your skills as a trainer once my friends and I spoke on behalf and of your plight. More over, I....I could have even been able to keep in contact with you and visit easily, and perhaps have been able to relocate our branch entirely to live with you in Exile, and there would not be damned thing the Elders could do about it..."

...


"....Pryce, while's he's appropriately a cold and no-nonsense sort of man, would have never turned you away had you sought his aid and explained your situation, and could have helped train you himself and especially with that trouble making Sneasil that follows you around like a Growlithe looking for treats.  You would have turned out to be a fine trainer under his cool, diligent command, and, in my opinion, it would have been a rather clever way to spite the Elders by growing stronger from his Ice teachings than from your Dragon Clan heritage. The fact you lived in his town gave you plenty of opportunities to seek his aid, so I'm all the more baffled that you didn't, and don't tell me its because you hated Ice type Trainers. Not with your Sneasil, and how pragmatic you can be..."


...

".....Lance....you've never meet him yourself and has long since entered self imposed exile from the Dragon Clan, has not forgotten nor forsaken our familial bonds, and has a great sense of honor and justice within him. If you had sent word to him and explain what happened, he would have intervened effective immediately and done his best to make sure sort things out. The only reason I didn't do so myself was I didn't want the Elders to grow hostile for trying to circumvent their judgement and do something drastic- not with your father still bedridden and in critical condition-, and that Lance's intervention would, as you and I said, caused major consequences for everyone involved in that incident. Still, it was an option you could have utilized, and calling for his help is far much more preferable than Team Rocket."

After those series of long, exacting, and perfectly rational rants (which, btw, Reiner should have been aware those options were present to him back then, due to his backstory we made for him together!), your kaa-san shook her head in dismay and uncovered her face, looking at you with weariness, great sadness, and honest confusion as she simply asked you this:

"So why didn't you take one of those options? Why did you shun them all those good paths, and instead choose the hard, difficult, and vile lifestyle of degradation , crime, and villainy? Why, my little dragon?"

(I'll cut things off at this point, since this is such an obvious and excellent place/time for Reiner to react to all that his mom said, and it gives Yuuka the time to finish thinking over the other stuff and 'Plans' (Vague Outlines) that her son has come up with to help Blackthorn and calm down further. Hopefully, anyway.)

[Dragonstrike]

He opts to look at the floor.  "...as you said, I was afraid of the consequences.  Kingdra was still angry about what caused her to rage and destroy half of Blackthorn.  Still is, in fact.  We were waiting for the one person we knew without a doubt could help, knew wouldn't be afraid...two years, we waited.  Kingdra got in a scrap with a Fire Blast happy Gyarados at the Lake of Rage and almost took out a chunk of Mahogany in her anger while we waited.  Pryce and Ecruteak weren't options I wanted to risk, lest I lose even more than I already had because I couldn't control Kingdra...we only stayed in Mahogany because Pryce would have been the most likely to be able to handle Kingdra if she started Outraging...so we waited, stayed as hidden as we could to try and stay away from trouble that could set Kingdra off...been four years now, and I've not seen or heard anything from that person..."

...silence.