[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

Taking a slight detour from Elanor, some of you (definitely Shiva and Terra, and probably Nathan it sounds like?) come to a thick jungle of thorns in the middle of the wilderness. Flowers bloom on each thorny twig, and a mass of trumpetvines hangs down from one massive tree looming through the fog. Minicorn stirs excitedly in her egg at this sight.

The tree turns out to be a fig tree, several trunks descending from just one central canopy. A large grove is formed, with orchid flowers blooming in every crevice. There are sickle-shaped symbols on many of the trunks, grown from living wood (quite different from Scimitar symbols). You can all feel the Earthpower coursing up through your feet from the soil. While your feet sink two or three inches into the rich dirt, your footprints actually fade away as you advance. If your foot should happen to fall on a twig, the twig bursts into orchid flowers.

Some of the flowers twitch as you pass. You're hearing a lot of rustling noises. Vaporeon cloaks herself in Aqua Ring and Acid Armor. Gallade probably readies a Swords Dance or at least shifts into a defensive stance, just in case his instincts are a little misplaced.

Pulling aside one last set of trumpetvines, you now face a gigantic wedge-shaped mass of wriggling flowers. They unfold a little, peering at you with triangular pink eyes, then scurrying to the back waving tiny legs as the mound rears up. It spreads and crosses two gloriously pink scythes, so brightly colored that it hurts your eyes. New color is constantly rushing into this large being even as the outermost petals of its body fade to brown and fall to the ground, where they become rich soil in a matter of minutes.

The being's form is insect-like, similar to a Scyther/mantis, but in truth its nature is entirely a bloom. Every limb is decorated with golden jewelry and radiating health and power.

Cottonee, Cherrim, Breloom - their Pokeballs all split at the hinges, falling into two pieces. The released Pokemon bow to the primal being before them.
Gallade also plunges one blade into the ground and sinks to one knee. Solomon bows from the waist, and his gems and runes glow.

The massive Pokemon speaks! "Into my grove you have come. Now, be you friend or foe?"

(Erm......Mikey isn't with Terra right now, Iron. His default party for the trip was Shiranui, Lapis Lazuli, Angie, Dunny, Tommy, and Anubi. If you want them in his party, though, I can't easily just say he swapped Dunny out for them, since he was feeling very weak from his earlier efforts. )

For Terra, the very nature of the......well, nature of the secret grove is rather astonishing and breath taking for him, as he never encountered anything quite like it through his decade or so of exploration (or he's just forgotten about, for whatever reason). The palatable Earthpower coursing into his being made him feel strangely lively and twitchy, as if he had great deal of energy and the need to burn it all in an intense workout session or just fight fight fight. Altogether, it left him straddled between on edge and in awe, prompting him to summon Shiranui by his side as added protect and to share the experience with them, to which they react to much the same way as him .

Meeting the........vibrant flower mantis, and hearing them speak......well, the sagely monk only had one reaction to that:

"......Talking Pokemon.......?"

Unlike everyone else, he's never encountered one that could actually directly communicate with humans, so it was quite the novel and stupefying moment for the man!

The sight of everyone's Pokemon bowing to the strange Pokemon eventually causes him to look over at all of them in befuddled confusion. Why are they all doing that....? Is that......plant bug important, or something?

Then (If Mikey was with him), he looks at his shroombro's broken Ball and frowns, before he looks back to the Pink 'n Power Plant and frowns at them, and points to the remain.

"Broke partner's Pokeball. That is rude. Want to be reimbursed for that first. Then we can be friends."

.......Yes, he is upset about that, and no, he's not too cowed by the Primal Pokemon before him. He's gotten pummeled by MEW , communed with Deoxys, received a blessing from Jirachi, and fought other tough Pokemon in the past beyond those Legends , so a talking Pokemon radiating power doesn't Intimidate him much, no matter how weird it is. 

If Mikey is not with Terra: He just looks back over to it and stares at them in bewilderment, before saying in a questioning tone: ".......Yes?"

[Iron]

If Mikey is not with Terra: He just looks back over to it and stares at them in bewilderment, before saying in a questioning tone: ".......Yes?"

"You claim to be both friend and foe? You are either very foolish or very wise. Or perhaps I misunderstand. I have not spoken with humans in many years - but the grove seems to have led you here, something it seldom does. Oh, I see! You bear the Eggs of the Fire Guardian. That goes a long way toward explaining your presence here. You may all approach."

[Lord Windos]

"You claim to be both friend and foe? You are either very foolish or very wise. Or perhaps I misunderstand. I have not spoken with humans in many years - but the grove seems to have led you here, something it seldom does. Oh, I see! You bear the Eggs of the Fire Guardian. That goes a long way toward explaining your presence here. You may all approach."

If anything, the Pink 'n Powerful Plant's response left the mountain of a man even more confused, causing his features to scrunch up adorably as he continued to stare at them, before helplessly shrugging

"....Yes? Have no reason to be friend, but have no reason to be foe too. Only be a......stranger to you now. Anything more.....that is to be decided by us."

When it mentions the Eggs , though, that causes Terra to perk up in interest, and he doesn't hesitate to stride on forward  , getting as close to them as possible and cranes his neck up (such a rare thing, for him!) and looking at the plant bug with honest curiosity. Fearless he is not, but he has little reason to be Intimidated by it and has poor socialization skills, so up close and personal he goes!

"How you know about Eggs? Did Arcanine tell you? Can you just.....tell?"

[Iron]

"You claim to be both friend and foe? You are either very foolish or very wise. Or perhaps I misunderstand. I have not spoken with humans in many years - but the grove seems to have led you here, something it seldom does. Oh, I see! You bear the Eggs of the Fire Guardian. That goes a long way toward explaining your presence here. You may all approach."

If anything, the Pink 'n Powerful Plant's response left the mountain of a man even more confused, causing his features to scrunch up adorably as he continued to stare at them, before helplessly shrugging

"....Yes? Have no reason to be friend, but have no reason to be foe too. Only be a......stranger to you now. Anything more.....that is to be decided by us."

When it mentions the Eggs , though, that causes Terra to perk up in interest, and he doesn't hesitate to stride on forward  , getting as close to them as possible and cranes his neck up (such a rare thing, for him!) and looking at the plant bug with honest curiosity. Fearless he is not, but he has little reason to be Intimidated by it and has poor socialization skills, so up close and personal he goes!

"How you know about Eggs? Did Arcanine tell you? Can you just.....tell?"

The big one doesn't seem worried by your presence, but all the little mantids on its back crowd forward to stare at you. 

"We talked, on occasion, through the millennia. The scent of Earthpower is strong upon them, for they have been incubated in his fiery presence. He is a good judge of character... perhaps a better judge than myself, for I deal in diversity of community, in balance, rather than in preservation of individual species. While the men of Elanor keep to their little town, I have no concern for this meadow."

[Spiritmon]

Spoiler

Taking a slight detour from Elanor, some of you (definitely Shiva and Terra, and probably Nathan it sounds like?) come to a thick jungle of thorns in the middle of the wilderness. Flowers bloom on each thorny twig, and a mass of trumpetvines hangs down from one massive tree looming through the fog. Minicorn stirs excitedly in her egg at this sight.

The tree turns out to be a fig tree, several trunks descending from just one central canopy. A large grove is formed, with orchid flowers blooming in every crevice. There are sickle-shaped symbols on many of the trunks, grown from living wood (quite different from Scimitar symbols). You can all feel the Earthpower coursing up through your feet from the soil. While your feet sink two or three inches into the rich dirt, your footprints actually fade away as you advance. If your foot should happen to fall on a twig, the twig bursts into orchid flowers.

Some of the flowers twitch as you pass. You're hearing a lot of rustling noises. Vaporeon cloaks herself in Aqua Ring and Acid Armor. Gallade probably readies a Swords Dance or at least shifts into a defensive stance, just in case his instincts are a little misplaced.

Pulling aside one last set of trumpetvines, you now face a gigantic wedge-shaped mass of wriggling flowers. They unfold a little, peering at you with triangular pink eyes, then scurrying to the back waving tiny legs as the mound rears up. It spreads and crosses two gloriously pink scythes, so brightly colored that it hurts your eyes. New color is constantly rushing into this large being even as the outermost petals of its body fade to brown and fall to the ground, where they become rich soil in a matter of minutes.

The being's form is insect-like, similar to a Scyther/mantis, but in truth its nature is entirely a bloom. Every limb is decorated with golden jewelry and radiating health and power.

Cottonee, Cherrim - their Pokeballs all split at the hinges, falling into two pieces. The released Pokemon bow to the primal being before them.
Gallade also plunges one blade into the ground and sinks to one knee. Solomon bows from the waist, and his gems and runes glow.

The massive Pokemon speaks! "Into my grove you have come. Now, be you friend or foe?"

"You claim to be both friend and foe? You are either very foolish or very wise. Or perhaps I misunderstand. I have not spoken with humans in many years - but the grove seems to have led you here, something it seldom does. Oh, I see! You bear the Eggs of the Fire Guardian. That goes a long way toward explaining your presence here. You may all approach."

If anything, the Pink 'n Powerful Plant's response left the mountain of a man even more confused, causing his features to scrunch up adorably as he continued to stare at them, before helplessly shrugging

"....Yes? Have no reason to be friend, but have no reason to be foe too. Only be a......stranger to you now. Anything more.....that is to be decided by us."

When it mentions the Eggs , though, that causes Terra to perk up in interest, and he doesn't hesitate to stride on forward  , getting as close to them as possible and cranes his neck up (such a rare thing, for him!) and looking at the plant bug with honest curiosity. Fearless he is not, but he has little reason to be Intimidated by it and has poor socialization skills, so up close and personal he goes!

"How you know about Eggs? Did Arcanine tell you? Can you just.....tell?"

The big one doesn't seem worried by your presence, but all the little mantids on its back crowd forward to stare at you. 

"We talked, on occasion, through the millennia. The scent of Earthpower is strong upon them, for they have been incubated in his fiery presence. He is a good judge of character... perhaps a better judge than myself, for I deal in diversity of community, in balance, rather than in preservation of individual species. While the men of Elanor keep to their little town, I have no concern for this meadow."

To be blunt, Heart was speechless. He stared for a few seconds the strange Mantis, with mantids circling around he. For a while Heart let the others talk, but after some time he spoke too. "Well, we are not foes. Just passengers. We mean no harm indeed. But breaking my friends Pokeballs its very rude to be honest and with that I must agreed with my friend."

Heart its someway...intimidated by that primal pokemon, but after seeing Legendary Pokemon from place to place you begin to get used to it. Not to mentioned he is the guardian of the egg of a legendary himself!

"And yes great Mantis. We are the guardians of the Eggs Arcanine gave to us. I myself am the guardian of Moltres Egg myself." To prove this, Heart grab the Incubator with the Moltres Egg inside and show. "You can be sure we not mean no harm. But...who or "what" are you? Even now I felt a enormous flux of Earthpower within you...are you a Primal Pokemon like Primal Altaria?"

[Mikaruge108]

When he meet the other, Heart approach Spira/@Mika and talk with him. "So, I heard you begin to get more used and better in battling. How about when we get in our destination you and I get some battle? I want to see the skills of someone who train under the wing of a Gym Leader."

"I am by no means an expert at battling, but I get the feeling that we could both gain something from this friendly battle, so I accept."
(I'll shoot Iron a PM concerning Spira's first choice shortly)

[Mikaruge108]

(woot 666 posts)
Concerning the grass-bug:
With enough earthpower here that his head starts throbbing, he places his hand on a nearby tree to steady himself then addresses the bug-like bloom; "You seem to be another guardian, much like the Arcanine, you can consider me a friend, but I would ask one thing; What are you called?"
-Edit- welp, one question answered.

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

Shiva's very very veeeery excited as she runs into the direction of that presence she and young Minicorn sense, she's practically flying all along and encourages her Pokemon to keep up with her. Not even the thorny twigs or rustling noises are an obstacle for her, but just in case she presses the pink egg of the unicorn closer to her chest. How cute that it reacts to this...tree!!

Upon having arrived at that grove, she practically feels like having entered a different world, everything here is so full of life and mystical beings and plants that she's having a hard time to decide where to look first - but her calm body language and eyes full of these telling sparkles speak that she's feeling very comfortable here, the air is incredibly fresh and there are no words that describe well enough how BEAUTIFUL these orchids are. She can't help but to touch one and chuckle delightfully as it twitches, awww!~


How both Cottonee's and Nightshade's Balls automatically break doesn't seem to bother her all that much even, and she immediately falls onto her knees to grant a very respectful bow towards the mantis-like guardian of this intriguing place. Now that she's close - is it more the tree or this Special Pokemon that radiates this strong presence that caught her attention? And how comes this place it not mentioned in her Guidebook, huh? But, this IS the place in between Route 14 and the Sunstone Mines that silently called for her, is it...?

While the others are already introducing themselves, the natural fae enthusiast is quick to collect all broken Pokeball halves in order to not 'decorate' this precious place with waste. Cottonee is helping with enthusiasm and is completely unafraid, even if her Ball broke she will never ever leave Shiva's side. Nightshade however is a bit distraught and holds the halves of her broken Friend Ball up to Shiva with a pleading and worried expression. She immediately understands. "Ah, it's fine, dear one - I can repair that for you, promise. This Ball is made by me, so certainly I'll be able to fix it....somehow, haha."

As Terra and Heart gives hilself not very happy about the broken Pokeballs, Shiva feels like chipping in to clarify the matters: "Nononono, please don't be upset about some of our Pokemon being released by Them! They have reasons to do so for sure. And I can fix those Balls, so pleeeeaaaaseee don't!" >o<; Her voice is calm, but it's visible that she fears that they have enraged this Guardian Pokemon.

Doesn't looks like they have, phew.


Soon Shiva carefully adresses the grassy Mantis full of color and jewelery, her voice is awed and quiet and she slowly comes closer to Them. "Hello, precious and vivid guardian of this grove... Thank you for letting us approach. Shiva is what they call me, Pokemon of the fairy and plant nature are my speciality, Mother Nature herself is my companion, I am definately approaching as a friend to you. Allow me to express how beautiful and vivid this place is, I'm very grateful to be welcome here in this glorious grove..." She bows once more to Them.

"Please let me explain. Something, I was innocent what, has quietly tickled my senses as me and the others were on the way to Elanor. It was like...like something called for me, I might have imaginated but now I know that I didn't. Eggs of Noble Arcanine some of us do bear, in fact the precious and soft fae unicorn longed for you and this place - how could I not grant it its wish." All softly, Shiva places both the Minicorn and Flabebe Egg in front of herself into the grass, they're now between herself and the Guardian Mantis. "...They seem happy to dwell here, look." She smiles fondly towards both young Pokemon within the Eggs. Please tell me, is this what it looks to me like it is - Xerneas? ...The mystical and precious Tree of Life?"

[Iron]

Spoiler

Taking a slight detour from Elanor, some of you (definitely Shiva and Terra, and probably Nathan it sounds like?) come to a thick jungle of thorns in the middle of the wilderness. Flowers bloom on each thorny twig, and a mass of trumpetvines hangs down from one massive tree looming through the fog. Minicorn stirs excitedly in her egg at this sight.

The tree turns out to be a fig tree, several trunks descending from just one central canopy. A large grove is formed, with orchid flowers blooming in every crevice. There are sickle-shaped symbols on many of the trunks, grown from living wood (quite different from Scimitar symbols). You can all feel the Earthpower coursing up through your feet from the soil. While your feet sink two or three inches into the rich dirt, your footprints actually fade away as you advance. If your foot should happen to fall on a twig, the twig bursts into orchid flowers.

Some of the flowers twitch as you pass. You're hearing a lot of rustling noises. Vaporeon cloaks herself in Aqua Ring and Acid Armor. Gallade probably readies a Swords Dance or at least shifts into a defensive stance, just in case his instincts are a little misplaced.

Pulling aside one last set of trumpetvines, you now face a gigantic wedge-shaped mass of wriggling flowers. They unfold a little, peering at you with triangular pink eyes, then scurrying to the back waving tiny legs as the mound rears up. It spreads and crosses two gloriously pink scythes, so brightly colored that it hurts your eyes. New color is constantly rushing into this large being even as the outermost petals of its body fade to brown and fall to the ground, where they become rich soil in a matter of minutes.

The being's form is insect-like, similar to a Scyther/mantis, but in truth its nature is entirely a bloom. Every limb is decorated with golden jewelry and radiating health and power.

Cottonee, Cherrim - their Pokeballs all split at the hinges, falling into two pieces. The released Pokemon bow to the primal being before them.
Gallade also plunges one blade into the ground and sinks to one knee. Solomon bows from the waist, and his gems and runes glow.

The massive Pokemon speaks! "Into my grove you have come. Now, be you friend or foe?"

"You claim to be both friend and foe? You are either very foolish or very wise. Or perhaps I misunderstand. I have not spoken with humans in many years - but the grove seems to have led you here, something it seldom does. Oh, I see! You bear the Eggs of the Fire Guardian. That goes a long way toward explaining your presence here. You may all approach."

If anything, the Pink 'n Powerful Plant's response left the mountain of a man even more confused, causing his features to scrunch up adorably as he continued to stare at them, before helplessly shrugging

"....Yes? Have no reason to be friend, but have no reason to be foe too. Only be a......stranger to you now. Anything more.....that is to be decided by us."

When it mentions the Eggs , though, that causes Terra to perk up in interest, and he doesn't hesitate to stride on forward  , getting as close to them as possible and cranes his neck up (such a rare thing, for him!) and looking at the plant bug with honest curiosity. Fearless he is not, but he has little reason to be Intimidated by it and has poor socialization skills, so up close and personal he goes!

"How you know about Eggs? Did Arcanine tell you? Can you just.....tell?"

The big one doesn't seem worried by your presence, but all the little mantids on its back crowd forward to stare at you. 

"We talked, on occasion, through the millennia. The scent of Earthpower is strong upon them, for they have been incubated in his fiery presence. He is a good judge of character... perhaps a better judge than myself, for I deal in diversity of community, in balance, rather than in preservation of individual species. While the men of Elanor keep to their little town, I have no concern for this meadow."

To be blunt, Heart was speechless. He stared for a few seconds the strange Mantis, with mantids circling around he. For a while Heart let the others talk, but after some time he spoke too. "Well, we are not foes. Just passengers. We mean no harm indeed. But breaking my friends Pokeballs its very rude to be honest and with that I must agreed with my friend."

Heart its someway...intimidated by that primal pokemon, but after seeing Legendary Pokemon from place to place you begin to get used to it. Not to mentioned he is the guardian of the egg of a legendary himself!

"And yes great Mantis. We are the guardians of the Eggs Arcanine gave to us. I myself am the guardian of Moltres Egg myself." To prove this, Heart grab the Incubator with the Moltres Egg inside and show. "You can be sure we not mean no harm. But...who or "what" are you? Even now I felt a enormous flux of Earthpower within you...are you a Primal Pokemon like Primal Altaria?"

"It is not my doing. No mortal's craft can contain the Earthpower swelling within Grass Pokemon within my presence. They feel the growth that is fundamental to my nature. The quintessence of Life..."

(Remember Moltres Egg doesn't go in an Incubator. It can take care of itself.)

"You bear the most significant Cradle ever to fall into Arcanine's care. Long has it been lost. One day it will rise again in a burst of fiery glory. How you treat it could determine the fate of Man, or wipe clean in fire the diversity of an entire forest."

"Some have called me a Primal Lurantis, some have called me a Totem Lurantis. These are my children, Fomantis in the Common tongue. Together we defend the wilderness of growing things. I do not safeguard Eggs or even species, but the entire rooted web of a region's community. Each strikes a delicate balance, grown over thousands of years to a point of stability."

[Iron]

"Please let me explain. Something, I was innocent what, has quietly tickled my senses as me and the others were on the way to Elanor. It was like...like something called for me, I might have imaginated but now I know that I didn't. Eggs of Noble Arcanine some of us do bear, in fact the precious and soft fae unicorn longed for you and this place - how could I not grant it its wish." All softly, Shiva places both the Minicorn and Flabebe Egg in front of herself into the grass, they're now between herself and the Guardian Mantis. "...They seem happy to dwell here, look." She smiles fondly towards both young Pokemon within the Eggs. Please tell me, is this what it looks to me like it is - Xerneas? ...The mystical and precious Tree of Life?"

"Our blessings are similar, but I hold only the merest fraction of Xerneas' power. Likewise, this tree is a mere tree, infused with some of my own blessing. It is called the Dragon Fig, and it is indeed a single organism. If your Egg wishes to stay here when it hatches, I will welcome it, for it does not contain a threat to our community. Indeed, Minicorn is an elusive and careful herbivore."

These two Eggs will hatch soon. You'll need to introduce them to this place and give them a sense of it as home, to fulfill your promise to Arcanine, but it would be OK if you bring them along on your journey until they reach maturity. Then they need to return here.