[Game Thread] Pokerole: Mount Coronet Mystery

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

Milotic looks at Kee curiously, and politely declines the offer of more snacks.  Oh, the Spear Pillar?  My my, that's quite the destination to be visiting.  I imagine you'll need that food more than I do.  It's a long journey to the top of the mountain, after all.

Oh, in that case Kee's going to share the handful of berries between Octavia and himself, right away even so. *nomnomnom*

Milotic turns to look at the sparkly items in the water when Kee brings them up.  Oh, those?  Just a few bits and bobs that I've collected here and there.  I can't say where they came from originally, or what they might all be for, but there's an interesting assortment of items down there.  I'm a bit of a collector, see, and travelers often drop things when passing through.  It helps to pass the time, and I quite like watching it sparkle in the light whenever the sun passes overhead.

Interpreting Kee's widening smile, yes he totally and wholly means that those sparkly Items down there. "Oh well, those careless 'n mean Trainers just leaving stuff b'hind, perhaps none has thaught 'em to take your trash with ya 'gain?~ *defininitely no attempt to sweet-talk this Milotic* Nah, let's not get in a bad mood over that. Moar importently... Since ya're a dear collector, guess we can arrange a fine deal 'n trade, now can we?~ I guess I....do have somethin' that could be up yar alley...~"

He rummages a bit in his stuff, then pulls out the used TMs of Energy Ball and Sludge Waves as well as that Dawn Stone he got yesterday night and shows both to Milotic. "Do tell please, d'ya have some of such colored disks layin' down there? There are a lot of these in every color of tha rainbow, 'n they're quite valuable for people like me... I'd trade some of those for this precious and special stone, just look how nicely it SPARKLES!~" He lets some of the sunlight in this room fall on the Dawn Stone on purpose to let it shine and sparkle in the most beautiful way possible.

(...) Towards Milotic last answer, Kogeki take a few minutes to think about that little information. It is not what he is was expecting to find...but it is a lead...When he takes out his eyes from his medidation minute, he look to Kee and Karen.
"Kee. Karen. Do you two have questions to Milotic? I...want to ask a few last questions...but in private this time. If it is okay for you two. I understand if you two refuse but...its...important..." Kogeki doesnt exactly how to explain or talk with the duo, but this kinda very important.
Depending of Kee and Karen answers, Kogeki might want to have a private conversation with Milotic (via PM with the DM permission). Its not like he doesnt trust Kee and Karen. Its just...a personal and private information he must found and confirm first. He been searching for any clue in his life. And now, he might have found something who can guide towards it.

Kee just goes ┐(︶▽︶)┌ when the semi-cyborg ninja requests a small private conversation with this beautiful Milotic, seemingly having nothing against it. "Me, questions? Nope. Me, interested in loot? Yes. Well, if wanna ask this nice lady of a Milotic somethin' ya don't wish to share that's fine 'n okay, 's long as ya're not going to take too long~ ...AND do nothin' gross or weird, NOR anythin' that could break that bit of trust I've got in ya any further. Honestly, don't do that." His gaze at Kogeki becomes a stern and unimpressed one for short before it turns into a nonchalant and calm one again.

Then he looks over to Karen, giving her a just as nonchalant and warm smile. "C'mon, how 'bout we head up the stairs 'n see what may be up this plateau in tha meantime? Even if there'll be nothin' to find, the view from up there will certainly be nice."

This is the plateau Kee means:
   

[Spiritmon]

Spoiler

(...) Towards Milotic last answer, Kogeki take a few minutes to think about that little information. It is not what he is was expecting to find...but it is a lead...When he takes out his eyes from his medidation minute, he look to Kee and Karen.
"Kee. Karen. Do you two have questions to Milotic? I...want to ask a few last questions...but in private this time. If it is okay for you two. I understand if you two refuse but...its...important..." Kogeki doesnt exactly how to explain or talk with the duo, but this kinda very important.
Depending of Kee and Karen answers, Kogeki might want to have a private conversation with Milotic (via PM with the DM permission). Its not like he doesnt trust Kee and Karen. Its just...a personal and private information he must found and confirm first. He been searching for any clue in his life. And now, he might have found something who can guide towards it.

Kee just goes ┐(︶▽︶)┌ when the semi-cyborg ninja requests a small private conversation with this beautiful Milotic, seemingly having nothing against it. "Me, questions? Nope. Me, interested in loot? Yes. Well, if wanna ask this nice lady of a Milotic somethin' ya don't wish to share that's fine 'n okay, 's long as ya're not going to take too long~ ...AND do nothin' gross or weird, NOR anythin' that could break that bit of trust I've got in ya any further. Honestly, don't do that." His gaze at Kogeki becomes a stern and unimpressed one for short before it turns into a nonchalant and calm one again.

Then he looks over to Karen, giving her a just as nonchalant and warm smile. "C'mon, how 'bout we head up the stairs 'n see what may be up this plateau in tha meantime? Even if there'll be nothin' to find, the view from up there will certainly be nice."

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

Speaking of winning the battle, I owe you some exp!  Espeon, Selkid, and Diam all get 5 exp, and Randolph gets 8 plus an additional 2 for even more Heroism.  Selkid also gets +1 Happiness and Loyalty because she's finally found some companions that can help her defend herself from these massively dangerous pokemon.  She's definitely feeling a little overwhelmed by the sheer amount of ecstasy, though.  Hopefully it's not like this all the time...

Lucas does a double take after one of Randolph's comments.  "Hang on, wait, run that by me again.  That lady saw that weird aura too?  I only saw it whenever it used those weird moves.  I caught mine, but...I can't figure out what the hell it was using.  None of the moves it knows seem to match up with those weird, shadowy ones."
(...)

(Sweet! I was wondering about that, and I'm glad everyone got a great big chuck of it! With it, I'll be spending 20 XP now to increase Diam's Special to 3, as a surprising amount of her Moves rely on that Attribute as it's Root Accuracy!)

The young champion surprise with his remark does manage to knock  a bit of sense back into Ran, as he blinks a bit at their tone and question before answering back.

"Yeap, she did. I needed to use my girl Diam's Foresight to constantly see it, but it seemed like the lass could view that dark aura all the time. Huh....maybe she has an Ability similar to Sally's about this? Speaking of which, what did she think of....that. *Grimaces* We know it was wrong, but we don't need an aura expert to tell us that."

All this talk about the pitch black aura that previously consumed the Gyarados is enough to dispel his overwhelming joy of his miraculous victory, causing him to remember himself and look down at the two girls in his arms before quickly placing them back on the ground, looking somewhat chagrined by his previous attitude.

"Err....sorry about that, Diam, and little siren. *Looks at Diam* I know you  probably don't care it *Mumbles* except how much it embarrassed me..."

The wee anklebitter's rejoinding cackle all but confirmed that, earning her a sour look from him before he resumed speaking, turning to the sea sprite this time and now looking apologetic.

"...But my behavior was likely a tad to much for ya. Sorry about that. Won't be happening too much if I control myself like the grown adult that I am *Huffs* ...so ya don't have to worry about constantly getting treated like stuffed Teddiursa."

The dwarven craftsman then gave the darling singer an appraising look, rubbing his beard thoughtfully and smiling a bit too.

"Been thinking about what your name should be, and I think I got it: Paula. Typically the name means "small', but it can also be consider feminine take of Apollo's name, God of Light, Poetry, Song, and The Arts. What do you think about it?"

Given that Ran isn't an expert on Pokemon like Lucas would be, he'd be slightly confused about why they're making such a big deal about the Gyarados knowing A.J. and Screech.

"Those Move not commonly known to their species? Don't see why what you're so worked up about that. Pokemon can learn all sorts of unusual Moves outside their normal repitiore, given the right circumstance. *Look becomes grave* Or wrong, as I'd bet a $1000 Poke that  black aura is somehow responsible for that. If I had to take an educated guess, maybe Aqua Jet and Screech ended up replacing whatever those....Shadow Moves were when we beat that darkness out of them. Least, that's my take on it...."

He doesn't have much to say during the boy hero's polite questioning until after they finish speaking (Nodding when his name was brought up and he was properly introduced) and he notices how familiar the O.H.W. was with the Espeon, turning towards the pink 'n purple kitty cat and giving them a questioning look.

"You know the lass' name, Espeon?If ya do, can ya tell it to us somehow?"

If they do know but can't communicate it, he'd give Lucas a meaningful look that they would hopefully interpret as 'Looks like a job for Sally.' 

If Espeon doesn't know it (or refuses to share it for reasons), Ran has another idea that might potentially work in jogging her memory, and shares it with everyone in his mini-group.

"Got a Mawile that knows Baton Pass - as ya already know, Lucas - but he also knows Snatch, which ultimately means he pass along almost any buff imaginable if you give him the chance. With that in mind, does any of your Pokemon know any Buffing Moves that improve or Strength the mind in some way? I got a Diam's Calm Mind and my Chatot's Nasty Plot that could potentially help jog her memory, but what about your Pokemon Lucas and your Moves, Scizors and Espeon?"

Later on (and regardless of anything else happening), the bristly blacksmith has a rather important question for the mysterious woman

"Lass....do you have any other Pokemon on ya besides that Espeon of yours? Or what I assume to be, anyway, judging by how friendly and protective it is towards ya. If ya don't, we'll have to sort that out. That kitty is damn clever and powerful, but one partner doesn't make a whole team, and the kind of insane quest we're on, everyone needs all the help they can get to just survive"

[Dragonstrike]

Interpreting Kee's widening smile, yes he totally and wholly means that those sparkly Items down there. "Oh well, those careless 'n mean Trainers just leaving stuff b'hind, perhaps none has thaught 'em to take your trash with ya 'gain?~ *defininitely no attempt to sweet-talk this Milotic* Nah, let's not get in a bad mood over that. Moar importently... Since ya're a dear collector, guess we can arrange a fine deal 'n trade, now can we?~ I guess I....do have somethin' that could be up yar alley...~"

He rummages a bit in his stuff, then pulls out the used TMs of Energy Ball and Sludge Waves as well as that Dawn Stone he got yesterday night and shows both to Milotic. "Do tell please, d'ya have some of such colored disks layin' down there? There are a lot of these in every color of tha rainbow, 'n they're quite valuable for people like me... I'd trade some of those for this precious and special stone, just look how nicely it SPARKLES!~" He lets some of the sunlight in this room fall on the Dawn Stone on purpose to let it shine and sparkle in the most beautiful way possible.

Milotic leans down to examine the Dawn Stone and the TMs more closely.  She definitely seems to be interested.

Yes, I do believe I might have something like those discs down there.  Blue ones, green ones, red ones, purple ones, yellow ones, rainbow ones...those rainbow ones in particular are very pretty.  I have more besides those I listed, of course.  Just a few examples.

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

(Sweet! I was wondering about that, and I'm glad everyone got a great big chuck of it! With it, I'll be spending 20 XP now to increase Diam's Special to 3, as a surprising amount of her Moves rely on that Attribute as it's Root Accuracy!)

The young champion surprise with his remark does manage to knock  a bit of sense back into Ran, as he blinks a bit at their tone and question before answering back.

"Yeap, she did. I needed to use my girl Diam's Foresight to constantly see it, but it seemed like the lass could view that dark aura all the time. Huh....maybe she has an Ability similar to Sally's about this? Speaking of which, what did she think of....that. *Grimaces* We know it was wrong, but we don't need an aura expert to tell us that."

All this talk about the pitch black aura that previously consumed the Gyarados is enough to dispel his overwhelming joy of his miraculous victory, causing him to remember himself and look down at the two girls in his arms before quickly placing them back on the ground, looking somewhat chagrined by his previous attitude.

"Err....sorry about that, Diam, and little siren. *Looks at Diam* I know you  probably don't care it *Mumbles* except how much it embarrassed me..."

The wee anklebitter's rejoinding cackle all but confirmed that, earning her a sour look from him before he resumed speaking, turning to the sea sprite this time and now looking apologetic.

"...But my behavior was likely a tad to much for ya. Sorry about that. Won't be happening too much if I control myself like the grown adult that I am *Huffs* ...so ya don't have to worry about constantly getting treated like stuffed Teddiursa."

The dwarven craftsman then gave the darling singer an appraising look, rubbing his beard thoughtfully and smiling a bit too.

"Been thinking about what your name should be, and I think I got it: Paula. Typically the name means "small', but it can also be consider feminine take of Apollo's name, God of Light, Poetry, Song, and The Arts. What do you think about it?"

Given that Ran isn't an expert on Pokemon like Lucas would be, he'd be slightly confused about why they're making such a big deal about the Gyarados knowing A.J. and Screech.

"Those Move not commonly known to their species? Don't see why what you're so worked up about that. Pokemon can learn all sorts of unusual Moves outside their normal repitiore, given the right circumstance. *Look becomes grave* Or wrong, as I'd bet a $1000 Poke that  black aura is somehow responsible for that. If I had to take an educated guess, maybe Aqua Jet and Screech ended up replacing whatever those....Shadow Moves were when we beat that darkness out of them. Least, that's my take on it...."

He doesn't have much to say during the boy hero's polite questioning until after they finish speaking (Nodding when his name was brought up and he was properly introduced) and he notices how familiar the O.H.W. was with the Espeon, turning towards the pink 'n purple kitty cat and giving them a questioning look.

"You know the lass' name, Espeon?If ya do, can ya tell it to us somehow?"

If they do know but can't communicate it, he'd give Lucas a meaningful look that they would hopefully interpret as 'Looks like a job for Sally.' 

If Espeon doesn't know it (or refuses to share it for reasons), Ran has another idea that might potentially work in jogging her memory, and shares it with everyone in his mini-group.

"Got a Mawile that knows Baton Pass - as ya already know, Lucas - but he also knows Snatch, which ultimately means he pass along almost any buff imaginable if you give him the chance. With that in mind, does any of your Pokemon know any Buffing Moves that improve or Strength the mind in some way? I got a Diam's Calm Mind and my Chatot's Nasty Plot that could potentially help jog her memory, but what about your Pokemon Lucas and your Moves, Scizors and Espeon?"

Later on (and regardless of anything else happening), the bristly blacksmith has a rather important question for the mysterious woman

"Lass....do you have any other Pokemon on ya besides that Espeon of yours? Or what I assume to be, anyway, judging by how friendly and protective it is towards ya. If ya don't, we'll have to sort that out. That kitty is damn clever and powerful, but one partner doesn't make a whole team, and the kind of insane quest we're on, everyone needs all the help they can get to just survive"

Aura Stuff: "Sally didn't like it.  At all.  I had to recall her before she got into a fight she wasn't properly equipped to handle."

Move stuff: "In my experience, pokemon with moves they can't normally learn, such as Screech and Aqua Jet in this case, will tend to use them.  That's why I'm so confused about all of this.  Maybe they're linked to those...shadow moves...but I still can't say for certain..."

-------------------------

The smol siren seems to like the sound of the nickname!  She starts singing a beautiful sounding tune, likely involving the name in some way even though Randolph can't really understand the lyrics.

-------------------------

"A Calm Mind would probably help a little, yeah.  Ya know that move and Baton Pass, Espeon?"  Espeon shakes its head.  That's a negative.  It would have tried that already if it did.  "Well, I guess we gotta try using Snatch after all if we're gonna do that."

After a little bit of buff shuffling and passing, the redhead is trying her best to remember something, anything, again.  It's a slow process.

When Espeon is asked if they now their charge's name, they immediately nod.  However, they can't speak, so Lucas does indeed have to summon Sally.  The Lucario and Espeon go off to the side to talk while Randolph continues asking questions.

"...pokemon?  Ummm...let me check..."  The stranger rummages around in her pockets for a bit before eventually frowning.  "...I...guess I don't...oh, but I do remember something!"  She smiles at that thought, but then it quickly turns into a frown again once she realizes what that thought means.  "Espeon...they aren't my pokemon.  So...I guess that means that I don't have any..."

It's at this point that Sally and Espeon finish their conversation.  Espeon sits by the woman, while Sally goes and stands next to Lucas with crossed arms.  She keeps it brief.  Espeon says the woman's name is Rui.  His trainer goes by the name Wes, and they hunt what they call Shadow Pokemon.  Apparently, Rui has some minor psychic abilities, and that's how she can see those auras.

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

Aura Stuff: "Sally didn't like it.  At all.  I had to recall her before she got into a fight she wasn't properly equipped to handle."

Move stuff: "In my experience, pokemon with moves they can't normally learn, such as Screech and Aqua Jet in this case, will tend to use them.  That's why I'm so confused about all of this.  Maybe they're linked to those...shadow moves...but I still can't say for certain..."

-------------------------

The smol siren seems to like the sound of the nickname!  She starts singing a beautiful sounding tune, likely involving the name in some way even though Randolph can't really understand the lyrics.

-------------------------

"A Calm Mind would probably help a little, yeah.  Ya know that move and Baton Pass, Espeon?"  Espeon shakes its head.  That's a negative.  It would have tried that already if it did.  "Well, I guess we gotta try using Snatch after all if we're gonna do that."

After a little bit of buff shuffling and passing, the redhead is trying her best to remember something, anything, again.  It's a slow process.

When Espeon is asked if they now their charge's name, they immediately nod.  However, they can't speak, so Lucas does indeed have to summon Sally.  The Lucario and Espeon go off to the side to talk while Randolph continues asking questions.

"...pokemon?  Ummm...let me check..."  The stranger rummages around in her pockets for a bit before eventually frowning.  "...I...guess I don't...oh, but I do remember something!"  She smiles at that thought, but then it quickly turns into a frown again once she realizes what that thought means.  "Espeon...they aren't my pokemon.  So...I guess that means that I don't any..."

It's at this point that Sally and Espeon finish their conversation.  Espeon sits by the woman, while Sally goes and stands next to Lucas with crossed arms.  She keeps it brief.  Espeon says the woman's name is Rui.  His trainer goes by the name Wes, and they hunt what they call Shadow Pokemon.  Apparently, Rui has some minor psychic abilities, and that's how she can see those auras.

"*Tsks* Figured she'd have an adverse reaction to it, but not to the point of threatening to going off the leash to get at them Gyarados. That could be a problem if we face more Pokemon like them - which considering our luck, we probably will or face worse threats of similar caliber - but you can probably coach her reaction to it now that you're aware, right?"

(...)

"Huh....now that you mention it, that sounds about right from my experience. *Sighs* Well, however them Gyarados learnt those Moves, be it from us expelling their darkness of not, they know'm now, so no point in fretting over it for much longer 'till we get more information about the mechanics behind it."

---

"*Smiles* Hehe, glad ya like your name, Paula. *Looks Thoughtful* You know, we have a professional musician in our merry band of adventurers, so if you want to refine your talent we can see if he can give a few pointers. He also has a Primarina that's a singer like yourself, but she's a real snooty elitist sort of Pokemon that takes competition poorly, so I don't know how much help she'll be. On my end I got a Chatot named Beethoven that has learnt plenty of songs, diddies, rhymes, and a bunch of other lyrical nonsense and he's rather friendly too, so if you wanting for more material to work with he'll be happy to work with ya."

---

If Scizors has Silver Wind, they could've also spammed it until they gained a + 1 Insight Boost from it to be Passed along to the reverse WHO , but I suppose that probably doesn't matter anymore.

Upon learning she indeed doesn't have any Pokemon to call her own, the scuffy smith couldn't help but pinch the bridge of his nose in vexation and heave a unhappy *Sigh....*

"I had a feeling you might say that. Blast Burn it all into ashes and soot.... *Sighs* Well, it can't be helped. I'll lend ya a couple of my Pokemon, until we can help you catch some for yourself. It'll cut into my avaliable stock, but I'll be damn and burned at the stack if I'm going to let you travel with us without some form of protection."

If she doesn't object (Or Lucas doesn't step in to help out here / lend some Pokemon of his own), Ran will hand over Brigid and Beethoven for her to use for the time being, leaving him with Diam, Paula, Stymph, and Borreal as his active Party for the time being. Make no mistake, he loathes have to loan his own partners out, but he can't in good conscious leave the ginger lass bereft of critically needed support. And between that Espeon, Brigid, and Beethoven, the lass will be very well cared for indeed!

When Sally returns and shares what she learnt from the empathetic guardian, that raises more than a few alarms and questions in his head.

"So ya name's Rui?  Hmm.... (Has he heard of that name before from any importnat peole? He's fairly well read, and tries to constantly keep up with events as they happen in the world, so if she's important....) "

"...So that's what those Gyarados were. Judging by the name and their behavior, they're not exactly the nicest sort of critter I guess. Anything else you know about them, Espeon? And do you think your Trainer Wess got transported here along with ya and Rui?"

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

"*Tsks* Figured she'd have an adverse reaction to it, but not to the point of threatening to going off the leash to get at them Gyarados. That could be a problem if we face more Pokemon like them - which considering our luck, we probably will or face worse threats of similar caliber - but you can probably coach her reaction to it now that you're aware, right?"

(...)

"Huh....now that you mention it, that sounds about right from my experience. *Sighs* Well, however them Gyarados learnt those Moves, be it from us expelling their darkness of not, they know'm now, so no point in fretting over it for much longer 'till we get more information about the mechanics behind it."

---

"*Smiles* Hehe, glad ya like your name, Paula. *Looks Thoughtful* You know, we have a professional musician in our merry band of adventurers, so if you want to refine your talent we can see if he can give a few pointers. He also has a Primarina that's a singer like yourself, but she's a real snooty elitist sort of Pokemon that takes competition poorly, so I don't know how much help she'll be. On my end I got a Chatot named Beethoven that has learnt plenty of songs, diddies, rhymes, and a bunch of other lyrical nonsense and he's rather friendly too, so if you wanting for more material to work with he'll be happy to work with ya."

---

If Scizors has Silver Wind, they could've also spammed it until they gained a + 1 Insight Boost from it to be Passed along to the reverse WHO , but I suppose that probably doesn't matter anymore.

Upon learning she indeed doesn't have any Pokemon to call her own, the scuffy smith couldn't help but pinch the bridge of his nose in vexation and heave a unhappy *Sigh....*

"I had a feeling you might say that. Blast Burn it all into ashes and soot.... *Sighs* Well, it can't be helped. I'll lend ya a couple of my Pokemon, until we can help you catch some for yourself. It'll cut into my avaliable stock, but I'll be damn and burned at the stack if I'm going to let you travel with us without some form of protection."

If she doesn't object (Or Lucas doesn't step in to help out here / lend some Pokemon of his own), Ran will hand over Brigid and Beethoven for her to use for the time being, leaving him with Diam, Paula, Stymph, and Borreal as his active Party for the time being. Make no mistake, he loathes have to loan his own partners out, but he can't in good conscious leave the ginger lass bereft of critically needed support. And between that Espeon, Brigid, and Beethoven, the lass will be very well cared for indeed!

When Sally returns and shares what she learnt from the empathetic guardian, that raises more than a few alarms and questions in his head.

"So ya name's Rui?  Hmm.... (Has he heard of that name before from any importnat peole? He's fairly well read, and tries to constantly keep up with events as they happen in the world, so if she's important....) "

"...So that's what those Gyarados were. Judging by the name and their behavior, they're not exactly the nicest sort of critter I guess. Anything else you know about them, Espeon? And do you think your Trainer Wess got transported here along with ya and Rui?"

"Yup."  Lucas leaves the topic of Sally at that.

---------------------------------

Paula listens attentively as Randolph describes all the other musical pokemon in the group.  She not sure if they'd all be pleasant to meet, but she's open to the idea.

---------------------------------

Scizor does not have Silver Wind, unfortunately.  He's a physical attacker, so he didn't spend much time training his Special techniques.

Speaking of Scizor, he volunteers to stick with Rui for now since the only other pokemon she has to keep her company is Espeon.  Between him and Espeon, they can probably keep her safe.  Randolph doesn't have to loan his pokemon if he doesn't wish to.

"...Rui, Rui...I think that sounds about right...it's still hard to remember..."

*rolls*

Randolph doesn't recognize the name Rui, nor Wes.  If they're important, nobody's been talking about them (or at least, not the people Randolph usually talks to).  Lucas doesn't seem to recognize the name either, but he is thinking pretty hard about whether he might have heard something somewhere at some point...

When Randolph asks Espeon more questions, he looks at Sally, and she sighs as she has to play translator again.  Shadow Pokemon are near emotionless, vicious, and merciless creations, typically created to take advantage of the sheer power and variety of their moves and their willingness to attack anything and everything.  They are not natural by any means.  Something had to make them.  Espeon's surprised to see some are showing up here, though.  He thought that they had eliminated the last of them years ago.  He's particularly concerned because he's not sure Wes came with them to this place.  He's confident he'd know if his trainer is nearby.

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

Scizor does not have Silver Wind, unfortunately.  He's a physical attacker, so he didn't spend much time training his Special techniques.

Speaking of Scizor, he volunteers to stick with Rui for now since the only other pokemon she has to keep her company is Espeon.  Between him and Espeon, they can probably keep her safe.  Randolph doesn't have to loan his pokemon if he doesn't wish to.

"...Rui, Rui...I think that sounds about right...it's still hard to remember..."

*rolls*

Randolph doesn't recognize the name Rui, nor Wes.  If they're important, nobody's been talking about them (or at least, not the people Randolph usually talks to).  Lucas doesn't seem to recognize the name either, but he is thinking pretty hard about whether he might have heard something somewhere at some point...

When Randolph asks Espeon more questions, he looks at Sally, and she sighs as she has to play translator again.  Shadow Pokemon are near emotionless, vicious, and merciless creations, typically created to take advantage of the sheer power and variety of their moves and their willingness to attack anything and everything.  They are not natural by any means.  Something had to make them.  Espeon's surprised to see some are showing up here, though.  He thought that they had eliminated the last of them years ago.  He's particularly concerned because he's not sure Wes came with them to this place.  He's confident he'd know if his trainer is nearby.

In that case, Ran would still want to loan out Brigid to Rui, because they'd be able to cover for Scizors' Fire weakness and be able to support them and Espeon greatly with their own Fire power + After You. Having three Pokemon at hand for any situation is better than two, too!

"Don't over stress yourself trying to confirm it. If Rui's your name, it is, but if it isn't, we'll find something else to call ya later if ya prefer."

The bristly blacksmith has the decency to look politely apologetic to Sally for saddling her with translation duties again, but considering the new threat they just face, getting as much intel on it was more important than not pestering her about it.

"....*Sighs* Yeap, not a good bunch period. Both the Shadow Pokemon and the utterly depraved bastard that made'm. And where's there a few, there're probably a few dozen more loitering and lurking within and around Mt. Coronet. *Sighs* Well, at least we can rid them of their darkness by beating it out of them, so I guess it won't be too hard taking care of them - provided they don't do the job first to us."

Of course, this leaves Ran curious about the matter of Catching a Shadow Pokemon before they're Fainted. Would they be 'purified' by the act, or would they still remain Shadowized? Hmm....

Ran's asked all the questions he wants of both Rui and Espeon for now, so he's ready to head for the Stair and to the next Floor of Mt. Coronet. It's probably chock full of danger like this one was, but he and everyone else will make it. Hopefully.

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

In that case, Ran would still want to loan out Brigid to Rui, because they'd be able to cover for Scizors' Fire weakness and be able to support them and Espeon greatly with their own Fire power + After You. Having three Pokemon at hand for any situation is better than two, too!

"Don't over stress yourself trying to confirm it. If Rui's your name, it is, but if it isn't, we'll find something else to call ya later if ya prefer."

The bristly blacksmith has the decency to look politely apologetic to Sally for saddling her with translation duties again, but considering the new threat they just face, getting as much intel on it was more important than not pestering her about it.

"....*Sighs* Yeap, not a good bunch period. Both the Shadow Pokemon and the utterly depraved bastard that made'm. And where's there a few, there're probably a few dozen more loitering and lurking within and around Mt. Coronet. *Sighs* Well, at least we can rid them of their darkness by beating it out of them, so I guess it won't be too hard taking care of them - provided they don't do the job first to us."

Of course, this leaves Ran curious about the matter of Catching a Shadow Pokemon before they're Fainted. Would they be 'purified' by the act, or would they still remain Shadowized? Hmm....

Ran's asked all the questions he wants of both Rui and Espeon for now, so he's ready to head for the Stair and to the next Floor of Mt. Coronet. It's probably chock full of danger like this one was, but he and everyone else will make it. Hopefully.

Rui hesitantly accept's Brigid's pokeball.  "...okay, well, if you're sure...I'm not confident I really know how to handle them, but...I'll try...Rui's fine, by the way.  It's not like I have any other ideas right now...ahahaha...ha..."

On that note, Espeon looks at Sally again.  Espeon's actually not sure why they were purified by beating them.  Normally, Wes would have to spend some time with the Shadow Pokemon to get them to reopen their hearts, and the final lock could only be undone with the aid of Celebi's power.  He's not going to complain if purifying Shadow Pokemon is easier than normal, but...he certainly finds it odd...something definitely seems...different about these Shadow Pokemon compared to the ones he's used to seeing.

Seems like everyone in the first group is ready to move on to Floor 2!  Just waiting on Team K to finish the Milotic encounter.

[Dragonstrike]

Kogeki honestly dont know what ''weird" or ''gross" Kee mean but he decided to leave at that. "Thank you. I promise not to take long." Kee couldnt see, but Kogeki has one look of grateful towards the musician. Then he look to Milotic. "Can we talk? In private?"

(I just hope my PM box its not full to much. Ready Dragonstrike?)

Of course.  Your friends may wait at the other end of the pier, as they suggested.

---------------------------------------------

Kogeki and Karen are out of earshot of the conversation when they walk to the elevated far end of the pier, but they can still see some of what's happening down by the water.  Milotic looks shocked for a brief moment, then leans down as she listens attentively to what Kogeki has to say.

After a few minutes, she looks in Karen and Kees' direction, then back at Kogeki.  Milotic definitely appears to have a vested interest in whatever this conversation is about.

Karen can't help but wonder what's going on. "...soooo...what do you think they're talking about, Kee?  I mean, it's probably important, right?"