[Game Thread] Lord Windos’ PokeRole Adventure 2: The Wild Lands

[Pokekitty2]

All will say Fortuna will be out of the PokeBall, since she is curious to have a conversation with the Murkrow who is acompany Sylvia. "It...might be a difficult work, but I trust on you Mr Samsara." Oz got silent for a few minutes, looking at Sylvia. After a while Oz get curiosity get the better on her. "So...You mentioned you live in the Mageocracy. Do you...work there in something if you don't mind me asking? And you Sylvia, do you want me ask something for ya or are you good?"

>>...ask something for me? Of what nature?

[Spiritmon]

All will say Fortuna will be out of the PokeBall, since she is curious to have a conversation with the Murkrow who is acompany Sylvia. "It...might be a difficult work, but I trust on you Mr Samsara." Oz got silent for a few minutes, looking at Sylvia. After a while Oz get curiosity get the better on her. "So...You mentioned you live in the Mageocracy. Do you...work there in something if you don't mind me asking? And you Sylvia, do you want me ask something for ya or are you good?"

>>...ask something for me? Of what nature?

"A food, a drink. Something for you to eat or drink."

[Pokekitty2]

"A food, a drink. Something for you to eat or drink."

>>Oh - no, thank you. I'm quite all right.
Sylvia glances over her shoulder, to where Murkrow and Fortuna are conversing.
>>I'm glad they get along, but I must admit I have no clue what they're talking about.

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

All will say Fortuna will be out of the PokeBall, since she is curious to have a conversation with the Murkrow who is acompany Sylvia. "It...might be a difficult work, but I trust on you Mr Samsara." Oz got silent for a few minutes, looking at Sylvia. After a while Oz get curiosity get the better on her. "So...You mentioned you live in the Mageocracy. Do you...work there in something if you don't mind me asking? And you Sylvia, do you want me ask something for ya or are you good?"

Another waving hand-gesture of 'This is fine', I've lost count of how often Bernhard has displayed this gesture within the last minutes or so. ".....Oh, I don't mind it being 'difficult work'. The harder the challenge, the better the reward, now wouldn't you say?~ B'sides, if we happen to...travel together, there will be enough time to work on it." Or so he hopes, he cannot know what Lady Luck and Miss Fortune have in store for him.

Oz asking whether he works on something specific earns her a raised eyebrow, since Bernhard actually disapproves of anyone asking too much personal things. Magi and Scimitars do enjoy and value their privacy, he is no exception! But since Oz has been friendly so far, he feels he mayyyy make a small exception. "Oh, nothing in particular at the moment, no... *returns into the confident stance with the fingertips put together* "Though I am always working on improving my skills and magic, least to make my Mentor proud of me. ...........Enough about that however. tell me, you said you were tasked to do an operation on a dear Liligant earlier? How did that...work out? And who has put her in such a bad state that her life was seriously threatened, any clue on your mind...?"

What Bernhard does also do is checking the time - as in, how much time is left until that trial set up by Ianai is supposed to take place. Speaking about that, where was the meeting point for that again?

[Spiritmon]

Spoiler

>>Oh - no, thank you. I'm quite all right.
Sylvia glances over her shoulder, to where Murkrow and Fortuna are conversing.
>>I'm glad they get along, but I must admit I have no clue what they're talking about.

Oz look at the same direction Sylvia look. "Me too. But they problably having a interesting conversation between them. Knowing Fortuna, they might take a while to end their conversation. We can ask them later what they talked about." Oz look again at Sylvia. "If you dont mind me asking, what is the relantioship between you and Murkrow? Are you partners or something? Or friends? I curious."

Spoiler

Another waving hand-gesture of 'This is fine', I've lost count of how often Bernhard has displayed this gesture within the last minutes or so. ".....Oh, I don't mind it being 'difficult work'. The harder the challenge, the better the reward, now wouldn't you say?~ B'sides, if we happen to...travel together, there will be enough time to work on it." Or so he hopes, he cannot know what Lady Luck and Miss Fortune have in store for him.

Oz asking whether he works on something specific earns her a raised eyebrow, since Bernhard actually disapproves of anyone asking too much personal things. Magi and Scimitars do enjoy and value their privacy, he is no exception! But since Oz has been friendly so far, he feels he mayyyy make a small exception. "Oh, nothing in particular at the moment, no... *returns into the confident stance with the fingertips put together* "Though I am always working on improving my skills and magic, least to make my Mentor proud of me. ...........Enough about that however. tell me, you said you were tasked to do an operation on a dear Liligant earlier? How did that...work out? And who has put her in such a bad state that her life was seriously threatened, any clue on your mind...?"

What Bernhard does also do is checking the time - as in, how much time is left until that trial set up by Ianai is supposed to take place. Speaking about that, where was the meeting point for that again?

Oz just nods at Bernard. “I supposed. We can try in the long journey ahead of us. There's plenty of time.”

Oz's eyes are a bit shiny because of how cool Bernard looks, but she decided to control herself. “I can relate to that somewhat. Not in the magic department I mean heh. I try to practice my own medicine skills from time to time. And in my craft skills to create vaccines and maybe other things. I know it’s not incredible as summon powerful spells, but it can be useful. My knowledge on Nature is still lacking though…I need to work more on it.” Oz was tempted to ask about Bernard's mentor, but she decided to not ask since it could be too personal.

Oz was kinda happy to someone ask her about a medical question, since it is her area of expertise. “Well…The situation was because the Liligant was stuffed with Sludge. The person used a Garbordor to open the mouth of Liligant and stuffed her with Sludge. Poor Juniper had little time, so I had to act fast…Fortunately I thought about a procedure called Hemodialysis. Is basically a procedure where we open the person's body in a careful way, and then proceed to clean the blood inside the patient with a filter. We had no filter nor machine to pump out her blood, but fortunately Liligants have simplified circulatory and digestive systems, so the procedure would be more or less a bit simpler than another type of creature. Thanks to the Legendaries Seddi helped out with his Pokemon called Veluza, who have pretty sharp blades to carefully and precisely cut the points of Juniper body where it could safely siphon the poisoned blood.”

“My other Pokemon also helped! Persephone, my Mismagius, was able to use Luck Chant to give me firm and precise points to cut and increase my mind to help Juniper, and Fortuna…Well, I don’t usually brags myself, but Fortuna have the nickname “Witch of Luck and Fate” for a reason. Her special ability was capable of bending “fate” to our side a bit. I let Hecate out too just in case something terrible would happen.”

“Had to use a Full Restore however before doing the procedure to eliminate the worse wounds Juniper had. But, the procedure was a success, and Juniper even was better than before she got poisoned. I even managed to get enough Sludge to get 2 Black Sludge.”

Oz then grabs her bag and shows the Black Sludge a bit and then puts it back.

“As for who did that? Not only get a clue, but a confirmation. Remember the person who ambushed me this morning? That person is called “John” and he was the one who poisoned poor Juniper. He and 3 or 4 members of his gang. They somehow discover it was me who healed Juniper and try to get revenge on me. John tried to intimidate me into paying 2000 pokedollars and broke my hand as a way to “send” a message or something. He didn’t like someone healing the person he threatened before. Fortunately I was able to escape by tricking them to think a cop was coming in our direction and was able to release the grab one his underlings had on me. This gave me time to escape and hide in one of the dumpsters nearby. He got angry and tried to search for me, this time trying to make me pay 2500 pokedollars and break my arm, or do to me what he did to Juniper. But I was able to Stealth away using the shadows of the place and run away from him. However, I fear this will not be the last time we shall see those BB’s.”

[Pokekitty2]

Spoiler

Spoiler

>>Oh - no, thank you. I'm quite all right.
Sylvia glances over her shoulder, to where Murkrow and Fortuna are conversing.
>>I'm glad they get along, but I must admit I have no clue what they're talking about.

Oz look at the same direction Sylvia look. "Me too. But they problably having a interesting conversation between them. Knowing Fortuna, they might take a while to end their conversation. We can ask them later what they talked about." Oz look again at Sylvia. "If you dont mind me asking, what is the relantioship between you and Murkrow? Are you partners or something? Or friends? I curious."

>>Partners. She was present at the ransacking of one of the pokecenters, and we thought she might be a helpful witness. ...I seemed to impress her, and she allowed me a boon. I asked partnership - she agreed.
>>The rest of our relationship is yet to unfold, I think. We shall see what the future holds.

Sylvia will then turn to Bernard (@PhantomUnderYourDesk)
>>If I may, how did you come across Myra?

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

(...)Sylvia will then turn to Bernard (@PhantomUnderYourDesk)
>>If I may, how did you come across Myra?

For quiiiiite a while, Bernhard does not answer Sylvia's question - they look quite lost in thought, a reminiscent and just a bit of proud and delighted expression on their otherwise stoic face as he just musters his treasured Myra from the distance. "She, my treasured Myra, was part of a deal I hashed out with a Hex Maniac after my mentor instructed me to decide on those few Pokemon I desire to have as partners of mine, those that I shall unfold and fully explore my magical talents with, those whose special powers I shall get used to wield as we dive deeper into what it means to be part of the Scimitars. She was just a very young Vulpix then, having one single white tail yet. Still I...somehow was able to sense the raw potential within the young one, her affinity to ghosts and the spectral realm, and she reciprocated my interest in her - possibly she was able to tell that I was capable of making her inner power flourish?" There's another loooong break before Bernhard concludes in a more quiet voice: "And so I did, we challenged the limits of our skills again and again and again. Myra has...grown quite a lot, alongside and with me."

Then, suddenly so, Bernhard focuses his gaze straightly and blatantly on Sylvia again, seems to pierce her with his sheer look, frowning. "...How come you're so interested in her though? Do apology my inquiry... But I could not help but to notice."

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

The guide can't bring herself to look at you. 

"....Yes. The Wild Lands.....they....."

You could see them bite their lip so hard it bled.

"Nn! They...they are not a place one should go unprepared. It has...Rules. Rules that must be followed. Or....or...."

A defeated air hung about her as she hung her head, shame and guilt clouding what little you could see of her face.

"You'll lose. Greatly. Me....I broke one. 'When the Stars Turn Red: Do Not Stand. Bow, Neal, Go Beneath the Sacred Land. Beware, Those That Do Not: Starlight's Judgment Must be Withstand.' I...I couldn't resist staring at them. Was Blinded. Burning. Until my sister....shielded me...and...."

She falls silent.

Then, she takes a deep breath, and lets it out. Slowly. Then turns around and bows to you, looking chagrined and remorseful.

"I'm...sorry about that. The Wild Lands...I'm not the greatest one to talk about them. The Lepia have more Insight on them - each Tribe Knows a couple of Rules. Their are also Guides, but they are few and their demands are great, odd, precise, or arbitrary. That's...that's all I can say without....reacting like that again."

Yikes.

Goodra does his part in comforting the dear, reaching up to give them a worried smile and a pat on the head, to which earnt him a giggle and soft smile in turn. Good ol' Goodra - the Cure to Woes of all kinds.

They appreciate the Segway into a different topic altogether, trying their hardest to regain their former pep (and succeeding somewhat, thanks in no small part to Goodra) as she gave a brief-ish overview of the Safari Zone.

"Oh, yes, yes, the Safari Zone! Hmm....its rather dangerous compared to other ones in different Regions, but if you hire the right good Safari Guide or bring excellent Partners and read up on the local 'Patterns' and 'Shifts'   you should be fine! You absolutely need to do your research and be prepared - individual Safaris last at least 3 Days, no exceptions. Typically a 'Hunt' or 'Expedition' consists of 2-3 'Goers' and 1-2 'Guides' . You're expected to help your fellow Safari goers and your Guide on their hunts too, and abandoning them could lead to you being banned from the Zone, if not face legal action depending on what you agreed on. You do what the Guide says, unless it puts you in unnecessary harm or risk. Or you get one of the wilder Guides that wants to make the Hunts a 'true experience to hook ya '. You get 15 Safari Balls and a bag of Basic Bait, at least - what else you get to help depends on what your Guide offers or what you can bargain for from the staff. On the plus you're allowed to bring in your own Weapons and Tools to hunt your quarry, and to my knowledge you can also rent Pokemon that are trained to aid in general or specific hunts! You also can take Bounties, Requests, or Challenges on offer to reap even more rewards! They also host weekly 'scrims' for fresh catches, and a monthly competitions for battles, specific hunts, and more! Finally, you can also sign up to become a Guide too for great discounts and other benefits, though you're required to 'prove' you're both competent enough to be one and 'committed enough' to it. 

"If you're interested their isa company that has a Pokemon that can FLY - yes, that FLY - you to there and back, though the waiting times are long and trips are pricey. Still worth it if you don't want to risk or bother with a long journey on foot!"

The Ferrothron costs only $7500 Poke; though after a specific 'Heroes' Discount it is brought down to $6250 - it's quite Disobedient and unruly, it's unTrained (though plenty Tough!), and the Survival Center basically wants to get rid of it ASAP by selling it cheaply as they can to cover its costs + the fees owed to the Bounty Hunter that caught + still make a decent enough profit. Compared to the +$10k minimum for similar and generally inferior iron durrans in other Regions....it's a bargain! 

"*Rubs back of head* Sorry we can't go any lower, but we all have to put bread on the table and keep the lights on here! Our Conkeldurrs would appreciate the break from having to fix their cell and keep the durran from getting too unruly or understimulated, so if you can promise they'll have a good home you can take'em!"

You can take the book on the Calamities (she's confused as to WHY it's there, but is fine with you Snatching it up), but the Guide says that copy of the Guide Book is someone else here. The Survival Center does sell the newest print for only $500 Poke, however!

The lass face tightens at the news, her eyes hardening like a Diamond Storm Diance.

"I see. I'll be sure to pass the word up and out. We got connections to a lot of place and people - if the police are too overworked right now to catch those bastards, we'll do our part in picking up the slack. Promise."

Seddi writes that rule down.  "Your cautionary tale is noted.  'Preciate what little you could tell me, and 'pologies for bringin' up some bad memories."

As for the Ferrothorn...SOLD!  Is it the best use of his money right now?  Maybe not in the short term, but that certain someone is going to love this opportunity to raise a pokemon not found in Paldea.  "Pleasure doin' business with ya.  Hopefully I'll be able to do more with ya in the near future.  Can't be goin' out into those wilds unprepared, after all."

Yeah, Seddi would buy a copy of that guidebook for 500.  Sounds useful!  He'll flip through that later.

And in response to the lass's commitment to catchin' the bastards that assaulted Oz, Seddi will offer a little more info, courtesy of what Oz and Akamu have told him about the situation so far.  "Well, if you're gonna look out for 'em, let me tell ya what I know so ya know what you're gettin' into.  Best I can gather, it's a group goin' by the name Breakneck Boys.  Sounded like it started small and relatively harmless, but it's escalatin' alarmingly quickly.  It's basically operatin' like a gang at this point.  Torture, extortion, attempted murder...you name it, they'll probably be doin' it if they haven't already.  They've got weapons, and I hear the upper ranks are rather tough trainers to boot.  Watch yourself if you're gonna try and bring some of 'em in."

Spoiler

Ceruledge angrily huffed at your rationale, clearly disagreeing. You may have provoked her, but that old coot should've controlled herself better! To act like she did in front of your more established Partners at that? Arrogance. Pure arrogance, and it was infuriating. She did relent to you in the end, but that more because she didn't wish to argue rather than true agreement. That's your Blade of Malice for you: she holds a Grudge like no one ever could. 

Velzuna, on the other fin, is entirely fine with things, giving you a nod and a wide toothy grin. He doesn't really get why the old sea otter was like that, but if you said it was okay that was that. Everyone has their Rough Skin points - all one has to do is get past it and smooth things over in time, like what you've done with him and everyone else.

Leaves meets your stare with that evergreen calmness, but otherwise doesn't answer any of your lurking suspicions or unanswered questions. From what you could tell, such was due to....reluctance, more or less.

====

Everyone deciding to put behind the salty otter's near CUTING response, you all prepare for the Group Training Session.

Ceruledge goes over to Akamu and leads him off to the side and begins going through some beginner drills on how to hold and wield a blade; Lani joins in, intrigued in learning a new style of Fight that could synergize with her own sharp, metallic scales. Velzuna does his own thing, attacking a nearby training dummy with controlled, practiced slices and quick bites! 

Goodra and Ecclessia end up doing something akin to sumo wrestling, using their own immense weight and bounciness to throw each other around! The later seemed to be taking it as a serious challenge, while the former clearly was enjoying it more for the fun. Nalu joined in too, his innate Regeneration and ever-cheerful attitude allowing him to try and give as good as he got while being rebounded all over the place!

Rabsca was trying to tutor Sand Crawler in proper Ambush techniques and analyzing battle patterns to exploit weaknesses, but the poor Paradox seemed more confused than anything else. Kayla, surprisingly, joined in, calmly chewing a twig as she mulled it all over.

Iron Leaves simply meditates, crossing their legs and sitting on the floor as they carefully control their Terrain and honed their mental energies; Seddi too could join her, if he needs to clear his own head.

Training Rolls!

Blade Work - Ceruledge, Akamu, and Lani! + Velzuna off to the side!
Roll: DEX (5+3/2 = 4) + Fight (4+3/2 = 2) + Brawl for Ceruledge and Lani, Weapons for Akamu (3+3/2 = 3 , 0) + 1 (Eagerness) - 2 (First Time) = 8D6 Dice for Ceruledge and Lani, 5D6 Dice for Akamu
(2)(5)(2)(5)(5)(1)(3)(5) 
(6)(6)(5)(4)(2)

Everyone gains 4 XP (1/2 for Ceruledge and Lani) ! Akamu also manages to pick up 1 Point into Weapons, due to competent work on his tutors part and an excellent first session from him! Swinging that Katana around almost seemed too easy, as if he just knew where to guide it....


Dragon Ball Sumo, with Spikey Friend!
STR (2+*10 / 3 = 4) + Fight (3 + *9 / 3 = 4) + Brawl (1 + 0 + *9/3 = 3) = 11D6 Dice!
(2)(3)(1)(5)(5) (2)(4)(1)(2)(2) (3)

Everyone gains 2 XP! Not a lot of progress to be made, but at least Goodra and Nalu had plenty of fun. Less so for Ecclessia, who thinks that was a massive waste of time, hmpt!

Getting Bit by the Education Bug!
INS (4 + 2 + *2 / 2 = 4) + Knowledge (2 + 2 + *1 / 2 = 2) + Alert (3 + 2 + *5 / 2 = 5) - 4 (Learning Hard!) = 7D6 Dice
(6)(3)(2) (2)(6)(1)(5)

Everyone gains 3 XP! Sand Crawler looks like he sorta gets it, while Kayla continued to look thoughtful. Rabsca seems happy to reach their students, even if only a little.

Meditation - Leaves and (perhaps) Seddi
INS (*8 + 3 / 3 = 4) + Survival (*5 + 2 / 3 = 2) + Nature (*6 + 2 / *1 = 8) - 5 (Not Fully in Sync) = 9D6 Dice
(4)(6)(1) (3)(4)(6) (5)(5)(1)

You and leaves gain 3XP, after XP Modifiers and Rounding Up. Sitting there with Leaves in total silence and serenity, you get an inkling of what Kusanagi might've felt from Her - That ever Verdant Spirit of your Sword, Calm, Logical, and Dedicated as ever....with just a hint of righteousness lurking deep within. What your Partner sees in you....well, it had her smiling slightly, letting out a pleasant hum that help soothe your nerves. 

All in all, a decent training experience for everyone!

(That's it for Training! RP the scene out if you wish, and wrap things up however you want!)

It has been a long while since Seddi last thought a training session had been particularly productive for him and Ceruledge.  Meditating with Leaves while Ceruledge was instructing a new student of the blade though?  Well, maybe it felt effective because it was different.  It's been a long time since they trained with anyone new.

It was nice.

Though while Seddi is trying to not let what Kusanagi said get to him...that righteousness that he can feel deep within Leaves is definitely something that will linger even if he tries to not think about it.

He may not know everything about her yet, but he has no doubt that he'll learn eventually.

Spoiler

(18 Exp on Lani are spent to Increase her Brawl specialty)

He would bow to Ceruledge before thanking them, He had fun and learned something, what else could one want.

Next it was time for introductions, strolling over to Seddi.

''Thank ya for your time, from the looks of it they (mostly) had fun, I sure did. Now that you've seen what they can do its time for formalities.''

''You've seen her plenty before but this scaly lady is Lani, she's always ready to throw down and hone her battling skills. Her agressive fighting style was instrumental in defeating the camp of BBs yesterday and I'm very proud of her so far.''

having a little chuckle he would continue, ''My biggest worry with her is my backpack being too small for her when she evolves.''


''Next up is my little bundle of joy and spines. Nalu is the master of both inflicting deadly statuses and cheering up the mood whenever needed. You'll also see him out of his ball a lot, the advantage of being rather small huh.''


''Mudsdale are of big importance in my family, Kayla here is no exception. She's incredibly durable, always dependable and really chill. Probably my best bet for Wilds transport that doesn't include machinery, though I'd be happier with those vehicles for their speed alone.''


''Last up is my newest catch, Ecclesia, the black and yellow beauty right from the deep waters of the alolan sea. She's proficient with curses and can tough out a lot (monkey madness flashback). Have a go, guess *what* she is, I sure had trouble telling when reeling her in.''
[spoiler]

[Redstone]

Seddi doesn't have much to say with regards to Akamu's introductions, giving each of the 'mons a polite nod as they're introduced.  When the Alolan challenges him to try and identify Ecclesia, he'll look her over carefully, circling around her to get a good look at every angle...

"...well I'll be darned, you certainly have caught yourself a rare beauty, haven't ya?  Can't say I know all the details myself, but I do know that she's a lot like a species from a far flung region that's closed its borders for the last few decades.  Names escape me right now because it's so secluded.  But even though I've heard of some similar pokemon...well, Ecclesia here isn't quite like what I've heard of the species she seems to resemble."

He'll turn back to Akamu.  "So, care to enlighten me about what ya know?  Or do we need to ask Leaves if she can fill in the blanks?"

''Well unlike a certain other creature the indentifier function was actually pretty helpful in this case. She is part of a mutated so called delta variant of the pokemon Hydrogon.''

''Not a clue on what caused these changes but her colour and demeanor sure are as black as the beach I found her on. Truely a special Lady.''


''I may not need Leaves' help on Ecclesia but I definitly need to find out more about my little paradox first before trying to train her seriously. If the professor isn't too busy in the near future (guessing she is, professors always are) I'd like to pay her a visit.''

[Dragonstrike]

''Well unlike a certain other creature the indentifier function was actually pretty helpful in this case. She is part of a mutated so called delta variant of the pokemon Hydrogon.''

''Not a clue on what caused these changes but her colour and demeanor sure are as black as the beach I found her on. Truely a special Lady.''


''I may not need Leaves' help on Ecclesia but I definitly need to find out more about my little paradox first before trying to train her seriously. If the professor isn't too busy in the near future (guessing she is, professors always are) I'd like to pay her a visit.''

"Ah, Hydrogon.  Now that ya say it, that does ring a bell.  And she's a Delta, ya say?  Definitely got a tinge of the Dark type to her, Ecclesia.  A far cry from the normal Water/Dragon variety.  A very special lady indeed.  You make sure to take good care of her."

"Well, like I said, Professor Sada would very much like to speak with you about Bio Fang when we can find some time to schedule an in person meeting.  I'll keep ya posted.  Do keep an eye out for a message from me or her in the near future though.  Since she's been so busy settin' up a base of operations and dealin' with all the politics lately, I asked her to try and find some time to record video message detailin' our Paradox research for y'all.  She'll be open to takin' questions about our research after that, though I might be able to answer a few myself if they aren't too technical.  I'm more of a field worker myself than a lab specialist.  A rather necessary role in this line of work, for rather obvious reasons."