[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Dragonstrike]

As they make their way back through the forest, Nathan chuckles. "You're definitely missing something.  You might know her name, sure.  But there's more to her than just her name.  I'm surprised you didn't recognize her immediately, which is probably why she didn't offer any details about her life to you.  She likely found it refreshing that somebody didn't recognize her for a change...you should probably think that over carefully as well."  Nathan smirks again as he says that. "Trust me, the answer will surprise you."

"Though I am impressed if you do indeed have her phone number, of all things...and it's a number you might want to consider calling just based on the difficulty of raising such a, not to be rude, defenseless pokemon.  Togepi aren't exactly the best equipped pokemon for fighting.  I know some basic details that might help, but the advice of one who's actually raised one all the way to a Togekiss is definitely not to be ignored.  Speaking of which, that reminds me.  You, Shiva, and I all have fairy type pokemon.  You said fairies are usually considered more difficult to raise than psychic types as well.  When we get back, I'm sure all three of us would appreciate whatever advice you have on that matter."  

Nathan takes a moment to look around.  'Hmmmm....nothing.  It's quiet too.  Too quiet...I haven't heard that pokemon cry in awhile now...'  Looking around again, Nathan catches movement in his peripheral vision for a split second.  'Uh-oh...guess we should have been a little quieter.  Well, only thing we can do now is keep moving, stay quiet, and hope it doesn't attack...'  Turning slightly to face Ventus, Nathan whispers, 'Whatever reply you may have, either keep it quiet or don't say it at all.  There's at least one pokemon stalking us, and I don't want either of us to become lunch, for both our sakes and our pokemon's.  Be ready for it if it tries to jump us.'  Nathan moves more slowly and carefully, ready if the pokemon decides to jump out from behind the trees, hoping that they can both get back to Trillium safely.  Ralts and Raphael would both be devastated if they lost their trainers. 

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Meanwhile, back in the Trillium Pokemon Center, Ralts stops running around with Cottonee and Raphael for a moment to stare at the door.  He knows something is wrong.  Something is VERY wrong.  Ralts walks over to a table sitting by a window and climbs up the chair to stand on top of it and look outside.  He can feel worry, fear, tension...a lot of negative feelings, and they're all coming from the direction of the forest at the base of the mountain.  All Ralts can do though is stare in that general direction, waiting to feel a change in the emotional patterns...

Ventus, while quite happy that Nathan was opening up to him, was still very confused about what he was saying about Cynthia. "I don't know why you are so insistent that Miss Cynthia is more than she appears to be, but I guess I can dig around a bit for more information about her, if nothing else than too clear this dubious matter once and for all. She was a good friend to me, as far as I was concerned, so I don't see why that would change if I pry into her private sector." He sighed after saying this, rubbing a hand on his forehead as he was trying to puzzle out the mystery Nathan laid out in front of him. Well, if he can't figure it out, he can just asked her about it the next time he check up with her on Raphael's progress.

'It would shed more light on the matter than young Nathan attempts at it," Ven wryly though, glancing out of the side of his eye at the young trainer. He seemed to be getting more and more unnerved by their 'follower', though he just hopes its just a curious Pokémon just observing them. Judging by how figitey Nathan was being about the creature, though, he doubts that is the case. When Nathan heard speak up about the lack of noise, he was about to soothe his worries about it, when the young trainer flitched. When he started to sweep his surrounding for something, Ventus took the opportunity to 'feel out' a target. Soon enough, he felt something akin to 'watchfulness' coming from the front right, and he turned to face it. Peering deeply into the thickets, he a first saw nothing... then he caught a bit of movement. Zeroing in on it, he found himself staring into amber eyes far across the clearing. 'Oh dear' he though, keeping his gaze dead on the Pokémon in question.

" Nathan, we are definitely being watched. Get ready to bolt if it comes to confront us. Worst comes to worst, I'll serve as a distraction. You have more of a future than I do, so don't waste it worrying on my fate.'

'I am NOT leaving you here to face that thing alone if it jumps us.  Just keep moving.'  They continue onwards, slowly but surely.  looking around vigilantly so as not to get jumped from an angle they don't expect.  Nathan pauses for a moment.  This feeling of unease...it definitely feels familiar...the duo continues onward though, and every time he hears a pokemon cry and looks in that direction, he sees a fleeting glimpse of a pokemon's silhouette among the trees.  At one point, he looks in the direction of a sunbeam, catching what he thinks is the glint of a shiny black blade of some kind...at another, he thinks he briefly sees a pair of glowing red eyes before they disappear from sight...

Every time this happens, Nathan steers them down a different path than the one they were taking.  If this is indeed the absol from a year ago, it was creeping him out.  Heck, it didn't even have to be that absol.  He was spooked enough from being in this usually quiet forest without a pokemon to protect him from the supposedly wild ones in the area.  'If it is that absol though, why is it following me?  I can't think of any reason it would have to tail me...but why would one be in this area in the first place?  It's not after me or Ralts, is it?  If it is...' Nathan gets increasingly nervous about this situation, and the branching paths of the trails were starting to look very similar...'Gah, which way do we go next...it was...this way, right?  I don't want that thing to attack us.  Absol are powerful creatures...'  As he turns to go that way, he hears another pokemon cry, and hears a twig snap loudly soon after.  'Okay, definitely not that way.  Guess we're going the other way...'

Nathan is starting to show visible signs of nervous panic by this point.  Absol or not, he's been in this situation before, and it's taking its toll on him.  He does not like the feeling of being in this much danger at all.  He tries to console himself to calm his nerves.  'Stay strong, Nathan.  Ralts needs you.  Don't go dying on him just because you made a stupid decision because of past experiences being contrary to the current situation.'        

It doesn't really work all that well, but he does appear to be just slightly more focused.