[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Dragonstrike]

Nathan's also rather disturbed by what Ventus is letting his Ekans do...this is his first time hearing Ventus give that order, after all...in fact...

"Ventus, are you SURE letting your Ekans eat those bugs is a good idea?  We're in the middle of their hive after all, and the walls are practically made out of those things.  If the Vespiqueen that's in charge of this hive finds out what you let your snake do to her workers..."  Nathan doesn't want to say or think about what might happen if she does, and he's clearly starting to get a little nervous about the situation if Ventus is going to just start killing off these bees...

When Nathan spoke up about his concerns of Apsis' eating habits, Ventus smile left his face, and he suddenly became silent. After Nathan had gotten his Honey and told Swiftfire to cease their attempts to make a nice honey glaze, the researcher finally decided to address the young trainer. "Nathan...I promised Apsis that she would be rewarded for her efforts, and I can't break it to her. She would most likely ignore me anyway; she is a predator at heart, so killing and eating her fainted 'prey' is completely natural. I don't believe I have the right to radically change her lifestyle by ordering her to stop comes to instinct, besides teaching her not to eat other people's Pokemon," Ventus said, explaining his point of view to Nathan. He look uncharacteristically serious while talking, but his tone of voice was not hostile. It actually sounded a bit rueful, as if the scientist himself didn't entirely like the idea of predation.

"Besides, by engaging and defeating these sentries, we have already put the whole hive on alert for our presence. Swiftfire casting Ember around erratically has most likely cause the hive to begin closing in on us , so its a moot at this point in stop the Vespiqueen and her Combee from considering us a threat," Ventus continued, looking a bit nervous at that realization. Perhaps he should have Apsis wrap up her feast, so they could leave immedianlty...before its too late.

Nathan is doing that staring thing again.  He's not happy with that answer.

"They weren't sentries.  They were workers that were minding their own business when we walked into the room.  And KOing them is one thing.  KILLING them is another.  The hive is going to be more worked up than if you had just left them alone.  Natural or not, that might have put us and the town in more danger than needed.  Reasoning with the queen won't happen if we are viewed not just as intruders, but as ones with an intent to KILL for no apparent reason.  I pray your decision doesn't bring unneeded harm to us all.  Come on, Swiftfire.  We're probably gonna have to do some cleanup..."

Nathan practically storms off, angry at Ventus for yet another reason: his lack of thought about the consequences.  And he's also incredibly nervous, too.  He's seen Ventus just casually let his snake pokemon kill a few times now, and now it's likely to blow up in their faces because of it...and it also hints about what Ventus might have done back in the Deyo Flower meadow...Nathan shudders at the thought, and just wants to get away from Ventus right now.  Does he really want to be associated with a trainer who kills with barely a second thought, and who has threatened him once before?

Swiftfire is uneasy too.  The buzzing in the hive was getting more...intense.  Nathan's current emotional state wasn't helping. In fact, if one looked closely enough, they might even be able to see him physically shaking in fear and rage...