[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Dragonstrike]

Ventus was silent as his young friend threw his argument back at his face, angrily disregarding his whole perspective of the situation. When the trainer launched into a diatribe about humanity's negative impact, the scientist stoic façade melted away, and was replaced with sad, worried one.

As he saw Nathan attempt to leave the group again, Ventus spoke up again to the boy. He sounded quite reluctant to speak with him, but he pressed on anyway. For both the group's sake, and the boy wellbeing. "........I believe I am beginning to understand you anger with at my actions, Nathan.... and have an inkling of your morality as well. No wonder we have never have quite got along; we have very different perspectives on life, as well as the value of life itself. .....Its doubtless I'm just driving you up the wall at this point by prolonging this arguement, but I still need to assure you safety, my friend . Promise me you will stay close to the group, and fight with us, and I'll drop the conversation until later. We, least of all I, don't want you to battle these Combee without backup and possibly......." Ventus paused for a moment, struggling to say his next words. His hands were tightly balled into fist, and he looked like he was about to cry in despair. He finally managed to choke out what he wanted to say in a half sob, half plea to the younger trainer.

"Please don't go, Nathan. I don't want to another person I care about die because of my stupid actions. Please."

' Don't go away. Don't disappear. Don't repeat history in front of me. Don't make me relive my worst experience in my life. '

Nathan almost yells again.  Almost.  But that plea...it stops him in his tracks.  He's still shaking.  He says the following, as calmly as he can manage: "I said I need some space.  Not that I'm leaving the group behind nor fighting the combee on my own."  He and Swiftfire continue walking, though they stop a short distance away and wait for the group to start moving before continuing.

While somewhat separated from the group, Nathan recalls memories he hadn't wanted to dredge up.  The fear and anger was all too familiar to him.  Evenings spent pacing, just waiting for news of anything, ANYTHING.  Was the Ralts he had found going to be okay?  Was...his father?  He hadn't been home in days, and nobody knew where he had gone...

Nathan shakes his head.  No time for those memories right now.  And yet they still lurk at the back of his mind...trying to distract himself, he looks up...just in time to see what he thinks was the glint of a shiny, black blade as it disappears over the top of the wall he's looking up...was he seeing things again?  Or was that actually an absol?  He looks back down, shaking his head again.  No, surely someone else would have seen it too if an absol was in the town.  But if it was one...what did it want?  Was it the same one from the forests at Mt. Molten's base?