[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Dragonstrike]

Come on, cheer up, Nathan!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydu3N3EZl5A

Nathan accepts the rag.  He doesn't mind that Ventus called him Nate.  Just this once, he'd let it slide.  He dries his tears as best as he can.  The words were rather encouraging.  "You're...sniffle...right.  Before we go, however...I still have a promise to keep, and two more things to ask of you, if you don't mind.  I'd appreciate it if you were honest about what I ask next, and I promise I won't get angry at you if you are.

"First of all, the Deyo Flowers.  I know they seem...bewitching.  Like some pokemon can't seem to get enough of them.  I've only seen Ralts that way with them so far, but his interaction with the flowers was more than just simple attraction.  I could feel they meant...something, to him, as I said before. He recognizes the flowers for some reason.  Swiftfire completely avoided them if she could, though, and I used that to corner her.  Vincent texted Mallorn about the flowers, and he replied that they were rare and incredibly valuable, known only to grow around meteor impact sites.  They can be used in medicines and even technology.  The first of those, we experienced first hand.  You can crush the flower's petals into a fine powder really easily, and it has a bit of a numbing effect on the consumer.  It's basically an herbal medicine that temporarily increases vitality, based on the amount of flowers used in creating it.  I even have some I can show you.  It's incredibly bitter, and is nothing like the flowers in their uncrushed form."  Nathan pulls out the small bag he'd been keeping the Deyo Powder in and shows it to Ventus.  "If you desire to destroy them, I'd recommend doing this instead so it's a bit more productive rather than destructive.  The effects of that powder could be useful in a tight spot.  It takes a LOT of flowers to make something especially potent, though.  Just this little bit took 3/4 of a bushel.  Oh, and Mallorn also said he'd buy a bushel of the flowers from us for $1000 if we had nothing else we wanted to do with them.

"The other part...is why I changed my mind on how dangerous they are.  They're not always dangerous, though...it seems that wherever the Deyo Flowers' growth patterns originate from, a rare pokemon might show up.  The pond in the center of the meadow is where a meteor landed, and that's where I found Staryu.  That Voltorb we found later?  Vincent found a small crater with dying Deyo Flowers around where the Voltorb had been before the juggler had picked it up.  He took samples of both sets of flowers for further analysis.  I can only hope he's split off from us to try and get them analyzed properly...

"As for my last two questions, they're the ones I promise I won't get mad about when you answer.  The first is this: What were you planning to do when you threatened us in the meadow?  After that, Ralts was incredibly nervous around you, and I don't know why because I wasn't paying enough attention at the time...I just want to put my mind at ease on that one with a certain answer...and if you can trust me with that answer, I can promise I'll be a little more trusting of you in the future.

"The second is also sort of related to that last part.  Can you promise me that you'll more carefully consider the repercussions of your actions on the big picture?  That was a big part of the reason why I got mad at you in the hive.  We were all scared enough as it was, I'm sure...and I'm sorry if either of these last two questions seem a bit selfish and inconsiderate of me.  I'm just...trying to do the best I can, like my father..."

Ralts is shifting around nervously now, dreading what answers Ventus might have...Combee is cheering up, though!