[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Lord Windos]

You grump your way into Stair City. Route 04 splits into three civilian entrances:
1. A magnificent stone stairway, cut into the mountains, winding around a small peak of the Great Divide and descending down into the city. Like Route 04, this has market stalls and tourist attractions set into it in wide stone spots. Small waterfalls wend their way through it.


Coming up the escalator or the end of Route 04 is a group of about 20 people. Most of them have Pokemon out. They are the source of the shouting - they perceived your combat with the Tangrowth and are on their way to help. You see an Officer Jenny on an Ariados, two grim League Shieldmaidens, a grinning man you'd call a League Bureaucrat, three ordinary cops, and a Pokemon Ranger with a Tangrowth of her own. (Ventus can easily slip away from these people). Also with them is a Nurse Joy, in official brickprint Stair City uniform, and a dozen normal trainer volunteers (many of these guys are not with the authorities). Three of the volunteers have Magnemite, and one has a Magneton. Nurse Joy tries to make a big fuss over anyone she can capture.

Ventus Zackarieh was in bad mood.

A very black, bitter, and thoroughly unhappy mood.

Its a rarity that the empath ever becomes this negative, as they normally were able to bounce back from all forms of trauma in a relatively short amount of time, all with his trademark smile on his face. It would take either an exuberant amount of misfortune to overwhelm his iron hard grip of emotional control, let alone penetrate the thick layers of resistence he already has built up, or something to come along and press his sensitive, well hidden buttons.

Nathan Warren managed to achieve the later to spectacular effect, and the best part was they did it INTENTIONALLY.

All just to spite the researcher for refuting his stubborn, closed mind ideals, and aired out his legitimate greivances regarding them.

He tried to compromise with them.

He tried to so hard to reach some middle ground, to find a point where they both can at least agree to disagree.

He even tried so far as to modify his regular approach, to try and at least get them to think, to consider his own belief and ideal for a moment, just as they always have done in regards to their's.

He has tried almost everything with the boy, and nothing worked.

He had already given so much to them, sacrificed so much, open up to them , but it just wasn't enough for them.

The only possibility the ranch hand would seem accept was for him to forshake his own belief, his own philosophy, his own codified logic and life choices, and summarily adopt their own. To give up on parts of what made up himself, the parts that the boy can not abide by, condon, or even tolerate, just to have a chance at their long term approval.

Otherwise, Nathan would remain obstinate towards them, or at least all sign and trends point towards that conclusion.

That realization only made him hurt worse.

Ventus Zackarieh was in a bad mood.

So much so that he turned away his dearest friend, perhaps his only friend now, comforting support, as he did not want to inflict his pains and sorrows on them, and give her reason to start loathing Nathen with a passion once more. As bitter as he was with the boy, the sociologist didn't desire to ruin HIS friendships with the mystical lass, as he knew they truly needed someone who could actually provide him the type of support he could accept and find palatable. Taking that away from him would be unspeakably cruel, and despite his nebulous history, Ventus has never been a cruel man. Ruthless, spiteful at times, agruementative even more rarely, Unfettered when called for, and have a cheerfully blatent disregard to social norms, yes, but never cruel.

Not that he was imply that Nathan was so; no, the boy was just stubborn and insensitive.

The researcher didn't know whether that was better or worse at this point, though.

They, along with Apsis (who was now glaring daggers at Nathan for putting her master in such a bitter melacoloy mood) and Haneal (Just being comforting, or trying at any rate), waited for Heart and Shiva to finish up their business and conversation with the young trainer, before they all departed towards Stair City. When they approached the elevator and he saw the gaggle of League Official and Law Enforcement heading their way, Ventus just quietly whispered to the lass that he find his own way towards the city, and discretely made his way from them, pulling out his own hat from his satchel and placing it on his own head to hide his face from the law/feds. He was already in a wretched mood from his confrontation with Nathan earlier, so why subject himself to their cold scrutiny?

Since he felt he required a large portion of time to fully marshel his currently scattering emotions and deal with his miserable feelings, on top of decompressing from his battle against both the Tangrowth and the metaphorical one he had with the young trainer, so he choose the long winding path cut into the divide. Truthfully, that decision turned out to be an excellent choice, as the breathtaking scenery and the vistas of Stair City were the perfect backdrop for him to sort himself out and help begin to finally relax. Seeing such sprawling and industrious city reminded him distinctly of Castelia, and the assorted memories associated with the place had him both smiling and grimacing in turn. It was a place of great opportunity and life changing experience for the empath, for better or worse , so staring down at Stair (Ha!) filled him with an odd sense of determination and resolution, and made him realize something so important, he couldn't believe he lost sight of it, even in the midst of his own sorrows.

'I have suffered greatly in my life. I have stood witness and endure pain and tragedy that would cause most other people to break, and have commited crimes of all kind that I now find either reprehensible or regrettable. Despite it all, I did not succumb despair, or go completely mad from bereavement. It made me strong, opened doors and possibilities to me that I would have never gain access to otherwise, and granted me wisdom, experience, and control beyond the keen of most. Because of all this, I can not be put down any longer. Nathan may have wounded me from his stubbrn, spiteful words and rejection, but he can never crush my spirit or dominate me unless I allow him to do so. I am my own master of my destiny, my own relationships, and if its impossible to forge a genuine friendship with them without compromising myself in the most grevious of way, then I can do without. I am Ventus Zackeriah, The Pokémon Sociologist and Survivor, and I will not forgot that ever again!'

The researcher now had a small yet fiercely content grin on his face as he let go of the tiresome, painful burden of being a subservient friend to Nathan Warren, and resolved to make the most of his quest/journey through the region with or without their camaradence or aid. After all, its like he thought: they can only hurt them if he lets them. If they choose not to get along or accept them for who they are, then he could live with that and be at peace. In turn, they would have to accept the fact that the reverse could be applied to them as well.

Not that he would be rude to him, of course. He was a kind, generous, and understanding man, and could peacefully coexist with Nathan so long as he desired, and even support him from time to time. They were just no longer going to shackle themselves for the boy's approval or seek their justification or approval for his action in the future if he so choose. From now on, it was up to them if they wanted to maintain a positive relationship with the empath, and if they choose not to....oh well! Life was too short to fret about what you can't change or control, so he would just roll with the punches and move on, like he had always done so.

With that resolution in mind, Ventus continued make his way towards Stair City and the Pokémon Center, humming a pleasant tune and a pleasant smile on his face.

Ventus Zackeriah was in a good mood.

Order: Have Ventus continue his journey towards the Pokémon Center, and when he arrives he'll wait in the lobby until he see either Shiva or Valder, were by he'll either be open for conversation for the former or wanting to conduct that King's Rock crafting with the later. Nothing can keep my character down for long!