[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Iron]

"I don't know how much of the Clinic will be interesting to you. We don't have a Healing Machine, as there are a limited number of those in Creshire, and a limited ability to make more. But we have a stock of healing items and tools, as well as a minor surgery ward. Our most important part of this clinic is over there, the Post-Trauma Ward. Pokemon deal with abandonment issues and sometimes they have untreated wounds."

There's a few toys here too, in the waiting room style. Books, too - apparently some Pokemon like being read to.

"For serious issues, or for issues that can wait - both of these are taken care of at the Grand Pokemon Center. Not much to show here, but we try our best to keep Pokemon comfortable when they need medical attention."

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"We're passing the Discharge Room now. It's boring - just a place where paperwork is taken care of. But it's a room of joy like none other in this place. And the runner up is the Play Room."

The Play Room is just a big empty room, with a few cabinets that have treats and simple toys in them. "This is for trainers to test their bond with a Pokemon they are thinking of adopting. If it's empty, Shiva, you are welcome to use it as a resting point after we visit the Inmate Room, which you simply must see. But if anyone comes in with one of our Pokemon, please give them priority."

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The Inmate Room is the biggest one yet, with little cubicles or kennels organized by terrains where that Pokemon might be found. The budget is obviously low, but they've done a pretty good job with what they have. The pool is especially impressive.

Ventus notices right away that there are four Tangrowths, taking up a big percentage of the kennels in the forested area. Your guide chases a Rotom away from the fuse box, which is hung with apparently ineffective Cleanse Tags, or their cheap equivalent.

The rarest Pokemon in the room is a magnificent Pyroar, curled up in a bed he has dragged into the common area (the kennel doors are mostly open right now, allowing access to the common area). No other Pokemon goes near the Pyroar.

A wise old Ariados sits calmly, with two legs in front of it reminiscent of an old man drinking tea. She has webbing cushioning her massive abdomen. A Krokorok leans contentedly against her, but snaps at the other Pokemon that come near, even the only other Bug in the room, a Crustle. A Zebstrika races around and around and around - it has on a shock collar.

A Delcatty with an evil expression is kept in a locked kennel. A few other uncontrolled Pokemon include a Kingdra, Cloyster, and Tentacruel in the pools, a Hypno, an unconscious Voltorb, and a Persian. The weirdest Pokemon around is a trio of black Unown!

"I should warn you -" begins your guide.

Suddenly, the room blinks strangely. Power washes over Ventus' emotions in particular. All eyes are drawn to a Gothitelle wearing a tinfoil hat. She holds out her hands placatingly - you can see a line drawn on the floor which she never crosses.

The ceiling of the Shelter suddenly becomes invisible. You can see the feet of Tropius and a Tauros up on the transparent green roof. Through it, though it is daytime, stars are visible...You are both drawn into the vision... Gothitelle's sight zooms in on a particular patch of celestial bodies. Shiva actually recognizes a few of them from her books. There's the constellation Tauros, understood to represent the grasslands and savannahs. There's Skorupi, the desert constellation. And Ursaring Major, the brightest star in the Mountain Galaxy. The Evening Star (planet Venus) also makes an appearance; it represents Water/Ships/Oceans according to your memory of the book or your lore. All four of these celestial bodies slide right next to each other, aligned just short of conjunction when traced from Gothitelle's tormented eyes. Green vines burst from the vision, writhing around the four star groups. They burst and fade, leaving only the stars. The star groups slide by, rotating around each other (though they are many light years apart in reality; only in perception are they near). Conjunction never occurs...time goes by...the vision ends.


"I'm so sorry!" wails the receptionist. "Bad Gothitelle! You know you're supposed to keep your visions to yourself! We've never been able to find a way to block them, though the Pokemon herself doesn't even want them."