[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

Shiva makes her way to a sturdy little tree growing amid the treacherous, whispering grassy hummocks. Between the close-set hummocks is lots of surprisingly deep scummy water.

On the little tree is a nutlike fruit much like the one Espurr keeps! This one, however, is a dull white!

(Aww, no colour?)

As soon as the pain became moderate or rather less intense to enable continue the way, onward to the swamp they went... Before doing so though, Shiva asked Valder for one on the Ponyta he carried - not for its Pokeball, but simply to have one of the fierly horses close to her in case the mud was becoming too much for the Metagross. She isn't riding this horse though and prefers to walk on her own for now. Nathan helped introduce herself to one of the horses and let her know of her name ('Sarah') and her traits - Shiva certainly appreciated this particular Ponyta's calmness and stalwartness she could almost sense without concentration.

Turned out as a good decision as the fierly horse proved itself useful to clear the path of mud and overgrown plant. Cottonee  was still staying close to her Master, not minding the more humid area of the swamp at all to Shiva's suprise - she did ensure her fluffball that she's already feeling a little better and offered to recall her, but Cottonee remained adamant and simply kept her place on Master's right shoulder. A part of Shiva was silently overjoyed over this - she caught herself nuzzling the soft fluff of her Pokemon a few times.

The third time this happened Shiva noticed her fluffball was staring at something beside the path - following her gaze, she noticed there was more than the first glance could meet about these grassy hummocks. She didn't new why, but something dragged her there... Of course she ended up leaving the path with Sarah. The closer they came, the more Shiva got the feeling that these hummocks are...whispering...breathing... It was at its peak as the small group reached a sturdy little tree and Shiva picked up what she noticed as a White Apricorn Nut. How lucky! "Take a look at that, Cottonee... It has approximately the same colour like your fluff has. Do you want to...carry...this...Nut...Huh?"

Shiva had no idea why, but here, among threacherous breathing grassy hummocks surrounded by swamp, offering an Apricon to a Cottonee, she was strongly reminded on some lines from 'Skirl of the Southern Wind', which she reread several times yesterday:

Cotton
And fruit
Grown tall by summer storm

Cotton
Fruit
Her wool will keep you warm


She wasn't sure either whether there was a meaning here or whether it was just coincidence.


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Mechanics:
If Cottonee expresses desire to carry this white Apricon, she can do so and the Incense is being returned to bagpack to hand it to Nightshade later (would need to ask her whether she'd like to carry such a fragrant item before giving it to her).
Also, I'd like to keep a hold on the second and last Encounter Slot for now to spend it on the next set/later. But, would a quick searching for arrowroot in this area or doing a Roll for other natural loot in the deep scummy water (a Roll like the ones described here) take up an Encounter? Ventus is also hunting with Apsis, I dunno whether there is a chance that he'll stumble over Shiva or see her in the distance. I wouldn't mind if he does so, actually.