[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

(OOC note: most of Spira's base Sinnoh knowledge is a combination of D/P/Pt, figured non-game version of Sinnoh wouldn't do the "version exclusive" thing. He also recognizes Pokemon that appear in Sinnoh via Dual-Slot mode)
In regards to the Swablu:"Ah... A Swablu, smaller than most of the ones back in Sinnoh, interesting."
In regards to the volcano: "Yeah, saw a couple of variant Pokemon, a volcano-dwelling Shuckle with a shell made of obsidian and another strange hermit crab-like Pokemon I didn't recognize with a big slab of obsidian on its back. Also left Hida with some wild Slugma on the volcano, figured this would be a good opportunity to evolve him."

Nathan smiles a little at the mention of Swablu.  "Yup.  She's a fearless and curious little thing, too.  She'll make a great Altaria when she eventually evolves."

"...hermit crab with a big slab of obsidian?  Oh, that's probably a Crustle, then.  Well, a variant, anyways.  They usually have various layers of soil and rock on their backs."

Nathan looks up at the sky, thinks about something...sighs.

"...I suppose I probably owe you a bit of an explanation.  About those Scimitars and such.  If you're gonna be travelling with us, it's probably better that you hear about them now.  Have a seat.  It might be a bit of a long story." (I'm assuming Juni's not present since Terra said he'd be watching her)

To keep it brief, here's the main points that Nathan hits:

Spoiler

- he explains the Scimitars are people who use the gauntlets they wear to use 'magic' and use it to typically fight in place of their pokemon.

- the Scimitars are secretly partnered with Almanac, an organization that has developed a rival compendium to the pokedex (basically a digital encyclopedia of all known pokemon.  Nathan will show Spira his pokedex as an example.  He'll even go to the 'dex entry on Crustle) and does research on pokemon that's rather...questionable from a moral standpoint (Nathan can list off the few Almanac entries he read if Spira needs some examples that support that)

- Nathan also mentions that the man the Scimitars attacked in 2014 is his father (who has been missing ever since then), and that Gallade holds a personal grudge against both organizations due to being subject to their experiments and almost dying because of them.  He also mentions Dizzy/Calam has his own reasons to help oppose the organizations (Nathan does not initially say exactly why), which is why he stayed behind in 2014 only to meet Nathan again in 2017 as a fully grown Absol.

- In addition, Nathan also mentions that Almanac and the Scimitars seem to cause more trouble with their 'good intentions' than actual good.  Their digging in the Skull Ruins probably hastened the coming of the 'Disaster of Stone' (Nathan doesn't initially say where he got that term from), they were going to cause a public disturbance to kidnap Shiva because they thought she had information on a Relic Stone's location, they brainwashed members of the Solosis line into being little more than emotionless slaves (Nathan can pull out his 'dex again if Spira gas questions about that species), sent a small army of Scimitars to try and steal a Legendary artifact from a sacred location...it's no wonder the Legendaries are concerned about their actions.

"...and that's most of who they are and why we're at odds with them."

If Spira has questions, now's probably a good time to ask Nathan a few of them.