[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

If Shiva wouldn't know better, the situation would quickly become incredibly awkward, confusing, uncomfortable and basically a mess as she might interpret Nathan being so meek towards her as 'having a crush on her' and therefor (in her view) acting like a high schooler who's completely innocent about how to approach that girl that they like. Lololol, how amusing! Thankfully she DOES know better, but she chuckles a bit anyway, seems to take it lightly. That, and due to her like for Genie she's completely friendly towards FlygonDitto = no urge to slay the dragon with the power of the fae.

'Don't say anything if you don't have anything nice to say or something to contribute' is very within Shiva's nature.

"Oh, sure, glad that you join, Nathan!~ Now come, you know I'm not biting. Juni's taken care of as well, so no need to feel bad about going off for some exploring now that we're already here and got some downtime." Off she is already after she adjusted her Ranger's cloak and collected up Pancham and Purroin, am basically just waiting wether Raphael would like to join or prefers to stay out for free time with Tropius in order to know whether I'll have access to him during cave exploration or not. That'll infuence what I'll do in there probably.

Errrr...yeah, it's definitely not because of that...that ship sailed awhile ago...

I'm not saying it's not.  I'm just saying that Shiva's silence didn't make Nathan any more comfortable about being around Shiva and what he'd just said to her...

In any case, Nathan gets his stuff and pokemon together and gets ready for the trip to the cave on the volcano's lip...

Spoiler

Tropius gains 1 Happiness in this perfect habitat for him. Pokemon love seeing the world, you know!

Raphael will go a-flying with Tropius. The volcano looks a little too violent for him.


The cave slants slightly downward. There's one side chamber you find where it is somewhat cool, but the walls are very warm. It's been etched with a design of jagged stripes. At the far end is a single isolated design of a pair of sharp fangs surrounded by a spikey design. Something like this.


Down the other passage, the cave opens up to a very broad shelf on the very lip of the volcano. If you were standing at the far side, you'd be looking right down into the roiling lava about 5 yards below you! But you can't stand at that far side, because two Pokemon are there: A Floatzel and a Seviper, both trying hard to propel themselves toward a Pokemon Egg barely visible through the smog of the area. What's strange is that their progress seems to be impeded: though Floatzel's legs are moving, he's not going forward, and neither is the crawling, weaving Seviper. The latter darts his tail toward to strike at thin air, and a strange percussion noise is the result. Their progress is very slow, but they look very hungry.

A Volcanic Cave: Upper Steam Cave - Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky

Seeing Shiva's Tropius fly off to enjoy the jungle makes Nathan a little sad as well.  His own Tropius might enjoy the jungle too (if only because there's lots to eat), but there's no way Bill would approve that trade...too risky, based on where and when they are...*sigh*...ah well...

Anyways...Nathan finds that cave drawing interesting.  He's not too bothered by the heat so far, but if/when they go farther in, he might actually take off his jacket!  "...hmmm...well, if I had to guess...the locals probably put that drawing here because there's at least one dangerous pokemon down that tunnel..."

The scene down the other tunnel, however, is certainly something else.  That egg, whatever species it might contain, has definitely caught Nathan's attention.  Dittogon looks excited for a moment as well, but for an entirely different reason: It's...eager to get into a battle?  That's somewhat strange behavior for the Ditto, to be honest...

The Rainbow Relic's blinking has also caught Nathan's attention, though...