[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Iron]

Charmeleon nods and makes a fist. He seems a little jealous of Absol, and clearly wouldn't mind becoming a Charizard who can Mega-Evolve ASAP! He probably doesn't understand the intense connection required, though.  When the Pledge goes through, Charmeleon will gain 1 Loyalty.


Orthros does, because he's very close! He needs only a significant milestone to reach peak Happiness and Loyalty. Of course, he needs to evolve and to find a stone first.

Anyway, Orthros puts his paws on your shoulders and licks your face when you ask him to help you out. This loyal (though eerie) pup is the perfect one to ask.

"Hehe.  Thank you, both of you.  Even though I can't or haven't yet fulfilled my original promises to you both...I'm glad you two are both present for this, and that we can make a new pact to further reinforce what we already have."

Nathan scratches Orthros behind the ears and gives Charmeleon a fist bump, then stands.  He nods to Heart when he enters the caldera.  "...kinda.  Arcanine, meet Heart.  Heart, meet Arcanine.  Don't be surprised when he talks, okay?  He's been guarding the eggs of these endangered species of pokemon.  Well, and Celebi's egg at her request, apparently.  Don't touch that one, or some time stuff is gonna occur."  (@Spiritmon)

Then Nathan turns back to the Legendary canine.  After all of this...he thinks he's worked up enough courage to ask Arcanine some questions of his own.  "My pokemon friends are ready Arcanine.  However...there's two more matters I'd like to ask you about before we begin.  The first...well, to be straight about it, the eggs for Dratini and Flabebe...could we possibly take those with us as well?  The eggs containing Shinx, Magikarp, and Vulpix have no need to come to our time, for you seem to have found a good time to hatch them and help them repopulate by our time.  However...the flower fairy and the serpentine dragon both remain endangered, even in our modern times.  It's possible we might be able to help them as well.  An entire species going extinct due to our own actions...if I can help in some small way to prevent that, then I want to do so in whatever way I can, to be perfectly honest.  If one is enough and you'd rather continue to keep a careful eye on those eggs yourself, though...well, then I understand."

"...and second...well, I'd like to ask you this question in relative privacy, if that's okay with everyone."

Assuming Arcanine and the rest of the group have no complaints about that...

Spoiler

"...it concerns the Moltres egg, actually.  Heart...he's lost a lot, and he's been looking for some purpose in his life ever since...he lost his family to a fire that was seemingly set deliberately to kill them.  He's the last surviving member of a clan known for their association with Fire, and he puts a lot of the fault on himself for allowing that to happen.  Given enough time, I'm confident he'll be able to rise from the ashes of his past like a phoenix, like the mighty Moltres rises from the calderas of volcanoes...but I feel like he might need a little guidance, something to help him find that purpose again.  He's a good person, though, and I think he'd do his utmost best to fulfill any responsibility he accepts.  You might want to talk with Heart about this, see if he might actually be a suitable companion for Moltres.  That's just my recommendation though, I guess."

Nathan asked for the privacy primarily because a) it concerns the Moltres egg and b) it also concerns details of Heart's past which Nathan promised not to tell the rest of the group.

"The Mega Stone should not require as much of your attention as an Egg. Nathan, I sense something about you that makes me think you would be a good caretaker for Dratini. I will offer you the chance to Pledge for that Egg as well. Who would you nominate to take care of Flabebe? Yourself? I am not sure it is fair to ask so much of you."