[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

So many events to react! I will try to summarize one by one as best I can:

1 - Heart greet Terra and try to have a quick conversation with him. "Hey Terra how are you? I...wanted to ask something. Could you help me evolve D-Onix to his final form? I have enough Iron Ore I find to evolve him. Please?" And the follow is the evolution sequence Iron did.

2 - About the message, Heart jolt in his place. "A message from Ventus? Its been...almost eons since we talk with him. Please roll the video."

3 - When the video play, Heart was not able to hold the tears, but this time tears of happiness to at least hear the voice of his friend. He also receive the message of Ventus, but Heart was determined to save this region. Not because he is a hero, but because its the right thing to do.

4 - When Nathan storm the room, Heart follow with Terra behind him. When they approach the room, they see Nathan...sobbing and also sad. They get in the room. Rose was with him, feeling too the sadness of his Master friend. He was there, looking to the scene, not knowing what to do or say. He look to Gallade, almost asking him what to do. He then enter the room, trying to find words and sitting in the same place, close to Terra and Nathan. When Terra say we are here for you, I say to they: "All of us are here." Then he sit on a chair. He was looking to both of them trying to find the best words. But falling miserable.

5 - About Quetzel new evolution, Heart say a huge cry of happiness, when see his new evolution (Please do a Delta Steelix picture @PhantomUnderYourDesk, pretty please....). He approach both Nathan and Terra and gave the two man a friend hug! "Thank you! Thank you my friends! This act of friendship shall not be forgotten!" Then Heart release both of them, but...he look ashame to Terra. "Terra...I know I was a terrible friend to you...please, forgive me for my previous faults to you. I was stupid, and a bad friend. I hope someday you can forgive me and we can be friends once more..."

6 - Heart takes a moment to have another thing to discuss with Terra. "Terra, I notice you have talent to raise hight disobedience Pokemon so I have something special for ya my friend. A Overgrown Rhyhorn that I have capture when we do our Time Travel Sheganigans. He know a lot of strong moves, but you might have problems with him. But knowing you well, I know you can do it. I was thinking in trade him or sell for a good price back in a time ago, but then I remember you could make a more spetacular job. What you think?"

7 - When Heart have a few problems in choose a Pokemon to carry with him Heart offer his help. "My friend, if you are having problems in choose a Pokemon to carry with you, I can carry for you. This is the least I owe you for my previous mistakes. You have my word, I will protect him with my own life. I swear in the name of Ark."

8 - Heart send a message to Ventus, since he need to have a conversation with him. "Hey Ven. How are mate? Its...been a while since we last talk. I...we see the video message you make. Even now, you care about us. You offer us a place to go in case anyone of us choose to not go right?" Heart stop a second and then continue the message. "There is a lot of thing I didnt tell you friend. Things I never told you. Hear me for a second." Heart then send a message, explaining the details of his life, his knight legacy, his abusive father...and the death of his clan. "I cant deny Ven. I scared. Scared of my life and of my Pokemon. But...if I run away Ven, I will never able to look to myself in the mirror ever again. This is not about be a hero or something. But to protect the last family I have left: Nathan, Shiva, Spira and Terra. And also you Ventus. You guys gave me porpose, and a reason to live and for what fighting for. I not some kind of hero. I could never be. I did mistakes in my life...sins I did not tell anyone yet, not even Nathan. My own hands is dirty with blood Ventus. I have run away of danger once Ven, and that was the most grave mistake I ever did. I cant do that now. There is no one waiting for me in home...but they have. Shiva, Nathan, Spira and Terra. They have family and friends to return to. If my mistakes can be forgiven with my life, I am willing to risk my own to save them. And also you. I think thats what friends do right? I not some sort of hero, I never was. I just a bad comedian who worry of his friends. Nothing more, nothing less. See you soon Ventus. I promise that we going to back alive."


9 - PS: "I get a strong bond with Delta Onix, now he is a Delta Steelix! Here the picture of him." And Heart send a picture of Delta Steelix in his Pokezapp.

*Flashback!*

To Heart"

1: Terra is a still slightly leery eye at Heart, but that doesn't stop him from agreeing to their request. The collector had done enough by now to prove he was not a blood thirsty villain and redeemed themselves in his eyes, and helping a Pokemon achieve Evolution was always a high honor, so he had no reason to refuse them. He didn't know how he could help, but he'll give his honest effort and try!

4: The sagely monk looks up at the pun lover as they entered, and gave them a small smile + a nods, before he re-focused his attention on Nathan. Though he doesn't say it, he's quite glad to see them join him in comforting their smart young friend in their time of crisis. Major bro points gained!

5: As per usual, hugs left Terra slightly startled and a wee bit uncomfortable, but after a few seconds he akwardly return Heart's with a half smile and a nod. Their subsequent plea for his forgiveness then made for all the more drastic change in mode, causing the mountain of a man  to regard him with another look of surprise, this time with eyebrows raised and a.....speculative gleam in his eyes. Several seconds passed like this in silence, to the point it was starting to look like Terra was not going to even deign a response, before his expression settled as he reached over to lay a hand on their shoulder, and nodded.

"Apology accepted. You have worked hard to......amend mistakes and learn from them, and proved you are still a good person, so I forgive you. Don't make same mistakes again. Please."

He then sticks his hand into a pocket, and pulls out what was unmistakably a Mega Stone of some kind, and presented it to Heart, in a stoic yet casual way.

" This is a Swampertnite. Know you had Netune, so got it in a trade.....for you. Saved it, until I thought you earned it. Now, you have. Take it, my friend."

6: To be brief, Terra readily accepts the deal, as he always wanted a chance to have a tussle with that Giga Rhydon! Before the Trade happens, though, he offers his Delta Corsola in exchange (As he well knows Heart's love of Deltas/Usual Pokemon), and pull out the Protectorizer he got from that colourful hawk Pokemon (who's name eludes him) and asks they put it on the rocky dino to Evolve it into a Rhyperior (He did his research on it!). From what he could tell, it was unlikely that Giga Rhydon could become even more Disobedient than it already was as its Evo, so why not and see if it earns him any brownie points with the upcoming stone colossus? 

(He does not let them out, btw. Terra is dense, but not stupid enough to let out such a big bad brute in the middle of a Pokemon Center)

7:Terra fixes Heart with a stare so serious it would make most men's knee quiver, until he broke it off with a solemn nod and gave them Posei. "Very well. Will hold you to your promise, Heart, so take good care of them." Oh boy...

8 & 9: No response, sadly. With the mad scientist himself, though......well, Ven is certainly surprised, touched, and bemused by his friend's message, which manage to blunt his anxiety over the fact his friends were about to put themselves through their greatest ordeal yet. Not by much, no, but enough that he could start getting back to work without nawing his finger nails off. He also files away the picture of D-Steelix, and makes a note to inquire more about its personal details after everything is said and done......hopefully. Hopefully.....

*Flashback End!*

Spoiler

It is time at last to journey toward that fateful place, steeped in legend and haunted by more than just Ghosts! You Teleport or ride as close as you can get, to the edge of the plains, about a mile from the outermost grave to a rest stop. Beyond that, Teleporting doesn't work - in or out. Only the local Natu are capable of teleporting short distances within the Barrow Downs.

Before you can even reach the Ruins, you are spotted! There is a sound like metal-on-metal, and three robed figures (armed with metal gauntlets, naturally) come hurtling earthward like the comet itself. They pick up speed and energy as they go, but they are still barely visible, so high up are they.

Meanwhile, huge boulders are rent from their roots in the bedrock with a horrible cracking sound. They're lifted high over the heads of a dozen more figures and ready to be hurled at the trainers!

For once, there are some Pokemon with the Scimitars - two Druddigon on thick chains, held at attention by two pre-gauntlet Scimitar apprentices.


Cosh steps forward, surrounded by shimmering runes streaming from one gauntleted hand. In the other hand he holds a boulder with ease.

"Hello again. This time we meet where there are no chokepoints, no locked doors, no puzzles. Just our magic - which you can see has been greatly enhanced even since the last time we met - and you, and your pitiful Pokemon. Now we must talk."

"Can we bargain? What would it take to get you to turn back? Do you need money? Rare Pokemon? They are of little use to us individually, and you seem keen on rescuing them. Technology? Induction? Ah, but we have promised not to recruit like those fools and their Teams. Still, let us negotiate. Clearly the odds are in our favor, and our plans must not be disturbed."

The Druddigon strain at the leashes and every Scimitar pauses, spells at the ready. Even the airborne Scimitars stop midflight, cloaking themselves in power.

Terra steps forward in front of the group, his bearing firm and imposing as the very mountains he oft resembles, arms crossed as he calmly meet the floating wizard leader gaze without a shred of fear in his own at his and his subordinates display, and nods.

"Hello. Never meet you before, but heard much. Most not very good.....but not all."

He uncrosses his arms and lets them rest at his side, and regards Cosh with a strange lack of hostility and abundance of patience.

"We can bargain. But not for my group to abandon mission into Skull Ruins. Need to complete it, in order to save Cheshire from the danger of.....The Comet. Just like you do, and the Scimitars."

Pausing for a second, he extends a hand towards the arcane master, palm open in invitation and acceptance.

"I have a counter offer, though: Let us work together. Fighting each other is foolish, as we are trying to accomplish same goal, only in our own ways. Would drain us and our resources, both which are needed greatly in The Skull Ruins. Being weak and not fully prepared in there......it is a death sentence for either of us. Or worse."

"If we combine our Strength, however, surviving and exploring would be much less dangerous. Could achieve our missions much quicker, and have more time to prepare for The Comet itself. At very least, we would not waste more time, energy, health, and other stuff fighting each other here and now, and save conflict for after disaster has been.....averted."

"Please, accept this deal. Because if you refuse....."

As his voice trails off, he plucks off two Pokeballs from his belt and summons Pixie and Edmundi, both of whom stare menacingly at the Scimitar collective. The ironclad sidhe in particular is down right terrifying, as no amount of her cuteness can cover up the sheer cruel vicious playfulness that lies beneath it. Beware the fae indeed!

"Then we will make you fall. Like all our other enemies that stood against us. Including your own numbers."

His tone was cold, hard, and unyielding Steel, the very same Type of his partners. So too were his eyes, now fathomless pits that seemed posed to swallow up everything in their sight. And the less said about his expression at that moment, the better.

"So what is your choice? Will you be our friend? Or our foe?"

Order: Instead of outright trying to attack the Scimitars, let's have Terra try to use Intimidation Diplomacy (With the help of his Pokemon, and of the group too if they want to pitch in) to persaude the Scimitars to either join up with the group, or at the very least just leave them to their own devices for now. If they choice to fight......well, they were warned. I don't expect this to work at all (Not without Shiva and the more Insightful people helping out with Nice Diplomacy), but unlike the rest of the group Terra isn't raring to Fight the Scims, as he's way more focused on their mission and keeping everyone safe + doesn't hold a huge enough grudge against the organization for him to not consider peace first.