[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

(...)

Cosh catches the Shed Shell and stares into the Eye for a moment. It does exempt him from the Block effect, but it doesn't mechanically allow him to flee, per se. It definitely allows him... to betray one of his compatriots and switch places with her as she flees.

The betrayed Scimitar looks up to Heart and says "Uhhh... does that deal apply to me as well?"


But Terra has forgotten one important thing: The Combee swarm. They're still capable of building obstacles, and they're positively swarming about the place.

Cosh is gonna roll Evasion vs Vespiquen's Alert, whether she can get enough of a wall going before he starts FLYing. Let the dice decide!

Evasion: (1)(1)(3)(5)(3)(4) (1)(4)(3)(4)(3)(2) = 3 success
Alert: (2)(6)(1)(5)(6)(2) (3)(3)(2)(4)(5)(2) (2) = 5 success

Cosh flies into a wall of flying Combee, all linking together. Quickly, they build a box around him. Charizard is also released in case Cosh must be pursued, but he has orders not to fight Terra unless absolutely necessary.. You can hear Cosh casting a lot of spells in there to bust his way out, and tremendous energies are brewing. Meanwhile, Terra pulls out Pixie in addition to Melly, Intimidating anyone who tries to get up to Cosh.

The Scimitars schism here. Many of them flee from the intense League presence, not having been aware that Dagny tipped them off to arrest any robed figures. Half stay to back up their leader.

Marco doesn't release any Pokemon, but tiny Meowstic is still with him. "Steady, boys. You've paid the price honor demands, Terra. And Nathan, the League is here. It'll be OK. I have as much reason to hate Scims as you do, and I say it'll be OK."

Corporal Wake strides through the crowd and speaks an order. "Enough."
His voice is strangely compelling, and the combatants all come to a halt, even the Scimitars. Cosh, within the box, mows down all the Combee with a fiery spell. As he clambers to his feet, he comes face to face with Corporal Wake, who seems taller somehow in the aftermath of disaster. His Growlithe is definitely bigger, swathed in an aura of Flash Fire after absorbing much of the wildfire. 
"Cosh Ramsey, stand down. All of Creshire is on alert for you. Almanac is done. We have Pokemon that can strike you out of the air. Dagny has Pokemon guarding all your hidey-holes. This is your chance to come without being shot down."

Cosh tosses the Shed Shell back to Terra. "Thank you for trying, friend. Your honor is beyond reproach. Perhaps my place is here, operating within the League's jurisdiction as my peers are forced to grapple with the same problem you did. What do you owe a man who helped save the world?"

"Officer, I'll come quietly if you don't shoot down my men and women. Otherwise, it's cataclysm for all of us."
Wake glances at Nathan, but nods to Cosh whatever Nathan opines.

His secret Pokemon are confiscated. He's handcuffed, assigned a watchful Bronzong, and led away. Three of the Scims surrender as well, in hopes of a better plea deal. 


Corporal Wake: "Heart, a word with you if you don't mind? Whenever you have time. No rush."


Healing items are brought forth, but even before those reach you, Martha Warren and Professor Mallorn reach you. Each is holding an MSC crystal. Martha heads straight to her family, while Mallorn approaches the group as a whole.

"Well, boss, my town is gone, along with most of my business! But I have other offices, and all my Pokemon are OK, so can't complain too much! Oh, and my competitors are under investigation by the Creshire Intelligence Service! Ohohoho! I have a lot to say to you all. Oh, and I was hired to provide an armed escort for a very special package from HQ. It'll be filled with goodies and wealth from the League, once they work out exactly how much they owe you. The consensus is clear, though - you saved at LEAST Creshire, if not the world! And these are strange times. Deoxys has been defeated before, but always fled and its race returned on subsequent comets. This will have a big effect on the ecology of Creshire in geologic time."

"What will you do with the Artifacts now? Yeah, Dagny filled me in."


And for Shiva, someone else is here to see her - Golde arrives to interrogate the captured Scimitars and hand out freshly baked cookies.

Terra very nearly cusses when Princess' Swarm of Combee box in Cosh, his face constrained with irritation and anger at the ploy as he glared at them. He was about to throw all manner of restraint to the wind and command Melly to give EVERYONE a bone tingling shock, when he felt himself freeze momentarily when Wake Ordered the ceasefire. Of course, this wouldn't have stopped the rugged wanderer for very long, were it not for his most magical magician of a partner just......surrendered peacefully, and essentially releasing him from his oath to them. That caught him completely off guard (As Cosh was not the sort of man to be taken down lightly, nor unafraid to exploit friend and ally alike to get what he wishes) , so much so that he almost fumbled the Eye Plate when it was tossed back to him.

For a moment, he just quietly stared at Cosh, before a fist tightened around the Held Item as his expression turns stoic yet respectful and grateful as he nodded to them.

"You are welcome, friend. Hope and wish best for you, and will do what I can to help you more. Promise."

He then silently watched as his former partner was booked and lead away, not ceasing his vigil until they were out of sight, where upon he stored his Eye Plate away and slowly stalked back over to where the group had gathered. More specifically, to where Nathan and Marco were standing. To everyone, he appeared....subdued, but for those of keen Insight or possessing empathetic partner Pokemon they could see the full scope of his emotions: irritation, varying amounts and kinds of disappointment, and a bone weary regret underlying it all

Mallorn timely interruption forestalled his confrontation of the father-son pair, and what he had to say to the man's ramblings about the future state of affairs was short and concise.

"Business recover and regrow greatly, Mallorn. You are a good merchant, and have little competition in marketplace now, so you will find ways to make profits and expand business easy. *Shrugs* That is what I think. If possible, want to discuss what I get with League itself, so could you send message and help set up meeting with a representative for me? Saving Cheshire....*Shakes head* did what was needed and right. Region has been Protected, Safeguarded, and will Recover. That what matters to me. Lands and people here will survive, grow, and Evolve without Deoxys, so I do not worry or.....morn its loss."

Afterwards, it came time for him to speak with the boy and his dad, but the former beat him to the punch:

Once Cosh is hauled away, Nathan shakes his head a serious look on his face initially as he says some of his thoughts to Terra.  "...you're toeing a fine line there, Terra.  You could potentially be charged with obstruction of justice or similar, trying to pull a stunt like that.  I wouldn't want to see you get a black mark on your record, friend.  Oh, and you forgot one more thing: Blocking moves usually only last as long as their user is conscious and present on the battlefield."  Nathan chuckles, suddenly a bit more lighthearted.  That last part was said jokingly.  Partly.

Well, at least this hasn't totally soured the relationship.  Nathan found something to laugh about, anyways, and seems to still have Terra's best interests in mind.  Tough love can be rough sometimes, both to give and receive...

Oh, and Calam's popped out of his Ultra Ball now (sitting next to a meditating Gallade), and is 100% staaaaaaaarrrrrrriiiiiinnnnngggg at Terra unblinkingly.  It's almost a little unnerving, even without considering the fact that the gaze is scarred.

Despite his feelings, he took a few seconds to think over his best friend's concern, before sharply shaking his head, lightly frowning back to them.

"Don't care. Did what was right. If suffer more for it, so be it. 'A man....a good, fair man always keeps word, and honors deals he makes, or he is no good, no fair, and no man at all'. Papa taught me that, and that is what I believe."

Terra glanced down to study his hands for a moment, before regarding Nathan and Marco again.

"That.....and I owe him. For everything done for us, and Cheshire. We all owe him for that. Greatly."

His voice and expression held some measure of reproach and disappointment for the father-son pair as he said that, though most of it seemed focused on the father rather than the son. Considering it them that ultimately enabled Cosh to be screwed over by Nathan and the League, and therefore forced him to do his utmost to uphold his agreement with them and indirectly set him against his son, which could have very well end his most precious friendship with them......yeah, he has reason to not be too pleased with the could be champ. Doubly so, when you also considered they badly mucked with a agreement they had no right too, and  that he quite frankly expected better of him, considering how wise, nice, and great of a man Nathan made his father out to be.

That sour moment soon passed, however, when the Lore Master joked about Meowstic. No laughter was forthcoming from the sagely monk. His expression turned....disquieted and unhappy, and his gaze drifted to the ground once more.

".....No. I didn't. Was going to.....threaten Marco to return Meowstic to release Cosh. Fight them without mercy, if they refused. Would have done that....but I remembered Eye Plate I got. That....allowed me to change plan to something......less bad for you and him."

Shaking his head to himself slowly at that, Terra raised it to look the brilliant historian right in the eyes, his own ashamed yet resolute.

"Didn't want to Fight you or your papa like that. Not unless I had to. If I did....then I would."

He spoke those words quietly and not unkindly, yet also with brutal honesty and conviction. 

Wordlessly, he looked towards the sky for a few long seconds, looking......tried, tired, and thoughtful.

"......Do you know why we do the things we do, Nathan? Even if they be bad or painful things? Because we care. I cared enough to make deal with Cosh. To better protect you and our friends, and help us save Cheshire. Knew you would not like my deal. Knew you would take first chance to break it. Knew it would put us against each other when I would try to stop you. Knew it could ruin our friendship, could get me in trouble with League, and definitely in trouble with Ventus."

" But. ...But I made deal anyway. Because I cared. Enough that I would sacrifice everything for your and everyone's shake, to do good and right by you and Cosh. If necessary.....I would have died for you in Fight against Deoxys. Would have no regrets doing so. Would be happy and at peace with death, because you, our friends, and everyone in Cheshire would live and prosper. Because that....that is what I want."

A heavy silence slammed right down between him and the male members of the Warren Family, and it persisted for an uncomfortably long time until he wretched his sight away from the heavens and once more turned them to Nathan. This time, Terra looked worn. Worn, displeased,  and disappointed. The later two emotions were directed at not at Nathan, or even Marco, but himself.

"Should be more angry at you, Nathan. Should be furious for you breaking our alliance with Cosh, and getting him caught. For being.....not very grateful for what he did for us. For what I did for you, and would have done. But.....I am not. Because I understand. Like I care for deal and for everyone, you care about getting justice for everyone hurt by Cosh, and seeing him get justice for his crimes. You care about making sure he could never do bad again, and that he can never hurt the ones you love. Understand you never would see good in them, be grateful to them, think they could become a better person, or think they deserve second chance. Have understood that for a long time, before and after Skull Ruins. Had understood that when I made deal with Cosh. Understood it would lead to....trouble and conflict with us. Understood it would lead to moments like this. Could have prevent it all. Easily. Just had to choose to Fight Cosh. Would have prevent this mess, if we won. Knew and understood that, too." 

Terra closed his eyes for a second and heaved a sigh so heavy you could almost feel its crushing weight.

"But I didn't. Didn't, because I did what was best for you, not the best for us."

"Nathan.....I'm sorry. Sorry for putting you through that, forcing you to accept my decision, and for hurting you because of it. I'm sorry that I almost betrayed you and hurt your dad. I'm sorry that I am mad at you, despite understanding why. I'm sorry....for being a terrible friend."

Terra then turned to regard Calam, unflinching meeting their judgmental gaze and solemnly accepting whatever ill will or dubious emotion they were sending.

"I'm sorry for betraying your trust and expectations, Calam."

He turned away from the Warren family and heaved another sigh, slumping inwards on himself ever so slightly.

".....I will go now. Need to heal my partners, deal with business....and time for myself. To decide what I should do. With you, and my future."

Thus spoken, Terra departed.