[Game Thread] Pokerole: Mount Coronet Mystery

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

"Melissa can heal up to 6 pokemon at once, yeah.  It takes a lot out of her, though, so I try to avoid asking her to do so more than once every few days unless it's absolutely necessary.  I was mostly waiting for you guys to wake up so we could make sure we have our priorities straight regarding who needs the healing the most."

"Hmm, that so? *Sighs* Well, guess me and Paula can do without the undine's healing, then. Nurses will take care of my big girl, and she deserves after nearly being made into a fish patty twice by that goddamn monster. Focus on healing Kogeki's, you, and both your Pokemon, alright?"
-----------------------------------

Kogeki's question to Byron about his memory slightly offends him, actually.  "Why the hell are you acting like I'm some sort of amnesiac or something?  I remember everything perfectly clear, and I know how I ended up here.  Got an emergency call from the Oreburgh Mine about a black Onix causing havoc.  Called for everyone to drop what they were doing and get out while I dealt with it.  Found more than I was bargaining for, though, as you saw."

Understandably, Byron looks rather confused at Randolph's response to his questions at first, but he patiently listens as the former foreman explains everything that's happened to the Gym Leader.

By the end of it, Byron certainly has more questions than answers.  He brings a hand up to his forehead to try and stave off a headache as he processes the information he's been given.  Lucas, meanwhile, looks surprised himself when Randolph lresents the Azure Flute as proof.  The Champ doesn't say anything about it right away, though, as there's more pressing issues currently.  Like past Byron finally responding to that massive info dump.  "...so you're telling me that something is wrong at Spear Pillar, it's twisting Time and Space, people caught up in it have no idea how they got there, and you're all from the future?  By the Steel Titan, what in the blazes have I gotten involved in...?"

He sighs, then stands up, leaning on his shovel for support on the side with his injured leg.  "Well, no use crying over dented Steel.  If it's all the same to you, I'd prefer to get out of here before I end up somewhere I shouldn't be, or something else out of the ordinary occurs.  I did what I came here to do, thanks to all of you, and I don't see any reason to stick around longer than necessary.  I honestly haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary with the mine beyond those Onix and Steelix, so I doubt the layout of the mine has changed all that much.  I should be able to find my own way out, I reckon."

"As for our next move, I did some scouting around, and as far as I can tell, we're in the Oreburgh Mine, just like Byron says.  Layout doesn't look that different to me either, aside from where we entered.  We should probably keep looking for the stairs, though I doubt they'll be in these coal mines, honestly.  It all looks like familiar territory."

"Bah.  Guess I'll have to close the mine for a week or so while we 'clear out the rubble' and 'ensure it's safe for further operations'.  Perfect.  At least I can probably get the hell out of here to do just that."

"That would probably be for the best, yeah.  Maybe don't mention the Diamond Steelix and us, either."

"Wasn't planning on it.  Don't want to bring any attention to this little crisis before it's even begun, or get any hotshot trainers like that hotheaded Cynthia I faced the other day visiting thinking they can capture that gem of a Steelix.  I'll just fudge the truth a little, say there was only one Onix and that I drove it off.  Well, if you'll excuse me, I need to be taking my leave so I can run damage control."

Byron turns to walk off, but he doesn't get very far before the ground begins to tremble!  He stumbles and catches himself on his shovel before he falls over!  "What in the blazes of Heatran...?!"

Emerging from the ground in an unoccupied corner of the room is an all too familiar shape to Randolph.  The dark black hide, the large, chipped horn...there's no mistaking it.  It's the Coal Onix that Randolph has been seeking vengeance against all these years.  It's clearly still hurt badly from the earlier battle, though, so why is it here?

It stares long and hard at Randolph and company for what feels like an eternity.  Lucas silently motions to Turk to be on guard.  Paula and Heracross tense up as they prepare for Round 2 with the snake, no matter how short lived that fight may be.  Byron reaches for a pokeball on his belt...

But then the Coal Onix does something unexpected.  The end of its tail pops out of the ground, curled around something.  It deposits whatever it is it in front of itself, gives Randolph and Kogeki a thankful nod of respect...

...then it burrows underground and out of sight, leaving behind two items.

The first, a blue, rectangular slab that Randolph can identify as a Splash Plate.  Kogeki's gaze is immediately drawn to it.



The second, a pitch black, egg shaped item decorated with what looks like sparkling diamond dust.

The mine becomes completely silent once again as those two items lay there on the ground, left as gifts by the Coal Onix...

Well, if that snappy reply doesn't confirm this Bryon is from the past, then he'll eat his hardhat! It also 'nicely' lines up to what he remembered happening during that crisis , giving him a frame of reference of exactly when his best friend came from.

Ran takes note of Lucas' surprise over 'his' Azure Flute, but like The Champ he doesn't bring it up with them, saving that curiosity for later and comforting Alman about the completely, utterly, yet horribly true Rapidash plop he just force feed them. Oh yes, he very well understood and sympathized with their frustration about being a part of that mess, no matter how tangentially or incidentally.

"Yes, yes and yes, sorry as I am to say. Like I said before, you don't deserve to be caught up in this bloody fiasco - no one does - but if its any comfort you're handling it better than most. Including myself, when I started figuring out the sort of job I was persuaded to joining."

The dwarven craftsmith nods understandingly and in approval at his past - future - best friend period desire to get the hell out of this mess, something he wised was an option for him but wasn't, couldn't.

"Right, and that's all right by me. Perfectly logic and reasonable for anyone not being involved in this molten hot mess of a job, let alone you Bryon. *Sighs* Not sure if you can get out of this Mystery Dungeon so easy, though. Usually if you end up in one, you're stuck in it like a old rusted nut on small thread, or at least that what Scizors 'told' us. The Explorer Badge he gave us might get ya out of these mines, though, but I'm not sure if it would transport ya outside the mines in your time, or outside Mt. Coronet in my time. *Pinches nose* Goddamn it, what to do...."

Ran has zero qualms about this incident being kept in confidence between everyone present here, as the less people know about what truly took place in Orebourgh Mines on that dark, the better for all involved in it. When Byron was about to leave (whichever way he choose), though, the midget miner would briefly stop him , looking at his best friend with a quiet, solemn expression.

"....You should probably already know this or will, but my past self.....he didn't take what happened well. Not at all. It....hurt him, badly. Blames.....blamed himself the whole disaster for not acting quick enough to save his men. So much so he personally told families the news himself and quit his job out of....shame and guilt, and moved to Canaclave. To get away from it, and start again. *Looks down* But....it'll eat at him forever, and he'll have no one to help him through it all. *Looks back up at Byron* It's....not my place to ask ya this, Byron, but......could you look after my past self? Help him recover and cope, and be a good friend to him? He'll be a right moppy and mean bastard with a whole loaded minecart of issue, but beneath it all he's a real gem. *Snorts* Or will be, someday, in my impartial opinion. So....could you help him, Alman?"



That Coal Onix's aburpt reappearance caused him to go still and collapse from, paling as he stared eye to eye with the pitch black behemoth, all his old trauma rearing its ugly hand with full force. Now that he or his partners/best friend weren't in a life or death battle and him beaten up like a mistreated stress ball, Randolph was more susceptible than ever to the terror and paralysis he felt every time he recalled it. Here he was, worn out, tired, and defenseless against the Pokemon that ruined his life and took so many, many more. What could he do? What would it do?

As it turned out, give the group gifts and its gratitude for beating it near senseless, apparently. That shocked him to his core, so much so he could only vacantly stare after it retreated, looking so lost and confused as to what in all the heavens and hells just happened. Why did that....that monster thank and respect them, him, for what they did, after what [b]it did. It....it didn't make sense at all, unless, unless.....

Needless to say, Randolph was....stuck, mentally speaking.

(....And that should give Spiritmon and you Dragonstrike time to react! This whole Encounter has been one fun, wild ride, and it hasn't disappointed me once so far!)[/b]