[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Dragonstrike]

"Well.... it's true that you have the Artifacts. I can't risk my soldiers down there, though. We could set up a cordon in the big hallway around that entire area, lock all but one door for you to access at your own risk. That's the best I can offer. And you'll have to report on everything you find there."

Nathan and Kingdra "fly" off in one direction while Shiva scubas in another.

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Nathan, and anyone who chooses to accompany him, finds themselves passing the same rock over and over again. It's identifiable by the spiral pattern on it, visible within a beam of sunlight that pierces the depths. Circling a hundred feet above, darting in and out of the kelp circle, you see the silhouettes of some broad fishlike Pokemon with fins almost like frilled wings. The details are not clear, but Kingdra actually looks unusually nervous.

"That all sounds agreeable.  After we're done with the DIVING, I'll see what I can do about those labs."

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The newly evolved master of both sea and sky, nervous?  How unexpected...this is, however a good opportunity for Nathan to reassure the Dragon (thanks to DIVE providing an air bubble for him, so he can actually talk to the seahorse).  "We're working as a team, yeah?  I'm trusting you to lead us to our destination, and you can trust me to back you up.  This Sword isn't just for show, after all.  And together, we should be able achieve things that neither of us would be able to accomplish alone.  Right?  Let's proceed with caution, but confidence."

Passing the same rock over and over again, eh?  And said rock has a spiral pattern...hmmmm...well, if they're going in circles for unexplainable reasons, then this is likely some kind of puzzle that needs to be solved before they can proceed.  Nathan indicates to Kingdra that they should get closer to the rock so that he can examine it more carefully, while he asks everyone present to keep an eye on those fish circling above.  If they have to fight those pokemon, he doesn't want to be caught off guard by them while trying to investigate that rock.