[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

"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." (...)

Towards these words Shiva looks very pleased and grateful!~ Her posture and expression all visibly relax. "That's...likely the closest of an agreement we'll reach, isn't it? It's an agreement that I'm absolutely and totally fine with, yes, thank thee so sooo much! (⌒▽⌒)☆ Let's do that once I hopefully found part.1 of the objectives I came for, shall we?~"

She's all delighted and smiles to herself as she blatantly hopes that she won't be too late, and Shiva's also somewhat proud of herself: First because she managed to convince Ed and Rita and propose her points (something she would struggled with at the beginning of the journey through the region), and second because the Artifact is such a neat door opener.

---

After a lot of searching, Shiva finds a strange trail of bubbles. Each one is full of thick thick mud. The underwater bubbles get bigger and less diffuse as they get farther from their source, so it's easy to follow.

A school of small and curious Qwilfish and Barboach are following the bubbles, but don't seem to be the source of them. Instead, you follow them (I presume) to their origin point in a small sandy cave that seems directly underneath the outer portions of Garlicburg. A chimney of stone leads straight upward, channeling any rogue waves straight upward. A new species of the giant kelp clings to the walls, surviving off the salty moisture. You can see big Shellder up there gnawing on it, and you can see daylight at the top. But all the kelp ceases immediately about a meter from the top.

Meanwhile, down in the sea cavern, Azu silently points toward a glitter of light adorning the top of a large, crude, mudcastle. Half-submerged in the mud is a 10' Kingler, his mouth carefully lowered to the water where he is blowing the big muddy bubbles. One claw is so large that it is almost entirely sunken in the dirt. The other is small, sharp, and more agile-looking.

And so the natural fae-enthusiast, her dear blue magician of an Azumarill and the lovely Pokemon sociologist with the big heart begin their search... Shiva's very pleased to be accompanied by Ven on this.♡

Yes naturally she does follow the trail of these bubbles full of thick thick mud - it's a hint, it's a curiosity, it's something that might lead her somewhere interesting. As they do so she's very careful to NOT touch nor get TOO close to one of these bubbles though and indicates Qwilfish and Barboach to do so as well, she's got a bad feeling about that.

As they reach the sandy cave, discover that...mudcastle(!) and spot something glittery(!!!) thanks to Azu, Shiva's THRILLED TO BITS, what a beautiful and unique place this is!!! Her sixth sense automatically makes her desire for this glittering decoration atop the castle, is that...? It's definitely possible!!

That Kingler's in the way though. Shiva gently gestures to Azu to CAREFULLY approach this crab, 'respond' to their stream of bubbles with a bubblebeam'd one herself, generally just make them notice her to see how they react to the visitors - all while the Shield's protection is granted to Azu, just in case. Shiva may try to avoid fighting them at first, but something's telling her that in one way or the other she'll have to do so eventually - Kingler likely won't part with precious things just like that.