[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

That is generous indeed. I was going to suggest that they might want some TMs - (could be a flavor way to liquidate TMs from the haul earlier). 
They have to do just about nothing to win in this deal, so they accept, and the two guards on the undewater passage part.

The way they are treating the Anorith makes you think they wouldn't be averse to you knocking out a few of them. This turns out to be a good thing, because you're attacked by some savage Armaldo who scuttle along the undersea roof of the cavern and drop down on you with slashing claws. There's nothing special about them other than numbers, though, so you progress without much trouble.

You're also seeing other fossils, mostly imprinted in the walls, but a few being living fossils such as Lileep and a shy Relicanth. 

Finally, you reach the end of that tunnel and see before you a nasty gelatinous mass of long sticky pink-and-white strands, being something like seaweed in shape, but far less organized or firm. It pulses slightly in the waves. As it drifts to one side, a bright ruby like a red insectoid eye is revealed. You can see more shadowy mass within the globby goop.

Ven internally sighs in relief as they agreed to his terms, glad that he and his hired hand didn't have to risk a all out war with the gang of frogs. The less that can possibly go wrong (and the less reasons to disappoint/angry Shiva and Nathan), the better off literally everyone would be!

"*Claps hands* Excellent! Very glad you proved my hopes right, my new friends! Now, let's see to our end of the bargain first, shall we? *Raises voice* Terra, come on out now. All's well and we now have an accord with the Poliwrath, and I believe they'd have much they wish much of what you can share with them now...."

And like that the rugged wanderer joins the gathering and, after having having the whole deal explained to him, proceeds to teach every Poliwrath willing his personal Move Alloy from his infinite TM (after explain it essentially gives - 1 Damage reduction for a few Actions/a Round - need to review my notes on it, if I still have'm) , giving them an offering of some of the treasure he collected from the Skull Ruins ($2500's worth, or $4000 if they think that amount is too stingy), as well as leaving them with a handwritten note (with vocal instructions to them to keep it dry) to give to the others (Nathan in particular) explaining the deal to them and the expectation they teach their own infinite TM Moves/HM Moves (since I don't think Terra is holding one of them) to them too. If they request healing supplies, just take them an appropriate amount of them (any kind) from Terra's inventory - he can afford to get more later between all the Poke and RP wealth options he has. Hopefully that'll MORE than satisfy them into not trying to beat the researchers up!

When the primal sea dwellers try to ambush the two men, Ventus and Terra has them promptly taken out and bowled with a SURF from Ao Guang and Lapis, both having very little patience with would be threats stalling them. The paranoid rationalist is halfway tempted to kill them afterwards for their brutish impudence, but the sagely monk managed to persuade them otherwise by offering to Catch them instead to 'get them out of the way' for their friends. Lapis Lazuli himself is relieved by the lack of bloodshed, while Ao Guang and Sari are a bit upset they couldn't fully meet out some justice to those undersea curs. Terra would also be interested in getting a Lileep (or Cradily, if there is one) to tag along with him (outside of a Pokeball for now; he wants to get to know them first before deciding to catch them), if either he or Ventus could convince them to do so. More Ancient Pokemon is great for his research, and he's gained a similar appreciation that Heart has towards Rare Pokemon due to all the other wild and unique Ancients / Primals the group has Encountered!

Seeing that familiar red eye beyond that sticky, nebulous, and sinister looking neopolitan mass caused Ven's breath to catch in his throat, while Terra's eyebrows raised in marked interest and excitement. Was that what they think it was....? Of course, the aforementioned blobby mass made such an assessment difficult in more ways than one. It blocked direct visual and personal inspection, and its mere presence represented an unknown factor that could do anything for all they knew.

Paranoid and cautious as always, Ventus would attempt to use his own brand of empathy to try and suss anything out about that weird plant-like mess, while Terra humbly requests that Sari do her best to help with her Future Sight and some light Psychic power to try and push some of that sticky mass out of the way, with Ao Guang and Lapis Lazuli floating beside their respective trainers as their first defenders. Both men were ready for the worst or most disruptive things to happen, though, as both have come to expect that nothing ever came simple or easy when it comes to discoveries, investigations, and all things even remotely Legendary.