[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Dragonstrike]

"Have you heard from him??? I think the best thing to do for my brother right now is just to wait. If you see him, tell him I'll see him soon. Maybe in a few months or something."

"I didn't mention the League because I think it will motive you. I mention the League because I think they will look upon any of your actions in the best light possible. They'll grant you any favor you ask - and my biggest problem is getting my Pokemon PC boxes transferred. The PC technology is incredibly impressive - the various Scimitar organizations tried for years to replicate it without an ounce of success. Others before them tried as well. Nor the similar Pokecenter technology. It cannot be replicated. There are no people, nor group of people, who can equate to another Bill, another Joy family. It cannot be hacked. But Bill, at the League's command, can see international transfers, and it might raise suspicion.  My first task for you would be to receive all but six of my most loyal Pokemon in trades. Make it known that you are traveling to another region with a plausible excuse. Send them all overseas. Then help me FLY to another region and trade them all back."

Nathan addresses the latter part first since it's the easier of the two answers.  "Well, I wasn't planning to take a trip to a foreign region so soon, but I was thinking about making a trip to Sinnoh at some point.  Maybe Unova as well.  Have a few possible contacts in both regions that I'd like to meet with in the future.  Kind of want to make sure things have settled down here a little first before going anywhere, but what you're requesting would definitely be doable.  I don't really need to come up with any special excuses as long as Creshire's not on fire.  Figuratively speaking."

He keeps that response and theorizing relatively brief, because this isn't one of the main topics he came here to talk with Kelda about.  Her brother is a far more pressing matter right now.

"As for your brother, I haven't heard from him yet, no.  I have no idea how much he might know about our brief partnership during that alien invasion.  But as I said, there's a chance I might run into him soon.  Scimitar activity has been picking up again recently according to Dagny, and I'm going to be getting involved in rather major events that I suspect the Water Scimitars might have had more than a hand in, possibly as soon as this week or the next.  As of right now, I can't guarantee things will go well if I meet him on the battlefield.  Best case scenario: he ends up in jail for association with the Scimitars, and that's if he's not played a major role in anything illegal."

He frowns as he recalls what he knows of a similar situation someone he knows is in.  "If you leave the region now, you'll be cut off from your brother, have no say in or knowledge of what might happen to him while you're gone.  I currently have little reason to think he'll be as receptive as you were to what I may have to say.  The Water Scimitars aren't likely to be looked upon by the League as favorably as the Earth Scimitars either since they didn't directly help with fighting Deoxys."  

He looks at Kelda dead on, a resolved look in his eyes.  "That's the other reason I decided to seek you out, however.  You have a chance to make a difference here.  To help him more directly.  I can tell you care a lot about him and think rather highly of him, and you probably know him better than anyone else.  If I can help with making sure your family doesn't fall apart in some way, then I'd be glad to do so.  We don't always have to fight for the big ideas and the good of the world.  Sometimes, all you need to do to make everything around you better is live the best life you can.  And if there's anything redeemable about your brother, I want to make sure those qualities come to light.  It may lessen whatever punishment might be in store for him if and when he's apprehended.  I probably can't do it alone, though.  I'll need your help.  And if you can help me with that, maybe there's more we can help each other with, too.  You might be able to help me make Creshire a better place, one step at a time."

Hopefully that gives Kelda a little more to think about.  It's only one puzzle piece, but if Nathan can get that one piece in place, the rest of the big picture might begin to fall into place much more easily than before.  Every journey starts with a single step, and every plan has something that needs to be done first...

It all boils down to this one question:

"Are you still sure that running away is the best course of action, Kelda?"