[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Lord Windos]

"Well, I know about as much as you do concerning Meloetta and Victini, unfortunately. The only additional tibit of information I know about them is that they are occasionally spoted in Castelia City, but that is it. As for Geneosect...I can tell you all about her. First of all, the preported rumors are very much reality. A team of Plasma's finest scientist and some shady fossil expert managed not only to revive the Pokémon, but also managed to change transmogrify it to an extent I didn't believe possible! The scientist somehow managed to alter the typical Rock typing present in revived fossil Pokémon, changing it to Steel type to get the most optimal type combination. Then they heavily sedated the poor thing and conducted an extensive suite of cybernetic and mechanical body modification to not only enhance the power and typing present in Geneosect, but also to make it far more controllable."

"Finally, the crowning achievement of the project was the successfully installation of the Drive System and Ability Modifier. The Drive System, in conjuction with the Techno Blast Cannon they installed/grafted into Geneosect, would allow the energy fired from it to change Type according to what type of Drive was inserted into it. I believe the researcher behind this tech created 5 elemental drive for this purpose, before his project was cut aburtly. The Ability modifier changed its nature ability to that of Dowload, and was said to be able to do similar changes to other Pokémon, but the device has since been lost to the annels of history."

"Now let's talk about Kyurem.  You are partially correct about Kyurem once being a part of the original dragon, but they are not his shell. Rather, they are what was left after Reshirem and Zekrom became two distinct entities. The reminant energy conglomerated together and end up crashing outside of where Lacunosa Town is today, starting the myths surrounding the creature. If Reshirem represents the Truth of the world, and Zekrom represent Belief, then it would be apt to say that Kyurem represent the concept of 'Null', which is either the absence of Truth and Belief, or a concept that transcend both, depending on who you ask. Its base typing is Dragon/Ice, but that can change if it and one of its 'Brothers' are somehow fused together. I'm not entirely clear on the process, so forgive me for being vague, but the end result is a being that is far more powerful than the sum of its parts, able to draw upon the power of both its base form and that of its fusion partner."

"That's the specific information I know about these two Pokémon, but if you have any question about my knowledge, feel free to ask!"

[Dragonstrike]

"Well, I know about as much as you do concerning Meloetta and Victini, unfortunately. The only additional tibit of information I know about them is that they are occasionally spoted in Castelia City, but that is it. As for Geneosect...I can tell you all about her. First of all, the preported rumors are very much reality. A team of Plasma's finest scientist and some shady fossil expert managed not only to revive the Pokémon, but also managed to change transmogrify it to an extent I didn't believe possible! The scientist somehow managed to alter the typical Rock typing present in revived fossil Pokémon, changing it to Steel type to get the most optimal type combination. Then they heavily sedated the poor thing and conducted an extensive suite of cybernetic and mechanical body modification to not only enhance the power and typing present in Geneosect, but also to make it far more controllable."

"Finally, the crowning achievement of the project was the successfully installation of the Drive System and Ability Modifier. The Drive System, in conjuction with the Techno Blast Cannon they installed/grafted into Geneosect, would allow the energy fired from it to change Type according to what type of Drive was inserted into it. I believe the researcher behind this tech created 5 elemental drive for this purpose, before his project was cut aburtly. The Ability modifier changed its nature ability to that of Dowload, and was said to be able to do similar changes to other Pokémon, but the device has since been lost to the annels of history."

"Now let's talk about Kyurem.  You are partially correct about Kyurem once being a part of the original dragon, but they are not his shell. Rather, they are what was left after Reshirem and Zekrom became two distinct entities. The reminant energy conglomerated together and end up crashing outside of where Lacunosa Town is today, starting the myths surrounding the creature. If Reshirem represents the Truth of the world, and Zekrom represent Belief, then it would be apt to say that Kyurem represent the concept of 'Null', which is either the absence of Truth and Belief, or a concept that transcend both, depending on who you ask. Its base typing is Dragon/Ice, but that can change if it and one of its 'Brothers' are somehow fused together. I'm not entirely clear on the process, so forgive me for being vague, but the end result is a being that is far more powerful than the sum of its parts, able to draw upon the power of both its base form and that of its fusion partner."

"That's the specific information I know about these two Pokémon, but if you have any question about my knowledge, feel free to ask!"

"Hmmm...interesting, interesting...seeing as it was Team Plasma who was doing the research on Genesect, that would mean it would have had to have been one of the higher ups there who cut the project short...that would have been N who gave the order, right?  I can't imagine any of the Seven Sages would have interfered, and N is rather well known for his respect of pokemon...and Kyurem...is it entirely wrong to say it's at least partially the shell of the Original Dragon?  If it can fuse with Reshiram and Zekrom, then there must be some sort of physical connection...heck, if it were to somehow fuse with both of them, would we see the Original Dragon in all its glory?  That's left a lot of questions, but none that we can answer right now...

"I believe that's probably as far as we'll get concerning Unova, unfortunately.  If you'd like, I can enlighten you on the history of Creshire.  Might help explain some of the..quirks the locals tend to have, shall we say."

Kirlia's still dancing for Shiva.  The combee have returned though, looking very happy!  Staryu, Swiftfire, and Porygon have pretty much wrapped up their training as well, and are currently relaxing after all that hard work.

[Lord Windos]

Clasping his hand together, Ventus gave a nod at Nathan's deduction about the termination of the Geneosect project. "You would be correct in your assumption, my friend. N didn't like the tampering that was going on with the Legendary, considering it inhumane and a blasphemy against the natural state of the Pokémon, so he ordered the end of the project. The researcher head and a few scientist still managed to finish the project in secret, but the lack of funding and being stigmied by the rest of Team Plasma forced them to scale back vastly. It was not a particularly happy time for the scientists who put some much effort into the being, only for a higher up to try and kill their dreams abruptly," the researcher said, a frown cresting his face as he finished talking about the Legendary Bug Pokémon.

"As for Kyurem being the shell of the Original Dragon...there is evidence to support such claims, but I prefer to believe that the dragon is its own unique being, rather than a cast off remnant of the Origin that came to life. I worship them and Reshirem, so I am a bit biased with my opinion about them, so forgive me for my defensiveness about them. Bringing all of them together again, though...I don't believe that quite possible anymore. The Trio of dragons have become distinct entities in of themselves, far removed from their 'creator', and attempting to fuse them all back together again would most likely create another being, rather than the Original Dragon. Still, the fact that Kryurem  can fuse with either the Black or White Dragon does show that its possible for it to happen, but the technology for that is far, far away for now," Ventus said, looking quite serious after his explaination on Kyurem. The trio is a subject very dear to his heart, and its only natural he treats it as such!

When Nathan offered to tell him the Legends of Cheshire, the researcher couldn't help but clap his hand in delight, unable to keep the excitement entirely within him. "If you are willing, I would greatly desire to learn more about your region's myths and culture! I'm a stranger from lands afar, so such information would be beneficial for me to learn!"

[Iron]

Cottonee floats around, Mega Draining nutrients from the unripe berries off of bushes. The Pokemon takes care not to absorb from any bush that might die from it.

Plusle and Minun like your new acquisition, and they make it their personal mission to cheer her up with their antics. Azurill likes to watch them, but it doesn't cheer the poor Pokemon up.

Kirlia has a lot of respect for Shiva, but he doesn't want anyone to forget that his original and true loyalty is to Nathan. He plays a dancing, teleporting game with the purple pearl, where he throws it and catches his own throw. Once he misses, but the pearl is quite durable.

Azurill likes watching all these things happening from the top hat. She proves she is very strong by lifting the pink pearl in one paw and hopping around on one foot - the same pearl Ralts could only stagger around with. This also seems to be the first time she has been outside the hat in a while.

Helios is not interested in showing off while Kirlia is around. He doesn't want to be upstaged. But when you go off on your own, he shows you the full extent of his psychic powers: a bit of hovering, a bit of teleporting, a little bit of foresight about danger. You also think you could tutor it in Double Team with relative ease! Jealous of Kirlia's illusory foretellings, Abra hints that it, too, can create illusions - if only of itself. So consider Abra having Double Team as cost "?".

[Dragonstrike]

Clasping his hand together, Ventus gave a nod at Nathan's deduction about the termination of the Geneosect project. "You would be correct in your assumption, my friend. N didn't like the tampering that was going on with the Legendary, considering it inhumane and a blasphemy against the natural state of the Pokémon, so he ordered the end of the project. The researcher head and a few scientist still managed to finish the project in secret, but the lack of funding and being stigmied by the rest of Team Plasma forced them to scale back vastly. It was not a particularly happy time for the scientists who put some much effort into the being, only for a higher up to try and kill their dreams abruptly," the researcher said, a frown cresting his face as he finished talking about the Legendary Bug Pokémon.

"As for Kyurem being the shell of the Original Dragon...there is evidence to support such claims, but I prefer to believe that the dragon is its own unique being, rather than a cast off remnant of the Origin that came to life. I worship them and Reshirem, so I am a bit biased with my opinion about them, so forgive me for my defensiveness about them. Bringing all of them together again, though...I don't believe that quite possible anymore. The Trio of dragons have become distinct entities in of themselves, far removed from their 'creator', and attempting to fuse them all back together again would most likely create another being, rather than the Original Dragon. Still, the fact that Kryurem  can fuse with either the Black or White Dragon does show that its possible for it to happen, but the technology for that is far, far away for now," Ventus said, looking quite serious after his explaination on Kyurem. The trio is a subject very dear to his heart, and its only natural he treats it as such!

When Nathan offered to tell him the Legends of Cheshire, the researcher couldn't help but clap his hand in delight, unable to keep the excitement entirely within him. "If you are willing, I would greatly desire to learn more about your region's myths and culture! I'm a stranger from lands afar, so such information would be beneficial for me to learn!"

"Very well then.  Bear with me for a moment, because it's a rather...complex topic."

He reaches into his bag, and pulls out a thick journal.  "Just gotta make sure I have all my facts straight, first...I know this topic well, but double checking now and again never hurts."  He flips through the pages.  "Let's see...Kanto...Johto...Hoenn...Sinnoh...Unova...ah, better note that information I just learned real quickly..."  He pulls out a pen, and scribbles something in the journal.  "Now, where was I?  Ah, right.  Kalos...Tandor...Alola...here they are.  My notes on Creshire."  He spends a few minutes reviewing the topic, before he starts reading some of his notes out loud.

"Creshire.  A region filled with respect and pride for its past.  Rather secluded from the rest of the regions, its people mostly stick to themselves.  As long as events don't affect Creshire, you won't find many who care.  When it DOES involve Creshire though...well, all of a sudden, they care a great deal.  The topic of its past is one of very tricky ground.  If you don't get the details exactly right, as well as respect them, you'll find yourself on the receiving end of the locals' ire, at best.  

"Creshire fancies itself as the cradle of civilization as it is today, which it is in a way.  The very first Pokemon League was founded in this region, towards the end of King Sarimanok's reign as the Last King of Creshire.  The kings of Creshire were well respected and loved by the people, and commanded the respect of even legendary pokemon.  No small feat, particularly given the sheer strength pokemon used to exhibit thousands of years ago."

Nathan pauses here and looks up from the book.  "I've stated most of this already, if you remember.  But here's some of the specifics.  You're aware of how powerful TMs and HMs are, yes?  Well, back then, TMs and HMs were much...purer.  They weren't the fancy disks we have today, but their usage was...not lightly done.  They used to be VASTLY more powerful.  Particularly the HMs.  Cut's used to strike down small trees today, right?  The ancient, original versions could go through steel, they say.  Something the First League used to breach Sarimanok's defenses when they dethroned him.  Unfortunately, the potency of TM copying has degraded over such a long period of time, and they probably won't ever be as strong as they once were...if someone were to find one of the original HMs though?  That'd make whoever found them capable of awesome and terrifying feats."  He looks back down at the book.

"It is partially because of the power of the original TMs and HMs that the people of the region came to respect the strength of ALL pokemon.  Even an undersized Rattata was an enormous threat if it was taught Cut.  Not a single soul in the region dared cross a pokemon, lest it somehow knew a terrifyingly powerful move.  And so, the people grew alongside them as friends and partners instead, using that strength to their advantage instead of detriment.  There were some who abused such powers, but it was nothing that couldn't be answered in kind.  The Age of Kings was a mostly peaceful time.  

"The King was determined not by lineage, but by the respect of the legendaries.  Kings would train those they thought worthy of the crown in their ways of ruling, and the legendaries found throughout the region would test them.  Creshire has no unique legendaries of its own, instead known to be home to many legendaries that there are known multiples of, such as Shaymin, Latias, and Latios.  While the Kings commanded the respect of legends, they did not use them for simple sport, and only called upon their aid in times of crisis.  Except for when King Sarimanok fell from grace.  Nobody knows why, but he appeared to have restrained the legendaries of the region and bound them to his will using early pokeball-like technology.  He is said to have constructed a throne made entirely of Charizard Skulls, and ruled from it as a tyrant, unlike the benevolent and well liked personality he had had before.  Legendaries were powerful enough on their own, and Sarimanok was now augmenting their power with the TMs and HMs he'd acquired using his vast wealth and influence.  The First League was the only thing that could even attempt to stand against his might.

"And stand against it they did.  He might have once commanded the respect of legendaries and bound an entire team's worth to him, but he could not stand against the combined might of the League's strongest trainers.  He was dethroned, and executed for his crimes against pokemon and people alike.  The League was now in charge, and founded the basis of what is today's civilization.  Creshire's legends have since been in hiding, only occassionally showing themselves to those they think worthy of their strength.  But never in as large numbers as the Kings once encountered.  The most legendaries any one person has ever been recorded to have owned since those days is 2, with one exception where a Champion had 3.  I've read about some recent trainers in the last 10 years having more than 3, but those cases are rare and nobody in this region would believe me if I told them that."

Nathan looks up from the journal again. "So, in short, this region highly respects it's pokemon due to its history with them as partners and respect for them as beings more powerful than ourselves.  That's just a brief primer on this region's rich history, but it's the main meat of it as well.  If you'd like, I can go into some detail on the present situation in the region as well.  A lot of it pertains to who's in charge currently, but there's also smatterings concerning the Skull Ruins, which I think you'd probably be interested in hearing considering...what happened earlier."

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

... Awesome. Who thought that a simple Kirlia was needed to bring her own Psychic Pokemon - that was asleep most of the time, by the way - to display his arsenal of powers? It was way way more than Shiva expected. Thought it would be way harder to reach to Helios. But... At the same time, she felt that they might have a hard time if paired together... Kirlia must be some sort of showoff in her Pokemon's eyes.

At some point, this all got pretty exhausting. And boring to watch. And a little bit of annoying, maybe - Kirlia was full of energy. Shiva was not. Shiva turned around, in direction where Ventus and Nathan were, and outright yelled at the latter. Not in an angry tone, rather in one that clearly said 'enough of this'.

"Eh... Nathan... I'd greatly appreciate if you'd take some better care of your newly evolved Pokemon." 'And not let me do this for you', but that was a thing she did not speak out aloud.

[Dragonstrike]

... Awesome. Who thought that a simple Kirlia was needed to bring her own Psychic Pokemon - that was asleep most of the time, by the way - to display his arsenal of powers? It was way way more than Shiva expected. Thought it would be way harder to reach to Helios. But... At the same time, she felt that they might have a hard time if paired together... Kirlia must be some sort of showoff in her Pokemon's eyes.

At some point, this all got pretty exhausting. And boring to watch. And a little bit of annoying, maybe - Kirlia was full of energy. Shiva was not. Shiva turned around, in direction where Ventus and Nathan were, and outright yelled at the latter. Not in an angry tone, rather in one that clearly said 'enough of this'.

"Eh... Nathan... I'd greatly appreciate if you'd take some better care of your newly evolved Pokemon." 'And not let me do this for you', but that was a thing she did not speak out aloud.

Oh, she did NOT just yell at him about that.  "Not entirely my fault he evolved, you know!  Let him have his fun for now.  He'll stop when he's had enough, I'm sure."  His tone is much the same as Shiva's.  He never really had to manage Ralts carefully, and he was clearly still enjoying the new power and whatever had made him happy enough to evolve.  He didn't want to stop the train in its tracks now that it had gotten rolling.  This amount of joy would be good for Kirlia in the long run.  The pokemon had never looked happier.  As long as he didn't wander off, Nathan was happy with just letting him relax in his own way.

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

Azurill likes watching all these things happening from the top hat. She proves she is very strong by lifting the pink pearl in one paw and hopping around on one foot - the same pearl Ralts could only stagger around with. This also seems to be the first time she has been outside the hat in a while.

Aww. Another suprise for today...  An awesome display of power by a little blue mouse, a sad one on top of that... Hehe, but given Marill-Line was practically known for their hidden huge power... In fact, if you don't take care, an Azumarill might just knockdown a grown adult. In a playful manner, of course.

And... the Azurill did not object at all as Shiva nudged it with a Pokeball earlier. A good sign.

Once the mouse has handed back the pearl to its original owner, Shiva called ithe mouse by her side. Azurill hoped to her, in a...was this joy? At least, it didn't looked sad currently. Rather...a bit better... It jumped back into the top hat as Shiva offered it to the mouse.

She gently stroke the Azurill a little behind the ears, keeping it close to her, speaking to it in the usual calm tone. Fairies still are sensitive to emotions, maybe Azurill was caught by all the joy Kirlia was dsiplaying...

"Feeling a little better? That's great to see. See, you surely can be happy, and you quite impressed me, honestly speaking..." From bagpack, she then drew that familiar Minccino's Tail she already lured Plusle and Minun to join her, and removed the old Soothe Bell attached with the purple ribbon from it. The bell has lost most of its shine, but it was still giving out a calm chirm if moved. Just more faint than a new one, obviously. Azurill seemed rather curious about this, and gazed at the scenery...before the mouse found herself having the Soothe Belle attached to the black and thin part of her tail, right before blue bubble.

"Just a gift for you. Enjoy, dear one." Regardless of the old faded bell will have the effect it's secretly known for - lure Pokemon into a state of euphoria - lil' blue mouse deserved this at any costs. Now everytime Azurill hops around, it gives out a faint chirm!

[Lord Windos]

When Nathan pulled out his think journal, Ventus took that as a cue to pull of one of his own. Reaching into his ever faithful satchel, he pull out a different notebook than his research one, opened it open, and flick his wrist. Out come a pen from...somewhere (How does he do that?!), and he immedianlty started taking notes of what the young trainer was saying. The weird part was that he was totally focused on Nathan's telling of his people's legends, but was still able to quickly and cleaning take notes without complication.

'Cheshire's history, the TMs/HMs and their massive impact on the region association with Pokémon, the leadership and succession system prior to the founding of the league, and the fact that its teeming with Legendaries...how utterly fascinating! They way they treat Pokémon is remarkably similar to my fellow Unovans, only to a far great extreme, and stand in stark contrast to Kanto/Jhoto of Pokémon control and separatism. The fact that they claim to be the founders of the  first League, when Sinnoh claims to be the oldest region in the world, as their amazing monarchy system, is also quite interesting...' the researcher though, jolting down these tibits of info rapidly into his notebook.

Nathan claim of Legendaries being somewhat common place in Cheshire was also extraordinary, but to a lesser extent, given the fact that the Legends of his region interacted and even helped his own people quite frequently during the past and present. 'The Alola region Legendaries and Guardian Deities also have a history of lending aid to humans in times of distress, so while Chesires abundance of Legends is  not that atypical. I better not say that to Nathan, though, or he might get incessed,' Ventus though, carefully making a mental note to do just that. There has been far too much conflict in his group as it is, and he need not exacerbate tension even more than he already does so!

Finishing he book keeping as Nathan winded up his lectured, he snapped his notebook shut and put it and the pen into his satchel. Smiling joyfully at the young trainer, he could only bow in gratitude for the information. "My deepest thanks, my friend, for filling me into the intricacies of your home region. Its remarkably similar to my own, but it appear that your culture outstrips us in regards to honoring Pokémon and their power! Though, I think if you told any Kantoans or Jhoto citizens your history, they would only scoff at you in disbelief or be just confused, since they are more...dominating when it comes their relationship with Pokémon. Little too much for my tastes, as a matter of fact, but one must not look down at your fellow man for simply carrying different beliefs of there own," Ventus told him, looking quite content with the knowledge he had gained. Despite some naysayers or the occasional walking talking bricks, learning is fun!

When Nathan told him he could further elaborate on the region current history and the Skull Ruins, the researcher just shook his head. "While I would love to hear more about Chesire and its wonders, its getting pretty late, and I believe our time is better served getting some rest then spending the night chew the Thick Fat, as it were. Perhaps tomarrow, or some other time that is convienant, Nathan?" he said, smiling apologetically to the young trainer. Unlike him, he wasn't filled with the boundless energy of youth, and he hates getting up early in the morning without at least 6 hours of rest...

Meanwhile, during Nathan's and Ventus' long winded conversation, Ariel had been busy meeting and greeting every single Pokémon present at the campsite, as well as getting to know Shiva a little better. While a bit prickly in regards to her master, she didn't hold such feelings for the rest of them, as they appreciated the company and new friends!

Seeing the young trainer and Shiva yelling at each other, though, quickly snapped Ventus out of his euphoric high. "My friends, no need to bicker with one another! Shiva, if you don't want to be in the company of Kirlia anymore, just head into the tent with your Pokémon! There is plenty of room and space for you to relax and enjoy the presense of your own companion without interfering with Nathan's. Nathan, while I can understand being irritated with Shiva's request, that does not mean you should incite conflict by yelling at her. I believe we both have had our fill of that for the time being! *Sigh* If you can, you can discuss this situation peacefully later, and perhaps ask for an apology for her unintensional rudeness. Just...no fighting, my comrades..."

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

'He'll stop when he's had enough' - Good point. By the looks of it, he won't ever have enough. 

Surely it was nice to watch. Surely he must be happy as hell over the evolution. Not his fault, right as well. But at some point, it gets exhausting being occupied by an overjoyed Kirlia...

"Fine... Call me when you people are done then." Practically all she had to tell him, not more and not less. In a neutral tone, not letting her emotions win over this, when they were just getting along again.

"Or not, good night then." With that words, she collected her own Pokemon from the yard, and went inside the tent.