[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Lord Windos]

"I have actually...no idea. But it seems important. Guess it's our call to...find out?"

"..... I suppose you are corrent then, Shiva. I have a vague idea that vine is something's appendage, be it Pokémon or....not, but dewelling upon it will not do us any good. We'll either find out what it is in due time, or will not, so I suggest we all prepare for our journey towards Stair City. While I appreciate the rustic nature of Ginger Town greatly, I desire to take in the sights, experience, and Pokémon all over Cheshire as well, so let us depart from this place for now, shall we?"

Order: Ventus is more or less done with his part in the conversation, and is waiting for everyone else to get ready to move onto Route 4. Let the journey through the region resume!

[Spiritmon]

"Finally a good battle to begin my day! So koa lets begin that day! Use Dual Chop!"

Order: Dual Chop in the first round (Since its two moves) and Dual Chop again in the second round.

[Dragonstrike]

Nathan is completely silent, not commenting on anything being said by Shiva and Ventus initially.  Kirlia is looking a little worried...

When he does speak, it's a barely audible whisper...

"The vines...they're coming..."

He was really, really, REALLY spooked by that vision.

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

"..... I suppose you are corrent then, Shiva. I have a vague idea that vine is something's appendage, be it Pokémon or....not, but dewelling upon it will not do us any good. We'll either find out what it is in due time, or will not, so I suggest we all prepare for our journey towards Stair City. While I appreciate the rustic nature of Ginger Town greatly, I desire to take in the sights, experience, and Pokémon all over Cheshire as well, so let us depart from this place for now, shall we?"

Stair City... That was the capital of Chreshire and a technologically advanced city, Shiva knew this from informing herself before she came to the region... To be honest, it sounded melodic. Could it be something like her hometown? Oh right - Stair City was also the place where... hmm.

When Shiva finally replied to Ven, her voice clearly displayed - surrender. No more, nevermore, she lost that fight and ended up being the one silently suffering. What it will bring and what the consequences of this whole battle that more and more became a pointless and unpleasant memory; well, time will tell, hope for the best. What was it again about precious and fragile things needing special handling? "Fine... Hike will do... Distraction will do... Anything will do." Finally, hesitantly, she faced Nathan. "Do...Do forgive me plaquing you with words. Get better soon and regain your vigor, alright? It's fine... Now, do excuse me, I'll get upstairs to pack things my together if we plan to leave Ginger Town today." She didn't even heard Nathan whispering about the vines coming, not that she cared right now either.

With that said, she gave a last glance and light yet very timidly confiden stroke of his hand to Ven , saying something like 'This too shall end and be endured eventually - wounds heal, do they?' and left the room to head upstairs to her dorm. The image she gave was not the happy witchy Fairy Enthusiast, she decided to just let things be for now, try to cope and move on.

...The first thing she did after swapping her party a little on the PC in Lobby and closing the door of her dorm, was calling out Cottonee. It was more an impusive move, maybe she just desired the Pokemon's company for a little. The fluffball was actually overjoyed to be outside again, but she rather quickly noticed that Master was...not doing very well, but doing a great job on hiding this. Too bad she cannot lie to her grassy fairy, nor does she...fear judgement from her Starter... Indeed, Cottonee was rather fast in taking place on Shiva's shoulder, seemingly willing to offer her fluff to lean on. To say that Shiva was thankfull to this with whole heart was yet an understatement. "I see... You're always there and behind me, are you? Thank you, really..." Sharing a Nuzzle with the fluffball, she packed her things together as said, took two pills of the Vitamin D and the St. John's Wort each, packed in the fluff Cottonee shed the evening before Gym Battle and will await the others in the Lobby to leave Ginger Town - and the Daycare, sob - while passing the time with herbal tea and reading through the books she collected on the journey so far. As long as the circumstances allow, Cottonee will rest on her shoulder.



-------------
Mechanics:
Preparations to leave Ginger Town: Done.

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

(Oh, almost forgot until I saw it in charasheet! Needs to be done before we leave.)

When Ventus would come to the Lobby eventually - doesn't actually matter when - Shiva would hand him the tent they sleep in abroad, packed more in a fashion since she is not good at such things. She's originating from a big city and has lived there always, what did you expect?

"Here, I saw that it's still in my posession, but since it's you who is carrying it around on default - uhm, would you be so kind?" As for the battle or anything concerning, she just surrendered and doesn't want to speak about it now.

[Iron]

Hiker Stubble Round 1

Loyalty: (4)(6)
Disobedience: (4)(1)(3)

Yeah, that sounds good. Dual Chop it is! Axew is ready to toss this Nosepass around.
Gender: (4) Rivalry is activated

Dual Chop
2 Dex +2 fight +1 brawl -2 actions -1 acc = 2/1 dice
(4)(2) Hit!
(1) Miss.
Axew swings with his strong right hook, connecting solidly to his stone rival. His left is rather weaker, and Nosepass has time to turn aside.
5* Str + 2 power +1 stab -3 vit = 5 dice
(3)(1)(5)(5)(1) Nosepass takes 1 dmg. 6/7hp.

Thunder Wave
2 Dex + 2 Fight + 1 Canalize = 5 dice
(2)(1)(6)(6)(3)
Axew is paralyzed. -2 Dex. He's now second in the initiative order.

Hiker Stubble Round 2

He has his sitrus berry ready, the last one Heart has.

[Dragonstrike]

Nathan was having a really bad morning.

First, he wakes up in a room he didn't remember entering.

Then he finds out that's not the only thing he can't remember.

And then he learns Shiva's not exactly very pleased with him.

And even though he can't remember any of the supposed reasons she has to be displeased with him, he's pretty certain he deserves the tongue lashing he's going to receive from her later...

And now he's seen very, very clear evidence that the message Calam had shown him was 100% true.  Not that he had much reason to doubt it before, what with Mesprit and Kirlia being mentioned in those messages, and the Legendary waiting for him and Kirlia specifically, but...

He's very much NOT okay right now.

He needed some time to himself.  This attention from Ventus was getting...stifling.

...and he needed to recompose himself.  Badly.

He gets out of the bed and leaves the room very, very quickly without saying a word to Ventus.  He rushes up to the room he'd been using in the Center to prepare himself both mentally and physically for the journey ahead...

When he finally meets Ventus and Shiva down in the lobby, he takes some time to swap Porygon-Z out for Swiftfire at the PC.  There's no hints remaining of how scared of that vine he'd been.  None.  He doesn't say a word to either of his companions, either. And he keeps a respectful distance between himself and them.

Party prepared, items gathered, mental preparations finished...

He was ready to just hit the road and be on his way to Stair City.

The 3rd gym was waiting.  And so was Almanac.  Mesprit and the disaster of stone would have to wait until he figured out what was required of him and Kirlia.

[Lord Windos]

The sociologist watched Nathan rapidly vacate the room and his presense, acutely aware of how unnerved (The boy hadn't eaten the Fruit Shiva gave him), terrified, slightly hurt and disoriented the young trainer was, but chose not to comment on it as they stared the bed. Contrary to what it may seem like, Ventus was not ignorant of the current plight his friend was going through after the vision their shared, nor didn't wish to help alievate their woes; he just didn't know if approaching Nate about this presently would make things better or worse.

'For almost every time I sought to protect Nate, to reason with him, to tend his needs, or even work together with them on a given task, great and often disasterous conflict has emerge between us. The Deyo Flowers, The Combee Hive, our First and Second First to Winesberry, our uneasy truce over that demon he owns, partially revealing the truth about Shiva's Mission, mocking him by taking embarrassing photos, my involvement in the Running....these are the times I've been a nuisance, hinderance, or outright antagonist to him. I've threatened him, caused them severe emotional distress, constantly tested the strength of the bond we share, and made his life a general mess every time I intruded upon his own. It has not been all bad between us, of course, but that's not the point. I want to so desparately help Nate, and be the caring, benevolent friend that he seeks in times of duress, but how can I when I've hurt him some many times in the past trying to accomplish this? I just....I just want there for him, without causing us both unnecessary suffering.....'

He thought long and hard about this delimea he was face with, trying to ascertain how he could help the boy, before letting out a long suffering sigh and motioned to get up, going over to Nate's sick bed and stripping/folding up the sheets so that the Nurse could easily pick them up and get them cleaned to take his mind off the thorny problem. The time had passed for him to do much of anything about Nathan's current emotional mal storm, and its highty probable that they will have surpressed it by the time he re-unites with him, so he would just have to let it go for the time being. It would give him time to think of a way the best way to address their feelings without further detracting from them, so their was that at least.

Sure enough, when Ventus re-entered the lobby and found Nathan avoiding both him and Shiva yet again, he clamped down on the sigh that had building up within him. Now was the time to begin their journey towards Stair City; tonight, perhaps, he can try to do better by the young trainer than he has been lately...

At least, he prays to Reshirim he will...

[Spiritmon]

Spoiler

Hiker Stubble Round 1

Loyalty: (4)(6)
Disobedience: (4)(1)(3)

Yeah, that sounds good. Dual Chop it is! Axew is ready to toss this Nosepass around.
Gender: (4) Rivalry is activated

Dual Chop
2 Dex +2 fight +1 brawl -2 actions -1 acc = 2/1 dice
(4)(2) Hit!
(1) Miss.
Axew swings with his strong right hook, connecting solidly to his stone rival. His left is rather weaker, and Nosepass has time to turn aside.
5* Str + 2 power +1 stab -3 vit = 5 dice
(3)(1)(5)(5)(1) Nosepass takes 1 dmg. 6/7hp.

Thunder Wave
2 Dex + 2 Fight + 1 Canalize = 5 dice
(2)(1)(6)(6)(3)
Axew is paralyzed. -2 Dex. He's now second in the initiative order.

Hiker Stubble Round 2

He has his sitrus berry ready, the last one Heart has.

"Okay then perhaps thats not a good typing battle for us. Must remember teach some other moves to have more attacks. Okay then, lets do a good Strikes in the Nosepass! And try to avoid Nosepass attacks!"



Order: Avoid Nosepass attacks then do Strike. With Dexterity reduce, I cant do much. Two Strikes, or just one if I dont have enough Dex.

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

The herbal tea was soothing for Shiva's wounded nerves, same with Cottoee's closeness. From the card in Guidebook she already found out that the path will lead through a mountain range melodically called "The Great Divine", and immediately she was loath to climb hills or mountains or get her arms decorated with scratches and bruises from doing so. Her physical condition was certainly NOT overly suited for such an activity - hiking through Routes was fine, but climbing...

Further her track of mind didn't come since Nathan finally entered the Lobby - she certainly did notice this not only because she was awaiting for her other party members to arrive and get going. Actually, a new feeling came to her when she watched how he took a seat on a table a little aside from her instead of - as usually and even hoped - would join her: It was delight. Delight that he seemingly recovered enough to leave the infirmary and join the party again. There was no point in being mad at him, it was more that she was...dishearted that she seems the one remaining who can't forget - Ven already forgave, Nathan can't remember what he did wrong, while she has to look how she'll get by on her own. If the support from her own Pokemon and Ventus would be missing - Arceus knew how she'd be supposed to cope with everything in a different region...

She carefully kept on looking over to Nathan, and IF he'd look back, he'd find her smiling weakly at him. Probably in a way to express that she'll be fine, don't blame yourself, she won't lash out on him 'cause it'd be highly unfair if he doesn't even know what it'd be for, no more, she surrendered already on this issue - now dealing with the shattered pieces that were her feelings about yesterday's happenings were. Though, she didn't gave up on Nathan - that vision certainly caught her interest. Wonder when...and how...she could approach him on that... As far as she could tell though, Nathan wasn't doing very well, but it was different from a little earlier... Something must be ailing or creeping him, that much Shiva understood from observing him non-threathingly. Just what she couldn't tell, was it because of her? How he doesn't remember, or was it in the end REALLY something about the vision? 

My dear, be careful and don't forget what you had to endure, when you are close to that young Trainer.
I will. I won't.

... ... ...

When VENTUS arrived in the Lobby, she gave him just the same weak smile to show the same pattern of feelings to the empath. More maybe, because she really doesn't want him out of all costs to feel bad or responsible for what has happened. If he'd look close enough, he'd even recognize how she feels eager to that vision and not mad at Nathan, while silent thankfulness that she and Ven were able to forge such a...peaceful bond of friendship.