[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Iron]

"Yes Ma'am!! May I see your Almanac?" He stresses this word ever so slightly, politely, as they prefer not to call it a 'dex.' He slides the Almanac into a device that looks a bit like a microwave, and pushes a long series of buttons. It hums. 
"This will take about three minutes. Feel free to browse our other wares in the meantime."

Indeed, what other stuff do they actually have - any more specific Pokeballs with exclusive uses, like that Beast Ball the last time?

And out of pure curiosity, how much does one of these Vitamins that work on humans cost, as Shiva's still having lots of money?

No new balls, but the Beast Balls are still in stock. A Vitamin that works on a human is up in the 15,000$ range!

[Iron]

The entries for Tandor Pokemon are a lot more subdued than the entries for Creshire Pokemon. They sound like they have a different writer. They still sound a bit like ads, though.

Baashaun
A malleable Pokemon that loves to fight dirty, if trained that way, or to be a pastoral animal. Farmed for its wool, black as the night. Only a Baashaun trained to fight will ever evolve into Baaschaf, which has a little more intelligence.

Cometeor
A levitating Pokemon, always useful. Its psychic power is mostly useful for communicating with others of its own evolutionary line, at any distance. This is currently undergoing research in Almanac Labs.
In its originally-discovered region of Tandor, Cometeor is a fairly common Pokemon which evolves when exposed to a trade machine or one of Almanac's patented Trade Stones. In Creshire, however, no one has yet discovered how to evolve a Cometeor. Why it should be different is not known, but it may have something to do with the large amount of meteor strikes in Creshire.
NOTE: Almanac will pay up to $3000 for a specimen of Comite, Cometeor, or Astronite. Contact your local distributor today!


Nucleon
Evolves from Eevee when exposed to nuclear energy, especially in the form of another Nucleon. Almanac is currently working on a Nucleon foster program, where a trainer pays to borrow a Nucleon, and then passes it on to recoup the fee. This program is still under development. Almanac is also working on a safe evolutionary stone for this Pokemon.
Nucleon is unfortunately a rather fragile Pokemon, but its offensive potential is unparalleled.
Nucleon is a very loyal Pokemon, and researchers in Tandor confirm it is safe to be around.
Its three eyes make it an ideal watchdog.

The Birbie line has very rarely been spotted in Creshire, mostly feral escapees from cruise ships.

[Lord Windos]

Ventus, when shopping for sales, let me know what sorts of things you're interested in, or if it's just anything.

(Ventus is specifically looking for sales on Medical Items, even if its only on ones past their expiration date/reduced effectiveness, decent to great quality Make Up Kits that can do a good enough job of altering someone's appearance, and Escape Rope and other Travel Supplies. He's also looking for those two books I mentioned, so don't forget!)

[Iron]

Medical Items on sale: They're selling a pill that coats a Pokemon's tongue in a weird chemical that makes any bitter tastes palatable for three hours. On sale for $200 each. This works on a lot of natural remedies.
Rubber gloves are also on sale for 10% off. Since disposable rubber gloves are 0$, this may not affect Ventus much.
He finds a stethoscope for $350, which is about 30% cheaper than normal.

No sales on Escape Ropes. Small Camping Tents are on sale for 400$, which is 50% off.

Almanac has a bio-engineered product which grows a second skin over a person for $5000, copying a Pokemon. It lasts until you peel it off and grants a massive 5 extra dice to fool someone. Still one time use though.
It even augments your abilities a little to match: for example a Machoke would be stronger (maybe able to lift an extra 100lbs), a Gothitelle more perceptive (a 2 dice bonus on Insight), etc.
It can't do things like extra arms or a functioning tail - if you choose a Pokemon with an impossible limb, it just grows a little stub that looks like it has been chopped off. It also can't change your size.
A good guideline is the Human Egg Group.


You find a book on crafting using Pokemon parts. It is $400 and has a segment on snakeskin. "The Joy of Pokemon Crafting." This will let you make rolls on artistic crafts even if you don't have a rank in Crafts.
You can pick up an herbology field guide for free, but it takes a long time to identify a plant, so it's not really for finding herbs - it's for verifying an herb you might already know.

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

Medical Items on sale: They're selling a pill that coats a Pokemon's tongue in a weird chemical that makes any bitter tastes palatable for three hours. On sale for $200 each. This works on a lot of natural remedies.
Rubber gloves are also on sale for 10% off. Since disposable rubber gloves are 0$, this may not affect Ventus much.
He finds a stethoscope for $350, which is about 30% cheaper than normal.

No sales on Escape Ropes. Small Camping Tents are on sale for 400$, which is 50% off.

Almanac has a bio-engineered product which grows a second skin over a person for $5000, copying a Pokemon. It lasts until you peel it off and grants a massive 5 extra dice to fool someone. Still one time use though.
It even augments your abilities a little to match: for example a Machoke would be stronger (maybe able to lift an extra 100lbs), a Gothitelle more perceptive (a 2 dice bonus on Insight), etc.
It can't do things like extra arms or a functioning tail - if you choose a Pokemon with an impossible limb, it just grows a little stub that looks like it has been chopped off. It also can't change your size.
A good guideline is the Human Egg Group.


You find a book on crafting using Pokemon parts. It is $400 and has a segment on snakeskin. "The Joy of Pokemon Crafting." This will let you make rolls on artistic crafts even if you don't have a rank in Crafts.
You can pick up an herbology field guide for free, but it takes a long time to identify a plant, so it's not really for finding herbs - it's for verifying an herb you might already know.

In his somewhat aimless yet still highly motivated search for sales and versitle Items for himself/the group, Ventus didn't expect to find much of interest, but that proved to be a wrong assumption as he found a myriad amount of useful and interesting things for purchase, chhief among them being what he aptly termed 'Poke Skin Suits' being boldly advertised and sold by Almanac. While the researcher held them in high contempt and supiscion for their rather 'liberal' stance on basic Pokémon rights/ethics and their nebulous connection to the events that lead up to the Vines Crisis (And subsequently sending him and the group scrambling to clean up after their monumental mess), even he couldn't deny the impressiveness of the unique technology/techniques/Items they offered! Didn't stop him in the slightest from questioning the unfortunate side effects associated with their products or how and what ways they developed this stuff, but credit due to where its earned!

'......The more I learn of this dubiously moral and scientific corporation, the more I'm left astounded and deeply disturbed by what they have achieved. Just what ends, policies, and perspectives they have undertaken to create all these fantastical merchandice and service that cemented themselves as the a dominating and influencial force in Cheshire? What others ends will they resort to in order do to further their unknown goals and expand their powerbase. ....What will the consequences associated with the action they have, currently are, and will end up undertaking, and who will end up being the ones to suffer them? ....Aimless questioning will get me nowhere, but I will have to keep an closer eye on Almanac going forward......'

Eventually, after pondering the SCIENCE! Corp for a few moments, he decided to purchase the Stethoscope and 'Joys to Pokémon Crafting' + Herbology Field Guide for $750 Poke . The stethoscope could come in handy in diagnosing certain medical conditions and could act as a listening device for various situations (Such a safe cracking and spying!) , and both books certainly will help him create a variety of splendid Items out the materials his/the group's Pokémon produces AND refresh his memory of the herb lore his mo- he learned in the past! At the very least he could end up sharing both with Shiva, as he is well aware of her ethusiam and inclination towards Crafting and eye for Natural products!

After making his purchase, Ventus made his way towards the entrance, where he spotted Nathan and politely signals his arrival. If he/Kirlia were also paying close attention, they could see a bit of......uneasiness in the actions, and how his eyes swept the area around them for.....something, before he relaxed. "Sorry for making you wait, Nathan, but now that I've arrived, let us enter and begin your debut challenge against Dagney!"

[Dragonstrike]

After making his purchase, Ventus made his way towards the entrance, where he spotted Nathan and politely signals his arrival. If he/Kirlia were also paying close attention, they could see a bit of......uneasiness in the actions, and how his eyes swept the area around them for.....something, before he relaxed. "Sorry for making you wait, Nathan, but now that I've arrived, let us enter and begin your debut challenge against Dagney!"

They're definitely paying attention since they were waiting for him.

Nathan looks around too.

Sees nothing out of the ordinary, obviously.

"...is everything okay, Ventus?"

[Lord Windos]

They're definitely paying attention since they were waiting for him.

Nathan looks around too.

Sees nothing out of the ordinary, obviously.

"...is everything okay, Ventus?"

The researcher, instead of startling from being asked the deceptively simple question, tilted their head in slight puzzlement and looked at them with a thoughtful frown.

"Yes? At least, I assume so.... I DID see an Almanac product in the Department Store that....unnerved me somewhat, but I had thought I had overcome that by now.....?"

If Kirlia scanned/read him while reciting his statement, they would find he was being completely honest with them, despite his earlier behavior indicating that tension they  and Nathan saw. Perhaps Ventus was....unaware of his earlier reactions? Strange....

[Dragonstrike]

The researcher, instead of startling from being asked the deceptively simple question, tilted their head in slight puzzlement and looked at them with a thoughtful frown.

"Yes? At least, I assume so.... I DID see an Almanac product in the Department Store that....unnerved me somewhat, but I had thought I had overcome that by now.....?"

If Kirlia scanned/read him while reciting his statement, they would find he was being completely honest with them, despite his earlier behavior indicating that tension they  and Nathan saw. Perhaps Ventus was....unaware of his earlier reactions? Strange....

"...you sure? You seemed tense there for a moment.  I don't see anything around here, though...besides, if something were to jump us, I've got some of my strongest pokemon on hand.  They'd be flattened before they knew what hit 'em.  Or burned to a crisp, or confused, taking a nap, soaked, shredded..."

It's kinda weird for Nathan to say that all so casually.

"...anyways, probably about time we headed inside.  Dagny's probably waiting already."

[Lord Windos]

Ventus still looks somewhat befuddled by the sudden attention Nathan was giving him, but he soon waves them off with an easy going smile.

"Whatever was amiss with me or our surrounding, it has passed so swiftly that it hasn't affected me overly, so I believe I'll be fine Nathan! Now, as you said Dagney's waiting on us, so let's Hustle onwards to meet her, shall we?"

[Dragonstrike]

Ventus still looks somewhat befuddled by the sudden attention Nathan was giving him, but he soon waves them off with an easy going smile.

"Whatever was amiss with me or our surrounding, it has passed so swiftly that it hasn't affected me overly, so I believe I'll be fine Nathan! Now, as you said Dagney's waiting on us, so let's Hustle onwards to meet her, shall we?"

Nathan shrugs and heads inside.

Kirlia turns to follow, but...not before giving Ventus another questioning, kinda worried glance.

...hopefully nothing troublsome occurrs later...Kirlia is fairly certain he knows what Ventus was looking for...

...and then just as quickly once more, Kirlia's seemingly paying more attention to Nathan and has followed him inside.

...though he really wishes the floor wasn't made of metal too...

Welp, time to find Dagny and hear what the rules for her gym battle are!