[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Spiritmon]

Spoiler

Heart stop to think for a few seconds, then he put back the necklace back in his neck, to be perfect hide away. "Could you...not tell Ventus or the others for now about the story I tell you? About my clan and everything. I still thinking about tell them the right moment to tell them. And...thank you for hear my story. You are a nice person in the end."

"Anyway...is there one thing I would might to ask ya. I gonna challenge Shiva in a pokemon battle. I kinda excited to the battle, but I not sure what kind of strategy I should make, since she is very unpreditable. Any tip you could tell me about from what I should be careful Warren?"

"...well, it's obviously not my story to tell, now, is it?  My lips are sealed."

...that next question kinda surprises Nathan.

"...well, uh...no, not really.  Best I could probably recommend is just to do what feels like it jives well, I suppose...there's a lot of different ways a battle with Shiva could go..."

Furret stops listening to that one right about the point it becomes evident it's not Creshire related. Princess absorbs it, though - she will need all information available to her if she's ever expected to lead a hive.

"Not your cup of tea, Furret?  That's fine.  I have another story for you specifically later, though.  Maybe you'll find it a little more interesting."

Nathan puts his journal back in his bag, stands, stretches.

"Well, I suppose that's enough storytelling and relaxing for now.  We should probably go find some lunch now, and then we can head to Cress Castle and see what fun activities await us there.  If you would like to join us, Heart, I won't object."

Nathan bows his head to the kids and the couple.  "Thank you for listening.  It's not often I encounter people willing to listen to the strange and sometimes wonderful tales I've encountered in my research."

Heart nod his head. "Thanks man. I owe you this one Nathan."

Heart thinks for a second.

"Yeah...But the battle shall dificult. Even if she use Fairy and psychic pokemon, she have many types of moves and strategies who might screw me...Cottonee, Azumarill and Braixen shall be a challenge...I better be prepare with my best Steel, Fight and grass type. When I fight Shiva, winning or loosing, the next in my list shall be Ventus. Then you in the end. Like they say: Leave the best to the end. Dont think I forgot our battle Warren. We gonna have our rematch." Then Heart give Nathan a weak punch in his shoulder. "I still need to get a bit stronger to fight you. When that day come, I hope you your Ralts or Houndoom fully evolved in the final forms to fight you (Remember, Heart did see Ortros when they fight for the first time). No matter if you choose a Gardevoir or Gallade as final form of Ralts. It will be a awesome battle."

"Also Nathan, I always want to ask you something: You give a name to all your pokemon. Except Ralts, even he is your main pokemon. Ever think about give him a name?"

Heart stop for a second to consider Nathan offer. Then he nod his head. "I accept. I dont have other things to do. I kinda curious what kind of things we might find Cress Castle. With a bit luck, we might find a nice Ghost-pokemon to capture! Ghost is always a good thing. And I starving. A lot. A good lunch would be good. I still have some lunch I make. Lets go."

[Dragonstrike]

Heart thinks for a second.

"Yeah...But the battle shall dificult. Even if she use Fairy and psychic pokemon, she have many types of moves and strategies who might screw me...Cottonee, Azumarill and Braixen shall be a challenge...I better be prepare with my best Steel, Fight and grass type. When I fight Shiva, winning or loosing, the next in my list shall be Ventus. Then you in the end. Like they say: Leave the best to the end. Dont think I forgot our battle Warren. We gonna have our rematch." Then Heart give Nathan a weak punch in his shoulder. "I still need to get a bit stronger to fight you. When that day come, I hope you your Ralts or Houndoom fully evolved in the final forms to fight you (Remember, Heart did see Ortros when they fight for the first time). No matter if you choose a Gardevoir or Gallade as final form of Ralts. It will be a awesome battle."

"Also Nathan, I always want to ask you something: You give a name to all your pokemon. Except Ralts, even he is your main pokemon. Ever think about give him a name?"

Heart stop for a second to consider Nathan offer. Then he nod his head. "I accept. I dont have other things to do. I kinda curious what kind of things we might find Cress Castle. With a bit luck, we might find a nice Ghost-pokemon to capture! Ghost is always a good thing. And I starving. A lot. A good lunch would be good. I still have some lunch I make. Lets go."

Nathan shrugs.  "Battles sometimes don't go the way you expect them to, and there's really no solid way to prepare for an opponent that has many options for what they can do.  I'm flattered you think so highly of my ability, and I'm looking forward to that rematch, so don't you back out on that."

Nathan shakes his head.  "I don't nickname ALL my pokemon.  Starmie, for example.  Or Porygon-Z.  Ralts...well, he's Ralts.  'A rose by any other name is still just as sweet.'  Slightly paraphrasing, but eh.  Ralts and I have known for a long time that he'll be a Gallade one day, though."

Nathan shakes his head and (quietly) laughs.  "Not the Skull Ruins we're heading to, unfortunately.  Those are a bit farther to the north.  Still, I dig the enthusiasm.  I expect this is going to be fun."

Off to lunch and Cress Castle we go!  Wheeee!!!  Zippy and Princess are probably going to gravitate towards the wax candles again, right?

[Spiritmon]

Spoiler

Heart thinks for a second.

"Yeah...But the battle shall dificult. Even if she use Fairy and psychic pokemon, she have many types of moves and strategies who might screw me...Cottonee, Azumarill and Braixen shall be a challenge...I better be prepare with my best Steel, Fight and grass type. When I fight Shiva, winning or loosing, the next in my list shall be Ventus. Then you in the end. Like they say: Leave the best to the end. Dont think I forgot our battle Warren. We gonna have our rematch." Then Heart give Nathan a weak punch in his shoulder. "I still need to get a bit stronger to fight you. When that day come, I hope you your Ralts or Houndoom fully evolved in the final forms to fight you (Remember, Heart did see Ortros when they fight for the first time). No matter if you choose a Gardevoir or Gallade as final form of Ralts. It will be a awesome battle."

"Also Nathan, I always want to ask you something: You give a name to all your pokemon. Except Ralts, even he is your main pokemon. Ever think about give him a name?"

Heart stop for a second to consider Nathan offer. Then he nod his head. "I accept. I dont have other things to do. I kinda curious what kind of things we might find Cress Castle. With a bit luck, we might find a nice Ghost-pokemon to capture! Ghost is always a good thing. And I starving. A lot. A good lunch would be good. I still have some lunch I make. Lets go."

Nathan shrugs.  "Battles sometimes don't go the way you expect them to, and there's really no solid way to prepare for an opponent that has many options for what they can do.  I'm flattered you think so highly of my ability, and I'm looking forward to that rematch, so don't you back out on that."

Nathan shakes his head.  "I don't nickname ALL my pokemon.  Starmie, for example.  Or Porygon-Z.  Ralts...well, he's Ralts.  'A rose by any other name is still just as sweet.'  Slightly paraphrasing, but eh.  Ralts and I have known for a long time that he'll be a Gallade one day, though."

Nathan shakes his head and (quietly) laughs.  "Not the Skull Ruins we're heading to, unfortunately.  Those are a bit farther to the north.  Still, I dig the enthusiasm.  I expect this is going to be fun."

Off to lunch and Cress Castle we go!  Wheeee!!!  Zippy and Princess are probably going to gravitate towards the wax candles again, right?

"Yeah. Battles its not about how much moves, strengh or typing of your team who matter. Its how you handle your strenghs and weakness. Something I still need to work." Heart agree with Nathan about the Warren strengh. "Thanks. But think I gonna take easy on ya when our battle come. But if you permit my opinion, I think you should work a bit about the disobedience of Slowking. He is quite powerfull, but you still need work in his disobedience. But I not someone to judge since myself is working to take care of Nidorino disobedience."

"I understand what you mean. The Patrat I capture I still not nickname him yet. Its not something you have to do, give a nickname to every pokemon you find. But I still think it is something cool." Then Heart stop for another though. "Well, there a cool name you could give to Ralts, but its your decision to name him or not. Since you have plans to make Ralts a Gallade, and Gallade is kinda a knight pokemon with blades, how about the name Lancelot? One of the fabble knights of King Arthur. He was quite famous and noble, and it would be a cool name for Ralts. But like I say, its your decision. Its just a suggestion of mine."

Heart is quite glady they both is finding some good terms between them. "A guy can dream right? I was thinking about a joke of ghosts and wardrobes, but I spare you from my bad puns Nathan Warren. Dont want to ruin the good atmosphere. Anyway, lets go. Time for a Castle hunt!"

[Iron]

Correct!

They are here to investigate the candles. They're intrigued by all the different scents that you're allowed to put into your own bucket of wax if you pay a nominal fee to dip your own candles. You pick your own kind of wax, your own string, your colors and your scents, and you dip the string repeatedly into melted wax to make the candle a little bigger each time. Then they have stamps where you can reshape or decorate your candle a little. Just how they did it in the old days!

As I mentioned, there's also a blacksmith and a few other old school artisans. The most eye-catching thing is a very rare Pokemon over at the fletcher: A Decidueye and a Dartrix! The grass-type owls are helping a reenactor tutor in archery. Off behind that, a few more reenactors are doing a historical piece on the Six and the Four - the four elite League Trainers who broke into the throne room of Sarimanok with only six Pokemon between them. (Actually, in this scene, they are wandering through the King's maze of a garden, fighting off his guard Pokemon.)


In the remaining tower of Cress Castle, there are some Flying types perched: a Vullaby, a Murkrow, and several Starly. A plaque at the ground says that this castle stood before King Sarimanok's famous one did; that Sarimanok moved the seat of power for reasons unknown. He never reigned from Cress Castle, and it crumbled about a hundred years later.

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

Correct!

They are here to investigate the candles. They're intrigued by all the different scents that you're allowed to put into your own bucket of wax if you pay a nominal fee to dip your own candles. You pick your own kind of wax, your own string, your colors and your scents, and you dip the string repeatedly into melted wax to make the candle a little bigger each time. Then they have stamps where you can reshape or decorate your candle a little. Just how they did it in the old days!

As I mentioned, there's also a blacksmith and a few other old school artisans. The most eye-catching thing is a very rare Pokemon over at the fletcher: A Decidueye and a Dartrix! The grass-type owls are helping a reenactor tutor in archery. Off behind that, a few more reenactors are doing a historical piece on the Six and the Four - the four elite League Trainers who broke into the throne room of Sarimanok with only six Pokemon between them. (Actually, in this scene, they are wandering through the King's maze of a garden, fighting off his guard Pokemon.)


In the remaining tower of Cress Castle, there are some Flying types perched: a Vullaby, a Murkrow, and several Starly. A plaque at the ground says that this castle stood before King Sarimanok's famous one did; that Sarimanok moved the seat of power for reasons unknown. He never reigned from Cress Castle, and it crumbled about a hundred years later.

Hmmm...Murkrow and Vullaby...hopefully that wasn't an omen of things to come...

Those Alolan owls were a welcome sight, though.

"Well, would you look at that, Heart.  Guess you got your wish after all.  There's a ghost right oveeerrr....there.  Looks like it's right up your alley...so long as you don't mind a few archery lessons.  Myself, I think I'll start with those candles over there with the bees.  You want to check out the reenactment afterwards, Furret?  It's covering a little of the war with Sarimanok several hundred years ago."

Nathan's happy to go along with making a candle out of the wax scents the bees pick out.  Heck, he'll probably even make two, one for each bee, so they can each pick out their favorites!  Why not, right?

[Iron]

Zippy makes a flower-scented candle, which he proudly gives to Princess. But Princess makes a big candle that smells of beeswax and sunshine and a warm hive. The reenactor is amazed by what she's managed to craft from the paltry few scents he has available.

The undersized Combee can barely carry the big candle Princess hands to him.

[Spiritmon]

Spoiler

Spoiler

Correct!

They are here to investigate the candles. They're intrigued by all the different scents that you're allowed to put into your own bucket of wax if you pay a nominal fee to dip your own candles. You pick your own kind of wax, your own string, your colors and your scents, and you dip the string repeatedly into melted wax to make the candle a little bigger each time. Then they have stamps where you can reshape or decorate your candle a little. Just how they did it in the old days!

As I mentioned, there's also a blacksmith and a few other old school artisans. The most eye-catching thing is a very rare Pokemon over at the fletcher: A Decidueye and a Dartrix! The grass-type owls are helping a reenactor tutor in archery. Off behind that, a few more reenactors are doing a historical piece on the Six and the Four - the four elite League Trainers who broke into the throne room of Sarimanok with only six Pokemon between them. (Actually, in this scene, they are wandering through the King's maze of a garden, fighting off his guard Pokemon.)


In the remaining tower of Cress Castle, there are some Flying types perched: a Vullaby, a Murkrow, and several Starly. A plaque at the ground says that this castle stood before King Sarimanok's famous one did; that Sarimanok moved the seat of power for reasons unknown. He never reigned from Cress Castle, and it crumbled about a hundred years later.

Hmmm...Murkrow and Vullaby...hopefully that wasn't an omen of things to come...

Those Alolan owls were a welcome sight, though.

"Well, would you look at that, Heart.  Guess you got your wish after all.  There's a ghost right oveeerrr....there.  Looks like it's right up your alley...so long as you don't mind a few archery lessons.  Myself, I think I'll start with those candles over there with the bees.  You want to check out the reenactment afterwards, Furret?  It's covering a little of the war with Sarimanok several hundred years ago."

Nathan's happy to go along with making a candle out of the wax scents the bees pick out.  Heck, he'll probably even make two, one for each bee, so they can each pick out their favorites!  Why not, right?

Zippy makes a flower-scented candle, which he proudly gives to Princess. But Princess makes a big candle that smells of beeswax and sunshine and a warm hive. The reenactor is amazed by what she's managed to craft from the paltry few scents he has available.

The undersized Combee can barely carry the big candle Princess hands to him.

"Yeah. Shame I cant capture them. Decidueye and Dartrix are kinda rare pokemon." When Heart see thatcandle the two Combee holding he remember something. "You know Nathan? With of all these canddles I kinda feel...enlighted to make waxesome pun (wax+awesome). I would like to know how to make a candle burn longer. But I can't, because they burn shorter. I a big fan of candle holders. Or birthday cakes, as I call them. Beldum tiss." Heart make a sound like a battery. He chuckle a bit. "Sorry. Couldnt resist. I call PUNisher for a reason, heh." Then Heart talk again. "You by chance know about the story of this castle? If he was in the time of Sarimanorok?"

[Dragonstrike]

Zippy makes a flower-scented candle, which he proudly gives to Princess. But Princess makes a big candle that smells of beeswax and sunshine and a warm hive. The reenactor is amazed by what she's managed to craft from the paltry few scents he has available.

The undersized Combee can barely carry the big candle Princess hands to him.

That definitely gets a chuckle out of Nathan. "Guess you now know a little of what it feels like for Ralts to be using that pearl of his, Zippy."

*sniiiiffff*

"Whew, that candle has a strong scent. In a good way, though. Great job, Princess. Your candle is wonderful too, Zippy. Always nice to stop and smell the roses every so often, right?"

On to the reenactment!

"Alright, Furret, let me explain what's going on here for ya. These wonderful lords and ladies are dressed up as the Six and the Four, the elite League Trainers that infiltrated Sarimanok's throne room and ended the war. Four trainers, six pokemon between all four of them. That one there *points* had a pokemon that knew Cut. As in the legendary HM that could slice through almost anything. They needed that move in the event they encountered any barricades that would halt their progress otherwise. While they were still trying to reach the walls of the castle, it was the job of the other three to defend the fourth."

"Even as the four strongest League trainers, they still only barely managed to breach the walls, infiltrate the throne room, and defeat Sarimanok. Barely. If their pokemon weren't dead, they were hanging on to their lives by the thinnest of threads."

...

"Oh, don't worry about these guys, though. They're just reenacting the battle. Nobody's getting hurt. And they're also exaggerating how well the group performed, I might add."

"Speaking of the Six and the Four...they went on to become known simply as the Elite Four after they effectively won the war for the League. A title still used by Pokemon Leagues internationally, in fact. It's a real honor to be accepted into their ranks. But the biggest honor comes from besting them and the one trainer stronger than all four of them combined...the Champion. Once the figurehead for the rebellion, and now the most respected and powerful trainer of each region with a League...anyone who can best all five has more than earned the right to be called Champion as well."

...

...there's a slightly bittersweet smile on Nathan's face. "...maybe I'll attempt to do just that one day. Maybe...the only question if I did would be who I do it with..."

I wonder how Furret will react to that...

In response to Heart: "Yeah, this single tower is all that's left of the original castle where Creshire's kings ruled. Sarimanok was the first...and last...king to choose to move the seat of power. Some of the underground portions of the castle are actually still intact, but most of them collapsed along with the walls. I doubt the Earthquakes the various pokemon guards fired off when the Six and the Four were discovered trying to sneak in helped matters much. Sarimanok never really seemed to care much for the old place, so I doubt he had qualms about potentially destroying it. Heck, who knows? Maybe he was happy portions of it were obliterated entirely in the battle...wouldn't have helped him from a defensive standpoint, though."

[Spiritmon]

Spoiler

Zippy makes a flower-scented candle, which he proudly gives to Princess. But Princess makes a big candle that smells of beeswax and sunshine and a warm hive. The reenactor is amazed by what she's managed to craft from the paltry few scents he has available.

The undersized Combee can barely carry the big candle Princess hands to him.

That definitely gets a chuckle out of Nathan.  "Guess you now know a little of what it feels like for Ralts to be using that pearl of his, Zippy."

*sniiiiffff*

"Whew, that candle has a strong scent.  In a good way, though.  Great job, Princess.  Your candle is wonderful too, Zippy.  Always nice to stop and smell the roses every so often, right?"

On to the reenactment!

"Alright, Furret, let me explain what's going on here for ya.  These wonderful lords and ladies are dressed up as the Six and the Four, the elite League Trainers that infiltrated Sarimanok's throne room and ended the war.  Four trainers, six pokemon between all four of them.  That one there *points* had a pokemon that knew Cut.  As in the legendary HM that could slice through almost anything.  They needed that move in the event they encountered any barricades that would halt their progress otherwise.  While they were still trying to reach the walls of the castle, it was the job of the other three to defend the fourth."

"Even as the four strongest League trainers, they still only barely managed to breach the walls, infiltrate the throne room, and defeat Sarimanok.  Barely.  If their pokemon weren't dead, they were hanging on to their lives by the thinnest of threads."

...

"Oh, don't worry about these guys, though.  They're just reenacting the battle.  Nobody's getting hurt.  And they're also exaggerating how well the group performed, I might add."

"Speaking of the Six and the Four...they went on to become known simply as the Elite Four after they effectively won the war for the League.  A title still used by Pokemon Leagues internationally, in fact.  It's a real honor to be accepted into their ranks.  But the biggest honor comes from besting them and the one trainer stronger than all four of them combined...the Champion.  Once the figurehead for the rebellion, and now the most respected and powerful trainer of each region with a League...anyone who can best all five has more than earned the right to be called Champion as well."

...

...there's a slightly bittersweet smile on Nathan's face.  "...maybe I'll attempt to do just  that one day.  Maybe...the only question if I did would be who I do it with..."

I wonder how Furret will react to that...

In response to Heart: "Yeah, this single tower is all that's left of the original castle where Creshire's kings ruled.  Sarimanok was the first...and last...king to choose to move the seat of power.  Some of the underground portions of the castle are actually still intact, but most of them collapsed along with the walls.  I doubt the Earthquakes the various pokemon guards fired off when the Six and the Four were discovered trying to sneak in helped matters much.  Sarimanok never really seemed to care much for the old place, so I doubt he had qualms about potentially destroying it.  Heck, who knows?  Maybe he was happy portions of it were obliterated entirely in the battle...wouldn't have helped him from a defensive standpoint, though."

"Man. That Sarimanok might be a wise king would be a little more about build a best defence in this place. And to never understatmente about the unite power of skilled trainers. Hmm now that I think of it...what you think they done with the body of Sarimanok? They buried him or burn the body along with his palace? And his brothers? They still with him even when he became...corrupt? And about his Charizard and Aegislash? What end they fate? And the Legendaries? Even when his choosen one became corrupt, the Legendaries in his side dont see he didnt fit anymore as a king?"

[Dragonstrike]

"Hmm now that I think of it...what you think they done with the body of Sarimanok? They buried him or burn the body along with his palace? And his brothers? They still with him even when he became...corrupt? And about his Charizard and Aegislash? What end they fate? And the Legendaries? Even when his choosen one became corrupt, the Legendaries in his side dont see he didnt fit anymore as a king?"

"League never said what they did with his body. It was for the best. While he was a bit of a tyrant towards the end, he was also still someone who was once well respected, and defacing his grave certainly wouldn't be tasteful by any stretch of the word's definition. All of his personal pokemon were supposedly killed in the battle as well, since it was a life or death scenario and they couldn't afford Sarimanok easily healing his massively powerful pokemon. As for the Legendaries he'd allied himself with...they scattered. The League met some of them in the aftermath, such as Mesprit, but some are still hidden from our sight to this day. Maybe they needed to mull things over a little..."

"The Skull Ruins are what's left of Sarimanok's castle. They're a short distance north of this city...and they're absolutely massive. The place is a veritable maze when you get to the underground portions. Burning the place to the ground seemed wasteful, so it got turned into part graveyard, part war memorial. The League's base of operations was in the northern mountain range, so that's where they reestablished the main govermental body of the region."