[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

It doesn't get Nathan to react in the way Nathan might have been expecting.

While Nathan was oblivious to Malphena's presence, Ralts was not.  And so, Ralts warns Nathan about what's coming (as they're right next to each other), and instead of being scared from the display, Nathan is closer to...mildly annoyed.

"...I'm very much aware of how Ralts is doing, Malphena...that's just how it is...we're trying to calm down...it's...not easy...no, I don't think there's much you can do to help..."

Swiftfire (who Nathan and Ralts are still mounted on) looks a lot more irritated than Nathan and Ralts do, btw.  Probably because of the lack of input from psychic empathy.  She doesn't know what Malphena's potential motivation for attempting to scare Nathan is, after all.

(You know, letting Nathan get scared out of his sadness/misery would have been a good thing in this case, but oh well. Guess its the harder way then Dragonstrike)

Malphena outright glowers at the boy's remark, her eyes narrowed and 'hair' waving a little more wildly, as its so sour and plain defeatist  that she honestly believed he had CHOOSEN to be automatically miserable and give up doing anything productive about it. The fact also remained that his response did nothing to address the fact he's (in her opinion) selfishly and unfairly offloading a bulk of his grief onto his Ralts, and making THEM as sad as he was as a result. That wasn't right before hand, and its still not right now! At this point, she was extremely tempted to use Confuse Ray or start devouring the boy's fear in order to get their head out of their arse and be more reactive that a glass of cold water. As for Swiftfire's reaction, she isn't a Dark type and the screeching banshee is still empowered by Nasty Plot, so she's completely confidant that she could take care of them if they got too uppity.

Point being, the mischevious spirit is not so impressed with your continued effort to be determinedly depressed/afraid and ruining your Ralts mood, and finds your attitude right now to be repugnant, lily livered, and rude to not only herself, but his Pokémon as well. After all, its not only the empathetic species of Pokémon that is negatively affected by their gloom and doom, *Scree.....*

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

(You know, letting Nathan get scared out of his sadness/misery would have been a good thing in this case, but oh well. Guess its the harder way then Dragonstrike)

Malphena outright glowers at the boy's remark, her eyes narrowed and 'hair' waving a little more wildly, as its so sour and plain defeatist  that she honestly believed he had CHOOSEN to be automatically miserable and give up doing anything productive about it. The fact also remained that his response did nothing to address the fact he's (in her opinion) selfishly and unfairly offloading a bulk of his grief onto his Ralts, and making THEM as sad as he was as a result. That wasn't right before hand, and its still not right now! At this point, she was extremely tempted to use Confuse Ray or start devouring the boy's fear in order to get their head out of their arse and be more reactive that a glass of cold water. As for Swiftfire's reaction, she isn't a Dark type and the screeching banshee is still empowered by Nasty Plot, so she's completely confidant that she could take care of them if they got too uppity.

Point being, the mischevious spirit is not so impressed with your continued effort to be determinedly depressed/afraid and ruining your Ralts mood, and finds your attitude right now to be repugnant, lily livered, and rude to not only herself, but his Pokémon as well. After all, its not only the empathetic species of Pokémon that is negatively affected by their gloom and doom, *Scree.....*

Ralts glowers back at Malphena since she's angry at Nathan.  Is Ralts happy?  No.  But is he going to blame Nathan for that?  No!  No way!  Is it a factor?  Yes, but that's why he's trying to simply be there for his best friend.  There's nothing else he can do to help him (short of using Dream Eater again, anyways...), so that's what he's going to focus on.

That said, Swiftfire isn't happy either.  She doesn't like seeing Nathan like this.  She whinnies, trying to cheer Nathan up.  She also glowers at Malphena, as Swiftfire is more than well aware how trying to aggressively snap Nathan out of it usually fares...

Nathan has no further comments for Malphena, but Ralts is all but telling Malphena to either do something more helpful or just go away for now.  Honestly, Malphena's concern baffles him...he's a Ralts.  Nathan's best friend.  This is what he does.  He'll be fine, so there's no need to worry about him...

Nathan just needs some time and care right now.  Getting angry at him isn't going to help.

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

Ralts glowers back at Malphena since she's angry at Nathan.  Is Ralts happy?  No.  But is he going to blame Nathan for that?  No!  No way!  Is it a factor?  Yes, but that's why he's trying to simply be there for his best friend.  There's nothing else he can do to help him (short of using Dream Eater again, anyways...), so that's what he's going to focus on.

That said, Swiftfire isn't happy either.  She doesn't like seeing Nathan like this.  She whinnies, trying to cheer Nathan up.  She also glowers at Malphena, as Swiftfire is more than well aware how trying to aggressively snap Nathan out of it usually fares...

Nathan has no further comments for Malphena, but Ralts is all but telling Malphena to either do something more helpful or just go away for now.  Honestly, Malphena's concern baffles him...he's a Ralts.  Nathan's best friend.  This is what he does.  He'll be fine, so there's no need to worry about him...

Nathan just needs some time and care right now.  Getting angry at him isn't going to help.

The screeching banshee had to resist rolling her eyes and sighing in aggrevation at how Ralts so readily took to the defense of his master after they very nearly made him as depressed as they were. She understood both instinctually and intellectually (thanks to her master!) that Ralts were HIGHLY in tune with their master's emotions and by extent more highly concerned with their wellbeing/fulfilling their wishes than most other Pokémon, but there has to be some sort of hard limit to THAT! Otherwise, what's stopping  either of them from accidently ruining one another at some point, hmm?

Regardless though, Malphena was actually happy in a way to see the abnormal empath and fiery horse get incessed at her vengeful antics, as in her opinion being irritated/mad was much better than borderline depression or apathy. It showed that a person was still cared enough to get lively over a given subject, and unlike being miserable you were much more inclined to DO something about what troubled you so much in the first place. Sure, in this instance both the boy's Pokémon were angry at her for trying to rile up their master to punish/scold him for being such a miserable fool, but she could handle such contempt with aplomb if it helped (in her opinion) and they didn't try to attack her. Heck, even causing him and/or his Pokemon explode in anger might be a positive in this scenario! Its not like she cared much about her standing with Nathan's or Swiftfire's , and Ralts already mostly loathed and thinly tolerated her presence as is, so she hardly had anything to lose for being a gadfly, hmm~!

However that was the case, though, she soon decided to leave the young boy alone and drifted back over to Ralts side once it was apparent that no matter what he was just going to remain so SAD unless she dedicated her energies in pissing him/his Pokémon off, but not before shooting him a thoroughly deadpan, irritated, and judging look that perfectly conveyed her opinion to him right now: that it was really low. Not as low as her opinion on Dark types (those fiends!) and bullies without a cause (also fiends!), never the less she saw him in less than a flattering light than before this interaction. Hard not to in her perspective, since she feels that he's failed to be a good and proper master/support of his Pokémon in this instance, and that his inability to cope with things well enough that it his woes don't spill over to the rest of his partners is most deplorable.

Besides, she was less interested in Nathan's wellbeing in the first place than his abnormal Ralts, so leaving him to stew was no burden to her conscious, hmpt!

Since Ralts was now a bit more enlivened from her aggressive antics towards, yet was still too wound up in her opinion, she felt some light teasing was in order to help 'cheer' him up. To that end, once she was back next to him, she proceeded to press her side right against while simultaneously she manipulated her 'hair' to snake around and grasp his other side to give him her version of a hug, giving him a faintly innocent look at her actions as if what she did was perfectly natural. Surprise cuddles time, te he he~!

[Lord Windos]

Okay, just for expedience shake at this point just let's just assume Ventus has decided to alert everyone that he's going to take care of the Rocky Duo ahead while they clear the area, and automatically seeks out Shiva to arrange that Tropius will be his ariel mount in that endevour. All of Ven's flying Pokémon (Raphael, Malphena, and Lucifer) will be accompanying him while he travels, and he won't issues orders to his family until the conflict starts. He also won't issue orders to Tropius at all, since he doesn't want to impose on it anymore than he is doing, so fighting will be restricted to Raphael, Lucifer, and Malphena. Roll Initiatives/Encounters for all!

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

The screeching banshee had to resist rolling her eyes and sighing in aggrevation at how Ralts so readily took to the defense of his master after they very nearly made him as depressed as they were. She understood both instinctually and intellectually (thanks to her master!) that Ralts were HIGHLY in tune with their master's emotions and by extent more highly concerned with their wellbeing/fulfilling their wishes than most other Pokémon, but there has to be some sort of hard limit to THAT! Otherwise, what's stopping  either of them from accidently ruining one another at some point, hmm?

Regardless though, Malphena was actually happy in a way to see the abnormal empath and fiery horse get incessed at her vengeful antics, as in her opinion being irritated/mad was much better than borderline depression or apathy. It showed that a person was still cared enough to get lively over a given subject, and unlike being miserable you were much more inclined to DO something about what troubled you so much in the first place. Sure, in this instance both the boy's Pokémon were angry at her for trying to rile up their master to punish/scold him for being such a miserable fool, but she could handle such contempt with aplomb if it helped (in her opinion) and they didn't try to attack her. Heck, even causing him and/or his Pokemon explode in anger might be a positive in this scenario! Its not like she cared much about her standing with Nathan's or Swiftfire's , and Ralts already mostly loathed and thinly tolerated her presence as is, so she hardly had anything to lose for being a gadfly, hmm~!

However that was the case, though, she soon decided to leave the young boy alone and drifted back over to Ralts side once it was apparent that no matter what he was just going to remain so SAD unless she dedicated her energies in pissing him/his Pokémon off, but not before shooting him a thoroughly deadpan, irritated, and judging look that perfectly conveyed her opinion to him right now: that it was really low. Not as low as her opinion on Dark types (those fiends!) and bullies without a cause (also fiends!), never the less she saw him in less than a flattering light than before this interaction. Hard not to in her perspective, since she feels that he's failed to be a good and proper master/support of his Pokémon in this instance, and that his inability to cope with things well enough that it his woes don't spill over to the rest of his partners is most deplorable.

Besides, she was less interested in Nathan's wellbeing in the first place than his abnormal Ralts, so leaving him to stew was no burden to her conscious, hmpt!

Since Ralts was now a bit more enlivened from her aggressive antics towards, yet was still too wound up in her opinion, she felt some light teasing was in order to help 'cheer' him up. To that end, once she was back next to him, she proceeded to press her side right against while simultaneously she manipulated her 'hair' to snake around and grasp his other side to give him her version of a hug, giving him a faintly innocent look at her actions as if what she did was perfectly natural. Surprise cuddles time, te he he~!

Considering Ralts is sitting right in front of Nathan, that catches both Nathan AND Ralts off guard.

...and it's VERY uncomfortable for Ralts, getting 'hugged' by a ghost.

And to his credit, Nathan reacts almost immediately, as he attempts to separate Ralts from Malphena.

"...let me make this clear, Malphena.  You deal with one of us, you deal with both of us.  No exceptions.  Don't act like I'm not here, like I can't feel how uncomfortable you're making my best friend."

That's really all he needs to say.  He's not really angry, per se, but...Malphena definitely hit a nerve, however unintentionally.

"...give us some space, please.  We have some thinking to do."

He directs Swiftfire to trot away from the ghost.  And then he gets to work at soothing Ralts and giving Swiftfire some proper brushing (she doesn't complain as much as usual since it seems to be helping Nathan calm down) while everyone waits for Ventus to find that Durant of his.

Problem partially solved, I guess?  It's certainly a step up from before as far as Nathan's mood goes...

[Iron]

2 successes will be required on that Insight check, and you'll have a -1 penalty if the battle gets particularly messy. Page 44 of the rulebook for more info.
Also remember this is an illegal act under any circumstances...not that it matters one bit this deep inside the earth.

Ventus flies across the dark chasm on Tropius, flanked by his own airborne Pokemon. He finds a ledge where he may land and give orders in relative safety. The bottom of the chasm from this side cannot be seen.

The Gigalith and Golem are perched near the edge of the chasm, perhaps 10' away. They rest against each other, and Ventus can see a thin, brittle crust of sandstone has formed between them. Half-merged, they take up most of the walkway, and Gigalith's spikes reach almost to the low ceiling.

Gigalith's crystals glow and fade rhythmically in time to his breathing. There also seems to be a faint glimmer in his eyes, indicating a small degree of wakefulness. Golem, on the other hand, is retracted deep within his stone shell. His snoring causes minor tremors.

Initiatives:

Malphena: (4) + 6 = 10
Lucifer: (3) + 6 = 9
Golem: (6) +2 dex +1 Survial = 9
Raphael: (2) + 6 = 8
Gigalith: (1) + 2 Dex + 1 Survival = 4

[Iron]

2 people can fight Hippopotas, but if it comes to both of you wanting a catch, it'd be XP-bidding time.

The bulky shape of Hippopotas rises from a mass of black coal dust as you two descend the slope. Most of the Pokemon is pitch black, aside from its white eyes. It swims through the coal dust like sand. When it opens its mouth and lets loose a loud warning grunt, you see fire kindled deep within its belly! Its jaw holds a tongue of flame, and sparks fly when it gnashes its teeth. Organs at the side of its neck pump like a blacksmith's bellows.

[Iron]

Seeing a partially solid item within the wet coal sludge, Shiva makes her way down there. She's not sure it's healthy to touch that black water, and it certainly obscures her view of the item. It looks about the size of a baseball and perhaps partially amorphous?

[Dragonstrike]

The bulky shape of Hippopotas rises from a mass of black coal dust as you two descend the slope. Most of the Pokemon is pitch black, aside from its white eyes. It swims through the coal dust like sand. When it opens its mouth and lets loose a loud warning grunt, you see fire kindled deep within its belly! Its jaw holds a tongue of flame, and sparks fly when it gnashes its teeth. Organs at the side of its neck pump like a blacksmith's bellows.

Nathan's eyes go wide.

That's a Fire type from the looks of things.

Alright, no more hesitation.

Out come Ralts (What Ability does he Trace, @Iron?) and Solomon immediately.

No more hesitation.  No more questioning.  Not today.  He's going to do something.

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

True, that black water/coal sludge was DISGUSTING in any imaginable matter, but after Furret has guided her to this puddle and pointed her to something solid down there, her curiosity awoke and the desire to investage was stronger than her hesitation to make contact with this....stuff. Before she'll return to the others, she'll probably change her whole attire, it's dark anyway.

Now however, she keeps her hands protected with poison-resistant gloves from the Almanac, and frowns as her hand does indeed touch that so far unknown finding. In case something's wrong - Azumarill, Furret and even Dizzy are right beside her.