[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Iron]

You carry on down the yellow path. It's getting a little warmer, less icy, still chilly. It widens into a dark cavern, filled with stone pillars where stalagmites and stalactites met and merged over thousands of years.

Durant's presence does not cease. Lots of other bugs too, even ones that shouldn't want to be this deep under the earth. A Scizor flies by overhead, but you scarcely turn your heads to look at the rare Pokemon. You only trudge onward, thinking about your missing Pokemon or about an end to this cold or both. A narrow path in the bugs opens to receive you. You're seeing more of the Tricwe, Sponaree, and the occasional Firoke or swarm of Smore. However, you find yourself listlessly unable to lift your arm to toss a Pokeball.

Eyeless Yanma fly overhead, bearing smaller Bug Pokemon on their way elsewhere.

These bugs all ignore you as you ignore them. You're on your way to their home, now, following the trail of a pleasant, alluring scent.

Brutal sights do nothing to disturb you. The pieces of a Delibird go by, carried by an endless stream of Durant and Harylect. Webs are everywhere, covering little etchings or side tunnels or half-loosed rockslides. You want nothing but the sweet nectar, the illicit Honey, promised by that eternal scent.

You come to a vast palace of stone that has been chewed and regurgitated into new forms, much like the paper nests of a Beedrill. Spires rise in nearly shapeless forms, guarding the vast hollow spanned by stone bridges and infinite strands of steely silk.
The underground palace resembles a drip castle on the beach.



Within the dark hole, lit only by Firoke patrolling the surface, is a monstrosity of a Pokemon. Swollen, baglike, and slow, a massive insect rages in the dim light. She is covered in tufts of red, blue, and yellow fur, and she has gossamer Yanma wings - clearly incapable of lifting that nauseating body. Each wing is tipped with the color of a Legendary Bird, and many elements swirl in her wake. She has too many eyes and perceptive tufted antennae. An immense aura of power radiates from her. Only those she invites into her lair may come forward into her presence. Most never leave, for if she merely wishes to issue orders, she may do so without leaving her nest. So many of her visitors, the mates and the strangers and the specially bred Pokemon, end up as her food.

She is the source of the scent compelling you onward.

Slung on sticky webs, within the clawed clutches of the Bug Queen, are the missing Pokemon. Nathan sees Ralts and experiences a surge of emotion, but it's only the tiny portions capable of reaching through the cracks in the pheromone-laden fuzz infecting every mind within a dozen miles. Mr. Finder, whose sensitive nose is now swollen and red and cracked with oozing sores, is all set to walk right into the belly of the beast. Ventus' empathy is tightly closed, lest he rush right forward. The pheromones still affect him anyway. Heart, for once, is speechless. Unable to open his mouth, he flares his nostrils and inhales...and obeys the command to come pay tribute.

Desperately, Ditto's current form lets out a little howl, which only you six can hear over the rustling of chitin and the clacking of pincers. Strength flows back into you, enough to turn away from the horrendous sight and to grab Mr. Finder if you want. Herolune is pinching his nose shut.

You regain control of your characters. You recognize you are in the presence of a secret legend hidden in the bowels of Mt. Sentry.

[Spiritmon]

Heart could not believe in his very own eyes. In all possibilities about what they find that was the last thing imagined. "That's...that's is impossible. S-she is Seikamater! She is the Legendary Pokemon, Seikamater the queen of all bug Pokemon. And the most powerful bug Pokemon in the world. Beware my friends, because we are going to face our greatest foe until now. She can use a upgrade power of electric, water, Fire, Bug and normal moves all as STABS attacks. But..." Heart then make a fierce face. "If we want to beat that thing we must fight with all of our strength."

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

You come to a vast palace of stone that has been chewed and regurgitated into new forms, much like the paper nests of a Beedrill. Spires rise in nearly shapeless forms, guarding the vast hollow spanned by stone bridges and infinite strands of steely silk.
The underground palace resembles a drip castle on the beach.



Within the dark hole, lit only by Firoke patrolling the surface, is a monstrosity of a Pokemon. Swollen, baglike, and slow, a massive insect rages in the dim light. She is covered in tufts of red, blue, and yellow fur, and she has gossamer Yanma wings - clearly incapable of lifting that nauseating body. Each wing is tipped with the color of a Legendary Bird, and many elements swirl in her wake. She has too many eyes and perceptive tufted antennae. An immense aura of power radiates from her. Only those she invites into her lair may come forward into her presence. Most never leave, for if she merely wishes to issue orders, she may do so without leaving her nest. So many of her visitors, the mates and the strangers and the specially bred Pokemon, end up as her food.

She is the source of the scent compelling you onward.

Slung on sticky webs, within the clawed clutches of the Bug Queen, are the missing Pokemon. Nathan sees Ralts and experiences a surge of emotion, but it's only the tiny portions capable of reaching through the cracks in the pheromone-laden fuzz infecting every mind within a dozen miles. Mr. Finder, whose sensitive nose is now swollen and red and cracked with oozing sores, is all set to walk right into the belly of the beast. Ventus' empathy is tightly closed, lest he rush right forward. The pheromones still affect him anyway. Heart, for once, is speechless. Unable to open his mouth, he flares his nostrils and inhales...and obeys the command to come pay tribute.

Desperately, Ditto's current form lets out a little howl, which only you six can hear over the rustling of chitin and the clacking of pincers. Strength flows back into you, enough to turn away from the horrendous sight and to grab Mr. Finder if you want. Herolune is pinching his nose shut.

You regain control of your characters. You recognize you are in the presence of a secret legend hidden in the bowels of Mt. Sentry.

The Queen's Lair: In the Future - Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky

Nathan has no idea what this pokemon is at first.  He's heard stories of a queen insect in Tandor, but everything was always too vague for him to ever learn anything concrete.  Heart calling her Seikamater is the first time he's ever heard that word.

He only knew two things about this Legendary bug before Heart explained what she is:

- that she's supposedly the queen of all insects in the Tandor region, which all have strange affinities with the various elements that few other bugs have, something that he has found no reasonable explanation for since all those other bugs are either extremely weak and/or spread across multiple regions instead of all gathered in a single one
- and everyone is deathly afraid of her.

One does not simply defy the queen.

That is all he knew about this giant bug before Heart put the final puzzle pieces in place.

Looking at her now, seeing this:

Spoiler

He's afraid.  He understands why she's so feared.  And he has no words for it.

...if she means to harm Ralts, though...or any of the other pokemon...he will not let her.

If Ralts is in danger, Nathan will even fight a Legendary pokemon if it comes to that.

He hopes it doesn't...but if it does, he hopes Ditto will do its best to protect them and get them all out safely...

------------------------------

The last time he was in a Queen's Lair, it was Vespiquen's.  Negotiations were tight.  But possible.  She was a queen who had earned the respect she'd garnered.  Maybe partially through fear and deception, as she had seemingly enlisted the aid of a Drowzee in her endeavors...but she was fair, if controlling and maybe a little self-centered.  Her kingdom was her first priority.  Not herself, not her subjects.  Her kingdom.

...Nathan does not feel the same respect for this queen that he's standing before.  One who would kidnap those passing on by, who seemingly forms a hive not for the purpose of creating a kingdom, but for serving her needs.

He does not bow to this royal bug right away as he did with Vespiquen oh so long ago.  He will not.  She has not earned his respect.  His fear and caution?  Yes, easily.  But not his respect.

He just stares at Ralts.  Solomon.  Zippy.  All the other pokemon.  Looks at the queen bug.

And stares.

No matter what else he feels, no matter what else happens, his one thought is to get Ralts and their other pokemon, and get.  Out.

He will not bow unless this queen proves reasonable enough to negotiate and let them leave with their pokemon.

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

Within the dark hole, lit only by Firoke patrolling the surface, is a monstrosity of a Pokemon. Swollen, baglike, and slow, a massive insect rages in the dim light. She is covered in tufts of red, blue, and yellow fur, and she has gossamer Yanma wings - clearly incapable of lifting that nauseating body. Each wing is tipped with the color of a Legendary Bird, and many elements swirl in her wake. She has too many eyes and perceptive tufted antennae. An immense aura of power radiates from her. Only those she invites into her lair may come forward into her presence. Most never leave, for if she merely wishes to issue orders, she may do so without leaving her nest. So many of her visitors, the mates and the strangers and the specially bred Pokemon, end up as her food.

She is the source of the scent compelling you onward.

Slung on sticky webs, within the clawed clutches of the Bug Queen, are the missing Pokemon. Nathan sees Ralts and experiences a surge of emotion, but it's only the tiny portions capable of reaching through the cracks in the pheromone-laden fuzz infecting every mind within a dozen miles. Mr. Finder, whose sensitive nose is now swollen and red and cracked with oozing sores, is all set to walk right into the belly of the beast. Ventus' empathy is tightly closed, lest he rush right forward. The pheromones still affect him anyway. Heart, for once, is speechless. Unable to open his mouth, he flares his nostrils and inhales...and obeys the command to come pay tribute.

Desperately, Ditto's current form lets out a little howl, which only you six can hear over the rustling of chitin and the clacking of pincers. Strength flows back into you, enough to turn away from the horrendous sight and to grab Mr. Finder if you want. Herolune is pinching his nose shut.

You regain control of your characters. You recognize you are in the presence of a secret legend hidden in the bowels of Mt. Sentry.

To say that Ventus was in awe inspired terror at facing what he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt was a Legendary Pokémon would not be entirely accurate.

To say the very sight of the ANT QUEEN inspired a cold-hot raging inferno of pure unfettered HATRED and ANIMOSITY within him towards the BEING for bewitching them and their Pokémon/luring them all to her that warred an instinctive, wary, paranoid and cravinous TERROR of IT and a sharp spike of intense intellectual and scientific INTEREST in IT, which clashed spectacularly with the now ever present haze in his mind and his concern for E V E R Y O N E ' S wellbeing, creating an emotional malestorm the like of which he'd hadn't experienced since he left Team Plasma all those years ago.......well, that would be an entirely accurate and overly wordy description of how he's feeling right now.

Suffice to say, he was put severely off balance by his meeting with the Legendary Bug Pokemon Siekamater, and was only just barely holding himself together and keep his cool in ITS presence. If he started to freak out, or worse, try to lash out at IT for their crimes , he and everyone he loved and cared about would be set upon by the SWARMS UPON SWARMS of Bug Pokémon that the QUEEN has firmly under her control before they could begin to regret him not restraining his impulses.

As the researcher FINALLY regained control of himself thanks to Ditto's aid ('They are definitely going to be given a reward for saving us all!) wretched his gaze away from the ANT QUEEN , he took several steps back from IT and pulled out some nose plugs to stopper his sniffer up as he did so to shield him partially from the enrapturing chemical she was constantly secreting. Unlike either the resident lore/obscure info expert Nathan (who seemed both terrified out of his gourd too yet all too defiant towards THE QUEEN despite sharing many the same BAD gut feelings inspired by HER) and the well studied/traveled Heart (who seemed more aggressive towards her than fearful, bizaarely enough), Ventus had zero clue or Insight about THE ANT QUEEN before the all , save for what the rare collector just uttered about her (nothing of which helped the mounting tension within him).

Due to all of the above, he felt completely out of his depth and totally lost on what to do in such a catastrophically dire.......

........until he remembered that he was a Pokémon Researcher that specialized in handling/studying Disobedient Pokémon, and that he had hands on experience with befriending an increadibly viscous Legendary Bug Pokémon known as Genesect.

What's more, he couldn't afford to breakdown at a time like this, not when everyone depended on each other to get out of this with their Pokémon in one, undigested piece.

He could do this! He WILL do this!!

Once he realized/recalled all that, Ventus muster every last scrap of Will and resistance he had left and tried his damnest to fully steel himself against the dominating SEIKAMATER , gritting his teeth so hard he could feel his gums ache and bleed as he straightened himself up to his full height and forced himself to calmly and cooly regard the queen. His emotional state was still a right mess, but he was able to push it aside and/or clamp down on it enough so he could begin to clearly think of a solution, any solution that could rescue their Pokémon and themselves from the Legend.

'Oh dear Tao Trio save us from the Queen........no, I MUST have hope we can all survive this....this Legendary Being, or all will be soon lost to its colorful clutches! Now think, what can be done to appease this Siekametar or escape it with our Pokémon with minimum casualties. Come on, think Ventus.....! You didn't get your doctorate in Pokémon Research and Sociology for nothing, so think!!!'

[Iron]

The nose plugs immediately help. It's not perfect, but it clears your head a bit and lets you react much more quickly and lucidly.

[Iron]

The group is still a few rounds away from being in range of Canalize at this point. The only visible exit, back the way you came, is farther than that. As it currently stands, you'd be slowed by Seikamater's call in the opposite direction, but if you managed to sprint it would take about six rounds to reach the exit back into the main tunnel, assuming Tailwind and optimal mounts.

The webs definitely look like they will stop your Pokeballs from recalling your Pokemon.

Most of the bugs are up there on the plains before the fortress. Just a half-dozen Sniper Firoke up on the walls of the fortress.

If all the bugs in the cavern come into play, they have enough numbers to utterly crush you.

[Dragonstrike]

'Oh dear Tao Trio save us from the Queen........no, I MUST have hope we can all survive this....this Legendary Being, or all will be soon lost to its colorful clutches! Now think, what can be done to appease this Siekametar or escape it with our Pokémon with minimum casualties. Come on, think Ventus.....! You didn't get your doctorate in Pokémon Research and Sociology for nothing, so think!!!'

Seeing Ventus has put on some nose plugs and seems to be feeling a bit more like himself (and probably thinking really hard), Nathan says, "Ventus, pass some out to everyone before we end up charging down there.  Ralts knows we're here.  He's scared, relieved...it's a jumbled mess and I can only just barely feel it, but he knows we're here."

He sniffles.  "...Fire Blasted cold...didn't think it destroying my sense of smell would ever be a good thing..."

He looks in Solomon's direction.  Slowking always remain calm and collected no matter the situation.  He's probably sweating a little right now, but he's probably still trying to find a way out of this mess.  If Ralts could grab his attention and let him know everyone's here, maybe he could plan accordingly...his Hidden Power might even be able to give them valuable information...

There's no way they're going to be able to sneak down there and free their friends without getting noticed...if they even touch that webbing, the bugs will know immediately...

...Nathan doesn't know if negotiations are possible.  They might be, but this 'Seikamater' doesn't seem like the negotiating type to Nathan at a glance...it'd be ideal if they could talk their way out of this, but he thinks the chances of doing so are low...

...battling her is an option...if they can even figure out a way to fight her in the first place without getting swarmed by every bug in the nearby area...but that's also assuming they can even fight her in the first place...if she's a proper Legendary like Heart says she is...though if the queen is arrogant and extremely confident due to her own vast powers, getting her to fight them herself might not be difficult...if they beat her, the bugs she was controlling might all flee...the problem would be finding out how to beat her in the first place...

All of this runs through Nathan's head in mere moments.

He's not sure what to do exactly.  But maybe Solomon's Hidden Power could provide the hint they need...he'd just have to somehow communicate that order to the wise Slowpoke...ideally without catching the bugs' attention...

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

The further they all went, the scarier the scenery became – bugs everywhere, seeming to come from everywhere indeed! The fear and ominous anticipitation of WHAT was going on here was overwritten by the strive forward, forward always, the more steps they were taking, the closer they came to whatever is calling there. It's calling them... It's calling her... But it was vastly different from the calling of the Central Fern Shiva experienced earlier, so drastically different – whatever is alluring her here, she got the feeling she won't rejoice or feel just as welcome as she did when she met the Fern.

Eventually, they arrived at the source of the siren's song - ...what a monster. No other words she could find to describe this...THING. That abomination of a bug. But.....why was it still so incredibly beautiful? So wonderful, so precious that the she couldn't feel to be awed by every aspect of her body, from the tip of the fluffy antennae to the baglike abdomen as a whole... So gracefully and majestic as she would expect from a true queen. And a true queen all but deserves tribute, praise and gifts – Given how STRONG that aura of grace and power was that Shiva felt washing over her whole body and mind, she felt like only the greatest of gifts was just enough for this queen: The gift of her own life.   She made attempts step forward, already took a step forward, bid farewell to all her loved ones and send a last mental note home to not mourn for her too long as she has died for the greater good... No sadness was within her, only the raw willingness to surrender: The force has made it to conquer her Castle of the Mind, they were not prepared for an attack with dragon Pokemon.


A sharp and desperate cry broke through, causing the inhabitants and attackers alike of this Castle to halt at the spot and look up to the sky – the former caught themselves one moment later, barely a second before the attackers could. This moment was enough to force them only a little back; it wasn't much at all and the dragons kept raging and the fight went on, but it suprisingly WAS enough for Shiva to regain control, to return to this place and to her senses.


The fear remained however, nothing has been eased about it. Nothing... In fact, now that the fae woman dared to take another look into the directon of that alluring and insectoid queen, it doubled swiftly. It was overwhelming, scary, incredible to describe for her – if this 'thing' wouldn't have bereaved her of her butterwolfly, she'd now run for her life instead of sacrificing it. But...it has her doghyena, it has the other Pokemon of the group, leaving them behind was.... No. That wasn't an option. Even if it was clearly a Legendary Pokemon, Shiva wouldn't desire to break under its presence, even if it was a queen nothing gave it the right to just steal their Pokemon... NOTHING. A new feeling awoke with her, it was cold, oh-so-icy WRATH.

In an intense spark of worry that mixed with that wrath, she averted her gaze from that bugqueen. Having her senses back, she realized that this THING wasn't as beautiful as she saw it with the eyes of a bewitched one – This legend of a bug still had something amazing about it, scary as well, as it raged there in the dim light of her servants.

In a very desperate and intuitive call to do something, Shiva reached over to Ventus'/@Lord Windos side to enwrap her arms tightly around his upper body, at least HE was there. She wasn't in this alone... Thank Reshiram and its generosity for this. She could feel that malestorm and thought process of his, seemingly raging through him like the bugqueen was raging before them all – it caused her to tighten her grip around him a little more. Fear was present, immobilizing fear, but they can't afford to let that fear overwrite their sane thinking and cool heads.

Shiva's head snapped towards Heart/@Spiritmon, only now her mind must have realized that he named this monstrosity of a bugqueen. What did he call it...'Seika'...? For the first time in this scenery, Shiva spoke up, in a voice that was dripping with that fear, but cleverly hidden in between this fear was that spark of determination, the desire to not surrender and do whatever is possible to return their Pokemon. „'Seikamater'? Is that the name of this.....legend? If it's a legend, my books never spoke of it – is it a legend from Tandor? How....Why... And what is it doing here if it belongs to that region's lore? And what do you mean by it uses 'an upgrade power' of fire, water, electric, bug and normal energy, how is it possible that it bears five STABs?“

Fight with all strength, he said.... Shiva eagerly shook her head to this thougth. No..... Just no, she does not want to fight this 'Seikamater'. It's a legend, only the stars above may know what powers it holds once it starts attacking, once it has driven itself into a fury. Rather quietly but clearly audible she spokes up again. „No fighting it... Please... We'll enrage her. We'll enrage all the bugs around, at worst they'll come for us to seek revenge, she a legend with powers beyond our imagination.... There must be.......other ways.“

Attentively, Shiva looks around. There must be SOMETHING around, somehing that'd even has the smallest chance to be useful, anything they have overseen in the first place – does she spot something jellylike definitely around as well? (Not that Shiva knows what it could be – but out of curiosity, is that nearby?)

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

Shiva's head snapped towards Heart/@Spiritmon, only now her mind must have realized that he named this monstrosity of a bugqueen. What did he call it...'Seika'...? For the first time in this scenery, Shiva spoke up, in a voice that was dripping with that fear, but cleverly hidden in between this fear was that spark of determination, the desire to not surrender and do whatever is possible to return their Pokemon. „'Seikamater'? Is that the name of this.....legend? If it's a legend, my books never spoke of it – is it a legend from Tandor? How....Why... And what is it doing here if it belongs to that region's lore? And what do you mean by it uses 'an upgrade power' of fire, water, electric, bug and normal energy, how is it possible that it bears five STABs?“

Fight with all strength, he said.... Shiva eagerly shook her head to this thougth. No..... Just no, she does not want to fight this 'Seikamater'. It's a legend, only the stars above may know what powers it holds once it starts attacking, once it has driven itself into a fury. Rather quietly but clearly audible she spokes up again. „No fighting it... Please... We'll enrage her. We'll enrage all the bugs around, at worst they'll come for us to seek revenge, she a legend with powers beyond our imagination.... There must be.......other ways.“

"Ask questions later, Shiva.  We have friends and family to save.  I don't know if we can avoid a battle.  I'd like to avoid battling if possible, but what we're going to be attemptting will be going against the queen's will in all likelihood."

"...and one does not simply defy the queen."

Nathan looks calm.  Focused.  Outside, he's not showing any of the scared nervousness he's feeling right now.

He HAS to save Ralts and everyone else.

No matter what.

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

Shiva KEEPS looking around rather nervously, still not having let go of Ventus if he hasn't made her doing so. "No. If - IF!!! - we'll have to battle THAT thing, I'd like to know what she's....capable of.... How can a Pokemon, even a legendary one, have.... more than two STABs? "

Her gaze rests on his bugqueen for a little as she spoke that out, wonders how she is possible to control fire, electricity and water to her will as Heart hinted - well, she's HAVING three wings tipped in the respective color; red, yellow and blue. ....Guess that explains the carving of Moltres, Zapdos and Articuno to some degree, but is it also connected with that huge crowned Caterpie depicted on Heart's stony tablet? Did....a Caterpie evolve into THIS thing currently in front of them all? How??!!