[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Iron]

Malphena has never killed before, but she has no qualms with killing these Pokemon who don't smell alive.

Lucifer has been with Ventus long enough to be perfectly OK with killing something that attacked first or otherwise deserves it. In fact...Lucifer is glowing!

His wings broaden, his body lengthens, his head changes shape! When the light fades, a much larger and more draconic bat is there!

Congratulations! Your Noibat evolved into Noivern!

[Iron]

That howl echoes extremely loudly, though the sound is truncated beyond a certain distance. Then the cavern returns to silence.

[Dragonstrike]

(Good on you for thinking about how Nathan's reacting to all of this, Windos!)

Nathan puts Solosis back in his bag.  "...Ditto...use...*pant*...Synthesis to heal back up...*pant*..."  Three uses, 3 HP, getting Ditto back to full health.  Simple enough.  Ditto's second Transformation today will be Gustav the Clawitzer again to get a few Heal Pulses going.  (Gustav is definitely getting a Mega Launcher boosted one from Ditto.  Kirlia can use one apiece on Malphena, Haunter, and Tropius since they're not as badly hurt)

Nathan is...well, physically fine, but...something's bothering him...

...for one, Kirlia is out of his pokeball, grimacing slightly.  He happily breaks one of the transmitters himself, but he also feels...just a little pained.  He's not actually hurt, but there's still that ever so slight feeling of immense pain...and it's making him and Nathan uncomfortable.  Those Reuniclus might not have reacted much to taking those Lethal blows...but that doesn't mean they didn't feel the pain it brought.

For two, seeing a Lethal Crunch so readily used...and by Shiva no less...after she said...

They're dead, no more than a husk.

...Nathan isn't sure what to feel about that right now.  About her.  Kirlia's giving Shiva a strange, worried, slightly scared look.  He can feel that sadness, but...he can also feel the pain her winged Mightyena inflicted so readily at her command.

Nathan thinks about something else that Valder said to him at an earlier point too...

I kill to survive, and I don't like taking happy chances.

Nathan keeps glancing in Valder's direction, trying to see what the mercenary is doing in the aftermath of this battle...

(@Nylon, you're input on how Valder wants to deal with these Reuniclus would be appreciated here, but it's not entirely necessary. It would be very helpful for Nathan, though.)

...and he did notice that Dizzy didn't kill these Reuniclus as well...just broke the transmitters and left them be.  But he also didn't seem to care much for the Lethally harmed ones either way...

...

...

...Nathan is, quite frankly, a bit of a conflicted mess right now.  So while one might have expected him to try and fix up the lethally harmed Reuniclus that's still alive...he hasn't yet.

He's just sitting on the floor with Kirlia, trying to cope with the mess that is his current emotional state and figure out just what in the Distortion World he wants to do about this situation...




(Slightly different topic: Consistency check for @Iron: Soooo...is Transform going to copy Base HP or not?  Didn't we establish that it wouldn't in the meta thread?  Doesn't matter much in this case since Synthesis can heal off all the damage Ditto took, but it could definitely still matter going forward)

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

For information, Shiva would prefer that the lethally hurted Reuniclus would (do forgive me for saying it so blatant) just be left alone to die there, as that'll count as another one that'll have its misery ended for good. By no means will she get close or even dare to look at it out of fear, sorrow and slight disgust; she'd prefer a quick death for it by Yena's teeth, but....she doesn't really feel like giving that command. She'd rather....leave the scenery and walk onwards towards the goal, and will urge the others to do so as well. That's why she forces herself to stay strong now.

Kirlia's strange, worried and scared look ends up being not returned, but she noticed it.

[Iron]

It shouldn't copy Base HP.

Dizzy is perfectly happy with his transmitter and doesn't care what you do to the Reuniclus. Mr. Finder has already said there are more behind you (none in front of you).

Gustav: (6)(1)(2)(3)(2)(5)
Malphena: (6)(5)(3)(1)
Tropius: (5)(6)(4)(5)(6)
Haunter: (2)(1)(6)(4)

[Nylon]

Valder looks at the Reuniclus for a moment and looks away. He'll inspect them for anything of interest, but he'd rather not touch anything gooey and dead, even Valder has standards.
 Valder doesn't like this location, he believes the group should hurry up.
"We need to go, bos- Ventus, I mean" He says while he looks at Ventus.

[Nylon]

Valder thanks Nate for healing his Haunter. He appreciates that!

[Dragonstrike]

Valder thanks Nate for healing his Haunter. He appreciates that!

Well, those 4 Heal Pulses still have to be rolled out.  I think that can be done pretty quickly, though.  We probably want to be healed up before moving on, I assume.

...and Valder's insistence that the group moves on and not worry about these Reuniclus any more (on top of thanking him and Kirlia for the healing) does help ground Nathan a little.

...there's just not much he can do for these Reuniclus in this situation, deep underground as they are...no extra time to dilly dally since they're being pursued, the wild pokemon down here, (if any) might still get them...can't haul them around, obviously...no guarantees the Scimitars will care enough about them to even attempt bringing them back...

...it's still not a thought Nathan enjoys entertaining, though...

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

A loud bark escaped Yena who has returned to his position at Shiva's side after having helped the others with the Reuniclus' transmitters, mostly aimed to Nathan to get a move on. He looked confident and even wagged his tail a little, seemingly delighted that the immediate threat of the chained Reuniclus has been dealt with.

Shiva keeps silent, but it'd only need a hand gesture from her and Yena would leap to also end things for the lethally hurted exemplar. Indeed, rather slowly she raises her arm...... but only to wave Dizzy to please come to her again.

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

Only when it was 100% clear that all of the Psychic Blobs have been dealt with, Shiva pats her Tropius' back and gestures him to please land. He obeyed, and swiftly Shiva (followed by Mr. Finder) leaped off his back, only to almost immediately fell on her knees and flung her arms around her Mightyena's strong neck, nuzzling his black shaggy fur and burrying her face in it as now the didn't manage anymore to hold these bitter tears back. She strictly avoided to even take a brief look at the now....also physically dead Reuniclus, ignored that some of their green jellylike overcoat was still dripping from her butterwolfly's jaws.

Now, as the wrath faded and they have defeated the foes, she allowed herself to weep as much as needed, to accept this sorrow she was feeling. Her toneless sobs barely echoed in the cavern. Now, she also believed to understand where it came from.

Spoiler

It's not going to be revealed just now, but she'll definitely be thankful for comfort either right now or later, preferably from Ventus as he has killed a dozen of Pokemon already and knows best.

Yena was slightly confused over what may be wrong and why his leader was so upset and aghast now, as he has loyally followed her orders. But, a-anyway, he let her cuddle his neck as much as she wanted, as much as needed, even leaned a bit into her as he let out a high-pitched howl of victory over the whole scenery.

(....)

With these last words, she eventually found the strength to getup on her feet again - CAREFULLY. Her stance was still a little weak, but she'll catch herself again soon concerning this. One last pet over Yena's forehead and Shiva allowed her gaze to find the others - she still looked horrible, but she had to overplay it. She HAD TO keep herself strong now.

Quickly, her gaze met Dizzy, and with interest she watched what he was doing. However, by NO MEANS IN RESHIRAM'S NAME will Shiva even get CLOSE to corpses of Pokemon species she actually likes, so "Yena... You saw what Dizzy did there with the transmitters? Yes? Great. Please, go around and do the same one every Reuniclus you manage to find......"

Rather expressionless and stoic, she took Mr. Finder's pleasant news of only one mile seperating then now from the stone, same with Ventus' words of being on guard. Only a slight nod was given to both before she recalled Tropius into his Ball (not after cuddling his head as reward for a job well done) and turned to hike down the rest of the tunnel, closer to the destination.

Once the shock and brief celebration of one his newly evolved and now fully demonic looking brother Lucifer had passed, Ven finally picked up a deep, almost heartbroken sadness and mourning radiating from one of the member of the group, causing him to snap his head towards their direction with a VERY concerned look on his face.....

.....and almost felt his own heart break at the sight of his beloved Shiva cradling Yena, and it didn't take his enormous amounts of Insight to put her being nearly incapacitated by her grief and the green goo caked around the dark worlf's jaws to put two and two together.

At first a rush of shock ran through as that fact was made abundantly clear to the researcher, as the mere thought of Shiva slaying anything other than in the content of hunting for her Pokémon/herself was almost an entirely alien concept to him. Then, a heavy frown appeared as that initial feeling passed and was replaced with a immense amount of sympathy and sorrow for his love, as he well knew how even back in Unova taking the life of a Pokémon was a.......unhappy experience for most people outside a few ethnic group and/or the especially hardened like himself.

'Shiva........oh, my dearest.......'

He felt his heart go out ot her as she coped, but it was only until after she stood up and had a little more time to get her bearings and firm up a bit that the often eccentric researcher went over and threw her arms around them in a hug.

"My dearest......it okay. These......Pokémon were already dead inside by the we killed some of their number, so releasing them from that state is a great mercy for them all. You still fill conflicted over their plight and what you had to do, and I want to say that its okay. Killing.....it should never be an easy or thoughtless task, but only done with utmost confidence, certainty, and the belief that its the right or correct thing to do. For someone with a tender, loving, and compassionate heart like yourself doing such a grisly deed for the first time, even by proxy.......I don't doubt it makes you feel all worse. "

"But its okay to feel like this. Its okay to be sad. They may have been a part our enemy's force, but they were slaves of them that didn't deserve such a fate, so its okay to take no pleasure or joy in....dispatching them. You should never take joy in killing itself anyway, but only what it serves to accomplish, if that. So mourn them, Shiva....but don't let it cripple or twist you. Let this strengthen you, and prepare you for greater trails yet, but don't let this all pervert the wonder woman you are. Be strong......and let us move on together......."

Ventus went silent after saying these comforting words, not letting go until his most blessed of girlfriend asks him to. He is ready to move on with everyone when they are too.

Spoiler

Malphena has never killed before, but she has no qualms with killing these Pokemon who don't smell alive.

Lucifer has been with Ventus long enough to be perfectly OK with killing something that attacked first or otherwise deserves it. In fact...Lucifer is glowing!

His wings broaden, his body lengthens, his head changes shape! When the light fades, a much larger and more draconic bat is there!

Congratulations! Your Noibat evolved into Noivern!

*Flashback!*

To say that Ventus was shocked at his little devil's sudden Evolution would be an understantment, as he and his 'horrifying' sister had to swiftly disengage and back up to give Lucifer space as he shifted and grew in blinding light, until he finally was revealed as a fully grown Noivern!

For a moment, the researcher stood aghast as he stared at his much larger and far more fiercesome looking brother.....

.....until her rushed forward to give them a great big hug, his joyful laughter smothered by their new white mane. The fallen angel, naturally close and extremely loving of their surrogate brother, happily reciprocated the gesture, wrapping his wings around them and butting his head against their own. A rather novel experience for the fully demonic looking draco bat given his former poultry size, but it was one he could quickly get used to! He's the big brother now, and he'll do everything to protect his 'little' one, *Scree!*

"My Lucifer, you've evolved into a Noivern at long last, after all this time! The place and situation that brought upon this change is certainly less than ideal, but that hardly matters! You've reached the pinnicle of your species, and now you can stand proud as a full fledged Dragon amongst your peers, and no longer have to be cowed by their size and power! Congradulations......!"

He said this all with to them while in their embrace, which acted as a convenient muffler to keep such a moment mostly private. After he was down cuddling them, Ven looked up and gave them a beaming smile and told them: "If you are fine with the idea, we should try flying together at some time, my brother. Your certainly big and strong enough to carry me around now, and it would certainly be an enjoyable time for the both of us. What do you say?"

*Flashback ended for now!*