[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

Terra nonchalantly nods back to the clever trainer, seemingly unphased by their incredulousness at his pirate's plunder of a find, before they abruptly stopped and began stroking their beard as he pondered the couple of questions unintentionally? posed by them.

"Hm....did not see any blood or.....signs of struggle damage on shells, so think the Dwebble they came from are alright.  Value on Shells, though....hm. Good size and shape, Pokemon Product, are Shiny, can probably be re-used by Dwebble or other Pokémon, minimal damage *Mumble Mumble* …Hm, estimate whole sale cost on all shells to be roughly $24000-$32000 based on being Rare Pokemon Products in good condition, so value would be $12000-$16000 if average person sold them, or $1200-$1600 per shell. *Beat, then shrugs* That is what I think. Never have run across or sold Dwebble sale before, so I am just guessing at their price."

Not sure if Nathan's had a first hand demonstration of the monk's hidden mercantile sense, but whatever the case they've got a prime example of it now!

(…)

At first, Terra looked taken aback by what the boy declared on his behalf, for they not only denied he was an almost complete cretin, but clearly stated/implied that if he kept trying to learn, he could be smart like him. Such a concept was almost inconceivable for the rugged wanderer, as a lifetime of being put down and/or overlooked for his intelligence by almost everyone had lead him to believe he was an idiot incapable of being knowledgeable about anything but his select fields of expertise. As a result, it made Nathan's challenging remarks more shocking, unbelievable, and bold than they should be, causing quite a stir within the normally stoic man.

This wasn't the first time he's heard such rhetoric, however. His family and the few friends he made back home also expressed similar faith in his intellectual capacity, so hearing the boy's words should only had validated what had been said. Right?

...Well, its not so simple, unfortunately. Due to aforementioned lifetime of discrimination against his intelligence and his relative isolation in both child and adulthood, such cruel notions had become ingrained in his consciousness, to the point he genuinely believed and accepted he was 'dumb' . Any sort of smart thinking on his part he usually attributed to his parent's teaching (if it were commerce/common upbringing Knowledge related), extrapolated from the wisdom/experience he gained throughout his time exploring/living in the wilds, or the smattering of information he worked hard at memorizing learning from various source, and not his own capacity for Knowledge.

As a result, the mountain of a man had inadvertidly formed a strong, self reinforcing notion that he was just a big, stupid guy only good at and for a certain for areas. Anytime someone said something to contradict that and insisted, he often believed they were only flattering/pitying him, or were just didn't know how idiotic he 'was', so he usually just convincingly agreed to avoid causing a fuss, his words having no real faith backing them. Up until now that worked perfectly, so...

"....*Smiles* Alright. I understand Nathan. Will take your advice, and work on being smarter for now on. Souds hard....but not impossible with your help."

...that is exactly what he did. He felt uncomfortable not being truthful to his friend, but he believe it was the right thing to do in order to spare their feelings and make them happy. Lying is bad, but not universally so, and the simple monk held that this was the case when it came to the matter of his smarts, so he felt justified for doing so to Nathan. Its all for the greater good, right...?

Of course, if Gallade is out and with Nathan, they could easily call Tarous shit on their lip service, but they'd also be able to discern the emotions/deep seated feelings that motivated him to lie to them. Continuing to bluntly convince them otherwise could work.....but it could also cause him to put down barriers and/or avoid the issue/them until sufficient time has passed if not handled carefully.

So, the question now was thus: Would Nathan call him out, or just leave things safely be?

(Oh yeah, I know all about how Low INT Not Equal Idiot, which I believe I've demonstrated in Terra amply enough. Problem is, my chara firmly believes otherwise, and has such low confidence/belief in that aspect of himself that convincing him otherwise will be a trail indeed. Heck, he just accepts and works around that he's 'dumb' without much negativity and matter of factly, so him never believing he'll truly get smart despite the contrary and have him contribute his learning to others/raw experience is not a problem. At least, not unless its made into one. Choice is up to you, mate! I'm happy to develop my character either way, really!)

Moving on from that (for now...), Terra looked intrigued at the glimpse the clever trainer gave him into their life, nodding and filing all said into his long term memory the best he can. Angie, meanwhile, was mostly perplexed by what they said, particularly the playful wink given to her. She knew their was significance to their words, but she couldn't quite recognize exactly what it was. How frustrating....oh well. She'll get the meaning in due time - she just has to be patience enough for it to come to her, or, bar that, learn. EXPerience is what makes a Pokémon grow, after all, so the inverse must be true as well!

He did inject once during their exposition on their background, however: "Uh....what does 'affinity' mean? Sorry for asking, but not sure about what you are telling me about it...." The seraph let out her own questioning *Zzzzzsssss?* as well, showing that she didn't understand the definition of it too. Shared ignorance on complex words must run in the family, eh?

As for accepting his entreaty for Pokechildcare and aid, he gave them a genuinely heartfelt smile, and bowed his head in gratitude.

"Thank you very much, my friend. *Thinks about it* …Later. Need time to.....think more and understand what Shiva told me, so I can remember it well. Maybe tonight, or tomorrow?"

*Thoughtful pause*

"Ah...almost forgot. What happened? *Points to where they came from* With you, and that Berry Bush? Was not......focusing on it, but saw you were excited and happy after......looking in it. *Beat* Did you find something good? Or something interesting?"

Gallade is out, obviously, but Nathan doesn't need Gallade's confirmation to fire back with, "I'm gonna hold you to that.  Stick around with this group long enough, and you'll be learning things from me left and right, I tell ya!  Well, stuff that I know really well, anyways, which is mostly going to be stuff related to History and general Pokemon knowledge...and I think you definitely have me beat in the Commerce and Wilderness Survival areas...but hey, maybe I can learn a thing or two as well.  We just need to ask each other the right questions.  That's what learning is, really: asking questions and finding the answers to them.  Or just gaining experience and expertise in certain areas by practicing them."  It doesn't take rocket science to figure out that Terra's been calling himself 'dumb' for a long, long time...

...but why call him out on it right now when that would most likely serve to damage things more than fix them?  Nah, Nathan will play along for now...with enough encouragement, things might improve for Terra eventually...though Nathan might need a little help to do so later down the line...time to make some secret plans...(*dun dun duuuunnnn*)

And yes, Nathan is completely serious when he says he's going to hold Terra to what he just said.  Nathan takes learning very seriously.  And what better way to encourage that growth than to actively encourage and help with guiding it?

In short, it's probably going to be a response that Terra wasn't expecting at all.

"...oh, affinity is...I guess you could say a kind of talent for something.  I actually have some ancestry that's really, really well known for having a particular talent for raising Dragon types.  In this case, it's more of the more...natural liking definition of the word, I guess you could say.  It's just...something I happen to be good at...but only because I learned about it recently and was taught how to...properly use those talents.  Before I'd learned about my ancestry, well...I had no idea how to handle Dragons so easily.  But after?  Definitely a bit easier to raise Dragon types.  More unruly ones are definitely still a challenge, but simpler ones like, say...an Altaria?  No problem.  My Snivy and Charmeleon are definitely a little more respectful than before as well, but they're not actual Dragon types, so that's about all I get from them.  Genie...I'm not really sure if she'd hear me out or not, though, to be honest...she's very...unique.  Still a Dragon, but...definitely not like most others of her Type, that's for sure..." Do note that Nathan doesn't mention that it's noble ancestry.

As for the pokechild care...

"...well, one piece of advice I'll give you right now, then: don't doubt your abilities.  If you start doubting yourself, your pokemon will start having doubts too.  You've done a good job with Shiranui, Genie, Melly, Lovely, and Basteele, so don't doubt your ability to raise a pokemon.  Sure, they might not have been babies when you got them, but you raised them well all the same, right?  I don't think there's any need for you two to worry, Anubi and Angie.  Though if Terra does need a little help, he's got plenty of people to ask for it. BUt yeah, Terra, tonight should be an okay time for me to give ya a lesson or two, no problem."

At Terra's comment on Nathan's rooting around in the berry bushes, Nathan blinks in surprise again!

"...wow, uh...I didn't think you'd noticed, to be honest...I'm not sure Shiva and Heart did...but, uh, I'm glad you did because that reminded me that that's one of the reasons I came over here in the first place...so, uh...yeah.  Funny story, but I seem to have a tendency of finding stuff in berry bushes...particularly Lum Berry bushes...I just had this...really, really good feeling that I'd find something in there..."

Nathan holds up what looks to be one Rock Type TM.

"And I found...this!  Stealth Rock!  Cool, right?  Well, what's cooler is...this!"

And then the 'one' TM is revealed to be 2 as Nathan reveals the second one that was behind the first.

"Two Stealth Rock TMs!  Two!  Such a rare and valuable TM, and I just found two of them lying around, hidden in a Lum Berry bush!  I can think of one pokemon I definitely want to teach it too, but I'm still considering what to do with the second one, to be honest..."

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

Original Post

The simple monk chuckles in appreciation and nods back to her, a content smile on his face as he elaborates more about his chubby little snake.

"Thank you. He....yes, she is. Her name is Angie, and I will be raising her. *Looks contemplative, before nodding* If she lets you, then yes, you can. Angie? Will you let her pet you?"

Perking up at her name, the serephim to be listen to her papa, then looked over to the woman in question with childish inquisitiveness (tilting their head/staring) for several seconds , until she let out a soft, positive *Zzzzzsss* sound and leaned her head forward, a clear invitation for them to touch her. She's receiving vibes and a faint sense of familiarity from this woman, so she finds her request to be most agreeable.

Anubi pumps a fist back to the Fairy Trainer and nods, a zesty, toothy smile that wouldn't be out of place on Genie. He's a-ok, and raring for a Fight, anytime, anywhere!

Briefly, there was a comfortable silence between Terra and Shiva as they enjoyed each other's company, but it was broken when he suddenly frowned and spoke up, with feelings of thoughtfulness and....uncertainty belaying it and his words.

"Shiva, you are a Breeder. So, you know how to take very good care of all kind of Pokemon. Right? *Beat* .....Can you give me advice on caring for a Baby Pokemon? Never have done this before, so I don't have any experience. I.....don't.....want to make any......mistakes raising Angie and *Grimaces*......cause bad things to happen to her, if I can.....deny it. So....can you help me? Please....?"

...Well now, this is unexpected. But is it unwelcome too? Hmm....

Awww! At the kind welcome and dear response from the mountain of a man Shiva very soon thaws and relaxes, but it happens concealed for the eye that does not pay extraordinarily good attention. Only the softness in her voice and faint body language speak that she's feeling comfortable, little Dunsparce greatly adds to if not causes this for the most part. Seeing a tough man like Terra handling a freshly hatched Pokemon and a jolly young Riolu is quite a unique and lovely sight for sure to her!

Speaking of him, the antics of Anubi do bring held-back chuckle to her, in silence she enjoys how he seems to enjoy being with Terra and lets out a pleased sigh all while smiling ALMOST mischievously at him. „Neat to see that you're doing good!~“ *reaching into her belongings, rummaging a bit in them and facing Anubi before drawing something from there* „Maybe a small sweet snack will make you feel even better ? If your Master allow you, that is...“ A questioning look is thrown to Terra, if he agrees a small PirsifBerry-Cookie from her stock is given to the aural dog to munch on.

Onwards to Dunsparce then, which now that she allowed receives a few careful and warm strokes over her head. Shiva much likes the smoothness of the scales and how soft they feel so shortly after hatching, she soon witdraws her hand to not overdo it. „Thank you for the granted trust, lil' one... So 'Angie's your name? What a fine choice. I hope you'll grow into a good and strong exemplar of a Dunsparce under your new father's care...“ Though Shiva's dear smile towards the young one is soon interrupted as Terra raises his sentiments of help towards her, earning some awkward seconds of silence from her as a first reaction as she only stares at him; he managed to catch her off-guard.

Inside her though, she realizes that she does appreciate him coming to her for help on this, much actually; it's a shy feeling of 'You've come to the right person' she's non-verbally sending to him. Eventually, she looks to the ground and runs a hand through her hair in faint embarrasment. „I, well, eh... I guess I can...indeed help you a little on that? Most what I know has been...thaught to me by Dad, so it should be...fine... Hehe.“ *more awkward sieconds before she coughs and tries to look and sound competent*
„What's important is getting the...young one used to one, to start off the right foot. Trying to set stone for a fruitful bond right from the beginning, you, ehm, see...? That's mostly achieved by handling the young Pokemon lovingly and respectfully, trying to provide a feeling of safety. Making it getting used to your touch and closure, Angie seems to be...comfortable to be held in your arms. That's a good sign!“ She gifts a slight smile to Terra. „Most young Pokemon do respond well to that, some earlier and some later, depends on the species and circumstances.“
„Spending time with the young one is always good, just playing if it is up for that, being in its presence or doing things that go after the innate nature of it. Whatever...it could like, encouraging it to some quality time is rarely wrong.“

Some silence follows where Shiva faces Terra a little more as a different thougth comes to her mind. Given how capable he wandering monk is when it comes to Pokemon Fights: „Ah, battles... I, ehm, have experienced that young Pokemon are usually fine with fighting against others upon birth, against opponents that match their skill level of course. Doing some...training of its moves, especially if it inherited an egg move, at first would do both Pokemon and owner well though. Like young Pokemon playfully train with their sisters, brothers and parents in the wild, you understand...? Species that naturally try to avoid fighting or express dislike for that do need some more careful approach, but I think that... uh, Angie should be fine. Wll you, smol one?“ A last soft pat on the head is given to the landsnake.

Upon having shared all of this, Shiva falls into some comfortable silence. She's feeling simultaneously weird and okay, hopes that Terra has gotten what she told him as she gives him a short glance from below before choosing to gaze at the surroundings again. „If you're...having more questions or concerns, don't be...uhm, shy to come to me, alright? Terra...?“ That's meant honest, but rather shortly after that Cliff came towards them all, introduced himself and therefor ends up being dragged away for a friendly Pokemon Battle by Shiva, but she'll hear it if Terra has anything to add or respond to her. She just won't respond herself!

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

Pokemaniac Cliff Round 2
Link to the previous Round
Raphael's at 6/9hp and reduced Talonflame's Strength by 2,
while the bird has +2 Dexterity and 4/8hp.


With joy Shiva watches as the archangel successfully softens Talonflame's will to put her full strength into the ordered attacks as well as the bird becoming a blur all of a sudden and Raphael responding to that by accelerating as well. He loudly chirps as he ends up still being faster, can't catch him! Fire building and blazing up all over Talonflame though as she took aim at Raphael at FULL speed and ruthlessness towards her own safety caused the fae enthusiast to look away in startle as she silently whispered words of encouragement to her battler. „It's not much more left, Raphael! Be safe and stay safe, try to avoid catching some burned feathers from Talonflame if you can. Continue with your last moves as decent as you can, but please remember to not overdo it as the aim is NOT clipping your foe's wings! Hold back your power if needed.“

I guess using Morning Sun would bring me an unfair advantage in this battle, so I'll abstain from that on free will. Unless Talonflame very suprisingly regains some HP as well, then I'd use a Morning Sun as soon as Raphael hits -2 Pain left.

Accuracy Roll Air Slash 1: 4 Dext + 3*Fight + 4 Channel – 1 Pain – 3 Actions = 7d6
Accuracy Roll Air Slash 2: 4 Dext + 3*Fight + 4 Channel – 1 Pain – 4 Actions = 6d6
Accuracy Roll Air Slash 3: 4 Dext + 3*Fight + 4 Channel – 1 Pain – 5 Actions = 5d6
Damage Roll: 3 Strength + 3 power of the move + 1 STAB = 7d6
Additional notes: 5*CD to flinch Talonflame. I'm amazed all my Accuracy Rolls still have a Crit Chance.

"Yep, couldn't live without my Breeder's License! It can be dangerous, but it's something some Pokemon do naturally. They hide their Eggs under rock piles, use their Moves to make the environment safer, pile up branches and debris, secrete them away in cavities, or even sneak 'em into other Pokemon's nests!!! I've invented a special pheromone that can hide one Egg from predators for up to ten years, if it's sheltered from rain. I'll give you a vial of it if you win!"

A somewhat shy but very dear expression developed on Shiva upon hearing that Cliff too was an owner of the Breeder's Lisence, he even receives part of that via a smile. Hello, fellow enthusiast! „Yesyes, I would have issues without the lisence as well! So practical for the like of us...“ She doesn't end up voicing it, but that's one of the things she likes most about the region of Creshire.

Ah, but soon her thoughts are distracted as she mentally bites herself, she must be so used to Pokemon Eggs being hatched in Daycares and people's care that she forgot that Pokemon in the wild do exactly she she would barely ever dare as they might have no choice – with that neatly being reminded on by Cliff, Shiva very slowly does warm up to the idea of leaving an Egg unattended in the nature, or at least not outright denying it anymore. „You're right... I forgot about wild Pokemon and their Eggs, I'm sorry. T-ten years though!! What sort of Egg would need THAT long to hatch?! Though if you've invented it yourself, I'd be...happy to win a vile of that, just out of...curiosity... hehe.“

Suddenly, she perks up. „......Ah! Now tell me as well, if you like Pokemon Eggs even more than I do – Have you already hatched somethig special? Shinies, rare or undiscovered egg moves, natural mutations?“

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

Almost forgot, one more question that can be answered by Cliff in the same breath as the one whether he hatched somethin' special already:
"What kind of Destiny Knots do you usually use?"

[Iron]

Pokemaniac Cliff Round 2

Air Slash 1
(2)(1)(6)(2)(2)(5)(4) = 3 successes
Evasion 1 10 evade dice -4 actions -2 pain
(6)(2)(3)(4) = 2 successes
(4)(2)(1)(4) Talonflame takes 2 dmg 2/8hp -2 pain
CD: (6)(2)(1)(3)(1) Talonflame flinches 2

"That will definitely do it! Talonflame, Roost...on my shoulder. We surrender, we surrender!"

Talonflame comes back immediately at his command and begins healing.

Shiva gains 5XP and Raphael gains 10XP.

"Here's your prize! $800 and a vial of Cliff's Cleffatastic Repel! That's enough to protect one Egg. Remember to keep it out of the rain. It mimics the scent of protective nesting Pokemon, such as Staraptor and Ursaring."

"I have a shiny Cleffa, but it's not with me at the moment. I'm not big on breeding for visual mutations, though I do enjoy the theory of it. For sure! Rare moves, though, certainly. It's pretty amazing what chain breeding can accomplish - all possible because Eggs, being cradles, can allow DNA to recombine in all sorts of interesting ways even between species."

"Oh, want to hear a fun fact? If you breed two very different species together - like Gregor Mendelcatty's famous hypothetical of a Skitty and a Wailord - and then check it with an Egg Checker - the Checker won't be able to identify the species until halfway through gestation! The DNA hasn't yet worked out the complex calculations required to create a stable life form out of very different genes."

"I use Destiny Knots that ensure rare moves, that suppress mutations, and one called a Shambles that lets you predict whether the Pokemon will develop affection for each other. It's arguably more humane than just letting nature take its course."

[Iron]

Ring ring! It's Nathan's phone!

You've got an incoming call from Dagny.

"Nathan? You in a secure place? Good. Remember that guy I told you was a resident of Cress City and owned a Key Stone? Fernando Marlfox? I have a small update, if you care. He was just booked for a minor crime, looks like breaking and entering. It's not thought he stole anything at this time. Could have been casing a place to rob, could have thought the building was abandoned, any number of things. No updates on Jerry Sensen at this time. Does that help you at all?"

[Dragonstrike]

Ring ring! It's Nathan's phone!

You've got an incoming call from Dagny.

"Nathan? You in a secure place? Good. Remember that guy I told you was a resident of Cress City and owned a Key Stone? Fernando Marlfox? I have a small update, if you care. He was just booked for a minor crime, looks like breaking and entering. It's not thought he stole anything at this time. Could have been casing a place to rob, could have thought the building was abandoned, any number of things. No updates on Jerry Sensen at this time. Does that help you at all?"

"Whoops.  Excuse me for a sec, Terra.  Important call.  BRB."

Nathan listens attentively to what Dagny has to say once he's certain he's able to respond privately.  Gallade's keeping an eye, an ear, and his psychic empathy tuned in to his surroundings to find potential eavesdroppers.

"Yeah, it might help a little.  Tanuki wasn't sure if either of them were who I was looking for, as she wouldn't have described either of them as violent and didn't know which Mega Stones they had...what would really help is if I can find out if either of them has a Pinsir, but that's proving to be tricky for obvious reasons, particularly if I don't want to arouse any suspicion...where was Fernando booked, though? Anything else notable in the reports?"

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

(Neat edit to Gregor Mendelcatty. Lolz!)

Huh, now that went much smoother than Shiva would have expected, but from the look of it Raphael's last Air Slash kinda did a fine job. Smilar like Cliff, she calls out for the archangel and guides him to softly land by her side, where he immediately receives a fond hug, a handful of dried berries to nom and some praise for his victory against the fierely falcon. She surely like feels like having learned something in this battle! That, and she's very relieved that neither Steel Wing has been displayed nor has the archangel suffered a horrible burn. "Very well done, Raphael... That was a good fight from your side, I liked how you first softened Talon's aggression and then made her fear you by your Air Slashes. Good job! <3 " 

With great carefulness she accepts the vile of the special pheromone, turns it a little in hands and holding it up to get a good impression of it. She's having very mixed and worried feelings still - but now also an unmistakably fascination. "Many many thanks. I... I will make sure to put it into good use! And yes, I'll take care to shelter the chosen Egg from rain. This one vile for exactly one Egg, right? And you said it takes longer for the Egg to hatch if left in the wild and protected with this pheromone, is that correct...?"

The simple thought of a cute shiny Cleffa~ waters Shiva's mouth and brings some sparkles into her eyes. She'd have great problems to abstain from hugging it if Cliff would have it with him now.

Ah... That the Egg Checker wouldn't be able to identify the species until halfway through gestation is something Shiva did not know. For certain though she has heard of Gregor Mendelcatty's theories and hypotheses on modern genetics, her father once gifted her a book about it as she got curious about that topic and seemed old enough to get it. But it was usually him who checked the Eggs with the Pokedex. She ends up blinking at Cliff in suprise upon him sharing that, curiosity now awakes. "Really....? How weird... But also quite something. I guess the same goes for more weird combinations, like trying to mate a Zangoose with a Seviper?" Why someone would want to do that, Shiva never understood.

"One that ensures rare moves... You mean a Greenleaf? Or is there one more for that? Can I....maybe even see the Shambles if you've got it with you, please? Just... just because I'm enjoying how many different Destiny Knots there are, and I never heard of that one!"

Ah, and very shyly, when it gets time to bid goodbye and move further down the path, Shiva would ask one more thing. "You're going to see Bill as well, will you? Have you visited him before, is he hospitable at all? Ah, and....uhm.... Shall we exchange numbers as well? I'd be happy to to hang out and chat more about Eggs and Breeding, maybe we can even battle again at some point!"

[Spiritmon]

Heart return to his companions with the Miracle in his hands, and Kecleon behind him. "Hey Terra. Howdy buddy." Say Heart greeting him.

[Iron]

Ring ring! It's Nathan's phone!

You've got an incoming call from Dagny.

"Nathan? You in a secure place? Good. Remember that guy I told you was a resident of Cress City and owned a Key Stone? Fernando Marlfox? I have a small update, if you care. He was just booked for a minor crime, looks like breaking and entering. It's not thought he stole anything at this time. Could have been casing a place to rob, could have thought the building was abandoned, any number of things. No updates on Jerry Sensen at this time. Does that help you at all?"

"Whoops.  Excuse me for a sec, Terra.  Important call.  BRB."

Nathan listens attentively to what Dagny has to say once he's certain he's able to respond privately.  Gallade's keeping an eye, an ear, and his psychic empathy tuned in to his surroundings to find potential eavesdroppers.

"Yeah, it might help a little.  Tanuki wasn't sure if either of them were who I was looking for, as she wouldn't have described either of them as violent and didn't know which Mega Stones they had...what would really help is if I can find out if either of them has a Pinsir, but that's proving to be tricky for obvious reasons, particularly if I don't want to arouse any suspicion...where was Fernando booked, though?  Anything else notable in the reports?"

"It was right there in Cress City, a dozen blocks from the man's own house. Something I find interesting is that he released no Pokemon - not while breaking in, not while cussing out the cops who arrested him. I bet I'll know within a few hours whether they found any Pokeballs on him while booking him, and their contents. You'll have to keep that knowledge secret, though, is that OK?"