[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Iron]

Angie, Anubi, and Shiranui gain 2XP. Chansey records everything they do and shows them some biofeedback charts, which only Shiranui is really advanced enough to make use of. But for example he can see at what point in his breathing cycle he delivers the strongest punch.

[Iron]

@Spiritmon I need to know whether Heart wants to wear a portable Time Capsule.

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

It's too bulky to strap on by yourself. Bill or someone will have to help you.
Bill says he will have to power up the master Time Capsule to dispense another copy of the wristwatch. He gets that started.
It can pass as something like a Poketch or e-watch, you think.
It can't really be tested because you're currently in the same timestream, but Bill says you'll be able to make sure the MSC signaler antenna is sending and receiving.

Oh. Well, in that case Shiva does let Bill help on straping the PTC (that's how I'll gonna call the device from now on) on her wrist, but she subtly flinches away in embarassment by his touch and her hand is faintly trembling. If that's an issue that makes things more hard than needed, she'll just ask Alakazam to help with his strong psychic powers.

If it passes as a modern e-watch or such, all's well from her side, as her (and my) biggest worry are people starting to ask uncomfortable questions what this curious watchlike device is that she's wearing! D:

That brief lurch showing the unadulterated bayfront farm probably came either way too fast in the means of 'We technically don't have the PTC's at that time yet or they aren't activated yet' or in the means of 'It's gone too fast to properly react and use this as an opportunity for a quick test run of sending a message to Bill from within the lurch'ing  I'd guess, but it surely scares poor Shiva to the very core still because it came so suddenly and just when she was starting to wind down again. Oh well, but she's definitely making sure that the signaler antenna is working indeed. Just to be certain! She feels like having enough information now to get along well with this device once she got used it (or once I gathered and noted all given info), but if there are more details that need to be known, now would be the point that Shiva asks for them. If there aren't, she hasn't anything more to add concerning this topic, she's not 'persuading' Terra at all either when he declines wearing one the devices. His personal decision, and she is aware that he's having his issues with anything more complex and/or technical! How he's getting along with his Pokedex is already something she feels has taken him time.

"Yeah, I can give you a crash course on the big screen! Let me teach you about pointers, private and public keys, and remoting. That will let you upload people's pre-programmed box environments to your PC, and to securely share information and material with others if you know their public key. The PC normally handles all that by itself automatically, but for advanced users you can "hack" your own system to make any custom alterations that are allowed. Actually building your own box environments, instead of relying on existing ones, is an advanced topic that would take days to teach."

He teaches you that.

-12xp, +2 points in PC Science Speciality. A third point is aimed for if it turns out useful.

Aww! She's naturally very delighted that Bill's up to share a bit of his precious knowledge to her, she proofs to be an attentive student that learns things fast as soon as having gotten it. When testing things our practically on the big screen under the watchful eyes of Bill himself and Porygon2 she realizes how much fun it actually is to edit and 'hack' around in the range of what is allowed and doesn't serve to accidently break the system or cause a bluescreen at worst, means Shiva always keeps the unaltered code backuped in order to rescue and restore things if something's she's been busy at malfunctions.

She doesn't voice it openly, but she'd actually be all up to stay a few days and learn how to build her own PC Box Environment for her Pokemon to enjoy, but there's no time for that now and she needs to get a little more experienced at first before attempting to do that - maybe Telperion Uni or so can help with that when time is ripe. For now, she's enjoying to play around a bit, trying out this and that, editing here and there only to see what happens and whether the PC accepts her altered codes and keys.

More sweets or snacks she does not have to gift, but Bill certainly receives a very timid but honestly thankful smile. For a moment, her eyes even very briefly sparkle up! "Yes, that's pretty much what would be useful for me, thanks a lot for the time taken! I'll train what you've taught me whenever I'm having the opportunity and time to do." She short break follows before she does speak up once more, this time facing the big screen with a thoughtful look. " Do you think you could also... Well, show me how I can safely access the deep web (not dark web, that's a difference!) to search for an information that a standard search engine doesn't provide for example, I'd be very grateful as well. Please!~ I feel like, ehm, that could be useful. It's not illegal either to do so."

Once that's done, she'll show him some of her Pokemon that I'll list later, and after that I've done and asked everything I wanted to at this vsit.

[Spiritmon]

Spoiler

@Spiritmon I need to know whether Heart wants to wear a portable Time Capsule.

Heart accept in wear the Time Capsule. He is kinda curious how its gonna work that thing.

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

Ray accepts the Psychic TM as his fair due. Whenever Nathan works with him, or chooses him in battle, or gives him a good Held Item or new move, Ray accepts it as minor worship/honor. 

Tropius is first and foremost interested in the sunlight suddenly pouring down, but you get the feeling she will be really really excited to actually use that move in battle. She kind of has an instinct to do that, but didn't have the capability up until now.

"Wow, amazing Delta Pokemon! Some don't like 'em, but I love 'em! It took a while to make the PC system recognize them properly. They could be stored safely, but if you had a Delta and a similar Pokemon it would sometimes deliver the wrong one. That's all sorted out now, and we're even working on some tech to improve it. My newest app will be able to identify type, moves, and predict evolutions for mutated Pokemon, and most importantly, identify what exactly the mutation is. For example, we can tell if your Tropius is truly a Delta, or some other mutation. Call me in two days and I think it will be ready for beta testers."

Bill isn't afraid of Orthros (or Tropius, who is more dangerous at this point). Tropius stays quite calm while in the presence of Bill.

"I know a little known fact about Primal Bulbasaur. They were one of the first off-type species cataloged in modern times, as you probably know, but they were also one of the first Primal Pokemon to appear to humans, historically. The First Technical Society treated them as totems! All the big cities had a family of Primal Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, and Venusaur if they were lucky. They'd live in the center of town on a special plinth for ceremonies, or in a sacred cave, or maybe deep in the woods where it was considered lucky to come across one. Neat, eh?"



"The biggest problem with the portable system is it is trade-only. The PC system is not conducting a trade at all when it accepts a Pokemon for storage. It's a big difference from an engineering standpoint. Pokemon trading machines have been around since the days of the Kings, whereas the first PC deserving of the name was built in 1841 - the Analytical Engine. It could only store first stage Pokemon of small size and low power. That was in the days when an MSC capture web was expensive and Pokeballs hadn't been invented yet, so the combination of inferior non-MSC Apricorns holding crude MSC capture webs and a very low-memory PC resulted in a terrible storage system. It filled up most of Stair City, haha!"

"You can think of the portable trader as being akin to a switchboard, while the PC is like a modern cell phone. I'm the switchboard operator: I have to manually approve a trade, and only I can do it because I have admin privileges, and I can only do it to your specific devices because they are hard-coded with your encrypted hash function specifying your OT. Honestly, the security on these things is terrible. Don't let anyone shady know you have them, and keep them powered down when you're not using them. If someone steals this device, it's as good as them having your fingerprint and Trainer Card."

"That said, I'll definitely use any data I get from you and Shiva to engineer the next gen of PC. We'll have to see what the future has in store for us!"

At that very moment, coincidentally right as he says the word "Future" to Nathan, all of you except Terra experience a brief lurch in which you have a glimpse of an unadulterated bayfront farm. Then you're back, and Nathan can tell Bill didn't notice he was gone.

"Interesting fun fact.  However...hmmm...well, I do know for a fact that Orthros is a Delta, but...I'm actually fairly certain that Ray is a Primal Bulbasaur.  He can apparently learn moves of lots of different types.  Electric, Psychic, Fairy, Bug...if it's light based or can be executed in the form of a flash of light, he can probably learn it.  Definitely not your typical Delta by a long shot."  *chuckle*

"...Tropius...I'm not sure what she is.  She could be a Delta...but she might also be a form of Primal.  I've seen some really, really old pictures of flightless Grass/Rock Tropius, and I had Laurelin revive her from a fossil...that app you're working on would be helpful for confirming what she is one way or another for sure.  I'll definitely be glad to help test that, so definitely expect a call from me two days from now."

"...oh, and if you didn't catch on, Orthros is the one of the three from a different dimension.  Specifically, I met him in the Dream World.  It's a long story...but the end result of it is I caught him partially because he seemed friendly enough...partially because we need to study them more.  A whole pack of Delta Houndour lead by a Mega Delta Houndoom was causing a lot of trouble during the night in Corsage Port.  I'd like to eventually maybe get Doctor Fennel or Professor Burnet some Delta Houndour to study so we can learn more about the species and how to better get along with them...but getting ahold of either of those two isn't easy, given the exact circumstances...Professor Mallorn said he'd try and get me in contact with Fennel, but I've not heard back from him on that yet, so...just doing some amateur 'field research' of my own while I wait for an opportunity, I guess."

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

Nathan blinks a few times, Gallade grabs Nathan's shoulder to help him rebalance after that lurch occurred...

"...well, the sooner we get those portable trading machines ready, the better in my opinion.  I have a feeling these lurches are going to last longer sooner rather than later..."

Once Nathan has his Portable Time Capsule on, he has another question for Bill: "So...did one of your pokemon help you get yours on?"

[Iron]

More sweets or snacks she does not have to gift, but Bill certainly receives a very timid but honestly thankful smile. For a moment, her eyes even very briefly sparkle up! "Yes, that's pretty much what would be useful for me, thanks a lot for the time taken! I'll train what you've taught me whenever I'm having the opportunity and time to do." She short break follows before she does speak up once more, this time facing the big screen with a thoughtful look. " Do you think you could also... Well, show me how I can safely access the deep web (not dark web, that's a difference!) to search for an information that a standard search engine doesn't provide for example, I'd be very grateful as well. Please!~ I feel like, ehm, that could be useful. It's not illegal either to do so."

Once that's done, she'll show him some of her Pokemon that I'll list later, and after that I've done and asked everything I wanted to at this vsit.

"Well, that depends a lot on what you want to do. Usually you need to write a clever algorithm that can go digging around and automatically fill in database requests for you. You'd have to custom tailor it to access the unindexed sites you want, and that requires programming skill. But I can show you a few filters on the Zangoogle search engine that will broaden the possible responses. Or you could just ask a Porygon!"

[Iron]

"Primal" is what Bill meant to say, lemme quick edit that.

"I've talked to Fennel in the past too, but it's been years. I know she's active on an IRC board called irc.dreams.nasci. Try that!"

"Ok, let me show you three how the watches go on. Terra, you can help someone strap in - that's how I got mine on. A friend helped me. One of you is going to have to help me put it back on though, before I can activate the Time Capsule."

That done, he leads you over to the master Time Capsule. He pokes some buttons and a slot opens up. He has all of you (well, not Terra) pass your hand through there, and it scans your palm and biometrics. Then it dispenses three devices.

"Help each other strap these on, then check for a blinking gree-"

LURCH.

Just as Terra helps Heart with his PTC, the four of you experience another sickening lurch, and you find yourself standing on a greensward where Bill's house was just a moment ago. You feel firm clay beneath your feet, whereas before the farm was muddy. On your wrists, the PTCs; at your belts, Pokeballs. In front of you, the bay, unobstructed by water wheel or fences. Just lots and lots of grass, which Nathan recognizes as a tasty hay grass called timothy hay/timothy-grass.

The clear tarn is much smaller, and has not sprung out of its concavity to form a spring. The distant fortress-cubes are replaced with a naked cliff.

Perched on an old-school tractor is a little gremlin of a Pokemon, purple and yellow with spikes. It's baring its claws and teeth at a Trainer with Apricorns and interesting beige/red Pokeballs at his belt. The Trainer has a cocky stance, a frying pan sticking out of his backpack, and seems to be partnered with a Drifloon. He seems about the age of a grad student and looks hale and hearty.

Behind him, a pack of Electabuzz is racing forward at full speed, swinging between low hanging arms and baring sharp teeth. Some of them clutch instruments such as a section of metal pipe, a cornstalk, and a battered, folded umbrella.

You have all your party Pokemon, including Dizzy and Geodude and extraneous Eggs. To the south you can see a farmhouse and barn, and you can hear a tractor/engine running in that direction.

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

(…)

That done, he leads you over to the master Time Capsule. He pokes some buttons and a slot opens up. He has all of you (well, not Terra) pass your hand through there, and it scans your palm and biometrics. Then it dispenses three devices.

"Help each other strap these on, then check for a blinking gree-"

LURCH.

Just as Terra helps Heart with his PTC, the four of you experience another sickening lurch, and you find yourself standing on a greensward where Bill's house was just a moment ago. You feel firm clay beneath your feet, whereas before the farm was muddy. On your wrists, the PTCs; at your belts, Pokeballs. In front of you, the bay, unobstructed by water wheel or fences. Just lots and lots of grass, which Nathan recognizes as a tasty hay grass called timothy hay/timothy-grass.

The clear tarn is much smaller, and has not sprung out of its concavity to form a spring. The distant fortress-cubes are replaced with a naked cliff.

Perched on an old-school tractor is a little gremlin of a Pokemon, purple and yellow with spikes. It's baring its claws and teeth at a Trainer with Apricorns and interesting beige/red Pokeballs at his belt. The Trainer has a cocky stance, a frying pan sticking out of his backpack, and seems to be partnered with a Drifloon. He seems about the age of a grad student and looks hale and hearty.

Behind him, a pack of Electabuzz is racing forward at full speed, swinging between low hanging arms and baring sharp teeth. Some of them clutch instruments such as a section of metal pipe, a cornstalk, and a battered, folded umbrella.

You have all your party Pokemon, including Dizzy and Geodude and extraneous Eggs. To the south you can see a farmhouse and barn, and you can hear a tractor/engine running in that direction.

It happened so suddenly that Terra didn't have a sliver of a chance to react.

One moment, he's helping Heart put on his PTC with slow, painstaking care, looking rather uncertain if he was doing it right or setting up the device for mechanical mal-adjustment. The next, he's standing on top of rustic and picturesque land not unlike that he'd used to explore back home on an daily basis. Just like that.

At first, the martial monk could only slowly blink, as he quietly took in his new all farmland surroundings and the hubbub that was going on in them with dull surprise. 

'....What happened? …Where are we? Did we.....get sent back in time? Because of that Lurch?'

Seconds after processing those thoughts, he promptly shook his head and dispelled them, and immediately started to individually check/inspect everyone in the group + Geodude while simultaneously ordering Shiranui and Anubi to take watch/guard in the meantime(since they were either still out and got pulled in with everyone else, or Terra promptly summoned them if he did recall them). It should also be noted he was keeping half an Alert eye on things too (Maybe enough for a Perception Roll?), but the bulk of his attention was on the group itself.

"Nathan, Shiva, Heart, Geodude....are you all okay? Need help with anything?"

Instead of continuing to worry or idling ponder the sticky situation he and the group was now in, he just almost instantly accepted what happened, bunked it down the list of his priorities, and focus on the topmost ones, which was ensuring that else was in good health and well protected. 

In the untamed wilds, 'Adapt and Persevere' was one of THE most important principles the rugged wanderer adhered to, so that was EXACTLY what he did! No time for panic, second guessing, tentativeness, disorientation, or anything else inhibitory for him, no sir!

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

"I've talked to Fennel in the past too, but it's been years. I know she's active on an IRC board called irc.dreams.nasci. Try that!"

"Ok, let me show you three how the watches go on. Terra, you can help someone strap in - that's how I got mine on. A friend helped me. One of you is going to have to help me put it back on though, before I can activate the Time Capsule."

That done, he leads you over to the master Time Capsule. He pokes some buttons and a slot opens up. He has all of you (well, not Terra) pass your hand through there, and it scans your palm and biometrics. Then it dispenses three devices.

"Help each other strap these on, then check for a blinking gree-"

LURCH.

Just as Terra helps Heart with his PTC, the four of you experience another sickening lurch, and you find yourself standing on a greensward where Bill's house was just a moment ago. You feel firm clay beneath your feet, whereas before the farm was muddy. On your wrists, the PTCs; at your belts, Pokeballs. In front of you, the bay, unobstructed by water wheel or fences. Just lots and lots of grass, which Nathan recognizes as a tasty hay grass called timothy hay/timothy-grass.

The clear tarn is much smaller, and has not sprung out of its concavity to form a spring. The distant fortress-cubes are replaced with a naked cliff.

Perched on an old-school tractor is a little gremlin of a Pokemon, purple and yellow with spikes. It's baring its claws and teeth at a Trainer with Apricorns and interesting beige/red Pokeballs at his belt. The Trainer has a cocky stance, a frying pan sticking out of his backpack, and seems to be partnered with a Drifloon. He seems about the age of a grad student and looks hale and hearty.

Behind him, a pack of Electabuzz is racing forward at full speed, swinging between low hanging arms and baring sharp teeth. Some of them clutch instruments such as a section of metal pipe, a cornstalk, and a battered, folded umbrella.

You have all your party Pokemon, including Dizzy and Geodude and extraneous Eggs. To the south you can see a farmhouse and barn, and you can hear a tractor/engine running in that direction.

Nathan writes that website down.  "Thanks for the recommendation."

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

Did someone say a purple and yellow gremlin pokemon with spikes on its body?

Spoiler

The hay, the old-school pokeballs, the open, rolling fields, the lack of large bodies of water and buildings...the fact that the lurch is lasting for more than a moment...

...yeah, they're in the past now.

Nathan sighs.  "...sometimes, I hate it when I'm right..."

Gallade's immediately assessed the situation as well.  He looks at Nathan for orders.  What are they going to do?  They're in the past and all, thus limiting what exactly they can do, but that trainer seems to have his hands full with these troublemakers...

"Gallade, let's go help out that trainer.  Looks like he needs a hand, or those Electabuzz are going to give him a rude surprise."

No hesitation, Nathan sizes up the situation and gets ready to run off and help that stranger!  Everyone looks physically fine as far as he can tell, so the bulk of his attention is going towards resolving the more immediate situation that'll likely cause even more problems if it isn't resolved immediately.

[Spiritmon]

Spoiler

Spoiler

(…)

That done, he leads you over to the master Time Capsule. He pokes some buttons and a slot opens up. He has all of you (well, not Terra) pass your hand through there, and it scans your palm and biometrics. Then it dispenses three devices.

"Help each other strap these on, then check for a blinking gree-"

LURCH.

Just as Terra helps Heart with his PTC, the four of you experience another sickening lurch, and you find yourself standing on a greensward where Bill's house was just a moment ago. You feel firm clay beneath your feet, whereas before the farm was muddy. On your wrists, the PTCs; at your belts, Pokeballs. In front of you, the bay, unobstructed by water wheel or fences. Just lots and lots of grass, which Nathan recognizes as a tasty hay grass called timothy hay/timothy-grass.

The clear tarn is much smaller, and has not sprung out of its concavity to form a spring. The distant fortress-cubes are replaced with a naked cliff.

Perched on an old-school tractor is a little gremlin of a Pokemon, purple and yellow with spikes. It's baring its claws and teeth at a Trainer with Apricorns and interesting beige/red Pokeballs at his belt. The Trainer has a cocky stance, a frying pan sticking out of his backpack, and seems to be partnered with a Drifloon. He seems about the age of a grad student and looks hale and hearty.

Behind him, a pack of Electabuzz is racing forward at full speed, swinging between low hanging arms and baring sharp teeth. Some of them clutch instruments such as a section of metal pipe, a cornstalk, and a battered, folded umbrella.

You have all your party Pokemon, including Dizzy and Geodude and extraneous Eggs. To the south you can see a farmhouse and barn, and you can hear a tractor/engine running in that direction.

It happened so suddenly that Terra didn't have a sliver of a chance to react.

One moment, he's helping Heart put on his PTC with slow, painstaking care, looking rather uncertain if he was doing it right or setting up the device for mechanical mal-adjustment. The next, he's standing on top of rustic and picturesque land not unlike that he'd used to explore back home on an daily basis. Just like that.

At first, the martial monk could only slowly blink, as he quietly took in his new all farmland surroundings and the hubbub that was going on in them with dull surprise. 

'....What happened? …Where are we? Did we.....get sent back in time? Because of that Lurch?'

Seconds after processing those thoughts, he promptly shook his head and dispelled them, and immediately started to individually check/inspect everyone in the group + Geodude while simultaneously ordering Shiranui and Anubi to take watch/guard in the meantime(since they were either still out and got pulled in with everyone else, or Terra promptly summoned them if he did recall them). It should also be noted he was keeping half an Alert eye on things too (Maybe enough for a Perception Roll?), but the bulk of his attention was on the group itself.

"Nathan, Shiva, Heart, Geodude....are you all okay? Need help with anything?"

Instead of continuing to worry or idling ponder the sticky situation he and the group was now in, he just almost instantly accepted what happened, bunked it down the list of his priorities, and focus on the topmost ones, which was ensuring that else was in good health and well protected. 

In the untamed wilds, 'Adapt and Persevere' was one of THE most important principles the rugged wanderer adhered to, so that was EXACTLY what he did! No time for panic, second guessing, tentativeness, disorientation, or anything else inhibitory for him, no sir!

Spoiler

"I've talked to Fennel in the past too, but it's been years. I know she's active on an IRC board called irc.dreams.nasci. Try that!"

"Ok, let me show you three how the watches go on. Terra, you can help someone strap in - that's how I got mine on. A friend helped me. One of you is going to have to help me put it back on though, before I can activate the Time Capsule."

That done, he leads you over to the master Time Capsule. He pokes some buttons and a slot opens up. He has all of you (well, not Terra) pass your hand through there, and it scans your palm and biometrics. Then it dispenses three devices.

"Help each other strap these on, then check for a blinking gree-"

LURCH.

Just as Terra helps Heart with his PTC, the four of you experience another sickening lurch, and you find yourself standing on a greensward where Bill's house was just a moment ago. You feel firm clay beneath your feet, whereas before the farm was muddy. On your wrists, the PTCs; at your belts, Pokeballs. In front of you, the bay, unobstructed by water wheel or fences. Just lots and lots of grass, which Nathan recognizes as a tasty hay grass called timothy hay/timothy-grass.

The clear tarn is much smaller, and has not sprung out of its concavity to form a spring. The distant fortress-cubes are replaced with a naked cliff.

Perched on an old-school tractor is a little gremlin of a Pokemon, purple and yellow with spikes. It's baring its claws and teeth at a Trainer with Apricorns and interesting beige/red Pokeballs at his belt. The Trainer has a cocky stance, a frying pan sticking out of his backpack, and seems to be partnered with a Drifloon. He seems about the age of a grad student and looks hale and hearty.

Behind him, a pack of Electabuzz is racing forward at full speed, swinging between low hanging arms and baring sharp teeth. Some of them clutch instruments such as a section of metal pipe, a cornstalk, and a battered, folded umbrella.

You have all your party Pokemon, including Dizzy and Geodude and extraneous Eggs. To the south you can see a farmhouse and barn, and you can hear a tractor/engine running in that direction.

Nathan writes that website down.  "Thanks for the recommendation."

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

Did someone say a purple and yellow gremlin pokemon with spikes on its body?

Spoiler

The hay, the old-school pokeballs, the open, rolling fields, the lack of large bodies of water and buildings...the fact that the lurch is lasting for more than a moment...

...yeah, they're in the past now.

Nathan sighs.  "...sometimes, I hate it when I'm right..."

Gallade's immediately assessed the situation as well.  He looks at Nathan for orders.  What are they going to do?  They're in the past and all, thus limiting what exactly they can do, but that trainer seems to have his hands full with these troublemakers...

"Gallade, let's go help out that trainer.  Looks like he needs a hand, or those Electabuzz are going to give him a rude surprise."

No hesitation, Nathan sizes up the situation and gets ready to run off and help that stranger!  Everyone looks physically fine as far as he can tell, so the bulk of his attention is going towards resolving the more immediate situation that'll likely cause even more problems if it isn't resolved immediately.

Heart try to recompose himself after such travel. One moment, Terra was putting the PTC in his arm. And the other, he was in some kind of strange place. It takes just a few minutes for Heart understand they are in the past. "*Sigh* I really hate when we are drag to some kind of strange adventure." When Nathan was going towards the guy, Heart quick grab his arm. "Calm down Warren! If its true we are in the past, we cant interfere! Did you never watch movies of time travel? If we interfere, we dont know what kind of disturbance we can cause to the future! We not even know who is that guy is! We must figure out how to return to our time. Its not time to act reckless and heroic Nats! We dont know what would happen if we interfere in the past! Change the past always cause some kind of side effects in the timeline!" 

Heart indeed want to help the guy too, but they are in the past. Any change they make could cause drastic effects in the future. All they can do is watch and to understand what could happen. "Terra, help me here. As much I want to help  that guy over there, we cant. No one can tell what could happen if we interfere with Time Travel."