[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

"Yes, we need to have a discussion about that realm of dreams and strangeness. This evening will be fine."

Lilith shares the look, assuring Shiva the missing Pokemon will be fine as long as the Scimitars don't go in there.

Humm. Shiva holds eye contact with Lilith for a bit longer than usual, but then sighs impercibly and relieved. It's good to know that the Pokemon are safe at the moment, but she can't ignore that massive, MASSIVE crack in her sensitive heart that the sudden seperation from Cottonee and Azu has caused. She must stay strong however, that she knows very well, she can't break down. Not before the fluffball is absent from bedtime.

Shiva nods in agreement to Keni. "Thank you, Mr. Morgusi, me and Lilith will be on time. I... I'll come for sure, will ask Heart and Spira whether they'd like to listen in as they suffer from a disappeard Pokemon Companion as well. The faster we get them out from...'there', the better it is for us and them." (That's your call @Spiritmon and @Mikaruge108, would you like to join in that talk with Keni later on? Asking you two solely because I don't really wish for anyone to come that hasn't soft-lost a Pokemon.)

The sketch you stole from the corkboard has an artist's conception of a strange world with lines of force and rainbow colors swirling around floating rocks. Apparently the Scimitars have been researching Sideways and used Keni to break in by force.

There's also a ripped picture of the Skull Ruins, but it's not possible to tell where in the ruins.

Ah... She'll show theses sketches to those that are currently with her in the Center, she herself looks at them for looong with a thoughtful, worried and to a degree confused expression. She... She has theorized and believed that such a mysterious realm indeed exists, regardless what science says, it's just not possible that it doesn't in some way or the other. Astral journeys and lucid dreams, wormholes and certain Pokemon... It can't exist NOT. But why have the Scimitars want to break in there, for what reason did they intend to step in there when the ordinaire human shouldn't set foot on this place? She's mystified, can't find a proper answer at the moment. Apart from.. them wanting to abuse any powers that linger there, as shown by these gauntlets within the cell.

Maybe when the time comes where they all venture into the ominous Skull Ruins Shiva will recognize the place depicted on the ripped drawing, that thought fills her with fright and excitement. For now, she'll keep these snatched drawings in her starry-covered notebook.

Inside your foil packet is a beautiful pink and blue holographic Sylveon, ribbons floating in the wind! He's made it Shiny for you. Your sixth sense picks up that this is full of magic, of course! But not as much as Nathan's Cress City card. More on par with your unfinished card.

AAAAHHHHHH, how did Keni know that Shiva's a big fan of pastel blue Sylveon?~ That shade of color just fits the Fae Evolution of Eevee so well, she can't stop grinning and rejoicing over this gift. Weird looks she gets from any passerbies on the way to work or wherever make her keep reactions moderate though, lolz. It's another valued treasure for her growing collection of things she gathered along the journey through the region, yay! And a gem among her trading cards of course. She can't play with it as Pokemon from Kalos aren't available as a card yet as far as she remembers, but that's perfectly fine!

(I like this gif for the 'ribbons floating in the wind'-aspect.)



----------------------
Mechanics:
That should wrap up some threads, I just need some response from @Lord Windos towards Helios as well as see whether he has anything to add before I can progress to Shiva's next action.

[Spiritmon]

Spoiler

"Yes, we need to have a discussion about that realm of dreams and strangeness. This evening will be fine."

Lilith shares the look, assuring Shiva the missing Pokemon will be fine as long as the Scimitars don't go in there.

Humm. Shiva holds eye contact with Lilith for a bit longer than usual, but then sighs impercibly and relieved. It's good to know that the Pokemon are safe at the moment, but she can't ignore that massive, MASSIVE crack in her sensitive heart that the sudden seperation from Cottonee and Azu has caused. She must stay strong however, that she knows very well, she can't break down. Not before the fluffball is absent from bedtime.

Shiva nods in agreement to Keni. "Thank you, Mr. Morgusi, me and Lilith will be on time. I... I'll come for sure, will ask Heart and Spira whether they'd like to listen in as they suffer from a disappeard Pokemon Companion as well. The faster we get them out from...'there', the better it is for us and them." (That's your call @Spiritmon and @Mikaruge108, would you like to join in that talk with Keni later on? Asking you two solely because I don't really wish for anyone to come that hasn't soft-lost a Pokemon.)

The sketch you stole from the corkboard has an artist's conception of a strange world with lines of force and rainbow colors swirling around floating rocks. Apparently the Scimitars have been researching Sideways and used Keni to break in by force.

There's also a ripped picture of the Skull Ruins, but it's not possible to tell where in the ruins.

Ah... She'll show theses sketches to those that are currently with her in the Center, she herself looks at them for looong with a thoughtful, worried and to a degree confused expression. She... She has theorized and believed that such a mysterious realm indeed exists, regardless what science says, it's just not possible that it doesn't in some way or the other. Astral journeys and lucid dreams, wormholes and certain Pokemon... It can't exist NOT. But why have the Scimitars want to break in there, for what reason did they intend to step in there when the ordinaire human shouldn't set foot on this place? She's mystified, can't find a proper answer at the moment. Apart from.. them wanting to abuse any powers that linger there, as shown by these gauntlets within the cell.

Maybe when the time comes where they all venture into the ominous Skull Ruins Shiva will recognize the place depicted on the ripped drawing, that thought fills her with fright and excitement. For now, she'll keep these snatched drawings in her starry-covered notebook.

Inside your foil packet is a beautiful pink and blue holographic Sylveon, ribbons floating in the wind! He's made it Shiny for you. Your sixth sense picks up that this is full of magic, of course! But not as much as Nathan's Cress City card. More on par with your unfinished card.

AAAAHHHHHH, how did Keni know that Shiva's a big fan of pastel blue Sylveon?~ That shade of color just fits the Fae Evolution of Eevee so well, she can't stop grinning and rejoicing over this gift. Weird looks she gets from any passerbies on the way to work or wherever make her keep reactions moderate though, lolz. It's another valued treasure for her growing collection of things she gathered along the journey through the region, yay! And a gem among her trading cards of course. She can't play with it as Pokemon from Kalos aren't available as a card yet as far as she remembers, but that's perfectly fine!

(I like this gif for the 'ribbons floating in the wind'-aspect.)



----------------------
Mechanics:
That should wrap up some threads, I just need some response from Windos towards Helios before I can progress to Shiva's next action.

Heart send a message to Shiva after his meeting with Nathan.


Yo Shiva. Heart here. Just taking care of the Egg to warm him. Moltres was tired after summoning his flames and might take a while for him to recover...any clue about our disappear pokemons?

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

(I have the perfect song for that story)

Frozen Silence - Angel's Redemption - beautiful harp, sad music

Heart at the same time he was telling the story he was playing the same music as the video.

"...its happens many, many years ago. Way before my family demise...me and my younger brother, Angelo, was playing in the garden of our family...Until we meet something...odd. We heard a huge cry, and someone hurt. We run towards where its was the cry..."

"A Infernape, holding in his arms a Egg. She was deadly wounds...he would not survive for much time. She would not survive for long, so we think in call for help...but she stopped us. She just...look to us, with wounds all around her body. She hold the Egg, almost begging to us:"

Please...protect my child...

"The way she act, to protect her child...even for us children how could we denied her wish? I gently grab her egg with my tiny hands...she looks...grateful...she...then slowy close her eyes...and die..."

"Me and my brother then promise to protect the little one. With our lifes. We never tell our father, only to our mother...When the destruction of my clan happened, when our house was burned to the ground...when that woman with snake eyes and red hair disappear, and I could see was the members of my clans dead...And I see the body of my brother in our mother arms, I see something...a tiny egg, the same one we save so many years ago..."

Heart eyes then begin to roll even more. "My young brother...Angelo, he was a true hero. He was so much younger than me, but despite that he have such heart made of gold, putting the good of others...and he die as he live...When I touch the Egg...I was capable of see...his soul. And my mother. One last time..."

"Than between in that mortal flames, the Egg hatch, in the moment I feel in more despair...a baby Chimchar. She was...so little. So inocent...Despite all tragedy that happens, she was capable of give me some...warm, and hope. And love...And I failed. Once again, I failed to protect someone of my family."

With teary eyes I look to Nathan and Gallde. "Is this my fate Nathan? To simple suffer and lost everything that I care and love? First my family and Clan. And now...my own Pokemon sister."

Heart rage boiled inside of him in see such injustice. He shout to the sky. "IS THIS SOME SORT OF SICK JOKE OF YOU ARCEUS!? YOU BIG COWARD! I SERVE YOU FOR YEARS, EXPECTING YOU WOULD GIVE ME SOME PEACE! But...ALL YOU DO IS HIDE BEHIND YOU RIDICULOUS THRONE! COME HERE! I WILL STRIKE FROM YOUR THRONE YOU FAKE GOD!"

Gallade and Nathan each put a hand on one of Heart's shoulders and gently lower him back down to the ground.

"...if you curse the world's creators, Heart, you're only asking to bring more ruin upon yourself."

Nathan takes off his necklace and hands it to Heart so he can look at it.

"That necklace represents a few things.  Notice how one is the complete opposite of the other?  One might consider them a representation of the Yin and Yang pokemon from Tandor's Legends, pokemon said to have created this universe we live in.  One represents the light, the good, the warmth...the other, the shade, the darker parts of life, the cold...one could not exist without the other, and yet they can never touch for fear of destroying the very things they created.  It's a sad story, the one about Aotius and Mutios, but life goes on, and there are still happy endings even if some don't end that way."

Nathan then pulls out the Mesprit card.  "...that duality is present in all things.  Physical and Emotional.  Where there's sorrow, there's also joy.  Where there's anger, there's peace.  Finding a balance between two sides of the same coin is often hard, but also often necessary."

Nathan gets in front of Heart and looks him straight in the eyes.

"Shiva's been to that other dimension that Keni calls Sideways.  She and Gothitelle are confident that Rose and the others are fine.  Keni said he could make some cards of our friends later as well.  You haven't failed to protect Rose.  And I don't think she'd like it if she saw you like this, either.  Try and look on the brighter side of all the bad things that have happened, yeah?  Sure, a lot of bad things have happened...but a lot worse could have as well, and there have been good things that have happened, too."  Nathan looks to the Moltres Egg and smiles.  "...that, for example.  It's rare for humans to ever get the chance to raise a Legendary from an Egg.  It's a once in a lifetime chance, and baby pokemon are always a joy to be around.  I can hardly wait for when the Dratini egg hatches myself.  Sure, maybe we'll have to part ways eventually...heck, Dratini will probably outlive me and every other pokemon I have just going by natural lifespans...but I'll treasure every moment I do get with them.  We've gained a lot more than we've lost in recent days, and I find myself being thankful for that almost every morning."

[Spiritmon]

Spoiler

Spoiler

(I have the perfect song for that story)

Frozen Silence - Angel's Redemption - beautiful harp, sad music

Heart at the same time he was telling the story he was playing the same music as the video.

"...its happens many, many years ago. Way before my family demise...me and my younger brother, Angelo, was playing in the garden of our family...Until we meet something...odd. We heard a huge cry, and someone hurt. We run towards where its was the cry..."

"A Infernape, holding in his arms a Egg. She was deadly wounds...he would not survive for much time. She would not survive for long, so we think in call for help...but she stopped us. She just...look to us, with wounds all around her body. She hold the Egg, almost begging to us:"

Please...protect my child...

"The way she act, to protect her child...even for us children how could we denied her wish? I gently grab her egg with my tiny hands...she looks...grateful...she...then slowy close her eyes...and die..."

"Me and my brother then promise to protect the little one. With our lifes. We never tell our father, only to our mother...When the destruction of my clan happened, when our house was burned to the ground...when that woman with snake eyes and red hair disappear, and I could see was the members of my clans dead...And I see the body of my brother in our mother arms, I see something...a tiny egg, the same one we save so many years ago..."

Heart eyes then begin to roll even more. "My young brother...Angelo, he was a true hero. He was so much younger than me, but despite that he have such heart made of gold, putting the good of others...and he die as he live...When I touch the Egg...I was capable of see...his soul. And my mother. One last time..."

"Than between in that mortal flames, the Egg hatch, in the moment I feel in more despair...a baby Chimchar. She was...so little. So inocent...Despite all tragedy that happens, she was capable of give me some...warm, and hope. And love...And I failed. Once again, I failed to protect someone of my family."

With teary eyes I look to Nathan and Gallde. "Is this my fate Nathan? To simple suffer and lost everything that I care and love? First my family and Clan. And now...my own Pokemon sister."

Heart rage boiled inside of him in see such injustice. He shout to the sky. "IS THIS SOME SORT OF SICK JOKE OF YOU ARCEUS!? YOU BIG COWARD! I SERVE YOU FOR YEARS, EXPECTING YOU WOULD GIVE ME SOME PEACE! But...ALL YOU DO IS HIDE BEHIND YOU RIDICULOUS THRONE! COME HERE! I WILL STRIKE FROM YOUR THRONE YOU FAKE GOD!"

Gallade and Nathan each put a hand on one of Heart's shoulders and gently lower him back down to the ground.

"...if you curse the world's creators, Heart, you're only asking to bring more ruin upon yourself."

Nathan takes off his necklace and hands it to Heart so he can look at it.

"That necklace represents a few things.  Notice how one is the complete opposite of the other?  One might consider them a representation of the Yin and Yang pokemon from Tandor's Legends, pokemon said to have created this universe we live in.  One represents the light, the good, the warmth...the other, the shade, the darker parts of life, the cold...one could not exist without the other, and yet they can never touch for fear of destroying the very things they created.  It's a sad story, the one about Aotius and Mutios, but life goes on, and there are still happy endings even if some don't end that way."

Nathan then pulls out the Mesprit card.  "...that duality is present in all things.  Physical and Emotional.  Where there's sorrow, there's also joy.  Where there's anger, there's peace.  Finding a balance between two sides of the same coin is often hard, but also often necessary."

Nathan gets in front of Heart and looks him straight in the eyes.

"Shiva's been to that other dimension that Keni calls Sideways.  She and Gothitelle are confident that Rose and the others are fine.  Keni said he could make some cards of our friends later as well.  You haven't failed to protect Rose.  And I don't think she'd like it if she saw you like this, either.  Try and look on the brighter side of all the bad things that have happened, yeah?  Sure, a lot of bad things have happened...but a lot worse could have as well, and there have been good things that have happened, too."  Nathan looks to the Moltres Egg and smiles.  "...that, for example.  It's rare for humans to ever get the chance to raise a Legendary from an Egg.  It's a once in a lifetime chance, and baby pokemon are always a joy to be around.  I can hardly wait for when the Dratini egg hatches myself.  Sure, maybe we'll have to part ways eventually...heck, Dratini will probably outlive me and every other pokemon I have just going by natural lifespans...but I'll treasure every moment I do get with them.  We've gained a lot more than we've lost in recent days, and I find myself being thankful for that almost every morning."

Heart stop and think for a second about Nathan words. He look surprise and also...with hope. If Rose still can be saved, then it still have hope.

He nod his head, and this time play a more happyful music. "...you right. Maybe...maybe there still a chance in save her. I might need change my team though after I finish here. Gustav was fainted, and he already do a great job and deserve rest. I think this is a good time to grab Typhon. We gonna save everyone. Thats my oath as a knight."

After that he look again to the Egg. "I dont want to delay your preparations Nathan. I just gonna wait here until Moltres is recovered. Send me a message or ask Shiva to send a message when we get the chance to talk to Morgusi...or to go to our next destination."

[Dragonstrike]

Heart stop and think for a second about Nathan words. He look surprise and also...with hope. If Rose still can be saved, then it still have hope.

He nod his head, and this time play a more happyful music. "...you right. Maybe...maybe there still a chance in save her. I might need change my team though after I finish here. Gustav was fainted, and he already do a great job and deserve rest. I think this is a good time to grab Typhon. We gonna save everyone. Thats my oath as a knight."

After that he look again to the Egg. "I dont want to delay your preparations Nathan. I just gonna wait here until Moltres is recovered. Send me a message or ask Shiva to send a message when we get the chance to talk to Morgusi...or to go to our next destination."

Nathan puts his necklace back on and puts the Mesprit card away again.  "...and Gallade and Calam and I and all of the other pokemon are right there with you.  We'll save them.  We can't do so right this moment, but we will.  Keni's taking some time to rest, but he should be more able to talk by this evening.  For now...I need to go talk to Dagny and get her up to speed on what happened in Almanac's Labs and deliver some stuff to her.  And I need to prep for our trip into the Skull Ruins.  With any luck, Dagny can get us short notice permission to enter the lower levels legally."

Nathan looks at the egg too, gives them a respectful nod and a, "Thank you, Moltres.  We couldn't have done it without both you and Heart," then stands up and gets ready to go.

Starting by calling Dagny!

If she picks up...

"Dagny, is it okay if I drop in right now to talk with you?  I've got some important information I need to deliver."

[Iron]

"Alright. I'll be ready in half an hour."

[Dragonstrike]

"Alright. I'll be ready in half an hour."

Perfect!  Nathan and Gallade will Teleport in at that time, then!  It pays to be punctual where Dagny is concerned.

Once Nathan's in her office, he sits down and starts by asking, "...so, have you managed to get into their servers?"

Regardless of the answer to that question, Nathan has a few key things to tell Dagny.

- "First off, my Porygon-Z found this in one of Almanac's security cameras."  He puts the pokeball containing the Almanac Porygon on Dagny's desk.  "Don't know if you can get them to show them any of the video feed they've recorded or if we might be able to nail Almanac for tampering with Silph Co's patented pokemon ever so slightly, but I couldn't very well just leave the Porygon there for Almanac to find since it could have probably shown them sooner rather than later that we entered the server room."

- "Second...there were a lot of Scimitars in that lab.  It honestly felt like the two organizations aren't even separate any more.  They're growing fast.  Maybe too fast."

- "Third, got another name for ya.  Probably an alias, just like Juni's, but one of the higher up Scims goes by Cosh.  Oh, and Gallade hates his guts, too, for the record.  Man was yelling so loud when we got away with Keni and my uncle that he was practically squawking like a bird pokemon. Cosh is the Scim that attacked me, Shiva, and the others who were with us at the time back on Route 01 right before the Spring Festival."

- "Fourth...we found this when we got into Almanac Labs."  Nathan puts the disposable camera on Dagny's desk.  "I don't know what's on that camera, but I have a feeling it might be important.  From what I know...and I'll explain how I know it in a bit...that camera was used by someone saying his name was Hans Smith, and he was covertly infiltrating Almanac's Labs and the Scimitar Base hidden there...before he got caught, I assume.  His little hideout was rather dusty, as if nobody had been there for months.  If there's anything else you can tell me about him, I'd appreciate it greatly."

That's the first round of things Nathan needs to talk with Dagny about...we'll get to the second in a sec since they're more related to a different topic...

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

Heart send a message to Shiva after his meeting with Nathan.

Yo Shiva. Heart here. Just taking care of the Egg to warm him. Moltres was tired after summoning his flames and might take a while for him to recover...any clue about our disappear pokemons?

Shiva gets the message sometime, doesn't really matter when exactly, probably when she is checking the news, weather and daily horoscope. She's rather suprised over Heart adressing Baby Moltres within the Egg as a 'he', Legendaries are actually genderless. Or, according to her father, feature a peculiarity in their sex chromosomes: It's neither XY nor XX, but something different that scientists are still trying to determine. But if Heart desires to assign the young phoenix as male, so be it then!~

She'll type a quick response to Heart

which reads the following.

Hello Heart! Yes, I imagine young Moltres is exhausted, but we wouldn't have made it without their help. They desire as much rest and warmth as they need to be reenergized. Give 'em my thanks! <3

I do have clues about the disappeard Pokemon, but I won't talk about this topic via phone or message. I'll meet up with Mr. Morgusi tonight about things, come too if you like. As soon as you're free, it'd also be cool if you'd approach me, I found something down the base that one of your Pokemon could make good use of.

That's all for now, pixilated greetings~

Basically, what Shiva will hand to Heart is the Monocle of Hypo, explaining that "Wearing this appears to not enhance eyesight, but rather the ability to detect lies. I feel the truth and ONLY the truth will come to light with this lil' object, it also allows a Pokemon to dodge an incoming attack with an increased chance of success. You can have it if you like, you have more use for this than me." (Grants any Pokemon +1 Evade and is allowed in official battles, enables a Hypno to detect all lies. Up to trade this Item for two Conditional Balls? ^^)

[Iron]

Dagny floats into the room and seats herself in her chair.

"Yes, Nathan! You did it! My USB self-destructed after delivering its payload, so they may not even know I got in. But I did, and I'm already learning a lot."

"First of all, this is obviously illegal. So I can't just bring it to court as evidence, but I can use it to guide my further steps."

"Almanac uses Porygon's first stage as a cyber-security force. I expect your own Porygon encountered him and easily defeated him, being a higher evolutionary stage. I could keep the Porygon, try to see what it knows, and maybe get it surrendered for adoption eventually. Not anytime soon, though, due to the delicate nature of my meddling."

"No question that Almanac is simply a front for the Scimitars now. I'm learning that was the plan all along. Of course, Scimitar wants the kind of legal research Almanac was doing anyway. What I haven't yet found is who their financial backer is. But I've learned about all sorts of resources they're developing: special breeds, artificial evo stones and mega stones, extradimensional technology, and lots and lots of resources for probing the Skull Ruins. They plan to strip it layer by layer, exposing all its secrets."

"Cosh, Delta Porygon." Delta Porygon brings up some files on the computer-desk. "Seems Cosh owns a Steelix and a Skarmory. Looks like he borrowed some 'forbidden eldritch knowledge,' some rare book, from the Water Scimitars to further research extradimensional spaces. His goals include manipulating the dimensions of Gauntlet-stored Pokemon for great effect - for example, he could punch you with the force of Steelix's Heavy Slam."

"Porygon, Hans Smith." Beep! "Hans Smith was a legitimate Almanac scientist, actually! He planned to join the Scimitar organization someday, but was not issued a gauntlet at the time of his death in early 2017. Looks like he was involved in a lot of dangerous games - borrowing money, gambling, shady investments. Just white collar bullshit, really. He worked in the Procurement division, gathering wild Pokemon for experiments. Lots and lots of demerits in his record for failing to get the Pokemon back to the lab. Methinks he was self-sabotaging, but his superiors just thought him incompetent. He was about as low on the career ladder as you can get in Almanac. I don't think he was a double agent, Nathan."

Blink, beep!

"It also says he had a pet Absol, which earned him admiration from the lower-level Scims, but not the 'wizards' who despise Pokemon companions. That should have helped him a lot in his work, but I guess you can't help some people. Now, about this camera, do you want me to develop it?"

[Iron]

"Oh! And if you need funds for anything, come find me. I can easily 'liberate' some Almanac cash now, and they won't even notice."