[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Iron]

As the Volcanion finally hit a target incapable of Evasion, Spira starts dropping like a stone. You have only a second to react - what would you do?

Some ideas you could try:
-Athletics check to make a dive
-Call out for another character to try to help in time

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

Call out for another character to try to help in time

C....could Shiva possibly summon Raphael and ask him to either catch Spira or at least make sure he does not hit the ground and break his neck? She obviously does not want senpai to suffer fatal injuries, especially not after you-know-who-has been revived by Mega Syrentide.

[Iron]

Terra rips the more intact Volcanion into distinct parts to make it simple enough for Pokeball storage.

-Each half of the tube gets a Pokeball
-Head gets a Pokeball
-Torso gets a Pokeball
-Each leg gets a Pokeball

Total: 8 Pokeballs.

While investigating this, you're starting to see the story of this island. It looks like someone dragged each of the Volcanion mechs up from the depths, and placed them here. They're not connected to any conduits, so they must have operated under their own power. With your Chemistry you can see a bit of how they work, although you may not be able to put it into proper words - they are condensing water out of the air into reservoirs in their bellies, and there is a heating unit in the head. The movement of the legs creates pressure only; it doesn't allow them to walk around. They can only swivel.

All this technology is ancient, older than Sarimanok. Nathan knows it dates back to the First Technical Society. Lots of MSC is involved in storing all that necessary energy, which means it was one of the last things the FTS made. Most of their stuff is not capable of using MSC at all.
These would definitely help to upgrade Arete in a lab.

Sari can't command other Pokemon. Pokemon just don't think like that unless they are special exceptions like Mewtwo and Keenglaive. Sari would enjoy pretending to have subjects, though.


Cosh: "Not to worry. I used a Flight spell during the descent, and a Fissure spell to split the earth. It takes all my concentration, but it's perfectly safe. Good idea about taking these Volcanion." (He does use that name.) With that, he takes out an ordinary red Pokeball and withdraws a tube, while Arachnautilus takes the torso. "This technology could do a lot of good for the world." He stares at Arete as he says this, clearly wondering what you're planning to do with your own parts collection.


You can see several chasms within the small islands, especially on the shipwrecks, leading downward, but as you've said you're waiting on a group decision to investigate those, so too shall I wait to describe them.

[Iron]

Cosh: "We need to keep going deeper, but we should also make sure we find the next Artifact before we leave the Slowpoke Well entirely. It's in here somewhere."

Morning Sun: (6)(6)(1)(2)

The Flareglass doesn't make a noticeable effect, but a big handful of them might. That's an experiment for another day.



In Creshire, Espeon are specially trained for lie-detection by law enforcement. This normally takes a lot of training (35XP), and for Primal Espeon it would take even more (40XP). As a Primal, though, he'll probably have larger range and power. And that Insight of 6! And it'd be interesting to get this power onto a Jolteon, since it would carry over to his next evo. On the other hand, Shiva can already detect lies with great acuity, even though it wouldn't hold up in court like an Espeon's testimony would.



The oversized Slowbro haven't decided whether to be hostile yet or not. The two you saw earlier appear again, and sadly watch Terra dismantle the Volcanion. It seemed they had thought of Volcanion as a protector. But when ambling past your group, you didn't make any hostile action toward them, so they go back to what they were doing.

Back at the big tube, they have opened a little port to reveal a big screen. All the debris from the waterfall is caught on this screen. They take everything tasty or shiny, and dump the rest to enlarge the island.

There are plenty of Slowpoke around, easily visible to your sixth sense. But you're realizing that half the Slowpoke are actually hidden away and resist your senses - those that have Oblivious are a bit protected. You also hear scuttling coming from a cavern beneath the big tube, but you can't detect the mind/soul behind the scuttling.

[Iron]

Call out for another character to try to help in time

C....could Shiva possibly summon Raphael and ask him to either catch Spira or at least make sure he does not hit the ground and break his neck? She obviously does not want senpai to suffer fatal injuries, especially not after you-know-who-has been revived by Mega Syrentide.

I can roll for that reaction if Spira doesn't have a different idea.

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

In Creshire, Espeon are specially trained for lie-detection by law enforcement. This normally takes a lot of training (35XP), and for Primal Espeon it would take even more (40XP). As a Primal, though, he'll probably have larger range and power. And that Insight of 6! And it'd be interesting to get this power onto a Jolteon, since it would carry over to his next evo. On the other hand, Shiva can already detect lies with great acuity, even though it wouldn't hold up in court like an Espeon's testimony would. 

Ah.... I'll note that in Primal Eevee's tab. :O Why do water my mouth like that, now I wish for him to learn this talent  instead of start collecting XP for Agility and Discharge




Shiva is definitely not interested in any hostile actions towards the big Slowbro or anything at this Well unless they start it and she has to defend herself. The contrary actually, if she's allowed to she'll sit there and watch for a little what these two oversized Slowbro do, fascinated by them having a real and functioning screen there and using it to their own advantage. They must me much smarter than what the reports she read about this species implies, where these creatures are usually described as prone to space out all the time.

As an additional Thank-You for Terra/@Lord Windos for providing protection and a flyer via Angie, Shiva hands him an unoccupied redwhite Pokeball that he can use to contain a part of that now dismantled Mecha Volcanion. She winks playfully before she goes off to do other stuff again. "Don't ask, just take it!~ I've got plenty of them on me." She leaps off in a gracefull manner before the mountain of a man can reply.

Cosh: "We need to keep going deeper, but we should also make sure we find the next Artifact before we leave the Slowpoke Well entirely. It's in here somewhere."
(...)
You can see several chasms within the small islands, especially on the shipwrecks, leading downward, but as you've said you're waiting on a group decision to investigate those, so too shall I wait to describe them.

That receives a bold and eager stance from Shiva as he lights up, encouraged by having found 1 outta 4 Artifacts already. "Yes, yes you're right! ( ÒωÓ)و☆ Come on, Espeon!" They two start to patrol the nearby area a little, on guard to find anything that enables them to decent deeper.

They'll end up at these chasms eventually, kneeing down now to dare looking into the abyss. She concentrates on whether she can make out any noises that hint to 'something' living down there, pays attention what kind of vibes she and her new psychic Eeveelution receive. Shiva will agree to investigate them.

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

Terra rips the more intact Volcanion into distinct parts to make it simple enough for Pokeball storage.

-Each half of the tube gets a Pokeball
-Head gets a Pokeball
-Torso gets a Pokeball
-Each leg gets a Pokeball

Total: 8 Pokeballs.

While investigating this, you're starting to see the story of this island. It looks like someone dragged each of the Volcanion mechs up from the depths, and placed them here. They're not connected to any conduits, so they must have operated under their own power. With your Chemistry you can see a bit of how they work, although you may not be able to put it into proper words - they are condensing water out of the air into reservoirs in their bellies, and there is a heating unit in the head. The movement of the legs creates pressure only; it doesn't allow them to walk around. They can only swivel.

All this technology is ancient, older than Sarimanok. Nathan knows it dates back to the First Technical Society. Lots of MSC is involved in storing all that necessary energy, which means it was one of the last things the FTS made. Most of their stuff is not capable of using MSC at all.
These would definitely help to upgrade Arete in a lab.

Sari can't command other Pokemon. Pokemon just don't think like that unless they are special exceptions like Mewtwo and Keenglaive. Sari would enjoy pretending to have subjects, though.


Cosh: "Not to worry. I used a Flight spell during the descent, and a Fissure spell to split the earth. It takes all my concentration, but it's perfectly safe. Good idea about taking these Volcanion." (He does use that name.) With that, he takes out an ordinary red Pokeball and withdraws a tube, while Arachnautilus takes the torso. "This technology could do a lot of good for the world." He stares at Arete as he says this, clearly wondering what you're planning to do with your own parts collection.


You can see several chasms within the small islands, especially on the shipwrecks, leading downward, but as you've said you're waiting on a group decision to investigate those, so too shall I wait to describe them.

Yikes! That's a lot of Pokeballs! Fortunately, the mountain of a man has enough Pokeballs + Apricorns to hoover up all the pieces of Construct Volcanion! Less fortunately, it required ALL the ones he has to do, though at least he still has the rest of his higher tier Capture Devices (+ His 2 Steel Balls). Oh well, such was the price of obtaining what was practically speaking a technological marvel and immensely interesting curiosity.

Taking a page from Nathan, Terra brings out his own personal notepad and records his own observations, which more or less can be summarized as thus:

'Appears Red Steam Beasts are Robots. Source of power for them unknown; maybe Earthpower? Were clearly autono....autono.....working by themselves, but not know how or in what way. Were clearly hostile to us, though. Scalding Hydro Pumps seems to be caused by.....them making water in them from air, boiling it with.....some heater in their head? Legs help with that too, by.....putting water under force, then shoot it out by their pipe arms? Not sure, but close enough....I think. Know that they can't....couldn't move freely, though. Red Stem Beast Bot's.....design not allow that. Strange....'

'Not sure where.....technology making Red Steam Beast Bots came from. It old, though. Very old. And use MSC. Lots of it. Maybe Nathan knows who made it?'

'Will have to get this tech better examined and studied by professionals later - maybe Dagney, or Botenville Scientists? Many more things could be learned from it. Could possibly be used to upgrade Arete too. Possible uses of Red Steam Beast Bot tech unknown, but promising.'

Noted! Guess Terra will set up something resembling a 'court' to please/entertain the desires of Sari later with his partners! No harm in that, except possibly swelling her ego to biblical proportions, but that's a risk he's willing to take in order to bond with his super sloth!

I'll presume that Cosh answers the Steely brawler's concerns after he goes collecting the Mech Volcanion Parts and writes his notes, which earns them a skeptical frown initially before he just *Sighs* and nods back.

"Okay. Glad that big falls don't.....cause you grave harm. *Gives a admonishing frown* Don't make....habit of doing that, though. Still very risky and dangerous, what you did. Especially if your Gauntlet or spells.....not work the way you want."

He says the last part carefully, as he knows his technoarcanist of a partner is rather sensitive about how his 'magical' Gauntlet. No need to set them off about it, after all.

As for his later comments and weighty gaze upon Arete (Whom I assume is just non-plussed about being carried like a sack of potatoes), his lips curved downward into a thoughtful frown and hugging his baby Legend a little more closely to himself as he started at Cosh in turn, before softly responding.

"Thank you. Believe same as you, Cosh. Have own plans for....Robo Volcanion tech, but maybe we can.....work together understanding it. Down here, or later. If you want."

A cautious offer, filled with reservation, but an offer none the less. Dubious and nefarious though the are, the Scimitars were well known to him by now for their high and unique aptitude and approach to technology, and they had the resources and connections to put those talents/bents to, if not good use, then at least to a progressive one. He and them could very well be of great help in gaining an understanding of the Robo Volcanion Parts, and put that and them (The Parts themselves) to great use. 

He had not forgotten the crimes he and the Scimitars had committed, though, nor their rather stayed treatment of Pokemon in general, by no means. That, and the fact they've many a time caused incalculable suffering to his friends (Nathan and his family most of all by far) and made themselves a frequent threat/nuisense to them and Cheshire as a whole, made the prospect of working with them uncertain at best. But ,if after they were through with their quest to save the region, whatever the outcome, they and his fellowship were willing to redeem themselves and turn a new leaf to dedicate themselves to doing good......

Perhaps it was foolish for him to do so, but after working alongside with Cosh, struggling with him through the onerous Skull Ruins and getting to know him and his fellow 'mages' better.....he wanted to invest more trust in them, and, just maybe, build a lasting relationship with them beyond their current alliance. He had a strong sense of justice, but he also liked to believe in the best of others and that almost nothing was truly unforgivable, so a second chance for his partner and their friends was not out of the question. Farfetch'd and hopelessly optimistic, but not an impossibility.

Whether or not such a partnership becomes reality, though......that is to be decided.

[Iron]

Cosh gives you an armored thumbs-up and smiles a genuine smile, which is rare for him. "We'll talk about it when the current threat is met. Promise."

[Lord Windos]

Cosh gives you an armored thumbs-up and smiles a genuine smile, which is rare for him. "We'll talk about it when the current threat is met. Promise."

Terra returns his partner's smile with a faint but just as frank as their own, and nods. "Promise."

Now all that is left to do is wait on the rest of the group to decide how they're going to search this part of the Slowpoke Well for the next Treasure, maybe investigate the area too, and then find a way deep into the near hopeless abyss known only as the Skull Ruins! In pursuit of that, he asks the following to Cosh:

"You or your friends have spells to....breathe underwater? Or scuba equipment? Could search for Treasure that way. Hm....Arete *Glances at them* and my Politoed could also help search. Arete is a Legend with good senses, and my Politoed good at finding....rare and noble things like Treasures, so they may be able to help. *Curious look* Well?"

If Shiva is going over to have a look sees at those Chasms that dot the archipelago, the sagely monk would accompany them with Angie, Arete, and Sari in toe, as he would refuse to let her do so by herself and without backup. He was her personal bodyguard, as per his given duties, so it would be remiss of him not to do so!

Oh, and he's also surprised and grateful for the Pokeball they gave him, and accepted it without a fuss! He didn't expect to receive anything for protecting her (nor necessarily wanted such recompense), but he was made happier because of it! Now he had at least one last regular Pokeball, just in case! Thanks, Shiva!

[Iron]

"We can breathe underwater, but we can't extend it to others. Your Pokemon will probably recognize the power of an Artifact right away, though."