[Game Thread] Pokerole: Mount Coronet Mystery

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

Milotic leans down to examine the Dawn Stone and the TMs more closely.  She definitely seems to be interested.

Yes, I do believe I might have something like those discs down there.  Blue ones, green ones, red ones, purple ones, yellow ones, rainbow ones...those rainbow ones in particular are very pretty.  I have more besides those I listed, of course.  Just a few examples.

AhahahahaHA, NOW we're talking!~ "This nice stone's of yar liking?~ Wonderful, just wonderful!~~ Now then, think ya can show me the green, red, purple and rainbow-colored disks ya've got? Does two disks for this sparkly Stone sound like a deal ya can agree with? Oh if ya like, ya can have these two too, they reflect the light quite beautifully even if they fulfilled their purpose already." (Means, for another Item [not necessarily a TM] Kee would leave his used TMs of Energy Ball and Sludge Wave to her as well.)

(I don't really have specific TM in mind that I'd like to have here... Suprise me.)

Kogeki and Karen are out of earshot of the conversation when they walk to the elevated far end of the pier, but they can still see some of what's happening down by the water.  Milotic looks shocked for a brief moment, then leans down as she listens attentively to what Kogeki has to say.

After a few minutes, she looks in Karen and Kees' direction, then back at Kogeki.  Milotic definitely appears to have a vested interest in whatever this conversation is about.

Karen can't help but wonder what's going on. "...soooo...what do you think they're talking about, Kee?  I mean, it's probably important, right?"

Such nosiness from Karen's side earns her a gentle ruffle through her hair from Kee, but deep down it's also one that rebukes her a bit. "Nah, that curious?~ Well, ya surely CAN ask Kogeki about what he talked 'bout with this dear Milotic in particular, but good luck in gettin' an answer."

Then he relaxes again, simply enjoys the view and short downtime, lets his gaze fall down on the lake Milotic calls her home. He looks calm in expression and body language, doesn't seem to worry about the privae convo between the semi-cyborg ninja and beautiful sea serpent too much. "Quite honestly, Karen dear.... I have not the SLIGHTEST of an idea. An' as long as it doesn't affect us, I'm very fine with NOT knowing. What I think I DO know though...." his gaze fixates something far in the distance, "...is that he surely has his reasons for wishin' to talk to this peauty turned into a Pokemon without any listeners, 'nd I have no reason to deny him that. IF it turns out that he's up to some shady stuff... Well, then we'll just make sure he can't catch us off-guard, right? Trained to be a ninja or not, I'm not goin' to give him - or anyone - a chance to DO somethin' to me nor those dear 'n close to me."

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

AhahahahaHA, NOW we're talking!~ "This nice stone's of yar liking?~ Wonderful, just wonderful!~~ Now then, think ya can show me the green, red, purple and rainbow-colored disks ya've got? Does two disks for this sparkly Stone sound like a deal ya can agree with? Oh if ya like, ya can have these two too, they reflect the light quite beautifully even if they fulfilled their purpose already." (Means, for another Item [not necessarily a TM] Kee would leave his used TMs of Energy Ball and Sludge Wave to her as well.)

(I don't really have specific TM in mind that I'd like to have here... Suprise me.)

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

Such nosiness from Karen's side earns her a gentle ruffle through her hair from Kee, but deep down it's also one that rebukes her a bit. "Nah, that curious?~ Well, ya surely CAN ask Kogeki about what he talked 'bout with this dear Milotic in particular, but good luck in gettin' an answer."

Then he relaxes again, simply enjoys the view and short downtime, lets his gaze fall down on the lake Milotic calls her home. He looks calm in expression and body language, doesn't seem to worry about the privae convo between the semi-cyborg ninja and beautiful sea serpent too much. "Quite honestly, Karen dear.... I have not the SLIGHTEST of an idea. An' as long as it doesn't affect us, I'm very fine with NOT knowing. What I think I DO know though...." his gaze fixates something far in the distance, "...is that he surely has his reasons for wishin' to talk to this peauty turned into a Pokemon without any listeners, 'nd I have no reason to deny him that. IF it turns out that he's up to some shady stuff... Well, then we'll just make sure he can't catch us off-guard, right? Trained to be a ninja or not, I'm not goin' to give him - or anyone - a chance to DO somethin' to me nor those dear 'n close to me."

Very well.  Milotic Dives underwater and starts moving some of the sparkly stuff in her collection around as she searches through it.  She picks up a few things in her mouth, then returns to the surface and sets them in front of Kee.
- The Green TM is a TM for the move Leaf Blade
- The Red TM is for the move Flamethrower
- The Purple TM is for Gunk Shot
- The rainbow TM is for Return

I'll trade either the Rainbow one by itself for the stone or two of the others for it.  I've tried experimenting with a few of these discs myself in the past, and the Rainbow colored ones are the only ones that haven't broken when I've tried using them and actually learned the moves contained within them.

For the two used TMs, Milotic will offer...

*roll*

...a Gold Colored Ribbon.  One of the more curious items I've found recently.  It looks quite valuable.

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

As Kee's watching the lake, he sees the light glinting off of Milotic's tail again.  She's raised her tail out of the water, and it appears she's waving Karen and Kee over to the end of the pier again.

"Oh, are they finished talking already?  I guess we should head over, then?"

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

Kee's definitely interested in Flamethrower, for the mere fact that it makes a very fine additional move for Stella (and saves me a bunch of XP, she's still got a looong way before she can evolve into a Ninetales and learn it for 0XP, so having access to this strong move now is highly tempting.) The other one, Gunk Shot or Leaf Blade, he's a tad bit uncertain about and musters both with equal interest. (In terms of long-term-orientation I am leaning into Leaf Blade though....)

Guess what, just going to pick that one now without overthinking, aka for the nice Dawn Stone one TM of Flamethrower and one of Leaf Blade is traded. "A fine deal we made, dearest Milotic, a fine deal indeed!~~"

Oh, and that Golden Ribbon is very thankfully accepted and carefully picked up in return for the used disks of Energy Ball and Sludge Wave. How convenient that he kept the used disks!~

As Kee's watching the lake, he sees the light glinting off of Milotic's tail again.  She's raised her tail out of the water, and it appears she's waving Karen and Kee over to the end of the pier again.
"Oh, are they finished talking already?  I guess we should head over, then?"

He just watches for a while, as if he ended up lost in his own mind or is hypnoticed by the beautiful glint of this Milotic's tail. Only when Karen speaks up he seemingly return back to the current place and situation. "Huh, what? Eh, who finished what... OH! Well yeah then, letsa head back down to them 'gain."

[Dragonstrike]

He just watches for a while, as if he ended up lost in his own mind or is hypnoticed by the beautiful glint of this Milotic's tail. Only when Karen speaks up he seemingly return back to the current place and situation. "Huh, what? Eh, who finished what... OH! Well yeah then, letsa head back down to them 'gain."

Milotic nods to Kee and Karen once they've rejoined the others at the end of the pier.

So, it has been brought to my attention that there are things happening even beyond Mount Coronet that are related to the recent incidents.  To keep things brief, after hearing a little of your story from your friend here, I'd like to help.  That, and this could be a good opportunity for me to see what some of the areas outside of my usual tunnels and lakes look like.  However, there is one lingering issue: I need to accompany one of you, as I cannot make the climb up the mountain on my own for obvious reasons.  I leave it up to you three to determine who I will be traveling with.

[Spiritmon]

Spoiler

Milotic nods to Kee and Karen once they've rejoined the others at the end of the pier.

So, it has been brought to my attention that there are things happening even beyond Mount Coronet that are related to the recent incidents.  To keep things brief, after hearing a little of your story from your friend here, I'd like to help.  That, and this could be a good opportunity for me to see what some of the areas outside of my usual tunnels and lakes look like.  However, there is one lingering issue: I need to accompany one of you, as I cannot make the climb up the mountain on my own for obvious reasons.  I leave it up to you three to determine who I will be traveling with.

[Dragonstrike]

Kogeki nod with Milotic talk and add a opinion of his own. "If I may give a suggestion Milotic, Karen prove herself to be a strong and skilled trainer with great strategies of combat. Kee is also a great and powerful trainer too. I can also carry you, but I kinda already full with powerful pokemons in my side too, and each one of them have their role in this journey."

Also Dragonstrike, is Milotic permit Kogeki to check his treasure and see what useful he can find? I not going to be greedy its just a question.

The young lady?  And you said your name is Karen?  "Yes ma'am."  Well, it's lovely to meet you.  Should you determine someone else needs my services more, I would be more than happy to assist them as well.

Gotcha!  Milotic was caught!  No stat block this time since I don't need to post them for myself, lol.

Kogeki may do so, yes.  Milotic will actually use Dive so that Kogeki can look at the items firsthand.  Take only what you think you might need.  There's too much here for us to carry it all.

Many, many treasures are in the glittering pile.  TMs of all sorts of colors, Nuggets and other valuable items, Evolution stones, Mega Stones...if it sparkles in the light, you can probably find it down here!

Kogeki can take a maximum of up to 3 sparkly items (pending GM approval) from the treasure pile.  A rainbow colored TM (which is infinite use) counts as two items (has to be a universal TM and cannot be Hidden Power).

Milotic will also give Karen the same offer, and she's going to pick out a few TMs for her pokemon to learn. After explaining to Milotic that there's a fourth member of the group who could probably use some of this treasure as well, she and the beautiful serpent pick out three more items for Randolph as well.

If Kee wants the evolution stone he traded for those items back, then he can also have that back, as Milotic is feeling generous.

[Dragonstrike]

Once the encounter with Milotic is resolved, the badge that Scizor gave Kee begins to glow brighter!  Seems like Randolph and company found the stairs to the next floor!

...though it's at this moment that Kee realizes that Scizor didn't explain how the badge works.  Uuuuhhhh...pick it up and focus on it?  Squeeze it?  Touch the circle in the middle?  There has to be some way to trigger this damn thing to take them to the next floor...

Nothing Kee seems to do looks like it works, but the badge eventually starts glowing brighter all on its own!  It gets brighter and brighter and brighter...until it's almost too bright to see anything, and a beam of light Teleports Team K and the newly befriended Milotic to the next floor!

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

Meanwhile...

   

Randolph's group has just ascended the stairs, and at the top, they see that they're no longer in the caves of Mt. Coronet.  Now they're on the sometimes frozen, sometimes lush and green slopes of Mt. Coronet's exterior.  Lucas seems surprised.  "...huh...that didn't take as long as I was expecting...I thought we still had another half day's worth of travel to go in the caves before we reached the snow covered peaks...not that I'm going to complain about this going more quickly than I thought it would."

Suddenly, a beam of light manifests in front of Randolph's group!  And when it disappears, Karen, Kogeki, and Kee are standing there!  "...huh.  So that's how the Explorer Badge works...cool."  Karen looks around curiously, shivers a little, but then asks, "So...based on the snow, I assume we're at the upper levels of the mountain now?"

"Yup, that's right.  We're getting close to Spear Pillar.  We seem to be making good time.  We keep this up, and we might be able to be there by tomorrow."

Karen's eyes light up once Lucas confirms that they've reached upper Mt. Coronet.  "Really?  Yeeeessss!!!"  She seems super excited for some reason.

Then she sees the new person that Randolph's group picked up earlier.  "...so, who's your new friend?"

Rui waves timidly.  "...uh, yeah, hi.  I'm Rui...apparently..."  Espeon's pacing around Rui's legs, surveying the area with keen eyes.

"We picked her up on the previous floor.  Ooh boy, do we have a story for you guys.  You'll want to hear this."

Lucas proceeds to explain to Team K what happened, from the Tyrantrum to finding Rui and Espeon to the Shadow Gyarados.  Karen looks a little spooked by all of that, but she puts on a brave face, smiles, and excitedly tells everyone what they found on the previous floor.  This happens to launch a rather long string of comments from her as she tries her best to lighten the mood, even if only a little.

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Karen's Lightheartedness: Pond Friend Area (Remastered by TGH) - Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red/Blue Rescue Team

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"Well, we found some cool stuff too!  There was so much water on that floor, and we even encountered a talking Milotic!  Kogeki even convinced them to help us!"

"A talking Milotic?  Well, that's certainly something."

"You said that Rui doesn't have any pokemon with her, though?"

"...er...yeah, I don't...aside from Espeon here.  They've been a huge comfort.  We've been lost in these tunnels for ages, and then I got attacked by those Shadow Gyarados..."

Karen looks thoughtful for a moment, then smiles at Rui.  "Maybe Milotic will be able to help you more than they can help me, then.  If you don't have any pokemon of your own...well, then how are you going to defend yourself?  And even if you only have a few, a Milotic is worth, like, three pokemon on its own, right?  You should totally hang on to them!  I'm sure they'll get along great with you!"

"...uh...I guess?  This sounds like a powerful pokemon, though, are you sure you..."  "Go on, take them!  They said they don't mind helping out!  I have plenty of pokemon to ask for help, so it's no big deal!"  "...uh...okay...sure..."  "Just make sure you say hi to them later, alright?"  "...yeah...got it..."

Karen gives Milotic's pokeball to Rui.

Well, Karen certainly seems perky, doesn't she?  Rui can barely seem to get a word in!

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

"...so, do you want...Brigid?...back, Randolph?  That was her name, right?"

"Oh, right!  I have something for you too, Randolph!  Milotic had a bunch of treasure, and she let us take some it because it might help us!"

Karen hands Randolph some items, one of which is a Mega Stone that Randolph doesn't recognize right away:
 

...and the others being a Soothe Bell and a (standard) TM for Swagger!


"Milotic picked out that Mega Stone out for you.  I'm not sure why, but I guess she had a gut feeling that it might be useful?  Swagger also seemed like a cool move for one of your pokemon, and I know you have a lot of pokemon you're still bonding with, so maybe this Soothe Bell will help!"

Karen also excitedly shows off one of the items she grabbed for herself: a Rainbow Colored TM for the move Return. (which is strange to see at first since mass produced TMs are generally only one color based on their type)


"Oh, and she also says that these rainbow colored TMs can be used as many times as you want, similar to an HM!  Pretty cool, right?  And I also got a TM for Drill Run for my Nidoqueen.  I think she's going to like it!"

Lucas speaks up at this point, trying to get everyone refocused on the situation at hand.

"...*ahem*...alright, well, I think that's enough story sharing for now, so how about we get going?  Looks like there's only one path currently, so this should be a straightforward decision."

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

Mt. Coronet 2F

The Shadowed Mountain: Mt. Coronet Remix by GlitchxCity - Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum

*pulls card out of hat*

   

The first room of this floor is steeped in cliffsides and covered in snow.  Except instead of the cliffs going up this time, they're going down.  A long, long ways down.  Nobody can even see the bottom, as a thick layer of white mist obscures whatever lays below.  By contrast, dark black clouds obscure the skies above Mt. Coronet, and what looks like a rain made of shadows pours down from them.  Espeon hisses at those clouds, intimately familiar with the effects of this Shadow Sky.  The mountain is eerily quiet right now...

Rui nervously looks over the side.  "...that's a long fall...stay close, Espeon."  Which Espeon was doing anyways, but he acknowledges the order regardless.

Lucas is almost all business right now, focusing intently on the goal.  He keeps glancing up at where the mountain's peak is located way above the clouds.

As a stark contrast to Rui and Lucas, Karen has quite a spring in her step still.  She's still careful to not fall off the side of a cliff, of course, but she's incredibly eager and energetic now, and that doesn't seem like it's going to change soon.  Not even the Shadow Sky seems to be bothering her.

There are three paths out of this room, and all of them look like dangerous fall hazards.  The path straight across would have once been easy to traverse, but has collapsed due to an avalanche, so there's a large gap in the otherwise straight path.  There are also two other cliffs to the left and right that lead to other parts of the mountain's exterior, but reaching them likely requires a pokemon that's able to fly or is really good at jumping.  Or maybe you can think of some other creative way to get across!  There are a handful of snow covered trees dotted around the frigid terrain on all sides as well.  Which is weird, because this area's supposed to be above the tree line...

Who's going where?  Is the group splitting up to speed up the search again, and if so, is it going to be the same groups or different ones?

A Note concerning Rui: She may not be a pokemon trainer, and isn't really confident enough to try fielding more than one pokemon at a time currently, but the three pokemon accompanying her (Wes's Espeon, Explorer Scizor, and Telepathic Milotic) can basically all act independently without the need for orders from a trainer.  Rui and those three pokemon all count as a single character for the purposes of encounter caps.

Another Note: Both Rui and Lucas have powerful rosters of pokemon, so it may be beneficial to put them in separate groups if the party splits up on this floor.

In addition, if you wish to make any changes to your party of pokemon (which includes learning new moves from items that the group has in their possession), this would be a good time to do so.  Even in a Mystery Dungeon, Bebe's PC Science laughs in the face of time and space!

[Spiritmon]

Kogeki nod with Milotic talk and add a opinion of his own. "If I may give a suggestion Milotic, Karen prove herself to be a strong and skilled trainer with great strategies of combat. Kee is also a great and powerful trainer too. I can also carry you, but I kinda already full with powerful pokemons in my side too, and each one of them have their role in this journey."

Also Dragonstrike, is Milotic permit Kogeki to check his treasure and see what useful he can find? I not going to be greedy its just a question.

The young lady?  And you said your name is Karen?  "Yes ma'am."  Well, it's lovely to meet you.  Should you determine someone else needs my services more, I would be more than happy to assist them as well.

Gotcha!  Milotic was caught!  No stat block this time since I don't need to post them for myself, lol.

Kogeki may do so, yes.  Milotic will actually use Dive so that Kogeki can look at the items firsthand.  Take only what you think you might need.  There's too much here for us to carry it all.

Many, many treasures are in the glittering pile.  TMs of all sorts of colors, Nuggets and other valuable items, Evolution stones, Mega Stones...if it sparkles in the light, you can probably find it down here!

Kogeki can take a maximum of up to 3 sparkly items (pending GM approval) from the treasure pile.  A rainbow colored TM (which is infinite use) counts as two items (has to be a universal TM and cannot be Hidden Power).

Milotic will also give Karen the same offer, and she's going to pick out a few TMs for her pokemon to learn.  After explaining to Milotic that there's a fourth member of the group who could probably use some of this treasure as well, she and the beautiful serpent pick out three more items for Randolph as well.

If Kee wants the evolution stone he traded for those items back, then he can also have that back, as Milotic is feeling generous.

For items to choose, I would like Earthquake, a Amulet Coin and Dramsamasite. I will still need to work on Loyalty, but this will might help with the process.

[Dragonstrike]

For items to choose, I would like Earthquake, a Amulet Coin and Dramsamasite. I will still need to work on Loyalty, but this will might help with the process.

All easily findable in the pile with Milotic's assistance.  Approved!

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

(...)

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

Meanwhile...



Randolph's group has just ascended the stairs, and at the top, they see that they're no longer in the caves of Mt. Coronet.  Now they're on the sometimes frozen, sometimes lush and green slopes of Mt. Coronet's exterior.  Lucas seems surprised.  "...huh...that didn't take as long as I was expecting...I thought we still had another half day's worth of travel to go in the caves before we reached the snow covered peaks...not that I'm going to complain about this going more quickly than I thought it would."


Suddenly, a beam of light manifests in front of Randolph's group!  And when it disappears, Karen, Kogeki, and Kee are standing there!  "...huh.  So that's how the Explorer Badge works...cool."  Karen looks around curiously, shivers a little, but then asks, "So...based on the snow, I assume we're at the upper levels of the mountain now?"

"Yup, that's right.  We're getting close to Spear Pillar.  We seem to be making good time.  We keep this up, and we might be able to be there by tomorrow."

Karen's eyes light up once Lucas confirms that they've reached upper Mt. Coronet.  "Really?  Yeeeessss!!!"  She seems super excited for some reason.

Then she sees the new person that Randolph's group picked up earlier.  "...so, who's your new friend?"

Rui waves timidly.  "...uh, yeah, hi.  I'm Rui...apparently..."  Espeon's pacing around Rui's legs, surveying the area with keen eyes.

"We picked her up on the previous floor.  Ooh boy, do we have a story for you guys.  You'll want to hear this."

Lucas proceeds to explain to Team K what happened, from the Tyrantrum to finding Rui and Espeon to the Shadow Gyarados.  Karen looks a little spooked by all of that, but she puts on a brave face, smiles, and excitedly tells everyone what they found on the previous floor.  This happens to launch a rather long string of comments from her as she tries her best to lighten the mood, even if only a little.

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

Karen's Lightheartedness: Pond Friend Area (Remastered by TGH) - Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red/Blue Rescue Team

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

"Well, we found some cool stuff too!  There was so much water on that floor, and we even encountered a talking Milotic!  Kogeki even convinced them to help us!"

"A talking Milotic?  Well, that's certainly something."


"You said that Rui doesn't have any pokemon with her, though?"

"...er...yeah, I don't...aside from Espeon here.  They've been a huge comfort.  We've been lost in these tunnels for ages, and then I got attacked by those Shadow Gyarados..."

Karen looks thoughtful for a moment, then smiles at Rui.  "Maybe Milotic will be able to help you more than they can help me, then.  If you don't have any pokemon of your own...well, then how are you going to defend yourself?  And even if you only have a few, a Milotic is worth, like, three pokemon on its own, right?  You should totally hang on to them!  I'm sure they'll get along great with you!"

"...uh...I guess?  This sounds like a powerful pokemon, though, are you sure you..."  "Go on, take them!  They said they don't mind helping out!  I have plenty of pokemon to ask for help, so it's no big deal!"  "...uh...okay...sure..."  "Just make sure you say hi to them later, alright?"  "...yeah...got it..."

Karen gives Milotic's pokeball to Rui.

Well, Karen certainly seems perky, doesn't she?  Rui can barely seem to get a word in!

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

"...so, do you want...Brigid?...back, Randolph?  That was her name, right?"

"Oh, right!  I have something for you too, Randolph!  Milotic had a bunch of treasure, and she let us take some it because it might help us!"

Karen hands Randolph some items, one of which is a Mega Stone that Randolph doesn't recognize right away:
 

...and the others being a Soothe Bell and a (standard) TM for Swagger!


"Milotic picked out that Mega Stone out for you.  I'm not sure why, but I guess she had a gut feeling that it might be useful?  Swagger also seemed like a cool move for one of your pokemon, and I know you have a lot of pokemon you're still bonding with, so maybe this Soothe Bell will help!"

Karen also excitedly shows off one of the items she grabbed for herself: a Rainbow Colored TM for the move Return. (which is strange to see at first since mass produced TMs are generally only one color based on their type)


"Oh, and she also says that these rainbow colored TMs can be used as many times as you want, similar to an HM!  Pretty cool, right?  And I also got a TM for Drill Run for my Nidoqueen.  I think she's going to like it!"

Lucas speaks up at this point, trying to get everyone refocused on the situation at hand.

"...*ahem*...alright, well, I think that's enough story sharing for now, so how about we get going?  Looks like there's only one path currently, so this should be a straightforward decision."

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

Mt. Coronet 2F

The Shadowed Mountain: Mt. Coronet Remix by GlitchxCity - Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum

*pulls card out of hat*



The first room of this floor is steeped in cliffsides and covered in snow.  Except instead of the cliffs going up this time, they're going down.  A long, long ways down.  Nobody can even see the bottom, as a thick layer of white mist obscures whatever lays below.  By contrast, dark black clouds obscure the skies above Mt. Coronet, and what looks like a rain made of shadows pours down from them.  Espeon hisses at those clouds, intimately familiar with the effects of this Shadow Sky.  The mountain is eerily quiet right now...


Rui nervously looks over the side.  "...that's a long fall...stay close, Espeon."  Which Espeon was doing anyways, but he acknowledges the order regardless.

Lucas is almost all business right now, focusing intently on the goal.  He keeps glancing up at where the mountain's peak is located way above the clouds.

As a stark contrast to Rui and Lucas, Karen has quite a spring in her step still.  She's still careful to not fall off the side of a cliff, of course, but she's incredibly eager and energetic now, and that doesn't seem like it's going to change soon.  Not even the Shadow Sky seems to be bothering her.

There are three paths out of this room, and all of them look like dangerous fall hazards.  The path straight across would have once been easy to traverse, but has collapsed due to an avalanche, so there's a large gap in the otherwise straight path.  There are also two other cliffs to the left and right that lead to other parts of the mountain's exterior, but reaching them likely requires a pokemon that's able to fly or is really good at jumping.  Or maybe you can think of some other creative way to get across!  There are a handful of snow covered trees dotted around the frigid terrain on all sides as well.  Which is weird, because this area's supposed to be above the tree line...

Who's going where?  Is the group splitting up to speed up the search again, and if so, is it going to be the same groups or different ones?

A Note concerning Rui: She may not be a pokemon trainer, and isn't really confident enough to try fielding more than one pokemon at a time currently, but the three pokemon accompanying her (Wes's Espeon, Explorer Scizor, and Telepathic Milotic) can basically all act independently without the need for orders from a trainer.  Rui and those three pokemon all count as a single character for the purposes of encounter caps.

Another Note: Both Rui and Lucas have powerful rosters of pokemon, so it may be beneficial to put them in separate groups if the party splits up on this floor.

In addition, if you wish to make any changes to your party of pokemon (which includes learning new moves from items that the group has in their possession), this would be a good time to do so.  Even in a Mystery Dungeon, Bebe's PC Science laughs in the face of time and space!

Contrasting the boy hero's reaction, Ran is also surprised....in a more negative way, cursing mildly and bearing his teeth in a grimace as the cold mountain air started seeping into his bone as he took stock of his surroundings. Diam, meanwhile, seemed to tolerate the with a mild grin standing by her partner's side, as being a Ghost/Dark and a natural deep dark cave dweller conferred a great tolerance to low ambient temperatures. Paula was similarly unperturbed by the cold (Largely due to her insulating Water Typing), though she had a much more reserved reaction to the scenery, huddling behind her master's legs and peering at the frost covered mountain top with a look of timid wonder.

"Probably 'cause of how twisted this mountain has become, if I had to make and educated guess. Still insufferably cold as a Frosslass titties out here, *Looks up at the Shadow Sky with a grimace* ....and it looks like the weather has worsened somehow on top of that. Bah...."

Team K's abrupt teleportation caused the bristly blacksmith to back-peddle in surprise, while the small gemlin hopped backwards at first, startled, before leaping back forward with a grin once she discovered who appeared, while the smol siren fell flat on her scaly bum in shock until she hopped right up and zipped behind Ran, peering out very nervously at them. If Octavia's out, though, Paula would be a little less scared and more curious about it and their Trainer, while Diam would frown with mild grumpiness at them, as she had not forgotten their (in her opinion) unjustified hostility towards her prank on Karen. Something a fellow fae spirit should have been wooed and enthused by, but no no no, not with miss pink 'n pretty 'n prissy. Hmpt...

It doesn't take long either for Ran to recover, stepping forward and nodding to the wee lass' question and letting Lucas handle the subsequent conversation. He raises an eyebrow at their chipper behavior in these harsh clime and dour times, but doesn't mind it at all. On the contrary, he greatly preferred it, as he previous gloomy, sullen, and or reserved attitude was a proverbial ball and chain for group communication and cooperation. That, and though he wouldn't admit it, he was happy to see the normally timid girl in better spirits.

Speaking of timid girls, the dwarven craftsman is quick to march over to Rui's side as the young prodigy made their own introduction to her, standing nearby to act as her support and intervene on her behalf if things got a bit too much for her to handle. Though his outward demeanor is gruff and no-nonsense as always, the more perceptive and Empathetic members of the group would be able to see a certain protectiveness and consideration in regards to and with the ginger haired lass. Even Diam is careful not to spook the woman with her partner hovering around them, though whether or not that was for their shake or hers is left for others to decide.

Despite that, he let's Lucas explains her situation and their own findings during their trek through the 1st Floor. If he doesn't have to explain things, he's 'happy' to keep his quiet and just listen!

Once the conversation brings up the unique Milotic does Ran finally break his silence, both his eyebrows raised as he took that kernel of Knowledge in.

"I've Encountered two other of those scaled beauties before, but I never one that could speak. Does it have Telepathy, like Sally does?"

He nods at the wee lass' next question, a unhappy expression taking root as he gave his own thoughts on the matter.

"No, she doesn't. Right now Scizors and that Espeon of Wess' is sticking around as her protection, and I lent her my Brigid round out her team Type and numbers-wise. I'm not sure how she managed to survive long as she did with just Espeon's help - *Looks at them* no offense to ya - but now that she has the chance to get some Pokemon to back her up I'm not leaving her lacking if I can help it!"

When Karen ends up just straight up giving away Milotic to Rui, the midget miner is nearly taken aback in shock/surprise at the gesture. Milotics were considered some of the most desirable Pokemon for any Trainer to own, be it for their magnificent Beauty and grace that would easily make them Contest Stars, or impressive bulkiness that (coupled with their Recovery Moves) gave them unparalleled longevity in all but the most severe of battles. The fact that they didn't have any temper issues unlike most other serpent and super-massive Pokemon just made them all the more desirable, really!

Trainers would pay handsomely for one to call their own, and even he couldn't claim to be above their Alluring influence and fame. Unlike most, though, he was content with not having one as a partner. Partially because of his preferences, but mostly because he could imagine himself being able to take proper care of such a radiant creature with his rough demeanor and abrasive attitude. The fact the Pokemon he already has (that he's had the chance to properly bond with) actually seem to like and care for hi despite his issues is a miracle of itself, so he was not about ready to test if those blessing would extent to caring for a Milotic.

So yeah, seeing Karen give one away so freely, out of the kindness of her heart, to Rui, to make sure she'd be alright on her journey with them...it was a shock. A very pleasant shock, and once Ran recovered from it few seconds later had him looking at the bi-chromatic eyed girl with a whole new level of interest and appreciation. If she was like that.....maybe he had been badly underestimating her, all this time.

At the O.H.W. somewhat timid inquiry towards him, Ran actually looked a bit torn at it, grimacing very slightly as he looked at her and thought about it.....before letting out a sigh and accepting his motherly turtle back with a nod.

"Yes, it is, and thank ya for giving them back to me lass. If you ever need anymore help, though, don't hesitate to call for me. Alright?"

He again somewhat taken aback when Karen has gifts for him as well, eyeing the unknown Mega Stone and other Items with a sort of bewildered wonder that Kee would be familiar with, before he transferred that look onto her.

"Um....thank ya lass. Not sure why you're being so considerate to an old bastard like me, but....I appreciate it."

Before he could say anything else see quickly showed off her Rainbow Return, which quickly diverted his attention as he looked at the prismatic TM with a look of interest and stroaked his beard thoughtfully.

"That is a nice find you got there, Karen. *Looks at her* Reckon you'd be willing to share it with the rest of us? Having Return on all the Pokemon that can use it right would be great, as ya can never have enough powerful Moves at your disposal in my humble opinion...."

The champ's unsubtle interjection brings a moment's pause to the scuffy smith, before turned and nodded to them.

"Right. We still have this unholy mission to accomplish, and the more time we spend flapping our games, the less time we have to finish it before the whole world falls apart."

And with that, away everyone goes!

---

Ran could only irritably *Tsk* in distinct displeasure as he gets a better look at the Shadow Sky covering the tops of Mt. Coronet, while Diam is unusually grim as she soundlessly pears upwards as well, but not too bother about it otherwise. Paula's probably visibly distressed or flustered by the suddenly dark and oppressive atmosphere, and would almost definitely seek shelter behind Ran's legs until he reaches down to give her a comforting head pat and smile.

"Don't worry none about the gloomy scenery, girl. I'll keep ya nice and safe, as I promise, so you can relax."

He'd then take the opportunity to give her the Soothe Bell he just recently recieved from Karen, stringing it onto a bit of cord he had and making it into simple necklace for her to wear.

"There. If things get to be overwhelming for ya, just listen to the chime of that bell, alright? Should calm your nerves and help ya focus. Maybe you could even use it to the tune of your singing, with a little practice. What do ya think, Paula?"

Ran would try his best to reassure Rui by calmly gripping her shoulder and wordlessly offer her a nod. Like Espeon, he too is here for her.

Concerning Teams, I say Ran would have them split up again. It actually worked really well the last time, so once more should see if the method has merit or their experiences on the last Floor was a Floor.

Concerning Mini-Group Composition, my character would want to be on the same team as Rui, as he's feeling strongly protective of them. As for the last member (assuming we go with trio groups, like last time), I'd prefer Karen on his team. He's much more interested in hanging out and working with them now, and by having her on his team Lucas can go back up Kee and Kogeki + avoid any awkwardness between her and Sally, giving us roughly equally powerful teams.

Regarding Ran's party for this Floor, it will be Diam (Her Mega Stone), Paula (Soothe Bell), Boreas (Assault Vest), Catherine (Spell Tag), Brigid (Charcoal), and Belladona (Life Orb), and he's going to have Paula and Catherine out with him, wanting to spend what little time he had left on the mission bonding and training with them. That, and the icy fashionista might like having a fellow Contest specialized partner to work with too, and vice versa! 

Finally, Ran would want to stick with his previous decision as last time, and go straight ahead, regardless of mini-groups or not. It worked well the last time he did it, so why change pattern now?

Note: If anyone has any Rainbow TMs, would anyone be opposed to everyone's Pokemon learning them automatically (with the exception of Highly Disobedient Pokemon without high Loyalty, like Sekmet and most of his latest Catches) ? Also, he'd want to ask Lucas to teach Paula Surf and Waterfall, Beethoven + Scarmory Fly, and Rock Climb and Strength to Zorn, as he finally realizes the champ probably has those HMs on him and would want to teach a few of his Pokemon them so he could get around the Mystery Dungeon easier. For instance, if his Flying types learn...well, you know, he'd be able to use them to Fly across the gap in the middle and continue on (Which is how he'd do it, really).