PTU: The Gate of Heaven - Myoria (IC)

[Nyna]

A Dark Cave

You come to in a dark, mildly damp cave, the only light source coming from the glow of one of the people in the room. What looks to have been the entrance to the cave seems to have collapsed, only small bits of sunlight shining through. The only other direction, deeper into the cave, seems to be blocked by what looks to be a barred door, like one would put on a jail cell. The door, however, seems to be slightly ajar.

As your heads begin to clear from whatever it was that had rendered you unconscious in the first place, you come to the realization that you really have no idea where you are or how you got here. The last thing you can recall, you were just going about your regular day-to-day life, and now, suddenly, you're in a cave. More importantly, you don't seem to have anything on your person but your clothing. No items, and perhaps more urgently, no Pokemon, and with that growling that seems to be coming from further inside the cave, that seems to be a matter of utmost concern.

Strangest of all, however, is the pulsing, burning pain coming from your right hand. Examining it, you see a strange black rune glowing faintly on the back of your hand, the light coming from it pulsating in time with the pulses of pain coming from your hand. The pain is fairly mild, but still rather bothersome, and you have no idea where the rune came from. It certainly wasn't there before.

Other than the growling, however, you can't really hear anything else aside from the breathing and movement of your companions. The occasional echoing sound of water dripping from the ceiling somewhere deeper in the cave is fairly faint, but otherwise you seem to be alone for the moment. And there doesn't appear to be anything in this particular room worth investigating. Just the ragged, moldy bedrolls that each of you woke up on.

[aturtledoesbite]

Zachary Grimaldi

The first thing Zach notices is a glow waking him up. Is the sun up already? ...No, wait, there's a human there. ...oh.

"Ai, tryin'a sleep here...sheesh..."

Zach rolls over to turn away from Ai...and realizes that he's not on his bed. He also simultaneously comes to the realization of 'why is ai in his room'. He opens his eyes a bit and looks around...this isn't his room.

"Uh...Ai? Please tell me you're not responsible for this."

[Elfbird]

Alice Nakashi

Alice winces and sucks in a breath at the unexpected pain in her hand. Sitting up and slowly taking in the scene, her brand, the other barely-visible bodies stirring in the gloom... she notices that she never needed to let the breath out. Hadn't even crossed her mind. No heartbeat either, and none of her climbing gear or Heart, her quirky-but-endearing Ralts.

"Oh my. I seem to be dead."

Alice remembers to exhale, but doesn't bother to continue her apparently unnecessary respiration. She stands up from the bedroll, silent as a ghost, and calmly approaches the glowing figure.

"Excuse me. Are you my guide to the afterlife?"

Permanently binding Silent Assassin until further notice. Dead Silent capability and all Struggle attacks deal Ghost-type damage. The Normals are safe from her~

[Mura-neechan]

Ai

Slowly groaning, pink fluttering eyes opened as the slender maiden slowly moved around, hearing a soft voice, as the gentle light that almost always surrounded her body pressed against the darkness. Frowning, the girl would slowly shift, only to hear Zachary's voice. It was a bit off how a complaint could sound so refreshing. He was here too! And safe... being safe was good. As Ai would rise properly, and hear the priest grumble and groan, she'd examine the cave a bit. Her light slowly forming too its full exposure as she'd light up the cave properly, and look back as Alice questioned her. Shaking her head softly, Ai instead simply looked around a bit, feeling the strap for her pokeballs missing. This was all very odd, but hopefully there was a clue somewhere inside...

"How unsettling... I don't think I've died... especially not if Father Grimaldi went with me. I'd never get anything done~ So we have to be alive, for efficiency at least!"

Perception: [roll0]

[ptdapen]

Shibou Kiseki

Kiseki opened up her eyes and immediately felt in peril. She had always avoided caves for a multitude of reasons. Her first instinct was to send forth her Croagunk to protect her but he too was missing. This heightened her panic and she felt her heart pulse accelerating. The rune on her hand was certainly not helping; she knew how to handle pain but not anomaly.

The chef shut her eyes closed and began to visualize Mareep jumping over a fence. It was a calming method she had picked up to keep her heart rate down. "It's okay, it's okay," she repeated to herself in a low tone.

She got up and adjusted her glasses. At the very least, she still had those. "I can only assume we are prisoners here. At the very least, that suggests our captors do not intend to kill us. And better yet our belongings might be somewhere outside, perhaps even right outside the door." Kiseki did not approach the door, however; she hoped that one of them would take the lead.

[Esprit15]

Similarly, assume Dead Silent is Bound unless otherwise mentioned.
Zoe stirs, soon waking as the others did, trying to but failing to successfully scratch at the burning marks on her hand. "What in the Void..."
Occult Edu to ID the rune: [roll0]

Looking around, it seemed that she wasn't the only one here. Some clergy as well as a few common people were here as well. Nobody that she knew, though. Looking over to the girls wondering over their death, Zoe sighs. "I doubt we're truly dead," she says flatly to Alice, "since I don't remember seeing any of you, and the only logical reason for us all be together while dead would be if we all died in the same place and time." Plus, this was different from the ocean. Back then, it was just blackness. Cold, suffocating, black... The girl shakes her head. "She also can't be a guide to the afterlife, since the clergyman recognizes her, presumably from recently in life. Even if she bore him some significance, she doesn't mean anything directly to us. So chances are, we're alive for now."

Getting up, Zoe dusts herself off and unruffles her skirt, looking around some more. "Well, I have no intention of staying here. You all can wonder at whether your heart is beating and why that should matter. I'm getting out," she continues, heading toward the ajar door. She could panic about where her mother's katana went and what happened to Komachi later - right now, she needed to get out of this cave.
Should Athletics be necessary to open the door: [roll1]

[Elfbird]

Alice Nakashi

Alice listens seriously to each girl's explanation in turn, nodding to herself. Their reasoning made sense, though the stillness in her chest still caused her some doubt. Maybe she had become an earthbound spirit, doomed to wander among mortals until fulfilling some past obligation? What had she been doing in the mountains, anyway...?

After watching the other silent girl drift out of the room, Alice seems to come to a decision. She paces over to the sleepy man and experimentally pokes his cheek. Her hands are cold and clammy, though she wouldn't feel it herself.

"Good news, sir. It seems you may not be dead. Perhaps you would like to wake up now? We seem to be missing our important companions; let us find them before they become frightened. Bad things happen when my Heart gets lonely..."

[aturtledoesbite]

Zachary Grimaldi

Zach groans, slowly rising to...at least a sitting position. "And I was having such a nice dream...I think. Can't remember it anymore."

He looks down and inspects himself, noting the lack of...anything except clothes and the mark on his hand. "Well, this doesn't look good."

With another groan, he manages to make his way to standing up. "So...no one knows where we are? That's...that's just swell. We might as well stick together for now, and I guess she's ready to get going." Zach motions to the girl going through the door as he says it and starts to meander toward it himself.

Occult to identify brand, I suppose: [roll0]

[Lokyar]

Josei Kit


[roll0]
Turtle was correct, it is Stealth. 8+6 = 14 Stealth


As Josei came to she immediately noticed the unfamiliar surroundings, and instinct propelled her into the plentiful shadows of the room. Observing the others proved interesting as at least two suspected they were dead, and didn't seem particularly put out by it, while the others had their own theories. She grinned cheekily as she watched them, thinking how cool and stealthy she was being, just like her mentor.

It lasted all of thirty seconds.

The sudden pain in her hand brought her attention to the glowing rune at which her eyes grew wide. "I'm magic!"

She tumbled out of the shadows and run up to the nearest available observer, presenting the evidence (her hand) for verification. "Look! See! Glowing means magic! I'm finally magic!"

[Nyna]

(DC 8) Ai would notice... a strange smell in the air? It was faint, probably coming from another room, but the smell would give her goosebumps... whatever it was, it probably wasn't a good thing.
(DC 10) While you can't identify what the rune actually is, you can sense some kind of dark energy within it, and the pulsing seems to be coming from that energy resonating with something else nearby. It doesn't seem to be doing any actual harm to you, but it's certainly not a pleasant sensation, to say the least.
(DC 14) Read Zoe's info first. In addition to the above, Zachary manages the identify the rune as that of an ancient Shadow Rune. Why it suddenly appeared on his hand, he couldn't say, but ancient tales from far before the opening of the Gate of Heaven tell stories of the dark powers that wielders of these Shadow Runes hold. Those same stories seem to indicate that Pokemon once existed in the past, long, long ago, as there are tales of monstrous demons that very much resemble the corruption that Pokemon undergo when exposed to Tendrils. However, you also know that in these tales, the Shadow Runes have a twin: the Holy Runes. Wielders of these Runes battled those of the Shadow Runes for supremacy, though the results of these battles, or details about the powers of the Runes, remain lost to history.
While the barred door to the room didn't seem stuck, it certainly made a rather loud creaking sound as Zoe opened it, the sound echoing throughout the room and likely down into the depths of the cave. If there was anyone here, they definitely heard that.

The passage beyond the gate was a narrow hall, wide enough for a smaller person to walk without brushing their shoulders against the walls, that extended for about eight feet before opening back up into another room. The room beyond seemed to be dimly lit by something, but it was hard to make out from where Zoe was standing due to the lack of overall lighting, and before she got a chance to move forward...

The growling would intensify into small angry barks, as a chain would rattle and a Houndour would suddenly run around the corner, barking viciously at Zoe! It would run to the edge of its chain before getting held up about five feet from the girl, barking over and over at her. Perhaps she should be thankful it didn't just blow fire at her? The Houndour looked rather emaciated though, its spiked collar hanging a bit loosely around its neck, but that didn't seem to prevent it from growling and barking at Zoe, preventing her from passing into the next room for the moment. Not that she could clearly see without Ai nearby.

[ptdapen]

Shibou Kiseki

Kiseki put up both her arms when the girl jumped out of the shadows. However, she noticed quickly that it was not a hostile presence and began to calm herself down internally. "Could you please refrain from doing that?" she barked before readjusting her glasses. She was tempted to chew Josei out but the barking Houndour took precedence. And without her Croagunk around she had no way to deal with it. "I suppose the dog is our warden." The chef turned to the girl who was glowing for reasons beyond her comprehension. "I suppose you should guide the way, seeing as we cannot see without you. Do those powers of yours allow you to fight Pokemon too?"

[Esprit15]

Zoe's eyes widen slightly as the dog runs at her, but whether it was apathy, focus, or sheer disregard for own mortality, she doesn't flinch, and smiles as the dog is restrained by its chain. "Chained up and half starving, you're supposed to prevent us from escaping, and yet you're just as much prisoner as we are," she says flatly, gaze meeting the dog's eyes. "If I had my sword I could put you out of your misery, but even without it, I could hurt you plenty. So, I'm going to give you an out - you have until the count of six do us both a favor, and SIT DOWN!!!" Zoe finishes off with a roar, before turning, walking away, counting slowly.
Intimidate into not fighting us for passing: [roll0]
If it helps, she does have Beast Master.

Shift to 6m away from Houndour.

[aturtledoesbite]

Zachary Grimaldi

Oh...well, this is a fine situation, isn't it? Zachary sighs and mutters a prayer to himself, "Oh, Tree of Heaven, grant me the strength to surpass this trial..."

The shouting brings his attention back to the current surroundings, as he covers his ears. "Hey, hey! No need for yelling! Now, let's see what the problem is..."

Zach bends down, holding a hand out toward the Houndour. "Hey there. Don't worry, we're not gonna hurt you..." He glances back toward the yelling girl. "Well, I'm not gonna hurt you, anyway."

Intuition check to try to Channel the Houndour: [roll0]

Though I don't think there's really a failure state beyond wasting time, so if that fails, can we just say he keeps trying until it works?

Once Channeled, Zach will ask what its intentions are, while also communicating his own intention of just wanting to figure out where he is and what's going on. He'll also try to see if there's any hints to that end to be found in the past hour of the Houndour's memory.

[Mura-neechan]

Ai

Finally seeming to get herself a bit more grounded, the maiden simply sighed, as the loud barking of the houndor could be heard. Studying her own little seal she'd puff her cheeks up into a bit of a pout as she stared at it, prodding the thing curiously a few times. Shaking her head a bit, she'd quickly eradicate those thoughts. There was much more important issues to concern herself with. In fact, Ai would show the Houndor very little concern, as she'd follow that smell, heading out of the room. Part of it could just be bruned horrible things, yes, but exploring the greater room was also important, and she still needed to find her pokeball sash! She wasn't ready to bge as morbid as her priest about this whole thing, though she'd have to imagine that he also understood the seriousness of the situation.

As Ai would head out of the room, she'd look around again, carefully assessing where that smell was coming from, as well as using her full light to allow a proper search of the area. "Your light is my light.... so perhaps we can both shed a little on all this?" She'd carefully step past the Houndour, a lot less concern on her face, as the steps slowed a bit, and she'd try to move past, with light and quiet steps.

[Lokyar]

Josei Kit

At the sudden round of barking Josei let out a shrill "Eep!", jumping up and landing on one foot, twisting her stance to use Kiseki as a blind between herself and the angry dog. Zoe's own outburst had her leaning slightly to the side to include her in the manufactured blind spot. From all other angles, however, she looked utterly ridiculous.

[Nyna]

(Focus to not get distracted by imagery is successful) As Zachary entered the Houndour's mind, he'd find himself initially recoiling from the sudden wave of powerful emotions, the strongest of all being fear. The Pokemon was clearly terrified, and was simply putting up a front to try and intimidate anyone from getting near it. And as Zoe took a strong front herself and ordered it to sit, the Houndour would immediately let fear dominate its token bravery again as it began to run away. If Zachary tried to read the source of its fear, well... it seemed to be afraid of everything.

Unfortunately, the last hour didn't have much to reveal, other than constant gnawing fear, and the state of the room that Ai was about to find...
As Zoe put on a strong front, roaring at the Houndour, the pup would recoil, whimpering a bit, before scampering off back into its room, clearly afraid of the trainer... Well, she hadn't managed to make it sit, but at least the path was clear?

As Ai entered the room, she'd suddenly realize what that smell was as it hit her much more strongly: blood. Mostly dried blood covered the floor, walls, and furniture, and the bodies of four people littered the ground, strewn about in various pieces as though something had simply chopped them up and discarded them without a care. A table off to the side of the room had been shattered as well, a chunk of stone behind the table showing where the tip of a blade had smashed into both the wall and the table itself, and the body of one of the men lay there under the remains of the table, head half severed by the blow.

Another chain leash led to the right of the room they had just come from, revealing a half-eaten Houndoom. Judging from where the body was in relation to the Houndour, it was pretty unlikely that the Houndour had eaten the Houndoom, and in fact, the larger dog was probably the parent of the pup. The injury that had killed the Houndoom was clearly from the same weapon that had cut up all the other bodies in the room.

The room itself, after looking past the gruesome scene, was fairly minimal. Underneath the destroyed table on the left of the room was an electric lantern. Its light was mostly blocked by the body of the man, the rubble around it, and the dried blood on it, but once cleaned and removed it would make a suitable light source. Over in another corner of the room was a large chest, undamaged by the fighting, and a table in the middle of the room had been tipped over during the proceedings, the papers on it scattered about the room. Finally, a shelf near the chest seemed to hold some larger items on it and was luckily undamaged and unbloodied by the fighting, given that it seemed to have weapons and any large items that the group had had on their persons sitting on its shelves.

There seemed to be two exits to the room. A barred door to the right led into another dark room, while a wider tunnel ahead was lit up by lightbulbs crudely wired across the ceiling of the tunnel. There were signs that this wiring was currently being laid in this part of the cavern, judging from a bundle of wires and an electrician's toolkit that lay strewn about near one of the bodies, along with a ladder that had fallen over in the tunnel.

The Houndour was now cowering in the corner, whimpering, though it would growl if anyone tried to get close...

[Elfbird]

Alice Nakashi

Alice blinks laconically, taking in the scene now illuminated by Ai's gentle glow, slowly looking between the mangled bodies and her companions by way of comparison."These gentlemen seem rather worse for wear. Everyone, let's try not to get torn up too."

Alice then drifts over to the bloody lantern. She kneels and, with a polite "Excuse me," pulls the man's shoulder forward to free the lantern, staring for a moment when he falls on her lap with a dull splat. She nonchalantly reaches for the lantern with her left hand and tugs it free, then draws it close and wipes the blood off with the long right sleeve of her dress, apparently not bothered by staining the thick white cloth. She hums a bit (https://youtu.be/lUri-Bky2DY) while working at a particularly stubborn spot.

Standing up (and letting the body slide the rest of the way to the floor), Alice goes to shine the lantern over the nearest pile of scattered papers, curious as to their nature or contents. Afterward she'll retrieve her survival axe from the shelf and pass out the other large objects if nobody does so first.

[ptdapen]

Shibou Kiseki

Kiseki turned back and frowned at the girl hiding behind her. "I swear you are doing this on purpose to annoy me," she stated. She decided to march forward as she had bigger concerns on her mind. However, she immediately regretted it when she came across the whole mess of the room. She shut her eyes immediately but the stench was inescapable. It felt as if this was the end for her; nobody, not even her parents, could help her now. "How can you be so unfazed by this?" She lowered herself to the ground while holding back tears and tried to continue her calming exercises.

As fate would turn out, she was able to calm herself down. The blood started to become part of the background and the corpses were simply corpses; they could do no more harm and whatever caused this mess was assuredly gone for the time being. It was still her priority to find her belongings in order to be safe. She got back to her feet and swallowed back her emotions as if they were never there. "It appears I was right. If your weapons are on the shelf then the rest of our belongings must be in the chest." She gestured to it for somebody else to open; she did not want to open a chestful of body parts in case she was wrong. In the meantime, she picked up some sheets of paper and tried to figure out what they were about.

[Esprit15]

"Yeah, that's what... I... thought..." Zoe says, trailing off as Ai enters the room, revealing the rest of the area. That was... Unexpected. Pieces of people, but why? At least Alice was handling it well, though she likely was still operating on the assumption that they were all dead. If it gets her through the day, then more power to her. For her part, Zoe just makes sure to not inhale and avoid looking at any faces, or thinking too much about what did all of this. Staying mentally occupied would help.

Looking around... "Good. I was worried that it was lost," Zoe says, grabbing her blade from the shelf. Smiling, she takes a few practice swings. Guard, then strike, she thinks to herself as she spars with an imaginary foe. Satisfied, she places the heirloom back where it belonged, on her hip.

As for that chest... Zoe carefully takes a few steps toward it before pulling it open.

[Mura-neechan]

Ai

Staring a bit blankly at it all, Ai would scowl at the blood spattered room. She felt a nervous chill flow down that runed arm now, as she held it to her chest, as she'd begin to regain her composure. Resting herself in her own comforting light for a moment, Ai would close her eyes and gently hum, before opening them again with a sad expression through her face. "We must quickly rescue our companions... Father Grimaldi, I fear for Jaina at this rate."

[aturtledoesbite]

Zachary Grimaldi

This wasn't the first time Zachary had seen a corpse. He was a priest, and funerals did happen from time to time. Still...normally the corpses were cleaned up. This was...well, Zach didn't really care to dwell on what this was at the moment. He said a prayer over each of the bodies before moving on to the shelf; both his crossbow and his planter were here. That struck him as a little odd, but then, nothing was making sense right now. Retrieving his gear, he'd turn back to Ai. "Hey now, don't worry... I'm sure Jaina's alright. We'll find her, and then we'll get out of here and figure out what's going on, alright? But for now, you've gotta trust in her, okay?"

Afterward, Zachary would check the cell door on the right, finding it locked. That was a little unfortunate.

[Lokyar]

Josei Kit

Josei put one of her sleeves carefully over her nose and mouth as she entered the room. She'd never liked this part no matter what crimes they'd committed, and this was far from clean. Giving the bodies and the frightened dog a wide berth Josei retrieved her belongings, sliding her goggles on and up onto her forehead concealed by her hair.

Approaching the door that the large priest was trying to open she perked up. I can do that! "Here, let me try." Pulling a few hairpins free she carefully examined the lock before going to work.


Stealth(Unlock)
[roll0]

[Nyna]

Retrieving the lantern, Alice would find it in perfectly good condition. The glass seemed to be cracked a bit on one side, probably from the fall, but the damage was fortunately just cosmetic. (Acquired a Flashlight!) Shining the lantern on the papers wouldn't reveal much that made sense to Alice for the most part. Most of the notes seemed to just be administrative stuff, like lists of supplies and whatnot. However, there did seem to be one particular list that listed each of them by name, along with a detailed inventory of their supplies and Pokemon, though it didn't list the Pokemon by name, just species. There was also something talking about Shadow Marks...

Apparently, this cave was some sort of facility dedicated to researching the Shadow Marks. Looking over the paper, whoever had run this place had apparently acquired a 'Subject' that had the Mark. While the particular paper didn't really go into detail into who this person was or what they had done to him/her, it did make it pretty clear that the experiment to graft a copy of the Shadow Mark onto the 'test subjects' was a success. It didn't go into names or anything, but... that was probably them, wasn't it?

As Zoe opened the chest, she'd find the latch would stick a bit, but with a bit of strength it would open without too much difficulty. Inside was... the rest of their belongings, Pokeballs included. Their stuff seemed to be sorted somewhat, but it would probably take a few minutes for everyone to sort out whose stuff belonged to whom, especially the Pokeballs.

Josei would find that the most difficult thing about the lock wasn't that it was a complicated lock, but that it was rather rusty. Seriously, who did maintenance in this place? The lock would cause her quite a bit of trouble simply because the tumblers wouldn't move when she poked them unless she used quite a bit of force, but eventually she'd get the rusted lock to click, and the door would slowly swing open with a loud, long, echoing creak.

Once a light source was brought near, the group would see that the room was... well, definitely not as gruesome as the one they were in, but not really a pleasant sight given the atmosphere of this place. In the middle of the room was what looked to be a large table, big enough for someone to lie down on, with straps built into the table, and a hook overhead for a lantern to be hung off of. The table had some rather old looking bloodstains soaked into the wood, and a smaller table nearby had what looked to be surgical and medical supplies.

More importantly, however, was the cage located in the corner. A girl, probably no older than 16 or 17, would be laying in the cage, one arm shackled to the wall, both legs chained together. Her right arm seemed to be... missing up to the elbow, bloody bandages covering the stump, and her eyes seemed to be blindfolded by bandages as well, with some bloodstains there as well. She was definitely breathing, but was definitely unconscious, or at the least, non responsive to anything the group did to get her attention for the moment. This cage, much like the cell door to the room itself, was locked, though the cage seemed a lot newer than the cell door had been.

[Elfbird]

Alice Nakashi

Alice's expression darkens substantially when she rises from examining the papers. "Everyone, it seems we have been made experiments of. Those who stole my Heart and toyed with my body so..." She stomps over to the shelf and let her axe's weight drop to her right side, yet the only sound is her voice and a moment of steel sliding on wood. The shadows cast around her by the lantern seem to twist and coil menacingly, grow solid and sharp, before flickering away and imagining new shapes again. It must be a trick of the mind, fueled by the gruesome setting...? "...They will not be forgiven."

Alice retrieves her things from the chest, taking time to sort everything on the floor and placing her things securely around her person. She doesn't release any Pokemon until she's fairly certain which ball is her Ralts's, then calls her out (http://img.ifcdn.com/images/7870e9b6fbf1afe952cbb5cb683efc8aa698e9b7bd5f44a0ae ca2ece361221b4_1.jpg) and gives her a tender embrace. "Oh, my Heart! Are you well? What horrors have befallen us in our parting? Fear not; all is well now, but to collect on the debt owed to us..."
Heart seems to... tolerate the attention. She mainly looks around the room over Alice's shoulder, taking time to stare at each of the others with her large, empty eyes.

Alice and Heart briefly step into the operating room, glossing over all but the crippled, caged girl, whom they stare at for a moment before leaving abruptly. "...We must secure an exit. Come, if you wish to thank our hosts with us..."

Wreathed in twisting shadows, the two cross the storage room and start down the lighted tunnel, lantern swinging in Alice's left hand and axe in her right. Their pace is slow and even, easily caught up to or surpassed if anyone would try.

Intimidate to passively suppress the Houndour, if it's too close to the tunnel (otherwise ignore): [roll0]
Stealth for the corridor: [roll1] + Dead Silent
Heart's Stealth: [roll2] (currently without Dead Silent until abilities are switched at GM's go-ahead)

How easily could someone with a Tech Ed of Untrained, er, weaponize the live wiring? It just seems like something a vengeful spirit would do, given the opportunity, but if it's not straightforward she'll stick to the good ol' axe.

The Everfrost Survival Axe is a two-handed weapon; if endangered, Alice will drop the lantern to wield it properly.
The twisting shadows are from Apparition's ability, granting Reach to all weapon attacks and not triggering reactions to being hit with melee.

Even if it's only magic, it's fun being a ghost! xD

[Lokyar]

Josei Kit

Josei rushed over to the cage with a sound of dismay. "Oh my, this is horrible! We have to help her!" Moving towards the lock she looks towards the older priest before setting to work. "Can you carry her?"


Stealth(Unlock)
[roll0]

[aturtledoesbite]

Zachary Grimaldi

Zachary picks up the papers Alice looked at after she mentioned something about 'experimenting'. While reading them, he sorts through the chest's contents until he finds his things, letting out Sigil. "Hey there, you alright? Wouldn't happen to know how long we've been here, would you?" The Unown just stares at him, as always. "Right..." He'd then fish around for Jaina's ball, handing it to Ai. "See? Perfectly safe."

Before moving on to the next room, Zachary would take one of the Pecha Berries that was with his stuff (somehow these things never went bad) and would slowly approach the Houndour, trying to appear unthreatening. When it began to growl, he'd stop, slowly crouch down, place the berry in front of him, and step away.

He didn't get to look around the next room much before the girl who was picking the locks brought his attention to the other captive. "Yeah, yeah, alright..." After she opened the locks, Zach would make his way in the cell and try to heft the girl up after removing the blindfold, hooking her good arm around his neck. "Oof. Little help here, Sigil?" The Unown looks at its Trainer and would probably be giving an exasperated sigh right now if it could. It starts slowly spinning around its eye as its telekinetic ability holds the girl up, keeping her light enough for Zachary to carry. "Thanks. Now, let's see about getting out of here." He was off to the tunnel!

The Houndour should still be Channeled, so Zach will use that to communicate his intentions of just wanting to give the Houndour a berry.

Charm -> Intuition check: 4d6+1 AP = 10, in Roll20

[ptdapen]

Shibou Kiseki

Kiseki wasted no time after she found out that the chest did indeed hold their belongings. She dropped all of her papers and ran over to grab everything that was rightfully hers. It had been easy to tell which pile was hers with the cooking supplies and the book. She then released Kogami and immediately hugged him. "I was so sure you were close-by but I missed you all the same. I was so scared," she admitted to the Croagunk.

The girl began to cry in the frog's arms as he gave her a few pats on the back. She tried to reel back her on feelings but all of that suppressed fear started to swell right back up. "I thought you were gone forever. Or maybe I was going to die. Or both of us. And I didn't want you to be half-eaten. Or fully eaten." Kiseki continued to spurt out continual fears until she started to become more faint due to her heart pounding away. "Kogami, I hate to ask but can you help me walk a bit? I'll support myself as best as I can. Just make sure I don't fall."

The duo walked over to the caged girl. "Does anybody know her or is she another stranger? It's peculiar, though, that she was separated from us." Kiseki closed her eyes for a fair amount of time before reopening them. "Don't worry, Kogami; I can make it," she whispered to him.

[Esprit15]

Zoe waits for others to grab their supplies before going to retrieve her own, but it was clear that aside from the Pokéball and the katana, the others didn't matter to her much. Petting the ball a few times, Zoe lets out the Cubone, rubbing the Pokémon's skull and wordlessly pulling it into a hug.

Unfortunately, sentiment has to be brief, as they are still trapped in a place that has seen more people enter than leave. As the light reveals the caged girl, Zoe's first instinct is to go check on her as well, but at the same time, they shouldn't crowd the girl if she came to, blind or not. Though... If what those papers implied was true... She was missing both eyes and an arm; and that's just what they could see. "Everyone, check your right forearms to make sure they match the left. If you can see each other's eyes well, check for heterochromia. I have a feeling that her arm wasn't among the piles we saw earlier." Zoe does so as well, making sure both hands were similar, that the muscle definitions were roughly the same between right and left. If there was no obvious difference, she pulls out her sword and looks at the reflection of her eyes in the light.

[Mura-neechan]

Ai

Sighing in relief, as Ai would release and gently scoop up her Teddiursa, hugging snuggly, but not overly tightly. The maiden would gently stroke Jaina's ear, before returning her back to the Pokeball. She'd look back at everything else with a slight grimace, watching the priest help that girl, as she moved to assist, not by trying to carry the girl herself, but charging ahead, searching for a possible exit to the room, moving to use her light to guide the others. Jaina didn't need to see any of these horrors... hopefully.

[Lokyar]

Josei Kit

With the big priest handling the girl Josei hopped back towards the chest and retrieved the last of her items and, most importantly, her Friend Ball. Clicking it's release she cheered as Wen appeared, the unusually dark-furred Mienfoo flipping into the air before landing before his mistress.


http://i.imgur.com/h7CcUkK.png

Calming herself visibly she addressed the small weasel-like with sudden seriousness. "Wen, it's time to focus. Magic and blood is in the air. Mission protocols are in effect."

The pokemon snapped a salute and took up a position next to Josei. Together the pair quietly advanced to catch up to the others.

[Nyna]

The Houndour would growl a bit as Zachary approached, seeming nervous even despite the channeling, but he eventually whimpered a bit, carefully taking the berry from Zachary and gobbling it down, before looking up at him, hoping for more. Of course, Zachary had other things to do than to feed the Houndour for the moment, but there was no better way to tame a starving pokemon than its stomach. Well, assuming it didn't try to eat you.

The lock would pop off of the cage without any issue, the lock clearly in better condition than the cell door had been, and Zachary would soon enough have the girl up with the help of Sigil. She would groan softly as she was moved, but otherwise seemed to remain unaware of her surroundings, quite clearly unconscious, and forcing Zachary to drag her weight through the cave. Fortunately, with Sigil's assistance, it wasn't too difficult, but...

Up ahead, Alice would lead the way slowly and silently. As she entered the tunnel, she'd hear the quiet hum of what sounded like something mechanical or electrical, probably the generator powering the lights. She'd also hear what sounded like some faint scratching noises, probably from somewhere deeper in the cave, but... as she neared the bend, the lights would suddenly flicker and die out, leaving her lit up by only her lantern and the distant glow of Ai. And as she took just one more step before stopping, the light of her lantern would reveal the shadowy forms of two Shinx, curious about what the sounds were from the tunnel, not to mention the light. Upon spotting her, the two creatures would immediately bark, more barking coming from inside the much larger chamber, the barking echoing about all the way down the tunnel and alerting the rest of Alice's companions that something was going on! Past the Shinx and hard to see past some furniture looked to be a Luxio, strangely glowing with purplish light, and Alice would feel the pain in her hand strengthen somewhat upon sighting it. She could also see more of that purple light from just past a rock wall in the center of the room.

Worse, the Luxio was clearly eating a dead Houndoom. And those Shinx right near the tunnel entrance seemed to be about to pounce. Lovely.

Combat begins! Roll20 link is in the OOC thread. You'll need me to be in the roll20 to turn your vision on and all that.

Please note that moving your tokens is definitely forbidden except when you're actually moving on your turn, since it reveals things for you as you move. No cheating please!

Turn Order is Anyone with 6+ speed -> Wilds -> Player stuff with 5 or less speed -> Something at 0 speed

[aturtledoesbite]

Sounded like they weren't alone. Zachary would bend down and set the girl down against a wall for the moment, glancing toward the Houndour. "Hey, buddy, watch her for me, please?" With that, he'll start moving toward the barking sounds. Sigil will float over everything, fading into invisibility.

Zachary:
Standard->Shift: Set the girl down
Shift: Move up

Sigil:
Standard->Shift: Invisibility Capability
Shift: Move up

[Lokyar]

Josei's eyes grow wide as a new source of growling reaches her ears. "Wen, the enemy is upon us! Advance and hold the line!"

The pair leaped forward and rolled upright into identical battle stances, focusing their energy in preparation for the upcoming battle!

Wen
Shift: Move north 3 then north-east 1
Standard: Wen used Meditate(+1 Atk CS)

Josei
Shift: Move northwest 1 then north 1
Standard: Josei used Ninja Art - Foxfeint(+2 Speed CS)
Swift(Commander's Voice): Josei used Inspired Training on Wen(+1 Evasion / +2 Saves)

Wen's Speed Evasion is now +6. If any attack misses him he will trigger Spinning Dance for an additional +1 Evasion and Shift 1m(moving further east down the tunnel).

[ptdapen]

Shibou Kiseki

Kiseki lifted herself off of her Pokemon and gave him a weak smile. "I'll be fine, don't worry; we're both tough individuals, remember?" She was lying through her teeth; her heart was still beating rapidly and out of control. "Go forth, remember your training; take down the enemy with your superior prowess." The Croagunk nodded and rushed forward; he tried his best to get past the crowd ahead but was unfortunately impeded. As soon as he was out of sight she slumped her shoulders and started to pant.

Kogami: Sprint forward as far as he can go.
Kiseki: Give Brutal/Focused Training as a Priority Order with Commander's Voice.

[Nyna]

With what would be an adorable roar if it wasn't for the fact that they were trying to kill people, the two Shinx in the front would rush at Alice and Wen. Wen would nimbly evade, spinning forward farther into the chamber, but the other Shinx would crash directly into Alice, sending the girl stumbling backwards.

Meanwhile, the rest of the pack would begin closing in, as Wen would suddenly find itself in an awkward spot. Josei would see it shudder a bit in fear at as Luxray, covered in that same shadowy light, leapt up onto the table and glared menacingly at Wen, while Heart would tremble a bit as well as a Luxio rushed forward, closing the gap towards its new prey.

The Luxray would seem to rear itself up a bit, clearly preparing to charge into the fray, as it began taking a deep breath. The air around it seemed to literally crackle with electricity, the shadowy purplish glow eerily enhanced by the random sparks and electrical arcs all around the pack leader.

Shinx 1 attacks Alice with Tackle and hits for 16 damage, pushing her back 2.
Shinx 2 misses Wen with Tackle. Wen activates Spinning Dance and Shifts 1 east.

Luxio 1 uses Intimidate on Heart. Heart loses 1 Attack CS.
Luxray 1 uses Intimidate on Wen. Wen loses 1 Attack CS.

The Luxray has a crackling aura of electricity around it. It also glows with a purplish light, similar to the Luxio.

Anyone with less than 5.5 speed may now act. Something will occur at 0 speed, so anyone who has already acted will need to wait.

[Elfbird]

Alice Nakashi

After seeing Alice get tackled, Heart is suddenly amidst the approaching Pokemon and lets out an eerie wail, made moreso by how it echoes through the dark cavern.

"You're not the ones I'm looking for..."
Alice steps up behind Wen, ponderously raising her axe overhead. It comes down in a mass of writhing shadows, passing Wen harmlessly and instead striking the glowing Luxray in the distance!

Rolls in Roll20
Heart:
- Shift (Teleport 4) to Wen's immediate east
- Growl on Shinx 1 & 2 and Luxio 1: 4 vs status
- Contingency: when Heart is targeted by a damaging move, she'll use Teleport as an Interrupt to warp one space south of the lantern light if she can, or the southernmost space of light if she can't. This makes attacks continue through her space as if she weren't there; single target attacks miss.

Alice:
- Shift up to Wen's immediate west
- Shadow Punch on Luxray 1 (cannot miss): 38 raw damage; Ghost-typed, physical.

[ptdapen]

Shibou Kiseki

Kiseki took slow, careful steps after her Pokemon. She decided to move over and lean against the nearby ladder so that she would not block anyone's path. "It's so dark in here; I can't see what's going on back there," she explained. "Do be careful though everyone."

Just moving over as shown in the roll20.

[Esprit15]

Zoe frowns as she hears the Shinx, working her way around the Croagunk as she draws her katana. "You will stay not harm them!" she shouts, slashing her blade through the air, a dark wave slicing through the air at the poor Shinx.

Komachi, meanwhile, just tries to keep pace with her trainer.
Zoe used Shadow Punch! It's a critical hit!

Komachi sprinted to keep pace!

[Nyna]

Heart's growling seems to intimidate the two Shinx's somewhat, but the Luxio, confident in its ability to hide in the dim light, seems unbothered.

Alice's attack manages to injure the Luxray somewhat, though it seems relatively unfazed. Zoe, however, knocks the Shinx into the wall with her attack, the small pokemon stumbling forward and barely managing to keep on its feet.

Luxray suddenly rushes in and roars in defiance! Heart feebly attempts to strike at the pack leader before teleporting away and hiding in her Pokeball, while Wen simply spins away, unbothered by the noisy Luxray.

Heart uses Growl on Shinx 1 & 2 and hits, but misses Luxio 1 due to the dim light! (-4 to hit).

Alice hits Luxray 1 for 22 damage with Shadow Punch.

Zoe hits Shinx 2 for 43 with a critical Shadow Punch!

Luxray 1 rushes into the fray! Heart attempts to hit with an Opportunity Attack but misses.

Luxray 1 uses Roar! Heart is hit, but Wen evades and may activate Spinning Dance. Heart teleports away and is recalled.

Top of the order, anyone with more than 5.5 speed may now act!

[Elfbird]

Alice Nakashi

Using the momentum of her first swing, Alice follows through to land another shadowy strike on the approaching Luxray! Almost as an afterthought, focused as she is on fighting, she tosses Heart's ball back down to tunnel behind Zoe and Komachi's line. "Please keep my Heart safe for me. This will only take a moment more..."

Rolls in Roll20
Alice:
Priority Shadow Sneak on Luxray 1: 15 final damage
Shift to release Heart directly south of Komachi

Heart will act normally during the slow block.

[aturtledoesbite]

Sheesh, did this tunnel have to be so long? And with how narrow it was, it was hard for Zachary to move through without bumping into someone. Sigil had no such problems, however, just sort of floating along the ceiling. It saw one of the Shinxes that had attacked, and struck at it with a telekinetic force!

Zach: Movin' on up.

Sigil: Moving up, Telekinetic Struggle against Shinx 2. 13 attack, 19 final damage, Shinx is down.

[Lokyar]

Josei kept a careful eye on the battle, calling out dodging patterns to Wen as the various Shinxi tried to rush him. As he increasingly took their measure Josei calmed a bit. The start of a battle was always the most stressful for her. Changing the sign her hand was creating she focused her attention on the luxray, laying down her curse on it as Wen began his attack pattern.

Josei
Standard(Commander's Voice)): Focused/Inspired Training on Wen
Swift: Tag Luxray

Wen
Standard: Struggle on Luxray. Miss. Momentum 1

Wen's Evasion: +8 (+9 vs Luxray)

[ptdapen]

Shibou Kiseki

It's no use; Kogami, turn back around and be our rear-guard. The Croagunk nodded and maneuvered around Zachary to stand watch over his leader. Kiseki continued to lean against the ladder and took a moment to close her eyes. Probably for the best; they seem to have experience with this sort of thing.

Kogami will just move back to the indicated square in roll20. Same training orders as well.

[Mura-neechan]

Ai

The moment the growling started, Ai was already off, blitzing ahead, before finding the fallen latter. Scowling, she'd look behind her. Leaving everyone in the dark wouldn't do either, so she'd stop, and quickly point ahead. "Jaina! They are in danger!" Letting the little bear pokemon rush forward instead, Jaina would take off with an incredible burst of speed, slidding past Ai as it simply leapt right over the ladder and silently looked around, working out where the enemies were.

[Nyna]

Unfortunately, Josei would find that Wen's evasiveness was no match for the keen eyed Shinx, as one would tackle her Mienfoo, sending Wen north just barely still in sight. She'd see another Shinx rush forward, Wen desperately defending himself, only for another Pokemon, north of Wen and out of Josei's sight, to collide with the embattled Mienfoo with an electric charge, sending Wen to the floor with a sickening crunch.

Meanwhile, a Luxio and the Luxray would intimidate Sigil and Alice, before a Shinx and the Luxio in question would tag team Alice, knocking her back before finishing her off with an electrical tackle as well. Alice would collapse, though clearly not as badly injured as Wen was.

And the Luxray would leap past the not so appetizing looking Sigil, giving it an opening to attack if it so chose, before choosing Zoe as its next target, attempting to chomp her with a lightning filled bite!

Shinx 4 uses Tackle on the flanked Wen. Keen Eye activates! Tackle hits, dealing 22 damage and pushing Wen 2 north. This is a massive damage hit, so Wen gains an additional injury.

Shinx 3 uses Tackle on Wen. Keen Eye activates! Tackle hits, forcing Wen to activate Detect to not fall unconscious. (You can opt to not use Detect here, but I figured you'd want Wen to stay up. If you change your mind here, Luxio 2 will attack someone else instead, but this is probably a Bad Thing.)

Luxio 2 uses Spark on the flanked Wen. Keen Eye activates! Spark hits, dealing 51 damage. Wen is paralyzed! Wen faints. This is a massive damage hit, so Wen gains an additional injury. Luxio 2 takes 12 recoil damage from its Shadow ability. Wen is at a total of 6 injuries.

Luxio 1 uses Intimidate on Alice, and Luxray 1 uses Intimidate on Sigil, lowering their attack CS by 1.

Shinx 1 uses Tackle on Alice and hits for 13.

Luxio 2 uses Spark on Alice and hits for 40!

Luxray 1 moves past Sigil, provoking an AoO. Sigil feebly hits for 2.

Luxray 1 uses Thunder Fang on Zoe and hits for 41! Komachi may intercept at your discretion. Luxray deals 5 extra damage due to Rivalry and 5 extra damage due to Shadow, but takes 10 recoil damage from its Shadow ability.

Everyone may act now, nothing special happening at end of turn.

[Elfbird]

Alice Nakashi

Alice takes another Tackle with little more than a scoff of disdain... then is electrocuted by a Luxio and drops unconscious to the floor, muscles rigid from the shock.

Heart laces a bolt of psychic energy through the advancing Luxray's brain in retribution, then warps back among the rear guard. Looking between the three and for whatever reason choosing to approach Kiseki, she stares her in the eye (http://img.ifcdn.com/images/7870e9b6fbf1afe952cbb5cb683efc8aa698e9b7bd5f44a0ae ca2ece361221b4_1.jpg) while weakly tugging at the bag she saw Kogami's ball go into earlier, then briefly glancing toward the disturbed Luxray and back to Kiseki's eye.

Alice: K'O'd by Spark

Heart:
Critical Confusion on Luxray 1: 27 final damage + Confusion
Shift-teleport beside Kiseki and Zachary
Free/swift action to interact with Kiseki

[aturtledoesbite]

Sigil floated in between a group of the dark (but not Dark) Pokemon, releasing a rocky power from within it!

"Hey, Sigil, watch out for the girl there!" Zachary moved up the tunnel, not realizing until after already getting close that the Luxray was too close to easily aim at with his crossbow. ...but that's okay, because he accidentally grabbed a Pokeball instead of his crossbow anyway? He wasn't in the clearest state of mind, honestly...which is why he decided to throw it at the Luxray; maybe it'd at least occupy it for a moment.

shake

shake

shake

...click!

...Bwuh? "I, uh...meant to do th--hnnnngh!" As the ball clicked, the rune on his hand flared up in pain!

Sigil: Disengage to the right, Hidden Power Rock!
Critical hit! 44 raw damage!

Zachary: Move up, throw a Pokeball at the Luxray!
It...worked?


mommy im scared

[ptdapen]

Shibou Kiseki

Kiseki let out an assortment of garbled sounds when the Ralts appeared next to her and touched one of her belongings. "Please refrain from doing that again," she panted before taking a look at the Luxray. She looked back at the ghost and smiled weakly. "You're sure you want that one to be around us more? I'm not sure if any Pokeball could contain such an angry fellow. Oh you're very... "

Her speech was interrupted by the fact that Zachary had just succeeded in capturing the Luxray. "I guess I was mistaken." She moved forward to get a better view of the battlefield and ushered Kogami up with her. "Perhaps we can do the same. Weaken the other one, try to, okay?""

Kiseki began to fall over and her faithful Pokemon kept her just upright. Thusly, the Croagunk fired a wildly missing Poison Sting. "Forgive me; let's see if this works." Kiseki followed through with a failure of her own. "We'll... have to train harder."

Both master and Pokemon wildly failed at doing anything in this round!

[Esprit15]

Without even having to be told, Komachi leaps in the path of the crackling fangs of the Luxray, electricity rolling through her body harmlessly, before falling to the ground as the large cat is captured. The Cubone looks around, slightly confused.

"Well, with your leader gone, how will the rest of you fair against us?" Zoe asks calmly, stepping forward and striking her blade into the ground, shadows coating the edge as it silently slides into the ground, a similarly coated blade appearing beneath the Shinx in front of her and striking the poor Shinx.
Komachi Intercepts Thunder Fang! It (probably) does 0 damage!

Zoe used Shadow Sneak and rolled a 15! She deals 24 Physical Ghost damage to the Shinx, thanks to Reach!

[Lokyar]

Recalling Wen to his pokeball Josei grabbed a spare from her belt. "Rest now, Wen. You held the line well. You're mine now, fiend!"

She twirled and launched the pokeball with all of her might!

It bounced off of Zoe's head.

"Um...sorry!"

Throw pokeball at nearby Shinx if it's alive, otherwise Shinx 3.
Nat 1.

I conk Zoe in the head with a pokeball.

[Mura-neechan]

Ai

Grinning a bit to herself, Ai dashed forward, as her light shone brighter for a moment, and she raised a hand, flowing particles of light flowing through it, as multicolored stars formed around her arm, launching forward to smash into the Luxio. Jaina took the sign, racing forward, too move in for the finishing blow, taking a fairly heavy hit, before fiercely returning with a matching blow of equal ferocity. Smashing the Luxio down, Ai sighed a bit in relief, as she looked ahead.

[Nyna]

The Shinx and Luxio pile forward, the two Shinx crashing into Sigil and Zoe, sending the former spinning away down the cave tunnel, while Luxio rounds the corner and chomps on Jaina, the Teddiursa barely keeping its feet, while the Luxio roared in its face, causing Jaina to quiver a bit in fear.

Shinx 4 moves up and uses Tackle on Sigil for 17 damage.

Shinx 3 moves up and uses Tackle on Zoe for 11 damage.

Luxio 2 rounds the corner and uses Bite on Jaina for 30! Jaina flinches! Luxio takes 7 recoil damage.

Luxio 2 will Intimidate Jaina, lowering her attack CS by 1.

Player turns are up. Almost done here!

[Elfbird]

Alice Nakashi

Heart will follow Kiseki into the press and hurl a bolt of psychic energy through the crowd to the shadowy Luxio.

Rolls in Roll20
Heart
Shift: teleport to the space directly south of Kiseki
Standard: Confusion on the Luxio directly east of Alice (can't see the number)
Attack: 12 (roll) + 1 (training) - 6 (3 combatants in the way) = 7
Damage: 29 special

[Esprit15]

"Komachi, up front, Bone Club," Zoe says, shrugging off the impact from the little creature and pulling her blade in gesture of where to go and hit. The Cubone shuffles forward, slamming her little club into the nearby Shinx. At the same time, she turns toward the Luxio and stabs the blade forward, shadows guiding it toward its mark.
Komachi used Bone Club and rolled an 11! 32 Physical Ground damage!

Zoe used Shadow Punch! It doesn't crit, but does 28 Physical Ghost damage! If the Shinx goes down, Zoe will disengage right.

[aturtledoesbite]

Zachary Grimaldi

Sigil spins off from the blow, too disoriented to respond! Zachary pulls out his hand crossbow and takes a shot, somehow hitting the Shinx peeking around the edge of the wall!

Sigil: Struggle -> ...something, doesn't matter: Nat-1!

Zachary: Weapon Struggle -> Shinx 4: 10 damage!

[Lokyar]

Rather than risk another friendly fire incident, and possibly an unfriendly encounter in a dark and secluded area later, Josei rolling into position next to another Shinx and used the pokeball like a weapon, placing the capture light against the back of the Shinx's neck in a classic assassination maneuver.

Move into position, conk Shinx on the head with a pokeball.
[roll0]
[roll1]

[ptdapen]

Shibou Kiseki

Kiseki threw another Pokeball into the mix and managed to catch a Shinx this time. "Always good to keep trying," she stated to nobody in particular. She pointed forward as a gesture to send Kogami onward. "Keep your mind honed on the task at hand. Poison Sting any more of those lynx sorts you come across." The Croagunk nodded and completed the orders as given; he came across another one and narrowly landed a blow.

Focused Training (Swift Action) on Kogami. Caught a Shinx
Kogami hit the enemy and did 21 damage after resists.

[Nyna]

With the encounter with the Shinx wrapped up, the party could finally lick their wounds and move forward. Well, someone would have to pick Alice up for now. She seemed to be breathing now that she was unconscious, so... definitely alive?

The room ahead was much like the one they had come from in terms of grisliness. The bodies of a couple of half-eaten Houndoom littered the floor, along with a pair of half-eaten people as well. It was pretty clear that they'd been killed by the same thing that had killed the others, judging from the blade wounds, though at least this time there weren't any detached limbs. Everyone could feel that their marks were pulsing a bit more strongly, and thus, painfully than before, as they explored the room.

The area seemed to be some sort of living area, good for taking a rest in if you could ignore the corpses and the awful smell of disemboweled creatures. In the south of the room was some sort of small kitchenette, complete with refrigerator, though with the power now out is was anyone's guess how long the food inside would last. A check of the fridge would reveal some Leftovers and enough food to sate the group's hunger, should they wish to partake, though most of it wasn't really good for bringing with them, since it needed to be kept cold. A search of the cabinets would reveal some useful trail rations in the form of cans and trail mix, however, enough to give each trainer a couple of day's worth. Likewise, there were enough water bottles and assorted soda cans to provide plenty of fluid for traveling.

The east side of the cavern chamber seemed to hold three sets of bunk beds, which seemed to account for all of the human bodies they'd found. The beds would seem rather worn and a bit dirty, but in overall good condition. Didn't seem like the sheets got washed often enough though, but then, what did you expect in a cave, an inn?

Directly north of the beds was a broken down generator. This was clearly what had been powering everything, and judging from the large fang marks in one side of the generator. the Luxray had clearly bitten the generator and supercharged itself. Maybe with a little juryrigging it might be possible to get this back up and running, if someone wanted to for some reason.

On the west side of the rock pillar in the center of the room was a curtain that was clearly designed to give some privacy, as behind it was an old bathtub and what looked to be a large toilet bucket. There was no plumbing here, clearly, and while the bathtub did have faucets, they didn't work. They had probably used a water pokemon to fill it up.

The chamber held two exits, one to the southeast and one to the northwest. The northwest exit, ominously, held a massive steel door in front of it, which had clearly been smashed inwards into the chamber, with massive cuts from some kind of blade marring the part of the door that had been facing west. The door seemed to be movable with some muscle power still, but it wouldn't lock shut, as the frame of the door had been completely destroyed by either a well placed or a lucky strike from the blade.

The southeast exit, however, showed signs of natural lighting coming from somewhere down the tunnel. Perhaps it was the exit?

Encounter complete! 50 Pokemon Exp, 2 Trainer Exp.

Zachary got a Luxray, Kiseki and Zoe each got a Shinx. Josei, you can keep your Pokeball, as Zoe caught the Shinx before you acted (and didn't edit her post, but we did it last night before you posted so it's all good, I just didn't get this post up in time~)

To copypaste this from the log, Luxray has the Shadow Ability. This is in addition to its normal abilities.
Shadow: This creature deals +5 damage with all of its moves, but all attacks gain the Recoil 1/4 keyword. Loyalty may never rise above 1.

To clarify the damage that Zachary took upon capturing Luxray, you lose 1 tick of HP whenever you throw a pokeball at a Shadow Pokemon, and another tick for a successful catch. Keep this in mind moving forward~

If the party decides to stop and eat, please make note of whoever decides to eat, including Pokemon. Anyone that eats may restore their HP to full, though this does not cure injuries. I don't care who takes the Leftovers, but there's just 1. Also, please mark your travel rations on your sheet somewhere, it'll probably be relevant at some point. Oh, and if someone wants to help Alice drink something, she can wake up enough to partake in the meal and recover HP as well. The blindfolded girl won't wake up if you try this with her, though (you didn't forget about her, right?).

Finally, I was reminded that there's a chef in the party, so there is 1500 worth of food scrap in the fridge, cupboards, etc.

[Esprit15]

"Hmph." Zoe brushes off the ruffled parts of her dress from the Shinx's attack. She'd have to sew it back up later. With a small sigh, she hefts Alice over her shoulder and continues on, remaining quiet the entire time as the group continues, unless pestered enough by questions.

As they move further, the girl rubs at the mark on her hand, annoyed with the increasing pain. Seeing that the group looked intent on taking a rest, she places Alice down on her side. Thankful that breathing was more of an option for her, Zoe doesn't take breaths unless necessary as the group looks around, only taking a quick whiff of the food in the refrigerator to check its edibility. Grumbling, she grabs a bit of meat, vegetables, and cheese from the fridge, taking an unusual amount of time to plate a simple meal for everyone, alongside a bottle of water for each trainer.

Returning to Alice, Zoe sits the girl up enough to allow her to swallow small sips of water. Once it seems she could handle herself, Zoe wordlessly sits on the ground to her own plate, offering some to Komachi after she has begun to eat. "You did well, today, Komachi. I think everyone will be resting here a bit before moving on. My thanks for taking that hit from the Luxray earlier." The Cubone nods, imitating the girl's pose as it takes small bits of food from the same plate.


***

"So how long will we rest?" Zoe asks once she has finished her meal and collected a bit of the trail rations. "I see that the girl is still injured, but the less time spent in one place, the less likely it is that Pokemon will attack us as before."
Alice aided, Komachi and Zoe eat from the fridge and collect some trail rations

[ptdapen]

Shibou Kiseki

Kiseki let out a sigh of relief once there appeared to be no more hostile Pokemon in the area. She leaned against the wall until Kogami was able to reach her and help her walk once more. "Thank you, Kogami. You are the most loyal companion I have known my entire life." The pair meandered over to Alice and the chef placed Pokeball with the Shinx she caught earlier in her belongings. She did not explain it as she assumed the girl would not have much to say after falling unconscious. It was her interpretation of what the Ralts had communicated earlier was that the owner wanted one.

The cook went over to the kitchen and started to smile for the first time in awhile. She picked through the food scrap she deemed useful and placed it alongside her cooking supplies. Her heart finally seemed to be settling down a bit though she still felt faint. "I'll be better shortly. I'd make you a healthy meal but not in a place like this. Everything about it; plus I'm not sure if it's even safe in here."

After she was settled with the kitchen, Kiseki approached the one man in the group. "Earlier I saw you gasping in pain after you caught that Pokemon. May I ask why? Are you okay though?" She fidgeted with her glasses and turned away. "Just curious; I don't want that to happen to me too."

[Elfbird]

Alice Nakashi

Once Zoe helps her get some water down, Alice's eyes flutter open - then she doubles over, choking a little, as her heart suddenly stops again. She glares a little bit pensively at the painful brand on her right hand as she clears the water from her lungs and ceases using them again. "Ugh... Thank you, miss... sorry, what was your name again? Mine is Alice Nakashi, from Everfrost Town."

Heart gives Zoe a long, slow nod as well, then goes to stare at the unconscious crippled girl until it's time to leave.

Alice is a bit slow to catch up on the situation since the time she was knocked out. Finding that death hasn't quelled her appetite, nor given her a particular taste for human flesh or souls, she'll dig into the least appalling food options the food Zoe prepared for her while talking with Zoe and the others.
It will be a while before she inspects her bag and finds the extra Pokeball, occupied.

Rebinding Silent Assassin until further notice.
I reason that she's unaware of being magical now, thus unable to consciously control it; maybe her belief that she's dead provides the subconscious trigger for the spell.

Alice is eating the num-nums, 'cause potential food poisoning is better than being unconscious?
Heart shows no desire to eat, except maybe the souls of whoever makes eye contact. Delicious, delicious souls...

[Lokyar]

Josei Kit

Seeing the restorative effect the food was having on the others Josei called Wen back from his ball and carefully fed him the softer foods, helping him with more as he regained consciousness. "You did well, Wen. You held the line against monstrous foes, and victory was secured. You'll stay beside me until you recover from your wounds, no more monster dogs for you today." Though beaten and bruised the small pokemon's eyes gleamed with unbroken pride.

[Esprit15]

"...Zoe Moranai, daughter of the late founder of Azure Company," the girl quietly says after a pause. "It's nice to meet you, Ms. Nakashi." Komachi brings one of the plates of food to Alice, holding it up to her with as cheerful a look on her face as a Cubone can manage, working to disguise a small limp.

"Do you know why you would wind up in here? Enemies? Something to be gained by your capture?"

[Elfbird]

"...Zoe Moranai, daughter of the late founder of Azure Company," the girl quietly says after a pause. "It's nice to meet you, Ms. Nakashi." Komachi brings one of the plates of food to Alice, holding it up to her with as cheerful a look on her face as a Cubone can manage, working to disguise a small limp.

"Do you know why you would wind up in here? Enemies? Something to be gained by your capture?"

"Ah... I'm sorry about your father. I'm sure he's in a better place now..."

"No, I don't know why I was brought here. I remember... being on an errand? Yes, I think I was taking a deliver from the Berry Farm back home to Everfrost... There was a family of Bearctics, then..."

"Then I woke up here. Was I a... bad girl...?"

[Esprit15]

"I would not define the seafloor as a better place, but to each their own, I suppose," Zoe says flatly, it being impossible to tell if she was joking, or whether the comment actually went over her head. "Bad? Why would you have been bad? Nothing in your story suggests that."

[aturtledoesbite]

Zachary Grimaldi

Zachary cautiously picks up the ball he threw, looking at it and the rune on his hand. "Things are gonna get complicated now, aren't they?" He sticks it on his Pokéball belt, turning to the girl who was speaking to him. "Hmm? Oh, uh...I dunno if I can answer the 'why', but as for the 'what', the new tattoo didn't like me catching a Pokémon, I guess."

He'd walk over to the girl who had the lantern earlier. "Hey, can I borrow this a moment?" When she agrees, Zachary grabs the lantern and heads back down the tunnel, locating the girl he'd set down before. "Okay, Sigil, let's try this again." The two lift her up, carrying her to the main room with the others, setting her down again in one of the chairs for now. Afterward, he brings the lantern back to the girl, whose name he overheard to be Alice.

By now, it seemed one of the others had prepared a light meal out of the food that was here and was offering it to everyone. Zachary gives a short blessing, before eating some of it. Sigil watches, not really having a 'mouth' or anything to consume food.

When he finishes, he takes the ball he caught the Luxray in and starts rolling it slightly in his hand. The expression on his face clearly shows he's not really certain what he'll do with it. He definitely can't release it, and treating it as just another Pokémon is asking for trouble...

[Lokyar]

Josei Kit

Josei appeared from behind Zachary, though from the way he turned towards her before she'd revealed herself she could tell he'd heard her approach. "He's alot sharper than he looks."

Looking at the pokeball in his hand her expression hardened a little, the first sign of any measure of seriousness to the girl. "That one is dangerous." She looked up at him. "And I don't just mean powerful. It's Dark. A blade with a handle of thorns. Alot of folk call my people honorless, killers, and worse. And maybe we are. But we are loyal, to each other, to our cause, to our friends. A disloyal weapon cuts both ways."

[Nyna]

The group would find it difficult to really enjoy the meal given the absolutely awful smell filling the chamber, but at least their hunger was sated for now. Their stomachs would rumble a bit from queasiness, but that was very likely due to the smell, not the food, right?

As Alice looked at the unconscious girl for a few moments, she'd find a thought suddenly occurring to her: she recognized this girl from somewhere. Digging around in her brain a bit, Alice would realize that this girl was from Everfrost too. It was hard to remember exactly who she was, given the blindfold and the overall poor lighting in the cavern, but... soon enough, she'd place her. Marie Bonnevie, the sixteen year old daughter of the Everfrost Knight. From what Alice could remember, the girl had gone missing about six months prior, with clear signs of a struggle from her bedroom. Well, apparently she'd found her, though considerably less... intact than before.

Spending time in the room would make the source of the pulsing pain in their hands a bit clearer. It seemed to grow stronger as they moved closer to the northwest exit, and weaker as they moved southeast. It wasn't clear what was causing it, but the source was likely to the northwest.

[ptdapen]

Shibou Kiseki

Kiseki tapped her foot as she waited for the others to eat. "I don't understand how you can have the appetite to eat in here," she commented. Kogami was still supporting her as she still felt a bit faint. "I wonder if this food is actually of good quality too." She then gazed at the exit, the source of her pain and likely the others. "Nothing that way can be good news. On the other hand, perhaps we could rid ourselves of this mark for good." The chef held her hand up and stared at it. "Something tells me that it probably isn't that simple though. Call it a hunch."

[Elfbird]

Alice Nakashi

Alice shakes her head at Zoe, having no more idea why she's here than anyone else.

Noticing Heart staring at the unconscious girl, Alice's eyes soon go wide with recognition. She slowly sets aside her empty plate(s) and drifts over to the girl, kneeling to rest her head in Alice's lap.

"This girl... Oh, poor thing, to end up in this hell with us. Have you been here all this time...?"
Alice gently, tenderly strokes the unconscious girl's hair without disturbing the bandages, but there's tension visible in her arms, and her soothing voice carries an icy undertone. Shadows from the lantern almost seem to reach up and embrace the girl... but that's just a trick of the light, right?

Alice speaks to the room in general. "This girl's name is Maria Bonnovie, daughter of Everfrost's Knight. Six months ago, she forcibly kidnapped from her bedroom; neither she nor her kidnappers were heard from since. We must see her back safely, of course... and punish the scum who tortured her beautiful body..."

Alice clenches her throbbing right hand into a claw, then catches herself and places her left hand to cover the mark. She lets out a calming sigh and the shadows around her seem to relax and slide back to their natural places. She resumes stroking Marie's hair and cheek, softly humming a lullaby (https://youtu.be/47mLY8vX3L0), until the others decide to move on.

Heart continues to stare silently into Marie's bandaged eyes.

[Esprit15]

"Better to eat poorly than to starve," Zoe says simply to Kiseki, before polishing off the last of her own food. "So, do we move toward the source of throbbing pain, in hopes of finding a way to silence it, or do we hope that moving away leads to freedom, and return later with authorities?"

[Mura-neechan]

Ai

Feeding the wounded Jaina and carefully taking care of her, Ai would smile at the Teddiursa, petting her ear gently, and looking over to where Zachary ran off to. Deciding to help him a little, she'd wander off and half carry with her own meager abilities, before Jaina returned holding soomething. Shaking her head at the Teddiursa, she'd look to the mark on her hand sadly as well. "Father, we should investigate this. These marks, those Pokemon... I think the connection is obvious enough."

[Lokyar]

Josei Kit

"My master always taught me that the better part of valor is running away, covering your trail, and hoping like heck you didn't let anyone see your face well enough to draw a good likeness. In this case I think that advice means caution and discretion. And, honestly, Wen's hurt pretty badly. We can still fight but his injuries won't let him take much more."

[aturtledoesbite]

Zachary Grimaldi

Reluctantly, Zachary nodded to Ai. To be perfectly honest, he knew that's what he was gonna do before she had suggested it; he was just stalling for time to figure out a way to not have to. Picking up the Luxray's ball for now, he'd stand up and look around at everyone.

"Before we decide on anything else, let's all introduce ourselves, alright? I am Father Zachary Grimaldi, priest of the Church of the Holy Light. And this," motioning to the Unown hovering near his head, "is Sigil."

[Elfbird]

Alice Nakashi

Alice looks up and stares vacantly at Zachary for a moment before focusing properly. She replies after a polite silence, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

"My name is Alice Nakashi, from Everfrost. Father Zachary, consider my Heart and body yours to use as you see fit..."

Heart nods once in affirmation, then stares at Sigil. The spectral Ralts seems to find the Unown oddly comforting, now that she's taken notice...

[Lokyar]

Josei Kit

Josei salutes cheerily, and beside her Wen mimics her with a more serious expression, both looking up towards the giant of a priest. "Josei Kit, fox ninja trainee of the illustrious master Mikote, and her faithful retainer Wen! We shall fight at your command until our death or your inability to pay us!" She paused a moment as though realizing her script had veered off-course. "Well, I suppose this is a survival situation so payment isn't a priority. For now."

[Esprit15]

"Zoe Moranai, heiress to the Azure Company and daughter to the late founder of the same company. A few of you might have family that work for one of their stores," says the girl in the usual monotone voice. It was hard to tell if the remark was condescending, or just an unfriendly statement of fact. Still, she stands straight and bows to the others as a sign of respect. Most of them held their own in a fight, after all. Perhaps some of these people could be hired in a few years for security, when her funds were available and more of them were of age. "Moving beyond pleasantries, may we get going? We still have not made a plan of which way we plan to go."

[ptdapen]

Shibou Kiseki

Kiseki frowned and fidgeted with her glasses. Kogami gave her a gentle pat as a way to urge her into speaking up. "Once again I would have rather taken care of this in any place but here," she told the rest of the group. "You may call me Kiseki and this is my faithful companion Kogami."

The Croagunk held his head eye and saluted the rest of them. The chef, on the other hand, did not so much as smile. She crossed her arms and casually observed each one of them. She saw no need to be friendly given the atmosphere and because she was unsure if she would ever see these people again. In fact, she was unsure if they would all survive the next encounter, let alone if they were her sort of people to be around. "Let us proceed as soon as possible."

[Mura-neechan]

Ai

Frowning a bit as she listened to some of the introductions, the girl shook her head most pointedly at Alice's, as she'd place her unused hand n her hip and smiled brightly, although her voice was a little drier than it had been until this point. "I am Ai Mori, an Acolyte who has been helping the Father~ Unfortunately, your heart and body could be someone dangerous, Miss Nakashi. The Father is a good man, but he has certain weaknesses, I'd rather not have him face any temptations beyond the unholy marks upon our hands at this time."

[aturtledoesbite]

Zachary Grimaldi

Zachary scratches his head after Alice's...unique response. "Well, I don't think I need all that..."

He deflates some after Ai's comment. "Aw, come on, Ai, can't you have a little faith? Sheesh..."

Afterward, he'd take in all the people here. There seemed to be no sort of common thread to connect the seven of them...why were they, specifically, here?

He supposed there was only one way he could get answers... "Alright. I'm going to figure out what's going on with these things. Anyone who wants to come with me can do so. If not, the exit appears to be in that direction; I only ask that you take Miss Bonnevie with you and bring her back to Everfrost as soon as possible." With that, he starts walking toward the steel door. As he does, he fishes a Pecha Berry out of his pocket and pops it in his mouth; Ai probably recognizes this little tic as him acknowledging that this isn't gonna be a fun time at all.

oh, hey, i have a portable planter, lemme roll that here: [roll0] Pecha Berries

[Esprit15]

"Good, someone else wants to go deeper. Come on, Komachi," Zoe says, getting up and making sure her rations were where she placed them. "Is everyone else running?" she asks, looking at the others.

[ptdapen]

Shibou Kiseki

Kiseki blinked and looked back at the girl with bandages around her eyes. She let out a deep sigh and turned back to the others. "I won't be following you Father. Ordinarily I would but you're right; somebody needs to take care of her. There's no way I'm making her wait in here as I go exploring the rest of this place nor would I bring her along in here." She motioned for Kogami to start lifting up the woman. Afterward she bit her lip and crossed her arms. "I'm afraid I don't have much ways of contacting any of you. Try not to get injured in there; I want to figure out what happened to my hand too after all."

With that she gave a half-hearted wave and went to help her Croagunk carry the rescued prisoner. The lifting was straining to her at best but she had the resolve to at least get her to a proper hospital. Secretly she hoped that someone would aide her but she was too stubborn to admit it.

[Lokyar]

Josei gently touched her hand where the mark was as the priest mentioned it. When he asked, she nodded. "I will go with you. I...I want to understand."

[Nyna]

Team Explore

Zachary, Zoe, and Josei would proceed down the northwest tunnel cautiously, Ai lighting their way in front. Passing by the huge, thick steel door that had smashed off its hinges was not exactly a reassuring sight, but the four would only proceed for about thirty seconds or so before they heard a squawk from up ahead. Looking forward, they'd see a Noibat glowing softly with a shadowy aura, the light being blocked as a number of Zubat suddenly flew forward, startled by the loud noise! Lit faintly due to the Noibat's light was a Barboach that curiously poked its head out of the pool near the Noibat to see what all the noise was about. The Zubat, however, were definitely hostile, rushing forward towards the team!

Map is up in the roll20.

Initiative order is Josei -> Wild Pokemon -> Players. Josei does not have a pokemon out to start (since Wen is heavily injured). If you want to change this, just let me know (you probably can't move Wen into the tunnel yourself because of the blocking terrain rule). Starting positions are also variable, but no one may start past where Ai is currently standing. Feel free to shuffle yourselves around.

I've healed everyone (except the Luxray) to full minus injuries since I believe everyone ate. If you didn't, feel free to correct your hp down to the previous level.

Team Escort

Alice and Kiseki would together carry the unconscious Marie out of the chamber towards the southeast. The lighting was pretty poor, but thanks to Alice's flashlight, they were able to make it outside into the welcome daylight without tripping or stumbling over any loose rocks.

Once outside, the two girls would find themselves under the welcome mid-day sun, though the sudden brightness would cause their eyes to water for a few moments. As their vision adjusted, they'd find themselves in rather rocky terrain. The area seemed to be made up primarily of rock and the occasional shrub, with very little vegetation otherwise. Much of the rock seemed to be broken or otherwise unsettled, with very little actual dirt for anything to grow in. What's more, they were in some kind of depression, with a lot of uphill climbing no matter which way they decided to go, unless that direction was north, in which case... well, there seemed to be a sheer drop into nothingness. It seemed they were in the Collapsed Ravine. Fortunately, since this was such an obvious landmark, it made the decision for which way to go easy: east. Grayrock Town was likely only a day or two away to the east, depending on how far in the Ravine they were. Still... this was not going to be a fun hike. At least they didn't need to actually scale any rock walls, since the crumbling stone made almost anything climbable, though it wasn't exactly steady footing either.

Roll Athletics or Survival for traveling purposes, DC 8 (the terrain is bad and you're carrying someone with you). A failure incurs 1 injury. For every 2 points you succeed by, you may give a +1 to your companion (which can make them not fail, obviously). You may drain as much AP as you like to add +1 to your skill roll for each point drained, but you must do this before you roll.

[ptdapen]

Shibou Kiseki

"Whoever took us here went through a lot of effort to move us," Kiseki mused as she took in the scenery. She had never been in the Collapsed Ravine before; it was unlike her to go hiking after all. She had not changed out of her everyday attire which included a skirt of all things. Under normal circumstances she might have found it lovely but her situation was anything but ordinary. Kogami nodded along with her babbling as if used to her sort of talk. "I hope we get there before dark. Doubt it thou-"

Suddenly, the girl lost her footing and tried to reach out for her Croagunk's aide. He almost managed to latch onto her but she slid down a hill on her bare knees. Kogami rushed over to help pull her up. "I'm fine; just some scratches." She pushed up her glasses and held in a whimper. "Well, come on, we need to get her to town quickly."

Kiseki was the only one to fail. She took one Injury!

[Lokyar]

Josei's eyes narrow as she watches the darkness. Placing a hand at her hip to tap Wen's pokeball he appeared behind her. "Stay close. We will strike where we may do the most good at the least risk."

The pair made similar hand signs as they began focusing their energy, Wen growing stronger while Josei's reflexes heightened.

Josei
Shift: Release Wen
Swift: Inspired Training on Wen
Standard: Ninja Arts - Foxfeint (+2 Speed CS)

Wen
Standard: Meditate (+1 Atk CS)

[Nyna]

Team Explore

As Josei and Wen would begin focusing their energy, the Zubats would fly forward, the Noibat staying a bit farther back. The lead Zubat would rush in, chomping on Jaina with its sharp teeth and causing the Teddiursa some pain, while the other two nearby Zubat would send confusing sound waves at Ai and Komachi, dizzying the two. The rest of the Zubat would simply fly forward, while the Barboach disappeared from sight as the Noibat moved forward.

Wen loses 6 HP from taking a Standard action while heavily injured (6 injuries total)!

Zubat 1 uses Bite on Jaina and hits for 20.

Zubats 2 and 3 use Supersonic on Komachi and Ai! Both are confused!

Player order now. The light blue water is simply rough terrain to walk through, it's only a foot deep or so. The dark blue water (out of sight right now) is deep water and requires you to Swim.

Team Escort

The trip through the rocky hillside was quite difficult on the sickly Kiseki, leaving a number of bruises and some rather cut up knees for the poor girl. The already injured Alice, however, would be escorted along by Kogami, allowing her to make the journey without too much difficulty, since Kogami could help support the dead weight of the unconscious Marie as well.

Soon enough the two would reach a small rocky overhang as the sun began to set. It was hard to gauge exactly how far they'd traveled, but... this was probably as good a place as any to set up camp. Hopefully the nice weather would hold out for the second leg of their journey. Of course, they could push on and travel through the night if they really wanted to.

I'm guessing you won't push on, but I figured I'd give you the option. We won't be moving past this point without Elf around either way, though.

[Mura-neechan]

Ai Mori

Seeing the rush of bats, Ai would quickly shelve her somewhat loopy mannerisms. The last time, she'd been able to do little, save for sending Jaina into danger, and even that arrived with limitedd results. The Teddiursa rushed forward to counter-attack, Ai didn't even need to give the order. The little bear smashing right, left, and right again, as the clawed paws tore right through the Zubat, sending it down. Using the chance, Ai grinned, as her light shone brighter for a moment, and stars flew down her arm to her rist, as she raised them upand sent them out with an open palm, a flash of particles scouring the futher Zubat, as she advanced to defend Jaina and release the others to do what they could, her body still wavering a bit, as her ears tinged in silent agony.

"The holy light which you ddetest, which you fear. It shall rain down upon you, with all the energy of my own love for these people. Convert or bear the weight of those who have!"

[aturtledoesbite]

Zachary Grimaldi

It'd be nice if, at some point in this cave, they could go somewhere without being attacked. Didn't look like that was going to happen right now, though. He had Sigil float forward, releasing a wave of power against the nearest Zubat!

...He did not notice until the attack was carried out that one of the others' Pokémon was also caught in the blast. "Whoops..."

For his own part, he took a Zubat out of the encounter with a Pokéball!

Sigil:
Shift - Three up.
Standard - HP Rock! 27 raw damage; Komachi takes 7 damage (whoopsie).

Zachary:
Shift - Disengage up-left
Standard - Pokéball on Zubat 3! click!

[Esprit15]

"If you're going to hurt my Pokemon, at least make it something they can learn from, Father," Zoe says coolly, shoving the priest aside as she draws her katana. "Komachi, just finish it off," she says to the Cubone, the little Pokemon quickly doing as instructed, slamming into the Zubat as her trainer continues forward toward the outlines of more bats.

As she moves forward, the light to the right catches Zoe's eye. Hm, it seems they were not the only prisoners that tried to escape. But that was not relevant now. What was relevant was the soon to be bodies flying in front of her. Without a word, Zoe slashes the blade, a dark wave flying forward at one of the Zubats, clipping one of the wings.

...hm, could have done better.

[Lokyar]

Josei and Wen creep around the edge of the group, waiting for an opportunity to strike without provoking a stampede. Seeing an injured bat begin to flag Josei grabbed a pokeball and launched it, hoping to acquire a new retainer and allow Wen time to recover.

Josei
Shift: Move 6(slow terrain for moving through allies accounted for)
Swift: Inspired Training on Wen
Standard: Throw Pokeball at Zubat 4, spend AP
[roll0]
[roll1]

Wen
Shift: Move 3

Momentum: 1
Evasion: 4/4/7

[Elfbird]

Alice Nakashi

Alice makes the hike with vacant, staring eyes, acknowledging little of the world and seeming to miss each false foothold by sheer luck. When they reach the overhang's shelter, her pace falters, prompting Kogami to set Marie down before she's dropped. Alice slumps to sitting with her back against the wall.

"I feel... so tired... Darkness clouding... my... mmm..."

Heart stares at Kiseki until she makes eye contact, then the Ralts pulls a Pokeball from Alice's pack and nestles herself into her sleeping keeper's arms, holding the ball in her own stubby limbs as she seems to lightly nod off.

Alice mutters softly in her sleep. "Please... stay with me... forever..."

[Nyna]

Team Explore

As one Zubat would disappear into Josei's pokeball, another would fly up, biting Zoe on the arm, while the girl would manage to evade a blast of wind from the shadowy Noibat!

Zubat 4 is caught! As will be standard practice, you'll get natures and whatnot after battle.

Zubat 5 bites Zoe for 14! Noibat 1 uses Gust on Zoe but misses!

Player turns.