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[Pokémon] A Smell of Petroleum Pervades Throughout

8
Posts
13
Years
You're sense of humor is impeccable as always. As the above guy said, time for a Very Persuasive Flash Cannon. If that doesn't work, have Jasmine beat it up.
 
25
Posts
11
Years
  • Seen Aug 21, 2014
Well, now would be a good time to see if there's any stats for any member of the team.
 

Cutlerine

Gone. May or may not return.
1,030
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14
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> Well, now would be a good time to see if there's any stats for any member of the team.

Yeah, the middle of a fight is always the best time to stop and make a thorough investigation of your Pokémon's stats. You do realise that battle is no longer turn-based, right?

> The obvious thing to do would maybe be to have Vespa attacking it, Sudowoodo is, however a rock type, so fire attacks would not hurt it much. Sudowoodo has very low special defense. If you still have the thing that shoots flash cannons now would be the ideal time to use it. If not, see if you can slip past it otherwise, it's not like it occupies the only walkable tile, right? You can move through the forest, right? Sudowoos have very low speed so maybe it's possible to outrun it through the forest. If not, run around in circles screaming while Vespa shoots fire at it continuously.
Or is there any chance the walking steel-thing that is Jasmine can use something super effective against it? She must count as a steel-type pokemon.
> As the above guy said, time for a Very Persuasive Flash Cannon. If that doesn't work, have Jasmine beat it up.


With a whoosh of displaced air, the Sudowoodo's massive fist falls towards you like a meteor – but it never connects: something hard hits you from the side and as the great hand crashes into the ground you look up, dazed, from the leaf litter.

The Sudowoodo pauses. Something has happened that it wasn't expecting, and to be honest it doesn't really have enough brainpower to cope effectively.

It is then that you notice that Jasmine is apparently no longer there.

The stone fist rises up again, and now you see Jasmine, or at least her head, sticking out of the ground: too tough for the Sudowoodo to crush, its blow appears to have hammered her into the ground like a giant nail instead.

"OH DEAR," she says. "I THINK I'M STUCK."

"For God's sake," you sigh, and shoot the Sudowoodo in the knee.

Othodox used Flash Cannon! It's super effective!

Part of the Sudowoodo's leg ceases to exist.

The Sudowoodo stares down in absolute horror.

Then slowly, very slowly, it begins to fall.

And you're running, all of you who can still run, trying to get as far away into the woods as you can before the giant Pokémon reaches the—

WHOOM.

The Sudowoodo fractures on impact, huge lumps of rock cracking apart and flinging out sharp jags of stone from the fissures. One skims your arm, slicing it open; another hits Vesta in the back and knocks her down, her light dimming.

And then the crashing has stopped, and instead there is simply the sound of trickling soil – and then there is nothing.

Silence once again.

You get to your feet and inspect your arm. It doesn't seem too bad, or at least you hope it isn't too bad. To your right, Vesta is picking herself up, slowly and painfully; as a Fire-type, you realise, the eldritch rock must have hurt her even through the Adamantine Spider Silk.

"Are you OK?" you ask, helping her back up. "Vesta?"

"I died," she says, shivering. "For a moment, I died... But I came back again," she adds unnecessarily.

You hug her, but she stiffens and pushes you away.

"It still hurts," she says. "Sorry."

"It's OK," you assure her.

"It'll be better soon," she goes on. "I can feel it."

The two of you walk back to the path, where Elm is waiting for you. He fled off the other side of the road, it seems.

"Are you OK, Professor?"

"I'm all right," he says, rubbing his head. "Bruised, but all right." He looks at the Sudowoodo. "He, on the other hand, isn't."

The Sudowoodo is moaning gently and writhing slightly on the ground; since it's broken into six more or less equal pieces, this isn't doing it much good. After about thirty seconds, it seems to realise it can't get up again, and with a colossal sigh its various pieces start dragging themselves slowly off into the forest.

"Is it me," you ask, "or was that fight unusually easy compared to all the others?"

"It was easier," replies Elm. "But that isn't much consolation." He points back down the trail. "Look."

A thick column of smoke is rising from Route 37, half-invisible against the black dome of Ecruteak.

You think you can see green sparks at its core.

With a sudden effort, Jasmine unearths herself in a shower of earth, and climbs wearily back onto her feet.

"WHEN I LET IT HIT ME, I THOUGHT IT MIGHT SHATTER ON ME," she says aggrievedly. "SINCE I'M STEEL. I WASN'T EXPECTING THAT."

"I don't think any of us were expecting it," you point out. "You're all right though, aren't you?"

"YES," she says. "I'M ALL RIGHT."

"Then it looks like we all made it through that OK," Elm says. "Which is... more than I've come to expect, actually. Usually at least one person ends up crippled, injured or infected with parasitic coral after each fight."

"Yeah," you agree. "Well, we should keep moving. There's only one thing that can be making that smoke behind us, and it's far too close to be safe."

"It's coming," confirms Vesta. "I can smell fire on the wind."

OK, so she can smell fire now. Does the Narrator just keep giving her random abilities or something? You wouldn't put it past him.

The four of you continue east until the path widens; ahead is the gateway to Violet City, but that's not your destination. You turn south, into a different gateway, and head through it into a broad expanse of dirt, littered with boulders and the half-excavated shells of long-buried dwellings. The trees press silently up around the edge of the dig, like curious bystanders at a funeral; a silence hangs heavily over this place, making the air thick and warm.

You have reached the Ruins of Alph.

Othodox's Hunger is rising.

Othodox's Thirst is rising.

Othodox's Fatigue is rising.

Elm's Hunger is rising.

Elm's Thirst is rising.

Elm's Fatigue is rising.

Vesta's Hunger is bottomless.
 
77
Posts
12
Years
  • Seen May 12, 2021
Before you do anything, check that cut on your arm. Then you should probably check character stats. At some point you also need to eat drink and whatnot.
 

destinedjagold

You can contact me in PC's discord server...
8,593
Posts
16
Years
  • Age 33
  • Seen Dec 23, 2023
Vesta's Hunger is bottomless.

LOL that made me chuckle. xD
But now that you are in the Ruins of Alph, try and see if there are still any trees in the area.
Either you, or maybe Vesta herself can snap a few twigs and branches for her to eat.

Anyway, do we still have anything left to eat?
If there are, then it's probably best to eat while traveling.
If there aren't any food available, maybe there are berries around?
If the food requires cooking, can Vesta's palms be turned into a makeshift frying pan?
 
25
Posts
11
Years
  • Seen Aug 21, 2014
I'd say to find some sort of shelter before you eat or drink. There could be something there that could help you, and I'm a bit worried about the sparks.
 

Cutlerine

Gone. May or may not return.
1,030
Posts
14
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> Before you do anything, check that cut on your arm. Then you should probably check character stats. At some point you also need to eat drink and whatnot.
> But now that you are in the Ruins of Alph, try and see if there are still any trees in the area.
Either you, or maybe Vesta herself can snap a few twigs and branches for her to eat.


The cut on your arm is fine; it's not too deep, and has almost stopped bleeding already – more of a graze than a gash. Besides, it's your left arm, not the one you need to aim and fire the Handgun.

As for stats... You look Vesta over briefly and determine that she has some stats, but not others; reality seems to be a bit hazy on whether or not she counts as a Pokémon. She has 194 HP and 286 Special Attack, but that's all you can work out.

There are plenty of trees around the border of the ruins.

>Anyway, do we still have anything left to eat?
If there are, then it's probably best to eat while traveling.
If there aren't any food available, maybe there are berries around?
If the food requires cooking, can Vesta's palms be turned into a makeshift frying pan?
> I'd say to find some sort of shelter before you eat or drink. There could be something there that could help you, and I'm a bit worried about the sparks.


There are two entrances to the ruins themselves that you can reach from here, and also the little hut that the scientists studying the Unown lived in. You decide to shelter in there, after gathering up a few sticks for Vesta.

Inside, you cook and eat the last of the outsize European Eels, and drink the last of the water.

A glance out of the rear window tells you that the flames are coming closer.

It is starting to get dark.

The infection spreads. Elm is Mildly Inconvenienced.
 

Barrels

The Fresh Prince of Kanto
82
Posts
12
Years
[off-topic: finally found the time to properly catch up with this game, and it is BRILLIANT]

> Try to tune your PokéGear into a radio station. Any radio station. If the Unown have a message for you (which, long shot, but maybe), you might be able to hear it in the relative safety of the house, and then you wouldn't have to venture into the unknown. *ba-doom-tish*
 

Cosmic Fury

[color=red][I][css-div="font-size: 12px; font-vari
419
Posts
12
Years
First off, Orthodox just got cut by an Eldritch Pokémon. Odds are that he'll get infected with whatever it is that they've got. It's best to sterilize the wound or get competent medical treatment for it. Either way, something urgently needs to be done.

Finding an Antidote for Elm MAY help stave off the infection. No idea if it will, but trying rarely hurts as much these days as it used to.

There probably needs to be a way to repel that Quilava, and it seems to be very fond of burning stuff. Perhaps an attempt to satisfy Vesta's bottomless hunger can help with getting rid of things the Quilava can burn first. Not only that, it'll restore Vesta's health, which seems to need patching up.
 
25
Posts
11
Years
  • Seen Aug 21, 2014
The only problem with the "burn burnable substances" idea is that the current shelter is most likely a burnable substance. If you do go along with it, loot the hut and move to one of the entrances to the ruins.
 

Cutlerine

Gone. May or may not return.
1,030
Posts
14
Years
> First off, Orthodox just got cut by an Eldritch Pokémon. Odds are that he'll get infected with whatever it is that they've got. It's best to sterilize the wound or get competent medical treatment for it. Either way, something urgently needs to be done.

The Narrator never lies. The Narrator only omits.

Although in this case, I didn't omit anything. Besides, the Eldritch Pokémon haven't 'got' anything – and you've been wounded many times before by Eldritch Pokémon without effect. It's only really a problem when it's inflicted by a Pokémon like Corsola that can, er, spread.

The Narrator would also like to add that he finds your suggestion of 'competent medical treatment' hilarious. Need you be reminded of the whole apocalypse thing?

> Finding an Antidote for Elm MAY help stave off the infection. No idea if it will, but trying rarely hurts as much these days as it used to.

There are no Antidotes, only figs.

Othodox found some Figs! Othodox put the Figs in the Pouch.

OK, so it's pretty poor loot, but hey! Free figs.

> Read the Grimoire

It's not exactly bedtime reading material.

CLEFT FOR ME HIDE IN THEE THE WALLS ARE WRONG THE WALLS ARE WRONG

You put it down before you give yourself nightmares. Well. Worse nightmares.

> There probably needs to be a way to repel that Quilava, and it seems to be very fond of burning stuff. Perhaps an attempt to satisfy Vesta's bottomless hunger can help with getting rid of things the Quilava can burn first. Not only that, it'll restore Vesta's health, which seems to need patching up.
> The only problem with the "burn burnable substances" idea is that the current shelter is most likely a burnable substance. If you do go along with it, loot the hut and move to one of the entrances to the ruins.


There isn't anything left to loot here. Vesta's hunger can never truly be sated, but the edge has been taken off it with the snack she just had, and her health hasn't risen from 194, so you think it's probably full.

As for getting rid of stuff that can burn – look, you managed to set fire to ceramic using Vesta before, and she doesn't have even a fraction of the power that the Quilava has. To get rid of everything flammable in the entire area (which is by no means small) would be borderline impossible. When the Quilava comes, as it must, you will have to trust to the voices in your head to keep you alive.

That, and narrative imperative, because for God's sake, you can't die this close to the epic climax or I'll have to start again.

> Tell the narrator to work on pokemon keratin

You appear to be confusing the Narrator with the author. Do not make this mistake. The author writes from the Narrator's point of view, but they aren't the same person.

It's worth bearing that in mind. It helps prevent well-meaning but misguided people from attacking authors for the opinions expressed in their books.

> Try to tune your PokéGear into a radio station. Any radio station. If the Unown have a message for you (which, long shot, but maybe), you might be able to hear it in the relative safety of the house, and then you wouldn't have to venture into the unknown. *ba-doom-tish*

"...case back in the Noughties," you hear, and start – you know that voice. Everyone does.

"Who's that?" asks Vesta.

OK, so everyone who was alive before the Dreaming, anyway.

"It's Professor Oak," replies Elm. He looks like he's seen a ghost; in a way, he has. You are hearing a dead man's words, pre-recorded for his weekly show long, long ago.

"Exceptionally odd," Oak goes on. "They don't appear to always be part of this world – when they want to, they melt through layers of reality and leave the perceptible universe entirely."

"I see," says Mary – another radio ghost, broadcasting forever in the unknown. "So do we know where the Unown go, Professor?"

"Well, that's why I brought up that case from 2001," Oak says. "A researcher was actually capable of penetrating that world, you know, and—"

There's a faint squawk, and the signal dies; far away in Goldenrod, something has just discovered that the broadcasting equipment is not edible.

You all exchange glances. A broadcast about Unown in a dead man's voice? Can that be a coincidence?

"WHAT IS GOING ON?" asks Jasmine quietly, but no one can answer.

No one except you, that is.

The infection spreads. Elm is Pained.

> Ummm do we still hace TM focus puch? Maybe we could teach Vesta? Anywho, enter the ruins.

Vesta and Focus Punch are not compatible.

Ah, well. Somehow, you didn't think so.

WARNING: There is no turning back once you enter the ruins. Are you sure you want to proceed?
 
25
Posts
11
Years
  • Seen Aug 21, 2014
> Inventory and Bad Egg checks.
> LEEROY JENKINS!! ...I mean go forth.

(I have wanted to say that on here for quite a while.)

EDIT: Wait a tic! What if the Bad Egg holds Cthu-whatever (can't think of how to spell it at the moment) or something that'll help wake it?
...Just a sugar-filled thought.
 
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Cutlerine

Gone. May or may not return.
1,030
Posts
14
Years
> Inventory and Bad Egg checks.

Othodox's Inventory:

Ceremonial Sword x1
Elm's Key x1
Fig x6
Fine Ruby x3
Glorious Great Diamond x1
Gorgeous Sapphire x2
Grimoire x1
Hideously Dangerous Stabby Thing x1
Highly Persuasive Handgun x1
Loaded Portable Spratchery (Two Shots) x1
Master Ball x1
MooMoo Milk x2
Pot of Incense x1
Rocks x13
Sacred Ash x1
Sodden Lava Cookie x1
Sturdy Scale x3
TM01 Focus Punch x6

Elm's Inventory:

'Tea' Flask x7
Blessed Staff x1
Cooking Pot x2
Cutlery Set x6
Empty Bottle x7
Fearsome Idol x1
Fibreglass Rock Wall x1
Folding Chair x10
Fuel Cell (Full) x2
Fuel Cell (Half Depleted) x1
Laptop x1
Limpet x52
Master Ball x1

Vesta's Inventory:

Adamantine Silken Skin x1
BOUNDLESS HUNGER x1
EXPANDED ELOQUENCE x1
FILIAL LOVE x1
MEMORIES OF LIGHT x1
Smoke x∞
UNDYING LOYALTY x1

Jasmine's Inventory:

Iron Maggot x13

The Egg Watch: Sounds can be heard coming from inside! It will hatch soon!

> LEEROY JENKINS!! ...I mean go forth.

In the main part of the ruin, where the old sliding tile puzzle used to be, is a set of stairs that descend deep into an illimitable blackness.

You climb down the stairs by the light of Vesta's eyes, and once you reach the corridor below the grinding of stone above comes to your ears: you will not be returning this way.

You stand, as far as you can make out, in a small, square room. On one wall is an inscription in Unown runes that reads:

pq96.png

"Of course," you say, suddenly seeing it all. "Oh, of course..."

"What is it?" asks Vesta.

"I figured out what it is," you reply. "And I figured out how we save the world." You take the Bad Egg out and stare at it. "I was given this for a reason," you say. "It has to hatch, and it has to hatch here. You see—"

Boom.

You start and turn abruptly as dirt patters from the ceiling.
Boom.

Something above you is smashing through the stone to get to you.

Boom.

You remember that Quilava can learn Dig.

Boom.

"Guys," you say, putting the Egg away and taking Vesta's hand, "it's time to run."

"Run where?" cries Elm but you know the ruins, you were built for this place, and you're already sprinting away down the corridor that you knew would be there, down into the dark, deep down under the earth as the Quilava continues its relentless assault above.

"WHERE ARE WE GOING?" asks Jasmine, her body creaking and groaning in protest at the speed it is forced to travel at.

"Anywhere!" you reply. "Just away from that thing!"

And you run, and you run, until even you are lost, and you find yourself in a hall, huge and echoing, with a richly carved floor and walls thick with Unown lettering. There is no visible light source, but somehow the room is evenly, if dimly, illuminated.

To the north is a distant figure.

To the south are the tunnels.

To the east and west are doorways to further tunnels.

There are Elegant Carvings here.

There are Secrets Writ in Stone here.

The stone is giving way.

The infection spreads. Elm is Inconvenienced.



Note: I love it when I have a reason to use my Unown font.
 
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44
Posts
12
Years
Look at the Elegant Carvings and Secrets Writ in Stone, then head north to the figure.

A few questions for the Narrator: Jasmine mentioned her Steelix ate her, but the way it was phrased made it sound like her Steelix ate her BEFORE the big change...can you clarify what she was saying for me? What exactly happened to the bits o togepi egg? (though I assume they were washed away) And finally, for the Author, do you intend to ever do a game like this again? (hopefully not quite the same. Or with zombies. Making Pokemon darker I can deal with, but I hate zombies. And yes, I did play Snakewood anyways.)

On a side note, this is definitely interesting. I found it yesterday (reading all that took forever) and while Eldritch Abominations really aren't my thing - though I dislike zombies more - this has caught my interest. The plot isn't really my cup of tea, but the way this 'game' works is great, even if it takes a while. I wish I had noticed it near the beginning, it would have been more enjoyable to be part of it earlier.
 
7
Posts
10
Years
  • Seen Jul 27, 2013
The inscription reads:
WE ARE WHAT WE DREAM
AND THEY ARE THE DREAMERS
for those who have trouble reading unown font.

1) Read the secrets writ in stone
2) Go north
3) Try throwing the master ball at the Quilava
 

destinedjagold

You can contact me in PC's discord server...
8,593
Posts
16
Years
  • Age 33
  • Seen Dec 23, 2023
In what direction did we even came from anyway? >.>
But the distant figure up north must be a pedestal of some sort for the egg to hatch? Place the egg there if it's a pedestal. If not, then never mind.

And oh, we should probably prepare for battle.
 

Cutlerine

Gone. May or may not return.
1,030
Posts
14
Years
And finally, for the Author, do you intend to ever do a game like this again? (hopefully not quite the same. Or with zombies. Making Pokemon darker I can deal with, but I hate zombies. And yes, I did play Snakewood anyways.)

I would love to do another one of these at some point. At the moment, though, I'm writing this at the same time as a long novel and my main fic, which means that I'm stretched pretty thin, and the chances of me starting up another of these before I finish at least one of those are slim.

I wouldn't be doing anything the same. I like to do a lot of different things; I did zombies once, with Snakewood, and I'm doing Lovecraft here. It probably won't come up again in any of my fanfiction. If I were to do this again, I'd set it in Sinnoh, and... Well. That information will have to wait until I do it again.

On a side note, this is definitely interesting. I found it yesterday (reading all that took forever) and while Eldritch Abominations really aren't my thing - though I dislike zombies more - this has caught my interest. The plot isn't really my cup of tea, but the way this 'game' works is great, even if it takes a while. I wish I had noticed it near the beginning, it would have been more enjoyable to be part of it earlier.

Mm, this sort of thing isn't to everyone's taste, I realise. To be honest, I never planned for it to work out this way. It was originally going to be a much shorter story about a Parasect, but, er, for some reason That Thing arrived at the door instead, and things kind of went wildly off the rails from there.

Anyway. There may well be another chance at this. If I don't make a new one right away, I probably will make another 'game' like this at some point, so stick around. After all, my idea for the next one won't get out of my head any other way.

Thank you for reading and playing. We return to our scheduled Climactic Finale... soon.

F.A.B.
 

Cosmic Fury

[color=red][I][css-div="font-size: 12px; font-vari
419
Posts
12
Years
Alright, so there is imminent danger nearby, I know. BUT, there may be time to create a new and useful tool out of your items that are on hand.

Also, since the egg is out of your hands, and the Highly Persuasive Handgun is obviously a Flash Cannon in disguise... You can cave in the ceiling to buy you some time. After all, dirt is better than just air as an obstacle to your enemy as you desperately try to come up with a better solution to things.
 
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