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Give Elm a sip of moo moo milk to revitalise him. Both of you drink water. Both eat some eel (elm can have limpets and tea if he wants).
Leaving it up to other voices and the Narrator to decide if sneaking to the shore is safe, get some seawater in Elm's pots and set up his water purification device near the helicopter - Unless it uses precious electricity, in that case, use Elm's know how and Vesta's heat to evaporate and condense the seawater into pots and things until it's drinkable. Once you have obtained more drinking water through either method - fill some of your empty bottles. Maybe go to sleep once you're fed and watered while elm keeps doing his thing and Vesta keeps watch. Then elm can wake you when the milk hit fades and he needs to collapse for a while and you can keep watch/train Vesta/ponder until he wakes. Elm has a bunch of gadgets - LED clusters (you can do some pretty fancy stuff with diodes) - can anything be combined together, possibly with the TMs, to make a new weapon or gadget? |
I suggest using the food in the helicopter instead of the eels, so you can see what kinds of food tins there are.
Also, ask Elm if there's some way to recharge the battery of the scanner using the half depleted fuel cell. If you do go to the shore, have the spratchery so you can distract any Eldritch Pokemon you encounter. |
Check out the imperishable food amounts stored on the helicopter . It might have water along. If the narrator wants :P Also it would be good for Elm to rest. Find some branches of wood and make a fire. Then take a nap since it's dusk and soon it'll be night. However stay alert...you're definitely not alone here.
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Are there any safe places to find lodging? If not, then it'll likely be a good time to use a small amount of that psychotropic Moomoo milk. Besides, Elm is better off being a bit "happy" anyway.
Also, find a solar panel and cord so that you can at least charge your scanner on the go. (Dang, I think this is among the best ideas I've had here so far.) |
> Give Elm a sip of moo moo milk to revitalise him. Both of you drink water. Both eat some eel (elm can have limpets and tea if he wants).
Leaving it up to other voices and the Narrator to decide if sneaking to the shore is safe, get some seawater in Elm's pots and set up his water purification device near the helicopter - Unless it uses precious electricity, in that case, use Elm's know how and Vesta's heat to evaporate and condense the seawater into pots and things until it's drinkable. Once you have obtained more drinking water through either method - fill some of your empty bottles. Maybe go to sleep once you're fed and watered while elm keeps doing his thing and Vesta keeps watch. Then elm can wake you when the milk hit fades and he needs to collapse for a while and you can keep watch/train Vesta/ponder until he wakes. Elm has a bunch of gadgets - LED clusters (you can do some pretty fancy stuff with diodes) - can anything be combined together, possibly with the TMs, to make a new weapon or gadget? > I suggest using the food in the helicopter instead of the eels, so you can see what kinds of food tins there are. Also, ask Elm if there's some way to recharge the battery of the scanner using the half depleted fuel cell. If you do go to the shore, have the spratchery so you can distract any Eldritch Pokemon you encounter. > Check out the imperishable food amounts stored on the helicopter . It might have water along. If the narrator wants. Also it would be good for Elm to rest. Find some branches of wood and make a fire. Then take a nap since it's dusk and soon it'll be night. However stay alert...you're definitely not alone here. > Are there any safe places to find lodging? If not, then it'll likely be a good time to use a small amount of that psychotropic Moomoo milk. Besides, Elm is better off being a bit "happy" anyway. Also, find a solar panel and cord so that you can at least charge your scanner on the go. (Dang, I think this is among the best ideas I've had here so far.) Oh, sure. Solar panels. There're hundreds of them just lying around all over the beach. You dismiss that idea immediately and light a fire near the side of the helicopter with some of the timber from the wrecked houses. You think about having some of the food from the helicopter, and get as far as investigating the tins – they all contain something labelled FLAVOURSOME PASTE – before you realise you have no tin opener, and resolve to cook another eel instead. There are two left. After you and Elm have eaten and drunk, he shows you how to set up the Water Purification Device. It's basically a solar still; you won't be getting anything out of it until morning at the latest, since the sun's gone down and it's quite cool now. To speed things along, you boil some over the fire, and refill the two Water Bottles that you drank from. You see nothing out of the ordinary as you collect the water, but you can't help but scan the waves uneasily. “Is there any way I can recharge the Pokédex?” you ask Elm. “I've been using the scanner quite a lot, and it doesn't seem to like it.” He ponders. “I don't think you're in luck there,” he says. “That's an old model; it's not rechargeable. It takes three lithium cells.” Figures. All those lithium batteries the Narrator let you find back when you'd forgotten about using the scanner were probably meant for something, after all. “How's the translation going?” you ask. “Slowly,” he sighs. “It's not Sumerian cuneiform, but it looks like an earlier language that gave rise to it instead. I'm not really a linguist, or a programmer, but I'm trying to help the program learn how to do it... Well. It's going to take a while.” He sounds tired, and you offer him a sip of MooMoo Milk to keep him going. He refuses, however. “No, thanks,” he says. “I'll just have a nap... You, uh, keep watch or whatever it is you're doing.” (Note that actions involving other characters may not turn out as planned. You can only control the player character.) He goes back inside and stretches out on the floor of the helicopter. Soon, he is asleep, and you are standing alone on the silent beach. The hours pass. You think about training Vesta some more, but really, she needs opponents to fight against or she won't get any stronger; you've already taught her the only 'move' you can think of. You have a go at making another move-using machine instead, but it doesn't seem to work; you just don't have enough random mechanical crap to sling together. A little after midnight, Elm wakes with a start from uneasy dreams. You nod silently at his tale of a sunken city, and of strange amphibian beasts below. “The Deep Ones,” you say, when he's done. He shivers. “Mm. Right. Anyway. You sleep now, and I'll keep—” You shake your head. “No. You sleep – you'll need to be alert tomorrow to fly the chopper. I can sleep while you're flying.” “Fly the chopper? Are we leaving?” “I think we found what we came here for,” you tell him. “I'm not sure we should even still be here now, to be honest. I get the feeling that the longer we're here, the more likely we are to die.” Elm nods. “I know what you mean,” he says. “We could always fly out now, if you want.” That hadn't occurred to you, for some reason. Man, do you feel stupid. Othodox's Fatigue is rising. |
Hmm... flying away right now would get you away from Cianwood quickly. However, after having those bad dreams, is it really good for Elm to be flying that helicopter? The last thing you'd want is him falling asleep at the wheel (or whatever you steer helicopters with). Also, who knows what unspeakable horrors may roam the skies during nighttime...
I'd say stay until it is morning again. (For the record I thought I'd say that I'm really enjoying this text-based adventure so far. Your writing always manages to put a smile on my lips as well as keeping me interested in the story, Cutlerine! Keep up the good work, man!) |
Then again, the fear that the dream caused could help Elm stay awake while he's flying. I say go now, but offer Elm some of the MooMoo Milk before you leave, just to be safe.
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Open the “mission objective” to see what we still need to do.
'Cause the only thing I remember now is our mission to go to Cianwood. After that, then what? Go back to the mainland, and then what? o.o |
Ordinarily I'd rather go in the day when pokemon will be more visible but the only flying nocturnal pokemon I know are the various bats and hoothoot/Noctowl. And the bats will stay in the caves and the birds won't be anywhere near Cianwood, you could probable go now. Ask Elm if the batteries from his three laptops are the right lithium cells to power the pokedex - they're rechargeable too.
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I suppose we're done from here ; we investigated the town as the mysterious metal stranger told us. What about heading back to olivine and go to the lighthouse as we promised.
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> Open the “mission objective” to see what we still need to do. 'Cause the only thing I remember now is our mission to go to Cianwood. After that, then what? Go back to the mainland, and then what? o.o
Open the what now? You'd accepted the possibility that the voices in your head are a sign of incipient madness, but if the voices themselves have started going mad you don't hold out much hope of getting back to the mainland without announcing you can fly and jumping out of the helicopter. > Ordinarily I'd rather go in the day when pokemon will be more visible but the only flying nocturnal pokemon I know are the various bats and hoothoot/Noctowl. And the bats will stay in the caves and the birds won't be anywhere near Cianwood, you could probable go now. Ask Elm if the batteries from his three laptops are the right lithium cells to power the pokedex - they're rechargeable too. Ah yes, the laptop batteries. Of course, they look like they're each the size of the Pokédex on their own, don't they, but who knows? You might be able to fit them into a slot designed to take a pair of button cells. To take your mind of the depths to which your own imagination has apparently sunk, you check the status of the Bad Egg. The Egg Watch: It appears to move occasionally. It may be close to hatching. > Hmm... flying away right now would get you away from Cianwood quickly. However, after having those bad dreams, is it really good for Elm to be flying that helicopter? The last thing you'd want is him falling asleep at the wheel (or whatever you steer helicopters with). Also, who knows what unspeakable horrors may roam the skies during nighttime... I'd say stay until it is morning again. > Then again, the fear that the dream caused could help Elm stay awake while he's flying. I say go now, but offer Elm some of the MooMoo Milk before you leave, just to be safe. > I suppose we're done from here ; we investigated the town as the mysterious metal stranger told us. What about heading back to olivine and go to the lighthouse as we promised. You don't really think Elm's going to fall asleep at the controls. He's just had several hours' sleep and presumably has got used to taking his sleep in fitful bursts; you don't think his internal clock has been synchronised with true day and night for several years. Preparing to leave, you kick sand over the fire and it goes out with a sharp hiss; the smoke rises up through the air and, as if waiting for it, something big bursts from the water and soars over your head. For a moment, you see nothing more than a huge teardrop shape across the moon – and then it slams down onto the ground a little way past where the fire used to be, sending clouds of sand rising up around it like a choking cloak. With the sudden change in light level you are totally blind; you can't see anything at all except the moon and the glint on the helicopter blades, and you automatically stumble backwards from where you think the thing landed, almost tripping over a half-buried bone. There is total silence. If there are more Pokémon around, they aren't attacking. Perhaps the thing in the dark is too fearsome for anything to challenge its kill, you think uneasily. And then, more optimistically: perhaps it's gone. But then you hear the slow squeal of tortured steel as something unforgiving is dragged along the helicopter's flank, and know that the thing isn't going anywhere at all. It's right here, and it's determined to take the lot of you with it. The vivid emerald flash of Vesta's attack blinds you all over again, doubling your helplessness with an incandescent after-image – and, worse still, the thing doesn't seemed to have noticed it at all; there is no sound or smell of seared flesh, no cry of a creature in pain. You want to cry out, but you don't dare speak. You want to know if Elm's OK; you want to tell Vesta that if she can see the creature she needs to boil out of the webbing and kill it. You want to cry out and run over the bone-crushed sands to some fortunate place where there are no uncertain creatures lurking in the dark. The scraping noise stops. There is the sudden sound of a hard weight on metal— A man's voice in the dark— And then there is nothing. You stand there for a long time, paralysed by fear, until eventually the moon has perceptibly moved in the sky and you dare to talk: “Professor?” “Othodox?” Vesta, says Vesta. “You're all right?” you ask. “Yes,” he replies. “I – I think so. I thought I felt something touch me back then, but. I don't know. I might have imagined it.” “I think it's gone,” you say. “Did you see what it was?” “No. Felt sharp and wet. Could have been anything.” Your eyes are becoming accustomed to the gloom now; you can see Elm, a few feet to your right, standing rigid in the dark. “Let's get out of here,” you say. “Definitely,” he agrees. Neither of you are in any danger of falling asleep right now. Not after that. The helicopter rises up with a thunderous roar, and soon enough you're heading northeast across the sea – away from this ghastly, haunted island, away from things that multiply around you and never show their face, away from ghoul-haunted nights – and back towards the Eldritch Quilava. Oh yeah. You'd forgotten about that. As dawn inches closer and the sky begins to lighten, Elm frowns and yells to you: “We need to refuel soon!” “Well,” you reply, “we've got more kerosene, right?” “Yeah, but it's not in the fuel tank, so it's not exactly useful right now. And we kind of need to land to get it in there.” You glance at the endless sea beneath you, unmarked by even the merest suggestion of land. “Ah,” you say. “How far off is Olivine?” “I'm not sure,” Elm answers grimly. “I'm hoping for close.” Something's here, says Vesta, and you both immediately start looking around wildly, thinking that some Eldritch Flying-type – or one of those unnamed things that Falkner said haunt the former Indigo Plateau – might be closing in on the helicopter, but the skies, as far as you can see, are clear. “Where, Vesta?” you ask. I don't know, she replies. Somewhere. I feel... something. Not even like a proper animal. “Something like you? A little piece of life?” I don't understand. “Something that's life, but isn't alive,” you say, wondering if that isn't actually more obscure than what you originally said. Maybe, she says. Her flames are crooked; were she human, you would say her brow was furrowed. I don't know... But we should be careful. “If it isn't trying to kill us right now,” says Elm, “then I think our main priority is getting to Olivine without this thing dropping into the sea.” You are forced to agree with him here. You would much rather have to face a grisly monster when you land than suffer the consequences a sea landing in a helicopter that isn't capable of making sea landings. “The fuel supply was always meant to be sufficient to take us to the islands and back, with some extra just in case,” Elm is telling you. “But, well, the thing was that we were meant to remember to fill the damn tank before we ever got up in the air...” “Do you really have to go on about that?” “Sorry.” There is a long silence. The sky seems to sag with the weight of the moon as it slips towards the horizon; you can't help but feel that soon enough you'll be following it, down to the magic point where sky meets sea, and further down still, to a world of green stone cities and hellish fish men – where overlarge eels wind around bones studded with coral, and pearls grow in the bodies of the fat oysters nestled where eyes once were. By the time Olivine is visible, you are growing fairly desperate. Every jolt and bump feels like a lurch towards the waves; every slip feels like the beginning of a long last plunge into the hungry foam. You tell yourself that helicopters are difficult to fly, and Elm is a novice; you say aloud that flight in small craft is often rather more juddery and uncomfortable than in large ones – but your voice rings hollow in your ears. Try as you might, you can't quite convince yourself. When something emits an odd metallic crunch behind you, you nearly jump out of your skin. “What was that?” asks Elm. You turn, but see nothing besides the electrical equipment and the tins of FLAVOURSOME PASTE. After a long, futile search in the darker recesses, all you've managed to do is hurt your hand on a pointy edge. “I have no idea,” you say. “But I think I'd like to land soon.” “Well,” he says, “I think you might be in luck.” You turn back to him, and see, no more than a few hundred feet off, the towering shape of Olivine's lighthouse. Things like naked condors flap out of the trees, screeching wildly, as the helicopter roars its way back over dry land; a few unidentifiable creatures scuttle away to hide in buildings or burrows as its shadow falls over them. Then, as dawn begins to break, Elm sets the helicopter gently down in the middle of Olivine's southernmost street. A ragged cheer goes up from the pair of you who appreciate the danger you were in: you are back in Olivine, and you also appear to have scared most of the surrounding Pokémon away. You take a deep breath. God damn it, you hadn't realised how much you missed the mainland until now. |
Have a meal, drink some water, and take a short rest while youre sure that most of the Pokemon are gone. Your Fatigue level needs to go down.
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Before any of that though, see if there's something attached to your helicopter's tail or landing skids... >.>
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Wouldn't you want to rest in the top of the lighthouse where it's safe - you did promise you'd come back - why wait to visit.
Also use the scanner. I know it's about to die but it might be able to tell you what's in/on the Helicopter with you. (speaking of the scanner - shouldn't Elm know enough about basic electronics to create something that will generate the same voltage and current as three lithium cells? It wouldn't necessarily be portable but if the Helicopter became a temporary mobile base of sorts, you could plug it into something whenever you're there.) And refill the Helicopter now so it's ready for a quick get-away. |
First check out the exterior of the helicopter. Then refuel it , eat and drink. Lastly head to the lighthouse and find that stranger. WE MUST LEARN HIS/HER NAME !!!
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I suggest not using the scanner. There could be a moment where it could come in handy, and I don't think now is the time. Besides, those birds were most likely Farfetch'd.
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> Before any of that though, see if there's something attached to your helicopter's tail or landing skids... >.>
There is nothing attached to the helicopter. You aren't sure if you're relieved there's nothing there, or worried that you can't see it. > Have a meal, drink some water, and take a short rest while youre sure that most of the Pokemon are gone. Your Fatigue level needs to go down. > This, but make sure you refill the gas tank right away for next time. > Wouldn't you want to rest in the top of the lighthouse where it's safe - you did promise you'd come back - why wait to visit. Yeah, why would you do that? It seems silly. It also seems silly to waste food and water when you don't need it, but hey. You're not one to disobey the voices. You have some Limpets, some Water and a nap while Elm fiddles with the fuel tank and the kerosene. > Also use the scanner. I know it's about to die but it might be able to tell you what's in/on the Helicopter with you. > I suggest not using the scanner. There could be a moment where it could come in handy, and I don't think now is the time. Besides, those birds were most likely Farfetch'd. You know they were Farfetch'd by the gigantic mutant onions they were carrying. Did I omit to mention that before? Because yeah, they were totally carrying giant mutant onions. With faces. That screamed. The Narrator definitely did not consider this only after the voices pointed it out. Anyway, you decide not to use the scanner, in the end, and instead make a thorough search of the inside of the helicopter – something that's a lot easier now, when it's nearly noon, than it was earlier. While you find no sign of anything on board that shouldn't be there, you do find that one of the tins of FLAVOURSOME PASTE has a tiny hole in one end. The sound you heard was probably it popping open – but you can't see any reason why it would have done so. There is literally nothing here to open it, and, squinting through the hole, you can't see anything inside it, either. To be on the safe side, you toss the can into the ocean. “Why did you throw that can into the sea?” asks Elm. “It was the one that burst open earlier,” you explain. “I don't know... It's probably nothing, but I don't like it.” He nods. “Sounds reasonable to me.” > (speaking of the scanner - shouldn't Elm know enough about basic electronics to create something that will generate the same voltage and current as three lithium cells? It wouldn't necessarily be portable but if the Helicopter became a temporary mobile base of sorts, you could plug it into something whenever you're there.) And refill the Helicopter now so it's ready for a quick get-away. You don't quite follow this logic. Elm has a doctorate in the study of Pokémon. He probably knows less than you do about electronics, and you don't know anything. Sure, he can plug things into the generator and turn it on, and he knows what batteries go in a Pokédex – but seriously, do you expect him to know anything beyond that? > First check out the exterior of the helicopter. Then refuel it , eat and drink. Lastly head to the lighthouse and find that stranger. WE MUST LEARN HIS/HER NAME !!! “So,” says Elm, looking up at the lighthouse. “They're up there, huh?” “Yeah,” you reply. “The... steel person. Who I think might be Jasmine.” “Shall I come with you?” he asks. “I mean, I don't know if they'd want me there. From what you said, they sounded like they barely accepted you.” You think for a minute. “All right,” you say, “stay in the helicopter. If anything evil comes to try and kill you, uh...” “I'll fire up the helicopter to see if I can scare it off,” he replies. “And if it doesn't scare, well, at least I'll be in the air.” “Right,” you agree. “See you in a minute.” “See you,” he replies. “I'll get back to the translation.” You climb the hill to the lighthouse, past the scars of the Quilava's battle with the one-clawed crab, and up to the door. Here, on the threshold, you hesitate a moment. Glance back at Elm. Take a deep breath, and open the door. The hallway is the same as ever, only now the carpet is smeared with dark, crusty blood and a thick scabious substance that looks like the dried residue of the green stuff that the crab oozed. The floorboards are undisturbed; from the pit in the corner issues a rank smell – like that of cats, but stronger and with a hint of petrol. Evidently something else has taken over that burrow – something, in all likelihood, much more dangerous than a crab. The lift doors stand open at the end of the corridor, and you walk in without a second thought. They close behind you before you even press a button, and a moment later you are walking out into the darkness of the upper floor. “Hello,” you say. There is no reply. “I came back,” you say. “I came for you.” “I KNOW,” says the stranger in the dark. Their voice is choked; you can well imagine that they couldn't quite speak when you first appeared. “I KNOW...” You walk into the middle of the room and stop before they tell you to. “I went to Cianwood,” you say, more to fill the time as they build up their courage than anything else. “There's no one there. But I did find something – a statuette. And I stopped at the Whirl Islands. Professor Elm was there, and he came with me. He's translating an inscription on the statuette now.” “THE WHIRL ISLANDS...” “Yeah,” you say. “I met a Lugia there. I walked into its cave and spoke to it.” There is a long silence. “ELM MUST HAVE BEEN WAITING THERE FOR YEARS,” whispers the stranger. “AND YOU, TOO... BOTH OF YOU. EVERYONE, SO BRAVE.” You hear something moving in the dark, and two solid thumps as steel feet hit the floor. “I'VE BEEN SELFISH LONG ENOUGH,” they say, more strongly. “AND I'VE BEEN IN THE DARK FAR TOO LONG NOW.” There is the sound of fast-moving metal— —the sound of cloth tearing— —and then, all at once, the sheets covering the windows fall away in a cloud of dust, cut clean from their moorings and letting in a great flood of light. The dusty glass burns in the noon sun, and the stranger is invisible, shining so powerfully that it seems the great lighthouse is active once again, that an angel has descended from heaven in a glorious blast of eye-withering sunlight. For a long moment, you can see nothing at all but a vague cross of white fire. Then, blinking through the after-image, you focus your eyes on what looks to you like a freaking T-1000. You blink again. It isn't, of course. It's a girl, her face and body mangled and smashed almost beyond recognition: her ribs sink into her chest and stab out through her skin by turns; one arm is mostly bone and the hand at its tip little better; her skull has been crushed inwards on one side near the crown, spilling out a corona of ooze across her hair. One of her eyes is missing, leaving a dark hole in her face, and her nose is badly broken. She is also, as you expected, made entirely of steel. You stare. In the sun, not even the horror of her appearance can detract from how exquisitely beautiful she is; she glitters and shines, sending coruscations of light dancing across the walls and ceiling. She looks like she is made of silver fire that twists and burns and dazzles in the light. “I AM JASMINE,” she says. “I WANT TO HELP YOU SAVE THE WORLD.” Please be aware that from now on, commands are subject to being cut up, as command lines are becoming clunky and ponderous. Please also refrain from repeating commands that have already been issued unless a choice has been placed under debate. The Narrator did not particularly want to apply rules such as these, but it is becoming impossible to deal with each command separately, which is detracting from the experience of this as a game. |
I uh... She uh... Um... Wow...
Yeah, anyway... Let her join the party and head back down, and then head to the helicopter. And oh, maybe let Vesta make a comment? >.> |
So JASMINE IS THE STRANGER ?!
Ok......ok After doing what jagold suggested ( damn new rules :P ) Maybe having a "debate" to what are we doing next ??? Also it would be a good idea heading back to ecruteak were we are protected by the gengar's power.And now i realize that we haven't visited goldenrod city yet....hmmm |
> So JASMINE IS THE STRANGER ?
The Narrator was not aware that it was a secret, particularly. You've been calling her 'Jasmine' for quite some time now, and even without that you could've guessed from the whole 'got eaten by a Steelix' thing. > I uh... She uh... Um... Wow... Yeah, anyway... Let her join the party and head back down, and then head to the helicopter. And oh, maybe let Vesta make a comment? >.> “Wugh,” you say, stupefied. “You're beautiful.” Smooth, Othodox. Real smooth. Jasmine looks amazed – or as amazed as someone with only part of her face left intact can look, anyway. “Really?” You nod. “Yeah. Really.” She smiles, and steely light twinkles in the pit of her missing eye. “THANK YOU.” “Um. Hm. Oh. Right,” you say, finally getting some semblance of control over yourself. “This is what's happened so far...” Once again, you recount your tale; this time, though, you add in the stuff that happened since your coracle was wrecked on the Whirl Islands. “I SEE,” she says. “THIS STATUETTE. I KNOW IT.” “You do?” “YES.” Jasmine hesitates. “IT IS CTHULHU, THE GREAT GOD OF THE DEEP ONES. THE ONE WHO LIES, DEAD AND DREAMING, IN THE PIT OF HIS TEMPLE AT R'LYEH.” “Oh.” Then you pause. Cthulhu lies dreaming? There's that word again, popping up everywhere you go; everything is a dream, or is dreaming, or runs on dream-logic. What does it mean? “The Professor's probably working on the inscription right now,” you say. “Come on. I think it's time you went outside.” “YES...” Jasmine turns to look out through the glass, to where the sea glimmers and roils under the sun. “OUTSIDE...” She turns back to you. “ALL RIGHT,” she says. “I THINK I'M READY.” You smile encouragingly. “Come on, then,” you say, and take her cold metal hand. Jasmine has joined the party! --- Jasmine loves it outside. Unfortunately, she doesn't get much of a chance to enjoy it. Almost as soon as you step outside you notice that there's something wrong with the helicopter; it only takes a couple more seconds for you to realise that it's groaning under the weight of a huge growth of grey coral. A long trail of the stuff snakes down the road and off into the sea – where, you realise with a feeling of rising dread, it probably terminates inside that can of FLAVOURSOME PASTE. “Professor?” you call, running over. “Professor, are you—” Then you see him: covered in blood, lying face-down on the ground. I don't think he's OK, says Vesta unnecessarily. “Oh Christ,” you say. “Save it,” wheezes Elm weakly. “For God's sake, Othodox, there's a time and place for that – but not now.” Your eyes widen. “You're alive?” you whisper. “Yeah,” he says. “Now would you kindly help me up?” “Oh,” you say. “Sure.” You offer him a hand and he gets to his feet. “It's not as bad as the blood suggests,” he says, indicating his blood-drenched clothes. “Really. The coral just... it moves fast.” He turns his head to the right and shows you his neck. “Look.” You look, and then you flinch. There is a crust of grey coral fastened there like a monstrous scab; the skin around it has rippled and swollen into a grotesque weal. “I think I may have found my starter Pokémon,” Elm says, turning back and letting his collar fall into place. “I think it was the thing in the dark – an Eldritch Corsola.” Jasmine arrives. Slower and heavier than you, it has taken her a lot longer to get here; running is hard for her, especially on sand or earth. “OH GOD,” she says. “PROFESSOR ELM? IS THAT YOU?” “Jasmine?” he replies. “Is that you?” “OH. UM, YEAH,” she says, shyly. “HELLO. ARE YOU OK?” “Yes, I'm fine,” he replies. “I have a parasitic Eldritch Corsola latched onto my neck, but other than that, I'm fine.” “THAT DOESN'T SOUND GOOD,” she says uneasily. “No, it isn't,” agrees Elm. “It's probably going to metastasise and turn me entirely into coral, at which point it'll form a new Corsola.” “WON'T THAT KILL YOU?” “I'd be more afraid if it didn't,” replies Elm. “Wouldn't you?” Jasmine knows all about not being able to die. “AH,” she says. “I SUPPOSE I WOULD BE.” “Professor,” you say. “You still haven't said. What the hell happened?” “The thing in the dark must have been an Eldritch Corsola,” he said. “My starter. Now, Corsola are made of coral – thousands of tiny individual organisms. It just dropped one of them into the helicopter and left us alone.” “The can of paste,” you say, seeing where this is going. Elm nods. “Exactly. The polyp burrowed into the can and managed to survive for a little while on that. Then you threw it into the sea, which apparently gave it a huge burst of energy – I'm guessing there must be plenty to feed on down there, because it spread massively in a very short while. It hit the helicopter again, looking for me – but I saw it just in time and managed to get out with only a little bit stuck to me.” You frown. “If it grows so fast, how come it hasn't eaten you yet?” “It makes no sense for it to try and kill me too quickly,” he said. “It's feeding off me, so it'll do its best not to kill me until there's nothing left for it to eat. I'm hoping that means I'm going to live long enough to finish translating the statuette inscription.” “You seem very calm...” Elm sighs. “Othodox. I knew I would end up dead if I followed you out of the cave. I don't know how, but I did, and I made my peace when I chose to come with you. Maybe that's the rule now; maybe no one can survive except you. Falkner, me, Jasmine... even Vesta. We're all NPCs. We're not the heroes.” You look at Jasmine. “You...?” She nods slowly. “I THINK HE'S RIGHT,” she says. “WE'VE ALL BEEN LIVING AS IF WE'RE DEAD... NOW WE'RE REBORN, BUT IT CAN'T LAST. THE DEAD CAN'T COME BACK PERMANENTLY.” “This is the story of Othodox and how he saved the world,” Elm says. There is a sadness in his voice that lends him an age he does not have. “And I think, in the end... it leaves no room for anyone else.” > After doing what jagold suggested ( damn new rules) Maybe having a "debate" to what are we doing next ??? Also it would be a good idea heading back to ecruteak were we are protected by the gengar's power.And now i realize that we haven't visited goldenrod city yet....hmmm Yes, you haven't visited Goldenrod yet. You also haven't visited Azalea, or Blackthorn, or Mahogany, but God forbid you make a potential plot point out of any of those. “Anyway,” says Elm, brightening a little. “What we've got to do next is get rid of the coral somehow so I can finish translating the inscription. I think I'm close to cracking it now – mostly, it's figuring out which direction the writing's meant to go in, and then that's pretty much it.” “Uh – um,” you say, still reeling from what he said earlier. “Right. Of course.” |
O_O
... wow. Well Goldenrod is scary and I want to ask Jasmine what she can do (Our first encounter with her left me thinking she had powers of some sort - how did she know you needed the lift sent down? Did she go and press the button then run back to her dark corner or can she control other metal things? I don't know - I could be completely wrong and deserving of one of the Narrator's quips but I'm putting it out there) But I think the first priority is Elm. Has anybody got any ideas? How deep is it attached to him? Can Jasmine pull it off? Can Vesta burn it off? (carefully of course) Oh- can we use a master ball on it? will that teleport it off of Elm? |
I'm not sure that Vesta could burn it off, as Corsola is a Water/Rock type, Vesta's fire and Water and Rock are both defensively strong against Fire.
However, Rock types are weak against Steel type moves. After going through all other possibilities (and I mean all other possibilities), try using your Highly Persuasive Handgun if the polyp is still on Elm's neck. |
Maybe it will persuade it right off
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Well, since everyone else spoke a few of my concerns, here's the other one: remove the coral from the chopper.
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> But I think the first priority is Elm. Has anybody got any ideas? How deep is it attached to him? Can Jasmine pull it off? Can Vesta burn it off? (carefully of course)
Oh- can we use a master ball on it? will that teleport it off of Elm? > However, Rock types are weak against Steel type moves. After going through all other possibilities (and I mean all other possibilities), try using your Highly Persuasive Handgun if the polyp is still on Elm's neck. “Right,” you say. “Hold still. I'm going to try and burn it off.” Burn? I like burning. “Yes, Vesta,” you say. “Time to burn.” You grab Elm's shoulder, and he blanches. “The hell are you doing?” “I'm going to try and burn it off you.” “It won't come off,” he said. “I can feel its tendrils in my neck – they go right round my throat.” “But you said—” “I meant get the coral off the helicopter, so I can get the laptop out without being eaten alive,” he tells you. “You do want to be able to finish decoding the inscription, right?” Ah. Well. You certainly feel stupid. Though in your defence, he didn't exactly make it clear. > I want to ask Jasmine what she can do (Our first encounter with her left me thinking she had powers of some sort - how did she know you needed the lift sent down? Did she go and press the button then run back to her dark corner or can she control other metal things? I don't know - I could be completely wrong and deserving of one of the Narrator's quips but I'm putting it out there) Of course you're deserving of one of the Narrator's quips, because the Narrator considers everyone deserving of one of his quips. But don't let me get ahead of myself; let's wait a minute. “Jasmine,” you say. “Do you have any powers? Like, the ability to use Steel moves or something?” She gives you a look. “WHAT? WHY WOULD I BE ABLE TO DO THAT?” “Well, y'know,” you say, shifting uncomfortably. “I mean... you knew I needed the lift, and you seemed to send it down without moving from the spot...” “YOU LEFT THE LIFT DOWN THERE LAST TIME,” she reminds you. “I OPENED THE DOOR, YES – USING THE MAIN LIFT CONTROL PANEL UP IN THE LIGHT ROOM. I KNEW YOU WERE COMING BECAUSE I HEARD YOU. I HAVE GOOD HEARING, REMEMBER?” “Oh yeah,” you say. “Heh. I knew that.” You totally didn't. And she knows it. Damn, Othodox. This is the only girl you've met who isn't made of fire. Don't screw this one up. > Well, since everyone else spoke a few of my concerns, here's the other one: remove the coral from the chopper. “Right.” You turn to the chopper. “There's... no way we're getting all of that off, is there?” “I don't think so,” says Elm. “The weight has bent the rotors right out of shape, and the tail's sagging – no, I'm afraid to say it's not flying anywhere else. We just need to clear a path to the laptop so I can get it out of there. The generator's screwed now, but I'll work until the battery runs out.” “OK.” You turn to Jasmine. “Can you rip that stuff off? You seem... strong.” I could burn it, suggests Vesta. “I don't think that'll work, Vesta,” you say gently. “Coral doesn't really burn. Especially not Water/Rock type coral.” Could we try? she persists. “Oh, OK,” you say. “Have a quick go.” “I'LL TEAR IT OFF AFTERWARDS,” says Jasmine to you in a low voice, or what passes for a low voice for her. She's smiling; perhaps she finds the way you humour Vesta sweet. You certainly hope she does. “YOUR FIRE IS ADORABLE.” You beam at her. “Isn't she?” Vesta interrupts any further conversation by shooting a jet of flame at the helicopter's flank; it hits the coral and dissipates almost immediately. Aw, she says, disappointed. It doesn't burn... “Never mind, Vesta,” you say consolingly. “There'll be other things to burn.” Jasmine steps forwards and brings one slender hand into the morass of coral on the helicopter's floor; it shatters with an unearthly and wholly unexpected shriek, and the rest of it seems to flinch away from her, crawling over the surface of the metal like spilled ink. “YOU KNOW,” she says, “I COULD JUST GO IN AND PICK UP THE LAPTOP. I THINK THE CORAL MIGHT BE SCARED OF ME.” “Well, do that then,” says Elm. “But be careful! I mean, it grew over the helicopter. Don't let it grow on you.” Jasmine nods and puts one foot carefully inside the helicopter. The coral shrinks away. “I THINK IT'S OK,” she says, pulling her other foot up. “YES. IT'S NOT ATTACKING.” She picks up the laptop and tugs out the power cord. Then she jumps back out, landing on the road with such force that she cracks the tarmac asunder. “HERE,” she says, waving the laptop. “GOT I—” The coral shoots up her arm— Jasmine sighs and swats it like a fly. It cracks open and falls in chunks to the floor, waving its little tendrils madly. The remnants clump together desperately on her bicep, but she keeps brushing at it; there is colossal strength in her metal fingers, and soon there is nothing at all left but the polished steel gleam of her bare muscles. “THAT WAS INCONVENIENT,” she says – of an attack that would have killed you faster than you could blink. “HERE'S YOUR COMPUTER, PROFESSOR.” |
whistle in awe... we have a flightless supergirl here. :3
anyway... uh... yeah, i got nothing else. let's wait for other voices to voice their commands. >.> |
I think the majority of the other voices are also shocked at her strength.
When was the last time you prayed to Tabiti? I think it would be a good idea to do that. |
I know the odds aren't looking good, but is there a chance that Jasmine can scare the coral off of Elm like she did when she entered the helicopter? It's a long shot, but it's worth a go.
Knightfall signing off... |
I think the last thing we want the coral that's in Elm's neck to do is panic. Unless the masterball works without shredding his arteries, spinal chord or larynx, I'm pretty sure there's nothing we can do for him. It's practically a bomb collar.
I suppose if all you can do is wait for elm to finish, and Vesta can't be trained without an opponent, talk with Jasmine. You don't really know her well, ask her about... things you hope won't upset her? Will her memories of her human life upset her because she's a steel zombie now? Will talk of dreams and goals upset her because she thinks she has no future? Other voices should add opinions before you try. Hopefully you should be fine as long as you don't call her a steel zombie. |
What if Jasmine can scare the coral off elms neck ???
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What if, and I'm not certain of anything, we try to think ahead a little.
Disregarding the coral for now, although it's clearly important, what happens when the Eldritch Quilava (possibly Typhlosion by now) turns up and sets his fiery sights on the metallic body of Jasmine? Fire is super effective, as we know, against Steel- perhaps we could try and think of a contingency plan for when he/she inevitably turns up and tries to melt Jasmine into a pile of tragic slag. |
> I know the odds aren't looking good, but is there a chance that Jasmine can scare the coral off of Elm like she did when she entered the helicopter? It's a long shot, but it's worth a go.
“Jasmine,” you say, as Elm takes the laptop and checks it for any sign of damage, “could you scare the coral off Elm's neck?” “I DON'T THINK SO,” she says. “IT WAS SCARED BECAUSE I PUNCHED IT. I DON'T THINK I CAN PUNCH THE CLUMP ON HIS NECK WITHOUT KILLING HIM.” “Yeah, I'll vote we don't put that to the test,” says Elm. “Look, we need to get inside somewhere – I don't know if there's still electricity? I could plug the laptop in, and I think we could use the cover.” “Yeah,” you agree. “Makes sense.” You point. “That house there should do.” Minutes later, you are comfortably installed in the house on the hill, and, since the electricity is still on (as you proved so long ago with the TV and That Thing, Players rest his warty soul), Elm is soon tapping away at the translation programme. > When was the last time you prayed to Tabiti? I think it would be a good idea to do that. You mutter a prayer to Tabiti. Nothing happens, but then again, nothing usually happens right away. > Talk with Jasmine. You don't really know her well, ask her about... things you hope won't upset her? Will her memories of her human life upset her because she's a steel zombie now? Will talk of dreams and goals upset her because she thinks she has no future? “So,” you say, sitting down next to Jasmine. “How are you?” “DEAD,” she replies. “NO. SORRY, THAT'S HARD TO RESPOND TO.” “It is,” you agree. “FOR NOW... I'M OK,” she tells you. “FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SO LONG, THERE ARE... THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE, AND THERE'S SUNLIGHT, AND...” A mercury tear trickles down her cheek and splashes dangerously on the fabric of the sofa – but she isn't sad. She's smiling through the remnants of her lips, splintered teeth laid bare in a grin. “I'M VERY GRATEFUL, OTHODOX,” she says. “THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR – FOR RESCUING ME.” You blush a little; it's hard to avoid it when someone says something like that. Especially someone who shines as beautifully as Jasmine does. “Oh,” you say, feigning indifference. “It was nothing, really. I mean – I was just – we need to survive,” you finish lamely. “As many of us as we can.” Her smile fades a little. “WE WON'T LIVE,” she tells you. “IN A WAY, OTHODOX, THERE IS NO ONE HERE BUT YOU. ANYONE WHO MEETS YOU CAN TELL IT IMMEDIATELY. THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT YOU... WE'RE JUST, WELL, EXTRAS. PUPPETS. YOU... YOU'RE SPECIAL.” She hesitates. “THIS IS YOUR WORLD NOW,” she says. “SINCE THE PLAYERS SPAWNED YOU, THE REST OF US ARE...” She doesn't finish. Elm's fingers hover over the keyboard, frozen. He's staring ahead, unseeing. There is silence. “I don't know about any of that,” you say eventually. “Maybe you'll die. Maybe you won't. Maybe I'll die. But let's say that you do, and I do – let's say we all die. Let's say that that Eldritch Quilava tears down the wall and kills the lot of us in ten minutes. “So we're all dead – but we're not dying slowly in a cave. We're not crying forever in darkened rooms. The sun is shining on us. The monsters have retreated. And we're doing everything we can to fix the break in the world.” You catch Elm's eye and draw him out of his blankness; once you have his attention, you turn your gaze on Jasmine. “We're being heroes,” you say. “There's no shame in dying like that. Much less than slowly wasting away in the dark.” There is another silence. Then, without a word, Elm returns to his translation, fingers hammering the keys faster than ever. For her part, Jasmine hugs you – extremely carefully. It's a little like being caught in a very gentle man-trap. > Fire is super effective, as we know, against Steel- perhaps we could try and think of a contingency plan for when he/she inevitably turns up and tries to melt Jasmine into a pile of tragic slag. Um... run, I guess? Seriously, though. What else could you do? Shoot it with the Highly Persuasive Handgun? You're not sure, but you think that might just make it mad. Hm. Well, y'know, running is still an option. |
Do whatever you can to prepare for an attack. The only thing I can think of is making some sort of barricade and plan out an escape route. After that try finding more food, water, lootable stuff.
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Feed Vesta and try to train her a little more if you can. If not just rest until Elm is done. Youve been on the move too long in a consistent manner.
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Is there anyway to make a shield out of dead coral? Because that would be dead useful against Quilava's ranged attacks. Especially, for Jasmine - can you imagine how convenient it would be if we could shape her a suit of coral? - if she was safe from his fire, she would be strong enough to fight it, probably.
OH! See if Jasmine can grab some polyps and put them in jars or bottles (empty ones) so they can become anti fire grenades!! What if you loaded it into the spratchery and shot it at Quilava!! It's water/rock with heavy defense, there's GOT to be a way to use this. Masterball? Catch what's left in the helicopter? |
> Do whatever you can to prepare for an attack. The only thing I can think of is making some sort of barricade and plan out an escape route. After that try finding more food, water, lootable stuff.
You push those items of furniture you don't need in front of the door, and open the window. Then you close the curtains. That way, you're disguised from the outside, but you can jump out easily if you need to. There is nothing left to loot. > Is there anyway to make a shield out of dead coral? Because that would be dead useful against Quilava's ranged attacks. Especially, for Jasmine - can you imagine how convenient it would be if we could shape her a suit of coral? - if she was safe from his fire, she would be strong enough to fight it, probably. Maybe you could, but you haven't actually seen any dead coral, and you don't want to risk putting your hand on any live coral. Besides, you're pretty sure that dead coral would lose whatever makes it so good against fire, and go back to being a rather fragile form of rock. After all, the organism inside would be dead. > OH! See if Jasmine can grab some polyps and put them in jars or bottles (empty ones) so they can become anti fire grenades!! What if you loaded it into the spratchery and shot it at Quilava!! It's water/rock with heavy defense, there's GOT to be a way to use this. Masterball? Catch what's left in the helicopter? You think that would break the Spratchery; it can only really handle organic matter, and the calcium carbonate exoskeleton of the coral would seriously mess with its mechanisms. You put the 'grenade' idea to Elm, though, and he points out that the coral needs to grow on something to stay alive. Otherwise (as pointed out above) you're going to end up just throwing rocks in bottles. Which is awesomely weird, but rather pointless. Unless you're willing to give up some of your food supply to grow the coral on inside these bottles, it won't work. Your call. > Feed Vesta and try to train her a little more if you can. If not just rest until Elm is done. Youve been on the move too long in a consistent manner. You break some floorboards and feed Vesta, which is much appreciated. You can't train her, unfortunately; like all Pokémon, she grows mainly by battling others, and there isn't much she can take on around here. Since there appears to be nothing else to do, you rest, and soon find yourself asleep. --- Down, down, down you go; you had almost forgotten about this, so long is it since you last slept away from Lugia's psychic influence, but it all comes back now, and the familiar sickening feeling grabs your stomach and hauls it down towards the ocean floor, dragging you along in its wake. Bug-eyed fish swim past, twitching and snapping spasmodically; the water fades from blue to black, and then at last to a murky, unearthly green, as you reach the weed-strewn streets of the city that you have at last realised must be R'lyeh. Once again, you follow the Deep Ones in their flopping, graceless march towards the summit of the mountain city, floating through twisted streets lined with wall-eyed temples and hideous grinning houses; you float past statues that remind you unpleasantly of beach-buried idols, and others of five-pointed barrel-like things, always depicted beneath the feet of the cuttle-headed alien thing. Beneath you, the Deep Ones bay, their voices booming like cannonfire beneath the waves. The thin, monotonous piping grows louder and more insistent; the buildings on either side grow larger and more spectacular; the street rises, and the chanting seems to roll straight through you. “Iä! Cthulhu!” And now you can actually see the surface above you, and the Deep Ones are bursting through it into the unbelievable brightness of a tropical midday, onto the beaches that have built up around a great jag of rock like the root of a mountain. Somehow, you are still floating, drifting above them; you see the gaunt black gulls that nest on the upper reaches of the island, circling like vultures; you see the Deep Ones proceeding with awful majesty to the door, vast as the face of a god, that sprawls across the island, and as they take their positions by its side with their levers you hear them cry out something in a language older even than the simian ancestors of humanity. They plunge the levers down, and the door begins to open— --- “Hey,” says Elm. “Othodox. I've got it!” “Huh?” You start awake. It is dark now in the little house, and the only light is that of Elm's laptop screen. “I've done it,” he says. “I've completed the translation!” “You have?” You are, all at once, very much awake. “Well, let's hear it, then!” “OK.” He scrolls for a moment. “It starts with 'In his house at R'lyeh—'” “—DEAD CTHULHU LIES DREAMING,” finishes Jasmine. “WE KNOW THAT ONE ALREADY.” “Ah. Yes, OK.” He coughs. “Well, it goes on: 'The stars once were good, and great Cthulhu and his brood had their mark on the world; but the stars changed, and they could not live. Dead, dreaming; that is not dead which may eternal lie. When the stars align once more, then shall he come to a waking dream, and then shall his servants open wide the tomb-door, and Cthulhu, great High Priest of the Old Ones, shall rise to reclaim what is his.'” There is a long silence. “Dreams,” you say slowly. “Dreams, always dreams... at least this Cthulhu isn't awake yet.” “YES,” agrees Jasmine. “WERE CTHULHU TO WAKE, NONE OF US WOULD SURVIVE. IF EVERY CREATURE IN THE WORLD SIMULTANEOUSLY TURNED ON HIM – EVEN THEN, HE WOULD DESTROY THEM ALL AS CASUALLY AS YOU WOULD SWAT A FLY.” “But obviously the stars have aligned,” says Elm. “Which means that these dreams...” “The waking dream of Cthulhu,” you say. “I don't know. Perhaps that's what he's dreaming of. The Deep Ones, come to open his temple and unleash him.” “THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVEN'T DONE IT,” observes Jasmine. “HE HASN'T WOKEN. AND IT HAS BEEN YEARS SINCE THIS STARTED...” “You're right,” you agree. “Something must be preventing them from opening it. But the dreams... the dreams, and the time-stop, and the Unown...” You scratch your head. “There's something here, I know it,” you sigh. “I can feel it.” But what is it, exactly? You have all the clues now, you realise, all the pieces of the puzzle – but how do they fit together? What is the Dreaming, and why is it happening? The infection spreads. Elm is Mildly Inconvenienced. Note: Debate is encouraged here. Please feel free to take as much time as you need. |
The infection spreads. Oh Crap !!! There has to be a way to get that off elm otherwise he will die because the narrator wants it :P
So what's next ??? Maybe visiting the ruins of Alph ( or Goldenrod ??) ?? Maybe there is something there related to the unown...maybe an inscription on the wall of a ruin ??? And what about Lyra (?) she had made a weird call earlier right ??? |
Well, since Cutlerine said to debate, I've decided to put some of what I've taken note of here.
~~~ A part of the puzzle has to do with the prevails/pervades phrase. ==== Phrase -- Call: A smell of petroleum prevails throughout. Title/Remembering: A smell of petroleum pervades throughout. ==== Definitions -- prevail: 1. To be greater in strength or influence; triumph: prevailed against the enemy. 2. To be or become effective; win out: hoped justice would prevail. 3. To be most common or frequent; be predominant: a region where snow and ice prevail. 4. To be in force, use, or effect; be current: an ancient tradition that still prevails. 5. To use persuasion or inducement successfully. Often used with on, upon, or with. See Synonyms at persuade. The fourth definition makes the most sense in context with the phrase. Rephrasing it using the fourth definition in mind gives "A smell of petroleum is in force throughout". pervade: to spread through or throughout, esp subtly or gradually; permeate This phrase is rewritten as "A smell of petroleum is gradually spreading throughout". ==== Rephrased Phrases -- Call Def 4: A smell of petroleum is in force throughout. Title Def: A smell of petroleum is gradually spreading throughout. I normally would find how the two would relate to each other, but a quick scan of the beginning of the adventure made me realize that "Lyra" was the person who gave us the call phrase (I forgot to write that down when I made that note). There was also a "Bloodstained Mail" by Lyra. Although the contents of the message are to be a bit expected, the way it was delivered wasn't. Are the Lyra from the mail and the Lyra from the call the same? If they are, who's blood is on the letter? I doubt it would be her's, unless she was bleeding at the time that she wrote it. It makes some sense that it could be someone else's blood. If they aren't, then who has Lyra's PokeGear? What happened to Lyra? Could the person have knocked off Lyra, and thus it's her blood on the letter? When was the letter written? ...Yeah, some of my notes are questions. Anyways, I think that whoever is on the other end of Lyra's PokeGear has something to do with this. ~~~ Commands ~~~ > Do you have your PokeGear? See if you can call Lyra up again. > Also, how exactly are we going to get to Goldenrod or the Ruins of Alph from Olivine? Head to Ecruteak first, you may be able to get some protection for Elm and Jasmine because they're with you. > Completely random idea here, but smell the air. |
I actually did a little research and discovered that the phrase "a smell of petroleum prevails throughout" is what a man answered was the secret of the universe. However, the original wording I discovered was "a strong smell of turpentine prevails throughout." This probably doesnt mean anything though.
Another thing. All the talk of the Deep Ones is strictly Lovecraftian. And what the Deep Ones want is to reclaim the world they left behind. The Dreaming is a means to this end. Im not sure how. We also have the Bad Egg. Usually, when a Bad Egg hatched in game, the game would freeze and youd be forced to restart. I think thats whats going to happen here. The Bad Egg is going to hatch and force restart the universe. My Command to further the narrative: Check on the Bad Egg and discuss the mystery of Lyra with Elm, who may know where she is, and Jasmine. |
Another point is that I've specifically mentioned the masterballs - using even one of the two - at least three times now, and every single time, the narrator sort of ignores it. I think they're important for something.
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> Do you have your PokeGear? See if you can call Lyra up again.
Click. “The number you have dialled cannot be reached, because it is in existential torment.” Huh. > Completely random idea here, but smell the air. It smells of seawater and burning (that'll be Vesta, you guess), and – very, very faintly – of fish and petrol, which is probably due to the Eldritch Krabby burrowing around under the town. > Check on the Bad Egg and discuss the mystery of Lyra with Elm, who may know where she is, and Jasmine. It appears to move occasionally. It may be close to hatching. “Who is Lyra?” you ask. “What?” “Lyra,” you say. “The woman who sent me the Mail. I just tried to call her again, but there was nothing.” Elm shrugs. “A Trainer from New Bark,” he replies. “No one special – not particularly talented or anything. I wouldn't worry about the message in your PC, though; I think that's a spawn artefact – one of those things that always appears when a new player character is created.” “I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS,” says Jasmine. “SORRY.” “That's fine,” you tell her. “So we don't know who was on the other end of the line when I called her Pokégear and was told that a smell of petroleum prevails throughout?” “Nope.” Elm shakes his head. “To be honest, I think the Unown are more important here.” > Also, how exactly are we going to get to Goldenrod or the Ruins of Alph from Olivine? Head to Ecruteak first, you may be able to get some protection for Elm and Jasmine because they're with you. “The Unown are definitely important here,” you agree. “Definitely. I suppose we need to get to the Ruins of Alph and see if anything's up.” “OK,” says Elm. “How are we doing that without a helicopter?” “Walking, I guess,” you reply. “To Ecruteak first – we should be safe there, because of the Gengar.” “WE CAN LEAVE IN THE MORNING,” says Jasmine. “I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD BE OUT AT NIGHT.” All three of you can agree on that. “OK,” you say. “So. For the time being – any more ideas about what might be going on? I know we've got all the clues.” Elm sighs. “I don't know,” he replies. “I think this is a player character thing, Othodox. We can't do this; we can discuss the ideas with you, but you have to come up with them.” He shrugs. “I know it sounds odd, but it's how this works. I think.” “I AGREE,” says Jasmine. “THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE JUST KNOW.” Othodox's Hunger is rising. Othodox's Thirst is rising. Elm's Hunger is rising. Elm's Thirst is rising. The infection spreads. Elm is Pained. |
Ask Elm what he meant before about getting the Eldritch Quilava off your back. He appears to have forgotten and it would be nice to have that information before he goes caput.
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Ignore Elms Hunger and Thirst hes dying anyway and our food supply is limited. Take a small snack and small drink, purify some water with the distillation thing I recall having and set up for the night.
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Quote:
Also does Jasmine not need food and water? |
Before heading out use the pokedex
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Ignoring Elm's hunger and thirst is really really...yeah, I don't like that idea. He's still alive, and ignoring that is really cruel. So let him join and you three should eat and drink something. If Vesta's hungry, give her some wood.
Then, before you guys get some shut eye, plan on who will stay up for a few hours to keep watch. |
> Ask Elm what he meant before about getting the Eldritch Quilava off your back. He appears to have forgotten and it would be nice to have that information before he goes caput.
“All right. We're not getting anywhere with this right now; let's try something else. Professor, you said you had an idea for getting the Quilava off my tail?” “Well,” he replies, “the Steelix hasn't come back after Jasmine now, has it?” “NO, IT HASN'T,” she confirms. “NOT SINCE I DIED.” “So, that was my plan,” he said. “If we can trick it into thinking you're dead, then maybe it'll stop chasing you.” He shrugs. “I don't really know how to do that. It was just a thought.” > Ignore Elms Hunger and Thirst hes dying anyway and our food supply is limited. Take a small snack and small drink, purify some water with the distillation thing I recall having and set up for the night. > No, we have no idea how long he is going to live, and he will be more useful when well fed. Besides, the coral is basically a parasitic organism in Elms body, parasites does not have any interest in killing their host; they want him to stay alive so they can continue to feed on him. Eat, drink and sleep, then prepare to set out in the morning. > Ignoring Elm's hunger and thirst is really really...yeah, I don't like that idea. He's still alive, and ignoring that is really cruel. So let him join and you three should eat and drink something. If Vesta's hungry, give her some wood. Then, before you guys get some shut eye, plan on who will stay up for a few hours to keep watch. You eat, drink and make as merry as you can under the circumstances, but you don't distil any water, because you forgot to pick the distillation device up before you jumped in the helicopter and fled Cianwood. Sigh. Oh, Othodox. What will we do with you? Elm will sleep all night, since he is tired from his work and the predation of the piece of Corsola; you'll sleep in the early hours of the morning, since you have been asleep all afternoon; and Jasmine will remain awake all night, because the only reason she would sleep is for comfort – and in this dream-haunted world, sleep brings no comfort at all. > Also does Jasmine not need food and water? She doesn't have much of an appetite these days. Nor would you if your stomach had crushed in a Steelix's gizzard and turned into a lump of manganese. > Before heading out use the pokedex Results: No Pokémon found! Huh. That's actually more ominous than if it had said it had found a hundred and sixty-five. Where are they all? Have they gone into hiding? Have they all been killed by the Quilava and their corpses dragged away to be torn apart in some rank, bloody den? This question is not long dominant in your mind, however, because shortly afterwards the Pokédex goes bloop and turns itself off. It would appear you have run out of battery power. That's not a particularly auspicious start to your journey north, but there's nothing much to be done about it, so, as the sun climbs up into the sky, you set off for Ecruteak. As you pass the northernmost buildings of Olivine, you see signs of fire; there's nothing here now – perhaps the storm blew over here and extinguished the flames – but the walls are stained black with soot, and the earth has been baked into crude terracotta. There's even lumps of gritty glass in the sand. You don't think the Eldritch Quilava was very happy that you got away. “Is this... Christ, is this all from that Quilava?” asks Elm. You nod. “OH DEAR,” says Jasmine timidly. “IT SEEMED A LOT, UM – A LOT LESS SCARY WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT IT. AND IT SOUNDED SCARY EVEN THEN.” It's big, points out Vesta helpfully. Very big, and very fiery. Like me when I burned the flappy things. “Golbat,” you say. “Those were Golbat, Vesta.” Ah, she says. Gol-bat. OK. You travel on, and the burned buildings give way to the giant molehills and pits of Route 39. You don't linger here; this is the first time you've seen this place really clearly, and you can now appreciate just how scarred and twisted the ground is. This is a place lost to nature; you are not welcome here, not any more. It is the kingdom of the Eldritch Steelix. Further on you go, past the ruined MooMoo Farm (and while we're on the subject, do you think you could go somewhere without burning it to the ground for once? You really are a most destructive little creature); you can see the vast dome of night over Ecruteak now – the shell of the Eldritch Gengar, waiting for God knows what. “OH DEAR,” says Jasmine, staring at it. “OH DEAR...” “It's OK,” you say, squeezing her hand comfortingly and remembering too late that it's made of metal. “It's just the Gengar. We should be safe in there.” She swallows. “OK,” she says doubtfully. “IF YOU SAY SO...” Elm's reaction is rather different. “Mother of God,” he breathes. “That's fascinating.” There's science for you. Show a normal man a monster and he'll run for the hills; show it to a biologist and he'll measure the length of its toenails. Come on, crackles Vesta. We should go. The nemesis is coming. Ah. That can only mean one thing. “The Eldritch Quilava?” you ask. Yes. It's in the forest, far to the north. Vesta pauses. It's running very fast, I think. “Right,” you say, breaking into a brisk march. “Come on! We're leaving.” Spurred on by the thought of an unpleasantly fiery death, you cover the remaining distance to Ecruteak in record time, and soon you're within the misty grey twilight of the city once again. Hello, Othodox. The sky tears open; the Gengar looks down upon you. You have returned, it tells you unnecessarily. And look... I remember you, Elm – and you too, Jasmine, though this world has been less kind to you than to the Professor. It sighs; dark winds race through the empty streets. The lesser Ghosts are watching, you can sense, but they don't reveal their presence. It would seem you are close to your goal, the Gengar continues. The dreams are getting longer. “Yeah,” you reply. “We're on our way to the Ruins of Alph.” Ah, says the Gengar. How singularly appropriate! In the Dreaming, of course, you would head for the Unown... Good luck to you all. Elm and Jasmine are awestruck, staring up at the gigantic eyes above; for a moment, you wonder how it is that you're more used to this world than they are, and then you remember that normal people survive here by finding a hole and hiding in it: you are a special case. By hook or by crook, you have fought and fled and burned your way across Johto, forever one step ahead of certain death. Not too bad a resumé, actually. 'Saving the world in the face of dire perils' is the sort of thing that impresses employers, you imagine. Actually, thinking about the consequences of this, you also anticipate that it's going to be fairly easy for you to get laid after this as well. Girls like a guy who fights forces so terrible that no human language has a word for them. You think. The infection spreads. Elm is Feeling the Itch. |
Pray(how long has it been?) Ask Gengar if he has batteries, if he doesn't loot Ecruteak. Tell Jasmine to scratch Elm and last but not least teach Vesta grammar.
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Ask the Gengar if he/she/it can tell you anything about the Ruins of Alph.
Also, you should probably try and see if you can find supplies, food or anything useful around, since, y'know, your starter is already pretty hot on your trail... |
> Pray(how long has it been?) Ask Gengar if he has batteries, if he doesn't loot Ecruteak. Tell Jasmine to scratch Elm and last but not least teach Vesta grammar.
This isn't exactly the kind of itch you can scratch. This is more of an itch coming from a canker in the soul, a little boil of self formed where the questing tendrils of eldritch parasites plunge deep into one's core; unless you know a philosopher with a liberal attitude and an array of magic spells, there's nothing really you can do but wait, and hope that when you fix the world the coral will die and fall away from him. You very much doubt the Gengar has batteries. It's the freaking sky, for God's sake! As for looting Ecruteak, you already did that. Vesta has learned as much about grammar as you can teach her. She slightly misunderstands the meaning of the word 'nemesis', but now isn't the time to correct her. > Ask the Gengar if he/she/it can tell you anything about the Ruins of Alph. Also, you should probably try and see if you can find supplies, food or anything useful around, since, y'know, your starter is already pretty hot on your trail... Hah! It's hot on your tail? Get it? Because it's following you, and it's on fire? … Sheesh. Fine. Be like that. Anyway, you ask the Gengar if it knows anything about the Ruins of Alph. Something is waiting there, it tells you. Something young and strong. I cannot see what it is, but I fear it. It blinks slowly. The Unown are buzzing, it goes on. I feel them humming in the air all around us, but I cannot see them. Not until they die. “Right,” you say. “Uh, thanks.” You cannot loot Ecruteak. There is nothing left to loot, unless you can somehow get past the locked gate of the Bellchime Trail and investigate the Bell Tower. |
I dont know if this was already a thing, but apparently Vesta can sense the Quilava? Was that previously established?
Secondly, I would suggest having either Vesta or Jasmine attack the Gate and enter the Bell Tower. It appears that normally intelligent Pokemon, such as Ghosts/Legendaries/etc. become self aware during the Dreaming. And, since the Tower is supposedly home to Ho-oh and a passing place for the Legendary Trio of Johto, I'd say its worth checking out. |
Do we have time to wander around? I guess we do, since, maybe, just maybe, that the Gengar dome/sky/whatever can protect us from other Eldritch creatures entering the city.
After checking the Bell Tower, I guess we should plan how to get to the Ruins of Alph. Prepare necessary weaponry for protection as well. |
> I dont know if this was already a thing, but apparently Vesta can sense the Quilava? Was that previously established?
Secondly, I would suggest having either Vesta or Jasmine attack the Gate and enter the Bell Tower. It appears that normally intelligent Pokemon, such as Ghosts/Legendaries/etc. become self aware during the Dreaming. And, since the Tower is supposedly home to Ho-oh and a passing place for the Legendary Trio of Johto, I'd say its worth checking out. Jasmine smashes the lock on the door to the Bellchime Trail with one blow of her open palm – reminding you indirectly of Tom Buchanan – and you pass through into the gatehouse where a few old monks live. There's nothing here (no one since Henry VIII has ever got much out of looting monasteries) but you're able to get onto the Bellchime Trail without much incident. The place is... different, to be sure. It looks normal enough – locked in perpetual autumn by means unknown – but only half as long as normal due to the great black wall of the Gengar cutting it in two. You've all passed through the Gengar's side before by now, though, and you only have to persuade Jasmine a little bit before she follows you and Elm through. On the other side, the Bell Tower rises straight and tall, a colossal monument to human endeavour; as always, you can feel a faint mellifluous hum in the air, as if the bell had just finished ringing when you arrived, and the last strains of its voice murmur among the orange leaves. Oh yeah, and there's a dead Ho-Oh on the ground in front of it. “OH MY GOD!” cries Jasmine, staring at the gigantic carcase. “HO-OH'S DEAD!” “Yes,” says Elm. “I had noticed.” He walks a little closer and scratches absently at the coral spreading across his cheek. “It fell from the Tower,” he says, looking puzzled. “And it isn't Eldritch...” That's what seems so strange about it: Ho-Oh is the same as ever, resplendent in its rainbow-hued feathers. Red and gold mingle in the scabbed blood around its head, not green, and it smells of honey and rot, not petrol. There is a savage twist in its neck where it broke it in the fall from the roof; that shouldn't have killed an Eldritch Pokémon – or at least, not for long. “What the hell happened here?” you say at length. It's the first thing you've been able to see since you arrived; Ho-Oh is too big, too colourful, too alive and yet too dead, and it fills your eye and your mind to capacity. “I think it fell off the roof,” says Elm. His voice is toneless; he is as stricken as you are. “It fell off the roof...” “We can't leave it here,” you say immediately. “We have to – bury it, or something—” “I AGREE,” says Jasmine. “BUT IT'S SO... IT WOULD TAKE US WEEKS TO DIG A HOLE BIG ENOUGH FOR IT.” Elm sighs. “She's right,” he says. “We can't spare the time.” “And we can't leave it here!” you insist. “It's Ho-oh!” “I know!” he snaps. “I'm thinking, damn it—” I have an idea, says Vesta, and the instant she says it, you realise what it is. “Good girl,” you tell her. “That's it.” You turn to Elm and Jasmine. “We can't bury it,” you say. “But we can cremate it.” “IT'S... HOW IT SHOULD BE,” replies Jasmine. Her voice is shaking; is that the light glinting on her cheeks, or are those more mercury tears? “HO-OH IS FIRE AND AIR. WE SHOULD RETURN IT TO THAT.” Elm nods, his aggression spent. “Fine,” he says. “Good idea.” He takes Jasmine's arm. “We should step back,” he says. “Ho-Oh's flame sacs are probably still full – if they'd burst in the fall, it would already have burnt up. The blaze will be, uh, potent.” They take a few hurried steps away. You unwind the Tangle of Fireproof Webbing and hold up Vesta to the light. “Burn it with respect, OK?” you tell her quietly. “This is like – this thing was a national icon. It's like a god of fire.” A god of fire... Vesta sounds captivated by the idea. We will burn together, she decides. With respect! “Good girl. Now!” You swing the Webbing like a sling and hurl it at Ho-Oh's side; in an instant, the flesh and feathers seem to have disappeared, leaving a skeleton dimly visible at the core of a twisting inferno that climbs up, up and up, higher than the trees, higher even than the Bell Tower, belching black and gold smoke like a great primeval dragon. And in among Vesta's green flames are golden ones, Ho-Oh's flames; and blue-purple ones, the sacred fire unleashed in the myths against the enemies of the Johtonians; and in the kaleidoscope of fire and light a massive heat is born, stripping the leaves from the trees in a wave of redly pulsing air, sending them spiralling around the blaze like nymphs dancing wild in some flaming Bacchanalia. Then it is done. The flames die down, the smoke vanishes; sparks wink out and of Ho-oh there is nothing left at all, not even ash – except for the Tangle of Fireproof Webbing, smoking gently but still intact, and a little dark object on the scorched ground. Othodox found one Flattened Unown! Othodox put the Flattened Unown in the Pouch. What a way to go: crushed to death beneath a falling legendary Pokémon. Makes you think, doesn't it? No, I guess it doesn't. “Whoa,” you breathe. “Yeah,” agrees Elm. “IT'S AT PEACE,” says Jasmine. “AT LAST.” “More than that,” Elm says. “Ho-Oh doesn't die – not permanently. It's a species of phoenix, after all.” He stares up at the now-smokeless sky. “Wherever that smoke went, Ho-Oh will be reborn,” he says. “It's not gone. We just moved it along a little.” “Will it be reborn Eldritch?” He shrugs. “I have no idea,” he says honestly. “I hope not. It wasn't Eldritch when it died, so maybe...” He shrugs again. “I don't know.” There is a long silence. “Well,” you say, “we should go and look in the Bell Tower. See what we can find.” “What about Vesta?” asks Elm, pointing. You look. The Webbing is still smoking; it's probably not a good idea to touch it just yet. “I'll get her on the way out,” you decide. “Just wait there, Vesta.” You enter the Bell Tower, and split up to search the various floors. An hour later, you meet up again to pool your findings. Othodox found one Ceremonial Sword! Othodox put the Ceremonial Sword in the Pouch. Othodox found one Pot of Incense! Othodox put the Pot of Incense in the Pouch. Elm found one Blessed Staff! Elm put the Blessed Staff in the Priestly Paraphernalia Pocket of Elm's Bag. Jasmine found one Grimoire! Jasmine put the Grimoire in Othodox's Pouch. Jasmine found one Sacred Ash! Jasmine put the Sacred Ash in Othodox's Pouch. You go outside again and collect Vesta – but as soon as you pick her up, you notice that her experience in the funerary pyre has changed her. Congratulations! Your Vesta evolved into NEW SPECIES [PLEASE ENTER NAME DATA MANUALLY]! > Do we have time to wander around? I guess we do, since, maybe, just maybe, that the Gengar dome/sky/whatever can protect us from other Eldritch creatures entering the city. After checking the Bell Tower, I guess we should plan how to get to the Ruins of Alph. Prepare necessary weaponry for protection as well. You stare. “Vesta...?” “Yeah?” she answers, and you start. That is not her usual half-voice, buried in crackles and spits. That is a distinctly human voice – and recognisably female, as well. “You've evolved.” “Is that what it's called? I wasn't sure. I've definitely changed, if that's what you mean.” “Oh yeah,” you manage, nodding. “You've definitely changed.” Within the Tangle of Fireproof Webbing is a ball of golden flame in continual motion, endlessly extruding tentacles and half-formed limbs of liquid fire; Vesta resembles a baby shoggoth made of napalm, or something like that, and she can obviously move far more quickly than she used to. “I don't think you need to carry me any more,” she says, diffidently – with a hint, you think, of the embryonic rebelliousness of a fledgeling teenager. “Oh, OK,” you reply, putting her down. “Do you still need the—” The Webbing boils and shudders, glowing gold from within as flames force their way through it, expanding, reshaping themselves, pushing the silk into new shapes the Spinarak never thought it might assume; it rises like a lumpish column, rounding at the top and forking in the middle, and grows in great juddering shocks with a sound like melting rock (we shall assume you know what that sounds like) – and then, all at once, the shape uncurls and straightens up and you can see what it is that Vesta has done. Before you stands a statue of a woman (a little oddly-shaped, perhaps, but a pretty good likeness for someone without anyone to model it on): a woman whose skin is indestructible white-grey spider-silk, and whose eyes are formed of the rosy gold fire that makes up her core. You and Vesta stare at each other for a moment. Looking into her burning eyes hurts, as if you were looking at the sun, but you can't quite tear yourself away: this is Vesta, your Vesta, your wonderful, clever little Vesta, and she... Vesta hugs you. It's a bit like being hugged by a baby nuclear reactor, but you don't mind: you hug her back, uncertain why exactly you are crying but not caring, and going on anyway. “I understand it now,” she whispers, and you can tell from the sound of her voice that she is crying too, or something like it. “There's a word for someone like you, isn't there? Someone who looks after me like you do...” You close your eyes. “Thank you for everything,” she says. “Dad.” --- When your gloriously (and, it must be said, slightly sickeningly) sentimental tête-á-tête is over, you turn back to Elm and Jasmine feeling slightly embarrassed, but not nearly as embarrassed as they look. They also look stupefied; this has been rather an unusual event even by the standards of the Dreaming. “Er... What did I just see?” asks Elm. “Vesta evolved,” you say simply. “I'm smarter,” she adds. “I'm older.” Not just physically, you imagine, although you can't deny that she has now been in existence longer than before – but mentally and emotionally; she's still a child, yes, but not as young a child as she was before. You imagine she must be twelve or thirteen in human terms – which is rather confusing, since she seems to have built herself a body based on Jasmine's, and Jasmine is in her early twenties – but it's not the most confusing thing that's happened, so you imagine you can probably deal with it. “RIGHT,” says Jasmine slowly. “UM... NO, ACTUALLY, I'M NOT SURE I CAN PRETEND TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED.” “Vesta's acquired some new abilities with her evolution,” you reply. “Or... well, Vesta can probably explain it best.” “I can change my shape,” she said. “I'm fluid, and stronger than before. And I used the webbing because through the webbing I can touch things without destroying them.” “THAT'S NOT REALLY WHAT I WAS CONFUSED ABOUT,” Jasmine says. “I THINK... WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I THINK.” “I think Jasmine means that we're both, er, startled,” says Elm. “Neither of us were expecting this... actually, you two probably weren't, either.” “No,” you agree. “I wasn't.” “Nor was I,” says Vesta. “Something in Ho-Oh changed me.” “Most Fire-types have organically-generated flintstones inside them to ignite the gas from the flame sacs,” Elm explains. “It's been theorised that Ho-Oh, since it actively generates elemental radiation, must have Fire Stones rather than ordinary flintstones. Perhaps that acted upon you.” There's nothing quite like empirical scientific interest to quash shock, is there? Elm seems to be taking it all in his stride now, and happily pontificates on theories of Pokémon evolution (more properly termed, he explains, Andrian phase metamorphosis, after the scientist who conducted the first major researches into it) all the way back to the gate of the Bellchime Trail. This helps normalise the mood a little, and soon enough the four of you feel almost normal again – though you, naturally, feel more than normal; Vesta is holding your hand, excited at being able to actually touch you, and as well as the heat from her flaming core you feel a warm glow in your chest. Pride? Happiness? Love? You're not sure any one of those does it justice; it's none of them and all of them at once, and it buoys you up even in the gloomy twilight of Ecruteak City. Once safely back within the dome of night, you hold a discussion about how to get to the Ruins of Alph, and decide that there isn't anything you can do except walk. As for weapons, well. You have the Highly Persuasive Handgun, the Hideously Dangerous Stabby Thing, a sword, a big stick, Jasmine, and Vesta. You are better armed than some countries. Othodox's Devotion has improved! Othodox is the Son Tabiti Never Had! |
Whoa! Um, okay. That was really unexpected. But totally cool!
Onward to the Ruins of Alph! |
Can Vesta hold a weapon as well?
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Since Vespa evolved, you should probably name the new species, and then decide whether you want to continue calling her Vespa or the new name. Is the Eldritch Quilava female? And if so is that the mother? it did kind of give birth to Vespa after all.
Also, since The Gengar molecularly disassembled a house earlier, maybe it can do the same with the coral without hurting Elm? Or maybe reassemble him as it goes along? |
Now, this is just a suggestion, but perhaps we should have Orthodox SHOOP DA WHOOP. It should be very effective in solving all our problems. On a side note, see if Vesta's higher control of fire allows her to learn more advanced fire type moves, perhaps a fire shield of sorts to guard against the Eldritch starter so eager to nom your brains out.
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> Can Vesta hold a weapon as well?
Yes, since she now has hands, but to be honest, she's a living weapon herself, and probably a more effective one now that she's evolved. You could always examine her stats to find out more information, you know. She didn't have any before, but she might have acquired them during evolution. Because that would totally make sense. > Since Vespa evolved, you should probably name the new species, and then decide whether you want to continue calling her Vespa or the new name. Is the Eldritch Quilava female? And if so is that the mother? it did kind of give birth to Vespa after all. You name the new species Calcapien and move on. You cannot change Vesta's name; you do not possess a Name Rater. On a side note, the Eldritch Quilava seems to be male, which means that Vesta's is a very progressive family indeed; she has two fathers, one of which isn't even human and which is doing his level best to kill and eat the other father. Modern life, eh? You can't keep up with the changes these days. > Also, since The Gengar molecularly disassembled a house earlier, maybe it can do the same with the coral without hurting Elm? Or maybe reassemble him as it goes along? You ask the Gengar very nicely about removing Elm's coral, and it informs you that, while it can't remove it completely without harming Elm – it's rooted very deeply, and it takes more skill to take apart something embedded in a fragile human without harming them than it does to take apart a house – it can cut the coral back to its roots. (Not that coral has roots, but, well, you know what I mean.) Elm's infection has been reset. Elm is Almost Fine. > Now, this is just a suggestion, but perhaps we should have Orthodox SHOOP DA WHOOP. It should be very effective in solving all our problems. You cannot shoop da whoop. You do not know how to shoop da whoop. > On a side note, see if Vesta's higher control of fire allows her to learn more advanced fire type moves, perhaps a fire shield of sorts to guard against the Eldritch starter so eager to nom your brains out. Fire-types are good at setting things on fire – less so at preventing things from catching on fire. Your experience has taught you that Vesta, like most Fire-types, is geared more towards offence than defence. You do ask her about what she might be able to do, and in response she opens up her mouth, a slit in the webbing, and breathes out a great gout of gold fire. This appears to be somewhere between a Flamethrower and a Fire Blast in potency, but you can't be certain of how strong it is exactly until you examine Vesta's stats. > Onward to the Ruins of Alph! Onwards indeed! You set off to the south, down the sloping plain that will take you to Route 36. Route 37 is a picturesque place, and for the first time you see something almost like normal life here – in the distance, by the trees, a group of Stantler are grazing. They are vast and misshapen, but don't seem to show any interest in you; evidently, the all-consuming hunger of the Eldritch Pokémon is directed, in their case, at leaves. There are bleached bones hidden in the grass, though, so you don't risk going any nearer. Elm picks two up and taps them together. “Long dead,” he said. “Whoever this was has been here for years.” He glances up at the Stantler. “Maybe not them, then, but I wouldn't like to risk it.” You all agree on that point, and continue south to the dark, narrow passage through the trees that forms the centre point of Route 36. Here, you feel eyes watching you from somewhere – invisible eyes, eyes that seem to look from everywhere and nowhere all at once – but see nothing. This does not help your nerves. And, well, when one of the thirty-foot oak trees uproots itself and steps out of the forest to block your path, that doesn't do you much good either. You had always thought Sudowoodo was a laughable sort of Pokémon, looking as it did something like a cocktail sausage brandishing a pair of fans, but you don't think it would be prudent to laugh now at all: a vast, gnarled monster like a stony Ent, this Sudowoodo roars with a noise like a calving iceberg. It also, it seems, wants to eat you. |
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. |
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.
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Well, now would be a good time to see if there's any stats for any member of the team.
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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. |
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.
|
Quote:
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? |
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.
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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. |
Enter the ruins. Do the puzzles.Read the Grimoire
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[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* |
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. |
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.
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Tell the narrator to work on pokemon keratin Ummm do we still hace TM focus puch? Maybe we could teach Vesta? Anywho, enter the ruins
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> 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? |
> 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. |
> 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: “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. |
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. |
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 |
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. |
Quote:
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. Quote:
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. |
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. |
> In what direction did we even came from anyway?
The south. Or, well, it's not really south, but in these games 'behind you' is south, and damn the compass. > And oh, we should probably prepare for battle. You've been prepared for a while now. To be any more prepared, you'd probably have to be Robocop or something. > 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. Othodox used Flash Cannon! There is a huge crashing and rending of rock, and then the exit to the south is gone. Elm nods approvingly; this was a good plan. The figure in the distance is still. (The Highly Persuasive Handgun has 7 PP remaining.) > 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. What exactly would be useful in this situation? You have so many weapons between you that you can't carry them all, and to be honest, you're not sure what else you need. Couldn't it wait until after you save the world? You hear a distant crash. The Quilava, it seems, has entered the tunnels. > Try throwing the master ball at the Quilava It's not exactly within range, but when it turns up, you'll be sure to give that a go. > Look at the Elegant Carvings and Secrets Writ in Stone, then head north to the figure. Hum. Whoever built Alph before it was Ruined was very good at carving circles and lines, but apparently terrible at anything that didn't resemble an Unown. You have no idea what the Carvings are meant to represent – snowmen, maybe? Or are those buffalo? – and the Secrets are equally inscrutable; they are written in Unown runes, but someone has smashed chunks out of them, probably with a pickaxe. You turn your attention to the figure on the other end of the room. It's indistinct in the gloom, but it looks like it might be dark in colour – a statue, perhaps? There's only one way to find out. As one, you move towards it, and as you do so a strange sense of familiarity comes over you. You think you have seen this figure, this statue before – but where? The only statue you've seen has been the Fearsome Idol, and you'd recognise a Cthulhu statue a mile off. You're here, says a voice – a voice that is not a voice; it doesn't sound in the air, like yours, or in your head, like the Gengar's. It just is, in the same way that the rocks and the trees are. It is part of the world. You think you might have heard it before. “Who are you?” you ask. No one else speaks. Something tells them that it is your time. Oh, you know me, the voice replies. I know you, too. We've been through so much together, after all. You are not far from the figure now, and you can see it is a man: a man in a charcoal-coloured suit, standing with his back to you. He is bald, and his skin is oddly tinted with grey; from the base of his spine a tail snakes back and forth, flicking about in ceaseless motion. Suddenly, you notice that his legs each have a joint too many, and that on the top of his head you can make out a pair of short horns. “Who are you?” you repeat. Why does his voice sound so familiar? Where can you have heard it before? Dear me, says the man. I would have thought you would have recognised me, of all people. You stare. You know where you have heard his voice now. It's been with you all along – from the moment you spawned in your room right up to the present. Sometimes it has spoken with the voices in your head, and in fact you can hear it right now, defining events as they unfold. It's the medium, stupid, I say, turning around to face you. After all, every text-based world needs a Narrator. |
Alright, so first off, the Fearsome Idol is definitely going to be useful. It could be a key (which you should ask the Narrator about). Or, it could be tied to the Narrator? Either way, the Narrator seems to be here to help you.
However, I've got a very nasty hunch that there's a lich of or some similar creature involved, and this is the phylactery that just so happens to belong to them. If it's not a key and not tied to the Narrator (if he's a friendly force), then it's definitely a very wise thing to destroy it right then and there. |
Perhaps you should:
> Examine the Fearsome Idol, and ask Vesta, Jasmine and Elm if they can do anything with it given what you've learned. Explain to them what you read if necessary and time allows. > If the above fails, try praying to the God of fire, and talking directly to the Fearsome Idol and/or the voice that is talking to you. Press it for as much information as it will give in the time you have. > Prepare yourself to face down Eldrich Quilava if absolutely necessary. Else run like a weenie in the direction that the other voices indicate. Create a pathway if necessary using tools you have on hand. If you can't, just be prepared to fight. You've probably had enough of this running scared, you're a Trainer and you have Vesta, Elm and Jasmine by your side. That should be enough to survive the encounter even if it might not go well. Take care though and plan things out carefully. > If you have the time, assemble a weapon to use your Focus Punch TM > Keep your gun and the Sword handy. You might need them. > Take a recommended dose of MooMoo Milk, and perhaps give the same to Elm. It might help to be sure that you're in top form so that you can survive the encounter and if needed, fight. It could help Elm fight off the oncoming coral infection and help to render him a little more able to fight and/or run. Worse case scenario, the plan backfires and he becomes Eldrich Corsola and you run like a chicken, leaving it behind for Eldrich Quilava to deal with, which could slow it down considerably considering the typing. I know I'm newly entering here, but I've read the entire story to date, but if any of the voices cares to debate any of these commands because they have better ideas, that's fine. |
> Alright, so first off, the Fearsome Idol is definitely going to be useful. It could be a key (which you should ask the Narrator about). Or, it could be tied to the Narrator? Either way, the Narrator seems to be here to help you.
However, I've got a very nasty hunch that there's a lich of or some similar creature involved, and this is the phylactery that just so happens to belong to them. If it's not a key and not tied to the Narrator (if he's a friendly force), then it's definitely a very wise thing to destroy it right then and there. Right. Because liches are so Lovecraft. “You're the Narrator,” you say. “You're, uh... what?” Forget what the voice says, I tell you. Never mind about the Idol. You used it already. I gave you everything you have for a purpose. I pause. Well. Except Jasmine. I have to say you snatched her up yourself. > Try praying to the God of fire. Prayer. That's a bloody good idea. Past caring what the others think of you, you make obeisance to Tabiti. What the effects are, if any, remains to be seen. > Prepare yourself to face down Eldrich Quilava if absolutely necessary. Else run like a weenie in the direction that the other voices indicate. Create a pathway if necessary using tools you have on hand. If you can't, just be prepared to fight. You're pretty prepared already. You have a sword on your back (although to be honest, it's purely ceremonial and would have a hard time cutting a cabbage) and a Highly Persuasive Handgun in on hand. Elm has his Blessed Staff (which might conceivably be good for hitting things) and Jasmine and Vesta are, well, Jasmine and Vesta. You're still pretty keen on running, though. > If you have the time, assemble a weapon to use your Focus Punch TM There really isn't time for that. > Keep your gun and the Sword handy. You might need them. They're right where you left them. > Take a recommended dose of MooMoo Milk, and perhaps give the same to Elm. I watch you as you each take a sip of the Milk. You are preparing for trouble, of course, which is all very well, but it seems that you have misjudged the circumstances. The Milk strengthens the coral, but it strengthens Elm too. Both glow with health. > Try talking directly to the Fearsome Idol and/or the voice that is talking to you. Press it for as much information as it will give in the time you have “Why are you here?” you ask me. The others are silent. You could hear a pin drop, if it weren't for the relentless, faraway burrowing of the Quilava. You're too close to the end. I shrug. You know how it works. I'm from the real world too, you know, but the Dreaming changed me. I'm not ready to give up my new power. You shake your head. “You have to see,” you say, “none of this—” Do you know what I can do now? I ask. For me, reality is malleable. I didn't write the description, but I dictate the plot: I can reach into the past, push an event into action, nudge a Totodile towards a front door. All I have to do is keep talking. I smile. You may have noticed by now, I say, but I'm pretty good at that. You have noticed. It's been really, really annoying. “I,” you begin, but get no further. No, I say. I know already. I'm the brain of this world. Cthulhu is the heart, and the Unown are the blood, but I – I'm the brain. I direct it all; I know everything. I can control it, too. That includes you. You wonder what to say to that, if maybe the voices will tell you something, but— Nope, I say. No voices. Not yet. I take a step towards you. Let's have you talk to them, shall we? Why don't you tell us all what you've found out. Might as well give them something before I let the Quilava through the wall. You are suddenly acutely aware that the Quilava's scratching has got a whole lot closer. It's as if it teleported towards you. “You can't do this,” you say, but even as your mouths form the words you know it isn't true. I am the Narrator, after all, and I can do anything. I can even choose what you say, and make it seem as if you are deciding, and that is exactly what happens now as you begin to outline your theory about the Dreaming. “It's the Unown,” you say, glancing at Elm, at Vesta and Jasmine. “They sort of exist between two worlds, like Oak said on the broadcast. The real world, and a dream world, which they can populate with figments from people's dreams.” “Go on,” says Elm, interested despite the situation – or is it me, making him interested? It may be both. You will never know. “The stars are aligned,” you say. “Cthulhu is closest to waking. His dreams are broadcasting strongly.” “THE NIGHTMARES,” says Jasmine. “Yes. The dreams we all have – those are Cthulhu's dreams. Dreams of waking. But they're not just being broadcast to us, they're being broadcast to creatures that can change what we perceive as reality – creatures that are hugely sensitive to dreams.” “The Unown,” says Elm softly. “Bloody hell...” “That's right,” you say. “It must have driven them mad. They're creating a weird, impossible dreamworld, spreading right out over Johto. Wherever one of them dies, the dream fails – the broken dock, the ruined Pokémart, the dead Ho-Oh – these are all things that happened in real life. Pockets of reality in a dreamworld that's been going on for years. We've slept and slept and God knows how many people have died in car accidents or from planes where the pilots fell asleep – but many of us are still alive.” “HO-OH,” says Jasmine. “IT FELL FROM THE TOWER ONTO THE UNOWN AND BROKE THE DREAM AROUND IT...” “But how do we wake up?” asks Elm. “How can we go back? Pinching ourselves doesn't seem like it will work, given the pain we've all been through.” You take out the Bad Egg, holding it close to your chest. “This,” you say. “I hear voices in my head – the voices of Players, I think, guiding me. One of them told me that a Bad Egg would break the world. 'Crash' it, I think they called it. I don't know for sure if it will work, but... if it hatches, I think we'll fracture the dream. Enough to wake up, anyway.” You look at me. “And now you want to stop it.” That's right, I affirm. I can't stop you directly, unfortunately. When this world remade me, I ceased to be able to directly affect things. I cannot reach out and take the Egg from you. I'm no longer an actor; I work backstage. Which is why I'm first going to ask you nicely to throw the Egg on the floor and break it, and then, when you refuse, going to force you to do it. “We won't let you,” says Vesta, flaring suddenly. “We won't—” Ah, of course. I nod affably. And what do you think happens to you when the world ends, Vesta? Do you really think you have a body to wake up in, back in the real world? I shake my head. You are a figment of the collective imagination, I say. Think about it – all of you. What happens to you, Jasmine, when you wake? You hate this body – well, you'll like the real thing still less, after what happened when you fell asleep. “NOTHING IS WORSE THAN THIS,” she replies, but she does not sound convinced. And you, Professor, I say. What of you? You fell asleep examining a Cyndaquil. The flames have not been kind – to you or your family. Elm does not reply. You aren't sure that he can. And of course there's Othodox, I say, turning to you again. Othodox, the player character. Spawned into the Dreaming by a Developer to fix the problem with the guidance of Players. Do you have a counterpart in reality? What happens to you when this ends? I smile. It is not a nice smile, you notice. I have too many teeth, and they are too sharp. It's too bad you won't live, I say. But then again, who does? You can't reply. You have pushed the thoughts away, again and again – what happens to Vesta when it ends, what happens to you, to everyone, what happens, what happens – but you can't hide any more. You have to face up to the questions. I fix my eyes on yours. No pressure, I say. Give it a think. You have no idea what to say. You have to save the world, you keep telling yourself – but the thought of not existing, the thought of not even leaving a shadow behind on the waking world, terrifies you. You hope you can get some good advice. Oh, OK, I say. Sure. Talk to them if you like. Listen, Othodox. What do your precious voices say? Quote:
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I just returned after being horrendously busy to notice that THE CLIMAX FREAKING HAPPENED AND MY MIND IS A MASSIVE PILE OF WTF. I do also have to brag a little, sorry, on predicting how the Bad Egg would work and for evolving Vesta.
Now, however, we have the major problem. Do we want to wake up? Morals and what not say yes. It is not morally right to keep the entire population of humanity asleep, minus several large death counts, to save a few figments of mass imagination. Self-interest says yes we sleep forever. We have found a family in here in the form of Vesta and Elm and Jasmine. I honestly dont know what to think. Yes the Bad Egg will crash the game, but how far? Will it just break the Dreaming or will it go all the way back and reboot the universe? The author seems very capable of providing that plot twist, even without the Narrator's consent. On the other hand, if the Bad Egg only ends the Dreaming, then this entire group will no longer exist. Will they meet in an afterlife? Do imaginary entities have an afterlife? These are important questions. I say we stay asleep. I love stories with unOthodox I mean sorry unorthodox endings. If we stay asleep, Othodox has a family and we dont risk sending the entire world into mass hysteria upon the realization that millions are dead for apparently no reason. Feel free to debate me. It might prove wise to be proven wrong. |
Quote:
Anyway, if we do stay asleep, remember that we can't stay like this forever. I mean, the freaking Narrator's there. He has the power to kill us in an instant, with his narrating powers. Elm is dying, and the Quilava (probably a Typhlosion now) is a narration away from killing us. We need to put an end to the Narrator's twisted ways of thinking, despite how sad the things will become. If we do get killed, we, as players, would just respawn without any knowledge of what just happened, so it'll be useless to keep dreaming anyway. I'd say, it's time to wake up. |
Hatching the bad egg is really more of a beginning than an end. So what if everyone left wakes up? It's not like Cthulhu isn't going to awaken then, unless there's more to that egg than meets the eye, which is also highly likely.
One thing that comes to mind here is that a bad egg doesn't always hatch, or if it does, may hatch into another bad egg, forever. Of course, it's not like that's going to happen, right? That narrator needs to go down, but is it really worth it? *Yeah! first comment on a Cutlerine story!* |
Arguing Jagold's point, Id say its even more tragic to wake up and not remember anything than it is to stay asleep.
On the other hand, I agree with Jagold. If we wake up not remembering or maybe not existing, it wont have even mattered that we or Othodox or Jasmine or Elm or Vesta ever existed. Jasmine is no longer alive, you cant really call her current condition living, either way nor is Elm, as evidenced by what the Narrator said. But then can we even trust the Narrator? He would likely say anything to keep himself alive. Maybe hes trying to prey on their primal fears in order to stay alive. Part of me wants to go with Jagold and hatch the Bad Egg just to see what would happen, but then another equally large part of me says to smash the Bad Egg and stay alive. However the "hatch the egg" side is slowly winning over and I think currently that is where my allegiances lie. |
I say we hatch the egg.....however there are more pressing issues
Like the narrator I say we kill him and then split oh and leave Elm behind for a kamikaze attack |
> ...stay asleep. I love stories with... has a family...
> ...put an end to the Narrator's twisted... despite how sad... ...useless to keep dreaming... wake up... > …like Cthulhu isn't going to awaken... > ...trust the Narrator? > kill him... split... You bite your lip. Something has gone very wrong. The voices are faint and tinny, and seem to be receding into the distance. Oh, didn't I say? I ask innocently. I can open and shut that particular door with ease. Let's not have this choice tainted by mere voices, shall we? This should be your decision, and yours alone. I take a step towards you. You take one back. It doesn't have to end badly, I say. I could reach back in time and move the Corsola two inches to the left in the dark. It would trip on a stone and never make it to the helicopter. You could live then, Professor. And Jasmine – if that Steelix's gullet had just crushed that little part of your skull there, and destroyed the tissue beneath... I spread my hands. You would be free of pain. I can make it happen, you know. Easy as anything. And you. I turn to you and Vesta. Your nemesis – the selfsame creature that is right now waiting outside this chamber – that could have tried to attack the Totodile first, instead of the Chikorita, and probably perished in the attempt. It could be gone. All you have to do is throw that Egg on the floor and break it. You blink. “You can't do it yourself.” I told you, I say, I can't do much in the way of physical interaction. And it's especially hard to touch you, linked to the outside as you are. But I can fix everything for you if you stay. I can even reach back in time and cause a malfunction on the Magnet Train doors at the time of the Dreaming, so that everyone in the first six carriages survives. Enough to make a town. Enough to repopulate. I fix you with eyes that do not seem human. Last chance, I say warningly. It's a very generous offer. > … I told you, I said. I shut that door. You close your eyes. Too much is happening too fast, and it's all centred on you; everyone is looking at you, asking you to make the choice that no one else can. The Quilava keeps smashing away at the wall of rubble, echoing your heartbeat, growing faster and faster. Vesta's fingers are woven tightly through yours. “I don't know!” you cry. “I don't – why do I have to choose?” If you don't want to, then just put the Egg down, I say. There is no longer any trace of warmth in my voice. Put it down and let the ceiling fall on it. “I can't. I don't know. I just don't know!” It's choking you – all of this emotion, all of these ideas and thoughts and suggestions, this whole poisonous world is pouring down your throat and choking you like strangler figs slowly murdering a tree. “OTHODOX,” says Jasmine, taking your other hand. “IT'S OK. I'M DEAD ANYWAY. AND THERE MIGHT BE – MIGHT BE OTHERS YOU CAN SAVE...” “It seems I'm dead too,” adds Elm, patting your shoulder. “Don't worry about us, kid. We'll be better off for it.” And then Vesta hugs you, pressing her silken face into your cheek. “I love you, Dad,” she says. “I have to say it before we go. Because we do have to go. Remember what you told me, when I asked what we were doing?” You do. “We're going to save the world,” she replies for you. “And now we're here. We did so much, and...” You fold your arms around her, and feel your tears sizzle as they trickle onto her head. “OK,” you say. “I love you too, Vesta. But I guess we can't hang on any longer.” You turn back towards the Narrator, who is watching with extreme displeasure from the shadows. “Sorry,” you say. “No deal.” Is that so, I reply, and it is not a question. Well, well well. You know what happens now, don't you? When all is said and done – when all the trials and tribulations have been overcome – there remains only a Pokémon battle with the villainous leader. So be it! Eldritch Mewtwo would like to battle! Eldritch Mewtwo sent out Typhlosion! The wall explodes, and through the aperture slides a full twenty-five feet of bone and sinew, spewing green flame from the polyps that stud its back and roaring a foetid gale from its gaping maw. It appears the Quilava has evolved. Let's open the door again, shall we? I suggest, stepping away into the shadows and melting out of sight. I'd love to let your voices see this. |
I knew the Narrator was Mewtwo! But well...Typhlosion is super effective against Jasmine. So she cant help. Id say have Vesta do a Fire Blast to the ceiling above the Typhlosion and let the rocks fall on it.
|
Alright, so Elm is now a form of Eldritch Corsola. Any ideas on what a Corsola can do in the way of using attacks? Have him go on the warpath! Jasmine is able to do the same, cause she's something like an Eldritch Steelix, iirc. Either way, she's a zombie. Those things are hard to kill.
Oh, and hatch the egg. That's likely your best hope. Oh, and is there a way we can get through to Orthodox? I'd personally like to help and smash the narrator with my fiery Hammer of Justice... or at least give it to Orthodox to use as a weapon. |
Ahem, well...
This doesn't look very good at all. We're at the mercy of a twisted narrator, and for that matter an Eldritch Mewtwo (dear god!). That bad egg is our only hope now, unless it's a dud. Alternatively, we do have a Master Ball handy, and that could certainly buy us some time (unless mister narrator decides otherwise). Allow me to be the first one to say, Ouch. |
pheew....
Eldritch Mewtwo and Typhlosion. Well, we don't have any supereffective moves against fire types but maybe Elm can hold Typhlosion off while the others kill the Narrator, destroy the ceiling and get out of the ruins. |
> I knew the Narrator was Mewtwo!
Good for you. Would you like a bloody cookie? > Alright, so Elm is now a form of Eldritch Corsola. No, he isn't. Why do people keep saying that? He has a chunk of Corsola attached to him. That isn't the same thing at all. Having bits of sentient rock attached to you does not give you superpowers. > Oh, and hatch the egg. That's likely your best hope. Oh, you're all about the hatching of the Egg. Hatching the Egg is what you're all about. Unfortunately, Eggs don't hatch on command. You have to wait. And God knows how long it's going to take. > Oh, and is there a way we can get through to Orthodox? I'd personally like to help and smash the narrator with my fiery Hammer of Justice... or at least give it to Orthodox to use as a weapon. You've been getting through to him ever since the Typhlosion appeared. I did mention opening the door again, remember? If you think you can hit me with any kind of hammer, no matter how just it is, you haven't quite grasped the fact that I can't do physical interaction. That applies to objects interacting with me as well as me interacting with objects. > Eldritch Mewtwo and Typhlosion. Well, we don't have any supereffective moves against fire types but maybe Elm can hold Typhlosion off while the others kill the Narrator, destroy the ceiling and get out of the ruins. Elm again. What is it with you people and your obsession with Elm's superpowers? This isn't a comic book. Being parasitised by coral doesn't give you its powers any more than being bitten by a spider would. And if you think you're going to somehow be able to kill an entity that is physically incapable of interacting with the physical world, tunnel to the surface through a roof you can't even reach and flee the ruins just like that, then you have another think coming. > We do have a Master Ball handy, and that could certainly buy us some time (unless mister narrator decides otherwise). You chuck the Master Ball at the Typhlosion, but your aim is inexplicably off and it goes wide. Hey, I say. Don't you know the rules? You can't catch another Trainer's Pokémon, Othodox. > Id say have Vesta do a Fire Blast to the ceiling above the Typhlosion and let the rocks fall on it. The Typhlosion rears, the intense heat of its flaming head liquefying the stone above it; lava drips down over its skull, pooling in its empty eye sockets and splashing onto the floor, but it does not appear to care. The beast roars, and the room itself shakes with the reverberation of its voice. “Vesta!” you howl. “The ceiling!” She nods swiftly and five bursts of golden fire arc from her fingertips, striking at the ceiling above the Typhlosion and exploding into a five-pointed star of flame; clods of lava fall away in massive clumps, splattering on and around the Typhlosion, and some less stable minerals even become gaseous in the extreme heat; unstable plasmas seethe in the hole in the roof and seep furiously down into the chamber below. “OK,” you say, staring. “Let's not do that, or we'll kill ourselves.” The Typhlosion charges, its head and body and legs merging into one long tongue of green flame that scorches a trail across the floor, rushing towards you like an oncoming express train— The four of you scatter and the Typhlosion tears straight through the Narrator instead; you stare, thinking that perhaps you've won after all – but true to my word, I stand there smiling, the Typhlosion passing straight through me like a ghost. Told you, I say. I don't work that way. You can't reply: the Typhlosion is fluid and swift, curling back on itself like a living ampersand and darting towards you with its huge incisors bared. You are going to need a better plan than what you just came up with. |
Hey, we are the players aren't we? We are Gods goddammit! I, Ussaid the leader of mankind, send a water beam from the heavens on to the evil Narrator and his Pokemon!
And if that doesn't work, then, err, order Vesta to throw Elm at the Typhlosion, and while it is busy eating Elm, you have to start a war of words with the Narrator! You need to replace him! And after you do it spawn a party of ninja turtles and power rangers down there. However, if you think I have gone off my rocker, especially since I popped at the climax, then offer a prayer to Arceus, and the Scythian god thing. PS. Isn't Nintendo the real God? ((Offtopic: Man, I really like this one! You have done a great job of mixing humor with horror, and it works! Even though those Lovecraft bits are very creepy, they are also interesting and breathes fresh air into this!)) |
Should've seen that coming...
Taunt him! Make Mewtwo writhe at the name Giovanni! Question his existence, insult his nonexistent mother! I doubt he can narrate properly in a rage. Use that to make a run for it, and HATCH THAT EGG! Other than Mewtwo being the narrator, isn't it at least a bit odd he has control over Typhlosion? It's Othodox's starter, should he not have some form of control over the thing? Oh, and may the force be with you Othodox, if that's reassuring in any way. |
Run over and re-grab that masterball if possible, Then Quickly look around as the narrator hasn't given us a list of things around us in his last post, (Or I am too lazy to read backwards)
|
Wait, but how can the Narrator change the story? He just have to recite it, and it is the author's job to write it.
I think Orthodox shouldn't be so scared, since that Narrator just could do crap, and the Author has probably written a happy ending where Orthodox kills that horned Narrator. So, Orthodox, just stay calm and run away. |
(To the other players: ) Okay have you not seen the past couple things? Did you miss the explanation? The Narrator doesnt control everything but hes pretty much calling the shots right now.
(Command: ) Overly powered beings generally have superiority complexes and/or extreme belief in their infallibility. Try to take advantage of that. Tell the Narrator hes just using the Typhlosion to attack you because hes afraid he cant take you on his own. Make him seem little and weak. |
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