Dawn Stone Hills - Year 1 Spring - Session 6

[1:33 PM] Gin: Rosalie and Wick, you two have set out to explore the mountains again, this time aiming to take the winding path to the north, through the Dwebbles' rock garden. As fate would have it, there were exactly four painted pebbles leftover from the last trip, which is enough for the two of you to get through the Fairy Gate and back.

As Lugh mentioned after the first trip this way, the ground here is warm - there's definitely magma flows or some other source of geothermal energy under this part of the mountain. As you walk down the path, Dwebbles pop out from under rocks and out of small openings in the cliff wall to shyly peek out at you.
[1:34 PM] Rosalie: She marches along, albeit marching backwards, and waves at the Dwebbles they pass with a cheery smile!
[1:36 PM] Gin: One of them hesitates, then waves back. It scuttles out and turns around in a circle to show off its shell - looks like this particular bug has found a gem-encrusted rock to make its home.
[1:37 PM] Wick: Wick stops periodically to feel the ground with his hands and cheek. "Wow, cous' wasn't lying. This is neat."
[1:38 PM] Rosalie: Rosalie claps excitedly for it before hopping back to face the correct direction. As things start to warm up, she carefully pats her cheek with a worried expression. "Yes, I only hope that I do not melt!"
[1:38 PM] Gin: Up ahead, the path slopes up but doesn't seem to be super steep - even with the elevation, it's a pretty easy climb.
[1:39 PM] Wick: "You oft wax dramatic but you are not actual wax; you'll be fine I'm sure."
[1:39 PM] Rosalie: She beams at Wick and sticks her tongue out. "There is a candle metaphor somewhere between you and I, I am sure!"
[1:41 PM] Wick: "I wonder if we continue we'll find like... lava flows or caverns. Probably not, it's probably all deep..."
[1:41 PM] Gin: The higher you go, the more Dwebble you notice, many of them napping in the middle of the path, and you begin to see artificial rock formations too - mostly stacked up towers of what look like discarded Crustle and Dwebble shells. There's a Gligar hopping from stack to stack. It stops to give you two a curious look as you approach.
[1:42 PM] Rosalie: She gives it a curious look right back! "Who knows! That would be exciting!"
[1:43 PM] Wick: "Shame we didn't make out base over here, it'd have been cozy in the cold nights. Well, let's hurry on..."
[1:45 PM] Gin: The Gligar hops a few more times, then waves you over. It points out a spot where you can climb up to reach the top of one of the stacks and starts hopping from there.
[1:46 PM] Rosalie: "Oh, but I think huddling for warmth is a fine enough social act-" She freezes mid step as she feels a bead of sweat drip down the side of her face. With a sigh, she doffs her strange hat revealing her streaming, reddish hair. She glances over at Wick. "Shall we play with our new friend, or does exploration take priority?"
[1:47 PM] Wick: "Well... I don't mind resting a bit, but we just set out. And these rock stacks make me kind of nervous. M-maybe a bit farther up... though I think it's trying to show us a more efficient path."
[1:48 PM] Rosalie: Rosalie does a few stretches and goes stack hopping!
[1:48 PM] Gin: Give me a Quick or Subtle roll!
[1:48 PM] Rosalie: 1d20+4+1d6
[1:49 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Rosalie:
1d20+4+1d6:(14)+4+(2)=20
[1:49 PM] Wick: 1d20+3
[1:49 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Wick:
1d20+3:(5)+3=8
[1:49 PM] Wick: 1d6
[1:49 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Wick:
1d6:(4)=4
[1:53 PM] Gin: Rosalie, you make it up the stacks easily! Wick, you make it up as well, but with a couple stumbles along the way. The Gligar claps heartily more Rosalie....and politely for Wick. But you both made it up, which is what counts, because it hops over to a ledge and pushes a bundle of vines growing out of the cliff aside. A gentle cold breeze hits you in the face as the scorpionbat reveals a small cave tunnel.
[1:56 PM] Wick: "Oh, a coldening. And another cave. I'm doomed to forever be exploring these underground labyrinths, I guess."
[1:56 PM] Rosalie: She gives an exaggerated theatric bow for the scorbat before moving over towards the vines. She smiles at the little tunnel and salutes the gligar. "Say little friend, if you ever happen to be on the lookout for a safe place to play, there is a town just south of the forest with plenty of things to climb and glide from!"
[1:56 PM] Gin: From up here, you can see the other path you could have taken up the mountain - the path further past the rock garden narrows into a thin ledge along the cliff with some natural stone pillars jutting out to the side. You could have shimmied along that ledge or hopped from platform to platform - but who knows how far down the fall is? Oh actually, it doesn't look too bad when you squint and take a better look - but it still would've hurt.
[1:57 PM] Gin: The gligar tilts its head at you Rosalie. It doesn't seem to fully understand, but it hops up on a higher ledge and runs in a circle with its wings outstretched. Glide?
[1:58 PM] Rosalie: She nods and looks to see how far she can see back in the direction they came from.
[1:59 PM] Gin: Wick, the cave tunnel doesn't look very long - you can see the other end from here! There's a flash of motion though as something barrels down the cave and pops out of the entrance at you. You get bopped on the nose by a Phanpy's trunk as it uncurls itself and lands at your feet.
[1:59 PM] Wick: Wick looks around to see if there's a higher place to look around/forward! Or he's about to do that before he's bopped
[1:59 PM] Wick: "Oh, hello."
[2:00 PM] Wick: Wick tries to pick it up like a baby.
[2:00 PM] Gin: It waves with its trunk as you pick it up, then gently boops your nose with its own again, giggling.
[2:01 PM] Gin: Luckily for Wick, this one seems to be holding back its strength...!
[2:01 PM] Rosalie: She points towards the south for the Gligar. "Past the trees, but before the ocean, there's room to play!"
[2:03 PM] Gin: The Gligar hops up on your head and tries to get a looksee in the direction you're pointing.
[2:03 PM] Gin: It understands ocean well enough, so it nod nods. Before the big water. Got it.
[2:05 PM] Rosalie: "That's where we'll be returning to after having our own fun, so if you're curious you can also follow our trail!" She carefully moves back towards the tunnel while balancing the gligar on her head, almost squealing when she sees Wick with the little dorb.
[2:05 PM] Wick: "Well... which way do you want to go for now, Rosalie? Should we see what's through the other side of this mystery tunnel?"
[2:06 PM] Rosalie: "I don't see why we'd come all this way and not go through the hidden, not-at-all ominous tunnel!"
[2:07 PM] Gin: Into the tunnel then?
[2:07 PM] Rosalie: Into the tunnel then!
[2:09 PM] Gin: The tunnel is refreshingly cool and just tall enough for you to walk through without stooping down. Unlike the other caves you've seen before, this one is relatively straightforward, just a tunnel gently sloping up to another opening not to far away. As you step in though, you hear a soft melody echoing through the cave walls, like someone singing a lullaby but with gibberish instead of words.
[2:10 PM] Rosalie: "Oh! Oh oh my! It has been so much time since I have gotten to hear music more than the birds!" She scampers ahead in excitement.
[2:12 PM] Gin: Rosalie, you rush on ahead and nearly trample over a Whismur that was singing to itself in the middle of the tunnel! It leaps up in surprise and turns flush red. Oh no someone caught it practicing its singing! How embarrassing. It turns around and presses its face into the cave wall, trying desperately to melt into it until you go away
[2:13 PM] Rosalie: She claps excitedly for the little musician! "Wonderful! Magnifique! Beautiful! Truly an awe-inspiring performance, and I am so sorry to have interrupted you!"
[2:13 PM] Gin: It shrinks down and hugs the wall harder. Its entire body is blushing now
[2:14 PM] Rosalie: She halts her claps! "O-Oh, dear..."
[2:14 PM] Wick: "I-it's okay buddy, we'll uhm, leave you alone... if you want to spend some time with those that appreciate the ARTS you could not have run into a better pair though! So take some time to collect yourself and uhm, we'll see you later yeah?"
[2:15 PM] Gin: Give me a Charming roll!
[2:15 PM] Rosalie: 1d20+5+1d6 Socialite
[2:15 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Rosalie:
1d20+5+1d6:(17)+5+(2)=24
[2:16 PM] Wick: 1d20+3
[2:16 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Wick:
1d20+3:(20)+3=23
[2:17 PM] Gin: It turns around slowly. O-oh, you l-like its singing...? After a couple false starts, it begins to sing its gentle song again. It gets nervous though and seems to forget halfway through! It flails about for a moment, then reaches behind a rock and pulls out what looks like a bound leather journal, then flips it open and resumes singing!
[2:18 PM] Wick: Wick dances lightly ~
[2:19 PM] Wick: He holds the Phanpy's trunk and does an in-place shuffle
[2:19 PM] Rosalie: Rosalie sways to the rhythm, humming along quietly to herself.
[2:20 PM] Gin: The Whismur finishes its lullaby with a relieved sigh, then joins you in a little dance. Yay, it did it!
[2:21 PM] Gin: You can see the journal is flipped open to hand written lyrics and what looks like some sort of notation - musical script?
[2:21 PM] Wick: "Woo! Great job buddy. You could be a star."
[2:21 PM] Gin: The Whismur clasps its hands to its cheeks. Really?
[2:21 PM] Wick: "Yeah totally! Do you mind if we take a look at your book there?"
[2:22 PM] Gin: It nods and hands it over! The song it was singing is...twinkle twinkle little star.
[2:23 PM] Rosalie: "Indeed, your talents are extraordinary! We would also like to extend an invitation to our town, just a ways south of here past the forest. I am...planning on putting together a little theater group of sorts, and there are many who would be overjoyed to hear you!"
[2:24 PM] Gin: If you flip through the pages, it looks like it's filled with various bits of pre-fall culture, all transcribed by hand. Poetry, more sheet music, what looks like scraps of text in different languages...
[2:25 PM] Wick: "Wow, this is an amazing find!"
[2:25 PM] Gin: The Whismur looks left and right in surprise. It didn't expect to find stardom so quickly! It latches onto your pants leg, Rosalie.
[2:25 PM] Rosalie: She pats it on the head affectionately. "Just stick with us if you'd like, we'll be on our way back eventually. And I'm sure we could even eventually find you more songs to sing, and more friends to sing with!"
[2:26 PM] Wick: Wick puts the book away in his bag. "Do you mind if we keep this notebook? It'll help us out a lot."
[2:27 PM] Gin: The Whismur gestures to itself, then to you, like it's saying 'only if you take me with you'.
[2:27 PM] Rosalie: "Of course, of course! And when we get back, I believe we can make copies too."
[2:29 PM] Wick: "Right, but for now let's look around here some more! Do you know if there's anything cool around here? Lava pits? Petrified forests? Hot Springs? Ice Pits? Floral Dungeons? Muscle Mesas? Anything like that?"
[2:31 PM] Rosalie: "...wait, what was that last one?"
[2:31 PM] Wick: "Oh you know. Like a hill but it's flat at the top, usually with steep sides and rocky?"
[2:32 PM] Gin: The Whismur nods excitedly, then runs ahead to the cave exit. You find the tunnel opens out to an open space at the bottom of a cliff. There's a winding path up to the cliff top, dotted with rock formations. You can juuuust make out a domed building at the top of the cliff from where you're standing.
[2:33 PM] Rosalie: "Oh, how curious. I believe we've a destination then?"
[2:33 PM] Wick: "Oh wow! There's a building there! Race you there!"
[2:34 PM] Wick: Wick rushes ahead, though pretty slowly since he's still carrying the tiny elephant...
[2:34 PM] Gin: You hear a piercing screech from the sky as you start up the path! Something is casting a large shadow on the ground and circling around, but it's hard to make out from the ground because it's flying directly between you and the sun.
[2:35 PM] Gin: It screeches again and starts to circle lower...
[2:35 PM] Rosalie: Rosalie scoops up the Whismur so its fair and bounds after him...or she begins to before plopping the Whismur back in the safety of the tunnel and flipping an apricorn ball to the ready!
[2:36 PM] Wick: "Wuh oh. Run and hide little one!"
[2:36 PM] Wick: Wick puts down the phanp
[2:36 PM] Wick: "Show yourself, sky fiend! We await you for battle!"
[2:38 PM] Gin: A Skarmory circles down and lands on one of the rock formations up the path. It has a collar made of what looks like heavy chain links around its neck. A Cyndaquil pokes out from behind a wing, perched on its back. The Phanpy waves up at the metal birb and gets a familiar nod from the Skarmory in return. The bird sets its steely gaze back on you two though and screeches again. It ruffles its feathers, showing off its bladed wings
[2:39 PM] Rosalie: "Oho, a protector?"
[2:39 PM] Wick: "Seems that way.  We mean you no harm, if that's all it is..."
[2:39 PM] Wick: Wick smiles and winks at the bird ;D
[2:40 PM] Rosalie: She lets Cannonball the Chimchar out. "Looks like we have something in common~!"
[2:42 PM] Gin: The Cyndaquil hops down to investigate! It circles around Cannonball and sniffs. The Skarmory backs up a step, paces back and forth the path ahead of you, then settles down on another of the rock formations 'sheathing' its feathers. It looks like it's alternating between keeping an eye on you and on the Cyndaquil.
[2:43 PM] Rosalie: "Go on, Cannonball, introduce yourself!"
[2:44 PM] Rosalie: Cannonball hops back and forth excitedly. It thinks about how it's seen Rosalie introduce herself and gives the Cyndaquil a friendly wave!
[2:47 PM] Gin: The Cyndaquil responds by flashing its fire brighter for a second. It yelps happily, then scurries to the side of the path where it picks up a shiny rock with its mouth and rolls it towards Cannonball.
[2:48 PM] Rosalie: Cannonball picks it up and starts juggling the shiny rock along with a few others lying around before Rosalie snatches it from the air and gives it a look over.
[2:49 PM] Gin: The Phanpy, meanwhile, walks up to the Skarmory, and the two have a short exchange, with the Phanpy pointing back at the two of you a couple times. The Skarmory shakes its head disapprovingly though, still shooting both of you occasional harsh looks.
[2:50 PM] Gin: The Cyndaquil is mesmerized by the performance! It rolls around happily watching Cannonball juggle. When you inspect the rock, you find that it's just a chunk of crystal - not an elemental stone or anything particularly rare either.
[2:52 PM] Wick: "C'mon bird, don't be like that. We're just two explorers, new to this changed land. We bear no ill-will towards anyone - we seek only to unravel some of the secrets hidden here."
[2:52 PM] Rosalie: She tosses it back to Cannonball who continues juggling. Thinking about it, she holds out a little tuft of cashmere wool for the Cyndaquil.
[2:52 PM] Wick: "You seem like a reasonable character - why not help us? I'm sure we could work together to provide a safe haven for human and Pokemon alike."
[2:53 PM] Gin: The Cyndaquil bites the cashmere. Oh, this is not an eating thing. It unbites it, then turns the tuft of fabric all around.
[2:53 PM] Gin: Wick, gimme Charming
[2:54 PM] Rosalie: She giggles while watching it try to come up with something to use the wool for.
[2:55 PM] Wick: 1d20+3
[2:55 PM] BOTGM's Toolkit: Wick:
1d20+3:(8)+3=11
[2:57 PM] Gin: The bird gets up with a huff and slowly walks over to you. It's not baring its feathers threateningly anymore, but it also doesn't look convinced yet - it settles down in front of you and caws expectantly. Seems like it wants you to show it something more than just words - some proof of the haven you're establishing or demonstration of your good intentions.
[2:59 PM] Gin: The Cyndaquil accidentally sets the wool aflame as it examines it! Panicking, it rushes to the side of the path and rolls a rock out of the way, revealing a small steaming pool of water. It dunks the wool in and then pulls it out, disappointed at how soggy it is now.
[2:59 PM] Rosalie: "Awwww, here, let me make it up to you..." She tears off a chunk of synth jerky, chewing off a bit to show the Cyndaquil that this IS an eating thing, before holding it out for the little friend.
[3:00 PM] Gin: It seems to forget about the wool entirely and almost nips your finger going for the jerky. It scampers back a bit before rolling on its back to slowly eat the yummy snack.
[3:04 PM] Wick: Wick doesn't seem intimidated by the burd, standing tall as it approaches. "Hmm, I see. You make a good point. All I can offer for the moment is my sincerity and... some food? Oh oh oh and you can come back with us if you like - Whismur decided to travel back with us, and see the town we've established. Moreover, if you like, I personally promise to be your companion and help you protect this area and your friends."
[3:04 PM] Wick: Wick kneels in front of the bird and bows dramatically
[3:06 PM] Rosalie: Rosalie scoots over to help give the Skarmory puppy dog eyes while groveling on her hands and knees.
[3:07 PM] Gin: The Skarmory looks back toward the cave tunnel at the mention of the Whismur. The Whismur shyly waves from the opening. Huffing a bit more, the bird lightly taps both of you on the shoulders when you bow, takes a step back, and rockets into the sky again. It swoops back down briefly to let the Cyndaquil hop back onto its back before flying  up the cliff again to perch atop the domed building. It caws loudly again and motions up the path with its beak - as if to say you may pass.
[3:08 PM] Rosalie: She whistles to her monkey, who hops onto her back as she springs to her feet. She also gives the Whismur a friendly beckoning motion before striding up towards the weird building.
[3:10 PM] Wick: "Whew. All right! Let's go see what's in the Muscle Mesa."
[3:11 PM] Rosalie: "So...where does the muscle part come into play?"
[3:12 PM] Gin: It's an easy climb up the hill, and you see various Pokemon starting poking their heads out after the Skarmory gave you its approval. Numel are milling about around ponds of heated water while Clefairy and Skitty soak in them. You see lights flashing from another distant pool, and as you approach you can see they're Staryu, just floating idly and flashing their lights into the sky.
[3:12 PM] Wick: "I dunno. I mean if there's grassy places, and rocky places, and watery places, et-cetera-and-such, then it follows there must be places for the other elemental types."
[3:14 PM] Rosalie: "Ooooh, that's what you meant! I was imagining...well, writhing sinewy masses!" She watches the Staryu for a moment before letting Mysterio the Elgyem out. "Any idea if they're saying anything with their flashes, space friend?"(edited)
[3:14 PM] Gin: The building is stone, with what looks like a heavy padlock attached to the front door. There's a large dome for a roof, which looks like it should be able to open up to the sky. Not far from the door, you see two upright stones sticking out of the ground - they definitely look like tombstones. Even from a distance, you can see one is basically just a rock crudely stuck there while the other looks nicely carved.
[3:14 PM] Wick: "Well, they might be writhing sinewy masses..." Wick mutters.
[3:15 PM] Gin: Off at the other end of this clearing up here, there's what looks like a pile of rubble from a rockslide, and beyond that a path leading down.
[3:15 PM] Wick: "But hot springs are pretty cool too! Let's take a look at the building those and then maybe have a soak!"
[3:15 PM] Gin: Wick, you can hear like...whispers or something coming from your bag???
[3:15 PM] Wick: "U h ?"
[3:15 PM] Wick: Wick looks in his bag.
[3:15 PM] Rosalie: "Perhaps writhing sinewy masses in the hot springs~?"
[3:16 PM] Gin: They're definitely coming from the leather bound book. You'd recognize this as a telltale sign of a Memento - an object charged with memories from the past.
[3:17 PM] Wick: Wick blushes. "Uh. S-sure," he says, and then busies himself with the book, turning away from Rosalie.
[3:17 PM] Wick: "The Book is doing magic things."
[3:17 PM] Rosalie: "Eh? Was it something I s- oh!"
[3:17 PM] Wick: Wick takes it out and looks at it? He's not sure how this works!
[3:18 PM] Rosalie: She turns away from her alien friend, hopelessly attempting to translate mutant starfish flashes into extraterrestrial Simon says code, and hops over to Wick.
[3:20 PM] Gin: The voices from the book coalesce into coherent words, and you can hear a child's voice, though echo-y and distorted, like heard through water. "Daddy, daddy, what'd you bring back from the city today?" There's a flash in your vision, and you both get a brief glimpse of this place's past, but your perspective is lower, like a child's height. The rubble from the rockslide isn't there, and you can see a rugged looking man carrying a backpack, with the same leather bound book tucked under his arm. Two Pokemon, a teeny tiny Solrock and a Lunatone, are floating around him.
[3:22 PM] Gin: When the vision fades, you can still hear whispers - though they seem to be coming from around you now. In particular, the pile of rubble and the site of the two gravestones.
[3:23 PM] Rosalie: Rosalie sniffles as she approaches the graves.
[3:23 PM] Wick: "Fascinating..." Wick whispers, approaching the graves too.
[3:27 PM] Gin: A few more visions rush into your head as you walk over - the first one is at a slightly taller perspective - maybe a teenager's? The same man as before is up on the roof of the building, using ropes to manually open the dome inside to reveal a gigantic telescope - the building is an observatory! He hops down and takes 'your' hand, and the vision ends as you run inside the building.

There's another flash, and the next vision is a first person view of digging a large hole - must be a grave - with the help of a Solrock and Lunatone telekinetically lifting the dirt away. There are carving tools near you, and you can see what must've been the gravestone, laid on its side out of the corner of your eye.
[3:30 PM] Gin: Based on the geography, you think there's quite a bit of time passed between visions.
[3:30 PM] Rosalie: The sniffling turns into full on blubbering waterworks as Rosalie quietly clings to to Wick's arm.
[3:33 PM] Gin: The Skarmory flies down from the building to watch. You get the impression based on its reaction that it can't see what you are, but it's still sensing something is happening.
[3:35 PM] Wick: Wick freezes and panics for a moment, finally settling on giving Rosalie a somewhat terse hug. "D-don't cry, I'm uh, I'm sorry... w-we should be happy here! We can repair their uhm, big sky looking thing, and help all these Pokemon..."
[3:36 PM] Wick: "L-let's go look inside! I bet there's all sorts of great notes and instruments there!"
[3:36 PM] Gin: At the mention of the building, the Skarmory pecks at its chain collar, slicing through it with its steel beak. As the chain slides to the ground, you can see there was a heavy key wrapped up in there.
[3:37 PM] Gin: You can still hear some whispers coming from across the clearing, near the rubble and the other path, and it seems like the Skarmory is sensing something too. But it settles down near the gravestones and curls up around one of them to nap.
[3:38 PM] Rosalie: She nods, wiping at her face, successfully smearing the makeup a fair bit. "Y-Yeah, s-sorry. I just um...h-hope everyone in the expedition is doing alright." Her voice is a little hoarse. She half-guides, half-drags Wick over to the rubble.
[3:39 PM] Wick: Wick lets Rosalie drag him to the rubble, swiping the key from where the Skarmory dropped it as they pass
[3:43 PM] Gin: As you walk over, you get a few visions in sequence - all similar to the first one, but the man looks older each time. Sometimes he's carrying mechanical parts, sometimes he's carrying a musical instrument, sometimes cans of food.

When you're just upon the rubble, you hear a cacophony of scraping metal and see a vision of a battle unfolding before you eyes. An odd spider-like machine has crawled its way up the path - definitely not a Pokemon. It's in obvious disrepair and is emitting sparks all over, and it begins to assault the nearby Pokemon gathered at the hot springs. A Skarmory swoops down to defend them but is quickly impaled on a sharpened mechanical leg and tossed aside. Eventually, it's defeated by a combination of the Solrock and Lunatone before before dropping a rockslide on it and crushing it, but not after it'd done considerable damage to the surrounding area.
[3:44 PM] Gin: There's a last vision after that of the man from before climbing up a cliffside to an abandoned nest and bringing back down an egg. He hands it over to 'you', and you can see its glistening with a metallic sheen - silver and red.
[3:44 PM] Gin: The whispers subside after that.
[3:46 PM] Wick: "Oh... poor Skarmory. How long have you been here, I wonder?"
[3:46 PM] Rosalie: Wick's shoulder could use a good scrubbing by this point, what with all of the clown makeup, tears, and...well...snot.
[3:47 PM] Wick: Wick doesn't seem to notice, instead looking over at the Skarmory. "Is... is the one buried there," Wick says, indicating the grave with the crude stone, "The one that raised you? We saw the battle that killed your mom. I'm sorry. My parents are dead too."
[3:47 PM] Wick: He does patpat Rosalie as he speaks though
[3:48 PM] Gin: The Skarmory stirs and raises a head, then nods slowly. It gives an affectionate coo as its rests its head on the gravestones.
[3:49 PM] Rosalie: Despite her state, she still gives Wick a VERY TIGHT HUG.
[3:49 PM] Wick: "Don't cry Rosalie, it's - urk!"
[3:51 PM] Wick: Wick chuckles breathlessly a bit as Rosalie squeezes him, and gives her a peck on the forehead, prying her off and smiling. "Maybe we can do a play about this story come summer! That'd be a nice way to honor them right? So think about that instead of being sad!"
[3:55 PM] Rosalie: She takes a quick moment to consult a hand mirror, expert hands pushing the chaotic mess of makeup on her face into a...well, a surprisingly more deliberate looking chaotic mess. You realize that you've actually seen her makeup look this crazy before, but you hadn't seen how it got like that. Though a few tears continue to drip, she grins at Wick and nods. "Y-You bet! And we'll...we'll try to make sure no one ever has to feel so lonely. Even you, you magnificent shimmer bird!" She points at the Skarmory. "You're all part of our family now!"
[3:57 PM] Gin: It raises its head again and gives you an approving caw before settling back down. All around you, Pokemon continue to frolic and enjoy the hot springs. The pools here are a biiiit small for people, but you think with some construction effort you can probably change that.
[3:59 PM] Wick: "Right, so, inside then!"
[4:00 PM] Wick: Wick removes his snotty shirt as they walk towards the padlock, and drapes it over a shoulder. He opens the door with the SKARMORY KEY, and opens the door as dramatically as he can.
[4:00 PM] Rosalie: (Skarmorkey)
[4:02 PM] Gin: The double doors creaks with a suitable amount of dramatic flair as you throw them open! Dominating the space inside is a giant telescope, with a platform in the center from which to peer into it. Dust flies up as you enter, making you cough, but it actually looks pretty comfy and homely in here.
[4:03 PM] Wick: "Oh man, maybe I should like, live here. This is great!"
[4:03 PM] Rosalie: She golf claps, appreciating the dramatic entrance. Not that she knows what golf actually is.
[4:03 PM] Wick: Wick rushes into the room, looking around excitedly.
[4:03 PM] Gin: The space underneath the stairs leading to the platform in the center has been converted to shelves. There are various knick knacks from pre-fall civilization here, like a couple thin books - they look mostly worn away by the ages though - and a metal flute and a harmonica.
[4:04 PM] Gin: There's even a futon set up in the corner.
[4:04 PM] Rosalie: Rosalie reaches for the flute, rubbing it clean and gives it a few test blows to dislodge whatever has built up over the ages!
[4:04 PM] Gin: There's a row of apricorn balls sitting on another of the shelves, and in another corner of the room there are jugs of water.
[4:04 PM] Wick: "Oooh, nice. Balls!"
[4:05 PM] Gin: The flute's sound is rough and harsh! Not unlike the screech of a Skarmory. But it can probably be repaired.
[4:05 PM] Wick: Wick quickly makes sure none of the balls have something INSIDE them, and then puts them into his bag.
[4:06 PM] Gin: Two of them are currently occupied, and all of them are marked with wax seals denoting they have been used. But their occupants are currently free
[4:06 PM] Rosalie: She smiles sadly at the flute as she puts it away, likely for Lugh to look at.
[4:07 PM] Rosalie: "Do you...think these are for the adorable celestials we saw?"
[4:08 PM] Gin: There's a bunch of scientific looking equipment here too in a pile, but most of it looks rusted and worn. Maybe there's something that can be salvaged though
[4:09 PM] Rosalie: She reaches over to let the occupants of the two apricorn balls out.
[4:10 PM] Gin: A Solrock and a Lunatone plop out...and float in the air listlessly, seeming to be in a deep sleep.
[4:11 PM] Rosalie: She gives them each a rousing pat.
[4:13 PM] Gin: They slowly stir, opening their eyes slowly and appearing quite groggy. Upon seeing you, however, they perk up immediately and both start swirling around you in a dizzying orbit. After a moment though, they look...disappointed and settle back down, giving you a confused and curious look as they slowly circle around you.
[4:15 PM] Rosalie: Rosalie stifles a sniffle. "I'm sorry...it seems the ones you knew before are long gone now. However, a Skarmory has been protecting the area."
[4:15 PM] Wick: "But you're free now! I'm sorry you were put away for so long..."
[4:16 PM] Gin: They emit a low psychic hum as they examine the two of you. At Wick's statement, they look at each other, then float over to the balls. The Solrock bops itself and zwoops in. Then pops back out. The Lunatone pretends to go to sleep for a second.(edited)
[4:18 PM] Rosalie: "Did you...mean to be sleeping in here, all alone, for so long?"
[4:19 PM] Gin: The Solrock makes whirring and humming noises, then tries to shrug. It's very difficult.
[4:19 PM] Wick: "Oh. Well, weren't you bored? I guess maybe you were just lonely and sad and the outside world held no worth, such so that a deep and dreamless sleep within your apricorns seemed like a better option..."
[4:19 PM] Wick: "But now we're here! So! Cheer up!"
[4:20 PM] Gin: The Lunatone does a half-hearted flip. Is this cheering up?
[4:20 PM] Rosalie: "And there's a lot to do, in fact!"
[4:20 PM] Rosalie: "We've a settlement to protect, and I'd like to protect this spot too...and to bring people and pokemon together...to build and reorganize!"(edited)
[4:21 PM] Gin: The Lunatone hums in recognition, then begins to float around its old home. It blows small clouds of dust off some of the shelves with small blasts of telekinetic force.
[4:21 PM] Wick: "We should definitely set up like, an outpost here. I think this place could be a nice place to restock if we wanna explore further north."
[4:22 PM] Rosalie: "And I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to expand the little pools out there!"
[4:23 PM] Gin: The two cosmic Pokemon hum at each other as they orbit around the telescope, then return back to your level. They give you approving looks - seems like they've missed having people around.
[4:24 PM] Wick: Is there anything else of note here? Probably not wise to look into the telescope while it's DAY out
[4:24 PM] Gin: Nope, that's about it! You can look down the path you saw from the memories - it clearly goes north towards Yareta City.
[4:25 PM] Rosalie: Remembering where Mysterio and pals came from, she opts to do just that!
[4:28 PM] Gin: It's still a long trip to the city - or at least, longer than your supplies can handle from here - but you can see that the Duskwood has grown to swallow a good portion of the southern edge of the city. You think you can see the skeletons of skyscrapers poking out from the trees here and there, and you can see stone buildings that have stood the test of time as well. But you'd be traveling a fair bit into the city before you're out of the woods.
[4:28 PM] Gin: And we can wrap up here unless there were pokermans you wanted to approach/catch!
[4:29 PM] Wick: "Wow, that's... really far away. But let's not worry about that yet! Time for a soak!"
[4:30 PM] Wick: Wick strips off the rest of his clothing in running hops, rushing outside to jump into the first pool he'll fit in!
[4:30 PM] Rosalie: At the very least, she would extend the invitation to Dawn Stone Hills to the Skarmory, Lunatone, and Solrock, though understands completely if any would prefer to stay at the observatory!
[4:32 PM] Gin: They'll come visit, but the observatory is their home!
[4:35 PM] Rosalie: Also if there are any hot spring pools ACTUALLY BIG ENOUGH, she'd get in on that too.
[4:35 PM] Gin: Yup, but it's a bit of a squeeze!