Session 68

Midnight approaches. The near-full moon shines high in the sky as the tides reach their maximum. The time to depart is soon.
Meloetta inspects the camp that has been set up on wailordback, nodding in satisfaction.
Meloetta: "There is art, even in temporary architecture."
Linnea shuffles about in obvious self-consciousness, trying to keep busy, though she's still a bit red about the cheeks.
Max Thorn: "And in ensuring we're stocked up for at least two weeks, since I don't know how long we'll be over there or whether we'll be able to provision or not. Meanwhile…"
Sam Spade rests and looks about the area, speculatively
Sands is curled up in a ball in the exact middle of the camp, as Tim looks out over Sandbar Harbor.
Max Thorn employs the TM reader attached to the Center equipment he managed to snag to teach Shadow Claw to Titania.
Esme has been spending her time fidgeting with her chemistry set on her left, and some runework on her right. She made sure to swing by the center to get Alexis some treatment. Long day.
Tim: "Hey, everyone? I was thinking…maybe I should stay behind? I mean, this place needs supervision to make sure, ah, 'certain mistakes' get cleaned up. AndnotbecauseI'mafraidoftheocean!"
Sam Spade: "Are you sure?"
Linnea: "What a very silly thing to say, if you're not afraid."
Sam Spade sits upright and looks openly and honestly at Tim.
Tim tries to look confident, but one glance out at the sea robs him of that.
Sam Spade: "On the one hand, I think between Meloetta and our friend here," she pats the wailord's back, "I think you'll be safe."
Sam Spade: "….On the other hand, I have to admit that the local Jaggies might need someone to keep them in line so we don't come back to ANOTHER battle."
Max Thorn: "You'll be fine. If you /really/ think someone needs to stay behind and keep an eye on affairs here, though…"
Sam Spade: "…And on the third hand, - oh, thank you Chicklet - on the other wing, you didn't get to come with us to Dojji. Are you sure you don't want to see Gaela while you have a chance?"
Tim shrinks a bit. "I-it's…islands…and water…"
Linnea: "And if you dig down far enough we're all just living on rocks floating on a sea of lava."
Linnea: "So I mean."
Sam Spade: "That's….very comforting, Linnea."
Linnea scratches behind her head. Her hair was starting to frizz out all over the place and she looked like she was about to drop down sleeping on the spot. "Uh. Sorry. I guess my humor's kinda got shot t'hell right now."
Tim: "…actually, that is a bit comforting. If you could dig through all the wet…"
Sam Spade hugs Linnea.
Linnea: "Wrrrrrrrrrrrrr."
Tim blushes, one hand behind his head. "Sorry. Guess I just grew up in a desert. If you really want me to come with, let's go."
Linnea: "Leave, stay, I don' care, I just need something resembling a bed. My 'mon, too."
Sam Spade: "That's the spirit! If nothing else, seeing a few more things will help you in the rest of your life."
Sam Spade starts walking Linnea over to where Max set up the tents.
Meloetta: "You already made your decision."
Tim: "Huh?"
Sam Spade looks at the receding shoreline.
Meloetta points to the rear, and the beach - receding into the distance. Apparently the wailord cast off so gently, no one aboard except Sam noticed.
Linnea waves apologetically to Meloetta. "M'sorry. Perhaps we'll speak later."
Max Thorn stretches. "Anyway, go sleep."
Max Thorn: "I certainly intend to-that was a /lot/ to pack up on short notice."
Meloetta: "The journey is long, and your tale is best related when your head is clear, oh la~." She practically drifts over to Linnea and gently lays a hand on her arm. "Get some rest."
Linnea grins, slightly. "This isn't gonna be so bad…"
Esme: "I mean you /say/ that…"
Sam Spade: "Don't worry, Esme!"
Sam Spade: "It's not like you won't have company!"
Sam Spade hugs Esme and gives her a peck on the cheek.
Sam Spade: "But we do need that rest! I'll see you all in the morning!"
Esme: "Pbbt." She smiles. "Yeah at least we're all stuck in on this."
Esme: "Bonne nuit~"
The wailord rocks gently back and forth while washes past, over, or in a few cases through the obstacles of the harbor, and is soon out to open sea. The motion is quite conducive to sleep.
So much so that the sun is well and truly up before the party. Tim was already up, and is preparing breakfast - having assembled a campfire on a heat-resistant tarp so as to not scorch the wailord. Where he got the wood is anyone's guess, though it looks more like planks than branches.
Sam Spade: "Good morning!"
Max Thorn eyes Tim, then the stack of crates forward of the tents.
All of the crates appear intact, though one has been opened - apparently where Tim got the food from.
Linnea blinks sleepily. She had slept so soundly she wondered how long she was out. "Mor…nyeh…?"
Esme yawns wiping her eyes. "That time already?"
Linnea: "It's…some time."
Linnea: "It's morning o'clock."
Tim: "Hey, everyone! I was talking with Meloetta, and…aheh…we miiight have just a small problem."
Linnea: "Wrr?"
Linnea tilts her head slightly.
Tim: "So we know Gaela's roughly to the east, right? Umm…does…anyone know how to navigate at sea?"
Linnea: "… …"
Linnea: "I'm goin' back t'sleep."
Linnea snorts. "No, joking."
Linnea: "But uh."
Esme: "Never tried!"
Linnea: "I'm city as hell. So not I."
Sam Spade: "Um."
Max Thorn checks his 'dex. We still in signal range?
Sam Spade: "East is the direction of sunrise?"
Tim: "I mean, I know 'sun rises in the east' so we're going roughly toward where the sun rose, but."
Esme rubs her chin. "Ocean big, right."
The party is far out of signal range of Sandbar Harbor. Amoda is past the horizon; even the mountains are not visible from here.
Max Thorn: "…Was /anyone/ on this wailord intelligent enough to grab a map before we left?"
Sam Spade: "Well, I was…busy…thinking…about other things."
Linnea: "Hey, Max."
Linnea: "Long walk, short pier."
Linnea grumbles.
Esme: "I'm sure I've got a general global one downloaded somewhere, but I'm not an astronomy-type so star navigation or anything is out for me."
Max Thorn: "We won't need celestial navigation, unless for some reason our ride lacks an internal compass."
Max Thorn glances down at the wailord. "…Which I doubt. And the 'dexes all have a compass too."
Sam Spade: "As far as direction goes, but…aren't there currents in the ocean?"
Sam Spade: "I mean, our big friend down there could be swimming straight east, but the water we're in could be moving south and we miss Gaela?"
Max Thorn: "A map of oceanic currents would require some foresight. Which none of us seem to have employed, including myself."
Sam Spade: "Well, I had been hoping the captain would have it taken care of."
Esme: "Well lessee what we got to work with…"
Sam Spade: "…And didn't stop to think that the last time we saw the Captain, she was in a very different form and might not have been Captaining very long…"
Max Thorn checks his compass, then glances at the sun.
Max Thorn rolled up 5d6: 16 (4 2 4 5 1) (Survival)
Esme pulls up her cached Map. Mebbe know where we're going?
Meloetta: "It was prophecied that you would need a ride. The prophecy did not extend to navigation. I provide what you need, oh la~."
Max Thorn then peers over Esme's shoulder…
The sun actually rose slightly north of east, and thus the wailord is headed east-by-northeast instead of due east.
The map does indeed show a general chart of Gaela, compared to Amoda. Apparently the nearest port is indeed due east from Sandbar Harbor.
Meloetta: "…that map is out of date. I prepared one for our arrival, but if you need it now…" She digs under the supplies.
Max Thorn examines the map Meloetta pulls out.
Sam Spade: "We'd heard…some stuff about Gaela, yeah."
Sam Spade: "Is it…really slipping under the waves?"
Linnea snaps up to attention. "Wait, it's WHAT?"
Sam Spade: "You didn't remember that?"
Max Thorn: "All right, we want to be heading in…that direction." He points, far off in the distance, to where he can see the barest hint of coastal waters.
Sam Spade: "That's why they bound Ho-Oh there."
Max Thorn: "Sounds like they'd have been better off looking to attract a groudon's attention."
Meloetta: "It is the other way around. The heart of the sea was bound, and then Gaela's troubles got worse." She lays out a bronze plaque, intricately colored with lettering etched.
Linnea: "Huuuuuuuuuh."
Linnea peers at it.
Linnea: "Heart of the sea…could it be Kyogre?"
Meloetta: "There is no Groudon or Kyogre here. What there is…here, let me tell Gaela's tale."
Sam Spade: "Ho-Oh is there. We know that already. But…"
Sam Spade settles in quietly to wait.
[OOC] WC GM: http://amodanquest.wikidot.com/gaela-map happens now.
It proves easy to scan the map into the party's pokedexes, as Meloetta relays the state of Gaela and her planned route.
Esme: "Bad aura, huh…"
Max Thorn: "'Heart of the sea' is a bit poetic…and no, not Kyogre. Remember that some people refer to their significant others as 'my heart'."
Linnea: "Ah…right…"
Max Thorn: "So unless they've bound more than one pokemon, we're still looking at freeing Ho-Oh."
Sam Spade: "And…we may need…to not punch Professor Petri in the face when we see her."
Linnea: "Why the fuck not?"
Sam Spade: "Because Arceus put her here for a reason…"
Meloetta: "Yes. You would refer to him as Lugia's love - or…" She wrinkles her nose briefly. "…just 'Ho-Oh'."
Linnea: "For punching?"
Sam Spade: "To do some task."
Sam Spade: "….To maybe make up for all the bullshit she's done."
Linnea: "…Fiiiiiiiine."
Max Thorn: "Nah, we just need to refrain from punching her until after she does what we need her to."
Sam Spade: "Maybe to undo her work binding Ho-Oh."
Sam Spade: "Although that's just a guess."
Max Thorn: "And, frankly, once we have a full accounting of her crimes, we'll have to turn her over to Interpol."
Linnea: "Wrrrr."
Esme: "Info first, then punching, right."
Sam Spade: "Agreed."
Linnea: "I'm getting the sneaking suspicion we're going to end up at Lugia's Roost eventually, bad aura or no."
Linnea: "Because that's just how adventures work."
Meloetta: "I must ask: is your tale, your quest, one of revenge or one of justice? The two melodies are easily confused."
Linnea: "… Mmn."
Sam Spade: "Very easily."
Sam Spade: "In our case, though, we were never directly harmed by Petri's actions."
Sam Spade: "I would view a good solid punching as punishment, meant to…express our discontent, and alter her future actions."
Esme: "…Curious? With some justice?"
Esme: "Plus I wouldn't mind helping out Cheri…"
Tim looks over the plaque. "I…I've seen stuff like this…in a museum, once, before it was dismantled. They say an old master painted Dojji and Amoda in bronze…"
Sam Spade: "Um. Excuse me, Great Meloetta, why would the people of Gaela fear pokemon trainers?"
Meloetta: "Oh, is that where my old maps went?"
Linnea: "…Yeah, that's kinda concerning."
Meloetta tilts her head. "Because of what pokeballs represent to the people."
Max Thorn: "Our quest is one of justice. Of setting the scales aright once more."
Sam Spade: "…What happened there?"
Sam Spade: "We know what happened in Dojji, though not all of it. We know what happened in Amoda, though not how it will end. But Gaela…"
Meloetta: "It is those of the Port of the Shop who…oh! I should make my description plainer."
Meloetta: "Most of those on that island learn how to speak."
Meloetta: "They integrate, to a degree quite uncommon anywhere else, even in the rest of Gaela."
Sam Spade: "….The pokemon, too?"
Sam Spade: "So if they're part of everyday society, than pokeballs just mean slavery."
Sam Spade nods…
Max Thorn: "…Huh. I wonder if those idiots from Derpcloud came from Gaela."
Meloetta: "As you say."
Linnea: "Would taking a Pokemon with us, sans Pokeball, still be a faux pas?"
Sam Spade: "Well, she said as long as we treated them as partners?"
Meloetta: "Indeed. That is why I advise you to have your pokemon released before we make landfall, and keep your pokeballs out of sight at all times."
Meloetta: "And any other equipment that identifies you as a trainer."
Linnea: "Mia and Lulim are well behaved, not too sure about Foless…"
Meloetta: "Anyone you are concerned about, leave in their pokeballs - which you leave on board."
Linnea: "Aye."
Sam Spade: "Um. Does that include our pokedexes?"
Tim: "I'd say yes. And, uh, Iii should DEFINITELY stay on board. Y'know, in case any of them have heard of my father."
Sam Spade: "That's…"
Tim: "…never thought I'd be safer in the water than on land…"
Linnea: "What about, ah - the more mechanically produced medicines?"
Sam Spade: "…now I feel bad for encouraging you to come. But if anything, your relationship with Sands…?"
Esme: "Well, this is gonna be interesting…"
Max Thorn: "Hm. Antheia and Amaterasu should be fine…Antheia I've had the longest, and canines are generally known to follow their alpha's lead."
Meloetta: "Potions are fine. They were one of the trade goods Amodan ships brought."
Linnea: "Thank goodness."
Sam Spade: "And all of my pokemon were happy to come with."
Tim: "You said this is where the educated ones gather. Does that mean there's something like a university here?"
Meloetta: "Akin to a university. Oh, yes!" She looks at Max. "I wish to hear your counterpoint to their song of knowledge, while we are there."
Linnea sets about releasing Miator - "<Took long enough, where did you go? Hell?>" - and Lulim, whose coat seems to have taken on a nice sheen once more. She scans these unfamiliar surroundings and yawns a bit.
Max Thorn: "Oh boy."
Max Thorn brings Antheia and Amaterasu out, then sets the balls inside his tent. They both stretch and look around. Ammy decides she'll stick to the center for now, though.
Sam Spade moves towards the back of the wailord. She has some training to do with Noiseless and Chicklet. Malta is already out, and circling overhead.
Esme releases Gerv, Luc and Alexis, slumping over her Nidoking's shoulders. "Looks like you get to get some exercise, mon chou. No ball for you."
The wailord's back is getting a bit crowded, with all these pokemon out. Only a bit, though.
Alexis is looking better than she did after the Gengar fight. She flies above overhead, giving Malta some company.
Meloetta perches on the windbreak near the front. "It will be many more hours before we reach land. My champion, if you have questions for me about yourself, now is a good time to ask."
Linnea thought of something, speaking of Foless. She finds herself a steady area of the camp. She places down a flat plank, muttering to herself as she magically burned in lettering and paths upon it. Placing four violet shards in strategic locations, she continues chanting - the shards rise up a short distance, dissolve into what looks like sand, and whirl back together into a dusk stone. She nods politely to some unseen presence and pockets the stone before turning to face Melo.
Linnea: "So, uh…"
Linnea: "Just to get some business out of the way first… You've seen or perhaps felt that Max has a certain connection to Shaymin, yes?"
Meloetta: "Yes. And I have bestowed the same blessing upon you…so far as I had to. I honestly think I had less work to do than Shaymin did, and your friend was already quite aspected."
Linnea: "… Oh! So, you've already done so!" She laughs, her nervousness dropping instantly. "I thought I would be far too bold a mortal to request calling upon your powers."
Meloetta: "And you would. The powers you can call upon are your own, though I may have given you potential you have not yet touched." She leans over and conspiratorially loud-whispers, "It's the same way for your friend too."
Linnea: "Anyway…I've been thinking, right? It takes a whole lot of power to bind beings like we've been seeing, and that's something mere mortals can't really do…Is there some kind of empowered collective here, pulling the strings? Like, one step above the Jaegers?"
Sam Spade jerks upright.
Sam Spade: "What? Me? I wasn't listening to your conversation!"
Linnea: "Sam."
Sam Spade: "…Yes?"
Linnea: "I don't care."
Meloetta: "Yes." She makes a show of looking among the party. "There is a collective, with power, here."
Linnea: "Join us, even. More thoughts the better."
Sam Spade looks sidelong
Sam Spade: "…Okay."
Linnea: "Ha. I knew SOMETHING was up. You have any clues on what part've the pantheon they're pulling from? Or are they becomin' as gods on their own?"
Sam Spade blinks, then looks sidelong at Linnea again.
Linnea: "Not you, Sam."
Sam Spade: "I think Meloetta was talking about…"
Linnea: "Wrr?"
Meloetta: "Well…one is 'pulling from' me, though that is not the right term for it. Another was empowered by Shaymin. The others…it is not my place to reveal their secrets."
Linnea: "Yeah, okay, fair enough."
Linnea: "I'm sure I'll bumble into it on my own eventually."
Esme: "Y-yeah, who knows?"
Sam Spade: "…Yeah."
Sam Spade: "I do wonder, though. About some of the stuff that's happened."
Sam Spade: "Like, *someone* bound the heart of the sea. My money's on Petri, but I don't know for sure."
Sam Spade: "Someone made the Queen Raidertank."
Linnea: "Wouldn't be surprised."
Max Thorn pokes his head out of his tent. "If I might offer an idea…if there are those who are blessed by deities such as Shaymin or Meloetta, there must therefore also be those who *steal* such power, through dark rituals."
Linnea: "Hoooo…"
Sam Spade: "….I still like Petri for that, but…"
Max Thorn: "And bindings require such rituals, and power."
Linnea: "I was kinda joking when I brought up becomin' as gods…you think such things would actually be possible?"
Sam Spade: "…In which case…"
Max Thorn: "Aaaaaaaaaand…I prefer our dear Ignacia, she who plays overmuch with fire."
Sam Spade: "…that would explain some of the stories of Ignacia."
Sam Spade: "What do we know? We know she loved Ho-Oh…we know she herself was in some way bound by Lugia, which is why she hates Lugia so much."
Sam Spade: "…And we know that after she was bound by Lugia, 'hate' was pretty much all she had left, and that caused a good chunk of the problems in Dojji's invasion of Amoda."
Sam Spade: "…And her fingerprints are all over the files for the research on the AMTO bullets, whether that was before the invasion or after…"
Sam Spade: "…And if it was before, it indicates that she's responsible, to some extent, for what happened in Dojji when Amoda struck, before any of us was even born."
Sam Spade flops back on the wailord's back.
Max Thorn: "She brought that research over, per the records."
Linnea: "So you're saying she's already deified, maybe?"
Tim: "What, you're saying…she SET UP the invasion?!? What, just to get at Lugia?"
Max Thorn: "Looks that way."
Esme: "Dedicated."
Sam Spade: "If it happened in that order - and I didn't read the files, Esme and Max did - then…maybe, yeah."
Sam Spade: "Lugia thought Ho-oh was bound in Dojji. We got that."
Sam Spade: "And it's why Lugia brought the rains the instant we - well, you, Linnea - broke the bindings keeping her out."
Linnea: "Right!"
Tim: "…next you're going to be telling me Lugia set you and me up specifically so you'd be able to go into Dojji and do what she couldn't."
Meloetta: "And myself as well."
Tim: "what"
Sam Spade sits up at that.
Meloetta looks up at Linnea. "Our meeting, it seems, was not entirely by chance."
Sam Spade: "Um."
Linnea: "Really."
Meloetta: "We were all used."
Sam Spade: "Oh, that's what you meant."
Sam Spade: "I can see it."
Linnea: "That's - fascinating, and terrifying."
Esme scratches her head. "Lots of forward planning here, it looks like."
Sam Spade: "We ran into her a couple times on our Routes, so it's certainly possible…"
Sam Spade: "…But I don't think she's the only one."
Esme: "Did we ever find out what was up with the MissingNo? Or was that just a one-off messenger to set us on this path?"
Linnea: "I mean, it's never just one."
Sam Spade: "I have no clue-"
Meloetta: "My place is lower than hers. I wonder - did she pray to Arceus for help, when Ho-Oh was being bound?"
Sam Spade: "…That was our second encounter with Lugia, too."
Sam Spade: "Wasn't it? Anna said something about…."
Esme: "Anna and I ran into her in Ice Cove, though she was just kind of… hanging out beneath the ice."
Esme: "She's probably been watching us the whole time."
Linnea: "Frickin' voyeur."
Sam Spade: "Well we ran into her in Metro Beach, so yeah."
Sam Spade: "Metro Beach, check. Ice Cove, check. Then not until Dojoholm."
Sam Spade: "Huh."
Tim: "I'll bet she's why Wirehold had those problems with the sea."
Sam Spade looks at Meloetta.
Sam Spade: "OH RIGHT!"
Sam Spade: "I forgot about her actions in Foundry Town."
Esme: "Tank buster!"
Sam Spade: "So, yeah. Not a light hand on the manipulation at all, in retrospect."
Tim: "…that would explain why the sea itself looked so angry, if that really was her."
Max Thorn: "That rotom was very fortunate that Anna coaxed it out…"
Sam Spade: "But then we got to Dojji and Ho-oh wasn't there after all."
Sam Spade blinks, then looks down at the sea around the Wailord.
Tim: "And you saw how she took that knowledge."
The sea is perfectly calm. Not a sign of Lugia anywhere.
Sam Spade: "I'm sorry about that. If we'd known, or I suppose thought about it…Ignacia left some hints that Ho-oh was in Gaela in her room in Rustle Fields…"
Linnea: "…We've moved beyond the Bay Island barrier, I reckon."
Linnea: "We're beyond Lugia's reach…for now."
Tim: "The what?"
Linnea: "Right, way back, I took a very, very nice flight, high up in the heavens. Made note of several barriers while I was up there."
Linnea: "And we just passed beyond the boundary of one."
Esme: "Oh, that's what you were up to?"
Linnea: "Yeah."
Max Thorn: "What were the other barriers?"
Linnea thinks back…
Tim: "Oh! If it was that type, did you see if there was anything left of what was keeping Lugia out of Dojji?"
Linnea: "There was a wall there but it's pretty hecked up now."
A few bubbles break the surface up ahead.
Linnea snaps her attention back forward.
Linnea: "Oi, what's this…"
More bubbles - before long, a spot in the sea is beginning to boil.
Linnea: "Whatever it is, it's not good - can we navigate away?"
Max Thorn: "If it's moving, it's not gonna matter if we can move away from it."
Just as Linnea asks, the wailord turns to veer around - only for the water to suddenly dip, making a whirlpool with a boiling center. The party can feel heat wafting from that direction, and the faint scent of sulphur.
Esme: "…eruption?"
Linnea: "… Great."
Sam Spade: "Oh, dear."
Linnea: "Heatran?" Her mind was obviously on legendaries.
Sam Spade grabs, raises her head out, and shouts in that way she's been learning to do.
Sam Spade: "Everyone hold on tight!"
Tim: "Can anyone kick us away, or make a wall, or SOMETHING?!?"
Meloetta: "Sorry, all I can do about this is dance."
Linnea: "I can't wall off something of that magnitude alone… ugh…"
Max Thorn: "My powers don't lean that way, unfortunately."
Sam Spade: "…Esme?"
Linnea: "All I can do is…" She nods at Miator, who starts muttering a spell to herself [Lucky Chant], in order to mitigate any possible damage that might otherwise be grievous.
The tension in the air does seem to reduce slightly.
Esme: "I can't really wall, but I could maaaaybe blast us a bit?"
Esme: "…or just drop a Judgment in it."
Tim: "Any little bit would help right now!"
Sam Spade hesitates, then raises her pokedex and scans the whirlpool.
Pokedex: "No pokemon found."
Malta dives in between the whirlpool and the wailord and begins whipping up a Whirlwind, hoping to push the wailord past!
Pokedex: "Trace signature found. Analyzing. Analyzing."
Esme frowns, and digs through her bag, popping a blue shard into her mouth. She pauses before biting down, as the Pokedex gets a signal.
The whirlwind nudges the wailord a bit. A little more should break free of the whirlpool.
Pokedex: "Move origin: Ho-Oh. Its feathers are in seven colors. It is said that anyone seeing it is promised eternal happiness."
Linnea: "Welp."
Sam Spade: "…Okay, but what does that *mean*?"
Linnea: "It means we're in trouble."
Max Thorn: "It means external visitations are being blocked by the bound Ho-Oh."
Pokedex: "Signal extremely faint. Possible cause: long range or diminished use."
Sam Spade: "…That makes some sense."
Max Thorn: "So unless someone has any bright ideas on how to get through…"
Sam Spade: "Esme, a bit more push?"
Linnea: "I don't think Mia has enough mental power to teleport ALL of us…"
Esme goes and gives the CRONCH, her aura flaring white! Wind gathers at her palms, and she swirls it into a ball before blasting it outwards as a sideways cyclone to move them along! [Judgment - Energy Warped to a Line]
Linnea: "SHIIIIII-" Lin hangs on to something.
The wailord surges forward, twisting - and free! Even a strong steel ship would have snapped had it tried such a maneuver, but the wailord seems intact.
Max Thorn: "…Yes, like that."
As the party sails dead away from the whirlpool, the boiling finally erupts in a giant plume of steam and lava.
Linnea: "I get the distinct feeling we're not welcome."
Wailord: "Looord."
Linnea: "You said it, buddy."
Sam Spade strokes the side of the wailord.
Sam Spade: "Good job, my friend!"
Tim pats the wailord. "Umm. Think any of you can hang overboard and apply a potion?"
Linnea: "Yeah!"
Esme pants. "Oui…good big magic pokemon…"
Linnea: "Gimme a line or something and I can go patch up."
Max Thorn plants a palm on the wailord's back, and sends forth a pulse of green energy. [Spirit Mending]
Another bubbling spot comes up, but the wailord shifts course in ample time to avoid the whirlpool. The party is almost a mile past when this one detonates.
The wailord sighs in obvious relief, "Wa-a-aiiil~."
[OOC] Max Thorn: Which is +30 HP or -2 Injuries, take your pick. :p
[OOC] WC GM: +30 HP in this case.
Max Thorn: "Need another one, or was that sufficient…?"
No further bubbling interrupts the party's travel for the next few hours.
Wailord: "Wail. Lord."
Sam Spade strokes some more. "Thank you so very much."
Tim: "…I think that's a 'maybe, but if not I'll recover later'?"
Max Thorn sends forth another one, then.
Max Thorn: "I can do one more, after this, today."
The wailord's response is not even as wordy as usual, just a sigh.
Esme: "We've got plenty of conventional healing, we'll hopefully avoid any more direct attacks now that we know they're coming."
Miator plants her palms down on the surface of the Wailord, sending a [Heal Pulse] down into the creature. [Recover 50% of max HP.]
Esme: "…I should make a Fire Brace."
If the wailord was still injured, all such problems now go away. That said, this is probably the largest Heal Pulse that Miator has yet performed - if mainly because there is so much wailord to heal.
She just flops on her back afterward, staring up at the sky. "<Eesh…>"
There are no further interruptions as the party progresses, and in several hours - as the sun nears the horizon - a flock of wingulls is seen heading for the same destination as the party.
Esme: "Mmm?"
The sun kisses the horizon - for a moment making it look like Amoda's mountaintops, but those are far out of sight - as land becomes visible to the east. Sunset has just finished when the harbor nears.
Tim: "Alright, everyone. Time to stow your gear!"
Linnea starts packing stuff away, out of sight.
Max Thorn puts his balls away, then sees if he can detach the case from his 'dex…
The harbor is part of a large city, not unlike Metro Beach though with more accommodations for various types of pokemon, and many - many - more pokemon wandering freely alongside humans. One of that flock of wingulls dips down toward the harbor; the party does not see it talk, but one of its wings briefly jabs in the party's direction, after which those on the ground look at the party.
Jubilant cheers soon break out, and what seems to be a reception committee soon forms on the beach.
Linnea: "Hello, friends!"
Sam Spade: "Yes, we are totally a cargo ship…alright. We can do this."
Tim: "I don't think we'll have the element of surprise this time."
Sam Spade stands up and waves at the people on the shore.
Sam Spade: "Helloooo!!!"
It is impossible to hear words from this distance, but the crowd on the beach quickly scrawls out and holds up a banner reading, "WELCOME AMODA TRADERS" .
Meloetta has resumed her skitty disguise.
Max Thorn: "…If I'd had more time I'd have stocked up on actual goods."
Esme tugs on Gervais' ear, startling him awake. "Time for a lot of talking and walking, probably."
Esme: "What do you think they need? I could sell them some…scrap? Maybe some shards?"
Sam Spade stretches her arms and her neck.
Sam Spade: "Good question."
Linnea: "We can provide services as well."
Linnea: "Crafting, healing, and so on."
Max Thorn: "The most important thing's the pokemon center, but I'm not sure I want to offload that just yet."
Sam Spade: "That's fine."
Sam Spade: "We'll get the lay of the land first."
Esme: "Well, lets see if we impress or disappoint!"
The party's pokedexes ping with new connection. Apparently, the local net is compatible with Amodan hardware.
Sam Spade: "…Aaaand maybe we should keep these out of sight."
Max Thorn: "Or at least take the badge cases off."
Linnea: "Should be okay…they're used for communication and the like…"
Sam Spade: "Well, Me- Captain Skitty said we might want to leave them behind, but if the hardware works I don't want to risk that."
Sam Spade: "Plus we might want to contact Interpol once they can get in here to arrest Professor Petri. Or not? We'll play it by ear."
Max Thorn: "Without the badge case, it's more readily claimable as a PDA."
Max Thorn: "Which, um, that's kinda what it is. Except 'Pokemon' rather than 'Personal'."
[OOC] WC GM: Alright, so: everyone's taking the badge cases off but taking the rest of their pokedexes?
[OOC] Linnea: Yep.
[OOC] Max Thorn: Apparently?
[OOC] Sam Spade: Yeah….but leaving the latter in pocket anyway.
[OOC] WC GM: K. This will matter in a later session.
The cases are easily dismounted, though it takes a little work. Still, the job is done before the wailord coasts to a stop at a pier. Some pokefans - several of them pokemon - are at the ready, and begin shoveling food into the wailord's maw, as others hoist a stairway up to let the party safely walk down.
Sam Spade heads to the gangway.
Linnea: "I don't even want to know how much it costs to keep this fellow fed…"
Sam Spade: "Hi!"
Linnea follows the others.
A machamp wearing a top hat and fitted suit muscles through the crowd, extending all four hands to shake, waiting for the party to come down. "Welcome, welcome to Port of the Shop. As mayor, I'd like to welcome you to our humble little…" He breaks into a grin, waving two hands at the city behind him. "…grand abode."
Max Thorn gestures for Antheia and Amaterasu to precede him.
Mayor Machamp: "So if I might be allowed the honor of the first question, I'd like to kindly ask…"
Sam Spade perks up interestedly.
Which, of course, they do, with Ammy taking the lead and wagging furiously as she looks around at all the new things.
Esme rides Gervais down, Luc and Alexis floating along behind.
A twinge of desperation enters the corner of the machamp's right eye. "…WHAT KEPT YOU?!?"