|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2025 6:12 am
Aile would keep close to Sol as soon as he brought out the light, glad they had someone that could easily bring forth light. She would look at the wall sconces when they finally got to them, tilting her head as they turned on of their own accord. This was something certainly curious. Though, nothing else seemed to pop out for detail yet. Other than the fact that this all became manufactured. None of the other caves had this sort of detail, they all just looked natural. So, Aile assumed this was here because they were storing something else here as well. What could it have been, though?
She kept following the path as they went down the staircase, a feeling of concern growing in her gut. They were getting deep. Suddenly, she took a quick look around, just briefly checking for any odd sources of water, getting odd feelings from back when the team went to find Regirock… Hopefully nothing like that happened again. Though. She didn’t enjoy the idea of nearly drowning, followed up with having a cave in after catching Korriban….. Let’s hope something like that didn’t happen this time.
Aile would be thankful they didn’t find anything of that sort on the way down, so that looked like one less thing to worry about. But what they did find when they finally entered the large room confused her. Beautiful iridescent walls with angular spiral markings, and similar markings on a sand dome in the center of the chamber, but in black. The woman would walk around the dome, looking back towards the walls a couple of times while her mind was trying to think of something. Yes, it certainly appeared that the Herba and occupant weren’t here, but Aile would put some good money on, at the very least, the dome hiding a path to the actual room, if not the dome just being where their targets were being held. The energy coming from that was just a gigantic neon light of sorts.
She’d rejoin the others, ideas percolating until she heard Sol speak up. “You’ve seen this before? What do these feel like to you guys, by the way? It’s mostly chaos, but I can sense ground type energy within them, at least.” Aile would look at the wall again, the idea beginning to take shape. However, she wanted to hear what Reno and Sol might say before she tried it.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2025 12:04 pm
Reno shrugged as he began to follow alongside their own personal torch bearer, keeping an eye on the Armarouge until he lost sight of the Pokemon. "Their words, not mine. Apparently the Herba is in there with something else that needed securing. Guessing its like that giant Klawf they saw on the first trip or something." Slowly placing his hand on the wall to see if he might pick up some little detail on the wall for determining either age or something else of value. "Apparently whatever it is has been there for at minimum over one hundred years. So not sure what all that leaves for things that can be here."
As they began to pass the sconces and the lights began to turn themselves on, he would stare at the strange mix of energy before nodding. "Alright. Psychic Gems for mental energy detection to give a spark of power to make the Electric Gems glow. This is....surprisingly advanced." He said, admiring the unique construct that occupied the now clearly man-made tunnel. He had a feeling before but this was really pointing to why exactly Aile had been the one picked out as the caretaker.
Finally, descending the stairs and reaching the strange metal enclosure, he would stare at the odd metal for a moment as he heard Sol and Aile speaking. Eventually hearing her question, Reno replied to Aile. "It also has Psychic and Dark energy in it. Its like a rainbow of energy. Which.....fitting given the rainbow-looking metal walls." Turning to look over at Sol, an answer to the hybrid's questioned was forming in his mind. "I...think this looks like that sword of yours. But I'm not precisely sure what that means besides......very conductive for chi?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2025 12:49 pm
Sol had taken in what Reno said as they traveled, glad for the confirmation about the Herba Mystica. But the occupant was still a mystery, and one he wasn't certain on.
Even now, with the room the trio were in, he wasn't terribly certain about that part. But if this was as familiar as it was feeling...
"It's been a long time, but I feel like I've seen a room like this. But not here in Paldea. I can pick out a lot of Fire energy amongst the storm, and a good amount of Flying as well. Apart from those, it's a swirl to me, a mix that's too dense to parse," Sol answered after a couple of seconds. "I wouldn't put full trust in any familiarity from me, though. Travel long enough, and you're bound to stumble on some ruins here and there. Though, now that you mention it..."
At Reno's remark about the walls, he'd unsheathe Arcoiris to show its iridescent blade proper before looking at the walls again. "It does look quite similar, doesn't it?" Looking at the walls again, more thoughts about what they'd entered came to mind.
"Still... another one? In Paldea of all places? I need to be sure, make sure this isn't a trick of my mind. I don't recall so much sand, but..."
"...what about the sand, Aile? Anything you can make out from that?" He asked after another moment, breaking from his thoughts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2025 4:33 pm
“Nothing but it being a bright neon sign saying something huge is here.” Aile replied, shaking her head as she thought about things. They each were sensing a different sort of energy from the walls… So what if they had a bit of each element in them? And Sol’s sword being made out of apparently similar stuff. Reno was probably right about it being chi conductive, considering she saw Sol use the sword for a pseudo Solar Blade. Maybe the walls were the same way. And the same symbols were on the dome as were on the walls. “What if we each sent an attack in on the walls? Or tried at least to channel energy into them?” She’d point to the symbols on the dome before pointing to their match on the walls.
“The thought is that those black symbols are receivers, while these are what can be used to…” She waved her hands while thinking of the word. “Send out a signal, per say. And maybe some of the walls of the dome will drop, maybe the dome itself will disintegrate if they get them. I’m guessing here. But it’s an idea. Maybe send a ground type attack at one, guessing because of that dome being made, and that’ll obviously be me. If I’m right with my assumption of… did you call that Pokémon Armarouge, Sol? It’s clearly a psychic type, based on the telepathy, so maybe a Psychic attack or burst at one, Reno, and then if it can do those hot attacks, maybe Fire on another, Sol, for both a potential Fire typing on the guardian and the fact that a desert is usually associated with hot places.” Taking a deep breath, Aile would look to her teammates. “Well, let's at least give it a try." She would take Tatooine, who had been continuing to follow close, over to one of the walls. "If this doesn't work, let's try an Earth Power." Another deep breath would be taken before she put her artifact hand onto the metal and attempted to push ground chi into the wall. If nothing seemed to happen, she'd back off and allow Tatooine to attack it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2025 5:47 pm
Nodding at Aile's call for what they should do, Reno would reach into his pockets and dig out a different Pokeball as he looked over towards Kaiden. "Normally, I'd just channel power like I was going to teleport but...I'd rather have options appendage-wise." Reno said, cracking open the device and looking over to Aleister. Rolling his left shoulder, a layer of slime would rapidly coat the area before quickly layering itself into a replacement arm for him. Placing the limb onto the wall and giving a minor push with his chi, he waited to see what reaction the wall might have.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2025 6:24 pm
"That much is evident, even without the energy," Sol added, noting the differences himself. It made sense; if all sorts of energy were mixed, the ones that'd stand out the most would be with one's affinity. "And I did. They're Fire and Psychic types, and that one looked to be quite aged. Not that I'd imagine age matters to them if the tales are true. Still, it's worth a shot."
Funneling enough fire chi to make flames spread through Arcoiris' blade, Sol went towards another of the walls and let the blade touch against another of the walls to let the energy spread there. His other hand was ready to touch the wall in its stead if a more direct approach was necessary, however.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2025 8:51 am
As the three Snagems released their chi into their respective walls the symbols on the respective wall would begin to glow in the color of their primary type, the corresponding symbols glowing on the dome. The glowing would only last for a few seconds before it stopped all together and the walls flashed red, becoming briefly hot, thanks to a release of Fire energy, as if to ward off the hands touching them with Sol's wall releasing Water energy. As Reno pulled his hand back he would already know what was going on; there was a combination to this, a password that they had to figure out. Eighteen walls, one for each type, yet each wall was made up of the exact same stuff, though with different symbols. Like a computer. If only they could read the symbols or program.
"Bal bal bal!" Came the cries of numerous Baltoy as they descended down from the ceiling, a wholly unsurprising event to Reno in particular. They got the password wrong, now it was time for the security system to punish them for their incorrect guess. The nine Baltoy would fly down towards them, firing off Psybeams at them while descending and once they got close enough would attempt to rush them with Rapid Spin. If they noticed the walls while being attacked they would note they had gone dark, lost all their coloring. Again, Reno knew what was going on, they had to defeat these Baltoy to reactivate the walls if they wanted another shot at the password. Even if they defeat the Baltoy without hints they would just be guessing.
Once all was said and done Reno would be overwhelmed with a sense of...deja vu? No, not that exactly but a sense of...knowing? Why did he feel like he knew exactly what the deal was here the moment he touched the wall? Wasn't just because he made some educated guesses, heck the fact that they were Baltoy that came after them made sense to Reno and not just because they were neigh immortal but even their numbers.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2025 9:07 pm
Almost as soon as the walls turned red and Sol had a chance to consider why that might happen, the water energy would not only extinguish the blade immediately but send itself through to attempt going into him directly. With a pained grunt, he'd drop Arcoiris and shake his hand, forcing fire energy into it to counteract and lessen the pain. "Ah! Don't think it was a fan of our efforts..." A few sparks and steam left his hand as the water energy diminished, and he'd be quick to sheathe Arcoiris before any residual energy in it threatened to enter him again. He'd start hearing the cries of multiple Baltoy soon afterward, being pelted by their Psybeams as they approached and getting a glimpse of the walls darkening when one spun into him.
"Correction, definitely not a fan. Hoja!" He'd send out his Leafeon as a means to fight back, figuring it might be safe with the walls as they were. He hoped. "Need you to keep some of these at bay with a Razor Leaf!"
Hoja was curious about the strange room he, Sol and others seemed to be in, but as soon as another of the Baltoy fired a Psybeam at him too, he'd be quick to retaliate with the requested Razor Leaf at the three Baltoy closest to him and his trainer and save the questions for after the danger passed.
Sol would try to force more fire energy into his hand for a Flamethrower, but when all that came forth was more steam, he'd curse the earlier moment and readied himself to attack them more directly if they got too close.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2025 10:08 am
Aile frowned when the idea didn’t work, though at least something happened. She wasn’t completely off on her idea. She would still recoil her hand back when the walls grew red, but thankfully it was only her left hand that was touching it, not her right fleshy hand.Then the Baltoy showed up. Well, guess it made sense for there to be something to keep people out from brute forcing things. She’d back up and do her best to dodge the Psybeams, taking cover behind the walls as much as she could. “Tati, Dragon Breath! Or if they get close, Dragon Tail!”
The Flygon nodded, taking flight and weaving around some of the Psybeams, and taking hits when Aile wound up losing track of any and she was about to be hit. All of that while she was also letting out gouts of royal blue flames at the small clay figurines. Hopefully this was only some sort of timed thing, and that they’d retreat soon. Dammit, though! “Well, that was my initial idea. Anyone else have a guess at the moment?” Hopefully someone else did. Hopefully, as well, the Armarouge wasn’t or couldn’t pay attention to what might have been going on down here. The last thing they were needing was that old creature to be attacking them as well.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2025 5:51 pm
The second the red flashing began, Reno already had his hand off of the wall that he had been pressing his power against. He didn't know why he moved his hand, but it was off the surface before the surface could even begin to attempt burning him in recompense for the wrong combination. Quickly scanning the walls and getting a count, it was easy enough to judge the requirements. 18 walls for 18 types, just needed to figure out the exact mix and match to make it work. But before any of the examination work could begin, the security system would need taking care of in order to force a reset.
Raising his left hand up towards the ceiling, he said. "Kaiden, I'm.goimg to need a few Energy Balls at our soon-to-be friends. Aleister, batter the ones that get through with Ice Punch. 9 is going to be too much to immediately blitz between all of us here." And as the Baltoy began their assault, the one Reno could see staring him down would find itself engulfed in a slimy mass as Reno's left arm shot across the room and slammed into the Psychic type, a few other Psybeams lancing past to singe Aleister and Kaiden before a volleyball of Energy Balls met another few of the Baltoys.
Seeing a few of the ones drawing close to their group, an icy blue pair of fists thumped the small Psychic Pokemon alongside the other flurry of attacks. And as Reno's arm snapped back with its captured prey, Reno would use the Pokemon as a bludgeon to smack a few other pests that were annoying Sol and Aile.
Releasing his captive once the security team was knocked out, Reno would stare wide eyed at the tactical assault he had just initiated and the knowledge that continued to trickle in about their situation. "Guys! Don't ask how I know but I know it's a type puzzle! Start looking at all of the walls for nay identifying marks to indicate the type for each wall!" Reno shouted, already hard at work examining the walls. "I don't even have Phemes out. How am I analyzing all of this stuff like this? This is some real bizarre deja vu."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2025 6:16 pm
As the Snagems retaliated against the Baltoy the flying clay dolls would do their best to keep up the fight, their hundreds of years of sleep having little no effect on their fighting ability. They were made for this specific purpose and they were not going to go down so easily.
The three Baltoy heading for Sol would get sliced up by the Razor Leaf conjured up by Hoja, two of them taken care of immediately thanks to suffering a critical hit while the third was harmed considerably but still hanging in there. The surviving Baltoy would remember its 'programming' in this moment and executed its 'last stand' protocol and began to glow brightly.
The other six seemed to be easily taken care of by Kaiden and Tati with the Flygon using its Dragonbreath in wide sweeps to catch as many of them as possible and create an opening for Kaiden to pick them off one by one with Energy Ball. A few got fairly close by Tati was able to send them flying back with Dragon Tail. One Baltoy however began to use what looked like an Ancient Power as it telepathically raised numerous rocks into the air only for another Baltoy to come flying into it thanks to Tati, the two then getting taken out at the same time by Kaiden's Energy Ball, sending the two Baltoy and the formerly floating rocks scattering across the floor.
Just as Aile and Reno had taken care of the other Baltoy they would spot the surviving Baltoy from Sol's trio attempt to catch him off guard as it came flying at Sol right as the other two fell to the Razor Leaf, the doll glowing bright white. His Pokemon didn't have time to launch another attack and Sol was still reeling from having Water energy forced into him. This was bad, one of them would need to do something immediately if they didn't want to spend the night sweeping up Sol's ashes and hope they got them all in this giant place.
Once they had taken care of the Baltoy, and made sure Sol didn't reroll his birthday, the group would find the walls now iridescent again, the security system having reset itself and allowing them to try a combination again. And now that Reno made more of a moment to analyze things he would find the strange symbols becoming more and more familiar. In fact, he thinks he knew what type each symbol represented on each wall, or rather the majority of them. He wasn't sure about Dark, Bug, and Ghost as it looked like in this language the characters were similar, likely some sort of reason for that.
Either way he was confident in fifteen of the eighteen walls but that was about it, they still had to figure out the combination. Maybe there was a hint around here? The Armarouge thought Aile was the custodian, maybe that was something to focus on? And the pile of sand had to be related to all this somehow, right? So what else was there?
"Arma!" Armarouge would burst in just as the trio were standing around thinking, the Pokemon looking fighting ready as its hands were brought together into cannon form, ready to blast someone or something. "Why did the alarm go off, custodian!?" It demanded to know as it pointed its cannon at them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2025 9:06 pm
Reno was going to attempt something with getting Sol clear of the glowing Baltoy that was liable to explode. However, he was a half step behind his Reuniclus, who had already managed an Ally Switch and was staring down the glowing construct with a look of...almost bemusement. And as the Baltoy began to glow brighter for the detonation, it would simply...just keep glowing. Turning over to where Kaiden was, the Alakazam would be busy finishing a Disable attack before shrugging. "Well, that was embarrassingly anticlimactic." Aleister told Reno through telepathy, winding up and throwing a final Ice Punch to send the Baltoy bouncing around the room.
Turning to where Sol was now, Reno would offer his own shrug. "Apparently everyone wanted to play hero all at once." He said, slowly moving past the hybrid to proceed with examining the walls. And he would quickly get a number of them eliminated, accurately identifying them through....it felt like logic but could just as well have been pure luck and hunches steering his actions. Well, it certainly wasn't pure hunches, since he came across three symbols that...basically looked the same to him and had the potential to be either Dark, Ghost, or Bug. "Okay. I've got all the other walls figured out through....I don't know, omniscience or something? Either way, these three.." Reno said, pointing to the culprit walls, "Are Ghost, Dark, and Bug. But I can't tell you which is which because the symbols look almost the exact same on them. Maybe our little sand castle can tell us something? Or we could send Aile back to go collect her new best friend?"
Well, Reno was certain to get what he asked for with that last one.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2025 10:25 am
Aile breathed a sigh of relief when the Baltoy were brought down, until she saw the one glowing. She was about to call for one more Dragon Tail from Tati, but apparently everyone from Reno’s team were on that issue, watching the conga line of ways to keep Sol from getting turned to dust among the ruins. Uncoordinated, but it all worked. They watched the walls return to their previous luster, and Aile would join her teammates as Reno explained the symbols on the walls. “Ah… How do-?” She shook her head as she noticed a set of vibrations moving quick towards them, feeling as if it was someone running towards them. It was faint, but getting closer. Which meant that Armarouge probably noticed the alarm Baltoy. Crap. She balled her hands into fists as she paid attention to the steps getting closer, and then right before the Armarouge was supposed to enter the room…
She’d smack Reno upside the head with her right hand, putting on quite a facade of being angry. “You complete and utter buffoon! I allow you to come along with us, and this is how you repay that generosity! By screwing everything up? At least least your Pokemon helped to clean up the mess you made, making sure our friend here didn’t become part of the ruins here.” She pinched the bridge of her nose as she spun to face the Armarouge, mentally preparing in case the ruse was seen through. “Sorry, it seems that bringing my slave turned out to be a bad idea. While he can get us places fast, he also has a tendency of messing around and finding out, which we do not have the time for currently. Hopefully,” Aile would shoot Reno a leer before continuing, “That should be the only time it activates.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2025 2:34 am
It would seem luck, as it's wont to do for Sol, worked akin to a pendulum. On one side of it were two of the Baltoy getting hit in a weaker spot thanks to his Leafeon's attack. On the other, the one that managed to tough it out was closer than ever and starting to glow brightly. It didn't take a lot of guesswork to imagine what was about to happen, and it came too fast for him to react- not that he could all that well, still working water out of his system. For Hoja, the Baltoy's last stand caught a blind spot and he wasn't able to notice until it was all too late. Even if he did manage to get another attack off, chances are the Baltoy would blow itself (and Sol) sky high.
"Oh, this is unfortunate," he remarked, resigning himself to the part where the Baltoy would blow up and leave him everywhere all at once. Weirdly, this explosion would find him with a sudden sensation of teleportation, leaving him disoriented for a moment and seeing the Baltoy a safer distance away with Reno's Reuniculus poised to take the blast instead. But then the Baltoy kept glowing... and glowing... and glowing? Where was the room-shattering kaboom? Once it was confirmed there'd be nothing explosive, he'd see the Ice Punch bring an anticlimatic end to the predicament at hand and let out a sigh of relief.
"I'm grateful for the save all the same. Gracias." As he saw it, it could've been much worse and he had his doubts Aile or Reno came packing any brooms and dustpans to scoop up the ashes. "You've seen something like this too? Something jog your memory?"
Right as he asked this, he'd sense something rapidly approach, fearing the jig might be up. But he'd see Aile's quick smack and...
"It's as she said. Seems someone," he added, through the closest he could pull gritted teeth with a beak, "Was more interested in touching what he shouldn't." He'd shoot a glare at Reno to add to the facade, his thoughts trying to play into it as well and keep as much of the ruse going as he could.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2025 10:56 am
Armarouge would stare at Aile for a moment, its fiery eyes filled with suspicion. It would dart its gaze over to Reno where it sized the man for a bit, glancing over at Sol as he spoke up before returning its to Aile and grumbled audible, muttering something in Pokespeak before finally speaking to Aile's mind via telepathy, Reno of course able to tap in. "Don't let it happen again. The system isn't what it used to be as it is. I tried to tell your predecessor that the big earthquake a couple centuries ago damaged it but they wouldn't listen. At this rate I have my doubts that the inner chamber will survive another earthquake or any other type of impact so please limit the fighting in here. We wouldn't want the occupant getting free." Armarouge spoke to her mind before turning around and taking a few steps towards the exit, stopping for a moment to speak to her again, no need to turn around.
"I noticed you don't have one of your Lightning Rods out, isn't that against protocol? Unless this dragon can handle it. Armarouge thought, sizing Tati up and just shrugging. I know it's unlikely to get out, at least not fully, but the damage has me concerned so I believe it prudent to stick to protocol, just in case of the worse. Don't want any stray jolts overcharging the Stellar locks. They are naturally unstable as it is. It's a miracle they got that thing down here without incident. Why they put it with the Herba Mystica I'll never understand..." The Armarouge said again, that last bit mostly its own thoughts as some times happens with telepathy, a prominent thought getting sent down the telepathic line instead of staying internally. With a shake of its head the Armarouge would then be off.
As Reno listened it all seemed vaguely familiar, as if he really 'knew' this but clearly didn't. It was when the Pokemon mentioned 'Stellar locks' that he would have a sudden burst of knowledge, instantaneous knowing and certainty. He knew the password, the combination, or rather how to figure it out. These things worked by subjecting whatever was inside of it to chi of its opposing nature, to nullify its energy signature. So if something had a Fire type nature the locks would subject it to a constant Water type energy force and so on. So the only other question is what was the nature of whatever was inside the inner chamber? And for that matter...did they want to let it out? Sure, the Herba Mystica was almost certain in there with this 'occupant' as far as Aile could glean, and the Armarouge implied it wasn't confident the 'occupant' could fully escape in the worse case scenario, but was it worth it?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
