'Sneaking in' sounds so easy... until you remember that you're trying to sneak into a military base designed as the best way to keep armies out. Between a mountain on one side and a cliff on the other, the single guarded door you see seems like the only way in. Unless the small building in a lower cave happens to connect, though it's guarded as well.

Atticus looked ahead at the obstacle that they had to face and frowned. He was all about breaking the rules a little bit but this was going to be tricky considering how well-guarded it looked. "Brother Kidd," he whispered as low as he could while still being heard, "do you have a plan to get us in there? There's only one entrance."

Brother Kidd takes a long time to answer. "It would be difficult, but there is an open area on the far side of the castle. If we can get close enough, perhaps Shadow could tie a rope there? We will need to time our movement to avoid the patrol, but we could enter this way."

It's difficult to see, as the castle's light are pretty dim, but you can just barely follow the thin rocky ridge leading around the castle's base. Between the darkness and uneven path, it would definitely be a challenge.

Atticus thought about Brother Kidd's plan. It didn't seem like the best possible option, but he couldn't see an alternative considering the castle was so heavily guarded. "It's a risk but... I don't see us doing anything else. Are you sure causing a distraction won't help?" he inquired, but then he thought about how much more heavily guarded the castle was going to be inside anyway.

"It could, depending on how it is done. I doubt we can draw them far enough from the front door to slip in easily. Though perhaps we can keep them looking away long enough to climb to the roof of the first tower. It would be easier to cross than traversing the rocky walls. What do you have in mind?"

"So, I'm not sure how well Shadow's gonna follow my directions, but maybe he can fly around their heads while we sneak toward the roof and climb on. Since he can fly, he can fly straight back to us once we're up there and we can find a way inside." It was a crazy idea and it would work to annoy the guards, but climbing up on the roof was another matter entirely.

Brother Kidd nods. "It is worth a try. But just flying close to them will not be enough... He points at one of the guards, who checks a fancy looking pocket watch. "If Shadow grabs that watch, the guards will probably chase him. And Murkrows are known to loose pursuers on dark mountain trails, so it won't seem suspect."

Reaching into his coat, he pulls out a coil of rope, then waits for your bird to do his part.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:20, Sat 23 May 2020.

Atticus listened to Brother Kidd's adjustment to their plan. His eyes fell on the shiny watch and nodded. That was definitely a better idea, so he reached for his Pokeball and let Shadow come out to assist them. "Hey Shadow, I know I just caught you, but I need your help. Think you can fetch us that shiny watch?" He pointed in the direction of the guard holding the object. "Let them chase you and meet us on the roof. Can you do that for us, partner?"

You're not too sure how obedient Shadow is yet, but it hardly matters with your request. His ingrained instincts locks his gaze on the watch before he takes flight. You soon lose track of him in the dark sky, but he soon returns when the soldier check the time once more.

A black streak zooms close to the tower, causing the guards to jump. "What!? Hey! My watch!" The first guard runs after Shadow. The second takes a moment to shout inside the tower before following his colleague, though no other guards come to replace them.

As soon as they are far enough, Brother Kidd says "Now is our chance!" and runs to the door. He briefly glances inside, then runs to the mountain's side. In a surprising display of agility, he uses the tower's wall and the rocky surface to free-climb up to the roof.

You quickly join him, but it's clear you're not going to get up so easily... He throws you his rope, but even then your lack of training just earns you some rope burn. In the end, you have to tie the rope around you so Brother Kidd can pull you up.

Atticus grinned as he watched Shadow fly up into the air and then went right towards the shining watch. Just as they planned, he snatched it out of the guard's hands and he was impressed with how incredibly fast the Murkrow was. It was like watching a black blur across the night sky, barely visible at all. When Brother Kidd told him that they had their chance, he followed the exorcist's lead and looked up to see the obstacle at hand. Unfortunately, he wasn't in the best shape so he struggled with the rope. But eventually they managed to get onto the roof and he struggled to catch his breath from the exertion. He slipped into the darkness, trying to hide from anyone around them, as he waited for Shadow to come back so he could put him back in his Pokeball.

Shadow soon returns, looking a bit disappointed. You hear the guards return to their post, apparently happy to have recovered the watch. You quickly head across the roof, using the rocky wall to avoid falling off, and reach the largest window. After making sure there's no one in the room, you slip inside.

It looks like the castle's decorator chose to keep the original look, with patriotic tapestry on the walls, along with old weapons. The furniture is made of thick, unpainted wood. Even the lights, though electric, are disguised as torches and braziers.

Two doors lead out of the room. From the one leading to the entrance, you hear a 'ping' sound.

Once they were inside the castle safely, he took the briefest of moments to appreciate his surroundings. If this was a tourist trip, he would have been delighted. But unfortunately, they were on a mission and had a specific goal in mind. When he saw that they were at a crossroads, he frowned and looked to Brother Kidd. "I say we move away from that sound, right? Do you have any idea of where we should be going?"

"I was not able to learn much from the Colonel, but the original request mentioned some issues with their renovations. In my line of work, that usually involves opening very old rooms. And since most of the castle's visible area is used for the gym challenge, that means the issue must be in the back area, within the caves."

As you suggested, Brother Kidd moves away from the sound, and through the next room. It seems to be a guard room, but there's no one in it. Your companion find a discreet door in a corner, leading into a vastly different room. It seems to be a break room, one that trainers and tourist aren't supposed to go in, since the medieval esthetic isn't present. Instead you have the usual modern convenience of fridges, microwave ovens, and a small tv.

"Ah, now this is useful." On the table, Kidd finds a map of the castle. "It seems they color coded their rooms on this map. Blue for the tourist area, Green for the challenge area, and red for the restricted area. That would mean we are... here." He points to one of the two red rooms on the upper floor.

As you look over the paper, you notice an arrow on the lower floor, pointing away from the plan's limit, and marked 'expansion'.

Atticus listened attentively to Brother Kidd's explanation, picking out the details from what the Colonel told him. He mentioned renovations and then going into deeper parts of the castle, older rooms that probably haven't been used in hundreds of years. He added that there were caves attached to the Castle and it made more sense now. These were definitely sacred grounds for spirits, and the military was stomping all over them. Brother Kidd likely knew this too, seeing as it was his line of work. "So, we're going towards the expansion part, right? Sounds like the army has bumped into a spirit they can't handle, or at least one they thought they could just catch in a ball or something,"Atticus mused as he tried to find the best way to get to the expansion area without attracting the attention of the guards. "So, we should stick to the blue or green rooms, right? Since they should be empty?"

"Not completely, but it is likely. Let us try." Brother Kidd quickly memorizes the map, then heads for the nearest stairs. You go back through the guard room, but half-way through, your foot bump something on the floor. Looking down, you see a black pokéball with green spots roll across the floor, coming to a stop next to a pile of red armor pieces.

When Atticus looked down and saw the strange Pokeball, he couldn't help but pick it up and examine it further. "Lead the way, Brother Kidd. I found this strange Pokeball and I want to take a look at it," he muttered as he spun the ball around in his hand and tried to figure out where it came from and what it might have contained.

OOC: He'll follow Brother Kidd and try to see if he can identify the ball.

Just as you grab the ball, you hear "Look out!" and get tackled by Brother Kidd. You just briefly see the armor reach for you before your companion drags you out.

He slams the door close behind you, and slaps a paper prayer on it. "That was close... I believe that was an Armori, a haunted armor. And it seemed rather aggressive. We would best be on our guard. The fewer battle we get into, the better."

You head down to the lower floors, but soon have to duck in a storage room as you notice a Duskull ahead of you.

OOC: You recognize the ball as a Duskball. If you are underground or at night, you can use it to get a +2 to a capture check, but it will be gone unless you roll an Ex Yes.

Atticus was thankful for Brother Kidd's quick reflexes as he saved him from the Armori's sudden attack. He was amazed that something like that existed in this castle, but realized how dangerous that could be. The teen nodded when the exorcist insisted on continuing. They ducked into the storage room at the sighting of the Duskull but the older man could see the excitement on his face. "Brother Kidd, do you think I could catch it? How else are we gonna get by?"

Your companion seems a bit hesitant. "I was hoping to avoid conflicts until we could understand the cause of their action... I do have a bottle of Repel, but it won't last us long. On the other hand, though fighting this ghost would also let us pass, it could result in Shadow getting injured.

I will leave it to your judgement. Do you wish to fight here, or hold back for now and use the Repel to pass?"

As much as Atticus wanted a ghost companion for his team, he knew that Brother Kidd had better judgment in these kind of situations. That being said, he sighed and nodded, because he did want to keep Shadow safe for as long as possible too. "You're right, let's use the Repel and get past him for now. We need to get to the root of this and then get out of here. We're surrounded by the military if we get caught, right? Let's keep moving."

He nods, and quickly sprays himself. The smell isn't too bad, but you imagine it could be truly unpleasant to more sensitive pokémons. Glancing outside, you see the Duskull seems to sniff around, then floats through a wall. "It seems the coast is clear."

You continue along the path Brother Kidd chose, soon leading to the basement. Following boxes of construction material, you soon find a section where the old walls have been broken down. The first ones you see have various cables and plumbing tubes added to them, while further sections are waiting for such additions. It's when you see a rough tunnel extend behind a broken wall that you realize you've reached your goal.

"Hey! Who are you!?" And there are two guards.

"Don't move!" The two soldiers send out a pair of pokémons, either wishing to intimidate you, or expecting you to resist. Looking at Brother Kidd, it seems the later is true. You now face a Durant, and a Diglett.

It seemed like they were getting closer to their destination as the castle turned into more of a construction zone. There was bound to be something out of place here but before they could investigate any further, their good luck ran out and they were confronted by guards. Atticus gasped and stopped in his tracks, only for them to be faced with two pokemon! By instinct, Atticus reached for his belt and grabbed one of his balls before aiming it in front of himself defensively. "Shelby, help me out here!" he proclaimed as he waited to see what Brother Kidd was going to do.

OOC: Shelby's going to use Withdraw until they're threatened, and then Ice Shard if they're attacked.

Brother Kidd gives a worried look at his pokéball, but still tosses out his Pawniard... far enough for him to appear on the far side of the Durant. As expected, the humanoid pokémon glances about, and jumps to attack the ant.

That leaves you to face the diglett. The very fast diglett, who sprays Shelby with mud, before slapping him about with metalic claws bursting out of the ground. You're worried for a moment, but it seems the attack barely scratches the shell. Unfortunately, it flips Shelby in the air, throwing off his aim.

While Brother Kidd and Pawniard were busy with the Durant, Atticus kept his attention in the Diglett. Shelby was resilient as ever but the blow knocked him into the air! He frowned and encouraged Shelby to get up using something he remembered from his days at the beach growing up! "Shelby, use Water Gun to shoot yourself up, then attack with it!"

OOC: Water Gun to try and straighten up and then to attack. Spending 5 Favor in encouragement to the attack.

Following your advice, Shelby uses his Water Gun to briefly hover, both avoiding the Diglett's attack and hitting him back.

But as you watch the battle, you suddenly feel someone grab you from behind. It seems the soldiers aren't satisfied with just waiting for your pokémons to finish their battle, and are trying to pin you and Brother Kidd down. You struggle a bit to free yourself, but with little success.

And then, he lets you go. Looking back, you see the soldier holding his arms up, a floating sword at his neck.

It looked like the strategy had worked in his favor, and he beamed brightly at the counterattack. But as he focused on the battle, he felt the soldier's arms grabbing him from behind. He tried to struggle but it was useless. But when he looked behind him after being let go, his eyes widened to see the floating sword that was holding him in place from acting any further. "That's spooky," he muttered under his breath but he wasn't afraid, watching the sword with curious interest instead.

Brother Kidd pauses when he notices the sword, and shouts "call back your pokémon!" Once his opponent has done so, he recalls his Pawniard.

"Quick! Here!" He gestures to you, moving pass the broken down wall and into the tunnel beyond.

When Brother Kidd told him to call Shelby back, he did exactly as he asked, letting the shelled Pokemon back into his ball. He then gestured down into the tunnel and Atticus followed closely behind, not sure what had happened but glad that they were getting a chance at escaping from the guards.

You stumble through the small tunnel. Even with your flashlight, the floor and walls are so rough that there are deep shadows everywhere you try to step, and you have to be careful not to trip.

"Well, that was unexpected... I cannot remember the last time a ghost saved my life." He runs his hand over the walls, looking closely at the stone. "This seems to be a hastily cut escape tunnel. An old one. Were the rebels planning to flee the castle?"

The tunnel seems to get darker and tougher to walk through as they go in deeper, but Atticus does not intend on stopping or going back now. When Brother Kidd mentioned the ghost, he laughed and shook his head. "My grandmom said spirits will help you if you're kind to them, but I never expected something like this," he admitted with a soft laugh, keeping his voice as low as he could in case they were being followed. "Do you think it just goes straight outside?"

Brother Kidd thinks it over for a moment, then shakes his head. "This castle was the last refuge for the leaders of the rebelion back then. After the King's assault, they were all either capture or dead. None were seen again. If they had an escape tunnel like this, they would have taken it. I can only assume that they failed to finish it in time..."

The tunnel continues for a while, and you realize you are not alone in the tunnel. At first, you dismissed it as echoes of your footsteps. But then you heard the sound of metal scraping against stone... Despite you best attempt, you can't see what caused that noise in the darkness. Before you can say anything, Brother Kidd says "I believe our saviour decided to follow us."

You're distracted from your follower when you notice something unusual. Someone bolted a battery on the wall, tied to a power cable with a few lights. Brother Kidd activates them, revealing a slightly larger section of the tunnel, that seems to have been cut recently. A few modern tools have been left against the walls, as well as a line of military cargo boxes, currently empty.
Ahead of you, the tunnel ends in a cave in. Looking at the rocks, it seems someone has started moving them, revealing an old bone. You also think you see something sparkle between two of the rocks...

"So, this probably just carves deeper into the cliff and towards a dead end..." Atticus pieced together with a furrow of his brow and a small frown. He did catch wind of someone, or something, following them but when Brother Kidd pointed it out as the spirit that had saved them, he smiled to himself in the darkness. It must have wanted them to see where they were going, it must have known or sensed that they were there to help out. Just as they both had predicted, there was construction work going on and they were presented with the interesting sight of an uncovered bone and something that seemed to shine in the darkness. "Brother Kidd, there! That must be what's causing this ruckus. That looks ancient..." he pointed out before running over to see the source of the sparkle and if he could pull it out or inspect it closer.

"Careful! Those rocks may fall if they are moved..." Despite your companion's warning, you manage to sneak your hand between the boulders, and pull out... a gold coin?

Brother Kidd looks surprised at that. "Wait... is that? No... it can't be..." He peers at it closely, deciphering the tiny text. "2912... Galarian... it... it has to be..." He drops on one of the crates. It's only when he notices you curious look that he offers an explanation. "The rebels, a hundred years ago... it is said they were sponsored by another region. After all, you cannot raise an army without funds. It was never confirmed, but there were legends that they held a treasure of gold that was never found..."

Raising his gaze, he addresses the wall behind you. "Is that why you are here? The final guardian of the Rebel's Trove?" Looking behind you, you see the sword once more. And at the same time, you see the Armori from earlier, as well as a few Duskull. Farther back in the tunnel, beyond the lights, more glowing eyes stares at you.

Atticus turned with Brother Kidd when he confronted the spirits about the treasure. He was curious about it too and amazed that something like that was hidden here. He thought about the story and wondered how they could help these spirits out and put them to rest. "What can we do to help? Maybe if we can cause a cave-in to prevent future access to this part, you can help us get out of here? You don't want them taking the treasure, right?" He looked at the Armori, and the sword, and the few Duskull that lingered with them. He also saw more glowing eyes in the distance and though it was eerie, he wasn't disturbed by their presence. Atticus was intrigued by the sword, though, wondering how it had known to save them.

OOC: Is the sword a Pokemon or just part of the Armori? He'll scan the room with his Pokedex if they don't see it as hostile.

"A cave-in... it would not stop them, but it may give us some time to seek assistance..." He pulls out a pokédex, something that doesn't seem to worry the pokémons. Seeing that, you do the same.

"Armori, the armor pokémon.
Armori are said to come from haunted castles, forgotten battlefields, or from the remains of destroyed church-bells. No one is sure.

Honedge, the sword pokémon.
Apparently this Pokémon is born when a departed spirit inhabits a sword. It attaches itself to people and drinks their life force.

Duskull, the requiem pokémon.
Duskull can pass through any wall no matter how thick it may be. Once this Pokémon chooses a target, it will doggedly pursue the intended victim until the break of dawn.

Ghowl, the watching pokémon.
Ghowls are more active at night and in the winter. Even though they are poor fliers, they are absolutely silent in the air.

At that last note, you get a better look at one of those eyes watching from the darkness.


Brother Kidd sighs. "It was too much to hope for a signal... We will need to get out to send a message. Not an easy prospect, considering the guards that are likely waiting for us outside. At the very least, we should be able to collapse the roof of this area."

Atticus listened to the descriptions of the new Pokemon attentively. The only one that he had familiarity with was Duskull; the others were foreign to him and he was thoroughly intrigued by them. He had always loved ghosts and this was something of a dream come true for him -- being stuck in an ancient castle having to help these spirits from the cruel hands of the living world. But it was clear that he was fascinated with their savior the most: the sword-shaped Honedge whose Dex entry should have frightened him more than it did. But right now, he had to focus on how they were going to get out of here and also help the spirits find their peace. "How much treasure do you think is here? Maybe we could hide it deeper in the caves? he turned his attention to the spirits again. He wondered what they would have preferred - were they just here to protect it? "Is there somewhere else we could move all this stuff?" he asked them indirectly while also checking out the cavern to see if caving in the roof was the only solution.

The Honedge shakes it's... well, everything. To further explain, it uses it's blade to carve a drawing on the wall.

Looking at the image, Brother Kidd says "I think it's saying the first cave-in crushed some, and trapped the rest. They were not able to dig deeper, so there is no where to take it deeper.

I believe the best alternative I can think of, would be to send the treasure to a museum, where the rebels could be remembered in some way."

The ghost gather together, seeming to discuss among themselves, before turning back to you and nodding. "Very well. I will do my best to arrange this. For now, I will figure out a way to collapse this section of the tunnel. From what I can tell, all the material here belongs to the Chairluire soldiers, so there is no reason to worry about it. In the mean time... try to think of a way to get out of here."

Atticus nodded as he listened to Brother Kidd explain the spirit's etchings, studying the drawing closely. It appeared that there was ultimately no way deeper, and so they had to back the way they came while also preserving the treasure. So the cave-in looked to be the best option for them and he was glad that the ghosts thought it was a good idea too. He then pondered how they could get out of there, and he then looked to the spirits again. "You all look really strong, would you be able to cause another distraction and lead the way out of here one last time? We promise to make sure only the right people come and find the treasure and take care of it." He then turned to the Honedge specifically and grinned brightly, showing him the Pokeballs on his hip. "I know you have friends here but you already popped out of the shadows to help me once. Want to come along with me as a partner on my team and help us all get stronger once we get out of here?"

The sword examines you for a long time, then turns to 'speak' with the other ghosts. After they seem to come to a consensus, it turns back to you, then move to your hip, using it's ribbon as a makeshift belt to hold it-self there. Meanwhile, the other ghosts bow to you, and fade back into the walls or in the darkness of the tunnels.

"Alright, that should do it..." Looking back at Brother Kidd, you see he used the tools left by the soldiers to widen a few cracks in the ceiling. Filling some of the crates with rocks, it looks like they'll serve as counter-weights to force apart the weakest area, hopefully causing a chain reaction to fully collapse the ceiling. All that's needed, is to pull the rope to bring all of it tumbling down.

Looking back at you, he says "I see the others have left. Are you ready to break out?"

OOC: Honedge's stats are coming soon.

Atticus beamed proudly when Honedge agreed to join his party and decided to hang onto his hip. He didn't mind that at all and he thought it made him look pretty cool, at that. "I think I'll call you Saint, for saving us," he beamed before he decided to go ahead with their plan. He looked around to inspect Brother Kidd's handiwork and was impressed that the older man had managed to do so much in such little time by himself. He nodded when he asked if Atticus was ready to go - he felt like they had accomplished much here now that the spirits had approved of their actions and one of them had joined him. "I'm ready. This treasure is going to go to people who can appreciate what it's worth.

Once you're far enough, Brother Kidd pulls the rope, and you hear the collapse at the far end. With an extra pull, your companion is pleasantly surprised to bring back his rope. "We are in luck. I feared it would get stucked under the rocks. Perhaps we will not have to leave by the front door."

You reach the end of the tunnel, and find yourselves in a battleground. The soldiers awaiting your exit (including the two you fought before) are battling the ghost you've met, and not managing too well. You slip out before they can intercept you, and quickly backtracking toward your entry point.

Reaching the roof, you see another group of guard waiting outside the front door, with floodlights pointed at the exit. Brother Kidd peers into the darkness around the castle, trying to pick a good place to head down. That's when you notice a sharp whistling noise coming from above. Looking in the darkness, you suddenly see it. The glint of moonlight on metallic wings.

Atticus was glad that their plan seemed to work out much like expected. Brother Kidd proved to be an incredibly useful adult who could get things done and he never would have been able to get this far without him. He beamed when he noticed the ghosts were doing the favor they asked and they didn't even notice them getting away from the scene. Once they're on the roof, he gulped and looked around below them at the reinforcements that stopped them from getting away easily. His eyes widened in awe at the shining winged Pokemon and he wondered if it was attacking them or if he could win its favor and use it to get away from here. "Brother Kidd, look! It's amazing..." he proclaimed and was distracted for a moment before he snapped back to reality and tried to figure out what to do next. "Could we use them to get out of here somehow...?

Brother Kidd follows your gaze... and despite the darkness, you see him turn white. "I don't think it's here to help..." He's forced to dive to the side as the bird makes a low pass above him. You briefly hear the sound of breaking wood as it passes, and soon realize it took your rope in passing. "It must be one of the Colonel's pokémon... she expected us to escape this way..."

While Atticus was enchanted by the appearance of the metal bird, he noticed Brother Kidd's expression and his enthusiasm waned when he mentioned that it belonged to the Colonel. He immediately realized that there was even more trouble afoot now, and his frowned deepened. "Didn't you meet with the Colonel? She'll know it was us, right? We need to get out of here..."

"She will know, yes. But she may have wanted to keep the treasure, hence why she wanted me to wait before dealing with the ghosts. I doubt she will appreciate turning the treasure over to a museum, or that we tried to further bury it."

He looks off the side of the building. "Unless you have a way to fly, there is no way to go down without the rope this Skarmory grabbed. Do you have any way to attack at range? If you can get it to drop the rope, Shadow could grab it for us. Though... we may have to force it away to get down safely..."

Atticus thought about what Brother Kidd said for a moment and it made sense the the Colonel wanted to keep using the treasure. But they would be in huge trouble if they were caught up here before they could contact the museum. "I can either shoot at it with one of my other Pokemon, like Shelby, or I can just send Shadow after it...but if we fight it, the Colonel might notice, right?" He reached for his side and remembered about Saint who was hanging there. "What about you, Saint, any ideas on how to get down from here?" he asked before sending out Shadow onto the roof out of his ball.

At your question, Saint jumps out of her sheath, and points her blade at the Skarmory.

Brother Kidd's gaze keep moving from the castle's entrance, to the window you used to get on the roof. "She may not know for now, but she will know for certain if her Skarmory returns to her with our rope. One way or another, they probably have people searching for us in the castle. It is only a matter of time before they find us here."

When Saint jumped out of his side and pointed to the Skarmory, he thought he knew what she was trying to say. They had to stop the metallic bird, it was the only way they could get down from here without attracting attention. "Then we're going to have to get that rope back, aren't we? Saint, we're going into battle, you ready?

OOC: He's going to try and get the rope back from Skarmory with Saint, but I'm not sure if that's a battle considering the Skarmory's trainer isn't around?

OOC: Even without a trainer, a pokémon will be able to fight on it's own... though how well depend on it's training.

Saint chases after the bird, but she's spotted before she gets in range. The Skarmory swipes in, using battering your companion with it's wings. Saint tries to fade in the shadows to attack from behind, but her opponent is too fast and tough. And once the bird draws a cloud of dust by striking the wall, you don't think your Honedge could really land a blow.

Atticus watched as Saint lunged forward and tried to attack the bird, but its speed outclassed Saint's own. "Saint, don't be hasty, use that dust to hide in the shadows and then find an opportunity!"

OOC: He's gonna tell her to Autotomize before finding another opportunity to strike.

After narrowly dodging the Skarmory's beak, Saint hides among the cliff's shadow. Alas, Flying pokémon often have extremely keen sight, and the metallic bird soon strikes next to Saint, not harming her, but throwing more dust her way.

OOC: Between her -2 Acc due to Sand Attack, and the scary defense of Skarmory, Saint has no real way to hit it.

I know Sword Dance is supposed to increase Power, but for a trial run, I'll let you use it to increase Saint's Attack instead if you want.

This was proving to be a tricky situation and he knew that his Pokemon were a little undertrained for this. Nonetheless, he yelled out more words of encouragement to Saint so that she could see that he was on her side.

OOC: Alright, then let's do Swords Dance and try attacking again.

Saint continues hiding in the shadows, focusing herself with Sword Dance, waiting the the right moment to strike out. But even with that, she can only barely break through the Skarmory's defenses. She lands a blow, but it has little effect beyond making it drop you rope.

Thankfully, it seems enough to convince the bird to leave. Brother Kidd doesn't wait, quickly tying up the rope, and throwing it off the side. "Now's our chance. Let's hurry before it comes back!"

Atticus was impressed with how tough the Skarmory was. The sound of hard steel clashing against steel echoed around them, and while it originally didn't look like it had any effect, it did just enough to get the bird to leave. When Brother Kidd set up the rope for them, he didn't hesitate to rush over and started to climb down it after making sure Saint was tucked safely on his side.

You slide down... with a bit of difficulty, but safely. Looking up, you don't see Brother Kidd following you, but you assume he's just waiting for you to be low enough for it to be safe.

As you land, you hear shouts above you, though you can't make out what is said. Before you can figure out what you should do, a sudden gust of wind passes over you. "Care to explain what is happening, young man?"

Looking behind you, you see a man in a very fancy military uniform looking down at you from his flying mount.

Before Atticus realized what was going on, his raucous confrontation had come to this. He was face to face with one of the most powerful Dragon types in the world. Complete with its three menacing heads. If the circumstances were different, he would have thought this was the coolest thing ever. But now, not so much. "Everyone keeps interfering with this site... We were just trying to put the spirits to rest!" he stood his ground as he called out to the military man, though he knew his efforts had come to an end here.

A group of soldiers catches up to you... but even though they get in position to cut off your escape, they stand at attention rather than grab you. Now that you look at them, you notice the difference between their uniform and the one worn by the white haired man climbing down from the dragon. Aside from the soldier's being more practical and dark gray, the man wears a maroon suit, accented by a red sash and gold braid, as well as the gold dragon you've seen on the Cadien flag.

One of the soldiers next to you open their mouth to speak, only to be stopped by the man's ember-like glare. He looks back to you. "Tell me more about those spirits, and what is bothering them."

More soldiers came out to accompany what he assumed was their commanding officer. He was the one in charge so Atticus felt that if he could get through to him, maybe they could see what they were doing was harming the environment around them. "The spirits are the rebels who fought against the nation long ago. They've been buried away, unacknowledged. And now, their resting grounds are being disturbed so they're upset."He stopped to contemplate his next words because he wanted the treasure to remain safe and not be put to bad use. "I caught one of the spirits who became a Pokemon and I have them with me now. I think the best way to move forward is befriending these spirits. First by not destroying their burial places and second by giving them the attention they deserve for their efforts. That's what soldiers do, right?"Atticus was determined to have his work here recognized, no matter what it took. It's what the ghosts behind him would have wanted and entrusted him to do.

You hear more soldiers draw near, shouting for information, only to grow silent as soon as they spot the man you are talking to. After a moment of thinking, the man turns to the soldier right next to you. "I believe your funding increase was to redecorate the castle. Would you care to explain what paint you have used to anger the dead, leftenant?"

Looking at her, you can tell she's sweating bullets. "W-we renovated the walls of the lower floors and... we... we found a hidden passage."

The man shows no reaction, but the Hydreigon growls, giving you the impression he's displeased. "And why am I hearing of this now?"

"We wanted to make sure..."

"For two weeks." She flinches as he cut her off. "Judging by the reports of poltergeist activities you have been plagued with. Activities your commanding officer have not felt the need to report. Would you care to explain? Or should I question Colonel Chaney?"

The lieutenant glances at you, hesitating. You know she's afraid of the man, but she seems worried about you as well.

"She really was being secretive of the entire situation, sir. I don't think the lieutenant herself is the only person to blame in this. She just didn't want anyone to make things worse or to get hurt, I think." It was a shot in the dark but Atticus saw that the woman was worried about him. In her defense, he was just a kid and he would have been interfering in a dangerous situation. But something had to be done and that's why he told the truth to the man on the Hydreigon - the spirits wouldn't rest if they continued to be pestered by the military's work.

"Oh, I have no doubt the blame lies with the Colonel. I'll have a word with her now." He nods to the lieutenant. "Show this young man to the guest room, while I sort out this... incident."

The soldiers salute, before splitting up. The lieutenant and another soldier lead you into the castle, a few others run inside to warn them, while the rest make an honor guard for the Hydreigon rider.

You worry briefly that 'guest room' may be a euphemism, but no, you're lead to a comfortable hotel room, with television and small fridge with food and drinks. As you set in and look around, the door opens again, and Brother Kidd enters.

He breathes a sigh of relief as he sees you. "Are you alright? What happened? The got me right after you went down."

The events over the last couple of hours had left Atticus hungry so he did not hesitate to go for the food once he had some time to himself. He also let out his Pokemon so he could feed them too, though he knew his ghostly companion Saint probably did not need any of this sustenance. With a bottle of water in hand, Atticus was startled by Brother Kidd when he came into the room but he smiled at the older gentleman when he realized he was safe too. "I'm fine. I was stopped by a man with white hair riding a Hydregion. I think he's in charge, the other soldiers were scared of him. I told him what the cause of the spirits disturbances were and he seemed surprised. He didn't know any of that was going on."

"A man with... wait, did he wear a maroon and gold uniform?" When you nod, his eyes grow wide. "Oh... oh... That's... you just met King Danial Sharpe, the ruler of dragons, and champion of Cadien."

He sits on the bed, thinking out loud. "He must have decided to investigate the rumors of haunting that were in the news. If Colonel Chaney wanted to keep the treasure secret, she wouldn't have any explanation for the stories in her report. But now that the king is here in person, she won't dare hide it from him. That... that should be a good thing."

When he notices you looking at him, he explains. "Even though the ghost here were rebels, the king went to great lengths to maintain their fortress and their history. The tale was slanted a bit in the monarchi's favor, but they didn't overly demonise the rebels. So there's a decent chance he'll seek to put the ghost to rest in a peaceful manner."

When Brother Kidd explained who the man on the dragon was, Atticus' eyes went wide. He knew it was someone important but he did not expect to run into the Champion himself! No wonder the encounter had been so intimidating and the members of the  military listened to him without hesitation. He crossed his arms and listened to the older man talk out loud, but when he mentioned the rebels, he perked up. That had been his primary concern, after all.

"If that's the case, that means we might have done some good after all, right? That's what the spirits wanted and we got the destruction to stop." He contemplated everything that had happened and remembered something even more important. If he continued on his path, he would likely run into the King again and he would no doubt remember who Atticus was. He had to continue training - his fight against the Trainer-less Skarmory showed him that. "I'm glad I was able to help the spirits, but I have to get stronger. That Skarmory didn't even have commands and it almost took me and my Pokemon out. And King Sharpe is on a whole different level..."

After a short while, there's a knock at the door. Brother Kidd opens it, and immediately bows as he sees the king outside. "You must be brother Kidd. I will need your assistance to have a word with the spirits. But first..." He steps inside to stand in front of you. "I understand you lack the badges needed to challenge the gym?"

Once you nod, he adds "well, that may be for the best. I'm afraid the Chairluire gym will be closed for some times longer, as we... reorganize the chain of command." A chill runs down your spine at the way he said that. "Still, seeing how you have assisted in dealing with this situation, I believe you deserve a reward."

He hands you a pokeball who's color matches that of his uniform, and hands it to you. "She can be somewhat of a prankster at time, but I think you will get along well enough, judging what happened tonight." The ball opens, revealing...

I expect you to take good care of her."


Level up time!

You get to increase one stat of your choice.
Bulbby increases her SpA to High
Shelby increases his SpA to Average
Shadow increases his HP to Above Average
Saint increases her HP to Average, and learns Aerial Ace:
Aerial Ace   Flying   P   Average   0   Will hit on anything but an ExNo, long range

I'll send Axew's stats shortly.

Atticus was still star-struck by the man's presence when he came into the room to talk to him. He had never expected to run into royalty on his adventure but here he was talking to the head of the entire region. When the man offered him a reward and then revealed a small dragon-type Pokemon, Atticus' eyes widened and he scanned her with his Pokedex to confirm his suspicions. "Thank you, your majesty, sir! A trickster, huh? I think I'll name her Trixie then. I'll take the most care of her!" he said as he reached down to pat Trixie reassuringly before putting her away back in her uniquely-colored ball. He then turned his attention back to the king to figure out the best way to make his next move. "How do I get to Vinmur from here? I have five Pokemon so I think I'm ready to start earning badges while looking for another addition."

"Vinmur? Are you trying to go the long way around?" The king says, a bit amused. "I've aranged a transport for brother Kidd. If you want, you can ride with him back to Levallac. From there, you can take route 103 and 205 to reach Vinmur. You should be able to find a few good pokemon along the road to help you."

With that, the king gives both of you a bow, before leaving.

Brother Kidd breathes a sigh of relief as he leaves. "Wow... that's not how I expected this trip to go. But, the spirits have been calmed, and my job is pretty much done here. Going with me will probably take as long as walking, but it will be more comfortable, at least. If you want to, of course."

Atticus already felt like he had been given enough charity by the king but he nodded in agreement when he suggested he ride back with Brother Kidd. He bowed respectfully as the king made his exit. He then turned to Brother Kidd and nodded - this whole endeavor definitely did not go as planned. "I'm fine with going with you to Levallac. It'll be quicker and I can get right back to my journey. I'm glad we helped bring some peace to this area. I even have one of them with me," he said with a grin as he talked about Saint.

The trip to Levallac is long, but by supper time you finally see the town ahead of you. In the north, the skyline is marked by a collection of skyscapers, many with marks of various companies. In the south, various factories bellow smoke toward the mountains. But to the west of the town, where you arrive, seems to be a separate town, with small and cheap houses and apartment buildings.

The military car drives to a large old building, stopping near a large double door. As you step out, an ambulance with blaring sirens arrives, the EMT inside it quickly jumping out with a wounded man on a stretcher.


OOC: Sorry for the delay, I didn't notice your message. I must have clicked 'mark all read' before seeing your post.

Atticus was getting bored and sleepy on the journey to Levallac though seeing the skyline and various buildings did wake him up a bit. It was interesting that all of the cities had their own unique styles, especially someone like him who was accustomed to little villages and not much else unless he was heading into the city. The separate town that he appeared in reminded him of back home, though without the mighty presence of the sea. But before he could appreciate the scenery further, he heard the sirens and frowned. Something must have been going on. Atticus looked worriedly at the scene and wondered out loud what was going on in case anyone nearby was listening.

"Hard to tell..." Brother Kidd says. "Our church doubles as a charity hospital. A necessity, in this poorer part of the city."

He lead you inside, and you find the place is a rather small church. Kidd takes a moment for a silent prayer, before leading you to a side door. "I have to give a report to my superior, but I'm sure I'll be able to arrange for a room for you. In the meantime, the mess hall down the corridor offers free meal, if you're hungry."

You leave Kidd to his duties, and head down the corridor. But before you reach the hall, you hear what sounds like a series of distant explosions, down a side corridor near you. No one else is around, as you wonder what could have done that...