Maidens of the Kaleidoscope
~Beyond the Border~ => Rumia's Party Games => Topic started by: capt. h on December 28, 2012, 05:07:22 AM
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Link to first thread: http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,12615.0.html
Link to previous thread: http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,12969.0.html
> Super-condensed TLDR summary for newcomers:
> Your adventure began, and a whole bunch of stuff happened. First you abandoned Cirno, then you decided to travel with her anyway, and blah blah blah now you're in Sinnoh with 3 badges.
> You have ascended Mt. Coronet to investigate why the sky is being blotted out by toxic clouds, and upon breaking the cloud line with your two party members, Kogasa and Nue, discover that Gensokyo is hanging precariously overhead. You are also being stalked by 3 dragons who, judging by your Charmeleon's attempt at communication, seem to think you could drop dead at any moment. Maybe they assume any human who climbs the mountain is easy prey or something, but you are pretty sure your first priority is figuring out what to do about them.
> And now for all the metadata.
> Your inventory is as follows:
> 10,500 p. The conversion rate is 100 P = $1.
> 10 pokeballs
> 2 premier balls
> 6 potions
> 2 antidotes
> 1 burn heal
> 1 oran berry
> TM 23 Iron Tail
> TM 51 Roost
> TM 78 Bulldoze
> 1 makeshift fishing rod. It's really more of a stick with a thread attached to it.
> 1 ferry pass. This will get you back and forth between the regions known as Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh, Hoenn, Unova, and Orre.
> 1 Pokedex
> 1 cellphone, with several numbers programmed on it.
> 1 town map. You can pick up the town map for each region in any pokemon center. Your current map covers Kanto and Johto.
> 1 firestone
> 1 metal coat
> 1 torn shirt. You should really get that looked at.
> 1 spare pair of red pants.
> 2 gas masks - plus the masks you passed Nue and Kogasa
> 1 galactic uniform
> 1 rocket uniform
> 1 Mini-Hakkero, which Marisa is not getting back no matter how much she begs. You can perform normal and strong sparks with it, which you decided to call Fire Spark and Phoenix Spark respectively.
> You are currently wearing a red longcoat, a white shirt, and your signature pair of pants.
> Your phone contains numbers for the following people:
> Oak
> Elm
> Yukari
> Cirno
> Kaguya
> Marisa
> Alice
> Patchouli
> Nick
> Sanae
> Jasmine
> Keine
> Kogasa
> Reimu
> Your party includes the following pokemon:
> Haunter
> Rapidash
> Charizard
> Lucario
> Registeel
> Ditto
> In your PC boxes you have the following pokemon:
> Beedrill
> Scyther
> Kingler
> Magikarp
> Seadra
> Fearow
> Koffing
> Koffing
> Koffing
> Weezing
> Golbat
> Golbat
> Crobat
> Aerodactyl
> Dragonite
> You are currently somwhere on top of Mount Coronet. Here is a map of Sinnoh. You know Gensokyo well enough to not particularly need a map if you decide to go to the floating continent.
(http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww165/laripoke/sinnoh_map.png)
> Enough metadata, on with the show!
> With your mind refreshed on all the big details, you are prepared to continue your adventure.
Story Starts Again Here
>"Hmm, I wonder if I should tell them I'm immortal."
> "I wouldn't," says Nue. "Not unless you want to become an integral part of endless fried chicken night."
> "It might make it easier for me and Nue to run away, so I wouldn't particularly mind," Kogasa adds.
> "...Well, the girl does have a point if it comes to that. Still, I'm up for a bit of a fight. Do you think they would be fun?"
>Is there anything we can see that indicates where Team Galactic's smog factory is?
> You suspect it's not so much a smog factory, as a bunch of smaller smog cells like the group you ended up robbing and leaving for dead. If there is a smog factory, you either don't see it or can't see it through the cloud line.
>Commence battle with the dragons! THROW THE POKEBALL!
>No don't engage in battle
>Fly past them if possible.
Flying past them would mean goingto Gensokyo. Do we want to do that?
> Do you?
> You have trouble selecting an appropriate course of action. A quick visit home would be nice, but you aren't convinced it's necessary, and you aren't sure if you really want to battle these dragons or not.
>Look for Galactic. They're probably the ones who caused this.
> You don't have a very good view, you can see your side of the mountain, but beyond that rocky outcroppings and distance obscure your view. If you climbed to the summit, you'd have a pretty good view of the entire range.
>Bring out Lucario as well and have him scan for extra auras. Anything that can do this should stick out.
> You bring out your lucario. It sits for about a minute and meditates before basically pointing in several directions, including up and down. To respond to your confusion, it rests its paw on your head and projects an image of the range, with red dots all over the image, the three largest ones appearing north, northwest, and west of your current location. There's also three oversized red dots circling a blue triangle you guess would be your current location. Your lucario then projects a second image of the continent above with red dots all over that, although you've never seen Gensokyo from this far, you suspect the large red dot in the middle of the fields is the human village. There are a couple other big places too, but you have some trouble picking out where they are from this distance and perspective. Your pokemon takes its paw off of you and sits, eyes closed, rubbing it's own forhead.
> "What was that?" Nue asks, noting the head-palm thing China did before fixating her eyes back on the dragons above.
>_
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>"China, that was very impressive. Good job."
>The three dots N NW W of us are on the mountain, presumably the Team Galactic smog cells, right?
>"Kogasa, do you want to capture a dragon? I think Nue and I would be able to take one each, but might not be able to help you out too much."
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>"Yeah, we might be able to find the source of the weirdness on the mountain. Or get to roast Galatic grunts, either works."
>The dragons want to eat us. That's good enough to warrant a beatdown and why not catch a dragon?
>If Kogasa and Nue want a dragon, pick a target and have Charmeleon make roasted dragon
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>You have a target, right? FIRE THE PHOENIX SPARK!
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>BREAK THROUGH THE SKIES LETS GO GIRATINA, HO!
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>We are not wasting a phoenix spark on a dragon that Lighter is going to curbstomp.
>Gotta let the pokemon get some fun too, be fair.
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>"Yeah, we might be able to find the source of the weirdness on the mountain. Or get to roast Galatic grunts, either works."
> "So Lucario used some weird telepathy thing," Nue says.
> "Pretty much," you respond.
>"China, that was very impressive. Good job."
> China nods once with a small smirk.
>The three dots N NW W of us are on the mountain, presumably the Team Galactic smog cells, right?
> The north one was very far away, actually several mountains over, and you don't think it's under the cloudline. You aren't sure whether the northwestern and western dots have anything to do with the smog or not, but you are sure they are both much closer, with the western dot definitely beneath the cloudline.
> You suspect it used different dot sizes to indicate either threat level or aura strength. Point is, the things to the west and northwest are much closer than the thing to the north, and you figure there's a fifty-fifty chance on the former two being small Team Galactic bands.
>"Kogasa, do you want to capture a dragon? I think Nue and I would be able to take one each, but might not be able to help you out too much."
> "Um.. Well, I'm not sure I can, y'know, win," Kogasa says. "They are kind of big."
> "Say yes, Kogasa. Come on, it'll be amazing," Nue eggs on.
> "I guess I could try?" the girl hesitates, swapping nervous glances between you and the creatures above.
> "That's the spirit," Nue says, patting Kogasa on the back.
>The dragons want to eat us. That's good enough to warrant a beatdown and why not catch a dragon?
>If Kogasa and Nue want a dragon, pick a target and have Charmeleon make roasted dragon
> Nue wants a fight. Kogasa wants to live. Either way, those dragons deserve a beatdown for viewing you as food, and you're oblidged to give it.
>You have a target, right? FIRE THE PHOENIX SPARK!
>We are not wasting a phoenix spark on a dragon that Lighter is going to curbstomp.
>Gotta let the pokemon get some fun too, be fair.
> You strongly consider a full strength phoenix spark; it would probably incapacitate a dragon, but it could incapacitate you as well. You consider firing a weaker Fire Spark instead, but you would like to give your pokemon a chance to battle. You consider which pokemon/attacks/spellcards you would like to use on the dragons.
>BREAK THROUGH THE SKIES LETS GO GIRATINA, HO!
> Hey, home's right there, and you think the problem could be up there too. Might as well pay a visit while you can. Course, you've been showing a strong interest in those dragons overhead, so you decide to put off the skybreaking for a couple more minutes.
(Mod note: One vote for going straight to Gensokyo, two votes for battle, but of them one for Charmeleon flamethrower and one for Phoenix Spark.)
>_
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>Weaker Fire Spark. Can't drain ourselves too much now. Gotta be ready to take on that Galactic boss guy.
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>Weaker fire spark, have a pokemon beat one up some more, then use a pokeball.
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>Yeah, fire spark and Charmeleon finishes torching the dragon.
>Might as well see and compare super phoenix laser to normal fire laser and a living creature is as good as any.
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>Charmeleon fights the dragon. We want him bigger, and badder, into a big scary dragon! Maybe he'll have wings too!
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>Weaker Fire Spark. Can't drain ourselves too much now. Gotta be ready to take on that Galactic boss guy.
>Weaker fire spark, have a pokemon beat one up some more, then use a pokeball.
>Yeah, fire spark and Charmeleon finishes torching the dragon.
>Might as well see and compare super phoenix laser to normal fire laser and a living creature is as good as any.
>Charmeleon fights the dragon. We want him bigger, and badder, into a big scary dragon! Maybe he'll have wings too!
> Nue continues facing up as she exchanges glances with you. "We're fighting, aren't we," she says.
> "Yeah," you reply.
> "I'm not really sure this is a good idea," Kogasa adds nervously. You notice a piece of paper is stuck to the girl's back.
> "Really?" you ask Nue instead of Kogasa.
> "Hush," The girl winks. "It'll all be in good fun."
> "Um... we are talking about the dragons, right?" Kogasa asks.
> "Course," Nue beams. "We'll be fine as long as we don't waste the suprise element. Pick a target and be subtle. You ready?"
> You give a slight nod.
> "Alright," Nue says, hand on her waste. "Three," the girl whispers,
> "Wait, um, I'm not ready!" Kogasa whispers back, dropping her bag.
> Nue ignores the umbrella youkai, continuing her countdown, "two, one. Groudon, overheat!" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FXggG9MeBg)
> Right as she issues her command, you whip out the mini-hakkero and blast a dragonite. "Lighter, flamethrower!" you command, as Nue slings out what, you assume, is her Zoroark. The giant red illusionary creature she possesses hurls flames at the dragons above as you and Lighter both fire at a low-flying dragon, you striking with a laser and Lighter with a burst of flames. The dragon you hit is knocked out of the sky in a burst of flame as it nose-dives into the snow in front of you.
> Nue's target is sweating, but otherwise still flying, and it looks like Kogasa didn't do anything. A quick look in her direction reveals she seems to be struggling with her bag a bit, before finally shouting "Go Prinny! Uh, use bubblebeam!" You see she's attempting to take down the third dragon, which dodges her attack easily.
> The dragons roar amongst eachother, and the flying, burning one starts up a whirlwind and Kogasa's target begins a nosedive. The dragon you attacked forces itself off the ground, as it lets out a bellowing screech. Eyes narrowed, it looks ready to rip you to shreds.
>_
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>Detail China to protect Prinny.
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>get Lighter to burn it more.
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>"Please, you tell someone you want to eat them and you don't expect to get blasted? What kind of stupid are you?"
>Have Lighter Fire Blast it because why not?
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>Detail China to protect Prinny.
> Your lucario rushes atop the snow-covered ground placing itself between the dragonite and Kogasa's Prinplup, quickly attempting to deflect the dragonite with an aura sphere. The dragonite is knocked to the side as it hits the snow with a blow that splits the ground with a giant crack. You feel the ground tremble beneath your feet as Prinny is knocked over and China glares at the hole, ready to strike.
> "Are you alright?" Kogasa asks to Prinny's nod. "Alright, I want you to try to draw it close."
>"Please, you tell someone you want to eat them and you don't expect to get blasted? What kind of stupid are you?"
> "You forget they aren't human," Nue says. "I bet it's a natural question for a scavenger with a walnut for a brain."
> "Gwrooouuuu," Nue's dragon bellows, breathing tremendous amounts of flame into its whirlwind which it centers around Nue. Nue responds by creating illusionary copies of herself (or at least her disguise) which encircle the dragon both in the air and on the ground. You wonder if she really had to aggrivate these monsters, but you quickly realize she might actually want to goad them into targetting her.
>get Lighter to burn it more.
>Have Lighter Fire Blast it because why not?
> You command Lighter to blast your dragonite as it flaps the snow off of it's wings.
> Either Lighter has trouble with fireblasting or fireblast looks suspiciously like ember. Your target responds by charging through your pokemon's flames with lightning speed, knocking lighter back ten feet in exchange for burns to the face.
> You are really impressed with your target's speed, you could barely even see the dragon as it attacked.
>_
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>Use flamethrower, switch to fire fang if it gets close.
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>Be ready to step in ourselves if needed, but for now trust in Lighter's power.
>That said if Lighter's in trouble, we're going to torch the thing.
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>That said if Lighter's in trouble, we're going to torch the thing.
>And then burn it some more. For good measure.
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>Use flamethrower, switch to fire fang if it gets close.
>Be ready to step in ourselves if needed, but for now trust in Lighter's power.
> Lighter throws flames at the dragonite approaches yet again at blinding speed, much faster than that of the other two dragonite. Your pokemon chomps down on the dragon's claw as it throws your pokemon away.
> You notice that the dragon has little trouble shrugging off you fire attacks.
>That said if Lighter's in trouble, we're going to torch the thing.
>And then burn it some more. For good measure.
> Lighter is in trouble. Heck, you might be in trouble, with that attack it's easily moving faster than anyone you know in Gensokyo; you could easily compare it to a jet. You step in and start throwing a vortex of flames after it, foricing it through your sea of fire as it hurtles itself away from you and to the next mountain over. Observing the dragon's flight, it begins to dawn on you just how much speed is required to pull off that 16 hour world trip the pokedex mentioned. You also realize that, while insanely fast, it either hasn't been thinking to dodge or outright doesn't care enough to dodge the attacks you throw at it when it rams your pokemon. The last thing you notice is that there is a vapor trail forming behind the dragon, which has turned around and started charging you.
>_
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>How do we defend against something moving fast? Danmaku fields, right?
>Maybe we should deploy Registeel as well.
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>Oh really?
>Use Honest Man's Death, let's see it tank bullet and lazer spam.
>Have Lighter keep torching it, but make sure it stays back from us and out of the spellcard crossfire.
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>How do we defend against something moving fast? Danmaku fields, right?
> Creating a firewall is usually effective. In this case though, your thinking fire by itself might not cut it.
>Maybe we should deploy Registeel as well.
> He's pretty good at tanking all kinds of hits, so using him defensively would have some merit.
>Oh really?
>Use Honest Man's Death, let's see it tank bullet and lazer spam.
>Have Lighter keep torching it, but make sure it stays back from us and out of the spellcard crossfire.
> Ah yes, your "undodgeable" spell. Wisely, you decide to place yourself in front of Lighter, as you take out Honest Man's Death. As the dragon approaches, the spell let's loose a cone of low-explosive talismens. The creature dives right into the cone, to which part two of your spell kicks in, slowly sending a laser across the spell. You know the spell will follow dragonite for about a minute, and are pretty confident, so with Lighter behind it you ask the charmeleon to throw some fire into the spell.
> You quickly realize that the dragon isn't slowing down at all, in fact, it decides to barrel straight through the spell card in spite of the fire, blowing itself up as it loses control, and crashes. While you are glad your spellcard seems to have softened it up, you are kind of disappointed in how it made absolutely no attempt to dodge it, opting instead to take the spell's brunt at point blank, and how it can still stand afterwards. On the plus side, it is kind of woobly looking, so that's a plus.
> The creature shakes it's head, then starts eyeing you carefully. You are not sure if the fact that it's no longer charging blindly is a good thing or a bad thing.
(Mod note: spell cards are really tricky to write)
>_
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>Glare at it back. Maybe add phoenix wings to it to add effect.
>Since it's weak, we should knock it out before worrying about the others. The fewer, the better.
>Check Charmeleon's condition. Did he somehow got involved with our spellcard?
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>That lack of common sense is disappointing, we don't do that and we're the immortal one here.
>Give it a dose of talisman non-spell spam.
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>Glare at it back. Maybe add phoenix wings to it to add effect.
> You glare right back at it, wings alight. It responds very little as it continues to study your actions.
>Check Charmeleon's condition. Did he somehow got involved with our spellcard?
> You glance at Charmeleon, you see that it's still huffing, but it's fine. You placed the spellcard in front of the two of you, and you didn't design it to hurt its own user, so you're pretty sure Charmeleon was unaffected by the crossfire. (This is important to note, since several of your spellcards actually DO do horrible things to their user for the sake of power or versatility. Phoenix Possession is a prime example.)
>That lack of common sense is disappointing, we don't do that and we're the immortal one here.
> To be fair, it did actually stop your spell card. By hitting it with the force of a truck, but still, that's better than you can say most third-time opponents fair, let alone the first time ones.
>Give it a dose of talisman non-spell spam.
> You prepare your response, by hurling out a sea of talismans. You will need more talismans after this, you realize Nue is probably out too.
> For the first time this match, the dragonite decides to avoid your attacks, it returns to circling overhead as it stays just out of range. You are kind of glad it finally cares enough about your attacks to attempt to dodge them, but it does make the battle more difficult seeing as it can use the whole mountain.
>Since it's weak, we should knock it out before worrying about the others. The fewer, the better.
> You decide knocking it out fast would be a good idea, if possible. You don't trust Kogasa to last too long.
> You take a moment to check on Nue and Kogasa. Nue seems to be doing alright, although her many clones seem to be having a lot of trouble staying airborn. Her dragon has created a whirlwind around itself and the two have taken their fight to the air, with her dragon unleashing some impressive fire tactics. The dragon is taking full advantage of both Nue's Zoroark's flamethrowers and its own, getting in some impressive trick shots via whirlwind against the illusionary army, flames spiralling in just about every direction.
> Kogasa... you are kind of worried about Kogasa. Both she and her umbrella are fleeing away, but in opposite directions. Your Lucario and Kogasa's Prinplup are having trouble keeping up as the dragon forces Kogasa to take to the air. Narrowly avoiding the creature's claws, Kogasa cries out, "Suprising rain: Guerrilla Typhoon!" as a second cloudlline quickly begins manifesting itself just a couple hundred feet over your head.
> You consider how you'd like to brace yourself for what you assume is going to be a subfreezing rainstorm, which after about a second of thought, you realize would probably manifest itself as a blizzard.
>_
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>Eh, if she's going to make a Blizzard, just up the flames around us to keep things warm. Fire definitely beats ice.
>Return our pokemon if the blizzard gets troublesome for them and just let them out again when it ends.
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>Eh, if she's going to make a Blizzard, just up the flames around us to keep things warm. Fire definitely beats ice.
> You put up a nice blazing hot ring of fire to protect you and Charmeleon as gale force winds hit you. You feel like you'll be swept off your feet if you are not careful, you definitely do not want to be flying right now.
> "Damnit Kogasa!" Nue yells, apparently sharing your sentiment as several of her illusions sink to the ground. She and her dragonite manage to reach down to the snowbanks, and start trading blows again, when a tremendous amount of snow begins plomping down, redcing visibility tremendously. You can vaguely see Nue and her dragon continuing to trade ineffective blows, but they're much slower about it than before. Admittedly, you don't want to be moving around much right now.
> It is at about the same point as the blizzard starts that you realize by melting your surroundings, you are causing water to fall on you instead of snow. Somewhat annoyingly, Kogasa seems to be doing fine. She's actually blowing back her attacker with the weather while making you and Nue suffer. Anyway, with winds so high that you're afraid to jump let alone fly and snow up to your shins, everyone's going to have a mobility problem until this spell is over.
> Er, you HAD snow up to your shins. Now you're kind of in a soggy, muddy hole surrounded by fire.
> You realize that this is the first time Kogasa has shown any propensity for magic at all. You also note that the dragonite you were trying to hit before has been forced down by the weather. It'll be much harder for it to use it's speed now, although you would not be surprised if it had a couple more tricks.
>Return our pokemon if the blizzard gets troublesome for them and just let them out again when it ends.
> You end up recalling lighter until the storm ends, no sense in getting him wet.
> You consider whether or not to recall your Lucario, which is definitely struggling with the weather, but you are still concerned for your teammate's safety. After all, if you lose Kogasa, then... um...
> Uh...
> ...
> ANYWAY, the point is Kogasa could kind of use Lucario, although you strongly consider calling China back anyway, for its own safety. There is also the pressing matter of your grounded dragonite, and the fact that you are soaking wet in freezing temperatures. Well, the wet part is annoying. You have plenty of fire, but still only about half of what you'd have if you weren't being deluged on.
>_
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>Press the attack.
Maybe deploy Registeel?
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>Break out Fujiwara. If anything is going to be able to ignore the snow, it would be the giant metal golem
>Have Fujiwara beat the crap out of Dragonite.
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>Giant steel golem thingy beats grounded dragon. It's like rock-paper-scissors!
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>Giant steel golem thingy beats grounded dragon. It's like rock-paper-scissors!
(http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w176/pjevnic/rps25.jpg)
> Well, there's no robot on it, but if you count your golem as gun or axe...
> What? No. You decide to ignore the chart because it is clearly wrong. Dragon loses to axe and that is final. And you refuse to believe paper has an inherent elemental advantage over dragon.
>Break out Fujiwara. If anything is going to be able to ignore the snow, it would be the giant metal golem
>Have Fujiwara beat the crap out of Dragonite.
>Press the attack.
Maybe deploy Registeel?
> You decide to send out Fujiyama, confident that it can handle this kind of weather. You are right, it shows no difficulty thunking through the snow and wind towards your target. When it finally reaches the dragon, it brushes off the monster's claws and bites as if they were nothing, returning them with its own blows. After taking two iron claws, the dragon manages to get itself underneath your pokemon and heaves the hundreds of pounds of steel above its head.
>_
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Where did you even find that chart?
>How is that thing lifting up Fujiwara? Whatever, have Fujiwara zap it with that lightning thing it used on us.
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>Try a pokeball. Bonk it on the nose.
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VL/A from tomorrow afternoon until Sunday afternoon.
Where did you even find that chart?
> Kaguya's room. (http://beta.photobucket.com/images/rock%20paper%20scissors/)
>How is that thing lifting up Fujiwara? Whatever, have Fujiwara zap it with that lightning thing it used on us.
> You are impressed with the dragon's strength, but not so much that you forget to respond. Fujiyama electrocutes the beast. The dragon collapses, dropping your registeel which proceeds to roll a good fifty feet before stopping itself. Your Fujiyama shakes itself off, you imagine it's probably a little woozy from the fall, but otherwise it appears undamaged.
> Course, it's nature is to keep going until it drops, so it's hard to get a feel of how healthy it is.
>Try a pokeball. Bonk it on the nose.
> Seeing as your target is no longer moving, you figure now would be a good time to try a pokeball. You attempt to bonk it on the nose. The wind is very disagreeable with your decision, instead directing your pokeball to it's tail, but either way your dragon gets stuffed into your ball, shakes it around twice, and then stops.
> You've caught a dragonite! Would you like to give a nickname to the newly caught dragonite?
> You look around, and notice that there are a lot of Kogasas now. You're pretty sure Nue is responsible. Kogasa's Prinplup and your Lucario don't look too hot, and the Kogasa clones are inconsistent, with some of them badly scarred and others in perfect condition. Only half of them have umbrellas. You also see Kogasa's umbrella approach you, by itself, as one of the Kogasas yells "Keep me safe, alright?"
> Among the army of Kogasas are the two dragons, one of which is whipping up whirlwinds and fire and is bleeding pretty badly, the other one using an attack you are unfamiliar with. It is pounding at each clone one by one with blows that tear up the landscape itself, hurling boulders and punching craters into the ground. It bellows furiously as it forces it's way through the snow and wind with relative ease.
>_
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>Damnit Kaguya
>Have Fujiwara share the gift of lightning bolt in the face with the other Dragonite
>Send out our Ponyta, charge it with our fire and have it start torching Dragonite too.
>Protect the umbrella
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>Can we fold up the umbrella so the gale-force winds don't damage it?
>"Kogasa, have Prinny take cover behind Registeel!"
>Recall China
>Make sure to jump and jog to keep Prinny and Fujiwara out of our red kritzkrieg beam flamethrower path
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>That's a lot of Kogasas.
>ROMANCE THEM ALL
>be helpful and burn things that are attacking the people you are allied with.
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>Damnit Kaguya
> Why?
> It's not like you really need a reason though.
>Have Fujiwara share the gift of lightning bolt in the face with the other Dragonite
> You command your Registeel. Accuracy is a bit of an issue here, since the dragonite are fighting amongst a sea of copies, and you have no idea which copy is the real thing so you have no idea how to avoid friendly fire at anything but close range. Your Registeel walks right up to the rampaging dragon. "Prinplup, watergun!" Kogasa commands, striking the dragon right before your Registeel electrocutes it. The dragon turns its attention to Fujiyama, and with a booming roar punches it back fifty feet and through at least a half dozen clones.
> You realize with lightning you can attack from a distance, but as a line of sight attack you risk friendly fire for as long as you can't tell what's real and what isn't. You consider using lightning anyway; you have to consider Fujiyama's safety too, after all.
>Send out our Ponyta, charge it with our fire and have it start torching Dragonite too.
> You send out your Ponyta and blast it with flames. Of course, this strategy would be more effective if the melting blizzard isn't soaking the both of you, but it's definitely more effective than a simple outright flamethrower in these conditions. Your ponyta's mane is white-hot, as it attempts to blast the outraged dragon.
> You quickly find out that the wind conditions are not favorable to long distance flame attacks when your ponyta's move it blown right back at it. Unlike lightning attacks, it is possible to hit just the dragonite at a distance with, say, ember because gravity gives the attack an arch. Unfortunately, flame is very susceptible to high winds.
>Protect the umbrella
>Can we fold up the umbrella so the gale-force winds don't damage it?
> If you mean does the umbrella close, then yes, Kogasa is way ahead of you. Though it does not collapse or fold in any way that would makes it convenient to carry around. You have the umbrella stand behind you.
>"Kogasa, have Prinny take cover behind Registeel!"
> "You heard her, Prinny!" Kogasa shouts, as her Prinplup dives under Registeel.
>Recall China
> "China, return!" you command. Your pokemon returns to its ball, it's done enough today.
>Make sure to jump and jog to keep Prinny and Fujiwara out of our red kritzkrieg beam flamethrower path
> It would be very difficult for you to jump and jog around in current conditions, anything involving fighting the wind is near impossible. Course if you mean Fujiwara should attempt evasive maneuvers, well, you aren't sure Fujiyama even has the ability to jump or jog. It has an incredibly mechanical and steady walk no matter what happens around it; you've seen it charge, but this just consists of it doing the slow steady walk at double speed.
>That's a lot of Kogasas.
>ROMANCE THEM ALL
> That it is.
> You think romancing this many Kogasas may put a strain on your relationships. What if Kogasa caught you cheating on her with Kogasa?
>be helpful and burn things that are attacking the people you are allied with.
> You'll have to get close to do that with any accuracy, between the frozen typhoon and one of the two dragons whipping up a counterwhirlwind, most your attacks will be blown off course. Would you like to approach the battlefield?
>_
-
>Approach the battlefield. BE THE HERO. SAVE THE KOGASA.
-
>That other Dragonite with it's counter whirlwind is being a pain in the neck
>Send out China again
>Have China use its aura sensing to tell Fujiwara when to lightning fry the Dragonite from a distance without worrying about friendly fire.
>China can Aura Sphere the thing too while it's at it.
-
>That other Dragonite with it's counter whirlwind is being a pain in the neck
>Send out China again
>Have China use its aura sensing to tell Fujiwara when to lightning fry the Dragonite from a distance without worrying about friendly fire.
>China can Aura Sphere the thing too while it's at it.
> Realizing you could use its skills, you send China out into the blizzard again, this time commanding it to help Fujiyama's aim.
> Your lucario closes it's eyes and raises it's arm. With a quick grunt, it drops its arm, to which Fujiyama blasts away both a number of Kogasas and the whilrwinder. As its winds die and Kogasa's storm stays strong, one of the Kogasas stabs the creature with an umbrella that fades into a trident as a second one slashes it's legs, forcing the dragon to its knees. Then, as quickly as they struck, the two retreat back into the mass, as your China knocks it back with an aura sphere on the chin for good measure.
> "I did have things under control," a Kogasa teases, suddenly appearing on your shoulder. She then tosses a second Kogasa a pokeball. "Zori, you can finish things up here."
>Approach the battlefield. BE THE HERO. SAVE THE KOGASA.
> You find daving the correct Kogasa difficult due to being overloaded by the Kogasatude.
> Well, no matter. You approach the battlefield and enter into the mass of umbrella youkai. Fortunately, although they are a crowd, you can walk straight through them. Well, most of them. Not the one that just knocked you over while fleeing the enraged dragon.
> "Um, sorry. Prinny, use water gun!" Kogasa says. You note that without the other dragon stirring up whirlwinds, the wind and snow is actually carrying the Prinplup's attacks right where Kogasa wants them. Although you are concerned that the attack seems about as effective as a garden hose.
> On that note, you are undecided on whether you wish to thank Kogasa for creating this horrible weather or strangle her for it. Either way, Kogasa's dragon pounds the ground with both claws, tearing up a column of snow and earth as you feel the ground slide beneath you.
>_
-
>"Wind was being a pain."
>We can hover so do so.
>On that note, "Don't think water's working too well on these things. Would be surprising if you dropped it soon though."
>If Kogasa ends up needing help again, tell China and Fujiwara to fry the dragon. We got other mooks to roll today after all.
-
>"Wind was being a pain."
> "We ARE in a typhoon," Nue teases. "You expecting a spring breeze?"
>On that note, "Don't think water's working too well on these things. Would be surprising if you dropped it soon though."
> "Really?" Kogasa says. "I don't see the surprise... Well, Prinny, you can throw in a steel wing too maybe?"
> Prinny shows some hesitance to approach the dragonite, seemingly prefering to continue staying a safe distance away and using watergun.
>We can hover so do so.
> You think hovering is a good idea, seeing as the ground is currently sliding downhill. You attempt to take to the air, and find yourself immediately getting thrown around by the weather. You manage to support yourself on a large rock that doesn't seem particularly inclined to move on you right this second.
>If Kogasa ends up needing help again, tell China and Fujiwara to fry the dragon. We got other mooks to roll today after all.
> You currently have China, Fujiyama, and Dash (That is Lucario, Registeel, and Ponyta) out. You are slightly concerned that they may need your help, since the dragon's going to combine the worst aspect of an avalanche and a rock slide if it keep loosening up the surface of the mountain with what looks like earthquake attacks to you. The dragon is making its way uphill from your group, tearing snow and boulders from the earth, hurling them downhill, and shaking the ground with each pound of its feet. While what you are pretty sure is the real Kogasa isn't having too much trouble dodging due to Nue's double team severely limitting the dragon's accuracy, you really aren't happy with how much the ground is shaking.
> You consider staying grounded and trying to take out the dragon before things get any more unstable, hovering low but with little control to avoid the fallout while staying in the fight, or attempting to make your way above Kogasa's blizzard entirely. You also consider several alternatives and what to do about the pokemon you currently have out in all of these situations.
>_
-
>tell China and Fujiwara to fry the dragon. We got other mooks to roll today after all.
>If that doesn't work, get Dash to make like Buttercup the Goat on the dragon while we Uber her.
-
>Yep, it's frying time.
>If an avalanche gets too bad for our pokemon, return them.
>"If that things starts an avalanche, it's getting Sparked."
-
>If that doesn't work, get Dash to make like Buttercup the Goat on the dragon while we Uber her.
> You aren't 100% sure what that means, but you decide it involves your Ponyta stomping the creature while you light her on fire.
> So, you go with that. Dash is blazing only a little hotter than she would if it wasn't snowing at all, which is still better than the unblasted version.
>tell China and Fujiwara to fry the dragon. We got other mooks to roll today after all.
> You also command your other pokemon to blast the dragonite. This works fairly well, getting in more hits than it can handle via electrocution, fire, and stomping before it manages to grab hold of your ponyta and slam it to the ground. You kind of feel sorry for Dash, that looked like it hurt. Your ponyta manages to limp away under the cover of your registeel and your lucario while it narrowly dodges the boulders dragonite knocks loose.
>"If that things starts an avalanche, it's getting Sparked."
> "Nah, spanking's too hard. Let's just hit it." Nuegasa remarks, as her Zoroark hands her a pokeball. "2 down, 1 to go."
> "Sparked, not spanked."
> "Oh. Yeah, sure that works too."
>Yep, it's frying time.
>If an avalanche gets too bad for our pokemon, return them.
> If it becomes a real avalanche, you won't have time to return them.
> Thinking it through, this is a pretty good reason to return your pokemon. Would you like to do so, or see what happens?
>_
-
>Yeah, let's pull 'em back.
-
>Is the Dragonite still rampaging? If yes blast it with danmaku bullets until it knocks it off.
-
>Call back the pokemon. Challenge the dragon like the true man you are(n't)!
-
>"Kogasa, try a pokeball!"
>Accidentally the pokeball, getting captured. GOOD BEGINNING
-
>Yeah, let's pull 'em back.
>Call back the pokemon.
> You call back your pokemon. If nothing else, Ponyta really needs it.
>"Kogasa, try a pokeball!"
> "I don't think it will work, but alright!" Kogasa yells over the blizzard's howling. She throws a pokeball at the dragon, which knocks it straight at Prinplup, knocking the penguin over.
>Accidentally the pokeball, getting captured. GOOD BEGINNING
> You aren't sure how this would be considered a good beginning...? Though that does sound like the kind of thing Kaguya would write a fanfic about.
>Is the Dragonite still rampaging? If yes blast it with danmaku bullets until it knocks it off.
Challenge the dragon like the true man you are(n't)!
> You challenge the dragon with a tidal wave of your talismans. The creature takes the first of them before slamming the ground furiously, knocking loose the earth under its own feet. The rest of your talismans are overtaken by a huge wave of snow, rock, and dirt that is falling onto you and your party.
> "Zori, grab on!" Nue yells.
-
>Well we did warn em.
>Phoenix Spark the dragon.
-
>Well we did warn em.
>Phoenix Spark the dragon.
> You respond to the wall of ice with a super laser of fire, cleaving the snow in two before striking the dragonite. As the smoke clears, it falls over motionless.
> You win!
> Unfortunately, your legs give. You are utterly exhausted from that attack. You are also wet, and you notice that it is cold out. And still blizzarding.
> "Hey, I'm going to catch that dragon, alright?" Kogasa asks. "Also, I'd really like to borrow your Lucario for a few minutes, I'm kind of worried about Prinny." As she says this, you find yourself incredibly annoyed that her spell hasn't ended yet.
> As you lay on the ground, you also notice that Charmeleon's pokeball is shaking back and forth pretty hard.
>_
-
>Let out Lighter and China
>"Kogasa, can you turn the blizzard off?"
>While we recover, recall where those two points on the mountain were.
-
>We may need to heal the pokemon before taking on Galactrix.
>Which would be faster: stopping by the village or resting here?
-
>Let out Lighter and China
> "Thanks! Hey lucario, could you help me find Prinny? I seem to have lost him." Kogasa says. Your Lucario stares blankly at you, awaiting your commands while ignoring Kogasa.
>"Kogasa, can you turn the blizzard off?"
> "...Uh... it should be over in 10 minutes, I think," Kogasa says.
> "10 minutes? Some of us are freezing over here," Nuegasa says, while switching forms to a black haired goth girl.
(http://i762.photobucket.com/albums/xx262/Kazunari-chan/Pokemon/Marley.jpg)
> "Yeah, um... this spell kind of has a mind of its own. Don't worry, it'll die out soon!"
> Nue teases back, "You know I'm going to have to get you for this." Although you wonder if that would be redundant, that thing Nue stuck to Kogasa's back before the battle is still there.
> "I wouldn't expect anything less," Kogasa winks back. You realize they've been at this game for a long time.
>While we recover, recall where those two points on the mountain were.
> Three points. west into the clouds, northwest along the mountain face, and to the far, far north something Lucario could sense miles away.
> The sun is midway between the two land masses. You guess about an hour until the sun sets behind the landmass above you?
>We may need to heal the pokemon before taking on Galactrix.
>Which would be faster: stopping by the village or resting here?
> Resting here would take 12 hours you suppose, which is faster than going back underground but might be slower than flying to the human village above you.
> Incidentally, your Charmeleon is glowing.
>_
-
>Lost a penguin in the snow? That's terrible!
>Well losing any pokemon can't be fun.
>"China, if you've got the juice, let's find the dood."
-
>"Hey Lighter, what's up with the glow?"
>"Let's see, spend the night on a cold mountain or go back to Gensokyo and go find those trouble areas tomorrow. Yeah, back to Gensokyo it is."
>How long till we can fly again by the way?
-
>Get AGITATED at the thought of having a RIVAL in our conquest of MoKogasa
>MOKOGASA OTP
-
>Wait, don't they glow when they....
>Oh, FUCK YES.
-
>Lost a penguin in the snow? That's terrible!
>Well losing any pokemon can't be fun.
>"China, if you've got the juice, let's find the dood."
> "Thank you!" Kogasa says. She hurls a pokeball at the last dragonite, quickly catching it. As she walks along the path you cleaved through the snow to retrieve the ball, you can clearly see the thing Nue slapped to Kogasa - a simple "kick me" sign. While this is relatively expected, there are also a couple of spell symbols on the corners.
> Your China salutes, then closes its eyes as it's dreadlock-thingies lift. It then leads Kogasa through the snow, occationally turning sharply as Kogasa occationally falls through.
>Get AGITATED at the thought of having a RIVAL in our conquest of MoKogasa
>MOKOGASA OTP
> You are too EXHAUSTED to be AGITATED.
> Still, you worry that Nue might be getting between you and Kogasa, what with her having obvious history with the umbrella youkai and similar interests. You are hardly one to let a simple thing like monumental differences come between you and your conquests!
>"Let's see, spend the night on a cold mountain or go back to Gensokyo and go find those trouble areas tomorrow. Yeah, back to Gensokyo it is."
> "No complaints here," Nue says, fondly regarding your Charmeleon's glow.
>"Hey Lighter, what's up with the glow?"
>Wait, don't they glow when they....
>Oh, FUCK YES.
> Your Charmeleon grows wings. And size.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/GraphicPenguin/charizard.jpg)
> Congratulations! Your Charmeleon evolved into Charizard!
>How long till we can fly again by the way?
> All the way up there? It's pretty far, you'd need to be well rested to not just fall back down.
> Course, you have a couple more options now than you did five minutes ago.
>_
-
>Does Lighter now know Sky Attack?
>Mount up, practice flying.
>Lighter was a man, I mean he was a dragon man, or maybe he was just a dragon.
-
>HELLZ YEAH!
>Just know that our dragon outshines Kaguya's giant plant anyday.
>Note to have Lighter set Kaguya on fire.
>In fact, all our pokemon must beat on Kaguya at some point.
>"Way to be badass Lighter!"
>When China finds Kogasa's penguin, we're flying back to Gensokyo in style.
-
>DYNAMIC ENTRY ON FLYING FIRE DRAGON!
>Well, after everyone's accounted for, of course.
-
>HELLZ YEAH!
>Just know that our dragon outshines Kaguya's giant plant anyday.
>Note to have Lighter set Kaguya on fire.
>In fact, all our pokemon must beat on Kaguya at some point.
>"Way to be badass Lighter!"
>When China finds Kogasa's penguin, we're flying back to Gensokyo in style.
> You are confident that your dragon is better than Kaguya's plant. After all, you can't deep fry Kaguya with a plant!
>Does Lighter now know Sky Attack?
>Mount up, practice flying.
>Lighter was a man, I mean he was a dragon man, or maybe he was just a dragon.
> You don't know what Lighter has, but you decide you should practice flying. You tumble onto your dragon and do a quick loop around Kogasa and Nue. You are satisfied with your dragon.
> Well, whatever Lighter is, you are confident he is not dragonborn. Well, he is dragon born, but he's not the dragonborn, because while being the man and the dragon, he isn't man enough to be the dragon man (but he's more than dragon enough for the role).
>DYNAMIC ENTRY ON FLYING FIRE DRAGON!
>Well, after everyone's accounted for, of course.
> "Found him!" Kogasa says, lifting her penguin from beneath 2 feet of fluffy powder. Looking up, she remarks, "...you didn't bring me along as dragon food, did you?"
> "Maybe..." Nue taunts, returning her zoroark and taking out a magnet thingy.
(http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt200/smogon_tiers_album/Overused/Magnezone.png)
> She then sits on the thing.
> "So, how you getting up?" Nue asks.
> "Well... uh... flying?"
> "That's a pretty far way to fly, and I doubt any of our dragonites are in condition for it."
> "I'll manage," Kogasa huffs.
> Would you like to now leave for Gensokyo?
-
>Sure.
-
>Unmount, grab Kogasa by the arm, pull her towards Lighter.
>Mount +passenger
-
>Sure.
>Unmount, grab Kogasa by the arm, pull her towards Lighter.
>Mount +passenger
> As China and Prinny are returned to their balls, you help Kogasa onto your dragon. You're exhausted, and you're really ready for some R&R back home, so you ascend. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UqU90Tn7mM) Nue follows you are her UFO shaped pokemon, using it's antenna as a backrest.
> Soaring above the mountains under the sunrise (sunset to gensokyo), beneath you is a sea of clouds broken by a magestic mountain range. Above you is Gensokyo basked in amber light. You can see in every direction for miles, although distance makes picking anything in particular out difficult. As you ascend, you feel lighter and lighter, until about halfway between the two continens you lose all sense of weight. You can float effortlessly here. As you begin to enjoy the newfound lack of weight, you spot an outcropping of rock distantly to the east, a fairly large, distant string of floating islands drifting between the two continents. One of the closest, smallest islets you can make out rapidly approaches you, stopping short of hitting you as you find yourself face to face with a blue-haired girl.
(http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/uu201/seitsuki/Touhou/tenshi_234773575.jpg)
> "Hunting for dragon, found a person. You aren't planning on invading our little celestial plane, are you?"
>_
-
V
-
>"Nope, got other things to do today. And tomorrow."
>Onwards to gensokyo.
-
>Ignore her. If she persists, demonstrate your firestarting skills. With enthusiasm.
-
>"Nope, got other things to do today. And tomorrow."
>Onwards to gensokyo.
> "That's it? Just gonna leave?" Tenshi asks.
> Kogasa replies, "Oh, well, I suppose we could-"
> "Yup." Nue says, cutting off Kogasa. Tenshi looks slightly crestfallen.
>Ignore her. If she persists, demonstrate your firestarting skills. With enthusiasm.
> You ignore Tenshi's obvious disappointment, and descend (ascend?) into Gensokyo, feeling the weight of gravity increase towards the continent below (above?). By the time you reach a thoudand feet up, gravity feels mostly normal, and it is Sinnoh precariously dangling overhead. The sun has fallen under Gensokyo's horizon, placing you in a jarringly early twilight. You find yourself at the outskirts of the human village when you realize your shack is hardly suitable for company.
> "Byakuren always has a bed for weary travelers," Nue suggests. "Let's stay with her." You don't think Keine would mind you using her house either; before Byakuren came along, she would often be the first person to house lost travelers, and is still the prefered choice of much of the human population. Byakuren would gladly house anyone and protect them from the likes of Rumia, but humans tended to be weary of sharing lodgings with youkai. Heck, if half the rumors about the Myouren temple are true their fears may be justified, you understand Byakuren takes in youkai with quite violent histories without hesitation. Mind you, Keine does not run an inn, and she expects the favor returned, but she'd never leave you outside and alone at night.
>_
-
>Bug Byakuren. If anyone's going to potentially get their place wrecked, let it be hers.
-
>Byakuren.
>Incidentally, do we know who Keine wants? Probably either Rinnosuke or Mokou, right?
-
>Incidentally, do we know who Keine wants? Probably either Rinnosuke or Mokou, right?
> Keine is quite close to you platonically. At least, you think it's platonic. Your mischievous side almost wants to ask her, if only to see what shade of red her cheeks turn.
> You think Keine might like Rinnosuke, though you aren't sure she realizes it. Though if their relationship were to get serious you wouldn't blame them for wanting to keep it low-key. You don't keep up with the rumor mill much, but Rinnosuke has always been the subject of attention for elderly ladies. One of them will see a little girl or old lad visit his shop to purchase some ink, and by the third retelling it will be an all-night rendezvous with the mayor's wife. Half youkai have always been the subject of non-stop rumor.
>Bug Byakuren. If anyone's going to potentially get their place wrecked, let it be hers.
>Byakuren.
> You decide to go to Byakuren's place, letting Nue lead the way. In front of the temple Nue stops, dismounts her magnezone, and approaches Kogasa. She then turns Kogasa around, slaps a seal on her back over the "kick me" sign she placed earlier, and rips off both the sign and the seal.
> "Hey... what were you planning?" Kogasa huffs.
> "Kick me sign. Explodes when you try to remove it, unless you deactivate it first. I really don't want to sit through another lecture."
> Kogasa is somewhat annoyed by this, but she stays quiet as Nue makes to ring the temple bell. She then pauses, puts her Magnezone away, and says "Better put away that charizard, wouldn't want to burn the temple down." You comply with her requests as she rings the bell. After a moment, the door slams open, and you are greeted by a tall, brown haired lady with purple roots.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/GyppyGirl2021/Touhou/b4febc9027330eeb18613107719bda53.jpg)
> "Nue! Kogasa! Welcome home! So tell me abou your friend there," the woman beams.
> "This is Mokou Huziwara," Kogasa explains. "She's accompanying us while we explore the new continent., Mokou, the is Byakuren Hijiri, founder of the Myouren temple."
> "Byakuren will be fine, no need for formality here," the lady beams. "It's so nice to see you two making friends. Come in, come in." The woman drags you into a large dining room, seating the three of you at the table. "Any friend of my disciples is a friend of mine!"
> "We aren't Buddhists yet," Nue says flatly.
> "I'm sure you'll come around. Anyway, it's almost supper. Let me introduce you to the rest of the family!"
> "Save the introductions for later," Nue says. "We've been travelling for hours, attacked by dragons, hit by a blizzard," Nue says, giving a sideways glance to Kogasa. "And we're just about ready to collapse."
> "Are you sure?" Byakuren asks. "I suppose meeting the family can wait, but we still really ought to talk. You must have noticed the imbalance above, and I'm not sure we should wait until this evening to discuss it."
> You consider your options:
> Go to bed
> Discuss crisis with Byakuren alone
> Meet temple residents over dinner
> Other
>_
-
>"Actually, we're fairly certain we know something about the cause of that. We just need some rest before we head after the one responsible."
-
We do? who?
-
We don't but we know where to look in Sinnoh at least.
-
Team Galactic's boss. We know Galactic's responsible, and we were told their boss is at the top of the mountain. It's pretty clear he's behind this.
-
Either way we're going to be roasting Galatic mooks if only to get rid of all that poison. And because its fun.
-
I see a Go to Bed option
Well we do need to recover before we slaughter Cyrus right?
-
>Eat dinner, then go to bed
with Kogasa.
-
>Look at Kogasa, then at Byakuren.
>"Sure. I'll have Kogasa for dinner in the bath!"
>Perhaps discussing the issue with Byakuren is a good idea. If the crisis is bad, any information that dominates the enemy would be great to have.
-
>Look at Kogasa, then at Byakuren.
>"Sure. I'll have Kogasa for dinner in the bath!"
> Byakuren and Kogasa both turn bright red as Nue adds, "Not without me you aren't."
>Eat dinner, then go to bed with Kogasa.
> You decide to take Byakuren up on her offer.
> "Wonderful!" Byakuren says, before calling out, "Nazrin! We'll need 3 extra plates tonight."
> "More deadbeats?" you here a girl reply through a side door.
> "Nazrin, Be nice. Kogasa and Nue are home, and they brought a friend."
> "Like I said, deadbeats." A mouse-eared girl comes through the door with 3 extra plates, setting them at otherwise empty seats. She is accompanied by another girl in a sailor outfit, holding a large pot. The second places the pot on the table, the aroma of spices and beef filling the room.
> The sailor girl eyes you suspiciously for half minute, then with a slight nod she grins and gives you an outstretched arm. "Minamitsu Murasa, or Murasa for short. Welcome aboard my ship," the sailor girl says warmly.
> "Mokou Huziwara," you reply, shaking her hand.
> "Huziwara?" the mouse girl says, furrowing her brows in thought.
> "Introduce yourself." Byakuren says.
> "Nazrin. Just Nazrin." the mouse-eared girl says, turning to Byakuren. "Ichirin and Shou said to start without them, some business in the village."
> "I suppose it can't be helped," Byakuren says, as Murasa places food on each plate. She ladles a combination of rice, beef strips, and peppers onto each of the 6 plates, not much presentation, but the smell is wonderful.
> "Ah, now I remember," Nazrin says. "You're that fire breathing immortal, aren't you?"
> "Yup," Kogasa says.
> "So tell me, what do you see in these two deliquents anyway?" Nazrin adds.
> "There will be plenty of time for that later," Byakuren says, taking pouring herself a drink before handing it across the table to Nue. "First, tell me. What's going on. What do you know. We're in the dark here."
>Perhaps discussing the issue with Byakuren is a good idea. If the crisis is bad, any information that dominates the enemy would be great to have.
> Something you noted, though of little significance to Byakuren, is that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west in both continents. To clarify, it is as if a globe were placed next to an upside down globe - this means while in Sinnoh you would travel north using Sinnoh coordinates, the equivalent location would be south using Gensokyo coordiates. Basically, the epicenter of the problem is south on the upside-down Gensokyo. This also indicates a 12 hour time difference between continents - it is supper here right after sunset, but it's breakfast there shortly after sunrise.
>"Actually, we're fairly certain we know something about the cause of that. We just need some rest before we head after the one responsible."
> Kogasa cuts in, "On the other continent, some bad guys in an organization called team Galactic blotted out the sky with poison smog. When we broke through the clouds, we saw Gensokyo overhead."
> You add, "One of my pokemon got a fix on what we think their main base is, but we really need to rest first."
> "Pokemon...?" Byakuren asks.
> "Never heard of it," Murasa adds between mouthfuls.
> "Wait..." Nazrin says. "No. You've got to be kidding me. That's utterly rediculous. There is no way that's possible."
> "Nazrin?" Byakuren asks
> "How. How did you get there."
> "Yukari," Kogasa and Nue say in unison.
> "That... but..." Nazrin sighs. "Pokemon is a video game..."
> "Video game?" Byakuren asks.
> "Think of it as a children's bedtime story. A fantasy. A fable. It's not supposed to actually be real." Nazrin explains, fairly flustered. "It'll be easier for me to explain after, just tell them our version for now."
> "Alright then..." Byakuren says. "About 2 days ago, that world above use appeared over youkai mountain. As a result Gensokyo's gotten only 8 hours of sunlight in the past 48 hours, thank god it happened during a heat wave or we'd be freezing by now. On top of that, dragons have been sighted on Youkai Mountain. Strange birds too, but dragons," she looks at Kogasa particularly. "A long time before you were born, there were dragons, and they ate anything with meat on it, both human and youkai. They hunted in packs, and packs of them would raid villages and youkai strongholds. Fortunately, they didn't breed quickly, so the dragon hunters could slowly pick them off. If they lost a hundred men to take out one dragon, that was a victory. So humans and youkai went after the dragons, killing one here, another there, often taking massive casualties, until eventually the sightings stopped."
> "Oh." Kogasa says, the room otherwise silent.
>_
-
>"Dragons."
>Run a search for Dragon-types in the Pokedex, and show Byakuren the results.
>"Do the dragons on the mountain today look like any of these?"
>"Wait, two days?"
>That's longer than Gensokyo was in the sky in Sinnoh, right?
-
>"Dragons."
>Run a search for Dragon-types in the Pokedex, and show Byakuren the results.
>"Do the dragons on the mountain today look like any of these?"
> You show her a selection of dragons
(http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy338/gigaimpact/Salamence.jpg)
(http://i697.photobucket.com/albums/vv333/Saturniidae/Dragonite.png)
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s127/Gabe187_photo/flygon.jpg)
(http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s67/MEGATAZAMI/altaria.png)
> "I haven't seen any of them personally, so I can't say," Byakuren says. "Though I think Shou saw one."
> "Black winged thing with a blue body," Murasa says.
> You find something that matches Nazrin's description, and show it to her.
(http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k607/Vayu-chan/Pokemon/hydreigon.jpg)
> "Yeah, that could be it," she says between mouthfuls. "Though you'll have to ask Shou."
>"Wait, two days?"
>That's longer than Gensokyo was in the sky in Sinnoh, right?
> "Well, the continent only appeared yesterday morning, but the sky was a rune-covered mess for hours before that."
> You try to work out the timeline, using the clock on your phone as a guide. You first entered the caves about 30 hours ago, and yesterday morning for Gensokyo would have been a cloud covered night in Sinnoh, so you wouldn't have noticed anything overhead. The 12 hours preceding that the sky was covered by Galactic while you were in Oreburgh, meaning wouldn't have been able to see any runes that may have been in the sky.
> You suppose the timeline works out, but it annoys you it took so long for you to realize. You wonder if that's been Galactic's strategy all along, delaying the revelation until it's too late to stop them from...
> What are they planning to do anyway? You suppose you'll have to beat the information out of them at some point.
>_
-
>"Those dragons are Pokemon, then. Shouldn't be as dangerous as those old ones way back when. Those mountain gods and the tengu and kappa can probably handle them. And Sanae's been in the Pokemon world, too, so she, at least, has a team of her own to help out. Not that I'd expect her using them to be necessary."
-
>"Anyway, that is all probably Galatic's fault. They'll fix things when we find them."
>And beat them up until they fix things.
-
>"You guys are pacifists, right? Would it offend you if I told you my tried-and-true method of fixing things?"
>If no, tell them. If yes, tell them anyway.
-
>Actually don't bother asking them or mentioning our fire filled solutions. They can probably figure it out and if they can't, they really don't need to know.
>Especially if we're crashing there.
-
>Free food and bed is great after all.
>Should we show them our dragon? Or, should we bother explaining to them what Pokemon is farther?
-
>"Those dragons are Pokemon, then. Shouldn't be as dangerous as those old ones way back when. Those mountain gods and the tengu and kappa can probably handle them. And Sanae's been in the Pokemon world, too, so she, at least, has a team of her own to help out. Not that I'd expect her using them to be necessary."
> "So you don't think the Moriya shrine is involved I take it," Byakuren says with a sip of her drink. "Well, I really hope you're right about the dragons."
>"Anyway, that is all probably Galatic's fault. They'll fix things when we find them."
>And beat them up until they fix things.
> "Best of luck then," Byakuren says.
>"You guys are pacifists, right? Would it offend you if I told you my tried-and-true method of fixing things?"
>If no, tell them. If yes, tell them anyway.
>Actually don't bother asking them or mentioning our fire filled solutions. They can probably figure it out and if they can't, they really don't need to know.
>Especially if we're crashing there.
> You decide against telling them your preferred solution to all problems. ( Can change mind with majority vote).
>Free food and bed is great after all.
>Should we show them our dragon? Or, should we bother explaining to them what Pokemon is farther?
> Should you?
> You consider finishing the meal and retiring for the night.
> "So... Nue, getting into any trouble lately?" Murasa asks.
> "Loads," Nue replies. "Caught some pokemon, met up with Marisa, stole cool stuff, watched Marisa steal useless stuff, and so on. I cannot figure out why Marisa would burglarize a house just to steal every single calendar they owned. Her slight of hand is impressive though, she stole the watch of some poor stranger right off his wrist."
> "You really shouldn't do that," Byakuren says.
> "Hey, nearly half of them had it coming," Nue replies. "So, I met up with Mokou in Mt. Coronet. Tried to rob her, and we ended up fighting. The girl would give you a run for your money."
> "You know I'm a pacifist," Byakuren replies.
> "Yeah, a real pity too," Nue says.
> "You want to explain to them what a pokemon is?" Kogasa asks.
> "Not really," Nue says with a yawn. "It's a long explanation."
> Kogasa sighs, taking out a pokeball. She then lets out her Prinplup. "This is a pokemon."
> "Cute little penguin," Murasa says.
> "Yes, well, there's a lot of them, and you catch them in tiny balls and make them fight eachother."
> "That sounds horribly cruel," Byakuren says disapprovingly.
> "No, it's not because, you see..." Kogasa pauses for a minute. "Hey Nue, how is it not horribly cruel?"
> "It might be," Nue laughs. "The pokemon seem to enjoy it though, and if they're having fun, who am I to complain? Course, it could be my pokemon in particular. Zori and I have a lot of the same interests. You know, we could let them out."
> "Do so right away," Byakuren insists. "I don't want you cooping them up while you're under my roof."
> "Well, if you insist," Nue says, releasing a pink blob, her magnet thing, and Zori, who looks exactly like Byakuren. "I should warn you, I do have one more, but it wanted to eat me. Better safe than sorry."
> "Fascinating," Byakuren says, looking over Zori. "So, not all pokemon are nice I take it."
> "Oh no, not at all. Bloodsucking bats, vultures, a whole host of animals that think I'm a snack."
> "Wait, so..." Kogasa starts.
> "Don't take out the ones that confuse youkai with food, got it?" Nue says.
> "Oh," Kogasa says, putting back the pokeball she was holding.
>_
-
>"Yeah, don't want to wreck the place having to beat down those dragonite again."
>Eh, let out our more peaceable pokemon who won't try to kill anyone.
>So definitely not that Dragonite. Or Myon thinking about it.
>Might as well check on them and make sure they're still fine too, like our ponyta.
-
>Best to keep Myon hidden. We don't want to start a pokemon exorcism.
>...Do pok?mons eat human food? Have ours even ate..?
-
>....Well those Dragonite were going to eat us, our golbat is a vampire bat...huh.
>Check the pokedex on that.
-
>Ponyta, Lucario, Registeel should be totally fine. Crobat would probably be OK too.
>China already knows how to meditate, that should impress these Buddhists.
-
>Wait, crobat, gotta remember these things
>Should get to know our team of awesome a bit more.
-
>"Yeah, don't want to wreck the place having to beat down those dragonite again."
>Eh, let out our more peaceable pokemon who won't try to kill anyone.
>So definitely not that Dragonite. Or Myon thinking about it.
>Might as well check on them and make sure they're still fine too, like our ponyta.
> Alright then. "Go, Dash," you command. Your pokemon illuminates the room, it's a little scruffed up. You aren't surprised, that dragonite did a number on it. You figure either a potion or a good night's sleep would do it a lot of good.
> "Poor thing looks hurt," Byakuren says.
> Nue pauses for a second, then says, "Wait, wait, wait. The ones that are on fire stay outside, alright?"
> "Siding with Nue here, don't want to keep anything that can burn this place down indoors," Murasa adds. "I do like my ship. There's a rock garden in the back, keep it there."
> "Sorry Ponyta," you say, returning it to its ball for now.
>Best to keep Myon hidden. We don't want to start a pokemon exorcism.
>...Do pok?mons eat human food? Have ours even ate..?
> Considering your dragonite wanted to eat you, yes to the first question. No to the second - you have never seen your pokemon eat. You have never seen any of them look hungry either though. You dunno, maybe it's the pokeballs?
> You could ask Myon about it. Course, you don't really want to ask him right now, because it's rude to possess the hand that feeds you.
>Ponyta, Lucario, Registeel should be totally fine. Crobat would probably be OK too.
> Anyway, you decide to let out your Lucario, Crobat, and Registeel. The floor creaks under Fujiyama's weight.
>....Well those Dragonite were going to eat us, our golbat is a vampire bat...huh.
>Check the pokedex on that.
> You check the pokedex entry on crobat.
> Yes, crobat do in fact suck blood.
> "Do you think a golbat would be fine?" Kogasa asks.
> "Do you trust it not to suck the blood out of anyone?" Nue replies.
> "Um... no. No I don't."
>Wait, crobat, gotta remember these things
>Should get to know our team of awesome a bit more.
> Well, this is as good an opportunity as any.
>China already knows how to meditate, that should impress these Buddhists.
> Your China approaches Byakuren and shakes her hand. Byakuren returns the gesture.
>_
-
>"I also have a couple more pokemon, but one is a big dragon and the other, well ..."
>Glance at Kogasa.
-
>"I also have a couple more pokemon, but one is a big dragon and the other, well ..."
>Glance at Kogasa.
> "...?" Kogasa gives you a blank look, before the realization hits her. "Oh god no. Myon is a jerk."
> "You can control dragons too?" Byakuren says. "Well, I'd hate to see someone who had a half dozen dragons, that's for sure. Course, if dragons can be tamed, that does change a couple dynamics..."
> Nazrin looks over the creatures one by one. "This is... but... So this is what you two have been doing?" the mouse-girl asks Nue and Kogasa.
> "Yup." Kogasa says. "Surprised?"
> "Yes, Kogasa. I am surprised." Nazrin deadpans.
>_
-
>"Well, it's not exactly 'tamed...' We are friends. Kind of? After all, it doesn't want to kill me. It seems to trust me too."
>"It's surprising that Kogasa surprised someone."
>Dinner status?
>Growth?
>Relationship status with Kogasa?
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>"Well, it's not exactly 'tamed...' We are friends. Kind of? After all, it doesn't want to kill me. It seems to trust me too."
> "Myon nearly got me killed," Kogasa pouts.
> "That's terrible," Byakuren says.
> "Yeah, he confused me into thinking Kogasa was Mokou during a battle. Gotta give him credit for that," Nue chuckles.
> "No you don't." Kogasa huffs.
>"It's surprising that Kogasa surprised someone."
> Nue chuckles, ruffling Kogasa's hair. "You don't know our little troublemaker very well, she can 'get' anyone."
> "Naturally," Kogasa says, "I am the youkai of surprises, after all."
>Dinner status?
> You are stuffed. That was a nice dinner.
>Growth?
> You aren't sure there's any reason to check. You haven't grown an inch in centuries.
> Oh, right the pokemon. What would you like to know about them?
>Relationship status with Kogasa?
> According to Nue, you don't know her very well. This is nonsense. Clearly Nue is just jealous.
>_
-
>"Hey. Myon's a good guy. He get things when he wants to. Except he seems to have a thing for killing me."
>Bonds and their growth.
>We must add Nue to our relationship. Harem route go.
-
>"Hey. Myon's a good guy. He get things when he wants to. Except he seems to have a thing for killing me."
> "Well that sounds rather unpleasant of him," Byakuren says.
>Bonds and their growth.
> Your charizard is doing pretty well, seeing as it's a charizard.
> Your haunter hasn't tried to murder you in your sleep for at least a couple days, so progress!
> Your crobat seems to listen to you.
> Your ponyta didn't die against that dragonite, not bad all things considered.
> You now know your Lucario has something akin to radar, and can communicate with you at some level.
> And you can't really tell what your Registeel thinks.
>We must add Nue to our relationship. Harem route go.
> To be completely honest, you aren't sure why Nue is sticking around, except maybe because you're traveling with Kogasa. You consider attempting to converse with her in the temple baths.
> You are tired though, so if you would like to retire for the night, you may do so at any time.
>_
-
>Ask if our pokemon eats. If they do, ask if Byakuren can give them anything that they can eat.
>Otherwise, time to hit the hay.
-
>Hm, can't Zoroark only disguise itself as things scarier than it? Byakuren doesn't seem very scary.
>"Thank you for hosting me tonight. I should rest; we've got things to do tomorrow."
-
>Hug Registeel
>FURTHER PROGRESS ON LOVE BAR WITH KOGASA
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>Ask if our pokemon eats. If they do, ask if Byakuren can give them anything that they can eat.
>Your Lucario nods. Your Registeel... your registeel makes a highly unnatural growl. You aren't sure what that means, but seeing as it doesn't have a mouth you assume it's probably not all that hungry.
> "Well, let's get these guys fed up then!" Byakuren says. "Do you think they'd like dog food?"
> "Probably," Nue says, "Although why you'd keep that around the house..."
> "Ah, you haven't met Kyouko yet," Byakuren says. "Nice girl, a bit loud though."
>Hm, can't Zoroark only disguise itself as things scarier than it? Byakuren doesn't seem very scary.
> Clearly Byakuren is much more dangerous than she looks.
> Either that, or Zoroark can disguise itself as anything it wants. Checking your pokedex, it appears Zoroark can mimic pokemon, people, and even objects.
>Hug Registeel
> You attempt to hug your Registeel. It stalls for a minute, then it's "eyes" glow for a second and it pats your back.
>FURTHER PROGRESS ON LOVE BAR WITH KOGASA
> You are unable to locate the love bar. It must be a hidden stat.
>Otherwise, time to hit the hay.
>"Thank you for hosting me tonight. I should rest; we've got things to do tomorrow."
> "You're welcome," Byakuren beams. "Though I should be thanking you, considering everything you told us!"
> "Course, if you plan on living here we expect you to pull your weight," Nazrin adds.
> Nue stretches with a yawn, "Getting tired too. I'll show you were the spare beds are kept."
> "I cooked. You clean," Murasa tells Nue. "That's what you get for skipping out last time. I'll show our guest the spare room."
> Nue sighs as she enters the kitchen, while Murasa guides you back through the entry hall of the temple. She walks across it, down a hallway on the oposite side of the temple, and opens a door on the left. "So, you see a couple futons stacked against the wall, and sheets are in the shelves. Bathroom is the next door down the hall. Any questions?"
> "No," you say, setting up three beds.
> "Good," Murasa says, pausing. "...Nue and Kogasa aren't bad, but together, they can be hard to handle. It's usually innocent enough, but watch your back."
> "Anyway, you should probably rest. Sunlight is a bit of a luxury, and you wouldn't want to waste it." With that, Murasa leaves you, and you retire for the night.
...
> You wake up the next morning. Nue is snoring next to you, but Kogasa isn't, so you make your way across the temple to the dining room. The pokemon are curled up in different corners of the room, except for Registeel, who you notice is standing behind Kogasa. Kogasa herself is surrounded by the mouse-eared girl, the sailor girl, and two new figures; a tall blond fiddling with Kogasa's pokedex and a nun. The five are huddled around a broken pokeball arguing, too deep in their conversation to notice you.
> "I'm telling you, these things have got to be magic," the nun says, holding a magnefying class to the device. "See the geometic arrangement of the wires?"
> "No, that's just the circuitry, they don't even have magic on the other world," Kogasa says.
> "These psychic types look pretty magical to me," the blond adds. "Considering how many paranormal pokemon are here, it's not too much of a stretch to say they know a bit about magic."
> "That's different," Kogasa retorts.
> "How?" the blond asks.
> "It just is!" Kogasa stammers. "Psychic types use will of mind, none of them would be able to transfer those abilities to an object. And as for ghost types, well... I have to think about ghosts. Though I don't think they can transfer there powers either..."
> "Hard to tell either way, if you ask me," Nazrin says, taking a turn with the nun's magnifying glass and examining the broken ball. "Definitely a lot of science, but the geometry here is bizarre. Most computers are fairly blocky, This thing incorperates all sorts of triangles and circles into the circuitry. Maybe it's an extremely complicated summoning circle?"
> "Maybe," Kogasa says, looking up with a yawn. "Morning Mokou. Meet Shou and Ichirin." Kogasa says, gesturing to the blond and the nun respectively. "So. Pokeballs. Magic or science?"
>_
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>"Eh, maybe both. Nice to meetcha, I'm Mokou."
-
>"Magic for making the Pokemon not kill you after it getting out, and listening to you at the same time. Science of how big the Pokemon," refer to Registeel." Can fit into that little thing."
>Touch Registeel. "Though it's nice."
>"You wouldn't want to meet a ghost. Unless you'd want to be stripped from your clothes and standing on top of this place, then go ahead."
-
>"Keep in mind that Yukari's involved in this; I just chalk it all up to border-hax and move on."
-
>"Eh, maybe both. Nice to meetcha, I'm Mokou."
>"Magic for making the Pokemon not kill you after it getting out, and listening to you at the same time. Science of how big the Pokemon," refer to Registeel." Can fit into that little thing."
>Touch Registeel. "Though it's nice."
> Your registeel clangs when you touch it.
> "Like she said, Shou Toramaru," The blond begins.
> "And Ichirin Kumoi," the nun ends. "I really don't see how science can make big things small personally."
>"Keep in mind that Yukari's involved in this; I just chalk it all up to border-hax and move on."
> "You're no fun," Kogasa says.
>"You wouldn't want to meet a ghost. Unless you'd want to be stripped from your clothes and standing on top of this place, then go ahead."
> "Don't give Myon any more ideas," Kogasa says. "That's the last thing we need."
> "Ah. I'll take you word for it," Shou says. "Anyway, for breakfast there's a pot of scrambled eggs in the kitchen. Bowls are in the top cupboard left of the window, and forks are in the shelf by the sink."
>_
-
>"Don't worry Kogasa. The only time he'll be doing that is when we run into Kaguya."
-
>Since we're all well and rested, we should get going... I mean, we have Galatik to beat and a Giratina to add to our party.
-
>"Don't worry Kogasa. The only time he'll be doing that is when we run into Kaguya."
> "Are you sure you can trust him that far?" Kogasa asks.
> "Probably," you respond.
>Since we're all well and rested, we should get going... I mean, we have Galatik to beat and a Giratina to add to our party.
> "At least stay for breakfast," the nun says.
> "Nah," you respond. "Thanks though."
> "I suppose you're right," Kogasa sighs. "Daylight is too valuable to waste. I'll get Nue."
> Returning your pokemon and saying your goodbyes, you ask Nazrin to convey your farwells to Byakuren. Ready to leave, you open the temple doors to a lush Gensokyan sunrise, hewn with a vibrant yellow as it rises above the horizon. The landscape doesn't look right for a sunset though, as instead of long dark shadows stretching across the courtyard, dim shadows stretch both east and west. Looking west you immediately spot the reason for this; a second sun has decided to sit itself in the sky.
>_
-
>"Well, that's unsettling."
>Choose Lighter; mount up.
-
>...That could be bad.
>Does the second one look like it's positioned correctly to be Sinnoh's sun?
-
>If it is, stop caring and head back to Sinnoh. We're back in top gear and ready to roast some fools
-
>...That could be bad.
>Does the second one look like it's positioned correctly to be Sinnoh's sun?
>If it is, stop caring and head back to Sinnoh. We're back in top gear and ready to roast some fools
> You aren't sure, but you know for a fact that there was only one sun yesterday.
> No, this one is rising way too quickly, and it's rising over Gensokyo in the west. After a couple seconds, you can clearly see that the orb is between Sinnoh and Gensokyo. You can't tell exactly how far away it is, but someone is throwing around an absolutely massive fireball.
>"Well, that's unsettling."
>Choose Lighter; mount up.
> You let Lighter out and mount up, when you hear Nue scream.
> "I'LL GET YOU FOR THAT KOGASA," Nue shouts as Kogasa sprints out the door.
> "Come on, come on, lets go before she catches up," Kogasa says leaping onto Lighter. You are actually kind of hesitant to leave yet, considering the new development. With your obvious hesitance to take off, Kogasa takes a glance around before adding "We have a problem, don't we."
>_
-
>"Yep. Another sun in the sky."
>New destination; to the fireball. Can't have people stealing our style now.
-
>Do we know about Utsuho? If we do: "That's gotta be the Hell Raven."
-
>On the other hand, someone may just be trying to alleviate the symptoms whilst we cure the problem.
I vote we head to Galactic.
-
>On the other hand, someone may just be trying to alleviate the symptoms whilst we cure the problem.
I vote we head to Galactic.
This
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>Given that the fireball's in the middle of the zone between Gensokyo and Sinnoh anyway though, it won't exactly take much time to make sure that Utsuho isn't going to burn Gensokyo to the ground.
>Really, the only side-effect so far seems to be the wayward pokemon and the changed scenery.
-
>Yes, to the second sun.
-
>"Yep. Another sun in the sky."
> "Crud," Kogasa says, as Byakuren exits the temple.
> "You really shouldn't use buckets of ice water to wake people up."
> "Cut the disguise Nue, you're dripping," Kogasa says.
> "Hmf." Nue grunts, changing into another girl's form, crossing her arms. "For the record, it doesn't count as a prank unless they fall into it."
> "I still say I got you."
> "Then don't be surprised by a pie to the face," Nue replies, before noticing the sky. "Oh great, another problem."
>New destination; to the fireball. Can't have people stealing our style now.
> "I suppose you're right," Nue says. "But I swear if I die I'm going to kill you."
> "But that's not..."
> "Kogasa," Nue interrupts. "Don't explain the joke."
>Do we know about Utsuho? If we do: "That's gotta be the Hell Raven."
> You must, considering you asked Yukari to put her in the loop.
> "Ah yes," Nue says. "Yeah, she'd think this was a good idea."
>On the other hand, someone may just be trying to alleviate the symptoms whilst we cure the problem.
I vote we head to Galactic.
This
> "We go to Galactic, we solve the core of the problem and the sun can solve itself," Kogasa suggests.
>Given that the fireball's in the middle of the zone between Gensokyo and Sinnoh anyway though, it won't exactly take much time to make sure that Utsuho isn't going to burn Gensokyo to the ground.
>Really, the only side-effect so far seems to be the wayward pokemon and the changed scenery.
> Actually, you could see the lack of sunlight causing problems long term. It's only about 50 degrees out and it's the middle of summer, you imagine it could get even colder without sunlight. Though you really aren't sure a second sun is a good idea.
>Yes, to the second sun.
> "I really think we should check on the second light source first. Would only take a minute," Nue replies.
> "Sooner we fix the Galactic problem, the sooner the second sun isn't necessary, right?" Kogasa suggests. "Seems like an acceptable short-term cure until we break those goons."
> "Assuming it doesn't just make things even worse inadvetently. We should spend at least a couple minutes with the second sun," Nue says, shivering. She then decks Kogasa. "No sleeping pranks. They're only funny if the target's passed out from their own drunkenness. Pranks are only funny if the victim walks into them."
> "Ow," Kogasa replies, rubbing her cheek. "I think some pranks work whether the victim could avoid them or not. After all, it is all about the surprise."
> "No, no, it's all about making fun of people's naivity and stupidity," Nue replies.
> "This really isn't the time," you interrupt.
Mod note: 2 votes for second sun, 2 votes for galactic. Looking for a tiebreaker, but I don't mind breaking the tie if I don't get one.
>_
-
>Second sun.
>It's probably a one-man kind of thing, anyway. The quicker we get the second sun over with, we can probably catch up with Galactic without much problems.
-
I'm kinda leaning more towards Galactic, but might as well go with the flow.
> Second sun.
-
>Second sun.
>It's probably a one-man kind of thing, anyway. The quicker we get the second sun over with, we can probably catch up with Galactic without much problems.
I'm kinda leaning more towards Galactic, but might as well go with the flow.
> Second sun.
> You decide to go to the second sun.
> "Alright then," Nue says, saddling her magnet-thing. The three of you head into the sky for a good half hour or so, as you feel yourself become lighter and lighter. At about the middle, you head west in Gensokyo coordinates, spotting the Sanzu river underneath as the air becomes somewhat warm as Nue and Kogasa discuss pranking amongst themselves.
> "It's getting pretty hot," Kogasa says about a mile from the fireball, which itself has at least a half-mile diameter. You guess the heat might bother them, but you find the temperature at this distance pleasant; it couldn't be more than 110 F.
> "Yeah, I don't think the two of us can take much more heat," Nue says. "You go check it out; I'll watch your bag. Wouldn't want your stuff melting."
>_
-
>Yeah, getting our stuff melted would be bad. Head out with the Hakkero and have Lighter keep an eye on things.
>To the sun.
-
>Maybe take Dash? Can we carry him/her?
-
>Given that Dash can't fly and we're high enough to be in the space between worlds, probably not a good idea.
-
>Really, whoever heard of flying horses? Go alone. This is a one-phoenix job.
-
>Yeah, getting our stuff melted would be bad. Head out with the Hakkero and have Lighter keep an eye on things.
>To the sun.
>Maybe take Dash? Can we carry him/her?
>Given that Dash can't fly and we're high enough to be in the space between worlds, probably not a good idea.
>Really, whoever heard of flying horses? Go alone. This is a one-phoenix job.
> You are tempted to go alone. You are also tempted to bring Dash, but he can't fly. You are also extremely interested in finding a flying horse.
> You wind up taking the middle road, going in with only Charizard and Marisa's mini-hakkero. You feel a bit like Icarus, except that unlike him your wings aren't made of flimsy wax. As the tempterature exceeds boiling and then exceed the flashpoint, you admit it is a bit stifling. You decide at about a quarter mile away that you don't really want to get any closer, so you strafe around the object. After going about halfway around, you locate a raven-winged girl mere feet away from the object.
(http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/zz212/touhoufc/Imagenes/023shb.jpg)
> If Utsuho noticed you yet, she isn't showing it.
>_
-
>can our Lighter handle this heat?
>Can Marisa's mini-toy function, and not melt at the same time?
>Throw a small fireball around her to grab the raven's attention.
-
>Actually don't do that in case she takes it as an attack
>Just shout out to her.
-
>"What do you need this sun for? Doesn't the normal one work just fine?"
-
This is one of my favorite pairings BTW ... the two hot chicks.
-
>can our Lighter handle this heat?
>Can Marisa's mini-toy function, and not melt at the same time?
> Yes, and yes. Although some of the runes on the latter are glowing. It seems like it has some kind of magical resistance to high temperatures built in, which makes sense when you consider that's it's designed to fire rediculously powerful lasers.
>Throw a small fireball around her to grab the raven's attention.
>Actually don't do that in case she takes it as an attack
>Just shout out to her.
> You decide against doing anything that would put you in a fight with the girl with the sun. Instead you try to shout to catch her attention.
> Utsuho looks up. "Mokou? Whatcha doing up here?"
>"What do you need this sun for? Doesn't the normal one work just fine?"
> "Oh, yeah, fine if you like 4 hours of light a day. Personally, I think day and night cycles are overrated, but, eh. Aparently you over-worlders need more sun," she says, approaching. She then holds her finger to her ear, and tilts to the side a bit. "Oh? Oh, no, it's just Mokou. Yeah, everything's fine up here, how's the brightness down there? Ah. Yeah, I can do that."
> "It's Satori," Utsuho explains, turning back to her earpiece. "Yeah, wait, what? You'll have to describe it. Yeah? Yeah. That is a really weird sounding youkai. Well, I see a whisp of cloud." Utsuho says, looking towards youkai mountain. You spot a cloud over there too, as Utsuho resumes her conversation. "No, wait, you're right, it's moving. Alright, I'll keep an eye on it."
> Utsuho shifts her attention back to you. "Looks like we're getting company," she says.
This is one of my favorite pairings BTW ... the two hot chicks.
> New mission objective added to log.
>_
-
>"...Who told you we needed more sun? Or that we only get four hours of sun, because we get far more than that."
>"The sun we already have is quite sufficient, you know. If anyone could use a new sun, it'd be you guys underground. You'd have to make it small enough not to burn anyone, though. Most people can't take the kind of heat you or I can."
-
>Obv she has this covered. Let's greet the new challenger.
-
>"...Who told you we needed more sun? Or that we only get four hours of sun, because we get far more than that."
>"The sun we already have is quite sufficient, you know. If anyone could use a new sun, it'd be you guys underground. You'd have to make it small enough not to burn anyone, though. Most people can't take the kind of heat you or I can."
>Belay this.
It was mentioned earlier that the whole other world thing was messing with daylight enough that it was getting pretty cold so we actually do need another sun. The main thing was if Utsuho was acting on her own or if someone with sense was guiding her.
With Satori directing her to not accidentally nuke thearea and no one bar us being crazy enough to fly this close to a sun, this is pretty much resolved.
>Do check on that cloud though.
-
That's why we're asking who told her. It may well be that there's a good reason. I guess I did it badly, though. So:
>Instead of the previous commands, say: "Four hours a day? We're supposed to have more than that. Did something happen to the regular sun?"
-
We know what happened to the regular sun. Someone put a continent in front of it.
-
Indeedy. That's why we're going to smack down Cyrus after seeing about this cloud.
>Make a note that whoever is responsible for this dual world is probably going to die horribly.
-
>Point up. "When that thing goes away, you''ll put away the extra sun, right?"
-
>Make a note that whoever is responsible for this dual world is probably going to die horribly.
> Asphyxiation, bifurcation, crucifixion, decapitation, there's a whole alphabet of ways to do it. Though your favorite has to be immolation.
>Instead of the previous commands, say: "Four hours a day? We're supposed to have more than that. Did something happen to the regular sun?"
> "Someone put a roof up," Utsuho repies. "I kind of like it personally, having a ceiling over my head."
>Point up. "When that thing goes away, you''ll put away the extra sun, right?"
> "Why?" Utsuho asks. You then hear muffled shouting over Utsuho's earpiece, as the raven winces. "Alright, alright, I'll put it away when I'm done. Yeesh."
>Do check on that cloud though.
>Obv she has this covered. Let's greet the new challenger.
> "My number's 555-6666. Let me know what's up with that. Also, if you happen to find another one of those fire dragons... I kind of want one for myself."
> You are pretty impressed with how well the raven's clothes and equipment are holding up actually. Although it does come with the territory - you tend to learn how to protect your stuff from yourself when you're a human torch.
> You put some distance between the raven and yourself to check up on this cloud thing. It's actually a lot closer and smaller than you expected, only about a mile away from the sun, and you recognize it immediately as the blue pokemon in your pokedex from earlier. It also has a rider.
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m572/sever17/Altaria.png)
(http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh219/Galaktifan/180px-Mars.png)
> The girl riding the bird thing looks like a Galactic grunt, but with red hair and a modified uniform. She is still about a quarter-mile away, so you can't really make out the conversation she's having on her receiver.
>_
-
> Since she's distracted, try and knock her out of the air with some fire.
> And by "some" I mean "a lot."
-
>A second sun is pretty distracting. Surprise attack!
>No, not you, Kogasa. You can help if you really want to, though.
-
> Since she's distracted, try and knock her out of the air with some fire.
> And by "some" I mean "a lot."
>A second sun is pretty distracting. Surprise attack!
> Suns are bright and made of fire. Your attacks are not quite as bright, but also made of fire. You decide to see if you can disguise your attacks by launching them from the angle of the sun. The woman is kind of far away, but you decide to test your luck, Commanding Lighter to attempt to blast the woman off her bird while you do the same. You bind it all together with a simple talisman, and send the 12 foot bonfire on it's course.
> Your strategy seems to have worked better than you expected, since you didn't expect it to do anything. The woman doesn't see the bonfire until it's nearly on top of her, and letting go of the spell binding the flames together, it explodes less than 50 feet from her. You see her make an wild dive under the explosion, then release a grey and purple pokemon you don't recognize. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oO70K3W-cPQ)
(http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae328/KnightwolfAlphaX9/palkia.jpg)
>No, not you, Kogasa. You can help if you really want to, though.
> Kogasa isn't near you, actually. You're nearly a mile south of the fireball, and Kogasa is a mile west of it (Using Genoskyo coordinates).
>_
-
>Is flaming punch a reasonable strategy for dealing with giant dragons? I think it is. Do it.
>Unless you have a better idea...
-
>..How is that thing staying in the air?
-
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF WHY DOES SHE-
Nevermind
>Remember to turn on phoenix wings
Gonna be hard fight k
-
>..How is that thing staying in the air?
> You aren't sure if it can fly at all or not, but about midway between the two continents, the gravities of each mostly cancel eachother out. Both you and your opponent are essentially weightless.
> As a reminder of current temporal and spacial status, you are between the two worlds where the two continent's gravities mostly cancel eachother out, and are currently orienting yourself relative to Gensokyo. The planets are oriented so that though they share a sun, the sun rises and sets normally; that is, they are oriented north-side-south of eachother (making one upside-down relative to the other). Normal daytime in Gensokyo is normal nighttime in Sinnoh as a result.
>Remember to turn on phoenix wings
>Is flaming punch a reasonable strategy for dealing with giant dragons? I think it is. Do it.
>Unless you have a better idea...
> Lacking a better idea, you turn on your phoenix wings and have charizard charge the creature. You get within ten feet of the thing when you launch yourself off Charizard, prepared to Fujiyama Volcano the dragon with your fist.
> "Now!" the woman commands, and the dragon punches downwards in front of you, creating a rift that launches through you. The rift reminds you a lot of Yukari's gap magic but sharper, as you see that you've been transported directly above Utsuho's sun relative to Gensokyo, between it and Sinnoh. The sudden shift is a bit startling, but it looks like your charizard made it through too. Through the brightness of Utsuho's fireball you see the grey dragon pop out of the other end of the rift, between you and the sun, and hear your opponent yell "Hit it with Gravity!" through the hole in space.
>_
-
>Since we're at her sun again, is Utsuho within hearing range? If so: "Utsuho, that grey-and-purple thing's a bad guy! Help me take it out!"
-
>GRAVITY
>QUICK MOVE AWAY FROM THE SPACE RIP
-
>GRAVITY
>QUICK MOVE AWAY FROM THE SPACE RIP
> You are about a quarter mile above the sun, and, worried about this "gravity" attack, you decide you want to get as far away from the space rift as possible. You decide to put some distance between yourself and the rift as you start to feel yourself being pulled upwards towards the continet above. The feeling is getting stronger by the second.
>Since we're at her sun again, is Utsuho within hearing range? If so: "Utsuho, that grey-and-purple thing's a bad guy! Help me take it out!"
> You aren't particularly close to Utsuho, the fireball itself is double the height of the Empire State Building. Though you think she would be invaluable in this situation, so seeing as there's no walls between you and Utsuho, you attempt to call out for her.
> You hear her swearing extremely loudly, even over the roar of the second sun, as she makes a beeline towards the top of the sun. You have a bit of trouble making it out through the fireball's brightness, but you quickly realize the dragon almost being pulled towards you as the creature's rift dissapates. It occurs to you that it's really more of a dinosaurish thing than a dragon, but now isn't the time to be distracted by details, as you wonder if Utsuho's fireball is also being affected.
> Analyzing the situation, you realize that the problem isn't them moving towards you, it's that the gravity attack is pushing everything towards Sinnoh with increasing intensity. You change your sense of orientation to comply, realizing that you aren't above the sun above Gensokyo but below the sun above Sinnoh. If this attack keeps up, you may have trouble staying airborn. In the extreme short term, you have a lot of ability to dive, can slow your descent enough for the dragon to catch up, or can attempt to get out from underneath the sun.
>_
-
>Falling is bad. Get outta there.
>What the heck does that crazy Yukari-dragon woman want? Shout her a question or something.
-
>Also slow ourselves enough for the dragon to draw near and nuke it with a Fire Spark. Lazer like things ignore gravity right?
-
>Also slow ourselves enough for the dragon to draw near and nuke it with a Fire Spark. Lazer like things ignore gravity right?
> You attempt the nuke the dragon with a fire spark, blasting a fairly large laser at the creature. It takes the full force of the beam, but seems to shrug the attack off, it doesn't look like it's very effective, to the point you doubt even a phoenix spark would take it down.
>Falling is bad. Get outta there.
>What the heck does that crazy Yukari-dragon woman want? Shout her a question or something.
> You decide to get out of there. You fly out of the way of the giant fireball towards the Yukari-dragon woman, but you find that she teleported you too far away to hear. Either that, or she just doesn't feel like answering, she's not much bigger looking than an ant from here. Fortunately, she looks nothing like your companions color-wise, making her easy to pick out.
> You notice that Kogasa and Nue are approaching the lady; Kogasa with a dragonite and Nue with... you think it's Zoroark? You didn't think the creature could fly, but Nue is pretty good at illusions; something up there looks just like the Yukari-dragon.
> You are no longer directly under the sun, now you are only partially under it. Looking back, you see that the dragon thing has gone into a nosedive, being chased by Utsuho's mini-suns. It occurs to you that while fire may not be very effective against this thing, between you and Utsuho you have a lot of it. As you are thinking this, the dragon thing rips open a portal in front of it's dive, as you hear an incredibly loud roar directly above you.
>_
-
>Here we go
>EVASIVE MANEUVERS
-
>Here we go
>EVASIVE MANEUVERS
> Your Charizard rolls hard to the left and narrowly avoids being smashed under the weight of the truck-sized dragon. As the dragon passes, it punches open a huge rift beneath itself with both claws such that a 200 by 100 foot hole is shattered into existence, through which you look down upon yourself a mere hundred feet away. Several yourselves actually, it's a lot like looking through two mirrors. A lot of dragon down there too, it must be falling at nearly a hundred miles per hour through the portals. You yourself must have hit 60 as a result of the roll; you haven't decided if you should be going slower to escape or faster to keep up with the dragon; at your current speed it'll get a swipe at you every two seconds.
>What the heck does that crazy Yukari-dragon woman want?
> In the absence of her answer, you speculate the woman was sent to do something about the second sun. Judging by current events, that something may have been to take it down.
> Course, that would be incredibly reckless and dangerous. The you realize this is the organization that poisoned its own atmosphere to provide a smokescreen for blotting out the sun.
>_
-
>Once again, we really could use a stealth rock.
>Can we grapple onto its wings tail or back? Perhaps having Lighter use a bite for distraction.
-
>How about letting Lighter drift out of the way and evade while we dive through the gaps and accelerate after the dragon.
>While doing this, smack it around with the danmaku and our non fiery lazers while Lighter torches it at an opportunity.
-
>How about letting Lighter drift out of the way and evade while we dive through the gaps and accelerate after the dragon.
>That could work, especially if we use afterburners to accelerate, except when the monster sees us getting farther away and suddenly closes the gaps. We'd be hurtling groundwards.
-
>Once again, we really could use a stealth rock.
> You aren't really clear on the details of what this is, but you admit, nobody pays attention to rocks. Though you don't think you can trick the dragon into hurting itself of random rocks, at least no in mid-air.
>Can we grapple onto its wings tail or back? Perhaps having Lighter use a bite for distraction.
> You can certainly try, though you aren't sure what good that would do.
> Then you realize you kind of want to ride a physics bending super-dragon rodeo-style. It's not like you get to do that every day.
>How about letting Lighter drift out of the way and evade while we dive through the gaps and accelerate after the dragon.
>While doing this, smack it around with the danmaku and our non fiery lazers while Lighter torches it at an opportunity.
> You can dismount Lighter at any time. You can attempt to do normal lasers with the hakkero you suppose, but the hakkero is a voice activated magical artifact that draws its power from the user. You may need to try to guess a non-spark command from Marisa's spellcards to get a normal laser.
> You can definitely use some of your remaining talismans, but seeing as you can see yourself below, throwing them out means that you'd have to dodge them every time you re-exited the top portal. Your average loop time is a little over one second, so you aren't sure you want to use an attack that you would have to dodge. Now a laser, well, unless you aim directly down you cannot hurt yourself with a straight laser, which you imagine would keep going straight through the portals until it exits out the edge. Could hurt Lighter if you split up, but very effective in this context.
>That could work, especially if we use afterburners to accelerate, except when the monster sees us getting farther away and suddenly closes the gaps. We'd be hurtling groundwards.
> This is true. Going at the dragon's speed, it would take you six or seven minutes to hit the ground were you to fall straight down. Naturally, you can slow yourself down in that event.
> You consider any of the ideas floating in your head valid, but you realize that at your current speed you have about a second and a half to respond to the Yukari-dragon's next swipe at you.
>_
-
>Respond with fire. Flaming punches.
>Attempt to rodeo the space-warping dragon.
-
>While attempting to do a dragon-rodeo, become completely on fire. Everything's better with fire.
>Think about what Marisa says usually.
>..."I'm just gonna borrow this, ze." See if that activates the hakkero.
-
>Try the command non-directional lazer for the Hakkero.
>Send out the Dragonite as well and get it to rampage on the Yukari-dragon.
>Make sure Lighter keeps pouring on the fire because we're more fire-proof than a gap dragon.
-
>Send out the Dragonite as well and get it to rampage on the Yukari-dragon.
> Sadly, your dragonite is not with you since you left it with Nue over concerns of extreme temperature. This concern still exists; if Utsuho's sun was to drop on anything other than your charizard and your ponyta, you would likely have a dead pokemon on your hands. Dragonite is also the seventh pokemon in your party; you think you should deposit a pokemon in the next PC you find.
>Respond with fire. Flaming punches.
>Attempt to rodeo the space-warping dragon.
>While attempting to do a dragon-rodeo, become completely on fire. Everything's better with fire.
> You and Lighter split up as you attempt to punch the dragon head on. Your fist alight, you meet your hand to the dragons skull and feel your fingers snap as you are smashed downward by the creature, and get the wind knocked out of you. You then roll off of the dragons head while grabbing it by the neck. It roars as you set yourself alight upon the creature's back, an you hold on tight as it squirms backwards and forwards.
>Think about what Marisa says usually.
>..."I'm just gonna borrow this, ze." See if that activates the hakkero.
> The runes of the mini-hakkero glows a bright white.
>Try the command non-directional lazer for the Hakkero.
> Four white balls of light leave the hakkero, and begin rotating around yourself. They then begin emmiting laser beams, covering a 360 degree range and knicking you twice via portal recursion while causing your yukari dragon mount considerable aggitation before dissipating. Unfortunately, you nearly hit your own charizard with the attack.
> The hakkero is still glowing; you think that your first command might warm it up or something, make the spells last longer. This laser lasted quite a bit longer than the sparks did.
>Make sure Lighter keeps pouring on the fire because we're more fire-proof than a gap dragon.
> You have Lighter chase the two of you down, pounding the dragon with fire on top of your own fire as it attempts to buck you off. It then flips itself onto it's back as the two of you fall. You look down, and about 50 feet below you see it (and your arms holding yourself around it's neck) as it glares at you and crosses it's arms.
>_
-
>Use Flaming Strangle.
-
>"Yare yare da ze~" TIME TO WARM UP DEM HAKKERO
-
>What the heck is the owner of this Yukari-dragon doing? is she just watching?
>If so, reprimand her when you get the chance. True pokemon trainers get right into the action like you do!
-
>Use Flaming Strangle.
> You use flaming strangle. The flaming part is a bit redundant, and the strangle part is a bit difficult due to the width of the dragon's neck.
>"Yare yare da ze~" TIME TO WARM UP DEM HAKKERO
> Your Hakkero is already warmed up; you see no change in it's appearance.
>What the heck is the owner of this Yukari-dragon doing? is she just watching?
>If so, reprimand her when you get the chance. True pokemon trainers get right into the action like you do!
> You resolve to reprimand her when you get the chance. You don't know for certain whether or not she's giving commands, but if she is, it would have to be by radio, and you know she doesn't have line-of-sight on the dragon.
> The dragon uncrosses it's arms instantly, ripping open a small portal directly underneath you. Before you completely comprehend what just happened, you find yourself through the portal as the dragon suddenly stops completely, and you are ripped from it's neck as you hurtle into the rocks below.
***
> Resurrection!
> You wake up, and find yourself looking up at a portal about 2 feet above you. The dragon you were fighting appears to be lying on top of the edges of the gap, you can tell that the reality hole on the other side is falling, but the hole is stationary on this side. You are also really sore after that, you are pretty sure a lot of bones broke from that fall.
> Your sciency understanding of what happened is as follows: you and the yukari-dragon were both going a hundred miles per hour, then the yukari dragon made a gap beneath itself smaller than itself. You fell into the gap about a recursion later, while it, being bigger than the gap, landed on it forcing the gap to fall with the creature. So you were still going a hundred miles per hour when the yukari dragon was stopped relative to you (since the gap is stationary on this side), crashing you into the ground.
> You are still lying on your back on top of the rocks, your surroundings appear to be mostly snow-covered though you can't see above too well due to the gap overhead. The yukari-dragon appears to be catching it's breath; it probably assumes you're dead. The gap is only a couple feet above you, so if you were to stand, you could cross back through it.
>_
-
> If we have a clear shot at the dragon, launch ourselves into the it's chest with a flaming punch and then try and follow up with a point-blank Phoenix Spark while it's stunned.
-
^
-
> If we have a clear shot at the dragon, launch ourselves into the it's chest with a flaming punch and then try and follow up with a point-blank Phoenix Spark while it's stunned.
Hell yes
-
> If we have a clear shot at the dragon, launch ourselves into the it's chest with a flaming punch and then try and follow up with a point-blank Phoenix Spark while it's stunned.
> You slap on a fujiyama volcano card and punch the creature through it's back, blasting it out of the portal. You follow it out with a yell. "Phoenix Spark!" You command, your laser warps the air as you hit the dragon with the massive beam of flames, sending it flying with a wail. You have finally caused it to bleed.
> You are no longer falling between two portals as those portals are gone, now you are just falling, as the portal you were in was also falling on this side.
> "Regroup!" You faintly hear the redhead yell from afar. You see the dragon roar before quickly grabbing it's master through a gap. Almost immediately after, Nue suddenly gaps in on an identical dragon.
> "Ditto," she explains, although you aren't sure that explanation suites you. "Good copies, short memories."
> "No more mistakes," the redhead says from aboard her bird. Neither she nor her bird look too good, she's taken a bruise or two, and the bird looks ready to flop. Nue and Kogasa must have been giving them a run for their money. The redhead looks up, then lets out a command; "Ground the black-winged one. Spacial rend anything they throw at us."
> You are still under Utsuho's giant fireball, Utsuho is far above holding the thing up in a way that somewhat reminds you of Atlas, though both you and Utsuho are close enough to the ground that standard gravity would be a factor. It wouldn't force you down like the gravity attack currently is, but you would feel its effects. There's a good chance the only reason that fireball stayed airborn is that Utsuho was monitoring it, there isn't exactly an equilibrium zone between the worlds; it's more like a fine line.
>_
-
> The redhead's obviously the one calling the shots. Are we in a position where we can fly up and behind her without her noticing?
-
>Ask her
, politely, just WHAT THE HECK SHE'S TRYING TO DO! DOES SHE WANT SINNOH AND GENSOKYO TO CRASH INTO EACH OTHER?
>Or save that outburst for later, if stealth is needed
-
> The redhead's obviously the one calling the shots. Are we in a position where we can fly up and behind her without her noticing?
> It would be almost impossible to use stealth directly, as she's looking right at you.
>Ask her, politely, just WHAT THE HECK SHE'S TRYING TO DO! DOES SHE WANT SINNOH AND GENSOKYO TO CRASH INTO EACH OTHER?
>Or save that outburst for later, if stealth is needed
> "Isn't it obvious? I'm taking down your superweapon."
> "Palkia, set a horizontal ground portal, 30 meters up, and prepare tactic tri-portal misdirect."
> The red-head's pokemon, all it's previous distortions dispersed, claws open a horizontal portal. It then stands itself along the edges of the gap. You can see the snow-covered ground through the hole.
>_
-
> "Wait wait wait. What the HELL are you even talking about? Is it the sun? Because that's more for convenience considering the fact that you're blocking ours. "
-
>Tri portal misdirect
>Doesn't that seem somewhat similar to one of Yukari's spellcards...?
>EXPERIENCE SHOWS LETS DO THIS SHIT
>Prepare our 'Hourai "Mizue no Uranoshimako and Five-Coloured Turtles"' Do not use yet.
-
> "Wait wait wait. What the HELL are you even talking about? Is it the sun? Because that's more for convenience considering the fact that you're blocking ours. "
> "What. Really?" The womans states. Then with a pause, she snarls, "Hmf. I suppose it doesn't matter. The issue isn't it's utility, its mere existence is a threat."
> "You could stop blocking our sun," Nue says.
> "I could say the same about you. For that matter, it would be really nice if you new worlders would stop attacking our fortifications and eating our troops. I am sick and tired of running into super-powered cannibals."
> "Not all of us eat humans, you know," Nue replies, smirking.
> "No, I'm sure your one of the good blood sucking monsters that wears the skin of a cute little girl.
>Tri portal misdirect
>Doesn't that seem somewhat similar to one of Yukari's spellcards...?
> Does it?
> If it does, you are having a very hard time remembering it.
>EXPERIENCE SHOWS LETS DO THIS SHIT
>Prepare our 'Hourai "Mizue no Uranoshimako and Five-Coloured Turtles"' Do not use yet.
> Ah, yes, that spell takes you back. You prepare your turtle summoning powers.
> A glance at your spellcards reveals that you have a surprising number of options, you tend to forget that you actually know more non-fire spells than fire spells; you guess you should use them against a creature that can shrug off a phoenix spark. You suppose you also have Marisa's spells too, considering she did everything through her Hakkero. Anyway, Five-Colored Turtles is a lot like the spell Reimu uses to summon Genji, the primary difference is in addition to summoning a single turtle for flying, you can instead choose to summon lots of flying youkai turtles for overwhelming opponents.
> "Now," The red-head commands. While still standing on the edge of the portal to the ground, over the course of two seconds the dragon quickly rips open a series of portals directly above the gap. First a vertical portal you can see Utsuho through, then a horizontal portal, which you can see is underneath Utsuho from the gap facing you as Utsuho reflexively shoots a fireball through the upright one. While the hell raven still aiming her cannon out the vertical portal and scanning the horizontal portal beneath her with a glance, the Palkia smashes open a third, horizontal gap, breaking through the space above Utsuho and kicking the raven from above and then through the gap beneath Utsuho. You hear Utsuho grunt as she exits the bottom of the second portal under Palkia's heel, the dragon completing whole technique as a single fluid motion; it must have taken less than two seconds from start to finish. The pair are already halfway through that "grounded" portal Palkia was standing on when the red-head adds, "More gravity".
>_
-
>"What, does nobody around here try to negotiate?"
>SEND OUT THE TURTLES
>"In any case, did you realize that this girl, the raven here, is the one who's currently in control of the sun? And that bad stuff involving the sun might happen to everyone if you incapacitate her?"
-
>Don't mention that to her; they are clearly omnicidal, that will encourage her.
>And in fact, we figured how to teleport enough to use St Germain at least; teleport on the gap dragon's back then use turtle spam spellcard.
-
>"What, does nobody around here try to negotiate?"
> "Negotiations have been less than successful," The redhead replies.
>SEND OUT THE TURTLES
>"In any case, did you realize that this girl, the raven here, is the one who's currently in control of the sun? And that bad stuff involving the sun might happen to everyone if you incapacitate her?"
>Don't mention that to her; they are clearly omnicidal, that will encourage her.
>And in fact, we figured how to teleport enough to use St Germain at least; teleport on the gap dragon's back then use turtle spam spellcard.
> St. Germain's isn't technically a teleportation spell. It's more like a series of small spellcards chained together mixed with some quick flying work. You place a flamethrower down, distance yourself from it, and repeat.
> You note that your battle plan has a couple of points that could use some clarification. You have the 5 colored turtle spell at the ready, but you aren't sure if dialog is an option or if you'd like to try something trickier. Your default response to the situation would be to launch the spellcard you have ready from where you are.
>_
-
>"Well, who did you try to negotiate with?"
-
>"And in the first place given that the first run in with you guys was you trying to poison a whole mountain and kill us, that might be why people weren't exactly friendly."
-
>"Well, who did you try to negotiate with?"
> "We actually didn't get a chance. Half our recon parties were shot down before they hit the ground," she replies. "A lot of animal-people from the nearest mountain, most of them had wolf ears or crow wings."
> You feel the effect of gravity intensify as Utsuho and Palkia are fully through the grounded portal. You are beginning to fall fast.
>"And in the first place given that the first run in with you guys was you trying to poison a whole mountain and kill us, that might be why people weren't exactly friendly."
> "We didn't try to poison your mountain," the woman snarls over the roar of the air rushing past the two of you. "Though in retrospect, that wasn't the most subtle way of getting privacy."
> "Um, wait!" You hear Utsuho yell through the portal, which is also falling with you. "Satori wants to call a time out!"
> "What, now?" the red-head shouts back. "This is not a good time!"
> "Um, hold on," Utsuho yells. "Um... well, Satori says she's interested in talking!"
> "Utsuho, could you fire up some suns so we can find you?" Nue adds.
> "Um, sure, just a sec!" Utsuho yells back. "Anyway, Cloud woman, are you still interested in that diplomacy thing? Satori would really like to call a time out!"
> "Well, yes, but..." the woman replies back, stalling. "I'm kind of in the middle of a mission!"
> "Ok!" Utsuho shouts. "Oh wait, no, Satori says it's not ok. She says we might not get another chance to talk, but if we do, that her number is 666-9213. She says she really wants to see if we can come to an agreement without you completing your mission thingy!"
>_
-
>"So, what is your mission? Does it involve sandwiching everything between two lands?"
-
>"So, what is your mission? Does it involve sandwiching everything between two lands?"
> "No," the woman says. She pauses for a second, then changes her tone, saying more to Utsuho than to you, "See that fireball overhead? We don't really care how it goes down, Team Galactic would really appreciate it going down without a fight. That fireball is the only reason I'm here. Now I might not be the most altruistic person, and I may just be following orders, but that thing could destroy a city. Seeing as I live in a city in Sinnoh, I worry it could end badly, having a hithero unexplained half-mile wide mass of fire dangling over the heads of everyone in Sinnoh. Best for everyone if we extinguish it, or at least drop it someplace remote, alright?"
> "See that would be kind of tough," Utsuho shouts. "While Satori and I don't personally need a sun, we are making a killing off of it."
> "Perhaps a counter-offer? We do have quite a few resources at our disposal."
> "Hold on a sec," Utsuho shouts, still from the other side of the grounded portal, "Yeah? Yeah, alright I'll tell her." A fireball then launches out of the portal, clipping the woman's bird. "Satori says as long as you're still making the sun fall, we aren't going to let you stall for any more time. Though we would like to trade afterwards."
> "Hmf." The woman snarls, her old tone returning. "I was hoping to milk another minute out of you guys."
> Utsuho launches another fireball through the hole, though the red-head has put some distance between herself and the portal this time. You suspect Utsuho is grounded on the other side due to the gravity effect otherwise she would have come up herself, though she seems to still be able to launch fire upwards.
>_
-
>Blast the gap dragon with St Germain.
>Wait no, call Yukari and tell her that a pokemon's stealing her gap ability. Then blast the dragon.
-
>"Ya know, attacking isn't a very smart idea. She could accidently discharge the thing. She wouldn't do it if she knew it'd blew up." Would she?
>"How about this? Instead of a fight, how about you guys keep tabs on her, make sure it doesn't blow up? No fights, no accidents." For a one-time attempt to increase our persuasion skills
-
>If that doesn't work though, default to the glorious violence
-
>"Ya know, attacking isn't a very smart idea. She could accidently discharge the thing. She wouldn't do it if she knew it'd blew up." Would she?
> Well...
> To put it bluntly, Utsuho is not afraid of explosions, nor does the raven show enough care when it comes to matters of magnetude. Though from what you can gather Utsuho and Satori are profiting from having a sun in the sky, and magic of this magnitude usually requires a somewhat lengthy charge time to create and control. So you think the raven won't blow it up just to take out one grunt. Probably.
>"How about this? Instead of a fight, how about you guys keep tabs on her, make sure it doesn't blow up? No fights, no accidents." For a one-time attempt to increase our persuasion skills
> You gain +12 xp to your charisma stat. You are now only 36 points away from reaching charsma level 2!
> Well, no, not really, but it was worth a shot.
> "Palkia, get out of there," the red-head commands.
> Utsuho yells "Hey!" as you see the dragon re-appear by the red-head's side, ducking under a fireball as it closes a portal behind itself. Judging by the burn marks, Utsuho was not giving it an easy time.
> The woman continues over the roar of the air rushing past her as you all descend, "Well, that would be easier. You guys are tough. I suppose we could work something out."
> You see a talisman wizz past you straight towards the woman as her Palkia portals it, sending the slip a good hundred feet behind the red-head. "First, you turn off the gravity, then we might have some time to talk." Nue says plainly.
> "I suppose you realize that I don't have the authority to overturn my orders here," the woman sighs, as she gives you a slight shrug. "So it looks like diplomacy will have to wait. Palkia, reset." With one big roar, all the portals disappear, as you look down, you see a hot-spot about fifty miles south in Sinnoh coordinates, twinkling, spinning lights you believe to be Utsuho's fireballs.
>If that doesn't work though, default to the glorious violence
>Blast the gap dragon with St Germain.
> "We need Utsuho," Nue says, her Palkia-dragon-ditto thing by her side. Nue has her pokemon rip open it's own gap. "Be back soon."
> "Never have I hated a ditto as much as right now," the red-head yells over the wind, as you charge her, tossing ahead of yourself a barrage of flamethrower spells, surrounding the woman. "Palkia, spacial rend everything. Altaria, whilwind everything, and stay close to Palkia." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uAsD6lQV1I) The pair of attacks sends flames everywhere but into Palkia and Altaria for the most part. Though the sheer number of flamethrower talismans makes the attack undodgeable, the woman's pokemon are both resistant enough to it and effective enough at deflecting it that they shrug off the damage, using their attacks to ineffectually spit half the fire right back at you. Between your attacks the woman shouts, "You know, we know the risks. We know better than to bother taking it down with anything less than Palkia. And I know it's only 50-50 that if something goes wrong, Palkia bails me out in time. So you want to know why I'm doing it anyway?"
> "Well, one, there's the money, I'm getting a nice bonus for this." She shouts from atop her Altaria as it weaves between and blows away long streams of fire. "And two, that 'sun' of yours? It can take out half our operation. Sure, we didn't know it's purpose, but even now I don't care how non-violently you say it's being used. After all, you could be with Moriya."
>Wait no, call Yukari and tell her that a pokemon's stealing her gap ability. Then blast the dragon.
> You left your phone with Nue, and you think she left your phone and her bag with Kogasa since she wasn't carrying them when you saw her. While inconvenient, at the present moment you realize that if you fail while holding onto the contents of your bag, they would be completely destroyed by the sun above. On that note, you realize that you should speak with Utsuho after the battle; you think with her help you'll be able to create talismans with a higher maximum heat tolerance, and hopefully ones more suitable for electronics. For most practical purposes your talismans are perfect, but the truth is, they haven't been very extensively tested under the temperatures Utsuho is accustomed to. Prior to meeting Utsuho, there simply wasn't anything on earth hot enough to allow for a suitable test under the conditions Utsuho creates.
> You note that much like Fujiyama volcano is an especially convenient hand grenade, St. Germain is an especially convenient flamethrower, as you can stockpile hundreds of them fairly easily. The battlefield on your side is riddled with portals, most of them lead to Palkia, which is shielding itself with them using a bowl-like formation. You are also now close enough that you can consider switching from ranged attacks to direct attacks; though due to the high winds created by Altaria you don't have as much control as you would like, you can use the wind for speed, which at this altitude is convenient since there isn't much up here to hit if you lose control. Your Charizard is also up here.
> "Hydro pump," the redhead commands. "But keeping your guard up comes first."
> You think you have 3 minutes before you hit the ground, 4 minutes before the fireball hits the ground.
>_
-
>Persuasion failed. Prepare for hell.
>Attack with Hourai Doll.
-
>Persuasion failed. Prepare for hell.
>Attack with Hourai Doll.
>We have turtles prepared. Use the turtles. They won't see it coming.
>Oh one more thing. Something new. Instead of giving outselves just phoenix wings, why not...
>Cover ourselves with an entire avatar of the phoenix. And then we strike. Use turtles as we dive in.
-
>If direct attacking will let us get up close to the gap dragon or the girl, do so and Fujiwara volcano them in the face. Let's see their fire resistance tank that.
-
Mod note: I had a little bit of trouble deciding how many spell cards to use for this update. Please feel free to correct me.
>Persuasion failed. Prepare for hell.
>Attack with Hourai Doll.
>We have turtles prepared. Use the turtles. They won't see it coming.
>Oh one more thing. Something new. Instead of giving outselves just phoenix wings, why not...
>Cover ourselves with an entire avatar of the phoenix. And then we strike. Use turtles as we dive in.
> You actually can go farther, become an embodiment of living flame for short periods of time. Though there are significant drawbacks to that, so you decide to stick with an impressive appearance.
> Actually, it's probably more practical to stick with flaming wings, since flaming wings have impressive range and can't impede yourself, but there are significant advantages to the intimidation the full firebird brings. Unleashing an army of turtles instead of the hourai doll spellcard, you fill the skies with a massive herd of what must be nearly a thousand turtles, gracefully swimming through the air as they make to overwhelm the red-head and her Palkia.
> "Holy-" the red-head gasps, turning scarlet as she scowls, "Palkia, we are not losing. We will be taking these tramps down, that is an order!"
> "Mokou? This is a surprise," One of the turtle's says. With it's distinctive facial hair, you immediately identify it as Genji. Looking over the situation, he adds in his typical soft-spoken manner, "Another battle? Well it's better than nothing, but there is more to life than fighting."
>If direct attacking will let us get up close to the gap dragon or the girl, do so and Fujiwara volcano them in the face. Let's see their fire resistance tank that.
> You decide to try to get closer to the gap-dragon and the girl with a fujiyama volcano tag in hand, leading the charge when the woman shouts, "Block!" The Palkia smashes open a portal in front of it, letting open a massive geiser of water directed both upwards and downward, and clipping you as you are knockback back by the surge of water. The bottom-side portal geiser flows straight into the shield of portals Palkia used to defend against your attacks, with water shooting everywhere around the portal-ridden battlefield. It's not difficult to predict where the water will come from, since the portals aren't moving, but the sky feels like it's being drenched, while the topside geiser of the portal is offering cover to both the red-head and Palkia.
> You note that when it comes to shields, the woman and her pokemon seem to need to see the attack coming to block; she doesn't appear to be able to put up perfect cover, or if she does she isn't willing to show you it. Your army can get around the geiser on either side, though there is little to stop her from sticking up more geisers.
>_
-
>"'Sup, Genji. Just trying to beat the Yukari-dragon."
>Do we have any attacks that they won't be able to see?
>As a last resort, ready "Possessed by Phoenix". Just in case.
-
>Get Lighter to head around and span a fire tornado to cut off their sight, while we move to a less gueyserish spot and Fujiwara volcano them while they can't tell what we're doing.
>Just make sure to focus all the explosions on the girl and her gap dragon.
-
>As a last resort, ready "Possessed by Phoenix". Just in case.
>Just in case. Always just in case. It'll look even better due to the fact we are full-phoenix now. But that aside...
>"Any experience with reality-warping foes, Genji?"
>Implying PC-98 times
-
>"'Sup, Genji. Just trying to beat the Yukari-dragon."
> "Yukari-dragon? What will they think of next," Genji chuckles with a flap of his flippers. "Though I suppose pleasantries should wait until we do something about this falling business. I'm assuming it's magic and not old age that makes swimming so hard?"
>"Any experience with reality-warping foes, Genji?"
> "They'e only as powerful as they are creative," Genji says. "So watch out for ancient world builders, I've got quite a story to tell about that, let me tell you."
>Do we have any attacks that they won't be able to see?
>As a last resort, ready "Possessed by Phoenix". Just in case.
>Just in case. Always just in case. It'll look even better due to the fact we are full-phoenix now. But that aside...
> You have possessed by phoenix at the ready, though you don't have an "invisible" attack. As a recollection, possessed by phoenix does let you see through their eyes and engulf both yourself and the target in flames, while it doesn't really give you control of the target, it's a double edged sword that hurts.
> You could send the turtles through the geisers since the red-head's Palkia is currently using a primary one as a shield. Though you note that with this kind of summon, the turtles will individually probably only take a good hit or two before finishing up. They're glad to help and you're sure Genji would be glad to stick around himself, but part of the design of a spell card is that they tend to be quick, combat based spells as opposed to the long term deals you'd expect in a familiar contract. You could also employ a massive amount of spells and attempt trickery. You think a spark might be able to pass through a geyser for maximum surprise, though the accuracy would be low due to not being able to see the opponent. You've noticed that the yukari dragon's primary gap strategy always appears to link its gaps directly to itself, you strongly suspect that it has to physically rip open at least one end of each side of its gaps. You also notce the gaps appear to be two sided, with portal A's top linked to portal B's bottom and portal B's top linked to portal A's bottom. You think you can use this to get on top of the dragon during it's attacks.
>Get Lighter to head around and span a fire tornado to cut off their sight, while we move to a less geyserish spot and Fujiwara volcano them while they can't tell what we're doing.
>Just make sure to focus all the explosions on the girl and her gap dragon.
> You have Lighter flank left of the massive central geyser and command it to surround them with a fire tornado, while you flank right with a fujiyama volcano at the ready. As the redhead comes into your view again, you see Charizard begin forming a flaming tornado around herself and her pokemon. The redhead dives hard beneath the tornado as she shouts, "Teleport with hydro-misdirect!" You see the Palkia begin to rip open a portal horizontally as you start chucking your firebombs at the woman below.
>_
-
>"A turtle story? This has to be good."
>Remember to ask Genji about it in spare time.
-
>Do we have the strategery to trick them into portaling to a place we predict? Maybe we could use the TMNT to surround them but leave an open spot or something. If we could do that, we could blast them as they exit, before they could put up shields.
-
>Since we can tell where the portals go from watching the geysers, take advantage of this to send exploding pain right into Palkia given the opportunity.
-
> You take a moment to visualize the condition of the the battlefield.
(http://i.imgur.com/nmsALAQ.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/DuBcaK3.png)
> You decide that that the green dots are turtles, and you quickly realize you are terrible at visualizing. Red bow is you, flaming thing on top is charizard, blue winged stick birdie is the red-head, and the purple dragon thingy is Palkia. You blame microsoft paint for your lack of skill at making pretty diagrams.
>"A turtle story? This has to be good."
>Remember to ask Genji about it in spare time.
> Genji is near the back of the turtles, but you decide to remember to ask him about it.
>Do we have the strategery to trick them into portaling to a place we predict? Maybe we could use the TMNT to surround them but leave an open spot or something. If we could do that, we could blast them as they exit, before they could put up shields.
> You consider this strategy, but can't recall what TMNT is.
> Actually, any strategy which causes them to launch a portal near you gives you a possible opening. The yukari-dragon seems to always rip open one end of the portals it makes directly in front of itself.
>Since we can tell where the portals go from watching the geysers, take advantage of this to send exploding pain right into Palkia given the opportunity.
> You actually can't tell much about where any particular portal goes by watching the geysers, but you know almost all of them are part of a defensive maneuver, the Palkia was using them to shield itself from your previous attacks by placing them in a bowl configuration. It then threw open a geyser on top of the bowl, sending water everywhere.
> You do know that the redhead gave the command "hydro-misdirect", and the gap-dragon is just starting to rip open a pair of portals. Last time the whole misdirect took a split second. The creature launches a horizontal portal at the geyser and holds onto a second one, as you notice that a gap has materialized above and below your Charizard.
>_
-
>Yeah you should probably get Charizard out of the way.
-
>Indeedy.
>After that move away from the gap walls and start sending our hand grenades at the gap dragon again.
>The moment it tries to open a next portal near us though, Phoenix spark it though said portal.
-
>Yeah you should probably get Charizard out of the way.
>Indeedy.
>After that move away from the gap walls and start sending our hand grenades at the gap dragon again.
>The moment it tries to open a next portal near us though, Phoenix spark it though said portal.
> You command your Charizard to strafe; it saw the portal beneath itself easily, but appears to have lost it's balance when the underside portal starts blasting water up while Palkia smashes down from top portal.
> The red-head hears you, and manages to stretch her dive to evade the spell you sent her way. She shouts, "Target the girl, hydro-misdirect with 4 rends!"
> The Palkia makes a dive as you attempt to place some distance between yourself and the geyser. As it tumbles the dragon simultaneously claws open space and throws two rifts into the geyser in one quick fluid motion. You notice two gaps have formed right next to you, one directly above you and the other directly below you, both only about a foot away. You can tell they're linked to the portals Palkia just created, but you can't tell which is which, not that you think it matters much. You consider whether you would still like to attempt to phoenix spark them, but from this side of the gaps, you do not have a clear shot.
> You note that the speed at which it can open gaps is about two per second - each arm can open a gap for two gaps at the same time, and it takes about one second for it to to tear open a relatively small gap, launch it, then reposition it's arms to create the next gap. It looks like it's about to make two more vertical portals from how it has raised it's arms for the next set.
>_
-
>Move diagonally to avoid the gaps around us and evade the other two that will most likely show up at our sides.
>Keep tossing hand grenades until we get a clear shot for the Spark and the gap dragon is not in a position to use open a gap to block the shot.
-
>Move diagonally to avoid the gaps around us and evade the other two that will most likely show up at our sides.
>Keep tossing hand grenades until we get a clear shot for the Spark and the gap dragon is not in a position to use open a gap to block the shot.
> You move diagonally about two steps to avoid the gaps above and below you, avoiding being blasted as water rockets from above and below as you throw talismans at the Palkia. Then two more portals appear to the left and right, Palkia diving through the one on the right. Having positioned itself only about a foot away from you, you easily fujiyama volcano it as well as yourself. You'll live, but it's roaring in pain.
> "Crap, dragon claw! Hydro pump!" the woman commands. "End her now!" You note the desperation in her voice.
> You are only a foot away from the dragon, so you can get inside it's range - get so close that it can't use portals effectively against you. This would require you to be inside the range of it's claws, which you are, so you would likely get hurt. You do not think it is likely it would miss you at this distance; to avoid that misdirect, you only strafed about 3-4 feet, and it can currently reach you without moving.
> You note that if it takes off your head, you might need a few seconds to recover.
>_
-
>Try attacking it. If nothing else, your revival should shock that woman, right?
>Use Phoenix Tail if possible.
-
>Spark.
-
>Point blank Phoenix Spark, no miracle gapping away for the dragon.
>Get so close that it can't get a full power swing with those claws either, dying does still hurt and all.
-
>Try attacking it. If nothing else, your revival should shock that woman, right?
>Use Phoenix Tail if possible.
>Spark.
>Point blank Phoenix Spark, no miracle gapping away for the dragon.
>Get so close that it can't get a full power swing with those claws either, dying does still hurt and all.
> Yes you'll use phoenix ta-spark Phoenix spark. You duck under the dragon's claws, and press your Hakkero against it's chest as you shout out "Phoenix-"
> You find yourself interrupted by the dragon suddenly holding you against it's chest with it's left arm, as you finish your spell with a somewhat confused "-spark?"
> GAME OVER. Would you like to continue?
> Yes / No
> Are you sure?
> Yes / No
> But that will leave the world plunged in darkness/evil! Please reconsider...
> Yes / No
> Alright, you give me no choice. Would you like to continue:
> Yes / Definitely
Hey, that's not fair.
> Continue in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...
> You wake up soaked to the bone with the taste of the ocean in you mouth, lying face up. You can clearly see Nue and her Palkia-clone above, the two are forming tons of small portals with Utsuho shooting mini-suns out of those portals. Some distance from them is a new, large horizontal gap geyser. That would explain why you are wet, though you have to wonder if the Palkia gap-blasted itself to get at you. Looking around, it seems you are lying on your charizard's back.
> Over the sizzle of Utsuho's fireballs you hear the red-head yelling, "Crap, Palkia, we need to retreat! Focus and get us out of here!"
> You raise yourself over your Charizards wings to look below, and you see the red-head's dragon tumbling. It's very bloodied, you don't think it is in any condition to continue battling, which is fortunate because you aren't either. Judging from the damage it sure looks like your phoenix spark worked. You notice that both it and the red-head are being stalked by mini-suns being pot-shotted out of portals, as the red-head takes out a pokeball.
> Admittedly, it looks like you've pretty much won.
>_
-
>We cannot let her escape.
>Check Pain levels
>Check Power levels
-
>ignore pain
>attempt restraining tackle maneuvers
-
>We cannot let her escape.
> You decide to not let her escape.
>Check Pain levels
>Check Power levels
> Your power level is over Nine-thou-*We're sorry, the parser you've selected is no longer in service*
>ignore pain
> Your pain levels are normal for having been killed twice in under ten minutes. You have an extremely high tolerance for that kind of thing. The bigger problem is that when you launch multiple phoenix sparks, the hakkero drains it's host to the point of being lethal. Phoenix sparks are harder to recover from than death, but you could launch fire sparks all day long.
>attempt restraining tackle maneuvers
> You are in no condition to fly, but your charizard is. So is your army of turtles.
> You hear the red-head yells into her headset "Send immediate backup! Palkia in danger, repeat, Palkia in danger! Retreat appears impossible in current situation." She then covers her earpiece's microphone and shouts, "You have to rend us out of here NOW you overgrown lizard!"
> "Hey lady!" Utsuho yells to the red-head with a slightly cynical tone. "You wanna make a deal now?"
> "What?" the woman replies back.
> "Do. you. want. to. deal?" Utsuho says. "Your stuff for your life, how about it?"
> The lady looks up at Utsuho for a moment, dumbfounded.
>_
-
>While they're negotiating, get your turtle army into position. Ready attacks.
-
>"You might want to decide very quickly or we'll make the choice for you."
> If she doesn't decide very quickly assume that she wants to die and act to suit.
-
Should we attempt to catch Palkia? Even though i would prefer Giratina...
>Where's Genji?
>"Time's running short, and i doubt backup will save you."
-
Should we attempt to catch Palkia? Even though i would prefer Giratina...
I was assuming that Palkia was captured by red-haired Plasma executive whose name I don't remember.
-
>While they're negotiating, get your turtle army into position. Ready attacks.
> You gesture to the turtles, to have them surround the red-head from above. You note that this is not very subtle.
>Where's Genji?
> Genji is pretty far away still, somewhat near the back of the pack. Turtles aren't known for their speed, and this is only exacerbated by Genji's advanced age. At least, you think so; Genji tends to insist he hasn't passed his prime.
>"You might want to decide very quickly or we'll make the choice for you."
> If she doesn't decide very quickly assume that she wants to die and act to suit.
> "Fine," she snarls, using Altaria to slow her Palkia's descent.
>"Time's running short, and i doubt backup will save you."
> You swear you see her flash a grin for a second, but by the time you blink she's as upset as ever.
I was assuming that Palkia was captured by red-haired Plasma executive whose name I don't remember.
> Why yes, the red-head did keep Palkia in a pokeball.
> Utsuho dives to negotiate, keeping the red-head tracked with her arm-cannon. "Alright, Satori wants your pokemon, your electronics, and you money. And whatever other things you have that she doesn't."
> The red-head holds up her radio and asks it, "Can you extract me?"
> "What do you mean, acceptable losses?" She retorts. "...All of them? Even Pugly? ...I swear, this had better be worth it."
> The red head puts down her radio, clutching it with a vice-like grip as her face turns scarlet in anger. She tells Utsuho, "You can have everything but the Palkia, provided I get a second to spacial rend to base with it."
> "Or I could crush you with a giant fireball, and take your gap-dragon." Utsuho retorts.
> "My pokemon, my money, and all items on my person are acceptable losses," The red head replies through clenched teeth. "The dragon isn't."
>_
-
>Do we have access to our phone?
>If so, call Yukari. Discreetly. Give her an update on the situation. And the death count, while you're at it.
-
>"Earlier, you were saying her sun made her too dangerous to leave alone. Now, you can see there's no way we can let you keep the dragon."
-
>Make sure that Utsuho takes all this other stuff meanwhile by the way
>"What in the hell are you crazies up too anyway? Seems pretty random even for here."
-
>Do we have access to our phone?
>If so, call Yukari. Discreetly. Give her an update on the situation. And the death count, while you're at it.
> You do not have access to your phone. It is with Kogasa.
>"Earlier, you were saying her sun made her too dangerous to leave alone. Now, you can see there's no way we can let you keep the dragon."
> "We aren't losing the dragon either way," The woman snaps. "Though plan B involves some... trade secrets commands doesn't want to reveal yet."
>Make sure that Utsuho takes all this other stuff meanwhile by the way
> "Back off, or negotiations are over." the woman tells Utsuho as she tries to approach.
>"What in the hell are you crazies up too anyway? Seems pretty random even for here."
> "Command?" she asks her radio, listening for a response. She then nods, and turns back to you.
> "Believe it or not, this mess with the overhead continent was an accident. We needed to..." The redhead pauses, listening to her radio, before starting again. "We needed to perform an experiment. We got unexpected results. And we'd like to analyze and process those results if the results ever stop attacking us. I can't tell you much beyond that, trade secrets, but think of it as research and development."
> "You'll have to do a lot better than that if you want to make it out alive," Utsuho says.
> The red head listens to her radio, then focuses on the raven. "I'm allowed to tell you more," she says with a pause, then adding, "If you can convince command they won't have to use plan B."
>_
-
>"Does plan B end with major destruction to either of the two lands? Also, it'd help if we knew what your goal is. Trying to convince someone to perform an experiment in some other way than a vague way is generally not going to be successful."
-
>Wonder where the others are.
>"So, first you cover a mountain in poisonous fog, then you block out the sun, then you attack the people who install a temporary sun replacement. That sounds like standard crazy evil villain action to me. I'm going to go ahead and exterminate you, unless you have a better offer."
-
>"Does plan B end with major destruction to either of the two lands? Also, it'd help if we knew what your goal is. Trying to convince someone to perform an experiment in some other way than a vague way is generally not going to be successful."
> "No, plan B doesn't destroy anything, it's just a retreat that may involve confidential company assets. Whereas for our goal," the redhead explains, "We want to achieve triple digit year-on-year growth. We believe once the kinks are worked out with our recent aquisitions, we should be able to at least double the size of our company each year for the next five years using our unique resources to revolutionize a number of industries, such as transportation and defense."
> "And as for the last point, we aren't trying to convince anyone of anything. We conducted the experiment, operation, whatever you want to call it, got results that we did not expect, as in somehow accidentally creating a new continent full of hostile cannibal girls, and are now attempting to analyze the results we got between assaults by hostile cannibal girls."
>Wonder where the others are.
> Nue is nearby listening to this 'deal', and Kogasa probably hung back, seeing as she has all of your and Nue's stuff.
>"So, first you cover a mountain in poisonous fog, then you block out the sun, then you attack the people who install a temporary sun replacement. That sounds like standard crazy evil villain action to me. I'm going to go ahead and exterminate you, unless you have a better offer."
> The red-head pauses to check her radio again, before grumbling back, "Fine. The bureaucrats are being stubborn, and are forcing me to at least ask what it is you want."
> Utsuho checks her own earpiece, then says, "Got it. Master Satori is willing to overlook this incident in exchange for a couple of things. She wants instructions to replicate the transportation and resizing spells in a pokeball, and she wants way more pokemon out of this, around thirty, at least a couple of which should be able to read minds. She also wants a direct line of communication with your superiors. And... Are you sure Satori? ...Really? Alright, I'll tell them. Satori says you can keep the Palkia if she gets at least 3 pokemon that can teleport."
> The red head pauses, to check her radio, before snarling, "Anything else?"
> You note that Satori and you are not technically aligned, and that her interests may be significantly different from your interests. You also note that the red-head is willing to give you a better offer than the one she gave you before, and you consider taking advantage of that.
>_
-
>"One more thing. Tell your poison fog team I'm coming to destroy them."
-
>Nah don't bother with that, if they up their defenses it means more work for us later.
>"Hey Utsuho, what's Satori up to anyway?"
>Do we actually care about anything her group has by the way?
-
AS LONG AS WE GET GIRATINA WE CAN KILL SATORI FOR ALL I CARE
>"Get the fog off the mountain. The environment isn't taking it too well..."
-
>"One more thing. Tell your poison fog team I'm coming to destroy them."
>Nah don't bother with that, if they up their defenses it means more work for us later.
> You decide to not tell them that their fog team will be massacred.
AS LONG AS WE GET GIRATINA WE CAN KILL SATORI FOR ALL I CARE
>"Get the fog off the mountain. The environment isn't taking it too well..."
> You could care less about Satori, you just want their most super dragon if they have one.
> The redhead checks here radio, then replies, "It is no longer needed. The fog should dissipate in about a day."
>"Hey Utsuho, what's Satori up to anyway?"
> Utsuho checks her earpiece, then replies, "She wants to meet with these guys during the drop-off. She says they have a lot of things she can't get in Gensokyo. She wants to arrange the drop off to be in half an hour at this spot, Gensokyo side."
> "Your side? That won't be possible for security reasons," the red-head replies. "We can arrange the drop-off on Sinnoh side."
> "She'll have to scout the location, but she thinks she can make it work."
>Do we actually care about anything her group has by the way?
> Galactic or Satori?
> Satori has Utsuho's charms, which will make anything object you apply them to immune to firepower up to Utsuho's level.
> Galactic has that space-dragon and a lot of pokemon that you know of. You don't know what else Galactic has that you might want.
> You think you understand Satori's plan now; what she probably really wants is to read the minds of these guys. It occurs to you that she can't read minds over the phone. Or at least you assume she can't, much like you can't incinerate people over the phone.
> You're still working on a spell for remote phone incineration. For Kaguya.
>_
-
>Meh, when we want a pokemon we'll go and catch it ourselves. Best way to make sure it can survive being around us and kill Kaguya.
>Satori we should talk too though, Utsuho level charms are always useful.
>We'll talk to Satori about how to get some of those when Galactic grunt's dealt with.
-
>Meh, when we want a pokemon we'll go and catch it ourselves. Best way to make sure it can survive being around us and kill Kaguya.
> True, the best way to catch pokemon is to see if they can survive 5 minutes with you.
>Satori we should talk too though, Utsuho level charms are always useful.
>We'll talk to Satori about how to get some of those when Galactic grunt's dealt with.
> You decide you'll have to have a word with Satori. You realize Satori is surprisingly determined about this; you aren't sure if it's because she wants more pets or more business, possibly both. You note that the pokemon she requested have extremely rare abilities by Gensokyo standards; Satori is the only mind reader you are aware of, and you've never actually met anyone that can teleport objects the same way as a pokemon center computer. Yes, Yukari has her portals, but her method is a lot more like Palkia's.
> Nue flies beside you and whispers, "I don't like this plan much. Too much could go wrong, and we're passing up a perfectly good space-manipulating dragon. That thing is just begging to be taken, how about we just mug her right here and now?"
> You notice that the red-head has put away her gap-dragon; to be fair, it was really weighing her poor Altaria down, not that she had much choice with Utsuho aiming straight at her. You consider your options.
> Let Satori do her deal, see what the mind-reader can get out of these guys. She will owe you one for this.
> Do the trade the red-head suggested in the first place, then at least you know you'll get something.
> Mug the red-head, see if she's bluffing about this plan B.
> Come up with something else brilliant right here and now.
> You note that whatever option you choose, you want to be sure.
>_
-
>Ask Kogasa what she thinks. Also retrieve our stuff from her.
>Actually ... shouldn't we let Yuks know about this dragon infringing her patent?
-
I have an urgent need to join galactic but only for a moment and we backstab them. Hmm...
>Why not we mug her, pass her and her pokemon to Satori (Besides Palkia), and "join" Galactic ourselves in her steed? ...Nefarious, and would work perfectly with Nue... Hmm...
>"Since you have Palkia - Tell me, how'd you manage to get him? I was sure that he, Dialga and... Another... weren't supposed to be in our lands, Sinnoh or Gensokyo. And to be captured by you, which I doubt really happened. Answer me honestly, this'll make my final decision easier."
>Stress "Another"
>Power down flames slightly, show consideration and actual thought processes.
-
>Ask Kogasa what she thinks. Also retrieve our stuff from her.
> Kogasa is pretty far away, it would take a couple minutes to get her and you don't want to take an eye off the red-head. However, Nue still has her gap dragon copy.
> "Ditto can rend for another few minutes, but it has a terrible memory," Nue explains. "I give it five minutes or so before it's degrades too much. Pity though, I would love to be able to summon a loyal, hardworking Yukari on command."
> You do have a slight concern about how the red-head will react if Nue attempts to open a portal in front of her; she has made a point of being hard to blindside during your battle, skittishly aware of her surroundings at all times. You can see her doing something extreme if she thought you could be attempting a sneak attack.
>Actually ... shouldn't we let Yuks know about this dragon infringing her patent?
> Unless of course, it's Yukari infringing on this thing's patent. You snicker at the thought of Yukari claiming to have created the forgotten magics of an elder god while still insisting she's only 19.
I have an urgent need to join galactic but only for a moment and we backstab them. Hmm...
>Why not we mug her, pass her and her pokemon to Satori (Besides Palkia), and "join" Galactic ourselves in her steed? ...Nefarious, and would work perfectly with Nue... Hmm...
> You would have to convince her commanders that she made it out of this confrontation alive for that to work. From her conversations with them, you believe they have visual of the battlefield, either through the radio itself, some other knick-knack on her, or some vantage point among the vast mountains below. However, you can tell from the conversations the red-head has held that they undoubtedly have audio on the situation.
>"Since you have Palkia - Tell me, how'd you manage to get him? I was sure that he, Dialga and... Another... weren't supposed to be in our lands, Sinnoh or Gensokyo. And to be captured by you, which I doubt really happened. Answer me honestly, this'll make my final decision easier."
>Stress "Another"
>Power down flames slightly, show consideration and actual thought processes.
> It is easy for you to power down your flames, you can barely maintain them as you heal off your drained magic and your wounds from your Charizard's back.
> The red head is startled by your statement. "How could you possibly know about Him? I mean, maybe, just maybe you could guess a Dialga is involved due to the legends about the gods of time and space, though I'm not saying it is, but He is forgotten, He has only been seen by 4 living human beings," she says, her voice rising. "And He is absolutely a trade secret!"
> Admittedly, you didn't play pokemon before this quest, but even you has seen boxes with Dialga's face on it. Although you are surprised you still remembered Dialga, considering you couldn't remember Palkia's name at all.
> Noting her overreaction to the first part of your question, you consider pressing her for an answer about only the latter two points. Namely, how she captured the Palkia and how Galactic ended up opening a gateway to Gensokyo.
>_
-
>"...Well, I'm not human. No longer, anyway."
>"Moving on- How did you capture Palkia, with those sub-par pokemon, when compared to it?"
>"And how did Galactic manage to open up a gateway to Gensokyo - It stands as a major threat and I doubt the others would take it lightly."
-
>"Nue, can I borrow your phone? I left mine with Kogasa."
>Call Yukari.
-
>"...Well, I'm not human. No longer, anyway."
> "Yes you are," Utsuho replies quickly.
> "She's pretty old to be calling herself human, don't you think?" Nue retorts.
> "I don't see what age has to do with it," Utsuho says. "I mean, she looks like a human, and she acts like a human, and I don't think she's a youkai. So she must be human!"
> "Well, she might be a youkai," Nue says.
> You are not a youkai. You are pretty sure you'd realize if you had become a youkai.
> Come to think of it, how does a human know if they've become a youkai? You wonder if it's just a matter of declaring yourself to be a youkai, or if there's some standard to youkai-ness.
>"Moving on- How did you capture Palkia, with those sub-par pokemon, when compared to it?"
> "Rude too. You know nothing about my other pokemon." the red-head huffs. "Or at least you had better not, because I'm getting really sick and tired of all these leaks."
>"And how did Galactic manage to open up a gateway to Gensokyo - It stands as a major threat and I doubt the others would take it lightly."
> "I told you, it was an accident," the red-head adds aggressively. "Look, I'm not big on telling you anything about our rituals, but if it'll get you off our backs, then fine. We summoned... things that lived elsewhere. The things tore apart space, we think the things shattered the reality between you and us. I don't get it either, and I don't know why they choose you guys. However, our science team thinks the wall may have already been weak and cracked before we started. We've tied the cannibals of the new world to the sudden glut of super-powered freaks in the days leading up to our summon." She takes on an accusatory tone as she asks, "Maybe you can explain how your cryomancers and wind-manipulators appeared in Sinnoh before we even began our ritual?"
>"Nue, can I borrow your phone? I left mine with Kogasa."
>Call Yukari.
> "Sure thing," Nue says.
> Are you sure you wish to speak with Yukari right now? If so, what would you like to discuss with her?
>_
-
"Maybe you can explain how your cryomancers and wind-manipulators appeared in Sinnoh before we even began our ritual?"
> "That? That was Yukari fooling around again."
-
>Wait no, why tell them that when we can troll?
>"Your ritual probably screwed with time and tossed us back there given your track record of breaking stuff."
>Ring up Yukari.
>"Yo, did you know there's a dragon with your gap power?"
Meh, might as well go with her deal. If she keeps it, Satori owes us big. If she doesn't, we have slightly more justification in killing them all.
Granted, we're probably going to do that anyway........
And we need to catch Giratina, mindrape dragon's the only one awesome enough for Mokou. At least till we get Reshiram.
-
>Wait no, why tell them that when we can troll?
>"Your ritual probably screwed with time and tossed us back there given your track record of breaking stuff."
The way I see it, referring to someone who looks human but has the powers of a legendary gap dragon would be trolling them anyway.
-
>"Well, we have a friend who has the powers of Palkia. And you could say every power in imagination. Depending on how you interpret it, manipulation of borders."
-
>Let's not tell them about Yukari until after we tell Yukari about them.
-
>Let's not tell them about Yukari until after we tell Yukari about them.
>Yes first we talk to Yukari then we say what I posted earlier to them. However chances are Yukari is already watching this going "ufufufufufuufufufu" or something along those lines
-
>Let's just not tell them about Yukari right now. If they go trying to capture her, it will fail, they'll keep bothering Gensokyo, and Yukari will find some way to make us miserable for it.
-
> You are undecided about whether you would like to tell them about Yukari at all. While you think you'd like to drop her name at some point, for now you are sure that you'd like to tell Yukari about them first. You aren't completely sure if you'd like to take Satori's deal yet, but you are leaning strongly in favor of it and you figure the sooner you make a decision, the more predictable the red-head will be.
(You realize that if possible, you would like two votes in favor of any decision involving stealing from or making a deal with the red-head.)
>"Your ritual probably screwed with time and tossed us back there given your track record of breaking stuff."
> "Hah, not possible," the red-head says.
> "Why not?" Nue asks. "You have Dialga, right."
> "Well because..." The redhead takes a second to mull, before tersely responding, "Nevermind."
>Ring up Yukari.
> You ring up Yukari on Nue's phone.
> "Um, hello Mokou, I'm kind of busy right now, is it urgent?"
>"Yo, did you know there's a dragon with your gap power?"
> "Wait, what." Yukari replies.
> "There is a dragon with your gap power," you respond back, slowly.
> The line remains silent for a minute, before Yukari says, "That is urgent." She then pauses again, adding, "Can you do anything about it?"
> While you ponder your answer to Yukari's question, you consider telling Yukari what the red-head told you about Galactic's reality shattering.
>_
-
>Tell her!
>"Well, this red-head girl seems to have it under her control, so it's only following her commands. What are you going to do about it?"
>Take Satori's deal. She's the one with the nuclear bird.
-
>"It's a pokemon, and I'm still figuring out the rules on them. Stealing it would be distasteful. Trading for it would take someone more persuasive than me. Killing it doesn't seem feasible."
And did Sattery even offer us a deal?
-
>"It's a pokemon, and I'm still figuring out the rules on them. Stealing it would be distasteful. Trading for it would take someone more persuasive than me. Killing it doesn't seem feasible."
>"This red-head girl seems to have it under her control, so it's only following her commands. What are you going to do about it?"
> "Well..." she starts before immediately stalling. She then continues, "I didn't have any plans yet, but I suppose if you can steal it from them, you might as well do that. I don't much care for people having my powers."
> "I could try stealing it myself, but I'd rather not jump in blindly. I can't even track your phone's location; the GPS satellites are mostly being blocked out by the planet in the way, and when they do work what they're telling me doesn't make any sense."
>Take Satori's deal. She's the one with the nuclear bird.
> You yell to Utsuho that you're good with Satori's deal. Nue may still has some reservations, but you've decided you want to bring Satori into this.
> Yukari grumbles, "She's involved?" She then adds, "Well, she does get the best information, but she's painfully expensive about it."
And did Sattery even offer us a deal?
> Not yet, but that be mostly because you haven't had a chance to speak with her. You remember that Utsuho blurted her number out during the battle. It was 666... something something thirteen. Er... 666-2913? ...No, you think that's backwards, it was 666-9213.
> You don't think this will be a problem, from what you've seen of Satori. She already owes you a favor for keeping Utsuho's sun from falling, and she doesn't like to leave favors unreturned. Though you don't think this is the right mindset, it might be better to think in terms of would she mind helping you out with something or could she give you a spell, like that. You think you want to think friendly when she's around, keeps the atmosphere light even if you don't think it's possible to have a thought she finds distasteful.
> The obvious things you get out of helping her with her deal is pokemon with rare magic/abilities and access to the thoughts of everyone involved in this trade, it wouldn't be inappropriate to ask about either of those. You'd also like to ask her for some copies of the charms Utsuho uses to protect her belongings.
>_
-
> "Does it feel hot to you?" Nue asks, fanning herself.
> You hadn't really noticed, but it does feel a lot warmer than it did a few minutes ago. It was 80 F a minute or two ago, now you're pretty sure it's 90. Not a big deal to you, but now that you think of it the difference is fairly significant. You see Nue crane her head back, you're also pretty sure you know the cause. You decide that you have more pressing issues than talking to Yukari, so you tell her goodbye and hang up.
> "Oh right, um, listen," Utusho says. "So technically, the sun is still falling. Nothing I can't fix, but I have to be pretty close, so it'd be kind of hard keeping what's-her-name alive-say, what IS your name?"
> "Let's say it's Mars," the red-head growls.
> "Right, Mars! So, Nue, if you could take this-hold on," Utsuho says, her outstretched hand tightening around the thing she was about to hand Nue as she holds her earpiece. "Uh-huh. She doesn't seem that-wait, she did what? Seriously?"
> Nue shrugs, giving you a smug grin. "Nice having your work appreciated."
> "Alright," Utsuho continues, handing you the thing, a small, decorated earpiece. You quickly recognize the squiggles running across the device as magical commands, most likely to protect it from the heat . "It's a spare earpiece, you know, just in case. I already dialed Satori for you."
> "You're pretty beat up," Utsuho observes. It's fairly obvious, considering you can barely sit up let alone stand. "I know it's much, but the thing is, I have to take care of the sun, and Nue is... not someone I want in control. So, we're going to the dropoff soon. Preferably now." Utsuho let's her point sink in for a second, then explains, "When we get there, I don't want to leave the sun unattended. So I want you to watch the hostage until Satori comes. Shouldn't be long, she may even be there before we are, but, you know, precautions." She then yells to her hostage, "Mars lady, going down, got it?"
> The woman grumbles, saying, "Fine. Get this over with already."
>_
-
>Where are we going?
>"Psst Nue, Yukari says she'll owe you a favor if you steal that gap pokemon for her."
-
>Where are we going?
> "See the peak about a quarter of a mile south? It's above the treeline and gives a great view of the surroundings, so there shouldn't be any surprises if we do it there."
>"Psst Nue, Yukari says she'll owe you a favor if you steal that gap pokemon for her."
> Nue smiles deviously, before saying, "Hold up, I have to get Kogasa."
> "That's a really bad idea," Utsuho says. "Satori wants you to be here, a little extra firepower. Can't you call her?"
> "That depends. Do you want her screwing everything up with a cheap surprise? She'll try something if I don't keep an eye on her."
>_
-
>"Give her some credit. Maybe she'll cause a distraction for you."
-
>"Give her some credit. Maybe she'll cause a distraction for you."
> "Oh, I have no doubt she'll be distracting," Nue chuckles, low enough to keep Utsuho out of earshot as she takes back her phone. "But will she be the right distraction, now, that's a different matter."
> You know Nue's up to something by her good mood, which makes sense, because you just told her to start being up to something that would get you a yukari dragon. And you are sure that something involves picking up Kogasa. Now whether that something seems wise to you is a different matter. You don't think you can watch the redhead on your own, she probably has a few pokemon you haven't seen yet while your other pokemon are still with Kogasa. That, and you burnt yourself out metaphorically and quite literally firing phoenix sparks at the yukari dragon.
> Course, you might not have to watch her alone, with any luck. For all you know, Satori may already be there, and you're sure Nue can collect Kogasa pretty quickly if she wants to. Which she might not, depending on whatever it is she's planning.
> You consider your response to Nue without turning on the earpiece Utsuho gave you, you are pretty sure you don't want Satori hearing about this plan until it's already too late for her to stop it. You suppose it boils down to whether you think she should stay or go, and after deciding on that, whether there is anything specific you want to ask of Nue.
>_
-
>"Cmon Nue. Either we trust Kogasa not to screw things up, or we trust this redhead not to attack again. I need you here right now."
-
>"Cmon Nue. Either we trust Kogasa not to screw things up, or we trust this redhead not to attack again. I need you here right now."
> "...Making things harder," Nue grumbles to the combined pressure of you and Utsuho. Truthfully, you think you made the right choice. After all, you know she's up to something, so it's probably best to not let her out of your sight.
> On the other hand, you'd probably convince yourself that the other decision was the right one had you made it.
> As Nue calls Kogasa, Utsuho begins guiding her captive downwards. The drop is only a minute or two away if you fall to it (admittedly not the best idea), and the 4 of you begin descending.
> "Look, if you have to enter with a bang, at least let it be on someone that won't shoot on sight," Nue says to her phone. "Anyway, middle peak, straight down. Bring our stuff and THEN you can do whatever you want to the guards, alright? ...Kogasa, that's a disgusting waste of peanut butter. Save it for Reimu."
> As Nue's conversation continues, and Utsuho keeps her control rod on the redhead, you realize you haven't put in that earpiece Utsuho gave you yet. You consider trying it out now while Utsuho's still here to explain any questions you may have. Although you'd just as soon eavesdrop on Nue.
>_
-
> Multitask. Try out the earpiece while keeping an ear out for interesting snippets in Nue's conversation.
-
> Multitask. Try out the earpiece while keeping an ear out for interesting snippets in Nue's conversation.
> "We've been over this, umbrella liberation is never a good prank," Nue says as you put in you earpiece. You fiddle with it, for a bit before you find the on switch. As Nue explains, "Putting your umbrella in the middle of a street has never been surprising, ever," you speak into the mike.
> "Mokou?" Satori says.
> "Yep," you reply.
> "Good," she says. "You know what I want. Yes, it's a bother, and no, I'm not sure if the information we'll get is worth it. We may end up stealing that Palkia anyway, but first I need to know if these pokemon trainers will have problems with satori. Don't know what they'd be called there, but we could have a problem if they connect my third eye to some mythic creature. This is all speculative, but we just collided with a world from our fiction. Bizarre similarities are normal."
> Your Charizard lands on the mountain snow with a thud as you overhear Nue explaining to Kogasa that Guerrilla typhoon would not be fun, even with live gorillas. Admittedly, you aren't familiar with any Sinnoh legends concerning mind readers, but that's mostly because you haven't been reading up on the subject. It's pokemon, you aren't hear to appreciate the rich history and culture, you're here to force small woodland creatures to fight eachother with lightning and fire. Well technically, you've moved on to large dragons. And you see no downside with that.
> You suppose the Mars girl would know more about Sinnoh's legends than you, though you don't exactly want to hint you have a mind reader when you ask. At least not unless she would instantly recognize Satori anyway. It shouldn't be a problem.
>_
-
>Ask Satori if she has some sort of nifty third-eye-hiding ability or something.
>If she does, maybe you guys can covertly get info from that Mars person's mind.
-
>Ask Satori if she has some sort of nifty third-eye-hiding ability or something.
>If she does, maybe you guys can covertly get info from that Mars person's mind.
> "I'm not my sister," Satori says. "This is more her kind of thing. Hey, you have Nue with you, can she handle it?"
>_
-
>"Well, there are pokemon that can do all kinds of things, right? I think they're just afraid of us because we can do things without pokemon, which seems a little hypocritical."
-
>"Well, there are pokemon that can do all kinds of things, right? I think they're just afraid of us because we can do things without pokemon, which seems a little hypocritical."
> "They summon Gensokyo, carry around small armies of youkai soldiers in their pocket, and they're afraid of us?" Satori deadpans. "I don't even... I mean... But..."
> "Nobody said humans were smart," you overhear Orin pipe in on the other end.
> "Well, yes, most humans fear youkais because of their power," Satori continues, "and sure everyone is a little afraid of Utsuho, but... they literally moved heaven and earth." The mind reader lets out an exacerbated sigh, before adding, "...You know what? If they want to be that way, then fine. Let them be afraid."
>_
-
>Keep an eye on the alien. The Martian. Mars. Not Nue.
-
>Keep an eye on the alien. The Martian. Mars. Not Nue.
> You keep an eye on the Martian as you spot a flying wheelbarrow in the distance. You spot a pink haired girl in a cloak inside the wheelbarrow, and you see a red-headed girl with cat ears pushing it. The combination lands in the snow, going poomph as they cover you in powder.
> "Oops," The cat-eared girl says. "Sorry!"
> The pink haired girl brushes herself off, and commanding Utsuho to leave, approaches you, cat-eared girl close behind. She then passes you. Then she begins speaking with Nue.
> The cat-eared girl stays behind, brushing the snow off of you. She says, "Yeah, you know how Satori can be."
> You note that Satori is hiding her 3rd eye under her cloak at the moment, as Mars speaks up, "Are you this Satori girl? Or is Satori the cat?" Satori barely seems to notice Mars as she holds some hushed conversation with Nue.
> "I'm Orin, she's Satori," the cat-eared girl says to Mars, "You'll have to excuse her, she's never been good at the face-to-face."
>_
-
>"Is this all you wanted from me, or should I stick around more?"
-
>"Is this all you wanted from me, or should I stick around more?"
> Satori doesn't seem to notice you as she continues talking to Nue. Nue then passes something to Satori, and Satori turns around, cloak open. You notice a large gold watch where Satori's 3rd-eye should be.
> "Um, Satori, Mokou's question?" Orin asks.
> A look of realization dawns on Satori, "Oh, well, naturally I would appreciate it if you and Nue stuck around." She then starts checking Mars from all angles, as she continues, "Still, you've done plenty so far, I can't blame you for wanting to get out of here and leaving little old me and Orin on this cold, dark mountain. Alone. Surrounded by bad guys."
> "You aren't old," Nue deadpans. "You are little though," she adds, earning a grumble from Satori.
> "Keep your distance," Mars warns as the mind-reader gets a little close.
>_
-
>Wonder where Kogasa is.
-
>Wonder where Kogasa is.
> ...Do you really want to know? If you know, you lose plausible deniability.
> Your thought seems to have caught Satori's attention. She turns around to face you, and stares. She then turns to inspect Nue.
> "Call her."
> "Who?"
> "Umbrella girl. Call her. There will be no surprises today."
> "Have a sense of humor, would you?" Nue smirks. "I'm sure it'll be harmless."
> "There will be plenty of time for humor later," Satori commands with an air of authority unbecoming of her size. "Now call her."
> "Sheesh, alright, alright, just... stop looking at me like that," Nue says, taking out her phone. You hear "Thriller (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly16gSsqlcw)" playing from a little ways off, to which Orin lets out a small snirk. Although you hear the tone, you don't see the girl that should accompany it. After the ringing continues for about 30 seconds, it stops.
> "She's not answering," Nue says.
> "Obviously. Try again."
> You hear the ringtone a second time, though no one is answering it this time either. You could probably track it down easily enough.
>_
-
Crap, sorry guys.
>"So, ah, how long will you want me here for?"
>Check out the catgirl. Try to see whether she has four ears.
-
>"So, ah, how long will you want me here for?"
> As Satori fails to notice you, Orin answers in her place, "We'll be done in about another 20 minutes or so, not that I get your hurry..." She then goes on, "...Satori didn't mention splitting the ransom, did she."
>Check out the catgirl. Try to see whether she has four ears.
> Well... actually, yes, she has a pair of human ears under her cat ears.
> You've never asked her about the extra set.
> Your examination of Orin also reveals that she's slightly above average height... that she has dark, ruby-read eyes alsongside her fiery red hair... that her chest size is larger than yours... you are pretty sure you've checked out the catgirl enough.
>_
-
>Wait.
-
>Wait.
> You decide to wait.
> Orin overturns her wheelbarrow in the snow, using it as a makeshift table as she begins drawing lines. Meanwhile, Satori ends up searching for the source of the ringtone herself, finding Kogasa's cellphone on the ground when Kogasa pops out of a snowbank behind her, grabbing her legs and forcing her to the ground.
> You are a little surprised Satori didn't see anything coming, but you think she needs a direct line of sight with her 3rd eye to mind-read.
> Kogasa gives you and Nue back your respective stuff. Your inventory has now returned in its entirety.
> After Kogasa's scolding from Satori, followed by dropoff preparation from Satori in the form of lines in the snow and discussion with Orin, you see the opposing members of team galactic appear in the distance riding a number of different flying pokemon.
(http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn193/elj_009/Staraptor.jpg) (http://media.photobucket.com/user/elj_009/media/Staraptor.jpg.html)
(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk316/firefox1362/022.png) (http://media.photobucket.com/user/firefox1362/media/022.png.html)
(http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb188/hippomantus/pidgeot.jpg) (http://media.photobucket.com/user/hippomantus/media/pidgeot.jpg.html)
> There are about eight grunts being led by a woman with purple hair.
(http://i762.photobucket.com/albums/xx262/Kazunari-chan/Pokemon/Jupiter.png) (http://media.photobucket.com/user/Kazunari-chan/media/Pokemon/Jupiter.png.html)
> As they approach, Satori yells "Don't pass the line in the snow."
> "And hello to you too," the purple-haired woman says.
> "Hello again Jupiter."
> You screwed up big time, huh?" the purple-haired woman replies.
> "Not now," the redhead snarls.
> As this Jupiter girl lands, you see she is carrying a briefcase in one hand, and holding on tight to a pokeball in the other. The pokeball appears to be handcuffed to herself.
> Satori speaks, "First, give me the pokeball instructions and a line of communications with your superiors. Approach, and place them on the wheelbarrow, then return to your position. My associate will check them."
> "You heard the lady," Jupiter says, opening the briefcase, from which she passes a booklet and a radio to one of her grunts. The grunt crosses the line in the snow and places the objects on Orin's overturned wheelbarrow, then returns.
> "Alright Orin, put on a good show," Satori says in a hushed voice.
> "You got it," Orin says, crossing a line in the snow on your side of the negotiating area. She leafs through the booklet, saying, "Looks like it at least has the theory. We should be able to work with this." She then tests the radio with a simple "Hello, anyone there?" You can't make out the other end, but Orin appears satisfied as she says, "All good!"
> As Orin makes to take the objects back to Satori, she is stopped by Jupiter, who says, "Hold it, leave them there until we're done."
> Satori hesitates for a second, before saying, "Do as she asks." Slightly disappointed, Orin returns to Satori empty-handed.
> "Now the pokemon," Satori says.
> Jupiter calls four of the eight grunts to her, passing each of them 5 pokeballs from her briefcase. About midway through, Satori's attention is suddenly diverted upwards. She says, "I don't like interruptions." Looking up, you see a small light in the distance, hovering in the sky.
> Jupiter looks up too, holding a finger to her ear. She asks her earpiece, "Any info on what's above us?" She waits for a second then says, "It's a Charizard. Probably wild."
> Satori replies, "We'll each send a couple people to check."
> "It's probably nothing," Jupiter says.
> Satori continues to stare upwards before adding "I'm paranoid, humor me."
>_
-
>Health status?
-
>is that our Charizard?
>Maybe we should fly up and check.
-
>Health status?
> Poor. You'd rather not fight in your current condition, but you have potions for Charizard and 5 other healthy pokemon. It should be noted that all past spellcards have dissipated, and you kind of forgot that you wanted to speak with Genji again. Well, maybe later.
> Your party contains:
> Haunter
> Ponyta
> Charizard
> Lucario
> Registeel
> Crobat
>is that our Charizard?
>Maybe we should fly up and check.
> That is not your Charizard. Your Charizard is resting on a once snow-covered rock nearby, it's pretty much melted the snow around itself about a foot down.
> You think it might be a good idea to fly up and check. You realize that you may want to make a preparation or two beforehand if you do decide to check, but if nothing else making sure there's nothing wrong would make Satori happy.
>_
-
>Let all our pokemon stretch their legs, so to speak.
>Potion Lighter.
>Use Polymerization on China and Lighter to reveal Psychic Dragon Knight! Ask said Knight to check out the other Charizard.
>Oh crap, did we let Haunter out of its pokeball? We did, didn't we?!?
-
>Let all our pokemon stretch their legs, so to speak.
>Potion Lighter.
> You let your pokemon out of their pokeballs, giving the ones with legs the opportunity to stretch them. You then give Lighter a potion.
> You have 7 potions left.
>Use Polymerization on China and Lighter to reveal Psychic Dragon Knight! Ask said Knight to check out the other Charizard.
> You successfully fuse your monsters into the Dragon Master Knight You command China to mount Lighter and check out the other Charizard.
> "Kowalsky, keep an eye on their Charizard," Jupiter says to one of the grunts. He doesn't leave, but he's looking towards the sky instead of the exchange. Jupiter continues, "I think we've had enough distractions, here are your pokemon."
> "One at a time," Satori says. "Orin, be ready."
> "Hey!" Mars says as Orin closes in. "Keep your distance."
> "Satori's orders," Orin says.
> "Listen to the kitty," Jupiter taunts. "It is your failure that forced us here."
> The purple haired woman has each of the four grunts around her pick up a pokeball. Jupiter then begins to call out names as each ball is opened, then the pokemon returned.
> "Alakazam. Kadabra. Ralts. Duskull. Natu."
> "Espeon. Ghastly. Ninetales. Golduck. Slobro."
> "Eevee. Torterra. Empoleon. Infernape. Ditto."
> "Drifloon. Staraptor. Hippowdon. Weavile. Drapion."
> You notice that Satori seems somewhat fidgety throughout. You also see that the Charizard she was worried about is closer now, in that you can somewhat make out its wings and heads instead of just the light on its tail. Your pokemon are getting pretty close to it.
>Oh crap, did we let Haunter out of its pokeball? We did, didn't we?!?
> ...That would explain what has Satori fidgety.
> "Be good," you remind your Haunter.
> "As always," he replies, then begins making faces at Kogasa, who returns the gesture in kind.
> Satori thinks for half a second as she looks up. She then says, somewhat rushed, "It's acceptable. Leave it on the wheelbarrow. Quickly."
> "It's only a Charizard," Jupiter sighs, handing the refilled suitcase off to one of her grunts, who approches the wheelbarrow and places the suitcase alongside Satori's new radio and the pokeball booklet. The grunt then retreats.
> "Orin, follow behind Mars."
> "Are you sure?" the catgirl asks, although Satori doesn't immediately respond. Orin then yells, "I said, are you sure?"
> "Oh? Yes, yes I'm sure." Satori says, still fixated on that other Charizard above.
> As Orin begins walking Mars across, you notice that other Charizard seems a lot brighter. Right before it envelopes Kogasa in a giant laser. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbQCNZuzJ14)
>_
-
> "Ah crap."
> Quickly check on Kogasa and tell our Pokemon to stay frosty.
-
>After checking on Kogasa, keep attention on Team Galactic. The Dragon Master Knight should be able to handle the rogue dragon.
-
> "Ah crap."
> Quickly check on Kogasa and tell our Pokemon to stay frosty.
> Kogasa is not particularly responsive, Words you would use to describe her include "crispy".
EDIT:
> Though you think it would take more than that to kill Kogasa. Considering how much Kogasa enjoys 'surprising' both humans and youkai that are way out of her league, you have no doubt she has suffered worse. She'll be fine tomorrow. Probably.
>After checking on Kogasa, keep attention on Team Galactic. The Dragon Master Knight should be able to handle the rogue dragon.
> "What's the big idea?" Orin yells, lunging at her hostage before any of the Galactic members can react, pinning Mars to the ground as she holds Mars by the neck. Jupiter's eyes widen considerably as she fumbles for the pokeball she has handcuffed to herself. Satori's attention is diverted to Jupiter, as the commander holds the ball in her hand and takes a second to mull. She then lowers her hand.
> "You trying to ambush us?" a grunt shouts back, releasing his giant bird as other grunts follow suit.
> "Calm. Down." Jupiter commands with a slight tremble in her voice, though she corrects herself quickly. "We are not screwing this up over what may well be a wild Charizard."
> "But Ma'am, they just..." One of the grunts begins before Jupiter cuts him off.
> "They would not hyper beam themselves." She then faces her grunts. "You two. Check the Charizard. Kowalsky. Smokescreen overhead. Try to keep it out of our faces. Catgirl. Let Mars go."
> Orin shouts back, "You have got to be..."
> "They're just as in the dark as we are." Satori says, pointing her disguised 3rd eye directly at Nue. Jupiter gives Satori an odd look after she says it, to which Satori hastely adds "Only morons would endanger their own hostage return. Which many of them are, but I don't think their commanders are that stupid."
> "And I would appreciate it if you would let go of Mars," Jupiter adds. You notice Nue doesn't seem particularly concerned. She has her hand is over her mouth, you think she's hiding a grin.
> "Satori?" Orin asks.
> The mind reader doesn't react right away, turning her attention onto Mars and Jupiter. Orin asks again, "Satori, should I let her go?"
> "...Let her up, but don't let her go yet," Satori says. She then asks Jupiter, "Is this team 'Galactic' genuinely interested in trade with Gensokyo?"
> "Of course," Jupiter replies, to which Satori mulls. Jupiter adds "You know, if it's not wild and someone is attacking us, we should finish quickly."
>_
-
>You should.
>Fly up there and give the Charizard the taste of REAL fire.
>You should probably check if anyone's on it, just in case.
-
>You should.
>Fly up there and give the Charizard the taste of REAL fire.
>You should probably check if anyone's on it, just in case.
> "Fine," Satori says. "Orin, finish the deal. Mokou, take Myon. And before you ask, yes, I am completely sure I do not want Myon to be seperated from your supervision, regardless of how powerful he is."
> You call Myon to you, although he is still laughing at Kogasa's plight. He doesn't seem to concerned about death lasers from above. You are also starting to think Myon is not a very nice pokemon.
> Well, no, you've always known Myon is not a very nice pokemon.
> You take flight with Myon through the low-hanging smokescreen, quickly passing through the other side, where immediately after clearing the smoke you are face-to-face with Marisa. (http://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=237143) She is in a full dive upon the Charizard, being chased by your attacking pokemon and the Galactic grunts.
> Marisa (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSspOhOYGBY) is tremendously good at evading attacks, possibly the best in Gensokyo due to her willingness to use maneuvers everyone else would consider insane. The disadvantage is that the maneuvers she pulls are in fact insane, often putting her in additional danger and placing her a hair from death. Although she knows a large variety of spells as a witch, she favors overwhelmingly powerful attacks, often disregarding small but practical spells in favor of using extremely powerful ones that drain excessive magic. She is an extremely good pick-pocket as well, if she touches you, you've probably already been robbed.
> You have your Haunter by your side.
> Dialogue
> Attack
> Evade
> Retreat
> Other
>_
-
>"Hey! Can you take your Charizard somewhere else? We are trying to conduct legitimate business deals here!"
-
>"Hey! Can you take your Charizard somewhere else? We are trying to conduct legitimate business deals here!"
> Well, hostage exchanges do technically qualify as legitimate business in Gensokyo.
> Marisa replies, "Ya, well Kogasa should have thought of that before stealin' from me, don't cha think?" as she leaps off her Charizard, passing above you as her Charizard passes below. The pair meet behind you as you're forced to dodge your own Charizard's dive, whereupon you notice one of your hair bows is in Marisa's hand.
> Recap: You made a bet with Marisa concerning your battle with Nue. Although Marisa left before the prize could be determined, Kogasa wanted to surprise her by stealing her mini-hakkero. Since then, you kept Marisa's mini-hakkero as your justly-earned prize.
>_
-
>"Myon, be creative on the blonde thief."
>Can he do invisible wall, aka stealth rock?
-
>"Myon, be creative on the blonde thief."
> Your Myon's clasps its disembodied hands together as he responds, "Sure thing boss. Just sit back, relax, and watch the sparks fly!"
> As you wonder whether this was a good idea, your Myon phases itself out of sight before you can second guess yourself. Looking towards the battle, you see Marisa sharply ascend out of the way of your Charizard's flamethrower, looking down the barrel of her broomstick as it gives off a slight glow. Your Lucario corkscrews your Charizard away before the broom explodes with light, sending a beam of energy straight through the smoke below. "Fire blast!" Marisa commands, her Charizard pounding your Lighter further beneath it with a minisun's worth of flames as the two grunts behind get knocked out of the sky.
> As the laser fades away, you notice Myon reappearing directly in the path the laser took, already waving his hands. Marisa immediately looks away as she quickly fumbles open a pokeball, commanding, "Mismagius, do your stuff."
(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff168/ArtisticAnimeArtist/Pokemon/mismagius.png) (http://media.photobucket.com/user/ArtisticAnimeArtist/media/Pokemon/mismagius.png.html)
> Marisa's new pokemon looks a lot like a witch with it's hat-thing. You can see why her ego would have wanted it.
>Can he do invisible wall, aka stealth rock?
> You don't believe your haunter can make invisible barriers, no.
>_
-
>Fly around evasively and pay as little attention to Myon as we can while still "supervising" him.
>That is, make Marisa keep her own track of our pokemon. When they land blows, cheer them on.
-
>Fly around evasively and pay as little attention to Myon as we can while still "supervising" him.
> You decide to let your pokemon handle this battle, instead of getting directly involved. You wonder if supervision is truely possible on Myon when he gets on a roll, seeing as he can turn invisible at will and hypnotize others to do his bidding. Including yourself, come to think of it.
>That is, make Marisa keep her own track of our pokemon. When they land blows, cheer them on.
> Marisa jumps off her charizard, broomstick in hand as she commands, "Mismagius, suppression shadow balls!" Her mismagius forces your haunter to back off as he starts chucking attacks right back. While this occurs above, you notice Marisa dive bombing your Lucario and Charizard, her own Charizard right behind her. She holds her broom like a bat as she attempts to bash in your Lucario, who responds by seemingly missing with an aura sphere.
> The reason you say seemingly is that at the last second, the attack veers off into her attempted dodge path, knocking her sideways as her Charizard continues downward, grabbing your Charizard by it's shoulders. Your dragon blasts her dragon's face as both dragons and your Lucario enter into a downward tussle, none of them making any successful attempt to stay airborn.
> Marisa rubs her jaw as she straightens out her continued downward dive. You remember her mentioning that her primary target is Kogasa, not you. Which makes sense, Kogasa is the last person that she'd think holds her mini-hakkero, being the person who stole it in the first place.
>_
Mod note: RL caused delay.
-
If we are within range, detail aCrobat to attack Marisa, while having Dash and Fujiyama protect Kogasa.
-
If we are within range, detail aCrobat to attack Marisa, while having Dash and Fujiyama protect Kogasa.
> You chase after Marisa (Well, more like fall through the smokescreen), shouting commands to your grounded pokemon as loudly as you can. As you pass through the smog, you see that Satori has her briefcase and the Galactics have their "Mars".
> Fujiyama is forming a golemic shield between Marisa and Kogasa, while Dash is creating a semicircle of fire and your crobat flies towards Marisa. As your crobat makes to engage Marisa, you notice her broom is beginning to shine again, although this time she's riding on top of it instead of pointing it at anything in particular.
>_
-
>At this point, we just have to watch and see what happens. Our pokemon all have their orders.
-
>At this point, we just have to watch and see what happens. Our pokemon all have their orders.
> "Ya, Blazing Star!" Marisa commands her broom, creating a blinding flash with a spell that can best be described as making herself "one with the laser". She blazes past your crobat knocking the bat right out of the way, straight through your ponyta's wall of fire, and right into your registeel, which digs itself into the ground as Marisa leaps above it's head, leaving her broom to continue forcing itself into your registeel with the power of a master spark as she makes to grab Kogasa's bag.
> You then see Kogasa's lifeless form nearly stab Marisa with three sicklish wings, as Kogasa(?) stands up and brushes herself off. Kogasa(?) is speaking with Marisa about something, taking her bag as the illusion around it fades and it the form of a trident. Although you aren't sure how carefully Marisa could be listening when her hat was just set on fire by your Dash. You are also a little bit concerned that Marisa seems to have backed into your Fujiyama, still digging itself in against the broomspark.
>_
-
>Now that the halftime show is over, perhaps we can get back to the legitimate business transaction.
-
>
"Fujiyama, dodge the broom." I know they are already in contact. Hopefully this is the correct order to give so the broom travels somewhere else and he doesn't.
Edit: >"Fujiyama, return!"
>"Good work Nue. I can always count on you.
-
>"Fujiyama, dodge the broom." I know they are already in contact. Hopefully this is the correct order to give so the broom travels somewhere else and he doesn't.
Edit: >"Fujiyama, return!"
> You return Fujiyama returns to it's ball as Marisa's broom blasts past where the golem was holding it in place. You can clearly see Marisa was trying to plant a spell on Fujiyama when you look at her hand, although her broom, no longer held back by your golem, blasts straight into the witch.
> "Cancel!" Marisa commands, the broom ceasing it's blast far too late to leave the witch unscathed. You seem Marisa forcefully pull the broom's stick out of her gut as she pulls a red-capped white-spotted mushroom out of her hat and swallows the fungus whole.
>"Good work Nue. I can always count on you.
> "Really? I'll have to fix that," Nue replies, grinning. "It doesn't feel right, a youkai like me being too reliable. Remind me to slip something in your tea."
> "Ya, I'd think we'd both like to slip something in there," Marisa says fairly cooly, considering how badly she was just injured. She aims her broom at Nue and continues, "Now ya're gonna tell me why ya hafta get in the way of me and my hakkero, before I blow ya ta kingdom come, ze?"
> "I am pretty fond of the umbrella girl," Nue says, "and of course I owe you for the cave thing."
> "That old thing?" Marisa replies, "Ya knew coming in that us thieves aren't big on loyalty."
> "Robbing my friends blind while leaving me to die doesn't make for much of a partnership, does it?" Nue says.
> "Like I said, not big on loyalty."
>Now that the halftime show is over, perhaps we can get back to the legitimate business transaction.
> You consider attempting diplomacy to convince Marisa to leave. She is surrounded by yourself, Nue, Satori, and Orin, and she is injured although her voice doesn't show it. You wonder just what was with that mushroom she ate.
>_
-
>This morning has been one long series of interruptions. We shouldn't expect anything to be resolved peacefully, but we should hope for it. "You done?"
-
>This morning has been one long series of interruptions. We shouldn't expect anything to be resolved peacefully, but we should hope for it. "You done?"
> Marisa chuckles, "Nah, still got a lotta fight in me."
> "You know all's fair in theft," the Nue-winged Kogasa says.
> "Ya're right." Marisa replies. "Exactly why I gotta steal my hakkero back. What kind of thief would I be if I asked for it, ze?"
> You notice Satori speaking up for the first time since Marisa arrived, after having watched you somewhat intensely, with the line "And a good thief goes after the big prizes."
> "Ya, always." Marisa replies.
> Satori shrugs. "It's been a busy morning for my comrades, we don't want a fight, so this one's for free. You see those Galactic guys? They have a lot of good pokemon."
> "Ain't no pokemon as good as my hakkero," Marisa replies.
> "Their pokemon are as good as Yukari AND Sakuya."
> "Nah, no way," Marisa says.
> "The redhead has a Palkia in no condition to fight, and the purple-haired one has a Dialga handcuffed to her wrist. The first makes portals Yukari-style, the latter can manipulate how quickly time flows immediately around it, just like Sakuya," Satori says non-chalantly.
> "Ya, that's a tough pill to swallow," Marisa says.
> "I'm an information broker. I can't afford to lie about these things. Bad for business. Besides, anyone with a telescope can confirm these invading foreigners were using a yukari-mon, and I promise you that it's in the red-head's possession."
> "She isn't lying," Nue adds informally. "Although I'd love for you to stick around. I'm feeling a little," Nue pauses, before cheerily adding, "bloodthirsty."
> Marisa doesn't immediately respond as she glances towards the retreating grunts while all the pokemon descend through their respective battles. Satori adds, "Better hurry, once they get back to base, stealing those pokemon is going to be neigh-impossible."
> "...Dammit!" Marisa says, mounting her broom as she adds, "If you're lying, you can expect your mansion to be rubble by the end of the week."
> "I know, that's why I don't lie, at least when it comes to the business side. You are hardly the first client that would come for my neck."
> "Charizard, Mismagius," Marisa hesitates, before finally sighing, "stop fighting." Then with renewed energy she adds. "We have things to steal!"
> With that, Marisa's Charizard stops trying to bring yours down with about a hundred feet to go, and her ghost stops lobbing attacks at your Myon as she flies up to mount her Charizard.
>_
-
>nudge Satori.
>"Is Marisa really a better alternative than those Galactic people for ownership of Yukari-mon and Sakuya-mon?"
-
>nudge Satori.
>"Is Marisa really a better alternative than those Galactic people for ownership of Yukari-mon and Sakuya-mon?"
> Satori ponders for a moment before saying, "Yes, it was a short-term plan, but she's still probably a better owner."
> She then opens up her phone, and start dialing some numbers, before placing her phone on speaker, "Kanako, I understand you have a war on your hands, and Yukari, you pay well for anything useful on these invaders, right?"
> Yukari says, "I really wish you'd keep this private,"
> The other voice, who you figure must be the mountain goddess Kanako, adds, "Yes, I'd like to use my own discretion in who I keep in the loop."
> Satori shrugs. "I get paid better telling the both of you than either of you individually."
> "That was fast," Nue whispers.
> "Oh, this is typical," Orin whispers back. "She likes to trade secrets as quickly as possible, worries that if someone else makes them public, she'll lose out on a payday."
> "And I can't predict what Marisa will do," she says half to Nue, half to Kanako and Yukari, "So lets get down to business, and I expect double the top rate. From each of you." Satori is much more energetic now than when she was during the hostage trade, explaining the situation as if she were gossiping to a friend (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gavIsqahzrg), "Marisa's going after a party of Galactic members headed to their base on that mountain above Youkai Mountain. The purple-haired one has a pokemon that can manipulate time as freely as Sakuya. This pokemon is being used to turn a day into a month of R&D, and they've brought themselves to the verge of mass-producing our magic with the extra time, so if you can stop Sakuya, you might want to stop them. The best part is, they really don't want to bring it out; they consider the time pokemon top secret, so they'll only use it publicly to protect it or the redhead they have with them. I'd knock those foreigners out before they knew you were there if I were you."
> "That's great, but your price is too high. I'm willing to pay..." Kanako begins before being interrupted.
> "You don't have time to negotiate, and there's a lot more to say." Satori says, "Although for now, I'd say you have less than 5 minutes before Marisa starts lighting up the sky, and who knows how these foreigners will react when that happens. Ought to be fun to watch," Satori says, taking out a pair of binoculars as she mumbles "Should have brought popcorn..."
>_
-
>"...Anyone got any marshmallows? It ain't popcorn, but it'll do I suppose."
-
>First Sattery deflects Marisa from us to steal the powerful pokemon, next she gets paid quadruple for using the OMA against someone we all have a reason to fight. Impressive.
-
>First Sattery deflects Marisa from us to steal the powerful pokemon, next she gets paid quadruple for using the OMA against someone we all have a reason to fight. Impressive.
> Satori glances at you and blushes a bit, as the two old ladies that you would never call old to their faces quickly say their goodbyes before hanging up.
> Well, actually, you might be willing to call them old to their faces. On a slow day when you want a challenge, you can't think of anything more ferocious than Yukari defending her age of 17. Even if it is only the last 2 digits. Was it 17? you can never remember with Yukari.
>"...Anyone got any marshmallows? It ain't popcorn, but it'll do I suppose."
> "Hold on a sec," Nue says, rummaging through Kogasa's bag. She pulls out a spoon, a rubber ducky, a teddy bear, and another purple umbrella before finding a bag of marshmallows, which she proceeds to jab 3 of onto the prongs of her trident. "Hey Mokou, light me up."
>_
-
>"You don't want them burned, do you?"
>I see Mokou as the type of person to carefully roast her marshmallows golden. Kaguya would impatiently burn hers.
-
(Personally, I like them with a bit of a black-ish crust on the outside. Makes the inside that much sweeter and gooier.)
>Let's set up a small hand-flame, and carefully monitor and adjust it's output while roasting the marshmallows. After all, marshmallows have to be roasted properly, it's a grave disrespect to them if they aren't! Food is serious business after all, even to immortals.
>"Just say when."
-
> “Perfect.” Satori says barely a second after you begin applying your flames. “Don’t judge,” she says to Nue before Nue even responds.
> Nue shrugs, saying, “I prefer mine more of a golden brown.”
> “Just light mine on fire,” Orin says.
> You scoff at Orin’s request. You are tempted to incinerate her marshmallow completely, that would teach her respect. Satori responds with a small giggle.
> The clouds above the fleeing galactics are spiraling faster and faster, forming a tornado as Marisa’s spark ignites the clouds a crimson red. Looks like the show is starting.
> Between chews of her marshmallow Satori says, “Almost as good as popcorn.” She stares at the slowly accelerating mess of fire, lasers, tornados and explosions above as she asks, “So, you stuck around.”
> Yes, yes you did, you think to yourself as Satori responds for you, “You took good care of Utsuho, and you really helped me out.” She continues chewing as you make Nue another marshmallow and intentionally burn a second one for Orin. “I hate being in debt, you know. Never know what'll be asked of you. Let’s fix that.”
> “First, I want the espeon. I suppose I could part with it, but not both the espeon and the eevee.” Orin looks up from her burnt marshmallow grumbling, raising her eyebrows towards her master. Satori says simply, “What, I like cats," as she swallows her marshmallow. She takes a second one, uncooked this time, and continues, "Anyway, second, they have an emergency computer about 15 minutes south of us, you can transfer pokemon there. Probably half buried under the snow, look under the second rocky outcropping facing west. Third, you want info, Utsuho-level talismans to protect your technical stuff, and maybe a pokemon or two. Does that sound about right?"
>You recall that you got the following from Galactic:
> Alakazam. Kadabra. Ralts. Duskull. Natu.
> Espeon. Ghastly. Ninetales. Golduck. Slobro.
> Eevee. Torterra. Empoleon. Infernape. Ditto.
> Drifloon. Staraptor. Hippowdon. Weavile. Drapion.
> You see another brilliant flash above, as the Galactic grunts have set one of the tornados alight into a flaming vortex of destruction while a series of explosions follow closely behind Marisa's ignited broom. Satori adds between globs of marshmallow, "We can wait until after the show, if you'd like."
>_
-
>"I'd like that. This is too good to be missed."
>Should we start a betting pool?
-
>"You don't get a show like this every day. And I know just how rare this sort of thing is. Sure, you can see Marisa spark the living daylights out of any old average joe, but when do you get to see these little critters get in on the action? Unless you use them to fight, it's not that often. Still, it's a shame there isn't a crowd, could probably get a good betting pool going."
>Let's roast-up a few marshmallows for ourselves. Maybe pull out Lighter too, to share with him.
-
>"I'd like that. This is too good to be missed."
>Should we start a betting pool?
>"You don't get a show like this every day. And I know just how rare this sort of thing is. Sure, you can see Marisa spark the living daylights out of any old average joe, but when do you get to see these little critters get in on the action? Unless you use them to fight, it's not that often. Still, it's a shame there isn't a crowd, could probably get a good betting pool going."
> “Yukari,” Orin and Nue say simultaneously.
> “I would bet on Yukari too,” Satori chuckles, “but I’ll bet on Aya for the sake of a pool.”
> “Aya?” Orin asks
> Satori passes the cat girl her binoculars, repeating, “Aya.”
> You know the girl as the crow youkai, you know what forget chivalry, the crow demon that reports whatever news she makes up on the spot. She’s faster than Marisa, a skill she’s rumored to have frequent use of when collecting pictures for her legendary private collection. What’s more, she even reported that you are a pyromaniac.
> “But that’s true,” Satori says, interrupting your thoughts as she takes back her binoculars.
> Your response is cut short by the roar of water as the ocean opens up in the sky. You wonder if Yukari plans to drown everyone in mid-air, she isn’t exactly a fan of Aya or Marisa.
>Let's roast-up a few marshmallows for ourselves. Maybe pull out Lighter too, to share with him.
> You start to roast marshmallows for you and your pokemon, idly wondering how your haunter and your registeel eat.
> You are somewhat disappointed at how Yukari’s drop the sea on them strategy is working out, either Aya, the Galactic guys, or maybe even Kanako’s divine intervention is parting the torrent.
> Satori says. “Yukari and Aya are on top of that Jupiter girl, her arm is coming right off if she’s not careful.”
> You then see an explosion of flames within the tempest, to which Satori remarks, “Marisa.” She adds “Hm, purple-hair has a 3-headed dragon out now, I think it’s called a hydregon.”
> “Hydreigon,” Nue corrects her.
> “Are you sure?” Satori asks, immediately adding, “Right, you’re positive.” You see an explosion of blue flames in front of Yukari’s falling ocean. With her normal eyes glued to the fight and her third eye staring at you, Satori says, “So about that betting pool. Got a wager in mind?”
>_
-
I have no idea who Mokou would bet on.
-
I'm half tempted to do the cheesy thing and jump into the fight just after saying "Myself." Y'know?
That seems like a very Mokou thing, doesn't it?
-
I have no idea either. Mokou might not jump into the fight, since Yukari and Kanako are in it (they are, aren't they?). She might just want to sit back and watch the fireworks.
>"Wow. Is this what my fights with Kaguya look like to spectators?"
-
I have no idea who Mokou would bet on.
I have no idea either. Mokou might not jump into the fight, since Yukari and Kanako are in it (they are, aren't they?). She might just want to sit back and watch the fireworks.
I'm half tempted to do the cheesy thing and jump into the fight just after saying "Myself." Y'know?
That seems like a very Mokou thing, doesn't it?
> With gods clashing against dragons, you are torn between betting on yourself and joining in on the fun, or taking the much earned break you deserve after this long, long day.
> Satori chuckles, "Your call."
>"Wow. Is this what my fights with Kaguya look like to spectators?"
> "Don't know,"Orin says.
> "None of us have seen you fight Kaguya," Satori says, "But your fight with that Mars was pretty spectacular. You fight more like Utsuho than anyone, except with smaller flames and less hesitation."
> "I could put on a better show," Nue brags.
> "Yeah, but that would just be a bunch of illusions, this is real!" the cat girl replies back.
> "So my illusions aren't real enough for you?" Nue says with a frown.
> "Well, yeah, duh, I mean they're impressive, but they're just smoke and mirrors, right?"
> "Smoke and mirrors?" Nue snaps back, "Not even close. My illusions are nothing so... mundane."
> "Orin," Satori says, cutting off any potential response from the cat.
> "Well, they're still amazing, but they aren't-" Orin says, getting cut off again.
> "It's not reality versus illusion," Satori says. "Right?"
> Nue gives Satori a smirk, telling the mind-reader, "I think you've seen enough today." She then loses her... definition. She's still there, but looking at her is like looking at a blurry photograph, she's impossible to make out.
> You hand your Lighter a marshmallow as the sky lights up again. Three separate, distinct prongs of fire are being launched, twisting and turning themselves wildly and unpredictably as the wind attempts to beat the flame trails back.
>_
-
I think we could put the Ditto to good use. Double Charizards, or double Registeel, or double Lucario would be fun.
-
>Growl at the fact that Galactic could have the third dragon.
aka giratina because ONLY WE MUST HAVE GIRATINA
-
I think we could put the Ditto to good use. Double Charizards, or double Registeel, or double Lucario would be fun.
> Heck, you could even ditto Nue's Zoroark and have a copy of an illusion. You idly wonder about loops as you consider Ditto copying Zoroark imitating Nue imitating someone else, even her own Zoroark.
> You decide against pointless redundancy for the sake of redundancy as you see significant value in being able to double up on the unique qualities of your pokemon. (Unless of course, you WANT to figure out how many layers down it can go. Which admittedly would not be a bad use for an afternoon.)
>Growl at the fact that Galactic could have the third dragon.
aka giratina because ONLY WE MUST HAVE GIRATINA
> The possibility of a third mythical creature in the hands of your enemies annoys you. You want all the power to belong to yourself and only yourself, after all.
> Although Satori is staring at the battle, she keeps her third eye on you as she says, "I don't think Galactic understands the power they have yet. And... Yukari's getting scary now."
> The dragon fire and the falling ocean are twisting themselves away from their trajectories into a series of rifts that are being opened in the sky, rifts through which you can see the stars in the sky. These are interspersed with additional water-cannon portals, as Yukari must be unleashing a relentless barrage that couldn't possibly be sparing Marisa or Aya. It looks like the gap-girl means business.
-
>Call Yukari with your phone
>"Hey, Yukari, is is this a bad time? I sorta wanna update the death count."
>Have we died since the last time we updated it?
-
>Were we supposed to keep track of Cirno and Kaguya death counts also?
-
>Also request for a closeup of the fight to be broadcasted live with the use of gaps.
-
>Call Yukari with your phone
>"Hey, Yukari, is is this a bad time? I sorta wanna update the death count."
>Have we died since the last time we updated it?
> Why yes, you died fighting the gap dragon at least. Although you admit you don't usually keep track of these things anymore.
> You dial Yukari, and you notice it ringing a fair number of times before going to voicemail. So you wind up calling her a second time. You wonder idly if her battle above your head counts as her being "busy".
> You suppose the answer is ?yes?, because she does not appear to be answering her phone. You consider leaving her a message.
>Were we supposed to keep track of Cirno and Kaguya death counts also?
> It is not possible to keep track of Kaguya?s death count exactly, since you are rarely with her. Whereas yes, you were supposed to keep track of Cirno?s death count, but having ditched her twice in the course of under 2 weeks, you have absolutely no idea how many times she?s gotten herself killed.
> She?s rash even among fairies, so the answer is probably ?A lot?.
>Also request for a closeup of the fight to be broadcasted live with the use of gaps.
> ?Here,? Satori says plainly, handing you her binoculars. You take a peek, noting that both Aya appears to be regrouping, backing out of the battle a bit. You can see stars within Yukari?s new gap type, which suck in anything that ventures too close to them. Team Galactic is in full retreat, while Marisa is using Yukari?s gaps to slingshot herself and her Charizard around, the two of them. You see her knock Yukari across the back of the head with her broom. As Yukari throws a water cannon Marisa?s way, Marisa?s Charizard comes from underneath and blasts the gap hag.
> ?They seem to be stepping on each other?s toes a bit,? Satori says.
-
>Call Cirno.
-
>"Shame we can't ask her for popcorn or something, this is really starting to pick up."
-
>"Shame we can't ask her for popcorn or something, this is really starting to pick up."
> "Assuming she wouldn't train-gap us if we asked," the 'undefined' Nue says.
> "I don't think she would do that-" Orin begins.
> "Yes," Nue cuts her off, "She would." She continues, "Me and granny don't usually see eye to eye."
> You check the binoculars again. You see Yukari and Marisa are continuing to distract eachother, while Aya circles around and homes in on the Galactic guys, getting in front of their retreat as she nimbly attempts hit-and-run tactics on their 3-headed dragon, each head independently attempting to burn the crow to a crisp. It's one thing to hear here lay claim to the title "fastest in Gensokyo," quite another to see it in action, as the crow nimbly swoops in and out. You note that she uses her fan to increase her maneuverability, swinging it left to blast herself right and up to blast herself down away from the streams of dragonfire and the beaks of the other grunt's birds.
>Call Cirno.
> You call Cirno, passing the binoculars back to Satori.
> "Hi Mokou!" Cirno answers gleefully. "A lot of stuff has happened, huh? Gensokyo came back, a second sun appeared, and I caught a Bidoof, She then goes on to say, "Wanna here about my Bidoof?"
> "Nobody cares about your stupid beaver," you hear the all too familiar voice of Kaguya say.
> "I care about my stupid beaver, and I'm somebody!" Cirno retorts.
> "You don't count anymore," Kaguya says.
>_
-
"Cirno, can you see the big fight from where you are? Also how many times have you died now?"
-
"Cirno, can you see the big fight from where you are?"
> "Um, let me check," Cirno says, "Yeah, I see lots of lights outside. And a waterfall. And a bunch of crow-youkai. Wolf youkai too. Oh, hey, there's Momiji! HEY MOMIJI! WHATCHA DOING!"
> "For goodness sake Cirno, the wolf's too far away to hear you," Kaguya says. "Besides, who really cares? Someone's always fighting someone."
> "Yeah, but this time it's a really big fight," Cirno says.
> "How special could it-" Kaguya says, before adding, "Oh, wow, you weren't kidding. Can't tell if the water's coming from Gensokyo or Sinnoh!"
"Also how many times have you died now?"
> "About 4 times," Cirno says, "Although Kaguya did take a sledgehammer to my head, but I didn't lose consciousness that time. I suppose that would make it 5 if I were human."
> "Yeah, ice fairies are the one creature in Gensokyo that keeps talking when you bash in their skulls," Kaguya adds.
>_
-
>"OK, so four and a half. Hmm. Yukari will probably want to know about your Bidoof. You should call her and tell her."
-
>"Better yet, fly up to the fight and tell her!"
>"Also, bring Kaguya. She wouldn't want to miss out on the action."
-
>"OK, so four and a half. Hmm. Yukari will probably want to know about your Bidoof. You should call her and tell her."
>"Better yet, fly up to the fight and tell her!"
>"Also, bring Kaguya. She wouldn't want to miss out on the action."
> "You really don't like Cirno, do you?" Satori whispers.
> "Hey Kaguya-" Cirno starts.
> "No," Kaguya cuts in.
> "But-"
> "Don't care."
> "It'll be fun," Cirno says.
> "No it won't. Now let me play my games in peace."
> "We're going to tell Yukari about my Bidoof and that's final," Cirno says.
> "Hey put me down you twerp-" You hear Kaguya say as a sharp crack followed by a glassy crunch comes out of the phone. Then the line goes dead.
> You see Marisa?s Charizard launch another fireball at Yukari when you spot a gap open up between the charizard and its target. Then a second gap appears right below Marisa, as the fireball clips the witch, along with it a blue dot and a pink dot. The blue dot begins to form large chunks of ice underneath itself which drop almost as quickly as they are formed.
> ?Hey Orin, take a look,? Satori says, passing the binoculars to the cat. ?First time I?ve seen aerial ice skating.?
> ?That?s just a weird way to fly,? Orin says.
> You are kind of glad you didn?t succeed in calling Yukari.
>_
-
>"I do like Cirno. She is always stupidly optimistic. Right now she's having a fun adventure, while Kaguya is being annoyed and discomfited. A win-win."
-
>"Anyone who can pester her that much is aces in my book."
-
>"I do like Cirno. She is always stupidly optimistic. Right now she's having a fun adventure, while Kaguya is being annoyed and discomfited. A win-win."
>"Anyone who can pester her that much is aces in my book."
> Satori lets out a giggle, as she turns her sight to the sky again. She then adds, “Kanako’s army is on the move.”
> “Are they joining the fun too?” Orin asks.
> “Doesn’t look like it,” Satori says. “Lots of things headed for Youkai Mountain though.”
> Overhead, the dots circle each other, dropping explosions, streams of fire, geysers, lasers, icicles, tornados, and portals into deep space, until you see a blue dinosaur thing in the sky. It lets out a tremendous roar that could crack the sky, as the attacks and people closest to the creature disappear for a moment, leaving Yukari, Cirno, and Kaguya in the dust. The reappear at nearly ground level, Marisa and Aya harassing the purple-haired commander as she relies heavily on her three-headed dragon for defense. With another roar, Aya and two poor grunts caught in the crossfire slow to a crawl, as the tengu unleashes whirlwinds that a moderately-paced snail could outrun. Yukari gaps herself on top of the dragon with a literal bang, a small explosion preceding her entrance.
>_
-
>Team Phoenix health status?
-
>Team Phoenix health status?
> You believe all your pokemon are still combat ready except for perhaps your Charizard, who has had a long day. The pokemon you have on hand are:
> Haunter
> Ponyta
> Charizard
> Lucario
> Registeel
> Crobat
> The battle is starting to get away from you now, with another roar from the blue dinosaur-thing, the Galactics are beneath the edge of a mountain to the south, although you can still make out a laser and a fireball here and there, as Aya remains nearly frozen in the sky.
> You hear Kogasa groan, as Nue says to her, "Oh, hey, you're alive. Marshmallow?"
> "What happened?" Kogasa moans, laying on the ground.
> "You were master sparked," Nue says casually.
> Over the mountain wind and the dinosaur?s roars, you hear a deep, although female, voice boom throughout the mountains, audible from the farthest reaches of Sinnoh.
> "Sons and daughters of Sinnoh, Welcome. I go by many names, but you may call me Moriya."
> ?Though shalt return my daughters to their homeland. Though shalt obey the universal physical laws given to you. Though shalt worship me and me alone. Or though shalt feel my wrath.?
> ?I have sent down a prophet among you. All who wish to be spared, lay down your arms and follow the priestess of Moriya. Prepare, for my coming is at hand.?
> There?s a bit of a pause, before Orin speaks up, ?Overly dramatic, don?t you think??
> ?Kanako?s having fun,? Nue says, maintaining her ?blurriness?. ?I oughta try faking godhood sometime.?
> You recall that you still have business with Satori, and both Kaguya and Cirno are still close enough to call for, far enough that they won't see you unless you call for them. It looks like Cirno is attempting to drag the princess somewhere.
>_
-
>Get the ditto, if we know which ball it's in.
>Catch the umbrella up to speed.
>Wonder if this will make clearing the mountain easier or harder.
-
>Get Kogasa up to speed.
>Wonder when Ponyta will evolve.
-
>Wonder if this will make clearing the mountain easier or harder.
> You are not sure if this will make clearing the mountain easier or harder. You recognize that Kanako’s tactic has made Sinnoh aware of an all-powerful common enemy from the new world above their heads, but you also recognize that Kanako feeds on attention (well, faith), kind of like a social version of tapeworm.
> You are not exactly a follower of Moriya, so you wonder if a huge influx of Moriya followers will try to preach to you about the benefits of following a purple-haired god. You are thinking Kanako’s revelation in Sinnoh could have implications long after the battle with Galactic.
> You may be slightly biased against following physical gods, having met several of them in person and finding them less than divine. Although you also did not know Galactic had taken anybody. You figure Kanako must be referring to metaphorical daughters, because as far as you are aware she has never had a daughter.
>Wonder when Ponyta will evolve.
> Well, you’ve had the ponyta for a while, so it must be pretty close to evolving. It occurs to you that these creatures always seem to evolve either during or immediately after pounding something’s skull in.
> It’s like nature evolved to make dog-fighting as rewarding as humanly possible.
>Catch the umbrella up to speed.
>Get Kogasa up to speed.
> You debate whether to get Kogasa or her umbrella up to speed first. You pick Kogasa, since you are pretty sure she’s the sentient one and the umbrella is just an extension of that – or is the other way around?
> The point is, you feel better about talking to a humanish girl than a piece of questionably sentient rain protection equipment.
> “Marisa sparked you, tried to steal her hakkero back, then decided to try to steal a Sakuya-mon. Then Satteri told Kanako and Yukari about the Sakuya-mon, so now there’s a bit of a race to see who can rob Galactic first.”
> “Oh, and cat-girl ate your marshmallows,” Nue adds.
> Orin slaps Nue upside the head, as Nue says, “Well it’s technically true.”
> “To much pain… to care about marshmallows,” Kogasa groans. You note that she is in no hurry to get off the ground.
>Get the ditto, if we know which ball it's in.
> You decide you want the Ditto.
> “Are you sure?” Satori asks, fixing her third eye on you.
> You recall that the following pokemon were traded to Satori:
> Alakazam Kadabra Ralts Duskull Natu
> Espeon Ghastly Ninetales Golduck Slobro
> Eevee Torterra Empoleon Infernape Ditto
> Drifloon Staraptor Hippowdon Weavile Drapion
>_
-
>"On second thought, how about you just lend it to me."
-
>Do potions work on Umbrella Youkai?
-
>"On second thought, how about you just lend it to me."
> ?Alright,? Satori says, relaxing.
> Nue comes sharply back into ?focus?, taking on Orin?s form while retaining her trademark 6 wings, as she says, ?What?s the problem? Were you planning to start a breeding program??
> Satori blushes a slight red, as Nue continues, ?Or maybe you were??
> ?No.? Satori says, cutting her off. ?Not that either. Nor that.?
> ?Aw come now, you can?t say you aren?t curious?? Nue adds suggestively, as Satori covers her third eye with her hand. You are somewhat surprised Nue can phase a mind-reader, you would have figured Satori would have seen it all already.
> This gives you a somewhat worse impression of Nue, actually. You almost feel sorry for Nue?s ditto.
> Satori hands you the ditto while keeping her other hand between her third eye and Nue, the latter of whom maintains a small, mischievous smile throughout, while Orin slaps her upside the head again.
> ?Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,? Nue responds coyly.
> ?I?d bet on mockery over flattery? Orin retorts back with a roll of her eyes.
>Do potions work on Umbrella Youkai?
> You don?t know, so you decide to find out. You spray Kogasa with one of your potions.
> Some of the burn tissue appears moist!
> ?I don?t think that?ll work,? Kogasa moans
> ?Stop being such a baby,? Nue says, forcing Kogasa to her feet. Kogasa manages to stand upright for a moment, as Nue says, ?See? It?s working fine.? Though as Kogasa attempts to take a step forward, she collapses again.
> ?She?ll be fine,? Nue says, whispering aside to you ?Try another one!? You?re tempted to send her back to Byakuren, or even Eientei. In spite of being Kaguya?s home, you are confident the doctor there will take good care of Kogasa provided she is sufficiently paid.
> Byakuren it is!
> You are pretty confident the umbrella could make it on her own, seeing as she has a dragonite. Heck, if she?s already kind of standing up, she might be fine in an hour or so.
> Maybe.
> You consider trying another potion.
> ??What is that spray stuff anyway?? Orin asks, motioning towards your bottle.
>_
-
>"No idea, but it works on Pokemon."
>What were we planning to do with the Ditto, anyway?
-
>"No idea, but it works on Pokemon."
> Orin takes a sniff of the fluid on the nozzle, then puts a drop of the stuff on her finger and takes a taste. She cringes a bit, before saying, ?A little rubbing alcohol mixed with other stuff. Can?t tell if it?s mundane or if it has a little magic mixed in. We should look into it,? The cat says, pocketing your used bottle.
> When Satori doesn?t respond right away, Orin repeats a touch louder, ?I said, we should look into it.?
> ?Huh?? Satori says, snapping her attention back to the cat, ?Oh, right, agreed.?
> You have 6 potions left.
>What were we planning to do with the Ditto, anyway?
> You were planning to? uh?
> Well, you were planning to go double yukari-mon on team Galactic.
> Your understanding of Ditto is that it can copy the abilities of other pokemon, both yours and your opponent?s creatures. You could probably eliminate any edge a legendary had, in that you?d be able to counter their time/space hax with your own.
> It sounded like Satori wants to? make it? breed, alright, looking at the ditto that just seems kind of wrong to you.
> ?Hey, it wouldn?t be a blob when they make the egg, I don?t think?? Satori says. ?I?m pretty sure it?s not all that uncommon, trainers do it in the games all the time!? She gives Nue a nasty look as she adds ?By the way, I think it can mimic just about anyone, not just pokemon.?
> ?Why yes, yes it can,? Nue adds. ?You can even make it disguise itself as objects.?
> From the exchange Satori and Nue are semi-having, you are guessing it also has a number of non-combat uses, some of which you will figure out as you go along, and others that you plan to never think about and will absolutely never discuss with Nue.
>_
-
>"Well, we should get Kogasa to a recovery room. Also I want to use a pokecomputer. Is there anything else you need me for?"
>Also we should try to get some of Unyu's asbestos seals.
-
>"Well, we should get Kogasa to a recovery room. Also I want to use a pokecomputer. Is there anything else you need me for?"
>Also we should try to get some of Unyu's asbestos seals.
> Nue pipes in, "Hold it, I helped too. And I'd really like that Alakazam."
> "Hmf. Looks like we both know how good those guys are," Satori grumbles. "I suppose the Kadabra will suffice for me."
> "Also, talk to me, what are we looking at here?" Nue says. "We helped you see them, now tell us what that third eye saw. Only fair."
> "I do hate debts," Satori says. "Alright, Palkia is like Yukari, and Dialga is like Sakuya, except maybe a bit more flexible. Their third pokemon, Giratina, would best be described as a creator god, ruling its own, lifeless domain. It can create something from seemingly nothing, they don't know if it obeys causality and conservation of energy or not, but it doesn't appear to. The only reason they don't use its full powers is that they don't completely understand them. They currently use it to create materials they can't easily obtain otherwise. Like silver and gold, and plutonium and uranium, although they aren't completely sure what to do with the latter. Nuclear power usually requires a bit of infrastructure to know what to do with it, and they aren't exactly a nuclear company."
> ?They are holding a number of fairies and even a couple of youkai captive, and they?re making something they call ?fairy dust,? out of the fairies. They discovered a way to turn the magic of fairies into a powder, which they made a freeze ray with. Small time stuff, but the process involves one small ice fairy and a large blender,? Satori says glancing at you before turning her eyes upwards. ?Obviously, not Cirno.?
> ?They haven?t done anything nearly as useful with the couple of youkai they have, but it?s pretty much a cold blooded torture chamber of science in there, the details of which are both stomach-churning and largely unnecessary.?
> You notice Orin stealing another of Kogasa?s marshmallows, as Nue says, ?Don?t get captured. Got it. Anything we need to watch out for??
> ?They have copied our minor explosive charms, like the ones you use Nue, but they haven?t really been able to mass produce them yet. And the core of their army is that Mars girl, the Jupiter girl, and two other men, Saturn and Cyrus. Saturn has blue hair combed into devil horns, he does the R&D from hell, and he?s has three smaller legendary pokemon in his lab that neither Jupiter nor Mars seemed particularly interested in. The two girls are commanders, not scientists, and they knew almost nothing about the pokemon beyond that Jupiter needed them to summon the big legendary creatures. The smaller pokemon are called Azelf, Uxie, and Mesprit.?
> ?Cyrus is older, colder, has blue spiked hair, and uses Giratina. He leads Galactic, and him and his three commanders actually can take down Palkia and Dialga when they fight together, although not very many of Mar?s pokemon can fly.?
> ?Alright,? Nue says, ?Last thing, why is Gensokyo over our heads??
> ?They have no idea, but they think it?s directly related to something they call the ?Distortion World.? It?s Giratina?s absolute domain, and they had to use both Palkia and Dialga to open it up, and it still is open incidentally. They think Gensokyo?s appearance was caused by them shredding time and space and then distorting reality beyond recognition trying to capture Giratina.?
> ?That?s not exactly satisfying,? Nue replies.
> ?Look, I only know what they know, Yukari knows a lot more about borders, so I?d ask her.?
> ?Yukari-? you begin,
> ?Doesn?t know either,? Satori cuts in. She then holds her finger to her temple, then says, ?Alright, so theory: Yukari weakened the border between us and them when she sent lots of people over, then when Galactic went nuts with time and space our world was caught up because the border between them and us was already full of holes created by Yukari.?
> ?Does that make any sense at all?? Orin says.
> ?I don?t know, but we probably need to brainstorm with Yukari,? Satori says. ?Oh, and the portal to that Distortion World of theirs is still open, although they don?t really know much about the other side yet. Besides that gravity isn?t a constant, water falls up, and there appears to be no life inside of it.?
>Also we should try to get some of Unyu's asbestos seals.
> Satori passes you a stack of charms with little radiation symbols on them. The charms are a bit smaller than yours, about the size of a penny each. "They'll work on anything not alive. Sadly, we don't have a version that works on fairies yet, so... I don?t think you can make Kogasa fireproof with them."
> ?So you have my number,? Satori says. ?Um? I can?t think of any other business we have, no, so? I admit, Kogasa has seen better days, yes, I guess our business might be concluded!? Satori says. She then brushes the snow off a rock, sits on it, and starts checking the book Galactic left her.
> ?Um, aren?t we leaving?? Orin asks.
> ?Give me a minute,? Satori says, ?Not sure if the show is over yet.?
> Options:
1. Satori informed you of a nearby computer terminal where you can switch in and out your pokemon, and deposit the extra monsters you collected.
2. You can send Kogasa to an infirmary. It may be wise to keep her away from the battle that you expect will be waged, and let her rest a bit after being sparked.
3. You can head towards Galactic?s base immediately.
4. Continue conversing with Satori, if there is anything else she may have read that could help you.
5. Make a phone call.
6. Do something involving Kaguya and Cirno, who appear to still be bickering overhead.
7. Other.
-
>2, then 1, then to the Galactic Base.
-
>2, then 1, then to the Galactic Base.
> You decide to send Kogasa to an infirmary.
> You release Kogasa?s dragonite from its ball, as Nue helps her stand. ?You alright to fly alone?? Nue asks the umbrella youkai.
> ?Maybe,? Kogasa says as Nue lays her on the dragon.
> ?You mind if I take your marshmallows??
> ?A little,? Kogasa says, as Nue empties the bag. Nue hands one of the last two marshmallows to Kogasa, as she chomps down on the other.
> ?It?ll help,? Nue says, as Kogasa nibbles on the white puffball. Nue adds, ?You?ll be fine.?
> Do you wish to continue your adventure for a while without Kogasa, or do you wish to escort her to an infirmary? You believe Kogasa could make it there on her own, if only because she has a dragonite, and those things are pretty tough.
> You recall that Cirno and more importantly Kaguya are above you. Every infirmary in Gensokyo is also above you. Kaguya and Cirno are likely to notice you if you fly upwards.
>_
-
>Make sure Kogasa arrives safe.
>If the Lunatic and Cirno give us trouble, then we roast em, simple.
>Once Kogasa is with the Buddhists, then we head for the Galactic base.
-
>Ponder if Cirno would get trapped by a pokeball.
-
>Ask Kaguya if she tried to trap Cirno in a pokeball.
>Use pokeball on Kaguya. She won't be expecting it.
-
She will once we mention it.
-
>Make sure Kogasa arrives safe.
>If the Lunatic and Cirno give us trouble, then we roast em, simple.
>Once Kogasa is with the Buddhists, then we head for the Galactic base.
> You decide to make sure Kogasa arrives safely to the Buddhists.
> You put your pokemon away, and take to the skies. Although you suppose you could have flown on your Charizard. Eh, he deserves a break, but you could probably fit on Kogasa’s Dragonite if you really wanted to, now that you think about it… Well, it won’t kill you to fly on your own power…
> You look over in Kaguya’s general direction, and believe you’ve been spotted by one of the two of them. Cirno is skating right for you, dragging Kaguya along who appears to be resisting a little less than before. Meaning she isn’t completely opposed to the idea of meeting you.
>Ponder if Cirno would get trapped by a pokeball.
> Only one way to find out.
>Ask Kaguya if she tried to trap Cirno in a pokeball.
> Make that two ways.
>Use pokeball on Kaguya. She won't be expecting it.
> You hide a pokeball in your palm as Cirno ‘skates’ towards you with Kaguya in tow. You hear them arguing loudly. “It’s not Mokou, although she’d be a relief after dealing with you,” Kaguya says, “Wait, Reimu?”
> You look down, and notice you’re dressed like a different red-white. With detached sleeves for showing off armpits, you are the spitting image of Reimu.
> Nue winks at you, her wings now hidden. You would no longer be able to tell Nue apart from Orin if they were next to each other.
> Not a bad illusion, although you feel pranked, as Cirno says “You’re better already? Great! Now you can battle me!”
> You think this would be an excellent time to try a pokeball on something, although somehow you feel the disguise would be ruined. Although you already question the plausibility of Orin, Kogasa, and Reimu solving incidents together, maybe you can pull it off if Kaguya doesn’t know about Nue yet.
> Nue’s smug smile and barely contained laughter keep you from feeling too guilty about considering options that would completely ruin her illusion immediately.
> You consider whether you still wish to ask Kaguya about catching Cirno, followed by chucking a small red-white ball at the princess.
>_
-
>We will have all the time in the world to toss balls at Kaguya and Cirno later.
>Escort Kogasa back and head for the Galactic Base
>Giratina /will/ be ours.
-
>We will have all the time in the world to toss balls at Kaguya and Cirno later.
>Escort Kogasa back and head for the Galactic Base
> "Hey, wait, where are you going? Reimu?" Cirno asks, as you decide to ignore her. And Kaguya for that matter. Kaguya continues to eye you with suspicion as she mounts a bird pokemon that your pokedex calls "Fearow", while Cirno continues skating.
> You fly to Byakuren's. And you fly. And you fly. And Kaguya and Cirno follow you, then overtake you, then try to talk to you, Cirno insisting that you battle her and Kaguya asking more practical questions such as "Shouldn't you be healing up at Eientei?" and "Why are you traveling with a stray cat and the umbrella?"
> When you come in sight of the Myouren Temple, Nue finally snaps, asking, "Do you have ANYTHING better to do than follow us around?"
> "Um, no, not really," Cirno says. "It's either that or watch Kaguya play video games."
> "My high scores won't beat themselves," Kaguya responds casually.
> You see a number of familiar faces in front of Byakuren's temple, mostly the residents, but you also see that Falkner gym leader you beat ages back. He seems to be strapping some charms to his legs under Byakuren's instruction. Although you aren't thinking much about that, due to the extreme feeling of irritation you have towards Kaguya and Cirno's persistence.
>Giratina /will/ be ours.
> And you will love it and hug it and squeeze it and call it George.
> Right before you murder Kaguya with it.
>_
Mod note: Quest on hiatus for about one week. Please continue responses, the parser will resolve them when he returns.
-
>Pokeball Cirno and Kaguya. actually, no, that would be too sociopathic for us, especially if it worked.
>Carry the umbrella into the temple.
-
>Pokeball Cirno and Kaguya. actually, no, that would be too sociopathic for us, especially if it worked.
> You find yourself opposed to the idea of crushing Kaguya into an object the size of a baseball, only letting her out to do your bidding and obey your every command.
> Actually, that sounds somewhat appealing to you, but you are opposed to raising your sociopath rank beyond casual murder and candy theft.
> Besides, you kind of doubt it would work, although chucking small objects at them MIGHT make them stop talking at you.
>Carry the umbrella into the temple.
> You take Kogasa to the temple, hitching a ride on her dragonite.
> Nazrin, the mouse girl, greets you both with, ?No cats. I have enough trouble with Shou. Still Reimu, never thought I?d see you helping the umbrella with anything.?
> ?And turning down a battle,? Cirno adds.
> ?Repeatedly,? Nue-Orin groans.
> ?Hey, it always worked before! On almost everyone too!? Cirno says. You can see why, you very, very much felt like punching the ice fairy as she asks for the thirty-seventh time, "How about now?" She adds, "I mean, you brought the girl here, so you can battle now, right?"
> Ichirin adds, "You five certainly are an odd-"
> "Please?" Cirno interrupts.
> "See, the problem is you ask," Kaguya says. "When I want to fight someone, I just walk up to them and stab them in the throat!"
> Byakuren adds "My, we certainly are getting a lot of company today-"
> "Oh, alright, hey Reimu, can I stab you in the throat?" Cirno interrupts.
> "No, no," Kaguya says, "Don't ask permission, just do it! Surprise her!"
> "Alright, Reimu, gonna surprise attack throat stab you today!" Cirno says, as Kaguya shakes her head with a huff.
> ?You know what sis?? Nue says, facing Cirno with a swish of Rin?s tail. Then the sky fills with cat-girl, shrine maiden, and cat-girl shrine maiden clones, each of them with three blue wings and three red scythes.
> As Cirno cheers and Kaguya freaks out a bit, one of the cat-girls pushes you and Kogasa into the temple, dragging Byakuren along as she closes the large doors behind the four of you.
> ?Now Nue, that wasn?t nice,? Byakuren says, as you hear lots and lots of shouting outside, follow by a crash here and there. A glance out a nearby window shows Cirno starting up a blizzard.
> ?It is very, very difficult to be nice with those two,? Nue says.
> ?And what happened to Kogasa?? Byakuren asks, holding her hand over the umbrella?s forhead.
> ?Master Spark,? Kogasa says.
> ?A bit of rest, and she?ll be fine,? Nue says.
> ?Master sparks hurt. A lot,? Kogasa adds.
> Byakuren looks over the umbrella youkai, taking her into her arms as Nue points to the door and says, ?New disciple??
> ?A traveler from the other world,? Byakuren says. ?I?m afraid he?s more interested in flirting than enlightenment, but he still has a lot to teach us about the world above.?
> Nazrin slips into the main temple herself with a shiver, icicles hanging from her tail as she glares at the Nue-cat. Nue responds with a smug smile while Byakuren takes Kogasa to the room she spent the previous night. Nazrin?s shivers and their silence says more than enough, at least until Nazrin tells you, ?You aren?t Reimu. Are you Mokou, or some other sap Nue?s stringing along??
>_
-
>"Yup. I'm Mokou. How bad was my Reimu impression?"
-
>"Yup. I'm Mokou. How bad was my Reimu impression?"
> “S’alright. Except Reimu talks. And she’d never help Kogasa with anything. And I have a hard time picturing her doing anything with Nue. Heck, I have a hard time picturing any tag team with Reimu and Nue ending in someone hospitalized. So…” Nazrin says, swishing the icicles off her tail, “Yeah, you’re right, it was pretty bad. Though admittedly, I hoped for a second there Reimu was helping someone she pointlessly beat up, instead of leaving them in a pool of their own blood,” Nazrin says, arms crossed. “Wishful thinking.”
> You follow Byakuren and Nazrin to Kogasa’s room, as Byakuren tucks the umbrella into a bed, mothering the youkai a bit.
> “So…” Nazrin says, “She’s in our care now, so you two can scram.”
> “Nazrin!” Byakuren says.
> “Alright Nue can scram. Mokou can stay for tea, coffee,” Nazrin says under Byakuren’s gaze, adding, “You know how Nue is.”
> “And she is still welcome for as long as she would like,” Byakuren says, patting Nue’s head.
> “Byakren, don’t,” Nue says, blushing.
> Byakuren continues with a slightly lower tone, “Everyone is welcome at our temple.” She glances upwards, her eyes looking at nothing in particular as she says, “I was worried she’d get caught up in Kanako’s war. Kogasa was always more ambitious than was good for her.” She then pauses. “Nue, are you going to Kanako’s war?”
> “Yup,” Nue says.
> “War is cruel,” Byakuren says with a bit of hesistance. “If you must go, send back any medicine, doctors, beds, and wounded you find. I fear we won’t be able to concern ourselves with any dead you come across. And… be careful.”
> “Sure.” Nue says. “Sure.” Nue then says, “Are you ready for it?”
> “You are never ready for war,” Byakuren says, “But yes, the spare rooms were already prepared, and I had Nazrin fill our stock at the start of the incident. Just hope not too many end up on the floor,” she mutters.
> You think it would be prudent to sneak out the back door when you leave, unless you have some business with someone outside the main gate. You consider whether you have anything you wish to discuss with Byakuren or Nazrin. Or Falkner. Or Cirno, Kaguya, Shou, etc.
> You note that Nue never actually cancelled your Reimu disguise. You idly wonder if she prefers armpits and skirts to pants and button-down shirts.
>_
-
>"To be fair, most of the people Reimu leaves lying in a pool of blood can recover from that by themselves."
>Also ask Nue to cancel the disguise. Don't want the shrine maiden to attack the impostor shrine maiden.
>What pokemon do we have on hand and in the PC?
-
>"To be fair, most of the people Reimu leaves lying in a pool of blood can recover from that by themselves."
> ?Still hurts like hell, and I have the marks to prove it,? Nazrin says. ?Not to mention she sets mousetraps.?
> ?Most people do,? Nue says.
> ?Yes,? Nazrin deadpans. ?And most people are jerks.?
> ?And it is our job to teach them,? Byakuren says, cheerfully but forcefully giving the mouse-girl a pat on the head. ?Right??
> ?Right,? Nazrin quietly mumbles.
>Also ask Nue to cancel the disguise. Don't want the shrine maiden to attack the impostor shrine maiden.
> ?Aw, you ought to try looking more girly sometime,? Nue says.
> You much prefer your (relatively) new longcoat to bare armpits. You?ve seen prostitutes reveal less than Reimu. Course that was around the 19th century or so. Back when men wore powered wigs? and braids?
> Either way, you like your pants, and your shirt, and you have decided that your wardrobe is more than updated enough after that shop in Johto. Nue sighs, taking the Reimu illusion for herself but with Orin?s cat ears and tail.
> "This could work," Nue says.
> "Yes, because everyone wanted to see the shrine maiden of pain crossed with a cat," Nazrin deadpans.
> You recall that while Nue takes a lot of forms, her normal form is the only one she's shown any hesitancy to using, at least in the open.
> You hear a crash against the temple door, and icicles are forming along the windows. Neither Byakuren nor Nazrin seem particularly concerned, you wonder if they've had run-ins with Cirno before.
>What pokemon do we have on hand and in the PC?
> You have immediate access to the following pokemon:
> Haunter
> Ponyta
> Charizard
> Lucario
> Registeel
> Crobat
> In your PC you have the following:
> Beedrill
> Scyther
> Kingler
> Magikarp
> Seadra
> Fearow
> Koffing
> Koffing
> Koffing
> Weezing
> Golbat
> Golbat
> You have also picked up the following pokemon, which need to deposited or swapped into your party.
> Dragonite
> Ditto
-
I think we should store Haunter and Golbat and activate Dragonite and Ditto.
-
>No we must always have our MyonMyon Haunter with us
-
Ponyta: I like the idea of a pokemon that takes negative damage from fire. Also it should evolve soon into a horse we could ride, although it still wouldn't fly.
Registeel: is it useful?
Haunter: loose cannon in ghost form.
Crobat: we're done with this for now, right?
-
I think we should store Haunter and Golbat and activate Dragonite and Ditto.
>No we must always have our MyonMyon Haunter with us
Ponyta: I like the idea of a pokemon that takes negative damage from fire. Also it should evolve soon into a horse we could ride, although it still wouldn't fly.
Registeel: is it useful?
Haunter: loose cannon in ghost form.
Crobat: we're done with this for now, right?
> Ponyta takes negative damage from fire, and has very good synergy with your fire element. You believe it will be a very fast way to travel when it evolves. You note that you are yourself a fire type, and a strong one at that.
> Registeel is your hardiest, but slowest pokemon. You are confident it can take more damage than any other 2 of your pokemon combined, with the drawback of not being able to keep up with any of them.
> Haunter has powerful hypnotism and illusionary abilities and can also fly, but is easily your least predictable and most troublemaking pokemon.
> Crobat can also fly, and it?s primary advantages are navigation in tunnel systems and/or complete darkness.
> You are certain you are done with crobat. The only issue is that Byakuren?s temple took you a little out of the way of the computer, now on the other continent. You consider taking a gamble and trying to find one in Gensokyo.
> You can think of a few people that may or may not have something like that. Kaguya comes to mind unfortunately as the first person who would keep one in stock, due to the potential to never have to interrupt her gaming sessions for energy drink runs again. Nitori and Yukari are also types to get their hands on one, except you vaguely recall hearing that Nitori was adventuring on the other continent, and you don't know quite where Yukari lives, although Reimu would know that too.
> ...Except Kaguya mentioned Reimu is at Eientei.
> You wonder about the odds of the Scarlet Devil Mansion or the Moriya shrine having commandeered one.
>_
-
>Well... we have to go to Pokemonland anyways, so we might as well go there now, right?
-
>Well... we have to go to Pokemonland anyways, so we might as well go there now, right?
> Kaguya and Cirno are right outside the temple?s front door. The temple does have a back door, but flying makes you very visible.
> You ponder how you would like to leave the temple as you set your next destination.
>_
-
>Fly there normally, but use Cirno to create a distraction. Bonus points if Kaguya gets dragged into it.
-
>Ponder best way to distract Teruyo and Cirno without them following us.
-
>Fly there normally, but use Cirno to create a distraction. Bonus points if Kaguya gets dragged into it.
>Ponder best way to distract Teruyo and Cirno without them following us.
> You decide you don?t feel like not confronting Kaguya today. You don?t want her to follow you around either, and you really don?t want Cirno to follow you around.
> ?Time to go,? Nue says.
> ?Already?? Byakuren asks.
> ?Things are moving fast,? Nue says. ?We don?t have time for the pleasantries.?
> ?Come home safe,? Byakuren says.
> ?And if you don?t,? Nazrin adds, ?I?ll make sure to pick you out a nice tombstone. Do you prefer marble or slate??
> ?I?ll miss you too, ?Nazzy?? Nue says, receiving a small grumble from Nazrin in return as the two of you head out.
> You find the front door is sealed shut, but with a hard push it slowly cracks open. You nearly slip as your feet touch the frozen ground outside while you get blasted with frigid winds. You can see the entire area immediately outside the temple is covered in a thin layer of snow, which judging by your walking difficulty rests upon a thin layer of ice as snow blizzards down and destroys visibility. You have difficulty finding the Myouren temple group because you have difficulty seeing more than 50 feet, but that?s more than enough to spot Cirno divekicking Nue.
> Nue blocks Cirno with her trident as Cirno huffs, ?Finally found the real one.?
> ?Cirno, Reimu doesn?t have cat ears,? Kaguya says. You look right, and see the princess hiding from the blizzard under the overhang of the temple roof.
> Cirno gives Nue a good look-over before saying, ?I like them. Not the copy trick though. Fight me fair!?
> ?It?s not Reimu,? Kaguya repeats. ?Although the other girl could be Mokou. Um? hello Mokou.?
> ?Nonsense, cat-eared Reimu is still Reimu.?
> ?Reimu is it my place recovering. We both know that. You were there,? Kaguya explains to the ice fairy. ?This has to be an imposter.?
> ?Alright then. Imposter, reveal yourself.?
> ?No,? Nue says flatly.
> ?No?? Cirno says. ?You can?t just say no. I mean, you?re either supposed to claim to be the real thing or reveal your true form,? Cirno says, before asking Kaguya, ?Right??
> ?It?s only fair,? Kaguya says.
> ?I claim imposter,? Nue says.
> ?Now reveal yourself,? Cirno says.
> ?No.?
> As Cirno continues bickering with Nue over proper imposter etiquette, Kaguya asks you, ?So, Mokou, a little surprised to see you hanging out with Buddhists. Um? you aren?t thinking about giving up death matches, are you? Because pacifism is really overrated, yeah, and, um,? Kaguya stutters a bit, her voice wavering as she adds, ?It?s completely against your style. I mean it?s so boring, you?d be cutting half the fun out of life.?
> Alright, you were planning on flying right past the idiot and Cirno, but you almost want to stop and mess with Kaguya. You at least need a second to brainstorm how to use Cirno to ruin Kaguya?s day and make both go away. You consider lying to her about mythical artifact locations, such as the legendary Bucket of Steam and the Glass Hammer. Although you believe they might actually succeed in their pursuit of Polka-dot paint and AC batteries if they really tried, seeing as this is Gensokyo and fool?s errands become less foolish when things can be magicked into reality.
> You?ll actually have to strike glass hammer off the list. You almost forgot how popular those became after Skyrim was introduced to Gensokyo.
>_
-
>Never pegged the princess for a tsundere. She getting soft on us?
Wait, Mokou might actually say that. Damn the consequences!
>"Never pegged you for a tsundere. You getting soft on me?"
-
>Never pegged the princess for a tsundere. She getting soft on us?
Wait, Mokou might actually say that. Damn the consequences!
>"Never pegged you for a tsundere. You getting soft on me?"
> "No way loser," Kaguya says, adding, ?And you aren?t renouncing our fight. Not gonna let it happen.? She then softens her expression into slight confusion, saying, ?Um? do you WANT me to get soft on you??
>_
-
We are go for Terumoko!
>"That uh, wasn't what I meant exactly, but I guess it would make an interesting change of pace."
>How many of her spell cards have we captured?
-
We are go for Terumoko!
>"That uh, wasn't what I meant exactly, but I guess it would make an interesting change of pace."
> ?Um? it would,? Kaguya says.
> ?And then we could be the 4 warriors of light!? Cirno suggests. ?Wait, no, we have to replace fake Reimu first. No imposters allowed.?
> ?No.? Kaguya says.
> ?Aw, I?m hurt,? Nue jokes.
> ?Well it?s not like we can save the world with 2 warriors of light,? Cirno retorts, hands on hips.
> ?We are not calling ourselves the warriors of light, now shut up,? Kaguya tells Cirno before turning to you. ?I suppose I am tired of calling you a jackass and being called a jackass every time we meet, but I still want to kill you. Occasionally.? Under your gaze, she justifies herself, saying, ?Blood IS the spice of life.?
> ?You mean variety,? Cirno says.
> ?I know what I said,? Kaguya replies.
> ?You know, you have some serious issues,? Nue says to Kaguya.
> ?Yeah, well, you parade around in cat ears for fun,? Kaguya retorts.
> ?Yeah, so?? Nue replies.
> A brief moment of silence passes between the two, before Kaguya says, ?Who are you anyway? Are you some kind of tanuki, or??
>How many of her spell cards have we captured?
> You have stolen all her spell cards in the past. You didn?t have her treasures mind you, nor can you manipulate eternity, so her spellcards were mostly duds.
> You?ve also occasionally stolen her treasures, but you?ve found those very difficult to keep. The last time you managed to snatch her Robe of the Fire Rat, you were pretty certain she had placed a tracking spell on it; between Kaguya, Eirin, and their rabbit army you couldn?t even get five minutes peace to figure out how the spells for it work. In fact, you are pretty much certain Kaguya places tracking spells on her ?impossible request? items.
>_
-
So... Cirno = Warrior, Mokou = saner Black Mage, Nue = Thief? That'd leave Kaguya as Red Mage.
>Mokou Tokusentai, assemble!
-
>"I guess that makes you Red Mage, Kaguya. What kind of zany schemes do you have boiling away in that unfathomable mind of yours?"
>Let's have a nice little laugh at her expense.
-
>"Light, huh? If you (looking at Nue) become someone Yellow whose name started with Y, Yamame perhaps, we could be CYMK."
-
So... Cirno = Warrior, Mokou = saner Black Mage, Nue = Thief? That'd leave Kaguya as Red Mage.
>Mokou Tokusentai, assemble!
> ?Don?t you mean Kaguya Tokusentai?? Kaguya says.
> Cirno pipes in, ?We could be the Cirno force four.?
> ?No.? Kaguya and Nue say in unison.
>"I guess that makes you Red Mage, Kaguya. What kind of zany schemes do you have boiling away in that unfathomable mind of yours?"
>Let's have a nice little laugh at her expense.
> ?I call black mage,? Kaguya says. ?You have red clothes and white hair, so you have to be the red mage.?
> ?I?m also the one with the giant love-powered laser,? you say.
> ?Wait, you do?? Kaguya says, as you give her your best ?Nue? smirk.
>"Light, huh? If you (looking at Nue) become someone Yellow whose name started with Y, Yamame perhaps, we could be CYMK."
> ?Dragonball Z, 8-bit theater, and printer coloring schemes. I must be rubbing off on you,? Kaguya teases.
> ?What?s an 8-bit theater anyway?? Nue asks.
> ?Mokou didn?t mention any printers,? Cirno adds.
> ?CYMK,? Kaguya sighs, to a blank stare from Cirno. ?Semi-obscure pop culture stuff.?
> ?Oh,? Cirno says, a look of understanding on her face.
> ?Anyway,? Kaguya says, ?You?re serious about this teaming up thing, aren?t you.?
> ?Why not, sounds like fun,? Cirno says.
> ?One it means spending a lot of time with her. Two it means spending a lot more time with you,? Kaguya explains to Cirno.
> ?Three best friends and Reimu saving the world,? Cirno explains.
> As Kaguya rests her face in her palm with slight disgust, Nue says ?You two look like your worth a couple laughs. Skip the names, I?m in.?
> ?Nonsense, the name is the most important part of teambuilding,? Cirno says.
> ?Some people consider that friendship thing pretty important,? Nue says.
> ?If we?re called the Fluffy Cuddle Warriors then it doesn?t matter how much friendship we have,? Cirno says.
> ?The name isn?t important,? Nue smirks back. ?If anything, making people fear the name Fluffy Cuddle Warriors is a far bigger accomplishment than making them fear the Warriors of Light. Sure, go ahead and make it really ridiculous, it makes the respect all the sweeter when we show off.?
> ?Still no to Fluffy Cuddle Warriors,? Kaguya says. ?I?m cold. Shut off the blizzard.?
> ?I can?t,? Cirno says.
> ?What do you mean you can?t??
> ?Well, I did magic a blizzard up, but it?s a normal blizzard. I never really spent any time making an anti-blizzard spell, so I can?t make it go away,? Cirno says.
> ?Then use your normal ice powers on it or something.?
> ?I could add more ice to the blizzard?? Cirno says. ?I can also make it colder.?
> ?Please don?t,? Kaguya says.
> ?Don?t worry,? Cirno says. ?It?s a small blizzard; it should dissipate in a couple minutes.?
> ?Doesn?t this weather bother either of you?? Kaguya asks. With a glance at you, she says, ?No, you?re too hardy, but the tanuki??
> ?Nue,? Nue corrects.
> ?The New tanuki,? Kaguya says.
> ?Skip the Abbot and Costello, I am a Nue. N-U-E. And Kogasa does this kind of weather all the time, I?m used to it.?
> ?Right, so, between the four of us? I?m the only one who cares whether we?re standing outside in a blizzard,? Kaguya sighs.
> ?Pretty much,? Nue says.
> With your powers, you could melt the snow as it comes down, making everyone wet instead.
> Or you could move someplace not covered in snow. Like immediately inside the temple you just left. Or up above the clouds.
>_
-
>"OK, well my objectives right now are to hit a Pokecomputer and then continue disrupting Team Galactic. If we're all cool with that, we should find the nearest Pokemputer, which should be somewhere outside of this blizzard."
-
>Is attacking Kaguya off limits now?
>"Don't worry, Kaguya. I'll heat you up a bit."
>Set her on fire.
>"See? I totally have this 'Black Mage' thing going on!"
-
>"OK, well my objectives right now are to hit a Pokecomputer and then continue disrupting Team Galactic. If we're all cool with that, we should find the nearest Pokemputer, which should be somewhere outside of this blizzard."
> ?Good. Let?s do that,? Kaguya says.
>Is attacking Kaguya off limits now?
> Considering how obvious Kaguya's intended to continue murdering you is, you figure she's still fair game.
> You decide to warm Kaguya up before you leave the blizzard.
>"Don't worry, Kaguya. I'll heat you up a bit."
>Set her on fire.
>"See? I totally have this 'Black Mage' thing going on!"
> Normally setting her on fire works better.
> But you are in a blizzard, so the fire only lasts a couple seconds before she gets wet.
> You suppose you should enchant the fire, to negate the wetness factor. After all, any wizard worth his salt can set things on normal fire, usually by accident. Which Marisa will claim is intentional when you see smoke rising from the forest of magic, but you have your doubts she would intentionally take the roof off of her own house. It takes real skill to set snow on fire.
> Wait, that's a terrible idea when standing next to a highly flammable snow-covered Buddhist Temple.
> ?I thought we agreed,? Kaguya said.
> ?No attacks?? you ask.
> ?No being an ass about it,? Kaguya says with a punch to your neck. You grab her arm before it reaches you, but with a roll of her wrist you find yourself bleeding.
> ?And that?s how you throat-stab someone,? Kaguya brags, half to you, half to Cirno. ?Like it? Retractable blade. And you don?t even need to lose a finger to use this one.?
> Kaguya collects and creates a lot of toys. Some work better than others, most work best the first time she uses them, and the hidden wrist blade is new. You note that Kaguya's coat of melted snow and blood can't be doing her favors in this weather.
> The two of you are even enough that you could probably end the fight here, if you decide you want to get going. On the other hand, you haven?t had a good bloodbath with Kaguya in weeks.
>_
-
On the one hand, we've already observed Team Galactic being willing and able to captured beings with powerful abilities, take down Okuu and our sun, and try and attack us. Not to mention the tons of Pokemon that need PCed.
On the other hand, a good fight would be nice.
>If we fight, let's move away from Myouren Temple.
>If we don't fight, then go to either the Kappa City, Eientei, or the base back on Mt. Coronet for the PokePC.
-
>"Hm, Nue are you sure about teaming up with three immortals? I'm not going to watch out for friendly fire, like I tried to do around Kogasa."
-
On the one hand, we've already observed Team Galactic being willing and able to captured beings with powerful abilities, take down Okuu and our sun, and try and attack us. Not to mention the tons of Pokemon that need PCed.
On the other hand, a good fight would be nice.
>If we fight, let's move away from Myouren Temple.
>If we don't fight, then go to either the Kappa City, Eientei, or the base back on Mt. Coronet for the PokePC.
> The base at Mt. Coronet is guaranteed to have a PC. You don’t know if the Kappas have one, and you can ask Kaguya if she has one right now.
> You attempt to talk to Nue, in horribly maimed garbles that could be confused for language if Nue were deaf. So you press your hand to your throat, cauterize your wound, and try again. Your voice is still raspy from the procedure, and you have a sore throat.
>"Hm, Nue are you sure about teaming up with three immortals? I'm not going to watch out for friendly fire, like I tried to do around Kogasa."
> “I think you underestimate me,” Nue smirks.
> “Um, I never said I would join you,” Kaguya says, crossing her arms in a shiver.
> “Feels like destiny, doesn’t it,” Cirno says. “The first three rivals.”
> “What are you blabbering-“ Kaguya says, before Cirno interrupts.
> “We’re the three trainers from Pallet town, aren’t we?” Cirno says. “We’ve been training pokemon longer than anyone in Gensokyo,”
> “By about a day,” Kaguya says.
> “We’ve been rivals from the start, and by sheer chance we’ve reunited for the battle to save both worlds. It’s our destiny to succeed.”
> You note that you’ve only been reunited because you convinced them to annoy Yukari into teleporting them to a nearby firefight, rather by some divine fate, as Cirno continues, “So we should band together, the three of us and the expendable girl to save the world.”
> “Excuse me?” Nue says.
> “Well, obviously you’re the heroic sacrifice,” Cirno explains. “Somebody has to die to save the world, and you aren’t one of the destined three, so it must be you. You’re also an impostor, so we’ll get to mourn you as though you were Reimu, and then discover Reimu was alive the whole time. So it’s a happy ending for everyone!”
> “Hold on a second, I’m not your heroic sacrifice,” Nue argues back.
> Cirno sighs. “I suppose you could be the traitor instead. Destined to die by one of our hands shortly after backstabbing us right at the enemy’s doorstep.”
> “Hold on, we are NOT-” Nue says before being cut off by Kaguya.
> “Can we continue this someplace warmer?” Kaguya shivers.
>_
-
>"Let's head towards the nearest Pokemputer, which I guess is Mt Coronet."
-
>"Let's head towards the nearest Pokemputer, which I guess is Mt Coronet."
> ??I may know of a closer one,? Kaguya says, ice freezing over her blood-stained clothes.
> ?Let's go there then,? Nue says.
> ??Don?t take this the wrong way, I?m mostly suggesting it because I need some dry clothes,? Kaguya tells you between shivers, ?but I may have one back home we can use.?
> ?So what?s the problem?? Nue asks.
> ?Mokou,? Kaguya says, ?Mokou's the problem.?
> Although the visibility has improved from 50 feet to almost 100 feet, you believe Kaguya would agree to anything rather than stand around here and slowly freeze to death.
> Computer Options:
> Eientei
> Coronet
>_
-
>"What? I've been to your house before. I get along fine with two or three of the people living there."
>That's not even including the countless earth rabbit youkai girls whose names we don't know.
-
>"What? I've been to your house before. I get along fine with two or three of the people living there."
>That's not even including the countless earth rabbit youkai girls whose names we don't know.
> ?Yes, but I don?t think I?ve ever? invited you before,? Kaguya says.
> This is true. You?ve pretty much always invited yourself, alternating between bringing patients and burning stuff.
> Back when Kaguya was in hiding, you originally mostly visited to burn her, and by extension her house. As you got to know each other better, it became less about arson and more about stolen lunchtime tea, snark, and casual murder. Then her house was discovered by a small child. Fearing she?d be forced to return to the world of lunatic, er, lunarian politics, Kaguya kidnapped the child. Then she and Eirin attempted to use the kid as a bargaining chip.
> You reminded Kaguya that you can be a psychopathic pyromaniac when you want to be, with a physical demonstration. There was a lot of dialogue, threats, and fire, but eventually an agreement was reached. You?d watch over the girl, and nobody had to do anything they?d regret. That girl was Keine.
> For a number of years you had a cold period, in which you and Kaguya avoided each other. Over time, the two of you warmed up to the occasional murder level. Recently, Eirin determined Gensokyo was safe from lunatic politics, and opened a medical clinic. You have since then used patient delivery as an excuse to pester Kaguya.
> You believe Kaguya has begun to respect humanity more; at one time you were the only living human on earth she respected or feared. Now she invites guests into her home, holding parties for humans and youkai alike. You do not believe she would attempt to kidnap a small child again, and not simply because you would devote yourself to making her life hell if she did. That said, she does not distinguish between humans and youkai, and the humans she knows are all proficient in combat magic.
> ?So what?? Nue says, breaking your train of thought.
> Kaguya grumbles a bit, saying, ?Let?s go I suppose,? as she takes out a large bird pokemon your pokedex calls a pidgeot. You take out your Charizard, Nue her dragonite, and Cirno takes out a? pterodactyl. It?s called an Aerodactyl, but it?s clearly a pterodactyl.
> You are reminded that you left a fossil at a museum a while back. Piece of amber. You think you?d like to check up on that at Eientei.
> You follow Kaguya out of the blizzard, which is surprisingly small at only a couple hundred yards. The temperature warms up tremendously under the light of the false sun as you head to Eientei enveloped in an unearthly reddish glow. You look back, seeing Cirno?s cloud cover looking a bit like an old man as you venture forward. You happen to like some of the roles Cirno suggests for Nue, shifting from traitor and heroic sacrifice onto new possibilities, such as the team ?pack-mule? or ?jester?. Nue seems alright with being the party?s jester, getting cheap thrills terrifying Cirno with some truly ghastly clown faces.
> You fly low to avoid attention by annoying things, passing the occasional rabbit through the bamboo forest, the creatures running ahead. You soon reach Eientei, Eirin?s bow is drawn towards you, and Reisen is at her side.
> ?Hold on,? Kaguya says, taking out her phone. ?Hey Eirin, it?s Kaguya. You don?t have to shoot-?
> You suddenly find yourself impaled by an arrow.
> ?This doesn?t feel like such a good idea,? Nue says.
> ?Eirin,? Kaguya groans. ?Yeah? Alright, I?ll tell her,? Kaguya continues, turning to you. ?She says her finger slipped.?
> A lot of ?accidents? sure seem to happen at Eientei. Cyanide misplaced into the salt shakers, knives slipping out of people?s hands, arrows misfired everywhere. One day you expect to come in, sit down for Kaguya?s tea, and get struck by lightning. While indoors.
> You consider spending a moment to recollect bits of the good old days while at Eientei, and seeing if you can find out about that amber you left at that museum a while back over the PC. Also, time to choose pokemon.
> You can choose 6 of the following:
> Haunter
> Ponyta
> Charmeleon
> Lucario
> Registeel
> Crobat
> Beedrill
> Scyther
> Kingler
> Magikarp
> Seadra
> Fearow
> Koffing
> Koffing
> Koffing
> Weezing
> Golbat
> Golbat
> Dragonite
> Ditto
>_
-
>"I guess when you're a million years old you tend to make a lot of mistakes."
-
>"I guess when you're a million years old you tend to make a lot of mistakes."
> “Yes, maturity does have its downsides, but you wouldn’t know that, would you,” Eirin says as you approach. “Princess Houraisan, you really shouldn’t bring bums home.”
> “Yeah, well, Mokou caught me off guard,” Kaguya says quietly. “Anyway, the cat-Reimu is a Nue called, um...”
> “Nue. My name is also Nue.” The cat girl explains.
> “Alright then. The rabbit ears belong to Reisen, and the doctor is Eirin.”
> “And we’re the four warriors of light,” Cirno announces.
> Eirin looks over the four of you and asks Kaguya, “Why?”
> “Because when I agreed I was freezing the death,” Kaguya says.
> Eirin relaxes a bit, smiling warmly. “Don’t worry about them,” Eirin says reassuringly. “You’ve had a long week, I’ll take care of them.”
> “Well… this warrior of light thing almost sounds… fun,” Kaguya says. As Eirin raises her eyebrows, Kaguya hastily adds, “If it were anyone else.”
> “Why don’t you get cleaned up, see how you feel,” Eirin says, almost motherly. She then turns to you, eyebrow raised, as she continues, “You actually want to team up with Kaguya? You aren’t just following her around pestering her?”
>_
-
>"Please, I have better things to do with my time than simply pester the girl who ruined my family's reputation and honor. Besides, I'm involved in taking down a large organization, and Kaguya is helping me do it."
>Does Eientei have a large multi-person bath? It's time to get our yuris on bathe and cleanse.
-
>"Sup Reisen." High five.
>Wonder if it's good or bad that we don't see Tewi here.
-
>"Please, I have better things to do with my time than simply pester the girl who ruined my family's reputation and honor.?
> ?I know for a fact that you don?t,? Eirin says
> Well, for a while you really didn?t have anything better to do. However, you?ve decided that stopping potential apocalypse might take priority over pestering.
>"Besides, I'm involved in taking down a large organization, and Kaguya is helping me do it."
> Eirin face is expressionless, as Kaguya says, ?Eirin, could you have the rabbits prepare dinner for three guests? Oh, and careful of the Nue, she isn?t as hardy as the other two.?
>Does Eientei have a large multi-person bath? It's time to get our yuris on bathe and cleanse.
> Eientei actually has an outdoor hotspring, but it is not currently in use.
> The fact that all the peeping toms can fly was always a bit of a limiting factor. However, it took the ?pure? and ?honest? reporter Aya Shameimaru to destroy the use of all outdoor hotsprings in gensokyo by anyone more modest than an oni. Mind you fairies and anyone either too stupid or too indifferent to care still use them, but Kaguya does not want pictures of herself in the buff appearing in Aya?s private reading collection. Or worse, Aya?s public reading collection.
> You will have to settle for barging in on Kaguya in a relatively small bathroom. You suspect Kaguya may not be ready to share a tub with you.
>"Sup Reisen." High five.
> Reisen returns the gesture, before pulling an AK-47 off of her back. ?New grenades for the grenade launcher attachment. Wanna see??
> You get along best with Reisen of the 4 big residents of Eientei, possibly because she?s known you for the least time. While she is friendly, she will demonstrate her new guns on you. She will not shoot a thicket to show them off, she will blast your head on with them. It seems to keep Kaguya happy.
>Wonder if it's good or bad that we don't see Tewi here.
> This is always bad.
> You can expect to die multiple times in Eientei, even if you are careful.
> You don?t usually care, because most the deaths are fairly easy to walk away from.
> As an invitee this time, you consider objecting to being murdered. Even by so-called accident.
>_
-
>"Grenades, huh? Let me put my stuff down and then you ca -- uh, where would be a good place for that?"
>Store Dragonite and a Crobat, activate Ditto.
>Wonder how well Nue and Tewi would get along.
if M-1 Manzai is to be believed, Nue is fully capable of pranking Tewi, albeit with consequences.
-
>"Grenades, huh? Let me put my stuff down and then you ca -- uh, where would be a good place for that?"
> ?Here?s good,? Reisen says, nailing you in the gut. The grenade explodes and you find yourself unable to feel anything below the neck as Reisen lands a half dozen bullets in your arm. Your arm shatters off. ?Ice,? Reisen says plainly.
> ?That?s? something,? Nue says, her usual smug composure showing cracks.
> ?That?s awesome!? Cirno squeals, checking you out from head to toe.
> You?re also surprised it worked, you?ve never been flash-frozen like this before. You find it difficult to burn the feeling away, you?re forced to start from the head and work through your remaining arm just to get enough limb control back for some proper fireworks.
> ?Interesting,? Eirin says. ?Wouldn?t have thought of ice.?
> ?Yeah,? Reisen says. ?I wonder if we could try it again but with you on fire.?
> ?I don?t see why you?d even try ice on her,? Eirin asks.
> ?Well, no,? Reisen says sheepishly, ?This one was for fun.?
> ?Of course you?d use ice,? Cirno says. ?It?s the best weapon there is.?
> You notice Kaguya glancing at your lost limb as she whispers something to Eirin. Eirin rolls her eyes, then says, ?Reisen, would you help our guests in??
>Wonder how well Nue and Tewi would get along.
if M-1 Manzai is to be believed, Nue is fully capable of pranking Tewi, albeit with consequences.
> Your experience with Tewi?s pranks is that they tend to be lethal. You are concerned about Nue?s lifespan if they don?t get along; you hope Tewi would be able to hold back, but she?s never held back on you.
Unfortunately you are not familiar with M-1 Manzai
>Store Dragonite and a Crobat, activate Ditto.
> You decide to store dragonite and crobat, and activate your ditto. As soon as you?ve gotten your legs working again.
> ?Um, you want me to help you?? Reisen asks. You consider whether you want to defrost out here, or get inside to do that.
> Your new party will contain:
> Haunter
> Ponyta
> Charmeleon
> Lucario
> Registeel
> Ditto
Your PC will have the following:
> Beedrill
> Scyther
> Kingler
> Magikarp
> Seadra
> Fearow
> Koffing
> Koffing
> Koffing
> Weezing
> Golbat
> Golbat
> Dragonite
> Crobat
> You?ve also left an old piece of amber back at the Oreburgh museum, you can probably check in on it here.
> You consider whether this is your final party decision for the upcoming battles.
>_
-
I didn't realize until now that the piece of amber was a pokemon.
>"Sure, let's go inside."
>Wonder what would happen if Cirno was frozen.
>Hopefully none of our stuff was badly damaged.
-
I didn't realize until now that the piece of amber was a pokemon.
>"Sure, let's go inside."
> Reisen takes your good arm, supporting your weight as Eirin says, ?Send Nue and Cirno to the infirmary, and Mokou to the operating room with a couple towels. Also, Mokou, try not to bleed out in the halls.?
> ?Gotcha,? Reisen says, bringing you through the front doors. You enter what appears to be an unstaffed waiting room, lined with chairs, a window into an office next door, and a small bell on the windowsill.
> You are led through the waiting room, into a pristine hallway, through the second door on the right into a tile-floor room containing a drain on the floor, a sink, and medical equipment you never bothered to learn the names of. As you thaw, you begin to bleed out of your bad arm. You also still have an arrow sticking out of your stomach, although that?s still frozen.
> ?Yeah, thought I?d experiment with some different kinds of magic. Usually get explosions, but they make pretty good grenades,? Reisen explains.
> You see her open the door across the hall for Cirno and Nue, spotting a familiar shrine maiden nursing a broken arm through the open door. The Hakurei shrine maiden, Reimu Hakurei, she beats people up to keep the peace. Kind of like a cowboy movie hero, but lazier. She looks fairly startled, but you can?t blame her considering Nue looks just like a cross between her and Orin. ?Hey Reimu, need anything??
> ?Uh, no,? Reimu says. ?What?s going on??
> ?Reimu, meet fake Reimu.? Cirno says. ?As you can see, she?s an impostor of you, so I?m still working out her position in my new team. Say, if you?re better yet, you could join us.?
> ?No,? Reimu says. ?Um, are you a tanuki??
> ?No,? you hear Nue sigh.
> ?I?ll let you three get acquainted,? Reisen say, letting the door slowing shut. ?Holler if you need anything.? She then returns to the operating room, taking out some fresh linens from a nearby sink. ?Feel free to join them when you?re cleaned up.?
>Wonder what would happen if Cirno was frozen.
> You wonder about that.
> You?ve seen Cirno injured before, and you?ve noticed she has a lot in common with ice already. She melts, she shatters, she slowly freezes back to health like an ice cube in a tray. You really can?t guess whether ice could immobilize her or not. You think? probably not, since she?s a living ice cube already.
> Well, when you fill a person with meat, they become fat. So if you fill a Cirno with ice, maybe she gains weight?
> You must test this theory. For science.
>Hopefully none of our stuff was badly damaged.
> You peek at your bag. No bullet holes, and you took the blast from the front, so you don?t think it should be too bad.
> Although it would probably be a good idea to apply those talismans Satori gave you to your more valuable items.
> Once you?ve stopped the bleeding at least.
>_
-
>Heal.
>"Reisen, have you thought about going into the incident business? Either causing or solving I mean."
>Wonder about Reisen/Youmu. Rei/mu.
>Wonder about ear buttons.
-
>Heal.
> You start by cauterizing your bad arm shut, causing more damage then you started with but keeping you from bleeding to death. You then pull the arrow out of your gut with your good arm, causing you what you would have once considered a ?sharp? pain, then start cauterizing the stomach wound, stopping the bleeding. Then you work your way down your legs, burning feeling back into them.
> You decide to use ?phoenix tail? to speed up the missing limb; instead of burning something away, the flame is burning your arm back, kind of like a candle in reverse and heating up the room a good ten degrees. It would have been easier if the limb was in the room, but you can?t exactly say you blame Reisen for not picking it up.
>Wonder about Reisen/Youmu. Rei/mu.
> You would be surprised if Reisen and Youmu had a relationship. It would not be particularly hard to hide one from you, seeing as Reisen is constantly going out for work to wherever Eirin needs medicine sent, but dead people don?t get sick and Youmu does NOT care if Yuyuko?s rabbit stew has youkai by-products in it.
>Wonder about ear buttons.
> Lunarian earrings or prosthetics. Take your pick.
> Or you could just ask her. But where?s the fun in that.
>"Reisen, have you thought about going into the incident business? Either causing or solving I mean."
> ?Sometimes,? Reisen says, absent mindedly looking up. ?If I ever stockpile enough ammo, I might like to solve one I guess. Causing them?? Reisen pauses. ?Everyone dreams of changing the world sometimes.?
> Your phoenix tail spell is finishing up. There is a lot of blood on the floor, but you are no longer bleeding.
>_
-
>Stare and the blood for a bit, then remark in our typical sarcastic way; "Cleanup on aisle one."
-
>Stare and the blood for a bit, then remark in our typical sarcastic way; "Cleanup on aisle one."
> Reisen frowns a bit. She then replies, ?Well, we can?t have that, can we,? mimicking your tone. She pulls out a hose from one of the cabinets, attaches it to the sink?s faucet, and sprays you with scalding water.
> You are no longer bleeding. And you probably needed a bath. Reisen still deserves payback.
> Reisen gives you a quick look over before handing you a towel. She adds, ?Alright, I think you?re pretty good,? as she continues throwing the occasional glance at you.
> As she starts hosing down the room, it occurs to you that you are wearing a white shirt. Not only that, but Reisen made it a wet, white shirt.
> You smirk right back at Reisen, saying ?I didn?t know you were into that kind of thing.?
> Reisen?s face turns bright red, as she deliberately averts her gaze from you.
Options:
> Dry off (Not mutually exclusive of other options)
> Join Reimu and rest of group
> Continue teasing Reisen.
> Other
>_
-
>Grin a bit while using a little hand-held flame to dry off quicker. "Well, you are a rabbit after all, I guess you'd find that sort of thing interesting sooner or later."
-
>Grin a bit while using a little hand-held flame to dry off quicker. "Well, you are a rabbit after all, I guess you'd find that sort of thing interesting sooner or later."
> ?What does being a rabbit have to do with it?? Reisen blurts out. She stutters, ?I mean, uh, most rabbits wouldn?t be interested, not that I?m interested of course, because, uh, it?s not interesting at all, yeah.?
> ?Um, right? perhaps you?d better join Reimu,? the magenta-faced rabbit says, doing her best to look at everything but you
>_
-
>Consider cabbits.
>Change clothes.
-
>Consider cabbits.
> Cabbits? would be hard to recognize in Gensokyo. Especially if they hid their fluffy tails, you?d only see the cat ears.
> Well, there is the rabbit ears and cat tail option.
> You could debate whether they would have cat tails with rabbit ears or rabbit tails with cat ears all day, but there?s only one way to be sure. You must breed Reisen with Orin. For science.
>Change clothes.
> Looking through your bag, you have a spare pair of pants, but your spare shirt is ripped. You have a Galactic uniform and a Rocket uniform; you suppose you?ll have to either ask Reisen for a shirt or pick between the uniform shirts.
>_
-
>Good thing someone here is the correct size.
>Change pants, remove shirt.
>"Oh darn, I need to do some laundry. Reisen can I borrow a shirt from you? "
-
>Actually, can we take a fire bath, burning away all the dirt and sweat and such, without damaging our lovely hair?
>any of our non-lovely hair is fine to burn
-
>Good thing someone here is the correct size.
>Change pants, remove shirt.
> ?Um? Mokou.? Reisen says, as you begin to undress.
> Something wrong?? You ask, as the rabbit turns off the hose.
> ?Um? no, nothing at all!? she blurts, putting her hand over her mouth. She looks a bit away from you albeit with the occasional glance, her face as red as ever.
>"Oh darn, I need to do some laundry. Reisen can I borrow a shirt from you? "
> ?Yeah, let me get that for you.? The rabbit says, wasting absolutely no time getting out of the room.
> You think you may have embarrassed the rabbit.
>Actually, can we take a fire bath, burning away all the dirt and sweat and such, without damaging our lovely hair?
>any of our non-lovely hair is fine to burn
> You can burn away the dirt, although sweat causes problems for obvious reasons. Your bow will protect your hair from just about anything.
> You could probably get hot enough to get rid of new sweat as soon as it forms, but using the hose would be much easier and less likely to accidentally burn down the house.
>Fire: Is there any other way to get a haircut?
>_
-
>Use hose and towels, with fire where appropriate (with clothing off obviously)
>Reisen was acting a little odd; shouldn't a medical student be used to nudity?
>Apply clothing as available
-
>Use hose and towels, with fire where appropriate (with clothing off obviously)
>Apply clothing as available
> You use the operating room as a makeshift bathroom, skipping any scenes of fanservice until you are clean and dry. You then redress yourself, putting your coat on until Reisen can make it back with a shirt.
>Reisen was acting a little odd; shouldn't a medical student be used to nudity?
> She was acting odd. Either Eirin really needs to show her more naked men and women, or it could have been your implication of Reisen?s voyeurism.
> Either way, Eirin needs to train that rabbit better. She?s not even close to as shameless as the doctor when it comes to watching people undress.
> You hear a knock on the door, as Reisen yells through it, ?Found a shirt.? She then opens the door a crack, sticking the shirt through it as if it were a roll of toilet paper.
>_
-
>Shirt get, equip.
>"Thanks. So Eirin doesn't have you do patient examinations?"
-
>Shirt get, equip.
> You equip Reisen?s shirt. It mostly fits.
>"Thanks. So Eirin doesn't have you do patient examinations?"
> ?Not humans, never alone with them. Most the ones that don?t fear youkai rabbits tend to like youkai rabbits a little too much, if you know what I mean.?
> You are finished with the operating room.
-
>We should probably stop teasing her. Maybe.
>"Ah, that's a problem. But you're able to defend yourself, right?"
>Visit Reimu.
-
>We should probably stop teasing her. Maybe.
> Yeah, just because she can take it, doesn?t mean it?s very nice. Might as well lay off for a while, save some snark for Cirno.
>"Ah, that's a problem. But you're able to defend yourself, right?"
> ?Um, yes, but it?s usually nothing that bad,? Reisen blusters. ?Look, it?s not uncommon for a patient to get? excited, and well, you know, things can get kind of awkward.?
>Visit Reimu.
> You exit the surgery room and show yourself in to Reimu?s room. The room has a few empty beds with curtain around them, although only Reimu?s is occupied. You notice an odd computer by Reimu?s bedside as Cirno explains, ?Naturally, I?ll be the leader because I?m the strongest member.?
> ?Reisen,? Reimu says, holding her head with her good arm, ?I think Cirno would really like to see some of your toys.?
> ?Oooo, can I?? Cirno asks the rabbit.
> ?Are you sure? You two look like you?re having so much fun,? Reisen chuckles.
> ?Lots,? Cirno says. ?I think I?ve sold Reimu on this Warriors of Light thing! Of course, then we?ll have 5 warriors of light, but I?m sure one of us could die to even the numbers up,? the fairy adds, earning a glare from Reimu and a small slap on the head from Nue.
>_
-
>"You know, if there are five of us then we'd have to do transforming and combining. And you're blue, so you wouldn't be the leader."
>Red/White is pink, right?
>If Nue is still disguised, "Neko Miko Reimu, nani shiteru?"
>if she isn't, "Reimu, didn't you used to have cat ears?"
>Discuss incident resolution with Reimu.
>"So I'm taking down a large organization. Any advice?"
-
Hmm... if Reimu joins, we can go from 4 Warriors of Light to either Mokou Touksentai or Power Rangers. (Nue is Black Ranger, Reimu Pink, Cirno Blue, Mokou Red, and Kaguya... green I guess.)
>"Reimu, you've solved these kinds of incidents before. Advice?"
>Wonder if she thinks our alliance with Kaguya itself is an incident.
-
>"You know, if there are five of us then we'd have to do transforming and combining. And you're blue, so you wouldn't be the leader."
> ?Right, well, I guess we would need to scrounge up some giant robots and make blue the new red??
> ?Hey Cirno, I?m having some trouble working out the kinks in my freeze grenades?? Reisen says, ?Would you take a look at them for me??
> ?Can I test them??
> ?Not sure how you?d be able to help if you didn?t!? Reisen says.
> Reimu mouths a giant ?thank you? to Reisen as Nue passes a note to Reisen, adding, ?Hey, uh, before I forget, make sure Eirin gets this.?
> ?Something up?? Reisen asks.
> ?This whole incident has Byakuren worried, think of it as a wish list.?
> ?Got it,? Reisen says,
> Cirno takes the rabbit by the arm and drags her out of the room, saying, ?Let?s get started!?
> Reisen yells down the hall, ?Shout if you need anything! Wait, Cirno, wrong way! Wrong way!?
> You?ve got to appreciate Reisen?s patience, but you suspect dealing with the lunatics daily would either teach patience or drive a person mad?
> ?Well, next time Kaguya calls you a lunatic, you can blame it on dealing with her so often.
>Red/White is pink, right?
> You suppose, although you think Reimu would be less than happy to be anything other than the red ranger.
> You get a better look at Reimu?s cast, it?s clear that she got injured, although you doubt Cirno understands just how difficult it is for humans to recover from these things.
>If Nue is still disguised, "Neko Miko Reimu, nani shiteru?"
> ?Yo, Cat-Reimu, what are you doing??
> ?Something wrong with a girl wanting to look pretty?? Nue asks
> ?Yes, when you look just like me,? Reimu says.
>if she isn't, "Reimu, didn't you used to have cat ears?"
> ?No,? Reimu says
> ?Sure you did, remember how last New Year?s Eve when Yukari got really drunk,? Nue begins.
> ?That. Never. Happened.? Reimu declares, turning scarlet.
> ?Yeah, then Aya published it,? Nue adds.
> ?Doppleganger. Never happened,? she says, getting out of bed and whacking Nue repeatedly with her gohei in her good arm.
> ?Alright! Alright! It never happened? Nue says, changing into Orin. ?Aren?t you injured??
> ?My legs aren?t broken,? Reimu says.
> ?Yeah, but I thought you were supposed to rest after injuries,? you add.
> ?Well, yes, I am supposed to stay in bed, I guess. But only until Erin?s made sure there aren?t any complications,? Reimu says, sulking a bit as she returns to her bed.
>Discuss incident resolution with Reimu.
>"So I'm taking down a large organization. Any advice?"
> ?Whack everyone with a gohei,? Reimu says.
> ?We don?t have a gohei,? Nue says.
> ?Then use a stick. Always works for me,? Remiu says. ?Also, some jerk is going around and turning gravity on high under all the flyers,? Reimu pouts. ?Cheaters. How am I supposed to dodge gravity??
Hmm... if Reimu joins, we can go from 4 Warriors of Light to either Mokou Touksentai or Power Rangers. (Nue is Black Ranger, Reimu Pink, Cirno Blue, Mokou Red, and Kaguya... green I guess.)
> Go go Mokou Rangers! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-van93HkAag) Sadly, you lack the transforming giant robot. ?You wonder where you can find a giant robot, let alone a transforming one.
>"Reimu, you've solved these kinds of incidents before. Advice?"
> ?Whack people with things until they surrender. Don?t get master sparked by Marisa. Don?t die. And all mind readers are liars. Can?t believe anything they say.?
> ?Yeah, on the don?t die front, what I typically do is look at my opponents attacks from as far away as I can get, and visualize where I expect the gaps in them to be. Usually it?s not very difficult to figure out where the problem is, so I just beat up whoever?s the strongest wherever a problem is. And, um? sometimes Marisa is actually helpful. And Sanae. And Youmu. I?m not saying I can?t handle incidents on my own?? Reimu?s voice patters out a bit, as she finishes, ?Well, it?s a lot harder without backup, no matter how annoying or selfish or cultist they may be.?
>Wonder if she thinks our alliance with Kaguya itself is an incident.
> ?Both of you. Working together,? Reimu says. ?Not sure if that?s an incident.? The shrine maiden then whacks you with her gohei.
> ?There. Incident resolved. For now.?
> Nue chuckles as you hold yourself back from beating up the crippled.
> You get a better look at the computer next to Reimu?s bed. It looks like a typical laptop, except there is a rounded groove beneath the keyboard and to the right of the mouse pad that looks about the right size for a pokeball.
>_
-
>What
weird interesting articles of Aya's have we read recently?
>"Is that the pokecomputer? I want to switch out some mons.
>"Reimu, what mons have you caught so far?"
-
>What weird interesting articles of Aya's have we read recently?
> ?Neko Miko Reimu? and ?The Buddhists are coming!? come to mind, but the Hell incident was particularly memorable. She released a fairly hefty extra addition during that; ?9 tips for keeping hellspawn from stealing your children,? ?The oni invasion,? ?The Satori are back to steal our souls,? and ?Nuclear power will kill us all,? all in one issue. Then about a week later she released ?Nuclear Power is the future? and ?5 ways the Moriya shrine will improve our lives.? It was not hard to figure out when the mountain gods started sponsoring her.
>"Is that the pokecomputer? I want to switch out some mons.
> ?I guess so?? Reimu says. ?Go ahead and try; Eirin says it has some sort of teleporter magic in it, but for some reason it won?t let me teleport myself food from bed.?
>"Reimu, what mons have you caught so far?"
> ?None,? Reimu says. ?Never even left Gensokyo. Next time you decide to disappear, keep me in the loop, alright? Also, please don?t. Just because Yukari wants to purge Gensokyo of annoyances doesn?t mean I don?t need a couple tough humans to keep the annoyances in line.?
> ?There are plenty of youkai that would keep the peace if they needed to,? Nue starts.
> ?No, Nue,? Reimu says. ?The youkai start the incidents, the humans clean them up. Unless you want to actually help once in a while, I need the kleptomaniac and the cultist to pick up the slack. That?s how it?s always been, and that?s how it?ll always be.?
> ?And that?s how it has to be this time too, I suppose,? Reimu sighs. She looks at her arm, then looks out the window, upon a clouded twilight sky, lit by an artificial sun. ?Dammit, I have to resolve this, don?t I,? she says.
>_
-
>"Hey, have a little faith in my and Kaguya's ability to work together to solve this incident."
>Pfft, haha.
>"No but seriously, not everything is just your responsibility. Wasn't there a time when Yuuka worked with you and Marisa to solve incidents?"
>Acquire Reimu's phone number.
>Activate pokecomputer: check on piece of amber if that's something we can do.
>Store Crobat.
-
>"Hey, have a little faith in my and Kaguya's ability to work together to solve this incident."
>Pfft, haha.
> “Just try not to burn both worlds down,” Reimu says.
> “Aw,” Nue says. “Tell you what, we’ll keep it down and only destroy Sinnoh.”
> “Works for me,” the shrine-maiden says. “Sinnoh’s the name of the planet overhead?”
> “Just the nearest one country.” Nue explains “We don’t really have a name for their planet yet, we can’t just call it ‘Earth’ after all.”
>"No but seriously, not everything is just your responsibility. Wasn't there a time when Yuuka worked with you and Marisa to solve incidents?"
> “Yes, let’s not have a repeat of that incident,” Reimu says, gazing outside. “You don’t want her in Gensokyo doing the things she did in Makai.”
> Reimu sighs. “The thing is, keeping Gensokyo safe is my responsibility.”
> “And you’ve done a good job,” Eirin says through the door. “And now, it’s your job to rest. Let someone else handle this one.”
> “Doc?” Nue asks, “You don’t seem the eve’s dropping type.”
> “What, you think I’d leave guarding Reimu to the rabbits?” Eirin says.
> You’d like to say Eirin is being a rude. You’d like to, but between keeping Reimu from discharging herself and keeping tabs on you, you’d probably have less respect for her if she wasn’t keeping tabs.
>Acquire Reimu's phone number.
> “635-6456, Remiu says. “Keep me in the loop,” Reimu says
>Activate pokecomputer: check on piece of amber if that's something we can do.
>Store Crobat.
> You look up Oreburg on the computer, and find a website. One of the tabs says “fossil pickup”.
> You click the tab, and a dialogue box says “Please place your pokedex on top of the teleportation module.” Soon after placing your machine next to the laptop’s rounded groove, a message pops up.
> “Dear Museum patron. Thank you for contribution one AMBER FOSSIL to the pokemon resurrection project. We have successfully cloned one AERODACTYL from the sample, and have placed it into yoru pc. We thank you for your contribution to our understanding of ancient life forms and fossil resurrection technology.
> You then go to your PC storage box, confirming the arrival of an Aerodactyl. You then place your crobat’s pokeball on top of the PC’s groove. As Reimu stares intently, you pokeball vanishes into thin air, appearing in the PC as a little Crobat picture. You place your dragonite in as well, making your current party consist of the following:
> Haunter
> Ponyta
> Charizard
> Lucario
> Registeel
> Ditto
> Your computer has the following pokemon:
> Beedrill
> Scyther
> Kingler
> Magikarp
> Seadra
> Fearow
> Koffing
> Koffing
> Koffing
> Weezing
> Golbat
> Golbat
> Crobat
> Aerodactyl
> Dragonite
> Reimu stare intently at your work on the PC, before asking, “Is that magic or technology?”
> “I’d say the two are indistinguishable here,” Nue replies.
>_
-
Need some input from other players here. Would Dragonite be more useful than one of our current pokemon?
-
Need some input from other players here. Would Dragonite be more useful than one of our current pokemon?
> You expect to fight a number of aerial battles where only flying pokemon will be useful, but from what Reimu has told you there is also a strong possibility that you will be grounded from time to time.
> Haunter - Intelligent, devious, and able to strategize independently of you. Can talk. Likes to cause trouble.
> Ponyta - Close to evolution, synergy with your fire, provides grounded transportation upon evolution.
> Charizard - Your first pokemon. Tough, provides aerial transportation, and is a fire breathing dragon.
> Lucario - Can scout areas out and inform you of nearby threats and points of interest. Appears to have some mild form of telepathy.
> Registeel - Tough as nails. Unbelievably hard to crack, though a bit slow.
> Ditto - Can mimic the abilities of anything it sees for a short period of time.
> Dragonite - Extremely fast, and can shrug off "Honest man's death."
> You consider asking Reimu and Nue for thoughts on what you should bring.
>_
-
I'd say that while Ditto's versatile, it's not quite needed just yet. I'd say grab Aerodactyl and swap it with Ditto.
Most of our guys can handle both Sky and Ground combat. Especially Dragonite, Haunter, and Charizard.
-
I'd say that while Ditto's versatile, it's not quite needed just yet. I'd say grab Aerodactyl and swap it with Ditto.
Most of our guys can handle both Sky and Ground combat. Especially Dragonite, Haunter, and Charizard.
> You have your eye on that aerodactyl; you strongly consider replacing your ditto for it. You can't be sure what the pterodactyl can do until you try it out, but you can ask Cirno about hers. The only problem is that would put you at 7 pokemon.
> Currently, your party contains the following pokemon.
> Haunter
> Ponyta
> Charizard
> Lucario
> Registeel
> Ditto
> In the short term, you are seriously considering swapping out your Ditto , and are torn between
> Dragonite, and
> Aerodactyl.
>_
-
Um, I'm not sure why we would use Aerodactyl when we have Dragonite. Also I don't think we should put away Ditto when we specifically asked for it.
-
You may change pokemon out still. Not 100% clear on the team decision, so sticking with current party until I hear otherwise.
> Your current team contains the following:
> Haunter
> Ponyta
> Charizard
> Lucario
> Registeel
> Ditto
> As you wonder where Tewi is hiding, you go over in your head the things you still want to ask Reimu, and since she’s nearby, Eirin.
> Eirin knocks twice on the door before letting herself in, announcing, “Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes. Are you in any pain Reimu?”
> “No, I’m fine,” Reimu says casually, waving the doctor off.
> “Don’t try acting tough in front of me,” Eirin replies. “Or I may have to keep you here longer.”
> “It’s coming back a little bit, but it’s not bad,” Reimu says, “Just a mild ache.”
> “As expected,” Eirin says. “Reisen will be by with your evening medications.”
> “It’s not that bad,” Reimu says.
> “Only because your morning dose hasn’t completely worn off yet,” Eirin says. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a few small matters that require my attention” she adds, departing the room.
> “So Eirin,” Nue adds. “Did you get the list?”
> “My services aren’t for free,” Eirin says, “But I may… be able to provide a reasonable bulk rate.”
> You swear that almost sounded like charity coming from the good doctor.
> Options:
> 1. Do important things (calls, pokemon swaps, discussing strategy, other stuff, etc.)
> 2. Engage in pleasantries until dinnertime.
>_
-
>"If we're going to team up with Kaguya, we should discuss strategies with her. "
>Find Kaguya and pester her
-
>Discuss the fine strategy of LEEEEROOOOOOY JEEEEENKINS!
>Then seriously talk about strategies.
-
>"If we're going to team up with Kaguya, we should discuss strategies with her. "
>Find Kaguya and pester her
>Discuss the fine strategy of LEEEEROOOOOOY JEEEEENKINS!
>Then seriously talk about strategies.
> You decide to excuse yourself from the room to go find Kaguya and discuss strategy, having absolutely no interest in peeking on her while she bathes and/or gets dressed, and definitely no interest in taking video of either act with your cell phone camera for future personal use.
> “Thought I’d tell her about our brilliant team charging maneuver,” You explain. “Of course, she’ll be the only one charging, but she won’t know that.”
> Nue pauses for a second. “Having a little private meeting with the princess?” she asks, emphasizing the “private” with a wink and a nudge. “I suppose fifteen minutes is just enough time for that,” Nue says.
> “Wait, you're saying…” Reimu says, the gears in her head turning.
> “I’m not saying anything,” Nue says with her smuggest smirk. “Just pointing out the obvious.”
> Reimu pauses as Nue continues looking smug, then adds, “And it really only takes fifteen minutes?” To which Nue responds only by keeping up her smile.
> You consider whether you wish to bring Nue along to discuss strategy with Kaguya before dinner.
>_
-
>"Later, Reimu." Exit
>"Say Nue, I haven't seen Tewi anywhere. Do you know what she's planning?"
>Now that Nue is sufficiently distracted, go find a princess.
-
>"Later, Reimu." Exit
> You bid Reimu farewell as you leave to find the moonbi- …princess. The moon princess.
>"Say Nue, I haven't seen Tewi anywhere. Do you know what she's planning?"
> “Nope,” Nue says flatly.
>Now that Nue is sufficiently distracted, go find a princess.
> You realize that isn’t even close to enough to distract Nue, as the girl teases, “If you wanted private time, you could have just asked.”
> Rolling your eyes, you leave Nue behind, making a familiar path towards the princess’es quarters, fully confident she’s in another castle. As you proceed, you cannot shake the nagging feeling that someone is watching you. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7cSdL5E2ao) This feeling continues until your about 50 feet from Kaguya’s doorway, when the nagging feeling increases considerably.
> Kaguya’s room is at the end of the hallway, there is a door to the right containing Eirin’s living quarters, and one on the left for Reisen. There are a couple portraits lining the walls, including a suspicious life-size portrait of Tewi just past the door to Reisen’s room. Course, knowing Tewi, the fact that it’s suspicious could just as easily mean it’s harmless. There are also a couple of electric lights on the ceiling.
>_
-
>"Hello Tewi."
>Assuming she doesn't respond, go down the hall and knock on Kaguya's door.
-
>"Hello Tewi."
> No response.
>Assuming she doesn't respond, go down the hall and knock on Kaguya's door.
> You tread down the hall. As you pass Reisen?s door, you realize you?ve stepped in something sticky as you try to raise your left foot. You note the substance appears to be localized around Reisen?s door; the right half of the hallway is fine.
> Looking down, it?s hard to tell that there?s anything on the wooden floor other than polish. You?re having some trouble getting your foot off the ground as you hear a small giggle that you cannot quite locate.
>_
-
>"Tewi, is this trap specifically for me, for Reisen, or anybody who happened to walk by?"
>What socks are we wearing, if any?
-
>"Tewi, is this trap specifically for me, for Reisen, or anybody who happened to walk by?"
> The voice lets out a ?hmf?, but chooses not to answer your query.
>What socks are we wearing, if any?
> Thankfully, you are wearing shoes as opposed to being barefoot, so at least getting unstuck shouldn?t be too difficult.
> Yes, shoes. You know these people. Not stepping barefoot on poisoned needles takes priority over manners.
>_
-
>"It's weird, you own the place but choose to act like a rebellious child. "
>Remove shoe, we'll have to see about getting a replacement later. Right now we have more important people things to do.
-
>"It's weird, you own the place but choose to act like a rebellious child. "
> A small voice from above responds, ?And you?re a rebellious child who acts like she owns the place.?
> That confirms it; she?s in the rafters above the ceiling.
>Remove shoe, we'll have to see about getting a replacement later. Right now we have more important people things to do.
> You ditch the shoe, choosing to fly to the other end of the hallway so you can do your important people, er, things before dinner. Testing the ground for more glue, you wind up touching down in front of Kaguya?s doorway.
>_
-
>The beautiful princess was deciding what to wear. Her arch-rival was at her house, so she needed something nice but not too fancy. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. She opened it to find her rugged but handsome rival, who
>Argh, Mokou stop fantasizing!
-
>The beautiful princess was deciding what to wear. Her arch-rival was at her house, so she needed something nice but not too fancy. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. She opened it to find her rugged but handsome rival, who
>Argh, Mokou stop fantasizing!
> You absent-mindedly knock on the door through your not-fantasizing, as Kaguya calls out, “Eirin?”
> A moment later, you hear her scream as the lights throughout the hallway flicker. A small “Whoops" comes from the attic as Cirno charges out of Reisen’s room, barefoot as usual. The fairy steps in Tewi’s glue trap and immediately trips over herself, getting stuck flat on the floor as she yells, “Don’t panic! I’m here!”
> Immediately behind Cirno is Reisen, yelling, “Princess? Are you alright? What happened?” as the bunny promptly trips over Cirno. Spotting you, she yells, “Mokou? What did you do?”
> Will you try the doorknob?
>_
-
>Knock again. "Kaguya, you ok?"
>"Watch out for the floor there, it's sticky for some reason."
-
>Knock again. "Kaguya, you ok?"
> ?Mokou? No I am not okay! How the hell did you do that to the door?? Kaguya screams.
> ?Uh, I?m not sure I follow?? you respond.
> ?How the hell did you electrify it! I?ve never even see you so much as look at a battery and now you?re casting lighting through doorknobs? What else have you been keeping from me??
> ?Ooo, is that why all the lights dimmed?? Cirno asks.
> ?Um, probably not,? Reisen says. ?Not unless she hit a wire, and all the electrical stuff runs through the attic??
> ?Where the rats like to hide,? Nue adds gleefully.
> You look back to the entrance of the hallway, and see Nue popping her head around the corner, barely suppressing her laughter. ?Now why would I go looking for the rabbit, when the rabbit?s gonna come to you??
> You hear loud scampering noises from the ceiling as Nue stops holding her laughter back, going into full-on mocking.
>"Watch out for the floor there, it's sticky for some reason."
> ?I know, I know,? Cirno says, ?Hey Reisen, can you get off of me??
> As Reisen tries to get up, she finds some of her hair stuck to the floor, and softly adds, ?Sorry Cirno, not really.? She then faces you and says, ?A little late, but I appreciate the attempt. Hey princess, I think the door is clear!?
> ?Alright theAAAAAAAGH? You hear Kaguya scream again, as the lights dim a second time, this time going out completely.
> ?Or not, sorry!?
> ?I HATE ALL OF YOU!? Kaguya yells through the door, into the near-black hallway, filled with the uncontrolled laughter of one nue.
> Well, this rather puts a damper on the strategy meeting.
>_
-
>Hm, if the lights are out, it's safe to open the door. Do so.
>Fire in other hand: one candlepower, for visibility.
-
>Blame Tewi.
>Then enter.
>If door gives us resistance, BURN WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE!
-
>Hm, if the lights are out, it's safe to open the door. Do so.
> You feel a tiny spark as you touch the knob, but nothing more. It is very warm to the touch.
>If door gives us resistance, BURN WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE!
> It was only a tiny shock, that seems like it might be excessive.
> On the other hand, you haven?t caused any house fires recently, so it?s not like you [i[need[/i] an excuse or anything.
>Fire in other hand: one candlepower, for visibility.
>Then enter.
> You cast about a candle?s worth of light, just enough to not trip over anything as you push open Kaguya?s door. The door bumps the princess, who in the dim light you find lying on the ground in her bathrobe.
> ?Hate? You?? she grumples. The princess smells just like she lost a battle to you.
>Blame Tewi.
> ?What can I say, tonight?s rabbit stew likes to play with wires,? you say.
> ?Yeah, this looks like her.? Kaguya says. ?Still hate you. And Tewi. And Reisen. And Nue. And especially Cirno.?
> ?What did I do?? Cirno asks from the floor between.
> Kaguya gets a little agitated as she responds, ?A week with you made me miss Mokou. MOKOU. Fairy, I doubt even you could stand yourself for a week.?
> ?Of course I could!? Cirno says indignantly.
> ?Oh, really?? Kaguya says, trying to get off the floor. She?s pretty unsteady, using the doorknob to support her just to sit up. ?Then which one of you would be leader??
> ?Why me of course!? Cirno snaps, before adding, ?Wait? uh, which me would be me??
> ?We?ll slice you down the middle and find out.?
> ?Course, if you go King Solomon on Cirno and it works, then we?d have to deal with two of her,? Nue says.
> ?Alright then, let?s do it!? Cirno exclaims.
> ?Um, could one of you help us up first?? Reisen asks politely.
> ?Nah,? Nue says.
>_
-
>"Kaguya, you need to get dressed. We're having dinner soon, and I was hoping to have a strategy session with you. "
>Go help Reisen.
-
>"Kaguya, you need to get dressed. We're having dinner soon, and I was hoping to have a strategy session with you. "
> “Do you have any idea how hard it is to apply makeup in the dark?” Kaguya says.
> “Aw, stop being such a sissy,” Nue says, quickly giving herself Kaguya’s face alongside an absolutely regal pink Victorian dress. “Took me 3 seconds.”
> Kaguya demonstrates her own grace and dignity in response, by sticking her tongue out.
>Go help Reisen.
> You look over Reisen and Cirno. Reisen shouldn’t be too hard to help; she fell on top of the fairy, so it’s mostly here hair that’s stuck to the floor. A haircut and a good yank will hopefully do the trick. Unfortunately, Reisen’s hair is almost as long as Kaguya’s. Somehow, you don’t think the prospect of having her hair shortened by 2 feet with thrill her.
> Cirno will be harder. You may be forced to amputate her legs, cut off her arms, and ruin her dress to get her up. In the back of your head, you think Kaguya would be more than happy to perform this essential “service” for the ice fairy.
>_
-
>"Reisen, it looks like the sticky stuff has your hair. If we cut it off, you can be unstuck right away. Or, maybe Eirin has something that will counteract whatever Tewi used."
>Assuming we have our pokeymans, call out Ditto. Have it copy us, with the fireball hand, and tell it to go into Kaguya's room to provide light for her.
-
>"Reisen, it looks like the sticky stuff has your hair. If we cut it off, you can be unstuck right away. Or, maybe Eirin has something that will counteract whatever Tewi used."
> ?No, no, we don?t need to cut any hair,? Reisen says. ?This isn?t the first time; Eirin has some solvent in her office.?
>Assuming we have our pokeymans, call out Ditto. Have it copy us, with the fireball hand, and tell it to go into Kaguya's room to provide light for her.
> You take out your ditto, and have it copy you.
> ?No,? Kaguya says. ?I don?t want that? thing staring at me.?
> ?It?s just a ditto,? Nue taunts. ?What, are you embarrassed because it looks like Mokou??
> ?N-Not at all!? Kaguya squeels as she gets to her feet. She?s still a little unstead, relying on the door to support her. ?I just? well, you wouldn?t be using this as an excuse to peek, would you? I mean, it?s not like anyone can tell the difference.?
> ?Lame excuse,? Nue says. ?You just saw it change, and it?s easy to make it change back.? Nue taunts. ?You?re just embarrassed because it looks like Mokou.?
> ?Alright, fine, I don?t like being watched when I change. Not by Mokou, not by anyone for that matter.?
> ?Don?t be so prudish. It?s a ditto, it doesn?t care,? Nue says.
> ?Rich coming from someone who never shows her face to anyone,? Kaguya responds.
> ?I do!? Nue says. ?Sometimes.?
> ?Then do it right now.? Kaguya says.
> ?Um? I?d rather not,? Nue says.
> ?Thought so.? Kaguya says.
> Nue isn?t cheerful anymore, if anything she looks a little nervous to you, avoiding Kaguya?s gaze. You wonder if Kaguya would prefer your Charizard to your ditto as Cirno says, ?Um? a little help here??
> ?I have to side with the fairy on this one,? Reisen says.
>_
-
>Someone needs to get Eirin! Delegate task to...
>Ditto wait no that's a bad idea
>Nue?
-
>"Like I said, I can get you up right now, or someone could go fetch Eirin. Nue, I choose you."
>"Now Kaguya, what do you want set on fire?"
-
>Someone needs to get Eirin! Delegate task to...
>Ditto wait no that's a bad idea
>Nue?
>"Like I said, I can get you up right now, or someone could go fetch Eirin. Nue, I choose you."
> ??Yeah, sure,? Nue says slowly. She then perks up a bit, adding ?Absolutely,? as she quickly makes an exit.
> ?Pity,? Kaguya says. ?You know, she?s not what I expected in person. You wouldn?t happen to know what she really looks like, would you??
>"Now Kaguya, what do you want set on fire?"
> Your remark distracts Kaguya, as she responds ?there will be no setting of things on fire!? She sighs, adding, ?Mokou, Mokou-ditto, whoever, just? just help me find a flashlight already, ok??
> Your ditto glances at you, raising its eyebrow with a small ?hm?? With slightly bored expression and hands in pockets, at a glance it really does have your mannerisms creepily perfect.
>_
-
>Idly wonder if Nue is going to impersonate Eirin, or just send Eirin making us think she's Nue impersonating Eirin.
>"Reisen, I'll leave Ditto here to watch over you until Eirin gets here."
>Ditto is still using fireball hand flashlight, right?"
>Enter boudoir, help princess out of her bathrobe
-
>Idly wonder if Nue is going to impersonate Eirin, or just send Eirin making us think she's Nue impersonating Eirin.
> She could pretend to be Eirin knowing that we?ll think it?s the real Eirin which she wants us to believe is herself.
> Either way, it ought to be difficult to fool you, since you?ve known Eirin for hundreds of years and Nue?s known Eirin for tens of minutes. Which means if she does pull it off, half of Eientei will rub it in your face.
>"Reisen, I'll leave Ditto here to watch over you until Eirin gets here."
>Ditto is still using fireball hand flashlight, right?"
> It is, so there?s little risk of anyone stumbling around in the dark.
> ?Um, don?t you have that backwards?? Kaguya asks.
> ?Nope!? you say, entering her room with a toothy grin as you enter her room.
>Enter boudoir, help princess out of her bathrobe
> ?Um, I don?t really think that?s such a good idea,? Reisen says.
> ?Seems fine to me,? you say, giving the bunny a wink as you close the door to Kaguya?s bedchambers.
> You set a small flame to light the room. Kaguya blushes, silently staring at you with wide eyes as she covers her mouth with the sleeve of her bathrobe. You say, ?Don?t you have a flashlight to find?? as you continue to smile enthusiastically at her. You are probably enjoying this moment a bit too much.
> ?Right, right,? Kaguya says, turning her back to you a bit too eagerly for her own good as she looks through a drawer full of socks. You are surprised that she?d rather avoid your gaze than watch out for the shanking the pyromaniac behind her would normally have given her by now.
>_
-
>Evil grin. Fade to black. Cut to: fifteen minutes later, sitting at dinner table.
>"...which is why I think Team Galactic needs to be taken down hard, publicly, soon."
-
>Evil grin. Fade to black. Cut to: fifteen minutes later, sitting at dinner table.
>"...which is why I think Team Galactic needs to be taken down hard, publicly, soon."
> Your fifteen minute fade to black takes almost half an hour. Cirno is sticky to your right, still sticky from the ordeal, and two her right is Reisen, her hair utterly unkempt. Kaguya sits right of Reisen, at the head of the table. Opposite Reisen, and next to Kaguya is Eirin, alternating glares between you and Kaguya in irritation, and Kaguya is avoiding both your and Eirin?s eyes, her hair and dress far less perfectly styled and pressed than usual. Finally, to the right of Eirin is Nue, barely containing her glee at the awkwardness of the atmosphere.
> ?Couldn?t agree more,? Tewi says with a chuckle, taking the final vacant seat across the table from you and to the right of Nue. You note it is wise of her to use Nue as a shield between herself and all the people she pissed off in the last hour; half the table is giving her dirty looks.
> If Tewi is nervous, she certainly isn?t showing it. The rabbit smirks at you, commanding, ?Hey rabbits, bring out the grub!? A couple of rabbit girls enter from the next room, proceeding to place salads on the table and pouring drinks for the seven of you.
> You notice Tewi staring at you, your salad, and your drink intensely, keeping her eyes on them as she takes a giant swig of her drink and ignoring the glares directed at her from around the table.
>_
-
>Do we know why Eirin is glaring at us and Kaguya? We are getting along, which should be lots better than trying to kill each other.
>Wonder if the inaba are fine with being servants. Think they bred them that way?
>"Ah Tewi, you're going to help us then?"
-
>"I figured you'd be on board for a little chaos and general merry-making, it fits you after all. Hell, I'd say we just unleash you and Nue on them, but that'd be the boring route. Not enough burning for my tastes y'know."
-
>"Ah Tewi, you're going to help us then?"
> “Nope!” Tewi says. “I only want you gone.”
>"I figured you'd be on board for a little chaos and general merry-making, it fits you after all. Hell, I'd say we just unleash you and Nue on them, but that'd be the boring route. Not enough burning for my tastes y'know."
> “Now wait just a second. Nobody, and I mean nobody, handles arson, murder, and jaywalking as well as Tewi Inaba!”
> “So you should join us!” Cirno explains.
> Tewi hold her hand up to the fairy. “I ain’t joining up with the asshole that keeps burning my house down.” She turns to her left. “Nue, you’re cool, but your third is a dumbass and your forth is Cirno. No thanks.”
> Kaguya pauses from her meal for a second, before saying, “Hey!”
> “Yo, shapeshifter,"Tewi quickly adds. "Ditch these morons and hang out with the true master of trickery. What do you say?”
> “Depends. You down for pranking a god?” Nue says.
> “Pfft. No. That sounds like a terrible idea.”
> “And yet you went ahead and electrocuted an immortal,” Nue says.
> “Yeah, but they’re cool with it,” Tewi replies with a waggle of her fork. “Right?”
> “No I am not cool with it!” Kaguya says.
> “You better not turning soft on me princess,” Tewi says. “Point is, at home it’s not life and death.”
> “I was expecting more ambition from you,” Nue says. “You know, Kogasa had no hesitation at all.”
> “And as much as I love Kogasa, she’s a complete dumbass,” Tewi replies. “So you gonna eat anything?” Tewi asks, turning to you. You have not yet touched your plate.
> You note that, as always, Nue is using an alias disguise at the table. Jeans, a T-shirt, and black hair that goes to her shoulders.
>_
-
>Do we know why Eirin is glaring at us and Kaguya? We are getting along, which should be lots better than trying to kill each other.
>Wonder if the inaba are fine with being servants. Think they bred them that way?
>Examine salad. Is it something we would eat?
>Cheerfully, "Tewi, if you've messed with the food, I''ll flay you and wash you in salt water."
>Wonder if she remembers meeting Amaterasu and Ookuninushi.
-
>Do we know why Eirin is glaring at us and Kaguya? We are getting along, which should be lots better than trying to kill each other.
> You have a guess. Actually, you have several guesses, if anything it?s hard to pick out one. It could be that the incident with you, Kaguya, and Tewi made her dinner late and bothered her work. Or that you?re intruding on the relationship Eirin has with the princess. Or that she?s a bit jealous of you and Kaguya. Or that she?s simply annoyed that you and Kaguya have so little ?self-control?. Or any combination of little things.
>Wonder if the inaba are fine with being servants. Think they bred them that way?
> You don?t think Kaguya and Eirin could command the same respect as Tewi, the rabbits always treated Tewi like royalty. ?You never actually got all that involved in Eientei?s? rabbit breeding.
> It hadn?t quite dawned on you, at least seriously, that Kaguya and Eirin might have been breeding them like livestock. You knew they had some screwed up morality, heck you?re more than familiar with screwed up morality, but breeding loyalty into something so human is beyond messed up. And yet, you can?t shake the feeling that it makes perfect sense.
> You kind of doze out at the thought.
>Examine salad. Is it something we would eat?
> You suppose so. It?s Caesar.
>Cheerfully, "Tewi, if you've messed with the food, I''ll flay you and wash you in salt water."
> ?I solemnly swear there is nothing in the salad a rabbit liver can?t handle,? she says smugly.
>Wonder if she remembers meeting Amaterasu and Ookuninushi.
> You vaguely remember an old fairy tale about a certain rabbit bragging about tricking crocodiles while she was standing on their snouts. You have a hard time believing this is the same rabbit, because you vaguely recall the story ending with horrible, debilitating injuries that ought to leave the subject of said legends scarred for life, and possibly dead.
> You suppose youkai are better at healing than people, so it?s possible. You don?t think Tewi is a rabbit of legendary stupidity, but then again, she did align herself with Kaguya.
>_
-
>It's probably just lots of wasabi. We can handle that, right? If so, dig in.
>"So Eirin, any new projects these days?
>Do we personally know any of the inaba?
-
>It's probably just lots of wasabi. We can handle that, right? If so, dig in.
> You take a bite. The salad tastes like it was freshly picked. The rabbits can make a pretty good salad.
> Tewi is still giving you the look-over, she reminds you more of a smug snake than a rabbit.
>"So Eirin, any new projects these days?”
> “Can’t give everything away, now can we?” Eirin smiles; you don’t know if she’s picked up her attitude from centuries with Tewi or if Tewi’s picked up her smile from centuries with Eirin.
> Tewi adds, “Why don’t you tell us about your recent interest in literature.”
> Eirin says, “Oh I wouldn’t want to bore her with my medical journals.”
> “Naw, I’m talking about the books you hide behind the medical journals. There’s no shame in liking it you know.”
> Eirin leers at Tewi, as Nue says, “What kind of books are we talking about?”
> Tewi gleams, saying, “Oh, I shouldn’t. Not if the doctor herself won’t tell you. But let me tell you, I would never have guessed doc to be into that kind of thing.”
> Eirin sighs, saying, “Alright, I may have picked up a vampire novel.”
> “A vampire romance novel. And it’s sequels,” Tewi adds.
> “Huh, didn’t think the Scarlet sisters were your type,” Nue says. “Always thought you’d go for someone more mature and less illegal looking.”
> Eirin glares at Nue, saying, “Not that kind of novel. I admit, while Kaguya was on her adventure I’ve spent less time developing medicine and more time reading the ‘Twilight’ books. And apparently, I’m going to need a new hiding place, Tewi.” The rabbit simply shrugs.
> “Oh, is that it?” Nue says, finishing off her salad.
>Do we personally know any of the inaba?
> You have a couple acquaintances, and a couple you know the names of, but not really, no. Even if you weren’t fighting with Kaguya, you’ve always been a loner; it’s rare for you to really get to know anyone.
>_
-
>Munch munch.
>Cirno is surprisingly quiet.
>Do we need to feed our pokemon?
-
>Do we need to feed our pokemon?
>If so, feed them Kaguya.
-
>
no, only we get to "eat" Kaguya
-
>>So ur with ur Manaphy and yur making out wen the phione rigns. U anser it n the vioce is "wat r u doing wit my father?" U tell ur man n he say "i am legnedrey pokmon." SO WHO WAS PHIONE?
-
>Cirno is surprisingly quiet.
> It?s not so much that she?s quiet, as you?ve been making a conscious effort to ignore the loud, obnoxious chewing sounds coming from her mouth as she guzzles down everything in front of her. It is immediately clear she has decided she likes Caesar salad, and that no one has ever taught her what a ?manner? is.
> If you?ve ever wondered what an ice fairy with alcohol poisoning looks like, you?ll find out tonight.
>Munch munch.
>Do we need to feed our pokemon?
> As you finish your salad, you wonder about pokemon food. You suspect you are a terrible pet owner, because the answer to that question should obviously be? yes?
> And yet, somehow, they lived this long without being fed for weeks, and with no ill effects on their health either. You think its pokeball magic.
> Clearly, nature and technology in that other world conspired such that feeding your pets is optional, but making them fight eachother into a hospital is an essential part of pet care.
>If so, feed them Kaguya.
> You let your Charizard out of its ball.
> ?What are you doing?? Kaguya asks.
> ?Feeding him.?
> ?Pokemon don?t need food,? Kaguya says matter of factly.
> ?Remind me to never let you take care of anything.? Nue says.
> ?But they don?t, do they?? Cirno garbles between bites.
> ?Of course they need food. Everything needs food, except maybe you idiots,? Nue says. ?Though normally the pokemon centers take care of that.?
> Kaguya blushes, pulling one of the serving rabbits aside and whispering something in the rabbit?s ear. You see her pass her pokeballs to the waiter.
>no, only we get to "eat" Kaguya
> Now, now, cannibalism is frowned upon in Gensokyo. Common? Perhaps. But frowned upon.
> And besides, you don?t think Kaguya would agree to that kind of thing at the table, as much as the old doctor might like it.
>>So ur with ur Manaphy and yur making out wen the phione rigns. U anser it n the vioce is "wat r u doing wit my father?" U tell ur man n he say "i am legnedrey pokmon." SO WHO WAS PHIONE?
> Your mind enters a very dark place for a second, with terrible grammar and spelling. You snap out of it as quickly as you enter it.
>_
-
>Make sure our pokemon get fed.
>"Thanks guys. This is nice. Well, you know what I mean."
>"Tewi, wouldn't a god prank be worth a lot more than an ordinary prank?"
>Let's let the princess decide what we do next, either pack up, or huddle for an actual strategy meeting, or sleeping or whatever. What time of day is it anyways?
-
>Make sure our pokemon get fed.
> You and Cirno begin attending to your pokemon?s food needs, somewhat ruining the dinner. You suspect Kaguya has a rabbit working on hers.
>"Thanks guys. This is nice. Well, you know what I mean."
> ?Well, I suppose you haven?t set anything on fire,? Eirin says with her voice dropping off towards the end, almost as if the distinct lack of fire is a bad thing.
> ?Something wrong?? Kaguya asks.
> ?Tonight has been somewhat? complicated, is all,? Eirin says.
> Kaguya shrugs, returning to her meal, which has now moved to the main course; steak and potatoes. In truth, the whole pokemon feeding thing has somewhat interrupted the flow of the meal, with the rabbits bringing out raw meat for the fire breathing lizard and aluminum cans for your steel golem.
>"Tewi, wouldn't a god prank be worth a lot more than an ordinary prank?"
> ?Maybe, but I?d like to put off getting banished to hell,? Tewi says
> ?They have really good sake down there, you know,? Nue says.
> ?Yeah, but Hell?s full of cats. You know what cats do to rabbits?? Tewi says.
> ?Fine, then don?t prank a god. Help us save the world from it,? Cirno says. ?I mean worst case, you come with us, we fail, you die. You stay home, we fail, Gensokyo may very well be dead in a month anyway. Do you really have anything to lose??
> Tewi opens her mouth to speak, inhales, then glances towards the ceiling, before shutting it without a word.
> ?Tewi?? Cirno asks.
> The rabbit responds slowly, swirling her drink in her glass and staring at her cup, ?You aren?t the type to hide under your bed when destiny knocks at your door, are you.?
> ?Nope!? Cirno says.
>Let's let the princess decide what we do next, either pack up, or huddle for an actual strategy meeting, or sleeping or whatever. What time of day is it anyways?
> Day and night are very screwed up, what with Gensokyo?s days being Sinnoh?s nights and Utsuho and Satori deciding every day should be ?sun? day.
> It appears that the real sun is setting, so sleep is not out of the question.
> ?On the subject of strategy,? Kaguya says, ?I?ve always let Cirno lead the charges. It?s worked out pretty well so far.?
> ?Of course. If the king doesn?t lead, how can he expect his subjects to follow?? Cirno says matter-of-factly.
> ?Right. So Cirno can be the team grenade catcher,? Nue says.
> ?Tank,? Cirno corrects.
> ?Whatever floats your boat,? Nue says.
>_
-
>Wonder what a voltorb would eat.
Lol I thought maybe this family was vegetarian and the salad was the whole meal. Blame askeirin
>We're sort of self-healing DPS, right? Our current pokemon team seems fairly well balanced.
>Share details on pokeloadouts.
>"Myon, do pokemon have goals or aspirations?"
>Ask Cirno and Kaguya "So, how did you two fare in the grand melee?"
-
>We're sort of self-healing DPS, right? Our current pokemon team seems fairly well balanced.
> Well... yes, you do heal very quickly. You feel Kaguya would phrase it in terms of damage per second, but you doubt you could assign a strict hit point number to yourself. Though your cool down time on your ult could use some work, you?d say in the long run you can average more damage per second with a stack of exploding talismans than a final spark.
> A talisman has the firepower of a hand grenade. A stack of them could easily hit with the power of 200 grenades.
> Maybe you should borrow some of Kaguya?s hardware, see if she has a home printer or better yet copier. Make yourself an extra thousand, you know, just in case.
>Share details on pokeloadouts.
> You share the details of your party with your new traveling companions.
> Nue has a zoroark (disguise master), a dragonite, a ditto (pink blob/shapeshifter), and an alakazam (telekinetic). And nothing else. You don?t think she?s caught any more pokemon.
> Cirno has an aerodactyl, a blastoise (giant turtle), a voltorb, a walrein, and a ?surprise? that isn?t the voltorb on hand. She?s being somewhat bratty and annoying about the surprise pokemon; you?ll have to sneak in on her when she eventually ?feeds it later?, as she put it, which knowing the ice fairy means reminding her to do so anyway. You know she has more pokemon than that, but she?s wants room in her party.
> Kaguya brags the loudest of the four of you, really trying to hammer into your face how good she is at catching pokemon. Considering just a few hours ago she gave up and went home to play video games, you must admit Kaguya's attempts to show you up are pretty impressive. Kaguya has a venasaur (plant dinosaur), a clefairy (pink blob #2), a lunatone (moon-shaped rock), an absol (a grim/black shuck/harbringer of death dog), a Gardevoir (telepath), and a jigglypuff (pink blob #3). You suspect Kaguya is a closet sissy.
> Your party contains the following:
> Haunter
> Ponyta
> Charizard
> Lucario
> Registeel
> Ditto
>"Myon, do pokemon have goals or aspirations?"
> ?Yes and no.? Myon says, slipping something into Cirno?s drink. ?I mean, I think I have a few goals here or there even if they are petty, but half the pokemon you meet lack the brain function to understand that question. Calling rhyhorn dumb as rocks would be a slight against rocks and Growlth want nothing more than to play fetch with humans, beg for scraps, and get their tummies rubbed. I?d hardly group miltank and tauros, farm animals, with myself or your Lucario. Although don?t ask me whether a Registeel can aspire, that thing is as incomprehensible to you as it is to me.?
>Ask Cirno and Kaguya "So, how did you two fare in the grand melee?"
> Kaguya replies ?Terrib-!?
> ?Great!? Cirno interrupts.
> ?Yeah, great,? Kaguya says correcting herself. ?Cirno, tell her how well we did.?
> ?I fired lots of ice at people until they ran away!?
>Wonder what a voltorb would eat.
Lol I thought maybe this family was vegetarian and the salad was the whole meal. Blame askeirin
> ?As you wonder what a voltorb would eat, you are kind of glad Cirno hasn?t taken her?s out of its ball.
> ?Right up until she sets a pokeball with eyes on the table, and you realize she doesn?t confine Explody to a pokeball.
> The voltorb stares at you with the only expression it knows. Angry.
>_
-
>Duck.
>Get to a safe location
>JUST GET OUT OF THERE BEFORE IT EXPLODES YOU wait maybe you should calm down as see if it's actually going to explode before reacting.
-
>Glare at the voltorb.
-
>Duck..
> You take refuge under the table, sending Kaguya through surprise, confusion, and then as the realization sets in nervousness as she slowly puts down her fork and sits perfectly still.
> Reisen continues eating, casually remarking, ?You?re pokeball is staring.?
> ?Yeah, he does that a lot,? Cirno says.
> ?We agreed you would keep him in his ball,? Kaguya says slowly and quietly.
> ?I know, but that just isn?t fair to the little guy. He hates being cramped in those things.?
> ?Cirno?? Kaguya says, but stops as Explody turns to face her.
> ?What?s the big deal?? Reisen says. You note Kaguya and Cirno are the only people here that appears aware of Explody?s ?talents?; the others are varying degrees of wide-eyed but you?re the only one taking cover. It occurs to you that voltorb aren?t exactly outwardly intimidating; no mouth, no fangs, no claws, just a sphere that glares at you; the thing is arguably cute, in the same way Chen?s cat friends are cute in spite of their open contempt for you and everyone else. And you.
>JUST GET OUT OF THERE BEFORE IT EXPLODES YOU wait maybe you should calm down as see if it's actually going to explode before reacting.
> After a few seconds, of no ?boom?, you realize you are embarrassing yourself.
> ?Look, as much as Explody may hate his ball, I kind of like this silverware set. It?d be a troublesome to replace if he damaged it,? Kaguya says. ?I suppose we?d need to replace Reisen too.?
> ?Explody?? Eirin asks.
> ?Naw, Explody?s much better now. He hasn?t had an accident in 2 days!? Cirno says patting the ball.
> ?Why is he called ?Explody?? Reisen asks, pushing her chair slowly away from the ball.
> ?Oh, how comforting,? Kaguya says, ignoring both doc and the rabbit.
> ?Besides, I have to introduce Explody to all my new friends,? Cirno says.
> ?We are not friends,? Tewi and Eirin say in unison.
> ?I think I can fix that. After all, I befriended Kaguya, and she?s impossible!? Cirno says.
> ?No you haven?t,? Kaguya replies.
> ?You know you love me,? Cirno retorts right back. ?Besides, I beat you at a pokemon battle, so by the laws of magical girl anime we are now friends.?
> ?Hold on, you lost?? Tewi says. ?To Cirno?!? Kaguya doesn?t answer.
>Get to a safe location
> You believe excusing yourself from dinner would be the most efficient way of achieving this.
> ?But you haven?t had dessert yet,? Tewi says, almost grumbling.
> ?Yes, well, I've met Explody,? Kaguya says, raising herself from her seat.
> ?Aw, you don?t have to leave-? Cirno begins.
> ?No, no, I insist. I would just be a bother.? Kaguya says.
>Glare at the voltorb.
> Mokou used Glare! It?s not very effective?
> Cirno?s Voltorb is angry!
> Cirno?s Voltorb used Screech! It?s super effective!
> Kaguya fled!
>_
-
>"Go after her, Cirno! She's friends with you, but is she friends with Explody yet?"
-
>Our first instinct is to throw Kaguya under the bus, and that has served us well in the past, but I think it's less useful now that we are actually collecting her affection points. With that in mind,
>Belay Laserturtle's command.
>"Nue, what do you think a voltorb eats?"
>"Cirno, Explody needs to go back into its pokeball. And stay there, until we get into battle with the enemy."
-
>"Go after her, Cirno! She's friends with you, but is she friends with Explody yet?"
>Our first instinct is to throw Kaguya under the bus, and that has served us well in the past, but I think it's less useful now that we are actually collecting her affection points. With that in mind,
>Belay Laserturtle's command.
> You?re relationship with Kaguya is already confusing enough for that girl; you think blowing her up might hurt your attempts to seduce her.
> You wonder what her problem is. You happen to like a little kink in a relationship.
>"Nue, what do you think a voltorb eats?"
> ?It looks like a pokeball; maybe it eats pokemon? Swallows them whole?? Nue says.
> ?That?s what I do,? Haunter says. ?Say, Kaguya mentioned having a Clefairy-?
> ?No,? you say, cutting him off. This is probably a question for the pokedex.
>"Cirno, Explody needs to go back into its pokeball. And stay there, until we get into battle with the enemy."
> ?Um? Explody really does not like his pokeball?? Cirno says, hesitating, as she takes a ball from her bag. The voltorb sparks as she aims the ball towards the pokemon. ?Now, don?t be like that, Mokou?s just worried you might blow up in her face, alright??
> The voltorb turns to glare at you, making an electronic noise that you roughly equate to a growl.
> ?So I?m going to put you back in your ball, alright?? Cirno says. The voltorb discharges a second time, jolting the ice fairy.
> ?Cirno, maybe you should bring Explody outside for this,? Eirin suggests.
> ?Oh no, I?m sure it will be fine, Explody?s just a little grumpy is all,? Cirno says.
> You are starting to appreciate Kaguya?s apprehensions about Explody.
>_
-
>"Cirno, you're going to put Explody in his ball. Now."
>Go find Kaguya and help her calm down.
-
>"Cirno, you're going to put Explody in his ball. Now."
> Cirno looks at you, then at Explody. She shrugs, issuing the command, ?Return!?
> Everything goes white. The white slowly dims away, as the room returns to focus. You hear a high pitch ringing, and little else as you note Cirno?s voltorb is passed out in a small crater where Cirno?s spot at the table used to be. You see a large puddle where Cirno was sitting out of your good left eye, your right eye not working at the moment. Behind the puddle the wall?s been skewered with about a dozen large chunks of ice. Reisen is dazed but apparently unhurt, hiding under the table in the fetal position.
> Frowning, you pick up Explody?s ball and place the living grenade in the ball yourself. You?ll need to have a word with Cirno if she has this little control over the monster.
>Go find Kaguya and help her calm down.
> You are very annoyed at the moment. You think helping Kaguya calm down would not be a bad idea. Although you aren?t exactly sure where she would go. You guess she might go to her computer room if she was done talking for the night, unless she wanted to turn in early?
> You do no wonder for very long, as opening the door to the dining room, you find yourself face to face with her. You can?t hear a word she?s saying, but the grin she?s failing to hide as she says it annoys you.
>_
-
>"I can't hear you Your Highness, but it probably isn't safe here."
>Pick up Kaguya.
>"Excuse me Princess. Let's get you somewhere safe."
>Abduct the princess!
-
>"I can't hear you Your Highness, but it probably isn't safe here."
>Pick up Kaguya.
>"Excuse me Princess. Let's get you somewhere safe."
>Abduct the princess!
> You heave the princess over your shoulder in spite of her kicks, waiver to Eirin with your free hand (the doctor sitting completely motionless, eyes transfixed on Explody’s crater), and steal the princess.
> You idly wonder how long it will take for Cirno to “rescue” her. With Nue being forced along as the comic relief character. One day you should really talk to Cirno about pigeonholing all her allies into role-playing game archetypes (something she must have picked up from Kaguya) before Nue tries to kill her. Though you do admit the traitor role is one Nue was born to fill, given her abilities. And personality. And color scheme.
> You contemplate fading to black until morning, by which time hopefully the ringing in your ears will go away. There isn’t much more that needs to be done at Eientei besides plotting a course of action. Galactic’s base is directly above the Moriya shrine, seated upon Kanako’s “Mountain of Faith”, as a fair number of non-believers not named Sanae like to call it. You would think it’d be hard to not believe in a god you’ve had tea with, but from what you’ve heard the Scarlet’s have done a wonderful job of it. A glance towards the mountain makes it obvious that a storm is brewing above it, centered much too perfectly and conveniently to be natural.
> Travelling via Sinnoh takes you through a much less inhabited range of mountain, bitterly cold and infested with dragons if the 3 you and your companions caught are any indication.
>_
-
>Let's put Kaguya in her bedroom.
>"I'm going to find somewhere to sleep. In the morning we can decide where to go."
-
>Let's put Kaguya in her bedroom.
>"I'm going to find somewhere to sleep. In the morning we can decide where to go."
> Your hearing begins to come back, as you can almost make out Kaguya saying something about a guest room down the hall. She?s frowning, with one eyebrow bent up.
> You decide to throw all caution into the wind and actually take her up on her offer (if for no other reason than this day has already dragged on far too long). Yeah, could get you killed, but that?s pretty routine after the thousandth time. You chuckle a bit, realizing that a thousand is much too conservative after this many centuries.
>?
> You wake up the next morning to Cirno bouncing on your stomach. She has your bag in one hand, and the pokeballs containing your pokemon are on the floor next to her.
> ?Up and at ?em!? Cirno says. ?It?s not like the end of the world will wait for us!?
> You are surprised you were not stabbed in the night. You feel refreshed. Fighting your temptation to melt Cirno, a glance outside shows a cloudy day, except immediately around Utsuho?s sun. Whether the clouds near Utsuho are being deliberately kept at bay or that?s a natural effect of the mini-sun you can only guess. Although you cannot see the original sun through the clouds, the fact that the clouds are lit across the horizon instead light only radiating outwards from Utsuho?s sun indicates it is currently dawn. That would give you a couple hours of true sunlight before the sun passes behind Sinnoh.
>_
-
>Wonder if there are parallel universes where Cirno is cute.
-
>Wonder if there are parallel universes where Cirno is cute.
> No. You cannot imagine such a universe right now. Maybe you?d feel differently after a cup of coffee.
> You strongly consider melting the brat, right here, right now, and continuing without her. Kaguya might thank you, which would be terrible, but at least it would get Cirno out of your hair.
>_
-
>"Cirno. I need a fried English breakfast. Does Eientei have black pudding?"
>Try to get up.
-
>"Cirno. I need a fried English breakfast. Does Eientei have black pudding?"
> ?Um? is that like chocolate pudding?? Cirno asks.
> You doubt Cirno could find England on a map, let alone tell you what an English breakfast is.
>Try to get up.
> You push Cirno off your chest and stand upright, starting the morning with a small yawn and a big stretch.
>_
-
>"How about natto and rice with tea then?"
>What do we typically do during the morning?
-
>"How about natto and rice with tea then?"
> ?Ew?? Cirno says. ?Yeah, they have that.?
>What do we typically do during the morning?
> You don?t admit it to Keine, but your typical morning involves you standing up after a night of sleeping under the stars, regardless of whether said stars happen to be visible. You have accidentally drowned yourself in your sleep/buried yourself alive this way once; immortals should never sleep anywhere that could ever have a mudslide. You chalked that one up half to naivety, half to longevity; anything that can go wrong will go wrong if you live long enough. And no, there is no breakfast in this routine; left to your own devices, you often neglect yourself to an extreme that Keine finds downright disturbing.
> If you?re sleeping in Keine?s cottage (this happens frequently; Keine doesn?t like letting you neglect yourself), your routine involves a hearty breakfast, a shower, and a set of clean clothes. Keine is very adamant about the breakfast issue.
> (Would you like to skip the descriptions of breakfast, showering, and finding clothes and skip ahead to your party being packed up and taking the first step out of Eientei?)
>_
-
>Y
-
>Skip scene.
-
>Y
>Skip scene.
> Fed and clean, you say your goodbyes and depart Eientei. By some miracle, Cirno is not a puddle. You currently have Nue, Cirno, and Kaguya traveling with you.
> You look up at the large storm obscuring the peak of Youkai Mountain. You believe your destination is immediately above Youkai Mountain.
> You debate how you want to get there. Flying halfway between the worlds would leave you blind due to the think cloud cover. Going via Gensokyo means meeting up with the Moriya shrine gods and their army, which could be a good thing considering your plans. Then you?d have to ascend through the eye of the storm.
> If you go to Sinnoh then across to the Galactic base, you doubt you?ll meet anyone friendly. In fact, you doubt you?ll meet very many people at all on the route; the weather on the Coronet mountain range is much less forgiving than Youkai Mountain?s. Although there will probably be a few more pokemon on Coronet than in Gensokyo.
>_
-
I think we should go via Youkai Mountain.
-
I think we should go via Youkai Mountain.
> You decide to go via Youkai Mountain.
> Your hike is uneventful, although annoying due to the company you keep. As you approach the base of the mountain, you start to be pelted by hail. This is more irritating that anything, the wind is light and the visibility isn?t all that bad under the cloudline; you could easily fly in this weather. The fact that no one is flying is suspicious; you?ve seen crow tengu guards scouting from the skies in much worse weather than this during times of peace, let alone the apocalypse that faces them now.
> The easiest way up the mountain is via the road by the river. You?ll pass through the Kappa village, followed by the crow village. You are approaching the Kappa village; the layout reminds you a bit of the Shire from ?Lord of the Rings?: underground homes built into the hillside with great wooden doors, lined along both sides of the river. All the houses face the river, as though it?s the village?s main throughway. The first house?s mailbox states it?s occupant as ?Nitori Kawashiro?, unlike the other houses it has a respectable entranceway facing the main road in addition to one facing the river opposite the house. You know she has a strong interest in technology and significant engineering skills, she and Keine have consulted each other on several technologies that have wormed their way into Gensokyo such as the Internet and Cell Phones.
>_
-
>"Should we see if Nitori's home?"
>Knock on her door.
-
>"Should we see if Nitori's home?"
>Knock on her door.
> You knock on Nitori?s door.
> After a moment of silence, you hear someone yell, ?I?m coming, I?m coming.? This is followed by a loud crash and a thump.
> ?Are you alright?? Cirno asks.
> Nitori yawns, ?Yeah, fine,? as she opens the door. She has large bags under her eyes, and she?s slouching in a stained sweat suit, minus her trademark hat. The room behind her is filled with computers, pokeballs, and spell circles.
> ?Oh, hello Kaguya,? she says. ?And you?re with Mokou. Huh. Anyway, Kaguya, I?m putting all your orders on hold. Have some massive Moriya security contracts and the like. You know, fate of the religion and all that.? She adds with a chuckle, ?Fate of the world too, but my clients consider that secondary.?
> ?Aw, I was so looking forward to 3G. Are you sure you can?t put this saving the world thing off?? Kaguya says, half-jokingly.
> ?Afraid so,? Nitori yawns, with a slight grin. She asks Kaguya, ?Eh, wanna come in for coffee? Catch up on events? I really need a coffee break right now.?
>_
-
>Kaguya: "Sorry, I can't. Helping Mokou save the world is much more important than catching up with friends other than Mokou. N-Not that Mokou and I are friends!"
-
>Kaguya: "Sorry, I can't. Helping Mokou save the world is much more important than catching up with friends other than Mokou. N-Not that Mokou and I are friends!"
> ?Being friends with Mokou is hardly anything to be embarrassed about,? Nitori says. ?I doubt even Aya would care if two grannies started meeting for tea.?
> ?Good luck,? Nitori yawns. ?The Moriya Shrine declared the whole mountain a no fly zone. Can?t get into details, ya know, non-disclosure agreements, everything is need to know, blah blah blah.?
> You?ve decided there?s little reason to stick around here, you are in a hurry to save the world. You don?t think the no fly zone will be a big deal seeing as the road to Moriya was built with non-fliers in mind. The next destination would be the tengu village, if you decide to continue up Youkai mountain.
> Cirno adds, ?Why are you embarrassed about befriending the pyromaniac anyway??
> Kaguya replies, ?I?m not, because we?re not friends.? You kind of want to pry her on the matter.
>_
-
>(back to Mokou) "See you later Nitori."
>Fly up the mountain while discussing battle formations and theme songs.
-
>(back to Mokou) "See you later Nitori."
> Nitori nods, closing the door.
>Fly up the mountain while discussing battle formations and theme songs.
> Ignoring the no fly zone, you decide to fly up the mountain.
> Nue has powerful illusion magic. You know she can make her trident invisible, and you?d hardly be surprised if she could do the same to herself. She can also make an illusionary army.
> Kaguya can whimper behind protect everyone with the Salamander shield, but outside of her impossible items her primary talent is minor time slowing. She can slow down projectile attacks so you can have more of them in the air at once, and then speed them up all together.
> Cirno can do a lot of things with ice, from what you?ve heard about her. You have every confidence she?ll suggest the fire and ice combo, which would be slightly more effective than throwing a bucket of water on the opponent.
> ?So about our theme song,? Cirno says, breaking your train of thought. ?Go Go Power Rangers? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-van93HkAag)?
> ?I think Points of Authority (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrJWfC9yh90) is pretty appropriate, considering some of our histories,? Kaguya says, giving you a sidelong glance.
> Nue smiles widely as she adds, ?Gaslamp Funworks (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FGRkkD1YRU) summarizes the three of you pretty well.?
> You don?t think you are familiar with any of their choices, although you?ve heard of power rangers at least. You?d be surprised if they even knew each other?s choices, although you suspect all their choices make for terrible theme songs.
> Ahead you see whiteout conditions as the air becomes unnaturally cold, dropping 20 degrees in 200 yards. In the weather ahead you doubt you?d be able to find the Tengu Village if you were standing in the middle of it, however, you should to be able to walk the road up the mountain if you?re careful.
>_
-
>"It probably doesn't matter what our theme song is, unless someone's going to sing it while we're fighting or trying to intimidate someone."
>"Looks like we're walking from here. I'm going to get real upset if this snow gets between us and Coronet."
-
>"It probably doesn't matter what our theme song is, unless someone's going to sing it while we're fighting or trying to intimidate someone."
>"Looks like we're walking from here. I'm going to get real upset if this snow gets between us and Coronet."
> You take the road, as Nue dons a scarf on her disguise.
> You ignore Kaguya?s barely audible complaints as you press forward through the howling winds. Melting the snow under your feet so you can at least feel the road, you lead the group forward.
> As you press on, you discover a hulking figure only once you?re almost on top of it. The figure is a couple feet taller than you and is as wide as it is tall. Cirno takes out a pokedex and aims it at the figure. The pokedex calls it ?Abomasnow, the Frost Tree pokemon?.
> The pokemon is standing motionless.
>_
-
>Poke inventory
-
>Poke inventory
> Your inventory violently explodes upon being poked, displaying all quest relevant personal data.
> Your inventory is as follows:
> 10,500 p. The conversion rate is 100 P = $1.
> 10 pokeballs
> 2 premier balls
> 6 potions
> 2 antidotes
> 1 burn heal
> 1 oran berry
> TM 23 Iron Tail
> TM 51 Roost
> TM 78 Bulldoze
> 1 makeshift fishing rod. It's really more of a stick with a thread attached to it.
> 1 ferry pass. This will get you back and forth between the regions known as Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh, Hoenn, Unova, and Orre.
> 1 Pokedex
> 1 cellphone, with several numbers programmed on it.
> 1 town map. You can pick up the town map for each region in any pokemon center. Your current map covers Kanto and Johto.
> 1 firestone
> 1 metal coat
> 1 torn shirt. You should really get that looked at.
> 1 spare pair of red pants.
> 2 gas masks - plus the masks you passed Nue and Kogasa
> 1 galactic uniform
> 1 rocket uniform
> 1 Mini-Hakkero, which Marisa is not getting back no matter how much she begs. You can perform normal and strong sparks with it, which you decided to call Fire Spark and Phoenix Spark respectively.
> You are currently wearing a red longcoat, a white shirt, and your signature pair of pants.
> Your phone contains numbers for the following people:
> Oak
> Elm
> Yukari
> Cirno
> Kaguya
> Marisa
> Alice
> Patchouli
> Nick
> Sanae
> Jasmine
> Keine
> Kogasa
> Reimu
> Your party includes the following pokemon:
> Haunter
> Ponyta
> Charizard
> Lucario
> Registeel
> Ditto
> In your PC boxes you have the following pokemon:
> Beedrill
> Scyther
> Kingler
> Magikarp
> Seadra
> Fearow
> Koffing
> Koffing
> Koffing
> Weezing
> Golbat
> Golbat
> Crobat
> Aerodactyl
> Dragonite
>_
-
>Summon Charizard and Ponyta. See if they can stand up to this weather.
>"Maybe we should call Sanae, let them know we're coming. "
-
>Summon Charizard and Ponyta. See if they can stand up to this weather.
> You summon Charizard and Ponyta. They immediately melt the snow around them. Your charizard lets out a low huff, shaking the water off its nose. The weather?s clearly got your Charizard in a bad mood. Your ponyta doesn?t seem to mind the snow as much, or at least as much as Kaguya. You suppose it?s more accustomed to snowstorms from when it lived in the wild.
> Charizard might be annoyed, but neither pokemon looks like it?sin any immediate distress.
> Cirno's pokedex continues: ?It blankets wide areas in snow by whipping up blizzards. It is also known as 'The Ice Monster.'"
>"Maybe we should call Sanae, let them know we're coming. "
> ?What?? Kaguya yells over the wind. The weather conditions make it very difficult to hold a conversation. A text message might be preferable.
>_
-
Think we should let Cirno have it? It's right up her alley, and she needs something better to have around than Explody.
-
Yeah.
>point at tree "Light it up!"
>"HEY CIRNO GET A POKEBALL READY"
-
Think we should let Cirno have it? It's right up her alley, and she needs something better to have around than Explody.
Yeah.
>point at tree "Light it up!"
>"HEY CIRNO GET A POKEBALL READY"
> Your pokemon are more than happy to incinerate the creature. It immediately collapses, as Cirno quips, ?Am I really that obvious??
> ?Yes, you are,? Kaguya shouts. ?Now throw the ball.?
> With a sigh, Cinro throws a pokeball at the tree, the ball failing to react at all. ?Hey, what gives?? Cirno asks, throwing a second and a third ball, which also do nothing.
> The winds suddenly and dramatically die down, as your ponyta begins to glow.
>_
-
>Is Dash evolving from a pony to a horse? That's much more important than some bad weather and a dumb frozen tree.
-
>Is Dash evolving from a pony to a horse? That's much more important than some bad weather and a dumb frozen tree.
> As your Dash?s size increases, you can confirm that yes, yes it has become a horse. A proper horse for riding and getting places faster than you can walk.
> According to your pokedex, this horse has a top speed of 150 mph, and can reach that speed in ten steps. So? 0 to 150 in 5-10 seconds, that?s about 0-60 in 2 seconds?
> You are very excited about your new hot rod horse. Forget Cirno?s problems catching a large tree or the suddenly drastically improved weather, new horse comes first. Although, on that note the whiteout aspect of the storm has greatly improved, you can now see that you?re standing on the outskirts of the tengu village. You?d say it?s strange that the village looks abandoned, but considering the weather you would call the tengu crazy if they WERE outside.
> The tree/snowman thing defeated, but Cirno can?t catch it, not matter how much she yells at it. Considering the tree can?t fly to get to Gensokyo in the first place, you?re guessing it isn?t wild.
> Anyway, you have a new horse has the, pardon the pun, horsepower of a sports car. What will you do?
>_
-
>"Oh, this will be less majestic than riding a dragon, but I've been eager to try this since forever!"
>Our possessions have the new fireproof talismen on them, right?
>Assuming so, mount up and put her in gear!
>taste the flamebow
-
>"Oh, this will be less majestic than riding a dragon, but I've been eager to try this since forever!"
>Our possessions have the new fireproof talismen on them, right?
>Assuming so, mount up and put her in gear!
> You?re all set to mount your horse, though you decide to pocket your Charizard for this.
> Kaguya shows some interest in your newly evolved pokemon, saying, ?Hey, um, that?s a nice horse and all, but is this really the time for a test-?
> ?Yep.? You say, cutting her off as you mount your horse. You figure Cirno, Kaguya, and Nue can fend for themselves for five minutes, you need some practice. You command your rapidash, ?Come on, let?s see what you can do.?
> Your horse bolts, nearly throwing you off. It?s a very bumpy ride, each time it?s hoofs touch the ground threatening to throw you off. This is easily the fastest horse you have ever ridden, even at what must be a slow speed for it, as with each bump the two of you get most accustomed to each other. At the rate you?re going, you think you?d be able to bound right up waterfalls and keep up with Aya the tengu reporter herself with this pokemon and a little practice.
> A little ditty comes to mind as you follow the road markers through the tengu village.
Dashing through the snow
On the horse I got today
Over the hills we?ll go
Laughing all the way (At Kaguya)
Mane and tail burning
Setting foes alight
What fun it is to ride and sing
A slaying song tonight!
Oh burning hells horrid smells
Burning all the way
Oh what fun it is to ride
The horse I got today, hey!
Oh burning hells horrid smells
Burning all the way
They can?t run and they can?t hide
Galactic dies today!
> You may want to consider therapy. You suspect your years of murdering Kaguya may have had a teensy impact on your psych.
> You?re pretty far ahead of the group right now, well out of eyesight. Visibility was already low and you cover miles in minutes with this pokemon. It looks like you are at the opposite end of the tengu village, noting that the weather, while no longer utterly blinding, is terrible. Although the village had the occasional lighted window, you don?t blame them for staying in. Only the bravest and the stupidest would be out on a day like today.
>taste the flamebow
> IT BURNS! The good news is, you have finally found a food that?s spicy enough for you.
>_
-
> Let's use our newfound ride to melt away some of the offending snow, I doubt the tengu have access to snow plowers.
-
[18:54] <ThirdEyeLem> I have no idea what's going on in this story. XD
> You and 3 "friends" are climbing youkai mountain to kill team Galactic (pokemon mafia), who are in Sinnoh. Sinnoh is directly overhead because space was broken. You are 90% sure that’s Galactic’s fault.
> Let's use our newfound ride to melt away some of the offending snow, I doubt the tengu have access to snow plowers.
> You decide to gauge your Rapidash’s firepower by clearing the road.
> You manage to melt everything that comes within 30 feet, turning this awful snowstorm into a downpour in your immediate area. It’s a lot like riding a bon-fire.
> Your mount is braying, it doesn’t approve of the rain any more than the snow.
> A figure in white approaches, fading into view through the snow. The figure is heavily bundled up, and is holding a large sword and a white shield with a red maple leaf on the front. Must be Canadian, much like you can tell Captain America's an American after a glance by his red white and blue star spangled costume.
> Unlike Captain America, Captain Canada is obviously a woman as she says, “Halt. Identify yourself, and state your business in the tengu village.”
>_
-
>"It's me, Cap. The Human Torch. Me and the rest of the Four (Miss Spastic, Impossible Girl, and The Whatsit) are heading up the mountain to Mount Coronet on the other continent to take down some supervillains."
-
>"It's me, Cap. The Human Torch. Me and the rest of the Four (Miss Spastic, Impossible Girl, and The Whatsit) are heading up the mountain to Mount Coronet on the other continent to take down some supervillains."
> The girl approaches, unsheathing her sword. ?Are you mocking me?? she asks, face contorted into a grimace. You notice she has white hair and white wolf ears. These village guard dogs have no sense of humor. Though from what you?ve seen, there can?t be more than a skeleton crew here. You should have alerted way more guards than just this one with your romp through the village otherwise.
> You?re slightly annoyed that your party hasn?t caught up yet to your little joyride. Diplomacy?s more Kaguya?s forte. Supposedly. You?ve yet to see her actually use it, but in theory her time as a princess a thousand years ago should have made her better at talking to people than her behavior would have you believe.
> ?Who are you, who's with you, and what are you doing in the tengu village?? the girl asks, fangs bared. Rude of her not to give her name first. ?No jokes, no avoiding the subject, just the truth, got it??
>_
-
>Well, if she wants to play it that way ...
>"Fujiwara no Mokou, Human Immune to Death by Fire."
>"Cirno, Stupidest Fairy of the Lake. Kaguya Houraisan, Eternal Princess. Nue ... Something, Unidentified Flying Girl."
>"Passing through to the summit of Youkai Mountain, on our way to Mount Coronet."
-
>Well, if she wants to play it that way ...
>"Fujiwara no Mokou, Human Immune to Death by Fire."
>"Cirno, Stupidest Fairy of the Lake. Kaguya Houraisan, Eternal Princess. Nue ... Something, Unidentified Flying Girl."
>"Passing through to the summit of Youkai Mountain, on our way to Mount Coronet."
> The girl takes out a walkie talkie. “Report from Tengu village sir! Information on four outsiders in tengu village, unknown if hostile or friendly. Attempting access to Mt. Coronet. Names are Fujiwara no Mokou, Cirno, Kaguya Houraisan, and Nue. Only have visual on Fujiwara. Requesting everything we have on file about them. Yes sir, Fujiwara matches your description. Uhuh. Uhuh. Oh, uh…. That bad? THAT BAD? No, sir, I haven’t engaged them.” The girl quickly sheaves her sword, continuing, “Yes sir, understood sir.”
> “You’ve been cleared to ascend youkai mountain,” the girl says. “I am to locate your allies and escort your party to the Moriya shrine. Under the circumstances, introductions are appropriate. I am Momiji Inubashiri, village guard.”
>_
-
>"Nice to know I'm appreciated."
>"You take this job pretty seriously, huh? Are there that many people who wander in and cause trouble?"
>"I kinda lost track of where I left the others. Hope they aren't too far back."
-
>"Nice to know I'm appreciated."
> ?Your reputation precedes you,? the girl says. ?My superiors would like to state their appreciation that you and Houraisan respectfully refrain from conflict while passing through the tengu village.?
>"You take this job pretty seriously, huh? Are there that many people who wander in and cause trouble?"
> The dog girl pauses. ?Yes. It?s the reason Shameimaru is banned from writing any more stories on lesbian orgies.?
>"I kinda lost track of where I left the others. Hope they aren't too far back."
> Your guide sniffs the air. ?You left an easy trail to follow. Hopefully they haven?t wandered too far. This would be easier if you had some of their personal effects, say, a sock.? Unfortunately, or perhaps very fortunately considering what a Kaguya sock collection would imply about yourself, you don?t have anything carrying their scents. Momiji continues, ?If they stuck to the road, we?ll be done in a minute. Come.?
>_
-
>Follow.
>"So you're a Tengu but you're not like Aya at all."
Heh, we could mean physically or emotionally or both.
-
>Follow.
>"So you're a Tengu but you're not like Aya at all."
Heh, we could mean physically or emotionally or both.
> ?True.? Momiji says flatly. You think there?s a hint of pride in there; you suspect you?ve brushed on a nerve.
> Momiji runs fast, your horse enters a gallop to keep up. You quickly find the 3 stooges standing around Frosty the Snowman. They are having a heated argument about theme songs.
> Well, more accurately Kaguya and Cirno are arguing about theme songs. Nue is slipping spell cards into their bags while they?re distracted.
> ?I assume these 3 are your colleagues,? Momiji says. ?What is that? thing they?re standing around??
>_
-
>"I thought it was a pokemon, but it didn't respond to pokeballs."
>"Girls, I think we should let the decision of theme song go to whoever will be singing it."
>Nue is donating spell cards? That's like the opposite of what Marisa does.
-
>"I thought it was a pokemon, but it didn't respond to pokeballs."
> ?That?s because it?s not wild,? Nue says. ?Had a little receiver in its ear. Betcha it belongs to Galactic.?
> ?So? who?s the girl?? Nue asks.
> ?Momiji Inubashiri,? the dog-girl says. ?Odd that they?d have one of those pokemon things way out here by itself.?
> ?Well, they needed something to cause the bad weather,? Nue chuckles.
> ?So they sent a snowman,? Momiji replies.
> ?More like a snow machine,? Nue says.
> ?Yeah, Abomasnow is really good at making blizzards. I really would have liked one for the summer months.? Cirno cuts in. She then returns to her argument with Kaguya, saying, ?We need a 90?s rock theme, it?s the only kind that?ll do.?
> ?Even so, not Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, not Power Rangers, and not Transformers, none of them remotely apply to us!? Kaguya shouts back.
> ??Hold on.? Momiji says, turning her attention to her walkie talkie as she begins sending her superiors a report.
>"Girls, I think we should let the decision of theme song go to whoever will be singing it."
> ?Oooo, karaoke competition!? Cirno says. ?Best singer gets to keep their song!?
> ?I?ll have you know men came for miles to hear the sound of my voice!? Kaguya says. You disagree, they came for miles to see her true, but you?re fairly certain her screeching like a harpy is what drove half of them away.
> It looks like Cirno?s managed to bring out Kaguya?s inner dork. Maybe her inner nerd as well. And she managed to do it without handing Kaguya a keyboard, truly impressive.
>Nue is donating spell cards? That's like the opposite of what Marisa does.
> That?s one interpretation of what Nue was doing. There are other interpretations that are not so? nice.
> Momiji puts down her walkie talkie with a grunt, and throws the snowman over her shoulder. She does so very awkwardly, due to Frosty having a couple feet on her. ?I will be guiding you up the mountain today,? she tells your companions.
>_
-
So, I kind of want to let them know about the spell cards. What do the other readers think?
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I can see you reading this quest. Yes, you! CHIME IN ALREADY
-
> Lem: Chime in.
> *dingle dangle clangle jangle*
> Lem: Ok, make an actual post.
> Mokou: Suggest we take a look at what Nue has to offer. Malicious intent or otherwise, there has to be something we could make use with.
> Cirno: Make the case that our official theme song should be "Come On and Slam."
-
> Recap: You, Mokou, are riding a horse called Rapidash. You are with Kaguya, Cirno, and Nue because at some point you decided you wanted some durable company on your pokemon adventure (you may abandon them at any time). You’ve found a snowman pokemon you can’t catch called Abomasnow, Momiji is taking it with you over her shoulder. Momiji is keeping an eye on your party as you head up the mountain to fight bad guys called Team Galactic. This will lead you to the Moriya shrine. There is a floating continent directly overhead, the bad guys are on it, and Youkai Mountain is the closest thing in Gensokyo to those bad guys. Nue left a ‘present’ in your companions’ bags (but not Momiji’s).
> That information should be enough to contribute to the text adventure with no other knowledge of past events. Feel free to contribute knowing only the above, or even skipping the above and going with your gut. I’m not picky.
So, I kind of want to let them know about the spell cards. What do the other readers think?
I can see you reading this quest. Yes, you! CHIME IN ALREADY
> Lem: Chime in.
> *dingle dangle clangle jangle*
> Lem: Ok, make an actual post.
> The wind chimes on the tengu houses are surprisingly loud.
> Mokou: Suggest we take a look at what Nue has to offer. Malicious intent or otherwise, there has to be something we could make use with.
> “They’re really nothing special…” Nue says dismissively. In your last battle with Nue, you recall the only talismans she used were simple explosive ones. She relied heavily on her illusions instead.
> Cirno: Make the case that our official theme song should be "Come On and Slam."
> “You aren’t helping!” Kaguya says.
> “We’d have to start a basketball team for that.” Cirno says. “And if we had 5, we might as well go for Power Rangers.”
> “Please.” Momiji says. “Theme songs are unnecessary.”
> “Nobody asked you!” Cirno and Kaguya say in unison.
> The current situation is the 5 of you will be heading up to the mountain summit, you via horseback to get some practice in and Momiji carrying Abomasnow because it’s important to her boss. Momiji is a temporary member of your party. Is this your desired plan, and are you prepared to depart?
>_
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>"Well, I still think it's generous of you Nue. Some people don't have any spell cards at all."
>Onward and upward!
>"So Momiji, what do you do when you're not guarding the tengu village?"
-
>"Well, I still think it's generous of you Nue. Some people don't have any spell cards at all."
> “Heh. Generous.” Nue says casually.
>Onward and upward!
> “Have your sing-off on the road,” Nue tells your companions. “This mountain won’t climb itself.”
> As you leave the tengu village, Kaguya and Cirno’s musical… whatever it is they’re doing is offset by the noise of the blizzard and your wise decision to ride Dash a hundred feet in front of them alongside Momiji.
> You almost feel like you should help the wolf girl with the giant snowman she’s lugging, but on the other hand you would have left the snowman to rot if it was up to you.
>"So Momiji, what do you do when you're not guarding the tengu village?"
> “Board games.” Momiji says curtly. She’s not exactly one for long conversation.
> You exit the snowstorm, finding yourself before the gates of a large log wall. It must be new; you know it wasn’t here when you left on your Pokemon Adventure™. You are surrounded by clouds, blocking vision outside of this ‘calm’ area, although you use the term lightly because it is almost as windy inside the calm as out.
> Beyond the wall you can easily spot a wide stone spire, also new and hundreds of feet tall. It’s about 60 feet in diameter at the base, 30 feet at the top, with a rickety looking staircase you’d assume unnecessary in a mountain fully of crow tengu. As you observe it, you feel the ground tremble, and the whole spire grows a few feet. You guess the gods are hard at work on the thing, though you can’t say why.
> Well, you suppose the top of the spire is the closest thing to team galactic.
> Atop the gate you spot 2 dog eared girls, accompanied by 2 human-looking people and a large red dog. As in, taller than you when standing on all fours large. Cirno’s pokedex calls it an Arcanine, and considering it’s the size of a rhinocerous, you’d put its weight at 4000-6000 pounds.
> The parser goes out of character to ignore what the pokedex may say, rhinocerous size things don’t weigh 350 pounds, no onix should be able to float, and if a whale is bigger than an orca, it must weigh more than an orca, putting them at well over 15000 pounds. Unless Wailord survive by bobbing like a cork in water.
> On the other hand, you, the Mokou, aren’t really all that concerned about pokedex entries. Momiji says, “The package has arrived,” and on the dog girls motions to her allies on the other side of the wall. The door slowly creaks open. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPHRu_Ul2pI) Beyond the door you see a large number of human trainers and tengu, many of them practicing for combat.
> Having done a wonderful job ignoring the great Kaguya vs. Cirno Epic Rap Battle of History, in which the name doodie head was used in a pejorative fashion by both parties, you contemplate if there is anything you wish to do to prepare yourself to see Kanako.
> If you are ready, you can enter the camp immediately.
>_
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>"Gee, gee, good horse." Dismount, stable horse in ball.
>"Nice meeting you Momiji. Say hello to Aya."
>See about getting some tea and sandwiches or something.
-
>"Gee, gee, good horse." Dismount, stable horse in ball.
> You dismount your horse.
>See about getting some tea and sandwiches or something.
> Momiji escorts you to the temple steps with snowman in tow, passing an army of human trainers attempting magic for the first time and youkai learning to command pokemon. This alongside a group of youkai building wooden steps upon the base of the giant rising spire in the middle of the camp, chefs cooking, and people and youkai preparing for war.
> You note that oddly, absolutely no one is flying more than a couple feet of the ground, not even to scout the surrounding area. You recall there is a no fly zone on the mountain, you?ll have to ask about it. And the giant pillar for that matter.
> Sanae has prepared tea and sandwiches on the temple porch. She greets you with a smile. ?Good to have you for the day of reckoning!? She announces. ?Good to see you alive, soldier! Inubashiri, your orders are to take Abomasnow to Communications, then return to your post at Youkai Village.?
> ?Yes Ma?am!? Momiji salutes.
>"Nice meeting you Momiji. Say hello to Aya."
> Momiji grunts in disapproval. ?I?ll let her know that there are some visitors who?s interest in her extends beyond her flammability.
> ?So, Mokou, Kaguya, Cirno. And I?m guessing you must be? Nue! Glad you four could make it. So, I understand you want to destroy team Galactic, correct??
> ?Of course!? Cirno says, ?We?re the 3 warriors of light plus one traitor after all!?
> ?HEY! I thought we discussed this, you little brat.? Nue says.
> ?Anyway, we have this little project that we could really use three of you for.? She approaches you, lowering her voice and shooing Nue away. She says, ?Everything I?m about to say stays between you three, myself, and Kanako. Even keep Nue out of the loop, 5 points of failure is too high as it is.? Sanae says. She then looks over to Nue, and adds, ?You each get a favor from the goddess out of this, including Nue, if you agree to our plan. So, just hear it out, without Nue, and tell me what you think, alright??
> ?No way, we do everything as a team,? Cirno says. ?Even if Nue is a traitor. We?re the heroes, so we have to work together no matter how stupid it is. We can?t let something like this drive a wedge between us!?
> Kaguya puts a hand on Cirno?s shoulder, saying ?Listen squirt, we hear her out, then we decide, alright??
> ?I don?t mind getting a goddess?s favor for doing nothing, but I do want in on your little war,? Nue tells the priestess.
> ?You can do whatever you want,? Sanae says. ?But for this particular mission, it would be wise to stick with people who can get up after some damage. I suppose for this, we could get by with even one person with a little durability.?
> You decide whether you want to hear Sanae out, and whether it will be you alone, with Kaguya, with Cirno and Kaguya, or if you will force the issue and bring Nue into the conversation as well.
>_
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>Eat.
>Contemplate Nue's Loyalty stat, as well as her Stealth rating.
>Might as well check everyone's character sheets. Cirno's for laughs and Kaguya's for juicy dirt.
>"Sanae, you're planning on making us some sort of explosive distraction aren't you."
>How did we deal with the few Asuka emperors who wanted to use our abilities?
-
>Eat.
> You sit on Kanako’s porch, partaking in the tea and sandwiches provided by Sanae. Cirno scarfs them down without a manner in the world, while Kaguya glares at her and Nue surpresses chuckles at both of them.
>Contemplate Nue's Loyalty stat, as well as her Stealth rating.
> Nue’s stealth stat is just about the maximum a stat number can reach. Likewise, her loyalty stat is beyond comprehension; a number so low it causes an overflow error.
> You kid, but you don’t think she’s in this quest to help you, per se. She’s with you because you have good comic relief for her to laugh at while she travels. Her final plan to mess around with gods.
> Ew… maybe bringing someone who’s stated goal is to prank gods right into the heart of an allied god’s domain was not the best of ideas. Well, no sense having regrets now, but you would not think it a bad idea to keep Nue in line of sight.
>Might as well check everyone's character sheets. Cirno's for laughs and Kaguya's for juicy dirt.
> Cirno’s been min-maxing. She’s forgone both her intelligence and her wisdom stat, while maxing out her magic damage and mana. Too bad she rolled so poorly and she’s only level 2.
> Kaguya’s character sheet indicates she played video games 15 hours a day prior to starting her pokemon adventure™. It also says she’s the Dota 2 champion of Gensokyo. Ignoring the fact that you could have sworn Dota was a team thing, you feel the fact that she takes pride in being Gensokyo’s best Dota player says a lot about her character.
> Kaguya was not always this bad, but she sunk low with the advent of the internet in Gensokyo. You miss the old Kaguya, you hope this little adventure of yours slaps some sense back into her. You refuse to be the rival of someone who spends all day alone in her room pushing buttons.
>"Sanae, you're planning on making us some sort of explosive distraction aren't you."
> “That would hardly help,” Sanae says. “I’ll be blunt.” She lowers her voice to a whisper, “We can get you to Sinnoh, but you’ll probably die. Interested?”
> You did not think getting to Sinnoh would be an issue. You figured it just involved flying upwards.
>How did we deal with the few Asuka emperors who wanted to use our abilities?
> How you dealt with people who wanted your abilities depended greatly on the year. A Millennium is a long time, and you’ve had very few things occupy your time for more than 20 years. You’ve advised royalty, hunted, tried your hand as a bandit, traveled the world, lived as a hermit, studied magic, collected bounties, fought battles, threw yourself into volcanos, and entertained yourself in at least a half dozen other ways in the first century alone.
> You weren’t exactly asked to participate in all those battles mind you, but immortality gets kind of boring after the first fifty years. Hard for a gal like you to start a family (though not impossible), and farming feels pretty silly once you get used to hunger.
> Specifically concerning emperors, if you were bored, and they paid well, you were not strictly opposed to helping them find immortality back then. You are glad they failed, you were young and na?ve to allow it. You would fight wars for them for the right pay, or if they offended you somehow, by, say, cutting your head off, you'd wage wars against them. You've spent some time in prison, some time getting executed, some time learning the difference between escape and execution is high pain tolerance and an inability to die, and some time stabbing people who thought it was a good idea to imprison and execute you. The one thing your relationship with emperors, politics, and humanity has not been is dull.
> You recall Sanae was looking for followers in the pokemon world, she has obviously found a large number of them. As you look around, it’s becoming more and more obvious that the tengu and the trainers with flying pokemon are making a conscious decision to not fly. You find this somewhat strange, as their biggest advantage over Galactic ought to be air superiority – Galactic members cannot fly without the aid of a pokemon. You’d assume Sanae’s camp would be taking advantage of that.
>_
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>"What are you talking about Sanae, wouldn't we just fly there?"
-
>"What are you talking about Sanae, wouldn't we just fly there?"
> ??You haven?t noticed I take it,? Sanae sighs. ?Bluntly, these Galactic guys do horrible things with gravity. We send some scouts flying up, Galactic notices somehow, guessing radar maybe, gravity is turned on high, and our scouts are forced back down. Often at high speeds and straight into a tree. We hardly want to send an army up, that?s for sure.? She then rolls her eyes. ?A lot of the mountain youkai lack discretion when it comes to secrecy. Bad habit of over-classifying everything and letting their gods sort it out. So yes, we put up a no fly zone, and yes, it?s because everyone who flies too high got sent crashing down. It?s a safety issue, not a security issue.?
> ?And you have a plan to get around that,? Nue smirks.
> ?Several,? Sanae says, her attention on you and Kaguya. ?Some of them are too dangerous for mortals. Are you interested??
>_
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>Consider being annoyed at having our immortality taken for granted.
>"Nue, it sounds like Sanae plans for us to die, and I wouldn't want that to happen to you."
>Wonder how Keine is doing.
-
>Consider being annoyed at having our immortality taken for granted.
> You are annoyed. You wonder if Sanae’s plans were created since Momiji found you, or if she already had the plan and dismissed it until you came along.
>"Nue, it sounds like Sanae plans for us to die, and I wouldn't want that to happen to you."
> “Yeah I got that,” Nue sighs, getting up.
> “We are not breaking up the team,” Cirno says, before chasing after Nue.
> “I don’t enjoy death,” Kaguya snarks. She shares your irritation.
> “Kanako understands you may be less than happy,” Sanae says. She then pauses. “Perhaps it’s best that just you two hear, that fairy might not be the most reliable ally.”
> “That’s for sure,” Kaguya huffs. “Neither me nor Mokou enjoy having our immortality taken for granted. However, I do at least want to hear how you plan to kill me.”
> Sanae shoos away all the nearby tengu, before continuing. “It’s not intended to be a suicide mission, but we weren’t planning on sending our best. She takes out a scroll labeled “Operation Pillar”. “We saw your battle with Palkia. We assume the gravity effects only amplify existing forces, we’ve yet to see otherwise.”
> Sanae unrolls the scroll. She then drops a few talismans on the table. The overall instructions are simple enough.
1. Get launched from the top of the ‘pillar of Babel’ into Sinnoh airspace, where Sinnoh gravity will dominate.
2. Land.
3. Place tracking talismans in safe landing spots – Anyplace wide, mostly flat, and covered in deep snow.
> You are certain these Moriya guys were fully aware of the “Tower of Babel” when they named their pillar. You suppose the only person allowed to make a tower to touch the heavens would be “god” herself. Suppose it’s natural for gods to have god complexes.
> Part 2 seems to be the hard part. The instructions indicate Galactic is putting up artificial storms which are causing white outs throughout both Coronet and Youkai Mountain. There are many scribbles about ideas for avoiding rocks, cliffs, and other obstacles that could spell death if unseen.
>Wonder how Keine is doing.
> You can always call her. You’d hardly be surprised if she’s still in the Canalave Library.
> You feel the ground rumble again. Looking out towards the middle of the Moriya camp, you spot the pillar rise yet again. You also realize its taking Cirno too long, as Sanae watches you closely, judging your reaction to her plans.
> Sanae speaks to Kaguya, saying, “I’ve heard a bit about you Kaguya, so tell me, would you like to be a real Orbital Drop Shock Trooper for once?”
>_
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>Walk a short distance away and call Keine.
>Some pleasantries, some asking how she is doing, but mostly to ask what she thinks about exploiting our immortality.
-
>Walk a short distance away and call Keine.
> You excuse yourself. You don?t like people other than yourself exploiting your immortality.
>Some pleasantries, some asking how she is doing, but mostly to ask what she thinks about exploiting our immortality.
> Keine doesn?t immediately respond to your immortality question.
> ??I didn?t know you felt so strongly about it,? Keine says. ?I can find someone else to pass my legacy onto if you feel that way.? She sounds disappointed, as she continues, ?If you don?t want to help that Hieda girl with her histories after I?m gone, you don?t have to, I?m sure she?ll manage on her own, like she always has.?
> Looks like Keine had some plans for you too. You debate giving her a little context so she doesn?t feel guilty. You feel like you should say something, but you haven?t decided what.
>_
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>"No sorry, I meant in the short term. Like getting down a cliff by falling, or eating poison to see how it tastes."
-
>"No sorry, I meant in the short term. Like getting down a cliff by falling, or eating poison to see how it tastes."
> ?Oh, that?s what you mean,? Keine says, perking up. ?Don?t you do those things anyway??
>_
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>"Well, yeah, but
it's a matter of principle. You know, I guess it's all right. Thanks Keine."
>"Anything interesting going on with you?"
-
>"Well, yeah, but it's a matter of principle. You know, I guess it's all right. Thanks Keine."
> You decide to drop the subject. Keine isn’t immortal, nor does she have your history, so it’s understandable she has some trouble understanding your views on the subject. Immortality abuse might be better discussed with Kaguya, not that you’d admit it to either of them.
>"Anything interesting going on with you?"
> “Half of Canalave has decided ‘Moriya’ is the true name of whatever god they’ve always worshipped, even swapping ‘Moriya’ in for ‘God’ in their prayers.” Keine says. “When God says the end of the world is here, people believe it. They believe heaven is real, and it’s directly overhead.”
> “I’ve never seen so many drunkards in church, nor have I ever seen so many priests drinking away their sorrows,” Keine chuckles. “Canalave is having a real crisis of faith, and the news we’re getting concerning Gensokyo only makes their beliefs more confused and their actions more unpredictable."
>_
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>"Hey, at least people in Gensokyo don't worship pets."
>"Well, nice talking with you Keine. I've got to discuss this with Kaguya. Hope to see you relatively soon."
-
>"Hey, at least people in Gensokyo don't worship pets."
> ?That we don?t,? Keine replies. ?Course, our pets can?t end the world either.?
> ??I take that back, forgot about Utsuho. And before you ask, yes, she does have worshippers in the human village. Turns out being a sun deity is a big deal.?
>"Well, nice talking with you Keine. I've got to discuss this with Kaguya. Hope to see you relatively soon.?
> ?All I ask is no matter what happens, even if the world ends, try not to beat yourself up too much about it. Those old regrets will only make you miserable.?
> You say your farewells, hanging up the line. Kaguya approaches you, pouting.
> ?I?m going with Sanae?s stupid plan,? the princess says. ?I am going to save the world, be worshipped and loved by everybody, and have a huge feast celebrated in my honor. And as much as I hate to admit it, you would be helpful in taking down gods.? She rolls her eyes, saying, ?I guess we can share the glory. Alright??
> ?Oh, and before we do the stupid human cannonball part of Sanae?s plan, we should talk to Nue about borrowing her Alakazam,? Kaguya grumbles. ?Teleportation sounds more pleasant.?
> You note that you have a ditto in your party. You can use it to copy other pokemon and their abilities.
> Two big questions are on your mind. 1. Should you go on Sanae?s suicide mission? 2. Who should you bring along if you do?
>_
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>"Teleportation? Is that as simple as it sounds?"
I think we should do the mission with Mokou and Kaguya.
-
>"Teleportation? Is that as simple as it sounds?"
I think we should do the mission with Mokou and Kaguya.
> Kaguya takes out her pokedex and browses it.
> ?It says teleport get less accurate with range,? Kaguya says. ?So if we?re teleporting a couple miles, we could end up 500 feet off the ground. Not really an issue for us. Oh, and teleport preserves momentum, so speedy thing goes in, speedy thing comes out.? Kaguya pokes her pokedex a couple times, then adds, ?So? yes, it?s exactly as simple as it sounds.?
>_
-
>"500 feet above the ground isn't nearly as bad as 500 feet under the ground. Have you ever tried to dig your way out of a landslide?"
-
>"500 feet above the ground isn't nearly as bad as 500 feet under the ground. Have you ever tried to dig your way out of a landslide?"
> Kaguya turns her attention back to her pokedex, scrolls down a few lines, and says, ??Yeah, we?ll need to aim high.? She continues scrolling, her face speeding past pale into green territory, as she adds, ?Best to avoid teleporting into anything other than air. The section on teleport related injuries is very? detailed on the matter.?
>_
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>"So who should we give the bad news to first: Sanae, that we're not using her catapult thing or Nue, that we're leaving Cirno behind?"
-
>"So who should we give the bad news to first: Sanae, that we're not using her catapult thing or Nue, that we're leaving Cirno behind?"
> ?I?ll take one, you take the other,? Kaguya says.
> You note that you do need to talk to Nue if you?re planning on copying her Alakazam with your Ditto, although you can ask Kaguya to do it for you. Unless you plan to take Nue along, in which case who tells her the news is moot.
>_
-
>Go find Nue.
-
>Go find Nue.
> ?Right, so, meet you back here,? Kaguya says, as she takes Sanae aside.
> It doesn?t take long for you the find Nue, arguing with Cirno behind the Moriya shrine. Well, by that you mean Cirno is aguing, attempting to bring Nue into the Moriya shrine suicide mission with such helpful words of wisdom as ?It would be for the greater good,? and ?Everyone dies eventually!? Nue is just giving a series of non-committal grunts such as ?uh-huh? and ?sure.?
>_
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>"Hey Cirno, shouldn't you be sparring with Suwako now? You shouldn't keep her waiting."
>Hopefully that will allow us to talk to Nue alone. If not, there's always melting her.
>"Nue, how much do you know about teleportation?"
-
>"Hey Cirno, shouldn't you be sparring with Suwako now? You shouldn't keep her waiting."
> ?Frogger is looking for me??
> ?Yes,? Nue lies for you.
> ?Alright, wait here and don?t do any cool missions without me!? Cirno says, turning to leave. She then pauses, saying, ?Uh, where is frogger??
> As Nue points to the top of the Pillar of Babel, Cirno thanks her and scampers off. Nue adds, ?Kaguya must be a special kind of lonely to put up with three weeks of that.?
>Hopefully that will allow us to talk to Nue alone. If not, there's always melting her.
The melting option is still on the table. Especially if she comes back before you finish with Nue. Eh, the quicker the conversation, the less Cirno there is to deal with.
>"Nue, how much do you know about teleportation?"
> ?Didn?t have much time to use it. Alakazam seems to have some accuracy issues with places he?s never been before, especially if he doesn?t have line of sight.? Nue says. ?We stopped practice after an unfortunate incident involving a food pantry. I?m guessing Eirin?s noticed by now, Kogasa would have been proud.?
> Nue smirks. ?You have a plan, don?t you??
>_
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>"Kaguya had an idea, and I want to know how bad it is."
>"Can Alakazam teleport us to Sinnoh? What are the chances of something going wrong?"
-
>"Kaguya had an idea, and I want to know how bad it is."
>"Can Alakazam teleport us to Sinnoh? What are the chances of something going wrong?"
> ?Alakazam can?t safely teleport 30 feet without line of sight,? Nue says. ?With this cloud cover and that distance, there is not going to be a safe landing.?
> You contemplate modifying the plan to make it less dangerous. You recognize that your pokemon are assets which would be useful in that regard. You have the following pokemon with you:
> Haunter ? specializes in hypnosis, confusion, and disguise.
> Rapidash ? Fastest mode of transportation across clear terrain, a close second to Charizard through thick wooded areas.
> Charizard ? Flight and fire.
> Lucario ? Radar and telepathy based on his aura abilities.
> Registeel ? Unmatched durability.
> Ditto ? Can mimic another pokemon?s abilities for a short time.
> While you aren?t sure what Kaguya?s pokemon can do, you know she has the following:
> Venasaur
> Clefairy
> Lunatone
> Absol
> Gardevoir
> Jigglypuff
> Course, Kaguya?s plan would probably work fine without modification. For immortals. Mortals, not so much.
> Short version, Kaguya?s plan ought to work, but these are resources you have to make a better/less painful one.
>_
-
>"I'm not that worried about safety as long as I don't get buried underground."
>"Nue, would Alakazam be able to read your mind and teleport to a place YOU'VE been before?"
>We can copy Nue's Alakazam with Ditto. Perhaps we could have Alakazitto read our mind and teleport us to the peak of Mt Coronet.
-
>"I'm not that worried about safety as long as I don't get buried underground."
> ?Uh? try to teleport above whatever you want to hit then.?
>"Nue, would Alakazam be able to read your mind and teleport to a place YOU'VE been before?"
> ?Yes,? Nue says. ?You aren?t taking my Alakazam with you, not without me. And I don?t want to die.?
>We can copy Nue's Alakazam with Ditto. Perhaps we could have Alakazitto read our mind and teleport us to the peak of Mt Coronet.
> You can, but you are currently closer to Team Galactic?s base than you?ve ever been in Sinnoh. It?s hard to gauge with the cloud cover, but you think you?re about 2 or 3 miles away vertically, whereas the closest place you?ve been in Sinnoh would have been an easy 20 miles.
> You wonder about reading the mind of a pokemon that used to live on Mt. Coronet instead.
>_
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>"OK, I think I can see a possible way for Kaguya's plan to work. You and your pokemon won't be teleporting with us, we'll use one of mine to do that. I'll need the assistance of a couple of your pokemon though."
>We can use Ditto to imitate Nue's Alakazam, then have Alakazitto read Nue's Dragonite's mind and teleport us to the sky over Team Galactic's base. So simple, what could possibly go wrong?
>"Let's get Kaguya."
>What TMs do we have?
I'm thinking maybe teach Bulldoze to Fujiyama (Registeel) in order to break through walls faster, and/or teach Roost to Lighter (Charizard).
-
>"OK, I think I can see a possible way for Kaguya's plan to work. You and your pokemon won't be teleporting with us, we'll use one of mine to do that. I'll need the assistance of a couple of your pokemon though."
>We can use Ditto to imitate Nue's Alakazam, then have Alakazitto read Nue's Dragonite's mind and teleport us to the sky over Team Galactic's base. So simple, what could possibly go wrong?
> More things than you can count could go wrong. You decide to do it anyway because what?s life without a little adventure?
> ?Eh, sure,? Nue says. She sighs, ?This kind of sucks. Leave something for me to do when I catch up, ok??
>"Let's get Kaguya."
> You hear a loud bang. You spot Kaguya and Cirno about 50 feet away, both covered in lime green paint. Cirno moves to get something from her bag, then a second bang goes off covering them in bright orange.
> ?Looks like someone found my presents,? Nue chuckles.
> A lot of people are staring on Kaguya and Cirno.
>What TMs do we have?
I'm thinking maybe teach Bulldoze to Fujiyama (Registeel) in order to break through walls faster, and/or teach Roost to Lighter (Charizard).
> You have the TMs for Iron Tail, Roost, and Bulldoze.
>_
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>"Nue, go apologize to them, or help them clean off, or whatever."
>Use TMs to teach Bulldoze to Fujiyama, and Roost to Lighter, unless that would take longer than a couple of minutes.
>Too bad Cirno didn't get delayed by Suwako. Maybe we should take her with us anyway.
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>"Nue, go apologize to them, or help them clean off, or whatever."
> ?Nah,? Nue says. ?I?m not sorry and the new colors are an improvement.?
> Your disapproval only makes her chuckle.
>Use TMs to teach Bulldoze to Fujiyama, and Roost to Lighter, unless that would take longer than a couple of minutes.
> Done. Magical move teaching CDs are magical like that.
>Too bad Cirno didn't get delayed by Suwako. Maybe we should take her with us anyway.
> You can tell she got distracted en route. You think you can redirect her pretty easily.
> Considering everything you know about Cirno, you go over the facts and consider whether she would be an asset in an orbital insertion mission, and whether you want her along for the ride regardless.
>_
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>Take a few looks at Kaguya and Cirno, then look back to Nue.
>"Aw hell, who am I kidding. sometimes it's the jokes that don't kill that are the funniest."
>Pause for a moment. "Oh yeah, I keep forgetting that not everyone's immortal like me and the NEET...Aside from fairies that is."
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>Take a few looks at Kaguya and Cirno, then look back to Nue.
>"Aw hell, who am I kidding. sometimes it's the jokes that don't kill that are the funniest."
> ?Yeah?? Nue says. ?Wait. What??
>Pause for a moment. "Oh yeah, I keep forgetting that not everyone's immortal like me and the NEET...Aside from fairies that is."
> ?You are now officially the scariest person I know,? Nue says through lazy eyes and slight smirk, cloaking her trident as a giant trophy. The design has a little figure of yourself on a throne resting upon what may be the head of some eldrich lord. ?Congrats,? Nue continues dully. ?And please promise me you?ll try to remember that I?ll die if you kill me.?
>_
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>"Hm, I'll have to try to use 'forgetting people die when they are killed' the next time I'm intimidating someone."
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>"Hm, I'll have to try to use 'forgetting people die when they are killed' the next time I'm intimidating someone."
> It might just work, assuming you aren?t actually forgetting people die when you kill them. Blame Kaguya?s immortality and the hardiness of youkai for the confusion.
> Are you ready to face Galactic? (yes/no)
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>Y(es)