|
|
|
17,053 posts
|
13 likes
|
May 31, 2023 21:25:23 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by Raven on Nov 28, 2018 0:51:50 GMT
When Clay and Rei return to the inn's common room, only Holly is still present, napping at the table. When roused, she says that Zoey and Tiki went to go play with Tiki's Pokemon at wherever they're staying.
|
|
|
|
|
10,445 posts
|
6 likes
|
Nov 23, 2023 19:11:09 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by lichlord on Nov 28, 2018 2:09:04 GMT
Rei just lets the words hang in the air as they return downstairs. And when Rei learns of Zoey and Tiki splitting off, she’s on the fence about it. With the strained alliance of herself and Tiki lately, it’s a bit weird to think they’ll all have to hang out together and such. On the other hand, with mom killing goals and a suddenly happy Tiki, maybe it’s for the best to make friends with others.
”Well ok then. I guess we will just meet up with her later. Holly and I should be heading back to the doctors home. We need to see about a permanent pass into the castle basement.”
Rei goes to rouse Holly more awake, but pauses and turns.
”Good talk, I guess.”
She then continues to Holly, hoping to get going.
|
|
|
|
|
17,053 posts
|
13 likes
|
May 31, 2023 21:25:23 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by Raven on Nov 28, 2018 2:16:14 GMT
Holly gets up and Honedge secures itself to her wrist in the usual manner. She collects her bag and follows faithfully behind Rei.
When they reach Doctor Calthor's house, he seems once again engrossed in his work, but does recognize the young ladies from the previous day. Team Reilly is invited in to produce their findings (if any) about the basement. Rei sees the assistant from before passed out on his couch with the Golett standing in the corner out of the way.
|
|
|
|
|
10,445 posts
|
6 likes
|
Nov 23, 2023 19:11:09 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by lichlord on Nov 28, 2018 6:34:32 GMT
"Good morning Doctor. So I found some interesting things. And they raise SO many questions. So going into the basement, there seemed to be a lot of rooms, including a throne room, that made it seem like the upstairs. Just in ruin. I at first thought maybe it was an old in-use floor that maybe they moved up as pokemon moved in but..."
She starts fishing through her pack for the book.
"We went down even further. The area turned into caves. We found an old sealed door. It took 'some' force to get it open. And behind it seemed like an entire copy of Celedon. Underground. I didn't want to venture too far in without proper supplies so we weren't able to investigate much. Heading into a strange city when you only prepped for 24 hours seemed like a terrible idea. We kept checking and found a library, but all in a language I don't recognize..."
She hands him the book, hoping for a response.
|
|
|
|
|
17,053 posts
|
13 likes
|
May 31, 2023 21:25:23 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by Raven on Nov 28, 2018 6:47:25 GMT
At the mention of an underground copy of Celadon, the doctor freezes for just a moment; something which is completely out of character for him, even given Rei's limited interactions with him. When she mentions the library the group found, he whips around and, with surprising reverence, takes the book from her hands. As his fingers trace the title, his eyes grow steadily wider.
"My dear child, you have no idea of the importance of what you have just discovered." His eyes snap up to meet Rei's. "You have more than earned your permanent pass to further explore the basement/ruins. In fact, I would like to offer you a full-time job in this line of work."
|
|
|
Member
|
Post by oddeyes on Nov 28, 2018 6:59:36 GMT
After a good amount of play with new pokemon, and new friends being made, Tiki goes up to Zoey. "Oi. I was actually gonna be heading to the Vermilion Plains today. Was going to be looking for a legendary pokemon I saw once. Wanna go see if we can find it?"
|
|
|
|
|
17,053 posts
|
13 likes
|
May 31, 2023 21:25:23 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by Raven on Nov 28, 2018 7:12:32 GMT
Zoey is mysteriously nowhere to be found at first. Which is when Tiki notices an extra copy of Star running around. Naturally, her first thought is 'oh, it's ZsaZsa again'. However, she then spots the mischievous Zoroark taking a nap in some shade. Ehhhhh?! Then Zoey suddenly appears and boops Tiki's nose before collapsing in a fit of giggles at Tiki's incredulous expression.
|
|
|
Member
|
Post by oddeyes on Nov 28, 2018 7:17:03 GMT
Tiki holds her nose, and blinks. "Bwuh?" She looks back and forth between Zoey, and ZsaZsa. "Huh!? Whu? How did-?" Tiki scratches her head as her brain short circuits.
|
|
|
|
|
10,445 posts
|
6 likes
|
Nov 23, 2023 19:11:09 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by lichlord on Nov 28, 2018 7:18:39 GMT
Rei is surprised at the doctor's actions and quick demeanor change.
"Now Doctor... keeping in mind that I 'do' want to help you with this, at the very least even to satisfy my OWN curiousity... I can't accept a full time offer. Not in a long term sense. Maybe down the road but... Well I am part of the Steel Branch of the Guild as well as something big that will eventually need my attention. I'm sure you'll know why when it happens."
She sighs sadly, as if she wanted to really just take it. Just a job would be so much better than what she has but she can't run away from what this. As much as she wants to.
"But I do want to see this thing through. What do you know about it?"
|
|
|
Member
|
Post by carnackiArdent on Nov 28, 2018 7:23:24 GMT
Once Rei and Holly have left to meet the doctor, Clay heads back towards the rich guys' mansion, since the best way to visit Miss Genevieve is probably to go with Tiki - not to mention wanting to keep her company anyway. If Holly's right about Zoey and Tiki making friends, he's glad, though it doesn't make him worry any less about what they're going to do with Zoey.
For once he doesn't have Fan or Sandy with him, having opted to give most of the team who was with him on the first trip back to Saffron a break. Well, except for Flower and Baloo, since he has a feeling they're both close to evolving - Baloo's acting a bit frustrated, actually, like he expected to already have evolved.
Unless something comes up on the way there, he'll eventually fetch up at the edge of the mansion's grounds and head for the confused Tiki noises.
|
|
|
|
|
17,053 posts
|
13 likes
|
May 31, 2023 21:25:23 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by Raven on Nov 28, 2018 7:30:40 GMT
The good Doctor proceeds to give Rei a quick* history lesson. While she and Holly listen respectfully to the entire thing, the gist of it is that the 'old' Celadon Castle Town was... abandoned for reasons historians aren't entirely clear on. The overriding theory is that it has something to do with eldritch rituals that were performed within the old castle's walls and invited in something that the ancient mages couldn't control. This led to the monarchy being killed and subsequently the eventual downfall of the Old Kingdom. The people scattered, and went back to being tribal, as the Saffron of that time period was no larger than the current Cerulean Cape Town is, while Cerulean itself didn't even exist as a center for civilization as we know it.
At some point, whatever creature was responsible vanished. Likely returning to its own world when its source of prey dried up. Several centuries later, Celadon Castle Town is rebuilt atop the now-buried ruins of the old one. This old version of the city was thought to have been lost to time, even when the current Castle's basement was expanded and the builders happened upon the remnants of the previous Castle.
* - In this scenario, 'quick' means 'over an hour of listening to Doctor Calthor explain stuff'.
|
|
|
|
|
17,053 posts
|
13 likes
|
May 31, 2023 21:25:23 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by Raven on Nov 28, 2018 7:33:00 GMT
Clay happens upon a very confused and possibly temporarily-brain-dead Tiki next to a literally roflmao-ing Zoey. Apparently Zoey did something to confuse Tiki so much that Tiki.exe has stopped responding. Zoey obviously thought whatever it was she did (or Tiki's response to it) was hilariously funny.
|
|
|
|
|
10,445 posts
|
6 likes
|
Nov 23, 2023 19:11:09 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by lichlord on Nov 28, 2018 7:44:13 GMT
Rei listens, intrigued. It's certainly 'less' crazy than some of the ideas she was thinking. But bringing up the rituals makes Rei pipe up and stop the doctor.
"Eldritch rituals? How were these performed, if you know? We found a group of people that sacraficed themselves to summon a giant Dusknoir but we defeated it quickly and sent it back. And now I'm wondering if the two are related..."
That also makes Rei remember she has a book to burn to cinders to prevent that from happening again.
|
|
|
|
|
17,053 posts
|
13 likes
|
May 31, 2023 21:25:23 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by Raven on Nov 28, 2018 7:58:29 GMT
The doctor fixes Rei with an icy cold stare. "I'm going to assume that you are asking for the sake of academia and overall intellectual growth, not out of any desire to attempt these rituals for yourself." When Rei quickly affirms that this is indeed the case, he relaxes again. "Good. Just making certain. Blood sacrifices are most assuredly the most common of catalysts for rituals of this type. Especially if the being you are attempting to contact or summon is particularly vindictive, as is often the case. It's the easiest, and often the most efficient method of obtaining the necessary reagents for a summoning.
Life is a precious, delicate thing. As such, living sacrifices or a sacrifice of lifeblood is a very potent offering. Therein lies the issue, of course. Amateur mages often sacrificed innocents in pursuit of greater power, and end up summoning something far beyond their meager skill to control. Thus, you have incidents like the one I mentioned earlier which cost humanity greatly. There were a number of other methods of summoning and controlling these creatures (which, now I think of it, were probably ancient or otherworldly Pokemon), but most of these methods were lost with the old city; or so it was thought." He pauses for dramatic effect. "With your discovery of an intact library in the depths of the Castle Basement, we may just be able to learn more about these rituals. Preferably how to ensure they are never used again, of course."
|
|
|
|
|
10,445 posts
|
6 likes
|
Nov 23, 2023 19:11:09 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by lichlord on Nov 28, 2018 8:04:56 GMT
Rei listens to the explanation, and shifts a bit uncomfortably before going into her pack and pulling out a second book. The tome she took from the altar.
"Well if you aim to learn about them to 'prevent' them, then please have this. I had aim to just destroy it after what I saw, but if you can use it to help stop it, then here please."
She pauses before continuing on.
"So this book and the first one, is that the ancient language of Kanto? One of the time this fallen city was in power?"
|
|
|
|
|
17,053 posts
|
13 likes
|
May 31, 2023 21:25:23 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by Raven on Nov 28, 2018 8:35:29 GMT
"That is correct, Ms. Leeda. Even if you cannot accept my job offer, I strongly encourage you to learn the old language if you wish to learn more about the history of our world. Most texts concerning that period would be written in this language. I can read it as easily as the modern language, but that's only because it's been a focus of my career. My assistant is...decent at it, when she is able to focus her mind properly. I suspect this tome will aid in that." He hefts the 'altar tome' for emphasis. "She enjoys the occult side of history more than the mundane aspects. It's part of why I keep her around, after all."
|
|
|
|
|
10,445 posts
|
6 likes
|
Nov 23, 2023 19:11:09 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by lichlord on Nov 28, 2018 9:07:14 GMT
"I'll try to see about doing that. In the meantime, I suppose I should head back in to keep searching? Or is there something specific to find?'
|
|
|
|
|
17,053 posts
|
13 likes
|
May 31, 2023 21:25:23 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by Raven on Nov 28, 2018 9:13:12 GMT
"I would greatly appreciate that, Miss Leeda." He presents Rei and Holly with their permanent passes. "As you probably suspect, these are your permanent passes to enter and explore the Castle Basement at your leisure. Even if you do not wish a steady job in my employ, I will still pay you for any major news or artifacts you can discover and record. Do not try to take anything that isn't a book with you. It's just safer that way. Books are only ever dangerous if you read them. Ancient artifacts could have any number of dangerous effects if one so much as touches them." With this final warning to be cautious and play it safe, he tells Team Reilly that they may leave now. He has much work to do in translating the books that Rei brought him.
|
|
|
|
|
10,445 posts
|
6 likes
|
Nov 23, 2023 19:11:09 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by lichlord on Nov 28, 2018 18:01:48 GMT
"Ok I will keep that in mind when we go back."
Rei thinks for a moment before realizing something important.
"Oh, will these cover more people going in? We had help from a third person, and I think she'd like to come back to help when the time comes to go back. We could probably use it."
|
|
|
|
|
17,053 posts
|
13 likes
|
May 31, 2023 21:25:23 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by Raven on Nov 28, 2018 20:21:05 GMT
"If you met someone down in the Castle Basement," the Doctor begins "would they not already have their own pass? How else would they have gotten down there?"
At this moment, his assistant begins to awaken and he quickly hands off the supposed magical tome to her, instructing the woman to begin a translation of anything that isn't 'spell text'. If only so they know what they're dealing with.
|
|
