Adventure Thread - Group B

The final Xatu is eventually defeated, and the group realizes that they found the path down to level 2 of Rock Tunnel.

"So, are we going down or are we turning around to head back outside?"

The party earns 32 Poke XP each for the Xatu fight.

Jane made a mental note to keep her newly caught Xatu out of Lavenders path - just to be sure. Probably safest that way for all of us! But that was a problem for future-Jane. Right now she had to consider present-Jane problems. Returning Tia she mulled over their options. "Hmm. Maybe we should head back to Lavender town? It's getting a bit late and I'd love to go dowsing for some shards before it gets pitch black. And ... we have that other thing ... *ahem*. We'll probably want a good nights sleep before doing anything with that!" Aaaaand an opportunity to sit down and talk to Raven about it - since she is coming along for the ride!

"Right then. Back to Lavender Town it is."

Raven calmly leads the way back through the winding tunnels to the Lavender Town exit. Riley finds herself unable to pass through the smaller, narrower passage while riding atop Mamoswine's back. In fact, the Twin Tusk Pokemon is unable to even fit through the exit due to its size. Eventually the group makes their way back to the Pokemon Center to rest for the night.

After they had parted ways for the night, Salena made her way back to her mother's apartment. It was a surprise, but hopefully not an unreasonable one that she was there. After explaining just what she was doing back in town to her mother, Salena quietly turned in for the night. Once in the privacy of her own room, Salena checked the state of the stone.

16 souls. So many! And in such a short time too... Where had she got them from? She shook her head. It probably didn't matter. Lavender Town was full of such spirits. At any rate, her Cleanse Tag alone was simply not enough to have stopped, or even still the process. It worried her. She'd definitely have to mention something about the next day.

--

And then the next day came. Salena was up late. Nothing had woken her up. Ominous. It was as if the birds were spooked or something. Kukukukuku. Just the way she liked it! After some light training in town, she challenged a couple of trainers to a quick battle. They went surprisingly well! There was enough in prize money to at least buy a few extra balls; that way, she could catch more friends if she needed to!

When noon finally rolls around, she gets ready to text her compatriots, but...

"I... I think I better check out the tower myself first, Mr. Kitty." Salena says, staring deep into the eyes of her cat. Cat didn't care. Cat was cat. But Salena cared. The tower meant... A lot to her. And she didn't really know these people yet. And she was potentially going to be bringing what she saw as a dangerous artifact inside. It was important that she at least... Talk to someone first.

Probably her.

She hadn't seen her for... Well. A long while. Not since she climbed the tower and met Mr. Fuji. But whoever she was, it was important that Salena speak to 'her'. Salena bit her lip. 'She' probably wouldn't actually make an appearance. Most ghosts don't come out unless it's night time. But maybe the thought would count.

She heaved a sigh.

This called for a costume change. A few minutes later, she had bedecked herself once more in her witching outfit. The lonesome march towards the tower begins.

"Oh! Before you go Lavender!" Jane interrupts Salenas attempt to head back home by digging her hands into her backpack and blocking the way. She gives her a 'just-a-moment' smile and then frowns as she digs deeper into her pack. Eventually, with a triumphant 'aha!', she pulls out a pair of objects. One is a shiny multicoloured gem on a string and the other a deep purple stone.

"This is a Rainbow Gem!" Jane introduces the first object and hands it over. "It'll help keep you safe! Well, sorta. With a little bit of adjustment like *this* it can make you a tiny bit faster or more resilient. I'm sure you manage to figure it out - but don't hesitate to ask if you want some help!"

She then hands over the other thing. "It's a Dusk Stone ... " With an apologetic smile she continues. "I think your ghost can use it to evolve, if that is what you want. Well not really my place to say - but now you have that option if you want!"

With those parting gifts Jane waves goodnight to Lavender for now and returns to her tinkering ...

---

...which she also continued with the next day! Her bed had gotten a bit crowded so she woke up early. (She was still a bit shook up by Lavenders tale from yesterday and as such had slept with her entire team out of their pokéballs. While Sam and Nie and even Fluffy was easy to snuggle with and so Tia and Ana had gotten so big lately ... Well at least it was cosy! And safe!) That meant she had a perfect opportunity to spot the other two non-Lavender members of their party before they headed out to do their daily business!

---

When she saw that Riley was up and about she flagged her over and showed her the first daily project. Carefully Jane was puzzling together two somewhat murky contraptions of shards into one slightly bigger flat plate. "It's a Spooky Plate! It helps a pokémon both take and dish out Ghost type attacks." Jane explains while putting together the last pieces, eventually holding up the finished thing for Riley to see and hold. "I started making it for my Drifblim, Hind, but I think he'd rather just float freely and use Acrobatics. So I was thinking you might want it for your cute little pumpkin?"

---

As she saw their newest companion Jane hurried to her feet to go over and say goodmorning. She then immediately handed over the Rainbow Gem she was working on. "Here! It's a Rainbow Gem! I've given one to Riley and Lavender already - so I though you should have one too!" Also she felt a bit guilty about handing over gifts to Lavender yesterday while having nothing for Raven ... Ah well! That was fixed now! "It helps you like a Focus, but you can attune it to different aspects. Here lemme show! And *uh* if you want it changed don't hesitate to ask me!"

---

EDIT: And then, with her daily good deeds done, Jane enjoys a long breakfast together with her pokémon. She wasn't sure what she was going to do today. Well, they had said to check out the tower some unspecified time this afternoon/evening but other then that. She needed some training she supposed. Best to start with that. And then look for some more trainers or pokémon? Yeah that sounds reasonable!

Salena quietly makes her way to the upper levels of the infamous Lavender Tower. The atmosphere in the tower goes from one of quiet mourning to one of heaviness. Like a weight upon her shoulders. As she nears the pinnacle, where 30 years ago the restless spirit of a Marowak murdered by Team Rocket once dwelled, she finds it physically difficult to breathe. A voice, soft as a whisper, but with a quiet fury behind it calls from the darkness.

"Why have you brought that here? Have you come to harvest the souls of the dead for your new slave, human?"

~~~Jane approaching Raven~~~

Raven is up early, stretching out quietly with the rising sun at her back. Instead of her usual attire, she seems to be in athletic clothing instead. Her hair is pulled up into a loose ponytail. Natalie the Pikachu seems to be mimicking her stretches. She nods and gives a quiet thanks to Jane, placing the item in her bag for now as she releases the four other Pokemon to join her in her morning jog. Heracross, Butterfree, Nidorina, and Gloom all begin stretching out as well, then quickly fall into step behind her as she takes off, making a circuit around town before heading south towards Route 12. This journey of running between the crossroads of Routes 11 (towards Vermillion) and Route 12 and back takes approximately 2 hours, with multiple trips.

She stopped. A shiver, like ice, crawled down her back. Her partners circled around her in a lazy orbit. Protecting her, or keeping her from running? Sometimes, it was hard to tell the difference. She removes her hat out of respect and bows her head.

"You know my heart. I would never come here to harm anyone in this tower on purpose." Salena states. Her voice, though filled with reverence, has great difficulty projecting across the wide room.

But she dare not go any further in. There would be great danger in such a careless action...

"I have knowledge of it's purpose, but not it's past." She answers truthfully.

Slowly, she slips off her shoulder bag and lays it down before her. With a quick zip, the Keystone in question is revealed. The same, sadly ineffectual tag is held to the face of the stone, although a bra had been tied around it to keep it held on.

It would look rather comical, were the stone not a thing of evil.

Today Riley dons a simple white tee and jean pants. When the breeze hits her as she leaves the Pokecenter, Riley is glad she chose pants instead of the usual shorts. For some reason, the weather in Lavender Town seems a tad bit chillier than the surrounding areas. 

When Jane approaches her, Riley accepts the gift with a cheery smile. "WOW thank you so much! These are really hard to find!" she says, running her fingers over the cool, stone face of the plate. Pilgrim pops out of his ball and Riley ceremoniously hands over the plate to his teeny pumpkin arms, whereupon he places it into somewhere that cannot be seen (one of the great pokemon mysteries).
Then, waving parting salutations to Jane, Riley heads over to a nearby grass plot to do some training exercises (including dance rehearsal, though Riley stubbornly calls it "calisthenics").

After that, Riley wanders around Lavender Town, doing a bit of exploring since she hasn't visited here before. She notes that none of the buildlings are very tall, as if there's a rule that 3 stories is the max. Except, of course, the...Tower. Riley has ended up at the front steps. She cranes her neck to take in its full height, blinking in the sun, and questions whether she should wait for the group. After all, they came here to bring the spirit stone into the Tower. But here she is, and her group is doing who-knows-what...Maybe I'll just take a look around. I could find a ghost buddy for Pilgrim!

When she opens the door and steps inside, the smell hits her like a splash of frigid water. That smell...what is that smell? It's a subtle, musky-but-sweet smell that overpowers her for a second, and Riley catches herself as her knees buckle. The air is thick with that smell, enveloping her like a blanket. She inhales, wondering if she'll suffocate...but she doesn't. Perturbed, Riley looks around this strange place. 

Perception: gqJEvd5z5d6
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