Wonderful Treasures

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[19-16=3]

Opal had heard wonderful things about this mountain. It looked like it was made of impressive black stone, and all sorts of treasures were supposed to lie within. The gossip was so tempting to a young pup like her. She just had to go to this place and see for herself! Luckily, she'd met a like-minded pokemon to travel with. It had been a long journey to get here, but the companionship made it far more bearable. Enjoyable, even.

The black mist that gave this mountain its name was something the Growlithe didn't feel too fondly about. She pressed on, however. What kind of explorer would she be if she only ever went to Pecha Forest? No, she was meant for greater things than that, and so was her companion if they'd made it this far.

When they entered the mountain, Opal looked around. She was learning that it was important to watch out for potential danger, and in a place like this, it could be anywhere. What would be a real treasure to find, though, was... well, treasure. Signs of it. Her nose went to work right away, sniffing for clues on what this mystery dungeon contained.

"Of course, of course. I used to live here. Follow me, I'll get you away from these ruffians!" the archen nodded and began to lead the young explorers through a series of mazes and passageways. He knew the strangers didn't fully trust him, but be could reassure them of his intentions later. As the snivy cleverly pointed out, now was not the time to sit around and have a chat.

Opal followed the bird-like creature with some trepidation. She had the same thought as Adrol, that one hostile pokemon was easier to deal with than many. Maybe this stranger really did have good intent, but she was ready to defend herself if the need arose.

Eventually, the unusual trio came to a small clearing surrounded by several stone pillars. The pillars had spots carved in at various heights that made good perches for those who could climb or fly. No one was there, thankfully, so it was a safe space for the time being. After checking the clearing, the archen turned to Opal and Adrol.

"We're out of harm's way for now. I'm pretty sure we've lost our pursuers." he saw the looks on their faces, "I can tell you still don't trust me. Fair enough, that's perhaps a bit much to expect given the circumstances. How can I prove myself trustworthy to you?"

The trek through the passageways of this eerie "colony," for lack of a better term, was nerve-wracking. The healing from the seed made Adrol feel a bit more fit, at the very least - but it did nothing to quell the dread within him that they would be found again. This was quite a vulnerable situation, and his traveling stores were running low. If they had another encounter, they would likely have to fight to keep out of a worse situation.

Adrol didn't know how he felt about that. On one had, yes, it seemed from first impression that this was an organization enacting something dubious. Furthermore, that Marrowak had been particularly hostile and it gave Adrol the impression that perhaps these pokemon were partially feral by nature. He could understand their dismay at the intrusion of two strangers into their home, however - and he definitely didn't have all of the facts on their society. Ultimately, he would prefer to escape this area of the mountain quietly. To do that, however, they were going to have to collect supplies. Adrol found some things of interest during their escape like an orb or a seed here or there, but it wasn't enough to rely on in the case that they met another mob like that.

Finally, the small party of three had a chance to take a rest. Adrol was happy to rest his aching head and feet while they were seemingly out of harm's way. The archen took the opportunity to address the final major elephant in the room before Adrol or Ms. Opal could even get to it themselves. "...Oh, well yes I suppose we're still strangers to some extent, aren't we? How about an introduction. You said you are an explorer, but what is your name? Do you perhaps have a guild badge or some kind of registration on you that we could use to verify your occupation?"

Adrol the Snivy - 20 energy

FoxFireAlchemist carried out 10 launched of one Black Mist Mountain :

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[3+1=4]

The archen spent a moment removing something from a small bag on his back. He presented the object, which was indeed a badge from the Grassveil Guild, for Adrol to have a look at.

"Raptor the archen, Grassveil Guild, at your service," he declared while showing the badge. He made sure the two strangers could see it clearly. "I used to live here, as I said, but some of the customs here are a bit... primitive for my liking. I still have friends here, though, and I came here to visit them. Then I found the pair of you in rather a nasty pickle."

As a Guild member, Raptor felt an obligation to help these two young pokemon get out of whatever mess they'd stirred up for themselves. "What exactly did you do to earn their ire?" he asked, referring to the mob they had run away from.

Adrol looked over the badge that the newly-introduced Raptor produced for them to look at. It seemed to be in order with the other examples of guild badges that he had been exposed too, particularly Opal's. They were fortunate to have such a direct comparison on their hands. Adrol felt more than relieved to have found some reliable help in the midst of this dangerous situation. " Ah... thank you so much, Raptor," he responded with a small sigh, "
I do so hate to trouble you so, but as you mentioned our presence seems to have irked the locals more egregiously than intended. So sorry for the trouble."

"It's understandable. The locals in this part of the mountain have been feeling quite insecure these days, and any small amount of prodding can make them feel like they are under a full-blown attack," Raptor assured them.

Adrol nodded understandably. "I see... Well perhaps my approach should have included more caution. ...Oh, forgive me, I almost forgot to return your introduction. My name is Adrol, and I am rather new to this land. I had been hoping to come to this mountain to learn more about the area, alongside my companion Ms. Opal here." He gestured to Opal as he said this. "Here, let me do something for our fatigue while I explain our story in case of another... emergency." Adrol sat down and proceeded to press his hand to the hard stone floor of the "foyer" type area that the found themselves in, causing almost ethereal-looking grass to emerge from the floor around him. It expanded and expanded until it reached the walls of the room, filling all who were on the ground with a healing sensation. "...That should help us a bit. Just make sure to keep contact with the ground." Raptor nodded to show that he understood. "As for our standing with the locals, well, honestly I believe we got caught in a place where we shouldn't be. We discovered this strange opening in the rock down below and investigated it, seeing as our goal here was to explore. A marowak and her companion caught us in that large room with the items and called on the attack."

Raptor rubbed the underside of his beak with his feathers. "Did that room happen to be full of items?" The Archen replied.

Adrol nodded, looking perplexed.

"Yes, that would do it," Raptor sighed knowingly. "That is the room where the locals perform rituals looking to inherit power from some unknown origin. I can't determine a god or entity that they're seeking, to be frank. Just that they believe that this 'source' will grant them some kind of power. They're very sensitive to explorers entering that place because they are planning a celebration soon and explorers who see a large pile of items usually consider it a treasure hoarde for the taking."

"Ah..." Adrol responded quietly. It made sense for them to have reacted with such intensity, if that were the case. Many times in the past, the Snivy had accidentally stumbled into marked territory unintentionally and met the wrath of some frightened pokemon. He had found the local's behavior to be quite similar to those experiences. Adrol was admittedly intrigued though. What made this culture so defensive? "...You seem to be quite knowledgeable on the subject," he remarked further. "Would you possibly be willing to elaborate on these things further for us?"

"Yes, I wouldn't mind," Raptor nodded wholeheartedly. ""What would you two like to know?""

Adrol the Snivy - 0 + 1 energy
Grassy Terrain activated

[4+1=5]

"Whoa!" Opal marvelled at the grass erupting from the ground and covering the entirely of the clearing they had hidden in. As Adrol talked to Raptor, the growlithe pawed and sniffed at the green substance, curious to know what it felt and smelt like. It had to be nice if Adrol made it, right? He was a nice pokemon.

Opal looked up and started paying attention just as Raptor bean to describe what must have been the room she and Adrol had fled from. No wonder the locals had been to angry, she thought as she listened with wide eyes. "We did hear them talking about a 'One'... We would have left that place alone if we'd known it was so important. Tell us, what do you know about this celebration? And what about the symbols on the floor in that room? They healed Adrol but hurt me. Is that because of this god's power?"

"Oh, yes. That 'one' you heard them speak of is a legendary figure to them. A hero revered way in the past, who wielded some incredible force that has been since lost to time. That "power's" description is something akin to the occurences of mega evolution we see today, but I've also heard tales of 'super-charged moves' turning up that could also fit the description. It was most likely one of these two abilities," Raptor explained. "This celebration is dedicated to the hero: specifically their power. They believe that if they offer enough of their items and their strength, they'll enable some chosen hero out of their likes to achieve the same abilities that that hero did. The old texts they follow state that he hero had a collection of important items, but it doesn't specifically state what they were. Everybody in this community just assumes that if they throw enough items into the sacrifice, something will eventually turn out to be special."

He paused as Opal asked about the strange glyph. His face suddenly seemed troubled as though he were thinking very hard on the matter. What could he say about it? "Well... to be honest, those symbols still confuse me as well. I know they're meant to represent the transfer of energy and such, and I have also experienced both of the phenomenon you speak of. The lines definitely carry energy of some kind." He took another beat to collect his thoughts, as at this point he was essentially just reading off notes. "My hypothesis is this: seeing as the items do disappear during the celebration, the circle definitely has some kind of effect. They may literally just be disintegrating themselves, though. I believe it is the items that lend the circle power, so whatever effect you experience is likely based on what item is touching the ground nearest you. It's hard to confirm this, but it's the most realistic explanation. If there really is some kind of separate will out there that the circle taps into I haven't met it, so I wouldn't be able to explain it's whims," he concluded. He did seem generally dubious on the subject himself.

Adrol was intrigued by the Archen's explanations. It seemed that he had done a lot of research on the customs and culture of the strange little setup in the mountain, as the bird had some solid theories built up on how things worked here. The snivy was also quite excited while listening to all of this, as he had come here looking for strange lores and the like. He had been interested before, but now he was actually getting down into the main meat of the ideas that had formed this little sect and it was thrilling to hear. He had already began cooking up some questions of his own.

"This is all very interesting... might I ask how this all got started in the first place?" Adrol inquired after absorbing Raptor's explanations.

Raptor nodded. "Well, it's largely based on the "political" setup of this whole mountain range," he began. "Between the new Kingdom in the mountains over yonder and the Absol tribe, the locals were beginning to feel a bit... threatened, you might say. They feel like they're loosing land and resources to these civilizations. They began turning to these old ruins from way long ago as a refuge, as they hold the remains of pokemon from a long-forgotten time ago who were in a similar situation, only then it was just the Absol tribe. A few locals still could translate the language and the symbols. They started to work out the stories and writings of these much older pokemon, and thus learned the folklore of the place. From there they learned of their hero, and also of the strange powers they wielded long ago to contest the tribe."

Adrol the Snivy 1 energy +1 = 2 energy

[5+1=6]

"Items giving power to a circle? How? That doesn't seem possible. I mean, items do things when you use them, but if the circle got power from them, then wouldn't it be the circle itself that has some kind of effect? What do items in particular have to do with this thing's power? Why not, I don't know, something else?"

Opal was confused by the conversation that was going on. She was more into the physical side of things than the spiritual, so deep thinking was not something she had often indulged in. She just knew that there was a circle with some kind of magic and that the locals had become infuriated when it was disturbed.

"A kingdom and a tribe, huh? But if the kingdom is all the way over those mountains, they shouldn't be a bother, right? And what about the absol tribe? Why are they a threat?"

Raptor considered Opal's first line of question carefully. He seemed perplexed, as though he didn't have a full answer to that question himself. "Hmm..." he mused. "I've often pondered the same thing. To be completely up front with you, I don't fully have an explanation. I can't even say I'm sure that the items are the source of the power. That's simply a theory I've come up with to try and explain some of the strange things that happen here. It could be something else entirely. It's the best guess I can come up with, as I'm only ever in the room when there are items there. Other pokemon aren't really allowed if there aren't items. I'm also not really allowed close enough to thoroughly investigate."

"As for why items, it's simply because of that story I told you about. It was an undescribed 'item' that granted the 'One' power, so it would stand to reason that another item might do the same. Items are also considered a very meaningful sacrifice, considering their worth here. It's hard to forage on the mountain, especially with the Absol around. Giving up such a precious commodity shows true dedication in their eyes." He leaned back to ponder a moment longer. "As for the Absol and the Kingdom, you're right, they aren't exactly in this area so it's unlikely that they would pose a threat. It's more the principle of the possibility of them posing a threat. Those groups are organized, whereas the feral pokemon are not. They are at a distinct disadvantage in terms of 'mon power and civilization and I suppose this is their way of trying to fight that. It's like a safety blanket," he explained.

"This is all very enlightening," Adrol hummed as he stood and tried to wake up his tingling leaf legs. "I really had not expected to stumble into such a complex situation on my first visit to this mountain. I am very sorry to have upset the locals, as otherwise this would be a thrilling experience."

"Speaking of them... perhaps it would be best if we walked and talked? I'd like to find someone we can make amends with, if possible," the white snake added, giving another glance around the room he was in. He could see among the broken architecture items laying around that had no apparent rhyme or reason; just strewn about the place. It made him think about how he had drained his supplies in that last encounter, and he was severely needing now. He knew items were a sensitive subject here, but he would have really preferred not to be caught off-guard. "And if my add... Do you know if these items in here are claimed? I hate to impose on such a sensitive situation, but I severely depleted my supplies in the moments prior... I would not like to be caught off-guard."

Raptor shrugged. "This is a largely uninhabited portion of the ruin. Anything in here is as good as being 'in the wild.' It shouldn't be too much of a hit to take from here if you need to, just make sure to ask me like that if we continue back in. And I can take you in to meet someone if you wish; it would probably be for the best if you do before you return to the mountain in the future."

Adrol nodded gratefully and began to search around. He managed to find some things that looked like they might be valuable, but most importantly he found a fresh seed to replace the ones he had thrown. "Do you need anything, Ms. Opal? There are a lot of items around to choose from; you should come see if you're feeling a little light." While he rummaged around, he added, "How do you feel about trying to make amends? I'm not sure what we could do, but I do have some spare items that are foreign to these parts. I would be willing to offer them up to show we mean no trouble. I would also like to see a little more of this place, although I wouldn't mind if it was on the way out."

Adrol the Snivy - 2 energy + 1 = 3 energy

[6+1=7]

Opal sat and listened to Raptor's explanation. Much of it didn't make sense to her. Maybe she would think differently if the desert she'd been raised in was like this? Why waste energy and resources on an uncertainty? Wouldn't it be better to conserve them for if something did happen? The growlithe pondered these questions, confused, until Adrol spoke up. She agreed that it was a good idea to check on these items after what had just happened. It was probably also a good idea to make amends.

"We probably should try to make up, though I can't say the thought doesn't make me nervous," Opal voiced her agreement as she came over to inspect the items that had been found. One of them, a beautiful ribbon, immediately caught her eye. "Hey, what's this? It's absolutely stunning!"

Opal's discovery caught both Raptor and Adrol's eyes. Adrol hurried over to have a look at what Ms. Opal's discovery was, only to be met with an incredibly rare treasure - a Joy Ribbon!! His heart skipped a beat in wonder. The Snivy had only just managed to procure one for himself through means of bartering; he had never seen one appear randomly in the wild before! "Oh wow Ms. Opal, that is a Joy Ribbon!!" he exclaimed with delight. He pulled down the collar of his cape to show her his own ribbon, tied around his neck like an ascot. "It's quite an incredible find - it's a strange and powerful item that enhances your capabilities. I don't know exactly what capabilities, per say, but I do know that it helps to better you. They are incredibly rare!!"

"I've heard they increase your potential by boosting your growth rate." Raptor added as he too admired the ribbon. "I've never seen or owned one myself, but I hear many travelers who pass through talking about them. Many pokemon come here just to search for this item specifically; it's one of the mountain's main draws."

Upon hearing this, Adrol began to think. A powerful item tied to the mountain... a natural resource, no less!! Could it perhaps play into the lore somehow?? One couldn't help but wonder if perhaps a Joy Ribbon had been involved somewhere in this enigmatic mountain history. "So Joy Ribbons are common here, you say?" Adrol asked eagerly, "So, theoretically, how likely is it that the item played a role in the mountain's past? Could it be the unspecified item that the lore's hero speaks of?"

Raptor paused at this to think for a moment. "Well... to be honest, it's entirely possible. As I said, the texts I have access to only state that it was an 'item that brought great power...' and that the item made the hero stronger. I had been thinking something grandiose like mega evolution or powerful attacks, but... in hindsight, it could be in reference to the power of growth, as well." Raptor turned away and began pacing the floor in thought. "Joy Ribbons weren't always well understood. It took the introduction of things such as organized exploration in this area before the power and by extension value of the item were fully realized, or so it seems based on recent accounts. Perhaps the older mountain dwellers knew about the effect, however..."

Raptor looked up at the two explorers. "….There may be a way to gain more information on this topic. If you're interested... I know how to get to some unexplored areas of this construction... there may be unread information within them," he offered, sounding interested himself.

Adrol looked at Opal with a certain wonder in his eyes at the prospect of making an unprecedented discovery. "Ah, Ms. Opal, wouldn't that be amazing to see?? What do you think, should we delve deeper into this mystery? Perhaps we can learn more about the origins of the item!!!"

[7+1=8]

A mystery of treasures and legends? Now that was more like it!

"Yeah! That sounds amazing!" Opal answered with a grin. Maybe she could find out more about these Joy Ribbons while she was at it, or even find another one. Or two. This item was a mystery in itself, she thought. Where did its origins lie? A ribbon just... lying around in the wild was an incredible thing, especially if it was as powerful and valuable as Adrol and Raptor were saying. It was in excellent condition, too, like it had just been washed. There was definitely something special about these things.

"You know, I could believe a Joy Ribbon was what this 'One' had. They've got to have some power behind them if they just appear and stay in such a pristine state."

Opal then thought about her introduction to Grassveil Town and shivered a little. "It could also just as easily be Mega Evolution, too, now I think of it." She looked from the ribbon to the other two pokemon, "I suppose we'll never find answers if we don't go looking for them, right?"

Adrol was more than elated to hear that Ms. Opal was interested in further pursuing this mystery as well! In all honesty, as interested as he was in the he wouldn't have wanted to go on without her. After all of the close calls they had had so far Adrol wasn't sure if he could handle another wave of hostile pokemon like they had by himself, even if the newcomer Raptor was there. "I'm so happy to hear you will!!" he exclaimed gleefully in addition to his words. "I'd be elated to find out more about these strange but wonderful items. They're quite rare where I come from as well; we also have some folklore surrounding them but nothing quite as grand as this legend sounds." He began to eagerly walk in the direction that Raptor was leading them in, exiting the room into another hallway that seemed to lead into more ruin. The stone here was far more eroded by plants and water, further impressing the sense that these halls did not have occupants like the ones that the locals were inhabiting. Despite the erosion, however, faint etchings still could be seen on the rock making up the walls and the floor of the structure.

Raptor seemed to tune into Adrol's comment with great interest. "You're not from around here?"

"No, I was born in a place far, far away from here," Adrol explained. ""I became an adventurer with some friends for a time, but I got separated from them and I ended up here with no way to return."

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry to hear that. If you don't mind, out of curiosity, what did your folktales say?"

Adrol rubbed his chin as he thought about all of the stories he had studied during his training at the palace and then during his travels. ""Well, that mostly depends on the area. Thinking on it more, there were places around my homeland that had more dynamic interpretations of the 'ribbons of light' in their cultures. In my homeland specifically, they mostly show up in fables about power and growth. For example, there's a story that depicts a rowdy child trying to use a Joy Ribbon and expecting it to suddenly make him impossibly strong, only to learn that there was still a process to him gaining what he sought from the ribbon. It's a cautionary tale about expectations and reality."

"Hmmm, I see... interesting..." Raptor mused. He quieted after that as he sunk deep into thought.

Seeing as Raptor was no longer speaking, Adrol turned to Ms. Opal. "How about you, Ms. Opal? Where did you come from? Were there any storied there that you can remember?"

Adrol the Snivy - 4 energy + 1 (grassy terrain) + 5 (apple dropped from Lennox's inventory becaue he lives in this dungeon, will be incorporated in a later post) = 10 energy
Grassy Terrain end

Opal's ears drooped and she looked very sad as she heard Adrol explain what he was doing in this part of the world. "You said you came from very far away," she whined, "but I don't remember hearing that you were separated from your friends. I'm really sorry if I missed that at any point."

The growlithe did perk up when asked about her own homeland, but just a little. She was still feeling sorry for her travelling companion. What a terrible experience he must have had.

"Me? Well, I come from a desert that's kinda far away, but also not that much. There weren't that many stories growing up, but there is one I remember about two friends. One worked hard to gather food for the cold months ahead, while the other spent their time enjoying the sunlight. When winter came, the first friend was comfortable while the second friend struggled."

Frebedor carried out 8 launched of one Black Mist Mountain :

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Adrol smiled kindly, touched by Opal's show of remorse. "Ah, it's alright Ms. Opal! Nothing to worry about; more than likely, I forgot to mention it. I feel it often comes off as a bit rude to open a conversation with such melancholy topics," he assured her. He felt this way because he had learned from experience; he had in fact opened conversations with the topic more than once before this and each time it had left him feeling quite awkward, like his companions thought him to be fishing for pity. He certainly had no interest in placing a burden like that on anyone's shoulders, especially not Ms. Opal's. She was far too kind to deserve that kind of behavior.

The folk tale she shared immediately caught his attention. He had heard that one before. "You don't say!? I've heard that folk tale as well!! Although it was actually a bit different since I came from a kingdom inhabited by grass types..." he chuckled just a bit. "In our version, the friend who spent more time in the sunlight lived comfortably through the winter, while the other friend who went out and played too often found himself unable to move as the winter chill hit. It was a cautionary tale about time management meant to warn younger children to play when there was no sun and bask adequately when there was. I found it amusing to listen to because it never applied to me, what with my pigment-challenged skin." He seemed very fond of the memory, getting lost in his recollection for a moment with a wistful look on his face. The hallways twisted and wound around them, still looking old and decrepit. The engravings were linear it seemed, depicting scenes like pokemon farming or digging under the earth in succession of each other. If one looked hard enough they would seem to tell a story.

Eventually, these hallways spilled out into a larger chasm that seemed to have many bridges and roads built into it's walls, like a spiraling set of sticks stuck through a hollow log. It was quite dark, so the bottom was impossible to see. There also seemed to be... the occasional noises here and there. A scuffling sound or two, the occasional stone dropping. It was enough to make Adrol's skin crawl. He had the terrible feeling that they were being watched.

Raptor didn't seem nearly as nervous. He walked calmly ahead, maybe even too calmly. Or he was just being slow and methodical, like any explorer would be. "Hmm... I believe the locals share a story like that one. The friend who did not contribute his share to the group received meager rations and was hungry throughout the winter. It's a story meant to -"

All of a sudden, Raptor stopped without warning. As he did, many pokemon suddenly surrounded them in the darkness. Two Poochyena dropped down from above and two cubone appeared from either side of the bridge they were on. One more Cubone followed the first two, seeming to be a leader of sorts. All of them bared their teeth and brandished their weapons. Raptor stood eerily still, saying nothing.

"Stop, intruders!!! Don't move."

"Don't resist. It might be better..." Raptor mumbled under his beak, slowly turning to face Opan and Adrol.

"If you try to go any further-"

tink.

In a rush of adrenaline, Adrol pulled out one of the orbs he had located earlier and chucked it down onto the ground. The impact caused the orb to glow a bright pastel blue, and a shockwave of light spread out from the item and engulfed the hostiles. The light, the orb, and the five party crashers all disappeared rather unceremoniously, while Adrol breathed a sigh of relief. He had been far too panicked to absorb the situation fully.

"...Or that. That'll do, I guess..." Raptor remarked seeming a bit... frustrated? He covered his face with his wings a bit and tried to muffle an audible sigh.

"I'm sorry... did I do something wrong?" Adrol asked, confused.

"No, no..." Raptor responded, "It's not that... I just... well I wouldn't want to give the locals any more reason to think we're hostile, or a threat."

Adrol hadn't thought of it that way. He looked rather sheepish all of a sudden as the notion hit him. "Oh... that is a good point... I'm sorry."

-1 Spurn Orb from inventory

[0+10 (Oran Berry)=10]

"Our versions of that tale are clearly all different, but also not, in a way, Opal observed, "We could say they're all some kind of take on not letting opportunity pass us by. Pokemon in the desert need to get what food there is while it's there. Pokemon in the forest need to take in life-giving sunlight while it's there. Pokemon in places like this need to work together to survive."

The growlithe became happier as Adrol seemed to become happier. He must treasure memories of his home just as she treasured memories of hers, she thought. She wondered what it was like in his part of the world and if she would get to visit it one day. Would they welcome a fire type?

Daydreams were interrupted as more locals found them. Not the ones who had chased them away from the cliff face, but unfriendly nonetheless. Opal fluffed up her fur and was ready to defend herself, only for them to vanish. Again? She looked around in confusion, then saw Adrol with his sheepish expression.

"Wow. Those orbs are awesome!"

Opal looked around and quickly found another one, which she offered to the albino snivy. Just before she did that, however, she also found an Oran Berry, which was quickly and joyfully eaten.