Dark & Complex

[ Energy => 24 - 10 (Dungeon entrance) = 14 ]


The skies were dark, disperse and foggy clouds preventing the moon from shining down the hill at the edge of Rainfront Town. The seaside breeze blows much softer there, the wind grazing the tip of the blades of grass producing a very pleasant rustle as they shook yet that could only apply to the edge of the hill for the top is covered by dense forestry.

A soft squeak could be heard in the otherwise quiet night, a complaint from the cold from a yellow rodent walking by the side of a more serene-looking Absol. The former had caught the latter going off on an adventure and decided to join in, following on the tracks of the horned beast until he managed to catch up in the territory of rainy weather as Yigo internally called the Rainfront area. The ground type had already been to this particular area before. He went there to scavenge one day and ended up becoming friends with a guild member who took care of him. Luckily, this night was dark but not as harsh in weather and temperature as the other time he had wandered into the Pricklemist Hill. Besides, there was much he wanted to ask the Absol to simply pass on the opportunity.

Darkness limited his vision significantly, even if he was used to it due to settling down underground but his other senses worked fine. His ears twitched at each important sound: a step from his explorer companion onto the soft grass, the wind around them, both of the Pokemons' breathing. He could catch all of that and anything louder would sure set Yigo to high alert. Aside from his good hearing, his nose was too on point. With himself and Deimos close, it would be hard to catch anything in the distance that didn't have a very distinctive scent, be it pleasant or toxic, as the pair's scent takes most of the attention of his nose. This left Yigo's eyes free to gaze upon the show of contrasts, shadows and dark shapes unless he turned to his side where he was sure to find that friend with a wish to explore every corner of the world. The moonlight that managed to slip past the clouds was enough for him to stare at that calm figure, his fur now tinted silvery due to the tone of the light.

Yes, he had to stop complaining. He had to hold strong and not be an obstacle. For Deimos and himself. Quiet after the first squeak incident, he nodded to himself with determination and continued walking along, hoping that Deimos wouldn't call him out on what happened and want him away.

"So this is late night fog... It probably sounds ridiculous but i don't seem to mind it. Oh right... if it's too cold you can always hop on my back Yigo. It might not be much but it's better than nothing right?" A soft voice chuckled from the ashen furred beast before Yigo, seeming to not share the issues of the cold that Yigo felt. The Absol paused for a moment and turned towards his young tag along.

"Since you started following me i figured you wanted to talk and it just so happened i wanted to investigate how this area changes at night so i could write a report. Kill two b... Actually that phrase isn't suitable. Resolve two seperate matters at once is what i meant. There's a small ledge just ahead that's typically vacant, we can talk there." He remarked, having to stop himself from using the proper phrasing. Yigo was friends with a bird after all! Without a moment's pause, Deimos turned and resumed his relaxed pace.

The ledge was a small section of the hill that Deimos was quite familiar with, having been used both for relaxation and combat in the past, most notably for his entrance into the ranks of Windrose. Even if it was just a regular part of the topography of the land, was the small pond near grassveil any different?

The first proposal was something Yigo was not expecting. His head turned from inspired to awestruck, his mouth opening for a moment before shaking his head in denial "Thanks, but I'm fine. I can bear it" Stopping as the leader paused, he listened to Deimos's words. Someone had caught up with his intentions, proving his observational skills even further. To that chance to get some answers, Yigo could do little more than nodded as he picked up pace and sat down on the ledge, haunches down much like a Rockruff would and staring up to the height of Deimos.

It was no easy to start the conversation. Aside from the fact that Yigo is not exactly the best socializer, even worse so when Deimos is a very adult pokemon, but, contradictory, the calm presence of the disaster pokemon made it so that any of his worries ceased to have much importance. After all, what good was delving into the past when they were here now, together and fine. Nevertheless, it didn't hurt to ask. "I woke up in a warm place after what happened in Shadowhue" His voice started a bit shy, embarrassed even while the eyes avoided direct contact as he gazed at the road already crossed "I know that Radar is alright but... I don't remember much more"

Detaching his satchel from his belt, he revealed a pair of berries: one Oran and the other Sitrus. One of those was meant for Radar but he seemed to be doing alright when he left, more than that. He took the Oran out and returned the satchel to its place. Using both paws, he brought it in front of his muzzle "I know it was careless following you. I couldn't resist it" That last word brought him a small smile all the while he fiddled with his claws poking into the skin of the berry. Before getting to enjoy it, he delivered one last sentiment "I'm glad you made it out fine" before he started nibbling on the tasty fruit.

Pricklemist was a wonderful domain for one as the Absol, being a perfect locale to rest and relax, or it would be if the region wasn't a mystery dungeon. The fog, though potentially annoying at time served as a brilliant veil to hide the Ashen Pokemon, something he'd grown fond of often before relocating to his current abode. You can't get attacked by natives if they can't find you right? "Actually... that might be a good thought for that other move. Should probably test that further at some point" The Absol murmured under his breath, finding a cause for deliberation over a recent acquisition.

Shaking his head to get his thoughts back onto the current situation, he softly nodded towards his seating companion while taking a seat himself. With his strong familiarity with the region, he felt fairly secure in relaxing his guard for the time being, at the very least until the exploration resumed.

"Let's see... your attack with the Z crystal did some damage to the environment and upset a group of the locals who proceeded to attack. The one you sent your attack towards was actually Tina, her having misinterpreted the situation after Radar screamed. It seemed she assumed that we were actually attacking. Tina handled getting you away, i dealt with those that attacked with a new trick of mine. After that, we treated you as best we could in the field and took you to Tina's home. As for Radar, i haven't encountered him since, though it seems he escaped to safety" Deimos explained in response to Yigo's words, hoping to get him to up to speed and quickly erase any fears the shrew might have of Radar having been caught up in the fighting.

Yigo's next remark elicited a soft chuckle and a soft nod to the next. ""If we never take a chance, we never know what can happen, we never come to understand. That is the mind of an explorer. I can't hold anything against you for coming after me. As for me making it out fine... Lets just say, Shadowhue is a little colder now."

Nodding to what Deimos said about Radar, he recalled noticing him around while his wounds were being treated. Whether or not the black bird had made it obvious, his scent and some loose feather gave it away "Radar is fine. He came to check up on me when I was at that place"

Yigo remembered something about what had happened the other day. The foraging party, meeting with Deimos, the embers coming from the unknown and the burst of energy from his crystal. The rest was a blur so Deimos's explanation was more than welcomed. Knowing that the attacker was in reality Tina made little sense. Was she there again? Why was she fighting? Did she get captured once more?

On the other hand, it made sense that some locals may have gotten angry at the destruction caused by Yigo's move. He never considered what his power could cause outside of immediate battle potential and if he had angered other 'mons just trying to go about with their lives, it was on him. He was glad to have made it out without needed to compensate anyone. After taking a good chunk of the berry, juices dripping from his maw before a swipe of his arm could get rid of it, he looked back at Deimos with a hint of disappointment with his ears low and with the spirits down. It looked like he wasn't so strong after all, causing more trouble around him that those he could solve.

Deimos's last sentences made Yigo turn the feeling around. Just like the decision to have followed the Absol, he took his chances, not knowing what would happen. Failure is always an option but... was failure out of inactivity a better failure, knowing that Yigo did nothing? He thought about it for a moment. The question didn't have a clear answer as, in the previous situation, doing nothing would have ended up in a better scenario.

Finishing his berry and packing back up, a second thought came up. Now that matters between the two had been resolved, something was going to be asked eventually and Yigo knew it. A "What now?" was inbound from one to the other so Yigo may as well be the one to ask it "Were you traveling to Rainfront? Or is there something here you wanted to explore?" Knowing that the dark type was someone that couldn't help a desire for exploring, it would have made sense for him to be searching around the hill for new, interesting... stuff. Yigo didn't know what the point of exploring was aside from visiting and benefitting from the resources. As another possibility, Yigo met Deimos in Rainfront not long ago. Perhaps he lived there?

There was a pause after this reflection. The ground type stared on the way back, out of the hill and back to Grassveil but he couldn't help but feel pleased when around the dark beast. Even if he knew that going astray and accompanying him could be dangerous, the kid didn't want to let go "... do you think I could come with you? I'll... listen to you this time and follow your words" He bowed with his head as a sign of respect and a silent pledge to be true to his word. If he's allowed, he won't cause more trouble.

Ah, good to know then. I was standing guard out front and talking to others, explaining the situation... so that explains why i missed Radar coming around. It's good to know your friend is fine." Deimos replied with a fairly relaxed tone. The Murkrow's moment of panic was the cause for the entire scrap back in Shadowhue. It was good to know the Flier hadn't gotten caught up in his assault. Fliers don't like the cold apparently, though why was a question that still plagued the Absol's mind.

With Yigo distracting himself with a Berry to quell his hunger, Deimos became silent, directing a careful gaze to his surroundings and putting his senses to work at full strength... Not that he really had much choice in that regard. Deimos had encountered another Absol in the past, one that seemed to rely on their senses much more than he did, presumably to make up for some natural deficiency of the sort. Compared to someone who had to constantly use it to get around and for day to day use, Deimos's mastery of it wasn't perfect. Even if he wanted to weaken it so he could go hunting, that was beyond his expertise.

As Yigo finished his snack and delivered another pair of questions,  the Absol snapped his focus away from the area, relaxing once again. "In my line of work, we can write reports about Dungeons that we've explored, providing information for others to use that might help inform them about dangers a Dungeon may possess. I've got a decent amount of experience with this dungeon during the day, enough that i could write a report, but why only cover one time of day? Time isn't something we can control and I doubt that some pokemon wouldn't prefer to be out at night than during the day. That's why i'm here, to gather information on this dungeon under the cover of darkness and to see what changes." Deimos explained swiftly and precisely, wanting to explain his motives in a manner that wouldn't confuse the young one. From a prior conversation he knew Yigo didn't particularly know what a library was, so keeping things simple would be for the better.

"If you'd like to come along feel free. Just make sure you stay close. I've plenty of experience finding my way through all this mist. We wouldn't want you getting lost, especially when ghosts are abundant here."

[Energy: 14 + 10 (Oran Berry) = 24]


"Mmm... I never thought of it that way" The Sandshrew muttered when explained the reasoning behind Deimos' actions. Certainly,  some Pokémon would prefer the night over the day and may only come out after the sun has set. To them, the moon may be like their sun, a vision that inspired him. It wasn't hard to imagine either since back where he grew up, the Northern Desert, the night was quite the opposite from the day as temperatures dropped to unbearable levels and many natives dug holes underground to shelter themselves until dawn. If dungeons changed that much depending on the time of the day, Deimos could consider the scope of his wish to explore every corner of the world double in size. There was time to consider as well as space!

With that, Yigo understood what there was to be explained and even had some advantages of his own. Even if the environment was foggy, he could recognize Deimos' scent and hear his paws step on the hill. Getting lost would require some outside deception, like that of ghosts but being two and being both quite perceptive it seemed unlikely that one could set up some trickery without being detected. "You are familiar to me. I don't need to see you to know where you are. Besides, I know how ghosts smell themselves! Their scent is... nasty" He looked to the side and shook his snout, ears twitching. Ghosts were nasty in many ways, the least of which is their scent.

After packing up, he geared back up and set up to move out, standing on all fours next to Deimos. He expected him to make the first move since Yigo didn't exactly know which part of the dungeon he was talking about "To the trees up the hill? Or the house close to it?" House was a generous term. Dwelling would be more accurate but Yigo couldn't distinguish between a house and something more, even if the young shrew had been inside before. Does the house count as a dungeon? Would it change if he came back inside?

"That's the mind of an explorer for you. There are always more variables to investigate, an endless ocean of information to discover and compile. Though my boss's main concern is mapping out the world, that's just one single river leading into that ocean." Deimos replied to Yigo's opening mind with a soft chuckle. He couldn't blame the little guy after all. Before joining Windrose his sole purpose had been to see things for his own eyes without generally caring why or where he went. There was no order to his chaotic exploring, if he could see it he went there. Thoughts of investigating so many variables would have never surfaced without his new cause, his new reason to travel and explore.

With that in mind, he was more than happy to allow the Shrew to accompany him on a late night exploration and especially so with Yigo reckoning that he could track the Absol's sent. A means of preventation from getting seperated was welcome, especially if it could be wielded in other manners. ""A fair point, but for safeties sake i would still recommend staying close. Though my skillset might slowly be growing away from it, close quarters is still my preferred area of expertise, especially so my most accurate. As for where to go, The house is home to a number of ghostly pranksters, i explored there with Russel a while back. I'll probably check out the low ground this time, since i know the high ground fairly well."

Yigo nodded to Deimos' decision. They would explore the low ground. Even if the thought of exploring the dwelling wasn't something he would dislike, avoiding it was a relief for now. The dark scout had not been the only one to get inside the confusing, strange and haunted walls of that place and he was certainly not the only one to have been greeted by ghosts dwellers. However, there appeared to be some other non-ghost Pokémon that lived inside. They were not friendly but they were not hostile either, allowing Yigo to stick around the last time he got there.

The rest of the hill was scarier to the sand rodent as the weather of the Rainfort area could turn very unfavorable for a hydrophobic 'mon. Although the fog seemed to be alright...

Waiting for Deimos to start the march, he made sure to stay no further than two feet away from the Absol. His nose was now attuned to identify the scout in case his eyes deceived him. It was never a bad idea to keep an ear out to catch some suspicious noise. One can never know what lies behind the mist on the prowl.

Deimos rose from his seated position and stretched, happy to be able to get back to work, so to speak. Though he didn't mind having others along for exploration, more people meaning more of an area could be covered at once, There was just something he undeniably liked about investigating area's on his own. Being told "Oh there's this real cool thing that way" and never seeing it personally was far and away something he had no interest in. What's the point in knowing something if you can't see it and the results with your own eyes? How can you know something is real and true if all you ever hear is other people's experiences without ever forging your own?

Taking a moment to confirm that Yigo was ready to follow, Deimos slowly began his descent down the hill to investigate the lower ground. Being the larger and longer of the two, he figured going slow would be better to help make up the difference in speed his larger size gave him.

The walk downhill wasn't terribly exciting. Yigo could swear that the walk was being slower than usual as he preferred walking faster himself. He has some good stamina and can handle the pace of larger 'mons without many issues. He even enjoyed running after the flying birds back in Grassveil.

All of this suggested caution. A reminder that Yigo shouldn't default to what is the most comfortable to him and that he has to keep his guard up. The fog made scouting difficult and it was in both of the Pokémon's best interest to stick together.

But time went on and not much seemed to happen, no sign of danger. Only the winds calming, the rustling of grass slowly dying down, the scent of water tears forming on their surface and the rhythmic steps of the explorers. Yigo looked at Deimos for a moment, who was close enough to be seen despite the fog's effects, wondering what exactly he was looking for or expecting. Everything appeared... Quiet and tranquil, much like the Sandshrew found the hill to be at the base. The thought of asking about it came to mind but a strong urge to preserve the silence kept him from satisfying his curiosity.

It was frustrating but he didn't want get careless and get Deimos to see him causing or in trouble because of it. There was some hope for this night to be perfect, without scraps or trouble. Would Yigo earn the respect of the Absol at last?

[Energy: 24 - 10 = 14]

PrimordialPrim carried out 10 launched of one Pricklemist Hill :

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"All quiet so far... No crazy linoone charging all over the place this time. Can't complain there i guess" Deimos murmured under his breath as he quietly maintained his cautious advance. He was used to advancing much faster through the ocean of white the duo found themselves in, something he much preferred to such a slow, methodical pace where no foes were in the immediate vicinity. Exploring alone was always more fun than slowing down for others, but just running off ahead would be rude, right? Not befitting of someone entrusted with a position of leadership. He took great pride in that role, even if being a leader wasn't exactly his specialty.

Minutes blew by as he advanced through the relatively tranquil low ground, finding it much calmer than higher up where serpents dwelled, springy pokemon bounced about and ghosts flew by pranking everyone they could find. It felt too calm for his liking.

Eventually after walking a few minutes more, Deimos paused, turning and glancing to the northeast and invoking a single one of his signature spectral talons. "Something feels off up ahead... Be careful" Deimos spoke, keeping his talon disguised in the earth to avoid drawing attention. A light in the mist was just a beacon for trouble after all.

[Energy: 14 - 23 => 0]

The wish for peace seemed to have fallen in deaf ears when Yigo heard Deimos' warning. The scout mentioned that something was odd ahead, whatever that meant. Yigo's senses picked up on suspicious traces as well. The wings flapping at the wind and some alarmed chirping from some bird Pokémon. That may not be a bad omen by themselves but it was a clear indicator that someone else was around.

Looking at Deimos, he nodded to acknowledge and confirm his suspicions, to let him know that Yigo believed as much. It was also a silent call for orders. The nomad's gut was telling him to go ahead, investigate and return but Yigo had promised himself that he wouldn't screw up and cause trouble. Deimos will be making the gut decisions this time.

Meanwhile, ahead of them, the fog felt lighter, less dense, which made the clearing that contained it easier to see compared to what the pair of Pokémon were experiencing. Inside, a Dragonair was investigating a stone carving sitting like a gravestone in the middle of the clearing andsurrounded by many items fancily arranged around them due to the mysterious will of the dungeon. Behind it, a knocked out Pokémon, a Palpitoad with a part of its skin scorched by what appeared to be fire, dragon fire. It looked recent.

"Stay low for now. Looks like there's a clearing up ahead where the fog grows weaker" Deimos spoke in a hushed whisper as he advanced forward cautiously. A peculiar clearing where the mist receded for a time was an odd occurrence that the Scout hadn't encountered before within the region before. "I suppose this is what makes it fun. Always something unexpected to find" Deimos murmured, finding the situation rather amusing. He knew well enough peculiarities in dungeons screamed opportunity, Home being a perfect example.

Reaching the periphery of the clearing, Deimos halted his advance after picking up a curious scent. "Scorched... But it's a little different than back at the storm blighted plain. Not ordninary fire" The Absol spoke once more in a hushed whisper, before catching a glance of two figures within the mists. One appeared to be a long, serpent like creature, greater in length than the Seviper groups within the region. The other one however, sprawled out on the ground after an obvious, painful defeat was fairly easy to recognize. 'A Palpitoad... Water and Ground typing yet clearly scorched, so fire and electric type moves weren't the cause. Most likely that leaves a dragon type move as the culprit' Deimos thought, regular flames would obviously be inefficient and would leave more signs, Electricity was a clear no go. Though there was other moves that could clearly leave such a wound, scald for example, the scouts mind went straight towards the Dragon type. Dragon Breath was pretty well known after all.

Feeling as if he had an advantage if the foe truly was dragon type, Deimos deformed the claw, instead deciding to try and resolve the situation amicably. "Good Evening" The Absol called out from the periphery, attempting peaceful contact.

The warning of the clearing ahead gave Yigo mixed feelings. Abandoning the moisture in the air, the coat of cold that caressed his hide sounded appealing but the cost of revealing themselves to anything still prowling within the mist or already in the clearing was a risk that comfort may not justify. As worries filled Yigo's mind, Deimos's positive attitude managed to sway away some pessimism. The joys of exploring came from risk taking and the curiosity from the explorer and the ashen beast was an exemplar. Wandering into a new situation could be exciting after all...

It didn't take long for the scent of schorched flesh to reach Yigo's snout, but not before his partner could comment on it. The little scout had also noticed that it wasn't a regular burn what caused that charbroil, the cinders smelling otherworldly in a way. With the older 'mon deciding to take a peek and investigating further, Yigo had no need to take any unnecessary risks, staying close but never leaving the cloudy veil that could give away his presence to anyone in the clearing.

Deimos's introduction caused the Dragonair to interrupt his reading and turn to the newcomer. Seeing as he didn't display any hostilities or had even readied any move before the dragon, he saw fit to respond in kind "Good evening" his reply was not too genuine, dismissive in a way, as he was too absorved by his discovery to offer more than the necessary time to the dark type "I do not wish to battle, if possible. That Pokémon didn't give me a choice" He nudged his head in the direction of the Palpitoad "If you are sensible enough, you'll realise that avoiding confrontation is benefitial to both"


He turned around and went back at examining the stone carvings "You may keep the treasure there. It's not mine, but do not disturb me unless you have to"

The way the dragon acted wasn't welcoming but it didn't look threatening either. The shape and colour gave Yigo a feeling of grace, understanding and, unlike those of other dragons, peace. The Sandshrew knew better than to take first impressions for granted so he approached only as much as he had to, poking his head into the clearing in case it was all a ruse and there was an urge to retreat into the mist.