Rule #2 of Dungeon Spelunking: Never split up from your party.

Arthur was not eager to throw himself into danger. He had held his tongue, stayed his hand, and he watched his teammates run into the darkness. He didn't have the right to say I told you so because he didn't say anything, but he thought of it, felt like they were drawing unnecessary attention to themselves, but then again, if they were able to beat back whatever sinister thing was running amok in this place and save Josh, that was good, right? Hopefully they didn't need him there; he was going to be more of a liability anyway combat wise, as he knew that his current levels did little damage.

He soon lost sight of them, and the tunnels began to multiply in number - no, that was an overstatement, it had just split into two, and suddenly his mind struck him with doubt. Had they gone left or right? He just had to wait and listen for voices, didn't he? But when he looked to his left, he thought he heard something else, something dripping, wet.

Hie had come from the right tunnel, running back to his trainer, not wanting to get lost. Kanya was right behind him, and they confirmed that the others had gone through that tunnel, if he wanted to follow. The Floragato had an inkling of an understanding of him - that he was not so eager to trail behind them, not just yet. He breathed in the air and noted why they stopped at this particular fork. <Salt, nya. The stink of the ocean.> Kanya remembered this when they first met back in Beta Island, when they ran away from the fire, into the water, towards the shrine at the end of a sandbar onto a cove. It was undeniable, unmistakeable; the only suspicion that remained against it was where they came from: a desert with no body of water in sight for miles and miles.

How far down were they, and where did the ocean lead?

Wordlessly, Arthur gestured his Pokemon to follow him, ascending up the hill (it was somewhat steep, he could feel his feet sliding back ever so slightly if he did not step properly, as the water made the ground loose) until he reached its peak, which further in led to a series of pools. Kanya tugged on his shirt and pointed at something further away, and if he focused he could see that they were bleached Pokemon, similar to the ones at the entrance of this dungeon. It made him shudder, but in order to get there (which did look like there was more of a path to walk through? He wasn't sure if that was a dead end, actually), he had to walk around the pools - on those thin rocky paths that remains just above the surface, or had already sunk a little.

Thankfully, he had Swimmer equipped, and the water that dripped on him rolled off, keeping him dry. There was also a door with a lock in this location, but he didn't really know what that meant, exactly. The UI was helpful in this regard, informing him that this was an alternate entrance. Another way out? He furrowed his brows.

Unlocking this, if he even could do it on his own, meant two, no, three things: they could leave through here, people could come in, and whatever was in here could also leave from there. He supposed there was no point worrying about the last one - it wasn't like the monsters were trapped in here if they were able to bring so many Pokemon bodies. No, the party was trapped with them. A two out of three benefit felt like that meant he should try to unlock this thing, even if the This will cost resources pop up appeared with that option.

He let out a sharp sigh and then pinpointed the entrance. He then withdrew Kanya and Hie - there was no point in exposing them to danger nor bringing them in this next leg of the journey, for the hatch was located at the bottom of one of the larger pools; a deep blue under the limited light of the cavern. He then let out Anta, who chirped happily in a much cooler and wetter environment, and he called her to his hands so that he could check for any signs of sunburn. Luckily, there was none.

❝Ready for your first dive?❞ he said softly. She bubbled in slight protest, and even if he couldn't understand her, he felt she was saying something along the lines of, this isn't my first! To which he responded, ❝Okay, okay, I stand corrected. Your first dive with me.❞

And that seemed to appease her; she nodded once, which was basically moving her whole body, and he stepped towards the pool, his feet soon less an inch away from water and depth. There was no telling how deep this went, but as an explosion set off from one of the other tunnels, Arthur felt like he had nothing to lose. They were fighting, and he only prayed that they would succeed.

❝Anta.❞

She went in first with no hesitation, he followed by fighting down the urge not to step forward. He immediately sank, submerged fully in water, and he couldn't help but hold his breath before consciously telling himself, forcing himself to remember, that he could breathe. Breathe. He inhaled, felt air in his lungs, exhaled. Shuddered. The only thing different from above and below was that his limbs felt more sluggish, but otherwise, it was only notably cooler.

Arthur looked down. There was nothing but the void.

The Mantyke let him hold onto what was best described as her shoulders, even if she didn't have any, and began to swim downward. Progress was slow with him holding onto his Pokemon, but he was also kicking his feet in hopes to help with the dive, and even with Swimmer, it did not stop his ears from popping; his mind starting to pulse from pressure. He tried to keep his breathing steady, but once in a while he would forget, seeing bubbles exit from his mouth, and panic would rise before he had to hammer it down. Eventually, after what felt like an inordinate amount of time had passed, they reached a bottom; a lone, seemingly manmade hatch on a bed of sand, rock, and bleached bone. He placed his hand on the handle, feeling rust and metal, took a breath, and then pulled.

After three or four tries, he heard noise, felt the entrance move, unlatch, unhinge, and then the door pried free. He expected a current to pull him in, but fate was kind at this moment: it only gave him a little more light at the other side, which seemed to show nothing but another cavern tunnel.

He decided it was better to go back the way he came rather than explore this.

When they broke the surface of the water minutes later, he let out a gasp of air, struggled a little bit, completely spent, before clambering up to the rocky path. Instinctively he thought to dry himself, only to find that his clothes were still pristine and his hair a slightly disheveled mess. ❝God. I don't want to do that again.❞ he muttered before thanking Anta for her help.

<< Party >>

          

HEARTEATER PT.1

4. DEEPER

▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Progression Bar: 24%

[tangent=-3 (Sarah, Braixen, Emboar) -3 (Josh, Zebstrika, Charizard) -2 (Kyukon, Mantyke) -4 (Ruby, Indeedee F, Fennekin, Litten) -5 from Open the Hatch -5 from Probe Deeper]118[/tangent] Resources Remaining

Litten: 700/700 HP

Throughout the heated battle, still dangling from Ruby's Indeedee's arms, the white Litten appears to be trying to power up an attack. A small ball of light appears in front of it and starts to grow larger— but it fizzles, leaving the feline panting and exhausted. Fortunately, Josh Devlin and Sarah Lee are able to finish the sisters off without assistance. Barely.

Perhaps if Litten had something to eat, it would be able to finish charging that attack?

FEED LITTEN? [-10 Resources]

Progress has essentially stopped, but fortunately, the battle took place at the tunnel exit. From their current position, the team can see a vast, funnel-shaped pit, sloping down into the earth. Should you peer in, you will see what looks like a dark red fog obscuring the bottom. The stone path you're standing on spirals down around its circumference in a lazy coil, leading to the next floor of the dungeon.

Two additional entrances are visible on the far side. Out of one of them comes Kyukon, perfectly dry, showing no sign of his underwater adventure. Harbor Entrance unlocked! All went without a hitch, though the white-haired trainer may think back on his dive and realize he and Mantyke hadn't been alone in that water. Something else had been moving in the depths.

Perhaps it's good he turned around when he did.

The other entrance is marked with a familiar locked-door icon. It would be a detour from your descent into the dungeon, but perhaps a worthwhile one. Or maybe one person could handle it on their own?

OPEN NEXUS ENTRANCE? [-5 Resources]

Ruby's Indeedee hears a voice. It slides into her thoughts like a knife, twisting, pressing for something. It rings with commanding presence.

But she doesn't understand what it's saying.

The voice grows frustrated. It feels around her mind like a person in the dark, seeking connection. If it finds itself thwarted by the Indeedee's mind, Darling may be just as overwhelmed by the alien consciousness. It doesn't think the way she does. One easy-to-understand emotion dominates all:

Hunger.

Hearteater wants to eat.

The Indeedee's mouth moves, and sounds unlike anything you've ever heard— except, perhaps another Ultra Beast— curl blasphemously from her tongue.

"⊬⍜⎍ ☊⏃⋏'⏁ ⏚⟒ ⊑⟒⍀⟒, ⎎⏃⍀⏁⊑⟒⌇⏁-⍙⏃⌰☍⟒⍀."

You see the Indeedee's eyes are fixed on Litten, who squirms free and jumps to the ground. It talks back in the same strange, modulated language. "⋔⟟⌇⏁ ⏃⋏⎅ ⍀⟒⎅, ☊⍜⌰⍜⍀ ⏚⟒ ⍀⟒⏁⎍⍀⋏⟒⎅." It takes a threatening pounce forward, like a cat jumping on a cricket. "⍙⊑⟒⋏ ⏁⊑⍀⟒⟒ ⎅⍜⍜⍀⌇ ⍜⌿⟒⋏, ⏁⊑⟒ ⌰⟟☌⊑⏁ ⍙⟟⌰⌰ ⌿⍜⎍⍀ ⟟⋏!"

The presence suddenly vanishes. Litten seems satisfied, and jumps back into Ruby's arms. Hearteater has withdrawn: for now.

What the Indeedee can still feel is a connection: terminated, but not yet broken. Hearteater has many more pawns on the next floor: ones it can more effectively control. You are still in danger. And she gets the sense that if it chooses to do so again, it will not come so unprepared.

Sarah Lee, the Commander | Josh Devlin, the Specialist | Kyukon, the Inheritor | Ruby, the Observer

Their little group had busted into the dungeon and roared down the central path, faced powerful foes and come out the other side into a moment of relative peace.

Another chance at stealth.

"Well fought, now rest up you two," Sarah said, as she returned Emboar and Braixen. "Pokemon away if you don't need them," she advised the others. "We need to conserve out resources, especially if we're going to be feeding another mouth and unlocking every entrance."

"Great work, Kyukon," Sarah said, marking her own map with the Harbor Entrance that he had just unlocked. And the revelations didn't end there. Her eyes followed Kyukon's words over to the newly revealed Nexus Entrance. They would need every advantage, every angle and scrap of information that they could get their hands on. This place wasn't stingy with its secrets, but everywhere they looked Sarah found another hint pointing to something larger. Secret entrances, bleached bodies, unknown allies—

"⊬⍜⎍ ☊⏃⋏'⏁ ⏚⟒ ⊑⟒⍀⟒, ⎎⏃⍀⏁⊑⟒⌇⏁-⍙⏃⌰☍⟒⍀."

Sarah froze at the alien sounds. Unfamiliar phonemes now formed in a familiar mouth. Ruby's Indeedee was speaking the alien language!

The Litten lashed back with its own strange, hissing babble, and the presence vanishes.

"What was that?" Sarah asked Ruby. "Are you okay Darling?" She felt weird asking that. She didn't even call Michelle darling. "I think things have just escalated," she proclaimed. "That sounded menacing, and based on what Ash was saying about Hearteater being a psychic presence I'd bet that was it right there. That was Hearteater speaking to us."

The question hung unsaid in the air.

Well what did it say?

She looked around the group. Beside her, Kyukon was scrolling through a chat log. "Great idea," she said, pulling up her own UI and setting to work breaking the code.

Kyukon made the first breakthrough. It was only a few words, but after that the characters fell into place one. The devs had been kind. This wasn't some ciphered system or wild new conlang. This was just an alphabet written with strange letters and spoken with unfamiliar sounds.

As Kyukon pressed further into the dungeon Sarah kept working on the translation. It wasn't hard to decode, just to understand when it was spoken. Catching what was happening in the moment would be truly difficult. "I think I have it," Sarah said, after a few minutes. She sent through her translations to the ground dungeon chat.

Litten: You're not like the others.
Litten: Splishy splashy...
Indeedee: You can't be here, farthest-walker.
Litten: Mist and red, color be returned.
Litten: When three doors open, the light will pour in!

"That's the translation, but it'll full of unfamiliar phrases. Farthest-walker. Three doors." Her attention shifted to the Nexus Entrance awaiting their unlocking. "Though that one is logical enough. Next we have to unlock open the Nexus Entrance," she said to the others. "If it's what it sounds like then we'll be opening this place up for players to access it from every route in Ostellia." She smiled, they were about to secure a huge advantage for the upcoming battle.

She turned to Litten. "Is that what you meant? Open the the three doors to the outside?"

"And as for the last phrase: Mist and red." Sarah looked down the stone spiral and down into the deep, obscuring mass of the red mist. It reminded her of an antlion pit; a quicksand funnel that pulled any stumbling prey right into the jaws of the waiting predator.

And yet she couldn't help but be pulled into the pit. Maybe instead of quicksand, it was some sort of psychic gravity. Perhaps it was a sense of duty or fatal curiosity that dragged her feet down the path that ringed the red mist plug. Perhaps it was a rich melange of many things that drove their expedition inevitably downwards, towards the next level of the dungeon.

"We push on, swift and quiet," Sarah said, stepping lightly on the stone path. They didn't need another combat. Worse, they couldn't afford it. If they drew too much attention and the next encounter was another 2,000 HP wall then they were toast. Both Josh and herself had used up their Z-Moves. Unless she rolled some absolutely phenomenal Catalyst rolls they were in for a -50 resource retreat. That would put the squeeze on them like nothing else.

And so she moved slowly, pressing forward as fast as she dared, ever closer to the lair of Hearteater. She felt it in her gut, now. The presence of something grand and omnipresent. It wasn't much of a guess to say it was at the bottom of the pit —Bosses were always at the lowest place in the dungeon— but something about having a concrete link to that conclusion made the realization hit much stronger. Litten had called Hearteater Mist and Red and, well, there it was, swirling below them.

"Hearteater is down there," Sarah breathed, "and it knows we're coming."

Ruby was quiet, her eyes scouting the area. Progress had stalled for now, but that didn't mean it would forever. Her eyes would be distracted from the strange pit and the fog, seeing the Litten was hungry. She saw the little prompt to feed them, and considering they were readying an attack, it probably would be a wise idea to make sure they could defend themself.

FEED LITTEN [-10 RESOURCES]

"Here you go, lil' guy." She pulled out a few snacks from her backpack, a little bit of jerky for the cat. It should hopefully be pleasant.

She'd return Faye the Fennekin back to her ball, the less bodies they had about the better. It would be good to have them helping in combat, in case something happened.

"I think, opening the other entrance sounds pretty good." She'd nod her own head in response to everyone else. "If you opened up one of the paths," She glanced over at Kyukon as she spoke. "Then, perhaps opening the Nexus entrance would be a good idea-"


"⊬⍜⎍ ☊⏃⋏'⏁ ⏚⟒ ⊑⟒⍀⟒, ⎎⏃⍀⏁⊑⟒⌇⏁-⍙⏃⌰☍⟒⍀."

Ruby stilled immediately, fear gripped her heart as the Indeedee's lips were not their own. Terror pierced her very soul, stunned silent.

That was not her voice. That was not Darling's voice. She didn't even know what Darling truly sounded like, their real words, but that was not what she sounded like. Whatever the words meant, there was an undeniable message.

Hearteater knew they were here.

Litten jumped from her arms to begin communicating back, and it was enough of a shock to make Ruby immediately begin to move. She swiftly jumped forwards as well, moving to place her hands right atop the Indeedee's horns.

"Shh, shh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Ruby pleaded, her words were panicked. "I'm sorry I asked you to do this, please, just come back to me. Please, please-"

The presence fades, but Ruby didn't let go. Even as the Litten returned to one of her arms.

It took a few moments before Darling came back to their own senses, sighing heavily and leaning into their touch. They'd glance at the others, [tangent="I am, okay, everyone. I am okay..."]"Dee..." [/tangent]

"Darling, I-" Ruby had nervous tears, stumbling with her words. As the others moved to decode the language, Ruby was far more concerned with Darling.

[tangent="It's... it is okay. I am okay now."]"In.. Indee."[/tangent] She leaned into Ruby's hand, focusing on sensing her trainer's own emotions instead, for now. [tangent="It was... hungry. That was all I can understand."] "Deedee."[/tangent]

She focused on the expressions of worry, fear, and deep love of her Trainer for her Pokémon. That focus, that love, it helped ground her. The little Indeedee was quiet, staying close to the trainer. Their psychic senses were still active, that presence still existing. [tangent="C-careful, there's still more I can sense them, I can-"] "Dee, Dee dee-"[/tangent]

The translation was suddenly revealed, and Ruby immediately stiffened all over again. Her face was as pale as a ghost.

Farthest-Walker.

Did the Hearteater know her name?

Ruby Walker.

She was absolutely terrified. Her heart nearly beating out of her chest as she stood up again. Her blood was pounding so hard she could swear she could feel it in her ears. "I-"

[tangent="Ruby?"] "Dee?"[/tangent]

"... G-guys, I'm, I am gonna- I'm gonna go unlock the third door. I promise, I'll be quiet. Just, be careful. Please. Everyone." She was absolutely panicked, and it absolutely showed. Her eyes were wide, fear visible in her expression. "Three doors open, let's open that third door. Let the light in. I'll be quiet."

Darling grew quiet, frowning softly. Her trainer was clearly absolutely panicked. She just grabbed Ruby's hand, squeezing as tightly as she could. [tangent="Yeah. Light sounds good. I think we could use some light."]"Indeedee."[/tangent]

Regardless if anyone followed her, she needed a brief moment to just think. It would do nobody any good to see her panicked so badly. She'd be quiet, kneeling through the tunnels, holding the Litten in one arm and Indeedee's hand close.

It was probably for the best that she had their company, at least. That fear in her eyes, she should not be fully alone.

OPEN NEXUS ENTRANCE [-5 RESOURCES]

Have you not learned anything from last time?
Shut it, I opened the door. I "let the light in". They can handle themselves just fine.

Arthur let them go, because a leader like Sarah would forge ahead without fear (with caution), because someone like Josh was bold, often reckless, but a force of his own. They should be fine. Laying low meant a better chance to survive, and more opportunity observe what [tangent=Coward, you shirk on your responsibility]had[/tangent] [tangent=There is no point, you are but dead weight where it counts]been[/tangent] [tangent=The one who will leave alive is the one most selfish]missed[/tangent]. As he watched them descend without him, he stopped at the center, the point where the figurative sand of the hourglass trickled to the bottom. The mist settled here, and with the other two in the party passing through with no reaction, he figured that it was safe to touch, but not linger.

Before he could move back up to join Ruby, who he felt needed more support at the moment and shouldn't be left alone, the mist swirled, rose, shaped itself like it was alive. Tendrils becoming something vaguely like fingers and a palm that was as large as his own hand. It faced downward first before turning its hand upward, expectant. Arthur hadn't realized he had lifted one of his arms up to stop his Monferno from approaching any closer.

<What...what is that?>

Give something to the hand?

The pop up floated on top of it, the game goading him to do something. He didn't respond to Gou right away, opening his inventory to see what the options even were. All of his common items were grayed out. The only things he could give were any of his active Pokemon and his key items. Without even knowing what this thing would do or if something would be given back? What a farce, he should just turn away and leave it.

...but the thought didn't materialize into action.

<Kon, we should head back. Kon?> he pulled on his trainer's arm, at first gentle but concerned, later a little more panicked and frantic, but Arthur glanced at him, told him, wait.

Rule #4 of Dungeon Spelunking: Always feed the hand that calls to you.

There was something else that was not grayed out that he could offer.

He outstretched his hand to meet the mist. One of its red fingers lengthened and coiled around him - first his own fingers, then his hand, snaking up to his arm, to his shoulder, and then without even touching his chest, drew something out. It took the form of a small, light orb before withdrawing, enveloping what was taken and rejoining the pool. It did not move again, as if it was never alive.

The Monferno was aghast at what had transpired, but Arthur remained still, if not looking drained by the encounter. <What did you do?> it was accusatory, but coming from a place of worry and fear. The trainer realized he had only heard that tone in stories, not in real life.

❝...nothing significant. Hopefully a failsafe.❞ he muttered. ❝We're heading back up.❞

When he rejoined Ruby in the first floor, the door was already opened, and light came in droves. The cat seemed pleased by this, and it was also nice to feel sunlight (not harsh, not the desert) on his skin. In front of them was a swath of different items, and Arthur could see tooltips pop up when his eyes glanced over them, meaning that they each could do something, he just had to investigate them a little further. ❝Some kind of treasure trove..?❞

A treasure room, in other words, usually safe in dungeons, but one could never really tell in this case. Rather than going right for the loot, he tried to look around some more with as little noise as he could. His footsteps still echoed here, and he tried to pick up some of the papers that weren't completely overtaken by the moss, hoping to read what was on it. ❝What do you think,❞ he asked Ruby, ❝Should we try to take one of these home?❞

<< Party >>

          

Sunlight. It felt good to finally welcome it down here. Seeing the moss and plant life grow felt good to behold, certainly helping soothe her worries for a bit.

Maybe, life could help restore color back to the Pokemon that were stuck down here? Seeing the Litten seemingly happy, wiggling about, was almost enough to wash her fears away.

Almost.

That thing, it knew her name. Right? It had to have! There was no other way to imagine it, a coincidence seemed entirely out of left field, even if it was technically possible.

It just didn't seem very likely.

Still tense, Ruby would be thankful for Kyukon 's arrival. She let out an immediate sigh of relief, looking back at them. "You okay? I'm sorry I- I kind of just, left for a second. Everything is... Intense, is a strong word, but it defines it all well."

All the sudden loot in there, however, had Ruby's attention. None of it was a priority, but her eyes still scanned through it all regardless. "We should go back to the others, I think. We're here for information, not- Wait, what?" Ruby's eyes immediately locked onto the jewels tucked deep within the pile.

Wedge tightly amidst all the junk, laid a multitude of interesting items. A thorn circlet, some manacles, even a whole bazooka! But none of that could compare, in her mind, to the Crown Jewels.

Why were they here? How did they end up here?

Did a Player lose them? Did the Princess somehow survive, and end up here, taken by the Hearteater?

Perhaps that all seemed so illogical... but the fear that it somehow drained the color of some Legendary that used to dwell here wasn't off the table.

"The Crown Jewels." Ruby suddenly spoke as if just saying the name of the item explained her decision, pointing forwards into the mass of items. "I'm grabbing that pile. Please, watch out for me."

Ruby would swiftly press forwards, her Indeedee keeping watch and turning around to scout the room as she squeezed in between some of the junk, luckily having a small teen avatar made that a bit easier. She'd carefully grab the frozen ice crystals, carefully placing them into her backpack to carry for now. It was better than leaving them here to rot.

RISK IT! (-30 PER ITEM)
THIS LOOT WILL BE UNLOCKED AS AN OPTION FOR ALL PLAYERS AT THE END OF HEARTEATER PT.2.

Once back out of the pile, she'd take a few moments to catch her breath as she looked back up at Kyukon . "Now, we should go back and join the others. I'll keep an eye out. Just-"

She shuddered, looking back down where they came from. Confronting... Hearteater wasn't their goal, and yet she was certainly terrified they were going to come face to face with it. "Just, be careful. I really, really don't like this place."

Turning her attention back to her Indeedee, Ruby would give them a sympathetic smile. "Darling, I know I already put you through a lot. But, I'm going to need you a bit more. I'm gonna summon another friend."

Darling simply nodded their head, grabbing Ruby's hand in one of theirs.

Ruby would swiftly summon Murmur the Munna. The lazy Pokemon rolled over in the air for a few seconds, before even it swiftly realized the tenseness of the situation and righted itself right away.

"Murmur, like before, I need you to be my eyes. Explore, carefully. Don't get too close to anything, but float around, show me what you can see, that I can't."

[tangent="I can do thaaat-"]"Muuuuu-"[/tangent]

With that in mind, the Munna already floating off slowly, but carefully back the way they came, and inevitably moving to float down following the light, through the rocky halls. Their eyes were wide, used to being a scout for Ruby. They floated around during the Thunderfall Raid to watch the whole situation go down, like some frontline war reporter. But this was certainly different.

It felt almost like there was more riding on things this time. Murmur stifled their yawns, forcing themselves to focus as they'd follow the light directly, sticking close to the ceilings of the cave to avoid detection.

Ruby, meanwhile, would glance back up at Kyukon . "I'm uh- gonna do a neat trick, don't worry. I'll still be able to hear and see you you, through Darling too. Just, get her attention, okay?"

For a brief moment, Ruby worried that with her Dreamer abilities to see through their eyes and hear through the ears of her Pokemon, that she'd somehow expose herself even more psychically to the Hearteater, with Darling still certainly connected. She squashed that fear down right away, letting out a very shaky, nervous breath before suddenly-

Falling asleep.

Her eyes fluttered shut right where she stood, all as Darling seemingly began to walk back. While still holding Ruby's hand, the trainer would float up off the ground, as if weightless, being dragged around like a balloon. Her other free hand would swiftly move to scoop up the Litten, cradling them gently as she walked.

[tangent="Don't worry,"] "Dee."[/tangent] Indeedee would begin, smiling up at the fellow trainer. [tangent="We do this all the time, although never like this. Maybe, a bit of rest however brief, would help her nerves... I hope."] "Indeedee. Dee...dee."[/tangent]

Active Pokemon: Darling the Indeedee, Murmur the Munna
HP Totals: Indeedee: 240/300. Fennekin: 240/300
Rolls: LINK
Actions: Sneak 54, Scout 21

HEARTEATER PT.1

6. TAKE HEART

▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Progression Bar: 78%

[tangent=-2 (Sarah, Braixen) -3 (Josh, Zebstrika, Charizard, Ponyta) -2 (Kyukon, Monferno) -4 (Ruby, Indeedee F, Munna, Litten) -25 from Begin Combat with Ponyta -5 from Give Something to the Hand -30 from Risk It (Unlocked: Crown Jewels)]23[/tangent] Resources Remaining

Litten: 690/700 HP

Ixion stands, a colorless specter of its former self. Another heartbeat and it will turn away again, sightless eyes questing for its fellows rather than its former friends.

⟟ ⊑⏃⎐⟒ ⟒⊬⟒⌇ ⟒⎐⟒⍀⊬⍙⊑— an eerie message comes from Josh's Nagandel before it is cut off and returned into its ball. The strange moment is dutifully recorded in your 'past dialogue' log.

Josh Devlin and Sarah Lee have surprise on their side. With each attack, a color is restored to the Ponyta's bright mane: with Fire Spin comes orange, with Thunder Wave comes gold. And with the final Scratch attack, its ghostly hide becomes a warm cream color once again. Though its knees buckle under the onslaught, Ixion's dark eyes show clear recognition.

There is a ping! as the greyed-out 'X-Zone' icon is suddenly restored in Josh's storage box, and the Fire Stone he had been holding begins to glow with brilliant light. The reclaimed Ponyta begins to evolve: of course, Josh may still press <B> to stop it.

Red mist boils off the horse's body and escapes deeper into Hibernaculum, returning to its sinister source.

[tangent=*This Pokemon will act like a bonus pokemon in addition to Josh's standard team.
If recalled early, it will not be able to return to the dungeon!]IXION has joined your party![/tangent]

Crown Jewels retrieved, Ruby sleeps peacefully. She lets her consciousness spiral out, following the mental signature of her Pokemon, seeing through its eyes.

Munna makes its way down the passage, reaching the scene with the restored Ponyta. Sarah Lee in particular may notice the little pink Pokemon bob past, floating deeper into Hibernaculum, and may recognize it from its key role in the Thunderfall Raid. But the Munna continues (or leads) on, finding the tunnel slopes down, following the hourglass curve.

Multiple chambers branch off from the main tunnel, each filled with various things. Some are stocked with unmoving, colorless Pokemon. Others are stocked with plants, fresh water, and small balls of light. A creeping dread assaults Munna as it finds one mist-filled chamber pulses with Corruption: twisted shadows and many-eyeballed monstrosities slither listlessly around the room, searching for a way out.

Back with Ruby's body, Darling's eyes cloud and the Indeedee suddenly speaks again, toneless.

⟟ ⏁⊑⟟⍀⌇⏁. ⏚⍀⟟⋏☌ ⋔⟒ ⋔⊬ ⎎⟒⏃⌇⏁...

Munna has to take cover as Invasive Species suddenly flood the room. They snatch up the corrupted items and Pokemon as if they were nothing, picking the pile clean. Horrors beyond comprehension struggle helplessly in the grip of Nihilego and Buzzswole as they are carried away, emptying the room and leaving something behind.

A glowing crucifix is embedded in the stone like a sword, hilt-up.

Munna cannot retrieve an item meant for a player. It certainly cannot wield a weapon. But perhaps someone else could?

Retrieve Crucifix? [-5 Resources]

Kyukon, alert to potential danger after his solo dive, hears it coming first. A high-frequency whistle, a flutter. A flurry of white shapes like butterflies, coming from above. Something is changing in him. Was it this bright in here before?

A Kartana Swarm pelts from above, summoned from the surface at Hearteater's bidding. They tear through the pile of loot like paper planes. Cloaks, cuffs and seals are ripped away by a tornado of whirling shapes before the swarm buffets the entire tunnel, pushing the group back out of the Nexus entrance and deeper into Hibernaculum.

Strangely, they avoid Ruby and her Indeedee. Perhaps the 'unconscious' player fails to show up on their radar, or they recognize their master's touch on Darling's mind.

KARTANA SWARM

HP: 1895/2000


Targeting:
Kyukon Litten

Type:


Weak to:


[tangent=You may collectively choose to Run Away from this encounter for the same result as a loss. All active Pokemon (1 minimum) will take 300 DMG as the enemy attacks, and the team will lose a collective -50 Resources (indicating bad luck and time spent running). ]Loss/Run Condition:[/tangent]
-300 HP per active Pokemon
-50 Resources

Team Bonus:
+10 (Kyukon's Scout)

Litten jumps down. Its paws ring like bells where they strike the stone, a thwongg! that reverberates clearly through the tunnel. Something is different about it: its legs seem redder than before, a bright vermilion that shines like metal in the sun.

"⏁⊑⟒ ⏁⟟⋔⟒ ⊑⏃⌇ ☊⍜⋔⟒!"

It braces itself, energy collecting in a bright ball in front of its mouth, and its fur ripples with heat and light as a charged SOLAR BEAM is unleashed at full power. It sears down the hallway, blasting Kartana away like paper dolls.

Kyukon feels a searing pain. His skin burns, his eyes pulse at the light. The sunlight at the Nexus Entrance was uncomfortable: this is now unbearable. One of his hands is dissolving into crimson mist, evaporating like fog in the midday heat.

A heartbeat passes. One, two. Ka-thump. Ka-thump. Ka...

The third heartbeat never lands. It endures: undying, unliving. Unbeating.

SPOILER: Click to show

{FOR KYUKON}

NEW! HEARTSPAWN
For giving part of their own heart away, the character has been afflicted by a curse. They will find themselves overly sensitive to sunlight, drawn to sources of blood and vitality, and possessed of a strange, misty red hand. This curse may only be lifted by landing a killing blow on WORLD EVENT BOSS: HEARTEATER.

• SOUL DRAIN: Kyukon's Tall Grass HP has been permanently reduced by 100.
• TRANSFORMATION: One of Kyukon's hands is now formed of red mist. The mist can be controlled at will and re-formed within line of sight.
• LIGHT SENSITIVITY: Any SUN or SOLAR moves in the same zone as Kyukon automatically inflict 1/2 damage on him as well.
• BLOOD SPOOR: If a player loses health in the same zone as him, Kyukon will heal 1/2 the amount.

Sarah Lee, the Commander | Josh Devlin, the Specialist | Kyukon, the Inheritor | Ruby, the Observer