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Old 01-28-2023, 01:01 PM   #176
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Missingno. Master - If it were anyone else accompanying her, Maribel’s theory would’ve likely been dismissed without a second thought. A girl from the Other Side already sounds far-fetched enough, let alone her presence re-writing the rules of this world. Yes, surely it would be preposterous to anyone except Xien, whose thoughtful and brilliant expression is unclouded by any speck of doubt.

“Ah, I see! I hadn’t realized that Moves work differently on the Other Side... fascinating...” he muses, clearly taking great joy in trying to puzzle out what exactly is going on, “now that I think about it... when DENNIS and I first started our adventure, they seemed to be under a similar impression. I suppose it must have been a surprise to them when we used Sludge Bomb on an enemy that reflects Physical attacks,” the king notes, chuckling.

“Anyways, I am ready to move forward. We still have some ground to cover before we reach our destination, but if we can handle Steelix, then we can handle anything else that’s thrown our way!”

And with that, they descend the dusty stairs, and make it another floor deeper into the shrine. The atmosphere is starting to become even heavier as the corridors narrow, and the patrols of dangerous Pokemon grow faster and larger in number. Even so, they are mere random encounters, all the more easily swept aside now that Xien has learned how to exploit Maribel’s rule-breaking presence with Moves like Flame Wheel or Thunder Punch.

Before long, the two of them find a rest area waiting for them at the foot of the next staircase. A lantern softly glows amidst the stony gloom, illuminating the face of a half-buried statue in the middle of the chamber. Like an oasis amidst the desert, the sight comes as a great relief to Xien, who allows Ampharos to return to its ball for a bit and rest.

As he sits down, he pulls out a notebook to begin recording the day’s progress, “this will only take a few moments... bit of a habit I picked up whenever I reach a place like this,” he says, filling in the page with his rather crude, self-taught penstrokes. Whether or not saving the game works with Maribel around... well, who knows?

“And—there!” he concludes, snapping the tome shut. Rather than get up and move on straight away, though, it seems the King has a couple things on his mind he’d like to speak about.

“I’ve been wondering—what is it that allows you to visit this world, Maribel? I’ve been puzzling it over for some time, but I imagine that crossing over from the Other Side is no trivial feat. Especially since it seems that the rules have to bend in order to allow you here. If I were to visit your world from mine... would I have the same effect?”

Xien leans forward in his seat, curious to know Maribel’s thoughts on the matter. Indeed, it seems like his appetite for understanding knows no limits. What will she do?
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Old 01-30-2023, 02:18 AM   #177
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Missingno. Master - If it were anyone else accompanying her, Maribel’s theory would’ve likely been dismissed without a second thought. A girl from the Other Side already sounds far-fetched enough, let alone her presence re-writing the rules of this world. Yes, surely it would be preposterous to anyone except Xien, whose thoughtful and brilliant expression is unclouded by any speck of doubt.

“Ah, I see! I hadn’t realized that Moves work differently on the Other Side... fascinating...” he muses, clearly taking great joy in trying to puzzle out what exactly is going on, “now that I think about it... when DENNIS and I first started our adventure, they seemed to be under a similar impression. I suppose it must have been a surprise to them when we used Sludge Bomb on an enemy that reflects Physical attacks,” the king notes, chuckling.

“Anyways, I am ready to move forward. We still have some ground to cover before we reach our destination, but if we can handle Steelix, then we can handle anything else that’s thrown our way!”

And with that, they descend the dusty stairs, and make it another floor deeper into the shrine. The atmosphere is starting to become even heavier as the corridors narrow, and the patrols of dangerous Pokemon grow faster and larger in number. Even so, they are mere random encounters, all the more easily swept aside now that Xien has learned how to exploit Maribel’s rule-breaking presence with Moves like Flame Wheel or Thunder Punch.

Before long, the two of them find a rest area waiting for them at the foot of the next staircase. A lantern softly glows amidst the stony gloom, illuminating the face of a half-buried statue in the middle of the chamber. Like an oasis amidst the desert, the sight comes as a great relief to Xien, who allows Ampharos to return to its ball for a bit and rest.

As he sits down, he pulls out a notebook to begin recording the day’s progress, “this will only take a few moments... bit of a habit I picked up whenever I reach a place like this,” he says, filling in the page with his rather crude, self-taught penstrokes. Whether or not saving the game works with Maribel around... well, who knows?

“And—there!” he concludes, snapping the tome shut. Rather than get up and move on straight away, though, it seems the King has a couple things on his mind he’d like to speak about.

“I’ve been wondering—what is it that allows you to visit this world, Maribel? I’ve been puzzling it over for some time, but I imagine that crossing over from the Other Side is no trivial feat. Especially since it seems that the rules have to bend in order to allow you here. If I were to visit your world from mine... would I have the same effect?”

Xien leans forward in his seat, curious to know Maribel’s thoughts on the matter. Indeed, it seems like his appetite for understanding knows no limits. What will she do?
Even as she voiced it herself, Maribel already thought her theory sounded a bit preposterous. And yet, what about this whole thing wasn't preposterous? She. Was. In. A. Game! Moreover, Xien didn't seem to think it preposterous in the slightest, seeming to take great delight in figuring this whole thing out. He even stated that DENNIS seemed to be under a similar impression when they had begun their adventure, noting an incident in which they went for Sludge Bomb on an enemy that reflects physical attacks. It was insane for Maribel to think of any scenario in which Sludge Bomb would be considered a physical move, and yet, that seemed to be the case normally here.

In any case, Xien was ready to proceed onward, and as Maribel was ready as well, onward they went. Down the stairs, through corridors more narrow than what they had been previously traversing, through a heavier atmosphere than before, and fighting their way past numerous dangerous Pokémon. Mere random encounters, however- compared to that absolute boss fight of a Steelix, these were nothing, especially since now Xien seemed to be catching onto the idea of moves being considered physical or special on a case by case basis instead of going solely off their type, making use of such techniques as Flame Wheel and Thunder Punch that would usually be useless in here, but seemingly thanks to Maribel, were not. Maribel smiled at the Poison-types that accompanied her, staying out of their balls all the while- Arbok and Weezing were more than happy to contribute their fair share in these battles.

They came to a rest area just before the next staircase before too long. There was the soft glow of a lantern illuminating the chamber as Xien sat down and withdrew his Ampharos. Maribel sat down as well, but did not call back her own Pokémon; Arbok coiled up on the ground to her left, and Weezing simply came to rest on the ground to her right. Maribel supposed that if she had reached this while playing this game, the first thing she'd do was save the game. These sorts of areas tended to precede the areas where shit got real, after all. Not that she'd put it in such terms herself- Maribel knew decidedly more swearwords than her mother felt was prudent, but she knew there was a time and a place for them. In any case, her thoughts on this place were promptly validated as Xien took out a notebook and began writing in it, recording the day's progress. Saving the game, she realized, having seen many a cute little game-saving animation where the act was framed in a similar fashion as this.

Would that work, though, with her around? Maribel still wasn't completely certain. There was a lot she didn't know for sure about this world. Hell, she'd basically only just worked out that the physical/special split in this world was different than what was considered usual for her own world, and that her presence seemed to let her world's rules kinda leak into things a bit. Would that affect this? How would that affect this? If she were to take out a notebook and write in it similarly herself, would she save over Xien's save file? And how would save scumming even work, if at all? Was that even an option, effectively turning back time?

Maribel's pondering was cut short by Xien's own pondering, only his was voiced out loud, the king wondering aloud what allowed Maribel to visit this world, supposing that rules must have to be bent to make this happen. He asked if there would be a similar effect were he to visit her world from his own. They were good questions, for sure, but would she have answers for him? Answering how she was able to reach his world was doable at least, but she didn't really think it was the best idea to tell him that his world was, in her world, naught but a game. She supposed that could very well lead to an existential crisis of some sort. Not the best thing in general, but least of all when needing to stay focused while traversing a multiple-floor dungeon crawling with wild Pokémon.

"...One of the rarer and more powerful Pokémon in my world has the power to open portals to other worlds," Maribel began to explain. "There is a library in my world where people can come in, select a book or something else depicting a period in time, or a different world, and the Pokémon would send them through a portal to that world until whatever business they have there is complete. It's a relatively recent thing," she added. "So there's a lot that isn't completely known about just yet, meaning I'm afraid I don't have an answer as to whether you would have the same effect in my world. I would think it's possible," she said thoughtfully. "But I couldn't tell you for certain either way. There's much I'm learning as I go myself. What I can say, though, is that you're right that it's no trivial feat," she added. "The Pokémon that makes this possible is either one of a kind, or so rare that people think it's one of a kind, and certainly nothing else that I know of has that kind of power."

"As for what business I have here," Maribel continued, suspecting that that might have been Xien's first choice for a follow-up question, "I was recommended to come to this world because I sought a challenge in regards to working with my Pokémon, particularly in terms of battling. Already I've had enjoyable battles alongside Arbok and Weezing here, but I get the feeling that what I'm really here to accomplish is helping you get to the bottom of the mystery of this 252nd Pokémon," she stated. "I'm sorry if I don't have quite as many answers as you're hoping," she added. "Like I said, there's a lot I'm learning about all this myself."
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Old 02-13-2023, 04:35 PM   #178
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Missingno Master - "I see... so the Pokemon inside this library allows you to visit distant times, as well as worlds not of your own?" Xien asks, his eyebrows raised as he puzzles over this information. There is a hint of disappointment on his face, but his words are nothing but understanding, "thank you for answering. Even if you don't have all the answers, even that much is well worth asking."

At the very least, he doesn't seem concerned about the existential implications of this. Perhaps it's due to the fantastical nature of this world—or, maybe he's too distracted by the alluring legend of Hyun-pa to realize his world is fiction in hers. Either way, he continues carrying on like his usual self.

Rising to his feet with a metallic clank, he smiles at Maribel gently, "I think I would very much like to meet this special Pokemon, but I do agree that we have other things to take care of. If you're all set, let us go onward, to the last leg of our journey."

They've had their rest after the boss, and with the depths of the temple awaiting their arrival, Xien wants to delay no further. Descending the stairs with Ampharos to light the way, the two of them crawl through the remaining dungeon floors. The enemies are getting tougher, but they're nowhere near a match for this party of two!

A sense of finality hits Maribel as they reach the next floor. Violet lamps alight with eerie flames coat the walls in indigo hues, while ominous stone faces watch them from atop the walls. Perhaps it's just her imagination, but she can faintly hear chanting coming from further down the hall...

Xien seems unnerved by it all, but that makes sense considering he's braved this trial before. No, if anything he's tremendously excited, practically blazing through the temple as he bids the Trainer to follow. Whatever spot they're to investigate, it seems they'll be skipping past the grand dias where the legendary sword Durandal once slept.

The king leads her through a narrow, winding corridor. The longer it goes on, the more conspicuous this excessively-long hallway seems. As though the laws of game design dictate that there's bound to be a reward for going completely out of your way... right?

"And here we are," Xien says after a long, silent trek. The mysterious passage leads into a small chamber, where a small shrine sits in solitude. Delicately embroidered red-gold cloth decorates both the tablet upon which an offering bowl sits, as well as covering a large portion of the wall behind it. Long abandoned, but in Xien's mind never forgotten—not until it's rumored secret is known to him.

"I have tried everything. I've offered up every item and treasure I could think of. I've brought every Pokemon in my possession to this place, in many odd combinations—yet still, nothing," he states, running his fingers along the polished stone arch framing the shrine. The man's expression is filled with confoundment, but his eyes suggest a renewed sense of hope in figuring out this puzzle.

Turning to Maribel, he nods, "after working with you, I believe that perhaps the secret lies in something that only you can do. So, please, try what feels right."

The king takes a step back, and smiles at her encouragingly. Now, what will she do?
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Old 02-14-2023, 10:44 PM   #179
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Missingno Master - "I see... so the Pokemon inside this library allows you to visit distant times, as well as worlds not of your own?" Xien asks, his eyebrows raised as he puzzles over this information. There is a hint of disappointment on his face, but his words are nothing but understanding, "thank you for answering. Even if you don't have all the answers, even that much is well worth asking."

At the very least, he doesn't seem concerned about the existential implications of this. Perhaps it's due to the fantastical nature of this world—or, maybe he's too distracted by the alluring legend of Hyun-pa to realize his world is fiction in hers. Either way, he continues carrying on like his usual self.

Rising to his feet with a metallic clank, he smiles at Maribel gently, "I think I would very much like to meet this special Pokemon, but I do agree that we have other things to take care of. If you're all set, let us go onward, to the last leg of our journey."

They've had their rest after the boss, and with the depths of the temple awaiting their arrival, Xien wants to delay no further. Descending the stairs with Ampharos to light the way, the two of them crawl through the remaining dungeon floors. The enemies are getting tougher, but they're nowhere near a match for this party of two!

A sense of finality hits Maribel as they reach the next floor. Violet lamps alight with eerie flames coat the walls in indigo hues, while ominous stone faces watch them from atop the walls. Perhaps it's just her imagination, but she can faintly hear chanting coming from further down the hall...

Xien seems unnerved by it all, but that makes sense considering he's braved this trial before. No, if anything he's tremendously excited, practically blazing through the temple as he bids the Trainer to follow. Whatever spot they're to investigate, it seems they'll be skipping past the grand dias where the legendary sword Durandal once slept.

The king leads her through a narrow, winding corridor. The longer it goes on, the more conspicuous this excessively-long hallway seems. As though the laws of game design dictate that there's bound to be a reward for going completely out of your way... right?

"And here we are," Xien says after a long, silent trek. The mysterious passage leads into a small chamber, where a small shrine sits in solitude. Delicately embroidered red-gold cloth decorates both the tablet upon which an offering bowl sits, as well as covering a large portion of the wall behind it. Long abandoned, but in Xien's mind never forgotten—not until it's rumored secret is known to him.

"I have tried everything. I've offered up every item and treasure I could think of. I've brought every Pokemon in my possession to this place, in many odd combinations—yet still, nothing," he states, running his fingers along the polished stone arch framing the shrine. The man's expression is filled with confoundment, but his eyes suggest a renewed sense of hope in figuring out this puzzle.

Turning to Maribel, he nods, "after working with you, I believe that perhaps the secret lies in something that only you can do. So, please, try what feels right."

The king takes a step back, and smiles at her encouragingly. Now, what will she do?
Maribel nodded as Xien thanked her for her answers. She could see his disappointment at not getting as much of an answer as he'd clearly been hoping for, and she was sorry she couldn't provide such an answer herself. But in any case, the question was asked and answered, and it was now time for them to move on. Maribel, Arbok, and Weezing all got back up and resumed following Xien. The High King led them down the stairs with great and obvious enthusiasm, with Ampharos lighting their way. More enemies presented themselves, tougher and tougher, but they were still ultimately no match for them.

The next floor down, Maribel felt a definite sense of finality. Lamps alight with strange purple fire illuminated the walls in a similar sort of color, almost as though they were surrounded by Chandelure. The walls themselves were topped with ominous stone faces. And was that chanting she could hear, oh-so faintly? Ehh, probably part of the soundtrack, she reminded herself. Even so, it definitely helped to set the ominous atmosphere for some big impending boss fight. But Xien wasn't bothered- still excited at the prospect of getting to the bottom of this mystery once and for all, he led the way, eventually coming to a narrow, winding corridor. As it went on, it became increasingly obvious- this was meant to be something. This was, after all, a game- there had to be a reward of some manner for going out of one's way to investigate this... right?

Finally, they reached the place. Xien had taken them to a small chamber, containing nothing more than a small shrine, decorated with delicately embroidered red and gold cloth. Atop it all sat an offering bowl. Xien explained he'd tried everything he could. Every item and treasure he could think of. Every Pokémon he possessed in so many odd combinations. None of it bore any fruit. He was forced to conclude, after working with Maribel, that the secret must surely lie in something only Maribel could do. With that, he stepped back, smiled encouragingly, and left her to it.

Maribel returned the encouraging smile with her own appreciative smile, plus a nod, before turning her attention to the shrine. Her eyes took it all in, hoping against hope a clue of some sort would reveal itself to her, because at the moment, she had freaking nothing.

Something only I can do, she thought to herself. What can only I do? There's... a number of different Pokémon I have that probably don't exist in this world, it's not just Arbok and Weezing I have with me... and there's moves, too, she realized. Zippy Zap, Breaking Swipe... those moves don't normally exist in this world, at the very least. And there's probably more than those, too, though even then, only the physical or status ones would even work in he- wait a minute, she suddenly realized. Special attacks can't be used in here, but this world normally has a different understanding of whether moves are considered physical or special! Xien was so surprised my Pokémon could use Fire moves in here! She eyed the red-gold cloth once again. That was a pretty... fiery color scheme, now wasn't it? And there were the lamps earlier, she recalled, ablaze with purple fire. OK, sure, that could have been more for atmosphere, as well as general illumination, but what if it had another purpose? Some manner of foreshadowing? It came off as a bit of a long shot, but right now, a long shot was better than no shot at all.

"...Hmm," Maribel murmured. "I feel like fire might be the answer," she said at last. "I can't say for sure, but the color of this cloth makes me think it could have to do with it. And Xien, you normally wouldn't be able to have Pokémon use Fire moves in here, yes? But now that I'm here, the rules of my world seem to apply." She turned to her Pokémon. "Arbok, come over here," she said.

Arbok slithered forward, while Weezing hung behind, both heads still looking bewildered by all this. "Chaaaboka?" Arbok hissed questioningly.

Maribel smiled. "We're gonna try something," she stated. She dug a strand of Mummy Bandages out of her bag and held it over the offering bowl, gesturing for Arbok to come closer. "All right, Arbok- use Fire Fang," she instructed.

"Chaaa!" Arbok hissed. He opened his mouth, his teeth igniting at once, and he gently set the Mummy Bandages ablaze. With this done, Maribel carefully yet quickly set the burning bandages into the offering bowl, before the fire could spread and burn her fingers. And now... they wait.


*As a result of reaching 20 Bond, Arbok learned Guardian Terrain!*

*As a result of reaching 20 Bond, Arbok learned Sizzly Slide!*
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Last edited by Missingno. Master; 02-14-2023 at 10:49 PM. Reason: Minor grammatical fix.
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Old 02-18-2023, 04:25 PM   #180
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Missingno Master - Sometimes, a puzzle is as simple as taking everything you’ve learned on a journey, and applying it. That seems to be Maribel’s thought process in trying to crack the code of this mysterious shrine. Whether or not her theory will work... well, only one way to find out.

“Ah, I see!” Xien says, visibly lighting up as she brings up the possibility. The gears in his head are turning, and he begins pacing around the room in anticipation, “yes... yes, that makes sense. There are certainly times when I’ve needed to use Moves of a particular type to clear obstacles. If it wasn’t for the seal affecting this temple, I likely would’ve tried Fire at some point...”

Luckily, she has just the item for the job. Pulling out some ratty bandages, Maribel wads it up and stuff it into the offering bowl to create a makeshift brazier! Now, all that’s left to do is light it up, and see what happens. Sure, it’s a valuable item to give up, but if it can unlock the decades-dormant secret hidden in this game? Worth it, right?

Standing back as Arbok rears his head back, he strikes with lightning-fast speed, biting down on the ancient bandages to light them aflame as easily as tinder. The smell of burning linen fills the chamber as a scarlet glow melds with the ominous, indigo lighting. Slowly growing larger, slowly spreading to encompass the entire bowl—and its reflection in Xien’s eyes represents perfectly his burning drive to see this mission through.

The two watch the flames dance for what feels like an eternity, but at last, something happens! As the embers rise, they catch on the tapestry, and burning holes begin to creep across the fabric. The more it goes on, the faster it begins to burn up, filling the room with choking black smoke. Maribel can see glimpses of something emerging from behind it, but only once the smoke clears does she realize what it is.

A doorway! Hidden behind the shrine is a stone arch, learning into a secret room!

Xien becomes overwhelmed with joy, and his voice starts quivering with excitement as he shouts out, “you’ve done it! I—I can’t believe you’ve done it! Come, let us investigate at once!”

Abandoning any caution, Xien ducks into the opening and heads inside, practically pulling Maribel along with him. The moment she steps through the archway, she feels the stagnant, oppressive atmosphere of the temple vanish. It seems they’re no longer considered to be inside the sealed area, but, then, where are they?

Taking a look around, it almost seems like they’ve been transported back into the castle. Tightly-packed cobblestones lit by gold chandeliers illuminate a small, but very tightly-packed room, filled to the brim with chests and objects. All of it arranged completely haphazardly, with no regard to aesthetics, or even really just navigating the room, as the both of them have to squeeze and shuffle past statues, freestanding doors, and other non-euclidian oddities.

“Hm? What’s this?” Xien mutters, opening one of the chests to see a stockpile of swords—more specifically, one of every sword in existence. His eyes widen has he reaches in and pulls out a golden sword with an impractically large, wing-like guard, and an ovular gem in the center of the hilt, “this is... a second Durandal? It feels just like the real thing...” he says as he swings it around, before comparing it to the blade already on his hip.

Putting it down on a nearby table, he turns and searches the room further, finding all sorts of other oddities. Chests filled with an entire index of in-game items, even a collection of Pokeball varieties in a jewel case. It feels almost like the storehouse of a museum in here—and judging by the doorway to their left, there’s more to this place to explore, too.

And, perhaps by spending a bit of time rummaging through it all, they could collect some interesting goodies, but with how limited their pocket space is, it might be best to focus on specific types of item. So, what will it be: Equipment, Pokeballs, [B[Consumables[/B], or TM’s?

“I never imagined something like this could exist here... though I’m not sure I understand its purpose. It is a treasure hoard of sorts, you think?” Xien asks, turning to Maribel with his gaze desperate for more answers.

What will she do?
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Old 02-19-2023, 04:01 PM   #181
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Missingno Master - Sometimes, a puzzle is as simple as taking everything you’ve learned on a journey, and applying it. That seems to be Maribel’s thought process in trying to crack the code of this mysterious shrine. Whether or not her theory will work... well, only one way to find out.

“Ah, I see!” Xien says, visibly lighting up as she brings up the possibility. The gears in his head are turning, and he begins pacing around the room in anticipation, “yes... yes, that makes sense. There are certainly times when I’ve needed to use Moves of a particular type to clear obstacles. If it wasn’t for the seal affecting this temple, I likely would’ve tried Fire at some point...”

Luckily, she has just the item for the job. Pulling out some ratty bandages, Maribel wads it up and stuff it into the offering bowl to create a makeshift brazier! Now, all that’s left to do is light it up, and see what happens. Sure, it’s a valuable item to give up, but if it can unlock the decades-dormant secret hidden in this game? Worth it, right?

Standing back as Arbok rears his head back, he strikes with lightning-fast speed, biting down on the ancient bandages to light them aflame as easily as tinder. The smell of burning linen fills the chamber as a scarlet glow melds with the ominous, indigo lighting. Slowly growing larger, slowly spreading to encompass the entire bowl—and its reflection in Xien’s eyes represents perfectly his burning drive to see this mission through.

The two watch the flames dance for what feels like an eternity, but at last, something happens! As the embers rise, they catch on the tapestry, and burning holes begin to creep across the fabric. The more it goes on, the faster it begins to burn up, filling the room with choking black smoke. Maribel can see glimpses of something emerging from behind it, but only once the smoke clears does she realize what it is.

A doorway! Hidden behind the shrine is a stone arch, learning into a secret room!

Xien becomes overwhelmed with joy, and his voice starts quivering with excitement as he shouts out, “you’ve done it! I—I can’t believe you’ve done it! Come, let us investigate at once!”

Abandoning any caution, Xien ducks into the opening and heads inside, practically pulling Maribel along with him. The moment she steps through the archway, she feels the stagnant, oppressive atmosphere of the temple vanish. It seems they’re no longer considered to be inside the sealed area, but, then, where are they?

Taking a look around, it almost seems like they’ve been transported back into the castle. Tightly-packed cobblestones lit by gold chandeliers illuminate a small, but very tightly-packed room, filled to the brim with chests and objects. All of it arranged completely haphazardly, with no regard to aesthetics, or even really just navigating the room, as the both of them have to squeeze and shuffle past statues, freestanding doors, and other non-euclidian oddities.

“Hm? What’s this?” Xien mutters, opening one of the chests to see a stockpile of swords—more specifically, one of every sword in existence. His eyes widen has he reaches in and pulls out a golden sword with an impractically large, wing-like guard, and an ovular gem in the center of the hilt, “this is... a second Durandal? It feels just like the real thing...” he says as he swings it around, before comparing it to the blade already on his hip.

Putting it down on a nearby table, he turns and searches the room further, finding all sorts of other oddities. Chests filled with an entire index of in-game items, even a collection of Pokeball varieties in a jewel case. It feels almost like the storehouse of a museum in here—and judging by the doorway to their left, there’s more to this place to explore, too.

And, perhaps by spending a bit of time rummaging through it all, they could collect some interesting goodies, but with how limited their pocket space is, it might be best to focus on specific types of item. So, what will it be: Equipment, Pokeballs, [B[Consumables[/B], or TM’s?

“I never imagined something like this could exist here... though I’m not sure I understand its purpose. It is a treasure hoard of sorts, you think?” Xien asks, turning to Maribel with his gaze desperate for more answers.

What will she do?
Xien seemed to think Maribel's idea had merit, stating that he himself might very well have tried a Fire move of some sort in here were it possible for him to do so. Though even with this vote of confidence, Maribel was not entirely convinced that she was on the right track. Either way, they would all soon find out.

Once Arbok had ignited the Mummy Bandages, everybody stood well back. For a few disappointing moments, the flames seemed to do absolutely nothing. But then, the tapestry behind the shrine caught fire, several embers from the blaze flying onto it. Maribel watched warily as the fire spread- with her grandfather working as a firefighter in Lavaridge Town, this was going against so much about what she was taught about fire safety. And soon, thick black smoke began to fill the room. At this, Weezing floated forward, hovering before Maribel and Xien, intent on inhaling any toxic fumes that might dare to waft too close. Maribel smiled at this- Koffing and Weezing feasted on putrid, noxious fumes; the smellier the better. Maribel even recalled a story from her dad about a time her Weezing's father, a hyperactive Weezing by the name of Pepperspray, once did a similar thing to clear out billowing smoke.

But soon, the smoke cleared out, revealing in full what Maribel had caught tiny glimpses of; a stone arch, hidden behind the tapestry, leading into a secret room of some sort! Xien was overjoyed at this discovery, and led the way inside, abandoning all caution as they proceeded. And instantly, Maribel felt the stagnant, oppressive atmosphere vanish. She realized at once- they were no longer within the sealed area.

"Chaaaaboka?" Arbok murmured, having felt the same sensation.

"Weezing weez," Weezing murmured in response, both heads sounding mildly surprised.

"It feels like we're not considered to be within the boundaries of that seal anymore," Maribel stated. "I don't know if fighting is going to be necessary at any point in here, but if it is, I'm willing to bet special attacks will work once again."

They looked around their new surroundings- it looked like part of the castle from way back, but not a room Maribel would ever have expected to see within a video game. It was small, but crammed full of chests and objects. There was no thought of aesthetics put into the arrantement of them, and the room was pretty clearly not intended to be navigated easily (if at all). Xien even opened one of the chests to see a stockpile of swords that seemed to consist of one of every kind to exist, up to and including a second Durandal, a wildly impractical-looking blade that seemed identical to the seemingly unique blade he had secured to his hip.

As Xien and Maribel explored this room, discovered the wealth of items it contained, Maribel thought to herself about what the heck they had stumbled across. She'd had her suspicions from the start, but seeing Xien find a second Durandal seemed to narrow it down to a few possibilities. One, they had stumbled upon hidden debug features. She'd heard of this sort of thing, of some games possessing hidden features to grant easy access to items and whatnot for the purposes of playtesting. But for access to it to be in such a remote location... surely that ran contrary to the idea of making them easily accessible to playtesters? Which led Maribel to another possibility- perhaps this was a physical representation of the game's programming code. It wasn't just items, there were doors as well, standing on their own. Statues. All sorts of things. Was this just a collection of the game's assets from which the game would take what it needed at any given point? Maribel didn't know. It felt as though the stakes were all the higher, the danger all the more present, as they were departing the realm of what was intended to be possible by the game's programmers. But at the same time... it was damn exciting, she couldn't deny it. So, rather than worry and overthink things, Maribel decided to roll with it for now, and see what she could take in the way of cool TMs. More new moves were always welcome as far as she was concerned!

Though now came the issue of what to say to Xien. Naturally he had questions about an area like this. And, well, it wasn't like Maribel didn't have possibilities in mind, but she still wasn't so sure about revealing to Xien the true nature of how his universe was perceived by Maribel's universe. Perhaps at some point she would have to open up that can of Wurmple, but right now she wasn't sure how she might approach such a subject.

"...It could be a treasure horde of some sort," Maribel nodded thoughtfully. She still wasn't sure about her debug feature theory, but then, perhaps this was simply the least effectively dummied-out point of access for it? Maybe the programmers figured locking it behind a Fire-type seal in a location where special attacks were unusable would be sufficient? Which, Maribel reasoned, under normal circumstances, it actually would suffice. Just, her presence here most certainly did not constitute normal circumstances. "I can't say with certainty whether that's what this is, but right now I think that's the best idea we've got. In any case, I feel like we won't get anything clearer on this unless we keep exploring and seeing what else we can find," she stated. She turned her gaze to the door that seemed to lead elsewhere- whether this was a debug menu or the game's damn programming, she had a hunch that that door might be their ticket to seeing if any Pokémon beyond the 251 Xien was familiar with were programmed into this game.
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Old 02-24-2023, 05:47 PM   #182
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Missingno. Master - Going over to the TM chest, Maribel finds quite the collection to sift through. Of course, seeing as this is a fantasy game, they’re all presented in the form of scrolls. Magic spells and training manuscripts that are used to imbue Pokemon with new moves. Even so, many of them are familiar enough to the young Masters. There are the staples that every Trainer ought to know by heart, and then some of the... stranger choices that end up accumulating in her bag.

*Received TM 01: DynamicPunch!*
*Received TM 07: Zap Cannon!*
*Received TM 50: Nightmare!*

“Yes, perhaps so... Maybe whoever built this temple secreted away whatever treasure they could find, and hid it behind the seal,” Xien says. He doesn’t ask any more questions, but she can tell that his curiosity isn’t quite satisfied. That theory left a lot unanswered, and after so much time spent investigating this myth, it’s obvious he’s a bit antsy to finally find the answers he sought.

Either way, it seems like moving forward is the best option, now. Approaching the door, Xien grabs the handle, and waits for Maribel’s go-ahead to enter. The door swings open to another chamber, this one no less cramped than the last. Only, it seems like the objects in this place are much different—rather than a full stock of inventory, this place is filled with signs, statues, and, well...

“Is someone there?” Xien asks, noticing a figure standing in the corner. It looks to be a man in plain garb, standing completely upright and statuesque. Completely unblinking, unmoving. Neither of them are sure that he’s even aware of their presence, and Maribel in particular can start to feel a sinking feeling in her gut.

The king approaches the strange man, bowing courteously, “greetings. We’re sorry to intrude, but we were investigating this place. Could you help us find our way around?” he asks, completely sincere. Perhaps not even realizing the oddity of the situation at first.

The man stays silent for a moment, just long enough for Xien to start to grow worried. The king waves his golden hand in front of the figure’s eyes, until suddenly he starts speaking in a scratchy, monotone voice. His mouth flapping like a wooden puppet with a worn-out voice box:

“This message should not appear. If you are reading this message, please call the number at 1-800-XXX-YYYY to report a bug.”

Xien takes a step back, his face twisted in shock and discomfort at the motionless homunculus, “what... what are you talking about? Explain. What am I reading, what message are you talking about?”

The man speaks again, his inflections ever-so-subtly wrong:

“This message should not appear. If you are reading this message, please call the number at 1-800-XXX-YYYY to report a bug.”

The king turns to look at Maribel, his eyes dull of their normal, inquisitive shine. He looks distressed, armor rattling with his breathing, and he has his hand grasped near the hilt of his sword. Another doorway leads deeper into this strange complex, and he seems keen to step towards it.

“This room is... unnerving me. I hate to leave someone here when this could be a dangerous place, but... I don't know. Should we just move on?”

What will she do?
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Old 02-25-2023, 09:48 AM   #183
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Missingno. Master - Going over to the TM chest, Maribel finds quite the collection to sift through. Of course, seeing as this is a fantasy game, they’re all presented in the form of scrolls. Magic spells and training manuscripts that are used to imbue Pokemon with new moves. Even so, many of them are familiar enough to the young Masters. There are the staples that every Trainer ought to know by heart, and then some of the... stranger choices that end up accumulating in her bag.

*Received TM 01: DynamicPunch!*
*Received TM 07: Zap Cannon!*
*Received TM 50: Nightmare!*

“Yes, perhaps so... Maybe whoever built this temple secreted away whatever treasure they could find, and hid it behind the seal,” Xien says. He doesn’t ask any more questions, but she can tell that his curiosity isn’t quite satisfied. That theory left a lot unanswered, and after so much time spent investigating this myth, it’s obvious he’s a bit antsy to finally find the answers he sought.

Either way, it seems like moving forward is the best option, now. Approaching the door, Xien grabs the handle, and waits for Maribel’s go-ahead to enter. The door swings open to another chamber, this one no less cramped than the last. Only, it seems like the objects in this place are much different—rather than a full stock of inventory, this place is filled with signs, statues, and, well...

“Is someone there?” Xien asks, noticing a figure standing in the corner. It looks to be a man in plain garb, standing completely upright and statuesque. Completely unblinking, unmoving. Neither of them are sure that he’s even aware of their presence, and Maribel in particular can start to feel a sinking feeling in her gut.

The king approaches the strange man, bowing courteously, “greetings. We’re sorry to intrude, but we were investigating this place. Could you help us find our way around?” he asks, completely sincere. Perhaps not even realizing the oddity of the situation at first.

The man stays silent for a moment, just long enough for Xien to start to grow worried. The king waves his golden hand in front of the figure’s eyes, until suddenly he starts speaking in a scratchy, monotone voice. His mouth flapping like a wooden puppet with a worn-out voice box:

“This message should not appear. If you are reading this message, please call the number at 1-800-XXX-YYYY to report a bug.”

Xien takes a step back, his face twisted in shock and discomfort at the motionless homunculus, “what... what are you talking about? Explain. What am I reading, what message are you talking about?”

The man speaks again, his inflections ever-so-subtly wrong:

“This message should not appear. If you are reading this message, please call the number at 1-800-XXX-YYYY to report a bug.”

The king turns to look at Maribel, his eyes dull of their normal, inquisitive shine. He looks distressed, armor rattling with his breathing, and he has his hand grasped near the hilt of his sword. Another doorway leads deeper into this strange complex, and he seems keen to step towards it.

“This room is... unnerving me. I hate to leave someone here when this could be a dangerous place, but... I don't know. Should we just move on?”

What will she do?
Maribel went through the TMs. These didn't come in the form of discs that they so tended to in her universe, of course- this being a fantasy game without much of anything in the way of modern tech, they were instead presented as scrolls. Magic spells. Manuscripts for training regimens, all in the name of imparting their move of choice to a Pokémon. After looking through the massive selection, Maribel decided on the TMs Dynamic Punch, Zap Cannon, and Nightmare. A bizarre selection, to be sure, but the thing about growing up with two seriously skilled Trainers as one's parents is that one starts to think that just about any move can have its use in the right siituation.

Xien seemed satisfied with Maribel's answer. Kinda. For the time being. Which is to say, not satisfied at all. The man was still clearly itching for the answers, and thus, on they went, but what they found next raised far more questions than it did answers. For Xien, anyway.

Maribel felt a sinking feeling in her gut as she beheld the unmoving man. Arbok and Weezing weren't sure what to make of the sight either. "Chaaaboka?" Arbok murmured, tilting his head.

"Weez...ing?" murmured Weezing, her heads turning to exchange bewildered looks with each other.

And then, Xien elicited a response from the strange man, and that is given a very loose definition of the term "response". In a scratchy, unsettling monotone, with clearly ill-defined movements, the man rattled off an error message. Maribel tensed up at this; Arbok flared out his hood instinctively, while Weezing floated in front of Maribel as though to protect her, although the Poison-types soon came to realize that this guy was merely unnerving, not dangerous. And unnerving he was indeed. Naught but a dummied-out NPC with placeholder text as his dialogue. Not intended to show up in the game at all, and would surely only be possible to find in said game through cheats, or glitches of some sort. That last thought, that made Maribel think of her friend, ZZLZZ, a rare survivor of the deadly ZZAZZ phenomenon, and looking at this man made her reflect on how lucky ZZLZZ was to remain among the living to tell her tale. Not that she'd have ever known ZZLZZ had the ZZAZZ encounter proven fatal, but all the same, it was painful to think about.

Moreover, Maribel knew in that instant that whether right now or later on, Xien was gonna have to learn that his world was in a game. But how to even so much as begin to broach such a subject? She'd have to think long and hard about how to break this truth with as much tact as she could muster. But for right now, Xien was all too eager to move on and away from this room, and Maribel agreed wholeheartedly.

"I'm starting to get an idea as to what sort of place we might have found," Maribel said. "It's too soon to say for sure, but if I'm right, there's nothing to be done for that man. For right now, I will say... while it's the sort of place people from my world might very well be able to find out about through word of mouth, I don't believe anyone from either of our worlds was ever intended to be able to come here," she said, choosing her words carefully. "In my world, my best friend's brother studies the strangest secrets that world has to offer, and a lot of it goes way beyond what makes sense to most people. This place could very well hold secrets of a similar kind for your world. I think moving on is best," she stated. "If there is indeed a 252nd Pokémon to be found in your world, moving on is most likely our best chance at discovering it." She turned to her Pokémon. "Arbok, Weezing, are you guys ready to keep moving?" she asked.

"Chaaa, chabokaaa," Arbok hissed, nodding vigorously- he was also quite eager to get away from the unsettling NPC.

"Weez Weezing weez," Weezing concurred, both heads nodding their complete agreement.


*As a result of reaching 20 Bond, Weezing learned Guardian Terrain!*

*As a result of reaching 20 Bond, Weezing learned Sappy Seed!*
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Old 02-26-2023, 02:05 PM   #184
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Heather - These dusty halls haven’t seen use in quite some time, indeed. As you wander to and fro, you see volumes that look to have never left these shelves in many a year. Their titles range from bog-standard fantasy fare and absolute doorstoppers of dry, historical prose to the utterly indecipherable.

Yet, for as dusty as it is, one can’t deny that it’s well-organized. This is no ordinary book pile, but rather the guts of one of the grandest wonders of the ancient world. The attendants to Hyun-Pa’s legacy work around the clock to ensure that everything in this place is where it should be, and that any new additions find a suitable home upon their nigh-infinite shelves.

Attendants that you are now attempting to seek out. For every tempting tome you find, you can feel decision paralysis gripping you tighter. It could be that you’d genuinely wander here for an eternity without their intervention, and in realizing that you’d been lingering here a while, Aromatisse appears before you.

Telling the Fairy-type about your goal of a leak for your Farfetch’d, she takes a moment to appraise you. While a request like that would normally get you sent off into the realms of a 5-star cookbook—well, she can tell that you’re not about that. You’re dressed for a climb, to pull that sucker out of the ground with your bare hands, if you must.

Hopping atop one of the shelves, Aromatisse begins to scan through the books for something suitable for you. Really, it seems like she has something in mind already, she just... needs... to find it... ah! There!

Lifting the book over her head, she turns around and shows it to you. The hardcover volume has a rather painterly view from a mountain ridge of a lush, green valley. A lake shaped like a flower rests in the midst of the piece, above which raised lettering in chipped gold leaf reads:

“The Dragon of Verdant Grove”

Looking at the back, it seems to be a fantasy novel of some sort, filled with wondrous locales and mystical mysteries to uncover. Will you take this book?
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Old 03-05-2023, 03:32 PM   #185
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Missingno. Master - After careful deliberation, Maribel explains that this place is not one meant to be accessed—not by those from this world, nor the Other Side. Xien is confused at first, but considering how they entered this space, perhaps it makes some modicum of sense to his mind.

“I... see. So, this is truly a frontier for both of us, then,” he notes, still seeming a bit unnerved by the NPC’s broken record dialogue, “either way. Whatever has happened here—I will get to the bottom of it,” he says, turning away from the lifeless automaton.

Approaching the next door, he hesitates for a moment before pushing it open. A strange light shines through the crack in the door, revealing a chamber that appears to have been plucked from somewhere else, entirely. An ancient temple, its decaying stonework verdant with moss and creeping ivy. The air is humid, as though the whole place has dwelled underwater for centuries.

“This... looks a lot like Silver Palace, where I caught Lugia,” Xien notes, glancing around the gloamy dungeon room for the odd light he saw, “ah, over there.”

Situated along one wall is a mural filled with spiraling, zigzagging patterns, each set aglow with a brilliant white light. The look on the king’s face tells her that he’s never seen this before, not even during his aforementioned exploration of the palace this chunk of junk data seems to be based on.

“Read this bit, here,” he says, tapping a spot on the mural where some words have been engraved:

// A: QA came and told me this puzzle was too hard, and they wanted an easier version.
// B: What a load of Tauros. Gamers these days are just too lazy to use their head. I thought hard puzzles were good because it made the magazine publishers a lot of money?
// A: Right?? Whatever. I’m just gonna move the room into debug and remake the puzzle into something QA won’t throw a fit over.
// B: Bet everyone in the office a free dinner that everyone here can solve it in an hour, tops.
// A: you’re on. Here’s the hint:
// “Brave Pokemon Wielder, your grand reward lies behind this trial of acumen. The seal before you is Karma. If you wish to dispel it, then offer up seven lights of protection and destruction, until the cycle of karma is complete. Think carefully, for the gods are as wrathful as they are generous.”


Beneath the mural, Maribel sees eighteen buttons, each one glowing with a different color, and bearing a different glyph. It’s obvious to both you and Xien that these represent the different Types, and that this puzzle involves the intricacies of their matchups in some way.

“It seems likely that what we seek is behind here... but I’m still trying to figure out the rules—as well as what those strange comments mean,” he says, scratching his chin before turning to her, “any ideas?”
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Old 03-06-2023, 09:15 PM   #186
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Missingno. Master - After careful deliberation, Maribel explains that this place is not one meant to be accessed—not by those from this world, nor the Other Side. Xien is confused at first, but considering how they entered this space, perhaps it makes some modicum of sense to his mind.

“I... see. So, this is truly a frontier for both of us, then,” he notes, still seeming a bit unnerved by the NPC’s broken record dialogue, “either way. Whatever has happened here—I will get to the bottom of it,” he says, turning away from the lifeless automaton.

Approaching the next door, he hesitates for a moment before pushing it open. A strange light shines through the crack in the door, revealing a chamber that appears to have been plucked from somewhere else, entirely. An ancient temple, its decaying stonework verdant with moss and creeping ivy. The air is humid, as though the whole place has dwelled underwater for centuries.

“This... looks a lot like Silver Palace, where I caught Lugia,” Xien notes, glancing around the gloamy dungeon room for the odd light he saw, “ah, over there.”

Situated along one wall is a mural filled with spiraling, zigzagging patterns, each set aglow with a brilliant white light. The look on the king’s face tells her that he’s never seen this before, not even during his aforementioned exploration of the palace this chunk of junk data seems to be based on.

“Read this bit, here,” he says, tapping a spot on the mural where some words have been engraved:

// A: QA came and told me this puzzle was too hard, and they wanted an easier version.
// B: What a load of Tauros. Gamers these days are just too lazy to use their head. I thought hard puzzles were good because it made the magazine publishers a lot of money?
// A: Right?? Whatever. I’m just gonna move the room into debug and remake the puzzle into something QA won’t throw a fit over.
// B: Bet everyone in the office a free dinner that everyone here can solve it in an hour, tops.
// A: you’re on. Here’s the hint:
// “Brave Pokemon Wielder, your grand reward lies behind this trial of acumen. The seal before you is Karma. If you wish to dispel it, then offer up seven lights of protection and destruction, until the cycle of karma is complete. Think carefully, for the gods are as wrathful as they are generous.”


Beneath the mural, Maribel sees eighteen buttons, each one glowing with a different color, and bearing a different glyph. It’s obvious to both you and Xien that these represent the different Types, and that this puzzle involves the intricacies of their matchups in some way.

“It seems likely that what we seek is behind here... but I’m still trying to figure out the rules—as well as what those strange comments mean,” he says, scratching his chin before turning to her, “any ideas?”
The dummied-out NPC was unnerving Xien very much, but Maribel's carefully worded explanation seemed to make some semblance of sense to him. He accompanied Maribel through the door, whereupon they arrived at... an ancient temple? The atmosphere of the place was very humid- Maribel got the feeling this place was intended to be underwater, or at least to have been underwater for a long time. And Xien identifies this as looking rather similar to the Silver Palace, the place where he caught Lugia.

Lugia... the mention of the Diving Pokémon brought a memory right back into the forefront of Maribel's mind. The Dynamaxed Dragapult. The Typhon's Depths Pokémon Gym. The sudden and devastating tidal wave that washed some of the gathered Trainers away in the middle of the raid battle, including the Gym Leader himself. And once Dragapult had been pacified, any attempt at search and rescue was promptly cut short by the sudden appearance of an angry Lugia, prompting a very hasty evacuation of the now-defunct Gym. To this day, Maribel hoped that the people washed away by that wave were all right. That she herself could have easily been washed away by it... she didn't like to think about it. That hadn't been a pleasant day.

But Maribel did not dwell on it, for indeed, before her was something else entirely to dwell upon. There was a mural on one of the temple's walls, with spiraling, zigzagging patterns, aglow with white light. But Xien was focusing on a part of the mural engraved with words, which he asked Maribel to read. And she did so, realizing in the process that this was effectively a chat log left behind by the game's programmers. She was right- this was the game's debugging features. This temple, an early version of the Silver Palace, with a puzzle deemed too difficult for players. And as Maribel had dreaded, Xien was dwelling on what these comments could mean.

"I think I know the general idea behind these comments, at least," Maribel said. "Whoever or whatever it was who created these trials, these seals, communicating with one another. This seems to be what the trial of the Silver Palace was intended to be at first, but a higher power deemed it too difficult for whatever reason." Moreover, as Maribel looked again at the words, she found herself inclined to agree with Xien- it seemed likely that that which they sought could be beyond this puzzle. The puzzle was simply thrown into debug, with programmers betting one another that they could solve it... maybe that was where this mysterious 252nd Pokémon came into play in the first place. The programmer responsible for this puzzle could have added it in and put it behind this puzzle for their colleagues to discover, intended as nothing more than an inside joke of some sort. Of course, this was all just speculation at the moment, but as far as Maribel was concerned, that was all the more reason to get moving on solving this thing. One way or another, they would find out the truth behind this rumored extra Pokémon. And maybe, just maybe, she'd think of the right way to break the truth to Xien about the true nature of his world. If it proved necessary, anyway- it might not, she reasoned, albeit somewhat optimistically.

"For now, let's focus on this," Maribel said, turning her attention to the strange puzzle. "These buttons seem to each represent a different type. 'Offer up seven'... I think we have to pick seven types where each matches up poorly against one but well against another. Like how Fire beats Grass, Grass beats Water, and Water beats Fire, just with seven types rather than three," she attempted to explain her line of thinking.

"Chaaa..." Arbok considered.

"Weezing weez," murmured Weezing.

Maribel looked at the eighteen buttons. Right away she ruled out the one representing the Normal type- Normal wasn't super effective against shit. She decided to start with the exact type one would expect the daughter of Keith Masters to start with: Poison. Poison beats Grass, Grass beats... Water? Yeah, Water... Water beats Ground, Ground beats Rock, Rock beats Bug, Bug beats Psychic, and Psychic... beats Poison! "I don't know for sure if this is the correct solution," Maribel stated. "But I feel good about it right now, so we'll see how it goes. And on that note... let's make sure we're ready, just in case," she added seriously. "The last line in the rules, that makes me think we might get attacked if we get it wrong. Arbok, Weezing, are you two ready?" she asked.

"Chaaaaboka!" Arbok nodded resolutely.

"Weezing weez!" agreed Weezing.

Maribel smiled in response to this, then turned her attention back to the puzzle. She took a deep breath, and went for the buttons in the order she'd worked out in her head; Poison, Grass, Water, Ground, Rock, Bug, Psychic. A type heptagon. She wasn't completely sure- if the QA people of this game though this was too tough of a puzzle, what did that say about how quickly Maribel worked this out? Then again, the programmers seemed convinced it wasn't nearly that bad, so really, this could go either way.
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Old 03-12-2023, 03:45 PM   #187
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Missingno. Master - Though it has been abandoned in this place of cut content and junk data, a puzzle like this ought to still have a solution, shouldn’t it? Though it may have been deemed too tough for the average player, both of the Trainers standing before it now are battling prodigies! They can trounce this puzzle easily!

Quickly taking to the problem, Maribel decides on her favorite starting point—Poison! As she presses the button on the mural, the lights shift to a deep, sickly purple. One down, six more to go.

Meanwhile, Xien is still wracking his brain over the comments chiseled into the wall. Naturally, the idea of these temples having architects of great power is an alluring one, indeed. Even so, he doesn’t shirk away from watching as the girl inputs more types into the ancient mechanism.

Grass, Water... natural choices, given they are some of the first type matchups people learn about—but the last type in the iconic trio would not be capping things off. Instead, the earthy browns of Ground and Rock follow.

It seems her logic works out so far. All that’s left is to wrap things back around. The olive tint of Bug lights up the mural, leading straight into the mystical glow of...

“Hold just a moment!” Xien shouts, stopping Maribel’s as her finger hovers just over the final button, “I believe I’ve figured something out!”

The king slowly approaches the dials, his brows furrowed in thought as he inspects each of the symbols inscribed into them, “Considering Type effectiveness seems correct, but... something tells me these creators intended the solution to be more than just straightforward weaknesses. I’m not entirely sure, though.”

“Not only that, but...” he glances around at the room, as well as the mismatched door that they came through, “I’m a bit worried about what will happen if we input the wrong answer. The slate seems to indicate some sort of punishment, but... if this room is indeed a holding place for this rejected trial, then the outcome may be far from what we’re expecting.”

Xien’s expression cautions you as much as his words—think through this carefully, as this may be your only chance to get it right.

Will you stick with this answer?
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Old 03-12-2023, 04:39 PM   #188
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Missingno. Master - Though it has been abandoned in this place of cut content and junk data, a puzzle like this ought to still have a solution, shouldn’t it? Though it may have been deemed too tough for the average player, both of the Trainers standing before it now are battling prodigies! They can trounce this puzzle easily!

Quickly taking to the problem, Maribel decides on her favorite starting point—Poison! As she presses the button on the mural, the lights shift to a deep, sickly purple. One down, six more to go.

Meanwhile, Xien is still wracking his brain over the comments chiseled into the wall. Naturally, the idea of these temples having architects of great power is an alluring one, indeed. Even so, he doesn’t shirk away from watching as the girl inputs more types into the ancient mechanism.

Grass, Water... natural choices, given they are some of the first type matchups people learn about—but the last type in the iconic trio would not be capping things off. Instead, the earthy browns of Ground and Rock follow.

It seems her logic works out so far. All that’s left is to wrap things back around. The olive tint of Bug lights up the mural, leading straight into the mystical glow of...

“Hold just a moment!” Xien shouts, stopping Maribel’s as her finger hovers just over the final button, “I believe I’ve figured something out!”

The king slowly approaches the dials, his brows furrowed in thought as he inspects each of the symbols inscribed into them, “Considering Type effectiveness seems correct, but... something tells me these creators intended the solution to be more than just straightforward weaknesses. I’m not entirely sure, though.”

“Not only that, but...” he glances around at the room, as well as the mismatched door that they came through, “I’m a bit worried about what will happen if we input the wrong answer. The slate seems to indicate some sort of punishment, but... if this room is indeed a holding place for this rejected trial, then the outcome may be far from what we’re expecting.”

Xien’s expression cautions you as much as his words—think through this carefully, as this may be your only chance to get it right.

Will you stick with this answer?
Maribel began pressing the buttons in the order she'd had in mind, while Xien paid rapt attention to it all, following her logic well enough. Or perhaps, in fact, even better than she was? Maybe? That remained to be seen, but in any case, Xien stopped Maribel from pressing the final button, claiming to have figured something out. And Maribel held off- if Xien had thought of something that she had not, it was absolutely worth hearing out. They were tackling this together, after all.

Xien agreed with Maribel's consideration of type matchups as an approach to the puzzle, but stated that he felt like the solution might have been intended to be more than simple weaknesses. A fair enough assessment, and one that got Maribel glancing back at the buttons, rethinking her choices of answers. And as if that weren't enough, he also expressed concern over the potential outcome if the trial saw fit to punish them. And Maribel's eyes widened as she pondered this. She hadn't thought of that- would the punishment for failure have been coded in properly, or even at all, by this point? And that being the case, what would befall them should she fail? An encounter with glitchy nothingness forced into the guise of a Pokémon? Something akin to the sorts of Pokémon Eddie would study back in her world? Or... would the game just crash? And what would become of her then? Suddenly, the decision to venture into the debug portion of the game seemed far riskier than it had at first glance. But now was not the time to dwell on what could happen if they failed- now was the time to see to it that they didn't fail to begin with!

Maribel turned her attention back to the programmers' comments, to the hint in the final comment, to see if she could wring any further meaning out of it. And as she reread the lines for the third time, part of it started to click. "...protection and destruction," she murmured. "Protection and- I think I got it, Xien!" she smiled. "I think you're right, it's not just weaknesses- it's resistances, too! Water resists Fire, Fire resists Grass, Grass resists Water- I was right to think along those lines, I just wasn't considering the resistances! OK, lemme see... Poison beats, and resists, Grass... which beats and resists Water, which beats and resists Fire... Fire beats Bug and resists it, right... wait a second," she murmured, frowning. "It can't be Psychic at the end, so the only type that would fit there would be Ground, since that does resist Poison. But in order for Bug to work there, it'd have to beat Ground, which it doesn't. And we'd already be using Grass and Water earlier in this... that just leaves Ice- wait, no, that wouldn't work either, Ice only resists itself- Ice wouldn't work for this trial at all, in fact!" she realized. "In fact, by that logic, we can rule out Dragon as well, since it's only super effective against itself... and Ghost is only super effective against itself and Psychic, and doesn't resist either... OK, I think we're getting there," she nodded. "Arbok, Weezing, are you guys following this? Lemme know if you have any ideas, OK?"

"Chaa," Arbok nodded.

"Weezing weez," agreed Weezing.

"OK... so if Ground is at the end, then Grass would have to be before it," Maribel continued, now pacing around, deep in thought. "Meaning that it can't be the type that comes after Poison... meaning that the next type after it could only be Fairy- that's the only other type that fits there," she stated. "So, first two are Poison and Fairy, last two are Grass and Ground, so we just work out the middle three from there. Fairy beats... Dragon, which we've ruled out... and Dark and Fighting... Grass is beaten by and resisted by Fire, Bug, and Flying. And Poison, but obviously that's not possible at that part of this... so, the third one is either Dark or Fighting, the fifth one is either Fire, Bug, or Flying. Dark beats Psychic and Ghost... Fighting beats Normal- we can already rule that out- and Rock, and-"

"Weez!" exclaimed Weezing's smaller head, cutting off Maribel's monologue.

"Rock?" Maribel repeated. "Rock... Rock... Rock!" she breathed, her eyes lighting up in realization as she stumbled onto Weezing's train of thought. Fairy beats Fighting, Fighting beats Rock, Rock beats Flying, Flying beats Grass- and they all resist the types that they- I think I got it!" she exclaimed. "Poison, Fairy, Fighting, Rock, Flying, Grass, and Ground, in that order! They're not only super effective, but all the types involved also resist the types they're super effective against! Thank you, Weezing!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around the Poison Gas Pokémon.

"Weez Weezing weez!" Weezing smiled with both heads.

"Chaaaaboka!" chimed in Arbok, evidently in agreement as to the answer's logic.

Maribel let go of Weezing and turned to Xien. "What do you think, Xien? Does that make sense?" she asked. "If you agree, then I'll see about resetting this, starting it over, and then put in those types. Thanks for stopping me when you did," she added with a smile. "I should've known it wouldn't have been as easy as I was making it out to be."
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Old 03-12-2023, 08:38 PM   #189
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Department of World History (reply in burlywood)

Much can be said of the world we live in, both the good and the bad, and it was this aspect of the world's history that the Djinn looked for first. Within this well-kept and vintage department, with mahogany carvings and the scent of pine, lies books pertaining to the lives and happenings of the world's people and nations, with autobiographies and eyewitness accounts of famous events lining the shelves. The patron of this department, Ria, is a prim and proper Sigilyph who is not one for silliness, yet the Chrono Archivist is certainly keen to allow people to peruse the books. For trainers who want to experience history as it happened, there can be no greater haven.
The novice trainer Saito was scanning the bookshelves for anything that looked interesting, but appeared to be a bit too shy to ask for any guidance. Xatu, perched atop Lunatone, started to wonder exactly for what reason he had come here, and the rest of the party could only speculate within their Pokeballs, as having the entire party out and about would likely be seen as a disruption. Though the fact that Lunatone was outside was an important clue.

"You seek to help Lunatone find their partner, is it?" Xatu asked.

Saito silently nodded.

"You're not at all interested in, say, using these archives to find out what happened to your ancient village, or how you even jumped so far ahead to our time?"

He thought about how best to answer for a moment. Finally, he said, "The brochure spoke of the power of these archives. Whatever happened to me, I don't think I'm ready to find out, assuming anyone was even around to record what happened. Helping Lunatone should be much simpler in comparison."

Lunatone had no way to physically show any emotion, stone-faced as it was, but Saito could feel a warm tingly aura from it. Xatu, though, narrowed her eyebrows. "Finding information about Lunatone's exact partner would be like finding a needle in a haystack." She looked down at the moon-shaped rock Pokemon. "Do you remember anything besides being attacked on your descent? Anything that can pinpoint a timeline, or something?"

"We were not the only arrivals..." Lunatone seemed to hum. "There were many of us... We must have shone brightly as we descended, acting as a beacon for our attacker to find us."

Saito replied, "So we're possibly looking for a meteor shower. One interrupted by a Pokemon, if there were any witnesses that cared enough to record it. I guess that's a start." The trainer paused for a moment. "That reminds me, I should start keeping a journal of my own."

"It will be difficult without a timeline," Xatu observed. "Even though Lunatone may have spent a short time in the adoption center, we don't know how much time passed or everything that happened between that attack and us finding it there. While you were filling out those adoption papers, Lunatone mentioned something about being used as a fancy table up until it finally decided to awaken and begin its search, only to have it cut short by a very surprised homeowner and ending up in the adoption center after that."

"Well, at least you won't have to worry about anything like that from us," Saito reassured Lunatone. "We don't have much to go on, but let's ask one of the guides here to see what they think. Any books mentioning one probably wouldn't have it as their primary subject, but we might get an important clue even in passing. Everyone has to start somewhere..."
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Old 03-17-2023, 03:17 PM   #190
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Missingno. Master - That must be it. Weakness and resistance must be key to this puzzle, the girl realizes. Though she still wishes to start with her trusty favorite Typing, a couple edits here and there construct a chain that’s not just robust—it may well be the only answer the programmers could think of.

Though concern about what a wrong answer would mean still lingers in her mind, Xien can tell that Maribel is confident in this one. As they exchange glances, the king nods, stepping back and letting out his Arcanine as he anticipates... well, anything, really. Here in this jumble of unfinished game logic, nothing is predictable—not even victory.

She pushes in each button, anticipation growing tenser the closer she nears to the final link in the chain. Ground type, the eternal enemy of the Masterses... trusting her and her Pokemon’s jugement, she presses it in, and watches to see what happens next.

The lights on the mural blink rapidly, appearing as though it’s computing her answer. Suddenly, the ground starts shaking! Xien stumbles, drawing his sword as both of them notice small glitches and pixelated tears rippling throughout the chamber! Perhaps it’s even worse than they feared, and there’s no code to handle solving the puzzle, either!

“Arcanine! Behind me!” Xien shouts, gritting his teeth as he readies himself for the worst. The entire world around them flickers between what Maribel’s been seeing, and the game’s 8-bit graphics. A world of only 4 colors—stark gray, deep green, aqua blue, and pure blackness.

As the shaking and flickering reaches a crescendo, one might expect the mythical glitch-mons to make an appearance themselves, and reduce the intruding explorers to garbled 1’s and 0’s. Yet, oblivion does not come. When both of them open their eyes again, the room is back to normal... except... there's a doorway where the mural used to be.

Beyond the door is a vast darkness, and yet prodding at it with her foot, Maribel finds that there is solid ground on the other side. Though it seems to extend on for infinity, the closer she peers, the more she realizes that there is something standing out there, in that void. Barely more than a simple green dot on that horizonless plane.

“It would appear... we got the answer right,” Xien says, taking a deep breath to calm himself as he joins Maribel. The look on his face is... fascinated, but also scared. The limits of his comprehension have been reached, and he looks to his companion for guidance on this arcane matter.

“I see it, too. Perhaps it’s just wishful thinking, but... I believe that is our 252nd Pokemon,” he says, lingering hesitantly before the doorway, “what shall we do?”
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Old 03-17-2023, 08:26 PM   #191
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Missingno. Master - That must be it. Weakness and resistance must be key to this puzzle, the girl realizes. Though she still wishes to start with her trusty favorite Typing, a couple edits here and there construct a chain that’s not just robust—it may well be the only answer the programmers could think of.

Though concern about what a wrong answer would mean still lingers in her mind, Xien can tell that Maribel is confident in this one. As they exchange glances, the king nods, stepping back and letting out his Arcanine as he anticipates... well, anything, really. Here in this jumble of unfinished game logic, nothing is predictable—not even victory.

She pushes in each button, anticipation growing tenser the closer she nears to the final link in the chain. Ground type, the eternal enemy of the Masterses... trusting her and her Pokemon’s jugement, she presses it in, and watches to see what happens next.

The lights on the mural blink rapidly, appearing as though it’s computing her answer. Suddenly, the ground starts shaking! Xien stumbles, drawing his sword as both of them notice small glitches and pixelated tears rippling throughout the chamber! Perhaps it’s even worse than they feared, and there’s no code to handle solving the puzzle, either!

“Arcanine! Behind me!” Xien shouts, gritting his teeth as he readies himself for the worst. The entire world around them flickers between what Maribel’s been seeing, and the game’s 8-bit graphics. A world of only 4 colors—stark gray, deep green, aqua blue, and pure blackness.

As the shaking and flickering reaches a crescendo, one might expect the mythical glitch-mons to make an appearance themselves, and reduce the intruding explorers to garbled 1’s and 0’s. Yet, oblivion does not come. When both of them open their eyes again, the room is back to normal... except... there's a doorway where the mural used to be.

Beyond the door is a vast darkness, and yet prodding at it with her foot, Maribel finds that there is solid ground on the other side. Though it seems to extend on for infinity, the closer she peers, the more she realizes that there is something standing out there, in that void. Barely more than a simple green dot on that horizonless plane.

“It would appear... we got the answer right,” Xien says, taking a deep breath to calm himself as he joins Maribel. The look on his face is... fascinated, but also scared. The limits of his comprehension have been reached, and he looks to his companion for guidance on this arcane matter.

“I see it, too. Perhaps it’s just wishful thinking, but... I believe that is our 252nd Pokemon,” he says, lingering hesitantly before the doorway, “what shall we do?”
Thanks to Xien's timely intervention, Maribel realized her mistake before it was too late, and amended her attempted solution to the puzzle, after Xien nodded his approval of what Maribel supposed the answer might be. And as she entered this amended solution, she saw that the lights on the mural started to blink with great rapidity, as though computing her answer. Maribel waited, holding her breath... and then the ground started shaking beneath them. Xien drew his sword, and Maribel looked sharply around, noticing as she did so that the world around them seemed to be glitching out. She couldn't help but think back to her father's account of his adventure in Glitch City, but this was different. Well, kinda. That was in reality, this was within the confines of a game. This was ingame glitchiness rearing its head. One dreadful idea occurred to Maribel- was there maybe nothing coded in as a result of solving this puzzle? Was the game about to crash? What would happen...?

Maribel's concern at this point must have shown on her face, for it was at about this time that Arbok and Weezing moved closer to her, turning their backs to her so as to face any potential dangers head-on, intent on protecting her as best they could. This brought a small, appreciative smile to Maribel's face even in spite of the situation, and she patted them gratefully as they waited to see what would happen, as the world around them started flickering back and forth- going from the world as Maribel was seeing it now, to the world as it would appear if Maribel was playing the game, with 8-bit graphics, naught but four colors to the whole deal. It was surreal, to say the least. Maribel half expected a swarm of .4, if not a flock of Missingno., to attack them where they stood, but nothing of the sort happened. Instead, the world went back to normal... except for the doorway that opened up in place of the mural.

Maribel peered into the mysterious opening. There was a vast darkness past there, though as she boldly prodded inside it with her foot, she could tell that... "...there's solid ground in there," she reported. "We can't see it, but it's there." And, peering all the more intently inside, she could make out... something. Nowhere near close enough for either of them to tell what it was- all she could tell at this moment is that it was green.

Xien confirmed he also saw it, and speculated that it could very well be the 252nd Pokémon they sought. He seemed quite hesitant at this point, looking to Maribel for guidance on what to do. "...I think it's possible you're right," Maribel stated. "If this Pokémon is anywhere to be found in your world, whatever it might be, this is almost certainly going to be where it is." She took a deep breath, and exhaled. "Arbok, Weezing, thank you both," she said. "You two are prepared for whatever might await us in there, right?"

"Chaaaboka!" Arbok nodded firmly.

"Weez Weezing weez!" Weezing agreed.

Maribel smiled at the pair of Poison-types, then turned her attention back to Xien, her eyes blazing with determination. "We've come this far," she stated. "Come this close to solving this mystery. I don't know how this will go, but there's only one way to find out. Let's go in there, whenever you're ready," she stated.
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Old 03-22-2023, 03:35 PM   #192
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Missingno. Master - Maribel’s determination shines brightly, even against a backdrop of total darkness. No matter if they can’t see where they’re treading, the path forward is clear as day.

“Yes, I do think you’re right,” Xien replies, gathering his resolve. Even for as little time as they’ve been journeying together, the girl knows that he will brave any danger to pursue the truth. Turning to his Arcanine, he pats the fire dog on the head, and turns to face the doorway with a stern and focused expression, “very well. Let us go onward.”

And with that, the two take their first steps into the void beyond. Feeling solid ground without seeing it is certainly disorienting, and the king carefully tests the space ahead of him for any gaps or bumps. Each step is filled with uncertainty, only to be met with the realization that there is truly nothing out here. No walls, no ceiling, nor a floor. It’s as though they are walking through this space only because it is the method of travel their minds are most comfortable with.

“It’s getting closer, can you see?” Xien says, pointing toward the green dot in the distance. Though it’s very slight, Maribel can see the shape growing larger with every step. Vague details come into view, streaked by glitchy tears that reveal a pixelated mass beneath the creature’s more realistic visage.

The green Pokemon bears a reptilian shape, with zig-zagging frills and a spiral tail compacted tightly behind its back. A jagged red line runs across the creature’s belly, remaining the same as the rest of its scales slowly shift through a spectrum of colors—the same colors as those seen on the mural.

The creature’s jerky movements seem alert as the two Trainers approach, but it neither flees nor fights. Instead, it just seems to stand there, colors rapidly flickering as it watches them and their Pokemon carefully. Somehow, it seems almost rooted in place, unable to do anything more or less than it’s currently doing, now.

Xien, despite similar caution, is beaming with a kind of wonder that he hasn’t felt in years. Circling around the Pokemon, his eyes take in every detail—how does it move around? What purpose does its long tongue and curled tail serve? What type is it? What kinds of moves would it be able to learn? Though some of it can be intuited at a glance, nothing will ever be known for sure without prolonged and careful study...

“Maribel, do you know what this is?” he asks, turning towards her, but keeping his eyes squarely on the prize, “I’m not completely sure what Type it’s supposed to be... perhaps Psychic, given its changing coloration? Though, that spiraling tail reminds me very much so of Politoed.”

The man sits down cross-legged, and pulls out his journal to start taking notes. His pen hand is practically shaking in excitement, waiting for whatever answer you can give before it begins to dance across the page, just like it did at the campfire not too long ago...
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Old 03-22-2023, 07:31 PM   #193
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Missingno. Master - Maribel’s determination shines brightly, even against a backdrop of total darkness. No matter if they can’t see where they’re treading, the path forward is clear as day.

“Yes, I do think you’re right,” Xien replies, gathering his resolve. Even for as little time as they’ve been journeying together, the girl knows that he will brave any danger to pursue the truth. Turning to his Arcanine, he pats the fire dog on the head, and turns to face the doorway with a stern and focused expression, “very well. Let us go onward.”

And with that, the two take their first steps into the void beyond. Feeling solid ground without seeing it is certainly disorienting, and the king carefully tests the space ahead of him for any gaps or bumps. Each step is filled with uncertainty, only to be met with the realization that there is truly nothing out here. No walls, no ceiling, nor a floor. It’s as though they are walking through this space only because it is the method of travel their minds are most comfortable with.

“It’s getting closer, can you see?” Xien says, pointing toward the green dot in the distance. Though it’s very slight, Maribel can see the shape growing larger with every step. Vague details come into view, streaked by glitchy tears that reveal a pixelated mass beneath the creature’s more realistic visage.

The green Pokemon bears a reptilian shape, with zig-zagging frills and a spiral tail compacted tightly behind its back. A jagged red line runs across the creature’s belly, remaining the same as the rest of its scales slowly shift through a spectrum of colors—the same colors as those seen on the mural.

The creature’s jerky movements seem alert as the two Trainers approach, but it neither flees nor fights. Instead, it just seems to stand there, colors rapidly flickering as it watches them and their Pokemon carefully. Somehow, it seems almost rooted in place, unable to do anything more or less than it’s currently doing, now.

Xien, despite similar caution, is beaming with a kind of wonder that he hasn’t felt in years. Circling around the Pokemon, his eyes take in every detail—how does it move around? What purpose does its long tongue and curled tail serve? What type is it? What kinds of moves would it be able to learn? Though some of it can be intuited at a glance, nothing will ever be known for sure without prolonged and careful study...

“Maribel, do you know what this is?” he asks, turning towards her, but keeping his eyes squarely on the prize, “I’m not completely sure what Type it’s supposed to be... perhaps Psychic, given its changing coloration? Though, that spiraling tail reminds me very much so of Politoed.”

The man sits down cross-legged, and pulls out his journal to start taking notes. His pen hand is practically shaking in excitement, waiting for whatever answer you can give before it begins to dance across the page, just like it did at the campfire not too long ago...
Their determination solidified, Maribel and Xien ventured forth into the void beyond the doorway. And a void it was indeed- no walls, no ceiling, not even a floor. What they were even walking on was a complete mystery. Arbok regarded the void below extremely warily as he slithered along on solid nothingness; Weezing looked somewhat less concerned, as she was hovering.

But Maribel's mind was more on what lay ahead of them, and indeed, her eyes as well. She therefore nodded as Xien pointed out how the green dot was getting closer. Every step brought more and more detail into focus, albeit with the occasional glitchy tear, revealing a pixelated mass beneath the more realistic appearance.

Maribel smiled as she finally got close enough to recognize the Pokémon. She didn't have one herself, nor did her parents or friends. But she'd battled one in the past, just about every time she's come up against Oliver Krabbyson in a Colosseum challenge at Sludge Wave Colosseum. She knew the species well enough, and considering just how unfamiliar with it Xien seemed to be, it was a pretty safe bet that this was the mystery Pokémon. Maribel had been quite right to not let her imagination run away with this all- it had been very tempting to imagine some manner of legendary or Mythical Pokémon, but deep down she knew it was more reasonable to expect something relatively mundane. Not that this wasn't cool in its own right, of course.

Mribel nodded at Xien's question, having fully expected it by this point. "This is the Color Swap Pokémon, Kecleon," she replied. "It's a Normal-type, at least by default- it's a decently strong Pokémon with a variety of attacks it can learn, but the most remarkable thing about it is how it can change its type. Some change their type to match the last move that hit it, others change their type to match the move they're about to use. As you can see, it can change color to blend into its environment, except for that red zigzag stripe on its belly- that can't change at all. The one I've battled in the past has used moves like Feint Attack, Psybeam, and Flamethrower, and I'm sure there's even more than that they can be taught."

"Weezing weez," Weezing nodded, remembering that last battle against Oliver's Kecleon all too well. Arbok had nothing to add to this- Maribel hadn't used him in that one (Koffing had been battling alongside Rhyperior in that particular Colosseum challenge)- but the Cobra Pokémon saw no reason to doubt his teammate, and so simply coiled up and sat there, watching things unfold with a look of mild curiosity.

"So... what now, Xien?" Maribel asked, though with a tone of voice that suggested she already had a shrewd idea. Indeed, she supposed the man was going to try and catch the Kecleon once he learned at least this much about what this was. After coming this far in pursuit of the fabled 252nd Pokémon, she figured that was basically a given at this point.
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Old 03-23-2023, 02:16 AM   #194
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Lost, confused. These were words that did not even begin to convey how Lunatone was feeling, following their descent in the meteor shower they were intent on finding out their origin. However, they were blessed by finding a trainer such as yourself, one who aimed to find their origin and the partner they had been separated from during the descent. This department was certainly the place to start, with practically all events that had ever happened (and perhaps some that had yet to happen) being recorded here, not to mention the fantastic power that these written works were supposed to have. Immersive did not even begin to cut it.

As you were looking for a minor event, and only hoping that someone had seen it to record it, you started your search by asking for assistance from one of the many guides. It was interesting to note that all the patrons were Pokemon, being lead by a rather serious looking Sigilyph. You and Xatu approached one, a rather meek looking Yamask and explained what you were searching for. It pondered for a moment, before floating off, pausing and gesturing for you to follow when it realized you were not.

"I believe that would be something minor, as you believed. Not a main piece of literature at all." A small childish voice spoke, floating towards a section of the archives. "These are the collections and I think..." Their small folded arms reached for a book, rather new looking and ornate. It's cover was purple, reflecting the night sky almost. A sheen covered the hard shell of the book, making it shimmer when tilted the right way. "... This is what you are searching for." They bowed their head, floating away again before you even had the chance to peak and make sure they were correct.

You sighed, examining the book before flipping to a random page. Just then, the walls around you shifted, everything around you became that of a hilltop, the shining stars and night sky above you. You looked around, baffled by the sudden change. Xatu and Lunatone seemed just as confused as you were, wondering where on Earth you were.
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Old 03-24-2023, 10:00 PM   #195
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Alilatias

Lost, confused. These were words that did not even begin to convey how Lunatone was feeling, following their descent in the meteor shower they were intent on finding out their origin. However, they were blessed by finding a trainer such as yourself, one who aimed to find their origin and the partner they had been separated from during the descent. This department was certainly the place to start, with practically all events that had ever happened (and perhaps some that had yet to happen) being recorded here, not to mention the fantastic power that these written works were supposed to have. Immersive did not even begin to cut it.

As you were looking for a minor event, and only hoping that someone had seen it to record it, you started your search by asking for assistance from one of the many guides. It was interesting to note that all the patrons were Pokemon, being lead by a rather serious looking Sigilyph. You and Xatu approached one, a rather meek looking Yamask and explained what you were searching for. It pondered for a moment, before floating off, pausing and gesturing for you to follow when it realized you were not.

"I believe that would be something minor, as you believed. Not a main piece of literature at all." A small childish voice spoke, floating towards a section of the archives. "These are the collections and I think..." Their small folded arms reached for a book, rather new looking and ornate. It's cover was purple, reflecting the night sky almost. A sheen covered the hard shell of the book, making it shimmer when tilted the right way. "... This is what you are searching for." They bowed their head, floating away again before you even had the chance to peak and make sure they were correct.

You sighed, examining the book before flipping to a random page. Just then, the walls around you shifted, everything around you became that of a hilltop, the shining stars and night sky above you. You looked around, baffled by the sudden change. Xatu and Lunatone seemed just as confused as you were, wondering where on Earth you were.
"Hmm, I should have asked," Saito began to say. "How do we actually get back to the library?"

"I am sure it would consist of the same way we were transported here," Xatu replied, perched on the floating Lunatone whose eyes appear to be fixed to the skies for any signs of the meteor shower supposedly depicted in the book. Though at the moment, Saito's concerns were of the more earthly kind.

"Flipping to a random page without inspecting the book more closely was a bad idea too... The librarian did say that the meteor shower wasn't even the main subject of this book. We should figure out exactly where we are, what time we're in, and what subject the book was even focusing on. For all we know, I might have flipped us past the meteor shower that the librarians were trying to show us."

Xatu points out, "You still possess the tome, do you not? You can perhaps use it to change what we are seeing. Even if we get lost, I imagine that if we keep it for too long by remaining among these records, the librarians may seek to retrieve us and the book. Though we should prefer to avoid that outcome. Inconveniencing them may come at a price."

Saito might have still had the book, but he didn't dare check to see if he still possessed it or interact with it in the case he did any further, not until he was sure what was happening at this point in the book's apparent story first. Instead, he threw two Pokeballs into the air, one standard-issue and one cyan-colored with a wing motif - and out popped Swellow and Altaria.

The two Pokemon seemed to immediately guess what kind of task Saito was about to request of them. They began to ascend further into the skies, looking over the horizon for any signs of civilization to venture towards and inquire about the present situation in these lands. Or at least anything interesting enough for the party to investigate.
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Old 03-26-2023, 08:51 PM   #196
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Heather - These dusty halls haven’t seen use in quite some time, indeed. As you wander to and fro, you see volumes that look to have never left these shelves in many a year. Their titles range from bog-standard fantasy fare and absolute doorstoppers of dry, historical prose to the utterly indecipherable.

Yet, for as dusty as it is, one can’t deny that it’s well-organized. This is no ordinary book pile, but rather the guts of one of the grandest wonders of the ancient world. The attendants to Hyun-Pa’s legacy work around the clock to ensure that everything in this place is where it should be, and that any new additions find a suitable home upon their nigh-infinite shelves.

Attendants that you are now attempting to seek out. For every tempting tome you find, you can feel decision paralysis gripping you tighter. It could be that you’d genuinely wander here for an eternity without their intervention, and in realizing that you’d been lingering here a while, Aromatisse appears before you.

Telling the Fairy-type about your goal of a leak for your Farfetch’d, she takes a moment to appraise you. While a request like that would normally get you sent off into the realms of a 5-star cookbook—well, she can tell that you’re not about that. You’re dressed for a climb, to pull that sucker out of the ground with your bare hands, if you must.

Hopping atop one of the shelves, Aromatisse begins to scan through the books for something suitable for you. Really, it seems like she has something in mind already, she just... needs... to find it... ah! There!

Lifting the book over her head, she turns around and shows it to you. The hardcover volume has a rather painterly view from a mountain ridge of a lush, green valley. A lake shaped like a flower rests in the midst of the piece, above which raised lettering in chipped gold leaf reads:

“The Dragon of Verdant Grove”

Looking at the back, it seems to be a fantasy novel of some sort, filled with wondrous locales and mystical mysteries to uncover. Will you take this book?
Catharine had been wandering about this section of the Archives in search of its Archivist for what felt like an eternity. All the while, yet more titles floated by her awareness, From Dust You Will Return, A Place To Call Home, Adrift Upon the River, The Ultimate Show, A Bleeding Heart's Grudge, every last one unable to satisfy Catharine's particular needs.

Until finally, the Archivist Aromatisse came around the corner and Catharine quickly flagged her down.

"Hello! Ah, I was looking for a particular story where I might find a Leek for my Farfetch'd here. We both enjoy adventures and discovery, and Laura in particular would like to find her Leek growing in the wild if she can." Catharine explained. Aromatisse gave the pair and appraising look, before she chirped and made her way atop a bookshelf with a delicate grace, scanning the selection of books at the high shelves for a moment before seemingly making a selection, and coming back down gently. With a soft trill, Aromatisse held up her recommendation.

The tome's cover showed a vast, lush valley, with a large lake in the shape of a flower in its center. The title, writ in chipped gold leaf, read The Dragon of Verdant Grove.

Catharine's eyes lit up. This one was perfect! A tale centered around a dragon, set in a lush valley ripe with all sorts of vegetation, and a picturesque lake? This would be the place, no doubt about it!

"Thank you, Aromatisse. I think this one will do perfectly!" Catharine said, gently accepting the book from the Archivist, and bringing it over to the nearest receptacle, excitement filling every ounce of her being. "Are you ready to go, Laura?" Catharine asked her Farfetch'd, a grin forming on her face.

"As I'll ever be! Put it in, and let's have an adventure!" Laura replied with a mock salute.

"Then let's be off! Oh, I always wished I could do something like this as a kid!" Catharine said excitedly, before placing the book in the receptacle. With a dramatic air, she raised a finger in the air, and declared, perhaps a bit loudly for the Archives, "I wish I could go there!" as her finger landed squarely on the lake on the book's cover. All at once, a portal sprang into being by the receptacle, and Catharine eagerly stepped in, only able to wonder what sort of adventure would await her.
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Old 03-26-2023, 10:32 PM   #197
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Department of Technical and Scientific Studies (reply in steelblue)

By all standards, discoveries of technology and the nature of science itself in the past few centuries would fill a library in their own right, and it is no surprise then that Hyun-pa took vested interest in what humans had created. This department, as expected, is more an extensive laboratory than a repository for knowledge, with sturdy and practical benches and tables with little cushioning surrounded by whitewashed bookshelves littered with tomes ranging from chemistry and physics to mechanical works and records of inventions over the years, and Ibra, Beheyeem patron and Engineered Archivist will treat all visitors as carefully as they treat their ward. Trainers who would like a technically based story would be welcome to utilise the books located here, though some have been advised as rumours tell that some of the tomes here are of future creations.
((FYI: This is a re-do of the adventure that Heather and I were working on when I reset my character. Don't worry about picking this one up if you weren't already involved in it.))

Libraries came in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes you'd get a small wooden cubby erected on someone's lawn, other times you'd find yourself in a quaint little building lined with rows of bookshelves, and very rarely you'll be presented with a veritable archive spanning multiple floors and a dizzying array of literature to choose from. But all of those paled in comparison to the behemoth that Elijah had found himself in; impossibly ornate architecture setting the stage to what he could wager was every single book ever printed. He would have wondered who had dedicated themselves to constructing and filling out something this massive had he not been arguing with his own Pokédex over a reasonable safety concern.

And boy, was that Pokédex standing its ground. It was home to Ion, a Rotom—which was a ghost Pokémon that could somehow possess certain bits of technology that he hadn't heard of until he was given a shiny new phone along with the standard Fizzytopian trainer starter kit. Unfortunately, that Rotom seemed to have a reckless disregard for anything and everything at this present moment.

"Well, since you didn't want to get on that space shuttle—"

Elijah didn't even wait for Ion to finish before stating his concerns. "And turn myself into a pancake? Right after getting my license?"

An ethereal, electric sigh. "Whatever, man. As I was saying, since you didn't want to do that I've found us the next best thing!"

Elijah looked up from his Rotom Phone for a second. A library? It took him a second to realize what the correlation was between journeying into space and journeying into a taxpayer-funded institution.

"You want to read about it? I mean, I said I wanted to play it safe, but not that safe."

"Oh, it's more than just reading. You'll see." Ion winked.

The science section was strange. Yes, the science section. This library had so much that they somehow had the bright idea to combine fact and fiction into a single department. How anyone was able to trust anything from here was beyond Elijah. Nevertheless, he weaved between endless rows of books, their wildly chromatic spines providing something that was better to look at than the very dull and methodical decoration inside the wing—or lack thereof, rather. He'd been beginning to doubt if doing this was worth it when his phone buzzed in his hand, signaling that Ion wanted to get his attention.

"That one."

Elijah pored over the dark blue hardcover, the protective plastic that surrounded its dust jacket crinkling as he removed it from the shelf. That one? "The Chronicle of the Silvalten Empire", the book loudly proclaimed on its front cover in embossed lettering amidst a sea of stars. An ornate emblem adorned a planet that Elijah couldn't recognize, blocking the view of a distant galaxy. The emblem seemed intriguing, invoking some sort of Pokémon that he didn't recognize. The book strangely lacked an author as well; the cherry on top that made him wonder if he had picked up a sci-fi book or a mystery book—or even a sci-fi mystery book.

"...What makes you think I should read this one?" Elijah asked.

"Dunno. I just feel like we should."

"Okay, not sure why you're acting weird about this."

He walked over to the center of the room, where a series of receptacles jutted out from the floor. Strangely, there were no tables or chairs. Was this library supposed to be this hostile to people who just wanted to read for a bit?

"Put it there. Trust me on this one."

Elijah set down the book inside one of the receptacles. Was he supposed to be reading it there? "Um, I don't see why I couldn't just check it out—"

He jumped, eyes wide as the room was very suddenly flooded with a light so bright that it was threatening to outdo the fluorescent bulbs that stretched across the ceiling. A portal had opened directly in front of Elijah and Ion, beckoning them to cross into its enigmatic depths. Where it led wasn't obvious, but based on what had happened just prior to its appearance, it wasn't hard for him to guess after he recovered from the shock.

"Oh no, are you doing what I think you're doing?"

"Yep."

Ion smiled and darted out of Elijah's grasp, careening into the portal before he could even so much as blink. Gasping and realizing that he didn't really have much of a choice, he dove in after the wayward phone, silently hoping that whatever the "Silvalten Empire" was happened to be renowned for their hospitality.
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Old 03-31-2023, 01:47 PM   #198
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KingSalmon-

Valeria just smiles at you as you introduce yourself, almost waving your concerns off. Yet, you can see that everyone else around here had an aura of fear. Yet, her's was one of curiosity. She seemed more determined on figuring out why the events of the previous day occurred, instead of what actually happened. She gives her terrified daughter a hug, before seeing her off from the mansion grounds. Seems she wasn't afraid of her father, but of what she had bore witness to the night prior.

"No no, now's a good time as any. Security is gonna be lax, well, for the most part," she says with a sly smile. "My lab is off limits, 'kay?"

You wonder why she says this, and you see another scientist staring at you. They seem to mouth 'do as she says' but you aren't entirely sure. She looks over to where you were staring, but you already see the person leave deeper into the building. That certainly was an... ominous warning.

"Anyways, let's get this tour started!" she claps her hands together before letting out a peppy cheer.

You hear a few scientists grumble at her response as the groups begin to disperse. You see the police finish their interrogations, and start to leave. This seemed relatively normal, all things considered, but you couldn't shake the feeling something was extremely off here. The recorded reports said the mansion was destroyed by Mewtwo yesterday. Perhaps you were living through what wasn't recorded. What wasn't said? If so, for what reason? What were the events on this day that left it wiped from the record? That destroyed the mansion? These questions continued to bore into your head, and made your Pokemon uneasy.

She takes you through the first floor, and you see a few different rooms. A kitchen, libraries, and various meeting rooms. It looked like guests mostly were met here, as well as a quiet place for the researchers to relax and unwind. You do notice a large sanitation door in the southeastern corridor of the building. STAFF ONLY were there in bold red letters.

"That's where the labs are. There's a decontamination bay down there, and we need to strictly wear our gloves and masks when down there! Of course, with how things are currently, I don't recommend we go down there for now, so let's go the other way!" she exclaims, grabbing your arm and dragging you towards the stairs. Her grip was... extremely strong.

Entering the second story, you feel a draft. Well, there was a giant hole in the ceiling after all. There was the stairwell towards the third floor in front of you, but this floor mostly seemed to be research labs. You do notice a few areas are also blocked off by grates, which was annoying. Yet, a few personal offices were here as well. Nothing too much of note... from what you can access. Except for one thing.

"This is a statue of Rhydon!" Valeria happily explains as she leads you back to the stairs. "The head researcher loves Rhydon a lot, and has a theory it actually was the first Pokemon created. So there are a few statues of it around the mansion!"

You feel like the statue was watching you... staring into your soul. Looking into its blank eyes, you could see red flickering. And a strange swirling darkness... This was extremely unnerving, and best to leave it be for now. It would only be wise to come back here when absolutely necessary.

The third floor was even more restricted than the first floor. Though that was mostly due to rubble than anything else. You carefully follow Valeria as she navigates it, and you notice it creating a few 'extra' rooms. You then see the police discussing amongst themselves, and something dropped over with a white cloth. Behind them, you could see the sky shining down from above them, and the hole in the roof proper. And below it a hole, and frigid air. That was bad, wasn't it?

"Excuse me, ma'am, sir, but this area is off limits for now," one of the officers tells you.

"I see..." the scientist says in return, looking at the cloth. "The only thing up here was the Head Researcher's Personal office anyways," she then tells you with a cheerful smile.

You then feel the ground below you shake heavily, and the power in the building flicker. You're told to duck under cover, and you manage to run under one of the tables just in time. You hear the sounds of falling roof tile as everything goes black. It takes a few minutes for the power to come back on, but when they do everyone was gone. No noise, nothing. Just straight-up gone. And what's worse is that the way you came from, as well as the hole into the basement, were both heavily covered up by the caved-in roof. All that was left was the white sheet and a path to the left.

What do you do?
Something about this whole situation felt off. A number of things, actually: the chronological mess, the Rhydon statue that stared into his soul, everything about Valeria… Arne felt an overwhelming urge to break away from the scientist a number of times and get to some investingating of his own, but even the woman’s grip was abnormally strong and he was pretty sure he wouldn’t want to get on the woman’s bad side. Even her daughter seemed to think the same.

Concerns that were forcibly laid to rest soon afterwards, replaced by a much bigger, more pressing one – survival. A cave-in narrowly crushed him, if not for some quick thinking that compelled him to seek cover. When the dust settled and the commotion subsided, however, everyone was simply… gone. No policemen, no scientists, no Valeria. For a moment, he feared the worst, but glancing around frantically, he finally spotted a small turtle shell unharmed near some rubble – Gustav then emerged, looking at best annoyed, before throwing Arne a puzzled look.


“I have no idea either,” the Trainer replied. “And I’m pretty sure Miss Valeria’s guided tour is of little use to us now. The quake seems to have changed the landscape quite a lot...”

He reached for his belt and grabbed a Ball – in a burst of light, his youngest Pokémon materialized, a Tinkatink holding her unusually-colored metal rocker which she called Valentine.

“Hey Mindy. I think we’re going to need your help around this place; something tells me we’re going to have a lot of rocks to break if we want to find our way back out…”

His eyes turned to the only path available to the left. Gustav, in turn, focused his attention on the white cloth lying on the floor.

“Oh, that? I guess we could take a quick peek…”

He dropped to one knee next to the Squirtle and grabbed the cloth, lifting it slowly…
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Old 04-02-2023, 03:10 PM   #199
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Missingno. Master - “I see...” Xien mutters, his pen dancing across the page as he records all of this information with laser focus. Maribel has seen shades of this throughout her journey here, but it seems that when something truly unknown is before the man, he’ll tune out everything else to study it.

Meanwhile, Kecleon continued to stay in-place, silently watching the only two humans it has likely seen since it spawned here. Maribel’s knowledge of it is not only of much interest to the king, it also gives her a valuable clue as to what their 252nd Pokemon is doing here—for normally, Kecleon are timid and shy, quick to turn invisible and hide the moment it’s approached or threatened.

This one, however, exhibits not just the opposite behavior, but no behavior at all! Thinking through her hunches, the Pokemon seems almost like the NPC in the other room—a stationary dummy, but for what? If it was simply to test battle or overworld mechanics, why not use an existing Pokemon?

The longer the two of them stare into the scintillating colors, the more Xien’s eyes narrow discerningly. Marking something down on the page, he turns to Maribel and speaks with intrigue coloring his voice, “I thought perhaps it was just coincidence, but I believe I’ve noticed something peculiar about this... Kecleon. Its colors... many of them remind me of places I’ve visited before.”

Pointing his pen toward the mystery Pokemon, his determined expression turns wistful as he recognizes the shifting color palettes before him, “the Forest Village where I grew up... the Silver Palace that housed the puzzle we just cleared... even the Sealed Shrine we had ventured through to reach this place. I believe this Pokemon is mimicking the colors of those locales when it changes type.”

That, at least, seems to be enough to convince him of what he needs to do next. Standing up with his book tucked under his arm, he pulls out a Pokeball and approaches Kecleon carefully, “we’ve come this far, and I imagine this Pokemon has been alone here for quite some time. I wish to learn everything I can about it, and so I will ask that it join us in our return to the castle!”

Before he can make good on that promise, however, Kecleon suddenly recoils, scales turning pure black as it all but disappears from sight! Confused, Xien doesn’t notice the cause until just a moment too late, when he finds his journal slipping from his grasp and onto the floor, splaying open on impact!

“Maribel! The writing!” he shouts, backing away from the book fearfully. Glancing down at the page, she finds it covered in a scramble of corrupted letters! As the seconds pass, the page fills up with more and more garbage characters, until it spills out from the confines of the paper and creates a mass upon the floor! A shadow creeps through the river of glitchy text, rising and forming a humanoid shape before the two ill-fated adventurers.

Instinctively drawing his sword, Xien steps between the figure and Maribel to shield her. Without a shred of hesitation he swings for the shadow’s neck, but as soon as his blade connects with the incorporeal mass, the king lets out a horrible scream and falls to his knees, clutching his head in agony before he falls over, out cold!

Whatever is happening now, Maribel can tell that this figure is hostile. Blobs of shadow are starting to rise from before the being’s feet, taking the form of Pokemon—though she cannot tell what at this moment, it’s clear that the only way to help Xien is to fight this thing off!

What will she do?
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Old 04-02-2023, 03:38 PM   #200
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Heather - Your finger lands on the cover, and with a wish upon your lips, you find a doorway of light spring forth before you! No time to waste! You’re positively brimming with excitement, and punching your ticket to adventure you step through the portal and into the world contained within the pages...

The first thing you notice when you pass through the doorway is the warm summer breeze grazing past your face. Gone are the musty, dusty halls of the library, where there’s nary a draft to be found, and the scent of wood pulp and glue chokes every breath. In this monet, calming daisies cleanse your sinuses, and the shade of the leaves overhead keeps you from being blinded by your sudden appearance in this land of watercolor greens and blues.

It seems you’ve appeared in the middle of a trail of some kind, judging by the dirt path beneath your feet. It winds across the uphill terrain and over gnarled roots, low branches forming a low ceiling that would force anyone to pick up their feet and keep their head down in order to progress. Even at a glance, it feels like a path that only a child could walk with any ease.

But, a path without a destination is hardly a path at all. Looking around to get your bearings, you notice mountain peaks towering above the trees in the uphill direction. Turning your head downhill and peering past the thicket of trees, however, you’re treated to quite the sight: A lake nestled into the valley, water sparkling like gemstones in the midday sun!

It seems you’ve arrived here in the midst of the journey, rather than at the beginning. Perhaps indicating the lake has influenced where you ended up, but you still have some hiking to do if you want to reach either locale before you.

What do you do?
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