Pokemon Tabletop United

Ylva raises an eyebrow at Theo's conversational gymnastics, managing not to grimace when reminded of her swift ejection from what had more or less been home. There hadn't even been time for the traditional send-off ceremony - not that she cares about window dressing like that, but a measure of decorum would have made the whole thing a lot less-

"-on this pilgrimage?"

Oh Arceus she's missed a question. Quick. She could keep staring at - him? No. That's just weird. Which leaves...

"Sorry, could you repeat that?" Ylva asks, mentally discarding any further explanation as unnecessary. Not to mention complicated.

Theo gladly takes the opportunity to make up for forgetting Ylva's name.

"I was just asking where're you most looking forward to visiting on this pilgrimage?" Theo asks, consciously toning down their frozen grin for what Theo hopes comes across as a friendly smile.

Ylva scrambles for an answer that isn't 'nowhere, because I only found out I was going yesterday', seizing on the first place that springs to mind.

"Steepslope Research Centre. My... have a friend who works there."

"Oh, neat. Yeah. I didn't meet a lot of people from that way, what with the extremely hostile desert and all, but yeah. Would be worth stopping by, see if the rumours about them dismantling the fabric of reality hold up." Theo laughs a bit, relaxes a bit more when they gauge that Ylva doesn't place too much stock in the doomsayers either. "I never saw any weird lights or ominous portals to horrible alternate dimensions up north, but-"

Theo raises and separates their hands across Ylva's field of vision, as though envisioning a headline printed nice and large on the front of the Regisalam Daily. "'Human Knowledge Advances; Apocalypse Postponed Indefinitely' just doesn't make for a good story."

Theo shakes their head a bit, patting down stray bits of uncooperative hair. "Me, I cannot wait to get out this damn suit and hit the road. Anywhere there's forests, really, anything but these fucking concrete mausoleums, you know?"

"I'm not-- That isn't-- Will you--"

And then a weight lifts from his shoulders, and Lucian is suddenly aware that his fists are balled and his spine is bent farther out of shape than usual. He takes a deep breath and relaxes. For very specific, highly inaccurate values of relax.

"--You... You. Seem confused."

Finally unburdened of Nando Nandando? are you fucking serious, Lucian's vertebrae grind back to that ephemeral state of verticality. His teeth take the opportunity to grind along in tune. "Age and maturity do not equate. We are all children after some or another fashion or there would be no point to this exercise."

He deflates with the hiss of a dying bellows. Only the barest hint of a vowel at the end suggests this is, in fact, laughter. "And I fear you may have missed what little point is alleged to exist. Come out of a journey to see what we can accomplish together in peace and become a shining paragon of the individual's ability to wage war."

Lucian kneels, shuffling loose sheets into a neat packet. Another laugh, more clearly so but no less ugly. "Look where you are indeed. I'll have to read this piece of work some time. Can't begin to imagine what lessons it will teach."

Caroline is stunned into silence by the triple insult. On the verge of tears and unable to find any meaningful way to communicate, she walks to the buffet table, grabs a bowl of punch, and proceeds to hurl it across the room.

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SpoilerRolling Athletics to successfully throw a bowl of punch at Lucian's head

I don't have time to write speeches but I can roll dice at work:

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Spoiler3d6 + 2 vs 10 = 14

Success!

The punch bowl sails majestically through the air like a delicious comet with a sticky tail of fruit juice, until its flight is rudely interrupted by Lucian's head.
It's... lucky that's plastic and not glass.

Ylva nods in agreement with Theo's statement - while her uniform fits her just fine, something about Regisalam and the pyramid in particular just feels... off somehow. The interior of the pyramid being on constant lock-down notwithstanding; that's been the subject of tabloid controversy and conspiracy theories for decades.

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to getting out of here as well. I only hope we make it out of the front door before the rest of our group-"

Ylva cuts off, finally noticing that the punch she's trying to ladle into her cup has suddenly vanished and been replaced by a rather irate Caroline. The mystery is promptly resolved as the punch bowl thunks loudly off of Lucian's head.

The bowl knocks Lucian at an angle, takes a triple-somersault over his head and empties itself of punch, before landing inelegantly near the other table and woogling to a standstill.

Lucian, not adequately equipped to deal with being coated in sticky fluid, stares blankly at the juice-soaked papers in front of him. Gradually, haltingly, his brain flickers back to life and, still stunned, picks up where it left off: "Maybe not this particular copy, though."

Theo, rooted to the spot, wordlessly takes out the previously-assembled trail mix from their pocket, a live-action popcorn.gif.

Caroline glares at Lucian for only a moment before quickly covering her face and rushing outside.

"Stop!"
Coralei's shout probably comes a little late but it's not like she can really ignore the fact that her 'nice little chat' has descended into chaos.

"Look, you are having misgivings and that's fine but if you thought you had nothing to gain from this you wouldn't be here in the first place. You're just in it for the rewards? That's fine, you don't need to enter into something with the goal of experiencing personal growth for it to happen.

At the end of the day, despite whatever books I may have written, that is not even the point of the exercise. It's just a side effect. All we really want is to make sure we're not just raising three more generations of racists. If you can manage to come out of this lacking the desire to invade your neighbouring towns, you don't need to do anything else."

She stops to rub her temples, prompting Batsie to glare around the room in reproval.

"If it gets you to finish your trip then by all means do it with the express goal of learning absolutely nothing and coming back to demonstrate the fact and spite me, I will even get a little badge made for you.
You've already taken the first step of your quest by clearly demonstrating your previous claim of being a child! If you feel like taking any more steps, there are rooms available backstage for you to get changed.

Please feel free to enjoy whatever food you haven't thrown on the ground before you leave, but I think it's pretty clear that Champion question time is over."

Turning with an imperious sweep the league champion departs down one of the stairwells behind the stage, her winged companion taking a couple more seconds to squeak angrily at the assembled before fluttering after her.
The photographer departs too with a story quite possibly more valuable than a hopeful interview from a fresh pilgrim, chuckling quietly to himself.

______________________________________________________

Caroline finds herself outside of the Elite Four Pinnacle... obviously. Though she saw the city on the way in, the group mostly entered through the North gate rather than than the South, and the view is a little different from this side. Less shade to start with.

Map:

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Spoiler

Regipolis is a city with buildings built into the side of a stepped pyramid. The South face is mostly residential, but nearer the top contains services designed chiefly for new trainers leaving the capital for the first time.
This is your chance to stock up on supplies before finally hitting the road!

Antisocial people that you (mostly) are, there is obviously the option of simply walking up to the cashier with an item from the shelves, paying for it and then leaving, but you might be able to get a better price with a bit of haggling. Or some tips about what you might actually want to take with you.
Or maybe you're in a hurry, I'm not going to judge.

Shop Inventories:

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Pokemon Medical Supplies:

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Potion- p200
Antidote- p200
Paralyze Heal- p200
Awakening- p200
Burn Heal- p200
Ice Heal- p200
Revive- p300

Pokemon Capture Tools:

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Pokeball- p250
Friend Ball- p500
Nest Ball- p650

Hand Net- p100
Reinforced Hand Net- p600
Weighted Net- p500
Durable Weighted Net- p850

Glue Cannon- p3000
Glue Cannon Ammunition- p100

Old Rod- p1000

General Outfitters:

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Fancy Clothes- p5000
Contest Accessory- p1500
Expert Belt- p3500
Winter Cloak- p3500
Sunglasses- p2000
Snow Boots- p1500
Jungle Boots- p1500
Running Shoes- p2000

Survival Equipment:

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Spoiler
Bandage- p300
Enriched Water- p75
Energy Powder- p150
Mental Herb- 300
Energy Root- 500

X Attack- p350
X Special- p350
X Speed- p350

Darkvision Goggles- p1000
Gas Mask- p1500
Helmet- p2250
Light Shield- p3250

Lucian, still a little stunned (or maybe just mildly concussed), staggers backstage to change. Boxbot tromps along behind, trailing loose pages and sticky juice.

Theo thinks they look perfectly fine in their suit, thanks very much, and would counter that their hiking gear's stashed in the back room, but Nando's not having any of that.

"Ok, no, wait-"

Theo digs their heels in as the duo pass the medical supplies shop, but more importantly passing a few side streets and other avenues Caroline might've run down. Putting most of their weight into yanking on Nando's arm, Theo eventually screeches the both of them to a halt.

"I've got my own clothes, thanks. They're back up with the rest of my kit, including my wallet, oh and if you try start dictating what I'm going to wear I will stuff a Toxic Orb in whatever hole you leave open while you sleep. Ok?"

Theo gets no immediate argument as they gently but firmly take Nando's hand and remove it off their person. "Ok. On a less disagreeable note, I agree about Caroline. Let's find her and calm her down before we go on a shopping trip."

Through tears Caroline stares down the South Gatehouse, mumbling a song to herself.

"I tried so hard, and got so far..."

She pauses to wipe her nose on her sleeve.

"But in the end, it doesn't even matter..."

"Hiking boots would arguably be better on this goddamn pyramid..." grumbles Theo. For Caroline's sake, they offer a proposition.

"Let me go get changed, into my hiking gear and I was not joking about the Toxic Orb if you still wanted to contest that point, Nando, and then I can search the streets faster. You... do a run-through of each of the shops."

Theo figures the last thing Caroline wants to do is stock up for a journey with that one asshat, so they've got better odds of tracking Caroline down before Nando.

Nando might try to continue the conversation, but Theo raises a finger and an eyebrow in warning, then turns tail and makes tracks for their gear.

Ivy sighed, looking from the pink punch stain splattered across the bottom of her skirt to Theo and Nando's retreating backs, to the stairwell Coralei had disappeared down.

"Well...that...probably could have gone a bit smoother, yeah?" she said, flashing a rueful grin towards Ylva as her shoulders sagged.

Reaching behind her back she retrieved a pokeball that had been tucked into the bow on the back of her dress, tapping the button to release a sleepy looking Cottonee who proceeded to float up and settle itself gently on top of her head. Ivy sighed, but seemed to relax slightly. She was never quite sure what the etiquette was with regard to releasing pokemon indoors, even quiet, well-tempered ones, but after that little fiasco she doubted anyone would scold her.

"Ah...I...I don't mind waiting for Lucian if you'd like to catch up with the others. H-hopefully we can settle things down a little before we set out..."

She looked around for something to keep her hands busy and settled for trying to mop up some of the punch with a handful of napkins from one of the tables.

Nodding in response to Ivy's rueful assessment of the meeting, Ylva considers the unfinished plate in her hands. She'd been expecting more time to fill up at the buffet, but it seems that much like yesterday details like farewells are going to be cut short... or cut entirely. The guards' frequent glances towards the trio remaining in the room say as much. Without the Champion escorting them Ylva and her companions are apparently security risks first, honored pilgrims a distant second.

"if you'd like to catch up with the others. H-Hopefully we can settle things down a little before we set out..."

Ylva manages to snap out of her musing in time to catch the tail end of Ivy's offer. While she isn't particularly looking forward to seeing Lucian again, she also isn't about to leave Ivy to face the ornery roboticist alone after a scene like that.

"Agreed. We're not going to get very far throwing punch bowls at each other every step of the way. And thanks for the offer, but I'll wait for Lucian as well. I think I might need to have a chat with him."

Ylva briefly admires Ivy's valiant effort to clean up a bowlful of punch with dime-a-dozen napkins before heading towards an alcove near the entrance to the room. She returns moments later with a hastily requisitioned mop and bucket and sets to work.

Theo returns to the sight of the cleanup crew, already having divested themselves of their necktie and working on the suit cuffs.

"Ah. Shit." They grin a bit. "So the shopping was just a ruse of his to get off cleaning duty. Men."

Theo hovers for a bit, drifting in the general direction of backstage without looking like they're trying to bail. "Do you guys need a hand? I was gonna get changed, run out, try find Caroline before Nando did..."

"You needn't bother."

Lucian strides out in a slightly grubbier (but unsticky) labcoat. Boxbot staggers along behind him, encumbered with a new passenger: An Abra lounges atop the machine, either trying to decipher some soaked pages or trying to think the juice out of them. Either way, it isn't working.

"At least I hope the Elite have yet to replace their janitorial staff with the charity of strangers."

"Hahahaha ok, but seriously."

Theo moves to intercept the roboticist; considers for a moment putting a hand on his shoulder or something, but thinks better of it. They rest a hand on their hip, where Kaddy resides instead.

"You're obviously compensating for some kind of insecurity, if it only takes a bowl of punch to put your nasty little fire out."

If Lucian tries edging around Theo, Theo makes sure to not let Lucian through.

"I don't care what your problem is, I'm not your friend or your therapist or whatever. If you think anyone in this group isn't worth your time to try stop being your asshole self though, I think you should leave. Preferably sooner."

Lucian is cowed by this display of dominance: He stares vacantly at some indeterminate point behind Theo and grinds his teeth on imagined cud. Belatedly, wearily, he meets their stare. "I don't--"

careful

A pause, a frown, a glance to the side. "...I don't think," he begins anew, "that I could make that judgement without more information." After a moment's consideration, he hacks out no a laugh. "Glad to see" no "one of us" stop "is thus unencumbered."

A bony, calloused hand jabs forward. Lucian nearly manages an unhostile grimace. "Doctor Lou-siyan Man-dragorra, at your mercy."

eurgh

christ

Theo accepts the handshake without hesitation, gripping a little too firmly and baring their teeth just enough to show it's deliberate, did you know humans are the only animals that show their teeth when they're happy?

"Theo Fore-min. You're struggling with civility, let alone anything close to pleasant, aren't you?"

Theo's eyes light up, the way they do when they've found a wild Pokemon out in the woods, fighting that temptation common to all biologists (the ones who do it out of love for the subject matter, anyway) to intervene, to interact, experience, rather than observe like a good scientist.

"You're like a bloody Ursaring fresh out of hibernation with your attitude. So go on, what would you really rather be doing right now, Mr. Lou-shin Man-dragor-ra at my mercy?"

The grimace returns quickly enough, but somewhere between casual bear references and the attempt at a humorous misnomenclature crystallizes a scowl of actual frustration. Lucian's reflexive fist-clenching backfires, as Theo grasps harder in turn. He bares his teeth in kind, though not in the manner particular to humanity.

"Right at this very moment I would like to be preparing for the journey which everyone else is so eager to begin. Any honest intent behind your curiosity can be saved for such a time as you deem me worth your oh-so-valued courtesy. So. In your own time. I request. That you kindly. Back off."

Theo raises their eyebrows, before quitting with the animalistic posturing and clamping their grin closed into a tight-lipped smirk. A final pump of the handshake before backing off, hands raised in a placating fashion.

"Done and done. Let's all meet on the steps of the bank in... an hour?" Theo turns to Ivy and Ylva. "Does an hour sound good for you guys?"

Once they all reach some kind of agreement, Theo excuses themselves and heads backstage.

close one

you'll do better next time

"Shut up, Zeus."

"You sure this was the right day gramps? It's been a while since that photographer came out..."
"Yes I'm sure! Don't talk back to your elders!
They're probably still getting advice from the Champion, she does like to Take an Interest."
"Likes the sound of her own voice more like..."


An Old Man and someone who is presumably his grandson are bickering outside of the Capture Supplies store, next to a handmade sign saying "Beat the Kid, Win some Pokeballs".
Someone's even drawn some battle lines in the dust with one of their feet, though wide as the pyramid steps are they make the crude arena a bit more cramped than ideal.

Thus far, nobody has taken them up on their publicity stunt.

"You think that one over there's a trainer?"
"The one who ran out crying? Nah, probably a lonely relative or something. They don't really look like trainer material do they?"

The kid, sighs, looks at the large doors that people continue not to emerge from, puts his hands to his mouth and yells.
"Step right up! Start your trip with a bang! Win a battle, get some gear! Supplies are limited! Today only!"

The old man shakes his head.
"Kids these days just don't know how to go on adventures."