Test 5.

[azumods]

VERITY The journey this month has been easier on you in several ways; despite your losses, your numbers have been bolstered by the addition of two more this month, and unlike the unforgiving terrain on the way to Lake Acuity the routes to Lake Verity seem downright hospitable - they're straightforward, the climate is far more temperate, and there are patches of cheer visible here and there along the paths in the form of those brightly-colored flowers, even as you make your way toward the lakefront. But the lakefront itself is perhaps unsettlingly silent; a reminder, perhaps, of what you're here to do, of the importance of your task. You'll reach the lake sometime in the evening. The sun isn't down yet, but it looks as though it won't be too long before it dips below the horizon; there's more than enough light for you to see what the lake itself looks like, however - the water is still and clear, to an extent where you can see straight down to the bottom regardless of how deep it gets. There's no bridge or other way to cross over the lake that you can see, but once again there's a large rock formation rising out of the center of the lake and a good-sized opening in the stone, leading to what's likely a system of caverns further inside. Your exploration starts here, next to the crystal clear waters of Lake Verity; what happens next is up to you.

Comments

TEST.

[azumods]

[Okay, so.

Lucas is still...sort of having difficulty focusing on all this, but at least he does seem to be taking all of it in; he'll stand up eventually from where he's been sort of awkwardly playing with Duma and face the group properly again.]

I don't think you're bad people. And I don't think you'll hurt the Guardian! You're all...really nice, it's like people used to be here. So if you say you'll help, then you'll help.

But I think you've all been dragged into this without knowing what you're getting into, and that isn't... It isn't right. I want to see how far you've come - if we do this, a lot of thngs are going to change. And I want to know you're ready, I want to know it'll be okay.

[He shifts his grip on that Pokéball again.]

I want you to prove it to me. Before we go any further.

[Your goal is to gain passage to the entrance to the next chamber.]

[hyruglyphics]

[ ... Oh! ]

Are you... proposing a battle? Or - how best shall we prove it to you?

[azumods]

If that's how you think you can best prove this to me, then you can. It's how we used to do things, but we don't have to if you have better ideas.

[eudaimonikos]

[...mmmmmmm, not sure about that! Last battle they had outside this group did not go great!]

Would you like an ethical treatise on why this is what we have to do regardless of the danger? Because I can present one of those.

[azumods]

[...Uh.]

You...

[You fucking have one. Good lord.]

Sure.

[enjoymyatelier]

Ah! So you'd like a friendly battle, then?

[he says it pretty cheerfully!]

Well, I suppose I shouldn't hog all of them. If anyone else wants to go before me, then please, go ahead.

[azumods]

[oh my god]

Even if they decide to do something else, i'll battle you if you want. Afterwards.

[swiftasacoursingkawa]

Er...

[Cheek scratch...]

I...uh...did promise Jupiter a battle, so I should see if I've improved, right?

[he's volunteering, he guesses? Kinda? Sorta? Unless you don't want him to, or anything?]

[thunderwolf]

Depends on if our Pokemon are even up for that right now.

[Eustace would totally be down for a battle, but...yeah...he saw how Bolt was acting, and it wasn't good.]

[gekkaju]

[Atsushi tightens his grip on Chazuke.]

Do you want us to battle you, Lucas-kun?

[He's a little wary, mostly because all the Pokemon have been so affected by this place...would they even have it in them to?]

[azumods]

If that's how you decide you can best prove yourselves, then yes.

[heritrix]

[She thinks she gets what Lucas is trying to say. She first suspected it with the way he spoke to Emmeryn before, but this proves it.]

A battle, right?

[That's the way they do things in this world.]

Do you have medicine to treat your team for when we're through?

[azumods]

If that's how you think it's best. I won't argue, it's how we used to do things around here before everything changed. I'd...like it, but we don't have to.

[...Anyway.]

And yeah, I do. I didn't know what it'd be like in here, so I brought a lot of supplies for both me and the Guardian if we needed it.

[semistableman]

I don't battle.

[It's said honestly, matter-of-fact. It's clearly important to people here so there's no judgement in his tone.]

But I want to prove myself to you, Lucas.

[azumods]

If you have another way, we can do that.

[...]

Not everyone battled, you know. There were some that were breeders - they just raised Pokémon to be the best they could be. So it's fine if you don't, even here. Not everyone did.

[anythingforyou]

[...hmm. On one hand, everyone they'd even attempted to fight against had creatures that were entirely too strong to take on, but on the other hand...]

If it's a battle that you seek, I'm certain we could provide you with one. And truthfully...I would like to, if you are amendable.

[...she hasn't let out any of her partners yet, but she kind of seems excited?]

[azumods]

If it's what you want to do, we can do that. I'll battle you anyway, even if you guys choose something else.

[divinedescendant]

[...friend?? friend??? pats???? no more pats?????? please this cave is already so miserable and now Duma ISN'T BEING PETTED he's GOING TO CRY, and he just sort of sadly boops Lucas's leg with his face a couple of times before Emmeryn calls his name and he very sadly waddles back to her. look what you've done, Lucas.]

My apologies. He does seem to quite like you, though.

I am grateful for your trust in us, even if it is yet incomplete.

[azumods]

...I can pet him some more later, if he wants. We'll have time; I'm not the only thing between you and the Guardian, so I can keep him occupied then while you guys figure the rest out. If you get far enough.

[takestheblame]

A battle...even if we don't win, the least we can do is show you how much our teams and us have bonded.

[Show their bonds, show they can rely on each other and do their best. It's a good thing victory isn't the answer they need to reach]

[azumods]

...Yeah. If you want to battle for that...that's a good reason, I think.

[perfectselfie]

I don't think I'd be any good at a battle - if I was from here, I think I'd be a breeder, or something else. But I want to tell you about what's happened since we've been here.

It might not completely convince you, but it's the best thing I can do.

[azumods]

Yeah - yeah, I'd like hearing that, sure.

[His gaze kind of shifts again a little, but it doesn't seem like a bad thing; almost shy, maybe, if he were fully capable of that.]

[radiantflame]

I am willing to battle you.

[She had returned her 'mons to their pokeballs when they entered the cave, but now she calls forth Gible.]

We've trained and battled amongst ourselves, but I've yet to engage a native of this world in a friendly spar.

[redbellion]

...I'll battle you, Lucas.

[ his pokemon aren't much. they're still so small, and they don't stand a chance against his. but...if he can show lucas how far they've come--if that's what lucas is looking for--then he thinks that maybe he'll stand a chance. maybe he can prove something to him, like the others. ]

If you don't already have your hands full, that is. My Pokemon aren't like yours, but maybe we've got what you're looking for.