Session 54, VP2

  (These notes were written by the player for Lauren, from Lauren's POV.) 

 

We buried Izu in the fields where she had passed. Something tells me that her bravery will remain as an echo for time yet to come.

 

When we get back to the Pokemon Center, Randolph stops us, wishing to speak to Bronze. He asks her if she knows Talullah. It seems she's been going around to the various camps and attempting to hire the fighters to try to kidnap Bronze again (because that worked so well the first time).

 

Randolph assures us that he and Selby didn't take the deal, but he's not sure who might've. I am positive that at least one of the Hammerfest participants took the deal. I would willingly take a punch from Skirlic if I'm wrong. I doubt anyone from Blademill would accept the offer, which just leaves the other contenders, and my gut says that they won't either, for any number of reasons.

 

While I doubt Aegson would take the offer, he'd be the only one I'd really be concerned about if he did. We can handle the others, in all likelihood. We could also probably take Aegson if it came down to it, but the cost…

 

We do some Pokemon maintenance and chat about how we want to handle Talullah while we wait for Sylvie and Donner to return from wherever they went off to. We don't get very far beyond agreeing that it'll be better to get ahead of this while we still can before they arrive.

 

Donner seems flustered about something, and while I politely do not even try to read his mind, I have a feeling somebody made some kind of suggestion that they're together in some way.

 

Sylvie seems rather oblivious to it as she lets us know that she beat Skirlic quite handily, they found Stikill, and then they met Snjor.

 

Sylvie determined that Stikill is a grass type, and adds that she texted Gunnar since Stikill sounds maybe Elder Vanic. Apparently it is— meaning point. Combining everything else we know about him, I strongly suspect that he is a Cacturne, and the others agree.

 

As for Snjor, apparently he hadn't slept in 5 days since the area was so different from what he is used to. Sylvie was able to soothe his anxiety, so he was able to sleep, though not before telling her that Talullah also tried to hire him and that her magic has a particular scent that he could also smell on Donner, so he figured Donner was under her mind control— ah. I think I see why Donner was flustered earlier.

 

We talk more about dealing with Talullah, and then we decide to head to the Hammerfest camp to hopefully pick up some clues as to where she is now or intends to go. As usual, they're grouped together, and as usual, they're not happy to see us.

 

Bronze asks them outright if any of them have been hired to kidnap her. One looks confused, a second is harder to read, but the other two— oh, they took the deal alright. Dagn and Saga; why am I not surprised.

 

There's some back and forth, Dagn making some odd accusations from what I know our interactions with him to be, but perhaps when Sylvie and Bronze went off this morning, something happened to extra spook him— confirmed when Bronze admits she used her vision power in front of him and Sylvie used her telekinesis powers.

 

I feel a headache coming on but at least try to listen to the rest of the conversation. Bronze offers that if they tell us where Talullah went, she'll let them beat her up in a match tomorrow, but Saga manages to talk Dagn out of it. Clearly, we're getting nowhere with these people, so we decide to try the Blademill camp.

 

As I figured, none of the Blademill folks took the offer, and after what happened with Elof, they had kicked her out of the camp promptly. Gudar thinks the vampires are after Bronze now too, and well… close enough to not really correct him. Gudar promised his help if we needed it, so we got his number.

 

After that, we brainstorm where else she might go, and we decide to try the gym next. Skirlic and a few others are still around cleaning up, and Bronze loudly asks them the same question— have they been asked to kidnap her? Skirlic raises her eyebrows and looks to me, but I shrug. She seems mildly…offended? at being asked such a question, but Bronze manages to defuse her a little by admitting that she doesn't really think Skirlic would agree— she is honorable— but wanted to know if she had even been approached. Skirlic said no, as did the others in the gym, so there's another bust.

 

Just before we leave, Skirlic stops Bronze and emphasizes that the next time she needs to ask such a question, to do so more privately. Bronze agrees, so she lets us go.

 

We're grasping at straws at this point, so I suggest trying an inn. I don't think she's actually staying there, but she might've been there at some point.

 

Sylvie and Bronze lead the discussion with the innkeeper, who ends up bringing us a "for hire" posting that was listed earlier. It looks like a whole contract and is signed as T.Y., so that's enough to convince Bronze that it was Talullah. She tips the innkeeper and we head out to discuss our next steps away from public ears.

 

We end up calling/waking up Randolph to ask if he would be willing to put in his information at the drop location indicated on the contract. He refused money, but asked instead for the chance to meet Perthro. I text said mummy and receive a thumbs up, so it sounds like we should be good to go.

 

We troop back to the Pokemon Center and end up all sleeping in the blanket fort again. It should be comforting to be able to hear Bronze's tinkering and our sleeping friends, but I just can't seem to get my brain to stop overthinking everything. I know there's no point in dwelling on the things I can't control, but my usual tricks didn't work very well. Even vaulting for a bit didn't really help, though it was enough of a help to let me get a little sleep.

 

I still wake up far too early, wisps of a nightmare I'd started having before waking up on the periphery. I just get up and start making breakfast for everyone in the Pokemon Center and Skirlic.

 

As I'm wrapping Skirlic's sandwich, Sylvie announces that she's going to go check on Snjor and ensure he does wake up. I decline accompanying her since I need to get to the gym, but the others go with her.

 

As I enter the gym, Skirlic asks me first to get any weird questions out of the way. I just ask if she wants breakfast and offer her the sandwich I made. She thinks about it for a bit before eating it with a quick thanks. I'm glad she at least seems to enjoy it.

 

Before we head over to the arena, I remember to tell her that if a giant robot shows up, she should just pretend it's not there. She glared at me since it's an odd thing to say, but it wasn't a question, so it doesn't count as a weird question. She decides to ignore me for the moment, and we head out.

 

There's only two matches today since Aegson dropped out and Hemming was murdered— Audun vs Oydis and Stikill vs Ms. Fjalarr. The first is a good match with Oydis coming out the victor, the second…

 

Ms. Fjalarr seems to have an incredible pain tolerance. She does not falter even as her own hits to Stikill injures herself. Stikill hangs on for a long time, but he's defeated this time with a rather insulting flick to the face.

 

There's a few announcements while the crowds disperse. I check if Skirlic needs me for anything else, and to both of our relief, no. I head up to Bronze since I know she's in the stands, and I don't like the idea of leaving her alone, even if she's in public. That didn't stop Talullah before.

 

From the bleachers, I can see that Reinhold has gone to chase down Ms. Fjalarr. Before I can look for Sylvie, Bronze tells me she made second breakfast, and I look at her in horror, asking if anybody ate it. She explains that they invited Snjor to breakfast while getting some tales of what it's like in his homeland. He ate everything I had left behind but was still hungry, so Bronze offered to cook for him and nobody stopped her.

 

My stomach churns as she describes her process of making what she's dubbed "Cock-a-Doodle-Stew". Oats and a whole chicken fresh? from Snjor's beard, and a nightmare of other ingredients. Snjor took a bite and proceeded to vomit all over her. She says that she claimed it's a compliment from where he's from, but I think everyone else knows that was a bold-faced lie to avoid making her feel bad.

 

As she finishes her tale, I feel a rapid pinging from Sylvie. I stand and start looking for her. I don't see her from the stands so I send back questions— where is she and what does she need me to do? She lets me know where she is and that she wants me to come to her, and I immediately start to leave the bleachers, Bronze thankfully following behind me.

 

We arrive to find Stikill barely clinging to life while Sylvie rummages in her bag for an antidote— the  antidote, in fact. The type booster Sylvie had given to Stikill earlier is glowing verdantly, evidently working overtime. Antidote administered, Sylvie dashes off to catch up with Reinhold while Donner, Bronze, and I are tasked with getting Stikill to the Pokemon Center.

 

Donner carries Stikill despite the scratches he receives from doing so. Bronze clears the way for us, and I look through my contacts. I can't call Skirlic or Ilvri or anyone else that would be appropriate— except for Gudar. I call him and ask him to send Ilvri to the Pokemon Center, which he agrees to do.

 

The Blisseys take over Stikill's care once we arrive, and I check on Donner. He assures me it's nothing but superficial scratches and tells me not to worry (but what if they get infected? I want to argue) but Reinhold and Sylvie arrive, and we make the decision to take the upcoming conversation away from the cursed entryway of this Pokemon Center. I tell the nurse on staff that we're expecting Ilvri and to please send her back to us when she arrives, and we pile into the blanket fort.

 

We know who did it and how, but we can't prove it and we don't know why. Reinhold theorizes she knows he's a pokemon and wanted to punish him for "tomfoolery" because pokemon aren't supposed to be in the tournament. He says she's a lot like Aegson in that she'll accomplish her goal no matter what the cost. Which leads to Sylvie suggesting that maybe it's not personal to Stikill and that he's just a test run for the future fighters.

 

There's a lot we don't know, but there's one time I know Ms. Fjalarr won't be in her tent— during her match tomorrow against Oydis— and I suggest sending Bronze to get her journal. She's willing so long as she isn't alone, and I agree.

 

Ilvri arrives and seems amused that we're in a blanket fort but decidedly sits in it with us. I tell her that we have seen the first use of the poison we warned her about and who it was used on. She worries that if she were to take decisive action on it, it would really bother Skirlic, but I assure her that it's not why we're telling her— we just want her to know since it might come up during a match tomorrow, either against Oydis or the final against one of her people or something else— after all, we don't know why she's doing what she's doing.

 

She and I are on the same page about telling Skirlic, and Sylvie asks if she has advice for how to tell her. She warns us that she may not take action since Stikill isn't a human, but she will take threats to human lives seriously. I plan on being straightforward and honest with her since I know she's not one to beat around the bush.

 

Ilvri takes her leave and I escort her out since I'm going to go talk to Skirlic right away anyway. Reinhold tags along with me while Sylvie starts making another dose of the antidote. I want to tell her to make two doses, but there's only enough ingredients for one, so it'll have to do.

 

Just as we get to the gym, I get a call from Bronze. She says that Randolph had called her and asked for us to come over "sooner than later". I tell her that Reinhold and I will head that way once we're done talking with Skirlic, and once we hang up, I let Reinhold know what's up.

 

The employee at the desk of the gym is terrified of us as we walk in the door, still paranoid about the letter that Ariela had left in his gi from our first encounter with Skirlic. I should probably tell him that the letter had been for Skirlic and was not intended to be a threat, but it feels like a better conversation for another time, and I just tell him that we'd like to speak with Skirlic again.

 

She's not happy to see me again, particularly so soon after we were able to be separate, and the feeling's mutual. I ask if we can talk in her office or somewhere less public, and she acquiesces grouchily.

 

I tell her the same as I told Ilvri, essentially, though she doesn't know yet that Stikill is a Pokemon. I then inform her of that fact, and I get to watch her face as she realizes that a Pokemon has managed to fool her and everyone involved in the tournament. :) Ah, would that Stikill could've won it all…

 

She is quiet for a long moment, and I suggest that maybe she doesn't kill him. She assures me that she has no intention of killing him— merely catching him and putting him in a box for all of eternity, never to see the light of day again for ruining the sanctity of her precious tournament. I tell her I won't interfere… but don't make any promises that I won't tell someone else who might.

 

As Ilvri had hinted she might, Skirlic declares that no crime had actually been committed since Stikill is a Pokemon. Whatever.

 

I remind her that the next opponent is Oydis, her town's sole remaining representation in the tournament, and that while we don't know if Ms. Fjalarr will use the poison against her, it's a distinct possibility. 

 

I also remind Skirlic of everything we know about the poison— how it's used, the scent of it, and I emphasize that if Oydis smells the poison, she needs to give a signal so we can be ready to administer the antidote. Skirlic asks that we stand by next to the arena, ready to use it if needed. I agree to this.

 

Our conversation wraps up here, and we head over to Randolph and Selby's tent as promised. Sylvie meets up with us, and we watch Bronze from a small distance as she talks to Talullah and tries to get her robot to come out of the tent and leave the pair of Streamsford fighters alone.

 

They eventually compromise by going to the open tent flap, though I catch Randolph thinking that he better get to meet Perthro for all of this, and I see that the foot of the robotic bird (likely a Taillow) is gripping his hair pretty tightly. I know exactly how that feels since Oli had to learn the right strength to use when he perched on my head, so I wince in sympathy. I hope Perthro gives him a magical experience.

 

Bronze asks Talullah what's next, and it's quiet for a long time, long enough for me to wonder if the bot malfunctioned or something. But finally, Talullah tells her that she needs Bronze's help.

 

Cool. Great. Someone else to help.

  

I know we'll help; Bronze wants to, and even if she was reluctant, we still would.

 

But I have a feeling I won't be sleeping well tonight either… more to consider, to plan, to handle. For every issue we resolve, another pops up…

 

Well, I suppose we better find out what she needs help with so we can at least start figuring that out.