Session 55, VP2

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

As it turns out, Talullah needed help getting away from some of the mercenaries that she had hired. She mentioned there were five of them. She didn't have their names but described them well enough to reveal that indeed, Dagn and Saga were involved, as was Oydis. There were two fellows we haven't met that sounded troubling. Talullah explained that she had paid these people, but the two warriors had realized that she had more money and decided to tie her up and take her stuff. They were outside of the closet she was placed in, drinking gratuitously.

 

She determined where she was with some echolocation and triangulation and was ready to guide us to her location, but we decided to swing back into the Pokemon Center to see if we could get Stikill to come with us since we weren't sure how quickly Skirlic would pursue him.

 

He was well enough to travel with us, and Tallulah led us to an abandoned warehouse district. Bronze was able to look through the walls and determine that all five mercenaries were within. We staged an ambush. Bronze bust in the front door, Reinhold came in through a window on the west side, I came from the east, while Sylvie snuck through a window in the back to free Talullah.

 

The fight was rather chaotic. The two larger mercenaries, apparently Hergr and Dergr, have elemental weapons and armor. Eventually I determine that Dergr is wearing Fairy-related armor and wields weapons of Grass and Bug. Never really looked into Hergr— Reinhold was fighting him and was holding his own quite well. Noticing that Oli's Ominous Wind did a decent amount of damage to at least Hergr and without any other ghost moves available, I ended up transforming into my soul bonded pokemon and fighting them myself for a few rounds while Oli stays out of the fray. As it turns out, Dergr has Talullah's pokemon on him, but we're able to retrieve and return it successfully.

 

Dergr has a penchant for doing the things we do back to us, so he paralyzed King and I after he was paralyzed, and when he was later burned, he went to the firepit and threw the fire around the room, starting everything on fire. I'm still paralyzed but Sylvie thankfully comes and helps me. I don't have any pokemon that can fight fires on me, so I end up booking it to the Pokemon Center to get some, leaving Oli with everyone.

 

I'm not present for the rest of the fight, but I'm later told Sylvie slapped Dergr, so kudos to her. As soon as I get back, I send Imber out to help with the fire and hand Amalia and Thurston to others to get their help. Donner steps inside to fight the fire from within, and while I trust him implicitly and know that he can't be hurt by fire, I still about had a heart attack. Who willingly steps into a burning building like that??? Donner, apparently.

 

Other townsfolk and pokemon make their way over to help, and eventually we get the fire under control without having it spread to other locations. The building itself is a total loss, but thankfully, it isn't worse. There's a hole in the middle of the floor, where the two brothers must have escaped the blaze, but at least Talullah's bag was left behind, so Imber is able to help retrieve it. She also stumbles across a severed hand and a weapon. The latter is retrieved, while the former— nevermind.

 

Everyone is alive and relatively well. Skirlic shows up. Bronze takes the lead in talking to her, and I just pray that it isn't like the last time. She weaves a story that is at least plausible and suggests that the Hammerfest fighters were trying to help us rescue Talullah, rather than fight us. Skirlic is harder to read than ever, but I know she's growing increasingly frustrated with everything. She has no proof that we were involved in the blaze but she knows we had to be involved somehow. Everyone disperses, and we take Talullah back to the Pokemon Center, where she reveals her story to us.

 

Her parents have determined that funding for her advanced education will be withheld until Bronze is brought home. She has realized and now confirmed that Bronze isn't going back, so she's struggling to find her path forward. I suggested that she does something with her pokemon robots— they are rather incredible creations— which she dismissed as a hobby her parents disapprove of. Bronze gave her the premier ball she repaired and basically said, "Look at this silly hobby that my parents disapproved of". We asked her what she wanted to do, and made sure that she knew it was okay to not have an answer. I don't know if I have an answer for myself yet either, after all.

 

Honestly, if she decides she does want to pursue her hobby more, I might point her towards my teacher. They'd get along famously, and I feel like her bots could do a lot of good in the field. I don't want to put the idea into her head, so I won't mention it yet. It needs to be her decision.

 

Sylvie and I saw Stikill off. I promised Skirlic I wouldn't interfere with her plans to catch him, but Sylvie was the one to explain that he wasn't welcome in the town anymore. She suggested that he travel as we do, and someday, he'll find a place meant for him too. She let him keep the tattered remains of her rain coat, and he ended up hugging her— miraculously not injuring her in the process.

 

I hope he finds that place to belong. Everyone deserves that.

 

In the morning, Reinhold and Sylvie head to the Hammerfest camp to talk to the fighters while I head to the gym as usual. I think Donner, Talullah, and Bronze end up shopping?

 

What's first odd is that Skirlic isn't at the gym, and there's a notice on the door stating that it'll be closed for some time. I texted Sylvie, and she informs me she's not at the camp. I head over to the arena, and she isn't there either. The horns are blowing, the fighters are ready, but she isn't here. Even Ilvri is confused. I do a quick check to see if I can find her and determine that she is heading this way, so I simply wait, though I'm starting to feel some dread, which only increases as Skirlic doesn't come to her usual place and instead takes the stage with a sack in her hands.

 

She declares that the tournament is off since it's allegedly clear that outside forces have been collaborating to undermine it, and then she…

 

She declares war on Blademill by dumping Gudar's head out of the bag. A life for a life, she says. Blademill had best be out of town by noon, and the same goes for their minions, meaning us. She storms off, and I watch Ilvri head to the stage to pick up the head. She cradles it so carefully, so gently, and I want to scream.

 

Skirlic knows he didn't kill Hemming. There is proof. She murdered an innocent man. She chose her emotions and her pride over her logic and decided to throw everything aside to start a conflict that neither Blademill nor Hammerfest can profit from or afford. We are already at war, even if Hammerfest didn't already know it, and we will need every person and pokemon to prevent the end. We can't waste resources fighting each other.

 

But I guess the forces that wanted to get them to war against each other gets their wish.

 

I'm sorry, Ilvri. We tried desperately to keep your people safe. We didn't want anyone else to die on either side, but it didn't matter in the end. I wish with my entire heart that the rest of you are able to go home and live well.

 

Gudar, I'm sorry. You deserved so much better, but we couldn't get you out of the plot. I will do my best to find the rest of your body and give you a proper burial. We will remember you.

 

And Skirlic, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that we weren't able to prevent Hemming's death. I'm sorry that we managed to put our foots in our mouths in every interaction to where it made it impossible to trust us. We genuinely meant well and tried our best to help. We tried to be as transparent about the dangers that your people faced as soon as we learned of it. I know you resented us for all the weird things that came along with it. We're doing our best, and I'm sorry it wasn't enough. I'm sorry I'm not enough. Never enough.

 

I should've realized sooner, done better, worked harder. If I had just handled things properl—————

i'm so sorry