Frontier Town Traveller's Haus - Guest Rooms

[HelloYellow17]

Over the course of his life, Wes has been rudely awakened from sleep in a variety of ways. A telepathic voice crying out in a frenzied panic was not one of them, though.

“What? What?” He half-yelped the words as he stumbled out into the hallway, blinking the sleep from his eyes and trying to locate the source of the chaos. It didn’t take him long to find it—Steven, on the floor, being mauled by some sort of hideous scorpion mon. What—

For just a fraction of a second, he hesitated. This thing, this creature, there was hardly any doubt that it was Shadow from its movements and unearthly screeching and sheer aggression. No, no, no, he’d fought one before and had been hopelessly outmatched even with a type advantage, there was no way he could do anything here, no way he could—

Are you going to run away again? Wait too long like you did in Blaguarro? Stay back like a coward?

And then Odette and Archie and several other people were there and Odette pulled out a gods-damned gun from absolutely nowhere, where in the hell did she—

BANG. The gunshot rocked Wes back to his senses. The scorpion—it was just now occurring to him that this might be what a Skorupi looks like—continued its assault.

Wes ground his teeth in fury. Screw it. To hell with it. He darted forward and sent a flurry of sharpened pebbles at the creature’s flank.

 

[Inkedust]

Screeches, struggles and pleas for help did not phase the skorupi's relentless onslaught, if anything, it only drove it further. It was only the sound of others - more prey - approaching and crying out that broke it away from its only bliss. It held firm as its eyes darted from pokémon to pokémon - lingering the longest on Odette, Kimiko and Ridley. Was that a trick of the light or a savage grin?

No time to question as it let go of Steven, allowing him to fall to the ground, deftly hoping back into the beldum's room to avoid the oncoming attacks. It couldn't avoid them all however and it appeared to give Odette a particularly resentful glare for her shot. Steven's metallic body made a hollow sound when it collided with the floorboards.

Skorupi raised its tail and stingers threateningly before belting out an intimidating screech. They weren't getting out of this one without a fight.

Shadow Skorupi took 20 damage from the oncoming attacks!

Enemy Phase, Turn 0​

Grasping Instinct – Shadow Skorupi's Acc, Eva & Spd are raised by 2.

 

[Tetra]

"Steven!" Koa cried out. His heart hammered in his ears at the sight of Steven's mangled body. Everyone was already busy rushing to try and drive out the skorupi. His own instincts screamed at him to jump into the fight as well, fight the biggest threat, but he couldn't leave Steven just lying there. He rushed toward Steven without further thought. Adrenaline surged through him as he sprang to Steven's side and heaved in a vain attempt to move him anywhere that wasn't in the middle of the battlefield. The Beldum budged, but only barely. Too small, too weak.

"Archie!" he called desperately. "Help me!" The two of them could do it. They had to.

"I've got you Steven," he murmured softly, supressing the panic in his voice.

 

[Butterfree]

Dave woke with a start, heart pounding, not sure at first what'd roused him.

Then, another series of BANGs, and he bolted out of bed entirely, running out into the corridor.

Steven the Beldum was there, lying in the wreckage and splinters of a smashed door in the middle of the hallway in front of his room, sinister black corrosion creeping up his metallic body. A Skorupi held onto him by its jaws, twitching and chittering. Several other people were bursting out of the doors of their rooms, too, Betelgeuse's anxious voice in everyone's head saying Steven was being attacked by a Shadow.

His blood ran cold. Fuck. What the fuck? The Skorupi had chased them down from Blaguarro?

A Poochyena instinct in his brain told him to get the fuck out of here and never come back. He really couldn't fucking argue with it. He watched in slow motion as Koa dashed in to help. Wes was there, rushing past, charging right towards it.

"Hey!" Dave barked. His heart pumped furiously, his shoulder pulsing with phantom pain, a curious, growing surge of adrenaline competing with the urge to get away, Pokémon battle instincts rising with a frantic plan. There were a bunch of them. A perfect harmonious sense of exactly what everyone else was planning and thinking. It was just a Skorupi. Just a fucking Skorupi.

"Fuck," he growled, and he charged in too.

Spoiler: Turn 1

Dave (76 STM, 5 TMP, +0 SPD, +0 ACC)
- Howl (-18 STM, +2 TMP)
- Dash to Steven's Room (-2 TMP)
- AGILE Rage @ Skorupi (-6 STM, +2 TMP)
- Leer @ Skorupi (-14 STM, +2 TMP)
- Rage @ Skorupi (-4 STM, +2 TMP)
- Bite @ Skorupi (-17 STM, effect, -7 TMP, +2 TMP)
- Activate ability (Pickpocket) @ Skorupi's Spd
- **Bonus Action:** Focus (+5 TMP)
Net change: -59 STM, +6 TMP
Net totals: 17 STM (36 after regen), 11 TMP

Official permission to others to add a Walk to Hallway at the end of the turn if appropriate.

 

[Weazel]

His stab missed its mark, but between that, and the attacks of the others who’d appeared on the scene, the wider goal of driving the Skorupi back from Steven was a success. The scorpion leapt back through the splintered remains of a nearby door back into what – Archie assumed – was the Beldum’s room. The hollow thudding sound Steven made as he hit the ground echoed down the hallway. The Oshawott didn’t know any other Beldum, but, somehow, he got the feeling they weren’t supposed to sound so… Empty. The Steel Type was supposed to be immune to poisons, just what had this Shadow Pokemon done?

Archie stepped forward, placing himself between the prone Beldum and the Shadow Skorupi. He held the conjured blade of his Razor Shell with the pointed end facing towards the monster, eyes open, ready to jab or slash at it if it made another attempt at Steven. And, given everything he’d been told about Shadow Pokemon, he doubted this one would be particularly intimidated by their numerical advantage, which meant a fight in the tight confines of the hallway was almost inevitable. So, with that in mind, the most important thing right now was -

"Archie!" he called desperately. "Help me!"

The Oshawott looked over his shoulder, towards the source of the voice. Koa was trying to move Steven, but even with his body partially eaten away by the Shadow Pokemon’s seemingly acidic venom, the Beldum’s weight was too much for the Electrike alone to manage. Archie glanced towards the Skorupi again – the Pokemon had put up a threat display, but hadn’t yet advanced – and then back at Koa and Steven. Then he dismissed the Water Type energy from his Scalchop and returned the shell to its place on his belly. The most important thing right now was for them to evacuate their wounded comrade.

“Okay, we can do this!” He said, as he hurried to Koa’s side. He tried his best to sound reassuring, but Steven was clearly in a bad way. Under normal circumstances, Archie probably wouldn’t dare risk moving him. But these weren’t exactly normal circumstances. Still, he found a spot relatively far from the injured section, and braced himself against the Beldum. “Alright, we push on three. You steer, and I’ll follow your lead. Ready?”

He took a deep breath. Steadied himself. And then…

“Three!” The Oshawott pushed with all his might.

 

[HelloYellow17]

Wes felt as though he was flying down the hallway, his paws barely touching the floor and he sprinted at an unnatural speed. (Damn, being a Pokémon was useful sometimes.)

He didn’t allow himself to think as he rammed into the creature once, then twice, then fired a couple rock-type moves its way. Was that two different moves? He wasn’t sure. Adrenaline had taken over and he could think about little else except hit it and hit it hard.

The thing was putting up a hell of a fight, though, so Wes at least had the good sense to dart away after landing a few solid hits. He crouched low, narrowing his eyes, and felt a strange sense of energy gathering around him as he focused and followed the ugly bug’s every move.

Spoiler: Turn 1

Wes (66 STM, 5 TMP, +0 SPD, +0 ACC)
- Dash to Steven’s Room (-2 TMP)
- Quick Attack @ Skorupi (-6 STM, +3 TMP)
- Quick Attack @ Skorupi (-9 STM, +3 TMP)
- STRONG Rock Tomb @ Skorupi (-25.5 STM, +5 TMP)
- **Bonus Action:** Focus (+5 TMP)
- Rock Throw @ Skorupi (-4 STM, hit, -2 TMP, +3 TMP)
- Walk to Hallway
Net change: -45 STM, +15 TMP
Net totals: 21 STM (37 after regen), 20 TMP

[Flavor TBA]

 

[Goat]

Spoiler: Astrid turn 1

Astrid (72 STM, 5 TMP, +0 SPD, +0 ACC)
- Nasty Plot (-18 STM, +2 TMP)
- Dash to Steven’s Room (-2 TMP)
- AGILE CRITICAL Frost Breath @ Skorupi (-15 STM, hit, -2 TMP, +2 TMP)
- CRITICAL Frost Breath @ Skorupi (-10 STM, Sure Hit, +2 TMP)
- Combat Intel: Skorupi’s Def and Res
- **Bonus Action:** Dash to Hallway (-2 TMP)
- Walk to Guest Room 1
Net change: -43 STM, +0 TMP
Net totals: 29 STM (47 after regen), 5 TMP

Spoiler: Turn order

1. Dave
2. Kimiko
3. Astrid
4. Wes
5. Ridley
6. Odette

Spoiler: Playerside messages

Astrid’s Combat Intel:
Skorupi’s Defense: XXX
Skorupi’s Resistance: XXX

Ridley’s Combat Intel:
?


Dave’s Rage was dodged!
Dave’s Leer lowered Skorupi’s Def by 1!
Dave’s Rage dealt XXX damage to Skorupi!
Dave’s Bite dealt XXX damage to Skorupi! Flinched!
Dave stole 1 Speed stage with Pickpocket!

Kimiko’s Sing made Skorupi Drowsy!
Kimiko’s Round dealt XXX damage to Skorupi!

Astrid’s AGILE CRITICAL Frost Breath dealt XXX damage to Skorupi!
Astrid’s CRITICAL Frost Breath dealt XXX damage to Skorupi!

Wes’s Quick Attack dealt XXX damage to Skorupi!
Wes’s Quick Attack dealt XXX damage to Skorupi!
Wes’s STRONG Rock Tomb dealt XXX damage to Skorupi!
Wes’s Rock Throw dealt XXX damage to Skorupi!

Odette’s Brawler strike dealt XXX damage to Skorupi!

 

[Sinderella]

Odette felt apprehension tug at her nerves as the skorupi's eyes settled on her before skittering away. She had half a mind to help Steven, but her gun seemed to have actually done some damage to it. That was all she needed to know she needed to stay on the defensive. This was her chance to get a stronger hit off. Besides, that other oshawott and Koa had him.

The smoke had barely risen from her barrel before she bolted into the room after the bug, with Jawile chomping at the bit (literally) to get a nip in.

"̶O̷h̵,̸ ̶n̷o̶w̵ ̴y̴o̸u̷'̴r̴e̸ ̵r̶u̸n̴n̵i̷n̷g̴ ̵a̵w̸a̸y̵,̶ ̷b̴i̷t̴c̷h̷ ̶b̴o̶y̵?̶ ̷N̶a̶h̸,̴ ̸g̶e̴t̸ ̵i̶n̵ ̴m̵y̸ ̷f̷u̶c̴k̶i̶n̶g̸ ̶m̴o̷u̸t̵h̵ ̵y̸o̸u̴ ̸o̶v̷e̸r̵s̶i̴z̷e̷d̸ ̸p̵u̵b̴i̶c̷ ̵l̵o̶u̸s̵e̵,"̸ they hissed, drool dripping from their bared teeth.

Spoiler: Odette AUX Turn 1

Odette: Brawler AUX (Fairy) @ Skorupi

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Footsteps. Shouting. A sharp, but distant crack. Steven was hearing things from the bottom of a mud puddle. Only the impact with the ground was enough to jolt him back to his senses.

The searing, stabbing pain was gone. The skorupi had dropped him. But the venom it unleashed was still wreaking havoc. He let out a low, warbling groan.

He was too hot. He was too cold. He was shivering. Was he shivering? Could beldum even shiver? Wait, was that his name? Someone called his name.

His eye rolled in its socket, pinched tight from the pain. It was hard to focus. Who had said that? A field of blue filled his vision. Blue and, was that yellow? His eye would not stay steady.

“...Koa?”

He couldn't parse anything else. There were more voices, more blue. Suddenly, he began to move. His eye darted in panic. Had the skorupi come back? He tried and failed to pick himself off the floor. Try to escape, try to run—

But no pain came, at least not until the spot the skorupi bit him came in contact with the floor. The squeal that slipped out was clipped by a spasm that rocked him head to toe.

Where was he going? Where were they taking him?

“No, no—”

They had to run, save themselves. They had to save—a hazy, half-formed realization struck. The notebook. He was attacked, leaving the mayor's notebook unguarded.

“No— notebook,” Steven croaked. “Can't leave.”

Desperately, he stared at the opening his companions were pouring through. Maybe his saviors would understand.

“My room—”

His eye squeezed shut as a new wave of pain washed over him. Forget him; they needed to protect that notebook.

 

[Shadow Serenity]

The skorupi had evaded her attack, only to jump in the path of another. Odette had a gun, why did she have that?? Where did she get it? Did she feel that insecure about her own battle abilities? Kimiko had picked up on fighting as a pokemon surprisingly easily, and she figured if she could do it, then Odette would have picked it up like a second language. Or maybe she just felt more comfortable with the weapon in hand. Who knew.

Whatever the case, their combined assault had the desired effect - the shadow paused attacking the beldum further; momentarily immobilized by indecision on who to attack next, probably.

Then she caught the skorupi's attention lingering on her for just a second too long. It recognized her. Clearly the same skorupi from that night, then... They'd wondered if it had been feral. So was that knowing look significant?

The beldum looked bad, but that blue electrike and Archie had appeared and were tending to him. So instead, Kimiko chased the skorupi into Steven's room. At the watchtower, they hadn't had the ability to fight back. That might still hold true, but simply ignoring the bug wasn't an option this time.

She'd had a vague idea then, and that was what her panicked brain latched onto as they cornered the bug. So she started to sing at it; if she could slow it down, maybe everyone could stand a chance at avoiding its attacks, or even land some of their own.

[edited to add flavor]

Spoiler: Kimiko turn 1

Kimiko (75 STM, 5 TMP, +0 SPD, +0 ACC)
- Walk to Steven's Room
- **Bonus Action:** Focus (+5 TMP)
- Sing @ Skorui (-14 STM, hit, -6 TMP, +2 TMP)
- Round @ Skorupi (-11 STM, +3 TMP)
Net change: -25 STM, +4 TMP
Net totals: 50 STM (68 after regen), 9 TMP

 

[Hap]

Was it the same skorupi he'd seen in Blaguarro? Could it be the same skorupi? It felt impossible to believe that it had somehow stalked them all the way back from Blaguarro, but that was less insane then Ridley's instinctive, kneejerk panic that one of his nightmares had somehow crawled its way out of his brain and into the waking world.

The worst part was that he swore the thing recognised him. As its eyes flicked over the group he felt the way its focus lingered on him.

It was only through an effort of will that Ridley forced himself not to back away. Fleeing wasn't an option here - not with how eager the shadow charmeleon had been to track down every single member of their party, not with how the shadow skorupi had apparently followed them all the way from Blaguarro, not with how Steven was lying there limp and helpless - but could they really fight this thing? Could they win?

Much as his skin crawled at being this close to a shadow pokemon again, there was still that sense of thrill at the unknown. He wasn't sure that they had any hope of beating this thing, but...

Ridley was the only person here who'd been present for both shadow pokemon encounters, and more than that, he'd seen this specific one before. He'd had more than enough time to observe it, watching it skitter to and fro from a safe distance up on the watchtower. He wracked his brains for any information he'd managed to glean, anything he could communicate which might give his allies an edge.

- and then Koa and Archie darted past him, moving straight for the prone Steven, and Ridley hated himself a little for his own inaction. Fuck it; it wasn't like lingering in the hallway was going to keep him safe, not with how the shadow skorupi had shot at Odette. He forced himself into motion, following them into the room.

He braced himself in preparation to help move Steven, but -

“No— notebook,” Steven croaked. “Can't leave.”

"I'll get it," Ridley promised. He felt like a shitty person for abandoning Steven to focus on an inanimate object, but Steven had been carrying that notebook around with him ever since they'd stolen it from the mayor's vault. The information it contained was important.

He spotted the notebook and scrambled forwards to grab it.

Spoiler: action

Ridley (Aux Rogue/Spotter)
- Spotter Aux: Combat Intel @ shadow skorupi (AI)

 

[Inkedust]

Player Phase, Turn 1​

Attacks flew, making an even greater mess of the hall and what was left of Steven's room. Now divorced from Steven's body, the skorupi leaked dark toxins that smelt far worse than it looked all over the floor. It didn't seem to register the shouts of its attackers beyond a mere, incoherent babble - after all it was only a feral. More concerningly, the great pummeling from all sides didn't seem to phase the shadow at all, instead, it appeared to invigorate it; its bulbs and mandibles gruesomely bloated as venom was produced faster than it was expelled, excitement driving these processes further—

Dave's AGILE Rage dealt 0 damage to Shadow Skorupi! Dodged!
Dave's Leer lowered Shadow Skorupi's Def by 1!
Dave's Rage dealt 6 damage to Shadow Skorupi!
Dave's Bite dealt 16 damage to Shadow Skorupi! Flinched!
Dave stole 1 Speed stage with Pickpocket!

Kimiko's Sing made Shadow Skorupi Drowsy!
Kimiko's Round dealt 15 damage to Shadow Skorupi!

Astrid's AGILE CRITICAL Frost Breath dealt 29 damage to Shadow Skorupi!
Astrid's CRITICAL Frost Breath dealt 39 damage to Shadow Skorupi!
Astrid's Spotter Feat! Shadow Skorupi's Defences:

Def – 80
Res – 60

Wes's Quick Attack dealt 10 damage to Shadow Skorupi!
Wes's Quick Attack dealt 11 damage to Shadow Skorupi!
Wes's STRONG Rock Tomb dealt 39 damage to Shadow Skorupi! It's super effective!
Wes's Rock Throw dealt 25 damage to Shadow Skorupi! It's super effective!

Ridley's Spotter Skill! Shadow Skorupi's AI:

When unprovoked, Shadow Skorupi will simply sit in place to strengthen itself. When attacked, it far less likely to do this in favour of an all-out assault. It does not appear to understand or recognise complex strategy.

Odette's Brawler strike dealt 12 damage to Shadow Skorupi! It's not very effective...

Skorupi swayed from side to side, its head abruptly jerking from attacker to attacker. Its mandibles clicked towards each one, eyes growing wider and wider... It looked like it was about to fly into another frenzy. Hopefully, whoever was going to end up on the receiving end would be better off than Steven...

 

[Inkedust]

Enemy Phase, Turn 1​

And it just so happened that darting right besides it was one of its prime targets. In the midst of her run, Skorupi slammed Kimiko with a poison-coated tail, coating her in its foul ichor. It aimed its pins, ready to fire, at her for good measure but abruptly shifted its target the moment it caught Wes in the corner of its eye. With a screech filled with nothing but spite and contempt, it shot its shadow-laced pins into the hall, its aim precise without the advantages of height and light.

It didn't wait to see if Wes had keeled over, instead, Skorupi shifted its attention towards the other canine. Bearing its fangs dripped with liquid darkness, Dave had little more than a fraction of a second to react before he felt the skorupi's fangs dig deep into his flesh, infecting him with the same horrid venom that Steven was in the midst of succumbing to. It looked like it was about to do something else but the skorupi stumbled, breaking its focus momentarily. Its tail claws gripped the empty air in frustration, a sickly green and purple aura beginning to surround them...

Shadow Skorupi's STRONG CRITICAL Poison Tail dealt 40 damage to Kimiko! It's super effective! Kimiko was Poisoned...
Shadow Skorupi focused...
Shadow Skorupi's Pin Missile dealt 11, 11, 11, 10, then 10 damage to Wes! It's super effective!
Shadow Skorupi's Shadow Sting dealt 23 damage to Dave! It's super effective! Dave was Badly Poisoned...
Dave's Rage gave him +1 Atk and dealt 7 dmg to Shadow Skorupi!
Shadow Skorupi is Flinching and is unable to use Hone Claws...
Boss Action: Shadow Skorupi boosted its Atk and Spd by +1!
Warning: Shadow Skorupi is preparing a CRITICAL Fell Stinger targeting Steven's Room!

Dave takes 10 damage from poison...
Kimiko takes 5 damage from poison...
Kimiko recovered 4 HP total from her Heal Ribbon!

 

[Sinderella]

Of course, it's still up. Even after so many attacks, the thing was still up and moving. She'd practically bounced off of it, and Wes and Dave were taking the brunt of its first round of attacks.

"̷S̵u̷c̵k̶ ̸o̴n̷ ̶t̴h̸i̸s̴,̴ ̶b̷u̶t̴t̶m̷u̸n̷c̶h̶!̵"̸ Jawile squealed, and Odette was cocking the derringer again, ignoring the incredulous looks she was getting from some of her teammates. She didn't have the brain power to mean-mug them back, because every single ounce of energy was going toward focusing on that damn skorupi and not getting hit by it again.

She waited for another opening, the right moment when nobody with non-steel skin was in the way, then took a shot at its neck.

Spoiler: Odette AUX Turn 2

Odette: Brawler AUX (Gun???????) @ Skorupi

 

[Hap]

On Steven's desk, near where the notebook had been, sat a lamp flickering with faint candlelight, as though he'd been reading late into the night. As someone who'd been doing the exact same thing, Ridley wasn't in a position to judge.

The shadow skorupi hated light. The lamp's dim flickering apparently wasn't enough to upset it, but maybe...

Shoving the notebook under his disguise for safekeeping, Ridley snatched up the lamp. "Hey, asshole!" he yelled, and hurled the lamp at the skorupi, watching burning oil splatter out as it tumbled. Hopefully that would do something.

Spoiler: action

Ridley (Aux Rogue/Spotter)
- Rogue Aux: Burn @ shadow skorupi

 

[Tetra]

“No— notebook,” Steven croaked. “Can't leave.”

"You're more important," Koa growled. Still, he found himself painfully sympathetic to the sensation Steven must have felt, worried about things that weren't as important even when he was in danger. He was about to promise Steven he'd try to go back for it after they got him to safety when to his surprise, Ridley chimed in.

"Ridley's got it," he mumbled. Still pushing and rolling Steven, Koa continued to speak between breaths, still sick with worry. "Just focus on yourself, you can't read a notebook if you're gone."

He didn't stop until they'd gotten outside the room, away from the fighting, at least a bit. His heart was still racing and his skin was prickling with agitation. Let the others fight.

"Just hold on Steven," he murmured, almost to himself. If he could survive the Charmeleon, Steven could survive this, right? In his minds eye he saw the still body of that Rattata driver. His thoughts fuzzed for a moment as he found himself panicking, wishing he had a pokeball to return Steven too, or something to slow down the poison. No antidotes out here. Right. Pecha... Pecha for poison. Or Lum. Except he didn't exactly sleep with berries on his person.

His head whipped around to look at Archie. "A-archie, I'm going to get some berries, can you protect him?"

Koa barely waited for a response before sprinting back towards his room in a blur of electricity. What felt like an eternity later he returned with a couple pecha berries held delicately in his jaws before he found himself wondering just how Beldum ate. Maybe he should squeeze it over Steven's wounds? With a mental shrug he handed one to Archie, then did his best to squeeze the juices onto his body what was left of it.

 

[Goat]

Astrid existed in a deep, blissful forest of unknown material that gathered around her like a thornbush, hugging her, but offered neither pain nor comfort. She drifted through--or pushed herself?--slowly, slowly, seeking nothing until something found her. A glowing flower sprouted from a clearing nearby, and out of it came a Jynx. She might've thought critically of her situation had this not been a dream, but it was, so she didn't, and likely wouldn't for a while after she woke to a thunderous scream. Feet scrambled. Furniture slammed. Shouting, so many shouting voices.

"Nnnghuh? I did put the laundry out last n--" she drawled, saliva pooling by her face. Long seconds passed; words were processed; her dream met with reality; her brain went from fuzz to a frenzy.

"What the ffffuuuu--?"

She wobbled towards the ruckus to find a giant feral Skorupi, and--

"--uuck!"

A pin missile whizzed by her ear and she took cover. Poking in her head to fire off two bursts of ice before diving for cover again almost got her hit yet again. Chaos erupted regardless of her presence in the room. She wasn't the first one there, but it wasn't clear if anyone else was coming and they had no time, so with a shaking breath, she dove right back in with a Nasty Plot in mind and followed up violence with more violence.

The Rockruff--Wes--had just followed up a Rock Tomb with a kiting maneuver of his own. They'd both have to expose themselves again soon, and both might eat shit at this rate, but... type advantages. They needed to finish this fast. If he could get enough hits off...

"Umm, uh, shit. Wes, quick! I'll cover you!" she roared above shouted voices, diving into the room ahead of him. Two green barriers formed at her haunches and extended up to her forehead, bending her line of sight and only opening to let out another salvo of Ice.

Spoiler: Astrid turn 2

Astrid (47 STM, 5 TMP, +0 SPD, +0 ACC)
- Walk to Hallway
- **Bonus Action:** Item (Leppa Berry) (+40 STM)
- Protect (-18 STM, +2 TMP)
- Nasty Plot (-18 STM, +2 TMP)
- Dash to Steven's Room (-2 TMP)
- AGILE CRITICAL Frost Breath @ Skorupi (-15 STM, hit, -2 TMP, +2 TMP)
- CRITICAL Frost Breath @ Skorupi (-10 STM, Sure Hit, +2 TMP)
- Powder Snow @ Skorupi (-8 STM, +2 TMP)
- Activate feat (Spotter T0) @ Skorupi's Ability
Net change: -29 STM, +6 TMP
Net totals: 18 STM (36 after regen), 11 TMP

Spoiler: Turn order

0. Wes walks

1. Dave
2. Astrid
3. Wes
4. Kimiko
5. Odette
6. Ridley

Spoiler: Playerside messages

Dave stole 1 Attack stage with Pickpocket!
Dave's Howl granted Wes and himself +1 Attack!
Dave's Rage dealt 0 damage to Shadow Skorupi! Dodged!
Dave's Leer lowered Shadow Skorupi's Def by 1!

Astrid's Nasty Plot granted her +2 Magic!
Astri's Protect granted her 2 shields!
Astrid's AGILE CRITICAL Frost Breath dealt XXX damage to Shadow Skorupi!
Astrid's CRITICAL Frost Breath dealt XXX damage to Shadow Skorupi!
Astrid's Powder Snow dealt XXX damage to Shadow Skorupi!
Astrid's Spotter Feat! Shadow Skorupi's Ability:

insert Ability here

Wes's Quick Attack dealt XXX damage to Shadow Skorupi!
Wes's CRITICAL Stone Edge dealt XXX damage to Shadow Skorupi! It's super effective!
Wes's Rock Throw dealt XXX damage to Shadow Skorupi! It's super effective!

Kimiko's Round dealt XXX damage to Shadow Skorupi!
Kimiko's Mega Drain dealt XXX damage to Shadow Skorupi! Kimiko healed XXX HP! It's not very effective...
Kimiko's AGILE Magical Leaf dealt XXX damage to Shadow Skorupi! It's not very effective...
Kimiko's Magical Leaf dealt XXX damage to Shadow Skorupi! It's not very effective...

Odette's Steel Brawler strike dealt XXX damage to Shadow Skorupi!

Ridley's Rogue Skill! Shadow Skorupi was Burned!

 

[HelloYellow17]

One sting after another. Wes snarled a string of curses and scrambled backwards, but he wasn’t quick enough to avoid several more strikes. They stung and burned and froze all at once, and the pain made him hiss through clenched teeth. Scorching sands, I have HAD IT with all these damn Shadows already.

Frustration fueled him through the pain, and he managed to slip out a berry and hastily swallow it before diving right back in. He barely paid attention to those around him; he thought he spotted the bossy snake lady from the Saloon meeting before she was sent flying from a poison attack—shit, that looked like it hurt, and she looked like a grass type too. There was no time to fret, though; they’d have to worry about the aftermath later.

Then someone shouted his name, and he turned to face a…white Vulpix? The hell? Was that what a shiny ‘Pix looked like? And how did she know his name? She looked vaguely familiar, but he didn’t have time to wonder about that. He darted in, channeling all of his energy into a few vicious blows against the bug—gods, that thing was hideous—and then darted back into the hallway alongside the white Vulpix, nodding gratefully at what had to be a Protect shield. “I, uh. Thanks for that,” he said awkwardly. And then, because he couldn’t help himself, “I’m sorry, do I know you?”

Spoiler: Turn 2

Wes (37 STM, 20 TMP, +0 SPD, +0 ACC)
- **Bonus Action:** Item (Oran Berry)
- Dash to Steven’s Room (-2 TMP)
- Quick Attack @ Skorupi (-6 STM, +3 TMP)
- CRITICAL Stone Edge @ Skorupi (-20 STM, hit, -17 TMP, +3 TMP)
- Rock Throw @ Skorupi (-4 STM, hit, -2 TMP, +3 TMP)
- Walk to Hallway
Net change: -30 STM, -12 TMP
Net totals: 7 STM (23 after regen), 8 TMP

 

[Shadow Serenity]

Her battle plan had seemed to work; from what Kimiko had gathered, the wagon crew hadn't even managed to land a hit on that charmeleon. But here, the team scored several solid hits on their shadow foe, and it was staggering. They had the momentum, and the adrenaline, and Betel's coordination assistance. They could win this.

And yet...

Even as it staggered, the skorupi didn't look to be in pain. In fact, their bombardment seemed to rile it up even further. Kimiko had been darting around the room, trying to keep a distance, but its unpredictable movements caught her by surprise.

She cried out as the shadow sent her flying into a wall. She didn't even get time to collect herself before the skorupi trained its stingers on her, and she braced herself even though she knew it would probably take her down... but at the last moment, it fired out into the hallway instead. Even though she caught the worst of it, she couldn't even take small comfort in knowing for sure if she'd protected the beldum...

She wasn't sure she could have taken another hit like that. But she didn't really feel lucky to have been spared, either. She tried to get to her feet, but stumbled; her whole body burned as the venom from the attack seeped in. In her panic, she couldn't even tell if it had been a shadow attack; as a grass-type, she was normally weak to poison, after all.

The shadow looked to be prepping something else already. They had to get out of the room. "It's about to do something big, everyone watch out!"

Injured though she was, Kimiko defiantly launched a counter-attack. Hoping that was enough, she then stumbled back out into the hall, resting against the wall just outside the door and sliding down to the ground. Her breathing was labored as the poison continued to eat away at her. But it was fine, all she had to do was hold on until the rest of the team could finish it off. It was fine, she was fine, they were so close...

Spoiler: Turn 2 Actions

Kimiko (68 STM, 9 TMP, +0 SPD, +0 ACC)
- Round @ shadow skorupi (-11 STM, +3 TMP)
- Mega Drain @ shadow skorupi (-5 STM, +3 TMP)
- AGILE Magical Leaf @ shadow skorupi (-12 STM, Sure Hit, +3 TMP)
- Magical Leaf @ shadow skorupi (-8 STM, Sure Hit, +3 TMP)
- **Bonus Action:** Focus (+5 TMP)
- Walk to Hallway
Net change: -36 STM, +17 TMP
Net totals: 32 STM (50 after regen), 26 TMP

 

[Butterfree]

The onslaught would almost have been said to be going well, only despite the fluid synchronicity of their attacks, the Skorupi didn't seem anywhere close to defeat, only leaking more of its foul stench all over everything, the thing only somehow growing and bulging with whatever ghoulish energy it was filled with, the sight taunting them.

Somewhere in the back of his mind Dave suspected this was a sign that keeping this up was a bad idea, but it was hard for that notion to get a grasp on anything with battle hormones spiking through his veins, fixating on the Skorupi with a furious energy. He managed a snarling feint, then struck after it'd dodged out of the way of the first and then impulsively bit it for good measure.

But then it struck back. At Kimiko, at Wes, and then it lunged for him. In an instant fangs dug into his side, leaving agonizing corrosion in their wake, and he was screaming. Burning acid pumped through his veins as it stumbled back, and he swayed on shaking feet, grasping for his belt for a Lum Berry. He had to... Had to fucking keep trying or it'd get everyone.

With a shaking heave, as he juice of the berry soothed the pulsing pain, he grasped for the rage that'd earlier dissolved into pain. Fuck this fucking place.

Spoiler: Turn 2

Dave (36 STM, 11 TMP, +1 SPD, +0 ACC)
- **Bonus Action:** Item (Lum Berry)
- Activate ability (Pickpocket) @ Skorupi's Atk
- Howl (-18 STM, +2 TMP)
- Rage @ Skorupi (-4 STM, +2 TMP)
- Leer @ Skorupi (-14 STM, +2 TMP)
- Walk to Hallway
Net change: -34 STM, +6 TMP
Net totals: 2 STM (21 after regen), 17 TMP

Notes: Should go after Wes's walk but before the rest of Wes's turn in the turn order.