Main Action and Team Status Thread [VICTORY!!!]

[Neo Emolga]

Searching #39 - Adom's Home.

You arrive before the unusual, circular-shaped metallic house that belongs to Adom the Magnezone. You quickly find that it seems to be in very good condition and looks like it could easily withstand a hurricane where many of the other buildings in Serenity Town would not.

You search the exterior and notice it seems Adom is committed to keeping order. You can see that things are placed and positioned with strict measurements in mind.

You search the interior, starting with the upper living floors. It seems that unlike most other Pokémon, Adom sees no use in keeping a bed or a bathroom, and simply uses these rooms for storing electrical equipment.

Oddly enough, one of the things you do find with relative ease is one of the familiar white, ivory bowls. In a house devoid of any plates, utensils, or other dining tools, it stands out as odd that something like this would be in Adom's house. You do see a note by it.

"Hold onto this for me, Adom. You're one of the last few Pokémon I can really trust. ~Adis."

You decide to take the ivory bowl with you, determined to complete Adis's work.

Item: [Ivory Bowl] has been added to the Team Inventory.

The rest of the house seems to have some metallic furniture, which might be fine for a Magnezone, but you're not sure how comfy it would be for other, non-metallic Pokémon. But beyond that, nothing seems out of the ordinary here besides the large number of metal furnishings and furniture.

[Morzone]

Theo the quilava is on the scene!

I'm going to go talk to Rodan the Combuskan (#13) about things in general, but also explain about the silver candles, how Adis entrusted them to certain people, and ask if he knows people Adis personally trusted or was close to.

[Suicune's Fire]

Searching #38. Fireplace Inn.

[Neo Emolga]

Welp, I've been wanting to do this for a little while since I should have a semi-okay rapport and now I'm extra curious. Interview 56. Clyde the Hawlucha. Specifically, about Millie and the note, though I'll also ask him his opinion of what's going on in general.

Interview Rapport: NEUTRAL
+1 Shared Pokémon Type (Flying)
-1 Super Effective Against (Fairy to Fighting)
Not counting Flying to Fighting because... that just wouldn't make sense and Clyde's very existence would be like dividing by zero. :P

You interview Clyde the Hawlucha, prepping a fresh batch of muffins at his bakery. It comes across as a little unusual a fighting bird Pokémon like Clyde would be into cooking and baking, but he seems to really enjoy it and likes to experiment creating new desserts like honey and cinnamon bread twists and cream-filled donuts drizzled with maple syrup and topped with berries.

"Hi there, I'm Clyde," Clyde addresses you with a proud smile, totally thinking you're here to buy something from his bakery. "If you want to try a sample of anything, let me know!"

You introduce yourself, and explain you're trying to investigate the situation regarding the Stalkers. You also mention the ripped piece of paper.

"Oh, this is yours?" Clyde asks, whipping out the shred of paper before glancing at it. "No problem! We don't usually keep a lost and found, but I figured whoever this belonged to might come back for it. Here you go!"

He hands to you the third piece of paper with part of the Sin Purge Circle design on it.

Item: [Design of the Sin Purge Circle, Piece 2 of 3] has been added to the Team Inventory.

The three pieces of the Sin Purge Circle have been combined to form the [Completed Design of the Sin Purge Circle].

"As for Millie, she's been okay, but seemingly a little out of it," Clyde tells you. "I guess something happened recently and she's been a little jumpy lately. I think we've all been to be honest. She has been introducing herself proudly at every possibly opportunity, saying her own name a little more than usual, which... is a bit odd, but I usually introduce myself to everyone also, even if they're regulars here."

"As for the Stalkers... well, they've definitely hurt businesses and livelihoods around here," Clyde tells you, taking a deep sigh. "But, unlike some people, I try to keep this place running through thick and thin. If every business started shutting down, we'd be in very big trouble. So, I try my best to keep things going. If a maple donut helps at least one Pokémon get their mind off of what's going on, to me, that's a step in the right direction. We all need to try and get through this."

"Well, catch you later," Clyde smiles to you. "We're making hazelnut and strawberry pastry wraps tomorrow, you don't want to miss those!"

[VeloJello]

Taking the left and right halves of the SUNKEN face to (47) The Vordin Mansion (Abandoned) chapel! I'm ready for painnnn

[Neo Emolga]

Theo the quilava is on the scene!

I'm going to go talk to Rodan the Combuskan (#13) about things in general, but also explain about the silver candles, how Adis entrusted them to certain people, and ask if he knows people Adis personally trusted or was close to.

Interview Rapport: VERY POSITIVE
+1 Shared Pokémon Type (Fire)
+1 Shared Pokémon Evolution Stage

You meet with Rodan on his way to his apartment at Sleepy Valley Apartments. From a first glance, he seems relaxed, easy-going, and it doesn't look like the current situation with the Stalkers has been getting to him much. He's also munching on one of the donuts he just got from the Golden Brown Bakery.

You introduce yourself to him.

"Hey, Theo!" Rodan exclaims. "Nice meeting you!"

You inquire about the Silver Candles and Adis. He looks a bit confused at first, but he recognizes the name Adis when you mention it.

"Ah, yeah, Adis," Rodan nods, swallowing another bite. "Good guy, but shame what happened to him. As for people he trusted, well, I think he was very closely connected with Srin's family and Ryne's family. They might know a thing or two. As for... silver candles, I wouldn't have a clue. I haven't seen anything like those for sale anywhere."

"Have a good one," Rodan tells you, waving goodbye to you as he heads back to his apartment.

[EmeraldSky]

Not one to be deterred, Lita decides to search the wheat field by Prat's farm

[Neo Emolga]

Searching #38. Fireplace Inn.

You stand before the Fireplace Inn, which seems very welcoming and very forest cabin-like in style and design. You start by searching the exterior, and it doesn't seem like too much is wrong. In your search, you have the feeling that this inn used to be very popular with visitors out of town. Meanwhile, it doesn't seem like anything on the outside grounds seems out of place. The grounds are maintained as much as they need to be.

You head inside the welcoming inn and it has a very cozy, homely kind of feel with log cabin walls, wooden furniture, and warm chandeliers. The signature gray stone fireplace in the lounge area is very large, but it currently doesn't have a fire going, which doesn't seem to be usual when it comes to this place. You continue searching the lounge area and you find something hidden behind one of the plushy, brown couches.

It appears to be a stone mouth, and upon closer inspection, it looks very much like a Victini's. You pick it up and take it with you.

Item: [Victini Statue Mouth] has been added to the Team Inventory.

After taking away the mouth piece, you notice several numbers have been written here with some kind of black pen. You're not sure what they mean, however, and it's anyone's guess as to whether some kind of calculation was done here or the numbers were just randomly placed here.

You continue searching around the lobby area and the small restaurant that the owner, Maland the Whimsicott owns. It does seem like things have been quieter around here lately, but Maland is still trying to keep the business running. And despite what has happened, he still tries to keep a smile, although judging from the look in his eyes, it does seem like he longs for earlier times when things were better.

Upstairs, you find there's four rooms for visiting Pokémon, two single bed rooms and two double bed rooms. They're maintained, but it looks like whoever does the housekeeping just does what's expected and nothing more.

Beyond that, you don't find anything that seems out of place here.

[Neo Emolga]

Taking the left and right halves of the SUNKEN face to (47) The Vordin Mansion (Abandoned) chapel! I'm ready for painnnn

You arrive back at the rather morbid Vordin Mansion and head underground to reach the entrance to the {Chapel of the SUNKEN God}.

You start by placing the [Left Half of the SUNKEN Face] in the metallic depiction of the twisted Arceus. It locks into place. You then complete it by adding the [Right Half of the SUNKEN Face], and that too locks into place.

Items: [Left Half of the SUNKEN Face] and [Right Half of the SUNKEN Face] have been removed from the Team Inventory.

The completed "SUNKEN God" looks horrifically grotesque when complete. Oddly enough, it starts to shake, jitter, and convulse, as if having a seizure. And then, all of a sudden, the doors rip open, slide into the walls, and suddenly a deranged howling voice enters your mind. You jump back and feel as if something dark and morbid has touched you.

And then, it's dark, spidery words suddenly ping right into your mind...

"I'vE tASteD yoUR soUL, KATiE. I kNOw whO YOu arE, NoW.

YoU DeCeIVe. YoU lIE. YOu mAKe tHEM aLl beLIevE.

YoU MasQUerAde aS oNE oF US, bUT wE knOW thE trUtH, nOW.

HUMAN...

EMISSARY...

YoUR daRKeST seCreTs HaVE nOwhERe tO HidE.

NoWhere To hIDe...

You try to fight the voices and you continue forward. Inside, you make your way through the bleeding underground chamber and fight the voices in your head. All the while, they taunt and berate you, but you continue.

You then arrive at the twisted end of it all. The last and final nightmare slaughterhouse of Epitaph.

Standing before you is a sight that nearly makes you vomit. Before you stands the masterpiece, the "perfect" sculpture that Epitaph has been working on...

...A ten-foot Aromatisse sculpted and comprised entirely of Pokémon body parts...

The attention to detail is astounding. Even the pink and purplish colors are precise and extremely accurate to scale, and it is clear that Epitaph spared nothing to ensure absolute perfection was achieved for this monstrous project. In another circumstance, it would be incredible art, but... it's the horrifically morbid nature of the abomination sculpture that awakens the better part of you that makes you want to destroy it.

And there are bloody messages all over the walls, ceiling, and the floor. "Sacrificial perfection," "Glorious masterpiece," and "I have become the art of death, the creator of the flesh." Meanwhile, the name "Epitaph" is proudly written in many locations of the room, claiming everything as her own.

And there is something else here by your feet...



Woozy at the horrific sight, something else catches your eyes, dug into one of the wooden, bloodstained workbenches...



Suddenly the dark truth becomes all so clear...

[VeloJello]

I'm not interested in hiding anyway. I'll interview 51. Senia the Aromatisse. I'll let her talk about the state of the town, then show her the last Epitaph note.

((I'm so glad the death condition in this game is so easy to avoid bc otherwise this would be suicide lmao))