[RP] Spiritwater – Tides of Witchcraft

[Shruikan]

Luneth Tarot
Heahea City
Affected RP'ers: None

Luneth hadn’t thought that much about why it was called Shadowcraft before. She’d only seen a few spells the Diamond Ladies had cast on the Whishmaker, and the minor charms that her and Glimmer had learned themselves. But with this darkness handing over everything, even when the sun was shining, she felt like she understood. At this time of year Heahea city was always a bright joyful place, but now it was a literal ghost town, with only the bravest of festival goers not hiding away in their homes to avoid the ghosts that filled the streets. Many of them had their own pokemon out with them as bodyguards. As it was, Luneth also had Hestia out and following behind her to ward off any ghosts that might think her an easy target.

As she looked around the half deserted streets, Luneth worried about Glimmer. The Shaymin had been assigned to Steven’s team, and was searching for the perpetrators right now, potentially right in the line of fire. Luneth had to resist the urge to call and check up on her, knowing that it could be a distraction and put her in unnecessary danger.

Up ahead a man dressed in a Ecruteak-style Pikachu outfit, (a yellow kimono and a wooden Pikachu mask,) caught her attention. After staggering out of an alley, his head flailing around in panic as if he was being hunted down, his eyes rolled up and he collapsed onto the street. Several of the ghosts wandering the street began to approach him, but Hestia shot a flamethrower at any that got too close, causing them to back off enough for Luneth to safely approach.

She could feel straight away that this was indeed the work of Shadowcraft, and not simply someone who had had one too many drinks. She didn’t have time to try a counter spell here, with all the ghosts roaming around, and she had a feeling that this one was beyond her abilities anyway.

She sent out Circuit, and heaved the man onto the Silvally’s back. The man had only just collapsed, so whatever had hit him must be nearby…

Circuit suddenly bucked wildly, throwing the man to the ground, and lashing out in random directions.

Oh no, not Circuit too.

Luneth quickly returned the flailing Silvally to his pokeball, cursing herself for not being more careful. But how had the hex’s effects spread? She had touched the man too, but hadn’t been affected.

“The mask,” Hestia said as if reading her mind. “It was as soon as his mask touched him.”

Come to think of it, she’d seen a mask just like this for sale at a stall earlier. It had been one of the few places that had remained open despite the shadows and ghosts everywhere.

Luneth sent out Roseli, and quickly explained the situation. The Scolipede grumbled but didn’t move to stop Luneth as she propped the man up on his back, then climbed on behind him to hold him in a sitting position, and making sure that his head didn’t loll into anyone.

Once she was out of earshot of the other civilians, Luneth held the man in place with one hand for a moment, tapping in Cynthia’s number on her comm with the other.

“This is Inari,” Luneth began, remembering at the last moment to use her callsign. “I’m near Heahea docks. A man has just been hit with a cursed mask that appears to have made him go crazy with fear and collapse. I’m taking him back to the med center now. It might have been a one off, but I think I saw a stall selling masks just like it earlier, so it’s worth sending someone over to investigate. Over and out.”

Roseli sped to the medical center at full speed, as Luneth struggled to keep the passenger still. Hold on just a bit Circuit, we’ll get help for you soon.