How much time has passed during this training?

>>7950756
I'd say... another hour or so.

>>7950751

Exactly how big was the hole gabite has dug?

And have we found any way to support it being larger for a more stealthy place to hide?

>>7950799
We keep training until midday, or until Courtney and/or Sarina report back - whichever comes first.

>>7950841
Gabite's working on expanding it, but it's slow; making a permanent tunnel without supports is going to be tricky business.

>>7950843
After another half hour or thereabouts, the pair of them quietly reenter the factory.

>>7950864
"Well, what did you find?"

>>7950881
Courtney speaks first. "The city's effectively been locked down; all citizens are confined to their quarters until the power comes back on again. There aren't too many guards, but we had to talk our way past one; that took a while."

>>7950910
Charmeleon takes the Mauville City map out and unrolls it on the ground - gesturing towards the two so as to mark things down. "Alright, where is everything in the city?"

>>7950983
"They haven't tried to move everyone into one place; I don't know if that's lucky or unlucky." She points out the various residential zones in the east, then the few other factories in the western area.

>>7951007
"Do you know where they keep their building supplies? Or this metal material that they used to build the gate?"

>>7951053
She shakes her head. "They didn't make that obvious, and I didn't want them to get suspicious, but I have a feeling they're storing it in what's left of the Game Corner, directly to the south of here."

>>7951085
"What is the Game Corner?"

>>7951104
"It used to be a spot where people could gamble. Erm... actually, what it is isn't important right now. The important thing is that it no longer exists, and it's being used as a metal storehouse."

>>7951139

Well, this here looks like it could be a useful place to infiltrate. Possibly tunnel underneath it and steal stuff, then seal the hole we came in through.

>>7951139
"How many guards are there around the Game Corner?"

>>7951159
"There were five of them that I saw." She pauses. "Did anything happen here while we were gone?"

>>7951174
Charmeleon grins at Courtney and Sarina, "We did some training while you were gone to pass the time. Also, we began digging a tunnel beneath this building - though Gabite informs us that we'll need building materials to support further excavation."

>>7951221
She nods. "It's unfortunate that I can't contact my comrades because of that... Porygon-Z, was it?" She sighs.

>>7951294
Charmeleon smiles at Courtney. "Indeed, that was his name. However, there IS a way for you to be able to contact your other comrades."

>>7951333
"Gabite can dig an ordinary tunnel back to their base, yes..."

Why is it still called Charmander Quest when it's now Charmeleon?

>>7951352
To maintain continuity with the beginning of the quest. Technically, it's Charmander Quest: Charmeleon Edition.

Bumping?

Another bump for those who've vanished.

...bump?

>>7951337

"Well, if we do need to reach her comrades, we should be able to dig a tunnel there that atleast one person can crawl through at a time."

>>7951850
"But you said that'd be quite a difficult task?"

>>7951867

(i thought the extra materials were for expanding the tunnel into a more usable space, like a secret chamber we would comfortably be able to hang around in?)

>>7951898
(Ah, right. Forgive me, and cancel that.)
She nods. "Right... so now, we just sit here and wait?"

>>7951923
"That seems to be the best option, yes. When the night comes, we'll infiltrate this 'Game Corner' and take what we need to support our diggings."

>>7951981
This seems like a good plan to those present. As you wait, you hear a faint thud coming from the roof.

Hm. Bump.

>>7952023

"...Anyone else hear that"

(Also, are the golbat and such still looking out the windows?)

>>7952233
They were resting for a bit; Magnemite drifts around to look through the windows, but nothing is visible through there.

Magnemite notices the thud and calculates, given its small size and maneuverability it might be best able to avoid notice/escape.
"Beginning investigation, I advise trying out the subterranian chamber for now."

>>7952295
Magnemite exits the building while making sure to stay as close to the wall as possible, and cautiously examines the roof, doing its best to conceal itself.

>>7952318
You exit it. Nothing is immediately visible, although you see one or two Magma guards looking up at the roof.

>>7952295

Going underground probably would be a good idea.

>>7952328
Magnemite makes it on to the roof proper, staying as close to the ground as possible and prepares itself for an attack.

>>7952371
As you rise up, you see Ariliee sitting on the rooftop, with she and Skarem surveying the landscape. They don't seem to have noticed you yet, though.

>>7952393
...Magnemite briefly considers an attempt to lead them away, but decides that they probably would just kill it, then return here. As quietly as possible, and moving slowly as well, Magnemite enters the building and waits until it is right in front of Charmeleon before it whispers.
"Skarem and Arilee are here, unknown if they have detected us."

>>7952457
...Or at least, that's its goal as it edges away from the leader(s?) of Team Magma.

>>7952510
You successfully make it back inside, and now we wait in a void for someone to play Charmeleon.

(Mind if I take this opportunity to ask some questions about the setting?)

>>7952565
Not at all, go ahead.

>>7952619
1. How much time has passed since Charmander hatched?
2. How do inorganic pokemon like Magnemite reproduce?
3. How long do Pokemon live?

>>7952652
1. I've sort of lost track of time, but I think it's been about a week or so. Pokemon level up at a rate more consistent with the games than with the anime here.
2. It varies by species. Starmie splits into two Staryus, Magneton buds off a Magnemite (Magnezone is a weird mutation that doesn't reproduce naturally), Voltorb and Electrode have some weird form of asexual egg laying...
3. It varies on the species, but many Pokemon can live for a couple of hundred years before ultimately dying. They're very powerful beings.

>>7952728
Regarding 1, I take it there's a difference between physical and emotional/mental maturity for pokemon.

>>7952771
Rather. They absorb most important memories for life from their parents while still in the egg; this is why they can battle immediately after hatching, and why attacks can be inherited.

>>7952785
Ah, so that's why Charmander's knowledge is kind of like a person with amnesia? While she had no memories of her own, she recalled general information like movement, speaking, the sun etc.
Also, are you going by the game idea that when people encounter wild pokemon it's because the wild pokemon recognize the benefits of being captured, and are testing a worthy trainer, instead of just running/hiding?

>>7952852
That's pretty much all the case, yes. Wild Pokemon don't usually run; they're fine with testing their skills against trained Pokemon, and most consider being trained a better life.

>>7952785
...Also if that's the case about inheriting attacks from parents, should I suspect anything that Charmander, Snover, and Magnemite inherited nothing?

>>7952924
No, I just did that for the sake of keeping everything relatively simple.

>>7952885
So does being captured change anything, or is it just the fact that they respect the trainer's abilities (and as they get stronger, they require the trainer to prove that he/she is still worthy of their pokemon's respect, hence gym badges)

>>7952949
The Poke Ball makes them somewhat more receptive to the trainer's commands, but it also makes them almost immune to mortal harm. Pokemon do kill and eat other Pokemon in the wild, but deaths in trainer battles are incredibly rare.

>>7953015
Are we going to learn how the original Porygon series was made in the process of this quest? And were magnemite/voltorb deliberately created?

>>7953063
The original Porygon's creation is a fairly open secret; Silph Co. made it, then upgraded it into Porygon2. The details of Porygon-Z's creation are still a secret, but you may be able to find them in this quest.
I think Magnemite and Voltorb are spontaneous mutations of artificial objects.

>>7953098
I meant how was Porygon created. I can imagine them using Dittos as a starting point due to their elastic nature, and then... I don't know, inducing different states on it.
About the different fossil pokemon, are they all part rock type as a result of being revived from fossils, or is it because they were part rock type that they were able to leave fossils at all?
Finally, are we going by the game view that every couple of years one trainer from some no-name town travels around the world and shakes things up becoming absurdly powerful in the process? And if so, does that answer where all the legendaries are?

>>7953174
They're part rock-type from the fossilization process; it's not a perfect translation. I'm not yet sure about the Porygon, but as for the other thing, yes; the world has born witness to the respective rises of Red, Kris, Brandon and Dawn.

>>7953174
Oh, and legendaries. The canon games here are Yellow, Crystal, Emerald and Platinum, with no real written plot about what happened after the Elite Four were beaten, so... make of that what you will.

>>7953258
Hmmm... if Crystal is canon than I at least have a pretty good idea of where Suicune is (I still don't really get the huge focus placed on it though. I mean it was pretty cool but not -that- cool)

>>7953285
I can tell you the known locations of the ten-year-old luminaries if you're curious.

>>7953331
...God yes. I assume Red is still on Mt. Silver?

>>7953356
Red's location after Mt. Silver is unknown. Blue was killed in a huge mess when he tried to serve as the center of an anti-Rocket rebellion in Pallet Town. Kris and Silver are also in unknown locations. Brandon got crisped by Skarem when he failed to think of the possibility of a Pokemon attacking directly. May, along with her family, fled Littleroot Town for Pacifidlog Town. Dawn joined Team Galactic as their best actual trainer, but has spent a lot of time in Celestic Town, being... erm, close with Cynthia. Lucas is currently feverishly training in Sinnoh somewhere, and Pearl? He's gone on an expedition into the Distortion World and hasn't come back.

>>7953428
Hmm... so Blue's the one that was Oak's grandson, is Silver that red-haired douchebag what stole his first pokemon?

>>7953534
That was me, by the way. ...Has Oak died of old age yet? Or is the old man still kicking?
Also gym trainers, do they have much tougher pokemon in reality and the ones they bring out against you are leveled to the encounter? Because if not, some of them downright suck.

>>7953534
Ah and is Pearl or Lucas that one clumsy Blonde kid?

>>7953534
Blue is Oak's grandson, Silver is Giovanni's son and yes, he did steal a (in this version) Totodile.
>>7953565
Oak is presumably still alive; he's in a Team Rocket prison camp. He could be dying, though. And the Pokemon of gym leaders are leveled for the appropriateness of the challengers, yes.
>>7953601
Pearl is the blond kid, Lucas is Rowan's assistant.

>>7953640
Hmm... Given the Elite Four and the Gym Leaders, especially Lt. Surge's military training, and the fact that most Rocket Grunts seem to be issued crap pokemon, how were they able to take over? Guns?

>>7953676
The massive computer network crash helped a lot, but there are some mysteries behind it. They might have been prepared for it; perhaps Giovanni's private training was enough to crush the Elite Four by himself.

So of the nine legendary trainers, one is dead, one is presumed dead (I don't like Pearl's chances against Giratina), three are M.I.A, and the rest of them are becoming even more powerful (...though May was probably traumatized from Brandon's death, they were rivals after all)
What about the Orre trainers Wes and Michael (from XD)? Also, is there a reason Snag Machines and Shadow Pokemon haven't caught on in the rest of the world? Or have they and that's how Team Rocket was so effective?

>>7953845
Orre is a long way away from the four main countries; I've never played XD so I couldn't really tell you about Michael, but Wes is presumably still wandering the place. Also, Orre wasn't affected by the blackout.

>>7953940
Have you seen that image that links all the pokemon regions and how they pretty much neatly fit into regions of Japan?

>>7954011
I thought Orre was an offshoot country elsewhere... erm, there may be a slight plot hole in that case. Maybe it's just a rogue state that no one talks about.

>>7954062
No it is, I was just wondering it that's how you're running it.
Also, should I assume the language the humans are speaking is English or Japanese? It doesn't really change anything either way, but I'm just curious.

>>7954117
English. The language has managed to keep slang that only makes sense in English, like "A winner is you!"

>>7954139
I thought so, seeing as how attempting to teach even the basics of the Japanese writing system would be... Challenging.

>>7954158
Quite so.
Do you have any other questions?

>>7954227
No, but thanks for answering.
Sorry about not progressing, but I'm not confident in my ability to rp Charmeleon and not much point to running a quest with just one person (now three on the other hand)...
Let's see if anyone else shows up, if not, I think there's at least something worth archiving.

All right, my broadband Internet connection is quite screwed up, and my Internet connection for the rest of the night is seriously in doubt. We may want to stop here.

>>7954957
sounds good, should I archive this or should you? because even if nothing much happened, some of the other players may find the information useful.

>>7954998
I archived it already.

>>7955581
thanks. Any schedule for when we have this next?

>>7955654
Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 3pm EST

>>7955734
Ah, you're back.

My Internet's achieved a kind of quasi-stability... we could perhaps keep going, if you don't mind my possibly vanishing at some point.

>>7955760
Nah, we'll stop. Better that we do this when the DM has a reliable connection. Besides, Magnemite and I seem to be the only ones here tonight (possibly due to the recent snow storms in certain areas of the country), so it wouldn't really be fair to do this without the others.

>>7955844
Fair enough. Do you want cryptic hints of spoilers about the fate of any of the missing legendary trainers?

>>7955860
Save it for Tuesday, when the others are here to express their hilariously appropriate reaction faces.

>>7955958
All righty, then.