Hello, Trainers! So sorry for the mishap; I was busy helping a friend with a Jigglypuff, and well, next thing I knew, I woke up on the ground, four hours later.

Still! I'm back for some #DunGymsandDratinis!

https://twitter.com/shadowravyn/status/1263589649798184960

When last we left our intrepid adventurers, they were tumbling down a cliff (some literally) & stumbling upon a grove of HUGE Sudowoodos arced in horseshoe around traces of a ruin, with immobile dark marks atop it. 8|

Settle in with a bowl of chowder, folks!

#DunGymsandDratinis

(A brief aside: I am seriously excited about _this episode in particular_, because it feels a lot like when PCs walk into the secret place/mod space/etc. at the end of an arc and things are about to get really, REALLY real.)

#DunGymsandDratinis

(Also, if you're watching belatedly, know that this episode takes about 10-12 minutes for audio to kick in, but they figure it out and you don't miss anything!)

#DunGymsandDratinis

The recap before this episode is also Very Useful.

Including mentioning the BLAST SHADOWS.
And the exciting rolls in the climbing section.
And such.

#DunGymsandDratinis

Also the ground just kinda broken open under the cliff, and bits of building inside, and an ancient script.

(For those who know me, all of this plays into the Exciting To Me As A Player playbook.)

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It is also dark, and there is bioluminescent algae! :D

Thankfully, Gothita has dark vision.

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And now the characters are (jokingly) talking about staying on the rocks and no going into the Rather Cold Water, or maybe just, y'know, pulling out cards and hanging out.

#DunGymsandDratinis

Psyduck is splashing its feet in the water, and Gothita is Somehow Even Unhappier down here than WHERE THE BLAST SHADOWS ARE

#DunGymsandDratinis

Both Gavin and Yuki try to sort out some things!

Gavin is generally good at this, and rolls rather high . . .
. . . and Yuki gets a Natural 20.

#DunGymsandDratinis

There are a LOT of links to this, y'all. For those playing the home game, here's . . .

. . . some ancient script - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ax3FLdu0pJtWKfLwI-Wh4W2HgwX0M64xbvvIPgwhY4I/edit
. . . Rivulucents! - https://www.pinterest.com/pin/477592735487342806/
. . . and Glimrins - https://www.pinterest.com/pin/477592735487342799/

Also other glowy fish.

#DunGymsandDratinis

These fish /normally/ have glowing gems, but not glowing SCALES.

Gavin is fascinated by the "undocumented Pokemon phenomena," because of course he is.
Others fiddle with the water, teens or Pokemon.

#DunGymsandDratinis

"Yes, lets go into the creepy, ominous building where (someone will inevitably try and kill us, or something like that)." - Yuki

This is so fascinating that Gavin briefly was /distracted from the egg/.

#DunGymsandDratinis

Everyone essentially decides that this isn't a /good/ idea, but they have no better ideas.

I mean, they could climb back up the perilous cliff (**cough**), and stay in Creepy Blast Shadow Village?

#DunGymsandDratinis

Aldo says if they enter, they'll give up the element of surprise.

Yuki says they're not very stealthy in the first place.

But maybe Gothita and Aldo can do it solo? Rogues? Or maybe Kayleigh and Zorua can come with? **grin?**

#DunGymsandDratinis

Sadly, the PCs are prepared for @shadowravyn's murderpuppies and dangerhugs in the abandoned building. ;)

#DunGymsandDratinis

WOOOOOOW, Kindness is just /not/ rolling well.

Aldo and Gothita are One With The Night.

Kayleigh is falls and is splashtastic, smacks her hand against something and starts cursing, etc.

#DunGymsandDratinis

oh god the creepy sounds

OH GOD THE CREEPY SOUNDS

(This is 110% the vibe of walking into a nearly pitch black mod space except for cREEPY SOUNDS)

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"Can we we go into combat so I can start rolling well?" - Kindness

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Apparently, this looks like a waiting room. A waiting room that looks like it was flung down a cliff. Literally everything (well, okay, most things) is broken.

The glass has the refraction of a broken smartphone screen, with missing pixels.

#DunGymsandDratinis

The room is vast, and relatively quiet, and -- for now -- safe.

Kayleigh rolls well for Not Doing Anything For A Hot Second.

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Everyone else is coming in.

Aldo offers to go and scout, and Yuki and Gavin think that's pretty reasonable. Kayleigh offers to lead since Aldo is (admittedly) squishier.

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Yuki obscures some of her flashlight light, and tries to look over the desk for stuff.

Gavin and Kiran, on the other hand, turn their flashlights full on, Gavin asking for Rowlet to 'watch his six'. 180 degree owl head movement.

There is writing EVERYWHERE.

#DunGymsandDratinis

Yuki is just . . . finding nothing. Ze-ro. Doot doot doot.

Same for Kiran.

Gavin, however, finds a lot of plant growth, and the shape/outline is kind of like a raised platform. He tries to brush the plants aside, and sees a bunch of weird electronics.

#DunGymsandDratinis

There is some weird, Mad Science-level tech here, and as he tries to brush it, but there's a faint flicker of white light before it goes still. Gavin is O.O

Team Scout Ahead goes through the swinging doors (Athletics roll!) "Combined, we get a 14!" XD

#DunGymsandDratinis

Team Scout Ahead is also clearly Team Bad Idea, but they are attempting to find something to use as a simple tool to push open the door. Like a . . . chair?

Roll of 14, and they find a long, metal bar, released from a snarl of wires. +1 Bar.

#DunGymsandDratinis

"Here you go." - Aldo
"Aw, you got me a . . . big metal thing." - Kayleigh
"Well, you saved my life, so . . ." - Aldo

Teens.

But Kindness rolls a 2, so this fails, and the rest of them notice their friends Stymied By The Door.

#DunGymsandDratinis

Somehow, team Not Scout Ahead decides they've still got this.

Yuki sTARTS FILMING THEM

#DunGymsandDratinis

Some playful snarking continues between the three most playfully snarky members of the party. They're able to wedge the door open.

Aldo considers trying to be chivalrous, but can't, 'cause he's scouting ahead.

Yuki continues snarkily 'documenting'.

#DunGymsandDratinis

This hallway has lots of arrow signage. Arrows everywhere, including up and down.

There's some disagreement about which direction is ostensibly safer.

#DunGymsandDratinis

There are a handful of doors/rooms on this level, and the water gets to waist-high before there's an arrow pointing down (and I also think up).

They try a door on this level. Success!

There's banter between Kayleigh, Yuki, and Gavin about doing it 'cool'.

#DunGymsandDratinis

More ancient script! (See the link.) But not #9.

There's a plaque with more script.

CIPHER TRANSLATION TIIIIIIIIIIME

#DunGymsandDratinis

Apparently, the Pokemon version of Wheel of Fortune means they know how to work with ciphers?

We have a word! ADMINISTRATION

#DunGymsandDratinis

And we have another squat cylinder in this room! Kayleigh and Gavin notice it, but Kayleigh doesn't have the context for it.

There are also some water fountains.

The PCs wisely decide not to split up for their search.

#DunGymsandDratinis

This seems to be the main Administrator room. All notice posters on the walls.

Some notice that the posters (which are probably not paper as it would decay).

GAVIN notices all posters have very similar looking women who hOLY SHIT ALL LOOK LIKE NURSES JOY

#DunGymsandDratinis

More importantly, Gavin notices (and points out) that all the faces are THE SAME FACE with some subtle skintone or ethnic marker differences.

Gavin thankfully points this out, and the comments about the Nurses Joy and the Conclave.

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There's some discussion about whether their cipher translation is right, and Yuki (because she's played by Josh) gets it: 'Nothing beats the human touch.'

WHAT

Discussion continues, including remembering Nurse Joy and CLONING POKEMON.

#DunGymsandDratinis

"Oh no, oh no. Oh /no/." - Gavin
"Were the Nurses Joy /clones/?" - Yuki
"Shut up, you're going too fast; I'm still working on the letters!" - Kayleigh

#DunGymsandDratinis

"Yuki. Are you proposing that Nurses Joy were cloned in /this/ facility, and that whoever has the egg is coming here to use the cloning technology to clone an ancient Pokemon from the egg?" - Gavin
". . . yes." - Yuki

#DunGymsandDratinis

Also, the circular dias (and now we know it's a dias) is in better shape here than the ones they've seen before.

Also, when they opened the door a bit more water rushed in. It's now about ankle height.

#DunGymsandDratinis

There are also ancient, futuristic, broken computers in here, and a 20 gets that the outlets are on the floor, not the walls.

"This one looks like it might still work." - Gavin
"What do you mean 'work'?" - Yuki

#DunGymsandDratinis

More discussion occurs, and Kayleigh realizes that there's a BUTTON on it.

And rolls a will save. 13. She doesn't.

But Yuki does!

#DunGymsandDratinis

And that's break! We're at about 1:48 of the episode, and I'll pick this back up some time this weekend.

Look forward to it, Trainers!

#DunGymsandDratinis

Ok, Trainers! We're coming up on Part II of #DunGymsandDratinis, aka 'no what this isn't body horror what are you talking about we are all good friends here'

"We have now returned with music . . ."

Yes. Music. That's what that is.

Not 'the sounds of what I'd consider a nightmarish mod if we could hear combat calls over it'

HOLY MOLY, @shadowravyn

#DunGymsandDratinis

Apparently there is /more than one kind of music happening/

Which, y'know, I'm not sure I would have been able to be sure of, really.

#DunGymsandDratinis

When last we left our intrepid Trainers, Yuki had PUSHED THE BUTTON.

"Nothing . . . happens, exactly. For about 30 seconds . . ."

Oh, ok, that's never a good thing to start off with.

#DunGymsandDratinis

Another flicker of white light. Straight Int roll. (I thought I misheard when folks started saying 'bisexual Intelligence', haha)

Everyone's in the teens!

The dias is in pretty good shape; all it needs is more power, seemingly.

#DunGymsandDratinis

And then, a GIANT ARC of electricity

And here come the <10 rolls, except for a 21 from Aldo and the dirty 20 from from Kayleigh (I think?)

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Arc hits the base, there's faster and faster flickering, aaaand...

...a hologram. Of a woman with passing resemblance to Nurses Joy.

It says . . . something? It's hard to tell with the cutting in and out, but more importantly, the /different/ language.

#DunGymsandDratinis

Some Insight rolls reveal that this is a prepared speech . .

. . . and then, she locks eyes with /each Trainer in turn/. Uh. Holograms don't . . . usually . . . do that?

The hologram is asking, ". . . [foreign word]?" and LOOKING AT THE TRAINERS.

#DunGymsandDratinis

The language is smoothing out on our Welcome To The Citadel Joy, but she still sounds expectant. (Aldo does say 'yes' somewhere in there.)

Apparently Citadel Joy didn't quite get that, but is giving more chances to try.

#DunGymsandDratinis

Gavin cleverly decides to see if he can recite a word back to Citadel Joy in whatever the ancient language is.

"Do you /know/ this language? What did she say?" - Aldo
"Didn't you know? Gavin knows everything." - Yuki, deadpan

#DunGymsandDratinis

She responds in Ancient when Gavin repeats it, but gives another 'again'/'more' gesture when English starts again.

"Oh, she's learning! We need to give her more actual language, sorry."
"Hiiiii."

#DunGymsandDratinis

Now allllllll the teens are talking at the same time, with words and phrases of varying utility (simple statements/questions, chatting between themselves, 'egg' over and over . . .)

Kiran thinks to introduce each other, and then . . .

#DunGymsandDratinis

"He-ello. Welcome. Am I speaking your language?" - Citadel Joy

Varying versions of O.O and :D

She thanks them for giving her the opportunity to communicat with them better, and says, "Welcome to High Memorial Hospital. How are you?"

#DunGymsandDratinis

"Hello. Thank you for coming to High Memorial Hospital. I have assumed the form of Dr. Jacqueline Pine MD, the Director of this hospital. What is it that I may do to improve your stay?"

As one might assume, she looks like the 'posters'. No pink hair, tho.

#DunGymsandDratinis

"Do you have a name?" - Aldo
"You may refer to me as Dr. Pine." - Pine
"Dr. Pine, what is your specialty?" - Aldo
"Well, before I became Director of the hospital, I was a cardiac surgeon." - Pine

#DunGymsandDratinis

"That's hard stuff, yes?" - Aldo
"Yes. Uh. For people, or Pokemon?" - Gavin
"I'm sorry, I do not recognize that word yet." - Pine

O.O

#DunGymsandDratinis

". . . which?" - Gavin
"Pokemon." - Kayleigh?
". . . or human?" - Yuki
"Yes, for humans!" - Pine
"Oh sorry, people." - Yuki
"Yes." - Pine

#DunGymsandDratinis

There's a bit more talking, both to Pine and to each other, and Citadel Joy/Pinebot apologizes and says using the word in a sentence might help her language adaptation algorithms.

They then all get An Idea, and /pick up their Pokemon and show them to her/.

#DunGymsandDratinis

The Pokemon seem to return with 'specimen unknown'. The Trainers feel this pretty solidly confirms that she doesn't know what Pokemon even are.

Some questions crop up about the egg, and Yuki simplifies it to ask the last time someone was seen in here.

#DunGymsandDratinis

Citadel Joy says the last time she (even) accessed her core was . . . [Date Unknown].

So Kayleigh asks her what /today's/ date is.

#DunGymsandDratinis

She fades off for a looooooong time. ("Integer overflow date!" - Matt)

She does eventually come up with an answer, though! 

[Proper Month Name We Don't Have*] 14, 2310. 

* - Smarch. It's Smarch now. I think we all can relate. 

#DunGymsandDratinis

Kindness asks what date Kayleigh thinks it is.

A set number hasn't been given, but our tireless GM says it's a date that one might expect in Pokemon lore that in no way correlates to being in /2310/.

#DunGymsandDratinis

We get confirmation from the GM that the date is literally /thousands/ more years than the PCs think it should be.

Aldo asks what's upstairs, and Pinebot lists various medical departments for humans.

#DunGymsandDratinis

"Are there any restricted areas upstairs?" - Aldo
"No, the restricted areas are below." - Pinebot

(Guess where we're likely eventually going.)

#DunGymsandDratinis

Kayleigh asks if she's connected to other parts of the hospital (yes) and if she can see the state of the building itself (yes).

"All my systems are at 97 percent damage."

#DunGymsandDratinis

Aldo asks if she can tell if there are other people in the building.

"I should be able to tell. I cannot. I do not have access to those systems. Much of my network is . . . d-down." - Citadel Joy

#DunGymsandDratinis

CORRECTION!: I have received a corrective note from our Dear GM; the year is 23,010.

Yep, that sure is the 'right' number of digits.

(Oh fuck.)

#DunGymsandDratinis

Citadel Joy essentially says that there's a lot that would need repair, but more importantly, she is still slowly running out of power and would need a new power source.

To fix it, they would need to go to the reactor.

In the basement.

#DunGymsandDratinis

There's some talk about how the basement is very likely flooded.

"Would the reactor function if the basement were completely submerged in water?" - Gavin
"No, it would not." - Pinebpt
"That may be the situation you're looking at right now." - Gavin

#DunGymsandDratinis

"No, the reactor appears to be functioning at approximately 10% capacity." - Pinebot

Gavin asks what they should do to the reactor to fix it. Pinebot asks if they are a licensed nuclear technician.

#DunGymsandDratinis

"A what technician?"- Gavin
"Sorry, what?" - Yuki
"I am." - Aldo

(Ahahahahaha, I <3 you, Aldo, and your 'if someone asks if you're a god, you say YES' mindset.)

#DunGymsandDratinis

There's some back & forth about how Aldo is a big ol' liar, which makes Pinebot say she cannot give them access, but Aldo persists... until Pinebot asks him to present his badge.

(We then find out Kayleigh thought it was Yuki talking, but snarks anyway. <3 )

#DunGymsandDratinis

Kayleigh tries to see if they can figure out what a nuclear technician is, and preferably what their BADGES look like, but Citadel Joy says they need the RFID chip in the badge, which makes no sense to these Trainers because they are in ANOTHER TECH LEVEL.

#DunGymsandDratinis

They finally ask what security is like (a few security measures mentioned) and what else is downstairs.

There's a fulfillment center, a couple of other things, and the 'Nurse Joyyyyyyy . . .'

The image freezes, and dissolves.

#DunGymsandDratinis

Talking commences about Going Downstairs.

Not everyone is jazzed about this idea, but there's some nebulous agreement that the folks with the egg may need to use devices that would be using this energy, making it valuable to go down there.

#DunGymsandDratinis

"We just swim down there, we grab the egg, we lick it real quick, we bring it back up, and we take it back." - Kayleigh

There's some ridiculous commentary about licking or not licking the egg, about following rules or not, etc.

#DunGymsandDratinis

4 out of 5 Trainers are Almost Certainly Gonna Lick The Egg

#DunGymsandDratinis

Survival roll! Yuki gets a Nat 20.

She realizes she's surrounded by some megaflora, 'ancient herb'. No one has been able to find a purpose for it. Also, the babies are glowing, but the mature plants aren't.

Discussion commences.

#DunGymsandDratinis

Mostly, discussion about no one knows what it does. Some PCs (mostly PCs who haven't been given crap by Yuki) are trying to follow this thread.

Also, in most other places, this is sparse and babies, whereas it's old and healthy.

#DunGymsandDratinis

Also, apparently Gavin is keeping a list on what's abnormal on their travels.

(From this site? Pretty much every-effing-thing.)

#DunGymsandDratinis

More Ancient words! Translation time.

We get: 'NO TRESPASSING'

('We're gonna trespass on this bitch.')

#DunGymsandDratinis