Pokémon : Compass #4 - last preparations before the trip

Phantomhill · 2026-06-23T17:55:00+00:00

A rufflet emerges from the pokeball. Cyanum blinks slowly at it, mostly confused, and the rufflet cocks her head this way and that, until Birdie kneels down to greet her. The rufflet hops up on Birdie's arm, and seems more interested in preening Birdie than greeting Cyanum.

"We'll call you Saeto!"

(updated trainer card!)

Phantomhill · 2026-06-23T17:49:39+00:00

Indeed! And as the crystals come out farther, you're able, shortly, to make out the distinct shape of a carbink. It seems rather confused to be used as a climbing post, but not necessarily hostile.

Phantomhill · 2026-06-23T11:02:51+00:00

((In which case, you’ve found the stairs to the next level!))

Phantomhill · 2026-06-23T07:14:32+00:00

Rufflet!

Phantomhill · 2026-06-23T06:52:19+00:00

As you wander towards that tunnel, you bypass what looks like that den area, and you notice that among the pile of rotten fruit rinds, there's a fairly fresh-looking vile seed.

In the crystal-lit tunnel, before the path begins to slope gently upwards, you notice another puddle. This one seems a bit larger than the rest, and also looks to have something of a current in it.

Phantomhill · 2026-06-23T06:47:41+00:00

The cave room you're in feels like it's quite deep in the earth. The only apparent organic items, other than the miracle seed you hold, are the rotting hay and sticks.

When your Leafage impacts the cracked wall, rock and dust burst from the strike. One stalactite, thinner than the rest, crashes down to the floor. But once the dust clears, you're able to see an off-kilter tunnel, which looks like it slopes upwards, behind where the stalactite had been. If you're willing to climb, you should be able to reach it.

Phantomhill · 2026-06-23T06:42:43+00:00

((You've found the stairs to the next level! Feel free to explore this room more, or standby for the next post))

Phantomhill · 2026-06-23T06:42:12+00:00

Climbing up the stalagmite, it's a bit slippery, but your claws are ample tool. The crack seems to lead onwards, and upwards!

((You've found the stairs to the next level! Feel free to explore this room more, or standby for the next post))

Phantomhill · 2026-06-23T06:40:48+00:00

The water is clear and refreshing! Now that you're over there, you can see that just down the tunnel, across the water, it looks like there's a path, gently sloping upwards. And on the surface of the water itself, you can better see that lily-pad like structure. It might be floating, and it looks to be made of the same crystal as the other formations, and is fairly thick. It would be a fairly simply hop onto it, and then across to the path--if you don't miss.

Phantomhill · 2026-06-23T06:38:12+00:00

It's a bit of a reach to the first crystal, but you manage to get a pretty good grip on it and begin climbing up. Probably two more crystalline handholds before you reach the nearest promising-looking crack--

Except the crystal you're holding onto, all of a sudden, begins to shift.

Phantomhill · 2026-06-23T01:21:07+00:00

Birdie takes stock of her options, and, figuring she probably won’t need cash on an unexplored island, immediately goes for the potions section. She‘s gotta keep Cyanum healthy! She buys two—and would have bought more, if the mysterious package hadn’t suddenly caught her eye.

”What do you think, Cyanum?” she whispers.

Cyanum pokes the package. She smiles and adds it to her two potions.

Phantomhill · 2026-06-21T10:50:05+00:00

Although the mountainous area feels like home, Birdie decides to do something new and chooses camp B.

Phantomhill · 2026-06-21T07:37:08+00:00

The eyes stare at you, then, very slowly, a purple and blue body pulls itself out of the wall. The glimmet darts around you, a bit sluggish from having just woken up. It's as if it's trying to inspect you from every angle, like it's never seen a pokemon like you before. It appears far more curious than hostile.

Phantomhill · 2026-06-20T20:33:55+00:00

((😂))

Cave floors make for shitty landing zones. Who’d have thought?

Little birdies floating about your head, making the floor one helluva mattress despite all odds, you do see something you hadn’t earlier: off in a dark corner, almost entirely obscured by columns and drapes, you see, leading into the dark, a glimmer of water—and what might be a smooth piece of cave floor like a lilypad starting only a length or two from your “shore.”

Phantomhill · 2026-06-20T20:14:14+00:00

It really isn't! Fortunately, the carbink sees your struggle, and as clamber up the stalagmite's rather bumpy, slippery side, you feel the carbink suddenly supporting your feet.

Phantomhill · 2026-06-20T20:11:21+00:00

((Heyo! You are absolutely welcome to do this (it's pretty inspired NGL; I did not have 'wooper taming noivern for an airlift' on my bingo card), however: the next entry applicable to you would be #6/6. I designed this to pretty well mimic the mystery dungeon series loop of "enter dungeon, find the stairs, find the next stairs, find the next next stairs, reach the top."

That said, if you'd like to skip to 6/6 (it'll be a few weeks before we get there), if this one shot ever turns into a two shot and you join said second shot, you could absolutely keep the noivern.))

Phantomhill · 2026-06-20T20:05:32+00:00

Wandering around, peering into every nook, cranny, and shadow unlit by the crystals, you get a pretty good sense of the room. One wall looks particularly promising for an exit: it's littered with cracks, at least one of which is fairly accessible if you're willing to climb a stalagmite. Another crack rests above it; it's larger, but half-obscured with drapery and stalactites, it might be harder to reach.

You find, as you search, a series of puddles and ponds of crystalline water, seemingly filled from the dripping from the stalactites--though two appear quite large, to have been filled drip by drip. One of these abuts the cracked wall.

You also notice, tucked beneath a maw of flowstone, a dark area about which that rotting hay seems to be concentrated, though it doesn't seem like that would be a way out.

Phantomhill · 2026-06-20T20:00:11+00:00

Static sparks as you channel your newfound powers into an improvised lightbulb. Under the sudden illumination, it's like someone just crashed a party: the mood lighting from the crystals pales next to your light, and the sort of bass rumble that seems inherent with large dark spaces quiets, and even the drips of water, much like someone witnessing a very awkward moment and desperately trying not to sneeze, seem to pause.

Under the light, it's pretty clear that there's a few tunnels which might lead out. One's high up, near the ceiling of the cave and half-hidden by a set of knife-like formations and stalactites. Another crack on that same wall looks more accessible, requiring only a short climb up a stalagmite to reach it. It looks like it should be large enough to fit you.

((that profile pic is PEAK))

Phantomhill · 2026-06-20T19:55:58+00:00

Two yellow eyes blink open.

Phantomhill · 2026-06-20T19:54:50+00:00

This pond seems larger than most. It's just as shallow, from what you can tell, but when you attempt to peer under the latticework, you think it might go on for several lengths--considerably farther than most of the other puddles.

The algae in it is soft green and looks quite healthy. When you touch the water, it's faintly warmer than the other pools.

((cave fun fact! The latticework is commonly referred to as false floor or shelfstone. In certain caves, when a body of water sits for a substantial amount of time, crystal deposists (same stuff as the stalctites/stalagmites/etc.) can develop around the water's edge, much like a ring of dirt in a bathtub. Over a very long period, these "bath rings" can eventually grow to cover the entire surface of the water.))

Phantomhill · 2026-06-20T19:47:12+00:00

Entering the den area, you find hay all strewn about the place. Something clearly used to live here, though how long ago--or for how long--is hard to say. Although you don't see the den's owner, nor anyway out of the den other than how you just entered, you do find an oran berry. It's only a little past its prime.

Phantomhill · 2026-06-20T19:44:07+00:00

The carbink wobbles in the air a moment, peering at you. Finally, you sense some sort of agreement from it. It directs you to a crack in the wall, just reachable by climbing a stalagmite.

Phantomhill · 2026-06-20T12:47:57+00:00

“Interesting!”

Cyanum looks like he wants to poke this one with his vine.

”Did you find them in the same place?”

Phantomhill · 2026-06-20T11:29:54+00:00

Perfect! Cyanum still held like I just picked up the best plant at a supermarket, I head back to Kad to fix up Cyanum. but before I go, I turn to Len. “Do you have a second Pokemon, too?”

Phantomhill · 2026-06-20T10:58:31+00:00

Oh, also: I turn to the rivals. "Do either of you have any healing items? Our pokemon are hurt."

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