>>3575382
Hey Gobble, hope you had a nice week!
What do you think of Sword and Shield so far? Other than the usual complaints about GF being every bit as incompetent as they've always been

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>>3575386
[DESU I haven't even looked at it, and what little I've absorbed is through osmosis. I got really bored with Sun and Moon and never finished.

I gravitate towards stuff like Pokemon Showdown these days. Just not enough time to put in the incredible work it takes to get through the cut-scene loaded, bloated, super easy yet super tedious main story lines just to get to be able to catch pokemon that aren't bird or bug or rodent clones of previous generations, and start the 'real' game of endless eugenics and grinding for a competitive team so you can finally get to the part where you can enjoy a challenge from either other players or post-game stuff like the Battle Mansion or equivalent.

I feel like Pokemon needs a hard crash to Gamefreaks will be able to take a risk with the next one. I don't think any new games will have anything worth all that much attention. I don't mean to be negative, I just think they ventured far and away from the original intent and the exploration and bonding emphasis. I never feel like I'm exploring anything because it's always such a safe cavern with people tossing you items and advice that breaks any sort of mystery and makes it feel like a tourist attraction, and I never feel like I'm bonding because the pokemon you have are going in the box pretty much forever once you beat the game and need something with good IVs.

There are always loads of elements I enjoy, but the whole thing put together is a full time job and I just want to adventure or be competitive, which the main part of the games has neither of.]

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You glance back to Abigail and Valerie, and shrug with a particular look on your face. It’s a simple gesture, but it conveys what it needs to. That’s just how it is now. No need to make a big deal out of it.

The silence as they take that in needs a little filling, so you follow up with an extra comment to lighten things up a bit. “New rule; breakfast costs one kiss.” You make a mental note about one of those aprons.

Abigail rolls her eyes, but you see a hint of a smile break through. Valerie laughs in a way that makes you feel like a lovable goofball, then she glides over and gives you a quick, friendly peck as she takes a serving. You try to offer more, but she’s happy with just a little.

“I’ll just have some of that other stuff.” Abigail says, holding her hand out.

“Hey! There’s still a fee.” Hana jokingly stops you from handing anything over.

“Hey Laki! These two are trying to make me get fresh with Herb! You want I should kiss him?” Abigail says, looking and sounding a decade younger than she is.

Laki steps forward. Her posture looks threatening, but her tone is pretty bright and sunny. “‘You want I should' wreck you?”

Abigail looks between Laki and Hana and you, then comes up with a plan. She grabs Laki suddenly and gives her a big, wet, loud kiss, then snatches Laki’s breakfast. “There. Toll’s paid. And Herb, if you try to hold out on food again I’m stealing your womenfolk.” Your large sweater and it’s pale contents slip away to a corner of the camp. She eats like a wild pokemon, guarding her food as if it could be stolen at any moment.

Laki assures you in a whisper and a slap of your rear that after last night, nobody is stealing her from you.

“Hey, has anyone seen my bag?” Valerie asks, searching around. After a quick search though, she finds it just beyond the clearing, and screams.

Her bag has been torn to shreds, along with most of the clothes. Bits and pieces are strewn about all over the place.

“Anyone have any ideas what did this?” Laki asks.


>Go ask your pokemon what they saw last night
>Investigate the crime scene thoroughly
>Console Valerie, she looks pretty sad
>Must have been that wild pokemon you saw
>Immediately go to Dice and start asking questions
>Something else

I!
WANNA!
SNUGGLE!
KEIRA!

>>3575418
>Go ask your pokemon what they saw last night
>mention that wild(?) pokemon you saw last night

>>3575418
>Go ask your pokemon what they saw last night
>Investigate the crime scene thoroughly
Well, fuck.

>>3575405
Honestly I think they're on the right track to adventure right now. This time they're creating a big, actually open area with wild mons of all levels, some of which you have to actively avoid if you don't want to get wiped. The weather, which is supposed to change every day or every bunch of hours, also changes radically which mons are available, which is pretty good too.

>>3575418
>>Go ask your pokemon what they saw last night
>>Investigate the crime scene thoroughly
Huh, maybe the Pokemon from the lake? Or someone trying to screw Valerie over

>>3575418
>>Go ask your pokemon what they saw last night

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[Sorry. Someone came to the door. Not dead]

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“Woah!” You look around at the stuff strewn about. You and the others step through it a bit, looking for evidence of what happened. Mace zooms to your side a few seconds after Valerie’s scream.

Hana holds up the remnants of some particularly skimpy undergarments, sure she’ll find evidence there.

“Need to borrow some spare clothes?” Laki offers Valerie.

“Oh thanks for the offer.” Abigail says sarcastically, waving her arms in your sweater.

“It’s okay. I have a lot. I just had some of my favorites in that bag. Papa...Father has a lot of connections in the clothing industry and some of those were designer.”

You kneel down and inspect a label. When you recognize how exclusive and expensive this is, you almost drop it out of fear of dirtying the ragged remains further. It takes you a moment to get yourself together again and look at it with a more critical eye. The quality stitching here couldn’t have been torn by a weak person or pokemon. It had to be strong, and have some sort of sharp teeth, claws, or tools.

“I saw a wild pokemon in the stream last night.” You mention. “I didn’t think anything of it at the time. It seemed cautious around me.”

“Maybe it was just watching for it’s moment to cause trouble.” Abigail offers.

You decide to go see your pokemon, and ask what they saw last night. Since you’re with Mace, he’s the first one you ask. “Did you s...hear anything last night?”

Mace shakes his head. He seems a bit off this morning though, like he didn’t get much sleep last night. As you glance over the others though, you notice they’re all a bit sleepy looking. They did have their own little game going on, after all.

Gobble is still having an after-meal nap. Belladonna is basking in the morning sun in a particularly wet spot. Ghost Pepper flies out of your pokedex and zooms around you, curious about what’s up. He gets distracted by Keira’s Cutiefly, though. Sorbet yawns and stretches, but you can see a small trail of ice and a flat circle of it around her from what looks like a sudden, startled wake-up a few minutes ago.

Dice emerges from the bushes, looking concerned.

“Dice, did you see something?”

He looks around, unsure, then shakes his head in denial.


>Alright. You believe him. Help me look for clues, will you?
>Are you sure? Really sure?
>Ask what everyone did last night
>Something else

>>3575533
>Are you sure? Really sure?

>>3575533
>>Are you sure? Really sure?

>>3575533
>Are you sure? Really sure?
Definitely make sure he knows we don't think it's him and we're not mad. Dice has had bad experience with this thing before we met.

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“Are you really sure?” You ask, wanting to give him the benefit of the doubt, but also don’t want to leave any egg unflipped.

Dice looks around again. He shuffles in place and offers no answer.

“Dice, do you know what happened to Valerie’s clothes?” You ask again.

He scratches and avoids eye contact, then shakes his head. It’s then you notice a small piece of fabric on his clothes. He notices too, and quickly tries to hide it.


>Dice! You’re lying to me!
>You believe him, but he’s got some explaining about that
>Pretend you didn’t notice, and ask him and the group some questions (write-ins very welcome)
>Something else

>>3575571
>You believe him, but he’s got some explaining about that
"Dice, did you find the clothes ruined before everyone and not tell us? It's okay, I won't be mad. Just talk to me, Dice."

>>3575571
>You believe him, but he’s got some explaining about that
Gotta give him benefit of the doubt.

>>3575571
>You believe him, but he’s got some explaining about that

>>3575571
>>You believe him, but he’s got some explaining about that

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GOBBLE ARCHIVE THE LAST THREAD WITH THE CORRECT NUMBER PLEASE. you honestly didn't even need to make a new thread the old one was fine.

>>3575571
>on his clothes.

Huh?

>>3575625
Oh of course, Herb would dress up his Pokemon.

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>>3575625
[Oops. "Claws"]

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“Alright, I believe you.” You lean over and pluck the bit of cloth from his claw. “But you’ve got to tell me what this is about. This is part of Valerie’s clothes, isn’t it?” The fiber feels like vispum, like the others.

He shifts, but his nostrils flair a bit as he sniffs it. A small bit of slobber escapes his mouth. But he shakes it off.

You glance around for Gardevoir, but Keira leaping onto your back distracts you. “Herb! Talking to your pokemon? Need help?”

“Uhh, yeah, actually!” That’s convenient. “Dice, can you tell Keira where this came from?” You show the cloth.

Dice shifts around uncomfortably, and after a few seconds, Keira starts to translate. “He says that he just found it after he chased off a mysterious wild pokemon that was rummaging around Valerie’s tent.”

“When?”

“Last night.”

“Did anyone else see that? Why didn’t you wake us?”

Dice shuffles around again. It takes him awhile to answer. “Maybe everyone slept through it. He didn’t think it was a big deal and wanted everyone to get sleep.”


>Dice, come on. Come clean
>Well, good job, but next time wake us, okay?
>Quick, maybe we can still find this pokemon. Everyone with odor sleuth, grab a shred and get sniffing
>Something else

>>3575662
>>Quick, maybe we can still find this pokemon. Everyone with odor sleuth, grab a shred and get sniffing

>>3575662
>>Quick, maybe we can still find this pokemon. Everyone with odor sleuth, grab a shred and get sniffing
Keira is affectionate

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“Quick, maybe we can find that pokemon!” You burst into action. “Gobble, we need your Odor Sleuth. Dice, we’ll need your nose too. Ghost Pepper and Mace, you guys spread out and check around from above. Sorbet, Belladonna, we might need your ice or spores if we run into any trouble, so Sorbet, you stick with Gobble, and Belladonna, you stick with Dice.”

You turn to Keira. “Can y-”

“Dice did it.” Laki comes over, with Hana in tow.

“W-what?” You and all your pokemon stop moving.

“Glaceon saw the whole thing. Gardevoir helped us figure it out.” Laki puts a hand on her hip. “Dice saw a wild pokemon sniffing around, he chased it off, and while he was worked up he got into the bag and just went wild.”

You peak behind Laki at Glaceon. It’s giving Dice a stink eye.

Your other pokemon look at Dice, who begins to fidget and shuffle again.

That can’t be true. He told you he didn’t do it. He wouldn’t knowingly lie to your face, would he?

Dice suddenly bolts, taking off for the woods. He’s so fast for such a big pokemon!


>Try to retrieve him with your pokeball
>Command him to stop
>Have your other pokemon cut him off or restrain him
>Chase after him
>Do nothing. You’re too confused and shocked
>Something else

>>3575662
>Pull Dice to the side and talk one on one.
Let him know we're not mad, no one is blaming him. But we do want to know what happened. He clearly knows something but he has been abandoned by his previous trainers over something similar.

>>3575720
>>3575725
Well shit I was late. Still stands though. Just have to catch up to him first

>>3575720
>>Command him to stop
Also
>>3575725
>>3575732

>>3575720
>Command him to stop
>Chase after him

>>3575720
>Chase after him

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You chase and shout.

“Dice!” You shout with much more force than intended. Keira and some of your pokemon flinch at the sudden sound.

But you don’t stop running after him. “Come on, Dice. We need to talk about this.”

He slips between trees as you try to do the same. There’s no way you can keep up. He arrives at a pond and prepares to dive in.

“STOP! RIGHT NOW!”

Dice, to your surprise, does exactly that. You wheeze as you approach, slowly. He steps back a bit in fear.

“Dice...” You try to not be too scary, and take your time. “It’s me. Herb. You can trust me.”

He shifts back a bit. He looks so conflicted and confused. And guilty. Very guilty. He has no idea what to do. His head jerks up when he hears the others approaching, and he almost bolts again.

“Dice. Listen to me. We’re going to have a conversation, alright? I’ll stay here, and we’ll talk, and you can come to me if you want.”

He seems even more guilty now, but he doesn’t move away when you sit down on a rock. You motion to the others to give some space, and luckily they seem to understand.

Dice looks very anxious to do anything other than be here right now. The discomfort and uncertainty coming off of him is almost thick enough to feel in the air.

How are you going to begin? What do you even say?


>You still believe him. Glaceon must be mistaken
>You’re disappointed and hurt. He lied to you. Right to your face
>Make it clear you won’t abandon him, and you won’t stop caring for him
>Let’s talk over a light snack. Comfort food should smooth over a hard talk
>Ask how he’s feeling first. Make it about him
>Something else

>>3575820
>>Make it clear you won’t abandon him, and you won’t stop caring for him

>>3575820
>Make it clear you won’t abandon him, and you won’t stop caring for him
>Ask how he’s feeling. Make it about him

He knows us. We love him damnit.

>>3575820
>Make it clear you won’t abandon him, and you won’t stop caring for him
>Ask how he’s feeling first. Make it about him

>>3575820
>>Make it clear you won’t abandon him, and you won’t stop caring for him
>Ask how he’s feeling. Make it about him

>>3575820
>Make it clear you won’t abandon him, and you won’t stop caring for him
>Ask how he’s feeling. Make it about him

Hes got a problem and we already know about it, and he has been getting better about it (totally that and not Gobble forgetting, yup)

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“Well, first thing’s first, Dice. I’m not going to abandon you, alright?” You feel like that should go without saying, but seeing him in this state makes you want to be clear.

He still looks worried, but a huge weight has fallen off of him.

You adjust in your seat, and note how he doesn’t really back off from your slight movement. “How are you feeling right now?”

He looks surprised and confused. It takes him a bit to figure it out himself. But you can tell easily enough what he’s trying to communicate. He’s scared and guilty. You can feel a lot of shame and regret.

“You made a mistake, is that it?”

He nods.

“And you got scared that because you did so much damage, I’d forget I love you and abandon you.”

He nods again.

“That’s never going to happen, Dice.” You make sure to look him in the eyes and enunciate clearly and loudly. Grandpa always did that when he had something he really needed to get across to you.

He approaches a little. He’s still very ashamed and looks like he feels terrible, but the panic is no longer in effect. There’s still a lot of excess energy from it, though. A big old wad of anxiety that will need to be vented out somehow.

He hangs his head in shame. Then he scratches himself. Every second seems to carry great discomfort.

He hasn’t done this much at all since you got him. It’s not clear what made him do it last night. You thought maybe it was something that he didn’t need if he was happy.

“How have things been with you lately?”

He considers the question, as if it’s never occurred to him to take stock of his feelings over time. He makes a few gestures and noises and you think you get an idea of what he means, though.

“You’re restless?”

He nods enthusiastically.

Could it be as simple as that? He’s the largest pokemon you have, and now that you think about it, he hasn’t really done as much playing with Dice and Gobble. Sorbet generally doesn’t like being touched, Belladonna is more about sneaking up on the others and pulling a quick one of some sort. And Ghost Pepper is still new and you don’t know how close Pepper has gotten to the others, yet.


>You should have noticed
>He should have said something
>Restlessness is no excuse. He lied to you
>Play with him now
>You’ll get him a vispum chew toy to help with that
>Something else

>>3575930
>>You should have noticed
>>He should have said something
Herb isn't a physic, if there's a problem his pokemon should at least know they can come to him for anything.
That said, It has been a while since we've done anything with Dice to he can't hold all the blame. Herb isn't used to having a big mon and this is the result of that

>>3575930
>You should have noticed
>He should have said something

>>3575930
Backing >>3575947

It's a two way street and we've both been slacking.

>>3575930
>You should have noticed
>He should have said something
>Restlessness is no excuse. He lied to you
>"We're going to make controlling your energy a focus in out training. Enthusiasm is one thing, but you need to be behind the wheel instead of along for the ride."

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The girls hang back, looking into your little clearing to see if they should come. You don’t want to start him so you keep them back. But seeing Laki, Hana, and Keira there makes you feel a little guilty. Have you been too distracted to take good care of him?

“I didn’t notice. I should have.” You take some of the blame on yourself, then you lean forward. “And you should have told me, too. We both have responsibilities about this.”

Shakes his head. He thinks it’s all his fault.

“What you did was wrong, but what made you feel the way you did, which nudged you to choose to do it, that’s part on me.”

He moves closer, then nudges your hand with his snout. He wants to be pet. Is he comforting you, seeking comfort, or both?

Before you pet him, you consider the punishment aspect. When dad grounded you for drawing on the walls when you were tiny, he explained he wasn’t doing it because he didn’t like you, but because he wanted you to remember and learn. And to make sure you understood that bad behavior has consequences, even if you already knew it was wrong.

What sort of punishment will he get?


>None. Just go apologize to Valerie
>Hard exercise for the next week. Early in the morning and late at night
>He’s got to carry everything for the next while
>Earn the money to pay off Valerie's clothes somehow
>Assign him to watch Pepper and make sure he doesn’t go into anything he shouldn’t
>Something else

>>3576007
>Hard exercise for the next week. Early in the morning and late at night
Multi-task. Burn energy, get swole.

>>3576007
>Hard exercise for the next week. Early in the morning and late at night
This should also help him burn off steam.

>>3576007
>>Hard exercise for the next week. Early in the morning and late at night
I'd be all for him carrying stuff, but he's burnt a bit of trust there

>>3576007
>>Hard exercise for the next week. Early in the morning and late at night

>>3576007
>Hard exercise, and we’ll go apologize together.

>>3576007
>Go apologize to Valerie
>Hard exercise for the next week. Early in the morning and late at night

Admitting and apologizing comes first. Punishment/amends come after or it doesn't mean anything.

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“You’re still going to be punished.” You warn as you start to pet.

He immediately jerks back in fear.

“Exercises.” You clarify. “A lot of them starting first thing in the morning.” He’s confused about that at first, but you explain to him that it’s about teaching a lesson. You also think there might be another aspect to it as well. He’s still loaded with guilt and shame, and having a punishment he can go through is a way he can work those feelings off instead of resorting to other ways to get rid of them for the moment, like turning to shredding up vispum clothes.

“Now come on. Let's go join the others.” You motion to the crowd of pokemon and people just beyond earshot.

“Is Dice alright?” Valerie asks with concern.

You assess Dice again just to be sure. Normally you’d feel confident enough about how your pokemon is to answer without a second thought. He looks fine, though. “Yeah. And we both have something to say. We’re sorry.”

You lower your head. Dice bows.

“Omigosh. It’s fine. When Dice ran off I was so worried I forgot all about it.” She blurts out. When Hana gives her a quick elbow, Valerie quickly follows up. “But apology accepted.”

That’s a relief. You can feel the same weight being lifted off of Dice, too.

Still. Those clothes were pretty valuable. And you did offer to replace Abigail’s clothes thrice over. It’s hard to avoid the nagging feeling about the cost of it all. You’d be able to get the money together over time, but it’d take a lot of work. You might have to do it in parts. Valerie didn’t say anything about it, so it’s sort of awkwardly hanging in the air now.


>Offer to pay for her clothes. It’s only right
>Insist on paying for her clothes and don’t take no for an answer. It matters to you a lot
>If she’s not going to mention it, then just let it go
>Offer to get her something different, even if it might not be as expensive
>Something else

>>3576080
>Something else
Offer to make her new clothes, or if that's too far out of your skill zone, at least accessories.
If we do this, we could also possibly do something like incorporate shed scales or shed teeth from Dice as a token of apology on his part.

>>3576080
>Offer to pay for her clothes. It’s only right
We offer, she refuses, we insist on making it up somehow, she insists its fine, we do something nice for her anyway. The ritual is complete.

>>3576080
>>Offer to pay for her clothes. It’s only right

>>3576080
>>Offer to pay for her clothes. It’s only right

>>3576080
>>Offer to pay for her clothes. It’s only right

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“I’ll pay for everything, of course.” You mention.

The air around instantly changes. Valerie looks uneasy. “It’s alright, Herb. These things happen. I got a lot of those as favors or samples for Father.”

“Really, it’s only right.” You say. “I’ve got to make it up somehow.”

“You really don’t.” She insists. “I’m just glad everything worked out. Besides, you’ve made enough meals for me I think we can just call it even.”

“You paid for the last one.” Abigail says, stirring the pot a little.

“So did you.” Hana remarks very quietly.

“How about Dice and I find a way to accessorize you?” You offer.

“You’re just looking to play dress up with us, aren’t you?” She laughs gracefully. “Well, I don’t mind that. Sure. But please, don’t go to too much trouble, okay? It’s really something I’ll get over.”

Ah! There it is! She said she’d get over it. As in, she’s still upset deep down. You knew it bothered her more than she was letting on. Dice seems to sense this too, because he nudges his head into her hand submissively. She of course doesn’t miss a second in giving him scratches and pets regardless.

“Speaking of getting clothes for other people...” Abigail waves her sweater-covered arms.

“Right! Let’s go!” You announce. And your party packs up quickly and heads back down to the festival area. It’s a nice, warm walk in the morning sun after a light rain last night. Valerie and Abigail don’t say too much, being a bit preoccupied with their thoughts. That weighs on you more than it should.

“Oh man am I sore today.” Laki stretches. “It’s weird, but I like being a bit sore. Makes me feel accomplished.”

“Yup.” Hana agrees. “Feelin’ pretty good this morning.”

“It’s such a nice day.” Keira adds. “It feels even better than most days on Eelilee, and I love this island!”

The three girls sigh together in a sort of exhausted, satisfied chorus. And that lifts you up.
[That’s all for tonight, folks. We’ll likely be waiting until Tuesday to run next. I won’t lie, I’m pretty packed up schedule wise so it might continue to be sparse for the next week or two. I’ll keep you posted. I’m going to stop with my bad habit of optimistic estimates too. That’s unfair to you guys and myself. I hope you have a great day. Remember to call your dad this weekend!]

>>3576188
Thanks for running, Gobble!

>>3576188
Thanks for the run Gobble, have a good weekend

>>3576188
have a good one boss

>>3576188
I'm really annoyed I missed this session! Thanks for running Gobble!

>>3576188
You're still the best, Gobble, don't worry. Have a nice weekend!

>>3575405
/vp/ used to do giveaways of generated perfect mons for s/m. It made it way less tedious to try out new combos and gave great trading fodder to cover whatever they weren't giving away. I ended up top 50 in doubles (44) just by messing around with freemons.

>>3575528
I'm looking forward to this in 2021.

>>3577490
2 more years, 2 more years!

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I’m sorry. I’m retiring from Pokemon Island Adventure Quest, and QMing as a whole. I know this probably feels sudden, but the truth is this is something I’ve been in denial about for a long time. I’m just not happy running it anymore.

It’s something that I cancel constantly because of my real life responsibilities and my poor planning, but also something I have to admit I’ve put ahead of responsibilities on a few occasions, and many fun life experiences, and long term goals, too. It’s something I’ve enjoyed a lot, and something I believed I intended to finish because I’ve felt so strongly obligated to everyone that’s invested so much into it. And I’ve been in complete denial about feeling engaged and invested in the quest versus just feeling a bit of relief from the sense of guilt from not running enough.

I just sat down and really examined why I’ve been so stressed for so long, and a big part of that issue is always feeling stretched too thin. I need to simplify my life and really allocate the effort and resources into other priorities. A not-insignificant amount of the things that always nag at me is never having enough time to run or do most of all the other things I want to do, and running this quest just isn’t something that grips me and feels rewarding in the same way anymore. It’s something I do out of obligation and desire to please people, and not because I enjoy what I’m doing enough for it to be worth making time for at the expense of other things. When I’m out, my mind is on how this time could have been used on the quest. When I’m running, I think about all the other things I’m not doing. It’s too much, and I’ve lost the spark for running the quest. I don’t know if I made it too much of a stalled out wish fulfillment thing, if I’m just burnt out on running a Quest in general, or something else, but the magic is gone. I just don’t feel like I’m able to accomplish anything or get anything done, and so it feels like reluctantly throwing effort into a pit. Maybe I just can’t write antagonists and challenges. I don’t know. All I know is that I can’t figure out why it’s not working, but it’s not.

It’s been a great ride. I’ll be happy to answer questions tomorrow. I’ll still have my twitter and check it once in awhile, so I can answer stuff through there, too.

I feel very especially terrible about doing this right after the wonderful player who organized all those observations, plot threads, character motivations, challenges, recipes, and so much more. I owe you, and many others, very specific apologies. To you especially, I’m sorry. Dick move and dick timing.

Thank you to everyone who has voted, read, theorycrafted, investigated hints, archived (very especially), and came up with a write-in or idea.

Anyone is more than welcome to take over, restart it, take any and all parts of anything to do with it and run it. It was never mine to begin with.

>>3580273
RIP

>>3577548
>>3577490
you killed him

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>>3580273
Sad to see you go, Gobble. You're probably the most down to earth QM out there and I wish you the best. I'll remember you fondly, here's one last butt for the road.

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I've come to expect this. Quests actually completing are an exception to the rule. You do you boss, we'll deal.
On the plus side, this means the last 4chan quest I followed is dead. I guess I'm free now.

Are we at least getting the Kiera bin as a going away present?

>>3580273
Gutted, I followed Pokemon Quest since the fifth thread and this one since the first. You're easily my favourite QM and it ain't close. Thanks for all the threads and I'm glad you're moving forward in life. Kinda fitting that as it looked like Herb was gonna have to grow up a bit you did too. For what it's worth, thank you again for all the threads. These threads were always so well written and such perfect examples of how to run a quest and interact with fans. Seeing that I'd missed a couple and had a bunch to catch up on always brightened up my day and helped take my mind off the daily bullshit, so once again, thank you for everything and good luck out there Gobbie

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>>3580281
That sounds like a great idea actually. Everybody, post one last behind as we leave this quest behind.

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>>3580279
Yup! Everyone gang up and blame them!
>>3580281
Thanks. Maybe I'll come back in a few decades after I retire. I'll always have fond memories.
>>3580288
I'll finish the remaining bins, but it may take a little. The psychic one is actually mostly done and shouldn't be too long. I can always spare little spurts of time and have it in an online doc I can add to anywhere.
>>3580291
Thanks. There's been so many times where I was walking on sunshine after a good session, and it's in no small part because of your contribution.

Good night everybody. See you around

>>3580273
:(

>>3580273
Well that was unexpected.

Take it easy gobble, thanks for everything. I'll miss archiving these for your forgetful butt. Thanks for all the fun.

>>3580273
Thanks for carrying us this far, turkey.
You were the one that got me into quests in the first place.
I still remember you making my christmas when you came back all those years ago. That was already more than I could have asked for, let alone all the content that came after, but the QM curse comes for us all.
also holy shit I'm actually choking up what a bitch
I hope you succeed in whatever you move on to.

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>>3580273

>>3580273
>>3580309
Hey, Gobble. Thank you for all the years you've run quests for us. I know what it's like to have to stop running a table-top game when it stops being fun, so I totally understand. I'm sorry to hear the toll the game has taken on you.

I've always been a big fan of your writing and I really wish you the best on your pursuit of your real life goals and hope that you find relief from these extra worries. You seem like a really great person with a very solid work ethic. A lot of people would have disappeared without even telling us, so I really appreciate your honesty. I will remember all the memories we all made with these quests fondly.

If you ever write/publish anything in the future, please post it to your twitter. I'd throw money at you if you wrote a book. Also if you ever make a game or something I be down to buy/try that too. I think you are a great QM, and you did a great job, Gobble. Thank you so much. I wish you well.

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>>3580273
>>3580309
You may leave this quest behind, butt you'll always be in our hearts.

>>3580309
Hey, guy who wrote the bins/pizzanon here.

I’m not gonna lie, this is pretty hard for me to hear. Not because of time or effort put into making those bins, but because I’ve been really emotionally invested in this.

I wish we could have talked about why it wasn’t working for you earlier. Figured out what wasn’t working together. Looked at the pace, and what writing or update styles could have made things faster or easier on you. There are a lot of options. But I know I’m partly bringing that up as a sort of bargaining to convince myself you might return sooner. But you need to do what is going to be best for you, and I know time is precious.

I’ve been reading since the start of 2016, with your last quest. Since then, I’ve disconnected or grown more distant from the people in my life, so it’s especially hard to say goodbye at this lonely and stressful time in my life. For the last few years I’ve often thought about and planned for the next thread in the shower or bed. Its going to be weird not immersing myself in the character of Herb.

I know you said you were open to someone taking over or something, and I’ve considered it. But it doesn’t feel exactly right. Like... like using a generated Pokémon instead of the one you had since you were a kid. Maybe functional, but without the right spirit.

I know I’m not great with change, or especially goodbyes. And I know the uneven anonymity makes it weird, but I still would like to consider you my friend.

So, thanks for being here with me through some hard times. But I don’t want to wait maybe decades to hear from you again. We’ve all got your Twitter, so check in with us, okay? Because I don’t want to let you just fade away.

I’m going to miss this so, so much.

<3

>>3580647
continued because I can’t leave well enough alone

I know this is selfish of me to say, but if you find yourself missing this Gobble, I would like to try to find a way to make this work for you. Maybe it would look like one or two posts a week and skipping over a lot of plot threads you’re no longer interested in. Maybe it looks like you outsourcing work to some of us as ghostwriters. I don’t know. It just hurts to see it end like this after so much love was put into it. I don’t want to say goodbye if I can help it.

>>3580696
I’m sorry, I’m just not taking this well. It’s been an important part of my life for these last few years. I want to still do something with you guys. I don’t know what, or how. But I feel like I can’t give up. Or maybe like I need some sort of closure? I don’t know.

>>3580720
I know what you mean.

>>3580720
>>3580721
Maybe we should brainstorm some ideas for an epilogue? We can brainstorm on it and maybe as a group we can figure out a way to tie off some of the story.

>>3580273
Is there any chance this is just a hiatus, rather than a full on drop of all questing? I dunno, I just want to be able to have that hope.

>>3580729
If Hive Queen, Banished, Hellborn, Ryukuza, Skeleton, Hyperdimention, and RE: Monster are any example: no. Once a quest takes a break for any reason it dies, whether the QM intends to kill it or not.

>>3580273
Love you Gobble, I came up with Trunks name all the way back in the first quest and I will always remember you.

I’m sad but I also know that in the end this is a hobby. In the end I can only say thank you for creating this world that we could enjoy together, and that I hope you find success in whatever you do in life. Thank you for the ride, Gobble, we’ll miss you and all the fun characters you’ve written into our lives.

>sword and shield is so bad it kills everything Pokemon related
Thanks a lot, Gamefreak.

>>3580794
Ryukuza was because XS' region was perma IP banned. I'm not joking either, she literally can't post here. She has several quests on Akun that are on hiatus because she volunteered for a 5 month medical study.

>>3580273
Do you ever see yourself coming back to do this again? Because it would be nice for closure if we could get a general outline of what you had planned for the plot. Thanks for running Gobble.

>>3580989
I'm aware. My point is that it's dead whether she plans on coming back or not. Quests just don't survive that long on life support. The readers move on, the QM forgets details, and the difference in feeling between the experience of writing they remember back when things were smooth and what they get trying to restart, re-remember, and wrangle a half-familiar audience tends to kill the QM's drive. XS might be a special case since she allegedly writes mostly because if she didn't get it out on paper it'd burst out of her head like Athena in a shower of gore, but I'm not keeping my fingers crossed.

>>3580273
Sad to see you go Gobble. You were a titan of questing and a genuinely nice person too. Which is a rarity. Best of luck in all your future endeavors.

>>3581201
I think that’s a little pessimistic.

>>3582021
Of course it is. If I expect nothing and XS comes back, it'll be a happy surprise. If I hope for the best and she doesn't, I'll be disappointed. Pessimism ensures I'm either pleased to be wrong or smug for being right.

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>>3580320
Sorry
>>3580501
Thank you for all your archiving. I'm sorry I was such a ditz on that. You're a diligent, thoughtful person.
>>3580520
Oh wow. That brings me back. That really touches me. I wish you the best success in life. If there's a discord or something anybody hangs out with, I'd be happy to chat and chill
>>3580531
Thank you for everything.
>>3580638
I appreciate that. I feel like I've gotten to know a lot of you even anonymously. I really loved doing things with you guys. If I ever publish anything or create anything of note, I'll make sure to get free copies to any of you.
>>3580647
>>3580696
>>3580720
I'm sorry. It's really more of a me thing. I just let too many things consume too many parts of my life. Nobody here did anything to drive me off or anything like that.

I'm sorry to hear about your disconnecting. I'd be down to talk about it by whatever messaging system means works for you.

You've been a constant and majorly contributing presence in the quest. I'd be very honored and flattered if you took any/all parts of it to anywhere that feels right. Take the story from here, reboot it, take characters into a different setting, whatever. And if you do, I want to know so I can vote anonymously when I can catch it.

You've (in particular) been a constant in my life for a lot of hard and transformative times for me. I've been able to express things about myself to you I couldn't dream of to anyone else. To say I feel close is an understatement. I'm still going to be around, I just don't believe I can commit the effort into the required time to do it the way I'd feel satisfied with, creatively or otherwise.

So don't bring out my waterworks like that, okay? ;_;
>>3580723
Please do so!
>>3580729
No. I don't want to give you any false hope. Maybe when I retire.
>>3580804
Oh man. I remember that so vividly. I stopped drinking so much around that time because I thought it was interfering in the quest. Trunks will always spook people the way he does because of you.
>>3580805
Very kind and grounding words. Thanks. I hope you have the best life you can, and I owe you for helping me have a very bright spot when I really needed it
>>3580953
kek. Maybe something will rise from the ashes
>>3581034
I could give a general outline of where I thought things might go. Or we could do an epilogue session using much more freeform rules or something. It wouldn't hurt to give it some sort of send-off. Although I'd still consider.
>>3581727
Awww, thanks. I'm just alright. And most of the time I'm just a pathological people pleaser more than a nice person. But I'm working on that. It's everyone's drive to improve our characters that has done a lot to inspire me to improve my life.

Thanks for everything! I've been following since day one with Kat and it's sad to see you go but I wish you all the best with your life!

>>3582060
>>3580723

The epilogue doesn't have to be anything big or grand. We can just end up settling down and finding a job as a chef or fashionista, along with everyone else. A simple end isn't a bad one.

>>3582060
And I would really appreciate either the outline or final session, Gobble. Thanks for being with everyone for so long.

>>3582060
I've been thinking about it, and I would like to take it from here. I think that we, and especially you, have put so much into this that it deserves to be seen through to the end. And if you're still playing, then it kinda feels like it's the same group of authors, just with a different editor/publisher, you know? I'll e-mail you about it.

>>3582877
Do it!

Gobble, shine on you crazy Dancie.

Hey, we can even say this Pokemon journey ended a bit prematurely because Herb knocked up three girls all at once.

>>3583606
>[muffled fug in the distance]

It'll be sad to see you go Gobble.
But if you have to go you have to go, take care of yourself. And hopefully, we'll see you again sooner rather than later.

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>>3582091
Thanks. I'll miss you too.
>>3582745
>>3582746
I would actually like to endorse >>3582877 for taking over. I can't think of anyone more qualified, myself included.
>>3583399
You too!
>>3583606
That Herb gets around! He's got a lot of things to explain to his parents (although his dad would probably be secretly super proud).
>>3583626
I regret not doing more with this or making it more dangerous feeling. I think there were a lot of missed chances for some good tension
>>3583989
See you around. And you take care of yourself, too.

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Thank you for everything...I'll never forget Kat and Herb's journey and I hope whatever you do next fills you with joy while also providing balance and support.

>>3584519
>I regret not doing more with this or making it more dangerous feeling. I think there were a lot of missed chances for some good tension
I see what you mean, but I think that's partly on us as well. Hornbeam worked so well in the first quest because he was exactly the sort of villain that shows up in actual pokemon games and was perfectly suited to a roaming adventure. He showed up of his own initiative or we stumbled across his projects in the course of doing something else, and his secret bases and so on could be inserted pretty much anywhere to keep that plot moving.
Fug is, by comparison, much more static, and therefore requires more effort by the players to run in to. If anon is busy with training and contests and familt planning, people aren't going to go out of their way to say "Hey, maybe we ought to put those plans on hold for a session or two and do something about the evil ghost dragon-God.

Which, honestly, was another thing. Hornbeam was human; his threat ramped up over time as he lost his marbles, and Kat's available resources increased along the way. He was a reachable, actionable threat. Herb has no combat monster mons, no real connections, not much money, and he's up against an undead deity. Like, where do you even BEGIN.

>>3580273
I still <3 you gobble.

I think the quest as whole, probably did go a bit too far into the comfy wish fulfillment path. for the last, I dunno, year or so, maybe? scenes have been sortof videogamey / bioware esque in like, characters just perfectly talking out their problems because herb is a social god lol.

It's definitely been noticeable that the charm and heart you had in the first pokemon adventure quest just wasn't in this one after the first two years or so.

I don't blame you, or hold it against you at all, I've enjoyed your writing and efforts and time, this whole time and it's been a fun ride / story along the way. Thank you, for all of that.

I hope you find what makes you happier again.

>>3584859
Everyone turned down the chance to become a literal paladin with magic powers.

so many choices that have made me salty over the last three years lol.

>>3580273
>>3584519
Don't know if I got here in time for you to read this or not, but here goes.

I've been a lurker on here for years, followed since partway through the original quest. Mostly I've read on mobile, so it's a pain to type anything, but I'd roll and vote when on my PC (when I'm home from work and not dead tired).

I've read and followed a lot of quests through the years; Banishment, RE:Monster EX, Hellborn, Homeless Mutant, Hero Academia, heck, I've even binged Frost Giant. My point is, you're awesome, one of the greats.

If you've gotta move on, you've gotta move on, I know that much. Thank you for sticking it out with us for so long, and if you're ever in Alabama or Tennessee I'll buy you dinner.

Take care out there.

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Sad to see this quest go, man. But real life has to come first. Thanks for all the time you put into this and all the fun you've brought to your players.

>>3585943
>RE:Monster
>Homeless Mutant
>Hellborn
>Pokemon
Oh god... we've lost them all now

>>3586392
Don't you have some poor unsuspecting anons to be obliterating the hopes of?

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>>3584719
Thank you for always being there for me even when I was more and more not there for you.
>>3584859
This is a very insightful post
>>3585205
I'm really glad you posted this. It fills my heart with joy to hear those words
>>3585943
Thanks. I'll work on getting my passport. I've always been very fond of America and Americans and feel very embarassed by this whole shitty part of Canadian culture that's all about shitting on America to say how different we are from them. We are extremely similar. There is so much that we share and you have to admit that there are some wonderful traits that Americans have that Canadians have a deficit of.
>>3586392
Coming from you, that means next to nothing. I'm kidding. I am in awe of your QMing and your words mean a lot to me.

>>3586556
Eventually. I will always return.

>>3586556
>implying he's not here to take over this quest and obliterate everyone's hopes and dreams

>>3586969
If you're visiting come to Maryland first, I've got a boat and the secret family crab cake recipe. Every place that advertises "Maryland-style crab" lies.

I've loved following your quests since the beginning and while I rarely posted, I enjoyed every minute of Kat and Herb's adventures. Thanks for reconnecting me to my love of pokemon.

>>3586969
Come to Texas, we can have real mexican food!

>>3588185
>Texas
>real mexican food

>>3587102
I wouldn't do that to Gobble. I respect him too much.

As for other quests on this board, just remember that it's always me.

>>3586969
>>3588185
Come to California, we have real Mexican food!

come to Iowa, we have... Corn? Corn!

>>3588373
What about the one that's specifically not you?

>>3589127
I mean, you said yourself it's specifically not me

>>3589113
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqHgZhLLTc0

>>3589261
I don't trust you.
But Ok.

>>3588192
>>3588579
More real than California :^)

Honestly I love all the styles of americanized mexican food. From cali to new mexican to texan.

If you want something truly texan gobble the barbecue is great!

Should come to PA, Gobble. As long as you avoid Phillie and Pittsburgh, it's a great place!

>>3589305
I’d be more than happy to show you around Seattle. There’s a good Takoyaki place in the summer.

I don’t want to pester, but do could you send me any notes/plans/tips you had? I’d like to try to prepare before #114.

Shame to see you go gobble but good luck in all future endeavors.

If you're ever in Rhode island I'll show you how to get to the highway and go to a less boring state.

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>>3589407
Oh boy I could eat some barbecue about now
>>3591373
Sounds like a plan sometime
>>3591626
Sorry about that. I had the draft open for awhile. It's now sent! I know you'll do great. Let me know when you're running. And I've always wanted to see Seattle, ever since Fraser.
>>3591697
I hear Rhode Island is lovely. I'm a big fan of middle-of-nowhere quiet, tree-filled areas. I love that comfy feeling

>>3580273
I don't really mind the quest ending, I liked it and it was fun, but something being fun is immaterial. I'll find other things that are fun. I post rarely anyway.

I'm just going to miss seeing you every week. Everyone else is anonymous, so I get the impression I already run into them every day in one form or another in the nameless mass. I guess I'll see you there.

Hey, just letting it out there Gobble, I'm not sure just how big of a deviant you are but if you've ever hopped over to give anonkun/fiction. live a look I could probably get you an invite to a discord where a lot of current or former QMs chat and dick around(Lots of lewd posting though so I'm not sure that's you're cup of tea).

>>3598356
Actually that's a good point. Gobble, have you considered simply moving the quest to another site that supports a slower update pace? It sounded like a lot of the issue was the time pressure involved in setting aside a large chunk of a full day just to run the quest. You could do what Exaltedfag or Larro did and just dial things back to one or two updates at a time, when you have the time, instead of blocking out hours on end for a single session. Just putting the idea out there since to my knowledge you've only worked at the 4chan pace and that almost fucked up Vox too, and he's a maniac who seriously considered continuing updates while his tooth disintegrated in his mouth.

>Gobbles pokemon quest is dead

OH NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

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Page 10. Gentleman it's been an honor.

>>3608040
:(

>>3608040
>>3608234
I'll be seeing y'all around.

>>3608040
Take care, everyone. It's been a hell of a ride.

Once more for old time's sake.
I wanna fug Keira!

i cannot let this ship sink

>>3610522
Not how it works, bruv. Threads on /qst/ go into autosage after three(?) days.

https://ufile.io/n1cvdp7j
Apology butts