1st Charm

[somnambulatory]

[Voice]

Anyone going outside the city... please be careful, and make sure you and your Pokemon are properly protected.

[To most people, this would probably mean 'wearing a big fluffy coat and scarf' or 'making sure you have an emergency kit.'  Jinxie is not most people.]

I have charms against freezing, charms to keep you from getting lost in the forest, charms to prevent your socks from getting wet...

[She'll go on like that for a little while.  You get the picture.]

[Action - Forest Shrine]

[It probably isn't the wisest thing Jinxie could have done, but she's worried about the iron shortage too, and she feels like she needs to help in any way she can.  The Forest Shrine isn't always the safest place to be, especially in dangerous weather conditions, but Jinxie always feels at peace there.  Her trusty Duskull is with her too, so she feels a little more at ease.  Maybe she'll be able to find something special around here that will help out with the city's problems - if not something she can make into a new charm, then maybe a Pokemon that can help.]

Let's pray for guidance, Dokuro.

[And she approaches the stone altar with all due reverence, bowing her head before pressing her hands together in silent prayer.  Dokuro the Duskull follows suit, its red eyes slipping shut as it floats beside Jinxie's head.]

[Action - Old City]

[Once she's back from the Forest Shrine, Jinxie decides to take a look in Old City to see if she can find anything the salvage teams might have overlooked.  Again, it's not that likely, but her desire to help is sincere, and now she's got the help of the Foongus she bonded with at the shrine.]

Be careful, you two.  Here, wear these, they'll protect you.

[Digging two handmade charms out of her pockets, Jinxie applies one each to the foreheads of her Pokemon before they venture down into the tunnels.]

Comments

[somnambulatory]

[She has a charm for that! Its efficacy is debatable.

Fortunately, Jinxie is reasonable and cautious enough to obey the various signs and warnings. She's no Delver and she knows it. Still, though, she'll be looking around for anything interesting, with her Pokemon helping out where and when they can. She doesn't expect it, particularly, but she'll stop every so often to concentrate and reach out with her mind to see if there are any Ghost or Psychic types around.

And it's one of those times that she catches wind of the jingling noise. A shiver briefly runs down her spine, and she motions her Pokemon close.]

H... hello? Who's there?

[bravenewmods]

[All that can be heard for a few moments are the echoes of her own voice - and if she listens closely, the echoes of the jingling sound.

An awkward and uncomfortable silence quickly falls.........

But if something is trailing her, it must be behind her. The path she just traversed was narrow - to the left (glancing back) are the remains of a crumbling building. To the right is a pile of tools.]

[somnambulatory]

[She's more interested in the crumbling building, but the pile of tools is more likely the source of the noise. Tiptoeing along, she slowly approaches it, with her Pokemon following suit.]

[bravenewmods]

[The pile of tools lies dormant as Jinxie approaches, failing to transform into anything terribly frightening. There are several mattocks and pickaxes, shovels, and a headlamp. Various other objects that the Delvers use in their work, less identifiable to the layman, can be seen as well. There seems to be something of a large screw as well as blunt mallets. Someone has also forgotten a large keyring filled with keys, as well as an abandoned canteen.]

[somnambulatory]

[Whew, safe. Clearly her charms are working.

Clearly.]

Oh, someone's forgotten their keys. I should probably take them back to town and turn them in.

[R... eaching...]

[bravenewmods]

[What a kind and generous soul Jinxie is clearly such a good deed will be repaid in kind by the hea -- ]

GYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!

[The keyring screeches at the top of its nonexistent lungs.

A wild Klefki has appeared!

Klefki uses Astonish!]

[somnambulatory]

[Jinxie is indeed well and truly astonished. So much so that she goes reeling backwards both from the attack and her surprise, screeching loudly in return.]

Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

[Thank goodness for friends, though. Duskull and Foongus are ready to help her out.]

D-Dokuro...!

[Springing right into action, the Duskull's eyes flash as it attempts to use Disable on that pesky Astonish attack. Meanwhile, Foongus powers up with Growth. Jinxie, of course, will be apologizing, as is her way.]

I-I'm sorry! I didn't know you were a Pokemon!

[bravenewmods]

[It is vaguely surprising that the combined screeching has not attracted the attention of every single Pokemon living in the Old City but there's probably no time to think about that now.

The Pokemon pops up into the air and is immediately hit with Disable! The attack succeeds and it crumples a little bit.

Three against one, from its perspective... Klefki's empty eyes flicker off to the side towards a cliff leading further down into the ruins - if it could escape there, only Duskull would be able to follow it.

Or at least, that's probably how its chain of logic goes as it jingle-jangles quickly and releases a blast of wind at all of its opponents - a Fairy Wind. It attempts to dart away in the aftermath, seemingly uninterested in conversing with Jinxie for now.]

[somnambulatory]

We don't want to hurt-

[Ouch. That wasn't good at all. The three of them take the attack on the nose, with Dokuro taking off after the Klefki as Jinxie calls out down the hall.]

Wait! Please, come back!

[bravenewmods]

[Klefki briefly cries out as it jingle-jangles away. Jinxie's ability will translate - it doesn't want to come back and regrets having been distracted by the shiny in the first place clearly Jinxie had no keys for it to play with, anyway she just had evil ghost skull things.]

[somnambulatory]

Dokuro, come back. It doesn't want to come with us.

[Jinxie sounds a little defeated, but she's not going to force the issue here. Klefki was here first, after all.]

I'm sorry!

[At least she's polite enough to apologize again, though, as she cups her hands around her mouth to call out in the direction Klefki escaped to.]

[bravenewmods]

[Jingle-jangle jingle-jangle...

'If you were really sorry you'd give me all your keys.'

...Pokemon could be a little immature sometimes.]

[somnambulatory]

[Oho. An opening.]

I only have one, and I need it to get into my house... but if you'd like to hold it for me, I'm sure you'd be able to keep it very safe!

[bravenewmods]

[The jingling immediately stops.

...
...
...

The Klefki reappears.

It is first surprised that the human knows what it wants at all and second will only accept keys that are pretty enough it is a Klefki of taste and distinction after all.]

[somnambulatory]

Here it is.

[Jinxie smiles, pulling a small key from her sleeve. It's... a pretty standard house key, really. Nothing quite so fancy as the Klefki might be hoping for, but she feels bad enough about surprising it before that she's at least willing to try here.]

[bravenewmods]

[The house key is definitely not pretty enough who is she even kidding here the thing is covered in human cooties t --

Klefki immediately swoops forward to try to snatch it; it's almost a little alarming.]

[somnambulatory]

Eep!

[Good catch, Klefki, because Jinxie had fumbled it as soon as it came flying toward her.]

D-do you like it...?

[bravenewmods]

[Hopefully the house key will like its new home because it's not coming off.

The Klefki will hover in front of Jinxie now with an air of uncertainty. ...How important was this key to her, again? Would she really miss it that much?]

[somnambulatory]

So, um... I'm sorry about before. I really am.

[She glances back nervously to Dokuro and Wooster.]

Do you want to come with us? I'll get in trouble with papa if I tell him I gave away my house key...

[Just now realizing what she did here. The Klefki certainly has her at a disadvantage.]

[bravenewmods]

[After careful consideration it decides that stupid humans deserve what they get and vanishes into the ether.

...Or, well, the idea briefly runs through its head for a few moments.

Incredibly enough, this is the first time that anyone has actually given it a key. It's had to settle for stealing them before when no one was looking. And not many people came down here.

Where did the humans even come from?]

[somnambulatory]

There are more keys up above!

[A statement that may come back to bite Jinxie later when people she knows start losing keys, but that is not currently a thing she's considering.]

[bravenewmods]

[!

The Klefki is definitely interested!

But how can it be sure she's telling the truth?]

[somnambulatory]

Come with us and we'll show you!

[bravenewmods]

[...After another few moments, the Klefki seems to acquiesce. But if it was tricked, it was going to run off with her keys.

Congratulations! You have bribed a Klefki into accompanying you!

The Klefki is Level 6. The remainder of its stats and attributes may be chosen at your discretion!]