After healing up at the Center, Frizz went around town asking around for trainer battles. It took him a while to find one, but he found a tough-looking one on the outskirts of town.
That morning, Josh and Beryl looked around for the Poké Ball crafter. They found out that it was tucked away behind the Pokémon Center, close to the western city limits.
The two entered, Mr. Wendell ready to ship an order of Poké Balls somewhere. "Can I help you two?"
ooc: You're already in Laurel City. You saw Derick Willow last update. Yakshas is approaching LAurel this update. Does this change anything?
Beryl introduced herself and Josh as Dragoons, then asked if Wendell could make her Apricorns into Poke Balls.
"There is a more pressing matter, though," she added, concerned. "I'm sure you've heard by now of the three legendary serpents rampaging all over Ageos." She briefly told him about the circumstances under which the serpents were released into the wild.
"We have no idea when Harlequin City could be struck next. I've discovered an ancient inscription connected to the serpents suggests that although they can never be truly destroyed, they could be captured and sealed away. Which is where you come in. You're renowned as the greatest Poke Ball crafter in the region. How strong of a Ball do you think you can make?"
"I wish I could let you pass to gather help. I really do. Unfortunately, the Ageos League joint comissioners are the worst sticklers on the island. They wouldn't let anyone pass, short of a meteor threatening to annihilate the entire island or something stupid like that." As far as the Gym Leader being able to contact them, Alexander replied, "I'll try, but I don't expect to get anywhere."
If you head out:
After hopping on Gyarados and telling him to floor it northwest, he managed to swim all the way to Twilight City's docks. There, Nicolette found a Super Potion behind an otherwise empty storage unit. Looks like it fell out of a shipment.
Arriving on the island, Nicolette pockets the super potion and starts to look around. Not wanting to raise any immediate suspicions, she returns Gyarados to its pokeball. Hmm, surprised he wasn't a lot more vicious . . . she thought as she began to scour the beachfront.
After battling the croconaw's trainer, Frizz healed at the pokémon center, then did another pass, checking out the safari zone and game corner sites to see if renovations were underway and if he could be of assistance. If not, he looked around for battle.
After a few minutes of searching archives, Geoff discovered Beldum can be found deep inside Slate City's mines, but capturing one is notoriously difficult.
According to mythology, it is said Articuno makes its nest in the coldest, harshest places of the world, but only appears to select individuals or otherwise doomed wanderers. After doing some geographical research, the only place in Ageos that fits the bill is the Zamer Crevasse.
Geoff also found a book depicting a blue-caped human riding on Articuno's back, wielding a rod with a giant sapphire at the end. The ancient-looking picture also depicts two armies charging at each other, frozen by a flash blizzard at the hands of the blue bird and rod-wielder.
"Wow...that puts a lot of pressure on me," Wendel said as his jaw dropped. "I'm unsure if I can craft a Poké Ball strong enough to hold something like that." He turned around and sat back down, twiddling his thumbs. "I make Balls stronger than what you can buy in stores, but not by much. I do have an idea, though. I can put in a notice to all trainers in Ageos that I am buying Apricorns in an effort to reseal the Serpents." He paused and sighed again. "I hate to ask for this, but any donations you or any other trainers can make would be greatly appreciated. I need money to buy rare and expensive raw materials to craft these Balls with. I know where they're located, but I just don't have the manpower to send away. Even with these materials, the Balls have a very low chance of actually working. I'm going to need to craft a very large number of them. Dozens. With El Ectri basically back up and running, the city has agreed to match any donations I receive."
Wendell goes on for some time, lost in the gravity of the situation.
Wandering the beachfront from southeast to northwest, Nicolette's eyes caught a trainer apparently being rejected from the Trinity ferry due to not having enough Badges.
The Game Corner is back up and running again, but the Safari Zone is not. The Game Corner has two kinds of games--a slot machine and a card-flipping game. Slot machines cost pY 10 per play, per line up to three lines each play (rolling d1000.) Card game has a maximum bet of pY 100 per play, and is otherwise identical to the card game in Pokémon Gold ans Silver (rolling d24.)
ooc: If you have any questions about the games, just ask. You can do multiple plays per update within reason--just tell me how many you want to do. Check the Locations thread for Pokémon prizes. There are also TM prizes.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A mere ten days after the Mending, a young knight of Valeron and a young ranger of Eos made a discovery that would change Alara forever.
"I don't have a lot of money right now, but hopefully these will be a start." Beryl pushed her collection of Apricorns over onto Wendell's workbench. "I don't know if there are any trainers who have Pokemon strong enough to fight these serpents anyway." Well, except for Josh and Raikou, she thought, but she wasn't going to tell him that. "Where we stand right now, just the thought of any hope -- even if it's a small one -- is enough."
Beryl paused to see if Josh or Wendell had any additional questions for her.
---
After leaving the workshop, Beryl decided to do some research on the local Gym Leader. Bug and grass types...looks like my usual lineup isn't going to work here. She used the PC at the Pokemon Center to deposit Lagoon and Slick, withdrawing Trooper and Tundra. Heading north out of the city, she bid a polite hello to Raikou as she went, then looked around the jungle for any Pokemon.
The water-type fell at the hands of Tankia's bulky frame.
YOU WON!
Tankia gained 8 exp.
Tuffie gained 3 exp.
Received pY 750!
TANKIA STARTS LEARNING BODY SLAM
TUFFIE STARTS LEARNING DOUBLE EDGE
If I'm interpreting your post and the map thread correctly, this is what I'm going to do. If not, please let me know ASAP so I can do something else:
Frizz heads over to the game corner, seeing the pokemon prizes displayed clearly, and asking if someone had a brochure with the TM prizes too. He then goes to the coin exchange to buy 9100 coins. He plays ten games of slots, playing one line each, spending a total of 100 of his coins:
Dice Roller1 D1000 rolled
240
Dice Roller1 D1000 rolled
535
Dice Roller1 D1000 rolled
419
Dice Roller1 D1000 rolled
6
Dice Roller1 D1000 rolled
333
Dice Roller1 D1000 rolled
296
Dice Roller1 D1000 rolled
983
Dice Roller1 D1000 rolled
688
Dice Roller1 D1000 rolled
297
Dice Roller1 D1000 rolled
372
Regardless of the outcome, Frizz will spend his 9,000 remaining coins on a prized Porygon. Having made that exchange, assuming he did it right, he will head east and look for any pokemon or trainers to train against in the wilds outside the practice race track.
Dismayed he couldn't find a buyer who would splurge on the relics he excavated from the ruins, Josh cashed in his Relic Gold and gave the proceeds to Wendell. He also dropped off his Apricorn and told him to use it for the project.
---
Josh waved goodbye to Beryl before jumping on Swift's back and heading north to Crimson City.
encounter
Dice Roller1 D100 rolled
77
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A mere ten days after the Mending, a young knight of Valeron and a young ranger of Eos made a discovery that would change Alara forever.
After depositing the Apricorns off at Wendell's, Beryl parted ways with Raikou and Josh, in search of Turtwig. No such luck, but she did find a Honchkrow asleep underneath a low-lying tree branch.
Total winnings: 30 coins
After wishing he had played all three lines on the slot machines, Frizz headed next door to make his purchase. He headed east toward the track and found a few racers practicing for the upcoming season. Two of them were relaxing next to their swift Pokémon, one of them accepting the young trainer's challenge in the process of removing its riding gear.
Halfway along the mountain route, Swift and Josh hid behind a large crag while Hydrix flew overhead, drawing an incredible charge from Swift's body. A bit tired after the flying serpent passed, the two finished the journey to Crimson City but at a much slower pace.
The boy's search for items or Pokémon turned up dry...
His research fruitful but not what he wanted to hear, Geoff barged into the Gym and found a trainer itching to take him on, despite the loud rumbling noises outside.
Geoff's head whipped around at the sound of the rumbling. "No..." he whispered. He looked to the Beauty. "Get to safety. Now. And get anyone you find on your way there to follow. We are all in great danger. Do you understand?"
Beryl decided not to disturb the Honchcrow's nap. She moved east through the forest to find a good training spot for her Pokemon.
"The Gym Leader is a strong opponent. If we're going to win, we'll need to learn some new moves." She used the two Ice Beam TMs on Mystic and Rumble, then used the Dig TM on Trooper. Beryl spent the next few hours drilling her Pokemon in the use of their new moves, as well as sparring with Cheeri.
Remembering her mission, Beryl was also reminded to contact her friends to let them know about Wendell's request for funding. She used her phone to call Billy, Rai, Geoff, Nicolette, Profs. Caldwell and Haman, Sarina Reley, and Ashlee in Slate City. Beryl also asked them if they had any additional information that could help defeat the serpents.
After the training session, Beryl looked for Pokemon in the area.
Ninetales breathed heavily after standing back up from being bowled over, then fell to the ground. "You're a strong trainer. Have you considered joining a racing circuit?"
YOU WON!
Tankia gained 5 exp.
Received pY 900!
Frizz kindly responds that racing appeals to him in theory, but he doesn't think he quite has the team/time for it just yet.
TANKIA STARTS LEARNING WAKE-UP SLAP
Frizz returns into the city to use the pokémon center, where he heals his pokémon, then stores Ryger (though only for a moment). He then revisits the game corner. He spends 1300 more pY on coins, bringing his total to 1330. Frizz then returns to the prize area to trade in his fresh-bought coins for another prize pokémon, Nidorino, whom he names "Ringo." He spend his last 80 coins on the slots again, playing 3 lines, then 3 lines, then 2 lines:
Dice Roller1 D1000 rolled
295
Dice Roller1 D1000 rolled
613
Dice Roller1 D1000 rolled
286
Returning to the pokémon center, Frizz swaps Ringo into the PC and takes Ryger back out. Then, it's time to venture out into the wilds again. Frizz and his ever-growing team make their way as far as Route 13 West before its time to stop for the day.
Frizz takes a moment to hang out with Lukas. They've been together a while now, and Lukas has learned everything he can in his current form. Frizz asks Lukas how he's doing and asks if there's anything he can do to make Lukas feel happier or stronger.
They then look around for a passing trainer or some sort of adventure.
Geoff and Tiffany evacuate the Gym as the tremors diminish in strength. It appears Yakshas caused plenty of damage to the underlying structure beneath the city, but otherwise the buildings are mostly fine. Tiffany seems more inclined to battle now, as well.
Beryl injected her Pokémon with the special medicine, Mystic in particular not taking kindly to the chilling effects. Both Mystic and Rumble were shivering for several minutes before finally calming down. Trooper had no problem adapting to learning how to burrow underground.
Beryl's Pokémon gained 1 exp each.
After the Pokémon had practiced their new moves, Beryl's calls to the archaeologists and trainers she knew resulted in a total pledge of pY 8,000 to Wendell's project.
Finally, Beryl looked around for Pokémon and felt a paranormal presence, catching in her peripheral vision the one-eyed stare of a Dusclops.
Frizz is a big winner at the slots, earning 760 coins!
After journeying to Route 13, Frizz spent some quality time with Lukas. The small fighting-type hugged his trainer, telling him to keep on doing what he's doing, and most importantly, just to be himself. A traveling trainer caught notice of their quality time, and asked Frizz if a battle was okay.
ooc: Lukas may learn Evolution now.
Josh entered the gaudy Gym, looking for trainers to fight against. Though the main arena for Gym challenges was downstairs, there were still plenty of trainers in side arenas, quite a few of them in martial arts outfits. He entered one of the rooms containing a ring when a powerful uppercut nailed him from the side immediately after stepping in the door. That blow would have hurt a lot more if he wasn't clad in yellow. On his left was a goliath-sized trainer made seemingly of pure muscle. The trainer literally picked him up and threw him into the ring. "You will battle me NOW!"
Finally, Beryl looked around for Pokémon and felt a paranormal presence, catching in her peripheral vision the one-eyed stare of a Dusclops.
With Mystic and Rumble still worn out from the new and unusual training, Trooper stepped forward to challenge the ghostly interloper. He snarled and bared his fangs as he waited for the foe to strike...
Continued in QBU thread post #505...
OOC: Check the link to the player cards, they're not displaying.
Returning from her battle, Beryl continued her rotation south through the jungle and looked for Pokemon again.
In what may seem like a surprise twist, Frizz uses his Moon Stone to instantly evolve his Nidorino into Nidoking before entering the battle. He sets its next move to Thrash, Lukas's to Evolution, and Ryger's remotely to Discharge.
Lukas' second attack flipped Lairon onto its back. Able to take no more, Clayton recalled his 'mon, his mouth wide open.
YOU WON!
Lukas gained 7 exp.
Received pY 1,000!
Then the party makes its way as far as it can before needing to rest again: Route 12 South.
They take a break to look around for any other encounters or events of note.
After the hard-fought battle with Dusclops, Beryl continued her search for Turtwig. She was unable to find one, instead her motion scaring off a Stantler headed toward the town's outer limits.
On the way north, Frizz heard an incredibly loud rumbling underneath him, earthquake-like conditions persisting for a while. Once he had reached route 12 after the quakes had subsided, he found the entrance to a large cave network, unearthed within the last week or so by Yakshas' rumblings. Echoes of various Pokémon cries can be heard from within.
After leaving to get his team recovered, Geoff re-entered the Gym, finding a trainer practicing his flight maneuvers.
After the short nap, Josh re-entered Crimson's Gym and looked for a trainer further down the ladder. It didn't take long to find a girl in better physical shape than any he'd ever seen before.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A mere ten days after the Mending, a young knight of Valeron and a young ranger of Eos made a discovery that would change Alara forever.
The startled Stantler turned toward Beryl. With Trooper out for the count, she sent out Rumble into a pond near the path, the fish Pokemon raring to go after her daily workout.
Continued in QBU thread post #515...
---
After the battle, Beryl returned to Harlequin City to rest and heal her Pokemon. The next day, she headed to the Gym, looking for a match with one of the Leader's underlings.
Josh couldn't believe the kind of shape this girl was in. She was probably tougher than he was in all his gear. He let out a deep sigh before putting Bladestorm in, the proud steel-type circling above the ring like a maniac.
Legend Status:
Virikas: Southeast Ageos, torching Russeton.
Hydrix: Northwest Ageos, Route 7 Center.
Yakshas: East-Central Ageos, Route 12 South.
After healing up at the Center, Frizz went around town asking around for trainer battles. It took him a while to find one, but he found a tough-looking one on the outskirts of town.
The two entered, Mr. Wendell ready to ship an order of Poké Balls somewhere. "Can I help you two?"
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
Geoff headed to the university, hoping to make use of their library, looking to do research on Beldum and Articuno.
The creator of Maro's Magic 8-Ball!
"There is a more pressing matter, though," she added, concerned. "I'm sure you've heard by now of the three legendary serpents rampaging all over Ageos." She briefly told him about the circumstances under which the serpents were released into the wild.
"We have no idea when Harlequin City could be struck next. I've discovered an ancient inscription connected to the serpents suggests that although they can never be truly destroyed, they could be captured and sealed away. Which is where you come in. You're renowned as the greatest Poke Ball crafter in the region. How strong of a Ball do you think you can make?"
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!
If you head out:
After hopping on Gyarados and telling him to floor it northwest, he managed to swim all the way to Twilight City's docks. There, Nicolette found a Super Potion behind an otherwise empty storage unit. Looks like it fell out of a shipment.
Everyone may want to read Jenesis' update.
------------
Legend Status:
Virikas: Southeast Ageos, Southern Badlands.
Hydrix: Northwest Ageos, Route 7 South.
Yakshas: East-Central Ageos, Tunneling Underneath Laurel City.
After a few minutes of searching archives, Geoff discovered Beldum can be found deep inside Slate City's mines, but capturing one is notoriously difficult.
According to mythology, it is said Articuno makes its nest in the coldest, harshest places of the world, but only appears to select individuals or otherwise doomed wanderers. After doing some geographical research, the only place in Ageos that fits the bill is the Zamer Crevasse.
Geoff also found a book depicting a blue-caped human riding on Articuno's back, wielding a rod with a giant sapphire at the end. The ancient-looking picture also depicts two armies charging at each other, frozen by a flash blizzard at the hands of the blue bird and rod-wielder.
"Wow...that puts a lot of pressure on me," Wendel said as his jaw dropped. "I'm unsure if I can craft a Poké Ball strong enough to hold something like that." He turned around and sat back down, twiddling his thumbs. "I make Balls stronger than what you can buy in stores, but not by much. I do have an idea, though. I can put in a notice to all trainers in Ageos that I am buying Apricorns in an effort to reseal the Serpents." He paused and sighed again. "I hate to ask for this, but any donations you or any other trainers can make would be greatly appreciated. I need money to buy rare and expensive raw materials to craft these Balls with. I know where they're located, but I just don't have the manpower to send away. Even with these materials, the Balls have a very low chance of actually working. I'm going to need to craft a very large number of them. Dozens. With El Ectri basically back up and running, the city has agreed to match any donations I receive."
Wendell goes on for some time, lost in the gravity of the situation.
The Game Corner is back up and running again, but the Safari Zone is not. The Game Corner has two kinds of games--a slot machine and a card-flipping game. Slot machines cost pY 10 per play, per line up to three lines each play (rolling d1000.) Card game has a maximum bet of pY 100 per play, and is otherwise identical to the card game in Pokémon Gold ans Silver (rolling d24.)
ooc: If you have any questions about the games, just ask. You can do multiple plays per update within reason--just tell me how many you want to do. Check the Locations thread for Pokémon prizes. There are also TM prizes.
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
Beryl paused to see if Josh or Wendell had any additional questions for her.
---
After leaving the workshop, Beryl decided to do some research on the local Gym Leader. Bug and grass types...looks like my usual lineup isn't going to work here. She used the PC at the Pokemon Center to deposit Lagoon and Slick, withdrawing Trooper and Tundra. Heading north out of the city, she bid a polite hello to Raikou as she went, then looked around the jungle for any Pokemon.
C'mon, Turtwig...
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!
TANKIA STARTS LEARNING BODY SLAM
TUFFIE STARTS LEARNING DOUBLE EDGE
If I'm interpreting your post and the map thread correctly, this is what I'm going to do. If not, please let me know ASAP so I can do something else:
Frizz heads over to the game corner, seeing the pokemon prizes displayed clearly, and asking if someone had a brochure with the TM prizes too. He then goes to the coin exchange to buy 9100 coins. He plays ten games of slots, playing one line each, spending a total of 100 of his coins:
Regardless of the outcome, Frizz will spend his 9,000 remaining coins on a prized Porygon. Having made that exchange, assuming he did it right, he will head east and look for any pokemon or trainers to train against in the wilds outside the practice race track.
---
Josh waved goodbye to Beryl before jumping on Swift's back and heading north to Crimson City.
encounter
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
The creator of Maro's Magic 8-Ball!
Virikas: Southeast Ageos, Route 3 South.
Hydrix: Northwest Ageos, Route 6 North.
Yakshas: East-Central Ageos, Creating Sinkholes in Laurel City.
After wishing he had played all three lines on the slot machines, Frizz headed next door to make his purchase. He headed east toward the track and found a few racers practicing for the upcoming season. Two of them were relaxing next to their swift Pokémon, one of them accepting the young trainer's challenge in the process of removing its riding gear.
The boy's search for items or Pokémon turned up dry...
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
The creator of Maro's Magic 8-Ball!
"The Gym Leader is a strong opponent. If we're going to win, we'll need to learn some new moves." She used the two Ice Beam TMs on Mystic and Rumble, then used the Dig TM on Trooper. Beryl spent the next few hours drilling her Pokemon in the use of their new moves, as well as sparring with Cheeri.
Remembering her mission, Beryl was also reminded to contact her friends to let them know about Wendell's request for funding. She used her phone to call Billy, Rai, Geoff, Nicolette, Profs. Caldwell and Haman, Sarina Reley, and Ashlee in Slate City. Beryl also asked them if they had any additional information that could help defeat the serpents.
After the training session, Beryl looked for Pokemon in the area.
OOC: Rumble is learning Aqua Tail.
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!
OOC: I am still owed 750 moneys from the battle with the crocanaw trainer.
Frizz kindly responds that racing appeals to him in theory, but he doesn't think he quite has the team/time for it just yet.
TANKIA STARTS LEARNING WAKE-UP SLAP
Frizz returns into the city to use the pokémon center, where he heals his pokémon, then stores Ryger (though only for a moment). He then revisits the game corner. He spends 1300 more pY on coins, bringing his total to 1330. Frizz then returns to the prize area to trade in his fresh-bought coins for another prize pokémon, Nidorino, whom he names "Ringo." He spend his last 80 coins on the slots again, playing 3 lines, then 3 lines, then 2 lines:
Returning to the pokémon center, Frizz swaps Ringo into the PC and takes Ryger back out. Then, it's time to venture out into the wilds again. Frizz and his ever-growing team make their way as far as Route 13 West before its time to stop for the day.
Frizz takes a moment to hang out with Lukas. They've been together a while now, and Lukas has learned everything he can in his current form. Frizz asks Lukas how he's doing and asks if there's anything he can do to make Lukas feel happier or stronger.
They then look around for a passing trainer or some sort of adventure.
encounter
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
Virikas: Southeast Ageos, Route 3 North.
Hydrix: Southwest Ageos, Route 5 Northwest.
Yakshas: East-Central Ageos, Route 11 North.
Beryl's Pokémon gained 1 exp each.
After the Pokémon had practiced their new moves, Beryl's calls to the archaeologists and trainers she knew resulted in a total pledge of pY 8,000 to Wendell's project.
Finally, Beryl looked around for Pokémon and felt a paranormal presence, catching in her peripheral vision the one-eyed stare of a Dusclops.
Frizz is a big winner at the slots, earning 760 coins!
After journeying to Route 13, Frizz spent some quality time with Lukas. The small fighting-type hugged his trainer, telling him to keep on doing what he's doing, and most importantly, just to be himself. A traveling trainer caught notice of their quality time, and asked Frizz if a battle was okay.
ooc: Lukas may learn Evolution now.
Josh entered the gaudy Gym, looking for trainers to fight against. Though the main arena for Gym challenges was downstairs, there were still plenty of trainers in side arenas, quite a few of them in martial arts outfits. He entered one of the rooms containing a ring when a powerful uppercut nailed him from the side immediately after stepping in the door. That blow would have hurt a lot more if he wasn't clad in yellow. On his left was a goliath-sized trainer made seemingly of pure muscle. The trainer literally picked him up and threw him into the ring. "You will battle me NOW!"
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
With Mystic and Rumble still worn out from the new and unusual training, Trooper stepped forward to challenge the ghostly interloper. He snarled and bared his fangs as he waited for the foe to strike...
Continued in QBU thread post #505...
OOC: Check the link to the player cards, they're not displaying.
Returning from her battle, Beryl continued her rotation south through the jungle and looked for Pokemon again.
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!
The creator of Maro's Magic 8-Ball!
Then a quick battle with Lairon:
Then the party makes its way as far as it can before needing to rest again: Route 12 South.
They take a break to look around for any other encounters or events of note.
Geoff left the gym to heal his Pokemon at the Pokemon Center, and then reentered, looking for another trainer to train with.
The creator of Maro's Magic 8-Ball!
After that, he returned to the Gym, looking to battle a trainer a bit farther down the ladder.
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
Virikas: Southeast Ageos, Route 2 South.
Hydrix: Southeest Ageos, Route 4 West.
Yakshas: East-Central Ageos, Route 11 Center.
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
Continued in QBU thread post #515...
---
After the battle, Beryl returned to Harlequin City to rest and heal her Pokemon. The next day, she headed to the Gym, looking for a match with one of the Leader's underlings.
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!
crossposting
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
The creator of Maro's Magic 8-Ball!