011 - Video and Action

[sociallychallenged]

Video - September 6th

[Hank plants his Pokegear in front of him on his desk.]

I put together some more missing cases. These are the ones I can't get to, but I'm pretty sure are easily solvable if you have a pretty attentive flying pokemon or something with Odor Sleuth and are close by.

[He turns up a card with a bunch of article snippets pasted to it, held pretty evenly in front of the Pokegear so that all of them can clearly be seen.]

STUDENT LOST, LAST SEEN ON ROUTE 10 Rudy Steppendour, a student in Lavender town, has been missing since his trip to Route 10 since Tuesday. His parents are concerned, saying that this is the longest he's taken to return from one of his ventures. "Rudy is a responsible boy," says Mrs. Steppendour. Rudy is a twelve-year-old of short stature, dark hair and olive skin. He was last seen wearing a camouflage-patterned shirt, bright orange shorts, and hiking boots. MISSING Our Growlithe went missing near Celadon while chasing a Purrloin. We've looked everywhere for him. He's recognizable by the notch in his ear, also from a Purrloin. He has a type. LOST Zigzagoon lost in Fuschia City. Zigzagoon are very common, so everyone keeps mistaking wild ones for her. She responds to the name Francie. She may have wondered onto Route 15 or Route 19. Please return to Gracie Turnbuckle. Pokecenter has contact info. Hidden Charizard - Mahogany My Charizard has learned the way of the ninja and chosen to go into hiding. I cannot find it, as it has proven my superior. If there is someone out there with greater than I, please help me locate my stealthy companion. Reward offered. MISSING My best friend and I were visiting Blackthorn and she went missing. She's a very small Venonat. She's very friendly, but sometimes accidentally poisons people a little bit. This is unintentional and she loves everyone.

[And after holding it up long enough for someone to easily go back and pause on if they wanted to, he puts it down on the desk and looks blandly off to the side.]

And now for the not-family-friendly bit. I need to have a fuckin' drink with someone. I mean as drunk as you can get in fuckin' magic pokeland drunk. I'd planned to spend a quiet day in but I just wanna get out.

[Today is his birthday, but that part he doesn't want to say out loud, because he feels old enough.] Anyone willin' to give me the time, this is where I'll be. [He shows another card, this one with the address of a Goldenrod bar.] See you there. I'll get back to this later.

[Probably with a hangover.]

Action - September 6th

[Hank sidles into the bar of his particular choosing, hauls himself up onto a stool with an exceptional amount of weight on his shoulders today, and motions to the space in front of him as he speaks to the bartender.]

Bottle of whiskey. Whole bottle. And a glass. Cheap, dirty. Nothing good. Don't worry, worst case scenario I have an Arcanine that can drive me home.

[He should probably spoil himself but, eh. As he discussed recently? It all goes to the same place. If anyone shows up? He'll be settled in drinking. Idly he wonders if anyone ever found that fucking Jigglyperp.]

Comments

Video;

[schachmeister]

I'm afraid I'm too far out to help look, but I was wondering... do you think it would be helpful if I put this information up on our news sign at work? We do get a lot of tourists. It might help spread the word some more.

I don't think I can help you with the other thing. Drinking is... really not my thing.

[He is a lightweight and he tried one alcohol once and it was bad.]

[sociallychallenged]

Yeah, I could do that.

[He picks the card back up, flips it over to look at the articles, and then puts it down.]

I'll blow it up tomorrow or somethin'. Take it over there. What's the address? And don't worry about the drink. It's probably for the better. I just...

I don't know. Felt like I needed some people. [More than he expected.]

[schachmeister]

Ah, it's Island four of the Sevii Islands. Which is probably a bit too far for you to come all the way out here, but I can put it up for you. I doubt any of our locals would be able to help, but we do get tourists from all over, and well, even if the chance is small, it is worth taking, right?

[Armin is going to do everything he can to try and support Hank's endeavours. He helped return Ambrose to him. If he can do the same to other people, then Armin wants to help out in any way he can. And if that involves reserving a small part of the message board for Hank's cases.]

I could even put it next to our Monthly Wailmer awards. People always check those out.

[sociallychallenged]

I'll try to get a better picture.

I guess I should fuckin' learn to build a website or somethin'. Most I ever did was update a fuckin' facebook. Then I could at least include the success stories so it's not just a stack of miserable losses, you know?

[He knows loss after loss can get overwhelming.]

[schachmeister]

I don't really know anything about building a website [he didn't even know what a website was until like... two and a half years ago.] but there are a lot of people on the network that are really good with technology. Maybe you could try asking the network and see if someone could build one for you?

Ah, not that you shouldn't try to learn if that is really what you want! Just that that might be more efficient.

And... what's a facebook?

Video

[lifebloomsanew]

I've never gotten drunk before, but I'd be happy to join you.

Someone once told me you should never drink alone.

[And Rose needs the company herself. The journey back from the islands was a sad one, and Goldenrod just seems a bit less lively these days.]

[sociallychallenged]

I'd be happy to have you.

And yeah, that's why I asked. I promised I wouldn't drink alone. [Though it's his birthday and he'd absolutely use that for leniency if he had to.]

[lifebloomsanew]

Then we'll be sure you don't.

[Within an hour or so, Rose shows up after finding the proper bar. She's impossible to miss, being eight feet tall with masses of hair and wearing a light pink dress covered in dark pink strawberry designs. She spots Hank at the bar and joins him, pulling two stools together so she could sit comfortably.]

[As always, Doofy is with her, scampering along at her heels.]

Look at me, I'm in a bar!

[Which is something she's done before, but not like this. Alcohol never had any effect on her before.]

[sociallychallenged]

[And there she is, like a giant pink viking ballerina! He always forgets how big she is and then he runs into her again and she's massive. He seems to be sans Pokemon at the moment, but if someone were to be attentive, they might notice a petal or two poking out of his jacket pocket. Connie the Floette is ducked down, hiding comfortably away in her usual place.]

Heyyy.

[He pats the bar nex to him.]

Have a seat. I'll pretty much guess right away you probably won't like what I'm drinkin'. [He had an endgame.]

[lifebloomsanew]

[Rose's eyebrows lift in good humor.]

Now I have to try it, you know. Really I want to try a little of everything!

[It's a human experience she hasn't had yet, after all. And Greg certainly enjoyed it - moreso when they'd first met, but he'd very much liked his beer.]

[She slaps her large hand down on the bartop.]

Greetings, barkeep! I'll have what he's having!

action

[plasticasshole]

[Connor slides in beside Hank at the bar, and shakes his head at the bartender when he comes to get him a drink. He's not here for drinking today. He touches Hank's arm, tipping his head in to get a better look at him.]

I'd say happy birthday, but you don't seem very happy.

[He says it softly, quietly.]

action

[sociallychallenged]

Just feeling fuckin' old, I guess.

[Is it that he's here? Or he's not sure of his damn age? Or he's aware of that extra time he's somehow earned. Or that he lost his chance to be a dad, and every year he grows older he's reminded of how far that chance has passed him by. It had been a part of himself he knew for sure made him better.]

[Hank's not always good at words, though. He's better at grunts and sass.]

I'm still planning to go home before it gets dark and I did pick something else up, because I do know it's not just my birthday.

[He reassures Connor, that he didn't forget that part.]

[plasticasshole]

[Connor squeezes his arm. He can't relate to what it feels like to be old, but he can be there for Hank regardless. His Raichu hops up onto the bar and pats Hank's cheek sympathetically with a quiet "Rai rai".]

Do you want me to wait for you at home?

[This does give him the chance to maybe do a little something for Hank while he has the house to himself, at least.]

[sociallychallenged]

[He puts his hand over Connor's hand, still regretting a life of missed chances. But then there's a Raichu, literally, directly in his face, and he knits up that thick brow before bursting into a soft laugh.]

Right. Rai rai. [He repeats after it, hand moving from over Connor's to scruff Raichu's head.]

You don't have to. But if you stay you have to drink somethin'.

[He turns his glass a couple of times before taking a swig.]

[plasticasshole]

Well... I'd rather be sober for tonight.

[He wants to remember it.]

So I'm going to go home and- ...do something.

[Not suspicious at all. He pats Hank's shoulder.]

Don't get too drunk.

text

[lyingheart]

I'll be near Celedon, can send a new transfer on the scent. He can use the distraction.

[sociallychallenged]

Growlithes are pretty easy to track. At least in my experience. Hopefully it doesn't take too long.

I think the Jennies are a little side-tracked with what's been going on with the Suicune situation. I know back when I was a cop, the slightest event would have people up in my face with questions constantly. It derailed me all the damn time.

[He learned pretty quick to tell people to fuck off.]

[lyingheart]

Seems to be the consistent way with people. I wasn't in the military police for all that long before I ended up here, but it was the same story. Someone hears something, everyone has questions, everyone's irritated when you don't have the answers that satisfy them. Or scared. Scared is common enough.

Marcel shouldn't have a problem. I feel he might have had some side-by-side Jennies training with Bertolt over the years, but it's hard for me to say. I know the Jennies don't care to have any official affiliations with any of the off-worlders. But I'm glad to give him something to do other than sadly chewing on toys.

[sociallychallenged]

Luckily they don't protest rescue operations.

I'm always glad to have some help with it.

[He puts his own money and time into it. It's rewarding, but sometimes a little draining as well.]

Is he missing someone?

[lyingheart]

His person was sent back recently. Or seems to be. I found him and another one of his teammates in my PC not that long ago.

Anyway, I can see about some of the others too, since I'm between different cities. Using warp pads and the trains make it easy to hop regions and locations as suits our needs.

[Text-- action later?]

[foolishwren]

Okay first of all I REALLY want to see one of those big orange dragons being stealthy

I want to know how that even happens




But secondly I can make some good bar-and-or-club reccs in the Goldenrod area if one isn't enough. There's a FUN little joint with those mechanical Tauros that fling people like twenty feet in a random direction if they lose their grip

Been to plenty of em

I'm sorry this took me forever to get back to.

[sociallychallenged]

I'm honestly betting that somehow the guy just isn't seeing it and it's just fucking standing behind a tree or something. I've seen that happen before.

I think my Tauros riding days are behind me but I would absolutely watch someone else on one.
Where would that be?

GOD and then I took even longer, I'm sorry dude

[foolishwren]

It's up Main St. a spell

Kinda near that one little park with the Swanna fountain?

I forget the address but honestly you cant miss it it's got a big blinking sign

[sociallychallenged]

Oh yeah, that one.

[Ah the Swanna, and his PTSD from being near Connor's fucking Swanna. Jesus Christ, maybe the only fucking Pokemon he actually hates.]

Yeah, I can meet you over there.

--> action

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Heather has never met a Swanna up close. If she ever does, she will probably regret it.]

[IN ANY CASE, there she is loitering around outside the recommended bar (which has a little neon sign with a kicking Tauros on it, because of course it does). She's leaned up against the outside wall and at her side is the behemoth Growlithe known as Cujo.]

[He is currently licking an empty burger wrapper around in circles on the sidewalk.]</sub>