Network and action combo

[wrappedwarm]

Who: Mikasa Ackerman and ???

Where: Route 32, Union Cave, Route 33

When: After Snorunt event

Summary: When you small and your travel buddy just vanishes near a big dark cave

Rating: E for everyone, though might need some warnings later for grim children

Log:
The network part - video
[The recording had started before Mikasa had even centered the camera on herself. Catching the hustle and bustle of a group of pokemon, all seeming a bit antsy. In particular was one big boy that a few people might recognize. All of the others out were Mikasa's own pokemon, standing guard and near their master. The Luxio and Riolu sniffing at the remains of their campsite. The normal playfulness was missing as they got to work in the early morning light.]

Does anyone know about a sneaky pokemon near the cave on...route 32?

[Very stern. For the past few months she'd just started managing to emote again, but that progress was gone now.]

Yachi was sleeping, but now she's gone. All her things are still here.

[Just vanished into the night. Right near the big cave, Yachi wouldn't have gone in willingly but...]






Around, the nearby routes
[It felt like it'd been a long time since Mikasa had been optimistic. Yet it'd been less than a year. A mere year ago, she'd have thought Yachi was fine and left looking to the adults after sending her message. Not now though. Mikasa hadn't really seen aggressive pokemon, but she'd heard stories of wolves and boars back home.

It was enough to push her into taking her pokemon and Ume and looking for Yachi alone, in the hopes she'd find her friend. And that she'd find her friend fine and well and not a body. Ume would help. Yachi's Meganium hadn't wanted to return to his ball and Mikasa didn't have it in her to force him. Besides, he was carrying Yachi's pack. While Riolu and Luxio tried to find a scent, the latter's coat lit up when they ventured into the darker areas.

Mikasa was so determined, that she didn't even realise she'd scaled a near cliff. She'd just kept moving, one foot at a time.]

Union cave
[Eventually though, they'd ran out of options. The only place left to check was the cave that had been looming over the search. There had been no scent trail to it, but there was nothing to indicate Yachi was anywhere else. So in they went.

Not that she could go far. The dark she could handle, but the water and some of the large boulders proved too much. She couldn't swim very well and hadn't brought a pokemon that could with her and not matter how much she pushed. Those boulders weren't moving for her.

So she ducked, trying to find a gap that Yachi might have fit through. Not caring about the dirt, her clothes were already dirty, a little more was fine.]


Route 32 pokemon center
[What wasn't fine was the food situation. She'd had enough supplies to last her a few days without needing to go back to society. Not that she'd actually returned to society when she was running slow, she'd just gone to the nearest pokemon center. Hungry and covered in dirt and scratches, scowling as she stared up and worried Nurse Joy. Though Mikasa seemed mostly impassive to the Nurse's concerns, just standing there and waiting for her pokemon back.]

Comments

[fayblood]

"Maybe she went home then..."

He pauses to think back on what people told him when the same had happened to Sandalphon.

"Oh, if she's still here, you can send a message on the Pokégear. But if she's not here, that won't work."

[wrappedwarm]

"It couldn't connect..." Which meant that he might have been right, that she was gone. But Mikasa didn't want to accept that. "I'm bad at using it." Because she really was, nothing like the gear existed where she was from. She wouldn't give up on Yachi, not until she knew for sure.

Not that she'd find anything to prove she was missing. There'd be nothing there. But Mikasa would look anyway.

"Why are you going to the city?"

[fayblood]

"I think that means she's gone? If you could still talk to other people..."

Shrike is a bit... pragmatic about these things. But there's still a question to answer, too.

"The next gym is in Azalea town. And I think maybe Sandalphon likes to travel, too."

[wrappedwarm]

She wouldn't accept that. She'd keep looking until she couldn't anymore. Mikasa didn't care about most people, she'd lost too much to care about everyone. But those few people she did care about...

The mention of the gym got a small nod. He was doing that thing?

"Thats why my friend was traveling..." But she wasn't. Even if she'd gotten her first badge, that was just because.

[fayblood]

"Did you battle the gym leader in Violet too?"

He's a little curious. He still finds the whole battling thing... weird, but on the other hand, there's definitely elements of a challenge to it that are interesting. Figuring out the best strategy to win, for example.

[wrappedwarm]

"Yeah, we won."

Tragically, Mikasa wasn't one for strategy. She preferred just to hit as hard as possible, but it'd worked. She'd gotten her badge, even with her complete lack of interest in competing. At some point she'd not have the type advantage, then she'd need to think.

"...A lot of people win." She really didn't get it. Why did people make a big deal about it like wining was exclusive, but so many people were winning.

[fayblood]

Shrike hadn't had a single type advantage, himself, beyond his Togekiss knowing a rock-type move. So he'd had to be more careful to ensure a win.

"I guess so... But it seems like lots of people here don't have many Pokémon, or don't have them trained very much."

He's seen Sandalphon battle plenty of random natives. They tended to be curb stomp battles.

[wrappedwarm]

Mikasa shuffled her feet, getting antsy. Wanting to start looking again.

"This place doesn't make sense." People appear then they vanish. Everything seemed to revolve around the pokemon, jobs. Peoples' lives revolved around the creatures and yet people like her were doing better than the locals.

[fayblood]

"I know!"

Even in all the months he's been here, there's definitely bits of Pokémon logic that Shrike doesn't see the point of.

"Um, if you're going to Azalea Town, I could tell you where things are there?"

Look at him, making an effort to be helpful!

[wrappedwarm]

Mikasa was from a world with too many struggles. This place was so safe, it had food security, something Mikasa couldn't handle. The idea of not needing to do chores and the like was strange. It had left her restless. But she was too much of a homebody to care for traveling but needed something.

"Is there anything scary there?"

Priorities. She didn't scare easily, but the friends did.

[fayblood]

"I don't think so..."

Nothing that he'd consider scary, at least. Whether he'd be a good judge of that, though, is up for debate.

"There's lots of Slowpoke all around the town but they just lay there and don't do anything."

[wrappedwarm]

She blinked, thinking for a moment.

"The pink, fat things?" Little did Mikasa know, that could be used to describe quite a few pokemon.

[fayblood]

"Yeah!"

It apparently doesn't occur to Shrike that she could be describing anything else, since that's clearly an apt description of Slowpoke.

"They yawn a lot. I heard some people say they make it rain when they yawn, but I don't think it rains there more than anywhere else."

[wrappedwarm]

That didn't seem very special.

"I have a tadpole that can do that." Rain dance, though she never used it. It didn't seem to do anything? And offensive moves seemed easier.

[fayblood]

"That can make it rain?"

Shrike doesn't have any 'mons that know weather moves so far/

[wrappedwarm]

"Yeah, it just rains though." She really didn't get what purpose it served. Maybe it could be useful for growing plants but... She'd not seen pokemon farming, not in the wild.

[fayblood]

"I think battling in the rain might be good for water Pokémon..."

He's yet to catch one for himself, though.

[wrappedwarm]

She had several but... One was a wooper and the other was a baby poliwag. Not exactly prime fighters. Especially the wooper, Mikasa had caught him by 'knocking' him out with a rock.

"But won't they get hurt by the electric ones more? I got told not to touch that stuff with wet hands..." Electricity was still confusing.

[fayblood]

"Maybe..." He has to think about that one a moment. "I don't have any electric ones, though."

[wrappedwarm]

"...Do you have any?" Mikasa didn't think she had many pokemon. Maybe every few weeks and she didn't go out of her way to catch them. But even she had water and electric types.

[fayblood]

"Yeah, I have Shell, and Airy, and Needles."

Three. He has three.

[wrappedwarm]

Mikasa didn't know much about pokemon, but that didn't seem like much variety. Not that she knew what those pokemon were from the names... Though even if he'd said the pokemons' names she probably wouldn't know it.

"I thought I was bad at catching them..."

Look, all her friends had so many. Yachi caught two per route and was always buying eggs.

[fayblood]

"You mean catching lots?"

Shrike is kind of assuming that's what she means.

"Some people do, but if you catch a lot you have to train them, too..."

He finds it easier to do a few at a time.

[wrappedwarm]

"I didn't think I had lots..." It was feeling that way now. This guy had traveled as far as her and had a fraction of the pokemon. Even if she knew people with so many more.

"I feel bad when they're in the PC."

[fayblood]

"I think eventually you need more than you can carry at once, because of the different types..."

But Shrike's in no hurry to fill up his roster just yet. Maybe that will change in the future, but sticking with a few at a time seems the way to go for now.