[ANONYMOUS Text] / Action for Route 29

[garbagechild]

[TEXT, approximately midday on July 1st]

how t

how to stop hed from hurting

resons hwy hed myte b hurting human

dose hed hurting mean deth (for humane)

<sub>[WHAT'S UP NETWORK, it seems someone has gotten their wires crossed and is trying to use the PsyDuckDuckGo searchbar but keeps posting messages by accident.]

[Help. Help them.]</sub>


____


[ACTION for Route 29]


<sub>[With a gritted-teeth groan, Wrath sets aside the PokeGear and presses both hands to his temples.]

[He's been walking west from New Bark with his new Pokemon partner for about five hours. And while his memories of once being human here are growing clearer by the minute, he doesn't remember it ever being quite like this. His head is throbbing and the heat is unbearable.]

[And there's no air-conditioned buildings or shady storefronts to duck into like there always had been in the Goldenrod City (or "the yellow town", as he always used to think of it).]

[At least there's trees, which is what he's finally opted for now that the sun is high in the sky and the thought of taking another step is about as appealing as sticking his head in a wasp's nest. Laying spread-eagled on the grass under the shade of a big maple is at least cooler... but it hasn't stopped the banging pains in his head.]

[Sitting next to him is both the (thus far unexplored) complimentary rucksack from "Mom", and his starter: a little Cubone, who's been watching him a little worriedly. Said Cubone is the one who pulled the PokeGear out of a pocket on the backpack and helpfully pointed out the internet search engine (prior to being assigned to his very! first! trainer!!!!! (exciting!) he had been cared for by Elm's various lab assistants, and had seen them look things up online for research regularly!), but it didn't seem like the search had been fruitful.]</sub>

"Bone?"

<sub>[Wrath cracks open one eye, grimacing-- his partner has started to rummage through the backpack, pulling out packets of trailmix and holding them up expectantly.]

[But he doesn't feel hungry-- he feels gross. :(]</sub>

You can have it...

<sub>[He's just gonna fold an arm over his face and lay there like a corpse for a bit.]




[IDIOT DOESN'T EVEN KNOW HE'S JUST DEHYDRATED.]</sub>

Comments

[garbagechild]

no

i am not hungre

or thurste

<sub>[That is to say... he doesn't feel hungry or thirsty.]

[He feels nauseous.]</sub>

[officerdown]

[Hm.]

[No, he doesn't believe you, Recent Human.]

It is Summer, so if you are outdoors, you are thirsty. Sip water slowly.

[Sure, he's willing to tell strangers on the internet what to do, of course.]

[garbagechild]

<sub>[He doesn't know that it's possible to be thirsty without realizing it. :(]

[He regards this advice with a frown... but if water will stop his head from hurting, he might as well try it...]</sub>

vere wel

i will see if i can fynd a rivr or per haps a smal pond

[officerdown]

[Oh No.]

Do not do that. Not all water is potable safe to drink.

[And now he is searching whether or not the water from Water types is safe to drink, because. What else is there.]

Would you by any chance have a Water type Pokemon with you?

[garbagechild]

_[WHAT...]

y not???

watr is water

<sub>[But then... vaguely, he remembers a camping trip. A hearty, smiling voice telling him why you boil the water when you camp.]

[He remembers who that was. But he's trying not to.]</sub>

no i do not thynk my pokymon is water type

he is brown with a skul

<sub>[But just in case, he turns his head sluggishly back to his Cubone to ask, "Are you a water-type?"]

[And the Cubone shakes its head, apologetically. Because no. No he is not.]</sub>

[officerdown]

[IS THAT A CHILD?]

[Scar has rapidly shifted from passing concern for a confused, recently human stranger to what might be described as Moderate But Reasonable Alarm.]

Water you find in the wild can be contaminated. It needs to be boiled, first.

[A moment passes...]


Do you know how to boil water?

[SOUP TEST.]

[garbagechild]

_{[IT MIGHT IN FACT BE...]}

yes

_{[This answer comes back fairly fast. ... Although, ugh--]}

lyting a fyre may b difycult tho

<sub>[... UNLESS?]

[He looks back over to his Cubone and receives another rueful shake of the head. Aw nuts...]</sub>

i supose we can cros that bridj when we com 2 it tho

_{[A very un-Wrathlike phrase... one of many. Little ghosts of friends past. He tries not to think about it as he climbs back to his feet.]}

[officerdown]

[O...k. That's a place to start.]

Message back if you don't find any.

[garbagechild]

<sub>[Bless you Scar.]

[It is in fact a little while before he receives a message back-- maybe half an hour.]

[The lucky aspect of all of this is that Route 29 is not difficult terrain, even off of the beaten path. And it turns out that Cubones have a good nose for sniffing out water, being built for arid regions where it could be scarce.]

[It doesn't really come through in text, but nonetheless, when Wrath DOES text Scar back, there is an air of triumph to it.]</sub>

i hav fownd water !

thank u for the advys

[officerdown]

[Scar spends that half hour squinting at the other conversations happening on this unfortunate soul's post.]

Be sure to boil it.

[Just in case that detail was forgotten. Not that he doesn't trust this rando, he just doesn't trust them.]

[garbagechild]

ya i rememmber

_{[Which means, of course, that they are now at the bridge that he said he'd cross when he came to it. Hm.]}

humayns make fyre in a few diferent ways

which 1 is the easyest in yor opinion

[officerdown]

[Oh no.]

You will need dry wood, both logs and smaller pieces for kindling.

[You know what? This has been explained much better elsewhere.]

[Scar sends a URL to a website specifically for new trainers, tailored young for all of those kids that get sent out on their own with a Chikorita and a dream.]

Touch the blue text. There will be instructions for building a fire there.

[garbagechild]

_{[Scar you are doing god's work.]}

thank u

i will do that

<sub>[And then that's it for awhile!]

[The Mystery Recent-Human is valiantly fighting off his wretched headache in order to collect dry pieces of wood with the help of his starter. And then, presumably, attempting to follow the instructions on the website.]


[It is quite some time before he sends another reply.]

[But when he does... it's a photo. Of a very teeny tiny fire built out of pine needles and some small sticks.]</sub>

i hav done it

i have mayd fyre

_{[And a tiny, warm little ember of pride has floated up out of the sticky black quagmire that Wrath has been forcing most of his emotions under for the past two years.]}

[officerdown]

Well done.

[That compliment is HARD earned.]

And you have a metal container to suspend over it?

[garbagechild]

_[Hmm.]

no


but

there is a smal tin box of food

if the food is removed we could use that maby

_{[He hasn't felt hungry any more than he has felt thirsty. But one of the other helpful humans had mentioned that eating might help his head (which he honestly would not have assumed on his own).]}

maby we can sit here next to the ryvr until dark when it wil b less hot

_{[He hasn't been particularly happy to be alive. But sharing a meal and some boiled water with his Pokemon and listening to the water until it cools off sounds... nicer than just soldiering through and walking nonstop despite the pain. Which is sort of what he'd been trying to do originally.]}

[officerdown]

Eat what is in there. Then yes, use it for the water.

There is no need to overexert yourself.

[Which is rich, coming from him, but the same standards never apply to himself. Nonetheless, he agrees. Just chill, little guy.]

[garbagechild]

thank u

i wil do that

<sub>[AND SO HE DOES.]

[Despite the surprisingly hard-to-resist urge to-- now that he's listening to and watching running water-- just plunge his face into the creek and CHUG, he waits.]

[He divides the little bento box between himself and his starter, each taking a plump riceball and some baby carrots, and boils a tinful of water. And then boils SEVERAL MORE, because it turns out all the humans were CORRECT and he WAS thirsty! He was so thirsty!]

[And there's a low breeze in the leaves and the sky turns gold as the sun slowly grows heavy and abandons its duties of glaring straight down at tired boys and Cubones for tomorrow.]

[And you know what... he doesn't feel happy, but he sure does feel Less Shitty.]

[QUITE A FEW HOURS LATER, once it's dark out, Scar receives another text.]</sub>

i am leting u know that my hed no longer hurts so bad

i will resum walkyng now that the sun has gon away

thank u again for all ur help

[officerdown]

[Scar is resting his eyes on the couch, doing his nightly "sit around and wait for Lust to be done with work." Dinner is in the slow cooker, set to be done when he's picked her up, and his feed has looped back on the same cat pictures by now.]

[Then his phone buzzes.]

[Well. That is an ounce of a relief. Given the frequent status updates, he is fairly confident that this is, in fact, a very confused child. He's seen a few come and go, over the years.]

Message again if you need anything.