August Catch-all

[friendlyflower]

Who: Flowey & Perrin, Bigby, Akechi, Siffrin, Siffrin (again), Chara
What: Quests!! The boy's got his non-existent hands full again! (Exploration: Yellow, Carts Before Charts, Flower Showers, Play Nice) 
Where: New territory beyond the middle forest; places in and around the new Outpost
When: Throughout August
Warnings: Pokemon battling (violence/injury), severe weather, Flowey's trauma (mentions of/themes of depression, depersonalization, guilt, child death, murder)

Comments

[truthdecided]

[Akechi's feathers fluff up at the pun, and his eyes narrow. God. That was so ridiculously on the nose.]

Naturally, I'll prioritize those with the type disadvantage, although...

[Siffrin. A second Siffrin.]

Do you have any particular relation to the other Siffrin present?

[This is news to him. After all, he's been busy.]

[friendlyflower]

Nope, no relation. Crazy coincidence, huh? [This is... pretty obviously a lie, but maybe he'll win points in Siffrin's book for covering for them. He'll explain later when there's a chance. ]

[followthescript]

[Instantly they are sweating, but instead of having to come up with a convincing explanation on the spot... did they ever tell that to Flowey? Their bad memory could be to blame, but...]

Right! [worry about it later—for now, just try to make a smooth recovery] Actually, you can just call me Stardust! That way it's less confusing?

[... okay, maybe that could've been more smooth. But how else are they supposed to backtrack the name they already gave people?? Stars, please just believe that they're awkward and not suspicious.]

[truthdecided]

[Akechi isn't stupid. The reactions already paint a vivid picture. The other Siffrin's reaction clinches it in Akechi's mind, and he hums, squints, and taps below his beak with his left wing.]

Stardust will do.

[He'll let it slide for now. They have enough to worry about with the mission, so he'll flutter into the air to get things started.]

At any rate, I should be able to draw their attention if need be. Of course, it's more likely that the worms will flee if given the chance...

[So, with that, he'll take to the trees, letting the others get the ball rolling.]

[friendlyflower]

[Maybe it's due to Akechi's vigilance, but the Wormadam never show. As for the Panpour, it isn't long before 'Stardust' finds a group of them gathering. They've moved quietly, using their familiarity with the area to their advantage.

Flowey watches from the sidelines. He tries to signal to Stardust to lure them into the trap: now's your chance! Be annoying!]

[followthescript]

[They feel a bit silly just standing around, but apparently this really is all it takes to draw attention out here—they can hear something rustling at the edges of the clearing, watching them. Off on the other side, they spot Flowey waving at them discretely.

Should they do something to provoke them...? Hmm.

Siffrin turns to the source of the rustling, winking with their good eye.]

Hey, did you hear about the scarecrow that got an award? He was outstanding in his field! [sorry they're like this, the puns will continue

... but hey, at least they were aiming to get panned this time! With their cover blown, the water types come pouring out of the woods and charge straight into the first pitfall. They screech and claw at the walls, scrambling for purchase as the stragglers behind them stumble.]

[truthdecided]

[God. That pun. Akechi's eye twitches, but he needs to stay focused, so...

Time to Drill Peck at some of those branches. Though it takes some doing, eventually some Wormadam plummet to the ground, suitably startled. Screeching, they fire off String Shots in retaliation, which Akechi tries to dodge.

Some silk still gets on his feathers, however. What a nuisance...]

[friendlyflower]

[Flowey takes several points of Cringe damage. Right, Siffrin is just as bad as Smiley Trashbag. At least it works! ... The first time.

As it turns out, there's way more of the Panpour than Flowey thought. The stragglers are now avoiding the pit and aiming straight at Siffrin! One of them tries to unleash a Fury Swipes attack on him-- apparently it's not a fan of puns.]

Anyone hear about the pit? It's a blast!

[Why did he say that.

He covers his embarrassment by spitting one of his beloved Blast Seeds at a group of Panpour. The resulting explosion manages to knock them down into the pit. He bounces over and tries to help Siffrin by using Mega Drain on the one trying to maul them... but he probably could've moved a little faster.]

[followthescript]

[Of course, it'd be too easy if all of them got caught in the first trap. The Panpour charge, and Siffrin takes a step back to assess their next move—

and then trips over their own feet, crashing to the ground. Welp! That's bad! They're forced to endure the incoming attack, trying to block the swipes with their own paws, wincing from the shallow cuts. Flowey's save comes a moment too late to prevent it, but they're grateful all the same—and he punned!! They beam back at him, scrambling back to their feet while the monkeys are distracted.]

Yeah, you guys should make a pit stop! It's really up to scratch! [They swipe at the one that attacked them, trying to force it back towards the next trap.]

[truthdecided]

[Ugh... More puns.

Before taking another dive, Akechi tosses a berry at Siffrin. It should help with the wounds, but now...

Now it's time to get serious. If the string hinders his movements, he'll just change tactics, beating his wings to unleash a sweeping Air Splash.]

Do not test my patience!

[friendlyflower]

[Flowey throws himself into the battle, feeling alive with the pulse of adrenaline. The Panpour do their best to scratch at him, but he heals most of the damage back off with super-effective Mega Drain attacks. A few well-placed Leech Seeds quiet down the thrashing from inside the pit as well; the few who were about to climb out lose their strength and tumble back down to the bottom.

Soon, the attackers are on the retreat. Flowey sends out a few last Absorbs for good measure. As much as he'd like to really strike terror into their hearts... he knows his limits. And Siffrin did get scratched up!]

Run! Run away in terror, idiots! Hee hee!

[followthescript]

[Siffrin isn't quite as eager to fight as their current party members—they're still adjusting to the changes, and besides that, aren't these guys the same as people when everyone here is a weird animal...? But the Panpour did start it, so self defence is valid enough. They don't want to be the one holding everyone else back.

They're weaker right now, so it's fine. It's not like how they were in the House. It's kind of nice, in a way, not having to hold back all the time.

It's not long before their foes are turning tail, abandoning those stuck in the traps. Siffrin waits, just in case another wave of attackers is incoming... and when no one else seems to be charging out of the woods, they cautiously approach the nearest pit.]

... So, uh, what next?

[They can't just leave these guys down there, but they look pretty pissed off.]

[truthdecided]

Perhaps we ought to restrain them and bring them back to the city for questioning and a psychological evaluation.

[He swoops down to the edge of the trap, peering at their captives.]

Though, that may require us to knock them out first.

[friendlyflower]

Oh, don't worry! Just leave it to your pal Flowey!

[Without waiting for anyone's input, he proceeds to pepper everyone in the pit with more Leech Seeds until they're all unconscious and tangled up in vines. Don't worry about it.]

Gee, colonialism sure is awesome! No wonder humans were so into it!

[followthescript]

[Siffrin is just gonna let this happen, yeah. They're not seriously hurt down there, so it's fine, right? ... they can try to make up for it later.

Colonialism aside, everything went pretty smoothly. They look over at Flowey with a smile.]

Looks like the plan went off without a ditch! [the puns will continue] Thanks for covering me back there. Oh, and you too! [Akechi also gets a little smile of acknowledgement, thanks for beating up worms they appreciate your efforts.]