August Quest Catch All!

[seacub]

WHO: Emporio, and his fellow Quest Takers
WHAT: QUESTS! QUESTS!
WHEN: Through August
WHERE: Bottlecap Bay/The Outpost/Etc...
WARNINGS: To be noted as needed

Comments

FLOWER SHOWERS - MINGLE/OTA

[seacub]

[The Outpost, by the first week or so of August, looks to be shaping up rather nicely. The frames of simple buildings are already in place, and depending on the purpose there are Pokemon preparing to layer the sides with cob, or simple concrete mix for stone. It's impressive, to say the least.

And it makes him feel...Kind of proud? Yeah.

So of course with that in mind, he decides to show his new friend the place. They might not be much for battle...or, well, existing, for the time being, but watching the starts of a small town from the very beginning isn't something that happens every day. It's incredible to watch!

It's-]

THOSE DRATTED BUGS ARE BACK!!

[Under Attack!?]

A-AAH!?

[It's under attack!! Wormadam are falling from everywhere! What on earth!?]

i couldn't find a good symbol for act please just go with it

[consequerer]

[ Well. Existentially challenged at times they may be, but battle...

* Oh.
* It appears that they have us surrounded.
* . . . . . .
* How fun.

Why, exactly, do they sound so excited by this. ]

* A horde of bugs appeared!
♥︎ FIGHT		⚟ ACT		💰 ITEM		᙭ MERCY

it's so beautiful

[telewarped]

Those what?

[With a half-chuckle, Shoka glances upward—and sees dozens of bouquet-like Pokémon descending from the trees, their leaves rustling and eyes narrowed in a way they must think is menacing. Oh, those dratted bugs.

Fortunately, Shoka is always ready for a battle. The feeling of being outnumbered prompts her to use Double Team right away; after a moment of swaying rapidly side to side, her form seems to split apart into a row of several identical copies. They shuffle briefly, dizzyingly around until the real Shoka is lost among them, then ready their tail-sticks in perfect unison.]

Well, it sounds like Emporio didn't invite you—so go hang out somewhere else!

[One of the Wormadam strikes first with a Razor Leaf—which misses Shoka, sailing right through one of her doubles.]

Looks like we'll have to fight. Sorry, Em.

[seacub]

[Well, the same one who announced the bugs arrival has left for the skies. Thanks, Chatot, you're a real help in this town.

Hysterically, the minute he hears his unnamed Yamask Companion say That, his brain spits back with THIS IS A STICK UP!!!

He immediately wants to bury himself in a hole for thinking it, but now isn't the time!]

They're all grass types..! [he announces with clear despair.] That's just not fair!

[Though, they fortunately aren't smart enough to try Razor Leaf on him, apparently. Instead, they immediately aim to string him up.]

Gah-!!

I don't have anything to throw here..!

[consequerer]

[ Ahahaha, oh no. This is a stick up, huh.

* Put your hands in the air and get on the ground, and nobody gets hurt!
* Drop all your valuables and belongings too while you're at it.
* We are perfectly opportunistic bank robbers here.
* Despite the lack of bank present.
* Or any real valuables, really.

While they're yapping, something flashes, skittering around the edges of the mask— and a shimmering lattice of pale blue-green honeycomb tiles blinks into being in the air between them and the Wormadam just long enough to block the rest of any would-be string shots.

* In any case.
* Of course you do.
* I might think it even has a few decent edges to poke them with.

Hint: it's them. ]

[telewarped]

[Shoka tries to act quickly, slashing through the thread entangling Emporio with her claws.]

No big—I've got your back!

[Unfortunately, despite the sheer number of Shokas present on the field right now, the majority of them are purely illusory and incapable of attacking; once the other Wormadam join in with their own String Shots, Shoka can't hope to deflect them all—

But it looks like she won't have to, because a force field protects him from getting entangled any further. What move was that? It seems that creepy hat isn't the only new thing he's picked up since she saw him last...]

Well! That works, too.

[Another String Shot is fired her way instead, but she dodges it easily before launching herself at the offender with a Play Rough. The force of the impact tears the Wormadam from her thread, sending her tumbling to the forest floor with a frantic buzzing sound. Try as the others might to ward Shoka off, they seem to be having a tough time actually hitting her.

In any case, they're momentarily distracted—open targets for Emporio.]

[seacub]

Thanks-!!!

[Unclear if that's for Shoka, or for the commentator on his head.

Maybe both? Maybe both. That protection is extremely handy after all, and-]

I-I'm not throwing you! [He says, aloud, because he's a little too alarmed by the suggestion to actually keep it to himself.

But it does give him an idea. A stupid idea, but an idea all the same. The wormadam are surrounding them, but they're also slow, and...

He's doing it.

He grabs the wormadam that just fell, and throws it.]

Buzz off..!

[consequerer]

[ * Oh, have I been upgraded to Key Item status now?
* Well, it was just a suggestion.
* Do not worry.
* It will not be the first time it has happened here.

Laios.

But anyway, look at the impromptu projectile go. That particular Wormadam is looking quite a bit dazed on account of being fastball specialed into its allies, one of which who seems to have to break off a building Leaf Storm in favor of a hasty Protect of her own. ]

[telewarped]

[Deaf to the voice speaking in Emporio's head, Shoka has to assume that he's saying he won't throw her.]

Um—yeah, thanks for that?

[She's barely finished that sentence when the Wormadam hurtles past her, bouncing off the Protect before barreling into its own nearby allies, making them tumble back with a series of alarmed squeaks and squawks—like scattered bowling pins, or bumpers in a pinball game. A short, disbelieving laugh escapes Shoka.]

Nice one!

[But also what the hell? The Wormadam are bigger than Emporio is, and he's still throwing them around like they weigh nothing! It's effective (and also hilarious), so she immediately decides that she has to give him more ammunition.

Following the sound of her voice, one observant Wormadam manages to find Shoka's real body among her doubles, and viciously jabs its beak into the neck of her disguise. The false Pikachu head deflates, earning a hiss from Shoka (and almost definitely alerting the rest of the Wormadam horde to her location, too)—but she recovers quickly, retaliating with another Play Rough.

At the end of her attack, after battering the Wormadam into a daze with her wooden tail, Shoka finds Emporio, winds her tail-stick back once more—]

Think fast!

[—And swings, sending the Wormadam flying his way.]

[seacub]

[ Very Key Item, yes- What do you mean it's not the first time!?

At least he can keep that in his thoughts this time. Long enough to answer Shoka with an awkward grimace, anyway.]

Th- S- Sorry, I wasn't talking to you, I-

[Excuse him, he's hitting something else with a bone he really didn't have in his hands earlier.]

The mask on my head- they're a Pokemon, so-

[Anddddd Shoka just knocked a Wormadam at him.] AH-!

[Quick, it's a game of hot-potato- Emporio's going to try and grab, and try and throw-!]

[consequerer]

[ * Perhaps you should be asking some of the dogs among you that question!

Their attention is briefly caught by the appearance of that bone, however— fascinating. Spectral? Or is it a more physical construct created on the fly, more akin to the kind of skeleton magic they're more familiar with? Does he realize he's made such a thing, or has he been hiding that somewhere none of them noticed?

Well, in any case, they probably should manifest themself just enough to jauntily wave at the other combatant here, considering Emporio's announced them for what they are— but maybe they will not, just to see how this plays out and what she makes of them. Maybe it'll be funny.

(And in the meantime, if the mask's eyes suddenly seem to flash or glow ominously for just a moment, causing some of the Wormadam to stiffen and freeze up where they are to give the Cubone easier targets to aim at, then that's neither here nor there.) ]

[telewarped]

Huh?

[That's a Pokémon, too? Shoka looks back at the mask, just in time to see its eyes emit a telltale, ghostly glow. Several of the Wormadam, apparently caught in its psychic clutches, go still, and are easily knocked back by the one Emporio chucks at them like a fastball.

Well, Shoka thinks, that's one hell of a trump card.

(But Emporio couldn't have known that this would be a battle, could he? So he just brought along a whole third Pokémon and they didn't think to introduce themself? What's with that?)

There's no time for her to think on it for long. The unaffected Wormadam have pinpointed her location among her fading doppelgangers, and one has taken advantage of her brief distraction to start tangling her in another String Shot.]

Wh—hey! [She whirls, slashing wildly with her claws, only for a second Wormadam to join in with more of the same. The silk sticks fast to the fabric of her disguise, slowing her down.] Ugh, quit it!

[At least her arms aren't bound, so she readies another attack in retaliation—too late. The first Wormadam lurches toward her, leaves shivering, and shrieks right in her face. The sound—an impossibly loud, piercing buzz-scream—drills straight into her brain (or whatever it is Mimikyu have instead) and reverberates through her entire body, wrenching a cry of pain from the void of her throat.

Or... at least she thinks she cried out. The pressure in her head builds and builds within seconds, dizzyingly fast, until she feels something burst—and suddenly she can't hear herself. She can't hear anything, actually; all sound has dropped out, like the whole world has been wrapped in cotton.

The swing she takes at her attacker is clumsy, but at least it connects. The next attack that comes for her—a Sucker Punch from a reinforcement she couldn't hear coming—knocks her clean off her foot, sending her sprawling into the dirt.]

[seacub]

[The

What

....Dogs??? Wait, did you get eaten by a dog???
Nemesis???

HEWWO???

Well, maybe they can talk about that after this. The fight is far more important. Anything could happen after all. Like-]

S-Shoka!

[Oh geeze-

She just went flying..!!

...Which. Uh.

THAT COULD BE BAD ACTUALLY-

Looking under Shoka's disguise, far as he knows, is a big no-no. It's the same for Ring Spirit. Mimikyu aren't meant for mortal eyes!

Can you, uh, close your eyes? Turn your eyes off?? ...Something?

He'll certainly be closing his, because any Wormadam that looks at Shoka wrong is probably about to regret it.]

HOME ON ARRANGE

[seacub]

[Emporio doesn't technically know Noelle. He knows of her, certainly. Anasui actually mentioned her, which is strange he thinks, because Anasui rather rarely mentions someone to Emporio like he'd be interested in meeting them.

So, whoever Noelle is, he's assuming she's no older than her teen years. Even Anasui knows that kids need to socialize with kids, Emporio supposes.

And, willing to admit it or not, Anasui does care.

Thus, when Emporio arrives at the designating meeting point for those intending to work with Abomasnow, his eyes soon land on the deerling roughly his size. It takes a moment, but....]

...Are you 'Noelle'?

[holidaygirl1225]

Um, yes! Hi! That's me! [It can be hard to estimate ages with Pokemon, sometimes, but the Deerling certainly sounds youthful-- she's all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but nervous, too.] You must be Emporio! It's nice to meet you!

[She normally would go for a handshake or something... but instead, she just nods her head.] I spoke to Anasui. He said you also help out at the clinic, right?

[seacub]

Uh- Same!

...I guess if you talked to Anasui, that explains how you guessed my name...probably...

[He DID just do the same thing.]

I'm doing my best at least. Anasui was actually in med school before he got arrested, so he had some experience before we got here... ...Mostly, I've just been learning what I can.

[Anyway, they're not here to do a clinic shift.]

...I haven't learned a lot about construction though, so this should be fun.

[Oh Boy!]

[holidaygirl1225]

We'll figure it out, I'm sure...! [Oh, boy. Noelle feels like this is about to be rough. She can't even pick up a hammer or a saw.

... Wait, what was that Emporio said about Anasui getting arrested???

She doesn't know how to ask, but then it's time to start working, so she doesn't. Abomasnow, fortunately, is less scary than they look; in fact, they remind her of one of her teachers. They're passionate and knowledgeable, and Noelle finds that admirable. She winds up fetching supplies a lot, not able to do much else.]

Um, I also don't have any real formal education in medicine. Just stuff I've looked up, you know, some articles here and there. Were you in school, Emporio? [He seems like he might be an elementary schooler...?]

me crawling back a week later like 'oh that week hit more than expected...'

[seacub]

Right!!

[He's the only one with hands... ...That's a lot of pressure.

Fortunately, Abomasnow seems keen on making them something of a parcel delivery pair, through the use of one helping to load up the other. Phew.]

That makes sense. Uh- I mean, you can correct me, but you don't sound too old..?

[It's just a guess though!] I never went to school though. I just read a lot.

im feeling this lately.

[holidaygirl1225]

You never went to school??? [She shouldn't be surprised-- there's all kinds of worlds out there. But for someone who sounds as young as him? Noelle tries not to balk as she hands him a bundle of logs.]

Uh, thanks, I guess? [She laughs awkwardly at his comment.] I was 16, so... what about you?

its august...i blame august....

[seacub]

Nope.

[Th...That's!!! Alarming!

Anyway excuse him he'll strap these on your back Noelle.]

12! ...I think by my math...I'll be 13 around new years? I'm just going to count it when I normally do, in February though.

FUCK august.

[holidaygirl1225]

[Oh, so he's only a few years younger than she is. That's... concerning. He should be in around 8th grade by now.]

Well... at least you can read and know your basics, right? Did they not have school where you came from? I met someone from a world that was like, more medieval, sort of.

[seacub]

[No one tell her he's guessing.]

Yep! I read as much as I could, including the encyclopedias and manuals.

[The straps for the wood are secure! Let's move that luggage.]

Mnh, no, they had schools. I just couldn't go.

[It's fine don't worry about it]

[holidaygirl1225]

... Why not? [She knows it's probably rude or a sensitive subject, but he doesn't seem upset... and she's really curious.]

[seacub]

Hm?

Oh. Well, it was too dangerous to leave the prison...so it was pretty much impossible.

[It's fine don't worry about it!

He brings a hand...paw? Mitt? To his chin, as he thinks more heavily on it.]

...In hindsight, I kind of wonder if I could have snuck my way into online schooling... ...but I got the feeling I was ahead of the curriculum anyway, so...

[holidaygirl1225]

[THEY PUT A 12 YEAR OLD IN JAIL????????]

...

[She's truly speechless, her mouth hanging open in surprise.]

... oh, I see...?