bottlecaplogs | [closed] while the snow falls all around me

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[closed] while the snow falls all around me

Who: Emmet, Laios, Ingo
What: Play Nice and Exploration: Blue, for now
When: various points in August
Where: Middle Forest, uncharted territory past the Southern Outpost at current
Warnings: Cold weather environmental hazards; to be added if they come up

play nice (for laios)

[ So the guilds are looking to expand! Makes sense. Makes sense if they're intending to scale up operations as the town expands past the immediate area that they've well and mapped out by now. If they are to continue on these tracks then of course they are going to need more members to avoid being spread too thin, possibly on a little more reliable of a basis than 'every other month when strange things start happening.'

That still doesn't mean they know who or what they're looking out for, exactly! What sort of roles the guilds need filled, if there's any specificity in traits or abilities they should be on the lookout for or if they just need to bolster numbers in general. At least that means they have free choice of where to head? ]

It's cleared up a lot here from how it used to be... [ Emmet notes, picking his way carefully across the earth. Every now and then he'll eye the ground a little dubiously, but whatever he's waiting for or expecting to happen never seems to. So, after each of these moments his ears just flick a little as if to dismiss them. ] But anyway. What sort of Pokémon do you want to run into, you think?

exploration: blue (for ingo)

[ Uncharted territory again! It's been a while since they last ventured forth into the unknown. This time ... they are probably more prepared for it? It's a scouting mission, once again, so there is no imminent peril or time pressure.

Being surrounded by trees is familiar enough. What isn't is the drop in temperatures, especially given the season. And soon enough the familiar sight of densely wooded forest begins to give way to thinner vegetation, the few trees remaining growing gnarled and stripped barren. Snow is starting to collect on the twisting branches.

Emmet's ears twitch a little as he tilts his head back to take a look up at the sky above. Snow, huh. Not hail, at least, and not storming, but... ]

Knew it was to be expected, but. I am Emmet. Suddenly I am glad for all this fur.

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The Icelands never differ so greatly!

[ There's seasons, after a fashion, but Ingo has always known that they vary far more elsewhere. ]

The days grow longer in the summers, but even then most of the snow that far north does not melt. That is why we do not farm, as they do in Jubilife.

That is why they are called the Icelands, huh. Well. Anyway. The parts further north can get snow. And some things freeze over. Up near Mistralton for example it is usually very wet in other seasons. Ice-type Pokemon become more common. Deerling and Sawsbuck change their form. That sort of thing.

[ Hmm. Isn't Jubilife relatively new? The clans are supposed to have been there for a long time... ]

Why the cold, though?

Why...do we live there, you mean?

[ He seems like he's never really questioned it. Had he stumbled upon the Pearl Clan later in his displacement, maybe he would have, but...he supposes he simply absorbed a great deal about the Clan, as they were the ones coaxing him back out of his own head. ]

They are the Clan's ancestral lands, I suppose. Though...that cannot exclusively be true, I suppose, with some of our Nobles' territories as far south as they can go...I suppose it likely goes back to the war that split us from the Diamond Clan.

[ He doesn't have the details, though. Embarrassing - he as a Warden probably ought to know this! ]

Just found it strange. That if there is farmable land, it belongs to the people who have been there the shortest.

[ If it is strange for the Zoroark to have made a home in the cold it is just as much so for the people, considering they probably had a choice otherwise?

As if to further drive in that thought, the wind starts to pick up just a little. It probably would be a little biting if they hadn't been so adapted for it, but as it is, it mostly amounts to the gusts blowing the falling snowflakes around in sparkling eddies. Quite tolerable still, for the time being. ]

...it would be difficult to adapt, I suppose. The way we are now. I am not sure what we would do without the sea so close.

[ Much of their diet depends on the sea, or on hunting the Pokemon specific to the islands. What does the Clan know about keeping a farm? But, before all of that, back when they first came to live there...? He doesn't know anything, really, about that time. ]

We and the Diamond Clan both also do not tend to stay in one place forever. That is why we have settlements and not towns - the bulk of us move about with the seasons. Maybe that is why we never began...?

[ Is it "we", when that heritage isn't really his own? But even knowing where he comes from now, Ingo can't say he feels like a Unovan. He doesn't know anything about what that would even mean. ]

Right, right. Follow the schedule. Established routines. No need to change things so drastically just because.

[ A literal one too, it sounds like. Nomadic clans, traveling with the seasons, huh... It's different, to be sure. Emmet can begin to imagine it but then find himself coming up empty when more details become necessary. The closest analogue within easy reach... Many people end up going on a journey at some point, sure. Just as many are happy to stay where they are.

Maybe it's as simple as that. Maybe there are deeper reasons behind why the clans apparently never put down roots anywhere in specific. Or maybe it's as simple as the world being wide, and vast, and across it being home to all sorts of different people.

("We", huh...)

The wind continues to pick up. That... Hmm. ]

Is a storm coming...?

Edited 2025-08-20 04:34 (UTC)

[ Ingo's floppy ears perk up a little, and he sniffs the air. ]

...possibly. We ought to keep an eye out for someplace to shelter.

[ If it really comes to it, he can probably dig out something in the snow, but a cave or rocky outcropping would help. ]

[ Emmet ... glances around. The tree cover has very much thinned out by now; there's barely any left, and what's there isn't much good considering they're stripped bare. Otherwise, what lies in front of them, as least as far as visibility allows, seems to be pretty much just ... an open field, already covered in snow and ice. A hillside might provide a cave or outcropping or something, but it seems if there's any they're too far from any such structures at the moment to rely on finding them quickly.

... Wait. ]

We saw hills and mountains. From the valley. Didn't we? Were they always so far out?

[ Dense forest creeping up the hills. But now, this open field with no cover... ]

...it does not seem so to me. The forest was always strange. Maybe it hid the plains from view until now, or some such thing?

[ Ingo pauses, looking back over his shoulder? Could they make it back to the treeline before the storm blows in? He's not quite certain - at least, he's not certain he could. Emmet probably could manage it.

Ingo can imagine how that suggestion would go. He tucks it into his back pocket. ]

Maybe we ought to start back. At least for now - we could shelter in the forest and see if it blows over.

Edited 2025-08-25 01:50 (UTC)

Is every forest in this place going to be this strange... At this point. I am going to start wondering if this isn't actually some strange part of the Dream World that Entree Forest connects to.

[ But thinking about this being related to a dream is uncomfortable even if the nightmares following their arrival have long since passed, so he drops the thought. ]

Will the trees be enough?

[ There's more of them if they start back, and he will if Ingo does, but they've been fairly scraggly for a little while now. ]

Some part of what?

[ Ingo doesn't typically enjoy having to ask Emmet about things he ought to know, but - seriously, what? ]

Not at all, but if we can get to the deeper parts, we may be able to build something...

[ But it's obvious from his tone that Ingo doesn't find this solution all that appealing. There's too many uncertainties, especially when they'll have to move quickly through the snow to get there in the first place. Wearing themselves out isn't going to be helpful either. He snorts and rears up again. Even the Icelands have the odd crags and drops where one can take shelter, isn't there anything like that here...?

In the distance, something shimmers. ]

Ah! That looks like an ice tunnel, perhaps! Let us make our detour there!

Did say. The forests around central Unova can be odd.

[ This explains literally nothing, Emmet. But his ears perk at the sound of what seems like a more promising course of action.

Ingo stands taller than him when reared up unless he's really putting effort into it and compensating for the digitigrade stance and the natural way his weight falls, so rather than also stand up on his hind legs Emmet opts to dart forward a bit to see if he can scout for a better view or confirmation—

And instead lets out a sharp yelp as the snow beneath him gives way and the Zoroark plummets out of sight. ]

Emmet!

[ Ingo doesn't leap forward after him. It's a near thing, but he knows better than that! Instead he approaches very carefully, testing the ground with a forepaw before stepping; at last, here is an obvious benefit to being a quadruped. ]

Emmet, can you hear me?!

[ Honestly they can probably hear him back at Bottlecap Bay right now ]

[ The snow's fairly disturbed at the edge of the drop off; Emmet had tried to course correct and scrabble backward to stable ground when his forepaws dropped through the deceptive layer of packed snowfall, but it was already too late by the time he realized.

There's an involuntary whine echoing up from somewhere below, somewhat pained from the fall but cutting off quickly at the call of his name. For Emmet's part, he's gingerly getting his bearings, testing his limbs even as he works to get them beneath him. They respond fine enough, and he doesn't feel concussed, whatever that's worth. His paws curl and uncurl properly, his legs carry his weight. Nothing feels broken? ]

I am Emmet. I am ... okay.

[ It won't match Ingo's volume, but hopefully it carries. Longer fall than in the forest, he thinks. Hard to say how far; it's dark down this particular dead-end crevasse, and the light from the opening above is a little too bright for him to be comfortable staring up at it for too long. He's pretty sure he hit an outcropping or ledge or something on the way down before slipping even further. Is that better or worse?

Breathe in, breathe out. Ribs... are probably okay? Emmet huffs another breath, carefully trying to test how well his claws do or don't catch on the walls. He is sore all over but nothing pulls extra painfully, at least. ]

Is this. Going to happen every time.

[ It is a joke! A somewhat annoyed one but sort of a joke still. They are three for three on the ground being prone to collapsing beneath them, Apparently. ]

I hope not!

[ But, maybe? It's not looking good, considering how many times they've been down these exact same tracks.

At least Emmet isn't injured! He won't feel entirely sure of that until he can lay eyes on him, but he's awake and lucid. Ingo leans over the edge of the crevasse as far as he dares - he can see Emmet, at least, most definitely too far down to be reached with short Typhlosion legs. ]

...I have done this before, but not in this body... [ Sinnoh, he misses hands! And arms! ] How far up can you reach?

Maybe we should revisit that discussion. The one about what flying types we would be.

[ Being a Togekiss sounds like it'd be pretty convenient right now, honestly. How high up can he reach? If he gets on his hind legs and stretches (oh, that is not entirely comfortable. hmm), it's... ]

Not very. Without jumping anyway. [ Apparently. Emmet blinks a little, trying to adjust to the darkness as he eyes the part of the crevasse above him with a critical look. Maybe there's something he can use as a jumping off point, platform, ledge...? ] Why? What were you thinking of?

Leaning in, but I am not sure that is a good idea...

[ If he has to catch a leaping Emmet, there's a solid chance he just unbalances and they both go in the pit. Why hasn't he got any rope? He can barely use it without hands, but he might have gripped it in his teeth! ]

Can you climb out? Zoroark in Hisui mostly make their dens in the ice tunnels, so it seems as though you should be suited to it! I can try sending down a light so that you can see better?

[ It's not that far; he can get a ghost light to go down there without using an actual attack. ]

Probably not! For the leaning thing. Please stay behind the yellow line. Climbing ...

[ If he's quick about it, maybe? His fur is doing a lot to keep him insulated, but the walls are cold where his claws come into contact with them. Emmet gets the feeling he should rather opt for a more agile scramble rather than a slow and steady climb up. So if he tries to plan his approach... ]

Maybe? We do not lose anything for trying.

Proceed with caution, then!

[ Ingo leans in a little bit to watch anyway. If Emmet can get high enough, he can reach down to help without too much risk. ]

[ Emmet backs up as much as he can and crouches a little closer to the ground as he gives the gap above another once-over. There's a few spots that look a little more promising... okay.

Coiling to get ready to spring from as much of a running start as he can get is fine. Actually leaping up the sloping wall and letting his claws dig in to try to get a better hold of the slick ice— that gets a wince, but no sense in letting that distract him as he gets his hindlegs under him to carry forward some of his momentum in another leap upward, this time towards the small ledge he'd spotted and noted earlier. He lands a little awkwardly on it, skidding dangerously close to the edge of it from the combination of forward momentum and slick ice, but manages to not slip off with some effort.

From here... if he gets another good jump in, he might end up within arms’— paws' reach of the edge of the drop off. Maybe he can just dig his claws in and try to climb the rest of the way, pull himself up...? The angle of it is a little awkward, but there's nothing else for it, really. Okay. One, two, three, jump—

Emmet manages to make it to about where he'd expected to with the leap, but he'd misjudged how well the surface would hold; when he tries to push himself further up, the lower foothold crumbles away, the ice falling back towards the ledge below and leaving the Zoroark, at least with his hindlegs, scrabbling for purchase on the walls of the ice pit. ]

Ah - !

[ Ingo lets out a wordless cry of alarm, leaping forward as well. He can just about reach Emmet's forepaws with his own if he leans down into the crevasse a bit - but they aren't hands. He has little option but to try and grip at Emmet's paws with his claws. It must hurt...! He leans in a little more, instinct driving him to try and grab Emmet's scruff with his jaws. ]

[ There's a bitten back cry or whimper of his own, quiet in his throat; Ingo's trying to help, it's fine, better this than falling and trying to figure out the climb again, this time even more sore than he already is. His paws will flex under Ingo's, trying to secure his grip, and ...

His scruff is either incredibly easy to find and reach or incredibly difficult: there is so much fur there, between his collar and the portions slipping down from the base of his mane, but Ingo will know when he's managed it considering that Emmet goes from straining to haul himself up those last couple feet to very, very still. ]

[ Ingo winces internally, but he's already barrelling down these tracks. No switching now. When Emmet goes slack, he digs his own claws into the ground to haul him up. It isn't easy, but Ingo's heart is pounding and Emmet is very gangly. Once they're both clear of the hole, he drops his hold and quickly pets the spot he was biting with a paw. ]

Are you hurt?

[ Give him a moment to catch his breath, then shake himself roughly like it'll get the cold out of his system (it will absolutely not). ]

... Don't think anything's broken. [ Which isn't quite the same as not being hurt, but. ] Didn't quite feel right when I was landing on the ledge earlier? Maybe mildly strained or sprained something. And I think. Something pulls a bit when I am at full extension.

Can still move though. So. It's okay. Sore all over but it is fine. I will eat a berry for the worst of it and it'll be okay?

Alright. We do not have much choice.

[ Even if he wanted to insist that they turn back (which he hasn't ruled out), that would only end with them getting caught in the storm. They still need to reach shelter. So a berry will simply have to do for now. He shrugs his pack off so that he can root through it. ]

I do miss having Potions available!

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