[closed] while the snow falls all around me

[outbounds]

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.

Comments

[offtracks]

[ Ingo narrows his eyes. Well now he's going to! ]

My face can look very stern! And there are few people with eyes as light as ours in Hisui!

[ at least that's probably why people act like they glow in the dark, peoples' eyes don't actually do that ]

[outbounds]

Mmm. Okay. Sure. First impressions— fine! I do not agree with you but I get what you are saying. [ It's Emmet's turn to roll his eyes, though he takes a moment to focus on navigating a narrow foothold. ] But. A lot of people did respect you. Looked up to you! They liked you just fine the way you looked.

Or do I have to say 'first place in a random popularity contest' again.

[offtracks]

That does not mean anything! If it was truly random, then they must not have really known either of us in the first place - perhaps they just like black!

[ It has, in large part, become about trying to defend Emmet's honor. Why shouldn't people vote for him in the contest? Who even holds these?

The path is only getting narrower. Ingo pauses, uncertain. He's rather stockier...they don't want to entirely lose the light anyway. He peers up at the jagged crack of light from above. ]

Perhaps we ought to pull the reverser.

[outbounds]

[ Hey wait stop making this about his honor, Emmet thinks that the tendency of Ingo's perfectionism and drive to improve himself becoming a way to beat himself up when he ends up falling short of his own impossible standards should also be addressed!

But he only gets the chance to make a disagreeing sort of noise before Ingo changes the subject, and, well, this is a pretty immediately important topic. ]

... not much track left to run? [ Emmet takes a brief glance downwards to check on something in that case and— oh, wow, that was a mistake. Okay. Maybe do not do that again. ] Have we. Actually gotten any closer to the bottom?

[ How deep is this chasm? ]

[offtracks]

I am not certain...

[ Ingo seems a lot more okay with looking down! He's quite used to heights - though admittedly, the sheer darkness is unnerving. ]

I have never seen one that went even half as deep as we've already gone. [ He hopes they can still get out... ]

[outbounds]

[ Heights, darkness, and too many reflections. What a fun combination of things. ]

... Maybe reversing is a good idea. Yup. Can return better equipped and stocked. Know more of what to expect.

[offtracks]

[ Ingo nods. ]

I can take the lead again once we reach the next of the larger ledges, if you prefer.

[ But here, there really isn't enough room for him to maneuver back around, so...looks like Emmet is leading for now. It's not too bad; if he fell, he wouldn't take out the footholds ahead of Emmet. ]

[outbounds]

Probably better. You can provide more light if it is needed.

[ Emmet can do a little of his own— but his own ghostly fire isn't really as strong as Ingo's. And it's neither here nor there, but he really would prefer being able to see the Typhlosion in front of him.

But for now, he can lead them back up. No problem. ]

[offtracks]

Very well!

[ He'll follow behind Emmet for now, then! It feels a little strange, after being the leader for this long. Strange, too, to walk in single file at all; he's so used to having Emmet at his side.

...on his right. Do they always walk like that...? ]

...I do still wish to try learning Will-o-Wisp sometime, though. It seems useful to have! That Shadow Sneak, as well - I've never seen a Typhlosion use either, but it seems to me that I ought to be able...

[outbounds]

You have never seen a Typhlosion use Will-o-Wisp? [ True, most plain fire-types, though capable, usually need a TM to learn to do it, but the ghost typing after evolution... ] I sort of thought you would be like Ninetales or Delphox. Fire type, but more— magic, spirit-y. With Shadow Sneak I can try explaining how it feels to me again, but ...

[ Well, his explanation did not really seem to help much the first time? Different route, maybe. ]

I know it is usually a lot of the more ... [ he'll let his mane purposely plume out a bit, to approximate the right kind of gesture, ] kinds of ghosts that tend to get it. But that is not a hard and fast rule. Gastly does not get it and Honedge does.

So! Maybe you have just not seen it because no Hisuian Typhlosion has tried hard enough to learn it yet.

[offtracks]

Emmet! That's mean!

[ Though his tone is more noooooooo than actually chiding. ]

Maybe the technique just hasn't made its way to us yet! Captain Zisu, my colleague at the Training Grounds, knows how to teach some Pokemon certain moves that they cannot ordinarily learn! But it takes time and work for her to learn new ones! I will simply have to try and imitate her trick for myself!

[outbounds]

Oh. So she is like a move tutor. Neat. Then definitely copy her.

Hopefully it is not an egg move. [ Completely unrepentant. ] Though, mirror herbs help with that these days...

[offtracks]

Will you tell me more about that?

[ Egg moves, mirror herbs, whichever. Ingo can infer what the former is, but he still doesn't know all the egg move meta. He doesn't always enjoy having to ask questions like this, about things that probably ought to be basic knowledge for both of them, but the information is usually interesting regardless! ]

[outbounds]

Sure! I bred some of our Pokemon. Not all of them but some. So I can definitely explain. Egg moves are ... hmm, okay. An example!

Galvantula are bug and electric. Not really venomous. Have a little bit of it kind of; not really enough to use in battles generally. They rely on their webs and their electric to catch and disable prey.

But if the father is something like Gliscor, Ariados, Drapion. [ You know, very venomous bugs and bug-adjacents! ] The Joltik that hatch from the eggs end up having stronger ability with poisons, so they can know things like Poison Sting or Cross Poison. They would not normally learn those even if someone tried to teach them.

[offtracks]

Ah! How interesting! I have noticed that sometimes Lady Sneasler's kittens will know an odd move or two, but I have never been able to track it!

[ He's not her trainer, and certainly not her breeder! ]

Pokemon breeding is not done in Hisui. I am not sure it has even occurred to anyone else! And I simply do not have the time.

[ Though he feels like he had, in a general sense, known it was something one might do? Hm. ]

[outbounds]

Hah. You tended to worry about handling the baby Joltik. Afraid you'd accidentally hurt them, they are so small. Even when I said it was okay, their exoskeletons harden up verrrry quickly after hatching.

[ Fussy... ]

... But that makes sense. If people are not really used to even the idea of living with Pokémon. Breeding them— not exactly a priority.

[offtracks]

That does sound a bit nerve-wracking...it can be like that even with the newly-hatched Sneasel at first, and they are certainly not so small or delicate!

[ Highly venomous though! ]

But, no. I believe the only similar institution is the Clan leader's Pokemon. Irida's Glaceon is the child of her father's old partner, at least, and Adaman has a Leafeon. There must be some old tradition to that!

[outbounds]

Huh. Do you know if it is always the same evolution?

[offtracks]

I do not! It would make sense if the Pearl leader always had a Glaceon, considering where we live, but I'm less sure of the Diamond Clan! Their primary settlement is out in the Mirelands - not exactly a forest.

[ Not that any other Eeveelution sticks out as the obvious match any more so, granted. ]

[outbounds]

... For clear air, maybe? I am guessing the air is not always great in the swamp.

[ No such thing as Toxeon... ]

[offtracks]

Ah, perhaps! Or else just to help fend off the ground-types. There are alpha Hippowdon near there sometimes!

[ Picture that. Horrific! ]

Warden Calaba is the nearest Pearl Clan warden. I have been out to visit her and Lord Ursaluna many times! [ Calaba has likely come up before as someone who treated Ingo when he was hurt or sick! It's a trend! ]

[outbounds]

That close to the settlement?

[ Well. It is probably hard to find somewhere that doesn't have Pokémon nearby, but the territory of an alpha?

Also yeah, that sure is a name he's heard, huh. ]

If that is where most of the Diamond clan lives ... they do not mind that she is there also?

[offtracks]

I am not sure I could put it quite like that...but there's nothing to be done about it. The seats of the Nobles were set long ago, back when the Clans were still one!

[ He has wondered what the logic behind some of those territorial decisions was. Wouldn't it have been easier to split care of the Nobles differently? But that's old Clan history he never learned. ]

Warden Sabi of the Diamond Clan lives practically within the primary Pearl settlement! That's different, of course - she's only a child, and terribly far from her old home. Even the most traditional among us cannot really say much against it. But we Wardens typically have a Warden from the other clan as our closest neighbors. It is in our best interests to ignore the rivalry and cooperate with each other!

[ Whether or not it actually happens like that is maybe another story! ]

[outbounds]

That bad, huh. ... She lives alone out in the Icelands?

[ If Lian was young, and Sabi's a child, just how old is she? It seems a little... maybe it is not his place to comment on it, but hmmm.

(Hisui is harsh, isn't it...) ]

... Soooo. Do you?

[ Cooperate with your neighbor, that is. ]

[offtracks]

Officially, yes, but between you and I - it is a bit more like she lives with Warden Gaeric.

[ That sort of thing is far from unheard of between Wardens (just look at Palina and Iscan!), but other people in both Clans might take it amiss. Better just to watch what's said to whom. Of course, none of that matters at all with Emmet! ]

Ah! Well...no, I cannot say that I do. I would be glad to, of course, but Warden Melli is...he is very opinionated, and rather more traditional about the old Clan conflicts. Our tracks are often not aligned.

[ It's a gentle and oblique way of putting it. For one thing, Ingo really doesn't hold onto much anger or disdain towards Melli; he's often frustrated, especially when he must walk all the way back down to Wayward Cavern again, but what would holding a grudge accomplish? Then there'd just be two of them behaving that way.

Also, though, it's just classic Ingo. There's very few people he's willing to actually speak badly of! That's rude! ]