[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

[outbounds]

[ Oh, that's definitely an Ingo rant. Sorry, but Emmet's just going to be snickering out a few quiet, yipping laughs at Ingo's expense, which the Typhlosion will definitely be hearing as he shoulders past. ]

Better you than me. I think I would have just punched him. Not the first time but several times after, probably.

[ 'What about a battle though'— no, because everything Ingo's said about the other trainers in Hisui implied they were terrible at it, and if a battle is not serious, it is not fun. What would the point be other than to beat down a few poor Pokemon who don't deserve it? ]

[offtracks]

[ Ingo sighs, long-suffering. ]

There is not even any point to battling him about it. His only partner is a Skuntank. Stronger than many Hisuian trainers, but even so!

[ The bar there is low, and Melli mostly clears it by virtue of evolving his companion fully. Ingo, meanwhile, has a fully-evolved team of six and his oldest partner is a ground-type. There's not a ton of competition to be had, and if there's no real chance of losing, why even bother? He's thinking much along the same lines as Emmet, even if he doesn't know it. ]

[outbounds]

Just one? ... Is it at least a well-trained Skuntank?

[ Warden is an important title, isn't it? That's all? He has to lower his expectations even more? ]

[offtracks]

Mmm...it is decently strong, but I have never seen it use more than the same two or three moves.

[ hey why doesn't that thing have a fourth move? ]

[outbounds]

[ ........

is this some kind of weird flex, hey look I can beat you even if my partner doesn't know that many moves? maybe it'd be a little more impressive if it actually worked? ]

Borrrrring!

[offtracks]

[ Ingo hmmmmms loudly, tilting his head. He doesn't want to say anything rude himself but also he agrees on this one! ]

It has been quite a long time since we had a battle! Mostly we just...go back and forth with the torches.

[outbounds]

You bicker.

[ Why does Emmet sound so amused by this. (The same reason why Ingo's long-suffering sigh is so practiced probably.) ]

Hmmm. Well. Maybe we should, after we get back. Not right away, but some time. Battle, I mean. Not just sparring to try to figure things out but to actually win.

[offtracks]

That does sound fun! We have not done so for some time!

[ Not since they were both figuring out how to move and use attacks at all! Ingo's slightly concerned about going all out against Emmet - isn't he liable to hurt him? But, then again, isn't that sort of what happens in Pokemon battles? If ordinary Pokemon can handle it, surely the two of them can. ]

Not near the beach again, though! It is getting colder, and I do not care for the sea winds at all! Strange, really - it must be far colder here, yet I feel better!

[outbounds]

[ Ingo's probably been witness enough at this point to Emmet needing to burn off energy, wandering off somewhere with Anasui or Shoka or somebody, and coming back at some point later potentially noticeably more roughed up but with a distinctly self-satisfied air. Within reasonable limits, obviously; what's a little bit of soreness after when there are good battles to be had? ]

So the humidity is more an issue than the cold is? That does sort of make sense. Okay. We can find somewhere else that you won't be able to set on fire, sure.

[offtracks]

[ Ingo's still a little too concerned about courtesy to go all out against anybody he trains with. He's tended to gravitate towards new arrivals and uncertain battlers - the people who most need his assistance! Which is very nice and rewarding!

Just. You know. Real battles are also nice and rewarding...he wouldn't mind having one some time... ]

Mightyena would doubtless have recommendations! Perhaps we can make a show of it, and then others would be interested in having their own battles! Not very many of us have been doing it for sport - only training or actual fights.

[ Ingo and Emmet are outliers! ]

[outbounds]

[ Honestly, Emmet probably hasn't actually gone all out yet either ... though his choice of sparring partners likely gives him a bit more of a workout than Ingo's more instructional sessions regardless.

(Part of him, probably, has a faint concern about what might happen if he leaned fully into instinct and let it guide him, given what he is. Oh well.) ]

Oh! So. Get everyone's attention first, see who might be interested. And then, later on, further down the line. Start to organize something for those who want to challenge themselves?

[ Figure out who all might make good partners because of similar skill levels, who might want to be on call for if someone wants to push themselves against someone stronger or uses strategies not as commonly seen, that sort of thing? ]

[offtracks]

Bravo! That sounds excellent!

[ Ingo's voice echoes off the icy walls, to the point where even he cringes. There's a few moments before he tries again. This area should not be at risk of avalanche, but it's still strange and there may be wild Pokemon about; he still doesn't wish to yell. ]

We could do something like the Paths of Solitude! It would be harder to present so many new challenges, granted, but - maybe some more experienced Guild veterans would help! I would like to do many of the battles ourselves, of course, but you need variety! New tests of skill! Perhaps, if we found enough volunteers, we could do a rotation of making others win matches at a type disadvantage...I think a number of our compatriots do not even really remember all of the type match-ups!

[ Ingo's mind is bounding quickly ahead. He will keep talking like this if left to it. ]

[outbounds]

[ Genuinely why would Emmet stop him? These ideas sound fun to him too. ]

Type disadvantages, unfavorable conditions like a water type under bright sun, a Pokemon who relies on their speed in Trick Room, trying to hit ground types who are at home in a sandstorm when you are not. Yup. The list goes on! And if we do doubles challenges there can be even more combinations of moves and Pokemon!

[ They would definitely have to recruit more help and volunteers for this, but Emmet seems plenty excited just talking about it. ]

[offtracks]

I really must learn Sunny Day...

[ And Trick Room? The name isn't immediately recognizable, but something about hearing Emmet include it in a discussion of battle strategy makes it feel familiar. Ingo...sort of thinks he can't learn it. ]

But yes! That sounds excellent! Perhaps we could find some items to hand out as prizes - things that would help in battle! I am quite sure our compatriots know hardly anything of that!

[outbounds]

The ice here might be an okay start if it doesn't melt...

[ For their vanishingly small population of ice-types, anyway. ]

Hmm. We will have to go looking for a lot of things. Trade for some of them? [ Are there cobblers in town specializing in Heavy Duty Boots? ] That or just go foraging... How do they manage to tell the Miracle Seeds from the regular ones anyway?

[offtracks]

You just have to know what sorts of seed are typically found in the area!

[ He forages, he knows this! ]

I suppose we could start with easier rewards like that, and plan ahead for the more difficult ones...I am even a fire-type, so a very basic challenge for grass-types would be very simple to arrange! Though, that's not our most populous type.

[ At least among the off-worlders! Of course there's plenty of NPC Pokemon in the guilds too! ]

[outbounds]

There are a lot of you fire types and not very many water, yep. ... Also ghosts.

[ Though ghost is effective against itself, except certain ghosts here also have an immunity, so that'll be a fun one. ]

[offtracks]

That will be a fun one!

[ Ingo's thinking along similar tracks! ]

We could just do one first, but I admit I do not have an idea for a reward...I suppose we could just find a Sitrus berry or some such thing, but that is not quite as fun!

[outbounds]

Maybe some of the berries that help against damage from a super effective type? Could be useful in the future.

And for those who do not succeed. A silly but pointless trophy. Or a ribbon maybe.

[ An 'I got beat up by the subway bosses and all I got for it was this this ribbon' participation award. ]

[offtracks]

A ribbon sounds nice! We could make it up a little!

[ Create a nice little medal or something out of it! If only he could still carve properly... ]

The berries are a good idea, too! Do you know where they can be found in this world? I have not seen any about myself!

[outbounds]

[ A reason for Emmet to work on carving more, huh... ]

Don't know. [ he says, with a shake of his head. ] I do not think I have seen any either ... but maybe if we ask some of the native Pokemon here, they might know where they are more likely to grow?

[ They'd probably have to make their own, non-mission related trips out into the wilderness to go searching for them even if they do find they grow somewhere near, but it's at least the start of an idea? ]

[offtracks]

I'm sure Mightyena would know! They must surely have some set aside for more dangerous missions, don't you think?

[ That's what he'd do! Of course, that would be the guild's supply. The two of them would likely have to go find their own. Well, Ingo's not against the idea! It might just mean putting the challenges together on slightly short notice; there's no guarantee that they'll find a specific berry precisely when they want it, after all.

Going up a path they've already traversed is naturally a little bit quicker than going down. Ingo isn't moving with quite so much exacting caution. One they hit a larger ledge, he stands on his hind legs and peers up at the sky. It's...bright, mostly. ]

Quite difficult to tell if it is still snowing...but storms of that strength do not usually last this long.

[outbounds]

If they have access to them then it makes sense?

[ So now it is just a matter of have they, in fact, managed to find such berries here. Well, it was a thought; if it proves unfeasible they can think of something else.

When they come to the ledge, though, and Ingo makes to check the weather ... Emmet also glances up— but in contrast to the gleaming, glittering blue that might have lit their way through the crevasse all he gets is a lot of white. ]

... Think if it is, we would start having to be concerned that it is a Pokemon causing it.

[ To the storm thing. Ingo would be able to tell better than him on what the weather might be here from the look of the sky, though. ]

[offtracks]

It would be a shame if they did not! Maybe we could discover some.

[ But if nobody knows about those berries or where they grow here, it's probably not worth their while to just...wander forests and fields randomly searching for them. Well, they'll see!

Ingo thinks the sky looks fine enough. There might be more snow later, but it probably isn't happening right now. Once they get out, he can take a better look at the sky, and if there's anything else rolling in they can just go back down and weather it out here again. That isn't ideal, but it's workable. He starts climbing again. ]

I do not think that is the case! It feels.....hm, sharper, when it is intentional. I am not sure precisely how to describe it, except to say that the storm has purpose! And I do not believe this one did!

[outbounds]

Just a sudden storm, huh... and it is only late summer.

[ What does this place look like in the winter? ]

If they have not heard of those berries or seen them here, might definitely be useful to keep an eye out on trips in the future.

[ Maybe not to the extent of dedicating some trips out for it, but they might be able to multitask on other endeavors? ]

Who knows. Could facilitate longer trips into the more dangerous places.