bottlecaplogs | FLIGHT AND FREEZE

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FLIGHT AND FREEZE

Who: Kris, Umemiya, Archnemon, Shoka, Bigby, Siffrin (SA), Kinger, Sanji, Need, Ren, Akechi, Anasui, Emporio, Ingo, Emmet... and Noelle!!
What: Move over Team Intimidate, there's a cooler Pokemon that needs saving.
When: Early October
Where: All over
Warnings: Will update as needed!!

Noelle has vanished while recovering at the clinic and nobody can find her! She may have run away while having a mental health crisis. Please, bring her back safely!

Mightyena doesn't know where Noelle went, just that she was still in recovery when she vanished. She thought Noelle couldn't have gone far in her condition... but if that's the case, why hasn't she been found yet?

[ QUEST START ]

After a tense day of discussion, organizing and planning, Kris and Ingo gather the volunteers at the outskirts of Bottlecap Bay. Supplies are handed out, groups are chosen, and everyone is given a quick debriefing on the plan: start close to home, then work their way further out as they narrow down her location. Some groups should hang back, ready to set out once a fresh lead is established—the pearls are perfect for this, so everyone should keep their own handy. Spreading out too wide will only make things difficult once they find her trail, so it's important that everyone stays on task.

Once everyone's roles have been assigned, it's time to set out. It's going to be a long, long day.

BEFORE THE SEARCH
TEAM A | TEAM B
TEAM C | TEAM D
TEAM E

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[Umemiya is, unfortunately, very aware that he might have been part of pushing Noelle too far. He remembers fighting with her while she was under Froslass's control, not holding back nearly as much as he does during sparring. He was trying to break Froslass's control, and he did, but only for a moment. Still, he feels guilty for letting Noelle see the brutal side of him that he works so hard to hide.

He senses the same tangle of emotions that Hatenna does, glancing over at the little psychic hat with a bit of a sympathetic grimace.]

Something definitely happened over this way. Don't know if Noelle was involved for sure, but we should probably look into it, in case.

[Hopefully, even with that grim iron will that Kris is demonstrating, they'll listen to the suggestion. If not...well, Umemiya's following their lead. That look on their face is really intense.

(If it were Tsubaki or one of his kouhai, he'd be just as intense. He understands, even if it's sort of scary to see from the outside.)]

[They tilt their head towards Umemiya when he speaks. It's hard to read their expression under normal circumstances, so right now... it's kind of a lost cause. But despite the intensity of their shadowed stare, when they turn their head forward again they adjust to the direction he'd pointed out.

... aren't Deino supposed to be blind? Well, anyway.]

What kind of something? [They can't sense emotions or aura like their partners, so "something definitely happened" doesn't tell them much about what to expect. The aftermath of something? A fight? An accident? Are there still people there? How much can they even tell...?]

[ This is a little new for her, so trying to concentrate on Noelle's emotional 'echoes' and getting accosted by the ambient emotions in the area isn't working as well as she'd anticipated. No actual visuals yet, but those pressing emotions are a bit unmistakable. ]

There was a fight of some kind... there are wounded, scared and likely to attack Pokémon hiding nearby. Probably not likely to be too reasonable if we're just stumbling in like this.

[ Which seemed typical of most of the neighboring pokemon's attitudes toward the newly settling in explorers, and yet... she didn't recall this area being mentioned explicitly on the quest board unless they had been taken up by others. ]

More likely to be reasonable if we go in looking to help. I have a healing move; I can help the worst of the injured. It's possible they know where Noelle went. It's possible she got caught up in whatever happened here.

She can fight. Noelle, I mean. She's a little scared to until pushed, but I've eaten a pretty strong Ice-type move from her more than once.

[Not that Deerling naturally learn Ice-type moves, even winter-form ones. But he knows what he felt, first in the training room of the spire and later in Froslass's court.]

[... She can fight. They saw the evidence of it themselves. They were glad when she started standing up for herself, but the way she was lashing out that day, attacking other monsters, all those weird things she said about...

but they don't know what's over there. Maybe it has nothing to do with Noelle. Maybe she was just defending herself. It doesn't mean anything, it was just Froslass making her act out like that. Noelle wouldn't hurt people on purpose.

Besides, pacifying hurt or panicked monsters is their specialty. Whatever's up ahead, they'll deal with it just like they always do.]

Focus on healing and defending. I'll calm them down. [How? They'll figure it out.

As they move further along the beach, a heap of something red and moving starts to become clearer. The crawfish monsters look worse for wear, several of the smaller members of their gang fainted and injured in the sand, others missing entire claws, but a few of the larger ones seem to have Endured whatever hit them. There are leaves scattered all over the beach, too—sharp ones, judging from the hiss the Deino makes when they accidentally step on one.

Unfortunately, their party also becomes clearer to the Crab Gang. The least-injured of the Crawdaunts quickly rear up in defense, claws snapping threateningly.]

Well, you'd better get ready to do something, because they're already noticing us...

[ And that has sent her annoyance levels up. The "Crab Gang"'s emotions are all over the place, and certainly none too pleased at more people showing up in their area. She's not usually the one to go to for diplomacy measures. She has her skillset if they get any attacks thrown their way...

Granted given the looks of some of them, it's probably not too unreasonable that they'd take this approach for another attack... and while most of them have a defensive set up, another is fully ready to meet their party with a bubble attack. Not the strongest thing they could send out toward them, more like potentially dodge-able warning for them to stay back. Instead of just using words, but maybe there was a reason for that. ]

Tch! After you~

[ Why she calls out this set up move is just a habit, but it should at least provide Umemiya a supportive boost for what he intends to do next. ]

Yeah, I'm doing something. Life Dewing something.

[Here's the thing about Life Dew: it heals a pokemon and their allies. It was not made to heal a whole colony of crustaceans all at once. But it does have the advantage of being a Water-type healing move, something they might recognize from a local Milotic or Corsola or even a Shellder with interesting parentage.

It is exhausting, more than usual, to heal as many of these Crawdingos as possible within range, but with Hatenna's set-up, he's able to do more than he could alone.]

[Kris takes the lead, calmly stepping up to the group while Ume and Hatenna are coordinating that heal. They can't see what attack the crabs are preparing—or that they're preparing an attack, or that they're crabs, or any details of the situation, honestly—but if it worries them, they're doing a good job of hiding it. They ignore the angry chittering at them as tensions boil over into a vicious(?) Bubble attack. And yet, without even slowing down, the Deino ducks and bends and weaves through the barrage, each movement precise to an almost unnatural degree.

Almost. They do pop like, two bubbles, which is definitely going to piss it off, but it doesn't hurt enough for Kris to care. More importantly, the attack is focused on them for long enough to let Umemiya dew his thing. Once they're close enough to get a word in—]

We're not here to fight. Please, will you let us help your friends?

[The healing is probably doing most of the convincing here. The crabs stare at the group of strange Pokemon warily, still holding their defensive line... but one of them turns back to check on the injured. They're not going straight into another attack, so that's good...?]

[ Some of the pokemon have begun speaking quietly to one another. Enough for parts to be overheard in varying tones amidst the clicking of claws. "They are helping us" "It could be a trick!" "Shut up!"

Eventually when Kris speaks up the one who had initiated the attack still seems hesitant to let them in, but is also well aware that most of his group lacks any sort of recovering ability beyond resting, though they seem to be slowly getting to their senses, the wounded gathering a little closer together amidst shivering amongst themselves in fear and concern, just putting those emotions on blast out there.

It's not another attack, but the group will feel a leer sensation being thrown their way from the lead Crawdaunt.

"Don't come any closer! What do you want?"

Aside from the aforementioned 'here to help' is the implication. They had been roughed up and hadn't made an official call for help, so even trusting what they've received might take a little more warming up. ]

We're out here looking for a friend of ours who might be confused and upset.

[As he says this, he throws in another Life Dew, though he's starting to feel strain from trying to heal so many at once.]

When we noticed you guys were attacked, we detoured. Hatenna and I, we could feel your distress.

["They're friends with HER?!" "I told you it's a trick!" "Then why haven't they attacked yet?!"

While the bickering continues in the back, the leader puffs out their chest to strike a more intimidating posture. Even if they were injured, they're now in much better shape... meaning, they could totally take these guys in a fight if it came to that. Why take the risk of talking when they've already been helped?

It's still a bit tense, but Kris holds their ground. They tilt their head back to meet the Crawdaunt's leer, unflinching.]

We want to make sure she doesn't hurt anyone else. [those words feel bitter on their tongue, but they don't fight it. not the time for that.] She's a winter Deerling. Smells like peppermint. Is that the Pokemon that attacked you?

[ There's a brief hush that falls among them, aside from the agitated sound of varying clicking. They're hovering on the edge of not being reasoned with, but they've already experienced battle... however unwarranted.

... if it could even be called a battle.

"Yes!" Multiple voices clamoring over each other. "The trespasser!" "She didn't stand down, so why should we?!" "Shhh!"

The Crawdunt shoots a look back behind himself at the group, and the chattering quiets but the claw clicking intensifies again. Then the leader turns, and levels a scary face off at the group. Still not engaging with a physical move, but leaving the threat of it in the air while he considers. As if seeing if he can taunt or intimate them from engaging or if they'll stay committed to the path...

The emotions the group are giving off are still volatile enough, but it seems there could be room for reason there. They now know that they want information on their "friend", but Crawdunt also doesn't take losing easily... ]

At this point, the choice whether or not this becomes another fight is in your hands. If it'll make you feel better, I'll take you on. I'm not scared of that. But that doesn't have to be how this goes.

There's a clinic in Bottlecap Bay, that'd tend to the worst of your wounded, if you asked. And we're not here because we want to trespass on your territory. We're just here for our mission.

[He speaks calmly, but that's fighting an uphill battle against the swirling emotions around him. It hurts.]

[Feels like talking in circles... they glance over at Umemiya. Even if they can't see him, they can hear the strain creeping into his voice. The vibes must be pretty bad. No telling how bad Hatenna is doing right now, either. They shouldn't let this drag on for too long.

The question is, how can they convince these crabby monsters to listen?]

... if we don't know where she went, guess we'll have to search the whole area. Might take awhile. Might even have to call in more backup. You guys will have to clear out for awhile.

[Which instantly gets an angry clatter of snapping claws and frothing bubbles. A full-scale search, through their home! Their nests! The audacity!! Even the weaklings in the back look like they're ready to riot.

Kris just looks to the side wistfully.] If only we had some sort of lead... we could just leave, and not come back...

[ There's another pause, a low rumbling through the crowd of murmurs, some ready to take up a fight right then - when finally, a different Crawdaunt approaches from the back of the assorted Corphish, stands menacingly in front next to the leader, but then the pair turn and skitter a distance away, while others keep up the clicking to try and drown out just what's being discussed.

Fight them or not? The fact that they hadn't started anything themselves and had assisted definitely weighed in the balance, but that was still healthy paranoia in the area. Their typing might stand more of an advantage overall, but maybe they would be better suited by having them just leave so they could regroup? They'd have to deal with the other outsiders in the Outpost some day anyway.

Finally the Crawdaunt turn back to the group. A few of the smaller, feisty pokemon quickly rearrange themselves into the defensive line, but don't move further. Instead, they all seem to be looking northward...

"Fine. It was this way... but no funny business."

... Hatenna will just be over here just trying to get through the mire that is this headache, don't mind her. ]

No funny business. I promise.

[A pause as he gives Hatenna a bit of a wry look. Yeah, he feels it, too. Honestly, they're probably dealing with some emotional harmonics between the two of them that isn't helping.]

You want to ride instead of walking? I can carry you, if you need to rest.

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FLIGHT AND FREEZE

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