February catch-all!

[offtracks]

Who: Ingo & OPEN
What: Helping with avalanche rescue efforts, probably some other stuff
When: Throughout February
Where: Icefall Lake, elsewhere
Warnings: Some speculations on Pokemon death, though I don't plan to actually like, find any victims in-thread

Comments

[offtracks]

[ Ingo picks up speed, heedless of the wet slush clumping in his fur. Close enough to water to be bothersome, it seems. Maybe if he used some fire, he could turn it to steam? But that would be dangerous indeed for most Pokemon. He wouldn't consider it at all, except that they are already using fire...but then, not every fire-type would tolerate such an attack well. They might even be using a differently-typed move. ]

Ah - see if you can tell what sort of Pokemon they are!

[ A long shot, maybe, but worth checking. ]

[loopsiedaisy]

[If Siffrin had any real experience with seeing color, this would be roughly the point where they'd be thinking, 'Wow, sure would be nice if I could see color!']

[As is, though, they squint their one eye at the silhouette they can see through the slush, even as they keep digging.]

Very round? Um, I think they have ear tufts?

[That's it. That's all they've got. They don't say it with much hope that it'll be enough to identify the Pokemon.]

[To Ingo's eyes, though, there might be a suggestion of red and yellow... unless that's just the flame?]

[offtracks]

[ Mmmmm...Ingo decides to err on the side of caution. It seems like they might be close enough that he needn't risk it. Instead, he heats the fur around his own neck and plunges his head down into the hole that he's been digging, burrowing in and snuffling about for fur or skin. Hunting behavior, in a Typhlosion, but while Ingo knows that in theory he doesn't quite associate the two. He hasn't gone hunting since he was still human. ]

[loopsiedaisy]

[Siffrin yanks their paws out of the way and watches, just barely keeping from vibrating with tension. Is there anything they can do...?]

[The hollow Ingo's head breaks through into is warm and, indeed, filling up with water from melted slush - though it's not quite as bad as all that yet. More importantly, Ingo's nose or teeth will quickly meet something furry. Or hairy.]

[It's a Darumaka!]

[offtracks]

[ Ingo snuffles the Darumaka! He hasn't smelled this Pokemon before!

Well, nevermind it. He briefly contemplates trying to take the entire furry orb in his jaws and pull it out, but quickly abandons that as a bad idea and just starts trying to nose beneath them and hoist them up instead.

(Wow! Lots of slushy gross snow in here! This is a sensory nightmare!) ]

[loopsiedaisy]

[An... ear tuft(? Eyebrow?) emerges above the snow, and Siffrin latches on to it with their teeth and tugs.]

[Darumaka yelps and flails, suddenly sticking their limbs out of their body. That can't feel good! But between Siffrin and Ingo's efforts, they're quickly deposited onto the surface of the snow.]

[There they fall into a seated position, shivering. It doesn't seem to be out of cold so much as lingering shock and fear - they're slowly melting another circle of slush around them, though fortunately it doesn't seem to be progressing fast enough to make them sink.]

[offtracks]

[ Ingo surfaces immediately, sneezing and pawing the slush off his face and head as well as he can. That was unpleasant!

But he's fine, he's fine! Never mind it! ]

Are you alright? [ That's addressed to the Darumaka, but he adds with a glance to Siffrin: ] We ought to get them back to town.

[loopsiedaisy]

[The Darumaka doesn't answer, just staring at Ingo with wide eyes, but Siffrin nods. They scan the area for - there! There's the Noivern that flew them and several other Pokemon over.]

[Siffrin turns back to Darumaka, opening their mouth... and then realizing that even out of the snow, Darumaka doesn't. Really have a scruff to be grabbed by, round as they are. Pulling them out was one thing, but Siffrin can't carry the poor thing by their eyebrows!!]

[Hesitantly, they reach out to poke Darumaka with one paw.] ...can you walk?

[Is Siffrin going to have roll them.]

[offtracks]

[ Ingo, when he's finished cleaning himself up a bit, leans down to nudge his nose against the Darumaka. It curls into a tighter ball and shivers. ]

...perhaps you could cling to my back?

[ Ingo's not so sure about balancing an orb, but maybe if they work together? ]

[loopsiedaisy]

[Darumaka doesn't answer, but when Siffrin also nudges it from behind, it rolls forward against Ingo's side. It sticks its little hands out to catch itself and ends up clinging tightly to Ingo's fur.]

[Close... enough...? Maybe?]

[offtracks]

Ah...well, I suppose that is alright, then?

[ Ingo shrugs at Siffrin and rises. He still takes a few very slow and cautious steps to start, head craned about to see if the Darumaka looks secure. ]

[loopsiedaisy]

[Darumaka holds on even more tightly as soon as they're off the ground, perhaps pulling on Ingo's fur a little too hard. The real problem soon might be to get them to let go...]

[Siffrin trots at Ingo's side for several steps, watching Darumaka carefully for signs of dropping. Then they dart ahead to warn the Noivern, trading a few words, and circle back.]

Noivern will take you! She flies fast, so you'll be in town in no time, [they tell Darumaka, trying to sound upbeat (and mostly succeeding).]

[Their ear folds down as they look at the spread of devastation still remaining, though, and then exchange a look with Ingo.]

[offtracks]

Bravo! You will be able to warm up far more quickly there!

[ Ingo starts sort of...nudging them with his nose to try and encourage them to let go. He feels a little guilty about it, but it really is the best thing; they will find better treatment there, and Ingo himself is...needed here.

(He meets Siffrin's gaze for a moment, though it's hard to read what he's thinking from his ever-present frown.) ]

[loopsiedaisy]

[In the end, it takes Ingo and Siffrin and Noivern to get Darumaka off of Ingo and nestled into Noivern's neck fluff. Noivern gives the other two a nod, then turns to scoop up several other small Pokemon before taking off.]

[Siffrin swallows down a comment and looks at Ingo - seems like what with already having him directing them once, they're treating him as the closest authority figure now.]

[offtracks]

[ Ingo's gaze sweeps over the snowfield behind them once more. His quadrant of the search zone continues for a little while yet, and he needs to make sure he covers it all properly. Turning, he begins to retrace their steps back to where Darumaka was buried.

He's moving slowly, though, and glances at Siffrin. ] Will you come and search with me? [ They can go help somewhere else too, if they want! ]

[loopsiedaisy]

[Siffrin nods silently. They wouldn't know where to start themself - not and trust that they weren't missing things, at least. And it's not like they get do-overs here.]

[(...probably. They don't want to entertain that thought again.)]

[They'll scamper alongside Ingo as he resumes his search, going wherever he directs them and doing their best to listen and sniff out traces of more trapped Pokemon.]