bottlecaplogs | a general April catch-all;

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a general April catch-all;

Who: Emmet and you!
What: Fun with Illusion, a question, and W, for wildcard and/or Weird Wet Wdog. If he is not Doing something at all times he will get zoomies. Please provide your local Battle Facility Head with sufficient enrichment lest the zoomies win.
When: at some point during and throughout April (+ potentially early May depending)
Where: Up and down and all around!
Warnings: will be added as necessary, though I'm not foreseeing anything in particular; currently none?

a. zoroark, what zoroark. no zoroarks detected here

i.
[ Along the curving stretches of sand down by the southernmost portions of the coast, there might be some sort of loaf or large ball of mixed dark and cream fur dozing off and taking a nap in the cozy late afternoon sun. It might look pretty familiar, actually: if anyone's seen one before (which isn't hard, given that there's one in residence over at the Oran Berry guild quarters, and especially not so for the Oran Berry members, whose nighttime accommodations mean that they've almost certainly seen a sleeping one before), then they'll recognize the curled up loafball as the ferrety, badgerlike creature that is a Typhlosion. ... Hisuian flavor.

... It might not be the best idea for a fire type to be napping this close to the water, actually, especially if it seems like the tide might be coming in soon. Maybe you should give them a nudge and tell them to relocate? ]

ii.
[ The definitely-a-Typhlosion-trust seems to be enjoying a nice stroll through town, wandering through and between various stalls and storefronts in what seems to be good spirits, at home in the bustling crowd, and perking up even further whenever something, whether it be a tasty looking spicy treat or a particularly well-crafted and useful seeming good, catches his attention.

To whoever might also be wandering around, and just so happened to stop by whatever stall they're both in front of at the same time as him: ]

It's nice to see all the different things on display, right? How often do you think they hold those drives?

[ A sharp, attentive eye might note a few things if they watch for long enough or are looking specifically for it: he doesn't carry himself like someone unsure of or still adjusting to being newly quadrupedal, but his movements might seem somewhat stiff and a little awkward at times nonetheless. Do his paws always make full contact with the ground when he moves? Do his teeth look just a little too sharp when glimpsed through his smile?

And do the flame collars give off faint amounts of heat even when they're not ignited? That's why there's something like a very faint heat haze clinging around the nape of his neck, no? It's a nice and warm day out, though; maybe fire-types just run warmer than other types? ]

b. what kind of pokemon are you, how do you do the things you do—

[ Some fine day, you will probably (maybe) be minding your own business and enjoying a respite between missions if you're one of the more involved persons among them who apparently all can't stop Working or Doing, or ... maybe you're just vibing, because you're one of the few people here who apparently knows what a work-life balance is, and how to not overextend yourself into a pile of exhaustion and sore paws from trying to Help. Seriously, what is that. Or maybe you are in fact looking for something to do, restless without something to be actively working on. Regardless.

Some fine day, you might just run into him, or he might run into you, completely coincidentally, but whichever the case is, the white fox is going to greet you with a cheerful grin all the same. ]

Oh! Hello! Verrrry good timing. I wanted to ask you something!

[ Sweep. Dramatic gesture. Point. ]

You should tell me the moves you've learned here so far. The things you've figured out and the things you're still working on, yup.

[ wait which part of that is a question— ]

c. general wildcard option + bonus

[ Remix any of the above as you please, or, if not:

Given the nature of the Oran Berry guild headquarters, if you're an Oran Berry member it's not hard to just run into him randomly in some odd tunnel or room at the Spire. He spends enough time in the training rooms that it's a fairly safe bet to try there first if you're looking for him and don't want to do it via Grumpearl, but he can also be found out and about doing odd jobs around the city as well as just outside it, closer to the outskirts of town whether on the edges of the forest or up and down the coast. He's certainly in and out of the forest often enough for the various foraging quests that are a constant part of life in the settlement, so even if someone's not specifically questing with him it's still fairly possible for them to come across each other that way.

Feel free to have your character bump into or find him wherever you like, but if you have questions or want to plot anything specific out you can drop by any of my PMs, DMs, or my plurk over at ellipsesinaction! Timing is flexible for all of these, so truly they can more or less be happening Whenever (unexpected exploration results notwithstanding). This is also a blanket "if you want to have your character challenge/be challenged by him to a battle/spar then by all means go for it".

... Oddly enough, sometimes it's difficult to find him at all. Wonder where he goes. He might show back up dripping wet and completely soaked through, though, depending; surely he's not just out taking a swim? ]

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... Ingo?

[As a fellow Oran Berry, Shoka is familiar indeed with the shape of a sleeping Typhlosion, as well as with the fact that the collar around its neck holds hidden flames. With a loud, annoyed sigh, she shuffles closer.]

Hey. Ingo. Are you trying to get your fire snuffed out?

[ No response at first?

No, it's fine, he's rousing. She's just going to get a slightly sleepy blink or two at her as he lifts his head to glance at her, apparently not quite fully awake yet going by the yawn the Typhlosion lets out. At least not enough to fully process what she's calling him (or that he's still cloaked in Illusion), apparently.

But he does cock his head a little to the side questioningly. It's a very canine motion. Yes? Something wrong? Can he help you, Shoka?

(Ingo is not usually so quiet, is he?) ]

[Shoka stares back at him.]

... Um, is that a yes, or...?

[A brief pause; her gaze wanders behind him, to the water, which is inching closer along the sand by the moment. Vexed, she huffs and scuttles around him, putting herself between him and the water, and makes to push on his back.]

Ugh—move, dummy! The tide's coming in!

[ Cranes his neck around to peer down at— oh, the tide really is a lot closer now, what time is it. She can try to push at him, but the resistance might briefly not feel quite right at the point of contact, a confusing moment like she might fall through if she pushes too hard ...

... Huh? What? No, of course she's got a hold of and is pushing on something solid. Maybe he's just moving with her as she shoves, because he is. Maybe it's just a quirk of the ghost typing at work. ]

Okay, okay! But it is okay? Not a Charmander, so it is fine.

[Eeugh, what was that? Reflexively, she draws her hands back, settling instead for ranting on without another attempt at physical contact.]

Uh, hello, Mr. Pokémon Expert—in case you forgot, you're still a Typhlosion, so it is not fine!

[She's been learning her Pokémon names! Please clap.]

I am a... oh!

[ It's almost like he's only just realizing what he looks like, huh. At the very least, he does seem fully alert and awake now?

Somewhat curiously, it seems, he tilts his head and attempts to ignite the flame collar in an almost experimental manner. The brief flare of heat when he does feels ... mostly right? With a nod he lets the flickering, almost blue-purple fire gutter out again. ]

No. Don't worry. It is still okay. Not a Charmander, so I won't die if the tail I don't have is put out. But also ...

[ Honestly, he's a little tempted not to tell her right away. Just a little. Call it the ghost type instinct for mischief at work. But, ah, well, another time. She seems so genuinely worried so he will be nice today. ]

Not a Typhlosion either.

[Watching the shift in his demeanor and his experimenting with his flames gives Shoka pause. Only now does it occur to her: the voice is definitely familiar, but the way he's talking... It's off, isn't it? Or is it just her imagination?

Not a Typhlosion either, he says. She skitters backward a bit, apprehensive. What is this, some kind of test?]

O—kay... Fine. [She'll bite.] What's that supposed to mean?

[ Whoops, didn't mean to scare her. Ah well, it doesn't really seem like she's bothered by the discrepancies (he could, very probably, mimick Ingo more accurately if he were actually making the attempt, but) so much as confused... which, fair. ]

If I just told you, it would not be fun.

[ don't smile don't smile don't smile ]

But. I think you have all the pieces to know. If you think about it a little.

Well, I didn't come out here for fun, so...

[So maybe she could have just let him get swept out to sea and play his little mind game with the Water-types...

But she did bite, and something about that speech pattern—inviting her to play a guessing game, too—reminds her of something, then someone. She does think about it a little, and eventually:]

... Wait. Emmet?

Got it in one. I am Emmet. You have arrived at the correct station. Good job!

[ After a little bit of prompting, but who's keeping track anyway. Now that he doesn't have to purposely restrain himself from physically emoting anymore, though, his posture shifts, at once standing up a little taller and yet becoming a bit more relaxed at the same time.

The corners of his muzzle curve upwards, as do his ears also perk up (almost more like Typhlosion's Johtonian cousins than the tendencies of the Hisuian variant to stay flat) as his overall expression brightens. Not quite so easy to mistake for Ingo now, right? ]

Didn't actually mean to trick you, though. Actually, I didn't think I'd still look like this after a nap.

What the hell?

[Now she can really see it! That is freaky.

Though he didn't mean to trick her, he still did; she seems just a bit peeved. For a moment there, she thought he was seriously at risk of getting put out like a match and got caught giving a fuck about it! Embarrassing!]

What happened to you being bad at illusions? Suddenly you're just conjuring them up in your sleep?

[ Shoka caught caring in 4k HD, real, not clickbait— ]

Huh? Nnnno. That's not how it happened. I managed it earlier; couldn't manage changing back. Then I thought, maybe if I wasn't awake enough to actively maintain it, it would fade.

Obviously! It didn't quite work out like that. Besides. I have been practicing! Why would I just let myself stay bad at illusions forever.

[ Or at least he's been putting at least some effort into working on it in his spare time. Though it's been pretty fruitless up until now, honestly. ]

Well...! Good for you, I guess...

[Huffs! Still embarrassed!]

But—wait. You're stuck like this?

Well. There is an easy fix to this. Just would rather it not be something I resort to every time I try to do this.

[ He should??? Be able to figure this out????? He is just very bad at being a Zoroark, it turns out. ]

If someone hits me with an attack. That should dispel it. ... An attack that does actual damage.

[ Before anyone tries to sail through him with a Tackle or hits him with a status move or something. ]

[...!]

So you're asking me to Wood Hammer you.

This is the only freebie you are getting.

[Shoka snorts, then giggles, amused and in disbelief.]

Well, you asked for it!

[She readies her tail-stick, holding it up above her head, eyes glinting with malicious intent...

... Only to decide against it. A few moments later, she lowers her tail-stick again with another giggle.]

Come on, you can't let me get away with it that easy. There has to be some other way. [She should at least try a few things before she whales on him, right? She tilts her head, studying his illusory face.] You at least managed to change up the face a little... Maybe just keep doing whatever you were doing then?

[ Makes a face. By which we mean, the line of his smile tilts a little wry. ]

The problem with a lot of this being instinct is. I do not know what I am doing to make things work when they work. Lots of ghosts or psychics in general can do at least a little, hypnosis and similar. There are also other illusionists like Stantler. But the mechanisms are different. So I cannot ask them for reference.

[ And he sure has tried! ]

I think it is ... not hypnosis. Not entirely sensory tricks, that is. Partially me. Ghosts can be— malleable, sort of. Some of them anyway. But I am not... manually, consciously maintaining all the finer details of the illusion. Not piece by piece like that. Would take too much concentration if so.

It is more like, hm, putting on a mask? Just, the mask is over all of me, and follows me when I do things. So if my face looks different from Ingo's, that is because it is just my face. I am Emmet. If I raise a paw I am not thinking about also making an illusion of raising a paw, it just happens. Might be able to do it in the future, splitting the illusion and me, pretending I am somewhere over there when I am here instead, or maybe nowhere at all. But for now I am busy enough figuring out how to just change my shape when I want to.

[ An experienced Zoroark supposedly can craft an entire landscape convincing enough to fool plenty of people! An experienced Zoroark Emmet is not. ]

[Shoka listens... and immediately seems to start zoning out, eyes glazing over a little. She's still listening, really, but this is—kind of a lot.]

... So you're saying I have to Wood Hammer you.

Unless I get a lot better at this really fast!

[ beat. ]

Or. I can go and confuse more people like this.

... Not gonna lie. That latter idea sounds like a riot—as long as I get a front row seat.

[It's funny when it's not her being fooled!]

And who would you choose as your first victim?

Hmmm. Might be fun to see how long it takes for someone liiiike. Maybe Akechi or Akari to catch on.

[ Pause. ]

Maybe just Akechi, actually. Since Akari knows Ingo better.

[ He'll cough lightly into a paw before continuing, though, clearing his throat as he adjusts his posture and expression again, because:

(oh, this is going to be rough on his throat depending on how hard he wants to commit.) ]

But what do you think of this idea, Miss Shoka? After all, I believe you've spoken to him quite a bit more than I have!

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a general April catch-all;

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in which i play fast and loose with how illusion works

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