mist on the grass

[offtracks]

Who: Ingo and Emmet
What: Exploration of the Middle Forest
When: Late April
Where: Middle Forest
Warnings: Hallucinations, dissociation, minor injury

[The middle forest, much like the time they explored the northern end, is blanketed with fog almost as soon as they enter the shadows of the trees. Ingo ignites his flames, as usual, but it's little use. Purple light refracts off the thick mist, as well as the faint red glow of Emmet's eyes and markings.

It's a little spooky. Ingo tries to keep his eyes off them. Telling Emmet about his experiences with Zoroark was probably, overall, a good thing to do. He's not longer lying to him, even if only by omission. But it probably makes some of his less-than-kind responses a little more obvious...]

I am sure any marks we leave will simply change again, but we could make an attempt anyhow.

[Today's another scouting mission, more than anything. Ingo's more relaxed about that than about rescue missions, but their strange experience in the forest last time still has him keeping a sharp eye out, as well as he can.]

Comments

[outbounds]

I wonder if they've even invented them here. Modern Pokeballs were invented in 1925 but took a while to get to Unova... I don't know how far back Johto's Apricorn Balls go. [ Pause. ] Don't think the Pokémon here would like them, either way.

[ They're so wary of humans here, after all. ]

Maybe if you know to expect it this time. It won't work as well?

[ Emmet's relatively even tone leaves most of his dubiousness out of it; it's worn on his face and in the slant of his smile instead. ]

[offtracks]

We have only just discovered those - Apricorn balls. The Galaxy Team brought the technique when they traveled north from Johto. I could make them, if we found the right materials, but I think you're correct that it would not be a good idea.

[Ingo fully believes they're useful. He wouldn't have started using them otherwise! Still, that was with his own Pokemon's agreement, and the ones here seem like they would certainly take it amiss.

Regardless - though his expression doesn't shift, his tone is clearly dubious.]

Mmmm...perhaps. But I knew perfectly well that I should not wander into the fog before!

[It just...ceased to matter. Or he forgot? He's not sure, exactly, only that the reality of the situation was no longer in his mind at all. He stretches, moving his legs on the side he fell upon. His ribs are feeling better. Not entirely healed, but breathing aches less.]

Maybe that berry was not a good idea after all. I was probably easier to drag along like that.

[outbounds]

Arrrre you saying you think I should just knock you out and drag you through the forest if it happens again.

[ They can keep that as a plan. E? E for emergency. E seems like a good letter. It's a step after D. Implies they've gone through at least four other plans first. ]

I am pretty sure you are heavier than me. It will be easier for us both if you are not deadweight. You resisting is a concern yes but if it comes down to it I am still immune to ghost.

[offtracks]

No! Not right away, at least! It is probably just easier if I am injured!

[Emmet is, after all, quite correct that Ingo outweighs him. If he were a smaller Pokemon, this whole question would be far easier. But he's sidetracked entirely by that last comment.]

I...didn't fight you, did I?

[outbounds]

[ So Ingo's conclusion is that they should have left him injured???? ]

You pulled against me a little but you did not fight me, no. You were very convinced you had to help the lost passengers. But you were not coordinated enough to struggle very hard.

Honestly. I am not entirely certain you really even realized I was there, mostly. I am simply stating a worst case scenario of sorts.

[offtracks]

[I MEAN MAYBE???]

Okay. Alright - that is good.

[He's relieved, though it was only a momentary alarm. Ingo had thought it went about that way. His memory of the incident is strange and vague, but it's there.]

Well. In that case, I suppose we can just...try it again, and if it happens, you can handle it? And if the same thing happens to you in turn, I will handle it!

[And if it happens to both of them, they'll have some serious problems! But they can't...really do anything about that.]

[outbounds]

[ IF THAT TURNS OUT TO BE A TREND THEY ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THIS

Anyway, after a certain point of preparation and overthinking it there's not much more they have left to do anything about. Not under their control, anyway. Expecting the unexpected is easy to say, harder to do. They've done all they can to check safety in the face of the unpredictable. ]

Right. Okay. Everything's ready, then?

[ He's taking point this time, he supposes, since he knows the way back more. ]

[offtracks]

Prepared for departure...

[Ingo's not enthusiastic. But, of course he's not. Still, there's no way out but through. He inches closer to Emmet's side, close enough that he ought to be easy to both monitor and grab.]

[outbounds]

[ Oh. A decent amount of tension Emmet hadn't even been aware he'd been carrying unspools as Ingo closes the distance. He bunts his head against the Typhlosion, mindful of the side injured earlier, trying to lighten the mood a little. ]

Think I understand now why it's taken this long for the city to make any progress in mapping the continent.

[ But anyway, no way out but through. Back into the fog. He'll lead as best he can from what he remembers of that hurried scramble. ]

[offtracks]

[Ah - Ingo blinks, slightly surprised, but then hesitantly butts his head against Emmet's side in turn.]

I wonder what they did at all, before we arrived. The guilds truly did seem to need the numbers.

[He plods along warily, following Emmet's lead, keeping close. Nothing seems to be happening just yet, but his flames are burning brightly again, and he keeps peering around into the fog.]

[outbounds]

Always seems like they need supplies. Maybe most of them are just ... builders.

[ They still keep getting new Pokemon here, every now and then, and, well, not every trainer back home decides to follow through with the League challenge or go into the competitive circuit. Some people are happy with something quiet.

Or maybe... ]

Or. Mmm. Maybe they were scared. Not the guilds, maybe. But everyone else.

[ They came here from across the sea to escape something, right? (Humans, obviously, but...) That means they could not fight. Or if they could then it was something they could not win. Maybe they got tired of trying to fight, and just want to be safe now. ]

[offtracks]

They certainly have good reason.

[Whatever they fled from is obviously not the same as whatever is in the forest. Maybe they're not even similar. But when you've had to flee one home already, maybe you're more...cautious, after.]

The original members of the Galaxy Team came north from Johto after their village was destroyed by rampaging Gyarados. Their former leader was always so paranoid...about everyone, certainly, but especially about Pokemon.

[outbounds]

Was that ... normal? No, wait. Hmm. What I mean is.

[ He's quiet for a moment, attention split between carefully finding their way back through the trees, over upturned roots and disturbed earth, and figuring out how he wants to rephrase the question. ]

Was that how it was, for everyone? [ Ingo's mentioned it before, of course, that a lot of people were like that, but was everyone of the time scared? If they talked to or met others from Johto, would they also think the same? What about Kanto, Hoenn, Alola, anywhere else? ] Or was it just them specifically. Because something bad happened to them.

[offtracks]

Mmm...well, most of the Clan is similar, if less...extreme. We do not have city walls like Jubilife, and Pokemon certainly do wander in and attack from time to time.

[And, of course, there's the Zoroark. It's strange, really, that standing this near to Emmet in a situation like this is proving more comforting than gut-churning.]

That is part of why we have Nobles - to protect us! Keeping company with Pokemon is most commonly the domain of Wardens and Clan leaders. I suppose they are considered strong enough to manage such a thing. Of course, I...cannot explain it in the way that someone born there would. I had to have it all told to me as well.

[Even with amnesia, their attitudes had never felt quite natural to him. Ingo has always followed his own tracks, at least when it comes to Pokemon.]

[outbounds]

Were the Pokemon happy like that? With the way things were. Are, you think.

[ Emmet thinks he already knows the answer to that, especially if they're stopping by to attack, apparently; or, well, maybe it's an opinion, really. Maybe it's just personal bias, but either way he quite believes in one potential answer over the other.

Humans distrusting Pokemon and Pokemon distrusting humans. It's a terrible combination.

But given the circumstances here and the banner that Plasma had publicly been attempting to rally under over half a decade ago, it's funny how this particular question keeps coming into relevancy. ]

[offtracks]

They've rather less reason to be afraid! But...well, I have only rarely had trouble befriending the wild Pokemon in the area when I have tried, and most of those difficulties were with...ah, the older ones.

[Most of his worst incidents were attacks from fully evolved Pokemon. Perhaps they, too, are set in their ways.]

[outbounds]

Then that's the same. Humans and Pokemon, both better when they try to understand each other.

Not always easy. But not everything worth doing always is.

[ That's back home, though, and here... the question lingers: what went so wrong here? What are the humans here like, what did they do? ]

[offtracks]

I agree! I think things are beginning to change - though Akari is far more responsible for that than I.

[Maybe it just took a great event that impacted everyone, the way the rift did. Ingo thinks he may have softened some of the Pearl Clan towards Pokemon, but he never had the ability to do anything about the Diamond Clan or Jubilife. Back then, he barely even interacted with anyone from either group the way he does now - things have opened up a great deal.]

[outbounds]

... I am Emmet. I do not think that completing the Pokedex here will help much. And if there is a giant rift somewhere in the sky then it must be invisible.

[ It's a joke. Though honestly, why is it always teenagers (with legendary mandate?) who end up being the ones to deal with these kinds of ridiculous region-wise issues anyway. ]

But right. Beginning to change. That is a good start. Then everyone- [ not just Ingo, not just Akari, ] just has to keep working at it. There is no end to those particular tracks.

[offtracks]

Quite so.

[Though that's more complicated, isn't it, when he doesn't know what he's supposed to do now even if he does get back -

Ingo lurches on to another topic.]

I've been working to help new trainers partner with their first Pokemon! It's helpful to be more, ah, individualized about it, I think.

[outbounds]

As opposed to?

[ What, were they just handing people whatever random catches they made from just outside town? He has trouble imagining that anything like the modern starter programs run by various professors, breeders, and daycares exists in a time where everyone was wary of Pokemon.

(Oh, he recognizes those particular trees. Okay. The cliff shouldn't be far then.) ]

[offtracks]

Just catching something as seeing how it goes, I suppose! That is what they were doing prior. At least, I cannot imagine how else pairings like Rei and Pikachu came to be...though they're at least better bonded these days.

[Still. The boy shouldn't have been saddled with a Pokemon that evidently terrified him, even if being scared of a Pikachu does seem a little silly.]

[outbounds]

Was Pikachu disobedient or disrespectful before?

[ It is absolutely silly. A little sad, a little silly. It can be both. ]

Wait. Why was ... what role does Rei play, again?

[offtracks]

He is in the Survey Corps, the same as Akari! Though - well, obviously not the exact same.

[No divine mandates or anything!]

I think that it may have been a difficulty with electric-types in general, rather than Pikachu specifically. There was some sort of incident with a pack of Shinx, I believe? They can be aggressive!

[Though they're still tiny...he's trying to be fair, though!]

[outbounds]

That is a shame. I like electric-types. But they can be pretty touchy or moody sometimes.

[ And often not afraid to show their displeasure with a few sparks or gentle zaps. Nevermind any accidental discharges from the younger or more inexperienced ones ... ]

So does he get on better with the rest of his team? [ Does. Does he have a rest of his team. He does, right. ] If it is a problem with electric-types.

[ Though that sounds kind of unfair to the Pikachu, now ... ]