bottlecaplogs | June Catch-All

[Hmm... Guilmon takes a moment to soak in Akira's words. And sniff the air. Pardon his curiosity. New smells are interesting! But he looks big and smart. That's a good thing to have. Plus he knows what they're up against. That's important, too!

His claws flex, and his head tips down.]

Guilmon can dig and break rocks... If I could evolve to Growmon, it'd be easier because Growmon's really big. We don't have cards, either, so we can't get stronger that way...

But maybe Guilmon can make smoke for us to hide in? And you can tell us where to go!

[How strange that despite its status as a common species, both of his encounters with a Yungoos would prove to be the same one. As he's addressed, then, Akira happily waves to return the greeting.

It's soon the other two that draw his attention, though, in their novelty. Two creatures that with their body structures could almost be of related species if it weren't for the fire. A divergence based on element, then? Or does something about this world promote convergence when becoming bipedal? ... Examining them to find out can come later. For now,]

Ohh, it's even more dangerous for children! It's a good thing you've already planned ahead. Hearing and smell will be suuuper useful once we can't see what's around us. [... Well, not that it smelled like anything other than a forest, last time. Clearly his senses haven't improved with this form.]

I'll have to ask all about these cards and what a Growmon's like once we're finished. Until then, Emporio, this might be your lucky day. Whether it's us or that bear, I'm sure we'll have lots to practice on.

[That all out of the way, it's Lusamine he looks back to, almost as if for approval.]

Then I take it we're all in agreement~?

[There's no harm in starting to head off, all things considered. Surely anyone at all can keep up.]

[Lusamine listens closely to Emporio and Guilmon's input... albeit with the patient, unserious smile of a mother listening to a nonsense story from her young child. How darling it is, that they think they can come up with a sound strategy all on their own!

(She is a bit confused by Guilmon's words, wondering what exactly a Growmon is—but, like Akira, she'll save those questions for another time.)

In any case, they are all in agreement.]

It seems that we are indeed. [Her grin broadens.] I look forward to working with you all.

* * *

[It's straight off to the middle section of the forest then, while they still have the brilliant light of dawn on their side. Lusamine automatically scurries to the front of their troop, side by side with their guide, Akira. She is very mongoose-like indeed in this moment, occasionally standing on her hind legs to survey the area before moving on (it isn't that she doesn't trust Akira as a guide, really; she just trusts herself more, and the behavior seems at least partially instinctual).

The light doesn't stay on their side for long, however. Soon, darkness descends upon them, the sunlight swallowed under dense foliage and creeping fog. Though Lusamine tries to look ahead, ears and nose twitching, soon she can hardly see a few feet before her, even with the aid of Guilmon's tail-flame. The scent of soil and rot hangs heavy in the air, overpowering any other scents that may have reached her otherwise. She frowns.]

Hm. I see now that you weren't exaggerating about this fog... [Her steps slow.] Sweet Emporio... Perhaps your idea with the stones is in order...?

[She didn't bring any with her herself, having focused more on bringing healing items instead, and she can't see clearly enough to find any on the ground.

There's that issue... But it seems that isn't the only thing amiss. Lusamine trails off at the end of that sentence and comes to an abrupt halt, her gaze turning distant. She seems... confused suddenly, as tendrils of fog coil around her limbs and throat, embracing her like the arms of something alive.

She says nothing more, only staring silently, blearily into the mists.]

I don't think we'll need something to hide in just yet, but that's good to know, [Emporio says to Guilmon after the charmeleon's offer.

From there however, it's just a matter of taking in what the others are talking about. ...He still doesn't really see it as an age matter so much as an experience matter, but it's not really anything worth arguing over.

So, he just nods- and even smiles when Akira remarks on the potentially incoming learning exercise. They're all in agreement- the very gesture says it all!

So off they go, into the fog...

....which, while pressuring, is at least not getting to him at the moment.] Right, [he answers Lusamine, glancing around briefly before finding a stone.

It's tossed ahead to skip, and from there they can give a listen for any long pauses on the sound.] ...I can't hear anything that indicates a fall, but you guys might have better hearing than I do, so-

[...Hold on, did Lusamine just stop mid-sentence actually? From where he had moved to get the stone in the first place, he turns.]

Lusamine..?

...AH-

[Oh! That's new!]

Wah! Are you okay?

[Guilmon's eyes widen, and he tries to adjust his tail flame to better illuminate the area.]

[At first, Akira's unsure what to make of the Yungoos' sudden stillness. A problem up ahead? Or a natural pattern in her scouting behaviour? Whatever the case, his response is curiosity rather than concern. As the other two react as well, though, he quickly adopts a more serious approach and moves closer. It is a mild paralysis? Some kind of daze? What about proximity to something that hasn't affected anyone else just yet? Quite a few possibilities can all be tested at once, as he reaches for her.]

Careful, now. We can't have anyone taken out this early. Steady breaths.

[It's pointless to worry about breathing the fog in, after all. Whatever it's going to do, contact's more than enough. He'll move Lusamine back a few feet if uninterrupted, to see what happens. Either way, to the rest of the party,]

Last time, the forest started showing us premonitions about this far in. If it's different now, it might be that it's playing with our own capabilities. I wonder if that means we'll experience it, too?

[Distantly, Lusamine hears a stone skidding over earth. That sound—and the other sound, a voice calling her name—make her flinch but not turn. Instead, she stares down at her front paws (Paws? That can't be right, can it?) and the tendrils of mist weaving around them.

(For a single, blistering second, she sees them as long, white tentacles, and feels countless needles plunging into her flesh, poison searing through her veins—)

Guilmon's voice and the light of his tail-flame spilling over her finally makes her turn her head, but the far away look in her eyes remains as she stares at him and Emporio, blinking unevenly. She seems not to recognize them, in that moment, eyes narrowed in confusion.

She doesn't seem to recognize Akira either, when he approaches her (the tall, pink shape that is him at first brings to mind her Bewear—powerful arms and soft fur—but that isn't right, either), and when he reaches for her, she suddenly springs backward on all fours, back arched, fur bristling, and fangs bared.]

Don't you touch me—!

[Her movement breaks the coils of fog, though it still clings to her fur as dew. As she half-stumbles away from Akira—suddenly clumsy, as if unused to the overlong shape of her own body—and sees the way they're all looking at her, some fragmented awareness returns to her.]

... Oh... Doctor? For—give me... I don't know what—came over me...

[She should know, after how many times the fog has been discussed and how many times she's experienced it herself... But the memory of it is gone, and that apparently isn't the only thing she's forgotten.]

Where... Where is this? What were we...

Oh-!

[It becomes more evident when Akira addresses it, working to calm Lusamine down. This is what it must look like, when the fog connects.

Doing his best to do his part, he chimes in-] It's okay, Lusamine. Just focus on us. You know who Guilmon and I are right? And the doctor, too. Just think about-

[Lusamine snaps, and Emporio flinches...but, she does at least regain herself. He sure hopes that doesn't happen to anyone else...

Still.] We're making our way through the middle section of the woods. We're looking for a mysterious creature- probably a Pokemon. It's okay. You wanted to help us!

[It's not only Lusamine hearing voices. For a fleeting moment, Guilmon hears a voice calling through the fog.]

Takato...?

[But then Lusamine lashes out, snapping him from his daze. His eyes widen, and his body tenses as he tries to figure out what to do.

But Akira steps in, and then Emporio's voice cuts through...]

Not Digimon... This isn't the Digital World. Takato isn't here...

[It's sad, but he needs to be strong. They all do.]

[Ahh.. there's the reaction all animals eventually seem to give him... Well, it's not too surprising, at least.

Leaving the Ground type to explain, Akira simply continues to assess their situation. So while contact's enough as he'd thought, it can also be broken! Then, how to navigate. Though he does glance to the trees for a moment, over doesn't seem like an option with anyone's current form. On the other hand, around will keep them from ever reaching their goal.

It does have to be through, after all. If he could just look ahead to see how deep the fog reaches, he could probably throw someone far enough to be free of any danger once they land. But without a way to know where to aim...

... No, Guilmon's voice brings with it a simpler idea.]

Is this Takato your friend?

[Though he doesn't need the answer, it's still asked with the same attentiveness he'd offer any of his own fostered children. Of course the open honesty of a younger mind would help to sort things out the quickest.]

So while their content's changed, they're hallucinations just the same.

It really is fascinating to see these effects adapting firsthand. If it's settled for trying to distract us rather than scare us away, maybe it's getting worn out? As long as we can stay focused on who we're traveling with, it might not be too difficult to carry on after all.

[Lusamine despises the way Akira and Emporio look at her—studying, cautious, as if she's a ticking time bomb. It makes her flesh crawl and keeps her hackles raised. Surely she can't be the one reacting strangely! They are the strange ones, aren't they? Strangers, taking her here, acting as if nothing's wrong...

Still, to her credit, she listens to Emporio's words, straining to understand them.]

Yes... Yes, of course I remember you... Sweet Emporio. But... the woods? Why would I...? [She's still confused and disoriented, as if out of time, but simple, direct sentences seem to slowly but surely calm her. There is a mysterious creature they're looking for, Emporio says, and she wanted to help them. Yes, she thinks; that does sound like something she'd do, doesn't it?] Oh... That's—that's right... I wanted...

[To protect them. After all, they are such small, young-sounding Pokémon—helpless without her.

It's harder for her to detangle Akira and Guilmon's words, but Guilmon's confusion at least takes some attention away from her own, and she manages to grasp the meaning of carry on.]

Yes... We must continue on. We cannot allow that creature to continue running amok.

[Yes—that sounds like something Madam President Lusamine would naturally say, doesn't it?]

It's okay. You've still got friends here now...right?

[He's not affected by the fog, but it's not exactly hard to miss the sadness in Emporio's tone as he gently tries to calm Guilmon down. He can't even meet the Charmeleon's eyes while saying it- there's quite a lot of weight there, no fog needed.

He needs to do his best though, at least to keep these two in check.] Mm. We just have to keep moving.

Here- I can, uh...take your hand, and maybe yours..? [He's not so sure about what that will do when Lusamine is typically quadrupedal, but he'll try dammit.] I'm, um. Glad you remember me too at least! I know I haven't talked to either of you that much, but I guess others were talking about me..?

I didn't think I left that much of an impression, but I'm also not really used to interacting with so many people...

[Ahhh, well.] I wonder if the fog and the Pokemon we have to find are actually that well connected... ...Rather, they're connected for sure, but do they really have the same goals?

Takato is Guilmon's Tamer...

[But again, Takato isn't here. The others speaking helps ground him more, even if he doesn't fully grasp everything they're saying.

He shakes his head a few times and scratches his cheek.]

Mmm... Guilmon can try to smell? But I don't know if the fog is the same as this big Pokémon. All of this is really weird...

[Sniff, sniff... Guilmon bristles.]

But there's something in here! Something big and smelly...

[Spurred by Lusamine's agreement, the Slowking steps forward, oddly eager with anticipation for what kind of trick he might be shown this time around. Only.. whatever it may be, it isn't making itself apparent.

Looking back, then, he tilts his head at Emporio's question.]

Connected?

[It's not a bad theory at all. But,]

I'm not so sure about that. They both make the forest quite a fearsome place to be. Maybe they'd both prefer to keep adventurers like ourselves away from something, too. Even so, this could just be a Pokemon that thrives under these conditions. Blinded and disoriented travelers make for veery easy prey.

[So is its violent behaviour a result of being infected longer than most can survive? Or has some unknown factor allowed it to develop a resistance? There's just so much that he could ask, none of it easy to answer without facing that bear once more.

But as Guilmon announces of the discovery of a new scent, maybe that opportunity is getting closer!]

That might be it! Let's go see!

[Without any thought as to whether it's safe or if he'd only heard what he wanted, Akira continues on right away, with only the red glow of Shellder's now opened eyes to keep the group from becoming separated.]

June Catch-All

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject