[closed]

[thaumewturge]

Who: Rhel, Sagi, Akira, Fai, Joss, and Efi | Rhel, Sagi, Joss, and Toki
Where: The ruins
When: At some point this month time is a lie
What: They are finally at Melona! Aaaand Gale's family is missing so that means rescue party go. | After finding her parents, they go looking for her brother.

[This is. So very stressful Rhel's used to having to go into ruins and whatnot, she's a bloody Warrior of Light after all, but she has so rarely been this invested in making sure everyone is okay. The Kings have to be okay. Poor Gale needs them to be okay.

Thankfully, it's not hard to find others who agree to go searching for the missing people, and getting supplies together doesn't take long at all, either.

Still, Rhel can't help but look at the ruins with some degree of trepidation.]

Twelve, I hope we have enough medical supplies...




[Investigation thread]

Comments

[thaumewturge]

Sleep and poking for traps may be the best way, yes. If you want to use my rod, Joss, you can.

[nyom]

[ Efi tosses a pokeball, releasing a Vivillon from it. ]

Put them to sleep, Vivi.

[ Ugh!! It doesn't look like it enjoys being in this place, so he does his best to get this out of the way. The sooner the better. He starts flying over the wild pokemon and spreads Sleep Powder. Go to sleep, you heathens. ]

[bythefurry]

Longer reach with my spear. [It is, after all, Elezen-proportioned.] But thank you.

[He pinches his nose with two fingers as Vivi does his thing. This is an enclosed space, and though he trusts Efi one can never be too prudent. Accidentally inhaling some powder and falling asleep would be inconvenient.]

[thaumewturge]

[Rhel's shirt goes over her mouth as Vivi sends everything to sleep. Once it seems like it's safe to start walking, Rhel gestures for Joss to lead the way.]

[nyom]

[ Vivi still stays out just in case something happens and Efi, alongside her Cyndaquil will follow Joss as he leads. ]

[bythefurry]

[Joss carefully makes his way down the slope, prodding the ground with the butt of his spear as he goes and doing his best to avoid disturbing the sleeping Pokémon. Upon closer inspection, there doesn't seem to be any blood around the discarded shoe; its owner is presumably alive, then, or at least didn't find their demise in this specific spot. He slightly turns around to look at his companions, pointing forward with two fingers to convey there's no reason to stop.

When the ground evens out and they reach the small room, he finally speaks again.]

Something here.

[Looks like a backpack. He prods it with his spear as well. No reaction.]

[thaumewturge]

[The entire time they are making their way out of the sleeping room of traps, Rhel tries very, very hard not to break into chittering huntspeak swears. That would just wake up the Pokemon, but gods does she want to swear.

Once they're free of the room, Rhel mutters something under her breath as she leaves Joss to inspect the backpack while she looks around.]

And there's another split. Of course there is. Twelve, why do ruins always have so many damned split pathways?

[nyom]

[ Efi glances down at the backpack and just ends up taking it and rummaging through. There's a bit of rope, empty potion bottles and an empty pokeball. Hm. This doesn't tell Efi anything, so maybe the other two would get a better clue if they saw it before Efi shoves them all into the bag. She gives it to Cyndaquil, who will try his best not to burn it all up. Cyndaquil with a backpack!

Though she looks up at Joss. There's no one here but Rhel, her and him. She wonders for a second if Joss's other name is Twelve from how Rhel has been saying it. ]

I can make it a little brighter.

[ She draws in a deeeeeep breath and shoots a straight line of fire into the center of the tunnel like a makeshift, controlled blowtorch. ]

[bythefurry]

[And a million Zubat come out, screeching. GG team!

Joss's whisper of "Fury take me" is quickly drowned out by the din, and though his first reflex is to ready his spear and start swatting the bats away, he quickly remembers to take Swablu and Drampa out of their balls. Swablu nearly immediately rushes in to attack, angry at the noise suddenly assaulting her ears; Drampa, less impulsive, turns her long head towards Joss to see what he wants first.]

Dran Fah, protect us!

[She roars in acknowledgement as she uses Safeguard and Protect in succession. On the defensive, got it. Most of her moves would probably accelerate the tunnels' collapse anyway.]

[thaumewturge]

[Rhel's first instinct is to keep her team in their balls, but, well, Honor is Psychic, and maybe he can help there...

So Rhel calls Honor out, tasking him with using Hypnosis as often as he can to try and keep the bats under control, while Rhel herself takes to swatting at them with her rod.]

[nyom]

[ Efi isn't afraid to smack Zubats if they keep getting in her face, so she does exactly that. In the meantime, Vivi gets pissed even more and blows Gust at the bats and Aromatherapy for the ones already affected by the screeching before Safeguard was put up. He absolutely does not need confused pokemon in their ranks right now.

It's a rather tough battle, since it's like a swarm invasion except ten times worse and chaotic. Efi hands a Potion to Rhel and Joss for the number of pokemon they had out after the battle. That was... tiring, even though it was pretty much her fault to begin with. The entire left side collapses in the aftermath, which leads only one way for them to keep going anyway. ]

I think I hear something...

[ Vivi flies on ahead. Screw you guys?? ]

[bythefurry]

[Joss accepts the potion gratefully. Both his Pokémon are exhausted after such a long battle of attrition, and though neither are badly hurt they'll surely welcome some relief from their numerous bat bites.

When Efi's Vivillion flies on ahead... he's sadly powerless to stop it, and can only protest weakly.]

There could be more Pokémon ahead.

[The last thing they need right now is another battle...]

[thaumewturge]

--shh! Efi, call yours back, I saw something!

[She saw that figure darting, and with the crying she heard...]

Hello? Who's there?

[nyom]

[ Efi recalls Vivi into his pokeball quickly, but instead of waiting for the two actual adults, she goes on ahead. Cyndaquil follows too just in case. ]

Are you behind this rock?

[ Whoever that is... anyway, since Vivi is now recalled and she thinks Cyndaquil is too weak to smash the boulder. So, she has a better idea and releases a Swampert from a pokeball. That swole Marshtomp got even swole...r. ]

Kip can break rocks. Is that okay?

[ At least she asks permission this time. ]

[bythefurry]

[Good thing too, because smashing the rocks in front of who or whatever this is might come off as needlessly aggressive. Especially when Kip keeps getting bigger and buffer every time Joss sees it.]

Hold.

[Joss turns to Rhel, slightly helpless. She's the teacher here, she probably has a better idea of how to go about making contact with an unknown entity.]

[thaumewturge]

[Rhel nods and steps forward with a small smile.]

Hello? My name is Rhel, this is Efi, and that's Joscelaint. We're friends of Gale, and we're here to help. Are you alone in here?

[It seem like something Rhel said works, as the boy comes out excited and chattering...and being rude, but, you know what, fair. He's like ten.]

Can you tell us your name? And where everyone else is?

[And so the boy--Jamie--does, and as he says he can take everyone to where the others are, he makes them promise to be quiet.]

We can do that. [She looks to...mostly Efi, as Joss is always quiet] Right?

[nyom]

[ Since Kip looks like he's unneeded, he returns to the pokeball on his own. Lazy thing... Efi looks up at Rhel when she seemingly asks(?) Efi and she nods multiple times without any sound for emphasis. ]

[bythefurry]

[Joss, of course, nods without a word, which is what he would have done no matter the question.

He summons Swablu and Drampa back into their balls. Swablu's song might be helpful in a pinch, but she is way too vocal for this.]

[thaumewturge]

[They follow Jamie, quiet as promised, until they reach what looks to be a pile of rocks blocking the door. Jamie tugs on Rhel's sleeve.]

We're here. Can you make that go away?

[She looks to the others and nods. Let's do this.]

[nyom]

[ Efi looks up. That is such a big boulder... she's about to pipe up that smashing a rock doesn't require planning, but... well. The two adults and the kid probably wouldn't like that, so she tosses a pokeball. Kip the Swampert is out again, but there's a Pumpkaboo alongside it this time. Kip yawns... he doesn't wanna do this. ]

Okay, um... maybe Booboo can cut the rock up into smaller pieces and Kip can move them.

[bythefurry]

[Joss releases his own Pokémon again (minus Honedge) and looks at the strange pile of stones.]

We can help.

[Well, mostly Drampa. But maybe Swablu can keep an eye out for the Pokémon Jamie mentioned.]

[thaumewturge]

[And Rhel pulls out her Murkrow, just as Jamie realizes what they're doing.]

No, wait! That's the Pokemon!

[As he yells, the earthquakes start again. Rhel calls Mheg back, panicked.]

Why didn't you say so?! Everyone, get back--!

[nyom]

[ Efi yelps, and her horns and wings sprouts, making her float off the ground in response. Her Swampert uses Protect to guard itself and the others around him as much as he can. ]

That was... close...

[bythefurry]

[Joss clenches his teeth as he tries to keep his footing during the earthquake, his Drampa using protect as well. When the worst of it has passed, he turns to Swablu.]

Sleep?

[She can do that. Swablu flies closer to the Golem and tweets a soothing song.]

[thaumewturge]

Might be a good idea, yes!

[And it is, thankfully, as the earthquakes stop once the Pokemon is asleep. Rhel sighs in relief.]

Well, now what?