Hideo's mouth opened slightly as the woman revealed something very...personal about Andy. Hideo didn't know what to say, only waiting for Andy to deny it and further decry her.

But Andy didn't do that. Not immediately anyway.

The most damning part was that Andy didn't deny having the ass-mark. There was teeth-gnashing and an effort to answer Hideo's question first, but he didn't say she was wrong.  Hideo was once again thrown for a loop as to whether or not this woman was Andy's mother - this time leaning towards "yes".

But what Hideo definitely caught was that Andy definitely say they were all the way on Mt. Pyre. Which was quite a distance away from the Festival.

"W-why all the way out here?!" he asked, his brow furrowed. "This is way too far away! We're gonna get in a lot of trouble if my parents find out I'm this far out!" "We" meaning Hideo, his brother, and very likely Andy if they learned who brought him out here. That was a quick way to end their dance lessons.

The promise that he'd get a ride back only somewhat calmed him; he didn't know how long it'd be until his parents found out about the stampede. "Fine," Hideo huffed, crossing his arms, "But we can't take too long, alright? It's only a matter of time 'till my parents call my brother to see how we are."

Andy Blackadder Celia Auclair

It wasn't so much that something had gone down that Hideo feared his parents hearing about. More that he hadn't been with his brother when it happened. Or at all - they'd separated almost the moment they got to the festival, to do their own things.

Hearing Andy point out just how much trouble he was in even if they got back didn't help matters. Even if it was an emergency, he could see his parents arguing that he'd basically gotten himself kidnapped. That was an easy way to get them to clamp down on him even harder.

"I'll... it'll be easier if I'm the only one that talks to them," Hideo said. Were the situation not so precarious, he would've gladly accepted Celia Auclair 's offer. But his parents just couldn't find out he'd gone out this far. "But thanks, Missus...Blackadder."

Felt weird saying that, but Andy didn't sound like he was denying her anymore.

Listening to Mrs. Blackadder's story was interesting - attacked over bug remains. And while Andy seemed confused over why someone would attack over those (and seemed pretty nonchalant about his grandfather's death), Hideo had an idea.

"Well, if they're bug remains... maybe they have something to do with Genesect?" It was the only mythical bug he could think of - and considering how much some people seemed interested in avatar powers, it wouldn't be too shocking if people attacked others over the hope they might get hold of an mythical Pokemon.

Andy Blackadder Celia Auclair

Hideo could only shrug. “Just a guess,” he said. “People go nuts over anything to do with mythical or legendary Pokemon. Even if they don’t get avatar stuff out of it, they still got a rare Pokemon to use. And I hear there’re ways to bring fossils back to life, so if they get a hold of a Genesect fossil, they’re set.” Even if it wasn’t a Genesect, if it were a new Pokemon, people would be all over that - and some people went far to get stuff like that, even if all they wanted to do was show it off on a mount or sell it.

Especially if they were a bug fanatic.

Hideo perked right up once Andy again mentioned bringing him back - this time to go and do it. “As much as I want to walk around a stampeded festival until I find him, I think it’s best I call him when I get there. Can’t call him now, since my phone doesn’t get service in the middle of Mt Pyre woods.” Technically his parents’ fault there for putting him on that kind of phone plan, though could he blame them for that? They’d never expect him to go here out of nowhere.

“Sorry if I’m rushing you, Andy,” Hideo added, “Just...you know how it is for me.” He'd already spilled his guts about how careful he had to be to so much as leave the house; getting caught being teleported to Mt Pyre would pretty much be a death sentence.

Andy Blackadder Celia Auclair

Well, that probably sank his guess at a Genesect fossil being found. If there was more than that there, there could have been a ton of reasons why someone would steal what they uncovered: other fossils, ancient relics, the excavation gear. Whatever the case, it was unfortunate Celia Auclair was caught in the crossfire.

But now, everyone could agree that it was time for Hideo to head back. Hideo reached up to his head, just to make sure his Ribombee was still with him. And sure enough, he felt the small pink bug sitting there, the Ribombee gently pushing his hand away as the boy disrupted its comfort. A quick check for his Hatterene’s Pokeball to make sure she was still there, and he was all good.

Though he was a little confused about Andy having a psychic-type, Hideo had other things to think about. Like how he was gonna get his brother to act like they never got separated. Maybe he could make a mutually-assured destruction thing; if either one fessed up, the other would get in trouble. His brother would no-doubt be pissed about it, but it may have to do.

Before he’d be teleported away, he just had one thing left to say. “Thanks, Andy.”

-Thread Exit-

Andy Blackadder Celia Auclair