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TAG WITH @michiko

POSTED ON Aug 11, 2021 5:55:43 GMT

shiv and Zac Ramsay like this

It had been six months since Michiko had planted the magical carrot seeds in the rocky soil of Shoal Cave.

First, she'd thought the soil was the problem. She'd moved her and Zac's Torterra to the icy caverns and transplanted the tiny seedling onto its back. But even after months, there was little change above the surface. Michi could only water, wait, and watch; hoping that underneath, a magnificent carrot was growing.

But lately, there had been signs. Not of the carrot-- of pests. Michi suspected Snorunt. Being carrot-shaped, she'd had a theory that Snorunt had been stealing and eating her carrots for months out of envy, and that's why she hadn't seen any progress.

She'd climbed up high towards the ceiling to get cell reception, the handholds and easy-to-reach ledges now familiar to her after months of exploring the cave. Michi hung casually from her rappelling rope, cell phone to her ear.

"Hello... Zac?" she said when she heard the redhead answer. Below her, the frost-covered trunk and branches of Poturtle stirred with the turtle's great, slow breaths.

"Is now OK to talk? I am having a problem with my cave garden," Michi said. "Everytime, I am finding... hm?"

She broke off, unable to believe her eyes. There was a long pause. Zac would hear a distant wail of "Nooo! My carrots!" before the line went dead.

^{ONE | TWO | THREE}

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SHIV

GONGAGER

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October 13

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TAG WITH @shiv

POSTED ON Aug 11, 2021 6:09:39 GMT

SHOAL CAVE

TAMING THE HORSE

UPON RETURNING TO SHOAL CAVE, the same unnerving feeling of being watched returns. in this frigid underground, your hard footsteps clack against ice and echo across valleys of frozen blue. however, you instinctively hush yourself. a horse-like pokemon neighs in the distance. a mask of ice surround pupilless eyes. from its hooves, intense cold air wafts.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

however, the horse seems to notice you. it advances closer. the clopping of hooves echo too, orchestrating an endless percussion of icy beats. suddenly, the earth freezes even more so. an additional layer of ice grows outward and higher with immense speed. before you can blink, an icy ramp forms right before you— and the horse slides across the ice in a flash to greet you from their elevated stations.

GLASTRIER ASKS FOR:

OFFER THE WILD HORSE WHAT THEY SEEK

write a post that has your trainer offering the carrot to the glastrier and then post in MODERATION REQUESTS. after they have been given the carrot, the horse will promptly flash away.

should your trainer come the next day, they will find the glastrier in shoal cave once more. shiv will post a new prompt, detailing what the glastrier wants (hopefully, once per day). each request fulfilled by your trainer will steadily tame the glastrier.

michiko maeda

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D-Bug

The Robust

He/Him/His

Twenty-Eight

October 30th

Bevaridge Town

Biomesexual

Pokemon Educator/Vlogger/Biome Enthusiast

Avatar/Gym Leader/Elite Ranger

All these little buggers have a little magic in 'em

685 height

See ya later, Feraligatr!

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TAG WITH @zac

POSTED ON Aug 11, 2021 6:38:36 GMT

shiv and michiko maeda like this

"Howzit goin Michi? Of course! Always a great time to talk," Zac said as he answered the phone. He was outside watering his spontaneous herb garden, and he grinned as some Budew waggled and waved in the spray. He stuck his thumb over the hose, turning the jet into a wide arc of rain. The Budew squealed and jumped in excitement. "The cave garden? Yeah I remember it. Ahuh. Him? You mean Poturtle? Yeah he should be there, right?" Zac chuckled. "You did plant the carrots on him after all."

There was a scream on the other end, and the line went dead. "Michi? MICHI?" Zac dropped the hose, grabbing the phone with both hands as if he could squeeze answers from its waterproof flip-frame. "What happened?" He asked, but the Budew didn't answer. They were too busy rolling in the growing puddle. "Don't worry Michi, I'm on my way."

⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤
michiko maeda

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murk

Michi

she/her

November 1

Petalburg City, Hoenn

happily wed

Gym Receptionist

Civilian

117 height

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TAG WITH @michiko

POSTED ON Aug 11, 2021 7:27:21 GMT

shiv and Zac Ramsay like this

The strange horse approached Poturtle with freezing vapor curling from its nostrils, ice-covered hooves chiming on the cave floor. The Torterra was none the wiser, her breaths deep and slow as if in hibernation. Shoal Cave was no place for a grass-type. It was certainly no place for growng carrots. If Michi had figured that out sooner, it would have spared her some anguish.

Michi rappelled down the cave wall as fast as she could, Zac's voice echoing tinnily from her pocket. There is no time to explain, Zac! I'm sorry! she thought as the giant garden pest slid down a forming ice ramp towards Poturtle, its broad, flat teeth questing for her precious vegetables.

Perhaps Michi's unassuming presence was too nonthreatening to scare the Glastrier away, not even when the woman suddenly popped up and grabbed onto the other end of the Iceroot Carrot just as it was ripped out of the ground.

"Bad! Bad!" she cried. Glastrier's teeth were fastened in the top of the carrot, but she hung on determinedly to the tapered root with both hands. "I am going to put this in nikujaga for my husband! It is not for you!"

Soil crumbled away beneath her hands and Michi saw, to her horror, that the carrot was bright blue. "Aaah! Bikkuri..."

Several minutes later, after (inevitably) having lost the tug-of-war with the sightless equine and watching it flash away with the oddly-colored carrot, Michi was back on the phone with Zac.

"I was so surprise!" she gabbed, clutching the phone with both hands. She seemed frazzled but excited. "Poturtle did not even wake up, and this horse was very strong! Maybe tomorrow it will come back to eat the other vegetables... I am going to spray pesticide, so maybe it will work, I think..."

Zac Ramsay

^{FEEDING THE HORSE}

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SHIV

GONGAGER

he/him

October 13

GONGAGA

gongaga-romantic

gongager

gongago

808 height

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TAG WITH @shiv

POSTED ON Aug 12, 2021 5:11:04 GMT

SHOAL CAVE

TAMING THE HORSE

THE NEXT DAY, you see the horse again. they stroke the ice solid ground with their hooves, seemingly hungry.

♥ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

when they spot you, the horse seems hesitant. without the iceroot carrots— you do not possess the same gravity you once did; however, it approaches still, sensing your benevolent motives.

GLASTRIER ASKS FOR:

OFFER THE WILD HORSE WHAT THEY SEEK

write a post that has your trainer offering any two week berry to the glastrier and then post in MODERATION REQUESTS. after they have been given the berry, the horse will promptly flash away.

you do not need to have the berry grow in your garden. you can simply purchase it from the SITE SHOP.

should your trainer come the next day, they will find the glastrier in shoal cave once more. shiv will post a new prompt, detailing what the glastrier wants (hopefully, once per day). each request fulfilled by your trainer will steadily tame the glastrier.

michiko maeda

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D-Bug

The Robust

He/Him/His

Twenty-Eight

October 30th

Bevaridge Town

Biomesexual

Pokemon Educator/Vlogger/Biome Enthusiast

Avatar/Gym Leader/Elite Ranger

All these little buggers have a little magic in 'em

685 height

See ya later, Feraligatr!

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TAG WITH @zac

POSTED ON Aug 14, 2021 12:34:24 GMT

"A horse?" Zac said, shouting as his Steelix ground its way through the underground tunnels, leaded towards Lilycove. "I've got a bit of experience with- Michi? Can you hear me? Sorry, the reception's not great." He passed through a passage lined with thick quartz crystals, and the line went dead. "Michi? Ah dammit." Zac shoved the phone in his pocket.

They rendezvoused, and the next day Zac joined Michi down in the garden, and the horse was there again. It was pacing, pouring the ground with its frozen hooves. Was it waiting for her? "Huh. Looks a damn sight different from the one on Mt. Pyre. Looks just as hungry though," Zac said, taking some tentative steps towards the horse. It didn't look at him. Actually, it didn't have eyes to look at him with. Zac stopped, well out of biting distance. "You got any more of those carrots Michi?"

⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤
michiko maeda

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murk

Michi

she/her

November 1

Petalburg City, Hoenn

happily wed

Gym Receptionist

Civilian

117 height

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TAG WITH @michiko

POSTED ON Aug 14, 2021 15:19:49 GMT

shiv likes this

Michiko met Zac the next morning, armed with warm clothes, a jumbo-sized spray bottle, and her Salamence-smacking broom.

"I am prepared," she said earnestly, finger tensing on the spray bottle trigger. "Today, I will... protect my garden! I won't lose!"

A little while later, she gasped.

"...I should have brought a Pokemon!"

At least Zac was here. Michi always felt safer when the Pokemon expert was around-- if Glastrier tried to steal her carrots, the horse would have to get through an Avatar first!

...But Zac didn't seem concerned when they came face-to-face with the sightless equine, though he couldn't have ever seen one before. Michi let out a tiny cry at the sight of it. "Ah! It came!" His question about whether she had any more carrots was deeply distressing to Michi, who clutched her broom protectively. "No! The others are not ready yet!"

She'd peeked beneath the soil after her last encounter with the horse and had been relieved to see all the other carrots were ordinary orange ones (though not looking very healthy considering they were growing in an ice cave.)

But the horse was hungry, and Zac's concern for the animal finally won Michi over. She had a lot of respect for the wildlife enthusiast, and he was definitely the expert in this situation.

"Okay... you can have my Toma--no! My Grepa..." Michi said, exasperated. She cut down a bunch of the yellow berries and held it out at arm's length for the horse to take.

Its breath was freezing cold as it neared, hooves clicking on the stone. Michi quavered as it sniffed at the bunch, then then nipped away a single berry from the stalk with teeth like chipped ice.

It flashed away again, leaving Michiko to sweep up all the powder snow it had left on Poturtle. "It is interesting, isn't it?" the older woman wondered out loud as she swept. "It is not like a Pokemon I have seen before... Aah, the Grepa!"

The berries left behind had frozen, frost from the Glastrier's cold breath having formed on the berries' thin skins. "Sad..." While she didn't think it meant any harm, Michiko had a feeling she'd made a mistake by giving the horse a taste for her garden.

Zac Ramsay

^{FEEDING THE HORSE (2)}

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SHIV

GONGAGER

he/him

October 13

GONGAGA

gongaga-romantic

gongager

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808 height

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TAG WITH @shiv

POSTED ON Aug 15, 2021 1:10:00 GMT

SHOAL CAVE

TAMING THE HORSE

THE NEXT DAY, you see the horse again. it strokes the ice solid ground with its hooves. the ice on its body seems to have grown thicker. more severe like unruly hair.

♥ ♥ ♡ ♡ ♡

when the glastrier sees you again, it seems hesitant. without the iceroot carrots— you do not possess the same gravity you once did; however, the horse approaches still, sensing your benevolent motives.

GLASTRIER ASKS FOR:

OFFER THE WILD HORSE WHAT THEY SEEK

write a post that has your trainer's pokemon using the move, CHIP AWAY, to help groom (or sculpt) the glastrier's icy protrusions and then post in MODERATION REQUESTS. after they have been given the berry, the horse will promptly flash away.

should your trainer come the next day, they will find the glastrier in shoal cave once more. shiv will post a new prompt, detailing what the glastrier wants (hopefully, once per day). each request fulfilled by your trainer will steadily tame the glastrier.

michiko maeda

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D-Bug

The Robust

He/Him/His

Twenty-Eight

October 30th

Bevaridge Town

Biomesexual

Pokemon Educator/Vlogger/Biome Enthusiast

Avatar/Gym Leader/Elite Ranger

All these little buggers have a little magic in 'em

685 height

See ya later, Feraligatr!

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TAG WITH @zac

POSTED ON Aug 15, 2021 3:21:42 GMT

The next day they were back, and with more snacks for the horse. "Here ya go mate!" Zac said, offering it a sleeve of Oreos. The wild horse chuffed, turning its blind head away from Zac. "Huh. It must not be hungry anymore. Maybe that berry filled it up? I guess being cold its metabolism isn't very high."

The horse's hooves clicked across the icy floor, and Zac noticed that parts of its ice were overgrown, covered in chunks of rime that stuck out from its previously gleaming coat. "Michi, uh, I'm gonna try and clean it, okay?" he said, sending out Sandshrew. The little mammal shuddered in the shadow of the horse, but after some encouragement by Zac, it approached the blind, towering creature. "That's the way! Just cut away those weird bits," Zac said, and Sandshrew Chipped Away at the protrusions on Glastrier's hide, smoothing out the patches of rough ice.

michiko maeda

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played by

murk

Michi

she/her

November 1

Petalburg City, Hoenn

happily wed

Gym Receptionist

Civilian

117 height

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TAG WITH @michiko

POSTED ON Aug 15, 2021 6:40:32 GMT

Zac Ramsay likes this

She'd made the decision to move Poturtle-- and the remains of her garden-- out of Shoal Cave. She might still be able to salvage the remaining carrots, and she was sure the icy horse wouldn't follow them out into the Hoenn summer heat no matter how much it liked her Grepas. There are none left, anyway!

Michi was just returning from dropping the Torterra off at the berry fields when she saw Zac standing right next to the mysterious horse-- grooming it, like a miniature Furfrou! She stood back at the cave entrance, admiring the way his Sandshrew chipped away at the icy protrusions.

"Ah! You are very skilled!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands. Fortunately, the Glastrier didn't seem startled by the little woman's sudden entrance. Michi frowned at its unruly coat. "It is... hmm," she thought hard about the right word, "Bumpy?"

Michiko hastened to help, quickly taking one of the ice picks in her spelunking kit to help chip down some of the finer details. Thank goodness Zac was here to help!

Michi made a soft sound of distress as they finished their task and Glastrier flashed away again (though not before stealing Zac's packet of Oreos.) "I think if it is so easy to eat anything, why did it eat my carrot?" she said, a slight edge to her voice.

As unhappy as she was, part of her did think using the Iceroot Carrot in nikujaga would have made for a strange, blue-tinted meal. It probably would have been very cold, also, Michi thought, reflecting on the way her hands had burned as she'd struggled to tear the carrot away from Glastrier.

She had always made it a personal rule to never eat food that was too hot or cold, so perhaps it was a good thing after all.

Zac Ramsay

^{GROOMING THE HORSE}

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SHIV

GONGAGER

he/him

October 13

GONGAGA

gongaga-romantic

gongager

gongago

808 height

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TAG WITH @shiv

POSTED ON Aug 17, 2021 3:14:50 GMT

SHOAL CAVE

TAMING THE HORSE

THE NEXT DAY, you see the horse— but it seems different in appearance from afar. getting close, you see that the glastrier has become quite dirty. perhaps, it's all that flashing back and forth in the cave that has caused its beautiful equine form to be marred by mud.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♡ ♡

when the glastrier sees you again, they seem hesitant. without the iceroot carrots— you do not possess the same gravity you once did; however, the horse approaches still, sensing your benevolent motives. the glastrier must be cleaned. perhaps, there is a pokemon that is an expert at tidying things (and pokemon) up...

GLASTRIER ASKS FOR:

OFFER THE WILD HORSE WHAT THEY SEEK

write a post that uses ONE MINCCINO OR CINCCINO and a Pokemon using the move, SOAK, to help clean the dirty glastrier. of course, the water may freeze, so work fast! after, post in MODERATION REQUESTS. after they have been cleaned, the horse will promptly flash away.

should your trainer come the next day, they will find the glastrier in shoal cave once more. shiv will post a new prompt, detailing what the glastrier wants (hopefully, once per day). each request fulfilled by your trainer will steadily tame the glastrier.

michiko maeda

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played by

D-Bug

The Robust

He/Him/His

Twenty-Eight

October 30th

Bevaridge Town

Biomesexual

Pokemon Educator/Vlogger/Biome Enthusiast

Avatar/Gym Leader/Elite Ranger

All these little buggers have a little magic in 'em

685 height

See ya later, Feraligatr!

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TAG WITH @zac

POSTED ON Aug 22, 2021 7:11:12 GMT

A day later, and Zac and Michi were chatting while they waited. "I don't think it'll run on my phone Michi. This thing is built for resilience, not for fancy graphics and- oh here he comes!" The horse's icy hooves scraped across the cavern floor as it slowly approached. It sniffed the air, searching blindly for the regular food that kept it coming back day after day.

"What the hell happened to ya?" Zac asked, his eyes going wide at the splattering mud that was frozen to the horse's legs, flanks, face, underbelly, everywhere really. "Where did you find so much mud?" he asked, slowly approaching the Pokemon. Sandshrew tried to chip it away, but the flash-frozen dirt barely budged. "You need a damn good wash, don't you," he said.

Finneon appeared briefly, the little fish shivering in the cavern as it quickly SOAKED the beast. Zac returned Finneon and took a cautionary step forward, wiping at the moistened mud with a spare chunk of cloth. "Ah that's much better!"

michiko maeda

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played by

murk

Michi

she/her

November 1

Petalburg City, Hoenn

happily wed

Gym Receptionist

Civilian

117 height

have a great, positive, and beautiful day!

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TAG WITH @michiko

POSTED ON Aug 25, 2021 1:32:55 GMT

Zac Ramsay likes this

A soft glow emanated from the screen in Michi's hand. The faceted walls glimmered, reflecting the light like a thousand blue-white eyes as the chime of frozen hooves filled the cave. She froze, midway through showing Zac the latest update to Pokemon Bodega Mix (called Pokemon Bodega RE-Mix).

The horse was back.

But with the mud splattering its hindquarters, it was almost unrecognizable. Had it gotten in a fight with a ground-type Pokemon? Michi had no special love for the equine who'd determinedly ruined her garden, but it was a shame to see the pristine ice marred with so much brown.

"I will help clean!" Michi volunteered as Zac's Finneon hosed down the Glastrier like the first round of a carwash. Zac seemed happy to wipe the mud away himself, but Michi was hesitant to get her hands dirty. Since she'd moved her garden, she hadn't bothered to bring any gloves to the cave today.

Instead, Michi stopped her Cincinno, who had been jogging around the inside of the cave. "Cinnamo! Let's clean!" she said. Cinnamo was the perfect Pokemon for the job-- she even had her own miniature dry-cleaning service.

The soft gray Pokemon whisked across Glastrier's back and sides like a living feather-duster, absorbing the dirt and mud with nary a trace on her pristine fur. "Clean and beautiful!" Michi exclaimed, using her ice pick to chip down a small splatter that had frozen to the horse's side. Cinnamo quickly dusted it off and the two sat back, taking in their handiwork.

Before she, Cinnamo, Zac, and Finneon could really take in the change, Glastrier was off again. Its hooves chimed like bells as it flashed away into the cave. Sighing, Michi wondered where it was going. Perhaps tomorrow she could bring a sled, and then when it ran away she could see where it lived when it was not bothering peoples' gardens.

"Hmmm," Michi mused aloud, tipping her head to the side. "Zac, do you know how to ride?"

Zac Ramsay

^{CLEANING THE HORSE}

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SHIV

GONGAGER

he/him

October 13

GONGAGA

gongaga-romantic

gongager

gongago

808 height

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TAG WITH @shiv

POSTED ON Aug 25, 2021 7:06:37 GMT

SHOAL CAVE

TAMING THE HORSE

THE NEXT DAY, you see the horse. they do not seem hesitant at all this time. instead, the horse appears to be waiting for you closer to the entrance this time, as if the glastrier was in tune with your rhythms. your schedule. in its mouth, a narrow strap of ice dangles and emanates chilly air.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♡

should you take the reins, they are immensely cold to the touch. one wonders if frostbite would crawl up their palms— for the chill is painful against human skin. even worse, it penetrates past any fabric. the glastrier beckons you to mount its back, pristine and well-groomed thanks to both of your effort. with a snort, the horse brings you two to a different shoal chamber. here, a vast field filled with fences of ice, bridges and more appears before you: an equine agility course.

the glastrier raises their front legs and neigh. cold air rushes from its hooves. quickly, the horse dashes into the course, and you must hang on for dear life, even if the icy reins cut into your trembling hands.

TAME THE HORSE

REIN THEM IN!

WITH EVERY POST, make a ROLL. you must hit or surpass a total of 100 to successfully hang on to the glastrier; furthermore, the horse is examining your ability to ride them! Yes, you may DOUBLE POST as a note.

shiv will post the conclusion to this encounter after you have posted in MODERATION REQUESTS.

michiko maeda

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played by

D-Bug

The Robust

He/Him/His

Twenty-Eight

October 30th

Bevaridge Town

Biomesexual

Pokemon Educator/Vlogger/Biome Enthusiast

Avatar/Gym Leader/Elite Ranger

All these little buggers have a little magic in 'em

685 height

See ya later, Feraligatr!

awards

1,591 posts

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part of

TAG WITH @zac