Melody Miro 's conscription of Hideo was probably the happiest conscription the boy had been involved in, finally finding a way out of the Ultra Deep Sea. Being lost in an unknown area was one of the things that terrified him, and he had no idea who he could trust in there. Simply know where to go to get out was enough of a relief that he was fine going back in (after he had time to rest).

He'd already helped Melody with moving stuff out of the Deep Sea - now it was time to help someone bring stuff into the Deep Sea.

Of course, Hideo himself wasn't going to be doing much heavy lifting himself; he'd had the fortune to have a strong Pokemon on him when he first fell into the Ultra Deep Sea, his Aggron more than capable of carrying stuff around for him.

Though Hideo still had to carry some stuff; some things were too delicate to leave to a big Pokemon. And, fortunately, they were light.

"Pretty sure we got everything," Hideo said, "Though, uh, I don't really know much about what we got here. Me and my Pokemon are kinda just muscle here."

Didn't help that he couldn't even see what he was helping carry.

Colton Boothroyd

MP Total: 70
+10 (post)
+10 (paranoia mentioned)
+50 (mission/battle start)

Colton took a look back over the supplies as Hideo stated that he didn't really know what they were moving. Inadvertently, the researcher ran through his mental checklist again as his eyes flicked between each object. "Water, medical equipment, healing items for Pokémon, stuff like that. Just trying to keep the people on the frontline going as the battle goes on," he explained before looking at the supplies on the front cart. It was his own equipment that he was carting along so he could perform repairs on communication equipment at one of the camps.

"What muscle you can provide is very helpful. I'm not the best battler by a long shot, so another hand to keep this stuff protected is always appreciated," Colton said, smiling with an appreciative nod. The Ultra Deep Sea was a dangerous place, just about the most dangerous place he could ever think about delving into. Teeming with Rockets and dangerous Pokémon all around, plus...whatever lay in the furthest depths of this place. It was lucky that gravity operated in such a weird fashion, as an unwilling fall into those depths could very well spell the breaking of ones' mind long before their body.

Colton shuddered for a moment before waving Burnout forward. "Onward and downward, yeah?"

Hideo Kino

OOC: Cargo 1/2
10 MP (Paranoia), 10 MP (IC Post)
Total: 80 MP

Hideo nodded along as Colton listed off everything they were bringing in. He couldn't actually make sure if that's what they were carrying, but it didn't matter much to him. Any help he could give was fine - especially for more supportive stuff.

"Well, good news for you is I'm pretty experienced with battling," he boasted. "So you don't need to worry much about that. I can handle anyone that tries to get in our way." Could he actually? As long as he didn't run into that tough Rocket he'd run into earlier, probably.

Regardless, his Pokemon hadn't done much (serious) battling yet, and with a chance to rest and heal up, he was more than ready to battle.

Conversing aside, it was time to head in, "Once more into the breach," Hideo said, half-joking. At least this time, he was entering thr Ultra Deep Sea intentionally, on his own terms.

But what about his companion? "You been in here yet?" he asked. "I was honestly kinda surprised the Deep Sea was all cave. 'least, that's all I've been in so far."

Not that he wanted to be in the water; he hadn't exactly brought any Pokemon for swimming in water. Except maybe Uxie, but who knew where that one had wandered off to.

Colton Boothroyd

MP Total: 80
+10 (post)

Colton nodded appreciatively, though he couldn't help but feel slightly self conscious that a child was the one doing all the heavy lifting for him. It was quite embarrassing to lack the reliability to do such important tasks on his own, so he resolved to at least do his best to aid Hideo on the journey downward.

"Once, so far tonight. Did a run through with another man where we had to fight our way into the rift, among other things," he answered. "It's hard to say if anything will look the same once I get back in there, though. Space doesn't make sense down there, but my Bronzong can navigate through well enough since it can float and we can hang on to make going through it easier."

His mind wandered back to the strange reality that was the Ultra Deep Sea and how nothing seemed to make sense. It made his brain want to crack trying to understand how the physics of the place worked. And yet, despite how terrifying it was, his curiosity made him want to go deeper just so he could understand even more of it...

Hideo Kino
OOC: Cargo 1/2
10 MP (IC Post)
Total: 90 MP

Granted, while he was more than confident that he could fend off any Rockets that came their way, wanting to battle them was a whole other story. Distrustful as he was of them, he didn't want to draw too much attention from them, or risk having to actually battle Eris Halla if she was there as an ambush.

"Well, my first time in there was getting dropped in by some random portal," Hideo said, "so you probably know more about this place than I do. As long as we got a reliable way back, it shouldn't be too rough finding our way around, right?"

He could only hope for that to be true: he didn't want to get lost in this place again.

Their initial entry seemed to go well enough. With Hideo holding on to some material himself, he sadly couldn't join Colton on the Bronzong.

But unfortunately for them, they wouldn't have much free time for riding. Hideo only realized they weren't alone here when he could hear a Flash Cannon erupt from his Aggron's mouth, blasting away a Nihilego that had been approaching them. Not much damage was done, but the pushback was enough to give time to think.

"Ah crap…sounds like another one of the big jellyfish monsters!" It was gonna take him a moment to get another Pokemon ready without dropping what he was holding.

Colton Boothroyd

MP Total: 90
+10 (post)

+25 (ultra beast)

Colton couldn't help but sarcastically laugh at the idea that he had any idea about the Ultra Deep Sea. But, if the landscape could be mapped, then he would be able to get them from point A to point B, then back to point A again.

"Ideally, yes, we should be alright to get in and out without getting lost. There are some markings that are supposed to guide us to the League's encampments along what paths do exist," he replied before tapping at a radio on the inside of his labcoat. "If anything, so long as comms are still up, we can always radio for help should things get too out of hand for us."

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, after all.

Everything seemed to be quiet as they walked along, though Colton couldn't help but watch the space around him for any potential attacks. With how physics worked in this realm, it wasn't entirely out of the question for someone to drop in on them from above, an attack one normally wouldn't prepare for.

What he also wasn't prepared for was the roar of an Aggron, followed by a beam hitting something that sounded...very alien. Colton turned around, watching a jellyfish like being spinning away as the vestiges of a Flash Cannon faded away into the air. "Dammit...Burnout, Shift Gears and push on ahead! We can't risk the supplies!"

The Revavroom revved his engine in response, the pitch rising high before it suddenly dropped off as it zipped away with the supplies. Colton pulled another Pokeball from his belt, releasing his Magneton out into the air. "Flash Cannon, as well!" he commanded, Lodestone's own beam firing off and sending the Nihilego back even further. He looked towards Hideo, unease on his face. "Have you ever seen one of these things before?"

Hideo Kino
OOC: Cargo 1/2
25 (Ultra Beast), 10 MP (IC Post)
Total: 100 MP

Markings. For a moment, Hideo wondered if they were at least something he could touch - but how would he know where to feel for them? Would the League even want him feeling them, at risk of wiping them away? Well, at least they'd be useful for others, Hideo nodding along as Colton laid out their options for getting back.

Better than the nothing he had when he first fell in here.

But that was hoping they didn't get killed by the monsters floating around these caves, like the one currently attacking them.

"Well, can't say I've seen one before," Hideo dryly joked, retrieving a Pokeball, "But I encountered one when I was lost in here. They're tough ones! Might even be the same one I dealt with before!" It'd be just his luck that he would be getting hunted by a big, stupid jellyfish.

With his Aggron limited by the cargo it was still carrying, Hideo let out a new Pokemon, his Meowscarada. The tall cat wasn't any happier to see the jellyfish than Hideo was, but was more than ready to fight it off. A quick spurt of Chilling Water shot from the cat's mouth, her mask turning blue as her Protean nature changed her typing.

The jellyfish was soaked, but it was going to retaliate, spewing Acid towards them. Hideo's Aggron was quick to intercept, putting up a Protective barrier to keep the others from getting harmed - after laying down the supplies it was carrying.

Meowscarada Type: Water

Colton Boothroyd

MP Total: 100
+10 (post)

"So I've heard. I've read some reports on these things, but I never thought I'd actually encounter one," Colton replied, using the break in the fighting to study it for a moment. It had such a strange appearance, almost mimicking a the silhouette of a person with long hair wearing a large hat. An alien appearance, one he couldn't even begin to try and come up with a reason as to why it existed at all.

Such is the nature of the eldritch unknown.

Colton instinctively raised an arm as it shot the Acid towards them, only to watch the purple goo slide down the protective screen that Hideo's Aggron had thrown up. An idea popped into his head a moment later and he looked to his own Pokémon. "Lodestone, Light Screen," he instructed, prompting a mechanical sound of confirmation from the Magneton.

A pinkish glow surrounded Lodestone that soon formed around everyone else nearby. While it wasn't as solid as a protect, it would provide some defense against any further special attacks that the jellyfish creature would send their way. With the barrier set, the Magneton charged another FLASH CANNON, firing another silvery shot at the creature.

"We can keep peppering it from a distance while we move. I feel like letting it get any closer would just prove dangerous," Colton said, already walking further down the path, though his gaze didn't break from the creature.

Hideo Kino
OOC: Cargo 1/2
10 MP (IC Post)
Total: 110 MP

"It's, uh, not a good idea to let them get too close," Hideo added, staying close to his Pokemon. "If they touch you with their tentacles, it does some weird stuff to your mind." Something he only learned from experience earlier in the caves. "Didn't last long, but it made me feel like I just wanted to fight something."

He was fortunate he had plenty of support when it happened.

Their steel-type Pokemons' combined defenses seemed to do well against the jellyfish's attack, but it wasn't the only attack their foe had: it pointed one of its tentacles at the Aggron, a beam of light firing out. The Power Gem struck the Aggron, the large Pokemon pushed back slightly - but that was far from enough to put it down.

The Aggron retaliated, firing another Flash Cannon at the jellyfish as a Flower Trick (tossed by the Meowscarada) dropped down on it. Just how much more would they need to take down this monster?

Meowscarada Type: Grass

Colton Boothroyd

MP Total: 110
+10 (post)

In spite of the situation they were in, Colton couldn’t help but muse on what Hideo had said. ”So it must produce some sort of toxin that alters your hormonal balance. Incredible…” he said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. There was a lot he could learn from messing with something like that, but the question remained on whether he would be able to catch such a creature in the first place. Given how dangerous they were, the idea seemed incredibly far fetched.

And, it went without saying that he was currently running away from one.

It was certainly proving itself incredibly tenacious, tanking blow after blow with any sign it was hurt. They couldn’t keep up this chase forever, though, as they’d be leading the thing right to an important encampment with sensitive equipment and vital personnel. If they wanted to escape, they’d have to break line of sight and put as much distance between them as they could. ”Hmm…alright, Lodestone, let’s switch it up. Stop it in its tracks,” he said. The Magneton made its mechanical cry before a bolt of low voltage electricity streak forward, arcing its way across the Nihilego’s body.

While Lodestone did its work, Colton released Bourdon from its own Pokéball. ”Block,” he ordered. The Bronzong made a loud gonging hum, its eyes glowing as a large barrier formed right in the Nihilego’s path. ”I’m not sure how long that will hold, so I suggest we get away from this area as fast as we can before it’s able to recover.”

Hideo Kino
OOC: Cargo 1/2
10 MP (IC Post)
Total: 120 MP

"Whatever it makes," Hideo groaned, the disgust in his voice clear, "I don't want any more of it touching me. Don't think you'd like it either." Hardly something he'd call "incredible". "I don't want anything messing with my hormones, or whatever you called them."

He wasn't a stranger to Pokemon messing with his emotions - it was a part of how some of his Telepathic Pokemon communicated with him. But a Pokemon he didn't know doing it to him? He hated that.

Their combined assault seemed to make sure he wouldn't get a repeat of that, the Jellyfish making strange noises, covering its head with its tentacles - almost like it was trying to brush off the damage it was taking, or even trying to block any other damage. It didn't do much against the bolt of electricity, and the Block ensured it really couldn't get any closer.

Hideo nodded at his partner's request. "Yeah, I'm ready to away from it too. Aaron, Meowzer, let's go." His two Pokemon nodded, the Aggron picking up the crate it'd let down while the Meowscarada stayed close to Hideo, keeping a close eye on that jellyfish in case it tried to get through.

"Lead the way!"

Colton Boothroyd

MP Total: 120
+10 (post)

There he went again. Bringing up his weird research ideas in places he shouldn’t. But at the very least, there was practical aspects, compared to his other harebrained ideas.

“Fair enough, but I’d imagine synthesizing a potential antidote would be useful for future expeditions into Ultra Space. The more we can understand and counter the things in here, the better,” he suggested.

Perhaps it was a bit ambitious to be thinking about cures to Nihilego toxin at that exact moment, but not focusing on the alien jellyfish floating it’s way over to them helped in preventing panic from setting in.

Colton looked towards the path, seeing that Burnout had well and truly left them in the dust. But his tracks hadn’t, the ruts from his tires carving a nice little trail for them to follow behind.

“Stick to the tracks, Meowscarada. It should take us right there!”

Hideo Kino
OOC: Cargo 1/2
10 MP (IC Post)
Total: 130 MP

"Guess a way to treat that poison quickly would be nice," Hideo said, "'cause I don't think a regular Antidote would work on it." He had no intention of risking himself with aiding that research. He'd leave it to people better-equipped to deal with giant, floating jellyfish in a giant, mysterious cave.

Escaping the Nihilego wouldn't be hard - courtesy of Colton's Bronzong's Block. The tire trail his other Pokemon had left made it easy to know where to go, Hideo's Meowscarada helping Hideo follow as well. She didn't even need prompting to do it - she was well-aware her trainer needed help with this kind of stuff, especially in a rush.

"So, uh, was that really a car Pokemon you had go on ahead? Sounded like it had a motor or something like that. Is it just a Rotom we're following the tracks of?" Rotom was the only Pokemon he knew of that could truly become mechanical - if only by possessing machines.

He didn't know much about Paldean Pokemon, other than the few he had caught - like the one guiding him at this moment.

Colton Boothroyd

MP Total: 130
+10 (post)