Now that the imminent threat of the Jigglypuff with a ponytail (the Scream Tail) had been dealt with, the ground underneath their feet rumbled…

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” he exclaimed as the Absol howled again; making sure that the Scream Tail had gotten the message to go the hell away and leave this place alone.

Thankfully the shaking of the ground subsided some time later; and it was finally doing what it was supposed to—

To start drilling into the ground!

“Hopefully no Pokémon knocks it down!” he exclaimed—recalling the Absol before the Gardevoir extended one of her arms towards Audric’s direction before warping all of them out (Jack included) with a singular, popping Teleporting noise.



+ Audric Black
+ Teleport stage exit for everyone!

He was standing here, gaping into the dark, this time accompanied by a particularly-white lightning cat.

(For he had a feeling he would need the Zeraora’s help in more ways than one.)

“What, going in unannounced and just wrecking shop?” he would muse out loud; while his thunder catto purred low, a dangerous warning sign to anyone who would dare approach them.

He’d seen just how fast this particular Pokémon of his could go, and he wouldn’t put it past… whatever lurked down there to attack them.

They were definitely going to need all the firepower they had on their side.

“Well, there’s a first time for everything, right?” he would crack a few moments afterward, stretching his arms above his head and shaking his head to get the tension out of it.

There was a lilting call that would echo throughout the space—but it sounded so… distorted, so alien and strange… it was like…

What else was waiting for them out there?!



+ Audric Black
+ ROLL 89 - 98. - Hear the following cry echoing from somewhere deep below (using the last post’s 95 roll for this fill):

[player]https://file.garden/ZXZrnWMYuz15frfJ/HOENN%20MUSIC/MYSTERIOUSCRY1.mp3[/player]

The Absol would look over at the Appletun, grateful that the other had managed to shut up the Scream Tail for a few moments.

While said Scream Tail was flailing around like some kind of demented ‘valley girl’ trying to get rid of the acidic fluid in its mouth, the Absol would look back towards them—

And Jack’s eyes would follow the trajectory as well—

“Holy—shit!” he would exclaim; seeing the incoming attack and dropping a second Pokéball; summoning Emm the Gardevoir onto the field.

“Emm, a little help, please!” he gasped at the direction of the incoming attack—to which she would respond with a burst of rainbow-colored Psychic energy to catch the Gyro Ball attack in its path and throw it off-course as best as her concentration allowed!

All this happened while the Absol quickly Detected the danger; changing directions mid-air and leaping towards where the two humans were to help protect them as needed!



+ Audric Black
+ Gardevoir incoming to save the day!

Putting two people who did not know jack shit about technology was bad enough…

But for something that looked like a Jigglypuff, only with a ponytail, well…

“That—I saw another Pokémon… is it even a Pokémon… almost decked me a few days ago! It looked like a mechanical, robotic Volcarona!” he exclaimed; and just before the Absol could charge forward and deliver a Night Slash attack, she was knocked off her feet the moment it… screamed.

“Cordy! Snap out of it! And go!” he would continue, getting in front of his companion to act as another ‘layer’ of defense while the Scream Tail retaliated with a Hyper voice scream!

“It’s really loud!” he would continue, stuffing a finger into his other ear while the Absol lashed out with a Psycho Cut attack.

All this in the span of a few seconds; while there was a strange, antiquated-sounding cry of something that managed to make itself heard over the racket!

“What the—it’s not alone?!” he would exclaim as the other noise continued for a few moments longer than the Scream Tail’s yelling.



+ Audric Black
+ ROLL 2-10. - Hear the following cry echoing from somewhere deep below (using the 2 roll from last post):

[player]https://file.garden/ZXZrnWMYuz15frfJ/HOENN%20MUSIC/MysteriousCry2.mp3[/player]

Thankfully, the other Pokémon keeping an eye out is an Absol; and the moment her fur began to prickle she lets out a warning howl in the Appletun’s direction, getting up from her position and approaching, ready to swing her head horn at whatever threat was lurking in the undergrowth.

“Huh… guess Cordy’s seen something over there,” he would muse as he looked up at his Absol suddenly ready to cut a bitch. Or shred, depending on what was lurking in the undergrowth near where the Appletun was grazing.

He then looked back at the thing that they had to cobble together, it looked… really complicated.

“Oh, uh… if we find the manual I can help with setting up the stand, but I’m not too great with technology myself,” he would admit a few moments later.

“Grew up in the literal mountains herding Wooloo, and all that.”

At least he was an extra pair of hands they could rely on once they figured out how to get the danged thing set up!



+ Audric Black
+ notes here

He was of the belief to “get in trouble first and ask questions later”.

Which was why he was out here today, down in the very same place close to where he’d met the metallic, robotic Volcarona that had almost decked him and very nearly given him a concussion to match… but he wasn’t alone.

“Beats me,” he would shrug—clearly he wasn’t too great with technology either!

“But uh… did it come with an instruction manual of any kind?” he would follow up a few moments later; looking over to where his Absol was lounging at one of the corners of the work site, keeping an eye while looking ‘disinterested’.

(That was just Cordy-speak for ‘I’m bored, why are we here?! But I’ll follow you anyway.’)



+ Audric Black
+ notes here

Oh, no.

He knew that Petalburg Woods had an excess of Pecha Berries but…

What was going on? Why were those chains here?!

(In some other world, he may have begun using his tome like a spell book to burn away the chains, but that was not here.)

“This place is… cursed,” he quietly muttered to himself as he quickly picked up a few Pecha Berries, staying out of the line of sight of angry Pokémon as best as he could.

Which was going to be rather difficult, all things considered, as there were a multitude of Grass-type ‘mons that called this place home (Shroomish was one he could immediately identify) who were also trapped by the chains and were basically attacking anything that moved…

+ @tag
+ involve a PECHA BERRY in some way.
+ not at 20 mochi yet

How did he end up here in the first place…?!

He sighed, because—whoa, holy shit, what were those robot-looking things doing out here?!

He was quick to the draw; already accompanied by his Gardevoir who was now assessing the situation and—

His Absol had appeared a few moments later snarling as she swing her horn around in a defensive Night Slash as one of the metallic-looking… they kind of resembled Volcarona, but not quite so came screaming down their way—before the Gardevoir, literal essence of serenity—

Spread out her arms and used Calm Mind; the warm, suffusing energy dispersing around the three of them.

“Thanks, Emm,” he would hum quietly as he looked around; trying to make heads or tails of what the strange robotic-like Volcarona were doing, just swinging and attacking everything in sight!


+ @tag
+ does not have 20 mochi
+ attack/defend against the IRON MOTHS.
+ use a SPECIAL DEFENSE STAT RAISING MOVE (Calm Mind)

The moment they emerged from the underwater tunnel, well—

He was more than a little surprised to see that most everyone was either slightly close to or just behind him; however as the current leader of the pack he felt the current in the water before the Mantine did—and much as she flapped her flippers they were forced on the right side of the path—

Curse these underwater currents.

Riding low on his Mantine’s back, he would adjust his position ever so slightly so he was still slicing through the wind without too much trouble.

“Not yet, Ri… not yet,” he would hiss quietly; because he could tell the Mantine was already itching to speed up!

“We haven’t finished one lap yet, you know how this goes!”


+ @tag
+ Speed: B, Endurance: C, Reaction: B

Much as he wanted to go fast right as the starting noise went off, he knew that he would have to bide his time… even if it was a major pain in the ass.

“C’mon, Ri, let’s show ‘em what we’re made of!” he would snicker quietly as he slid into position and off they went!

The starting part of a race would always be the most complicated to weave through; considering everyone was trying to gain distance and the beginnings of the front, the middle and the back of the pack would form.

He idly wondered how the rider who had an Aegislash and—and Mister Froakie would deal with having to go underwater!

“Don’t overshoot, now!” he would cheer his Mantine on, leaning into the wind and going with the flow. He was even feeling a little daring, so he’d dip his hand into the surf before realizing one part of the track suddenly appeared to be underwater!

“And that’s why… I have these!” he would chirp as he quickly pulled something out from his shorts pocket—a pair of plugs for the nose—the ones used by synchronized swimming teams in their artistic underwater routines for when they had to stay underwater for as long as they could.

Slipping the plug on as quickly as possible before the Mantine would dive, he would leap into the air at the exact same moment Ri the Mantine would sink lower into the waves—

He would hit the water in a jackknife dive before hanging onto one of the Mantine’s flippers as they made their way through the first underwater obstacle!

Hopefully they’d be able to come out of this without falling too far behind…


+ @tag
+ Speed: B, Endurance: C, Reaction: B

The shining, burnished blue ‘metal’ of the Kingambit that had presided over one part of the docks would be easily spotted even from above.

The reason why Lonq was out here today was because some people needed some things that were metallic in nature to be taken care of; and Jack had the belated realization that the Kingambit could easily cut through steel beams like it was butter.

So, off the Kingambit went for the afternoon, taking over one side of the dock while he used Kowtow Cleave on the bigger sheets of metal to cut them down to size.

Geez, what were the humans making, and why did they need this much metal?! So weird.

+ Atreyu Hargrave
+ that be a shiny Kingambit however I dinnae have the shiny sprite for it! ;;

One would be wondering—where was he, anyway?

Well, he was busy making sure that his Mantine, Ri, was already prepared to go out there—having come in for a last-minute adjustment… of course he wasn’t telling anyone what the adjustment was. They’d have to wait and see for themselves what it was.

For now, though—

He was busy applying as much sunblock as he could all over his exposed legs, himself, his arms; hell even his nose had a liberal layer of sunblock on it because when was the last time he’d come out here to surf?!

(Yes, he was determined to show everyone that Mantine Surfing wasn’t just something to be terrified of!)

“Surprised, aren’t you, Ri?” he hummed quietly as he squirted out the last of the sunblock and liberally lathered it all over his bare top (with some difficulty reaching his back, but it was there all the same too).

“I know you’ve been itching—no, dying to be out on the waves again. Well, here we are. I kept my promise, didn’t I? Don’t let me down now,” he would chuckle quietly afterward.

+ @tag
+ Speed: B, Endurance: C, Reaction: B