Whilst Makoto was preoccupied with keeping an eye on Yurei, and the children who were absolutely enamored with the stantler, there was Kama and Kuro - sneasel and hisuian zorua alike both hard at work at the snowboy. They had gotten a snowball for the head together that looked pretty good - and the duo were more than ready to put it up on top! However, there came an issue - mainly, in the fact that neither of them were tall enough to reach up and put the third and final snowball up there!

However, Kama was a resourceful little sneasel. Perhaps, a little too resourceful in some cases - given that the easier solution probably would've been to just ask Makoto for help. Glancing over to where luka chêne and her snowboy was, Kama could see extra snowballs - sitting gathered there. And what he knew in that moment, was that they'd make the perfect step-stool for him to reach the top! Chittering in greeting to the woman and her pokemon, Kama would walk right up to one of the unused snowballs, and proceed to roll it away - surely, neither Luka nor her pokemon would miss it?

There was something almost funny, about the escalation of tasks that Makoto had been presented with. Certainly, they expected to be put to jobs such as theft - the sort of tasks that Makoto had already done for themself on the streets - or otherwise something like trafficking, that seemed rather run-of-the-mill for a crime syndicate. But the last thing that they expected, was to be sent to investigate a rift into what was basically a whole other pocket dimension, of all things!

Thankfully though, it was not a task that they had to face alone - they had been assigned to a group of four including themself; and even if Makoto knew none of the names that had been listed, they were still people that... They hoped had their back. Ultimately, it was hard to say for sure if any of the three truly did... But they could only hope.

When Makoto came onto the scene, they'd be riding on the back of Nobusuma - clad in a basic uniform, with a jacket worn over it to ward off the chill. Nobusuma would land before Amor Rose and Cathrine Fisher , though the crobat would look the armored ninja up and down in particular with an appraising eye. Whether or not Nobu approved of what he saw though would remain unknown, though, for Makoto would return him to his pokeball once they dismounted.

The only pokemon that Makoto had out now was Kuro - though the little Zorua remained hidden in their shadow, simply watching the duo's surroundings.

Turning to face Amor - or as they knew him, Seraphim - Makoto would bow their head in a respectful greeting. "You must be Seraphim?" They asked, figuring that the individual in a strange set of armor would be more likely to have the moniker of 'Seraphim', as opposed to the other two names provided. Glancing to Cathrine, Makoto would bow their head to her as well, in a similar greeting. "Good to meet you both - my name is Makoto."

Was their greeting and demeanor a little stiff and formal? Perhaps. They didn't know what the best way to go about interacting with fellow Rocket members was, and felt stuck in the tug-and-pull of feeling as though they should keep their guard up, versus the fact that they kind of had (and wanted) to trust them. But, hopefully most of it could be chalked up to them just being an awkward newbie still figuring out their footing.

(and also klinklang Soon)

It had been thanks to Nobu, that Makoto had first found the little communal garden in Fortree. Although, where 'communal garden' might imply some form of order, this garden felt closer to something that had sprung up by pure happenstance. Certainly, the plants here - predominantly berry bushes - were well cared for; especially as long as Makoto kept Nobusuma in line. But otherwise, the garden was not arranged with much rhyme or reason in mind - aside from bushes of the same variety typically being arranged together. Typically.

But ever since the initial discovery, Makoto couldn't help but visit the garden every so often - whenever they were in the area. It was quiet and peaceful here, and there was something meditative in tending to the bushes - watering and trimming them. More often than not, if everything was as it should be in the garden, they'd simply sit under a tree and read - away from the hustle and bustle and judging eyes of society.

This year... It had been a lot, overall. Arriving into Hoenn, meeting Kuro, and running into Rocket... Perhaps a lot of that was technically weighed towards the end of the year - but it certainly had been far more eventful, than prior years.

Did they regret getting involved with Rocket? They wanted to say no - that they shouldn't have any hesitations in the first place, to join such a team. Not when it gave them a roof over their head, and a place to belong. And yet, at the same time... They weren't sure yet. To say yes or no so soon, it felt hasty. Rocket wasn't going to be all sunshine and rainbows, for sure - but at the same time, was it really that different from the sort of stuff they've already done? Cheating, stealing, lying - all in the name of survival? Just minus the struggles, of having to wander from place to place - only having their own pokemon to rely on...

... Perhaps, for their New Years wish, it'd be that things would continue looking up. That they won't regret their decisions, as the days pass...

It seemed that Yurei's outfit had drawn some attention, from some of the children running around the area. As Makoto glanced over to the stantler in question to check on her - which, she was simply grazing, without a care in the world - they could see as a couple of the kids were poking at the bells on her vest, expressions filled with curiousity. It almost made Makoto wish that they had brought something that could work as a sleigh - surely, people would get a kick out of getting to ride on a one-stantler open sleigh, no?

Nonetheless, Makoto would approach - pulling out a few treats from their bag, offering them to the children. "Here - hold one of these out on a flat palm for Yurei, and she'll eat the treat right out of your hand." They spoke, adding "If you ask nicely, I'm sure she'd let you ride on her back for a little bit, too."

Safe to say, the children were quite enthused at the notions - and it did not take long for the small handful to start lining up to take turns. Perhaps the snowboy could wait a minute, in the care of Kama and Kuro, whilst Makoto led Yurei around by her bridle for the kids?

Even as Makoto adjusted their scarf, the cold had their nose and ears going numb - it was getting late. They likely shouldn't remain much longer, really - especially when Tsume and even Kama were starting to show signs of shivering. The only one who seemed unbothered was Kuro - though that could partly be due to the fact that he was a ghost. "Let's start heading back, I think we've all had enough of this place." Makoto spoke gently, pulling out a pair of pokeballs, to recall Tsume and Kama.

Next, they'd pull out a third pokeball - letting out Nobu. The crobat would chitter as he was sent out, wings flitting as he turned his gaze onto Makoto, questioning. Even if he did not express it, he did not like it here - eyes glancing side to side to regard the distant statues of frozen pokemon. This was a place of the dead - none of them had any place being here...

Though, Makoto didn't miss the bat's unsettled demeanor. "I know, I don't like it here either." They spoke with a sympathetic smile, patting Nobu on the side comfortingly. "Let's get out of here." With that, they were climbing up onto Nobu's back - Kuro having to make a brief leap, to make sure that it could hide in Makoto's shadow proper. He was large enough to carry the both of them - and with his speeds, he'd have them out of the icelands in no time.

However, as Nobu took flight - something lurking amongst the snow would notice him. Something decidedly less friendly. The sounds of metal grinding against eachother, twisting and turning - adjusting their aim, ever so carefully. The building of electricity, charging and coalescing together to a single point...

As the duo flew, a point of light shined down below - amongst the snow. Makoto blinked widely as they caught a glance of it - and having a bad feeling about it, they'd attempt to bank to the side- But before they knew it, a Charge Beam fired from below, catching on Nobu's left wings. The bat pokemon shrieked in response, the electricity causing his muscles to seize as he found himself drifting to the side, spiraling down, in to the snow-

And as they crashed, Makoto was thrown from Nobu's back - grunting sharply as they were sent tumbling down across the frozen ground. "Nobu? A... Are you okay??" They'd call - seeing where the crobat had fallen into a heap, on the ground. He wasn't hurt, was he..?

Slowly, but surely, the crobat pushed itself back up, letting out a low and displeased hiss. He knew naught what had struck him - but the bat pokemon was already on the alert, eyes gazing around -- Before he darted to the side with a flick of his wings, to narrowly dodge another Charge Beam. There, somewhere beyond a frozen tree - something was using it as cover and firing upon them.

Makoto grit their teeth - what was that? A wild pokemon? Some trainer? They supposed that Tsume would have to come back out, then - they needed his expertise, and they already had a plan. "Tsume. Kuro. Obscure us." They'd speak as the Zoroark was let out - and the two foxes wasted no time in following their direction, weaving both of their Illusions together to hopefully make the trio much more difficult to discern in the white snow - making it almost as though they had gone invisible.

And turning towards Nobu, Makoto asked "Can you keep it distracted while we close in?" They hated to make the flying-type a target against obvious electric-type attacks, but of the group Nobu was one of the fastest - and would make a more noticeable target than say, Kama.

Nobusuma nodded, taking to the air once more. In being able to see it coming this time, he was able to dart away from each the Charge Beam - both sets of wings a practical blur as he moved. Though he might be a sitting duck in the air, he was unafraid to use his environment to his advantage - darting behind statues for cover, and only remaining in the open just long enough to bait out attacks.

Makoto would have to treat him later, as much as they disliked enabling his taste for fermenting berries. But that was beside the point - in the moment, they had to figure out who was firing upon them, and put a stop to it so that they could safely leave. Under the illusion from Tsume's and Kuro's combined efforts, the group moved towards the tree - the only signs of their presence and movement being the faintest of ripples in the air, from the foxes having to adjust their illusion accordingly.

But, there was no signs that their attacker noticed them - instead being more focused upon Nobu, who was making an effort to draw the fire as far away from Makoto and co as he could.

Thus, they were able to get closer, and closer, the shape of their attacker becoming all the more clear - namely, a wild klinklang. And a clearly hostile one at that, the steel-type grinding its gears in what might've been frustration as its attacks continued to miss the distant crobat. Lifting from the ground, it appeared as though it was about to try and move - perhaps to get closer to Nobu...

"Night Daze."

... But Tsume was faster - darting out from the cover of the illusion with a low snarl, claws cloaked in pitch-black. Bringing his claws together, he slammed them down into the klinklang with an explosion of dark energy - the klinklang letting loose a sound like tearing or sheared metal in response. As the wild pokemon attempted to turn to face him however, Tsume acted quickly - "Foul Play!" - tackling into it, and turning its own strengths against it in a vicious Foul Play!

The assault left the klinklang dazed and bewildered, to say the least - the opportunity was a perfect one. Thusly, Makoto would throw a pokeball at the steel-type, seeking to catch it. It might not have been their usual choice of 'mon, but perhaps having a Klinklang in their kit would serve them well..?

EXPEDITION TEAM

FAREWELL, MY FREE ADVENTURERS!

CHARACTERS: Makoto Kurumi , Amor Rose , Cathrine Fisher , nanette bouvier
EXPEDITION #: First time
SELECTED PROMPT #s: 4, 8, 12, 13
NOTES: Amor bringing Mega Evo + Tera Orb

Going about as smoothly as the first portion did, Makoto would help Kama and Kuro in rolling the second snowball to a sufficient size for their snowboy. This didn't take quite as long as the first - namely because it would need to be at least a little smaller than the bottom piece. However, before long, they'd have a middle that they'd be able to - with Makoto's aid - heft atop the bottom piece.

"Good job," Makoto praised - kneeling down to pat Kama and Kuro both with either hand. "Now we just need one more piece, and then perhaps some decorations." Though, they couldn't help but wonder - what, exactly, could they do to make their snowboy stand out? It certainly looked as though many of the others present here were trying to do their best to make their own snowboys, under the watchful eyes of the darmanitan judges... Huhmmm...

Despite their best efforts, it appeared that the ice was - just as the rumors said - basically impervious. Even as Kama attempted to use Metal Claw on one of the many frozen statues that made up the Icelands, there wasn't even any visible scratches left behind - despite the use of a steel-type move, and despite the sharpness of the sneasel's claws. Kama chittered faintly - appearing disappointed - though Makoto reached down, to pat him on the shoulder.

"You did fine, Kama." Makoto spoke soothingly, smiling down to him. "You tried your best."

However, it was almost out of nowhere that a Jynx would appear from behind another statue - causing Makoto to curse in surprise, stumbling back. Eyes met - trainer and pokemon staring into eachothers' eyes for perhaps longer than was necessary, as Tsume and Kama watched from the sidelines. But, eventually, the Jynx seemed to lose interest in the group - simply moving on, leaving with a strange swaying gait.

As the ice-type wandered off, Makoto would let out a heavy sigh. They were beginning to feel all the same as their own pokemon did - unsettled and unsure of this frozen graveyard. In the moment, it was indeed as silent and desolate as its name implied - but...

... Glancing at the statue that they had attempted to scratch, Makoto couldn't help but recognize that whatever had caused this place to form could - very well - still lurk here, in the shadows. The potential was there, no matter how miniscule - and the longer they remained, the more that they realized they wanted no part of that.

Just a little longer, and then they'd leave...

Speaking of wild pokemon... It did not take long, until they'd find their first encounter. Namely, a Forretress that would - suddenly - rise from the snow, having looked like nothing more than a frost-covered boulder but moments ago. The opposing halves of the shell would briefly shift and adjust themselves, as a pair of eyes peered at Makoto and Tsume from the darkness within the gaps.

Makoto jumped a bit at the steel-type making itself known so suddenly, though it showed no signs of hostility at a glance. Just two creatures, regarding each other as what was perhaps one of the first signs of life in a good while. ... Still - the Icelands didn't really strike Makoto as being the sort of habitat for the bagworm pokemon, and it made them wonder what it was doing here in the first place. There wasn't a lot of plant-life for a Forretress to hide amongst or feed on - though perhaps prey here was plentiful enough, if the steel-type went the route of disguising itself like this?

At Tsume's prompting though, in the form of a low rumble, the group moved on - leaving the Forretress to continued existence, within this frozen wasteland...

Bit by bit, the snow was brought together into a ball. And once it was sturdy enough, Makoto would begin to roll it - with Kama at their side, helping to push it along - so that it could grow in size. More and more snow would be added onto it - and before long, the trio had a strong and sturdy bottom for the snowboy. "You did great," Makoto praised Kama - reaching down to pat the Sneasel on the head. "Let's start on the next portion, then."

This time, Kuro seemed to feel confident enough to lend a paw - bringing its front half up out of the shadow it dwelled in, just as long as it wasn't in direct line of sight to too many people. It would begin to nose and paw at the snow to try and form a ball - and Kama wasted no time in joining in, helping the little Zorua in the endeavor.

As the duo worked though, Makoto couldn't help but glance out to the other people in the area, ever so briefly. It seemed that some of them were partaking in different drinks or snacks - hot cocoa, eggnog, ... Icecream? Yes, it appeared somone was having some icecream - which, while Makoto wasn't sure if it was exactly the sort of treat for winter, they supposed it was one way to keep it from becoming a melty mess.

This place... Was a bit unsettling. Truly, it looked almost as though the heat death of the universe had localized itself here - frozen land as far as the eye could see, a permafrost that overtook even some of the pokemon and flora that once called this part of the wilds home. Makoto had heard whispers and rumors of what had happened here - of it being the result of some great pokemon with no name, or an experiment gone horribly wrong, or even that this was (supposedly) a result of changing climes. Obviously, some of these rumors were more absurd than others - but surely, somewhere in all of them, there could be a grain of truth to be found.

Not that the thief had much interest in chasing after such truths. Instead, they were here simply to investigate the local pokemon; not so much the ones that had been frozen here, made into eternal statues - but instead the pokemon who had migrated here to take their place. At their side, Tsume walked - the Zoroark's eyes narrowed and steady as he surveyed the area - and Kuro, of course, lingered within their shadow. However, even the older Zoroark seemed to have his own misgivings about the place - shuddering and grumbling as he turned a questioning glance to Makoto - as if to ask 'are we really going to wander through here?'

In response, Makoto would reach up to gently scritch Tsume behind the ear. "We won't remain for too long." They promised, smiling up to him. "Let's just see what we can find out here, first."

Tsume huffed in response - clearly displeased - but relented, nodding. He'd simply return to his vigil instead - keeping a watchful eye out, for any wild pokemon who might stray too close...

Scampering to and fro, little families of some odd rodent pokemon were gathering food and supplies alike - preparing for the coming cold. And all the whilst, Makoto watched - two plush-looking rats coming out of what must've been their nest, before eventually returning with either food or or bedding materials in tow. It was interesting, watching how they worked in tandem - almost like one pokemon. Were they a package deal, in the same way a pokemon like Exeggcute was?

Well, either way, they'd dig through their purse - pulling out and unwrapping a few packaged tissues. "Over here, little ones..." They'd speak gently as the two rodents poked out of their nest once more - offering the tissues, for bedding. Maybe they could make friends, with these little fellows?