Now Fenelle really would like to know if that's true. Grabbing a second phone from nearby, dee starts making some notes in an app there to discuss later with Marilyn if she'd be willing ... after all, Fenelle's also just a random grunt. Dee wonders how younger and older Marilyns' compare ... ...

Oh right, dee gotta continue playing the game.

There's some faint excitement (not mirrored in der neutral expression) as the Poisoner's Pot comes up. However, there's some frustration as the description doesn't go more into detail, making Fenelle wonder ... however, if there's poison, it's definitely in Marilyn's cup and possibly also ders ... who knows if only poison or only tea has been poured?

Or maybe it requires both to be made ineffective ...

Dee hovers over the last option, which at least seems to guarantee survival, but ... there's mysteries to solve and gambles to take.

☕ "Hit me." + ACTION: drink the tea served.

MARILYN HASEGAWA

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A perhaps is enough to make it real (or sort of real - aspirational) for Fenelle. Theo could clearly see a new hyperfixation forming with the way der eyes seem to sparkle at the idea, and the determination to find a giantass worm come what may.

Fenelle isn't allowed to dwell longer, however, as they find themselves in the midst of a war-torn landscape. Theo asks dem again, and dee ponders for a moment.

The shield ... can be used for defense and offense alike. You can hide things behind it.

Like a bomb, or something - while still keeping yourself shielded from the explosion if you're smart about it.

THEO BECKETT

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Fenelle's first mistake is severely underestimating the budget this Gauntlet would have. A whole arena? With forests? An environment? Dee has made a good show of keeping a neutral face, but some cracks slipped - maybe for the better ... dee is aware that dee might be the greenest amongst the chosen group, which is a weird way to both increase and decrease pressure. It also solidifies Fenelle's plan of trying to slip under the radar, have the others underestimate dem.

Or maybe. jayden cross 's words, written thankfully on clearly readable subtitles, make dem flinch for a moment, steeling demself. Maybe the whole "oh no don't hit me" should be kept for another time ... but dee would decide that later. Zev Harcourt goes to explain, and Fenelle doesn't hesitate to grab the ball that dee has intended for the first round, even as der headcanon imagined a football field arena kind of deal.

Metagross is summoned to der side, and dee hops onto its back, letting it lead the way. They psychically connect, and dee conveys the image of a stealth mission - something utterly impossible for dem in a forest setting. Fen also tells it to set a psychic ping out, figuring out who might be nearby - and ... Fenelle spots Gerald Kaiser just as his Absol might spot the other duo, and immediately raises der hands in a show of non-hostility. The other grunt seems like he might be on the search, implying he has a plan - or a target. Making him, in turn, an ideal target for a temporary alliance when there's too many enemies on the board. There's also someone else approaching - Violet Fairbanks also seems to have picked Gerald as temporary ally.

If allowed to approach, the Metagross would do so, with Fenelle signing Group? with a questioning look. Dee also points at der ears, shaking der head to signal that dee's deaf. Earning no understanding with that, der Metagross would attempt to psychically link with Gerald and Violet, while Fenelle hops down, taking a stick and starting to draw in a patch of sandy earth. It's a simple image of a mouse trap with cheese on it, where Fenelle draws so many arrows pointing at the cheese, before pointing at demself, too.

Dee has no chance staying quiet, so might as well try and be bait and cover for whoever Gerald's target is. (Also, the other layer of der plan does not include stealth or quiet at all, so might as well use it for several means.)

tl;dr round 0
- chooses metagross as partner
- flies atop the metagross for a moment, spots gerald/is spotted by him
- offers an alliance, i.e. being the bait/cover for whoever gerald attempts to eliminate
- PROMPT agree to team up with another participant (Gerald Kaiser & Violet Fairbanks) against the others for the first round only.

[attr="class","emapokemonteam"][attr="class","emapokemonteam"][attr="class","emapokemonteam"][attr="class","emapokemonteam"][attr="class","emapokemonteam"][attr="class","emapokemonteam"][newclass=".emapokemonteam"]height:40px;width:40px;background:#2b2b2b;border-radius:100%;margin:0 5px;[/newclass]

Gladly, der frequent rentals of pokémon made Fenelle somewhat used to handling other's reins, even if the situation feels a tad bit different now actually knowing that this is just someone else's normal pokémon. Fenelle does think that Medli might be used to non-Josh people riding her, just judging from what dee knows about the Master of Faster and the fact that dee is now in the saddle.

Dee nods at Josh's last message.

It has. The fee is [insert the ingame correct fee here lol].

And then dee takes off at a normally fast speed, pointing the Meganium here and there. Most of der floating autism gang has decided to stop floating as soon as they started moving, and quickly crowded the area before the front seat so they wouldn't get left behind (which is the worst fate for any of them). (Dee vows to never evolve these idiots.)

The first stops were thankful, gladly - they're circling the outer city, avoiding all heavy traffic areas. However, a traffic jam is bound to happen eventually ... Dee stops before they reconnect to the main road again, glancing at the side alleyes to their left and right.

Do you know of any shortcuts, maybe? Or we can try ... the next location is exactly in this direction - if we wanna weave through some streets while keeping SWbW- Southwest by West.

Josh Devlin

The Cacturne feels hurt in its pride, being so easily deflected that its fighting spirit seems to have returned tenfold. Planning to distract the pokémon to directly aim for its original target, it has not expected the human interloper to just bodily throw herself into the fray. Xuanyi also makes a surprised noise, utterly horrified as the Cacturne and their saviour clash.

(Dee is excited, but makes sure not to let is show. Well, that's a really good tale.)

The Cacturne equally is shocked at the intervention, retreating with a bewildered expression on its face. Just one more attack, and it'd be defeated entirely - if it doesn't decide to run away right away.

Xuanyi clenches their fists for one moment, an unobserved gaze lingering on the other's pokémon for a moment, before they'd rush towards Mireille, hoping that her pokémon would take care of the Cacturne. They kneel down next to the other, face frantic as they look if there's any wounds. Their fingers are fidgeting with the seams of their dress - should they rip some of as bandage? Through it all, they do not speak, just sign with distraught movements.

Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Do we need a bandage-?

Mireille Wynter

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Fenelle's hands twitch, raising and lowering as dee thinks about questions to sign, fingers hovering over the virtual keyboard of der phone as dee takes in what Soyeon just has explained. However, there's just too many questions about this new thing that dee could ask that there's no question standing out in particular, with all of them trying to reach der fingers first, stumbling over another and preventing anything from being asked as der mental gears turn.

"So do you think that pokémon are completely responsible for all this?" dee eventually asks, gesturing to der surroundings. It's ... not such a strange thought, given what is known of pokémon. But that's not the thing - it's more the implications coming with it, as they stand upon structures that seem to have this ... human touch. "First we shape the things, then the things shape us ..." dee puts into the TTS again instead of a memo, but doesn't realise for now in favour of the zipline.

A tremble in the ground is the indication of a giant approaching. Dee lets Soyeon go first, following close after - recalling Hisuian Goodra for now. Metagross would float alongside them, hurrying in its elderly slow pace. At least Psychic doesn't need a physical presence ... Dee keeps an eye on Soyeon, ready to memorise whenever she'd drop to follow suit immediately.

It's tough, hanging onto the zipline, but it's also kinda fun- no, you can't be distracted now. Stay focused ...

(Wheeee! WOSH!)

As soon as they land, Fenelle looks back. There's a looming shadow in the distance - but there's something dee hasn't considered before. Multiple of them. Dee pats Soyeon's arm, pointing towards the bigger shadow - and its heavy footsteps shaking the earth. And steadily, it approaches them ... as if alerted by their presence. "Where should we go?"

soyeon kwan
prompt flee from stakatakas that have been set up as security at various points in the world.

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Fenelle nods, having der efficiency mode fully engaged as dee starts to gather the necessary ingredients for the Sinnohian style butter cream after they've decided the cupcake flavours. Thea's little flex is not lost on dem, however, and dee considers the teen with a pensive look.

I should really swing by the Dojo sometime.
Or see if I can get Rotom or Porygon to inhabit my standmixer ...

Dee glances at der Porygon, wondering. There's also been some considerations about Rotom or Poryphone, but eventually dee couldn't really decide between either so stuck with entirely non-sentient models for now. ... Metagross ...

The workflow continues, but Fenelle seems lost in der mind now, too, considering the possibilities of pokémon-enhanced tech further, and also what the limits of general tech might be ... the merits, ups and down, ways to research ... ...

It's only der baking experience that lets dem stop before the cream would be ruined, whisking and whisking away. Dee stops, and nods at Thea, before wiping the whiteboard clean again.

We need to plan now before we start the baking process.
I suggest this:

And dee notes down a quite detailed and meticulous plan of how they could accomplish everything before the bakesale is over - granted that there weren't any mishaps, but dee seems determined to follow that plan.

Thea Naito

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Fenelle's scavenging the broken servers for something that dee could still use, careful to not leave any trace behind, while der Hisuian Goodra is roaring and fighting the wild pokémon that broke into the hall. Or maybe were lead in purposefully ... there's some stains that Fenelle recognises as pokémon food.

Bastards, dee signs during the process, cursing in der mind while der hands are occupied with work. However, suddenly, der Goodra is by der side again, and for once, he doesn't appear as wanting to cuddle necessarily. What's up? dee asks, before spotting the Forretress.

It's zooming. Despite being covered in mud, it seems to be light. Well done, dee pats der Goodra, who immediately goes from being terrifying to a puppy. It can't do that again, so keep slowing it down. It's trickier now, but they eventually manage to hunt it down enough to be an easy capture, hopefully, as it disappears into a beam of red.

Now back to these servers ...

capture attempt forretress

trade confirm!!
fletchling, f | gale wings | acrobatics, agility, flail, quick attack, quick protect
varoom, m | slow start | taunt, iron head, assurance, swagger, haze

personal: rolling orthworm size ... sjb_X0K8

REDEEMING FROM PC (note: from ii endeavours but they're all put in PC now)
1x ability capsule: porygon download > analytic
moves 2x level and 3x tm
grimmsnarl forgets assurance and learns spirit break (level)
hisuian goodra learns ice spinner (tm)
metagross learns meteor mash (level) & psychic (tm)
orthworm (2,5m) learns sandstorm (tm)

no PD change

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It turns out that Fenelle's target didn't even have to do anything to erase their traces - wild pokémon were enough to absolutely destroy the servers in the hall, leaving a mess of torn hard plastic and blinking electricity, sending out erratic signals into the world. Fenelle's look is calculating, cold.

Mud Shot, then Tera Blast where it's safe dee signals to the crystal-cased Goodra who promptly follows, slowing down a Boltund in particular which has been chasing sparks across the room. The Hisuian Goodra chases it to a corner, before blasting it with a ground-type Tera Blast.

Without further ado, Fenelle puts on gloves and gets to work, hoping there won't be any further interruptions ...

skipping Boltund

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The Metagross taps and strengthens its psychic connection to Fenelle as soon as Soyeon speaks - communicating what's been said in a mix of sign language translation imagery, general imagery as well as written word. It's a bit confusing, but dee would need to take this discussion to another time. For now, it suffices. Dee nods a few moments after Soyeon has spoken in confirmation, lifting one hand to sign, O.K. Understood, accompanied by the more universal head nod. Then, dee starts typing into the TTS, "Always happy to give one. The Ultra Wilds are a fascinating place ... I wonder what the history here might be. Do you know something about it?" "What kind of people would've been able to do all this tech under these circumstances - or have they ever not been dire? What is the central energy source ..." ... ... "Oh, excuse me. I didn't mean to type it in the TTS."

For a moment, Fenelle appeared flustered, as der jump from TTS to notes app has not reacted for whatever reason - maybe it's time for that phone's weekly maintenance.

The Porygon2 is greeted by the Metagross with a friendly tilt from its looming, large figure appearing entirely harmless. (It's the eyes, probably. Soft, as if still dreaming.) While Fenelle doesn't need its immediate assistance, it allows itself a moment to reach out to the Porygon2, putting out psychic feelers.

"I have not been to Ultra Space before, no, so I will be in your care." Fenelle nods a moment, before continuing to type, "Unfortunately, my education has not included that ... what books did you read in school there?" While being technically aware of lectures, dee still defaults to the learning dee knows - books and discussions with der teachers.

They then arrive at the first obstacle, which also honestly looks way more fun than it should be under these dire circumstances. Dee can't see the ground, after all, of the chasm they wish to cross. It does seem like they might not be the first ones here - they wouldn't have to balance the entire way, hopefully. "I can go first," dee offers to test out the zip line, before noticing the ground tremble slightly, and Hisuian Goodra's attention shift. "Something's coming. You can go first."

In the distance, a giant, rectangular shadow slowly seems to make its way over to their location.

soyeon kwan