kaisou | [Semi-Closed] Catch-all log for threads

[Mission details

While Jun wasn't keen with Sorey's idea to work with Yuuki- for the price that they offered and Sorey's insistence, he was willing to go along with it. Besides, as a new apprentice to POKEGO, it was important to prove himself.

So he now stands outside the gate to Kanto. He's wearing his new apprentice uniform which ...yeah, was going to take some getting used to. But he's calm in demeanor]

If I remember correctly, there were several berry patches in the region north of the gate. I'm not sure if they'll be the ones we want though.

[Yuuki doesn't care that Jun's here in the apprentice uniform. As far as he cares, Jun isn't here at all. Chibi and Maru are giving Yuuki some concerned looks, but he sees no reason in acknowledging the other boy. Jun is very, very firmly in the "Yuuki's old man" category, after all.

He ignore Jun, poking on his phone at the files on Kanto they have.]

Sending you a list of all the spicy berries we know about, Doctor.

[Sorey is definitely aware of both boys' resistance to reconciling, or at least clearing the air somewhat, but he still thinks it's important for them. If nothing else, it'll be a skill they both need practice at for later in life.

He smiles over at Yuuki.]

Thanks, Yuuki! I'm not as familiar with berries, so this will be perfect as a reference.

[The brunet looks to Jun.]

Why don't you take point, then, Jun? Our Pokemon can also help keep watch for danger. Make sure to keep an eye on them.

[Yuuki's cold shoulder of him right there is pretty obvious. Great, so the guy is still pissy at him huh? He gives a raised eyebrow before he decides not to comment on it. Whatever. He won't rise to the bait, not when there's a mission at hand. ]

Understood. Let's proceed then.

[He'll step through the gate, waiting for the both of them to follow after. Like always, the Kanto realm is full of life- lush greenery with Pokemon all over the place. Once everyone is in, he'll start walking north at a brisk pace. ]

Edited 2023-05-18 14:37 (UTC)

[Yuuki follows after Jun, but he absolutely isn't going Jun's pace. Not even out of spite or anything, either; he just knows that he couldn't keep that pace up so he's not even going to bother trying. He is out of shape, okay?

Chibi makes a noise and without missing a beat Yuuki reaches down to pick her up and put her in his bag like it's a makeshift baby sling.]

That Aron will kick your ass, Chibi. It's not hammer material.

[Sorey definitely knows Yuuki can't keep up with this pace, so he slows himself down after they enter the Gate.]

Let's take it a bit slow today, hm? This is my first time here, and it's a beautiful day besides.

[This way, nobody can really say that it's because of Yuuki.]

Jun, do you have an estimate for how far away the berry trees are? It's alright if you don't, I just wanted to check if we might need to plan for a short break.

[Jun hadn't been thinking much about his pace, just going at what he usually moves at when he walks. He freezes momentarily when Sorey calls that out, before he complies and slows his pace]

...Very well.

[Yeah he can guess it's not Sorey that wants to go slow here and more the guy that is ignoring him. But whatever. He'll focus on the question, looking thoughtful.]

Mm...I'm usually in wolf form when I come in here, so I'm moving much faster. But at this pace... [He is giving it honest thought, there is math going on in his head] Maybe about an hour?

[Wolf form? Seriously?

Well, not like Yuuki can talk with how often he turns into a cat. But still! Either way, he lets Sorey and Jun hash that out as he keeps poking at his phone. The signal in the realm is atrocious, but he has copies of all of their files, data, and everything else on it.

He really needs to get a tablet.

Yuuki opens up the stopwatch app on his phone and gets it started, ready to time just how long it takes. If they can get that, it'll help future trips into Kanto.]

Can't believe we lost all our data on this realm....

[THANKS WILLOW

He is of course assuming they had data on Kanto but for all he knows they might not have ever had any.]

Edited 2023-05-18 17:31 (UTC)

[He does hear Yuuki's mutterings, knowing full well what caused the lost of data]

Mm...unfortunately while he'd answer our questions about realms and our Pokémon, I don't recall Professor Willow sharing much of his own work with us. So any research notes he did have is probably locked up away in some evidence file.

[Which sucks really.]

[Sorey runs a hand through his hair with a frown.]

That'd be correct. Most likely, the Order and Zodiac know more than we do, given that they would've been the ones to handle confiscations.

[His tone is neutral as he speaks about it, not really letting either of them in on his personal feelings on the subject. Whether he agrees or not, it goes far above his head, and there's nothing he can do about it anyway.]

Well, regardless of our esteemed former colleague's actions, we'll have to do our best to right those wrongs and restore what gaps in information we have on our own. If nothing else, this should prove to be an excellent project for apprentices.

Think we can get them to give us his research?

[It would make this so much easier.]

How many apprentices do we have now, anyway? Can we even afford to take them on?

I wouldn't bet on it, considering how much of it was probably intertwined with his plans...

[Maybe if it was handled through the actual courts, Jun would be more optimistic, but with how the Order and Zodiac be...

And he was about to agree to Sorey's idea for the apprentices when Yuuki says that. He can't help but raise an eyebrow, but bites back the urge to say something. AN APPRENTICE IS STANDING RIGHT HERE SIR]

Edited 2023-05-26 02:11 (UTC)

Not unless we repair our relationship with Zodiac. I highly doubt that the Order will be at all willing, regardless of what we do.

[As much as Sorey wants to be optimistic, when it comes to the Black Order... yeah, even his optimism doesn't go that far. He does go through the list in his mind for a moment, taking Yuuki's question at face value. It's a fair question, given POKEGO's tenuous financial situation.]

Mm... we'll have around four or five, maybe? Including Jun. [This is said as a subtle and gentle reminder to Yuuki that Jun is an apprentice, be nice.] We'll be alright to take them all on. Survey equipment will be a little tough to get all at once, but we should be able to get what we need gradually. Of course, this is based on the assumption that we're on our own in that regard.

[Which, well, is a fair assumption to make.]

I wouldn't worry about it too much at this juncture. I'm confident in our mentors and apprentices, and this will help teach everyone how to be resourceful!

[He's trying to put a positive spin on it! It's better than wallowing in bitterness, at least.]

[Yuuki just sort of scoffs.]

Of course we're going to be on our own. At least everyone has a smartphone without us having to provide them. I'll see if I can code something useful later. Maybe.

[Oops, that was bitter.]

[If it was meant to be bitter or a passive aggressive dig? It went straight over Jun's head, and he just shrugs]

Only if you have time between your other duties and resources. I can find a way to make do without tech if it's too expensive. There's a few shops in Undertown I can check that might have something useful.

[Good gracious. Even Sorey, who doesn't watch anime nearly as often as Jun, is picking up on the tropes they're walking into. That trope being that it'll take a moment of danger for these two to even begin to try to understand each other. It might still take that, granted, but....]

You'll need to learn how to use that equipment once we do get funding again, which, granted, is still a long ways away. That being said, there are some low-tech techniques we can utilize until we get the equipment we need, and they'll be important skills for you to learn, too, just in case something happens. For example, if we're doing a cave expedition, we can use a combination of a psychic-type, such as Alakazam, and Zubat to help determine the general layout and get a basic map started.

[Of course, that requires having those Pokemon to help, but he's just giving a hypothetical example.]

If there's anything in Undertown you believe will help us out, Jun, I'd like to chip in what I can. I can ask the others if they want to pitch in anything they can spare as well. Of course, that funny Goodwill may have other ideas on what they think we need, but it won't hurt to try. Yuuki, if you want to take on programming something to help us and it won't be too much on your plate with university, we'd be happy to take you up on the offer.

[Yuuki shoots Sorey a look--you really want to trust the weird Goodwill?--but shrugs. He barely resists the urge to snap that he knows how to do his job, thanks, and he doesn't need an apprentice telling him what to do.]

It's not hard to make an app that will connect to our research database, once we get one set up somewhere. Until then I can make an encrypted version of Google Docs to store all of our shit. Did it in high school to keep people from trying to copy my work. I could do this in my sleep.

[When Sorey starts talking about different types of pokemon that can be used, Jun will actually pull out a small notepad and jot down a couple notes so he can remember. Alakazam and Zubat...alright. He'll have to research those later.]

That makes sense. I'm pretty used to using non-modern methods for things, so I don't mind doing it the old fashion way.

[One of the small benefits of growing up in isolated cults.]

I'll let you know if I find anything, they're mostly shops that tend to be full of strange odds and ends. [...] We should try to be careful about the Goodwill though, I've known a few people end up with questionable items from it.

[The less said the better. He glances over at Yuuki. Not sure why he's being so boastful, but if he's insisting]

Alright Yuuki, if it's really no trouble for you. Thank you.

[At Jun's comment, Yuuki just glares at him before muttering "whatever" and pulling his headphones on to listen to anything but that annoying, holier-than-thou jerk. He knows exactly what he's doing, and Yuuki is not having any of it.

That Jun might not, actually, have any idea how he's coming off is lost on Yuuki. No one is that oblivious.]

[Sorey scratches his cheek at that comment about the Goodwill.]

Ahaha... yeah, I've been hearing things about that. I haven't gone inside it much myself, to be honest. It makes me a little nervous.

[Which, honestly, says a lot considering who's saying that.

HOO BOY, THOUGH. These two really know how to unintentionally get under the other's skin. Sorey is doing his level best to keep his expression from changing too much. ...Although, given his current company, that might not be too hard to pull off.]

How far out are we, Jun?

[....Jun blinks at Yuuki's sudden turn in attitude. Just what was that about? He thought he was being polite and professional.

...

Whatever. ]

I can go with you, I've been there a few times with Ryouta. [Looking for items he'll never tell Sorey about] And hmm...I'd say we're halfway there?

[Sorey gives Jun a smile.]

I'd appreciate it!

[He also appreciates not being told about whatever items the couple were looking for. That said, the fact that they're only halfway to the berry trees has the gears in Sorey's head turning.]

Hm... perhaps we should consider catching Pokemon we can ride for the next excursion. Even for us, hiking all around the region will be difficult and time-consuming for long-term projects.

[Ugh, and the longer he's here, the itchier he feels. A telltale sign that his fae curse is acting up, making him want to transform into a dragon. He sighs softly, looking a little apologetic at Jun.]

I may have to meditate for a few minutes when we reach our destination. I've found it helps me stay human longer in Spirit Realms.

[Riding Pokemon huh? He considers that. He'll have to take riding lessons certainly, but he could see the merit]

That's not a bad idea. I have teleportation, but there's a lot of limits to it that makes it less ideal in the Spirit Realm. [- And knowing there's probably someone in this group that might point out why he didn't use it today] Like how all the wild Pokemon roaming around in this realm means there's always a chance I might teleport us next to a hostile one.

[He says it with a knowing tone that implies that definitely happened to him before. Just what made that Paras so angry? But in other words, he wasn't holding out on them out of spite! That honor goes to Varian and Varian alone.

But ah...so Sorey's having trouble huh? Jun isn't feeling the effects as much, but they weren't anywhere near the full moon, so that's to be expected. He'll give Sorey a concerning glance]

Oh ... Do you want to take a meditation break now? I can scout ahead to make sure I'm not sending us on a wild goose chase.

[Yuuki slips his headphones off. He's not itching at all, but with how often he's a cat that's no surprise. He's just used to it.]

What do you turn into, Doctor?

[At the explanation for Jun's reluctance to teleport, Sorey gives a nod to that.]

The caution is certainly appreciated. Developing safe areas to teleport to might not be a bad idea, but we'll consider our priorities and goals after we've completed this request.

[The brunet considers his current state of itchiness and how mentally he's doing. His draconic instincts outside of Spirit Realms tends to be more subtle. They're becoming a little more overt right now, but it's still manageable so far.]

No, not yet, but I'm keeping an eye on it, I promise. My instincts aren't trying to assert themselves, and the itchiness is uncomfortable, but not too bad just yet. I might have to transform when we're ready to head back, though.

[He glances over to Yuuki, smiling but a little embarrassed. Because of unknown reasons that honestly only Mikleo knows right now, and it'll stay that way.]

Um, a dragon. According to the fae that cursed me, that was my 'inner beast.' I think it surprised them just as much as it did me.

CLOSED TO YUUKI & SOREY: Red Hot Chili Peppers

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