Group RP Pokemon: Evolution Quest (IC thread)

(Actually, screw RNG, I'll have Chief Ampharos bump into Blacky due to everyone's situations.)

Just when Blacky was about to enter the adventurers' guild (or at least see if it's open at this hour), someone crashed on him from his side. The Umbreon quickly scrambled to his feet before seeing who just bumped into him: an Ampharos who previously walked like a drunk but actually not. Plus, this Ampharos looked familiar. Was he the guy Blacky's master talked about in his recent letter?

"H-hey, sir, are you okay?" Blacky offered a paw to help the Ampharos to get back on his feet. Thankfully, the Ampharos accepted the offer with a bit of ramble, "Absolutely wonderful. No worries. Happens all the time. I’ve got the world’s worst sense of direction...especially in new places… And so I just wander, bumping from place to place. It’s quite the hassle!" And yes, that was the confirmation Blacky needed.

"Now..." the Ampharos looked up to the guild in front of them. "Is this a Spikeford inn? I don't think it looks like one," he innocently asked. Spikeford, you say? Cue the crickets sound awkward silence on Blacky's part before he laughed out of the blue. "I'm sorry sir, but this is Ludester," he corrected the Ampharos as soon as his laughter died down.

(To @ChocoChicken, feel free to have Xuehua see this if you so desire. And to host @WavePearl, is the adventurers' guild open?)

 

Well, it looked like their trip had taken long enough that the guild had closed. Shame. Xuehua supposed she'd keep an eye on the loot tonight to hand out tomorrow.

Not far away, she could spot Blacky having a run-in with an Ampharos. That the one he was telling her about? Well, that search was over fast. She started over, hoisting the bag behind her - but not quite entering the conversation just yet, rather just listening in.

 

Having found that the blacksmith was closed for the night, Atelier accompanied Xuehua in returning the stolen goods at the guild. Unfortunately, he too found the guild was closed. So he followed Xuehua in holding onto the goods for now.

Then he saw Blacky talking with an Ampharos. At this time of night? As he was also curious, he walked in the opposite direction of Xuehua just to be less conspicuous.

 

@ChocoChicken @122 Generation @WavePearl (More PSMD references coming up~ )

"My my, Ludester you say? I'm quite sure I was on my way to Spikeford..." Blacky raised an eyebrow at the Ampharos' clueless remark. "...but somehow I ended up here, before I even knew what had happened!" It sure made even less sense to the Umbreon. I mean, why did the Kickenham guildmaster make a journey all the way to Spikeford? Wouldn't it be risky once he actually got there?

Beep-beep... Beep-beep...

The Ampharos took out a gadget of sorts -- the one all members of the Expedition Society had -- before Blacky could even ask about his plans in Spikeford. Too bad the latter had to wait.

The phone (?) call

"Chief... Chief, you there? Can you hear me?"

"I hear you loud and clear, Dedenne."

"What a relief! I've been trying to get through for ages! I'm glad I finally reached you... because..."

One brief silence later...

"I have to ask -- what in the world are you thinking?! Wandering off alone like that! How many times have we told you to bring someone with you?! Countless times! Over and over and over!"

"Please! Dedenne, take pity! If you keep yelling like that, I think my head will split!"

"Oh. Sorry about that. Do you at least know where you are now?"

"Ludester. Heh. I thought this was Spikeford--"

"W- WHAT?!" Cue more nagging from whoever was on the other side of the call.

And then the Umbreon facepalmed. To think he'd just met his liege's old friend like this...

 

Atelier wasn't sure whether to be more bewildered at the fact that the Ampharos had a piece of equipment unlike anything he had seen, or that the Ampharos was straight up clueless at where he was. What kind of communications device was he using? Why was he here? Or rather, how did he come here? There was so many questions on Atelier's mind.

And because Atelier was also tired, his head couldn't take any more and he caught onto Xuehua's arm for support. "Ugh, sorry..." he whispered to the Glaceon with half-tired eyes.

 

Spikeford. Oh, never mind putting anything off. Xuehua instinctively went on edge at the name of the town before she felt a sudden weight on her arm. A quick look told her Atelier was hanging on, looking like he was ready to collapse if he let go.

"It's fine. Don't force yourself," was all she said before turning her attention back to the conversation. At least any adrenaline she got would help with keeping Atelier up.

 

(I'll get Blacky and Chief Ampharos to the inn first, then Aine can react however you see fit. )

Beep-boop!

And then poor Ampharos could feel his ears ringing as the one on the other side of the call -- Dedenne, was it? -- chewed him out. "Whoa! Easy there, sir!" the wobbling Ampharos immediately spurred Blacky to catch and hold him as steadily as he could. "Let's get you to the inn, okay?"

That said, the two made their way to the inn, all while somehow failing to notice the eavesdroppers over there (i.e. Xuehua and Atelier) in spite of Blacky's night vision.

 

Despite the state of his tired mind, Atelier was amused at the commotion before him. What was this Ampharos character, exactly? However, his own eyes looked like they were struggling to stay open.

(Fun fact: I was as fatigued as Atelier last night and after a night's rest, my mind is still tired)

 

"Well, that seems like a tomorrow problem." Xuehua hoisted Atelier's arm up, supporting some of his weight with her own arms. "Let's head in as well. Doesn't seem like anywhere else's open, after all."

She knew she'd be keeping an eye on that Ampharos for at least an hour or two, that was for sure. And Atelier needed rest. She'd take the small wins where she got them.

 

(Yikes. Your braincells need a break. )

As soon as the Kickenham duo got to the inn, Blacky immediately took Chief Ampharos to a vacant room right beside his own. It was unoccupied last night and they were lucky enough to nab a spot there for tonight. But still, it took Blacky awhile to get there because apparently carrying (?) someone taller than him was quite a slog even with a swordsmon's physique, especially when the desired room was upstairs and Blacky hadn't paid for that room yet.

(According to Bulbapedia, Ampharos is 4'07" (1.4 meter) tall and Umbreon is 3'03" (1.0 meter) tall. Go figure. )

 

(Ugh. Looks like it's my turn to have fried brain cells. Also, Ampharos is tall, indeed)

Atelier gratefully accepted Xuehua's help in carrying his tired body. He yawned widely as he followed Xuehua into the inn lobby. If he was more awake, he would have asked the Ampharos a few more questions, but that wasn't happening tonight.

 

@WavePearl @ChocoChicken @122 Generation (One eavesdropping material coming up~ )

As soon as Blacky and Chief Ampharos reached the first floor (or second floor for you Americans), the two passed by a curious Aine. Blacky simply gave her an apologetic nod as he ushered the Ampharos to the vacant room nearby. And luckily for him, it was when the latter finally recovered from the shock Dedenne's nagging earlier had caused.

Chief Ampharos soon got off Blacky and wobbled his way to bed. "Well, well, well. That's much better. Thank you," he said after getting himself settled. It took him awhile to realize something: this Umbreon seemed familiar. Not to the guild members' level of familiar, he'd just seen him in town from time to time. Turning to Blacky, he asked, "Oh, by the way, you must be Charlie's kid, right?" Of course Blacky flinched -- it's been awhile since the last time anyone mentioned his late father. Before he could answer, though...

Beep-beep... Beep-beep...

The gadget from before rang again. And Chief Ampharos picked it up again.

The phone (?) call

Dedenne (D): "Chief? You there?"
Chief Ampharos (CA): "Yes, it's me. What's wrong, Dedenne?"
D: "Well, I need to ask, is Blacky with you right now?"
CA: "Blacky? Well--"

At this point Blacky's ears perked up. Curiosity ensued now that his name was mentioned.

Blacky (B): "Hm? Someone called?"
D: "Oh! Blacky, is that you?"
B: "Uh... huh?"
D: "Thank goodness! Our chief's in good hands now."
CA: "You don't need to say that, silly!"
B: (slightly taken aback by Chief Ampharos' remark) "Actually, miss, what's even going on here?"
D: "You see, Spikeford resistance asked for our help again, but they want Miss Aine's group to come along this time."
CA: "The problem is, all we know about her group is they have one Eevee and three Eeveelutions, and one of the three is from Kickenham, so we had to ask around."
D: "We also asked Madam Alys -- the orphanage lady -- about it and she just said her husband might know something."
B: (Welp, I think I know where this is going, he thought) "And then Master Josson told you guys about me, right?" (see here for how Blacky could jump to that conclusion)
CA: "Sounds about right. He even asked to come along."
D: "...actually, Chief, you asked him to come with you, remember?"
CA: "Oh, really? Then I wonder how come he took it up so quickly."

Cue more facepalm on Blacky's part -- and most likely on the Dedenne's part too. Note to self, ask Master Josson about this, the former thought.

B: "So... if the resistance knows so much about us-- I mean, Lady Aine's band, their intel must be impressive."
D: "Yeah, especially with their connections being Ludester guild and us." (by "us", she meant the Kickenham guild)
CA: "And we have our ways to catch up with the world, you know."
B: "O-oh..."

 

One more brief silence later, Dedenne reminded both Blacky and Chief Ampharos to take a good night rest before ending the call. The conversation sure was a lot to take in, so Blacky would need time to decompress and figure out what to say when his teammates would inevitably ask about it the next morning. That is, unless someone's been eavesdropping, in which case he would need to explain it on the spot.

That said, Blacky went back downstairs to pay for both Chief Ampharos' and his own rooms, then back upstairs to bed. And that's with a chance of bumping into any eavesdroppers on the way.

(@WavePearl @ChocoChicken @122 Generation So now your MCs have three choices on what to do before calling it a day:

• Catch up with Blacky (and potentially interrupt his course of actions while at it); or
• Barge into Chief Ampharos' room and see what his deal is; or
• Ignore both choices above and do whatever you want.

Either way, I'll have both Blacky and Chief Ampharos act accordingly in my next post.)

 

(Then she can just go to sleep, hence the third option. )

 

Seemed Atelier was half asleep with what was happening before him. He was so tired that he had forgotten to pay for a room and had instead gone straight for one. It was amusing, actually, that the tactician seemed very careless when he was like this.

Such that he went into Chief Ampharos’ room by mistake.