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Post by DornKoon on Dec 30, 2023 23:20:46 GMT
"Well, I did ask you to keep an eye on her."
"Fetfetched"
"You're the one that agreed to do it."
Alder was walking one of the rundown streets of the Deneb Ward. It was a far fetch from the otherwise bustling life of the other parts of the city; most of the buildings had seen better times, with many infested by Grimers. Next to Alder was his Sirfetch'd, Baron, carrying his "sword" at the ready, throwing suspicious glances at the surrounding buildings.
"And you're absolutely certain she went this way?" Alder glanced at his Pokemon partner, "This place is really big."
"Fetchfet fetched-" Baron replied, and Alder gave him a small smile and shrug.
"If you say so."
Alder looked around, adjusting his suit and brushing dirt off his pants. This was a right pickle, and there were any number of places she could have gone to. Still, if Baron said he was certain she was here somewhere, Alder had to trust that. Not that he was particularly worried, at least not for the moment.
"Miranda!" He called out, "Miranda!"
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Post by ghostmytoast on Dec 31, 2023 1:25:09 GMT
"Scout!?" Salem wandered through the ward with a sigh. How did this damn eevee always manage to run off in the most sketchy locations? "This isn't funny Scout! We aren't playing hide and seek! Gabriel with fucking murder me if I lose you! Is that what you want? My head on a platter!?"
The young traveler then heard a crash behind him and spun around to see a cramorant sliding down the side of a building as though it had just flown right into it. He didn't seem surprised instead, he just smirked. "Any lucky from the skies, Peli?"
The cramorant took a moment to reorient himself and shake off the fall before shaking his head. "Cramcram." If sighed with a disappointed tone.
"Aww, don't worry Pelicant. You tried your best. That's what counts, buddy."
As he pat the large flying type's head he heard something else.
"Miranda! Miranda!"
A puzzled look twisted onto their face at the sound.
"Huh... sounds like we aren't the only ones who lost someone. Should we go check it out? Maybe they've seen Scout in the search."
"Cramorant!"
Salem nodded and approached where the voice was coming from, calling out for Scout a few more times along the way. When he spotted the young man, he smiled sheepishly with a chuckle. "Guess this must be a common spot for losing friends." They joked, Pelicant perching on a light post next to him. "Don't suppose you've seen an eevee with a GoPro on her head, have you?"
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Post by DornKoon on Dec 31, 2023 9:57:38 GMT
Alder stopped when he heard the voice from somewhere close by calling out for Scout; he tilted his head to the side and slowly looked in the direction of the voice.
"Seems like we're not the only one that has misplaced someone," he said to Baron. " And don't go out and challenge them; it would be rude to jump to a duel just from making eye contact. They're searching for someone, just like us." The Sirfetch'd made a few grumblings but lowered his weapon. "Better."
As he rounded a corner, he noticed the stranger approaching from another street.
"Yes, I imagine it has to do with all the nooks and crannies which inspire exploration and adventure," Alder replied with a friendly smile. He placed a finger on his chin and furrowed his brow slightly. "As adorable as it sounds with an Eevee with a GoPro, I would have remembered seeing one; alas, I have not. It would be too much to hope you have seen a Togepi? Baron here had offered to babysit our youngest member while I ran some errands, but it seems she gave him the slip and ran off exploring."
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Post by ghostmytoast on Dec 31, 2023 15:30:32 GMT
"Sadly, no." Salem sighed, then pouted as Pelicant decided to move from being perched on the light post to sitting on their head, forgetting that he is not a small bird. The young man didn't shoo him off though.
I'm Salem, and this flying disaster is Pelicant." He introduced. Pelicant sat slightly taller as though being called a flying disaster was a compliment. "Maybe we can help each other out? Eight eyes are better than four. Though I may switch Peli here." The cramorant bent its neck down to look at its master directly in the face and give a sad expression. "Not because you can't handle it, bud. Because we tried the 'search from above' thing and it didn't work. Nothing to do with you. Seriously, we gotta work on your self-esteem."
"Rant Cramcram."
"Yeah yeah. You gave it a good try Peli. Let's try a different tactic." Salem stated, returning the bird to its ball and grabbing another one off his belt. He tossed the new one up and out popped his falinks who all stood at attention waiting for orders. The leader stepped forward to address their general. "Jason, I'm afraid we lost a soldier. Scout is somewhere around here wondering on their own. This gentleman here also got separated from his togepi, so our armies have aligned to track down both soldiers. I know you and your Argonauts don't often separate, but in this case I think it may behoove us to divide and conquer. Understood?"
"Fal! Links!" The leader responded. One can imagine it was a 'sir yes sir.'
"A togepi, and you know what Scout looks like. Sprawl out. They can't have gone far. If you hit the main road, double back and try another path. We regroup in the center in exactly thirty minutes."
"Fal! Links!" They all stated in unison.
"Good luck and godspeed, soldiers. I'll see you in thirty."
Jason turned to his soldiers. "Links links!"
"Fal! Links!"
And the five of them spread out and began their hunt. Jason stayed where he was and watched for a moment before turning to face Salem and... nodding.
"You too, Jason. I've got these guys here with me. I'll be safe until we meet up again."
The head falinks looked skeptically over at Alder, then at Baron. It approached the sir'fetched as though approaching a soldier of the same rank from a separate army. Allied, yet separate.
"Links falinks?" It inquired, seemingly asking if Alder's sir'fetched was up to protecting two trainers at once.
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Post by DornKoon on Jan 1, 2024 18:47:19 GMT
"A pleasure," said Alder, taking off his hat and doing a bow with a flourish before putting the hat back on again. "I'm Alder Storm, but people know me more for my nickname of Mr Fantasmir, wandering storyteller, magician, and historian... at your service. This here is my trusted companion and oftentimes bodyguard, Baron."
Baron similarly greeted Salem with a knightly bow and a proud posture of a creature with all the confidence in its own abilities.
"Yes, cooperation would benefit all of us," Alder replied, revealing his pearly white teeth in a happy grin. "I feel fate had a hand in bringing us together, and far is it from me to ignore it."
The storyteller curiously watched as Salem interacted with his falinks. They were fascinating Pokemon, for sure. He had not met a trainer with links before, and they were certainly unique, even for Pokemon. Baron similarly watched with eyes that showed less curiosity and more... analysis. He looked to Jason as the Falinks leader came over at the inquiry. Baron flourished his weapon and took a confident pose. "Fetch." He replied with a strong affirmative.
"Yes, you need not worry, Sir Jason. Baron is part of my personal "Elite Four" and the most dependable Sirfetch'd you could ever ask for." Said Alder.
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Post by ghostmytoast on Jan 1, 2024 20:59:04 GMT
Jason nodded, then looked to Salem.
"Fal! Links!"
Salem soluted. "Goodluck and godspeed."
The leader stood tall in the best solute it could do with no arms and then struck off to join the search. Once he was gone, Salem looked to Alder with a nod. "Well, let's get hunting. If Jason is out with me, he normally prefers to take the lead to protect me if a surprise attack hits. Don't know if your Baron is the same, but he can if he wants."
As they walked, Salem looked over the younger man with a grin. "So you're a storyteller? What stories do you tell? You must have traveled a lot as a performer." Salem noted as he kept his eyes peeled for any sign of the smaller friends they were hunting for. "I've been traveling for a few years myself, though I had to break from in for the past few months. This is my first venture back out on the road and we already lost one."
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Post by DornKoon on Jan 2, 2024 0:12:56 GMT
” Sounds exactly like Baron; he likes to take the lead most of the time.” Said Alder with a slight smile. ” It is mostly a comfort, even if he can be a little too serious about potential threats. There have been times when he started a fight when one was unnecessary..”Baron let out a disgruntled huff.
” That is correct” Alder continued by answering about his profession. ” I tell all kinds of stories, both based on reality and fiction. I started my journey when I was about 12, so I have been a little here and there collecting stories from different regions of the world. People, places, puzzles and... pysteries.” He gestured with his hands as he spoke.
” and I would not be too worried; things lost tend to turn up in the end. It would have been convenient if one of our little friends had something on them that made them easier to track.” Alder sighed. ” Maybe the best way to find our wayward littles is by being like them?”
Alder pulled off his backpack and began digging around, moments later he pulled out a headband with Eevee ears attached to them and held it out to Salem. ” The best way to find an Eevee is to look at the world like an Eevee; sadly, I did not bring my Togepi costume.”
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Post by ghostmytoast on Jan 3, 2024 21:37:59 GMT
"Well then lead the way." Salem nodded with a grin, gesturing for the sir'fetched to take the lead. As they walked and the conversation continued he wasn't surprised to hear that the Alder had started young, though he was a little jealous.
"That sounds amazing. I wish I could have started my journey younger. I've only seen a few regions as is. Money was too tight to move out of my parents' place so I've only me wandering for about three years, the last six months of which have consisted of laying in my brother's place recovering. But it beats laying in my parent's place getting deadnamed by the woman who birthed me guess." He explained with a sigh. Salem was open about his transition with every new person he met. It was a way of judging them. If someone was going to be an asshole, he'd rather know right off the bat rather than get his hopes up of a friendship.
However, he did grin when the eevee ears were brought out and gave a bit of a chuckle. "Unfortunately, GoPros don't have tracking technology in them and it isn't hooked to a live stream. Maybe one day. For now, this can be fun." They laughed, taking the ears from Alder and trying them on. "Am I cute yet?"
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Post by DornKoon on Jan 3, 2024 22:17:59 GMT
Alder listened; he was good at listening and knew how to pay attention and, most of all, how to show he was paying attention. Many people spend a conversation waiting for an opening to voice their own opinions or talk about themselves. Hearing someone else's story was more fun for Alder than talking about his own.
"I think we all wish we could have done some things differently, one way or the other. Not that thinking too much about the past helps, apart from as inspiration and lessons for those living in the present." He said, crouching down to examine a few bushes. "You're here now; you've got some impressive Pokemon friends and a road ahead; what more could one ask for?" Alder looked up at Salem and smiled. "Some people just-" He paused, putting thought behind the next words, tapping himself on the side of the head. "have the heads filled with air, pollen, or cotton... clogs them up in the braincase, I see it all the time. Sounds to me like your mom has a lot of cotton."
Alder stood back up and took a moment to watch as Salem put on the Eevee ears.
"Perfectly adorable; you could pass for an Eevee already." He replied with a grin. "So, now you need to think like Scout... what might draw curiosity in this place? We can also see if we discover something from the locals... let's see... aha." Alder pointed to a Grimer moving further down the street; it appeared to be struggling to open a dumpster. "That looks like a reliable source of information, nothing like a grimy neighbour to point you in the right direction. Or, as my father always says, no use Muking about the bush."
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Post by ghostmytoast on Jan 3, 2024 22:34:51 GMT
The response was exactly what Salem was hoping for and he gave an almost relieved smile as he nodded. "Yeah. She was always... sweet... wanted to spend time with me. Bought me plenty of presents. She was a good mother. It's just... she wasn't an understanding one. So For here, I'm always her daughter. And that just doesn't really sit well." They noted with a sigh. "I always felt more masculine. Maybe not entirely, I still like to look cute and enjoy some things that are typically considered feminine. But like... certainly not to the extent she was hoping for." They shook their head with a shrug and a slightly sad smile. "I still love her. She just... doesn't love me I don't think. She loves the version of me she has made in her head and argues if I try to be anything else. So I've taken to just playing pretend whenever I'm around her. Easier to just appease her. But that's the past. And like you said, no use worrying about it."
Looking around the area, the older man started to try and look for anything of potential interest. "Hmm... think like Scout. She has a few things that can get her attention. Is it shiny? Can I eat it? Is it a fun toy?" He spotted the grimer as well and nodded. "Ok, I'll stay nearby and look for anything that could fit the bill. You ask the locals. Hopeful he isn't a slimeball." Salem chuckled at the puns and began looking around within sight of the showman and his companion for anything that may have snagged his brother's furball.
After a bit of looking, he hadn't spotted anything, but he did smell something. It smelt sweet, like fresh cakes and breads. Was there a bakery nearby? That... certainly could have done it. "Hey Alder. Does your little friend like sweets perchance?"
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Post by DornKoon on Jan 3, 2024 23:09:07 GMT
"Nothing wrong with being not entirely," Alder commented happily. "Just look at me; I'm not entirely masculine either, at least in the sense some would use the word." He made a twirl to emphasise and show off his outfit. "I like clothes and shoes... I've got so many shoes and hats. I've got hats for any occasion you could think about and shoes to match them. Well- not all of them on me now; that would make no sense." Alder paused and furrowed his brow. "I think I had a point I wanted to make somewhere. I just forgot what it was. Anyfish, your mother doesn't sound as horrible as she could be; she's just a little ignorant and scared of change. If you ask me, the best medicine for that is a big shock, something she cannot ignore... like a pie to the face. But not an actual pie, even if that would be fun."
Alder nodded.
"Excuse me, my slimy friend", he greeted, getting close enough to the Grimer to speak without getting too close... he was still wearing a clean outfit and did not want it covered in grime if he could help it. The Grimer gave him a sideways glance before returning to focus on the dumpster, seemingly unimpressed. Baron was eyeing it suspiciously with one wing on the handle of his weapon. "Huh, well, whatever is inside that dumpster is a lot more interesting than me, that's for sure." Alder silently watched the Grimer before Salem called out, pulling his attention away. "Sweets? Why, yes, she does like sweets. If given the choice, she would live only on pastries. On another note- what is our level of care about that?" He pointed just as the Grimer began slamming its face into the side of the dumpster, which did nothing. "I'm starting to feel- invested in whatever it's trying to do."
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Post by ghostmytoast on Jan 3, 2024 23:19:20 GMT
Salem laughed at the explanation. Pieing his mom in the face was absolutely something Gabe would do, and sometimes he fantasized about similar things. "I could smell something sweet in that direct, like a bakery maybe?" He responded with a shrug as he came back over to his new companions. His attention was then drawn to the grimer slamming on the dumpster. "Huh... well one way to find out I guess?"
With a bit of effort, the trans-man pushed the lid of the dumpster up. He couldn't get it to go fully over, so he just held it open to peek inside. Thought he couldn't keep his eyes in it long enough to see anything before the smell hit his nose and he retched, just barely managed to keep it open as he turned his head away gagging on the fumes. "Ugh! That is RANK! What the fuck is in there???"
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Post by DornKoon on Jan 4, 2024 0:02:38 GMT
Alder looked in the direction Salem was pointing, sadly he did not smell anything sweet… close proximity to a Grimer was enough to make that impossible.
”I’ll have to take your word for it, because currently my nose is under siege by another kind of smell He motioned to the Grimer. ” and I’m sure whatever is inside that is” He dis not get futher before Salem pushed the dumpster open, releasing the stench from inside. ”worse…”
Alder pulled out an handkerchief and held it yo his nose. ”Whatever it is, I imagine our friend there would call it lunch.”
The Grimer had stopped bashing the dumpster and was staring at Salem. ”Grime” it said, before climing the side of the dumpster and falling inside with a very wet squelch. Alder slowly came over, stepping up next to Salem and pulling out a piece of paper and pencil before starting to draw.
”Exuse me…” The Grimer peeked out from inside the dumpster. ”Have you seen any of these two?” Alder held out the paper with a very badly drawn picture of a Togepi and an Eevee with what could be a Go-Pro, if you squinted and had never seen a Go-Pro. The Grimer stared at the picture, ”Griiiime” It replied. ”Interesting…”
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Post by ghostmytoast on Feb 16, 2024 15:49:01 GMT
Salem stepped back with and gave his new companion an amused smirk as he watch the man interact with the grimer. The drawing was... Interesting... Humorous at least. Instead he pulled out his rotom phone and found a picture of Scout on it. He came back next to Alder and pressed his tongue to the top of his mouth as a way to plug his nose.
"This eevee. You seen it?" He said nasally, trying not to take in the small as he asked the sticky pokemon about his brother's pride and joy. "She ran off somewhere. This guys togepi too. Many leads would help."
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Post by DornKoon on Feb 16, 2024 16:53:35 GMT
Alder looked at Salem when he pulled out his Rotom phone.
"Of course," he snapped a finger, Alder's voice was rather stuffy-sounding on account of having put pieces of a torn napkin up his nostrils. "the phone. Silly me, it slipped my mind entirely." He reached into his backpack and pulled out a mushed banana... "No, right shape... but wrong", He muttered, digging around some more until he found a very old-looking phone. Alder began to search the phone... "Hmmm- do I have any pictures without some costume... princess, dragon... Charizard. Here's Miranda during a masquerade party we joined in Saffron City. She wanted to be an Charizard; I think I did a decent job." He showed a photo of a Togepi in an Charizard outfit, which looks adorable and hilarious.
The Grimer watched them, pulling out a random piece of slimey waste and stuffing it into its mouth. "Griiiime..." It replied before slowly pointing toward a construction site, one of the many efforts to make this part of town more hospitable.
"I'm getting the impression that at least one went that way," Said Alder, "Here, you can have this mouldy banana as thanks; I think it has peanut butter smeared on it... and I think I must have been sitting on it at some point. Leave it for a few months, and you'll find it delicious." Alder dropped the mushed banana into the dumpster.
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