Kai Merah
Hound Hearted Hedonist
- Location
- Somewhere in the corners of my imagination
Bugsy is truly the sweetest bug trainer. Bug pokemon may be assured of finding the best home with Bugsy.
Unprecedented Times [A Pokemon Ranger Quest]
- Thread starter OxfordOctopus
- Start date
-
- Tags
- pokemon
Bugsy is truly the sweetest bug trainer. Bug pokemon may be assured of finding the best home with Bugsy.
infinityDivided
Prince Of Doom
- Location
- USA
I thought that it was getting kind of creepy, actually. Though I may still be thinking in the "Pokemon are people" mindset.
- Location
- Canada
Yeah that is a cool aspect that lead to my "split mind for mental stimulation" idea, where they are truly the same up until they very much are not. Where an underground Nincada has two minds that are the same individual, with just enough separation for engagement without deviation. And then it/they emerge from the ground. It/They have a moment of sensation, of actually experiencing the world together. And then, disunion. One mind gets to keep the majority of the body, and gains wings and speed. And the other loses the coin toss and is trapped in a thin sheet of skin, unable to move, just barely able to think and feel, and they have to deal with the realization of their death. And becoming a Shedinja will always be a surprise, since they don't contribute to the Aural memory of the Nincada species, so the individual mind has no forewarning.
I'm glad you enjoyed them! And yeah, I didn't want to go with that route again since I'd done it with my Paras/Parasect paper and I wanted something a bit spookier since Shedinja is a Ghost type.
I don't personally don't see the Bene Gesserit connection, but I'd love to hear you expand on that.
Yeah, I did intend for that segment to come off a bit creepy. He just loves Bugs so much! And since i's Bugsy writing to a group of fellow Bug-Enthusiast, his restraint over his freak flag was a bit loose.
2.4
- Location
- Canada
- Pronouns
- She/Her
| Vote results Quick summary: [X] Join Gereon while he puts a tracker on an Altaria won at 22 votes. Happy upcoming Elden Ring DLC month! Very excited for it, but onward! To Pokemon! |
Like the starting pistol at a race, Gereon's words prompt a veritable tide of rangers making their way forward, conversation roaring to life as people try to get a word in before anything else.
Standing there, you don't even try to get to the front of that. Better not to risk tumbling over and getting briefly trampled, in your opinion.
Instead, you scan the crowd and quickly find Shou off to your left. He's staring at the crowd ahead of him with a decidedly impotent look on his face, hands stuffed into his pockets. Clearly, he had no more luck getting ahead of that than you did.
You break into a slow jog and make your way over to Shou, and it's not long before he hears you coming, his head swivelling around to catch sight of you. You give him a short wave, and he responds with a tense, slightly jerky nod.
Falling out of your jog, you come to a stop in front of him. "Morning," you say.
"Good morning." His gaze turns back to the crowd, and you watch as his lips thin out in visible disapproval. After a moment, he manages to pull his attention back to you. "Do you have any thoughts on where we might go?"
It seems to you that Shou's feeling direct today, which is at least an improvement from yesterday, where you'd been forced to coax a plan of action out of him. "I want to join Gereon while he puts a tracker on the Altaria," you explain. You latched onto this particular job the second you heard it—after all, your team is quite well-suited for that role. B.B. can be very loud on command and has the coverage to at least temporarily hurt an Altaria, and Urchin herself is very much not a Pokemon an Altaria can bodily attack so easily, not to mention she's no slouch at being loud and distracting herself. You have a wealth of personal experience attesting to that.
Shou's face creases with reluctance, a slightly constipated look settling into his expression.
"Do you have something you want to do instead?" you hedge carefully, after several seconds pass without so much as a terse comment.
"I want to follow the river," Shou says immediately, eyes skirting back over to the crowd. "Rune and Kaleidoscope are both trained in tracking and know how to handle similar environments. I also thought the shallow water and mud—and whatever flooded quagmire we'll find when we arrive at the blockage—would be well-suited for your Mareanie."
There's a moment where Shou visibly hesitates, almost vibrating.
Then, like a two-by-four finally giving out under the strain of a very heavy Aggron, something snaps.
"I also want to actually get something done today," Shou says with surprising venom, frustration and annoyance warring in his voice. "Not just follow Gereon around and watch as he does our job for us."
There's... a bit to unpack there!
"Nothing Gereon said indicated we wouldn't be involved in putting the tracker on the Altaria," you point out slowly, aware you're probably treading on something sensitive here. Shou's gaze snaps over to you, challenging and angry, and you firm up your shoulders, set your jaw, and meet his stare with your own.
"He's following protocol, he won't technically need us—think about his rank, does he really need additional help for putting a tracker on an Altaria?" Shou tightens his hands into fists. "He just needs us there for a theoretical worst case scenario, and so he can get a pass on civilian safety rules. If we join him, we'll get stuck sitting around doing nothing while so many other things need to be done, while he does everything instead. It'll look pretty on our records, but it won't help the people here."
That's...
"Shou," you say a little helplessly, "I think Gereon would have said as much if that was going to be the case. I mean—really, look me in the eyes and say with confidence that Gereon strikes you as the kind of person who would keep volunteers in the dark that he just needed them around to pass muster when the reports are sent back."
Shou meets your gaze, opens his mouth, and...
Hesitates.
You see the cogs whirring behind his eyes, then. Because, really, nothing Gereon has done points towards him being like that. Gereon strikes you as a man who takes safety very seriously, so it's unlikely he'll go out of his way to flout safety rules, but he also isn't the kind of person to not bring this kind of thing up whenever necessary. There's so much work to go around as it is, and this mission is just in the initial scouting phase—if Gereon feels like he is being forced to tie up several teams and himself on a single duty, you're pretty sure you, and everyone else, would know exactly how he felt about it by this point.
Shou's mouth clicks shut.
You take the opportunity and continue. "I think we'll probably be put to use keeping the Altaria's focus away from Gereon and his tracker." It's not hard to make that leap of logic, as Gereon has specified he'll be the one putting it on the Altaria. With his hands tied getting something like that done, it'll probably be up to you and everyone else to keep the situation wrangled. "Which is why I want to do this, because my own Pokemon are uniquely well-suited for keeping an Altaria distracted. Are your Pokemon less suited for that kind of role?"
The cramped, impotent look on Shou's face twists into something more acutely annoyed. "No, Kaleidoscope is good at running interference, and Rune is trained in support."
"Well, there you go," you say, gesturing at him with both hands. "Our Pokemon are well-suited for the job, and like I said before, I doubt we'll just be passive onlookers as Gereon does this job. I think this is our best option, here."
Shou's visible annoyance slowly begins to fall away, though his eyebrows remained pinched together. He shifts onto his heels briefly, rocking in place. "Do you have something against following the river?" he asks finally, voice a little quieter.
You shake your head. "Honestly? If it wasn't for the option to help put the tracker on the Altaria, it'd probably be my choice too. It's just that it seems to me that this job is the one where I can help out the most."
After another moment of silence, Shou's face slowly, reluctantly, eases back out into neutrality. He lets out a long, tired sigh. "Alright," he says, "we'll go with Gereon, if the job is still available. If it's not, though, I want you on board for following the river up."
You shrug. "Sure." It's no skin off of your nose, honestly.
The difference one word can make is rather notable. Shou's shoulders finally relax, loosening out from where they'd been pulled up towards his ears, and his stance becomes less drawn in, more loose.
You file the conversation and Shou's responses away in the back of your head, rolling it over in silence. You can linger on Shou's hang-ups later, but for now, you have a job to grab.
"Let's head up." Turning back towards Gereon, you find the crowds from before have thinned, people pulling away to start grabbing equipment and form larger units. With a path forward now actually available, you work your way towards Gereon, and Shou quietly falls into step next to you, hands stuffed into his pockets.
Before long, you're coming to a stop in front of Gereon, who briefly pauses from talking with another pair of rangers to look your way.
"I was wondering where the two of you got to," he says, before turning back to the conversation he was having. A few short comments later, and the pair of rangers depart off towards a set of boxes, with Gereon's attention finally falling completely on to you. "So, Kylie, Shou, what are you two thinking as far as jobs go? Anything catch your eye?"
"If you have room for us, we'd like to join you when you put the tracker on the Altaria," you tell him.
Gereon's face lights up in a smile. "Oh—I totally have room for you. I'm bringing one other team with me for this, Jackie and Tsunda, you saw them yesterday." Reaching down, Gereon snags a notebook from a nearby table, flips it open, pulls the pen from where it'd been hooked into the spiral spine, and quickly jots something down on one of the pages. "They're off to my left, go and introduce yourselves. I have to handle some organization with the operators we have to make sure everything goes smoothly, but that should be done in fifteen to twenty minutes, tops."
"Sure," you say. "We'll see you then."
Gereon waves his pen at you distractedly, eyes still fixed on his notebook as he scribbles something else down.
Turning away, you look towards Gereon's left. Finding Jackie and Tsunda isn't terribly hard, mostly because you remember that one of them has vivid green hair, which stands out from amid the crowd of your other coworkers like a beacon.
Making your way over, you skirt through several groups, follow the back wall of the lobby until you hit the western wall of the building, framed with large open windows peeking out into a fog-choked landscape beyond. There, standing next to a window - cracked open to let the humid breeze in - stands the pair from yesterday: one heavy-set and bearded, the other lanky and green-haired.
The two are talking idly to one another, but their conversation dies as you get closer, and the bearded one turns fully to you as you approach.
"Hey, Gereon sent us over—we'll be working with you on getting the tracker on the Altaria," you explain, coming to a stop just a few paces away from the pair. "He said he'll be another fifteen minutes or so, told us to get familiarized with you."
The bearded man smiles, white teeth peeking through a forest of dense black. He steps forward, extends his hand out, and you take it, getting a shoulder-rattling shake for your troubles. "Good to meet you! I'm Jackie Thompson, I was working out of north Unova before I answered the call for aid in Hoenn. My area of expertise is in birds as a whole—mainly handling them. Might as well tell you about my Pokemon, since we have the time," he tells you merrily. "I'm joined by my three Pokemon: Pierre, an Unfezant and an ambassador. Not in the sense of a wildlife ambassador, as you sometime get, but in the sense that he's really good at interacting with - and flattering - other birds and keeping them calm, but he's not particularly good in a scrap. The rest of my team consists of Saturday, my Ducklett, and Fancy, my Vullaby. Saturday's one of the best fliers I've ever reared, while Fancy's a tough, strong girl who, for better or for worse, rarely gets intimidated."
Releasing his hand after one final shake, you let your arm drop back to your side. "I'm Kylie Parsons, from east Orre. I'm most familiar with aquatic ecosystems, though I haven't had the time to fall into any particular niche as a ranger. I have two Pokemon with me: B.B., my Whismur, and Urchin, my Mareanie. This will be Urchin's first mission, and while she's field trained, she's still green, but she's making great progress. B.B. is a particularly strong attacker, and has the coverage to capitalize on it, while Urchin is fast on her feet, clever, and physically strong for a Mareanie."
Jackie shoots you a smile, before turning towards the green-haired man—the one who could only be Tsunda.
Tsunda steps forward and gives you a rather polite bow. "I'm Tsunda Akai, I'm from Hoenn. My Pokemon are, uhm, Porkchop, my Torkoal, and Smiles, my Sableye. I've trained Porkchop to be a wall, with a number of supportive and disabling moves, while Smiles is trained to take advantage of that and disable targets who are busy with Porkchop. I don't really have any particular area of expertise, but I've been working out of the archipelago for over a year now. It's good to meet you."
With that done, that just left Shou, who steps forward and offers one of his 'I'm-bowing-exactly-as-low-as-it-is-culturally-mandated-of-me-and-no-further' perfunctory bows. "Shou Kamden, I'm from north Kanto. My Pokemon are Rune, an Eevee, and Kaleidoscope, a Vulpix. Rune is well-trained in supportive moves, while Kaleidoscope is capable of using Incinerate alongside a variety of status moves, such as Confuse Ray and Will-O-Wisp. Both of my Pokemon are also capable scent trackers."
"You two were the ones who passed along the information on the Altaria we're heading over to, right?" Jackie asks immediately once Shou's done, eyes jumping between the two of you. "How close did you get?"
"Basically right beneath it," you answer, "we talked with the guy who owns the house she's currently sitting on, he was out grilling in a monsoon thanks to the protection the Altaria's Cloud Nine ability provided."
"Anything you can pass along that you haven't already told us about?" Jackie asks, his focus now all but entirely centred on you.
You consider that. "Well—there's not much? The Altaria looked to be in good health, there was no sign of injury, and the guy who owned the house attested to that. Nobody mentioned seeing any eggs or hatchlings, so it's unlikely the Altaria's actually brooding on the roof or something. I don't actually know that much about Altaria, and to be honest with you, I'm not even sure how they knew she is, well, a she."
"Oh, that's easy," Jackie says with the air of someone about to describe something quite the opposite without realizing it. "Altaria as a whole are not particularly sexually dimorphic, but neither are they purely monomorphic, either. Specifically, female Altaria are generally larger than their male counterparts and have longer tail feathers. It's actually quite simple to pick them apart once you know what to look for!"
You'll have to take his word for it.
"Besides all of that, she seems to be fairly used to human presence." Or at least not threatened by the presence of humans, you think. "She got 'fussy' - if not aggressive, from what they said - when she was crowded by humans, but that's fairly standard for most wild Pokemon. She makes the occasional call, but not many, or at least not enough that I was getting complaints about it. She's sitting on his solar panels, but even if I don't know much about Altaria, I'm pretty sure that's not some important key detail, but rather because it's a smooth, flat surface that's comfortable to sit on."
"That's almost certainly the case," Jackie confirms. "Could also be that the solar panels retain heat better, but I'll be honest and say I don't know enough about them to say one way or another. Whatever the precise reasoning it, it probably just comes down to 'it's more comfortable than the rest of the roof'."
"Well, at least we have one less thing to worry about," you say.
Jackie merely nods along.
Your group of five step through the Cloud Nine boundary together not half-an-hour later.
This time around, you're prepared for it. Even as your ears threaten to pop and your skin dries out uncomfortably quick, you stop yourself from staggering and keep yourself moving forward, one foot at a time, until the sensations all fade away.
Shou, next to you, manages it much the same, barely twitching as he crosses the threshold.
The same, however, cannot be said for the others.
You watch as Gereon nearly trips over his own feet as he crosses the boundary, eyes twitching half-shut in a grimace of discomfort or pain, it's hard to tell. Tsunda, comparatively, staggers entirely, one hand going up to his head while his other arm is thrown out wide to keep his balance. Finally, Jackie doesn't trip or stumble, but he does stop dead in his tracks after he's inside, his face going pale and expression contorting into faint nausea and discomfort, sweat beading his brow.
Giving them a moment to regather themselves, you take the time to glance around.
Moreso than yesterday, the weather today is doing a very good job at showing just how Cloud Nine operates as an ability. In the sphere of its influence, the foggy weather simply ceases to be. It's not that the fog is driven away or out, you recognize; there's no heavy wall of fog clinging to the outer perimeter of the effect, waiting for the chance to fill in the vacuum they've been denied, but rather, there's simply a point where the fog merely... ends, cutting off into nothing.
A closer inspection, honed from your years navigating fog at home and combined with your recent experiences only developing on it further, reveals something even more odd: the fog to the north, moving south, seamlessly connects up with the fog to your south, as if there is no boundary of clear air sitting between them.
Satisfied with your inspection of the undeniable weirdness of your current situation, your gaze drops away from the edges of the Cloud Nine effect and towards the house you're here to actually manage. There, on the roof, is the Altaria in the exact same place she was the last time you saw her. She is, just as she did yesterday, ignoring everything around her, though you don't know if that's because she's already paused to inspect your group in the time you spent gawking at the fog, or if it's because she really does just not see any of you as a threat.
Below the Altaria, on the porch, sits the man you saw yesterday cooking on a grill. Unlike the Altaria, his gaze is very much fixed on your group, and you can see recognition in his stare as his eyes flit between you and Shou, before lingering on the other three members. He has a bowl of something in his lap, and he looks rather tired, though you suspect that's more from the hour than anything else.
"Alright, I'm okay," Jackie wheezes out somewhere from your side. You turn to find the man in the process of wiping the sweat from his forehead with a hanky. "I did not expect it to be that intense. It was like I walked through two separate pressure systems in just a few steps, all of them at opposite ends of the spectrum."
"You basically did," Gereon tells him, having completely recovered in the time since you last looked at him. He stands now a few paces away, inspecting his surroundings, his gaze lingering briefly on the Altaria. "Everyone good to go?"
"I'm fine," Tsunda confirms, rubbing at one eye.
"I was prepared for it," you explain with a shrug.
Shou nods. "I'm ready."
Gereon claps his hands against his knees, then breathes out and turns fully towards the man at the porch. "Right, let's go talk to Mr. Konishi, shall we?"
With a goal in mind, Gereon starts moving, and the rest of you are not far behind him. As a group, you all make your way across his dew-licked lawn, and as you approach, the man on the porch places his bowl on the porch next to him and rises to his feet.
"Mr. Konishi, right?" Gereon asks, bringing your group to a stop just short of the steps leading up onto the porch. "I'm Gereon Yates, leader of the ranger response on your island. We're here about the Altaria on your roof. You were informed about what we're here to do, right?"
"Call me Ryuuji, please. There's never been anyone famous enough in my family be called Mr. Konishi," the man replies, rubbing at one eye with a loose fist. "The kind lady who called me last evenin'—Sasha, I think her name was—told me about what you wanted to do, told me when you'd be coming around too. Damned early for it, but better you get it out of the way now, I suppose."
Gereon smiles sympathetically. "Sorry about that, but like you said, it's in everyone's best interest if we get this done now. Judging from what you told Kylie and Shou here, she's probably still resting after her nightly outing. Did she make one last night?"
"A'yup." Ryuuji turns, reaching down to grab his bowl and bring it back up to his chest. Whatever's inside of it is still hot enough to waft with steam, and he takes a moment to poke at it with his spoon. "Left at around... twelve or one in the morning? I dunno when she got back, but I've been awake for going on twenty minutes now, and she's been up there since I woke up."
"Trouble sleeping?" Gereon asks patiently.
Ryuuji wiggles one hand. "Eh, yes and no. S'not the Altaria, if that's where your angling, she only tends to start squawking when the sun's high. Some nights come easier to me than others, is all."
Nodding, Gereon's gaze slips up to the Altaria, then falls back down to Ryuuji. "Is everyone else out of the house, by the way?"
Ryuuji bobs his head. "Aye. It's just me and my son, Kaito. He's sleeping over at a friend's place—easy enough to get set up, once I explained to his friends parents what was goin' on and why he might want to be out of the house for this. I just gotta ask... please try to avoid having a battle on my roof. I'd really prefer it if I didn't have to rebuild my home, I already dodged that fate once in the last few weeks."
Gereon raises both hands in a sign of surrender. "Having everyone out of the building is a precaution, and one for something that already has a slim chance of happening. We aren't here trying to rile up or get into a battle with the Altaria, just put a tracker on it, and I'll be doing everything I can to make sure it remains that way."
Ryuuji breathes out tiredly. "Fair 'nough."
"Now, this all might take a while, and in that time, we'd want you out of the house. If you've got to use the bathroom, if you want to get anything to amuse yourself with, and so on, I'd ask you do it now," Gereon explains, gesturing towards the front door. "Depending on the Altaria's personality and her physical state, this could be over in ten minutes or three hours, and it's hard to say for certain at the moment. Also, if your family has any Pokemon, I need to ask they remain in their 'ball for the time being, just to avoid any potential problems."
Ryuuji spares a glance back at his house, lips pursed thoughtfully. "Could probably do with a couple of things. My e-reader, for one. Don't worry about my Pokemon, neither—we've only got the one family pet, Chowder, and she's a lazy ass of a Poochyena. She'd live in her ball if it didn't mean she couldn't gobble down treats anymore. She's in my pocket right now, but... ah, yeah, I'll go grab a few things and use the washroom. I'll be back in a few minutes."
"Take your time. I have some things I need to discuss with my coworkers before we get started anyway," Gereon tells him gently.
Ryuuji nods, pauses, then with bowl in hand steps back up to the front door, pops it open, and slinks back inside, the door swinging shut behind him.
With that, Gereon turns back to your group. "Thank the gods for operators," he tells you all, a sentiment you can agree with. You try to imagine having to knock on this poor man's door at the asscrack of dawn to politely ask that he and his family leave their home for an unspecified amount of time so you can potentially set off the Altaria on his roof in an attempt to get a tracker on it. You imagine a lot of doors being slammed in your face. This is why you have people trained to explain these things and assuage concerns, you suppose. "Alright everyone, huddle up, we've got to figure out a plan here."
Everyone moves in, Gereon taking the moment to pull out what you think at first is a hairband, but upon closer inspection is a simple black anklet of a kind, with an adjustable strap. He presents it to you all.
"This is the device I need to get onto the Altaria. When properly worn, this is skin-tight and more than durable enough to put up with anything short of an actual move being used on it, which the Altaria is unlikely to do, given it would need to use it on its own foot to accomplish that. It's nearly impossible to remove without opposable thumbs, to boot. Getting it onto the Altaria is where things are going to get a little messy, though.
"We can approach this in a number of ways, but breaking it down, we need three things: a distraction, a method of engagement, and contingencies. For distractions, we can go with something like a nuisance distraction, which is to say something that won't exactly upset the Altaria, but annoy it, and draw its attention over. This would be something like loud noises, intruding on the Pokemon's space without directly threatening it, and so on. There's neutral distractions, things that would inspire curiosity or interest, neither positive or negative, just attentive. Finally, there's positive distractions, which would include things such as flattering the Altaria, giving it something it would want to possess—food, most likely—and so on."
Gereon tucks the band back away in his pocket.
"Next is the method of engagement. How we engage with the Altaria heavily affects how I'll be able to interact with it. Using our stylers on the Altaria to inspire positive - likely calming emotions - would let me slip this anklet on while keeping my presence known to the Altaria, as one example. That said, stylers are stylers, and no Pokemon responds too positively to having their emotions changed, especially not clever ones like Altaria, or at least not at first, and we could end up with the Altaria attacking a disc if we're not careful. We could forego the styler entirely, then, and rely exclusively on distractions, but I'd need to go in quietly and stealthily and slip the anklet on before running off so it won't get the chance to attack me. Finally, there's a third option: we do something so incredibly obnoxious or so extremely tempting that the Altaria leaves the roof, and once down on the lawn, it'll be much easier for me to approach and slip the anklet on with the distractions much closer and the Altaria preoccupied with whatever it is we've cooked up."
Stepping back, Gereon turns to look up at the Altaria, his gaze collected, if steely. After a moment, he turns to look back at all of you, and smiles a thin, wan smile, empty of any kind of humour.
"Last and most important is contingencies. Altaria are dangerous Pokemon, make no mistake, and if things begin to go south, we need a way to both deescalate and make sure the Altaria hesitates before it launches into an attack. Altaria display dominance and threat by being loud, often so loud it can injure any Pokemon near to them, and paradoxically, they respond most favourably to other Pokemon being loud in response. You see, Altaria get very suddenly quiet before they attack, so most Altaria see a Pokemon not fleeing at their loud noises, but remaining where they are and being very silent, as a threat, or at least an indication that an attack is about to happen. Finally, I'll also need a Pokemon available to respond with an attack in the event that things truly do go south; I doubt it'll happen, but it'll be much safer if I can be sure that if an Altaria tries to attack one of us, there'll be something coming at it that'll make it have to respond to that, rather than focusing on us as we retreat."
Reaching down, Gereon plucks two pokeballs from his hip: a pair of net 'balls, by the looks of it. "I have two Pokemon: Sun, a Volcarona, and Moon, a Frosmoth. Both are very good at being distracting and disorienting, as well as intimidating, as you might know if you've ever run into either species before. They're both very flamboyant, and they're both well-trained enough to work without me shouting commands at them, though I'll need to prepare delayed commands before we do anything, and once I'm up there managing the Altaria, I won't be in a position to fix those commands if they go awry. They can fill any role that you guys can't, for the most part, but I'd prefer if you let them fill in gaps left over, ideally ones that are flexible, rather than pivotal to the game plan."
Holding both balls in hand, he scans across your group, then nods resolutely.
"As for ideas on how to approach all of this... I brought bait with me, the good stuff, and I think I have just enough that if we piled it all up in front of the Altaria, it'd be enough to draw her down from the roof. Or it could be given to her more incrementally, to stretch the amount of time she's distracted by eating it, if you're fine with her staying up there. Altaria share the same cleaning instincts as their prior evolution, and messing up the general area would probably be enough to distract her, and if you made a big enough mess, possibly enough to bring her down to clean it... but also likely to put a stop to whatever's doing it. Could also just have a Pokemon yell at her or the like, too, if none of this feels like it's worth the risk. No Pokemon likes getting barked at, though its unlikely to be anything more than an annoying distraction for her. But you guys undoubtedly have some ideas, let's hear them."
Choice:
[Note: this will be a plan vote. Below, you will make a decision on how you distract and engage with the Altaria, as well as adjusting for contingencies. You do not need to use the examples Gereon gave you, feel free to offer up completely divergent ideas, I'll only step in if I need to veto it. You can assign specific Pokemon to certain tasks, however given you do not know the strengths of your teammates' Pokemon in great detail, you can also include general categories ('Pokemon who can make messes') if you're uncertain and don't know where to assign them. You can (and may need to) assign multiple Pokemon to specific parts of the plan. Feel free to use bulbapedia or other online sources of information to make informed decisions about what a Torkoal or Ducklett might have for moves and the like. Also, you can safely assume both of Gereon's Pokemon are the strongest Pokemon currently available in terms of raw firepower.]
[ ] Plan name
-[ ] Distraction
--[ ] Write in
---[ ] Pokemon
---[ ] Rangers
-[ ] Method of Engagement
--[ ] Write in
---[ ] Pokemon
---[ ] Rangers
-[ ] Contingency
--[ ] Write in
---[ ] Pokemon
---[ ] Rangers
--[ ] Reserved Attacking Pokemon
---[ ] Assigned Pokemon
Last edited:
infinityDivided
Prince Of Doom
- Location
- USA
That sounds like a spacial effect, which is absolutely not how I would have thought Cloud Nine would work.
Assuming one pokemon per job, I'd say B.B. is on Loud Noises Duty.
Given Shou's chip on the shoulder, we should probably involve every ranger somewhere, and him probably not just as contingency, since that thought seemed to rankle him.
Given Shou's chip on the shoulder, we should probably involve every ranger somewhere, and him probably not just as contingency, since that thought seemed to rankle him.
- Location
- Around here
- Pronouns
- He/Him
- Teammates
Let's run through our options.
Distractions:
1. Nuisance distraction:
2. Neutral distraction:
3. Positive distraction:
1. Kaleidoscope and B.B. are likely to be effective nuisance distractions.
2. Kaleidoscope can also probably act well as a neutral distraction through colorful projections, but Pierre is also probably a pretty effective distraction.
3. Pierre is probably well suited as a positive distraction.
Engagement:
A: Use Stylers to alter emotions; this may cause negative reactions.
B: Focus on distractions, and have Gereon sneak close.
C: Be so obnoxious/interesting that Altaria leaves the roof.
Contingencies:
B.B. is loud and annoying. Top tier in this role.
Extra attacker:
Smiles and Porkchop have a variety of disabling tools, so they're probably well suited to shut down an Altaria who's decided to start attacking.
Tentatively, I'm looking at something along the following lines.
[X] Plan Dragon-Types Love Hierarchy (Incomplete)
-[X] Distraction
--[X] Neutral/positive distraction: Catch Altaria's attention with a show of tribute. Find a pile of food and 'gift' it to Altaria.
---[X] Kaleidoscope, other Pokemon who can create a visually impressive display.
---[X] Rangers: Shou
-[X] Method of Engagement
--[X] Use stylers to calm the Altaria, using emotions of dominance, projecting the idea that we were subservient to it and thus harmless.
---[X] Pokemon: Pierre, any Pokemon who have the temperament to deescalate an active fight.
---[X] Rangers: Jackie and Kylie using their Stylers.
-[X] Contingency
--[X] If Altaria attempts to aggressively drive off the other Pokemon:
---[X] B.B. interferes loudly
---[X] Rangers: Kylie
--[X] Reserved Attacking Pokemon
---[X] Pokemon: Smiles, Porkchop, Urchin
Not sure where to put Frosmoth and Volcarona.
Also, it looks like Shou might have issues with authority- he might not have been given the chance to act independently in the past. That said, uh. Certain emotions might be easy for him to summon up?
There's probably an alternate version of this plan focused more on a dominance battle, though that might get... risky.
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I'll be honest, I'm not getting any real creative ideas on that aren't mentioned in the update. At the moment my prefference would be essentially having the Unpheasant Ambassador present food and flattery to bait Altaria down and keept it occupied, then use the realively short feeding time to start stylering it.
B.B. would be part of the contingency team if Altaria feels combative. Vullaby might fit here too.
Urchin should probably stay in the Attack column, given that she will almost certainly either try to play with Altaria or startle her with an outburst.
No idea where to insert other pokemon, but I want as many Rangers Stylering as possible. Especially Shou, since I don't really know what to do with his mon unless we battle.
Maybe look cute as a distraction?
I think Gereon should keep at least one mon on his person as a last ditch contingency.
I feel like I'm making use of too few of our resources for me to make an actual plan and I'm heading to sleep, so this is just my general ideas.
B.B. would be part of the contingency team if Altaria feels combative. Vullaby might fit here too.
Urchin should probably stay in the Attack column, given that she will almost certainly either try to play with Altaria or startle her with an outburst.
No idea where to insert other pokemon, but I want as many Rangers Stylering as possible. Especially Shou, since I don't really know what to do with his mon unless we battle.
Maybe look cute as a distraction?
I think Gereon should keep at least one mon on his person as a last ditch contingency.
I feel like I'm making use of too few of our resources for me to make an actual plan and I'm heading to sleep, so this is just my general ideas.
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infinityDivided
Prince Of Doom
- Location
- USA
...Wait, he has a Volcarona?! A mini-sun god in his pocket?! What the hell.
I guess that's why he's the boss.
SmashQueen
Professional duck-cat.
Well then. B.B. and Urchin can definitely do loud lol.
I'd say distract with food for sure. No silence, apparently. And something visually interesting to catch it's attention. Breakfast and a show!
Edit: and a plan along those lines has already been suggested!
I'd say distract with food for sure. No silence, apparently. And something visually interesting to catch it's attention. Breakfast and a show!
Edit: and a plan along those lines has already been suggested!
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- Pronouns
- She
[X] Plan Dragon-Types Love Hierarchy
[X] Plan Dragon-Types Love Hierarchy
Wow, I didn't think Shou would want to navigate the missing river.
A thought vis a vis the Loves Hierarchy plan is that Gereon should keep his 'mons in reserve for if it turns into a fight. Alternatively I'm sure the both of them could make a pretty display or very flashy distraction.
Also, I'm not sure about using the bait. That feels like something that could be useful down the line. But, I'm not too hung up on it to think it should be avoided altogether.
Also, I'm not sure about using the bait. That feels like something that could be useful down the line. But, I'm not too hung up on it to think it should be avoided altogether.
- Location
- Canada
Based on this outburst, I think that part of the distaste Shou has for Kylie is he thinks she isn't taking this whole thing seriously, what with how Urchin is just barely trained for fieldwork, and he thinks she's more trying to boost her own career by taking advantage of this tragedy. Not going to lie, if I'd had a better idea about what his Pokemon were capable of, it would probably have affected my vote, but I probably could have figured out the scent tracking thing based on the species of his Pokemon. Ah well, will remember for the future.
So I've come up with a similar plan to @aimlessPolymath, but I'm focusing more on the Bird part of Altaria. We've seen they live in a colony, and have been told that they retain the instinct to clean, so a large part of their social structure would be composed of preening and grooming, especially for parts of their body they cannot easily reach. And Jackie, has revealed a surprisingly detailed knowledge of Altaria, so he can likely figure out how best to groom one by tapping into his bird knowledge for context.
So my plan starts with a positive distraction by combining some (not all) of the good food Gereon brought along with Pierre to communicate/flatter the Altaria. This puts the Altaria in a better frame of mind and gets it off of the roof so we appease the homeowner. Jackie can read the bird's body language and call out what it's feeling to the best of his knowledge.
Next, we go with all five rangers using their stylers with the feeling of safety and comfort, of the feeling of self-care and preening that most birds revel in, and by using all five it should really make the emotional effect work faster. Pierre should keep trying to talk and calm the Altaria, but if it starts lashing out he should retreat, possibly using a debuff move in the process. Saturday and Fancy should fly around to interrupt any attempts by the Altaria to attack a styler or retreat to the roof, while Kaleidoscope, Rune, Porkchop, and Smiles do the same from the ground, focusing on disabling and disruption (like Confusion) over status (Burns, poison) and attacking, to lessen the differing emotions that would be generated. Shou, Jackie, and Tsunda would be primaries for this part because it's their Pokemon involved in the brunt of the action.
Once the Altaria is calmed, Jackie and Gereon will approach her with the remaining food, and Jackie will break out any preening supplies he has for his own birds and begin the process of grooming (perhaps with his own birds getting involved). Gereon takes this opportunity to slip the tracker on.
If things get bad, and the Altaria starts vocalizing loudly, B.B. will respond with Screech to dominate the Altaria with volume. I considered just having B.B. scream without using a move, but by using Screech it softens up the Altaria for any future attacks. If the Altaria goes quiet, lash out with Echoed Voice instead for damage. Urchin I think should stay in her Pokeball, since a chaotic scrum like this could easily overwhelm her, and poisoning either our ally Pokemon or the Altaria will result in lots of screaming and bad things. Sun the Volcarona will instead back up B.B., likely being able to make a loud buzzing noise or a powerful display of fire.
Moon will be kept in reserve with an Ice move for if things go really bad, because Altaria will have to respond to a move of that typing or risk being knocked out.
Edit: Added a special order for everyone to make noise so as to keep the Altaria from thinking an attack is foredooming. Raided Jackie's supplies for bird treats. Reduce the response of B.B. to only use an actual attack if the Altaria goes silent.
[X] Plan Preference for Preening
-[X] Special Order: Have all rangers and Pokemon constantly vocalizing, to waylay the Altaria's instincts regarding silence. If issues with creating sound, use a music player or other noise maker.
-[X] Distraction
--[X] Positive, Dinner and a Show
---[X] Pokemon: Pierre the Unfezant starts interacting with the Altaria, conversing and flattering and getting it in a positive mood.
----[X] Lay down the "good bait" Gereon brought on the ground. Pierre invites the Altaria down to eat.
---[X] Ranger: Jackie keeps a close eye on the engagement and calls out what he's interpreting about the Altaria's mood.
-[X] Method of Engagement
--[X] Styling into Safety
---[X] Pokemon
----[X] Pierre the Unfezant continues to soothe and calm the Altaria as best he can, but will retreat if it gets too heated. Any debuff moves he has, now's the time to use them.
----[X] Saturday the Ducklett and Fancy the Lullaby can fly around and intercept the Altaria if it tries to go for a styler or return to the roof.
----[X] Kaleidoscope the Vulpix uses Confuse Ray to weaken the Altaria's mental fortitude and coordination. Rune the Eevee offers support where appropriate.
---[X] Porkchop the Torkoal for a big wall that the Rangers can hide their Stylers behind, along with supporting and disabling moves.
---[X] Smiles the Sableye to back up the other Pokemon and jump in to startle the Altaria.
---[X] Rangers
----[X] All Rangers using Stylers with the feelings of Safety and Comfort, with emphasis on care and grooming if possible.
----[X] Shou, Jackie, and Tsunda take point directing actions while Altaria is resisting Stylers, since their Pokemon are the most involved.
----[X] Once pacified, Gereon and Jackie openly approach the Altaria with any of Jackie's premium bird food/treats and offer them up. Jackie uses his bird knowledge to preen the placated Altaria (with potential assistance from his bird partners) while Gereon attaches the tracker.
-[X] Contingency
--[X] Things are getting loud.
---[X] Pokemon
----[X] B.B. responds to any loud vocalization from the Altaria with his own louder vocalizations. If she goes silent, use Screech and Echoed Voice.
----[X] Sun the Volcarona will begin buzzing, menacingly, or using pyrotechnics. As Gereon said, stepping in to offer a big stick when needed.
---[X] Rangers
----[X] Kylie, to direct B.B.
--[X] Reserved Attacking Pokemon
---[X] Moon the Frosmoth for that sweet, sweet 4x weakness.
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BagFullOfLizards
Some bag, mostly lizards
- Location
- A bag
Just found this quest (very fun!) and I'm not familiar with stylers. The risk is called out that using them might provoke an attack, partially from disliking the manipulation and probably partially from how noticeable they are in motion. Do they have to be moving to work? Could we hide some on the ground or beneath the bait pile to let them work without drawing attention?
- Location
- being near locations is my passion.
Honestly, this is a bit of the internal conflict I've been enjoying in this quest - not that Kylie is trying to boost her own career, but rather the conflict between 'pick coastal stuff because that's where you work best, in this region spanning disaster' and 'pick non-costal stuff, so you have different experiences and broaden your knowledge base for use in the next few decades and be useful in the next big emergency.'
Can't say I'm glad to see Shou snap at us, at least it gives us more insight into him. From my read, his frustration and drive to help others are genuine but sublimated by his formality. His lack of initiative is odd though. I don't think it's due to the quest format (we've had characters make suggestions before). Based on his outburst, maybe he was previously paired with a superior who pushed back on his suggestions in favor of career growth? Too much to speculate on for now, and we've got a job to do.
[X] Plan Preference for Preening
Shame that Kylie doesn't get to leverage Soothing Presence in this plan, but B.B. is definitely best suited for first contingencies and I prefer having rangers assigned to the same action as their Pokemon to respond to changing situations. I'm also not certain on Kaleidoscope's role, is it possible a Confuse Ray could make the Altaria aggressive or react unpredictably?
[X] Plan Preference for Preening
Shame that Kylie doesn't get to leverage Soothing Presence in this plan, but B.B. is definitely best suited for first contingencies and I prefer having rangers assigned to the same action as their Pokemon to respond to changing situations. I'm also not certain on Kaleidoscope's role, is it possible a Confuse Ray could make the Altaria aggressive or react unpredictably?
[X] Plan Preference for Preening
- Location
- Canada
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Using enough bait to draw the Altaria down from the roof is unlikely to leave any but a small amount left over, enough for a treat but nothing more. Everything else looks great, though!
Kylie is the one who admits she has limited knowledge about Altaria. Jackie, comparatively, has the knowledge needed to ID an Altaria's sex on sight. Sorry about the confusion in phrasing. This doesn't really affect things (and the fact that Jackie is familiar with Altaria adds onto your plan, if anything) I just wanted to make this clear to other quest members.
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Isiri Pudireach
Predictive text can go duck itself
Yeah, they gotta move. They work by drawing big glowing circles around the target.
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cE1QIjlWtTI