> Fourth Block [action for Nacrene]

[doingthemistything]

[Anyone looking  for Kirino can find him in the lobby of the Pokémon Center, sitting against a wall and leaning against his Milotic, with his Mightyena curled up against his side and Alto perched in her usual place on his head. People in the area might notice that this is the third or fourth day in a row that Kirino's been in this position, but this time there's something different--a book lying on his lap that he's idly flipping through and staring at the pictures.

Clearly this is begging for someone to come bother him.]

Comments

[facedesk]

[Well hey there, Kirino - Hama's coming over and flopping down right next to you if you don't mind, snuggling up to your side and looking at your book with a curious "Floa?"

And then Hayami shows up, of course.]

Oh, Hama-kun - it's... probably best to not bother Kirino-kun right now...!

[doingthemistything]

[Kirino blinks a couple times when the Floatzel flops down, but smiles and looks over to Hayami.] It's all right, Hayami, he's fine. [Hama gets some headpats for good measure c: The page Kirino just flipped to in his book has a picture of Cobalion. Kirino stares down at it before eventually murmuring:] That was the Pokémon that showed up at the Contest Hall..

[zeroyon]

... ? Which Pokemon?

[He'll just come over and peek and -] C-Cobalion...!?

Are you sure that's the one you saw...!?

[doingthemistything]

I am! Shindou saw it too! He showed up at the Contest Hall, wrecked it, and ran off with some of the people there!

[zeroyon]

But why would Cobalion...!?

[... Yeah, he gulped just then. Don't mind him, he just. Has to sit down.]

... I-it's... Cobalion's a legendary Pokemon, known for fighting a war against people to protect the homes and lives of other Pokemon from human expansion...
But why would it just show up and run off? I-it doesn't make sense, unless people are pushing boundaries again...!

[doingthemistything]

I dunno... But it's that one, Terrakion and Virizion, right? That's what it said in this book... [A pause.] I hope the people taken are all right...

[zeroyon]

W-well, um... Cobalion's scary, but it's supposed to be calm and just. It probably has a reason, even if we can't see it yet. Which means the ones who were kidnapped might be okay, too.

But, um, yes. Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion.

[... He's not sure Kirino gets the heavy implications this has, but Hayami knows he and Hamano sure will - if legendary Pokemon are acting up, something is seriously wrong. That's how it's always been, in all of the games ever made and their lore...]

[doingthemistything]

... It's a big deal, isn't it? [There's a long pause before Kirino quickly scrambles to open the book and then pulls out his Xtransceiver, fumbling with it as he starts flipping through pictures he'd taken with it.]

... Oh, no... Hayami...? Remember the blackout in October...?

[facedesk]

Y-yeah, I do. And yeah, it is...

[HE'S FREAKING OUT INTERNALLY, HONEST. This'll blow up later, all over Hamano --]

... W-what about it?

[doingthemistything]

Remember how they released those pictures that the security cameras got...? I took a snapshot of those...

[He'll just. Surrender his device to Hayami so he can get a look at those pictures.]

[facedesk]

[He'll just... take them for a second then, quietly flipping through them for a minute or so - before turning a tad pale and handing it back.]

... T...T-Terrakion...

[... He may be shaking just a bit.]

[doingthemistything]

This is bad, this is bad...

[Good job, Hayami, you've effectively freaked Kirino out.]

[facedesk]

T-this is really, really bad!

[He'll just curl into a ball and hold his head a bit, whoops -]

W-w-why are they acting up all of a sudden...!? A-are we doing something wrong? I c-can't think of something that would set them off, unless...

[doingthemistything]

... Hang on, Pokémon games usually have some token evil team that causes trouble around the region, right?

[facedesk]

Well... yes - but the only one here is Team Plasma. The Gym Leaders have all been the same, though... so I suppose... t-they could be at it again?

But they'd... they'd have to be hurting Pokemon for the Swords of Justice to g-get involved...! A lot of Pokemon...

[.................................. though that sounds like something Ghetsis would do, in retrospect.]

[doingthemistything]

I guess we can't jump to any conclusions straight away, but I guess we should be extra-careful...

What's Team Plasma like, anyway? [The joys of having Pokénerds for friends.]

[facedesk]

Well, um...

They're... well...
They think Pokemon and humans shouldn't live together. They tried forcing trainers to give up their Pokemon, and some even resorted to stealing them from trainers...

Though, they... kind of used their leader, tricking him into thinking he was doing a good thing. But, uh... they... really just wanted to be the only ones who owned Pokemon. Kind of like nobility.

... They're a real nasty group.

[doingthemistything]

... Wow, what jerks. [Even Constance, Pochi, and Alto voice similar discontent, the Mightyena snuggling closer to Kirino.]

[facedesk]

Yeah... They act noble about it, too. Like they're knights, protecting Pokemon from harm - when really, they're just greedy...

... [HUFFS] I-if this is because of Team Plasma, I need to train my team more...! I can't let them do something wrong to Unova again!

[... Er. He kind of wilts a bit after saying that.]

... Or, um... I guess everyone else would probably take care of them first, but... Just in case!

[doingthemistything]

Hey, luck favors the prepared!

[facedesk]

Y-yeah...!

[He'll just let out another huff, though - Team Plasma messing up the world and angering the Swords of Justice... the idea just ruffles his jimmies. >:c]

... I sort of hope it is Team Plasma's fault, though. Because if it's not...
T-then whose would it be?

[doingthemistything]

... I don't want to think about that. [A pause, as he reaches over and scratches Pochi's head.]

Maybe we should ask one of the people who got taken, when they get back...

[facedesk]

... Y-yeah. I mean - Cobalion is a just Pokemon, it... it'll give them up eventually. They didn't do anything directly, after all...!

[... Oh, 'scuse him, Kirino, but Hama needs to go over and wrap an arm around Hayami's shoulders. Pat pat.
There there, trainer, Cobalion's a bro, they'll be a-okay. He thinks.]

[doingthemistything]

[Alto, taking a cue from Hama, flies over to Hayami and nudges against his cheek , chirping in agreement.]

[netting_nettles]

[Kariya hasn't been around the Center much over the past few days -- going out early to train and then coming back late, with only jaunts back into Nacrene City for food. But that doesn't mean he hasn't noticed that Kirino seems to now live next to this wall or something.

Or that he hasn't heard anything about what happened in Nimbasa.]

Hey, Kirino-senpai.

[Is all he says as he slinks his way over. He stretches his arms high over his head as if to say, "Wow, what a long day it's been, I'm so pooped, just going to sit down next to my teammate and his pile of Pokémon for no reason at all." For once, none of his own team is out and about.]

[doingthemistything]

[He glances up at Kariya, and nods in greeting, with a smile. Alto, on the other hand, decides to be much friendlier, flying over to Kariya with a happy trill and nudging against his cheek.]

Hey. [The book's getting closed and set aside for the time being.]

[netting_nettles]

Mf, hey, Alto.

[Kariya'll gives the Flying-Type the slightest nudge back, before leaning to look down at Kirino's book.]

...That's not a gross romance novel or something, is it?

[Non-brat translation: "What'cha readin'?"]

[doingthemistything]

[He shakes his head.] It's a book on some of the legends of Unova and some of the other regions.

[Hopefully Kariya won't mind too much if Alto settles on his shoulder.]

[netting_nettles]

[It makes him feel a little bit like a very lame pirate, but he guesses Alto can stay.]

Oh. So, it's like a mythology book?

[doingthemistything]

Basically! It's actually pretty cool.

[Excellent, he'll have a cloud bird nuzzling against him in that case, then.]

[netting_nettles]

[As long as it doesn't try to hop onto his head. That's Kirino's and Kageyama's thing.]

Mn. Did you get it from the museum around here or something? They have a bunch of weird, old stuff...

[doingthemistything]

Yeah, they were selling copies. Hamano got a fossil off 'em, I think, too. [Nah, she's fine on his shoulder.] Wanna take a look? [He gestures to the book.]

[netting_nettles]

...huh. Sure.

[He leans over to curl one hand around the book's binding, pulling it over between them. He'll just flip it open to the table of contents and leave it there; Kirino probably has a better idea of where to start...]

[doingthemistything]

[He was totally just looking at the pictures.

Still, Kirino reaches over and flips to the first page, this one detailing Arceus.]

[netting_nettles]

Woah, weird-looking.

[Of course, the picture is the first thing he checked out too, but then he gives a quick skim of the text adjacent to it. He'll flip the page just long enough to go on, before turning back.]

"It is said to have emerged from an egg in a place where there was nothing, then shaped the world." So, it's like a Pokégod?

[doingthemistything]

A lot of 'em look pretty strange... But yeah, I'm guessing that's the gist of it.

[He scans a bit more of the text.] A Pokégod nobody wants to piss off apparently. "Will not suffer fools gladly"... "attack violently if betrayed or deceived"... "holds long grudges"... yikes.

[netting_nettles]

Does it say if anyone's ever caught it?

[Leaning in a little to skim through the text more rapidly.]

You'd probably win every battle you got into with it. If it didn't blast you into ashes, trying to get it.

[doingthemistything]

I wouldn't think so. I mean. Think anyone's caught it, that is. I'd imagine it'd bust out of anything you could throw at it...

[puppypaws]

Someone looks like they haven't gotten ANY sleep lately, but whatever.

Otogi looks over Kirino's shoulder, stiffling a yawn. "Looking for something?"