[right][color=0076a3][h3][b]Ryuuichi[/b][/h3][/color]Bjyerlfal City || Camphor’s Lab: Habitat A > Habitat A [Forest] || Time: Morning [/right][hr] [quote=Lina] [color=steelblue]"Might want to watch the harsher noises around Ryuuichi, it would seem, good intentions aside,"[/color][/quote] The phone pauses when it hears those words. Ryuuichi has yet to notice and continues to slowly walk over the bridge, his cane tapping upon it with each careful step he takes. [quote=Lina][color=steelblue]"For now perhaps he needs a little quiet time, though, on his own. A little breathing room. That being said, you can hang around me a little until Yuu comes back if you want. Get to meet Jorm that way anywho, and he doesn't mind if you take a few pictures if you'd like."[/color][/quote] Vivi looks back and forth between Ryuuichi and Lina. It had been sent here by Yuu to guide Ryuuichi, so while Lina's words make sense, it chooses to listen to Yuu in the end. The phone does give Lina a salute as it lets out a [color=f7941d]"bzzt"[/color] of a much lower volume than before, indicating that it will make sure to be more careful around Ryuuichi when it comes to louder sounds. Ryuuichi continues to carefully walk across the bridge, the Rotom Phone easily being able to catch up with him and float by his side. During that entire exchange with Lina, Ryuuichi hadn't really made all that much progress. Even if he is faster than he was before when walking from the reception area, it's not really by any noticeable margin. He gets a little further, reaching about the 3/4ths point, before suddenly... [center][i][h3]*THUD*[/h3][/i][/center] The earth shakes. The sound of something huge and heavy hitting the ground. A [color=0076a3][b][i]familiar[/i][/b][/color] sound. His breathing accelerates. His forward momentum grinds to a halt. [quote=???][s]"Niiiiix"[/s] [b][i][color=9e0b0f]"Dooooore"[/color][/i][/b][/quote] The deep, powerful, yet somewhat distant voice hits Ryuuichi right in the core. His hand clenches more tightly around his cane. The left side of his face throbs more. Something nudges at him repeatedly. Ryuuichi doesn't know what it is, but these nudges prompt the shaking, sweating boy to move forward step by shaky step. The forward progress does make each step shakes a little less, but does nothing to slow his rapidly beating heart or calm his heavy breathing. Eventually, after a couple of long minutes, he makes it over the bridge. His cane hits the uneven, loose sand on the other side. [color=0076a3][i]"Which way... which way was..."[/i][/color] he freezes at the other side of the bridge. The pale hand holding the cane clenches tightly. The swirl of highly familiar pain and panic have already made him forget Camphor's earlier directions. A quiet [color=f7941d]"bzzt"[/color] and a very noticeable nudge from that same something get Ryuuichi's attention. He isn't able to focus, yet the sound is highly familiar enough that he recognizes the source. Even with all the things swirling in his head, he isn't able to forget how [i]different[/i] that "light" felt. The fact that this Pokemon(?) is out here with him makes him remember Camphor's words from before. [quote=Professor Camphor]"I'll take the glass. [s]Do[/s] you need help navigating.[s]?[/s]"[/quote] How could he forget those words? They came right after the words about that cup he foolishly brought with him. Is this Pokemon(?) the help that Camphor mentioned? This isn't his first time getting navigational assistance from a Pokémon. Back in his days in rehab, they had employed specially trained Pokémon to help him navigate the hospital grounds. He wasn't able to refuse back then. [i][color=0076a3]"I haven't... changed at all. I'm still... a pathetic burden"[/color][/i] is the thought that goes through his mind. It makes him want to refuse, to tell the helpful Pokémon(?) to go away. That he doesn't need the help. In the end though, he can't. If this help came from Professor Camphor, refusing it could get him fired as it'd make him seem rude. [i][color=0076a3]"Why help a m--"[/color][/i] Another nudge and a soft [color=f7941d]"bzzt"[/color] jolts him back to reality. Once again, Ryuuichi had been standing there silently for nearly half a minute. Who knows how many times he had been nudged or buzzed at during that time. Ryuuichi doesn't respond to this latest one with any words, but instead just moves forward. His pace is even slower here as he crosses the beach. He never had any practice navigating through sand. A few times his cane stabs into the loose, grainy sand as he applies too much pressure and causes him to misstep. Some of these missteps make him stumble. A few make him fall. The added weight of his pack doesn't make things easier either. Sure it is a lightweight bag, but to a weakling like Ryuuichi its actually decently heavy. His breathing is just as heavy as it was when crossing the bridge, but not out of the familiar feeling brought about by that earth shaking sound. Instead... it's at his frustration towards his own incompetence. Overall, it takes him an entire five or so minutes to make it off of the beach and onto the island proper. The only reason he is even able to find the proper direction as well is due to the buzzes from Vivi ensuring that he doesn't lose his way. The feeling of much harder dirt at the tip of his cane is quite welcome. The hospital grounds had dirt and grass, which aren't too different from pavement, wood, or tile to begin with. Maybe a little bumpy and uneven here and there, but not impossible to navigate. By this point, the pain killers from before have kicked in and thus have finally settled his headache. The lack of pain and the guidance from Vivi both ensure that the journey towards the forest goes smoothly. He can hear the occasional sounds of Pokemon all around him both before entering the forest and upon entering it. He doesn't stop though. [color=0076a3][i]"A quiet place..."[/i][/color] is in his mind. That was the part of the instructions Professor Camphor had given him. Hoping to find a quiet place, Ryuuichi heads deeper and deeper into the forest. He has a harder time finding proper purchase with his cane. It occasionally hits roots here and there. Thankfully with some buzzes from Vivi he avoids tripping over most of the roots. The Pokémon(?) nudging him saves him from walking face first into trees on several occasions. Sadly the few times he does trip leave some noticeable grass stains on his clothes, but ultimately he and the things in his pockets are unharmed. Eventually, after some unknown amount of time, Ryuuichi reaches a place in the forest where there seems to not be much activity. The only sounds he can hear are the occasional sounds of the wind moving through the trees. Ryuuichi here reaches into his jacket, nervously removing the Pokéball from his pocket. [color=0076a3][i]"Heavy."[/i][/color] With one hand carefully cradling the still shrunk ball, he begins to slowly move forward now, yet he is unaware of one thing: [i][center]He is being followed.[/center][/i] [hr] For about thirty minutes now, from behind the trees and in the grass, a small figure has been following the rather interesting pair of tall boy and floating phone. The figure's mere foot of height lets it easily hide in the taller grass or behind trees. While the blonde human has no way of seeing it, the floating thing could... if the small figure isn't always managing to stay just out of its sight somehow. Unbeknownst to either member of this pair, the small little figure seems to always have a general idea of where the pair is going to move or look next. Using this information, the figure is able to simply follow and observe them from a distance. It had seen other Pokémon move or go away from this pair. There is a part of it too that wants to do the same. The red horn atop its helmet-like head of green hair feels quite warm, uncomfortably so. [color=0076a3][abbr=Worthlessness]A smothering warmth that sinks one to the ground.[/abbr] [abbr=Hatred]A crushing warmth that smashes everything.[/abbr] [abbr=Guilt]A heavy warmth that weighs down each step.[/abbr] [abbr=Fear]A searing warmth that obscures every sense and thought.[/abbr][/color] These warmths are just a few among the multiple that are currently piling up like an incomprehensible mountain, the warmths now more like a rather uncomfortable heat. It's this heavy heat that keeps the small figure at bay. In its entire life, the small figure's horn has never felt a heat such as this. Despite the heat, it doesn't leave. Why? It wants to keep watching the pair. Its red eyes have been constantly observing them through its own curtain of hair that is the same length as the blonde human's own hair. [color=39b54a][i]What is that strange stick? What is that floating thing? What are those strange sounds it lets off? What is that thing on the human's back? Why does the human tap the stick on the ground? Why is the human's hair so weird? Why is the human covered in sand? Why does the human keep nearly running into trees? How many more times will the human trip and get up?[/i][/color] There are so, so, so many questions running through this small figure's head. Yet there is one question that is constantly at the top of its red horn: [i]What are those [color=00aeef]other warmths[/color]?[/i] There is a hint of... something in that heavy heat. It's so smothered by that heat though that it almost feels non-existent, yet... it's there. The figure makes no sounds as it moves, since its able to slightly levitate off the ground. This makes it much easier for it to go undetected by the targets of its observation. For now it just continues to follow and observe the pair who continue to remain completely unaware of its presence. [hr] [center][img]https://i.ibb.co/YBppy2Ty/Kashima-Ryuuichi-card-2026-07-03-T14-52-11-003-Z.png[/img][/center] [center][hider=Detailed Info] [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5665007][img]https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/c7b61914d849.png[/img][/url] [center][b][color=0076a3]Ryuuichi Kashima[/color][/b][/center] [u]Pokémon[/u] N/A [u]Money[/u] 000.001.000P [u]Camper Bag[/u] [hider=Medicines] [quote]Potion [x1] [/quote] [/hider] [hider=Key Items] [quote]First Aid Kit Pain Medication Camping Kit Thrift Store Clothes x5[/quote] [/hider] [u]In Hand[/u] [quote]White Collapsible Cane Pokéball x1 [/quote] [u]Interactions [/u] Vivi | [@Savo] [u]Mentions [/u] Lina | [@Crusader Lord] Jorm | [@Crusader Lord] Professor Camphor | [@Rune_Alchemist] [u]Others Present [/u] None [u]Updates[/u] None [/hider][/center]