Potemking

World of Light

LOCATION:Al Mamoon Northeast - Rocket Inc.
WORD COUNT: 536 (+1 EXP)
MENTIONS: The Dragonborn.

---

While Mao felt utterly delighted by his assault on the Dragonborn, the warrior was unfortunately not feeling the same way. His mechanical limbs tried to keep the man at bay, but his sheer amount of force sent even a blocking Overlord off his feet. He'd clearly underestimated the strength gained through Ara Mitama's enrage, and using his mechanical limbs he took advantage of the Dragonborn's slowing state to scuttle into a quick recovery: Blades and drill stabbing through the sand, barely being able to stabilize him due to the metallic ground but with loud ear-piercing scratches against the metal Mao regained his footing hastily.

Having taken more torso damage, the Dragonborn wasn't the only one suffering from previous bullet wounds: Jinx's onslaught from before was starting to come back to bite Mao, as he was beginning to find freshly-sealed wounds leaking. It was quite unfortunate that their healer had been stalled by the Homeward Bone, otherwise Mao's condition could have far outmatched the Dragonborn's. What-if's weren't going to save Mao now, however, instead he'd have to grit his teeth and see this through one way or another.

Unfortunately, things were getting really chaotic. A ring of fire, people jutting across the battlefield to collide, magical rings soaring across the battlefield, and Ciella sending a wave of water that caused Mao to turn his head for a moment: Noting the approaching wave and the sound that followed it, it was either hold his ground until it passed, or use it somehow. And the 'pint-sized' Overlord figured the latter was more applicable, with how the Dragonborn was pushing him. Mao responded to the wave by letting the Dragonborn's old axe take flight, throwing it into the air and charging his Star magic in his main hand as he lowered himself into the rushing water. He used his position against the Dragonborn and the wave to employ the water as a speed boost: Mao and meeting his target head-on were a pair as old as time at this point, but with both sides weakening, he had to exchange blows as best he could, given their weakening states.

Due to his low position, his back limb drill and surgical scissors weren't as usable, but he still had his scapel and buzzsaw shooting forward. The buzzsaw would try to aim towards his shield arm while the scapel played more defensively against the warrior's weapon. The shield itself was a bother, and while Mao had tasted the sturdiness of it when it knocked him down, he was willing to challenge it with a magic blast to the Dragonborn's center mass to see if he could give this old man a taste of his own medicine.

While he was sure one of them would run out of gas sooner than later, Mao could only hope it wouldn't be him. With building injuries, though, if he could continue to fight another target after this without healing was questionable at best, and it wasn't even truly on his mind as he focused solely on the target in front of him for the moment. Knowing that if the Dragonborn's Rage was coming to a calm, then if this didn't finish quickly he'd be at a huge disadvantage.

World of Light

LOCATION:The Maw - The Depths
WORD COUNT:1,030(+2 EXP)
MENTIONS: Geralt, Link, Ace Cadet

---

Mirage hesitated to continue forward, halted by Geralt's words. A look of concerned crossed his young face as words of hunger and curses came from the Witcher, not liking his line of thinking whatsoever. Mirage couldn't say he didn't have a similar feeling, though. The hunger, mixed with the physical work he had to put out and the fatigue from the pilot seat were piling on thick. Just traversing these catwalks was trouble, he honestly wondered how he wasn't on the ground yet. The only thing he'd luckily avoided was the physical trauma from being struck up to this point, but even that was potentially a problem to arise the closer they got to Moreau.

"I get ya, but..." Mirage, the ever imaginative thinker, decided to present Geralt with a thought that crossed his mind. If he were to make people feel starved and then curse them for eating food, the first curse he thought of was as followed: "What if we eat the food, right? And then the curse makes us permanently feel like we're starving anyways? I've only seen a few curses, and none of them have left those people wanting to live with 'em." He tapped his forehead, applying his little brand of Troll Logic™ to try and convince Geralt to try and stick with him on this. Because if Geralt started eating, Mirage wasn't sure if he could keep himself from eating, either. Though it did linger in his mind that perhaps he was wrong, he was sure there were plenty of curses out there, after all. But he just wasn't confident that the risk was worth it.

Cadet's landing left a lot to be desired: With all the fatigue, he couldn't imagine a fall like that. He fell silent from his attempt at conversing with Geralt as he felt a moment of uncertainty surge through him. But, after a moment, he was thankfully able to put his concerns to rest as Ace somehow pulled himself up. Mirage had to wonder what the hell he was made of, to be durable like that even at their young ages. Regardless, if he was alive, then they needed to get there ASAP. There was no time to lose--

A voice caught Mirage's attention. Looking down at the water below, his eyes shot open at the sight of the Mockingbird, damaged and mumbling to itself. Hearing it speak; The request from Sakura earlier, was painful. He found it more painful when he heard it mumbling something else, however. A conversation that was originally a two-person one, rather than someone talking to themself. While not comfortable with expressing himself in front of this new group, the Diving Suit had no issue expressing it's thoughts about it's mother. His mother. Thoughts that ran through his mind, and a conversation that was the main reason he built up enough courage to actually go through with joining the Apex Games to begin with. He stood still, staring down at the copy of himself in silence, only responding to the movements Moreau made. His hand gripped the railing as he gritted his teeth, witnessing the Mockingbird's last moments of confusion as Moreau put it down for good.

Damn it. Mirage cursed to himself in his mind, shifting his body to jerk himself away from the sight. Despite his attempted cool demeanor to Geralt before, he was shaking a bit now. Eyes narrow with teeth digging into his bottom lip, trying to hold back the emotions caused by this whole situation. He wasn't falling to despair, instead the words from that machine provided him with motivation: Motivation to get the hell out of here, and continue being the Legend he was. The wise guy people looked up to. He had to keep pushing forward.

Sore but not done, Mirage was ready to get out of here. His expression wasn't cold, more so focused: Though not intending to do so his voice was a bit more quiet as he felt a bit different. For once, he was feeling serious. "We've got to get Ace," He commented to Geralt, using what nimbleness he had left to carry himself towards their injured friend. His small feet avoided jagged broken pieces of the catwalk, darts making up for lost space as he made his way to Ace's location for an extraction.

Upon arriving, seeing both him and Link in one piece was a good sign. He'd only arrived to hear Link's plan, which was a concerning one considering the damage Moreau could cause without having direct access to them. Let alone if Link went down there himself. "I really don't like the sound of that." He interrupted as he entered the scene, trying to keep a small smile on his face. "But, we don't got much of another plan, right? I'll make sure you can get back up with these platforms." He gave the Dart Gun a little twirl, truly being thankful for it. He wasn't sure if he'd still be alive if he didn't have it.

"I'll stick with you," He told Ace, figuring the others could get down with relative ease. "Make sure you don't trip over any of this metal mess, huh?" Ace seemed to be standing but Mirage would help him get moving or execute his part of Link's plan if need be. He'd try and help Link get back up anyways, so staying seemed like the right idea for everyone involved. This would hopefully buy enough time for the people back in the Command Center to get out, too. And Mirage still wasn't certain of where Junior was, but knew Nadia had given him that fan she used to escape up to the vent before, so if Moreau was distracted then he'd have no issue getting back up.

As if preparing for action, Mirage used his free hand to pull his goggles down over his eyes. Things were about to get messy again, and just after the creepy water lady and that Proxy, too. Naively he wished the next floor was filled with something like happy puppies or something, to give them a break from all of this crap. Not that he truly believed it'd come true, though.

Pokémon: New Horizons

𝕀𝕤𝕝𝕒 𝔾𝕒𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕤

𝕃𝕠𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟: M.S Marlow - Upper Deck > Main Deck

---

---

Well, there were apologies, which were a good start. Isla glanced at Arlo with a bit of concern as the situation played out with his similar-looking companion, a relative perhaps? She swore she saw the gal earlier, and with Arlo's antics it wasn't hard to remember that this was the sea-sick lass she'd seen earlier. Poor girl seemed to be a little grumpy, with the sickness and all, and a bit of sibling spite got that sickness thrown back in her face. She wondered just what they could be disputing, but didn't want to pry: Wasn't her place as the gal ran off to hurl, or at least that was Isla's own assumption.

Carrying on from that, she squinted her eyes as Ferris performed the most pure example of a 180 she'd ever seen in her life, his quips turning to apologies and attempting to make amends. Her expression lightened as he continued, feeling he hadn't done much that bad, so she wasn't about to shove him off the boat or anything. If this group was going to manage they'd need to get along, so if he'd pull the remarks back a bit to not prod Felix's now recovering temper they'd probably make it through this. She offered him a small nod as he took his leave, knowing it was time to start thinking about departure.

"Well, glad that was settled without an issue." Isla commented, releasing a long drawn breathe of relief at the situation. She wasn't sure who all was ready, but she sure was. Shifting her arm to adjust her bag, she looked at the remaining crew with a smile. "Well, I'll be seeing ye lads n' lass up the road. I'm ready to put foot't'soil again!" Feet meeting plank, she began her descent from the upper deck with a wave from her sunhat back in her hand, adding: "Don't ya worry though, won't run off far! Jus' gonna get some directions t' that office!"

As she made her way to disembark, she threw away her now empty bottle of Pocari Sweat along with her sunhat, allowing her ginger hair to flow free. The time for novelty was over, it just wasn't her style. Instead she approached the large group of soon to be exiting passengers in hope of hearing directions of where this exploratory office was, excited to get her Pokedex updated and to see what kind of setup they were dealing with. While she waiting for the others off the boat, maybe she'd start her research! Surely the soil close to the waves would be soft enough for a bit of observation, though she'd be more curious to see the dirt further in, where folks hadn't traveled yet. Pure soil like that could probably grow some amazing plants, and it caused her thoughts to roam to delicious berries she could pick on the trip. Which made her think of what possible recipes Arlo had to share!

Excited, she was practically bouncing up and down waiting for her chance to disembark. Thoughts going here and there as her brain put itself into overdrive, which was far from an unusual state for the woman to be in.

Pokémon: New Horizons

𝕀𝕤𝕝𝕒 𝔾𝕒𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕤

𝕃𝕠𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟: M.S Marlow - Upper Deck

---

---

To Isla's dismay, things soured a bit in the group as the boys she'd brought up with her were not exactly the most tactful individuals. While Arlo was making assumptions, Ferris was taking jabs like he had back on the main deck. Seemed to be a normal part of his personality, and she personally wasn't feeling positive about it. Sunhat back atop her head, she crossed her arms at the building tension, shooting the two loudmouthed boys a short but obvious glare before turning her attention back towards Botan as she tried to fix the situation. Poor gal had to recover from the embarrassment first, and who could blame her? Isla knew she'd feel the same way if someone assumed something like that. Her mind wandered to the flirtatious reply photo-boy had offered before they made their way up here, and her face visibly scrunched.

"Aye, can't help but think the same!" Isla responded to Botan's enthusiasm about them working well together, attempting to read the room, or, uh, the ship, and help get things on track. Noting her look towards Felix, Isla approached Botan at a slow pace, head turning to eye Jarvis for a moment since he seemed to be a little tense and she didn't want to offend the large Pokemon by coming closer to his trainer. Standing closer to her was more of a signal that she was more willing to group up, and generally agreed with her course of action.

"I think we jus' need a little more decency an' manners." She added, eyeing Ferris in particular. Arlo jumped the gun with assumptions but at least he wasn't directly insulting this Felix lad. Or with how much the boy took offense, maybe it counted. Isla figured if he had a little maturity he could allow bygones to be bygones, but she doubted he'd be very motivated to do much of anything if more immature comments came his way.

It was surprising to say the least when she saw a Galarian Meowth approaching the group in a bit of a hurry with some food. Judging by Ferris' reaction, she also assumed the little thing nabbed it from someone else with how much of a hurry it was in. But how this was handled was more up to the trainer than her; It'd help her get a bit of a better judging of his character before they hit land, which she was starting to feel was a necessity with the whole moment of awkwardness she had to just endure.

Pokémon: New Horizons

𝕀𝕤𝕝𝕒 𝔾𝕒𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕤

𝕃𝕠𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟: M.S Marlow - Upper Deck

---

---

Things were really picking up, now. With the photographer confirming he wasn't associated with the lass and her Machamp, that just meant it was time to investigate this all further. Though before she knew it, another lad carved his own path into their little group building session, only raising their numbers further. "A survivalist?" She repeated with a slight hint of amazement. This was far beyond her first time being out in the wild, but having someone that specialized being out in the wilds sounded good to her.

The jab from the photographer towards this 'survivalist' was amusing, but at the same time, Isla more often than not put blind faith in folks, and wanted to give the young man his chance. Besides, if he ended up in a bad spot, her nurse's training would come in handy to fix 'em up and teach a lesson about fibbing! Not that she thought he was lying. "Come now, don't gotta do 'em like that." She scolded lightly, before offering the blue-haired young man a smile. "Lot'sa wilderness, so I'd say someone who knows how'ta live in it is welcome aboard! Och, we can exchange some good berry recipes down the road!" She was always willing to learn, so surely someone who was quite the survivalist would have things to share. Or he'd have to make something up to keep her convinced by his bluff, though how difficult that'd be was hard to gauge at a glance.

Taken away from the two lads and their (To her assumption) soon to be continued jabbing at one-another, she noticed the Machamp's communication and was genuinely impressed. Pokemon were intelligent creatures, but he definitely seemed like a well taught and polite fella. Maybe she could get a suit like that for her sweet little Slowbro? Though, he was about as slow a buried rock, so it probably wouldn't make much of a difference. It'd be cute, though.

"Well, I'm ofta' investigate this lass." She announced, adjusting her sunhat as she happily made her way towards the upper deck to get a good look at her two other new companions. She couldn't help but feel like the Machamp was still a bit cautious, maybe overprotective or raised to be that way, not that she was bothered by it. As she reached her destination, she got to meet this 'Botan' face-to-face, and her presentation was nothing short of amusing. Eyes darting from her, to Felix, to Jarvis the well-dressed Machamp, her palms gently rested against each other as she offered a bright smile at the group proposition. Felix's less than enthusiastic reaction to the situation was, unfortunately for him, lost on her.

"Well ain't that jus' an honor? Can't go refusin' something like that, cannae?" She removed her sunhat, holding it over her chest with a small bow, grinning ear-to-ear with excitement as she offered a small introduction to the gathering group. "Professor Gavins, at yer service! Oh, but we'll be pals, I can jus' tell. So call me Isla."

World of Light

LOCATION:Al Mamoon Northeast - Rocket Inc.
WORD COUNT: 543(+1 EXP)
MENTIONS: The Dragonborn, Braum

---

The Dragonborn's charge was met with Mao's own, deciding to meet the man head-on. His coat flurried along with his thin frame to skim past his arrows, but the man's quick weapon-swapping abilities left Mao momentarily on the defensive as he came down with his blade. Mao's axe shifted from one hand to both; holding it flat with his hand on the grip and palm against the cold material of the blades as he used it to block the strike. His knees bent from the sheer strength of the Dragonborn, burnt over scabs on his wounds cracking from the motion which caused a sound of pain that came out more as a snarl than any sort of cry.

This was especially annoying when Mao realized that he wasn't being fought one-on-one, but rather, some sort of duo was also assaulting him. Not that he wasn't prone to playing unfair, but that didn't mean it wasn't sucky to be on the receiving end. Not wanting to be cleaved by the Dragonborn, he was forced to hold his place with a brace for impact until Braum came along, at the last second just like any Hero that Mao had studied in the past. Typical cliche move, but he could worry about that later. "Ah, I stand side by side at best." He informed Braum, not realizing how corny it really sounded as Mao made a half-hearted attempt to discourage being protected, instead sounding more like he was more than happy to fight alongside Braum. Which he might've been, or not. He'd not disclose that to anyone.

What mattered was since Braum's dynamic entrance was so bombastic, he could take advantage of not having to worry about a side attack for the moment. Deciding to put his recovered ability to use, Mao grinned despite his defensive position in his struggle with the Dragonborn, offering his signature "Mwahahahah!" given as soon after Braum's intervention came into play, his mechanical limbs emerged in a quick fashion, loud and dangerous. Mao carried a similar strategy from before: Take out the arms, and leave him begging for mercy. Mao's buzzsaw spun as it thrusted towards his shield-bearing arm, while his drill revved and went for the opposite shoulder. His four-pronged assault continued with the decision of if he had double the attacks, then why not go for double the limbs? Directed with the other two attacks, Mao's scalpel thrusted forward to dig into one of the Dragonborn's knees, while the surgical scissors opened their large maws to snip at his hand holding his weapon, a disarming tactic or at least one to allow Mao to push out of this block he was stuck in.

Such a sudden and devilish surprise, a flurry of unexpected and dishonorable blows! Oh, yes! Mao could feel that villainous tendency in his veins! Nobody said he had to do this clean, after all! All's fair in war, no matter the objective! And with a life soon to be converted to their side by his hand, it'd be all the easier to get some help in freeing Klee, and hearting Baz.

'Damn it, that's not evil at all!' He mentally complained, noting to be the one to kick Baz's ass later so the heart could go through. That'd help him feel better.

World of Light

LOCATION:The Maw - The Depths
WORD COUNT:883(+2 EXP)
MENTIONS: Command Center Group

---

Mirage laughed nervously as the robotic arm did nothing but annoy the Proxy, wishing the thing could put on a little more oomph for such a technological place. Noting it's use however, it wasn't surprising. What was, however, was seeing not only Rika down there with that creature, but Bella too. Unable to do anything directly, he tried to keep the arm as at least a method of impeding the creature's movement as they unleashed an attack on the creature. It wasn't enough, which was deeply concerning as now Mirage was worried for both of the little gals down there. But thankfully, a big can of kickass appeared in the form of Blazermate, excitement momentarily filling the miniature legend with vigor as he watched the Proxy plummet into the depths.

"Oh-HOH, yeah! That's got me ecstat-- Estate? Eccentri-- Really hyped!" He barely managed to stay coherent as he quickly made his way from the controls to rejoin the group, not bothering to go into the cage as he didn't exactly want to see the mess that'd been left behind. Instead, with Moreau still making noise out there, he knew they needed to get moving despite having just dealt with one horror. "Alrighty, we get to that elevator and we're one step closer to getting outta this thing!" Keeping positive, he was still concerned about Junior so he was quick to make his exit of the Command Center-- Or would have been, if he hadn't tripped on the way out and smacked onto the cold floor.

"Gah! No more monsters grabbin' me!" He quipped, startled as he shook his foot and looked back at what caught him. It wasn't a monster, it was just one of those freakin' magnets they found on the last floor. His cheeks went slightly red from embarrassment as he pulled himself up, grabbing it to take with him as you never knew when you needed some loot. Afterwards he was quick to meet up with Geralt, noting he had been playing a bit of a peeking game to see if they'd need more help undoubtedly, what a swell guy. Except he was also a witness to the previous embarrassment with the magnet, so Mirage felt a lack of ability to boast at the moment.

Instead, the task at hand was what mattered. While they were all in one piece, the situation outside was only getting worse if the noise meant anything. They needed to get the hell out of here! But from all the crashing, he had to wonder if their previous path was at all the same. "Alright, gonna go scout the exit out, see what the damage is!" He paused from a moment of pain, not from his pitiful fall, but rather his stomach. He slowed his pace a bit as he made his way back towards the catwalks, noting that if he didn't get something to eat within too long, he might actually consider biting his own damn tongue.

The place they originally came from was, to say the least, a goddamn mess. Nadia and Ace had done a hell of a job tearing the place apart with plenty of assistance from Moreau, too. No wonder he didn't see Moreau down there, the utter carnage made the surface almost unrecognizable, to which a drop of sweat rolled down Mirage's forehead. "Well that's grating," He muttered to himself, noting the dangling platforms and scrap from the Moreau damage. His eyes scanned for the others: View landing down low to see people were already on the move towards their exit. Which was helpful for letting him know exactly where he was aiming for. And where there was a destination to reach, there was, of course...

Darts.

Pop, pop, and pop. Mirage was on the move: Figuring navigating ahead was a good strategy. Noting the lack of mobility for some of the people in their party, he attempted to keep things simple, but noted they might need help nonetheless, which he could try to maybe go back and provide. For the moment, however, he simply kept to path making: Once the group could get into one spot, he'd use darts to help the group traverse to the next, with him taking the lead in case it wasn't safe.

Which it clearly wasn't, as Mirage got a clear view of Ace being sent flying by Moreau as they got lower. His eyes shot open wide, unable to do anything for the soaring hunter except stare at the worrisome view as he noted that once they made it to the walkway, they needed to haul ass. He couldn't stall, not with the group that'd be in the Command Center needing to get down. He'd keep navigating downwards through the mangled mess to ensure the others got through, but he'd be damned if he'd leave anyone behind.

It's not gonna kill him! He echoed the same words Cadet had about him stepping into the Pilot Seat earlier, noting that with how these folks talked, they've overcome much worse. This would be one of those times, he was sure of it! And as his navigation down to the lower walkway began to conclude, he fully knew he'd turn back around and make sure it was something the Cadet would get through. By any means he could provide.

Persona - Soldiers of Fortune

Dakota Rhett

_{November 29th - Morning}

---

<sub>Nudge...

Nudge, nudge...</sub>

Eyes opening, Dakota quickly observed his surroundings to find himself having fallen asleep again. That same guy he recalled from earlier was looking at him with an annoyed expression this time, as he'd never expected to have to do that twice. Especially in the same day. Dakota tried to listen, attempting to figure out what was going on as he quickly checked the time on his phone. 'Sheesh,' he noted, realizing he'd slept until his lecture was over. This was less painful and more melancholy, the orange-haired boy not taking much concern with this, at least at face-value. A larger student in front of him stood and took his leave, and that led to people leaving one after another, marking it was time for him to get going, too.

Scooping up his belongings, he began to take his leave. A voice caught him on the way out, a simple "Hey." that sounded slightly more serious than he'd like. He turned, seeing that same guy that'd woken him up a few times. Offering a warm smile, Dakota raised a hand barely below his own chin as he offered a wave. "Oh, hey! Thanks for the help earlier, if it wasn't for you I'd probably be in trouble." Dakota extended the hand he'd been using to wave, adding: "Name's Dakota. What's yours?"

His warm smile quickly faded as his hand was quite literally brushed aside by the guy in front of him.

"Mitchell," He said in a surprisingly colder tone than Dakota expected such a helpful guy to use. "I didn't stop you to introduce myself, I had a question for you."

Dakota's arm lowered, trying to keep positive. "Ah, sure. What's up?"

"Are you taking this seriously at all?"

Dakota's head tilted slightly to the left with this question. "Eh?"

"Your classes." Mitchell made clear.

Hands sliding into his jean pockets, Dakota's view darted away for a moment, as if thinking of how to reply to that. It's not like he'd fallen asleep due to over studying, or being out all night. He was just... Bored. And even when he tried to feel invested, he couldn't. His previous attempt just landed him back in dream land, at least without a guy with such a huge nose this time, he'd think in a positive manner. Being directly questioned on his goals and investment in university made his happy exterior almost crack, but he couldn't just say that, right? He'd sound stupid--

"There's a lot of people that'd kill for the opportunity," Mitchell said through Dakota's silence, seeming impatient. One might question if it was even his business, but his annoyance with the situation seemed to be enough of a reason for him to comment on it all. "You should make the best of it while you can. It'll be the easiest time you'll have trying to find a place to fit in life."

"Right," Dakota responded, dismissively. Which made the man in front of him realize he was wasting his time, and promptly walk past him with nothing but an irritated expression. Left standing there for a moment, Dakota wondered if blowing the guy off in such a manner was the right move, but decided to get moving instead of continuing to stand around: But due to the moment stressing him out or a genuine need, he headed for the bathroom first.

His feet carried him quickly, outpacing other people as he made his way into one of the facilities' public bathrooms. Dropping his bag next to the sink, he twisted the faucet on and palmed some cold water, before splashing it onto his face. His hands quickly rubbed against his shirt to dry them as he dug into his bag, eyeing a multitude of pamphlets with irritation reflecting in the mirror. Why couldn't he feel genuinely invested in anything? No matter the class, no matter what he laid eyes on, he felt empty and a lack of motivation. He wondered why he didn't just head over to Brights, forget all of this. He wasn't feeling anything positive, anyhow. So why bother, right?

He couldn't disappoint his parents like that, though. His mother had already thought the whole band thing was a stretch, and now there were expectations for him to find another way to make good use of his life. He shuffled the pamphlets in his hands, as if hoping something would change in his head, but it didn't. There just wasn't anything he felt passionate about, that he felt he could make an impact in. He felt an utter lack of importance, and a complete lack of options despite how much potential laid before him.

It was like being robbed. His dreams and aspirations had been crushed already, and there was nothing he could find to fill that. People moved on without him, what little importance he'd felt became nothing as he fell into absolute irrelevancy. In a moment of spiked annoyance he slammed down on the counter, eyes darting downwards and noticing something peculiar beneath his now stinging palms.

Slowly lifting the pamphlets, there were a few cracks. He blinked in disbelief that he caused such damage, trailing the area with his fingers and feeling how oddly warm they were. This was quickly interrupted by the bathroom entrance opening and Dakota placing the pamphlets back down to cover the cracks, waiting for the other student to distract themselves with the bathroom before he picked up his belongings and bolted out; Frustratingly shoving his pamphlets in the garbage as he left. He was worried that he might get in trouble over the damage, but figured there were no real witnesses, so he was in the clear. Right?

'I better get to class.' He noted mentally, making a quick pace towards what would probably be his newest napping spot.

Pokémon: New Horizons

𝕀𝕤𝕝𝕒 𝔾𝕒𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕤

𝕃𝕠𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟: M.S Marlow - Main Deck

---

---

Having been minding her own business, Isla was taken by surprise as she felt a nudge. It felt a bit wet and cold for a hand, but as a woman who tried to stay positive, she enthusiastically assumed it was an approach to join up during departure! She turned to look at the source of the touch, her sight looking a little too high as she had expected a person, but then her view panned downwards towards the beautiful Ninetails that seemed to just be begging for a pat or two!

Her eyes sparkled, instantly infatuated with the creature. 'This is WAY better!' She thought to herself, the disappointment of it not being a person fading within seconds. Though it caused a chill through her hand, Isla couldn't help but give the snowy gal a good ol' fashion petting. "Ain't ya jus' the cutest thing?!" She said, the petting continuing. "Yes ye are, lassie! Yes ye are--"

Like a flashbang in a damn war zone, Isla had no time to react to a photo being taken. Her excited face turned into a dazed one, cold hand drifting up to rub her eyes though it was a fairly quick recovery. More confused than angry, it at least wasn't hard to find the culprit as he was walking directly towards her! For a moment she squinted at him during the recovery of her sight, but his words caused her face to fall more neutral: And Isla's neutral expression was a resting smile!

"Awh, noh!" She insisted in response to his apology, not wanting that cute 'mon of his in any trouble. "She's jus' the happiest angel! Havenae a problem with me, dear!" Last thing she wanted was for there to be bad terms out here! When an island would barely have a hundred folks on it, you didn't want 'em on your bad side! Besides, it was like that snow angel knew she was looking for some pals; Little compassionate thing doin' favors out of the kindness of her wee heart. Or maybe she just actually wanted the pets, and Isla was trying to justify her thought process.

Before she could actually bring up the situation though, her gaze fell on something else at the sound of a snort. A Machamp, except he was a bit different! Not only large and in charge, but wearing a pretty fancy outfit to go with it! "Och, what's wit' that feller there?" She questioned to the man that blindsided her in the most literal way, until she noticed the big bulky fella gesturing upwards.

Like a goldfish looking at food on the water's surface, Isla's gaze met the waving lass up above. Her hand drifted back to that cute Ninetails for a moment for a few more pets, as she thought about what was going on. She seemed to be gestured for them to come to her? Or one of them in particular? She sure as heck didn't know the lass, so the only other suspect she had was the photographer right beside her.

"That burd wit' you?" She asked, figuring she could go up and investigate if he said no. And if he said yes, well, she'd feel like she did her good deed for the day by lettin' him know! Even if it was such a damn obvious sight that you probably couldn't not notice it. And if they were together, maybe they had space in their group! And if they again, weren't, then maybe they could group up anyways! There seemed to be a lad up there already, from the sound of it. That'd make four? Four was a pretty solid number. She couldn't help but think positively to herself:

'Och, yeah. It's all comin' together.'

Pokémon: New Horizons

𝕀𝕤𝕝𝕒 𝔾𝕒𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕤

𝕄𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤: @Bartimaeus
𝕃𝕠𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟: M.S Marlow - Main Deck

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Previously, In Galar...

"This serious? Ya really mean it?!"

Isla's voice echoed through her small home as she scrambled about, phone tucked between her cheek and shoulder, frantically writing on a notepad as she paced about, looking over her current stock of traveling supplies. Close behind her were six little creatures that made up the Formation Pokémon Falinks, a game of follow the leader seeming to be going on. The only witness being a blank-faced Slowbro on her couch, seeming completely oblivious to the situation at hand or just not having a care in the world about it.

"Of course! You think I'd joke about an opportunity as big as this? If my hands weren't full, I'll be sailing out there myself!" The voice on the other side of the line responded, emphasis on the fact this wasn't just some weekday prank call.

"Och, 'course not, petal." Isla responded, continuing on her list. "Jus' sudden, don't ya know? I mean, gettin' to chart new landmass and do field research on the wildlife? You'd have to excuse me for thinkin' I'm dreaming!" So many thoughts were running through her head. What sort of wonderous discoveries could be waiting out there? Maybe there could be unidentified Pokémon species! Delicious fresh berries to sample! All sorts of natural-grown locales that could hoist a number of rewards to a spelunker like herself. She couldn't wait to get her hands dirty, especially on some unexplored soil. This was much more exciting than her previous trips, simply by it's uniqueness.

"Well you're not dreaming," The voice informed with a small giggle. "Just swing by the lab when you can, there's a set date for this cruise so you'll probably want to get as prepared as you can."

Isla blinked, and momentarily halted her writing. She sat down her pen long enough to pick up a half-filled coffee mug from her desk. "Eh? When do I gotta head out?" She questioned, taking a drink from her mug.

"You'll need to be in Hulbury tomorrow."

Isla spat her coffee all over her desk, ruining the list she had been preparing with extreme ease as she shouted loud enough to send the Falinks platoon into a scatter from the surprise. "WHAT?!"

A nervous laugh came from the other side of the phone. "Don't blame me! I just received this offer yesterday. I couldn't clear my schedule that fast, so I'm trying to help a sister out!"

"Ya numpty!" Isla grumbled as she frantically tried to clean her desk. "Ya realize how much movin' I gotta do today to make sure I get there on time?! The lab, shopping, travelin'! Ach, ya had to hide that 'till the last second!"

"Does that mean you don't want it?" Isla was asked, teasingly.

"Oh, I want it!" She replied, shuffled papers being heard as she tried to get them away from her coffee apocalypse. "You better get out the record books, darlin'. 'Cause you're about to witness a gal haul arse across Galar!"

Isla intended to hang up the phone after her boast, but missed it slightly as she sat it down. The sounds of her frantically packing and getting her Pokémon ready for quite the trip could be heard, along with the immense excitement the woman had to be sailing away from home again.

---

Isla wasn't a troublesome passenger on the boat, but she had been an extremely friendly one. Over her time spent on board it was hard to not spot here in one place or another, conversing about a certain species of Pokémon or just taking notes on the sea-bound creatures she saw. The sweet taste of the fresh sea air and the sight of the approaching island was making her extremely jittery. As nice as the cruise was, it was far from her current interest, and she couldn't wait to slam her feet down on solid ground. She'd eaten her fair share of food though, and would probably miss the quality when she got to the island.

Her knuckles lightly rubbed from her top lip to the bottom one, listening to the PA system and what information they had to provide. "Safety in numbers, bless that." She spoke to herself, wondering if she should strike up some conversation and find a group for herself. Surely she couldn't be the only one around here that'd be looking! If that was the case, it'd be embarrassing at best for the poor gal. So she set out, eyeing a few potential travelling companions. But as she approached them...

"Moment o' yer time, petal?"

"Sorry, busy getting ready with my group."

"Looks like ya could use a bud for the road!"

"Um, I'm here with friends."

"Hiya-"

"Sorry, we're full."

Well this was going great!

The researcher pouted to herself for a moment, feeling stuck. Adjusting her sunhat (Which she bought during the cruise, she couldn't resist) she decided to take a moment, as the boat hadn't quite made it to the island yet! She had time, and just needed to calm down a little! What was it if she couldn't find anyone, anyways? She was dependable! She had her best buddies in her bag, it wasn't as big of a deal as she was making it out to be. If it happened, it happened! If not? Well... It wasn't her first solo venture, for sure.

She went for a drink, deciding on a bottle of Pocari Sweat to rehydrate and cool it. The refreshment caused her shoulders to raise in delight, a small but notable smile on her face as she took a second to relax. She noticed someone else coming up to get a drink, but became distracted by spotting a flock of Wingull's. Excitedly she walked past that guy to get a better look by heading towards the railing with an exclamation of "Yaldi!" in an tone most amazed. Sooner than later the flock was gone, flying off into the horizon.

Her path had brought her to another curious sight, though. A rather nauseous looking lass keeping close to the railing, face looking like she was holding back a floodgate! Isla wasn't a full-fledged doctor, but it wasn't hard to identify a bit of sea sickness. Her heart went out to those that had issues with the seas: Such a beautiful thing causing them pain and strife. It stung, in it's own way. She'd spare that one, not wanting to yap up a storm on some poor girl until she pukes: That wasn't considerate at all.

Gaze going back out towards the island, she took an occasional gulp from her Pocari Sweat bottle as she began putting a mental checklist together of tasks to complete once she was off the boat. That wasn't far off, after all.