Non-HPU: Pokémon: Explorers of the Veil

[CyberDragon]

The dragonite gave Hagane a respecctful, albeit slight nod. "Thank you, Hagane." He said his name with an air of respect rarely showed to anyone else.

"Is it too early to train the recruits or do you have something else in mind?" Lance asked, his eyes seeming to take a quick glance at Luke particular though he seemed ready to train many of the new recruits.

"It's getting quite late today. Might want to start them tomorrow. After all, we're having dinner right after the tour, and it isn't a good idea to do a great deal of exercise right after eating. Today we celebrate their initiation!"

The rockruff perks at the mention of continued construction, tilting his head curiously. "Construction's ongoing? What's left to be added?" He asks, following Hagane's prompt.

"A few things. For example, we are building an observatory on the top floor that has yet to be completed. Also, our resident Rotom decided to set up a lab on the third floor. It's still being built."

T turned slightly towards Kimera as the tour ended, "I don't think that Umbreon likes me too much..."

"Atum's smart. He probably suspects you're a thief. Dad on the other hand knows you're a thief. I think he wants to know you as a person before judging though..."

It's not a sliding scale. other people being worse at it doesn't make 'less bad' into 'good'. Rose grumbles to herself, before listening to Kim's attempt, letting out a quick almost choked sounding laugh and sarcastically quipping, "and here I thought they just like keeping around a few spares."

Baja however went a different direction with it, "Wait, like how dad can slash through lots of stuff easy with his claws?!"

"That's not a superpower, that's just because he's old enough to know how to hone them properly." Rose comments with an eye-roll before switching gears. adding, "A superpower would be more like how he can take a nap in the snow and not freeze."

"I thought you said that was because dad was fat."

"Well, I mean that ninetales live, like, a really really long time. Like, a thousand years or something. And their tails are why they live that long. That kind of thing."

Baja absently comments "Well rosie doesn't like muddy hugs and always makes me clean it off before we go back inside..." Baja comments looking herself over, confused "Do i still have muddy spots?"

"No, but..." Kimera thought for a moment. "Maybe he just brushed his fur, and didn't want it messed up? I bet those tails take forever to keep tidy."

Luke got rather excited by Lance mentioning training, but was distracted when Kim mentioned a Ninetales. Using Quick Attack, he rushed over to the group. ”Did you guys meet my dad!? He’s super cool, isn’t he?!”

Kimera nearly launched a Bullet Punch out of reflex, but restrained himself long enough to realize it was just Luke. "Yeah, he's cool. There was a bit of trouble though. Dad fixed it."

Chailyn looks across them, then nods slowly. "... I'll take you all back through and explain anything you missed from the tour. I'll be sure to help with any questions not answered here, later." The gloom then turns back to watch over everyone.

"Thanks, Miss Chailyn! I'm going to show my friend around after dinner, though." Kimera said, referring to T.

[Gameb18oy]

The rockruff perks at the mention of continued construction, tilting his head curiously. "Construction's ongoing? What's left to be added?" He asks, following Hagane's prompt.

"A few things. For example, we are building an observatory on the top floor that has yet to be completed. Also, our resident Rotom decided to set up a lab on the third floor. It's still being built."

A brief addition on what Hagane said was made by the second in command. “they currently are out on a mission to secure parts he needs for his experiments once the lab is ready.”

It's not a sliding scale. other people being worse at it doesn't make 'less bad' into 'good'. Rose grumbles to herself, before listening to Kim's attempt, letting out a quick almost choked sounding laugh and sarcastically quipping, "and here I thought they just like keeping around a few spares."

Baja however went a different direction with it, "Wait, like how dad can slash through lots of stuff easy with his claws?!"

"That's not a superpower, that's just because he's old enough to know how to hone them properly." Rose comments with an eye-roll before switching gears. adding, "A superpower would be more like how he can take a nap in the snow and not freeze."

Baja absently comments "Well rosie doesn't like muddy hugs and always makes me clean it off before we go back inside..." Baja comments looking herself over, confused "Do i still have muddy spots?"

"No, but..." Kimera thought for a moment. "Maybe he just brushed his fur, and didn't want it messed up? I bet those tails take forever to keep tidy."

Scallop chuckles a bit at the thought of Alan taking time away from cooking just to rub a brush on his many tails. The mental image very amusing.

Luke got rather excited by Lance mentioning training, but was distracted when Kim mentioned a Ninetales. Using Quick Attack, he rushed over to the group. ”Did you guys meet my dad!? He’s super cool, isn’t he?!”

Luke might calm down or possibly get even more excited by Scallop’s reaction, his sharp shell rather close to the pooch’s muzzle... “Luke! Don’t do that! You know I scare easy!”

[Legotron123]

Luke looked a little mareepish over the Oshawatts admonishment, recognizing that he had done something wrong. ”Sorry Scal. I’m just so excited about... Wait, one of you touched my dad’s tails?!?” He said, his tone turning from apologetic to shocked and vaguely upset. ”But that’s like, really really bad! Who would be stupid enough to do something like that?!?

[Leafolawl]

"Perhaps we can just be thankful Alan is a well composed member of his species," Chailyn chimes in with. "And, perhaps, we could have a conversation with him later. The more important thing right now is for you to all focus on getting to know your fellow explorers, and not just the facilities provided. You'll be working with everyone, in one way or another."

-----

Einar, noticing a bit more dispersion in the tour group, steps towards the guild master. "Is now a good time for a more... sensitive question?" he leads with in a hushed voice, glancing back towards the others in the hopes it's going unnoticed by them.

[Deske]

"Yeah well if he could stop glaring at me whenever I'm around. I know he doesn't have any proof..." T huffed.

[Buster]

After taking a moment to calm down, the sisters are back with the group as it starts moving again, though rose is eying Luke warily still.

"Well, I mean that ninetales live, like, a really really long time. Like, a thousand years or something. And their tails are why they live that long. That kind of thing."

"No, but..." Kimera thought for a moment. "Maybe he just brushed his fur, and didn't want it messed up? I bet those tails take forever to keep tidy."

Getting a hopeful look as Chailyn starts leading the group, Baja asks "Um... Do you think he'd let me help? Mom says i'm really good with a brush when i help her..." trailing off as her train of thought is interrupted by another member of the group.

Rose giving an exasperated sigh, and reminding herself that she'll need to have a chat with her childish sibling the next time they have a moment alone, as both of their attentions turn to luke. Not that Rose's wasn't already there.

”But that’s like, really really bad! Who would be stupid enough to do something like that?!?

"Quit being a meanie!" Baja complains growling and thumping luke on the top of the head with the hook of her tail.

[Legotron123]

It didn’t take a genius to figure out from her reaction that Baja was the stupid person in question, so Luke focused his ire on her. ”Well it’s true!” He said, with all the maturity one would expect from an eight year old. ”Why else would you grab my Dad’s tail without his permission?! Don’t you know how dangerous that is to both you and him?!?”

[Buster]

"They're. Fluffy. and fluffies. are meant. to be MINE!" Baja is getting angry now, raising a paw, claws extended as if she's about to slash with it, before Rose steps over and holds the paw that's still down to the ground, drawing attention to the dark energy coating the claws on that one but not the raised one. It's a Feint and she just interrupting the attack before it could start.

"Blue, if you can get her to even acknowledge the concept, you deserve a medal." she snarks before bringing a paw up and making a point of fixing him with a death glare. "and don't go insulting my sister around me. I don't care if you have an excuse."

Nudging her sister away towards the opposite side of the group, rose can be heard making a placating comment about shopping for new plushies after they're done here, and Baja's personality just 180s from hostile back to ditz.

[CyberDragon]

"Yeah well if he could stop glaring at me whenever I'm around. I know he doesn't have any proof..." T huffed.

"You could also act less suspicious, you know. You are supposed to be here." Kimera suggested.

- - - - -

Einar, noticing a bit more dispersion in the tour group, steps towards the guild master. "Is now a good time for a more... sensitive question?" he leads with in a hushed voice, glancing back towards the others in the hopes it's going unnoticed by them.

Give me a moment... Hagane said telepathically, figuring that would be the best way to talk about something sensitive.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out from her reaction that Baja was the stupid person in question, so Luke focused his ire on her. ”Well it’s true!” He said, with all the maturity one would expect from an eight year old. ”Why else would you grab my Dad’s tail without his permission?! Don’t you know how dangerous that is to both you and him?!?”

"They're. Fluffy. and fluffies. are meant. to be MINE!" Baja is getting angry now, raising a paw, claws extended as if she's about to slash with it, before Rose steps over and holds the paw that's still down to the ground, drawing attention to the dark energy coating the claws on that one but not the raised one. It's a Feint and she just interrupting the attack before it could start.

"Blue, if you can get her to even acknowledge the concept, you deserve a medal." she snarks before bringing a paw up and making a point of fixing him with a death glare. "and don't go insulting my sister around me. I don't care if you have an excuse."

Nudging her sister away towards the opposite side of the group, rose can be heard making a placating comment about shopping for new plushies after they're done here, and Baja's personality just 180s from hostile back to ditz.

"ANYONE STARTING A FIGHT HAD BETTER BE PREPARED TO FIGHT ME FIRST!" Hagane shouted with startling volume and ferocity.

Sorry about that. Now... What was it you wanted to ask? he telepathically started talking to the Rockruff again.

[Deske]

"Yeah well, it doesn't feel like it and I usually don't stay in places where I don't feel like I belong for this long. It just makes me nervous. And now these two are about to fight over something dumb..." T shifted uncomfortably at all of the tension, as if to emphasize his point. He jumps slightly as Hagane enters the room and proceeds to shout everyone into submission, "I wouldn't have to worry about being caught in the crossfire if I'd just gonna after that Chikorita's oran's...."

[Leafolawl]

Chailyn looks around with concern, then smiles as an idea strikes. "Well, this may make my [Kindness Forward] recruit aid program take a bit longer to get back around, the gloom says, then turns and slowly starts to walk towards the stairs down.

---

Einar once again briefly tenses at the lucario's voice speaking to him in his head... but takes a deep breath to collect himself. <In my reading on how the Exploration Society works, I've never once come across anything about recruitment quotas... and this is a lot of recruits to get so suddenly. I just want to know, as all recruiting needs approval, is the shortness of staff the construction work,> he begins, looking up briefly, <... or is it something more pressing that demands attention?> he finishes, turning his curious gaze towards the guild master.

<I don't really want details. I just... am curious what made such a large recruitment needed for explorers as decorated and capable as yourselves.>

[Gameb18oy]

"ANYONE STARTING A FIGHT HAD BETTER BE PREPARED TO FIGHT ME FIRST!" Hagane shouted with startling volume and ferocity.

Sorry about that. Now... What was it you wanted to ask? he telepathically started talking to the Rockruff again.

"Yeah well if he could stop glaring at me whenever I'm around. I know he doesn't have any proof..." T huffed.

"You could also act less suspicious, you know. You are supposed to be here." Kimera suggested.

"Yeah well, it doesn't feel like it and I usually don't stay in places where I don't feel like I belong for this long. It just makes me nervous. And now these two are about to fight over something dumb..." T shifted uncomfortably at all of the tension, as if to emphasize his point. He jumps slightly as Hagane enters the room and proceeds to shout everyone into submission, "I wouldn't have to worry about being caught in the crossfire if I'd just gonna after that Chikorita's oran's...."

Hagane would note a little voice chime in his head, “I’m mildly surprised that you’re the one to blow up at a recruit. If we were still green, there’s a good chance your mega stone would have reacted to that.” Hagane would see the Umbreon yawn and stretch. ”we’ll just need to assign someone to mentor the liepard, we’ve seen dumber than even her become successful, might have Luke’s father talk with him if you feel the pup was equally in the wrong.”

He began walking up to Kimera and T, amused by the fact that T hadn’t noticed him approach. “...oran’s huh? I’d personally see if I could lift off something with a bit more worth to it, that chik’s mother could learn to teach her daughter to be more careful handling her things” He started to rub the pup’s head a bit. “of course, I probably shouldn’t be giving ideas to a thief as green as you huh?” He gave a look to Kimera “your father know? If he’s vetted for him, I’ll let what I heard slide”

[Deske]

T groaned and planted his head on the floor as the Umbreon showed up, "It's not that I haven't thought about it. I just don't want to do it. Everyone notices something valuable go missing, but not too many will really go after you if it's just a berry or two. I usually don't even try and sneak around in the day, but you weren't the only one who's stores had been washed out." He said, unconsciously leaning into the Umbreon as he began to rub his head, feeling ever so slightly more at ease.

[Gameb18oy]

T groaned and planted his head on the floor as the Umbreon showed up, "It's not that I haven't thought about it. I just don't want to do it. Everyone notices something valuable go missing, but not too many will really go after you if it's just a berry or two. I usually don't even try and sneak around in the day, but you weren't the only one who's stores had been washed out." He said, unconsciously leaning into the Umbreon as he began to rub his head, feeling ever so slightly more at ease.

Atum used his claws a bit to scratch T’s ears... the intrigue at what the pup had mentioned led to his next question. “Oh? Are you saying you only steal so you can get food, or are you informing me that you’ve noticed someone else is taking food from unsuspecting folk?”

[Buster]

"Uh, if you're having food problems, send a runner east, you'll find a big apple orchard run by a Purgly about a day from here. Dad's always looking for new customers, and last I checked Jewl was looking for a good spot to set up a stall to sell from." a certain totally-not-eavesdropping cat chimes in.

[Deske]

"Only to eat. S'why I gave the berries back to Kimera; others have to eat too and I'm not going to take that away from them. Flooding wasn't nice to my home, but you have more you need to feed," T explained, enjoying the sensation of having his ears scratched.

[Legotron123]

Luke was rather miltanked by Haganes yelling (and I will stand by that pun), and was left muttering about how if Baja would abandon her “all fluffies are mine” position if she tried touching his Gramma’s tail. Having nothing better to do for the moment, he turned his attention towards T and Kim’s conversation. ”If you join the Guild you get free food. We’re kinda low right now, but my dad and Miss Taylor usually cook really good meals.”

[CyberDragon]

Hagane would note a little voice chime in his head, “I’m mildly surprised that you’re the one to blow up at a recruit. If we were still green, there’s a good chance your mega stone would have reacted to that.” Hagane would see the Umbreon yawn and stretch. ”we’ll just need to assign someone to mentor the liepard, we’ve seen dumber than even her become successful, might have Luke’s father talk with him if you feel the pup was equally in the wrong.”

Two people both being wrong doesn't mean they are equally wrong. But yes, I believe Alan should have a talk with Luke about manners. Baja is going to be... challenging... to work with. I don't envy the person we get for that job.

Einar once again briefly tenses at the lucario's voice speaking to him in his head... but takes a deep breath to collect himself. <In my reading on how the Exploration Society works, I've never once come across anything about recruitment quotas... and this is a lot of recruits to get so suddenly. I just want to know, as all recruiting needs approval, is the shortness of staff the construction work,> he begins, looking up briefly, <... or is it something more pressing that demands attention?> he finishes, turning his curious gaze towards the guild master.

<I don't really want details. I just... am curious what made such a large recruitment needed for explorers as decorated and capable as yourselves.>

The reason for the large recruitment size is actually fairly mundane. We put out a bunch of flyers in a few towns, and it caught the attention of more people than expected. We're happy so many have wished to join. Hagane replied. He thought for a moment, then continued. I will admit though, the timing of this recruitment is good. That storm caused a lot of problems that the guild has to fix. Missing items, roads flooding, rouge and wild pokemon have been getting more desperate and aggressive, and some Pokemon have been reported missing. If any time is good to recruit a lot of members, now would be it.

- - - - -

He began walking up to Kimera and T, amused by the fact that T hadn’t noticed him approach. “...oran’s huh? I’d personally see if I could lift off something with a bit more worth to it, that chik’s mother could learn to teach her daughter to be more careful handling her things” He started to rub the pup’s head a bit. “of course, I probably shouldn’t be giving ideas to a thief as green as you huh?” He gave a look to Kimera “your father know? If he’s vetted for him, I’ll let what I heard slide”

"Dad wanted to see him personally after dinner." Kimera replied, mimicking his dad's typical hands-behind-back stance. "But yeah, he knows already. He knew as soon as we walked into the hall."

"Uh, if you're having food problems, send a runner east, you'll find a big apple orchard run by a Purgly about a day from here. Dad's always looking for new customers, and last I checked Jewl was looking for a good spot to set up a stall to sell from." a certain totally-not-eavesdropping cat chimes in.

Kim's stance dropped the serious attitude and the Riolu got more excited. "Oh! That's where I went on my second trip! Most of the apples in today's dinner came from him. I didn't realize he was your dad!"

Luke was rather miltanked by Haganes yelling (and I will stand by that pun), and was left muttering about how if Baja would abandon her “all fluffies are mine” position if she tried touching his Gramma’s tail. Having nothing better to do for the moment, he turned his attention towards T and Kim’s conversation. ”If you join the Guild you get free food. We’re kinda low right now, but my dad and Miss Taylor usually cook really good meals.”

"Speaking of..." Hagane started, walking toward the group. "Dinner should be ready now. Why don't we all head down to the dining room?"

[Legotron123]

Luke got excited when Hagane mentioned dinner. ”Ohboyohboyohboyohboyohboy!!!! My dad makes this really great noodle thing on special occasions. It’s got Niniku berries, Touga Berries, and this secret sauce he adds that gives it a little bit of spice that I just LOVE!” He said, rambling about his dads cooking as a Combee watched in the corner.
-
”It zzeemzz that Hagane izzz bringing the recruitzzz down for dinner. Your zzzzon izzz particularly exzzited about that noodle thing you make.” Taylor said, watching the situation through her Combee.
Alan smiled as he unloaded the last of the food they’d made onto the table. ”It’s an old family recipe. He’s always loved it since the first time he tried it. That’s why I made enough to feed an army tonight. He’d throw a fit if he didn’t have enough to fill his stomach three times over.”

[Buster]

Luke was rather miltanked by Haganes yelling (and I will stand by that pun), and was left muttering about how if Baja would abandon her “all fluffies are mine” position if she tried touching his Gramma’s tail. Having nothing better to do for the moment, he turned his attention towards T and Kim’s conversation. ”If you join the Guild you get free food. We’re kinda low right now, but my dad and Miss Taylor usually cook really good meals.”

depending on how much attention he's paying, he may or may not notice baja sticking her tongue out at him.

Kim's stance dropped the serious attitude and the Riolu got more excited. "Oh! That's where I went on my second trip! Most of the apples in today's dinner came from him. I didn't realize he was your dad!"

"OOH! Did you get to see Smoky or Jewel or Berri while you were there? well maybe not Berri she's always napping in the trees. I tried that once, the branch broke and I couldn't reach any others."

"Thats probably because you're three times her size. Just a hunch." Aaand the sarcasm is back.

Luke got excited when Hagane mentioned dinner. ”Ohboyohboyohboyohboyohboy!!!! My dad makes this really great noodle thing on special occasions. It’s got Niniku berries, Touga Berries, and this secret sauce he adds that gives it a little bit of spice that I just LOVE!” He said, rambling about his dads cooking as a Combee watched in the corner.

"from that mix of berries I'm guessing you like bitter foods then? or is there something more to the sauce than mild spice?" Rose wondered aloud, making conversation as they went. "This one has a thing for sour candies if it tells you anything, but me, not much of a preference one way or the other. what about the rest of you?"

[Deske]

T's stomach growled lightly at the mention of dinner, even though he wasn't entirely sure what to think of the idea of someone just giving him something. "Noodle thing?" he asks Kimera.

[Leafolawl]

Chailyn sighs, both relieved and disappointed that her pitch had been missed or ignored as she made her way down to leave for the day.

-----

Einar watches the lucario walk, then turns his attention to the stairs upward... before nodding and turning to follow down for dinner. His attention bounces from one of his fellow recruits to the next, the rockruff moving quietly up into the group of them. Though, he makes sure to settle a bit away from Luke to avoid being close in the case of any more outbursts.

[Gameb18oy]

T's stomach growled lightly at the mention of dinner, even though he wasn't entirely sure what to think of the idea of someone just giving him something. "Noodle thing?" he asks Kimera.

Atum starts to open his mouth as if to answer, but his son soon pushes the pooch towards the area the food will be served with. “Alan tends to make a lot of stuff. Do you like dishes with noodles too? My dad and I like this ravioli dish he makes with tomato berry sauce filled with miltank cheese that he adds some honeydew bits to.” The little oshawoot was drooling as he mentioned it, waiting for a response. Atum decided to give you his thoughts on not expecting a free meal telepathically. ”If you’d prefer not to be in our debt for this, talk with me later. I’ll see if I can assign a job for you that can take advantage of... your background.”

[Legotron123]

”Well I don’t really like them separately, but the way dad cooks them makes their flavors sorta even out, with the spicyness of the Touga berries and the bitterness of the Niniku berries balance each other out.” Luke said, sounding oddly knowledgeable on the subject. It seems he’d picked up some of his dad’s cooking knowledge. ”But yeah, my dad makes all sorts of good food. Noodle dishes, wraps, berry salads, rice bowls, all kinds of things. The only thing he won’t make is that one dish Gramma made when we visited her, and he says that’s because the ingredients it needs can only be found where she lives, and it’s too long a trip to go get them.”

[Deske]

"I don't think I've had noodles before. I usually just have berries that I can find. I never had anywhere to make anything fancy." He followed the Oshawott into the dining room, being caught off guard by the size of the area and by Atum speaking in his head. 'Uh, after the guildmaster talks to me?' he think to the universe, hoping Atum can pick up on it. T lifted an eyebrow as Luke recounted the reason his dad wouldn't visit his grandma, "That doesn't sound like an actual reason to not at least visit family..."

[Leafolawl]

Einar tilts his head. "He didn't say anything about not visiting, just that his dad won't cook a certain meal," the rockruff corrects, then leans forward a little to look at the riolu in question. "Where's your grandma from? That might help to narrow what these mystery ingredients are."

[Legotron123]

”I think it’s like two weeks travel to the east, up in the mountains. Dad says that the ground up there is really rich in nutrients, and that the berry he needs can only grow in those conditions.” Luke said, trying to help Einar narrow it down. ”Dad doesn’t really like to go up there though, says gramma’s mind controlled servents unnerve him.” He said, like that was completely normal and wouldn’t immediately raise a bunch of red flags.

[Buster]

"all of a sudden mom and smokey being in a bandit gang doesn't seem all that bad..."
"Yeah, suppose it could be worse..."

[Deske]

T was both a little concerned and a little uncomfortable with how casually Luke mentioned mind control, "They deserved it though, right? Like, she's not just doing this to random people."

[CyberDragon]

Chailyn sighs, both relieved and disappointed that her pitch had been missed or ignored as she made her way down to leave for the day.

-----

Einar watches the lucario walk, then turns his attention to the stairs upward... before nodding and turning to follow down for dinner. His attention bounces from one of his fellow recruits to the next, the rockruff moving quietly up into the group of them. Though, he makes sure to settle a bit away from Luke to avoid being close in the case of any more outbursts.

"As I said..." Hagane started, noticing Einar looking up the stairs. "All that's up there right now are the staff offices and bedrooms. You aren't forbidden from checking it out later, but it's rather boring. I would ask you not to disturb any staff members who might be sleeping up there though." he said before moving on, hoping to catch Chailyn before she left.

When he caught up to her, which took all of four seconds, he noticed she seemed disappointed. "Leaving already? Why don't you stay for dinner? You are perfectly welcome to."

- - - - -

"OOH! Did you get to see Smoky or Jewel or Berri while you were there? well maybe not Berri she's always napping in the trees. I tried that once, the branch broke and I couldn't reach any others."

"Thats probably because you're three times her size. Just a hunch." Aaand the sarcasm is back.

"No, I was only there long enough to see your dad." Kim replied.

T's stomach growled lightly at the mention of dinner, even though he wasn't entirely sure what to think of the idea of someone just giving him something. "Noodle thing?" he asks Kimera.

"I'm... honestly not a huge fan of the noodle dish. It's pretty spicy. I'm more a fan of sour stuff. I love anything with Salac berries in it, but those are pretty rare." Kim said, salivating slightly at the thought of various sweet and sour treats and pastries and desserts that were made with Salac berries. "They're especially good in pies and pastries."

”Well I don’t really like them separately, but the way dad cooks them makes their flavors sorta even out, with the spicyness of the Touga berries and the bitterness of the Niniku berries balance each other out.” Luke said, sounding oddly knowledgeable on the subject. It seems he’d picked up some of his dad’s cooking knowledge. ”But yeah, my dad makes all sorts of good food. Noodle dishes, wraps, berry salads, rice bowls, all kinds of things. The only thing he won’t make is that one dish Gramma made when we visited her, and he says that’s because the ingredients it needs can only be found where she lives, and it’s too long a trip to go get them.”

"I don't think I've had noodles before. I usually just have berries that I can find. I never had anywhere to make anything fancy." He followed the Oshawott into the dining room, being caught off guard by the size of the area and by Atum speaking in his head. 'Uh, after the guildmaster talks to me?' he think to the universe, hoping Atum can pick up on it. T lifted an eyebrow as Luke recounted the reason his dad wouldn't visit his grandma, "That doesn't sound like an actual reason to not at least visit family..."

Einar tilts his head. "He didn't say anything about not visiting, just that his dad won't cook a certain meal," the rockruff corrects, then leans forward a little to look at the riolu in question. "Where's your grandma from? That might help to narrow what these mystery ingredients are."

Seeing where this was going, Kim started to get concerned. Uh oh... Uh, Dad? Luke's about to talk about his grand-

”I think it’s like two weeks travel to the east, up in the mountains. Dad says that the ground up there is really rich in nutrients, and that the berry he needs can only grow in those conditions.” Luke said, trying to help Einar narrow it down. ”Dad doesn’t really like to go up there though, says gramma’s mind controlled servents unnerve him.” He said, like that was completely normal and wouldn’t immediately raise a bunch of red flags.

"all of a sudden mom and smokey being in a bandit gang doesn't seem all that bad..."
"Yeah, suppose it could be worse..."

T was both a little concerned and a little uncomfortable with how casually Luke mentioned mind control, "They deserved it though, right? Like, she's not just doing this to random people."

The Riolu face-palmed. Too late...

Hagane sighed.

[Leafolawl]

Chailyn, startled, spins around rather quickly. "Oh, it's just you Hagane." She gives a relieved sigh. "I don't want to give your new members the impression that I'm part of the guild, no matter how closely we end up working. Besides, you said it yourself; a lot of pokemon were affected by the recent storm. Flooding causing food rot, messing up trade routes, and even some homes being damaged by the weather. You have your preparations to attend to for dealing with the events as much as I... but I do appreciate the offer," she explains, giving a respectful bow to the lucario.

"That said, your recruits may make a decisive push in the recovery efforts. I look forward to seeing how they do that."

------

The rockruff hums. "Mountains to the east with fertile soil, hmm? Sitrus perhaps? Don't see many of those, and they tend to be good for you because of the ground they grow in," he wonders aloud, unfettered by the mind control comment.

[Legotron123]

”I mean, Gramma was pretty insistent that her servants were the worst of the worst before she got to them, so I’d think they deserved it. I mean, the only one I actually talked to, this Blaziken working in the fields, said that if he wasn’t forced to obey Gramma’s commands, he’d burn everything she’d ever known and loved to the ground, and laugh as he crushed the charred corpses of her loved ones into dust. Then Gramma made him punch himself so hard he got knocked out.” Luke said, continuing to be unaware of how disturbing what he was saying was. He frowned when Einar mentioned Sitrus berries. ”No, those are yellow, the ones Gramma grows are black and white.

[Buster]

"So why keep them around at all? Unless there's some kind of personal connection, why not just lock them away or get rid of them? Why risk making herself a linchpin in their incarceration?" Rose questioned, trying to look at this from a practical standpoint, and tune out the sound of baja's distressed whining as Luke continued. a prison that banked everything on only one guard had one heck of a glaring weakness; no matter how powerful one Pokemon might be nobody's perfect, accidents can happen and everyone gets sick from time to time...

[Gameb18oy]

"So why keep them around at all? Unless there's some kind of personal connection, why not just lock them away or get rid of them? Why risk making herself a linchpin in their incarceration?" Rose questioned, trying to look at this from a practical standpoint, and tune out the sound of baja's distressed whining as Luke continued. a prison that banked everything on only one guard had one heck of a glaring weakness; no matter how powerful one Pokemon might be nobody's perfect, accidents can happen and everyone gets sick from time to time...

The umbreon sighed as he walked up to the commotion. "Mainly because her little army does make it hard to do anything but make a compromise with her, and even that was no picnic." He gave a glare to Luke, the riolu just now remembering his dad had made it clear that his grandmother was a subject he should bring up sparingly if at all. "While dangerous, we prefer her to hundreds of less powerful but still evasive criminals she has under her control. It's not something we like, but her mind control keeps them in check where officer magnezone and his team can't." He turns to Hagane. "Do you mind telling them the more fine details guildmaster?"

[CyberDragon]

Chailyn, startled, spins around rather quickly. "Oh, it's just you Hagane." She gives a relieved sigh. "I don't want to give your new members the impression that I'm part of the guild, no matter how closely we end up working. Besides, you said it yourself; a lot of pokemon were affected by the recent storm. Flooding causing food rot, messing up trade routes, and even some homes being damaged by the weather. You have your preparations to attend to for dealing with the events as much as I... but I do appreciate the offer," she explains, giving a respectful bow to the lucario.

"That said, your recruits may make a decisive push in the recovery efforts. I look forward to seeing how they do that."

The lucario gave a nod of understanding. "Sometimes, even I forget you aren't actually a part of the guild. I know these recruits will do well... with the right push..."

”I mean, Gramma was pretty insistent that her servants were the worst of the worst before she got to them, so I’d think they deserved it. I mean, the only one I actually talked to, this Blaziken working in the fields, said that if he wasn’t forced to obey Gramma’s commands, he’d burn everything she’d ever known and loved to the ground, and laugh as he crushed the charred corpses of her loved ones into dust. Then Gramma made him punch himself so hard he got knocked out.” Luke said, continuing to be unaware of how disturbing what he was saying was. He frowned when Einar mentioned Sitrus berries. ”No, those are yellow, the ones Gramma grows are black and white.

Dad, he's still doing it...

"I'm sorry, but you're right. I have something I need to do..." With that, he vanished, reappearing right behind Luke.

The umbreon sighed as he walked up to the commotion. "Mainly because her little army does make it hard to do anything but make a compromise with her, and even that was no picnic." He gave a glare to Luke, the riolu just now remembering his dad had made it clear that his grandmother was a subject he should bring up sparingly if at all. "While dangerous, we prefer her to hundreds of less powerful but still evasive criminals she has under her control. It's not something we like, but her mind control keeps them in check where officer magnezone and his team can't." He turns to Hagane. "Do you mind telling them the more fine details guildmaster?"

"Actually I do mind. Luke, you were not supposed to discuss your grandmother in detail. I know I am not the first to tell you this." He sighed. "Too late now though. In addition to what Atum was said, Luke's grandmother has agreed to leave any guild members operating in the area alone for one thing. She has also been "kind" enough to lessen the severity of her punishments for people who simply offended her. As long as she doesn't cause any problems and ensures the criminals under her control stay that way until Magnezone can get to them, there is no reason to risk confronting her over it. Now, I suggest we drop the subject and get eating. Quickly now, before what's hot gets cold and what's cold gets warm."

[Deske]

Having stayed silent through the continued description of Luke's grandmother, T was very thankful that Hagane had decided to force a topic change. He was definitely excited at the idea of a home cooked meal rather than raw berries as he took his place.

[Gameb18oy]

Having stayed silent through the continued description of Luke's grandmother, T was very thankful that Hagane had decided to force a topic change. He was definitely excited at the idea of a home cooked meal rather than raw berries as he took his place.

It seemed Scallop was eager to show him what he considered the best food as he took a spot beside the pooch in the dining area. Atum was content to move to his spot next to Hagane at the head of the table. “... the timing couldn’t be worse, but I suppose bringing that woman up relates to something I need to say. Circe sent one of her less dangerous servants down to give us the information we wanted. It appears the disease does indeed overuse her powers, our idea was sadly a dud”

[Leafolawl]

Einar quietly takes a place, carefully filling his bowl as to not make a mess while he listens in... Though internally, he's still lingering on what the black and white berry Luke's grandmother—who he assumes is the recently mentioned Circe—is growing is called.

[Buster]

Gravitating toards Scallop and T, a bit, Baja listens in to the food recommendations before picking out a few items herself.

Rose meanwhile, though having heard the other two still seems to have her attention on Luke.

[Legotron123]

Luke shrunk down at the reprimand from Hagane, and was completely silent until arriving at the dinner table. As he sat down, it was clear what while he knew he did something wrong, he didn’t understand why it was wrong. ”I like Gramma.”
-
”What happened?” Alan asked as the group made their way into the dining room.
”I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
”Tauros dung. You’ve been noticeably tensed up for the last few minutes, and now Luke comes in looking like someone told him his favorite team faked their adventures. What. Happened?”
Taylor sighed. ”You know how you told Luke multiple timezzzz not to talk about your mother?”
”He forgot.”
”He forgot.”
Alan sighed. ”Of course he did. That boy would forget where he lived if I didn’t walk him home every night.”
-
Lance took his seat on the other side of Hagane, and started putting food on his plate. ”That’s unfortunate, but not unexpected. There was no guarantee her control would last through the radical change the disease causes Aura to go through. At least she didn’t get infected herself. For all we know, her skills would let her transmit the disease through touch alone.”