69. [Text/Video/Action for Olivine] Early afternoon ----> Early evening
[It's been chaos. Once everybody realized that... no, what people were falling into were not the once-just-as-scary-but-now-almost-mundane comas that usually took hold of certain people for a week at a time, there had understandably been more than a little panic-- but then Professor Oak's announcement came in.]
[For Heather, it was a relief. So Pokemon were causing it. That didn't exactly make the situation itself any more ideal, but at least they knew. And when 'Monsters did it' was the explanation, well... Heather (understandably) considered this to be exactly the kind of problem she was good at handling.]
[About half an hour after Oak's announcement goes out, a mass text from Heather will pop up on everyone's 'Gears.]
[MASS TEXT]
So most of you have probably seen that announcement about the bug things stealing peoples' souls. If you haven't, I guess this is a heads up.
Since I DOUBT the police will be doing anything about this... it's probably best we all try and catch as many of these stupid things as possible. I'm sure everybody has friends who're vegetables right now because of them.
I'm in Olivine City-- if anyone in the area wants to help me and Dad stomp these things and get some peoples' souls back in the process, it'd be appreciated. Meet us in front of the Center.
-Heather
~*~
[And it's quite a few hours later before anything from Heather shows up on the network again-- presumably after a long afternoon of cautiously catching as many Shedinja as she (and anyone else who decides to help out-- be they natives or fellow foreigners) can, without falling victim to the soul-sucking holes on their backs. When the feed DOES blip on, the scene is steeped in dim green light-- it's evening and the PokeGear's owner appears to be carefully moving low to the ground in a forested place. There's faint sounds of other people around-- she's not the only one in the woods trying to catch the bugs, but she does seem to be the only one in the area.]
[She speaks in a hushed tone after fumbling around with the camera a little bit.]
Hey, guys ... uh, great work so far.
I'm in the woods just north of Olivine and there's a few hiding around here-- if any of you guys need to contact me, just text me-- I don't want any sudden noises scaring the crap out of them and giving me a nice, soul-sucky view of their back ends as they flee in terror.
[And with that, she hits the mute button on her 'Gear to silence her speakers-- still transmitting sound from her end, though. She turns slightly to address the snowy-white creature just beside her-- it's Alessa, her Absol-- now much bigger than when she first hatched back in December. She doesn't look particularly happy (but then, does she ever?)-- her coat is bristling, her scarlet eyes are round and wide, and she's hunched defensively, almost like she's trying to disappear into the forest floor, despite her bright coat making it impossible.]
Sorry, girl... Cooj and Carousel've been at this all day, and you're the only one I have left who's good against ghosts... [Heather was no type expert, but she'd taken a quick glance at the Pokedex before going out on the bug hunt and figured-- well hey, it should work, right? The Growlithe and Ponyta duo had stomped these things fairly thoroughly, and fire was good against the bugs, right?]
[Alessa replied with a small, unsettled growl-- but Heather's attention was snagged by something popping up on her screen.]
Harry: Heather, I thought we were going to stick together. Where are you?
Heather: sorry dad, a couple of us followed a few in the woods. Don't worry, we're all being careful.
Harry: Heather...
Heather: DAD seriously, it's ok, I know what I'm doing!! also you still have the Pokemon I let you borrow, right?
Harry: Of course, but that's not what's important. I'd really like it if you came right back and met me. If something happens to you out there I won't know where you are!
Heather: DAD take a chill pill! I've been here a whole year I'll be fine! you don't need to be such a worrywart, I'm not even alone
Harry: That wasn't a request, Heather! I'm serious. Get out of there.
Heather: dad stop freaking out
Harry: I'm not freaking out.
Heather: you totally are
Heather: you are SO freaking out
Harry: I'm worried. Please, you've been doing this all day. Let's go back to the hotel.
Harry: ... Heather? Are you there?
Heather: sorry i was doing something
Heather: [IMAGE ATTACHED]
>>
Heather: ^ that's you right now
Harry: ... cute.
Harry: That rendition of me isn't nearly as worried-looking as I am in reality right now.
Harry: ... But seriously, Heather, get back out here. I wasn't asking.
Heather: [IMAGE ATTACHED]
>>
Heather: better? :D
Harry: ... All right, young lady, I'm really losing patience now.
Heather: i added freak-out sweat and bloodshot eyes
Harry: CHERYL MASON.
Heather: oh snap, the full name
Heather: you must be mad
Heather: All right, all right. as soon as I get this one I'm after, I'll come back out and we can call it a night. deal?
Harry: ...
Harry: If I don't see you in ten minutes, I'm coming in after you.
Heather: fair nuff. Seeya! hey, start thinking about where you wanna go for dinner, too. I'm starved.
[Rolling her eyes with an amused grin, she closes the text message and turns her attention back to their target-- a glint of gold and pearl glimmering faintly from the bushes off to the side. She lifts one arm up at eye level in case it's facing away from her and she needs to quickly cover her eyes-- then grins when she sees that it's facing the right away, drifting vacantly a few inches above the ground.]
Okay, 'Lessa... when I say 'Go', you hit it with Dark Pulse, all right?
...
... Alessa?
[Frowning, she turns to look over her shoulder-- because the only reply she received was that low, buzzing growl that the Absol only ever gave off when something very, very bad was about to happen.]
... Alessa, are you-- ... oh, fuck--
[She had been staring at a Shedinja off to the side-- and in her distraction, hadn't noticed the ones drifting vaguely down from above-- not at her, not at her Pokemon-- just wafting downwards and spinning gently in place, the same way an ornament on a string might-- except ornaments don't usually suck out your soul.]
[Heather's eyelids were already shutting, her arm rising to shield them .... but it's too late.]
[The screen careens sickeningly as the 'Gear falls from her hand to the forest floor with a soft thump-- followed by the heavy thud of a body collapsing directly behind it.]
[The rest of the feed, until it times out-- is dominated by the distressed squalls of the Absol.]
[ooc: Video (or action, if people are stumbling across vegetable!Heather) replies will largely be answered by Alessa-- also, since Heather spent most of the day actively working with other people to capture Shedinja, feel free to set action replies earlier in the afternoon if your character might have been one of the ones going bug-hunting with Heather!]
[For Heather, it was a relief. So Pokemon were causing it. That didn't exactly make the situation itself any more ideal, but at least they knew. And when 'Monsters did it' was the explanation, well... Heather (understandably) considered this to be exactly the kind of problem she was good at handling.]
[About half an hour after Oak's announcement goes out, a mass text from Heather will pop up on everyone's 'Gears.]
[MASS TEXT]
So most of you have probably seen that announcement about the bug things stealing peoples' souls. If you haven't, I guess this is a heads up.
Since I DOUBT the police will be doing anything about this... it's probably best we all try and catch as many of these stupid things as possible. I'm sure everybody has friends who're vegetables right now because of them.
I'm in Olivine City-- if anyone in the area wants to help me and Dad stomp these things and get some peoples' souls back in the process, it'd be appreciated. Meet us in front of the Center.
-Heather
~*~
[And it's quite a few hours later before anything from Heather shows up on the network again-- presumably after a long afternoon of cautiously catching as many Shedinja as she (and anyone else who decides to help out-- be they natives or fellow foreigners) can, without falling victim to the soul-sucking holes on their backs. When the feed DOES blip on, the scene is steeped in dim green light-- it's evening and the PokeGear's owner appears to be carefully moving low to the ground in a forested place. There's faint sounds of other people around-- she's not the only one in the woods trying to catch the bugs, but she does seem to be the only one in the area.]
[She speaks in a hushed tone after fumbling around with the camera a little bit.]
Hey, guys ... uh, great work so far.
I'm in the woods just north of Olivine and there's a few hiding around here-- if any of you guys need to contact me, just text me-- I don't want any sudden noises scaring the crap out of them and giving me a nice, soul-sucky view of their back ends as they flee in terror.
[And with that, she hits the mute button on her 'Gear to silence her speakers-- still transmitting sound from her end, though. She turns slightly to address the snowy-white creature just beside her-- it's Alessa, her Absol-- now much bigger than when she first hatched back in December. She doesn't look particularly happy (but then, does she ever?)-- her coat is bristling, her scarlet eyes are round and wide, and she's hunched defensively, almost like she's trying to disappear into the forest floor, despite her bright coat making it impossible.]
Sorry, girl... Cooj and Carousel've been at this all day, and you're the only one I have left who's good against ghosts... [Heather was no type expert, but she'd taken a quick glance at the Pokedex before going out on the bug hunt and figured-- well hey, it should work, right? The Growlithe and Ponyta duo had stomped these things fairly thoroughly, and fire was good against the bugs, right?]
[Alessa replied with a small, unsettled growl-- but Heather's attention was snagged by something popping up on her screen.]
Harry: Heather, I thought we were going to stick together. Where are you?
Heather: sorry dad, a couple of us followed a few in the woods. Don't worry, we're all being careful.
Harry: Heather...
Heather: DAD seriously, it's ok, I know what I'm doing!! also you still have the Pokemon I let you borrow, right?
Harry: Of course, but that's not what's important. I'd really like it if you came right back and met me. If something happens to you out there I won't know where you are!
Heather: DAD take a chill pill! I've been here a whole year I'll be fine! you don't need to be such a worrywart, I'm not even alone
Harry: That wasn't a request, Heather! I'm serious. Get out of there.
Heather: dad stop freaking out
Harry: I'm not freaking out.
Heather: you totally are
Heather: you are SO freaking out
Harry: I'm worried. Please, you've been doing this all day. Let's go back to the hotel.
Harry: ... Heather? Are you there?
Heather: sorry i was doing something
Heather: [IMAGE ATTACHED]
>>
Heather: ^ that's you right now
Harry: ... cute.
Harry: That rendition of me isn't nearly as worried-looking as I am in reality right now.
Harry: ... But seriously, Heather, get back out here. I wasn't asking.
Heather: [IMAGE ATTACHED]
>>
Heather: better? :D
Harry: ... All right, young lady, I'm really losing patience now.
Heather: i added freak-out sweat and bloodshot eyes
Harry: CHERYL MASON.
Heather: oh snap, the full name
Heather: you must be mad
Heather: All right, all right. as soon as I get this one I'm after, I'll come back out and we can call it a night. deal?
Harry: ...
Harry: If I don't see you in ten minutes, I'm coming in after you.
Heather: fair nuff. Seeya! hey, start thinking about where you wanna go for dinner, too. I'm starved.
[Rolling her eyes with an amused grin, she closes the text message and turns her attention back to their target-- a glint of gold and pearl glimmering faintly from the bushes off to the side. She lifts one arm up at eye level in case it's facing away from her and she needs to quickly cover her eyes-- then grins when she sees that it's facing the right away, drifting vacantly a few inches above the ground.]
Okay, 'Lessa... when I say 'Go', you hit it with Dark Pulse, all right?
...
... Alessa?
[Frowning, she turns to look over her shoulder-- because the only reply she received was that low, buzzing growl that the Absol only ever gave off when something very, very bad was about to happen.]
... Alessa, are you-- ... oh, fuck--
[She had been staring at a Shedinja off to the side-- and in her distraction, hadn't noticed the ones drifting vaguely down from above-- not at her, not at her Pokemon-- just wafting downwards and spinning gently in place, the same way an ornament on a string might-- except ornaments don't usually suck out your soul.]
[Heather's eyelids were already shutting, her arm rising to shield them .... but it's too late.]
[The screen careens sickeningly as the 'Gear falls from her hand to the forest floor with a soft thump-- followed by the heavy thud of a body collapsing directly behind it.]
[The rest of the feed, until it times out-- is dominated by the distressed squalls of the Absol.]
[ooc: Video (or action, if people are stumbling across vegetable!Heather) replies will largely be answered by Alessa-- also, since Heather spent most of the day actively working with other people to capture Shedinja, feel free to set action replies earlier in the afternoon if your character might have been one of the ones going bug-hunting with Heather!]