[Video/Action for THE WOODS somewhere outside Violet and off the Routes.]

[yoctogram]

((Backdated to May 20th)

[The Pokegear clicks on to show

and is accompanied by the complaints of a pair of Eevees explaining to any Pokemon listening that they are cold, tired, hungry, and their trainer is completely insane.

[One of them hops out of the frame and then the 'Gear is moved in a wobbly circle. Sho is trying to remove a wild Caterpie from his face where it is expressing it's disapproval of the whole situation, his Zorau is staring morosely at his now-furless tail, Sho's Flareon is apologising loudly to the Zorau, and the majority of the rest of the Pokemon are doing their best to comfort Jack Frost, who is propped up against a tree with his head in his hands; the perfect picture of someone who has reached the end of his rope and is now swinging with no hope of help.]

Comments

[belphe]

[It's been a long time since Belphegor has been by herself. In her own world, her sisters are a constant accessory. In this world, she had been trailed after from the start. But, she's found that walking the paths alone, setting her own schedule, and training as she likes has been very therapeutic. She is, in fact, enjoying the rare luxury of a midday nap beneath a tree when she's jarred awake by a cream-colored muzzle nudging her insistently]

Mnn...Hades? [she asks, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as the rapidash promptly drops her pokegear, where chaos is unfolding on the screen, into her lap with a snort as if to say Can you believe this shit? She studies the scene for a long moment, eyes narrowing slightly. She'd scarcely been gone a few days and already everything had dissolved into chaos...?

The pad of her thumb hovers over the power switch, and then hesitates. Despite her misgivings with their trainer, the pokemon themselves hadn't done anything wrong. ...and certainly didn't deserve all of this. She gives a deep-chested sigh, sitting up a bit straighter beneath the tree. Why is her life a lightning rod for dramatics?]

[the audio feed asks one simple question]

Where are you?

[yoctogram]

[Sho couldn't really reply, but the Eevees went a little crazy when mommy popped up on screen.]

EEVEE EEEEEEE EEVEE VEEEE!

[Nand bounced off screen and then back on screen holding up the tie from Belphe's uniform; the only part an Eevee could carry without dragging. The meaning was clear: come rescue us we have the rest of your clothing please help.]

[belphe]

[She has not opened a video feed on her own end, not particularly feeling up to facetime with the guy who burned her clothes on a public pyre. Though seeing the tie from her uniform makes her stop short. Then...he hadn't destroyed it along with everything else?

It doesn't make much sense. ....much like everything Sho does.]

Nor. Nand...it's all right. I'll be there soon. But I need to know where you are.

[yoctogram]

[Cue the 'gear being set on the ground so that the two Eevees could attempt an interpretive dance of directions.

[...

[They have obviously belonged to Sho for far too long.]

Mom!

[Tie, the Zorau, bounded over to the 'gear when he realised who the Eevees were talking to.]

He took us off the Routes! We are so lost!

[belphe]

[Dammit, Sho...]

Where did he take you? A forest?

[From this end, it looks like a forest...]

[yoctogram]

I dunno! He wanted to cut you off, but then we got lost!

[He held up his naked tail.]

And I can't cook!

[Action to pass the time because I can't help it]

[justanexpression]

[The fire had really sort of been the last straw. Luckily, the pokemon all seem to agree with him. It's a small comfort.]

You know, I'm pretty sure dying like this would set a new record.

[Patch chitters sadly from his lap. Really, what else can she do but agree?]

[yoctogram]

HNNNNG!

[Help was a little hard to get from around a Caterpie. It really was.]

[justanexpression]

...Right.

Jack glanced at Zeta. "I should probably help him, huh?" He had come along to make sure Sho didn't get into trouble, and this was technically trouble.

[yoctogram]

The flick of her tail, and set of her ears, suggested that maybe he could let Sho stagger around for a little while longer. He deserved it for getting them lost. Cats.

[justanexpression]

Eh... this cat wasn't wrong. He settled back, as comfortably as he could get when surrounded by utter chaos, and snuggled Patch close while scritching Zeta's favorite spot.

"Yeah, you're right. Give it five minutes." Maybe.

[belphe]

[That's...not especially helpful, Tie. So she pulls up the gear's map application, backtracking her own route as she'd left Violet City and taking a guess as to where Sho must have thought he was going to head her off. ...despite the fact that heading off someone in possession of a flying pokemon when he did not own one himself was pretty much a hopeless venture.

When she thinks she's found where the paths curve just so that heading someone off would be feasible if they cut directly through the tall grass and woods, she studies the area. It seems...difficult to get lost there. Unless, of course, Sho had somehow led the entire party so far astray they had ended up in Ilex Forest...]

You won't have to, Tie. Just try and keep everyone calm until I get there. I'm on my way now.

[yoctogram]

[Tie looked about ready to cry in relief, honestly.]

Thank you!

[yoctogram]

RZF purred contentedly while watching her trainer struggle. Yes. He deserved this. He deserved this so much.

[belphe]

How are the others? Is anyone else hurt?

[yoctogram]

Ele won't come out of his ball. I don't think he's hurt, though, he just hates everyone.

[belphe]

For however long it was Sho was left to deal with the caterpie suctioned onto his face to the satisfaction of everyone he'd led off on a wild goosechase into the woods, Belphe had set out as promised.

A dark shadow passed overhead, and the sound of leathery wings beating the air could be heard as Eros circled the crowd below and then moved to land off to the side with a snort of disappointment. Typical. No pretty girls here.

Belphegor slid from his back, recalling him to his ball before moving to approach. Tie hadn't been kidding...sanity had clearly taken a holiday.

[belphe]

[Given the noise in the background, she doesn't particularly blame him...]

I'll have Belial take a count of our rations while we fly over.

[yoctogram]

We have lots of rations.

[Tie said sadly]

We've been eating berries and stuff 'cause we can't cook.

[belphe]

....he can't even manage boiling water?

[she's starting to sound a bit miffed at Sho all over again.]

[yoctogram]

It kept boiling dry. Also he forgets to eat without you.

[belphe]

[That doesn't particularly surprise her. He seemed to seldom remember to eat when she WAS there. It was still no excuse to neglect his team.]

Then, if you can, please get the cookware out of his bag and start collecting things to start a fire.

[Even though, honestly, if she never sees fire and Sho in the same scenery again, it will be too soon.]

[yoctogram]

SD can start fires.

[It was relieved, though. Tie touched the screen, even if it wasn't on at her end]

Thank you.

[justanexpression]

At first, he thought, perhaps this was what hallucinating felt like. He'd never done it himself, obviously, not having been human before, but he was now, so maybe he could.

But no, he was almost positive that was the girl who'd headbutted Sho so spectacularly back in Violet. Whether her showing up here was a good thing or not, he had no idea. He stood, just in case, being careful not to dislodge any pokemon unexpectedly, even as Patch quickly rearranged herself on his shoulder.

"Are you the cavalry or here to put us out of our misery?" Really, he'd take either.

[belphe]

"The pokemon asked me to set things back in order." was her reply, not seeming terribly thrilled with this amazing mess she was now expected to sort out. She eyed the frost-crowned young man curiously as it dawned on her that he was a new face, however.

"Did he bring you into this as well?"

[justanexpression]

He laughed a little sheepishly. "Heh. Sort of? I kinda brought myself into it. He was just upset enough that I didn't want to let him wander off alone..."

He trailed off as he remembered how good that idea had sounded weeks ago. Speaking of which, someone should probably free Sho before he suffocated, and it looked like that someone might as well be him. He sighed and trudged over.

Would the Caterpie be nice and come off or was someone going to have to do something drastic? Not any of the fire pokemon. Someone else. Anyone else.

[yoctogram]

The Caterpie came off at Jack's urging, leaving Sho gasping for air and giving a thumbs-up as thanks.

"Belphegor! You're here!" oh, such relief.

[belphe]

[she starts a bit, not entirely sure why. It would occur to her later it was because he'd, for the first time, used her proper name. The dour look quickly returns, however...those suction-cup bruises on his face aren't especially respect-inspiring.]

They said they weren't being fed. [she responds, casting her eyes to the nearby pokemon]

[justanexpression]

They're doing better than us.

[But if this is going to be an interrogation before anyone goes anywhere, he's going to go back to where he'd been sitting when she arrived. He felt near enough to melting that arguing was just too much work.]

[belphe]

[Not necessarily an interrogation so much as Belphe reeling at not being able to believe this shit. Nonetheless, it looks like Tie has gotten the cookware out as she'd asked, so she unshoulders her backpack and drops to one knee, dumping out the contents of her rations pocket]

In that case, have what you like.

[she invites Jack and...really, whoever else at the impromptu campsite as she begins to pick and choose ingredients to make soup. There's an array of ready-made food from the convenience store, however...when one owns a Snorlax, it's best to keep a lot of sugary quickly-available treats on-hand if it happens to wake up]

[justanexpression]

[His stomach rumbles at the sight of all the food, which makes him give it an odd look. Even after a month, being hungry is still strange.

It doesn't stop him from edging closer, though, and grabbing one of the bags.]

Thanks.

[His voice drops, trying to keep Sho from overhearing. He wouldn't have said anything before, but this long with Sho, he has to commiserate.] ...Not sure I'd have come back if someone torched my stuff.

[belphe]

[The sidelong look she gives him strongly suggests that, had Sho been alone, she very well might NOT have come back.]

I was there when most of his team hatched. I feel I owe it to them to ensure they stay safe.

Do your pokemon need to eat as well?

[justanexpression]

It probably wouldn't hurt. They've been spending a lot of time in their balls, though, and Patch here's pretty good at fending for herself.

[The Pachirisu chitters proudly, hopping down from Jack's shoulder to finally go and investigate all the food herself.]

So maybe take care of Sho's first?

[belphe]

[Belphe absently gives Patch a gentle pat as she explores the dumped rations before fishing out a package of poketreats, passing by Sho in search of two eevees in particular]

Nor...? Nand...?

[yoctogram]

[The two Eevees came bolting out of the bushes when she called them, bumbling and flopping as though they were still babies until they could put their front paws on her legs and cry up at her happily. Mommy was HERE! Things were going to be okay!]

[belphe]

[In spite of being put-out about being made to come back, the eevees scrambling to meet her force a smile out of the middle sister as she kneels, breaking open the foil of the package to offer them both food]

Shh...settle down, it's all right. [she soothes, taking turns petting either of them]

[yoctogram]

[They had to prance happily and rub their heads against her hands before they even take the food, eating rapidly but also looking up at her over and over again to make sure she wasn't leaving again.]

[justanexpression]

You sure those're yours, Sho?

[Jack had opened a packet for Patch, and was just watching the reunion now. It would have been even cuter if it didn't involve being lost in the woods in the first place.]

[yoctogram]

They're kind of...both of ours.

[Sho admitted uncomfortably]