Week 18.

[azumods]

WEEK 18 Hearthome City isn't the farthest distance away that you've traveled, but it seems that Saturn was right in telling you that it would be a good distance away from Veilstone; surrounded by forest and with the massive shadow of Mount Coronet spreading from the west, it manages to feel both massive and secluded. As usual, there's a good amount to look at, and more than enough to keep you busy; now that the flow of time has been restarted, it may feel almost like there's not enough hours in the day. Of course, that's not the only thing that's changed lately; despite the fact that there's been another one of those setbacks, it seems that overall, you've done something for the world. There's a lot more to be done, of course, but any signs of progress are good signs. CURRENT LOCATION: HEARTHOME CITY POKEMON AVAILABLE: WITHIN CITIES SURROUNDING ROUTES: PLAINS/FOREST MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY | FRIDAY [OOC: Welcome to week eighteen of Azume; feel free to make as many top levels as you'd like and tag out to other characters! This post is for all of your interactions this week... at least until the weekend. Don't forget that a write-up is due this weekend!]

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MONDAY

[azumods]

...

[azumods]

[Things have been chaotic over the past few weeks; just the same, it's likely noticeable throughout Sunday when two of your group begin acting a bit strangely. A bit more distant, just a bit further from the rest of the group.

And once again, it seems that something's happened on Monday morning, as these things tend to progress - two gone from your number as you're preparing to leave, their possessions and Pokémon gone with them, and any locals that are asked about them will insist that they were never there to begin with.

But you know that they were with you; you know that much for a fact.

Even so, it seems that Rin Tohsaka and Keith are no longer with you.]

[takestheblame]

[This city seems different. Older, in a sense. Must be the streets. The big building that gets his attention is the stadium-like contest venue. He enters, Daigo behind him, and looks around]

This is unusual.

[He doesn't remember anything like this in other places. Time to explore. At some point he finds the stage, and sits on one of the seats. Daigo, to his side, is on the stairs, too large to fit in seats. Once someone approaches, Kiryu comments]

This place doesn't seem like it's made for battles. We're too close to the stage. What is this place for?

[Maybe if you had asked someone out there, Kiryu, you'd know.

The contest venue is the best place to find something Daigo would like to have: new bowties. The ones he used to have are too small for him now. That's why Kiryu and Daigo are to a side, Daigo wearing a brand new bowtie, and putting some of his old small ones around his wrists with dejected expression. Clearly it's not working like he expected]

Do you want a bowtie?

[Yeah, they're giving bowties to anyone who wants one]

Stage

[eudaimonikos]

Maybe it's for fashion shows!

[Michael is out here in a tux for like, absolutely no reason. His Milotic is with him, just about as fancy as Milotics always are.]

[radiantflame]

[Morag is also perplexed by the stage. Pokemon?? Not fighting??? Sounds fake.]

I wonder, do they use Pokemon in theatrical productions?

[Agatha the Mareep seems interested in the accessories, and nudges Kiryu's hand eagerly.]

investigation!

[eudaimonikos]

[Hearthome City! Michael's been wanting to come here!

Perhaps surprisingly, though, the first building he visits is the Super Contest Hall. You might catch him sorting intently through clothing racks, or coming out of a dressing room wearing a new outfit. His selections still favor colorful suits and bright patterns, and he's trying on most of the things here that fit both him and that description, then coming out to examine his reflection in the mirrors and maybe preen a little. He's not doing it alone; Cat Janet and Kythera the Milotic are both here as well, getting accessories that match with his outfits. Michael might not realize it, but they're all just playing dress-up.

If he sees anybody (excluding Ignis), he'll spread his arms with a grin.]

Good?

[He has pretty good taste overall, but sometimes he overdoes it on the patterns. If Ignis does come by, maybe he'll help him pick out something that isn't leopard print, eh?

Of course, though, he does finally end up in the Gym. Armed with a flashlight, he's going to actually investigate this place for once. People found type-specific literature in the other gyms, after all, and this particular one is very relevant to his interests.

However that goes, eventually it always comes down to the same thing. There's something comforting in the routine of it. Michael will gather all the ghosts in the building up in the back room, Jane Doe helping where their lack of spirit makes them less likely to move.]

Come on, come come come. I have food! They're like chocolate chip cookies, but I put berries in them instead of chocolate, 'cause you guys like berries. No idea if they're still medicinal.

[He'll be in there for a good part of the evening, handing out food and eating his own dinner with his Pokemon and the ghost horde. He brought accessories, too, so this particular ghost meeting might last a while just on the basis of how fun that is.]

Gym

[gekkaju]

Just as long as they're not the spicy ones. I don't know how good those would be in cookies.

[Atsushi will help himself to one though, taking three more to distribute among his Pokemon. Mizushi and Natto can eat one a single cookie for a while, whereas Chazuke sort of just...eats his in one bite.]

[swiftasacoursingkawa]

[It's a very subdued Sena that goes around the Pokemon Center Monday morning calling for "Tohsaka? Tohsaka-san?" in a voice so soft that there's no possibility of her ever hearing it, even if she was here. Calling like that, it's pretty clear that on some level he knows that there's no point searching - the way she and Keith had been acting the past day or so, it was obvious that they were...

He'd wanted to talk to her about what had happened with Saturn, and how that might affect the promise he'd made with Jupiter, and how he'd face it - they'd had this sort of mutual understanding that no matter what anyone's feelings on Jupiter herself or what she'd done, he'd still had some kind of mutual respect with her. She was one of the people that he didn't feel like he'd be judged for confiding about that.

But she's not here, and he has to move on, to keep getting ready in the only way he knows how.

So later in the day, he's on the nearby routes outside of town, much in the same way Tohsaka would have sometimes gone unexpectedly. Training helps to drive things out of his mind, but at the same time he can't really train against the wild Pokemon...they continue to only stare. Regardless, his more energetic Pokemon (Nin, Monta, and sometimes Vee) sometimes go out to harass the aforementioned wild Pokemon, including a very oddly colored Yanma. This particular one gets harassed by Nin enough times that Sena honestly feels bad for it, especially since it does nothing to actually stop the cicada from bothering it.]

N-Nin! Seriously, what's your deal?! [At least the others are picking on different Pokemon every time????] Geez...

[And that's the story of how Sena ended up at the Pokemon Center later in the evening with a weirdly colored Yanma, an extra bowl of Pokemon food, and a guilty expression. He'd needed to fill his team out, anyways, but...is it really okay like this?]

[divinedescendant]

[From the very first moment of the morning, Duma has been a hair away from a full-on temper tantrum. Snuffling at the ground while Emmeryn tries her damnedest to wander the city proves to be horrifically difficult when your face is also your entire body, but goddamn is Duma trying his best, and, more than once, Latona needs to set him upright again after he just rolls uselessly forward over onto his back. He alternates between this and lightly headbutting Emmeryn's legs, whining and cawing for her attention. He receives it, of course, but it isn't until he whimpers and spits a little flame, not even quite worth an ember, that all the pieces connect.]

Oh, darling. [She kneels down to pat his shell.] The day will come that we will all see each other again. [Duma seems poorly placated by this, though, all miserable whimpers while he spits tiny flickers of fire.] I know, I know; me, too. I am certain the others will play with you if you ask nicely?

[In the afternoon, if you're in Amity Square, you might end up with one tiny Togepi running across the grass and colliding directly into your legs. He stumbles back a little, and, blank-faced, takes a seat on the ground. Emmeryn comes right up behind him and scoops him up into her arms with a little laugh.]

Please excuse us—You ought to watch where you're going, Heim. [But she laughs, lightly, unable to scold her little egg friend too much after showing any interest in anything.] My, though, he is a speedy little thing.

[She ends up in the foreign building come the evening. It feels familiar, high ceiling and stained glass and rows of pews, but some low weight in her chest makes all her movements slow and uncertain.

She has something cupped in her hands, and she looks it over when she sits in one of the pews—she'd found this badge in the warehouse; a set of white wings on the crest frame Naga's brand, the same mark on her forehead, etched into the center. It should have been lost, like the crown ever at the bottom of her backpack—like a lot of things that hit the desert ground.

—And it nearly its the cathedral ground when Duma startles her into awareness with a squawk. She fumbles the badge a little, catches it, and looks over to her problem son. He's...stuck on his back in the middle of the floor.]

Oh, I can't take you anywhere. [you're killing her. you're killing your mother.] Dearest, have some decorum...

TUESDAY

[azumods]

minor investigation!

[anythingforyou]

[Camilla swears to the gods that Hearthome is giving her too much to do all at once. Really, part of her doesn't exactly mind it, it's just...giving her so many Jubilife City vibes that it's kind of overwhelming her on some level. Still, that doesn't mean she isn't going to try to do as much as she can before they have to leave.

One of the first things Camilla is going to do in the morning is go to Amity Square, her entire team in tow and following her along. The place is overgrown, certainly, but it's charming to walk around in while the rest of her team follows suit. The longer she walks, though, the more she's inclined toward something. This place really is in a state of disrepair, after all, so...

Camilla can be found with her team, seeming to actively try to clean up some of the overgrowth in the park just a bit. Mostly to make it look a little nicer, as little as the lot of them can do; Haar's cleaning stuff in the lake and fountains, while Arion and Altena are pulling up some of the more pesky overgrowths along the pathways. Beruka's staying close by while Camilla works in the flower fields, and Eda and Melady...]

Eda, Melady? Could you two try to clean up the park? [Camilla turns to her bagworm and hot air balloon, both seeming intrigued.] Melady, keep an eye out for any items that looks interesting...and Eda, pick up any and all trash around here. If you find anything you particularly fancy, you're free to add it to your collection.

[Both Pokemon are off like shots, off to collect their own potential treasures. It's like a little investigation of their own, if mostly to see if there's anything interesting that they might be able to find while they look around.

After so much hard work, however, Camilla takes her darlings over to the Poffin House in the afternoon, intent on giving her darling partners a reward for all of their hard work. It's a pretty nice process, honestly, and Camilla definitely finds herself enjoying it while she feeds her Pokemon as the treats come out. It is absolutely worth it for them, and they seem to be enjoying the treats really nicely, even if they're biased toward them.

Anyone who comes in will get greeted by Camilla with a smile.]

Oh, hello! I don't suppose you would like to help me with this? It shouldn't take more than a minute, I promise.

[The evening sees Camilla finally back in the Pokemon Center, with what seems to be a plate full of her hard work; there's quite a few different Poffins out for taking, if mostly biased towards dry and sour ones. Feel free to have any of your Pokemon take them, if needed; Camilla herself is honestly just brushing out Arion's fur a bit, seeming almost confused. Is it just her, or does it have a slight sheen to it...?]

[nightcure]

[ Keith is gone, and Noctis... well. Noctis just hopes he's doing alright. It's certainly not the same without him, and he's understandably a little off because of it. Still, he wants to try to keep his, uh... spirits up, so to Amity Square he goes. He lets out all his pokemon, including his Relicanth, who he lets swim around.

Of course, he is interested in what's around... specifically, the surrounding routes. His Houndour is at his heels, and he comes across...

A strangely-colored Eevee. Noctis kneels down, and the Eevee approaches him. ]

Hey, there. Feel like joining me?

[ ... well, it doesn't react much to that, but it does touch its head to the pokeball Noctis offers to it. So he counts that as a victory, he guesses!

Later on, he's in the Super Contest Hall, with that Eevee in his arms. ]

WEDNESDAY

[azumods]

[radiantflame]

[Morag and her trio have wandered out into the nearby routes to observe the state of wild Pokemon. It's not so great, and as usual, her Pokemon refuse to battle the listless creatures dotting the paths. She sighs, realizing that this is a fool's errand, and is about to gather everyone back up when she notices that Sorcha and Jurgen have... bananas?]

Where in the world did you find those?

[As if on cue, something large stomps slowly out of the trees and stares at her absentmindedly. The beast has a bunch of bananas hanging from its neck.]

Titan's foot, what have you two done?

[They'd been so hesitant to battle the wild Pokemon, why did they suddenly attack this one? She approaches it to inspect it for any injuries, but as she does, it lowers its head as if to offer her some of its fruit.]

Wh- that is not really necessary....

[Nudge. Nudge.]

Er, well, if you insist.

[And that's how Morag caught a Tropius.

Her trio, now a quartet, follow her diligently around town at night as she patrols. Despite being devoid of spirit, Tropius still tries to offer bananas to anyone and anything they come across.]

Good evening. You'll have to excuse her.

[semistableman]

[Another city, another new place for him to get used to. By morning he's up and about, looking... not relaxed, but not paranoid either.It's taken Bucky a couple of days to get used to actually having two arms again-- as he thought, there are a number of parts missing from his arm. It's a little too light; he's not going to be using his palm as a shield anytime soon. But his hand responds to input. It might not whir as he tries to power the servos on, but he can articulate it like he could a normal limb, twisting the wrist around, moving each individual finger carefully.

He looks pretty fascinated by his own arm right now.

It's only later in the afternoon that Bucky seems like he's lost interest in examining everything his arm can do, strolling through the city for a brief while before he and his group of Pokemon make their way into the square. No sooner does the group make their way near the center of the park is there a shhhk! sound, and pressure on Bucky's left shoulder. He ignore it, because it doesn't hurt, and his Pokemon don't even look up.

At least until his shoulder makes what sounds like a distressed noise. The creature attached to his shoulder doesn't look distressed, though, so maybe that's just the noise it makes.]

Uh-- hello there. Get stuck?

[It doesn't respond at all to the question, which isn't very surprising, but it is a little disappointing. He pats it gently on the head.

Once night rolls in, Bucky can be found in the Pokecenter like usual, now with a fifth member of his herd, though the Magnemite seems to be doing its best to completely avoid the left side of Bucky's body, for fear of ending up stuck to his arm again.

Bucky, at least, looks pretty thrilled by the new companion, even if his other four don't seem to really get it. Henrietta in particular keeps flying lowly around his head, as if to show off that she flies far better than the Magnemite.]

[eudaimonikos]

[This morning, Michael has decided to investigate the foreign building! He checks out the facade a little first, leaning back to check out the arches and the blue-tiled dome. None of his Pokemon are with him for the moment. It's just weird to find something so church-y in a place like Sinnoh.

Eventually, he enters. He doesn't seem quite sure what to do with himself once he's there, pacing idly up and down the entryway at first. If there's a bit of dark smoke rising up from the soles of his shoes, he doesn't quite seem to notice. When he reaches out to rest his hand on a pew, though, he sure does see when his hand starts to smoke.]

Oh, god...the legends were true!

[There's more dark purple smoke pouring off his form now. He's stepped on holy ground! Oh no!!!

Sometime after...all that...he'll be hanging around at a table outside the Gym. He's got his regular JDF donation box sitting out, and there's a few Gastly and Misdreavus floating aimlessly around him, but he isn't bothering with the normal sales pitch. Everybody's so spiritless; it's just a little depressing to get zero reaction like that.

Instead, he's playing with a deck of cards, shuffling them in various fancy ways like he's a blackjack dealer. He'll comment if anybody walks by:]

I was thinking about setting something like this up before. Seemed like a good way to make some quick cash. And I guess it does make sense, that you can find the trappings of the occult in this town. But now they're all too screwed up to get any fun reactions out of it. [Shuuuuuuuuffle] Wanna hear your fortune?

THURSDAY

[azumods]

[divinedescendant]

[Move slowly enough through the Super Contest Hall this afternoon, and you might be accosted by a small flash of light that becomes a Kirlia hovering up towards your face to place a sticky gem there, then teleporting back down to the floor in front of you to admire her work. There are a couple of these guys running, around but this one, once she touches down, folds her hands oh-so neatly in front of her, the only act of elegance her trainer has apparently ever successfully taught her.

Otherwise, from farther backstage towards the dressing room area comes a familiar voice in a tragically familiar tone of exasperation—]

Audhulma, please.

[And there sits Emmeryn, whose face is just...covered in gems and stickers...... Worse yet, there's glitter all over her dress and her sweater and her hair and on Duma, whose shell is also covered in gems and stickers (he loves it); Latona, who is wearing a cape and a top hat; and on Heim, whose shell also has all sorts of stickers on it even though he doesn't much care about it. Interacting with this general vicinity in any way at all is absolutely about to make you a victim of all of this sparkle. It's bad.

Emmeryn just sort of...sighs, resigned, and Audhulma teleports up near her face, puts another sticker there, and teleports away before gravity gets a chance to intervene much. When Audhulma reappears near Heim, she tosses a fistful (??? does she have real fist if she has no fingers????) of shimmering powder into the air.]

Oh, this is going to take a lifetime to clean up...

[—fuck someone's here]

...Good afternoon.

[please kill her

In the evening, after much cleaning, she brings her sparkly squad out to Amity Square for a walk. Audhulma makes up for her earlier shenanigans by levitating pieces of litter into a garbage bag Emmeryn has brought with her. Duma still wears a bunch of his stickers, and Emmeryn's still shaking glitter out of her hair...]

[thunderwolf]

[Eustace is up bright and early Thursday morning, and the first place he visits is Amity Square to let his Pokemon roam around. Rose and Bolt have taken a liking to the little rock castles, Trigger is practically tearing up the pond at the rate he's swimming around it (apologies to anyone else who has their Water-types in there), Pup's enjoying a good game of fetch with his trainer every so often, and even Quake, the newest member of Eustace's team, has been showing a little bit of spirit today. The large, shiny Rhyhorn is moving around rather than listlessly lying down- an encouraging sign of progress.

At some point during their trip to the square, Eustace can be found crouched at the edge of the pond with Trigger, his Remoraid.]

Ready to try again?

[Whatever it is they're going to try, Trigger seems absolutely thrilled about it. He does a little flip in the water before returning his eager gaze on his trainer.

With a nod, Eustace stands back up and gives a signal to Trigger. The Remoraid practically leaps out of the water and into Eustace's arms. He tucks the fish Pokemon under one arm and faces...a bunch of empty drink cans that have been lined up on one of the taller rock structures. The two then begin taking down the cans, with Eustace aiming Trigger and giving him a tap to fire off powerful water bullets from his mouth.

It's...quite the sight, if not a little silly. But the two seem to be having a good time.

Later on in the day, Rose practically drags Eustace into the super contest hall, much to the Erune's reluctance. But Rose is on a mission- one that she will end up being successful with by the sheer power of steamrolling her trainer.

After some rummaging around in the dressing room, the two end up on the main stage fully decked out in costumes. Eustace is wearing his Halloween costume that he found in the Galactic warehouse, and Rose has a Halloween costume of her own. Yes, she's wearing a costume over her Pikachu costume, don't judge. She's roped Eustace into doing some little skits with her, and to his credit he's not half bad at acting. Though he does end up saying some cheesy lines like, "Dusk draws near. Tonight, we fly!"

Those wandering out onto the stage proper may end up getting a request for participation. Eustace beckons the newcomer over.]

Rose is looking for a victim. Are you willing?

[Who wouldn't want to be vampire food for this cute vampire Mimikyu, right? ...does she even have fangs to bite with?!]

[enjoymyatelier]

[Kayneth has been feeling kind of gloomy this week- well, more so than usual. Hearthome is a nice city, to be sure, but... he finds himself hitting the foreign building Thursday morning and just... staying there a while. He is obviously not religious by any means, but... well, the architecture feels familiar, and he's not sure if being there makes him feel more or less homesick.

In a way, he felt kind of anchored by having someone else... tangentially from his world, and Rin's sudden absence is reminding him of that in ways he did not really expect. Of course, he's not just sitting there in quiet contemplation, because again, haha, religion. No, he's just sitting there and sketching the architecture, as even if he doesn't care about religion, art is Extremely Good.

...of course after that bummer of a morning he's just going to head the fuck out to Amity Square and have a goddamn picnic with his Pokemon. He's been having fun making Poffins and you know what? Picnics are great with little berry-filled muffins, and actually, as he passes them out to his Pokemon, he comes upon a revelation...]

...You know, picnics are considerably more pleasant here than back home. The bugs aren't nearly as much of a nuisance, considering they're large enough to shoo away...

[...LIKE... sure they're huge, but it's better than ants getting into things and wasps buzzing around. Maybe it's worse dealing with Pokemon that have spirit...? But man. This is nice. He's made enough for others because why not, so if he sees you he might wave you over.

Evening finds him in the Super Contest Hall, just... kinda poking around? He's sort of left his Pokemon to their own devices, which means Velasquez and Duibhne are doing their damnedest to look swanky. He's mostly interested from a cultural perspective, because, well... they have something for everyone with Pokemon, don't they.]

[gekkaju]

[On Thursday, Atsushi is less exploring town himself and moreso being dragged there by a very jingly presence as people might spot Natto the Stunky running at top speed down the street with the expectation that her trainer will follow (and he does, of course). Chazuke lumbers behind him, carrying Mizushi on his shoulders until they're led all the way to the Super Contest Hall. Natto is feeling restless and apparently wants to dress up. She's always been more excited about that sort of thing than the other two...and also maybe she just wants to cheer herself up since she's still a little salty about Chazuke evolving first.

They spend most of the day here, Atsushi overseeing his Pokemon- though Natto, mostly- as she brings various accessories to him in her mouth for him to apply.]

I'll do my best, Natto, but you know I'm not really...all that fashionable?

[His hair is two different lengths and his tie is perpetually untied what do you want from him. He might need some help....someone....anyone...

Later on in the day when everyone is starting to have had their fill, Atsushi notices that Natto hasn't returned from the dressing room. Concerned, he gets the other two to wait while he trots off to find her, pulling the curtain back.]

Okay Natto, I think we should probably be heading-

[Oh. That's.

Not? Natto?

Well, it is, but. What was once a tiny skunk wearing a pearl necklace and ribbons is now a much, much larger skunk who seems to have broken the necklace and lost all the ribbons post evolving. She's just standing there in a room she only half fits in, bewildered by what just happened since she wasn't battling or doing anything cool really...]

N-Natto, you....you evolved!!

[The Skunktank suddenly pushes her way out of the dressing room, accidentally knocking Atsushi over in her haste. She looks a mixture of excited and also...kindof upset, mostly because she's not tiny and cute anymore. She's big...big and ugly. And smelly, but she was already kindof smelly.

Atsushi pushes himself back up, withering a little as he sees the Skunktank start sniffling.]

Oh no, Natto...you- you look great, really! You're big and strong now just like Chazuke! You're probably even stronger, right?

[It's helping a little, but she still looks Very Distraught, especially since she also ruined all the pretty baubles she was previously wearing.]

I'm...sure that happens all the time, it'll be okay.

[omissions]

[Today, Ari had been training just outside Hearthome with his Espurr, Nya. Lately, it seems like she's become more determined than usual to get stronger... maybe it had to do with both of her losses in battles with Zelda's companion Sabor, and Atushi's companion Natto? Regardless, the little Pokemon is putting her all into it, and it seems to pay off when she suddenly starts glowing with the tell-tale signs of evolution.

When the light clears, a proud Meowstic stands tall.]

Wow... good job, Nya.

[Ari goes to pet it, but for some reason, the Pokemon crosses her arms and gives him an odd look. There's a pause as Ari frowns.]

What's wrong? Do you not like being pet anymore?

[The Pokemon shakes it's head, but it seems to be waiting for something as it turns away, but then glances over to look at him.]

... Do you... want something? Like a treat, or...?

[There's a pause, and then the Pokemon turns back around and nods, preening a little. Yes, please reward us, human.]

[Later, Ari can be found at the contest hall with the Meowstic, because it seems like the Pokemon has taken an interest in standing on the stage and walking around it. Before it then spots some hats and scarves, and starts gesturing to them for Ari to grab and put on the Pokemon. Seems like Nya's become a bit of a diva now, or was possibly tsundere all along??]

FRIDAY

[azumods]

[bloodspent]

[...So, you know what, this city is actually weirdly comfortable after spending about a week here; it's not terrible, it's not completely overwhelming like Jubilife, it's just...here and the people are still blank as hell but he can live with that.

He's been spending a good amount of time in the foreign building, actually; he's not really one for church, never has been, but honestly at this point he kind of figures that church isn't exactly going to hurt anything, either. There's nowhere to leave offerings like there was at the shrine, but at the very least he'll be spending a fair amount of the time in one of the pews with his head down and his eyes closed, because after last weekend he figures everybody kind of needs the lord.

(Especially Team Galactic? Because what the actual fuck was anything last weekend.)

But, you know, when he isn't asking for intercession from literally anything that's willing to listen out there, he can be found just wandering around the building. The stained glass windows are pretty, everything in here's kind of nice, this is...honestly the most out-of-place building he's ever fucking seen, he has no idea where this even came from? The longer he stays in here, the weirder it is.

Anyway.

He can also be found in Amity Square as the day fades into evening (and god, it's good to be able to feel when it happens); Cvetka and Kandža are sitting in one of the patches of grass, apparently trying to make amends with Albert in the best way they can conceive of - namely, they're finding feathers and fluff and shiny things in the grass and using them to make him pretty. Albert does not look like he's here for this, but he is also too abjectly terrified of Kandža to run, so here he is, looking pretty.

Jake himself isn't too far off, though; he's having a good time climbing up on the rocks farther back in the park, trying to see how good a view he can get, and he's...probably going to break his damn neck but that's fine, surely.]

[eudaimonikos]

[Today, Michael's set up in the lobby of the Pokemon Center. There's benches and stuff here already, but he's dragged most of the cushions onto the ground. Something that looks like a portable DVD player is sitting on a small side table, and he's got a bowl of popcorn.]

Hey, wanna watch Galaxy Quest?