Adventure Thread - Group A

Lia saying that she was going to get serious perked Eve's up from her page of notes. Serious? What? Though, when it looked like Lia meant to talk to Sasha and not Eve, Eve's curiosity dropped, replaced instead by a concern for manners. It was probably okay if she listened in, considering that Lia had started talking right next to her, but Eve still felt uncomfortable as Lia started to go into stuff about people that did... something to Sasha. Eve wasn't sure what anyone had done to the extreme cosplaying ranch hand, so she figured it was some sort of personal secret. Eve was up and already walking away by the time Lia talked about how she wouldn't pry information out of Sasha. Yeah, it really sounded like some sort of personal secret that would only be polite to move over for.

Whoops. Eve tripped on her way out and while she managed to catch herself, everything in her hands slid out.

That took some time to sort out, which was time enough for Eve's ear-ves to pick out "human again" from the jumble of noises she had been trying to tune out. She froze and started tuning in. "get arms and legs again." Eve's head swiveled around back to Lia and Sasha.

She remained silent and still for the rest of the conversation, kneeling on the ground where her belongings were still scattered and rather effectively just becoming a wallflower in the background.

It was only after Sasha left that Eve started moving again, hastily gathering her belongings and then trotting up to the other three.

"Wait. Wait. Waaaait," Eve hoarsely whispered before Floyd and Lia split to about their own business. Trying to keep her voice down so that if she did make a fool of herself, it was only to these three, she struggled to put her thoughts into words, "Wait. Wait. Sasha... isn't cosplaying???".

The little gears turning in Eve's head could almost be heard. "No... I didn't know..." Eve explained her end. "I mean... I just thought she was an eccentric ranch hand?..." Eve wasn't quite sure how to put it any longer. Just a week ago, she could just say that there was no way she would believe in human/Pokemon hybridization, but that wasn't the case. Eve fell silent.

"..."

When she started speaking again, it was only to give a rather unconvincing, "Anyways... I see..." Eve looked so blank-faced that it was hard to tell if she actually saw anything. "I think I need some time to think..."

Case in point, Eve turned to leave slowly and ended up falling flat on her face. No worries, though. She mechanically picked herself up in that way people who are distracted do and continued walking away in the direction of the manor.

As Eve leaves, Lia hopes they didn't break her mind somehow. Hopefully she'll be ok. She whispers back to Floyd.

"People who dress up in costumes. That's at least a simple answer."

Lia just watches him go, and after she looks to Kaeda.

"So I was at the gym this morning. Most everyone was there but we don't know anything yet. Aleisandra is in the meeting now and we'll know what's going on when she does."

She also looks away.

"And switching gears... I'm guessing you heard what I said to Sasha if you passed it on to Floyd?"

"Yeah I hope so too."

She faces away, unsure of how she's fully going to explain this to her.

"I don't know what to tell you Kaeda. I can't get them out of my head. And Sasha deserves a chance to be human again..."

"Well I 'wasn't' going to do it alone. A lot of prep and groundwork laying alone, sure. I've got the time now. But I don't expect to be able to fight a criminal organization alone."

Lia looks off again.

"But yes... I understand."

If Kaeda comes around again, she'll note that Lia really seems to be missing the 'fire' that Kaeda would normally expect from talking about this kind of thing. Maybe she really is lost?

Jogging down to Cerulean and catching a bus to Fuchsia, Floyd inquires at the 'Gym Base Camp' about speaking to the Gym Leader about certain things. The person in charge down there says it will take but a moment to relay a message to Leader Anastasia. An Alakazam that Floyd didn't see before nods once as it shuts its eyes in concentration. Moments later, the Gym Leader appears with the faint pop denoting a teleportation. She dusts some lingering snow off of her shoulders and greets Floyd.

"I hear you wished to speak with me?"

Anastasia nods and leads Floyd away from those planning to make the climb up the mountain later that day. Not so much for privacy as to get away from the general din of people socializing with one another.

"Hm. That's at once an easy and a difficult thing to ask. It is simple enough to describe the basic process to you, but another thing entirely to help you on your journey to mastering it. From our Badge Match, I recall that you favor the Steel Type. As such..."

Anastasia begins detailing the very basics of the Type-Shifting ritual to Floyd. Yes, that's right. 'Ritual'. As in, honest-to-goodness magic. The process begins similarly to the process of Mega Evolution in that it requires a strong bond with the Pokemon one wishes to adopt a new Type. Once this is established, and as detailed in the notes that Floyd is given by the Gym Leader, one must find a place that naturally resonates with the appropriate type of energy. For the Ice Type, a snowy mountain peak or frozen cave will often do. For the Steel Type, it stands to reason that a cavern rich in mineral veins will be needed. Unfortunately, places like that are difficult to find in this day and age. In ages past, Rock Tunnel might have worked for a local source, but it has long since been mined out and all paths to the lowest levels that are traversable by humans have been blocked off by the shifting of the earth. Therefore, Floyd would likely have to travel far afield, well beyond the 'well-traveled' path to find such a place within Kanto. This is not to say, however, that it must be done in Kanto. If a suitable location can be found in another region, it would do just as well. The magic is not picky. The Survival Area in Sinnoh is likely 'untamed' enough to qualify yet, if Floyd can find a path leading deep enough into the earth, or to a place with a high quantity of mineral veins. A place that Anastasia suspects Floyd is quite familiar with.

Once a suitable location is found, one needs only gather the reagents; preferably before traveling to the location so as to avoid any excess travel time. There are a few basic reagents needed that can be found at any occult shop: 6 incense candles of the color that represents the Type in question (light blue or white for Ice, grey for steel, etc), the proper incantation (given to Floyd in the aforementioned notes), and some chalk to draw the ritual diagram onto the ground. Aside from these basic reagents, Floyd must provide an offering to either a Legendary Pokemon that best represents his Type (Anastasia is not certain which of the three known Steel-Type Legendaries qualify) or a suitably powerful representative Pokemon of that Type (such as an ancient Steelix or Aggron). What this offering is differs between Legendary Pokemon. For Anastasia, it was simply an offering of servitude to Sinnoh's Articuno. In her case, this was merely a formality. She performed this ritual multiple times and has yet to be called upon by this Articuno to serve it directly. Nonetheless, she pays respects to it every morning. They may not actually be divine beings, but Legendary Pokemon are not something to be trifled with; better to be safe than sorry.

There are other reagents required for the ritual as well, but Anastasia cannot help him in discovering these, as they would be different for him as a Steel Specialist.

As Kaeda walks off, Lia calls after her.

"Hey wait, hold up babe."

She gives her a big hug, followed by a long kiss.

"Go kick her frozen ass. You got this."