002 ⟡ MARCH TEST DRIVE

[baymods]

⋆✩ test drive 02 ✩⋆

The day begins like any other.

Routines, eventful scenes, and boring errands — no matter what you were in the middle of, there's a moment where everything begins to feel wrong. A searing pain tears through your body, so intense that it feels like every nerve has been struck at once. Muscles spasm, joints scream in protest, and as you double over, you find yourself clawing or clinging at anything within your reach. As your attempts to maintain composure fail you, your bones begin to twist with an agonizing force, the pain rising in a crescendo until it becomes unbearable to even breathe. Then, as quickly as it began, everything stops.

For a single, terrifying moment, there's nothing. No sight, no sound, no touch, no taste, no smell — just the weight of nothingness swallowing you whole. The absence of sensation might even be worse than the pain, leaving you adrift in a void you can't escape. Hopelessness threatens every fiber of your existence, and try as you might to fight it, your darkest thoughts begin to surface, flooding your mind in an onslaught of suffocating feelings and ideas.

In the darkness, you hear a voice.

It's faint, a gentle flashing of something warm along the edges of your mind, like sunlight itself. It's a voice, but you can't identify who or what it comes from, how it sounds, or what it means — still, you know it's directed at you. Something tugs at your heart, a powerful ache that throbs once and ripples outwards. You can feel the aches again, like fresh sores throughout your body. You feel off, like something isn't quite right, like you're not where you should be, or who you should be. But the voice continues, whispered just beyond your understanding. The sound is warm like hope, and it wraps around you, distant yet intent, before you wake up.

i. arrivals

OUT OF THE WOODS

A branch cracks, loud and deafening in an otherwise eerily silent forest. Thick fog coils through the trees and around your new form, twisting into unnatural shapes in your peripherals, and returning to nothing when your head whips around in an attempt to catch it. Though your memories are still solidly your own, they're gathered and pressed oddly into the back of your skull, out of reach in a way that's difficult to explain. Something rustles between leaves and underbrush, and the unmistakable sound of claws against bark follow shortly afterwards. Though the fog is thick and difficult to see through, you're suddenly aware of one thing: you're not alone.

The fog that surrounds you and your fellow new arrivals is maddening, and something foreign wraps around not just your mind, but your body as a whole. A strange illness has long been spoken of and witnessed within and around Bottlecap Bay, and you're the unlucky bunch to arrive with it slithering its way in now.

The fog is heavily related to this mystery illness that has plagued Pokemon, both inside the city and wild, for some time now. Though the connection isn't easy to fully grasp, it becomes incredibly clear as time passes that the fog worsens the symptoms of the illness. Some Pokemon who traverse the fog come out just fine, but others fall ill with varying levels of severity.

As soon as the first reports come from the Cheri Berry guild indicating that a large amount of confused Pokemon have been spotted approaching Bottlecap Bay from the forest, the three guilds send their members out in forces. Rescue these newcomers and discover that they're just like you, and not just confused wild Pokemon. Dr. Denne firmly insists on bringing everyone they can to the Pokeclinic, so please hurry!

AND INTO THE FIRE

⟡ Whether you fall ill or not, the fog is not safe to stay inside of for extended periods of time. Time within the fog leads to hallucinations, aggression, temporary memory loss, and overall confusion, so Pokemon should be careful, and try to get out as soon as possible!

⟡ While all new characters will arrive infected with this mystery illness, it is not contagious in any traditional fashion, and the severity of the symptoms is up to the players. Some barely exhibit any symptoms at all beyond the initial foggy memory and may even wind up cured out of nowhere! Existing characters may become infected during the rescue, if you so desire.

⟡ The illness can cause Pokemon to have the fog symptoms listed above in any area, and it can come and go erratically. It also creates symptoms much like a normal illness, varying by the person. Some examples are: coughing, fatigue, fever, chills, sneezing, nausea, and the accidental discharge of Pokemon moves. NPC characters who have had this illness have died from it, and some characters are warned the same.

⟡ Symptoms may improve or worsen for characters as the players desire, at this time.

⟡ As some of you have already discovered during your quests, the forest is filled with Pokemon exhibiting these same symptoms, as well as dangerous pitfalls, plants with minds of their own, and poisonous berries, leaves or thorns! Be careful!

ii. nightmares over

LINGERING SHADOWS

The nightmares had ended weeks ago, or so everyone had thought. Now, some Pokemon may experience them again, a more extreme version that causes a number of Pokemon to wake up in the middle of the night in a panicked sweat, screaming, writhing or scrambling quickly out of their nests. Upon waking, these Pokemon plagued by resurfacing nightmares notice something is wrong. Physical scars or injury over a spot of insecurity, phantom pains over limbs that are no longer there, or constant shadows in the corners of their vision...

How does it feel, when the Pokemon beside you wakes up with a calm stretch and a healthy, well-rested and rejuvenated smile? They feel great, they say, looking at you with worry and concern. What's wrong? You didn't feel that warm and wonderful sensation during the night, like being wrapped in a blanket of lullabies? How odd...

What could this possibly mean?

THE FOLLOW UP

⟡ From our survey, 8 characters talked things out, and 6 timed out, meaning we took this as a fairly even match of sharing versus holding it in. Because of that, only those who held it in have "consequences" to bear, and only those who talked it out have "blessings" to hold.

⟡ Characters who did not talk through their nightmares in the previous TDM experience one more horrible nightmare, accompanied by the feeling of a foreign presence. They may optionally feel someone eating their happier dreams, leaving only nightmares in their wake. These characters may now experience physical manifestations of their suffering upon waking from this last dream-eater's nightmare: scars, phantom pains, continuing nightmares with the sensation of being eaten, strange injuries, weakened abilities, etc. We encourage creativity! While you may choose the punishment and its severity, everyone who did not talk it out should have a lasting scar or effect of some sort. It should be at least mildly unsettling and upsetting, but not a heavy block for playing your character.

⟡ Characters who talked out their own problems, especially if they also helped others, will sleep amazingly, especially with the company of others. They'll tend to feel more refreshed after a night's rest in company, and will notice that they feel great in the mornings after sleeping alongside friends or companions. Their presence will also, from now on, seem to create a soothing aura that calms those around them during the night, meaning that those Pokemon experiencing suffering may seek them out for better rest.

⟡ New characters this round enter with a similar sort of presence. Characters who see their sleeping forms will feel the urge to cuddle up next to them and keep them safe from these nightmares. Any characters who sleep in the same room as them will feel more refreshed the morning after. New characters who do not find sleeping partners or roommates may find themselves plagued with similar creeping nightmares.

iii. pokeclinic

PRESSED FOR SPACE

Though the number of mystery-illness cases has been steadily rising for months now, this is the first time that the Pokeclinic has seen so many patients at once. Existing characters receive updates constantly over their Grumpearls, indicating the Pokeclinic at max capacity, but still insisting that all new Pokemon be brought to the clinic, and that all previous "newcomers" come in for a quick checkup, as well.

Anyone who steps foot or paw into the Pokeclinic can tell immediately that it's overbooked. The main ward of rooms is packed, cots spilling out into the hallways, and even the lobby is beginning to look like an impromptu campsite. Pokemon staff shuffle, flutter and scramble around the bodies of ill Pokemon, performing checkups wherever they can find the space, applying medication and herbal treatments where necessary, and reassuring worrying family and friends.

In the midst of this chaos, it's not hard to see how mixups are occurring. It gets bad enough that even Polteageist themselves joins in on treatments, causing a shocked ripple of whispers and gasps any time they float by in a hurry. They can be heard, at times, firmly scolding those who make the mistakes, insisting that there's no excuse for poor health care, and that even in times of urgency, care and attention to detail is needed. But for the time being, this isn't enough to help.

So they put out a plea to the other guild leaders. The Pokeclinic needs everyone who can help to check up on patients, deliver meals and medications, and check records for mixups. Lum Berries are fewer in number, so it makes sense that they're being overwhelmed right now! Polteageist promises to make it worth everyone's while, of course. Any Pokemon who works within the clinic during this time will be awarded with points.

WHAT IS THERE TO DO?

⟡ Characters, old and new alike, are encouraged to help where they can. Obviously those more serious cases should focus on resting, but anyone capable is allowed the chance to help out!

⟡ Caretaking is one of the most important roles in the Pokeclinic. While Pokemon like Chansey, Lilligant, Gardevoir and others move around using their moves to help with ailments, many of the patients need more personal care and assistance. Whether it's feeding them their recommended diet, helping locate and deliver their medication, or just snapping Pokemon out of hallucinations, it all helps!

⟡ The rooming situation is a complete mess! Hospital cots are stacked multiples to a room, lined up in hallways, or even spilling into the lobby. New characters may end up staying together, and existing characters may end up temporarily checked in while awaiting their screening, or listed as an actual patient after showing signs of the illness. Or maybe there was some kind of a mixup? Whatever the case, you're in rooms together, now!

⟡ Clinic visits may lead to violence on occasion. In some cases, Pokemon moves are set off on accident (like a thunderbolt going off after a reflex check), and in other, the illness-related agitation flares up, leading to straight up brawling in the clinic. With newcomers and ill wild Pokemon mixed together during the chaos, some may resist treatment and lash out at staff, other patients, or any passerby. Try to keep order if you can!

LEARNING YOUR BODY

Polteageist has worked with Dr. Denne to encourage an assortment of activities and classes to help characters better adjust into their new forms. Not only is this helpful in every day matters like movement and balance, but Dr. Denne also believes that this could help reduce symptoms of the mystery illness that's still being looked into! Because of this, characters are encouraged to pair off for activities or visit various classes together, hosted in various places around the city.

BODY SPECIFIC

⟡ Various body type angled classes are being held throughout Bottlecap Bay! On the beach, aquatic Pokemon hold classes on swimming, and an underwater obstacle course has been set up beneath the waves of the ocean and through the various underwater cave systems!

⟡ Pokemon with wings or other methods of flying are encouraged to meet in the Canopy for some careful flying classes. The natural clutter of the trees and branches makes for a great agility course, too, and this has been marked off with bright painted colors.

⟡ For those with more or less legs than they're used to, various activities have been set up around the city and outskirts to promote paired encouragement of movement! Just be aware, sometimes these new forms of yours come with a large tail, or bulky wings, and you might just smack into someone next to you while trying to get your bearings.

⟡ Mightyena is holding sparring tournaments and matches on the beach just before the cliffs. Try your bodies out in battle with one another!

TYPE SPECIFIC

⟡ Each type (fire, water, grass, etc) has its own collection of activities to try to better become accustomed to the movesets. Often, opposing types will be matched up and told to fire attacks at one another, with the aim of practicing brushing off super-effective moves, or powering through weaker type moves. First aid kits are scattered throughout the city for this purpose.

⟡ Sometimes, it can be difficult adjusting to a type. Fire types, while comfortable in high heat, may find themselves overheating or unable to control their temperatures. Water types may forget how to breathe on land temporarily, requiring assistance in meditation. Grass types may feel oddly slow, or tied to the ground beneath them, though it's purely in their mind. Maybe your dragon type can't stop roaring. Feel free to be creative with your character's struggles!

⟡ In an attempt to encourage special Pokemon moves (rather than physical), one of the local bakeries has developed Type Muffins for characters to try out! Just be warned, sometimes it makes it so easy to use your moves that you might send them off on accident. It's suggested you try these with a friend to spot you.

CHALLENGE YOUR MIND

⟡ More dangerous (but not lethal!) challenges await those who wish to sign up for them. Polteageist insists that with the dangers on the horizon and at their door, it's important now more than ever to become prepared. So, they have suggested an escape room of sorts. These come in three flavors, and even ill Pokemon are welcomed to try them, as experienced rescue Pokemon will be on call the entire time. Anyone who takes longer than the allotted time will be rescued.

⟡ Ocean room. Two Pokemon are put to sleep and wake up in a small cave beneath the water, with pockets of oxygen for those who need them. Upon waking, they must work together to escape the labyrinth of caves beneath the water and make it back to Bottlecap Bay. Some obstacles along the way may include: a maze-like cave system with misleading routes, paths with less or no sunlight, strange plants that may inflict status effects, agitated or disoriented wild Pokemon, and varying water temperatures/underwater geysers. It has an hour time limit, so good luck!

⟡ Forest room. Two Pokemon are put to sleep and wake up in the center of a dense forest, with tree covering blocking most sunlight. Upon waking, they must work together to find their directions, navigate through thick brush and forest, and make it back to Bottlecap Bay. Some obstacles along the way may include: the fog, collapsed floors into cave systems, sudden steep drops, aggressive Pokemon and plants, vines, thorns, poisons and toxins. It has a two hour time limit, so good luck!

⟡ Cave room. Two Pokemon are put to sleep and wake up far beneath the city, in one of the many tunnels belonging to the mines. Upon waking, they must work together to reorient themselves and find a way out to Bottlecap Bay. Some obstacles along the way may include: unstable sections of mines leading to collapses, a vast assortment of tunnel directions leading to disorientation, extreme temperatures, lava pits, and lessening oxygen levels. It has an hour time limit, so good luck!

✩ OOC NOTES.

⟡ TDM CWS: body horror, death, disorientation, hallucinations, illness, injury, scars

⟡ TDMs are game canon and act as events for the month they are posted.

⟡ New characters can link to their top level beneath the NEWBIE DIRECTORY!

⟡ All new arrivals are not assigned to any one guild. However, if they assist with any of the clinic prompts, they may gain points for their future guild!

⟡ The creepy forest fog can be done away with temporarily through Pokemon moves, but always seems to work its way back like it has a mind or will of its own.

⟡ Remember that at least one thread for your application must come from the TDM! There is no comment minimum, but we will be looking for engagement, as well as for players and characters who take the time to delve into things like character thoughts, emotions, morality, and other deep themes. Take this time to engage with the setting as you would in game!

⟡ As of today, reserves and applications are now permanently open, with apps processed every other month! See information on their respective pages for details!

⟡ Have any questions related to the TDM? Ask here! If your question is more general for the game, please make sure to direct it to the FAQ page instead. Thank you, and happy threading!

FULL NAVIGATION

Comments

[offtracks]

Mmm...I'm not sure. I am not certain I know enough about fossils to tell!

[If it was a living version, after all, they'd probably look different?]

I have seen a few of those. Lian, one of the other Wardens, is very interested in geology! We will go into the caverns together sometimes to look for stones, and he has found some fossils as well. [...] I have seen something that looked a bit like a Shieldon's plate?

[outbounds]

Oh. Shieldon and Bastiodon. Yup. Those are Fossil Pokémon all right.

[ Beat. Somehow he wasn't actually expecting a yes on 'they appear in time space distortions', but well, Magnezone and Porygon-Z... ]

So that means they do show up? Do Cranidos or Rampardos appear too?

[offtracks]

They do! Not commonly, per se, but often enough!

[....huh. Ingo's silent for a moment, too. It's strange to realize that those are fossils? He's never seen them as anything other than living beings - or, at least, he did not realize that he had.]

......that is very strange. Does that mean that the dead can be revived in the future?

[outbounds]

[ Emmet makes kind of a considering noise. If his paws were free he'd probably be doing a little paw wobble in the air right now. ]

Mmm. Kind of? Don't think it's really reviving the Pokémon who actually died. Just ... using their blueprints to help bring to life a new one.

[offtracks]

Ah...well, I suppose that is different.

[He has no idea how that works either, but it's a little easier to swallow than "death has ceased to meaningfully exist in the future".]

Is it difficult for them to live in the future? The world must be very different - fossils like that are ancient even in my time.

[outbounds]

Hmm, no more than other Pokémon, I think? There are special considerations, yup. Dietary concerns and other things. And sometimes you have to get them used to certain things slowly, I hear. But a lot of Pokémon have those.

[ Joltik need supplemental electricity, Litwick like to take nibbles of life force, Durant and Crustle get extra rocks and minerals as needed, some cave dwelling Pokémon can be extra sensitive to sudden bright lights... ]

For me? Zephy was a lot like a newly hatched Pokémon in a lot of ways. Stronger, though. [ a big baby with strongly ingrained battle instincts aaaand maybe prey drive. ] Had to make sure he didn't try to chase too many things, yup. But it didn't seem hard for him I don't think. And he's definitely a cheerful Pokémon overall!

[ well, as long as Defeatist isn't in effect, anyway. but otherwise, Jolly nature. ]

[offtracks]

That is good!

[Maybe it's easier because Zephy did not remember the past himself. Ingo cannot imagine it would be an easy transition to make if you did.

...but we aren't talking about that.]

The fossil Pokemon I have seen did seem to be doing well enough to me. Though I do not particularly know any of them personally! I probably would have worked with one eventually for a challenge, but I had not done so yet.

[outbounds]

Pokémon are resilient. If Magnezone and Porygon can find a way to exist in Hisui then fossil Pokémon can learn to thrive in the modern day. Or Hisui apparently. Just have to figure out one thing at a time.

[ There's definitely some kind of subtext to this conversation, but whether or not Emmet picks up on it...

Well, that's neither here nor there.

Onward and upward. ]

[offtracks]

[Ingo hums thoughtfully. They do seem to have adapted decently, but...he does not know of any wild Magnezone or Porygon living in Hisui. That isn't usually how it works, with Pokemon from the distortions. They all live with people, who can help them, so are they really that suited to their new surroundings at all?

It's hard to say. He just keeps climbing.

Hauling himself up onto the platform, once they get there, is a bit of a task, but he manages it. He looks around at their verdant surroundings.]

Well! I am glad I have been working more on ghost-type attacks!

[He could wonder why they accepted a fire-type for this mission, but...well, he's the fire-type who volunteered for it, so he hasn't any room to cast stones.]

[outbounds]

That's good! Verrrry good! ... I think I probably could have tried to work more on moves with actual range.

[ His tone stays even throughout, but his ears twitch a little, lay a little more flat, just for a moment. It was a shortcoming he'd noted as far back as his spar with Akechi, even, back when they'd only just arrived, and yet ...

Emmet shakes himself a little, under the guise of limbering up. Swoobat supposedly attacking the canopy, are they just in the wrong place, or did they come during a lull...? Hm, maybe should be listening for them instead. ]

But that is very convenient, yup. Means you can go all out without risk of friendly fire. [ or setting fire to the leaves. ] Notch eight, full throttle.

[offtracks]

I still have not managed a proper Infernal Parade...

[He's not actually sure what the little ghost-flames he's managed to make would count as at all. Hex? Weird-looking Night Shade? He hasn't used them against an actual Pokemon yet, only in practice sessions with himself, and that makes it even more difficult to determine.

Oh, well. He rises onto his hind legs, peering around at the canopy.]

I wonder why they are attacking at all? The Swoobat, I mean.

[outbounds]

Not like I can do Bitter Malice. Or Night Daze. Or Illusion.

[ Granted, he certainly hasn't actually tried for Bitter Malice at all, but in terms of 'mostly signature things you'd think a given member of a species should be able to do' Ingo's only lacking in one thing compared to Emmet's three. But anyway, Emmet's ears swivel a bit as he also looks around the area surrounding the platform. ]

Hmm. Good question. Can ask, maybe? Wouldn't be a mission if it were that easy though.

[ Probably. There's a couple ideas he has, but mostly it relates to how strange the forest around the city is and the reports of very confused Pokémon. That said, huh, it's surprisingly quiet up here...

... hmm.

Air Slash lashes out from somewhere in the branches above right as Emmet glances up and almost immediately throws himself a few fox-lengths to the side to evade. The attack scores a mark into the wood below where he'd just vacated, but rather than look alarmed by the near miss, Emmet just looks thrilled, smile sharp as the Swoobat begin to make their presences clear. ]

—Don't think so!

[offtracks]

[Ingo lets out a sharp sound of alarm, but Emmet has already dodged.]

I suppose not.

[Too bad. But while he'd prefer to talk things out on the whole, it's hardly as if Ingo minds a good fight. He drops back to all fours again, a more stable position, and fires off one of his newly formed ghost attacks. It doesn't hit anything, of course; the Swoobat aren't close enough yet to aim very well. But it's a warning shot!]

[outbounds]

[ There's an uptick in chittering from the gathered Swoobat above in response to the warning shot, but the mob might just be numerous enough that nothing specific really can be made out of what they might or might not be saying...

Or maybe they're just maddened beyond words. Who can say! Not Emmet, who, already on all fours, crouches down further as he takes in the angry swarm's overall reaction to the flames and ... yeah. Nope. The Swoobat are definitely not going to back down so easily, huh. Figured, but! But. But they're still too high up right now, and if they just let them stay up there the Swoobat can throw Air Slashes and Air Cutters and whatever psychic moves they like around all day. Neither of them know Smack Down or Gravity or any other number of useful 'hey get down here' moves.

Well! Short of climbing the branches further via Shadow Sneak and launching himself at them from higher up (which he will reserve as a plan B or C maybe), he still has at least one useful move in his repertoire even if he has to brace himself for it: the Zoroark growls lowly in his throat at first, working up to a sharply issued, yipping, high-pitched Snarl towards the bats hovering above. ]

Verrrrry rude, attacking first like that! If it is a fight you all want. Then come down here and get it!

[offtracks]

[A Snarl can miss, probably, but not as easily as a Hex (or whatever that was). It certainly seems to have an effect, at least! The Swoobat chatter amongst themselves, and then several swoop down to attack in earnest. Ingo braces himself as some psychic-type attack washes over him - it's a strange feeling, but one he's certainly felt before. He can shake it off. Again, he fires off a blast of purple-ish energy in retaliation.]

[outbounds]

[ Well. The Hex-or-whatever-it-was lands a very solid hit into somewhere in the crowd, it turns out (or so says the dice roll I just made {19}), forcing one or two of the Swoobat to have to break off their attack run in favor of not knocking each other out of the air on accident with the way the purplish energy makes them flail in attempts to regain equilibrium.

Now that they're actually close enough to engage in earnest, though, Emmet just lets his grin stretch wide, jaws parting just enough to reveal a flash of teeth— before bolting forward, circling around and darting at some of the diving Swoobat from the flank, forepaws wreathed in jagged shadows.

(And if it seems like he's trying to herd them to keep them together so that they're easier to aim at as a group... well, yes. Yes he is. Even with how quickly he's moving a stray attack or two might land their mark: a gust of wind here, a splash of psychic energy there. That's fine, though; he'll aim to give as good as he gets and then some.) ]

[offtracks]

[Emmet's remarkably good at dodging! Or else the Swoobats are simply rolling very poorly! Regardless, Ingo's too busy to focus much on that now that the Swoobat are attacking in earnest. After his successful attack earlier, he's being slightly swarmed - an Air Slash cuts shallowly through the thick fur of his chest, though he manages to avoid a Confusion.

Flanking maneuvers are a good idea! He moves to try and keep the Swoobat in a group between the two of them as well, firing another burst of ghostly flame.]

[outbounds]

[ Ah, nope! Don't like that, the amount of focus that earlier Hex is getting. Attention on him, please! He's the one who can better reroute to avoid too many collision courses. Even though Emmet probably is the less hardy one between the two of them; ghost types in general are not typically known for having an excess of vitality to spare, but this breed of Typhlosion was still a normal Cyndaquil and Quilava once, right?

Emmet shoves it down and away, though, any excess (misplaced) worry or anxiety or protectiveness or some combination thereof. Ingo can take care of himself! Probably! That isn't to say that he isn't going to be barreling into some of the Swoobat closest to Ingo via Shadow Sneak though, Shadow Claw still trailing his movements as he lashes out in sharp, sweeping strikes to try to give the Typhlosion some more space. An Air Cutter strikes true against his flank before he can duck back into a shadow and away, though he does narrowly avoid the Assurance coming from a Swoobat that swoops through after it into the space he just vacated, but any and all of it is kept out of his voice as he chirrups, projected enough to be heard across the platform: ]

Say. Ingo! I had an idea. We are working together here, yup. But! [ and duck the Heart Stamp, dart away from another Gust, pounce on an isolated, out of formation Swoobat with claws at the ready before a Confusion aimed his way forces him into taking evasive maneuvers again with a laugh even as it clips him— ] Why don't we make a little competition of this?

I am Emmet. Iiiii bet. I can take down more of these Swoobat than you.

[ It's twofold: one, he does like battling, and he does like making a game out of it! They have been rivals for a long time, even if Emmet is the only one who remembers it! But two... Take the bait, Swoobat, it's not Taunt but it's also not not taunting? ]

[offtracks]

[Ingo knows that his endurance is average at best, as far as Pokemon go...but he also knows that he is definitely more durable than Emmet. He's seen more than enough of both Typhlosion and Zoroark in battle, though admittedly in rather different contexts. So he doesn't mind taking some hits. He might try to do more, except that Emmet seems to be dodging quite well on his own.

For his part, Ingo's not that nimble. He's trying to compensate with a good offense - using Quick Attack to get the drop on the nearest Swoobat, dragging it down to the ground where he can pin it and hit it with another Hex.]

Ah! Very well, I accept!

[The fight's moving quickly enough that he doesn't really think before accepting. And why should he? Ingo enjoys a competition too!

A moment later, he wonders about Emmet's motivations a little. Were they competitive with each other before? Was it a fun sort of competitive? He supposes it must have been - he knows from observation how siblings can be, but they were supposed to be close, right? But attacks are flying, and there's little time to think about it. Ingo just focuses, ducking an Air Slash and risking a quick Flame Wheel, just igniting his neck fur, to drive some opponents away from his back.

One of the Swoobats slams its heart-shaped snout into his side, making him reel briefly. Is that what flinching feels like?]

[outbounds]

Okay! [ and that's again barked out, with the layered, faintly grating undertone of a harsh growl marking the word as another Snarl from where Emmet's position currently is, somewhere roughly in front of Ingo and probably intended in retaliation for the Swoobat who'd managed to land that Heart Stamp, ] I'll even give you a head start. You did get those two at the beginning.

[ They've probably managed to level out their flight and rejoin the rest of the swarm by now, honestly, but it was a pretty impressive opening volley to start them off all the same. Which is why Emmet lets his shadow stretch long, allowing another pair of Swoobat to dive at him before he uses those tracks to dodge at the last second and force them to either hastily try change course or else crash into each other midair.

(His timing's a little off; the leading edges of their Air Slashes manage to slice a shallow gash through some of the fur on his flank before he slips away. Still minor damage, easily pushed through, he can keep going, no problem. Full speed ahead.) ]

But. I am Emmet, and I like winning more than anything else!

[ Declared, as he reappears from the Shadow Sneak and slashes at both of the aforementioned Swoobat with another Shadow Claw, just in time to throw himself into another Shadow Sneak to dodge even as the dazed bats land harshly onto the wooden platform. Won't stop, just go. Staying in near constant motion is mostly how he's keeping ahead of a decent number of the attacks aimed his way, so as long as he can keep it up... ]

[offtracks]

I do not need a head start!

[Ingo's mildly scandalized at the idea! Now, granted, he's not going to argue that he did get those two at the beginning - but that's not a head start! That's just what he did!

He braces himself, flames rising into a Flame Wheel around his body as two more Swoobat fly at him. One, aiming an Air Slash, hits him and wheels away again without injury. The other was going for another Heart Stamp; it just gets a burn for its trouble. The small cuts on his body sting. Ingo's had much worse than that, though. He shakes it off and tries for another ghost-type attack - Hex, against the burned Swoobat. The sooner they can start winnowing down the field of battle, the better.]

[outbounds]

Whatever you say! Doesn't matter though. I'll win anyway!

[ The burned and Hexed Swoobat goes down for the count, but Emmet's already chasing the one wheeling away as the exchange happens, aiming to bat it back down to the ground with another harsh swipe. As he lands after a pounce-and-U-turn combination, though, he allows his claws to dig into the bark below, scraping roughly against the wood in a Hone Claws.

Seeing Ingo capitalizing on the burn out of the corner of his eye does make Emmet realize something, though— he can help with that, can't he? Not as easily as an electric, grass, or fire type typically would, but there's still options available to ghosts, he just has to ...

One by one, several flickering orbs of blue-white foxfire flare to life as Will-o-Wisp, swaying gently, eerily in a circle around him. He's still operating too much on snap reaction to focus enough on the flames to direct them towards the Swoobat the way one normally would, but that's fine. It just means he has to deliver the move to them himself, meaning that when Emmet throws himself back into the fray with another Shadow Claw (which knocks out the battered Swoobat from earlier), the sinister foxfire circling him also manages to leave two more Swoobat with burns as well in exchange for Emmet having to bear the brunt of a Heart Stamp to do so. ]

[offtracks]

Ah - !

[The flash of flame in the corner of his eye draws his attention, and just for a moment...he freezes at the sight of Emmet mid-Shadow Claw.

It's only a moment. Then an Air Slash hits him hard, dead-on, and he stumbles. What's wrong with him? It isn't as if he hasn't ever seen a Zoroark in battle before. A safe Zoroark, who wasn't going to attack him. He shakes himself and lunges gamely after one of the burned Swoobat.]

Bravo! Very helpful!

[It's a little belated, but he does mean it.]

[outbounds]

- Huh?

[ The gasp (?) and sudden stop draw part of Emmet's own attention, focus momentarily diverted from the shadows he's guiding from out of the middle of the crowd to behind some of the Swoobat on the far side of the platform. He doesn't turn away from his opponents entirely, but his head tilts just enough, just in time to catch that Air Slash out of the corner of his vision (really? dead on? did something happen?).

He doesn't get a chance to wonder further about that, though (or respond to the praise that is basically thanks), because the split-second of delay slows him down just enough that a Psychic from one of the Swoobat manages to briefly halt him in his tracks, just in time for him to be knocked aside by an Assurance from another with a (startled, pained, despite himself) yelp. With the type mismatch, it's almost a relief to let himself fall into the Shadow Sneak he'd intended earlier and dart away towards one of the more isolated Swoobat at the other end of the platform. ]

[offtracks]

[Ingo ignores the question. We aren't talking about that! The yelp, though, does draw an immediate:]

Are you alright? Let - hey!

[As another Assurance smacks painfully into him, Ingo wheels on the culprit with a snarl. It's one of the burned Swoobat, which is probably why it didn't hurt worse - but was the one that hurt Emmet burned? He didn't see. Violet flames lick along his fur as he unleashes a larger burst of ghostly energy. The little will-o-wisps dance along in rhythmic motions after leaving him, without his apparent direction. They don't leave burns, simply vanishing into sparks after they make impact with something.]