Frontier Town Main Street

[Neirdae]

(Cool, cross thread quotes do work. Praise be to Dragonfree!)

"I'm surprised this was staying on you at all without any stitching to speak of.

Clover picked up the button and adjusted it on her head. "I only put a couple threads in it, so it was barely hanging on. It takes a bit of time to make something like that really a part of me. Sewing it in will help."

Clover glanced down the road where the Traveler's Haus stood, then turned the other way where shops galore promised treasures and fortune (or at least a day's pay.)

"Do you want to find a hat? Or will that mess with your horns?

 

[Shadow Serenity]

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(from offscreen activities)

Everyone seemed to be settling in, now that some time had passed since their unorthodox arrival and subsequent re-connections. Kimiko included herself in that observation, despite her own surprise at the fact. She still hesitated to settle down and find a job, or a place to live, or anything like that, as so many of her group had, instead living off the wages provided from the mysterious bulletin board north of town.

Somehow, she survived the scouting quests with Bellatrix and Mhynt (yeah, she wasn't gonna be able to relax around any ghosts any time soon; thank gods Felin had been there). But afterwards, she'd only run into a couple of others from the group, with everyone else busy with their new lives - Dave, a somewhat blunt poochyena (to put it mildly), and Andre, a deerling who struggled to learn how to use his vines.

But she'd yet to run into the one person she'd been intending to find so far; Laura. The meowth had earned some respect points, being the only other one - so far - that really showed any outward concern for their missing allies. Many of them had turned up around town since then, but no one seemed to have a proper headcount. Kimiko couldn't shake the feeling that someone might still be missing... but at this point, she wasn't sure what she could do about it, if anything.

She and Laura had only barely introduced themselves and agreed to meet up, but now Kimiko cursed herself for not settling a time or a place. Neither wandering town nor picking up scouting missions had really helped as she hoped they would. So today, Kimiko decided to skip her daily missions in favor of hanging around the town's main road.

She'd secured three glasses of ice water from Gerome, and settled herself in a shaded section of the raised boardwalk. She had a good view of the town up here, and was reasonably within sight as well; if Laura was anywhere in the area, she might see Kimiko first, assuming she'd remembered. Or, worse, that Laura hadn't thought Kimiko had just brushed her off...

 

[Tetra]

Koa trailed down Main Street, legs on autopilot, gaze on the ground. The day was winding down and he unconsciously headed for the quieter part of town. On a better day he would have spent time appreciating the sunset.

Nothing felt clear. For some reason, he'd assumed that things would be simpler here. Surely if they were summoned to stop a disaster somebody would actually have a disaster that needed solving. Talking to Aige the other day had helped, but it brought a whole new wave of issues, namely the matter of secrets and being human.

And then the issue of their team... As a trainer, his automatic thought was that he needed to get everyone to work together. But it wasn't that simple here. They'd all been scattered around and barely knew each other, and he didn't know any more than they did. Maybe they could do some kind of secret group meeting... get everyone on the same page.

He was so wrapped up in thought, and unused to being so close to the ground that he didn't even see anyone until he bumped into something, snout first. Watch where you're going. He bit his tongue, realizing it was technically his fault. "Sorry..." he said, looking up. A blue Rockruff? Was that a shiny one? It looked familiar too, maybe one of their group. "Hey, you're one of the her- travelers, right? New arrivals?"

 

[RJr3:2]

Aige lay flat on her back, her hat on the ground next to her. The Roggenrola had spent most of the day so far looking for holes in the foundations of the houses lining the main street and was feeling a little tired.

In the back of her head, a part of her was nagging her to stop fooling around and get to work, poking and prodding at her over and over again.

"What do you want me to do?" she murmured to herself, "What goal am I expected to work towards?"

She made a rumbling noise, rolling from side to side. "Is it too much to ask to just have a little break?"

 

[Mr.RMA]

Now that he was away from the tense environment of the saloon, Corey finally had a chance to really ruminate over everything that had been discussed... and the longer he thought things over, the more uncomfortable he became over the entire thing.

There really didn't seem to be an ideal side to this whole conflict... In one corner, a band of criminals, highway roaming thugs who preyed on innocent people for their valuables, consequences be damned... the kind of people Corey personally loathed. Yet, in the other corner, stood a vengeful Empoleon whose elitist and uppity demeanor was only surpassed in repulsiveness by his sheer disregard for life... a disgusting bastardization of law and order, if one could even call it that.

Corey may have been dedicating himself to stopping these criminals, but if that meant turning them in to this manic penguin, was that really being any better? God it was frustrating... They needed to stay in the good graces of this town, the last thing they needed was to become fugitives or otherwise unwelcome while they were still fighting to survive in this wild world, but now that he saw just how rotten it was at the top of the chain of command, Corey was worried that they'd inevitably lose all of their good will just from trying to maintain a sense of morality!

This was all way beyond him; he was no vigilante, let alone any kind of enforcer of justice. As he and Archie walked through Main Street, Corey finally had to stop for a moment, unable to keep his concerns to himself any longer.

"Archie... What the hell are we supposed to do about all this? Seriously... I mean, I want to stop these criminals from causing any harm or damage or anything, absolutely, but that Ignatius guy... He's insane! He blatantly admitted he was both the mayor and the judge of this town, and he's hell-bent on sending all these folks to the gallows... What kind of justice is that?" Naturally he tried to keep his volume low enough as to not attract attention from any potential bystanders, but there was no mistaking the amount of anxiety in Corey's voice.

 

[AdamArtDraws]

Only hours after fighting an oversized lokix and saving a wagon from certain doom, Felin devoted a portion of her evening to wandering the main street. Sonora's proposal was still fresh on her mind. Even if they shared the same species, Felin can't just tell what another cat is thinking just by looking at her.

Felin paused by the barber-surgeon shop. She brushed a paw on the long fur on her chin. It could use a trim. Figuring she had time and coin to spare, she strode on in.

"Hello, barber. I require your services," she greeted with a grin and a clack of her boots as she stood upright. "I hope you're not too busy, are you?"

 

[Ambyssin]

Following the gala, Nova showed up to work as if nothing had happened. He was sure word spread of the events, but had no idea whether his involvement in it came up. Nova hadn't contributed much to dealing with the mayor, after all. His role was ancillary. Support.

And yet you were still analyzing. Giving orders. The null shuddered. He ambled down main street, tired from a day of heavy lifting. Not clearly paying attention to his surroundings.

 

[MintyMimix]

A trail of ruffled feathers and light claw impressions made their way across Frontier Town as a frantic Swellow Torria scampered from building to building — eyes darting as a distraught expression bore into her face. It was only when someone shouted at her that she slowed her whipping wings and quietly descended down with a meek smile.

Deciding that perhaps flailing about while hunting down a specific set of Pokémon she only met once was not the most civilized idea, the Scrivener instead elected to take the newspaper article with Laura's face, circle it in red pen, and write, "LOOKING FOR THESE FOLK" in big red text. Torria held it in her beak in front of her as she more awkwardly shuffled around Main Street.

She just hoped it wouldn't be taken the wrong way.

 

[Inkedust]

A noivern waited at the corner of the main street. Trying to find any signs of offworlders was much easier said than done, especially seeing that the local inn, "The Traveller's Haus" as it was called was busy and she would need to check in later. She gingerly rubbed her neck. She could really use a sign right about now...

Just as she was thinking, an odd, large quadruped pokémon that looked like a mishmash of bits wearing a helmet had walked past her. That screamed "offworlder" to her. Now how to not look suspicious?

Here goes nothing.

'Hello?' Gladion would hear from the corner of his mind. 'Have you a moment?'

 

[Jackie Cat]

Laura didn't really go shopping, at least not very often. But she had a job with the Gazette and she had some money and clothing here gave you a boost in combat, and there was gonna be a lot of that in her future, it seemed.

So she was in Lorenzo's shop – the tailor's – looking at scarves that might help her win fights. She was even – weirdly, distantly – a little excited about it. That part of her brain that loved to strategise, optimise, analyse fucking loved this, even if she didn't really relish the thought of getting the stuffing knocked out of her again. Howls, she just wanted to nap or something. But hell if she was gonna give a sub-par performance in her next fight.

Her ears flicked backward to catch the sound of someone entering the shop. Familiar soft pawsteps...

"Oh, hey! Jade!"

Wait, shit, did Jade know who she was? No, that was stupid, of course she fucking did. They'd met each other like, four or five memorable times already, even if some were brief or businesslike. Yeah, they knew each other, come on.

Laura gave the other Meowth a wave and a smile. "You, uh, been getting on okay? Was hoping I'd run into you before the big team meet, aheh. So, uh, it's cool that you happened to bump into me. I'm Laura."

Why was she so fucking awkward. She should ask Jade to smother her in her sleep so she wouldn't get another chance to embarrass herself socially. Fucking howls afar.

 

[Inkedust]

If one wanted to witness the height of murkrow activity, staying up well past sunset was by far the most reliable method.

Bellatrix found herself sitting up on a barrel not even an hour after the stars began peeking out, intently focused on a small murder that had found themselves nestled a top Lorenzo's shop. Her ears were erect, trying to pick up on anything interesting that they might say, although it didn't seem that there was much new beyond idle gossip from far across the continent. Just how much were they involved in Terminal Two's business? They certainly didn't come off as shadows to her, although their presence here didn't ring entirely natural to her either.

Stumped for ideas, Bellatrix found her tail swaying idly and herself humming a chant from a memory long lost: "Workrum, Workrum - bad luck, don't come."

 

[Ambyssin]

Nova's night didn't end with the walk back to town. Because he'd already left the Haus to sleep outdoors. And had a zoroark corpse on him. With a general consensus that banging on Lucien's door at ass o'clock in the dead of night was not going to do their cause any good, Nova ended up having to turn in with the corpse in tow. Fortunately, he was able to get his claws on a large enough tarp to wrap the zoroark up in. Not a perfect solution, by any means, but enough for him to safely retreat to the tent city without raising a bunch of unwanted questions.

But it didn't stop there. Turns out going aggro on Seth actually did draw more than a cryptic message or two from Powehi. Which left Nova with lots to chew on. But he had things to do. Looking rather dusty after everything that happened, Nova hoisted the tarp-encased body onto his back and made his way into town early enough that people weren't up and about quite yet. And then he waited for the sun to rise a bit further before continuing in the direction of the mayor's residence.

... At least, he was pretty sure he was going the right way.

Maybe Nova was more out of it than he realized.

 

[Tetra]

Koa let his paws carry him without really thinking, his head up but gaze unfocused. A yawn escaped him, but he stifled it before shaking himself and continuing on. If only his team were here... He could train with them, talk to them... Then again the thought of them being subject to everything happening here wasn't very pleasant either. Nor did he want them to see everything he had.

Perhaps he'd head to the library and try to forget everything for an hour or two... Or a nap, except the idea of another dream made the idea rather unappealing. At least breakfast hadn't been all bad. Dave seemed decent, and talking to Archie had been nice.

Not far in the distance among the crowd of pokemon was a splash of dark blue fur, but his brain didn't consciously recognize what it meant. Until it the mon was only yards away, and his tired thoughts caught up.

Reflexive fear lasted only a moment, replaced with a disconcerting swirl of emotions. Annoyance and frustration. Worry. Regret. He found himself tensing unconsciously.

 

[Ambyssin]

Nova was processing several things at once. Sensations against his face that he hadn't experienced in so long. Was sensory overload a thing on Forlas? Or just in general for people like him? He didn't know.

One thing Nova was sure of, though, was a certain tug on his... spirit. And even though he couldn't attack as he was, Nova had to satiate that curious tug. Going to Old Town and the brief talk with Lyle had given him a spark of reminder of his old ability back home. And if this kind of body existed on Forlas, the RKS System could, too. In which case, it behooved him to know how to use it. This wasn't home. There was no Legend Memory to stick in his drive and swap types on the fly. At least, Nova was willing to bet that wasn't the case.

The town had a library. It was the best starting spot Nova could think of, so he headed toward it. Hopefully his dusty pelt wouldn't get him tossed out. He had saddle bags, so that was enough to prove he wasn't feral, right?

 

[MintyMimix]

While it certainly wasn't unusual for a traveling caravan to pass through Frontier Town, the lovely scent of freshly baked goods wafting through the air was enough to grab the attention of at least a few locals. Amongst them was of course a certain poncho-clad alchemist that quite literally drifted towards the cart as he gems hummed with a gentle glow.

Although the window as closed at the moment, the clean, yet sweet and yeasty aroma had already entranced the Misdreavus. His eyes glazed over the sign: "Jumpluff's Puffs & Pastries". While fresh bread was their most advertised product, a variety of confectioneries such as muffins, sweet rolls, and even pies were on offering.

Ghaspius just had to wait until it was open. In the interim, he amused himself by seeing how long he could spin in place without getting dizzy.

 

[Inkedust]

As the evening light continued to darken, Bellatrix found herself returning to the Haus after a long day of work and training. It wasn't dark enough to light the main street yet she illuminated her path with a ghostly-white flame that she held gently in a paw, her stride smooth and confident. It was undeniable that she had been in a better mood these past few days and it seemed that her evolution had been a large part of it. While not exactly pleased with her progress, she couldn't call any of her form, reflex or movement good enough just yet she was at least happy enough to not be confined to all-fours.

She paused for a moment to admire the clothing on display in the window, comparing them to her own accessories, before swiftly deciding that hers were better and continuing down the street.

 

[Cresselia92]

“…And I’ll take a couple of Oran and Leppa. Thank you.”

As per usual after an intense training session or expedition, Silver headed straight to the marketplace to restock his supplies, especially healing berries. And after a quick exchange of money and goods, he resumed walking aimlessly through the street.

While if he didn’t get injured severely during the raid and he could have resumed training without problems, he deemed it best to take a break and not exert his body and mind after the grueling experience through that prison. So casual sightseeing around the town be it!

Soon, he approached another stand and looked absentmindedly at the goods, whistling softly as he did so and mostly unaware of nearby customers…

 

[Weazel]

“Wanted, dead or alive, for highway robbery,” Archie read out. “Miror B., and Team Miror.”

The Dewott reached out, and ripped the posters off the wall, almost not believing what he was seeing. But, sure enough, he’d recognize that ridiculous afro anywhere, smaller than normal or otherwise. And that was certainly the Zangoose and Seviper he’d been dragging around with him the last time they’d encountered him. The Electabuzz and Magmar were new, but they likely wouldn’t be any easier to handle than the others. Certainly, the reward – a total of $8500 for bringing in all five – was substantial. But, Miror B. was a human, and a Cipher admin besides. It would take a bounty hunter of extraordinary ability to capture him. Likely, it would take multiple.

To be honest, there was a part of Archie that was happy to see the man was still alive. He probably didn’t deserve to be lost in time, or whatever might’ve happened to him after taking the relic from Timeless Oasis. Plus, he was another potential source of information. But… What was he up to? Why highway robbery? What about his bosses back at Terminal One? Was he still a part of Cipher? Before the Dewott knew it, he was pacing back and forth across Main Street, studying a wanted poster held in either paw, overthinking it all once again.