To Hoenn Alone

[Deleted]

((As mentioned via PM, I'm not 100% sure if I'll be resuming posting before my operation of just after, but I would still like to please know in here if Natasha is going the right way with her sleep-schedule and when she's waking up.))

[Micah]

#As someone who does a lot of sleeping on the schedule that Natasha is currently going on, you usually end up sleeping more than 8 hours when you stay up that late, so unless someone or something wakes her she will probably wake up around 3pm. The way she is going, staying up less and less late is kinda hard to do because you end up not feeling tired when you try to sleep, but it is possible. She could also go the other direction and stay up later and later, eventually getting to a normal schedule. That way is a bit easier, but you do lose a day of your life, so its a bit disconcerting. Or she could just stay up all night and finally let herself sleep at a regular time the next day.

[Deleted]

Natasha comes in and out of sleep at seemingly random points during the first few hours after she got the newest Egg into the Warmer and carefully runs her hands over its sibling's shells. The cause for the woman's discomfort is both her own thoughts and her Pokémon's restlessness. Finally, Natasha gives up around the nightly meal to take Anastasia and Mirage for a walk around the deck before she'll get them their last dishes of food for the day.

When they return to the room, the woman gets her PokéDex and tries to see if there is reception to call the Starter Foundation. She's relatively certain they're a local organisation, but takes the time to explain that she had unexpectedly left the country and should be back in a matter of weeks. At that point, she would be more than willing to resume her sale of Eevee Eggs, or perhaps Hatchlings, depending on what course nature took.

Finally, Natasha goes to get food for her lot and brings it back to her room. She tries to go to sleep then, only heading to the galley once she awakes, with the intent of leaving just before 7am. The nap would perhaps allow her to sleep less the next day. The way that first Egg was feeling, it might hatch within a matter of days, and she couldn't expect to be up all night unless she wanted to lock the poor thing in its PokéBall for most of the trip.

"Do you happen to know if we're still on schedule to arrive on the expected date?" she asks the man when she arrives. "I'm sorry to be later than usual, but I suspect that I might be back on the local schedule before we get there, if all goes well..."

With a smile, she asks how the Enriched Water went over at breakfast and if he's prefer that, Super Soda Pop or something else to keep her occupied that night.

((Natasha's pretty happy to have effectively gotten a bundle of Baby Food for free on her first night, so she's more than willing to just help the man out. He's been kind and patient with her, after all.))

[Micah]

It seems that the boat itself acts as a cell phone tower, and you are able to call the starter foundation. When you explain the situation, the receptionist you are talking to says that the starter foundation would be perfectly willing to pay the fees to have pokemon transferred between regions and so as long as you are near a pokemon center they are willing to buy your eggs or pokemon.
The strange nature of your sleeping schedule makes you feel disconnected from other people even more than usual and while you keep track of what time it is with your pokedex, you find yourself having to check it fairly regularly in order to keep a handle on the time. When you arrive at the food court and ask the chef your question, he replies cheerfully, "I think we are actually ahead of schedule. The conflict between the two cults I talked about with you has been not without consequences even outside of Hoenn, and the ship is being pulled along by a new tide that had never existed before. If it keeps up, we may arrive several days earlier than planned. As far as sleeping later, that seems like a good idea. With everything that is going on in Hoenn right now, I would not want to spend my first couple days there jet lagged." You ask about the enriched water and he replies, "It went over great. Seemed to be very refreshing. A lot of folks with colds or mild sickness felt a lot better after drinking it. Feel free to continue making that, or something else if you feel like it." A few minutes after you and he get down to work the man speaks yet again. "Have you been following the news in Hoenn at all since you boarded?"

[Deleted]

Natasha's muddled mind stores the offer to purchase out of region until she can properly decide if she wants her priority to be expanding her Team or collecting the various Stones for them. She doesn't want to fight anyone, but her life is not giving her much of a choice in how things are playing out recently. At least not so long as Carl isn't around to take care of that sort of thing like he was at home...

Natasha's eyes widen slightly at the news that they'll arrive before schedule if things continue as they have and she smiles at the review of her creation, "I'm glad it was helpful. I'll certainly make another batch of the Water in that case."

As the woman is collecting the various ingredients, going by scent once she finds what should be the correct bottles, and has the water on the heat, the conversation begins. "I'm afraid not," she sighs, turning completely to face the man but partly listening for any signs that her water might be boiling. "I've been trying to distract myself more than anything. There isn't anything I can do to improve the situation there... Has it gotten worse?"

[Micah]

"Yes and no. The level of the conflict has certainly escalated, and their are reports that the two legendary pokemon may have actually begun to battle in the oceans to the east of Hoenn. The weather is going crazy and land and sea seem to be in turmoil. On the other hand, large numbers of people from both groups have been found defeated and been taken into custody. It seems that some sort of mysterious savior has been defeating both teams at various points and preventing them from fully accessing the power of their gods. With a little luck, this hero might rescue your daughter before you even arrive."

[Micah]

#I actually don't recall if you told this guy your story or not. If you did not, then ignore the part where he mentions your daughter.

[Deleted]

((No. Natasha's voice had quivered but he didn't pick up on it, so she didn't tell that part. She'd just brought them up out of context and was told the guy's dad had been a member once upon a time.))

Natasha listens to the report on the weather and frowns, turning to ensure the flame/element under the pot is on. When mention is made of the various defeats, her brow furrows even further as she turns around. "I'd heard that Team Aqua had taken hostages not long before we left port. That vigilante is risking lives."

[Micah]

"I guess you could say that anyone opposing any group of people taking hostages is risking lives, but if no one opposes them then it just encourages others to take hostages in the long run. Not really anything I will ever have to deal with as a chip chef, but in general I like to see people stand up against bad guys. Maybe I'm just a romantic though."

[Deleted]

Natasha scrowls, offering a curt "I prefer to leave it to those who are properly trained and know that they are doing!" before turning back to check on her water, getting set to add the first wave of ingredients when it reaches a rolling boil.

[Micah]

The guy senses that something he has said has made you a bit ticked off so he doesn't say anything and you both cook in silence for a while. A bit later he makes some comment about the Electabuzz, a baseball team famously used to break the ice when folks are not talking to each other.

[Deleted]

A small laugh (nearly a snort, as Natasha lifts a hand to stifle it as she turns away from the pot) escapes the woman at the sudden change in conversation. "I can't say that I've ever followed sports," she finally offers with a shake of her head, moving to the sink to wash her hands off and mentally going over the checklist for Enriched Water.

If it's nearing the 4-hour mark, she'll check in on Mirage and Anastasia, turning down the heat slightly before she leaves.

SPOILER: Click to show

{(Status Check)}
Ed: Pokémon 1891581493d6+2

[Micah]

It looks like your pokemon were not really in the mood tonight, as the Ditto is sleeping and the Eevee is playing some sort of game, jumping from colored square to colored square on the blanket on your bed. When you head back to the kitchen, it seems that the enriched water is finished off. The man thanks you for helping again. He says that he has access to a television in the staff room and wonders if you would like to hear more news when it shows up or if the news just makes you anxious. Just as you start to reply to him, you hear movement behind you. You turn to see a black blur, roughly person shaped.
"Get down on the ground, this boat is being captured by Team Aqua. Do not resist." shouts the blur.

[Deleted]

Natasha steps forward to scratch Anastasia behind the ears, stopping the Eevee's play for a few moments before checking on the Eggs. With another loving scratch behind her Pokémon's ears, and a gentle suggestion that she should let Mirage sleep, to woman heads back to the kitchen to see that the water has that slight glow to it that means everything has finally fully infused with the water and is ready to cool.

Turning off the heat and shifting one element over, Natasha gives a slight chuckle at her companion's offer of news. "I think I'd just like all my bad news at once once we get there..." she manages, before turning, her brow furrowed slightly in confusion at the unexpected noise behind her. "Or it can come to me," she mutters softly, holding her hands open to either side to show she's unarmed, though steering clear of the counters in case there happen to be knives there.

I should have brought Annie with me when she was acting so restless! she scolds herself, glancing at the night cook then back to the black blur before finally glancing at the ground, her head shifting from side to side as she tries hopelessly to make out details in the shadows there. Is there any broken glass on the ground? Dropped knives? she frets, not really wanting to get into a position where she's not on her feet, but willing to follow her companion's lead. Maybe they have drills for this sort of thing?

[Micah]

The cook seems frozen, and the team aqua member shouts for him to drop to the ground again. This time it elicits a response, and the man kneels down, his arms behind his head. You follow suit, and the team aqua member seems satisfied. A few moments later more folks enter the kitchen that can only be more members of the team aqua crew. You and the cook are dragged to your feet and marched away from the kitchen. The next several minutes are painful and disorienting, as you are handed off from group to group and pushed roughly from place to place on the boat. Eventually you and the cook are shoved into some sort of downstairs storage location. It seems that they have stuffed a bunch of people down here, because while it is dark, you can hear the sounds of ten or so others breathing in various locations around the room. The door is slammed shut and it seems that the team aqua grunts are gone for now, though presumably you are all locked inside. Everyone is quite, though you hear a few people crying, at least one of which must be a young girl.