Location: Expedition Society Shared Room with Lyra (will now be referred to as Home, Bedroom since this building is huge)
Date: July 1st (presumably, will recalculate month lengths if needs be)
Gentle Slope Cave wasn't bad, overall. Some Bouffalants gave us a bit of trouble with their Fury Attacks, but I picked up a Warp Wand and poofed them away long enough to find the stairs. Upon completing the dungeon, we ended up on a travel-heavy circular hilltop overlooking a large town. Both Lyra and I lit up upon seeing it.
It had to be Lively Town! We made it!
We were so excited, we hugged and squealed before I challenged her to a race and playfully shoved her. I heard her call out that that was no fair as we sped off.
The moment we arrived, the first Pokémon who passed by us was...a Miltank. I instantly thought back to my first interaction with Lyra when she jokingly called me a Miltank when she asked if I found her super annoying. She gave me a side-glance smirk and I gently nudged her. Neither of us had said anything, but we giggled like a couple of idiots.
There weren't a lot of town settlements on our map, but just to be safe we got confirmation from a local. They uh...told us to stick to our parents' side since we were rather young and could get lost easily. Ahaha...best not share how we snuck out of our village to come here, yeah? I don't think that'd bode well.
A rather unruly individual calling himself Krokorok ran into Lyra as we were looking around. Rude punk. He called himself a notorious crook, but he didn't seem so tough. More like a puny peon. He asked us if we had any Poké and was saying we'd better cooperate if we knew what was good for us.
I was about to tell him to shove off when I got hit with a wave of déjà vu. A stampede of Pokémon chased after a white fluffy Pokémon in an angry mob! Lyra, Korkorok and I all got caught in the crossfire and were knocked down.
Unfortunate as that was, we were alright enough to get back up and dust ourselves off. As if nothing happened, Krokorok asked about our Poké again...just as the mob returned and trampled us again as they chased the fluffy Pokémon back where they initially charged from!
Ugh, what a mess! Haven't been here five minutes and already we were experiencing a shake down and angry mob trampling...and it wasn't Lyra's fault this time!
The double-trampling kinda worked in our favor, though. After we picked ourselves up again, Krokorok admitted that the mood was killed, and he didn't even feel like robbing us anymore. He retreated to Café Connections to drown his sorrows. Lyra looked disheartened and took a step towards the café, presumably to cheer him up by saying he could try robbing us again later. One of the buds around my neck sprouted a vine that stopped her by landing atop her head, shocking us both.
I didn't know Chikoritas had that ability! How had I not discovered that before now? I had some difficulty controlling the vine and accidentally smacked myself in the face with it before it slithered back into a bud on my neck.
Huh. Guess I'll have to practice that!
With all that commotion out of the way, we sorted our inventory with the Deposit Box, spent a bit of our Poké on some items, and made our way north where the crowd originated. Perhaps we could investigate and help in some way.
Turns out that building IS the Expedition Society building! So, that crowd of Pokémon that chased that fluffy Pokémon...could they be seeking help from the Society? Do they need that much help dealing with that white troublemaker?
Well, no, actually. Turns out that white troublemaker...is one of the Expedition Society members. As is every member of the angry mob that chased after her.
Before we had a chance to get a good look at the Pokémon Nexus (which was actually a really nice and elegantly-designed piece of advanced technology for a world run by...well...Pokémon), one of the angry pursuers, Dedenne, lost their temper and fired a lightning attack at the fluffy Pokémon known as Swirlix. We narrowly dodged the attack as well, and it wound up frying the Pokémon Nexus!
Well...damn. Filling that thing was the whole point of us coming here. If it's busted...what? Do we just call it quits and go home?
Ah, more pressing matters came up before I could ponder that. Apparently, Swirlix is known for being gluttonous and eating most of their food on her own. They'd had enough and went after her. Ironically, she passed out from hunger while they were scolding her, and shortly afterwards the rest of them passed out. They mumbled how hungry they were, and the two of us rushed back into town to get food for them.
Eh, admittedly...Lyra and I aren't nearly as good at cooking as Carracosta and Nuzleaf, but we made quick and basic dishes to put on their table. Once we announced that the food was ready, the whole group dragged themselves into the dining hall and shoved morsel after morsel into their mouths. Once they were satisfied, they applauded us and the deliciousness of the food.
Ahaha...Lyra and I kinda looked at each other. These poor saps. They uh...don't have very high standards for their food, do they? We'd have to bring our parents here one of these days so they can get a taste of real home-cooked meals. Ah, but this is the Expedition Society – quick, simple meals are a lot better for constant travel than hearty home-cooked meals. No wonder they had low standards.
The others were impressed with the amount of food we came back with in such a short amount of time. Lyra explained that the townies thought we were young traveling Pokémon in desperate need of food, so they didn't hesitate to spare a lotta good stuff. In hindsight, it's a shame the Expedition Society was in dire need. Those rations could've been very useful for longer explorations. But eh, what can ya do?
Despite the help we gave them, the Society members were...uh disappointed to inform us that they couldn't allow us to join since kids weren't allowed. Even so, Lyra made her desperate plea, saying we'll do anything and work ourselves to exhaustion if we had to. She even resorted to begging.
Oh, poor sweet Lyra...
Swirlix said she had no issues with us joining, and the others said she wasn't the chief and it was up to him to make those choices. He'd been the one to decide on no kids joining in the first place.
I tried hugging Lyra to help her calm down while they were distracted. She was trembling and staring at them so intensely...if they told her no and asked us to leave, I get the feeling she would've broken down then and there. Seeing's how her desperation wasn't working, I decided to take a swing at it. I stepped forward and said that if we needed to we'd continue to work as Junior Expedition Society Members, but if possible we'd like to stay in the same building so we can learn more and be of better use to them. If that Junior work involved being their errand runners, so be it.
They kinda...looked at me as if I'd grown a second head. I had a hunch as I made my proposal, and they just confirmed it. That "Junior" Expedition Society stuff Ampharos sold to Lyra was false nonsense. He'd sold her a promise that wasn't real, and now...now we were making fools of ourselves by believing he really was part of their group who'd given us equipment to help them. Just as I was thinking that, who would come marching in but the devil himself?
Ampharos arrived on the scene alongside a Mawile. The Buizel at the table addressed him as Chief.
Ah. So, he wasn't a con artist sending us on random missions to help his crooked friends. Theory debunked. Damn. Didn't even have enough time to properly outline my theory in my head before his arrival.
While he and Lyra were babbling stuff about how they knew each other and explaining our previous encounters to the others, my mind was reeling. How the fuck was this airheaded clumsy wanderer their chief? Then again...these same "famous explorers" just had all their rations eaten by one of their own and had to be saved by two kids who literally arrived in town earlier today.
Something tells me this Expedition Society isn't nearly as posh and grand as Lyra made them sound. I don't mean to sound cruel, but I think my expectations for the sophistication and quality of a society run by Pokémon was much too high. I mean, humanity was kinda doing a crap job where I came from, so surely the partners we'd relied on and who're capable of so much more than us would be better off, right? But...no, not at all. They're faring better than base animals, but...they're worse off than I thought they'd be.
Point is, I thought if any group of Pokémon would have it all figured out or prove to be the pinnacle of societal development, it'd be the Expedition Society – a group of highly sophisticated Pokémon working to help out those in trouble. They'd consist of many members of various backgrounds and types, all so unique and experienced and tough and...no, just no.
Building construction? Yes, standards met. Looks like a human-made place, yet entirely built by Pokémon. Excellent. Nexus? Far beyond what I've seen capable of human creation before it was fried during their stupidity. Everything else...no. Not impressed.
First off, type variety. Or uh...lack thereof. Looking around the room, I see Archen (Rock, Flying), Buizel (Water), Dedenne (Electric, Fairy), Swirlix (Fairy), Bunnelby (Normal), Ampharos (Electric) and Mawile (Steel/Fairy). I give 'em props for having a Rock/Flying type, Water type, Normal and Steel, but...two Electric types plus three Fairy types? It's not too terribly...diverse. I expected at least one Fighting, Fire, or Psychic type, but no.
Of course, types mean nothing if the Pokemon are ultra strong. Surely fully evolved Pokemon make up the lack of type variety in the Society, right? Well, that's where issue number two lies...
I mean, for crying out loud, they ragged on US for being kids, yet four of their members are unevolved! Not saying you gotta be evolved to be tough, but they aren't exactly older-lookin' folks themselves. Hard to argue that no kids should join when you have a Buizel, Archen, Bunnelby, and Swirlix for team members. Only fully evolved Pokémon is Ampharos, and since Mawile and Dedenne can't evolve...Ampharos looks like he's surrounded by unevolved kids!
Okay, seriously. Funny prank, but where's the real Pokémon Expedition Society? Are a bunch of fully-evolved Pokémon gonna flood the room and be all like, "Ha! Gotcha, it was just a prank! Shoulda seen the look on your faces! Look, the camera's just over there!"
While Ampharos was retracting his own rule to disallow kids to join, I turned to Lyra. My expression must've portrayed my disbelief of this shit because she uttered a nervous laugh before turning away.
Oh Arceus. She's NOT kidding!
This...this is...I mean what should I even think of this situation?
Ampharos overruled his own rule, and the others just kinda...shrugged at his choice. This guy made up that troublesome rule about kids not being allowed to join...for what? And the dude just changed that rule, so...what was the point? I swear, that rule was only enforced to create flimsy conflict for us upon entering this building! And we're supposed to follow this brainless fool's orders!?
Gee. HOW REASSURING!
Ugh, fine. Fine. I'll give Ampharos the benefit of the doubt and say that perhaps there was a pest who was trying to worm its way into the Society and he had to make up that rule to make the kid stop bothering them. Word spread of the rule and that's how that came to be. Maybe that rule would still be enforced if Ampharos hadn't met us in Serene Village and seen our abilities with his own eyes? I mean, we did fight the Poliwrath Brothers to get to him...even if he had to save me when one of them tried to surprise attack me afterwards.
And okay, fine, I'll give the rest of them the benefit of the doubt as well. Maybe they truly are tough and experienced adventurers who are just having a bad day with...their newest member Swirlix? Sure. Whatever. Maybe there's a strange phenomenon occurring where nobody can evolve and that's why the rest of the Society isn't evolved yet. Maybe that's also why Lyra can't evolve.
I'm going out on a limb here making all these assumptions about these folks that we just met, but so far they haven't done a single damn thing to impress me or make me think this trip was worth it. Fuck's sake, we cleared the Sheer Mountain Range to get here when we could've been exploring and finding astounding things.
I want to help Lyra accomplish her dream, I swear I do. I'm just hoping like hell that this whole endeavor isn't a waste of time. This means so much to her, and I'd hate for all this effort to result in a letdown. So, I'm disregarding first impressions and giving them a chance just as much as they're giving us a chance. They'd better not blow this for us just as we'd better not blow it for them. They want us to work our asses off to prove ourselves? They'd better show us something impressive to prove they're folks worth losing our asses over hard work.
I was thinking these thoughts while Ampharos did his little democracy thing and we were welcomed to the Society. I tuned back in just in time for them to introduce themselves.
Buizel introduced himself as the underwater expedition expert.
Okay, neat! Having an underwater ally? Very cool, very reliable.
Archen said he's in charge of sky-based expeditions even though he can't fly.
I don't...how? How can he explore the skies if he can't fly? Doesn't that make him the same as the rest of us? I'm a quadruped, does that mean I can explore the skies too? Imagine that, a flying Chikorita. Humorous. Archen? Not impressive. Boo. F-, take the summer school course if you wanna graduate with the rest of your peers. Seriously, Dragonite would've made a better sky-based expedition expert and we met him as part of our "Junior" work.
Next, Dedenne the communications expert. She uses her whiskers to transmit signals and messages to and from all of the Society's members.
Now THAT'S cool! Being able to talk to everyone from any location anywhere? Impressive! Useful! 10/10, would leave a customer satisfaction rate of 1,000,000%! Love it!
Bunnelby was next, and he's in charge of on-foot and underground operations.
Ah, sneaky sneaky. Stealth operations or emergency exit officer. Very handy, very good.
Swirlix spoke up and said she's the steward for the Society. She cooks for everyone and admitted that the meals smell so good that she can't restrain herself long enough to stop herself.
That...mm...don't know how to feel about that. One of the most critical assets an explorer has is their ration supply, so if Swirlix screws everyone over by eating their food...well, the Society ain't gonna be much use, is it? They should either try curbing her behavior or replacing her altogether. I don't like having an unreliable chef. If needs be, I'll dip into our Apple and Oran Berry supplies to ensure that at least Lyra and I are constantly fed.
Then there's Mawile, their archeologist. She said she conducts research on the history of the world and offered to share information if we ask her.
Well, she'll be vital in helping me understand how their world works and how it came to be. That reminds me, I'm not sure if I should inform them of my human origins...it might get brought up if they discover there are some things about their world I don't understand. Well...for now I think it's best if I don't draw attention to myself and hold off. I mean, we just arrived. They may decide I'm more trouble than I'm worth if they find out about the Beheeyem.
Finally, Ampharos reintroduced himself properly as the chief of the Expedition Society. As the name implies, he's their boss. He leads them. And I guess he leads us now as well.
Apparently, there's another member that they'll introduce to us later.
Well, before we addressed anything else, I wanted to get his lie squared away. Lyra did as well, and she asked him why he lied about not being part of the Society back in Serene Village. He offered the most insultingly lazy explanation I'd ever heard.
"I'm not part of the Society. I manage. It's my job to make these other Pokémon work!"
...Is he being fucking serious? Dude, that means that you ARE part of the Society! Just how much of an airhead IS this guy!? I j...oh. I get it. He was joking. Looking back on it now, that was obvious. He wasn't being serious.
Ha ha.
Well, the others were in on it as well I guess. They huddled into a group and started saying something about not wanting to work for a boss like that and considering finding work elsewhere. When it was clear Ampharos fell for it, Dedenne approached us and offered to show us to our rooms.
Maybe I'm just being a sourpuss or a joykill, but that was hardly the time for levity. Lyra and I were still forming our own opinions about the Society, and first impressions through jokes weren't giving us a good picture to work with.
They seem like genuinely good Pokémon with a bit of a whacky side, but I worry there may be a little too much whackiness. It'd be better if they were a little serious about this situation. I mean, for crying out loud Lyra and I left our families, friends...everything we ever knew behind in favor of coming here. We faced many dangers and it wasn't easy. We risked a lot and it was time for our efforts to pay off, and the first thing they do...is all this silliness?
Humor is the best medicine, but it only works during certain situations and now wasn't one of them. If not for Lyra...
Dammit...I really don't wanna let her down. She was so adorably excited she was running all around our room as soon as Dedenne left. I wanted to hug her to express my own excitement, but she was moving too fast and...heh. I still giggle when I think back on it. I'm...really tired, but I'm glad we made it. The bullshit was...all worth it, I guess. The goofiness with the Society members is kinda disappointing, but...hey, maybe that won't be a permanent reoccurrence. Or maybe it'll get better as we get to know them.
Ugh, my poor eyes. Look, it's been a really long day and it's rather late. I've been writing this entire entry ever since I settled into my new hay bed and Lyra conked out the moment I started writing. I didn't want to skip out on any details, and I doubt I would've had time to write everything down tomorrow morning after we get up, so I'm staying up late writing all of this.
I hope things get more serious come tomorrow. I'll...try having a more positive and lighthearted outlook so I don't soil this for Lyra.
We finally made it.
Hello, world. Meet your two newest Pokémon Expedition Society Members!