Video;

[truthdecided]

[It's the middle of the day, not long after quests go up that Akechi greets the Grumpearls with a serious expression.]

Greetings. This is Akechi. To anyone newly arrived, I'm a member of the Oran Berries, and I was also among the group exploring the Northern Forest.

[Images accompany of his words of meandering, overgrown plantlife, strange, glowing vines, and luminous mushrooms eerily aglow.]

As there are multiple quests related to the recent fungal infestation as well as further requests to explore to the north, I'd like to give you all my personal insights.

First...

[He raises a wing, feathers folded in such a way to approximate a hand holding up one finger.]

The spores cause heightened aggression. I highly recommend obtaining some form of facial covering to minimize their effects. While I cannot say how effective it will be, reducing how many spores you inhale will likely serve you well in the long run.

Second...

[He raises another feather.]

Be extra careful when removing the mushrooms. If you can dig around them, that will be ideal, but mushrooms have complex root systems called mycelium, so if you want to be extra cautious, it may be worth digging especially deep. The fruiting bodies are their primary means of reproduction, however, so simply removing and eliminating as many as possible while minimizing contact with the spores would be ideal.

[He tries to convey this with little images of the mushroom caps and the roots spreading far, far beneath the soil.]

Ren and I will return to the northern forest to rectify our... mistake. I also fully intend on gathering and eliminating as many of the mushrooms as possible.

Be smart, expect the worst, and we may be able to overcome this unfortunate infestation.

Comments

[truthdecided]

Not merely overgrown, but often glowing, and the terrain of the forest felt as though it was... breathing, for lack of a better word.

[He tries projecting some images from the forest, complete with oddly glistening flora, along with vines that grab and snatch anything nearby.]

It was treacherous terrain, made worse by the spores and hostile enemies.

[truthdecided]

Not only aggression, but hallucination, in other cases. I fully suspect that to be the work of the fog, which means that all these recent troubles stem from nature itself...

[An image flashes by of an Orthworm defending a Tailow's medicine, thinking it's her child. The medicine in question looks like a worm.

Then there's a Persian, fighting off Ren and Firepaw, as they try to rescue Purrloin.]

[offtracks]

Ah! I did not realize that was happening! That explains quite a bit!

[Hm...have they all thought they were in the right, then? That's rather upsetting to think about...]

[outbounds]

[ Oh. That's a forest that looks like it will eat you. Straight out of the books, video games, and b-movies. That amount of growth looks like all of it either would have been there for a long time, or just grew really, really fast. ]

... Huh. [ Huh! ] But these are recent developments, aren't they? Their arrival to this station is new. Yes?

[ unless this— the confused, disoriented Pokémon, the swarms of unreasonably aggressive ones, the various oddities that crop up in some of its inhabitants— is the kind of thing the bay's always been dealing with, and they're only really getting into it now since they haven't been here that long?

if it's recent, though ... ]

Guess the Guild Leaders must also be trying to find out the source.

[truthdecided]

I believe these next missions may bring us closer to the truth.

[But as for whether or not it's recent... hmm...

An image ripples through of a female Yungoos, trapped in delusions, despite Akechi's best attempts to calm her d own.]

But the fog is concerning. The way it meddles with your mind, to say nothing of the illness... The timing is unsettling.

[truthdecided]

And the recent batch of arrivals came with the fog. Something doesn't bode well.

[Flickers of memories of the crowded clinic pass through his mind. It was rather disheartening to see.]

[offtracks]

Do you think it is related to our arrival?

["Our" being everyone, in this case, from both waves. Though if you put it like that...things really did start happening around when Akari fell.]

1/2

[outbounds]

[ The issues predated their new arrivals, to be sure, but the fact that they arrived through the forest, as well as the timing of it... ]

Think I liked the storm better. [ 'said' plainly. There's a flicker of a hazier, harder to grasp thought layered below it, an echoed "Are we who we think we are?" with no distinct voice, lurking, lingering, clinging much like the fog in the south and middle forests as he continues. ] Getting dropped into the ocean? Fine. Straightforward, mostly! Memories, illusions, illness, the rest of what the forest does— a lot more complicated.

2/2

[outbounds]

[ Akechi's mood is catching over the telepathic link of the Grumpearls, though ... so probably, in return the next track change and topic shift might almost feel like real, physical things for how insistently they're done. ]

Aaaaanyway. Gossiping about me in public, where anyone can hear? Woooooow. I didn't expect that of you, Detective.

But maaaaaybe. You should keep your strategy meetings where you discuss ideas on how to beat me secret. At least from me.

[truthdecided]

[Emmet... Emmet, that is an insanely obvious segue, and there's this slight spark of bafflement before Akechi responds.]

Does it even count as a strategy meeting if we're speaking broadly about normal types? You just happened to be an interesting example.

[truthdecided]

I believe it's possible that there may be some tenuous connection, though I doubt it's our fault.

[Still... it's too early to tell. They need more information first.]

[outbounds]

[ It was not intended to be subtle. ]

It was a joke. I am teasing. I know you understand those.

Besides, you did seem pretty interested in why I'd be both.

[offtracks]

Oh - no! I certainly did not mean to imply that! But they may still be connected! We may even be meant to help!

[That's how it went with Akari, right? More or less?]

[telewarped]

... Okay.

[What even is this conversation?!]

Thanks... I guess.

[truthdecided]

It's a possibility, I suppose. One of those Legendaries may have sought aid from other worlds

[He hums. It's a nice thought, but...]

My main point of skepticism stems from personal experiences. I've already been used by higher powers before.

[offtracks]

[shrug]

I do not believe I have ever really encountered any before, but the legendary Pokemon in Hisui have required aid from humans recently. Because of a disgruntled one who made its own human ally, in fact! So it is certainly something that they might do, though I cannot say for sure that any even have such power.

[truthdecided]

If it makes you feel better, the spooky plush aesthetic would undoubtedly charm the hearts of children and girls, while still having enough of an edge to set you apart from typical mascot characters.

[There's a hint of amusement in hiss words, but hey. He's seen enough girls in school to pick up on the trends.]

[truthdecided]

What can I say? Type combinations are fascinating, particularly in how they correspond to a species' appearance and anatomy.

[A little type chart materializes with his thoughts, with observations he's made thus far. It's surprisingly meticulous, or perhaps not so surprising, given Akechi's general demeanor.]

[truthdecided]

I suppose it depends on the scope of their abilities. Still, if their powers govern forces of nature and reality themselves, would they not be the most likely culprits? Unless there's something even greater, that is...

[Hmmm... Come to think of it...]

Akari-san did mention an "Arceus."

[offtracks]

Mmm, yes, she has mentioned that to me as well. She says that it is the true name of the Original One.

[truthdecided]

In other words, a god. Thus, would that not make it a probable suspect? Such power would certainly explain why so many different worlds were involved...

[But that doesn't explain why they were all dropped in such unfortunate places.

The crashing of waves stirs through his thoughts, followed by the foggy forest.]

[offtracks]

It would certainly be possible. Though it certainly isn't as though it runs around doing such things at all times!

[There's nothing to really work from. All of the old legends...at this point, who knows which of them were really referring to the true Sinnoh at all?]

[outbounds]

Decent approach too. Rather than memorize hundreds and hundreds of different species, easier to first learn common tells and traits. Make educated guesses from there if you ever come across something unfamiliar. Cannot always expect that you'll have studied it first.

[ identifying the potential typings of unfamiliar species on sight might become pretty relevant for the newcomers here, honestly, at least the ones without prior familiarity with Pokémon. ]

Hmmm. Don't suppose you want to be quizzed?

[truthdecided]

Perhaps it has some greater goal in mind, but the lack of transparency doesn't sit well with me.

[They weren't really given a clear objective before the guilds... Really, they've all had to adapt and make do.]

[truthdecided]

Why not? It'd be an excellent opportunity to test my knowledge, and you are a professional.

[If anyone ought to know all the ins and outs, it's Emmet... or Ingo and Akari, perhaps. Still, Emmet being from a more modern era certainly gives him an edge.]