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

[offtracks]

Is burning them a viable solution?

[Or would that just make like, aggression smoke?]

video

[telewarped]

Your "mistake"...?

[Do tell!]

[truthdecided]

It may help in eliminating them or reducing their range, but Dr. Denne did want at least some samples for further research.

[Still, come to think of it... Would it make smoke?]

I would advise being careful when using fire, if only to ensure the resulting smoke doesn't yield similar effects.

[truthdecided]

In our attempts to fend off the spores, we scattered them with wind. This... may have contributed to the infestation.

[He's not proud to admit it, but there's little sense in hiding it.]

[telewarped]

Nice going.

Did you get hit with any yourself?

[offtracks]

I will execute some experiments, should I find any!

[Separate from retrieving samples, of course, but Ingo can really only carry so many samples anyway. He hasn't actually encountered any of these particular mushrooms yet anyway, so it's all a little hypothetical.]

[truthdecided]

Excellent. Do let me know the results; it'd be worthwhile to record them for future reference.

[Alas, Akechi lacks any fire type moves to speak of, so he'll have to defer to those more qualified.]

[truthdecided]

We managed to avoid the worst of it, but we regrettably had to retreat. However, now that we know what to expect, future explorations should prove much more manageable.

[He steps away from the camera to reveal a familiar, folded up scarf.]

A scarf, mask, or a bandanna should provide adequate protection. Goggles aren't a terrible option either.

[offtracks]

Of course! It would be useful to know if that is a decent way of removing them. Though of course that could be easily overdone...

[There's not too many other new fire-types, though. Hopefully they could avoid anyone getting too flame-happy about it.]

[telewarped]

Well, I already have to wear a mask literally all day every day, so sounds like I'm set.

[truthdecided]

We should see how many samples Dr. Denne requires. Then, assuming we gather enough, perhaps a fire type guild member could go in after to clear the lingering mushrooms.

Not to mention, burning can be beneficial to a habitat's longevity, if done in a controlled fashion.

[But control is the key word here, and given the spores... Hm. Still could present problems.]

[truthdecided]

In your case, goggles might be more worthwhile, though I suppose it would draw more attention to your true face...

[It's easy to overlook the eyes when they're little dots, but goggles... well, they aren't exactly subtle.]

[offtracks]

Hmm...it's certainly something to discuss with the guild leadership!

[Ingo's feeling rather cautious about the idea of large-scale burning, but you know. There's no reason not to at least suggest it.]

[telewarped]

[There's a flicker of discomfort at the thought—purely instinctual.]

I'll—think about it. Honestly though? I'm not sure if I even have lungs like you fully alive losers, so maybe I'm immune anyway.

[truthdecided]

They would know the needs of the ecosystem better, if nothing else. I suppose Ribombee-san might be the one to turn to...

[Mightyena may know, but she's also not of the forest. It's not really her domain.]

[truthdecided]

I'd been wondering about that, actually. Ghost types are rather enigmatic in their anatomy.

[He pauses, feathers slightly ruffled.]

Not that I need to know such personal details, of course.

[offtracks]

Yes, quite so...I know that there are some places where wildfires happen with regularity, but Hisui is not one of them.

[So he doesn't really know how that works, and also does know that it's something that does not work everywhere!]

[truthdecided]

To be fair, a vast majority of wildfires are caused by human negligence. It stands to reason that areas more in tune with nature would suffer from fewer incidents.

[offtracks]

I also imagine Pokemon would intervene before any such thing could get too bad! Water, ground, and rock types are all quite common!

[truthdecided]

That gives your world an advantage, at least. Where I'm from, animals can't wield the elements, and fires are much harder to contain.

[Not impossible. An image of fire trucks and fire hoses passes through his thoughts, but it's not the same.]

[offtracks]

That does sound rather difficult...

[Though he doesn't really understand "animals" still, nor the...big red things.]

Of course, there are trade-offs. A wildfire is just as likely to be started by a Pokemon battle!

[truthdecided]

We should be grateful that Ren isn't a fire type. I can only imagine what chaos he'd unleash...

[His mind projects an image of a Sprigatito cackling amidst a fiery backdrop, which makes no sense when he's a grass type, but it's the principle of it.]

[telewarped]

No clue how I function either, so have fun wondering, I guess.

[If she's wondered about it at all herself, the curiosity apparently wasn't very strong. If there's any research about her species out there, she hasn't put any effort into searching for it, and she hasn't spent much time at all even just looking at herself either.]

[offtracks]

[Ingo chuckles a little.]

He may still be able to learn a fire-type move or two! Though it would be a little surprising - while Pokemon often learn moves not of their own typing, they typically are not of an opposing type. There are some natural associations, such as water and ice, but normal-types are the only ones who can typically learn a very wide variety.

[truthdecided]

I'd be fairly concerned if Ren learned fire type moves, even with his ability.

[Protean does, at least, seem to temporarily change his type, based on what Akechi's observed on the field, but still...]

Still, it's rather strange that the alleged "normal" types can wield such abnormal moves.