<sub>[She'd been lucky enough to be spared the effects of the past three weeks. BUT SHE'S NOT SO LUCKY THIS TIME.]

[The video opens on her already walking hurriedly down a surburban Goldenrod street towards the downtown area. IF SHE JUST KEEPS MOVING, MAYBE SHE WON'T HAVE TO TALK TO ANYBODY ELSE TODAY.]

[But just in case, she's hoping she can stave off karma catching up with her by making a quick confession to the network.]</sub>

HEY.

So anyone who was here like a year ago and wondered about the weird black eye I had that one time?

I lied.

I didn't get it in a fight with a dude 'the size of Kentucky' like I claimed.

Actually, I just walked into a glass door because I was thinking about how much I wanted a Pumpka-spice latte from Sawsbucks and I was too embarrassed to tell anybody.

_{[The camera then turns abruptly to the sky.]}

THERE! You happy, weird Pokemon gods? I said something embarrassing! Now leave me alone!

<sub>[The video ends.]

[Spoiler alert: she is not going to be left alone.]</sub>



[ooc: For action threads, feel free to tag in with your character ANYWHERE AROUND THE CITY.]

<sub>[The camera comes on.]

[There is a very fluffy-looking Heather Mason, along with a small army of Fire-types (Cujo the Growlithe, along with Carousel the Rapidash and two enormous Houndooms) + one Pikachu.]

[She is wearing a pair of sunglasses.]

[So is one of the Houndooms.]

[She looks dead into the camera and speaks.]</sub>

I'm gonna melt Ice Path.

_{[And the feed ends.]}




[20 MINUTES LATER]

<sub>[... Or not.]

[The camera is on again, showing a very concerned electric rodent. Hazel the Pikachu gnaws on her lip slightly as she focuses the video, then turns it to show the so-called Ice Path melter a short distance down the snowy mountain path.]






[Apparently instincts are a thing.]</sub>

_{[There's a split second shot of a cup of coffee and some blurry cherry pie before the view jerks upwards to settle on the filmer's face.]}

SO.

Let's talk Gym Leaders.

_{[Heather looks a little tired and haggard around the edges from her seat in an old-fashioned Mahogany diner booth, next to a Pikachu that's busily nibbling on a plate of shortbread biscuits, but not so much that it eats into her intensity on camera. THE TIME HAS COME TO SEEK WISDOM FROM THE MASSES.]}

I'm gonna be taking Pryce on soon, so if anyone's fought him before or knows anything juicy about his strategies, gimme the scoop. I already know about the ice-covered floor, but he looks like a sneaky motherfucker.

Anyone know if that old geezer's got any other tricks up his sleeve?

[VIDEO]

_{[The screen is fuzzy at first. It's a little hard to tell just what it IS, but- oh it's the floor. The camera's lying on its side. A chair is on its side, too, along with some other scattered objects. A broken plate is one of them. It's hard to tell how much damage was done, but everything looks pretty shaken up after that big quake.]}

Gilly? GIIIILLYYYYYY!

_{[Heather's somewhat-distorted voice comes from offscreen, and then a pair of sideways boots appears.]}

SCARLET?

_{[They turn towards the camera-- and then approach. Heather bends down and picks the 'Gear up, dusting it off as the view arrives shakily on her face.]}

Oh hey-- I was wondering where this went.

That was-- holy shit, that was intense.

Everybody okay out there?

<sub>[She moves as she talks, gesturing over her shoulder at the room-- for the past few weeks, she's been in Goldenrod, staying Envy, Greed and Lust in their house along with Henry. It's the first time she's BEEN in a house in.... a really long time, actually.]

[It's pretty nice.]

[But what isn't nice is...]</sub>

I'm looking for-- like, all my Pokemon are present and accounted for except for three and they're the new babies. The swarm ones who showed up last month. I've been lookin' everywhere for them and-- what?

_{[She looks over her shoulder in response to a muffled shout from somewhere else in the house.]}

Really?

I'll-- hang on, I'll be right there.

_{[She shuts the 'Gear and the feed ends.]}



[ACTION, ABOUT HALF AN HOUR LATER]

<sub>[There's tons of swarm Pokemon migrating to WHERE?!]

[After finding twin sets of pawprints outside along the earth that WASN'T jittered around too badly by the earthquake, it's fairly obvious where her missing Pokemon went.]

[Among the general chaos that is the inside of Shark House, Heather can be found hurriedly packing her bag, stuffing clothes and food into it.]</sub>

[TEXT-- PUBLIC]

General announcement here


I don't really know what kinds of contacts Dad kept here but for anyone who knew him, Harry Mason is gone. His stuff was mostly left to me and one other person so I guess that's really all there is to say about it.

Later.

-Heather


[ACTION-- MAHOGANY TOWN]



<sub>[Heather's always mostly let her Pokemon run free-- or at least the more reliable ones-- when the gang is bunkered down at a hotel somewhere. After all, not everybody gets to come along when they're between cities, so time spent outside of the box by default takes place mostly within walking distance of a Pokemon Center.]

[Today there can be a small cluster of Pokemon seen by the entrance of the Mahogany Inn. A Manectric, unusually subdued for anyone who knows her, gently licking the head of a Pikachu. The electric mouse has a slightly crumpled sheet of paper in her paws, and behind her, a Noctowl shelters a small, rotund Hoothoot with one wing while peering over the Pikachu's shoulder.]

[While it's little more than coos and soft canine whuffles to most ears, any Pokemon or person with a sensitive ear can probably pick up the quiet muttering coming from the group.]</sub>

It's okay, Hazel. My trainer went away too but New Trainer always takes good care of me. She even shares her lunches.

I-I know...

Just think though, now we can play all the time. I know we're sad, but that will be fun, right?

Now is not the time to be talking about playing, Tricia. Have some tact.


Okay, okay...


W-... where is Mr. Trainer's daughter, a-anyway? She just left after seeing the letter...

Up on the roof. Sunny is with her, so she will be fine... Probably. Come, we should go collect the others. She... will come down when she's ready.






[Tricia the Manectric, Hazel the Pikachu, Claudy the Noctowl]

<sub>[The Noctowl's exasperation and general disapproval pretty much radiates off the screen.]

[It's a nice day in one of the small parks that are scattered on the outskirts of Mahogany (before it turns into forested, mountainous terrain, anyway), and this video broadcast from the 'Gear of one Heather Mason is showing a pair of Murkrow out to corrupt an innocent young Eevee. ... Or, you know, they just want to play and Claudy is living up to her reputation by being an old bag and not letting them. Could be either. Or both.]

[There's a lot of bright glinting going on, though-- which can be attributed to the shimmery pink Murkrow next to Wren. She's a newer addition to the team, apparently.]

[And the inter-generational bird drama unfolding on the screen seems to be a backdrop to why Heater's really filming, given that her voice cuts in with a question entirely unrelated to what's going on.]</sub>

So hey guys, been awhile since I posted anything, n'I've been feeling kinda sappy and nostalgic and crap.

I know there aren't too many people around anymore who got here when I did, but pretty sure unless you got here last week, we've all had at least one person go poof on us.

So, uh, let's have this be a thing where you tell me something about someone you knew who isn't here anymore. Bonus points for funny. Or you could like... I dunno. Talk about a Pokemon they left you or something.

_{[The camera lingers briefly over the pink Murkrow, who is happily chattering away at the Noctowl, oblivious to the fact that she's being filmed. ... Maybe the request isn't so unrelated, after all.]}

<sub>[The feed, as per usual when it comes to Heather's Gym Battles, opens from a low vantage point. It's become somewhat tradition for Heather to hand the 'Gear off to one of her able-handed Pokemon so that they can film while she's engaged in the battle.]

[Alessa the Absol is in front, bristling in anticipation of the battle, and Heather, looking more polished than usual but still rougher around the edges than is probably considered appropriate for a big event like this, stands beside her.]



[Above, the golden glass windows mark the gym they're standing in as Saffron.]

[After the 'establishing shot' of Heather and Alessa, the camera jostles around instead to get a more complete view of the arena, with Sabrina now visible on the other end. She's apparently in the middle of giving her usual pre-battle spiel; the nobility of the Psychic type, a brief and succinct history of the Saffron Gym and how it knocked the Dojo next-door well off the playing field...]

[But she cuts herself off with a very knowing look mere seconds before Heather interrupts her with a flat:]</sub>

Yeah, yeah.

Let's just get this over with.


_{[Sabrina nods obligingly (though not without a patronizing 'I knew you were going to do that' smile-- and her Espeon moves into the center of the field along with Alessa.]}


( Trainers take your positions! )


<sub>[The battle's over. There's a smattering of applause and stuff, a loud mechanical voice coming from the general area of the scoreboard and announcing the battle's victor, the usual. Cujo, pleased as punch with himself, has galloped back over to Heather for praise and attention.]

[... But Heather's clapped a hand to her temple, briefly gritting her teeth and shaking her head like it's full of flies. Cujo stops in his tracks and tilts his head in confusion, but it only lasts a second before Heather, ignoring the greetings of those who came to watch her battle, whips around to face the distant Sabrina again.]</sub>


Oh, is THAT how this is gonna be?

Real mature.

You think you can scare me with that psychic shit?

_{[Sabrina, who was still looking somewhat smug despite her loss (apparently at whatever little mental 'parting gift' she'd just sent to Heather), lifts a brow. With a shake of the head, she calls out, calmly:]}

You clearly came here with something to prove, Miss Mason.

_{[Lower jaw jutting out, Heather glares sourly at the Gym Leader.]}

Yeah. And I proved it.

Let's go, Cooj.

_{[She's already started to turn away when Sabrina speaks again.]}

I don't believe you have. And neither do you.



<sub>[... And then the camera jostles as the cameramon hastily switches it off, apparently anticipating something that may not go particularly well, since Heather has whirled around once more and is marching angrily across the arena towards Sabrina.]



[When the camera comes back on about ten minutes later, it's Heather's face. She still looks somewhat angry, but at least she's calm as she checks the footage.]</sub>

Man, screw that noise.

I got the badge, I'm outta here.

Sayonara, Saffron City.




[ooc: To those physically present in the Gym, Heather engaged in a rather heated conversation with Sabrina during the time that the 'Gear was off, but no punches were thrown or anything.]

<sub>[You know what?]

[Heather's not even sure why she TRIES anymore.]





[So done. So done.]</sub>


Here we go again.


... Yes, Cooj, I still love you.

Just not right now.

<sub>[Wow.]

[That Vulpix on the screen sure looks pissed.]

[The ironic presence of the happy leftover Christmas lights behind it doesn't help.]

[A heavy sigh sounds from off-camera.]</sub>

Man.

Leave it to her to get one last dig in just when I thought it was over.

<sub>[But Heather apparently isn't gonna elaborate on who 'her' is... though anyone who witnessed Heather's fiery freakout over the summer and knew what it was about might have a decent guess.]

[The camera just shifts as she gets up-- it lingers briefly on what looks like a box filled with crumpled wrapping paper-- in the middle of it sit two large eggs.]</sub>

Hopefully the other living presents we got this year'll be friendlier.

_{[She turns the camera around at last and sort of regards it for a moment, chewing absent-mindedly on her lip. She's got a big wooly winter hat on, so either she just got in or she's about to go out. Probably the latter.]}

... Screw this year, man. Bring on the new one.

_{[HAPPY NEW YEAR ERRYBODY.]}



[ooc: ANYONE IN SAFFRON CITY IS FREE TO RUN INTO HEATHER, or assume she randomly stopped by wherever they are.]

_{[Before anything else, Heather's voice: a little husky and hoarse-sounding, but otherwise high-spirited.]}

Hey.

Hey guys.

Watch this.

<sub>[Is she aware of the strange outbreaks and Team Rocket threats all over the news? Yes. Yes, she is. Should she be spending her time being concerned about this? Probably.]

[But she has much better things to do with her time.]

[Like film Wren the Murkrow skittering across the top of the coffee table in their Ecruteak Inn room with a tiny plastic battleaxe toy in her beak, where she proceeds to bull over a GeoDude (tm) superhero action figure with a viciousness appropriate for the battlefield. Which is what is being broadcast, of course.]

[What follows is a series of cuts showing her triumph over various other toys (pretty obviously grabbed from a discount bin in some shop somewhere), including Armaldo Schwarzenegger and Darmanitanman ("The Meditation Sensation!") and even a figurine of Barnaby the Shiny Charizard.]

[In several of the shots, Heather's other Pokemon are visible-- Arty the Furret looking on in contempt and Cheryl the Eevee watching in utter fascination over the edge of the table. At one point, the fuzzy baby Joltik she'd hatched a few months back skitters onto the scene, eager to help, but is promptly chased off the table again by the axe-wielding Murkrow, who apparently is a Lone Warrior who needs no assistance.]

[The whole time, Heather is humming ominous theme-music and jiggling the camera in that classic 'found footage' way.]

[Eventually she turns the camera on herself to address the surely-enthralled audience solemnly. Her face is oddly flushed, strangely... although perhaps not, given the summer heat.]</sub>

This has been a Public Services Announcement: my bird is an unstoppable killing machine. Nowhere is safe.

Keep your children in at ni-- oh noooo.

<sub>[As though on cue, the vaguely football-shaped black bird had come wriggling onto the screen again, clambering up Heather's arm to determinedly butt the side of her face with the toy axe. >:(!!!!]

[There's some 'fighting' and then the camera goes blank.]


[END FEED]</sub>



[ACTION]

<sub>[With Wren successfully wrestled off into doing something else, Heather shuts the 'Gear and sets it aside, slumping back in her chair with a sigh. Even in shorts and the skimpiest top she owns, it's miserably hot. Enough to sort of make her head pound. She doesn't get it. She remembers the fading summer heat last September being pretty well-managed by all the whirring fans in the Inn...]

[Twisting around, she drapes herself over the back of the chair, poking her tongue out discontently.]</sub>


Guys.

Guuuuuys.

Aren't you just dying in here? This heat is gross.

<sub>[The TV's on over in the corner. They're talking about the outbreak-- about all the people coming down with mysterious fevers.]

[But that's somewhere else. It can't touch any of them. .... Right?]</sub>

<sub>[Well, THAT had been fun.]

[After over a week, lots of bad weather, a few waterlogged hugs and a whole lot of flying, Heather's finally back on Cianwood, with a nurse, a mysterious young woman, a bird-obsessionist, and a magician-thief in tow.]

[She's exhausted and wants nothing more to just faceplant on the bed and let her father play host to the new additions to the 'family' (and the one returning member) for awhile... but as usual, something's come up.]

[The feed comes on from above-- she's flopped on her back on one of the hotel room's beds, hair still curly and wet from the shower she spent at least forty-five minutes in after arriving back on the island. She'd had to use an unoccupied hotel room (with Arty guarding the door to make sure no unsuspecting guest walked in on her) to do it on account of the fact that she'd been accompanied by four equally tired and dirty people who ALSO needed showers.]

[She picks tiredly at one eye, the camera wobbling above her on account of being held up with just one hand.]</sub>

Sooo.

Yeah, I uh... was totally planning on visiting some people on the way home, but... yeah.

All that weather sort of sucked all the sociability out of everybody. Sorry, Cliff. Wish I'd made it.

_{[YEAH, she's spoiling the surprise, but hey, she can always drop in on him and Ironhide later, assuming no giant storms pop right the fuck out of nowhere like last week. Ugh.]}

But anyway, back safe and sound, nobody died, the world's still turning, chocolate and peanut butter are still an awesome combination, life goes on. Hope nobody got too battered during all that crazy apocalyptic weather.

<sub>[And around this point is where she'd usually turn the camera off (and maybe she intended to but is just so damn tired it slipped her mind) but the screen blurs as she rolls over, propping herself up on her elbows and resting the 'Gear against the bedspread next to her instead. Next to it are two things--]



[--a battered old medallion with red marks inscribed on it... and a piece of paper. The camera's gaze only lingers on it for a second or two, but quick readers might be able to make out the words Make her suffer written in loopy handwriting before the 'Gear moves again.]

[This time, it's aimed crookedly at the side of the bed, where the somber, doberman-like face of a Houndoom is watching the off-camera Heather in silence.]</sub>


....


Gonna have to come up with a different name for you.


_{[End feed.]}



[AUDIO // LOCKED TO COOPER]

_{[Later that night:]}

Hey, Coop.

You got a minute?

<sub>[It's quiet.]

[In more ways than one.]

[Actually, 'quiet' is a pretty good word to describe everything over the past few days, from Heather's perspective.]

[She's been quiet. After making an angry spectacle of herself in front of everyone, she hadn't been in much of a talkative mood. The trip down Route 38 had been spent largely in solemn silence, even after Crow had joined them mid-journey-- something that practically didn't seem possible.]

[The network's been quiet. Relatively, anyway. So many previously-prolific voices had vanished. Those who were left had understandably been left to pick up the pieces of everything that had come undone and, well, it's hard to blame them for being quiet-- those ones who had lost people, anyway. God knows Heather couldn't muster the fire to keep getting angrier as word of new disappearances had continued to flow in. The moment when she had seriously considered destroying a harmless Pokemon egg and its contents had been the moment she'd burnt herself out.]

[And, perhaps the only one that's sort of comforting right now, the city is quiet. The hustle and bustle of summer is both long ago and far in the future and as such, Olivine City in February is a great deal calmer than it had been the last time Heather had been here. That's sort of good, really. They've all needed to do a lot of thinking lately.]



[It's morning-- hardly even dawn yet.]

[At first, the camera isn't even SHOWING Heather. More a very close view of the floor, and the railing at the top of the staircase leading up from the lobby of the Olivine Inn. The cameraman is probably a Pokemon, but who knows which one it is... Godzilla has long since retired from his 'Gear-stealing shenanigans and so has Butch, now that he can WOOOOOO and QUAAAAAAG at his beloved Flapper in person.]

[But whichever one it is, it carries the camera with an air of quiet determination, and once it situates itself within view of its trainer, who seems to be sitting silently by a window in the deserted lobby, it sits itself down with a rustle and zooms in.]



[Eyes shut, she almost looks asleep, except for the fact that she's absent-mindedly stroking something with one finger-- something bristly-looking and pale yellow that seems to be in the process of contentedly nuzzling its way under her chin. ... Something with four bright blue eyes not dissimilar to the odd markings on that little egg she had been threatening to crush last week.]

[The video doesn't last long. It lingers on Heather and the new Pokemon for fifteen or twenty seconds, and then shuts off. Whoever had been filming, it seemed, had no agenda outside of showing the network that, no, Heather had not gone through with her impulsive plan. Fortunately.]


[The whole time, Heather just carries on obliviously.]

[Remembering hurts... but there's nothing anybody can do to change that.]

[Half to herself and half to the creature, who doesn't seem to be aware of how close it had come to maybe NOT EVER GETTING TO HATCH, she mumbles after a few seconds.]</sub>

... Stage five. I think.

That's acceptance, right?

<sub>[A short while after the singing wild Pokemon and egg presents had died down, a rather unfortunate discovery was made upon dialing a number she'd been meaning to dial ever since Claudia Wolf and Kaito Kuroba had disappeared from Johto.]

[Already on the road, the weather's mild enough (even with the wind picking up) that Heather decided that was pretty much a good time to pocket her Valentine's Day present and just head off for a walk. Because lord knows, she needs one.]

[It's not the first time Johto has given everyone the gift of a precious little egg, but it is the first time that Heather's found herself resenting it.]

[The video feed pops on, focused in on a tiny, pale yellow little egg hardly bigger than a chicken's, nestled in the palm of Heather's hand as dry grass goes past underfoot.]</sub>



It would be so easy to just... crush it.

[ACTION]

<sub>[You know what makes a good alarm clock on Christmas morning? ... Besides small children? ... DOGS.]

[There was once a time when a Christmas with the Masons involved Heather using her father's bed as a trampoline. But by this point, she's more interested in sleeping in. You know, in general. But that's hard to do with Pokemon around.]</sub>

Ugh, Cooj-- have you been eating the old socks at the bottom of my bag again...?

_{[Shoving the Growlithe's blunt muzzle away from her face, she sits up in bed. Most of the other Pokemon (those that are out of their balls) are still asleep, but THAT DOESN'T STOP CUJO OF COURSE. He drops something slobbery in her lap and then shuffles backwards on her bed, rumpling up the blankets in the process. She flaps a hand at him, rubbing her eyes.]}

C'mon, boy, you're acting like it's Christmas or someth-- ....

_[OH.]

...

_{[She looks down at him briefly.]}

... Okay, go wake up everybody else.

_{[Half the time what she tells him to do seems to go in one shaggy ear and out the other, but she doesn't need to tell him to do that twice. As he leaps off the bed in an explosion of happy panting, she finally turns her attention to the object he dropped in her lap.]}

... My flashlight?


[VIDEO]

<sub>[Has anyone ever wanted to see live footage of somebody trying to strap one of those dog backpacks to a Growlithe that won't hold still?]

[Well, anyone checking out the network around lunchtime on Christmas Day will get to watch the Adventures of a Hapless Trainer and Her Hyperactive Dog for awhile as Heather tries unsuccessfully to get one of those things on him for about twenty minutes, outside in the snow.]

[After lots of yelling, falling down, and a brief period of getting dragged around (he's big enough to do that by this point...) she loses her grip and he eventually runs off with the damn thing half-fastened. Probably gonna lose it in a snowbank somewhere. Picking herself up, with a grumble, she takes back the PokeGear from whoever had been filming this charming home video (probably Harry or Henry) and shakes her head.]</sub>

Man, last time I get Cujo a Christmas present. Ungrateful mutt... _{[She looks out at the orange dot that is Cujo, clearly visible in the far-off snowy landscape, and waves dismissively.]} He'll be back when I start giving treats to all the others.

ANYWAY, uh...

_{[Turning back to the screen, she swipes a hand under her nose briefly. It's been running in the cold.]}

So, Merry Christmas, everyone!

Haven't opened all the gifts yet, but uh, thanks to everyone who sent stuff for us. ... Hope all of mine got through, I kinda mailed some of 'em last minute...

_{[OH WELL. Shrug. They'd get there sooner or later.]}

I'd better go make sure Cooj doesn't lose that thing in a ditch or something, it cost good money. Later!

_[BLIP.]


[OOC: For Ecruteak action, feel free to encounter Heather wandering around town later! She'll be trying to hunt down the friends of hers who are in town so that she can hand them their Christmas swag in person.]

[ALSO feel free to assume your character got their present from Heather, if you haven't already seen the list! I don't think I forgot anybody...]

<sub>[Another day, another long shift at work. Heather doesn't really mind, though. It's one hell of a difference between the hectic stress of the job in the department store that she had last year. What a difference having SANE bosses can make, even if the job is more boring.]

[As the morning sun creeps higher behind the snowclouds and lights up the powder drifting down from the sky, Heather is seated at one of the stools behind the counter in the diner where she now works, and is making herself incredibly useful by balancing all the salt-shakers she can find on top of one another.]

[And then putting all those little sealed packets of sliced cheese she can find on top of THOSE.]

[It's a quiet morning, okay? Leave her alone!]

[Needless to say, one of the owners of the diner-- an old married couple-- spots his newest employee working on the Leaning Tower of Cheesa and just sort of shakes his head, sighing. Kids these days.]</sub>

Miss Mason, as much as I hate to stifle the budding artist in you, the soda machines need cleaning.

_{[Heather heaves an enormously-dramatic mock sigh as she gets up.]}

Ugh, finnneeee. You're just jealous of my deeply creative spirit.

You got me. I'm turning green. Dish-soap should be in the back.

<sub>[Having chill bosses is AWESOME. Heather had decided she liked having bosses she could banter with almost as soon as she got the job. She sticks her tongue out at him as she passes, on her way to the back door. And then she has an idea!]

[Pulling out her 'Gear, she hits the network button.]</sub>

HEY GUYS. Who wants to watch me CLEAN SHIT?

<sub>[Because clearly if she had to do boring things, it would improve everybody else's lives to watch her do them.]

[But behind her, the boss clears his throat meaningfully, and Heather rolls her eyes.]</sub>



Oh, that's just Danny!



_{[OOC: COME AT ME BROS. Feel free to assume that Heather is elsewhere if you don't feel like dealing with Danny-- 4th Wall is like CRACK: THE EVENT, so I'm happy to stick her wherever.]}