<sub>[It's probably been a week and a half or so since anybody's heard a whole lot from Heather's end of the line-- given the recent turn of events, coupled with catching up on things with her father, she just hasn't been talking much.]

[But if anyone missed the sound of yet another ranty teenager on the 'Gear network, well, today their wishes and hopes will be realized.]

[A crackle of interference precedes her voice, and in the background there's the steady rumble of a Steelix making headway on a dirt path.]</sub>


Heeeey Johto, what's crackin'?

Totally fell off the face of the planet for a bit there.

Anyway, for those who care, Goldenrod just came into sight over the hill, so Dad and I'll be strolling into town within a couple hours, probably.

I'll be lookin' for a few of you as soon as we get checked in and stuff-- you guys know who you are. _{[She's lookin' at you, Kaito. Dinner plans aside, she still needs to give him that hug.]}

And uh-- Snake, you still in the hotel? I'll heal Solid up at the Center first if you want me to, but otherwise, I'm sure he'll be glad to see his Trainer. Sorry the trip wound up takin' so long.

Anyway, uh-- ... see you guys in a few hours.

... Feel free to call me up and chat, though, the road's dusty and it's a real bore to look at for hours on end.




_{[ooc: For Action, feel free to encounter Heather in the hotel lobby or Pokemon Center healin' up her monsters after arriving.]}

<sub>[This is the last place Heather wants to be. And when the feed blinks on, it shows.]

[There's the usual busy murmur characteristic of a Pokemon Center lobby on a Monday morning. It's been awhile since Heather's been under these fluorescent lobby lights, and she looks a little washed-out and pale. Sleepy, too-- and blinking in irritation at the bright lights. She must have rolled out of bed not that long ago, and her cheeks are still flushed from the cold walk between the hotel and the Center.]

[Judging from the pink plush cushion she's leaning on and the colorful Poke-care posters splashed all over the wall behind her, she's sitting in the lobby. There's a small (say, less-than-a-football-sized) dusk-colored egg in her lap-- but weirdly, none of her Pokemon can be seen. Normally at least one or two of them are present in her transmissions, either chillaxin' in the background or (in Cujo's case) doing something derpy, but none of them are there.]</sub>

Hey, guys... uh...

I just thought I should letcha know, Phoenix is... um, he's in the Pokemon Center here in Violet. He went yesterday to get somethin' for his cold and didn't come back, and apparently he uh... collapsed.

But they said it doesn't look like it has anything to do with him being sick, it's like...

_{[She rubs at one of her eyes with the heel of her palm, grimacing.]}

... Those faints that people've been going into lately.

So, he's... um... he's doing okay.

_{[Around this point, a familiar (to some) shiny blue head pops into the frame-- Phoenix's Quagsire partner, Butch, is clambering up onto the seat next to Heather. ... And onto Heather.]}

Ooff-- Butch, jeez, hang on-- _{[She hastily grabs her bag (the smaller, owlless one) and slips the egg she was holding inside before it gets crushed under the giant amphibian's weight.]} Anyway, uh-- I'll-- ... I'll be taking care of his Pokemon till he wakes up, I guess. But yeah, I just thought I'd give people the heads-up, in case anybody was... I dunno, worried.

_{[Weirdly, Butch looks as stupidly happy as ever (as he curls into a ball that's like twice as big as the lap he's trying to sit on), so Phoenix can't be in that bad a state. But for some reason, Heather still looks very uncomfortable-- and she's not the sort to worry unnecessarily about somebody when she knows they're more or less fine.]}

... Anyway. So, uh-- hey, Kaito? _{[She addresses the camera.]} You guys gotten to Violet yet? I thought maybe if you were here, we could all-- I dunno, meet up for lunch or somethi-- hey! <sub>[The camera jostles wildly-- looks like Butch is batting at it playfully. It shakes around a bit before the view steadies again-- upside-down and facing in the opposite direction, towards the front desk.]

[Two Nurse Joys are standing behind the counter and looking in Heather's direction very conspicuously. One of them has an expression darkened by consternation-- the other looks a little confused. The first says something quietly to her under her breath, and upon hearing it, the second one's eyes widen and she claps a hand over her mouth.]

[The camera jerks again as Heather grabs it back from Butch and turns it back to herself, but her attention is on the nurses now-- her expression briefly unreadable. But hey-- it's no secret to anybody who's been in Johto since the summer that Heather's relationship with the nurses of Violet City was an antagonistic one. Hell, she turned that Center upside-down on more than one occasion-- and laughed in the face of their authority, with no regrets (or shame)! Oh, the youthful shenanigans! Any second now she's gonna direct her gaze back at the camera and do a classic Heather "THEY MAD?" smirk or something, right?]

[.... Right?]

[Heather swallows hard, hunching her shoulders a little, as though trying to look a little more inconspicuous-- and then hastily shuts the camera off. Her last expression before the feed cuts out is one of... jeez, it kinda looks like ... guilt.]





[ooc: For those in the Pokemon Center, Heather can either be found milling uncomfortably around the edges of the Center lobby, looking like she just saw a Wanted poster for herself, or (most likely), hiding out in whatever room Phoenix's in to avoid contact with the Nurse Joys as much as she can.
ALSO, for those who weren't around back when this happened, this is why Heather's not feeling too hot about having to see these particular Nurses again.]</sub>

<sub>[... What? Heather? In the Pokemon Center? Again? SURELY YOU JEST. She didn't get her ass kicked by a crazy robber again or anything, did she?]

[For anyone around the Goldenrod Pokemon Center, it looks like Heather's waiting around in the lobby, off in one of the pink, cushiony seats in the corner, trying to look as unobtrusive as possible. Her Totodile is wallowing around beside her on another seat, teething on one of those Pokemon fashion magazines they always seem to have in bulk. And by 'teething', I mostly just mean eating.]

[Heather doesn't look too interested in keeping him out of trouble, though.]

[This would probably have to do with the fact that both of her hands are heavily bandaged and laid in her lap with painstaking gingerness. She's had much worse, but... still hurt. And she was tired. And despite all outward appearances, the knowledge she'd gained on Sunday night wasn't hurting her any less.]

[But yes... ever the mother hen, Phoenix finally bullied her into going in to get those pulverized hands looked at. Not like she wasn't gonna anyway, but... well. She couldn't exactly go back to work without getting them checked out, could she? So she's waiting on an opening-- the Center's pretty busy what with the stocking of emergency snowstorm supplies and all-- not to mention countless natives rushing to get checkups for their Pokemon before the weather turned wicked.]</sub>



[Video]

<sub>[What do you do when you've been sort of scarce for the past few days, and you're stuck with nothing to do? ... GO ON THE NETWORK, of course!]

[The feed fizzles on, showing off a tired, tiiiired Heather. Her eyes look even puffier than normal-- they're red-rimmed. Almost looks like she's been crying, but THAT'S JUST SILLY. She's obviously just really, really tired, am I right, folks?]

[Still, she offers her usual crooked grin to the camera, and it looks no less genuine than normal.]</sub>

'Sup, Johto.

So uh... considering I work in the department store here, I've pretty much got access to all kinds of stuff that isn't sold much in other stores. So, in the spirit of the season... what do you guys want for Christmas? _{[She's addressing her friends, of course-- anyone else who tries to get anything out of her might well succeed... though it might not be what they want.]} No guarantees or anything, but I oughta get my shopping out of the way before the place fills up with crazy shoppers and blows sky-high.

Also, uh... weather's lookin' pretty bad, so... all you dudes who were planning on traveling, either hurry up or stay put.

I'm pretty sure none of us want this to wind up being Flood 2: The Freezing or some crap.

So none of you go and get dumb ideas about getting lost in the wilderness in this, okay? _{[SHE'S LOOKIN' AT YOU, TRAVELING PARTIES. Literally-- she lifts a bandaged hand and does that 'I see what you did there' motion, pointing to her eyes and then to the camera-- ... and then she remembers that whoops, her hands are bandaged like a wolverine attacked them and maybe it's not the best idea to flash them in front of the screen in front of a bunch of people who she just KNOWS will freak-- o-okay she'll just put it back down and carry on like there's nothing out of the ordinary. SO SHE DOES.]}

Also, anyone with Totodiles out there, I need tips.

'Zilla's started gnawing the bedstand in my room and I need him to stop-- but I don't think using a spraybottle on him is gonna work, 'cause... yeeeeaaah.

Advice?

<sub>[Things have been oddly silent on Heather's end of the line over the past day or so. She hasn't been responding much to other transmissions, or even to private messages. Right after all that chaos, too-- you'd think that given she WORKED at the Goldenrod Department Store, she'd be on the network constantly with all kinds of 'This is CRAZY, you guys'-style transmissions about Evil Bitch-Supervisor of Death bullying all the Officer Jennies for not stopping the robbery or how there was a soda machine with a fist-shaped hole clean through it or something. But no-- nothing.]

[And her friends at the hotel may have noticed that she didn't wind up coming back to her room that night.]

[When the feed does come on, it's a little more obvious as to why.]



[What? Heather in a POKEMON CENTER? Could she be...? ... Nah. She's obviously not in there for herself, although both of her arms are heavily bandaged and a few nasty-looking, angry red scratches are peeking over the edge of the gauze.]

[But she's sitting hunched on the floor by one of the recovery-ward beds for Pokemon, her vest lying in cushioning pile behind her and a battered-looking Cujo asleep by her side. She looks tired... even more tired than she's been otherwise, lately, which was saying something. And judging by the way she kept glancing up at the Pokeballs encased in the incubatory healing device sitting gently on the cot next to where she's sitting, her Pokemon are the real reason she's in here.]


[The camera shakes, then bobbles a little closer, and Heather finally notices. She turns her head to the camera, frowning at first, but then a wry, half-amused smile quirks her mouth slightly.]</sub>

Was wondering where you were, y'little weirdo.

_{[She leans over and reaches out, grabbing the camera and tugging it with some difficulty away from whatever's holding it]}

You must be worried if you're not chewing on it... the other guys are fine. Relax.

_{[The mystery-filmer is revealed as the fat little Totodile toddles over and tries to wedge itself into Heather's lap. She rolls her eyes and lets out a gusty sigh but lets her legs slide down so that there's more room. Now that the camera's on her, though, she frowns a little at the sight of the little red 'Record' light, but then shrugs. Oh well. While she's on...]}


So, uh, police.

The hell were you last night?

I could've used the help.

<sub>[Her tone makes it obvious that working with the cops isn't exactly the first thing on her agenda, but there you go.]

[She doesn't need to say that a lot of people got hurt-- the rest of the network probably already knows that, it's had to have been all over the news by now.]</sub>


Anyway...

_{[She goes quiet again, rubbing the back of her head. Scritch. She... doesn't feel as talkative as usual.]}


... Oh yeah. Last thing. Joker.

_{[Reaching out next to her, she picks a handful of something that chinks and glitters in the low light. A bunch of coins! She grins.]}


Think you dropped these, Bozo.

Great job.




( Aaaand for those who might have been around the aftermath of Joker's getaway last night... )


_{[ooc: Feel free to action if your character was injured during/after the robbery and they'd be in the Pokemon Center too!]}

_{[ooc: Backdated, the morning of the seventeenth.
Also, Heather... MAY NOT REPLY. XD; I understand everybody's doin' their own crazy thang for this plot, so I don't expect a whole lot of interaction tagging to happen (if it does, though, that's coo', that's coo'! But in the meantime, enjoy some tl;dr.]}




So there were a lot of things you could hate about fog.

For one thing, it was wet. That alone was pretty much worth hatred. Or at least dislike. Even normal fog, relatively benign stuff that it was, had this unfortunate quality. It wasn't enough that it just hovered around being wet all by itself, it had to go and get you all cold and clammy, too. It sort of evoked the same primal DO NOT WANT response as a small child who'd just wet themselves trying to crawl into your lap without permission.

Or at least, that's what it felt like to Heather.


Her boots squeaked against the soaked pavement as she tromped down the main street of the white-shrouded Violet City, hands fitfully rubbing her bare shoulders. There were days it paid to remain compulsively sleeveless, and days it didn't. This? Was one of those days.

Behind her, with a series of soft clicks of blunt claws on asphalt, Cujo the Growlithe padded along, surprisingly solemn for... well, for being himself. His rusty coat was the only thing in the near vicinity that stood out against the ghostly mist.

That was the other thing she hated about fog.

It blinded you.

Humans were visual animals and if there was one thing that was enough to put even a big burly Neanderthal on edge, it was not being able to see what was in front of you. That was why kids were instinctively scared of the dark, and why the species as a whole hid away under blankets and pillows at night where they'd be safe, only to rise again when the sun did, too. Basic instinct. People were just programmed that way.

Of course, that was just what she was telling herself. Because she'd rather not think that the reason she kept hearing little rustly noises that prickled the hairs on the back of her neck and staring over her shoulder paranoidly as she walked, bag bouncing against her hip, was anything other than 'It happens to everyone'. She knew better than to think that, but hey, the effort counted for something, right?

When the shiny windows and cheerful red roof of the Pokemon Center loomed up out of the fog, Heather stopped briefly, letting out a gusty sigh. This wasn't exactly where she wanted to be, but camping in the damp meant that her dinky little sleeping bag was no longer adequate for keeping out the cold, so it was time to mooch some free supplies. From the nurses who hated her guts and probably thought she was a menace to society.

If there's a benevolent higher power, and it's actually listening, please grant me the strength to get out of this with blankets, and without ALL-CAPS confrontations with the staff.

And with that silent prayer stated, Heather stepped towards the door--

WHINE WHINE WHIIIIIIIIIIIINE.


"Wh-- ... no, Cooj. Stay."


The Growlithe's amber eyes proceeded to grow disproportionately enormous and woobly.

Heather remained unmoved.


"If those nurses see you in there again, they're probably gonna euthanize you. Sta-- no. The paw thing doesn't work on me, remember? STAY."


Cujo dropped his paw to the ground once more, having been pawing at the air in the universal canine 'handshake' gesture, and whimpered, but stayed put.

Rolling her eyes, Heather adjusted the bag's strap on her shoulder.


"Dumb mutt..."


The doors slid open with a sleek, mechanical whirr, and Heather stepped inside.

( And then shit went down. ) <sub>_


[ooc: What's happening in real life is pretty much Heather going batshit insane in the middle of the Pokemon Center lobby and attacking the approaching concerned nurses with an IV pole. While obviously no one is SERIOUSLY injured, she does a fair amount of damage, and then will flee the scene. Tag if you want, but don't feel obliged! This is a big plot!]</sub>

[ooc: Slightly backdated, it's shortly after Heather finished her emotional rollercoaster convo civilized discussion with Liquid.]



_{[Feed cuts in on Heather's face, with the city streets in the background bobbing up and down as she walked. She looks... still exhausted, but better than before! That doom and gloom has sort of lifted.]}

Okay. So. Forgot to say anything about this, but-- back in town. Was gone for awhile and stuff. I miss anything? You guys didn't have too much fun without me, did you?

_{[There's a metallic swish as the door to the Pokemon Center slides open and she steps inside, despite her... professed antagonistic relationship with the resident nurses.]}

Anyway, on a more serious note, bunch of you've beaten that Gym guy lately...

... Anyone got tips?

... Otacon, I'm lookin' at you.

_{[Oh yeah, she saw that video post, even if she'd been a little too preoccupied to comment on it.]}

<sub>[Of course Heather would leave her packing until a few minutes before she was going to leave]

[The gear's camera is turned on by accident as it's bumped around by her hurried shoving-of-random-crap into her bag, and the viewer is treated to a sideways view of the Pokemon Center. It's daybreak-- the lobby is quiet and just now starting to be lit by the windows rather than the fluorescent ceiling lights. Looks like after spending a week or so off by herself in the woods or something for reasons unknown, she came back to get ooooone last night's sleep in the comfort of a building before she set off again.]

[Finally, she lifts the tightpacked bag over her shoulder and adjusts her collar before picking up the 'Gear. Noting the camera's on, she offers the screen a tired grin and a little salute.]</sub>

Headin' back in the direction of Cherrygrove. I'll be back in a week or so, I guess. Unless there's another Beedrill swarm're somethin'. That'd suck.

If anyone needs me... gimme a call.

... Or I guess you could just clutch at your hair and start screaming until I come back. That works too.

_{[And with that, she's off out the automatic door and into the increasingly-warm morning air. Heather was never much for backtracking, but this was a special case.]}

Hey guys. I am trapped, running a mild fever, and am in need of some form of escape from reality. Since there's apparently no such thing as video games here and my head hurts too much to try and read, you guys are my source of relief. Hi.

Ever since a certain.... um... bathing incident, I'm not allowed to let several of my Pokemon out of their Balls-- .... _{heh. 'Balls'.}-- ... yeah. So I don't even have them for company. ... Except for--
That. And it won't stop staring at me.


That is so not a Dratini, Kairi. I am disappoint.

... On the other hand!_{[She puts the 'Gear down on her lap so that everyone has a very nice close-up view of the pink, lint-covered surface of the blanket, and proceeds to rummage in what was presumably her bag, sitting on the seat next to her. There's rustling noises, a slightly indignant squawk, and a mumble of 'Sorry, Claudy...' from Heather, before she picks up the camera again and holds an Egg in front of it.]}


I found this, too. Anyone know what the hell it is? I'd rather avoid any surprises this time.


.... Oh. And uh... one last thing.

Given... the flooding, and the fact that a bunch of people were... warped or something to ... various places, I kinda wanna ask... uh.

Well. Not that I'm a big organizer or anything, but...


Even if it's just a little text message with the location, I don't really care. I'm just curious. _{[... And a little worried. As she's said to many, she really doesn't want to hear about a body-count once the flooding subsides...]}

.... I hope everybody's safe.






_{[ooc: Feel free to action if you're in the Violet Pokemon Center and your char wants to find Heather's cramped little corner!]}

_{[The entry is dated as having been sent out the previous evening, roughly when she said she'd be reporting back to begin with.]}

[Despite Heather's best efforts, her Pokegear got pretty wet in the adventure, so video and voice is out.]


[There's nothing in the transmission but a picture:
Heather, along with three others-- Kay, Luke, and Rhode-- all of them looking wet (three guesses as to where THEY were for the past few hours!), exhausted, and bedraggled, but nonetheless relieved, are among the milling crowd in Violet City's brightly-lit Pokemon Center, which as expected has been packed to the brim with relief efforts and people seeking shelter. Heather has a towel around her shoulders and is presumably holding up the Pokegear to snap the photo. She's wearing a weary grin and doing the classic thumbs-up gesture with her free hand.]

[Along with the photo, there's a caption:]

<sub>[It's dark-- lit softly by only the glowing computer screens on the counter and there's not much to be heard at first except for the rain just pelting down against the Cherrygrove Pokemon Center's windows. It's always a little crowded in the Centers, but it looks like it's at that witching hour where just about everyone-- trainers, their Pokemon, the nurses-- has either drifted into sleep or drifted into corners on their own to partake in whatever quiet activities they might want to on a depressing, rainy night.]

[Heather slumped behind the counter, just sort of watching the screen at first to make sure it's on, before speaking in a sort of hushed tone. She doesn't look too happy. Worried, actually.]</sub>

Been awhile since I talked to this thing. Anyway, I've been working at the Cherrygrove Center for some cash-- run into quite a few of you and stuff, so it's been cool. I was kinda bummed about being stuck here working, but I sure don't regret it now... If there's not flooding of Biblical proportions outside by tomorrow, I'll eat my boots.

And did you all get a load of that hail a little while ago? Intense.

<sub>[She trails off there, realizing there wasn't much of a point to this whole transmission. She was just kind of rambling-- and bothering other people because she couldn't sleep. She kept telling herself it was just the pounding rain that was making her uneasy, but the truth was, that wasn't really it at all.]

[She looks down briefly-- the screen doesn't show it but her Pokemon are curled up at her feet behind the counter.]</sub>

... Anyway... S'late but I'm bored and don't feel like sleeping. Think I'm gonna make some tea.

_{[... A pause.]}

... I don't even like tea. That much. ... Oh well. If anybody else is in town and wants some, I won't be able to drink all of it so come on over to the Center and we'll have a fuckin' tea party.

And it'll be awesome.

<sub>[She doesn't really expect anybody to come, she was just throwin' that out there. In case anyone in some corner she hadn't noticed was checking their messages and had a sudden hankering for hot leaf water and company that would probably be grumpy and unsettled.

And of COURSE she's not addressing the real reasons she's so jittery out loud.]

[CLICK.]



[ooc: If your character's in Cherrygrove or the Center itself, feel free to have your character be chillin' there in person!]</sub>