volamus

[volamus]

i am in the process of cleaning his blog up, but you can also find me over @riverdebt if you ever need a double dose of avalon's little freaks ™️

[volamus]

spiritomb is missing. this is a problem. ( though not necessarily for him ... )

[volamus]

❝  oh,  she's  perfectly  friendly  —  almost  a  bit  too  friendly,  one  might  say ...  ❞  it's  a  comical  sight  to  behold,  the  way  he  has  to  use  his  body  as  a  shield  to  prevent  the  ball  of  fluff  and  feathers  from  rushing  over  to  greet  a  prospective  new  friend.  togekiss  has  always  been  a  bit  too  curious  for  her  own  good.  (  much  like  someone  else  in  her  orbit.  )  it  was  manageable  when  she  was  still  a  togepi,  too  small  to  scramble  far  without  catching  volo's  notice  —  yet  now,  equipped  with  a  sizeable  wingspan  to  match  her  boisterous  personality,  keeping  her  out  of  trouble  has  proven  a  full  time  job  unto  itself.

❝  although,  i've  never  seen  a  ninetales  quite  like  yours before.  ❞  a  flicker  of  interest  lights  up  his  eye,  momentarily  distracting  him  from  the  fairy  type's  antics.  ❝  is  that  fur  color  common in  this  region?  i've heard tales of vulpix with white fur, but suspected they were mere rumor ...  ❞

❛ i'm sorry to bother, but is your togekiss friendly? my ninetales has never seen one before, and snowy would really like to say hello! ❜

@volamus ⋆.˚ ☾ .⭒˚

[volamus]

❝  part  of  its  skin  —  ?  ❞   he  echoes  the  description  with  equal  parts  wonder  and  incredulity.  ❝  armor  in  the  organic  sense  of  the  word,  then.  how  fascinating  —  and  here  i  had  assumed  you  equipped  it  yourself.  ❞   it  isn't  entirely  unheard  of;  during  time  periods  where  battles  between  pokemon  were  waged  for  war  rather  than  mere  sport.  kalos  and  galar  had  a  particular  flair  for  it;  he  had  the  privilege  of  examining  a  few  expertly  crafted  pieces  in  his  time,  now  relegated  to  display  pieces.  thick  sheets  of  metal,  molded  to  fit  a  rhyhorn's  distinctive  shape.  (  heavy  enough  that  a  human  would  surely  be  crushed  beneath  its  weight.  )  the  most  barbaric  sorts  were  meant  to  be  worn  indefinitely,  sealing  the  pokemon  into  an  iron  cage  until  they  broke  or  their  armor  did.  perfect  for  waging  warfare  —  equally  perfect  to  serve  as  a  microcosm  of  everything  he  finds  most  reprehensible  about  this  flawed  and  broken  world.

❝  the  eyes  are  a  natural  part  of  its  body  as  well?  they  appear  unlike  anything  i've  ever  seen  —  like  lights,  projected  behind  a  cage  of  glass.  ❞  in  hindsight,  the  merchant  supposes  that  isn't  entirely  accurate.  he  HAS  seen  something  like  this  before  —  in  the  screens  adorning  the  settlements  of  this  era,  flickering  through  brightly  colored  advertisements.  the  difference,  of  course,  is  that  they  were  not  attached  to  a  living  creature.

volo  pauses  then,  awareness  crashing  over  him  like  a  splash  of  cold  water.  needling  information  out  of  others  is  a  delicate  dance,  and  too  many  questions  in  such  quick  succession  threatens  to  have  the  opposite  effect.  ❝  does  your  companion  eat?  ❞  the  merchant  asks  instead.  (  a  calculated  move;  providing  value  to  his  continued  presence.  )  ❝  i  make  it  a  point  to  carry  treats  in  my  bag;  one  never  knows  when  they  might  come  in  handy.  ❞

"hm?" farrows head turned,he hadn't fully been paying much mind to the fact the stranger before him had been looking at his pokemon beside him for a moment now honestly farrow had become quite used to this sort of thing at this point miraidon wasn't exactly a..very common (if you can even say that) pokemon,all farrow had been mentally preparing for was how to explain well anything about it without giving too many details a stranger shouldn't need to know.

"oh dont worry about it,im..or well miraidon here is used to it" the android said giving a slight wave of assurance as well as getting a chirp from the lizard like mon laying besides him.

"its armor..?,oh yeah i'm so used to calling them plates I forget they can be seen as armor too.." doesn't help miraidon likes moving around like a motorcyle with that notion "uh-yeah its 'armor' is pretty unique ,cool to the touch its very similar to metal youd forget its part of the skin". and can give a person a real nasty shock too if one wasn't careful but farrow will leave that tidbit to himself.

[volamus]

why?  well,  you're  going  to  have  to  be  a  little  more  specific  than  that!  (  is  this  because  he's  blond  again  —  ?  )

[volamus]

if you want to keep this wowwd fwom disappeawing, then face me in battwe

[volamus]

no  need  to  pick  at  random  —  ?  volo  blinks,  head  canting  in  wordless  inquiry  as  if  to  subtly  prompt  the  other  to  elaborate.  his  lips  curve  in  a  polite  smile  out  of  habit,  one  that  doesn't  waver  even  as  those  hands  clasp  firmly  on  his  shoulders.  his  enthusiasm  certainly  is  infectious,  but  the  merchant  is  more  curious  about  its  source.  fortunately,  he  doesn't  have  to  wait  long  for  an  answer.

historical  sites?  relic  castle?  ancient  city?  (  TWO  THOUSAND  year  old  RUINS?  )  there's  a  sharp  intake  of  breath  —  followed  by  the  audible  crunch  of  crinkling  paper  as  volo  hugs  the  map  to  his  chest,  forgotten  in  the  sudden  surge  of  excitement.  where  he  once  maintained  a  pleasant  and  presumed  socially  acceptable  degree  of  interest,  the  merchant's  eye  lights  up  with  enough  raw  enthusiasm  to  power  an  entire  city  block.  ❝  oh!  ❞   a  single  syllable  escapes  him,  buzzing  with  delighted  shock  comparable  to  a  child  greeted  by  a  surprise  party  and  a  mountain  of  birthday  presents.  another  crinkle.  ❝  ...  oh.  ❞  volo  looks  down,  blinking  at  the  map  —  once  pristine,  now  carelessly  crumpled.  fortunately,  the  merchant's  dismay  lasts  only  a  moment.  he's  practically  vibrating  with  excitement.  he's  had  precious  few  opportunities  to  study  the  history  of  the  unova  region  —  geographically,  it  was  never  exactly  feasible.  what  few  texts  and  artifacts  did  make  their  way  into  volo's  hands  painted  a  picture  of  a  rich  and  long-spanning  history  that  left  him  ravenous  to  sink  his  teeth  into  it  in  earnest.  (  a  bit  like  reading  an  excerpt  of  a  fascinating  book  with  no  way  to  hunt  down  the  source.  )  ❝  oh  —  ?  ❞  he's  crumpled  the  map  to  his  chest  again,  smiling  genuinely  at  his  would-be  guide.  it's  only  the  hands  on  his  shoulders  that  keep  volo  glued  in  place. a blessing in disguise, lest he go scrambling away all by his lonesome; it's been known to happen.

❝  yes  —  yes  please,  i  couldn't  possibly  think  of  anything  more  perfect.  ❞  his  voice  wavers,  a  rare  departure  from  his  usual  smooth-talking  merchant  exterior.  noticing  this,  volo  pretends  to  clear  his  throat  as  he  rapidly  reassembles  his  composure.  ❝  ...  and  you  sound  very  knowledgeable  about  these  ruins!  it  would  be  an  honor  to  have  you  as  my  guide.  ❞  idly  volo  muses  that  he's  never  actually  traversed  a  desert  before  —  is  it  hard?  (  the  merchant  isn't  exactly  accustomed  to  heat.  )  well,  certainly  nothing  he  can't  handle.   ❝  by  all  means,  lead  the  way  my  friend!  ❞

"Oh." He tried to ask, but his tone made the word come across more as a disinterested acknowledgement than the curious question he'd meant for it to be. His gaze moved away from the map as he blinked inquisitively towards the merchant. There was a subtle but notable glimmer of excitement in his eyes as he looked into Volo's gaze. Passengers from far away with no particular destination in mind were some of his favorite ones. He immensely appreciated the ones that knew where they were going and were straight to the point when asking for directions too of course- they never held up lines or disrupted anyone else's schedule- but it was exciting to be able to give someone suggestions. It wasn't often that someone actually wanted to hear his opinion. Though his attention had been a bit difficult to maintain before, Emmet became transfixed on the man's every word, nodding as his preferences were listed and internalizing them so he could best help him find his perfect route.

He gasped almost as if he was offended as Volo continued, seemingly taking his nonchalance as an insult to Emmet's locational knowledge of the region. 'If nothing of the sort came to mind'? Of course Emmet had suggestions. He considered that an incredibly important part of his job. Everyone had to get somewhere, and if was unable to help those that didn't know where they ought to go, he would be a station master. Thankfully, the followup seemed to appease Emmet and he let out a sigh of relief as he realized he'd taken his former words the wrong way. Calling Emmet a seasoned expert was absolutely not a strange thing to say in this context. In fact, it was exactly the right thing to say to him in this moment to earn his favor and relief. As someone who'd been born and raised as the seemingly less preferable twin, he tended to be a bit starved for compliments and it showed in the way his default customer service sort of smile brightened into something wider and far more genuine.

"No need to pick at random!!!" He insisted, a bit too loudly. He took a large step backwards as he swiftly crossed his arms in an X, as to not accidentally collide with Volo or his map. "Leaving things to fate can be fun sometimes, but if you have preferences they should be catered to! I would feel bad if you arrived somewhere boring instead of somewhere you would have liked more!" He gave a few matter-of-fact nods in an attempt to show just how serious he was about this. "I have the perfect place for you, okay?" In a series of rapid movements, his arms broke apart and fell back to his side just for him to thrust them forward and place his hands on the commuter's shoulders, as if to make him stay in place until Emmet had given him a destination.

"If you like historical sites, you're in luck! Relic Castle is rrrreally really close to here- you wouldn't even have to take the train." More like he wouldn't be able to take the train. They didn't have a line that led directly to it. "If you would allow me, I would be happy to take you! You have to go through the desert to reach it, but I know you would really like it! It is all that's left from an ancient city built by the twin heroes that founded this region over two thousand years ago. A lot of it has been filled with sand over the years, but some of the floors are still accessible!!! It can be sorrrt of dangerous, but I promise to keep you safe as long as you're in my care, okay?"

[volamus]

❝  washing  up  on  shore  is  nothing  to  be  ashamed  of  —  on  the  contrary,  you  could  even  call  it  a  stroke  of  good  fortune.  ❞

a  finger  raises  —  the  only  indicator  what's  to  come  before  he  (  rather  predictably  )  launches  into  a  tangent.  ❝  have  you  ever  traveled  by  boat  before,  my  friend?  it's  quite  the  experience  —  wild  pokemon  are  naturally  attracted  to  seafaring  vessels.  it  isn't  merely  restricted  to  water  types,  however;  even  winged  species  have  been  spotted  great  distances  away  from  shore  diligently  following  ships.  it's  as  if  they  intuitively  understand  where  humans  dwell,  there  is  shelter  and  sustenance  to  be  found.  ❞

"Oh, that's okay sir." Bee gave a sweet smile." I can't really swim at all... I tried once before on my own and washed back up on the beach!"

"But Big bro Jacks has been helping teach me so I can surf sometime with him, so that's good. Havent gotten real good at it yet but can float now"

[volamus]

❝  on  the  contrary,  i  would  wager  an  unaffiliated  party  makes  the  perfect  candidate  for  these  culinary  endeavors.  ❞  volo  replies,  unflappable  as  ever.  ❝  after  all,  a  stranger  is  under  no  obligation  to  soften  the  blow  for  the  sake  of  my  feelings  —  through  you,  i  can  attain  a  completely  unbiased  opinion.  that's  quite  invaluable  when  dealing  with  something  as  finicky  as  baking,  wouldn't  you  agree?  ❞

he  holds  up  a  plate  —  upon  which  he  has  arranged  a  smattering  of  brightly  colored  poffins.  (  freshly  made.  )  the  merchant's  cooking  skills  have  always  been  aggressively  average;  never  spectacular,  never  terrible  —  simply  palatable.  following  a  recipe  does  make  it  a  bit  easier  to  achieve  consistent  results,  yet  much  like  the  king  of  legend  who  turned  everything  he  touched  to  gold,  volo  seemingly  turns  everything  he  cooks  into  a  spectacularly  okay  meal.  a  gift  and  a  curse.   ❝  i'm  a  merchant,  you  see.  ❞  he  tells  him.  ❝  it's  to  my  understanding  that  these  confections  are  quite  popular  and  i  do  already  happen  to  carry  the  ingredients  necessary  to  make  them  as  part  of  my  regular  stock.  ❞   he's  certainly  no  shortage  of  berries;  this  could  even  serve  as  an  efficient  way  to  extend  their  shelf-life.  ❝  i  was  mulling  over  the  idea  of  expanding  my  inventory,  but  that's  entirely  contingent  on  the  additions  being  enticing  enough  to  attract  potential  customers ...  consider  this  a  free  sample.  ❞

@volamus asked : ❛ here, give this a try and tell me what you think. ❜

Unused as he is to people being willing to approach him, let alone make an attempt at exchanging a few words, this effort alone being presented so easily to him does make Volkner pause, whatever thoughts he was completely lost into halted entirely and quickly forgotten. An eyebrow raises, lips turning into a frown of sorts, and then he finally looks at the other as if he's something alien entirely so suddenly.

"Me?" Is it truly so odd to be asked for help, even with something as simple as this? "... Why? What did you make?" He just... needs to be sure, is all. That trust is really this difficult to earn, isn't it? "I'm not the kinda person you go to for culinary suggestions, in case you haven't noticed just yet." His dietary habits are certainly not what one would consider sought-after wisdom in the kitchen.

[volamus]

❝  why,  that  depends  entirely  on  what  you  have  need  of!  ❞  volo  doesn't  wait  for  an  answer,  of  course  —  oh  no!  (  a  proper  merchant  knows  to  strike  while  the  iron  is  hot!  )  he's  already  shrugging  off  his  bag,  digging  through  its  chaotic-yet-organized  contents  to  pull  out  a  myriad  of  items  —  potions  in  glass  jars,  berries  and  handcrafted  pokemon  treats,  pokeballs  sporting  a  uniquely  rustic  design.  ❝  do  let  me  know  if  something  catches  your  eye,  friend.  although,  if  nothing  here  is  to  your  liking,  perhaps  we  might  negotiate  a  custom  order  —  i  also make  deliveries.  ❞

" You a merchant yeah...? Well, what'cha got fer me? "

@volamus / sc

[volamus]

his  visible  eye  tracks  the  movements  of  the  pokemon  —  the  phone?  the  suspicion  swirling  in  his  silvery  gaze  is  obvious;  volo  may  be  more  open  minded  compared  to  the  cautious  folk  of  hisui,  yet  this  is  an  entirely  new  time  period  —  rife  with  humans  who  have  spent  their  lives  immersed  in  a  culture  that  normalizes  placing  implicit  trust  in  such  strange  and  dangerous  creatures.  ❝  are  you  sure  that's ...  entirely  wise?  ❞  the  merchant  finds  himself  asking  —  a  question  half-rhetorical  in  nature.  (  he's  no  doubt  the  other  believes  it  to  be  so,  though  the  truth  is  another  matter ...  )  he  has  a  rudimentary  understanding  of  a  phone's  purpose;  how  they  act  as  invaluable  tools  for  navigating  life  in  the  modern  age  —  a  source  of  connection,  information  and  security.  placing  such  a  crucial  device  in  the  proverbial  hands  of  a  pokemon  feels ...  risky.

❝  i've  never  seen  nor  heard  of  such  a  thing,  i'm  afraid.  ❞   volo  continues  aloud,  turning  his  attention  to  the  phone's  owner.  ❝  the  location  i  grew  up  in  was  a  bit ...  old-fashioned,  to  put  it  lightly.  many  of  these  modern  conveniences  are  entirely  new  to  me  —  i've  only  just  recently  learned  to  navigate  public  transportation.  ❞  his  tone  is  lighthearted,  yet  he's  being  entirely  serious.

and what should be considered more peculiar — pokemon inhabiting and powering handheld devices, or happening upon a trainer in their adulthood who has yet to grasp the concept? technological advancement is indeed swift, but not so much so as to leave people blind in the wake of its developments, faba thought. what's not to get?

"hm? the pokemon rotom does, yes," the green cased rotom phone whirls around to give the other man a closer look at its face, and even bobs about in the air as if snickering — it knows it is being talked about, "it provides power to the device with the electricity it produces. but perhaps you have yet to see one in person?" yes, surely this must be it. somehow.

[volamus]

the  pokemon  he  commands  is  strange  —  one  volo  has  only  ever  had  the  privilege  of  witnessing  in  works  of  art  originating  from  lands  beyond  hisui's  borders.  perhaps  that  is  yet  another  thing  they  can  use  to  their  advantage.  the  people  of  this  region  are  paranoid  and  fearful  —  qualities  that  only  become  all  the  more  pronounced  when  met  with  something  (  or  someone  )  unfamiliar  to  contend  with.   ❝  oh,  i  do  like  you.  ❞  volo  murmurs  under  his  breath,  lips  curving  in  a  smile  as  wicked  as  it  is  utterly  genuine.  he's  never  been  particularly  interested  in  acquiring  more  accomplices  beyond  the  great  wrym  that  helped  nudge  their  plan  into  motion,  yet  this  stranger  makes  a  compelling  argument  for  the  merits  of  collaboration.

❝  there's  no  need  to  worry;  i'll  be  sure  all  manner  of  nefarious  rumors  reach  her  ears.  we  merchants  do  talk,  you  know.  ❞  what  is  information  if  not  another  form  of  currency?  the  ginkgo  guild  rumor  mill  is  one  of  the  worst  kept  secrets  in  all  of  hisui.  ❝  of  course,  once  i  poison  the  proverbial  well,  keeping  it  contained  will  be  no  easy  feat ...  fortunately,  the  number  of  people  in  this  land  wielding  powerful  pokemon  are  quite  few  and  far  between  —  and  among  them,  fewer  still  have  even  the  faintest  chance  of  slowing  you  down.  ❞   not  that  they  have  much  reason  to  take  an  interest  in  the  plates  beyond  merely  stopping  someone  else  from  collecting  them;  they've  not  a  clue  of  their  true  significance.  the  rift  eating  away  at  the  sky  above  certainly  does  an  excellent  job  conveniently  distracting  any  would-be  nuisances.  ❝  once  akari  collects  the  remaining  plates,  retrieving  them  should  be  simple  enough.  strength  is  a  finite  resource,  after  all;  even  she  has  her  limits.  ❞

chosen  or  otherwise.

returning  his  attention  to  lance,  volo  offers  a  smile  —  more  palatable  than  the  one  that  preceded  it.   ❝  shall  we  shake  on  it?  i  would  offer  to  seal  the  deal  with  a  drink,  but  unfortunately  i  carry  nothing  of  the  sort  —  unless  you're  fine  with  water,  of  course.  ❞

Four. That leaves fourteen left to find if she hasn't found any others, though Volo's implication that he has one of them himself means she'll only ever find thirteen. Good for their plans, at least. "I haven't."

A thoughtful pause, as Lance remembers for a moment – plates, once scattered across the land of Johto when he'd faced Arceus himself with Gold and Silver's aid. Silver had collected them quickly enough, hadn't he? Mostly through utilizing his Weavile and the species' tendency to communicate through scratches on trees and rock faces.

Why not ask pokemon for help? That was, perhaps, the key.

With a flick of his wrist, dragonite materialized and Lance turned his attention to the pokemon. "Do you think you can do it?" he asks, folding his arms. "I'm sure you remember what the plates look and feel like from the last time Silver collected them, yes? We need as many as you can find. Whatever means necessary."

A nod, and Noodle takes off into the sky without any further fanfare. Lance watches him go briefly, before turning back to Volo.

"I think our little hero needs a reason to move faster, don't you? I suppose her good friend Volo better start hearing rumors of someone else looking for these mysterious plates for unknown reasons."

[volamus]

❝  oh,  the  most  skillful  of  liars  are  able  to  disguise  their  true  intentions  so  flawlessly  that  they  might  say  the  same  —  not  that  i  mean  to  imply  you've  any  ulterior  motive,  of  course.  though  i  do  hope  you  understand  why  i  feel  skeptical ...  ❞   conversing  with  pokemon?  a  fantastical  thought  if  he's  ever  heard  one  —  more  along  the  lines  of  what  a  particularly  imaginative  child  might  proclaim.  (  with  wide  smiles  and  innocence  yet  to  be  broken  by  this  world's  cruelty.  )  the  stranger  before  him  is  no  such  thing,  though  he  speaks  with  unwavering  conviction  nonetheless  —  enough  so  that  volo's  curious  side  cannot  help  but  compel  him  to  investigate,  even  if  it  is  nothing  but  a  farce.

❝  i  have  an  idea.  it's  quite  simple,  really.  ❞  and  in  a  flash,  he's  withdrawing  togekiss'  ball.  she  appears  by  his  side  in  a  burst  of  light,  fluttering  to  the  ground  —  graceful  as  a  creature  comprised  of  so  much  downy  fluff  can  possibly  be.  she  blinks  up  at  the  stranger,  eyes  large  and  warm  and  implicitly  trusting.   ❝  tell  me  what  togekiss  had  for  dinner  last  night.  ❞  the  fairy  type  chirps  her  answer  enthusiastically.  she  tried  a  poke  puff  for  the  very  first  time  —  pink,  sweet,  covered  in  frosting  and  fresh  fruit.  she  ended  up  wearing  half  of  it  by  the  time  she  was  finished;  it  took  ages  to  clean  her  feathers,  but  she  seemed  to  enjoy  herself.

     ❝     i suppose you’ll simply have to believe me,     ❞     because how is he meant to prove that he hones the capability to conversate with pokémon besides show it in action     &͟.     even then one can convince themself that he’s simply lying,     putting up some charade of someone who wields otherworldly talents when it’s truthfully a prowess they lack.     (     he isn’t being deceptive by any means but     …     )     ❝     i gain nothing from lying.     ❞     (    @volamus     )     ♡! 

[volamus]

❝  every  single  person  born  into  this  world  has  their  price,  my  friend  —  a  goal,  a  need,  an  obsession.  that's  precisely  why  commerce  is  such  a  useful  field  to  study;  humanity  begets  desire.  ❞  no  matter  how  large  or  small,  no  matter  how  grand  or  humble.  ❝  i  do  wonder  what  yours  might  be.  ❞

@reiketsui &&. liked for a ONE LINER.

[volamus]

@batoushoujo &&. SAID... you’re telling me a shrimp fried this rice????

you're telling me a rotom lives in this phone?

[volamus]

❝  pardon  —  i'm  not  entirely  sure  i  understand.  there's  a  pokemon  powering  this  device?  ❞  is  that  safe?  (  more  importantly,  is  that  trustworthy?  )

@intriguant &&. liked for a ONE LINER.

[volamus]

unfortunately for all of us i cannot shut the fuck up