>>5548018
>>5548163
>>5548309
>>5548656

Bugs

>>5548041
>>5548049
>>5548622

Birds

>>5548030
>>5548040
>>5548287
>>5548310
>>5548320
>>5548400

Beasts

>Bigger game. Hunting these might be dangerous, because they'd be in the same sort of regions as the wandering Rhydon. Lots of good meat, though. (Tangela, Rhydon, Geodude, Skwovet, Rockruff Family)

>>5549338
yeah i wasnt ready for it to drop off either XD anyway sidenote i was thinking about drawing the logo for the resteraunt since we have examples of what it could be but dont think we have one officially. so

would you mind if i gave it a go (? also any of the other players maybe toss back up the ideas but i can look up in the archive)

was gonna try today but got busy.

File: Pokeknife.png (366 KB, 600x323)

366 KB PNG

>>5549354
I would absolutely love that, yes please!

>>5549344

>Bigger game. Hunting these might be dangerous, because they'd be in the same sort of regions as the wandering Rhydon. Lots of good meat, though. (Tangela, Rhydon, Geodude, Skwovet, Rockruff Family)

You open up your notepad and look through everything you've written on the local Pokémon. Some are really bad choices to try and hunt. Scyther will struggle with the Rock-types in the area, even if you can properly cook them. Not to mention the fact that they're actually rare. You might end up meandering in the woods for some time before coming into them, if you're lucky enough to find them at all. The areas closer to the hills will have rock-based wildlife, cliff-faces or thick copses of trees will have Skwovets and possibly Tangela, and you're not really sure where to find Rockruff. They just seem to show up. Last week's sighting was extremely lucky.

You think about what you can do with Tangela as well. You'll have trouble cutting it up and properly treating it, but you could sell it to Anissa or something. She might appreciate fresh ingredients. You're a lot more willing to help her out than other restaurants, since you're not direct competitors. Not even sell it, maybe you could just give it to her as a gift or something.

But that's counting your Torchics before they hatch. For now, you have to decide what exactly you're going to hunt. You might have an opportunity later to find somebody to hunt with, which could possibly take the burden off Scyther and his weaknesses.

>Select a Pokémon from the list to specifically hunt for (Tangela, Rhydon, Geodude, Skwovet, Rockruff Family). Rarer ones will cause more difficulties during the hunt.

Bonus: For the next few updates, if the majority of the players vote to activate the Repel at that point of time, Penny will use it.
>Repel: Use this item at any time to prevent low-levelled Pokémon from showing up. Finding an opportune moment will net the best results

>>5549360
skwovet line and repel.

i wanna try for greedent

im shelving the tanglgrowth co-op with grass resteraunt for now as WE NEED SOMETHING BIG. for the grand opening

>>5549360
on another note ye. will work on it tommorow as it is. really late rn and i need sleep

>>5549368
I'll support this!

>>5549360

>>5549360
>Skwovet
The rest of these are either advantaged over Scyther, too hard to cook for us, or would make people upset.

>Repel

Or in other words, +1 to >>5549368. I like the Tangela collab idea but I think we need to get that set up first before hunting it.

>>5549360
>Skwovet
>Repel

>>5549360
I'm fine with skwovet but I want to keep the repel for now...last week we had to deal with an intruding scavenger. if we get a haul then we can't let it be vulnerable on the way back

>>5549360
>Skwovet
>NO REPEL

>>5549368
>>5549374
>>5549382
>>5549447

>>5549460
>>5549502

Skwovet it is! And Repel activation.

>Scyther Lv. 17 : Calm nature. Highly curious.
-Fury Cutter
-Quick Attack
-Wing Attack
-Double Team

>Repel
>An item that prevents any low-level wild Pokémon from jumping out at you for a while.

This will send a large amount of weaker Skwovet running, and make it easier for Greedent to remain, as well as getting rid of some parts of the encounter.

As well as a mystery effect.

File: Squirrels.jpg (356 KB, 1138x708)

356 KB JPG

>>5549573
Skwovet. They're a cute, popular Pokémon. They make good mascots, and in big cities, people are very much against eating them. However, in areas closer to nature, they're semi-commonly consumed as wild game. Greedent are a lot meatier and gamier, with a single specimen possessing more mass, but they're even harder to market for one big reason:

Gideon & Greedent. The TV dinner company. Greedent is the mascot of the company. Not just as a symbol, there's an actual Greedent that appears in ads and coverage. You find it a little ironic that a food company is making a perfectly edible Pokémon unpalatable in the public consciousness.

You've invited the media. That means they'll be covering dishes sold at your opening event on Monday. The Daily Dex in particular has responded positively, and have reporters in town who have accepted the invite, but having their reviews or coverage articles read in places like Stewview might twist some panties. But you can't tiptoe around the public's sensitivities forever, and you'll have to make a trade eventually. Your customers matter more than people crying about the specific type of Pokémon you're serving, but it's still up to you how much you want to take this into account.

Since Scyther is well equipped to fight these Pokémon, you decide that you don't need help. You don't need somebody to cover the two of you from Rock-types. The other hunters gradually wander into the woods on their own quests, and some of them have people remaining with their trucks to watch over them. You follow after them for a short while, then split off from the group ahead of you so you're not clustered together.

In order to catch Skwovet and Greedent, you need to keep your eyes on the trees. Find a berry bush, and you'll find the squirrels stuffing their cheek pouches full of berries. Those are unsellable, you can't reuse berries that have been in the inside of a Pokémon's mouth in good conscience. Greedent are comparatively rarer, but easier to spot. They're gluttons who hoard far more than they can even consume, indiscriminately shoving usable berries into their bushy tails for storage. They require thicker branches to support their weight. You're not sure what it is about them, but their greed is stronger than their self-preservation instinct. Even when their lives are in danger, their instinct is to eat. They often search for berries mid-battle. If you fight them in the right area, they'll barely be a challenge.

>>5549578

Up ahead. You smell a sweet tang in the air. It smells like overripe fruit. Entering a shaded clearing, you come across a wonderful sight: an entire orchard of Razz Berries. They're known for growing remarkably fast. The flavour of a Razz Berry is mildly spicy, with a dry centre that's pleasant on the tongue. They grow best in loamy, soft soil. However, the ground is turning drier and dustier, causing Berry plants all across the woods to stop producing food. This must be one of the oases protected from the furious rays of the sun by the thick shade.

Skwovet run across the entire clearing. Once Scyther starts slashing, they'll scatter, so you hold him back and plot out your path. There are Greedent present at the base of the trees. They look like a trio of greedy bastards, who are chasing certain Skwovet away from the bushes. It seems like they're only allowing their gang to eat from the sprouting Razz bushes.

You two are noticed immediately, and large portions of the glade start running. They're too busy snatching the berries from each other and stuffing them in their cheeks or tails to bother you, and the smell causes less confident ones to exit the area in droves. Even members of the Greedent gang turn to leave.

Scyther pauses. His scythes rise up and he hisses, sending Skwovet fleeing for the safety of the trees. You follow his line of sight and see something up above: An Ariados, slowly weaving its way across the treeline. Spinarak follow along behind it, setting up a trap for any Skwovet that may try fleeing between branches. However, as you enter the clearing, you see a couple of Spinarak hiss and dance across the webs, abandoning their own hunt, to the ire of the Ariados. Various plans of attack flash through your mind.

>Hunt down the wandering, factionless Skwovet. They'll receive no support. The glade will fall into chaos, allowing you to catch a large number of these small specimens. Due to using the Repel, less than usual are available.

>Assault the Greedent. Rather than chasing down tons of Skwovet, you can go for less Skwovet and a couple of Greedent, which should give you more variety and mass to sell. Due to using the Repel, they have less Skwovet for support, but also less extra meat.

>Try and utilize the Ariados. If you can add them into the equation somehow, you might be able to snag both members of the Greedent gang and the wild Skwovet hordes. There are less Spinarak to pose a danger to you if you try this, due to the Repel driving them away.

>>5549581
>>Try and utilize the Ariados. If you can add them into the equation somehow, you might be able to snag both members of the Greedent gang and the wild Skwovet hordes. There are less Spinarak to pose a danger to you if you try this, due to the Repel driving them away.

>>5549581
>Assault the Greedent. Rather than chasing down tons of Skwovet, you can go for less Skwovet and a couple of Greedent, which should give you more variety and mass to sell. Due to using the Repel, they have less Skwovet for support, but also less extra meat.

>>5549581
>Try and utilize the Ariados. If you can add them into the equation somehow, you might be able to snag both members of the Greedent gang and the wild Skwovet hordes. There are less Spinarak to pose a danger to you if you try this, due to the Repel driving them away.
Any we bag that's too shit quality for us, we can simply give to the Spinarak and the Ariados. Befriending the cool bugs might work, seeing as our Scyther is also a cool bug. Rather funny how Penny Pudding has nothing to do with pudding and desserts, and has a Scyther instead.

>>5549581
>Try and utilize the Ariados. If you can add them into the equation somehow, you might be able to snag both members of the Greedent gang and the wild Skwovet hordes. There are less Spinarak to pose a danger to you if you try this, due to the Repel driving them away.

getting game for them lowers the chances of them coming for the actual good meat we plan to haul and who knows, we might befriend them or at the least recognize that helping us gives them food

>>5549581
>Try and utilize the Ariados. If you can add them into the equation somehow, you might be able to snag both members of the Greedent gang and the wild Skwovet hordes. There are less Spinarak to pose a danger to you if you try this, due to the Repel driving them away.

>>5549581
>Try and utilize the Ariados. If you can add them into the equation somehow, you might be able to snag both members of the Greedent gang and the wild Skwovet hordes. There are less Spinarak to pose a danger to you if you try this, due to the Repel driving them away.

>>5549581
>Try and utilize the Ariados. If you can add them into the equation somehow, you might be able to snag both members of the Greedent gang and the wild Skwovet hordes. There are less Spinarak to pose a danger to you if you try this, due to the Repel driving them away.

>>5549581
>>Try and utilize the Ariados. If you can add them into the equation somehow, you might be able to snag both members of the Greedent gang and the wild Skwovet hordes. There are less Spinarak to pose a danger to you if you try this, due to the Repel driving them away.

Get out own wild spider-bro

>>5549998
But GameFreak made Ariados suck. Where's Galvantula?

File: checkm.jpg (8 KB, 225x225)

8 KB JPG

>>5550000
>555
>0000
THAT GET
THOSE DIGITS

>>5550000
>Galvantula
you know, that gives me an idea. according to the wiki joltiks tend to live in houses, leeching electricity to survive. we could befriend some of them and eventually make them evolve into galvantulas

>>5550000
This is the legacy of our board lol

>>5550000
Checked!

File: So long Oberon.jpg (6 KB, 160x164)

6 KB JPG

>>5550000
FUCKING checked!

File: logo attempt.png (128 KB, 1000x500)

128 KB PNG

Been messing around if anyone has suggestions please let me know . ~~im not actually too happy with the slow poke so i might mess with it some more

File: tenor.png (25 KB, 480x472)

25 KB PNG

>>5550417
I too a crack at it!

>>5550469
I like this one

>>5549581
>Try and utilize the Ariados. If you can add them into the equation somehow, you might be able to snag both members of the Greedent gang and the wild Skwovet hordes. There are less Spinarak to pose a danger to you if you try this, due to the Repel driving them away.

>>5550000
CHECKED. Just for the get, I'll put Galvantula in (somewhere accessible soonish).

>>5550417
>>5550469
Holy shit, these rock. Thank you fellas, it's incredibly encouraging to see.

Ariados method seems to be the near-unanimous decision. Locking and writing.

Is there any support for amending the name slightly, "Penny's Tall Tail" or "Tall Tail by Penny", something like that? Those seem a little more nice resturant-y to me as well as a bit more personal which seems good for a smaller town like Lobraise desu.

File: Greedent.png (1.92 MB, 1920x1080)

1.92 MB PNG

>>5550589
>Try and utilize the Ariados. If you can add them into the equation somehow, you might be able to snag both members of the Greedent gang and the wild Skwovet hordes. There are less Spinarak to pose a danger to you if you try this, due to the Repel driving them away.

You'll figure out a way to use the wild Pokémon to your advantage. The first step to doing so is driving Skwovet into their web. However, for that to happen, you need to let the Ariados fully spin its trap. The Repel is having a detrimental effect on your actual hunt, sending wild Pokémon running away from you, but it's making the attempt a bit less harrowing. There are less Spinarak to harass the two of you while you try to get them involved. You and Scyther step away for a moment. Your presence has done irreparable damage, but you don't want more of them to run away in the meantime. So you sit and wait.

After about fifteen minutes, the Ariados are done. Their web has been cast. You can barely see it. It forms a ceiling above the glade, and if it weren't for the actual bugs waiting on it, you would have missed it too. You signal for Scyther to be careful, then the both of you circle around. Skwovet get spooked easily when attacked. They won't charge at a human. You wouldn't have dared to body-block Murkrow or some other Pokémon, but these ones in particular are low risk. Low enough for you to challenge them even with the opening behind you. With you blocking escape routes, and Scyther rampaging on the other end, they'll be more inclined to go UP rather than running farther away.

Scyther begins by flying straight towards the Greedent.

Scyther used Fury Cutter!

The first Greedent to get cut squeaks in pain, dropping the berry in its mouth. It turns to face Scyther. You take a look at them, gauging their strength. They're of a higher level than your partner, and they're meaty. Taking them down will take a LOT of hits without getting hurt. With your attention split between them and the Skwovet, you can't afford to spend this much time in a battle of attrition. You need to get home early too, to do night prep. No, at most you can kill off one of them. The one that's been slashed has been marked for death.

As Skwovet from the factionless side of the glade go running, you stick your arms out and lunge at them.

"BOO!"

"Skwovet!"

"Skwo!"

They split off to either side and begin climbing the tree. They make it halfway up before attempting to leap onto another branch, only to get caught by the Ariados.

The opposing Greedent used Stockpile!

Shit. You hear the sound of chewing. The Greedent is running away from Scyther while picking up the berries knocked out of its fur from the impact. It's eating them on the spot, and if it decides to spit at Scyther, you'll be in trouble.

"Scyther, go for the small ones!"

"Scy!"

Scyther used Fury Cutter!
The opposing Skwovet has been slain...

File: Numbers.png (15 KB, 1065x187)

15 KB PNG

>>5550928

A yapping, posturing squirrel is cleaved in twain as it tries to defend its gang leaders, who are stuffing as many berries as possible into their mouths and running in circles around the tree. They seem to be hoping that Scyther will just get tired and leave, after failing to cut through them with their constant recovery. Your partner, though, is only just getting started. With each swipe, he gets more and more frenzied, hissing and slashing with reckless abandon. He cuts furiously.

Scyther used Fury Cutter!
The opposing Skwovet has been slain...
The opposing Greedent used Stockpile!

A different one this time.

Scyther used Fury Cutter!

The very first Greedent reacts to this one a little more. It's stronger now, and the blades come away wet with blood. You keep spooking the Skwovet. More than a few get past you, but plenty end up in the web. Spinarak are quick to come wrap them up, before the Ariados finishes them off. The Bug-types seem to be looking at the two of you curiously now, as you constantly fill their webs with food.

Scyther used Fury Cutter!

The Greedent STILL doesn't go down. It's sitting by the second one, chewing on... Wait. Second one. There were three. Where's the third?

"SCYTHER! LOOK OUT!"

The opposing Greedent used Body Slam!

Shit. Your partner is crushed under its weight as it falls from the tree. He hisses and pushes it off, then flies back to your side. That one blow has almost taken him out. Greedent are strong, and they evolve long past Scyther's current level. If it scores a critical blow, it'll take him out immediately. You spray him with Potions as you watch them scurry around. The greedy Skwovet aren't completely willing to flee the berry-laden grove, even as they get cut down by Scyther. It's down to luck now whether your partner gets hit by an errant blow and cuts your hunting short...

>Writing is going slow today, I apologize. Still pretty busy. In the meantime, please roll me 4 d100s. Receiving an extremely unlucky critical hit (1-4) from the far higher-levelled Greedent will end the hunt early. Depends on which dice is the crit, if it comes at all.

>>5550930
Also, I'm not gonna follow the competitive formula 1:1, I just use it as a guide to work out how strong Pokemon are when compared to each other and provide a basis for how I write that. No worries about having to keep up with it.

Rolled 27 (1d100)

>>5550930
>crit range 1-4
Why not just roll d20s? Unless the crit range will vary depending on our opponent?

Rolled 83 (1d100)

>>5550930
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

>>5550935
Is this Gen 6+ Fury Cutter? Scyther used it 5 times total, so the cap of 160 bp should be reached

>>5550939
Oh, is it to mimic game mechanics? Nevermind.

Rolled 90 (1d100)

>>5550930

Rolled 84 (1d100)

Hope I'm not cursing the thread.

>>5550939
>>5550942
>>5550962
>>5550954
We did it boys. We saved the hunt

>>5550942
>>5550954
>>5550962
Hot damn!

>>5550962
don't worry, this isn't a quest where we roll only 1 and 2s because RNGeesus hates us

>>5550946
Oh, you're right. I misread the wiki. I'll definitely make mention.

>>5550965
Neat! I'll keep writing once I wake up in the morn.

>>5550930
sidenote. im excited cause sythers defs gonna level from this. since the greedent is over his current level greatly.

so despite the struggle win win lotsa meat on them and stronger partner

File: Scyyyyyyyyyyyy.jpg (227 KB, 600x921)

227 KB JPG

>>5550946
Re-reading the wiki, apparently using items resets it, which is necessary to keep Scyther up and active, so I guess the stack decays every so often.

You're fortunate. Only bad luck could cause an immediate loss, and the odds of them hitting just the right spot are low.

The opposing Greedent used Spit Up!

Scyther is pelted by high-speed berry seeds, which knock him out of the air and interrupt his attempts to chase down a Skwovet. He flies back to you for another generous application of Potions. You've used up almost your whole supply. Each time he comes back, more and more Skwovet escape. After cutting for so long, he's completely riled up and agitated, but coming back to heal forces him to calm down. He doesn't want to accidentally hurt you by flailing around.

The web above you is laden with Skwovet already. There are only so many that the Spinarak and Ariados can wrap up, so the majority of them are just stuck, adding weight to the trap. As Scyther chases another group up a tree, they leap blindly and get caught in the sticky threads.

A ripping sound echoes through the glade as one section of the web is pulled free from the tree's surface. The whole thing shakes and shudders as Scyther gets back to cutting.

Scyther used Fury Cutter!
The opposing Skwovet has been slain...

The opposing Greedent used Stockpile!

Scyther used Fury Cutter!
The opposing Skwovet has been slain...

The opposing Greedent used Stuff Cheeks!

Damn it. That one has raised its defence by packing its face with berries. It can endure anything while chewing so heartily. Fortunately, it's not your initial target, but you assess once again that killing multiple is impossible.

As Scyther builds up his rage once again, you see one of the Greedent clamber up a tree slowly. His tail is completely stuffed with berries, but his mouth is empty. The Pokémon spots a bunch of scattered berries on the web. Thinking of nothing but eating, it pushes itself off the tree and attempts to leap. Greedent aren't very heavy. Most of their weight comes from the berries they pack into their fur, but they only average about six kilograms. Ariados, however, are five times heavier. Even Spinarak are heavier than them. The web soon becomes laden with too many targets, and the Ariados screeches in frustration.

File: Aria.jpg (202 KB, 900x1266)

202 KB JPG

>>5551650
Scyther used Fury Cutter!

You hear the noise as he's cutting into the Greedent again.

SNAP!

The entire thing collapses. You barely have time to dive out of the way before the sticky thread tumbles down into the centre of the clearing, taking trapped Pokémon and the handful of predators with it. They hit the ground hard, entrapping even more of the Skwovet who've failed to leave. Scyther is caught in the web, and begins thrashing wildly as he attempts to cut his way out of it.

Scyther used Fury Cutter!
The opposing Greedent used Body Slam!

You can't reach him fast enough to apply your Potions, as you need to jog around the entire perimeter. The Ariados grabs several bundles of silk and makes off with them, leaving the majority of the webbed creatures abandoned. The Spinarak glance at you curiously as they escape as well, each holding a single cocoon that's about a quarter their body weight. Scyther manages to pull himself free, and as the Greedent struggles within the net, he raises both sickles and screeches.

"SCYTHERRRRRR!"

Scyther used Fury Cutter!
The opposing Greedent has been slain...
Scyther grew to Lv. 18!

That's it then. One big one, plenty of smaller catches. You reach him as the two other Greedent finally get free and scamper into the woods. After spraying him down with your very last batch, the Skwovet in the net begin struggling as they watch the green-scythed reaper approach them.

"S-skwovet..."

Scyther used Fury Cutter!
The opposing Skwovet has been slain...
The opposing Skwovet has been slain...
The opposing Skwovet has been slain...

=====

File: Encounter.jpg (47 KB, 885x500)

47 KB JPG

>>5551651

You gather up the bodies. The web makes for a surprisingly good string to keep them tied together. The only problem is that they get all over your hands. You don't want to clean them right out here in the field, there's too many of them, so you just get to work on preparing them for transport. The fight has gone well. Scyther wouldn't have been able to take on such a strong opponent if it wasn't so absorbed in eating all the time. You'll have to clean the guts out properly for sure. If they had properly worked as a team, he'd be down in mere moments.

However, fighting Greedent has turned out to be extremely time consuming. You make a note of the fact that he can't take them down easily. That was... How many volleys of attacks just for one? You couldn't keep track, but if he had just swallowed those berries to recover, it would have taken even longer.

You're interrupted from your short break by a yip from the other end of the clearing. At first, you think the Rockruff has returned, but it turns out to be a different Pokémon altogether. It's a small creature, about the size of a Greedent, with orange fur and a bushy tail. There are black markings on its head, and it wags its tail in excitement. The creature looks hungry. It wanders into the clearing, ignoring the repel, and stares longingly at the food. A Nickit! This wasn't on the list, must be one of those wandering Pokémon you've read about.

>Ignore it. You have work to do. Just don't give it anything and transport the bodies back, it'll leave after a while, you hope.

>Feed it. It looks friendly, engage with it and give it a carcass or two. Scyther is staring suspiciously at it, but you don't think it can do him much harm.

>Kill kill kill kill kill. These ones taste almost like Deerling, with low fat and a distinct flavour. A thorough marination and tenderization is needed. You'll need strong vinegar to get rid of the odour, then spices, salt, slow cooking...

>>5551652
>Feed it. It looks friendly, engage with it and give it a carcass or two. Scyther is staring suspiciously at it, but you don't think it can do him much harm.
I feel like eating fox would go too far for a lot of people.

>>5551652
>Feed it. It looks friendly, engage with it and give it a carcass or two. Scyther is staring suspiciously at it, but you don't think it can do him much harm.
Tempting as it is to go down the obsessed cook route, I feel like having a little friend in the forest could go far.

>>5551652
>Feed it. It looks friendly, engage with it and give it a carcass or two. Scyther is staring suspiciously at it, but you don't think it can do him much harm.

Can we collect some of the berries, too?

>>5551652
>>Kill kill kill kill kill. These ones taste almost like Deerling, with low fat and a distinct flavour. A thorough marination and tenderization is needed. You'll need strong vinegar to get rid of the odour, then spices, salt, slow cooking...

File: ddl8fta-54f9314c-0529-4db(...).png (1.07 MB, 1024x1218)

1.07 MB PNG

>>5551652
>Feed it. It looks friendly, engage with it and give it a carcass or two. Scyther is staring suspiciously at it, but you don't think it can do him much harm.
It's cute, and ALSO...

"When Thievul finds a potential target, it will secretly mark a scent on them. Thievul then uses that scent to track and stalk its targets. By using its lithe body and claws, Thievul steals the target’s food and eggs from them when they least expect it."

If it likes us, maybe we can catch and train it later. It's a perfect tracker, and also adept at stealing useful ingredient from bird Pokemon and such! And Dark-types are super-effective against ghost... Maybe even guilt-ghosts?

>>5551652
>Feed it. It looks friendly, engage with it and give it a carcass or two. Scyther is staring suspiciously at it, but you don't think it can do him much harm.

>Feed it. It looks friendly, engage with it and give it a carcass or two. Scyther is staring suspiciously at it, but you don't think it can do him much harm.

Not sure I want to make him a partner, although >>5551677 have a point.

>>5551652
>>Feed it. It looks friendly, engage with it and give it a carcass or two. Scyther is staring suspiciously at it, but you don't think it can do him much harm.

I desire to befriend and capture this fox

>>5551652
>Feed it. It looks friendly, engage with it and give it a carcass or two. Scyther is staring suspiciously at it, but you don't think it can do him much harm.
No capture. Foxes stink irl. Just befriend but leave alone

File: Thief!.png (116 KB, 300x300)

116 KB PNG

>Feed it.

Ah, what's the harm in feeding it? Scyther stands a distance away, his thorax rising and falling. He's not in a mood to socialize with a wild Pokémon, and now he's tired out from the effort. He probably can't keep using the same moves, as finishing off the Skwovet has taken a lot of effort, but he at least has energy to use Wing Attack. You toss the smallest, most messed up Skwovet to the Nickit.

"Ni!"

Its triangular snout snaps up the squirrel carcass, and it starts chewing on it. The Pokémon then slides closer to you, its large tail wagging back and forth. It sure looks friendly! Tempted by its cuteness, you reach your hand out to pat it on the head. Hey, aren't these good at tracking? Maybe you could catch one of these as a partner in the future. This one in particular is catching your eye, it's even-tempered and calm. Scyther bristles, looking around the clearing, and you hand it the other half of the Skwovet to finish up.

"Nick! Nickit!"

The mask-like pattern on its face turns to face you, and it yips loudly. Hopefully the Repel prevents any other Pokémon from coming by. It didn't drive this one off, so either it's wearing off, or it's close enough to Scyther's own level despite its small size. Having such a friendly scavenger stop by is a lot more fortunate than the Rockruff. Sitting cross-legged on the ground, you pile the Skwovet into a large bag while watching the wild Pokémon feast on the scraps.

"SCY!"

The opposing Thievul used Assurance!

You whirl around as a large orange shape tackles Scyther. Before you can stand up to start giving him orders to defend himself, the Nickit leaps onto your lap.

The opposing Nickit used Snarl!

Your hands instinctively fly to the side of your head, covering your ears as the savage sound emanates from its once adorable face.

It's threatening you into inaction. Move, and it could actually wound you. A wild Pokémon attacking you like this would spell the end of the event, and...

>Pokémon Theft Awareness: Lv. 2

File: Flee.gif (382 KB, 1110x1110)

382 KB GIF

>>5551916

There are other hunters nearby. They'll respond to that call, and you just need to hold out until help comes and the thieves scatter.

The opposing Nickit used Assurance!

A second Nickit! That makes three enemies total. It bashes its side against Scyther, trying to take him down, and he responds by using Quick Attack once, sending it flying across the clearing. The big Thievul leaps onto his back and starts chewing on him. It's chaos. You can't get in there without being hit by an attack, so you raise your hand to return him to his ball.

The opposing Thievul used Ice Fang!

If there was any remaining doubt that these were trained thieves, it evaporates the moment you see the fox fill its maw with Ice-type energy and chomp onto Scyther's wings. That's a move that has to be taught specifically to them. He hisses in pain and collapses, overwhelmed by the surprise attacks.

Scyther fainted!

"HELP! SOMEONE!"

You return him to his ball in a flash of light, stopping him from further harm. The moment you do, however, you realize your mistake. That's exactly what they want, if they're aiming to steal your Pokémon.

"Shit-"

The opposing Nickit used Thief!
The opposing Nickit stole Penny's Pokéball!

The one that you walloped with the Skwovet carcass lunges past you, stealing his ball right out of your grip. Its managed to detach the body, and you yell in outrage as the three begin to retreat. The Thievul stays at the edge of the clearing, waiting for the Nickit to catch up to it with its prize. You're hot on its trail, sprinting forward with your arms outstretched, aiming to tackle it no matter the cost.

Fuck the opening, fuck the restaurant. That's your partner. You're not going to let them make off with him. You'll never see him again, who knows what will happen?

"SCYTHER!"

There's no response from the unconscious bug in his ball. You pant heavily, failing to catch up. It's more nimble than you. It's faster. As you lunge to tackle it, it slips through your arms and takes off, forcing you to waste time pushing yourself back up. You feel your arms scrape against the earth, and your palms are covered in soil. A choked sob escapes your mouth as it gets further away.

But then...

File: Rescue.jpg (41 KB, 650x550)

41 KB JPG

>>5551917

The opposing Spinarak used String Shot!

Out of nowhere, a stream of silk blasts the Nickit, webbing it down and keeping it in place. It drops the ball to free up its mouth and starts gnawing its way free, its tail attempting to sweep the ball closer to the Thievul and Nickit. You barely register what just happened. All you perceive is the red and white Pokéball that Scyther is trapped in, and the large Pokémon sprinting towards the both of you. You lunge a second time and manage to land on the ball. You curl up around it as the Thievul sprints past you, assisting its younger comrade with getting free. The moment it rips through the web, it casts its head over its shoulder to glare at you, before taking off with the ball thief close behind. It barks at a nearby trunk, never once pausing as it flees the clearing.

"Thievul!"

"Spi! Spi!"

"Nickit!"

"Nick!"

Tears run down your face as you cradle the ball, holding it close to your chest and ensuring that nothing can pry it from you again. You almost lost him, all because you weren't careful and decided to entertain a suspicious Pokémon. The scuttling from above catches your attention, and you hug the ball defensively as you look up.

Perched on the side of a trunk is one of the Spinarak that you and Scyther ended up feeding earlier. There's no sign of the other members of the swarm, and its abdomen is bulging from a recent meal that it only caught thanks to you. It stares at you for an uncomfortably long time, its blank, beady eyes fixated on your face, then frantically scurries down the trunk and runs past you. It spends as little time on the ground as possible, heading for the discarded Skwovet bludgeon that the Nickit peeled off its face. The bug seizes it in its mandibles and runs up a tree with its extra meal, retreating into the forest.

Rustling leaves and breaking branches sound out from the West. You hear voices yelling and Pokémon crying out, aiming to scare away any wild ones with the presence. You remain on the ground with Scyther clasped in your grip as several other hunters enter the clearing. They stare at you in concern, then make a beeline for you and your discarded gear.

>>5551926

=====

Back at the camp, the hunters treat your scrapes and seat you on your truck bed. They immediately offer up Revives and get Scyther back on his feet. You send him out, and he immediately leaps into a frenzy, slashing at empty air and trying to drive them away from you. He refuses to leave your side, and it takes a lot of coaxing before he allows them to get close and attend to the both of you again. Somebody has done you the favour of picking up your equipment and carrying it back for you, and others get you warm water and cold compresses. Your ankle is sore from tumbling twice, and you hope you haven't twisted it.

The story about the Nickit gets their attention. You're requested to repeat it several times, and one of them heads off to call the local police station. It's been a rough day, and a terrible experience, that has left both you and Scyther mentally exhausted. You keep one hand on him at all times, unwilling to let him out of sight again. Despite how bad things are, the thought of how much work you have left to do forces you to get up eventually. You're grateful for their help, but you need to get going. You're not willing to spend the evening reporting to the police either, when you have the opening to deal with, but you'll want to give your statement some other time.

Thanking them for all the concern, you pile your stuff into the back of the truck and seat Scyther in the bed. You head on back to the restaurant, concluding this Sunday's very eventful hunt.

Hunt tally:
>1x Mid grade Greedent meat
>8x Mid grade Skwovet meat
>4x Low grade Skwovet meat
>Scyther has grown stronger!

>>5551932
Well that went totally wrong

Alright maybe going the obsessed cook route has more benefits than I thought.
Next time we shouldn't trust wild pokemon, especially if they're known thieves.

File: xsvnd6rhtoq71.jpg (1.79 MB, 3300x2550)

1.79 MB JPG

>>5551932

=====

Back at Penny's, you immediately head for the kitchen and start preparing the food. Scyther remains nearby, and you can't resist throwing him giblets every so often, as you skin and drain the Skwovet and Greedent. Your mind wanders as you get them ready for serving tomorrow. That was a close shave. You've never been in more danger, even while diving in the sea with Masao, and it chills you to the bone. You hope that whoever sent those Nickit is dealt with soon. They tried to steal your partner, Arceusdammit. You should have chopped up that vermin when you had the chance.

You're back earlier than the previous week. It's late afternoon, and you'll be getting very little sleep tonight. You have a lot to do in terms of decorating, pre-prepping, and last minute rehearsal. Right now, the one big problem is the meat. Your thoughts are still hazy after the huge scare, but you try and focus on how you want to serve them. You only have one Greedent, you'll just roast it up, make it indistinct enough to put on a plate, and then portion it. The Skwovet are another matter, though.

>Buttermilk fried Skwovet. Fry em up. Greasy, oily, and served with biscuits and some eggs, maybe. It's not exactly high class, but you can make more of it.

>Skwovet stew. Leaving them to simmer will let you serve from a gigantic pot of soup. It might even last you longer than Monday or Tuesday. It's a warm, homely bowl of stew that's welcome in any household and gets rid of the gaminess in the meat. It gives off a comfortable and approachable vibe.

>Recurring Menu Item: “The Unexpected Hunt’s Spoils”, usually available on Monday and Tuesday. Really go in on the hunting angle. You want people to know that you source your food from the wild. It'll draw attention to the fact that it's a Greedent/Skwovet, but making this a recurring dish on opening day will help establish the fact that you regularly go out hunting and gathering ingredients. (Write in from last thread)

There's nothing high-class you can think of, unlike the Murkrow filets. Skwovet and Greedent are hard to put a classy spin on, but if you can think of something...

>Write-in.

>>5551935
>>5551940
Haha, yeah. I smiled a little when >>5551677 this anon quoted the dex entry. He was very right, just slightly off the mark.

>>5551942
>Recurring Menu Item: “The Unexpected Hunt’s Spoils”, usually available on Monday and Tuesday. Really go in on the hunting angle. You want people to know that you source your food from the wild. It'll draw attention to the fact that it's a Greedent/Skwovet, but making this a recurring dish on opening day will help establish the fact that you regularly go out hunting and gathering ingredients. (Write in from last thread)
This is a bold move that could backfire, but it might come with benefits.

>>5551943
Hah, guess it's on all of us anons here except one to not have realized what was going to happen.

>>5551942
>Recurring Menu Item: “The Hunt’s Spoils”
This wasn’t an “unexpected” hunt in this case so I tweaked the name. May as well make a difference for what we go out hunting for vs. what falls into our lap.

>>5551942
>Recurring Menu Item: “The Unexpected Hunt’s Spoils”, usually available on Monday and Tuesday. Really go in on the hunting angle. You want people to know that you source your food from the wild. It'll draw attention to the fact that it's a Greedent/Skwovet, but making this a recurring dish on opening day will help establish the fact that you regularly go out hunting and gathering ingredients. (Write in from last thread)

ALSO WHAT. look i just woke up but yall. really should've been sus of that nickit considering it was not native. we know what is and isnt native. if its not native and alone its likely a trainers pokemon. i mean none of the options woulda stopped the theft except the kill but .-. . maybe if we had picked it penny couldve gotten her gun out? and spooked the others. it is a thought. but anyway something to be aware of in the future

(chef. i am correct in penny has a gun right for hunting. i think i remember this in last thread. it was either hunting or self defense but she brings it with on the hunt.

>>5551942
>Recurring Menu Item: “The Unexpected Hunt’s Spoils”, usually available on Monday and Tuesday. Really go in on the hunting angle. You want people to know that you source your food from the wild. It'll draw attention to the fact that it's a Greedent/Skwovet, but making this a recurring dish on opening day will help establish the fact that you regularly go out hunting and gathering ingredients. (Write in from last thread)

>>5551942
>>5551954
Oh, it would help if we picked how to actually cook it with the last item, huh? All it’s talking about is how we’ll brand it.
To that end,
>Stew most of it
>Reserve some for Buttermilk fried Skowvet.
I think THS should take different forms using the same ingredients. Most people would get the stew, but anyone who requests something different or that we know well enough that they’d appreciate something else can get the fried Skwovet. Even the same hunt can have different results.

No clarification on what they’re getting when they order THS besides potential allergen information. I’d like to keep the air of mystery.

File: Gun.jpg (37 KB, 690x360)

37 KB JPG

>>5551957
Penny does not have a gun, no. It'd be really funny to just pull out a revolver and dome a fucking Greedent though.

>>5551964
I don't usually allow for combining votes. Particularly for this, since it's about the direction the restaurant is going in.

Good point about the last item, though, fuck. I didn't realize there was no cooking method in there. I'll write up something if it gets picked, since this vote is about steering the Tall Tale's identity.

>>5551970
i just thought i saw mention of one last thread must be wrong XD . (imean to be fair she didnt use one i just thought there was mention of her having it as a last resort)

but fair enough dunno where i got it then. i might look through the thread to figure out what i thought that was

>>5551926
Foxes are a shit
Spiders are bros
Lesson learned

>>5551942
>You should have chopped up that vermin when you had the chance
But if we did, their allies would slaughter us in revenge

>>5551942
>>Recurring Menu Item: “The Unexpected Hunt’s Spoils”, usually available on Monday and Tuesday. Really go in on the hunting angle. You want people to know that you source your food from the wild. It'll draw attention to the fact that it's a Greedent/Skwovet, but making this a recurring dish on opening day will help establish the fact that you regularly go out hunting and gathering ingredients. (Write in from last thread)

Ok guys, we need to Tier up Scyther soon.
A second pokemon seems mandatory at that point, as it will help with the assault scenario. What about making it our next objective?

What would you guys like? In my head, it can be boiled down to :
>Scent-tracker. Rockruff are solid contenders for the job.
>Our own slowpoke, to evolve into Slowking, fitting the theme of the restaurant.
>Abra, for hypnosis, teleport, cute waiter
>Sobble, giving us a Inteleon body-guard/High-class waiter

Water type will be really valuable for our future hunts as they can cover scyther's rock and fire weaknesses. Also, I'd love to investigate the railroad's delving pokemon.

>>5551942
>Recurring Menu Item: “The Unexpected Hunt’s Spoils”, usually available on Monday and Tuesday. Really go in on the hunting angle. You want people to know that you source your food from the wild. It'll draw attention to the fact that it's a Greedent/Skwovet, but making this a recurring dish on opening day will help establish the fact that you regularly go out hunting and gathering ingredients. (Write in from last thread)
For the most part, minus the Unexpected
>capcha: NNNG4S
Those thieving mons sure were niggers alright

>>5551942
>>Recurring Menu Item: “The Unexpected Hunt’s Spoils”, usually available on Monday and Tuesday. Really go in on the hunting angle. You want people to know that you source your food from the wild. It'll draw attention to the fact that it's a Greedent/Skwovet, but making this a recurring dish on opening day will help establish the fact that you regularly go out hunting and gathering ingredients. (Write in from last thread)

support, also wow that went sideways I forgot we aren't ash Ketchem and have no plot armor.

>>5551942
>>Skwovet stew. Leaving them to simmer will let you serve from a gigantic pot of soup. It might even last you longer than Monday or Tuesday. It's a warm, homely bowl of stew that's welcome in any household and gets rid of the gaminess in the meat. It gives off a comfortable and approachable vibe.

>>5551940
I dunno', that Spinarak is a bro.

>>5551942
>Recurring Menu Item
Stew sounds good, but people ought to get used to the idea now.

>>5551970
I’ll throw in my two cents for what THS means then and why I combined.

I’d imagine THS as a menu item with flexibility, changing both each week and even during the day. It’s basically like ordering an item that says “chef’s choice” (something Penny should be familiar with having worked under a sashimi-specialized chef) on it. What you get depends on how the chef feels like preparing it for you. It may come with many different forms, or just a few depending on how many different variations we can think of. But every hunt and meal tries to be unique, as long as supplies last.

That said, due to regulations they do at least know the possible ingredients that can go into it. I’d say toss all possible allergens on the menu, then if anyone has an allergen we can steer the recipe away from them.

Personally, I like the idea of “comfortable” food as a baseline. It appeals to all demographics. But we should embrace preparing the hunt in a variety of ways to make sure every meal is special.

>>5551943
i also realized this, that maaaaaybe we were the mark but then dismissed it entirely.
on that note, that means that the thievul tagged us, either on the hunting camp or before. we DEFINIETLY need either more people or more pokemon helping us
we should befriend the joltiks in our restaurant/house

>>5551942
>Recurring Menu Item: “The Unexpected Hunt’s Spoils”, usually available on Monday and Tuesday. Really go in on the hunting angle. You want people to know that you source your food from the wild. It'll draw attention to the fact that it's a Greedent/Skwovet, but making this a recurring dish on opening day will help establish the fact that you regularly go out hunting and gathering ingredients. (Write in from last thread)

Clearly Bugs are friends not food, get us a few spidermons to making traps for our hunts.

>>5551916
>>5551917
Oh. What the fuck. I kinda fucked up here There's supposed to be a couple paragraphs between these two, now the update looks all kinds of fucked up. I cut it due to the character limit but forgot to paste it back in, which is why the update seems like it skipped forward by several lines. Here's the text content.

>Pokémon Theft Awareness: Lv. 2

No. This isn't a wild Pokémon. You remember now. You've read two separate articles on this. Nickit are a Pokémon favoured by thieves. It was likely a trap from the very beginning. Being attacked out here in the woods puts you in danger, but you're fully certain it belongs to somebody. In that case, it's not going to maul you with the savagery of a wild creature.

Scyther used Wing Attack!

Without your command, your partner calmly begins to hold his own. He's out of energy to swing his blades around after the lengthy battle, but he still has his wings. You watch him battle the Thievul as the Nickit tries to keep you still. As it starts growling again, you seize a dead Skwovet by the tail and yank it out of the bag, smashing it into the side of the thief's snout. You're aiming to stun, not properly wound it, with the added bonus of getting the web-coated corpse stuck directly onto its face. It topples off your lap and you get to your feet, rapidly seizing your belongings.

"HELP! SOMEBODY! HELP!"

You scream, then pull a whistle from inside your track shirt and press it to your lips.

FWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

>There are other hunters nearby. They'll respond to that call, and you just need to hold out until help comes and the thieves scatter.

Goddamn. Hopefully won't mess that up again.

Ooh, general idea for THS. With permission from other hunters, we could use their catches as separate items and brand them with their names/monikers they’d like to go by. Anything we catch would be branded “Penny P.” of course. Show some more solidarity and respect for the local hunters in the area if they feel comfortable with it. If they don’t want recognition they’d be anonymous.

So the “list” of available options could go something like:
>Penny P. - Skwovet, Greedent
>Wilson Jacques - Murkrow
>“Grass Surfer” - Tangela
>Anonymous - Geodude, Spinarak, Pidove

>>5551980
>>5551970
>Penny does not have a gun, no. It'd be really funny to just pull out a revolver and dome a fucking Greedent though.

seconding the vote of penny buying a gun

>>5552116
support this mistake in the forest nearly cost us penny's lifelong pokemon imagine how crushed she would have been if things had not worked out, it's time to get strapped. Now here's hoping this region is a 2A region.

>>5552116
Who needs guns when we can have Pokemon? Maybe even GUN-THEMED Pokemon! You know, like a Remoraid or soemthing. A lot of them can do more damage than a firearm, and also, they're more setting-appropriate.

>>5552116
>>5551980
>>5552118
>buying a gun
Yes.

>>5551999
Maybe that Spinarak, but never another 'trickster' or 'thief' pokemon.

>>5552141
if we can buy a pokemon, sure, lets go with that as well, otherwise we're stuck with taming whatever vermin pokemon lives in penny's house and its surroundings, but at the end of the day we need to be better prepared

>>5552141
REMORAID

(now im just thinking of that one art i saw of someone holding a remoraid like a gun

>>5552141
Get a Ninjask and we'll never be caught off guard again

>>5552007
I'll go against joltik as next partner.
Plenty of rock/ground pokemon nearby and a pokemon able to battle effectively against them would go a long way instead of a second weakness

>>5552159
im just picking them based on easiness to tame/capture and chances of the pokemon trying to murder us. and so far, joltiks fit the bill, plus in theory the restaurant should have some of them in some corners, saving us the time of going to the forest or any other place and hope to find something

>>5552150
Octillery?

File: 92c0153b01870378679debf77(...).jpg (61 KB, 720x720)

61 KB JPG

>>5552166
i think he means this image

>>5552166
well yeah octillery but we were talking about gunn based mons. and its funny the idea of someone holding a remoraid as a gunn until it evolves

>>5552168
not that one . the one im thinking of is from a comic but close enough it gets the point across

>>5552163
>Easiness to tame
Definitely a good point; let's not go for dragons
>Easiness to capture
Willing to go out of the way to get us a nice partner
>Type synergy
Definitely not taken into account with your proposition, thus some unwillingness on my side. Electric type would be good for hunting water and type, but rock and ground weaknesses (or lack of offense) hurts. It does not matter to have several weaknesses in a team, but nothing to pass some common typing, that's bad.
>Hunt synergy
Half-check with electro-webs, less savage killing than slices, maybe we can get higher grade meat this way
>Kitchen synergy
Usage fairly limited at the restaurant.

Typing that out, makes me realize how clutch a Rotom would be.

>Easiness to tame
Biggest reason to forget this pokemon, can be miscievious.
>Easiness to capture
Need to check out railway, that could be a good place if there are old machines.
>Type synergy
What scream more synergy than adaptability? Would need to invest in compatible hardware though.
>Hunt synergy
What scream more synergy than adaptability?
Fitting rotom to the desired hardware can go a long way on a hunt
>Kitchen Synergy
Perfect oven/Freezer control can open interesting cooking strategies. Washer and mower can save time on chores, if mischieviousness is dealt with

>>5552150
>>5552141
>>5552168
You made me laugh anons. However, I don't see the use of a remoraid/Octillery for Penny barring the strength of having a water type for type synergy and self-defense memes

>>5552208
honestly, im not taking type synergy as a factor at all because penny is a hunter. we're deliberately going in unfair fights against pokemon that are (or should be) several levels under us, so type shouldn't really matter; that kind of worries applies to trainers or rangers that are required to fight equally strong or stronger enemies.

>getting a rotom
YES.
>Biggest reason to forget this pokemon, can be miscievious.
if penny can deal with a scyther(even if she lucked out with a calm one) she can deal with a rotom
>Would need to invest in compatible hardware though.
im not concerned about the hardware because rotoms don't need any specific year or model of hardware for it to work. we could buy second hand and outdated equipment for very cheap, and that's without considering going to the local junkyard and getting the appliances from there.

>>5551988
>>5552233
Alright, let's update the list :
>Scent-tracker. Rockruff are solid contenders for the job. I'd avoid Growlithe or Boltund, as typing is not optimal. Houndoor might hunt ghosts but also clients, and Granbull eat babies.
>Our own slowpoke, to evolve into Slowking, fitting the theme of the restaurant.
>Hypnosis, teleport, cute waiter : Abra, Raltz, Misdreavus, Hatenna
>Sobble, giving us a Inteleon body-guard/High-class waiter. Riolu fit this role too.
>Spiderbro Joltik/Galvantula (You'll have to sell it to me though)
>Jack-of-all-trade Rotom

>>5552004
Yeah, no, I agree with this guy.

>>5551942
Introduce the idea of "The Hunt's Spoils" as a recurring meal, but for this week, that takes the form of Skwovet Stew. It's about branding.

>>5552241
My recommendations are to get a Pokemon that knows Hypnosis, Sleep Powder, Spore, or Yawn. Hypnosis has the lowest accuracy, Sleep Powder is probably a safer bet overall. Spore and Yawn are sure hits but have drawbacks. Slowpoke can learn Yawn and Teleport, somewhat fitting the bill. Some other notable options would be the Mushroom Crew, Munna, Cherubi, and Chimecho. A male Meowstic stands out as a great debuffer, as well, even without learning Hypnosis.

For tracking, consider both moves and 'dex entries. Slurpuff, for example, has an extremely keen sense of smell, but something like Electrike learns Odor Sleuth. Other possible 'mon to work as trackers would be Swinub, Phanpy, Noctowl, Lilipup, and Fidough.

Fidough and Milcrey in particular make sense for a chef, as I presume the resources they can provide are renewable. Cherrim too, potentially.

Indeedee, Meowstic, and Audino are very good waiter options.

A Rotom would be ideal, but I doubt is something that can be easily obtained or found in the wild.

Anons really should have expected the thieving pokemon to be a thief.

Joltik and Spinarak are cute and some of my favorites, I wouldn't mind them as a partner. Though string and hanging things isn't really that necessary in a kitchen for the most part, so unless we could hook Joltik up and save some money on utilities I'm not sure what they'd provide.
>>5551942
>>Write-in.
>Skwovet and Greedent meat is full of the flavor of the berries they've eaten in life, and will braise beautifully in a sweet and sour cabbage-based broth. That meat can then be used as a stuffing for ravioli, and given that the last meal for these particular ones were Razz Berries, they'll have a spicy tone. Served with the braising liquid, the plate the customer sees will be sophisticated without being complicated. This method should accentuate the pokemon's best qualities while hiding anything the squeamish might squirm at.

Took some liberties but hopefully they're useful, even if they definitely won't win the vote at this late juncture. A curry is another use for squirrel meat, in my experience, but that would cover up the squirrel-ness and our goal as a pokechef is probably to accentuate the qualities of the pokemon in question, I think.

>>5552213
>type-coverage
>self-defense
>memes
What more do you NEED?

>>5552524
+1 but I think this could be this week's method of preparation for

>>5551942
>Recurring Menu Item: “The Unexpected Hunt’s Spoils”, usually available on Monday and Tuesday. Really go in on the hunting angle. You want people to know that you source your food from the wild. It'll draw attention to the fact that it's a Greedent/Skwovet, but making this a recurring dish on opening day will help establish the fact that you regularly go out hunting and gathering ingredients. (Write in from last thread)

>>5552524
Ooh, I like this. Maybe this could be one of the recipes we try out under THS. I’d be willing to back it as an appeasement to the fancy anons.

>>5551942
>>5552524
I will support this. Maybe minus the cabbage since that seems a bit eww with a stuffed pasta, unless we go with like a wonton soup kinda option. Marinated Greedent meat in a steamed gyoza/wonton served in a leek, cabbage, and stock soup? Would let us use the fact Greedant meat is fatty to our advantage by mincing it fine with some herbs after a quick marinade, maybe with some ginger and garlic to cut any remaining oiliness?

File: 1471854894097.jpg (45 KB, 640x360)

45 KB JPG

>>5552569
Or second idea, Greedant 2 ways. 1st is similar to the 1st, wontons in a rich herb and aromatic forward broth. The second uses the same minced, marinated Greedant and Skwovet filling but steamed then pan fried on the bottem as gyoza, served with a Razz, shoyou, citrus, and dried red pepper dipping sauce, reduced over heat and with a touch of natural sugar and starch to make it slightly sticky when the dumplings are dipped in it.

QM, if you end up going with THS meaning we do different things with every dish like I proposed (some major changes like different recipes, some minor like different spice mixes), I would absolutely allow you to skimp on detailing the dishes in full and doing cutaways to each thing instead. It’s throwing a LOT of writing your way after all.

Alternately, do one dish in full detail then do cutaways for the rest. I just want you to find a balance between “anons are voting in interesting ways” and “oh god anons are going to be the death of me”.

File: Pal.jpg (170 KB, 1400x788)

170 KB JPG

>>5552004
>>5552607
Yeah, I'll probably go with this. It'd be a general branding thing rather than a detailed singular menu item. Keeping the quest enjoyable to both write and read is definitely a major goal, so going the way you've mentioned will prevent any burnout or feeling overwhelmed.

>>5552116
It's an insanely funny concept, but I'm not gonna put guns into the quest. I feel like having the ability to directly headshot pokemon would take away from the pokemon aspect, even if the quest already tries to be a few layers of realism above the anime and games.

Gonna close the vote and count after my own lunch. Opening event soon, gotta write some big updates for that one!

>>5551946
>>5551954
>>5551957
>>5551963
>>5551988
>>5551991
>>5551992
>>5551999
>>5552013
>>5552543

THS seems like the clear winner. Locking it in!

File: Bolt.png (93 KB, 475x475)

93 KB PNG

>>5552830
>Recurring Menu Item: “The Hunt’s Spoils”

Hmm. Rather than pick a specific dish to establish the sort of atmosphere you want to capture, you think you'd rather go for a style. You want there to be focus drawn to the fact that you source your food from the wild. It's the most local you can get, and it'll garner support from the people of Lobraise. You especially want to showcase this during the opening event. As you set the pelts aside, to be sold at some other time, you work out a good way to cook them. You want the meat to be the main star of the show, so you make plans to barbecue and roast them. Their flavours tend to have a lot of internal variance, due to their indiscriminate berry diet affecting the flavour in different ways.

You wonder if farmed Skwovet could have their tastes guided in a specific direction by feeding them loads of Berries. However, you soon realize that mass production would be inconvenient and expensive. They'd need to source tons of Berries and use them directly as feed, which is impractical outside of a natural environment. The cost of purchasing chow for Pokémon that are by no means premium is a bad investment.

The meat is fully cleaned and set in the freezer for tomorrow. You spend some time cooking one for yourself, testing out the recipe that you found online. Some Tomat Berry sauce for spice, bit of garlic rub, then pan roasted to get a nice sear going. As you set the plates out for you and Scyther, you hear a knock from outside. A visitor. You've barely had time to clean up, you've gone straight to cooking after washing your arms up to the shoulder to ensure that no dirt got into the kitchen. The smell of the Repel is still clinging to you, though its effect is gone, and you're not in a state to greet guests.

However, it might be something important. You get up and head to the front, where you see a police officer standing on the other side of the glass. Next to him is a Boltund, whose tail is pointed straight up. You get up and open the door.

"Hi, can-"

"BOLT! BOLT! BOLT! BOLT!"

Immediately, his Pokémon stands at attention. His back arches, and the tail sticks up like an arrow. He begins growling and barking at you, causing you to yell in fright and step back. The policeman stares at his partner in shock, and reaches out to shush the Pokémon. It's too late, however. Scyther bursts out of the kitchen, his wings buzzing noisily and his scythes raised to attack.

"SCYTHER!"

You spread your arms and stand in front of him, preventing him from attacking a Pokémon owned by a cop. The officer is quick to draw his Pokéball and return the Boltund to it. Scyther calms down once the barking dog is gone, but continues to glare at the man from across the room. He sheepishly adjusts his hat and clears his throat, obviously caught off guard by how badly things have gone already.

File: police.jpg (67 KB, 726x380)

67 KB JPG

>>5552872
"I'm so, so sorry, ma'am. He's never like this. I don't know what got into him."

"It's okay..."

It's not. Second time you've gotten such a scare today. But you don't want to cause problems.

"What can I do for you, officer?"

"Robert. Just call me Robert. I'm from the Lobraise Police Department. I was wondering if you'd be available for questioning? We received the report of what happened earlier today. I'd also like to check in on you and your Pokémon, make sure you're both okay, before anything else."

Officer Robert. His name sounds familiar, maybe you've read it somewhere before. You don't recognize his face, though. You're not sure whether to take the time to entertain him. You have a LOT of work to do, and it'll cut into that time, but then again, reporting it as soon as possible might help them act on it. You look at the tables and chairs that Scyther has just knocked over in his mad dash to rescue you, and sigh.

>Decline. You want to focus on only this opening event. You're not exactly doing fine, you want to throw yourself into your work so you can keep going. Plus, you're not in a good state to receive guests anyway. You're not very presentable at the moment, there's still that cloying Repel scent, you're covered in dirt and sweat, and Scyther is too riled up to be around people.

>Accept. You want the report finalized as soon as possible, so they can start acting. You've just been attacked, and you want the culprit caught as soon as possible. You might lose a couple hours of sleep on prep, or have a less-than-perfect event, but this is personal now. He came all this way, make him some tea, warm up some snacks and let him ask his questions.

>>5552873
>>Accept. You want the report finalized as soon as possible, so they can start acting. You've just been attacked, and you want the culprit caught as soon as possible. You might lose a couple hours of sleep on prep, or have a less-than-perfect event, but this is personal now. He came all this way, make him some tea, warm up some snacks and let him ask his questions.

>Invite him and his coworker at the opening event.

>>5552873
>>Accept. You want the report finalized as soon as possible, so they can start acting. You've just been attacked, and you want the culprit caught as soon as possible. You might lose a couple hours of sleep on prep, or have a less-than-perfect event, but this is personal now. He came all this way, make him some tea, warm up some snacks and let him ask his questions.

How dark is the QM going to go in this quest

>>5552873
>Decline. You want to focus on only this opening event. You're not exactly doing fine, you want to throw yourself into your work so you can keep going. Plus, you're not in a good state to receive guests anyway. You're not very presentable at the moment, there's still that cloying Repel scent, you're covered in dirt and sweat, and Scyther is too riled up to be around people.
Show us proof you're a cop. Badge, ID, anything first. I got a bad feeling bros...

>>5552895
I dunno, but I like it

>>5552879
Amending my vote with
>Show us proof you're a cop. Badge, ID, anything first
as I share the bad feeling.
if it fails, kick him out of our place by making a scene, yelling to get heard by neighbors.
If he succeed, accept.

>>5552873
"There's been a spate of Pokémon thefts lately," said Officer Robert of the Lobraise Police Department. "Mostly in other cities, but we're looking at a serial snatcher of some sort."
He was mentioned as the police officer in the pokemon theft article.

>Decline. You want to focus on only this opening event. You're not exactly doing fine, you want to throw yourself into your work so you can keep going. Plus, you're not in a good state to receive guests anyway. You're not very presentable at the moment, there's still that cloying Repel scent, you're covered in dirt and sweat, and Scyther is too riled up to be around people.
Setting aside paranoia, it’s true that we lied about being okay. The only reason we still have Scyther is because a wild Spinarak grabbed him from the thief. We’d be better off heading down to the police station when we’re ready.

That said, think the Boltund is smelling the “mark” that was left on us? Might mean we get another visit.

>>5552873
>Accept. You want the report finalized as soon as possible, so they can start acting. You've just been attacked, and you want the culprit caught as soon as possible. You might lose a couple hours of sleep on prep, or have a less-than-perfect event, but this is personal now. He came all this way, make him some tea, warm up some snacks and let him ask his questions.

>>5552873
>Show us proof you're a cop. Badge, ID, anything first
>Decline. You want to focus on only this opening event. You're not exactly doing fine, you want to throw yourself into your work so you can keep going. Plus, you're not in a good state to receive guests anyway. You're not very presentable at the moment, there's still that cloying Repel scent, you're covered in dirt and sweat, and Scyther is too riled up to be around people
>Invite him and his coworker at the opening event.
But bring up the "mark" as >>5552997 said

>>5552873
>Decline. You want to focus on only this opening event. You're not exactly doing fine, you want to throw yourself into your work so you can keep going. Plus, you're not in a good state to receive guests anyway. You're not very presentable at the moment, there's still that cloying Repel scent, you're covered in dirt and sweat, and Scyther is too riled up to be around people.

>>5552873
>>5553015
If it turns out that the police officer does say that the “mark” is still there, would anons be okay with
>Break down. You don’t want them coming back. Not to your home. Not to your restaurant. Not for Scyther. Your whole life is in these four walls right now. All of it.
as an option? I imagine it’d have a similar effect to “Accept” and another officer may be called in because we’re clearly freaking out. I’d switch my vote to “Accept” if another officer swings by as a result.

I’m okay with Penny having a panic attack after everything that has happened and hearing she’s still a possible target.

>>5552873
>Accept. You want the report finalized as soon as possible, so they can start acting. You've just been attacked, and you want the culprit caught as soon as possible. You might lose a couple hours of sleep on prep, or have a less-than-perfect event, but this is personal now. He came all this way, make him some tea, warm up some snacks and let him ask his questions.

>Invite him and his coworker at the opening event.
extra protection in case of the dashers
Cops are good clients.

>>5552873
>Decline
At least until after our event. However...
>Invite him to attend the opening

>>5552873
>>Decline. You want to focus on only this opening event. You're not exactly doing fine, you want to throw yourself into your work so you can keep going. Plus, you're not in a good state to receive guests anyway. You're not very presentable at the moment, there's still that cloying Repel scent, you're covered in dirt and sweat, and Scyther is too riled up to be around people.

>>5552746
i mean, its not like penny will be immediately able to pop heads(or actually hit anyone for that matter) at the moment she gets a firearm, but that's a fair point you have there

>>5552873
>Accept. You want the report finalized as soon as possible, so they can start acting. You've just been attacked, and you want the culprit caught as soon as possible. You might lose a couple hours of sleep on prep, or have a less-than-perfect event, but this is personal now. He came all this way, make him some tea, warm up some snacks and let him ask his questions.

wonder what's making the bolthound be on edge? could it be the tracking scent thievul placed on us?

>>5552873
>Accept. You want the report finalized as soon as possible, so they can start acting. You've just been attacked, and you want the culprit caught as soon as possible. You might lose a couple hours of sleep on prep, or have a less-than-perfect event, but this is personal now. He came all this way, make him some tea, warm up some snacks and let him ask his questions.

Can we bring in our hired help to assist prep?

>>5552905
>I dunno, but I like it
Many bad things can happen when a girl is alone with a bad cop.

>>5552873
>>5552997
Ohh, adding onto my vote here with a question.
>Did the article on the poke thefts include a picture of the officer?
If it did and he looks similar, I’ll flip to
>Agree

I’m also backing the stuff about inviting him to the event in any case.

>>5552873
>>Accept. You want the report finalized as soon as possible, so they can start acting. You've just been attacked, and you want the culprit caught as soon as possible. You might lose a couple hours of sleep on prep, or have a less-than-perfect event, but this is personal now. He came all this way, make him some tea, warm up some snacks and let him ask his questions.

>>5552873
>Accept. You want the report finalized as soon as possible, so they can start acting. You've just been attacked, and you want the culprit caught as soon as possible. You might lose a couple hours of sleep on prep, or have a less-than-perfect event, but this is personal now. He came all this way, make him some tea, warm up some snacks and let him ask his questions.

>>5553090
This

>>5552879
>>5552907
support

>>5552873
>>Accept. You want the report finalized as soon as possible, so they can start acting. You've just been attacked, and you want the culprit caught as soon as possible. You might lose a couple hours of sleep on prep, or have a less-than-perfect event, but this is personal now. He came all this way, make him some tea, warm up some snacks and let him ask his questions.

>>5552873
>>Decline. You want to focus on only this opening event. You're not exactly doing fine, you want to throw yourself into your work so you can keep going. Plus, you're not in a good state to receive guests anyway. You're not very presentable at the moment, there's still that cloying Repel scent, you're covered in dirt and sweat, and Scyther is too riled up to be around people.
>Invite him to come back after the opening event

>>5552879
>>5552895
>>5553012
>>5553074
>>5553198
>>5553206
>>5553239
>>5553304
>>5553351
>>5553508
>>5553551

>>5552905
>>5552997
>>5553015
>>5553046
>>5553090
>>5553190
>>5553396
>>5553909

Alright, accept it is!

>>5553966
Are we asking for his badge and/or inviting him to opening?

>>5553979
Yes, I'll include those in

>>5553981
That makes me feel a bit better, I'll admit.
Thank you QM.

File: sweet jesus how horrifying.jpg (65 KB, 1280x720)

65 KB JPG

>>5553979

“Yeah. Come in- Wait. Can I see your badge?”

Can't hurt to be cautious, and you're certainly in a cautious mood. He nods and reaches into his front pocket to retrieve it. You take a look. You’re not actually sure what Lobraise PD badges are supposed to look like, but it seems legitimate enough. His face is scrunched up and extremely unphotogenic, and he shuffles his feet awkwardly as he shows it to you. It’s clearly him, but a really bad photo. Embarrassing on a badge, even. When you compare the fucked up face on the badge with his real appearance, a light bulb goes off in your head.

Hey, this is THE Officer Robert that's been in the news a couple times. You remember seeing a black and white photo of the same image that's on his badge. Seeing it puts you at ease, and you open the door fully. He nods and sits down, eyeing Scyther cautiously.

"Howdy. How you doing, big guy?"

"SCY!"

Scyther slashes at the air, and Robert stops trying to talk to him. He sits there while you head to the kitchen to get something for your guest.

"Behave yourself, Scyther. Officer Robert, tea? Coffee?"

"Coffee would be great. And please, just Robert."

"Coming right up."

You emerge a short while later to see Scyther seated on the ground, his legs extended in front of him. Officer Robert is getting comfortable in the chair, with his arms folded on the wooden surface. You set the cup and saucer down in front of him, and he reaches forward to grab a packet of sugar.

"Alright. So... Penny, I take it?"

"That's me. Penny Pudding."

"Right. How are you holding up? Its been a few hours since the incident, correct? How have you been doing?"

You shrug, feeling a chill as you think about it. It's not the same kind of chill caused by the creepy haunting. No, this is slightly deeper. More emotional.

"I'm alright. Dressed the scrapes and just got right back to work."

"Good, good. Okay. Since you've invited me in, I assume you're feeling well enough to talk about it?"

"Yeah. Sure."

"Great. So... This afternoon, you were hunting on the route outside Lobraise. And three trained Pokémon showed up to attack you."

"Correct. Two Nickit and a Thievul."

"Any noticeable markings?"

You think back to the incident. No, none you could really think of. There's one NOW, though.

"Not really. But one of the Nickit- I had to fight it off. It got something stuck on its face, that ripped off a patch of fur. Whisker or two too, maybe."

He lights up as you say that, and quickly jots it down in a notepad. You see him write: 'IDENTIFYING FEATURE: BALD PATCH?'

"I see. Yeah, checks out. Same one that's been snatching Pokéballs all week. Did you catch the article about it, by any chance?"

No. You do remember seeing one about 'Thief Pokémon' just this morning, but passed up on it. That might have served as a good warning. Too late for regrets, though.

"I didn't."

>>5554053

"Did you see any sign of a trainer nearby? Anyone giving them commands?"

You shake your head. Nope. You didn't have the chance to look closely either, with the chaos of the incident. It's possible someone could have been lurking around, but they might have caught the attention of wild Pokémon in that case.

"No, huh? Okay. Do you know anybody who might have wanted to target you? Or by your own judgement, is it more likely to have been a random snatching?"

You don't know. You need to think, and you tell him so.

"Okay. Okay, okay. No problem. Did you ever encounter the Pokémon before this? Gave them a chance to mark you?"

Nope, you don't think so. You've never run into the Thievul before. He slowly stands up, causing Scyther to recoil.

"I think I might have some inkling. I'd like to send my partner out again. Could you return Scyther to his ball?"

You reluctantly do so. He raises his Pokéball, showing it clearly to you and ensuring that he's not catching you by surprise, then sends out Boltund again. The large dog stands in the spot Scyther occupied a moment ago. The moment he's out, he starts spinning in circles and barking at you. You clutch the edge of the table and stare at it, as he growls and sniffs at the air.

"What's wrong, boy? You smell something?"

"BOLT!"

"Okay. That's enough. Come back, boy."

Robert returns Boltund to the ball and turns towards you again. He settles back into the seat and takes a big gulp of coffee.

"Ah- Hot. Hot. Okay. Yeah. He definitely smells the mark on you, can you think of when they might have had an opportunity to leave it?"

Not really. Maybe during the actual attack, as they were fleeing, but it's also something you need to think about. He continues asking questions about your welfare and the incident, and you spend some time answering to the best of your ability. He's never too harsh about it, and has more than enough patience, even when you take a long time to think. You want to wrap it up fast so that you can get back to preparing for your opening event. He takes a lot longer than you to finish his cup of coffee, and you offer him another one.

"Oh, no thank you, Penny. I think we're about done here. I'll keep looking into it. Promise to get you an update when I can."

"Thanks, Officer."

"Robert is fine."

"Thanks, Robert."

He smiles and gets up, gently pushing in his chair.

File: Detective time.jpg (128 KB, 1280x720)

128 KB JPG

>>5554054

"Welcome to Lobraise. I'm sorry something this unfortunate has happened to you so early on. We're a nice town, full of nice people. And I'll make sure this doesn't happen again."

You nod, following him to the door as he prepares to leave. You've still got to invite him to the opening event. Maybe having off-duty officers there will passively reduce trouble. It's not like you can request a real police presence, it'll just be an invite that doubles up as security.

>Let him go after some parting words, including asking him to drop by tomorrow. That's all you need from him for now. You can get right back to work.

>Tell him anything important you might have realized. (Write-in)

>>5554056

Oh. Options aren't mutually exclusive, btw. First is to just let him go without spending more time, then getting back to work. Second is if there's something to add on.

>>5554056
>>Let him go after some parting words, including asking him to drop by tomorrow. That's all you need from him for now. You can get right back to work.

>>5554054
The repel.
That scheming travelling sellsman is giving out items that marks out people.

>>5554056
>>5554070
Ooh could be

>>5554070
>>5554077
Who else have been scammed? The old contest guy... that was in the same bar and thus could have been gifted an item.
The salesman have "an eye for people". He knows who will have valuable 'mons, so better target to mark.
The strategy of giving out items, camping for one week, waiting for people to get out of town to snatch and move to the next town seems intelligent. And he could have mounted a legitimate business company, just that most "repels" he sells directly for people are codes for pokemons. Doesn't even need to cook the book if his self-company business is to send custom item adaptations from global market.

>>5554070
it doesn't check out.
unless they were trailing us for weeks(and were willing to go to a remote hunting ground), a thief would have gotten bored and would have picked a different target or have gotten after us when we were in a more vulnerable position, or the mark itself would have disappeared with the passing days. hell, i doubt they would have been willing to attack in a zone they are not used to. personally believe it was someone in the hunting group that is the thief


>>5554056
>Tell him anything important you might have realized. (Write-in)
>"maybe it was someone in the hunting group? i don't think the thieves were willing to travel all the way to the hunting grounds, or attack someone without having a basic knowledge of the land

>>5554087
>the mark itself would have disappeared with the passing days
I think the mark was chemically encased in the repel, and triggered when we opened it.

>a thief would have gotten bored and would have picked a different target

>Be me, cunning thief
>Distribute two dozens of items, knowing they will be popped in situations favorable for me
>Wait in the outskirts with FoxHound
>ChillinVibinAndFrolickin.mp4
>FoxHound picked a sent, let them go
>FoxHound back with pokeballs, don't even know which mark gave me what
>Can legally deny in tribunal I didn't stole specific Pokemon from specific Person
>Today's snatch where 5
>mfw lifeisgood

>>5554089
Still, that requires inmense amounts of luck for the thief and the mark to be in the same place, specially weeks after we were given the repell.
Your hypothesis also relies on only one hunting ground existing and only hunters being targetted which is false on both counts. I find it easier to believe that someone in the hunting group was actively trailing penny because she's a woman, has only 1 pokemon, looks tiny(at least from the single image in the last thread) and scyther had basically fought a horde of rodents and was tired.

>>5554056
Report both >>5554070 and >>5554087

>>5554070
>>5554087
>>5554089
+1

From our time at the bar :

"The red-haired man eyes down the coordinator as you speak, his eyes locked on his back as he stumbles through the toilet door for the umpteenth time."

"Only going to be here till next Sunday. I have some errands I'd like to run locally."

"You tell him about what it's like to work the kitchen with Scyther, who he takes an interest in."

So yeah, I think that's him.
(Sill >>5554070 phoneposting)

>>5554070

It tracks. In one of the news articles in the old thread, 'Coordinator Micah' had his Pokemon stolen. Most notably, he was also a patron of the Dragon's Den, and was probably given a repel.

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2023/5503205/
>5524423

Archive above with post numbers as well, to check. Of course, it could be an isolated incident, but it might be a decent lead.

>>5554198
Or just jumped as mad drunk, as he was described possessing luxury balls at his belt, meaning rare and trained pokemons

>>5554056
>Tell him anything important you might have realized. (Write-in)
Backing the repel being the marker. The salesman is still around, and he would have been passing them to a variety of people so it’s not like he was waiting on us. For that matter, should we still be smelling the repel right now? I’m genuinely curious.

The fact that it’s in a repel gives a couple advantages. The first is that you only use repels when you’re worried about pokemon attacking you, so you’re likely isolated. If multiple people use a repel in a small area it may be enough to ward them off, but in our case we had no one else. It also clears out most wild pokemon that could interfere with the snatching unintentionally.

They likely have a small crew always around the main hunting areas to pounce on people using the repel. There’s a good mix of targets, isolation, skilled pokemon (we’re not trainers but restaurant pokemon have a different skillset I’m sure less scrupulous chefs would pay for) and the ability to evade detection out there. If they searched the woods, I’m sure they’d at least find a camp.

>>5554207
+1

>>5554056
>Tell him anything important you might have realized. (Write-in)

I'll support the repel theory. Should be easy to test if we still have the empty can in our truck. Should mention the Ice Fang move as well, could be a good identifier.

It makes a lot of sense in hindsight, hand out repels to targets with valuable pokemon or what looks like easy target, but encase Nikit pheromones in them. Even if only one out of three uses the repel where you can capitalize that's still great return on investment.

>Let him go after some parting words, including asking him to drop by tomorrow. That's all you need from him for now. You can get right back to work.

Cops eat free at the opening! Should draw in plenty of cheap security.

>>5554056
>Mention the repel
>Let him go after some parting words, including asking him to drop by tomorrow. That's all you need from him for now. You can get right back to work

>>5554204
Not an impossibility. His Pokemon *are* very valuable. I think the news article would've noted if he were mugged, but it's entirely possible that they just plucked the balls while he was passed out.

>>5554056
>Mention the businessman you met and the repel you had on you.
>Let him go after some parting words, including asking him to drop by tomorrow. That's all you need from him for now. You can get right back to work.

>>5554312
Support

>>5554056
Supporting the traveling salesman lead.

>>5554056
>Tell him anything important you might have realized. (Write-in)


We saw that one dude at the bar when he still had his balls. Maybe whoever stolen from him saw us as potential target then?

>>5554070
>>5554207
>>5554222
>>5554256
>>5554274
>>5554312
>>5554500
>>5554511

>>5554087

>>5554098
>>5554141

Harry the travelling salesman is your suspect, then. Locking it in!

File: RcTsDYqap7ybrcXF.jpg (80 KB, 1200x675)

80 KB JPG

>>5555415
You have two theories in mind as Officer Robert gets ready to leave. However, you're only confident enough to tell him one. Throwing multiple theories out there might just confuse him and make it harder. You tell him to wait, then head upstairs to grab the bag that you deposited. Inside is a bunch of trash, including your Repel can, which you've held on to this whole time. You don't want to litter in the woods, so it's common courtesy to keep all of it in a plastic back till you're back in civilization.

"Last Sunday, I met this man at the bar..."

You describe Harry. Red hair, suit, formal looking guy, and the fact that he travels around. Then you offer the filthy trashbag to Robert, who stares at it blankly.

"He gave me a Repel, and I sprayed it on myself. Maybe... that was how the smell could have gotten on me? I can't think of any other opportunity."

His face immediately lights up, and he takes the bag without hesitation. That's a lead. That's a real lead he can use for this case. You spend a couple more minutes explaining how Coordinator Micah was at the same bar, and how Harry seemed to take a lot of interest in him. Then you mention how he seemed the same way with your Scyther.

"This is good. We'll take this for analysis. Thanks, Penny, you've been a real help. If you need anything, just call, okay?"

"Thanks, Robert. Hey, by the way... We're having an opening event tomorrow. Would you happen to be interested in coming by? Maybe to eat free."

"Ah? I couldn't possibly! That would be like bribery, since I'm handling your case. But I'll see about coming down with some of the boys, okay? I haven't had a chance to try the seafood yet."

You both shake hands, and soon enough, he's heading back to his cruiser and rolling off towards the station. You've spent a while talking to him, and you're behind on preparations, but it's for a good cause. Harry said he was leaving on Sunday. That's today. He might already be gone, but there's at least a chance now.

File: obi-w-s.jpg (378 KB, 1920x811)

378 KB JPG

>>5555445
>Bond with Officer Robert increased!

You and Scyther get back to work after a short break. Throughout the evening, you receive a couple of deliveries of bouquets and stands, which you bring inside and set by a wall. You'll place them outside tomorrow. Masao has already sent you a congratulations bouquet, and you smile as you see the size difference between it and ones from other companies. Most of them are from associates and acquaintances, but you notice one with plenty of green leaves and yellow buds.

>Welcome to the club, Penny- Anissa.

Aw, that's sweet. There'll be more arriving at dawn, probably, and you'll have your work cut out for you in arranging them. Macy and Liam are coming by extra early to help with whatever prep you can't do by today. Your next step is to mount the sign you've commissioned. Passer-by's on the street watch you clamber up a stepladder and fiddle with the 'PENNY'S' sign outside the restaurant, pulling it down letter by letter and gently setting it on a pad of styrofoam. You replace it with a freshly ordered Slowpoke sign, with its cute little anglers hat and its tail dipping into blue water. A Shellder waits to chow down on the tail.

Perfect. The Tall Tale is born.

Even when night falls, you're still not done. You'd be too antsy to sleep even if you ran out of work to do. You assign special seating for those who have reserved the Ducklett orders, cordoning off the areas with red rope so they're clearly marked as VIP zones. Then you assign spots to the media. They like to take photos of food, they can't do that when the place is overcrowded. They'll require a section where they can eat and write in their own time. Then there's the rest of the dining room, which you expect to be filled to capacity.

Next up, you check on the food. There are bowls of chopped salsa in the fridge, you're all stocked up on frozen ingredients, and the Ducklett are currently hanging in the locker room as they marinate. Fish prep will only start tomorrow morning, and you ensure there's room in the fridges.
Scyther heads to bed, completely tuckered out from the hunt, while you sit at a table and go over last minute details. You drift off right there at the desk past midnight, getting less than six hours of sleep before your alarm rings.

=====

You're too uncomfortable to linger at the desk beyond the first ring, so you immediately get up and prod Scyther awake. He's been thrashing in his sleep, and has left a scratch on the wall, which you cringe at internally. That's gonna be a pain to clean up. The two of you head to the dining table to get a quick breakfast. You have a couple of minutes until Liam and Macy get here, and barely have time for your morning routine. You skim the papers for anything of note.

>A daring theft attempt! Hunters report attempted snatching in Lobraise woods.

>Gastrodon Gastronomy- Does ANYONE eat it?

>Stewview crackdown intensifies after mass evolution among wild Pidove.

>>5555449
>A daring theft attempt! Hunters report attempted snatching in Lobraise woods.

>>5555449
>>A daring theft attempt! Hunters report attempted snatching in Lobraise woods.
I want to know about the Gastrodon, but we haven't followed up with the Octillery lead yet.

>>5555449
>A daring theft attempt! Hunters report attempted snatching in Lobraise woods.

>>5555449
We already know first-hand about the theft attempt.
>>Stewview crackdown intensifies after mass evolution among wild Pidove.
Or maybe
>Read the critic

>>5555449
>Stewview crackdown intensifies after mass evolution among wild Pidove.

>>5555493
Oh!
Switching >>5555468 to
>Read the critic

>>5555449
>Stewview crackdown intensifies after mass evolution among wild Pidove.

>>5555449
>>Gastrodon Gastronomy- Does ANYONE eat it?

We don't have to read about the theft attempt, we were there.

>>5555449
>Read the critic's review

>>5555534
I wont

>>5555449
Critic

>>5555445#
critic

>>5555449
>Read the critic

>>5555493
Good reminder.

I didn't put the critic review or any write-ins as options since I'm not really up to writing it at this point in time. There'll be an opportunity to do it in the future. For now, will wait a while before closing votes so you guys can change your votes if need be.

>>5555449
>Stewview crackdown intensifies after mass evolution among wild Pidove.

>>5555646
Sorry for derailing QM

>>5555709
Don't worry about it! No harm done

>>5555457
>>5555468
>>5555480

>>5555493
>>5555498
>>5555526
>>5555652

>>5555527

Won't have the time to write the update tonight, since the opening event post has to be a pretty big one, so I'll leave the vote open till then. Pidove in the lead.

Just wanting to let all you know this is slowly becoming my favorite thread.
I really hope my flash of lucidity regarding the repel and the salesman is not my inner /x/ triggering. Updates are a good highlight of my day, the consistency in frequency, length and good writing feels nice. The choices we have as player really feels meaningful, and we have to pay attention to details.
Can't wait for us to choose a next partner, this will be a nice mid-term goal after opening event.
Also, as I'm often phoneposting, should I namefag or Tripfag to avoid confusion as I love to debate and by no mean wants to be counted for more than one lone autist? Should I STFU as you fellow players feel I'm shitting up the thread?

>>5552569
>Maybe minus the cabbage since that seems a bit eww with a stuffed pasta, unless we go with like a wonton soup kinda option.
I was thinking about a specific famous Chinese cabbage soup, kaishui baicai, which looks like poverty food, since it's just blanched cabbage leaves floating in what looks like water but is really a complex and labor-intensive clarified broth. You use lean fresh pork, rooster, duck, cured ham, and a lot of vegetables to start the liquid, and then mince chicken until it's a paste to create the clarification 'raft'. In French cooking, which is already extravagant, you clarify with egg whites, rather than meat, so that should tell you how prestigious kaishui baicai is in China
I was also thinking about Thai or Mexican food, like empanadas, since Razz Berries are spicy, but they didn't feel fancy enough to me

File: index.jpg (7 KB, 194x260)

7 KB JPG

>>5555761
>Empanados didn't feel fancy
It's a matter of pricing and presentation.
What if your empanadas were given out on Paldean Glassblown taco holder? Just a problem of silverware, really.

And now I have in my head a glass-blower that have a rotom-furnace and a Sandaconda

>>5555449
>Gastrodon Gastronomy- Does ANYONE eat it?
Looks like Gastrodon is Water/ground typing so it’d be easy for us to incorporate into our cooking if it does give us any ideas.

File: empanadas.jpg (1.08 MB, 2048x1367)

1.08 MB JPG

>>5555768
>empanadas
>on taco holders

nono, you're looking at it from the wrong angle; its not silverware what you want, but how you present them and how you make the shell

>>5555741
Sorry about that. Switching to
>Gastrodon Gastronomy- Does ANYONE eat it?

>>5555754
>Also, as I'm often phoneposting, should I namefag or Tripfag to avoid confusion as I love to debate and by no mean wants to be counted for more than one lone autist? Should I STFU as you fellow players feel I'm shitting up the thread?
I literally haven't noticed anything. Don't get a name or trip unless the OP asks for it, just keep doing whatever.

>>5555754
I don't mind, yeah.

Locking in the Pidove option, gonna write now.

File: Unfezant.jpg (55 KB, 739x415)

55 KB JPG

>>5556319
>Stewview crackdown intensifies after mass evolution among wild Pidove.

Residents of Stewview have been regularly protesting the hunting of the semi-native Pidove population ever since the Wokhei Parks and Wildlife Association legalized their culling. Activists have clashed with local business enterprise Gideon & Greedent on multiple occasions, and despite public outcry, the company has not commented on their continued use of Pidove in their TV dinners. Some citizens seem to have taken things into their own hands.

Arnold Dover, 36, was recently fined 70,000 p for the illegal releasing of captured Pokémon in city centres. He's far from the first, however, and believes he won't be the last.

"I don't regret anything. These Pidove have lived here for years. It's about time they learnt to defend themselves."

Arnold is just one of the many concerned citizens who have been capturing Pidove, training them, then releasing them back into the middle of the city. Unauthorized and careless releases are the number one cause of the spread of invasive Pokémon species in Wokhei. Typically, this involves trainers releasing their Pokémon into other ecosystems. However, the recent issue has been an unusual case. The Pidove are an endemic species and are already integrated into Stewview. Trainers strengthening them has caused a large proportion to evolve into the more powerful Tranquil, hampering the efforts of hunters. In response, people assigned to capture them have resorted to using more powerful Pokémon to battle their evolved forms.

"All day, I hear thunder outside," complained one resident, who lives in an apartment overlooking the city square. "It was never this bad in the past, can't they just leave them be?"

Despite the clash between hunters and citizens, the Pidove population seems to be dropping drastically. Large flocks have already fled the city, and those that remain are the strongest among them. Only time will tell how far this urban warzone will develop.

=====

File: Opening day.jpg (210 KB, 508x339)

210 KB JPG

>>5556389
You put your phone away and start clearing your dishes. You just throw the cereal bowl into the sink and run some water into it. You don't have time to scrub your personal cutlery, it's time to get to work. The Pidove situation seems to be developing pretty quickly. Eventually, you expect there to be some kind of regulation change. Either when they realize the population has dropped enough, or when public outcry reaches a peak. You've even seen petitions pop up over the past couple weeks.

Downstairs, Liam and Macy are standing outside and admiring the flowers. The sun hasn't come up yet, and the two of them are standing outside beneath the circle of light that the street lamp casts. You unlock the door for them.

"Morning boss," Macy yawns.

"Nice sign," says Liam, as he steps inside to take a look around.

You've cordoned off the tables already, so you take a few minutes to explain things to them. There's the media seating area, which you need them to check every so often, in case the reporters need anything. Then there's VIP, which should get priority, meant for large parties who've ordered the Ducklett to come by at their specific reservation timings. Finally, the regular area. Same as always.

You give the two instructions to move the flowers outside and help sign off on any flower deliveries. You wish you had a bit more help, having more hands would have been useful. Scyther isn't good for lifting, and can't help with logistics either, so he just stands there in the kitchen aimlessly. His mood has lightened a little, but he still lingers near you with clear concern in his eyes. You check on the various dishes that you've pre-prepped. Ducks are all marinated, the sauce for the Greedent and Skwovet is done, and the ingredient delivery trucks are slowly rolling by the back entrance to the restaurant. You're well on track.

But oh, man. You're nervous as hell. Opening time is soon. By now, plenty of people in town already know about your restaurant through organic means and word of mouth. The ads you've put out, both online and in the papers, have taken quite a bit of budget, but you're sure it's worth it. You've seen plenty of comments and Sliggoogle reviews, so they're definitely reaching your intended audience. Ten in the morning is your usual opening time, and that's when you expect people to start flooding in.

File: reporter-pokemon2.png (537 KB, 798x507)

537 KB PNG

>>5556390
Attending media outlets will be The Daily Dex, Lobraise Today, indie blogger Mandy Buzz, and Valentina again. You've put out a press release during your week of prep, so they know what to expect. The members of the media get a plus one, and will be assigned to the big round tables away from the door. You've got two Ducklett ready for each table of four, so they can properly sample it.

Speaking of Ducklett, your reservation list is looking great. It maxed out yesterday, and assuming they all show up, you'll be able to sell every Ducklett you've prepared, not counting the backups. Darrell's family is on the list, and so is Fenton. There are some regulars whose names you don't recognize, but you're certain there'll be faces you already know among the VIP list.

By eight in the morning, all the welcome bouquets have been set outside. It's a beautiful sight. They line the street, drawing the eye from far away and making it clear that something special is going on at the Tall Tale. More than a few people stop to take photographs. You spend most of that time in the kitchen, while Liam and Macy unpack and move ingredients around. You feel a bit bad not helping with any of the heavy lifting yourself, but you're the only person capable of scaling and fileting fish, so you do what you must.

Time flies by rapidly. There's just so many things to do. At nine thirty, you clean yourself up and step outside, where there's a decently sized crowd outside already.

Not all of them are lining up. Some are just drawn by an existing crowd and want to watch. Rather than amateurs with phones, you notice actual photographers taking shots of the front of your building now. You smile and wave to the few faces you recognize, and the sight of you draws the attention of the reporters. One of them heads over. He's a short, stout man with black hair styled like an upside down triangle.

"Excuse me! You're Penny, right? Owner?"

"I am. Nice to meet you."

You notice the lanyard hanging from his neck.

"Oliver. Lobraise Today. Could me and my buddy get inside, take some pictures?"

He motions to a nervous looking youth next to him. An intern, probably. You nod and invite them inside, instructing Liam to show them around and keep them out of the kitchen. Upon seeing this, another lady and her cameraman walks towards you, extending a hand in greeting.

"Hi! Mandy here. I'd like to get in too, if that's alright?"

She's a tall, dark-skinned woman in high heels and a navy blue jacket, with a white top underneath. She definitely looks professional, and carries herself with more poise than Oliver. You nod and invite her in as well, where she gets to work on photographing the interior. Unlike Oliver, who only takes photos of the decor, Mandy includes herself in most of the shots.

File: Eat.jpg (1.14 MB, 1200x983)

1.14 MB JPG

>>5556392
Lastly, fifteen minutes before opening, you see a large camera at the back of the crowd. There's a man dressed completely in grey speaking to it, making sure to capture the sea of customers in the backdrop. Grey hair, grey beard, grey shoes, he looks just as professional as Mandy. Once he's done getting shots and speaking into a microphone, he walks over to you. Your hand shoots out to meet his.

"Maurice, from The Daily Dex. How you doing today, missy?"

"Good! Good. Excited to open. Almost time."

"You planning on giving a speech or something?"

Oh. Shit. You didn't think of one. You intended on just cutting a ceremonial ribbon and ushering customers in, but it stands to reason that you'd have to make a speech as well.

"Um... Yeah. I will."

"Good, good. Listen, we've got a couple questions for you, if you don't mind? Not now, of course. Would love if you could make time for us during the day."

You nod. They're the biggest media outlet among the ones you've invited. It'll benefit you to give them material for an article. With only fifteen minutes left, you slink inside to ask your two employees for help. You cluster in the kitchen, away from Mandy, Oliver, and their extras, who glance curiously at you as you whisper to your staff.

"You gotta help me."

Macy nods thoughtfully as you explain the situation.

"A speech. Just say something from the heart. Y'know?"

"What if you promote the restaurant a bit? Talk up the food and all." Liam chimes in.

"Scyther! Scyther!"

"Yeah, or what he said."

>Sentimental. Get out there and make an opening day speech about how happy you are to be here, what the restaurant means to you, thank your regulars, sappy stuff like that, which makes you stand out as a member of this community you're now living in.

>Professional. Talk business. Talk about the kind of food you have to offer, what makes your place special, and what you want to achieve going forward. You're a businesswoman, and you want to establish that professional reputation.

>Wing it. A bit less structured than the others. Just say whatever comes to mind. You're not ready, you didn't come up with a speech, you'll just zone out and get through it.

>Write-In

>>5556389
Holy shit. Call that city Australia, 'cause it's losing a war against birds.

>>5556393
>Professional. Talk business. Talk about the kind of food you have to offer, what makes your place special, and what you want to achieve going forward. You're a businesswoman, and you want to establish that professional reputation.
>>BUT ALSO
I was sort of tempted to mention the Pidove crisis just to see how THAT went over... But let's not. Instead, how about something like:
>'we hope that we can help maintain balance to the local ecosystem and bring people more in-touch with local nature, by sourcing our ingredients locally and responsibly"

>>5556393
>Sentimental. Get out there and make an opening day speech about how happy you are to be here, what the restaurant means to you, thank your regulars, sappy stuff like that, which makes you stand out as a member of this community you're now living in.

>>5556393
>Sentimental. Get out there and make an opening day speech about how happy you are to be here, what the restaurant means to you, thank your regulars, sappy stuff like that, which makes you stand out as a member of this community you're now living in.

>>5556393
>>Sentimental. Get out there and make an opening day speech about how happy you are to be here, what the restaurant means to you, thank your regulars, sappy stuff like that, which makes you stand out as a member of this community you're now living in.

>>5556394
Supportin'

is this the thread where we eat pokemon

>>5556562
Yes it is! Welcome!

>>5556393
>Sentimental. Get out there and make an opening day speech about how happy you are to be here, what the restaurant means to you, thank your regulars, sappy stuff like that, which makes you stand out as a member of this community you're now living in.

Some bullet points
>”So I stretched the truth when I said I prepared a speech. I only thought and decided on it after you asked <insert nervous laugh>”
>Mention leaving your master to set down roots of your own. Maybe joke about “finding your own current” instead.
>Talk about wanting to focus on getting to know people and tailoring an experience for them
>Say that it’s been a little difficult to find the time to talk with people so far since you’re so busy, but you know and are okay with taking time on it. You intend to be here a while, after all!
Since we’re going to go with the fresh stuff, a line on
>We’re looking to highlight the work of local hunters like us through unique meals at the start of each week. Small outfits are too easily vilified along with the large corporations, and we want to help push back on that.
would be nice.

Oh, and prepare to get questioned about the theft later. We may not have been mentioned by name, but I’m willing to bet someone in the media will ask about it since we’re a hunter and may have been in the area.

File: E8h6rHjWEAU-pmP.jpg (147 KB, 778x1100)

147 KB JPG

>>5556392
>Mandy includes herself in most of the shots.

Begone THOT.

>>5556738
+1

Locking in Sentimental, time to write a speech. No objections to the write in? I’ll use those points if so.

>>5557439
No objections here, QM. Though you seem to have dropped your trip.

File: Opening.jpg (128 KB, 800x522)

128 KB JPG

>Sentimental. Get out there and make an opening day speech about how happy you are to be here, what the restaurant means to you, thank your regulars, sappy stuff like that, which makes you stand out as a member of this community you're now living in.

You'll come up with something sincere. You have fifteen minutes, and that's all. Less, actually, now that you've spent a bit of time consulting your workers. You can't even write a script, you need talking points and things to mention. It's something you have to do by yourself (maybe with Scyther there too), and the other two can't help with it much more than they already have.

The clock ticks by slowly, and you hear the crowd on the other side. There are quite a lot of people queuing to get in, and the sidewalk is packed with people taking photos. Your media guests have all left the restaurant in preparation for you to come out front and make your speech.

At ten o' clock sharp, you and Scyther step outside. The flashing cameras stun you for a moment and cause your partner to flinch. Liam and Macy are on either side of the door, and as you walk past them, they stretch a pink ribbon out to block the entrance. There are cheers and claps from the people who already know you, and it causes the rest of the audience to join in.

"Uh... Hi!"

You don't even have a microphone, so the crowd quiets down to hear you. It's still a bit hard, as the ambient sounds of the open street drown you out at times, but you take a deep breath and find your rhythm.

“I didn’t actually prepare a speech. It’s been busy, and getting all this organized with just four employees is hard.”

You motion to the decor and the big sign above you. There are some good-natured snickers among the audience.

“I’ve been here in Lobraise about two weeks now, so it’s about time we hold something big like this. In that time, I’ve met a lot of good people. A lot. It was scary, setting out on my own and starting up a restaurant without my master’s guidance, but I’m glad I picked Lobraise. It’s a town with a lot of heart, and I’m glad I’m living here now.”

“Woo!”

People clap and whoop as you compliment the city. Oliver from the local news is moving around, getting multiple angles of you. His intern holds the microphone.

“I’m glad all of you had the time to be here today. I really hope that here at the Tall Tale, we can get to know you guys and become a place that suits anyone at all. It’s been challenging to find time to get to talk to people, only so much I can do in a day, but I’m really working on it.”

File: Chef.jpg (136 KB, 900x696)

136 KB JPG

>>5557869
Scyther stands next to you, impatiently waiting for the cue to cut the ribbon.

“Here at my restaurant, I want to sell high quality food with fresh ingredients, even if that means it costs a bit more to transport it. I take pride in my cooking, and I make sure to gather ingredients from the very same woods that surround town. I want the Tall Tale to become a place everyone can see as a local institution, and I hope I achieve that soon.”

The audience is starting to chat among themselves. You’re no master orator, and the passive volume is slowly increasing, making it a bit harder to talk without being spoken over. Time to end it.

“Well, it’s past ten. So I guess opening hours are starting. Let’s just get this started, so we can get to cooking. I recognize a whole bunch of you guys, you’re probably hungry already. Scyther!”

“-THER!”

He slices the ribbon in half. Liam flinches as the blade is swung, but joins in the cheering as the pink satin falls apart in his grip. You and Scyther are the first ones to go back in, and Liam and Macy help guide the guests to their seats.

=====

It’s easily the biggest crowd you’ve gotten. You’re completely swamped with customers, and once noon hits, the queue outside gets painfully long. You worry about people spending too long eating, instead of leaving when they’re done to make space, and with just three people it’s hard to stay on top of things. You don’t even have time to leave the kitchen for an hour straight, as you’re the only one capable of preparing the orders. You need a second chef. That’s your bottleneck at the moment. However, it’ll be a challenge to find someone who meets your standards. Regular days won’t be as packed as opening day too, so it’ll be less hectic tomorrow.

The media folk don’t bother you for information. They take their photos, try the food, and then sit there. Valentina doesn’t show up at the requested timing of 10am that you penned down in the press release. When you finally get a bit of free time and check on Mandy, she smiles and waves you off.

“I know how it gets. All of us do, actually. We’re probably going to just leave and come back in the off-peak. Not like you’ll be free to answer questions for a while, right?”

You nod gratefully, and as the media folk trail out, you quickly get Macy to remove the dividers and create several more seats for customers.

You whip up endless amounts of Battered Blue Basculin, pan-seared Veluza filet, Skwovet BBQ, and of course, your signature Ducklett. The problem with making whole Ducklett an exclusive item is that when people are told they can’t order it during a walk-in, they just get the quinoa instead. You run out completely halfway through the lunch rush.

File: Fish fish.jpg (85 KB, 570x570)

85 KB JPG

>>5557871

You've underestimated its popularity, and you've even doubled the amount you stocked. While you're walking around and apologizing to guests for not having any more Ducklett for the quinoa, you take notice of several different groups that catch your eye. You barely have any free time, but you feel like you want to at least show yourself on the main floor for a bit. Otherwise, all people will see during lunch hour is your waiters.

Fenton's group is in attendance! He's here with a bunch of people who look just as dreary and goth as he does. He stares at you with his usual expression and raises a hand to wave. He's ordered the whole Ducklett, and Macy is demonstrating what you showed her and Liam this morning. She's placing the thin slices onto the even thinner pancakes, setting down tiny bits of cucumber and leek, dropping a little bit of sauce, then wrapping it up into a miniscule taco. Few people here in town have had Pecking Ducklett before, and they look visibly amazed.

Officer Robert is here again. He's with his partner, a policewoman with frizzy red hair that sticks out from underneath her cap. She's wearing it indoors, and even has a pair of sunglasses on. He waves at you. In front of him is a bowl of Clampearl chowder, Krabby Cakes, and baked Arrokuda. He glances around the restaurant every so often, but looks pretty relaxed.

Lastly, the large group that you served a couple days ago is back. They've gotten VIP seats as well, and are noisily laughing while eating the Ducklett. They've gotten multiple orders of Clauncher and Shellder tongue. They definitely look like out of towners, passing through on their way to somewhere else. There's a lot of dyed hair in that group.

>Fenton, you can take some time to catch up. It's his first time here, you want to make sure he's enjoying the food.

>Robert. He's accepted your invitation. Maybe he has a follow up on the case. You're super busy today, but a few minutes won't hurt.

>The diners. Big group. Keep them happy and they'll hopefully tip well and keep ordering. Macy and Liam are too busy to thoroughly attend to every group, but this one looks beneficial to butter up.

>>5557874
>Fenton, you can take some time to catch up. It's his first time here, you want to make sure he's enjoying the food.

>>5557874
>Fenton, you can take some time to catch up. It's his first time here, you want to make sure he's enjoying the food.

>>5557874
>>The diners. Big group. Keep them happy and they'll hopefully tip well and keep ordering. Macy and Liam are too busy to thoroughly attend to every group, but this one looks beneficial to butter up.

>>5557874
>The diners. Big group. Keep them happy and they'll hopefully tip well and keep ordering. Macy and Liam are too busy to thoroughly attend to every group, but this one looks beneficial to butter up.

I just hope that group isn't gonna dash, if it happens though we at least have two officers and a lot of reporters who might get some picture's here

>>5557874
>>Fenton, you can take some time to catch up. It's his first time here, you want to make sure he's enjoying the food.

>>5557874
>Fenton, you can take some time to catch up. It's his first time here, you want to make sure he's enjoying the food.
That big group is Team Dash

>>5557874
>Fenton, you can take some time to catch up. It's his first time here, you want to make sure he's enjoying the food.
We can also thank him again for the exorcism. There’s a non-zero chance (as far as Penny should know) that those ghosts could have made the Spinarak decide against grabbing Scyther. Then we’d be down our partner.

>>5557874
>>The diners. Big group. Keep them happy and they'll hopefully tip well and keep ordering. Macy and Liam are too busy to thoroughly attend to every group, but this one looks beneficial to butter up.

>>5557874
>Fenton, you can take some time to catch up. It's his first time here, you want to make sure he's enjoying the food.

>>5557874
>Fenton, you can take some time to catch up. It's his first time here, you want to make sure he's enjoying the food.

also on another note qm i did find the quote about the gun. i said i was gonna check the first thread. this was from the first post of the hunt

>You don't have any weapons on you apart from a captive bolt pistol locked away in a box.

just wanted to prove i wasnt going crazy
dont mind the retcon XD.

>>5558072
Retcon it to a slingshot

File: Pistol.jpg (41 KB, 688x453)

41 KB JPG

>>5558072
Oh! I completely forgot about that. Yeah, that's a thing. I didn't remember what I wrote about it because Scyther became the main way of hunting.

What the bolt pistol was originally intended for was if you guys picked the other two starters. Munna's purpose would have been to knock wild pokemon unconscious and defeat them non-lethally, but it would be up to Penny to execute them with the pistol to the head. It would have been a more dangerous way to deal with them, as opposed to Scyther directly killing with his claws.

>Munna (Psychic). You wanted to get a Drowsee to fill the same niche, but the stereotypes around it steered you towards this Pokémon instead. You suppose Munna is kinda cool too, with its... pink flower pattern. It excels in putting prey to sleep and allowing you to work out a way to dispatch them. You find yourself dragging them through the woods often, so you can find a safe place to euthanise them without attracting predators to the blood. Trying to take out a Pokémon without attacking it is quite the ordeal, but the rewards are all the greater for it. (- Hunting, + Meat Quality)

Thank you for the reminder, though. I'll make a note that Penny has it, and it'll exist in future hunts. However, it's not a ranged weapon. It's a dispatch tool used in slaughterhouses. There might be opportunity to use it with different partners.

>>5557874
>>Robert. He's accepted your invitation. Maybe he has a follow up on the case. You're super busy today, but a few minutes won't hurt.

Too late for switching the vote around, but still would love the follow up

>>5557874
>>Fenton, you can take some time to catch up. It's his first time here, you want to make sure he's enjoying the food.

>>5557888
also sidenote. i am worried about them at first i thought they may be team dash. but also they were here a couple weeks ago and didnt do that but perhaps they were scouting the place out? but i wanna give them the benifit of the doubt

>>5558214
couple days ago*

>>5558214
Same over here.
But we have Bobby with us. Would Team Dash try to expose themself at opening event?

So... Our bottleneck is the chef right now.
We should Tier up Scyther, and start thinking about a new companion. My sight is set on Rotom,
>QM, would Rotom-Scyther combination count as one chef?

>>5558242
I'd say it wouldn't. Scyther wouldn't be able to replace a human, who can function as an actual employee. Not even with a Rotom helping out by creating smart appliances.

>>5557874
>Fenton, you can take some time to catch up. It's his first time here, you want to make sure he's enjoying the food.

Locking in Fenton

File: Ghosts.jpg (149 KB, 991x780)

149 KB JPG

>>5558795
>Fenton

You head over to Fenton and his buddies. They almost look like they're in uniform, with the dark shades of clothing, frilly lace, eyeshadow, and coloured hair extensions. They absolutely look like the kind of people who would frequent the Phantom Pourhouse. Fenton is the least edgy among them, with his face unadorned by powder or black lipstick- only the dark eyebags that seem even clearer in daylight.

"Fenton. Hey! Glad you could make it."

"Hello, Penny." He smiles. "I've brought some friends."

One of the goths, a girl with a nose ring who's a little shorter than you, puts down her fork and stares directly at your face. She then closes her eyes and holds a hand out, scrunching her face up in concentration.

"I feel your aura... It is... a bright orange. No, red? What time of the year were you born in?"

She's interrupted by a pimply-faced, slightly portly boy, who holds out a purple crystal sloppily bound to a necklace by wire.

"Would you like a crystal? I've charged them up with energy. It'll protect you from the darkness."

The third of his friends, a greasy looking guy with a hawkish nose and trench coat, crosses his arms and turns his head to the side, making a 'hmph' noise.

Man, what the fuck. They're all chuuni larpers. If it wasn't for the fact that you had a very real exorcism (banishment?) performed by Fenton, you would have chalked him up as one of them. Macy looks at you with an expression of pity and understanding, then walks off to let you attend to the guests. She's gotten a lot more confident over the last week, and is getting into a good rhythm.

"No thanks. I don't have much time, but how's the food, everybody?"

"How is anything, really?" quips crystal boy.

"It must be savoured, of course, for life was taken to grant us this meal. I feel vengefulness oozing from each mouthful... Forgive me Ducklett..." says the guy in the coat.

"Yes, it's good," Fenton replies.

File: 5e2619cf479540556952011aa(...).jpg (70 KB, 680x430)

70 KB JPG

>>5558841
"How do you guys know each other?"

"University," says the aura girl.

"School's out for now. We're back here in town for a while." The crystal guy slurps noisily on his tomato soup. The red stains on the side of his powdered face make him look like a b-movie vampire.

"Fenton, you're in school too?" you ask, looking at him curiously. He shakes his head.

"I'm not. I've graduated. These are my juniors."

"And you're all from Lobraise?"

He nods and gently picks up a piece of Ducklett folded in the pancake. He chews and swallows, savoring the succulent meat, the crispy skin, and the thin layer of sweet fat between the two.

"I would like to find more time to talk. I suppose it was foolish to assume that you would have a spare moment on opening day, it looks crowded."

"Yeah. It's busy. Good for business, but I'm completely swamped. I think I should get back to cooking. It was nice meeting your friends."

"Take care, Penny. Ah, and... It seems we might have to meet again soon. For you-know-what." He looks behind you.

You haven't felt anything so far, but you nod and agree with him. You didn't strangle any Pokémon with your bare hands yesterday, but there's probably still nasty things clinging to you. When you start to feel affected again, you'll seek him out. You walk away from their table, feeling the other three stare at you and whisper.

>Bond with Fenton increased!

File: Dash.jpg (265 KB, 1024x1299)

265 KB JPG

>>5558842
You look around the restaurant on your way back to the kitchen. Half of the large party seems to be gone, and Robert's partner is missing as well. A big downside of getting a place like this is that there's no room for a bathroom. You have a small sink in a corner, so people can wash their hands, but there's nowhere for them to go, and you're not about to invite people upstairs just to mess your toilet up. It's rather inconvenient, as it's a short walk through the street to a public bathroom.

"Hey. Excuse me? Sir."

Macy is calling out to the remaining half of the big group. They've gotten up, picked up their things, and are headed for the door.

"Sir!"

She raises her voice a little bit. Robert turns to watch. They're very clearly speeding up, squeezing past diners and ignoring the payment counter on the other end of the room. You glance towards the table, where they've eaten half the food and left a huge mess on the table, with sauce and bones everywhere. Their bags and coats are all with them, so there's no indication of them leaving the seats behind temporarily.

"Can you-"

They speed up. It becomes a jog rather than a brisk walk, and they're clearly trying to escape now. A diner shouts in rage as one of the dashers knocks their soup into their lap with an errantly swinging sling bag. Another nearly trips over the back of somebody's chair, and the impact causes him to choke on the glass of soda. Robert stands up, glaring at the unruly customers, but is unable to catch up on time. They're awfully brazen to do this right in front of a cop. Liam, who's dealing with a customer by the door, notices the commotion. As everyone turns to watch the attempted dine and dash, he sets the menu on the table and shifts about uneasily, unsure of what to do.

>"Liam! Stop them!"

>Don't do anything. Let them go.

Team Dash theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtkI_KyUbDk

>>5558844
>"Liam! Stop them!"

Is it allowed to send Scyther out to attack them directly or is it assault?

>>5558844
>"Liam! Stop them!"

so i was right in thinking they were team dash. i was honestly hoping it wouldn't be but the last couple days have been on disaster after another. ,

>>5558847
also sidenote on this note. i would send syther to try to get in fron of them since they are likely faster than we are. i wouldnt say attack though. maybe use a doubleteam to create an illusion of being surrounded by syther

>>5558844
>"Liam! Stop them!"
i really wanna call scyther on the dashers to merc them, but that's probably ending up in a murder