Episode 5: Hot and Cold Flex Off!

[fallers_npcs]

Today, the Class is off to the Hot Springs! Until Monday, they’ll be on a school trip to Mount Lanakila, where they will spend two days and two nights at the mountain. Here, the school will learn about the native Snow Pokemon. However…

Kukui frowned in worry at the Mountain which was… suspiciously barren of snow in this area. The ground was green with grass, and it was swelteringly hot. “Sorry everyone! It seems like we’ve got unseasonable weather!” Exclaimed Kukui. “Still, there’s no worry here! Unload your things, get settled in and we’ll still tour the Ice Caves at 2pm! Until then, try and relax. Maybe if you want a nice Heatwave, try out the hot springs!”

No worries everyone, there's plenty to see. Lots of Pokemon still. Though, the people at the Hot Springs could need your help, getting the springs back to working order. The Owner could use people with technical help to look at the pipes, people with strong backs to get the springs in order and at 2pm everyone will go to the caves unless you're helping the Owner.

[This is an event post, and all roads lead to the final thread! Feel free to make your choice where to go! Players can be students and chaperones!]

Comments

Hot Springs

[fallers_npcs]

The hot springs are incredibly warm. Nearly 50 degrees Celsius--that's 122 degrees Fahrenheit! Much too hot for anyone but the hardiest Pokemon to get into. There’s got to be a source of this heat somewhere. Check in the boilers, somewhere there must be a leak somewhere?!

Ice Caverns

[fallers_npcs]

In the shimmering ice caverns, all is not well. The once generously gorgeous ice caverns are now melting!! Dripping pools of water dot the ground, the temperature is up to at least summer time in the large cavern, and the ice Pokemon are too warm for their own good. While they’re not in any immediate danger, they are in danger of losing their homes. Delve deeper into their caverns to find the source of the heat, and find what’s making that sound deep within. It sounds like grunting, or maybe flexing?

The Shrine

[fallers_npcs]

The sacred shrine is in the hottest feeling area of the land, through the Ultra Hole. Deep within a volcano, it is surrounded by giant flexing Buzzswole. They are posing, while chanting in their own language as they flex, pose, and dance. Their language is clear -- they are aggravated and yet they sing and dance around the shrine as it is covered in a molten, sticky mess. The smell is unmistakable as it is a glistening nutty color. Seems like this is the source of the trouble as a large, massive Buzzswole seems to lead the pack, his face painted with ash as he poses and flexes at your arrival!

[shadowslipping]

Uh.

Woah.

Yuume, dressed for a nice trip to the hot springs, stares at the pack before her. Her face is definitely not painted, but she is in her swim shorts and tank top...so...probably good enough to show that maybe, Maybe, she's an acceptable FlexChallenge.

Maybe.

She has no idea that's the point here so. "H...Hah...." What. What is happen-

"P-Peanut butter..!?"

[sinnohcoordinated]

“This is just awful!”

Dawn had just arrived and was being offered the trip and now she’s seeing this place falling apart. This was not natural at all! At the same time, she had brought out her Mamoswine to help try to cool down the Pokémon caught in the mess.

“Poor things! They’re suffering!”

[acmellash]

"It's terrible," said Ash, moving over to help a few of the afflicted Pokemon. He was glad that Dawn was here with Mamoswine. He didn't have a ice Pokemon this time around, nor a Pokemon who could use ice attacks or water attacks, so he was helping dole out cooling cloths to the suffering Pokemon.

"There's got to be some kind of problem here we're missing that's also affecting the area. Lillie's gone and scouted ahead with Mallow. She knows the Totem Pokemon in this area."

[sinnohcoordinated]

“Maybe it has to do with those Ultra Holes you all keep talking about.” Dawn said, tilting her head a bit. “But if it is, could it be making things hotter?”

[one_million]

"They're bigger than All Might!" Exclaimed Mirio, staring in shock at the Ultra Beasts who were flexing. "I'm not even sure I could take them even with my Quirk back."

Holy heck. And he only had a Riolu who was cowering behind his leg. "Don't worry little buddy, I ain't going to let you fight them. There's got to be some other way."

[acmellash]

"Mm... I'm not a genius but..." said Ash, looking at Rotom Dex. "Rotom, what do you think?"

"Maybe it's like when the Radiant One was draining everyone's Z-power?" suggested Rotom. "And making the adults lethargic?"

"Yeah, yeah, like that!" Exclaimed Ash, smacking a hand into his his fist. "It's gotta be like that!"

[sinnohcoordinated]

“Mmn! Might be the answer! How about we catch up to the others and see what they found?” Dawn asked.

[acmellash]

"Yeah, let's catch up. There's got to be enough people scouting around to figure out what's going on." said Ash, standing up and dusting off his pants. "Thanks for helping out Dawn. Honestly, I should have expected more craziness."

[notpiercings]

A Riolu is better than nothing, isn't it? Which is what Dio has.

It's been about a week since he fell into Alola, and he still hasn't managed to find a Pokémon of his own. Not even an egg seems to stay for long in his presence, and while he hadn't been paying attention to it at first (because why would he want to bother with looking out for someone other than himself?), it feels now like they're avoiding him.

(And who could blame them? Dio has a weird aura about him.)

But he's still here, staring up at this pack of big insect strongmen with a stance that suggests he'd try to fight them but he hasn't committed to the idea just yet. He's extremely vulnerable as it stands, but he doesn't want to immediately resort to making himself look weak, and--

Hey wait.

"Peanut......... what? Are they dangerous?"

[fallers_npcs]

The peanut butter wasn't, but the Buzzswole, well...

As they continued to flex, they were posing as they let out their cries as they spun as one. Triceps, biceps and pectoral muscles flexing, the alighted on the trio there.

Oh HO. Those gains, those muscles!

Instantly, they surrounded the trio, moving faster than humanly possible. Sizing up Dio, Yuume, and Mirio, the Buzzswole, began a ritualistic form of poses one by one. They would continue to pose, goading the trio and whoever else would show up, on.

[shadowslipping]

"From your shock I'd imagine All Might is quite tall..." Yuume hums idly, raising a brow at the Riolu for a moment before blinking in Dio's direction. "...Oh- Right, that's '95... It's...a sweetened peanut butter spread...you might like-"

Whatever Yuume is about to explain stops- the Buzzswole abruptly turn from their dance, and begin to surround them instead after all. Despite their speed, it becomes clear they aren't intending to harm them- after all...if they wanted, they would have done so already.

"A...Aaaah...it...seems like they're performing some sort of ritual, but just what it is...mnh..."

Yuume, rather frankly, is feeling a bit too uncomfortable to even give it a shot right now- maybe an arm muscle twitches as she draws in on herself. That's about as flex as it's getting up in Yuume's arms.

[blue_ice]

Seto Kaiba clearly had a death wish. His own journey took him into the incredibly steamy environment, and boy did he quickly regret it. Even the cooler summer clothing he'd changed into stuck to his skin within minutes, and he wasn't sure if even his large insulated water bottle would hold up.

He had to fix this, and quickly. So he started toward the boiler room, despite his body screaming at him not to do so. His Pokémon were safe in their balls for now, thankfully...

[one_million]

"Yeah, he's really tall and big and... WHELP."

I guess they want them to flex so...

Taking a deep breath, Mirio struck a pose. It was the most heroic, dynamic flex pose that he had seen All Might strike in ages. It was the most heroic, dynamic flex pose he managed to remember. It looked really goddamn cool -- if only for the fact that any All Might fan could see the imperfections in his form. It was really off. His leg was too far out, his tensing of the muscles was all off, and the smile wasn't quite right, with the crows feet around his wide smile not quite THERE.

"I AM HERE!"

[revolutionhawk]

And it's these sort of temperatures that finally force this someone to leave what's practically their trademark tattered trenchcoat behind. This means the items he constantly keeps on his person is obvious: a single pokeball clipped to his belt and a purple duel disk that's more than familiar even if its owner isn't.

"I hope you weren't planning to try this by yourself." Shay snarks, as if he's not talking to one of the geniuses engineering a way to un-card people.

[blue_ice]

Kaiba responds with a snort. "Please. I've handled worse," he answered. "Though admittedly not in this heat."

He steps forward, reaching for a handkerchief in his pocket to wipe his brow. He'd give anything for a nice cold shower right about now...but they had work to do. He hauled his briefcase full of tools through the hall.

"It can't be that difficult."

[revolutionhawk]

The teenager peers about and then pulls out his cards, quickly sifting through for something of an adequate size compared to the hallway. If getting to the boiler room is going to be hard enough as is, this seems like an appropriate time to start busting out...

... Ah yes, the solid holographic robot birds for hauling them and that toolbox along.

[blue_ice]

More strange new cards. Metal birds. Why not.

"...fine," he nodded tiredly. It did seem to help a little. And it wasn't as if he could call one of his dragons into this space, so it was really all they had.

He chugged some more water as they went, bracing himself against the wall of heat they were now passing through. They really didn't have much time.

"Ready?"

one threadjacking idiot ahoy, please charge ahead after this, Dio

[afterburner]

Renee didn't know who All Might was, but these things...

"Shit, these things are bigger than Colossus, and he's freakin' huge!" she said as she slipped through the Ultra Hole, shedding her jacket as she did. "Crap, it's hot in here..."

Though she saw Mirio's flex, and she had to clap. Pretty good attempt, even if his stance was a bit off. She's had a lot of experience with flexing guys, okay? cough cough Gambit cough cough--and Colossus too!

The Buzzswole noticed her too, though--even as Stompy blundered into her leg and righted himself.

"Uh, guess this is bad, huh?"

[revolutionhawk]

Well, at least they don't heat up or cool down as real metal would. The wonders of solid vision.

Shay nods even while it feels like any moisture is just sizzling off the both of them. "The sooner the better."

[fallers_npcs]

The boiler room is pretty hot, all things considered. And in the room, there's a mess of damp, matted hair as a girl is working hard at the boiler. "Ah geez!" She exclaimed, trying to work on it for some reason. "Can't believe it's being affected by this heat! Seriously. Do a good deed for some place passing by and look what happens. Emily! Where's that wrench?"

The large, spherical robot is literally sweating oil right now, as it hands her a wrench. Their backs are turned to the door, so they don't notice Shay and Seto coming in, but they do feel the cool air as the door opens. "Finally, a draft! Keep the door open, and help me out here! We need a number two wrench and a pipe wrench overhead, this boiler is going to go critical if we're not careful!"

She hasn't even turned around.

[blue_ice]

"....what."

Yeah, that was pretty much Kaiba's main word lately. He reluctantly unlatched his briefcase and approached, inspecting the mess at hand before carefully offering the tools.

"Do you know how this happened."

[revolutionhawk]

"Or what caused all of this heat?" Shay adds in a tone that somewhat veils his suspicion about the weather and her presence being much more than a coincidence. But the threat behind it is intentional.

... Despite all this and the police report, he's not being idle when they could all pass out or die in here- so helping it is.