They decided to just head home for today.
While the school might have good materials and loot, especially if they have a computer b, neither of them are in the right mindset right now.
He just wants to y down, after finding Jophiel the physical and mental fatigue is really starting to get to him.
Still coming down from his… episode, he's nowhere near stable enough to handle fighting demons right now, Jophiel seems to share the same feelings.
It's already around 5PM, he has about… three? Three hours before nightfall, and he doesn't want the experience of getting hunted down by something in a school of all pces.
He had a nightmare about that once, funnily enough.
The journey back home was uneventful, it was approaching 6PM when they finally crossed the threshold of his base, the wards seemed to hum at his arrival, and a comfortable warmth welcomed him.
Looking up at that one tree at the edge of the perimeter, he raises an eyebrow.
“Huh, where did that bird go?”
He checks further, gncing at the other branches, but eventually shrugs and heads inside.
Though his body is heavy, and his mind a mess, Joshua knows he shouldn't just do nothing… as much as he wants to.
It's becoming increasingly hard to focus, but now without the link he's able to put his priorities to the front.
He opens the double-chest (it's odd how they merge together like that) sat beside his main crafting table he has sat in the base's center room.
Pulling out a pen and a piece of paper, he sits at his workstation with a tired sigh and taps the pen against his fingers.
Priorities. He needs to set priorities. He'll write it down this time, to set himself a physical goal.
What's most important here?
Getting out, obviously, he doesn't bother writing that down.
Survival. His pen glides across the paper, writing it down and underlining it.
Okay… what will help him survive.
Defenses.
Gear.
Enchantments.
Faith.
Food.
Water.
“Okay… now what else?”
He racks his brain, remembering things he needs to do, but not as urgently.
Coordinates (get amethyst to make navigation thing from Ace's blueprint)
Signal (get sand to build a tunnel down to distress signal)
Recipes (ask chat for recipes)
Joshua slumps back.
What recipes could he even ask from chat? Maybe those bags that seem to have endless space?
Weapons? He doesn't recall any notable weapons from Pokemon.
Armor? Even less, unless there's some obscure thing he's mi-
WAAAAAAAIIIIITTTT.
Joshua snaps up.
“Steven”
[StevenStoneOffical: Yes, Joshua?]
“What are the materials needed for an Expansion Suit?”
Emma. Essentia. Whatever her fucking name was. He doesn't remember her that well, but what he DOES remember is that she has the closest thing to fucking POWER ARMOR in those games, at least he thinks so.
…
On the other side of the stream, Steven’s hands pause over the keyboard, btant confusion running through him.
“An expansion suit..?”
He leans back in his chair, turning to the idly floating Metagross who's been staring at a rapidly scrolling monitor.
“Metagross, run a search on an ‘expansion suit’, I am… not sure what Joshua is talking about”
Metagross doesn't respond verbally, only giving a slight nod as another tab appears on his monitor.
A few minutes go by, which is admittedly a little concerning for a sentient supercomputer, Steven wonders if Joshua had gotten its name wrong but his thoughts are interrupted by Metagross.
“LEVEL 4 AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED TO ACCESS DOCUMENT”
Steven raises an eyebrow. Level 4? What in Arceus’ name is Metagross looking at?
“Granted”
Metagross puts in Steven's credentials, and the page updates.
“I.D ‘EXPANSION SUIT’ WAS A PROTOTYPE AXILLARY POWER SUIT CREATED BY A DR. XEROSIC OF THE KANTONIAN G.O.I ‘TEAM FLARE’”
“Team Fre? Certainly sounds familiar, didn't they disband a few years ago?”
“CORRECT. THE SUIT IS CURRENTLY IN THE POSSESSION OF INTERNATIONAL POLICE AGENT LOOKER”
Now THAT got Steven's attention.
Looker? The IP got involved? It's no wonder it was redacted so heavily.
“UPON ANALYSIS AND COLLECTED RESEARCH NOTES FROM DR. XEROSIC, THE EXPANSION SUIT WAS CREATED USING…”
Metagross starts listing off the materials needed, all while Steven types it all into a message for Joshua.
He already had some ideas of “recipes” to send to him, but he's gd that Joshua is finally using his odd predicament to his advantage.
But he can't help but wonder…
How did Joshua know about the suit?
Hopefully his meeting with Palkia will clear some things up
…
Receiving a message from Steven, Joshua writes it all down and looks it over.
Polymer, circuits, gss, and a few other specific components he needs to make.
But what's interesting is that it's treating the suit as a tempte for armor, meaning that he can stack whatever benefits his armor has alongside whatever the hell this Pokemon power armor can do.
“Oh that is NICE. Definitely gunning for this”
What else does he need…
Bookshelves, and va.
Bookshelves, and by extension books, have been the bane of his fucking existence, it's the only reason he hasn't made any enchantments yet. While he doesn't have any “levels”, he doesn't want to waste a good tool on a shitty enchant.
But if this day had a singur good part, it would be the fact that he finally found sugarcane. Only about six stalks.
Finally.
God.
He directs his will towards Jophiel, but pauses at the emptiness of the space her presence used to reside in his mind.
“...right”
He ignores the slight disappointment in his heart, turning to the mare who's been quietly ying on the bed, eyes closed and horn ignited.
“You mind pnting this out in the farms for me, love?”
“Pony…”
She gets up and takes the sugarcane he dropped from his inventory.
But strangely enough, instead of using her telekinesis, she simply holds them with her lips and slips it into her bag.
Why isn't she…
The unicorn was already making her way out the door when Joshua called for her.
“Jophiel”
She looks over her shoulders, a slight tension in her gait.
“Are you okay?”
She seems to flinch at this. The conversation from earlier was… cathartic, to say the least, but Jophiel found herself… unsatisfied.
A smile creeps up her lips, not a fake one. She's happy that he's concerned, but it's ced in mencholy and…
A firm determination.
“Pony”
Until she's confident, until she's better, she won't use her psychic abilities on Joshua. Not until she's ready.
If her inexperience was the thing that harmed him…
Then she will simply get more experienced.
And just like her trainer, Jophiel herself has set her goals in pce.
