[Fin] Hard to Fathom

[TawnyAngel]

Cause of Sharpeado death: dying, apparently.

Not that he was complaining, the mystery was apparently gnawing at Aulus and had moved him to send him off on a solo mission. With a deep sea diving camera, thermal camera, chemical sensors, and radiation monitor strapped around his chest Asgard flew invisibly over Kodo with Foxtrot mounted on his back to facilitate the invisibility.

According to Tambery's tests the shark had not been dead for very long but it could still have drifted quite some way, and floated up from some depth. Clearly a detailed search was required, unfortunately it would probably take him some time! Such a pity that he had to swim around in the free wide ocean for so long.

They touched down on the beach to allowed Foxtrot to dismount and activate the equipment; the dark type kept him invisible as he headed down the beach and covered the footprints and then the displacement of the water that marked his progress. Once he was safely submerged she headed down the beach herself and started scuffing out the footprints.

Asgard meanwhile was quite literally in his element though clearly not in his type! Haha. From the area they'd found the Sharpeado he started a search pattern, segmenting the ocean into football pitch sized 'cubes' from surface to sea bed. Most cubes got a couple of passes within them to check for anything unusual, though if he thought he sensed something moving he spent longer to ensure whatever it was was normal.

How long could he reasonably drag this out? That was the question. Aulus and Tambery were both highly curious about this mystery so surely it was his duty to take them seriously and search far and wide? Perhaps once he'd worked a way out into the open ocean in his search radiating out from where they'd found the shark he could check further around the coast?... Well he'd have to see.  

[Suudonym]

For quite some time, all would appear normal to Asgard. Perfectly healthy pokemon swam about in the water, generally moving quite far away when they saw the Lugia coming. Once he was far enough out into the open sea, however, one pokemon would appear that was no so shy: A Tentacool came somewhat near Asgard - closer than the other sea-dwelling pokemon had dared - and stared the psychic-type down with glassy eyes, swimming beside him with the apparent intention of trying to keep up.  

[TawnyAngel]

Oh, a companion eh? Asgard slowed a little to make it easier for the bold little water type to keep pace with him. <> he queried. <> If there had been more than one strange death, or if something odd was in the area, then the locals were the ones to ask about it surely.  

[Suudonym]

The Tentacool looked on dumbly, giving no indication that it as much as understood what its traveling companion had said. It did, however, continue to follow, although it wasn't too much longer before the water began to appear a bit murky. The Tentacool veered off; it continued to head in roughly the same direction as Asgard but no longer seemed interested in following him specifically.  

[TawnyAngel]

Oh well, there was no hope for some people.

Asgard slowed a little more as the water grew murky, it would be easy to miss something in this and that was the last thing he wanted. He wished he could actually see the instruments he was wearing, they might tell him something... not that he knew how to read a gigawhatever it was called. As he moved forward Asgard glanced after the Tentacool every so often, just in case it was miraculously going to give him a hint after all.  

[Suudonym]

The water grew murkier still, but slowly, only a little at a time. The Tentacool drifted along lackadaisically, gradually growing further from Asgard though not through any apparent intentions on its part. Apart from the water's quality, things seemed quite normal and serene - seemed so, until the dark form of a Sharpedo could be observed jettisoning itself rapidly closer like the torpedo that was its namesake, maw open wide in preparation for the Crunch it would lay upon the psychic-type if managed impact.  

[TawnyAngel]

Oh of course. Asgard manoeuvred out of the way, just barely, and glared at the attacking shark. <> Was he going to get any more out of this one than the Tentacool? He doubted it somehow, and he doubted he was going to put it off its attack either. While fighting a dark type did not appeal one wild pokemon ought not to present a problem, the problem would come if this one had friends. Did Sharpeado live in social groups? Perhaps he was about to find out the unpleasant way. If all else failed he was going to have to leave the water and abandon this section of the search, not ideal!  

[Suudonym]

Meeting Asgard's expectations, the Sharpedo was as reticent as the Tentacool had been and several times more aggressive. When it missed its mark, the Sharpedo quickly eased to a stop, came about, and launched itself at its target anew. As it did, Asgard's other unspoken curiosity was answered by the swiftly approaching shadows of two more Sharpedo, each just as intent on striking as their fellow. This particular Sharpedo, at least, indeed apparently had friends.  

[TawnyAngel]

Some people just had no class. <> Asgard growled, partly in anger and partly in pain as the first shark bit him. By twisting around and swatting with his tail he tried to shake the dark type off him before launching an Aeroblast attack at all three. <>  

[Suudonym]

The Sharpedo were batted away by the violently stirred water, but like some sort of subaquatic hydra, three more appeared in the same fashion as the first, increasing their numbers to six. The new arrivals were as eager as their comrades to lunge forward, and the original three, upon regaining their bearings, paid little attention to any wounds that had been inflicted. Each of the growing group seemed single-mindedly focused on driving Asgard away.  

[TawnyAngel]

Six? And not put off by a powerful attack even a little, if he kept fighting then somebody was going to end up dead and - if it wasn't him - he was at least going to be far more hurt than he cared to be. Asgard launched another Aeroblast at the group of Sharpeado, wheeled in the water and powered towards the surface. <> he demanded. <>

Why were they so determined to drive him off? Was it merely a territorial thing? How much of the water constituted their territory? He was reluctant to give up his search so soon but proceeding further into the jaws of the Sharpeados didn't seem like a good option to him.  

[Suudonym]

Following the second Aeroblast, two of the Sharpedo abruptly stopped their attack and turned to swim off and away. They were quickly replaced, however; this time four additional Sharpedo arrived on the scene, propelling themselves at their shared target with gnashing teeth. None seemed all that impressed with Asgard's proclaimed status, but perhaps that was to be expected.  

[TawnyAngel]

Definitely too many. Asgard used dragon rush to hasten his progress towards the surface and to discourage some of those gnashing teeth, though some still found their mark regardless. Once he was in the air he'd be safe.  

[Suudonym]

The Sharpedo were determined, even leaping out of the water in pursuit when Asgard broke the surface - though once they fell back down, they abandoned the effort entirely.

On the surface of the ocean, a thick fog obscured the horizon in every direction, not unlike how the murkiness of the water had done down below. Asgard's expectation of safety, unfortunately, would not be met. Rather than more wild pokemon, however, the Lugia's next opposition would be less intelligent. There was a booming rushing sound in the distance, and a long, thin cylinder with a slightly pointed nose came tearing through the fog, the vapors that resulted from its self-propulsion adding to the curtain.  

[TawnyAngel]

<<What?>> Asgard wheeled aside and took a shot at the missile with Hydro Pump, hoping to knock it off course before it could get too close to him. He expected there to be more coming, funny how he had that inkling, but he wanted to turn all of his recording equipment in the direction it had come from for at least a few moments. If his Hydro Pum failed to find its however, or if he spotted anything else aimed at him, he was out of here. So much for a relaxing exploration of the ocean! Aulus and Tambery had been right to be suspicious, there was definitely something strange going on here!