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Post by unknownmercury on Jul 22, 2019 23:46:06 GMT -8
---[Sycamore]--- (Sycamore’s Lab, Lumiose City, Kalos, August 12th, 2017, 11:13 PM)
The professor heaved out a sigh as he turned another page in the research journal he was reading from. The desk light was on, the sole source of illumination in the room. Augustine Sycamore glanced up at the clock and frowned. That late already? Well, he could afford to pull an all-nighter. The research he was doing was valuable, helping to unravel the mysteries of evolution and--
He paused in his thoughts. There had been a noise downstairs, a crash of some sort. If it weren't so late, he'd have thought it was one of his aides, but they'd all gone home hours ago, and none of them would come in this late and risk disturbing his work or the Pokémon in the habitat downstairs. Slowly, he stood and grabbed the ball at the corner of his desk. As he stepped around his desk, the door to the office opened.
Barely illuminated by the dim desk lamp and the moonlight filtering into the room was a boy. On the shorter side, with messy hair. The shape of the face and the posture was familiar, and Sycamore breathed a sigh of relief. "Xander?" he said tentatively. "What are you doing here so late? I thought you were over in the Kanto regions."
The boy's face shifted, contorting into a snarl. Teal blue eyes flashed amid pools of red. "I am afraid you are gravely mistaken." The voice was little more than a growl. As Sycamore took a step back -- bumping his desk -- and began to raise the Pokéball to release its occupant, the person rushed forward. A hand went around Sycamore's throat, and he was lifted off his feet. He fumbled at the ball, and his attacker slammed him down onto his desk; wood splintered, and the force of the impact knocked the ball loose from the Professor's hand. Sycamore was fairly sure he felt bones break, but that wasn't as important as the hand around his throat. He could feel the life draining from him -- literally. He was pretty sure this thing was draining the life directly from him.
He was completely helpless to stop it.
As the edges of his vision darkened, he heard footsteps on the stairs, a voice shouting. There was a burst of silver light, and the hand around the professor's throat slackened. He gasped, drawing in deep breaths, and turned his head to see his saviors. A man, two women, and a girl stood in the doorway to his office. Most of the group was familiar to him. The silver-haired boy from a few days ago, and the two women who had helped him out of a tight spot in Hoenn -- oh, years ago. Strange, to see them again here.
The hand around his throat tightened again, lifting him into the air once more. "H-help," he wheezed.
---[Detective]--- (Looker Bureau, Lumiose City, Kalos, August 12th, 2017, 11:22 P.M.)
The group slipped through the door.
“Aliana, helllllp!” a blue-haired woman whined. “Lazy people who just wait for things to be handed to them don’t get to have resources, you know!”
“It is not laziness,” the orange-haired woman to her side replied. A moment later, an enormous draconic claw slashed at Shade from just inside the doorway, the Druddigon it belonged to snarling as its ambush missed. “It is a simple fact that caution is necessary in this sort of operation. On that note, we are, in fact, under attack.” The woman stepped away from the wall and turned to face the group directly, her eyes hidden by a large silver visor with two glowing red lines. The device was, unfortunately for her, somehow not gaudy enough to distract from her garish red dress and boots, ‘accented’ by orange tights and a comically undersized orange necktie. “Allow me to introduce myself, intruders. My name is Aliana. As you can see, I'm one of Team Flare's Scientists. I'm researching a certain something that you wouldn't understand, anyway. Unfortunately for you, I've been charged with the simple task of your elimination.” Aliana stood firmly between the group and her yet-unintroduced partner, but made no move towards the Pokéballs at her belt, instead offering a single, global command: “All Pokémon, execute maximum offence.”
---[President]--- (President’s Office, Lumiose City, Kalos, August 13th, 2017, 12:00 A.M.)
Lionel opened the door.
The President’s sitting room was lavishly furnished, a luxurious couch and two plush armchairs arranged around three sides of a large oval coffee table, a Kalosian flag set in a tasteful glass vase set atop it. Set between the two large, open windows on either side of the room were a pair of wooden bureaus, one of which housed a stylish high-end coffeemaker familiar to anyone who had visited the private portion of Shabboneau Castle. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves covered the majority of the other walls, save for a single door leading into the actual office portion of the Presidential Office.
The door that was, at the moment, hanging barely ajar, with a bald silhouette poised before it.
“Chalmers!” Lionel barked. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
The white-suited man turned slowly to face them. Akamaro Chalmers gave the intruders a cold grin, his calm demeanor somehow offsetting the ostentatious style of his Flare Admin uniform. “Well, well, well. What a surprise! Perhaps we were wrong to dismiss you so hastily, Mr. Zyther. You’re clearly more capable than any of us first believed, even if you’re only working off of the basis of work others have done for you.”
Lionel ignored the barb, slowly crossing his arms as he took a step towards the traitorous Vice-President. “Step away from the President’s office,” he ordered.
Akamaro pretended to consider the order. “Now why on earth would I do that? That seems…” The man trailed off as he spotted the hold-out pistol Lionel had withdrawn from an inner pocket of his suit.
Lionel smirked. “Does that answer your question?”
---[League]--- (Kalos Pokémon League, Kalos, August 13th, 2017, 12:00 A.M.)
Elaine opened the door. The inside of the castle that housed Kalos’ Pokémon League was in chaos. People battled in the grand entrance-way, kids and teens in normal clothing fighting against men and women in orange and red suits.
James unclipped a ball from his belt. “No point in messing around. Inigo, Shere Khan, go!” The Gallade and Arcanine appeared in twin flashes of light, drawing the attention of some nearby Flare agents who had been watching the battles. As James had said, the number of agents in the room was twice that of civilian trainers. As a group of the Flare operatives moved to cut off entrance, James barked an order. “Alright, boys and girls, get those teams out! We’re pushing through these low-tiers and making our way to the Elite Four chambers!”
“Right!” Emily said, unclipping two balls from her own belt. “Ronin, Astrape, let’s go!” Her Scyther and Pikachu materialized, blocking the enemy from approaching their trainer.
As Calem released his Chesnaught, the six Flare agents closing in each released two Pokémon of their own. It was going to be a hell of a fight.
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Post by Konuju on Jul 23, 2019 14:54:43 GMT -8
IC: Dahlia Seaton/Klim Prizak - Looker Bureau, Lumiose City Like the Flare Scientist before her, Dahlia made no move towards her Pokéballs. "Allow me to introduce myself," she said as her eyes began to glow. "My name is Dahlia, Chosen Hero of Reverse. And unfortunately for you, I don't take kindly to those who prey on the innocent. The detective here has already suffered enough at your hands!"
Memories of her kidnapping by Alistair flashed through her mind. She had spent six out of the past eight months as his unwilling prisoner. All of the pain and turmoil associated with those memories fueled her powers. Emma Matiere had suffered a similar fate all those years ago, but now the detective's abusers were back. Dahlia didn't care what excuse these scientists came up with. They had long passed the point of forgiveness.
Extending her hands, Dahlia reversed the senses of the two scientists and their Druddigon. Up became down, left became right. Sounds came at an inverse frequency. Their sense of touch became likewise altered, smooth becoming rough and vice versa. All in all, the effect was mind-bogglingly disorienting.
While Dahlia attacked, Klim noticed Moriarty slip into the shadows. The Dusknoir would try to find Detective Matiere while the scientists were distracted. With a subtle nod at his Pokémon, Klim leaned toward Olivia. "It seems like they have more Pokémon than just that Druddigon," he said, eyes darting all around. "Be ready for anything."
IC: Alex Lockwood - Entryway, Kalos Pokémon League "Absol, Swampert! To battle!" The two Pokémon appeared in a burst of light. The Absol took one look at the situation and leapt towards the nearest gaudily-clad Flare agent, fangs bared. Swampert let out a roar and charged into the fray, powerful arms swinging wildly. He may not have had the power of Hammer Arm, but anyone caught by one of those biceps would still take a beating.
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alku
Technician
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Post by alku on Aug 5, 2019 14:28:46 GMT -8
IC: Evan Tierra/Corey Bouchard/Shannon Willows/Yamamoto Aori
Evan had looked around the battlefield, a look of disbelief on his face. There was blood, and quite a bit of it, but Ryan wasn’t there. Given the quantity of blood though, one thing was quite clear: Ryan Hikari was dead. His arm, along with Jenny’s, had laid on the ground, causing the man to wince as he thought of what happened. Then....there was what he would have to tell Shannon and Aori. Without looking back, the man recalled Ryan's Tyranitar to his Poké Ball and left the scene, making a run towards the exit that lead to Olivine. He had to find the others, to make sure they knew.
-----
Her legs were burning. Her chest heaved as her lungs gasped for air. Her side started to ache, but Shannon Willows kept running. It was all she could do. When Aori cried that she couldn't keep up, Shannon paused only long enough to hoist the young girl on her back before regaining her frantic pace.
All the while, her mind seemed to run faster than her legs could carry her. They had to get to Alice and the others. They had to keep Aori safe. They had to alert someone to what was going on. The authorities were already on their way, but what if they were too late? All of these thoughts and more raced through her mind with little time to process any of them.
Aori was trying to cry quietly, but between the running and now maintaining her grip on Shannon, her sobs were coming out between strangled gasps. It was only when Shannon nearly tripped in a puddle of water that she came to a shaky halt to catch her breath.
She looked around. In her frantic run, Shannon hadn't actually gone toward the restaurant at all. She leaned against a wooden building and gasped for breath, trying her best to ignore the splitting headache that had just erupted. "Aori . . ." she said shakily. "You . . . you gonna be okay?"
The girl shook her head and quickly wiped at her eyes. “I . . . Hikari-san and . . .” She sniffed and hugged Shannon tightly. “D-do you think he is okay?”
A wavering smile tugged at the corners of Shannon's face. "Y-yeah," she said. "I know he'll be fine." Because I don't know what I'd do with myself if he isn't, she added silently. She chanced a look back in the direction they had come, but they were too far from the battle to have any indication to what was happening. "Just you wait, kiddo. Ryan'll be telling us all about his battle over dinner."
Aori nodded lightly. “R-right.” She fumbled for a ball on her belt, then just hit the button to release Hana. The Bulbasaur wrapped a vine around her trainer’s wrist, and then Aori knelt to inhale the soothing scent of the grass type.
Corey looked back at where the three of them had been as well as they panted as well. They glanced back to where Aori was for a moment, then crouched beside her. They looked between Aori and Shannon for a moment, a look on their face like they were trying to hold themself together as well. "Is there anything you two need?" Corey asked, though they weren't quite sure what that would even entail at this point.
"A glass of water would be nice," Shannon said, suddenly realizing her throat was parched. "Maybe a map to the restaurant. I was running so fast, I kind of got turned around . . ." She pulled out her Pokégear in order to navigate their way through the unfamiliar streets, but her hands were shaking too badly. She swore as the device dropped to the ground. "Sorry," she mumbled as she carefully knelt down to pick the device up.
"Alright--" Corey began to reply, but then glanced down and saw the device that was on the ground with a frown. "Wait, that doesn't look like your Poké Gear; wasn't yours a different colour? Where'd you get that?"
Shannon blinked at the device. "This is . . . Ryan's." She turned it over in her hand. "Didn't he have it at the hotel? When would it have gotten in my bag . . . ?"
“Why would he put it there?” Aori asked quietly.
"He must not have wanted that other guy to get it," Shannon said. "Does that mean there's something important on it?" She turned on the device to thumb through it, only to be met with the lock screen. She looked over at Corey. "You wouldn't happen to know what password Ryan would use, do you? Maybe his birthday or something?"
"Hmmm…" Corey peered over at the screen with a small frown. It was a number lock, but they weren't quite sure what could be. "Here, lemme try his birthday first." They said as they tapped the numbers on the screen. There was a brief complaint on the screen about it being an invalid password. "I'm not too sur--" The blonde vigilante paused suddenly. "... Ryan, if it's this, that's a bad password, but…"
They chewed on their lip, then they tapped the number "1" four times. The home screen popped up. Corey stayed silent for a good while, before they glanced over at Shannon.
"It's almost like he wanted us to get into it." With renewed vigor Shannon started looking through the device for some sort of note, a recorded message, anything Ryan wouldn't want falling into the hands of that monster.
What she found was a series of messages from Miriam Shields detailing their plan for promotional propaganda or whatever it was they had agreed to do. Shannon briefly skimmed the messages, but nothing jumped out at her as critically important, outside of the fact that his Tyranitar had its powers back and could transform.
She glanced over at Corey. "I don't know why he gave us this, but I do know he'll be fine. His Tyranitar is one of the most powerful Pokémon in the world right now. And if Evan's Pokémon can do it too, then he's in good hands."
Corey frowned for a moment, then nodded. "Let's get going to the restaurant, then," they said. "We wouldn't want to make your friends worry."
Evan was running from the scene, when he heard Corey speak. He saw the trio conversing, a worried look on Shannon and Aori’s face. The mere sight of that made Evan’s heart sink. How could he break the news to them, when it was hurting him just carrying the knowledge of what may have happened to Ryan. He could only imagine what it’d do to those two. Drawing closer, he spoke. “H-hey. You alright?”
A smile broke out on Shannon's face. "See?" she said to Corey. "I told you there was nothing to worry about." Pocketing Ryan's Pokégear, she strode up to the Hero of Space. "Thank goodness you're here. Is Ryan with you?" She tried to look behind Evan, expecting to see the black-haired man coming around the corner any moment.
Evan froze at Shannon’s smile, the weight of what he was carrying growing even heavier. There was no good way to deliver it, but…..she had the right to know. “No, he’s gone.” The man said grimly, tears building up in his eyes. “He lost his arm, and insisted on staying to fight that Rocket, then he got away and I gave chase, but when I got back...he was gone…..”
"Gone? What do you mean gone? Gone where?" Shannon's head spun. She grabbed the Hero by the shoulders, her vision blurring with tears. "You said he lost an arm? Evan, what happened?!"
“I….think he’s..” Evan was choking on his feelings, not ready for what could happen next. “I think he’s dead.” The finality of his words made the Hero begin to sob. “I couldn’t find him, just h-his arm and his Tyranitar. I’m…...I’m sorry, Shannon.”
"No . . ." She clung to his jacket as she fell to her knees. "Don't say things like that! If you couldn't find him . . . that means he's still out there somewhere! A-and he's hurt! He . . . he needs our help!" Shoving the Hero aside, Shannon stumbled to her feet and started running haphazardly down the street. "Ryan!" she called desperately. "Ryan, where are you?!"
"Shannon…!" Corey called out as they bit their lip. "Evan, right? Can you keep an eye on Aori for just a minute? Please?" It looked like they were just as bad off as Shannon, but the woman running off had snapped them back to reality temporarily.
“Y-yeah.” Evan said, trying keep himself together. “I can do that…”
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Post by Konuju on Aug 7, 2019 18:39:36 GMT -8
IC: Corey Bouchard/Shannon Willows With a quick nod, the blonde ran off in the direction that Shannon had gone, their only focus at the moment being to catch up. "Shannon, stop!"
Blinded by her tears, it didn't take long for Corey to catch up to her. Shannon collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. "H-he can't be dead!" she spat. "He just c-can't!"
Corey stayed quiet as their run slowed to a halt. They clenched their fists tightly and glanced around for a moment as they approached. A few times, they opened their mouth to respond, but instead just shut their eyes tightly as they knelt down to where Shannon was wordlessly. "It… it doesn't seem real to me either…" The biggest hint was when their voice wavered mid-sentence. They began to tremble slightly too, but then opened their eyes to try and help comfort Shannon despite their own blurry vision.
"He should've gone with us . . ." Loose dirt became clenched in her fist. "Evan could've taken that man on his own. Ryan should've run away with us . . . what was he thinking?"
"I… I don't know." Corey said as they shook their head too. "I don't understand what happened either, how did any of that even happen…?" They closed their eyes again. "I don't know…"
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Post by unknownmercury on Aug 7, 2019 20:07:14 GMT -8
IC: Yamamoto Aori/Evan Tierra/Shannon Willows/Corey Bouchard
At Evan’s proclamation of Ryan’s death, Aori felt as if she had been punched in the gut. Before she could say anything, though, Shannon was running off with Corey giving chase. The girl hugged Hana tightly, trying to breathe in the soothing scent the Bulbasaur gave off. A quiet moment passed, and tears began to roll down Aori’s cheeks.
Dead. Hikari-san was dead. Aori began sobbing quietly once again.
Evan saw the young girl crying near him, making his efforts to keep steady even more arduous. The Hero was at a loss as what to say to her, so he’d do something instead. “H-hey, need a hug? I…..don’t know about you, but I could definitely use one…” The man lowered himself to Aori’s level and made a welcoming gesture, still wrestling with his emotions.
The girl hesitated for a moment; she did not know Evan very well. Still, she finally stepped forward into his embrace and wrapped her arms around him tightly. As she let herself fully cry, she buried her face in his shoulder. “I-it is not fair…” she said quietly.
“It really isn’t.” Evan said, crying along with Aori. “Ryan was such a good, and honest person. He didn’t deserve this. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He gently squeezed the girl, deciding that, after all that, there wasn’t anything more to say. He just needed….to let it all out. He’d mention Jenny when he had to.
After several minutes of silence other than the sounds of crying, Aori took a step back. She wiped her face with the backs of her hands and sniffled. “We should go find Yanagi-san and Bouchard-san,” she said. As she turned, she returned Hana and released Yuri into her arms.
“Yeah….we’d better….do that..” Evan said, as his thoughts turned to Jenny. Did she and Marie make it to the Olivine Hospital? Did Jenny suffer the same fate as Ryan? It felt like the weight of the world was on Evan’s shoulders, and he was quaking under it all. The man walked in the direction Corey and Shannon had run off in, each step feeling heavier than the last.
When Evan approached, Shannon crawled to his feet like a beggar. She looked up at him with bloodshot eyes. "You came back once before, right? You told me Dialga brought you back from the dead. Have him bring Ryan back. Please, I . . . I don't know what I'm supposed to do without him."
“I…….I can’t.” Evan said, Shannon’s desperation almost making him wish he hadn’t said anything. “Dialga is powerless right now, and even if I could….I’m not sure of what it would cost. It literally stripped years off my lifespan to bring me back……..”
"But you're here now," Shannon insisted. "Your lifespan should have ended the day you died. Every moment since you came back isn't a life cut short, but a life extended. Do you think your girlfriend would have wanted you to stay dead? Pokémon powers are starting to come back, so it's only a matter of time before Dialga's does as well. I don't care what it costs, if there's even a small chance to bring Ryan back, you have to try! I . . . I love him."
Shannon let out a small gasp. It was the first time she had said those words. Perhaps she had been too scared to admit it before, or perhaps years of isolation had simply made her numb to the strange feelings in her own heart and stomach. Was it truly love? Ryan had singlehandedly torn down the walls she had built up around herself -- he had rescued her from her own prison like a knight in shining armor. Was that all he was? A means of escape from her less than ideal life? The raw emotions boiling up inside her were impossible to decipher. She felt like she was going to be sick.
"I love him," she said again, as if saying it out loud would bring truth to her words. As her head spun in turmoil, she found herself clinging to what she knew to be true: Ryan Hikari had shown her compassion and anger, a longing to do right and a willingness to take that first step, no matter how scary it was. She looked up at Evan in agony. "He means everything to me. Without him, I'm nothing! If there's a way to bring Ryan back, and you refuse to do it – then you might as well have killed him yourself! Where were you during that fight? You knew he had been shot, so why didn't you do a better job of protecting him?!"
Evan thought of everything Shannon had said, tears burning down his cheeks. The weight of everything was crushing the man, and he wasn't sure what to say. "It's not up to me, Shannon. That is up to Dialga. If I could, I'd bring Ryan back in a heartbeat….." The man then looked Shannon in her eyes. "Jenny lost her arm too, and I sent her and Marie away to Olivine. Ryan could have went with, but he didn't. He stuck around. I regret not forcing him away from where we were…..I'm sorry."
For a moment, Shannon looked like she wanted to punch the Hero of Space in the jaw, but then her anger evaporated. She sat on the ground and buried her face in her knees. "I never got a chance to tell him," she muttered.
Surprisingly, Aori was the one to move over and hug Shannon. Her Eevee nuzzled the woman’s cheek, licking at her tears softly. “I am sorry,” Aori said softly.
Shannon looked at the young girl in surprise. This was all wrong. She should be the one comforting Aori, not the other way around. The poor kid had lost everything in a manner that really put Shannon's own problems in perspective. "I'm sorry too," Shannon said, wrapping her arms around Aori. "Ryan . . . Hikari-san . . . you really looked up to him, didn't you? Why did this have to happen . . . ?"
The girl swallowed, shaking her head. “I do not know.” She squeezed Shannon tightly, shaking. “What do we do now?”
“I…..I need to get to Olivine. I sent Jenny there when she lost her arm and she’s got her anemia to worry about on top of losing her arm and…” The man trailed off, the mention of her anemia chilling his own blood. What if she had less time than Ryan? The mere thought made the man feel like he was made of lead, on top of everything else.
Aori nodded. “Yes. Hikari-san… Ryan would want us to keep moving, too.” She reached down and grabbed Shannon’s hand tightly. “It is hard, but we have to go…”
A part of her didn't want to go. Moving on meant accepting that Ryan was really dead. If she stayed in this alley, she could still cling to the hope that Evan had been mistaken, that Ryan would walk around the corner any moment with that silly smile on his face. But if she left, she would have to face harsh reality.
Aori's hand squeezed her own. The young girl pulled gently yet firmly. Still, Shannon resisted. She clung to the ground like a stubborn child.
"Shannon…" Corey wanted to say something to try and help her move, but nothing they could think of seemed like it would help at all. While this brought back memories of Goldenrod, there were so many differences that there was nothing that worked. They opened their mouth again to say something, but then closed it again.
It was then that Shannon's Pokégear rang. Not the one she had gotten from Ryan, but her own. With one arm still in Aori's grip, she awkwardly fumbled for the device. "Shannon, where are you?!" Alice's face appeared on the screen full of concern. "Our reservation was thirty minutes ago!"
Shannon stared at her friend with distant eyes. "We're . . . not gonna make it," she mumbled.
"Why? Tell me what happened." When Shannon didn't respond, Alice brought her face closer to the camera. "Shannon Willows, you tell me what's happening this instant!"
The authority in Alice's voice shocked Shannon out of her stupor. "I . . . Ryan, he . . ." That was as far as she got before she broke down once again.
"... We got attacked. It… it didn't go well." Corey didn't want to say it out loud any more than the others, but left the implications hanging in the air.
Alice seemed to put two and two together. "Send me your location," she said in a gentle voice. "We'll be right there."
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Post by Parugi on Aug 8, 2019 9:41:25 GMT -8
IC: Dahlia Seaton/Klim Prizak - Looker Bureau, Lumiose CityLike the Flare Scientist before her, Dahlia made no move towards her Pokéballs. "Allow me to introduce myself," she said as her eyes began to glow. "My name is Dahlia, Chosen Hero of Reverse. And unfortunately for you, I don't take kindly to those who prey on the innocent. The detective here has already suffered enough at your hands!" Memories of her kidnapping by Alistair flashed through her mind. She had spent six out of the past eight months as his unwilling prisoner. All of the pain and turmoil associated with those memories fueled her powers. Emma Matiere had suffered a similar fate all those years ago, but now the detective's abusers were back. Dahlia didn't care what excuse these scientists came up with. They had long passed the point of forgiveness. Extending her hands, Dahlia reversed the senses of the two scientists and their Druddigon. Up became down, left became right. Sounds came at an inverse frequency. Their sense of touch became likewise altered, smooth becoming rough and vice versa. All in all, the effect was mind-bogglingly disorienting. While Dahlia attacked, Klim noticed Moriarty slip into the shadows. The Dusknoir would try to find Detective Matiere while the scientists were distracted. With a subtle nod at his Pokémon, Klim leaned toward Olivia. "It seems like they have more Pokémon than just that Druddigon," he said, eyes darting all around. "Be ready for anything." IC - Olivia Seaton - North Boulevard, Lumiose City:"Don't gotta tell me twice," Olivia muttered. She'd barely finished the sentence when a low growl rumbled from beneath a nearby desk; she turned just in time to push Klim out of the way as an angry Mightyena pounced from the darkness, jaws clacking against the air where they had just barely been standing. The Rocket Agent rolled over, quickly pulling Toxin's Poké Ball from her belt and releasing the Toxicroak on top of the Dark-Type's position. With a poisonous grin, the Toxic Mouth Pokémon pulled a hand back, rapidly jabbing his arm spike into the enemy Pokémon's back. Shade had just begun to move forward for an assist when the ground beneath him began to shake. He leaped sideways just in time to avoid an explosion of tile and dirt as a Diggersby erupted from the floor, fist-like ears flailing. The tips of Shade's claws dragged against the ground, carving inch-deep trails into the floor, before he kicked off and aimed a hard slash straight at the Ground-Type's face. ---[President]--- (President’s Office, Lumiose City, Kalos, August 13th, 2017, 12:00 A.M.) Lionel opened the door. The President’s sitting room was lavishly furnished, a luxurious couch and two plush armchairs arranged around three sides of a large oval coffee table, a Kalosian flag set in a tasteful glass vase set atop it. Set between the two large, open windows on either side of the room were a pair of wooden bureaus, one of which housed a stylish high-end coffeemaker familiar to anyone who had visited the private portion of Shabboneau Castle. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves covered the majority of the other walls, save for a single door leading into the actual office portion of the Presidential Office. The door that was, at the moment, hanging barely ajar, with a bald silhouette poised before it. “Chalmers!” Lionel barked. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” The white-suited man turned slowly to face them. Akamaro Chalmers gave the intruders a cold grin, his calm demeanor somehow offsetting the ostentatious style of his Flare Admin uniform. “Well, well, well. What a surprise! Perhaps we were wrong to dismiss you so hastily, Mr. Zyther. You’re clearly more capable than any of us first believed, even if you’re only working off of the basis of work others have done for you.” Lionel ignored the barb, slowly crossing his arms as he took a step towards the traitorous Vice-President. “Step away from the President’s office,” he ordered. Akamaro pretended to consider the order. “Now why on earth would I do that? That seems…” The man trailed off as he spotted the hold-out pistol Lionel had withdrawn from an inner pocket of his suit. Lionel smirked. “Does that answer your question?” IC - Lucia Zyther - President’s Office, Lumiose City:It took about five seconds for the implications of the current situation to dawn on Lucia. As her father exchanged barbs with Chalmers, she moved to flank the vice-president, trying to peer past him and into the room. Realizing the futility of this, she opted instead to send out her Meganium right beside Chalmers. The sudden appearance of Megana distracted him (and probably Lionel, as well), but that surprise provided plenty of opportunity for the large Grass-Type sauropod to grab Chalmers by the shoulder and throw him to the ground, pinning him there underfoot. "Jamie!" Lucia called urgently, hurrying past the man and into the doorway. Though the pit in her stomach told her exactly what she was about to find, a part of her hoped against hope that she wouldn't find a corpse, but a still-living, if battered, Kalosian President . . .
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Post by unknownmercury on Aug 12, 2019 12:20:26 GMT -8
IC: Aspen Seaton - Alamo
Aspen hit the ground and rolled, tucking in his shoulder so he managed to land... well, he landed on his back, but that was far better than landing flat on his face. He groaned softly as a black paw appeared near his face. Slowly, he reached up and took it, letting Aria haul him to his feet. His leg twinged a bit, but it didn't hurt. He'd just had a checkup, and the doctor said it looked fine for walking and moderate exercise. This counted as "moderate," Aspen was pretty sure.
"Again," he said, and Aria nodded. She took two steps back and dropped into a low stance. Aspen took his own stance, something he'd learned in the basic training every Liberty Agent got. As he came in and tried to figure out where to punch, he reflected that not many people would keep up the physical training once they were out of Basic. Nobody had ever thought that Pokémon powers would just vanish one day. Nobody had thought they'd ever be in a fight without their Pokémon doing the fighting.
(Okay, probably a lot of people had thought that, but those were the exception, not the rule. Most people wouldn't think that, and most people wouldn't keep up on their physical training.)
Aspen had something to prove. That Rocket lady with the Conkeldurr had sparred with her Pokémon. Lachina had said Jared trained with his Lucario. Xander... Xander didn't do physical training with his team, but Sylph had taught him to be psychic. Who knew what Chloe and Ryan, Dahlia, Evan and Jenny, had gotten up to while Aspen had been lying in a bed moping that his leg was broken.
Aspen threw a punch, then another. Aria deflect both, then grabbed him. She twisted, and Aspen was flying up and over her shoulder.
Aspen hit the ground and rolled, managing to end up sitting instead of lying on his back.
"Again."
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flipz
Technician
Posts: 56
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Post by flipz on Aug 13, 2019 0:00:05 GMT -8
---[President]--- (President’s Office, Lumiose City, Kalos, August 13th, 2017, 12:00 A.M.)
Several things occurred in short succession. Though the shock of the Meganium’s appearance indeed startled Lionel, for the Flare Admin it was exactly the opportunity he’d been waiting for. A window shattered, showering the room in shards of glass, as an enormous Braviary careened into the Meganium, the incredible impact throwing the weighty Grass-type into the other window, a spiderweb of cracks shooting out from the collision. Chalmers leaped to his feet, none the worse for wear, and lunged for Lionel. Still startled by the sudden action, Lionel lost his grip on his gun, the weapon clattering out of Lionel’s hands and sliding along the floor to Jamie and Alex’s feet. The latter, near-paralyzed by fear, went for a Pokéball, but froze once more as the situation unfolded before them: somehow, in a matter of seconds, Chalmers had wrestled their father into a chokehold, the Flare Admin’s own gun pointed directly at Lionel’s head.
“Now, Miss Zyther,” the man called out, somehow aware of Lucia’s actions behind him, “perhaps you ought to reconsider any other drastic behavior you have planned.” He turned his head to look at her, keeping Lionel between himself and the others. “After all, it would be a shame to have to kill your brilliant stepfather before our leader can put his brilliance to good use, now wouldn’t it?”
---[Detective]--- (Looker Bureau, Lumiose City, Kalos, August 12th, 2017, 11:24 P.M.)
The effect on the scientists was instantaneous, both crying out in pain and dismay as their bodies utterly betrayed them. “Aliana!” the blue-haired scientist complained, “Why’d you have to go and reuse the spiel from the last time we failed?”
Aliana did not bother to reply. Instead, she -- with substantial difficulty -- reached up to her visor, adjusting its display to accommodate her altered perception. “A worthy opponent,” she acknowledged coldly. She did not follow the complement with an insult. Not trusting her body, she remained stock-still as she shouted out her commands. “Druddigon, down. Mightyena, roll. Mable… please attempt to accomplish something useful.”
While the blue-haired scientist failed to follow her associate’s orders, the Pokémon did their best to comply. The Druddigon attempted to dive, but instead found itself leaping into the air. A moment later, the Mightyena and its Toxicroak passenger rolled beneath the Dragon-type, the latter positioned perfectly below as the Druddigon reached the apex of its arc…
The Diggersby reached out its left ear, palm-first, to push back the Weavile by the face. It flinched as the razor-sharp claw tore into flesh, but the block had at least averted a more serious injury. Taking the initiative, the Normal-type attempted to turn its block into a grip, lacing its ear-fingers into the Dark-type’s feathery headdress as it made to retreat underground with its prey…
The Looker Bureau was not a large facility, consisting as it did of a single room divided only by fabric barriers. As such, it did not take Moriarty long to discover the absence of its ordinary occupant, nor the open window that had allowed her egress. However, as he investigated the opened cabinet nearby and the discarded padlock on the floor next to it, he became aware of an eerie presence that was not its own. The next moment, something had reached through the floor, grasping arm gripping the Ghost-type tightly and dragging it towards the darkness…
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Post by Konuju on Aug 13, 2019 15:41:53 GMT -8
IC: Dahlia Seaton/Klim Prizak - Looker Bureau, Lumiose City As a ghost-type, Moriarty was used to phasing through walls, floors, and ceilings. And so when a disembodied arm rose from the floor to grab him, the Dusknoir did not panic as others might have. Instead, he clenched his hand into a fist and flew down into the ground to deliver a ghostly punch to whatever waited at the other end of the arm.
A worthy opponent. Dahlia scoffed. "Small praise coming from a couple of punk-haired fashion disasters." The Heroine of Reverse abruptly cut off her powers, returning the scientists' senses to normal. She grabbed two Pokéballs -- one in each hand -- and hurled them at their respective targets.
Dracos emerged next to Toxin and the Mightyena. Rather than target the dark-type, however, the Dragonair used its momentum to fling itself toward the incoming Druddigon. As he approached the enemy dragon, Dracos's body began to glow. The already-cramped office building became even more stuffed as the massive form of a Dragonite took shape. Propelled forward by his new form, Dracos slammed into the Druddigon, changing its trajectory away from Toxin.
Asriel emerged in front of the two Flare Scientists, still recovering from the effects of Dahlia's powers. The Absol's scythe gleamed in the darkness as he pounced toward the blue-haired woman. While the scientist's visor prevented him from gouging out an eye like he'd done with McKinley, her ear was left completely vulnerable.
While this was going on, Dahlia looked toward the Diggersby and concentrated her powers into a single burst. A simple momentum reversal was all it took to keep the rabbit from vanishing underground with its prize.
"Dahlia!" Klim cried as the battle grew more chaotic. "Remember what I showed you!"
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alku
Technician
Posts: 62
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Post by alku on Aug 13, 2019 16:01:33 GMT -8
IC: Yamamoto Aori/Evan Tierra/Shannon Willows/Corey Bouchard
With Alice's prodding, the group had gotten Shannon off the ground and brought her back to the hotel. The sight of Ryan's bag brought fresh tears to Shannon's eyes. While Lauren, Caroline, and Aori tried their best to comfort her, Alice paced around in the next room listening to Corey and Evan explain the full story.
"So you're going to Olivine." Alice cast an eye to the adjoining room where Shannon lay. "I'll admit, it's a bit unnerving to see that girl so shaken. I know I haven't seen her in years, but she was always so energetic and cheerful. To be honest, I'm not sure if she'll be up for a trip to Olivine right now." She glanced between Corey and Evan. "Either of you been to Olivine before?"
"... A lot, back before I ran away." Corey said with a nod. "Evan passed through there earlier today, from the sound of it."
"So you know your way around town. That's good." Alice let out a sigh of relief. "You're checking on Jenny and looking for the kid's parents, right? Listen, don't worry about Shannon. She's been through a lot, but Lauren, Caroline and I know her better than anyone. She'll be in good hands while you're gone. What do you say?"
Corey hesitated for a moment at that suggestion. They weren't sure how good that actually was, but Alice's certainty seemed reassuring at the least. Plus, they had to admit that Alice had a point; the three friends knew Shannon better than anyone in their group right now. "... I guess that probably makes the most sense…"
Alice nodded. "Then it's decided." She walked over to the next room and placed a hand on Shannon's shoulder. "Listen, Shannon . . . Corey and Evan will take things from here. They can take the kid to Olivine on their own. The rest of us are here for you. Don't try to push yourself. Things like this . . . they take time to heal. So whatever you need, you can count on us."
Shannon looked up at her friend, her cheeks stained with dried tears. She managed a nod, but when she tried to speak her lip quivered. All she could do was wrap her arms around Alice.
"Hey, if it's just you, you're welcome to stay at my place," Lauren offered. "That way you don't have to keep paying for a four-person hotel room."
Aori frowned softly, looking at Evan and Corey quietly. Slowly, she reached up to tug Shannon’s shirt. When the woman knelt to see what she needed, Aori shook her head. “I… do not want to go with them,” she said quietly.
Shannon stared at her, unsure what to say. "I . . . no, you have to go," she managed. "Th-they're going to help you find your parents. You don't need to worry about me . . . I'll . . . I'll be fine." Even as she gave a halfhearted smile, Shannon could feel the tears welling back up in her eyes.
Aori shook her head. “I do not know them,” she said. “I know you.”
"It's okay," Lauren said, kneeling next to the two girls. "There's enough room at my place for both of you. Evan and Corey can just bring Aori's parents here once they find them, right?"
"I can't thank you enough, Lauren." Shannon wiped at her eyes. "But I have to go to Olivine with Aori."
"Don't push yourself, Shan." Caroline looked at her friend in concern. "No one will think any less of you if you need some time to recover."
Shannon shook her head and took a deep breath. "Ryan . . . he wouldn't want me wallowing in pity. The two of us made a promise to help Aori find her parents. If I can't even do that . . ." She ran a hand through her hair, twisting the blonde locks through her fingers. "No. I have to do this. Like Aori said, even if it hurts, we have to keep going. I made a promise, and I won't go back on it."
The girl hugged Shannon softly. “Thank you. I just would be uncomfortable alone with them.”
"I'm sorry, Aori," Shannon said, patting the girl's back. "I promise to be strong for you . . ."
“You do not need to be. You can cry if you need to.” At Aori's permission, Shannon tightened their embrace and wept into the girl's shoulder.
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Post by Parugi on Aug 13, 2019 18:25:30 GMT -8
IC - Lucia Zyther (Megara) - President’s Office, Lumiose City:
"Shit!"
A cascade of exploding glass followed by a flurry of feathers--and an all-around deterioration of the situation in a matter of seconds, not unrelated to her actions essentially backfiring on her in spectacular fashion--was more than enough to prompt the expletive. Now Megara was pushed against a wall by what Lucia could only describe as a larger-than-average Braviary that had gone unnoticed outside, she was stuck in a doorway with an unresponsive occupant on the other side, and Chalmers had Lionel in a choke-hold with a gun primed to kill. She brushed the glass flakes off of her clothes and out of her pockets before reluctantly raising her hands, blinking away the blood from a glass-induced cut above her eye.
The situation had rapidly spiraled out of control. But, he was still talking. They needed to keep it that way.
"Your leader is interested in using him?" Lucia replied, forcing her voice to stay even. "That's good to know. How's he going to react when he finds out you've killed him?"
Not her best argument, admittedly, but that was beside the point. A giant bird had just exploded through a window directly into the Kalosian President's office. If that didn't catch the attention of the security personnel in the building and surrounding area, well . . . Lucia would have some rather strong words for whoever had put together the president's security detail, in that case.
IC - Olivia Seaton (Shade, Toxin) - North Boulevard, Lumiose City:
It was good that Dahlia had taken point on responding to the Flare scientists, because Olivia was currently out of snappy comebacks. She fell back against the wall, scanning the field for any openings she could find. Moriarty was nowhere to be found--in any case, she wouldn't know how to help him if she could. The Druddigon was occupied, grappling with the newly-evolved Dracos. As a consequence, Toxin was out of immediate danger; the Toxicroak seemed to have taken their prior talks to heart, as he tore relentlessly at the Mightyena that had rolled over him. A benefit of that particular move? He was able to wrap his legs around the Dark-Type, pinning it on its back where they lay.
That just left Shade. Dahlia's intervention prevented whatever gruesome fate the Diggersby had planned for him beneath the earth. Try as the Weavile might, however, he could not break free from the physically-stronger rabbit's grip--and it was starting to push through Dahlia's influence. It was a desperate situation and, for the first time in a long time, Shade was beginning to panic--something Olivia felt deep in her rapidly-beating heart.
Without thinking, she fumbled for another Poké Ball, dropping the first one she unclipped and swearing loudly as she pulled out a second, hurling it forward on pure instinct. The elegant form of Amethyst materialized on the field--shocked to have been picked, but instinctively picking up on the terror gripping both her trainer and her teammate. She looked to Shade, then helplessly to Olivia, meeting her eye.
"Am--do something!"
In that moment, time seemed to crawl to a standstill, and it was like a wall had broken, crumbling within Amethyst. Rainbow light consumed her very being, before shattering into glittering lights that dissipated in the space around them. When she emerged again, her body had transformed, appearing as if in a black dress highlighted with white. Her spiky ears had elongated, and the spike on her chest had split into two. A wave of energy swept across the entire room, cutting the action to a sudden halt as all eyes turned to the bewildered Gardevoir and her trainer.
Amethyst stared at her hands for a moment, before turning her head, slowly, to face Mable and Aliana. A devilish smile crossed her lips. Woops.
In a whirling storm of black and white, she focused psychic energy through her hands, the power visibly sparking between her fingertips. She focused on the Diggersby, ripping the Ground-Type from the earth and holding it in the air. She forced its hand open, releasing Shade and waiting until the Sharp Claw Pokémon had returned to her side before sending the Diggersby careening toward Aliana.
Olivia watched this display, awestruck and--admittedly--shocked that she had managed to achieve this strange new form of evolution. She looked to Klim and Dahlia, as if to reassure herself that this was real. They seemed focused on something else, however: As she watched, Klim whistled to Dahlia, twisting open a water bottle from his bag and hurling the contents in an arc above Aliana and Mable. Instantly, Olivia snapped to focus--not so much from the action itself, but rather from the conversation it brought to mind. Amethyst sensed this, too, synchronizing with her trainer's thoughts and turning to face the water spray. She raised a hand, holding her focus and preparing . . .
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Post by minun4 on Aug 13, 2019 20:52:16 GMT -8
IC: Jamie Arthur - President's Office
Jamie hadn't been able to decide how to react. She hadn't wanted to upset Lionel's advantage, so she didn't throw out Tristan the way that Lucia had thrown out her Meganium. But now she felt that she had taken too long to act. Her hand was firmly on Tristan's Great Ball, but letting him out would certainly get Lionel shot. She noticed the gun on the ground slide into her foot.
Her eyes turned back towards Chalmers. This was her moment. She had to force time to freeze. If she could just freeze Chalmers in time, they could save Lucia's dad and save the day. She was a Hero. She could save Lionel and beat the bad guy. She held one hand in front of her face, palm facing towards Chalmers, so he couldn't see what she was about to do.
"Time will freeze," she whispered so Chalmers couldn't hear.
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Post by unknownmercury on Aug 13, 2019 22:34:33 GMT -8
IC: Aspen Seaton - Outside Training Area, Alamo, Four Island
Aspen blocked in the way Aria had showed him, knocking her palm strike to the side rather than letting it slam into his chest. As Aria stumbled from the redirected attack, Aspen twisted, his other fist coming around in a punch to the side. As it struck, Aria shifted her weight. "Rolling with the punch," that was called. Most people couldn't actually do that. It took years of proper instruction for someone to learn how to actually shift their weight so that they moved with a punch and caused it to be less effective.
Still, it was a minor victory that Aspen had gotten a punch in at all. Even with Aria going easy on him, she wasn't going easy. Holding back, sure, but not letting him win.
So proud of this little victory was he, that he utterly failed to notice her leg coming around at ankle level. Her foot hooked around his ankle, shifted, and Aspen was falling backwards. His arms came out to catch himself like he'd been taught, like he'd relearned. It was unnecessary. Just before he hit the ground, a paw caught him by the collar of his shirt. The other paw grabbed one of his hands and leveraged, pulling him fully back to his feet.
The two looked at each other for a long moment. Aspen sighed. "Thank you." The Lucario nodded, and Aspen grabbed her shoulder lightly. "Let's take a break. I want to talk with you." Aria looked skeptical, but nodded.
---
A quick run to the vending machine (actually, a brisk walk to the vending machine, running would have been too much for his entire body, especially his leg) and Aspen sat down with a bottle of water, a couple of energy bars, and some of the spicy Pokémon treats that Aria seemed to prefer. As they began eating, Aspen considered Aria.
"I'm sorry," he said finally, "for blowing up on you after the battle with Xander and Sylph." Aria's head snapped up to look at him, eyes widening a bit. "I'm not saying you were right to do what you did -- you really, really weren't -- but I shouldn't have shouted at you. Or threatened you. That wasn't right at all."
Aria shrugged, looking away. Aspen sighed. "I just... Xander seems like a nice guy, and he was really pissed off. I want to be friends with him, and I was worried you were going to jeopardize that. But, he wouldn't blame me for it, and I shouldn't have jeopardized my own relationship with you to try and avoid it." Aspen took a sip from his water, making a face at the plasticy after-taste from the bottle.
"I don't understand you, sometimes, Aria. I don't always like you, and I know you don't always like me. We... We don't get along even most of the time, let alone all of the time." Aria nodded, and Aspen sighed softly. "I want us to try harder, though. You're a part of my team, and so we have to be able to rely on each other. Even if we disagree on things, even if we upset each other somehow, we still need to be able to push differences aside and work together, right?" Another nod brought a small smile to Aspen's face.
"I wouldn't mind learning more fighting from you. Make it an every-day thing, maybe bring in Flare, Meadow, and the others?" Aria nodded a third time, and Aspen nodded back. "Cool. Thanks." So saying, he tore open one of the energy bars. "If I asked you to apologize to Sylph and Xander, would you?"
Aria scowled, looking away again. A moment later, she nodded once again. Aspen didn't say anything else, just ate his snack quietly. A few minutes later, the two stood and went inside.
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flipz
Technician
Posts: 56
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Post by flipz on Aug 14, 2019 1:32:34 GMT -8
---[Sycamore]--- (Sycamore’s Lab, Lumiose City, Kalos, August 12th, 2017, 11:15 PM)
Amelia’s eyes widened as she took in the sight before her. Her gun was out, practically by reflex, as was Sina’s now-deploying Pokéball, definitely by reflex. Her conscious mind, however, felt practically frozen as a thousand thoughts raced through it. “…Lex??”
The man casually choking Kalos’ premiere Pokémon Professor turned his head and snorted, and Amelia instantly recognized her mistake. This was not the alternate-universe Alex they had faced in Team Flare’s twisted reality; this was something else, something… inhuman. A shudder ran down her spine, the same sensation of apprehension she’d felt when she’d first laid eyes on Alex. Something in the back of her mind clicked in realization, but the rest of her was too transfixed by the sight before her to register. The intruder’s silhouette was familiar, yet twisted, the jagged hairstyle fitting for the rage-filled eyes glaring back at them, completely cyan pupils and irises contrasting sharply with the blood-red sclerae.
While all of the adults were staring, trying to figure out what to do, Alma acted. “Unhand him!” she shouted -- Alma Mason shouted -- and sent two knives spinning through the air towards the person holding Sycamore by the throat.
That was all that was necessary for Jared to act again. He rushed forward, and a blade of silver and maroon aura sliced out. The attack, in conjunction with the two knives, caused the figure to release Sycamore again, the professor landing heavily on the remains of his oaken desk.
Belle charged forward, then, trying to tackle the mysterious man to the ground. She wasn’t much of a hand-to-hand fighter, but she could beat someone to a pulp if she could get them to the ground.
This, of course, did not account for a supernaturally-empowered opponent. The mysterious man braced himself for Belle’s charge and caught her by the shoulders. Immediately, a dark aura poured out of the points of contact, the wounds inflicted by Alma and Jared’s blades closing themselves as Belle cried out in pain.
“Belle!” Amelia screamed. A shot rang out, and the man stumbled back, a bullet wound appearing in his shoulder as the energy dissipated as quickly as it had appeared; it took her a moment to recognize the shot had been her own. A moment later, Sina was between Belle and the… thing, razor-sharp claws driving it back. A hand reached out and caught the Sneasel’s arm, the bullet wound disappearing as well now, but Sina didn’t seem to care, lashing out with her free claw and forcing the intruder to release her. She snarled in threat, but held back, awaiting a Trainer’s command to continue.
Jared/Mercury slashed out again, the blade of aura scoring a shallow mark across the opponent’s chest. The being actually flinched from the attack, leveling the Aura-wielder a hateful glare even as he released a striped black-and-gray Charizard from its ball, the Pokémon roaring in challenge even as its Trainer smirked smugly.
---[League]--- (Kalos Pokémon League Headquarters, Kalos, August 13th, 2017, 12:01 A.M.)
Serena had, as befitting a Champion of her station, already sent out her Delphox, Absol, and Sylveon, commanding the trio from atop her Altaria in an attempt to keep herself out of harm’s way. The Fairy-type, Fire-type, and Dark-type all worked in perfectly-directed unison, the first grappling an opponent with its feelers and throwing it to the second, who made use of its size to shoulder-check it into the air just in time for the third to slash it savagely to the ground. The Toxicroak sprang back to its feet afterward, but both it and its Trainer regarded their opponent much more warily as they attempted to outmaneuver rather than overpower.
Elaine was momentarily transfixed, fumbling her own Pokéball as an enemy Manectric came charging for her. The Comfey inside emerged in a burst of light and, seeing her Trainer’s peril, immediately wrapped herself around the Manectric’s paw and pulling with all her strength. The Comfey was soon sent flying, but the desperate move had given Elaine just enough time to step back and deploy her Aromatisse as well, with Serena directing her Delphox away from its partners as well to provide aid. The Professor shot the Champion a worried look, but the latter shook her head, and there was no further time for Elaine to argue. The Manectric bit at the Aromatisse, but got only a mouthful of feathers for its trouble as the Fairy-type spun away, releasing what repellant scents it could to discourage the Electric-type from attempting a repetition.
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Post by unknownmercury on Aug 14, 2019 1:52:58 GMT -8
---[Sycamore]--- (Sycamore’s Lab, Lumiose City, Kalos, 11:22 PM)
Seeing an angry fire-breathing creature appear near him, Jared took a mental step back. It wasn’t a culpability issue -- Jared would have no qualms killing this Charizard or this Xander imposter -- but rather an issue of pure aggression. Jared had always tempered his anger and his fighting style was not overly aggressive.
Mercury, on the other hand, had no limits in place. Silver light disappeared, becoming a mere sliver at the edge of blood red. The man -- the second personality, whatever had broken off of Jared years ago -- gave a twisted grin. He punched out, his blade cutting into the Charizard and sticking. Maroon light surrounded the two, and Mercury seemed to straighten up as the Charizard weakened.
”Two can play this game, boy. Wanna see which one of us does it better?” He pulled his blade free, leaving a gaping, bleeding wound in the Charizard’s side and leaving the Fire type to recover as he stepped closer to the enemy.
Belle stared in horror. So, this was what had haunted Jared back in Vermilion. She didn’t know the boy or his friends well, but she had a feeling they wouldn’t like this. She scrambled back as the Charizard turned to look at her.
Amelia had no such qualms. She sent out her other Pokémon -- deliberately deploying Harvey between the Charizard and Belle -- and gave Sina the crucial order.
“Kill.”
Sina didn’t hesitate. Even as Jared advanced on the man, the Sneasel slid underfoot, launching herself at the intruder’s throat. She felt the satisfying snikt of claw through flesh--
Which made it all the more unexpected when the enemy failed to fall. Hands reached out to Sina and Mercury both, draining energy sapping away (if admittedly less so than from the previous targets) to seal the wounds even as the Dark-type lashed out again and again. Open-closed, open-closed -- the man should have been solid scar tissue, even with his absurd healing factor, and yet he seemed to be growing stronger and stronger as she grew weaker and weaker.
Sina couldn’t accept this. She wouldn’t. Her Trainer needed her, needed her to succeed, and she would not leave her undefended in the presence of this… this predator. It was not the kind she most feared, of course, but this being screamed out to her instincts as a creature of consumption, a killer like herself. She would not fall to it -- she refused…!
The Sneasel gripped the Razor Claw tightly, the gift her Trainer had received from her sibling, the symbol of her counterpart’s strength. That strength would be hers one day, power held for use at her favorite human’s whim, and she could not fall here. If she had that power… if she could just achieve the strength she knew she could one day possess…
A white light filled the room, the Sneasel glowing brightly as her body began to change. The claw changed too, shifting and melding into Sina’s new form. Its power was now a part of her, and she was not about to waste it. With a burst of strength as the light began to dwindle, Sina kicked her enemy away, the wall behind him cracking with the force of impact.
Sina’s struggle was not the only one, however. Uncaring of Amelia’s implied threat, the Charizard had stomped threateningly toward Belle, casually swatting the interposing Larvitar away as it continued its advance. To its consternation, however, the Rock-type had somehow reappeared in its path, and it again brushed it aside… only to be opposed again mere moments later. The Charizard roared its displeasure, deciding now to change his target. He slammed a leg atop the little green Pokémon, putting more and more weight on the lizard in an attempt to dispose of it once and for all.
Harvey refused to give in. He knew the Trainer his Trainer had asked him to protect, knew Belle was a capable ally and a valued partner. He was a mere rookie, whereas Belle was one of the most important allies Amelia had. He had been unable to defend his allies before, finding himself utterly manhandled by his previous opponent; he refused to repeat the same failures twice. If he could only… stand up… to the pressure…
A white light filled the room, the Larvitar glowing brightly as his body began to change. Startled and unbalanced, the Charizard was thrown backward, tail flame igniting fallen papers as it staggered from the blinding brightness. The mix of white and amber light swirled, and when the former finally faded a rocky violet cocoon stood where once had been flesh and scale.
Harvey blinked slowly as he took in his new form. It was… strange, to say the least. He was used to nimbleness and obscurity from his small size, two traits that had not transferred to him as a Pupitar. Still, he had his training, and his Trainer as well. He would be the wall that held back the world, and he would learn to protect them no matter what it took.
In that moment where the Charizard hesitated, Belle composed herself. The office wasn’t overly large, but still, it had enough room for her to send out her two oldest friends. A Dragonite flew over Harvery, giving the Pupitar a brief nod as she passed to slam into the Charizard. A Metagross landed beside the newly-evolved Harvey and gave a growl of congratulations as he stomped on burning papers.
Mercury chuckled as he felt the person trying to sap the life out of him. His own hand came up to grasp the wrist of the hand holding him. ”My turn.” With those two words, he took back what the man with the twisted darkened aura had taken, and then some. He held tightly, fingers digging in as the boy struggled against his grip. ”What, you don’t like it? But I’m only giving you a taste of your own medicine.”
Through it all, Alma watched in silence. Shadow could possibly contribute, but he felt uneasy about the Trainer across the room. Something about him resonated wrongly with the Gengar. For now, Alma would wait. Her role in this would come after they had defeated their foe.
---[League]--- (Kalos Pokémon League Headquarters, 12:01 AM)
Calem’s Chesnaught was going toe to toe with a Graveler. The rock-type was highly resistant to the simple punches that Ches was producing, but that didn’t seem to be concerning the grass-type. He kept hammering away, knowing that keeping the Graveler’s attention kept it from attacking other, weaker Pokémon.
James whistled, and Inigo and Shere moved in formation, flanking the other of that Trainer’s Pokémon, a Pyroar who couldn’t keep both in line of sight as they circled around. The leonid creature roared and lunged at Shere Khan, claws flashing out to score the Arcanine’s face. As Shere yelped and pulled back, Inigo struck, blades flashing and returning the favor to the Pyroar’s side.
A Liepard took the hit from Swampert’s reckless charge, and that drew the attention of a Diggersby and Lopunny who both lunged for the Water-type. The Diggersby slammed its fist-like ears out to catch the Swampert’s shoulders, skidding back for a second as the momentum came to a halt. The Lopunny came in from the side, kicking rapidly at the now-immobile Pokémon.
As Absol came forward, the Flare agent snapped, and a pair of Pokémon sprang forward, snarling in response to the threat. A Nidorino and Nidorina, a matched pair facing down a single opponent. They attacked, the Nidorino rushing forward with his horn lowered while the Nidorina swiped with her claws to drive the Absol back.
Ronin and Astrape were running circles around their two opponents, a lumbering Machoke and an even slower Slaking. While Astrape wasn’t doing much damage, she made for an excellent distractor, getting into her opponent’s guards and scoring small hits before darting out of their reach.
That ended when the Accelgor struck. It appeared as if from nowhere, sending Astrape sprawling across the floor as she attempted to run back from the Slaking once more. Ronin quickly interposed himself, but this left his back to the others, which was dangerous. His claws shot out in unison, but neither hit as the Accelgor seemed to vanish the instant before the attacks hit.
Around the group, similar battles raged on. As James had warned, these were the best of the best sent by Lysandre to defeat the Pokémon League.
“We have to get through those doors!” he shouted. “Don’t worry about actually beating these guys, just make an opening and get through!”
The trouble with shouting your plans was that your enemies heard. A moment later, the whole dynamic of the room had shifted, and Flare agents seemed to interpose themselves more fully between the Cruize-Lockwood family and the doors to the Elite Four quarters.
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alku
Technician
Posts: 62
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Post by alku on Aug 14, 2019 8:47:34 GMT -8
IC: Yammoto Aori/Evan Tierra/Shannon Willows/Corey Bouchard - Olivine City
Aori held tightly to Shannon’s hand as they entered the large port city. Even compared to Vermilion, Olivine was a massive place, and Aori knew that if she got separated here, there was a very real chance she would never be found.
“How are we going to find them?” she asked, doing her best to speak up for the adults.
“We head to the hospital.” Evan said, a determined look on his face, as he led the group on. “I sent them in front of it with one of my portals. Hopefully that gave enough time for them to get Jenny taken care of.”
A sudden empathy overcame Shannon as she saw the look in Evan's eyes. She recognized all too well that stubborn hope, that refusal to believe anything bad could happen to the one person he cared about most. But she also knew that Jenny could be just as dead as Ryan. The frailty of life became brutally apparent.
"Of course she's alright." The words felt empty, but Shannon didn't have it in her to suggest otherwise. "You sent her to the best place you could." A bitter edge crept into her tone, almost unnoticeable but present nonetheless. That very same portal could have saved Ryan. It was best not to think about it.
“You’re right.” Evan said, as he led the group further towards the Hospital. “She had Marie with her. She’ll be alright.”
Quickly, the four headed towards the hospital. When the group got closer, Evan stopped in his tracks. “Say, everyone? Do you all mind…...if I go check on Jenny myself?” The man said, trying to stay emotionally anchored. “It’s more if things did go bad, I’m sure that I’ll fall apart….”
"They didn't." All eyes turned to the exhausted-looking blonde woman who had just walked out of the hospital. "Right now she's still in recovery or whatever the room is called, but…" Marie slumped against the frame of the door, her eyes seeming red and bloodshot. "She seems to have made it through the worst."
“She…..she did?” Evan said, feeling a weight drop off his shoulders as he fell to his knees as he suddenly felt the urge to cry in gratitude. “I…..I have to see her. I’m not sure if she needs me there but...I need to see her for myself..”
Shannon managed a smile. "Go," she told the Hero of Space. "We'll be fine out here. Being stuck in a hospital bed can get pretty boring after a while, so I'm sure seeing you will brighten her day."
Evan faced Shannon and nodded. As he drew close to the door, he went up to Marie, and gave her a hug. “Thank you so much.” The man said, tears of joy shimmering down his cheeks. “She means the world to me, and I’m so glad you two got here in time.”
"You're welcome…" Marie managed to say, though it seemed like she was on the verge of collapse as well. "I'm glad we did too…"
Evan let Marie go, and walked into the hospital, wiping away his tears as he did so.
Shannon looked over at the unfamiliar girl. "Marie, right? Want to sit down inside?"
"That probably… would be best." Marie nodded tiredly as she felt herself about to yawn and quickly stifled it.
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Post by Konuju on Aug 14, 2019 16:11:44 GMT -8
IC: Alex Lockwood - Entryway, Kalos Pokémon LeagueTwo enemies stood opposite of Absol. One high, one low. The Nidorino had ducked his head for a horn attack, but the Nidorina had pushed herself up on her hind legs to swipe with her clawed forelegs. While the Nidorino was protected by his thick hide, the Nidorina had exposed her soft belly. It was the Nidorina that Absol chose to target. Rolling away from the male counterpart, Absol reached out to dig his claws into the Nidorina's underside, even as her own claws raked against his fur. The Absol growled as he lowered his head. If the Nidorina pressed her attack, she'd be right up against his razor-sharp scythe. Swampert heard James's shout. It any of the present Pokémon could make an opening, it was him. Unfortunately he found himself in a stalemate against the combined efforts of two bunnies and a cat. He chanced a glance around the room. With everyone else busy fighting, the Flare agents had formed a blockade against the large doors. Beyond those doors stood perhaps the best hope for Kalos, the Elite Four. If Flare succeeded in taking them out, they might very well succeed in taking over the region. Swampert had seen enough of the Rocket-Liberty War to know a hostile takeover would completely disrupt the Kalosian way of life. When Alex had visited his cousin six months ago, it had been to get away from the constant battles and missions. Swampert could see it in his trainer's eye -- that sense of hopelessness that weighed him down like an anchor on a boat. Although he wouldn't admit it to anyone, Alex blamed himself -- his failings as a leader -- for Jake Soren's death. And Swampert knew that if they lost this battle, if they failed to stop Flare here and now, Alex would never forgive himself. And so the Mud Fish Pokémon mustered all the strength he had. Forcing himself to ignore the Lopunny's repeated jabs, Swampert reached out and grabbed the Diggersby by the shoulders. His muscles bulged as he hoisted the larger bunny over his head. With the bigger target no longer halting his forward momentum, Swampert was free to charge toward the door, continuing to suplex the Diggersby as he ran. As the rabbit struggled to escape the Mud Fish's grasp, Swampert felt a surge of power well up within him. His body began to glow in a rainbow hue that filled the entire room, forcing everyone in the vicinity to shield their eyes. When the light subsided, Swampert had grown to one and a half times his height. Raw muscle seemed to course through his new, bulkier form. With a deafening roar, the big boi ran toward the door at breakneck speed. When he reached the Flare agents that had amassed in front of the passageway, he hurled the flailing Diggersby at them and slammed both fists to the ground. If a massive flying bunny wasn't enough to make the Flare agents scatter, they would find themselves at the epicenter of a furious Earthquake that shook the doors from their hinges. Alex couldn't believe his eyes. He had heard the news stories about this new, transcendent form of evolution, but he never thought it would happen to one of his own Pokémon. "We've got an opening!" Alex paused long enough to punch a nearby Flare goon in the face before running toward his Swampert. "Let's go, while we have the chance!"
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Post by unknownmercury on Aug 15, 2019 22:24:01 GMT -8
---[League]--- (Kalos Pokémon League Headquarters, Kalos, August 13th, 2017, 12:03 A.M.)
“Metis, Fay, to me!” Elaine called. The Aromatisse and Comfey rallied to their Trainer, and as Serena’s Delphox landed a particularly satisfying kick to the Manectric’s jaw they capitalized on the opening, running past the stunned Pokémon to reach James’ side. The Electric-type spun to try and box them in, but the Delphox managed to hold it back, her own attacks forcing the Manectric to keep its attention on her rather than the Professor. Elaine had lost sight of Serena herself in the struggle, but judging by the chaos surrounding her the Champion was most likely still in the fight.
Calem whistled sharply, and Ches shifted, picking up the Graveler that had been blocking him and throwing it at its Trainer. With a roar, the grass-type surged into the fight, clearing a swathe around Serena and Emily, who was sticking close to the Champion. The opening in the ranks of Flare was being widened by nearby trainers, and the group wasted no time rushing forward, Inigo and Shere Khan following close behind Alex’s Swampert.
As the Swampert was surrounded and encapsulated by that rainbowy energy, Emily cheered. As the ground shook and the great doors of the League Hall fell from their very hinges, James ushered his family and the two Champions of Kalos through the door, following at the very last, other trainers moving behind them to keep Flare from following.
They came through the doorways and found four figures standing amidst a litter of burnt and broken bodies. Three wore the white suits over orange shirts that denoted Administrators of Flare’s operation.
The fourth was Malva, standing facing the doors as the group entered, a beast in front of her with resemblance to a Houndoom. The three Admins each had their own Pokémon out, in normal forms.
The three Administrators turned to look as Alex, James, Elaine, Emily, Calem, and Serena entered the room, their combined forces of Pokémon making the room feel cramped.
The Administrators took fighting stances.
And Malva said, “Stand down, everyone.”
---[Sycamore]--- (Sycamore’s Lab, Lumiose City, Kalos, August 12th, 2017, 11:22 PM)
The intruder grinned maniacally as one of his victims evolved. The energy was a rush, a high, a rare treat he’d hardly had the opportunity to--
”My turn.”
The pain was incredible. Everything they’d gained, sapped away just as quickly as it had come, the Sneasel’s evolution energy only just sustaining them as it started to fade.
”What, you don’t like it? But I’m only giving you a taste of your own medicine.”
The Sneasel became a Weavile, and a moment later he found himself kicked away. The man found himself almost grateful for the action. The feeling was unfamiliar and unpleasant.
The Charizard found itself tackled by an angry Dragonite, the already off-balance Fire-type sent flying from the charge. Where the wall had cracked beneath its Trainer’s impact, now it crumbled, the back wall of the Professor’s office now opening into the building’s atrium.
The noise managed to draw the weakened Professor’s attention. As he looked to the intruder, familiar silhouette and familiar Pokémon at his side, a particular name came to mind.
“Alain…?”
The man’s eyes narrowed with rage. As Sina charged in at the intruders, the Charizard swung its flaming tail at the Ice-type, forcing her to jump back. Harvey, too, attempted to charge, but his form had changed dramatically, leaving his existing reflexes hampered.
To several people’s surprise,a pair of arms wrapped around the Charizard from behind, holding tightly. Shadow cackled in the Fire-type’s ear and made a beckoning gesture.
Cyanide leapt across the room, slamming into the grappled Pokémon with the full weight of a (relatively light but still extremely heavy) Metagross with no ability to float, causing both the Charizard and the Gengar holding it to stagger back, back towards the hole over the atrium.
The momentary interruption was all the man needed. A red recall beam withdrew the Charizard from the Gengar’s briefly-broken grasp as the Trainer sending it snarled. He quickly dodged twin swipes of attempted retaliation, backing up against a window to avoid a waiting Mercury.
From the floor, a gray-haired Sycamore reached weakly for the intruder. “Alain… please.”
The man sneered. “Allen,” he corrected. The next moment,the window shattered with a loud CRASH, as Allen leaped out in escape.
As the group rushed to the window, they spotted a silhouetted figure fleeing into the opposite alley, the lights from a 24-hour cafe providing their last glimpse of Sycamore’s would-be killer.
”Fucker,” spat Mercury. “Wait here! Take care of the Professor!” With those words, he leapt out the window. Belle cried out in shock, but the mercenary used a blast of blood red aura to slow his descent and landed lightly on the pavement below before taking off after…
“Allen?” Alma asked. “I am not sure I can take him seriously now.” So saying, the girl turned away from the window and approached the Professor.
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Atop the Lumiose skyline, a woman watched. Someone had gone after Sycamore -- she’d expected as much -- but by some miracle, others had arrived to help. (Or at least, she amended, they were not helping Flare’s agent, which was frankly the most she dared hope for.) She couldn’t help, not in a space already so crowded -- but then the assailant fled the scene.
“Got you,” she muttered. Not waiting for the fallout in the lab, she turned and ran, leaping from rooftop to rooftop in silent pursuit.
IC: Amanda Zarth/Sylph/Isabella Fontaine (The Alamo, Four Island, Sevii Islands)
As Amanda finished drawing the chalk diagram overlaid upon the traditional battlefield, her Magnezone floating protectively behind her, she found herself frowning. She and Sylph had made little progress in investigating the Gardevoir’s battle-related anomalies, aside from re-confirming her unexplained vulnerability to Magnezone’s Flash Cannon. To their mutual frustration, no other candidates had appeared possessing access to a powered Pokémon with a Steel-type move, and while Amanda had successfully managed to Mega Evolve her Magnezone with somewhat less difficulty, she had not been capable of replicating the feat with the Gardevoir. It was a most vexing scenario, and thus one she was determined to see through to a solution.
She laid out the last of the markers she’d prepared, and nodded to herself. Good. The arrangement would be satisfactory. Her preparations completed, she allowed herself a full thirty seconds to relax prior to Sylph’s scheduled arrival.
The Gardevoir, conscientious as she was in regards to Amanda’s schedules normally, was a few minutes late today. She walked in with a blonde teenager, who she introduced as Isabella Fontaine.
“Uh…” Isabella Fontaine said, staring at Amanda. She cast a glance at Sylph, who just shook her head, then continued. “Isa, for short. I… am a friend of Sylph’s trainer. She and I go way back. I make no promises in regards to this new evolution phenomenon, but I’ll do my best.”
“Knight Amanda Zarth, Team Plasma. I look forward to our cooperation.”
Sylph looked around the arena, tilting her head a bit as she took in the chalk spiral that took up the majority of the arena intersected with lines to form rectangles. The largest one contained a bunch of flower pots turned over, spaced equally apart, some with numbers painted on them.
“Is this part of the training?” she asked.
Amanda nodded. “You previously expressed interest in both external-target teleportation and reverse-destination teleportation. This exercise is designed to begin laying the groundwork for such endeavors.” She first indicated the inverted pots. “The first step is to continue honing your instinctive destination scan into a conscious effort. There are occupied Pokéballs beneath some of the targets. Your first objective is to teleport yourself to and reveal each of those targets as expediently as possible.”
Sylph sighed. “I really wish that Xander were here. ESP was going to be the next thing I worked with him on.”
“Wait, you’re the one who taught him?” Isa asked incredulously.
Sylph blinked and nodded. “Yes. He was doing really well until he got himself arrested.” She shrugged and turned back to Amanda. “Alright. Do you have a timer?”
Amanda nodded, indicating her Xtransceiver. “Begin.”
Sylph focused, mind sweeping out over the pots. A moment later, she teleported, lifting one of the pots and revealing a ball. “Not so hard,” she said with a smile.
Amanda allowed a slight nod, an indicator for Sylph to continue.
Sylph focused and frowned a bit. The pots made it somewhat difficult to detect the objects beneath them. After another moment of focus, she teleported over to one of the unpainted ones and lifted it. Tricky, she said telepathically. She picked up the ball, frowning. This one feels familiar.
Amanda nodded, making note of the observation. “Please continue.”
Sylph nodded and began teleporting again. In just over three minutes, she had collected each of the occupied Pokéballs. She frowned softly as she looked at them. Miss Zarth… Amanda, did you…?
“What?” Isa asked from where she’d been watching. “What is it?”
Amanda stopped the timer, making a brief note of the elapsed time it displayed. “As my own team was not sufficiently numerous to provide the necessary objectives,” she explained, “I requested assistance from the Alamo Daycare. In addition to providing enough targets, the familiarity of your teammates renders them more instinctively visible to extrasensory perception, thus easing you into the process prior to moving to unfamiliar targets.” She next turned to Isa. “Miss Fontaine, please return the balls to their places and randomize their positions according to these specifications.” She handed Isa a folded note -- handwritten, unusually for her -- and directed Sylph to direct her focus toward her rather than towards Isa’s task. “Your objective progress falls in line with expected projections for this exercise, if not slightly ahead. Did you have any subjective experiences you wish to report?”
Isa began doing as instructed while Sylph looked away. The Gardevoir slowly shook her head. “Will we be able to let them out after the exercise is complete? I’ve been meaning to see if I could take them for walks and such, but…” She shrugged. “Sorry, it’s not important right now. Their familiarity to me means that they were easier to detect, so maybe start taking them out one by one?”
Amanda nodded approvingly at the suggestion. “That is the intention for future practices of this exercise. However, for now I would like to focus on the pattern of examination.” She inputted a command to mirror her holographic display for Sylph’s benefit. “As you noticed, your initial searches led you to your targets in order of familiarity, regardless of their position within the grid. This is, of course, temporally inefficient. The next portion of the exercise will involve scanning for targets according to a continually-narrowing search pattern.” Amanda tapped a key, and an image of the Golden Spiral overlaid itself upon the rectangular diagram. “You may be familiar with the geometric concept of the Golden Spiral. While the specific mathematics do not align with the situation, the general concept does.” Amanda indicated the progressively smaller rectangles that revealed themselves the further the Spiral extended. “The core of this technique is to subdivide your search range into thirds, and then compare the relative density of the signals you receive between two of the three segments. If one measured segment has a greater signal than the other, you select that segment, whereas if both are equal, you select the segment you did not scan. In any case, upon selecting a segment, you then repeat the process until you locate your final target.”
Sylph blinked, tilting her head. “I… am not sure I follow.”
“It’s like the marble riddle,” Isa said. “Where you have eight marbles, and you have to figure out which one is heavier by weighing them twice. Most people think to divide the marbles into two groups of four, but you really do two groups of three and one of two. You weigh the first two groups and, if one side is heavier, you then weigh two of the marbles from that side. If they’re the same, then the odd one out is the heavy one, but otherwise you have the heavier one. If the first two groups are equal, you just weigh the last two marbles against each other.”
“Indeed.” Amanda inclined her head towards Isa in acknowledgement. “No matter how rapid your detection reflexes become, there will still be some minimal amount of time required to conduct your remote observation. By subdividing your search in such a manner, you reduce each step of scanning by a third, significantly increasing your effective efficiency.”
Sylph nodded slowly. “I think I follow. I’ll have to use Isabella’s explanation when teaching this to Xander, I think.” Isa chuckled, and Sylph shrugged. “He’s very intelligent, but frankly that explanation would confuse almost anyone. Apologies, Miss Zarth.”
“None necessary. Individual educational requirements are, as the name suggests, individual.” She indicated the field, which Isa had finished resetting during the discussion. “The field is prepared for the exercise. You may begin again when ready.” She hovered a finger over the timer, poised to begin the moment Sylph did.
Sylph nodded. “Ready,” she said as she cast out her mental net. She thought she understood the exercise. Find which areas had more Poké Balls. Divide the upturned pots into groups. A group of five with two hidden beneath. Another group of five with three. One last group of five with only one. She nodded, keeping her focus on the group with three and moving onto the next group. Five more pots with… four more. Some of the Poké Balls held creatures unfamiliar to her. Familiarity wasn’t the point, it was to find the largest clusters of Pokémon.
Oh,she thought to herself. It’s prioritizing the ‘rescue’ part of ‘search and rescue’, She teleported to the cluster of four, turning over the pots hiding them. Another quick scan -- one ball, but there was nothing inside it? -- and she quickly moved to turn the other pots over in order of number of Balls in the group. All told, it took her less than two minutes to do.
“Time,” Amanda announced as Sylph picked up the final ball. “Good. You have made significant progress.” A soft chime on her Xtransceiver distracted her from speaking further.
“Once I realized what the point of the exercise, it became simpler to prioritize.” Sylph smiled. “Is this your area of expertise, then, Miss Zarth? Rescue operations?”
Amanda shook her head. She took a brief moment to send off a message in response to the alert, before returning her attention to the lesson. “It was an important component of my training regimen, but the overall scope of my duties was significantly more broad. My primary duty lay in training for Team Plasma’s transport teleporters, which does involve search and rescue training but also requires an intimate familiarity with all potential transport destinations.” Seven months prior, she could have amended her statement with ‘in Unova’, but she chose not to share the information on Team Plasma’s ever-expanding range of influence with the Team Liberty members. “I was, in effect, a general teleportation expert, with an emphasis on both speed and precision.”
Sylph nodded. “I see. Do you mind terribly much if, before we go again, I say hello to my teammates? I haven’t seen them since Xander… Since, Xander’s arrest.”
“That is more than acceptable. We will be moving on to the battle portion of our training, so you have time to release the balls’ occupants while I clear the field.”
As Sylph began doing so, Isa moved to help Amanda. “So… Sylph’s been trusted to your care after Xander got arrested?”
Amanda nodded. “Correct. I believe Agent Cruize selected me due to my experience with the Mega Evolution phenomenon, as well as Sylph apparently achieving such a state at some point prior to his incarceration.”
“Uh-huh. And… that’s the only reason he asked you?”
“Yes,” Sylph said as she ran her fingers through the ruff of fur on Ellen’s neck. “Neither of them seem to have noticed, and it’s not worth pushing.”
“Right…” Isa frowned softly, giving a dubious look to the Plasma Agent. As Sylph picked up a ball -- the one that was passingly familiar -- Isa frowned. “Wait, I know that star sticker--”
Sylph opened the ball, and was greeted by a snarling Fennekin. As it lunged, Sylph grabbed Ellen and teleported to stand beside the trainers. ”Flame,” she said, voice echoing in the girls’ heads. ”What is he doing here?”
Amanda cocked her head at Sylph’s unexpected response, as well as the Fennekin’s to her. “The Pokémon I borrowed aside from your teammates were listed as abandoned. Was the Daycare’s listing inaccurate?”
Isa made a face, walking towards the Fennekin, who was now trying to nip at Vixen. The Braixen was using her staff to keep him at bay. “He belonged to Cameron, who was arrested the same night Xander was. He’s… Yeah, for all intents and purposes, he’s abandoned.” She knelt, wrapping an arm under the Fire-type’s stomach and lifting him, wincing as he kicked and scratched at her. “I always knew he was a bit underused since you beat him that last time, Sylph, but I didn’t know he was practically feral.”
“I see.” Amanda frowned. It was a bold-faced lie -- she was missing significant context to the conversation between Isa and Sylph -- but she deemed it largely irrelevant to the current scenario. In any case, the presence of such additional context would likely bode well to the strength of the pair’s bond, which would hopefully prove sufficient to conduct further examinations of the Mega Evolution phenomenon. “Do you believe it necessary to confine that Pokémon prior to our battle?”
“Yes,” Gardevoir and trainer said together. Isa continued. “The grudge Flame holds for Sylph is problematic, and it’s not really anyone’s fault -- no, sorry, it’s Cameron’s fault for letting his rivalry with Xander bring things this far.” She picked up the ball, returning the Fennekin and locking it. “If you don’t mind, Miss Zarth, let the Daycare know that I’ve taken custody of this one.”
“That will make Vixen’s life in the center easier,” Sylph said. “They were getting into fights. I can only assume Vixen defeated him in the battle that Cameron and Xander had before their incarceration.” Vixen nodded and Sylph sighed. “Merde… Apologies, let’s continue.”
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alku
Technician
Posts: 62
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Post by alku on Aug 17, 2019 14:05:58 GMT -8
IC: Evan Tierra, Olivine Hospital
After he had left the others at the door to the hospital, Evan quickly walked to the desk to ask the receptionist where Jenny’s room was, a million thoughts echoing in his head. Is she OK? Is she in pain? were just a few of the thoughts on his mind. He was told where to go. Giving a word of thanks to the kind receptionist, the man quickly walked to the gift shop, then to where her room was, his heart racing. When he got close, he pulled out something he had bought with the meager remains of his money, a Togekiss Plush. I hope she likes this….. The man knocked on the door and spoke. “Hello! May I come in?”
There was a very groggy and muffled reply from inside, but it vaguely sounded like a yes.
Evan walked in and saw Jenny, in a hospital bed like the last time he had seen her, but this time with multiple bandages on……. what what was left of her right arm. The general feeling was much more subdued than expected. Guess he had to try and fix that. “Heya, Jen-Jen!” Evan said, smiling at the redhead. “I brought you something….” The man said, showing the Togekiss Plushie he had gotten for her. “How are you feeling?”
Jenny groggily glanced at the Togekiss doll. "I haaave noooo clue." She groaned as she laid back a bit. "Very… foggy. Is it already time to get up? Five more minutes…"
Evan frowned, concerned at how Jenny could be feeling. “Well, it doesn’t have to be time to get up, but……” He said kindly as he gently set down the plush.. “I was so worried about you that I couldn’t wait to get in. So it’s up to you, Jenny.”
"Mmmmm, sleep seems good." Jenny moved to pull the covers up a bit, but then paused with a sleepy look on her face as she blankly stared at the right side of the covers that hadn't gone up. "Could ya give me a hand there?"
“Well, I’d be glad to, but it’s firmly attached to me.” Evan said, smiling as he went over to her right side and pulled up the covers for the redhead. “That better?”
Jenny nodded with a yawn.
“All right then.” Evan replied as he sat back down. “Take it easy. I’m not going anywhere.” The man said, sending a message to Marie via his Pokégear, telling her that he needed to be alone with Jenny for a long while. After he finished, he too began to succumb to sleepiness, his worrying gone for once.
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Post by Konuju on Aug 22, 2019 15:19:17 GMT -8
IC: Alex Lockwood - Kalos Pokémon League Alex took one look at the room -- burnt bodies, fire Pokémon, Flare fanatics -- and knew what he had to do. "Stand down? Not a chance. Wash them away, Swampert!"
Swampert gave a boisterous laugh. The waters were once more at his beck and call, giving him the perfect type advantage. Underground wells and aquifers around the Pokémon League building redirected their water into the room. As the water seeped through the cracks in the floor it picked up dirt and other contaminants, giving the liquid a murky brown color. Soon a wave of Muddy Water towered over the Flare agents and their assorted Pokémon. At Swampert's command the wave sped towards their foes with a current strong enough to sweep any of them off their feet.
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alku
Technician
Posts: 62
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Post by alku on Aug 22, 2019 15:26:16 GMT -8
IC: Evan Tierra/Jenny Hakuda -Two days later-
Yet again, Evan found himself at the door to Jenny’s hospital room, having visited only a few more times since last time, hoping the woman would be more lucid today. He knocked at the door, and spoke cheerfully. “Hello, it’s Evan. May I come in?”
"Yeah." The response was slightly different from the last couple days, but seemed a little more alert than those times.
Evan walked in, and waved to the redhead on the hospital bed. “Pardon the repeated question, but how are you feeling, Jen-Jen?” The Trainer asked, hoping he wasn’t annoying her.
"Eh. Could stand giving people a call to arms." Jenny said, though she looked out the window after the pun instead. "Rather cooped up in here." There seemed to be something else that was left unsaid, however.
Evan chuckled slightly at the pun. “Well, that was a good pun, hands down.” Evan said, considering what Jenny had said. “Think they’ll let you walk around with me?”
"Maybe. They seem to want me to stay laying around a bit more, though. Maybe in the next few days they will, though." Jenny gave a small shrug with her good arm. "... What happened back there after I left?"
Evan froze for a moment, before replying. “I made sure that Rocket paid for what he did to you and Ryan.” The man paused. “I took -his- right arm, to even things out, but then………. Ryan disappeared, and we couldn’t find him….”
Jenny's hand twitched at what Evan said. "I see…" She said, as she clenched her fist slightly. She stayed quiet for a while, as if there was something she wanted to say in response to that, but at the same time didn't want to say.
Evan saw the reaction, and pondered whether or not to ask Jenny a question. “I…..couldn’t bring myself to take him out.” The man said, frowning as he moved his chair closer to Jenny’s bed. “I...didn’t want to fall down that rabbit hole, despite everything.” He then asked the question on his mind. “Do you think that was too good for him?”
"Hm." Jenny thought for a moment. "Should've gone for the leg too. Could've made it cost him an arm and a leg." There was a hint of an amused smile. "Still, I don't know. It might've been, but, I don't think it was a bad decision. More for me to do when we see that bastard next."
There was a worried look on Evan’s face at what Jenny said. She had every right to be furious, but yet……. this wasn’t her. He didn’t know what to say, but would try to say something. “Are you sure…...you want to do that? What if he takes more from you?”
"Let him try." Jenny grinned. "I want to try to get stronger for exactly that attempt. Besides…" The red haired woman turned her head to look back out the window again. "It's only fair at this point. He took my life away. He took my arm away. And my childhood friend. It's time for him to start paying his own price and taking his own medicine."
“Do…...you want my help?”
"Definitely." Jenny said with a nod. She bit her lip. "What happened that led to Ryan disappearing?"
“I know he got panicked after you left. I don’t know what got him, because I was pursuing the scumbag who took your arms. All that was left was his Tyranitar.” Evan replied. “Did…...you know he wasn’t going to be coming back?”
Jenny stayed quiet for a few moments, but then nodded. "It's a little hazy, but there was like, some kinda feeling I had that something had gone wrong, but also like he was encouraging me or something, I don't know how to explain it."
“That’s…interesting, to say the least.” Evan said, intrigued by what Jenny had said. “You think there is a link between you and him, besides the childhood friend thing going on?”
"I doubt it, honestly; I've heard about that sorta thought happening in the past, but I dunno." Jenny shrugged. "I can't really say for sure, but I don't feel it's some sorta link."
Evan thought for a moment, and then smiled. “Well, whatever it is, I guess I have no choice but to help you take that fucker out once and for all.” Evan then focused more on Jenny. “Say, when do you wanna try getting stronger?”
"As soon as I can actually do stuff without interrupting my healing."
“All right.” Evan said, smiling. “I look forward to it. I’ll put us through the wringer, you’ll see.”
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Post by unknownmercury on Aug 22, 2019 21:37:28 GMT -8
---[League]--- (Kalos Pokémon League Elite Four Chambers, 12:04 AM)
The Muddy Water rose up, and Malva sighed as she adjusted her glasses. Seeing the incoming attack, one of the white-suited men gestured to his Gallade who stood nearby. "Wide Guard!" And lo, a purple screen surrounded the Flare operatives.
Malva looked coolly at the petulant boy as she said, "Houndoom, Sunny Day." The light in the room grew intensely bright, and the two remaining admins, a man and a woman each with a Charizard, called out, "Solar Beam, go!"
The two fire types gathered the light energy in their mouths and blasted it towards the Mega Evolved Swampert, lighting the room in a dazzling display.
Malva sighed. "Very well, then. Kill them and let's be done with this."
At those words, Inigo and Shere Khan stepped forward, and James glared at his former teammates. Calem and Chess stepped up, the Chesnaught not giving any signs of apprehension about fighting three powered Fire-types with only his non-powered attacks.
Emily took a step back, away from the line of fire, and quietly brought Ronin and Astrape closer to herself. In her hand she held Spitfire's ball, as well. Just in case.
IC: Yamamoto Aori/Corey Bouchard/Shannon Willows/Marie Homura - Olivine City Hospital
They walked inside. As they passed from outdoors to indoors, Aori’s grip on Shannon’s hand tightened, as did her hold on Donguri. The girl’s nose crinkled, and she made a face as she looked around the hospital lobby.
"Are you alright?" Corey asked Aori in a gentle voice, as they watched Marie slowly make her way over to one of the chairs.
The girl looked up, blinking. “It smells funny in here,” she replied softly. “And everything is so bright and… bare.”
Corey nodded as they glanced around for a moment. "I definitely agree… I don't like hospitals partly for that reason too."
"We'll leave as soon as Evan's done talking to Jenny," Shannon told Aori. She looked over at Marie. "How are you feeling? You look exhausted."
"I am exhausted…" Marie said as she sunk down into the chair. "I don't remember much of anything since I brought Jenny here, or if I even got any sleep… Based on how I feel like a steamroller ran over me, I'd guess I didn't, though…"
"I know what you mean," Shannon said. "None of it feels real. Every time I think I've managed to process it, it hits me like a sack of bricks all over again."
Marie glanced up in slight confusion, but nodded. "Yeah, I mean, all of a sudden there's just this flash of rainbows and my best friend and…" She trailed off for a moment. "... Ryan…" she continued slowly to try and keep her earlier realization under wraps still. "They just suddenly lose their arm, all in a fraction of a second."
Aori’s breath hitched, and she squeezed Shannon’s hand tighter. Worried green eyes looked up at Shannon and Marie.
Two things shot through Shannon's mind at the same time. The first was the mental image of Ryan losing his arm, something she wished Marie hadn't mentioned. The second was the realization that Marie didn't know Ryan was dead. Any one of those things on their own would have made Shannon hesitate. Both of them combined made her abruptly look away. Not trusting herself to speak, she simply nodded. Ryan's fate . . . she'd had a hard enough time discussing it with Evan. How could she tell Marie what had happened without breaking down in front of her?
Ultimately, it was Aori who explained, through heavy tears and the occasional sharp intake of breath to try and calm down, what had happened to Ryan.
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alku
Technician
Posts: 62
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Post by alku on Aug 23, 2019 15:21:39 GMT -8
IC: Evan Tierra/Jenny Hakuda, Five days later…
Evan had gotten into a routine the last few days. He was doing everything he could to help Jenny feel better, be it bringing her food from the cafeteria, to trying to make her laugh. But he could tell that being in the hospital room was eating at her. He had inquired about her situation to her nurse. She told him that, while she couldn’t leave the hospital grounds, there was a battle arena outside in a nearby park where they could battle. The man grinned at the news and rushed back over to Jenny’s room. “Hey, Jenny. I’ve got some good news for you.~” The Plasma Agent said, smiling knowingly.
"What is it?" Jenny asked, half curious about what Evan was talking about.
“Well, y’see…...you can’t leave the hospital grounds, but there is a place where we can get stronger here: a battle arena for us to battle in!” The Hero said. “Wanna give it a shot? You gotta stretch your legs somehow, and this seems like the best solution for that!”
"Alright…" Jenny nodded slightly as she moved to stand up, though was still having a little trouble finding her balance properly.
After Jenny got ready, Evan walked her over to the park outside of the Olivine Hospital. The man had been caught off guard by what Jenny had said, but she had every right to be as angry as she was. That Rocket had taken everything from her, and she didn’t even get the chance to get him back. Evan led Jenny to the battle arena, smiling. “So, how about a nice Pokémon Battle, so we can have some fun?”
"Sounds like a good idea, wasn't that half the reason for this walk?" Jenny asked with an amused and teasing grin. There still seemed to be something different about it, but it seemed like her core hadn't been hurt too badly. She grabbed the Poké Balls that contained her team, then slowly sent them out one at a time, until her entire team was on the field. "Full team fight, too."
Evan grinned as he sent out his team in kind. “If it’s an all-out fight you want, then it’s one you shall get, Jen-Jen!” The Hero said. “I’m not gonna hold back!” Upon seeing Scizlite, the man’s pride and joy, Gnip, growled, ready and raring to go against her. The rest of Evan’s Pokémon team eyed Jenny’s team, a fire burning in their eyes. “You ready?”
Jenny nodded, as her team began to separate and go into their own different fights.
Monstro faced Gyaralite, a resolve in his eyes. He wondered if the Gyarados would be able to withstand him, now that he was even stronger than before. The rest of Evan’s team faced their respective opponents: Hippowdon facing Sandlite, Vlad facing Eelite, Behemoth facing Boarlite, Lazengann facing Lurelite, and finally, Gnip facing Scizlite. “Let’s put on a show!” Evan said, pointing at Jenny with his right hand.
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Post by Konuju on Aug 24, 2019 6:34:01 GMT -8
IC: Alex Lockwood - Kalos Pokémon LeagueSwampert's eyes grew wide as twin Solar Beams sped toward him. Almost on instinct, he threw up a Protect. The beams of light struck the protective barrier, dissipating harmlessly, but the mud fish Pokémon still balked at the enormous power his opponents wielded. Alex glanced back at Emily and the others, trying not to let the concern show on his face. "Any time your Pokémon want to get their powers back too, that would be great." Absol narrowed his eyes and pounced towards the Houndoom. He didn't need flashy powers when he had teeth, claws, and a thirteen-inch scythe coming out of his head. Seeing his Absol charge into battle, Alex tossed his Empoleon's ball into the fray as well. Even without powers, the enormous penguin remained a defensive tank, and like Absol's scythe the three pointy horns on his head were perfect suited for impaling Flare agents and their Pokémon. Empoleon lowered his head, opened his beak, and screamed a terrifying trumpeting sound as he charged full speed at one of the Charizards in a three-pronged attack. OOC:Mega Swampert: Protect -> Self Absol: Imagine a hundred-pound cat pouncing on its prey with fangs and claws bared, except it also has the grim reaper's scythe sticking out of its head -> Mega(?) Houndoom Empoleon: It's like a headbutt but the head is a pokey trident thing and the penguin is screaming. More like an angry mob with a pitchfork, really. -> Charizard A
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alku
Technician
Posts: 62
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Post by alku on Aug 24, 2019 16:27:15 GMT -8
IC: Evan Tierra/Jenny Hakuda
Monstro started things off, by rushing towards Gyaralite, aiming to slam his body into hers, hoping that he wouldn’t have to resort to using moves during this fight. Behemoth charged towards Boarlite, wanting to pit his strength against hers in the bluntest way possible. Lazengann simply dug up a clump of dirt and threw it at Lurelite, pretty certain his strikes would not hit home on her incorporeal body. At the same time, Vlad flew towards Eelite and tried to clamp his pincers on her forelimbs, so he could bite her neck without resistance. Unlike the others, the elderly Hippowdon stood her ground, mouth open wide in a territorial show of power. She would show this arrogant Krookodile just who she was messing with.
Gnip stared down Scizlite, looking for any potential movements that would give her first move away. She knew that, even with the power out, the Scizor was a worthy opponent. So she ran towards her, aiming to slice at the Bug-Type with her right fin.
Boarlite stood her ground as the Mamoswine approached, then held her arms out to try and hold Behemoth by the tusks to stop him in place. If that worked, and only if that worked, she would then try to flip the Mamoswine over, but that was still a big risk right now. The Gyarados on the other hand quickly coiled up to move out of the way of the Swampert's attack. She watched Monstro warily, unsure how to take this opponent on, but was going to make the most of any opportunities she got. As Lurelite floated out of the way of the clumps of dirt, Eelite nimbly flew away from the Gliscor's grasp. She tried her best to lure Vlad closer to where Lazengann was throwing the dirt, to try and get Vlad into the path of one of the clumps.
As Scizlite returned the staring contest, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Sandlite was currently circling the Hippowdon to try and find a good moment to attack. However, she didn't get to focus on that fight much longer as Gnip approached. With a focused look on her face, Scizlite dodged out of the way of the razor sharp fin's first swipe, then blocked it with her left pincer on the second swipe. Closing her right pincer into a fist, the Scizor quickly punched out at the Garchomp in retaliation, in an attempt to deal some quick and early damage.
A big risk it was to Behemoth, but as he pressed on, he noticed the Emboar being pushed back by his sheer force. Giving a look of determination, the Mamoswine lowered his mighty tusks, scooped up Boarlite, and flung her up into the air with great force. Meanwhile, Vlad swooped again, aware of the risk he was taking, but he had a simple fallback, in case his teeth weren’t enough. Lazengann threw another clod of dirt at Lurelite, but accidentally hit Vlad, which distracted the Fang Scorp for just a few seconds, as the Drill Pokémon looked on, embarrassed at his screw up. Monstro attempted a shoulder check toward Gyaralite, wanting to cause some damage to the evasive Water-Type.
The Hippowdon saw Sandlite circling her, her mouth still wide open. She would wait for this nuisance to make the first move, and act accordingly. Having lost her moves meant nothing to her. Sure, she didn’t have the flexibility she had before, but she had a treasure trove of experience, all waiting to be unloaded on this foe. But as she waited, she saw Gnip get struck in the face. The Mach Pokémon in question felt a dizzying amount of pain as she saw two gleaming fangs fly out of the impact zone. Her fangs. Sent back by the force of the punch, Gnip had tears of pain in her eyes as she rushed again, this time ready to pounce onto the Scizor for damaging her beautiful teeth.
As Boarlite flew through the air with assistance, she did her best to angle her trajectory in a beneficial way. Despite not having any flaming might to put behind it, the Emboar flew straight toward where the Hippowdon was, a wide grin on her face as she held a fist forward. The Krookodile noticed what seemed to be happening, but didn't let that show as she kept watching the Hippowdon carefully. As the flying boar approached, Sandlite ran forward and faked an attack on the Hippowdon in an attempt to keep her attention.
Lurelite and Eelite grinned at the hit that Lazengann landed on his teammate. With a grin, Eelite and Lurelite shot forward to go on the offensive; Lurelite to try and lure in more hits, and Eelite to swipe out with a wing claw while the Gliscor was distracted.
While this was going on, Gyaralite sprang up into the air with her coiled tail, then did her best to land a hit on Monstro with her tail, even as she grinned at the freeing nature of this fight starting to dawn on her.
Scizlite seemed surprised at the sight, but then grinned as Gnip didn't seem to be down and out because of her big punch. She wasn't going to hold anything back here, and hoped that Gnip wouldn't either. She was super fired up here, and grinned even wider as she attempted to dodge the pounce, but got her right pincer caught at the last second. With a determined look, Scizlite moved to punch out with her left pincer this time, aiming for the Garchomp's arm this time.
Jenny watched with a grin at the fight; despite the lack of powers, everyone seemed to putting their all into the fights. She began to feel fired up as well and punched the air with her good arm. "Keep it up, you're doing great!!"
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Post by Parugi on Aug 24, 2019 21:53:19 GMT -8
IC: Ryan Sanders - Main Room, VertragThe moment his gas mask was off, Ryan took a deep breath of fresh air. He made it through the hallway to the small kitchen area, where he unceremoniously tossed the mask onto the counter. Then he threw Quil's Pokéball at the ground. The Typhlosion emerged in a burst of flame and roared at the no-longer-present Shift. At the same time, Ryan slammed a fist onto the counter. "That was a complete disaster," he said, grimacing as his knuckles throbbed against the smooth, black surface. "We've got Ford's entire base at our disposal and we couldn't do a darn thing." Ryan turned around to look at his five teammates. Aside from Emmerich and to an extent, Kyle, no one had been physically harmed. But the looks on everyone's faces ranged from exhaustion to defeat. The encounter kept replaying in Ryan's mind, and he had a feeling he wasn't the only one. "If he'd wanted to, Shift could have killed us right then and there," he said bluntly. "He was toying with us, and we were completely powerless." Ryan slid down the counter and buried his face in his shaking hands. Now that they were out of the situation, the stress hit him like a truck. "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to form our own group," he said quietly. "Goldhawk or Sleight would've had some contingency. They'd know exactly what to do in that type of situation. We're just a bunch of kids playing in Ford's sandbox, pretending we can be heroes or something." IC - Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron/Emmerich Coleman/Ryan Sanders/Chloe Hikari/Ray Hakuda/Vertrag - Main Room, Vertrag:The rest of the group filed in after Ryan. As Sonja helped Kyle into a seat on one of the sofas, Emmerich leaned heavily against one of the countertops, setting his bag on the table and producing a bandage that he then pressed against the wound on his head. Sonja looked between them all, finally settling her eyes on Ryan and moving to him. For a moment, it looked as if she was going to take a seat on the floor across from him. Instead, she first held out a hand to help him back up, and then forcibly pulled him to his feet and into a chair. The look on everyone's faces at the action was priceless. Sonja took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment before looking straight at Ryan again. "You need to redo your math," she said. "Yes, that could have gone better. Yes, we could have died. Yes, Shift is an utter monster, and he deserves every single awful thing I and everyone else in Dendemille can think of for the things he's done.” The stress was, admittedly, getting to her; she wanted to laugh at this point, but stopped herself, instead taking the time to pull it together before continuing. “But it wasn’t a disaster." Sonja held a hand up in front of Ryan. "How many--look at me. How many trucks did we take out? Two. That's two trucks he no longer has. Five people at each truck, that's ten of his people down for now, ten people we stopped from doing more harm than they already were doing. That's not counting the--how many did we get on the way out?" "I think it was two or three," Emmerich said, looking to Chloe for confirmation. "I hit the one in the throat, you squashed another with the truck, and I definitely got Shift in the arm. Not a kill-shot, but that's something." "So two definitely killed, ten incapacitated, three trucks destroyed, and Shift himself injured," Sonja summarized, giving Ryan an imploring look. "And none of us got killed. That was as much of a success as it could have been given the circumstances. If we’d been better-prepared, if we’d known they were coming, then maybe we could have done more. But we weren’t, we didn’t, and getting out without any casualties is the best we can ask for, so . . ." She nudged him on the shoulder. “Pull it together. If we fall apart now, we might as well give up this whole thing entirely.” Ryan couldn't meet her eyes. "You're right," he mumbled. "I just felt completely useless against Shift. A click of a button -- that's all it took -- and we're suddenly stripped of our Pokémon. None of us died this time, but we have to be prepared the next time we face him." At this, Kyle shifted on the couch, lying down across the cushions and out of view of most of the group. He could not hide the guilty expression on his face from those that could see him, however. “Agreed,” Sonja said. “But for now, let’s regroup and figure out what’s next. Shift isn’t the goal here, the Signs are. He’s obviously a dead end, so we need to think of how else we can get in touch with them--preferably a sect that isn’t completely insane. They might even be able to help us figure out how to take him down.” Emmerich sighed. “Unfortunately, what I can tell, we’re stuck in Dendemille now until his men clear out. Who knows when that will be? And that’s not even getting into the matter of the drug cloud.” As the group conversed, the ethereal form of Vertrag materialized in the center of the room. The Jirachi bowed in greeting. Hello, the AI said. Pardon my interruption, but I believe I may be of some assistance in these matters.“Please feel free to share with the class,” Emmerich said. He grimaced as he gestured with one hand to the group at large. “As you can see, we’re strapped for energy and inspiration at the moment.” That is no matter, the AI said. Do you have a preference for which obstacle I address first?"Drug cloud." Chloe piped up, though she sat next to Kyle with a concerned look on her face; she didn't need her powers or to look at his face to know that something was bothering him. Very well, the AI said. It may please you to know that I have completed my analysis of the compound sample you provided this morning. I can begin creation of antidotes to ‘Fear’ immediately. The hologram air-quoted the term as it said it; one got that sense that, if it could, it would have rolled its eyes. “Well, that’s good news,” Sonja said. “How do we distribute it, though?” This ties into my second point, the AI answered. I have maintained watch on local radio channels. It would appear that the local police presence has reorganized and are amassing against the continued presence of the Signs. I propose sending a liaison to establish a throughline for antidote deployment."Nice! That should help with things, yeah!" Chloe said with a pretty big look of triumph on her face. “That certainly helps to sort things out here,” Emmerich agreed. “Is it safe to assume you have an idea for finding the rest of the Signs?” Yes, Vertrag said. It will take some time, but a scan of the region should provide me with an idea of where other leaders of the Signs can be found. In the meantime, you can remain here and recuperate.“How long would it take to perform a scan of that scale?” Uncertain. A generous estimate would put it between one to three days."That should be plenty of time for us to recover," Ryan said, looking at the rest of the group. Recover physically and emotionally, he added to himself. Taking a deep breath he got up and knelt down next to the couch Kyle had taken. "You gonna be alright?" he asked in a soft voice. “Ask me later.” The response wasn’t terse, but it was quiet and there was enough force behind it to indicate that this was not something Kyle wanted to discuss in a room full of people. “Well, let me get patched up and then I can make contact with those police,” Emmerich said, pushing himself back to his feet and stumbling away from the countertop. “Let me help,” Sonja said, offering a supporting shoulder. As she led him toward the infirmary, she stopped briefly to look at her friends. “We should talk more later, once I’ve made sure that the General isn’t going to fall down the stairs.” “I resent that.” I will begin production of the ‘Fear’ antidote immediately. With that, Vertrag vanished, leaving the remaining four members of Vorhut in quiet solitude.
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Post by minun4 on Aug 24, 2019 22:10:58 GMT -8
OOC: The following post takes place prior to the events in Lumiose City (second visit)
IC: Jamie Arthur - Cyllage City Pokemon Center
Jamie kept running from the window to the desk and back. The window held a view of the hospital that Lucia had been taken to. She was hoping that she might see Lucia head from the hospital to the Pokemon Center. But she also had to run to the desk to see if the receptionist had any updates on the Buizel. Each time the receptionist told her no. And each time the smile the receptionist had got just a little more forced. It had been hours since she had arrived. Jamie was only awake by force of will.
She was staring out the window, when the receptionist finally called for Jamie.
“Ms. Arthur? Your Buizel is ready for you,” the voice called.
Jamie immediately began to dash forward, when the receptionist caught her shoulder. Jamie caught her breath. She probably would’ve gotten lost again due to her impatience. She nodded to the receptionist who released her. Jamie was lead to a room, where the Buizel was resting on a table. A doctor was standing beside the table. She saw Jamie standing in the doorway and beckoned her in.
“Is this your Buizel?” the doctor asked.
Jamie’s face turned down slightly. “He is now,” she said.
The doctor nodded. “He’ll be alright now. He needs rest. Keep him in his Poke Ball. You’ll need to avoid battles and exercise with him. But he’ll heal with time.”
Jamie breathed out a sigh of relief. “Good. That’s… good.”
“I’ll give you some time alone with Buizel,” the doctor said before exiting through the doorway. The receptionist closed the door behind Jamie and left as well.
Jamie took a look at the Buizel. His bandages had been replaced. The new bandages were much more professionally applied than the job Alex had done. Jamie didn’t know enough about medicine to know what else the doctor’s might’ve done. However, as the Buizel was not currently squirming in pain, she guessed the doctors had done their job well. Jamie took a step closer to the bed. The Buizel’s eyes opened slightly. He saw Jamie, and promptly turned over to face away from her.
“I guess I should not ask how you are doing?” Jamie said, not expecting a response. Her expectations were confirmed.
A tear rolled down Jamie’s face as she continued to look at the Buizel. Something about it brought Gavin to mind. Another friend who’d suffered. She was silently glad that the Buizel was only mad enough to ignore her. The anger, the pain that had been in Gavin’s eyes still shook her.
“I made sure the Carvanha got back in the water. Everyone else is…” she wasn’t quite how to phrase it. Lucia wasn’t quite ‘fine.’ “Alive. Everyone made it. Thank you for everything.”
The Buizel shifted. He didn’t quite turn around, but he leaned up slightly. He looked around a little bit. On a table on the other end of the room, he saw his whistle. He reached out for it, but a stitch in his side reminded him why he shouldn’t.
Jamie immediately walked over to the whistle and handed it over to the Buizel. He didn’t look Jamie in the eyes, but took the whistle and placed its string around his neck.
“Is that whistle important to you?” Jamie asked.
No response again, the Buizel merely tightened his grip around the whistle.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t pry. We just met,” Jamie said looking down. “I know I caught you without asking, but, I was wondering, would you teach me? About saving people.”
The Buizel finally turned towards Jamie’s face and looked her in the eyes. He had a perplexed look, and he still held onto the whistle tightly.
“I need to become stronger, so I can stop people from getting hurt. You saved me earlier. I need to know how to do that. Will you help me?”
The Buizel stared at her, and then at his whistle. He didn’t respond. He was still trying to comprehend the question.
“If you don’t want to, well, I won’t release you until your wounds are healed but if you still don’t want to then… Please, think it over,” Jamie said. She walked over to the door and turned around again. “I’ll be back after I get clearance to take you out of here. Get some rest, okay?”
Jamie left the Buizel. As silence returned to the room, the Buizel laid back down and stared up at the ceiling. As he stroked the whistle, images came to the Buizel’s mind. Images of someone the girl reminded him of.
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Post by Konuju on Aug 25, 2019 8:03:00 GMT -8
IC - Sonja Baron/Chloe Hikari/Ray Hakuda/Ryan Sanders/Kyle Eston - Main Room, Vertrag:
With the situation in Dendemille outside of their control, the group had split off to different sections of Vertrag, taking their individual space to decompress from the events earlier on. For some, this was a mere matter of an hour or two; others took even longer. Eventually they found themselves filing back into the common space, where they discovered two things waiting for them: A warm meal consisting of home-cooked stir-fry and rice, and a note from Emmerich:
Sonja was sitting at the kitchen bar when Chloe entered, eyes closed and leaning gently forward over a full bowl of food. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, offering a tired wave as she noticed her arrival. “Morning,” she said. “Or evening. I’ve lost track of time.”
Chloe looked at the pan filled with stir fry in surprise for a moment, then gave a smile before she glanced over to Sonja with a wave. "Same here." She said with a chuckle as she sat down. "Totally up for stir fry at any time, though! Especially some that smells this good, mmmmm, seems like Emmerich was busy!"
Ray walked in not too long after, and also seemed pleasantly surprised by the meal. "Y'know, Emmerich's pretty cool, even if he keeps himself guarded a lot."
“Almost makes you forget he’s a Rocket General,” Sonja said. “But, yeah. Help yourselves--he made a lot.”
Ray nodded with a wide grin and scooped up some of the food onto a plate, Chloe right behind him as the two of them went to sit down. "Geez, that barely made a dent in it, you were right."
Ryan was the next one to enter the kitchen. "I thought I heard a party in here." He offered a tired smile as he made a beeline for the stir fry. "Who do we have to thank for the home cooked meal?" As soon as the question was out of his mouth he saw the note. "Impressive. Emmerich's got good taste."
Chloe nodded with a grin. "Plus, a home cooked meal isn't something we've really gotten a chance to have at all recently - and even then, it knocks the socks off of most people's cooking I know."
"I dunno, it's a tough matchup between Emmerich and what's his name's back at the Alamo. Not sure if that counts, though…" Ray said, then glanced around. "What? You all have better food than most of where I was back before… any of the stuff in the past nine months or so."
"Suuure, I bet you're just trying to get into Emmerich's good books." Chloe said with an amused-yet-teasing smile. Still, she leaned back in her seat with a smile. Sure nothing was really going right outside, what with the giant blob and the trouble with the signs, but it felt peaceful for once.
“Probably best if we all get into those books,” Sonja said half-jokingly, setting her fork down and pushing the empty bowl away. “Might make him less likely to turn us over to our bosses down the road.” She slid out of her seat and began rifling through cabinets. “Maybe we should bake him something as thanks. Maybe a cake. Does he seem like a cake person to anyone else?”
"Hmm… I mean, it's definitely something we could try, yeah!" Chloe said with a grin. "I could help with that too, baking is pretty fun!"
“I’m kidding,” Sonja laughed. “I’ve never baked a cake in my life.”
Chloe hummed for a moment as she thought. "Wanna learn some day? I could teach you! ... Once I refresh myself on how to."
"I could always go for cake," Ryan said. "And I bet if we all worked together we'd manage something at least halfway edible." He chuckled for a moment, then looked over at Sonja. "Hey, isn't your birthday coming up? Is that why you've got cake on your mind?"
“Ah . . .” Sonja’s face flushed as she opened up her Pokétch, double-checking the date. She couldn’t help but laugh awkwardly as she closed the device again. “I actually forgot about my own birthday . . . It was two days ago. Guess that makes sense why I wasn’t thinking about it.” She couldn’t help but laugh awkwardly as she closed the device again. ”So I guess I’m eighteen now.”
"Oh!" Chloe grinned as she smiled at her friend brightly. "Happy birthday, Sonja!"
"Oh wow, yeah, happy birthday!" Ray grinned as well, as he moved forward slightly as if to stand up, but changed his mind at the last minute, sitting awkwardly as if he had planned to just lean forward the entire time.
"That settles it, then." Chloe grinned as she stood up and walked over to the cabinet with the baking supplies. "We're going to bake a cake, and that's that!"
Sonja laughed. “Alright; I have no incentive to stop you. Ryan, your birthday was pretty recent, too, right? Any preference for cake flavor?”
"Oh, so now we're making this a double celebration?" Ryan thought for a moment. "Well, it's a little more complicated, but I've always been a fan of Pinap Upside-Down cake."
“Sounds good to me.”
Everyone else had more or less finished their food when the door to the bedrooms opened and Kyle emerged. He looked surprised at the gathering, and almost looked as if he might head back down the hallway before silently talking himself out of it and moving to take the seat that Sonja had left open. He offered a weak smile to the group. “Glad to see everyone’s feeling better.”
"How about you? Are you feeling a bit better too?" Ray asked with a small concerned frown at his friend.
“I’m feeling . . . better.” Kyle traced a line on the countertop with his nail. After a moment, he folded his hands in his lap. “I . . . do want to tell you guys--I was thinking about what happened with Shift, how much worse things could be right now if anything had gone even a little bit differently . . .” He rubbed his nose, raising his gaze to meet everyone else’s. “None of you had any idea what we were potentially getting into and I did, and I should’ve done more to make sure we were prepared, so I’m . . . I’m sorry.”
Ray and Chloe each placed a hand on one of Kyle's shoulders gently. "Hey, we were as prepared as we could have been for an ambush like that." Chloe said with a reassuring grin. "Could we have been better prepared? Probably. But… like Sonja told Ryan before, we did super good for what little we had there. So… none of us blame you, okay? Plus, I think we did as good as we did because of how you helped us prepare as much as we did." She patted her friend's shoulder just as gently, and smiled.
Sonja nodded in agreement. “It was a surprise attack; none of us knew it was going to happen. It’s not anyone’s fault.”
For a moment, Kyle just bit the corner of his lip, bowing his head and averting his gaze. Finally, he took a deep breath and nodded. “Alright,” he said. “Still, I . . .”
“Are you still apologizing?” Sonja asked pointedly, raising an eyebrow. “Come on, Kyle--you can’t take responsibility for what Shift does. He’s a scumbag who’s going to get what’s coming to him, and next time he’s not going to get the jump on us.” She slid a bowl and fork in front of him. “So just have some stir-fry and help us bake this cake.”
"Hey, wasn't it you who told me I need to stop pouting all the time?" Ryan offered Kyle a lighthearted smile. "Yeah, that battle sucked. But we can't change the past. It's nobody's fault what happened, and even if it was, you can't keep beating yourself up over past mistakes. That's . . . something I learned recently. Something I still have to remind myself from time to time."
“I . . .” Kyle sighed. “No, you’re right.” As he went to take a bite, he suddenly stopped, turning his head slightly in a show of genuine confusion as he fully processed what Sonja had said. “Wait, why are you baking a cake?” He looked down at the bowl of food. “Did you guys make this?”
"Combination surprise for Emmerich and for Sonja's birthday!" Chloe piped up cheerfully from across the room at the mixing bowl. Ray blinked in confusion as he looked to where she had been a second ago and where she was now. "Emmerich was the one who made the stir fry, though we should totally return the favour someday!"
"This reminds me of the cake Ellen and I made for her birthday," Ryan said as he cracked an egg, his smile turning bittersweet. "I don't know what it is, but baking is always so much more enjoyable with friends."
“You know . . . Some might take that kind of comment out of context,” Kyle said, eliciting a snort and an incredulous look from Sonja. He simply shrugged as he took a bite, failing to contain a smirk. “Well, cake is cake; I’m looking forward to it. Happy birthday, by the way. And thanks, guys.”
"You're welcome. That's what friends do." Ray said with a smile, as he walked over to a cupboard to glance around at what snacks there were while the others were busy.
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alku
Technician
Posts: 62
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Post by alku on Aug 25, 2019 10:20:03 GMT -8
IC: Titanic Clash: Evan Vs. Jenny
Behemoth saw Boarlite falling back down, but focused himself as he saw her trajectory was not for him, but for Hippowdon. The Mamoswine trumpeted a warning cry to the elderly Heavyweight Pokémon, who then saw the Emboar flying down towards her, forelimb extended. With a fluid motion, she chomped down onto the Fire-Type’s arm not too hard, but hard enough to cause a great deal of damage. Vlad uttered a cursing cry at Lazengann, before he felt claws raking across his carapace, causing him to lash his tail out at the attacker. While it had no poison flowing through it, it was still tipped with two sharp prongs at the end. Lazengann decided that clumps of dirt weren’t enough, so he dug up bigger clods of dirt and threw them at Lurelite’s eyes, hoping to blind her.
Monstro felt the tail lash out at him, and decided that the evasiveness was annoying him a little too much. He sprayed a torrent of water at Gyaralite, and if she was knocked back by it, was ready to Hammer Arm her head. Gnip felt pain in her arm, but decided not to focus on that, and lunged her head forward, aiming to sink her teeth into the steely skin of the Bug-type.
“Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!” Evan cried out to his Pokémon, as he struck a fiery pose. “You’re doing just fine, everyone. Give me more! Let your spirits burn bright with the fire to win!”
Boarlite let out a yowl of pain as her arm was chomped down on. It was to the point where she actually didn't have any ideas of what to do next, and instead simply collapsed into the Hippowdon very ungracefully, her momentum somewhat preserved but 100% not in the intended way. Sandlite, on the other hand, took full advantage of the distraction - it hadn't at all been the way she'd expected this to go at all, but no matter, there was a distraction and someone needed to use it. The Krookodile pulled her leg back as she approached, then attempted to kick the Hippowdon with the full force of her sole.
The Chandelure seemed surprised by the larger dirt clods, then floated away back into the air to dodge them, although some of the clods landed a mark on her arms. Eelite, on the other hand, took the tail lash and instead bit down on Vlad to try and get the Gliscor to give up - though she knew she wouldn't be able to take too many more of those hits if Vlad kept that up.
Gyaralite was caught off guard by the torrent of water being launched at her despite knowing about the Swampert's powers being back. However, she didn't fall for Monstro's tricks despite getting knocked back. As the Swampert moved to smash her head, she quickly lashed out at the Swampert; if not to hurt Monstro and force the advantage back away from him, then to cause the Swampert to pause his attacks.
Scizlite felt Gnip's teeth sink into her shoulder and let out a loud screech of her own. With a shove, she pushed the dragon away from her and stumbled back, her armour slightly torn where she had been bitten. However, despite that, she grinned. This was an all-out fight, but not one out of malice or anything like that; the torn armour was simply a byproduct of that. The sheer fun of the fight was succeeding in making the Scizor even more determined. She heard Jenny's voice echo in her head.
Scizlite took a step forward as rainbow light streamed off of her and formed into a cocoon of sorts. Yes - this was an all out fight. And all the shell broke and a transformed Scizor began to walk back toward where Gnip was, she knew she was going to push the limits of what her idea of "all-out" even was.
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Post by Magical Girl Mimi on Aug 25, 2019 14:54:33 GMT -8
IC - Chloe Hikari/Ray Hakuda/Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron/Ryan Sanders- Main Room, Vertrag:
As the group began to head back toward the living room, Chloe stopped for a moment when her Poké Gear began to ring.
"Hello?" There was an uneasy silence for a long while - long enough that it made her double-check her caller display.
Evan Tierra.
When she put the phone back to her ear, she heard the man's voice begin to shakily speak. She listened with a confused look on her face for a few moments, but then froze to the spot as her hand went to her mouth.
Ryan, who had been walking behind Chloe, nearly ran into her when she stopped. "You okay, Chlo?" he asked when he saw the expression on her pale face.
Chloe didn't answer, just listening in silence to the man on the other end of the line. After a few moments, the Poké Gear slipped from her hand, preciously swinging on a wrist strap attached to her right hand.
"...can't be…" The girl mumbled quietly, looking as if she were about to fall to the floor at any moment.
"Hey!" Ryan swiftly moved to catch her. "What happened?"
"Evan phoned…" Chloe managed to get out, focused on the floor, but nowhere in particular. Ray's attention had been caught by now too, as he turned around to look at the scene in concern while he walked back. "R-Ryan… he's dead, but it, I just… and Jenny's hurt too, and…"
"What?" Ray said with wide eyes as he stopped in his tracks for a moment. He gently grabbed the phone and frowned as he positioned himself in a way so he could talk with Evan and get the details of what had happened.
Ryan focused on helping Chloe over to a chair so she could sit down. He didn't want to press her for details -- Ray could fill him in later. "Vertrag!" he called out.
The Jirachi materialized in an instant. How may I be of assistance?
"Can you bring up any recent news reports about Ryan Hikari or Jenny Hakuda?"
In the blink of an eye, Vertrag vanished again. A second later, the television lit up with relevant information. There was not much, but there were some pieces regarding an altercation in Ecruteak during a recent festival, primarily focusing on some damage dealt by what appeared to have been a transformed Dragonite.
Ray looked at the TV in horror as he heard what Evan was saying about the incident. "That's it, according to Evan… 'damage' is putting it lightly…"
"What in the world?" Ryan couldn't look away from the screen. "A transformed Dragonite? Like what happened on One Island and down in Vertrag's arena?"
Ray nodded grimly as he took a breath, hanging up the phone and letting it dangle once again. "Evan said it was the same sort of thing, though he seemed all over the place… Jenny… Jenny's in bad shape, Ryan's dead, and Evan and the other people he was with barely got out unscathed from the sounds of it." He paused slightly. "Well, Evan I could see standing a chance, but… a rogue person who can transform their Pokémon… that sounds scary in this time."
“Jeez . . .” Kyle rubbed his face, looking between Ray and Chloe. “I’m so sorry, guys . . .”
Ryan slid to the floor next to Chloe's chair. All of the Pokémon transformations he'd heard about or witnessed had been related to a moment of emotional catharsis, a demonstration of the bond between Trainer and Pokémon. Somehow the thought had never crossed his mind that such power could be used to such destructive ends.
Stuck in Kalos, there was nothing any of them could do. It would be some time before Vertrag's teleportation recharged, and even then it would be foolish to abandon their pursuit of the Signs for the sake of exacting revenge on the person who had destroyed Ecruteak. Nevertheless, Ryan felt caught somewhere between wrath and hopelessness. As the newscast showed shot after shot of the destruction that had brought the nearby festival to a halt, Ryan could only hug his knees and let a knot form in his stomach.
For her part, Sonja did not know what to say. Admittedly, she had never quite managed to put her feelings about Unova behind her, and that included Ryan’s part in the events that had transpired. Still, he had turned over a new leaf, and despite everything that he had done before then . . . She had to take a moment, imagining how she would feel if anything happened to Hayes.
She took a seat next to Chloe and just hugged her.
"Thank you…" Chloe mumbled numbly as she stared at her lap blankly. Her mind was a rush of a lot of different emotions and conflicting feelings, but she couldn't focus on any of them. It was only when she felt her hands getting wet that she realized she had started to cry at some point during this. She tried to take a deep breath at the least, to try and bring some clarity back, but it didn't work.
Ray bit his lip, then leaned down to hug Chloe from the other side. He wasn't sure what to say at all, but right now, that didn't matter in the slightest.
It wasn't until the news segment had ended that Ryan finally spoke up. "This just proves how important our mission is. Ford said the Signs would be able to help us combat Missing Zero, maybe even find a way to bring Pokémon powers back en masse. Until we do that, what happened in Ecruteak will start happening in other cities, too. We can't do anything to directly help Evan right now, but if we can get just one of the Signs on our side, then the return of powers will let others be able to fight back themselves without relying on people like us."
The bowl scraped against the counter as Kyle pushed it away, nearly finished but having lost his appetite. “It’s already happening in other cities, though, isn’t it?” he said. “That’s not that different from what happened in Dendemille.” The Liberty Agent looked at Ryan. “But, you’re right. People can barely defend themselves right now. Let’s just hope Vertrag figures out where we need to go soon so that we can try to fix it.” He shifted his gaze back to the bowl, dejected. He wouldn’t say it out loud, but he couldn’t help but dwell on the fact that reactivating powers wouldn’t help Ryan, Jenny, or Evan against whoever had attacked them; it was too late for that.
Sonja pulled back from Chloe, but kept a hand on her shoulder. “Do you need anything?” she asked gently.
"I… I think… I don't know…" Chloe bit her lip, the only thing she could force herself to do. "Maybe I should… just sleep or something…"
“Okay.” Sonja patted her shoulder. “If that’s what you feel you need, we’ll finish that cake and clean everything up. You just take things easy, alright?”
"Alright…" Chloe managed a weak smile in response as she slowly nodded. "Um, maybe some… help back too, I feel dizzy still…"
“I getcha.” Sonja slid onto her feet, helping Chloe up. “Let’s get you to bed, then.”
That night, Chloe tossed and turned in her sleep. She wasn't sure what exactly prompted it, but she fell into her first true nightmare in weeks. She felt paralyzed as the hulking figure of Black Kyurem loomed before her. All around her felt cold and dark as snow fell like a blizzard had been localized around her.
The girl ran, and ran, and ran, until finally she tripped over something that sent her crumbling into the snow. When she turned to look at what she tripped over, she saw what looked to be her brother… if he had been mummified for hundreds of years.
Chloe woke up with a long shriek as she struggled to calm herself down. Her eyes darted around nervously, only settling when she realized where she was.
It was only a dream… She repeated over and over, taking long deep breaths as she clenched the sheets on her bed to try and stop shaking. Pushing herself out of bed, she walked to the door and opened it, then glanced around and tiptoed to the lounge, not caring that she was still in her nightgown.
After a few minutes, Chloe set the glass of water she had gotten onto the table and roughly threw herself onto the couch before curling into a ball. Despite the… disagreements she had been in with her brother in the past, she still felt lost after hearing the news. And with Jenny in who-knows-what state, she just felt… hollow, almost. She pulled her knees up to her chest with a melancholic look on her face, though a fire of determination burned in her chest. When they were done, she was going to help as best as she could, if nothing got in the way.
After some time, Chloe became aware of a soft glow emanating from in front of the couch. Vertrag’s form hovered in midair just a foot in front of where she lay, silently observing her. As she processed and acknowledged its presence, the Jirachi gave a slow, gentle bow.
Good evening, Miss Hikari, it said. I was unable to offer my condolences earlier this evening. I hope you are faring well.
"Better than earlier…"
I am pleased to hear that. The Jirachi tilted its head. Pardon me for diverting topics so abruptly, but I actually am rather glad that you are currently awake. I have been meaning to submit an inquiry to you regarding the spiritual anomaly in your presence. Would you be so kind as to indulge me?
"Anomaly?" Chloe asked with a confused look on her face as she pushed herself into an upright position. "What do you mean?"
Vertrag’s head straightened up. If it could express its own puzzlement, it would have. Intriguing; it appears you are unaware of this phenomenon. I will make a note of this.
With a gesture of its hand, Vertrag summoned a holographic, constellation-like outline of a person. The next instance another, more wavy outline appeared around this, which glowed a faint green.
During initial scans of you and your friends, my sensors picked up on a latent power surrounding your form. I initially understood this to be your Aura. Upon closer inspection, however, the energy signatures of this presence were found to flicker in conjunction with your actual Aura, almost but not quite matching its fluctuations on a one-to-one scale.
Another wavy line appeared, this one glowing a faint, icy blue. As Vertrag described, it was just barely distinguishable from the green line after a very, very close examination of their placement over one another.
In the simplest terms, it would appear that a secondary Auraric presence has taken residence within yours--either weak enough as to allow yours to mask it on a base reading, or strong enough to achieve the same effect by masking yours.
Chloe sat baffled as she stared at the chart. She looked down at her hand in confusion - despite the evidence in front of her, she didn't feel any different… so what could it mean? She nodded despite her confusion to show that she at least understood what Vertrag’s explanation meant, even if the psychic had no clue what the other presence could even be.
"What should I do, then?" She asked quietly, an uneasy look on her face. "Like, what… kind of presence is this…?"
Inconclusive. Vertrag might as well have shrugged. Considering this anomaly was present on entry into this facility, I would assume that it has been with you for some time. As you have had no ill effects up to now, it would appear that it is neutral toward your endeavors, at least for the time being. I would suggest reaching out to someone with more experience in the field of Aura for further insight. If you wish, I can compile a list of possible instructors with whom you can confer.
"Hmmm… someone with experience…" Chloe thought for a few moments as she crossed her arms and legs. "I know a couple people like that, maybe I can…" The girl yawned as she covered her mouth, a tired look back on her face. "Maybe I can reach out to one of them when I wake up…" She gave a smile, however. "Thank you, Vertrag."
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