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Post by Parugi on Jan 21, 2020 16:16:44 GMT -8
Current Map of M0 Spread Pattern
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Post by Parugi on Jan 21, 2020 16:17:23 GMT -8
Current Events Latest Event: Operation RALLY is reinstatedImportant Notes as of 11/30/2020 OOC- Current In-Game Date: October 31st, 2017
- All notable allied groups (Team Liberty, Team Rocket, Rocket Separatists, Team Plasma, The Republic of Hoenn, the Signs, the government of Kalos, the government of Alola, and the government of Galar/The Knights of the Spire) are considered up-to-date on all known information about Missing Zero.
- Unless specifically declined, all characters allied with any of the major groups are assumed to have been equipped with a Return Module.
- Missing Zero has begun making landfall at each of the eight main regions.
- Sins speculated to be present in each of the eight main regions, carried there by strange lights.
- TL/TR/etc. have sent the bulk of their agents to each front, stalling M0's spread while smaller groups seek out each region's Legendary Pokémon for use against M0.
Sevii Islands Notes- Current Operational Government: Team Liberty (Blackskull & Silvermind)
- M0 Presence: One Island, Two Island, Three Island (absorbed); surrounding/nearby oceans (present)
- Team Liberty has their hands full--keeping an eye on Ford, on M0 nearby, on their preparations against M0, and with the ongoing investigation in Goldhawk's death. They are likewise continuing to search for McKinley.
- Thanks to an arrangement with Alola, basic Z-Crystals are available for pick-up on Four Island. Agents are restricted to one per person.
Kanto Notes- Current Operational Government: Team Rocket (Sleight)
- M0 Presence: Mt. Silver, Fuchsia (Instances present); Gluttony (roaming); Quincy Adams (roaming)
- Sleight is occupied with maintaining the quarantine around Mt. Silver, as well as preparing for the coming arrival of M0 to the mainland.
- Allied forces currently stalling M0 spread near Pallet Town and Fuchsia.
Johto Notes- Current Operational Government: Team Rocket (Joker)
- M0 Presence: Azalea Town, Route 29 (Instances present); Wrath (roaming); unknown Instance (roaming)
- With Instances reported in Mt. Silver, Joker is hard at work attempting to locate the source of a second breach of Instances in the region.
- Allied forces currently stalling M0 spread at Route 29.
Hoenn Notes- Current Operational Government: The Republic of Hoenn; Déoza (John Ford impostor?)
- M0 Presence: Lavaridge Ruins, Lilycove, Sootopolis (Instances present); unknown Sin (roaming)
- While James Pierce was ousted and the government retaken by the people of Hoenn, Déoza has remained an active threat, particularly retaining control of Sootopolis, which has remained largely impenetrable.
- Allied forces currently stalling M0 spread east of Lilycove.
Sinnoh Notes- Current Operational Government: Rocket Separatists (Bounty)
- M0 Presence: Lake Acuity, Snowpoint, Route 220 (Instances present); Pride (roaming)
- Bounty has reestablished Team Rocket's presence in Divide, located in Oreburgh. They are currently investigating rumors of activity in the northern section of Sinnoh.
- Allied forces currently stalling M0 spread at Route 220.
Unova Notes- Current Operational Government: Team Plasma (Sage Gorm)
- M0 Presence: Black City, Route 17 (Instances present); unknown Sin (roaming)
- With the fall of Black City, Team Plasma has moved their operations to Driftveil. They are currently trying to regain their footing after the devastating loss of Black City.
- Allied forces currently stalling M0 spread on the southern border near Nuvema.
Kalos Notes- Current Operational Government: Kalos Government; The Signs (Clue)
- M0 Presence: Laverre, Vaniville (Instances present); unknown Sin (roaming)
- Per the request of Vorhut, the Signs are currently working on ways to defeat Missing Zero.
- Team Flare has been ousted from government leadership and put back on the run; however, it seems that this is part of their plan, and they appear to be after Xerneas.
- Allied forces currently stalling M0 spread at Vaniville.
Alola Notes- Current Operational Government: Alolan government
- M0 Presence: Exeggutor Island, Po Town, Hano Beach, Memorial Hill (Instances present); unknown Sin (roaming)
- Alola's various islands are home to a large number of different organizations and gangs.
- Allied forces currently stalling M0 spread near Exeggutor Island
Galar Notes- Current Operational Government: The Knights of the Spire (King Caderyn); Pokémon League (public face)
- M0 Presence: Glimwood Tangle, eastern coast (Instances present); McKinley (roaming)
- The Knights of the Spire operate behind the scenes of the Pokémon League's public presence, secretly keeping Galar safe and running its operations.
- The Knights of the Spire are currently working to prevent an M0 outbreak from the Glimwood Tangle.
- Allied forces currently stalling M0 spread on the eastern border of Galar's mainland.
Other Regions Notes- Current Operational Government: Dependent variable.
- M0 Presence: Unknown
- Orre, Oblivia, Almia, Fiore, and the Orange Islands have all been hit with reports of Instances active in different parts of their regions.
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Post by Parugi on Jan 28, 2020 16:58:45 GMT -8
GM IC - Dr. Fallon Coleman/Shadow Admin Sleight/Shadow Admin Joker/Shadow Admin Bounty/Liberty Leader Blackskull/Liberty Leader Silvermind/Others - Conference Center, Viridian City - August 31st, 2017:The world was falling apart. Far away in Kalos, Team Flare had succeeded in their attempt to sow chaos across the country, allowing one of their most influential leaders to attain power over the highest office of the land. In Hoenn, despite the removal of James Pierce from the office of the president, Deoza remained an active threat--led by some impostor of the terrorist John Ford, operating from unknown positions, striking swiftly and surely before retreating back into the dark. In Unova, Kalos, Sinnoh, possibly other regions--certainly nearby, at Mt. Silver on the border of Kanto and Johto--the influence of Missing Zero seemed to be spreading via unknown means, allowing for increasingly common and deadly attacks from roaming Instances. Already, the main structure of Team Plasma had been devastated, with many of their number--including most of their leadership--falling within the span of a single night. And in the midst of the Sevii Islands, the central form of Missing Zero itself continued its slow spread, a massive, gelatinous form of glowing red and black that slowly, steadily spread further and further out beneath the ocean. The world was falling apart, and there was little to be done but find any means available to ensure the pieces stuck together for as long as possible. So it was that dozens of officials from Teams Rocket and Liberty--Shadow Admins, Leaders, Executives, scientists and researchers, and more--as well as representatives from Team Plasma, Hoenn, Alola, and even some from Galar's government had gathered together to discuss options, among many others. It was no secret that in the wake of John Ford's attempts to prevent Missing Zero's invasion, several transformations had swept across the world, some of them minor and some of them major. Perhaps the least exciting was the way in which a handful of Pokemon had been affected, affecting their types. More notable was the way in which a number of Pokemon had achieved an entirely new form of evolution under intense stress, changing their bodies and granting them power on par with most Legendary Pokemon. This phenomenon, while growing in frequency, remained largely a mystery. And yet, it was not the only new method of evolution that had appeared in the past month. Nor would it remain a mystery for long. The massive screens around the room changed. As they did, a calm voice spoke over the sound system: "Honored guests, please take a seat. The Emergency Powers Conference will begin momentarily." Like a receding wave sliding back into the ocean, the rumbles and murmurs echoing throughout the center slowly died down as the attendees took their seats. The representative bodies--all generally staying seated with others from their region--surrounded the center stage, hundreds of concerned eyes watching silently as a tall man made his way to the front. He took his place on the stage, his gaze sweeping across the assembled faces but not really looking at any one of them--merely taking in the sight of the highest powers that had gathered at his doorstep. "Thank you all for coming," Shadow Admin Sleight said. "I will keep this brief. A lot has happened in the last month, much of it . . . unpleasant, to say the very least. There is a lot to discuss here, and more yet to face. As you all have likely heard by now, the disaster zone encompassing Missing Zero's area of influence is growing--quickly. There are reports that it has already begun launching attacks against other regions, even as far away as Alola and Galar. It is our hope that by sharing our newest research and inventions, developments that have helped our regions and organizations individually, we may--together--find a way to defeat the creature that threatens our combined existence." The screens around the chamber began to list several items. "There are only a few topics on the docket today. Please listen carefully, and hold all questions until after each presentation."
Working From the Front Lines: Liberty Power Armor and Return Modules Presented by: Professor Blue Oak "By now, every person here has seen the footage captured from . . . various sources of what occurred on One Island a little under a month ago. Between the Power Suits that were put on display for the first time, the discovery of a new evolution phenomenon, and the first direct, widely-available viewing of what the Missing Zero is capable of, there were a lot of questions raised by that incident. My colleague, Dr. Coleman, will be touching on two of those three topics shortly; and because Dr. Vert is currently unavailable, it falls on me to discuss the third, and to clear up several misconceptions that have arisen from that battle. "The Liberty Power Armor initiative--formally called Project WEAVER--was the brainchild of Dr. Meghan Vert. This project aimed to provide a means through which normal humans--people like you and I--could channel Pokémon power through wearable technology. I will not get into the history of this project at this time--my understanding is that the situation as a whole is rather complicated, and it is not my place to discuss it. What I will say is this: The project was a success, and the results were what you witnessed on One Island. Team Liberty has successfully developed a means through which regular humans can fight directly alongside their Pokemon partners, aiding and supporting them in ways previously thought impossible for the majority of nonpowered people. "These armor sets operate on multiple levels. On a technical level, each suit is specially designed to channel power from a condensed core, from which it derives its Type abilities. This grants the Power Armor access to most moves of that Type, as well as shifting the suit's molecular structure to replicate the designated Type's strengths and weaknesses. These changes additionally alter the operator whilst the armor is active, increasing to an extent their physical strength, durability, agility, and intelligence. Each set of armor is also equipped with a specialized Ability Module, which grants each set of armor a unique characteristic or ability that assists it in specific functions and environments. Unfortunately, it is important to note that wearing this Power Armor does not grant invincibility--casualties in their use have already been reported, and are likely to occur again. As such, deployment of the Power Suits remains at the discretion of Team Liberty, wherever we are able to maximize our efforts against the Missing Zero. "At the time of the incident on One Island, it was believed that only one set of Power Armor would ever be made--the resources necessary to create the core, specifically, are difficult to produce by normal means. However, with assistance from several contributors--namely Dr. Coleman of Team Rocket, as well as contributions from the Aether Foundation and Dr. Colress--we have determined that more sets of Power Armor can be made in time. Production is currently in progress for a second set, with our goal being to produce five sets in total by the end of the year. Each set will aim to improve upon the last, patching up any weaknesses or drawbacks found within the previous sets. "At this point, it is important to mention an auxiliary device that has already entered mass production. As of the One Island incident, Team Liberty has determined it necessary to equip all of their agents with a Return Module. This module functions as an emergency evacuation device for Pokémon in the event that their trainer is killed in the field, transporting them to a previously-designated safe zone. With the known methods used by the Missing Zero to produce its army, and the tenacity with which it has been observed to target human hostiles, the Return Module aims to minimize the number of lives lost in battle--and by proxy, the number of Instances produced for the next conflict. Team Liberty leadership has agreed to distribute these devices to any allied organizations that would like to use them for their own efforts against the Missing Zero, on the condition of assisted production. "I believe that about sums up the current situation. If you have any questions, please feel free to find me and ask. In the meantime, we have other developments to discuss. . ."
Bonds and their Power: Mega Evolution Presented by: Dr. Fallon Coleman "T-Thank you, Professor Oak. As we saw from One Island--and as we've seen since then--a new form of evolution has emerged. This phenomenon has been referred to by a number of different names--Bond Phenomenon, Synchronized Evolution, Primal Reversion, Ultra Burst. By far, the most widespread is Mega Evolution, which is the term that I have elected to proceed with. "Prior to August 4th, no instances of Mega Evolution--or really anything like it--had ever been recorded. As a result, we are led to believe that this power is a brand new development in our world, perhaps linked to the arrival of Missing Zero or to the waves of light that accompanied the loss of Pokémon powers. That means that we are in uncharted territory--while similar transformations from form to form are known to exist, as in the case of Legendary Pokémon like Meloetta, there is no historical precedent for a Pokémon transforming into an entirely new form through the bond it shares with its trainer. Because of this, we have very few samples that we have been able to study. However, recent events have allowed for us to piece together a fuller picture of this phenomenon. "Two weeks ago, Team Rocket became aware of Instances appearing at Mt. Silver. In response to this discovery, teams of soldiers were sent to establish a quarantine around the mountain. The ensuing skirmishes with these Instances have caused multiple agents of Team Rocket to experience Mega Evolution. Many of these have since been recalled, allowing us to more closely study the phenomenon. In addition, a volunteer trainer from Team Liberty who was present on Mt. Silver during this initial quarantine agreed to assist in our research, after managing to achieve multiple Mega Evolutions in a single conflict--more than any that we have documented anywhere else. "The effects of Mega Evolution are rather simple once laid out. Mega Evolution visibly changes the physical structure of the Pokémon's body; these changes drastically increase the Pokémon's stats, elevating its strength to nearly that of a Legendary Pokémon. In addition, Mega Evolution tends to change the Pokémon's innate Ability and, in many cases, changes their Type as well. Lastly, Mega Evolution revitalizes the affected Pokémon, allowing them to access their powers even after they have reverted back to their normal form. These changes appear to be fueled directly by a synergistic bond between the Pokémon and its trainer, where the Pokémon draws strength from its trainer in order to magnify its own performance in combat. "Notable downsides have been noted to Mega Evolution, which we have found tend to fall along the same general scale of effects. The symptoms of "Evolution Sickness," as it has come to be known, are generally not permanent, and tend to disappear after a few days, though they can last longer. However, they do possess a patterned progression based off of the number of the trainer's Pokémon that have Mega Evolved simultaneously. These effects have been documented as follows. 1. No noticeable issues 2. Minor headache, dizziness 3. Physical weakness 4. Severe faintness 5. Bleeding from orifices 6. Unconsciousness, death "At this time, only one test subject has managed to reach the sixth stage of Evolution Sickness. He is currently in stable condition and is being carefully monitored to ensure a full recovery; however, it is clear to us that without immediate medical attention, overuse of Mega Evolution by a single individual can and will prove fatal under the wrong circumstances. It is my suggestion as the lead researcher on this phenomenon that, until such a time comes that we are better able to control it, trainers must take caution to pace themselves--and their superiors must not lean too heavily on those who have gained access to this power, lest they deplete a finite resource before it can be fully understood. On a similar note, our next speakers have come here from Galar to present on a new development of their own . . ."
Go Big or Go Home: The Perfection of Dynamax Evolution Presented by: Professors Renée Magnolia and Sonia Magnolia "Thank you, Dr. Coleman, for that introduction. My name is Professor Renée Magnolia; I am accompanied today by my granddaughter, Professor Sonia Magnolia, whose assistance in the past few weeks has proven vital to the subject of this presentation. "We will keep this fairly brief. As some of you may know, I have spent many years experimenting with a method of evolution that has largely only existed in the realm of theory. I refer, of course, to Dynamax Evolution, the process by which a Pokémon is made to become gigantic. While there have previously been some cases of imperfect Dynamax Evolution, including one such incident in Goldenrod City last month, these individual cases have always resulted in the same outcome: The Pokémon in question losing control and going on a rampage. Sometimes, these Pokémon can be quelled and returned to their normal form; other times, they cannot. That is why it is my honor to announce that my granddaughter and I have finally discovered the means to perfect Dynamax Evolution. "In the past few weeks, we have managed to develop an item that we call a Dynamax Band. This device allows a trainer to channel the energy of their bond into their partner Pokémon. On activation, the Pokémon will grow to a gargantuan size, massively increasing its power. Under ideal circumstances, Dynamax Evolution can last up to 8 hours. As long as the Pokémon remains equipped with the Dynamax Band, it will remain under its trainer's command, and its trainer can reverse the effects of Dynamax Evolution at any time, bringing the Pokémon back to normal. If the Dynamax Band is destroyed or removed while the Pokémon is Dynamax Evolved, however, it will lose itself in the excess power contained within its body, going on a rampage until naturally reverting to its normal form after roughly an hour. A Pokémon will also revert back to normal size if it or its trainer faints or is otherwise rendered incapacitated. Regardless of how it does so, a Dynamax Evolved Pokémon cannot be returned to its Poké Ball until it has reverted to its normal form. "Unlike Mega Evolution, trainers are limited to one Dynamax Evolution per day, and this cannot be done to a Pokémon that is currently Mega Evolved--nor vice versa. In working with Dr. Coleman and the others, we have determined that Dynamax Evolution contributes to the Evolution Sickness scale. However, Dynamax Evolution takes more energy from the trainer to achieve than Mega Evolution, and as a result a single Dynamax Evolution bumps up the Evolution Sickness meter by 4 points instead of 1. At the same time, the power boost from Dynamax Evolution is significantly larger as a whole--the Pokémon's powers are massively boosted, normal attacks become area-of-effect moves with devastating effects, and the Pokémon becomes extremely resistant to normal-powered moves, whether damaging or status-inducing--even those that would normally cripple them. "At this time, we have only managed to create a few Dynamax Bands--less than a dozen. We are looking at ways to increase production, while ensuring that those that we make do not fall into the wrong hands. Considering the scale of power afforded by Dynamax Evolution, we feel that this could prove to be a powerful tool in the battles to come against Missing Zero, and only ask that you all remain patient as we continue our work."
An Enemy Unknown: The Missing Zero Presented by: Dr. Fallon Coleman "Truly amazing work, Professors, thank you. The final subject that I will discuss with you all is the creature we are seeking to combat: The Missing Zero. Admittedly, there is still a lot we don't know about this thing. However, there are a few facts that we have managed to compile by examining combat data and by studying some samples of its Instances. For some of you, this information may be redundant, as you've already heard it. For the rest, please pay close attention, as it could frankly mean the difference between your country's survival and its destruction. "The Missing Zero itself is a creature of extradimensional origin. We do not know what it is, where exactly it came from, or how it managed to arrive here--just that it exists, it's from some other dimension, and it's here now. It originally appeared on Two Island before rapidly expanding to encompass One and Three Islands. From there, it has continued to spread beneath the ocean, with its next target remaining unknown to us. If you have not previously seen any video or image prior to the one you see now, then this is what we are fighting against. Its appearance is easily described as that of a massive blob of glowing, red and pink gel, constantly undulating and rippling within itself. Nothing definitive has been determined about the Missing Zero's biological make-up. However, one very, very important note was observed from day one: Contact with the Missing Zero's gelatinous body allows it to absorb whatever it comes into contact with. What exactly happens to the absorbed material once it has been absorbed is yet to be determined, though evidence suggests that it instantaneously deconstructs absorbed materials at the molecular level, oftentimes reconstructing them into its Instances. The absorbed materials also cause it to grow and expand, putting it into a continuous feedback loop where it is constantly eating and expanding and eating and expanding. "That said, we have managed to learn quite a bit from studying fallen Instances. We owe many thanks to the brave Rocket Agents currently maintaining the Mt. Silver quarantine zone, as they have provided us with the vast, vast majority of our test subjects. Instances are, for lack of better terminology, foot soldiers for the Missing Zero--they emerge from symbols that appear on Missing Zero's surface when faced with opposition, and engage in direct combat utilizing Pokémon moves and abilities. From studying Instance samples, we have learned that each Instance is created from one of two sources: An absorbed creature, whether Pokémon or human, or an absorbed object. Upon absorption, the creature or object is reconfigured into the form of a predetermined Instance based off of what it was that was absorbed. To state a specific example, an absorbed human always creates a specific 'strain' of Instance, and likewise, Grass-Type Pokémon will always result in Grass-Type Instances. Dual-Type Pokémon appear to produce two Instances, one of each Type. Absorbed objects are a little more complicated, as we cannot determine what they will create until we encounter an example to begin with, but by and large, this makes the production of Instances relatively simple to predict--whatever goes in will result in something specific and known coming back out. That being said, while many Instances are derived from Pokémon, they in effect are not Pokémon--they cannot be caught or contained in any variety of Poké Ball, necessitating incapacitation if not outright death in order to capture. "Instance behavior varies wildly depending on the strain. Some are mindless, some are aggressive, some are relatively docile. Almost all, however, will attack without a moment's hesitation. There seems to be further variety in behavior when it comes to the presence of umbilical cords. Normally, when an Instance is summoned directly from Missing Zero's main body, it will emerge with a tendril keeping it attached. In these cases, Instances appear to be directly powered by Missing Zero itself--they possess greater strength, intelligence, and are more actively aggressive. They appear to even be dependent on the cord, as severing it weakens the Instance, if not instantly killing it. Sometimes, however, Instances appear without the umbilical cord, operating on their own instinct. All of those that have appeared on Mt. Silver have been of this latter variety, with none exhibiting signs of a direct connection to Missing Zero. What this means currently remains a mystery to us. "All things considered, the Missing Zero is still a mystery on many fronts, including the question of how to destroy it. At present, the only known way to even slow its spread is by engaging it in combat--it does not seem to expand while it has active Instances in the vicinity--but that is a war of attrition that we will never win. What we have learned must be acknowledged and carefully considered before any action is taken against it. Our compiled data, including our index of catalogued Instances, will be distributed to all major government organizations for the purpose of ensuring that everyone remains as fully educated as possible before engaging Missing Zero. We only ask that any new notes--whether they seem major or minor--be shared immediately upon documentation. With the nature of this enemy, anything could prove to be the key to stopping it."
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Post by Parugi on Jan 28, 2020 17:26:32 GMT -8
GM IC - President Akamaro Chalmers/Chief of Defense Intelligence Eloi Masson/Chief of Foreign Affairs Josselin Faucher - President's Office at Lumiose Palace, Lumiose - September 30th, 2017:
President Akamaro Chalmers looked upon the city of Lumiose with a triumphant smile.
From the office of the president--from his office, he silently corrected himself--he overlooked the entirety of the city from the south. Here, at the top of Kalos, he held the power to drive the region as he saw fit. He could wage wars, if he wished. He could expand the long-shrunken territories of this country. He could declare martial law against those who hated the very thought of his body occupying their very room. From this office, he could add and subtract and rearrange as he saw fit, all in the name of wiping out the filth--the ants--that wandered the streets below, that dared to consider themselves on equal footing to the truly elite few alongside which he worked.
From this office, he could truly, finally, and utterly rebuild Team Flare, expand their influence across the world, and recreate continents and oceans and all of civilization into that sacred, beautiful vision of humanity that only he and a small handful of others had come to appreciate.
And what had it taken to get to this, the most powerful of positions? Only a little over a decade of planning, time filled with plenty of deception and manipulation. It had begun before even the Fall, in the medical fronts concocted by Chalmers himself, where Team Flare had first begun their experiments with genetic manipulation and cloning. "Refuges," they had called them, meant to help--at least, give the illusion of help--to those desperate for it. In hindsight, it was truly remarkable how many people had willingly offered themselves up; they and those handpicked off of the streets far and wide had provided Team Flare with more than enough genetic material to create the short-lived, but fully-effective army of flash clones that had allowed the reborn Flare to instill so much chaos across Kalos a little over a month ago. And it was that chaos that had allowed Chalmers to attain this very office.
That was what Team Flare did best, after all--flashy displays meant to misdirect. True, the machinations back then had resulted in Lysandre and many others being unceremoniously buried beneath the earth--that had not exactly been planned. But what did it matter, when the real goal stretched so very far beyond the reach of those who believed they could deny it? In the end, it had proven a boon--with most of the important pieces already in place, already empowered with Xerneas's secrets, it had provided Team Flare the important and overlooked opportunity to wait out the events of the Liberty-Rocket War. And good that they had--by now, the biggest threats across the world had worn themselves nearly down to the bone. Thus the timing of this--and the possibilities from here, once the plan returned to its proper schedule--meant that Flare, not Liberty or Rocket or any other, would come out on top.
What had it taken to get to this, the most powerful of positions?
In short? Next to nothing.
"The fire burns; and from the ashen nothing, we rise."
Chalmers could not help but laugh as he returned to his desk. The screen on his desk lit up just as he sat down--a video call from an encrypted number. Lysandre, most likely, or possibly Rowan. Regardless, this was a call he knew he had to take. He cleared his throat, taking a brief moment to adjust his suit and hair, and reached for the answer button.
"President Chalmers," a voice rung from his telecom. "CDI Masson and CFA Faucher are here to see you. They say it's urgent."
Damn it. "Would you ask them to come back in an hour?" Chalmers responded. It took every ounce of restraint to avoid betraying the full extent of his irritation. "I have my own business to attend to, as I'm sure they understand."
"They say it's very urgent, sir," the secretary said, clear hesitation in her voice. "It concerns the incident with Flare last month, specifically, um . . . President De Villepin."
That gave Chalmers great pause. After a moment, he declined the video chat from his contact, and then responded to the telecom in a tone that could only be described as icy. "Very well. Send them in."
It did not take long for Masson and Faucher to arrive. The former was a tall, generally unassuming man with dark hair and a receding hairline, and brown eyes that stared a little too wide at times. The latter was a dark-skinned woman currently wearing her hair in a bun, and an intensity in her eyes that Chalmers utterly hated. He could not honestly say that he liked either of these people--they had both been appointed by De Villepin, after all, and more than once he got the impression that they were more acutely aware of what was occurring around them than was good for them. Now was certainly one of those times.
"Chief Masson," Chalmers greeted, rising from his seat with arms outstretched in welcome. "Chief Faucher. To what do I owe this . . . pleasure?" He watched them with mild confusion as they approached, both taking a seat while hardly acknowledging him--they seemed more interested in observing the surrounding office than in the man currently occupying it. He suppressed a scowl. "I apologize for the accommodations--as you are both well aware, President De Villepin's office was greatly damaged in the assassination attempt against us. My understanding is that it is still under repair. Though, if you ask me, it was well past the time for the president's place of operations to be relocated."
"Indeed," Chief Masson said. "And are you liking your current placement, President Chalmers?"
"I am, very much so," Chalmers replied. "The view is simply marvelous up here. Of course, the presidency itself, not so much--far too much stress and all. A lot to think about on the day-to-day." He forced a smile. "But that's not what you're here for, is it?"
"If we're being honest, no," Faucher said. "Admittedly, I do apologize for the sudden, unannounced visit, Mr. President; however, there is something that we have been looking into that required a more . . . immediate approach. I'm sure you'll understand in a few moments."
"I certainly will, with explanation," Chalmers replied. He could feel his string of patience running thin already. He only hoped he was doing a better job of concealing it than he was of ignoring it.
"Of course, Mr. President," Masson said. He produced a folder of information. Chalmers's eyes immediately dropped to it, before bouncing back up to the Chief's face. "As you may have expected, our Intelligence forces have been hard at work looking into the assassination of President De Villepin and the attempted assassination on yourself. To say it has been fruitful would be an understatement."
"Oh, that is excellent!" Chalmers said. "Once we have determined the identity of the Rocket assassin, I am hopeful that Shadow Admin Sleight will be a little more willing to cooperate with us. I'm sure you're aware of how contact went in the immediate aftermath?"
"I am, Mr. President. Very aware." Masson frowned. "I'm not, however, entirely confident in that accusation."
"Oh?" Chalmers stared blankly at him for a moment. "Then, what have you to report?"
Masson opened the folder, tilting it slightly. From this angle, Chalmers could not read anything on the page. He glanced at the Chief, lips thinning. If the Chief of Defense Intelligence noticed, he said nothing about it; however, Chief Faucher appeared to be watching Chalmers very, very closely.
"If we're being honest with each other, Mr. President," Chief Masson said. "There are some details about that night that we have gone over time and time again, and we have had a little trouble determining how they align properly. Perhaps you can help us." He flipped a page. "Feel free to correct me where necessary. According to your account of that night, Lionel Zyther arrived at about 11:40 PM. You met him in the lobby, and accompanied him to President De Villepin's office, where the three of you were in the midst of conversation when the Team Rocket assassin burst in, opened fire on all three of you, and escaped. In the attack, both Lionel Zyther and President Morte De Villepin were killed. Is that correct?"
"Roughly, yes." Chalmers stared at Chief Masson, his expression flat. "I fail to see where the confusion may lie."
The two Chiefs exchanged a look. "Strangely enough, Mr. President, yours is the only account of that night that supports most of those details," Chief Masson said. "According to the secretary on duty that night, as well as several security guards stationed in the building, Lionel Zyther was not alone that night. In fact he arrived with three other individuals, two of whom were identified as his children--Alex Zyther and Lucia Zyther. Further, they arrived here ten minutes earlier than the time that you reported in your statement, and you were not sighted or reported to have met them at any point. As a matter of fact, Secretary Chastain reported that you had made your way to President De Villepin's office a full twenty minutes before the Zythers and their guest even arrived at the building."
Chalmers kept his expression even. "I apologize for mixing up the time--everything happened so suddenly, you see; it all blended together afterward," he said. "As for the others--admittedly, I had forgotten they were there, as well. They were all very quiet, and respectful. It is truly a shame that they have been left without their father."
"Indeed," Chief Masson said. He did not sound convinced. "So you are saying that you misremembered the events of that night?"
"Unfortunately so."
"I see." Chief Masson flipped to another page. "Do you mind telling me where the damage to the room came from?"
"Pardon?"
"The damage to the President's office," Chief Masson said. "You made no mention of Pokémon in your report, and you said the assassin opened fire before fleeing. You yourself also pointed out that it was the damage to the office that necessitated your relocation here."
"I believe you'll find my report on the full events elsewhere in that folder of yours," Chalmers replied. "I go into great detail about what all kinds of Pokémon were involved."
"Of course," Masson said. "So, to clarify, when did the gunman escape?"
"Immediately after killing President De Villepin and Lionel Zyther."
"Which was before or after the majority of that battle had occurred?"
". . . After."
"What time would you estimate?"
"It would have been roughly . . . I suppose 12:30 AM?"
"And when did the security detail finally arrive to apprehend the gunman?"
"Well, they failed at that, didn't they?" President Chalmers looked very annoyed at this question. "Do you mind explaining the meaning of this, Chief Masson? If we're being honest with each other, I am quite appalled at the implications here."
"Forgive me, Mr. President, I'm just trying to clarify the situation so that we know what to look for." Chief Masson did not seem perturbed. "Now, what time did the security detail arrive, exactly?"
"I suppose around 12:45 AM."
"And that was when they found you and the bodies?"
"Yes, it was."
"Do you have any insight into why there was no security personnel present in President De Villepin's office at the time of the assassination?"
"I . . . suppose there was a miscommunication about shifts. Isn't that your responsibility, Chief?"
"Mm." Chief Masson shook his head. "President Chalmers, I have some information that might interest you." He flipped to a new page. All the while, Chief Faucher kept her eyes fixed on Chalmers. "In the course of our investigation, we discovered several interesting facts. First of all, security systems in the building were mangled--cameras, mics, you name it, all were deactivated near-simultaneously at around 11 PM. The result was that video surveillance was rendered nonexistent, and thus all of our inquiries have relied on eyewitness reports. The only security system that was not targeted, quite curiously, was the panic button located in the President's office. Second, there was a security detail assigned to President De Villepin that night--Fox Squadron, some of our very best and most reliable. They reported that they were stationed outside of the President's office until about 11:30 PM, when they were unexpectedly ordered to assist in handling a wild Braviary outside of the building."
He tilted his head. "Curiously, we also looked into the few body cameras available from that night, specifically those that had responded to the panic button in the President's office. It took us quite a bit of digging to find one--most, by some coincidence, had been confiscated and destroyed. Those that we did get our hands on indicated that they discovered the President's body, alone, at 12:20 AM that night, along with the damage to the office and the other obvious signs of battle. And on the streets outside of one of the broken windows? Your blood, Mr. President. A fall from that high would kill any normal person. As would losing the amount of blood that was still in the office."
President Chalmers remained silent, glaring daggers at Chief Masson.
"It may interest you to know, as well, that an audio file was delivered to us that was allegedly recorded during the assassination attempt," Faucher chimed in. "I don't suppose you would be interested in taking a wild guess at what we found on it. As well as what Lionel Zyther told us when he delivered it."
Chalmers's eyes widened. "He's . . . alive?"
"That's what shocks you the most?" Chief Faucher shook her head. "I suppose it's nothing new to hear a member of Team Flare has their priorities misordered."
Chalmers tapped his fingers on the desk, taking a moment to silently chew his tongue. "And suppose what you're saying is correct," he said. "And that your accusation is substantiated. Do you plan to . . . arrest the President of Kalos?"
"That would seem the proper course of action, Mr. Chalmers," Chief Masson replied. "Unless you have some sort of explanation for all of this. Perhaps one that would also explain why you immediately went digging for information on Xerneas's location after taking over the President's office?"
"Is it not the right of the President to access restricted information?"
"Not without council approval. It is no secret that Team Flare has been obsessed with acquiring and experimenting on Xerneas even before their collapse, and ever since it escaped, it would stand to reason that they would be after her again."
Chalmers smirked. "Well," he said. "I suppose you have your answer, then." In the blink of an eye, Chalmers whipped a Poké Ball from his belt. His desk and computer, as well as the two Chiefs and their chairs, went flying as his Braviary erupted from underneath the desk, displacing everything in a whirlwind of movement. Without hesitation, the Flare Admin hopped on the Pokémon's back. The Flying-Type kicked off, smashing through the window and taking to the open air, soon disappearing into the clouds.
High above the city, Chalmers activated his Holo Caster, recording a message for Lysandre and the others: "Cover's been blown. Could've timed that better, but I suppose it doesn't matter. As planned, I will keep the attention of law enforcement until the asset has been acquired. Maybe send one of the Seven to clear out the capitol, as well, if they're available? Chalmers out."
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Post by Parugi on Jan 28, 2020 18:16:26 GMT -8
GM IC - Castle Hammerlock, Galar - October 17th, 2017:
"Order!" The sound of wood on stone cut straight through the rumblings of the court. "Present and order! King Caderyn has arrived!"
It was an instant change. All at once, the chatter came to a complete halt. And almost in unison, eight men and women rose from their seats around the table, bowing as the ornate figure of their King emerged from a doorway in the back corner. He moved through the silent room with a clear grace, his armored boots clanking with every step he took. King Caderyn crossed to his chair, moving before it and standing there for a moment. As one, the assembled group of nine lowered themselves down. The King took a long, slow look around the table, weighing each of his knights in turn.
"Knights of the Spire," he said at length. "It has been so long now since all of us--most of us--have found our way here away." No one looked, but it was clear that he was referring to the one chair--the single chair across from him--that was not occupied. "Solemnity aside, believe me when I say that I am always grateful to see each and every one of you. I trust you are all doing well? Sir Marinus, I hear good tidings of your time in Alola."
"It is a lovely place, Your Highness," Sir Marinus answered, bowing their head. "If I may say, I was rather alarmed at the sudden call to return, however."
King Caderyn frowned. "Yes, I imagine. I suppose there is no point in delaying this conversation, is there?" He sighed. "Very well. As you all may have noticed, we are short one knight. It is my utmost regret to announce that Sir Wikstrom was murdered." Shocked mutters swept through the room; more than one knight could not help but cover their faces or turn away. As the chatter began to grow, the King raised a hand, silencing them again. "I sincerely apologize for the delay in getting this news to you. Until now, it was difficult to say for certain what had happened. But, in the past few days, the haze has begun to clear."
"Don't tell me this has to do with the resurgence of Team Flare?" Sir Bronte growled. "Say the word, Your Highness, and I swear I will hunt them down myself!"
"Preferably them to the creature in the Sevii Islands," Sir Linwood said, his voice quiet. "I've heard rumors that it has encroached on Kalos."
"The dimensional monster had nothing to do with it, I can assure you of that," King Caderyn said. "When Sir Wikstrom first fell silent, I sent Leader Raihan to investigate. Unfortunately, 'President' Chalmers proved extremely reluctant to provide information on what had occurred, despite being well aware of Sir Wikstrom's status as our envoy to Kalos. In light of the revelations yesterday, however, and Chalmers's ousting from Kalos's leadership, we have reestablished contact with the Kalosian government. They have confirmed that Sir Wikstrom fell by Team Flare's hand, betrayed in his final moments by that wench Malva. His remains will be returned to us in the coming days, and we shall see to it that he receives a proper burial."
"I am glad to hear that, at least," Sir Linwood said. "A shame about the circumstances, however. We always suspected Malva's true intentions--I am loathe to accept that we feared correctly."
"As am I, Sir Linwood," King Caderyn said. "That said, this is not the only reason I called you all back here." The Knights of the Spire looked back at him. His expression was deathly grim. "I am afraid that, much as we might have wished to avoid it, the creature has made landfall upon Galar." The assembled knights again fell into worried chatter. King Caderyn raised his hand again. "Do not panic. For the moment, its activities appear to be contained to the Glimwood Tangle. Ballonlea has already been evacuated--the League has done wonderfully in managing that, while maintaining our cover. All told, we are very fortunate thus far compared to others. But that does not mean we can rest easy. We must do all we can to protect Galar from further invasion--and we can only do that with the full power of the Spire."
"With all due respect, Your Highness," Sir Bronte said. "I understand the need for us to be here. However, I am not content with simply sitting here while Sir Wikstrom's murderers remain at large. If I may ask for your permission, I would like to venture to Kalos. They must be brought to justice."
King Caderyn steepled his fingers, raising an eyebrow at the knight. "Do you not trust in the government of Kalos to perform this task, Sir Bronte?"
"No, I do not, Your Highness," Sir Bronte answered. "Twice now have they had the opportunity to destroy Team Flare and failed. And this time, their failure resulted in an infiltration--however brief--of their highest position of office, as well as the death of one of ours. We must see this through ourselves."
The King smiled. "Very well, Sir Bronte; your words ring true," he said. "You may leave for Kalos--after Sir Wikstrom's funeral--to root out the corruption of Flare. Sir Eirwen?" The knight looked to her King. "You will accompany Sir Bronte. I believe your skills may be of immense value in this endeavor."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Very good." King Caderyn looked around the table once more. "That is all, Knights of the Spire. May we see one another again soon."
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Post by Parugi on Jan 28, 2020 18:18:32 GMT -8
GM IC - Everywhere:
July 31st, 2017.
That fateful day, when the sky split and the light swept across the world once, then twice. The day that the concept of war, battle, conflict itself had been locked away. A means to an end--a means to defend. An act that had meant to protect the world, but instead, left it vulnerable, inactive, nearly defenseless. Weapons locked meant nothing in the face of something that did not abide by governing laws--indeed, something that existed outside of them. So it was that those who most required the shield of inaction, those who stood to benefit the most, were left at the mercy of the creature that could happily ignore such a dictation.
Everywhere, the worry had grown. Tension in the air, spreading far and wide, thickening and thickening with each passing day. Every week, every day, every hour that passed, with no end in sight to the arcane lock that prevented Pokémon from using their abilities, only served to further irritate the frustrations and fear and panic that gripped the world. Here and there, as one and then another Pokémon broke through that lock, achieving new power and reclaiming that which they already held, certainly helped to ease the tension. But soon the tension returned, gripping tight to the world as a whole, dismissive of the few that slipped between the cracks.
Tension.
Tension.
Tension.
And then . . .
October 25th, 2017.
Just like that, the tension vanished.
It was a slow realization. Wild ones were the first to see it--they had made do without their abilities for some time, but now, they found that their instinctual use of powers had come back to them. Household Pokémon, fueled by newfound energy, excitedly approached their masters. Trainers in the middle of physical-bound combat found themselves stunned as their Pokémon suddenly produced results and demonstrated attacks that they had had no access to for nearly three months. Everywhere--in every town, every city, on every continent and island occupied by humans and Pokémon alike--the tension had melted away into excitement and hope.
Pokémon abilities had returned.
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Post by Parugi on Jan 28, 2020 18:19:33 GMT -8
GM IC - Various:
In the span of days . . .
. . . and weeks . . .
. . . and months . . .
. . . light arced across the sky, and descended.
Across oceans . . .
. . . deserts . . .
. . . mountains . . .
. . . fields, and forests . . .
. . . shards and seeds scattered across the globe . . .
. . . Kanto and Johto . . .
. . . Hoenn and Sinnoh . . .
. . . Unova and Kalos . . .
. . . Alola and Galar . . .
. . . Orre and Oblivia, Fiore and Almia, the Orange Islands . . .
. . . heralding the end of days.
Thus, the world changed . . .
. . . and we bore witness to its fate.
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Post by Konuju on Jan 28, 2020 19:09:15 GMT -8
IC: Ellen Burks – Village Bridge – Early October, 2017Ellen Burks sat atop one of the many stone pillars that dotted the riverbank. As the cool autumn breeze heralded the end of a painfully hot summer that had long overstayed its welcome, Ellen found herself spending more and more time out here with her Pokémon. She pulled her pale knees up to her chest and hugged them with long, slender arms as she stared pensively into the undulating water. The vaguely fetal position was fitting, for as her eyes swam in the waves her ears processed the mundane sounds of the village. Birds chirping in harmony with traveling street musicians, the laughter of children at the park, the lapping of water against the shore, echoing under the village's famous bridge. These painfully nostalgic sounds transported her to another life. It was a life she could view only through the lens of memory; a life she could never regain. Her father had hoped the quiet village would help her recuperate. Instead Ellen just felt a longing for the life she had lost. So eager she had been to see the world. So painfully naive. Now the simplicity of her saccharine village was simultaneously lackluster and enviable. Funny, how you never learn to truly appreciate what you have until it's gone. "There you are, Ellen!" A young girl ran down the small hill that isolated Ellen's retreat from the rest of the village. Behind her a placid Gothita tried to keep up in an amusing waddle. The girl threw her arms around Ellen with such force that the two nearly toppled into Chrono. The Purrloin issued a warning hiss that went blissfully unnoticed by the newcomer. "Why didn't you tell me you were back? I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!" "M-Marie?" The sight of her childhood friend caught Ellen off guard. Unlike the rest of the world, Marie hadn't changed a bit. She still wore her blonde hair in cute pigtails, and the grass stains on her white dress suggested she hadn't lost her sense of adventure. Her wide eyes held the same wonder that had possessed Ellen not even a year ago. Finding herself unable to meet those dazzling eyes, Ellen looked toward the sun setting across the river. "It'll be dark soon. We should be heading home." If Ellen's unenthusiastic response bothered Marie, she didn't show it. "We can walk together, then. It'll be just like old times. You have to tell me all about your adventures! Whoa, is that Solo?!" Marie plucked the floating Duosion out of the air and spun him around. "You've gotten so big! It's too bad you can't talk anymore. I'm sure you and Boo have a lot to catch up on." The Gothita, who had finally caught up to her trainer, hugged Marie's leg as she looked up at Duo with a curious expression on her face that went unnoticed by the disoriented green blob. The rest of Ellen's Pokémon all reacted differently to the newcomers. Terry gave a friendly bark of greeting while Artemis hid a nostalgic smile. Maturin appeared interested in this brief glimpse at Ellen's past and slowly approached the new girl. Fiora timidly poked her head out from her hiding place within Isabella's leaves, while the Oddish joined Maturin to eagerly introduce herself. Meanwhile, Chrono scoffed at the very idea that Ellen had ever been friends with someone so annoyingly airheaded and resumed licking his paws. Now that Marie was no longer trying to tackle her, Ellen hopped off the pillar and formed her lips into a measured smile. "His name is Duo now. He evolved when I was in Hoenn." "Duo? What happened to Solo?" The confusion on Marie's face lasted all of two seconds before melting away to a newfound excitement at the sight of Ellen's other teammates. "Oh wow, did you find all of these Pokémon overseas? They all look really powerful! What was it like over there?" The smile faltered. Ellen closed her eyes and forced herself to take a deep breath. Pursing her lips, she exhaled slowly, just like she'd practiced. The exercise did not seem to improve the situation. "It was good," she said with another attempt at a smile. Marie remained either unperturbed or unaware of her friend's anxiety. "Oh, come on. It had to be better than 'good.' Did you get a chance to explore any of Hoenn's Secret Bases? I heard they're hidden all over the region!" Ellen stared down at the pillar she had been sitting on earlier. She hadn't noticed before, but the stone was rough and jagged in several places, the result of years of wind and rain eroding it little by little. "Look, it's really getting late. We should--" "Oh, what about Pokémon Contests? I heard those are really big in Hoenn, too! Do they really let you make your own Pokéblocks? Did you--" "Would you shut up about Hoenn?!" The outburst shocked Ellen as much as it did Marie. Tears started to well up in the former's eyes. Without another word Ellen turned on her heel and ran off into the nearby woods. One by one her Pokémon followed, leaving behind a very perplexed Gothita and her speechless trainer. Ellen raced through the trees, ignoring the branches and brambles that clawed at her arms and legs. In her oblivious enthusiasm, Marie had dredged up memories that had formerly been isolated to Ellen's nightmares. The deceivingly sweet smile on McKinley's face as he handed her a Pokéblock Case . . . the maniacal grin as the Fourth revealed his true nature . . . the sight of a bloodied and beaten Mewtwo laying defeated as the Destroyer of Worlds oozed from the ceiling . . . Her stomach heaved as she stumbled over a fallen branch. She hit the ground hard and immediately retched. Terry and the others found her trembling on the ground, her face wet with burning tears. Duo floated above her, a concerned look on his face that grew more and more frustrated as his comforting words went unheard. With Ellen refusing to look up, he couldn't even offer her so much as a smile. Artemis placed a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder while Terry gave a soft whimper. It had been a while since Ellen had an episode this bad, but the Mienshao and Herdier both knew it was a matter of time before the dam broke. "I-I know she didn't mean it." Ellen hugged Terry like she would a stuffed animal and buried her face in his matted fur. "I shouldn't have yelled at her. But I just . . . how am I supposed to . . . ?" Fiora floated out of her shelter on Isabella's head and scanned the forest floor. Plucking a lone wildflower she returned to Ellen's side and lightly tugged on the girl's hair. Ellen lifted her head as the flower brushed her nose. When the Flabébé had first joined the companions, Ellen had done her best to find a suitable replacement for the flower the tiny fairy lost. While the girl's heart was in the right place, it had taken a while for her to realize that the constant reminders of her missing flower were only causing Fiora more pain. With a heavy sigh, Ellen gently batted the Flabébé away. "This is different," she insisted. Maturin lumbered up and planted himself in front of his trainer and began voicing his opinion in the form of a series of grunts. The contemplative Grotle usually kept his thoughts to himself, and this rare outburst was enough to keep Ellen from retreating back into Terry's fur. "What . . .? I don't understand . . ." With impeccable balance for one so large, Maturin reared up on his hind legs and pointed one of his forelegs straight up toward the sky. He held the pose for a few seconds with the grace and precision his old master had taught him. Then he slowly tipped forward before his forelegs crashed back to the ground. With another grunt, the Grotle stepped forward and nudged Ellen with his beak-like snout. "You mean . . . Evan's lashed out at people like that, too?" For a moment Ellen found it hard to believe that the kindly Hero of Space could ever do anything so cruel. Then she recalled her brief glimpse into Evan's memories when he had given her an ounce of his power. The darkness born of his rage and fear had physically manifested into its own being: the Spacial Horror. "He must have been so tormented by his mistakes . . . and yet when he was with us in Unova, he always wore a smile. He never let it get him down. How did he manage to do it?" Isabella popped her head up in curiosity and quietly asked the others what this Evan person was like. Chrono yowled at the mention of Palkia's Envoy and narrowed his eyes. If Ellen decided to break out into a sappy song and dance like her silly space hero, he was going to cough up a hairball. Instead Ellen closed her eyes and leaned back against a tree, her unanswered question left lingering in the air as she tried to relax her troubled mind. The sunlight filtering through the branches turned amber, and by the time Ellen dozed off the world had become enveloped in the dim luminescence of twilight. Terry's ears perked up, and he gently nudged Ellen awake. The girl took one look around her and bolted up from her resting place. "It's nightfall." A barely contained panic started to spread through Ellen's stirring Pokémon. Being out this late put them all at risk. Ellen did her best to calm them down and work out a solution. "Alright, w-we just have to stick together. As long as we're careful, we can avoid the Storm." She clenched her hand into a fist to keep it from shaking and looked around at her companions. "Duo, you'll be our lookout. The rest of you, stick close to me." Artemis and Chrono quietly slipped through the shadows while Terry kept by Ellen's side. Isabella shivered from her perch on Ellen's shoulder as Fiora buried herself in the Oddish's leaves once more. Behind the group, Maturin lumbered along as quietly as he could. And so it was in this formation that the team left the forest behind, returning to the dark and musty streets of Village Bridge where the Storm was brewing. The Black Storm was one of countless small gangs that plagued the filthier parts of Opelucid City. They had been almost unheard of outside the slums in which they operated. Then one day about a month ago, the gang rode into Village Bridge and claimed the settlement as their territory. They quickly proved too numerous and aggressive for the village's local police to handle, and the Plasma government was too occupied with the crisis in Black City to bother with the plights of a small hamlet. Life in Village Bridge changed completely after the Storm took over. They ruled the streets and back alleys, harassing anyone who chose to go out after dark. It didn't take long for the villagers to learn that the best thing to do was to remain locked in their homes until sunrise. Anyone who dared venture out and brave the Storm earned a handful of bruises for their foolishness. If they were lucky, that was all they got. Despite his lack of telepathy, Duo was able to navigate Ellen and her companions through the unoccupied streets. Floating high above the rooftops, the Duosion could scout the area ahead and chart a route that avoided any encounters with members of the Black Storm. It was a long and winding path, made even more tedious by the Duosion occasionally changing his mind and having the group double back, but Ellen considered this method to be far safer than the alternative. They were only a few blocks away from home when a terrifying scream pierced the night. Someone else had fallen victim to the Storm. The shrill cry chilled Ellen to the bone. For a moment she stood rooted to the ground. Terry gave her a gentle nudge. She wavered slightly, then turned on her heels and ran toward the source of the sound. Duo waved his arms wildly in silent protest. Artemis exchanged a grim look with Terry, and they both ran past Maturin before the Grotle could turn around. Chrono hissed and slunk through the shadows, scanning their surroundings and making a mental checklist of every possible escape route. The low tones of a casual, one-sided conversation were interjected with muffled protests. It was these sounds that spurred Ellen onward in her daring and foolhardy mission. As the voices grew louder, she slowed to a halt and peered around the corner into a dark alley. A burly figure had wrapped an arm around his struggling victim, muffling her screams and laughing at her futile kicks. Ellen's heart skipped a beat as she spotted a lone Gothita crawl out of a nearby dumpster. "No . . ." Her legs felt weak. When Artemis and Terry caught up to her she had already slid halfway down the brick wall. Fear gripped her in its icy clutches, accompanied by an insurmountable guilt. Marie had fallen into the hands of the Storm. *** Marie was not having the best of days. After getting into a fight with her best friend, she thought things couldn't get any worse. Ellen was like a totally different person, and Marie found herself facing the harsh reality that she might not ever get her old playmate back. Clutching Boo in her arms, she curled up on the riverbank and had a good cry. When her tears ran out and the lump in her throat had diminished to roughly the size of a large apple, she was able to pull herself out of her gloomy thoughts and focus on the here and now. The sun had already set, and distant shouts meant the Black Storm was already on the move. With one last sniffle, the young girl rose from the riverbank. Placing Boo on her shoulder, they started the long journey home. That was when things got worse. "Yo, Willie! Ain't you on duty tonight?" The shout made Marie stop in her tracks. It took several heart-pounding moments for her to realize the voice came from a nearby alley. Marie pressed herself against the wall of a building, straining her ears to hear which way the voice's owner might be walking. The last thing she needed was to get tangled up with the Black Storm. "Man, that job sucks," a second voice said. "The others can handle things without me. Besides, we need people like me roaming the streets. And I'd say I do a pretty fine job of it." "Don't let the Madame hear you say that. You know what happened to the last guy who crossed her." There was a brief pause. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Now take your sass and get down to the harbor. There's work to be done!" Hustled footsteps grew distant. Marie waited for a few more seconds before deciding the coast was clear. After all, she was headed in the opposite direction from the harbor. She took two steps and walked straight into a tall, beefy man. "Eavesdropping, were ya?" The man grabbed Marie before she could run away. Her scream was cut short as a large hand clamped over her mouth, dislodging Boo from her shoulder. "How unfortunate," he said with a chuckle. Marie kicked her legs in a vain attempt to escape the man's iron clutches as he dragged her into the darkness of the alley. "Don't worry, lassie. I'm not going to kill you. I just have to rough you up a bit, make sure you don't go blabbing about anything you might've overheard. After all, it's rude to listen in on things that don't concern you." Marie's muffled screams grew more desperate. Boo tried her best to punch at the man's ankles, but a sharp kick sent the poor Gothita flying into a dumpster. The man cackled. There was nothing either of them could do. *** Ellen pressed herself against the wall, struggling to remain calm. Her heart seemed to pump blood faster than her body could keep up with it, and she was finding it difficult to breathe. With each muffled scream from Marie she felt another knot form in her stomach. Her Pokémon stood in a half circle around her, awaiting her orders. All she could do was clutch her head and try to ward off a wave of nausea. Deep down she knew she had to fight, but her legs had turned to lead. Images of Sootopolis and Two Island flashed in her mind, a reminder of her past failures. She was just a child, after all. What could she possibly hope to do against the Black Storm? The sound of movement caught Ellen's attention. The man was dragging Marie further down the alley. If she didn't act now, she would lose them. Taking a deep breath, she turned the corner and planted herself in the middle of the alley entrance. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Her small voice was easily swallowed by the darkness around her. The man holding Marie started to laugh. "I hope yer not talking about yourself, squirt. Kids like you shouldn't be roaming the streets at night. Looks like I'll hafta teach both of youse a lesson." With his free hand, the man pulled out a gun and cocked it. Marie's muffled cries took on a new desperation. Although Ellen tried not to show it, she was terrified. The situation was quickly growing out of control and it took every ounce of willpower just to stand her ground. Terry, Maturin, and Duo positioned themselves in front of Ellen, shielding her as best as they could. A flicker of movement on the rooftop caught the girl's attention. "So we're doing this the hard way, then." The man pressed the barrel of the gun against Marie's head. "I didn't want it to end this way, but you leave me no choice. Back down or she dies." "Artemis!" Ellen cried. The man barely had time to look up before a shadow dropped down from the rooftop and slammed a foot into his face. He cried out in pain and his grip loosened enough for his captive to slip free. The gun clattered to the ground and a lightning-fast swipe from the Mienshao's whip-like sleeve sent the weapon sliding under the dumpster. Disarmed and disoriented, the man wisely chose to escape the relentless attack. "You'll pay for this!" he cried as he disappeared into the darkness. "The Black Storm never forgets!" The Mienshao hissed a warning at the man but did not pursue him. Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, Ellen turned to help her shell-shocked friend up off the ground. "Marie, are you alright?" It was the moment she realized she was safe that Marie burst into tears. "Th-that was so scary," she cried, sobbing into Ellen's shoulder. At her feet, Boo mirrored her stance with tiny doll-sized tears. "I-I was just walking . . . and I heard them . . . and then . . ." Her blubbering words quickly turned incoherent. "I know," Ellen said in a trembling voice. "But it's over now. Come on, I'll take you home." *** As the girls walked under the pale orange glow of the streetlamps, Marie noticed Ellen's Pokémon had formed a circle around them, like towering bodyguards. The girl stared down at her feet, chewing on the words she knew she had to say. "I'm sorry," she finally muttered. "About earlier. I didn't mean to make you angry." Ellen let out a long sigh. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you. You were just curious, that's all." Marie shook her head. "That's what got me in trouble with the Black Storm. I heard them discussing some operation down at the harbor or something. I could've walked away while they were talking, but I didn't, and then they found me. That guy said I'd have to pay for listening in on them." Ellen looked at her friend, her mouth pulled back into a grim expression. "An operation at the harbor? What are they doing there?" "I don't know," Marie admitted. "They didn't say what it was, just something about some madam being mad at them if they didn't do whatever it is they were supposed to do there." "Well it must have been important if they attacked you for overhearing it," Ellen muttered. Marie could see the gears turning in her head, and wondered what her friend was up to. When she voiced her question, Ellen merely said, "We need to get home. It's way too dangerous to be out this late." They rounded the corner to Marie's street. "We'll meet up tomorrow, right?" Marie chewed her lip. "I . . . I don't want to make you angry again, but I've missed you so much, and we've got so much to talk about." "Of course." Ellen nodded distractedly, but her answer was enough to satisfy Marie. "Well, I would tell you to be careful getting home, but it looks like you and your Pokémon can handle yourselves out there." Marie flashed a grin before running up the steps to her house. "See you tomorrow!" Ellen halfheartedly returned the wave before turning back down the street. Marie stood at the doorstep and watched her friend with unbridled admiration. This Ellen was a far cry from the timid yet kindhearted girl she had grown up with. She was quieter, more reserved, but also more confident. Something overseas had changed her. Marie wondered just what had happened in Hoenn as her friend paused under the streetlamp at the end of the road. The Burks lived only a few blocks to the right. Much to Marie's surprise, she saw Ellen and her Pokémon turn left. "What is she up to?" she asked Boo. The two looked at each other and were about to pursue when Marie's mother called them inside with a scolding about being out so late. With one last look out at the now empty street, Marie closed the door.
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Post by Konuju on Jan 28, 2020 19:28:11 GMT -8
IC: Paul Burks – Opelucid Advanced Technologies, Opelucid City "Steady . . . steady . . . there we go."
Paul's Bisharp carefully sliced his blade through a large sheet of metal. The task would have been effortless back when he still had his powers: Kimber would have heated the metal to just the right temperature to allow Bisharp's Metal Claw to slice through it like butter. Instead Bisharp had to rely on the natural sharpness of his blades and the uneven heating of Paul's blowtorch. Poor Kimber was delegated to the sidelines where she would oversee the work and bark out a command any time Paul needed to adjust the angle or temperature of the flame.
Paul wiped his brow and surveyed their handiwork. "Looks like we cut it exactly to the specifications. Perfect. Now let's get this place cleaned up so we can go home." As they began cooling down the forge, Paul wondered what sort of dinner Anna had prepared. His stomach rumbled. Although the large ceiling vents were the closest thing the forge lab had to windows, he knew the sun had already set. Long hours were an unfortunate caveat of his new job, but it was better than no job at all.
If he was perfectly honest with himself, he preferred his old job at Déoza. Sure, he had been helping supply weapons to a foreign terrorist, but he had been able to work closer to home with more reasonable hours. That wasn't to say he hadn't worked late at Déoza when he needed to finish a project before the deadline, but on most days he would be home in time for a normal dinner. Nowadays it was unusual for him to get off before 8:00, and the commute from Opelucid didn't get him home until 9:00 at best. His wife and daughter had tried putting off their dinner until he got home, but between Ellen's recovering trauma and Anna's pregnancy Paul insisted that they eat when they were hungry and not wait for him.
With the forge cleaned up, Paul recalled his Pokémon and headed down the hall to the elevators. The closer he got to the building's entrance, the more grandiose everything looked. Plain white hallways gave way to potted plants and larger-than-life posters detailing the company's future prospects. The architecture was per the norm for Opelucid – rustic on the outside, high-tech on the inside. Based on the building's lobby one might have thought Paul worked in a contemporary mansion. When he stepped out into the bustling street, it was as if he had entered a more crowded and stilted version of Village Bridge. Even at night the foggy streets were full of life. Paul ignored the masses and hurriedly made for the nearest subway station.
If there was one advantage to working so late, it was that most commuters were already home, leaving the subways a little less crowded than usual. Paul sat alone as the underground train zoomed through musty stone tunnels. The subway made several stops in other parts of Opelucid before leaving for Village Bridge, but it was still quicker than riding on Scar like he used to, and the long journey gave him time to reflect.
It was for Ellen's sake that he had left Déoza. Shortly after Paul returned home from Four Island, David Castle had announced Déoza would be taking a more aggressive stance against Team Rocket and Team Liberty, pinning them as the ones responsible for disrupting Ford's plans and releasing the Missing Zero into the world. Paul couldn't stay with the company knowing that they would be targeting Ellen's friends overseas. But with the baby on the way, he still had a duty to provide for his growing family.
It had been pure luck that Paul had met Lincoln Foswell when he did. One of Déoza's leading scientists, Foswell harbored a similar distaste for their company's new direction. When Castle announced he would be cutting a large portion of R&D's funding in favor of the company's field agents, Foswell left to form his own business, Opelucid Advanced Technologies. Paul was at first skeptical when Foswell offered him a position at OAT. In a more scientific-based company, he feared he would be out of his league, but Foswell insisted his work would be very similar to what he had done at Déoza.
Foswell stuck true to that promise. When he wasn't working on strange parts related to the scientist's personal tinkerings, Paul found himself building weapons with an exceedingly similar design to Déoza's. It wasn't surprising given just how much of OAT's employees had been hired out of Déoza, and any ethical dilemma was pushed aside under a paycheck big enough to put food on the table -- even if that food was cold by the time he actually got home.
From the station on the outskirts of Village Bridge it was still a considerable journey back to his house. This was by far the most treacherous leg of the journey, for at night the village streets were roamed by the Black Storm. Sure, the big city of Opelucid was in theory more dangerous at night, but the Storm's presence in the village had become so dense that you were more likely to run into trouble on the rural bridge than in the big city. Paul sent out his Bisharp as a precaution, and the moment he stepped out of the subway station he hopped onto Scar's back. The Storm ruled the streets, but unlike a real storm they held no dominion over the skies. The cool night air beckoned to Paul after the stuffy subway tunnels.
Anna was waiting for him in the living room when he got home. "And how are my girls this fine evening?" Despite his exhaustion Paul put on a warm smile. His wife did not return the gesture.
"One of your girls is worried sick." Anna rose from her chair. She looked ill; a condition Paul feared wasn't entirely due to her pregnancy. "Your other girl hasn't come home yet."
Paul felt the color drain from his face. "Ellen's missing?" There was an unspoken silence between them. The memories of their daughter's last disappearance nearly a year ago were still fresh in their minds.
"I'm sure it's nothing," Anna said. The worry on her face suggested she didn't quite believe her own words. "She was here for lunch. She probably just lost track of time."
"She knows better than to stay out with the Storm on the streets." Paul shook his head, trying his best to remain calm. "What was she like at lunch? She . . . she didn't show any signs of wanting to run away again, did she?"
"H-how could you say that?" Paul knew he had touched the wrong nerve when tears sprang to Anna's eyes. "Sh-she was quiet . . . but she has been ever since you two came back from Hoenn. The doctors call it post-traumatic stress, but what if it's more? Y-you said she felt guilty about what happened over there . . . . One of the symptoms of PTSD is depression, right? Wh-what if she . . . ?"
Paul pulled his wife into a close embrace. "No. She's not like that," he assured her. "Stop worrying; you'll only cause yourself more stress. Now I want you to get yourself a hot cup of tea. I'll go out and look for her. I promise you, I'll bring our daughter home."
Anna kissed him through her tears. "Please be safe. This feels just like before."
"It's not like before." Paul pulled away and headed for the door. When he reached the exit he hesitated with one hand on the doorknob. He wore a dark expression on his face, masking his own worry and pain. "I won't let it be like before."
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Post by Konuju on Jan 29, 2020 4:32:42 GMT -8
IC: Ellen Burks – Harbor, Village Bridge"Terry, stop." The Herdier had planted himself directly in Ellen's path, blocking her progress. Ellen sighed as she tried to explain the situation once more. "Look, whatever the Black Storm's up to at the harbor, we have a limited window to try and take them down. I can't let them terrorize our town any longer." Terry gave her a stern bark and refused to budge. Ellen's traumatic experience in Hoenn had happened because he had let her run off on a night very much like this one. While her intentions had been good, her actions had broken the Burks family apart. Now that they were finally back together again, Terry refused to risk anything that could cause further strife. "This isn't like what happened on Christmas," Ellen said with thinning patience. "I'm not even leaving the village. Terry, please. You saw what happened to Marie. I have to put an end to this." Perhaps it was because Terry hadn't joined Ellen at Ford's base, but the Herdier saw far more benefit in getting Ellen home safely than in trying to rid the town of a gang that even the local authorities couldn't handle. Hadn't she learned her lesson when her attempts to help Ford save the world backfired horribly? She was way in over her head. The Herdier gave a soft whine in a pitiful attempt to get Ellen to reconsider. "I'm sorry." Her face was set in a grim resolve. "I know Dad'll be mad, but we can't let this opportunity get away from us. Or do you want more innocent people like Marie to get hurt? Now get out of my way, or I'll have Artemis move you." The Mienshao leveled her gaze on Terry, her expression unreadable. Terry glanced around at the remaining companions, but none of the other Pokémon were willing to defy Ellen's wishes. Just like that fateful winter night, Terry knew there was no changing Ellen's mind. In the end, it would be far better to accompany the girl on her quest than to cause a rift in the group. And so Terry conceded, following close behind Ellen and hating his decision every step of the way. As they approached the harbor, the streets became more and more riddled with Black Storm members. To the unsuspecting eye the gangsters were simply roaming the village as usual. But with Marie's insight, Ellen saw it as a strategic layout of common crooks designed to ward off any curious wanderers from whatever was going down at the harbor. As such, it took every effort for Ellen and her companions to avoid the Storm's sentries. Duo once again led the way, floating above the rooftops and scouting out the best path. On more than one occasion it became impossible to avoid the gang members, and so Chrono, Terry, or Isabella would have to create a diversion to lead the unwanted thugs astray before doubling back to rejoin the group. It was a slow and tedious process, but little by little they made their way to the docks. Village Bridge was no port city like Driftveil or Castelia, but the river that bisected the hamlet provided a decent foothold in Unova's shipping industry, and had long been the village's primary source of income. It was not uncommon to see dozens of small boats lining the harbor at any given time, loading goods from across eastern Unova to be shipped to Castelia or Driftveil for international travel. If Ellen hadn't already known the Black Storm was involved, she would have thought the activity down at the docks was just another shipment. She and her Pokémon crouched against a small stone wall that divided the harbor from the village mainland. A thin veil of fog hovered over the water, obscuring the thugs' movements. Ellen could just barely make out a handful of men and muscular Pokémon moving large crates off a ship and into the back of an eighteen-wheeler. Chrono let loose a hiss and unsheathed his claws. His body tensed for the coming battle, but Ellen stroked a soothing hand through his fur. "We're not here to fight," she said in a low voice. "I just want to see what was so important that they were willing to kill Marie to keep it hidden." The Purrloin scoffed but nevertheless relaxed. It quickly became obvious that from their vantage point they wouldn't be able to see much else through the fog. The Black Storm was loading something off a ship, but the crates could be filled with anything. "Duo, Chrono, you two come with me to see if we can't get a closer look. The rest of you, wait here. You're our backup if we get caught." Terry looked ready to protest but Ellen had already darted out from behind the wall. Chrono easily kept up with her soft movements and Duo floated silently through the air. The paved path sloped gently downward as it winded toward the docks. A number of piers jutted out into the water. The trio had taken no more than two steps onto the pier that housed the truck when an unearthly screech split the air. Moments later the grating sound multiplied. Chrono arched his back and looked around for the source of the noise. A half-dozen pairs of beady yellow eyes pierced through the fog. Ellen clenched a fist and tried to keep calm. "Alright, we might be a little in over our heads . . ." Heedless his trainer's insecurities, Chrono leapt toward the nearest set of eyes. His sharp claws sunk into the matted fur of a Patrat, which he batted away with a yowl. The remaining Patrat converged on him, eliciting a vicious smile from the Purrloin. It had been far too long since he'd felt the rush of battle. Duo tugged on Ellen's shirt and directed her toward the truck. With another glance back at Chrono, she nodded and ran past the skirmish. Chrono had abandoned all subtlety, and the fight quickly drew the attention of the Black Storm workers. Ellen and Duo rolled under the truck, where they watched several pairs of feet run past them. A cascade of barks accompanied the yowls, indicating that Terry had joined the fray. "What's going on?" one of the Storm members demanded. "Who tripped the alarm?" "Looks like a couple of strays," another said. "Well what are you waiting for? Shoo them away or something!" The first grunt yelled. "All this ruckus will blow our cover!" As one, the Storm moved toward the fight. Based on the number of painful cries, Ellen figured more than a few of them had gotten too close to Chrono's claws or Terry's teeth. But the pair had done their job; the workers were sufficiently distracted. Ellen and Duo cautiously crawled out from under the truck and peered into its depths. Unmarked wooden crates lined the interior, each one longer than Ellen was tall. Duo wasted no time floating into the truck to get a closer look at the strange boxes. Ellen had just started to climb in after him when a rough hand grabbed her from behind. "I've got a live one over here!" Ellen tried to hold onto edge of the truck's docking bay, but the Storm goon dragged her away. Before Duo could react a hulking Gurdurr slammed the doors shut, locking him inside. Ellen's eyes grew wide. "Wait, stop! My Duosion's—" A hand clasped over her mouth. "Quit yapping," the man growled. "You're in serious trouble here, missy." Ellen struggled to free herself from the thug's grasp, the realization slowly dawning on her that she had gotten herself into the exact same situation as Marie. A series of galloping footsteps caught her attention. She turned her head to see Maturin charging toward the pier like a steamroller while two small figures – Isabella and Fiora – clung desperately to the foliage on his shell. The Gurdurr stepped in front of the Grotle and brandished its steel beam. Moments before Maturin would have collided with the Gurdurr, Artemis leapt down from the roof of the truck and tackled the fighting-type. Maturin raced past his would-be opponent without so much as a backward glance and rammed into Ellen's captor. The world spun as Ellen was flung from the Storm grunt's grip. She hit the pavement hard and rolled to a stop. Maturin bounded toward her, a goofy grin on his face. Before Ellen could pick herself up, Artemis was already at her side. The Mienshao scooped her up in her velvety arms and dashed away from the pier as fast as her springy legs could carry them. "Barry! Lee! Get in the truck and make the delivery, now!" The man Maturin had tackled barked out orders like a madman. "But sir, we haven't finished loading the—" "I don't care. We've been had! At this point an incomplete shipment's better than being discovered. Jason! Marty! You two take the ship back to the extraction point, and make sure the rest of the goods are well hidden! The rest of you, help me deal with that girl!" Ellen couldn't tell what was going on, but it was obvious the Storm was after her. It wasn't until Artemis ducked into a nearby boat house that she was able to catch her breath. "We have to go back," she gasped. "Duo's trapped in that truck!" The Mienshao wore a hard look on her face as she peered out the window. When Maturin, Terry, and Chrono arrived, Artemis pointed a paw at them and nodded calmly at Ellen's bag. With a nod of understanding Ellen hastily retrieved her Pokéballs and one by one recalled her partners until only Artemis remained. Her hands shook as she cradled Duo's empty ball in her hands. A sudden explosion ripped through the wall of the boat house, sending shards of superheated glass everywhere. Artemis did her best to shield Ellen from the blast. Outside, the Storm grunt in charge gave a giddy laugh. "These things are awesome! A couple more blasts like that and our problem will be solved!" A low hum filled the air as whatever weapon the man wielded began charging up. Scooping up Ellen once more, Artemis bounded out the back of the boat house as the second explosion hit. She raced away from the docks, giving the Storm a wide berth before arcing back toward the harbor entrance. They crested a small hill overlooking the road just as the truck was pulling out of the harbor. "Wait a second," Ellen said as she pieced together the Mienshao's plan. "Are we going to--?" The truck passed by the hill, and Artemis jumped. She landed expertly on top of the vehicle, but her paws couldn't get a good grip on the slick surface. The drivers must have become aware of their unwanted passenger, for the truck suddenly swerved. The next thing Ellen knew they were flying through the air. Artemis rolled to take the brunt of the impact, but Ellen still felt the breath escape her lungs. Her heart sank as she watched the truck drive off. Artemis picked herself up and started to run after the truck, but doubled over in pain after only a few steps. Ellen ran to her side. The Mienshao sported several deep scrapes from the fall. "They're gone," Ellen said dejectedly. "And they've got Duo." IC: Anna Burks – Burks Residence, Village BridgeIt was as if her life was on repeat. Ellen was missing, and Paul had gone off to find her, leaving Anna all alone in her lifeless house. She should have seen it coming. Paul had held onto the firm belief that bringing Ellen home would make their family whole again. While that was true in the physical sense, the Burks family had not been the same since Christmas. A somber atmosphere seemed to have nestled itself in the rafters ever since Ellen had returned. Anna couldn't exactly blame her daughter – from what Paul told her, Ellen had experienced things no child should ever have to go through. Anna wanted to be there for her, like she always had, but Ellen had grown painfully distant. Where she would once jump at the chance to tell her mother all about her exciting adventures, Ellen now kept quiet about nearly everything. If she couldn't go outside, she would dutifully finish her chores and then retreat up to her room. Her schoolwork was so abysmal that after only a few weeks Anna decided to give Ellen a break from her studies until she started feeling better. "It's just a phase," Anna's friends would assure her. "All children are like that around that age. Just give it some time." While she would politely listen to her friends' concerns, Anna knew her daughter's sudden shift in demeanor could not be chalked up to something so simple. Unfortunately, Ellen wasn't the only one who had grown more distant. Paul had started obsessing over his role of providing for their family, to the point that Anna barely saw him anymore. He would come home exhausted and after a late dinner he would go straight to bed, or else veg out in front of the TV until he fell asleep. Or in the case of tonight, he hadn't been home more than a few minutes before rushing out to search for Ellen. Like with their daughter, Anna couldn't fault Paul for his actions. Soon they would have another mouth to feed, and after Paul quit his old job, they needed all the income they could get. With Ellen suddenly missing while the Black Storm roamed the streets, finding their daughter took priority over spending quality time together. Still, Anna couldn't help but feel like she and Paul had become so concerned with Ellen that they had forgotten each other. The back door creaked open. Anna had turned off the lights in an attempt to get some sleep, but her mind was too restless with worry. She heard soft footsteps pad across the wood floor, and could just barely make out a dark shape sneaking across the room. She flipped on the lamp next to her reclining chair. A wave of emotions washed over her: relief, exasperation, and distress, all at the same time. Ellen stood poised at the bottom of the stairs like a criminal caught red-handed. Anna narrowed her eyes. "And just where have you been, young lady? Do you have any idea what time it is?" "I-I was with Marie," Ellen stammered. "We lost track of time." From a clip on her bag, Terry popped out of his Pokéball and began reprimanding the young girl before apologizing profusely to Anna with a gloomy whimper. Anna wasn't quite sure how to interpret that, so she chose to address the Donphan in the room. "Why didn't you think to call to tell us where you were?" Ellen fidgeted nervously under Terry's scolding and her mother's interrogation. "W-we were . . . um . . . Well it was already late, and I didn't want you to be mad . . ." Lifting herself up from her chair, Anna shuffled over to the stairs to look into her daughter's eyes. She stooped down and pulled her into a tearful embrace. "Don't ever scare us like that again. We had no idea where you were, and we thought you might've gotten caught up with that horrible gang . . . . You didn't run into the Black Storm, did you?" Ellen bit her lip and shook her head. Terry started barking again, but Anna shushed him. "Now, now, Terry. I think Ellen's got enough on her mind without your chastising." Anna pulled out her Xtransceiver to call her husband. "Hello?" Paul sounded as fatigued as she felt. "She's home." Anna felt a weight lift from her shoulders as the words left her lips. "Ellen's home." Suddenly Paul seemed wide awake. "What? When did she get there? Is she hurt? Where has she been?!" "She's fine," Anna assured him. "We can talk about the details when you get home." Her eyes bore into Ellen. "As a family." "Scar, turn us around!" Paul called out to his Pokémon before looking back at the screen. "I'll be right there. Love you." The screen went blank before Anna could respond. IC: Duo - ?Now more than ever, Duo wished he still had his psychic powers. It would be no problem to bust open the door of the truck and make his way back to Ellen. As it was, the small Duosion could do little more than slam his weight against the walls of his makeshift prison over and over again. When that proved fruitless, a dull panic set in, accompanied by exhaustion. Nestling himself amidst the wooden crates that lined his prison cell, Duo closed his eyes and let the low hum of the truck's engine lull him into a fitful sleep. *** Muffled voices roused him. The truck had stopped moving. Duo groggily opened his eyes. A sliver of light peeking through a crack in the door, and he thought he heard the droning of fluorescent lights. An authoritative voice cut through the white noise, taking Duo by surprise. "What is the meaning of this?" Carefully, Duo crept up to the door and pressed an eye to the hairline crack. Shadows flitted around about outside, but he couldn't make any sense of their movements. "M-madame!" a man's voice cried out in what Duo interpreted as alarm. "What brings you here this fine evening?" "You weren't supposed to be here for another two hours," the authoritative voice boomed. Duo imagined it belonged to a heavyset woman. "Either you work incredibly fast, or my trust in you was a mistake." "N-no, Madame, not at all!" the subordinate squeaked. "W-we were just, ah . . . well, you see, there was a bit of a situation . . ." "What kind of situation?" Duo heard the man cower in fear at the Madame's voice. "S-some little girl happened across our operations at the harbor. She didn't see anything important, but she did make a mess of things. Davies ordered us to take what we had and deliver it while he took care of the girl." Duo heard a sharp intake of breath. "And did he?" The man's terrified response was unintelligible. The entire truck shook as something slammed into its side. The Madame's voice now came from the side of the truck. "Let me make one thing clear. You don't work for Davies, you work for me. And my instructions were to eliminate anyone who approached the work site. No. Questions. Asked. I did not ask you to deliver half shipments. Now you had better hope for your sake that Davies held up his end of the deal." An echo of footsteps moved toward the back of the truck. When the Madame spoke again, her voice was much closer. "Open it up. I want to see just how far behind we are." Duo's breath caught in his throat. If the Madame caught him, he was as good as dead. Yet if he didn't use this opportunity to escape, he might never make it back to Ellen. Indecisiveness tore at his mind. The latch clicked and the door swung open. Duo shot out of the truck like a bullet, smacking right into the whimpering man's face. The unexpected impact sent his flight spiraling out of control. As he righted himself, Duo saw that he was in a large warehouse. A hand swiped at him and he quickly flew into the rafters. "What are you doing?!" The Madame cried. "Don't let it escape!" A dusty window stood between Duo and his freedom. Steeling himself, he sped toward the barrier. Shards of glass flew everywhere, but the gelatinous bubble that surrounded the Duosion shielded his body from harm. Once he was free, he took to the skies. It was still night, but city lights cast a dull glow over the area. Clusters of buildings rose high, their stature making one thing terribly clear: he was no longer in Village Bridge. Finding his bearings would have to wait. Duo had missed dinner, and the little sleep he'd gotten in the truck hadn't done much to replenish his energy. He scoured the dirty streets unsuccessfully for some scrap of food before his exhaustion overpowered his hunger. Finding a small alcove behind a dumpster, the Duosion closed his eyes and tried not to think about how far he was from home.
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Post by Konuju on Jan 29, 2020 16:23:42 GMT -8
IC: Ellen Burks/Paul Burks – Opelucid City If Ellen had her way, she'd be scouring the streets of Village Bridge for any sign of Duo's whereabouts. Instead she instead found herself in a crowded subway car speeding toward Opelucid. As expected, her father had given her a lengthy lecture when he'd gotten home, going over the importance of family, the worry she had caused her parents, and the responsibility she would soon have as a big sister. To his credit, her father avoided mentioning the last time they'd had a similar talk. Hoenn and the events overseas were still a touchy subject, something it seemed the entire family chose to ignore in front of her.
Similarly, Ellen avoided mentioning anything related to the Black Storm or Duo, but she did admit to her meltdown with Marie. They would have made this trip regardless, but the fact that she'd had another episode dampened the mood. The two stood in a tense silence as the underground train carried them into the heart of the City of Dragons.
Castelia is often cited as the heart of Unova, but ask anyone who doesn't live in the big city and they'll point you further north, to the City of Dragons. Whereas Castelia's iconic skyline, the first thing seen by immigrants, has long been a symbol of the region, it is Opelucid that embodies the true Unovan ideal. The city is said to have one foot in the past and one in the future, embracing the latest technology has to offer while honoring ancient traditions.
On paper the city sounded like a mess, the utopian fantasy of some wide-eyed idealist. Yet somehow it worked. Perhaps this was due in part to the various attacks the citizens had lived through. Years ago the city had been the target of a renegade sect of Team Plasma and had been completely frozen in ice. More recently the citizens had found themselves under the influence of a deranged madman in a top hat. Whatever the crisis, the people of Opelucid banded together and came out stronger for it. While the outskirts of the city had an obvious divide between old and new, the downtown areas seamlessly interweaved the two styles of architecture. It was truly a sight to behold.
A short walk from the subway station brought them to a building emblazoned with the stylistic P that represented Unova's governing body. No matter how many times they came here, Paul couldn't help but feel apprehensive about their visit. It was for Ellen's sake that he pushed forward.
Dr. Steinhart met them on the twenty-fourth floor. Evan Tierra had recommended that Ellen see a psychologist from Team Plasma, one who had already been debriefed on the happenings on Two Island. A regular psychologist off the streets would ask too many questions. The Hero of Space believed that a Plasma psychologist would be able to help Ellen the best. And so they scheduled regular meetings with Dr. Steinhart in Opelucid City. The man led them into a room designed for relaxation. Oil paintings depicted pastoral scenes from Pinwheel Forest and Abundant Shrine. The plush couches were so soft Paul felt like he could easily sink into their cushiony depths and be lost forever. In the corner sat a small Johto-style water garden, whose soft trickling of water filled the room with a calming ambience.
The doctor himself sat in a large chair, holding a tablet with which to take notes. He smiled warmly at the father and daughter. "So how are we today, Ellen? Any more incidents?" Ellen nodded meekly. Steinhart leaned forward in his seat. "Tell me all about it. Spare no detail."
Ellen shifted uncomfortably. "W-well . . . I met my friend, Marie. She started asking me about things, and . . ."
Dr. Steinhart vigorously jotted down notes. "What sort of things did she ask about?"
"Hoenn."
"And just the mention of Hoenn was enough to trigger an episode?"
"N-no . . ." Ellen closed her eyes. "Sh-she mentioned . . . Pokémon Contests . . ."
The doctor reached into a box and pulled out a Pokéblock case. "So this was the trigger. Your gift from the man calling himself Tyler McKinley."
Ellen's eyes grew wide as she stared at the case. She drew a sharp breath and the color started to drain from her face. "Put that away," Paul growled. "Can't you see it's bothering her?"
"Our Plasma scientists have investigated this Pokéblock case very thoroughly." Dr. Steinhart turned the container over in his hands before carefully placing it back in the box. "It contains no unusual properties. It is nothing more than a chunk of cheap plastic. But to Ellen it is clearly more than that. Now why do you think Mr. McKinley gave it to you?"
"I don't know."
"Was it merely to lull you into a false sense of security? Or was it intended for something more? Tell me, Ellen. Did the other Children have any sort of gifts or trinkets with them?"
"I-I don't . . ." Ellen froze, her eyes growing distant. "Levi . . . he had . . . a mask."
Dr. Steinhart furiously scribbled down notes. "Levi Alaric, the son of Shadow Admin Sleight. And was this mask also a gift from Mr. McKinley?"
Ellen slowly nodded and seemed to sink further into the couch.
"So a mask and a Pokéblock case. What ties do these have to the Missing Zero? We know it likes to eat . . . perhaps it enjoys Pokéblocks? Did Mr. McKinley give you any Pokéblocks when he gave you the case?"
Ellen looked like she wanted the couch to just swallow her whole. She shook her head furtively. "N-no . . . it eats everything . . ."
"That's enough!" Paul stood up and strode toward the psychologist. "We came to you for help, not so you can terrorize my daughter once a week by interrogating her about that giant blob monster!"
Dr. Steinhart looked up at him unflinchingly. "I assure you, Mr. Burks, we are doing everything in our power to help Ellen."
"Like hell you are!" Paul reached out and snatched the tablet from the doctor's hand. "Every week you bring up that creature again and again. As if you're expecting Ellen to suddenly tell you how to save Black City or something! You don't give a **** about helping my daughter!"
Steinhart rose to his feet. At full height he was a few inches shorter than Paul, but he met the blacksmith's gaze with a glare of hardened steel. "That 'blob monster' as you call it is not just some faraway fairytale. The tragedy of Black City proves that this thing is a very real threat. Your daughter, however unwittingly, helped bring that thing into this world. If she has any knowledge on how to destroy it—"
"Then she would have told you!" Paul slammed the tablet down on the table. "Making her relive that awful experience in the hopes of finding some hidden answer is only making her worse!"
"Need I remind you which one of us has the degree in psychology, Mr. Burks?" Steinhart narrowed his eyes. "The first step to moving on from any sort of trauma is learning to face your fears. If you keep it bottled up inside you it will slowly ferment over the years, making it all the more difficult to recover. Take yourself, for example. Ever since you and your daughter have been coming here, you have held me in contempt. This is surely in part due to your own post-traumatic stress over your daughter's disappearance. You want her to regain a normal life, yet you yourself have forgotten what normal is. But if we peel back the layers, your irrational dislike of me stems from something far deeper. You grew up in Unova, did you not? You must have been what, fifteen, sixteen, when Ghetsis ruled Team Plasma? Just the right age to be going on a Pokémon journey, making you the perfect target for the liberation schemes of the Old Plasma. You've never forgiven Plasma for that, have you? You've carried that bitterness with you ever since. And so you stubbornly refuse to let go of your unfounded bias against anyone from your nation's government, despite the fact that the madman responsible for your trauma was put behind bars years ago. So don't you dare question my practice, Mr. Burks. You're irrational."
For a fleeting second Paul weighed the consequences of punching a Plasma official in the face. "We're here for Ellen, not for me."
Dr. Steinhart calmly picked up his tablet and sat back down, an infuriatingly pleasant smile on his face. "Then let me do my job."
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Post by Konuju on Jan 29, 2020 19:04:46 GMT -8
IC: Ellen Burks – Village Bridge When the meeting with Dr. Steinhart was finally over, Ellen had a quick lunch with her father before he headed off to work. They parted at the subway that would take Ellen back to Village Bridge, with the assumption that she would promptly return home. Ellen had other plans, however. While she didn't know where Duo had been taken, returning to the harbor in broad daylight might provide some clues.
After several hours, Ellen dejectedly left the harbor. There was no sign the Black Storm had ever been there, and Terry couldn't even find a trace of Duo's scent. Ellen would have remained at the docks long into the night in hopes that the Storm would return, but after last night she knew her parents would be expecting her for dinner.
If Duo's absence made her more melancholy than usual, her parents didn't seem to notice. While it was a stark contrast to the cheerful attitude she'd harbored in the past, Paul and Anna had long since stopped inquiring about their daughter's quiet demeanor. With all her Pokémon save Terry tucked away in their Pokéballs, they didn't even notice Duo was missing.
That night, Ellen prepared to return to the harbor. With any luck the Black Storm would be there, unloading the rest of the boxes from last night. When Terry saw what she was doing, he started to call for her parents. Ellen quickly clamped a hand around the Herdier's snout.
"I have to find Duo," she whispered urgently. "And the Black Storm are the only ones that can lead me to him. Don't worry, I'll be more careful this time." Terry glared in disapproval, and Ellen was suddenly reminded of that fateful winter night. "I'll come home," she promised. "But Duo's all alone somewhere, scared out of his mind. I can't just leave him."
Artemis gave the Herdier a hard look. Those two, along with Duo, had been with the Burks family the longest, and they understood what they truly were: a family. Rescuing Duo was no different from Paul's search for Ellen. Begrudgingly, Terry flattened his ears in submission. He looked like he was fighting with himself as he watched Ellen pack her bag.
It was Isabella who first saw their missing companion. From her perch on the windowsill, the Oddish gave an excited squeak. Ellen turned to shush her, only to stifle a gasp as a green blob smacked into the window.
Hardly daring to believe her eyes, Ellen ran over to the window and opened it. Duo rushed in, flying around the room and squeaking in his own language. "Duo?!" Ellen cried as she finally managed to pluck the Duosion out of the air and wrap her arms tightly around him. "I'm so glad you're safe!"
Duo merely continued his high-pitched squeaks. When Ellen let go of the embrace, he floated back to the window, waving his stubby little arms. Terry gave a low growl but Artemis shushed him.
Ellen looked around at her Pokémon in confusion. "You want me to follow?" she guessed. Duo nodded and floated out the window. The urgency in his movements spurred Ellen into action. Putting on a jacket, she recalled her other Pokémon into their Pokéballs and clambered out the window after him.
Her bedroom sat on the second floor, but the roof sloped under the window, providing a path to a nearby tree. Once she was on the ground, Ellen looked back at her house and took a deep breath. The night air was chilly and served as a painful reminder of the day she'd first run away from home.
"I'll come back," she promised. The words provided little comfort.
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Post by Konuju on Jan 30, 2020 4:26:16 GMT -8
IC: Ellen Burks – Opelucid CityDuo led her to the subway station, and from there they took a train to the heart of Opelucid City. Unlike the crowded commute with her father that morning, hardly anyone rode the subway at this hour. Ellen and Duo had a car all to themselves, during which the Duosion carefully studied the tunnel map printed on the wall. It had been a long time since Ellen had seen him this serious, and she wished his telepathy would return so he could just tell her what he'd found. They got off in an unfamiliar sector of the city. The sparsely populated subway had given Ellen a false impression of their journey, for the city streets were just as packed as they had been in the morning. Only instead of students and businessmen, Ellen found herself walking amongst a very different crowd. Flashing neon signs and a pungent stench told her this was no place for a young girl to be walking alone. She hurriedly sent out her Pokémon to form a guard around her. On more than one occasion Artemis and Terry had to ward off a stumbling drunk who wandered too close. Of all her Pokémon, Chrono seemed the most unfazed by their surroundings. It made sense, given the Purrloin had grown up on the streets. Ellen found herself wondering if Chrono actually preferred the shady chaos of the streets, for he seemed entirely within his element as he slinked along the shadows. After what felt like an eternity they arrived in an abandoned alley. Having left the bright signs of the busier streets behind them, it took a moment for Ellen's eyes to adjust to the darkness. Duo proudly pointed at an old, rundown warehouse. Peering through a dusty window, Ellen saw a truck like the one at the harbor, flanked by two guards she assumed belonged to the Black Storm. She quickly ducked against the wall as her breaths shortened. "Okay," she muttered in a shaky voice. "If we want to get near that truck we'll have to lure the guards away somehow." Chrono unsheathed his claws with a devilish grin, but Ellen shook her head. "No, we need something more subtle." Fiora floated up to Ellen. Stripped of her flower, the Flabébé was practically invisible in the darkness, and she knew it. Perhaps merely she craved a sense of purpose in lieu of cultivating plant life, but Fiora was all too eager to offer her help. Ellen smiled, a plan starting to form in her mind. "Alright, Fiora, you go with Isabella. Here's what I need you to do . . ." *** A low creaking noise echoed around the warehouse. The two guards visibly tensed as the sound grew louder. Then there was a loud crash, followed by a series of metallic clicks. Exchanging a shrewd glance, the pair ran off to investigate. The moment the guards had left the main room, Ellen slipped through the door. With the rest of her Pokémon recalled, the small girl stealthily made her way over to the lone truck. She made it about halfway when a Pokéball sailed over her head. The capsule struck the ground in front of her and opened in a flash of light, revealing a menacing Scrafty. "I had a feeling you'd show up here." Ellen whirled around. One of the guards stood in the entryway, a smug look on his face. "After that ruckus in Village Bridge last night, we expected another unwelcome visit. Did you really think we'd fall for such an obvious distraction? Still, I can't believe Davis got shown up by a little girl." The man shrugged and flashed a smirk. "At least I get to reap the reward for taking you down." One of the balls on Ellen's belt shuddered, and Artemis emerged with an angry hiss. The Mienshao stepped toward the Scrafty and gave a subtle nod to Ellen. She would keep the Pokémon busy while Ellen ran over to the truck. "Scrafty, you know our orders," the guard called out. At once the Hooligan Pokémon jumped back out of range of the Mienshao, taking up a position between Ellen and the truck. The Scrafty wasn't here to pick a fight; it was here to guard whatever was inside the truck. Ellen looked between the taunting Scrafty and the slowly approaching man. There was no way out. Her knees started to buckle. "This was a stupid plan," she muttered. "Why did I think following Duo would be a good idea?" With a sudden burst of light, Duo popped out of his Pokéball. Sparing only enough time to shoot Ellen a dirty look, he sped towards the Scrafty with a trilling battle cry. The fighting-type cracked its knuckles and leapt into the air. A flying kick knocked Duo off course; a twisting follow-up dazed him. Finally, the Scrafty brought both of his fists down, slamming the green blob into the ground. "This ain't some little schoolyard Pokémon battle," the guard laughed. "The Black Storm ain't got no rules when it comes to kicking your—" The man suddenly gagged. Artemis had kicked off the ground, running not toward the Scrafty but toward its trainer. She reached him in a flash and wrapped her tendril-like arms around his neck, cutting off his incessant gloating. Ellen could only watch in horror as the guard gasped for air. "Artemis, what are you--?" The Mienshao jerked her head toward the Scrafty and tightened her grip. Her meaning was clear. Steeling herself, Ellen turned to the enemy Pokémon. "Step aside," she said desperately. "If you don't want your trainer to get hurt, you'll back down. Please." The Scrafty's eyes darted between Ellen and Artemis, as if weighing its options. Its trainer's eyes started to bulge. After a long moment, it stepped away from the truck. With a sigh of relief, Ellen started to run over to Duo. She got no more than two steps before another voice called out. "My, you've sure gotten yourself in a pickle, Lee. Good thing I found these two Pokémon making a racket in the air conditioning unit." Ellen froze and slowly turned around. The second guard had returned, flanked by a muscular Sawk. In one hand the blue-skinned Pokémon held a struggling Oddish. Its other hand pinched the miniscule form of Fiora between its thumb and forefinger. "Call off your Mienshao!" the guard commanded. "Or my Sawk here will squeeze the life out of your Oddish and squash your little fairy friend like a bug." Isabella cried out as the Sawk clenched its fist around her. Ellen had no choice but to comply. "Let him go, Artemis," she called out in a defeated voice. That was when the warehouse erupted into chaos. The moment Artemis released him, Lee pulled out a bulky-looking gun and whirled around. A low hum filled the air as the gun shot an energy blast at the Mienshao, sending her flying back into the wall. An instant later Ellen found herself tackled to the ground by the Scrafty. The two rolled across the ground as they struggled, and it took all of Ellen's strength to keep the fighting-type's powerful arms at bay. In her fall, Ellen's Pokéballs were knocked off her belt and scattered across the floor. Three bursts of light exploded out of the corner of Ellen's eye. In an instant Terry was on top of the Scrafty, digging his fangs into its shoulder as he tried to wrest the fighting-type away from Ellen. Maturin lowered his head and charged at the Sawk, but Chrono got there first, eyes full of bloodlust. The Sawk tightened its grip around Isabella and Fiora, causing the two to cry out in pain, but it did nothing to deter Chrono. When it became clear the Purrloin wasn't going to stop, the Sawk threw its captives down and raised its hands in a last ditch effort to defend itself. The Oddish and Flabébé ran to Maturin's side, the Grotle altering his course to check on Artemis. The Mienshao leveled a glare at Lee, who aimed his weapon at the four Pokémon standing before him. As Terry and the Scrafty tumbled across the floor, Ellen ran over to Duo's side. The green blob had finally recovered from the Scrafty's initial attack and was now staring at the battle that had suddenly erupted. Realizing the guards were thoroughly distracted, Duo started to herd Ellen towards the truck. Unfortunately, the second guard took notice. "Sawk, leave the cat alone!" the gruff voice called out. "Stop the girl!" Ellen glanced over her shoulder as the muscular Pokémon tossed Chrono aside and sprinted towards her. They both reached the truck at the same time. A second glance back gave Ellen just enough warning to duck below a swift punch. A section of the truck door crumpled under the force of the blow. Another energy blast echoed through the warehouse as Artemis vaulted over Lee and ran to Ellen's aid. Just as the Sawk was readying another hit, the Mienshao wrapped her long arms around its neck and steered the fight away from Ellen. As the Sawk struggled against its bonds, Artemis met Ellen's eye. One simple look perfectly conveyed her message: hurry. Ellen didn't need telling twice. Hands shaking from adrenaline, she managed to unlatch the door and climb in alongside Duo. This truck had far more crates than the one they had seen the night before. The rectangular boxes lined the interior like a storage unit, perfectly stacked to maximize capacity. Approaching the nearest one, Ellen tried to pry off the lid. It was forced shut. Duo slammed his entire body against the crate, but without his psychic powers he couldn't leave so much as a scratch on it. "What are we supposed to do now?" Ellen struck the box with her fist, sending a sharp pain up her hand. "We can't just take the box with us, but if we don't get it open then all this fighting will have been for nothing!" She glanced back out at her companions, each doing their best to keep the Storm's Pokémon at bay. Perhaps if she could get Maturin to ram into one of the crates . . . Her eyes fell on the dent the Sawk had made in the door. Maturin was busy keeping Lee from firing his blaster all over the warehouse, but he wasn't the only powerhouse in the room. "Duo," she said urgently. "I need you to get Artemis to lure the Sawk over here." The Duosion looked at her like she'd lost her mind. "I know you can't use telepathy," Ellen countered. "Talk to her directly!" Huffing in frustration, Duo floated out of the truck, his tiny voice squeaking in what Ellen could only hope was an approximation of her command. Sure enough, Artemis started to leave openings for her enemy to strike. The blue-skinned Pokémon pressed the advantage, only for Artemis to back up towards the truck. Once the Sawk caught sight of Ellen standing amidst the boxes, it glowered and forced its way into the truck. Pressed up against the crates, Ellen had nowhere to run. The Sawk pulled back a fist and lunged. Duo slammed into the Pokémon's side, sending it careening into one of the boxes. The wood splintered upon impact and a mound of sand poured out of the opening. Before the Sawk could regain its bearings, Artemis had wrapped an arm around its leg and yanked it back outside. With a nod of thanks to her Pokémon, Ellen frantically dug through the sand for whatever lay hidden within the fine grains. Her fingers found nothing but more sand. "This doesn't make any sense," she muttered as the last of the grains filtered out of its container. "Why would they go through all this secrecy for a bunch of sand?" Duo offered his best attempt at a shrug. Slinging her bag off her shoulder, Ellen began to scoop up as much of the mysterious sand as she could. At the moment she had no clear idea what to do with the sample, but with any luck it would lead her to answers. With her task complete, Ellen stood at the edge of the truck and called out to her remaining Pokémon. "Let's wrap this up, it's time to go!" Maturin, Isabella, and Fiora had succeeded in knocking away Lee's blaster. With a grunt, the Grotle rammed him into the side of the truck with so much force that Ellen nearly lost her balance. Meanwhile, Chrono was terrorizing the second guard, keeping him at bay with his sharp claws. As Ellen started to gather her Pokéballs, Maturin bounded over to help Terry against the Scrafty. Artemis and the Sawk continued to go at it, the two fighting-types matching each other blow for blow. Ellen was just starting to wonder if they'd be able to make it out when she heard a crash and a scream. Chrono had undone the bindings around a stack of metal pipes and sent them tumbling onto the second guard who was now buried beneath them. The Sawk turned at the sound of his trainer's scream, leaving him open to a swift kick from Artemis. "Wait!" Ellen cried, running towards her remaining opponents. "Scrafty, Sawk! Please, let us go." Each Pokémon in the room, her own companions included, gave her an odd look, but she stood her ground. "Your trainers are both wounded. Are you really going to just leave them there? Let us go, and we'll leave you to tend to them. Please." The Scrafty scoffed, but the Sawk cast a worried look to the pile of pipes. The two seemed to argue for a moment before the Scrafty looked over to its own trainer lying next to the truck. Finally, both Pokémon nodded. The two parties backed away slowly, neither taking an eye off the other. It wasn't until Ellen and her Pokémon had made it to the door that she let out a sigh of relief. "Let's go home," she said in a shaky voice. They practically raced through the streets of Opelucid back to the subway station. By the time she climbed back into her bedroom, the sun was just starting to peek over the horizon.
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Post by Konuju on Jan 30, 2020 16:37:48 GMT -8
IC: Anson Brawns – Village Bridge Anson Brawns prided himself with being Village Bridge's leading expert on rocks and minerals. His humble shop, Brawns, Silver, and Gold, was a literal gold mine for amateur geologists and rock enthusiasts across Unova – at least, to those who couldn't afford the trip to Clay's mining museum in Driftveil. In addition to selling rare gems, Anson allowed his store patrons to pawn off whatever odd stones they had discovered. More often than not the hopeful prospectors were turned away after Anson had studied their findings -- habitually stroking his limestone-gray beard throughout the appraisal -- and determined them to be nothing more than common stones. But the joy the man found at discovering a deposit of crystals or metal ore more than made up for the countless rejects.
Unfortunately, Anson's business had taken a sharp downturn as of late. One of his major markets catered to Pokémon Trainers passing through the village, and he had always made sure to keep a healthy supply of well-polished elemental gems and evolutionary stones. Although he had obtained video proof that his stones would still trigger evolution, the current loss of Pokémon power left many Trainers hesitant to invest in such a purchase. Any remaining customers had been driven away by the recent rise of the Black Storm or the looming threat from Black City. This left Anson with many long, idle, profitless days spent fully expunging his store from dust and polishing his collection to perfection.
And so when a young girl barged into the shop one morning with a small army of Pokémon and proceeded to dump a pile of sand on the counter, Anson thought it was a cruel idea of a practical joke. "If you're looking to make a quick buck off a load of sand you got from the riverbank, you're going to be sorely disappointed," he said, raising his voice to dissuade the little brat from any further trickery. "Now take this filth back where you found it before I make you dust my shop."
The girl was not deterred. "I'm not trying to sell it. I have reason to believe this is more than just common sand. There's something special about it – I just don't know what."
Anson peered over his spectacles at the child. She looked older than he remembered, her demeanor far more melancholy, but there was no mistaking that face. "You're Paul's little girl, aren't you? I feel like I haven't seen you in ages. How'd your friends like those elemental gems you got them for Christmas?"
"They came in handy," Ellen said dismissively. "Listen, no one knows rocks like you do, Mr. Brawns. I was hoping you could help me figure out what makes this sand so important. I'll even pay you for your troubles."
Her words stroked his ego enough to make Anson pull out a magnifying glass. He thoughtfully stroked his beard as he leaned over to examine the fine grains. "Important, you say? Sorry, kid, but it looks to me like this is just ordinary sand." He looked up from the pile, arriving at the conclusion that this really was a practical joke. But the look of immense disbelief and disappointment on the girl's face made him freeze in place. "Hey, I just said that's what it looks like. Tell you what; if you're really that convinced, I'll conduct a more thorough analysis. Arceus knows I could use something to pass the time. No need to pay me up front," he added as Ellen reached for a bundle of cash. "As much as I'd love to make a profit, I'd feel bad for taking your money if this really is just sand. Swing by my shop tomorrow morning and we'll see what I find out. Where'd you find this stuff, anyway?"
"In a box," Ellen said cryptically. A hint of her usual smile returned as she and her Pokémon headed for the door. "I can't thank you enough, Mr. Brawns," she called out. "See you tomorrow!"
"Take care, kiddo." Anson gave her a wave before shuffling off to find a container to store the sand. "And say hi to your dad for me."
IC: Ellen Burks/Marie – Village Bridge Ellen had taken no more than a few paces away from Anson's shop when she found her path suddenly blocked by a well-composed-but-still-clearly-upset Marie and her less-than-well-composed Gothita. "What's going on?" the girl asked testily.
"Nothing much," Ellen responded in a desperate attempt to parry suspicion. "I was just about to get some lunch. Care to join me?"
Marie narrowed her eyes. "You've been acting weird ever since you saved me from the Black Storm. I know you went off on your own after taking me home that night. Every time I've come by your house since then, your mom says you're out somewhere. I'm not blind, you know. I saw you hand something to the owner of that dirt shop. So I'll ask again -- what's going on?"
"It doesn't concern you," Ellen said, attempting to brush past her friend. Marie grabbed her arm and looked her square in the eye.
"So you are hiding something," she said, sounding hurt. Her Gothita raised a tiny arm and squeaked indignantly at her trainer's friend.
"It's for your own safety!" Ellen argued. Chrono arched his back and hissed a warning at Marie. Artemis wrapped a comforting arm around Ellen's friend, giving her a stern yet solemn look.
"My safety?" Marie threw off the Mienshao and took several steps backwards. "What happened to you, Ellen? We used to be best friends. We did everything together. If my safety's a concern, then so is yours! What happened to our exciting adventures? Or are you too cool for that now? Am I just not good enough for you anymore? Is that it?" Tears welled up in her eyes and she looked ready to break down like a child who'd just misplaced her favorite doll. "I thought we were best friends – and best friends trust each other with anything . . . right?"
Ellen froze, not due to Marie's desperate plea, but because she realized just how like her father she was being. For the briefest of moments she saw herself in Marie's watering eyes, defiantly wishing to prove that she was capable of facing untold dangers.
She looked around at the empty street and took a deep breath. "If you really want to know what happened," she said softly. "I'll tell you. But you have to promise me you're ready to hear it, and you can't tell anyone. Not a soul."
Marie's eyes lit up like a Volbeat as a smile spread across her face. "Your secret's safe with me!" she declared.
Half-worried she was making a terrible mistake, Ellen explained what she had found down at the harbor, Duo's accidental capture, and their midnight trip to the Opelucid warehouse. Having stayed up all night, she'd taken a few days to recover before dropping the sand off at the only expert she knew.
Marie was silent for a moment as she took all of this in. Then her face spread into a big grin. "That. Is. Amazing! I can't believe you got to do all those cool things! That sounds like the greatest adventure ever; you're like a superhero saving the world from behind the scenes!"
Ellen was dumbfounded. "Did you even listen to a word I said?"
"Yes, and I loved it!" Marie's eyes sparkled with an innocence Ellen could never hope to reclaim. "You know what they call people like you? Vigilantes. You're like Zubatman. Oh, this is so epic! So what's the deal with the Storm? How are we gonna take them down?"
"We?" Ellen balked. "First of all, I never said you could help. Second, I can't do anything until we hear back from Mr. Brawns."
Marie wasn't backing down. "First of all," she countered. "You need someone to watch your back. Like a sidekick. Second, we need to plan our next attack. Maybe we'll go back to that warehouse tonight. Or the harbor."
"I'm going home tonight," Ellen said. "You can come with me to meet Mr. Brawns tomorrow, but promise me you won't do anything on your own."
Marie gave an enthusiastic salute. "Aye-aye, Captain Burks!"
A sinking feeling rose in the pit of Ellen's stomach.
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Post by Konuju on Jan 31, 2020 7:10:46 GMT -8
Paul Burks – Opelucid Advanced Technologies, Opelucid City "More flame, Kimber." The Torkoal gave a futile groan amidst the rhythmic clang of Paul's hammer. "I know it's not your flame, old girl, but if it gets much weaker, this iron's going to—"
As if on cue, a large chunk of shrapnel split off from the wrought iron Paul had been hammering, causing the blacksmith to recoil in a shower of sparks. He cursed. Kimber gave another groan, directing Paul's attention to the dying flame.
A quick glance at the forge indicated the source of their problem. "We're low on charcoal. Bisharp, can you grab some more?" The Dark-Type pointed a polished blade at a pile of empty sacks in the corner – the remains of their charcoal stock.
"We never had this problem at Déoza," Paul muttered. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he walked over to the door. "Kimber, you're in charge of the forge. Bisharp and I will see if we can't get some more charcoal from Inventory."
With the closest thing a fire tortoise could give to a salute, Kimber assured her master that the forge would be safe in her hands. Confident in his workstation's security, Paul led his Bisharp downstairs to OAT's Inventory department.
"Charcoal?" The inventory manager gave Paul a skeptical look. "You mean the stuff that makes Fire Pokémon stronger? Not sure what good that's supposed to do you. Even if your Bisharp could use moves, anyone can see it's not a Fire-Type.
It took a great deal of effort for Paul to not roll his eyes at the man's subpar intelligence. "It's for blacksmithing. Do you have any, or not?"
The man checked the database. "Not in Inventory . . ." he leaned forward and squinted at the screen. "Although it looks like Shipping & Receiving just got a few crates of charcoal. Come back tomorrow and we should have it processed."
"So what, am I supposed to just sit around and not do my job until tomorrow?" Paul couldn't believe his ears. "Maybe Shipping & Receiving will be willing to lend me a box. Or would you rather explain to Foswell why his top blacksmith wasn't able to get his work done on time?"
"Top blacksmith?" the man said in a bored tone as he leaned back in his seat. "My, aren't we pretentious? Well, Mr. Smithy, I wish you luck convincing the guys at S&R to hand over their stuff before Inventory has a chance to process it. Protocols exist for a reason, you know."
With a huff of frustration Paul turned and strode out of the room, deigning not to grace the inventory manager with a response.
The Shipping & Receiving department sat in an unfamiliar wing of the building. Paul and Bisharp had never been there before, since Inventory had never failed to deliver the necessary materials. As the blacksmith tried to navigate his way to S&R, his Bisharp held out a bladed hand. Paul froze as a pair of women's voices rose from a nearby meeting room.
"—did not hire you for sloppy work!"
"You didn't—" The commanding voice stopped itself midsentence, and when it resumed Paul heard the strain of one trying their best to remain calm. "There were unforeseen circumstances. We are dealing with the situation as we speak."
"Well, you'd better make sure this doesn't happen again. Because if it does, I'll—"
"You'll what? Fire me?" The voice sounded terrifyingly amused.
"Project Stardust can continue without your so-called help!"
"Oh, sure, it can continue." Paul could practically see the venomous smile in the voice. "But not without some serious setbacks. Trust me, doctor. Like it or not, you need me."
Heavy footsteps approached the door, and Paul wisely chose to keep moving down the hall. Out of the corner of his eye he saw two women leave the meeting room, but he didn't dare look at them, lest they suspect him for eavesdropping.
Project Stardust. It was a name Paul had never heard before. It didn't surprise him that Foswell had a number of projects running, and an employee of Paul's level was in no way privy to each and every one. Regardless, Paul couldn't help but feel uneasy about the conversation he had overheard.
That uneasiness was pushed aside as he arrived at Shipping & Receiving. An empty desk greeted him, alongside a door leading to the warehouse. It was too late for a lunch break, but far too early to go home, so Paul could only assume the S&R manager had stepped away to the restroom.
After about ten minutes of waiting, Paul grew impatient. He could clearly see the warehouse of materials that had been shipped to OAT, and he was itching to get back to work. It didn't take long to search the manager's desk and find a list of said materials, complete with the time received and the six-digit crate number.
"I'll just leave a note explaining how much charcoal I took," Paul reasoned to his Bisharp as they began to navigate the labyrinth of crates. The warehouse area wasn't air conditioned, which most people would have found uncomfortably stuffy. After having spent all day in a hot forge, however, Paul appreciated the small breeze that wafted through the room and the faint cooing of Pidove.
After what felt like an eternity, they finally found the number of the crate said to contain charcoal. Bisharp might not have been able to use abilities like he used to, but his blades could still slice, and he made quick work of the bindings around the crate. Paul lifted the lid to claim his charcoal, only to find—
"Sand?" The blacksmith ran a hand through the fine grains. "What in the world . . . ?" He double checked the crate number. Unless he had misread the shipment list, this crate should have contained charcoal.
"What are you doing?" Paul whirled around to see a burly-looking man staring him down. "Thought you could steal materials under my watch, did you? Who are you?"
"Paul Burks, I'm a blacksmith here." Paul quickly flashed his employee badge. "We ran out of charcoal upstairs, and Inventory didn't have any in stock. I checked your shipment list, and it said this crate was supposed to contain charcoal, but something's clearly wrong." He motioned to the box of sand.
The man leered at Paul as if trying to gauge his trustworthiness. "We have not received any charcoal today," he said slowly, his eyes briefly darting to the box of sand.
Paul frowned. "But your shipment list said—"
"The shipment list is wrong." He looked Paul square in the eyes. "We have not received any charcoal today. When we do receive some, you'll be the first to know. Now, I would appreciate it if you would stop tampering with our shipments."
"I sincerely apologize." Paul put on a smile and bowed his head. "Bisharp and I will get out of your hair."
It wasn't until he had left the Shipping & Receiving department that he let a troubled look show on his face. Something felt off about that whole exchange. And with no charcoal for his forge, Paul was free to get to the bottom of this mystery.
IC: Lincoln Foswell – Opelucid Advanced Technologies, Opelucid City Lincoln Foswell was a very busy man. Once a simple Déoza scientist, Foswell now had an entire company to run. He didn't like to micromanage, but his position was one that often required such a firm yet delicate hand.
Such was the case tonight. All his employees had long since gone home, and Foswell would have preferred to do the same, but Cochran had requested an audience. Empty though the building may have been, Foswell nonetheless locked his office door to ensure he was not disturbed before taking a seat behind his dual monitored computer.
The screens flickered to life as the teleconference began. "I'm at the end of my rope, Foswell." From the left monitor, Erin Cochran did not even wait to begin introductions before going straight into her rant. Her long black hair danced about her shoulders as she angrily snatched up a report and held it up to the camera. "Our shipment was not only vastly delayed, it was damaged upon arrival! How do you expect me to be able to get my work done when our 'hired help' can't even get things delivered in one piece?" Cochran pushed her glasses up her nose, the light reflecting off the lenses and obscuring the ire in her eyes. "I demand that you fire her immediately!"
In stark contrast to his scientist's heated demeanor, Foswell rubbed his temple in thinly stretched patience. "Your concerns have been duly noted, Erin. Madame, let us hear your side of the story."
Although the video feed on the right monitor was dimly lit, obscuring most of its occupant's features, Foswell could just barely make out the signs of a widening grin. "Lincoln, my dear, I thought you'd never ask," the Madame said in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Much as it pains me to admit, your lab rat is right. We have experienced some . . . unexpected difficulties. A shipment in Village Bridge was attacked and a Pokémon snuck on board our truck. The very next night another shipment was hit in our Opelucid warehouse and a portion of the stardust was stolen. Based on reports, the perpetrator appears to be the same for both incidents: a young girl with several Pokémon. None of them appeared to have powers."
A snicker came from the left monitor as Cochran failed to contain her laughter. "You mean your army of thugs was taken out by a little girl and her powerless pets? I thought we hired you for competence."
"One girl cannot possibly take down what we have built, I assure you of that." The Madame's eyes seemed to glimmer in barely-contained anger. "She is merely an inconvenience."
Throughout the exchange Foswell remained stoically neutral. He looked over at the Madame's screen. "Have your men scour the streets of both Village Bridge and Opelucid for any stardust activity. Erin will lend you her sensors." Cochran looked ready to protest but a sharp look from Foswell silenced her before she could speak. The man looked back at the Madame. "I trust you can bring this situation under control?"
"Of course." There was that grin again, like a cat about to pounce on its unsuspecting prey. "We already know that she'll come to us. All we have to do is set a trap . . ." Her grin grew even wider. "And then we'll exterminate her like the pest she is."
IC: Anson Brawns – Village Bridge Anson Brawns was fascinated by the sample of sand the Burks girl had given him. At first glance it appeared to be nothing more than common sand you might find at a beach. But it soon proved to have some rather unusual properties, and further research only made him wonder where it might have come from. He had reached out to his colleagues but none of them had ever seen anything like it.
And so he ran experiment after experiment in an attempt to crack the code on this strange sand. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before, and yet if that last experiment had been analyzed correctly, then that would mean . . .
"Of course," he murmured, stroking his beard. "Why didn't I see it before?"
A bell sounded, indicating a customer had entered. Anson drew himself out of his research and, with a brief glance at the time, cautiously made his way to the front of the store.
"We're closed," he announced.
"That's not what your sign says." The man in question did not bother to look up at Anson, but instead casually browsed the shelves of various stones.
"I'm sorry, I was working in the back and lost track of time. We're closed." Another man walked in. "We're closed!" Anson called out. The man ignored him.
"What were you working on, pops?"
Anson jumped. The first man had come up behind Anson so stealthily he hadn't even heard him. "I told you, we're closed."
"You said you were working in the back." The man took a step forward, a casual smile on his face that did not feel friendly in the slightest. "So what's so important that it could keep you from closing the store?"
"I-I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Anson said, backing up. "The store is closed!"
"Is it, now?" The second man had approached him, blocking off his escape. He held what looked like a large blaster in his hands. "Choose your next words carefully, old man."
Cursing himself for not being more cautious, Anson raised his hands. "If it's money you want, it's in the register. Just take it! It's yours!"
The first man laughed. "Oh, we'll take you up on that offer for sure, but that's not what we're interested in."
"We're interested in the sand," the second man said. "Who gave it to you?"
Anson's face grew pale. "S-sand?" he murmured, glancing at the floor. "I don't know what you're talking about. I deal in stones, not sand."
"C'mon, man, don't lie to me." The first man drew a gun. "If you didn't want the knowledge getting out you shouldn't have told your friends about your latest discovery. So why don't we just take the goods off your hands? Tell us where you got it, and then you can forget about this whole incident. We wouldn't want anybody to die now, would we?"
"I don't know what game you're playing," Anson said, backing up slowly. "But I cannot allow you to take such a volatile weapon!" With a fierce cry he grabbed a Hard Stone off the shelf and slammed it into the first man's head with a resounding crack. He didn't look back at the damage he'd caused, but instead retreated as fast as he could into the back room.
"Wrong choice, old man!" the second guy called. He chased after him, kicking the door open, but Anson was ready.
Armed with his nearest weapon, Anson threw a handful of the sand Ellen had given him in the man's face.
The man raised his blaster and fired blindly.
Anson barely had time to register the effects the energy blast would have on the sand before a terrible explosion threw him against the back wall. The last thing he saw was his shop engulfed in flames.
Then everything went dark.
IC: Ellen Burks/Paul Burks/Anna Burks – Village Bridge Ellen's father arrived later than usual. It was well past dark by the time the family started eating dinner. "How was work, honey?" Ellen's mother asked.
Paul seemed to contemplate his answer, and for the briefest of moments Ellen thought she saw a flicker of concern cross his face. "It was a busy day," he finally said. "Made longer by an extra errand I ran on my way home." He reached into his briefcase and pulled out a small bag. "This is for you, Ellen."
It was unusual for Ellen to receive a gift outside of her birthday or Christmas, and it was nowhere near either occasion. Her curiosity perked, she reached across the table to take the bag. Inside was a brand new Xtransceiver, still in its packaging.
"We should have gotten you one of these long ago," Paul explained. "It'll allow us to keep in contact when you're away, so we don't have another incident like the other night."
The device's purpose became readily apparent. It was a leash so her parents could keep an eye on her and keep her from digging into the mysterious sand the Black Storm was shipping. Ellen nodded politely and muttered her thanks.
Perhaps this was a sign that she shouldn't be meddling with the Storm. After all, she was just a kid. For all her rebuttals against Marie getting involved, Ellen had to admit she was the exact same age. She'd just end up getting in over her head again.
After dinner Paul worked to set up the device while Anna turned on the TV for the late night news. Ellen sat in the living room with her Pokémon, her attention split between her father's work and the television's droning.
That is, until a breaking newscast grabbed her attention. "This just in, there has been an accident at a local shop in Village Bridge. Brawns, Silver and Gold, a shop specializing in rare stones, caught fire earlier tonight. Authorities are currently unsure what caused the fire, but thanks to a quick response by the local fire department none of the surrounding shops have been damaged. The shop's owner, Mr. Anson Brawns, was found unconscious in the back of his shop and is being transported to the local hospital for several burn injuries."
Paul looked up from the Xtransceiver, his face aghast. "Oh no, not Anson."
A queasy feeling settled in the pit of Ellen's stomach. She didn't believe for a second that the fire was an accident, not when she had just given him the sand earlier that day. Somehow the Storm must have found him. And because of her, they'd attacked an innocent man.
"Ellen, are you feeling alright?" Anna looked over in concern. Ellen had abruptly gotten to her feet and succumbed to a wave of dizziness. She gripped her head as she waited for the vertigo to end.
"I'm . . . feeling a little tired," she murmured. "I think I'll go to bed." Without waiting for an acknowledgement from her parents, Ellen stumbled up the stairs to her room and closed the door.
She had half a mind to climb out the window to see Mr. Brawns' shop for herself, but her legs were shaking so much she could barely make it across the room. Instead, Ellen collapsed on her bed and fell into a fitful sleep.
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Post by Konuju on Feb 1, 2020 6:39:21 GMT -8
IC: Ellen Burks/Marie – Village Bridge "This is exactly what I was talking about." Ellen felt a lump in her throat as she looked at the rubble that lay on the other side of the yellow police tape. Anson Brawns' shop had been completely destroyed in the fire. The news reports had labeled the incident an "unfortunate accident" but Ellen didn't believe that for a moment.
"So that means we're definitely onto something." Marie gave her a serious look. "Once the cops leave, are we gonna search the place for clues?"
Ellen stared at her friend in disbelief. "Do you even see what the Storm did to this place? This is all my fault; I got Mr. Brawns involved. I can't have you helping me, or the same thing will happen to you."
"Yeah, or to you." Marie placed her hands on her hips and pursed her lips. "Listen, Ellen. You're not any better than me. Just because you've been to Hoenn, that doesn't suddenly make you invincible."
"I never said I was—"
"Which is why you need someone helping you." A look of concern momentarily flashed across Marie's face. "You don't have to do this alone, Ellen. That's even more dangerous than getting me involved, don't you think?"
Ellen let out a sigh as she looked back at the ruined shop. "I'm starting to think I should never have gotten myself involved in the first place. After that night at the docks, I just wanted to get Duo back. He never would've gotten himself caught if I hadn't tried to take on the Storm. And now that I have him back, Mr. Brawns was attacked. All because I asked him about that sand . . ."
Marie could see the tears forming in her friend's eyes. "Hey . . . it's not your fault. You had to save me from the Storm too, remember? Those guys would've hurt people either way."
"I don't know," Ellen murmured. "They wouldn't be retaliating like this if I hadn't angered them."
"Then why are you doing this?" Marie took Ellen by the shoulders and narrowed her eyes in a surprisingly serious gaze. "You're out there risking your own life, and you don't even know why you're doing it? There has to be something driving you!"
Ellen could only stare in shock. She mulled over Marie's words for what felt like an eternity. "I guess I just wanted to make a difference," she said slowly. "To make up for my past mistakes. I couldn't save the world. I thought the least I could do is keep our village safe. Turns out I'm doing more harm than good."
"They're trying to scare you," Marie insisted. "If you give up now, then they've already won. No one else is doing anything to stop them . . . you're the only thing keeping Village Bridge from being completely overrun by the Black Storm."
"I don't know." Ellen shrugged, her lips pulled back in a grim expression. "I just want everyone to be safe. Knowing your actions caused someone else to suffer . . . it's a terrible feeling."
"Let's at least check up on Mr. Brawns," Marie said. "We'll see how he's recovering and see if he learned anything about that sand."
IC: Lincoln Foswell/Erin Cochran – Opelucid Advanced Technologies, Opelucid City Lincoln Foswell was beyond perturbed when he saw the newspaper headlines. A stonecutter in Village Bridge had been attacked, and already people suspected the Black Storm's involvement. Worse, the stonecutter had fallen into a coma. When he woke, he would no doubt be able to identify his attackers. Foswell found himself in a precarious position. At this stage in the operation it was too late to back out, but with the constant setbacks plaguing Cochran's experiments, they risked being discovered by the authorities before the project could come to fruition.
As if summoned by his thoughts, Cochran knocked on the door to his office. "Foswell, have you seen the news?" The scientist pushed her way into the room as soon as he opened the door. She only had to glance at the paper on his desk to answer her own question. "Authorities say there were no signs of bomb casings, but the area around the explosion was coated in a very fine sand. The details match my experiments. That stonecutter got his hands on our stardust. I think he's working with that girl!"
Foswell clasped his hands behind his back, letting the gears turn in his head. "No doubt his connection to the girl is what made the Storm target him," he said.
"But they didn't finish the job," Cochran growled, pushing her black hair out of her narrowing eyes. "The stonecutter is in a coma, and when he wakes up he'll out us. We need to silence him, permanently."
A sinister smile played on the executive's lips. "Erin, must you always take such drastic measures? If this Brawns character really did obtain a sample of our stardust, his knowledge could be the key to solving your formula. He has a vast knowledge of stones, after all."
Cochran was taken aback. "I-I don't need the help of some village shopkeep to do my job!" she protested.
"Your results would suggest otherwise." Foswell leveled his eyes at his top scientist. "Why waste a valuable asset? We'll send in the Storm to clean up their mess, and you'll get your own personal assistant. We will, as they say, kill two Pidove with one stone."
Erin bit her lip as she pondered the proposal. "One condition," she said testily. "I want full credit for my research. No mention of Brawns' contributions."
Foswell gave a hearty laugh. "Miss Cochran, do you really think we'd cite a dead man in our publications? Your research will be your own, and rest assured that when – only when – this project is finished, you have my permission to dispose of Brawns as you see fit."
A smug smile played on the scientist's lips. "Excellent."
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Post by Konuju on Feb 1, 2020 9:57:47 GMT -8
IC: Marie – Hospital, Village Bridge When the hospital refused to let the girls speak with Mr. Brawns, Marie wanted to start spying on the Black Storm's nightly operations, an activity she called Operation Stormwatcher. Anson's condition weighed heavily on Ellen's conscience, however, and she instead spent the next several days helping her mother around the house. As she explained to Marie, Anson was the only lead they had. Until he had recovered enough that the hospital would allow visitors, it would be foolish to make a move against the Storm.
Naturally, Marie saw this as an excuse to find a way to get to Brawns, by any means necessary. In her mind, every encounter some innocent civilian had with the Storm was an incident that could have been avoided with the knowledge the stonecutter held. If Ellen refused to take action, then Marie would just have to step up and do it herself.
It took several days, but at long last Marie hatched a plan. She entered the now familiar hospital lobby, donning a heavy winter coat, a baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses. The hospital staff knew her face by now – she was practically a wanted fugitive – and she couldn't risk being discovered. Thankfully, during their many visits Boo had managed to secure the number to the front desk. Marie loitered by one of the out-of-date payphones in the lobby, a relic of the past that hadn't yet been removed. Slipping a few coins into the slot, she dialed the front desk.
"Hi, this is Haley. I'm supposed to check in on Anson Brawns today, but I heard he'd been moved. Can you confirm his room number?" Marie had gotten the name from one of the nurses she'd seen during her frequent visits. She did her best to make her voice deep enough to pass for an adult woman's, but evidently it wasn't enough.
"Haley, are you feeling okay? Your voice sounds strange."
"Oh, I'm fine." Marie coughed into the phone. "Just had a late night. I'm running a little late, so could you get me Brawns' room?"
"Yeah, one sec." There was a sound of fingernails clacking on keys. "He hasn't been moved since he woke up from his coma. He's still in Room 344. But I don't see you on the schedule . . ."
Marie laughed. "Oh, my bad. Silly me, I picked up the wrong folder. Thanks anyway." She hung up the phone before the receptionist could respond. She had the room number. Now she just had to get there.
Boo popped her head out from the folds of Marie's coat. The Gothita would be her lookout in case anyone came from behind. They had already scouted out the path to the ICU where Brawns was being kept. The tricky part would be getting into the area. A sliding glass door barred access to everyone except nurses and the family members of those patients that were allowed visitors. All Marie had to do was find a big enough family to blend in with.
It took a bit of patience loitering around in a corner but eventually a man arrived toting five kids of various ages, presumably on their way to visit their mother. Five became six as Marie fell into step a few paces behind the last child – close enough to be considered part of the group, but far enough to not attract the family's attention. The ruse worked. Once she was inside the ICU Marie split off from her surrogate family and headed in the direction of Room 344.
Marie knew the stonecutter was in critical condition, but she was not prepared for the horrific sight that awaited her. Anson had been severely burned and bandaged, giving the impression of a half-wrapped mummy. Various tubes came out of his arms like tendrils, leading to a number of IV drips and vitals-monitoring equipment. Marie stood frozen at the door. She did not like needles, and the sight of Anson Brawns made her wish she had made Ellen visit instead.
She would have turned around and left right then and there, but Anson turned and looked straight at her with piercing eyes. He mumbled something too faint to hear, then beckoned her closer. Each step Marie took felt heavier than the last, and her heart pounded with fear as she slowly approached the wounded man.
Anson squinted at her as she reached his bedside. His bandages furrowed as his lip curled into a frown. "You're not Paul's girl . . ." he murmured softly.
"I-I'm a friend of Ellen's," Marie said in a tiny voice. "I know about the sand she gave you."
The stonecutter's eyes grew wide. He gripped the girl's arm as he spoke in a deathly whisper. "That's no ordinary sand. At least, not entirely. It's unrefined, but certain components within the grains have a unique crystalline structure. There's latent energy locked within and given the proper catalyst it is highly reactive. You're looking at its effects now."
Gripped with terror, it took Marie several moments to realize what Anson was getting at. "Are you saying the sand caused the explosion?"
He nodded slowly. "Some thugs came to get me. One of them shot some sort of energy blaster. The blast struck the sand, and my shop went up in flames."
"That's horrible." Marie trembled in her shoes as she tried to wrap her mind around the fact that Ellen had been carrying explosive sand in her backpack. She nearly forgot about the most important question. "Um, do you know where this sand might have come from?"
"I've only seen that crystalline structure once before," Anson whispered. "In a meteorite on display at the Nacrene Museum. It was said to have been dug up years ago from the Giant Chasm outside Lacunosa. My theory is that—"
A knock sounded at the door.
"I'm not supposed to be here!" Marie whispered.
"Under the bed!" Anson ordered. "Quick!"
Marie barely had time to comply before the door opened and several people walked in. The girl held her breath and tried to make herself as small as possible as she strained to listen to the voices.
"Good morning, Mr. Brawns. Glad to see you're awake. How are we feeling today?"
"Better." Anson's gruff voice held no hint of its earlier intensity. "I thought my checkup wasn't until this afternoon."
Only one pair of feet stood by the bed. Marie heard the others walking around the room, their persons evidently performing various unseen tasks. "It isn't," the nearest person said. "But we felt it necessary to see you sooner. We just need to run a few tests."
"With a full team of nurses?" Anson sounded suspicious. Marie didn't realize what was happening until a second pair of feet walked up to the other side of the bed.
"Don't worry, Mr. Brawns. We've got everything under control."
"Under control? Who are you--?! Ah!"
Marie jumped when Anson cried out, hitting her head on the bottom of the bed. Luckily the nurses – if they even were nurses – didn't notice. She covered her mouth to keep from yelping in pain and held her breath.
"Target is subdued," the closest nurse said in a much less charismatic voice. "Prepare for extraction."
A gurney was wheeled up to the bedside as the assorted nurses gathered around Anson. Marie expected to hear him protest, but the stonecutter was silent. A soft creak of the bed indicated they were lifting him up to move him to the gurney. A number of tubes dropped down to Marie's eye level and the heart monitor flatlined. There was the sound of a zipper being zipped, and suddenly the gurney was being pushed out the door.
From her hiding spot Marie was barely able to glimpse a body bag atop the gurney before it disappeared around the corner. One by one the nurses filed out of the room. Marie spent the next several minutes petrified beneath the bed, trying to process everything she had just witnessed.
Anson Brawns had been abducted. And the only ones who would have a reason to do such a thing were the Black Storm.
IC: Ellen Burks/Marie – Village Bridge Ellen knew something was wrong the moment she saw Marie. Her friend had asked to meet her under the village's famous bridge, away from prying eyes. She looked distraught, panicked, like she had just watched the world collapse in on itself. It reminded Ellen of how she herself had felt after the attack in Sootopolis. "What happened?" she asked as she took a seat next to Marie.
The girl wiped her eyes. "Th-they took Anson," she said. In a shaky voice, Marie explained how she had snuck into the ICU with an ingenuity that honestly surprised Ellen. She had craftily hidden under the bed when an army of nurses arrived – the Black Storm in disguise – and abducted the stonecutter.
For a split second, Ellen considered reprimanding Marie for continuing to meddle with the Black Storm. But the girl's trauma felt painfully familiar. Ellen pulled her friend into a hug. "It'll be alright," she said. "I've been there before . . . Seeing people get hurt, and knowing I can't do anything to help. It's a horrible feeling."
"Do you think they killed him?" Marie choked on her tears.
Ellen shook her head. "If the Storm wanted Mr. Brawns dead, they wouldn't have taken his body. That means they need him for something." She looked closely at Marie. "Did Mr. Brawns tell you anything about the sand?"
Marie nodded slowly. "The sand . . . that's what triggered the explosion at his shop. It's a weapon."
Ellen felt her stomach twist into a knot. "Anything else? Did he say where it came from?"
"Giant Chasm," Marie said in a quiet voice. "Near Lacunosa. He said it was part of a meteorite or something."
"I see." Ellen fell into silent contemplation. There was no escape. She knew she couldn't change the world, and yet she couldn't help but try. It was foolish. It was rash. Her life had finally started to return to some sense of normalcy. But something deep inside compelled her, almost against her will, to act. "Marie, I need you to cover for me." An inexorable determination burned in her eyes.
Marie looked up in shock. "You're not seriously thinking of going out there alone, are you?"
"I have to." Ellen stood up. "You've done plenty, Marie. But this is something I have to do by myself. I got Mr. Brawns into this mess; I won't drag you into it, too." She pulled a Pokéball from her bag. "Here, take Fiora with you. She's not used to fighting, and I don’t want her getting hurt." Before Marie could voice any further protests, Ellen had walked away to make her preparations.
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Post by Konuju on Feb 2, 2020 6:58:29 GMT -8
IC: Ellen Burks – Lacunosa Town Ellen twiddled her thumbs as she watched the tunnel walls whoosh by. This particular subway line would take her from Village Bridge to Lacunosa Town. The car was not particularly crowded, but Ellen couldn't help but feel suspicious of the small handful of other passengers in her car.
Her Pokémon were positioned around her in such a manner that one might think she had intended to take one of the Battle Subway lines. Artemis sat in the seat next to Ellen, ignoring the odd looks from the other passengers. Isabella sat patiently in her lap, while Duo rested on the overhead storage rack. Maturin wouldn't fit in a seat, and so he stood awkwardly in the aisle, earning more than a few annoyed glares from commuters. Ellen had tried to get Chrono to sit in one of the seats, but the Purrloin preferred to climb onto the overhead rack opposite of Duo.
While she tried to appear calm, Ellen could feel her heart pounding in anticipation. This was her first big lead on the Black Storm since her trip to Opelucid. She had barely made it out of the warehouse unscathed. How would she fare with this far more dangerous mission?
Mission. A wry smile crossed her face as she thought back to Ryan's tales of his Team Liberty missions. Would he be proud of her initiative, she wondered, or worried for her safety? The latter was a very real concern. Giant Chasm was a dangerous place even without the Black Storm's presence. Ellen distinctly remembered the time Evan had been presumed dead during a cave-in in that very chasm. He had survived, of course, but that didn't make the danger any less real.
After what felt like all too short a ride, the subway came to a stop at the Lacunosa Station. Gathering her Pokémon, Ellen stepped out onto the cobblestone streets of the walled city. She had been here a few times on vacations with her family, most recently with Ryan, Sonja and the others, but she was not familiar enough to know her way around. The wall that surrounded the city was reminiscent of the fortifications around Black City, but they reminded Ellen of Sootopolis. Local legend spoke of how the walls protected Lacunosa from an outside monster. She shuddered to think what would happen if a monster was released inside the city like the false Groudon of Sootopolis, or indeed, like the monsters that had emerged in Black City. Compared to the freedom of Village Bridge, Lacunosa's structure felt extremely claustrophobic.
The wall did provide a good indication of the city's perimeter, and Ellen found that if she simply followed the barrier it would lead her to the Route 13 gatehouse. With her Pokémon following behind her, passerby took her for a hopeful young Trainer living in denial of the loss of Pokémon powers. The gatehouse guard ignored her entirely, seeming more interested in whatever game he was playing on his phone.
Once she had escaped the confines of Lacunosa, Ellen took out her town map. "Giant Chasm is to the north," she said. "We'll have to travel through that forest."
When they reached the trees, Maturin and Isabella ran ahead. While they could no longer manipulate the plant-life around them, they felt more at home surrounded by the forest. Their unbridled joy at reconnecting with nature brought a smile to Ellen's face and almost made her forget the hazardous journey that awaited her. Autumn colors dazzled all around, painting the landscape in a beautiful spectacle of oranges and reds and yellows.
In contrast to his grass-type companions, Chrono was not happy with the crowded woods. The streets of Lacunosa seemed to have put him in a foul mood, and his ire persisted despite the peacefulness of the forest. Dead leaves crumpled with every step the companions took, announcing their presence to anyone within the vicinity. Duo also had a difficult time maneuvering his gelatinous body around the low-hanging branches, and on more than one occasion he found himself caught in the brambles, and Ellen or Artemis would have to untangle him.
The afternoon wore on, and the sun was starting to cast long shadows by the time the companions reached the infamous crater. From what Ellen had read, the easiest path to the crater was through a network of tunnels. That route was also the one most likely to be guarded by the Black Storm.
Crouching at the edge of the perilous ravine, Ellen dug through her bag for a pair of binoculars. A small forest had grown at the bottom of the chasm, obscuring whatever goons might be lurking within. Instead, Ellen trained her eyes on the cliff walls. According to Marie's intel, the Storm was likely gathering their sand from the rock deposits in the area. Their mining efforts were likely all underground, but surely there would be some method of transporting the sand from the Giant Chasm to a boat for shipment to Village Bridge.
"Duo, do a quick flyover of the crater," she ordered, still peering through her binoculars. "I'd like to find them on the surface. Otherwise, we'll have to search the tunnels, and I'd rather not get caught having to fight in a narrow space."
Duo gave her a salute, which went unseen thanks to Ellen's binoculars. Grumbling an unheard complaint about becoming mute and invisible, Duo flew off to investigate the chasm in the dying sunlight.
IC: Marie – Village Bridge "There they are!" Marie spoke in a hushed whisper from her vantage point high on a hill overlooking the harbor. Fiora had shown her the spot where Ellen had first encountered the Black Storm's nightly shipments. The sun was still up when they had arrived, and so they had waited for the Storm to appear.
With Ellen busy investigating the Giant Chasm, Marie had taken it upon herself to fight the Storm back home. Ellen's refusal to let her help still stung, especially after all the work she had done at the hospital. With both girls targeting the Storm in different places, they could significantly cripple the gang's operations in a single night. But more importantly, Marie needed to prove to Ellen and herself that she wasn't worthless. She could hold her own in a fight just as well as Ellen. And with one of Ellen's prized Pokémon at her side, there was no way she could lose.
It wasn't until long after sunset that an eighteen-wheeler finally pulled into the harbor. At roughly the same time, a ship pulled up to one of the docks. Feeling her adrenaline start to flow, Marie inched her way closer. The Storm members hustled back and forth, preparing the strange exchange Ellen had described. "I've got a plan," she told Boo and the others. "All we have to do is make the sand explode, and boom. No more ship."
"That sounds mighty unfortunate." Marie jumped at the voice behind her. There was flash of pink and before she could react she found herself trapped in the tightening grip of a Frillish. Boo tried to tackle her captor, but became ensnared by the jellyfish's remaining tentacles. With a tiny cry Fiora darted into Marie's hair. Believing all the Pokémon to have been subdued, the Frillish's trainer knelt down to observe his captive, his mouth pulled back into a sneer. "I'm afraid you've thwarted us for the last time, girlie."
No matter how hard she tried, Marie couldn't escape her bonds. She tried to scream, but the sound was muffled by the Frillish's long arms. She was dragged into the center of the docks, where the other Storm members crowded around her.
"Hang on," one of them said. "She doesn't match the description. I thought she had darker hair and a bunch of other Pokémon."
The first man glared at Marie. "Where's your friend, missy?"
Marie's eyes started to water as she realized the full extent of her mistake. It didn’t matter if Ellen managed to stop them at the Giant Chasm, the Storm wouldn't let her go. As she tried desperately not to panic, a third Storm member spoke up. "If you're going to interrogate her, take her someplace where she can't scream for help."
Fiora darted out of Marie's hair and took to the cloudy skies. She was small enough to go unnoticed by the Storm grunts. Her small stature didn't stop her tiny heart from pounding like a giant drum. The Flabébé cursed herself for letting Ellen's friend put herself in danger like that. All she could do now was silently follow the Storm grunts from above.
They traveled a few blocks to what seemed to be an abandoned shipping building off the river shore. Once they took Marie inside, Fiora flew as fast as she could in the opposite direction. Ellen was gone, along with the rest of her companions, and Marie and Boo had been captured. The situation was truly dire. There was only one place left she could go for help.
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Post by Konuju on Feb 2, 2020 11:35:01 GMT -8
IC: Ellen Burks – Giant Chasm It was twilight before Duo returned, bobbing up and down and waving his stubby arms to indicate that he had found something. Ellen pulled out a dim flashlight to light the ground in front of her, but tried to keep its use to a minimum. She didn't want to risk giving away her position. Duo led her around the crater 's edge to the northern side. It took Ellen's eyes a few minutes to make out what appeared to be a cave entrance halfway down the steep slope.
Luckily, Ellen had come prepared. Before leaving for Lacunosa she had bought a length of sturdy rope, which she now pulled out of her bag. What she did not have was anything to anchor it with. Instead, she tied one end of the strand around Maturin's sturdy body. "Wait here for our return," she whispered. The Grotle nodded gravely.
With Isabella perched on Ellen's shoulders and Artemis carrying a protesting Chrono, the companions carefully made their way down the rope. Artemis went first, and she quickly discovered the rope was not long enough. Roughly twenty feet of rocky cliff stood between the end of the rope and the cave ledge.
It was no problem for the Mienshao, who could see better in the dark and was able to jump between several small protrusions in the rock wall to ease her descent.
Ellen, however froze when she reached the end of the rope. She glanced up; Maturin was at the edge of the cliff and could give her no more slack. She looked down; Artemis held out her arms with an encouraging look. Chrono began bathing himself at the Mienshao's side and waited impatiently for Ellen to jump.
"I don't know if I can do it," Ellen whimpered. She had never been particularly scared of heights, but right now clinging to the rope seemed much safer than taking a leap of faith. Isabella crooned comfortingly as Artemis positioned herself directly beneath Ellen.
Seeing the delay, Duo floated halfway between Ellen and the ledge, his arms outstretched with a big goofy grin. Ellen felt her stomach drop; although it was less distance, somehow Duo's offer to help was far more frightening than Artemis'.
Her grip on the rope slipped. Ellen shrieked as she fell through the air. Duo tried to catch her, but she bounced off his blob-like form. Artemis leapt into the air to catch her, landing deftly back on the rocky outcrop. Tears swam in Ellen's eyes as she embraced the Mienshao. Artemis held her tight.
They sat there for a long while in silent tears. Ellen couldn't help but feel like she had gotten in over her head yet again, but there was no turning back now. When at last she had recovered, she stepped back and turned towards the cave entrance. "Let's go," she said in a trembling voice as she beckoned her Pokémon to follow.
Scattered voices and the rhythmic clanging of metal against rock told Ellen they were on the right track. The narrow tunnel soon widened into an enormous cavern, illuminated by several spotlights that emitted a high-pitched buzz. Ellen crouched behind a boulder and quietly observed the process. Workers mined the ore from a large pit in the caver n floor, loading it up on carts and sending it out through another tunnel. Ellen couldn't help but feel a sense of relief; she had finally found something she could use to cripple the Black Storm.
"But Mr. Foswell, we're doing the best we can! If our workers go any faster, you'll end up getting more useless stone than stardust." Ellen turned her attention to what looked like two wealthy businessmen who clearly did not belong in an isolated cave.
"I don't think you understand the situation here," the taller of the two said in a low voice. "We've already had two attacks on our shipments. The timetable has moved, so you are now behind schedule." He grabbed a tablet out of his briefcase to show something to the other man, and Ellen had to stifle a gasp. On the side of the man's briefcase was the OAT emblem -- the new company her father worked for.
Her mind was reeling with this revelation. She couldn't believe her father's company was somehow wrapped up in this Black Storm business. It was like Déoza all over again. Surely her father didn't know about this, right? How could he condone such criminal activities?
A series of beeps sounded out, causing Ellen to jump. She realized it was her new Xtransceiver ringing. It had gotten late enough that her parents were calling her to see why she wasn't home yet. She quickly silenced the device, but the damage had already been done.
"What was that?" A worker sent his Swoobat to investigate the source of the noise. The bat quickly located Ellen and let out a screech before divebombing her. Chrono gave a hiss as he pounced onto the Swoobat and dug his claws into its fluffy fur.
"Artemis, now!" Ellen called out. The Mienshao leapt out from behind the boulder and slid down to the center of the cavern, whipping her arms around to take out as many workers as she could. Meanwhile Ellen herself picked up a sizeable stone and flung it at the Swoobat before calling Duo to follow her around the cavern's perimeter toward a set of mining carts. If they couldn't destroy the Storm's means of harvesting the explosive sand, they could at least stop them from getting it out of the cave.
Together the girl and her Duosion smashed into one of the carts and managed to tip it over, spilling its contents out over the cavern floor. Ellen glanced over at Artemis, who was quickly becoming overwhelmed by the sheer number of workers and their Pokémon. Chrono had joined her in the fray, but even he was having trouble.
Ellen was about to turn over another cart when one of the workers directed his Ferrothorn at her. The Thorn Pod Pokémon twirled around, slamming its spiky arms into Ellen and knocking her to the ground. With an icy glare Duo charged at the Ferrothorn to defend his trainer. He took an attack from a spiky arm but the Ferrothorn continued to spin, its two remaining arms flying towards Ellen like thorny whips. Ellen raised her arms in a futile attempt to defend herself. She felt an intense pain as the thorns struck her. Then everything went dark.
IC: Paul Burks – Village Bridge Ellen wasn't answering her Xtransceiver. Paul couldn't help but feel like the closer he tried to keep his daughter, the more she tried to pull away. He wanted to respect her independence, but it hurt to think that she didn't trust him enough to at least tell him where she was. Where was the boundary between a firm hand and overprotectiveness? Even after ten years Paul wasn't sure he knew the answer, and it was affecting more than just his relationship with his daughter. While it was easy enough to blame Anna's emotional distress on her pregnancy, Paul knew the situation with Ellen worried her. He couldn't help but feel like his own actions in bringing Ellen home, justified though they may be, bothered Anna more than she cared to admit. Paul was a strong, burly man, but seeing his family drift apart despite his best efforts to keep it together had taken a toll on him.
With a sigh, he called Marie's house. Ellen had been hanging out with her childhood friend a lot lately, so there was a good chance she was with her now. Marie's mother answered the phone and explained in a worried voice that Marie wasn't home either. Now Paul knew something was wrong. He glanced over to the living room where Anna was sleeping soundly. It would be best to let her rest; he didn't want her worrying any more than she already was. He gathered up his Pokéballs, wondering just how he'd be able to search the entire village.
A frantic tapping sounded at the door. Paul opened it, and in flew a tiny flowerless Flabébé. Fiora darted right past Paul and slammed into Terry, desperately squeaking in a tiny voice. Terry uttered a low growl and headed toward the door.
"What is it, Terry?" Paul asked quietly. "Does she know where Ellen and Marie are?" Terry nodded gravely. Fiora just gave the blacksmith a distrusting look, one Paul hoped was not indicative of his daughter's feelings toward him. "If they're really in trouble, they'll need more than just Terry," he said, locking eyes with the small fairy. "Can you show me where they are?"
Fiora hesitated for a long moment before giving a tiny nod. Paul and Terry exchanged a concerned look as they followed her into the dark streets.
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Post by Magical Girl Mimi on Feb 3, 2020 13:57:54 GMT -8
-==IC: Lucia Zyther -- The Alamo, Four Island==-
Lucia bit her lip as she walked circles on the carpet just away from a door she kept glancing at. She had decided to go visit Gavin alone - if only to avoid any possible anger issues like when they had all first visited him after the ordeal in the egg... but now she couldn't help but wonder if that was a bad idea. The Rocket took a deep breath with her mind made up. Before she could doubt things further, she strode up to the door and knocked on it three times.
If Gavin answered the door now, thanks to Lucia's attempts to go through with this instead of backing out at the last second, he would find the healer staring at the doorway with enough conviction that even the most relaxed person at the base might think that the entirety of Missing Zero was standing right behind them. But Lucia didn't pay any of that any mind, and instead simply waited for the door to open.
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Post by Konuju on Feb 3, 2020 16:44:40 GMT -8
IC: Paul Burks – Village Bridge Fiora led them to an abandoned warehouse on the river. A thickening fog rolled in from the water to blanket the streets. Paul directed his Skarmory to land a few blocks away, then crept forward. He was a blacksmith, not a spy, but even he knew better than to barge into the warehouse full throttle.
With his Bisharp's help, he was able to climb through a broken window in the back corner of the warehouse. Bisharp led the way, followed by Paul, with Terry and Fiora bringing up the rear. Old floorboards creaked beneath their feet as the companions crept forward.
It didn't take long for them to arrive in the warehouse's main room. A young girl and a Gothita were each bound to a chair. Two guards stood near the captives, flanked by a pair of Frillish – one pink, one blue. Paul wasn't sure, but these looked like Black Storm goons. He glanced down at the gun he wore at his hip. Criminals or not, he didn't like the idea of killing anyone. But if it meant saving Ellen and Marie, Paul had to be prepared to do whatever was necessary.
First he had to lure them away from their captives. Locking eyes with his Bisharp, Paul motioned toward a stack of old wooden pallets piled high in the corner. Bisharp ran his daggers through the rotting wood, sending the pallets tumbling down in a resounding crash.
"Who's there?!"
"Quit yer yammering. This place hasn't been used in years; stuff like that happens all the time."
"I don't know . . . what if it's the girl's friend? You heard what she did in Opelucid."
"If it's her, we'll kill her. After all, that is our mission. I'll check it out. You stay here and guard the girl."
Paul and his Pokémon all took a few steps back, hiding behind the corner of the connecting hallway. A female guard came around the corner with a blue Frillish. Before they had a chance to react, Bisharp leapt forward. His goal was to knock out the guard, but he hadn't anticipated the Frillish's presence. The ghostly jellyfish curled its tentacles around his arms and held the Bisharp back with surprising strength.
The guard held up what looked like an energy blaster and fired. Paul ducked, but the shot was wide, blasting a hole in the ceiling. She clearly didn't have too much experience handling such an explosive weapon. Before she could take another shot Terry charged at her. The guard stumbled backward, her balance broken enough that Paul was able to tackle her to the ground and wrest the blaster out of her hand.
"What's going on over there?!" the other guard called out. "Did you find anything, Susan?"
Paul clamped a hand over the female guard's mouth before she could respond. His eyes darted to the blaster and a sudden chill of recognition ran down his spine. "Where did you get Déoza tech?" he demanded in a fierce whisper. "Is Castle behind this?"
His stomach suddenly lurched – not from the shock of finding a Déoza weapon in the hands of a member of the Black Storm, but from the sudden weightlessness that came from being hoisted off the ground by a cluster of blue tentacles. The guard smirked as she stood up and retrieved her blaster, holding the weapon to Paul's head. "It doesn't look like you're in a position to be asking questions," she taunted.
Terry leapt at the Frillish. Its attention divided between holding both Paul and Bisharp captive, the ghost-type found itself unable to stop the Herdier's attack. Its grip loosened just enough that Bisharp was able to wrest himself free.
The first thing Bisharp did was deliver a powerful kick to the guard, sending her crashing into the wall. Then he brought his arm blade down on the tentacles holding Paul. The Frillish cried out in pain at its severed limbs. While the tentacles would grow back in a few days, it was not a pleasant experience. The two grappled for a brief moment while Paul moved over to check on the guard. She had fallen unconscious.
It didn't take much longer before Bisharp had bested the Frillish. Paul nodded his thanks, then peered around the corner to the larger room. They still had to deal with the second guard. While this one didn't carry a Déoza energy blaster, he did have a standard gun drawn. "Susan?" he called out. "Don't play games with me, Susan! What's happening?"
Bisharp turned the corner and walked calmly into the room. The guard unloaded his weapon, but the bullets bounced harmlessly against Bisharp's metallic body. When the guard had run out of ammo, Paul stepped out into the open, his own gun drawn. "Now here's what's going to happen," he said in a commanding voice. "You're going to lay your weapon down and slowly back up against that wall. No sudden movements. Your Frillish will do the same. Do anything to threaten us, and my Bisharp will dice you like an onion. Understand?"
The man nodded and did as he was told, arms up in the air. A pink Frillish floated to his side as he backed up. He gave his Pokémon a slight nod. With lightning-fast movement the Frillish swiped a Pokéball off her trainer's belt and hurled it at Paul. The capsule opened in a burst of light that forced Paul to raise an arm to shield his eyes. A Mandibuzz rocketed out of the ball and hurdled towards him. Bisharp stepped forward to shield his trainer, but the guard used the distraction to run towards his bound captives.
"Looks like I'm giving the orders now," he said, unsheathing a dagger and holding it to Marie's throat. "Call off your Pokémon and put down your weapon, or the girl dies!" Marie's eyes grew wide, her screams muffled behind her gag.
Paul cursed as he set his gun on the ground. "Alright, let's talk this out." He motioned for Bisharp and Terry to back up. The Mandibuzz herded them into the far corner of the room. "Step away from the girl and we can negotiate this like civilized men."
The guard cautiously moved towards Paul, keeping the dagger trained on him. "What did you do to Susan?" he demanded.
"She's fine," Paul assured him. "She might have a bit of a headache when she wakes up, but that's it."
"You'd better be telling the truth, or I'll run this knife through your throat," the man seethed.
"I have no reason to lie to you," Paul said calmly. "After all, you're the one with the knife. Now, let me take this girl and her Pokémon off your hands, and we'll get out of your hair."
"Fat chance," the guard scoffed, drawing closer. "I've got half a mind to kill you anyway, for all the trouble you've caused us, but the Madame'll want you alive for questioning."
"Madame?" Paul repeated, sparing a glance up at the ceiling. Moonlight shone through a dusty window on the roof, casting a square of pearly light that he had just stepped into. "Is that like your ringleader or something? Couldn't she have picked a more intimidating name?"
"You don't mess with the Madame," the guard warned. "Killing you now would be a mercy compared to what the Madame will have in store for you."
"Fine, fine, I get the picture." Paul came to a halt in the middle of the square of light. "There's still one thing I don't understand. Since when is the Black Storm in the business of kidnapping little girls? I thought your thing was more mugging people in the streets. Are you after a ransom or something? If it's money you want, I'd think you'd have had better luck with the rich city kids in Opelucid. Why come to a little Podunk town like Village Bridge?"
The thug had now stepped into the square of light, his dagger gleaming brightly. "You really don't know anything, do you? This girl and her friend keep meddling in things they shouldn't. We're simply teaching them a lesson, courtesy of the Madame."
Paul felt his blood run cold. It was exactly as he'd feared -- Ellen had gotten involved with the Black Storm, entertaining delusions of heroism like in Hoenn. "Alright, I've heard enough," he said coldly. "Don't ever threaten my daughter or her friend again." He gave a sharp whistle. Scar burst in through the ceiling in a shower of sharp glass. The metallic bird slammed into the guard, knocking him to the ground. Sharp talons pinned his arms, and Paul swiftly kicked the dagger out of the man's hand before rushing forward to untie Marie and the Gothita. With the guard taken care of, Terry and Bisharp teamed up on the Mandibuzz and Frillish, keeping them from flying off toward Paul.
"Mr. Burks!" Marie cried out as soon as her gag was removed. "I'm so sorry! I was trying to stop the Black Storm, and—"
"Where's Ellen?" Paul demanded.
Marie shook her head as she knelt down to pick up Boo. "She's not here. I can't tell you where she went -- we agreed not to let anyone know."
Paul shook the girl firmly by the shoulders, doing his best to ignore the sounds of battle behind him. "Marie, listen to me. If Ellen's Flabébé hadn't told me where you were, you would be dead right now. If you don't tell me where Ellen is, the same thing could happen to her."
Tears started running down the girl's face as she continued to shake her head. "I promised I wouldn't tell . . ."
"Those Black Storm goons had Déoza weapons!" Paul hadn't meant to raise his voice, but desperation had taken over. "If you ever want to see Ellen again, you need to tell me where she is right now! She could be in very real danger!"
Fiora flew down to where Marie knelt, offering a soft croon. The girl broke down into tears, her Gothita echoing her actions. "Sh-she went to the Giant Chasm."
"The what?!" Paul couldn't believe his ears. "What's she doing all the way out there?"
"W-we were following up on a lead," Marie sniffled. "Apparently the Giant Chasm is where the Black Storm gets their exploding sand from."
Just when Paul thought things couldn't get any stranger. "Exploding sand?"
"It's a long story."
"You and Ellen are going to have a long chat with me once this is all over." Paul grabbed the rope that had bound Marie and ran back over to where Scar had the Black Storm guard pinned. Once he had the man tied up, Scar was free to fly off to help Terry and Bisharp against the remaining Pokémon. Paul looked back over at Marie. "Are you okay, at least? They didn't hurt you?"
"I'm fine," Marie said. "It was scary, but they didn't actually hurt me, just made a bunch of threats. If you hadn't been there, I—" She broke down in another fit of tears. Paul gently consoled her. She was far too young to have gone through something so traumatic.
With the remaining Pokémon knocked out, Scar flew over to the space below the shattered window. Recalling Bisharp and Terry, Paul hoisted Marie onto the Skarmory's back before climbing on himself. Fiora dove into the girl's hair.
With everyone on board, Scar spread his wings and took off through the window into the night sky. Marie watched the ground move beneath her. It took her a moment to realize they were going in the wrong direction. "Um, Mr. Burks? Giant Chasm is that way."
"I know, kid." Paul glanced back at her. "I'm taking you home first."
"What?" Marie shook her head. "No way! If Ellen needs rescuing, she's gonna need all the help she can get!"
The blacksmith brought a hand to his face. "You can't be serious. You were just captured by the Black Storm! This is too dangerous for you."
Marie clenched her fist and took a deep breath. "The exploding sand. Ellen and I have been tracking the Black Storm for weeks now. If you want to get involved, I need to bring you up to speed on everything we know. And it'd take too long to tell you before you go off to rescue Ellen. I can explain it all on the way, but you have to take me with you."
Paul swore under his breath and urged Skarmory to turn around. "Fine, just promise me you'll stay out of trouble."
Marie let out a small sigh of relief and gave a sharp nod. "No problem, Mr. Burks!"
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Post by Konuju on Feb 3, 2020 19:40:38 GMT -8
IC: Ellen Burks – Giant Chasm The first thing Ellen became aware of was the scent of dirt in her nostrils. Immediately afterwards she felt the uncomfortably tight ropes on her arms restricting her movement. Her head throbbed. She wearily opened her eyes and saw that she was sitting on the floor of the cavern, bound to a stalagmite. All around her, Artemis, Duo, and Chrono had similarly been tied to various stalagmites. Her bag sat next to yet another stone pillar, just out of reach.
"Ah, so you're awake." A rather large woman moved towards her, clad in a fancy blue dress that suggested some sort of noble status. Her face was covered in a heavy layer of makeup, complete with blue eyeliner and bright red lipstick. She almost looked like a clown. Still, she had an air of command about her, and the Black Storm guards that dotted the cavern appeared to slink back into the shadows when she approached.
"I take it you're this Madame everyone keeps talking about," Ellen said with a look of disgust.
The woman smiled an eerie, sinister grin. "Clever girl. I would expect nothing less from one who has caused us so much grief. I am the honorable Madame Wob." Her voice dripped with spite as she bent into a patronizingly elegant bow. "And you, little girl, have been a thorn in my side for far too long. I must say, I'm glad I decided to come out here to check on the mining tonight. After all those stunts you pulled off, I was just aching to see you for myself. An unassuming child, determined against all odds to take down the Black Storm. Just who are you? Who do you work for?"
Perhaps if she had been more confident, Ellen might have come up with some fancy moniker like the Hero of Space. Instead, she merely shrugged against the ropes that bound her, hoping against hope that she could somehow break free. "I'm no one special; just a kid from Village Bridge. One that's sick and tired of your Black Storm invading our home. Asking nicely didn't work, so I had to take some more drastic measures."
"And look where it got you." The Madame chuckled heartily and flashed a row of glimmeringly white teeth, a stark contrast to her crimson lips. "Taking matters into your own hands? You're either lying or incredibly stupid. I'm afraid I'll have to teach you to stay out of the affairs of adults. Perhaps your corpse will send a message to anyone else foolish enough to meddle with the Black Storm."
A chill ran down Ellen's spine as she realized the woman was deadly serious. Her eyes darted around frantically. The Black Storm workers, terrified as they were of Madame Wob, were nonetheless positioned strategically around the cavern. Even if Ellen could escape her bonds, she would have to face an army before she could fully escape. Why had she ever decided to come all the way out here to the belly of the beast? This was a terrible idea, and now she and her Pokémon would pay the price for her foolishness.
Duo, Artemis, and Chrono weren't having any more luck than she was at breaking through their ropes. What about Isabella? Ellen craned her neck but couldn't see behind the large stalagmite she was tied to. Either the Oddish was tied up somewhere out of sight, or she had somehow evaded capture. Maturin was definitely free, but there was no way for the Grotle to know the danger his companions were in. He might decide to search for them after a while, but it didn't look like the Madame would give them that much time. That left Isabella as the only one who could realistically pull off a rescue, assuming she was actually free.
It was a slim hope, but Ellen clung to it like a castaway clawing for a piece of driftwood. The thought of Isabella, Maturin, somebody saving them was the only thing keeping her from drowning in despair. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. All she could do now was stall for time. "The sand," she said in a shaking voice. She opened her eyes and looked up at Madame Wob, who had now reached the stalagmite and loomed over her. "What's it for?"
"Why it's for my own private beach, of course." Wob's tone was so pleasant she might as well have been discussing the latest fashion trends. Her lip curled into a scowl and she slapped Ellen across the face. "Do you think I'm an idiot?!" she spat. "Even if I'm going to kill you, I won't give you the satisfaction of knowing my grand plan."
Ellen's cheek smarted, but she steeled herself with a grimace. Just a few more minutes, she told herself. If she could just hold on for a few more minutes, everything would be alright. "Since when does the Black Storm have some master plan, anyway? I thought you guys were supposed to be common street thugs, not sand miners."
"Since when do little girls take up the mantle of vigilante?" the Madame countered. "I thought kids your age were supposed to be playing with dolls, and yet here we are. The world expects one thing from us, and it turns a blind eye to anything different. We have so much freedom in the shadows. While the public worries themselves over a little graffiti in the streets, blaming the Black Storm for all their troubles, I'm free to do whatever I want. Just like I'm sure your parents think you're out playing with friends, when they have no idea what you've gotten yourself into. All it takes is a little misdirection."
Ellen felt a pang of guilt as she glanced over at the Xtransceiver clipped to her bag. Coming home from her time overseas was supposed to have brought her family back together, but here she was running away to play the hero once again. Had she learned nothing? Tears burned her eyes as she pictured the worried looks her parents were probably exchanging right about now.
IC: Paul Burks/Marie – Giant Chasm Paul exchanged a worried look with Marie as Scar circled high over the Giant Chasm. In the darkness it would be nearly impossible to find Ellen within the enormous expanse. "Are you sure you don't know what part of the Chasm she's in?" the blacksmith asked.
Marie shook her head as she hugged Boo. "Mr. Brawns only told us that the sand came from the Giant Chasm. Ellen could be anywhere."
"And so could the Black Storm." Paul stroked his chin in thought. "You said the Storm is bringing this sand to Village Bridge by boat? There must be a river they use somewhere nearby."
Their search continued further west. By the light of the moon, Scar was able to locate a small tributary that flowed south through Route 23 before turning west towards Village Bridge. It would no doubt dump into the same river that flowed through the village. As the metallic bird drew closer, Paul and Marie saw what looked like a fishing boat sitting in the water.
It was nearly impossible to see in the dim light, but after careful observation Paul spotted movement on the shoreline next to the boat. "There's the Storm we've been looking for," he said. "Follow them, Scar. They should lead us to the Chasm's entrance."
Even in the darkness Scar was able to follow the trail of Storm thugs to the base of the Chasm. What looked like a small camp had been set up near an opening in the hillside, and several large, burly men and Pokémon were filling up wooden crates with sand before hauling them off toward the river.
"It's their base of operations!" Marie said as she peered over the edge of Skarmory's back. "If we stop this sand from getting out, we'll foil the Black Storm's plans once and for all! So what's the plan of attack, Mr. Burks?"
Paul shook his head. "There's too many of them. We'll have to find another way in."
"What?" Marie couldn't believe her ears. "But they're right there! You fought off the people who captured me; you can fight these guys, too! We finally have a chance to cripple the Storm that's been terrorizing our village for months, and we're just going to ignore them?"
"Rescuing Ellen is our only priority," Paul hissed through gritted teeth. He urged Scar into the clouds, silently praying that Marie's voice hadn't carried to the workers on the ground. "A battle here would only raise the alarm, and if they've captured Ellen they could use her as a hostage. There's no way Ellen would get past that many guards unnoticed, so there must be another entrance."
The intensity of Mr. Burks' voice frightened Marie into submission. She knew there was no point in arguing, and so she shut her mouth and hugged her Gothita. But as they flew through the dark clouds, the girl vowed that once they found Ellen, they wouldn't leave until they'd defeated the Black Storm. This would be their final battle.
When Scar descended out of the cover of the clouds, they found themselves above the enormous crater that gave the Giant Chasm its name. Paul scanned the tops of the trees as they flew by, but there was no sign of Ellen or the Storm. "What I wouldn't give for one of Déoza's night vision goggles right about now," the blacksmith murmured. "Fly around the crater's edge. If there's another entrance, that's where it'll be."
Unfortunately the night's darkness wasn't their only obstacle. No matter how thoroughly Scar searched, there was a good chance that the entrance would be covered by the thick trees that had grown within the crater. In fact, they very well may have missed the entrance entirely had a guttural bark not sounded out from up ahead.
Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, Scar abandoned the rock face he was currently investigating to follow the source of the noise. The bark came again, echoing across the chasm. Terry's ears perked up, and he gave a bark of his own in response, startling both Paul and Marie. The guttural bark sounded more excited now, and off in the distance some trees began to rustle. Scar made a beeline for the movement, coming to a halt at the edge of the cliff.
From out of the rustling trees bounded a large Grotle, his tail wagging like an energetic Lillipup's. Terry hopped down to greet his friend. Scar landed a few feet away, allowing Paul and Marie to safely dismount. The moment they were on solid ground, Fiora poked her head out of Marie's hair and flew over to her companions.
"Maturin." Marie expected Mr. Burks would be happy to find the Grotle, but instead his voice was cold and commanding. "Where's Ellen? What happened?" Maturin bowed his head in apology, then shuffled over to the edge of the cliff and looked down.
Boo let out a terrified squeak. Marie's blood ran cold. "You don't mean . . . D-did she . . . ?" Hardly daring to breathe, the girl ran up to Maturin's side. She clutched the Grotle's shrubs for support and hesitantly peered over the edge, fully expecting to see Ellen's twisted and mangled body far below.
Instead she saw a small ledge jutting out from the cliff face, marking the entrance to a sizeable tunnel. There was no sign of her friend.
"She climbed down." Mr. Burks had moved right behind her, and the sudden sound of his voice made her jump. Once she caught her breath, Marie noticed Ellen's father had picked up a long piece of rope that was trailing behind Maturin, one end tied to the turtle's foreleg. "Ellen climbed down with this rope," the blacksmith explained. "She must've left Maturin here so she could climb back up. How long has she been gone?"
Maturin's tone of voice and humorous attempt at a shrug indicated the turtle had lost track of time. Still, it had clearly been long enough that Maturin was worried about his trainer. Mirroring the Grotle's dismay, Marie swallowed her fear and approached Ellen's father. "We're going after her," she said. "All of us. Your Skarmory can fly us out, so there's no point in leaving Maturin behind again."
Paul was taken aback by the girl's conviction. He furrowed his brow as he considered the situation. "To be honest, I would feel better if you stayed here with Maturin. But that means we have to come back this way to get you. It'd be best if we all stick together. Scar can fly us down to the ledge, but he'll have to take Maturin in a separate trip, seeing how Ellen didn't leave his Pokéball behind." A huge grin broke out on Marie's face, which only raised the blacksmith's concern. "I'm letting you come along with me, but don't forget I'm the one in charge. This means you need to stay by my side, keep quiet, and do exactly as I tell you. I don't want to have to tell your parents you went and got yourself killed. Understood?"
Marie nodded sagely, her adrenaline pumping in anticipation of their epic mission. "Lead the way, Mr. Burks."
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Post by Konuju on Feb 4, 2020 16:04:02 GMT -8
IC: Ellen Burks – Giant ChasmIt was becoming increasingly evident that Madame Wob would not stall any longer. "For the longest time I've been wondering how I should dispose of you," she said thoughtfully, as if she were a mother trying to decide what gift to get her child. "I was tempted to just shoot you point blank and be done with it. But that would be too easy. No, I want to make you suffer." Ellen glanced over at her other Pokémon. If Isabella really was free, she was taking an awfully long time. The poor Oddish was probably petrified with fear at the daunting task before her. "Giant Chasm has a vast network of tunnels within the crater's rim," Wob explained. "Every now and then you'll find a big cavern like this one, but most of the tunnels are very small, traveling under miles of rock. Those smaller tunnels are quite prone to cave-ins." The grin that accompanied those words made Ellen's blood run cold. Madame Wob seemed to pick up on her fear, relishing in it like a lioness toying with her prey. "Oh yes, it will be quite the heartrending story. A poor, adventurous little girl from Village Bridge was last seen exploring the caverns of Giant Chasm. The villagers sent out a search party, but they never could find her in the maze of tunnels." Ellen felt sick to her stomach at the Madame's singsong voice. "Perhaps they'll find her eventually, long after her body has wasted away. What do you think would kill her? Would she be crushed to death by boulders? Or would she survive the cave-in, only to slowly suffocate? Perhaps she'd find air, which would only condemn her to a slow and painful death by starvation. So many ways you could go. Isn't that just so much more exciting than a simple bullet to the head?" "H-how could you do something like that?" Tears streamed down Ellen's face as she forced herself to look up at her captor. The Madame's threat made her truly terrified, and she saw only one way out of this. "I-I'll leave the Storm alone." Artemis jerked her head toward her trainer. Chrono's jaw dropped open. Even Duo let out a little gasp of surprise. Wob raised an eyebrow and pursed her blood-red lips as she carefully eyed Ellen. "You'll what?" Ellen took a deep, shaky breath. "I said I'll leave you alone. I swear I'll forget I ever heard of the Black Storm. You'll be free to carry out your plans unhindered. Just please let me go. I don't want to die . . ." It was a decision she should have made long ago. Evan, Sonja, Ryan, and Chloe -- each of her friends stood up in the face of danger and fought valiantly to make the world a better place, no matter what the cost. Even her own father risked life and limb to save her from the abomination on Two Island. And yet every time Ellen tried to be the hero, someone else got hurt. The universe was telling her she wasn't cut out for this, but she had been too stubborn to take a hint. "How can I be sure you'll keep that promise?" The Madame narrowed her eyes. "I'm afraid I can't take any chances." Ellen felt the color drain from her face as her last spark of hope was snuffed out. "Dear child, you have to understand I have no other choice. You've forced my hand. My mission will change the world for the better, and I can't afford to have you interfe- AAAAUGH!" With an earsplitting yowl, Chrono leapt onto Wob's face and began clawing at her relentlessly. Isabella stepped out from behind the stalagmite Chrono had been tied to, a look of accomplishment on her face. She was so proud of her achievement that she nearly forgot to help her other companions. Madame Wob ripped the Purrloin from her face and threw him to the ground. Blood dripped from the red streaks Chrono had left on her cheeks, giving her an even more crazed appearance. "Secure the others!" she ordered furiously. "Don't let them escape!" "Chrono!" Ellen cried out, hardly able to process what had just happened. The cat was about to attack the Madame again, but thought better of it and instead turned his claws on his companions' bonds. Before Ellen could get to her feet the Madame lunged and pulled her into a headlock. "None of you move," she hissed at Ellen's Pokémon. "Wouldn't want your trainer getting too choked up now, would you?" To emphasize her point the woman tightened her grip. Ellen desperately pulled at the Madame's arm and kicked at her legs, but she might as well have been fighting a brick wall. Artemis scoffed and lashed out with her whip-like arm. The Madame cried out in pain, her grip loosening just enough for Ellen to squirm free. Artemis' other hand wrapped around Ellen and dragged her to relative safety. Ellen found herself next to her bag, which she quickly slung over her shoulders. The Mienshao prepared for a second attack, but with a flash of light Madame Wob sent out a Wobbuffet covered in as much makeup and lipstick as its trainer. The pair would have looked nearly identical had it not been for Chrono's scratches. The Wobbuffet stepped forward and took the attack meant for Wob, its body rocking back and forth like a blue pendulum. Duo, Chrono, and Isabella joined Ellen and Artemis, each ready to fight for their lives. The Black Storm guards dotting the chamber had begun to move, too. Like the Madame, they had each sent out Pokémon of their own: Swoobat, Ferrothorn, Beartic, Conkeldurr, Gigalith, and Excadrill. And now they had the companions surrounded. Ellen wracked her brain to try and think of a way out, but her mind was too scattered to concentrate on any viable strategy. "We don't have to take them all out," she said, her eyes darting around the cavern. "We just need to clear a path so we can escape. Can I trust you all to do that?" In response, Artemis leapt from her position to strike at the Beartic, only to drop to the ground at the last second to avoid a swing from the polar bear's powerful arms. The battlefield erupted into chaos. Duo managed to block the Conkeldurr from grabbing Ellen, his gelatinous body acting as an impenetrable shield. Artemis whipped her arms around to block an attack from the spinning Ferrothorn. Chrono pounced on the Swoobat, taking it by surprise and pinning it to the ground. That left Isabella fending against the massive Gigalith. The Oddish trembled as the rock monster stepped toward her, letting out a cry to alert Ellen to the danger. Ellen grimaced at the sight. She had been foolish to think the Oddish could hold her own in battle. With everything going on at once, Ellen nearly overlooked the hole in the ground where the Excadrill had once stood. Her eyes grew wide as she scooped up Isabella and ducked behind a stalagmite. The ground trembled, and the Excadrill burst out of the ground where Ellen had been standing just moments before. She knew they only had a few precious seconds before the mole regained its bearings. "We need to go, now!" Artemis locked eyes with Chrono and Duo, giving them a slight nod before leaping into the air. A pair of strong kicks to the Beartic pushed it back enough for Ellen to run through the line of enemy Pokémon. Chrono tossed the Swoobat into the rotating spikes of the Ferrothorn before running circles around the Gigalith. Duo planted himself in front of the Conkeldurr to prevent it from advancing. With the Black Storm Pokémon held back, Ellen and Isabella raced towards the exit. "Not so fast!" In the confusion, Madame Wob had moved around the fray to stand between Ellen and the exit. Ellen turned on her heel to run around a stalagmite to avoid the Madame, only to find the Wobbuffet waiting for her on the other side. The psychic type may not have had its usual powers, but Ford's magic hadn't turned off the fundamental laws of physics. With no time to react, Ellen ran straight into the Wobbuffet, who bent over backwards from the impact. The Patient Pokémon then rebounded back to an upright position, sending Ellen flying back the way she came. She shielded Isabella in her arms as she hit the ground hard. "I wanted to make you suffer." Madame Wob stood over Ellen, her lips curled into a scowl. She reached into her handbag and pulled out a gun. "Guess we can't always get what we want. At least it will be over quick." She pointed the barrel at Ellen, who raised her arms in a feeble attempt to defend herself. BANG!CLANG!The sound of metal striking metal moments after the gun had fired caused Ellen to open her eyes. Brilliant red and yellow markings accented the stalwart form of the Bisharp that stood over her, its armored gauntlet positioned directly between her and the smoking gun. A loud screech filled the cavern as a Skarmory intercepted the Swoobat in midair. A Herdier barked at the Beartic's feet before biting and clawing at its thick hide. Most surprising of all, a Grotle stood its ground against the Ferrothorn, the steel-type's thorns bouncing harmlessly off of its sturdy shell. "I'm only going to say this once. Get the hell away from my daughter!" The Madame wore an expression of genuine shock on her face as she turned around. Ellen's own father stood behind the woman, his gun pointed straight at her. In spite of her precarious situation, the Madame smiled. "My, what a touching reunion this must be. Father and daughter, reunited in death." She aimed her gun at the man who had threatened her, only for Bisharp to move his bladed arm to her throat. Only the arm never reached its target. While she had pointed the gun, Wob's other hand dove into her handbag. Moments later an energy field formed around her, just in time to deflect Bisharp's attack. "I can see where your daughter gets her rash behavior from," she sneered. "Really, you ought to set a better example for her." Ellen's father narrowed his eyes at the Madame. "Ellen, come on! This way!" Marie poked her head out from behind a nearby stalagmite and motioned for her to come. When Ellen didn't immediately respond, Marie raced towards her and started to pull her away from the Madame. Ellen forced herself to her feet as she tried to process what had just happened. "What are you doing here?" she asked in an intense whisper. She cast a furtive glance at the Madame who stood only a few feet away, focused on her father. "What's it look like I'm doing?" Marie flashed an innocent grin. On her shoulder, Boo echoed her smile with a cheerful wave. "I'm saving your life. Now come on!" While Wob was busy taunting Ellen's father, the two girls slipped away to relative safety. It was only when they had ducked behind the stalagmite that Ellen allowed herself to breathe. Boo and Marie looked proud of themselves for their successful rescue operation, and Fiora popped out of the latter's hair to greet Ellen and Isabella. Finally, Ellen managed to comprehend the situation. "Why did you bring my dad here?" she demanded. "I thought I told you not to tell anyone!" "Well excuse me for saving your life!" Marie shot back. "It's not like I had a choice, really. You see, I –" The rumbling ground gave Ellen only a split second warning. She tackled Marie out of the way just as the Excadrill burst out of the ground with a bloodthirsty roar. "We'll talk about this later," she said as Isabella and Boo leapt forward to defend the girls. The Subterrene Pokémon scoffed at its tiny opponents and tried to swat the Gothita away. With a terrified cry Boo rolled out of the way of the armored claw. Isabella used the opportunity to strike the mole from its blind side. Her feeble body could do nothing against the Excadrill's impenetrable armor, but her attack was enough to turn its attention away from Boo. Before the mole could strike at the aggravating Oddish, Fiora buzzed into its eyes, causing it to swat its claws in the air. A sudden swipe of Bisharp's claws sent the Excadrill sprawling. Ellen's father approached the girls. He spared only a small glance at Ellen, but the intensity of his expression told her they'd be having a very serious talk later. "I need you to recall all of your Pokémon." He held up a hand to silence any protests. "Now!" Ellen fumbled for her Pokéballs. At red beams of light shot across the cavern, the Black Storm's Pokémon drew their attention toward Ellen and her father. Paul quickly recalled his Bisharp before giving a sharp whistle. Scar careened toward them, pausing just long enough for Ellen, Marie, and Paul to hop on. As the enemy Pokémon converged on them, Scar flapped his wings and took off. With a sharp cry, the metallic bird soared into the tunnel at breakneck speed. Gunshots echoed behind them, but they had already reached the relative safety of the tunnel. It took all of Scar's focus and reflexes to navigate the winding path. Sparks flew as his wingtips caught the tunnel walls and on more than one occasion Ellen was sure they were going to lose control and splatter themselves across the rocks. Then they shot out of the tunnel with the speed of the bullet. The Skarmory pitched upward and flew into the clouds, leaving the Black Storm and their strange excavation far behind.
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Post by Konuju on Feb 4, 2020 19:22:58 GMT -8
IC: Ellen Burks/Paul Burks/Anna Burks – Village Bridge Ellen's mother was waiting for them when they got home. Outside of a profuse apology to Marie's parents when dropping her off, Paul had maintained a heavy silence throughout the journey. Ellen knew her father would have words for her when they got home, so it came as a surprise when her mother was the one raising her voice.
"Just what have the two of you been up to?" Anna demanded as she cornered her husband and daughter in the kitchen. "No note, no warning, I just woke up and the house was completely empty! Even Terry was gone! Neither of you answered your Xtransceivers, you just left me here worried sick! What if I needed help? What if I'd gone into early labor? You could've at least told me you were going somewhere in the middle of the night!"
Paul gently held his wife by the shoulders, letting her fall into his embrace. "Anna . . . I'm so sorry. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry. Sit down, let me explain what happened." Even as he guided Anna to the kitchen table, he glanced over his shoulder. "Go to your room, Ellen." His tone was calm but the look in his eyes told Ellen she wasn't off the hook just yet. Begrudgingly, Ellen retreated up the stairs.
At the top step she heard her mother's hysterical voice ring out. "I just can't take it anymore! You leave me alone for months and when you finally come home you disappear into your work while our daughter's clinically depressed; and now I find you've both been sneaking out at night! What happened to us? Ever since Christmas we've been drifting farther and farther apart." Her father said something hushed in response, but his words were drowned out by her mother's sobs.
On the verge of tears, Ellen withdrew into her room. For a long moment she stood with her back to the door, her parents' muffled voices penetrating her feeble defense. The voices gradually grew in intensity. Unable to bear it any longer, Ellen slid down to the floor, hugged her knees, and cried. One by one her Pokémon emerged from their balls. Chrono slinked off into a corner to bathe himself, while Maturin and Artemis gently steered the others away from Ellen, recognizing that their trainer needed time to herself.
Duo sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes glued to Ellen like a watchful guardian. Out of all the Pokémon present, he and Artemis were the only ones who had grown up with the Burks family. The Mienshao hid behind her stoic demeanor, but Duo was sure she was hurting just as much as Ellen. Ever since her battle outside Slateport, Ellen had felt the weight of how her actions affected her family. Perhaps if they had been successful in stopping the Missing Zero Ellen wouldn't be so haunted by what she'd done.
Everything, it seemed, came back to that fateful Christmas Day. Sure, Ellen had eventually returned home, but that couldn't undo the damage caused by her leaving in the first place. Ellen, Paul, Anna, even Artemis, Terry, and Duo – the entire Burks family tried to pretend things had gone back to the way they'd been. They all desperately clung to the wreckage of a sinking ship, claiming everything was fine even as the currents pulled them further apart. Duo had been without telepathy for a long time, and yet he had never felt so utterly powerless as he did in this moment.
A knock jolted Ellen out of her stupor. She scooted far enough away that her father was able to open the door. The man took one look at Ellen and proceeded to sit across from her at the foot of her bed. For a long time the two sat in silence, neither able to meet the other's eyes.
"Your mother's resting," Mr. Burks finally said. "She didn't mean what she said; don't take it personally. We've all been under a lot of stress lately, and that's without you running off to fight a criminal organization behind our backs."
There it was. The same sin she had committed at Christmas: abandoning those who loved her to follow some misguided dream of playing the hero. Ellen took a breath, looking straight at her father as if she was about to defend herself. Then she let the breath out, nodding in resignation. Her eyes stared at the floor and for a moment she took on the same countenance she'd had after the incident on Two Island.
"I can understand why you did it." The words made Ellen look up in surprise. "It's the same reason you helped Ford. The same reason you left us at Christmas. You can't bear to see people suffer. You see all the problems in the world and can't help but want to fix them all. But you don't have to put the weight of the world on your shoulders, Ellen. No one person can bear that responsibility."
"You're wrong." Ellen's voice was dry and cracked from keeping quiet so long. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I know I can't protect the world. I . . . I just wanted to protect our family."
"Ellen . . ." Paul tried and failed to keep his composure. In broken anguish he stammered, "That's supposed to be my job. I'm the one that should be . . ." Unable to continue, Ellen's father buried his face in his hands and sobbed. For such a burly man, he looked incredibly pitiful.
Seeing her father in such a vulnerable position brought fresh tears to Ellen's eyes. For perhaps the first time, she saw him not as her father, but as another person -- flawed like her, struggling to do right by those he loved. She crawled over to his side and drew him into a tearful embrace. "You don't have to put the weight of the world on your shoulders either, Dad. It's not your fault our family's falling apart . . . it's mine."
Now it was Paul's turn to comfort Ellen. His arms tightened around her like a warm blanket, like a cocoon enveloping and protecting her until she could find the courage to fly once more. "Sweetie . . . don't ever say that. You're not the reason we're drifting apart . . . you're the knot that binds us together. Your mother and I, we may have our disagreements from time to time, but the one thing that will never change is our love for you." In that moment the whole world faded away. It was just Ellen and her father, two souls adrift in a sea of turmoil with nothing but each other to keep them from sinking into the dark waves.
Ellen didn't want to leave her father's arms, and Paul didn't want to let go. They could have held the embrace for an eternity, but by the time both their tears had dried Paul reluctantly loosened his grip. When Ellen didn't budge, he gently stroked her hair and spoke in a solemn voice.
"The Storm is still out there, you know." She looked up at him with sullen eyes and opened her mouth to say something, but hesitated. Before she could make up her mind, Paul placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "What do you say we take them down together?"
Her eyes grew wide in surprise. "Y-you? But I— you— you saw what they're like. They're too powerful!"
Paul gave a hearty laugh. "What, you think your old man can't handle it? Who traveled all across Hoenn, fought off Ford's goons and braved those monsters on Two Island to bring you home? You're doing this to protect our family, right? Well I think I have just as much right to protect it as you do. I'd be a fool to try and stop you, so I want to offer my support. Now, tell me what you know about the Black Storm."
Ellen nodded. She started out timidly, giving the basic details of the explosive sand. Then she grew more confident, explaining how the sand was being shipped to Opelucid City by way of Village Bridge in exchange for something else. With a shudder she spoke of Madame Wob, the apparent leader of the Black Storm. "I don't think Wob's the one in charge, though," she said. "When I was in Giant Chasm, a man came by to check on the mining process. He had a briefcase that said OAT. Opelucid Advanced Technologies. I think they're the ones who hired Wob to do their dirty work."
Paul had been listening attentively, but at the mention of OAT his expression suddenly turned grave. "The other day I found a crate of sand in the shipping department at work that was labeled charcoal. At the time I thought it was just an inventory mishap, but if what you say is true then it must have come from the Black Storm. What's more, I think I know what the Storm is getting in exchange for the sand. The Storm thugs who kidnapped Marie had an energy blaster designed by Déoza. At first I thought David Castle was the one arming local gangs for whatever nefarious scheme he has planned, but OAT copied a lot of Déoza's tech. Someone at OAT is trading weapons for that sand."
"I thought you quit Déoza to get away from all that."
"OAT itself isn't corrupt," Paul assured her. "It's just one or two employees looking to make a quick buck by dealing with gangsters. I'll see what I can find out tomorrow. If I manage to find incriminating evidence, we can go to the authorities and put a stop to this for good."
The disappointment was evident on Ellen's face. "What about me? I thought we were doing this together."
Paul shook his head. "If members of OAT are really dealing with the Black Storm, then we can't let them know we suspect anything. And you have an even more important job, Ellen. While you've been out fighting the Storm with Marie, your mother's been left all alone. Her outburst tonight was the result of both of us neglecting her. Spend some time with her tomorrow; I'm sure she'd appreciate that."
Ellen considered this for a moment. "On one condition." She looked up at her father seriously. "When this Storm business is over, I want us all to go out for a family picnic. Telling me to spend more time with Mom while you go off on your own isn't going to make things any better. You need to spend time with us, too, you know."
Paul laughed and hugged his daughter. "Sounds like a deal."
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Post by Parugi on Feb 5, 2020 16:14:38 GMT -8
-==IC: Lucia Zyther -- The Alamo, Four Island==- Lucia bit her lip as she walked circles on the carpet just away from a door she kept glancing at. She had decided to go visit Gavin alone - if only to avoid any possible anger issues like when they had all first visited him after the ordeal in the egg... but now she couldn't help but wonder if that was a bad idea. The Rocket took a deep breath with her mind made up. Before she could doubt things further, she strode up to the door and knocked on it three times. If Gavin answered the door now, thanks to Lucia's attempts to go through with this instead of backing out at the last second, he would find the healer staring at the doorway with enough conviction that even the most relaxed person at the base might think that the entirety of Missing Zero was standing right behind them. But Lucia didn't pay any of that any mind, and instead simply waited for the door to open. IC - Gavin Braner - Barracks, The Alamo:Three months on, and Gavin still could not say that he was used to the sight of himself with half of an arm. Recovery had gone well--as well as it could have, given the circumstances. He had been stuck in the care of Team Liberty's medical facilities for weeks while they worked on his injury. In the end, the result hadn't turned out too terribly--they had saved up to about a quarter of his forearm. The remainder now terminated in a large scar where they had stitched the remaining flesh together. Once that had healed, he had been released and granted a room near Ethan and Skye. Now, as he did almost every morning, he stood in front of the mirror, forcing himself to confront the drastic alteration that his body had gone through. He couldn't say that he was used to it, but he felt better about it now than he had previously. And that was something. A knock on his door startled him. Gavin glanced at the door and then back at the mirror. Probably Ethan or Skye--lately they had been his main source of outside interaction. Suddenly very self-conscious, he grabbed the black long-sleeved shirt draped on his bed and began to awkwardly pull it over himself. "One second," he called. Once he was properly put together, he unlocked the door and opened it. To his surprise, it was neither Ethan nor Skye, but a very tense Lucia. Gavin stared at her in surprise for a moment, before finally clearing his throat. "Lucia. Long time, no see." He peeked behind her. "No Jamie?"
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Post by Konuju on Feb 5, 2020 16:28:26 GMT -8
IC: Paul Burks – Opelucid Advanced Technologies, Opelucid City "Come on, come on . . ." Paul's fingers flew over the keyboard as he desperately searched through the company records. Bisharp stood guard at the door, keeping a watchful eye for any passerby. The steel-type silently clenched and unclenched his fists. He was eager to put an end to the Black Storm, and the thought of working for the very company that was aiding the gang sickened him.
The box of sand Paul had found the other day had been officially labeled by Shipping & Receiving as charcoal. Inventory would never have received it as charcoal, so all he had to do was track where the package had been sent instead. Unfortunately as far as he could tell the shipment had simply disappeared. A little more searching turned up several more boxes that had likewise disappeared, all labeled as different resources.
Paul knew he wouldn't have much longer before someone came into the computer lab. Desperately he searched the records of the disappearing items to look for any sort of correlation between them. All he found was a single note contained in each log entry: Stardust.
Opening a new window, Paul ran a search on the term. A number of files pertaining to a Project Stardust popped up, but he did not have permission to open any of them. He could, however, view the creator of said files. It turned out they had all been written by one person: Erin Cochran.
Bisharp rapped his hand on the door. Someone was coming. Paul quickly logged off and headed for the door, bumping into a thin, wiry man on his way out. "You're Burks, aren't you?" The man adjusted his spectacles as he peered at Paul. "Shouldn't you be in the forge?"
Of all the people to come into the computer room, it had to be someone he knew. "Yeah, I just had to check on something, Gordon." Paul feigned a smile and tried once more to leave.
"Check on something." Gordon was not amused. "You know our company policy on social media during work hours, Burks. We do not tolerate slackers."
For a split second Paul hesitated. Then he took a deep breath. It was a gamble, but it just might pay off. "Actually I was trying to figure out who I should send my latest prototype blaster to. No one's come to pick it up, and it's taking up a ton of space in my forge. I figured I'd deliver it myself, so I came down here to look up who had ordered it. You wouldn't happen to know where Erin Cochran works, do you?"
The man frowned. "Cochran? Her lab's on the top floor. But you need special access to get up there. Why don't I give her a call?"
"No, I'll call her myself," Paul said, perhaps a little too quickly. "Then she can tell me herself when she's ready to pick it up."
Gordon shrugged. "Suit yourself."
It wasn't until Paul and Bisharp had walked to the end of the hallway that the blacksmith let out the breath he'd been holding. That had been much closer than he would have liked, but at least he had a lead now.
Finding the office of one of Cochran's direct subordinates was as simple as asking the receptionist at the front desk. Paul peered around the corner at the office he'd been directed to, a Pokéball resting in his hand. He pressed the release and Ellen's Purrloin materialized before him. The cat appeared none too happy with the task Paul gave him, but he nevertheless slinked off into the office.
A saccharine meow announced Chrono's presence. The office's occupant stopped whatever they had been doing to marvel at the intruder. "And who might you be? No collar . . . are you perhaps a stray?" Paul couldn't see what Chrono did next, but it elicited a high-pitched squee from the office worker. "Oh, aren't you a cutie~? Yes you are! Yes you are!"
This continued on for several minutes until the worker decided to go get some water for the adorable Purrloin. The moment he was alone, Chrono darted out of the office, holding a laminated badge in his mouth. "Excellent work, Chrono." Paul reached out to pet the Purrloin, but Chrono swatted his hand away with a scowl. With a sigh, Paul returned him to his Pokéball. With the badge in hand, he made his way to the elevators.
The stolen badge worked like a charm. The elevator brought Paul and Bisharp to the top floor, where they found themselves in a long hallway. A number of windows offered a glimpse into several orange-tinted labs full of scientists. Paul and Bisharp carefully made their way past the labs to an unoccupied room.
A quick glance revealed it to be a locker room for the scientists' personal belongings. Deeming this as good a place as any to start his search, Paul slipped in and tried to sift through the items while Bisharp stood guard at the door. Cell phones, purses, jackets, and scarves filled the lockers, but any notebooks would have been brought into the labs.
A purse bearing the name E. Cochran caught his attention and Paul quickly dug through its contents. Amidst lipstick and wads of cash he found a neatly folded piece of lined paper buried at the bottom. It was full of notes scribbled in messy handwriting – what looked to be complicated formulas. However, a small sentence scribbled at the top of the page told Paul all he needed to know. Project Stardust was far bigger than anything he or Ellen had ever realized.
"I always took you for a smart one, Mr. Burks." Paul whirled around to see Lincoln Foswell standing in the doorway. Bisharp had been detained in a chokehold by a towering Golurk. "I would have thought you'd be smart enough not to pry into matters that don't pertain to you."
Paul held up the piece of paper he had found. "Are you aware of what Cochran's doing up here?"
"Of course." Foswell smiled. "It's all a part of our strategic partnership with the honorable Madame Wob."
"Don't flatter me, Lincoln." A deep commanding voice filled the room as the woman at the head of the Black Storm stepped into view, tailed by her signature Wobbuffet. "'Madame' will suffice." Her eyes narrowed at the sight of Paul.
"My apologies, Madame." Foswell spoke pleasantly, even as he pulled a gun from his briefcase. "I'm just dealing with a small information leak."
"You intend to kill me?" Paul growled. He reached for his Pokéballs, wondering how quickly his Skarmory could disarm Foswell. "You might be able to talk your way around your little science experiment, but how do you expect to explain murder to the authorities?"
"It's nothing personal, Mr. Burks. You've simply seen too much. I wish I didn't have to do this, but--" He cocked the gun with an almost apologetic look on his face. "You really should have stayed in your forge."
"Stop!" The Madame yelled out in a booming voice, causing Foswell to visibly flinch. "Don't kill him, you imbecile! That man infiltrated the Giant Chasm last night. He's the girl's father!"
Foswell looked at the Madame in surprise. "Paul Burks? He's a simple blacksmith, not some spy. How on earth could he--?"
"How did he end up on a restricted floor without clearance?" The Madame countered. "He's conspiring against us. If we keep him alive, we can use him as leverage against the girl."
"Like hell you will." In a flash of light Paul sent out Kimber, Scar, and Chrono. The trio rushed toward Foswell and Wob, only for the Madame's Wobbuffet to move between them. The Patient Pokémon grinned as it absorbed the hits with its dense body.
Throughout all the commotion, Foswell never flinched. He simply lowered his gun, pulling a small, black device from his pocket. There was an audible click and suddenly Paul's Pokémon were all forced back into their Pokéballs. With another click the Pokéballs, along with Paul's gun, hurled toward Foswell's metallic briefcase, drawn by some sort of powerful magnetic field. "Come to think of it, I do remember you mentioning your daughter to me. Ellen, was it?"
With no other options Paul lurched forward to try and tackle Foswell to the ground, but the man struck him upside the head with his briefcase, sending him tumbling to the ground.
"You should be thankful for your daughter, Mr. Burks," Foswell said in a cold voice. "She's the only reason you're still alive right now."
IC: Ellen Burks/Anna Burks – Village Bridge It was as if the argument last night had never happened. Ellen and her mother had formed an unspoken agreement not to bring it up, and after a mildly awkward breakfast full of uncomfortable silence, Anna decided now would be a good time for Ellen to catch up on her schoolwork. After all, she had missed an entire semester of lessons while off in the Hoenn Region, and Anna was not about to let her daughter's education go to waste.
The two were running over multiplication tables in the kitchen when the doorbell rang. Leaving Ellen to finish the current assignment, Anna got up to answer the door. Ellen was struggling to fill out her 7's table when heard a crash and a muffled scream.
Bolting to the door, Ellen found her mother being strangled by a man in a business suit who looked far too formal to be associated with the Black Storm. Immediately Artemis swung down from the staircase and dropkicked the thug in the face, sending him slumping to the floor.
A Ninjask darted through the open door, hovering over Ellen and her mother. Duo bravely attempted to tackle the bug, but it deftly dodged out of the way. The two combatants formed a midair dance, neither managing to strike the other, but at the very least Duo was keeping the enemy distracted from Ellen's mother.
With another crash a Persian flew through the living room window, landing expertly on the coffee table. The cat's gleaming fur rippled like an ocean of muscle as it stretched. Then with a hiss it pounced towards Ellen, claws outstretched. With a ferocious bark, Terry slammed into the giant cat with all his might. The Persian turned to swipe at the Herdier, but the action threw off its trajectory and it collided with the wall next to Anna.
Isabella and Fiora ran up to Ellen, cowering in fear. Scooping the smaller Pokémon up in one hand and grabbing her mom with the other, Ellen ran back into the kitchen. She was greeted by a very angry Druddigon that had evidently crashed through the back door and overturned the kitchen table.
The girl took one look at the giant dragon and darted instead down the hall to the bathroom. The Druddigon let out a roar as it chased her, but she slammed the door shut in its face and locked it. Ellen held her breath as she listened to the scratches on the other side of the door. She was sure the dragon would crash through any second. There was a thud, followed by a roar, before she heard heavy footsteps fading down the hall.
It was only then that Anna managed to catch her breath. "What's going on?" she demanded. "Who were those people? Why are they attacking us?"
Ellen sank to the floor, her hands visibly shaking. Her heart pounded at a thousand beats per minute. "I think it's the Black Storm," she muttered as she hugged Isabella close. Tears welled up in her eyes. "They know where we live. They're going to kill us all! This was never supposed to happen . . ."
"Ellen!" Anna firmly placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "Snap out of it, honey. We can talk about it later, but right now we need to get out of here."
"And go where?"
"I don't know," Anna admitted. "But anywhere's better than here. But we have to get your Pokémon and move. Understand?" Isabella cooed while Fiora clung to Anna's hair. Ellen slowly nodded. She took a deep breath, then stepped out into the hall.
The house was a complete mess. Duo was still dancing circles around the Ninjask; the lightning-fast bug's claws had filled the mantle with dozens of scratches and torn the curtains to shreds. The Persian was a little more contained, having been backed into a corner by Terry's advances, but it had clearly taken a lot of effort. The Herdier could only take so many hits from the powerful feline. Maturin and Artemis were faring a little better against the Druddigon, but the dragon's defenses seemed to rival that of the Grotle's, and it was only Artemis' constant kicks and punches that kept their foe from tearing through the house like a lunatic.
"What do we do?" Ellen asked the Oddish in her arms. "If we run, they'll just chase us."
It was Fiora who answered Ellen's question. The fairy floated through the living room, her form so tiny Ellen almost didn't see her. One by one Fiora flew up to each of her companions and whispered into their ear. Once the fairy had relayed the message, Ellen saw her Pokémon's battle style begin to shift. No longer were they concerned with keeping their enemy from causing too much damage. Duo led the Ninjask into the kitchen, Terry set the Persian loose, and Maturin cleverly egged the Druddigon towards him, only to catapult the dragon across the living room when it stepped on his hard shell.
"They're giving us a chance to escape." Ellen's mother had walked up behind her. Taking her daughter's hand, she led Ellen out the back door, all the while ignoring her protests. "They'll catch up to us," she assured her. "But for now we have to run."
The Ninjask caught sight of the escapees and took flight after them. Even when Anna led the way into the nearby woods, the thickening trees did little to slow the speeding insect. That is, until Maturin let out a cry. "We have to circle back!" Ellen cried out.
"What?" Anna couldn't believe her ears. "Ellen, if we don't escape now we may not get a chance to later."
"It's a Ninjask," Ellen countered, taking hold of her mother's arm and dragging her back toward the house. "We can't just outrun it."
Anna opened her mouth to argue but promptly shut it. The look she saw in her daughter's eyes was the same look she'd had on Christmas when her friends had left to continue their mission. It was a look of pure determination.
Sure enough, Ellen knew what she was doing. They had circled in a wide arc to come out of the woods at a different angle. The Ninjask was quickly catching up to them with the thinning trees, almost close enough to clip Ellen's hair. They ran past a mossy boulder. Then the boulder jumped up and caught the Ninjask in its beak-like mouth. Maturin looked back at the girls with a goofy grin even as the Ninjask struggled to escape. Artemis ran up and delivered a swift kick to the bug, knocking it unconscious.
A screech pulled them out of their moment of victory. Terry and Duo had run outside, the Persian hot in pursuit. "Ellen, recall your Pokémon," Anna said. "We'll hide out in the drainage ditch."
A small section of woods extended past the Burks' backyard, and running through a break in the trees was a small drainage ditch that marked the divide between neighborhoods. A small bridge led over the ditch, and the space beneath the bridge had become something of a secret hideout among the neighborhood kids. Fumbling with her Pokéballs as she ran, Ellen returned her companions one by one to their capsules.
Without all their Pokémon trailing behind them, Ellen and Anna ran swiftly through the woods, but the Persian ran swifter. The trees hardly slowed the enormous cat, and it was only with their vast knowledge of the woods gleaned from years and years of expeditions that the Burks were able to stay one step ahead of their pursuer.
That lead gave them barely enough time to slide across fallen leaves into the ditch and hide under the bridge before the Persian leapt into the clearing. Mother and daughter held their breath as heavy footsteps padded across the creaking wood above them. They didn't dare move a single muscle, for the crumpling of a single leaf would alert the feline to their presence. The Persian sniffed at the air and uttered a low growl before it finally scampered off across the bridge. Ellen and Anna waited a full minute before allowing themselves to relax. They half expected the Druddigon to come rushing through the woods next, but it seemed the dragon hadn't followed them out of the house.
"We can't go back there," Anna panted, resting a hand on her stomach.
"Marie," Ellen answered. "I don't think the Storm knows where she lives. Her house will be safe. And if I'm wrong, then we need to warn her."
"You brought Marie in on this?" Anna shook her head in disbelief as they crawled out from under the bridge. "Her mother's going to have a heart attack."
The two carefully and quietly slipped back into the woods and made their way to Marie's house. It was a path Ellen knew well, but in her panicked state the familiar trees seemed to conspire against her. Every footstep brought with it a loud crunching of fallen leaves which she feared would draw the attention of the Persian. Low hanging branches yanked at her hair if she wasn't careful. The journey was far more arduous than she'd remembered.
They were still in the thick of the woods when Ellen's Xtransceiver rang with a call from her father. Glad for some good news, she answered in a heartbeat. "Dad, thank goodness. We've got a bit of a prob—" Her voice caught in her throat. Staring back at her was an image of her father bound to a chair with a gag drawn tightly across his mouth.
"It seems you've rejected my greeting party's invitation." The Madame stepped into view of the camera, flanked by her Wobbuffet.
"Y-you!" Ellen's panic returned in full force. With her home in shambles, her father had been her last line of hope against the Black Storm. "Wh-what have you done with my dad?!"
"Oh, nothing yet," the Madame said. Anna leaned over to look at the screen and let out a horrified gasp. "Ah, you must be Mrs. Burks. A pleasure to meet your acquaintance." Wob and her Wobbuffet both performed an elegant curtsey.
"Who are you people?" Anna demanded in a shaking voice. "Why did you attack our house and what have you done with Paul?"
The Madame rolled her eyes. "I just got through saying, Paul Burks is fine. He's a little tied up at the moment, but I assure you he's in no danger. Yet." The word was drawn out, as if Wob was relishing in the fleeting nature of the man's safety. "As for that little incident at your home, consider that a warning. Now, before you get any bright ideas, if you go to the police or call for help of any kind, I will not hesitate to kill poor Paul here."
Ellen glared at the screen. "What do you want from me?"
"I always knew you were a clever girl, Ellen." The Madame grinned devilishly. "I want you to come to Opelucid City. I think you know where. Tell the receptionist you have a meeting with Madame Wob. Oh, and be sure to come alone. No weapons, no Pokémon, no friends. If we suspect anything, you can say goodbye to your dear daddy for good. Have I made myself clear?"
Ellen bit the inside of her lip. Her mind was racing to find a way out of this.
Madame Wob would not give her that luxury. Without waiting for a response, she said, "You have six hours."
The screen went black.
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Post by Konuju on Feb 5, 2020 19:24:24 GMT -8
IC: Ellen Burks/Anna Burks/Marie/Marie's Mother – Village Bridge "You mean the two of you have been fighting those criminals this whole time?" Marie's mother collapsed in her armchair, a distraught look directed at her daughter.
"Well, not the whole time," Marie said. "But now we know they're conspiring with Mr. Burk's company. We have to help him!"
"Please," Anna said. "I'm sorry your daughter got involved, but you could be their next target."
"Then we'll go to the police," Marie's mother retorted. "There's no way in hell I'm letting my daughter go on some suicide mission."
"She's right." Ellen had been mostly quiet while her mother had explained the situation. These were the first words she'd spoken since coming to Marie's house. "They only want me. I'll go alone like they said, and see if I can talk them into letting Dad go."
It was Anna's turn to retort. "Absolutely not. What makes you think that Wob woman will play fair? Once she has you, she'll kill you both."
"You're sounding just like Marie's mom!" Ellen yelled. "Are you just going to leave Dad to die?! Because that's what'll happen if we do nothing! If I go in, then there's at least a chance we can save him." Much to her surprise, Terry barked in agreement. The Herdier was just as much a part of the family as anyone else, and he wasn't about to let Paul die without a fighting chance.
Anna closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, a barely contained fire raged in her irises. "I want to save him just as much as you do, Ellen. But I can't let you go alone. We've fought too hard to keep this family together. I swear to you I will do everything in my power to bring my husband back."
"I want to help, too!" Marie said. "No offense, Mrs. Burks, but Ellen will need more than your help if she wants to rescue her dad."
Anna smiled at the girl, then looked at her mother. "I understand you want to keep your daughter safe. But I think our children are far more capable than we give them credit for. We could use Marie's help – and yours, too. I promise I will make Marie's safety my highest priority."
For a long moment, Marie's mother seemed to struggle with putting her family's life in danger. When she finally spoke, it was in a low, almost accusatory voice. "Do you even have a plan in mind?"
"Ellen just has to look like she's alone," Marie said. "Once she's found her dad, the rest of us will attack!"
"It's not that simple." Ellen shook her head. "They'd know you were attacking long before you ever got to where we are. A place like that will have cameras everywhere."
A thoughtful look appeared on Marie's mother's face. "I might be able to do something about the cameras, but the rest of us would need a way past the lobby. Security guards would be on top of us in a second if we just walked through the front door."
"I might know a way around that," Anna said. "What do you girls say we take a quick trip to the library?"
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Post by Magical Girl Mimi on Feb 6, 2020 7:35:25 GMT -8
-==IC: Lucia Zyther -- Barracks, The Alamo==-
Gavin's throat clearing nearly made Lucia jump, but she managed to keep herself from actually showing the shock, albeit just barely.
"Oh, well..." Lucia fidgeted a bit for a moment, though she seemed to be less tense now that the conversation had actually started. She chewed on her lip as she decided on how to explain things. "I thought I'd visit and say hi. The reason Jamie's not here is because, well... she kinda had a rough time a couple months ago, and I wasn't quite sure how things would go, really."
She rubbed her arm unconsciously as she remembered fragments of what had happened in Kalos. "If you've got an hour or three, I can catch you up to date on what exactly happened." Lucia ended with a chuckle, but definitely seemed a bit more somber after the recollection.
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Post by Konuju on Feb 6, 2020 17:00:51 GMT -8
IC: Ellen Burks – Opelucid Advanced Technologies, Opelucid City The setting sun bathed the rooftops of Opelucid in a golden light. The streets of the city, however, fell into the long shadows cast by the tall buildings that surrounded the downtown area. Opelucid Advanced Technologies was by no means the tallest skyscraper, but the facility seemed to cast a bigger shadow over Ellen as she approached it.
Every step she took was filled with apprehension. There were a million ways the plan could fall apart and make the day end in a catastrophe. She forced herself not to think about the possible outcomes. They would only weigh her down.
The secretary seemed surprised when Ellen walked into the building alone. As a fairly new company, OAT probably didn't get many tourists, especially children. "Can I help you, Miss?" The secretary asked with a kindhearted smile.
It was almost refreshing to see that smile in such a dreadful pace, and Ellen wished she could stay in the lobby forever. With hesitation, she spoke the line the Madame had given her as if it was a secret password. "My name's Ellen. I have a meeting with Madame Wob."
The secretary raised an eyebrow as she consulted her computer. Her fingers clacked against the keyboard, then the eyebrow rose further. "Very well, Miss Ellen. If you take a seat over there, Miss . . . uh, Wob will send someone for you shortly."
The woman had no clue what her own company was secretly plotting, Ellen concluded. The secretary was no different than her own father with Déoza. Or Ford with McKinley.
Ellen didn't have to wait long before a pair of armed guards came for her. These guards looked much more professional than the Black Storm thugs Ellen had encountered previously, not unlike the suited man that had attacked her house. They quickly searched her for any Pokéballs or weapons. Finding none, they led her over to the elevator.
While the elevator rose higher and higher, Ellen felt like she was descending into the belly of the beast. When the doors finally opened, she found herself looking out over a city breathing in the last few rays of sunlight. The guards didn't give her much time to take in the view, for she was briskly escorted past what looked like a laboratory and then down a winding, windowless hallway.
They came to a halt in front of a rather plain-looking office door. The first thing Ellen saw when the guards opened the door was her father tied to a chair. He looked exhausted and his face was bruised, and his eyes grew wide when he saw Ellen walk into the room. It was hard to read the expression on his face through the gag in his mouth, but he appeared simultaneously glad to see her and disappointed that she had actually walked into the Madame's trap.
The guards forced Ellen into a similar chair and began to tie her up. When they were finished, they retreated out the door. The moment the door clicked shut, Madame Wob turned away from the sunset at the window to smile at her new captive. Her Wobbuffet remained standing guard at the window, offering the father and daughter no more than a cursory glance. "I knew you'd come to your senses, Ellen. I see your type all the time. You act all tough and mysterious, but the moment someone you care about is threatened, you crumple like paper. But tell me: what got you so riled up in the first place? Why are you so determined to make the Black Storm your enemy? Is it some unfounded sense of justice? Revenge? Boredom?"
"I just want you to leave my village alone," Ellen said through gritted teeth.
Wob laughed. Her Wobbuffet cackled. "Oh, what delicious irony. I can personally promise that once our plans come to fruition, the Black Storm will no longer rule your precious Village Bridge. Of course, you won't be alive to see it, but you can die knowing you saved your village. I wonder if anyone will remember you as their unsung hero?"
Ellen closed her eyes, doing her best to ignore the Madame's taunting. "At least let my father go," she said. "That was the deal."
"Oh, I said no such thing." Madame Wob seemed to revel in Ellen's anguish. She waltzed in front of Ellen and smiled down at her. She looked as excited as a kid on Christmas morning. "You're in no position to bargain, my dear. You got your father involved, so he dies with you. You should have worked alone."
"And what is it you're planning?" Ellen demanded. "What's so important that my father and I have to die for it?"
"Money. Power. Glory. The answer varies depending on who you ask," Wob said dismissively. "The usual vices of man." The woman cast a glance up at the corner of the ceiling, hidden from Ellen's view. She imagined the corner likely housed a security camera. After all, Madame Wob only ruled the Black Storm. She probably answered to whoever was in charge of OAT.
Ellen chanced a glance at her father, then looked back at the Madame. "And what about you? What's your answer?"
"I'm just a wealthy benefactor looking to make a difference in the world." Wob's smile was as slick as McKinley's, and Ellen had no doubt she was telling a blatant lie. "This world – Unova in particular – has been plunged into chaos too many times. I won't stand for it any longer. Once our project is complete, I will—AAUGH!"
The Madame cried out as she was suddenly tackled to the ground. Her eyes widened when she saw Ellen's father standing over her. "What? How did you escape?!"
Paul aimed a relentless kick at the woman. "You put too little faith in my daughter." The Madame's Wobbuffet came rushing to its trainer's aid.
Ellen cried out a warning as the two guards burst back into the room. Her father rushed towards the enemy, pinning one of the guards against the wall and twisting his gun out of his hands. The other guard raised his gun to retaliate.
As Paul struggled against the guards, Fiora flew over to where Ellen sat. While Ellen hadn't brought any Pokéballs with her, she had stashed the little Flabébé in her hair to sneak her past the guards. Before they had left, Anna had equipped the fairy with a razor blade. It was a small tool, but sharp enough to cut through the ropes that had tied Paul to his chair. And now it would cut through Ellen's bonds with just as much ease.
Without warning, the entire building began to tremble. Paul and the guards were thrown off balance and Ellen fell out of her chair as Fiora cut through the last strands. Ellen wasted no time in dashing towards the door, grabbing her father's hand and pulling him down the hall before the guards could get their bearings.
"You were right about OAT's involvement." Ellen's father holstered one of the guard's guns, a grim look on his face. "It goes all the way up to the CEO, Lincoln Foswell. He found me sneaking around and took my Pokémon. We need to get them back from his office, and then we need to get out of here as fast as we can."
Ellen refused to slow her pace as she shook her head. "We're not running away this time. This is the final battle. Whatever it is they're planning, we need to stop it here and now."
IC: Marie/Marie's Mother – Tunnels, Opelucid City Marie carefully measured her steps through the muggy tunnels, counting quietly to herself as she tried to ignore her mother's rambling. As they walked, Ellen's Pokémon kept an eye out for anyone lurking in the shadows. Marie's Gothita clung to her shoulder, jumping at every strange sound that echoed through the tunnels.
Anna Burks had brought everyone to the library to look up the history of Opelucid's subway tunnels. Ellen's mother had spent her entire life in Village Bridge, and she had seen the neighboring city of Opelucid grow and develop over the years. The Unovan Subway System had gone through several renovations throughout its lifetime, resulting in countless abandoned tunnels carved across the major cities. Team Plasma had long since closed off the unused tunnels as a safety precaution, but it didn't take Mrs. Burks long to find a map of the old tunnel network at the library.
It just so happened that one such unused tunnel ran directly underneath the Opelucid Advanced Technologies building. Anna traced the entrance over to an abandoned subway station in an overgrown field in the northwest corner of the city. After loading them up with essential supplies, Anna had sent the young girl and her mother on their crucial mission.
Her mother's Klinglang had easily cut through the chain link fence surrounding the decrepit station, and Maturin and Artemis made quick work of the rusted gate at the entrance. As Marie and her mother descended into the darkness, they began counting their steps to the OAT building.
Marie stopped walking. "I think we're here," she said quietly.
Her mother inspected the stone wall before them. "Well, no way to tell for sure from this side. We'll just have to hope for the best." The woman pulled out her Xtransceiver and called Ellen. "We're in position. Good luck."
Ellen's Pokémon and Marie peered at the screen over her mother's shoulder. Several feet above them, Ellen was walking into the OAT building to announce her presence to Madame Wob. They heard her speak to the secretary, who told her to wait in the lobby. There was no turning back now.
As the others kept a close eye on Ellen's progress, Marie's mother opened up a backpack and began to spread its contents – a handful of explosive sand Marie had gathered from the Giant Chasm – in a fine line against the wall. The woman had voiced her concerns about the girls carrying around what amounted to unassuming gunpowder, but even she had to admit the sand's explosive properties provided a convenient way to break into the OAT building from the tunnels.
A deep voice came over the Xtransceiver, oozing with confidence and authority. "She's made it to Wob," Marie whispered. "But I can't tell if Mr. Burks is with them."
"He'd better be," her mother said without looking up from the sand she was carefully spreading. "If we cause a ruckus before Ellen has her father secured, we'd just be making things worse."
Suddenly a struggle came over the speaker. Mr. Burks' voice rang loud and clear, and shortly afterwards Ellen shouted out a warning. Marie couldn't tell if the two were still in danger, but with Paul's whereabouts known, it was time to move onto the next phase of the plan.
"Careful!" her mother cried as Marie pulled out a set of firecrackers from her backpack.
"I know what I'm doing," Marie insisted. While the exploding sand bore many similarities to gunpowder, it was not flammable on its own. Anson Brawns had mentioned that the sand didn't explode until it had been struck by an energy blast. It was Anna who had suggested using explosives to create a similar force. Once Marie had the pyrotechnics laid out, her mother struck a match and lit the fuse. Her Klinklang dutifully herded Marie away from the wall.
The resulting explosion shook the entire tunnel. Dust and cobwebs rained down on the group, and for a moment Marie feared the entire tunnel would collapse. Her ears were still ringing when the dust settled to reveal a sizeable hole in the wall leading to the steel-floored basement of the OAT building.
While Marie stood in awe of their handiwork, Artemis, Terry and Maturin rushed into the building. They were to be the front guard, taking down anyone who got in their way. Marie's mother and her Klinklang hurried after Ellen's Pokémon, all senses on high alert. Duo, Boo, and Isabella took up the rear by Marie's side.
Steeling herself, the adventurous girl dashed into the building. This was the most difficult part of the plan. The one thing Anna hadn't been able to provide was a layout of the building. From here on out, they would have to wing it and hope they could reunite with Ellen and her father.
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Post by Konuju on Feb 6, 2020 20:57:57 GMT -8
IC: Ellen Burks/Paul Burks – Opelucid Advanced Technologies, Opelucid City Alarms blared throughout the OAT building. The top floor was in a panic as scientists tried to secure their work before evacuating to the ground. Ellen and her father hid out in an unoccupied meeting room as they waited for the crowd to disperse.
"I can't say I'm mad at you for rescuing me," Paul said as he caught his breath. "But that woman was ready to kill you!"
"She was ready to kill you," Ellen said as she peered out the door, eyes trained on a security camera. "Besides, you can't blame me for this one. It was Mom's idea."
Paul's mouth dropped open. "Anna came up with this?" He glanced at the razor-wielding Flabébé, then at the red flashing lights that accompanied the warbling sirens. "She's got good taste."
"She's not the only one." Ellen stepped out into the hallway, holding out her wrist. Her Xtransceiver glowed as a Porygon leapt out from the device. The Virtual Pokémon delivered an 8-bit battle cry before diving into the security camera. "Marie's mom came up with that one," Ellen said when she saw the astounded look on her father's face. "Even without powers, Porygon can travel freely through cyberspace. He wouldn't be able to hack into OAT's computer network but he can at least disable the cameras so they can't follow us."
"What kind of work does Marie's mother do again?" Paul shook his head. "Doesn't matter. Let's go."
Foswell's office sat at the end of a long hallway. The man was on the phone when Paul barged in. "Speak of the devil," he said, getting to his feet. "They just walked in. I'll handle them, Madame. You make sure Cochran's work is safe."
"It's over, Foswell!" Paul eyed the four Pokéballs sitting on the desk and started toward them.
In response, the CEO picked up what looked like one of the Black Storm's energy blasters and aimed it at Paul. "Pick your next move carefully, Burks," he said icily.
The Porygon suddenly burst out of the room's security camera and flew toward Foswell. The man turned and fired, but the shot blew past the Virtual Pokémon and burned a sizeable hole in the wall. Before he could fire another shot the Porygon tackled him to the ground.
With Foswell distracted, Paul made it over to the desk, where he grabbed a Pokéball and pressed the button. Nothing happened. He strode over to where Foswell lay and kicked the blaster aside. "Where's that device?" he demanded.
With an excited beep, the Porygon dug into Foswell's jacket pocket and produced a small, black device with a blinking red light. Paul grabbed the device and crushed it underneath his heel.
Foswell grinned. The moment the device was destroyed, the Pokéball on his belt burst open, revealing the massive Golurk. The Automaton Pokémon grabbed Paul and threw him against the wall. "Pesky little device, isn't it?" Foswell chuckled. "Once we reverse engineer the design we'll have to make some modifications. Imagine a world where I can send any Pokémon I want back to its ball at will."
As Foswell laughed, Ellen ran around behind the Golurk to the desk where the remaining Pokéballs sat and opened them all up. The room immediately became overcrowded. Foswell's desk splintered under the weight of Paul's Torkoal, which tackled the Golurk with a bellowing roar. Scar appeared in the middle of the room and flapped his razor-sharp wings to stay airborne, forcing everyone else to the walls. Chrono hissed and pounced on Foswell, sinking his claws into his flesh.
Another burst of light announced Bisharp's presence, who had emerged to defend Paul. As the fight escalated, Ellen found herself backed up into a corner, cupping Fiora in her hands. Over the din of battle she became aware that someone was shouting her name.
"Ellen!" Marie waved her arms wildly from the Xtransceiver screen. "We made it to the top of the stairwell, but we can't get through the door. Do you still have my mom's Porygon with you? We need him to let us through."
Ellen nodded. "Porygon!" she yelled, fearing her voice would be lost amidst the sound of combat. The Virtual Pokémon flew over to her, took one look at Marie, and dove into the Xtransceiver. On the screen, Ellen saw the Porygon materialize out of Marie's device with a happy beep.
"Alright, just hold tight, Ellen!" Marie cried. "Help is on the way!"
"Kimber! Bisharp! Scar!" Paul had skirted around the Golurk and picked up Foswell's energy blaster, aiming it at the Automaton Pokémon. At the blacksmith's warning the three Pokémon retreated. The Golurk started toward Paul – then an explosion ripped through the room as the blaster shot the Golurk through the wall and into the adjoining conference room.
With the Golurk taken care of, Paul and his Pokémon approached Foswell, who had not fared well against the ferocious Purrloin. "You'll pay for this, Burks," the man seethed.
Paul glared down at his boss as Bisharp pressed a blade against the man's neck. "Where's Cochran?"
IC: Erin Cochran – Opelucid Advanced Technologies, Opelucid City Erin Cochran hastily tossed her lab notes into her bag, along with any other equipment she deemed pertinent and easy to carry. She didn't know what was going on, but the building was clearly under attack.
"What about me?" Cochran paused her frantic packing to look over at the stonecutter who had been handcuffed to the desk. Foswell had brought in Anson Brawns as a consultant, but he had been treated more like a prisoner. Cochran had pushed his inhumane treatment out of her mind, for he had been incredibly useful in extracting the stardust particles from the raw sand that had been delivered.
"Foswell has the keys to your cuffs," Cochran said, going back to packing. "Until he gets here, there's nothing I can do."
"So you're saving yourself in the name of science, is that it?" Brawns spoke in a calm, matter-of-fact tone, but the words stung Cochran like a dagger.
"What we are doing here, Mr. Brawns, is the key to a better world. Do you not see the importance of our research?" Cochran paused by a glass container filled with a swirling black mist. She hesitated only a moment before disconnecting it from the larger contraption it had been attached to and carrying it under her arm. She headed for the door without sparing Brawns a backwards glance.
"Going somewhere, Erin?" The Madame and her Wobbuffet stood in the doorway. They both wore an irate scowl on their faces. Cochran nearly dropped the container in her arms from the shock.
"M-madame Wob! They're signaling us to evacuate, so I-"
"We are not abandoning this project!" Wob snapped. "Not when we're so close! That girl and her father are loose in the building. We need to finish this so we can put an end to them!"
"B-but Madame, we're not ready for live tests yet!" Cochran stammered. "Our simulations show only a 60% chance of success, and that's depending on the subject--"
"I've read the notes, Cochran." Wob forced her way into the room, pushing the scientist back. Her Wobbuffet stood guard at the door, offering a salute to compliment the placid smile on its face. "I've also read your conclusion that the Eevee family's unstable genetic code makes it the perfect match for this experiment."
"That's only theoretical—"
"Put that canister back and place your Espeon in the chamber," the Madame demanded. Cochran balked at the order. The Madame leaned forward and spoke in a voice dripping with acid. "Don't make me ask you again, Erin."
It was Brawns who came to Erin's defense. "Now Madame, I'm sure you of all people should understand that experimentation without proper research can lead to dire consequences. This is a very bad ide-"
"Spare me the lecture, stone-cutter." Wob snatched a glowing shard off of Anson's desk, turning it over in her hands. "You've done your job well, refining this stardust. Now let Miss Cochran do hers."
With a heavy heart, Erin sent out her precious Espeon. The feline Pokémon glanced up at her trainer questioningly. "It's okay, Estelle. I need you to trust me on this." The scientist wrapped her arms around her Pokémon, then led her over to a large metal chamber. The Espeon dutifully climbed into the chamber, never protesting as Cochran closed and locked the door.
As Wob placed the glowing stardust into a slot on the chamber, Cochran replaced the shadowy substance on the machine. She gave one last furtive look at Wob, silently pleading for her to change her mind. The Madame silently walked over to the control panel and turned the machine on.
Immediately the lights started to dim as the machine drew excess power from the building. A mechanical whirling started up, and the chamber the Espeon had been placed in started to glow. Cochran winced as she heard Estelle scream, but there was nothing she could do.
The experiment had begun.
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