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Post by Magical Girl Mimi on Apr 21, 2023 16:14:47 GMT -8
-==IC: Corey Bouchard - Vertrag==-
"Ahh, so that's why..." Corey replied with as quiet a tone as Sonja had used. They very slightly smiled with a nod, as if they were proud for still having their detective intuition despite having taken a break for a few days now. "That makes sense though. But if it's made landfall, there should be at least some backup, right?" Corey looked over to Sonja as a serious expression returned, as they studied her face. "Especially with how it feels like that mission went; most of the group seems relieved, but I noticed a few people seemed shaken up. So, let me go with you, I won't get in your way, but I can at least add my strength if needed." They glanced over to the others. "Besides, it'd be better than making one of the other groups bigger, I feel."
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alku
Technician
Posts: 63
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Post by alku on Apr 23, 2023 6:02:41 GMT -8
IC: Evan Tierra
Evan paused at what Palkia was saying. He definitely knew that he was just the latest Hero of Space, but that didn't diminish the gravity of what had been done. They may have lied to the man, but then he wouldn't have savored life to the fullest. He wouldn't have been able to help then, an even now. "Don't worry about it then." Evan said, smiling at Palkia's Avatar. "The world doesn't need me. No, it -wants- me. It wants me to help save it from the thing menacing it."
"See, I knew I chose right when I chose you to be Hero of Space. But, I must take my leave."
"Thank you, Palkia, for telling me."
"May your mission succeed, and you always find your way." Palkia's Avatar said as it began to disappear. However, as it faded, Evan heard a familiar quote echo in his mind, spoken by the powerful voice of Palkia
"Everything drifts in space... To arrive in the same universe. It is the blessing of Palkia".
Gnip looked on in wonder, and then walked up to her friend, and rubbed her head against him. "Yeah, yeah. Sorry girl. Guess Palkia had to say all that." Evan said cheerfully. "Let's go see Jenny and the others."
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Post by Parugi on Apr 23, 2023 11:51:42 GMT -8
IC - James Arthur Comm:
Sonja's response arrived after a few moments. "Per my last message, I've been in Alola around two days. At the time those attacks happened I was training with Agent Ethan Worth on the Four Island coast; I cannot speak to why but I was not attacked at that time."
IC - Sonja Baron - Vertrag:
Sonja sighed. "Well, it's not like I could stop you from tagging along if I wanted to," she said. "I'm planning to head out first thing in the morning, so just be ready by then."
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Post by Konuju on Apr 24, 2023 15:39:17 GMT -8
IC: Z-Warrior Zoe Llyan/Beast/Tracer/Drifter - Mount LanakilaThe rest of the day had a quiet, tense air about it. Beast had discovered three-toed tracks in the snow leading away from the remains of the Beartic. So naturally, the group went in the opposite direction of the tracks. This quickly proved to be the more difficult path. Steep slopes and narrow ledges kept everyone on their toes, and it was all anyone could do to keep from tumbling down the side of the mountain. Zoe imagined with some annoyance that the tracks would have led them down an easy path, opening up in a wide bowl and gently sloping all the way to the base of the mountain. At least, that was better than the other thought that lurked in the dark corners of her mind — that even with avoiding the tracks, they could all end up a bloodied mess like that poor Beartic. She tried not to think about that, just like she tried not to think about all the death and destruction she had seen in Kalos, or the looming threat of Missing Zero. No, the world of Warrior Princesses and Aura Guardians was much more appealing. As Zoe traversed a narrow stretch of snow and ice, she pushed those dark thoughts away, along with the nagging feeling in the back of her mind that Collie might have been right to keep her off the front lines. What a ridiculous idea. *** "We should stop here for the night." Drifter motioned to a small cave set into the side of a steep slope. "Here?" Tracer argued, glancing at the setting sun. "It ain't even dark yet. Surely we can get to the bottom of this slope by dark." It took all of Drifter's patience not to punch her teammate in the jaw. She exhaled slowly through pursed lips, letting the cool air of the mountain keep her from a sudden outburst. "If you want to sleep in the trees, be my guest," she said in a voice as cold as the icy snow around them. "But I'd prefer to sleep the relative warmth of a cave. It's smaller than the one we had last night, but Braixen can build us a fire, and it's at least a shelter over our heads." "I'm with her," Beast said, setting down his bag and settling into the cave. He pulled out the berries they had gathered that day and began mixing them together. "C'mon, Tracer. I'll cook us a better dinner than the breakfast we had, at least." As Beast began to cook, Drifter noticed Zoe sitting off by herself, lost in thought. The girl hadn't said much of anything since that incident with the Beartic. It had shocked all of them, but Drifter worried Z was too young to handle such a gruesome scene. Every time she tried to talk with her, Zoe just gave quiet, one-word responses or silent nods, and Drifter got the feeling she was only half paying attention anyway. The scary part wasn't the sudden shift in Zoe's demeanor, but how familiar it was. After all, hadn't Drifter herself acted much the same way after the accident . . . ? The countless hours holed up in her room . . . dodging or ignoring the concerned questions of her friends and family . . . it all felt too familiar. Back then, Drifter just wanted to be left alone, shut off from the rest of the cruel world. Was that what Z-Warrior wanted, too? "Drifter?" A sudden hand on her shoulder made her flinch. "Sorry," Beast said, yanking his hand back as one would from a hissing Seviper. "You weren't answering me, so I thought . . ." "No, I'm sorry," Drifter said with a sigh, turning away from Zoe. "I don't know what's happening to me. Why I . . . care so much." "Th-that's a good, thing, right?" Beast held her gaze for a lingering moment before looking down at the bubbling berry goulash he was stirring over the fire. "I know we've had our differences, but I feel like you're finally starting to open up more. "Ever since . . . you know . . . I swore I'd never get close to anyone again," Drifter muttered, almost to herself. "But now . . ." Beast cautiously looked back up, the soft glow of the fire reflecting off his deep, contemplative eyes. "You know, ever since I first laid eyes on you, I've felt something for you," he said. "Fate's been cruel to you . . . too cruel . . . but you don't have to go through life alone. I'm here for you, Drifter . . ." "She called me sister . . ." Drifter said softly. "I don't know why, but I feel like that title gives me purpose. A reason to still be on this Arceus forsaken world. Her own sister failed her . . . am I mean to take her place?" "Wait a second." Beast blinked. "Are we talking about the same thing . . . ?" "What?" Drifter looked over at Beast in confusion. Perhaps it was just the proximity to the fire, but his cheeks seemed to be glowing as red as a Tamato Berry. "Were you saying something?" Beast stammered for a moment, before Tracer cried out that their dinner was burning. Beast swore as he rapidly spooned the foul-smelling concoction into four small bowls. "S-sorry about that," he said, passing out the bowls. "Hey – where'd Z go?" Drifter looked back at the mouth of the cave and swore. Zoe had vanished without a trace. *** The cold wind bit at Zoe's bare arms as she stumbled away from the campsite. She wasn't sure what compelled her to leave, but she couldn't just sit still any longer. She had to get out of that stuffy cave. Her Pokémon dutifully followed her, but she barely noticed. It wasn't until she climbed to the top of a ledge and looked up at the waning moon and the countless stars that colored the night sky that she finally collapsed, arms spread out as if she was about to make a snow angel. But instead of moving her arms and legs, she sank into the snow like she would a soft bed and let out a long sigh. "Why am I like this?" she asked her Pokémon. Esmeralda and Merida exchanged concerned looks while Kida and Stitch cocked their heads in confusion. Zoe shook her head. “Why do I lose myself in these silly games I play? Z-Warrior — it’s no different than being a Warrior Princess or a Moon Princess or an Aura Master like Collie. It’s all a load of Granbull. It’s one thing to play pretend on the beach with Mr. Bard. It’s another thing entirely to be trapped on a mountain at 30,000 feet, struggling every step of the way just to survive. Drifter and the others think I’m this great warrior come to save them from Missing Zero. And I want to be. But who am I kidding? I don’t have what it takes. I’m no better than everyone says I am — Collie’s silly kid sister, the crazy daydreamer.” Stitch floated above Zoe with a soft coo. As Zoe looked up at the Cosmog, she saw his body blend in with the bright stars hanging above them. A melancholic smile played on her lips. "You get what I'm talking about, don't you, Stitch?" She pulled the cosmic Pokémon into a hug. "Drifter and the others say you're special. Some sort of Legendary Pokémon or something. But you don't feel Legendary, do you? You still get scared and find yourself running from creepy jellyfish. Why was that thing chasing you in the first place?” Stitch buried himself deeper in her arms and gave a soft cry. His little arms shook as he looked up at the stars above them. The moonlight illuminated the longing expression on his face. “Do you . . . even know who you really are?” Zoe asked softly. Stitch gave his best impression of a shrug. Zoe held an arm up in the air, staring at her spiked wristband and painted nails. “I’m not sure if I know, either,” she mumbled. “I stole this whole outfit. Collie and my parents would be mortified to hear that. I hardly believe it myself. Is that who I really am?” As Stitch looked on with wide eyes, Esmeralda placed a comforting hand on Zoe’s shoulder. Zoe held her gaze for a moment before looking back up at the stars. “I’ve spent so long with my head in the clouds, I’ve forgotten what the world around me even looks like. Why is it that when I finally find people who believe in me, I stop believing in myself?” Zoe fell into a long silence, holding her Pokémon as she contemplated her situation. The silence was broken by a piercing scream. Zoe suddenly bolted up. “That came from the direction of the camp!” She cried. Stitch gave her a nervous look, while her other Pokémon shifted into fighting poses. Pushing her pondering thoughts aside, Zoe raced back to the cave where she had left her friends. Images of the carved-out Beartic flashed in her mind. And she ran all the faster, dreading what she would find at the campsite.
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Post by minun4 on Apr 27, 2023 15:35:18 GMT -8
IC: Jamie Arthur - Mt. Silver
The gunshots caught the immediate attention of the Rockets and their Pokemon. Jamie and Tristan were the first to react. Jamie ordered Tristan to fight the Mediant, while she pulled out Geraint and Lucan’s Great Balls. Tristan flew towards the Meadiant. Though the distance was not great, the chaos of the situation made the seconds it took precious and in short supply.
While the Rocket Soldiers were emptying their magazines into the Meadiant, the bullets were being absorbed by sprouting cotton bulbs on its body. Chuckling, it swung its stop sign into one of the Rocket’s sides, sending him and his weapon sprawling. It raised the sign above its head, chortling as it began to bring it down on Bargra’s head. Only for it to be unable to move the sign.
Tristan held back the Meadiant’s weapon with telekinetic force. It refused to budge despite the Meadiant’s pulling. Conceding its weapon, it turned its focus on Tristan and raised a giant vine from the earth. The Meadiant slammed it down on Tristan’s head, upon which the one vine revealed itself to be a tangled monstrosity that latched on to Tristan’s various arms, whilst more vines smacked him around.
Two Ice Beams traveled the length of the vines as Lucan reached Tristan. As Lucan froze the entire mass, Lancelot chopped the frozen vines and Geraint the Buizel dragged the downed Rocket Soldier away from the fight. The Meadiant leaped at Lucan, seizing him and with a spin threw him far away. As Lancelot chopped the last of the vines, Tristan shot out back towards the Meadiant.
Tristan and the Meadiant exchanged punches. With his additional limbs, Tristan got more punches in. But while he expected the Meadiant’s cotton armor would absorb some of his blows, he didn’t expect that the Meadiant’s own punches would feel so light. He didn’t quite notice the rainbow light covering his body, softening his opponent’s blows. The Meadiant’s chuckling took a deeper pitch as it grew more frustrated. As it reeled from one of Tristan’s punches, it picked up the stop sign it had dropped. Tristan moved in for another attack, but the Meadiant adopted a slugger’s stance. As Tristan’s four fists approached, their target sidestepped the focal point of the attack. The Meadiant slammed the sign knocking straight through the Aurora Veil that had protected him. The Meadiant laughed as it saw the metal monster go flying, not noticing Lilinoe had approached until she was right in front of him.
She shined briefly before an equally brief pulse of light emanated from her. When it covered the Meadiant, ice built up in its veins, spreading throughout its whole body, until the whole creature resembled a statue of permafrost. Lancelot followed up on the attack, by bashing the statue to pieces with a Bullet Punch.
Spearow and another Rocket were tending to the injured Rocket. Spearow had a frown on his face. Even through his armor, Mayday had broken several bones. Bargra was still fine, but they would need to give up even more resources to send back the injured Rocket safely. The mission's chance of success was getting worse with each incident. Spearow said. “Turner, figure out our heading. We can’t get bogged down before we even find our target.”
Turner nodded and with her Nosepass poured over information on her comm device. Spearow looked at the two Pokemon who were standing over the frozen pieces of the Meadiant. They still needed to question the old woman who had arrived on an active battlefield, but he could see where some of the confidence to come onto one came from. Spearow turned back to Jamie.
“Are your Pokémon okay to keep going?” he asked.
Not to worry, sir. I am as fit as a fiddle, Tristan shouted from where Grummore was tending to Lucan and himself.
“With a bit of healing from Grummore, both of them will be ready for another round,” Jamie said. “Just… tag out for now, Tristan. Lancelot and Pelleas can take over for now.”
Tristan pouted just slightly as his fiercest rivals were given the honor of taking over the vanguard. But that blow had taken a lot more out of him than he wanted to admit. As you wish, he said, covering up his wounded pride.
Lancelot walked back towards Jamie, who was looking at Lilinoe a little starstruck. “I have to speak with your trainer. We need to battle sometime.”
Lilinoe stood where she was, considering Jamie. She didn’t yet know what to make of the artificial copy of the boy she entrusted Lancelot to.
Turner’s Nosepass suddenly turned, breaking its magnetic lock on North and focusing on another distant location. Turner turned to Spearow, “Sir, we have a lock on the target’s location. Another wave is gonna hit the base if we don’t hurry.”
Spearow considered the situation, whether it was worth it to continue, before saying “Let’s move.”
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Post by Parugi on Apr 27, 2023 15:42:55 GMT -8
IC - Sonja Baron/Madison Hayes - Vertrag Entrance, Melemele Island:
The sun had barely begun to peek over the horizon when Sonja, Corey, and Hayes emerged from the depths of Vertrag. Despite the warm climate, the early hours were fairly cool--much colder than Sonja would have expected. Part of her assumed it was their proximity to the ocean that was responsible; another part of her figured it was the growing presence of Missing Zero in the region. Maybe it was just nerves from knowing where she'd be going and what they might run into there. She wasn't certain.
In any case, she drew her coat tighter around herself and looked at her companions. "All right. Off we go."
Hayes stared at her with an inscrutable look in her eye. "Just like that?" she said. "No good-byes or farewells to your friends?"
That look combined with her tone made Sonja bristle. "I'd rather get going now so we can get off of that island as fast as possible," she said. "I'm surprised you of all people would care, anyway."
For a moment Hayes only stared at Sonja. With a brief sigh and a shake of her head, she focused her psychic abilities on herself and her two companions. Drawing on the memory of Poni Breaker Coast from Sonja's mind, she forced reality to warp around them. A moment later they arrived on one of the hills overlooking the beach and the now-abandoned Temple of Hope. The quiet morning of Melemele Island gave way to a cacophony of sound from the beach below, where the glowing form of Missing Zero had proceeded forward by several yards. Red ooze now lapped at the sands of Poni Breaker Coast, drawing in more and more of the fine grains with each passing moment.
The initial vanguard of trainers was nowhere to be seen, replaced now by a relief squad that continued to fight tooth and nail to prevent their enemy from spreading any further. It was hard to tell--impossible, really, considering Missing Zero's nature--how many of them had been able to retreat versus how many had fallen. The burns and blood splatters and pits of earth destroyed by battle did not paint a pretty picture of how the last several hours had gone for them. At the very least, there were almost no normal bodies to be seen amongst the mess below--those that lingered seemed to primarily be fallen Instances now in the process of being devoured again by others like them, presumably for reuse.
Hayes looked down toward their position with an impassive expression. "Brave fighters," she said. "Have to say, they're holding up better than I would've thought." She looked at Corey before turning her gaze to Sonja. "I can see why you didn't want anyone else coming back here with you."
Sonja watched the carnage below, her own face just as blank as her sisters. Wordlessly, she turned northward and began walking in the opposition direction of the coast, toward the position that Ford had marked as Resolution Cave.
They were not alone in their silent vigil. A small figure cloaked in shadow lingered motionless within the trees nearby, its orange eyes set on the relentless struggle against Missing Zero. As the air distorted on the path, delivering the three strangers to Poni Breaker Coast, the creature could not help but shift its attention to them. There was tension in the air between them all, but that tension cloaked a deeper sadness and resolution.
As they turned and headed away, the creature melted into the shadows.
IC - Gavin Braner/Skye Hall - Hau'oli City, Melemele Island:
The benefit of only needing to go into the city was that they did not need to leave insanely early in the morning to get there in a timely manner. The downside about needing to go into the city in the middle of an effort to stop the world from getting enveloped by a giant goo monster was that time was of the essence.
So, with those two conflicting motivations on the mind, the Hau'oli City group ended up leaving around the same time as all of the other groups taking ferries off of the island. It was a pretty quick split once they reached the main road, as the ferries were in one direction and Landon Hall's lab was in another. And it was the latter location which was of interest to Skye and Gavin, as well as Ryan and Colleen by extension, at least as an initial destination. The only unfortunate part of this otherwise delightful and easy trip was the awkward atmosphere between the Rocket Agents and Liberty Agents. True, all were familiar with each other, but it was obvious that these particular individuals had had very little interaction previously.
It was about ten minutes into their walk, with Gavin not saying a single word to anybody and conversation remaining fairly minimum between Ryan and Colleen, that Skye took the tension into her own hands. As she was leading the group toward her brother's lab, she dipped forward and spun around to face the others while continuing to walk backwards.
"So . . ." she said, dragging the word out. "Ryan, Colleen . . . How's it going"
Gavin pinched the bridge of his nose. "Skye . . ."
"I'm just making conversation!" she said defensively. "Not my fault I'm bad at it . . . Well, I mean, I guess it is, but that's just how I am, you know? So, I don't know. I don't do this like ever. Do you guys find it easy to talk to people? I don't, I always get really in my own head about like 'Oh what if I sound weird' or 'I could say something completely wild by accident!' and it just makes me more anxious and--" She gave a little yelp and spun back around. "Let's just go to the lab."
IC - Esen Windred/Kyle Eston - Ferry Port, Melemele Island:
It was a busy morning at the ferry terminal--busier than it had been the last time the group had departed from here, but then again, they had also left a fair amount earlier at that time. The larger group elected to travel together before splitting off--one group taking a different ferry to Ula'ula Island, and then the two groups going to Akala Island would split up once they arrived there.
With their tickets bought, the Ula'ula Group headed off, leaving the Akala Island group to wait for boarding to begin. As they loitered in the terminal seating area, Kyle could not stop himself from anxiously bouncing his foot against the ground. He, Ray, and Lucia sat a little bit away from Chloe, Esen, and Ellen, opting to give each group a little bit more time to get acquainted with each other and figure out their plan of action for the following days. Yet even as Ray and Lucia discussed options, Kyle felt himself not really paying attention, instead glancing every so often at Esen.
There was not much time to dissect what he was thinking or feeling as the gate to the ferry soon opened, and he and the others started to shuffle on.
"Wait! Wait wait wait!"
The commotion was loud enough to make the group stop and look back toward the entrance to the building. A small figure was running toward them, a backpack over his shoulders, a ticket in his hand, and a Phantump trailing urgently behind him. Kyle stared in disbelief as Levi came to a stop in front of him, doubling over and breathing heavily.
"Leif! We caught up!" Levi said. The Phantump clung tightly to his trainer, only giving a tired thumbs up. Levi straightened up, face brightening. "Hi, Mr. Kyle!"
"Levi, what are you doing here?" Kyle asked.
"I want to come with you!" the younger boy said. "We--I mean, I was talking to Ellen yesterday and . . . well . . . I want to help with everything going on! So I may have . . . maybe . . . snuck out after you." He suddenly looked embarrassed, diverting his gaze. "Is . . . is that okay?"
Kyle sighed. Behind them, he could hear the announcement about the ferry leaving. "Come on--we'll talk about this on the way to Akala Island."
IC - Ethan Worth - Ferry to Ula'ula Island:
As the ferry left Melemele Island behind, Ethan leaned against the railing on the deck, watching the landmass disappear into the distance. The Rocket Agent rested his head on his hands, glancing between the shrinking sight and his two companions as they stood off to the side with each other. After some time Evan and Jenny glanced in his direction. Ethan waved, smiling.
"Sup?" he said. "So you guys have previous experience with Tapu Bulu?"
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Post by Magical Girl Mimi on May 1, 2023 1:35:22 GMT -8
-==IC: Corey Bouchard - Poni Island==-
Corey had seen their fair share of things in the past, but seeing the aftermath of the fight against Missing Zero firsthand was something else. They lingered a moment as they took in the gruesome sight, then shook their head and picked up the pace to match back up to the other two.
"I'm surprised there's a group all the way out here," Corey finally spoke once they caught up, their face an attempt to stay neutral like the others. "Like, even without the giant blob attacking everything and everyone, this is pretty out of the way."
-==IC: Colleen Llyan - Hau'oli City, Melemele Island==-
Colleen was caught off guard for a brief moment while Skye nervously talked. She bit her tongue as she recognized how she would act herself sometimes in situations like that. She allowed herself a small smile.
"I totally get it," She said after a second as the group kept walking. "It's going well enough. Could be better with my sister being MIA, a possible friend-or-crush having anti-brainwashing treatment, me having trauma from non-stop shit since July, and the world slowly being eaten by a giant blob, but hey, I'm alive. That matters too, right?" Colleen gave a small shrug, then looked over to Skye. "How about you? Any fancy things going on, or anything in particular we should know about wherever we're headed to first?"
-==IC: Jenny Hakuda - Ferry to Ula'ula Island==-
The waves soothed. The sound of the water gently crashing against the side of the ferry eased Jenny's mind as she watched the sprawling sea and the effects of the wind on the blue surface. For a moment, it was like she had never left Goldenrod City. She breathed in and closed her eyes to enjoy it.
"... and you just tighten this and there you go." The redhead seemed proud as she held up a small gadget that resembled a clock. The black haired boy next to her seemed skeptical despite her triumphant grin.
"Okay, but where's the numbers?" He asked with a grimace as he slightly tilted his head in an attempt to make it make more sense. The girl groaned as she pointed at the small hands on the clock face.
"Right here. I haven't actually designed anything yet so there's just the circles, but you can use your imagination to do the rest. But it's synchronized with the rest of the clocks just the same way, so in theory it shouldn't lose its time unless the mechanical parts break too." She gently placed the clock on a nearby table and stretched. "Hopefully this is enough of a proof of concept for people."
"Right," The boy didn't seem fully convinced, but still nodded. "It's definitely impressive that you managed to make that yourself. There's so many tiny parts, and like, you had to solder it too right?" He looked up as his friend nodded with a confident smile. "Cool. I've never had any luck with that sorta stuff. Yuki and I, we're mostly just good at Pokémon battles." He paused for a moment after speaking. "Okay, maybe Yuki's better at other things too. Still. The fact that you can do something like this is pretty amazing, Jessie, really."
"Tripping over yourself is cute, but not gonna help you with flattery, Ryan," Jessica teased as she cleaned up some of the spare parts on the desk. "Still, thanks, it means a lot. I've always sorta had a knack for mechanical things. Makes it tough for me to really think of what I want to focus on, this sorta thing, or medicine, or what..."
"Well, I'm sure that you'll "Sup?" do great at whatever it is you want..." "So, you guys have previous experience with Tapu Bulu?"
"Huh?" Jenny blinked rapidly as she focused on Ethan's face. She realized that at some point, she had looked over in the direction of Ethan. "Ah, yeah, we helped defend Tapu Bulu a month or so ago, I think it was? Some odd people showed up and tried to kill him, and we happened to be nearby for training, so we tailed them and stopped that." As she stopped talking, she thought about what she had just remembered and wondered what her skills would be like now.
-==IC: Lucia Zyther/Chloe Hikari/Ray Hakuda - Ferry Port, Melemele Island==-
Three heads turned in surprise as Levi ran up. He got a small round of applause from Chloe in particular for how fast he must have run, though Ray gave her a bit of a weird look for it.
"So, which group you headed with, kiddo?" Chloe asked as the group began to jog toward the ferry again. "Kyle's, or ours?"
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alku
Technician
Posts: 63
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Post by alku on May 2, 2023 4:29:30 GMT -8
IC: Evan Tierra
"We also have a Pokémon who can do what Bulu does, so hopefully that'll give us even more leverage with Bulu." Evan said, smiling as he enjoyed the ebb and flow of the ferry. "What about you, Ethan? What do you bring to the table?"
"I assure you, Evan. I do more than just imitate Tapu Bulu." Landorus spoke in a rumbling tone. "I willingly provide my power and aid to the people of Unova. From what I recall, Tapu Bulu is more of a lazy sort."
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Post by Konuju on May 3, 2023 5:29:40 GMT -8
Ryan Sanders - Hau’oli City, Melemele Island A soft smile played on Ryan’s lips as he listened to Skye’s nervous rambling and Colleen’s friendly response.
“I think I see the issue,” he said. “Colleen and I already know each other, we have for a few months now. And it seems you and Gavin know each other fairly well. But we don’t really know each other. So why don’t we share a bit of our life stories? How we all got here? I think that will help this mission be less awkward, if we can all know a bit more about each other than just what’s in our résumés.”
IC: Ellen Burks - Ferry Terminal, Melemele Island Ellen looked over in surprise as Levi ran up to Kyle’s group. As the crowd began making their way onto the ferry bound for Akala Island, Ellen maneuvered herself closer to Kyle and Levi. She was just in time to overhear the boy’s explanation . . . of how she had inspired him to take action.
That’s great, Levi! Symbio said in the minds of the present members of Vorhut. You’re willing to stand up and take action for what you believe in. The world needs more men like you.
“Ignore him,” Ellen said, sharply elbowing the Reuniclus by her side. “But that is really admirable. I’m . . . honored that I could have that sort of inspiration on someone.”
She turned her head as Chloe gave her input. “That’s a good point,” she said, smiling back at Levi. “Are you planning on going after Tapu Lele, or Team Valor and that weird cult?”
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Post by Parugi on May 6, 2023 12:40:57 GMT -8
IC - Sonja Baron/Madison Hayes - Poni Island:
"Yeah, actually though," Sonja said. She glanced at Hayes. "Who are these people, anyway? There's no way you and Ford weren't able to dig something up on them."
"We were--mainly police records, hardly anything relevant," Hayes said. "This region is home to multiple gangs; each one claimed one of the islands as their home. Team Mystic's is Poni Island. They were already reclusive before Missing Zero appeared, and it would appear that in its wake they have retreated further into the shadows. Unlike Team Skull, they refused to abandon their island at the first sign of an invasion."
"That could be very brave of them, if they were actually helping," Sonja said. "Although right now 'stubborn' sounds more appropriate."
"I cannot say I disagree," Hayes said, suppressing a slightly amused smile. She looked around at their surroundings, gaze sweeping over the fresh grass, the trees and stones.
Sonja glanced at her. "Something on your mind?"
Hayes shook her head. "It's been a long time since I've just . . . taken it in." She gestured to their surroundings. "It's . . . pleasant. Yet it's much quieter than it should be."
Sonja stared at her for a moment. "It is." She looked ahead again, saying nothing else on the subject. After a moment, she looked at Corey. "So, Corey. How'd you get involved in the group? I don't think we ever really introduced ourselves."
IC - Gavin Braner/Skye Hall - Hau'oli City, Melemele Island:
In all honesty Skye wasn't sure what to make of Colleen's response--it certainly sounded like she should have been in a worse mood than she was letting on. Thankfully Ryan's addition to the conversation eased her mind somewhat.
"Y-Yeah, actually it's a funny story," she said. "Sooo I'm from Johto and then was going to college and then kind of got, uh . . . peer pressured into joining a smalltime criminal group that took over I think the Celadon Department Store? Team Zephyr? Not sure if you guys heard about them but it was, uh . . . not my finest moment. So now I'm with Team Rocket . . . on parole . . ." She paused as realization dawned on her. "Holy shit, I just realized that I'm a straight-up criminal. Is this what being a criminal is like? Is me being involved in saving the world my karma for all of that?"
"Relax, karma's not real," Gavin said. "Besides, half of Team Rocket is made up of criminals. You're not special."
"Gee, thanks," Skye said, rolling her eyes. "In any case, since you asked, Colleen--my brother is researching biomechanical augmentations here in Alola and he's got something for Gavin. He's also got a good ear for local gossip so we should be able to get a good idea of where we can find the people we're looking for. Hopefully." She rubbed the back of her head. "Anyway, what about you guys? No judgment if you're also boxed criminals, since, you know . . . same."
IC - Esen Windred/Kyle Eston - Ferry to Akala Island:
"Thanks, hehe," Levi said. He appeared rather uncomfortable by all the attention he was receiving, blushing deeply and rubbing the back of his head, but he seemed to be doing a much better job of handling it then usual. By now the group had managed to board and find some free seats in the main cabin of the ferry. "I was hoping to go with Mr. Kyle's group." He glanced up at the older boy. "If I can. Like I said, I want to help."
As Kyle set his bag down on a seat, he glanced at Levi. Behind the younger boy, Esen met his eye, giving him a look as if to say, Well?
Kyle took a breath, checking his Pokétch. "Yeah, you can stick with us," he said. "As safer as you'd be in Vertrag, we don't exactly have the luxury of time to get you back there. I'll send a message back to them and let them know." He stooped down, meeting Levi at eye level. "But you have to promise me that you will do exactly as I say if we run into anything dangerous, okay? And that you'll stay close by. Deal?"
Levi nodded. "I promise."
"Good," Kyle said. He stood up, looking around. His eye settled briefly on a little store inside of the cabin. "I'm going to quickly grab some extra supplies. It's a bit of a trip to Akala, so we've got some time to relax. Just don't get too relaxed . . . or do anything too crazy . . . or anything like that?" He glanced away, hyperconscious of the others looking at him. "Anyway . . . I'll be right back."
IC - Ethan Worth - Ferry to Ula'ula Island:
"Ah, good--sounds like Tapu Bulu owes you guys a favor, then," Ethan said, smiling. "Me, I think I've got a pretty strong team. I've also got this guy." He held up the strange Poké Ball containing Stan. "Skye told me not to send him out unless he's absolutely needed, but this boy here? He's an Ultima Beast . . . or something like that. I've been itching to see what kind of damage he can do to something like Missing Zero." He pocketed the ball. "Sounds like our plan of action is pretty straightforward, though--find Tapu Bulu, ask him for help, yada yada yada, profit, yeah? Maybe bust a few skulls if those same people you fought off come back again?"
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Post by Magical Girl Mimi on May 6, 2023 15:04:00 GMT -8
-==IC: Corey Bouchard - Poni Island==-
"Well, aside from that time that we met up in Goldenrod a couple months ago when you were all busy heading wherever it was that you did," Corey began as they glanced over at Sonja once more. "It's a pretty long story on how I ended up in this position, but the short of it is that I used to be one of Yu-- I mean, Chloe and Liv's best friends." They rubbed the back of their head awkwardly. "Sorry, force of habit, she used to go by her middle name all the time we were in school, before everything fell apart for her when her home city was attacked."
They looked up to the blue sky with a wistful expression. "But basically while those two got to live a normal life up until a few years ago, me and another friend of ours kinda started to fend for ourselves on the streets after a series of events; I ran away because a group called Cipher recruited my no-good father to one of their side companies, and Kazuma got brought into the fold after Ecruteak was attacked a few years ago." Corey took a breath as they looked back down and crossed their arms. "It's been a while since I've really been in contact with Chloe or Liv though; Chloe invited me to meet up in Ecruteak the other day to catch up before any world ending events happened, though Liv couldn't make it. Hopefully one day I'll catch up with her though - but anyway, it was during that when those shadow thingamajiggies attacked us, and I kinda got caught up in the rest of the whirlwind that happened afterward. But... it feels nice to be able to help out." They gave a confused smile to Sonja. "I don't know how to describe it, the situation sucks, but it feels like I'm able to do more with myself than just being a street vigilante, you know?"
-==IC: Colleen Llyan - Hau'oli City, Melemele Island==-
"Ah, I'm not a criminal myself as it stands," Colleen spared a glance toward Ryan after she answered, as she recalled some of the stories he had told about the encounters with the Hojohsin League on their way to the showdown against Ford on Two Island. "I wish I could say I'm just some average person instead, but it's a lot more complicated than that. I spent a good chunk of my childhood being taught how to use, see, and manipulate Aura." To emphasize her point, she held her hand out palm up and created a small sphere of auraric energy. "Since I got back to Kanto in July, I've been... kinda run off my feet. A lot has happened that I never would have dreamed of happening across ten or more years, but it's all been packed into 4 long months of stuff. Some days all I can do is really put my feet forward and put on a mask that I'm 'okay'." As she said that, the proverbial mask slipped a bit as Colleen stared ahead in melancholy, putting one foot in front of the other as she walked. She looked over to Skye with a slightly forced smile. "But... even so... it's not all been bad. Things are dire right now, but we aren't giving up. And if it weren't for these experiences, then I might not have figured out different things; I might still just be the dutiful aura wielder soldier who doesn't question anything and is just thrown at targets like a weapon. I might never have found friends who accept me with these powers without judging me."
Colleen paused in her steps as she realized that she had begun to ramble and talk a bit too much. She shook her head slightly to clear it a little. "Ah, I did realize something though, I guess I am maybe wanted in Kalos a bit unless things changed there lately. A bunch of stuff happened a couple months ago, and Team Rocket and us were blamed for it, though from what I gathered your friend Lucia was able to diffuse that a bit?"
-==IC: Chloe Hikari/Ray Hakuda/Lucia Zyther - Ferry to Akala Island==-
"Great to have you on board, Levi." Ray said with a grin. He was tempted to get mischievous, but had a feeling that Kyle might object to that, especially with the mention of not doing anything too crazy. Still... He casually put his hands into his hoodie pockets. "Say, Levi, have you ever seen a magic trick?"
Chloe raised her eyes skeptically to what Ray said, as she had a sudden bad feeling for some reason. Nonetheless, she shook her head as she placed her hand on her chin and watched. Lucia, meanwhile decided to kick back a bit. Sure, Kyle said not to get too relaxed, but at the same time, there wasn't much else to do at the current moment. "So, Chloe, where's Ryan been this whole time?"
"Huh? I mean, we just saw him off, didn't we?" Chloe responded in confusion as she ran her hand through her hair and twirled the ends of it. Lucia half-closed her eyes and stared at Chloe as a low groan emitted from her.
"Too many people with the same name..." Lucia mumbled as she raised a hand to her face. "No, not the guy who went off with Colleen, the other Ryan, the one who we left with you in Celadon. Famous guy from One Island, ran off with Willows?"
Chloe froze as she looked up at Lucia, who seemed completely unaware of what had happened. Her breath hitched as she realized that in the chaos of all that had happened in Kalos, she had never told Lucia about how their mutual brother had died. "Ah... That is... say, fill you in when we get back? I mean, who knows how long that story will take. And I don't really know all the details anyway, so we should probably wait for Jenny too." Chloe laughed nervously, then looked over to Esen to change the subject as she twisted in her seat to face her. "So, whatcha think we should do first after we rendezvous with the person I need to meet on Akala?"
Lucia tilted her head with a slightly confused look at how evasive Chloe got there. It felt like there was something that wasn't being said, but she wasn't quite sure what. Still... Chloe brought up enough good points that she didn't question it for the moment. But once everyone was back, then she'd ask again, and hopefully get an answer this time.
-==IC: Jenny Hakuda - Ferry to Ula'ula Island==-
"An Ultima Beast?" Jenny raised an eyebrow. "You mean an Ultra Beast? How did you manage to get your hands on one of those? Were you in Alola a few years ago?" She thought about what Ethan said a bit further, and then nodded. "Definitely sounds like the best plan though! Tapu Fini definitely gave us a run for our money, but I'm sure with everything we have going for us, we can avoid as dangerous a fight as we had back there..." She moved to cross her arms with a confident smirk before she remembered that she was missing a key ingredient to that, then simply leaned against the railing in an equally cool and confident pose with a small cough to cover up her near faux pas.
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Post by Parugi on May 7, 2023 13:33:25 GMT -8
IC - Sonja Baron/Madison Hayes - Poni Island:
"It is quite a jump from street patrols to Legendary Pokémon," Sonja agreed, thinking back on where she had personally started out. It was hard to believe that she had originally been assigned to glorified tour guide duties. Something that Corey had said was gnawing at her, prompting a frown. "Wait, Goldenrod? When did we--" Then it hit her. She stopped walking, staring at Corey. "Oh. Right."
Hayes stopped too, looking between Sonja and Corey. She did not need to be psychic to sense the discomfort and embarrassment emanating from Sonja. Silently, she continued past them, giving them some space to speak more privately.
"Yeah, I guess we did meet, didn't we?" Sonja said. She rubbed the back of her head. "I'm sorry, there was a lot going on so that . . . completely slipped my mind. How did that stuff with . . . was it Nikki? How'd that all shake out?"
IC - Gavin Braner/Skye Hall - Hau'oli City, Melemele Island:
Skye tilted her head. "Honestly we haven't talked much about what happened in Kalos, although she seemed pretty pleased with the news that came out a few weeks ago about President Chalmers over there . . . or I guess former President Chalmers. So I guess she did something." She clasped her hands together and turned to Colleen, a glint of excitement in her eye. "What an exciting life, though! So you've basically got super powers? What's it like? How difficult are they to use?"
IC - Esen Windred/Kyle Eston - Ferry to Akala Island:
"A magic trick?" Levi's eyes lit up. "I've never seen on in person. Can you do magic, Mr. Ray?"
Esen was in the middle of adjusting the supplies in her bag when Lucia addressed her. "Well," she said. "I can't imagine it'll be too difficult to track down any sort of street sermon about Missing Zero. I say we join the crowd and see where it goes from there."
IC - Ethan Worth - Ferry to Ula'ula Island:
"Nope, never been to Alola," Ethan said. "Some scientist-looking guy dropped Stan's Poké Ball at the Four Island airport a few months ago and got through security before I could catch up to him. Still haven't heard anything about him coming back, so I figured I'd keep Stan on hand until then." He shrugged. "So I guess that gives us a side-objective to keep an eye out for any antsy science-looking folks."
IC - ? - Secluded Shore, Ula'ula Island:
The boat came to a slow stop on the waters of the shore. Ocean waves lapped at his feet as he hopped out, splashing into the water and moving forward onto land. Behind him, a large quadrupedal Pokémon followed, its talons splashing in the waves and reflecting the sun as it trotted after its trainer. As the pair moved further along the beach, the boy stopped, pulling out his communicator and checking something.
"Jeez, rush me, why don't you . . . Surprised she even cares . . ." he muttered. He clicked the device closed and pocketed it. "Come on, Null--let's just hurry up and get this done."
IC - ? - Heahea City, Akala Island:
The sun shone bright on light and happy Heahea City. Heahea. A name that itself reminded of laughter. So it was that in the hustle and bustle of the city, laughter filled the streets as friends gathered, family toured, and street entertainers did their thing to uproarious applause. It was perfect temperature, perfect weather, a perfect day for what was nearly a perfect city. Nearly perfect. For, yes, the city had its fair share of negatives--the gangs that roamed parts of town, homes and buildings here and there that had fallen into disrepair, and the occasional homeless person finding sleep wherever they could. But all these things aside, these normal things that could be found anywhere, Heahea was as near to paradise as one could find in the tropical region of Alola.
It was a bright blight in his sight, a sickeningly sweet and stable story of a place that easily produced more pleasure and play than it did pain or plight. And why shouldn't it, when it had all these wonderful things going for it? All such things that made it a fine resource, very fine indeed.
The congregation moved through the streets like any normal day, twelve ambassadors of the Great Eater that looked just like any other normal person. They carried speakers to their normal place, they set them up on their normal stage, greeted their fellows like normal people greeted each other with plentiful "Alolas!" and "Alohas!" and hand clasps and smiles.
But it was not a normal day, because today it was not twelve, but thirteen. And as the thirteenth made his first foray into public speaking since--wow, since so long it had been--he lowered his hood to reveal his dark mane of hair, set the loop of his cane around the back of a chair, and lifted the microphone to his lips with a smile as bright as the yellow tulips that decorated every corner of this sweet, savory, sad city.
"People of Heahea! Thank you so much for once again opening your arms and allowing us to grace your streets with our presence! You, sir!" The man walking by halted, comically pointing to himself. "Yes, sir, you! Tell me, sir . . ." The speaker grinned. "What if I could offer you freedom from all of your fears and phobias--each and every one of those insignificant anxieties that hold you back from your full, unbridled potential?"
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Post by Parugi on May 7, 2023 15:21:42 GMT -8
IC - Evac Team Heaven Sing (Executive Josiah Lorn, Jordan Robins, Gargi Sultana, Wilford Brannon)/Evac Team Royal Watch (Executive Jessica Ortrune, Jackson Sang, Dalila Pond, Pelle Byrne) - Rocket Research Facility, Cinnabar Island: PreviousSomething was wrong. By now the evacuations from the lab should have been complete. But there was a lone transport helicopter sitting on the helipad, its blades spinning continuously in preparation for a take-off that never occurred. There were no signs of any of the individuals that should have boarded that chopper, either--nor the pilot. These were all obvious facts that each of the squad members could pick up from their position on the hill overlooking the lab. At this point, it was just a matter of letting Ortrune make a determination on their next course of action. And while they were pressed for time, Sang could not blame her for taking a pause to consider what to do--it was certainly not a position he would want to be in given the situation. “Well?” Robins spoke up, tapping his foot impatiently on the ground. “Are we going in or not?” “That’s not the question I’m debating,” Ortrune said. “Then what’s the matter? We’ve got to blow the place up anyway, right?” “The matter is whether we split up or not,” Ortrune said. “You’re making a strong case for doing so.” “Hey, that’s pretty funny--for a Rocket.” “Robins, stop.” Lorn looked at Ortrune. “If I can make a suggestion? Two out here, keep the chopper running and ready for lift-off. The rest go in, set the self-destruct, and check for anyone lagging behind.” Ortrune nodded. “Seems fair enough. You know how to fly?” Lorn nodded. “I’ll trust the piloting to you, then. Byrne, stay here and help support. The rest of you, follow me.” Inside of the lab was no less eerie than the outside had been. The main power had been shut off, leaving whatever emergency power supply remained to provide illumination of the interior. Low-lit sconces lined the walls of the main hallway, and floor lights ran along the bottom edge of each wall to provide some semblance of navigation to the place, but other than that, it was nearly pitch-black. And the silence, that deep, artificial silence of a place that intended to keep its secrets from the world, that only made it worse. If it weren’t for the protective suit of armor each of them wore, Sang might have had goosebumps. Tracer felt that instead; as he looked down at his arms, the Ditto’s form shivered slightly around him. “So what was this station for, anyway?” he asked. Even at a whisper, he could tell from the team’s sudden jumps that his voice was almost deafening in comparison to what was around them. “That’s classified information,” Ortrune said. “You know that.” “Sure, but that’s usually code for ‘something extremely dangerous,’” Sang responded. “I’d prefer to know what it is if there’s a possibility that Missing Zero has gotten a hold of it.” “That would have been the first thing taken out of here,” she pointed out. “How about some breadcrumbs?” Brannon asked. “A nice little campfire story to ease our nerves while we navigate the wannabe-space station from Hell.” “Pretty please?” Sang said, looking in Ortrune’s direction. His face was not visible behind his helmet, but if he could, he would have given her a puppy-dog look. “With sugar on top? Maybe some ice cream, considering how warm it’s getting in here?” Ortrune sighed. “For fuck’s sake, am I working with professionals or children?” she said. “Fine, I’ll give you a nibble of information. It was something to do with—” “Wait, do you all see that?” The group paused, looking closer at where Pond was pointing. Ahead of them lay a blast door that opened into a larger control room. Much like the rest of the facility so far, the place was dark except for the occasional guide light. Except there was also a massive, rising crater in the ground that was alight like coals from a smoldering fire. It had burned through rock, concrete, and steel, and seemed to have swept across the entirety of the command center. Looking in, it was clear that the intense heat from whatever had caused this had started to melt many of the electronics within the room. A body lay at the doorway, charred completely black, with only parts of the uniform giving any indication as to their identity as the missing helicopter pilot. Inside of the room, someone was humming. As the squad slowly approached, Power Suits ready for battle, they peered through the dark in search of their mysterious guest. They found him standing before a console on a raised platform toward the west. Normally that wall functioned as a massive screen that kept a constant analysis running of Mt. Cinnabar, but at the moment it remained as dark as anything else in the facility. Only the figure’s silhouette was visible against the glow of the screen in front of him. As they filed in, careful not to make any noise, the humming suddenly stopped. The squad froze, weapons and gauntlets raised and ready. The figure clicked his tongue. “Sneaking up on a fellow? Now that’s no way to treat a guest, is it?” “Raise your hands above your head and step away from the console,” Ortrune ordered. “I won’t ask twice.” Slowly, he complied. With a nod toward Pond, the Steel-Type Operator began to move forward to apprehend him. However, as she moved up the steps and entered within view of his face, Pond froze. “You’re . . .?” “Pond?” Ortrune called. The Rocket Agent looked between her superior and the man in front of her, clearly alarmed. “Ma’am, it’s—” The man turned his head toward her. Even from a distance and in silhouette, a smile was evident on his face. “So glad to see my reputation continues to precede me.” He turned. In the glow of the lingering magma, the squad could see the man’s dark red eyes reflecting the light as if he were some sort of demon. His short, brown hair was styled immaculately, and just as well was he dressed in the same uniform that Sang had last seen him in. Even in the sweltering heat that was beginning to permeate through the protection of the Power Suits, the man did not appear any less at ease. “James Pierce,” he said, giving a slight bow of his head. “You may know me as the former leader of Hoenn, operating in the name of the Hojohsin League.”
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Post by Konuju on May 8, 2023 9:33:10 GMT -8
Ryan Sanders - Hau’oli City, Melemele Island Perhaps it was Colleen’s surprisingly nonchalant admittance that everything wasn’t alright. Or maybe it was hearing again her story of how she’d been trained and valued only for her powers. Whatever it was, Ryan felt the need to step between Colleen and Skye, as if shielding the former from the latter’s barrage of questions.
“Let’s save the questions for another time,” he said quickly. “We . . . wouldn’t want any prying ears to overhear.” He made a brief motion to the street around them, which was actually surprisingly empty compared to the bustling main street of Hau’oli they’d been on earlier.
Before anyone could question him on his reasoning, Ryan changed the subject. “Besides, you haven’t heard my story yet. And while Colleen’s lack of a criminal status is indisputable, mine’s a little more questionable.” He offered Skye a mysterious smile before launching into his story.
“I grew up in Fortree City, Hoenn. Unlike Colleen, I didn’t have any explicit ties to Team Liberty, but I was never the biggest fan of the Rocket government. No offense.” He nodded at Gavin before continuing. “Anyway, turns out Brendan Ruby, son of the Gym Leader Norman, got himself into a bit of trouble on Liberty business and lost his Pokédex. It was found by a Liberty agent who also happened to be a friend of my parents. I’m a little fuzzy on the exact details, but apparently this guy was on the run from Team Rocket so he hid Ruby’s Pokédex with my parents so it wouldn’t be confiscated, since it had some top secret information or something. Rocket tracked it down anyway and arrested my parents for affiliation with Team Liberty. But I managed to escape—with the Pokédex.”
Ryan reached into his pocket for a demonstration, and felt his heart sink a little as he remembered he had returned the Pokédex to its rightful owner. He’d had the device for so long that he still expected it to be there. “Anyway, Rocket’s arrest of my parents led me to Team Liberty. On the run and with nowhere to go, I joined up with them and went on some missions to recruit Legendary Pokémon and Gym Leaders to their cause. I did get arrested by the Hojohsin League after they took over Hoenn, simply for being part of Team Liberty. But seeing how that whole League was run by Ford, I’d say I’ve been pardoned. Then there’s the whole working with Ford, who I’m pretty sure Liberty still labels as a terrorist. And Colleen already mentioned the thing in Kalos. So . . . yeah. Depending on who you ask, I’m either a criminal rebel or a freedom fighter.” Ryan glanced for a moment at Colleen. “To be honest, at this point I’d label myself as more of a vigilante with some ties to Liberty. In the end, I’m just trying to make the world a better place. Whether that’s under Liberty, Ford, or even Rocket, I don’t really care. But . . . don’t tell the higher ups I said that.”
IC: Ellen Burks - Ferry to Akala Island “A magic trick?” Ellen raised an eyebrow at Ray. “This oughta be good.”
IC: Z-Warrior Zoe Llyan/Beast/Tracer/Drifter – Mount Lanakila "Drifter should've been back by now," Beast muttered. He stared at the mouth of the small cave while spooning more of his makeshift dinner into his mouth. As soon as she'd realized Z was gone, Drifter had gone off after her, leaving Beast and Tracer alone in the cave.
"I bet you're just itching for her to come back so you can confess your feelings again," Tracer said with a laugh.
"Shut up." Beast shot him a deathly glare as a chill wind blew in from outside with enough force to blow out their fire.
That got them both to shut up.
Footsteps sounded outside the cave, accompanied by heavy, labored breathing. In the darkness, Beast and Tracer exchanged a look. Was it too much to hope Drifter or Z had made it back to the campsite?
Beast squinted toward the cave mouth. He could just barely make out a dark shape stepping into view. His heart skipped a beat. Whatever that thing was standing there, it was far too tall to be either of their friends. Two sickly yellow orbs appeared toward the top of the cave mouth, glowing with a strange light that failed to illuminate any of their surroundings. A low growl rumbled through the cave as another gust of wind blew through the cave, chilling Beast to the bone.
That was when Tracer let out a bloodcurdling scream. "I-It's the Grim Reaper!" he stammered, backing up as far as he could in the narrow cave.
Beast swore under his breath. Of all the times for Drifter and Z to run off. "The Grim Reaper, huh?" he said, trying to sound confident and failing miserably. "Time to wipe that 'Grim' off your face. Pea-Tupato! Take Down!"
Beast's Bewear exploded out of his Pokéball and charged towards the creature with a ferocious roar. The Reaper tilted its skeletal head towards the Bewear, its mouth still dripping with blood. The blood that dripped from its jaws began to combust into tongues of blue fire. When Pea-Tupato collided with the Reaper's body, the tongues coalesced into a great conflagration. But rather than heating the room, the fire only further sucked the heat from it. Even through his thick fur, Pea-Tupato felt his skin turn to sharp needles, a numbness wresting the strength from his legs. A skeletal hand grabbed the Bewear and tossed him back towards his master.
"Wh-what the . . . ?" Beast wasn't quite sure what had happened. But it was clear Pea-Tupato had been bested. The Bewear doubled over in pain from the attack, and the Reaper stood as if it regarded Pea-Tupato as barely an inconvenience. In the light of the icy flames, Beast could see the Reaper’s bestial snout and wolf-like grin. It almost seemed to be laughing at their petty attacks.
"Oh, no, you don't!" Tracer threw a Pokéball to the ground, revealing his Krookodile. "You may have gotten the better of me the other night, but you're about to feel the true might of Team Skull!" Beast shook his head in disbelief. He had barely touched the Reaper, and yet somehow that invigorated Tracer to try his own attack. "Alright, Crocjaw!" Tracer cried. "Time for some Foul Play!"
With a toothy grin, Crocjaw stepped between Beast and the Reaper, planning to use the creature's own strength against it. The Reaper’s own skeletal grin angled to the other side as Crocjaw approached it. Quick as lightning, it shot out another bony hand. Crocjaw grabbed the arm, ready to toss the Reaper to the ground. But the arm disintegrated in his grasp, falling to the ground as nothing more than a pile of snow. The Reaper drew back from Crocjaw, and air rushed into the skull as if taking a deep breath from impossibly large lungs. Then the Reaper exhaled a frozen maelstrom from its skull, filling the cavern.
“Aw, hell!” Tracer grimaced as Crocjaw succumbed to the sudden storm. Already a thin layer of ice had formed around Crocjaw’s joints, slowing the reptilian Pokémon’s movements to a crawl.
Beast’s eyes widened. Crocjaw’s attack might not have had its intended effect, but the Reaper was now down one arm, for what that was worth. “Can you stand, Pea-Tupato?” With some effort, the Bewear pushed himself up to his feet. Frostbite had wracked his body, his fur sporting dark marks where the icy flames had touched him. But he nodded in determination, eyeing the pile of snow that had been the Reaper’s arm. “We don’t have time for calculted attacks,” Beast said, nodding towards Tracer and his Krookodile. “We need to go all out. Try and target the other arm, but get in there with a Brutal Swing!”
With another roar, Pea-Tupato returned to the fray, flailing his arms around wildly. The attack served both to defend Crocjaw and to try and push the Reaper back. And as he got closer, Pea-Tupato aimed his swings toward the skeleton’s remaining arm. The Reaper stepped back away from the flailing limbs. Its remaining arm grew an additional joint as it shot out towards Pea-Tupato, who promptly smashed into the skeletal arm and tore through the snow and ice that comprised it.
A guttural growl echoed through the cave. Eight hands suddenly sprouted from the Reaper’s torso, two hands grabbing each of Pea-Tupato’s limbs. They pushed him away, growing unnatural joints as they extended further and further away from the Reaper’s body. Pea-Tupato tried to push back, but the arms overpowered him and pushed him straight into Crocjaw. With the eight arms now pinning both Pokémon against the wall of the cave, the Reaper vanished, leaving its arms behind.
“What the hell . . . ?” Beast muttered.
A moment later, the Reaper appeared directly in front of Beast. A fresh skeletal hand grew and grabbed Beast by the throat, holding him aloft. Then the Reaper raised another hand, a black sickle appearing in its grasp. Beast struggled in vain to break free of the Reaper’s grasp. His eyes bulged as he saw the sickle draw closer and closer . . .
Suddenly the Reaper stopped. It raised its beastial head as if sniffing the air, then whirled around to face the mouth of the cave. An instant later, Z and her Pokémon ran into the cave.
“Are you guys alri- what the heck is that?!”
Beast suddenly found himself flung to the ground as the Reaper charged towards the newcomer with fierce growl. Z screamed in terror, prompting her Meditite to jump in front of the Reaper and defend her with a flurry of Bullet Punches.
The Reaper raised a single large hand of snow and shot it at Merida. Merida’s punches broke the hand’s fingers and slowed its approach. But a second, smaller hand blindsided her and pushed out of the way. The Reaper ran past Merida and went for its real target. Sickle raised above its head, the Reaper dove straight for the Cosmog in Zoe’s arms.
Zoe clutched Stitch tighter against her chest and stumbled backwards. She fell back into the snow and shrieked as the terrifying creature set upon them in the blink of an eye.
Suddenly she felt a warm heat against her face as a steady stream of fire shot between her and the Reaper. Esmeralda stood nearby with her kapu stick, fangs bared as she uttered a warning growl to accompany her Flamethrower.
The Flamethrower struck the Reaper, causing it to recoil to one side. The sustained stream of flame illuminated the cave. The light of the flame fell on the right side of the Reaper’s face. Where once was bone, there now was fur, white as snow where it was not stained red with blood. Zoe looked up in horror at a face less lupine and more vulpine . . . in the glow of the fire, the creature’s eye socket filled with an eye, scarred and dead, still radiating its glow. The gruesome eye glared at Esmeralda; something about the Braixen seemed to transfix the strange creature. It growled and barked before rushing Esmeralda with its sickle.
Esmeralda responded with a questioning bark of her own. Twirling her kapu stick, she summoned a Light Screen. The glowing shield shouldn’t have done anything to protect against an obviously physical attack. But much to everyone’s surprise, the sickle struck the shield and stuck there. The Light Screen proved as impenetrable as if it had been the move Protect.
Esmeralda and the Reaper—now returned to its fully skeletal state—glared at each other through the barrier. The Braixen uttered a few more barks, punctuated by a low snarl.
The Reaper bashed the Light Screen with the sickle, but its attack bounced off the shield. The glowing orbs in its eye sockets turned a deeper shade of yellow as it let out a string of intense barks direct at Esmeralda. But the Braixen held her ground and the barrier stood strong. With a frustrated huff, the Reaper lowered the sickle. Its skeletal eyes almost seemed to narrow as it uttered a low snarl and took a step backwards before vanishing completely.
For a moment the cavern was dead silent. Then the skeletal arms holding Pea-Tupato and Crocjaw disintegrated into a large pile of snow. Exhausted, the two Pokémon crumbled to the ground, eliciting a small whimper from Stitch.
“Wh-what just happened?” Zoe stammered.
“I don’t even know,” Beast said, cradling his neck where the Reaper’s scythe had almost slashed him. He moved to check on his Pokémon. “But I guess Tracer proved us wrong. He wasn’t crazy, after all.”
“Man, I hate being right.” Tracer shook his head and pulled Beast and Zoe into a hug. “Are you two okay?”
“I-I’m fine,” Zoe managed. She took a step back and looked down at the Cosmog in her arms. “But Stitch . . . why was the Grim Reaper after you?”
Stitch shrugged with an apathetic “pew” and burrowed his way deeper into Zoe’s arms. Esmeralda drew closer to the group, panting and leaning heavily on her kapu stick. Her eyes were fixated on Stitch, a curious expression on her vulpine face.
A contemplative silence filled the cave for a long moment, only broken by the sound of footsteps approaching in the snow.
“I couldn’t find Z, but I heard a commotion and I—“ Drifter let out a cry of surprise. Next thing Zoe knew she was caught in another embrace as Drifter nearly tackled her to the ground. “Z! Thank Arceus you’re alright! Why’d you run off like that?” Drifter looked around at the scuff marks on the cavern walls and the injured Pokémon, her elation melting into concern. “Why the long faces, everyone? Did I miss something?”
“Oh, nothing out of the ordinary,” Tracer said. “Except we almost freaking died!”
“Turns out the Grim Reaper’s real, and it seems to want to kill Z’s Cosmog,” Beast said. “Come on, I’ll reheat your dinner and we’ll explain everything while you and Z eat.”
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Post by Parugi on May 13, 2023 14:34:16 GMT -8
IC - Gavin Braner/Skye Hall - Hau'oli City, Melemele Island:
"My lips are sealed." Skye smiled as she mimed a zipper across her mouth. "Sounds like you guys have gone through a lot in the past couple of years. Crazy to think about. What about--oh, there it is!" She cut herself off as a building came into view. It was a fairly plain, three-story building that would not have looked out of place on a college campus. The brick pathway led up to a set of doors that looked much more modern than any other part of their surroundings.
As Skye trotted forward ahead of the group toward the entry, Gavin took note of their surroundings. This area of town certainly seemed less-traveled than other parts; as Ryan had noticed, it was fairly devoid of other people, aside from the occasional bicyclist riding past. Additionally there were two other individuals walking in the opposite direction from the group, heading their way down the street, but there was nothing immediately alarming about them from this distance.
The doors opened as Skye approached, and she entered once the others had caught up. They entered into a cozy reception area well air conditioned from the outside heat. A number of display cases dotted the walls, wherein were housed various mechanical prosthetics in different stages of build. Plaques below each described the technology used and the development process behind them. A desk stood across from the front door, where a plump older woman sat. She looked up and beamed upon seeing Skye.
"Alola, Little Skye!" She came around the front and gave Skye a big hug. "I heard we might be seeing you soon!"
"Alola, Auntie Kailea!" Skye returned the hug. "It's good to see you! Is my brother around?"
"Yes, he is!" Kailea stepped back and sat at the desk, typing a quick message to someone. "He'll be very happy to see you!"
"Sweet. While we wait for him, Auntie, these are my friends--Gavin, Colleen, and Ryan." She gestured to each one.
"Hello! It's so nice to meet you all!" Kailea waved to them. "Please, feel free to take a seat while you wait for Landon--it shouldn't take too long. There's water and tea over on that table."
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Post by Magical Girl Mimi on May 16, 2023 20:50:42 GMT -8
-==IC: Corey Bouchard - Poni Island==-
Corey glanced over to Sonja as if they were analyzing her face. After a moment, they nodded. "Yeah, her name's Nikki; last I heard, they're making some progress on the group - apparently my friends found some info that confirmed that there's someone big behind them - apparently there's some paper trails linking Leavanny Strauss funding, which given what I've been finding myself in completely unrelated things, links them back to Cipher." They bit their lip. "I'm sorry for not being more thorough when I was explaining it back then, it's just. . . we really didn't have much of any leads; that would've been our best idea into what exactly they were doing, and well, that didn't exactly go quite as planned." Corey sighed, but offered a small smile. "But. . . honestly, I don't think any of us could've predicted any of what happened that day, let alone all those legendaries there."
They opened and closed their mouth a couple times as they went quiet for a minute, then continued. "Nikki managed to finally get into an undercover operation with a different gang though; haven't checked in lately, but it sounded like it was going well last I checked in with Kazuma about it. Though, it was right after then when I got involved with Chloe's brother and all the stuff that happened after that. . ." Corey trailed off, as they wondered if Sonja knew about everything about that. "In a way, maybe it was good that everything happened the way it did. Fresh start?" They turned toward Sonja and held a hand out even as they kept walking, not really focused on how awkward that must have looked to the other two.
-==IC: Colleen Llyan - Hau'oli City, Melemele Island==
Colleen was caught off guard when Ryan stepped in, but didn't complain much as she admittedly didn't mind the break in questions. Plus, he had made a fair point despite the intentions behind it being clear to her; she had been talking pretty openly about something that as far as she knew could have been something to keep quiet in a foreign country. She made some mental notes to follow up the conversation later though, because it was at least somehow acting as a distraction. Plus, Skye seemed pretty alright in her books.
"Alola." Colleen politely said with a smile to the older woman as she returned the wave. "Thank you for the refreshments." She walked over to the table and poured some tea. The steam from the liquid began to rise as it flowed into the cup. She stared for a bit as she thought she heard familiar laughter. With a gasp, she stopped pouring as the tea threatened to overflow onto the saucer under it. With a relieved sigh, Colleen placed the tea pot back onto the table. With a small glance around, she tried to see what the cause of the laughter might have been, but couldn't see anything outside her immediate group; but though she couldn't place the sound exactly, she knew it wasn't them. Colleen pulled out her new phone to try and hide her uneasiness, but the lack of messages from Em or Zoe didn't help with that at all.
-==IC: Ray Hakuda/Lucia Zyther/Chloe Hikari - Ferry to Akala Island==-
Ray grinned at Ellen with a wink, then nodded to Levi. "Sure can, kiddo! I can do a couple kinds, though one I'll save for a little later, since it's a little flashier." He reached into his other hoodie pocket, however, and pulled out a card to hold up to Levi. "That one involves one of these, though!" Before there could be questions about it, though, he placed it back into his pocket. "But that's for later. Right now, I have a little simpler one!" Ray took a small coin out from his hoodie and held it up to both Ellen and Levi. "Right, so, see this? I'm gonna make this..." Ray slipped the coin into his closed hand and moved his hands around in a circle as he smiled. "Disappear." Ray held his hands up, them both clearly empty. He even turned them back to front to show that nothing was there. "See? Nothing there at all."
Lucia crossed her arms as she watched the goings on of Ray and the kids. Jamie would probably have liked to see this. Then battle Ray, likely. She let out a snicker at the second thought, then settled into her seat as she wondered where this was going.
"True! Perfect plan." Chloe replied with a clap of her hands, as if that had succeeded in changing the subject. When she looked around however, she faltered as it turned out that the common street magician trick had managed to succeed in the distraction more than Chloe's sudden focus on the mission. Typical. She thought with a small pout. She glanced up at Esen again though. "Hey, I just realized, have we ever actually met before? I remember seeing you around Kyle a few times recently, but like, I don't think I've ever introduced myself, since um, up until a few months ago I was dealing with some. . . trauma, shall we say." She extended a hand with a small. "I'm Chloe, though, Chloe Hikari!"
-==IC: Jenny Hakuda - Ferry to Ula'Ula Island, Alola==-
"Huh, yeah, that seems important to do." Jenny said with a surprised look on her face. "Though I'm surprised that someone who'd be that scatterbrained would be in charge of something that important. . . and no-one reported it in the time since then?" She had to admit that it was probably safer in the hands of Ethan than. . . whoever had dropped it, from the sound of it. "Still! If push comes to shove, hopefully. . . Stan will be a good addition to our team!"
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Post by Magical Girl Mimi on May 16, 2023 21:47:24 GMT -8
-==IC: Marie Homura - Ecruteak City, Johto==-
The late-morning sun shone in Ecruteak City as one Marie Homura walked through the streets with headphones connected to her Poké Gear. She stopped and leaned against one of the lamp posts as she looked around the other side of the street while she caught her breath. Even though she had been living in the city for a couple months now, she was still prone to getting lost - this was no exception as she had already walked about three blocks from where she currently stayed. On a whim, she decided to look up at the building she was next to, a surprised look on her face. "A stopped clock..." Marie mumbled as she realized she was right next to her destination already. It made sense; she'd visited this place quite a few times as it was, but still, she was surprised at not having gone in circles again. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and walked toward the café she was here to visit.
Marie pushed open the door as the chimes clanged against it - not that she could hear with how her Poké Gear was blasting a song on repeat. The café seemed busier than usual, and the line in front of her made her feel a bit uncomfortable and almost made her rethink her decision. Conscious of herself, she adjusted her clothes a bit and brushed at her hair with her fingers. Once she was finished, she began to fidget a bit; the atmosphere felt too normal; too normal for the end of the world, too normal for what had happened two months ago... it just didn't feel right to her. She pressed her headphones closer to her head to try and have it drown out the noise, and-- Marie looked up with a slight gasp as she noticed someone waving her forward. The guy at the desk seemed amused and waved a hand as he tried to get her attention. Marie pulled her headphones down off her ears so she could actually hear the cashier speak.
"Ayy, she finally caught on. I'm just glad that you weren't spacing out with people behind you." The man said with a set of finger guns. Marie turned her head around uneasily, but as he said, no-one had walked in thankfully. "So, what can I getcha, beautiful?"
"'Beautiful'?" Marie repeated in confusion as she turned her head back to the man. "Hey, I know you like to flirt, but like..."
"Right, right, my bad; anyway, seriously, the usual?"
"Ah," Marie paused as she looked around for a moment. "Yes? But also I had a couple other things..." She fished around in her backpack for a piece of paper and gingerly handed it to the man, who flipped it open and scanned it for a second then turned his gaze upward with a raised eyebrow.
"A resume? There's... not much on this, you realize that right? Barely even a school, even?" The man seemed skeptical but also concerned. "Look, you come in here a lot, I get it; you also vaguely mentioned issues like this. But the boss, he's, he's not just gonna let another person onto the staff with little experience so soon, you know?"
"Look, I think I get that by now, Greg..." The top of Marie's ears felt really hot as she once again felt like this was a bad idea. "But like..."
"No, no, I get it. Not much that would take people in at the drop of a hat nowadays." Greg sighed as he placed his hands on his hips. "You said there was another thing too?"
"Ah, yeah, I wanted to actually talk about this with--"
"Oh." Greg held out his hands as if something suddenly occurred to him. "Of course! I'll go get her right away, she might have advice! Especially if you already know her!" Greg vanished for a moment as he left a confused Marie in place at the cash register. She turned her head slowly and saw that the line of people had suddenly grown to have three more groups of people behind her. When Greg returned, he escorted a very unimpressed looking woman with him. "Right, Raleigh should be able to help you out!"
"What- what is this even about?" The woman, apparently named Raleigh, asked as she looked at Greg with eyes that looked like they would burrow into his skin. But he didn't answer, and instead moved to get the next person in line's order ready. "Right. Well. I guess I'm your cashier now?"
"Is... Shannon here?" Marie asked, as she tried to offer a smile. "I had wanted to meet with her to talk about something."
"Uh, I think so. Spare me a sale first maybe? Make it worth king idiot having dragged the wrong person off break?" Raleigh asked as she made a slightly pleading face. With a snicker, Marie nodded and the two finished up the milkshake order before Raleigh once again left an uneasy Marie standing off to the side of the counter.
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Post by Konuju on May 17, 2023 9:56:25 GMT -8
Ryan Sanders - Hau’oli City, Melemele Island “Alola,” Ryan said. He attempted to mimic the island welcoming gesture, but ended up look more like he was flapping his arms around like a mad Spearow.
The group fell into an awkward silence, broken only by the sound of Colleen fumbling over the teapot. The girl seemed to bury herself in her phone, and Ryan was tempted to do the same after that terrible Alola gesture.
Instead, he busied himself by studying a mechanical leg that in his opinion looked more fitting for a Golurk than a human. The plaque below boasted superior jumping strength. Ryan couldn’t help but think of the Power Suits Team Liberty had invented. As he glanced at Gavin’s missing arm, he wondered if the Rocket Agent would be able to shoot Hyper Beams or something out of his new arm. It was a strange thought.
“So Skye,” he said, catching the girl’s eye. “How long has your brother been into prosthetics? What got him started on—“ he made a wide gesture to the various display cases around them “—all this?”
IC: Ellen Burks - Ferry to Akala Island “Whoa, that’s amazing!” Ellen happily applauded Ray’s trick. For a brief moment she’d been transported back to Unova. It was small moments like this, just goofing around and forgetting for a moment about the fate of the world, that she missed. Like the snowball fight in Black City, it was important to remember to have fun.
Wait a second! Symbio narrowed his eyes at Ray. How’d you do that? You had Aizen Teleport that coin away, didn’t you? That’s cheating!
“Symbio,” Ellen said, directing an exasperated look at her Reuniclus. “You know a magician never reveals his secrets!”
IC: Shannon Willows - Kaljoh Café, Ecruteak City “Willows! Someone’s here to see you.”
Shannon looked up from her phone and the notebook full of calculations on her lap, unable to hide her annoyance at the sudden interruption.
Her mind raced. Who could be visiting her at her job? She was sure she’d paid Lauren her rent on time, and she hoped to Arceus that Aori wouldn’t come all the way down here by herself. “Who is it?” she asked, drumming her pencil for a moment before circling something in her notebook and slipping her phone into her pocket.
A hint of a smile played on Raleigh’s face as she studied Shannon. “It’s your old pal Marie.”
Shannon wasn’t sure “old pal” were the best words to describe someone she’d only met a few months ago, but she didn’t feel like correcting Raleigh. With a soft thanks, she put up her notebook and made her way out of the storage room and into the main section of Kaljoh Café.
The white noise of chatting customers was a stark contrast to the silence of the storage room. A contrast she wasn’t supposed to face for another twenty minutes. A burst of giggles erupted from the register, belonging to a group of girls who found Greg’s flirting more amusing than romantic. Shannon might have found the scene amusing in its own right if she hadn’t seen the same thing play out day after day.
Then she spotted Marie standing awkwardly off to the side, sipping on a milkshake. Taking a deep breath, Shannon put on a smile and stepped up to the counter. “Hey, Marie. How’s it going?”
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Post by Magical Girl Mimi on May 18, 2023 20:51:00 GMT -8
-==IC: Ray Hakuda - Ferry to Akala Island, Alola==-
"Symbio, you wound me." Ray said with a pouting face. Nonetheless, he pulled out a Poké Ball and held it out to Ellen to inspect. "You'll see that Aizen's perfectly stored in there. Plus, I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure there'd be too much interference there." Ray shrugged slightly, but then looked over at Levi's ear with a curious look on his face. "But..." He reached out behind Levi's ear and grabbed a coin that didn't seem to be there before. "It appears that it doesn't matter, because here is the coin!"
-==IC: Marie Homura - Kaljoh Café, Ecruteak City==-
Marie jumped slightly and looked up in surprise at being addressed suddenly, as it looked like she was deep in thought about something. "Ah, hi Shannon; I wasn't sure how long you'd be, so I just got thinking about stuff. And then analyzing that and over thinking and," Marie stopped and took a breath as she offered an awkward smile. "Right, anyway, other than that, it's okay enough. I just thought I'd stop by and..." She glanced down at the resume she was holding in her other hand. "I figured that I might give things here a shot. Everyone seems to at least find it okay enough, and they don't really need experience, so..."
The blonde placed the piece of paper on the table and rubbed the back of her head uneasily. "I just thought that it might be better than attempting to survive day to day on prize money, you know? Plus it..." Marie stopped in the middle of her sentence as she grew more aware of the customers nearby. "Nevermind, how's it going with you?" She asked as she slowly started to sip on her milkshake once more. It was strange, the ambient chatter wasn't an issue usually, but today it just kept raising her nerves. Why? What was different? Was it the extra people than she was used to? The fact that she had decided to apply? Or something else? Whatever it was, Marie hoped that Shannon might be able to distract her with conversation long enough to not be a nervous wreck.
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alku
Technician
Posts: 63
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Post by alku on May 20, 2023 4:47:23 GMT -8
IC: Evan Tierra
As Jenny and Ethan conversed, Evan's thoughts wandered away to what Palkia had told him yesterday evening. He had been initially lied to, yes. But that lie was to probably to ensure that the man would not recklessly throw his life away, knowing he could be saved from the clutches of Death. However, this didn't stop the man from pondering deeper and deeper about the whole thing. At least he would have, but something Ethan had said earlier made him excited. He had something called an Ultra Beast with him. He wasn't sure what that meant, but now he had to see it for himself. Little did he realize, in his absentmindedness, that his hand was playing with Jenny's hair...
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Post by Magical Girl Mimi on May 20, 2023 13:50:08 GMT -8
-==IC: Lucia Zyther - Ferry to Akala Island, Alola==-
She wasn't sure what it was, but as Lucia listened to the kids interacting with Ray, she became more and more uneasy and started to fidget more. When had she pulled out her PokéGear? Lucia bit her lip as she stared at the phone; it was currently open to the contacts list and hovered over Jamie's name. Quietly, she opened up the messages, and began to type.
Heya... Um, I'm not sure if you're awake or busy with things, but if you have a moment, would you
She paused and thought about what she wanted to say. What if Jamie was asleep, or not able to reply right away? She didn't want to ask the question only to reach the island and get immediately interrupted.
Heya, are you busy or asleep?
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Post by Konuju on May 20, 2023 15:40:06 GMT -8
IC: Shannon Willows - Kaljoh Café, Ecruteak City Shannon glanced from the flustered Marie to the crowded café and wondered to herself if the girl would do well in such a hectic environment. But instead of voicing her concerns she put on a smile. “You’re thinking of working here? That’s great!” She continued to smile as she pondered Marie’s question. How am I doing? That’s a loaded question.
“I’m doing fine,” she said, maintaining her pleasant smile. “Work keeps the days busy, and Aori keeps the evenings busy. But it’s good to stay busy, you know? Keeps me from dwelling on . . . .” She let her voice drift off, her eyes settling on the large mural that took up one of the café walls.
“So you want to work here, huh? How much do you know about the history of Kaljoh Café?”
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Post by Magical Girl Mimi on May 20, 2023 17:54:51 GMT -8
-==IC: Marie Homura - Kaljoh Café, Ecruteak City, Johto==-
"Mostly what the other two have mentioned when I've been here," Marie glanced back to where Greg and Raleigh were currently chatting now that there was a small lull in orders. She looked back over to Shannon with a curious look on her face briefly, but then smiled as well. "I'd be interested to hear more about it though; how long do you have before your break is done? If it's gonna take too long, we could always talk about it after work?"
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Post by Konuju on May 23, 2023 9:32:50 GMT -8
IC: Shannon Willows - Kaljoh Café, Ecruteak City “My break . . .” Shannon let her thoughts drift back to her notebook and the calculations she’d been doing before Raleigh interrupted her. She chewed her lip as she pondered what to do. “Aori will be expecting me when I get off work, and I don’t want to throw her off by being late. You know how she gets.” Shannon smiled wistfully.
“Anyway, Kaljoh Café doesn’t have some deep history or anything. It’s just a humble coffee shop that blends the influences of both Kalos and Johto.” She nodded to the mural on the wall. “That giant bird painting is supposed to be a mix of Yveltal and Ho-Oh. It symbolizes death and rebirth or some nonsense.” She glanced over at Gary and Raleigh and lowered her voice. “A bit much for a coffee shop if you ask me. I think the designer was somewhat of a hipster and went a little overboard. I mean, we just sell coffee and sweets, not the meaning of life.”
Shannon thought back to her notebook again, impatiently tapping a finger on the counter. “So is that all you wanted to talk about? I had some stuff I was trying to do on my break . . .”
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Post by Parugi on May 25, 2023 19:13:42 GMT -8
IC - Sonja Baron/Madison Hayes - Traveling, Poni Island:
Corey's story was . . . strange, to say the least. All Sonja knew of Leavanny Strauss was that they were a clothing company, which conflicted with everything that she knew about Cipher as a criminal organization. Plugging in gangs and everything, too . . . She supposed she had heard stranger things. A huge issue in Kalos was the seeming omnipresence of Team Flare where one least expected them, so maybe it wasn't that surprising to find connections between huge corporations and criminal organizations.
Still, that wasn't the main thing that stuck out to her.
"Fresh start." Sonja shook Corey's hand. "I'm glad everything seems to be going okay on that investigation." Her expression became more somber. "Were you . . . there . . . when Ryan was killed? We only heard about it from Evan, and we never got full details about what all went down."
IC - Gavin Braner/Skye Hall - Prosthetics Lab, Hau'oli City:
"Oh, Landon's always been a nerd about electronics and mechanical stuff, and he's always been fascinated by the idea of cyborgs," Skye said. "I think he just about shot through the roof when he learned that mechanical prosthetics exist, so it seemed like a natural career path for him." She looked around. "I'd say it's going pretty well for him."
As the others loitered about, Gavin drifted toward the front windows, absentmindedly peeking out. Those two individuals caught his eye again. They were nearer to the lab now, and in fact seemed to be headed toward the building. Other prosthetic recipients, perhaps? Either way, there was something off about them--mostly the strange-looking uniforms they were wearing. Maintaining his line of sight on them, he started to say something to the rest of the group.
At that moment, the door beside the front desk opened and a tall, tanned young man in a lab coat stepped out, looking around. "Alright, where is she?" He beamed as he saw Skye. "Little sis! And friends!" He walked forward to meet Skye, pulling her into a hug. "Aw, it's been too long, kiddo. How ya been?"
"Hey, good to see you too, Landon," Skye squeaked. She pulled out of the hug. "We're good. Hoping to make this a quick stop if possible--no offense."
"Nah, I get it--you've got work to do," Landon said. "Alrighty, well, let's get started then, yeah? Which one of you is Gavin?" He looked around. Seeing the surly expression on the Rocket's agent face, he smiled even brighter. "Hey, there you are! I've heard a lot about you, buddy, good to finally meet! Ready for installation?"
"I . . . uh . . ." If Gavin was completely honest, he wasn't sure how to respond to Landon's completely positive energy. It was on a completely different level of positive than Ethan or anyone else he'd run into. It was . . . intimidating. "I--yeah, sure, let's get this over with."
"There's the spirit!" Landon scanned his key card and opened the door to the back. "After you, my dude! Skye, you can come, too--I've got somethin' for ya." He looked at Ryan and Colleen. "You two are welcome to come back too, or you can hang out here if you'd prefer--we've come a long way tech-wise, so this shouldn't be too long of a wait, an hour tops."
IC - Esen Windred/Kyle Eston/Levi Alaric - Ferry to Akala Island:
"What!?" Levi clapped a hand to his ear, feeling around for where a coin could have hidden itself. "That's so cool! How'd you do that!?"
Esen rubbed the back of her head, thinking. "You know, I don't know that I've formally 'met' most of the group, to be honest--there's been a lot of getting thrust from one situation to the next," she said. Nevertheless, she shook Chloe's hand. "It's nice to meet you, though, Chloe. I'm sorry to hear about your troubles; hopefully things are going better for you right now?"
IC - Ethan Worth - Ferry to Ula'ula Island:
"Certainly a silly goose." Ethan nodded sagely. "I don't know; if they reported it, no one's come looking. Although I guess I never checked in to see if anyone came looking for it . . . woops." He shrugged. "Oh well. We'll deal with it if it comes up." Ethan looked at his watch. "Oh wow, look at the time with me yammering away--we're already getting close to docking, I think. Guess we oughta migrate to the exit ramp, yeah?"
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Post by Magical Girl Mimi on May 26, 2023 16:56:09 GMT -8
-==IC: Corey Bouchard - Traveling, Poni Island==-
They tried not to flinch too hard, but their face betrayed them. They gave a small nod as they tried to find the words to really explain it. "I was traveling with Ryan and a couple others at the time; one of them had teleported with us after the whole shadow suit incident the other day, so you might've seen her before she left. We'd just met up with Evan and Jenny and another person they'd met called Marie... then we ran into the person responsible for attacking our city a few years ago," Corey began, but looked away at the thought. "We tried to get out of it by talking, but Ryan was shot, and then after a quick battle, the man mega evolved a Dragonite - Ryan and Jenny both lost an arm, but Ryan insisted on staying back since he was one of the few people who could stand up to the guy."
Corey turned their focus to the ground as the three walked onward to their destination. "Evan took some revenge on the murderer, but by the time he got back, Ryan had disappeared... though Evan told me that Ryan had seemed rather panicked before that, despite the battle being in their favour. Everyone kinda took the situation pretty hard, and I can't really say it was an easy time for me either, especially after I later heard that Olivia was shot too during the mission she was on. It... really put how dangerous things have been getting into perspective. I wish I could have done something more..."
-==IC: Colleen Llyan - Prosthetics Lab, Hau'oli City==-
The appearance of Landon was a good grounding point for a moment, though the upbeat attitude of how Skye and Landon acted reminded Colleen of how her and Zoe used to act. No new messages. Nothing from Zoe or Emma. What made her so uneasy all of a sudden? She glanced around with her aura powers and noticed that Gavin didn't seem much more at ease; which felt surprising considering why they were there in the first place.
"I'll go." Colleen said simply, as her eyes wandered to Ryan briefly. She was tempted to continue her statement, but she felt like Ryan already had reason to be worried about her; she decided not to give any more reason for the moment. Plus, she had to admit that the concept was cool.
-==IC: Ray Hakuda/Chloe Hikari - Ferry to Akala Island==-
"Magician's secret," Ray said with a wink, but chuckled slightly. "But maybe I might take on an apprentice or two one day, if you'd like to learn!"
Chloe nodded enthusiastically at the comment about getting thrown into one thing after the other - their group sure had a knack for finding all the trouble they could, after all. When Esen posed her question, Chloe twirled her hair a bit, absentmindedly realizing it was probably due for a trim once they got some time to themselves. "It's been going better in a lot of ways, but the world seems determined to try and add onto it. But I'm doing about as well as I can be, and maybe my birthday in a couple days will be the start of things actually going well for me without any sort of bad thing attached to it!" She grinned in earned optimism as she gave a thumbs up.
-==IC: Jenny Hakuda - Ferry to Ula'ula Island==-
Jenny let out a small snort at the mention of not having followed up on things. She pushed off from the railing and began to head toward the ramp while the three talked. "Well, where better to find out than the place of origin? Maybe we'll find the person on the way to Tapu Bulu, and they'll let you keep it!"
-==IC: Marie Homura - Kaljoh Café, Ecruteak City, Johto==-
Marie opened her mouth to reply to what Shannon said, but after she thought about it for a moment, decided to shake her head instead. "That's it for now. But if there's anything that I could help out with, feel free to ask, okay? I mean, not like I'm doing much of anything right now anyway." Her old playful smile appeared briefly, but disappeared as she wondered just how well things were going for Shannon. Sure, Shannon had mentioned how this was a good distraction, but there seemed to be something else that bothered her too. But with how there seemed to be a distance between them for some reason, Marie didn't want to push too hard and end up ruining their friendship.
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Post by Konuju on May 28, 2023 6:59:40 GMT -8
Ryan Sanders - Hau’oli City, Melemele Island Colleen’s glance was not lost on Ryan, but the meaning behind it left him at a loss. Was she trying to tell him something? Was her seeming obsession with her phone out of social awkwardness, or something more?
You’re overthinking it, he told himself. Not everyone needs you to be their hero.
With a start, he realized everyone was heading into the back room. “I’ll go back there, too,” he said, hurrying to catch up. He offered Landon a small smile. “After Skye hyped you up, I’ve got to see your work in action for myself.”
IC: Ellen Burks - Ferry to Akala Island Ellen grinned. “That would be awesome. Being a magician looks fun! Although,” she lowered her voice. “Between you and me you should consider a cool magician outfit like Evan wears. That’d really add to your performance.”
A horn blared across the ferry, signaling their arrival on Akala Island. As people started impatiently making their way to the port side, each wanting to be the first one off the ferry when it docked, Ellen glanced between Ray and Levi.
“I guess we’ll be parting ways, soon. Good luck with your mission, you two. Tapu Lele, right?” Her expression grew serious. “Tapu Fini was no pushover. You two be careful, alright?” She abruptly wrapped her arms around Ray to give him a hug, then turned and did the same to Levi. “I’m looking forward to hearing all about your adventures when we get back to Vertrag,” she told the boy.
As she held the embrace a moment longer, Symbio floated behind Levi and gave Ellen a curious look. You think he’s going to be alright? he asked telepathically so that only Ellen could hear.
Ellen closed her eyes and projected her thoughts back to her Pokémon. I hope so. I’m impressed by his bravery but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little worried. But he’ll be okay. We all will.
IC: Shannon Willows - Kaljoh Café, Ecruteak City Shannon put on a smile. “Alright, well . . .” She hesitated for a moment, as if wondering how much to say. Marie was one of those people who seemed to think she was better friends with Shannon than she really was. It wasn’t that Shannon disliked her by any means, she just wasn’t ready to share her deepest, darkest secrets with someone she’d known for only two months, and only saw on occasion. “I guess I’ll be getting back to my break now. Good luck with that interview.” She turned around and headed towards the back storage room.
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Post by Parugi on Jun 4, 2023 0:04:57 GMT -8
IC - Sonja Baron/Madison Hayes - Traveling, Poni Island:
Despite her focus on the road ahead, Sonja was listening intently to Corey's story. Admittedly she still had not figured out where she landed on Ryan Hikari, but . . . Her eyes drifted over to Hayes. Not so much thinking about her specifically, but her sister brought to mind Quincy Adams. Despite everything that had transpired between them all and Ford's followers, she knew Adams's death in particular had had an impact on Ryan and others, including Sonja herself. It was difficult, but not impossible to separate the negative associations of a person from the positive actions they had done to redeem themselves.
Difficult, but not impossible.
"Hopefully Evan was able to pay him back in full," she said after a moment. "If there's one thing I've noticed, it's that the ones who hurt our friends have a tendency to keep coming back to hurt them again." Sonja frowned. "I wish I could say that all of that will end once this is all over, but with any of our individual track records I don't think any of us are that lucky."
IC - Gavin Braner/Skye Hall/Landon Hall - Prosthetics Lab, Hau'oli City:
Immediately the color drained from Skye's face. "Oh, no, don't tell him that--"
A broad grin crossed Landon's face. "Hyping me up, eh, sister?" he said. "I guess I am pretty smart, aren't I? Landon Hall, genius inventor and engineer, master prosthetics designer." He rubbed his chin, nodding to himself. "Yeah, I sure do like the sound of that."
Skye facepalmed herself with a groan. "Don't let it go to your head, Landon . . ." she muttered. She glanced over at Gavin, who seemed distracted. "Everything good?"
He jumped a little bit in surprise, but looked back at her and nodded. With a hushed tone, he glanced back down the hall and then responded. "Is this place pretty secure?"
"Um . . . I'm sure it is," Skye said, confused. "Why?"
"Just . . . saw some odd-looking people coming this way," he said. "Hopefully it's just my imagination, but . . ."
"Odd in what--?"
"Aaand here we are," Landon announced, opening a door. "Take a seat in the middle, buddy."
It was similar to any old dentist or vision exam room, specifically in the way that there was a large medical chair situated in the center of the room. Other chairs lined part of the wall. Along the back wall was a set of cabinets and a countertop with a sink, and a number of medical supplies that were standard for any practice. Then there was the wall of tools, where a number of different screwdrivers, wrenches, and other more unusual pieces of equipment were present. It was a strange contrast to the rest of the room. With a confused shake of his head at Skye, Gavin took the main seat. Skye sat in one of the seats near the door, trying to pay attention as Landon started addressing Gavin but also trying to pay attention to any sounds from the lobby.
"So how exactly does this work?" Gavin asked. "Pretty sure I wasn't given any pre-surgery directions, so . . ."
Landon chuckled. "Oh, no need to worry about that, my friend--like I said, we've come a long way," he said. He typed in the password for the room's computer, pulling up a series of programs and files that Gavin could not even begin to understand. "Just need to do some confirmations real quick. Name, DOB, all that jazz." After a series of inane questions that seemed to annoy Gavin more than anything, Landon nodding all the way, he finally rolled his seat over to the patient chair. "Alrighty. Mind rolling up your sleeve?"
Gavin paused, but reluctantly did so. The place where his arm suddenly ended was . . . not pretty to look at. Even after a couple of months of healing, it was still clear that the damage had not been done cleanly. Nonetheless, Landon started taking measurements and making notes.
"Not sure I've seen many injuries like this one," he admitted. "Mind if I ask what happened?"
"Your guess is as good as mine," Gavin said with a scoff. "Some sort of psychic attack. Stupid Girafarig . . ."
"Hm . . . Mhm . . . Mmmhm." Landon nodded. "Psionic tearing at the . . . molecular?" He tilted his head, gently lifting Gavin's arm for a closer look. "Nope, cellular level." He rolled back to the computer. "Well, you're a lucky duckling, Mr. Gavin, lemme tell you."
"Enlighten me."
"Well, the way these things work involves connecting a base node with the remaining tissue," Landon said. "It's pretty complicated, luckily the computer can do it for us because it's basically magic. But the more granular you get in the damage, the harder it is to get that kind of connection set--not to mention the resulting connections are less and less precise the further down you go. But from what I can tell you've got a good enough baseline that this should be within average expectations of what we'd be able to achieve."
"I'm . . . not sure I get it," Gavin said. "But whatever."
"That's the spirit!" Landon rolled back over. He held a strange sort of metal cap connected to a series of cables that ran back to the computer. There were some straps connected to it as well. "Alrighty. Ready to go?" Gavin nodded. "Good good. Arm out, would you kindly?" Gavin held his arm out. Landon moved to place the open end of the cap over the end of Gavin's damaged forearm. As he did so, he oriented the straps on it and tightened it in place. Then he lifted the armrest on that side, placing Gavin's arm to rest on it. He rolled back over. "Kay, node in place, beginning nerve connection process--" He suddenly sped up his speaking pace as he went to hit the start button. "B-T-W-this-can-hurt-right-when-it-starts-but-it-should-only-last-a-second-here-we-go!"
"I'm sorry, wh--JESUS!" There were several seconds what what felt like hundreds of tiny needles jabbing into Gavin's skin as the process started. Thankfully it was not long before the sensation faded, replaced instead by a strange sensation of of something creeping up his arm, but if it hadn't been for the current circumstances, Gavin would have absolutely thrown a punch at someone. Instead he opted to shoot a glare at Landon. "Thanks for the warning, as--" He bit his tongue at the last minute, cutting off the insult.
"Yeah, sorry not sorry," Landon said, shrugging. "Surprisingly, I've found the response gets worse the more warning I give people on that step, so I kind of just don't. But that's the only painful part, scout's promise." He looked at the screen. "So that little node there is searching out and joining with the viable nerves in your arm. That's the part that takes a while. Looks like computer's estimate is about thirty minutes 'til completion, so until then, you'll need to hang out here." He looked around at the rest of the group. "You three are welcome to hang out with buddy Gavin here if you'd like--there's a call button if you need me. I do have something that I wanted to give to you, Skye, if you wanted to go get that real fast. Could also give you a behind the scenes look around the office, too--not that that part's super exciting or anything."
"Oh, sure." Skye glanced at Gavin, who seemed to be mentally compiling every curse and insult he knew, and then at Ryan and Colleen. "Do you guys want to come with?"
IC - Esen Windred/Kyle Eston/Levi Alaric - Ferry to Akala Island:
Esen gave Chloe a surprised look. "Oh--your birthday's in a couple of days?" she asked. "I'm not sure whether to say 'happy birthday' or 'I'm sorry' considering the timing. But I guess happy birthday either way--that's just extra motivation to get our mission done faster." She offered a smile. "Maybe we can have a party back at base once we're done."
"Hey--someone mention a party?" Kyle said as he approached. He was a little out of breath, apparently having hustled back from the shop. He set his bag down and started digging through it. "Sorry to interrupt--you wouldn't believe how long the check-out line was."
"You're fine, you just missed . . . Well, the entire trip," Esen said. She tilted her head. "What're you looking for?"
Kyle looked up at her in surprise. "Birthday gift--for Chloe," he said. "I didn't know when we'll all be back together, so I figured I'd grab something." He pulled a small box out of his bag, handing it to Chloe. "So, happy early birthday! It's nothing particularly fancy, just a necklace from the gift shop, but it seemed like a souvenir you might like. I think they said it was made from a prismatic scale from a Milotic."
"Oh, yeah--you could wear one of those big hats that magicians have!" Levi said to Ray, giggling at the thought. He moved with the others to remain grouped as the majority of the other Akala-bound travelers headed toward the ramp.
“I guess we’ll be parting ways, soon," Ellen said, her expression serious. "Good luck with your mission, you two. Tapu Lele, right? Tapu Fini was no pushover. You two be careful, alright?” She abruptly wrapped her arms around Ray to give him a hug, then turned and did the same to Levi. “I’m looking forward to hearing all about your adventures when we get back to Vertrag,” she told the boy.
"O-oh, um . . ." Levi stammered. He . . . wasn't used to this, but after a moment of surprise he returned the hug. "I'll . . . I'll be careful. You be, too, Ellen." As Ellen held the hug, he felt his face getting warmer. "Um . . . Do hugs with friends usually last this long?"
IC - Ethan Worth - Ferry to Ula'ula Island:
"That'd be the dream," Ethan said. "Where exactly are we, anyway?" He looked around as they descended down the ramp and through the connecting tunnel to the port. As they walked by a set of signs, he craned his neck to read them. "Malie City, huh? Dunno what that is . . ."
As they approached a kiosk with a number of free pamphlets, Ethan swooped by and grabbed one with a map of the island. In a split second he had unfolded and rotated it into proper reading position, pulling out a pen and circling the port on the map.
"So we're here," he said. "And it looks like the Ruins of Abundance are . . . here, to the south." Ethan cocked his head. "That's actually pretty close, except for the cliffs in the way. Also why's the Ruins of Abundance in a desert?" He looked at Jenny and Evan. "What do you think? Go over the uncharted territory of the cliffs and straight to the ruins, or take the long way 'round to the east? Either way we'd probably avoid the west part of the island--if I remember right, that's the only part of this island that has had Instance sightings so far."
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Post by Konuju on Jun 5, 2023 5:50:48 GMT -8
Ryan Sanders - Prosthetics Lab, Hau’oli City Ryan glanced at Colleen, who seemed a little distracted, then at Gavin, who was still angry about the sudden pain from the procedure, then finally at Skye.
“You go on ahead,” he said. “I’ll keep Gavin here company. After all,” he turned to face the Rocket. “We never got to hear your life story on the way here.”
His reasoning was twofold. Ryan was legitimately curious and truly felt like the overall mission would go a lot smoother if he knew more about his teammates. But also, he figured giving Gavin a chance to talk about himself would distract him from his pain and hopefully put him in a better mood.
IC: Ellen Burks - Heahea City, Akala Island “Only when the friends are about to go their separate ways on different missions.” Ellen released Levi, suddenly aware that her ears felt unusually warm. It must have been the Alolan sun.
She offered Levi a brief smile, then busied herself looking for the others amidst the crowd. As they exited to Akala Island’s ferry terminal, she spotted Chloe and Esen talking with Kyle. She gave them a wave, then turned and beckoned Ray and Levi to follow.
So this is Akala, huh? Symbio grabbed a tourist brochure and began to flip through it. Looks like this is an even bigger tourist destination than Hau’oli. The island has some pretty sizable resorts and some nice beaches. It’s also home to the Battle Royal.
“It’s also home to some gangs and Missing Zero worshipping cultists,” Ellen said, taking the brochure and returning it. “Somehow I doubt they’re advertising that on their front page. We’ll probably have to ask around. So,” she looked between Chloe and Esen. “Where shall we start? Chloe, you said you had something else to do here, right?”
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Post by Konuju on Jun 11, 2023 12:17:25 GMT -8
Yamamoto Aori - Ecruteak CityAori hummed quietly to herself as she leisurely made her way down the streets of Ecruteak. The city was setting up for a festival, one focused on the city’s traditional heritage. And what a perfect day it was for a festival, too. There was not a single cloud in the sky, and various bird Pokémon chirped together in a harmonious chorus. In one arm Aori carried Yuri. With every step the fluffy Eevee seemed to have her attention drawn to another street vendor or display. Her other arm was held by Hana’s vine. The Bulbasaur dutifully walked by her side, releasing a Sweet Scent that pleasantly blended with the scent of fresh takoyaki. It all reminded her of her home in Kotahi Village. It was always a special treat when Mama made takoyaki, and she had to admit the scent made her a little homesick. Oh, how she wished she could go back to before the attack . . . Aori suddenly felt a small tug on her wrist. Hana was leading her down an alley, from which many cheers could be heard. “What is it, Hana-san?” Aori mumbled quietly. She looked nervously down the alley, but the Bulbasaur just stubbornly insisted they investigate. It was unlike Hana to be so strong willed, but Aori was sure there was a good reason for it. As they made their way down the alley, the cheering grew louder and louder, until it was almost deafening. Turning a corner, they came across a large crowd gathered around two people locked in a fencing match with ornate samurai swords. The fencers’ faces were hidden behind their masks, but their swords gleamed in the sunlight. Aori felt her breath catch in her throat. It was an incredible sight to behold, and one of the fighters in particular seemed to be a master of the sword. Their movements were fluid and graceful, almost like a dance. And yet it was all so achingly familiar . . . The crowd resounded in cheers, jostling Aori back and forth. It reminded her of the boat to Vermilion. There were too many people here. Looking around, Aori spotted an overturned milk crate. Smiling to herself she walked over and stepped onto the crate. Now at a higher vantage point, she could see over the crowd and get a better view of the fencing match. The sound of metal striking metal echoed across the alley. The more skillful fighter struck their opponent’s sword and sent the weapon flying into the air. The opponent fell to their knees. “I yield!” they cried, prompting the crowd to cheer once more. Sheathing his sword, the victor took off his mask, revealing a head full of long, dark, reddish hair. Aori gasped for breath. Her heart felt like it was about to leap out of her chest. She cupped her hands against her mouth and yelled as loud as she could, hoping her voice would carry over the massive crowd. “Papa!” The man looked straight at her. Their eyes locked. There was no doubt about it. This man, the master swordsman, was her papa. Aori leapt off the milk crate and ran toward him. At the same time, her papa jumped off the stage and ran toward her. The crowd parted around them as they embraced. “Aori! My little girl! I am so happy you are safe!” Papa had tears in his eyes as his strong, comforting arms held her close. “I am happy too, Papa,” Aori sniffled. “I thought I would never see you again!” “Neither did I, my sweet girl. I looked everywhere for you when we got separated in Kotahi.” Papa let his smile drop. “But how did you get all the way out here?” he asked, motioning to the alley around them. “This is a long way from home.” “Yanagi-san and Hikari-san helped me. I . . .” Aori looked up at her papa with tears in her eyes. “It was so scary. I made a new friend, Miyu, but she was not real. She attacked us, and . . .” Fireworks sounded in the distance, prompting Aori to bury her face in Papa’s arms. “I thought I had lost you forever. Hikari-san is strong and brave like you, but he is not you. I missed you, Papa. I want to go home.” Papa looked at her with eyes full of sadness. “Aori,” he said gently. “I do not think we have a home to go back to. Kotahi Village is no more. But it sounds like you have a new home with Yanagi-san.” Aori nodded, plucking at her sleeve for a moment. “Yanagi-san must still be at home. She is very nice. But she is also very sad.” Papa nodded sagely. “If she is sad, we should not bother her. Perhaps we should see the fireworks again?” Another firework went off, its sound echoing through the street. Aori looked around. The crowd from the fencing match had dispersed. The alley was dark and unsettlingly quiet. The fireworks were getting closer. Aori shook her head. “I do not like the fireworks,” she said. “They are loud and sudden.” She turned to leave but Papa grabbed her arm. “It is okay, Aori,” he said gently. “I know it is scary but you are safe now. I am right here. Nothing is going to—“ A firework sounded right next to them, its loud noise drowning out Papa’s words. Aori heard the soft thump of a body hitting the ground. Wresting herself free from Papa’s grip, she raced over to the body. “Hikari-san?” Tears filled her eyes at the sight of Hikari-san laying in the middle of the street. The dark-haired man clutched at his chest with a hand that was already soaked in blood. “A-Aori-chan . . .” Hikari-san looked up at her with pleading eyes. “G-gomen nasai . . .” “N-no . . . Hikari-san . . . All of this is because of me. If you had not helped me try to find my papa, you would not have . . .” “Is this your new friend, Aori?” Papa’s voice called her out of her misery. “She seems very nice. Perhaps she can become part of our family. Like your sister.” Aori looked over at Papa and froze. Her chest felt tight and she found it suddenly hard to breathe. “Hello, Aori-chan,” Miyu said with a big smile. “Or can I call you onii-chan now?” “Papa,” Aori said in a shaking voice. “Get away from her. Miyu is dangerous.” Miyu reached up to hold Papa’s hand. “I want to see the fireworks, Papa. They are so pretty. I want to see them up close.” Papa smiled down at her. “Of course, Miyu. Anything you want. Aori, do you care to join us?” Aori shook her head. “No . . .” Miyu cocked her head to the side, her smile growing wider. “That is a shame, onii-chan. We could have been a happy family together. Now you will be all alone.” Aori looked over at her papa just as another firework exploded right in front of him. He flew back in an explosion of color and struck the wall. All the while Miyu stood there with a happy grin. Papa looked down at the gaping hole in his chest, then at Aori. “Run,” he managed to say through labored breaths. With wide eyes, Papa fell to the ground and breathed his last. Aori screamed. “Papa!” *** Aori bolted upright. It took her a moment to get her bearings. The familiar smell of Hana’s Sweet Scent filled her nostrils, calming her racing heart. Her pajamas clung to her body through a cold sweat. A dull light filtered through the blinds, illuminating the spare room of Lauren-san’s tiny apartment. At the foot of her bed, Yuri curled up, still fast asleep. Donguri-san, the Seedot she had captured in Vermilion, rested in a patch of light by the window. A look to the side showed Yanagi-san’s bed was empty. The older woman must have already left for work. Aori breathed a small sigh of relief. At least she wouldn’t have to explain to Yanagi-san why she had woken up with tears in her eyes. “I am okay,” she told Hana in a small voice. “It was just a bad dream.” A small grunt sounded from the door. Aori looked over to see Kenshi-sama standing there, holding his bone at his side, a solemn look in his eyes. The Cubone had joined them in Olivine City after seeing Aori direct her Pokémon in battle. In the months since, he had taken it upon himself to train both Aori and her other Pokémon. His teaching was surprisingly strict — he made sure every movement, from the swinging of a sword to the lashing of a vine had perfect accuracy. But underneath his harsh exterior, Kenshi-sama seemed to have a soft spot for the girl. He knew when to give Aori space or just let her cry. And there were many days when she felt like crying. But she also found herself wanting more and more to train with Kenshi-sama. She found comfort in the repetitive movements, and in some strange way working on her swordplay made her feel closer to her papa. He had been a master swordsman and samurai, after all. And given that he had taught her the basics, it only felt right to honor their family legacy by improving on what Papa had taught her. “It was a bad dream about papa,” Aori admitted softly. Kenshi-sama just nodded in understanding. He didn’t have much to say. Aori liked that. “I would like to practice again today.” Kenshi-sama nodded again. Rousing her other Pokémon, Aori changed out of her pajamas and walked out into the kitchen. As she had suspected, Yanagi-san had already left for work. She wouldn’t be back until late at night. Lauren-san was gone too, to her own work. Aori was on her own. She hummed to herself as she grabbed some Leppa berries from the counter. Saving one for herself, she gave the rest to her Pokémon. Being on her own was scary at first, but she quickly got used to it. Part of her missed spending time with Yanagi-san, but the woman had never really been the same since Hikari-san had died. For months she had done nothing but sit around, barely eating or talking to anyone. Now that she had a job, she seemed to be working all the time and coming home exhausted. Aori wanted to help her, but she often did not know what to say, and over time Yanagi-san seemed to grow more and more distant. The sky was a dull gray and dead leaves crinkled under Aori’s feet as she walked to the nearby park. The air around them was getting colder each day, and Aori found herself wishing she had warmer clothes. Most of what Hikari-san and Yanagi-san had bought her were summer clothes, and she didn’t have any money to buy more. When they reached the park, Kenshi-sama wasted no time directing the other Pokémon. Donguri-san practiced shooting Bullet Seeds at various berries hanging on trees. Hana-san did the same with her Razor Leaf; under Kenshi-sama’s direction, the Bulbasaur focused on the accuracy of a single Razor Leaf rather than a whole pile of leaves. Yuri-san playfully practiced using Helping Hand to cheer the others on. Meanwhile, Aori swung a stick at a tree. As she practiced the intricate movements, her mind drifted back to her dream. She saw Hikari-san clutching his chest where he had been shot. She saw Papa lying in a pool of his own blood. She saw Miyu’s terrifying smile. Aori swung harder. The images kept coming, mixed with memories and feelings. She saw Yanagi-san crying after Tierra-san told her the news of Hikari-san’s death. Then she saw the woman sitting alone on her bed, staring blankly at the wall. Then she saw her desperately apologizing for breaking her promise to Aori on Halloween, a promise she had broken on purpose. She saw the frustration on Lauren-san’s face when Yanagi-san failed to show up for Halloween. She saw Mama and Papa looking desperately for her on a boat and almost heard them cry out her name. Aori yelped as her stick struck the tree with so much force that the stick split in two. The top half flew back towards her, narrowly missing her head. Tears sprung unbidden to Aori’s eyes as she felt a tug on her dress. Kenshi-sama was looking up at her, a sad look in his eyes. “Gommen,” Aori said, wiping at her eyes. “I do not know why I am crying. And I did not mean to break the stick.” She looked down at the splintered piece of wood in her hand. Why had she been swinging so hard? The way of the samurai was supposed to be about grace and precision, not force. Her vision blurred as her tears returned to her eyes. “Why does everyone go away?” she asked as she slid down the tree and hugged her knees. “Mama and Papa are gone. Hikari-san is gone. Yanagi-san is still here but she is never around anymore.” She looked over at the small pond in the park. It was filled with Magikarp that loved to just swim around and eat bread that people tossed into the lake. The Magikarp lived without a care in the world. She had lived like that once, too. Back in Kotahi Village. Back before the monsters attacked and she started losing everyone. The Cubone sat next to her and looked at the Magikarp as well. Aori looked over at him. “Have you ever lost anyone, Kenshi-sama?” she asked. The Cubone stared at the Magikarp for a long time before nodding. Aori pulled at her sleeve for a moment, thinking over her words carefully. “How do you . . .” She shook her head and started over. “What do you do when you get sad like this?” The Cubone pondered this question before taking his bone and hitting it on the ground, then pointing it at one of the Magikarp. “You fight,” Aori said softly. “You train. I understand, I think. Practicing with a sword makes me forget. But not today. Today I just keep crying, no matter what I do.” Kenshi-sama put a hand on the skull on his head, and Aori saw tears forming in his eyes. “You too?” Aori smiled and looked back out at the Magikarp. “It is nice to have someone who understands. Someone who will listen.” She tugged on her sleeve again and sniffled. “Fighting and training may help us forget, but I think it is also good to cry sometimes. At least, that is what Mama told me.” Aori and Kenshi-sama continued to stare at the pond for a long time.
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