Rise of the Rockets - Game Topic

[Parugi]

IC - Kyle Eston/Levi Alaric/Will Moreno - Burks House, Village Bridge:

"That's definitely fine," Kyle said. "If you guys have a working one I can use to contact someone at the Alamo in the meantime, just to let them know that we're safe, that would be even better."

"How come you can't use my Poké Gear?" Levi asked.

"I was going to, but the charge ran out before we got a signal," Kyle said. "It's alright, though; it's only been a couple of days and any old communicator shouldn't have any problem getting through to Ryan or Sonja. I can't imagine it'll be very long before we're back home." As he went to take another bite, Kyle paused, finally registering something that Paul and Mr. Brawns had off-handedly mentioned earlier. He looked around the table, as if to confirm his suspicion. "Wait--I'm sorry to change the subject, but where's Ellen? Did you say that she left home again?"



IC - Executive Danielle Ladon - VIP Cell Block, The Alamo:

As Ladon closed the cell door behind her, she pressed a button on her Pokétch. There was no immediately noticeable effect, but after listening for a moment, it became obvious that the sounds from the hallway had deadened, leaving only the sounds within the cell itself.

"I've deactivated the microphones built into this room and activated the privacy barrier on the door. I'm telling you this because I agreed to let you know what we found on the bodies," she said. "The answer is nothing. At some point between collecting them in this cell block and transporting them to the lab, they vanished from within their body bags, just like the others." She crossed her arms. "What we did get from them is confirmation of where they vanished to. My team attached tracking tags prior to bagging them. It was very, very brief, but we got a blip from the center of Sootopolis before the signal went out. At the very least we were able to confirm that Déoza is involved in this."



IC - John Ford/Madison Hayes/Vertrag/Sonja Baron/Ethan Worth/Skye Hall/Gavin Braner - Command Center, Vertrag:

There was equal surprise at seeing Ryan and Colleen from several of the individuals in the room. Sonja, however, was quick to approach, giving Ryan a hug after Ellen had. "Good to see you," she said. "Yeah, most of us listened to the announcement from here; we've been figuring out what to do now that we know how Liberty and the others are handling Missing Zero."

She proceeded to give a summary of what they had discussed, and how certain individuals had arrived there, as the rest of the group consolidated into their own smaller groups, some continuing to quietly debate the situation as others set about to various tasks. Ford continued to silently pore over maps of various regions with Vertrag, while Hayes kept an annoyed eye trained on Gavin, who shot his own glare at her again before turning back to Skye and Ethan, the latter of whom bit his tongue in thought as he typed out a message to Jamie Arthur.

"So basically," Sonja said, reaching the end of her explanation. "We're heading to Alola."



IC - Jamie Arthur:

A message buzzed on Jamie's comm.

Sup Jamie!

How've you been? You probably heard the news about TR/TL RALLY operations. Gavin, Skye, and I tagged into a group to get RALLY going ASAP. If you're able, we could really use your help--starting in Alola. We're gonna start hitting back at M0.

Let me know if you're able to meet us there!
Ethan

[Konuju]

IC: Paul Burks/Anna Burks - Village Bridge
A somber silence filled the kitchen for a moment before Paul nodded. "Yes, Ellen left again; but with our blessing this time. I don't know how familiar you are with Evan Tierra and Jenny Hakuda, but the two of them stopped by to help us with a little fiasco in Opelucid. She decided to leave with them to help fight against the Missing Zero."

"Our Ellen isn't a little girl anymore," Anna said as she stared at her stew. "She's strong, and she's in good hands. She's happiest when she's out there helping others. But that doesn't mean we don't wish she was still here."

"They're in Ecruteak," Paul said. "Ellen gives us a call every night before she goes to bed to keep in touch. She'll certainly be surprised to see the three of you here."


IC: Ryan Sanders/Ellen Burks/Shannon Willows/Colleen Llyan - Command Center, Vertrag
"Alola?" Ryan couldn't help but laugh at the irony as he pulled out his Pokégear and showed Sonja his R.A.L.L.Y. instructions. "Funnily enough, that's where Colleen and I have been assigned. I guess that's the place to be."

"It'll be just like old times!" Ellen said with a grin. "Traveling together, exploring a region, and trying to save the world."

"Yes, but your Pokémon look quite a bit stronger than when we were in Unova." Ryan looked up at the Reuniclus floating near Ellen. "Duo, I presume? You been taking good care of Ellen?"

It's Symbio now, the Reuniclus replies, using his arms to perform an elegant bow. And we've been taking care of each other. It will be good to travel with you again, though, Ryan. It certainly has been a while.

A blonde girl nearby seemed to jerk her head over at Symbio's words. She opened her mouth to speak, then quickly shut it, simply staring at the small reunion with a sad look in her eyes. Whereas everyone else seemed to have split into smaller groups, each carrying on their own conversation, this girl stood apart, looking almost lost.

"So what have you been up to lately?" Ellen asked, drawing Ryan's attention away from the silent girl. The Liberty agent smiled. "Well, I finally found my parents, and solved the mystery of why Team Rocket went after them in the first place. Speaking of which, I need to make sure they get lodging before we all get whisked away to Alola." He looked over at Sonja. "How soon before we depart?"


IC: Dahlia Seaton/Klim Prizak - Distortion World
Dahlia and Klim soared across the desolate landscape on the back of the former's Dragonite. It was a long, uneventful trip, for the Distortion World had few residents to hinder their progress. Every now and then they would pause and ensure they were on the right path by opening a portal to the "Real" World (a term Klim despised, for Giratina's realm was no less real than their own dimension, but Dahlia had no alternative name).

More than once the two had to correct their course. Traveling from Sinnoh to Hoenn was a lot harder when one couldn't rely on any well-known landmarks or even the stars for guidance.

After what felt like an eternity, Dahlia's portal revealed the unique trees of Mossdeep City. "I think this is close enough," Klim said. "It will be easier to fly across the sea to Sootopolis, then use the Distortion World again to slip into that fortress of a city."

"You hear that, Dracos?" Dahlia patted the head of her Dragonite. "We're almost there. You think you can hold up?" The orange dragon yawned, but beat his wings to carry them to an air current. As they flew, Dahlia turned to look at Klim. "Aunt Kiri said the city was under siege by Déoza. Do you know anything about the group?"

Klim shrugged. "They were in cahoots with The Shadowed Man. I think Ellen's father also works for them, which is ironic given that it's Ellen's Pokémon we're trying to save."

"I've traveled with Ellen's father before," Dahlia said. "He seems like a nice man. I find it hard to believe he'd agree with holding a city under siege."

"I doubt he made that call," Klim replied.

The two flew in silence until the rocky coast of Sootopolis came into view. From there, Dahlia created another portal to the Distortion World. Dracos whined as he flew through the dreary realm until they were certain they had passed the walls of the city. Then the dragon landed on a rocky outcropping and collapsed in exhaustion.

"Thank you, my friend," Dahlia said, stroking the Dragonite's neck before recalling him to his Pokéball. "You deserve a nice, long, rest." She turned to Klim and nodded. "Ready?" she asked.

"I should be the one asking you that," Klim answered. "This will be the first true test of your abilities since your training. You fought well against Team Flare in Kalos, but you now command a much deeper knowledge of your powers. Knowledge, however, must be put into play through Willpower, and directed through Emotion. So I ask you, Dahlia Seaton. Are you ready to show the world the power of Giratina's chosen Hero?"

The girl pulled up the hood of her cloak and took a deep breath. "I can do this," she told herself. "It's just like training, only people might try and kill me." She nodded to Klim and opened a portal. On the other side, she saw an empty alley. "The coast looks clear," she said, jumping through to the other side.

The sound of steel boots against cobblestones sounded behind them. As the portal closed, they saw a pair of armed guards turn around at their sudden appearance and aim their guns at them.

"Shoot," Dahlia muttered as she turned to face the guards, raising her hands to show she was unarmed. "Well this is off to a great start."

[Parugi]

IC - Kyle Eston/Levi Alaric/Will Moreno - Burks House, Village Bridge:

The sudden mood shift was enough to make Will and Levi pause, both of them looking between Kyle and the Burks. The former looked contemplative, as if weighing something on his mind. After a moment, Will cleared his throat. "She must be a very resourceful trainer," he said. "Not everyone can go out and fight that thing. I know I wouldn't want to."

"Me, neither . . ." Levi said quietly. Kyle glanced at him. As he idly stirred the dregs of his meal, not meeting anyone's eye, the younger boy wore an expression that seemed to land somewhere between guilt and embarrassment. It wasn't clear what exactly he was thinking, but Kyle had a couple of ideas.

"It's definitely not a job for everyone," Kyle agreed. "But you're right. Ellen knows what she's doing, and as long as she's with Evan and Jenny, there's nothing to worry about." He smiled reassuringly at the rest of the group. "It'll be nice to surprise her when she calls, too. I don't think I've talked to her since you took her home a few months ago, Paul. Evan and Jenny, too." Kyle rubbed his head, looking back at the kids. "Did you two ever meet them?"

That seemed to at least lighten the guest half of the table.

Will shook his head while Levi thought back. "Maybe?" the younger boy said. "I don't remember."

"Oh boy." Kyle couldn't help but laugh. "Well, if you get to talk to them tonight, get ready. Those two are . . . something else. Especially Evan." He went to take a bite of stew. "You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you that he's got space powers."

You could almost hear a pin drop between Levi and Will. "Space powers?" Will repeated.

"Like Palkia?" Levi asked, visibly awed at the thought.

Kyle nodded nonchalantly as he continued to eat. "Space powers. Like Palkia. From Palkia, actually." He glanced at them, giving a half-smile. "There are other people with powers from Giratina and Dialga, too. It's a pretty long story, though. Since you're both done eating, how about you go get cleaned up and I'll tell you about it tonight when we get to bed? It'll be a fun campfire tale."

"Okay!"

The two were obviously feeling a lot better now that they had had something to eat. In a flash nearly as impressive as when they had gone to the table, Levi and Will darted back into the hallway and pulled their clean clothes and soaps from Kyle's bag. After getting some direction from Anna on where to find towels and get showers, they hurried off.

As they disappeared down the hall, Kyle pushed his now-empty bowl away, quietly stacking Will and Levi's on top of his. "Thanks again," he said to Paul and Anna. "Do you need any help cleaning up?"



IC - John Ford/Madison Hayes/Vertrag/Sonja Baron/Ethan Worth/Skye Hall/Gavin Braner - Command Center, Vertrag:

Sonja looked around at everyone. "We hadn't really figured that out yet," she said. "I'd prefer sooner rather than later, though. Maybe tomorrow to give everyone time to sort out their business first?"



IC - Déoza Patrol - Streets, Sootopolis:

The armored guards did not seem to be surprised so much as instantly on the offensive. The rifles they held were odd, large and clunky machines connected to packs that they carried on their backs. Anyone familiar with Team Energon's power draining technology would recognize some familiar elements, though the designs seemed to have been improved.

"Identify yourselves, now," one of them barked, their voice crackling through their helmet in a voice heavily augmented by some sort of electronic filter.

[minun4]

IC: James Arthur - VIP Cell Block, Alamo


Percy nearly steamed at the news. He wasn’t too happy about the fact that the bodies had gotten away. But he pulled himself together. Not only did he not want to give the game away, he had a job to do. Check to make sure they weren’t being spied on. Percy did a sweep of the vicinity of the cell, trying to find anyone who was pulling what he was pulling. Nothing. Either Ladon was being legit, or they were up against someone who was better at this than they were. He came to rest behind James. He warmed James’s back slightly to let him know that the job was done.

James didn’t need to see Percy to feel his frustration. There was nothing that could be done. If the Shadow Tag had been kept on for much longer, Percy would have been discovered. At least it had been proven that ‘Déoza’ had been involved. It lacked the same punch that identifying the corpses of their own agents would have had. But it would have to do.

“Given that an imposter Ford claimed credit for the death of Goldhawk, we can safely conclude that the people behind the Shadow Suit attacks were also behind the assassination of Goldhawk. The crime that I am accused of,” James said, standing up. “However this Déoza is an imposter, just as the Ford who claimed responsibility for the assassination was. This is evident from the fact that they chose to attack their supposed leader.”

He paused. It was the moment before the plunge. Once he opened his mouth, events would be set in motion, to whatever end they may go. He took one more breath and took the leap. “The ones responsible for the death of Goldhawk, the abduction of Team Liberty and Team Rocket operatives, and the attacks by the Shadow Suits are Executive Meghan Vert and Leader Silvermind.”



IC: Lohe Mahina - Po Town - Shady House


Not more than a moment after he entered the building, he noticed his next obstacle. Nobuddy. Undisguised Nobuddy. It was apparent to Lohe, that not all people were left untransformed by Missing Zero.

By themselves, he could still sneak by them with Phantom Force’s power. But of all things, the lights were still working. Not so bright to pull him back into the light, but a complication nonetheless.

He did not have enough intel to know how they’d react to an unnatural shadow dancing on the wall. With such close proximity to the enemy, mistakes could be fatal. The Nobuddy weren’t facing him. There was a closet nearby. He’d have a moment to breathe in there. They weren’t moving, and none of them were facing towards the closet. Better still, the lights were off in the closet. Moving slowly, he passed along the wall and underneath the space between the door and the floor into the room.

Lohe stepped out of the shadow back into the space of the closet and just began listening. No movement. He was safe. For now. He took the time to reflect on what his next move should be. His primary objective was to find the chamber that belonged to Guzma, the leader of Team Skull. In his ‘throne room’ should be certain manifests. They detailed what resources Team Skull had. The manifests along with whatever resources on said manifests that he could recover would be enough to satisfy the elders, for now.

Lohe waited patiently as he planned his next move. Guzma’s room wasn’t that far. It was on this floor, on this side of the building. And the Nobuddy still weren’t moving. That was a problem however. They were in between him on his destination. He could try taking them out, but if that triggered the other Instances to come investigate, he’d be screwed. There was always the oldest trick in the book. Hopefully Instances didn’t read.

There was a precariously balanced stack of cardboard boxes. None of the Nobuddy were watching the boxes. The shadow of the stack extended from where they were to the door. All Lohe needed to do was stick one hand out of the shadows and push lightly. As Lohe retreated back into shadow, the tower began to waver before completely collapsing. The noise attracted the attention of the Nobuddy. They broke formation to investigate, which gave Lohe his chance to sneak under the door to Guzma’s room.

Once he was inside, he silently stepped out of the shadows and into tangibility. He looked around the room. The room was a perfect mess, the same way as the last time he’d seen it. Ironically, that meant the room hadn’t been touched since Po Town was evacuated. Lohe held in a sigh, and began to look around the room. The first place he checked was the ‘throne’. Guzma seemed like the guy who would have tossed something important like the manifests he was looking for somewhere within arms reach whenever he was done with it. He did not find the manifests, but he found something else underneath the chair and beneath an overturned vase stand amid shards of porcelain.

Green Z-Crystals. Not a lot, but some had been left in the rush to get out of Po Town. Lohe sat his backpack down and began packing up any of the Buginium-Z that he could find. It was something at least.

Actually finding the manifests he’d been looking for took a lot of sorting through garbage. At least he had experience with that from the time he’d been undercover as a butler, but it was still rather unpleasant. But after enough searching beneath abandoned comic books and discarded beverages, he did find the pieces of paper he was looking for. Not in the best condition, but still legible, Lohe noted.

There were three main resources that Team Skull had that the elders wanted. The first was the Buginium Z that he’d found. The majority of Buginium Z had been gathered up by Guzma. It was one way to become the strongest Bug Type specialist in Alola, Lohe supposed. Enough had been taken in the initial evacuation to supply Four Island, but some was left behind in the panic. Between what he had here and what had been taken, there didn’t seem to be a substantial amount unaccounted for.

Well there didn’t seem to be any Pokemon around. It’d make sense that Z-Crystals were useless to Missing Zero. Which brought Lohe to the other two resources. Human and Pokemon resources. The Pokemon were probably all gone. And the human resources didn’t seem willing to go. But with these manifests, they’d at least be able to pinpoint who was missing.

As far as resources went, that would have to do. If he could get some further intel on what the enemy was doing here it would be enough to save his neck, Lohe hoped. The ‘gathering’ he’d heard about earlier sounded important. He didn’t know how long he had until it happened, but if a large crowd was gathering, he’d be able to hear it.

Until then, he could try to fulfill what he promised to Blue and Pink. To do that, he had to get to the living quarters. Those were… on the exact opposite side of the building. Great.

[Konuju]

IC: Paul Burks/Anna Burks - Burks House, Village Bridge
"Well I'd hate to impose, I'm sure you've had a hard day," Anna said as she set about washing Will and Levi's bowls. "But if you wouldn't mind drying the dishes, that would be a big help. Paul can show you where they go."

"Also, I didn't mean to get your hopes up," Paul said. "Ellen calls before she goes to bed -- Johto Time. That'll be in the morning for us. But that doesn't mean we can't still sit around telling stories of the Hero of Space tonight," he added with a smile.


IC: Ryan Sanders/Ellen Burks/Shannon Willows/Colleen Llyan - Command Center, Vertrag
"That sounds perfect," Ryan said. "That should give me enough time to get my parents situated. If I'm not back tonight I'll be here first thing in the morning."

"I also need to stop by my home," Colleen said. "Zoe would be devastated if I didn't check in with her, and I know my parents would appreciate the update as well."


IC: Dahlia Seaton - Streets, Sootopolis City
Despite her training, it took all of Dahlia's energy not to panic. Keeping her arms raised, her mind raced. She had no idea what the situation was like here. It was best not to cause a scene if she could help it. The Déoza guards didn't know about her powers, something that could prove beneficial if she remained calm. Maybe she could talk her way out of this.

But it wouldn't be wise to give her real name. Even if Dahlia Seaton was largely unknown to the world, the Seaton name was connected to both Team Rocket and Team Liberty, both of which were Déoza's enemies.

"M-my name's Daisy," she stammered, raising her hands a little higher. "Daisy Sage. This is my friend, Krim Peony." She glanced at Klim, silently imploring him to play along. "W-we were just passing through, and must have made a wrong turn. I'm so sorry about that, we'll get out of your way . . ."

[Parugi]

IC - John Ford/Madison Hayes/Vertrag/Sonja Baron/Ethan Worth/Skye Hall/Gavin Braner - Command Center, Vertrag:

"Alright," Sonja said, raising her voice somewhat to get everyone's attention. "Then that's settled. We'll set aside tonight and tomorrow morning to get our final business on Four Island in order and aim to leave for Alola tomorrow around noon."



IC - Executive Danielle Ladon - VIP Cell Block, The Alamo:

Executive Ladon was silent for a long time, during which she did not once break eye contact with James. To most, she might not have appeared to react at all to what she had just been told. To someone with James's perceptive ability, it was clear from the slight tightening in her jaw that she was seriously weighing the accusation before deciding what to do with it.

Finally, she spoke. "That is quite the accusation to level against someone from your position, Arthur," she said. "Perhaps I'm missing something, so please, walk me though this. We know Déoza is still active. How do your conclusions, or even the evidence you're using as a base, point to those two over whatever remains of Déoza's leadership?"



IC - Déoza Patrol - Streets, Sootopolis:

The appeal did not seem to phase the patrolling agents, whose guns remained pointed firmly at the pair in front of them. "Curfew began over an hour ago," the lead Déoza Agent said. "You have ten seconds to explain why you're on the streets at this hour."

It was hard to tell because of the helmets, but both Klim and Dahlia got the impression that the arbiters before them were sizing them up. It became clear why as they chanced a few glances closer at their surroundings. Simply put, Sootopolis had fallen into utter disrepair since the last time either of them had visited. If the inhabitants generally looked half as bad as the buildings around them, then Klim and Dahlia stood out like a sore thumb simply by virtue of not having languished in the same manner--their clothes and skin far too clean to be normal occupants of the city.



IC - Kyle Eston/Levi Alaric/Will Moreno - Burks House, Village Bridge:

Drying dishes was not a problem by any means--there were not that many to begin with, and it gave Kyle an opportunity to engage in something calm and repetitive, something he did not have to think terribly hard about. It was honestly kind of nice to do, he thought. Circumstances had always prevented him from experiencing what many considered normal activity, and he couldn't help but appreciate the opportunity to engage whenever a chance arose, even if his muscles still ached from the past couple of days.

The idle chitchat between the Burks and Kyle soon gave way to a comfortable silence from the latter as husband and wife began to talk more directly to one another about their day. Kyle just leaned back against the countertop and listened, working slowly on drying off a bowl, not paying as much attention to their actual words as he was just enjoying the sort of ambient nature of the conversation itself. As he ran the wash cloth over the bowl for the sixth or seventh time, he found his thoughts drifting back to the first trip he had taken to Kalos--back before things had spun so out of control. It had turned out poorly overall, but for a brief moment there, sitting on that gently rumbling train with Esen fast asleep against his shoulder as they made their way from Lumiose to Dendemille . . . It reminded him very much of the calm to be found here.

His hands stopped moving as his thoughts drifted further back to an experience even more pertinent to this, one that made his heart ache: Lying in the dark with Gecynde, talking idly before sleep overcame them both. Simple conversations for a simpler time. And now she was gone for good, struck down by him and his team. No more fleeting fancies or vague consideration about where she might have ended up or when she might come back, wondering where things might have gone if they did someday reconnect. No; now there was no obscurity, no what ifs or what could be, just the hard reality of what was--the fact that she had ended up unwillingly becoming something so twisted, so antithetical to who she had been.

In a way, he was glad he had been able to put her out of that misery. But a larger part of him was wracked with guilt over his inability to do anything to truly help her, and the question of whether he could have saved her if he had spent even a moment looking into her disappearance. As much as he was glad to be in this situation, recovering in the comfort and peace of the Burks' home, he could not honestly say that he felt like he deserved it.

"Mr. Kyle?"

He almost dropped the bowl as Levi's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. The younger boy stood beside him, a damp towel around the neck of the clean green polo shirt he had changed into. His cheeks were slightly redder from scrubbing the dirt and grime from his face, but it was obvious that he was in much better spirits now than he had been even at dinner.

"S-Sorry--you looked like you were falling asleep," Levi said. "But the bathtub is free now if you want to go get clean."

Kyle offered a tired smile as he set the bowl in its proper cabinet. "Thanks, Levi," he said, heading out of the kitchen with the younger boy. Once they were in the hall and he had stooped down to his bag to grab his own clean clothes, he glanced at Levi. "Are you holding up alright? I know it's been a chaotic couple of days."

Levi offered his own broad smile. "I'm okay. I was scared to start with, but . . . um . . ." His face flushed with embarrassment as he looked away, catching himself from saying something. "I'm okay now. That's all." He looked at Kyle, eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm just tired, that's all."

Levi simply looked at him. "That's what you said earlier," he said quietly. "D-Did, um . . . did you really know that girl who attacked us? You told Mr. Burks that she was someone you knew who disappeared."

There was a slight moment of hesitation before Kyle answered. "She and I were . . . really good friends. Her name was Gecynde. She, um . . . She was my first partner. And she saved my life once." He could feel his throat clenching up as he spoke, even as he tried to push it back down.

"She sounds like she was really special," Levi said. Kyle nodded. "Are you sad?" Kyle nodded again.

Carefully, Levi leaned against him, wrapping the older boy in a tight hug that instantly caused him to break down. He wrapped an arm around Levi in return, burying his eyes into the crook of the younger boy's arm as he struggled against the outpouring of tears, trying his best not to alert the Burks. He felt Levi resting the side of his face against the back of his head, rocking them both gently. It was comforting. Soon enough, Kyle began to pull himself back together, lifting his head slightly and rubbing his eyes.

"It's okay to be sad," Levi said gently. "Especially when you lose someone. You just have to be sure to remember them and cherish your memories together twice as much."

For the third time, Kyle nodded. He felt the younger boy pull away, freeing him to fully dry his face. "You lost someone special to you, too, didn't you?"

"Y-Yeah; my brother," Levi said, his tone becoming much more somber. "It was an accident when we were playing in the forest. Mom and D-Dad, um . . . They wanted to just block it out, but I didn't want to forget Liam, so . . . I had to be sad by myself."

"That's horrible," Kyle said. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. You're too good of a kid."

"I-It's okay, really," Levi said, face flushing with embarrassment again. "Um . . . Liam came back, anyway, sort of, so it wasn't all bad." He dropped his hand to the Poké Ball on his belt, which he unclipped and held up. He smiled sadly as he looked at it. "I wish I could talk to him again, but he hasn't learned how to. And, um . . ." His face flushed once more and he looked away. "I-I think, now that I've had time . . . I really would've just liked for them to have hugged me . . . and told me it was okay to be sad. S-Sometimes it didn't feel like it was."

Kyle placed a hand on Levi's head. "Well . . . Thanks, kiddo," he said. "Really. I feel a lot better now than I did. Let's . . . Let's keep each other in check, okay? You let me know when you're sad, I'll let you know when I am. Deal?"

Levi smiled, holding the Poké Ball up to cover his face. "Deal." His expression turned serious again. "Um . . . I have another question. Do you know where we're going to sleep?"

"I actually don't," Kyle said as he stood up. "Do you want to check in with Mr. and Mrs. Burks and find out?"

"S-Sure," Levi said. He turned, starting back toward the kitchen before pausing again. "Um . . . One more thing. Could we go looking for a Bulbasaur tomorrow? We never ran into one in the forest."

Kyle laughed. "Definitely!" he said. "It's going to take some time to get my Pokétch fixed, anyway. We can see if Will wants to look for anything, too."

Levi offered a final smile before disappearing into the kitchen. Kyle stood motionless for a moment, still gathering his bearings, but finally started down the hall toward the bathroom. The thought of Gecynde still hurt, but . . . Well, at the very least, he was glad to have someone around who could so directly find the heart of what he was feeling through all of the surrounding emotion. It was nice to be so simply seen.

[Konuju]

IC: Dahlia Seaton - Streets, Sootopolis
Dahlia scrambled to come up with a believable story. "Y-yes, well, we were just, um, on our way back from . . . the store." The Déoza agents did not seem convinced. "Well, I tried."

In one smooth motion, Dahlia lowered her hands. One hand remained extended toward the guards, preparing to Reverse any attack they might make with their guns. With the other hand, she pulled a Pokéball from her belt. An Inkay emerged, the glowing spots on its body immediately flashing in a rapid pattern. Even if the Hypnosis didn't have its intended sleep-inducing effect, it would hopefully at least daze the guards long enough for Dahlia and Klim to get away.


IC: Ryan Sanders/Jeffery Sanders/Rebecca Sanders - Barracks, The Alamo
"It's pretty standard, but it should get you by for the time being." Ryan surveyed the room that had been provided for his parents. Its layout was identical to the one Paul and Ellen had stayed in after Two Island, slightly bigger than his own quarters.

"Compared to the islands we've been suck on the past several months, this is like a luxury hotel," his father said with a grin. "You don't have to worry about us, son. We'll be just fine here."

A sad smile rose to Ryan's lips, and he busied himself inspecting the cabinets of the small kitchen that came with the room. "It's a little strange to be leaving you again so soon after I just found you. But I have to."

He felt his mother's hand on his shoulder. "We understand," she said in a soft voice. "You've had a lot of growing up to do over the past year and a half. I'm sure it hasn't always been easy, but you seem happier here."

Ryan looked at his mother in surprise. "I was happy in Fortree. I miss those days, actually."

"I miss them, too," his mother said. "But there's something different about you now. You have a sense of purpose. Determination. I guess you finally went on that Pokémon journey you'd always talked about. You've seen the world. And along the way you've made invaluable friendships with people and Pokémon alike. I'm proud of you, Ryan. You've finally found your place in the world."

"M-mom . . ." The tears he had tried to hold back earlier sprang into his eyes as he embraced his mother.

"We couldn't be more proud." Ryan's father joined the family hug. "You're a pretty great Liberty agent, an amazing Pokémon Trainer, an aspiring leader . . . but you will always be our son. Your mom and I will be fine here. I know you're needed elsewhere. So go save the world."

Ryan laughed. "That sounds a little dramatic, but it just might end up being true. Thanks for the pep talk. I love you guys."

"We love you, too," Ryan's mother said. "And we'll be waiting for you when you get back from your mission."

"It could be a while," Ryan warned. In truth, with a teleporting base there wasn't much reason for him to return to The Alamo anytime soon. "You might not see me for a long time."

"But we'll be thinking of you," his father said. "And rooting for you. Our son, the hero."

As Ryan embraced his family once more, he realized he didn't want to leave. The war had taken its toll on him, and now that he'd found a piece of his old life he longed to return to those simpler times. But as his mom had said, he had a duty. A purpose. His friends needed him, and he needed them. And so he made sure to enjoy every last second of his family's loving embrace.



IC: Paul Burks/Anna Burks - Burks House, Village Bridge - The Following Morning
Paul sat in the kitchen sipping on his morning coffee. The last he had seen Kyle, Levi, and Will, he had directed them to their sleeping quarters: Ellen's room upstairs, the guest room downstairs, and an air mattress that could be placed in either room. He had left the boys to decide amongst themselves who would be sleeping where.

In these early morning hours, the house was completely silent. Anna was still resting, and the boys seemed to still be asleep -- not surprising given how exhausted they were the day before. Still, their presence had added a liveliness the house hadn't seen in a long time.

Paul spent some time alone in his thoughts, enjoying the quiet of the morning, before his Xtransceiver rang. He answered it, and his daughter's face popped up on the screen. "Good morning, Ellen," he said with a warm smile. "Or should I say good night? You certainly look more serious than normal."

"And you seem more cheerful than normal," Ellen replied. "Did you have an extra cup of coffee this morning?"

Paul laughed. "No, we actually had some unexpected guests last night. Friends of yours."

Ellen perked up. "Really? Who?"

Paul looked up from the device at the sound of approaching footsteps. "Actually, I think I hear one of them getting up now. I'll let him introduce himself."

[minun4]

IC: James Arthur - VIP Cell Block, Alamo


James took Ladon not immediately decking him and leaving as a positive sign. It meant she was still interested in what he had to say. As for what made him suspect Vert over ‘Déoza’, now that was a hole with no bottom. He had so much to say, he had to take a minute in quiet reflection to consider how to begin.

“We ‘know’ that do we?” he said, his eyes still closed in contemplation.

He walked over to the edge of the cell and looked towards the still visible scorch marks where one of the Shadow Suit users had perished. He weighed the merits and demerits of telling Ladon outright that Ford said that he had no idea where the Shadow Suits had come from. He’d rather not have her ask too many questions about his own actions during the incident.

“It takes someone in my position to be able to accuse Vert and Silvermind. I have a unique history with Vert,” James said as images of fighting Greed and Lust alongside Vert flashed through his mind. “And I know their means, motive, and opportunity. Simply because they are reminiscent of those that brought me under suspicion.”

James let go of the bar and turned back towards Ladon. “The crime required somebody with remote access to the Power Suits and familiarity with their coding. Vert had both of those,” James held up a single finger. “Means.”

“However, she was supposed to have been monitored to prevent any sort of foul play.” James paused for a moment, considering if he had just implied it was Ladon’s fault. “But if Silvermind wanted Goldhawk gone, Vert would have been afforded the chance.” James held up two fingers. “Opportunity.”

“Which brings us to motive. I could go into personal misgivings they had, but there was a more practical reason for his death,” James said. “From their perspective at any rate,” he added lest he sound like he was defending their actions. “Power, more specifically, the ability to make the Shadow Suits to use against M0.“

“You said last time we met, that these Shadow Suits could not have been ours. However, with Silvermind’s patronage, and a single confederate in Team Rocket to provide information on Shadow Pokemon, they could have been. On that note, did you know that Vert was able to continue working on the Power Suits even while she was imprisoned after our confrontation with Greed and Lust? How do you think she was able to accomplish that? Given that Goldhawk forbade such work, we can rule out his patronage. And I can personally verify that Blackskull did not know. Which leaves only Silvermind.”

“This gives both Vert and Silvermind a history of subverting Goldhawk’s orders to continue the development of the Power Suits. Goldhawk would never have approved the creation of the Shadow Suits. Silvermind needed him out of the way to be able to covertly produce them.” He held up three fingers. “Motive.”

James took a seat, as he returned to contemplation. “Questions thus far? I am split on whether to talk next about the problems thinking Déoza is the culprit, or further avenues for suspecting Silvermind’s involvement.”



IC: Lohe Mahina - Po Town - Shady House


As he passed by one of the windows looking out toward the front of the house, Lohe spared a moment to pause and glance outside. Immediately, he ducked closer to the wall, an eyebrow rising slightly as he took in the sight at the center of the decrepit mansion that Team Skull had once claimed as their base of operations.

The Shady House Inner Courtyard had never been much of a sight to behold--the garden was unkempt, the walkways dirty, and overall it did not give one the impression that Team Skull cared all that much for landscaping. But the crater that now marked the yard . . . That was new. From his position above, Lohe saw that it was a deep hole, one formed at an odd angle coming toward the front of the manor.

What was more bizarre, however, was what occupied that crater. A tall crystal, easily ten feet tall at the least and even thicker around, shimmered strangely even through the darkness of the night, independent of the odd street lamp or nearby torch burning nearby. Thick veins of crystal snaked away from it at the bottom, branching off into the surrounding dirt and rock. Despite how solid they looked, they seemed to shift, undulating almost imperceptibly in the muck.

As he stared at the main form of the crystal, Lohe noted a weird feeling emanating from it--a sort of regular pulsing sensation that remained steady, steady, steady, and then suddenly beat more strongly, only to return to a normal pace. For a moment, he could not quite place it, but as he watched the crystal and tuned into its rhythm, he realized that there was something about it that almost reminded him of a heartbeat. More alarming, however, was the result of the stronger beat: As Lohe watched, a tree down below began to distort and bend in on itself. Before long it had transformed into the hulking form of a Meadiant, which stood still for a moment before slowly lumbering with thunderous steps into the manor. Lohe moved to the other side of the hallway and watched it emerge on the other side. The Mediant walked toward a nearby lamp post, uprooting it and hefting it against its shoulder as it wandered off into town.]

All around, with each repetitive beat of the crystal, the same thing was happening to other objects, other Pokémon that happened to be in the area, and in some cases, some of the robed members of Team Skull that had remained behind.

It did not take long to figure out that this object was the source of the strange light that had fallen into town. And, clearly, the source of everything else that had gone wrong in the surrounding area.]

Lohe swallowed. He couldn’t feel himself breathe. He’d just been staring at the horror before him. What was this feeling of dread? He was reminded of how Pokemon acted around him. He just had to get away from the crystal as soon as possible.

“And it’s my job to get rid of that?” thought aloud, as he tore himself away from the sight. He got a hold of himself. This lapse would get him discovered if he didn’t calm down.

A single Moongeist Beam likely wasn’t enough to destroy the crystal. And if it wasn’t, there was a good chance it would alert every Instance in the area to come murder him. He quietly pulled out his phone, and snapped a photo of it. He knew that this was the target, and where it was located. That’d be enough to save his neck. He hoped. He turned down the hall and stepped back into the shadows.

I’m finding that necklace and them I’m getting the hell out of Po Town.

[Parugi]

IC - Déoza Patrol - Streets, Sootopolis:

A sleep effect, it did not have, though the sudden lights in their eyes had about as much effect on anyone as could be expected. As they recovered, the two guards primed their weapons, which hummed for a split second before loosing a high-pitched noise as a beam of energy lanced forward. As the Reverse effect took hold, the energy reverted on itself, turning what should have been a draining shot into an overcharge that caused the weapons to explode, throwing back both of their operators.

Through the haze of smoke that now covered the area, the Heroes of Reverse could see the vague outlines of the two Déoza patrolmen as they slowly pushed themselves to their feet. They heard the sounds of one radioing for reinforcements while both unhooked the straps securing the now-useless charge packs to their backs, which landed with a heavier-than-expected thunk against the pavement. As one drew a service pistol from its holster, the other knelt beside their pack.

"Deploying Bulbug swarm."

The top of the pack hissed as it opened. From within, six spherical objects like lightbulbs suddenly emerged, four thin leg-like wings extending from each. The second patrolman did the same, unleashing another six of the Instances known as Bulbug, which all alit with a dull, yellow light as all started off down the road toward Dahlia and Klim, the Bulbug splitting off and shining their searchlights across zigzagging alleyways in an attempt to cut off any escape routes.



IC - Executive Danielle Ladon - VIP Cell Block, The Alamo:

"I do have some," Ladon said. "Suppose what you're saying is all correct. Suppose they're even taking measures to keep this all secret in an attempt to eventually overthrow Blackskull and the other Executives that they don't agree with. Why would Executive Vert or Silvermind send their Shadow Suits to attack Skye Hall and Levi Alaric in such public settings, where someone even remotely familiar with the Power Suits could recognize the design similarities? And why would they send Shadow Suits down here, in broad view of the one person who could tie the Shadow Suits to them, without making a concerted effort to take that person out? Further, why would our trackers show the suits that we did grab reappearing in the heart of Déoza territory? Are you suggesting that somehow, over the course of four months, Silvermind or Vert assumed control of Déoza without our knowledge?"



IC - Kyle Eston/Levi Alaric/Will Moreno - Burks House, Village Bridge:

There was nothing to complain about with regard to the sleeping arrangement. The only adjustment to be made was Kyle's decision to hole up in the guest room as a group rather than split between two rooms. As much as he trusted the Burks, for the time being he did not feel comfortable leaving either Will or Levi unattended. While the two of them shared the bed, he elected to take the air mattress, and with Paul and Anna's permission let Torith out of his ball to sleep at the foot of the bed.

It was a little cramped, but it was cozy. And after two nights of sleeping on the uneven floor of the woods, they may as well have been sleeping on clouds here.

It was well into the night when Kyle awoke to the sound of the bed creaking nearby, instantly alert as he sat up. He half-expected to see some shadowy figure standing over the bed, a nighttime abductor here to finish whatever their previous attackers had started. Yet as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he found no such figure. He breathed out and rubbed the fatigue from his eyes before sitting up straighter and looking around. Will was fast asleep on the bed, his injured foot propped up on a pillow. Torith, too, snored softly from the middle of the bed.

The only one missing was Levi. He had gotten off of the bed and moved to stand by the window, pushing aside the curtains and resting his forehead against it. He swayed slightly where he stood. In the silence of the night, Kyle thought he could hear the younger boy sniffling.

"Levi?" he said quietly, trying his best not to wake Will or Torith. "You okay?"

The boy raised a hand up and wiped his eyes as he turned around. From the look on his face, Kyle wasn't sure that he was even fully awake, but certainly appeared to have been crying. He hiccupped slightly and nodded in response to the question as he shambled toward the bed, mumbling something that Kyle did not catch. Then Levi paused and broke down, fighting futilely against his own tears as Kyle had done earlier that evening.

"Levi, what's wrong?" Kyle moved to get out of his own bed. "Hey--come here, buddy. It's alright."

Stumbling slightly through the dark, Levi met Kyle at the foot of the bed, where the older boy pulled the younger into a hug. Miraculously, Will did not awaken; Kyle almost envied the depths of his sleep. He shushed Levi, rocking them both the way Levi had done earlier. After a little while, he seemed to calm down, pulling away and rubbing at his eyes.

"I don't feel good," Levi said after a moment, hiccupping again.

Kyle frowned, placing the back of his hand on Levi's forehead. "You definitely feel a little warm," he said. "Stay here for a second."

After a bit of foraging around the house, Kyle gathered up a towel, a glass of water, and a bag with some old newspapers that he hoped the Burks wouldn't miss. Levi was sitting on the air mattress when he returned. Gently, he wrapped the towel around Levi's shoulders, gave him the water to drink, and set the bag beside the bed. Kyle sat down across the shorter side of the mattress, turned so his back was against the wall, and rubbed Levi's back. "At least now it'll be a bit less of a mess if you throw up, right?"

Levi took another drink of water and then nodded. Silently, he adjusted his position so he could cuddle against Kyle, resting his head on his lap, clutching the bag tightly to his chest. The Liberty Agent grabbed one of his pillows and placed it under Levi's head, wrapping an arm around Levi.

"I'm sorry you're not feeling well, buddy," Kyle said. "Did the water help, at least?"

"A little," Levi said. He was silent for a few moments. "I miss mom."

Kyle ran a hand through Levi's hair. "I'm sure she misses you, too. Let's give her a call once we get our Pokétchs fixed."

"Okay . . ." Levi's eyes were drifting closed. "I love you, Liam . . ."

"I--" Kyle started, caught a little off-guard. He combed through Levi's hair again. "Love you, too, buddy."

It wasn't long before Levi was fast asleep. Despite his upright position, Kyle soon found himself drifting off, as well.


It seemed like only a couple more hours had gone by before Kyle found himself awakened by the distant sounds of early birds chirping. He was still sitting upright when he awoke, and his back was a little sore from it. Levi had moved in his sleep, curled up beside the older trainer but no longer resting on him. On the bed, Torith had spread out to take over the half that Levi had left unoccupied, while Will had rolled over and wrapped his arms around the perpetually-warm Pokémon.

Carefully, Kyle rose from the air mattress, stretching the soreness out of his muscles. As he stepped out into the hallway, he pulled on a light coat. Paul's presence in the kitchen did not even register to Kyle until he had started around the corner, just in time to catch the last part of Paul's sentence. He paused briefly as Paul turned the Xtransceiver in his direction, presenting him with the image of a very serious-faced Ellen Burks, and her with the sight of a somewhat-disheveled Kyle Eston.

The Liberty Agent smiled, giving a small wave as he walked forward and took a seat. "Morning, Ellen. How's your day going?"



IC - Esen Windred - North Beach, The Alamo:

Esen felt incredibly guilty.

So much had happened in the past day that it was hard to make sense of it all. That was the benefit of sitting out on the beach, at least; the cool wind, quietude of the area save for the gentle ebb and flow of the waves, and the sparkling stars above all made for a meditative place that gave her somewhere to sort out her thoughts. Even as the distant, ominous glow of the portion of the sea corrupted by the Missing Zero ate away at the horizon, she could at least find comfort in the strange, surreal beauty of it all. It seemed the sleeping Charizard next to her felt much the same, less perturbed by the sight than relaxed by the environment.

It had, of course, started with the events in the Daycare. Liberty Security had responded to the attack swiftly--not quick enough to prevent it, or to stop Kyle, Levi, and Will from vanishing, but they had at least managed to secure the place without Esen's or Sam's help. That had left the two of them to go and break the bad news to Eileen Alaric.

They hadn't done so, for better or worse. Apparently there was growing trouble at Chapel; she had been called to provide back-up. Not surprising, given Lady Alaric's credentials, and Esen suspected that this had played a part in the later meeting that was called regarding the change in anti-M0 operations. Nonetheless it was hard to swallow the reality of keeping the situation with Levi under wraps when there was more than enough opportunity to catch Eileen before she left. The more cynical part of Esen quietly argued that if Eileen hadn't made the effort to check in on him before she left, then there wasn't much lost in not telling her. The compassionate part realized that this wasn't a fair assessment, and that realistically there simply was too much on the line at the moment to take that detour knowing the pain and hesitation it might cause.

Yet another part of Esen wished the whole situation would simply go away. It made her head throb to think about it. What was her point of reference for good parenting, anyway? Ace? That scientist? The best she had experienced had come from her father, and she had had that ripped out of her by her mother.

The worst part was what Sam was going through. Esen had promised to take the night and figure out what to do, but she wasn't even sure that she could deliver on that promise. What was Sam going to have to tell Joker? For all they knew, the boys were long gone, and they would never have a way of knowing.

She hugged her knees tightly and closed her eyes. Maybe the whole situation was fucked and none of it mattered. That was how it looked right now, anyway. That distant glow in the water certainly wouldn't be distant forever.

"Esen?"

Her eyes opened as the familiar voice called from the path behind her. Beside her, Jaeda's head perked slightly, like a sleeping cat roused by approaching footsteps. Esen twisted around, a sense of relief washing over her as her eyes adjusted to the dark. "Sonja!"

The Unovan girl stood just at the edge of the light produced by Jaeda's tail flame. She stepped forward, offering a little wave as she moved next to stand beside Esen. "Mind if I join you?"

"Of course," Esen said. She watched as Sonja moved around Jaeda, petting the Charizard's head as she passed. "Were you looking for me?"

"I was," Sonja said. "I heard about what happened in the Daycare and since you weren't in your room, I thought about where I would go to think." She paused, taking a moment to absorb the sights, sounds, and smells around her. "It's very calming here at night. Less so during the day; I was actually down there earlier practice battling with someone." She pointed down the beach.

"Seems like this would be a good place to train," Esen said absentmindedly. "So you heard about the attack in the Daycare?" Sonja nodded. "I feel like the worst person. I was supposed to be keeping an eye on them all. I should've made sure the place was safe before letting anyone wander off." She sighed. "I even chickened out of telling Levi's mom about what happened. So I can't even be sure that she's aware that her son is missing. Again."

"If it makes you feel better," Sonja said. "It's not like this is the first time the Alamo's been breached. If they really cared enough to stop it from happening . . ." She trailed off, shaking her head. "Anyway, Levi's with Kyle. They'll be okay."

Esen looked up. "You think so?"

"Yeah. I do." Sonja smirked. "Trust me. He refuses to stay down, even if it would be better for him. We'll know where they are sooner than you know it." She fell quiet for a moment, her expression turning somber. "Although, as much as I'm worried about them myself, that's not really why I'm here. You heard the announcement from the teams, right?" Esen nodded. "Did you get an assignment?"

"Technically they weren't supposed to give me one," Esen said.

"Do you want one?"

"What do you mean?"

Sonja crouched down, fiddling with her Pokétch. "You have to swear to keep this secret."

"Alright?" Esen said, confused. "I'll keep it secret."

Sonja took a breath. "There's a group of us who found Ford's base a few months ago. We've been able to commandeer it. We have Ford and Hayes with us; they were also attacked by Shadow Suits but managed to escape. And rather than split up and stick with whatever Team Liberty and the others think we need to be doing, we've decided to try and take things into our own hands--as a group, with whatever insight Ford can give us about Missing Zero. We think we can find Levi, Kyle, and Will, too, and once we do, we'll be picking them up."

"And you . . . want me to come with you guys?" Sonja nodded. Esen's mind raced. She could not necessarily say that she wanted to work behind any of the major organizations' backs, but if this group knew what they were doing . . . And if they were already working toward the same goals, anyway . . .

"Hey--wait!"

From behind them, there came a mess of rustling leaves as a girl stumbled out from a bush. Sonja and Sam Moreno matched each others' looks of shock, the former surprised by the sudden intrusion, the latter perhaps surprised by her own display of bravado. Sam seemed to shake it off first, looking between the two older girls. "If Esen is going, then I want to come, too."

"Sam--" Esen began.

"I don't have to fight or anything!" she said quickly. "I just want to find my brother. And if you guys have a way to do that, then I want to be there to make sure he's okay. And if you're going and Miss Alaric is gone, I don't know that I want to be in Team Liberty territory by myself, anyway, you know? If you need me to earn my keep, then let me do computer work--I'm good at it. I just don't want to be here by myself."

Esen and Sonja exchanged a look, prompting the latter to sigh. "I mean, if you're as good at computers as you are at eavesdropping . . ."

Sam glowered. "It's not my fault you guys were talking out here. I was looking for Esen, anyway, not you; how was I supposed to know you were here?"

"I think," Esen cut in. "Sam's right, Sonja. Unless you can tell me she's going to be safe here by herself, I don't think it's a good idea to leave her. Those Shadow Suits could come after her, and then what?"

"I don't think the Shadow Suits are a concern," Sonja said, shaking her head. "I get it, though. I wouldn't feel comfortable staying in a Rocket base." She looked squarely at Sam, and then stood up. "Alright. Take your time tonight to pack and then meet me here tomorrow morning; I'll bring you to Vertrag then. After that, we're going to Alola."

"We'll see you then, Sonja."

[Konuju]

Dahlia Seaton – Streets, Sootopolis City
Dahlia's eyes grew wide as the swarm of Bulbug emerged from the pack. Their yellow and black features almost made them look like a swarm of Combee, but the metallic clicking of their wings, accompanied by the dull hum of incandescent lights, sounded far more terrifying than a horde of angry bees.

"We need to get out of here," she told Klim. "Before their reinforcements show up." As she turned to run down the street away from the guards, she unclipped another Pokéball. "Coco, back us up!"

The Buneary hopped up onto her shoulder, looking back at the flying Instances. A frosty energy surrounded the tips of Coco's coiled-up ears as she prepared an Ice Punch to throw at any Bulbug that got too close.

They ducked into a nearby alley in hopes of losing the swarm. "Since when does Déoza carry Instances like normal Pokémon?" Dahlia asked as they ran down the narrow path. "And more importantly, who are they reporting back to? Déoza, or the Missing Zero?"


Ellen Burks – Ellen's Room, Vertrag
Ellen couldn't believe it. "Kyle! We've been looking for you! We heard those strange shadow soldiers attacked you, too!"

"Hold on," Ellen's father said through the device. The camera swiveled back to show her father's face. "What do you mean, 'too'? Were you attacked, Ellen?"

The girl nodded. "They took Chrono, but the rest of us got out relatively unharmed. It seems they were targeting the Children of Ford . . . those who helped in the ritual on Two Island. Kyle, is Levi with you by any chance?"

Before Kyle had a chance to answer, Ellen's father began asking more questions. "Wait, does that mean you're being specifically targeted? Where are you now? Is Evan still with you?"

"We're safe, Dad," Ellen assured him, slightly exasperated by his worry. "Ford has everything under control. We're heading to Alola in the morning. But Kyle, is your group alright? Everyone was really worried about you."

[minun4]

IC: James Arthur - VIP Cell Block


James chose not to comment on the idea that Silvermind and Vert were going to overthrow Blackskull. He hadn’t said that much. He didn’t have any evidence to back that claim up. But he wasn’t going to cure Ladon of that idea, unless he had to. Instead, he had to focus on her questions. Particularly, that last idea. What was Déoza at this point?

“Someone had to.”

It was an anthropic argument at best, but it hit somewhere he knew to be a sore spot for Team Liberty. No one knew who the imposter Ford who claimed credit for Goldhawk’s death was. James didn’t either for that matter, but that wasn’t the most important consideration right now.

“And they certainly could not keep the Shadow Suits here. I do not think Team Liberty, as a whole, would have stood for it, if they were discovered. Team Rocket, as a whole, would not have stood for it either.”

James paused for a moment. Both of those statements were assumptions. He wondered how true they were, and if he wanted to know the answer to that question.

“Ford, clearly, is not in charge anymore,” he said gesturing towards the cell across the hall. “The real one, at any rate.”

He covered his mouth for a moment as he considered an alternative. He considered not bringing it up, but he figured it would be better that he address it now than leave this one for Ladon to bring up as a counterpoint.

“I suppose the alternative exists that Silvermind has merely entered a partnership with whoever took over Déoza,” he said before lowering his hand. “However, I stand by my earlier assertion. Vert and Silvermind are the ones who most benefit from Goldhawk’s death. And that recording, the imposter’s first public act, there had to have been preparations made in advance. This suggests to me that the imposter Ford is acting under Silvermind’s orders.”

Answering anything about motives, even about the smallest details such as these, was a headache. Any answer he could give would be incomplete, considering he didn’t know the motive behind the attack itself. Even whether or not all of the targets were truly targeted, or whether only one was targeted and the rest were a smokescreen.

It was easier to approach this problem from the opposite angle. James didn’t need to prove that Silvermind had reason to give sloppy orders. He just needed to show that the orders as given didn’t exonerate her.

“Your other two questions have similar answers. Why attack Skye Hall and Levi Alaric in public settings? Because they were in public settings when the order to attack was given. Think of it this way,” he said holding up a finger for a moment. “If whoever ordered them took measures to ensure that Skye Hall and Levi Alaric were in isolated locations when the attack took place, it would cast suspicion on whoever attempted to isolate them. And there was no guarantee that the two would ever be isolated at the same time.”

James didn’t mention the idea of the Shadow Suits having the choice of attacking at different times. It’s how he would have done things certainly, but according to what he knew that didn’t happen.

“The more pressing question is ‘how did they know where Skye Hall and Levi Alaric were in the first place?”

It was not a question James knew the answer to, but having access to Liberty surveillance was one possible explanation. He didn’t press that point, yet. He didn’t have enough information to support it, and there were alternative explanations. It was an explanation that would allow for the attacks to be simultaneous, more or less.

“Likewise in my case, consider the targets again. There was one Shadow Suit for John Ford and each of his ‘Children’ correct?” he said, extrapolating from the incident that occurred in the cell block. “If they went out of their way to target me, the first ones to be suspected would be those with a grudge against me. Or those who fear the knowledge I hold. If I were in some way, an obstacle to kidnapping Ford, they could certainly hide an assassination attempt behind their goal of kidnapping Ford. But, I am stuck in this cell.”

Percy suppressed the urge to laugh maniacally. James wished he could share in his amusement.

“Ironically, my defenselessness makes this cell the safest place to be. I cannot plausibly be considered a threat to anyone right now, and an accident would be quite difficult to arrange. My death would implicate those who consider me an enemy.”

Perhaps they thought I would go with Ford. Given the very remote possibility this was all a smokescreen to allow Ford to escape. Would have discredited myself and restored Ford to the board in one move.

The thought was not worth entertaining, but it chose to pop into James’s head anyway.

“There is something else that potentially points to Liberty involvement in this attack. Something unique about this particular attack. Before I elaborate, may I ask, why were you not able to arrive here until after the battle had concluded? Was Team Liberty at least able to help in the other attacks?”

The answer, in his case at least, should be obvious. And yet it would illuminate a much more sinister truth.



IC: Lohe Mahina - Po Town - Shady House


A Nobuddy stood motionlessly in a bedroom on the ground floor of the Team Skull base. It had been waiting there ever since it had been transformed into an Instance.

An Alolan Rattata popped out from under the bed. It ran towards the side of the room opposite of the Nobuddy. If the Nobuddy had been a creature poised to think rationally, it might have chosen to ponder where a Rattata would have come from. But this Nobuddy acted on the instincts given to it by its transformation. The first time it moved since it took its form.

The Rattata turned to it. He stood on his hind legs. The monster lunged at it. Mu’s watched as it drew low to get at him. Darkness welled up in his forelegs. He pushed off with his hindlegs at a speed the Nobuddy was not ready for. He landed the Sucker Punch on the Nobuddy’s jaw. The Nobuddy reeled back. It hadn’t been ready for an attack like that. It would be ready when it attacked again. Only, it would never get the chance to attack again. When Mu’s attack landed, Lohe stepped out of the shadows, a Moonblast prepared in one hand. He grabbed the Nobuddy from behind and jammed the Moonblast straight through the Nobuddy’s chest. The pieces of the Nobuddy fell lifelessly to the ground.

Mu still did not yet trust this human. But the evil radiating from these monsters was even worse than the eerie presence that emanated from the human. That was why he cooperated with him. He moved towards Lohe. Lohe gave an appreciative nod to Mu and offered a Rainbow Poke Bean to Mu. Mu snatched the bean from Lohe’s hand. The bribes too were a reason he worked for Lohe.

Lohe retreated Mu before taking a moment to assess the situation. It was the first Instance he’d had to dispose of this whole mission. He hoped that he hadn’t just kicked the Beedrill’s nest. This was the last bedroom he had to check. If the necklace wasn’t in here, it wasn’t getting found. He couldn’t risk staying in Po Town any longer.

The search did not last long. He found what was looking on a nightstand next to a bed. The necklace was placed on top of a picture frame. He pocketed the necklace first before picking up the frame. In the picture were three Skull Grunts. One with blue hair, one with pink, and one with green. He recognized the first two as the two who had come with him. The third, judging from her green necklace was ‘Green’ as he uncreatively dubbed her. They seemed happy together. Their arms thrown around each other, and big smiles shining from behind their masks. Lohe admitted to himself that he was slightly jealous.

Lohe took another look at the dead Nobuddy.

I -really- hope that wasn’t her.

He put the frame in his backpack. He had the space and he’d get extra brownie points for the potential suicide mission he took on at the request of two people he barely knew. Yay him.

Lohe waited by the door listening to make sure no unwanted eyes had shown up in the time he’d been in here. He could hear nothing. This mission had gone swimmingly by his standards. The vampire stepped into the shadows. He had the necklace. Mission accomplished. Time to go.

[Parugi]

IC - Déoza Patrol - Streets, Sootopolis:

The precaution proved unnecessary, as the Bulbug did not appear at all interested in getting up close and personal with their quarry. Instead, Dahlia, Klim, and Coco saw the bright, glowing bodies of the Instances in the air above them, peeling away one by one in random directions. The two Déoza officers were in hot pursuit however, just managing to keep the fugitives in their line of sight. Coco could see that they had drawn pistol-like weapons from holsters on their waists, replacing the rifles that Dahlia had destroyed. The Buneary watched as one of them raised their weapon.

Dahlia turned a corner just as the shot went off, a strange sort of percussive sound that did not at all sound like a normal gun shot. It struck the corner of the building they had ducked behind; to Coco, it did not look like there was any immediately noticeable effect, but even so, there was no telling what that weapon could do against a living being.

Ahead, however, was another problem. The street about ten yards ahead of them suddenly became bathed in red light as one of the Bulbug materialized above, shining its Red Light attack in their direction. It started forward, aiming to pincer the group between itself and their pursuers. There were more than a few gaps between buildings at their disposal, but the fact that this lone Bulbug was taking such a direct action left little time to wonder whether it was unaware of these potential escape routes, or simply did not care that they existed.



IC - Executive Danielle Ladon - VIP Cell Block, The Alamo:

If James thought fixing the pieces together was a headache . . . Well, Ladon was currently rubbing a finger against one of her temples.

"The VIP Cell Block is designed to seal itself off in the event of an emergency, in this case power to the block being cut off. The blast doors then have to be manually opened from the outside, in order to prevent potential escapees from getting out." She opened an eye to stare at him. "Let me guess: Vert and Silvermind are aware of that particular feature and thus would know how to use it to slow down any guards that might try to investigate their abduction attempt."

She dropped her hand, folding her arms in front of her again. "Except for one problem: They didn't need to do that. These Suits reportedly had access to all sorts of Shadow Moves in addition to their own unique abilities, including one that closed off any outside interference; that's what happened with the pair that attacked Hall. The other incident started and stopped in less than two minutes--too quickly for any opportunity to intervene. And that is without even getting into their teleportation capabilities."

The Executive tilted her head back. "As a matter of fact, that's the perfect example of what has been bothering me about this entire thing. Putting aside how convincing or not the argument is that Silvermind, Vert, or both are related to this, the attacks themselves don't make any sense. Why attack and draw attention when they could infiltrate and abduct--and kill afterwards, if that really was what they wanted? Clearly we were unprepared for their abilities; if they had wanted to, they could have snuck in and back out with us none the wiser. Instead they not only let everyone--and I mean everyone--who saw them live, they didn't seem to care at all about who might have seen them or what kind of conclusions they may draw. So why give any opportunity for resistance or failure? As far as I can tell, there were no successes in what they were trying to accomplish--they did not make off with a single one of their purported targets, at least as far as we know. And if they were so dedicated to actually doing so, why not send further actors our way to finish the job?"

She stared back at James. "Maybe you've got some idea of how any of that makes sense toward accomplishing some larger goal, Arthur, but it doesn't to me. I didn't look at those Suits and see some shadow project concocted by the underbelly of Team Liberty; I saw someone gloating that they managed to take the image of our strongest soldiers out of our hands and turn them into toys that would do as they were told until they broke."



IC - Kyle Eston/Levi Alaric/Will Moreno - Burks House, Village Bridge:

"Wait, what do you mean Ford--?" Kyle shook his head. "Never mind. Yeah, we're all a little banged up but we're alright." He briefly explained the teleportation accident and how his Pokétch had been damaged in the fight. "Who is 'everyone,' though, and why are you guys going to Alola?"

[Konuju]

IC: Ellen Burks - Ellen's Room, Vertrag
Ellen thought for a moment. "There's a lot of us here, actually, it's kind of hard to keep track of everyone. But we've got Evan and Jenny, Chloe and a few of their friends, Sonja and Sophia, Skye and some of her friends, Ryan and one of his friends, and Ford. I don't know if you heard, but the Team Liberty and Team Rocket leaders made a big announcement about recruiting Legendary Pokémon to help in the fight against the Missing Zero. Ford has decided to help out in his own way from the shadows, because, well, Rocket and Liberty don't really like him right now." Ellen frowned. "But we chose Alola because there was talk about some sort of beast from another dimension appearing there. I didn't really follow the conversation, but I guess we're hoping to fight fire with fire. We're teleporting there in the morning. Kyle, do you think there's any way you could meet us there?"


IC: Dahlia Seaton/Klim Prizak - Streets, Sootopolis
"Run now, ask questions later," Klim said coolly, although Dahlia thought she felt some panic in his voice as he grabbed her arm and pulled her down the nearest gap between buildings. "How easily do you think you can slow them down?"

Dahlia let out a small yelp at the sudden change of direction and quickly thought through her options. She had much better control over her Reverse powers than she did two or three months ago, but she lacked the mental fortitude to act on those powers in the midst of running away. Yes, she could slow the Déoza agents' movements, but doing so would require her to stop in her tracks, and there was a very good chance either the agents or the Bulbug would catch her before summon an attack.

The Heroine shook her head. "I can't, but Coco can." The Buneary's ears perked up at the sound of her name. She quickly analyzed the situation. The Bulbug was too fast and small to target easily, but the agents on the ground could be stopped easily, and Coco had already charged up the move she needed.

With a small but fierce battle cry, the Buneary extended both of her ears at once, striking the walls on either side of the narrow alley. The frosty power of Ice Punch coated the walls and expanded across the alley, forming a wall of ice that blocked any pursuit from the ground.

"A Hero is much more than just her powers," Dahlia said with a smile. "She must know her limits, and also rely on the powers of her Pokémon or her friends."

[Magical Girl Mimi]

-==IC: Chloe Hikari - Four Island Beach, near Vertrag==-

Chloe stared up at the moon in the sky, lost in thought at what had happened during the fight. Everything had worked out, hadn't it? Kyurem had been on their side - just like in Kalos. Yet even as she stared up at the black sky, she couldn't help but harbour doubts about whether it would still work the next time she chose to summon Kyurem to the field. What if next time, things turned out like they had back in Unova--?

"We both know that you wouldn't let that happen again. Not after all you've been through." A sudden voice shocked Chloe out of her brooding, as she let out a sudden squeak. The girl whirled around to see her Gallade and the rest of her Pokémon standing behind her. Confused, she wondered how long they had been there as she hadn't sent them out - had she been that deep in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed them appear? Allie walked forward with a frown on her face, not paying any mind to the actions of her trainer. "You've come so far since that fateful day in Unova. In every way imaginable... would you throw that all away by continuing to keep doubts that have been proven false well before this?"

"I know, but--"

"No buts. Things are different now than from back then. And if you hold back again, what will happen if your full power is needed against these monsters seeking to desecrate our world?"

Chloe had no good retorts to that. It felt like the autumn night's air grew colder, as she drew her arms tighter around her. It was as if Kyurem's influence sought to overpower her even then. Or was it simply a reminder? Perhaps not everything was so bad about the Pokémon she had grown to fear for so many months. She turned back around and glanced back up at the moon.

"... I'm worried that I might not be strong enough all the time. That maybe I'll be too scared to command Kyurem properly - to control the power they exude."

"Perhaps you don't need to control it, but instead trust in it. It's a scary thought for sure, especially being one of the only people we know of to have such a power to call upon. Especially when it's still unknown exactly how you were able to call upon Kyurem when they should have been back in Unova. However... that doesn't mean we can just lock away a portion of their power, just because of how things have gone in the past." The Gallade's words had good intentions, but Chloe still clenched her fists in frustration.

"I know! But... how am I supposed to just forget this? Even with the help I've been getting, that doesn't... I can't just ignore the fact that I caused a quarter of an entire country to be damaged beyond belief - let alone how many people died..."

"Then don't forget. Engrave that feeling in your heart, and then use it to fuel yourself. Isn't that where a lot of your determination the past couple months has come from in the first place? Draw upon that same feeling, and use it to move forward - even if you have to take baby steps at times." Allie turned away, as she looked up to the stars. The Gallade was trying to be patient, but knew that she was being pushy with her words. She couldn't bear to see her Trainer fall back into the same rut she had that January. Chloe's silence made her wonder if she had pushed too far, but the girl instead reached up to the moon and the stars.

"You're right." Chloe turned around, her green eyes burning with determination as she looked over her entire team, the glow behind her acting as a reminder of what was at stake. "All we can do is forge a path of our own moving ahead. It doesn't make everything better immediately... but..." She grinned at her team. "It also means that I need to keep what I've learned in mind. Thanks everyone."


-==IC: Lucia Zyther - Vertrag==-

Lucia stared up at the ceiling of the room she had chosen to sit in. There wasn't all that much she could really do at the moment - ever since the fight in the cafeteria, so much had happened that had her pre-occupied so much that she wasn't even completely sure what to think... let alone everything from before that. So her mind began to wander to a lot of things, before it finally settled on the subject that had been in the process of being talked about before the Shadow Suits had interrupted them before. Besides... maybe Ethan might have an answer to one of the questions she'd been thinking about lately. Lucia got out her communication device and began to type out a message to her three friends and companions.

["hey, can everyone spare a little time? I wanna continue the talk we were having before everything went south earlier, and I think ethan probably would wanna join in on it too - catch up and all, y'know?"]

[Parugi]

IC - Déoza Patrol - Streets, Sootopolis:

The wall of ice proved effective in its intent; as the pair of trainers moved away from it, they could hear the distant sound of the Déoza Agents barking orders over their comms. With line of sight broken, and with a few turns down some approaching alleyways, Dahlia and Klim found themselves safe for the time being, the only threat remaining from the Bulbugs that searched through the sky.



IC - Lucia's Comms:

A few responses came back fairly quickly, each in the affirmative. Skye's response contained a suggestion to meet up in the library, where they could converse comfortably.



IC - Kyle Eston/Levi Alaric/Will Moreno - Burks House, Village Bridge:

"I hadn't heard that, thanks to my Pokétch being busted," Kyle said. He was a little surprised to hear that Operation RALLY had restarted, considering the agreement that Liberty and Rocket had made after the ceasefire to return the Pokémon they had originally recruited to their places. Then again, Missing Zero did not leave very many options available, and this was not exactly an unreasonable one to take.

"But we chose Alola because there was talk about some sort of beast from another dimension appearing there," Ellen continued. "I didn't really follow the conversation, but I guess we're hoping to fight fire with fire. We're teleporting there in the morning. Kyle, do you think there's any way you could meet us there?"

"I can definitely meet up with you," he replied. "Don't wait for me to get moving, though--if you're teleporting there the way I think you are, it'd be a waste of time to come here and grab me." He furrowed his brow. "Well, maybe not so much if Chloe or someone came here individually to get me. But regardless, I need to make sure Levi and Will get back to Four Island, and I need to get my Pokétch repaired.

[minun4]

IC: Lohe Mahina - Po Town - Shady House Roof


Lohe exited the Skull base much the way he entered. Onto the roof, and with as much patience as necessary. He was still burning moonlight, but he’d lose more time if he were discovered. Still, he wanted out as soon as possible. He’d rather not wait for his turn to be transformed into an Instance. Part of him just wanted to let Nosferatu carry him to safety, relying on the Crobat’s speed and the element of surprise to escape. But if there turned out to be an Instance that could actually keep up with him, or they were shot down, they’d be screwed. It was a risky option, but still an option. He decided to try and see if he could go back the way he came in. From his vantage point, he planned his escape route.

People were amassing in the town below. “The gathering” he gathered. Lohe again considered leaving immediately. If people were massing in a concentrated area, it meant that other areas would be less populated than when he entered. As much as he wanted to take this opportunity to leave, this could be valuable intel. It’d pad out a report at least, which would maybe get him some slack for the whole ‘do your jobs and help save the world’ thing.

He could rely on his hearing for the most part, but he needed to be able to see what was going on. The building’s architecture provided some small cover, but not enough to conceal his whole body. He would have to hide most of his body in shadow and stick only an eye out to keep an eye on the proceedings.



IC: James Arthur - VIP Cell Block - Alamo


As James waited for his turn to speak, he could feel a vein building up pressure near his brain. He asked a very simple question, because he had something important to say. The more Ladon spoke beyond answering his question, the more annoyed James became. It annoyed him, because it was distracting from what was important. They didn’t know what the motive was. There was always going to be pieces missing from the whole picture. He could make counter arguments to everything Ladon said, but that wasn’t the point. What’s important at the moment, wasn’t ‘why anyone would do this’ or ‘why would they do it this way’, it was ‘who did it’. They could deal with ‘why’ once they established ‘who’.

Percival backed away from James. He could sense the frustrations in both James and Ladon. This conversation did not need his help to get any more heated. Maybe letting cooler air near James would cool him off.

“May I say what I was going to say?” he asked, his sarcasm escaping his lips. “I asked a question, because I know something I am pretty sure you do not. And you have made a grave error in assuming you knew what point I was going to make.

James stood up and walked over to his cell door with his back towards Executive Ladon. He took a deep breath and centered himself. Antagonizing Ladon didn’t benefit him at all. He knew she had her reasons to have to doubt everything James said. Reasons to suspect what he had to say. Even reasons to not want what James had to say to be true.

“My apologies for my words,” James said, as he turned back towards her. “But there is something you should know. And it is absolutely crucial we have a shared understanding of the facts before even considering anything else further.”

James pointed to the cell across from his, towards the scorch marks from where the Shadow Suit user died. “Immediately after the killing blow was dealt upon the second Shadow Suit, the power to the cell block came back on.“

James walked over to his desk and picked up a pen and a piece of paper. He walked back to his seat. He began a diagram to keep his thoughts straight. There was a stick figure representing the Shadow Suit with an arrow pointing to a simple grid, representing the power grid. “The Shadow Suit operator could not have been the one compromising our systems,” he said, drawing an x on the arrow. “Or rather, not by their own will,” he added while drawing a stick figure sitting at a computer. “Beyond my own doubts on the operator having the mental creativity left required for such operations, the timing is too perfect. If there was an active manual attack on our servers, there would have been a delay while whoever was on the other end ceased their operations.” He drew an arrow coming from the hacker at the computer to the grid, before crossing out that as well. “More likely, it was emitting a signal that was telling the power grid to shut off. And when the signal was cut, the power grid resumed normal operations.” He added a wave coming from the Shadow Suit to the power grid.

“This would have had to have been prepared in advance,” James said as he drew an arrow from the hacker to the shadow suit. He put the sheet down for a moment and looked straight in Ladon’s eyes. “Do you know how easily such a script could break? Any firmware update, the wrong password change, security credentials expiring could crash the entire script. Unless they had foreknowledge of every security change, or prepared the script immediately prior to the attack. The former scenario should cast suspicion on anyone with the authority to know when we would be making security updates.”

James leaned back in his chair “And the latter scenario makes zero sense. Because at that point, why not just manually oversee the operation to make sure that everything went smoothly?” he said while pointing a finger at the crossed out arrow from the hacker to the grid. “Unless of course,” he said holding up a finger, “one could not do it manually. Because they needed an alibi. A random Deoza agent would not care.”

James smiled as he drew a rudimentary ID card next to the arrow pointing from the hacker to the Shadow Suit.

“However, if whoever prepared the script could authorize administrative access to the Shadow Suit operator, this becomes much easier. No matter how often security credentials are updated, Silvermind is not losing security clearance to anything she wants access to.”

He turned the page to its reverse side. “In summary, let us consider every system that would have needed to have been compromised for an outside agent to have carried out this attack, without the cooperation of Team Liberty and Team Rocket.” He began writing the names of organizations, individuals and systems along with notes on what specific pieces of information and actions would be needed from each. “The research and development departments of both Team Rocket and Team Liberty, to get information on Shadow Pokemon and the Power Suits. Not even getting into the individual researchers. They have had to have taken control of the power grid in advance and future proofed their control for all security updates.” He slammed his hand on top of the paper. “And somehow, despite the many opportunities, we did not catch even a glimpse of their work even once.”

“As somebody who made a professional living off of compromising such systems, and as someone who has intimate familiarity with both Team Liberty and Team Rocket security systems, that is a tall order.”

And if someone was capable of this without inside knowledge or help, I would have to admit that I am outclassed, he silently added.

“Do you understand how complex this operation truly was now? And how much simpler it becomes when you add Silvermind to the equation?”

[Magical Girl Mimi]

-==IC: Lucia Zyther - Library==-

Lucia took a breath as she sat down in the library. Thankfully, she didn't have to wait too long before the others arrived.

"Alright, so we're all here." Lucia said with a distant smile, as she cleared her throat. "Alright, so, I'm gonna begin from the start since Ethan wasn't here last time..." With that said, the medic began to recount the events that had gone down in Kalos - from the team they had partnered with courtesy of her father, to the things that had happened in the flare lab, and then to the showdown in Lumiose that had near-fatal implications. When she had finished explaining, however, she once again faltered, much like she had back in the cafeteria.

"After that, we went back to Dendemille..." Lucia bit her lip as she tried to figure out how to explain the situation. "Jamie... took everything hard, from what I can tell. She believed it was her fault, but... I keep asking myself; 'would I have done anything different in her shoes'? And honestly, I can't say I would have." The redhead glanced down toward the floor. Even down to blaming myself... Lucia looked back up with an uneasy look on her face. "Jamie decided to join the frontlines that night, and we haven't exactly talked all that much since - I wanted to give her space at first, but also it seems like she's just been... very busy lately. So I'm not completely sure whether she'd be up for joining in on this or not." She didn't dare voice her other worries.

[Konuju]

IC: Paul Burks - Burks House, Village Bridge
Ellen nodded to Kyle. "I'll see if Chloe can get you before we leave, but if she can't, we'll just have you meet us in Alola. Although . . ." The girl hesitated a moment. "If those shadow people really are targeting the Children of Ford, then Levi might be safer with us. His parents might disagree, but it sounds like you barely escaped the last attack. If they target us again . . ."

Paul's expression grew grim. He completely understood why Mr. and Mrs. Alaric would want their son back, but he also knew a little something about letting children make their own decisions. "I'm sure Levi's parents would understand you're trying to protect him," he said. "But his parents are powerful trainers. I'm sure they can provide similar protection, so the final decision should be Levi's."

A small smile appeared on Ellen's face. "You're right, Dad. I can certainly understand if he doesn't want to come back here, but ultimately it should be up to him."


IC: Dahlia Seaton/Klim Prizak - Streets, Sootopolis
"Good thinking with that ice barrier," Klim said as the two paused to catch their breath. "And good work, Coco. The two of you have a lot of trust in each other." The Buneary grinned and spun around upon Dahlia's shoulder.

"Let's try not to do that again, though," Dahlia said, scanning the skies for any Bulbug that might be flying overhead. "I doubt those Déoza Agents have given up looking for us."

"No doubt they've spread the word to the other Agents in the city," Klim agreed. "We'll have to be extra cautious from here on out. How far to your Aunt Kiri's?"

Dahlia pulled out her Pokégear and pulled up the map. "Not too far, at least they chased us in the right direction. Come on, I'll lead the way."

[Parugi]

IC - Kyle Eston/Levi Alaric/Will Moreno - Burks House, Village Bridge:

"Hm . . ." Kyle rubbed the back of his head. "Now that you mention it, Vertrag probably is the safest option--at the very least it stops your family from being dragged into the target. And I'm sure Ford's got something to fix my Pokétch, too. Alright--if Chloe can give us a lift, then I'll get our things together and we'll work it out from there.."



IC - Executive Danielle Ladon - VIP Cell Block, The Alamo:

Ladon hardly lifted her gaze from the notes she was entering on her data pad as James spoke, giving only the occasional look up at him. At length, she let out a long breath, clearly trying to maintain her temper. "I will take note of your assessment of the situation as I look further into this," she said. "I take it that's not all?"



IC - Ethan Worth/Gavin Braner/Skye Hall - Command Center, Vertrag:

"Sounds like you had a much more exciting time in Kalos than we did on Four Island!" Ethan said. Where Skye and Gavin had listened in a sort of somber quiet, Ethan was enraptured from the first word, leaning in and listening with a keen, almost maddened smile. It was a little unsettling. "Well, lay your fears to rest, Lu, because I already messaged her a while ago and she . . ." He pulled out his Poké Gear. ". . . still hasn't responded. But I have full faith that we'll be getting a surprise addition to the party when the chips are down."

"That's very reassuring, Ethan," Skye said, very, truly convinced. "Honestly, I completely understand your concern, Lucia. I think it's really down to her, though. If she feels like she needs to work against Missing Zero on the frontlines, there may not be much we can do to get her back on our team."

[Konuju]

IC: Ellen Burks - Ellen's Room, Vertrag
"I know Chloe's teleported all the way to Unova before, so she should be able to help you out." Ellen grinned at the thought of more people coming to Vertrag. "I'll see if I can find her. Talk to you later. Love you, Dad."

"Be safe, Ellen!" her father hastily cried out.

Ellen offered a reassuring smile. "You know I will be. Stay safe yourself."

She disconnected, then let out a sigh. After the big meeting in the Command Center, everyone had dispersed to do their own thing, with the intent of being ready by morning. She had no idea where Chloe was, and having just recently reunited with the psychic girl in Ecruteak, she didn't have her number in her Xtransceiver.

Normally she'd be at a loss on where to start looking. But living within the walls of a sentient supercomputer had its perks. Ellen cleared her throat. "Um . . . Vertrag?"

Within moments the spectral Jirachi materialized at eye level. How may I be of assistance, Miss Burks?

The girl failed to hide a smile. Back when Ford had first recruited her, Vertrag had been one of the few beings she interacted with, offering any accommodations she could imagine while Ford prepared for the ritual on Two Island. She pushed the fond memories aside for the moment. "Can you send a message to Chloe? Tell her Kyle, Levi, and Will are stuck at my dad's house in Village Bridge, and ask if she can bring them all here before we leave tomorrow morning."

Vertrag pondered the request. It is a considerable distance to the Unova Region, with only several hours remaining until our departure. A round trip teleportation would take much of Chloe Hikari's energy.

Ellen frowned. "But she can do it, right?"

It is certainly possible. The Jirachi folded its arms behind its back. I will relay the message and let Miss Hikari decide her best course of action. Please standby . . . .


IC: Chloe's Comms
Chloe's communication device suddenly rang. The Caller ID simply read "Unknown."

[Parugi]

IC - The Gathering - Shady House, Po Town:

An event was in motion.

Lohe had caught glimpses and hints of these proceedings in his sneaking, but whispers and rumors did not give the full picture. As the night had progressed, the Instances had roamed as if on high alert, but the humans--some clearly members of Team Skull, others not--behaved even more strangely. They appeared less perturbed by the predicament around them and more . . . enthralled by the experience of working so closely with the creatures slowly overrunning their world. They spoke in hushed, excited tones, preparing the stage for whatever this "gathering" ceremony entailed. The town became slowly more and more alight with torch flames that cast an ominous, orange glow across the dilapidated buildings. They donned robes, so black in hue that they seemed to eat the light, etching out utterly blank silhouettes against their surroundings. A number of Instances directed by humans moved down the main path of the village carrying what could only be described as a twenty-foot-tall wicker construct in the shape of a person; this, they erected atop the stage, leaving it to loom over the town. As the crowd grew to the dozens, then the hundreds, interspersed here and there with the tall, eerie frame of an undisguised Nobuddy or the looming form of a Meadiant, a small number the untransformed humans brought forth drums.

Soon, they began to play.

The booming, thunderous beat sent an immediate signal to the attendants. All fell utterly silent, leaving only an electric, excited buzz in the air as the attendees turned their attention to the stage overlooking that odd, pulsing stone. A pair of hooded figures approached the stage, bearing torches. As flame touched wicker feet and slowly consumed the statue, billowing smoke that turned the moon above red as blood, the crowd watched in silent anticipation.

When two figures emerged from the flames, one a man and one a woman, both utterly unscathed, the crowd erupted into cheers that surely must have echoed across the island. Though the hood over his head covered his eyes, casting his face in shadows, his wide grin remained visible. The woman stood off to the side behind him, head bowed slightly.

The man raised his hands and the cheering died.

"Brothers," he said, his voice echoing across the town. "Sisters. Welcome to this, our largest Gathering yet. And what a Gathering it shall be, for we have a . . . special treat in store for tonight."

The crowd erupted again, whistles and woops and hollers arising from every direction. All the while, the attending Instances remained stock still, none of them reacting to the overly friendly pats and hugs that their surrounding inferiors gave them. They simply stared forward, faces locked in whatever expression their transformation had provided them.

"But before that," the man continued, raising his voice. "Let us pray! Let us thank the Ceaseless Hunger for its divine intervention on this world, which for so long stood ready and eager to lose itself to nothing wars and nothing promises! Let us pray for the continued Spread that shall lead us into one unified paradise--that, in time, we shall all become its vassals! And, in the meantime, let us continue our work of righting wrongs and spreading truths--to correcting the mistakes of those who have yet to see the beauty of the red!"

He gestured and gesticulated as he spoke, riling up the men and women gathered before him. But it was at his last words, as he brought his hands forward, that the drums began again--and this time, the sea of faces in front of him parted, revealing the long walkway to the stage and the crystal in the pit. All faces turned to the back of the crowd as a group of five Nobuddy moved down the path, each dragging a bound and hooded and struggling figure behind them. The crowd watched intensely, hungrily as the prisoners were brought forth, placed into a curved line on the lip of the pit, and held up on their knees by their attending Instance. Below, the crystal in the ground hummed.

The speaker hopped down then from the stage, approaching their captives. "Though the Hunger shall envelop all with time, it is our sworn duty to usher forth its gifts to those who do not believe!" he yelled, to renewed applause. "Thus we gather our chosen--these five, tonight!"

The volume, the enthusiasm, it was all so overwhelming. The man took a moment to relish in the hunger, the desire, the sheer lust for what came next. He turned briefly to the woman on the stage. She gave a subtle nod of approval, her lips twisting slightly into a smile. He turned back.

"And so we begi--"

"W-Wait! Wait!"

The speaker's smile faltered slightly as he turned to the sacrifice furthest from him. It took a moment for the crowd to realize what was happening, but when they did, a deathly silence fell across them, all eyes falling on the figure.

"Please, listen to me!" the man yelled. His words, though strained and terrified, were of strong, proper composition--recited in perfect, practiced diction. "This is what they want! This is what they do each cycle--"

"Ah," the speaker interrupted. "And here, our treat presents itself, my brothers and sisters!"

He approached the captive, yanking the sack off of his head. Several surprised, almost unnerved murmurs swept through the crowd from those closest to the man. He was clearly human, but he looked . . . different. His skin was a pale, bluish color, hair short and blue as well, and his eyes were dark. Unlike the other captives, who wore varied but not unusual attire for Alola, this man seemed to wear a sort of white suit of armor, damaged in places but clearly not of native origin. The gag that had kept him silent had been chewed through, and his lips bled slightly from chafing. Of all of the captives, he seemed simultaneously the most refined and yet the least composed, as if he were all too familiar with what was happening--indeed, there was a glint of recognition in his eyes as he looked around at the gathered crowd.

The captive looked around. "Please--"

"My brethren!" the speaker bellowed. "This heathen is of particular atrocity!" He spun around, arms raised. "It is one thing for your fellows to ignore the Spread--they are simply ignorant of its gifts! Yet this one?" He gestured to the man. "This one hails from a world where the Hunger did bring its gifts, long ago. And not only did this creature dare to reject it, he and his kind were responsible for the long drought that followed--the imprisonment that delayed our own visit!"

The energy in the crowd changed with each word, growing more and more angry every moment. As the jeers and yells crested, they no longer sought for the simple bestowment of gifts--they wanted blood. And the captive knew it. He shrunk back slightly, looking about wildly as the realization grew that he would receive no salvation from those around him.

The speaker grinned, calm and cool, as he stooped in front of the man. "What say you all? Shall we deliver the gift that was so rudely thrown away all those years ago?"

The crowd spoke for themselves. The Nobuddy behind him grabbed the man by his wrists, forcing him to his feet and dragging him down into the pit. His dark eyes widened in terror as the crystal approached.

"No!" he pleaded. "No! Please, I'll do any--" His pleas turned into screams as the Nobuddy thrust him against the crystal, holding him there. The surfaced pulsed with energy; the gathered crowd watched as, slowly and painfully, the man's body twisted and melted and reshaped itself. Only when his screams died, turning into garbled gurgles and then silence, did the Nobuddy release him, allowing the form to drop to the ground. When at last the transformation stopped, the crumpled form of another Nobuddy lay at the base of the crystal. It slowly came to, pushing itself up and standing stock still, as if awaiting orders.

The cheers were deafening, and they grew only louder as the other captives were subjected to the same fate.

[minun4]

IC: Jamie Arthur - Mt. Silver


Jamie woke up before dawn. Despite the early hour, she didn’t feel as dead as she normally would. Today was to be a special day. It helped that she’d been able to adjust to waking up early. She had gotten into a very comfortable routine in the time she’d been here.

Wake up. Get dressed. Eat breakfast. Repel an Instance attack. Patrol the perimeter. Train with Pelleas. Destroy any Instance that comes close to the base. Have lunch. Attend daily briefing. Shoot Instances out of the sky. Consume dinner. Train her team. Prepare for bed. Fight instances in the middle of the night. Go back to bed. Repeat.

Everything made sense.

Today was a special day with special orders. There was a meeting she had to attend today before she could get to her special mission. With her uniform on and her team in tow, she made her way to the command center, resisting the urge to skip on her way.

The meeting was brief, consisting mainly of a replay of an announcement that took place elsewhere. The orders didn’t surprise Jamie. Find legendary Pokemon to fight our battles for us. She had heard of orders like these before. When she was still a green agent, and an immature child, Team Rocket had tried something like this. Not that she had taken part in those orders the first time, and she still wasn’t now.

“Our orders haven’t changed,” the base commander said. “We’re to keep containing Missing Zero’s forces. You are all dismissed.”

Jamie was the first one out the door. She had special orders, and it was time to get to them. She hurried over to the designated meeting area for the group her orders had been given to. Despite her haste, she was not the first to arrive. Others had been excused from the meeting due to other orders. Specifically, there was a man named Pete Spearow, and a woman named Joan Turner already waiting.

Jamie gave a hurried salute as she came to a halt in front of them. “Sir, excuse me, but what’s the situation? Sir!” Being an agent among soldiers was an adjustment.

“At ease, agent,” Pete told her. “There’s a fog rolling in,” he said, handing Jamie a tablet. “We’re to move out soon.”

Attacks were often accompanied by a fog that covered the approach of the Instances. The fog was identified as having been created by a particular Instance. Defog and Flash users had already been deployed. It wouldn’t be long before the sounds of combat would be heard.

Today’s mission was to hunt the Instance creating the fog and put an end to it.

She had been placed on a task force to hunt it down. If she and her team were enough to take on every single Instance on Mt. Silver, she’d have done that already. Not that she didn’t advocate trying. Her role was to act as the muscle. Tristan and her combined power alone had guaranteed that role in the group. She was to fight off the Instances that would inevitably attack the group, and when the time came, to destroy the fogmaker itself.

Spearow was in charge. He had the highest rank of the members of the taskforce and had been fighting in Mt. Silver the longest. His Fearow would be instrumental in locating the target. Its Keen Eye ability and use of Defog would be key in navigating the fog.

Turner’s role was to be their calculator. Based on how the fog reacted to their attempts to dispel it, they could trace their way to the origin of the fog. Turner’s Nosepass would also be able to keep them oriented in the fog.

There were a few other members they were waiting on, but the core had already arrived. After reviewing the information on the tablet, she handed it back to Spearow. She was about to ask him a question when Jamie felt a vibration from her communication device. She asked for permission to answer the message and received it. Jamie walked a bit away from the group before taking a look at the message. The message was from Ethan, inviting her to go get RALLY 2.0 going with the group.

She smiled, wistfully. It would be nice to see Ethan, Gavin and Skye again. If Lucia joined up, it would bring the whole group back together.

But she had her orders. Even if she felt that she was better suited to negotiating with legends than fighting battles (and she didn’t. She was much better suited to battles), she couldn’t disobey.


[Have orders to hunt an Instance.
Talk again when it’s dead.
Love y’all]


Jamie sent the message and put away her phone. When she rejoined the others, she found them speaking with a messenger. The messenger departed and Spearow had a perturbed look on his face.

“What is going on?” she asked Spearow.

There’s been a development,” Spearow said as he handed the missive to Jamie. “There’s a second source of fog.”

[Magical Girl Mimi]

Jun 6, 2021 23:34:37 GMT -8 Parugi said:

IC - Ethan Worth/Gavin Braner/Skye Hall - Command Center, Vertrag:

"Sounds like you had a much more exciting time in Kalos than we did on Four Island!" Ethan said. Where Skye and Gavin had listened in a sort of somber quiet, Ethan was enraptured from the first word, leaning in and listening with a keen, almost maddened smile. It was a little unsettling. "Well, lay your fears to rest, Lu, because I already messaged her a while ago and she . . ." He pulled out his Poké Gear. ". . . still hasn't responded. But I have full faith that we'll be getting a surprise addition to the party when the chips are down."

"That's very reassuring, Ethan," Skye said, very, truly convinced. "Honestly, I completely understand your concern, Lucia. I think it's really down to her, though. If she feels like she needs to work against Missing Zero on the frontlines, there may not be much we can do to get her back on our team."

-==IC: Lucia Zyther - Command Center, Vertrag==-

Lucia could help but smile slightly at Ethan's bad timing with the Poké Gear, but then bit her lip at Skye's comment. She took a moment to reply, but then nodded in response. "I know, and honestly... I just want her to do what helps the most for her." Lucia chewed on her lip with a bit of a pause as she glanced down slightly. "I'm worried about how things are in general, and if there's something else I could have done. But I want her to be the one to decide whether or not she joins us, no matter how hard the distance might be." It was an odd feeling - even with just saying what she had, and listening to her friends in response, it kinda felt like some sort of weight had lifted off her shoulders.

She sighed for a moment before she rubbed the back of her neck. "Besides, no matter how much I want to worry, what use will that really make?" Lucia looked up with a glint of determination in her eyes as she smiled ever so softly at her three friends. "So, until we have a better idea or until she's back, how about we make sure that we're all able to welcome her back just like any other time?" She paused for a moment, considering what Ethan had said again. "How have things been here the last little while, anyway? I've talked about myself so much, but have you all been doing well too? ... aside from today, I mean."

-==IC: Chloe Hikari - Four Island Beach==-

Chloe paused on the way back to Vertrag, just around the corner from where the base was hidden. "Hello?" She asked with a perplexed look on her face as she answered the call, wondering who was calling at this point in time.

-==IC: - Four Island Beach==-

The sound of ragged panting filled the air as a figure slumped against the rock where Vertrag was currently stationed. A hand slightly stained with blood attempted to activate the opening to the elevator as the figure strained to stay standing, vision starting to blur.

I'm finally back... I just hope I'm not too late...

[Konuju]

IC: Vertrag - Chloe's Comms
The image of a Jirachi appeared on Chloe's screen. Not being in the Command Center, Ellen was unable to speak with Chloe directly, but Vertrag was able to relay the message.

"Miss Hikari," the Jirachi began. It was strange to actually hear the normally telepathic voice through the comms. But the stiff yet somehow warm formality of the AI's voice was unmistakable. "Miss Burks requests your assistance. Kyle Eston, Levi Alaric, and Will Moreno are presently at the Burks' house in Village Bridge, Unova, seemingly following an attack similar to the one you and your friends faced in Ecruteak. If you feel up to the task, Miss Burks kindly requests that you retrieve them and bring them here before we depart in the morning. Miss Burks is of the opinion, and so am I, that they would be safer with us."



IC: Shannon Willows - Vertrag
Shannon paced around the hallway in front of a door. She was not looking forward to having this conversation. Again.  Tyranitar had taken it well enough, and one would think that explaining her controversial decision to a big green dinosaur would be the harder conversation.

"Let's just get this over with," she muttered to herself. Steeling herself, she reached up to knock on the door. Before her knuckles made contact, the door slid open.

"May I help you?" Madison Hayes stared across the doorway at Shannon. Her tone was not unkind, but still carried an air of annoyance.

"S-sorry to disturb you so late at night." Shannon tried her best not to feel incredibly small. "And I'm really sorry about changing my mind here. You and Ford and everyone else have been so kind to bring me here after that attack. But I really need to get back to Ecruteak. You see, there's this little girl I've been taking care of -- well, trying to take care of -- and I can't just abandon her. She's already lost so many people she's close to and depended on . . . I can't add to that list.

"I know this mission of yours is important, fighting the Missing Zero is important, but this girl is important, too. Her entire life, everything she's known is in shambles and she's just starting to get back some sense of normalcy. I can't take that away from her. Please, I know it's late, but can you take me back to Ecruteak before everyone leaves for Alola?"

Much to Shannon's surprise, Hayes did not belabor the point. "Very well," the Second Child said. Moving past Shannon with an ambivalent air, she began to lead the way to the elevator. "We'll have to leave the base before we can teleport. I trust you have all your belongings?"

"Well, I didn't come with much, ma'am," Shannon said as she hurried after her. "But yet, I'm ready to go. Thank you so  much for doing this for me I really appreciate it."

Hayes did not offer a response. The two girls rode up the elevator in silence, and likely would have continued their journey in similar silence had they not found someone waiting for them just outside Vertrag . . . .

[Magical Girl Mimi]

-==IC: - Outside Vertrag==-

The figure looked up in surprise as the two appeared, having just been about to walk into the elevator. "So...phia...?" The person swayed, orange hair falling over their eyes as they began to lose their balance and fall forward.

-==IC: Chloe Hikari - Four Island Beach==-

"Oh!" Chloe grinned for a moment and then nodded to Allie and recalled her team. "Yeah, that'll work out; I haven't been there recently enough to be able to teleport there directly, but I should be able to get there before the night's out. I'll head out now, feel free to let Ellen known!" The girl grinned as she hung up and then held her hand forward and focused. A glow of energy surrounded her as she teleported all the way to Opelucid City. It was a long way away, that was true, but between her and Allie, the trip shouldn't be as taxing as it otherwise might have been.

After taking a moment to check where Village Bridge was on the map, Chloe considered her options and reached for the Poké Balls on her purse. However, without thinking, she grabbed an empty ball and tossed it out. There was a pause as the implications of what just happened hit her, and wordlessly she looked down to the ground and picked it up, opting to place it into her purse instead of back onto the straps. She grabbed Sharla's Poké Ball for real this time, and then climbed onto the Luxray.

"Let's go to Village Bridge, it's this way." Chloe said quietly as the two rode off in the indicated direction.

[alku]

IC: Evan Tierra

Evan Tierra. Sinnoh Native. Plasma Agent. Hero of Space.

All were titles he wore, and yet something was different about the man after the decision to go to Alola was made. A lot of reasons for why ran through his head, yet one of them rose above the others. The thought of working with Hayes. He didn't feel hatred towards her, per say, but he did feel like working with her would be harder than anything he's ever done. Evan frowned at his conflicting thoughts.

"Something troubling you?" Landorus queried.

"Just thinking about working with people who may have looked down on me." The man said, sighing. "I may have 'defeated' her, but I don't think she and I will ever respect each other."

"Then perhaps you should talk to someone about it." The Abundance Pokémon stated. "It is your way to not beat around the bush and just something."

As he heard Landorus speak into his mind, the Plasma Agent was rifling through a list of contacts on his Pokégear. "I think I know who to talk to, Landorus." Evan quickly typed out a message and sent it out, smiling as he did so. "Hopefully she's understanding of my situation."

Message:
"Sonja, meet me on the beach. I want to talk to you about your sister, if you don't mind."

[Parugi]

IC - Madison Hayes - Vertrag Entrance, Four Island:

The sight of someone standing within the darkness just outside the elevator prompted Hayes to instinctively raise a hand wrapped in warbling psychic power. Vertrag was meant to scan for pedestrians before lifting the elevator, and they could not afford for it to have made a mistake now. Only when her eyes adjusted and she recognized the figure did she relax, stepping out and psionically catching him just as he fell forward.

"Hakuda," she said. "Looks like someone beat the hell out of him." Hayes looked at Shannon. "Come on--I'll bring you to your kid after we've secured the Seventh in the medical bay."



IC - Sonja Baron - Beach, Four Island:

The shore was always pleasant. Morning, day, or night, there was something easy and calm about watching and listening to the waves crashing inward and outward in their steady rhythm. Staring out at the sea, particularly now that parts of the horizon glowed with an eerie reddish light . . . It was like being in another world.

This was where Sonja stood, what she was doing, and what she was feeling when Evan arrived

"Hey," she said, only briefly glancing at him as he arrived. "How's the Hero of Space doing these days?"



IC - Ethan Worth/Gavin Braner/Skye Hall - Library, Vertrag:

"I would say varying degrees of 'fine,'" Skye said, looking around at Ethan and Gavin for any objection to that sentiment. "Hard to say 'good' these days, but all things being equal, could be a lot worse."

"Can't argue with that," Ethan said. "Powers could still be off, which they aren't. We've got some clear goals, clear targets, a clear, united objective." He smiled. "And we're mostly all back together, and then some. I think at this point it's just a matter of getting going on this Missing Zero thing."



IC - Kyle Eston/Levi Alaric/Will Moreno - Burks House, Village Bridge:

It was easy enough to explain to Will, Levi, and Mrs. Burks what the new plan was, and simple enough to gather up the limited supplies that the three boys had brought and bought. The hard part was not knowing when Chloe was going to arrive. And if there was one thing Kyle didn't like doing, particularly now, it was waiting and not knowing.

Luckily, he and Levi had an errand to attend to.

"Mr. Kyle?" Levi called. He lagged behind slightly as Kyle walked ahead, picking a path back through the forest. "What are we looking for out here?"

The Liberty trainer paused, glancing at the old Poké Gear he had borrowed from Paul. "A Pokémon."

"A Pokémon?" Levi repeated, tilting his head. He sped up. "What kind of Pokémon?"

Kyle smiled to himself. "It's a Pokémon that lives in forests," he said. "And it's a Grass-Type."

"Well, that doesn't help," Levi said playfully. He looked around. "Is it a Bellsprout?" Kyle didn't answer. "Is it an . . . Oddish?" He rubbed his head as Kyle slowed down, stooping behind a bush and peering through. "A Tangela? It's not a Parasect, is it?"

"Better," Kyle said. He held the branches aside, pointing through.

Levi beamed. "A Bulbasaur!" Indeed, there it was: The Seed Pokémon slept peacefully aside a little pond, basking in a ray of sunlight. Levi could not stop smiling as he admired the peaceful Grass-Poison-Type. He looked back up at Kyle. "It's really a Bulbasaur!"

"Told you we'd find you one," he said.

"I thought you forgot!" Levi looked through the branches again. "Do I really get to catch it?"

"Of course," Kyle said. He pulled out a Poké Ball. "We do need to battle it first, though--it can be hard to catch a Pokémon when it's at full strength. I can take care of that part if you want me to."

Levi frowned. "Do we have to hurt it? It's so peaceful."

"I mean, no," Kyle said. "Sometimes you can just talk to a Pokémon and convince them to join you. It depends. Wanna give that a try?" Levi nodded. "Let's try that, then." The older boy opened his bag, pulling out some snacks and handing them to Levi. "Here--if you feed it, it might be more friendly."

He looked nervous. "What if it doesn't like me? What do I say?"

"Just say whatever you would want someone to say to you," Kyle said. "You'll never know until you give it a try, right?"

Levi nodded. "Okay." With a steadying breath, he went ahead. Kyle watched as the younger boy approached the sleeping Bulbasaur slowly and carefully, hesitating for a moment as the sound of his footsteps awoke the sleeping Grass-Type. Rather than run away or attack, it seemed to sniff the air in a sleepy stupor. Levi got down on a knee, putting an apple on the ground and sitting down. After a moment, the Bulbasaur stood, stretched, and moved forward. A vine extended from its back, which it used to pick up the fruit and begin eating. Levi said something to it that Kyle couldn't hear, but it seemed to amuse the Pokémon.

Over the next few moments, Levi visibly relaxed, and both he and the Pokémon seemed to get on fine. Finally, the Bulbasaur nodded, and Levi pushed himself to his feet. The two walked back to the bush, Levi smiling broadly.

"Mr. Kyle, this is Ivy," he said. "She wants to come with us!" He looked at the Bulbasaur. "Ivy, this is my friend." The Grass-Type yipped a greeting.

"Nice to meet you, Ivy," Kyle said. "That's good work, Levi--you're a natural Pokémon Trainer. Now you just need to make it official." He held out a Poké Ball, which Levi took.

"I can't wait to work with you, Miss Ivy," Levi said, holding out the ball to the Bulbasaur. She did a little bow, before bopping her head against it and disappearing into the orb, which beeped in confirmation a moment later. Levi smiled at Kyle again, holding the ball to his chest. "I did it!"

"Great job, kiddo." Kyle ruffled his hair. "Come on--we'd better get back before Chloe gets into town."

[minun4]

IC: Lohe Mahina - Po Town


Lohe had seen much in over half a century of life. He had seen his fair share of death. He’d seen plenty worse than death. Even still, he felt sick. Death was one thing, torture was another, but what had just happened, what was happening, was something else entirely. He’d gladly accept torture and death before being transformed into one of those things.

But the information he’d overheard may have been worth his nausea. An imprisonment? Presuming that the ‘Hunger’ meant M0, then someone had managed to imprison it. If only as a delay. It was worth passing on, if only as a fool’s hope.

The good news didn’t end there. He hadn’t been noticed yet and his exit strategy seemed readily apparent. The enemy was concentrated in the middle of the town for the event, leaving notable gaps on either side of town. If he could ignore the pit in his stomach long enough to escape, he’d probably at least make enough distance before being found that Nosferatu could escape them if needed.

Lohe traveled through the shadows to the end of the roof and checked below. He couldn’t hear any hostiles. This was his chance to move. He jumped from the roof and landed behind the trees outlining the eastern end of the mansion. His vampiric body barely registered the impact from the ground. He descended into the shadows of trees, to take stock of the situation once again. He was so close to getting away, he didn’t want to mess it all up now.

He constantly checked whether there were any enemies along his escape route as he maneuvered around the outer wall of the city. Anything to keep from thinking about what was going on onstage. But the more he tried to ignore what was going on, the more his thoughts focused on it. His ears betrayed him. They gave him full reports of what was happening both onstage and in the crowd. The cheers of the crowd, the screams of the victims. He could hear them all clearly. Lohe knew he shouldn’t look. There was nothing more to gain. But instinct won out, and his eyes drifted towards the stage for a brief moment. He was filled with immediate regret.

There was a woman on stage, standing near the sacrificer. He recognized the woman. It was the woman that he’d been sent to retrieve a memento of. The one he called ‘Green’. She was in the same state of zealous fervor that the crowd was in. How would those two waiting outside for Lohe to come back respond if they could see her now? How would they respond if they knew she was alive, and they knew he didn’t rescue her.

Lohe stopped breathing for a moment, as the thought of rescue crossed his mind. It wasn’t like he could just kidnap her straight off the stage. He’d have to be suicidally stupid to try it. Even with Nosferatu’s speed, a clean getaway was not feasible. And that wasn’t even taking into account the fact that she would likely resist. There wasn’t time to make a solid plan. If the sun came up and he was still here, he was a dead man.

Excuses.

Lohe faded back into the shadows, averting his gaze from what was in front of him.



IC: James Arthur - VIP Cell Block


James stayed silent for a while. Honestly, he was all out of verbal ammunition. Ultimately, he knew who was responsible for Goldhawk’s death. And that whoever was responsible for his death had to be involved with this incident too. But without solid evidence, it was at best the ramblings of a caged conspiracy theorist, at worst the lies of a murderer who couldn’t accept when he was beaten.

Then again, there was a conspiracy, and he was both theorizing about it and caged.

“I would talk to a Plasma Knight named Amanda Zarth,” James said, both as an honest suggestion, and a ploy to stall for time. “I had her take a look into the evidence on my behalf. She may have found something of interest by now.”

James grabbed another piece of paper and put his pen to the page and halted. Ink pooled from the pen into a dot as James held the pen there, still thinking. If Silvermind was indeed behind everything, she could have compelled any number of people to assist in some manner. Each person that was compelled to act in a manner that went against their normal duties was a potential break point.

The issue then wasn’t that he couldn’t think of anyone suspicious. The problem was that there were too many. Even if Ladon chose to believe him, investigating every possible suspect would tip their hand. It was impossible that it wouldn’t. He raised the pen from the page, his train of thought failing to provide a single best target so far.

In that case, James decided to spin things around. If he was a suspect, perhaps he should place himself in Silvermind’s shoes and determine how he would act.

James placed himself back on that day, on that battlefield. He felt the pain of his injuries from the blast. The shock of seeing Goldhawk. The adrenaline that kept him going. He considered whether that day could have gone differently. And then he considered whether Vert had considered the same moment. If only James hadn’t gotten separated, maybe he could’ve saved Goldhawk. And that was a flaw in what he claiming was a planned assassination. There was no guarantee that he would die at the critical moment. High-likelihood? Near-certainty? Yes. But not a fool-proof guarantee.

And Goldhawk hadn’t died. Not immediately, at any rate. He was taken from the battlefield to Liberty’s emergency care, where he died of his wounds. James’s eyes narrowed. What if he hadn’t though? What would James (in Silvermind’s shoes) have done then?

If Goldhawk survived, he still wouldn’t be returning to the battlefield any time soon. Which means the only neat way to assassinate him would have been to send “Deoza” to assassinate an invalid. It would make more sense to target either of the other two leaders at that point, if “Deoza’s” goal was to harm Team Liberty. So would James have left Goldhawk’s fate up to chance?

“When did Goldhawk die? Precisely, if you have that information on you. And if you have the determined cause of death, and the name of whoever pronounced him dead, I would appreciate them.”

[Konuju]

IC: Shannon Willows - Medical Bay, Vertrag
Everything happened so fast. Shannon and Hayes helped the orange-haired man into the elevator. Blood stained the elevator floor and walls, and Shannon was sure she got some on her clothes. They rushed the man over to the medical bay where Vertrag took over assistance. As the AI began running whatever diagnostic tests or whatnot were needed, Shannon thought back to the name Hayes had said: "Hakuda."

Although Shannon did not recognize this man, she recognized the name. And from what Ryan had told her in the past, she pieced together that this must be Ray Hakuda -- Jenny's brother. Her hands moved on their own. She fumbled for her Pokégear and tried typing out a message to Jenny. Her fingers did not cooperate. With shaking hands, she called her.

"H-hello, Jenny?" Shannon's voice was as shaky as her hands. Her mind barely registered that she'd gotten some of Ray's blood on her Pokégear. "Y-your brother's here . . . in the medical bay . . . h-he's in pretty bad shape . . . ."

[minun4]

IC: Jamie Arthur - Mt. Silver


Time had stopped for the world. It had stopped for everyone but Jamie and Tristan. The two of them had stopped time almost by instinct when they had heard a cry behind them. A Phantashade had slipped between the Rockets and had been sucking the life out of one of their own. On instinct, she transformed Tristan into his Mega-forme, and froze time immediately. At first, Jamie was as frozen as everyone else. Jamie barely knew him, but he was one of their own, and she had just failed to protect him. If the Phantashade had chosen a different ability, the man might’ve been dead on the spot. As it was, it wasn’t much better.

Frustration broke Jamie from her trance. Jamie had reacted without thinking. If she used Mega Evolution for every battle on the way to the target, she’d be left with nothing when she actually got there. Too late now.

First, Tristan applied a weak telekinetic force to move their ally out of the way when time resumed. That done, Tristan began laying into the Phantashade. Punch after punch slammed into the Phantashade. It wasn’t long though before both Jamie and Tristan felt the strain of her power. They’d have to let go to conserve her energy for later.

Jamie took a breath and said, “Time will flow.”

The flow of the universe resumed. The Phantashade felt the impact from Tristan’s myriad punches all at once. It crumpled under the sudden impacts. But it wasn’t quite dead yet. With Telekinetic power, Tristan yanked the Phantashade over to him, and slammed it into the ground. Tristan raised all four of his fists and brought them all down on it at once, crushing the Phantashade beneath them.

Now, it was quite dead.

But victory only brought frustration for Jamie and Tristan. That took too long, given the effort expended. Not only had they been caught off-guard, but they wasted the effort to use Mega-Evolution. And that wasn’t going into their ally they failed to protect.

Jamie turned back to the Rocket soldier who was attacked. He wasn’t dead. Not exactly. But he wasn’t going to wake up anytime soon. Maybe ever. The others gathered around him. Jamie didn’t know what to do. He wasn’t injured per se, so Grummore’s healing wouldn’t help. She ended up standing there doing nothing while the others tried to help.

While the other Rockets were checking his vitals, a flash appeared from the man’s belt. One of the comatose man’s Pokemon was a Kadabra who knew how to Teleport. The Kadabra was distraught at the man’s state, but prepared to Teleport back to base. There was little more that could be done in the field, and it was allowed to leave.

Spearow and Turner were discussing the group’s next move, when the Nosepass belonging to Turner began shaking. Turner said to Spearow, “Sir, the source of the mist is getting closer. At the rate it's moving, we can intercept if we move now.”

It was as if Jamie was shaken from a trance. This was her opponent. Her chance. She ran up to Spearow as well and said “Sir, permission to engage? Before we have to release Tristan’s Mega-Evolution?”

Spearow took a moment to think. “Take point with Turner. Turner, signal us as soon as you find the target. We’ll follow after you].”

“Sir,” they said while saluting before running off with their Pokémon.

Tristan ended up scooping Jamie, Joan and the Nosepass with his four arms, so they could rely on his faster speed. Joan and Jamie climbed up his lower limbs onto his head, while Tristan held the Nosepass loosely, allowing him to spin like a compass. The fog was getting quite dense, and so were the trees in the area. Tristan had to knock one over, to keep them moving as quickly as they could. Surprise was probably out the door, but they could still rely on shock and terror, Tristan decided.

“The source of the fog is dead ahead,” Joan told Tristan. Tristan stopped for a moment to give Jamie and Joan a chance to hop off, and to give himself a chance to prepare for a fight. He saw a figure in the fog.

“Knock them flat, Tristan,” Jamie said, giving Tristan all the encouragement he needed.

As soon as Jamie and Joan were clear, Tristan shot forward. He charged up a Meteor Mash and launched himself at the source of the fog. But then the punch was blocked by a sword made of aura. The aura sword belonged to a very familiar Scizor.

When Jamie saw who blocked the sword, all she could say was “Uncle Lance?”




IC: Lancelot - Mt. Silver


For the past several months, Lancelot had been solely dedicated to training. By comparison, his master would disappear for days, show up unannounced, criticize him for some flaw in his form, kick the crap out of him to prove the point on the matter, drill him for the entire rest of the day, use hypnosis to make him sleep when she decided that he was done for the day, and then the next morning he’d wake up next to a pile of food that was meant to last until the next time she would reappear. In other words, his life reverted to that before he met James.

Gareth, the young Grubbin, had joined him and his master on their quest. And to be honest, Lancelot was glad for the company. That was one way life was different than it had been before. Wandering instances would occasionally come near their home away from home. His master had told him to only engage if discovery was unavoidable, and to finish fights as quickly as possible. Gareth proved to be a useful ally. He couldn’t fight much on his own, but the webs he shot could restrain opponents. Lancelot had enough power to dispatch the Instances he faced alone, but efficiency was the name of the game. The longer any encounter took, the more likely their presence would be noticed.

Instances weren’t that satisfying to dispatch compared to Pokemon or even humans. They didn’t let out screams or writhe in pain when you stabbed them. They reacted, but there was no fun in their reactions. But this very dissatisfaction helped Lancelot focus on finishing his fights quickly, instead of drawing them out for a more fun battle.

One day, out of the blue, and without proper explanation, his master returned and said “We’re leaving.”

Lancelot and Gareth followed her from the foothills of western Kanto towards Mt. Silver. That meant that the density of Instances was going to increase. The fog his master produced was thick and her hypnotic powers were strong. He knew first hand how useful these abilities were on humans and Pokmeon alike. But he didn’t know how well they would work on hiding them from Instances.

Evidently, well enough. They had walked for hours in the foothills, and had thus far been able to avoid combat. Whether it was by chance or his master’s abilities were really that good, Lancelot knew better than to question. He would have his chance for combat eventually, one way or another. He just had to be patient.

After a great period of his silence his master raised a hand to halt Lancelot. She looked perturbed. “We’re being targeted,” she said matter-of-factly.

She pointed towards a tree, and Lancelot moved to hide behind it. He couldn’t create his sword yet. When the enemy arrived, he’d have to create it as he moved. His master increased the density of the fog in the area, but remained in the open. If their enemy truly knew their location, she would use herself as bait. Moments passed in silence. Lancelot had a moment to contemplate what was going on. Was there an Instance that could pierce his master’s illusions? It didn’t matter, if they were being hunted, then they had to take out their pursuers before they had the whole mountain coming down on them.

When Lancelot listened, he could hear their hunters approach. He heard one knock over a tree. They weren’t trying to hide their presence. There was the chance that there could be more of them following behind, but they’d have to deal with them once the vanguard was dealt with. If there were too many, they’d have to run. The one in front was getting close. Lancelot waited as long as possible before making his move.

Lancelot leapt from behind the tree to intercept, creating his sword as he did so. But the being he found meeting his blade was no Instance. In fact, it was a very familiar fist that met his blade. The weight of this familiar opponent pushed him back towards his master. His master leaped to one side out of their way. His opponent, upon recognizing Lancelot, recoiled in surprise.

“Uncle Lance?” said a very familiar voice from behind Tristan.

Gareth, who was not familiar with Tristan, shot Tristan in the eye with webbing. Tristan, who was still surprised by Lancelot’s appearance, was promptly hit in the eye and began to frantically try to get the webbing out.

Well this is awkward.