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Post by Magical Girl Mimi on Dec 5, 2019 10:13:35 GMT -8
-==IC: Chloe Hikari/Ray Hakuda - Lumiose City==-
The two glanced over at Kyle quizzically, but then nodded, though both with looks on their faces that showed they didn't quite get the urgency of the meeting. With a brief apology to the others present - and leaving Lucia to deal with a lot of the immediate things there - the two followed Kyle. Chloe tapped his shoulder as they walked, and motioned from her head to his to ask without speaking if they should use telepathy here or not. She wasn't sure if it was a necessary precaution, but the tone in Kyle's voice made her wonder.
-==IC: Colleen Llyan - Lumiose City==-
Colleen wasn't sure which part shocked her more, but she frowned as she considered things. "Hey, it's okay." Colleen said, as she knelt down near the injured girl. "Let's just focus on you and Alex getting better - then we can sort everything out. Alright?"
She had to wonder how they could have gotten control over her - but with everything else she had seen that night, including that weird Jirachi with no aura, she couldn't really doubt it in the slightest.
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flipz
Technician
Posts: 56
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Post by flipz on Dec 5, 2019 17:45:06 GMT -8
—[Centrico Plaza]—
Valerie, still shell-shocked from Chalmers’ announcement, finally registered what Ray had said about Flare. “Wait, Ray, what what that you said? Laverre was…” She trailed off, staring pensively into the morning sky. “If that’s true, then I need to be there. My Gym, my town, they need me. If they’re in trouble…”
“You’re in no state to deal with whatever it is now,” Siebold said. “You need rest — we all do. We can see about reinforcing your city once we’re actually in a state to do something about it.”
Valerie made a face, but nodded. “My head says you’re right, but my heart still wants to go.” She shook her head. “It feels like everything is happening at once. It’s overwhelming.”
While Chloe explained her plan to rendezvous at Dendemille, Bonnie, Alexa, and Blaziken Mask all nodded along. “That sounds reasonable,” Mask said. “I unfortunately need to remain in the city for… reasons… but I’ll do my best to find time for a phone call. I’ll give you the number to my— er, that is, to my friend Meyer’s landline, you should be able to reach it from the Pokémon Center in Dendemille. It won’t be a secure line, but it’s the best we have available.”
“I think I speak for both Bonnie and myself when I say I’d appreciate that explanation,” Alexa added. “That Pokémon is impressive to say the least.”
“Agreed,” Wulfric said, “it’s a shame I won’t have much time to admire such a Legendary Ice-type Pokémon.”
That got Korrina’s attention. “You’re not coming with us?”
“No. Like we said, you, Clemont, and Bonnie will be going with this group. The rest of us need to get back to our towns, make sure that Flare doesn’t gain any more ground than they already have.” He glanced over to Blaziken Mask. “I think we’d all appreciate being in on that call. If this ‘M0’ thing involves those creatures from the Sevii Islands… it’s going to be rough fighting a war on two fronts, so we’re going to need all the information we can get.”
“If I may?” Clemont interjected, holding out his Holo Caster. He tapped a few settings, activating a file transfer function, and showed what he’d done to Lucia; upon realizing, she repeated the action with her own device, touching it to his to transfer a copy of the video. The Gym Leader quickly repeated the action with the other Gym Leaders, as well as Bonnie, Alexa, and the two superheroes. “That video may be the single most important weapon we have against Flare. It’ll be troublesome validating its authenticity — it may be the truth, but Chalmers did a good job undermining your credibility — but so long as we have it, it’s something. Definitely make as many backups as you can — I’ve… learned that lesson the hard way. A lot.”
The red-haired Trainer bumped into Alex, but fortunately their crutches kept them stable. “It’s… no problem,” they said. Before the conversation could proceed further, however, one of the other Trainers from the Tower tapped her on the shoulder and led her away. With a shrug, Alex drifted towards Amelia and Belle, two of the only fully familiar faces who weren’t directly in Jamie’s orbit. Even as they moved, however, the former split off to speak to one of the other Trainers.
Amelia caught sight of the Togekiss Trainer and the Charizard Trainer having a quiet conversation away from the rest of the group. An oddity from the fight came to mind, and she gave Belle a brief nudge. “Need to go tally up my end of a debt from the fight. Keep Robocop here off our allies ‘til ah get back?”
Essentia gave an annoyed tilt of the head at Amelia’s not-so-quiet statement. “That won’t be necessary. Unlike your… ally… I’m not in the habit of attacking the innocent.” Not anymore, she mentally corrected, and never again. Though not entirely satisfied with the explanation she’d been given — or more accurately, the lack thereof — she instead turned her attention to the injured citizens the man with the Gallade had brought in. She made her way over just in time to overhear the man’s statement.
“Flare had some sort of control over her, and she attacked Alex before she snapped out of it.”
Essentia’s breath caught. It took her several seconds to wrench herself out of her own memories.
“Pardon me, citizens,” she said, her affect perhaps thicker than usual in the wake of her chaotic emotional state, “if I may be of assistance, I would be happy to provide aid.” She ignored the twinge of her own injury — she was on duty, and those she could help were more important… particularly to help a fellow victim of Flare’s manipulation.
Amelia shrugged as Essentia wandered off. With a brief nod to Belle, she slipped through the throng to reach the man with the Togekiss — the Charizard Trainer had apparently wandered off. She tapped the man’s shoulder. “‘Scuse me,” she said, “ah couldn’t help but notice you tearin’ outta th’ Tower after someone once those barrier dealies popped up. Now, ah ain’t th’ kind t’ pry, but ah am th’ sort who likes t’ settle my debts as soon as ah can, and ah reckon ‘magic shield from all harm’ is th’ kinda favor that warrants repayin’. Ah don’t s’pose y’all’d know who I owe fer that?”
Back with the main group, Lizbet Parfum managed to find Alex again. “Hey,” she said. “Thank you. For before.” She stared back at the Tower, lost in thought. “I… should probably go. Tell your father…” She trailed off, shaking her head. “Never mind. Still… I’m glad to have met you.” She clutched her wrist and wandered off, leaving a very confused Alex behind her.
As she headed towards where (she hoped) her car was still parked, Lizbet stumbled across the man who’d given her a ride out of the Tower, escorted by two of the other Trainers from the battle. She withdrew a business card from her clutch and gently interrupted him by laying a hand on his wrist. “My apologies, I won’t take much of your time. My name is Lizbet Parfum, I wanted to thank you for saving my life. If you ever need a favor…” She pressed the card into his hand, and was gone.
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Post by Parugi on Dec 6, 2019 13:07:55 GMT -8
IC - Kyle Eston - Outside Prism Tower, Lumiose City:
With a glance over to Ryan--who was currently still engaged with the younger girl, and now seemed to have been approached by another of the trainers from the tower--Kyle simply nodded at Chloe. Once she had established a telepathic connection, he gave her and Ray the same rundown that Ryan had given him regarding the Signs.
I figured it might be a good idea to talk with Sonja and figure out where to send everyone here, because neither Ryan or I think it's a good idea to bring everyone into Vertrag, he continued. But we've already had one person overhear me and Ryan, so a phone call doesn't feel like a good idea. But Sonja says we should have that location soon, so . . . I don't know. Maybe until then, we can help everyone find a place to stay in Dendemille? Lay low and help clean up the town from Shift's attack or something?
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Post by Magical Girl Mimi on Dec 6, 2019 13:23:04 GMT -8
-==IC: Chloe Hikari/Ray Hakuda - Lumiose City==-
Chloe and Ray nodded at the suggestion Kyle made - even as Ray was interrupted by Lizbet appearing, thanking him, and then walking off after giving him a card. Ray kindly waved in the general direction in an effort to say "you're welcome", but then focused on Kyle once again after he realized that wasn't about to happen.
"That seems like a good idea, honestly - I was just suggesting that we all regroup there anyway, as it's probably the last place Flare is going to have a stronghold in right now, with everything that went on." Chloe replied with a nod. "We could probably set up a temporary base in the police department or something, even - far enough away from Vertrag itself to make it not as conspicuous when we have to go."
"Yeah." Ray nodded in agreement at what the two said. "Besides, we all could probably do with some rest after--" Ray quickly reacted to catch Chloe's arm as he noticed Kyurem revert back to normal. "After all that."
Chloe winced as she reached a hand up to her forehead, still keeping the telepathic connection going despite the sudden wave of exhaustion. "... yeah, I think Ray might have had his point made here..."
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Post by Konuju on Dec 6, 2019 16:37:11 GMT -8
IC: Ryan Sanders/Zoe Llyan/Alex Lockwood - Outside Prism Tower, Lumiose City Ryan was surprised that anyone would take note of his flight out of the tower amidst the myriad of distractions: there was the tower's sudden lean, the threat of falling debris, and apparently there had been some sort of barrier he himself hadn't noticed. He was even more surprised that someone would have paid enough attention to deduce that his flight had been in pursuit of someone, not to merely escape the falling tower. Nobody was that observant with regards to seemingly-insignificant details without some ulterior motive. For someone who claimed not to be the kind to pry, this woman certainly seemed to be prying.
Ryan shook his head. "Honestly, there was so much going on I didn't even notice those 'barrier dealies.' I have no clue who might be responsible."
It was only then that he recognized the silver-haired trainer in front of him.
"Jared?" He nodded a silent apology to the woman and the young girl before turning to better address the aura wielder. "Sorry, I didn't see you there. It's been a long day. How've you been holding up? From the sounds of it, you've had your hands full with this Flare business. We came to offer our support."
Not too far away, unaware of his friend's presence, Alex Lockwood grit his teeth as a Heal Pulse washed over his arm. He had always thought recovery moves were supposed to feel rejuvenating, but the twisting of tendons and mending of muscle sent waves of pain through his body. It was all he could do to keep from crying out.
He vaguely heard people talking around him. Discussing what had happened to Emily. Offering assistance. Alex didn't have the energy to respond. He merely stared at the ground and tried not to think about what was happening with his arm.
Zoe had dutifully followed her sister through the crowd. At the sight of Alex and Em, Collie had rushed forward to help, leaving Zoe to stare at the Lockwood cousins.
She had seen blood in movies before, but somehow it looked different in real life. Darker. Messier. In some distant corner of her mind, Zoe imagined if her parents were here they would have covered her eyes. But no one here thought to do that. No one thought the scene might be too graphic for a child. Em's shirt was stained -- no, drenched -- in blood. Alex's arm looked like it had been through a meat grinder.
Zoe's stomach suddenly heaved. She turned away and made it two steps before she fell to her hands and knees, retching. Her arms trembled as she stared down at her own bile. The beret Em had picked out for her slipped from her head. Tears stung her eyes. The image of Alex and Em's bloody wounds had seared itself into her mind.
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Post by unknownmercury on Dec 6, 2019 22:20:47 GMT -8
IC: Jared Winters/Alma Mason
"It's..." The aura wielder sighed. "It's been something. We got through it, though. Mostly." He pulled out his Holo Caster and frowned. No signal. "Everyone's here except Lachina, it seems like. Dahlia and Olivia were... somewhere, but I guess they moved on after their mission." He shook his head and reached up to rub at his eyes. "What about you? Did your investigation turn up anything?"
Alma cleared her throat. "Monsieur Winters," she said softly. "I hate to intrude, but..."
"Oh, right. It's alright, Ryan. Alma and Amelia helped us with the Flare investigation. Um, Amelia is Xander's cousin, actually. I don't think anything you say in front of them will hurt us."
"May I see your Mismagius?" Alma asked. "She wants to say hello, but she doesn't want to come out without permission."
IC: Emily Lockwood/James Cruize
Quietly, Emily reached out and hugged Colleen with her uninjured arm. The Performer's aura swirled around her, scarlet mingling with a more crimson color. As the Heal Pulse washed over her, she hissed in pain, feeling the flesh and sinews knitting together. Luckily someone had had the foresight to get the bullet out back at the League Headquarters. "Aura training might be off for a bit," she murmured. "I think this is gonna be tender."
James Cruize watched on quietly.
IC: Belle LaDonna
Belle looked around quietly, sighing. She wasn't sure what to do. Alma was with Winters, and Amelia had already headed over there. Essentia didn't seem to be a problem at present, but Belle did have to wonder... "Hey," she said to the masked heroine. "What happened exactly? Where'd the evil vampire guy go?"
Essentia turned her head to the purple-haired woman. "If you're talking about the one who your friend chased out of the lab, I don't know. A third man joined the chase. He broke my leg and left me in an alley way."
Belle winced. "Ouch. Sorry..."
"It's not your fault." The woman looked away, back towards Jared. "Your friend tried to kill me, as well."
"Yeah, I dunno what his deal is exactly. Friend is a bit strong of a word." Belle sighed. "Thanks for fillin' me in, I guess. As much as ya could."
"I do have questions for him once everything is calm."
"I'll let him know, but don't hold your breath. Sounds like we're getting out of here soon-like."
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Post by Konuju on Dec 7, 2019 6:51:48 GMT -8
IC: Ryan Sanders - Outside Prism Tower, Lumiose City "Well, we ran into a bit of trouble in Dendemille, if that counts." Ryan spoke almost dismissively as a look of concern crossed his face. "What was that about Dahlia and--"
The pale girl -- Alma, as Jared introduced her -- chose that moment to intrude with a pointed question about Ryan's Mismagius. He was already on edge, and the fact that this girl he had never met before seemingly knew about one of his Pokémon, one who hadn't even appeared in the recent battle, only made him more wary.
A distant memory resurfaced in the back of his mind. It was from a time long past, when a young girl in Unova inquired about Entei before she'd even introduced herself. This girl was a far cry from Ellen (the giant Growlithe, for one, looked far more intimidating than Terry), but something about her innocently direct question resonated with Ryan.
Perhaps it was some lingering guilt over not doing more to protect Ellen, perhaps he simply wished he could return to those much simpler days. Either way, Ryan found himself pulling Missy's ball off his belt. "Is that true?" he asked softly. From within the translucent capsule, the Mismagius nodded. Ryan pressed the release. In a flash of light Missy materialized and floated up to Alma in greeting.
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Post by minun4 on Dec 11, 2019 17:40:14 GMT -8
IC: James Arthur - Sandbar Room, Alamo
“...”
“...”
“...No comment.”
IC: Zealot - Lumiose City
“Justice has been delivered.”
Zealot and the False Lucan watched as the frozen corpse of a Team Flare villain hit the ground. Her grin was stretched from side to side underneath her mask. The correct face to make when bringing villains to justice.
The Flare villain’s Fletchling bolted at the sight of her trainer’s death. The false-Buizel cloaked itself in water to chase after it. At that moment, however, something happened which distracted Zealot.
A screen through a window began to play the recording that was going off all throughout Lumiose. The face on it captured Zealot’s attention. The villain himself. She stared at the image. Listened as he spouted falsehoods and bent truths. Every word reaffirming her reason for being.
When the recording finally ended, all she said was, “I will bring justice to him.”
There was nothing in the recording that betrayed his location. But one of his agents would know. Not these minions, though. She looked down at the corpse before her. These ones in suits were too conspicuous to know anything important.
Suits.
That reminded her of someone else who needed justice.
IC: Lohe Mahina - Lumiose City - Earlier
Lohe laid Lionel down in an alley. It wasn’t the safest place to do this. People could very easily come by and then he would be screwed. But he needed access to the moon for this work.
From what he knew there was supposed to be a lot more pomp to this. But he didn’t have that. He had two bats keeping a beat (one very reluctantly). What he knew about the process he pieced together from that he had been able to overhear.
Lionel was still breathing, for now. As long he had enough brain power left to dream it could work.
Lohe opened his mouth wide and breathed in deeply. A piece of Lionel’s aura came out of his body. He breathed out in time with the beat, allowing the aura to retreat back towards Lionel.
[“Stain the mana with the power of the moon,”] Lohe said, repeating what he’d figured out from listening where he wasn’t wanted.
Moonlight pooled into his hand. A piece of his aura was coaxed out of him. It was a swirling mix of his own aura and the moonlight.
[“Lunala. Mahina. I call upon your power now,”] he said in a chant timed with the beat.
With each beat his aura and pooled light mixed more and more, until there was no separation between the two. He continued to breathe in and out, slowly coaxing Lionel’s aura out from his sleeping head. He didn’t want to consume the dream aura, but just get it out for enough so he could touch it. It covered Lionel’s face like a thin film.
Lohe placed his hand on Lionel’s face. The mixture in his hands sank into the aura. It spread in an arc, until it resembled the arc of a crescent moon. The aura sank back into Lionel, the stain propagating throughout the whole of his aura.
Lohe sat back, he had done his part in this mess. All that was left was for -them- to do theirs.
Four lights appeared above Lionel’s prone body. The lights were roughly yellow, blue, green and pink in color. One by one they formed into a shape as they approached Lionel’s body.
The first light bent into the shape of a bolt of lightning. When it collided with Lionel’s head, his aura warped again. It began to radiate a warning to Pokemon to get away.
The second light formed into a drop of water. The drop of water entered through Lionel’s mouth. All other drops that would pass through it would become foul.
The third light formed into a taro leaf. The leaf came to rest on Lionel’s chest before merging with his body. With it, the bounty of the earth would rather rot to nothing than enter his body.
Lohe backed up slightly as he observed the fourth and final light. The light that broke into scales. Memories of limbs regrowing crept into Lohe’s mind. He briefly considered ending Lionel’s life rather than let this curse finish. But in the end, he chose not to.
[“Alright, Tapu Lele, do your worst”] he said, roughly. Minus a couple of swear words.
As if responding to his words, the final light spread over Lionel’s entire body. Luck favored him at that moment; he only got one horrible knot in the healing wound, that Lohe had to tear out so the wound could heal properly. When the wound finally closed, Lionel’s breathing finally stabilized.
Next would have to be the blood ritual, so the man could actually survive off of blood alone. But Lohe did not immediately move to act. He turned around. The whole time this exchange had occurred Grotle who was waiting with the corpse of his trainer. It was slowly shaking. All the other humans had left, Lohe was the only one around who could deal with what remained of Adam. Even if every instinct in his body told him to run the other way, he didn't.
“You endured a lot,” Lohe said.
He didn’t know the man, he didn’t know what he deserved. But Lohe decided he could respect the dedication of the Grotle who endured the presence of not one, but two of his kind.
Lohe observed the body. It was far too late for him, his spirit had most definitely passed. He could not do for him what he had for Lionel.
“Is there anyone who would take the body?” he asked.
The Grotle shook his head. Lohe sighed. It was sad, Lohe supposed, that the man had no one but this Grotle who cared. There was only one thing he could do. He turned around and picked up Lionel, who was still asleep.
“Follow me. I will bury him.”
The Grotle jerked his face up. Happiness was not quite the word used to describe his face, but there was a small degree of solace.
Nosferatu and Ruthven moved to action without any prompting. They could find a place to bury the body much quicker than Lohe could. Lohe began to move, and with a great deal of effort, Wiggy made his way to follow him.
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Post by unknownmercury on Dec 12, 2019 21:37:41 GMT -8
IC: Alma Mason/Jared Winters - Centrico Plaza
"Oh, she's gorgeous," the white-haired girl said as the Mismagius approached. She reached a hand up to brush against the ghost-type's cheek. "Hello, there..."
While Alma began cooing and speaking softly with the ghost, Jared took a deep breath. "Dahlia, Olivia, and Klim -- the previous Hero of Reverse -- were supposed to investigate the detective's place, with the hospital as a secondary location if they finished up early. According to Xander's dad, both locations are basically abandoned, with whatever fights went on there already done. I'm not sure where they would have gone, and I can't call because--" He paused, looking at Ryan. "You could, though. You don't use a Holo Caster, so you might be able to get a call through without using the Kalos network." He straightened up a bit. "But, it can wait. We need to get everyone in our group together..."
IC: Aspen Seaton/Aria - Outdoor Training Area, Alamo, Four Island
Block, block, blo-- dodge! Strike! Aspen narrowly sidestepped the palm strike that would have sent him sprawling, and responded with a kick that Aria caught in her paws. She nodded and stepped back, and Aspen breathed a sigh of relief. If she had tried doing one of those twisty things that people did in movies, she probably would have re-broken his leg.
His other Pokémon were watching from the sidelines, and Aspen turned to face them. "So," he said, "who wants to spar with me like that?"
There was a pause, and then Flare lunged forward, tackling Aspen to the ground. The trainer laughed a bit as he started trying to wrestle out from beneath the Quilava.
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Post by Parugi on Dec 15, 2019 17:45:03 GMT -8
IC - Archivist Booker Samir/Executive Danielle Ladon - Sandbar Room, The Alamo:
"Do you have any information on where Piers Ebner went after his involvement in the case against James Pierce? Did he return to Unova?"
IC - Kyle Eston - Outside Prism Tower, Lumiose City:
Kyle nodded. Any chance you and Ally could teleport everyone? Might get us off of Flare's radar a little quicker.
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Post by Magical Girl Mimi on Dec 17, 2019 8:01:52 GMT -8
-==IC: Lucia==-
Lucia nodded at the explanation. "Alright, will do." She said as she began to make a number of different copies on her phone, though she decided to wait until they were back home to actually upload it anywhere.
-==IC: Chloe==-
Chloe nodded. "Yeah, definitely can do that, especially if we go in groups. Ally already had to go take Olivia to get help after she was shot."
-==IC: Colleen==-
Colleen made small nods. "Yeah, that's, yeah, good idea." At the sound of someone throwing up, she turned her head quickly, but when she saw the source, all she could do is look at her sister, paralyzed by the realization that she'd dragged Zoe into all this, instead of trying to find some way to send her back home.
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Post by minun4 on Dec 17, 2019 15:17:01 GMT -8
IC: James Arthur - Alamo
"No comment."
IC: Lohe Mahina - Lumiose City
Lohe stepped out of a shadow at the very edge of Centrico Plaza. He observed the group near the south side of the Plaza. That armored weirdo was there, and so was Jared. There weren’t fighting each other, so that was a plus. But some elements of the press were there too. If everyone else was getting along now, that was all fine. But he was not going to reveal himself in front of the press.
Nosferatu on the other hand, Lohe had no issue with the Crobat being seen by anyone. So he tied a message to one of Nosefartu’s legs, and let the Crobat fly. He sank back into the shadows. It was time to move.
Nosferatu took the scenic route. He didn’t even go into the plaza at first. Just trying to obscure the location he was coming from. And to see how fast he could make a pass around the outskirts of the plaza. When he had finished his pass, he turned towards the group. As he was zooming in towards them, he looked towards the armored woman. Oh hey, near her was the other Crobat. What fun they had earlier. He flew a hair’s breadth away from the other Crobat, squeaking in delight as he did. He made a front flip in the air, over Jared’s head and came to a halt in front of him. Here was the one he had to make a delivery too. Hopefully he would take the message from his leg. He’d hate to have to stop flying just to untie something from his lower leg.
IC: Jamie Arthur - Lumiose City
Pippi looked down at what little remained of Allen. Adam’s killer was dead. She hadn’t really had the chance to help defeat him at all. It just felt empty.
Well, good riddance, at least.
Pelleas picked up the blue penguin. Pippi seemed none too happy about the situation, and squawked accordingly. They were going to have to do something about the Piplup. It wasn’t fair to just leave her here. But Jamie still wasn’t in a good enough state to deal with this. Which made him responsible for her for now.
Jamie’s face was contorted in frustration, anger and despair as she watched Chalmers’s broadcast. This was it. She destroyed Kalos. She gave Team Flare the perfect excuse. More than that, if Kalos declared war on Kanto over this, she would be the reason why. Why did she fall for his provocation?
Tristan moved his forelegs. He had returned to his prior form, but power still flowed through his body. He looked towards Jamie, her spirits even lower than they already were. He wasn't sure whether to give her space or to try and talk to her.
Lucan was similarly, if a bit more literally, of two minds about the present situation. On one hand, facing a dark reflection of himself was terrifying and he needed about thirty minutes of frantic breathing to be able to calm down from that. On the other hand, Jamie really needed her dad right now, and Tristan needed a push. Fortunately, he had two heads. As one head processed the horror they had just witnessed, the other dragged their body over to Tristan. The Metagross saw the Vanilluxe trying bravely if futilely to push him closer to Jamie and got the idea.
Tristan put one leg in front of the other and moved closer to Jamie. It wasn’t exactly necessary; telepathy didn’t exactly have to worry about noise pollution as much as talking did. But it put her in hugging distance in case it was needed. And it gave him a few precious moments to keep thinking of what to say. But what could he say? That it was okay? That would be a bald faced lie. He couldn’t tell her to just get over it, that wouldn’t help.
Jamie turned as he approached. She was shaking with so many emotions, and her face didn’t settle on any one of them. She was waiting for Tristan to speak first, before she’d say anything.
Jamie, Tristan said as he found his telepathic voice for the first time in ages. I can finally speak again, but I don’t have the words.
“It’s my fault. I gave them what they needed to do this. I’m the reason Team Flare took over Kalos.”
Tristan’s face grew rather frustrated at that response. He wanted to gently shake some sense into her. But he was kind of a Metagross. Even gently would probably hurt. So he waved his arms, until his Telekinesis created two tiny hands to gently grab her shoulders for him. The hands gently held her shoulders to try and steady her shaking but also to keep her facing him.
It was more symbolic than necessary, because telepathy. But he wanted to guarantee he had her full attention, when he said this next part. She needed to hear it.
No. You. Aren’t. You are not fault for Team Flare. Team Flare was going to do this with or without our involvement. The president was already dead by the time we were there.
Jamie’s shaking stopped. Her eyes stared deeply into Tristan’s eyes as she waited for him to continue.
Did you do something foolish that gravely injured someone important to Lucia and Alex? Yes. Are you going to have to atone for it? Yes. Did we even give them a convenient excuse? Yes. But are you responsible for the cruel hearts that would carry out this plan? Not one lick.
Tristan’s frustration turned to sadness as he kept speaking.
I failed to stop him too, you know. I had him in my grasp and he wormed his way out.
Pelleas and Lucan walked over to Jamie and Tristan. The Heracross made a buzzing sound and the Vanilluxe head that wasn’t still hyperventilating made a cry of assent.
Pelleas and Lucan are right. We -all- failed to stop him. You are not responsible for his actions. And you are not solely responsible for failing to stop him.
The hands disappeared. Jamie closed the short distance between herself and Tristan, and hugged his head. Tristan’s face softened again, and pulled her into a hug once more for the night.
Cry if you need to. But when you are done crying, we need to face them. Lucia and Alex.
Jamie was still for a moment before pushing herself out of Tristan’s grasp. She shook her head. “...No, I have been crying all night. I am done with it. Let’s go find them.”
Pelleas let out a faint buzz of relief. He gave a thumbs up sign to his fellow dad. Pippi pecked him, to politely remind him to put her down.
Jamie turned to Tristan with something resembling a smile on her face and said, “Oh, and… thanks, dad. I am glad you found your voice again.”
It’s what I’m here for, Tristan said beaming.
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Post by Konuju on Dec 18, 2019 17:29:27 GMT -8
IC: Ryan Sanders - Outside Prism Tower, Lumiose City Ryan nodded at Jared as he glanced around at the crowd that had gathered outside the tower. While many civilians and news reporters still lingered, several people in the immediate area seemed to be familiar with Jared's group. "It would seem your group has grown since we last met. I'll let you gather them all together. I need to catch up with Kyle, Chloe, and Ray."
With a reassuring nod at Missy, who was still caressing the young white-haired girl, Ryan headed off toward his fellow members of Vorhut. Before he could open his mouth to speak, he felt another consciousness touch his own. Chloe's voice echoed in his mind, relaying the plan to take the combined groups to Dendemille via teleportation.
Ryan relayed his agreement with the plan and pulled out his Pokégear. He stared at the blank screen for a moment, debating whether he should call Dahlia. What Jared had said worried him, perhaps more than he wished to admit. But at the same time, it could wait until everyone was out of the city. If Dahlia was in some sort of danger, there was nothing he could do from here. With a sigh, he pocketed the device.
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flipz
Technician
Posts: 56
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Post by flipz on Dec 18, 2019 21:06:18 GMT -8
IC: Amelia Zann/Alex Zyther
Amelia found herself crossing her arms as the boy Jared had called “Ryan” wandered off. She shot a sideways glance at Jared. “Not much of the cooperative sort, is he?”
“I don’t think you’re one to talk,” said Alex as they ambled over.
Amelia made a noncommittal noise. “We gettin’ outta here then?”
Alex shook their head. “Dad and his friend aren’t back yet,” they said, noting but not responding to the Crobat currently pestering Jared. “Once Dad’s back, I think that’ll be everyone.”
Amelia started counting on her fingers. “The League group?”
Alex looked away. “I… I think that’s the group that came in all bloody.”
Amelia raised an eyebrow at that. “We ain’t exactly pristine, either.”
Alex shrugged.
Amelia frowned. “Somethin’ on yer mind?”
Alex shook their head. “Nothing I’m ready to talk about.”
“Fair ‘nuff.” She tucked her thumbs casually into her belt. “Ah’m more’n ready t’ be done with today. Deal with the whole mess t’morrow, y’know? Work out exactly who these people ah’m related to are then.”
Alex let a beat pass in silence. “So you’ve been thinking about it too.”
Amelia shrugged. “Don’t think it's hittin' me like it is you. But ah ain’t had no blood b’fore.” She gave Alex a searching look. “Lemme guess. Yer— our mother?”
The grip on Alex's crutches tightened. “My mother is Cass—” They glanced at the news crews scattered around the plaza. “Christina Zyther, nee Mikazuki. This… ‘Professor Alderson’ person, she’s…”
“...yer blood, but not yer Mom?”
“...yeah.” Alex looked over at Jared. “You’ve known her longer than I have. What’s she even like, anyway?”
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Post by unknownmercury on Dec 18, 2019 21:29:46 GMT -8
IC: Jared Winters - Centrico Plaza, Lumiose City
As Ryan walked away, a Crobat swooped down to flutter in front of Jared, a note tied around its leg. With a soft sigh, he reached up to untie the message and read it over quietly.
"Sorry to interrupt," he said to Amelia and Alex, looking over at the pair. "Alex, your dad's stable. He's at the north end. Our... 'friend' doesn't want any reporters, so try to keep it quiet. I'm going to go get everyone else together while you and Lucia go see him."
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flipz
Technician
Posts: 56
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Post by flipz on Dec 18, 2019 22:23:25 GMT -8
IC: Amelia Zann/Alex Zyther
The two traded glances.
“Go,” Amelia said, “I’ll send yer sister.”
With a grateful nod, Alex set off for the rendezvous, while Amelia slipped into the crowd to convey the message to Lucia. While Amelia and Lucia spoke, the gathering of Gym Leaders split up in chunks heading off on their own way. While Clemont spoke briefly with Blaziken Mask and Alexa and Bonnie bade Viola farewell, Valerie and Siebold remained speaking with Korrina.
“We’ll accompany you as far as Dendemille,” Siebold was saying, “if Laverre is still in danger then I’d prefer Valerie not be alone in dealing with it.”
Korrina was still unhappy with the order to flee Kalos. “I should be there as well.”
“Normally I’d agree.” Valerie gave her fellow Gym Leader a wan smile. “But we can’t risk it. If Flare got their hands on you, they would just use you to get to us.”
“You think that doesn’t go both ways?”
Valerie shook her head. “I know. But the rest of us… we know how to make sacrifices.” She laid a hand on Korrina’s shoulder. “You and Clemont… you shouldn’t have to be in that position.”
Korrina made a face. “You still think we’re just kids.”
Valerie shrugged. “Not exactly, but I won’t say it’s not a factor. We still remember when you were kids. We care too much about you to risk…” Valerie trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought.
“…We don’t want to outlive you,” Siebold concluded. “It’s something none of us can stomach.”
Korrina sighed. “I get it. I don’t like it, but I get it.” She glanced over her shoulder. “It looks like the rest of the group is gathering up to go. We should probably join them if we’re going.”
The other two League officials nodded, drifting over to Jared to follow his lead.
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Post by minun4 on Dec 21, 2019 14:52:31 GMT -8
IC: Lohe Mahina - Lumiose City
Lohe watched from the shadows as members of the group broke off and headed towards his position. The children of the man he 'saved' were the ones approaching him. Nosferatu made leisurely circles over their heads as they walked. Ruthven was keeping watch as they approached. He spread his wings as they got close, and when he closed them again, Lohe and Lionel were visible to them. Lionel was on the ground, his chest noticeably rising and falling. Lohe was playing with a Poké Ball in his free hand.
"He'll live," Lohe said, more fixated on the ball than the people in front of him. "I'll need to speak with him when he wakes up, if he'll want to keep doing that. But he'll live."
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flipz
Technician
Posts: 56
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Post by flipz on Dec 23, 2019 18:53:30 GMT -8
IC: Alex Zyther
Alex nodded. “I think… a bunch of the others were talking about going somewhere to sort out the whole mess. I think they mentioned Dendemille?” They glanced at Lucia for confirmation. “Anyway, if we’re heading there, we can tell Dad to call you when he wakes up.” They frowned. “Or well, we could if the Holo Caster network wasn’t down. I don’t suppose you’d have access to a landline?”
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Post by minun4 on Dec 23, 2019 20:43:43 GMT -8
IC: Lohe Mahina - Lumiose City
"...Not anywhere I am likely to be," Lohe said. Landlines weren't in style like they were twenty years ago, that's for sure. He knew there was one back home, but he wasn't exactly keen on that happening until some heads cooled. And he was really not keen on it being overheard.
"It'd be better if I could follow your group and talk to him in person when he wakes up."
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flipz
Technician
Posts: 56
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Post by flipz on Dec 26, 2019 17:12:07 GMT -8
IC: Alex Zyther
“All… right…” Alex struggled to think if there was anyone who’d object to Lohe’s presence, but there were simply too many people to consider. “I… guess we’ll— sorry, guess we can see you in Dendemille then.”
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Post by minun4 on Dec 26, 2019 18:13:10 GMT -8
IC: Lohe Mahina - Lumiose City
Lohe nodded.
"In that case, I am going to get where prying eyes can't find me," he said while Ruthven raised his wings once again. When the Noivern took off, Lohe was nowhere to be seen.
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Post by Parugi on Dec 28, 2019 22:49:40 GMT -8
IC - Archivist Booker Samir/Executive Danielle Ladon - Sandbar Room, The Alamo:
"It may interest you to know that, as of intelligence gathered within the last twenty-four hours, Professor Ebner appears to have dropped off of the map," the Executive Archivist said. He flipped to another page. "That aside . . . Is it true that you were the last person to see Liberty Leader Bluefalcon alive?"
IC - All - Lumiose > Dendemille:
There wasn't much fanfare necessary for the journey from Lumiose to Dendemille. With their powers combined into one, Ally and Chloe had no problem transporting the sizable group of trainers, each accounting for about half of the total numbers of individuals. Charged air whipped around them, and in a blink, the group had reappeared on a damaged street in Dendemille. A flipped, scorched truck surrounded by police tape occupied a section of the road nearby, shards of glass from the shattered windshield glowing in a wide berth around it in the morning light. This was not the only sign of the battle that had occurred here--elsewhere lay spots of dry blood and bullet casings--but it was certainly the most obvious.
They did not spend much time here. The members of Silver Team led everyone through the streets of the town toward the police station. Though they occasionally paused to double-check their maps or else to confer with one another, they appeared to know where they were headed. Soon enough, they had arrived at the station, which--unlike many of the businesses and houses around--already appeared alight with activity. General Emmerich Coleman stood on the steps outside, scanning the streets. Upon spotting them, he straightened, raising a hand in a terse greeting. The group pooled in front of him, giving him an opportunity to survey them all before turning to Silver Team.
"Glad you all made it back," he said. "Sonja sent me ahead to confer with Chief Borde--she's agreed to assist with lodging for anyone who needs it, with the promise of cover from any interference from Flare. In exchange, there's work to be done around town, so she has invited whatever assistance we can provide in helping with repairs around Dendemille."
"We'd actually thought of something similar--it'd be helpful busywork for everyone while we recover from last night," Kyle said. "I take it you saw that message from the President?"
"I have," Emmerich nodded, an uncharacteristic growl in his voice. "I've already informed Chapel. Shadow Admin Sleight has promised to look into it--accusations of subterfuge like this one are not to be taken lightly." He looked at the larger group again. "At any rate, despite its current condition Dendemille is probably the safest place in Kalos right now with regard to Flare. The police were already on high alert, so they managed to subdue Flare's forces before they could accomplish anything of note here. And as for President Chalmers's message . . . Suffice it to say that Chief Borde was reasonable enough to consider the help we've already given Dendemille."
"Thanks for getting that all sorted out for us," Kyle said. He looked at Chloe and Ray and then turned to address the group himself. "If anyone needs to head back to Four Island or anywhere else immediately, check with Ray and Chloe--they may be able to get you where you need to go. Otherwise, I'd suggest doing what you can to recover--the hospital here is a little busy because of an unrelated incident a couple of days ago, but they should still be able to tend to any injuries, as can Dendemille's Pokémon Centers." He looked back at Emmerich. "And the lodging is available . . .?"
"Just check in at the front desk here--they'll give you a key and direct you," Emmerich said. "They aren't penthouses, but they should be comfortable enough. For anyone who is interested, they have a list of projects you can assist with as well--those are mainly repairing store fronts and cleaning up wreckage from the streets. If you aren't interested or cannot assist, that's fine--I'd suggest using the time to sort out whatever business you need to amongst yourselves. Do note that we only have this housing for the next two days--after that, we're expected to head home."
With those directions provided, the amassed group headed out--some breaking off for private conversation, some taking advantage of the healing facilities nearby, some picking up keys and heading to their assigned space for sleep, some socializing with individuals new or familiar, and all seeking to take their minds off of the events of the last 14 hours.
GM IC - Shift/? - Black Horse Manor, Laverre:
The manor was aflame.
As the truck raced through the broken, run-down gates, the black smoke was the first thing that Shift noticed. Blood smeared from his hand against the window as he pressed against the glass, staring in rage and horror at the sight of Black Horse Manor. The truck had not even come to a full stop in front of the building before he pushed the door open and jumped out, stumbling against the gravel and looking toward the carnage.
A gaping hole had been torn through the roof of the manor, cutting straight through and into the depths. Where the . . . whatever it was had impacted, flames had erupted around the edges, flames that had by now spread across much of the rooftop and the highest floors. From this, a column of black rose, swirling ominously into the gray sky above. More than this, however, the place had been torn apart in other areas--places where entire sections of walls had been blown apart, scattering the sprawling lawns with charred debris and various pieces of what had previously been people. Black Horse Manor looked as if it would collapse upon itself at any moment.
. . . And yet . . .
There was something . . . off, a weight and tension in the air around the manor that could not be attributed simply to the current state of the place. A look at his followers confirmed that it was not just Shift that felt it--Salha, Viktor, Gladys, Vinay, Cat, Milana, Sandi, everyone could feel it. Everyone stared, uneasy, at the structure. No one dared take a step closer.
Everyone turned to look at Shift, waiting.
The Signs Leader felt sweat dripping down his face. Nevertheless, he adjusted the lapel of his jacket with his uninjured hand, keeping the other close to his chest. He gave a sharp nod to Salha, indicating the oddly-undisturbed door. "Come on."
"S-Sir," Salha said. "I don't mean to make a scene, but--"
Shift stepped closer to her. She barely managed to hold his gaze, her eyes wide with the effort and clearly sparkling with terror. "But what, Salha?" he said, his voice unnervingly pleasant.
"N-Nothing, sir," Salha replied.
"That's what I thought." Shift craned his neck, looking around at everyone else. "You all scared of a fucking meteorite?" There was some uncomfortable shuffling. He raised his voice. "Let's get moving, children."
With that sudden snap, the group begrudgingly moved forward, fearfully glancing about as they approached. To his credit, Shift stayed near the front of the group. He looked between Viktor and Cat, both of whom had taken position at the doors and merely awaited his order to open them. He gave an impatient wave of his hand. They gripped the door handles and pushed, spilling light into the darkened lobby.
As the Signs' eyes adjusted to the dark, they became aware of several shapes standing in the lobby. At a glance, they appeared to be people, roughly ten of them. They were dotted around the space, none interacting with each other or their environment. They were all slouched, as if exhausted. None seemed to react to the doors opening behind them.
Shift stepped inside, flanked by Salha and Milana. He raised his voice, addressing the people before him. "Excuse me? Do I pay you assholes to stand around?" he called. "In case you hadn't noticed, we have a bit of a situation on our hands."
That seemed to get their attention. Ten heads turned in Shift's direction. As they did, his expression shifted from one of annoyance to confusion, and then horror and disgust. The "people" in front of him were not people--not anymore. Though he recognized the faces as his men, they had been transformed and contorted--their eyes had glazed over, and their skin had turned sallow and thin. Each was covered in blood, splashed across their mouths and hands and clothes. And now, as the full picture came into focus, Shift could see the largely-devoured bodies that littered the floor around the room.
None of these things disturbed him more than what approached from the back of the room. As he watched, a tall figure walked forward from the darkness, its movements stiff and unnatural. As it came into view, it seemed to shift--he never did see what the thing's real form was. It came into the light, taking its place amongst the undead Agents of the Signs, now walking and gesturing and emoting with a smoothness and ease that he was far too familiar with.
It was himself--Quentin Dallas. Shift. A copy of himself in perfect condition, standing silent, still, in the middle of the room, bathed in the light, with a dangerous smirk etched into one side of his face.
The second Shift raised a hand and the undead Signs moved forward, shambling first before breaking into a sudden run.
Salha screamed.
Shift instinctively took a step back, his eyes wide, before shaking himself out of it and raising his own hand. "KILL THOSE THINGS!"
About half of the group managed to shake off their surprise, raising their weapons and firing. One, two, four of the creatures fell; the remainder continued forward, some stumbling on injured legs. All the while, that second Shift continued to stare, that same, unsettling look on his face.
And then, it was as if the world around them . . . pulsed.
Shift felt a sudden, intense urge to vomit as the sensation swept over him. His entire team stumbled. The remaining creatures made impact with the group, two of them each swooping down on Salha, Viktor, and Milana and bringing them to the floor to begin tearing into them. Within the group of remaining Signs, sudden chaos erupted--in an instant, as the sick sensation faded, Vinay, Sandi, and others had transformed, their eyes glazing over and their own faces turning a dead, grayish color. They grabbed at random, catching their former brethren unprepared and pulling them in to claw and bite. One or two Signs at the back of the group managed to break away, running for their lives to get back to the trucks outside; as one managed to start the truck and began to drive off, his vehicle suddenly erupted in flames as a large, mechanical creature--some sort of centaur with the lower body of a tank--emerged from where another truck had previously been parked, its arm cannon making short work of the escape vehicle.
Shift gagged, stumbling back from the rapidly-thinning crowd in the doorway. He fell backward, feeling behind him as he continued to scoot away from the scene toward a far corner of the room.
"No . . . No, no, no . . ." He couldn't find any other words to express himself. This . . . This was an endgame scenario. One of the worst possible situations he could imagine. What could he do? He was surrounded by monsters--real monsters, the likes of which even he couldn't fathom. Even if he survived here, he had lost Black Horse Manor to these . . . things. Clue, Riddle, even Puzzle--they'd never allow him to live after this.
He looked toward the second Shift. It tilted its head at him.
It started toward him.
Shift stumbled to his feet, never taking his eyes off of the creature. The screams had died down from the doorway; whatever Signs he had brought with him had been extinguished, ripped apart mere yards from their leader. The group turned, beginning to shamble toward him now. And all the while, that copy grinned.
He stepped backward, toward the stairwell.
Something cracked underfoot, causing him to stumble. He just barely regained his footing and turned to look back. The stairs were gone, replaced by a massive hole that fell far down, into pure blackness. He turned back toward the creatures.
They were closing in.
He was trapped.
The second Shift stepped forward.
The stairs creaked.
It raised a hand toward him.
Shift stepped back, as far as he could go.
His foot slipped and he gasped.
He saw the lobby falling from view as he himself fell into black. As the darkness consumed him, the last thing he saw was the creature's hand close in on the spot where his throat had been, surprise flashing on its face before it peered after him.
It never stopped grinning.
Shift screamed the entire way down.
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Post by Konuju on Dec 30, 2019 9:06:04 GMT -8
IC: Ryan Sanders - Streets, Dendemille Town It had been several hours since the group had arrived in Dendemille. After following Alex Lockwood of all people to the hospital and getting some much-needed rest, Ryan met up with Sonja and the other members of Vorhut for a more thorough debriefing.
With the most pressing matters taken care of, there wasn't much left to do but wait for Vertrag to locate the Pale Horse Manor. Still, the forty-eight hour clock ticked loudly in his head and Ryan quickly realized he had to find something to distract himself or he'd go crazy. He considered paying Alex Lockwood another visit, but his friend had been in pretty bad shape. At Emmerich's suggestion, he headed out to the streets of Dendemille to offer help in cleaning up the mess Shift had made.
That was when he saw the pale girl again. She had a broom in her hands and was sweeping out what remained of a bakery while her Sableye and other Pokémon helped to clear away the rubble. Ryan watched her work for a moment before knocking on the battered door. "Alma, right? Looks like your friends left you with all the hard work. Need any help?"
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Post by unknownmercury on Dec 30, 2019 12:47:14 GMT -8
IC: Alma Mason - Dendemille Town
Alma looked up as the man from the plaza approached her. She smiled a bit as he offered to help her with the cleanup she was doing. "I would appreciate the company." Garnet grumbled something and Alma looked back at her with a smile. "Not that my Pokémon aren't excellent companions." She turned back to Ryan, smiling softly.
"If it's not too much trouble, could you move those bags?" She gestured with the broom to two very full garbage bags. "I put all the brick and stone and wood I could find in them. It hadn't occurred to me that they would weigh so much."
She could have looked into ways of moving them with magic, but she didn't want to be one of those Practitioners who relied on magic for everything. They tended to wind up dead when magic failed them in some way. "My team is not quite suited to the task, either, sadly."
IC: Jared Winters - Dendemille Town
He had borrowed someone's device and called Lachina. To his surprise and growing concern, the call didn't go through. The number you are trying to call has been disconnected, or is no longer in service...
After trying a few more times, he gave the device back and went to help with cleanup. He'd briefly visited the medical center, getting the gash on his back cleaned up and bandaged, but he wasn't going to idle away in a hospital room when he could be useful elsewhere. He was one of the leaders of his team, he had to show that everything was okay and would be okay.
Silently, he and Anubis (with Raiden and Wukong following and doing what they could) began moving heavier debris out of the roads. Large timbers that had collapsed into the street were easy enough for Jared to cut into manageable pieces with an Aura Blade. He hadn't heard exactly what had happened here in town, but it looked almost like a bomb had gone off. He worked in silence, but inside he was having a heated argument with Mercury.
IC: Emily Lockwood
Emily slept a lot at first. The heal pulse had patched up her shoulder, but it had come too late to completely fix the damage. That would be the job of her body's natural healing, and that took energy.
She had very little energy right now. Between the pain from the bullet wound and the migraines that came to her whenever she thought about Flare -- intense, nauseating pain that made her head swim -- she could hardly sit up sometimes, and eating just resulted in her vomiting not long after. So, she slept, and drank water and weak soup broth, and felt useless while her friends and allies worked to clean up Dendemille.
There were two bright spots however. Even if Emily had trouble focusing or communicating, she still felt happier and more relaxed when Colleen and Zoe came to visit.
IC: Belle LaDonna - Dendemille
Belle watched from the sidelines as her team did all the hard work. No one could really blame her. She might be tall and muscular, but a human could never match up physically to a Dragonite and a Metagross. Buckthorn, Arsenic, and Fancy were a little less useful, but they were enjoying the new 'game' of one of them holding a dustbin while the other two tried to knock debris into it with brooms that were overly large for the creatures.
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Post by Konuju on Dec 30, 2019 13:26:52 GMT -8
IC: Ryan Sanders - Ruined Bakery, Dendemille Town "It's not a problem." Ryan smiled as he moved over to the garbage bags. "My team might be better suited to the task, anyway." Thumbing through his Pokéballs, he selected his Garchomp. The landshark materialized and easily hoisted one of the bags over his shoulder. Ryan tried to pick up the other bag himself, but Alma had indeed filled it to the brim. Quil popped out to offer his help.
For a split second Ryan felt like he was back in Fortree, helping Ellen clean up the city after the Ancient Darkrai had decimated it. He shook his head. Alma was not Ellen, and it wasn't right to pretend she was. Nevertheless, he found himself surprised that such a young girl was working so dutifully. Someone like Zoe would find any excuse to slack off.
"So, how'd you get caught up in all this Flare business, anyway?" Ryan asked as he assisted his Pokémon. "You weren't part of the original group sent to investigate Flare activity."
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Post by unknownmercury on Dec 30, 2019 19:02:21 GMT -8
IC: Alma Mason
Alma considered for a moment how much she wanted to tell Ryan. On the one hand, he wasn't someone she knew at all. On the other hand, he seemed nice enough; he had let her speak with Missy even though he hadn't known her. Others seemed to trust him.
She set her broom aside. "My friend Belle and I came to Kalos for an unrelated matter. We met with Amelia and Alex Zyther, and spent some time... sightseeing, I suppose, you could say." She smiled wryly. "We happened to find the entrance to Flare's old lab in Geosenge. Amelia and Alex..." She chewed her lip. Ryan didn't need to know about the clones. "They knew the labs, even though neither of them had memories of their childhood. While there, we ran into Alex's sister and her group."
She shrugged. "We joined them because Flare is--" She paused. Evil? she wondered. Who am I to judge what is or isn't evil? The thought rocked her, and she shook her head to clear it. "We couldn't just let them do whatever they wanted."
Shadow emerged from a nearby shadow and put a hand on her shoulder lightly. She smiled a bit at the giant Gengar briefly before her red eyes shifted back to Ryan. "Shadow says that the bakery is clean. We just need to take the garbage out to the dumpster and we can move on."
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Post by JiMing on Dec 30, 2019 21:30:38 GMT -8
IC: Yu Changgong - Lazy Pidgey Cafe, Blackthorn City
Yu nodded knowingly. "Not much opportunity for a commander to fight on the front lines, is there? Keeping your skills honed should the need to fight is still a smart move, especially in this current climate."
The swordsman paused for a moment to drink his tea. "So then, Flint. What brings you to Blackthorn City? I don't stay here often, but it is still my hometown so if there's something of concern, I'd lend my aid in an instant."
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Post by Konuju on Dec 31, 2019 11:21:08 GMT -8
IC: Ryan Sanders - Ruined Bakery, Dendemille Town Ryan couldn't help but smile at Alma's explanation. "Your conviction reminds me of a good friend of mine," he said. "She wouldn't have stood by either while people like Flare ran amok. She's about your age, too." He fell silent as he directed Quil and Garchomp toward the dumpster. Alma couldn't have been much older than Ellen, yet she had an air of maturity about her.
"Do you ever miss your family?" Ryan shook his head the moment he'd asked the question. "Sorry, I don't mean to pry. You just seem awfully young to be caught up in all this. My friend was very much the same, you know. And although she tried to hide it, deep down I think a part of her always missed her home . . ."
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Post by unknownmercury on Dec 31, 2019 13:19:52 GMT -8
IC: Alma Mason
Alma didn't have to consider the question, but she pretended to while Ryan tried to explain his thought process. She nodded once. "Your friend probably loves her family a lot. Most people seem to. I have been doing things like... not like this exactly, but I've been traveling on and off for almost two years. I don't miss my family, because they are dead. Mother died when I was born, and father died just before I started traveling the world. He was a horrible man, and I felt no real connection to him."
As they stepped out of the building, she squinted in the sunlight. "More importantly than family, though, are the people I've met on my travels. Belle, Alex, Amelia... I don't know what I'll do when it's time for me to leave them." She sighed, trying to see their next destination through the sun's glare. "What about you? Do you miss your family and your home?"
IC: Flint Conley
Flint smiled at his old classmate. "Nothing like that, don't worry. I just check in on the hatchery every month to check their numbers and see if any equipment needs replaced." His head throbbed as he remembered the humidity control and heating lamp. "It was rough this month. A whole clutch of eggs was lost to faulty equipment." He waved a hand. "But, you probably don't want to hear about the boring stuff like that."
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Post by Konuju on Dec 31, 2019 14:03:47 GMT -8
IC: Ryan Sanders - Streets, Dendemille Town Alma's response took Ryan by surprise. But before he could inquire further she had flipped the tables on him to ask about his own family. He sighed. "I don't know how familiar you are with the Rocket-Liberty War overseas. My parents were wrongly accused of helping Team Liberty, and were placed under arrest last year. I have a friend who was trying to get them released . . . turns out someone else already broke them out. Now they're who-knows-where, possibly on the run, possibly hunting a Shadow Pokémon. I guess with everything I've dealt with, I haven't had much of a chance to miss them. But when I stop to think about it . . . yeah, I do. Life was a lot simpler back then. Even if my friend does find them, I don't even know when I'll be able to see them again."
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