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Post by unknownmercury on Dec 31, 2019 14:22:30 GMT -8
IC: Alma Mason
Alma went tense before she could stop herself. Shadow's grin turned into a frown as he drifted closer to his trainer. After a quiet few seconds in which she tried to determine if she had misheard, Alma asked. "A... Shadow Pokémon? What is that?" It was best to play dumb. Shadow Pokémon were rare, nobody was supposed to know what they were. Alma was fairly certain Mister Winters had one, given how vicious that Absol of his had seemed. She hadn't told Kure about that. She wanted to be certain.
But here, Ryan had just said it out loud. If Alma was right and Kure was listening in through her PokéNav, Ryan had just signed a death warrant for himself.
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Post by Konuju on Dec 31, 2019 16:38:11 GMT -8
IC: Ryan Sanders - Streets, Dendemille Town Ryan glanced at Alma. "Shadow Pokémon? I don't know the details but they're experiments, Pokémon that have closed the door to their hearts or something like that. Long story short, my friend thinks if he manages to track down this one particular Shadow Pokémon he'll find a lead to my parents. It's a bit of a stretch, but at this point it's all we've got."
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flipz
Technician
Posts: 56
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Post by flipz on Dec 31, 2019 18:21:42 GMT -8
IC: Alex Zyther
Alex paced back and forth in front of the closed door. They sighed. Their long-awaited rest had come quickly, but their worry had robbed it of some of its soothing properties. Lionel had, to their knowledge, not yet awakened, and there had been no sign of the strange man who had healed him.
They glanced down the hall to the door of Lucia’s room. Their sister had grown quiet amidst the hubbub, and they still weren’t quite sure if she wanted them to fill that silence. Their other sister, Amelia, had vanished entirely, claiming “other business” before she left. Belle and Alma had both already moved on to the cleanup efforts, and Alex still didn’t know the other members of the group all that well. They were, unhappily, alone.
A gentle headbutt at ankle height prompted the Trainer to amend that assessment. They glanced down with a gentle smile at Sylvia, the heart-tailed Eevee waving said tail happily as she smiled back in return. The Dedenne atop her head scrambled off before hastily climbing Alex to perch on their shoulder with a reassuring squeak of her own.
“Thanks, Sylvia, Didi.” The two least-exhausted members of their team had refused to leave Alex’s side even after their arrival in Dendemille. Bliss was in Lionel’s room, watching over Alex’s father at Alex’s request, while Raleigh, Coralie, and the yet-unnamed Pichu still rested comfortably inside their Pokéballs. “I’m glad I have some familiar faces with me.”
Truth be told, Alex was extremely off-balance from everything that had happened over the past several days. Their adventures in mirror-space had been a chain of one whirlwind disaster to the next, followed by a night of earth-shattering revelations and an even worse catastrophe the night after. The relative calm of Dendemille had finally given them room to breathe, and it seemed like it was all crashing down at once.
“I don’t… know what to do,” they admitted aloud, sliding down the wall to sit and pet Sylvia. “I remember what that Flare universe was like…” And the “Alex” of that world, they mentally added, “but this… this is real. And yet I still feel so powerless to actually do something about it.”
Didi nodded sagely and immediately broke out into a string of unintelligible squeaks and squeals. Sylvia merely leaped into Alex’s lap to administer cuddles, deciding comfort was the more valuable remedy. Alex smiled in gentle amusement; with a noise of indignation Didi leaped from the Trainer’s shoulder and scampered out the opened door at the end of the hall.
“I wonder what that was about.” Alex shook their head, unconcerned, and focused on the soothing comfort of having the rest of their team back. Old friends and new, blood ties and bonds of choice. We’re together now, and soon the rest of my family will be as well, and maybe then I can finally… Alex paused, recalling their lifelong ambition. Team Rocket. Just like Lucia… and just like… They frowned. They didn’t know what to think of Jamie Arthur. She’d seemed nice enough, before, but then… She shot Dad, Alex reminded themself. She shot Dad to save Kalos, and it didn’t even WORK. From the very beginning, something about her had made them nervous… and yet, it was the same feeling they’d gotten from Amelia at first, and the arrogant man who’d been murdered in front of them. Which is weird as well, they thought, forcibly shoving aside the memory of what had happened. Amelia, that dude, and I are all clones of that Alain person… Professor Alderson’s son. Why would I get that feeling from Arthur? She looks nothing like Amy. But that, in turn, brought up its own distraction: Professor Alderson… the late Professor Alderson. Nobody from the League group had been particularly talkative in the short time it had taken to get everything arranged, but Alex had seen the look on the doctors’ faces when the man with the Gallade had brought the Professor to them. Something had made Alex wary of her, but they had planned to try and work things out, only now that chance was gone because of—
“Aaaaaargh,” they groaned, dropping their head into their hands. There was just so much to deal with, and they couldn’t work through any of it with it all swirling around in circles. Sylvia let out a noise of sympathetic distress and headbutted the Trainer’s chest to try and distract them, but it wasn’t enough to pull Alex out of their head. A ringing sound mixed with a squeak of exertion, however, finally drew the Trainer’s attention.
Didi had found another treasure, likely abandoned amidst the rubble on the street outside. (More people who had suffered without Alex being able to help, they noted.) Alex held out a hand to receive the small silver bell the Dedenne had picked up, the metal orb’s ringing softly soothing to both human and Pokémon alike. Sylvia poked her head up to investigate the bell, prompting once again the smile she had sought from her Trainer.
Alex took a look at Sylvia. Once upon a time, they had decorated her with all number of ribbons and accessories, dressing her up the way they hadn’t had the courage to do for themself. They’d moved past that, now — today’s outfit included a headband with white lace and tiny azure ribbons all along it, and they would not be accepting criticism at this time — but somehow they still missed playing dress-up with their Eevee. She’d lost many of the decorations they’d left her with, likely lost in battle and wandering in between their departure and reunion, but she definitely seemed to be missing something without them.
“Hey, girl,” she said, Sylvia looking up at her with wide eyes at the address, “do you think… would you like me to dress you up again?” A wagging tail and an excited bounce answered them in the affirmative. Alex’s smile grew slightly. “Well then. Let’s get started.”
The better part of an hour later, the trio’s work was done. Sylvia was once more resplendent in ribbons and barrettes, a flower crown completing her breezy natural look, while even Didi found a miniature daisy tucked behind one tiny ear and a little pink ribbon on her tail. Sufficiently soothed, Alex looked out the door through which Didi had previously wandered. “Come on, you two,” they declared. “There’s people out there we can help.” With the two Pokémon at their side, Alex somehow felt they really could accomplish anything.
IC: Isabella Fontaine/Octavyn Nowarei
Isa sighed softly as she approached Octy’s room. The blonde technician held a couple of bento boxes she’d grabbed from the cafeteria. She hadn’t seen her friend in a few days, and given what had just happened in Kalos, she was worried for her.
With a small sigh, she knocked on the door, then reached down to open it. “Octavyn?”
A hunched lump at the desk, buried beneath both blanket and hoodie, answered. “I do not wish to see you, nor anyone else.”
A prim Frogadier emerged from the kitchenette, carrying a bowl of what looked to be soup with an expression of fierce concentration. Upon noticing Isa’s presence, she waved enthusiastically, the quick intervention of the Loudred behind her the only thing preventing the dish from falling entirely. The embarrassed Frogadier gave a quick bow of apology to the Loudred, then to Isa, before reclaiming the meal and swiftly delivering it to the desk, spiriting herself away afterwards to give her Trainer and her guest some privacy.
Isabella rolled her eyes and flicked on the light. “Enough. Get up, I have a ton of news and gossip, and I haven’t had anyone to spill it to. Get up, get showered, get dressed, we’re going for coffee.”
Octavyn’s shoulders tensed, and she shook her head. “No. I have no desire for companionship.”
“It’s been days, Octy, and the only other people I would talk to are… unavailable.” Isa walked over, gently pulling the covers off of Octavyn. “Staying in here alone with your Pokémon is no good for you. I know you’re upset, but this isn’t going to make it better.”
“I don’t WANT—” Octy began, only to wince in pain at her own loudness and clap her hands over her ears. The Frogadier and Loudred came running at the shout, but stopped short at the sight of Octavyn, sitting in a curled ball clutching her ears with tears streaming down her face, the floodgates of her artificial calmness finally broken by her outburst. “I don’t want to talk,” she managed between sobs. “I don’t want to feel.” She finally looked up, tear-stained eyes boring into Isa. “I don’t want to spend my time with you waiting for one final betrayal.”
Isa knelt, gently putting a hand on Octavyn’s shoulder. “You know I’m never going to hurt you, Octy. You know it, we’ve been friends our whole lives.” She hugged her friend softly. “Just like I know you’ll never hurt me. We don’t have to go out, okay? But you do need to wash up and eat some lunch at the very least.”
Octy broke eye contact. “It didn’t stop Xander or Cameron.” She nonetheless capitulated to Isa’s wishes, moving to the desk with the aid of her Pokémon and taking a sip of the soup they had prepared. She grimaced at the taste, but continued eating regardless.
“Firstly, they weren’t our friends since we were babies,” Isa said, setting one of the bento boxes in front of her friend. “I got your favorite.” She sat on the bed, opening her own box. “Secondly, that’s part of what I wanted to tell you. Cameron is a horrible utter waste of oxygen, but I’m not sure it’s entirely his fault. As for Xander… Well, he’s innocent. At least, he’s innocent of being a spy for Team Flare.”
“But not of breaking our hearts.” Octy picked up her chopsticks and stabbed at a piece of sushi — impolite, but cathartic, the least destructive outlet available. She would allow herself that much, at least.
“Are you talking about what happened back home?”
Octy nodded. “We believed he could have been dead. He refuses to understand why that would hurt us.”
“I don’t think he can understand it,” Isabella replied sadly. “He can’t seem to understand that his life has value to others as well as theirs do to him.” She picked up a piece of sushi with her fingers -- impolite, but she’d never gotten the hang of chopsticks. “He was really upset that we thought he was a spy, though.”
Octy looked away guiltily. “It was not an unreasonable assumption. There is a family history.”
Isa choked on the sushi and had to spend several seconds before she stopped coughing. (A panicked Felicia had to be waved off from ‘helping’.) “Well, you’re not wrong.” She sighed. “That’s the next bit of news and-or gossip I have, if you’re interested.”
Ocvavyn jerked her head back to Isa. Lines furrowed her brow. “This cannot be good.”
“I wouldn’t say it’s bad, exactly, it just has some… weird implications. For one thing, Xander’s dad, who we thought died during the Flare stuff when we were kids, is actually alive. He’s apparently been in hiding for the past decade. He’s helping the Kalos mission team with stuff.”
“…and they trust him to do so?”
“Well, considering they’d been traveling with his daughter for the past two weeks, they sort of rolled with it.”
Octy’s eyes widened. “His daughter. Xander never told us of a sister.”
“Xander didn’t know. I don’t have the full story, but it seems his dad might have had an affair at some point.” Isa shrugged. “She didn’t tell the group she was his sister until they met… Let’s just say they met cousins he also didn’t know about. One of them looks nearly identical to him.”
There was a pause as Octavyn struggled to recall something. “The only cousin of his I was aware of died before any of us were born. It was why we had to join Professor Sycamore’s program to get our Pokémon early.”
Isa nodded softly. “Yeah. These cousins are technically that cousin’s younger siblings. And, um, I’m about ninety-eight percent sure that another one is looking after Sylph right now.”
“...What.”
“Yeah, it’s a whole mess…” Isa sighed, taking another piece of sushi from her box. “I haven’t quite gotten the chance to tell Xander yet.”
Octy considered the information. “I… am not certain what reaction I would want him to have.”
“I’m hoping he’ll be at least happy about the cousins and sister. His dad being alive is going to probably upset him.”
Octy stared down at her food and tried not to feel satisfied with the probable response.
“But… I think Emily — Xander’s sister is Emily Lockwood, do you remember her?”
“I think so — the girl from Laverre.”
Isa nodded. “Yeah, that’s right. I asked Cameron when he had joined up with Team Flare. He told me he’d been loyal to them ever since he got kidnapped in Laverre. I think all the kids involved in that incident were brainwashed into it.” She sighed. “And I couldn’t get hold of the mission team to warn them…”
Octy frowned. “I don’t understand why they would not respond to their coordinator.”
Isa took a deep breath. “The Holo Caster network is down. Flare…” She sighed. “Flare was already on the verge of returning by the time we realized that the Geosenge lab was empty. They made their move earlier, and, from what it sounds like, they cut the network and attacked a bunch of major locations. The president is dead, and the new president is blaming Team Rocket. I don’t know if he’s corrupt or just stupid.
“But, I think we might not be able to go home for a long time. They didn’t make any mention of catching Lysandre, and there weren’t a lot of mentions of Team Flare casualties, either. They… might be in a politically powerful position.”
Octavyn paled. Slowly, she pushed away her bento and got to her feet.
“Tell me what you’re thinking,” Isa said quietly.
“I have a duty to Team Liberty. I have been neglecting that duty. I can no longer afford to do so.”
The blonde technician nodded. “Okay…?”
“Team Liberty has no choice but to respond. When we do so, my place is in Operations, not here. To wallow in self-pity would be to abandon those who need me.” She frowned. “It was selfish of me. I refuse to do so any longer.” Abandoning the remains of her meal, Octavyn turned to head to the bathroom, intent on taking the shower Isa had suggested.
“Good to hear.” Isa set her own box aside and stood. “I’ll get a good outfit together for you. Do you want to stick with glasses for now?”
Octavyn shook her head. “I have cried long enough.” She walked into the bathroom and closed the door.
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Post by JiMing on Jan 1, 2020 19:18:27 GMT -8
IC: Yu Changgong - Lazy Pidgey Cafe, Blackthorn City
Yu paused and slowly lowered his cup of tea. "Missing eggs you say? Could it be..." he muttered, furrowing his eyebrows. "It may be but mere coincidence, but I may as well share my reason for arriving at this city. While I was staking out a smuggling ring's hideout, I overheard their leader discussing an upcoming egg shipment in Blackthorn City. After apprehending the criminals, I returned to my hometown to intercept it."
The swordsman closed his eyes. "Perhaps the disappearance of your eggs is unrelated to my lead, but I believe it's worth considering the possibility of foul play here. It's been a long time since I worked alongside law enforcement, but I'd be willing to participate in the investigation. That was my intended course of action from the start, after all."
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Post by Konuju on Jan 4, 2020 17:44:15 GMT -8
IC: Ryan Sanders - Streets, Dendemille Town As Ryan and Alma moved on to the next location that required their assistance, Ryan felt a nudge from one of his Pokéballs. Missy popped out to greet Alma and her team with a ghostly grin. Ryan couldn't help but chuckle at his Mismagius' enthusiasm. "Alma, you're very fond of ghost-type Pokémon, aren't you? Most of your Pokémon, at least the ones I've seen, are ghost-types. Any particular reason you like them so much?"
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Post by unknownmercury on Jan 4, 2020 20:28:18 GMT -8
IC: Alma Mason - Dendemille Town
Alma smiled as Ryan's Mismagius appeared. "Hello, Missy. It's nice to see you again." Then, Ryan asked his question, and Alma paused. He certainly didn't fool around with his questions. They were always direct, to the point, not questions that she could easily talk around. She considered deflecting for a moment, then shrugged. There was no point in trying to deny it. At the worst, he would think she was lying.
"I have an affinity for the Ghost type," she said plainly. "As long as I can remember, I've been able to speak with them, and they with me. They are drawn to me as well, as you can see."
IC: Flint Conley - Lazy Pidgey Café, Blackthorn City
"I see..." Flint frowned, considering this information. It was interesting timing, and the location was too convenient to be a coincidence. "Yes, I think it's well worth investigating. If the lab has been selling eggs to rebels, that will need dealt with." He smiled grimly. "Yes, your help would be much appreciated, Yu. Thank you."
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Post by Konuju on Jan 5, 2020 6:30:29 GMT -8
IC: Ryan Sanders - Streets, Dendemille Town "I see." Ryan watched the girl interact with his Pokémon for a minute. "This is definitely the happiest I've seen Missy in a long time. Most of the time when she meets someone new she tries to pull out their hair."
He paused as a thought crossed his mind.
"Say, Missy . . ." The ghost-type looked at him expectantly. "I know this is kind of sudden, but you haven't really had much of a chance to shine on my team as of late. What would you think of maybe traveling with Alma for a bit? If it's alright with her, of course."
Missy crooned softly as she looked between Ryan and Alma, thinking it over. Then she gave a big, ghostly smile as she drifted toward Alma.
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Post by unknownmercury on Jan 6, 2020 1:34:48 GMT -8
IC: Alma Mason - Dendemille Town
Alma's eyes widened at the offer to have Missy travel with her. She gently brought her hands up to the ghost's face. "I... Are you certain? Once we're finished here in Kalos, we might never see each other again." She considered the offer, frowning thoughtfully. If Ryan hadn't been using Missy much, and Missy was happier after meeting Alma...
"I also have a Pokémon I feel is underutilized," she finally said. "If you would like to make this a trade, instead of a gift, then I can offer you my Poochyena. He is not bad in a fight, but I have other Pokémon I rely on more, so Howler doesn't come out very often."
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Post by minun4 on Jan 6, 2020 13:32:00 GMT -8
IC: James Arthur - Alamo
James narrowed his eyes slightly looking sideways. Professor Ebner going off the grid was not something he expected. He contemplated for a moment about what could have happened.
“No comment,” he said after a period of silence, turning back towards Executive Booker.
IC: Jamie Arthur - Dendemille Town
Jamie watched Tristan doing some heavy lifting without touching what he was lifting. He had been without power for too long, and he had wanted to show off his new power to Jamie for quite some time. She needed some time to think, and it made for a good excuse to put things off for a moment. She had -planned- on immediately going to Alex and beg for his forgiveness. But now General Emmerich was here. She was obligated to report her crimes to her superior officer and turn herself in.
Pelleas tapped her shoulder. She turned around and saw the Piplup that the Heracross held. She had vague memories of the Piplup and her trainer before his death. The Piplup had a resigned look on her face, as she slumped in Pelleas’s grasp.
“You are that Piplup,” Jamie said. “Are you doing okay? What’s your name?”
Pippi perked up at being addressed, trying to salvage any sort of dignity she had left. She squawked while puffing her chest up, trying to seem important and intimidating. Hard to do that though, when a Heracross is holding you upside down.
It seems that her name is Pippi, Tristan called as he walked over to Jamie and Pelleas. She also says that she is doing about as well as she can in these circumstances. She did not say whether she meant her trainer’s death, being upside-down or both.
Jamie nodded, “Nice to meet you, Pippi. If you have nowhere else to go, you are welcome to come with me. Fair warning, we fight a lot. It’s what we do.”
Pippi raised (or was it lowered) a flipper to her beak in thought. She agreed with the assessment that she had nowhere else to go. She wanted to say goodbye to Charlie and Wiggy if she could find them. As strained as her relationship became with Adam, they were still good times too. But this was an opportunity for a fresh start. She squawked something to Tristan.
It seems that she is not too attached to her name. If she is to come with us, she has asked that we give her a new name, Tristan said.
Jamie seemed a little surprised at the request. She mouthed ‘you can do that?’ to Pelleas, who moved his arms in an approximation of a shrug in response. She didn’t have any particular reason to refuse, but it was an odd request.
“It feels weird to rename a Pokemon. But I guess I can do that. I still need to give a name to Buizel, while I am at it. I think I lost the list that James gave me.”
Not to worry, Jamie, Tristan said, manipulating objects in a circle around him, now that he could flex his mind as well as he could flex his body, Now that I have telepathic communication capabilities restored, I can easily inform you of the full list of names.
Jamie nodded. “Alright, when I get back from talking to Lucia and General Emmerich give me a good name for them, please.”
Of course.
Jamie began walking away from the group. She mulled over the idea as she began walking.
“A new name, huh?”
IC: Lohe Mahina - Dendemille Town
Lohe was starting to itch. Bliss was watching Lionel, and he really didn’t want to step out of the shadow he was in right now. He’d have to hypnotize her to not remember how he came out of the shadow. Either that or wait for a distraction.
This sucked.
IC: Claus Diamond/Richard Apollo - Veilstone City
A malfunctioning door slid open.
“Good work, Ectoplasma,” Claus said to the Rotom making the door stay open. Zack had lent Claus the Rotom to get into the main building of the former Galactic HQ building, while he himself went to search the warehouse that Galactic used to own nearby.
Getting the legal permissions to actually enter the abandoned facility was a story that isn’t really worth telling. Once they had the permission to enter, all they needed to do to enter the abandoned facility was find a door that malfunctioning just enough for the Rotom to be able to open it for them. Preferably one damaged enough to not remember that it needed a password, but could actually still slide open. Luck was on their side.
The door nearly slammed shut on Richard, the last one to enter into the base. Hades glared at the Rotom as it popped out of the door. Richard on the other hand, was too fascinated by the piece of history he just entered into to really care about the door that nearly slammed him into the wall. Ectoplasma buzzed with mischievous delight. Hades was gonna keep an eye on that thing.
“Alright, time to look for anything that can tell us… honestly anything,” Claus said.
It was all well and good to have a hint, but without knowledge of what they were specifically looking for, they didn’t have much choice but to search the place top to bottom.
Richard seemed to have no problem with that.
“I am going to go dig around for more Galactic history things. Come Hades!” Richard said, before dashing off. Hades knew that Richard was being impetuous here, but he’d be lying if he said that Richard’s enthusiasm wasn’t infectious. He waved goodbye to Claus before dashing off to catch up with Richard.
“And the party splits even more,” Claus said to Taylor as everyone else left. “I am gonna go work my way up looking for whatever it is that we’re looking for. Do you want to split up and search or stay together?”
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Post by Konuju on Jan 6, 2020 16:18:12 GMT -8
IC: Ryan Sanders - Streets, Dendemille Town The offer took Ryan by surprise. "Well, I can't guarantee Howler won't end up as underutilized as Missy. But I think he'd make a good teammate for the Litleo I just recently adopted. I find it's usually helpful to raise two Pokémon of a similar level, so they can grow together."
He pulled out Missy's Pokéball and offered it to Alma. "Shall we make it official?"
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Post by unknownmercury on Jan 6, 2020 18:29:19 GMT -8
IC: Alma Mason - Dendemille Town[/b]
The trade wasn't quite fair. A Mismagius -- something that Alma could use to great effect given her inherent affinity with ghosts -- for a Poochyena who might be underutilized. Before the bargain was struck, Alma had to think hard on whether Karma would care that she had made this deal.
Finally, she decided that it wouldn't. She had told Ryan of Howler's lack of experience, and he was making the offer anyways. With a soft smile, she took Missy's ball and replaced it in Ryan's hand with Howler. Quietly, she knelt next to the Poochyena and rubbed her hand down the gold streak on his back. "I love you," she told him quietly. "I think Ryan will be better for you than I will, though. You do understand, I hope." Howler barked once, licked her face softly, then turned and trotted over to his new trainer.
Alma stood, trying to subtly wipe her tears away. "Thank you," she said at last to Ryan. "I will try to take good care of Missy." As she and Ryan continued to the next place that needed cleaning, her PokéNav beeped. With a sick feeling in her stomach, Alma checked the message.
As soon as she'd read it, Alma deleted the message.
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Post by Parugi on Jan 7, 2020 20:43:50 GMT -8
IC - Archivist Booker Samir/Executive Danielle Ladon - Sandbar Room, The Alamo:
"Reports from those who witnessed the aftermath state that Bluefalcon's death appeared to have been caused by an explosive device--a remote-detonated bomb that also knocked out Team Liberty's storage servers. Is this consistent with your knowledge of how Bluefalcon was killed?"
IC - Sonja Baron - Command Center, Vertrag - August 14th, 11:38 PM:
7:15:02 . . .
7:15:01 . . .
7:15:00 . . .
7:14:59 . . .
7:14:58 . . .
The large, holographic countdown ticked away, one second at a time. From her seat at the central console, Sonja stared at it intently. She was leaned forward slightly, arms resting on her knees and meeting at the mug in her hands. She and the others in Vorhut had agreed to alternate shifts, keeping an eye on the clock as well as on Vertrag's scan progress. This particular shift felt as if it had lasted for an eternity. Maybe it was the excess caffeine in her system. Maybe it was the growing anxiety over how little time they had left. It was lucky that her mug was empty, because--caffeine or anxiety--she had not been able to stop her right leg from nervously bouncing. She leaned back with a sigh, glancing over at the nearest monitor. 98%. Why was this last little bit taking so long?
"Hey, Vertrag?" she called. "Any update? There's not a lot of time left."
Progress is proceeding normally, the AI responded from . . . somewhere. The Jirachi's avatar hadn't appeared; presumably it was occupying a computer or something. Patience is key.
"That's easy for you to say," Sonja responded. "You aren't the one that's going to have to get everyone up, out the door, and to . . . wherever we need to get to, in--" She glanced at the clock again. 7:10:47. "--barely seven hours."
Indeed. I do not envy your position.
"But you can't hurry it up, huh?"
No.
"Figures."
Sonja leaned the chair back, tilting it so that she was staring at the ceiling. So much had happened in the last couple of days, it was hard to believe that they were finally on the cusp of accomplishing--or, well, approaching--their goal of recruiting the Signs against Missing Zero. Even stranger was the thought that this had been the easy part--they still had a negotiation to run, and there was no telling how that would go. From what Ryan had described--and the tidbits that Sonja had managed to catch over the comm--this Clue lady would not be a pushover. Any number of things could go wrong--misunderstandings, the wrong words, the wrong attitudes. And then there was the matter of how to address the situation with Shift on top of Missing Zero, which would surely be its own can of worms. Would they be overstepping boundaries by pushing for the Signs to rein him in?
She closed her eyes. Honestly, she wasn't sure if she was more nervous about running out of time, or about having to confront Clue.
Scan complete. Posting findings now.
Sonja jolted in her seat, jumping straight to her feet and causing both her mug and the chair to clatter to the floor. Vertrag appeared in front of her, as did a map of Kalos. Four points blinked on it, each a different color. One--a black beacon--glowed just north of Laverre, which itself was located at the northernmost point of Kalos. To the west, on a peninsula just outside of Geosenge, glowed a white beacon. Southward, in the forest near Kiloude, a red beacon shown. And finally, in the mountains east of Couriway, there stood a dull, gray beacon. This was the one that Vertrag highlighted, zooming in on it.
All four Signs Manors have been identified and added into my directory, the Jirachi said. Travel from Couriway will bring you to Pale Horse Manor, the location of Clue.
"And you're absolutely positive that that's where we need to go?" Sonja asked.
100%.
The Liberty Agent clapped her hands together. "Vertrag, you're amazing," she said, slipping around the terminal and heading toward the door to the main room--sweeping up her travel bag from the floor with the movement. "Get everyone up--we need to go now."
7:00:03 . . .
7:00:02 . . .
7:00:01 . . .
7:00:00 . . .
6:59:59 . . .
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Post by Konuju on Jan 8, 2020 16:35:08 GMT -8
IC: Ryan Sanders - Bedroom, Vertrag - August 14th, 11:54 PM The location of Pale Horse Manor has been identified.
Vertrag's monotonic voice resounded in Ryan's mind, waking him from his sleep. When he opened his eyes he saw the spectral Jirachi floating at the foot of his bed. He let out a startled scream and promptly fell onto the floor. "Geez, Vertrag. Ever hear of a little privacy?"
Apologies, the Jirachi responded in an impassive manner. Sonja Baron had made it a point to emphasize the time sensitivity of this mission, and it would have been impractical to wait until you were awake. You, to use her own words, 'need to go now'.
"Fine, fine . . ." Ryan groaned as he picked himself up. The Jirachi remained floating in place, staring at him expectantly. "Just . . . give me a minute to actually wake up. Tell Sonja I'm on my way."
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Post by minun4 on Jan 10, 2020 14:20:15 GMT -8
IC: James Arthur - Alamo
“No comment.”
IC: Jamie Arthur - Dendemille Town
Jamie knocked on the door to Lucia’s room. Her fingers were digging into her palms, and she was slowly breaking into a nervous sweat.
“Lucia, may I speak with you?”
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Post by Parugi on Jan 11, 2020 15:41:20 GMT -8
IC - Archivist Booker Samir/Executive Danielle Ladon - Sandbar Room, The Alamo:
Executive Samir tapped the end of his pen against the table, closing his eyes and taking a breath. "Alright, let's switch topics," he said after a moment. "If it's all the same to you, I'll just run through my last few questions--feel free to jump in and answer as you see fit." He placed the tip of the pen on his paper, moving it to each question as he asked it--making sure to give a pause between each in case James did, indeed, wish to answer.
"Goldhawk's reports on the subject indicate that you were well aware at the time that Project WEAVER had been discontinued, and yet you assisted Dr. Meghan Vert in pushing it forward anyway. What was the purpose behind advancing a project that you knew had been discontinued by Team Liberty's top leadership? Were you aware of the reasons for which Project WEAVER had been discontinued?"
He flipped the page.
"Your contribution included assets that allowed Dr. Vert to clone numerous Pokémon, including Legendary Pokémon. Where and how did you acquire the information and technology necessary for these cloning procedures? Were either Dr. Vert or Officer David Ross aware of where and how you acquired these assets?" Executive Samir squared his eyes on James. "During the test phase of the Power Suits, your use of the Normal-Type Suit severely injured Officer Ross. Was this intentional, or an accident? Was it the result of human error or an internal error on the part of the Power Suits?"
Executive Samir quickly glanced over the last couple of questions again. "Finally, I must ask about the incident that occurred after the one with Officer Ross. It is my understanding that you and Dr. Vert were attacked by two of the 'Sin' trainers shortly thereafter--you by Greed, she by Lust. Tell me if you would, Executive Arthur: What, exactly, was it that may have driven an entity defined as Greed to choose you as its target? Likewise, do you have any insight into why something calling itself Lust would have gone after Dr. Vert? What happened to these trainers after they were defeated?"
IC - Sonja Baron/Kyle Eston/Vertrag - Command Center, Vertrag - August 15th, 12:08 AM:
It took about half an hour for everyone to file into the main room of Vertrag. Chloe, then Ray, Ryan, Emmerich, and finally Kyle entered to find Sonja anxiously staring at her watch, the spectral form of Vertrag hovering nearby. As soon as the last had entered, she hefted her bag onto her shoulders. At the motion, Vertrag projected the map that it had previously shown Sonja.
Good evening, the Jirachi said. It is currently 12:08 AM, August 15th. There is approximately 6.5 hours remaining until you are meant to meet with Clue of the Signs. I have successfully managed to isolate the location of Pale Horse Manor. It appears to be located in the Terminus Mountains near Couriway, on the far east edge of Kalos.
"Great," Kyle said as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "How're we getting there?"
"I talked about that with Vertrag while we were waiting for all of you," Sonja said. "The best option would be to teleport near--but not at--the manor. Close enough that we can walk the rest of the way, but still get there with plenty of time to spare."
"Will either of our teleporters be able to do that?" Emmerich asked. "My understanding was that you have to have been to a place to teleport there."
Normally, that is correct, Vertrag said. However, as previously discussed and done in your absence, external location data can be used to supplement the teleportation process. It will be no difficult matter for me to do the same in this instance.
"Okay," Emmerich said. "And what about the other two that were brought in--the Seatons? As well as the Flare Admin?"
"I think they'll be fine staying here for now," Sonja said. "We need someone to keep an eye on things here, anyway, and Dahlia and Olivia both have enough of an idea of what's going on. As for the Flare lady . . . She's not going anywhere soon." Rather than elaborate on that strangely ominous comment, Sonja turned to Chloe and Vertrag. "Anyway. If we're all ready to go, then we should go."
Understood.
This late at night, Terminus Mountain would normally be very dead. Save for the wind that rustled the trees and scattered the falling snow in chaotic patterns, few creatures stirred, and those that did remained off of the carefully-carved path that spiraled through rock and ice and forest. In a moment, however, the quiet night was disrupted. The six members of Vorhut materialized on this path, instantly feeling the start contrast between the comfortable warmth of Vertrag and the icy chill of midnight on a mountain peak, despite the thicker clothes that they had changed into.
As she looked around to observe their new surroundings, pulling her coat closer around her, Sonja couldn't help but realize that teleporting to a mountain at midnight probably wasn't the smartest idea. Fortunately, they had not materialized into absolute darkness--the path they had appeared on was surprisingly well-lit and clearly maintained with care. Indeed, they had not appeared that far from what she presumed was their destination. Though it was difficult to make out through the snowfall, there was a clear gate further up the path; beyond that, the silhouette of a large structure loomed over the horizon.
She stared at it for a moment, and then nudged Ryan and Chloe, pointing it out to them. "Looks like Vertrag was right," she said. "We're finally here."
"Yeah," Kyle muttered. He, too, couldn't help but stare. "Feels like we've been searching for this forever, doesn't it? Or maybe it's the fact that, depending on how this goes . . ."
"This could be our salvation against Missing Zero, or an assurance of our destruction," Emmerich finished for him. He glanced at Sonja and Kyle. "You have the book and the cane?" They nodded. "Then let's go. I think we've kept Clue waiting long enough."
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Post by Magical Girl Mimi on Jan 11, 2020 16:09:30 GMT -8
-==IC: Lucia Zyther -- Dendemille Town==-
There was a couple seconds pause as sounds of scrambling could be heard within the room. Not long after the sounds stopped, however, the door opened to the redhead in question. "Heya, what's up?" She asked with a small smile.
-==IC: Chloe Hikari -- Terminus Mountain==-
Chloe glanced around at the path up to the manor. She let out a shiver as well - it may have been still just near the end of summer, but the girl wished she had a winter coat right about now. After a couple minutes of walking, Chloe plucked Sharla's Poké Ball from the strap of her purse and sent the Typhlosion out. Instantly, the fire-type knew what to do. She walked to the middle of the group - taking care to stay away far enough that no-one caught on fire accidentally - and intensified the flames on her back to radiate heat to the rest of the group. It didn't take the chill away entirely, but Chloe was still thankful for it. Energy invigorated, Chloe redoubled her walk toward the manor, a foreboding feeling in her stomach.
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Post by Konuju on Jan 12, 2020 7:08:56 GMT -8
IC: Ryan Sanders - Approaching Pale Horse Manor, Terminus MountainsRyan positioned himself closer to Sharla as a chill unrelated to the crisp mountain air ran down his spine. Memories of his previous encounter with the Madame a mere forty-two hours ago flashed through his mind. "So . . . Clue." He looked around at the assembled group. "You probably already know this, but she's not someone to be taken lightly. She's not insane like Shift, but she's . . . calculating. If she decides we aren't worth her time, she could very easily kill us all. It doesn't matter that our Pokémon have powers back. It doesn't matter that we're trying to save the world. If she perceives us as a threat to herself or the Signs, we're dead. She has these guards, these women in animal masks that use magic. Or maybe they just have those magic cards that Shift had, but either way . . . be prepared for anything."
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Post by Parugi on Jan 12, 2020 14:03:49 GMT -8
IC - Sonja Baron/Kyle Eston/Emmerich Coleman - Path to Pale Horse Manor, Terminus Mountain:
There was not much time to acknowledge Ryan's warning, though the growing tension in the air indicated that everyone was well aware of the danger. Before long, they found themselves coming upon the archway. Now that they were closer, they could see the great detail that had been put into the structure. It was finely gilded, clearly an older variant of the standard Kalosian architecture they had seen previously. Surprisingly, despite the harsh conditions, structure did not appear to have been terribly damaged over the years--that, or it had at least been meticulously maintained.
To the left of the archway, hugging a rise in the side of the mountain, a small guardhouse stood. Firelight poured out between the slats of the shutters, interspersed with the odd shadow of someone walking about. As they neared, a dark shape blocked out some of the light--a figure peeking through the shutter slits. After a brief moment, the form disappeared. Locks rattled at the front door, and then it opened. The group came to a stop as a lone man--older, with black hair speckled with white--stepped outside. A large Beartic stepped around the side of the house at about the same time, blearily rubbing the sleep from its eyes. The man peered out at the group, looking over each of the trainers before him. There was a mixture of expressions in his eyes--suspicion, intrigue, and a hint of disbelief. Yet he did not seem wholly surprised to see the agents of Vorhut.
"What d'ya want?" he barked. His voice was gruff, gravelly--perfect for a man of his position. "You trespassin', or ya got business here?"
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Post by Magical Girl Mimi on Jan 12, 2020 15:41:09 GMT -8
-==IC: Chloe Hikari/Ray Hakuda -- Terminus Mountain==-
"We have business with Clue." Chloe replied with a serious expression on her face, trying to act as professional as she could. Inwardly, she was worried that they might mess this up before they even got to Clue, but... if they could act confident, then she didn't think there would be any problem - especially since they did have business with Clue, as Ryan had set up the other day.
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Post by Konuju on Jan 13, 2020 16:12:06 GMT -8
IC: Ryan Sanders - Pale Horse Manor, Terminus Mountain(s) Pale Horse Manor. Ryan wasn't sure what he'd expected. The "base" might as well have been an old-fashioned country home, and the grumbling old man definitely supported the illusion that they had accidentally stumbled upon a mountain recluse's home.
Pushing any doubts aside, Ryan took a step forward. "I met with Madame Clue in Lumiose," he said in as confident a voice as he could muster. "That was nearly forty-eight hours ago. She told me to come here within that time. My friends and I have a . . ." he glanced between Sonja and Kyle, searching for the right word. "Delivery the Madame requested."
He stared back at the man and the Beartic, trying not to let his fear show itself.
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Post by Parugi on Jan 13, 2020 16:19:51 GMT -8
IC - Sonja Baron/Kyle Eston/Emmerich Coleman - Path to Pale Horse Manor, Terminus Mountain:
At the mention of Clue, the guard's expression changed, clearly taken aback. He muttered something--too quiet to hear over the wind--and disappeared back into the guard house. A moment later, the gate before them began to creak open, finally coming to a stop with a loud clatter.
"Get a move on, then," he called. "The Madame ain't one you want to keep waiting."
"Much appreciated," Emmerich said.
They continued forward. The Beartic eyed them with a curious look as they passed, but made no further movement toward them; instead it turned back around, disappearing around the building again as it returned to its napping spot. Its owner, likewise, waited until they had moved beyond the gate before disappearing back into the guard house. As it disappeared into the snow behind them, Vorhut could hear the gates closing again, the clang of metal on metal echoing in the open air.
The way forward was uneventful, marked only by the sprawling grounds before them and the manor centered therein. As they walked along the marbled lane, they saw the intricate decorations set about the land--large arrangements of shrubs that appeared surprisingly healthy despite the cold environment around them; networks of waterworks that looped and carved around the grounds, the heated waters sending up a persistent, eerie stream of steam clouds that gathered all around the ground at knee height; and here and there stood a statue surrounding by their own water or plant fixtures, some depicting Pokémon, others people. The largest of these statues stood at the very front of Pale Horse Manor, looped around from the back by the entry lane. This depicted a massive, monstrous winged creature reminiscent of a Lugia, with the largest differences being the mane of fur around its neck and the thick, five-pronged tail behind it.
As they came around the statue, finally coming into view of the steps leading into Pale Horse Manor, the first thing they noticed was the group of masked women stationed on the steps. Almost in unison, the four turned their heads in their direction, leveling the gaze of a fox, hyena, wolf, and tiger upon the group. They did not move to meet them, instead allowing the members of Vorhut--led by Ryan and then Sonja--to climb the stairs toward them, watching them the entire time. The effect was unnerving.
"You 'ave arrived," the fox woman said to Ryan. It was a fairly benign statement, though it was clear that she was at least a bit surprised to see him again. Her gaze shifted, looking over the rest of the group. She seemed to pause briefly on the cane in Kyle's hand, but turned back to Ryan a moment later. "I 'ope you 'ave not forgotten vhat it vas zhat you promised?"
"You mean this?" Sonja said, lifting the flap of her bag to reveal the covered form of the Grimoire. She allowed the woman to get a good look at it before clipping the bag shut again. "We'd like to deliver it directly to Clue ourselves, if you don't mind."
The fox lady stared--maybe glared; it was difficult to tell with the mask--at Sonja for a moment. Finally, she gave a curt nod. "As vas agreed," she said. "Very vell, zhen. Come--I vill escort you." She turned, her elegant robes sweeping along the ground as she opened the doors and led them inside.
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Post by Konuju on Jan 14, 2020 17:10:29 GMT -8
IC: Ryan Sanders - Pale Horse Manor, Terminus Mountain Ryan wasn't sure whether the fox lady's apparent surprise filled him with confidence or dread. What he did know was that the silence with which the group followed the woman quickly became unbearable. Every step felt like they were walking further into the belly of the beast. A very different beast than the uncontrolled malice that was Shift, but a beast all the same.
They had only traveled a little ways before Ryan broke the unnerving silence. "So, what's with the mask?" he asked. "I get trying to conceal your identity when you're out in the field, but do you wear that thing all the time?"
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Post by Parugi on Jan 14, 2020 18:31:11 GMT -8
IC - Sonja Baron/Kyle Eston/Emmerich Coleman - Pale Horse Manor, Terminus Mountain:
"It is a mark of honor," the woman said. "Talented vorkers are difficult to come by. Zhose zhat are talented are noticed by Madame Clue. And zhose zhat excel are selected as 'er most trusted agents--zhe Quatuor de la Mort."
"That sounds like a very impressive accomplishment," Kyle said. The Signs woman did not respond, but the slight shift in her gait indicated that she was quite proud of herself. "Is there something we can call you, by the way?"
"Renarde," she said over her shoulder. "Zhat vill suffice for your purposes." Renarde looked at Ryan. "I know your name already; vhat of zhe rest?"
"Kyle Eston," Kyle said. He gestured to Sonja. "This is--"
"Sonja," she finished for him. Her eyes remained on Renarde, apprehensive of their guide. "A pleasure."
"Zhe pleasure is mine," Renarde responded. She peered over at Emmerich. "And you are . . .?"
"General Emmerich Coleman," he said. "Consider me a representative of Team Rocket."
"Oh, an esteemed guest," Renarde said. It was difficult to tell if she was amused, impressed, or a mixture. Finally, she looked at Chloe and Ray. "And vhat are your names?"
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Post by Magical Girl Mimi on Jan 14, 2020 23:19:16 GMT -8
-==IC: Chloe Hikari/Ray Hakuda - Pale Horse Manor, Terminus Mountain==-
"My name is Chloe Hikari." The girl introduced herself, but opted to keep her Hero status under wraps for the moment; even if the giant dragon that had appeared in Lumiose might allow dots to be connected to those in the know.
"Mine's Ray Hakuda." Ray offered before Chloe could introduce him too. He glanced over at the guide curiously. "Your robes are very elegant and pretty. Do they have meanings too?"
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Post by Parugi on Jan 15, 2020 13:45:49 GMT -8
IC - Sonja Baron/Kyle Eston/Emmerich Coleman/Renarde - Pale Horse Manor, Terminus Mountain:
"Zhey do, indeed," Renarde said. "Ve vear zhem as a symbol of our rank vithin zhe manor. Part of zhe uniform." She tapped a finger to her mask. All said, Renarde seemed oddly pleased to be able to share her knowledge with newcomers, as if the opportunity had hardly arisen for her. "Perhaps zhis is somezhing you may learn more about in time. For now, zhe Madame awaits you."
She had come to a stop now at a large set of doors at the end of the main hall, up a flight of stairs directly across from the entrance. As Vorhut gathered before these doors, Renarde spoke quickly and quietly to the two men standing guard in her native French. With a nod, the two moved forward, opening the doors for them. Renarde led them inside.
They emerged into what could only be described as a throne room. It was a long and tall room, with vaulted ceilings that rose far above them. The stone and wood furnishings that formed the room were largely white and shades of gray, interspersed with a deep blue trimmed by black. They walked forward, along a wide, blue carpet that spanned all the way from the entrance to the back of the room, where Clue was seated on a marble, cushioned throne atop a dais. Guards were stationed around the room--two at the entrance, eight or ten at regular intervals along the walls, and finally two who stood in front of large fire basins at the front-most corners of the dais. A tall, disheveled man stood to the left of Clue, a little further back from her seat. His face was scarred and pockmarked, marks that were only somewhat covered by his beard. His hair was dark gray and tussled, and his eyes a lighter shade of gray with hints of blue. In contrast to the careful, perfect clothing of the rest of the Signs--from Renarde to the guards to Clue herself--this man's attire would not look out of place for someone living in an alley. His clothes were various shades of brown and gray, and appeared stitched together in numerous places. An equally worn and stitched cloak, also brown, lay over his shoulders. Finally, he held a wooden staff, slightly taller than he was; this staff formed a circle at the top end, wherein strings like those of a dream-catcher criss-crossed through the opening. As the group approached, he stared intensely at them, though did not move himself.
As they arrived within about ten feet of the dais, Renarde slowed to a stop. She bowed to Clue. "Madame," she greeted. "Ryan Sanders has come seeking your audience."
"So he has," Clue said. "Thank you, Renarde."
The Signs Agent bowed again and turned. She gave a short nod to the members of Vorhut as she moved past them. From the back of the auditorium, they heard the doors open and close again, leaving them to their business. Clue adjusted herself on her seat, planting the end of her cane down in front of her with both hands resting on it. Her expression was indiscernible--somewhere between a frown and a bemused smile.
"So, we meet once more, Mr. Sanders," she said after a moment. "I must admit, I did not actually expect to see you again, and with quite a bit of time to spare, at that. As you might imagine, we do not receive many visitors up here in the mountains. Those that do decide to seek us out tend to do so out of what I can only describe as arrogance. Needless to say, they do not tend to last very long." Her gaze swept over the rest of the group. "I see you have brought friends, as well. To all of you, my name is Eve Dawson; you already know me as Clue, of the Signs. I believe some of us are more closely acquainted already than you may realize." At this, she seemed to focus on Ray, Chloe, and Kyle, though did not elaborate. She looked back at Ryan. "So. I believe we had an agreement? Where is the Grimoire?"
"I have it here, ma'am," Sonja said. Clue's eyes snapped to her as she stepped forward, carefully rotating her bag to her front and unclasping it. There was a subtle movement from the nearest guards as they watched, which did not go unnoticed. Taking a breath to steady herself, Sonja slowly opened the fold of the bag, reaching in and gently retrieving the wrapped Grimoire from within. She held it in both hands, uncertain of how to proceed. When no one moved, she began to take a step forward.
"Stop," Clue said sharply, raising a hand. Sonja immediately froze. The Signs leader motioned with that same hand to the man behind her. "Pollux?" The man stepped forward. "Confirm, please."
"Yes, ma'am."
The man called Pollux trudged forward, leaning heavily on his staff with each step. He stopped in front of Sonja, ignoring the nervous look clear on her face, and raised a gnarled hand over the covered face of the Grimoire. He uttered a quiet "Hmph," closing his eyes and placing his hand directly on it. An odd glow emanated from the object, somewhat muted by the cloth covering it. Vorhut watched closely, mesmerized by the display; the Signs watched as well, though they appeared more doubtful, almost suspicious.
At last, he opened his eyes again and turned to Clue. "Madame," he said. "It appears that the Grimoire has indeed returned to us."
As Pollux turned to move back to his position, Kyle suddenly stepped forward. "Excuse me?" Pollux turned to look at him, as did Clue. With a quick glance between them, Kyle settled his gaze on the Signs Mage and raised Bounty's cane. "We were told that you might also appreciate having this back."
Pollux raised an eyebrow, looking back at Clue. She leaned forward, resting a hand on her chin and giving him an affirmative nod. With the same hand, the mage repeated what he had done with the Grimoire, utilizing his magic to identify the cane. When he was done, he stepped back, head cocked in a clear sign of perplexion. "This is, indeed, the Symbol of War," he announced, turning back to Clue and returning to his position. "Make of this development what you will, Madame. They are both authentic."
"Very curious," the Signs Leader said. She leaned back, hand still resting on her chin as she mulled this over. Finally, she looked again at Ryan. "Well, then, Mr. Sanders, I suppose a deal is a deal. Let's talk."
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Post by Konuju on Jan 15, 2020 17:52:09 GMT -8
IC: Ryan Sanders - Pale Horse Manor, Terminus Mountain It wasn't until he tried to speak that Ryan realized he'd been holding his breath throughout Pollux's appraisals. Even though they had clearly won her favor, Ryan still got the impression that Clue could easily change her mind and dispose of them in any number of excruciating ways.
After a deep breath in an out, he tried again. "I already mentioned the Missing Zero -- the giant blob monster that appeared in the Sevii Islands." He motioned to the Grimoire. "Our only hope of stopping it lies in that book. Ford, who you knew as Lane Garnet, used the Grimoire to come up with a ritual to try and stop the Missing Zero from entering our world. That's why Pokémon around the world lost their powers. The ritual failed, but Ford still believes the Grimoire is the key to defeating the Missing Zero. He gave us the name Gethin Pollux, High Mage of the Signs." Ryan looked at the man who had inspected the Grimoire and Bounty's cane. "That's you, isn't it? Ford -- Garnet -- said you could access more pages of the book."
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Post by Parugi on Jan 16, 2020 20:32:33 GMT -8
IC - Sonja Baron/Kyle Eston/Emmerich Coleman/Clue/Gethin Pollux - Pale Horse Manor, Terminus Mountain:
"Leave it to the Sign of Famine to rob the world of its power," Clue said, shaking her head. "If you want my opinion, he bit off more than he could chew and now everyone else suffers for it. More than likely, his efforts were doomed from the start. And now, at the darkest point in the history of both the Signs and the world, all the pieces begin to crawl back to us for support. Funny, the ways in which karma works." She turned briefly to look at Gethin, who simply stared back at her, before both shifted their eyes back toward the group. "What is your assessment, Pollux?"
The High Mage of the Signs took a moment before responding. "The Grimoire is an exceptionally powerful artifact," he rasped. "And an exceptionally powerful mage is required to access its deepest secrets. Such a task ought to be simple for someone of Lane's capabilities. It is curious to me that he would fall back to the Signs for this."
"Curious, indeed," Clue said. "Unless his faith is shaken. By all accounts, this was a catastrophic failure, was it not?"
Pollux gripped his staff with both hands and bowed his head to her. "With all due respect, Madame Clue," he said. "The Grimoire does not fail. Nor does Lane. Dismayed, or mislead by the results, perhaps. But never a failure."
With a roll of her eyes and an annoyed wave of her hand, Clue looked away. "Yes, well, we also believed in his commitment to the Signs, did we not?" she muttered, before focusing on her guests again. "Pollux raises a question that he does not speak directly. Why does 'Ford' require our assistance? If he did indeed dive so deeply into the Grimoire already, there is no reason he could not do so again."
"John Ford is currently held prisoner by Team Liberty," Emmerich answered. "He has committed numerous atrocities across the Kanto regions over the past two decades, many of them allegedly in pursuit of his goal to stop Missing Zero. Noble as that is, he is considered a criminal nonetheless--by both Liberty and Rocket alike. Unfortunately, there is little trust to be had in his handling of the current situation."
Clue stared at him, and then smirked. "Yet you would trust that responsibility to those who raised and trained him?"
Emmerich stared back at her, cocking his head slightly. "I mean no disrespect, ma'am," he said, carefully. "But my understanding is that the influence of the Signs has been quite limited in recent years." Clue's eyes narrowed. For his part, the General managed to maintain his cool. "That said, this meeting is not exactly sanctioned by Teams Liberty and Rocket. The actions of the six of us--that is, the decision to trust Ford's word, to recover these artifacts, and to seek out the assistance of the Signs--were performed outside of the knowledge of our formal leaders, with the exception of Shadow Admin Bounty. It is our belief that those other leaders would not have agreed to this meeting in the first place. As such, we were presented with a difficult choice--undermine them by breaking John Ford out of custody for the purposes of stopping Missing Zero, or trusting his word that you would be the ally to seek out for that same purpose. What it boils down to is that--regardless of whatever bad blood exists between you and him--he trusts in your power and your honor." He glanced at the other members of Vorhut. "And we trust his."
For a long moment, Clue sat very still, tapping one finger against her cane. Finally, she turned back to the High Mage. "Well, Pollux?" she said. "Your abilities are in high demand these days. Dare I say, you may hold the fate of the world at your fingertips. Are you up for the task?"
"It has been quite some time," he said, unamused. "Though, admittedly, I am eager to delve back into the depths." He leveled his gaze on the group ahead. "Know, however, that it will be no small matter. This work takes time, and patience, and effort. Your monster will certainly get worse before I can even begin to consider a way of making it better. Already, I feel it has breached more barriers than you may think. If this is acceptable, then I have no reason to deny this request."
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Post by minun4 on Jan 16, 2020 22:51:39 GMT -8
IC: James Arthur - Alamo
“No comment.”
IC: Jamie Arthur - Dendemille Town
Jamie didn’t know what she was expecting. A smile probably wasn’t it. She didn’t know if Lucia was merely putting on a brave face or what. But this was a good sign, right?
“I want to talk about what happened. I… I know a simple apology won’t fix what happened. But it’s all I have.”
“I’m sorry.”
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Post by Konuju on Jan 17, 2020 6:33:17 GMT -8
IC: Ryan Sanders - Pale Horse Manor, Terminus Mountain Ryan bit his lip as he mulled over what Pollux had said. "I don't like the thought of letting that thing spread, but it sounds like we don't really have a choice. A group of Liberty and Rocket agents were able to fight against the Missing Zero on One Island. Ray here was among the ones fighting." He nodded to the orange-haired trainer, before motioning to Sharla. "Plus, some of our Pokémon have regained their powers and gained access to some sort of form change or temporary evolution. So we're at least not completely powerless against this thing."
He turned to face the rest of Vorhut.
"Ray, you know what it's like to fight that thing. I'll leave the ultimate decision up to you, but I think it's safe to say that we can at least try to contain the Missing Zero as best we can until Pollux is able to decode the Grimoire." Ryan looked at each of Vorhut in turn, doing his best to mask his own worry. "It's not just those Instances we have to worry about, either. We know Adams and Gluttony are alive, and McKinley's still out there. No doubt Pierce and the other Sins have been turned into the Missing Zero's puppets as well."
Ryan looked back at Clue and Pollux, a deep frown creasing his face.
"That's another thing you should be aware of," he said. "Anyone the Missing Zero kills gets turned into a creature that does the monster's bidding. One of Ford's subordinates showed up at Ford's base soon after we found the Grimoire. I don't know if she somehow knew we had gotten it or if she just happened to be looking for it herself. There was also a group of seven people who embodied and were named after the Seven Deadly Sins. They showed up before the Missing Zero came to this world, and Ford believes there's a connection. It may be worth looking into."
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Post by Parugi on Jan 18, 2020 12:20:48 GMT -8
IC - Archivist Booker Samir/Executive Danielle Ladon - Sandbar Room, The Alamo:
"As expected." Samir shuffled his papers together and proceeded to pack up his equipment. "I think we're done for now, Executive Arthur. Unless you have anything you'd like to bring up, Executive Ladon will escort you back to your cell."
IC - Sonja Baron/Kyle Eston/Emmerich Coleman/Clue/Gethin Pollux - Pale Horse Manor, Terminus Mountain:
"The nature of this creature is very strange, indeed--that much is obvious," Pollux said. "The point is noted. If there is a link to be found between it and these Sins, then doubtless we will find it--few things remain a secret once you know where to look." He looked to Clue. "With your permission, Madame, I will begin this work immediately."
"Not yet," Clue said. She looked squarely at the members of Vorhut again. "I entrust the matter of this Missing Zero to Pollux--if he has no further questions about that, then neither do I. But the matter of the Signs' artifacts falls upon me, and in that regard, I do have reason to wonder."
Sonja furrowed her brow, confused. "Please elaborate, ma'am," she said. "We were under the impression that even one of these two items would be of great value to you."
"Make no mistake, the return of the Grimoire and the Symbol of War are a boon of immeasurable value," Clue said. "However, Lane Garnet's Symbol was that of Famine, not of War. And while I have my grievances with him, there are certain facts that even I cannot question--for instance, the security of the Symbol of Famine in his hands. Further, the Symbol of War was stolen from the Signs long before even the Symbol of Famine. How did you come into possession of it, and why was the Symbol of Famine not returned as well?"
"As I mentioned previously, Ford is held under Liberty's custody," Emmerich answered. "It is true that his Symbol was still in his possession at the time he was apprehended. As a matter of fact, his original proposal was for us to bring it here. However, the Symbol was confiscated and we had no way of retrieving it given the urgency of this meeting, as well as the urgency required for us to secure the Grimoire. As for the Symbol of War--it was given to us by Shadow Admin Bounty. I don't know how he came into possession of it, but Ford identified it during that first encounter with Missing Zero. He gave it up as a sign of good will, in the hopes that you would assist us."
Clue drummed her fingers again. "I see," she said. "In that case, I have a request to make of you all. It is clear to me that, somehow, Teams Liberty and Rocket have found themselves closer to the missing Signs artifacts than the Signs themselves. You already know where the Symbol of Famine is, and I suspect that your organizations have more means of locating the Symbol of Pestilence than we currently do. I will not demand that these be brought to us immediately--I know as well as any that these things can take time; Arceus knows how long and patiently I have waited for the Grimoire and War to come back. However, I want your absolute guarantee that our final two Symbols will be returned as soon as your Missing Zero is dealt with--or sooner."
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