Pokémon: Rise Of The Rockets

[MELON LORD]

IC: Lachina Adaon

 

 

Lachina raised an eyebrow as their group leader took off across the room. She shrugged softly and took the food that Colleen had ordered. "Let's go find a place to sit, Zoe. Hey, say, is your Fennekin your only Pokémon?"

 

IC: Emily Lockwood

 

Seeing the girl's expression -- surprise, a bit of nervousness, maybe some excitement -- Emma let her own mouth turn into a slight smile. She knew what this was. "Hello, there, what can we do for you?"

 

IC: Jared Winters

 

Jared resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the man. He would have said something, but luckily Dahlia stepped in -- along with somebody she seemed to recognize. Jared looked over the newcomers and was struck with realization. Dahlia's aura was phantasmal, grey and gold intertwined; Evan's aura had been pearlescent, pink and white despite how dim it had been. Here was the third of the trio, a girl whose yellow aura had diamond-like blue sparks.

 

So, this is the 'Hero of Time.' She seems almost more underwhelming than Dahlia.

 

Jared sighed. Can you never say anything positive?

 

I'm positive that Mr. Space is the most dangerous of these three, how's that?

 

Extremely helpful. Just shut up and stop analyzing threats for, like, ten minutes.

 

Fine. From now on, I'll only analyze threats that you ask me to, unless our life depends on it.

 

IC: Yamamoto Aori

 

Aori instinctively squeezed Shannon's hand as she saw the shouting mob outside of the building. The young girl's breath became shaky, and she hugged Yuri tighter to her chest.  "Th-there is so many of them. . ."

Edited July 1, 2018 by MELON LORD

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: James Arthur - Heahea City

 

James walked through the streets of Heahea City with Lancelot following him. He attempted to take in the sights of the city around him. But the beauty of Alola was lost on him in his state. One of his hands was fiddling with Celebi’s Ultra Ball. He wasn’t thinking of using the poor legend as a bargaining chip, but he was thinking of she might make Team Liberty seem more… attractive.

 

He stopped in front of the building which contained his destination and looked a sign slightly to his right.

 

Dimensional Research Lab… Professor Burnet…

 

It was next door to the building he needed to enter. It would be worth looking into later. One potential alliance at a time.

 

James and Lancelot entered the building and started climbing the stairs at a slow pace. He still had a bit of time before his meeting started. He tried to force himself to read the signs of offices he passed. One read, “GAME…” something or other. He walked by but couldn’t bring himself to read it.

 

At the door to his destination, James shook his head. He needed to snap out of this.

 

“Lancelot,” James said, catching the Scizor’s attention. James’s back was still turned. 

 

“Right now, you are the most powerful Pokemon in the world. And we are going to sell that. To protect Team Liberty and the world, we need that reputation. Are you ready?”

 

Lancelot rested a claw on James’s shoulder. He could see straight through the dramatic words to the worry beneath.

 

James took a deep breath and opened the door, “Let us get going then.”

 

The room that awaited them was almost painfully white. The decor from the paintings down to the house plants seemed tailor picked to shout “Trust us. We’re very friendly.” 

 

James took a look around the lobby. They agreed to meet there. He would recognize such a figure if he saw him, James reasoned.

 

“So you’ve finally arrived.”

 

The source of the voice came from a bespectacled man dressed in a grey coat, consoles on both sleeves of it, while the man himself had blond hair, save for several blue locks styled to go behind and to the right of the man’s head.

 

“I am Colress.” The scholarly-looking man greeted James. “I recognized you from the video stream from One Island, Mr…….?”

 

“Arthur. Executive James Arthur,” James said, offering a hand and a smile as if he wasn’t completely terrified a minute ago. “I messaged you about meeting here today. I have a proposal for you.”

 

Lancelot shifted slightly behind James. Another scientist type. Considering his main source of knowledge of how they acted was Vert, Lancelot was none too trusting of this strange looking man.

 

Colress shook James’s hand, and looked at the Executive with interest. “Oh, and what might this proposal be?” The Scientist asked James, his tone laced with curiosity. “With Pokemon stripped of their abilities, I have been a very busy man trying to figure this mystery out…”

 

James nodded and smiled as he let go of the other man’s hand. So far so good. “I am offering a position in Team Liberty’s Research and Development department. More specifically, I am offering leadership of the department.”

 

Lancelot resisted the urge to stare at James.

 

“Our biggest project lies squarely in your area of expertise.”

 

“That being bringing out the power of Pokemon?” Colress remarked, smiling at James. “While it’s true that my studies bore fruit, at the current moment, the power is lost, minus the Pokemon who transformed at One Island.” Colress adjusted his glasses, giving them an ominous shine.

 

“One of which is present with us……”

 

Lancelot sighed. He already knew that he was here as a selling point as much as he was as James’s companion. 

 

“It was a rather unique phenomena. Would you want to meet the others? I can make those arrangements,” James said.

 

Colress shook his head. “Your Scizor will do for now, Executive Arthur.” The scientist said kindly. “But tell me, do you have any idea what triggered the change in your pokemon?”

 

James made a concerted effort to appear thoughtful. Stroking his chin and closing his eyes. “Some ideas come to mind, but the shock of not being dead kept me from fully registering his transformation until the shock had worn off. Lancelot protected me from an explosion during the moment, that is all I could register at the time."

 

James thought more of the moments after he had rejoined the battle. “I saw one of the others transform, however. The trainer did not seem to be in the same immediate danger I was in when his Tyranitar transformed.”

 

Colress pondered the information. “So if it wasn’t triggered by danger to you, then perhaps…..” The Scientist said, sounding intrigued. “Tell me, Executive Arthur, how close are you to your Scizor?”

 

James looked towards Lancelot for a bit. Lancelot stared back. The Scizor was curious as to what James had to say.

 

“He stood by me when nobody else would and I deserved nobody.”

 

Colress considered what James had to say about his relationship with his Scizor and a smile etched itself on the scientist’s face. “James Arthur, my studies have lead me to believe that Pokemon get more powerful when they are with people.” The man said, still smiling. “What I am lead to believe is…..your bond with your Scizor was made manifest in that transformation.”

 

James didn’t know how to register that. He always took stock in him and his team’s combined strength and skill to overcome whatever obstacle was in his way. Yet, all of their combined ability proved fruitless this afternoon. But how does one ‘have a bond’ when they needed it? On command?

 

“Is… is that qualifiable?” James stumbled out.

 

“That’s what I wish to know.” Colress replied, smiling. “I want to see this phenomenon for myself. If you can show me, I’ll skip my consideration of your offer, and join right away. Does that sound fair?”

 

James stood there for a moment in thought. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes. The offer was straightforward. Straightforward, but not easy.

 

“Give me two days. I can master this ability in two days.”

 

Lancelot wanted to chime in that they still had no idea what they were doing, but he couldn’t speak human. And for what it’s worth, he wanted to try. He created a sword via Swords Dance to remind himself of his resolve.

 

The Aether Foundation receptionist looked at the Scizor with a slight bit of annoyance. “Please don’t use moves in the lob-” he said cutting himself short. It hit him suddenly that the normal situation he found in front of him was an abnormal in its normalcy. “Don’t use… moves…”

 

Several others turned in the room. Some gasped, a couple threw Poke Balls on the ground to try out moves of their own. All had their attention on James and Lancelot at the moment.

 

“It seems you have attracted some attention Lancelot. We may have to go now, is my offer sufficient?”

 

Colress nodded, smiling at the Executive. “It is, Executive Arthur.” The man said, sounding as excited as he could without breaking his facade of calmness. “I’ve waited a long time to see further proof of my studies. Two days mean absolutely nothing compared to that.”

 

“In that case,” James said, Lancelot already starting to move. People were starting to close in and James had a deadline now. They needed to leave before they got caught up in people’s questions. Such was the reason the pair bolted from the room, and began jumping down the stairs to get away from people chasing them from the room.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra/Professor Kukui

Kukui smiled broadly at the couple and made a gesture for them to follow him. The two followed him, as Evan was still awestruck by this energetic man. He had to know at least a little more about him, at the very least. "Pardon my asking, Professor, but what is your area of study?" The Plasma Agent asked, making his desire to know naked for all to see. "Is your lab nearby?"

Kukui laughed, amused at Evan's curiosity. "Well, cousin, I happen to be the expert in Pokemon Moves!" The man said, laughing. "I've been known to take them head on for my research! It's hit a bit of a snag with the current outage, though." A slight pause. "I came here to visit my wife while I was in town. As for my lab, it's not even on this island! It's on Melemele Island. You're welcome to visit if you're in the area."

While the conversation had happened, the trio found themselves in front of a building with many colourful garments in the window, for both men and women of all ages. "Well, this is where I leave you two." Kukui said cheerfully, repeating the gesture he made to the two before. "I hope you find what you want here. Maybe something that shocks your style like a Bolt Strike!" The two replied with the same gesture, smiling. The two wished Kukui the best as he smiled and walked the opposite way down the road towards the Pokemon Center.

Evan then faced the building, then Jenny. "Well, you heard the man!" The Hero said, grinning. "Let's go jolt up our style!"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Colleen -- Scarlet Cafe, Lumiose City==-

 

"You participate in Pokémon Contests a lot, don't you? Emma?" Colleen asked with a hint of a curious tone in her voice as she tilted her head ever so slightly. She guessed from the girl's aura that she was correct, but didn't want to voice that without any confirmation to not try and put her off.

 

-==IC: Lucia -- Looker Bureau, Lumiose City==-

 

Lucia paused for a moment as Dahlia chimed in - she felt like she recognized her from not long ago, but she couldn't recall from where exactly. "Yeah, this is my dad. Well, adoptive dad, but he's my dad none-the-less. I was here to visit him, and walk in to this... mind explaining, dad?"

 

-==IC: Ryan -- Vermillion City==-

 

"This'll be tough..." Ryan mumbled to Shannon as he eyed the crowd. "Lemme try to see if the person who told me to go here has anything that could help. I'd use Tyranitar to make a way through here, but... I don't think that'd work, between the reason for this. Plus, I don't want to scare Aori and Miyu."

 

With that said, the black-haired man typed up a message to briefly explain the situation while also mentioning that they were just outside.

 

-==IC: Jenny -- Heahea City==-

 

Jenny gave a chuckle as she nodded. She found the irony of the move name quite amusing, but decided to keep that to herself as she pushed the door to the clothing store open. When she walked in, she was surprised by the amount of apparel in the store that wasn't necessarily clothing related. The woman glanced around curiously at the selection, though nothing particular jumped out at her as being amazing options.

[Flipz]

IC: Looker Bureau

 

Lionel Zyther crossed his arms. “This is a detective agency. As a client, I expect to be afforded at least the illusion of privacy.”

 

Behind Zyther, an olive-skinned woman in her mid-twenties with black hair and royal blue eyes stepped out of her “office”. She frowned upon seeing the new arrivals. “Hi--I’m sorry, did Callie let you in? The door should have been locked while I’m with a client…” The detective stepped over to the empty reception desk, lifting a small card that had been left on the computer’s keyboard. “‘Gone to dinner with fiancé, don’t wait up, Callie.’ Callie…” she sighed, massaging her forehead in frustration. “My sincerest apologies, Mr. Zyther. And to the rest of you, I’m afraid I reserve weekends for scheduled clients, so if you could come back for drop-in hours tomorrow at noon--”

 

Lionel shook his head. “Please, I’m a private man, but also a patient one. No need to turn away business on my account; besides, I was just about to step outside with…” Lionel let out a breath, the tension leaving his shoulders as he opened his arms to invite his daughter into a hug. “Lucia,” he said in a tone of warmth clearly reserved for family. “I wasn’t expecting a visit, especially now, but as surprises go this is a pleasant one. It’s good to see you again.” Carefully avoiding the room’s other occupants, he strode to the door and held it open. “Shall we step outside and discuss accommodations while the good detective speaks with her other clients?”

[MELON LORD]

IC: Jared Winters

 

Jared smiled slightly, nodding to the man. "Thank you for the consideration." He stepped forward to address the woman. "We were actually sent by Professor Sycamore. He said that you could provide us with some information on Team Flare. We're looking into the possibility of their survival, you see."

Edited July 1, 2018 by MELON LORD

[Parugi]

IC - Executive Scott Stone - Lavender Tower, Lavender Town:

 

"No hard feelings." Scott flipped his notepad closed, nodding to David. "We'll be on our way, then. Have a good night."

 

A young albino girl with an affinity for Ghost-Types . . . As Scott led Lafoyae out of the tower and back onto the streets of Lavender Town, he repeated this description over and over in his head. It didn't sit right with him. In the war between Team Liberty and Team Rocket, he had witnessed countless atrocities and heard tales of even more. The idea of a murderous little girl didn't strike him as all that unlikely in the grand scheme of things, nor altogether that surprising considering how young of soldiers had been deployed even in Team Liberty's ranks, but the context of the situation did give him pause.

 

This all tied back to Ace, that much was certain. But how? Ace was dead, buried on Four Island. She couldn't have returned from the dead, which meant that someone was either trying to avenge her or acting out latent orders on her behalf. And this girl's targets . . . What was the through-line, and what was the end goal?

 

"So," he said after a moment. "Pokémon Center or the Memory House. Where to next?"

 

 

​IC - Blackskull - Blackskull's Office, The Alamo:

 

With a sagely nod, Blackskull reached for a second hidden cabinet and produced a coffee pot. He poured a cup for Lohe. It was a concoction ground from coffee beans unique to the Sevii Islands and brewed to perfection, and it smelled utterly delightful. Blackskull replaced the pot into its cabinet and picked up his teacup.

 

"If I'm understanding correctly, you're asking to meet with John Ford himself," the Liberty Leader asked. "Specifically, as the source of what has been a previously unseen and unknown magical force, you would like to directly confirm with him that no one else would be able to replicate the power deactivation phenomenon that has rendered us all almost completely defenseless against Missing Zero. Is that correct?"

 

 

​IC - Katou Miyu - Vermilion City:

 

Miyu held onto Shannon's hand and smiled.

 

 

IC:

 

 

>I had a visitor today.

 

>A visitor?

>That's unexpected.

 

>Indeed.

>A4 present.

>Contacts got sloppy.

>May want to clear up current situation with them.

 

>Not a problem.

 

>Production isn't going to go forward if that isn't dealt with ASAP.

>Cannot trust them with blueprints if they are going to be so obvious about market activity.

>Risky enough subverting A via outsourced production.

>Disregarding previous run-in with KE.

 

>I'm aware. It's not a problem. Will get them straightened out.

>Any progress on G?

 

>No.

>Strange message from Hoenn. Could be related?

 

>Do what you can.

 

>Expecting backlash re:G situation.

>Current status?

 

>Red.

 

>If A4 reports negative feedback to A, then could go poorly on this end.

>Credit taken for success of other 17, I assume.

>Funny how that works.

 

>I'll take care of it.

>A is out. We have time.

>If it comes to it, relocation possible.

 

>Copy.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Lafoyae Belrose

Lafoyae pondered the options, and determined that the Memory House was the best option. "The Memory House." The woman projected to Stone. "Maybe the ghost types there may be willing to help us put together the pieces." To be honest, the idea didn't sit well with her, but with no spirits to commune with near the tower, her options were limited. She'd spent her life killing, but now it was time for her to speak with the dead....

IC:Evan Tierra, Heahea City Apparel Shop

Evan browsed the colourful selection of clothing, seeing many clothes with a tropical floral pattern that pleased the man's eyes. The Hero picked a sporty shirt with an Alolan pattern that almost matched his old coat's Garchomp purple colour. He then looked for a pair of knee length shorts to match it, being delighted when he found something in the same colour. He then went for a pair of knee length bike shorts to wear under it, to help complete the look he was going for.

Then he went for a pair of purple and white shoes and black fingerless gloves, smiling gleefully at how well his shopping was going. But then, Evan frowned at the notion that he wasn't sure if he was going to wear an undershirt to finish off the look. The Plasma Agent went to one of the fitting rooms and tried on what he had found, but was still indecisive about what to wear under the floral shirt. Then the man recalled Kukui, and how confident the man looked despite wearing no shirt under that lab coat. Then I'll follow suit. The man tried the look, and was in awe of how......"him" it felt. The scars revealed by his lack of undershirt only accentuated the tough and lean build the man had, and that pleased Evan.

Exiting out of the fitting room, Evan made for the register and had them tally up the cost. While it stung his already wounded funds, then man was definitely pleased with his purchases. The attendant handed him a bag to carry his cast off clothing and said. "That's a really good look for you, sir." The Hero smiled as he headed for where Jenny was, approached her from behind, and tapped her on the shoulder. "Whaddya think, Jen-Jen?" Evan said as he struck a dynamic pose, hoping to show off his new look for Alola.

Edited July 1, 2018 by Dr. Hidaka

[Flipz]

IC: Looker Bureau

Lionel stiffened at the mention of Flare. He gave Jared an appraising look before stepping outside.

The detective’s eyes widened, but at length she nodded. “Of course. Come in,” she said, stepping back into the marginally more private portion of the office. She sighed as she sat heavily at her desk. “I’m Emma, by the way. I don’t know how much Sycamore told you, but I’ll go over what I know.” Sitting up straight, she steepled her fingers atop the desk and was all business. “About ten years ago, Team Flare fell. I was sixteen and homeless at the time, so I missed out on a lot of the details, but that’s not the part I was involved in. A couple of months after Team Flare’s downfall, a detective showed up in Lumiose named Looker. He partnered up with our new Champions, and started digging around the underbelly of Lumiose; that’s where he met me and Mimi, and ended up taking us in.”

 

Emma paused, clearly uncomfortable, but after a deep breath she pressed on. “Looker…did a lot for me. I guess he just wanted to do right by us, but I just felt more and more guilty about it. So, once I learned to read, I took a job offer posted in Lysandre Cafe.” She shook her head. “It was a mistake. Little did I know that the friendly Dr. Xerosic who’d hired me had actually been one of the chief scientists of Team Flare. For the better part of a year, I went in to Dr. Xerosic’s secret lab, put on a mech suit he’d created, and went to sleep for a few hours before he woke me up and sent me home. I thought it was some sort of sleep study. I was wrong. For the better part of a year, Xerosic used me as his puppet to vandalize Lumiose and steal people’s Pokémon.” The detective clenched her fists unconsciously. “I was such a fool. When I think about the trust I put in that man, the things he could have done…the things he could have made me do…”

 

She shook her head and took a deep, calming breath. “Eventually, Looker found me. While Calem and Serena covered my usual routes,

, and with Mimi’s help he broke me free of the suit’s control. The Champions were able to trace the suit’s signal, so while Looker took me to the hospital, they confronted Xerosic, pinned him down long enough for Looker to come back and arrest him. Once Xerosic was sent to prison, that was it--Looker came clean and told me about his job for the International Police, and then left me with the Bureau while he went on to his next assignment. I think he meant for the Champions to take care of me, but, well…they’re Champions, and they weren’t much older than me anyway. Either way, I had the Bureau, and was pretty much on my own, so together Mimi and I worked to make the place into what it is today.” As if only just noticing the somewhat slipshod decor, she belatedly added, “… well, such as it is.” She looked up into Jared’s eyes. “Is that enough for your investigation?”

IC:Lysandre Cafe

As Lachina and Zoe sat down, two women were sitting nearby. One, a black-haired woman in a lab coat, seemed the average scientist or researcher, not out of place for a city housing a Pokémon Lab. Her pink-haired companion, however, was instantly recognizable to anyone who watched the Kalosian news.

“Your work is fascinating,” Malva told her drinking partner, “but frankly I’m more interested in the practical applications.”

“Of course,” the scientist said. “You’re not the only one who’s asked me about it recently. What would you like to know?”

“Did they keep their charge? Is the energy usable? Have you had any success in putting it back into a Pokémon?”

The woman smiled, having already heard the same questions a dozen times over. “Yes, potentially, and no. The events on July 31st seemed to have had little to no effect on containment--which raises some interesting thoughts regarding how it all happened, but I’m still gathering data to test my hypotheses. I’ve been hesitant to test energy use, since I do have a limited supply and none of my delivery mechanisms are particularly reliable. However, as far as the third point, what few cases I’ve tested seem to show that the energy will treat the Pokémon it’s applied to as a target rather than a recipient, for the most part behaving like an equivalent Fairy-type move.”

Malva raised an eyebrow. “For the most part, Professor?”

The professor nodded. “I’ve had a few inconsistencies with the control tests. The effects of my Aura-using assistant’s abilities seem to have changed compared to our tests before the flash. He’s sought out his teacher for confirmation and guidance, but of course that leaves my end at a standstill until we can get consistent comparison data. It’s been terribly frustrating.”

“I can imagine. Anything I can do to help?”

“Convince the budget office to give me more funding?” The two laughed together at their private joke. “In all seriousness, though…yes, you can. You train Fire-types.”

Malva lowered her glasses, tilting her head in preparation for a scorchingly sarcastic quip, before the implication struck her. “Wait…Fire-types resist Fairy moves.”

“Precisely.” The professor paused to sip at her drink. “My personal collection of Pokémon is limited, even more so with my assistant away. I need Pokémon with known interactions with the Fairy type, and I need them to be Pokémon with battle experience, Pokémon who can handle a few solid hits without major injury. I’d ask Augustine, but right now he’s bogged down in his own research.”

“Of course. I take it you’ve already spoken with Siebold and Drasna?”

This time the professor shook her head. “I’m only in town until tomorrow, and you were the first to call me.”

Malva nodded in understanding. “I’ll talk to them next time I’m at the League. You’re still working out of Ambrette?”

“No, we had to move north to Geosenge. Cheaper rent.” She winced. “I wasn’t kidding about that funding.”

Malva smiled sympathetically. “I’ll see what I can do, even if it’s just sending the boys your way. Hey, on the bright side--with things the way they are, if you can figure this thing out, I doubt funding will be an issue anymore.

The professor smiled and shook her head. “Thanks, Malva.”

“No, thank you, Elaine. You’re doing good work for Kalos. While everyone else is running around after this extra evolution thing, you’re sticking to your work and seeing it through. I respect that dedication.”

The professor flushed. “That means a lot to me. Thank you.”

Malva raised her half-empty glass to the professor before downing the rest of the contents. She stood and tossed a few bills down on the counter. “Take care of yourself, Alderson. Call me if you make any progress.”

“Will do,” the professor promised.

Their business concluded, Malva headed for the door, pausing to speak with one of the waitresses as she passed; meanwhile, Professor Alderson returned to her solitude in silence. Edited July 2, 2018 by Flipz

[Konuju]

IC: Zoe Llyan - Scarlet Café, Lumiose City

"Nope!" Paying no heed to her sister, Zoe followed the Ranger to a table and eagerly pulled out two more Pokéballs. "Esmeralda was my first, but I also found Merida and Eilonwy. Say hi, you two!" A Meditite popped out onto the table and curtsied at Lachina. Shortly after a Feebas popped out and flopped into the Ranger's lap. "All three of them are my best friends, we go on all sorts of adventures together!" Zoe smiled at Lachina as she took a large bite of her croissant. "So what about you, what Pokémon do you have?"

 

IC: Alex Lockwood - Scarlet Café, Lumiose City

Alex visibly relaxed. "Oh, you must be a fan." He looked over at his cousin with a chuckle. "I keep forgetting you're so famous around here." Turning his attention back to the nervous fangirl, he confirmed her suspicions. "Em's the best Contest Coordinator in the business. Do you watch her shows often?"

 

IC: Dahlia Seaton - Looker Bureau, Lumiose City

The detective's story brought Dahlia back to her time as Alistair's hostage. She had been incredibly lucky that the eldest Hakuda hadn't done anything like that to her in the six months she had been his prisoner. "That must have been terrible," she said softly. "I'm sorry we had to ask you to relive such a traumatic part of your life. It's not easy learning you've done terrible things against your will." She glanced over at Jared, hoping they wouldn't have to question the detective any further.

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Jamie Arthur - Looker Detective Agency

 

Jamie paid attention to Emma's story. It was sad, but also a little hard to follow. A bunch of people and names she hadn't heard before. Lucia's dad had just left. Jamie would've wondered if they should follow, but...

 

"Dahlia!" she shouted running over to the other heroine.

 

She pulled out the Volty and shoved it in her fellow's face. "Behold, my fated rival! I have conquered the gym of this great city, and obtained the Voltage Badge," she said before breaking into a chuckle. "Isn't it cool?"

[Konuju]

IC: Dahlia Seaton - Looker Bureau, Lumiose City

Jamie's enthusiasm pulled Dahlia out of the serious discussion they were having. "Wow, that's really neat, Jamie," she said with a smile at her fellow Heroine. "But how did you have a gym battle if our Pokémon can't use their powers? Don't tell me you yourself were the one who fought."

[MELON LORD]

IC: Jared Winters

 

Jared felt the look and sighed, casting an apologetic glance to the gardener -- though, she'd been distracted by the Heroine of Time -- before looking back to Emma. "I'm sorry to hear all that. Don't beat yourself up too badly, though. You were used by someone evil, but that's not your fault. You were young. There is one last thing, miss, if you don't mind. Do you happen to know where Xerosic is now? If Flare is still active, they may have gotten in touch with him, and he might know where they're operating from."

 

IC: Lachina Adaon

 

Lachina chuckled a bit as she caught the Feebas and stroked its scales. "All I have is Aolani -- I'll show you when we're not indoors, alright? She's kinda big."

 

IC: Emily Lockwood

 

"Oh, Alex, you do go on. 'Famous,' hardly!" Emily lightly smacked her cousin's arm, laughing softly before turning back to her apparent fan. "Yes, I am she. What can I do for you, dear?"

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Jamie Arthur - Looker Detective Agency

 

"What sort of gym would do something like that?" Jamie asked, before growing pensive. "Though, with Time Will Freeze..." Jamie considered for a moment.

 

"No, Pelleas and Gothara fought his Magnezone and Luxray. No powers, no problem," Jamie said giving the other hero a thumbs-up. "Still, what are you all doing here in Kalos?"

Edited July 2, 2018 by Metal Gear Minun

[Parugi]

​IC - Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron/Emmerich Coleman - Blackthorn City, Johto:

 

"All I know for certain is that it's somewhere around Mt. Silver," Sonja replied. "I never saw the actual entrance, but . . . John seemed pretty certain we would find it. Probably another magic thing." She sent out Atum. "In either case, we're going to be hiking and camping for the next day or two to get there, so might as well get going now."

 

"Agreed," Kyle said. He sent out Kitheus, taking a seat on top of the Magnezone. "Let's try to keep things on the down-low this time." The others followed suit, with Ryan sending out his Garchomp, Chloe her Luxray, and Ray his Samurott. The only one without a mount was General Coleman. He had visibly grimaced at the idea of camping, and it was clear that he did not have an effective means of hiking, either, despite the Poké Balls visible on his uniform.

 

"I don't suppose you've another rideable Pokémon?" he asked.

 

With a brief nod, Sonja sent out Ares. The Druddigon immediately roared, moving into an attack stance . . . before halting when Sonja bopped him on the nose. "Settle down," she ordered. Ares immediately relaxed. "Could you give the General a lift?"

 

He did so--quite literally. Just as Coleman was going to ask about Kyle's Charizard, Ares grabbed him and took off, carrying the surprised and not-unterrified Rocket General into the sky

 

 

 

The rugged terrain stretching between the quiet Blackthorn City and the imposing Mt. Silver made it difficult to find a camping site. Eventually, however, they managed to settle on a stretch of grass overlooking a series of stair-like drops leading into a small valley. It was dark now, and with their tents assembled and fire dying, the night ticked away minute by minute.

 

Several hours in and it was Sonja's turn to keep watch. The warm summer night made her drowsy, and she almost wished she could sneak back into her bed. But it would have been pointless. Too preoccupied by the day's events, she had barely managed to sleep before her shift began, and she didn't expect much more luck on that front when her watch ended and Kyle took over. So, she merely wrapped her arms around her legs and closed her eyes, breathing in the night air.

 

She heard the soft crunching of grass and soil and looked over her shoulder at the source. Kyle had emerged from his tent. She looked back out at the valley below as he sat down next to her. "You're supposed to be sleeping for another hour."

 

Kyle shrugged. "I've never been one for camping," he replied. "Especially out here. Too much to think about to sleep when the ground is so uncomfortable."

 

"You're telling me." Sonja sighed. "I feel like we're on a time crunch, yet I have no idea what we're supposed to be looking for or how we're supposed to find it. And scouring all of Mt. Silver for that entrance could take hours, if not days."

 

"And there's no telling what we're going to find once we get inside, whether that's an empty base or McKinley . . ." Kyle fell onto his back, staring at the stars. "Still, we need to take things one at a time. First we get through the wilderness, then we find the base. Right?" Sonja did not respond. Kyle rubbed his head, and then sat up with a sudden burst of inspiration. "Hey, it's almost your birthday, isn't it?"

 

"I guess," Sonja said. Her tone wasn't dismissive, but she certainly didn't seem very excited by the reminder. "I've lost track. Never really celebrated it, anyway."

 

"Well . . . One second." Kyle pushed himself to his feet and quietly hurried back to his tent, disappearing into it. Sonja turned, watching him. After several moments, he emerged again, carrying his belt with his team's Poké Balls attached. He sat next to her again, cross-legged, and searched along the belt until he came to a specific ball. "I've been meaning to give this to you since I got back from Kalos, and now seems like as good a time as any." He unclipped it, holding it out for Sonja to take with a broad smile. "Happy birthday!"

 

She paused briefly before accepting it. Through the translucent top, she could see the sleeping form of a miniaturized Noibat. The sight took her aback in the best way possible. "You actually got one for me?" Kyle nodded. She leaned over, pulling him into a tight hug. "Thanks, buddy."

 

"You're welcome, pal," Kyle said. They broke their embrace, leaning back and watching the valley again. Sonja held up the Poké Ball, peering at the inhabitant inside. Kyle couldn't halt a slight smile. "You should really thank Esen. She befriended that Noibat and his mother when they came to get me out of Shift's warehouse. Then the kid got more independent and Esen offered to let me give him to you, and here we are now."

 

"I'll have to thank her when we get back." Sonja clipped the Noibat's Poké Ball into her jacket, patting it closed. "You know, I still don't know her that well. She must really be something, if she was able to break you out by herself."

 

"She really is . . . " Kyle muttered. He glanced at Sonja and then back at the valley. "I mean, she had help. But, yeah. She is. She's cool."

 

Sonja gave him a look. "Just cool?" She smirked. "Sure there's not something more there?"

 

"I mean . . ." Kyle faltered. "I'm . . . I guess . . ."

 

Sonja rested her chin on her hands, deep in thought. "I think if two people like each other, they should say something to each other. It's just a bunch of heartache otherwise."

 

Kyle looked at Sonja, then to Ray's tent, and then forward again. "Speaking from experience?" He pretended not to notice Sonja's glare, though the slight smile on his lips gave the con away. "I wish it were that simple."

 

"You and me both . . ."

 

They fell silent again, staring off into space. At last, Kyle sighed. "Sonja," he began. "Do you think Ge--"

 

A soft rumbling in the distance immediately silenced Kyle again. Down below, something moved. He and Sonja exchanged a look and dropped flat against the ground, peering over the edge and into the darkness. A massive shape twisted and tumbled against the rocks, and something elicited strange, distressed cries. What sounded like skeletal, clattering cackling cut through the darkness. A strange green glow emanated from the darkness, engulfing the large shape and illuminating the silhouette of . . . something. It was unlike anything Kyle or Sonja had seen before, thin in body with long, thick arms like tree trunks and hoofed, goat-like legs. Antlers sprouted from its head, standing black and branch-like against the green light. Soon the larger shape stopped moving, and the cries of distress with it. With the strange call again, the monstrous creature trampled through the trees below, the thunderous crash of its retreat diminishing in the night.

 

Both trainers stared wide-eyed into the darkness below, waiting until all had fallen silent. When it had, they released a long breath. Kyle hadn't realized it before, but he was shaking. He could sense that Sonja was, too. "Was that some sort of Pokémon . . .?"

 

"I . . . I don't know." Sonja said. She lay still for a moment, and then got to her feet. Staying low, she moved to the cliff edge. Without warning, she stepped down, dropping onto the first step. She picked up her pace, quickly moving down step by step before Kyle could stop her.

 

"Sonja, what are you--" Kyle scrambled to his feet. He looked at the tents behind him, and back at Sonja. "Are you crazy?"

 

"That thing attacked those Pokémon and left them alone," she hissed back. "We need to see if they're alright."

 

"Sonja--wait a second--" Kyle dropped down after her, carefully picking his way through the darkened steps. "There is literally nothing good about this idea." He reached for Jaeda's Poké Ball, releasing her. The Charizard's tail flame illuminated the steps, allowing the pair to safely pick their way down--as well as affording some manner of protection if things went south.

 

Their descent brought an unexpected find. At the bottom of the canyon lay the unconscious form of two Pokémon, an Onix and a strange, brown and white Pokémon that Sonja did not immediately recognize. As Kyle picked his way across the disturbed rocks to examine the Onix, Sonja leaned closer to the other Pokémon. It had a large head for its body, with massive jaws that looked easily capable of tearing through steel. It seemed to have been fleeing their assailant with the Onix. Sonja opened up her Pokétch index, searching for a Pokémon matching its appearance. She eventually found it, labeled 'Tyrunt.'

 

"This Onix is alive--barely," Kyle whispered. "I don't know what that thing did to it, but it seemed like some sort of really powerful Mega Drain."

 

Sonja did not reply. She placed a hand against the Tyrunt's side, feeling its shuddering breaths. "Same with this one," she said. "It's part-Dragon-Type. If that was a Grass-Type attack, it would explain why this guy's not in . . . as bad of condition." As she spoke, the Tyrunt opened up a weary eye, gazing at her. Sonja patted its head. "We can't leave them here like this. If that thing comes back . . ."

 

She didn't have to finish the thought. Kyle nodded. "Could we bring them back to the Pokémon Center in Blackthorn?" he asked.

 

"I don't know--maybe? That's pretty far in the other direction," Sonja said. She bit her lip, thinking. "If we hurry tomorrow . . . Ford's base has healing machines. We can't be too far from it." She paused, then pulled a free Poké Ball from her pocket. With a press of the button in the center, Sonja tapped it against the Tyrunt's nose, dragging it inside. The ball hardly shook once before beeping to indicate its success.

 

"I get you," Kyle said. "You wouldn't happen to have another Poké Ball on hand, would you?" Sonja dug around in her coat, finally producing one. She tossed it to Kyle, and he followed her lead, tapping it against the unconscious Onix. His clicked, as well, and he placed the ball on his belt. "Maybe one of the others has a few potions or something in the meantime." He breathed deeply, shaking his head. "We have to be getting close, though. That didn't feel normal, you know?"

 

"Yeah," Sonja agreed. She tucked the Tyrunt's Poké Ball away, and then climbed onto Jaeda's back behind Kyle. "At the very least, I think we're safe for now. Let's tell the others about this in the morning."

 

 

OOC:

 

Four profiles because I've been holding onto one for a while, two are new, and I realized I never posted Neptune's updated profile.

 

Species: Croconaw

Nickname: Neptune.

Trainer: Sonja Baron.

Appearance: Neptune's 'tunic' is solid tan, with no blue spots.

Personality: Though it may come as a surprise to some, Neptune is a very gentle and loving Pokémon--he loves being around people, jumping up and hugging them as soon as he sees them and very rarely being intentionally harmful. Even so, he is a strong battler, capable of holding his own in most situations, and is willing to do whatever it takes to win a battle.

Ability: Torrent.

Specialty: Neptune specializes in physical attacks, and has more endurance than most other Croconaw, allowing him to better handle physical defense.

Known Moves: Aqua Tail, Ice Fang, Slash, Dragon Dance (Egg Move,) Headbutt, Endure.

 

Species: Noibat.

Nickname: Neith.

Trainer: Sonja Baron.

Appearance: Standard for a Noibat.

Personality: A rather timid Noibat, Neith must nevertheless be given some credit for his bravery in wanting to split from his mother's nest. He is still young, but as he grows, he will surely become a stronger and more confident Pokémon.

Ability: Infiltrator.

Specialty: Though he is still learning how to battle effectively, Neith already demonstrates a penchant for speed and special attacks.

Known Moves: Gust, Agility, Supersonic, Roost.

 

Species: Tyrunt.

Nickname: Tanith.

Trainer: Sonja Baron.

Appearance: Tanith's horns are white.

Personality: Headstrong and fierce, Tanith is just as brave as she is foolhardy. She is not unused to accidentally getting herself into trouble despite her good intentions. She can be slow to trust newcomers, including new teammates and trainers.

Ability: Strong Jaw.

Specialty: Tanith doesn't have much in the way of a set specialty--her primary tactic is just to attack until her opponent is defeated.

Known Moves: Thunder Fang (EM), Ice Fang (EM), Bite, Tackle, Tail Whip, Hone Claws.

 

Species: Onix.

Nickname: Vailian.

Trainer: Kyle Eston.

Appearance: The main difference between Vailian and other Onix is that Vailian's horn is serrated, as opposed to being a flat and straight blade.

Personality: Vailian is a very relaxed Pokémon. Even in the midst of a crisis, he does not lose his cool, typically trusting his defenses and allies to see through any trouble. While not the brightest in terms of acting on his own, Vailian will carry out any order given to him without fail.

Ability: Sturdy.

Specialty: Vailian boasts impressive defensive capabilities, which are only further augmented by his various stat-raising moves. Attacking is not his specialty so much as catching opponents off-guard.

Known Moves: Curse, Rock Polish, Sandstorm, Dig, Rock Slide, Heavy Slam (EM).

[Flipz]

IC: Looker Bureau

 

Emma seemed unimpressed with the antics of Jared's companions, but she carefully schooled her expression to stay professional--she herself had been younger than most of this lot when she'd been tangled up in Flare, after all. She did, however, frown at Jared's suggestion. "Doubtful. Xerosic is...not really in a position to be helping anyone anymore." After some hesitation, she reached for a small gold chain around her neck, removing it to reveal a tiny key hanging from it, which she used to unlock one of her desk drawers. She removed a neat red envelope with a blue insignia shaped like a dumbbell from the drawer before locking it and returning the key to its place. With one last appraising look at Jared, she sighed and handed the envelope to him. "...Here. You'll want this." Even as she handed it to him, she hesitated, fingers gripping the paper just a moment too long before reluctantly relinquishing it. "Dr. Xerosic has a...condition. For the past two or three years, they've been keeping him in Laverre, at the Memorial Hospital, for treatment. He...he hasn't..." Another pause. "He hasn't been getting better."

 

Emma winced and looked away, but despite the pain on her face, her voice stayed firm and even. "They moved him to Lumiose earlier this week, in preparation for surgery today. He sent me that letter. Said he wanted to see me one last time, in case..." The detective closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath. "I haven't gone. But that letter has the address to the surgery center, and his room details. I don't know when the surgery will happen, but if you want to talk to him in person...that's your best shot." She nodded down to the envelope in Jared's hand. "Just..." She stared at the letter with indecision, as trying to decide whether to light it aflame or else snatch it back from the man's hands. At length, she shook her head, tapping her fingers rhythmically along her wrist in an unconscious tic. "Never mind."

 

The detective glanced over Jared's shoulder at the rest of the group, still occupied with Gym Battles and Badges and other light-hearted affairs. She smiled wistfully for a moment, before returning her attention to Jared. "Now, if that will be all, I need to go reschedule with my other client before my headache turns into a migraine." She gestured unsubtly to the door. "After you."

[Konuju]

IC: Dahlia Seaton - Looker Bureau, Lumiose City

"Xander sent us here on a mission," Dahlia told her fellow Heroine. "We're looking into a possible revival of Team Flare, a criminal organization that terrorized the region several years ago." Her face brightened up with a sudden idea. "Hey, maybe you and Lucia could join us! Things will certainly be a lot better for us if we have two Heroes in our group instead of one." Especially when that one can't even use her powers properly, she added silently to herself while maintaining her friendly smile.

 

At that moment, the detective opened the door to usher them out of her office. Dahlia looked around in surprise, berating herself when she realized she'd completely missed the conversation in favor of talking with Jamie. With a sigh, she followed Jared outside. "So . . . what's the plan?" she asked nonchalantly, hoping she'd be able to pick up on whatever she'd missed.

 

IC: Zoe Llyan - Scarlet Café, Lumiose City

"That's fine," Zoe said, taking another bite of her croissant. "So you like big Pokémon, then? I prefer the ones that can cuddle in your lap, personally." She stroked Esmeralda's fur, eliciting a soft purr from the fennec fox. Eilonwy, meanwhile, smiled up at Lachina, pleased with the stroking of her scales. Merida watched her two companions with a hint of frustration in her face that no one was giving her any love. With a pout, the Meditite snatched up the croissant that had been meant for Colleen and took a bite out of it.

 

IC: Alex Lockwood - Scarlet Café, Lumiose City

"Well you've got a small but active fanbase if she's anything to go by." Alex laughed heartily at his cousin's reaction before turning back to the stammering fangirl. "Seriously, it's really cool that you're a fan of Em. Don't be shy, she's really nice in person."

 

IC: Ryan Sanders - Route 45 Wilderness, Johto

The songs of Pidgey woke Ryan up from his sleep. It had been too long since he'd last been camping, and if their mission hadn't been so critical, he would have really enjoyed this outing. As it was, when he stepped out of his tent to take in the view of the sun rising over the mountains, he felt the weight of their task on his shoulders.

 

With a sigh, he sent out his Garchomp. The dragon stretched with a loud yawn, his eyes perking up at the sounds of the Pidgey. "You sleep well?" Ryan asked his Pokémon, running a hand over the smooth scales. Garchomp nodded, his eyes following a flock of singing birds. Silently, the dragon crept after them, looking to snatch a light breakfast.

 

With Garchomp preoccupied, Ryan made his way toward the center of camp. The fire had long since died down, but it looked like someone had already set up a camping stove to prepare breakfast. He couldn't remember who was supposed to have the last shift, so he didn't know who to thank for the warm meal. Whoever it was had probably stepped into their tent to grab something. Taking a seat next to the stove, Ryan closed his eyes and took in the delicious smell of their breakfast. Even with the gravity of their mission, it did well to enjoy the little things in life. He was among friends, after all. He couldn't ask for a better group to help save the world.

 

IC: Dack Majors/Madison Morrow/Luke - Team Rocket Vermillion Branch

Dack slammed his fists down on the keyboard in frustration. "Dude," Luke called out from his swivel chair. "I know this is really ironic coming from me, but hitting things isn't always the answer."

 

Madison gingerly placed a hand on Dack's shoulder. "What's wrong?" she asked in a soothing voice.

 

"That's what's wrong." Dack jabbed a finger at the computer screen. A popup displayed a very wordy message that essentially said that Dack didn't have permission to do whatever it was he was trying to do. "They won't let me access prisoner files, that's something we need to get from the prison warden. Which means coming here was a waste of time."

 

"Can't you just send them an email?" Luke asked as he spun around in his chair. "Dear Mr. Warden, please give me information on two prisoners in your system, Mr. and Mrs. Sanders. I'd like to set them free. Sincerely, Dack Majors."

 

"Would they even listen to your request?" Madison asked with a frown. "I mean, no offense, but what authority do you have to tell them to release a prisoner?"

 

"I . . . hadn't gotten that far," Dack admitted. "We'll need someone higher up the food chain than me to help us out. Like a lawyer or someone." He rolled his chair over to another computer and logged in. "Madison, you're good with words. You draft a letter to the prison warden while I see if there's anyone at this outpost who might be willing to help us."

 

"I'm a skier," Madison said flatly. "What makes you think I'm good with words?"

 

"You're a girl," Luke pointed out. "Don't you like, write poetry and stuff? Steamy love letters to Dack?" Madison rolled her eyes but nevertheless got to work writing the email. "Hey, make sure to misspell a couple words so it looks like Dack wrote it," Luke said with a smirk. He ducked as Dack lobbed an apple at his head.

 

 

It didn't take long for Dack to find a bureaucrat stationed at the Vermillion Outpost, one Miriam Shields.

 

"Isn't that the chick who helped detain Hannah Wright?" Luke asked, peering over Dack's shoulder.

 

"That's why her name sounded familiar." Dack looked over her profile. "So we already know her. Good, that'll make her more willing to help us. Madison, how's that letter coming?"

 

"See for yourself." The skier tilted her screen towards Dack, the small smile on her face indicating she'd taken pride in her work.

 

"Very good," Dack said when he finished reading over it. "I told you you had a knack for writing."

 

"Must've been the love letters~" Luke said in a sing-song voice, earning himself glares from both his friends.

 

With the email sent, Dack led his friends over to Miriam's office. He took a deep breath to prepare himself, running over his request in his mind one last time before knocking on the door.

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Lohe Mahina - Blackskull's Office

Lohe held the cup of coffee in his hand. He brought the cup up to his lips and tilted it. He smelled the coffee. After holding it there for a couple moments, he placed it back down.

"It's a bit too bitter. The beans have been too finely ground up. I'd suggest a slightly coarser grind for this kind of coffee."

He shook his head slightly, turning towards the machine.

"Never liked coffee prepared by a machine. It's one of the few things worth taking pride working to make yourself."

Lohe turned back to Blackskull, remembering the reason why he was here.

"Sorry, I got carried away. Basically, you got it."
 

 

IC: Jamie Arthur - Looker Detective Agency

"Uhh..." Jamie said as Dahlia left. The news that Xander was the one organizing their group, made it sound less appealing.

The hero in her said that fighting 'Team Flare' (whoever they were) was a much better use of her time than having some silly vacation. A different part told her to stay away because of the one who organized. The last part of her was the part that was trying to figure out what her relationship with Lucia was.

"I think I'll see what Lucia wants," she said to no one in particular and started walking to Lucia.

 

 

IC: Miriam Shields - Vermilion Branch offices

Miriam sat in the office provided to her for her time in Vermilion. She was reading Ryan's message and a report on the chaos outside with a look of disdain on her face.

"Spent all that time preparing resources for a mass influx of ingrates..." she complained right before she heard a knock on the door.

Miriam hastily wrote a message to Ryan and responded.
 

There's a back entrance. I'll send someone to make sure it's open for you. Try not to let anyone see you use it.

-Ambassador Shields

 

 

She partially wished that she could just bulldoze the crowd of ingrates into dispersing. It was foolish fantasy of course. They couldn't afford an incident making people lose faith in the government right now. Well lose more faith, at any rate.

Miriam got up and walked over to the door. She'd have to find somebody to go open the inconspicuous fire door after dealing with whoever this was. She opened the door to the office to see Dack.

"Agent Majors was it? I'm rather busy at the moment, can this wait?"

Edited July 2, 2018 by Metal Gear Minun

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Olivia -- Looker Bureau, Lumiose City==-

"Thank ya as well, and I'm sorry that ya had to relive that sorta thing." Olivia hesitated for a moment, as she wanted to like try and give some sort of reassuring action, but figured that that wouldn't help. "For what it's worth, your Meowstic is an amazing partner if she did all that to help you." She gave a smile and turned her head, noticing that everyone else was beginning to file out. Still...

"I'm sorry that we caused ya a headache too. I wish there was a way we could make it up to ya." The redhead bit her lip slightly, as she knew that there likely wasn't any way to fix the interruption they had caused.

-==IC: Colleen -- Scarlet Cafe, Lumiose City==-

Colleen smiled at the antics of the two, as she was amazed at the chance to meet Emily. When Emily asked her about what she could do, however, she paused. "Oh, uh, I didn't really think that far ahead... I've only seen the shows in Anistar, but I've seen what I could on TV, but you're pretty awesome in the Contest scene." She gave a happy smile, though a lot tamer than before. "It's cool to like, meet you and all." She felt like something that had been said was familiar to her, but decided to not think about it for the moment; hopefully there'd be more chances to later.

-==IC: Jenny -- Heahea City==-

Jenny turned around and grinned. "Looks great, honestly." The woman chuckled, as she looked at the colour of the coat. "Seems like purple's your favourite colour, huh?" She teased as she looked over her own clothes again, wearing a knee-length light blue dress with poofy shoulders but otherwise no sleeves.

"Your turn now, what do you think?" Jenny asked with a teasing smile as she gave a slight twirl.

-==IC: Lucia -- Outside Looker Bureau, Lumiose City==-

After spending the rest of time discussing things with Lionel, Lucia had walked toward the door, only for Dahlia and co to start filing out. She noticed that Jamie in particular seemed rather contemplative in comparison to when she had walked outside. "What's up?" The healer asked curiously as she got close.

-==IC: Ryan -- Vermilion City==-

Ryan's Pokégear beeped to inform him of the message from Miriam. After he quickly checked it out, he glanced around the building and crowd. "Looks like there's a way in, but we need to make sure we're not seen." The Rocket glanced around, and saw a path that seemed unoccupied. "Alright, over this way, looks like we might be able to get around the crowd over here."

-==IC: Chloe/Ray -- Camp Site==-

Ray yawned as he exited his tent, looking as if he had just woken up not long after Ryan. "Yo." He mumbled briefly, though blinked awake more at the smell of the food. "Oooh, nice, someone cooked us breakfast. Thanks Ryan."

"Wasn't Ryan." A voice called out from behind the two of them. Ray turned around to see Chloe hiding inside her tent, only her face really visible as she peeked out. "I thought I'd make something quick and easy, but I'm gone one second to get out of my pyjamas and people start taking credit. Shame on you Ryan." With that, she disappeared briefly, returning not long after in the same outfit from the day before, except wearing the pants from her combat outfit underneath her skirt as well. "Is everyone else up yet?" She asked, as she pulled on her shirt a bit while waiting.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Lachina Adaon

 

"I'd say that Aolani picked me more than I picked her," Lachina said with a wry grin. "She tried her best to wreck my Ranger graduation 'til I calmed her down."

 

IC: Emily Lockwood

 

Emily grinned softly. "Aw, thanks! It's always great meeting a fan. Would you like a photo? Which of my Pokémon is your favorite?" She reached for her belt, grinning. "You strike me as a Pikachu kind of girl, am I right?"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Colleen -- Scarlet Cafe, Lumiose City==-

 

"Oh! Sure, that would be cool." She smiled, though was slightly caught off guard by the offer. "All of them are pretty neat in their own way, but Pikachu definitely has style points." Colleen grinned, as she struck a pose. "I remember when Ronin did this too before using Slash on the Swords Dance, it was a cool moment." She looked over curiously as she wondered how the photo would go. "Do you get fans coming up to you like this often?"

[Flipz]

-==IC: Emma/Lionel Zyther==-

 

As she leaned out the office door, Emma studied Olivia, surprised to hear such a mature sentiment from someone so young. The detective fixed the teenager with a solemn stare. “You want to make it up to me? Be careful. Investigations always carry risks, but this one even more so. I realize I have no high ground to stand on, but…Team Flare is dangerous, even disbanded. I learned that the hard way when I was your age. Don’t be like me.”

 

Looking up, the detective noticed Lionel standing politely nearby, having concluded his conversation with Lucia. “Mr. Zyther, I’m afraid we’re going to have to reschedule the rest of your consultation. Can we make it the same time next week?”

 

Lionel consulted his Holo Caster, a sleek black high-end model accentuated with tasteful gold detailing, the decorations not unlike a Luxury Ball in design. “I don’t see why not,” he said at length.

 

“Thank you, I appreciate your understanding.”

 

“No trouble at all, Miss. Have a good evening.”

 

With the office emptied of guests, Emma went back inside and closed the door behind her, the lock clicking audibly as she turned it. Through the frosted glass, the group could see the woman’s silhouette lean against the door before slowly sliding down it.

 

Frowning slightly in concern--first at Emma, then at the teenagers who’d upset her, Lionel shook his head and stepped away, busying himself with his Holo Caster as he waited for his daughter to finish her conversation.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Emily Lockwood

 

"Oh, every now and again. Usually it's at the Showcases themselves, but this isn't unheard of." She released Astrape, the Pikachu landing easily on her shoulder.

"Here, Alex, make yourself useful." She handed her Holo Caster to her cousin, grinning as she and Astrape struck poses of their own. "Yeah, that was a fun routine, but it was a lot of hassle to make it look good. I don't believe I caught your name, sweetheart. I'll need to know to whom I need to send the picture."

 

IC: Jared WInters

 

Jared thanked the detective for her time and sighed as he watched her through the door. He turned to the man who had come before them. "Sorry for ruining your meeting, sir."

 

May I interject?

 

What's up?

 

This man's aura changed earlier when we mentioned Flare. Perhaps he knows something

Jared nodded a bit. "Sir, would you maybe have some information regarding Team Flare? I noticed you stiffen up when I asked Miss Matiere about them, and you seemed more obliging to let us speak with her."

[Flipz]

-==IC: Lionel Zyther==-

 

Lionel appraised Jared before answering. “I do, in fact. Though I have to question why a group of teenagers is investigating a dangerous criminal organization whose primary goal was genocide. Not exactly your standard after-school pastime, is it?”

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

 

Chuckling at his love's teasing, Evan beheld her new look. It was the same old blue she usually wore, only a dress this time. It made the redhead look absolutely stunning. "We've only been to one place in Alola....." The Hero said, smiling. "And I've already seen the most beautiful sight it has to offer. It looks great on you!"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Colleen -- Scarlet Cafe, Lumiose City==-

 

Colleen glanced over at Emily with a smile briefly. "My name's Colleen Llyan." The girl said before she turned to the camera and grinned while holding the pose from earlier. Once the picture was taken, she relaxed and stopped posing. "Thank you." She said as she seemed to get a little shy again. However, something again made her think for a moment. She glanced between Emily and Alex and attempted to read their auras briefly to figure out what it could be.

 

Then she paused. "... say, is your name Alex Lockwood?" Colleen asked as she glanced over at the boy in question. She looked between them a bit quizzically for a moment. She wanted to follow it up with why she asked, but figured that might be a bit weird to say before confirming.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Jared Winters

 

Jared scowled. "One of these teenagers works for the Kanto government, one has been in a military outfit that hunted down rebels, and one is an emissary of a primordial dragon; we'll let your comment slide, this time." He turned away. "Fine, then, if you don't feel like sharing. Girls, let's head to the hospital, see if we can't get there before the surgery."

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Jamie Arthur - Lumiose City

 

"Hey," Jamie said simply when Lucia spoke to her. "I was just thinking about what you wanted to do next."

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan Sanders - Camp Site

"Hey, I never claimed to--" Ryan stopped himself and gave Chloe a warm smile. "Thanks for cooking breakfast, Chloe. That was thoughtful. I'm not sure if anyone else is up, I only just got up myself and wandered over to the delicious smell of a campside breakfast." His eyes darted between his two companions. "Did you two ever do much camping when you were younger?"

 

IC: Zoe Llyan - Scarlet Café, Lumiose City

"She wrecked your graduation and now you're best of friends?" Zoe asked with a smile. "That sounds great. I wish I had cool stories to share like that."

 

IC: Alex Lockwood - Scarlet Café, Lumiose City

Alex nearly dropped his cousin's Holo Caster at the question. People recognizing Emily was one thing, but recognizing him? He was nowhere near famous enough for that. He took a moment to compose himself, hastily handing the Holo Caster back to Emily before any harm could befall it. He mulled over the girl's name in his head, but he'd never heard of a Colleen Llyan.

 

It took a long moment for him to realize he had been gaping open-mouthed at the girl like some flailing Magikarp. "Um . . . yes, I'm Alex Lockwood," he said, clearing his throat. "Do I . . . know you from somewhere?"

 

IC: Dahlia Seaton - Looker Bureau, Lumiose City

Jamie walked off to speak to Lucia, Olivia spoke with the detective, and Jared talked to Lucia's father. With everyone else engaged in a conversation of sorts, Dahlia stood awkwardly off to the side. With nothing much to do, she tried to listen in on the others' conversations, but their words muddled together and she couldn't understand any of them. When Olivia finally made her way out of the bureau and Emma closed the door, Dahlia headed over to her sister.

 

"What did you think of that all of that stuff with Xerosic?" she asked in a low voice. "Sounds like Xander wasn't kidding about Team Flare being dangerous."

 

Before Olivia had a chance to respond, Jared demanded they go to the hospital. He seemed to be in a particularly foul mood -- for a fleeting moment she wondered if it was in fact Mercury, before reminding herself that she had agreed not to judge him like that.

 

"A-alright," she said, giving another bow to Lucia's father. "I'm sorry again for barging in on your meeting, Mr. Zyther."

 

IC: Shannon Willows - Vermillion City

"Right . . . let's do our best to be quiet, then." Shannon pulled Aori and Miyu close as she discretely followed after Ryan. Thankfully the crowd was much more preoccupied in their rioting demands to pay any attention to the small group.

 

IC: Dack Majors/Madison Morrow/Luke - Miriam's Office, Team Rocket Vermillion Branch

Dack was taken aback by the bureaucrat's short response, although honestly he shouldn't have expected anything else. He nodded apologetically. "Sorry for disturbing you. Is there some place you'd like us to wait?"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny -- Heahea City==-

Jenny chuckled with a smile, looking pretty pleased with the compliment. "Smooooth. Thanks." She said before she gave Evan a quick kiss on the cheek. "So then, where to? I'm all ready when you are, but what should we do? Maybe try and find some Alola-native Pokémon or something?" The redhead thought for a moment as she considered that thought. "What would be around, anyway? I wanna say there was something that Chloe used to always talk about, but I can't remember what..."

She trailed off after a moment, as she considered that. "Wait, I remember that? Sweet."

-==IC: Lucia -- Outside Looker Bureau, Lumiose City==-

"Hm." Lucia considered things for a moment, as she thought back to before she left to talk with Lionel. "Wasn't there something that everyone was talking about? Some Flair people or another? What's that all about?" Something felt different about Jamie's demeanor compared to before she had left and now, but she couldn't quite place what.

-==IC: Chloe/Ray -- Campsite==-

Chloe hid an amused smile at the mood change as she turned to make sure nothing was burning. Thankfully, it wasn't. She wasn't about to admit it, but this wasn't something she did often. She glanced back as Ryan asked the question about camping. "I don't like camping at all. Too many things that make my skin crawl - but I can't help it here, it's not like we could've just kept going until we reached a Pokémon Center, and they don't exactly sell houses in Poké Balls."

Ray raised a fork in agreement. "Yeah! Well, I camped more often as a kid, but I didn't really like it." He said, though Chloe looked in confusion as she realized that one of the finished plates were already taken away. Ray ignored the glare that was given to him, as he took another mouthful of scrambled eggs.

-==IC: Colleen -- Scarlet Café, Lumiose City==-

"Nope, actually." Colleen gave an amused smile at Alex's reaction. "I actually know one of your friends - Ryan..." She trailed off with a pause. "Uh, well, I forget his last name, but he's a good friend of yours from what I heard; he kept telling me about how you traveled everywhere together. I was wondering why your name sounded familiar, but that has to be it."

-==IC: Olivia -- Outside Looker Bureau==-

Olivia opened her mouth to respond before Jared and Dahlia started to talk again. She closed her mouth and decided to leave the conversation for later. She did think it over, however, an uneasy look on her face. Everyone kept mentioning about how dangerous Team Flare was... she definitely could see it too, based off Emma's reactions to their talk. Olivia glanced back at the door to the office, wishing that she could help out in some way. Yet she just kept drawing a blank. So she kept quiet in that regard. Still. . .

 

"Jared, hold up." She held up a hand, as she walked toward Lionel. This felt like it wasn't the time or place at all, but this was still a lead. "What do ya know about Flare, sir?" Olivia wanted to at least give the man a chance to respond before storming off. She wasn't quite fond of the sound of the man's attitude any more than Jared was - but she recognized how this could help. Two leads were better than one, after all.

 

-==IC: Ryan -- Vermilion City==-

 

With luck, the four made their way around the crowd. Ryan glanced over at Shannon for a moment. "Do you wanna go in too?" He didn't know how exciting something like this was going to be for the others and he was equally unsure how easy it would be to get out. At the same time, he didn't want to just leave them out here with the crowd this way - if Aori and Miyu got lost in the crowd, he wasn't sure if they'd be able to find them again, if they weren't outright trampled.

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Miriam Shields - Vermilion Branch

 

"Wherever you can find a seat," Miriam said. "Unless you want to go open the backdoor for me. I have an important guest that's trying to enter through the back to avoid the mess out front. If not, I really need to be going."

 

 

IC: Jamie Arthur - Lumiose City

 

"I mean, if you want to go with them, I will go, but..." Jamie's gave a sort of sad smile. "Well, I'll go with you no matter what. That is why I'm here after all."

Edited July 3, 2018 by Metal Gear Minun

[Flipz]

-==IC: Lionel Zyther==-

 

The silver-haired boy stormed off before Lionel could properly respond, but to the group’s credit one of the girls approached in his place.

 

"What do ya know about Flare, sir?" she asked him.

 

“Quite a bit,” he replied plainly. “The skeletons Lysandre left in his closets were…impressive, to say the least. The man was a genius--a madman, yes, but genius nonetheless. Of course, that’s no surprise given how long he kept his secrets, but I find that the common Kalosian tends to forget the man’s brilliance when remembering his monstrosity. It’s very…unwise. The man had contingencies for his contingencies, and I’ve spent the better part of the past decade unraveling his plots from the companies he left behind. It’s not something dor the eyes of…”

 

Lionel paused, studying the three carefully. The boy had the bearing of a brooding vigilante, perhaps a mercenary. Unstable, mercurial. Unreliable. The girl who’d stayed with him was a shrinking violet--the slightest pressure, she’d fold, she’d break. Unsafe. But the other girl, the one speaking with him now? She had steel, and the discipline to wield it. Like Lucia. Of the three, she was the one he’d peg as a Rocket.

 

Lionel looked the girl dead in the eyes. “Listen. I get Rocket’s interest, its concern. And I applaud their vigilance. But it’s apparent that they underestimate Flare, if they’re sending children to poke around its remnants. There are things in my warehouses that would scar you forever. Blueprints, documents, plans…Team Flare was evil, in a way your government fails to comprehend. They advocated eugenics and genocide, and they were prepared to act on those plans once they’d gained the power to do so; I have a list of every Kalosian child born before 2006 with even the slightest birth defect, and notebooks detailing their homes, their family trees, and their parents’ daily schedules at the time, and that’s one of the lighter discoveries I’ve made. If they hadn’t blown up their lab in Geosenge ten years ago, not just Kalos but the entire world would be a very different place. Team Rocket thinks they’re dealing with itself, but they’re wrong. Team Flare is something far, far worse. So I hope you’ll understand my reluctance to send a group of three teenagers to poke a metaphorical landmine unsupervised.”

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan "Smooth as Honey" Tierra

Evan scratched the back on his head after Jenny kissed him, blushing a bit at the action. When she asked him about their next plan of action, she had then pulled up an interesting proposition. He had gotten a bit of a peek at Chloe's Pokedex, and the Pokemon of Alola, from what he had seen, looked interesting. The man smiled at Jenny's realization. As I expected.... He thought happily. "Well, if we are gonna look for some Alolan Pokemon, we should go out and about!" He said cheerfully, striking a pose. "Let's go make some new friends!"

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan Sanders - Camp Site

Ryan failed to hide his frown as Chloe handed him his plate. "Really? Camping was like the coolest thing ever when I was a kid. Getting out in nature, pitching your tent, making sure wild Pokémon didn't eat all your food -- it made me feel like a real Pokémon trainer, even though it was just me and Quil and my parents. These eggs are delicious, Chloe." His disappointment at his friends' lack of camping enthusiasm quickly melted away at the taste of the freshly cooked breakfast.

 

IC: Alex Lockwood - Scarlet Café, Lumiose City

"Sanders?" Alex's eyes grew wide. "You know Ryan Sanders? That's amazing! What's he been up to? He's not here with you, is he?" Alex glanced around the café, as if expecting Ryan to suddenly appear. "You know, I was just telling Em about my travels with Sanders. Small world."

 

IC: Dahlia Seaton - Looker Bureau, Lumiose City

"With all due respect, sir, we are aware of the risks we're taking." Dahlia stepped up to her sister's side and looked the man squarely in the face. She hadn't been paying attention to Mr. Zyther's words before, but now that Olivia was talking to him, his implications that the group was not ready to handle Team Flare rubbed her the wrong way. "If Team Flare is really as bad as you say, then someone has to step up and stop them from rising again. If that means risking our lives for the safety of the world, all of us are prepared to do that." Reaching into her pocket, she clasped her hand around the yellow shard Evan had given her. A grim resolve burned in her eyes. "Because that's what heroes do."

 

IC: Shannon Willows - Vermillion City

Shannon glanced back at the mob and squeezed Aori and Miyu's hands. "I think it would be best if we stick together," she told Ryan. "Not to mention, the office will probably be much quieter than out here."

 

IC: Dack Majors/Madison Morrow/Luke - Team Rocket Vermillion Branch

"Backdoor?" Dack said. "That we can do. Again, sorry for disturbing you. We saw the rioters outside when we came in; they certainly seem like a handful." With a bow, he backed out of the bureaucrat's room.

 

"Man, does your Rocket work usually involve this much waiting?" Luke asked as they headed for the back door.

 

"When we're not on active missions it can be a little slow, yes," Dack said. "Getting turned into a door boy is a new one, though."

[Parugi]

IC - Executive Scott Stone - Streets, Lavender Town:

 

"Memory House, then," Scott said. "I'll let you do the talking on this one."

 

 

IC - Blackskull - Blackskull's Office, The Alamo:

 

Wordlessly, Blackskull took a long drink of his tea. Whether he was offended or not was difficult to tell.

 

"I could arrange that," he said after a moment. Blackskull peered closely at Lohe. "Not just for anyone, though. Could you remind me what your relation is to the Alolan government? I didn't get much detail on that. Nor, I'm afraid, do I know as much about Alolan politics as I do, say, Unovan--they've got the Sages, we've got Shadow Admins and Liberty Leaders, and so on. Who are you to your government?"

 

 

IC - Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron/Emmerich Coleman - Campsite, Route 45:

 

It wasn't long before the others stirred and emerged into the breakfast conversation. Emmerich appeared from his tent no worse for the wear than he had looked the day before. His hair and clothes remained, somehow, as impeccable as ever. He offered a brief nod to Chloe, Ray, and Ryan as he moved to join them. Kyle awoke not too long after, groggy and stumbling out of his tent with a blanket wrapped around himself. Finally Sonja appeared, not from a tent but from around a wall of rock, apparently returning from a morning walk. She took a seat with everyone else, offering an appreciative nod to Chloe as she received a plate of food.

 

"You all are up so early," Kyle said, unable to stifle a yawn. "Weirdos . . ."

 

"How was last shift, Chloe?" Sonja asked, ignoring Kyle. "Anything weird happen?"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Olivia -- Outside Looker Bureau, Lumiose City==-

 

Olivia listened to what the man said with an unreadable look on her face. She couldn't resist shuddering slightly at the descriptions of what Lysandre's disgusting plans were, but even still, she stood there and looked him back in the eyes. The redhead mulled over the different things mentioned, trying to find something to pick it apart. At first, she wanted to criticize the idea that they were unable to look into it because they were "teenagers" to be more than a little annoying, but knew that attacking that would be useless for multiple reasons. She listened as Dahlia spoke up, though didn't feel like that would be enough either. That said. . .

 

"There's a key word there in whatcha said, sir." The corner of her lip rose with the ever-so-slight hint of bemusement. "You said 'unsupervised'. Now, what if we were supervised by someone? Someone who knows just how disgusting these people can be. What if you helped us out with this? If you watched over us and made sure we were supervised as we investigated?" Olivia wasn't entirely liking this plan, admittedly, but she kept her poker face up as she knew it was one of the only ways to get the information from him. If he didn't want them to be unsupervised, then she'd make sure they were supervised... even if it made her feel restricted.

 

-==IC: Lucia -- Outside Looker Bureau, Lumiose City==-

 

Something felt wrong, but Lucia still couldn't place what it was. She felt torn - she wanted to help out if this was something bad. But she also wanted to help out Jamie, although she had absolutely no idea where that even started or what was wrong. What if she chose wrong? What if she had already chosen wrong by asking her to come with her, when Jamie wanted to help out back at Four Island?

 

She sighed. "I... don't know. I want to know more about what's even happening, but I want to help, but I also don't want to... I don't want to do something you'll be unhappy with." Lucia decided to not question any further, though she still seemed rather torn.

 

-==IC: Jenny -- Heahea City==-

 

Jenny grinned, then led the way out of the store. She was eager to find out what kind of Pokémon were around here, even if she had no clue what could work with her team. As they walked toward the route closest to the hotel, Jenny glanced over at Evan.

 

"Anything you have in mind to catch?" The woman asked with a curious look on her face. "Your face seemed to light up when I mentioned Alolan Pokémon."

 

-==IC: Colleen -- Scarlet Café, Lumiose City==-

 

Colleen was surprised by the sudden enthusiasm from Alex, which she found to be a little bit overwhelming. She tried to place things in order to keep herself from getting nervous, then took a subtle breath to focus.

 

"Yeah, I know him, he helped me out a couple times, then I helped him out a couple times. He's not here right now, he's with some other people in Johto to get something to... y'know, I don't really understand that part." She shook her head, as it was rather complicated to explain. "Long story short, he's gonna be meeting up with me and my friends later on." Colleen felt like it was weird to refer to the group she was with as 'friends', but it was the best way to explain right then. After a brief pause, she turned back to Emily.

 

"Did he exaggerate any tales?" She asked with a teasing grin, though she thought for a second too. "Oh, um, are you two like... brother and sister?" The aura wielder detected similarities in their auras, but she couldn't tell exactly how they were similar.

 

-==IC: Chloe/Ray -- Camp Site, Route 45==-

 

"Thanks." Chloe gave a smile at the compliment - her mission had succeeded. Ray and Chloe decided on an unspoken agreement to not bring the camping thing back up for that moment. Thankfully, before there was a chance to continue that line of conversation, everyone else woke up and joined them. Chloe had just opened up her mouth to reply to Kyle's comment when Sonja spoke up.

 

"Something... strange?" The woman furrowed her eyebrows in confusion with a frown. She tried to recall anything out of the ordinary, but shook her head with a confused look on her face. "Not that I recall. I think the stars looked different, but I was looking at them without my glasses sometimes, since I didn't have my contacts in. But that doesn't sound like what you mean..." Chloe looked down at her plate briefly, but then back up at Sonja. "Did something happen last night?"

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Lafoyae Belrose

Nodding at Scott, Lafoyae led the Executive through the gloomy town. The prospect of information about this girl was great, but so was the likelihood they could be attacked by the very spirits she sought to commune with. The two had approached the Memory House, which despite the gloominess of the surrounding town, gave an aura of serenity. A shame there had to be a killing here. The Assassin thought to herself as she opened the door and entered the building.

There were rows of gravestones, all of which were arranged in an orderly fashion, some with flowers or keepsakes laid in front of them. The area was empty, possibly due to the late hour. The woman looked around, and then crouched in front of a grave, opening her mind. "Hear me spirits, so that I may ask for your aid. Lafoyae broadcasted solemnly. "There was blood spilled on this hallowed ground, and I wish to know who did it."

IC: Evan Tierra

Evan grinned at Jenny's question, gleeful to share his idea. "Well, you see.....Chloe let me look at her Pokedex, and there was a really cool Pokemon I saw....." The Hero said happily. "It's called Mudsdale, and it's a big beautiful Pokemon that looks like Rapidash, only covered in mud and it has no horn." The brown-haired man looked absolutely overjoyed to be talking about this pokemon, before continuing. "I was hoping to find it's pre-evolved pokemon so I could raise one myself."

Evan then pulled himself from his gushing, and threw Jenny a curious look of his own. "What about you?" He asked, adding a smile to his look. "Got any Alolan Pokemon on your mind, Jen-Jen?"

Edited July 3, 2018 by Dr. Hidaka

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan Sanders - Camp Site, Route 45

Ryan looked up from his breakfast in surprise. If something had happened during Sonja's shift, the girl didn't look any worse for wear. If anything, Kyle was the one looking exhausted. If something had happened, though, why hadn't she woken anybody up? He slowly continued to eat, listening for whatever Sonja had to say.

 

IC: Alex Lockwood - Scarlet Café, Lumiose City

"Cousins, actually," Alex said with a smile. He lowered his voice so the other café-goers wouldn't overhear. "So is Ryan meeting you here for a fun getaway, or is there something . . . more going on?" He couldn't tell if the girl was part of Team Liberty or not, but if she wasn't he didn't want to be the one to blow Ryan's cover, or his own. Sure, the ceasefire had eased tensions between Rocket and Liberty, but he could never be too careful.

 

IC: Dahlia Seaton - Looker Bureau, Lumiose City

Dahlia looked over at her sister in surprise. Suggesting this stern businessman accompany them on their mission certainly seemed something out of left field. When she thought about the situation objectively, it did make the most sense, but she was also afraid the man's presence would cause unnecessary tension in the group. Jared already seemed ready to storm off and leave the man in the dust, and she doubted his mood would improve any if Mr. Zyther came with them. Clasping her hands behind her back, Dahlia looked over at Lucia's father to see what he would decide. She didn't want to give an opinion either way, so she'd just sit back and see how this all played out.

[Parugi]

IC - Sonja Baron/Kyle Eston/Emmerich Coleman - Campsite, Route 45:

 

"Something attacked an Onix and a Tyrunt down in that valley last night," Sonja said. "Kyle was with me. We didn't get a good look at it, but it didn't look like anything I've ever heard of or seen before, and it took off south after almost killing both of them." She looked at Kyle. "I'm guessing it didn't come back on your shift?" Kyle shook his head. "So it may not be an immediate danger, but . . . Basically, we should be careful going forward."

[MELON LORD]

IC: Jared Winters

 

Jared stood with his back turned to the rest of the group, though he still felt their auras behind him. Honestly, he could take or leave this man.

 

Teenagers, indeed. It's not like you and I have a body count in the triple digits or anything.

 

I don't like him either, but . . . maybe don't mention our body count around the others.

 

What, you think Dahlia might turn tail and run? But she's so supportive and caring and kind.

 

Jared just sighed, glancing back at the others. "We don't need 'supervision.' We've all faced things scarier than you can imagine and lived to tell about it. If you want to come with us, I guess I won't stop you, but this 'teenager' nonsense ends here."

 

IC: Emily Lockwood

 

Emily nudged her cousin lightly. "No need to whisper, Alex. If Team Rocket jumped out of the trash bin and attacked you right now, they'd be arrested, because we don't live under their rule." She turned back to Colleen, smiling. "I'm going to guess this is some sort of mission, though, unless I misread the situation. Are you with that Ranger over there?"

 

IC: Lachina Adaon

 

"Hey, the stories are what you make of them. Are you really telling me you haven't had any good times with your team?"

 

IC

 

The door to the building slammed shut, followed by the sound of a lock being thrown into place. The warm yellow light of the candles was snuffed out and replaced with eerie blue balls of fire floating up near the ceiling.

 

Ghostly figures emerged from the graves in the room, crying out in pain, agony, fear, sorrow . . . A man rose from the far end of the room, his torso coated in blood from a gaping, sucking wound in his chest.

 

A deep bellowing voice rang through the small room.

 

"̱͎̳͎̮̪͝ͅW͏̺̯͕̙̫h̪̥͠ͅo͇͖̗̩͘ ̲̼͉͟d̗͚̞̻͇̫͘a̪̼̬̦͉̙̱r͔̤͈̭͚e͙̟͇̦s̸̰̖ ͠to̬̻ ̰̞̝̹͢w̺ák͎̭̦̀è ̴͔t̯̖͎͟h̩͝e ҉̭d̡̟̘̫e̬̜͔̻̬̫͜ͅa̰̘͉̕ͅd̠̟̭?̲̮̦͎̺̤͎̕!͖̱̖̻͍͖͇"̖̫̗

Edited July 3, 2018 by MELON LORD