Pokémon: Rise Of The Rockets

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Chloe==-

 

Chloe blinked, as the stream of words poured out from the other end of the screen. However, she scratched her head while trying to figure out a way to respond to it. "Well... I'm sorry, too..." She seemed a little awkward, as she tapped her fingers together. "I accept your apology, but I'm sorry that I caused all this... I should've picked my words better, or called sometime else, or something. Plus, we kinda weren't really... well, we didn't know much about any of us, and I hadn't let anyone even have a clue. I... I know you were trying to help, and I only really have myself to blame for a lot of that reaction..." She sighed, but offered a small smile, to show she didn't really have any hard feelings.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

The Liberty agent was caught off guard by Chloe's apology. "Wait, no, you shouldn't be the one to apologize," he protested. "I don't think any less of you for it. I'm the one who's at fault here; didn't you see everyone else rush to your defense?" He glanced around the empty room and felt a lump form in his throat. Even though he had talked it over with Xander and Ray, he couldn't change what he'd done, nor could he so easily forget those ruthless gazes and accusing words thrown at him. Trying to regain his composure, Ryan cleared his throat and looked back at the screen, managing a smile. "They were all congratulating you... Supporting you... I don't think this is something you should be sorry for."

 

Togie could feel his trainer's emotions, and gave a worried croon. He had sensed the guilt and fear slowly building up in Ryan throughout the roundtable discussion, and now it was finally breaking loose. He glanced at Orihime for help, then jabbered his annoyance at Chloe for making Ryan feel bad.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Chloe===-

 

Orihime gave a warning noise to Togie, as she shook her head. For all the times the Togekiss agreed with the other, she could tell that this was an important talk for Ryan to have.

 

"And you were trying to make sure everything was alright?" Chloe smiled softly, as she tried to defuse the situation. She took a deep breath, as she tried to not get lost in an apology war, and looked at Ryan. "I'm glad for everyone accepting and supporting me... But I don't think it was mostly your fault. Everyone who had done so, probably at least already had a suspicion, right? You didn't know; and I didn't even start out by explaining that everything was fine. I'll admit that I'd taken it a bit hard at first, but... You yourself explained why." She giggled slightly, as if recalling a long gone mistake they had both made.

 

"We didn't spend much time getting to know anyone in Unova; how could I have expected things to be different? Evan was an exception, and I think he'd been starting to guess even before I said it. Everyone else had known me even more so, and I think other Ryan's become a bit overprotective of me since we got back on good terms." Chloe paused for a moment, as she rubbed the back of her head. "I didn't want any of that fighting, no matter the cause. You weren't saying stuff to demean me. Though... Little word of advice, maybe you could've like, asked some different questions instead." She sheepishly smiled, but sighed. "I don't think it was fully either of our faults, though. Like, if I had've explained myself even after you'd asked if I were alright... would things have gone out of hand? I... think it was just a big misunderstanding... do you?"

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

Togie opened his mouth as if to argue against Orihime, but the look on her face convinced him to just let this play out. He kept a cautious eye on his trainer, desperately wishing things didn't get more out of hand.

 

Ryan couldn't help but smile at Chloe's words. He took a deep breath. "You're... you're right. It was nothing more than an honest misunderstanding." He scratched the back of his head. "As good as apologizing is, I think it'd be best if we both put this behind us. I'll forgive you, and you'll forgive me. Because you have a good point, fighting amongst ourselves isn't going to get us anywhere. Sound like a deal?" His mood brightened. "Then it'll be just like old times... other than the fact that you're Chloe now."

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Chloe==-

 

Chloe nodded in response with a smile, but then thought for a moment. "Actually, it might be different than old times still, I mean, we didn't really talk much back then. Which, well, probably led to that misunderstanding in the first place. And, well, half of what happened in the first place." She awkwardly giggled, but smiled. "But yep... even though I'll look a little different... I'm still me. A happier me, and maybe I'll express myself a bit differently from not having to worry so much... but still me. It's a deal." She was glad that things seemed to be working out a bit better, and relaxed slightly. Even if he hadn't said anything, she had gotten the feeling that things had been tense during the talking.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

Togie gleefully jumped in the air upon seeing the tension diffuse. Ryan laughed. "I think Togie here likes that idea," he said. "Either way, things can only get better from here. In any case, I hate to let you go, but it smells like Dahlia's nearly got dinner ready, and I'm starving." He gave a friendly wave to his fellow Liberty agent. "You take care, Chloe, alright?"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Chloe==-

 

Chloe nodded in response, as she smiled. "You too. Hopefully things go well with finding Ellen... I think we'd join, but it seems a bit crowded there right now." She awkwardly giggled, and scratched her head. "Besides, I think there's a few things I'd need to work on before that, anyway. Hopefully the food's good, though, Dahlia's a good cook." The girl leaned back a little, glad that everything had turned out okay in the end.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

Ryan nodded with a grin. "What she's cooked so far has been absolutely delicious. And don't feel bad about not being able to help with Ellen... it's amazing we already have as many people helping as we do. Anyway, hopefully the next time we meet in person, you'll get to talk to Ellen yourself. Bye, now!"

 

The Liberty agent took Evan's Pokégear and unhooked it from the screen, disconnecting the call as he did so. He turned to face the two Togekiss, still wearing a smile on his face. "Well, that went better than expected," he said. As he made his way toward the kitchen, Togie and Orihime in tow, his thoughts wandered back to the Squirtle doll in his backpack. "That's one apology down... one to go."

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

 

Olivia hung back as Chloe decided to talk with Ryan personally. This was very obviously a personal situation for the two of them to work out, and so the eldest Seaton chose not to say anything, also partially due to the exhaustion of talking during the roundtable not long ago. And so she simply let the two of them reconcile and wish each other luck on their journeys, stretching as the call shut off. "Well, that went pretty well, didn't it?" the red-haired trainer said, grinning at Chloe. "Kinda got into a battle to see who could apologize more for a bit, but in the end it all worked out. Honestly, I'm surprised you don't have more friends, you seem like such a natural at making them..." she told her girlfriend.

 

"On another note, didn't that Ryan guy mention Dahlia and cooking? So she's become the chef of the group, hasn't she? I'm not too surprised." Olivia chuckled. "She's always been a talented cook. I wonder how well she'll fit in with that group, though... Never really was much of a fighter. Now she's chosen by Giratina and helping them look for Ellen..." she muttered, rubbing the back of her head. "Hopefully she'll be alright... She's got a lotta people looking out for her, but for some reason, I still can't help but worry..."

IC: Aspen Seaton

 

Aspen kept petting Ellen all throughout the roundtable, contented by the Eevee curled up in his lap. When the call ended, Aspen quickly picked up the Pokemon and held her comfortably before standing up to exit the room. It was at that moment that Xander approached him, and explained his lack of sleep, finishing with a request for the trainer to also take Vixen back to his room.

"Oh, she wants to stay at my room too? No problem! The more the merrier, in this case." he replied, chuckling while looking down at the Pokemon in his arm. "Sure thing, I'll take 'em back to my room and keep an eye on them until morning. I'll also make sure they're comfy and happy, alright? Cute little fellas..." the youngest Seaton said, scratching Ellen behind the ear while looking over at Vixen.

IC: Dahlia Seaton

 

Dahlia quickly left the room to go to the kitchen, her mind racing on what to do for dinner. Her thoughts were paused for a moment when Terry approached her, with Paul explaining the Herdier's newfound fondness for her poffins. "Hmm, I ran out of poffins last time, I'll have to make some more, alright?" the gardener asked, kneeling to pet Terry. "Thanks for the offer, Paul, I'm not sure if there's anything in specific I need from you, but more hands when cooking is always nice. I still don't know what to make for dinner right now, but I'm going to add in another batch of poffins for this sweetheart." she said, scratching under Terry's chin. 

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Chloe==-

 

Chloe chuckled, as she nodded. "I get that... but, I have faith in her. I think she'll do just fine..." The girl giggled a bit, and then pondered over something for a moment. "Hey, while we're still somehow awake, how about you meet Heather now?" She asked, as she dug through her bag for the Pikachu's Pokeball. With a smile, she sent out Heather quickly, as the Pikachu looked up curiously at Olivia, a wide smile on her face.

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

 

"Huh? Oh, uh, sure." Olivia replied, watching as Chloe released Heather. "Hello there. I uh, dunno if you were listening earlier, but Chloe and I were thinking about having you train under me for just a bit so I can keep up with her and the others... How's that sound? she asked the Pikachu, rubbing the back of her head. "I mean, seems like you'd get along with the rest of my team, and Chloe thinks you might see some more action under me, but yeah."

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Chloe==-

 

Chloe watched with a smile, as the Pikachu looked up curiously at that and then nodded her head. The electric mouse went up to Olivia, and nuzzled against her leg with a happy squeal, and seemed to be overall happy with the idea of it. "I think she likes you..." The trainer giggled, as she watched the scene unfold in amusement.

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

 

"I get that same feeling, really." the eldest Seaton said, chuckling at the scenario. She reached down and pet Heather and picked up the Pikachu. "Welcome to the team, hopefully you enjoy your stay." Olivia said, putting the electric mouse on her shoulder afterwards. She looked over to Chloe, chuckling. "So, whaddya think? This look good?"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Chloe==-

 

Chloe giggled, and nodded again, as she watched the Pikachu squeal happily. "I think so. She already seems to be liking the situation, too." She smiled amusedly, but yawned. "Dang... it really is late, huh?" She awkwardly giggled, and hopped onto the bed. "What about you? I think I noticed you nodding off a time or two toward the end..." She giggled again, as she gave Olivia a teasing grin. Whether or not she actually had, was a different question.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander and Sylph

 

Xander smiled and gently handed Vixen over to Aspen. "Thanks, man, you're a real lifesaver. Vixen can get kind of rowdy, though, so watch out."

 

Sylph giggled as they walked into the galley. Mischievous is more the word I'd use. Take care that she doesn't set anything on fire.

 

IC: Ellen and Vixen

 

The two foxes laid contently in Aspen's arms. Vixen's ears twitched, but she pretended to ignore the comments of her trainer and his most-trusted companion. As far as Aspen would know, she was a perfect being.

 

Ellen was watching everything passively, more excited to see Saya than anything else.

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

 

"Oh come on, I wasn't that obvious about my tiredness." Olivia replied, grinning. "You are right though, we kinda talked for a long time with that group... They're just having dinner now, but it's a lot later over here." the red-haired trainer pointed out with a stretch and a yawn. "Today was eventful, huh? Might be time to start winding things down."

 

IC: Aspen Seaton

 

"Don't worry, even if Vixen tries to burn anything down, I can have Torrent put out the fire." the trainer responded, grinning a bit. Aspen walked over to his room, setting both Pokemon on the bed and rubbed their heads. "Alright, so it seems like dinner's gonna start soon, so I'll have to go get food for me and you two and whatnot. But before that, how about you meet some of my Pokemon? And Ellen, you get to see Saya again." he said, releasing Flare, Torrent, Meadow, and Saya.

 

The trio that formed an elemental triangle turned their heads and greeted Xander's Pokemon, with Meadow twirling around while Torrent posed. Saya on the other hands, looked around quckly, before locking eyes with Ellen. The small Eevee paused for a moment, before giving a small greeting, though obviously feeling less trepidation around Ellen.

Edited February 8, 2016 by Noriaki Kakyoin

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Chloe==-

 

Chloe giggled, and nodded. "Yep... Maybe tomorrow we'll head back home for a bit..." She giggled some more, as she thought over how that might work, as she found herself growing more and more tired, and closed her eyes for a bit...

 

The next morning, the girl slowly opened her eyes with a yawn. She seemed to be first up again and smiled, as she kissed Olivia's forehead sleepily, before she hopped out of bed, and went to get changed and prepare herself for the day. When she returned, Chloe noticed that the other red-haired girl was sitting up and rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Morning, Liv~" The peppy girl giggled, as she smiled at her best friend. "Ready to get going? I think we probably can just teleport this time, so there's no real time to lose; I think the bags are all packed and ready..." The girl continued to ramble on, as she continued to look around the room, flitting around and making sure that everything was all in order, missing the obvious problem of that Olivia was, in fact, not ready at all.

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

 

"Five more minutes, Mom..." Olivia muttered tiredly, only barely registering the things Chloe said to her. The exhausted redhead yawned again and slumped over, hair hanging in front of her face. It was extremely clear in that instance that Olivia Seaton was very much not a morning person.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Chloe==-

 

Chloe blinked in confusion, as she paused, hearing what Olivia had said. She giggled to herself with an amused smile, her cheeks a bit red from being called 'mom', but she knew the other girl had to be awake if they were going to make any headway... or if Chloe was going to be able to tease her about this. She walked over to Olivia, and amusedly poked her on the forehead. "Liv... I know you like sleep, but we need to get going. We're losing time just staying here..." She giggled some more, and tried to kiss the sleepy girl once again. "I know you'll wake more one you actually focus on it."

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

When Chloe kissed her a second time, Olivia finally regained some semblance of consciousness. "I'm awake, I swear! Urgh..." she said as she attempted to get out of bed in her exhausted stupor. "Morning already...? Bleh, why didn't morning wait another hour or five?" she mumbled tiredly, going to get dressed for the next day, not at all realizing her first initial response to Chloe.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Chloe==-

 

Chloe giggled. "Because then it'd be afternoon, silly. It's already 10." She paused for a moment at that, as she shouldered her backpack, and thought that over. "Well... here, at least. Hopefully my knowledge of timezones isn't as bad as my sense of direction..." She mumbled the last sentence to herself, even though Olivia likely wasn't paying much attention at all. She busied herself, however, with over-preparing things; trying to keep herself occupied without many other things to do, since she was too antsy to get going. She also, however, was a little nervous on how Olivia's parents would take any of the turns that had occurred over the past week. Chloe glanced over again, to see if Olivia was ready yet, her outside appearance still reflecting the same type of cheeriness you would find in a kindergarten class which had been taken on a visit to an ice cream factory that had a candy shop attached to it.

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

Olivia paid no mind to Chloe's words, and just spent time getting ready as usual. "Think I'm done, guess we can do things now?" she said as she walked up to Chloe, still brushing her hair. She noticed that Chloe seemed to be a bit too happy however, and raised an eyebrow. "Someone's cheery this morning... Did I miss something?" the eldest Seaton asked, very confused. "I mean, I only just woke up, and still out of it, did I just not pay attention to something...?"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Chloe==-

 

Chloe blinked, as she looked over at Olivia's words. She scratched her head for a moment, as she pondered over them. "I don't think you did... I think I'm just excited to get back, since it might help with me taking the next step..." She trailed off sheepishly, as she tapped her fingers together, a little embarrassed now that she was so excited over her transition. She began to feel the nervousness start to take hold a bit, as she scratched her head again. "M-maybe I shouldn't get too ahead of myself, though. I just..."

 

Chloe bit her lip, as she tried to find the right way to put her feelings into words. She was torn - she was both ultra excited that things were finally going right for her, but nervous still about what others thought of her. She was also wanting things to go faster, but simultaneously wondering if it was going a bit too fast. The latter worry only popped up from time to time, but right now, due to her excitement, she began to wonder if others might think that too. The girl glanced up at Olivia, as if asking a totally unsaid question on what was thought on that matter.

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

 

"...Huh?" Olivia said, noticing something really was off about Chloe's behavior. "What's wrong, why are you worried...?" she asked, reaching for her friend's hand. The red-haired trainer thought, and looked into Chloe's eyes, sighing. "...It's about Mom and Dad, isn't it? You're worried about how they'll like you?" she asked, pulling her grip into a hug. "Well, we won't know till we try, but I'll do everything I can to get them to adore you. I mean, if they don't from the moment they see you. that is... I have faith in them." she reassured Chloe, smiling. "They're very nice people, after all, and I'm pretty sure always loved you like they do me and Dahlia and Aspen... I don't think you'll have a problem at all."

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Chloe==-

 

Chloe returned the hug for comfort, and nodded. "That's true... I probably worry about the silliest of things, don't I?" She smiled a bit ruefully at first, but then it turned more genuine after a moment. "Thanks, though. Do you think I'm... going too fast, though?" She seemed curious about that part, and sheepishly smiled. "I'll, um, try not to focus on that too much while at the house and such, as much as I wanna..."

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Jamie - Celadon City Pokémon Center

 

As it turns out, taking custody of a patient requires a lot of paperwork. Compounded by the sheer chaos that the Celadon Pokémon Center was still in, they were in for a long wait. You’d think that they’d try rushing her out as quickly as they could to make way for other patients, but nooo.

 

Waiting is boring, Jamie decided. Very boring.

 

Don't get her wrong, James and Guinevere were the closest thing she had to family and she was happy to help... but waiting was just so pointless! She could be doing anything other than this. She could be having a Pokémon Battle, taunting fools who take over shopping malls, hunting down villains.

 

“UUGH” Jamie let out slip to Pelleas’ surprise (and annoyance of anyone who could hear her in this din; Jamie was not the only person to be waiting for hours).

 

The rude sigh was enough to warrant the scolding finger… or claw as it were.

 

“I'm sorry Pelleas," she said, looking genuinely remorseful (to Pelleas at any rate).

 

The Heracross was satisfied and ruffled her hair.

 

Lucia was spared the loud sigh by virtue of not being there as she got up to get drinks. Sadly, Jamie's loud sigh had done nothing to speed up time, and she still did not know how much more time it would take.

 

A thought popped into the young girl's head. She was the Heroine of Time right? That meant she could totally fast-forward time to skip the wait time right?

 

Jamie’s inner Rocket slapped her inner-child. The idea of that flagrant abuse of power would not slide. Her inner-child cried and wouldn’t stop until her inner-Rocket gave her a lollipop. They were friends again…. Now she wanted a lollipop.

 

Speaking of being the Heroine of Time, she hadn’t actually told Lucia that. It would be kinda weird to just say ‘By the way, the Legendary Pokémon of Time told me that I am the Heroine of Time and told me to find a guy named Evan’, but hey Lucia took the clone thing in stride though, that means she’d take this well too, right?

 

"Ms. Arthur? The paperwork checks out and you're free to escort the patient," said a nurse who walked up to Jamie.

 

“FINALLY! I mean thank you very much," Jamie said before standing up.

 

Lucia returned and told Jamie that her aunt had sent her a message stating that she would arrive to help them get Guinevere to the mansion shortly. They waited a few minutes more before Guinevere was brought into the lobby.

 

Guinevere was awake but was confined to her bed, unable to move her body very much. Her face seemed crestfallen but it she did not look to be in a lot of pain. As Jamie approached her, she turned her head slightly to face her.

 

I guess I am in your care now, Guinevere said wistfully. Jamie had always been bigger than her, but Guinevere still considered her a child compared to herself. Now that she was the one who had to be taken care of, Guinevere had to admit that she found it slightly embarrassing. Not out loud of course.

 

"Leave it to us, with Lucia and I looking after you, you will be on your feet in no time," Jamie said.

 

I hope so...

 

IC: Richard - Virbank City Gym (Audience)

 

Richard watched with anticipation as the Gym Leader had her Pokémon being healed by girls that reminded him of many a Nurse Joy he’d met in his travels, except these girls were wearing leather jackets for whatever reason. His attention was grabbed however by the dispersing of the crowd around him as Claus took the stage.

 

“Why is the crowd breaking up?” Richard asked Hades.

 

Hades pointed at the retiring victor and then held up five claws before pointing at Claus and then only holding up two.

 

“So the crowd is leaving just because Claus is only going for his second badge?”

 

The Sableye nodded.

 

“That’s kinda rude…”

 

The Sableye shrugged, the crowd dissipating meant he had a better view. Couldn’t complain about that. Of course, it could have been that Claus just didn’t look like an interesting guy to watch fight… if they could see him in the first place.

 

Hades shook his head vigorously; that was a joke, it better not have been the actual reason.

 

IC: Claus - Virbank City Gym (Stage)

 

Claus, for his part, was kinda glad that the crowd was getting smaller. He preferred even the feeling of being invisible to having everyone in the room’s eyes on him. Hopefully in later Gyms there would be smaller crowds be default.

 

Richard was waving to him, and shouting loud enough to make up for a portion of the crowd that broke up.

 

Claus chuckled at that, while comforted that he had someone rooting for him, he also felt pressure not to disappoint him.

 

On the other side of the field stood Roxie "Welcome challenger! I hope you are prepared because..." Roxie paused violently shaking her head. "No; this isn't the time for talk! Send out your Pokémon; three vs. three, let's settle this in battle!" she shouted and slammed a Pokeball onto the ground letting a Whirlipede come out.

 

Claus , "Uh... right! Go Porky!" the challenger said tossing a Pokeball onto the ground before him.

 

Out of the Pokeball came the Tepig known as Porky. Upon realizing that it was about to go into battle, Porky flared his nostrils.

 

Roxie gave a wide smile at seeing the fire type, the challenge provided by a type disadvantage suited her just fine, "A Tepig? Very well then! Make your move!" she said and began to start playing her guitar.

 

"Porky use Ember," Claus said, playing his first move safe.

 

The Tepig's nostrils flared literally this time as Porky sent a small stream of fire towards the Whirlipede.

 

Roxie watched, as the Tepig spit fire at the Whirlipede. The Bug/Poison type nimbly moved out of the way, as the Ember caught the edge of her. As she rolled a little ways away, the Whirlipede seemed not much worse for wear.

 

"Alright... Toxic! Let's take the enemy down!" The gym leader cried, as the Whirlipede launched a ball of poison toward her opponent. As she did so, she felt herself growing faster, as the Speed Boost began to kick in. Roxie watched Claus with fire in her eyes, intent to find out what his next move would be.

 

The Toxic hit Porky and poison took hold. The pain was minuscule at the moment, but Claus knew the longer the battle went on, the worse it would get. And as the Whirlipede grew swifter, Claus realized that he couldn't let it gain the speed advantage. He had to gain momentum and fast. "Porky, use Flame Charge to build speed and attack."

 

Porky oinked before wreathing himself in flames. The flames propelled the Tepig forward as it charged at the Whirlipede. The Whirlipede seemed surprised, as the small pig caught up to her. She only barely hid a wince of pain, as the Tepig crashed into her with the Flame Charge, and dealt more damage than she would've wished to take from this opponent. However, with Porky right there, it opened more opportunities to take back the advantage. Roxie recognized this, and smiled widely once more.

 

"Now, Venom Drench!" The Whirlipede let loose a stream of venom which quickly covered the Tepig. She watched, knowing the Tepig would once again slow down, and have his power sapped from the poisonous slime. "Well, challenger? How will you come back from this?" Roxie challenged, as she turned her gaze momentarily to the opposing trainer.

 

Claus hadn't expected Venom Drench. With Venom Drench, Roxie could drag out the battle as long as she needed to. Toxic was slowly beginning to increase in severity as the pain on Porky's face showed. He needed it to end it now. There was only one option.

 

"Like this! Porky use Flare Blitz!" Claus yelled.

 

The Tepig began to slowly build up the flames necessary to use such a powerful attack, the process taking up his health even more as Toxic continued to worsen but Porky persevered. The Whrlipede seemed to wait as the flames began to build further and further. When the flames suddenly turned blue, the Tepig finally charged at the Whirlipede.

 

Roxie raised an eyebrow, as the Tepig approached. "Alright then. Venoshock." She said, a hard look on her face, as the Whirlipede began to gather poison. As Porky drew ever closer, the bug type waited for the right time. She then promptly attempted to strike it down with the poisonous move, knowing that it would be even more effective with the opponent poisoned like he was.

 

Porky didn't even have a chance to dodge. Even without the attack doubling in power the attack would have left Porky with little strength left to fight. With it though, Porky fainting was all but assured. Claus retreated the Tepig silently.

 

"All that build up and that's it? Kid, get off the stage!" a member of the audience booed.

 

Richard overheard the person next to him and decided he wanted to have a few words about proper audience etiquette. However, Hades grabbed hold of Richard's arm. Upon looking at the Sableye, Richard backed down.

 

"You're right, it's not worth risking them cancelling the fight."

 

Roxie herself gave several members of her audience sharp looks. Bad manners and boos were not welcome at her concerts. Unless the bad manners were from her own lips of course. That's just to be expected.

 

Claus couldn't hear what the man said, but he might have pieced it together, as he wasn't the only one in the audience that seemed either disappointed or mocking him. He didn't think they were wrong to either; that was lousy. What was he even doing here? He knew that he wasn't ready, his last gym battle was a fluke and-

 

Claus quickly felt the fist of Flint bonk down on his head. The Monferno hated when Claus got mopey. They were on stage darn it! That's when you need to be your most energetic. Why was that so hard for Claus to understand?

 

"Thanks Flint," Claus said as he snapped himself back into the battle. "Go Baccio!"

 

The Roggenrola appeared in a flash of light from a Pokeball, assessed the situation and prepared itself for battle.

 

"Autotomize and Stone Edge!"

 

The Whirlipede expected a Rock-Type attack, but it didn't expect the small rock to move so fast, nor that it would use the momentum from its own speed to launch the rocks at a higher velocity. The rocks slammed into the Whirlipede perfectly causing the Bug/Poison to faint in one go.

 

Richard put on a big ole smug grin on his face before shouting, "Woo! Go Claus!"

 

"Nice." Roxie said simply, as she called back her newly fainted Pokémon. She still wore a confident smile, however, as she replaced the Poké Ball on her belt for her next one. "Grimer, you're up." She said, as she sent out the living sludge Pokémon. "Ready for this one, challenger?" The gym leader asked, as she returned her glance to Claus. She was feeling herself getting fired up, and the revenge KO showed that things were getting rather intense, in her mind. "You better not drop your guard, now!"

 

"I won't!" Claus yelled back, "You'd better be ready. Baccio use Rock Blast."

 

The Roggenrola took aim at the Sludge Pokémon and fired two rocks at it.

 

"Grimer, Minimize, then use Shadow Sneak!" Roxie held her hand forth, as she watched the Grimer shrink, and then move around to evade the rocks. As if using Baccio's own shadow against it, the Grimer gritted himself, and attacked from the rock's shadow.

 

Despite Baccio's Autotomize, the Roggenrola lacked the speed to dodge the Grimer's Shadow Sneak. The light hit caused the Roggenrola to roll forward, but he quickly righted himself. Claus knew that the Grimer's smaller form would prove a much more difficult target, but he needed to keep up the offensive pressure.

 

"Baccio, use Rock Blast again!"

 

Standing perfectly and tracking the Sludge Pokémon as best he could, Baccio launched three hunks of rock at the Grimer. The minimized Grimer continued to dodge around the Rock Blasts being thrown around the field. One of them hit, but he simply kept on going, as the sludge Pokémon neared Baccio quickly. The poison Gym leader smiled, as she nodded.

 

"Alright, now use Gunk Shot!" Roxie called out, as the Grimer obeyed and launched off the attack. It wasn't pretty, but the Grimer was certain it would work. He just had to prove that, preferably while he was still minimized.

 

The attack landed, and though Baccio was sturdy enough to take the attack, the powerful move still hurt. Baccio tried to retaliate with Stone Edge, but the Grimer shrank lower to evade Baccio's attack.

 

Claus was worried, at this rate Baccio would faint from Grimer continuing to take potshots at him, and he could hardly lay a hit on the Grimer in return. Even Flint would have trouble landing a hit on the Grimer in this state, and the Grimer could keep his distance and use Gunk Shot at the Monferno. He had one ace up in his sleeve though.

 

"Baccio, I hate to ask this of you..."

 

Baccio needed no further instructions. Activating Iron Defense to buy time, the Roggelrola rolled to the center of the field to ensure the success of their plan. All the while he began to glow slowly as he made his way center stage.

 

Roxie was perplexed. The challenger wasn't fighting back. She tried to figure out what Claus and Baccio were up to, as she noticed the glow begin to brighten. She glanced from the advancing Grimer, to the glowing Roggenrola, and her eyes widdened. "Get out of there, now! Gunk Shot while retreating! Now!" She called out, as she realized just what Baccio's trump card was.

 

The Grimer seemed as confused as Roxie had been. The biggest downfall was the hesitation. The Grimer began to retreat away, but had no real time to actually send off an attack, before the strategy went into play...

 

KABOOM!

 

The band stopped playing at the sound that dwarfed their music. The explosion covered the entire field (and a little too close to the audience for comfort... except Hades who couldn't of cared less.) At the center of it all lay Baccio in a new crater in the field. The Grimer lay closer to one of the edges, unconscious due to its failure to escape the blast radius.

 

Claus gave a sigh of relief at seeing their desperate ploy was not for naught. "I'm sorry Baccio. You did amazing. Retreat," Claus said before returning the Roggenrola to his Pokeball. "Alright Flint. It's time."

 

The Monferno was ecstatic as he somersaulted off of Claus's head and onto the battlefield. He had been waiting all day for a chance to show off.

 

The audience was in shock. Half because they were pretty close to where an explosion occurred and many of their ears were still ringing. And half because the loser they had been mocking at the beginning of the fight had just made that explosion happen. Richard continued to be a big center of noise, much more noticeable now that the band had stopped playing and only had to compete with the murmurring of the crowd around him.

 

Like it or not, Claus and Flint were the center of attention.

 

Roxie stood stunned for a moment, but smiled again, as she recalled the Grimer. "Well done. But we're not finished yet! Come on; Koffing, let's finish the fight!" She yelled the last sentence, partially due to being so close to the explosion, as she sent out her final Pokémon of the fight. "I trust that you'll make this a worthy battle!"

 

Flint had grown even more excited since he had actually gotten on the battlefield. The Monferno bounded around the battlefield making his way towards the Koffing waiting for the inevitable call to attack.

 

"Flint, start this off with Fire Punch!"

 

And there it was. With a big smile on his face, Flint leapt and somersaulted around to confuse the Koffing as to which direction he would attack from. Deciding on an angle to attack from, Flint leapt forward with his fist covered in flame, ready to punch the Poison Gas Pokémon.

 

The Koffing waited for the Monferno to make his move. As he waited, the Koffing moved to launch off a Sludge Bomb. The two attacks passed by, as they hit their respective targets quickly.

 

"Alright, now keep it up!" Roxie punched the air with a wide grin, as she was starting to feel fired up by the fighting.

 

The solid hit launched Flint back but he managed to land on his feet. The Koffing tried to follow up the Sludge Bomb with Venoshock but Flint was able to to jump backwards and dodge the move, though he nearly lost his footing in the process. Bounding twice, he regained his footing and awaited Claus's next command.

 

Claus flinched slightly at seeing Flint get hit, but he rebounded quickly and called out, "Now Flint, attack with Acrobatics!"

 

Acrobatics had to have been Flint's favorite move. A move all about jumping, flipping, somersaulting and spinning was exactly Flint's kind of move. His agile back flips he used to re-close the distance between him and the Koffing were somewhat there to mess with the Koffing, but mainly to simply impress crowd.

 

Hades was not impressed, he'd seen enough showboating from Richard. He didn't need any more from the monkey.

 

After a few jumps around the Koffing, Flint at last jumped onto the Koffing's body, used it as a spring board and them slammed down into the Poison Gas Pokemon. As the flaming monkey landed on the airborn smog machine, the Koffing fell to the ground before slowly floating back up to his original position. However, as the Monferno made his move the Koffing's eyes began to glow in response. The Koffing seemed almost as if he had something up his figurative sleeve... But neither the Pokemon, nor the Gym Leader showed any real sign of what it was.

 

Neither Claus or Flint seemed to notice what the Koffing was up to. Claus had called for another Fire Punch that the Monferno was all too eager to provide. Foregoing his usual antics, he went straight for the Koffing and landed the Fire Punch on the Koffing's face.

 

Sensing weakness in the Koffing, Claus tried to seize the victory. "Now finish 'em off! Thunder Punch!" he called, his face full of confidence.

 

As the trainer was losing himself in confidence, Roxie smiled simply; a sign that things were not going to go well. "Now; Koffing! It's time to reveal our plan! Now go; show them why not to drop their guard!" She called out in a fiery tone, as the moment she was waiting for had revealed itself.

 

In their rush for glory, Claus and Flint did not expect the Koffing to be able to dodge at the last moment spinning backwards. Koffing had begun to spin in various wild directions leaving Claus and Flint wondering to what it was gonna do. It took Claus to the last moment to realize that this was Acrobatics being used against them.

 

"No way... Mimic?!" Claus shouted as the realization dawned.

 

Too late the realization came however as the Koffing came slamming into Flint's head, the powerful super-effective hit enough to knock out Flint almost instantaneously.

 

IC: James – Four Island Cell Block

 

Having to leave Guinevere in Celadon was… unpleasant for James. He had taken steps to make sure she would be taken care. And by that he meant he guilted Jamie into taking care of her. Which was facilitated by the fact that Lucia's aunt's mansion was relatively close.

 

Apparently her friend had an aunt who owned a mansion in Celadon. Who knew?

 

The doctor had approved her being moved but apparently teleporting had been out of the question. So he had to rely on the goodwill of his clone to find a place in the area. He had thought they would take her to the Rocket base, which would still be better than the crowded Pokémon Center, but they had other rooming arrangements.

 

But he had to push the thoughts of his long-time compatriot away from his mind. He was about to visit the den of someone who would make a malnourished Ekans seem friendly. Reaching the cell that was his destination, he stopped and called out.

 

“Doctor Vert,” James said in a polite tone, “May I come in?”

 

It was phrased as a question; it most assuredly was not.

 

The sound of rhythmic keyboard tapping came to a halt at 'Doctor Vert.' A moment later, Vert appeared on the other side of the bars, one hand in her pocket and the other rubbing the back of her neck. "Executive Arthur," she greeted. "Would be you offended if I answered your question with 'no?'"

 

"Not really. But then I would just have to remind you, that since I have my rank, I do not actually require your permission in the first place," James said while entering the access code to her cell. Upon entering the cell, he took full notice of his surroundings. He had never seen the 'priority cells' before and seeing one for the first time, he had to admit he found it excessive. Then again, he could have pretty easily been in that same cell. "I see your new home's conditions are... adequate."

 

"Indeed . . ." Vert said, eyeing James with an air of annoyance as he entered, though nonetheless stepped away from the cell door as it slid open. "Am I correct in suspecting that you're not here to discuss my living arrangement? If so, I'd appreciate it if we dropped the formalities."

 

At that moment, James actually was interested in discussing certain details of Vert’s arrangements but that could wait.

 

"Fair enough," James said, pulling a folder from his briefcase. Tossing it casually before Vert, so that its contents would spill out at her feet. "Your callousness at mishandling the information I gave you is only matched by the sheer understatement you made regarding this whole venture. A 'risk' of danger is the line you sold this to me on, if memory serves." If the venom in James' voice could kill, Vert's remains would kill all who touched them.

 

Perhaps to her credit, Vert did not appear perturbed. She merely stooped down to pick up the papers, their rustling the only sound in the room as she flipped through them. After several moments, she glanced up. "I believe I informed you from the beginning what my research entailed: Experimentation with a fifty percent risk of death upon the subject," she said. "Tell me, Executive: Where and when did I lie to you?"

 

"The number of actual causalities seem to belie that estimate," James spat back at her. "One-hundred percent fatality rate. Either that estimate was a lie, Lady Luck spited us in unprecedented format, or most likely you simply did not care to try your best to keep them alive. Or better still, to actually use the data from each experiment to improve the process to lower the risks involved. Do you expect me to believe you did -anything- let alone -everything- in your power to keep them alive?"

 

A shadow of a smile appeared on Vert's lips as James spoke. She began to pace in front of him, setting the file down and crossing her arms. "The power draining process was . . . imperfect," she said at length, coming to a halt and staring at the floor. "So, too, was our cloning process. Perhaps that was a fault on our end, but there's no denying that it played a part in the gathering of these data." Vert looked at James, her gaze completely devoid of any warmth that they might have previously possessed. "The survival estimates that I gave you were accurate, James. Real, natural Pokémon survived half of the experiments in which they were used; the other half did not. But clones? Artificial beings made through unnatural processes?" She shook her head. "In hindsight, it should have been obvious that they wouldn't live. But neither you nor I could have foreseen their . . . impurities playing such a large part in their mortality. If you had, then clearly you wouldn't have enabled me."

 

James's seemingly lost its previous anger and was replaced by an equally cold glance to the one Vert now possessed. "Define impurities. Now."

 

"Individuals born into this world gradually pick up additional components--outside bacteria allowing for immunity to disease, mutations in their DNA, memories and experience and the ability to process and handle pain beyond simply physical damage," Vert said. "A clone, artificially created and, in this case, instantly grown, doesn't have the opportunities needed to accumulate those subtle additions. Their impurity is in their untarnished existential slate." She brushed her hair aside. "Given enough time, then perhaps they could come somewhere close to their naturally superior templates. But you and I both know that, as far as Team Liberty goes, the amount of time available to act is constantly in flux."

 

Mr. Arthur was unappreciative of Vert's wording but probed further "And approximately how much time would be required before no noticeable downsides could be measured?"

 

"Hard to say," Vert replied. She paced again, both as a force of habit as she contemplated the question, and in order to better hide her growing suspicion that there was more to James's line of questioning than he was letting on. "Depending on the quality of the cloning technology, and thus its ability to replicate and implement whatever accumulated modifications had been sampled alongside the target data, I suspect it could take anywhere from five to twenty years." She stopped again. "Of course, that is merely conjecture. It could take fewer than that, or even longer, and very much depends on whether the clone manages to survive that long to begin with. There's really no way to tell, at least not with the sample subjects I've worked with."

 

Five to twenty years... That was not good. He had not seen any problems with Jamie the time he was with her, but he had not been with her twenty-four seven. Nor had he been privy to the fullest details about Jamie’s medical records, just whatever info was deemed important for him to know and that which he could worm out. James's face seemed to relax a bit (or rather simply lose its cold hatred). "You seem eager to dismiss clones as inferior. Please, tell me why."

 

"Make no mistake, I see a certain value in them as mass-production units," Vert said. "But the fact of the matter is, diversity is celebrated in nature for a reason. The fact that clones can be so easily reproduced and replaced means that, generally, they possess less intrinsic value than naturally-born individuals. Not to mention that the resources required to make clones as thoroughly educated and trained in even the most basic of subjects, let alone those for which we would garner the most use from them, and on top of those required to correct their prior-mentioned developmental issues, means that they are impractical as anything more than rush units or general laborers. Against our increasingly powerful enemies, neither of those is something we need."" She tilted her head, narrowing her eyes. "Aleivy and Umbra's lack of ability to understand this doesn't surprise me, but you . . . Did your experience with Greed truly affect you that much?"

 

"Surely not, otherwise I'd expect similar sentiments from yourself. Lust was hardly different from Greed," James lied. He would prefer to steer the conversation away from Greed while they were on the subject of clones. James Arthur would prefer to not bring her into this. "I have nothing against looking at resources, Pokémon and people from a pragmatic point of view... However, there is a fine line between pragmatic objectivity and callous indifference. Do you know why I obtained that report, Doctor Vert? Because I wanted to see if you actually tried to improve the process of extraction, to actually optimize it for a balance of safety and effectiveness, or even safety as second priority. And you failed to even make an attempt. I expected better from a scientist. If not for their sake, then at least so you could bring it before Goldhawk, claim that found a way you could reduce the risk, so we could actually receive official approval.”

 

James stopped for a brief moment as he had to confess the obvious problem with that statement, “Leaving out the fact that we were using stolen cloning processes to make such a break-through, but it would not be a greater betrayal of trust than that of which we had already committed. Tell me, what is easier to fake, a mathematical breakthrough letting us reach theoretical perfection of the art, or the source of the power for all those suits when they eventually would be brought into the light. Did you not think that Goldhawk would not ask how they were made, especially against his orders? As it now, what makes you believe he will not destroy all that we have sacrificed for? Your actions have been callous at best and short-sighted at worst.”

 

Vert fell silent for several moments. At last, however, she merely shrugged. "An oversight founded in the rush to succeed, I suppose," she said. "Unfortunate, but there's little to be done about it now, Executive. As for the fate of the suits . . . I suggest you check in with the outliers of Team Liberty's leadership, if you want an answer to that question."

 

Outliers meaning Silvermind, James reasoned from his memories of his own hearing. “Very well, I have made my point, further discussion on this is pointless. Let us change the subject then. What was your internal conflict with Lust like?"

 

"Contradictory." She stated the word as plainly as if she expected the word to come naturally to anyone's mind. "At least when compared to her physical actions. Lust's response to my Galvantula was to release her Milotic, putting herself at a type disadvantage. Yet mentally, she insisted on having already won against me--which we both know now to be untrue." Vert crossed her arms. "She attempted to goad me into losing my cool, whilst simultaneously providing me with the tools necessary to defeat her. In the end, all she accomplished was her own demise, by egging me on to the point of defying her claims--or at the very least accepting what little truth lay nestled within them. Why do you ask?"

 

"Because we have no idea where these Sins actually came from, and more pressing, what will happen when they are all gone. Greed said there would be consequences for winning. If there was anything in our conflicts that could give further insight into what they were, then I want to find it to better prepare to deal with those consequences." It wasn't a lie, though calling it the complete truth would be. But he didn't like or trust Vert enough to actually tell her anything further on that point.

 

"Well," Vert said. "I think that's only partially true." She slipped her hands into her pockets. "An Agent named Ryan Sanders came to speak to me not long ago about Greed and Lust. He not only recognized their real names when I mentioned them, but was utterly distraught to hear that they had become Sins incarnate--which suggests a confirmation of their claims that they truly used to be people. Thus, we can surmise that they do have places of origin. In this case, I believe Fortree City would be the place to look, although perhaps it would be more beneficial to speak with Sanders at this point."

 

She sat down on the edge of her bed, looking up at the ceiling in thought. The momentary silence was interrupted only by the dull, nearly unnoticeable background noise generated by the lights and other fixtures hidden within the walls.

 

"That aside, I think you're correct, and you echo something that I have been mulling over since our encounter with them." Vert lowered her gaze back to James. "Whatever they were after--whatever these Sins are after--somehow involves their defeat. I cannot begin to understand what benefits their deaths could possibly provide for their cause, but that was their end goal when they chose to fight us. The same can likely be said for Envy when she attacked Team Galactic, and almost certainly for these other remaining Sins, simply by association." She closed her eyes. "I'm not typically one to put much weight in my instincts, but even I can't help but feel that their larger goal is something more . . . sinister, I suppose you could say, even more so than the goal possessed by the Ancients. They are not simply children seeking to get themselves killed. They are not creatures seeking total world domination at the expense of all others." Vert's eyes shone like steel. "Every step they take is taken with the intent to destroy. You can be certain of the fact that whatever they are trying to do is going to result in a lot of destruction for destruction's sake--more than they have caused, or will cause, in any of their singular appearances."

 

"Those are good insights but sadly unfalsifiable until the last one falls I suppose. I would pray for you to be wrong, but unfortunately you are probably right."

 

There was little more that could be gleaned from talking further. And considering that Vert's statements on clones had caused some bile to rise in his throat, it was about time to leave. James turned around as if he was about to head towards the door, before turning back once again.

 

"By the way, I heard you typing earlier. Might I ask what you were doing?"

 

"Writing a work-order," Vert said. "My shower's hot water is . . . lackluster. Which is to say, nonexistent. You're free to check, if you feel the need."

 

James looked at Vert for a moment before speaking "No, there is no need. I apologize for the intrusion of privacy."

 

James picked up the file where Vert had set it down, "Well, I have taken up enough of your time. I will let you go back to being an indefinite guest of this complex. Good afternoon, Doctor Vert."

 

"Et toi, Executive Arthur."

 

She waited until the cell door had slid closed again and he was out of sight, and then another minute or two for good measure, before taking a seat back at her desk. Reaching into her pocket, Vert retrieved the Poké Gear hidden within and connected it again to her computer, loading her files from it once more. She glanced briefly at the doorway, allowing herself a moment's reprieve to consider the conversation, before directing her gaze back to her screen, continuing to type from where she had left off.

 

The moment James left Vert's cell, he found Lancelot waiting silently outside.

 

"Ah Lancelot, how goes the search for Mordred?"

 

The Scizor merely shook his head.

 

"He still eludes us then... How much of the conversation did you hear?"

 

Lancelot looked towards Vert's cell with a subtle glare but made no other movements.

 

"Enough apparently."

 

The pair walked away from Vert's cell silently. When they reached the exterior of the building, Lancelot glanced towards a tree. He was about to face away when James stopped him.

 

"Go ahead. I know you were restraining yourself in there for my sake," James said a slightly sad smile on his face.

 

Lancelot looked towards James silently for a moment and then turned towards the tree. He leapt forward and, with one claw, demolished the tree.

 

"Lancelot, trust me when I say there is nothing I would rather do right now than punch Vert in the face, morals on hitting women aside," James said his face showing his frustration. "Her attitude towards those lives she, we, sacrificed was deplorable. And her particular opinions on certain subjects... unpleasant."

 

The Steel-Bug merely stood there silently.

 

"You were not even that close to her, compared to the others. If Tristan were here, he would have wrecked something for sure. And Pelleas, well... I suppose we would be court-martialed for his actions."

 

Lancelot turned around and walked back towards James, looking off sideways.

 

"Guinevere? She would have been more subtle, but we still would not have gotten away with it. Worse still would be no matter who attacked her, Vert would figure it out."

 

The Lancelot made what James considered a sigh and the two began walking back towards James's office.

 

"Agreed."

 

IC: Miriam - Chapel

 

Miriam was walking down a hallway, looking at a memo about the forum between TR, TL and Pierce, when she sneezed.

 

For some reason, she had the feeling of being left out and she didn't know why.

[Konuju]

IC: Shannon
 
That evening Ryan called Shannon again. It was without a doubt the highlight of her day. Reading books was fun and all, but she had begun to realize that sitting alone in a hospital room deprived her of any social interaction whatsoever. Her Pokémon weren't allowed to see her, the nurse claiming that any sort of visitor would be a contaminant. The room had to be kept perfectly sterilized. Shannon yearned to at least be able to stretch her legs, get up and walk, but even if the nurse hadn't forbade it, her body was still in too much pain to allow her to make anything more than small movements. Sometimes even rolling across the bed would send spikes of pain coursing through her body. She was happy to be alive, yes, but she was starting to think this was hardly a life worth living.
 
As usual, Ryan brightened her mood. Their now-habitual talks were what kept her going. She looked forward to them every day, and whenever she was not on the phone with him she would spend hours staring up at the ceiling, playing imaginary conversations with him in her head. She had gotten very good at her game. Her imaginary Ryan was very supportive of her; anytime she was feeling down he knew exactly what to say to cheer her up. She probably spent more hours talking to him than the real Ryan. At first he was like a sounding board. She would bounce her stories off of him, and he would give her critiques, offering suggestions of what parts she should emphasize when she talked to the real Ryan. But as her imaginary construction grew, he also became more real. Soon she could never tell whether she was talking to the real Ryan or the one in her head, but she found it made little difference to her. As far as she was concerned, they were both real.
 
Shannon opened her eyes. Her Pokégear was lying flat on her chest, where she had dropped it. She picked it up with a grin and said hello, but nobody was on the other line. Evidently Ryan had hung up when she'd fallen asleep. Her smile faltered, and it was with a heavy heart that she reached over to replace the Pokégear on her nightstand. The bliss she had felt during her conversation had worn off. The room was awfully silent, except for the high pitched beep of the heart monitor and the constant ticking of the clock on the wall. Either one alone was annoying enough. Together, they were grating. They were out of sync. Her ears followed the oscillating pattern, as the beeps drifted closer together, then pulled apart, ebbing and flowing like the tides of the sea. One marked her life, celebrating each breath she took with a shrill beep; the other counted the time she had left, a monotonous, unchanging reminder that her days were numbered. She had been given a second chance at life. But try as she might, she could glimpse how many ticks she had left.
 
The beeping and ticking were met with a third out of sync noise. It was faster than the other two, and threw off her concentration. She stared in confusion. It was only when the door opened that she realized the sound had been knocking.
 
Stacy slowly entered the room, and glanced over at the bedridden girl with a soft smile on her face. "Hello there... how are you feeling?" She asked, as she noticed that Shannon was awake. She wondered how the girl was holding up, however, with no-one actually there to visit her much.
 
Shannon merely stared at the woman at the door, her brow furrowed as she tried to process whether or not the woman was an apparition. "You're... not the nurse..." she murmured. Other than Ryan, the nurse was the only other person she had seen since she'd first woken up in this hospital bed. If Ryan was the force that kept her clinging to life, then the nurse was the force egging her on toward death. Her visits were always associated with pain and disappointment; if there was one comfort the nurse brought it was the occasional fresh bedsheets and linens. But even that was a hassle to deal with given her aching body. Shannon continued to gaze unblinking at the woman at the door, trying to discern whether she was a force of good or evil; of life or death.
 
Stacy smiled, and nodded, as she walked into the room more, closing it behind her as she did so. "I'm not the nurse, no." She said, as she moved toward the bed, and went to sit down on the chair. "I got a little busy with things, but before he left, Ryan asked me to check up on you every so often. I figured you might have gotten a little lonely, what with not being able to see anyone and all." She looked over at Shannon curiously at that, as she wondered how well her recovery was going.
 
At the mention of Ryan, Shannon broke into a warm smile. "If Ryan sent you, then you must be a good person," she said. Any doubt in her mind had melted away; she knew she could trust this woman, whoever she was. She looked vaguely familiar, as if she were someone she had met in some past life long ago. "It is lonely at times, yes," she muttered. "But Ryan likes to talk to me; he's been calling me on my Pokégear whenever he has a chance."
 
Stacy smiled warmly, and chuckled softly with a motherly look. "That's good to hear. He was really worried about you before he left. It doesn't really surprise me that he'd call a lot." She glanced over at the Pokégear still lying near the bed ridden girl, and smiled more, making a guess that he had called not that long ago as well.
 
Shannon blushed. "No, he couldn't be that worried about me. I think he knows I'll get better; he keeps reminding me this bed is only a temporary thing." She smiled at the woman. "Honestly, without him, I'd probably start going crazy."
 
Stacy nodded, and chuckled once again. "I can understand that..." She gave a knowing look, as if knowing how it all made sense. "I've been in that sort of situation before. I was very ill off and on many years ago; but despite that, my sister was pretty much by my side the whole time. Barely anyone else would visit, for fear of getting sick themselves, no matter how wrong that was; and my parents could only do so much to help, with their busy schedules. I feel I would have gone insane myself, if I hadn't had someone to talk to..." The woman held out her hand gently, however, as if offering Shannon something to grip onto, to remind herself that there were others out there who cared. "I think Ryan's doing the same thing my sister did. I really do think he inherited her kindness, in that respect. He really seems to want to help you; and from the sounds of it, he calls a lot..." The woman smiled once more. "I'll help out as best as I can, as well. I'd hate to see someone else go through the same thing I went through, since two people are always better than one."
 
Shannon took her hand and squeezed it. Ryan had managed to give her someone to talk to -- both the real Ryan and the one in her head -- but it wasn't until now that she realized just how much she had been depraved of physical contact. It felt good to have something to hold onto besides the cold, hard casing of her Pokégear. "I never had any siblings of my own," she said. "But your sister sounds like an amazing person." She couldn't help but smile; her spirits soared once more. "My parents were usually pretty busy as well, though I have no siblings; I thought I was used to being alone, but..." She shook her head and smiled into the woman's kind, loving eyes. "Thank you for doing this for me."
 
Stacy smiled, as she was glad for the girl's mood to have improved. "You're very welcome... have you had any friends, if not siblings?" The woman was genuinely curious, but continued to keep up the reassuring feel of the conversation.
 
Shannon's smile grew nostalgic, its warmness turning bittersweet. "Yes... I had friends, once. Long ago." Indeed, if life before the hospital bed was an eternity ago, then her life in Ecruteak was two eternities ago. She tried desperately to remember the faces of Lauren, Alice, and Caroline. But their features kept getting overshadowed by Hannah's scornful sneer. Hannah had once been her best friend. She still found it hard to believe that she would attack Celadon like that. Lost in her thoughts, she almost forgot the other woman was there until she felt a light squeeze on her hand.
 
Stacy smiled sadly, as Shannon began to explain, and then grew lost in thought. "That is understandable..." She nodded, but smiled more warmly again. "I wouldn't give up hope, however... Try to keep them in mind, even if they aren't here... Would you like to talk about it? I wouldn't mind listening if you wanted..." She said, as she had a feeling something was bothering the girl about her old friends.
 
Shannon had already practiced her stories several times in front of Ryan, so without further ado the girl went right into the tales of her childhood. It was almost like she was telling an old legend, of a time long forgotten. She told of the always-cautious Lauren, the over-eager Caroline, of the fearless leader Alice, and of her former best friend, Hannah. The way she spoke of them they sounded like characters right out of a story of the Pokédex Holders of old; except their adventures rarely took them outside the historic village of Ecruteak.
 
She could not be sure for how long she had talked, but eventually her voice started to go hoarse from overexerting itself; she felt she had talked more in the past few days than she ever had in the last several years. All the while, she never let go of the woman's hand, holding onto it like it was a lifeline tethering her to her sanity. She would have kept talking into eternity had the dark circles under her eyes not given away her exhaustion.
 
Stacy listened with interest, as she felt as if she could feel the adventures from the descriptions that Shannon was giving of everything. As the conversation went on, however, the woman noticed the slight signs of Shannon's voice getting tired, and the girl herself seeming equally exhausted. She gave a smile to Shannon, knowing she needed to recover in more ways than just from loneliness, and gave a gentle squeeze to her hand.
 
"You should get some rest for a little bit... it's probably not easy to tell, but it's late, and I can tell you're tired... I'll come visit you in the morning, alright? I can afford some time to not be too busy." Stacy wasn't lying; she didn't mention the fact that she had the potential to take a lot of time off to make sure she was alright, but knew that she also had to strike a balance. "If you have anything at all you want to tell me tomorrow, though, then by all means, go right ahead..."
 
A look of disappointment crossed Shannon's face, and she squeezed the woman's hand, not wanting to let her go. She didn't want to be alone again. For the first time since Ryan had visited her, she felt like she truly had a friend in this desolate hospital room. "Could you... stay a little longer...?" she murmured, even as she closed her eyes. "Please...?"
 
Stacy smiled softly, as she nodded. "I'll stay as long as you want, dear..." She closed her eyes for a moment, and thought over something. "There's a surprise for you tomorrow... I think you'll enjoy the surprise a lot." She wasn't sure if Shannon actually was still awake or not, but wanted her to at least have an idea of it.
 
The girl smiled warmly. "What is it...?" she asked with a sleepy giggle. "I promise if you tell me... I'll still act surprised..." Part of her wanted to fight her exhaustion; the other part found the soft pillow and warm blankets just as inviting as the woman at her side. If the woman gave an answer, Shannon didn't hear it. Her mind had already drifted off into sleep, steadily bobbing up and down in the waves through the ebb and flow of the ticks and beeps. They were still out of sync, but it no longer bothered her. After all, she realized she could do nothing to change it, that was simply how the world worked.
 
 
 
Stacy smiled, as she saw the girl sleeping soundly. She slowly moved her hand away, though she didn't actually move from the girl's side, yet. She pulled the blankets up a little further, and smiled further, as she leaned down to kiss the girl's forehead reassuringly. "Sleep tight..." The woman stifled a yawn herself, as she went to sit back down in the more comfortable chair nearby. If Shannon needed anything, she would be there.

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

"Uhhh, I'm not sure. Don't really know what's fast or slow in this situation." she admitted, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "Still, I'm going to help you out however I can, just move at a pace your gut tells you too, alright? And besides, things are great so far, right? I think it'll stay that way." Olivia said, smiling reassuringly at Chloe.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Chloe==-

 

Chloe smiled more, and nodded in response. "I'll keep that hope, then..." Her spirits seemed to have been raised once again by what the redhead had said, and her smile simply brightened. "Now, then, you ready now?" The girl teasingly smiled, as she glanced to her packed backpack, and to Olivia's half-packed bag.

 

"I tried to help out a bit, but I didn't know if there was anything you needed to get out of your bag, or pack into it, so I just kinda... left it as it was." Chloe admitted, as she rubbed the back of her head in awkwardness. The girl's green eyes seemed to sparkle, however, as she took one last glance around the room; both to double check that nothing was left behind, and to take in the room more, since she hadn't really done that. The walls were covered in red wallpaper, a fancy pattern scattered across the entirety of the room. "You'll probably miss that most of this room." The girl said to Olivia with an amused smile, as she picked up the bag and slung it across her shoulder.

 

-==IC: Payton==-

 

The woman was talking with a nurse along with Derek, when she heard the noise of the front doors to the hospital open up. Payton looked over at the three that walked in, an uneasy look on her face. This was, in fact, not Lachina, Mercury, and Anubis. These were altogether different people, and the air around them started to make Payton anxious for some reason, though she couldn't put her finger on why. One of the three stared directly at her, and when he looked away, she simply couldn't help but shudder. What could cause that reaction was something the woman had never figured out - it was not a reaction she got often at all. She was glad when the group of three was led down a hallway, further into the hospital. She didn't know what they wanted, and didn't want to. Her attention was once again caught when the automatic doors opened once again. This time, it was Lachina and Mercury.

 

Payton strode over to the two, eyeing the Lucario once again present. She was still uncertain of what the man who called himself "Mercury" was all about, but she was willing to place her bets on them and their friend, even with the man's deadly sounding name. "David's doing alright, from the sounds of it. Your friend, too." The woman explained, as she glanced back behind them. Derek had vanished; that was odd. "Sounds like he'll need at least a cast, though... If he were here, David would probably apologize for getting so rough." The odd feeling returned, as Payton stopped talking for a moment. She glanced back uneasily, as if something were troubling her. Derek should have been talking to the nurse after she had started to watch the creepy three. But they weren't there, and neither was Derek. The woman frowned, and looked back to Mercury and Lachina. "Before you got here, three people showed up; two women and a very odd man. Derek's vanished, and I just get this bad feeling..." Payton trailed off, as her brows furrowed. Could something have gone wrong? Was this really just a coincidence? Or... something more?

 

-==IC: Ray/Ryan/Jenny/Jack==-

 

The rest of the night had gone rather swimmingly. After dinner had finished being prepared and eaten, the crew on the boat had once again scattered back to their respective cabins. Sleep came easily for some - and not quite so easily for others. But one thing was for certain, the next morning, the entire group was up and ready, as they approached One Island.

 

"There it is." Captain Jack stood at the stern of the ship. He watched the approaching landmass with an awe that the group could be certain was something not just reserved for this one island. "We'll be docking at the port; the town called Knot Island is our destination. If anyone wishes to, they can take the opportunity to stop at the Pokemon Network Center while we're here. After all; it's not just resupplying for the ship... we might as well get refreshments too while we're at it. And you land lovers probably need to get your bearings again while we're at it." Jack said with his trademark smile. It was not certain that everyone else was so pleased.

 

Ray stepped forward with a slight frown. "You're confident in your auto-pilot system, aren't you?" The orange hair glinted in the early morning sun, as he stifled a yawn. He didn't need to bring attention to his tired face any more than he needed to by speaking out. The captain simply studied the separatist's face, and chuckled in response. Ray was about to take another step forward, when the Captain held up a hand.

 

"Yes, yes... I am confident. I made sure everything was correct; and I make sure every time I'm behind the wheel. I've done this run probably a thousand times now, I could do it in my sleep, even without auto pilot." Jack's smiled unnerved Ray. He couldn't figure out how the Captain could be so... flippant at this hour of the morning. As Ray opened his mouth to argue more, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head to look at who it was, and noticed Jenny shaking her head at him. A simple message - it wasn't worth it. Ray bit his lip, but nodded. There was nothing to challenge; he didn't know Jack's history, and he was mostly just cranky from not enough sleep. He turned his face away. The last look he had seen in Jenny's eyes there confirmed she had noticed the black bags beneath his own eyes.

 

 

 

As the dazzling sun sparkled over the sapphire sea, the S.S. Coral pulled into the dock. Ryan Hikari shielded his eyes from the bright sun, but had to give a small smile of relief, as he felt more sturdy ground for the first time in days. He sighed, and unsteadily took a few steps forward. With a grimace, he reached out for support, only to find that Evan had strode up and given him support. Ryan looked surprised for a moment, but then nodded and smiled in response. He looked on ahead at the grand building in the distance. Despite growing up around large buildings, and having been around mansions in Celadon, the black haired trainer still found himself slack jawed at the sight of the building. It reminded him of the Global Terminal in Goldenrod, but at the same time, it seemed even more impressive. He speculated that it was because of being a Pokemon Center as well, as the words on the grand sign spelled out clearly. This was indeed the place that Jack had been talking about.

 

By the time the group had made their way to the Pokemon Network Center, Ryan had recovered his legs, and was able to walk without needing support. The captain was telling everyone that they had a few hours to themselves, and that they were to meet back here when they were all ready. Ryan nodded, but was only half listening, as he was making his own plans. As the group began to scatter once again, to do what they wished, Jenny passed him curiously. Ryan quickly explained his plan with a smile. It was much to his chagrin, however, when she smiled mischievously, and joked that she'd make sure to tell everyone. It took quick talking and a promise to make sure Jenny wouldn't do just that.

 

"I feel you don't trust me, for some reason..." Jenny said, the amused smile still on her face, as Ryan shot her a glance of exasperation. "Okay, okay. I won't tell anyone. But..." Ryan had already been in the process of sending his Natu, Anna, out by then. He paused when Jenny seemed as if she had something to say, and looked back curiously.

 

"Something wrong?" Ryan asked, as he couldn't help but notice the oddly nostalgic sense to the scene. However, he was surprised, when Jenny stuck out her hand, an unreadable expression on her face. The man reached out and tentatively took her hand, which Jenny promptly shook. Utterly confused, the only hint to Jenny's intentions, was her ever present smile.

 

"We'll battle when you get back; k? Promise for a promise." Only Jenny's piercing look stopped Ryan from pointing out that was nothing short of blackmail. However, the girl's look softened, as she giggled. "Go on; help her out... from the look on your face, she'll be thrilled with this." She stepped back, and began to continue on her way. "Remember; promise for a promise!"

 

Once Jenny had vanished out of sight, Ryan looked to Anna, and was unable to hide his grin anymore. "Anna; let's check in on Celadon City."

 

-==IC: Colette Llyan==-

 

Colette had lost track of how many days it had been. She ran a brush through her hair, as she looked in the mirror. She recognized the face looking back for the first time since the incident on Seven Island. For the last couple days, Zoe had been helping her get back to her old self. But for the moment, for better or worse, Zoe was at school. The aura wielder sighed, her face scrunched up for a moment, as she wondered what exactly she could do. She put the hairbrush down, and began to pull on her jacket for a moment, but then grimaced. For better or for worse, the weather had not been kind to her - She loved the jacket, but found it was much too hot with it on the last couple days. With another, more elabourate sigh, Colette tossed her jacket onto the back of her desk's chair. She glanced at it in the mirror, as she looked back at herself. She was wrong; she still did not fully recognize herself.

 

As the girl walked through the streets of the town, she felt the hot sun beam down on her. Her response was to pull her arms close around her. The incident and the events immediately after it had given her a lot to think about the past few days. She wondered if she was really as good a person as she led herself to believe. She wondered if... No. She stopped herself from that line of thought. Even if she doubted herself, there were some things she couldn't let herself doubt. She dropped her arms to her sides, as she glanced around at the other people walking up and down the sidewalk of the street. She tentatively felt out for their aura readings. They wouldn't be able to tell; not even the people who had angry emotions radiating from them. Colette focused on the two in particular she had sensed. Brother and sister, they seemed. The two were bickering over who got to keep the latest toy they had bought. Before the aura wielder had known it, she had crossed the street and approached the two children.

 

The two went quiet as they saw the taller lady approach. "Is everything alright?" Colette asked, as she looked over the two. The younger kid, the brother, Colette noted, began to speak up. It was supposedly the case that the two siblings had been alternating who got the toys; but the last toy they had gotten, both of them wanted. The sister began to speak up as well, and the bickering slowly began to start again. The cacophony of noise caused the aura wielder to grit her teeth for a moment, but she then leaned down, to try and catch their attention once again.

 

"What if you two simply share the toy? I mean, you both obviously would want to play with it, so why not just take turns?" The two siblings stopped their fighting, and looked up at the older girl with a sort of confused look, as if it had not occurred to them to try that, with their plans. They looked at each other, and Colette could suddenly sense a sort of guilty feeling from the both of them for not having considered it. "It's alright... Everyone makes mistakes sometimes; just don't let it get between you two... family's love is the best kind of all." The two looked up in awe at the aura wielder, and smiled at the advice. They promised to always listen, and ran off happily, as if having rediscovered how cool having siblings could be.

 

Colette watched the two children run off, and looked up to the sky for a moment with a smile, enjoying the nice summer day. Maybe things weren't quite so bad after all.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Mercury and Anubis

 

Mercury frowned as he met Payton's eyes across the lobby. Something was wrong. The auras in the room had shifted slightly. People already on edge were even more on edge, even if they didn't realize it. "I'm glad they're okay," he replied to the woman. "I'd be apologizing to David pretty hard, as well." He looked around, silver eyes meeting Belle's purple ones for a brief moment before he continued scanning the room.

 

"Did Derek maybe run to the restroom?" It was a dumb question, but one of those basic ones that needed asking just to avoid panic. "And which way did these 'creepy' people go?"

 

Anubis was watching the room, arms folded over his chest. He saw what Mercury had seen, but more clearly. Mercury had learned the Aura powers, but Anubis had been born with them. He saw traces left behind by people, even if they only touched something for a moment. For things like door-handles, this left a mess of overlapping aura to be sifted through, much like a Stoutland sniffing for people on mountains.Unfortunately, he had to have some way of telling one person's aura from another in order to track it.

 

In other words, he was fairly useless here. Anubis looked to Payton and spoke, his baritone voice resonating through her aura. What did they look like? Did they seem like they were up to anything suspicious? The questions came quickly to his mind, born from years of interrogation.

 

IC: Belle LaDonna

 

Nightshade stood, making her way over to the other trainers. Cyanide and Hemlock had been returned so they wouldn't crowd the room. As she approached, she spoke to Lachina. "What's going on? You all look worried all of a sudden." She was itching to get out of this place, to go keep her appointment, but she had offered her services to the kid, and Belle LaDonna didn't go back on a promise.

 

IC: Kalos Team

 

Xander stepped off of the boat, face beaming. The boat ride was over, for the time being, and it was time to stretch the land-legs. He and Sylph had spent the remainder of the trip in their cabin, meditating and sleeping, but now it was time for some fresh air and sunlight. Not to mention being one step closer to finding Ellen. His grin faltered at that thought, but was replaced with a determined smile.

 

They would find Ellen, and they would make McKinley, and Ford, pay.

 

Sylph laid a gentle hand on his arm, smiling softly. Xander reached up to wrap his fingers around hers, and they stepped onto the grass of One Island. Ellen and Vixen had taken up residence on Xander's shoulders again, and were peering around eagerly. Vixen hopped down to run ahead, barking eagerly at the other trainers.

 

As they approached the Network Center, Xander scooped the fire-type back into the cradle of his arm. Sylph sent a message to the rest of the group, asking what the plans were and where everyone should meet up if separated.

Edited February 8, 2016 by A Conversation

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Payton==-

 

Payton frowned slightly at the questions. "I don't know; but I don't think so. You'd think he would've mentioned it as a heads up, at least." She said, as the woman thought over the last time she had actually noticed Derek. "The three went down the hall to where the patients are; I figure they're visiting someone..." She paused. The woman turned her head to the hallway in question. The uneasy feeling returned, as she took a step toward it. The next moment, screaming could be heard from the direction of the rooms where the patients were.

[Konuju]

IC: Paul

Paul stepped off the boat, Terry trotting along at his side. The first thing he noticed was that although they were still next to the sea, the air was much drier here compared to Hoenn. He smiled as the salty air tickled his lips; it reminded him somewhat of Village Bridge. The similarities in climate were not lost on Terry either, who raced ahead through the grass with a happy bark.

 

The second thing Paul noticed was the Pokémon Network Center. He was used to seeing Pokémon Centers that offered more than the standard services of healing, room and board. However, he had never quite seen anything like this. In addition being the central hub of communications for this cluster of regions, the Network Center also advertised what more or less passed for a museum: a sort of walk through history, where viewers could learn about the technicalities of the Pokémon Storage System, from a replica of Bill's very first PC to the user-friendly interface developed by the sisters Lanette and Brigette.

 

It seemed as good a way as any to pass the time, but first Paul had something else in mind. Before the group could disperse in every direction, the blacksmith made his way to Evan. "This Network Center is quite the attraction," he said. "Anyway, I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed that battle between you and Xander the other day. There was an energy to that battle, one I haven't seen or felt in a long time." Up until now, Paul had always kept a serious, almost solemn expression. It was the weight of his burden; not only his determination to get his daughter back, but the knowledge that he had failed her as a father. Now, however, a boyish grin flashed across his face. "No rush, of course. But once you've had a chance to look around, how would you like to have a little battle with me? It's been far too long since I've done anything like that."

 

IC: Ryan

As soon as the group was on dry land, Orihime made a beeline for Ray. She had spent the past few days with Ryan and Togie, and for being on such a small boat she had seen surprisingly little of her own trainer. The Togekiss swooped down and perched herself on the nest of orange hair. Togie happily glided after her, leaving Ryan having to run in order to catch up with the pair.

 

The Liberty agent felt refreshed; his renewed friendship with Chloe in addition to the formation of the Sinners Anonymous group had lifted his spirits, so much so that by the look on his face one might think the incident in Fortree had never happened. The same could not be said for Ray. The Separatist looked haggard, his features drooped, and the dark circles under his eyes betrayed many a sleepless night. On the boat, he had kept mostly to himself. Now on land, although his body walked alongside the others, it was clear his mind was elsewhere.

 

That is, until Ryan clapped him on the back with enough enthusiasm to shock him back to reality.

 

"Hey, stranger." Ryan grinned. "Long time no see. Were it not for Orihime here, I would've nearly forgotten you were with us! What've you been up to?"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Ryan==-

 

Ryan Hikari stumbled, as he felt the now-familiar sensation of teleportation fade. He glanced up at the large building that stood in front of him with a smile. Stacy's mansion had been damaged in the attack on the city, but still stood relatively strong as a symbol of hope. The surrounding buildings weren't quite so fortunate, but the work of Madison and the other defenders had safeguarded the area enough that the buildings remained inhabitable. Ryan did not care for those other dwellings, however; his sights were set on Stacy's mansion, and his heart was set on the recovering girl that lay within. The hallway was familiar to him, but the trainer walked down it currently. He glanced around curiously, as he wondered where he might find someone to tell that he had arrived.

 

Ryan checked in the kitchen first, and noticed Stacy at the kitchen table. The woman looked up with a smile, and waved him over. The trainer with the black hair walked over to an empty seat, and sat down, as he returned the smile. The two did not speak for a little while, as the aunt finished up her tea. Finally, once she was done, she spoke.

 

"So, I hear you and Shannon have been talking things over... that's very good to hear, considering how you were that first night after the fight." Stacy began, noticing that Ryan seemed to be surprised. "She was going on and on about you last night. We had quite the chat; about you, about my past, and about her own. Poor girl, she deserves good things." The woman trailed off slightly, as her nephew could detect a sense of fondness in her voice. He smiled, and nodded, yet paused as he noticed Stacy chuckle with a smile. "I didn't let on who her surprise guest was. It seemed like she didn't recall, and could use a pleasant surprise... she might be sleeping some more, but I think you might be able to visit soon."

 

Ryan's face lit up as he heard those words, and was about to stand up, when Stacy cleared her throat to catch his attention once more. "Before you go gallivanting off, however... how are you doing?" The tone in her words indicated that she was as concerned for her nephew as she was with the hospitalized girl. "Last we talked, you were taking things pretty hard... but, you seem to not have let that drag you down." Stacy added, as she smiled at how the young man had seemed to pull himself back from what had happened a few days before.

 

The trainer in question thought it over for a moment. "I'm doing better." Ryan answered simply, as he scratched his head. "I'm not sure... I feel both clear headed now, better, but also confused... I still have my nightmares, but... something's changed, almost. They never seem to stay nightmares, if that makes any sense at all." He fell quiet after that, as his aunt nodded in understanding. The silence permeated the room for a little longer, before Stacy chuckled.

 

"Well, that's a good answer. It's better than the one we got last week. I'm glad things are at least getting better... I know it's a long road, but it'll be worth it." Stacy smiled warmly, and took a breath for a moment. "Well, let's go see her, shall we?" The woman stood up, and led her nephew down the halls. Although Ryan had good recollection of them from reliving the time after Shannon had been taken to recover, he was still glad for the guide, as he noticed a few spots where he would have turned the wrong way otherwise.

 

When they reached the room, Ryan quietly opened up the door. He slowly stepped inside, and looked over, as he noticed that the girl laying on the bed was sleeping, as Stacy had mentioned. Not letting that actually get to him, Ryan took a seat in the chair nearby, and looked over at Shannon while waiting for her. Although he felt his own head start to nod off from the background noises, he noticed how peaceful she seemed at that moment. He was tempted to try and catch her attention; however, he instantly reprimanded himself for even thinking of waking her up, since she needed rest. Holding back a sigh, he went through his bag, and pulled out the gift-wrapped box that held the presents that he had gotten for her, and placed it on the floor, for easy access. He just hoped that she would wake up before he had to head back...

 

-==IC: Ray==-

 

"Oh... not much." Ray was caught off guard, as he blinked, suddenly realizing that Ryan Sanders was by his side. He stifled a yawn, as he scratched his head, trying to think of what to talk about. "I think I get worse sleep on boats than anywhere else, to be honest." The separatist murmured, as his second attempt to hold back a yawn failed miserably. "How about you? You've seemed... peppier since last night." He glanced over, curious about that. Something had seemed to change in the Liberty agent, and it made Ray wonder if the 'curse' had simply shifted to himself.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

As Evan was about to walk off, he noticed Paul heading his way. As the Blacksmith explained himself, the Plasma Agent started smiling. Paul had mostly kept to himself from everyone, but Evan finally saw a chance to get to know Ellen's father.

And he would take it.

"I'm more than happy to skip the sightseeing, and just skip to the battle, Mr. Burks!" Evan said, seeming very excited. "But if we're going to battle, let's take it away from this place. Battles when I go all-out, tend to get very destructive."

As Evan spoke, he heard a rumbling voice echo in his mind. "It'd be wonderful to fight again, Evan." Landorus spoke. "I am pretty sure this Unovan man would be honored to meet one like myself. Just as I would be humbled to meet another Unovan..."

"Say, Mr. Burks....." Evan spoke happily. "You'll be meeting another friend of mine in this battle. He seemed excited to meet someone from his homeland, and I am pretty sure you will too! His name is Landorus."

[MELON LORD]

OOC: Minor jam with Blade, to get things rolling.

 

IC: Mercury and Anubis/Unknown Trio/Belle LaDonna

 

After a brief second of paralysis, Mercury and Anubis ran down the hall, by-passing nurses and doctors. Silver and teal light surrounded them as they both readied their aura for an attack. Vaguely, Mercury regretted not having a weapon; a knife would do, if he could find one at a Pokémart for a good price.

 

The duo noticed an open door, as they reached the end of the hall. Inside, they could sense patients, fear, and three people crowded around an area. What was going on, however, would require heading inside to look for themselves.

 

Mercury kicked the door open, and he and his Lucario entered the room quickly. As they stepped in, Mercury turned to facethe cluster of people, while Anubis watched the rest of the room. Their auras continued to swirl around them, intermingling into an incandescent wall.

 

The three looked over at the door, as if in amusement. Now that they were in the room, they could sense a faint and very dim aura near the three, and could see that the source was a body on the bed the three were standing by. One of the women glanced at the others. "Well, well. I didn't expect an aura wielder to be here." She mused, as the man silently looked at Mercury... and grinned wickedly.

 

"Eliminate them." The man said, as he walked toward the wall of the room. With a flick of his wrist, a Rhyperior appeared and created a second exit to the room. His other hand held a second Pokeball, however he did not yet throw it to release the Pokemon inside.

 

The remaining two, however, watched Mercury with interest. "We should have fun with him first. Let's test his powers." The woman who spoke before leveled a firearm at him. "What do you say, sis?" The other woman stayed quiet for the moment.

 

Mercury dropped his hand to his belt, growling. Stupid, Mercury! Shouldn't have come in here without backup. Anubis spun towards the woman with the gun, baring his teeth in a snarl.

 

Out loud, Mercury said, "How about we talk this out? No sense fighting in a hospital room, as convenient as it would be when I finished with you." The threat was mostly idle. A good fighter he might be, but he wasn't immune to bullets. "We can be rational, here. Nobody has to get hurt." At the same time, he couldn't let any of them get away. That Rhyperior would be a problem, but Mercury was confident Anubis could beat it in a straight fight.

 

He also had other options. Oggie wouldn't be mobile, but her Shell Armor would provide a bit of coverage from bullets. Then there was the Absol on his belt. He could feel its aura seepng from the ball, yearning to be freed. If Styx were released, things would get bloody.

 

"Really?" The woman smiled as if amused by the entire situation. "I don't believe you're in a position to make demands." The woman stared Mercury in the eyes, knowing that he very well was bluffing. "Or are you that confident in your aura abilities?" She mused that over. The other woman simply nodded - her 'sister' caught the movement in the corner of her eye, and simply smiled wider. "Let's begin the test, then." She pulled the trigger.

 

As the woman's finger moved, so did Mercury. He stepped to the right and screamed as a line of fire went across his left shoulder. His hand came up instinctively to grab at where the bullet had grazed him. Blood coated his palm, and he growled. Anubis lunged for the woman, launching a ball of bright blue energy that zapped and crackled as it flew towards her.

 

Anubis had worked hard to perfect this technique, changing the properties of his Aura Sphere to emulate other moves. He gave up a bit of power, and it didn't follow the target as well as the normal attack did, but it was worth it for the bonuses. Like being able to shock someone with a close-range attack.

 

Another figure stepped through the door, moving to Mercury's left. Belle had been crouched in the hallway, listening. When the gunshot had gone off, she knew she had to step in. She sent out Hemlock and Cyanide, making the room even more crowded.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

"I took your advice," Ryan said, the corner of his mouth curving into an amused smile at Ray's yawns. "After you all went to go eat, I talked with Chloe some. Turns out she wanted to apologize just as much as I did." He chuckled. "It's funny; for something I was so worried about, it was really pretty painless, and now I feel great. I also talked with Aspen and the other Ryan earlier, cause it turns out both of them have also faced Sins of their own. We've sort of formed a little support group, given that we're each having similar struggles." The Liberty trainer shrugged. "Although I guess you could attribute a lot of my recovery to these two rascals." He ran a hand through Togie's feathers as he motioned with his eyes toward the Togekiss resting on Ray's head. "They've really kept me going the past few days, with their enthusiasm and motivation."

 

Togie gave a thrilled chirp, while Orihime looked immensely pleased with herself.

 

"Who knows?" Ryan said. "Maybe you'll start to feel better if you start to watch them for a while."

 

IC: Paul

At the mention of Landorus, Terry gave a happy bark, while Paul did a double take. "Landorus?" he said in disbelief. "The Landorus? The Guardian of the Fields? He's traveling with you?"

 

As a blacksmith, he had never really been an avid worshiper of the Abundance Pokémon. Sure, he understood the importance of the land, and how it played into the cultivation of iron ore. But his trade dealt more with metal than nature. As a Unovan, he was awed a little nervous that he would soon be in the presence of one of the region's famed legends. As a trainer, Paul felt the fire that had been kindled back on the boat surge with a roar. Not only would he be in the presence of a legend of Unova, he was being granted the chance to test his abilities against it in battle.

 

For the second time that day, he flashed a boyish grin. "Now I'm even more excited for this battle."

 

IC: Shannon

   beep tick   beep   tick beep     tick-beep     beep tick   beep   tick beep     tick-beep      beep tick   beep   tick beep     tick-beep

 

The clashing sounds had lulled her to sleep, and now they acted as an alarm clock, rousing her out of her slumbering state. At first, she tried to resist, her mind desperately clinging to the fleeting details of a pleasant dream. But it was too late. The ticks and beeps, undulating in and out of phase, refused to allow her to drift back into her dream, and the details were lost on her.

 

With that avenue closed to her, Shannon saw no other choice but to peek an eye open, squinting against the harsh fluorescent lights. As her eyes slowly adjusted, the girl grew increasingly more perplexed. Either she had lost the memory of reality and had woken into a dream, or she had merely left one dream only to enter another. Dreams, as she knew, were based in part on reality: mutations of memories fueled by an unrestrained imagination. It was why she so often returned to that cobblestone street, lying on her back as her veins filled with rocks and the streets filled with blood. It was why she now saw the familiar face of Ryan Hikari staring at her with an odd look in his eyes.

 

It was a look Shannon had often seen in Selena's eyes when she would snuggle up with her Furret and laze away an afternoon reading a book to her. It was a look of contentment; he was happy, yet calm. Upon seeing her wake up, though, his eyes seemed to brighten. A smile appeared on his face, one that was so pleasant that Shannon couldn't help but echo it with her own lips.

 

No sooner had she done so than his lips started to move. "Hey there, sleepyhead..."

 

Without really thinking about it, Shannon mumbled a "G'morning" in response. Her mind was puzzling over a detail that seemed off, but she couldn't quite grasp it. Furrowing her brow, she cocked her head to the side to inspect the black-haired trainer. She had spoken to him countless times over the past several days... months... years... in the isolated hospital bed, she had a hard time grasping the flow of time. Either way, Ryan's presence in and of itself wasn't unusual... and yet something felt different. Ryan seemed content to simply stare at Shannon while she worked things out in her mind. She found herself growing a tad annoyed at his watchful gaze, as if he knew the answer she sought but refused to say anything about it.

 

At long last her eyes flashed with realization, then immediately darkened in confusion. "Ryan," she said in a soft voice. "Shouldn't you be in the Pokégear...?" She ventured a glance to the device sitting dormant on her nightstand before darting back to Ryan, fearful the apparition might vanish if she took her eyes off him for too long.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Ray==-

 

Ray let out a slight chuckle at Ryan's explanation, as he yawned once again. He wished that he had a way to feel more awake and alert, but the orange haired trainer had to settle for what semblance of alertness that he had at that moment. "Maybe..." He glanced up at the two Togekiss as they flew around a bit. It seemed as if it might just have been working... until he yawned once again, smiling apologetically at Orihime. "I dunno, doesn't really seem to do much." He sighed, as he scratched his head. It didn't matter anyway, did it? He wasn't going to be there much longer, he could feel it. How soon, the separatist didn't know, but with Sonja and Ellen both taken, he had a feeling that he was next.

 

-==IC: Ryan==-

 

Ryan's mouth twitched to an even wider smile at the girl's question. "Surprise... Got some time off the boat." He moved a little closer, and tapped her gently on the nose to help reassure her that it was, in fact, reality. He felt a little bad for being so amused at Shannon's confusion, but seeing her so sleepy just seemed cute to him. Even still, he smiled apologetically, and knelt down next to her, not bothering to bring the chair over for the moment. "Did you miss me? I figured you might want a little break from talking over the Pokegear, and..." A glimmer of teasing appeared in his eyes, as he decided to hold off explaining about the gift for a little while. The trainer wondered how she would react, however, as she had seemed to be uncertain what to make of him being there.

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

"Uhh, lemme check..." Olivia replied, rummaging through her backpack. She looked up and shook her head. "Everything's there, from what I can tell, and I also don't think Bree's running around at all... We should be good." she chuckled, rubbing the back of her head. The girl smiled as she looked around the room, and back to Chloe. "Your cousin's really nice... Maybe we should quickly say goodbye to her? Or maybe leave a thank you letter behind. I wanna get to Olivine soon too, but you know, being polite, and all."

IC: Lachina Adaon

The gunshot jolted Lachina, causing her to take deep breaths to control her rising heartbeat. "Keep a cool head..." she reminded herself, wincing at the second gunshot not soon after. She and Aolani ran to where the source of the noise came from and stood just off to the side of the doorway. There was Mercury, clearly injured with what seemed to be a dead David, and two women she didn't recognize. The Ranger pulled back to the side quickly while cursing under her breath, trying to formulate a course of action as quickly as possible...

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

Ryan chuckled, but then he placed a hand on Ray's shoulder, his face set in a serious expression. "Listen, Ray. After Gluttony, and Sonja going with Hayes, and Ellen getting taken... I didn't know what to do. I just felt so guilty and responsible for everything. I had tried to run you through with a sword, but that didn't stop you from helping me. And for as much credit as I give Togie and Orihime, I couldn't have made it this far without your help." The Liberty agent sighed, looking straight at his friend. "So why won't you let me do the same for you? I can tell something's bothering you; we barely saw you on the boat, and your mood just now proves it. You're more than just tired, aren't you?"

 

IC: Shannon

Shannon blinked as Ryan tapped her nose. Her mouth hung agape as it dawned on her that she was much too awake for this to be a dream. His teasing look was not lost on her, and part of her -- the part now flushing with embarrassment -- wanted to just duck under the covers and hide there. The other part of her was shocked that she should find herself the object of his amusement. And so instead of hiding she forced her mouth shut and stared at Ryan incredulously, putting on the most serious and unconfused look she could muster.

 

Despite her facade, her confusion continued to nag at her. And so, Shannon decided to voice her confusion in the form of a question. She spoke slowly, phrasing each word carefully to give the impression she knew what she was talking about. "Shouldn't you be on that boat, trying to find that girl?"

 

Shannon reached out a hand to feel his shoulder, to assure herself it wasn't just another daydream; but she hesitated, her hand poised several inches off the bed. Although Ryan's presence had filled her with a sudden and unexplained joy, she maintained a healthy amount of skepticism. In her experience, anything that seemed too good to be true usually was. In this case, she wasn't sure she wanted to learn the answer.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Ray==-

 

Ray frowned slightly, as he didn't reply right away. The blue sky seemed almost dull to him, as the situation seemed to be catching up to him. "... Yeah... I mean, lack of sleep probably hasn't helped, but..." The orange haired young man scratched his head, as he felt a cool breeze blow over the area for a moment. "... I don't know how much I can talk about what's bothering me." He did not just mean about the Ford stuff. He paused for a moment, as he recalled the last private conversation he had with anyone in the group. "... But..." Ray closed his eyes. "I'm sorry about what happened back on Four Island, when we first got back. I didn't mean to forget about you being there... I thought that you had already walked off, and..." He sighed, as he scratched his head, again wondering if it had been his fault for what happened there.

 

-==IC: Ryan==-

 

Ryan smiled, as he listened to Shannon for a moment. He could almost understand what she was trying to do with reaching out, and also why she had paused. It was tied to her question; she was scared that he wasn't real because he shouldn't be there. The black haired man gently reached up for her hand, hoping that it worked. "We stopped on One Island for a bit, so the boat could get resupplied. We had a bit of free time, so... I figured I'd stop in. I admittedly told aunt Stacy so it wouldn't be totally unexpected... but I wanted to surprise you a bit, admittedly." He didn't focus on the pale green walls of the room, just on the girl in front of him. "Was it too big a surprise, though?" He awkwardly chuckled, as he brought his free hand up to scratch the back of his head.

 

-==IC: Chloe==-

 

Chloe thought it over for a moment with an uncertain look, but sighed, as she nodded and giggled. "Yeah, it'd be worse to suddenly vanish..." She said, though she secretly hoped it wouldn't take too long. After that, however, she felt a little bad for thinking that. The girl with the auburn hair got up and led the way out of the room. As they walked down the hall, however, they met Anna as she was making her way back to her room.

 

"Oh, hello there." The black haired girl cheerfully said to the two with a smile. The next moment she eyed the bags that they had, and chuckled. "Headed out now, then? Hopefully your trip's good! Any place in mind?" She nearly started to ramble on with questions, as Chloe suddenly felt very aware about how Olivia would have felt when being bombarded with the stuff about the trip. Anna paused, as she giggled a bit. "Sorry, I won't keep you long. Thank you, though, for visiting. You helped out a lot... I think that having a friend will help even more, and I don't think it would have happened without you two. So, thank you!" She smiled more, seeming to have gotten more hopeful for things to change for the better even more.

 

-==IC: Payton==-

 

Payton stayed back with Lachina, a deep frown on her face. She cursed herself for her lack of caution, and wondered who the three people were. Could they be related to what's going on here? This isn't good. The girl looked toward the doorway, where she could barely see Mercury and the other girl who had leaped in to help. Everyone's throwing caution to the wind, except for Lachina... I hope they can put their money where their mouth is.

 

The woman with the gun didn't seem fazed by Anubis' attack, or by the new arrival. The Aura Sphere would have hit, if the quiet woman had not sent out a Pokeball quickly. As the Pokeball opened and revealed an Exeggcutor, the psychic/grass type quickly took the Aura Sphere. The palm tree-like Pokemon nearly buckled for a moment, but seemed to be able to stay in the fight still. The gun-wielding woman looked squarely at Mercury with a smile.

 

"Tut tut tut..." She chided, as she glanced at the other patients in the room. "Is it such a wise idea to fight here? How about you just surrender now, and... maybe I won't make it too painless." The woman smirked, as she drew a second pistol, an empty Pokeball being revealed in the meantime. "You had no real need to get involved; and yet you did. Or..." The woman looked curiously at Mercury. "Could you be involved with those intruders too? Well, well..."

 

Payton's eyes widened as she heard that. There was no doubt in her mind now; they were the ones who had occupied Vermillion's gym. If only she could get a better look, then she might be able to figure out what was going on here... If there could just be some sort of distraction...