Pokémon: Rise Of The Rockets

[JiMing]

IC: Dahlia Seaton

 

Dahlia walked the halls of the boat after being cleared by the doctor, with downcast spirits. Guilt wracked her mind over how she had let her Reverse abilities take over, even if it was in response to Aspen being hurt. I signed up for this, but... Do I have the strength to keep these powers in check?

 

The middle Seaton turned a corner and stood in front of Ryan's room. Evidently his Flaafy was the one to stop her from tearing apart the vessel with her dark powers. She so desperately wanted to apologize for what she had done, but when she knocked on the door, there was no response. As she sighed and turned though, the gardener saw Ryan coming down the hall himself, and froze.

"...R-Ryan!" she stuttered, suddenly sweating nervously. "I... I'm sorry, I just wanted to say, f-for scaring you like that..."

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander and Sylph

 

They had made up, and now they were cuddling in bed. Xander rubbed her back softly as she rested her head on his chest. Her sole hand ran along the markings around his ribs, sending gentle soothing sensations through him.

 

You did well today, she said. You felt Ryan's pain and Aspen's, saw that it wasn't real, shoved it aside. You know what to look for with your empathy now.

 

Xander nodded. I think so. I'm ready to continue training.It won't always be easy, or fun, but that's alright. I'll listen to you.

 

Sylph smiled, moving up to kiss his cheek. Good. For now, we'll rest; we've had an exciting day. Tomorrow morning, though, we'll begin rebuilding your wall, and work on more telekinesis. Maybe I can even teach you to teleport.

 

Xander laughed. Sounds good. He kissed her, and they went back to forgetting their troubles for a while.

Edited May 14, 2016 by Carbevoir

[Konuju]

OOC: A Jam.

IC: Ryan/Dahlia
Ryan looked up in surprise. He hadn't expected to see Dahlia up and walking around so soon, much less standing in front of his door. "Dahlia!" he said, trying to conceal his shock. "Um, hi. How are you feeling?"

"A-alright..." she mumbled. "Head doesn't hurt anymore at least. Yeah..."

Dahlia sighed again, trying to figure out what she wanted to say. "Yesterday, um, I-I almost.... Uh, I-I'm sorry, I lost control and..."

Ryan nodded, awkwardly shuffling his feet. "It's... I-I'm just glad that you're alright. And... and Aspen, too."

"He's doing alright, yeah..." she murmured. "Your Flaafy had to zap me, right? I... I don't remember what happened still, but from what Sylph told me it was bad... D-did I scare you?"

"I..." Ryan bit his lip as he met the gardener's eyes. "H-how much do you remember?"

"N-not much... I remember seeing Aspen in pain, and just, everything went dark..." Dahlia replied, shaking her head. "Sylph told me what happened. I-I hit the Pinsir through the ceiling, right?"

Ryan gave a small nod. "You... you weren't yourself." He closed his eyes and pushed out a long sigh. "I should have done something. I just... I-I didn't know what to do... Ampere zapping you was her own idea. I'm, uh, sorry about that..."

The gardener mumbled quiet 'It's fine.', and looked away. "...You're afraid of me now, right? Of me and my powers..." she said, sighing. "I knew accepting this power would be a lot of responsibility, I-I just never could have imagined I..."

Dahlia sniffed and wiped tears streaming down her face. "...I-I don't blame you if you don't want to stick around me anymore.."

Ryan opened his eyes and looked at the gardener for a long moment. "I never said that," he said quietly. "Like I said, you weren't yourself. That said..." He sighed. "I... I think we should take a break from the training sessions for a bit."

"O-okay." Dahlia said, taking a deep breath. "C-can I really learn how to use these powers? If anything they control me, and... I'm probably such a disappointing followup to Klim, aren't I? Even when I fight, it isn't heroic at all..." the middle Seaton muttered sadly, her shoulders sinking.

"I... I don't know..." He gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I wish I had an answer, but... I just don't know..." The Liberty agent stepped closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but no words came.

"...I-I can't be a mistake though, otherwise why would Giratina choose me? I'll have to ask him that soon..." Dahlia said, a confused look on her face. "I wonder what he thinks about what happened to me yesterday. He's probably disappointed in me like the people on this boat..."

Ryan shook his head. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Dahlia. Yes, you lost control. But you also saved your brother. That... that has to count for something."

"I didn't though... He still got hurt before I could do a single thing about it!" Dahlia protested, burying her face into her hands. "I'm a failure. First I couldn't keep my family together, now I can't let them count on me to be there in times of need... What good am I for?"

Ryan scratched his head awkwardly. He wasn't nearly as good at comforting people as Dahlia was. Yet he couldn't just stand there and let the gardener beat herself up like that. "Hey... just because you failed once or twice, it doesn't mean you should give up." He smiled. "Didn't you tell me something similar once? You're not good for nothing, Dahlia. Never forget that."

The gardener elected not to immediately respond, and instead buried her face in the Liberty trainer's shoulder, wrapping her arms around his waist as she cried. Eventually she moved away and took several deep breaths, smiling at Ryan. "Thanks for believing in me... I-I'll be alright now."

"Y-yeah. No problem." Ryan sheepishly returned the smile. "You should probably get some rest."

Dahlia nodded, and turned around. "Thanks Ryan... I'm glad I have a friend to count on like you." she said, a wide smile on her face. The middle Seaton walked past the group's impromptu leader, seeming to have slightly higher spirits than before.

As he watched the gardener walk down the hall, Ryan's smile faltered. He was glad she was feeling better... but he still couldn't help but wonder about the path Dahlia was heading down. He had been too afraid to admit it, but her descent into rage had truly scared him. He just didn't know what to do.

With a sigh, Ryan turned away and disappeared into his room, closing the door behind him.

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Jamie - Boat Deck

 

As it turns out, stopping time can take a lot out you. Enough that as soon as Jack was out of her custody, Jamie immediately went to go collapse in her cabin. She didn't even make it into bed before she collapsed. Thankfully Pelleas had been there to catch her. When she woke up again, it was night.

 

Pelleas had been keeping watch over Jamie as the trainer slept. Pelleas was no longer comfortable being on the ship now that he knew two Deoza agents were on it, so he kept vigilant in case something else decided to go wrong. He wanted to know whatever it was that Jamie did exactly, but figured he'd have a talk with Jamie later about it. Right now, Jamie needed rest and would not deprive her of it.

 

She had waited until she was certain that the Heracross was asleep before picking up Bedevere and Palomides's Pokeballs and headed onto the deck with them. Lucan, whom Pelleas told to keep watch before he went to sleep, was shushed by a gesture from Jamie. Lucan was of two minds about that, perhaps even literally. In one head, Jamie did tell him not to say anything, but the other figured that she was specifically trying go behind Pelleas's back (which she was). Before he could decide on anything, the girl was gone.

 

The recently evolved Cloyster was facing her across the deck while the Haunter hung overhead. Their trainer's request was unexpected but certainly within their power to grant. She told Bedevere to fire off Icicle Spears at her that she would try to "Freeze". Bedevere had no idea what she talking about but the Haunter had seen what she had meant first hand. Bedevere had to wonder why he needed to fire directly at Jamie though. But his trainer just mentioned something about 'simulating real danger' and the Cloyster decided that was a good enough explanation.

 

Not that Bedevere would get to see the power of time for a while, because whatever Jamie was doing, it wasn't working. Palomides had expected, considering her performance before-had, that he'd only need to stop one or two spears per volley. When he had to suddenly stop all five to prevent Jamie from getting skewered. Jamie felt her pride hurt more than anything. She yelled "Time will Freeze" and everything. It was kind of embarrassing in addition to the danger that she had been in.

 

"Try it again," Jamie called to the Cloyster.

 

The Haunter hadn't been able to stop all five this round, one narrowly avoided Jamie. Thankfully Bedevere realized that firing -accurately- at Jamie wasn't necessary. He still had aim close enough that danger was simulated, which risked one getting to close, but the majority of the shots would not hit her even without Palomides being there.

 

Which was good because they were there for several more rounds after that. Bedevere was beginning to feel pretty bad about this. But she told him to fire again and so he did.

 

Jamie had lost count of what round she was on when a thought in her head posed a question to her. What she was trying to do was different than with Aria and Gnip. In that moment, Jamie felt like she -had- to stop them. But this was mere practice. Why did she -have- to stop the mere practice targets?

 

I -have- to be able to stop time on command, otherwise I could fail to stop time when it matters. When good people fight each over disagreements and misunderstandings. And I will not let that happen, Jamie replied to whatever thought posed the question.

 

"Time will freeze," Jamie stated.

 

As the Icicle Spears edged closer to her, Jamie's eyes began to glow with the same radiance they had before, much to the surprise of Bedevere. Or rather, it will have been to his surprise after she would eventually let time flow once more. The entire area from the spears to where Bedevere was had been frozen completely still.

 

"Yes! Yes! YES! I got it!" she shouted before a sight cut her celebration short, "...eep."

 

Pelleas had walked onto the deck and had seen what was transpiring there. The Heracross stood watching, thinking silently. Jamie wasn't wrong. If she had such a power, she should train it. It would allow her to protect herself better, especially as she continued to put herself into increasingly more dangerous situations. But even still, he didn't like that she went behind his back to train in such a dangerous fashion. He felt that he should admonish her yet also unable to bring himself to do it.

 

Tristan was going to kill him.

 

Pelleas picked up a number of the Icicle Spears that had splayed around the deck, blunted them, and then took up a position where he could toss them at Jamie.

 

Jamie smiled brightly as she walked out of the trajectory of the Icicle Spears and let time flow once more.

 

 

 

 

When everyone but he and Grummore had left, Lucan decided that keeping watch had little purpose. He doubted anyone was gonna come for just him at least, so he decided to go to sleep. He was awoken by the sound of the door opening. Pelleas was carrying Jamie like one might expect a father to hold their five-year old daughter, except y'know, he's a Heracross and she has the body of a 23 year old. He was followed in by Bedevere and Palomides who promptly fell asleep where they could. The Heracross laid Jamie down on the bed once more before falling on his back, asleep.

 

Lucan looked over the sleeping forms of his friends and decided it was his shift to keep watch.

[MELON LORD]

Alamos Power Plant

 

Five rounded the corner, pokémon at the ready. They weren't aware that Jake had set a trap for them. As the Pikachu launched its thunder bolt, one of the cloaked men rushed forward. There was an explosion of flesh and blood, and what remained of his body crashed to the floor.

 

The second cultist managed to dodge the attacks that came down the hall, but he dropped to the ground as his long robe caught fire. The third ran face-first into the water gun and was slammed against the far wall in a daze. Now there were only two. The leader, blood still coating his hands from before, ordered his Houndoom onward. "Feast on their flesh, my pet, but leave them alive!"

 

The fire type rushed forward, jaws opening to deliver a vicious bite at the closest target.

[Konuju]

OOC: Some slight bunnying in this post to progress things on a little faster. All bunnying has been pre-approved.

 

IC: Ryan/Paul

Ryan stood at the bow of the boat as the familiar shape of Four Island and the Alamo drew closer. It already felt like an eternity since he had last been here. From their perch on the railing, Togie and Orihime crooned. Ryan felt the weight of his gift in his backpack, and the weight of his responsibility on his shoulders. As the boat docked, he glanced over at the beach with a pang of sadness. The last time he'd been here, Sonja had been with them, and they were waiting for Ray. Now both his friends were gone. A melancholy smile played on his lips at the bittersweet memory.

 

As eager as he was to find Colette, he knew they had more pressing matters. A few moments later Quil arrived on the deck, leading Jack, whose hands had been hastily tied with a rope. The infallible smirk had finally vanished from the captain's face, but he allowed himself a wry smile as his eyes met Ryan's. "Best of luck, Captain Sanders. You'll need it..."

 

Ryan forced himself to ignore the captain. The others were coming onto the deck as well. Xander slowly made his way up the stairs, pausing occasionally to catch his breath. Sylph refused to leave his side, ready to catch him should he fall. Aria carried Aspen in her arms; the Seaton boy's leg was no longer sickeningly twisted, but it was obvious that he was still in a lot of pain. A loud boisterous sound from below heralded the arrival of Jenny, who was helping a protesting Evan.

 

"I'm perfectly capable of walking on my own, Jenny," the wounded hero said.

 

"Yes, and you're also perfectly capable of getting yourself into another scuffle," Jenny said sharply. "I will not see you injure yourself further. Besides..." She flashed a weary grin. "I thought you liked holding my hand?" Behind the two Plasma agents, Gnip gave a growling chuckle.

 

"Alright, Jen," Evan said with a laugh. "You win this round."

 

After the pair of Plasma Agents, Paul and Dahlia arrived carrying a semi-conscious Ryan Hikari between them. Terry kept at Paul's heels. Jamie and her Pokémon followed shortly afterwards.

 

Ryan bit his lip. Too many of their group had been injured on this journey. It was hard to tell how long it would take Aspen and Hikari to recover, and despite their protests, both Xander and Evan still looked a little worse for wear. "Alright," Ryan said, looking at each person on the deck. "First thing's first. We need to head into the lobby and turn Jack over to the authorities. Then we need to visit the hospital."

 

And so the solemn procession began from the boat to the front gates of the Alamo. Ryan quickly flashed his Liberty badge and explained their situation. Within moments a pair of guards arrived to take Jack away, while a third guard acted as escort to bring the group to the Alamo's hospital wing. Ryan had only been away from the Alamo for a couple weeks at most, but it seemed he had already forgotten just how efficient Team Liberty could be. Or perhaps he was simply in a daze from all that had happened.

 

But even as he saw Hikari and Aspen placed in hospital beds while doctors checked Xander's ribs and Evan's arm, Ryan knew he couldn't rest just yet. He still had one more task to complete. Perhaps the most crucial of all.

 

He had to find Colette.

[Parugi]

IC - Ethan Worth (Baya)/Gavin Braner (Vel) - Arena, Chapel:

 

Seeing a chance to take advantage of Anzu's recovery, Gavin surveyed the rest of the battlefield. As he watched, Teddy and Baya scuffled, the latter slowly managing to break free from Teddy's grip as the Tediursa switched into a Fury Swipes attack. The sudden shift in wind shifted Gavin's attention back to Vel and Anzu.

 

"Vel, tank it!" he called. She looked at him, prompting her trainer to point at Teddy and Baya. "Foul Play!"

 

The Mandibuzz nodded and steeled herself, allowing the shadowy winds to strike. Luckily for her, her half-Dark-Typing lowered the damage that she took from the attack, largely allowing her to shrug off the hit. Upon recovering, she kicked off, gliding toward the lower-leveled Pokémon. Her claws began to glow with dark energy, and she aimed them directly at Teddy.

 

Seeing her approach (and hearing Gavin's orders), Ethan whistled. "Get out of there, Baya!" With a final bite at Teddy, Baya complied, and though suffering several strong hits from Fury Swipes as she darted away from her opponent in the process, she nonetheless managed to get away just as Vel closed in. For good measure, she launched a thick spray of String Shot at Teddy as she went.

 

 

IC:

 

Ouch

Don't you like it

Oh, it'll take some getting used to

Sure

Thank you

No problem

Quite a show

Totally

Ready for the final

How much longer

Not long

Aren't you ready now

Technically speaking

So why wait

Don't wanna ruin it, do you

I guess not

Give 'em some time

Time to prepare

One way to put it

Whatever

Trust me

Weird request

Hehe

Heh

It'll be worth it

I'll take it

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra, Ryan Sanders, and Gnip (Jam)

The workers in the hospital had worked remarkably quick on Evan's arm, making sure it was properly restrained and close to his chest, without damaging his coat The Plasma Agent had been through a lot the past few days, and was glad to get a bit of rest. Turning his head, he noticed Ryan Sanders trying to get out unseen, it appeared. Evan got out of his bed and headed towards Ryan, Gnip following, and patted the Liberty Agent on the shoulder.

"Going somewhere, leader?"

Ryan gave the Plasma Agent a smile. "Get some rest, Evan. I'll be back soon. I just have to find our aura wielder."

"See, I'd listen, but, you see......" Evan spoke with a sly grin on his face. "I've had enough rest, and I really wanna see more of this place. So how 'bout letting me tag along? I'll bring Gnip even!"

Gnip growled softly at Ryan, her eyes gleaming softly at him, as if she were begging him to take them along.

"Aw, I can't say no to the puppychomp eyes," Ryan said with a laugh, giving Gnip a gentle pet on her snout. "Fine, you've won me over. Come along; I could probably use the company."

He quickly led the way down the hallway before anyone else decided to join him. He would have preferred talking to Colette alone, in case she decided his attitude after the dance warranted a strict lecture or otherwise bitter feelings. The only reason he allowed Evan to join -- other than Gnip's undeniably adorable pleading -- was because he figured the Plasma Agent could act as a reasonably neutral third party should things get out of hand. He hoped it wouldn't come to that; with any luck the Squirtle doll would be enough to ward off any resentment Colette might have. But he couldn't be too careful.

Evan followed Ryan, Gnip trodding along with him, whistling happily as he walked. The Agent had never really been able to explore the Alamo, and was gleeful to follow. He then noticed that Ryan seemed to be concentrating hard on something and decided to do something about it. "Something on your mind, buddy?" Evan spoke. "If you don't mind telling me, that is. I'll make sure to keep it a secret, Hero's Honor."

Ryan looked up at Evan in surprise, and shook his head. "It's nothing," he muttered. "I'm just a little anxious about this meeting, that's all. About whether or not Colette will actually want to help us. Our... last meeting didn't exactly end on a high note."

"Oh yeah?" Evan spoke kindly. "I guess we'll have to deal with that when we meet her. I'm sure that you'll do just fine." Evan smiled and gave Ryan a look of encouragement.

Gnip growled in agreement, giving Ryan a look mimicking her master's.

"Let's hope you're right," Ryan said with a light chuckle. He looked up as they arrived in the lobby, and strode up to the front desk. "Excuse me, um..." Ryan bit his lip. "I was wondering if you'd happen to know where I could find Agent Llyan."

The secretary at the desk looked up at him as her fingers flew across her keyboard. "Well, she's not currently on a mission, so she's likely somewhere here on Four Island. Want me to page her for you?"

The Liberty agent took a deep breath and nodded.

[Konuju]

IC: Colette/Zoe
"Ready or not, here I come!"

Colette bit her lip as she tried to remain as silent as possible. Playing hide-and-seek on Four Island Beach didn't leave many options for hiding places. Burying herself in the sand was the obvious choice; given the length of the beach, her sister would essentially be looking for a needle in a haystack. But the thought of lying in wait while the coarse sand found its way onto every inch of her body made Colette shudder. The ocean was also out; she hadn't brought a swimsuit, nor could she hold her breath long enough to keep her hiding place a secret for very long.

And so instead, the aura wielder had turned to the patch of trees growing on the other side of the beach. She had scrambled up a low-hanging branch and now clung to the trunk, praying her hiding place wouldn't break under her weight.

She was so intense on keeping quiet that the beep of her holo caster startled her and she nearly lost her balance. Cursing herself for not thinking to silence the device, she quickly looked at the message.

"Agent Llyan, your presence is requested in the Alamo lobby. Please report there immediately."

Colette frowned as she glanced over at Zoe. The young girl was still searching through the underbrush, not thinking to look up in the trees. Colette hated to cut their game short, but whatever this message was about, it sounded important. Regretfully, she dropped down from the tree.

"There you are!" Zoe cried. Her smile faltered. "Um, Collie? Are you sure you know how to play? You're supposed to try and hide from me."

"Sorry, Zoe." Colette held up her holo caster. "I'm being summoned to the Alamo."

"What for?" Zoe asked. "Who's summoning you?"

"I'm not sure," Colette admitted. "Probably Jayron; I can't imagine anyone else needing to see me." She put on a smile to mask her annoyance at the untimely interruption.

"Can I come with?" Zoe pleaded. "It's not as much fun playing with Esmeralda. She always sets the grass on fire when she sneezes."

"I thought that was only when she got sick." With a more genuine smile, Colette held out her hand to her sister. "Well, the message didn't say I had to come alone, and I see no reason to leave such an awesome little sister out here to succumb to the effects of boredom. Besides, even if playtime got interrupted, I won't let Jayron take away my Zoe time!"

Zoe giggled as she took Colette's hand. And so the Llyan sisters walked hand-in-hand up the long, winding road toward the Alamo, wondering just what would be in store for them when they arrived.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander Cruize

 

After having his ribs checked on again, Xander stood and attempted to exit the infirmary. This was his moment. He just needed to find somebody who could tell him who he needed to talk to, and he could be a Liberty agent. Finding someone was easier than he thought; there were plenty of people milling about the compound. "Excuse me," he said. "I'm here with Ryan Sanders and was wondering if ti would be possible for me to join up. Could you point me in the right direction?"

[Konuju]

OOC: Jam with Alku

IC: Ryan/Evan/Gnip/Colette/Zoe
Evan and Gnip were waiting alongside Ryan for a few minutes, when Gnip suddenly perked up. She had caught wind of a scent that was familiar. It was the scent of someone she only barely knew, but knew well enough to be excited to see again. Evan noticed this and spoke happily to Gnip. "Did you catch sight of a playmate? If you promise to be slow, I'll follow you to them, all right?" Gnip nodded and looked at Ryan, wondering what he thought of it all....

Ryan watched Evan and Gnip wander into the crowd. The Liberty agent decided to stay where he was; he didn't want to follow the Garchomp and end up missing Colette.

When the Llyan sisters arrived at the lobby, Colette gripped Zoe's hand tighter. She didn't want to lose her sister in the large crowd of agents wandering to and fro. She quickly scanned the lobby for Jayron, looking both with her eyes and aura. She saw no sign of the executive, which troubled her.

Before she could ponder what to do from here, she caught sight of a Garchomp barreling toward them. Colette quickly moved into a defensive stance, placing herself between Zoe and the charging dragon. Her eyes flashed briefly, and much to her surprise she sensed the Garchomp was not enraged or feral, but overjoyed. The situation was made even stranger when she noticed a strange man in an outfit clearly inspired by the landshark dragon jauntily jogging alongside the Pokémon.

As if the scene couldn't get any stranger, Zoe let out a squeal of delight as she ducked under Colette's arm and ran to embrace the Garchomp. "It's Mr. Ex-Space Guy!" she cried. "And the Shooting Star Dragon!"

Gnip growled happily as she let Zoe hug her, clearly very happy to see her. Evan noted Zoe's voice and knew exactly what to say at her exclamation, coming to a stop and posed dynamically. "Well, if it isn't the Warrior Princess!" Evan said, aiming to make his voice sound as heroic as possible. "Have you been busy keeping the forces of evil at bay?"

Zoe stepped back from the embrace and struck a dynamic pose of her own. "The forces of evil never even got close to the bay! They know better than to mess with the Warrior Princess now that her sister the Aura Princess is back!"

Colette simply stood there with her mouth agape, completely dumbstruck. This guy looked like something out of a TV show, like one of those meet-and-greet characters you might find at an amusement park. Was he the one who had sent the message to her holo caster?

"The Aura Princess, huh?" Evan said, looking towards Colette, smiling. "She looks truly formidable! Even I can feel her awesome might!" Gnip growled happily as she trudged over to Colette, clearly curious about her. "It's all right, she doesn't bite." Evan said to Colette, still smiling. "All she wants is a little greeting from you, Aura Princess."

The words 'aura princess' caught Ryan's ear, and he started to wonder just who Gnip's mysterious playmate was. He slowly wandered through the crowd, then froze at the sight of Colette sheepishly petting Gnip.

"Well, aren't you a cutie?" Colette crooned as she pet the Garchomp. "And here I thought you were a big scary dragon. You sure showed me. How do you know these people, Zoe?"

"Weren't you paying attention when I told you the story?" Zoe looked mildly disappointed, but was more than happy to recount the tale. "Mr. Ex-Hero Guy came crashing down onto the beach with the Space Princess! Then he and Mr. Bard had a dancing fight, and I was the ref!"

"But, Warrior Princess, there is something you should know now!" Evan said as he posed again. "I'm no longer an Ex-Hero, I am now a True Hero! But she is correct, my princess and I came crashing from the skies to do battle with a majestic bard. My Shooting Star Dragon was clearly charmed by her." Meanwhile, Gnip growled softly, clearly happy Colette was petting her. The Garchomp angled her head so Colette could pet more of her.

Zoe's mouth dropped open as she looked up at Evan in awe and wonder. "A True Hero...?" For a brief moment, Colette wondered if her spot as Zoe's biggest idol had been stolen from her. Then Zoe grabbed Evan's hand and pulled him over toward Colette. "Collie's a hero too! She saved a little girl on Seven Island from a big scary monster!"

Colette felt the color rise in her cheeks and she turned her focus to petting the friendly Garchomp, but she couldn't keep her smile off her face. "So. Mister, um, True Hero Guy, then," she said, not taking her eyes off the Garchomp. "I take it you were the one who asked us to come here?"

Evan smiled at what Zoe had told him and nodded, before turning to Colette. "The name's Evan Tierra." Evan said kindly. "I didn't summon you but I know who did!" Evan than gestured at Ryan with a flourish, giving him a "come here!" gesture.

Ryan sheepishly stepped forward. "Um, hi."

Colette looked at him. It was impossible to read the expression on her face. "Hi."

Heedless of the sudden awkward silence, Zoe jumped up and down in delight. "Hey, you're the guy who danced with Collie at the dance! I didn't know you were friends with the True Hero!"

Evan nodded, and smiled awkwardly at the silence. "Yeah, he's my friend." Evan said. "He fought alongside me and others during the final showdown with the Ancient Darkrai. And a dance you say? Ryan, I didn't know you could dance!"

"Er... right." Ryan shuffled nervously. "I wouldn't say my dancing quite as... engaging as yours is, Evan." He chuckled as he slung his backpack off his shoulder. "Actually, Colette, I, um, wanted to apologize for that little incident after the dance. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that, when you were just trying to help..." The Liberty agent reached into his backpack and pulled out the Squirtle plush. "So, uh, consider this an apology gift."

Once again Colette stood dumbfounded as Ryan held out the doll to her. She had not expected anything like this. She mumbled an automatic "thank you" while trying to process what had just happened.

"Oh, wow!" Zoe pulled at her sister's arm to get a better look at the doll. "That's so cool! It's like a little stuffed Kammy! Well, before she went and evolved." The young girl eagerly looked up at Ryan. "Do you have anything for me? I was the one who set you two up, after all!"

"Z-Zoe!" Colette felt herself blush at her sister's impertinence.

Evan noted Colette's blushing, and grinned to himself. The Plasma Agent decided to help out the Aura Princess in his own little way. "Well he didn't, but I sure did; though I don't know if you'd want it....." Evan said with a sly grin. "It's something very dear and precious. You wanna know what it is?"

Zoe looked up at Evan, her eyes as wide as her mouth. "What is it?"

Evan grinned as he reached for the pair of blue Go-goggles around his neck. "My mom gave me these, claiming they would help me see the true road I would take." Evan said. "Now that I know my road, I don't really need them anymore. Wanna see through the eyes of a true hero, Warrior Princess?" Evan then held out the Go-goggles for Zoe to grab, smiling happily as he did so.

"For me...?" Zoe took the goggles and held them reverently, completely awed that she was getting the accessory of a hero... and a True Hero at that. Solemnly, Zoe bowed her head and stretched the goggles over her face. She looked back up with a huge grin and struck a dynamic pose. "The Goggles of Truth and Justice!" she declared. "I will forever cherish this gift from the True Hero!"

Colette giggled at her sister's glee. "Thank you, Evan. You're too kind. And you too, Ryan. I take it this is why you called me here?"

Ryan scratched his head with a sheepish smile. "Well, there is one other thing." He took a deep breath. "You see, some friends of mine have been kidnapped, and I need your aura powers to help locate them."

"Is that what this is all about, then?" Colette's eyes flashed as she quickly scanned Ryan's aura. She sensed the sincerity of his apology, but his aura was also dominated by fear and anxiety. When she spoke again, her voice was soft, almost sad. "Did you really think you could bribe me with a gift to make me help you?"

"I don't think it was really supposed to be a bribe." Evan said calmly as he stared down Colette, a gentle fire in his eyes. "A little girl is possibly scared and confused, and definitely needs our help, but we can't find her..." Evan looked down slightly as he spoke those words.

"That's why Ryan, no, why we came to you, Aura Princess." Evan said, looking back up at Colette. "We need your help. Will you accept our plea?"

Colette looked at Evan and scanned his aura to confirm his sincerity. She froze. She couldn't read anything in his aura. Nothing save for a miniscule spark, a tiny indication that the self-proclaimed hero actually existed and wasn't just a figment of Zoe's imagination. She cocked her head curiously, wondering why she couldn't read him.

Taking Colette's hesitation as a sign to speak up, Ryan took a cautionary step forward. "Please, Colette. Hear me out. My friends Sonja and Ray have both been kidnapped, as well as a young girl named Ellen. They were taken by a man named McKinley, who works for Ford. But without your help, we have no idea where any of them are. We need you, Colette. Please."

At the mention of Ford, Colette snapped her attention back to Ryan. Suddenly she understood the reason for the fear in his aura. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as images of Seven Island flashed through her mind: the ferocious Feraligatr on the beach . . . Alexa, poised in midair in the middle of a vortex of Unown . . . Four Unown floating out from the vortex to spell an answer to her question, F O R D . . .

"I'll help," the aura wielder said softly. She leveled her eyes on Ryan. "You could have just come straight out and told me that in the first place. But if Ford's involved, I think you'll need more than just me. You'll want someone more familiar with Ford's actions."

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Do you have someone in mind?"

"You could say that . . ." Colette flashed a mysterious smile. "I might know a guy."

 

OOC:

 

Executive Aura Will Return

Edited May 22, 2016 by Konuju

[Parugi]

IC - Robert Hill - Near the Infirmary, The Alamo:

 

Xander had stopped a boy around 17 years old, who appeared to be busy transporting a large box on a trolley. His name tag read 'Robert Hill.' "You mean, like, join Team Liberty?" Robert replied. "Uh, yeah . . . You'll probably want to talk to Blackskull or Silvermind. I'm headed toward them, if you want to tag along--they're in the CC."

 

 

IC - Kyle Eston - Arena, The Alamo:

 

 

Dad,

 

I recently heard about something

 

 

No.

 

 

 

Dear Dad,

 

It has come to my attention

 

Definitely not.

 

Kyle hated writing letters. In the span of however many days now that he had been back at the Alamo, he had gone through at least fifty false starts in his efforts to write something to his father. Every single time, he got about five or six words written down before deciding that he did not like what he was saying and scrapping it all. And so the cycle had repeated again and again and again.

 

Esen had told him a change in scenery would probably help, but so far, that hadn't been the case. He had had no success in the infirmary. His discharge from there had prompted him to try writing in the privacy of his room, which hadn't worked, either. Nor had trying to write in the cafeteria, on the beach, outside. Now, he sat in the stands of the training arena. On the field itself, he had sent out his entire team--all nine of them, with Suicune observing from a rocky formation on the field. Normally, he would have been down there with them, issuing orders and giving them specific directions on what to do, but he still hadn't been cleared to personally participate in any battles, for fear of worsening his injuries.

 

That was fine by him. The way Kyle saw it, this was a good opportunity for his older Pokémon to teach their younger colleagues how to battle without a trainer to direct them, and overall it was a good bonding experience for the group as a whole. Even as he watched, the mini-battle royale--much like his writing--would stop and start as his Pokémon tried out new tactics or gave instructions to the others.

 

Jaeda and Lyxek squared off against one another, working partially to increase their physical strength but also to give Lyxek a taste of what fighting in his final form--especially against larger opponents--would be like. Already, the Fraxure showed signs of nearing evolution, as his tusks continued to grow larger every day and he exercised to stretch his muscles, as if to prepare for his taller, leaner future form.

 

Kovian and Sanshou alternated between meditating together and engaging in battles far too quick for Kyle to catch every movement. It was clear that despite her evolution, the two retained their close bond. Although both remained swift now, Kyle couldn't help but wonder how that might change once Kovian evolved into a Samurott--particularly since he, too, was already showing signs of nearing such a form.

 

Elsewhere, Rodax, Daiga, and Kitheus worked together to train. As the longest-standing members of his team, Kyle had hoped that Daiga and Kitheus would be able to help Rodax overcome his apprehension toward the rest of the team. While the tiny Aron was as feisty as ever, he nonetheless appeared to be receptive of what the latter two were attempting to teach him. At the moment, they were demonstrating different physical techniques, with Daiga attacking and Kitheus utilizing his metal shell to deflect the hits, and then allowing Rodax to try the same.

 

Above the field, Ruj and Taia flew. Taia was perhaps the one member of his team that Kyle was most interested in--and the most uncertain about. She did not seem at all like a battling Pokémon, and if what the doctor in Kalos had said was true, then she was more meant for medication than anything. Still, while she trailed behind Ruj, she still appeared to be interested in at least some aspects of battling. As he watched, the two Pokémon traded attacks, using the full degree of space around them in order to dodge and attack from unexpected angles. Surely, that would prove useful later.

 

Soon enough, these mini-shenanigans dissolved into one larger battle again. Kyle gave a small smile, which soon vanished as he looked back at his Pokétch. He tapped his fingers against it, then typed out a simple message--the purest form for what was going through his head, for what had been occupying his thoughts since his encounter with Shift:

 

 

Dad,

 

We need to talk.

 

After a momentary pause, he sent it, shutting off the device to stop himself from checking to see how quickly Richie would read it. He felt a cough stirring in his throat, which soon erupted into a painful fit. He pulled his inhaler from his pocket, taking a deep breath of the fragrance within. Immediately, he felt his lungs relax. Kyle closed his eyes for a moment, taking several deep breaths, and then stood, deciding to leave his team to their training for the time being while he went on a walk.

Edited May 28, 2016 by Parugi

[Konuju]

IC: Dack/Madison
Teddy paid no attention to the vulture flying toward him. His focus was on the biting honeycomb that was currently fleeing its punishment. Teddy would have none of that. With a pint-sized snarl, the bear cub ran after Baya, hardly seeming to even notice the thick webbing shot toward him. The String Shot would have only served to delay the inevitable, had Teddy not tripped over the sticky threads. An instant later, Vel struck.

"Teddy, Rest!" Dack knew he was making a gamble, but he could tell Teddy was reeling after that last attack.

For his part, Teddy was more than happy to comply. Pulling the sticky strings around him like a blanket, the bear cub leaned back and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.

Anzu panted, watching the fight from a distance. Both enemies were focused on Teddy, which would give her the advantage of surprise. She glanced at Madison for direction.

The skier took one look at Teddy's plight and judged Vel to be the larger threat. "Ice Shard!" she called, pointing at the Mandibuzz.
The Froslass nodded through frosted breaths. Doing her best to maintain a safe distance from the vulture, Anzu prepared a handful of sharp chunks of ice and sent them flying at Vel.

[Dr. Hidaka]

OOC: And so anothr day, another jam!

IC: Ryan Sanders, Evan Tierra, Colette Llyan, Jayron Aaron, and Gnip

Jayron Aaron strummed his fingers on his desk as four pairs of eyes peered back at him. His face was set in a deep frown as he pondered over the situation. "You do realize," he said slowly, "that your friends could very well be held in Ford's main base of operations."

"I know it will be dangerous," Ryan said. "But that's a risk we're all willing to--"

The executive held up a hand for Ryan to be silent. "As I was saying," he continued, "if these 'children' are as important to Ford as they seem, he'll want them close by. If we find Agent Baron and the others, we'll find Ford himself; or at least a number of his high-ranking operatives. You claim this is merely a search-and-rescue mission, but it seems to me like it would be an excellent opportunity to deal a devastating blow to Ford."

Evan thought about what Jayron said, realizing it would lead them into the belly of the beast. "Devastating, but risky, considering how powerful his operatives are..." Evan said, before striking a more subdued pose, by putting his hand over his face. "But if it's for Ellen and the others, I'll risk all I can!"

Ryan couldn't help but smile at Evan's enthusiasm, but his expression quickly turned serious. "That's the thing though," he said. "This isn't about Ford, it's about Ellen. And Sonja, and Ray. Trying to take out Ford in addition to rescuing our friends..." The Liberty agent bit his lip as he looked back at Jayron. "I don't mean to be rude, but wasn't that exactly how that whole fiasco involving Silvermind started?"

Jayron leaned back in his chair and furrowed his brow, ignoring the confused looks from Colette and Evan. "That's exactly why I'm hesitant, Agent Sanders. I know it's incredibly risky, but we might not get another opportunity like this. There's no way we can rescue everyone without Ford knowing... and once he knows we've breached his defenses he'll find a way to cover his weaknesses."

And that's the best-case scenario, The executive's Lucario looked up at Ryan, arms folded across his chest. I wouldn't put it past Ford to attack us in retaliation for stealing his 'children,' especially if they're that important to his plan.

"Then, we have no real choice, do we?" Evan said, still holding his pose. "We'd have to strike like we meant it. He's right, too. We may never get a chance to strike at Ford, or take back who he's taken, if we just take half-hearted actions."

"That's what Silvermind said about Paradise, and look how that ended!" Ryan shook his head. "I don't want to endanger anyone by biting off more than we can chew. We get in, get our friends, and get out. It's dangerous enough as it is without adding in needless risks."

Colette closed her eyes. She could feel the tension rising in the room. The stress was enough to suffocate her. She forced herself to take a deep breath; the last thing she wanted to do was add to the already heightened emotions. When she opened her eyes, the aura wielder looked over at Ryan. "I don't know what happened with Silvermind," she said in a soft voice. "But she's still here, isn't she? And from what I've heard, Team Rocket has been all but eradicated from Hoenn. If we stumble along the way, we'll just pick ourselves back up, right? I agree with Evan; we can't do this halfway. Ford is too dangerous for us to not do something about him." Ryan was about to open his mouth in protest when Colette held up a hand. "That said, Jayron is the executive. The final decision rests with him."

Jayron frowned. "It doesn't feel right for me to swoop in and take over the group." He looked up at Ryan. "You've been acting as the leader of your little search party, right? I'll leave the decision to you. If you want my advice, however, I feel like attacking Ford is the way to go. But everyone who comes should be made aware of the danger. I wouldn't want to force anyone into a mission like this if they didn't want to go."

"I'm going."

Evan decided enough was enough and struck a truly dynamic pose, to show how fired up he was. "I'm done cowering in fear of Ford and his group." The Hero spoke, his voice sounding much more pumped up. "I do not like the idea that Ford is allowed to run loose like this. I don't care what it takes. Yes, sir. I'm ready. All in!" At those words, Gnip gave a low roar, as if to amplify her master's words, her eyes shining playfully.

Ryan knew that arguing was pointless. In fact, based on prior experience, arguing the point would likely backfire horribly on him. "Fine," he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. "But if things get out of control, we get Ellen and the others out of there. They have to be our priority."

Colette nodded. "Of course. As important as taking down Ford is, I wouldn't want to sacrifice your friends." The corner of her mouth curved into the faintest of smiles. The aura wielder saw in Ryan the same resolute spirit she herself had when she'd discovered Alexa had disappeared. But that determination was stifled with a medley of fear and bitterness, a muddle of emotions that seemed impossible to unravel.

Jayron also sensed Ryan's worry, and quickly wrote himself a note. "I'm going to talk to Goldhawk about this, to see what he suggests. A small strike force like the one you've gathered seems the best suited for a mission like this, but it wouldn't hurt to have backup. Liberty's leadership also needs to be informed of such a potentially massive strike against Ford; this is not something we should just walk into blindly."

"Well, maybe in that case, you should meet the people who are going to be joining us?" Evan suggested helpfully, breaking his pose. "It helps to get to know your forces before sending them out on something like this....."

Agreed. I for one am interested it meeting that fellow Lucario you have on your team. Jayron's Lucario pushed off from the wall and strode toward the desk. Especially if we're going to be working together to locate your friends.

Jayron nodded and stood up. "Combining our aura powers is something Lucario and I have dabbled with in the past. But we've never tried anything to this extent before. Let's meet your friends, then. From your story it sounds like most of them aren't Liberty agents, which is another reason I'm delegating leadership of the team to you, Ryan."

"Er, right." Ryan scratched his head. "I never considered that before. Hopefully Goldhawk doesn't mind us using a bunch of non-agents." He turned to head out the door, but no sooner had he stepped out the door than he was greeted with a dynamic pose.

"Ford shall cower in fear at our mighty force! He doesn't stand a chance!" A series of fireballs erupted behind Zoe, pyrotechnics courtesy of her friendly neighborhood Fennekin. "Collie! Executive Aura! The True Hero! Liberty Guy! And the Heroine of Truth and Justice herself! Together, we're unstoppable! The power we possess is incredible! Nothing will stand in our--"

"Zoe!" Colette's mouth dropped open as color rushed to her face. "Were you eavesdropping? We were discussing highly sensitive information; you can't just go yelling our plans at the top of your lungs!"

A sly grin crossed the young girl's face. "Tell that to the True Hero, then. His voice carries as far as the mighty roar of the Shooting-Star Dragon!"

"Well, that is true." Evan said, grinning at Zoe. "But you also need to remember that you have your own battles to fight here." At the hero's words, Zoe started to pout. Seeing this, Evan quickly remedied the situation. "After all, if Collie doesn't have a home to come back to, what good would her victory be? You are the last defense between home, and the bad guys." As Evan spoke, Gnip growled playfully at Zoe and lowered her head to the young girl.

Zoe pondered this logic for a moment as she pet the Mach Pokémon. Then she struck another pose. "I won't let you down, True Hero! I will prove that I am worthy of the Goggles of Truth and Justice you have bestowed upon me! Four Island will remain safe under the all-seeing eyes of its glorious protector!"

"A responsibility worthy of the great Zoe." Colette gave Evan a smile of gratitude. Despite his bombastic demeanor, he was surprisingly thoughtful. She only wondered why she couldn't detect the hero's hidden kindness in his aura -- or anything else in his aura for that matter. She pushed that thought aside as she grinned at Zoe. "Hey, want to come along and meet some new hero friends? Ryan and Evan can introduce us to them!"

"I think that would be a good idea!" Evan said happily, grinning at Collie's suggestion. "You can meet two others like myself! My comrades-in-arms, the Heroes of Time and Reverse! I'm sure they'd be happy to meet you, Warrior Princess! And I am pretty sure Collie the Aura Princess would like to meet the Space Princess."

"That sounds delightful!" Colette giggled as she and Zoe followed Evan, who jubilantly led the way down the hall like some dragon-clad pied piper, Gnip growling playfully at his side.

Jayron looked on in astonishment. He really didn't know what to say. "Is he always like this?" he muttered in a low voice to Ryan.

His fellow Liberty agent laughed. "Evan? This is what he does best."

The executive could only shake his head in amusement. "What have we gotten ourselves into?"

[JiMing]

IC: Dahlia Seaton

 

The middle Seaton watched as doctors wheeled Aspen away on a bed. The last she saw of her brother before he was wheeled away, he wore a pained expression on his face. Dahlia stood lost in her own thoughts, and it was several minutes before she realized a good chunk of the group had left to do their own things. Muttering something about needing to use the bathroom, Dahlia quickly ducked out of the hospital room.

 

Once she managed to actually find a bathroom, the gardener splashed some water on her face to try and snap herself out of her funk. Ryan had told her she shouldn't blame herself for what she had done to the Pinsir. And yet Sylph had also pointed out a detail she couldn't just ignore: she had let her abilities control her actions. Dahlia mulled it over, wondering how she could even begin to rectify this issue.

 

"I know you're watching." Dahlia said suddenly, looking at the bathroom mirror. "I know you saw what happened to me back on the boat too. Isn't that right, Mr. Giratina?"

 

At Dahlia's words, a ghostly image of the dragon deity appeared on the surface of the mirror. "Indeed I am." he said. "Very perceptive, Miss Seaton. I can also see you are quite distressed, even after talking with that Ryan boy."

 

The gardener shifted about and twiddled her fingers. "I-I just don't understand what I'm supposed to do from here. It was one of my first big chances to be a hero, and I blew it. Not only did I fail to save my brother, but I couldn't control my power... Instead it took complete control of me..." She lowered her eyes with a sigh and listened to the rhythmic dripping of the water in the sink. "What even happened there, anyways? Everyone just keeps saying I wasn't myself."

 

"Your righteous fury awoke the power of the Renegade." the ruler of the Distortion Realm replied. "I am impressed. Such power does not usually manifest itself this early, if at all, in those who have been granted the power of Reverse. It shows the reservoir of strength and will that lies within you."

 

"I-I mean yeah, but I scared everyone, and also almost destroyed the boat. I didn't think about activating my powers, and I can't even remember what I did during the battle..." Tears started to well up in Dahlia's eyes. "If I can't control this power, I could just end up being a liability to everyone, or worse a danger! Where am I supposed to go from here??"

 

"Never despair, Dahlia Seaton. I chose you for your indomitable will and your steadfastness in what you believe. These powers may be hard to control at the moment, but that is not any reason to give up." The Renegade Pokémon's voice was gruff but reassuring. "You have been granted my power because I know you can rise to the challenge and become a true Heroine of Reverse."

 

For a few moments the only sound was the dripping water marking time. At last, Dahlia gave a small nod. "Alright. I promise I won't give up. Everyone may be scared of me now, but I'll just have to win back their trust and prove to them that I can learn to control these powers. Thank you, Mr. Giratina."

 

"I should be thanking you for taking on such a heavy responsibility." Giratina said. "But now it is time for me to depart. Your friends seek your presence. Until we speak again."

 

The gardener watched Giratina's image disappear from the mirror. In its place, she saw her own tired eyes staring back at her. She was surprised just how much of her fatigue showed in her face. But at the same time, her deep blue eyes were brimming with a quiet determination. She gave herself a smile before turning away. As the gardener walked back out into the hallway she pushed her doubts and fears aside. She was ready to face the new day.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander and Sylph

 

This was it. The moment he'd waited years for. He was going to talk with one of the leaders of Team Liberty and join the ranks. Hopefully. He felt his stomach tightening as he followed Robert towards the CC. What if they turned him down? He would have come all this way for nothing.

 

No, he corrected himself. He came all this way for Ellen. It was only coincidence that he wanted to join Team Liberty. He was here because their best shot of finding a kidnapped child was here. He reached out and grabbed Sylph's hand without looking.

 

He braced himself as the agent opened the door.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Chloe - Desert Resort==-
 
"Are you ready?" The voice barely reached Chloe's ears over the howling wind, as she shielded her face from the raging sands of the desert. She could barely see the ancient ruins in front of her among the sand covering it. The girl noticed that the last visible entrance was slowly beginning to be buried as well, and tried to steel her nerves, despite not knowing how well this would go.
 
"I-I think so." Chloe replied, as she glanced around. Surrounding her, were Guy's Pokemon, ready to assist when the signal was given. The psychic types were preparing themselves as well, as both of them understood that she alone had no chance of raising the ancient castle. Guy wished to raise the whole of the city, but realized that it would be best to have a proof of concept before hand. Chloe glanced around nervously once again, but then nodded subtly, as she raised her hands in front of her. She winced, as the sand battered her face, but concentrated on the progress she had made in her training.
 
The Pokemon each began to concentrate as well, on the building in front of them. Chloe's confidence wavered a bit, however, she gathered her determination once again, and looked right at the sandy tomb it had become. She grit her teeth, as she attempted to get a proper telekinetic hold on her target. Once she had tried that, she attempted to lift it with her powers. The girl's knees buckled, as she felt her head spin for a moment. She felt Guy run over to her, to check and see if she was alright, but could not make out the words right away.
 
"I'm fine..." She weakly smiled, but frowned as she stared at what remained of Relic Castle. She vaguely heard explanations that she had begun to lift the structure before the other Pokemon had actually been ready to lift, and that another try would work. However, she began to question herself; and what would happen if the plan failed, and it wasn't possible. She pushed those thoughts out of her mind, and brushed herself off, to try again. Focusing again, she waited until she faintly heard a call to go, and then began to lift.
 
The effort nearly made her feel faint once more, however, it was not nearly as intensive as the first try. At the same time, however, it didn't feel like they were getting anywhere at all. The dunes barely moved, and the girl already felt like she was at her maximum strength. Despite this, however, she continued to attempt to lift up the castle with her mind. Two minutes went by with barely any change. Just when she felt like she was going to collapse, however, she suddenly felt as if a weight had been lifted. As she stumbled back, and collapsed to the ground, she noticed a large fragment of sandstone twirl up into the air, as the sand began its slow descent into the inner workings of the once proud castle. Chloe didn't need her empathy to feel the disappointment coming from the man standing behind her. She groaned, and closed her eyes, feeling like she had just been run over by ten trucks.
 
 
 
A few hours later, the girl slowly and groggily opened her eyes. She gripped her head with a wince, and stumbled out of the bed she had been placed on, and staggered to the doorway. With a yelp, however, she stumbled back and fell back onto the bed, as the door opened. She frowned slightly, as she noticed Guy standing there, a cup of water in his hand.
 
"I don't blame you..." The man said quietly, as he set the glass on the bedside table. "You've been trying the best you can do, and I've been pushing you past your limits. But I know this can be done! We made progress today..." Chloe didn't have the heart to interrupt her uncle. She didn't have the heart to shatter his hopes and dreams by mentioning what she thought had happened to the building when she lost a hold of it. She also didn't want to mention the fragment of the building she had seen return to the skies, feeling that it would not help things either. So, the girl simply nodded in agreement, and sighed.
 
"Is there really enough time, though? I may have gotten a lot out of my training, but I can't stay here forever trying and trying. I have other stuff I need to do, after all, and I think Liv's coming here soon..." Chloe scratched her head, but looked over, as Guy stayed quiet. The man stood up without any further comment, and stopped at the doorway, his head down.
 
"We'll make enough time..." The man mumbled under his breath, and then looked at Chloe with a sort of stern look. "Get a little more rest, and then meet me downstairs by 6 PM. We're going to train all night if we have to." With that, Guy left the girl to herself, and walked out of the room. Chloe studied her feet for a moment, and then looked out at the sandstorm raging outside.
 
I just wish this could be an easy thing to fix...

-==NPC: Payton - Vermillion City==-

 

The group had breached the wall of the compound. It had been abnormally easy for the group to infiltrate, as there were no signs of anyone around. Payton approached the mansion in front of them cautiously, however. Even with no signs of aura outside, she had a feeling that may have been to drop their guards. However, as she reached the front door and turned the knob, it opened easily. The woman glanced back to Mercury and the others with an uneasy look on her face.

 

"This is too easy... even if we got the drop on them, this is just a very poor job of security..." Payton mumbled, and shook her head. "Who would want people to just wander in?" The group entered into the large opening hall. However, as soon as the main group was inside, the door swung shut, revealing a rather muscled man behind the door.

 

"Someone who wants to catch a bunch of meddling mice." Called a voice from the top of the stairs. The man walked down to the middle of the stairs, and smiled down at the group of trainers with an amused chuckle. "Never did I expect to have to just simply wait for you all to show up. But I guess after what I did to your precious... Derek, was it?"

"David."

"Ah, yes." The man appeared to take glee in Payton's anger. "David. What a fine young specimen of a man. It's just too bad he got involved with a bunch of rebels."

"Who are you?"

"Now, now, dear." The man's smile turned darker, as he looked straight at Payton. "I run the show here. If you want answers, you're going to have to fight your way up to me."

"Oh yeah?" The woman quickly drew a gun, and aimed it toward the arrogant man. However, before she could fire, another burly man suddenly swung on a rope from the shadows. He knocked Payton to the ground, sending the gun skidding across the floor. The two men on the ground floor moved and stood in the way of the stairs, as they gripped Pokeballs, prepared for a fight.

 

Payton coughed, as she attempted to catch her breath, noticing that her gun was also out of reach beyond the two muscular men. "Looks like I was wrong... we're gonna have to fight after all." She mumbled with a scowl, as she pushed herself to her feet.

Edited June 3, 2016 by Destined Blade

[MELON LORD]

IC: Mercury

 

The aura wielder had followed Payton in and ducked around the side of the room as she had her verbal duel with the man upstairs. Anubis had slipped around the other side, so when the two thugs stepped up, the duo was ready to strike. The Lucario came in low, sweeping at one man's legs with a Bone Rush that, ironically, would break through bone.

 

Mercury came in high, an aura-wreathed hand lashing at the second guy's throat. Taking these two out now would save them trouble later, and Mercury wasn't particularly worried if they ended up in the hospital or dead.

 

IC: Belle LaDonna and Alma Mason

 

The ship dropped anchor a few miles to the west of Nuvema Town. Belle and Alma rode Cyanide to cut down on travel time. Belle had to admit, she didn't mind having the girl close by anymore. Even if she was a killer, Belle had realized that she was still, well, a kid. Alma was yelling and whooping as they zipped across the land at Cyanide's top speed, wind whipping through their hair.

 

The two were laughing as they came into the town and banked to avoid someone on an early walk. The Metang set down lightly, allowing the two to dismount. Belle adjusted her cape, grinning, and Alma smoothed her dress. "Alright," the albino girl said. "It's time for us to begin." She walked towards the walker they had just passed, smiling her sweetest smile.

 

"Excuse me, sir. We were wondering if you'd seen a Roderick Krane pass through recently? Here, I have a picture actually." She dug the phot from her pocket, smiling.

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Walker Day - Nuvema Town

 

Walker Day was not a complicated man. Everyday he went out on a walk and everyday he passed by the same types of people. And that was just the way he liked it. He had no need for anything outside his routine and any excitement he needed could be found in his everyday life. So when a Metang came flying by and nearly hit him, his first instinct was to leave and pretend the event never happened.

 

Then of course the girl hops off the Metang and come up to him. That ruined any chance he was just going to forget about it for the rest of the day.

 

"Um, um, no, no," he said certain he had never seen the boy in the picture the girl showed him before. He was half-way through a turn to leave when his memory betrayed him. "Wait maybe. Yes, I think."

 

The memory in question was so not so much of the boy, so much as the Beheeyem that was with him. It had just stared at him for awhile in complete silence before letting out a sinister chuckle. As if the Beheeyem had noticed something that eluded him. The boy himself was mainly significant in that he was not part of that normal routine. That and one other thing.

 

"Yeah he had that weird arm..." Walker waved his hand around looking for the right word, "thing," he said as he tapped the picture the girl held to show her what he meant. "Never saw anything like it before, never seen anything like it since."

 

 

IC: Roddy – P2 Laboratory

 

Roderick Krane sat exhausted. The sort of relieved exhaustion you might feel at the end of an epic adventure that maybe I’ll write when you’ll see eventually, I wouldn’t bet on it. With the instruction and supplies from his father, he had built a Purification Chamber on the island that Genesect was born on, or perhaps reborn on would be the more accurate term. The Purify Chamber back at the Pokémon HQ Lab proved insufficient to break open the Enhanced Shadow Genesect’s heart. Which is why they were there at the site of what once was a Team Plasma laboratory. The trigger needed had been there.

 

Not that the traditional method of purifying Pokémon was useless. He still needed the Purify Chamber Portable (name pending) he had built to do the heavy lifting of the Purification process. And to do that he had four Pokémon: Aralia, Wattling, Blimpy and Ignight. The tempo flowed from Genesect through the Serperior, then through the Rotom (Roddy was still hurting financially from replacing the washing machine he had to leave behind in Havoc), then the Drifblim followed by the Infernape before finally going back to the Serperior. The tempo in the chamber was at maximum and there were not unexpected setbacks.

 

They’d been at this for a week now.

 

From what he could tell, it was working. In fact, they were getting close to finishing the process. However the door to Genesect’s heart was not easily pried open. He even had to leave Digital to watch over the group while he and Harmonics went to get supplies. It might have been useful to have had Celebi there, her own powers related to purification could have surely helped speed up the process. However that would have required him to talk to James again, something Roderick was not yet willing to do.

 

When James confessed to him in that cafe what exactly it was that James had ordered him to do, well… Roddy… hadn’t taken it well. The fact that Goldhawk specifically forbade it didn’t help. Especially when he told him the results of Project H.A.R.M.O.N.Y. Roddy had ended up playing a part in all those deaths and it made him sick.

 

The way James had looked when Roderick lashed out at him. He looked… used to it, as if he already had the conversation and was merely replaying it to torment himself. How many people must he have betrayed to grow accustomed to seeing the reaction of hurt? Roderick had felt disgusted and pardoned himself after seeing that face. He felt very justified at the time but now a rock sank to the bottom of his stomach. James did call him there to apologize and he slammed the door on him.

 

Roderick shook his head and put James out of his mind. Maybe he’d talk to him when they got back and then who knows. Right now he had to focus on Genesect. He and Digital took turns watching over all of them and did their best to take care of their needs while they only focused on the tempo. Harmonics seemed jealous of their job until Roderick had the idea to use his Telepathy to help all of them to keep rhythm. Harmonics took off the headphones that Roddy gave him so he could focus on the song that flowed between them. I couldn’t possibly tell you what it was that Harmonics heard but the satisfied expression on Harmonics face said pages more than I ever could. It was like if someone who could never hear before suddenly learned what music sounded like. My guess considering the subject is something like the song I linked in the tag to this IC, but I'll never know.

 

Roderick did though. Harmonics had mastered Telepathy enough to share the song with Roderick and Digital for a short time. Roderick was kind of sorry that the others weren't there. It certainly helped him calm down anyway. Maybe it wasn't just Genesect's heart the song could open.

 

Alright, that was it, Roddy resolved. Once I get back to Four Island, I'll speak with James again and get the full story this time. Any less is unbecoming of a gentleman.

 

It was time Everything was finally coming to a close. Just a bit more and he could put this behind him.

 

OOC: Aww, so many events referred to that we'll never see!

 

...Well probably.

Edited March 2, 2017 by Valorous Angel Minun4

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny/Feral(Jam: Alku)==-

 

"Are you some kind of fool?"

That was the first thing Feral mocked his "jailer" with, roiling around in what he thought were circles. The former Spacial Horror had grown bored, and while he respected her, he found Jenny Hakuda's optimism grating for some reason.

"Are you going to answer me, airhead of airheads?"

 

"Hmm..." Jenny had stayed quiet among the mocking, as she walked around outside the Alamo. Currently, she was walking along the beach, seemingly lost in thought - however, most of those thoughts appeared to be locked away from Feral's reach. "Nah."

 

"Why, usually you'd jump at the chance to argue with me, Jen-Jen!"

The shadow knew he was right, usually his captor would playfully retort back at him, usually turning his insult on it's head. But this time she definitely felt different. He'd just have to press harder.

"Too afraid to deal with the boogeyman in your head? I understand completely!"

 

Jenny tried to keep her breathing level, as she continued her walking. "Nah. No-one would be afraid of you now." The girl put her hands behind her head, as she glanced off toward the ocean. "Besides, it doesn't really seem like the time."

 

"You're not wrong, but I never know until I try!"

Feral had almost given up delivering that last line, due how dejected he was beginning to feel. This girl, who usually giggled at him and laughed off his insults, seemed more unamused by his taunting. He decided to continue, hoping to unearth why she was acting this way.

"There's always time, airhead. You just don't seem like you wanna make it work, which isn't surprising at all."

 

"That's not it, it's just..." Jenny inwardly wondered why he kept poking at her at that moment, and chose to just keep walking. "Besides, why wouldn't it be surprising?" She asked, seeming almost curious about that.

 

"Lately, you've been keeping your thoughts to yourself. I'd say you are trying to run away from them as well."

Feral knew what he was looking for was almost within reach. He knew that there could be consequences for his actions, but he had nothing to lose.

But his better half did. If Feral pushed too hard, maybe something bad would happen between the two of them. But if he didn't, the same thing could happen. Sighing, he continued.

"Something happened, and you are clearly feeling negative about it. That's my domain, airhead. Not yours."

 

Jenny kept quiet once again, as she stopped, glancing back over the ocean again. "Doesn't mean you know best about it."

 

"What are you getting at?" Feral growled. "I know plenty enough about it. Especially seeing as I was created due to that other fool's inability to deal with his choices in life!"

Feral knew he had probably gone too far, especially when he knew Jenny was right. But he was getting tired of how she was acting at the moment, especially since she would bounce back most of the time.

 

"Shut up!" Jenny bit her lip as she tried to ignore the stares she was suddenly getting for her outburst. She stayed quiet as she ran off toward the trees at the edge of the beach, to get out of the sight of the people who were likely very curious why she had randomly told herself to shut up. However, she kept her head down when she got there, as if to try and hide her face from Feral, despite the shadow being not being a physical presence.

 

"Why should I? I certainly do not know best, but as you have proven, you do not either!"

Feral knew he had crossed a line when he said those words. He was so tired of her attitude. But he also knew that he was stuck with her and the person she loved. He had to make up for his snapping at Jenny, but he had to hear her out first.

"Tell me why you are acting like this?" Feral said, sounding concerned. "It's certainly not healthy for someone like you to be like this..."

 

Jenny turned her head to the side a bit, as if dodging his question. "Maybe I'm a little stressed out. Maybe this has been one of the most stressful things since my life was turned upside down six months ago. And maybe I'm a bit worried at myself and the group for the argument that happened on the boat the other day." The girl wiped her eyes with her arm, as she looked back up, her eyes seeming a bit more red than before. "And maybe I'm just a little bit overwhelmed with it all..."

 

Feral wasn't exactly surprised at what Jenny had said. But he was also genuinely sorry for doing what he did, now that he saw just how much Jenny may have been hurting inside...

"Then why are you holding it all in? It's hard enough to burden yourself with it. It's even worse to just lock it in. You've got Evan and you've got me. Are you scared of what Evan may think?"

 

"No." Jenny winced slightly as she sat down, but leaned back and looked up at the sky. "I just... I feel like everyone's counting on me to be the one who rallies everyone else; especially after what happened. But now it seems like the tensions are growing so high that logic isn't being used either. That people are willing to do things that make me nervous..." She paused for a moment, and grimaced. "And I'm not even certain I'm excused from that either, after what I asked Gnip to do; attacking an ally."

 

"I'm sorry, Jenny." Feral replied, a note of remorse in his voice. "I'm sure Evan's probably feeling the same way about that action you took. Same with Gnip, who may as well be on bad terms with that Lucario."

Feral continued to pace around in Jenny's mind, trying to think of what else to say, to at least make Jenny feel better. "Not everything is totally black and white, Jenny. Especially in heated situations like that....."

 

"I know... I know." Jenny sighed, but still frowned. "I just worry sometimes... especially since we'll be going into battle eventually with all these people. What if something else happens, but worse next time?" She scratched her head a bit, and sighed. "I just need to actually take a bit of time to sort things out..." The girl seemed as if she was going to stay quiet for a bit, but then sighed. "I'm sorry for snapping, too; it just... got too much."

 

"No harm done, airhead." Feral replied calmly. "It was just so infuriating to see you be like that. I'm pretty sure Evan would have done the same. I guess, even though we see you differently...... We are still technically the same person, and we both don't want to see you like this."

Feral smiled at the last thing he said. He wasn't exactly convinced of what he said, but decided to roll with it. He didn't exactly have a choice, did he?

 

Jenny giggled with a slightly amused smile. "I dunno, you see to have a few differences otherwise..." She stretched, and then stood up. "You might have a point there, though, even so."

 

Jenny scratched her head. "Not really, no. Though, for the others, would there be a point where it'd be worrisome for them to fight with injuries? Like how Xander keeps getting battered?"

 

"Perhaps, but I'm sure they'll know their limits." Feral replied calmly. "But, some of them may adapt so they aren't useless when their limits are reached..........." Feral grinned to himself knowingly, as if he were hinting at something...

 

Jenny giggled at the hint. "Kinda like Evan's basically been going around with a broken arm?" She asked with an amused smile on her face.

 

"The fool did read up on many famous battlers, goofball." Feral spoke. "I'm pretty sure he's already thought of ways to deal with his injury, and still fight..."

 

"Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest, to be honest." Jenny nodded with a smile, and sighed. "Good points, though; I think you might be right."

 

"Just.....don't hesitate to talk to us, if something like this happens again." Feral replied as he yawned. "You can't be the only one to rally everyone, you know?"

 

Jenny nodded with a smile. "Gotcha. Hopefully it won't..." She giggled, as she began to head back toward the main part of the Alamo.

 

-==IC: Chloe==-

 

At six PM, Chloe made her way down to the training area, wearing a sort of track and field outfit. She had eaten a light dinner around four, to not be too hungry or too full during the training. However, she wondered just what Guy had in mind. When she entered the room, she noticed that Guy was facing the window, looking out at the raging sandstorm.

 

"This will be a three on three fight." Guy finally said, as he turned around to face Chloe. "For you, however, you will face my Musharna yourself. I don't expect you to faint her, but you should at least put up a fight, using your abilities and everything around us." The man sent out his Musharna, Grumpig, Beheeyem, and Sigilyph, and stood waiting for Chloe to approach. The girl nodded, as she sent out her original trio of Cyndy, Ren, and Alvis, and then stood in front of the Musharna.

 

"Let us begin, then."

 

The main six Pokemon squared off against each other as soon as the words were spoken, however, Chloe backed off for a moment as the Musharna approached. She was trying to carefully think of a plan; however, the Musharna quickly showed that she was getting no time for that, as a Psybeam barely missed her. The girl back off again, as she quickly glanced around the room. Focusing for a moment, she lifted a chair with her telekinesis, and attempted to throw it at the Musharna. However, a Tackle knocked her out of her focus and sent the chair clattering to the floor. Meanwhile, Chloe was launched back against the wall from the attack, winded for a moment, as the Musharna waited for her to stand back up.

 

The trio of Chloe's Pokemon had seemed to improve on their co-ordination since they had first started working together. Ren drew a Payback toward himself; but dodged out of the way at the last moment so that Alvis could take the blow instead, which activated his Justified ability. Alvis then utilized that on the Beheeyem, Shadow Sneaking behind to slice out with his boosted attack, which stunned the Pokemon long enough to disrupt a Psybeam aimed toward Cyndy. However, the teamwork didn't stop there, as Ren doubled back toward the Grumpig, and quickly bit down with Fire Fang. Ignoring the howl of pain the Pokemon let out, the Luxray threw the Grumpig into the air, in perfect range for a condensed cone of flames aimed directly at the hapless piggy.

 

As the Grumpig fell to the ground, nice and toasty, Chloe rolled out of the way of another Psybeam. However, she quickly found herself floating in the air, courtesy of the Musharna's Telekinesis. Letting out a squeak, Chloe flailed around in panic, not being used to this sort of weightless sensation. She tried to grab a hold of a chair to fling at the Musharna, but found she couldn't focus on its location long enough with the disorientation from the attack. Instead, the girl attempted to focus on the Musharna with her panic still there, and tried to push out toward the Pokemon, intending to send out a damaging pulse. Instead, she managed to give herself and everyone in the immediate vicinity a very temporary, but rather painful headache.

Edited June 6, 2016 by Destined Blade

[Konuju]

OOC: Jam with JiMing

 

IC: Paul/Aria
The clock slowly marked the passage of time as Paul waited for the others to return. Nearly everyone had left; Ryan and Evan to find their aura user, Xander to sign up as a Liberty agent, Dahlia to find a bathroom, and Jenny had gone who-knows-where. Paul merely sat in a chair, as motionless as Aspen and the other Ryan currently laying in hospital beds. The blacksmith could have paced the hallways, but he felt uncomfortable enough as it was being in Team Liberty's headquarters. They had already confiscated his gun, and although there had been no harsh words, Paul knew that as a contractor for Ford he was less-than-welcome here.
 
His eyes drifted toward Aspen's Pokémon, who had all taken up positions around the unconscious boy. Flare had his paws on the bed as he looked anxiously at his trainer. Meadow had claimed a space on the edge of Aspen's pillow, humming a soft grasswhistle to help the boy sleep. Torrent stood a little further away with a scowl on his face, as if he was mad at himself for not being able to do more to protect his trainer. Jet sat perched at the foot of the bed, his sharp eyes never leaving Aspen. Saya curled up on a chair in a corner, watching Aspen and her fellow Pokémon from a distance.
 
And then there was Aria. The Lucario stood leaning against the wall, her arms folded across her chest and her head slightly down. It looked to Paul as if she had dozed off. As Paul watched her for a moment, his thoughts flashed back to the deck of the boat, when Aria had held Jack in her psychic grip. Over the past few days, that memory had been seared into his mind. He kept playing out different scenarios. What if Aria had gone through with her threat? What if Paul had done a better job to back her up? Had he hesitated out of conscience? Or out of fear? These thoughts had plagued him ever since the incident, and they plagued him even more now.
 
Aria's green-grey eyes snapped open and she turned her gaze to Paul as he thought, and raised an eyebrow. "I know you're going over the events of the boat the other day with me. Is there anything you wish to discuss?" 
 
The Lucario pushed herself away from the wall but kept her arms folded. "This is a moral dilemma now, is it? You're wondering whether you are a good father and person in spite of the violent rage that resides in you. You're worried about how many enemies you'll make, and whether your daughter will be one of them. Is that correct?"
 
The Lucario had caught Paul off guard, but he slowly nodded. "I've taught my daughter that violence doesn't solve anything... and yet if I had held the gun instead of Xander, I wouldn't have hesitated to put a bullet through Jack's heart."
 
Aria's eyes glowed blue with her stare boring even deeper into Paul's core. She was not at all hiding how she sifted through the Déoza agent's mind, speaking up a few moments later.
 
"Ever hear of cognitive dissonance?" the Lucario asked. "It is the state of having contradictory beliefs, attitudes, and goals. When experiencing this phenomenon, distress follows, and the individual attempts to rationalize their alarming behaviors and thoughts to be morally justifiable."
 
She closed her eyes and put a finger to her chin. "That is what you are experiencing right now. What will you do in this scenario? Will you tell yourself that it was justified to wish harm upon Jack because of his actions? Will you continue to rationalize this situation and others until you are nothing but a rage-fueled, remorseless husk of who you once were? Will you reconcile your beliefs and leave as a stronger person? Or something else entirely...?"
 
"I was not the only one who wished to harm Jack," Paul said in a quiet voice. He stared back at the Lucario in a manner that was half-accusatory, half-pleading. "What was your moral justification? Have you experienced this cognitive dissonance yourself?"
 
"Oh yes, quite a long time in fact. Back when I was but a Riolu. Now I simply do not factor morality into my decisions." Aria answered. "Jack had been refusing to comply, so I attempted to make him cooperate through threat of physical harm to his being. Given he is quite the narcissist, any damage to his perfect body would be an unfathomable thought. If he proved to be completely uncooperative, I was to extract the knowledge on how to pilot the boat and stop factoring the captain as an element to consider. You on the other hand simply wanted to end his life out of anger at proving a hindering element in finding your daughter. I'm right about that one, aren't I?" she muttered, raising an eyebrow.
 
Paul bit his lip. "Y-yes, but..." His hands trembled as he looked to the ground. "If you can look at this situation objectively, then tell me... was I right for wanting to protect everyone by killing Jack? Or does that make me a monster, the kind of ruthless Déoza Agent that Team Liberty is afraid of?"
 
Aria shook her head slowly. "Objectivity and morality are water and oil-they do not mix. One is rooted in facts and practicality, and the other is a personal interpretation of said facts." she answered. "As scary as the thought may be, universal truth for morality does not exist. Every person will decide who is a monster and who is using their own definitions."
 
The blacksmith fell silent for a moment as he pondered Aria's words. Then he looked up at the Lucario. "And what is your decision? What do you think of me?"
 
Once more, the Lucario shook her head. "I am no authority on this subject matter. You don't need my comment for a subject you must figure out yourself."
 
Aria put a paw to her chin and looked at the blacksmith with her seemingly all-knowing gaze. "I will however, tell you your struggle is felt by others... Including your daughter. I felt the dissonance wracking her mind, splitting her apart at the seams. In fact..." she muttered. "...I sensed a deep potential for darkness and evil within her. Perhaps it was inherited from her father? If so, you two are more similar than is comfortable."
 
Paul opened his mouth to protest, then clamped it shut. He had seen his daughter's anger and frustration firsthand. While she hadn't been looking to kill anyone, she had still tried to justify her violence in the same way that he himself had. He gave a heavy sigh. "This is exactly what I wanted to spare Ellen from."
 
"Sheltering her from the realities and horror of anger and violence may have left her all the more vulnerable to giving into them." Aria said, crossing her arms. "Negative emotions and violent acts are a part of this world that are impossible to never become aware of. And you simply left her alone to let the reality hit her with the force of a typhoon."
 
The Lucario raised an eyebrow at Paul. "Do you think by giving her a safe space to explore and discuss these issues, that she could still be your loving baby girl? And perhaps she would understand this world, trade naivety for wisdom. You may have set her up to become vulnerable; Ford exploited that and she played right into his hands."
 
"Anna always said Ellen inherited my headstrong attitude," Paul said with a wry smile. "But yes, there is much I need to talk about with her. She won't be a child forever, and I fear these experiences are making her grow up quicker than I would have liked. But she will always be my daughter." He looked back at Aria. "In Unova we have a legend of two sibling heroes. One sought Truth while the other sought Ideals. Perhaps I thought that by emphasizing ideals, I could spare Ellen from the truth. But that's the thing... the two are inseparable. You cannot have one without the other. It seems I left Ellen to find that out the hard way."
 
"Such is the nature of reality and standards. Both are irrevocably intertwined and yet polar opposites." the Lucario said, sighing. "Though, I must commend you for taking this reflection on yourself and the consequences of your actions far better than other individuals would have. Had this been Ryan Sander, I am sure he would have had several outbursts already. Who knows? Perhaps there is yet another side of you besides the one that seeks vengeance and bloodshed."
 
Aria leaned against a wall and closed her eyes. She was silent for a long time, not giving any indication of when she might speak. At last she nodded slowly. "...Yes, the human experience as your species would call it. How very integral it is to our being, and yet how unknowable it is... Truly a remarkable aspect of our lives."

[Parugi]

IC - Blackskull/Silvermind/Robert Hill - Command Center, The Alamo:

 

After their rather silent walk, Robert offered only a strange look at Xander before pushing the door open and entering. Inside, the Command Center was bustling--as usual. Technicians did things on computers that Robert didn't really care to pay attention to as he wheeled past, instead working on pushing the large box-on-hand-truck up the ramp to where Blackskull and Silvermind stood. They were focused on a series of screens in the middle of the room, where they were currently watching footage of some sort of political debate to which Robert also had no particular interest in paying attention.

 

"Bosses," he said, catching their attention. He set the box down and pulled the hand truck out from under it. "I've got the server upgrade here. Also this guy wants to talk to you about joining Team Liberty." He gestured to Xander.

 

"A new recruit!" Blackskull said, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "I can take care of this, Selene. Hill, do you mind bringing that to the Server Room?"

 

"Are you f--" Robert caught himself and sighed. "Yes, sir." He hefted the box up again, and with some difficulty managed to get going again, almost knocking a couple of computers off of their desks in the process.

 

Blackskull chuckled and turned his attention back to Xander. He held out a hand. "Kane Umbra. You can call me Blackskull," he said. "Nice to meet you."

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander

 

The Kalos trainer was slightly taken aback by the older man's excitable attitude. He held his hand out to shake, smiling. "Alexander Cruize. Call me Xander. And this is Sylph." The Gardevoir gave a small bow, smiling.

 

"So, just tell me what I need to fill out, what I need to do."

[Konuju]

OOC: Jam with Alku!
 
IC: Ryan/Evan/Jayron/Colette/Zoe
Evan marched forward, leading the group to where the others were, thinking the whole while. So this was the Aura User they were to have join them? She seemed very capable and sharp, if a bit fiery. The Plasma Agent didn't expect that she'd be related to Zoe at all. Chuckling to himself, the Hero marched on.

Behind him, Zoe and Colette marched dutifully in Evan's steps. Zoe was endlessly spouting everything she had ever heard or read (or more likely, made up) about heroes, and every few dozen steps she would pause to pose dynamically with her new goggles.

If Colette was honest with herself, she'd admit that she was a little embarrassed by Zoe's antics. Normally she'd be all for fueling Zoe's imagination, but she had just recently promised Jayron that she'd be more serious when it came to official Liberty business, and here she was making a fool of herself in front of him. Of course on the other hand, the bit of joviality helped take her mind off the prospect of meeting the rest of the group. She couldn't help but feel anxious at the idea of spending the next several days with a bunch of people she had never met.

Jayron was equally nervous, but for a different reason entirely. Liberty's files on Ford were still fresh in his mind. He knew what Ford was capable of, and he knew just how easily this rescue operation could go awry. Although the Executive kept silent, his mind was as active as ever, telepathically relaying his fears to his Lucario. He sincerely hoped that Sanders' ragtag group of trainers was adequate enough to face Ford and his Children.

Although these same fears existed in Ryan's mind, he was far too exhausted to let them worry him. For now he was just relieved that Colette had not only agreed to help them, but had also recommended Jayron. Ryan was only distantly familiar with the Liberty Executive, and it was with a pang of nostalgia that he recalled the time Jayron had taught Alex Lockwood how to use telepathy with his Espeon. He idly wondered what his old friend was up to; he hadn't seen or heard from Alex since after the battle with the Ancient Darkrai when the two had parted ways for their respective hometowns: Ryan to Fortree, and Alex to Sunyshore.

As they got closer to the Hospital, Evan stopped and turned towards the others. "Just so you know, we've kinda had a rough few days getting here." Evan said, with a nervous smile as he turned around and continued his march. "Some of the others have been injured on the way, so they may be a little achy. The life of a hero isn't without its perils, you know. I know that for a fact."

"You can't have a good hero without danger!" Zoe declared. "Collie saved the world on Seven Island, and she was stuck in bed for days afterward!"

Colette remained silent. The battle on Seven Island really had taken its toll on her, both physically and emotionally. Truth be told, she was still recovering from it, but she wasn't about to let that keep her from saving another little girl from the clutches of Ford. Still, she had to wonder just what the group had been through. Her only hint was the worry that plagued Ryan's aura.

Evan grinned at what Zoe said, deciding not to tell her what happened to him in Unova, only electing to continue walking. "Extreme conditions test you and make you tougher!" Evan declared back. "As long as you don't do anything foolish, everything will be fine!"

"The Hero of Truth and Justice is no fool!" Zoe cried. "For I have been tested by the most extreme of conditions: an entire week without Collie!"

The words pulled Ryan out of his thoughts, if only for a moment. "Uh, yeah, sure." The Liberty agent sounded distracted, and Colette didn't even need to read his aura to know the title of 'fearless leader' was every bit an exaggeration as her own title of 'aura princess.'

When they finally arrived at the hospital, Evan turned back to the group, beaming happily. "Well, we're here." Evan said as he struck a pose. "I guess it'll be up to you to lead us now, Ryan! Give it a go!"

The Liberty agent awkwardly stepped forward past the sisters, the Garchomp, and Evan, and opened the door to the Alamo's hospital. He was surprised to find that half their group was gone, including the two heroes Evan had hyped up. "Well, it looks like we have some wandering souls in our group," he said sheepishly. "Um, at least we have Mr. Burks, Ellen's father."

Paul looked up at the mention of his name, surprised at the number of newcomers. Before he could make any introductions of his own, Zoe leapt forward and struck her most dynamic pose yet.

"There's no need to worry, Mr. Burks!" the girl proclaimed in a loud voice. "We'll have your daughter back shortly! You can leave it to us!"

Ryan scratched his head. "Um, Zoe... Mr. Burks is coming with us. And, er, you're not."

"Way to ruin my intro, Fearless Leader!" Zoe stuck out her tongue at the Liberty agent and stormed off to the back of the group.

"Sorry about my sister. She can be a bit... enthusiastic." Colette stepped forward to shake Mr. Burks' hand. In his aura she sensed a heavy burden not unlike Ryan's. Ellen's father seemed to carry equal portions of bitterness and sadness, enveloped in a nest of fear. In many ways he reminded her of Alexa's father, George. "I'm Colette, and I am more than happy to help you find your daughter."

"And these are our other aura wielders, Executive Jayron Aaron and his Lucario," Ryan said, doing his best to appear unperturbed by Zoe's outburst. "They've also agreed to help." Jayron tipped his fedora in greeting.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Paul said. "I can't thank you enough for your help. You have no idea what this means to me."

Actually, Colette thought to herself, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. I think I have a bit of an idea.

While the others were busy with their introductions, Zoe's eye was caught by a slim figure propped up against the wall. Her mouth dropped open as she immediately forgot that she was supposed to be angry. "You didn't tell me you had another Lucario with you!" She gasped in amazement. "Now all we need is Lucina, and we'll be unstoppable!"

[JiMing]

IC: Aspen Seaton

 

Meadow turned around and quietly scolded those who had come in for being too loud. Her efforts were in vain however, as Aspen groaned and attempted to get up. His efforts were stopped partway by a jolting pain running up through his leg, causing the youngest Seaton to wince visibly and lay back down. He took several deep breaths and instead slowly shifted on his side to prop himself up with his elbow, turning his head towards the people in front of his bed. 

"H-hello...?" he croaked, clearing his throat afterwards. "Who are...? I-I'm Aspen. Liberty agent and uh, yeah. Does anyone have some water? I'm parched..." 

Torrent turned around and raised an eyebrow at the other folks. He wasn't in the mood to brag about his abilities and so instead observed the new group with a raised eyebrow. Jet joined him in this, turning his head around from his perched position to glare warily at the newcomers. Flare on the other hand was much friendlier and walked up to them, barking a greeting. Saya let out a startled squeak when she heard people talk, and froze up for a moment upon seeing these strangers. The Eevee then curled up while on her chair, trying to look inconspicuous. 

 

Aria on the other hand turned her head towards Zoe, raising an eyebrow. "I am indeed a Lucario, yes. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Aria, currently a part of Aspen Seaton's team. And I believe you would be... Zoe Llyan, yes?" the Lucario said, her green-grey eyes being unreadable to those around her. Subtly she turned her gaze to Colette and Jayron and leered mysteriously, as if daring them to read her aura. She instantly turned back to the youngest Llyan however and pushed herself off the wall. "A shame you do not possess aura abilities like your sister does. Perhaps you would be allowed to accompany us as well if that were the case, but then again, such is life."

 

The Lucario lifted a hand and her eyes glowed blue, as Aria plucked a lollipop from a nearby open jar sitting on a windowsill. "Fair warning though, people have told me I'm... Quite unlike other Lucario they've met. Well usually they don't say it flat out, but that's the sentiment I get from almost everyone I encounter. Evidently I'm just very unnerving." she muttered, telekinetically lifting the lollipop to her paw. "You like sweets, yes? Here you are." Aria said, tossing the confection to Zoe, her face betraying no emotion even then.

Edited June 12, 2016 by Chroma Champion JiMing

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan/Zoe/Colette/Paul

Ryan visibly tensed when he saw Zoe approach Aria. His fears grew when the Lucario started talking. "Aria, don't you dare!" Ryan warned in a stern voice. But then Aria did something completely unexpected: she gave Zoe a lollipop. Ryan could do nothing but stare in shock. Where was the snarky attitude? Where was the intrusive analysis on the girl's psyche? Why was Aria being so... nice? Well, nice for her standards, anyway.

 

Colette wouldn't have thought anything of the Lucario handing her sister a sweet. But Ryan's small outburst set her on edge. The Lucario's apparent use of telepathy to learn her last name served to heighten her suspicions. Colette narrowed her eyes at Aria even as she scanned the auras in the room. Ryan was just as worried as ever, although it was hard to tell whether his anxiety was actually justified or if it was simply unfounded paranoia. Mr. Burks managed to hide his surprise physically, but it was all too evident in his aura. The bedridden kid, who had introduced himself as a fellow Liberty agent, appeared confused, but Colette suspected his emotions were muddled from having just woken up. The auras of the kid's Pokémon ranged subtly annoyed to cheerfully curious. One aura in particular stood out to her, one wracked with fear and timidity. Colette glanced in the corner and saw a cowering Eevee trying to make herself unseen.

 

But the Lucario had a formidable emotional shield around her aura. Colette couldn't sense any intention, good or ill, behind the act of giving Zoe sweets. Regardless, Aria had invaded Zoe's mind to learn her last name... and probably more than that. The thought of the Lucario delving into her sister's thoughts and memories made Colette uneasy. She could have tried to push against the shield but Colette had a feeling the Lucario wouldn't appreciate the intrusion and would respond in kind. Instead, Colette heightened the barriers around her own emotions, concealing her wariness behind a placid expression.

 

Zoe, of course, was oblivious to the thoughts running through her sister's head. In fact, she was oblivious to everything around her the moment the Lucario handed her a lollipop. Her face broke out into a huge grin as she caught the candy. "Thank you, Miss Aria!" she said as she poked the lollipop into her mouth. "You don't seem that unnerving!" At Zoe's feet, Esmeralda gave a small bark as she wandered over to the Quilava and introduced herself.

 

Paul quickly got over his surprise and walked over to a water cooler in the corner by Saya. He gave the Eevee a kind smile as he filled a cup of water and brought it to Aspen. "How're you feeling?" the blacksmith asked. "It looked like you took a pretty nasty hit to that leg of yours."

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

Evan smiled at the introductions and events that had occurred, but then frowned at Jamie and Dahlia's not being there. "I can understand Dahlia's possible reasoning." The Hero thought. "But, Jamie seems like the type who would stick with us...." Pushing those thoughts away, the Plasma Agent noted that ever since he had been admitted to the hospital, he hadn't seen Jenny anywhere either. "Sheesh, Ryan's right." Evan spoke, chuckling a bit. "I had hoped to introduce you to my fellow Heroes, as well as the Princess I serve, but I haven't seen them. Perhaps I should go look around for them, huh?"

With those words, Evan turned to walk out, before saying. "If anyone wants to join me, you're are more than welcome to!"

[JiMing]

IC: Aspen Seaton

 

"Not a problem, Ms. Llyan. Thank you for your kind words." said Aria, turning to Ryan afterwards. "What were you expecting me to do? I'm not a monster, you know." the Lucario scoffed, rolling her eyes. 

 

Flare looked at the newcomer Fennekin and smiled at Esmeralda's introduction. He introduced himself in kind and explained how Aspen's trainer led them to the hospital wing of the Alamo, and briefly went over how they were to be part of the search team. The Quilava frowned uncertainly for a moment, but shrugged it off and asked Zoe's Pokemon how she was faring.

 

Saya looked up at Paul uncertainly, breathing a tiny sigh of relief that he quickly turned his attention elsewhere. The Eevee was still on edge from these unfamiliar people and Pokemon in the room, curling up into a ball to try and remain invisible. She wasn't aware that the aura readers knew all she was feeling at the moment, due to her singleminded focus on trying to remain inconspicuous. 

Meadow shook her head and chirped to get Aspen's attention, trying to get the young boy to rest some more. It was too late however, and Aspen rubbed his eyes before accepting Paul's cup of water. "Thanks Mr. Burks. My leg's definitely pretty messed up..." he replied with a rasp, downing the water after he was done talking. The youngest Seaton looked around at the newcomers some more, clearing his throat. "Uh, yeah. I was uh, supposed to help find Ellen and all, but then this happened. Sorry about that. Wish I could be of some assistance but I'm definitely pretty out of comission..." he lamented. Aspen's expression lit up however when he looked to see Flare conversing with a Fennekin. "Who's that, Flare? Made a new friend?" he asked, his face beaming at the sight of the Fox Pokemon. 

IC: Olivia Seaton

 

Olivia Seaton arrived at Nimbasa with no trouble, and quickly made her way to the Desert Resort. Along the way she was accompanied by Amethyst walking just behind her trainer, Heather accompanying the red-haired Rocket on her shoulder, and Bree resting in the arms of her 'mama'. She didn't have time to sightsee however, for she was too busy trying to reach her best friend once again, determined not to lose her for another four years. And yet when it became clear that the young Torchic was having trouble in the arid conditions of the desert, the eldest Seaton looked down in concern.

"This sand's been really bothering you, hasn't it? Sorry about that Bree, you'll have to sit out the rest of the trip." she said. The small fire chick looked up with disappointment upon seeing the Pokeball, but Olivia still recalled the Torchic. 

"Bree's been pretty confused lately." Amethyst spoke up. "She knows that Chloe hasn't been around and while she loves you, it doesn't feel right without the two of you."

"I know. That's why I have to get back to Chloe as soon as I can." the eldest Seaton replied, shaking her head. "Right after Chloe disappears, Aspen gets his leg broken and Dahlia's powers go haywire. My family's falling apart and I can't do a single thing about it. I can't even keep Bree happy..." 

The Gardevoir paused, and put a hand on Olivia's shoulder. "Sometimes these things are just out of our control. Everyone gets blindsided in their lives, and Dahlia and Aspen are way far off. This isn't worth beating yourself up over." she said reassuringly. "We're gonna find Chloe and figure out how to use the cards we were dealt. That's about all we can do."

 

The trainer sighed. "You're right, I just... Things were so close to being right again. I felt like I was able to lower my guard... And then this happens. Now I'm stuck wading through the desert trying to find my best friend again while people from here give me the stink-eye for being a foreigner." Olivia growled in frustration. "When will the struggle end?"

"Nobody knows. The only place to go from here is forward." Amethyst replied. "I understand your anger, at least a bit. I've got someone I wish I could see again, though I dunno how much he would miss me to be honest..." the Gardevoir muttered to herself quietly. "Whatever. Basically, it sucks we can't do anything about this, but that's just reason to try harder to right things. There isn't any space to get discouraged here."

Olivia took a deep breath and nodded. "You're right, Am. Just have to keep on trucking. Now where were we supposed to head..."

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan/Zoe/Paul/Jayron

Aria's words stung Ryan, perhaps more than she'd intended. "Well, you haven't exactly had the best track record," he muttered with a scowl before turning his attention to Evan. "You go on ahead. I'm gonna wait here, and it looks like everyone else is busy with introductions."

 

Jayron's Lucario raised an eyebrow at Aria as he tried to read her expression rather than her aura. It was obvious there were some bitter feelings between her and Ryan, and possibly with others in the group. Lucario forced himself to ignore those sentiments. Judgement, he knew, should be reserved for after he had gotten to know her, and should not be influenced by the opinions of others.

 

Meanwhile, Paul smiled down at Aspen, honored that the kid's injuries hadn't dwindled his desire to help. "Don't worry yourself over it," he said kindly. "I'm sure Ellen would rather see you recover than injure yourself further trying to rescue her. The rest of us will manage without you." The blacksmith stopped talking when he realized that Aspen was focused on the small Fennekin.

 

Esmeralda briefly recounted the past few days of playing with Collie and Zoe, and then with some hesitation tried to explain Zoe's duty to keep watch over the island while her sister was away on the mission. The Fennekin flattened her ears against her head as she awaited the laughter that usually followed a telling of one of Zoe's grand exploits. But before Flare had a chance to respond, Zoe stooped down to the fire-types' level and gave the pair a wide grin. "Oh, hey there!" Zoe's words were slightly muffled by the lollipop in her mouth. "What're you two talking about? Exchanging tales of epic battles?"

 

Until then, Terry had been resting by Paul's chair, lazily perking up his ears at the newcomers. When he saw Flare making friends with the Fennekin and young girl, the Herdier decided to get up with a yawn and wander over to them. He barked a small greeting, which prompted Zoe to beckon him over with her lollipop. Terry sat down at Flare's side and tilted his head curiously. The girl appeared to be older than Ellen, although she reminded him of Ellen's younger days, back when he was still a Lillipup. The memories brought up a strange nostalgia and Terry longed for those much simpler days.

 

Jayron watched Zoe and the Pokémon for a moment before glancing up at Aspen. "What happened to your leg?" he asked, giving the boy's aura a quick scan to gauge his pain.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Payton==-

 

Payton braced herself for a fight, as the two men began to approach. However, the quick attacks from Mercury and Anubis managed to solve that issue rather quickly, as the two guardsmen fell, rather critically injured at best. Payton didn't care to find out whether they were still alive or not.

 

"Let's move on, and quickly." She said with a frown, as she stepped over the bodies and retrieved her gun, and then moved to go up the stairs.

 

-==IC: Chloe==-

 

Chloe managed to push herself back to her feet shakily, as her attack had backfired on not just the Musharna, but the others nearby. Luck would have it that the Musharna had been hurt enough to drop her, but as the Pokemon approached, Chloe had a feeling that she was quickly running out of tricks. She attempted to send more chairs toward the Musharna, but the pink psychic Pokemon simply redirected the furniture out of the way.

 

The Sigilyph that had so far been ignored by Chloe's Pokemon decided to actually enter the battle finally. However, as it tried to help out the Beheeyem that was currently trying and failing to regain its own bearings from the ongoing attack from Alvis, Ren and Cyndy reappeared. An Ice Fang in particular caught the Sigilyph's attention, as it tried to Psybeam the Luxray in return. However, it was not very successful, as Ren and Cyndy decided to play a game of seeing how long they could keep it airborn and stunned with Quick Attacks. The answer, sadly enough for the Sigilyph, was long enough for it to get knocked out by the sheer flurry of attacks.

 

Meanwhile, the Beheeyem finally managed to get away from the Gallade for a moment. Looking around at the battlefield, however, it suddenly wished it had not, as three sets of Pokemon eyes quickly trained on the hapless alien-like Pokemon. It attempted to back away, but was promptly hit with a three prong attack, and fell like a rock.

 

Chloe could feel Alvis' mental presence once the other battle finished. However, she shook her head at the Gallade's request to help out. She knew that she needed to figure this out on her own, no matter how tough it was. The girl stopped abruptly, and looked at the Musharna.

 

"We will not fight anymore." She attempted to sound convincing and authoritative enough, her eyes glowing as she tried out one of her other psychic abilities, seeing the more combat focused ones not work. Even this did not really work, however, and the Musharna's eyes flashed once. Chloe stumbled for a moment with a yawn. "... Or... that could be how... we don't fight..." After she collapsed to her knees for a moment, she slumped onto the floor, fast asleep from the counter-hypnosis the Musharna used...

[Parugi]

IC - Kyle Eston - R&D, The Alamo:

 

Something was very wrong with the picture in front of Kyle.

 

Wandering feet had brought him to the Research and Development Department. He wasn't sure what would have prompted him to come this way--the only explanation that he could think of was that someone within might have been able to find a way to expedite the pace of his lung recovery given the proper motivation. That, or simply the fact that it was familiar. He hadn't spent a ton of time there, but they had gone out of their way to keep an eye on him as a viable Agent to test their Elemental Suit. If nothing else, he figured that that might be a worthwhile conversation.

 

Except, now it was a moot point, because the department sitting in front of him looked completely unrecognizable from when he had been here only a week and a half ago. The place looked completely trashed--almost like someone had set a bomb off inside, but not quite that bad. Desks and shelves had been thrown about, their contents skewed all over the room. Chunks of glass littered the floor around empty window frames. Only a few emergency lights remained on inside, limiting his view of the department's condition as a whole, but his guess was that it was just as bad further in. Two guards stood at either side of the doorway, watching Kyle with wary eyes.

 

After a few moments, Kyle cleared his throat, giving them a short nod and continuing on his way. He glanced at his Pokétch. Richie still had not responded. In addition, the message he had tried to send to Sonja to ask if she was around hadn't gone through at all. 

 

Kyle sighed, scowling at his Pokétch. Where is everyone? He knew the answer for one person, at least, with Esen having gone off to explore Keturi City, but that did not account for Sonja or any other members of "The Crew." After a moment of silent walking, he came to a stop, sending a quick message to Ryan and Ray: Where you at?

 

 

IC - Ethan Worth (Baya)/Gavin Braner (Vel) - Arena, Chapel:

 

"Nice one, Gavin!" Ethan said. Seeing the Ice Shard attack directed at his partner, he whistled again. "Baya, cover our bird friend with Swift!"

 

"Vel, take Teddy for a little ride," Gavin called. He looked at Ethan, the corner of his lip lifting into a small smile. "And thank you."

 

Closing her talons around Teddy's midsection, Vel beat her powerful wings and began to pull him away from the ground. She appeared entirely unconcerned with the attack from Anzu, primarily because as she began her maneuver, Baya had summoned a cloud of light shurikans. These she sent flying with an energized buzz, directing them straight into the shards of ice that Anzu had created. The result was a fine powder mixed with small bits of ice that dispersed into the air from the wind currents around Vel's wings.

 

As she gained height, Vel shifted her direction and began to fly toward Anzu. At last, she released Teddy, sending the Little Bear Pokémon hurtling straight toward his partner. For good measure, Vel sent an Air Cutter attack to follow after him.

 

 

IC - Blackskull - Command Center, The Alamo:

 

"Nice to meet you Xander--and Sylph," Blackskull said. "It's not a very strenuous process--lucky for you. One of our Techies here can run your information and double-check your credentials. After that, you'll be signed off and issued a pass and ID. I'm assuming if you're here, then you also have someone who can vouch for you and can take care of getting you started in the organization, so you should get in contact with them as soon as possible. Make sense?"

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander and Sylph

 

The trainer nodded and was soon through the process and the very brief background check. After getting his pass and ID, he walked out of the room, grinning. As he walked, he pulled up Sanders' number in his Holo-caster and pressed to call.

 

IC: Mercury

 

He looked up at the man at the top of the stairs and followed Payton. As he drew closer, he saw something amiss on the other guy's belt. He had pokéballs, of course, but what drew Mercury's eye was the aura that clung to one of them. Twisted and broken, shot through with veins of dark purple...

 

His own hand went to Styx's ball, and he unclasped it. "So, you have one as well." His voice was hard, dangerous. "Care to wager that yours is stronger than mine?"

 

IC: Alma Mason/Belle LaDonna

 

The girl finished getting directions and walked back towards Belle, grinning. "Mr. Day has informed me that Roddy went west. We should head out that way and see what we can find."

 

The poacher nodded softly, mounting Cyanide again. "Sounds like a plan. Are we ready for this?"

 

Quietly, Alma felt her pockets, making sure everything was easily accessible. She grinned as she felt the handle of her revolver. "I believe we are, yes."

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

Other than Ryan and Sylph, only Aspen had witnessed Dahlia's out-of-control powers. Naturally, Ryan was curious what the youngest Seaton had to say about his sister, if he even knew what had happened. But before Aspen could respond, Ryan's Pokégear beeped with a message from Kyle. It was three simple words, not even a complete sentence, at yet Ryan didn't even know where to begin explaining everything that had happened since he had last seen Kyle on the night of the dance. The sight of Ray's name in the "To" line just filled him with more dread at being the bearer of bad news.

 

After debating it in his head for a moment, Ryan finally decided to respond to the simple question with a simple answer; fuller explanations could come later. He had just opened up a reply when his Pokégear rang with a call from Xander. Silently berating the Kalos trainer for his impeccable timing, Ryan begrudgingly answered the call, leaving his response to Kyle unsent.

 

"Hey Xander, what's up?" He put a smile on his face in an effort to hide his irritation. Telepaths couldn't read minds over the phone . . . right?

 

IC: Dack/Madison

"Teddy!" Dack and Madison's voices rang in unison as Vel grabbed the defenseless bear cub and pulled him into the air. Dack's teeth were set in a grimace, for he could do nothing but wait and hope the Mandibuzz's sharp claws would wake Teddy up. But the Teddirusa snoozed away, completely oblivious to his unconsented joyride. Madison's eyes widened in panic when she saw Vel drop Teddy right over Anzu.

 

"Come on Teddy, wake up!" Dack called out in vain. With an Air Cutter following closely behind Teddy, Dack realized that Gavin's strategy had the potential to knock out both their Pokémon in one fell swoop. He turned to Madison. "Do something, quick!" The skier gave no response as her panicked eyes followed Teddy's descent. "Madison!"

 

"W-wake-Up Slap!" Anzu had no time to question her trainer's orders, for Teddy was already upon her. The Froslass swung her arm in an upward arc, her palm meeting Teddy a few inches above her head. The bear cub was sent flying off to the side where he tumbled across the ground before skidding to a halt. The next instant Vel's Air Cutter slammed into Anzu, knocking her to the ground as well.

 

"What was that?" Dack cried in disbelief.

 

"I-I'm sorry!" Madison stammered. "I didn't know what to do!"

 

Teddy groggily woke up in a daze, wondering why his body ached so much. "It doesn't matter," Dack said. "At least Teddy's awake now. Can you still fight?" The Teddiursa nodded eagerly. "Alright then, give Baya a Night Slash, and keep away from Vel!"

 

Meanwhile Anzu rose wearily, muttering an apology to Teddy. "Are you sure you can keep this up?" Madison asked. The Froslass met her eye and gave a subtle nod. Madison bowed her head and took a deep breath, trying her best to get over the shock of Teddy's fall. At last she looked up, her eyes brimming with resolution. "Keep Teddy safe from Vel," she said.

 

Anzu summoned a ring of Ice Shards around her as she floated up toward the Mandibuzz. She positioned herself between the vulture and Teddy, who was already running toward Baya. A glint appeared in her eye as she sent her chunks of ice hurtling toward Vel.

[Dr. Hidaka]

OOC: Farewell to a legend

IC: Evan Tierra

 

"I can't go any further."

Evan had been hearing those words in his head ever since he left the room and as he walked around. They sounded labored and painful to the Plasma Agent, who knew where they were coming from. "Yeah, I'm sorry." The hero replied, walking towards a nearby door to the outside. "You want to go further, don't you?"

"Of course I do, but even I have my limits, Evan Tierra."

Evan opened the door, and exited, his expression solemn and respectful. "I really don't like that." he spoke as he walked towards a beach. "I had hoped you'd be able to go just a little further. But there's nothing else to do, right?" The Plasma agent drew forth a Poke Ball of the Luxury model. He knew that this is where the voice in his head was coming from.

And he hated what he was going to do.

Evan tossed the Luxury Ball, and from the flash of light, came forth Landorus. The Abundance Pokemon had definitely seen better days. His body had several wounds, his breathing was harsh and pained sounding, and his eyes didn't shine with vitality. Ever since the attack by the pokemon in the ocean, he had been unable to fight, due to being thrown underwater and being attacked by the occupants. "Agreed, there is nothing we can do, for now," Landorus replied softly. "I need to regain my strength, and I can't do that here. I must return home. I will rejoin you."

Evan gave Landorus a two fingered salute, smiling a little. "Well, if it means you recovering your power and fighting alongside me, I'd have it no other way." Evan replied as he picked up the Luxury Ball. "I guess it's farewell for now, huh?" Evan then depressed the button, and Landorus became cloaked in a blue light, signifying his release.

"May we meet again, Evan Tierra." Landorus said as he gave his friend a weary smile. "When I have recovered, I will seek you out. I am genuinely grateful to have met you." The Abundance pokemon began to rise slowly, before he saw the Plasma Agent hold out his hand. Grinning sheepishly, Landorus shook Evan's hand, which garnered a smile from him.

"Go as far as you want, Landorus." Evan said as Landorus began to rise towards the skies above, giving a final salute. "Goes as far as your heart desires, and never stop!" Evan watched as the shape of his friend zoomed in the direction of Unova, quickly becoming no bigger than a speck. Evan wiped his tears away, and walked back inside the Alamo, pondering what to do next.

[JiMing]

IC: Aspen Seaton

 

"Huh? Oh. My leg." Aspen said. "So on the way here, the captain of the boat we were all on tried to hold us hostage to deliver him to... Some company he works for? I-I'm not too sure on that. Anyways, he sent out his Pinsir to the kitchen room where I was, and um, that happened." the boy explained, gesturing to his leg. "Yeah. That's how I'm stuck in this hospital bed." 

Flare smiled cheerfully and nodded at Esmeralda, telling her that it sounded like she and her trainer were having fun. Then Zoe came over which prompted the Quilava to give another friendly bark and walk up to the Llyan girl. The fire weasel nodded at Terry and turned back to the Fennekin, saying that her trainer seemed like a nice person. 

 

Aria turned towards Jayron's Lucario surprisingly fast, raising an eyebrow. "And just what are you trying to look for?" she questioned, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "Come on now. Do you really think I had any ulterior motive for my actions just now? Just because of that Ryan boy's reaction? He's been quite on edge as of late." the Lucario pointed out. "You aren't going to find anything, so you may as well give up while you're ahead."

The youngest Seaton's eyes followed Terry as he wandered over near Flare nearby Zoe and Esmeralda. Once again he smiled and chuckled. "Is that Fennekin yours? She's adorable." Aspen asked Zoe, smiling. "Looks like Flare likes the both of you." he said, watching Flare brush up against the Llyan's leg and look up with a cheerful bark. 

IC: Lachina Adaon

 

Lachina flinched as Mercury and Anubis lashed out at the guardsmen, but took a quick breath to steel herself. The Pokemon who she had recruited had accidentally been left outside, so for now it was just her and Aolani. "Hope those little guys are doing alright outside." she muttered, shaking her head. Then Mercury made his next comment, leaving the Ranger confused. "What are you...? Oh. Please tell me it's not that. If it is, this isn't going to end well at all..."

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander Cruize

 

Xander grinned. "Ryan, I'm in! I just filled out the paperwork and got the badge and everything." He paused, feeling a distant sensation. "Is, uh... Did I interrupt something?" He chewed his lip. "I can let you go, if you need me to. I'm pretty much just down the hall, so..."

 

Good use of your power,Sylph said with a smile. We'll make something of you yet!

 

He laughed softly. Thanks, dear. He glanced back at the screen. "Tell you what, I'll see you in a minute, tops."

 

Actually, this could be a fun opportunity for you to try guiding a teleportation...

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan/Paul/Jayron/Zoe
"Y-yeah, uh, sure." Ryan did his best to hide his confusion. No, he reasoned, Xander must've just heard the others talking in the background and realized something was going on. He couldn't read his mind over the phone, that was just paranoid. Nevertheless, that made one less person they'd have to track down. Pushing thoughts of Dahlia, Jenny, and Jamie aside, Ryan smiled back at Xander. "We're back in the hospital room if you were wondering. Well, at least I am. Evan's out trying to round up the rest of the wanderers. See you soon."
 
As soon as he hung up, Ryan went back to his response to Kyle and typed out a quick message: "In the infirmary. It's a long story."
 
"I don't care what Agent Sanders thinks," Jayron's Lucario said. He was slightly taken aback by Aria's defensive reaction, but his expression remained calm. "If you think I was looking to verify his judgement, you are mistaken. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, just trying to observe the nature of my future teammate."
 
"Flare, huh?" Zoe pet the Quilava for a moment before scooping up Esmeralda in her arms. She walked over to the hospital bed and deposited the Fennekin on the boy's lap. "This is Esmeralda," she said cheerfully. "She was my first Pokémon, a gift from my sister!"
 
Jayron furrowed his brow. Aspen's tale was worrying, but it was clear the boy was currently occupied. Instead of questioning him further, Jayron turned towards Ryan. "I certainly hope that captain wasn't one of ours," he said in a low voice.
 
Ryan shook his head. "Nope, just a regular old seafarer we found in Lilycove. That is, until we learned he was working with Déoza." Jayron tensed. "Don't worry, we took care of him. He's currently on his way to a prison cell."
 
"That's not what worries me," the executive muttered. "Déoza must know you're up to something. Otherwise they wouldn't have requested your capture. What if Ford expects us to come after him? Our strategy hinges on the element of surprise. If we don't have that..."
 
Paul continued to look down at Aspen, but his ears were focused on Ryan and Jayron. He couldn't hear everything the Liberty agents were discussing, but he heard the name Déoza. He chanced a quick glance at the pair, and the cold expression on Jayron's face made Paul's stomach churn. From what he gathered, they were talking about Captain Jack. But what would Jayron do if he learned that Paul was also part of Déoza? The blacksmith needed no reminding that he was in the belly of the beast. Ryan, Xander, and the others from Hoenn trusted him, but that said nothing for Jayron, Colette, or any of the hundreds of other Liberty agents on the base.

[Metal Gear Minun]

OOC: I present you with this jar of jam.

 

IC: Jamie/Dahlia - Four Island
 

When Jamie finally snapped awake enough to actually do much of anything (Pelleas had nearly had to carry her off the boat) she noticed that she pretty much alone. So she decided now had been a good a time as any to go find where James was. Whether he'd help or not was up in the air but she figured it had been worth a shot. After wandering around aimlessly for a time, she found a receptionist who directed her to James's office. But when she got there, the place was locked. She tried knocking on the door to no avail.

Well she had to try, but it still felt like a waste of time. Which she was now the heroine of. And wasting what you represent just felt wrong.

So after that misadventure, she figured it was best to find her back to the rest of the group... wherever they were.

Jamie's sense of direction was not exactly stellar even when she knew where she was and in the heart of Four Island, she was doomed. Her only plan had been to wander around everywhere until she eventually found someone she knew.

Fortunately dumb plans like that work more often than they have any reason to.

So when Jamie spotted the rival she had declared for herself, she wasted no time in shouting, "Dahlia! Help!... Wait," she said softly as she realized her potential error. "Pelleas, are eternal rivals supposed to help with directions?"

The Heracross wisely decided that knowing where they were going was far more important than keeping towards some vague ideal of rivalry and responded affirmatively.

"Right," Jamie nodded, "Dahlia! We have no idea where any of the others are!" she shouted as she ran towards her fellow heroine.

 

Startled by Jamie's sudden shout, Dahlia turned around with a small jump. "Wha? Oh, right, Jamie..." she said, chuckling a bit. "Where have you been? I thought you would have stuck with the others back at the hospital room with Aspen and Ryan. Which I think should be...?"

The gardener became quiet, and shrugged. "Actually, I'm not entirely sure where they are now. I think Aspen was wheeled to a hallway in the right from where I was? Then I went down a hall to use the bathroom and... I think I got this." she reassured Jamie. She started walking down the hallway, attempting to retrace her steps. And yet, even as she muttered to herself and looked all around, the quiet determination from her talk with Giratina was still very present.

 

"You're a life-saver," Jamie said with a sigh of relief. "My brother is actually works for Team Liberty and I was looking for him. Someone pointed me towards his office but the place was locked so I have no idea where he could be. And on top of that I got completely lost trying to find anyone."

 

"You have a brother too? Older or younger?" Dahlia asked curiously. "Well, probably older because he has his own office, meaning he's a high rank I think? That's what it sounds like to me. What's he like?"

 

Jamie actually had to think about the answer to Dahlia's first question for a bit. The cover story was that they were twins. Were twins born at the exact same time or was one born first? But at the same time, there was no way she could say that James wasn't born first. And the potential awkwardness of waiting too long proved too big a risk so Jamie opened her mouth.

 

"You could say that. We're twins but he's still the older one. He's... nice. Really, -really- fond of suits. He was actually a member of Team Rocket before he decided to... defect."
 

Jamie was silent for a moment after saying that. Pelleas looked away with a guilty expression on his face.

 

"Sorry, that's a bit of a sore point."

 

"...Oh." 

Dahlia paused in her steps upon hearing that, and frowned. "Oh, uh, that's... Certainly something." she said. The gardener wasn't really sure how to approach the topic, given she had done her best to stay neutral in the war, and even with the ceasefire now was still hesitant to show any form of bias or lean. So she decided now would be a good time to shy away from that subject.

"Twins but he's older? That must mean you guys were born apart, but you're so similar you might as well be twins, right?" the middle Seaton asked. "You two must have been very close then. That's good!"

 

Once again, Jamie had to think about it, Not what I meant but... Well she's not wrong either. Dahlia had guessed closer to the truth than Jamie could've expected.

 

Eventually she smiled and nodded, "Yeah, we were. He was always the type to get engrossed in his work, yet he always made time for me. Actually he caught my first two Pokemon for me when I was really young. Pelleas," she said pointing towards the Heracross following behind them "Was actually the first one he got for me. Lucan, whom you fought earlier, was actually the first Pokemon I caught on my own."

 

"Ah, you two must have been pretty close then, huh? Sounds like you two cared about each other." Dahlia said, nodding. "Maybe you two won't have to worry about sides or factions someday. I know I wouldn't. I guess things aren't as bad as they used to be, but still. It'd be nice." the gardener lamented, shaking her head. "I suppose that's just wishful thinking on my part. It's hard to play the optimist sometimes."

The gardener led Jamie through another hall, and put a finger to her chin. "I think we're really close to the hospital wing... From there it's just a matter of finding out which room has Aspen and Ryan." 

 

The two of them kept checking doors until they finally found the door they were looking for and crept inside.

Edited June 23, 2016 by Minun of the Fourth Choir

[JiMing]

IC: Aspen/Dahlia Seaton

 

Aspen listened to Zoe's introduction of Esmeralda and broke out into a smile. "Your first Pokemon was a gift from your sister? Haha, that's awesome!" he exclaimed. "That's really thoughtful of her. What was her name, Colette? Yeah, you two must be really close sisters then. Not to mention that Esmeralda is probably the best gift of all time!" the youngest Seaton said with a chuckle, going to pet the Fennekin on the head and scratch her behind the ear. "She seems like a really nice Fennekin. A lot more well-behaved than Vixen for sure, too. And like I said, super adorable!" If there were any aura readers paying attention to Aspen at that moment, they would find that he felt more relaxed and at ease, the pain of his leg injury dulling ever so slightly as he pet the small fox. 

Aria narrowed her eyes again. "I've recently had a supposed ally attack me. I'm not in the mood to play any games, and I certainly don't appreciate being watched with the assumption that I'm not paying attention as well." the Lucario replied, turning away. "When it's time for us to interact more, you will find out who exactly I am. I wouldn't say now is that time, however."

 

Dahlia walked inside the hospital room and looked around. She blinked at the new faces of Colette, Jayron, and his Lucario, but put on a smile regardless. "H-hello all. My name's Dahlia Seaton, and I'm the Heroine of Reverse." she said to the newcomers. "The sister of Aspen Seaton there. And this here's my fellow hero, Jamie." the middle Seaton introduced, and looked to notice people missing from the room. "...I don't think we have everyone here. Any idea where they all went?"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Vermillion==-

 

The man was already on the stairs leading to the fourth floor, and smiled down at Mercury. "One of...? It appears that you may need to hurry up, then." He didn't seem to be particularly worried as he got to a door at the top of the stairs. With a condescending smile, the man walked into the room, and closed the door, a loud click indicating it was locked afterward.

 

"We need to get in there." Payton stated the obvious as the door closed, but frowned at Mercury. "What were you talking about, though? What is that thing you two were discussing as if it were a lethal weapon?" Lachina's pleas weren't missed by her either, and the older woman glanced between Mercury and Lachina, as if having missed a very important conversation that would explain everything. Despite all that, however, one other thing rang through her mind... Would her sister be waiting in that room as well?

 

-==IC: Chloe(Dream)==-

 

Chloe opened her eyes, and glanced around. Right away, she knew it wasn't the real world, as her surroundings looked... weird. The girl stood up and looked at the odd pathways, and shuddered. Not even a second later, she kneeled down again, and crawled to the edge of the path. Her stomach dropped, as she paled and moved away from the edge very quickly. The drop from the energy-like path looked to be endless, which made her feel a little light headed.

 

"Where... am I, though? I don't recognize this place at all..." She shuddered, as the sky-like area looked weird as well. She couldn't tell if it were an indoor room, or the outdoor sky, but it was definitely not normal for either. The girl slowly walked down the path, nervous about the railing-less walkway, as she nervously glanced around. However, as she reached the end of the walkway, she noticed a large platform, and stepped on it. With a blink, she felt something fall on her head, as she noticed the colours of the room shift suddenly. She brushed the thing off her head, and yelped in surprise as it was a Spinarak.

 

The girl quickly moved to the side, trying to juggle staying on the platform with dodging the many Spinarak that were now falling from the sky. Chloe frowned, as she wondered just what was going on, when the room suddenly changed colours again and the spiders vanished. The girl glanced around, as she was now in a solid room, that looked like her old house's bedroom. She was not sure what caused the other things to disappear, but she was not about to complain about that. She walked over to her old bed, and smiled, as she laid down on it again, and closed her eyes...

 

 

-==IC: Guy/Olivia/Chloe==-

Not long after Chloe had the hypnosis used on her, Guy walked out of the house in the Desert Resort. He glanced at the Relic Castle, and sighed, as he thought about the attempt earlier. As much as he hated to admit it... Chloe was not ready yet. As much as she had improved over the last little bit, the girl was not at all ready for this scale of a project. But yet, Guy was not prepared to just give up. He sent out his now-recovered team, and looked to the nearly fully buried castle, and had them attempt to lift it with telekinesis once again, while Chloe was still sleeping inside.

 

As Guy was distracted, a certain red-haired trainer and her Gardevoir approached him from behind. They saw that he was still too distracted looking at the Relic Castle, and decided to take their chance.

"Hey, you. You're the guy who snatched Chloe from right under my nose." Olivia said suddenly, folding her arms. "You got a lot of nerve doing that, you know? I've only started seeing my best friend for a few days, and you decide it's best to pull a fast one on me and have her do something completely insane. Do you really think I wouldn't come after her? Or are you really just that dense?"

 

Guy jumped from the shock of someone suddenly talking behind him, and turned around while trying to catch his breath. "Oh, hello..." He managed finally, motioning for his Pokemon to continue while he was talking. "No, no, I knew you'd come find her; props on getting here so quickly." He smiled with a thumbs up, and sighed. "You two really are good together, you know. Though, you honestly can jump to conclusions a lot... Really, that's the only reason I didn't outright ask, since I tried that method in Lilycove, and that backfired so much that I had to take credit for something I didn't mean to do." He scratched his head after that, though.

"Though, on the bright side, she got to evaluate herself as a result... But I'm sorry. I didn't intend for what happened in Lilycove to... well, happen." Guy turned around again with a sigh, and spread his arms to show the view of Relic Castle. "Behold. This was once a prosperous city... now look at it. All that's left is... well, barely anything. I wanted Chloe's help for this, but even I have to admit now that it's not something that's looking really good."

 

"You want Chloe to help you with lifting an entire castle out of the sand. And what are you going to do then? Rule of the ruins and sand? You're insane. A crackpot." Olivia scowled, shaking her head. "I guess she feels bad for her uncle, but I'm not gonna let Chloe stay cooped up here with a crazy old man. Take me to her right now." the eldest Seaton demanded, taking a bold step forward towards Guy. "I won't let you or anything else keep me apart from her any longer!"

 

Guy faced Olivia with a sad look on his face. "I don't want to rule anything. I'm not a ruler; all I want is to see this place restored to its former glory. That's it. Everyone gave up on it, though; and it's going to be lost forever if this keeps going the way it has been." The man sighed in resignation, however. "She's inside. She may still be sleeping from the training battle earlier. But..." He paused slightly, and frowned a bit. "I'm not sure if that's a very healthy attitude to have, Olivia..."

 

The red-haired trainer balled up her fists and her stare became dark. "...Do you have ANY idea how lonely I've been for these past four years? How empty and hollow my life became? And the guilt I had to live with, because I didn't say "I love you" when I had the chance... I won't allow anything to separate me from my best friend and the love of my life anymore. I can't." she insisted, standing her ground. "I don't CARE what you want to do with that dusty old castle! Give me back my girlfriend!"

 

Guy stared at Olivia, a sad frown on his face. "I've already mentioned where she is... the door is open. I just don't think..." He trailed off, as he shook his head, as he faced back toward the castle. "I know what that guilt is like. For the same amount of time. The difference is that you have a chance I don't... Make use of it. But don't over-rely on it." The man looked back for a moment. "Things happen, sometimes. Don't be too insistent, or you might drive the people you love away, instead."

 

"...What are you trying to tell me now?" Olivia asked, frowning. "I'm saying that I don't want to be alone again. I don't wan to go back to the darkest years of my life. Why is that so bad?!" she demanded, growling. "If you understand what I'm feeling, surely you'd understand this too!"

 

"Sometimes you have to have faith in people." Guy frowned slightly at Olivia. "It's alright to not want to be lonely, and understandable too... but what if the other person can't be there all the time? Just... all I'm trying to say, is to keep that in mind."

 

"...I-I'm sure Chloe would understand. Sh-she has to!" Olivia stammered, closing her eyes in frustration. "U-ugh, just... Tell me where her room is..."

Amethyst closed her eyes, and winced. The Gardevoir could feel the fear and doubt inside of her trainer. Olivia was so very scared of being alone, it was eating away at her inside. Hopefully her condition would improve if she only spent more time with Chloe...

 

Guy sighed, but nodded, as he gave the directions to where the training room was. "Knowing her, she'll either still be sleeping, or just waking up... just..." The man frowned in worry, as he looked at Olivia, wondering if everything would really work out as the red haired girl thought.

 

Olivia nodded and walked inside the house, hanging her head low. The red-haired trainer walked through the house while following the directions given to her by Guy, and walked through the door of the training room to see where Chloe was there.

 

----

 

Chloe sat up with a yawn, as she sleepily glanced over to where Olivia was. "Hiya Liv~" She waved to her friend, as she yawned again, letting out a slight giggle after that. "You caught me napping on the job..."

 

Olivia beamed and ran over to Chloe, wrapping her in a hug. "I've missed you so much..." she said, snuggling close to her friend. "Glad to see you've been holding up well too. And that I was able to get here so quickly... Things get so quiet and boring without you."

 

Chloe giggled at that, a slightly amused smile on her face. "Things also tend to be safer, I usually find..." She teasingly poked Olivia's shoulder, but stretched out before returning the hug for the moment. She glanced around curiously, and scratched her head. "I guess I didn't manage to get good enough for that test; Uncle Guy's not here..." She sighed, and frowned a bit. "It wouldn't have worked anyway, though... I felt a part of the castle give way in the last try... I don't think it can be safely excavated." She scratched her head again, and thought for a moment. "Well, um, I guess we can go now... should we say goodbye to Uncle Guy first, though?"

 

"Well actually, I think you still need to say hello again to someone else." Olivia replied, grabbing a Pokeball off of her belt. She released Bree from the capsule who ruffled her feathers and looked around. The small bird immediately focused on Chloe and broke out into a wide smile, jumping into her arms while chirping happily.

"Bree's missed you almost as much as I have." the eldest Seaton explained while giggling. "The kid's been really confused about where you've been these last few days..."

 

Chloe giggled, as she hugged the Torchic with a smile, and looked down in amusement. "Well, I'm sorry for confusing everyone... but hey, at least I had a chance to explain this time." She giggled again as she looked up to Olivia. "Did I miss anything else? I haven't heard from any of the others for like a day, which is odd..." The girl seemed curious at that, but thought for a moment. "Though, we probably should get back sooner than later anyway... I'll give credit to Uncle Guy that his place is better than most places I've stayed at, but... it's still not the greatest." She awkwardly giggled at that, but smiled at the scene.

 

Olivia nodded, and turned to head out the door. "I'm ready to leave when you are, Chloe. Guess we have some more catching up to do this time, huh? Hopefully we can get through it faster than the four years we still haven't fully gone over." she said, smiling. "It's nice to have you back..."

 

Chloe smiled back and nodded. "I agree." She giggled at her own response, and thought for a moment. "Wanna just teleport back? I think it'd be faster... and with both Alvis and Am focusing, I think it'd work right."

 

Olivia looked back at Amethyst, who nodded and confirmed she could do that. "Teleportation it is, then. I don't think Am and Alvis will have any trouble focusing with each other." the eldest Seaton said coyly, with the Gardevoir mumbling under her breath as she turned away. "Anyways, that works."

 

Chloe giggled, but nodded, as she sent out Alvis. The Gallade bowed with an amused smile at Am, but then began to focus on Olivine City, as the two teleported them back home finally...