Pokémon: Rise Of The Rockets

[Parugi]

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

 

"Baya, up!" Ethan ordered. The Combee buzzed excitedly and flapped her wings, lifting her up into the air and out of Teddy's reach. She could not help but blow a raspberry at the Teddiursa as she did so. "Awesome! Now follow it up with Gust!" After taking a deep breath, Baya blew at Teddy, unleashing a miniature tornado at the Normal-Type.

 

"Vel, block what you can!" Gavin called. Vel complied, swinging her wing forward as Anzu's Ice Shards came into range. She managed to swat several of them out of the air, smashing them into a fine mist from the impact, before the others slammed into her body. The Mandibuzz recoiled from the attack. As she recovered, she locked eyes with Anzu, flashing what could only be considered a smile as she used Flatter against her opponent.

 

 

IC - Kyle Eston - Hospital Wing, The Alamo:

 

"In the infirmary. It's a long story."

 

A frown formed on Kyle's lips at the message, shortly giving way to an amused smile. "Yeah," he muttered, snapping his Pokétch closed. He began to walk again. "Same here, pal."

 

 

 

The receptionist was occupied with her computer. That wasn't a problem; if anything that meant she probably wasn't busy. Kyle approached, placing his hands on the counter top. "Excuse me?" The woman looked up. "Sorry to interrupt."

 

"It's no problem at all, Mr. Eston," she said. "Are you here for another check-up?"

 

'Mr. Eston?' Kyle silently repeated. Well, now I just feel rude for not remembering your name . . . He shook his head. "No, not this time," he said. "A friend of mine said he was here, so I wanted to visit. Were Ryan Sanders or Ray Hakuda brought here recently?"

 

The receptionist typed their names into her computer, then shook her head. "Doesn't look like it."

 

"Sonja Baron?" Negative. "Zach Hikari?" He was not present either. "Weird . . ." Kyle rapped his knuckles against the counter, conscious of the other people waiting in line behind him. "Maybe try . . . Jenny Hakuda and Evan Tierra?" He hadn't seen either of them since the events in Opelucid, but it was worth a shot.

 

"Miss Hakuda is a 'no,'" the receptionist said. "As for Mr. Tierra . . . Ah, here he is. Looks like he was checked in earlier." She grabbed a pen and a notepad from her desk and wrote down the room number he had been treated in, handing it to him. "Here you are."

 

"Thanks a ton," Kyle said, taking the slip. Noting the number, he headed down the proper hall, and eventually arrived at the room in question. He could hear several voices from within, most of which he did not recognize. Regardless, he pocketed the slip of paper and knocked.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander Cruize and Sylph

 

It's pretty simple. Just like the telekinesis, I'll supply the power to start. You just visualize our destination -- let's land outside the room, so we don't crowd anyone -- and will yourself to move there. Concentrate on the destination, and yourself. I'll get myself there just fine.

 

Xander nodded, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. As Sylph poured power into him, he focused. Destination. Self. Impose one on the other... His stomach lurched, and he staggered, stumbling into a wall. A moment later, Sylph was next to him, grinning.

 

Not bad. You may have a knack for the physical side of things.

 

"Blurgh," he replied, not sure he could actually speak without vomiting. That was... something. Sylph nodded, smiling.

 

It is, but you get used to it. Now that you know what it feels like, we'll practice with shorter ranges at first, and then move on to big jumps. For now, let's head inside.

 

Xander frowned, turning towards the door - and paused upon seeing someone else standing outside. "Oh. Um. Hi." He waved awkwardly.

 

IC: Ja-Mercury

 

He glared back at Payton, peeling his upper lip back in a barely-repressed snarl. "I explained this earlier. He has a creature like my Absol." He turned, tossing the ball high into the air. "Styx! Take down that door."

Edited June 26, 2016 by Carbevoir

[Parugi]

IC - Kyle Eston - Infirmary, The Alamo:

 

For several seconds, Kyle stared at the new arrivals. He didn't recognize either of them--definitely not the Gardevoir; he would've remembered one with only one arm--but he could tell right away that the boy was slightly younger than he was. Much tanner, too, and his voice . . . Kyle couldn't quite place it, but there was definitely a different accent to his words. Perhaps not a strong one, but . . .

 

"Hello," he said at last. Kyle nodded to the door. "I . . . take it that you're looking for some combination of Ryan Sanders, Evan Tierra, and Ray Hakuda, too? Maybe some others?"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Payton==-

 

In that moment, Payton knew something was very wrong. When the man looked back at her, the look he gave her was... chilling. It also reminded her of earlier in the gym, when the man was threatening them. "Wai-" She was cut off as the ball was thrown into the air.

 

Payton attempted to aim at the release mechanism quickly, knowing that she needed to act. However, she covered her eyes as a burst of light filled the area briefly, signifying the appearance of the Absol. She had no powers in the slightest, but even she could tell that something was not right with the dark Pokemon. She took a step back down the stairs, taking a defensive position both from the Absol, and to try and protect the young ranger in case anything decided it was about to go wrong.

 

-==IC: Vivian==-

 

"Sir." The hard look of the gunslinger once again trained itself onto the man, who was currently walking toward his desk. "How exactly is any of this helping the plan? This seems more like just pure chaos to me, than anything else. And you said-"

"I know what I said, Vivian." The ringleader calmly sat down with a smile. "And I specifically remember that I never said she wouldn't be present. Just that she wouldn't be harmed." The man's eyes glinted in the lighting, as he heard a yell from behind the door. "Specifically... that it wouldn't be the group as a whole."

 

"This is getting out of hand. They managed to find one of those creatures too? And you never answered-"

"I don't need to answer everything to you. You are simply my bodyguard. Might I remind you of our agreement? If you suddenly decide to betray us, then it becomes null and void... and I don't think you can afford that."

 

Vivian stayed quiet for a few moments, as she simply glared at the man in anger. She could do nothing to challenge him, and he knew it. "You're despicable Mal... you really are." She silently waited, however, not moving to leave. If she left, there was no way that... The woman grit her teeth, and turned her head away from 'Mal', glaring down at the floor.

 

-==IC: Colette==-

 

Colette had stayed silent as the talking took place, simply choosing to ignore the haughtiness that the other Lucario was displaying. Despite that, however, she was having a tough time continuing to keep a cool head as the things happened. A little of her annoyance at the arrogant Lucario was starting to show on her face, as she was starting to feel like it was a good idea to leave. With Zoe lost in conversation with Aspen, however, that was easier said than done.

 

As she was about to open her mouth to voice the idea that they might want to let Aspen get some rest, however, she heard the door open. She turned to face the door with a confused look, as two girls walked in. Colette quickly attempted to glance at their auras for an idea of what they could be like... however, she found trouble in that, as the auras of both were almost... distorted in a way. Before she could continue to focus on that, the first girl, whose name was apparently Dahlia, introduced herself and the other girl. However, she didn't focus on the question that was asked afterward either, as she was still confused about a few things.

 

"Wait, back up a moment..." Colette frowned slightly as she looked at Dahlia with a puzzled look. "Did you just say 'reverse'? How does that even work-" The girl stopped abruptly, even as a knock on the now-closed door rang through the room. She looked between Dahlia and Jamie curiously, as she recalled a few details. "Wait, wait, I think I've heard of this... that's the... Sinnoh legend? I think that was in one of my history lessons, at least..." Colette put her right hand to her chin, as she thought, a gear turning in her head to finally connect some dots. "... Wait a moment..." The aura wielder furrowed her brow, as she glanced at Jamie, recalling the 'hero of Space' from earlier. "Are you the heroine of Time or something like that?" For a moment, she thought that they might have been a group to help keep spirits up, like with Zoe's games... however, she recalled the odd auras the two girls had. She once again attempted to read their auras... but could not focus on them for more than a moment. She found some parts readable, and could detect Dahlia's nervousness, but overall the aura felt almost... ancient, and not something she had ever encountered before.

 

Could... how could that even be?

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander Cruize

 

"Mostly Sanders and Tierra, yeah," Xander replied, smiling weakly. "I'm a recent friend of theirs." He glanced away, frowning. "Ray left us, actually. If you're a friend of his, I'm sorry."

 

He stepped forward. "Have you knocked? Let's head on inside." Sylph watched, frowning softly.

 

IC: Mercury

 

"Tear it down, Styx. Razor wind!" As he spoke, he poured his aura towards the Absol, guiding it towards their opponents. The dark type roared, slashing with the blade on its head to tear at the door.

 

Step one: get into the room.

Step two: kill everyone and take that corrupted pokémon.

Step three: see first half of step two.

 

Really, it was the best plan ever.

 

IC: Anubis

 

The Lucario frowned, seeing the aura that Mercury poured forth. It was wrong, not the same that his companion for the past several years normally kept. He recognized that aura. But, unfortunately, now was not the time to stop him. Now was the time to follow and restrict the damage as much as possible.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan/Jayron/Zoe

When the door opened Terry gave a welcoming bark and walked up to Dahlia. Ryan was pulled out of his conversation with Jayron as he turned around and gave the girls a smile. "You certainly know your history," he told Colette. "Dahlia, Jamie, this is Colette and Jayron, two aura wielders who will be joining us. Colette, Jayron, meet Dahlia and Jamie. They're the heroes Evan mentioned earlier."

 

Powers of aura, time, and reverse. Ryan couldn't hide his grin. Jayron was worried about losing the element of surprise, but it was unlikely Ford would expect to be attacked by powered humans as well as Pokémon. For the first time in a while, he felt like they actually had a chance.

 

"More superheroes?" Zoe darted from the hospital bed, leaving Esmeralda alone in Aspen's arms as she rushed up to Dahlia and Jamie and gave them her best dynamic pose. "It is an honor to meet my fellow bringers of truth and justice!" she declared. "You do not know me, but you will! While you're out there kicking Ford's butt, my task will be all the more important: I will defend the Alamo with my life! Soon everyone will know the name of the spectacular Zoe Llyan!"

 

Jayron ignored Zoe's antics as he, like Colette, read the ancient presence within the heroes' auras. But not everything in their auras was inhuman. Dahlia was worried and scared; she was not a soldier like most of the others in the group. He suspected she had experienced combat, but had no real training. Yet despite all that, despite her fears, her insecurities, she had a grim determination. She was willing to fight, to prove herself, to protect those she cared about. And it was that, not her powers or the archaic, almost sacred presence within her aura, that made Jayron smile. Sanders had done a good job picking out his ragtag group.

 

And then the executive turned his eyes on Jamie. Before he could read too deeply into her aura, he read her face. It was strikingly familiar. He nodded in greeting to the Heroine of Time. "You wouldn't happen to be related to James Arthur, would you?" Although he kept his face impassive, the mere thought of the former executive had caused Jayron to inwardly tense. He still hadn't quite found it in himself to forgive James for what he'd done. He wasn't sure if he ever would.

 

Lucario, too, turned to greet the newcomers. If Aria didn't want to talk, that was fine. Everyone has secrets they prefer to keep hidden in the dark. Lucario just hoped those secrets, those inner demons, wouldn't hinder the team from being able to work together. He trained his eyes on Dahlia. "In answer to your question, Miss Seaton, it appears we have three more visitors at the door. Perhaps those are your missing friends?"

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Jamie - that one room with all the people in it. 

 

There were multiple things for Jamie to respond to but the one that took highest priority came from the heroine on the bed. This one was much shorter than Evan or her but she could see the confidence in her bearing.

 

"Wow... what form," Jamie mentioned at seeing Zoe, genuinely impressed. "Man I wish I knew someone back home that could hold themselves like that. Then I would know that Abyss would be safe in my absence."

 

I can't lose here, she thought on seeing the small heroine's display.

 

Jamie sucked down air in preparation for her counter-attack. She had questions to answer and she would do so in heroic fashion. "Allow me to introduce myself!" Jamie shouted. "I am indeed of the same flesh and blood of my brother James!" she called while doing a sweeping motion above her head with her arm. "I am the chosen envoy of Dialga and a devoted agent of Team Rocket!..."

 

Then Jamie remembered where she was.

"On second thought, perhaps I should not shout that last bit so loud," Jamie muttered, her eyes darting around.

 

The beat she lost she regained with a spin before dramatically pointing at the Aura wielders, "I am Jamie Arthur!"

 

Jamie sighed a breath of relief as soon as she finished her shouting. "Whew, how do you like that? Was it suitably 'hero' enough? I still need some practice, I know."

 

Pelleas had been staring at the Lucario and his trainer ever since he and Jamie entered the room. The recollection from their time at Paradise finally occurred and suddenly the Heracross's own competitive spirit shown through. He shouted while pointing at Jayron and his Lucario.

 

"What's the mat-" then suddenly Jamie remembered that she had seen the Executive before. "Wait a second? Were you involved in the attack on Paradise, er, the second one?"

Edited June 27, 2016 by Minun of the Fourth Choir

[Parugi]

IC - Kyle Eston - Infirmary, The Alamo:

 

Kyle stepped out of the way, his confusion clear. "Yeah, I--what do you mean he 'left us?'"

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander Cruize

 

"What-- Oh, geeze, sorry! i didn't mean it to sound like he's dead." He rubbed the back of his head. "Just . . . He chose to leave us in a way that none of us were expecting or wanting. We don't know where he is now, and we don't have any way to contact him."

 

He sighed. "Anyways. Let's go inside. I'm sure the others will be glad to see you." He reached out to turn the knob, putting on a smile.

 

IC: Belle LaDonna and Alma Mason

 

As Cyanide set down, Belle stepped onto land. Her cape billowed in the breeze, and she ran a hand through her hair. They were outside a building - some sort of lab, it looked like - and were nearing their target.

 

They were about to kill someone. The poacher chewed her lip, looking to her companion. The albino had been eerily silent during the ride over, with none of her usual cheerfulness. The girl understood perfectly what was about to happen.

 

As they had flown over on Cyanide, Alma had moved several knives to hidden places in her dress. Her sleeves, the tie of her apron, the back of her neck. She had also checked the ammunition of her small pistol at least three times, counting each bullet.

 

Now, the girl smoothed her skirt. "I'll send Shadow and Freq to scout out the building, and see if our target is inside. Shadow will try and destroy any unattended pokéballs, and Freq will put out the power where possible."

 

"Yeah," Belle said. "Sounds good. Hemlock, Cyanide, and I will follow you in. He'll be less likely to go on the offensive with a little girl, I hope."

 

"I'll try and make this quick. Neither of us needs a long battle with him." Shadow flitted away as Alma spoke, sliding through the door silently. Now, it was a time to wait.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan/Zoe/Jayron

Zoe instinctively took a step backward when the Heroine of Time declared herself as an agent of Team Rocket. She knew about the ceasefire of course, but that hadn't stopped her from beating up Sleight in her daydreams. As Jamie turned her attention elsewhere, the gears started turning in Zoe's mind. The others didn't seem to be afraid of Jamie, and she seemed like a nice person. A smile slowly dawned on her face.

 

"An alliance, then!" Zoe cried, heedless of the fact that Jamie was now in the middle of a conversation with Executive Aura. "Team Rocket and Team Liberty, sworn enemies, must put their differences aside to defeat the ultimate evil: The Shadowed Man!"

 

Jayron was taken aback by Jamie's pointed question and her Heracross' shout. Thankfully Zoe's interlude gave the executive enough time to gather his thoughts. "Of course, how could I forget?" he said in recognition. "You tried to stop us at Paradise."

 

It would seem her Heracross still has a score to settle, Lucario told Jayron through their mental link. To everyone else it would appear the Aura Pokémon was merely returning Pelleas' stare with a hint of amusement on his otherwise impassive face.

 

That it does, Jayron replied. "It looks like your Heracross hasn't forgotten our battle either," he said aloud, offering the beetle a friendly smile. The competitive spirit bursting through the Heracross' aura made Jayron slightly nervous; Jamie's Pokémon seemed almost ready to attack them. In a hospital room. As a precaution, Jayron focused deeper into the fighting/bug's aura to ensure there weren't any hostile feelings.

 

With all the introductions going on, Ryan had almost forgotten about the people waiting outside until the door suddenly opened. "Xander!" he said with a smile, welcoming the Kalosian and his Gardevoir inside. "I was just introducing Jayron and Colette. And... Kyle?" He nodded at his fellow Liberty agent (although technically Xander was a fellow agent now too). "How's it going? I take it you two have already met?"

[Parugi]

IC - Kyle Eston - Infirmary, The Alamo:

 

He moved a hand to the back of his head. "I mean, that wasn't exactly what I tho--" Kyle's word trailed off as the door opened. The first thing he registered was that he neither knew nor recognized almost any of the people in the room--except for Executive Aaron, whom he had never really spoken with, and Ryan Sanders, who thankfully spoke first. While he was surprised that Ryan's initial reaction to seeing him did not include the phrase "What the heck happened to your face?", from the looks of others in the vicinity, he figured that Sanders was used to people being beaten up by now.

 

'Long story,' indeed.

 

"Ryan... You didn't tell me you were replacing the entire crew," he said, returning the nod with a small smile. "No, actually, good to see you. Yeah, as a matter of fact, Xander here was just telling me something cryptic about how Ray 'left.'" Kyle moved his hand to the side of his neck, covering the bruises on that half. "'Long story,' right?"

Edited June 30, 2016 by Parugi

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

Evan wiped his tears away as he walked in the halls of the Alamo. He had done the main thing he intended on doing. The Plasma Agent knew that Dahlia and Jamie would eventually come back to the group. But he had to get Landorus released, without drama or fanfare, which he couldn't have done in the room. "Guess I should head back then."

"Be sure to get some snacks for later, hero-boy."

Evan facepalmed at the sound of his dark doppelganger's voice. "Only you could ruin a moment like this." Evan thought exasperatedly. "You obviously don't eat, so unless you are talking about Jenny, I've got other things to do."

"I would say you are being cold-hea-"

Whatever the mental equivalent of a record scratching was, Evan felt it. Chuckling somewhat, the Hero walked back to the room where the group would be, hearing a great deal of chatter as he drew close to the door.....

[JiMing]

IC: Dahlia/Aspen Seaton

 

Dahlia looked down at her feet and gave Terry an affectionate pat to his head. Meanwhile, Colette recognized the source of her title, which happened to excite her younger sister very much. "Uh huh. I'm Giratina's herald, envoy, uh... That sort of general stuff. Even still though, I'm just a gardener." the middle Seaton said with a shrug, smiling at Zoe's enthusiasm. "Zoe and Jamie are probably the type of people you'd expect to be heroes, they're almost as energetic as Evan. Me personally, I dunno if I really have the lungs..." she noted, chuckling at that. She was briefly alarmed when it seemed that Jamie's Team Rocket alliance would cause something of stir, but that did not come to pass and the gardener sighed in relief. She was about to ask just what Paradise was however, until she heard the door open behind her. "Oh hello there Xander, Sylph, and... Kyle? I just introduced myself to the others earlier, but I'm Dahlia, Heroine of Reverse." Dahlia said. "Nice to meet you. You probably knew the old Hero of Reverse, since Ryan did, right? I hope I'm not a letdown in that case."

Aspen stared blankly when Zoe's attention quickly shifted gears to the arrival of Jamie and Dahlia. "...Oh. Well she seems excited. Sorry about that, I guess." the youngest Seaton muttered sheepishly to the Fennekin on his lap. "I'm sure she'll realize you're still here when introductions are all done and stuff. You know, you really are nice, Esmeralda. I can see why you mean a lot to Zoe." he said, gently hugging the small fox after he spoke. It was clear the young boy clearly enjoyed the Fennekin's company.

 

From the chair, Saya watched as Aspen handled Esmeralda gently and with care, and blinked. She still felt pangs of anxiety from there being even more people in the room, but this scene was too curious for her to not simply stare at.

[Parugi]

IC - Kyle Eston - Infirmary, The Alamo:

 

Kyle looked back at Ryan. "You've been very thorough," he said, then turned his attention to Dahlia again, pausing to cough. "Honestly, I've only talked to Klim once or twice, so I'm not concerned. Not really any of my business, anyway. But yeah, nice to meet you, too." He glanced around the room, counting the number of faces looking at him. Kyle could feel himself getting warmer already, though he couldn't tell if that was from the amount of attention focused on him or if it was just from the large number of bodies piled into such a comparatively-small room. Regardless, he adjusted the collar of his coat. "That . . . goes for everyone. Not to be rude; I'm not super big on the idea of a ton of introductions all at once . . ."

 

Slipping a hand into his coat pocket, Kyle clasped his inhaler. The periodic lung spasms would surely start any minute now--he'd grown rather familiar with the signs already. The uncomfortably-warm room certainly wouldn't help matters, nor would the sheer amount of awkward in the air.

 

"So . . ." He looked at Ryan again. "What's up? Any reason we're all here?"

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: (Jamie) - The Room

 

Once again the small one grabbed Jamie's attention. "That's the plan!" Jamie beamed, though hopefully the 'put aside their differences' part would last long after they defeated John Ford. And trust her, she will defeat John Ford. 

 

Turning back towards Jayron, she nodded, "That's right. Would you believe me if I told you that was my first time in actual combat?"

 

Pelleas's aura contained feelings of pure competitiveness. Nothing more, nothing less. He had been shown up far too easily last time and wanted to show how much he'd improved.

 

"If only Tristan were here with us, I would challenge you to a rematch to show how much stronger we've gotten."

[Konuju]

IC: Dack/Madison

Even from her spot on the ground Madison could see the confusion on her Froslass' face. And in that instant she knew she had lost. Her strategy relied on Vel hitting Anzu. Destiny Bond wouldn't work if Anzu knocked herself out. And that's precisely what happened. The Froslass had reached the end of her endurance, and she fell out of the air like Teddy had done just moments before.

 

Teddy, meanwhile, was jumping as high as he could in a desperate attempt to swipe at Baya. His most recent jump found the bear cub spinning around in a sudden gust of wind. It didn't take long for the twister to dissipate, but as Teddy picked himself up off the ground and prepared to counterattack, Madison ran in front of him.

 

"I've got you, Anzu!" the skier cried as she caught her Froslass in her arms. "I'm sorry that didn't work out the way we'd planned. But you fought well."

 

Dack was slightly irritated by the sudden halt in battle and even more frustrated at the loss of a team member, but he couldn't find it in himself to yell at Madison. Ethan and Gavin were not a duo to be taken lightly, and it was a miracle Anzu had lasted even this long. Teddy had his work cut out for him though, going up against two flying Pokémon. Dack waited until Madison had retreated back to the sidelines with her fallen Pokémon before giving his next command.

 

"Brace yourself, Teddy. Let them come to you."

 

IC: Ryan/Zoe/Jayron

Esmeralda crooned happily as she snuggled with Aspen. She wasn't necessarily worried about her trainer abandoning her; the Fennekin had been around Zoe long enough to know she had a very active mind. One day she'd pretend to be a legendary aura master, the next day a warrior princess. Today she happened to be a superhero. But Esmeralda knew the girl behind the mask, and she knew that despite Zoe's fascination with Jayron and Evan and Aria and now Dahlia, they could never replace her love for her sister or her Pokémon. Of course, she couldn't complain about getting a little extra attention while Zoe was otherwise occupied. The Fennekin smiled to herself. She was truly the luckiest fox in the world.

 

"First time, huh?" Jayron nodded slowly at Jamie. "The whole thing's a bit of a blur, but from what I remember it doesn't exactly surprise me. You can train all you want, but nothing can fully prepare you for combat."

 

"Was it a Close Combat?" Zoe grinned as she rapidly punched the air in front of her. "Executive Aura versus Time-Girl! It's the battle of the century!"

 

"Well I'm certainly curious to see how much you've improved," Jayron said. "I wouldn't mind a little sparring match in the next few days to test your skills. After all, it's a big leap from fighting me to taking on Ford."

 

Ryan felt the color rush to his face. Kyle was acting like he had hand-picked this team himself, recruited the best trainers from the four corners of the earth. In reality, he owed it to Ellen for making such an impression on people. It was her kidnapping that had brought everyone together, made them put their differences aside. Ryan knew he'd never have been able to lead these people on his own, especially after Gluttony -- the many arguments that had spiced up their journey from Lilycove proved that much.

 

The Liberty agent was still questioning his adequacy as a leader when Kyle addressed him again. He hid his distracted thoughts with a smile. "Like you said, it's a long story." He chuckled, slipping his hands into his pockets as he wondered where to even begin. "Sonja, Ray and I visited Fortree with Evan and his girlfriend Jenny. We were going to check up on Ellen, who had been staying there with me ever since the Darkrai."

 

Ryan hesitated. He could almost feel Paul glaring at him, silently judging him for leaving Ellen unattended in the middle of a forest (albeit a city in the middle of the forest, but that was beside the point). Unfortunately his abandonment of Ellen was a necessary detail. The fiasco with Gluttony, however, was not.

 

"Ellen wasn't there," he said matter-of-factly. "Instead we found Hayes. Sonja's sister. We fought her, but then this other guy McKinley showed up... he convinced Sonja to leave with them, but I'm not sure it was entirely her choice. The next day Mr. Burks and Xander showed up." He motioned to Ellen's father and the Kalosian Kyle had already met outside. "They had found Ellen, and watched as McKinley kidnapped her, just like he'd done with Sonja. I thought maybe Colette here could help -- she's an aura wielder and might be able to locate Ellen and Sonja -- so I brought everyone here to the Alamo. In Lilycove we met the Seatons -- Aspen and Dahlia -- and we picked up Jamie here during a stop on One Island." As he mentioned them Ryan gestured with his hand to introduce each person. He didn't bother to mention the other Ryan, as Hikari was practically comatose at the moment and he really didn't feel like explaining to Kyle why they had teamed up with the criminal they'd been chasing in Unova. His story was already complicated enough as it was. "On the boat to Four Island we were attacked. McKinley showed up again, and this time he kidnapped Ray." Ryan's expression turned grim. "After that the captain of our ship attacked us; tried to sell us out to Déoza. We foiled that plan, but not without a price." With a sigh he motioned to the bedridden Aspen, then looked back at Kyle. "So what have you been up to? You certainly look like you've seen better days."

[Parugi]

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

 

"Sorry, that's not gonna happen," Ethan called. "I hate to play this way, but . . . Baya, hit him with another Gust!"

 

Gavin shrugged. "I don't. Vel, throw an Air Cutter--let's see if we can't finish this."

 

Not much detail need be given: The two Pokémon complied.

 

 

IC - Kyle Eston - Infirmary, The Alamo:

 

Toward the end of Ryan's exposition, Kyle had brought the inhaler to his mouth, closing his eyes and holding his other hand to his chest as he took several deep breaths of the medicinal mixture within. The icy-sweet concoction worked against the burning that had started up in his lungs, the sensation causing a scratch at the back of his throat. After a short while, he exhaled, allowing himself a small cough to address the itch. 

 

So that's where Ray disappeared to, he mused. Sonja and Ellen, too . . . Kyle clenched his jaw. Of course, Ford and Hayes would be behind it . . .

 

Ryan's comment prompted him to open his eyes again. He rubbed the back of his head. ". . . Long story," Kyle said. "The gist of which is . . . uh . . ." He trailed off, taking another look around the crowded room full of unfamiliar people. It was not his ideal crowd for retelling that ordeal, even if only in passing detail. "I'll . . . tell you later, actually. It's not really important. But, geez . . ." He crossed his arms, pausing as his Pokétch buzzed with a message from Richie. Kyle pressed a button, silencing it. "I forgot how much could happen in the span of a couple of weeks . . . Although . . ." Kyle grinned. "I think the most unbelievable part of your story is that Jenny and Evan are dating."

 

Drumming his left-hand fingers against his forearm, he glanced at Ryan again. "Jokes aside . . . Does Zach know? It's been months since we've seen him, but he might be able to help, too, right?" Already, he was running through other alternatives in his head. One person immediately came to mind as he reflected on who all he had worked with in the past. "If not, I know someone else who can help out. Maybe two, if I can convince her to get on board . . ."

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Colette==-

 

Colette had stayed quiet once the focus turned to the other new arrivals, quickly feeling that the room was indeed getting very overcrowded, very fast. She studied Kyle for a bit, curious about how he seemed to her, but kept turning her attention to Dahlia and Jamie for the first little while. She thought over what they mentioned, though the names of the Pokemon themselves were more unfamiliar to her than their powers. However, she turned back to Kyle, as for some reason he seemed familiar, yet she couldn't place how. She mused over that for a little bit more, but grimaced as she heard the talk about more people.

 

"Umm..." The girl finally spoke up, waving a hello to Kyle finally, as she was starting to get uncomfortable in the otherwise not small room. "Maybe this might be a better conversation for somewhere other than here? I mean, there's probably some people that need rest, and-"

 

At about that moment, a groan could be heard from another nearby bed, as Ryan Hikari finally opened his eyes. "... What time is it...? And why is everyone... talking so much?" He shielded his eyes from the light with his non-injured hand, as he glanced around the room in confusion, not recognizing the people who weren't also on the boat.

[Parugi]

IC - Kyle Eston - Infirmary, The Alamo:

 

Kyle raised his eyebrows in surprise at Collete, though quickly regained his composure. "Hey--yeah, I--" This time, he was interrupted by Ryan Hikari's awakening. In the initial room scan, Kyle hadn't noticed him. Now, however, he very much did. Kyle could not hide his utter shock at seeing the man who had caused so much devastation in Unova, though his expression quickly turned into one of flat exasperation as he shifted his gaze back to Sanders.

 

"I'll spare you the trouble and not ask about him," he said. "But, yeah--outside." With a shake of his head, he turned, opening the door and leading the way out into the hall. Kyle's displeasure at that particular surprise was evident, even if he had chosen not to pursue it.

Edited July 1, 2016 by Parugi

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

Kyle's suggestion of bringing one or two more people on board went unnoticed by his fellow Liberty agent. Ryan was still reeling from the fact that Kyle didn't know about Zach -- or rather, Chloe. Just as this was sinking in, Ryan came to another realization: he was the only one in the room who knew both Chloe and Kyle well enough to relay the information. For once he wished Olivia was here; she'd probably waste no time in correcting Kyle's mistake. But alas, the burden fell on him. The one person who had doubted Chloe's story. He nearly laughed at the irony.

 

Before Ryan could figure out the best way to explain that Zach was now a girl, Colette suggested they move outside. Kyle quickly agreed after discovering one of the conveniently missing pieces of Ryan's story in the form of Ryan Hikari. Ryan Sanders nodded sheepishly as he ushered everybody out of the room. He glanced over his shoulder at Hikari. "Aspen can explain everything to you."

 

Esmeralda stood up on Aspen's lap, looking from the bedridden boy to Zoe, wondering what to do.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

Wham!

Before Evan could open the door to the hospital room, it swung open, hitting the Plasma Agent in the face. Evan took a few dazed steps backward, seeing stars dazzling before his eyes. "I hope that wasn't you, Ryan.." Evan said as he tried to strike a threatening pose, only to end up looking a little silly as a result, "I'll have you knocked down flatter than a Stunfisk!"

Evan's vision unblurred, and standing before him, was someone he hadn't seen in a while. The Hero of Space was taken aback at what he was looking at.

"Kyle? Kyle Eston?"

Edited July 1, 2016 by Hades

[Parugi]

IC - Kyle Eston - Infirmary, The Alamo:

 

The sound of someone slamming into the door caused Kyle to grimace. Miraculously, it wasn't anyone he didn't know--plus, from the looks of it, Evan didn't appear to be too injured (from the door, anyway--clearly something had happened to his arm-slash-shoulder).

 

"Evan," Kyle said, not even surprised by this turn of events. "Good to see that you're the same as ever." He offered a friendly smile and a hand to the Hero of Space. "Makes the catharsis here just a little less guilt-inducing."

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

Evan shook Kyle's hand with his uninjured arm. The Plasma Agent had noticed that Kyle seemed different than he was at Opelucid. That definitely made his comment about catharsis a little more clear. "Well, Jenny and I did kind of leave you in the dust." Evan said. "I wasn't exactly in the right mindset for everything going on. You seem like you've been through a lot though, huh?" Evan smiled as he struck one of his poses, clearly to express his glee at meeting another pal again.

"I see you've met almost everyone, then." Evan said. "I guess Jenny will be around sooner or later though!"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Vermillion==-

 

At about the same time that the door burst open, a Rock Blast was fired at the Absol. If that wasn't enough, the giant rock snake Pokemon that had summoned the rocks in the first place flew forward, and tackled the Absol down the stairs, intent on dragging it to the main floor.

 

While that was going on, Payton first pushed Lachina against the wall to protect her from the rocks and the falling Absol/Onix pair. However, as soon as the way was clear, Payton rushed past everyone, and entered the room, eyes filled with anger, as she trained them on the man seated at the desk. She glanced to the side, and her eyes met her sister's. An unspoken conversation happened between them, but Payton took her eyes away.

 

"Welcome, welcome. And what can I do for you, this fine evening?" The man asked, as Payton narrowed her eyes. She couldn't tell what his plan was, and why he was so calm... She figured he had an ace up his sleeve or so.

 

"You know very well what we're here for. What is your... plan..." Payton, however, faltered. As she studied the man's face more and more, she grew perplexed. She had -seen- that face somewhere before. But something... Something wasn't coming to her. Payton paled, however. Her body began to shake for a moment, first with a look of shook, but then her features contorted to pure anger. "... You... you...!"

 

"Payton? What's wrong?" Vivian asked, as could just see the thousands of daggers being thrown at the man with her glare. And something just seemed wrong. That split second of hesitation wasn't in anger at what had just happened...

 

"This... ####### was the one who killed him... he's the one who killed Mackenzie! He was your own -son-!" Payton's eyes widened in rage as she started breathing heavily, fuming the entire time, as she shakily raised the gun that she had brought, more or less leveling it with the man's chest. "Malcolm Vermillion... How you could ever sleep at night is beyond me... and you have the gall to keep messing people's lives up; and for what?!"

 

"You must be mistaken, I didn't-"

 

Payton scoffed. "You didn't do anything, yeah. You just sat back and watched as your own son; my best friend, died. A Rhyhorn riding accident. But you were the one who set that situation up. You were the one who just sat back, knowing full well that there were holes on that track. And all you did was play the fool. But how many people actually bought it? Huh? Tell me that; you had to trick most of the people, or rely on them not remembering, didn't you?! And now because of you, David is dead too. And you keep wearing that smug grin?!" Vivian had reached her sister by that point, and put one of her hands on her sister's hands, to slowly lower the gun. Neither of the sisters were paying much attention to anyone else other than the three involved in this, though they thought that the others had approached by then.

 

"I cannot deny any of that." A horrified look was on Payton's face, as she didn't seem to be able to pick between anger or horror, as the man in the suit simply smiled, and continued his thoughts. "What happened with your friend in the hospital was a sad thing. Maybe if he had learned not to stick his nose where it didn't belong, he would still be here. You all keep trying to interfere with our goal of uniting the city once again, and restoring it to greatness, away from Rocket's restricting hold. That you cannot see the glory in that, is not my problem. Also, what happened with me and my son, is none of anyone's concern. I am not concerned, that's for sure."

"He was 7!"

"And yet, it was his choice." Mal gave Payton a cold remorseless look. "And this is mine." A bang echoed in the room, as the woman blinked in shock. She fell to her knees, a confused look on her face, as she noticed the smoking gun that was in the man's hand now; how long had that been like that? She felt pain, but wasn't sure if it was anywhere vital. Vivian was saying something, but Payton couldn't focus on what was being said. She tried to keep focus, but the pain in her stomach was overpowering her will to stay awake...

[MELON LORD]

IC: Mercury/The Vermilion Company

 

As Styx and the Onix flew down the stairs, Mercury sidestepped and continued up. The Absol would be capable of handling itself for the time being. He had something more important to deal with. He paused at the landing when he heard a gun shot, and then he stepped inside. Payton was bleeding. Must suck for her. He focused, instead, on the other two people in the room, including the witch who shot him.

 

He reached out, wrapping his aura around hers, and threw her back with as much force as he could. As she slumped against the wall, he turned to the man in the chair.

 

"So brutal." The man smiled at Mercury in amusement, as he extended a hand. "How about you join us instead? It feels like your... talents would be better used with us instead."

 

The audacity of this man was truly something. join him? No. Mercury looked the man in the eyes and let his aura flow from him in a blade.

 

The man's surprise showed on his face, as his eyes looked down. The man seemed to be trying to gasp for air while gurgling, as he gripped at a wound that had appeared in his throat. It did not last for long, however, before Mal collapsed in his chair; his Pokemon struggling to escape to get revenge.

 

Mercury walked over to the man's corpse and found the empty pokéball that the Onix had been in. Smirking, he strapped it to his own belt. As for the others, trying to break free . . . He used his aura to smash them all. If he tried to take them, they would turn on him. Better that no one have them, then.

 

Slowly, he turned to look at Payton. Unconscious or dead? Either way, she had outlived her usefulness to him. He started to step towards her, but paused upon seeing another figure in the doorway. Lachina--

 

Lachina . . .

 

He hesitated, feeling his other self struggling. He couldn't move, couldn't look away from the girl. This had just turned bad.

[darkraidisciple]

I'm trying to come up with a character to join in because this sounds like a fun idea and i have one quick question. Is this a DnD type thing or is it more like a giant communal fanfic?

[Konuju]

OOC: Glad to see you're interested, darkraidisciple! First of all, I'll direct you to the Discussion Topic. But to answer your question, I'd say it's kind of both. It bears similarities to DnD but it's a lot more sandboxey and there aren't any dice rolls. But we still have character profiles and experience points. If you're curious about some of the characters or history, we also have a Wiki.
 
IC: Dack
"Teddy, jump!" It was a command both to dodge out of the oncoming wind attacks and to bring the bear cub closer to his buzzing opponent. Teddy readied his claws to strike at the apex of his jump, holding onto the hope that he could jump high enough to reach the Combee...
 
IC: Ryan
"There you are, Evan," Ryan said as he continued to usher people out of the hospital room. "But where's your other half?" Behind him, Gnip growled affectionately, pushing her way past Kyle to nuzzle her trainer. "I meant Jenny," Ryan said with a laugh. "But seriously, you said you were going to find the others, and you're coming back empty-handed? The Hero of Space didn't space out again, did he?"

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Jamie - The Room

 

Pelleas tapped Zoe on her shoulder to grab her attention, before giving the young girl a disapproving look. She was doing it wrong.

 

Like this! the Heracross shouted in his incomprehensible to most humans-tongue before unleashing a flurry of lightning-quick punches of varying types against an imaginary opponent.

 

"Sorry, no can do," Jamie said shaking her head. "Not unless I can get Tristan cleared for duty. It just wouldn't be right without him here with us. I need to show you how strong -he's- gotten too!"

[Parugi]

IC - Kyle Eston - Infirmary, The Alamo:

 

Though he didn't consider it worth arguing about, he was at least glad that Evan seemed to know what he was referring to. "I had a rough--'" Kyle began, pausing as Gnip rushed from behind him to get to Evan. "--a rough 'vacation.' Don't worry about it--or Opelucid. It's not important right now. Although . . ." He glanced at Ryan. "Speaking of Jenny--between 'meeting almost everyone' and 'Evan's girlfriend . . . ' You guys do remember that I know her, right? Like, to the extent that I caught her after she fell off of a bridge?" Kyle looked back at Evan, adjusting his tone to something more sincere. "Congratulations on the relationship upgrade, by the way."

Edited July 2, 2016 by Parugi

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan/Zoe/Jayron

"Aha!" Zoe cried in delight. "Your Heracross certainly knows how to Close Combat! Ford doesn't stand a chance!" The girl was pulled out of her imagination by a small barking at her feet. Esmeralda had hopped down from Aspen's lap to follow her trainer. Zoe picked up the fox and glanced back at Aspen before heading out the door. "Hey, Collie! Can you punch as great as this Heracross?!"

 

"Will this Tristan of yours be cleared for duty before we go after Ford?" Jayron asked with a quick glance at the two bedridden boys they were leaving behind.

 

If I didn't know better, I'd say you had just as much a fighting spirit as that Heracross, Lucario told Jayron in an amused tone.

 

Hey, it'll be good for her, the executive replied. Not to mention, I'm curious about her Time powers.

 

Ryan raised an eyebrow at Kyle. "Of course I know you know Jenny. I just didn't think you knew she'd become Evan's girlfriend. Although she really has become Evan's second half. I think the events in Unova helped her come out of her shell in a pretty bombastic way."

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

As Gnip nuzzled him, Evan blushed slightly at what Kyle had said. "T-thanks for that." the Hero replied, petting his Garchomp as he did so. "She's definitely the best thing to happen to me. I'll explain more later, if you want." Evan then put his unbroken arm behind his head, chuckling a little.

Gnip growled softly as her master spoke. She had wondered where her current master was, but decided it wasn't too much to worry about. She'd find her way back to the group, and give her more affection, like Evan would.

[Parugi]

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

 

Ethan frowned. There was only one sure-fire strategy he could think of at this point to end the battle. "Baya, tackle him with Bug Bite!"

 

If she had any qualms with the order, the Combee did not show them. Glancing up at Vel, she buzzed and darted downward at Teddy, baring her fangs and allowing Teddy to grab onto her. Baya grimaced from the claws digging into her sides, but tried not to let them stop her from biting back, as well as pushing herself and Teddy into the path of Vel's Air Cutter . . .

 

 

IC - Kyle Eston - Infirmary, The Alamo:

 

Kyle nodded at Evan, then turned to Ryan. "Just checking," he said, rubbing his neck with another grin. "Anyway, you never answered my question about Zach."

Edited July 2, 2016 by Parugi

[Konuju]

IC: Dack/Madison

It was the taste test experience all over again. Baya was biting everywhere she could and Teddy was doing his best to gnaw on the honeycomb Pokémon until Vel's Air Cutter knocked him off. The Teddiursa fell to the ground with a thud, finally knocked out.

 

"Teddy, return," Dack said, holding up a Pokéball while holding back a grimace. "You fought well," he said quietly.

 

Madison smiled at Ethan and Gavin, still cradling Anzu in her arms. "That was a good battle. You two certainly have the teamwork thing down. How long did you say you've been working together?"

 

IC: Ryan

"Huh?" The Liberty agent inwardly groaned. He thought he'd escaped that question amidst leaving the room and Evan's dynamic appearance. "You mean... if, uh, Zach... might join us...?" The Liberty agent scratched his head awkwardly, casting a nervous glance at Dahlia. She had known the Hikaris longer than he had; maybe she could help explain?

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

"You mean... if, uh, Zach... might join us...?"

Evan's eyes lit up at the mention of Chloe's old name. The Plasma Agent figured that Ryan hadn't told Kyle what had all happened before. And he was going to jump in. "You mean Chloe?" Evan said, striking a pose. "Zach is no more, Kyle Eston." Evan continued talking, smiling a little as he did so. "I guess what happened in Lilycove knocked things into place for her. Now she is Chloe. I'm not sure if she will join us, but we'll have to see! I'm sure she'd want to talk with you too."

[Parugi]

IC - Ethan Worth/Gavin Braner - Arena, Chapel:

 

The force of the attack had knocked Baya out of the fight, too. Ethan hurried over to her, picking her up and giving her a hug. "That was perfect, friend!" he said. For her part, she seemed fairly content with the whole situation, returning Ethan's bright smile as he recalled her to her Poké Ball.

 

Vel descended, landing next to Gavin. With a smile, he pet her head, and nodded at Madison and Dack. "For sure. Good job to you, too," he said. Gavin glanced over at Ethan. "Hard to say . . . I think about six or seven months at this point." He placed his other hand on his hip. "Can't really remember the last time I went on a mission without him, to be honest."

 

"Oh, it was a while ago," Ethan said, rolling around and sliding into a seated position on the field. He leaned back, grinning. "Ever since the train--"

 

"Let's not talk about that."

 

"--Duly noted," Ethan said. He rubbed his head, looking at Madison. "But, yeah. Seven months, roughly. How about you three?"

 

 

IC - Kyle Eston - Infirmary, The Alamo:

 

For several moments, Kyle only stared at Evan in confusion. Then, as it dawned on him what the Hero of Space was talking about, his expression changed to one of surprised understanding. "Oh. So Zach--I mean, Chloe is trans?" He placed his hands in his pockets. "That's going to take some getting used to, but that's great to hear."

 

Kyle mulled this over for another moment. "Alright; yeah, that'll be something to talk about next time we see each other . . ." He rubbed his chin. For the first time in quite a while, he felt fully focused--like he was back in his element. He only regretted that the situation at hand was one that was very clearly going to put his and his friends' lives at risk--again. "In that case, someone might want to try getting in touch with her to see if she's available--I'm sure she'll want to help out with getting Ray, Sonja, and Ellen back just as much as anyone else does. Meanwhile I'll talk with my people and see if either of them is available." With a sheepish smile, Kyle moved a hand to his neck again. "They're, uh . . . They're pretty handy in a fight, so we could use them. If you want to take my word for it."

 

He recalled vague images and memories of what he had seen in Kalos--the very, very last flashes of their escape from Shift's clutches. As awed as he felt about what he remembered of Esen and Victoire's combat capabilities, he couldn't help the slight, nervous shaking that accompanied those memories. Nor could his lungs, it seemed, threatening again to seize as they were.

 

As nonchalantly as possible, he raised his inhaler to his mouth again, diverting his eyes to a nearby sign on the wall while Ryan and the others chewed on that plan. Once again, the words 'long story' popped into his mind.

Edited July 3, 2016 by Parugi

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Colette==-

 

The aura wielder watched in silence as the scene continued to unfold. She raised an eyebrow at the odd Hero of Space once again, but stayed quiet while they were talking about another person who wasn't there and some vague others. She seemed confused at the inhaler, and noticed that he seemed to be sort of self-conscious about it, in her opinion.

 

"I think that is a good idea..." Colette spoke up finally, as she thought that getting more backup would only help. "Perhaps it might be another good idea to work on that for the rest of the night...? It seems like it is getting late, and I'm sure everyone else is probably tired. It would be easier to work on contacting everyone when there is no distractions... especially if the conversations were all long." She could almost feel the eyes turn to her as she stated her idea, but kept going. "I think it would be a good idea if we all met back up here tomorrow... or some other place that is not so crowded, at least. Does that sound good?"

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

The Plasma Agent took note of what Kyle, and Colette had said, and grinned. "Aura Princess has the right idea, folks." Evan said, stifling a yawn. "Let's go take a breather, and meet up later, huh?" Evan gave a two fingered salute to Colette. "Ryan, I'm pretty sure you're gonna get us rooms to rest up in, right?" Evan said, smiling as he did so. "I'm not gonna be sleeping in that hospital room." Evan chuckled as he drew forth his pokegear and started typing out a message.

"Ryan's getting a few of us rooms to take a rest in. I'll meet up with you when you are done. Oh and be sure to contact Chloe. I met Kyle, and he wants to get in touch with her. See ya~"

"And send."

Edited July 3, 2016 by Hades

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: (Jamie)

 

"I...I'm not sure. It would be worth stopping by a Team Rocket Base to check with Abyss. I hope so though, his strength would be great to have and well..." If he was strong enough to fight, that meant he was officially okay. "Well, let's just hope he is, alright?" she said as she flashed a smile that was obviously fake.

 

Pelleas didn't need aura to know Jamie's feelings at the moment. It felt wrong not to have Tristan here with them.

 

Jamie heard Colette and Evan speak and agreed. "Yeah I do not mind getting some sleep myself.... Rockets are allowed one of those rooms, right?" she said, really hopeful Team Liberty would be kind enough to offer her a room.

Edited July 3, 2016 by Minun of the Fourth Choir

[Konuju]

IC: Dack/Madison/Luke

"We've known each other since we were little," Madison said brightly. "It was... what, like six years ago that Dack left to join Team Rocket?"

 

"Something like that," Luke spoke up from the sidelines. "Didn't come back until that avalanche buried half the city."

 

"You're not still bitter about that, are you?" Dack gave his friend a wry smile. "After the ceasefire I took a break from Team Rocket to spend some time in Snowpoint with these two... making up for lost time, if you will."

 

"Yeah, it wasn't until Hannah used a Heatran to attack the city that the three of us left on this adventure," Madison said. "Culminating in Celadon. I've got to say, it's certainly a lot more exciting than staying quiet Snowpoint."

 

IC: Ryan

Well Kyle certainly took that news well, Ryan mused to himself. Once again, I'm the only one who had a negative reaction... of course, Kyle didn't hear the whole story of how she woke up after that psychic overload...

 

"Yeah, sleep sounds good," Ryan said, pushing thoughts of Chloe from his mind and realizing just how exhausted he was. He hadn't been able to get good sleep on the boat ever since McKinley had made his appearance, and it was starting to show. He quickly counted heads. "That's what... five rooms? I'll get on that right away." He started to walk down the hall, but stopped and turned back to face Kyle. "Tomorrow," he said pointedly. "You'll tell me why you suddenly have an inhaler. I appreciate that you want to help, but I don't want you getting yourself killed because I was a bad babysitter." He shook his head with a sigh. "Besides, Colette's right; that hospital room is getting crowded enough as it is."

[Parugi]

IC - Kyle Eston - Infirmary, The Alamo:

 

"Tomorrow," Kyle affirmed, failing to quell an embarrassed laugh. "Honestly, this is just temporary--it's to deal with some residual damage from Kalos." He waved the inhaler. "But you'll hear about that tomorrow." Slipping it back into his pocket, he smiled at Ryan. "Don't worry about me, Ryan; I'm fine, really." He began walking back toward the lobby. "Anyway, sleep sounds like a great idea. I'll update you guys on my friends tomorrow when we all get together."

Edited July 3, 2016 by Parugi