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Flipz

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  1. IC: Serena/Lionel Zyther/Elaine Alderson/Alex Zyther/Amelia Zann/Calem “If I may?” Serena interjected. “It sounds to me like we have four main cities to go for.” She pulled up a map of Kalos on her pocket computer to illustrate. “Professor Alderson’s colleagues are in Ambrette Town, Olympia and the Steels are in Anistar City, and then there’s Lumiose and the Pokémon League.” “Speaking of the League, we may have an opportunity here.” Serena gave Lionel an appraising glance. “What kind of opportunity, exactly?” “It’s simple, really. We already know you and Calem are targets. With enough preparation, the hunters will become the prey.” “A trap?” Elaine lowered her head in thought. “Yes… yes, that might work. They wouldn’t expect us to be aware of their plans. If I can get you to the League, we can turn their ambush back on itself.” “What about everywhere else?” Alex asked. “I’ll warn the President. I know the man, so it should be simple to convince him of this plot and get him to safety.” “An’ ah’ll chat up Sycamore at ‘is lab. He owes me a favor or two.” “What about Korrina?” Alex asked with concern. “Not a problem,” Calem replied, “she’s out training at the moment, well outside Flare’s reach.” “Ambrette isn’t too far from here. The ferry from Cyllage should get a group there with time to spare. As for Anistar…” Serena frowned a moment, trying to remember something, before brightening. “Oh! I know! When Calem and I were traveling with Clemont, there were some really strong Flying Trainers just north of here in Kalos Canyon! I bet we can call in some favors to have them ferry a couple of people to Anistar at top speed.” “Good,” Lionel said. “Speaking of transport, I’ll rent us two cars to get us to Lumiose -- the toll roads will get us there with time to spare. I can take one, Elaine, can you handle the other?” The Professor nodded. “That would be best. I’ll be taking the Champions to the League after I drop people off within Lumiose.” “We can stop at the castle on the way,” Alex suggested. “We’ll have just enough time for a nap and to make last-minute preparations.” “So the only question left is, who else is going where? Don’t forget, we have several targets within Lumiose as well. We’ll need to be careful not to spread ourselves too thin.”
  2. IC: Amelia Zann/Alex Zyther/Lachina Adaon/Jared Winters/Lionel Zyther/Elaine Alderson/Emily Lockwood Amelia walked through the door to the cottage, duffel slung haphazardly across her back. She froze in the doorway, reversed course for several steps, then walked back in, staring around in disbelief. “Oh y’all’ve got t’be kiddin’ me.” “It’s a small multiverse,” Alex agreed, an incubator they hadn’t had in the lab clutched in one arm while the other leaned heavily on their crutch. They winced at the pressure the crutch put on their bandaged hand and quickly moved to find a chair, Bliss clucking in dismay and rushing to attend to them. Lachina had changed from her civilian training outfit back into her ranger gear and was checking all of her equipment. Jared ran a hand through his hair as he hung up on Fontaine again. “First and foremost,” he said. “Lionel and Elaine. Can they be trusted? Lionel bought up most of Flare’s assets almost as soon as they were available, and Elaine had her husband and… brother?” He glanced at Emily who nodded sullenly. “Her husband and brother worked for Team Flare, so I have to wonder how much of her family Flare got to.” “She wouldn’t--” Emily said, then cut herself off with a resigned sigh. “So,” Amelia said, “who wants to tell ‘em the good news when they get back?” At that moment, the front door burst open, with an exuberant Lionel and Elaine making a triumphant entrance. “Everyone!” Lionel exclaimed, “I’m sorry to wake you so early but Elaine and I have wonderful… news…” It took him a few moments to notice the somber mood of the room. “Is everything…?” Beside him, Elaine suddenly sucked in a sharp breath and went stark white, eyes as wide as if she’d seen a ghost. “Al… Alain…?” Emily chewed her lip. “Alex, actually. No, not my brother, but… It’s complicated?” “Alex?” Lionel asked, head jerking in the direction of Elaine’s gaze. “Alex!” “Dad!” Alex made to stand, but was held down by a stern Bliss. “Dad, I’m so glad to--” “Hold on,” Elaine said, leaning heavily against the wall in her shock, “‘Dad?’ This is your son Alex?” Lionel shot the Professor a suspicious look. “Yes? Is there a problem with that?” Elaine struggled for words. “No… it’s… if he’s your son, why does he look like mine?” She searched the faces around the room, simultaneously frantic and trying to stave off tears. Alex flinched. “Could we… not use that word, please?” Amelia stood up from her spot leaning against the wall and stepped forward. “All right, y’all, let’s maybe take it from th’ top. Ah’m Amelia Zann, ah’ve been travelin’ with Alex fer th’ past bit. Guessin’ yer th’ kid’s dad, seein’ as they called ya ‘Dad’ there a second ago.” She pointed to Elaine. “Y’all ain’t the kid’s mom, though, so who in heck’re y’all s’posed t’ be?” Startled by Amelia’s confrontation, Elaine managed to fight past her urge to hyperventilate and calm herself slightly, though she still had to take a few deep breaths before answering. “Right, yes, I should… I should introduce myself.” She seemed to register for the first time the half-dozen new additions. “I’m…” OOC: Username: Flipz Name: Professor Elaine Alderson Wiki Page: Gender: Female Faction: none Hometown: Courmarine City, Kalos Age: 58 (born 1959) Appearance: Professor Alderson fits the stereotype of “wise old Professor”, her once-auburn hair and pale blue eyes dimmed significantly by age and stress. Though she is only 58, her harsh life has aged her prematurely, leaving her bent and crushed by the weight of the world. Like most Pokémon Professors, she is never seen without her lab coat. Personality: Once effervescent and inquisitive, Elaine’s personality was slowly dimmed and crushed by a series of personal and professional tragedies. Though she is still respected amongst her peers for her work, she lacks hope in her own future, pinning all her optimism on her niece Emily Lockwood. Despite her depression, however, Elaine remains every bit the intelligent scientist she has always been, with a keen eye for Pokémon ecology and unusual changes and damage in local ecosystems. Background: Elaine started her career as a Fossil researcher in Ambrette Town, Kalos, where she met and married her husband Ezekiel. The pair became estranged, however, after the untimely death of their son Alain in 1996 at the hands of his own rampaging Charizard, with both parents burying themselves in their work. After the fall of Team Flare in 2007, Elaine’s husband and younger brother were outed as members of the Team, casting suspicion on Elaine herself and forcing her resignation from the Fossil Lab. Left without a family or a job, Elaine turned her efforts to the use of Pokémon powers in medicine, eventually discovering a means to store the essence of certain Moves for later use. The stigma of her name, however, kept her independent operation consistently underfunded, eventually forcing her to move to the similarly-stigmatized Geosenge Town to continue her work. Despite her misfortune, Elaine always does her best to support those around her, particularly children, and she sometimes serves as a secondary source of Starter Pokémon for children in Coastal Kalos who can’t make it to Lumiose to visit her friend and colleague Professor Sycamore. Equipment: Scientist-issue Pokédex (old model), Pokémon power storage unit (demonstration size only) Pokémon: Metis (Aromatisse), Cassidee (Porygon-2), Fay (Comfey) Species: Aromatisse Gender: Female Nickname: Metis Trainer: Professor Elaine Alderson Appearance: Has a black mask and black ear feathers to match. Personality: Quiet and demure, Metis often finds herself letting Fay and Cassidee boss her around despite being the eldest and most experienced member of Elaine’s team. She and Cassidee are the only remaining members of Elaine’s pre-war team. Ability: Aroma Veil/Triage Specialty: Has learned the Triage ability from Fay in addition to her normal Ability. Known Moves: Draining Kiss, Heal Pulse, Wish (egg move), Aromatic Mist, Psychic, Misty Terrain Species: Porygon-2 Gender: genderless Nickname: Cassidee Trainer: Professor Elaine Alderson Appearance: normal Personality: Affectionately referred to as Elaine’s “brains”, Cassidee leans heavily into being its Trainer’s organizer and personal assistant. Ability: Trace Specialty: Cassidee can directly control what type it transforms into with Conversion, rather than it being determined by its known moves. Known Moves: Recover, Recycle, Agility, Magic Coat, Conversion, Psychic (event move) Species: Comfey Gender: Female Nickname: Fay Trainer: Professor Elaine Alderson Appearance: Due to her extended time in Kalos instead of Alola, Fay’s flower chain is made of Fairy Flowers rather than Alolan hibiscus. Personality: Fay is a force of nature, pushily insisting on helping even when she’s neither wanted nor needed. Elaine has learned from experience not to let Fay out of her sight, lest she cause unwanted mischief while trying to “help”. Ability: Triage Specialty: Fay can “overheal” her allies beyond their normal limits while using Floral Healing or when sharing the energy taken from a Draining Kiss; however, she can only perform this feat while both Grassy (or Misty) Terrain and Sunny Day are in effect. Known Moves: Floral Healing, Draining Kiss, Synthesis, Leech Seed, Grassy Terrain, Aromatherapy Username: Flipz Name: Lionel Zyther Wiki Page: Gender: Male Faction: none Hometown: Camphrier Town, Kalos (dual Unovan citizenship through parents) Age: Appearance: Lionel has grayish-blue eyes and untidy dark brown hair. His ruthless and regal bearing are complemented by his usual choice of expensive suits and businesswear. Personality: A ruthless businessman, Lionel believes in accomplishing his goals by any means necessary. However, he also bears an unbreakable loyalty to family, so many of his worse impulses are held in check by his desire to not disappoint his loved ones. Lionel is a firm believer in responsibility, and he dodges many of the pitfalls of more short-sighted figures of wealth; to his reasoning, there is no point to wealth if there is no world in which to use it. In his personal relationship, Lionel is harsh and unyielding, though with people he cares about he attempts to leverage these qualities to their benefit. He is deeply aware of and uncomfortable with his own shortcomings, often withdrawing when he senses them affecting his loved ones rather than trying to change or overcome them. Background: Born to Unovan parents who had moved to Kalos for work, Lionel grew up under the influence of Camphrier Town’s two noble families, the Parfums and the Shabboneaus. Though he eventually ended his relationship with Lizbet Parfum (heir to the Parfum family), he eventually fell in love with the last remaining Shabboneau, Lila, and worked himself tirelessly to try and prove himself worthy of her. After the fall of Team Flare in 2007, Lionel acquired many of the companies created from the forced breakup of Lysandre Labs, becoming a powerful technology mogul seemingly overnight with his revival and revision of the popular Holo Caster. He married Lila in 2008, and with the passing of Lord Shabboneau in 2009 became the full heir of the Shabboneau fortune. His and Lila’s joy would be short-lived, however, as his bitter rivalry with Unovan businessman Obadiah Valdari turned tragic on Halloween of 2012, resulting in the death of both Lila and her unborn child. Valdari’s death that same night did little to assuage Lionel’s grief and rage, and he spent the next several months isolating himself and ruthlessly crushing his competition in equal measure. He found unexpected solace in May of 2013, however, in the form of Cassie Hikari (nee Mikazuki), who fled to him in hiding after her supposed death at the hands of her husband Gerald. With Cassie taking up the guise of her sister Christina (the woman Gerald had actually killed), the two ended up adopting an amnesiac teenager they found in Geosenge, who they named Alex; soon after, Cassie and Lionel married, with Lionel formally adopting Cassie’s daughter Lucia as well to better hide her from Gerald. With the stabilizing influence of a new family, Lionel returned to a more stable emotional state, and began focusing his attention on innovation and stabilizing his empire to ensure it could one day be passed successfully to Lucia and Alex. Equipment: High-end Holo Caster (completely unlocked/unrestricted), billionaire-tier wealth Pokémon: Hedgelord (Bisharp), Lillina (Lilligant), Gaston (Furfrou) Species: Bisharp Gender: Male Nickname: Hedgelord Trainer: Lionel Zyther Appearance: Hedgelord’s body is pristinely polished, despite the heat-warped scar running from the upper-left of his cranial dome down and across his body to his right hip, interrupted briefly just across where the heart would be on a human. He also has two holes and a partial divot burned through the blade on his right hand, and said blade also bears the faintest hint of a heat scar matching the one across his body on the interior surface. Personality: As Lionel’s starter, Hedgelord share many personality traits with his Trainer -- most notably, the same mix of pragmatism and ruthlessness that led to Lionel’s business success. Unlike Lionel, however, he substitutes stubbornness in place of ambition, which serves him well in his role as bodyguard. Hedgelord received his nickname as the result of a lost bet between Lionel and his late wife Lila; while not fond of it, he now refuses to abandon it for his Trainer’s sake. Ability: Defiant Specialty: This Bisharp can reflect some light-, lightning-, and energy-based attacks off of the metallic portions of his blades, but this comes at the cost of an increased vulnerability to his natural weaknesses. Known Moves: Iron Head, Night Slash, Slash, Swords Dance, Stealth Rock (egg move), Psycho Cut (egg move) Species: Lilligant Gender: Female Nickname: Lillina Trainer: Lionel Zyther Appearance: Lillina has blue eyes, and the leaf that looks like her "hair" is also blue. Personality: Though saddened by her original Trainer's demise, Lillina still serves Lionel faithfully. The accident that claimed Lila’s life left her quite cautious and Timid, and despite her dedication to protecting Lionel she often finds herself leaning a touch too heavily upon her Trainer’s commands. Ability: Own Tempo Specialty: Due to her experience with the balance and weight distribution needed for her dancing moves, Lillina learned how to physically grab and throw opponents with surprising ease. Known Moves: Quiver Dance, Petal Dance, Giga Drain, Leech Seed, Aromatherapy, Healing Wish (egg move) Species: Furfrou Gender: Male Nickname: Gaston Trainer: Lionel Zyther Appearance: Gaston is kept in a Dandy trim, but in cornflower blue rather than lime green. Personality: An arrogant braggart, Gaston’s insatiable ego is at least somewhat matched by his prowess in battle. Around those he actually likes, he tends to be more Impish than outright boastful; this is generally not much of an improvement. Ability: Fur Coat Specialty: Gaston’s bullheadedness makes him somewhat resistant to mind-affecting moves like Confide, Attract, Baby-Doll Eyes, etc., though he is more vulnerable to moves that inflame his ego like Flatter and Swagger. He is also especially good at expectorating. Known Moves: Retaliate, Cotton Guard, Bite, Sucker Punch, Work Up (egg move), Sand Attack
  3. IC: Alex/Amelia/Serena “That’s… probably my fault,” Alex said. “The handwriting is awful, but I think our… creator… snuck in here for one last shot at completing his work. The result, of course, being… me.” “Hmm.” Amelia seemed dissatisfied by the lack of answers. “Well, if we’re lookin’ fer info, it’d probably help if we could find their database. Didn’t that girl in red need help hackin’ a computer a second ago? “Could you?” Serena asked. “It’s less hacking than it is keeping it powered long enough to actually get anywhere.” “I could probably manage that,” Alex said. “Dad used to let me disassemble his old Holo Casters when I was bored in the hospital. I’m not the greatest, but we could probably get by.” “Ah might have a trick or two as well, if it comes t’ it.” Serena stepped back from the cobbled-together computer to allow others access. “By all means, be my guest.”
  4. IC: Alex Zyther/Amelia Zann Raleigh and Sina shared a glance, then made noises of agreement as they slowly nodded at Zoe. They gestured towards the eggs, then themselves, then at Harvey as well, though the latter only shrugged. Alex slumped against Blissie at Dahlia's question. "I was dumped, actually. Discarded at the side of the road like trash. That's where Mom and Dad found me." Blissie crooned softly, unhappy at her Trainer's dismay. "If'n it helps," Amelia added, pulling the picture out from where she'd stashed it, "ah think these're th' other two 'subjects' they mentioned in th' reports." She held out the photo for inspection, but seemed strangely reluctant to relinquish it entirely. "Judgin' by th' dates, ah think this musta been, what, '04 or so? The only time they had two at once. Assumin' Alex was last, anyway." She chose not to draw attention to the fact that Alex's report had been almost entirely hand-written, nor to the unflattering notes given in it. Alex was dealing with enough at the moment without acknowledging their creator's attitude towards them aloud. "Ah don't know any 'Zander' person, is he the guy in the pic? Any idea who the girl'd be?"
  5. IC: Alex Zyther/Amelia Zann “Why not?” Alex asked innocently. “Lucia’s my big sis. Amelia’s… well, I guess she’s my big sis, too. How can they both be my sister and not be each other’s sisters?” Alex paused. “Wait. Would that make Amelia the big sister or Lucia the big sister?” “Ah am not the little sister,” Amelia complained. Alex grinned mischievously. “You didn’t say you weren’t her sister at all…” “Ah-- but-- that’s not--” Amelia gave up with a sigh. “Fahn. If y’all insist…” -==IC: Serena==- Serena, for her part, was largely ignoring the family drama occurring around them. Her focus had been drawn to the single working computer in the room, a console that seemed to have been cobbled together from pieces of the others. She walked over and began fiddling with the device. It didn’t seem to require a password, thankfully, but to her frustration the power kept cutting out before she could seriously investigate. “Hey,” she called back to the others, “anyone have experience fixing computers?”
  6. IC: Alma Mason/Amelia Zann/Alex Zyther/Belle LaDonna (Collapsed Team Flare Secret Lab, Geosenge Town, Kalos, August 12, 2017) Alma walked over, frowning a bit as she looked around. “A secret room?” Amelia looked down at the glassy fragments underfoot. “This was a mirror,” she noted, her whispered voice oddly distant. “An observation room.” Alex scowled at the thought of the arrangement. “I always hated these.” “Me too,” Amelia added before she realized what she’d said. She swore violently. “It reminds me of home,” Alma said, running a hand down the frame of the wall. Belle made a face. “Y’all’ve had real pleasant lives, y’know that?” She shook her head and made to lean against a console on the wall. “Don’t touch that!” Amelia and Alex yelled in unison. They both blinked back surprise, as Belle spotted the half-filled syringe she’d almost stuck herself with. “Gah! Friggin’ freaks!” Belle stepped back. “Can we find what we’re lookin’ for and get the h### outta here?” Amelia had gone pale. “I… think that is what we’re looking for.” Belle raised an eyebrow and carefully picked up the syringe. She held it up to the light and frowned. “What is it?” “That stuff’s called Retcon, I think. They always yelled at me if I tried to touch it. I never knew what it did, before, but I think I’ve got a pretty good idea now.” Alex stared at Amelia. “You think… but I thought stuff like this only existed in movies?” Alma shook her head. “Modern medicine can produce all sorts of mind altering substances. Amnesia, psychosis, phobias, mind control…” “Some jerk stabbed me with half a dose when I went to up that machine in the other room, but I threw him off when the thing exploded.” “It sounds like a half-dose was all they needed, then.” Alma hummed. “But what does this gain us?” “Ah don’t quite know. Everythin’ that’s comin’ back is only half-there. I’m still missin’ a piece to the puzzle. “I think this is it.” In the time Amelia had known Alex, however admittedly short, she’d never heard them sound quite this hollow. “These papers… they explain everything.” Alex was leaning bonelessly against the thing they’d bumped into earlier, a heavy metal stretcher bolted to the floor and enclosed in a half-cylinder of some sort of treated glass. The interior was covered in some sort of strange glossy memory foam, the indentation molded in the general shape of a detailed human body, down to notches for each vertebra and rib. One end of the device was enclosed in metal, the wires they’d seen in the other room attached to a pair of similar-looking terminals on this device; a glance to the far end of the room showed a number of weird plastic-looking structures sealed in sterile chambers, looking like some sort of mold for bones and organs. Alex slumped to the floor, letting the papers in their hand flutter down next to them. “I always wondered,” they said, “who I was, before Mom and Dad found me. Now I know.” Amelia shuffled over, eyes drawn to the hand-scrawled “Experiment failure, project terminated” note writ large across the final page. She gathered the sheets together, read back… and froze, tears falling softly down her face. “Oh, sweet Arceus… Pond…” Belle grabbed Amelia’s hand. Amelia began sobbing softly. She let Alma take the papers from her, offering neither resistance nor even an apparent awareness of their presence. It was several minutes before she spoke again. “Tools,” she murmured. “Experiments at best.” “We were born to fight and die,” Alex added, “Sacrificed for one huge lie.” Amelia chuckled bitterly. “Well. I guess that means it’s ‘time to say goodbye’ to this place.” Belle raised a finger, silencing the nerds. “Someone’s here,” she said as the sound of shifting glass came from the other room. Amelia snarled, a low, animalistic sound, as she thumbed the button on her Pokéballs. Wordlessly, Alex automatically did the same. “Sic ‘em.” IC: Alex Zyther (current) "…so yeah. That's… that's been our night. You?"
  7. IC: Belle LaDonna/Amelia Zann/Alma Mason/Alex Zyther (Collapsed Team Flare Secret Lab, Geosenge Town, Kalos, August 12, 2017) Belle shuddered a bit as they entered the next room. More glass was shattered across the floor, sticky with some sort of fluid. Against one wall were several machines -- tubes or vats of some sort, the source of both the glass and the fluid. Only a handful were still intact. A conveyor belt led from the vats off into a darkened alcove. Belle didn’t want to think about where that led. As the purple haired woman moved into the room, she was flanked by her two oldest companions. Cyanide shielded her on the left, and Hemlock was on her right. Moving through the doorway caused the lights to flicker on, and the machines around them hummed as they came to life. “Wha--” Before anything else could be said, two robotic arms appeared from one of the machines, wielding strange devices. Belle lunged at the one that attacked Hemlock. She batted it away, cursing as she saw it scrape a few scales off her Dragonair. Quickly, she spun. Cyanide had grabbed the arm attacking him and broken it, though the collector noticed a gouge of shiny metal on his arm that hadn’t been there before. A monitor flashed red nearby. ‘Incomplete samples! Try again!’ Belle frowned. “Samples fer what?” “Something… something…” Amelia scowled, threading fingers through her hair and pulling tightly. “I remember… I remember something about…” Eggs. Needles. Blood. A tree that bleeds? Shouting. ‘Disposal.’ Have to save… have to save… Something metal. Long. A figure. In her way. Thrown. Sparks. Dropped, rumbling, falling… Amelia zeroed in on a machine attached to the right-hand wall, the same one through which they’d entered. Some vague memory told her it connected to Xerneas’ room, though a melted spanner had fused into and ruined the works. “I did that,” she realized, pointing to the sabotage. “I… I remember doing that. To save… to save someone…” “Xerneas?” Alex guessed. She shook her head. “No. Well, yes, but also I… I needed her help…” She stared back at the mangled machinery, and suddenly frowned. “Hey,” she said, “look at this.” Above the ruined portion of the machine sat an empty canister, practically pristine compared to the state of most of the equipment, perched haphazardly upon the casing. A number of wires had been jury-rigged from the interior of the machine to a pair of terminals atop the canister, and a heavy cable had been hooked up to the output and run through the broken wall to the next room. “…This I don’t remember. This… wasn’t like this the last time I was here.” “I remember it like this.” Alex suddenly clapped their hands to their mouth, horrified at their own realization. “You were here, too?” Belle asked, putting a hand on Alex’s back. The group stood in uncomfortable silence. “Come,” Amelia said. “Let us keep going.”
  8. IC: Amelia Zann/Alex Zyther/Belle LaDonna/Alma Mason (Collapsed Team Flare Secret Lab, Geosenge Town, Kalos, August 12, 2017) “This way,” Amelia ordered quietly, a strangely confident order considering this was at least the fifth turn they’d made in as many minutes. Alex exchanged a look with the others. “How do you know?” Amelia flinched at the question. “I… honestly have no idea. I just do.” “Awright, miss fancy pants, no need to be all ‘high society’ like the kid here,” Belle said with a teasing smile. Amelia startled at the realization. “Am I?” Alma nodded. “Perhaps you’ve been spending too much time with them.” “It’s… rather creepy, actually.” Amelia was troubled. “This is…” She bit her lip nervously. “I keep getting… flashes,” she admitted. “Like I did in the Flare universe, but… worse.” “You never mentioned this before,” Belle said quietly. “Why didn’t you tell me?” “I just… didn’t want to worry you, okay? You were… the other you had just… and I didn’t want you to have to deal with me on top of all that.” The purple-haired woman grabbed her companion’s hand again and squeezed. “It’s fine, just tell me things in the future, okay, hon?” It was Alex who next broke the moment. “Hey,” they said, “that’s… you should see this.” Before them stood a pair of great sliding doors, heavy riveted metal several inches thick… twisted and torn like so much tinfoil. Beyond, in the darkness, lay a pedestal most familiar to Alex, blackened and warped nearly beyond recognition. “That’s where they kept Xerneas,” they said worriedly. “It’s… already loose.” “Then that means Xerneas is probably long gone,” Belle commented. “Good thing, too, given what you said happened when it saw you last time.” Alex nodded, but the dread churning in their gut refused to settle. “You know, we… never found out why they had her in the first place.” “Life,” Amelia said. “Xerneas is a Legendary Pokémon connected to life. They needed her power for… something.” “Immortality?” Alex supplied. “Legends say that when its horns shine in all the colors of the rainbow, it is sharing everlasting life.” “It was a tree. A tree of life. White bark with black markings, like the tree of Gondor in Minas Tirith.” Belle frowned. “You haven’t read Lord of the Rings, Pond. I tried to get ya to, and you said it was boring. What gives?” Amelia didn’t have an answer for that. “Come on,” Alex said. “Let’s take a closer look.”
  9. OOC: Bunnying Lucia with Blade's permission. IC: Alex Zyther/Amelia Zann (Collapsed Team Flare Secret Lab, Geosenge Town, Kalos, August 12, 2017) "What he said! Stand down!" Alex ordered. Raleigh, already disengaged, began picking his way back through the glass toward his Trainer, while Didi scampered joyfully to atop Blissie's head. The motion reminded Alex of the rest of their team. "Oh, right, you too Blissie, Syl-- erm. Sylvia." A rather relieved Blissie made her own way to Alex, picking her Trainer up from the floor and clucking concernedly as Alex winced at the shards of mirror-glass that fell from them. The Eevee in question seemed confused by the sudden change in nickname, but seemed to recognize Alex was addressing it. It wagged its heart-patterned tail at Alex, though remained at Pelleas' side and away from the shard-coated floor. Amelia glared at the newcomers with distrust, but decided to give Alex and Belle the benefit of the doubt. "Sina, Harvey, back." Harvey hit the wall, hard. Unsurprisingly, the "move slow to move fast" strategy worked poorly when the other party controlled the momentum. He let himself slump to the ground as the silver-haired human ordered the intruders to stand down, relieved when his Trainer ordered said compliance a moment later. He grumbled slightly to himself, not happy at how quickly the fight had turned against him and considering what he'd need to improve his durability in the future. Sina tracked the spinning Ice-type as it shot back towards her. She leaped into the air, claws extended as she began her own spin, intending to let gravity aid her in a guillotine-like descent. Unfortunately, Amelia's command came first, and the annoyed Dark-type was forced to sheath her claws -- though she could not resist coming to rest directly atop the Vanilluxe's body and casually cleaning herself as if it had been her attention all along. Lucia looked at the hand her would-be murderer offered her and hesitantly accepted it. "So what are you doing here, anyways?" Alex winced, and not from the glass shards. "That's… a bit of a long story…" IC: Alex Zyther/Alma Mason (Geosenge Town, Kalos, August 11th, 2017, 11:07 P.M.) Alex sighed heavily, shaking their head in a mixture of annoyance and amusement. They were happy for the two -- really, they were -- but did they have to be so loud? Alma rubbed at one eye, fighting a yawn as she glared at Alex. “Will you explain now why you woke me up and rushed me out of the hotel?” “Er… that is to say…” “Di! Di di!” Alex had never felt as much gratitude toward Didi as they had in that moment. “What is it? What did you--?” They stopped cold, recognizing the path Didi had lead them towards. Annoyance was replaced with concern as Alma saw the look on Alex’s face. “What is wrong?” she asked. She pulled a knife from her apron, looking around warily. “It’s…” Alex shook their head. “This is… this is where Mom and Dad found me. The first place I remember, ever.” They glanced back at the rest of the group. Alma tilted her head in thought, while Didi and Coralie displayed a mixture of curiosity and concern for their Trainer. Raleigh, though, was petrified. “Raleigh?” The shiny Ralts stepped forward, walking toward a large ivy-covered boulder as if in a trance, murmuring to himself in a clearly horrified tone. “Raleigh, what’s wrong? Why--?” As Alex brushed aside the curtain of plant matter, their hand brushed across a door behind it. A very familiar door. Alex turned to look at Alma. “We need to get the others.”
  10. IC: Alex Zyther Alex had no idea how to respond to everything that had started happening. The black-haired Trainer had sent out their Pokémon at Amelia's command by pure reflex, but the sudden influx of intruders had completely overwhelmed them. A familiar voice calling out from the crowd started to break through their stupor, however. "Alex? Is that you?" Alex's eyes widened. "Big sis?" they murmured. Before they could respond, Alma had jumped Lucia. "No!" they shouted, leaping to their feet only to collapse back to the ground with a wince as their hands made contact with the mirror shard-covered floor. "Don't hurt her!" They saw the two Pokémon Lucia had sent out, saw Raleigh stepping between them and Didi in an aggressive stance. "Stop!" they ordered, the Ralts turning around in total confusion. Blissie and Sylph initially made to bound back to their Trainer, but suddenly stopped as Alex's sister came under threat. Blissie froze, torn between her duty to her Trainer and her duty to halt harm, while Sylph whimpered in dismay, hopping from paw to paw. Unable to scamper across the shattered glass, the Eevee yipped in determination and went to find Pelleas, hoping the Heracross could help Lucia just as they had together in Celadon.
  11. OOC: autohit for grab granted by Minun IC: Amelia Zann's team/Alex Zyther's team Sina was, indeed, well faster than the Timid Ice-type. She scanned the battlefield, finding herself a far more suitable target, and smirked at the perfection of her plan. The Sneasel zipped underneath the Vanilluxe, grabbing the cone's lowermost tip and swinging in a circle before flinging it away from her. Sina snorted smugly as the Vanilluxe went flying towards the Dragonair that had planted itself in front of the cluster of humans; she may not have had access to her own Icicle Crash, but so long as the other Ice-type remained on the field, she had the next best thing. Harvey was proving to be a particularly annoying opponent. Paradoxically, despite moving with a slowness befitting his Rock typing, the Larvitar was somehow vanishing from his position as soon as a blow was about to land, a style that would ordinarily be more befitting the Psychic-type teleporter facing him. However, an evasive defense was worthless without offense, so when he spotted an opportunity to bite the back of the Elgyem's oversized head, he took it, despite the lost potential of evasion in that moment. Raleigh saw the Ghost-type reaching out towards him and groaned. Physical combat was not his forte, and Ghost-types were, if anything, worse. Fortunately, he had a savior. ["Raleigh!"] a voice called, ["Switch!"] As they had in their previous battle, Raleigh pivoted places with Coralie, the Rock-type still nowhere near an ideal matchup but at least not quite at such a glaring, crippling disadvantage. Raleigh winced as the Gripper Pokémon latched on to the fledgling Diancie, but found himself distracted as two new combatants emerged to face Didi… and the latter stopped cold. The Antenna Pokémon came to a screeching halt before letting out a high-pitched squeal of… delight? What exactly was going on here?
  12. -==IC: Gold Team - Team Flare Lab, Geosenge Town, Kalos, August 12==- The next room the group entered was very different from the previous two. It was furnished, for one, and the tiled floor had been replaced with a short, rough dark gray carpet tile. The walls here were painted a pale orange, and there was even a set of four screens arranged like a paned window. There the hominess stopped, however; the two beds were small and firm, the fabric of the plain white sheets likely rough even when they were new. There were no blankets. The beds were placed symmetrically, linked only by a small half-rotted bookcase and the rusting frame of what used to be a folding paper room divider. A tiny shelf sat above each bed, each holding a simple battery-operated alarm clock (both broken) and one with a simple bedside lamp (also broken). The room had obviously been disturbed by the intruders. One bed lay messy and rumpled, the dust also disturbed as if someone had stat atop it, and the drawers had been opened and rummaged through, women’s Flare uniforms of slightly different sizes hanging haphazardly out of their drawers. The rusted frame of what was once a folding paper room divider did little to hide the mess, nor the sparsely-filled bookcase on one side. The nearer side of said bookcase held only two books, but they were of immediate note: one a thick, military-looking manual proudly bearing a stylized icon of flame that was clearly Team Flare’s insignia, and the other a smaller three-ring binder next to it bearing a smaller version of the insignia above a different logo shaped somewhat like a dumbbell. Inside lay a litany of scientific reports, some bearing Lysandre’s name and others that of Dr. Xerosic, but every last one bore one name in common: Dr. Alderson. Many of them were related to the study of some kind of unusual energy source, but the latter papers began to shift from general usage to specific application, with mention of uses in the manipulation of life itself. Unfortunately, this copy of the book had been damaged, with the last few pages torn out and taken away. Of course, with so much to take in, no one had noticed the sound of crying had suddenly stopped. As Serena shifted a step backward towards the room’s lone black wall, she stumbled and trod upon something, the sound of glass shards crunching underfoot. “Someone’s here,” someone said. There was the sound of several Pokéballs opening. “Sic ‘em,” came a hoarse, feminine voice. A myriad of indistinct blurs shot out of the darkness, poised for attack.
  13. -==IC: Serena/Calem==- (Collapsed Team Flare Secret Lab, Geosenge Town, Kalos, August 12, 2017) It took the group some time to regain their bearings, the others’ footsteps echoing disorientingly through the lab’s many dead ends, some planned, some not. After a few minutes, the footsteps faded entirely, leaving the group to their own devices for navigation. Fortunately, two of their number had been here before, even if their information was a decade out of date. “Oh! I know where we are!” Serena exclaimed. “Look!” Before them stood a pair of great sliding doors, heavy riveted metal several inches thick… twisted and torn like so much tinfoil. Beyond, in the darkness, lay a pedestal blackened and warped nearly beyond recognition, surrounded by dangling cables that seemed to have been ripped apart. “We spent ages trying to get through this door,” Serena explained, “but in the end we decided to concentrate on taking down Lysandre. When we made our escape, whatever they’d kept in here had already broken free and set off all the explosions. We never saw what it was, but we think it must have been one of Kalos’ Legendary Pokémon.” “Sure would’ve been nice,” Calem said wistfully. “Imagine capturing the Guardians of Life and Death and taking them into the final confrontation.” “Yeah,” Serena teased, “and then Lysandre would have Mega Evolved his Gyarados or something and made it an even fight.” “Pffft, nah,” Calem said as he nudged his friend. “Mega Evo wasn’t even discovered until last week!” “True. If the rumors are true, Mega Evolution requires a strong bond between Trainer and Pokémon. I don’t think Lysandre could ever really care about anything but himself.” “Lucky for us. He was problematic enough without having actual friends backing him up during a fight.” He paused, frowning. “Hey, you guys go on ahead, I just thought of something. I’m gonna go investigate somewhere else, alright?” The Champion’s countenance grew grave. “Good idea,” she said. ”Be safe.” Calem nodded coolly. “I will.” The group pressed on.
  14. -==IC: Flare Lab==- The secret lab was in shambles, cracks and rubble and collapsed walls littering the once pristine and glossy surfaces. Much of it bore a thick layer of rocky dust, but some sections significantly lacked the omnipresent covering -- a metallic panel, now twisted and lying haphazardly on the floor next to an open wall of melted and fused wiring, an assortment of rubble beneath a conspicuously pitted ceiling. It was Calem who had to explain. “Just a couple weeks ago, the town was woken up by an earthquake -- magnitude 4.5, the aftershocks could be felt all the way over in Anistar -- and saw that the rubble here had shifted,” Calem explained. “Serena and I were called in to investigate, make sure that there wasn’t a sinkhole or something. We dug out a lot of the rubble and were pretty surprised not to find any bodies. “What we did find, however, were three of Kalos’ starter Pokémon, all with the unique coloration that people have taken to calling ‘shiny.’ That, coupled with a wall of rock we couldn’t dig past with the Pokemon we had on hand, made us decide to head back to Lumiose to resupply.” Other signs, however, were much less coincidental. Two pairs of footprints, in and then out, meandered through the rubble, half-covered in dust themselves and in places obscured by new collapses, but atop them several fresh sets also ran, the smooth black tile beneath clearly visible through the disturbances. These, too, wandered, but merely paused at each room, each cell they passed. Oh, yes, the cells. Where the first few rooms had been guard posts and armories, perched precariously atop stairs and opposite now-useless elevators, the path they were now forced to walk led them past row after row of thick-barred cell doors, the spaces within utterly blank boxes despite their size. The Champion sighed. “These are troubling. Serena and I, we never saw these the first time we were here -- before the lab collapsed, that is. We only made it a short ways down before we took an elevator directly to the bottom level to fight with Lysandre. So far, we haven’t found any more cells, and none meant for long-term captivity.” A white-tiled laboratory, gurney equipped with both restraints and monitors barely obscuring a conspicuous inbuilt crematorium behind them, gave answer to the final fate of most victims of Flare kidnapping. “Flare worked in secret for a long time before Lysandre made his final play. People would go missing, and a lot of those people weren’t ever found. It’s hard to say how many were taken by Flare, or for what purposes.” Serena looked away uncomfortably. “I think I have a pretty good idea of their ‘purpose’, actually.” Calem had been born in Kalos, but she was originally from Kanto; Flare had been quite insistent in making sure she never forgot that fact. Quietly, Calem reached over and squeezed her hand. Serena smiled softly at that. “Thanks, Calem.” He nodded. “Let’s move on,” he said to the rest of the group.
  15. IC: Serena/Emily Lockwood “Hey Em!” Serena called as Emily searched the cabin, “Remind me again who we’re looking for?” “Lionel Zyther and my aunt Elaine Alderson. Scientists. Lionel owns a ton of labs that Flare used to operate..” Emily groaned, rubbing at her forehead. “Cripe, they said they were going to be pulling an all-nighter at one of them.” “Alderson… where have I heard that name before?” “She’s one of the leading experts in Pokémon habitats and behaviors; even Professor Sycamore doesn’t know as much about wild Pokémon habits as she does. She’s pioneering research into healing powers like Heal Pulse and Wish, with the hope of developing technology that can do similar things.” Emily smiled. “She’s pretty darn awesome. Oh, she also used to help at the fossil lab, too, but she switched career paths after the whole Flare incident.” “Oh!” Serena blinked as two conflicting faces flashed through her mind. “I think I remember now. She helped me revive my Amaura from a Fossil. She was so sweet, why did she leave?” The Champion frowned for a moment. “Oh, I hope Flare didn’t give her trouble just for helping me and Calem…” Emily shook her head, sighing. “Team Flare didn’t bother her, really, but . . . Well, let’s just say some people she was really close to turned out to be working with Team Flare. They were in the lab when it collapsed. She lost almost everything she had to Flare. Afterwards, the people at the lab would give her the side-eye and whisper behind her back. Team Flare stole fossils from the nearby cave, and the people at the lab thought she might have helped.” “That’s ridiculous!” Serena declared. “She’s the one who asked us to stop them!” “I know that, and you know that, but it didn’t change their opinions. That, coupled with her wanting to ‘atone’ -- nevermind that she didn’t do anything wrong, it was all Ezekiel and… nevermind -- made her look into the field of healing instead of reviving.” “That’s so sad.” Serena shook her head. “People can be so cruel. At least she’s back on her feet now, though -- you said she’s working with Lionel Zyther? The billionaire?” “Yeah,” Emily said quietly, scowling. “Not sure how I feel about him. He seems like he wants to take over the world, and my dad would be furious if he knew we were traveling with the guy -- ‘Don’t trust rich men in fancy suits,’ that’s what he always said. But he has Elaine captivated, talking about how he can fund her and stuff.” Serena’s mind drifted back a decade, to a wealthy, captivating man in an orange suit speaking to the then-Champion of Kalos in a Lumiose cafe. “That sounds like good advice to me,” she agreed. “It always seemed weird how he just took over all that Flare stuff like nothing ever happened. But when Calem and I looked into it, we never found anything suspicious. Not even the International Police could.” She paused. “Then again,” she giggled, “if he hadn’t kept up the Holo Caster, I’m not sure Calem could function at all. That man can barely dress himself some days.” Emily chuckled. “Yeah, I guess that is a good thing. He mentioned once that he bought Flare’s assets because they were cheap and nobody else was buying. Makes sense, I guess. Anyways, we should catch up with the others and let them know.” “Right.” The two headed back outside and took off towards the lab.
  16. -==IC: Calem/Serena==- “I think I’d like to know that as well.” Unnoticed by the rest of the group, a young man in a navy blue button-up vest atop a white dress shirt, a pair of pleated slacks, and an incongruously casual set of shoes, hat, and sunglasses had approached the table. He removed the sunglasses, placing them on his hat to reveal the unmistakable face of the once-and-future Champion of Kalos, Calem. Behind him, a honey-haired woman was doing a much more successful job of remaining incognito, a combination of pink-and-teal highlights, green contacts, tacky plastic bracelets, and red short-legged overalls over a white blouse leaving current Champion Serena identifiable only by her proximity to Calem. She scowled at Calem, but visibly decided to chastise him later. Seeing that Calem had broken cover for both of them, she spoke up. “We’d appreciate the truth. It’s been a long day for us, and I’d rather it not be any longer than it has to.”
  17. -==IC: Professor Elaine Alderson/Lionel Zyther==- (Kalos Route 10, August 11, 2017, evening) As the group rounded the latest bend, a rectangular array of stone obelisks appeared from behind the trees, the path itself winding awkwardly through the claustrophobic gaps in between. It wasn’t until the group passed between the two at the entrance, however, that Elaine spoke up. “Oh, the standing stones…” the Professor belatedly noted, “we’re almost there.” Lionel glanced around at the enigmatic structures, looking back and forth between them and the road traffic overpass just visible on the other side of the treeline. “You know, I think this might be the first time I’ve actually seen the standing stones in person. It’s odd for the road and the Route to be separate.” “That’s because it’s a war memorial. Originally, people weren’t sure whether to move the Route after the battle that took place here, but they decided to leave the path through the memorial so they’d always be forced to remember the terrible price of war. Later, though, when modernization reached Geosenge and the roads were built, the citizens of the town decided to build the overpass out of respect for the dead.” Lionel found himself taken aback. “You really know your history, Professor. I’m impressed.” Elaine did not seem proud of the praise, instead deliberately facing away from the others. “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” she paraphrased, her morose tone more akin to her state at the start of their journey than the quiet but encouraging Professor she’d been along the way. Lionel nodded solemnly. “…Right.” He looked to the others. “I called the warehouse from Cyllage last night. The technicians made a few… questionable choices during the preparation stage, things turning on when they shouldn’t have, that sort of thing. Just to be safe, they’re running a full sweep, so we’ll have to wait until morning to start digging through Lysandre’s old things. I took the liberty of arranging a cottage for us, so there should be plenty of rooms for everyone to stay until the investigation is complete.” Elaine’s gaze remained downcast. “I… If you want, I suppose I can take you to my lab after dinner. Let you get your inspection done.” The professor’s tone was thoroughly resigned. Lionel shook his head. “Sorry, Elaine, but you and I have an appointment with a drawing board, remember? Time is off the essence for our little project. Your tour will just have to wait.” Elaine looked to Lionel with gratitude. “Right, I’d forgotten. Thank you, Lionel.” She bit her lip as she considered the rest of the group. “I… suppose I’ll see the rest of you tomorrow, then?” “Tomorrow,” Lionel confirmed. “I’d prefer to move quickly, so if there’s nothing else…?”
  18. IC: Alex Zyther/Coralie/Alex the Green As the sun slipped slowly toward the horizon, Alex heard their counterpart calling out to the rest of the group. “It’s time.” “Oh thank Rayquaza,” Amelia mumbled to herself, probably still grumpy from earlier. “Let’s get outta here.” “Oh… right.” Alex picked up their incubator, then carefully checked for the rest of their Pokémon as well as their belongings. They felt for Raleigh’s ball, stashed safely in their pocket, as well as Coralie’s… the one she hadn’t been registered to yet. They looked to the sun, its descent signalling the end of both this day and their journey as a whole. “Wait… wait a second. Er, please.” The Trainer looked around, spotting the Diancie sticking close to her fellow Fairy-types. “Coralie, do you have a second?” Coralie came forward, curious as to what the human wanted. She cocked her head, waiting patiently for an explanation. What Alex gave her, instead, was a small, oddly-shaped red ball with black detailing. It was a gift neither of them had quite expected. “She’s a special Pokémon,” Alex the Green volunteered in response to Alex’s questioning glance. “She deserves a special home.” Alex nodded. “So…?” Coralie considered the offer. She had heard stories, good and bad, about the devices in which Trainers kept their Pokémon. Did she trust her Trainer enough to accept that level of control? She thought back to the pain she’d experienced in her very first battle, the searing burn a pain worse than anything physical she’d ever had to endure… a pain salved by Alex’s near-instant move to help and comfort, even if it did cost them the battle. The rescue in the cave, the comfort in the mansion… Yes, she decided, I do trust them enough. With a nod, she touched the button on the front of the capsule, letting its crimson light sweep across her. She barely had a moment to acclimate to her new residence before the ball was thrown into the air, releasing her to reemerge at her Trainer’s feet. A moment after that, Alex was on their knees, wrapping her in their embrace. “Thank you, Coralie. For everything you’ve done for us.” Everything? she silently wondered. As if reading her mind, Alex nodded. “Everything. The things I’ve learned on this journey… I might never have made those discoveries if it wasn’t for you. I can’t wait to see what awaits us together.” Alex’s counterpart coughed quietly. “Speaking of which… are you ready to go home?” Trainer and Pokémon nodded in unison. The Green Witch smiled. “Then lead the way, Princess.”
  19. IC: Belle LaDonna/Belle "Beauty" Parfum/Amelia Zann/Alma Mason/Alex the Green/Alex Zyther/Amy "Beast" Parfum/Alma Mason After Alma had changed and everybody had their supplies, they made their way once more to the crystal cavern in which they had arrived. The young assassin seemed uncomfortable as she walked along in the pale blue dress she had been gifted. Belle cleared her throat. “Thanks,” she said to her double. “For everything. Really, you have no idea--” “Hon, I’m you, I think I have some idea.” Beauty chuckled and shrugged. “Y’all just think about what you’ve seen here, y’hear?” “I will,” Belle promised, blushing as she cast a look towards Amelia. Amelia gave a noncommittal grunt. “It’s… been a thing, for sure.” Alma scoffed. “It certainly has. You said sunset?” She looked to Alex the Green as she asked for maybe the dozenth time since that afternoon. Alex the Green gave a glance to their counterpart, who was busily skipping along staring at the sky with the incubator clutched to their chest, humming a chipper melody all the while. The green witch shook their head in amusement. “Indeed. The crystal in question should only be a short ways inside, but as usual its resonance won’t alter until the end of the proscribed cycle.” Amy leaned out from behind Beauty. “They mean that the mirrors are on a cycle they can’t change.” “Yes, quite.” Alma nodded softly. “So… sunset.” She looked up at the sky, as if willing the sun to go down faster. Her double, silent to this point, chuckled. “Do you really want to go back to your world? You could stay here and feel the joy of helping people--” “No,” Alma nearly growled. “I do not wish to become some altruist who does things because it benefits others more than oneself. I do not need the warm and fuzzy feeling one feels when somebody gives them heartfelt thanks.” She twirled a knife that no-one had seen her draw. “I just need to go home.” “Amen, sister,” Amelia tossed over her shoulder. Belle cleared her throat. “Try not to encourage her, Amelia,” she said quietly enough so that the albino wouldn’t hear. “Ah, she’ll be fine.” The mercenary shook her head, letting her blood-red hair drift in the breeze. “I was.” “I wouldn’t call either you or me ‘fine,’ hon. We’re a bit screwy, and I want to try and get her off the path to screwy-town.” Belle scowled; Alma was her responsibility right now, and she would do her best to keep the kid off of a dangerous, deadly track. Amelia shrugged. She felt… well, honestly, she wasn’t sure how she felt. This place didn’t feel right to her -- or rather, it did feel right, which didn’t feel real. The whole thing felt like living in some sort of saccharine children’s anime, full of love and friendship and determination, with little sign of reality or consequences. Alma seemed to have run into that herself, judging by the scene earlier and her current discomfort, and Amelia didn’t blame her. Suppressing a sigh, Amelia wandered near the edge of the cliff they currently stood atop. It was Alex who picked up on her discomfort first -- or at least, Alex was the first one to approach her. The androgynous trainer shared a worried glance with Raleigh, the latter gingerly accepting the incubator that had been cradled at Alex’s chest. “You okay?” “Yeah.” Amelia stared out at the landscape before her, and sighed. “No.” She dropped with a huff, letting her legs dangle freely off the edge. “I ain’t got a flippin’ clue.” “Mm.” The Trainer frowned, thinking. “I don’t suppose talking it out would help?” Amelia spread her arms wide. “Who knows? I certainly don’t.” “Maybe start from the beginning?” This provoked a raised eyebrow. “What is this, storytime with Amelia? Sheesh, didn’t y’all learn last time what my past was like?” “Is… this about the other Amy?” “Yer danged right it’s about her. Her an’ the other Belle.” “They’re cute together.” “Bah.” Amelia shook her head. “It’s weird.” “Weirder than your last set of doubles?” Amelia gave Alex a hard glare. “An’ whddaya mean by that?” “Oh, right… you barely even met her. She was… devoted to Donna. Er, that is, her Belle. They were… obviously close.” Amelia laid back on the ground and closed her eyes. “An’ here we’re married.” “I mean…” Alex blushed slightly. “I kinda assumed it wasn’t a new thing for the two of you.” “Great. Fantastic. Wonderful.” “…I’m detecting a non-zero amount of sarcasm there.” “Tch.” After a moment’s irritation, however, Amelia failed to suppress a grin. “It’s… complicated. We’re--” here Amelia gestured to indicate herself and Belle “--complicated. Back when we first met, she was so… innocent. Untouched by the world. It woulda been weird.” “And since then?” “Never really considered it. By that point she never really fell into the group of potential options.” “What about now?” The woman went suspiciously silent. After a long pause, she diverted the discussion. “So, what traumatic realization did your double put ya through?” “Hmm? Oh, right…” The Trainer went quiet, speaking through steepled fingers. “So… I… might have an answer to your question now.” “Question?” “You know… the one you asked me last time… before the whole caves and universes stuff?” It took Amelia a bit to remember. “Ah… that one. Listen, I already told ya--” “I know, and apology still accepted. But… I actually know now.” Amelia regarded Alex warily, taking several more seconds to see the excitement amidst the apprehension. “Ah. So…” Alex merely tilted their head, waiting for her to ask. “Are you a boy or a girl?” “Sometimes.” The Trainer grinned like a Cheshire cat, the grin growing wider in proportion to Amelia’s irritation. “Whaddaya mean, ‘sometimes’?!” she shouted. Across the clifftop, the other Alex snickered. Alma walked over, smiling softly. “Congratulations, Alex. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard her use quite that tone of indignation.” “I mean,” Alex elaborated, “that I’m sometimes a boy, and sometimes a girl, and sometimes neither. I’m gender-fluid.” “…I see.” She didn’t, but she wasn’t going to let a little thing like that stop her. “An’ that means…?” “Practically speaking? I’m a ‘they’, not a ‘he’.” Amelia took a moment to mentally memorize the change. “I can do that, sure. Anythin’ else?” Alex shrugged. “Not really. Kinda still just excited is all.” “All right.” She still didn’t quite get what was going on, but she liked Alex enough to respect their wishes. Her attention was diverted, however, when her counterpart approached Alex. “So I hear you used the ‘sometimes’ line. I take it that means you’re…?” “Like your Alex, yes.” “Congratulations.” Amy took a moment to look into Amelia’s eyes. “Could we have a word?” “Y’mean in private?” At Amy’s nod, she shrugged. “Sure, guess so.” As the others left, Amy knelt down delicately beside Amelia. “So.” The silence stretched. After a while, Amelia began to suspect she’d failed to keep her conversation with Alex from carrying. “Listen, about you two, I’m sorry, I don’t mean to--” “Oh. Good. I wasn’t sure how to bring this up.” Amy bit her lip and looked down to avoid looking Amelia in the eye. “Listen. You’re me, and I’m you, right?” Amelia had several objections to the comparison, but decided not to voice them. “Sure, kinda, I guess.” “So… so it stands to reason we’re more similar than we are different, yes?” To her credit, Amelia tried to keep the disbelief out of her voice, though it was still writ large across her countenance. “Uh-huh.” Despite her gaze still being fixed firmly upon the ground, Amy still turned her head aside. “I know how ridiculous that sounds. I’m shy, not a fool. Give yourself some credit.” She shook her head. “Anyway. I wanted to… look. We share… a lot more than I think either of us realize. Things that go… well, pretty deep. Stuff neither of us would be willing to share after just a day together.” Amelia thought back to how much she’d shared with Alex, compared to Alma or even Belle. “Yeah, listen, I don’t think we--” Amy waved her off. “Alex is special. Practically family, even, the non-sister I never had. But they’re the exception that proves the rule.” Amelia stared at her counterpart. “How did you…?” “Like I said. Similar.” She smiled softly, sinking slowly back into sadness. “Anyway, the point is. You’re… the better version of me. Stronger. Braver. You actually take risks, face your fears… live your life. Me… not so much.” “That’s… you have a wife. An’ a family. An’ everythin’ ya could ever want. How do you call that not livin’ yer life? Yer best life, even?” “Because I didn’t do it. Any of it. Belle… Alex… my sisters… all of them did things for me because I was too… me… to do it myself. And because I was me, I just sat there and let them. And everything worked out, I have a home and siblings and a wife who loves me but it’s… it feels wrong. Like I cheated, like I let everyone else do the work in living my own life.” “I mean… that seems kinda harsh, ain’t it? Maybe y’all oughta be the one givin’ yerself credit.” “Maybe. But I just think…” Amy paused. “Meeting you… it’s inspired me. I realized I can be so much more than who I am. More like Alex. More like Belle. So I’ve made myself a promise to start living with determination, making my own choices and accepting responsibility for them. And I think… if I could make that mistake, have been making that mistake all my life, then maybe it’s the same for you as well.” “Nah.” Amelia leaned lazily back. “I ain’t nearly so… passive…” Even as Amelia spoke, she heard the lie upon her lips. How much of her life was by her own choice, compared to just following along to whatever was happening around her? Lilycove, Celadon, this… “Hm. Anyway, I know myself just fine, an’ I’m fine with stayin’ exactly how I am.” “Maybe so,” Amy admitted, “I just… if you’re leaving, and I just discovered this about myself, I should tell you, just in case, before…” “Yeah, I getcha. S’fine. Now, stop overthinkin’ an’ go be happy with yer wife.” “Right. Thanks.” She stood, paused, and smirked. “Er… you too.” With one last blush, Amy dipped her head and fled. Amelia shut her eyes and shook her head. “I am fine,” she grumbled. “Don’t care what anyone says.” Why am I here? a rebellious corner of her mind complained. What’s the point of me? The disc of the sun started setting, its lowermost point meeting the horizon before slowly melting below. “It’s time,” Alex the Green called. “Oh thank Rayquaza,” Amelia mumbled to herself. “Let’s get outta here.”
  20. -==IC: Kalos River==- (August 9th, 2017) Dahlia’s powers crackled to life, the Dragonair confusedly finding itself dragged backward at alarming speed as it struggled to continue its curving lunge. However, the miracle was not without its side effect, as the reversal of momentum also reversed its angle, sending the Dragon-type careening directly into Jhen’s own charge for mutual damage. The Dragonair hissed its displeasure at the Vibrava, but after a moment’s consideration gave him a vicious grin and lashed out with a powerless version of Dragon Tail… the momentum of the attack aimed to reverse directly into Dracos instead. Colleen could see the Carvanha ahead of her perk up as they caught her scent. Still, she managed to get off her Aura Sphere, the Fighting-type orb effortlessly tracking the Swanna she’d aimed it back but only impacting the Flying-type for minimal damage. Still, it was enough to divert the Swanna’s attention, as it wheeled around to make another pass toward her. Eilonwy’s determination paid off in spades, as the fish’s flailing ping-ponged it between two of the Swanna multiple times before sending her plunging silently into the waters below. The duo circled confusedly, trying to figure out what had hit them and where it had gone, completely distracted from the rest of the group. Lionel, too, took note of the approaching Carvanha, noting with some trepidation that the Dark-types seemed to be getting excited. Fortunately, Jamie’s Haunter offered him its ghostly hands, and the businessman gratefully accepted them, tossing a grateful nod in the girl’s direction. Unable to help battle directly, he instead looked toward Lucia, hoping against hope his daughter wasn’t too badly injured. To their mutual misfortune, Jared and Lachina’s active movements drew the most attention from the carnivorous Carvanha, a number of the school having already dropped back enough to reach striking distance. As Aolani began her approach, however, their attention was diverted by a new target. Spitfire reached her target even as it started to regain its footing; however, it was far too late, as the Talonflame slashed its shoulder and sent it tumbling into the drink. The bloodied bird was immediately set upon by the two Carvanha who had dropped back closest to the group, the water blossoming blood-red as the pair of predators set to work. Jared and Lachina knew that as soon as the Hawlucha was finished, they’d be next. Aolani’s shadow passed overhead, the Altaria coming in to clutch at the two Trainers. As she swooped in for the grab, however, a sharp stone projectile came whizzing past, forcing her to snatch her claws upward and divert her path. A second stone splashed into the water near the two Carvanha, scattering the duo long enough to give their critically-injured victim a fleeting moment of respite. Movement near the top of the far cliff finally revealed the attacks’ origin: a familiar yellow-striped Frogadier dove from a hidden crevice, tossing its supply of rough stone kunai aside, and hit the water, its powerful legs propelling it swiftly towards the downed Hawlucha even as the growing current delayed its progress. However, even as one Frogadier abandoned the ambush, two more kunai whistled through the air, these two aimed squarely at Jared and Lachina; the latter caught a brief glimpse of a betrayed glare she’d seen just days prior. The sole unengaged Swanna circled, seeing with horror that one of its fellow Flying-types had hit the water and been critically wounded. It swept low over the battlefield in the direction of the Lapras as it passed slowly above several of the other combatants. The remaining Hawlucha, meanwhile, took a more direct approach, leaping high toward its companion atop the Metagross and aiming a retaliatory kick along the way at the Talonflame that had almost certainly killed its bretheren. The Frubbled Hawlucha, meanwhile, had dropped low upon the impact, but relaxed significantly upon seeing the Ice-type, launching itself through the frosty fog above the Vanilluxe to freeze its restraints enough to shatter upon impact. IC: Belle LaDonna/Belle ‘Beauty’ Parfum/Amelia Zann/Amelia ‘Beast’ Parfum “So,” Belle said as she sipped as she stirred copious amounts of sugar into her coffee, “how long’ve y’all been . . . married?” “Three weeks or so,” Beauty said with a grin. “If ya wanna see the ring, Amy’s always happy to show it off.” “Nah,” Belle said, unknowingly halting Amy’s giddy advance behind her, “I was just curious. Was it a long engagement?” “Kinda long, yeah. I proposed our third anniversary, and it took us five years to get all the details just right.” Belle hummed, trying to do the math despite her morning grogginess. “So, you two were . . .” “I was 17,” Beauty said with a grin. “Amy was 19.” Amelia raised an eyebrow. “So us two had barely even met an’ y’all were already engaged?” She gave her counterpart a playful nudge. “Y’all move quick, Slick.” Amy did her best not to blush too hard. “I mean… we were high school sweethearts--” (in the background, Belle could be heard to mutter “Highschool?”) “--and she’d helped me through so much, it was pretty much inevitable.” “That, and Alex low-key shipped us all year, which meant Lord Zyther kept Lady Parfum off our backs.” Amy made a face. “She wasn’t that bad, was she?” Beauty smirked. “You weren’t there f’r the talk she gave me ‘bout finding some guy to let into the relationship so she could have grandkids.” “Ugh.” Amy shook her head. “No thanks. Leave the ‘heir’ stuff to my sisters. All I need is you, me, and the occasional visit from Alex bearing presents.” Right on cue, the door opened itself to admit the witch and their counterpart. “We’re back!” they announced in unison. Amelia rolled her eyes. “Practice that, did ya?” While the witch snorted and the non-witch Alex spluttered in indignation, a high-pitched squeal preceded a small yellow rodent trampling across the room to greet them, a crescent-shaped claw clamped tightly between her teeth. Alex smiled at Didi. “What do you have there, Didi?” The Trainer accepted the present, turning it over in their hands to inspect it. “Is this a Razor Claw?” Amelia perked up at the mention. “A Razor Claw? Where’d ya pick up somethin’ like that?” Didi pointed roughly north and jabbered away. Miley inclined hir head to hir Trainer to provide a translation. “It was the other universe,” Alex the Green relayed, “the one where -- good heavens, were you actually attacked by Xerneas?” “Is that what that thing was?” Amelia interjected. “I’d been meanin’ ta ask.” “Er… yeah, I think. To both.” Alex dipped their head in thought. “If that’s the case, then this probably belongs to you, Amelia,” they said, holding out the claw. “Or, well, the other you, but…” “Ah get it,” Amelia intoned softly, gratefully taking the gift. “Thanks.” “You know,” the witch said, “now might not be a bad time for presents. We should probably round everyone up and head back to the cave soon -- I prepared my divination spells this morning, so we’re sure to find the right mirror to get you back home.” Alex’s eyes widened. “Are you serious??” Before the witch could react, they found themself wrapped in a grateful embrace. “Thankyouthankyouthankyou so much!” “What he said, but more coherent,” Belle said wryly. Alex the Green chuckled at their counterpart’s enthusiasm. “It’s nothing, really. The real present… is this.” The witch held out the gray cylinder they’d carried from the Pokémon Center. Alex was confused, before the witch touched a panel near the top, prompting the sides to retract and reveal an ovoid object suspended behind a clear window. “You’re… you’re giving me an egg? Just like that?” The Green Witch nodded. “Like you said, your Pokémon don’t have their powers. This little one was never touched by that light, though, so once the egg hatches…” It took no time for Amelia to make the connection. “That’s mighty generous of ya.” The witch shrugged. “I like to help people in need.” Beauty smiled. “I have somethin’ for ya, too,” she said to her counterpart. Belle raised an eyebrow as the double set a Pokéball on the table. “What’s this?” she asked. “A Sprtizee. We sent a bunch out during the wedding, and I caught a few of ‘em to give to Alex, Alma, Lizbet, Allie . . . Basically the entire extended family’s into fairies, I think it’s somethin’ in the water.” Belle snickered and Beauty shrugged. “I’m prolly never gonna use her, so . . .” “Thanks,” Belle said bashfully as she took the ball. “I dunno what a Spritzee even is, but I’m not gonna turn down a free Pokémon, ‘specially with the power bein’ out for my universe.” “Anyways, where are the Almas?” Alex asked. Before anyone could answer, the unmistakable sound of gunshots rang through the town.
  21. -==IC: Kalos River==- (August 9th, 2017) As Marsala mumbled at the Dragonair about coming in peace, the elegant dragon regarded the Dark-type with a sneer of disdain. A moment later, Marsala found himself spiked toward the surface of the water, the less-than-diplomatic Dragon-type turning with a snarl toward the Inkay’s Trainer. Right on cue, the rest of the Pokémon went on the attack. The four Swanna, attention grabbed by Zoe’s aggressive shouting, swooped at Kammy in quick succession, the newly-evolved Blastoise spinning out of the way of two blows but taking both of the others. The Swanna swooped back into the sky, the moment they needed to regain altitude giving their victims a moment’s respite; unfortunately, the wild dodge had already thrown both Colleen and Emily off the Pokémon’s back and into the water. Zoe alone was left to direct Kammy and fend off their foes. The Hawlucha, meanwhile, sprang into action toward their original target. One dove directly at Jared, only to be intercepted by Raiden, whose own leap carried the two onto Tristan’s back. Unfortunately, Oggie’s instinctive dodge of the second left all of her passengers save Elaine scrambling for a grip before falling into the flowing stream; Lucia’s trajectory in particular left her taking a flying kick to the head from the third Hawlucha that had originally been intended for the Lapras. Lionel hit the water hard, but managed to retain his wits. Upon seeing Lucia’s sluggish reactions, however, he was forced to fight hard not to panic. “Lockwood,” he called out to the only unoccupied member of the group, “grab Lucia, I think she might be concussed.” The businessman tried not to think too hard about his own predicament, or the suddenly-agitated waters ahead of them. Elaine, meanwhile, grabbed on to one of Oggie’s shell spines with an iron grasp, her other arm stretched out to pull Emily onto the Lapras’ back. “Emily, are you all right?” she asked, her concern for her niece overriding her awareness of the enemy. OOC: Godmoding slightly just so the main gimmick is shown; when a transport Pokémon attacks or dodges, its passengers have a chance of being thrown in the river, whereas if it simply endures the hit, it can keep its passengers secure (so long as it doesn’t faint, of course). Characters in the water need the help of someone outside of the water to get back out.
  22. IC: Alex the Green/Alex Zyther “You know… this could be a good thing for you.” The witch deployed both balls, the light within coalescing into a purplish-gray Braixen and an Eevee with a familiar heart-shaped tuft on its tail. “Sometimes, you can’t avoid getting into battle. Sometimes, people are going to fight you, no matter what you say, no matter whether or not you’re ready. When it seems like there’s no options left, remember… act with integrity… leave no regrets!” The Green Witch grinned wickedly, before flicking their scarf and twirling dramatically as they floated backward. “Miley! Sylvia! Let’s go!” Eyes widening, Alex scrambled backwards to get out of the arena, giving Alex the Green opportunity to give orders. “Heat Wave! Bouncy Bubble!” “Wait, bouncy what?” Alex belatedly realized the unfamiliar move’s Water-type nature and jerked to attention. “Coralie, left!” The stream of bubbles narrowly missed the Rock-type as she dove towards Raleigh, but the evasion put her and the Ralts directly into the path of the oncoming Heat Wave. Raleigh winced at the oddly mystical energy emanating from the Fire-type attack, but Coralie and her Clear Body were largely unaffected. Alex decided to take full advantage of this discovery. “Coralie, advance in front of Raleigh!” “Again, Sylvia!” came the counter-order. “Switch!” Alex commanded, the Psychic-type rotating into the lead just in time to mostly deflect the water bubbles with one arm. The Ralts frowned, but soon pivoted in place of its partner as the order came in to “Switch!” as counter to a second follow-up Heat Wave. “Not bad,” the witch mused, “but endless repetition does not a strategy make. Sizzly Slide!” Alex narrowed his eyes, not sure if he was being messed with. “Coralie, block it! Raleigh…” Alex frowned. He really missed having normal battles; he did not know his own team’s talents as well as he’d like. “Raleigh, if you’ve got an untested talent, now’s the time.” The implied admission of unfamiliarity did not go unnoticed by the other Alex, who raised an eyebrow, but more impressive was the glance of trust the Ralts gave his Trainer. A new acquisition, then, the witch mused, yet already they’ve formed a bond of trust. If his Raleigh is anything like mine, that bodes well. A moment later, the other shoe dropped. The witch’s eyes widened. “Miley--!” It was too late. Raleigh opened his mouth, singing out a soothing lullaby. Though it lacked the power of a true Sing attack (a move he didn’t even know), the melody successfully lulled his opponents into lowering their guard, particularly the large-eared Braixen. Coralie, meanwhile, watched her opponent ignite herself in a nimbus of flames and charge at her in a red-hot sliding attack. Though she tried to angle herself to take the attack on her rocky underside, the overwhelming heat still scorched her badly, causing her to cry out in pain. Alex’s head whipped around at Coralie’s cry, the Trainer trying to track the two fronts of the battle simultaneously and not quite succeeding. “Coralie, talk to me! What’s wrong?” The Burn was worse than anything she’d ever felt. Coralie had led a sheltered life even by Carbink standards, but even she had experienced Fire-type attacks before. The flickering flames had never before inflicted such constant, lingering suffering, and no amount of rolling on the ground could put out the heat. Alex knelt next to the Rock-type, helpless to ease her suffering. He picked her up and cradled her in his arms, uncaring of the interruption to the battle. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize… and I don’t even have a Burn Heal on me…” The other Alex frowned at their counterpart. “Shouldn’t you have…?” They shook their head. They were making assumptions. That was a mistake. The witch withdrew another ball from their pocket. “Vi-vui?” the Eevee asked uncertainly. Alex the Green shook their head. “Give it a moment.” They deployed the occupant to the side of the field, in the referee’s position, a Blissey with a pair of lightened stripes criss-crossing her body. “Bliss,” they asked, “think you can handle that burn?” With a quiet nod, the Blissey used Heal Bell to relieve the worst of the wound. By this point, both Alex and Coralie were in shared tears. The Diancie gave a short gasp as the move cured her, though her composure soon broke once more into sobs, this time of relief. The witch glanced over to the other two combatants, but to their relief both seemed sympathetic rather than judgmental. Is that it, then? they wondered. Is it just me being too harsh? They studied their counterpart once again, this time trying for an interpretation rooted in innocence. It… does fit, they reasoned, but the risk if I’m wrong… They were interrupted by an unexpected hug -- their counterpart, apparently having abandoned the battle entirely. That’s… oddly out-of-character, even if this Alex is more akin to Amy than to me. “Ummm, I don’t think, um… this is what you’re supposed to be doing,” they stammered awkwardly. “…But…” As the heartfelt embrace continued, the witch couldn’t help but smile. “So, you’d rather hug it out than fight? You know what? That’s fine. We don’t need to fight anymore if you don’t want to.” Alex drew back then, offering his counterpart a nervous smile of his own. “Thanks…” The Trainer looked ashamed at his loss. “I’m… I’m sorry it wasn’t much of a fight.” “Nonsense,” the witch reassured, “it was still a battle, and I still know you better for it. That’s a fine battle in my book.” Alex shrugged, not entirely convinced. “So what did you learn, then? About me, that is.” Alex the Green took a cleansing breath, staring up at the soft clouds drifting lazily above the quaint, sleepy town before turning their gaze back on Alex. “You’re a sensitive young Trainer taking your first steps on a long and difficult path. You’ve formed a strong bond with your Pokémon despite not battling with them much, and despite your inexperience, you’re hitting well above your weight class in terms of team members.” “Oh?” The witch nodded towards Coralie. “You caught a Diancie, didn’t you?” “We agreed I’d train her. Technically, I haven’t--” Alex furrowed his brow. “A what now?” The other Alex seemed surprised. “You don’t recognize her species?” Coralie sighed as her Trainer shook his head; he glanced at her worriedly, but she shot him a reassuring smile in return -- ‘Not your fault.’ Alex the Green slipped a Pokédex from their pocket. “Diancie,” it intoned mechanically, “the Jewel Pokémon. A sudden transformation of Carbink, its pink, glimmering body is said to be the loveliest sight in the whole world. It can instantly create many diamonds by compressing the carbon in the air between its hands.” “…Huh.” “And that’s the third thing I learned. We’re not the same person.” Alex had no response to that, so the witch continued. “I had… Okay. So there are things about myself, things that I’ve gotten bad responses to.” “Your gender identity.” The witch sucked in a breath. “Yes. That. I was...afraid.” “Afraid?” “Afraid. If you rejected me offhand -- or worse, if I explained myself to you and you rejected me anyway…” And suddenly Alex understood. “It would be like you were rejecting yourself.” The witch nodded. “But that’s the thing. You’re not me. We’re our own people. We have different knowledge, different pasts, different teams.” They paused suddenly, then chuckled softly. “We… should probably introduce each other properly, shouldn’t we?” Alex blushed in embarrassment. “Er… right. So… I guess you’ve met Raleigh and Coralie,” he said, gesturing to the Ralts and Carb--er, Diancie respectively. “The Dedenne back at the house is Didi.” “I noticed her,” the witch remarked. “I thought she belonged to one of Mom’s friends?” The Trainer shrugged. “Not sure. Things are different enough here… in my universe, my mom gave her to me along with Bliss.” He nodded towards the Blissey in indication. The green witch nodded as well. “So we have that in common… anyone else familiar?” “I have an Eevee too, but his name is Sylph.” The witch winced, while Bliss and the Braixen suppressed their laughter. “I’m… guessing there’s a story there?” Alex the Green covered their face with one hand, even as their Eevee leaped onto their shoulder to give them a reassuring nuzzle. “I… made that mistake, too. Her name’s Sylvia now.” “Sylvia?” Alex cocked their head, realization not clicking in until a moment later. “Ohh…” “Quite.” The witch shook their head. “The woman who taught me those moves set me straight on that matter. It’s the tail that gives it away.” “Right.” Alex paused. “I… don’t suppose you could explain those moves later? I’ve never seen anything like them before.” “Of course, though really you’d be better off with a proper tutor. I’ll make sure to give you some names before you go.” “Thanks.” The Trainer looked over to the grey-furred Braixen who’d helped Sylvia flatten his team. “And you are?” Alex the Green smiled, seemingly happy to have a friend they could introduce to Alex rather than the other way around. “This is Miley,” they said by way of introduction. “Zie was a gift from Professor Sycamore.” “Jhie?” The witch winced at the mispronunciation. “Close, but not quite; it’s closer to--” The witch stopped short as Miley closed hir eyes and tilted hir head in their direction. “Miley says zie’s comfortable letting you use ‘they’ for hir since you’re unfamiliar with the zie/hir neopronoun.” Alex withdrew slightly, overloaded with new information. “I… er… Okay, so you just said some words but I’m not sure I understand them.” The witch smiled ruefully. “That’s… well, if you’ll pardon the pun, understandable. Is there something in particular I can explain?” The Trainer pointed at Miley. “‘They’? Is… uh… are? They? Gah…” Alex sighed frustratedly. “You have a Braixen with, like… more than one personality, or so?” Miley sighed, but hir Trainer studied Alex curiously. “You… aren’t familiar with the singular ‘they’?” A shake of the head. A bite of the lip. “Should I be?” The witch hesitated, but slowly shook their head. “Not… necessarily. I… well. I suppose some part of me assumed we’d both use that pronoun. It seems not.” Alex stared. “I… you can do that? I thought… isn’t ‘they’ for multiple people?” “It is. But it’s also used for individuals of indeterminate gender. Or, as in my case, an individual with a fluid or neutral gender identity.” Alex took several moments to process this. “So you--” Alex’s finger pointed to Alex the Green “--and they--” the finger moved to indicate Miley “--are both…?” “The umbrella term is ‘nonbinary’. In Miley’s case, zie’s gender-neutral but slightly feminine-aligned, whereas I’m gender-fluid -- that is, my sense of gender shifts fluidly among different identities.” Alex flashed back to the question Alma had asked when they’d first met. “So if someone were to ask ‘are you a boy or a girl’--?” “‘Both’ and ‘neither’ would be identically valid responses, though I personally enjoy the responses I get when I answer ‘sometimes’.” Alex swallowed. “And those responses are?” The witch gave Alex a serious look, laying a hand on the Trainer’s shoulder. “Listen. I can’t promise that people’s reactions are going to be great. In fact, I can promise you’ll get some serious pushback, particularly from Father’s crowd. But if this is you, the real you, then not accepting it is going to hurt even more. Don’t let me project on you, mind -- Arceus knows I’ve made that mistake too much already -- but if this is something we share--” “I… I think it is.” Alex stared nervously into the witch’s eyes. “It’s… when I first met Amelia… no, even before. This is something…” The Trainer sighed. “As long as I can remember, I never really… got… the whole thing with gender. ‘Boys wear shorts. They’re comfortable, and easy to wear,’ but skirts are comfortable and easy to wear, too, you know?” Alex the Green smirked. “Less pinching, too.” The witch laughed as their easily-embarrassed counterpart blushed yet again. “And it’s been like that my whole life, stuff’s supposed to be for boys, or for girls, but whatever I went for I never really fit.” The knot in Alex’s stomach eased as the witch nodded understandingly. “So I’d just… play it off, like I’m hopelessly naïve, but that just makes people treat me like I’m even weaker than I already am…” “Alex R. Zyther--” “‘L.’, actually.” “Oh? Hmm. Anyway, Alex L. Zyther, you listen to me. You are not weak.” The Trainer raised a crutch pessimistically. “I’m not, am I?” “That doesn’t make us weak. Just because some things come easier to others doesn’t mean we’re deficient. We are exactly who we need to be, right now, for this moment in time, and don’t you dare let anyone tell you otherwise.” “Even myself?” “Especially yourself.” They paused, gathering their thoughts. “You can be your own worst enemy or your own firmest ally. The strength it took to come out to me is the same strength you can use to be the latter.” Alex blanched at the realization. “Now, I believe we were performing introductions. I, of course, am Alex R. Zyther, the Green Witch of Camphrier, and my pronouns are they/them. And you are?” “My name is Alex Zyther. My pronouns are…” Alex took a bolstering breath. “My pronouns are they/them as well.” Alex the Green beamed at their counterpart, their Pokémon smiling as well as they gathered at the witch’s side. Alex, meanwhile, was embraced by their own Pokémon, Raleigh and Coralie voicelessly but enthusiastically showing their support. After a few moments, Alex the Green softly coughed to get their attention. “Since we’ve concluded our battle, shall we stop by the Pokémon Center before returning to the others?” “That sounds lovely.” Arm in arm with their Pokémon, the two Alexes led their teams inside, both pleased with their newfound connections.
  23. -==IC: Kalos (river)==- For the majority of the day, the journey passed in relative calm. As Professor Alderson had alluded earlier, nests of Golduck were abundant along the waterline, with the expected riverside Grass-types noticeably absent. In the shade of trees and cliffside caves, small clumps of Croagunk and Toxicroak lurked warily, eyes tilted skyward in mistrust. Flocks of Swanna flew above, interspersed with the occasional Dragonair, while below their unevolved forms swam alongside the Basculin and Goldeen native to the area. Surskit and Masquerain clashed with Pidgey, who in turn dodged lunges from hidden Corphish as they roosted along the shoreline. All in all, Kalos remained a land of beauty even through its ecological devastation. Elaine sighed. Her practiced eye saw the damage being done, damage that would likely be impossible for humans to repair, but she knew she was among the minority who would see it that way. Most humans knew little about habitats and food chains, focusing more on moves and abilities and how they would affect their own personal partners. The problem with Kalos' beauty, she decided, is that it masks the true ugliness that can lay hidden beneath, with few perceptive enough to spot its roughness. The professor frowned as she spotted a few more examples of Kalosian ugliness, but she hesitated in her uncertainty. It's probably just me, she thought, no need to ruin the others' enjoyment. Still, she turned forward to speak to Jared, the Trainer of the Lapras she was riding. As the river neared yet another bend, Lionel found his attention diverted. He'd long since grown familiar with hostility, and had developed an eye to recognize the signs after significant practice. He suddenly stopped talking as he took a moment to scan his surroundings. It was enough for Elaine to notice. "Trouble?" she asked. "Possibly," came his response. "Winters, picking anything up with those aura powers?" IC: Alex Zyther/Alex the Green Alex bounced nervously on his heels as he waited for the doors to the Pokémon Center to open. At length, they did, revealing his green-clad counterpart carrying a small gray cylinder in one hand while fastening their crimson scarf with the other. The witch stopped suddenly, nearly stumbling as they did, and sighed heavily as they registered Alex’s presence. “I’mreadytobattlewithyou!” The near-panicked rush prompted a snort and a smile from the green-clad witch. “I see,” they replied. “Is that your team?” Alex nodded enthusiastically. “Well, most of them. One’s back at the house, the other two are…” Alex paused. “I don’t know what happened to them while I was unconscious. They’re probably back in Celadon.” “Mmm.” Alex the Green’s hat and scarf did much to obscure their reaction. They swept an arm out to the left, indicating a grassy lot next to the Pokémon Center suitable for battling. “Shall we?” “Oh… right.” With a nervous glance at Coralie and Raleigh, Alex led his team to the field, the other Alex following after. “I take it you’d prefer a Double Battle?” Alex nodded. “I’m much better when I can work with support than in one-on-one.” “I used to be the same way. I still prefer Doubles, truth be told, but now that Amy and I aren’t quite so dependent on each other, I’ve branched out.” Alex nodded again. It made sense. In all likelihood, something similar would happen to him in time. Indeed, for all he knew, he was already on that path; he didn’t know Raleigh or Coralie’s moves, after all, since with powers disabled and his Pokédex stolen he had no way to check them. The thought reminded Alex of an important caveat. “Um…” The green witch paused in the midst of withdrawing a number of Pokéballs from their cloak. “Something the matter?” “Sort of…” Alex scratched the back of his head. “I… so last night, it never came up, but… our Pokémon -- all of us from our universe, I mean -- don’t have powers.” “…I beg your pardon?” “Something happened… this big flash of light, apparently… and suddenly Pokémon couldn’t use moves anymore. It’s… kinda been a problem, actually.” Alex the Green frowned pensively, selecting two of the balls in their hand and slipping them into a pocket before stowing the rest away. “Best to address that first, then. Do you know what caused the flash?” Alex shook his head. “I was in a coma at the time. My Pokémon weren’t, though.” “I see.” The witch withdrew a silk glove and a small metal case from an inner breast pocket, putting on the glove before taking out a small rectangle of expensive-looking cardstock and a gold-plated calligraphy pen and inscribing the card with a simple rune. Alex the Green knelt and carefully held it before Raleigh and Coralie’s eyes before conjuring a spark of green flame with a snap of their gloved hand. The moment flame and paper met, a dazzling gleam burst from the point of contact; the two humans heard, rather than saw, the Pokémon’s gasps. As the humans’ vision cleared, the duo’s shocked expressions were plain to see. “I take it that’s the sort of light you saw?” Both Raleigh and Coralie nodded, prompting Alex to tilt his head in confusion. “What was that, anyway?” “El Naipe,” the other Alex answered, “specifically an area-of-effect spell called La Luz. It’s one of the simplest rituals in the craft, which makes it a good basis upon which to build more complex ones. Unfortunately, most rituals in El Naipe need to be prepared further in advance, and I tend to favor preparations for other abilities in my daily meditations. Alex slowly nodded, though many of the details eluded him. “So I’m guessing you can’t fix this?” “No, though if your Pokémon are correct in identifying it as El Naipe, the effect is practically guaranteed to have an expiration date. As a style, it’s not suited for permanence.” The witch stowed their El Naipe implements and steepled their fingers. “Out of curiosity, how big was the range of the burst?” “As best anyone can tell? Worldwide.” Alex the Green gaped at their counterpart. “World--! That would have taken years to charge, likely a ritual with multiple assistants… are the people in your world insane?!” Alex shrugged awkwardly. “I dunno. Like I said, I wasn’t exactly aware of what was going on.” The witch sighed. “Right. Sorry.” Their frown lifted into a wry grin as they extracted the two Pokéballs from their pocket. “You know… this could be a good thing for you.” The witch deployed both balls, the light within coalescing into a purplish-gray Braixen and an Eevee with a familiar heart-shaped tuft on its tail. “Sometimes, you can’t avoid getting into battle. Sometimes, people are going to fight you, no matter what you say, no matter whether or not you’re ready. When it seems like there’s no options left, remember… act with integrity… leave no regrets!” The Green Witch grinned wickedly, before flicking their scarf and twirling dramatically as they floated backward. “Miley! Sylvia! Let’s go!”
  24. IC: Alex Zyther/Amy “Beast” Parfum/Belle “Beauty” Parfum It was an uncharacteristically somber Alex who entered the kitchen of the cottage (if it could be called such; even Alex had to admit that the luxuriously large structure pushed the definition of “cottage” to its stretching point). To Alex’s… ‘surprise’ was too strong a word this morning, ‘muted interest’ would be more accurate… the owners of the place immediately bustled past and started preparing a meal, as if they hadn’t just buried a woman mere minutes before. “It’s nice,” Amy admitted, fetching dishes and ingredients and practically dancing around her wife in a well-practiced ritual, “I know you aren’t our Alex, but it’s been a long time since we’ve gotten to eat together in the mornings. Reminds me of how things used to be.” “What changed?” “Magic,” Beauty answered. “They have a fair few rituals that need an hour of meditation every morning, so now they’re always up at dawn before the rest of us.” Alex glanced out the window in confusion, prompting a laugh from Amy. “They’re at the Pokémon Center, picking up their team. They had a few delicate additions recently, and didn’t feel the cave was a safe place to take them.” Alex suppressed a shudder. “That cave is anything but safe,” the Trainer agreed. “That why your own team’s not out?” “Huh?” The question broke Alex from the haze shrouding his mind, and the Trainer cast his gaze around hastily before being interrupted by a quiet chirp from the direction of his bedroom. A small yellow rodent stood in the doorway, wringing her tail in her hands. She seemed nervous, as if worried her presence would upset the Trainer. Alex’s heart wrenched with guilt. “Didi…” He knelt down tentatively, the Dedenne in turn looking as if she wanted to scamper into his arms but still awaiting permission to do so. “I’m so sorry. Are the others…?’ Right on cue, Raliegh and Coralie emerged from the room to stand behind Didi. The two passed their fellow Fairy-type to approach Alex directly. “I’m sorry,” he repeated, “with everything that… I didn’t even check to see if… I should have…” Raleigh laid a hand on Alex’s knee, a nudge from Coralie communicating that the gesture of understanding came from both of them. At Alex’s return smile, Didi dropped her tail and bounded over to her Trainer, scampering up to his shoulder and nuzzling her favorite human affectionately. Amy smiled at the scene. “They’re lovely Pokémon. I hope you don’t mind my healing them for you…?” “No, no,” Alex assured Amy, “it’s fine. I mean, it’s not like I could take them to a standard Pokémon Center anyway.” “Oh?” “Yeah. I mean, Raleigh has a ball, but Didi’s is in Celadon… and in another universe… and Coralie doesn’t even have a ball yet.” The last statement wasn’t technically true. The Trainer unconsciously reached inside his pocket to fiddle with the two miniaturized balls stored there. One, of course, was Raleigh’s, the Premiere Ball Amelia had casually thrown him back in Laverre. The other, a Luxury Ball, had mysteriously appeared amongst the clothes and supplies Mr. Ford had gifted him and Alma. We already agreed to a partnership, Alex reminded himself, but somehow it doesn’t seem quite right… like it’s not time yet. Soon, though, he silently promised. Mercifully, neither woman questioned Alex about the oddity. “You have a strong bond with them. They seem quite devoted to you.” Alex smiled. “I’m lucky to have them.” Didi gave a joyful squeak and hurried back into the bedroom on some self-determined mission. Alex took the opportunity to stand back up, leaning heavily on his crutches as he did. “Speaking of which, are yours…?” “Out back,” Beauty finished for him. “They’d normally be joining us as well, but given our original plans for this trip…” She gave Amy a suggestive glance, prompting a blush from the other woman. Alex flushed red as well. “O-oh. Well, well, ah… I-I promised the, ah, the other Alex a battle, s-so…” Alex rushed to the door, then hesitated. “Uh… Didi?” A distinctly distracted chirrup clearly announced that the Electric-type was otherwise preoccupied by her own agenda for the moment. Alex couldn’t help but smile. “All right. I’ll… ah… be back later.” Blushing again, Alex and his other two Pokémon beat a rapid retreat. As soon as the door closed, Amy smacked Beauty’s shoulder. “You behave yourself!” she scolded, the words undercut by the amused smile on her face. Beauty met the “attack” with a dab of batter to Amy’s nose. “Make me,” she challenged. And like that, the chase was on.
  25. OOC: Content warning: internal depiction of gender dysphoria, allusions to transphobia and homophobia. IC: Alex Zyther Alex awoke to soft sheets and the quiet warbling of bird Pokémon, the sun gently illuminating the room through gossamer curtains and a silken canopy not unlike the one he had above his bed at home. Home. Alex wondered what was happening there, what projects his father and mother had moved on to, how much they were worrying for him despite his protests he was ready for his Journey, if they could even imagine just how right they were. What they’d think of him if they could see him now. ’Him.’ The thought came so easily to him, when he thought of his parents, his family, his home. ‘Him’ was where he fit, ‘him’ was the expectation, the proper place dictated by his duty as a scion of his household. He hated it. The arrival of Alex’s counterpart raised all kinds of uncomfortable questions for Alex. As stifling and humiliating as his current pronoun was for him, as much as he loved his more feminine side, he wasn’t sure he was ready to outright declare that to all the world. He’d learned years ago that cheerful naïveté could be ignored or excused, that so long as his choices weren’t flaunted -- But the other Alex disproved that. Alex the Green embodied a sense of androgyny that couldn’t be anything but deliberate, so blatantly apparent from clothing to posture to makeup that it was impossible to ignore, and Alex didn’t know what to do with it. It was so opposite him, so counter to everything he’d been raised to believe, that it defied his understanding entirely -- and some part of him needed to understand it. Is that what I want? What even is ‘that’? And… Even alone in his own mind, Alex trailed off awkwardly, avoiding the uncomfortable prospect of interpersonal confrontation. And how do I even ask? Even as naïve and inexperienced as he was, Alex recognized the discomfort the witch felt when talking about gender. In one sense, Alex empathized, but on the other hand… This version of me went through a lot of suffering… and if I’m reading it right, it’s connected to our gender. Am I… ready to go through that? Can I take it? Will I even like the me that comes out the other side? Alex flopped back down exhausted on the bed. A part of him -- a large part if he was being honest -- didn’t want to get up at all. The entire group had been running on desperation and adrenaline for so long now that this sudden restfulness seemed positively foreign, and now the consequences were catching up to them. Or, Alex thought, catching a glimpse through the open door of his Amelia stretching casually as she traipsed boldly through the cottage, maybe I’m projecting a bit. Either way, Alex was in no fit state to battle this morning… and yet he would, despite his sorry state. ”For all the magic I’ve studied, for all the people I’ve met, there’s still no quicker way to learn a person’s heart than by battling them. If we’re going to get into this -- and I have a feeling we need to, for your sake as much as mine -- then we’re going to need that level of understanding.” The other Alex was right. They needed to talk. And if getting thrashed was his only means of doing so… well. Alex was used to pain. Perhaps not as much as Amelia, but he could endure. He had no other choice.
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