Parugi

IC - Goldhawk - Dock, Two Island: "Then we'll relocate and start from north to south." As he spoke, Goldhawk sent out his Magnezone. It dropped low to the ground, allowing Goldhawk to step on top of it; his boots clunked heavily against them as they magnetized to Magnezone's metallic body, securing him. The others followed suit, sending out Pokémon that would allow them to fly in that direction, and offering seats on theirs for other Agents who did not have Flying-Types. "Let's move!" IC - Jackson Sang/Sleight/Eileen Alaric/Bounty/Ethan Worth/Gavin Braner/Kyle Eston/Esen Windred/Goldhawk/Liberty Agents/All - Cape Brink, Two Island: Dozens of approaches from a dozen angles all revealed the same thing: A thick, white haze that covered all of Cape Brink. If the stormy clouds above loomed like a dark giant over the world, then the fog enshrouded it in a suffocating blanket, as if to hide innocent eyes from the horrors that would soon befall them. The Alarics were the first to land, followed by Jackson. The flaming tails and flowing breaths of wind from the wings of their Charizard and Ditto-Charizard allowed them enough line of sight to safely descend, avoiding the edge of the massive lake that encompassed most of the area. They slid off of the backs of their steeds, peering as well as they could through the fog. Nothing moved save for the soft flow of the water nearby. "This fog isn't natural," Eileen said after a moment, keeping her voice low. "Any way that we can get rid of it?" "Maybe," Sleight said. He looked to the pair of Charizard. "Impromptu Defog. See if it'll work." The Flame Pokémon nodded and planted themselves firmly against they ground. Then they began to flap their wings, first softly and then gradually harder and harder, until they had created a massive gust of wind that tore through the blanket around them. Their area of influence grew wider and wider, slowly etching away at the incorporeal blindfold. Before long, the lake grew visible, shimmering in the haphazard light of their tail flames. Next they could see the start of trees, Pokémon swimming beneath the lake's surface, and finally, the shimmering, crystalline surface of something that they could not identify. Sang, Sleight, and Eileen could only stare in cautious wonder at the structure before them. It sat in the center of the lake--a large, ovular structure entirely composed of crystal that jutted out from beneath the lake, suggesting that what they were seeing was not nearly the entire thing. Water lapped against its surface yet did not drip from it, as if the very structure itself existed separately from the water in which it lay. Various openings dotted the sides like windows, from which a faint, auroric light shimmered. A massive stairwell led from the very edge of the lake up to one such, larger opening near the top--the door, perhaps, if it could be called that. "That must be it," Sang said. "What are we looking at, though . . .?" "It doesn't matter," Sleight said, starting forward. "Levi's in there. We're going in." "Wait." Eileen grabbed his arm, pointing to the sky. "Look." He did. Three more people and Pokémon were approaching--a Beedrill, a Staraptor, and a Mandibuzz, all of which carried what Sleight presumed were their trainers (and in the Mandibuzz's case, an Alakazam.) Sleight prepared to give an attack order to his Charizard, only for Sang to stop him. Moments later, he saw why: As the Pokémon landed, Sang grinned, moving toward them. "Ethan! Gavin!" He paused, looking at Dack. ". . . You! Glad to see you could make it." "Sang," Ethan said, surprised. He recalled his Beedrill, moving forward to shake Sang's hand. His attention, however, was focused on Sleight. "Sir, if you don't mind, we've come to assist you. We've been tracking Quincy Adams and Ford's progress for some time." "We're happy to have the help," Eileen said. As if on cue, a flurry of other arrivals followed. Bounty appeared over the side of a steep cliff that blocked Cape Brink from the beach far below, having climbed up on the back of his Metagross. A large group of trainers--some of whom Ethan, Gavin, and Bounty recognized--followed next, primarily Liberty Agents but also a few individuals that appeared to be with Liberty only by association. Shortly after, Goldhawk arrived with nine more Liberty Agents, and then a lone man appeared from the path, breathless from having made the long trek in such a short amount of time. It took some time for all involved to comprehend just how perfect their timing had been. Yet for all the heads there, not a single one could make sense of the structure that now loomed over them.

IC - Kyle Eston/Esen Windred - Dock, Two Island: Glad to see that we all can at least agree on transportation methods . . . Kyle mused, and then glanced at Chloe as he sent out Jaeda. "You're good for two, aren't you?" The Charizard growled affectionately. He patted her head, climbing on her back and holding out a hand to help Chloe up. "She says yes." "My Noivern can carry someone else if need be," Esen said, sending out her and then Krow for her own transportation. "If everyone is good, though, then we should get going." IC - Ethan Worth/Gavin Braner - Clearing near Cape Brink, Two Island: Part of Ethan was glad that Dack had taken it upon himself to convince Madison and Luke. The other part of him wished that he could somehow put into words why, exactly, he felt that they needed to stay behind--how one good match against a Combee and a Mandibuzz was not any sort of indicator that they would be able to do well against one of Ford's Agents, and how there was a similar difference between Ford's people and Hannah's ragtag forces. Fortunately or unfortunately, he didn't need to go into that lecture. "We just passed Sleight and some others flying in the direction of Cape Brink," he said as he stepped out. "We should do the same. You've both got wings, right?" "I came prepared," Gavin said, letting Vel out of her Poké Ball. "What about you, though? Last I checked, you didn't have any Flying-Types." "You'd be amazed what a Beedrill can carry," Ethan said. He sent out Tox, who proceeded to wrap his legs and arms around his trainer's torso, before buzzing his wings to indicate he was ready. Ethan gave a salute to Gavin and Dack. "See you in a bit." He kicked off, taking flight . . . . . . for about six seconds before he landed back on the ground. ". . ." ". . ." ". . . I swear it'll work." Gavin sent out Talsim, who joined Gavin on Vel's back. "I'll give you a Psychic lift." And so, haphazardly, they were off. IC - Goldhawk - Boat, Approaching Two Island: The other Liberty Agents likewise affirmed their preparations. Goldhawk nodded; a moment later the boat lurched to a stop. Goldhawk led the way out of the boat and into the open air. The flowing wind was cold, cutting even through Goldhawk's jacket. He looked around, scanning the area. Some distance away, a large group of trainers gathered. From this distance he could not make out who they were, though figured they were locals. "Alright," he said, turning to the others. "Let's split up and see if we can't find out where Ford's hiding. Arthur, you take Diamond and Apollo. Night, Robins, and Furler, you're with me. Delano and Camilla, go with Lorn. Maintain radio contact and report any findings immediately." He looked at James. "Any other information you can think of that we all should know? Landmarks to look for, anything like that?

IC - Jackson Sang/Eileen Alaric/Elijah Alaric - Clearing near Cape Brink, Two Island: Inexplicably, the rain stopped. It wasn't a gradual change. Rather, one moment their helicopter was descending toward a clearing and it was raining; the next, they touched ground, Shadow Admin Sleight stepped out, and it wasn't. Whether that was a good omen or a bad one was a debate that they would sort out later. As it stood, they had encountered no resistance outside of the weather, and their destination lay only a short hike ahead, into the haze that currently covered Cape Brink. Sleight looked at Sang as he and Eileen stepped out of the helicopter. "Got anything with wings?" "I've got a Ditto," he replied. Sleight nodded. Both pulled a Poké Ball from their belts, Sleight releasing his Charizard and Sang releasing Tracer, who instantly morphed into a replica of the Flame Pokémon. He climbed onto Tracer's back. As Sleight and Eileen did the same for Charizard's, the Shadow Admin turned back to the chopper, nodding to the pilot. "Standby in case we need to make a quick retreat." "Yes, sir!" Sleight gripped Charizard's shoulders. The Fire-Flying-Type roared and flapped his wings, taking to the skies. Not long after, Tracer followed, and the pair began toward Cape Brink, ignoring a nearby helicopter headed in the opposite direction . . . IC - Kyle Eston/Esen Windred - Dock, Two Island: "Any questions?" The rain stopped as soon as the words left Ryan's mouth. The storm clouds lingered above, but they did not weep. Kyle frowned and pulled his hood off of his head. "Weird . . ." He looked at Ryan. "Aren't we on a time crunch? Maybe we should try to take advantage of this break in the rain to fly over instead of walking." "And risk letting them know that we're coming?" Esen asked. "They already know that we're coming, don't they?" Kyle pointed out. "Think about it--when have they ever not known that someone was coming to fight them? Especially if McKinley straight-up told you guys when all of this was happening." IC - Ethan Worth/Gavin Braner - Clearing near Cape Brink, Two Island: Ethan did a double-take as two Charizards flew past their window, both carrying people on their backs. He twisted around in his seat. "Sleight!" The Rocket Agent turned toward the cockpit. "Eddard! Find somewhere to land!" "On it, Worth!" The process was quick, particularly since another chopper marked with the Rocket insignia had already scouted out a landing site. As they descended toward it, their pilot connecting with the standby-pilot in the other chopper, Ethan looked at Luke and Madison. "Would you two be offended if I asked you to stay put for this mission?" IC - Bounty - Shore, Two Island: "Will you be needing anything else, sir?" Bounty turned his attention away from the Cape overlooking their position on the beach, directing it toward the captain. He shook his head as he pulled a Poké Ball from his coat, releasing his Metagross onto the beach before them. "No," he said. "That won't be necessary. Actually I would suggest you get as far away from here as possible--this could get ugly." "Understood," the captain said. Bounty waved farewell. As the boat revved its engines and took off, back toward Hoenn, the Shadow Admin climbed on top of his Metagross, directing it to begin its climb up toward their destination . . . IC - Goldhawk - Boat, Approaching Two Island: It was fortunate that the rain had stopped--it made the captain's job of directing the boat toward Two Island that much easier. From his place on the deck, Goldhawk stared out at the island, aware of a growing sense of foreboding within his chest. He turned to the group of ten Agents behind him. "If you haven't already, then get ready," he said. "This is going to be a show." They hit land.

IC - Bounty, On a Boat: "FAMILY MATTERS: 'President Pierce' Proven Phony" The news article had been quick to print, which perhaps explained why a number of details were inaccurate. For instance, 'Parez Ebner' was never a thing, had never been a thing, and if Bounty's wishes came true, would never be a thing. Second was that the journalist grossly over-reported the number of guards that James Pierce had managed to break free from, listing it at thirteen as opposed to the actual three. Bounty would have written that off as a typo if it hadn't been repeated more than once. Alas. More importantly, however, the article reported one accurate piece of information: That while Piers Ebner had returned home, Paris Ebner had up and vanished. The only clue to his whereabouts that the authorities had been able to find on the bodies of the guards was a strand of golden hair. A tell-tale sign for what Bounty and Goldhawk suspected. And that, in addition to the information given by James Arthur immediately after the trial, was why Bounty currently sat in a boat headed for Two Island. It was a simple conundrum--Goldhawk could amass his people quickly, and Bounty could not. Too many issues with rampaging Golurk and people and attacks on allied cities to deal with, on top of attacks on fellow leaders. No; this was something that Bounty would address himself, in person. And so he went. IC - Ethan Worth/Gavin Braner - Arena, Chapel: A buzz on Ethan and Gavin's Poké Gears interrupted the conversation. The message was from Jamie. Sensing an urgency to it--particularly since the subject line immediately tied it back to the document they had given to her for decoding--the pair downloaded and opened the file. "'Prepare for trouble' sounds about right," Gavin said, glancing at Ethan. "Glad we finally got an update on this, though Two Island's going to be a fair amount of space to search. Right, Ethan? . . . Ethan? What's wrong?" The older Agent stared, wide-eyed, at the screen, his body tense. "Today's the 29th," he said. "We need to go. Now." Gavin cursed, looking at the others. "Unless one of you has been there before so that we can teleport, we're going to have to take a chopper." He shook his head, looking at Ethan. "But we can't get there and find Ford all at once. How are we going to know where to start?" "We already know," Ethan said, earning him a confused look from Gavin. Ethan held up his Poké Gear, dialing back to the messages prior to their involvement in the Celadon Department Store incident. "The old couple on Cape Brink? Where that statue appeared and where they were hearing voices? That's it." "How do you know that?" Ethan shook his head. "Instinct." He began walking to the exit. "Come on--we don't have any time to spare." IC - Jackson Sang/Felix - The Memory Leading the Way: Felix floated in front of the gate. It creaked and groaned against the winds of the mental plain, held aloft and stalwart by tendrils of black that wrapped around and betwixt its bars. The Elgyem studied it for some time, fingers blinking off and on as if to voice the thoughts running through his head. In the mental world, it was impossible to tell how long he had been studying them--days, at least, if not weeks. He did not know. All he knew was that, eventually, he would need to raise his hands, focusing on it. And so he did. As soon as his psychic fingers brushed against them, the thralls reacted violently. They cut through the psychic cloud with no effort before launching straight at Felix. He blinked out of existence and reappeared above them, where they followed. He focused on them, searching for the weakness in their defenses with Miracle Eye. Tiny specks of white appeared all along the vines' length, staring back out at Felix. He blinked away again as they closed in, appearing elsewhere and trying again with his Confusion attack. The tendrils shuddered, but kept on coming. If Felix could frown, he would have. But he knew he had to keep a Calm Mind, and so he did. The locks on this gate would not hold out for long--too much was at stake. He had to break through, no matter what tried to stop him. That sense of resolve materialized on the mental plane as a veil of white that enshrouded Felix, blocking him from the renewed assault from the dark tendrils. When the light faded, the Elgyem's body had changed, and he looked upon his adversary with the eyes of a Beheeyem. He snapped his fingers. Instantly, the Disable took hold, paralyzing the vines. From there, it was only a matter of utilizing Confusion--no, Psychic--to wrench the vines' hold off of the gate. They disintegrated into the shadows of the mental plane, sending the gate crashing to the floor. Felix exhaled, slowly floating to the ground. The flow of thoughts seemed to carry him forward, toward the silent storm surrounding Jackson's locked memories. He parted the cloud veil aside, gazing upon the faded, spherical memory. Lifting it in his hands, he focused his energy on it, closing his eyes. A healing aura encompassed him and the sphere, and slowly, the Recover took hold, returning the memory to its proper state . . . Darren Ketchum. Team Liberty agent, son of the famous Misty and Ash Ketchum, responsible for assisting in the location and recruitment of the original Mewtwo almost two years ago. More recently, he had been involved in a series of unfortunate events, beginning with his father's disappearance, which had directly to his and his mother's own kidnapping at the hands of one Tobias Elton, and had culminated in the deaths of said father and the Gym Leaders Tate and Liza--after, of course, they had been subjected to tortures of the worst kind, utterly destroying their minds and individual wills. The result? One broken child and mother occupying the gym across the way, much too unstable to rely on despite the perfect ire against Team Rocket that just begged to be channeled. Verdict: Unsuitable for Ford's plans. Oh, well. Having reached this conclusion, McKinley stood from his perch, cracking his knuckles and looking at his Xatu, a small smile plastered on his face. "Well, that's unfortunate," he said, his tone implying otherwise. "Not a problem, right? Let's move on to the next one." "Leaving so soon?" McKinley turned around. A burgundy-haired man--about the same age as McKinley himself--stood across the roof, hands planted in the pockets of his trench coat. His stern expression contrasted directly with McKinley's own, a face-off between intolerance of nonsense and coy confidence. Jackson Sang took a step forward. "But I haven't found out why one of Ford's is here yet." McKinley straightened up, placing his hands on his hips and grinning broadly. "I could ask you the same thing, Mr. Sang," he replied. "But first, I'd like to commend you on beating Adams. About time she got knocked down a few pegs, really. Though, it's a shame you didn't put her into a coma like the others did to Hayes." He sighed. "I expected better from you..." "Maybe I would've," Jackson answered, smiling pleasantly. "Except, she crashed the train." "She did." McKinley nodded. "I imagine that would be a pretty big distraction." "Clearly." The two Trainers fell silent, simply staring at one another, neither of them daring to move. Beside McKinley, Xatu's eyes shifted from his trainer to Sang, and back again, waiting for either an order, or for just something else to happen. The wind whistled by, ruffling Jackson's hair and coat, as well as the loose ends of McKinley's bandanna. "So, you going to answer my question?" "In due time, Mr. Sang," McKinley said. "Lemme clarify something first, though..." Jackson raised an eyebrow. "You recognized my uniform, right?" The mercenary nodded. McKinley chuckled. "Alright. Cool." He turned around, stepping toward the edge of the building. From their vantage point, Darren did not notice him as he pointed at the boy. "I was scouting out potential recruits for Ford, to put it simply. More soldiers to add to our ranks." "I see," Jackson said. "And Darren Ketchum is one of them?" "Was," McKinley corrected. "Not anymore. He doesn't meet our very exclusive criteria, I'm sorry to say." He turned around again, stepping away from the building's edge. "No. He's much too damaged, emotionally speaking. Otherwise, he'd be perfect. But, I guess that is one hazard in relying on children and teenagers to fulfill your goals--they're a lot easier to break than adults are." Jackson did not like where this was going. "So, you can't just recruit adults...?" "I'm afraid not," McKinley said. "Not with Ford's plans, at any rate." He laughed, noting Jackson's raised eyebrow. "Oh, don't worry, Mr. Sang. Really, all we need from them is an agreement before they become adults." He straightened up, hands moving behind his back and tone shifting to that of a stereotypical, do-no-wrong student as he recited, "'The contract states that the Nine must be no older than nineteen, and must agree of their own volition to make the Vow at the chosen place.'" "Still sounds like brainwash, to me," Jackson said pointedly. The Ford agent chuckled, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "It's not, really. If the deal is made, then they're free to go on with their lives until we need them. It's not like we've kidnapped anybody or anything." McKinley's eyes turned up and to his left, as if mentally correcting himself. "Well, by and large, anyway." He looked back at Jackson. "No; the only kids directly involved with Ford are those who were enthralled with his ideals, and who decided they wanted to be involved when they were initially approached--Pierce, Hayes, Adams, and I. The others are a different story." He raised a finger. "Harrison's life is unknown to even himself, so what better opportunity for one than a direct adoption . . ." He raised another. "And Grant . . . Well, she's the weird one, really. Even so, her decision to remain on her own until the proper time is and will continue to be respected." McKinley smirked. "I cannot begin to explain to you how funny I find that last sentence, Mr. Sang." "Ha. Ha. Yeah, I'm sure I'm missing out on the joke big time." Jackson clapped slowly and deliberately, stopping abruptly after three claps. "But you are, Sang." The sudden calm in McKinley's tone of voice stunned Jackson. "Would you like to know more?" Sang genuinely worried that McKinley's smile would eventually tear his cheeks, so thrilled did he appear. "Would you believe that we alone are intended to be the saviors of this little world you all call home, from a force of such pure, mindless destruction that it makes the Ancient Darkrai look like mere Caterpie in comparison?" For several moments, Jackson could not think of a response to this. "What?" "You heard me." McKinley cracked his neck, letting out a contented sigh. "Ironic, isn't it? How those with the intent to save are ostracized, called villain for putting the fate of the world before the lives of those who would be lost along with many more, anyway, were it not for these same terrible actions. So they say." "B#######," Jackson spat. "If that's how you people justify what you do, then--" "You're still not listening." Jackson glowered. "What?" "This isn't our justification. It's theirs." Jackson stared at McKinley, understanding slowly dawning on him. "You've been sabotaging Ford . . ." Sheer horror fell upon his face. "Then they're--?" "Doing exactly what I just said: Saving the world." "And you . . .?" "I find that little circus boring." That was all of the justification that Jackson needed. He leaped forward, pulling a knife and aiming at McKinley's chest. Unfortunately, Xatu was quicker. A telekinetic force took hold of his body, flinging him aside and into the line of ventilation shafts trailing along one side of the rooftop. Jackson groaned, struggling to recover from the impact. McKinley muttered something to Xatu; a moment later, Jackson's memory began to go fuzzy. "Well, I'm afraid I must be going now, so I'll see you on Two Island. Let's say . . . July 31st," McKinley said, patting Xatu on the head. "That'll be a good day. Any last questions, Mr. Sang?" "Just one," Jackson said. "You seemed very intent on telling me everything. Why?" "Oh, that is an easy one, Jackson." McKinley smiled, looking directly into the mercenary's eyes. "Because I know that no matter who you talk to, what you do, how hard you try, you cannot stop what is to come--the machine has gained far too much momentum for that." He frowned. "Besides, it wouldn't be a proper challenge for me if no one had any inkling of what we were doing, would it?" Jackson Sang woke up. He shot up from a lying position, breathing heavily. A cold sweat ran down his face; nearby, a heart monitor frantically beeped. He didn't know where he was, except that he was in a hospital bed. Felix lay, exhausted, at the foot of his bed, having stumbled back from his trainer's sudden awakening. He had evolved; were it not for those familiar, purple eyes, Jackson might not have known it. "Sang?" It was Sleight. He and Eileen stood at the door, a nurse behind them. "You're--?" "Sir!" Sang cut in, throwing the bed sheet aside and jumping to his feet. "McKinley--Ford--!" "Calm down, Sang!" Eileen said, pushing past Sleight. "What's going on?" "I know where they're at--Ford, McKinley, Levi," Jackson said, slipping down from the bed to the floor. "And I've remembered everything." OOC: Species: Beheeyem. Nickname: Felix. Trainer: Jackson Sang. Appearance: Felix's eyes are purple. Personality: Delving into Jackson Sang's mind has had a noticeable effect on Felix. He is less timid now and more indulged in his own interpretation of the world, viewing all things around him with an air of mesmerizing uncanniness--all of this stemming from something he saw in Jackson's memories . . . Ability: Telepathy. Specialty: Felix's specialties as "mechanical," for lack of a better term. He is essentially a technician working behind the scenes to further his and his trainer's goals, working to increase his team's chances of achieving victory. Known Moves: Teleport, Miracle Eye, Psychic, Calm Mind, Disable, Recover.

IC - Goldhawk/Bounty/James Pierce/Piers Ebner - Hoenn Conference Place, Ever Grande City: It took several moments, but eventually the guards nearby appeared to agree with Miriam's assessment. They approached Pierce, hands resting on the handles of their weapons. "Sir, we're going to need you to come with us." Though he still radiated anger, Pierce nonetheless appeared to have somewhat regained his calm. As the head security guard brought his hands behind his back, the Hojohsin Agent cast a cold, sweeping gaze over his opponents. He paid no mind to the cautiously triumphant expressions on the faces of Bounty and Goldhawk--in fact he took a certain amount of pleasure in them, knowing just how well-reasoned their hesitance to celebrate was. Instead, he focused on Professor Ebner, the only person whose disappointed scowl could match his own in intensity, and James Arthur. Miriam didn't make eye-contact with Pierce. He was beneath her now, just a footnote in the meeting notes. But James seemed deep in thought. As his eyes met Pierce's some words came to mind. He had one last thing to say before he could put his anger at Pierce behind him. "Before you take him away, may I have a moment to speak with Mr. Ebner?" James asked the guards. They gave him a confused look, but nonetheless paused in their attempts to pull him out of the room. Pierce merely maintained his eye contact with Arthur. "Do you want to know why you lost today?" James asked rhetorically. What Pierce wanted didn't matter. "It's simple." James could not hide his grin during the pause. "I know how you Ford agents think. I have seen it plenty of times. You underestimated my abilities, Mr. Ebner." Pierce's eyes narrowed. James's grin widened. "You probably thought I was just some run of the mill executive. I would provide a bit of a challenge, but in the end, I would be wiped away just the same. Right?" An expression of very, very unpleased and unamused familiarity manifested in the former President's expression. Were it not for the guards surrounding him, he might have taken a step toward Arthur. James paused. Not out of fear or surprise at his defeated foe's change in expression. No, he paused so he could savor the moment. Pierce knew what he was talking about. And that knowledge was the sweetest nectar he could think to taste. However, all good things must come to end. It was time to lay the coup de grâce. "But the fact of the matter is... you have bitten off more than you can chew here. I am out of your league." Pierce slowly shook his head, straining his handcuffs. "Enjoy your moment of fame," he spat, looking at Ebner. "Both of you. It won't last." "That's enough," Goldhawk said. He motioned to the guards, who began to lead Pierce away. Once he was out of sight, the Liberty Leader turned to James. "Excellent work, Executive."

IC - Kyle Eston/Esen Windred - Training Arena, The Alamo: It had been . . . a while. Kyle and Esen had ended up separating themselves from the others following the Aura Tracking exercise, losing track of time in the process. Eventually, they ended up on a cliff overlooking the beach, taking a seat there and watching the ocean. It had been silent for some time. "So . . ." Kyle scratched the back of his head. "That . . . Aura . . . thing . . ." "It was a thing." "Yep . . ." More silence. "Two Island, huh?" he asked. "Never been there?" "Nope." More silence. "We're a mess," he said. Esen nodded. "Yes, we are," she said. Pause. "How many people are we going to have to fight there?" "Five, I think," Kyle said. "Unless any of our friends are fighting against us, too . . ." Esen sighed. "Yeah, we're screwed . . ." "That's a bit harsher than I meant it . . ." "Think about it." Esen held up a hand. "We're going to need at least two people per enemy, right? You and me--one. Colette and Ryan--that's two. Evan and Jenny, three. Chloe and Dahlia is four. That leaves Aaron, Jamie, Paul, and Xander to take on Ford. Even another combination of who fights who wouldn't make those odds any better." She sighed. "I don't see this ending well . . ." They both fell silent for a few moments. "But," she continued. "we still have to try." Kyle nodded. Esen looked at him. "How's that egg doing?" "Good question." He opened his bag, pulling the incubator from it and then removing the egg from it. It emitted a strong warmth from its center. "I think it's doing well. But I don't know--I've only ever hatched two eggs before, and they were . . . different." "How so?" "One was an Axew--completely different type from this one," Kyle said. "The other was a Suicune egg, and not a . . . I guess 'natural' would be the word. Not a natural one, at that." "I see." "Yeah." Something barked. "What?" "That . . . was a Pokémon, not me." Something squirmed. Kyle looked down. The egg had hatched, and in its place, a small Houndour occupied his lap. Kyle exhaled slowly, shaking his head and looking at Esen. "This is going to be a long, long week." OOC: Species: Houndour. Nickname: Torith. Trainer: Kyle Eston. Appearance: The fur on Torith's paws match the color of his belly. Personality: Torith has a lot of maturing to do, and as a result is rather rash. He has a hard time following orders due to the fact that he is still learning how to battle. Ability: Flash Fire. Specialty: Torith is adept at both kinds of attacks, as opposed to purely Special Attacks. He is not very sure on his feet due to being a newborn. Known Moves: Ember, Howl, Bite, Odor Sleuth, Nasty Plot (EM). IC - Goldhawk/Bounty/James Pierce/Piers Ebner - Hoenn Conference Place, Ever Grande City: If James Arthur's arrival had elicited a stunned silence, the arrival of Piers Ebner seemed to evoke a massive, though understated outrage. Shocked murmurs spread through the stands surrounding them as he approached the arena. Hundreds of eyes--including the horrified gaze of President James "Paris Ebner" Pierce--went unacknowledged by the professor as he ascended the steps toward the equally-stunned leaders of Teams Liberty and Rocket. He finally pulled his own gaze away from Pierce when he reached their desk, offering a hand first to Goldhawk and then to Bounty and Miriam. "Piers Ebner," he said. "A pleasure." "Us, as well," Bounty said, unable to contain his apprehensiveness toward this development. "I hope we can trust you to turn this thing around for us." "Oh, believe me," Ebner said. "I will." He clicked his cane to the ground, looking down at Pierce. "Paris, my dear brother. It's been too long." Pierce couldn't immediately respond. When he did, it was through clenched teeth. "What are you doing here!?" "Righting a wrong." Ebner took a step forward, down the staircase. "Many wrongs, actually--mainly, yours." He looked up at the officials surrounding them, raising his voice as he addressed them. "Ask me what you like, test me however you please--either way, you'll find that it is true: This man, your 'president,' isn't worthy of the title, nor eligible of holding it, and the fact that he does is a disgrace to the very system meant to prevent him from doing so." "On what grounds can you support such a claim?" someone shouted. Piers Ebner could only match their gaze with a look of utter disbelief. He looked at James with eyes that screamed, You have got to be kidding me, and then turned back. "As you might be able to tell, sir," he said, pointing to his face. "I happen to have a rather personal relationship with the man you know as James Pierce." Ebner began to talk a bit slower. "Tell me, do you know what a 'pseudonym' is? A pseudonym. A fake name. I am Piers Ebner. He is Paris Ebner, my twin. Is that evidence enough?" When there was no response, Ebner shook his head. "No? Heaven's Cloud University, Class of 20XX. Seventeen years ago a man by the name of Garnet approached my brother and offered to take him under his wing, in exchange for his help in some sort of operation." He pulled several envelopes from his inner coat pocket. "For a time, Paris kept me in the loop as to what he was doing. I suppose it is fortunate that I've held onto them for so long. Check the signature--they're the same; he dropped his name before he stopped writing to me. And that benefactor, as you'll find, is the same terrorist you've all been fighting for Lord knows how long." Ebner looked at Pierce. "Am I missing anything else?" Pierce's hands shook with pure rage. "How . . . could you . . .!?" Ebner rolled his eyes. "What a petulant question," he muttered. "Stop deluding yourself, Paris--you know well-enough why." He turned, walking back up the steps to James, and called over his shoulder: "If you people still need any sort of convincing after this, then pray that the Lord saves you from your own stupidity. Otherwise, I think we're done here."

IC - Goldhawk/Bounty/President James Pierce - Hoenn Conference Place, Ever Grande City: A stunned silence had fallen over the entire room. Goldhawk and Bounty could not help but look at James with an expression of exasperated relief and flabbergasted incredulity, respectively--for the latter, it was clear that James Arthur had lost his mind. Then there was Pierce, who could not honestly hide his surprise or irritation at the sight of the individual who had interrupted his big reveal. Nor could he quite hide his astonishment that Team Liberty's claim had been made so boldly, so publicly--and, it seemed, so assuredly as to shock many of the other persons present around him, some of whom looked at him with expressions of uncertainty. He composed himself, smiling up at James Arthur. "My, my--if it isn't the scoundrel who broke into my office and assaulted my privacy." Pierce snapped his fingers, looking around for any security personnel. "Bailiff, remove this man--he has no business here." "You don't even want to hear what he has to say?" Goldhawk asked. "Surely you'd like to dispute his claims?" "What do I have to dispute except for the nonsense accusations of a Liberty Executive who has quite clearly lost his mind?" President Pierce responded. "They are baseless claims and nothing more. And I'm sure anyone of sound judgment would agree with that assessment."

Proposed Pokémon: Golurk Appearance: Mega Golurk by Blood-Asp0123. Height roughly doubles upon Mega Evolving--average Golurk goes from 9'02" to 20". Focus: Mega Golurk's focus is on maximizing its physical abilities. Its massive size increases its physical attacks at the cost of its special ones, while its upgraded Steel/Ghost-Typing and defensive stat boosts increase its ability to survive attacks from its opponents. Type: Steel/Ghost Mega Ability: Bulletproof Stat Distribution: -ATK: 124 > 154 (+30) -SPA: 55 > 25 (-30) -DEF: 80 > 130 (+50) -SPD: 80 > 130 (+50) -SPE: 55 > 55

IC - James Arthur/Richard Apollo/Piers Ebner - Heaven's Cloud University, Professor Ebner's Office: For the first time in the conversation, James made a visible show of anything but contentment. Piers knew even more than James expected him to. How much he knew was something James would have to determine. "He will most certainly not be released while Ford is at large," James said. "My group is not so barbaric to simply execute a prisoner of war." Meaning, Goldhawk and Blackskull weren't going to let him, no matter the potential strategic benefits. "I would also be willing to bet my life that Team Rocket would not simply kill him outright." Though precautionary limb removal to make it harder for him to act as an agent should he escape is not out of the question, James thought, indulging a sadistic thought. "After Ford is apprehended," or dead, James mentally added, "He will be turned over for a proper trial where his fate will be decided." Ebner turned to look at James. The expression on his face was, surprisingly, one of disappointment, as if he were seriously questioning James's answer. He walked back to the desk, gently tapping the handle of his cane against his chin. "Well, that's a shame," he said, a dissonant calm in his voice considering what he was suggesting. "I would have thought he sealed his own fate when he decided to throw his morals to the vermin. I'm sure my brother would agree with me on that account." Ebner suddenly loosened his grip on the cane, allowing its bottom end to bounce against the floor with a sharp crack. "No matter. Yes, I believe that's all the information I need to clear whatever hesitations, for lack of a better term, that I may have had about testifying." Richard jumped at the sudden crack, nearly knocking off the Sableye on his head. As for James, he had to admit that Piers's response surprised him. Not unreasonable, but unexpected. He figured that relations could not have been good between the two brothers with how willing Piers was to testify. But to say what Piers had said so calmly... it almost unnerved him. Almost. James decided not to press further, they had wasted enough time as it was. If it was important to know, he could ask when Pierce was deposed. "Very well. In that case," James pulled out an Ultra Ball from his brief case and dropped it on the ground. From the Ultra Ball came one order of time traveler with a side helping of mock annoyance. Richard widened his eyes and Hades had to admit shock too at the seeing the legend before him. "Whoa..." Richard whispered. Suddenly being dragged around for the sake of there being someone to be dragged around was worth it. What am I, a taxi service? Celebi said with a false pout. You could have at least let me watch the fun part. "Please spare us your antics. We need you to take us to Evergrande City. Preferably now, if you please," James said before asking a question he guessed he knew the answer to, "Or earlier, if you could make that work." No way, José. Celebi responded with a grin and a shake of her head. But now's a good time, she said as they all blinked out of that time and place. IC - Goldhawk/Bounty/Miriam Shields/President James Pierce - Hoenn Conference Place, Ever Grande City: Pierce smiled, prompting Goldhawk to frown. What does he have up his sleeve now? "See, there I believe you're wrong, Representative." President Pierce walked forward, looking at Goldhawk and Bounty again. He dropped his gaze back down to Miriam. "This John Ford individual has done just about nothing offensive against Hoenn. It is inaction to the point where, at times, I've even doubted whether he really exists. But I suppose, since you bring him up, we'll both agree to consider him a real individual . . ." He paced back and forth for a bit, finally lifting his head. He seemed to be more interested in addressing the individuals monitoring the debate. "If I understand you correctly," Pierce said. "John Ford is Hoenn's most dangerous threat because he targeted the families of Shadow Admin Sleight and Shadow Admin Joker. Yet, I don't recall any mention being made of any of their family dying in any such attacks. Did he aim to kill them?" He looked at Miriam. "Your argument falls flat whether he intended to or not. If he did and he failed, then surely his methods are not nearly as effective as one might initially think--ergo, not worth worrying about. And if he did not, then why worry at all? Certainly, he could cripple a system if he wanted to, but such a petty attack as these serve as little more than acts to weaken morale. And if no one died? Nerve-wracking, certainly, but I would hardly expect a leader like Joker or Sleight to fold under that sort of pressure." He tilted his head. "On a related point, what right do the Shadow Admins have to feel sorry for themselves over this sort of personal attack? Last I checked, these are the same individuals who enacted a bloody revolution in order to take control of four regional governments." He looked at Bounty. The older man's lips had thinned, though he still managed to meet Pierce's pointed gaze with his own. "Not only that, but their families were not the ones waging war and sacrificing their lives for the Shadow Admins' cause. No; that job they gave to their legions of fanatics and their families, as well as the countless criminals they allowed to work within their system as a means of 'public service' and 'redemption.'" By this point, Pierce had returned to his designated seat, picking up his mug. He looked at Goldhawk, meeting the Liberty Leader's gaze from across the field. "Which brings me to Castelia," Pierce said. "I don't suppose you're aware of the demographics regarding the people who did not escape the city during its destruction?" He took a drink. Goldhawk did not let his confusion show in his face. "That information was never made available to Team Liberty." "I didn't think so," Pierce said, setting the glass back down. "See, unlike you and yours, the Unovan government has remained on at least somewhat open terms with Hoenn ever since Teams Liberty and Rocket were ousted from the region. Turns out there are some benefits to not waging bloody war with another group for twelve years." He picked up a document, returning to the lower arena as he flipped through it. "It's rather miraculous, really, that the overall casualty count was so low. That, I suppose, can be afforded to your groups' intervention in warning the Castelia police in time to evacuate. For those who did not make it out, however, an interesting pattern arises. Tell me, do you recognize this?" Pierce flipped the folder around. The page he displayed appeared to bear some sort of sigil, composed of a four-point compass and four circles, one at the end of each point. Indistinct shapes had been printed in each circle; Goldhawk could not make them out from his position. "I can't say I do," he said. Pierce smiled. "Then it's time for a history lesson," he said. "There's a criminal organization primarily operating out of Kalos. It is called the Signs, and this is their emblem." Bounty raised an eyebrow. "Once upon a time, they were one of the most dangerous crime syndicates in the region, to the point where they had an established empire across three different regions. One of these was Unova. In recent years, their numbers and influence have dwindled, but Plasma reported continued disturbances in Castelia up until this past December." Goldhawk realized what sort of picture Pierce was trying to paint just as he touched the brush to the canvass. "As it happens, the majority of those caught in the attack on Castelia were known or highly-suspected affiliates of the remaining Signs infestation in Unova," Pierce said. "One building in particular--Coeur Tower--was thought to be the epicenter of their operations." He closed the folder. "That should sound familiar, at least?" "So," Goldhawk said, rising from his seat. He leaned forward, planting his hands on his desk as he stared Pierce down. "What you're suggesting is that the incident in Castelia was some sort of attempt by Ford and his Agent to target a criminal organization within Unova? To help Team Plasma by destroying another one of their cities?" He gestured to Miriam. "I would think that such a reckless plan would only reinforce the point we're trying to make--that Ford is dangerous. That he isn't concerned with putting innocents in danger if it means he can get to his actual targets. Yet, you seem to be suggesting that his actions in this case are excusable, and that this isn't something to be concerned about." "Oh, far from it," Pierce said. "Destroying a city is reprehensible, no matter the reason. But I do think there were multiple intents with the attack. I'm sure you're familiar with the big one--this Agent's claims that she wished to send a message to Team Plasma, in response to your war?" He waved the folder at Goldhawk, offering a slight smile and a wink. "Despite the stated intent, however, the fact remains that this Agent targeted areas and buildings specifically affiliated with a public nuisance, and her actions allowed your Agents to get untold innocents out of the way." Pierce folded his hands behind his back. "And you still expect me to believe that Ford should be my primary concern? The way I see it, this is a man with specific targets and carefully-plotted means of attacking said targets. Not only that, Mr. Aleivy, but his attacks are focused on one thing in particular, and that is intervening in your military affairs with one another. Why should I or anyone in Hoenn be worried when it is clearly you and the scum of the Earth that he is after?"

IC - James Arthur/Richard Apollo/Piers Ebner - Heaven's Cloud University, Professor Ebner's Office: Ebner smirked. "Clever boy, never missing a chance to bend the game to his own rules . . ." He spun the album around, facing it toward himself, and flipped it open. The first few pages, in addition to copies of Piers and Paris's birth certificates, were filled with pictures of the Ebner family as a whole--a small family of four, two young boys, both the same age, and their parents. In one, they were posed in front of a large, extravagant house, each well-dressed and well-groomed--too perfect, it seemed. In another, equally posed, they were seated around a fireplace. An older woman, holding the cane that Piers now owned, stood with them in the middle of the family. Jumping ahead several pages, Ebner turned the book around. The two twins, Piers and Paris, stood in front of the gates to Heaven's Cloud University. They were younger--around fifteen--but still clearly the same people. Their expressions--so similar in the other pictures--had taken on a stark contrast in this one. The twin on the left, though clearly pleased with his prestigious accomplishment, bore a look of slight distraction, as if he had been deep in thought just before the picture had been taken. The one on the right, meanwhile, echoed the annoyed look that had already crossed Piers Ebner's face several times during their current meeting. "This," Ebner said. "was our first day here, at Heaven's Cloud. And this--" He turned the page. The next set of documents consisted of two diplomas, as well as a photo of the twins in their graduation caps and gowns. They were nineteen now. Both looked tired, one a bit more grouchy than the other. "--was our last, as well as the last time I saw him in person, thirteen years ago." He clasped his hands together, giving them a slight shake. "So, perhaps not quite two decades since he dropped his name, on second thought. Certainly that long since he first got dragged into business with that abominable thespian, however." If James had any disbelief as to how early the Ebners entered college, it did not show on his face. What piqued his interest more though, was Piers's mentioning of a 'thespian.' A fair guess he meant Ford, but he had never heard him described as an actor. "I will need to ask you further questions about that 'thespian,' but right now we do not have the time. I can think of a large number of people in Ever Grande City that would be interested in seeing those documents and hearing what you have to say. Shall I take us all there now?" "Hey wait, what about Claus?" Richard interjected "We can come back for Agent Diamond after Paris Ebner," James emphasized, clearly enjoying himself, "has been removed from power. His Gym Challenge will surely take a fair amount of time," James answered dismissively. He was far too focused on Pierce right now to concern himself with leaving Claus behind for a few hours. "Right, right..." Richard said, figuring James probably had his priorities straight. Though he was definitely gonna bug the Executive about it later. "In due time." Ebner tapped his fingers against the desk again. His eyes flashed up from the album, studying James. "Before I agree to come along, I must ask--what do you intend to do with him after you've toppled his little regime?" IC - Goldhawk/Bounty/Miriam Shields/President James Pierce - Hoenn Conference Place, Ever Grande City: Pierce smiled, crossing his arms. His eyes lifted to the lifted bench across the field, to Goldhawk. "And what sort of thought does Team Liberty have to offer?" The look Pierce was giving him made Goldhawk uneasy. Nonetheless, he stood, voice steady as he addressed Pierce and the surrounding council. "Team Liberty concurs with Team Rocket," he said. "In addition to Representative Shields's points, I would like to add that Teams Liberty and Rocket have already demonstrated that our ceasefire is anything but 'tenuous.' Even prior to its induction, our agents and leadership worked together in successful efforts against the Ancient Darkrai, and ultimately proved vital in eliminating the threat. And that's without mentioning the other threats that we have culled in that time." Goldhawk seated himself again with a nod to Pierce. There was much restraint at work here. The Liberty Leader very much wanted to point out Pierce's own lack of engagement in the Darkrai conflict--how he had fled rather than organize any sort of counter-movement against the Ancients. Such an action had essentially put Hoenn's fate in the hands of the other regions and the organizations that ran them, though Pierce had at no point made no mention of this fact. More importantly, there was the matter of those 'other threats.' In some ways, Goldhawk hoped that Pierce could piece together that he was primarily speaking of Ford, if only to let the Hojohsin President know that his secret wasn't concealed. "Indeed," Bounty added, pulling back Goldhawk's focus. "The work put into organizing this meeting alone shows how much has happened within the past year and a half. Hojohsin, Rocket, Liberty--none of us can afford to fight one another any longer, not with the potential for other situations of the Ancients' magnitude." He glanced at Miriam and Goldhawk. "I assure you that our three organizations are hard at work putting our history behind us." Pierce stared at them for a moment, silently thinking. "A most interesting perspective, all of you," he said, pressing the tips of his fingers together as he sauntered forward. The small smile on his face dissolved into a troubled frown. "Allow me to elaborate on mine." He paced back and forth. "I don't doubt that the Ancients forced the lot of you to put your differences aside. But, frankly, it is less the conflict between you that concerns me, and more the severity of the situations in which your groups tend to get involved." He looked at Goldhawk. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but was it not six months ago that four Unovan cities were leveled in a conflict involving an Agent of Team Liberty? One that directly resulted in the deaths of countless individuals, including Professor Juniper? Not to mention the avalanche that destroyed Snowpoint City, again due to Team Liberty." He stopped his pacing, looking to Miriam. "And how could I forget the recent, devastating attack on Celadon City, performed by Team Rocket itself against its own civilians? The actions of a misguided extremist, certainly, but perhaps a poor reflection of the organization as a whole." Pierce gestured to where Goldhawk and Bounty were seated. "A reflection compounded by the lack of true representation from Team Rocket today, I might add. You say that this is a joint effort between the Rocket main-blood, its Separatists, and Liberty, yet neither of Team Rocket's head Shadow Admins are here to support this." He crossed his arms behind his back, moving by Miriam. "Why is that, I wonder?"

IC - Goldhawk/Bounty/Miriam Shields/President James Pierce - Hoenn Conference Place, Ever Grande City: Pierce offered a charming smile at Miriam. He turned to his associates, quietly conferring with them. Every so often, he would cast a look at the opposing group, a hint of a smirk present in his expression. Whatever it was that pleased him, Goldhawk figured they would find out soon enough--although no doubt it had something to do with his and the others' convenient lack of notice regarding the adjusted date for this meeting. "Don't forget who our enemy is, here," Bounty murmured to Miriam, placing a hand over the microphone in front of him so that his words wouldn't be broadcast to the world at large. "Let's try to get along at least until we're done with him, shall we?" "I'm sorry, Mr. Coleman," Pierce said. "But do you have something to share with the rest of us?" "In due time, President Pierce," Bounty replied. He met the Hojohsin President--no, the Ford Agent's eye from across the arena, holding his ground. After a moment, Pierce smiled, breaking eye contact with the older man as he stood up. He slowly descended the steps to the field, adjusting the headset on his ear as he moved. At last, he came to a stop between the four sets of figures, addressing the presiding judges. "Honorable Representatives of Hoenn," Pierce began. He cast a look to the nearest camera. "Loyal patriots of our beautiful region. Today, at the request of Team Liberty, Team Rocket, and those Separatists previously associated with the latter, we gather to discuss a new, and potentially terrifying prospect regarding the future of our region's safety." He gestured toward Bounty, Goldhawk, and Miriam. "In the wake of Team Liberty and Team Rocket's ceasefire, these fine representatives have arranged this meeting to request--in my understanding--safe passage for members of both organizations within the region of Hoenn." He frowned. "Now, obviously, to allow such a thing carries heavy risks, the most pertinent being the distinct threat posed by the tenuous nature of their ceasefire. Nevertheless, I and my cabinet are nothing if not reasonable, and so . . ." Pierce moved back to the steps leading to his seat, turning back only to address Miriam, Bounty, and Goldhawk. "Please--explain why such a privilege should be granted to you and your fellows."

IC - Goldhawk/Bounty/Miriam Shields/President James Pierce - Hoenn Conference Place, Ever Grande City: The term "political arena" had never felt quite so accurate. The descent of Goldhawk's helicopter toward the Ever Grande Capitol Building allotted him a full view of the perfectly round, half-dome structure, around which hundreds had gathered in protest. Whether this was to express disagreement with Team Liberty and Team Rocket's presence, or with that of President James Pierce himself, he could not tell. All he knew was that, as the helicopter touched down on an elevated platform outside of the building, surrounded by over a dozen guards, numerous cameras turned toward him, flashing at and nearly blinding him as he made his way down the designated walkway toward the building. The din of the crowd, too, rose the further he walked, drowning out the voice of the aide who had departed the building to meet him. The crowd's voices fell completely silent as the lobby doors closed behind Goldhawk. He spent little time taking in the sights before the aide began to usher him forward, toward the entrance to their arena. If it weren't for the Liberty insignia clipped to her coat, he might have yanked his arm free of her grasp with a little more force. "You're late," she said. "Very late." "I'm well aware of that," Goldhawk said, struggling to keep up with her frantic pace. His briefcase swung with each step, almost threatening to burst open. "Are Bounty and Team Rocket's representative here yet?" "Yes," the aide confirmed. "They're all set up. President Pierce, as well. You're just lucky they were able to get an extra few minutes for you before he called the whole thing off." "Lucky me." Goldhawk adjusted his tie as they arrived at the door. He nodded to the aide. "You'll be managing security from here?" "Yes, sir," she said. "I wish you the best of luck." "Same to you." With that, he pushed the door open. The term "political arena" was, in fact, accurate. It seemed that they would be verbally sparring in what was, essentially, a gladiator ring. Raised seating surrounded the wide field of tiered desks and seats, where--in the very center--the political forces of Team Liberty and Team Rocket had gathered, facing across from those of James Pierce. The President's seat was raised the highest, save for that of the presiding forces seated on either side. Altogether, they formed a square, spaced apart from each other to allow room for steps leading down into a square pit between them all. The entire conference would be televised via the numerous cameras installed around the building. As Goldhawk approached his seat at the desk, he nodded to Blackskull and the woman who had come to represent Team Rocket. "I take it things are going swimmingly right now." IC - James Arthur/Richard Apollo/Gero Ward - Ward's Office, Heaven's Cloud University: A very strange song filled James's ears as they entered the office. It was a warm room, with creme-colored walls and uniformly dark brown furniture that created an atmosphere altogether evocative of a café. This stood in contrast to the man seated at work behind the desk. Thin-bodied and thin-faced, with close-cut, bright red hair that stood out against his comparatively messy suit, he exuded an air of harried urgency. At the moment, President Ward squinted at and fussed over a letter of some sort on his computer, verbally dictating it as he went along. He did not immediately notice James's entrance. "'. . . Thus, Mr. Winchester, it is with great sorrow . . . that I must inform you . . . we cannot accept your application at this time . . .'" he muttered, each word spoken with a noticeably non-Unovan accent--what one might call a Yorkshire accent. "'Please feel open to . . . sending any concerns or questions . . . to Mr. Edgar Frost . . . as they emerge--' James knocked on the door frame. "Pardon me?" "Oh, hello, there!" The President whipped off his glasses and straightened up upon noticing James. As if on cue, the music came to a screeching halt. "You must be Mr. Arthur. Pleasure to meet you." He held out a hand. "The pleasure is all mine" James assured as he accepted President Ward's offer of a handshake with a warm expression hiding his urgency. "You appear busy, so I shall get to the point. Are you familiar with President James Pierce, leader of the Hojohsin League?". James did not stop for a response from President Ward, but merely removed his phone from his pocket and slid it before President Ward. It's screen was showing an article that had President Pierce's face on it. "I have reason to believe that he is ruling illegitimately under an alias and that furthermore he was an alumni of this school. I need access to your school's records so I can prove everything."

Now that's the kind of reaction I was looking for!

Team Mystic FTW. also team valor sucks and team instinct is a hufflepuff.

IC - Esen Windred - Infirmary, The Alamo: For the most part, Esen had kept to herself during the Aura-tracking process, simply observing the group. She nodded at Ryan. "Of course."

IC - Kyle Eston - Halls, The Alamo: Part of Kyle felt as if this was a bit silly. The other part of him recognized that a 'reintroduction' was likely important to Chloe, and so he went along with it, grasping her hand and shaking it. "Kyle Maybe-Eston-Maybe-Not," he said. "I'm glad you've more or less sorted things out for yourself, pal."

IC - Kyle Eston - Halls, The Alamo: "I'm sure I'll come up with a question later," Kyle said after a moment. "In the meantime . . . I'm starting to feel like we should all just stick together again. Seems like we run into . . . well, fewer crazy things, if nothing else."

IC - Kyle Eston - Halls, The Alamo: "That explains the accent . . ." Kyle muttered, then did a double take at Chloe. "Wait, what happened in Celad--hello!" Sylph's sudden appearance had thrown him off. Not wanting to lose this train of conversation, however, Kyle regained his composure and clapped his hands together, taking a deep breath. He looked between Ryan and Chloe. "I think," he said, slowly. "that you two owe me some stories now."

IC - Kyle Eston - Halls, The Alamo: "Wait, what? Holy--" The rest of Kyle's sentence could not be recorded. "How have I not heard about any of these?"

IC - Kyle Eston - Halls, The Alamo: "I remember the stuff with Jupiter and Envy," Kyle said. "Lust and Greed, though . . . That's three different people . . ." He frowned. "Have there been any others?"

IC - Kyle Eston - Halls, The Alamo: Kyle gave the pair a dubious look. "I guess I left that part out," he said, appearing to relax somewhat--perhaps from the change of topic. "That 'toxin' was a hallucinogen. Shift made a pretty big point of bragging about how he made it himself. But one of the things I saw--one of the last things--it was like . . ." He struggled for words. "I don't know . . . Like, repressed memories coming back to me. From before my mom died, and from when we first got involved with Liberty . . ." Kyle's hand twitched. "I don't know. I've been trying to talk to him about it, but he's avoiding me. Last night he gave an excuse about some sort of 'public forum.' Before that, it was cleaning up R&D." He rolled his eyes, and then looked at Ryan. "Speaking of, do you know what happened over there?"

IC - Kyle Eston - Halls, The Alamo: "Not that, so much as I don't know how to contact either of them," Kyle admitted. "Victoire's with Team Rocket and Cero's . . . around, somewhere. I haven't actually seen him since we got back." He paused, rubbing the back of his head again and looking away. "I, uh . . . I do have to tell you, though . . . since you mentioned the inhaler . . ." Of the words that could be used to describe his expression, 'extremely uncomfortable' were perhaps the only two that could accurately capture it. "That, uh . . . that toxin . . . It's put me . . ." He paused again, thinking very carefully about what he actually wanted to say. ". . . in a very awkward position . . . with my dad . . . because I don't think he's, like . . . actually my dad." That was, at least, true. Still, Kyle felt like his face was on fire.

IC - Kyle Eston - Cafeteria, The Alamo: "You sure you wanna hear that right now?" Kyle asked. "I can almost guarantee that the full story's going to take longer than this Aura thing will." It wasn't that he was trying to avoid recounting his misadventure in Kalos. It was simply . . . Well, no, the more thought about it, the more he realized that yes, he was in fact trying to avoid recounting that ordeal. Unfortunately for him, Ryan merely shrugged, grabbing his arm for a moment to pull him in the direction of the infirmary. "That's fine," he said. "We can walk and talk." After stumbling for a few steps, Kyle righted himself and pulled his arm away from Ryan, rubbing his shoulder. "Alright, alright . . . Jeez, where to even start . . ." Not with the dance--if he talked about Silvermind's 'mission,' then he would have to get into Esen, and he did not feel comfortable sharing that information for her. Then again . . . "So, Silvermind 'asked' me to do some recon in Kalos . . ." By and large, he accurately recounted the entire trip--meeting Esen on the plane and their subsequent decision to travel together. How they had landed in Lumiose, where they met Cero and participated in the Battle Expo before traveling to Dendemille Town. He had to take several breaks with his inhaler as he began to tell Ryan (and Chloe, as she had followed their group) about his discovery of the captured Noibats--how he had been taken prisoner by the Signs and what had occurred from that point onward, including his meeting with Victoire Coleman. It was clear that the memories were stressful, though he did his best to hide it. Finally he admitted to being unconscious for the last portion, though related what he knew about the rescue effort by Esen and Cero and how Victoire had managed to break them free. Throughout all of this, however, Kyle made sure to omit a few details--the Gothitelle lady; Esen's strange behavior in Lumiose City; and most importantly, what had happened when she had been hit with Shift's toxin. He let the story hang in the air for several moments after finishing, allowing Ryan and Chloe to absorb it. After a generous break--in which he took another breath of medication--he smiled, mimicking one of Evan's more-subdued Saturday Morning-style poses by placing his fists on his hips. "The moral here being, don't get involved in foreign affairs--it's not worth it!" He relaxed, rubbing the back of his head. "Does that answer your question?"

IC - Kyle Eston - Cafeteria, The Alamo: "A second Evan . . . Lord Helix, save us." Kyle loosed an exaggerated sigh. "No, Esen's fine. If anything, she has a better outlook on how that went down than I do, so . . . Nothing to worry about."