Parugi

IC - Executive Scott Stone - Streets, Lavender Town: "Memory House, then," Scott said. "I'll let you do the talking on this one." IC - Blackskull - Blackskull's Office, The Alamo: Wordlessly, Blackskull took a long drink of his tea. Whether he was offended or not was difficult to tell. "I could arrange that," he said after a moment. Blackskull peered closely at Lohe. "Not just for anyone, though. Could you remind me what your relation is to the Alolan government? I didn't get much detail on that. Nor, I'm afraid, do I know as much about Alolan politics as I do, say, Unovan--they've got the Sages, we've got Shadow Admins and Liberty Leaders, and so on. Who are you to your government?" IC - Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron/Emmerich Coleman - Campsite, Route 45: It wasn't long before the others stirred and emerged into the breakfast conversation. Emmerich appeared from his tent no worse for the wear than he had looked the day before. His hair and clothes remained, somehow, as impeccable as ever. He offered a brief nod to Chloe, Ray, and Ryan as he moved to join them. Kyle awoke not too long after, groggy and stumbling out of his tent with a blanket wrapped around himself. Finally Sonja appeared, not from a tent but from around a wall of rock, apparently returning from a morning walk. She took a seat with everyone else, offering an appreciative nod to Chloe as she received a plate of food. "You all are up so early," Kyle said, unable to stifle a yawn. "Weirdos . . ." "How was last shift, Chloe?" Sonja asked, ignoring Kyle. "Anything weird happen?"

​IC - Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron/Emmerich Coleman - Blackthorn City, Johto: "All I know for certain is that it's somewhere around Mt. Silver," Sonja replied. "I never saw the actual entrance, but . . . John seemed pretty certain we would find it. Probably another magic thing." She sent out Atum. "In either case, we're going to be hiking and camping for the next day or two to get there, so might as well get going now." "Agreed," Kyle said. He sent out Kitheus, taking a seat on top of the Magnezone. "Let's try to keep things on the down-low this time." The others followed suit, with Ryan sending out his Garchomp, Chloe her Luxray, and Ray his Samurott. The only one without a mount was General Coleman. He had visibly grimaced at the idea of camping, and it was clear that he did not have an effective means of hiking, either, despite the Poké Balls visible on his uniform. "I don't suppose you've another rideable Pokémon?" he asked. With a brief nod, Sonja sent out Ares. The Druddigon immediately roared, moving into an attack stance . . . before halting when Sonja bopped him on the nose. "Settle down," she ordered. Ares immediately relaxed. "Could you give the General a lift?" He did so--quite literally. Just as Coleman was going to ask about Kyle's Charizard, Ares grabbed him and took off, carrying the surprised and not-unterrified Rocket General into the sky The rugged terrain stretching between the quiet Blackthorn City and the imposing Mt. Silver made it difficult to find a camping site. Eventually, however, they managed to settle on a stretch of grass overlooking a series of stair-like drops leading into a small valley. It was dark now, and with their tents assembled and fire dying, the night ticked away minute by minute. Several hours in and it was Sonja's turn to keep watch. The warm summer night made her drowsy, and she almost wished she could sneak back into her bed. But it would have been pointless. Too preoccupied by the day's events, she had barely managed to sleep before her shift began, and she didn't expect much more luck on that front when her watch ended and Kyle took over. So, she merely wrapped her arms around her legs and closed her eyes, breathing in the night air. She heard the soft crunching of grass and soil and looked over her shoulder at the source. Kyle had emerged from his tent. She looked back out at the valley below as he sat down next to her. "You're supposed to be sleeping for another hour." Kyle shrugged. "I've never been one for camping," he replied. "Especially out here. Too much to think about to sleep when the ground is so uncomfortable." "You're telling me." Sonja sighed. "I feel like we're on a time crunch, yet I have no idea what we're supposed to be looking for or how we're supposed to find it. And scouring all of Mt. Silver for that entrance could take hours, if not days." "And there's no telling what we're going to find once we get inside, whether that's an empty base or McKinley . . ." Kyle fell onto his back, staring at the stars. "Still, we need to take things one at a time. First we get through the wilderness, then we find the base. Right?" Sonja did not respond. Kyle rubbed his head, and then sat up with a sudden burst of inspiration. "Hey, it's almost your birthday, isn't it?" "I guess," Sonja said. Her tone wasn't dismissive, but she certainly didn't seem very excited by the reminder. "I've lost track. Never really celebrated it, anyway." "Well . . . One second." Kyle pushed himself to his feet and quietly hurried back to his tent, disappearing into it. Sonja turned, watching him. After several moments, he emerged again, carrying his belt with his team's Poké Balls attached. He sat next to her again, cross-legged, and searched along the belt until he came to a specific ball. "I've been meaning to give this to you since I got back from Kalos, and now seems like as good a time as any." He unclipped it, holding it out for Sonja to take with a broad smile. "Happy birthday!" She paused briefly before accepting it. Through the translucent top, she could see the sleeping form of a miniaturized Noibat. The sight took her aback in the best way possible. "You actually got one for me?" Kyle nodded. She leaned over, pulling him into a tight hug. "Thanks, buddy." "You're welcome, pal," Kyle said. They broke their embrace, leaning back and watching the valley again. Sonja held up the Poké Ball, peering at the inhabitant inside. Kyle couldn't halt a slight smile. "You should really thank Esen. She befriended that Noibat and his mother when they came to get me out of Shift's warehouse. Then the kid got more independent and Esen offered to let me give him to you, and here we are now." "I'll have to thank her when we get back." Sonja clipped the Noibat's Poké Ball into her jacket, patting it closed. "You know, I still don't know her that well. She must really be something, if she was able to break you out by herself." "She really is . . . " Kyle muttered. He glanced at Sonja and then back at the valley. "I mean, she had help. But, yeah. She is. She's cool." Sonja gave him a look. "Just cool?" She smirked. "Sure there's not something more there?" "I mean . . ." Kyle faltered. "I'm . . . I guess . . ." Sonja rested her chin on her hands, deep in thought. "I think if two people like each other, they should say something to each other. It's just a bunch of heartache otherwise." Kyle looked at Sonja, then to Ray's tent, and then forward again. "Speaking from experience?" He pretended not to notice Sonja's glare, though the slight smile on his lips gave the con away. "I wish it were that simple." "You and me both . . ." They fell silent again, staring off into space. At last, Kyle sighed. "Sonja," he began. "Do you think Ge--" A soft rumbling in the distance immediately silenced Kyle again. Down below, something moved. He and Sonja exchanged a look and dropped flat against the ground, peering over the edge and into the darkness. A massive shape twisted and tumbled against the rocks, and something elicited strange, distressed cries. What sounded like skeletal, clattering cackling cut through the darkness. A strange green glow emanated from the darkness, engulfing the large shape and illuminating the silhouette of . . . something. It was unlike anything Kyle or Sonja had seen before, thin in body with long, thick arms like tree trunks and hoofed, goat-like legs. Antlers sprouted from its head, standing black and branch-like against the green light. Soon the larger shape stopped moving, and the cries of distress with it. With the strange call again, the monstrous creature trampled through the trees below, the thunderous crash of its retreat diminishing in the night. Both trainers stared wide-eyed into the darkness below, waiting until all had fallen silent. When it had, they released a long breath. Kyle hadn't realized it before, but he was shaking. He could sense that Sonja was, too. "Was that some sort of Pokémon . . .?" "I . . . I don't know." Sonja said. She lay still for a moment, and then got to her feet. Staying low, she moved to the cliff edge. Without warning, she stepped down, dropping onto the first step. She picked up her pace, quickly moving down step by step before Kyle could stop her. "Sonja, what are you--" Kyle scrambled to his feet. He looked at the tents behind him, and back at Sonja. "Are you crazy?" "That thing attacked those Pokémon and left them alone," she hissed back. "We need to see if they're alright." "Sonja--wait a second--" Kyle dropped down after her, carefully picking his way through the darkened steps. "There is literally nothing good about this idea." He reached for Jaeda's Poké Ball, releasing her. The Charizard's tail flame illuminated the steps, allowing the pair to safely pick their way down--as well as affording some manner of protection if things went south. Their descent brought an unexpected find. At the bottom of the canyon lay the unconscious form of two Pokémon, an Onix and a strange, brown and white Pokémon that Sonja did not immediately recognize. As Kyle picked his way across the disturbed rocks to examine the Onix, Sonja leaned closer to the other Pokémon. It had a large head for its body, with massive jaws that looked easily capable of tearing through steel. It seemed to have been fleeing their assailant with the Onix. Sonja opened up her Pokétch index, searching for a Pokémon matching its appearance. She eventually found it, labeled 'Tyrunt.' "This Onix is alive--barely," Kyle whispered. "I don't know what that thing did to it, but it seemed like some sort of really powerful Mega Drain." Sonja did not reply. She placed a hand against the Tyrunt's side, feeling its shuddering breaths. "Same with this one," she said. "It's part-Dragon-Type. If that was a Grass-Type attack, it would explain why this guy's not in . . . as bad of condition." As she spoke, the Tyrunt opened up a weary eye, gazing at her. Sonja patted its head. "We can't leave them here like this. If that thing comes back . . ." She didn't have to finish the thought. Kyle nodded. "Could we bring them back to the Pokémon Center in Blackthorn?" he asked. "I don't know--maybe? That's pretty far in the other direction," Sonja said. She bit her lip, thinking. "If we hurry tomorrow . . . Ford's base has healing machines. We can't be too far from it." She paused, then pulled a free Poké Ball from her pocket. With a press of the button in the center, Sonja tapped it against the Tyrunt's nose, dragging it inside. The ball hardly shook once before beeping to indicate its success. "I get you," Kyle said. "You wouldn't happen to have another Poké Ball on hand, would you?" Sonja dug around in her coat, finally producing one. She tossed it to Kyle, and he followed her lead, tapping it against the unconscious Onix. His clicked, as well, and he placed the ball on his belt. "Maybe one of the others has a few potions or something in the meantime." He breathed deeply, shaking his head. "We have to be getting close, though. That didn't feel normal, you know?" "Yeah," Sonja agreed. She tucked the Tyrunt's Poké Ball away, and then climbed onto Jaeda's back behind Kyle. "At the very least, I think we're safe for now. Let's tell the others about this in the morning." OOC: Four profiles because I've been holding onto one for a while, two are new, and I realized I never posted Neptune's updated profile. Species: Croconaw Nickname: Neptune. Trainer: Sonja Baron. Appearance: Neptune's 'tunic' is solid tan, with no blue spots. Personality: Though it may come as a surprise to some, Neptune is a very gentle and loving Pokémon--he loves being around people, jumping up and hugging them as soon as he sees them and very rarely being intentionally harmful. Even so, he is a strong battler, capable of holding his own in most situations, and is willing to do whatever it takes to win a battle. Ability: Torrent. Specialty: Neptune specializes in physical attacks, and has more endurance than most other Croconaw, allowing him to better handle physical defense. Known Moves: Aqua Tail, Ice Fang, Slash, Dragon Dance (Egg Move,) Headbutt, Endure. Species: Noibat. Nickname: Neith. Trainer: Sonja Baron. Appearance: Standard for a Noibat. Personality: A rather timid Noibat, Neith must nevertheless be given some credit for his bravery in wanting to split from his mother's nest. He is still young, but as he grows, he will surely become a stronger and more confident Pokémon. Ability: Infiltrator. Specialty: Though he is still learning how to battle effectively, Neith already demonstrates a penchant for speed and special attacks. Known Moves: Gust, Agility, Supersonic, Roost. Species: Tyrunt. Nickname: Tanith. Trainer: Sonja Baron. Appearance: Tanith's horns are white. Personality: Headstrong and fierce, Tanith is just as brave as she is foolhardy. She is not unused to accidentally getting herself into trouble despite her good intentions. She can be slow to trust newcomers, including new teammates and trainers. Ability: Strong Jaw. Specialty: Tanith doesn't have much in the way of a set specialty--her primary tactic is just to attack until her opponent is defeated. Known Moves: Thunder Fang (EM), Ice Fang (EM), Bite, Tackle, Tail Whip, Hone Claws. Species: Onix. Nickname: Vailian. Trainer: Kyle Eston. Appearance: The main difference between Vailian and other Onix is that Vailian's horn is serrated, as opposed to being a flat and straight blade. Personality: Vailian is a very relaxed Pokémon. Even in the midst of a crisis, he does not lose his cool, typically trusting his defenses and allies to see through any trouble. While not the brightest in terms of acting on his own, Vailian will carry out any order given to him without fail. Ability: Sturdy. Specialty: Vailian boasts impressive defensive capabilities, which are only further augmented by his various stat-raising moves. Attacking is not his specialty so much as catching opponents off-guard. Known Moves: Curse, Rock Polish, Sandstorm, Dig, Rock Slide, Heavy Slam (EM).

IC - Executive Scott Stone - Lavender Tower, Lavender Town: "No hard feelings." Scott flipped his notepad closed, nodding to David. "We'll be on our way, then. Have a good night." A young albino girl with an affinity for Ghost-Types . . . As Scott led Lafoyae out of the tower and back onto the streets of Lavender Town, he repeated this description over and over in his head. It didn't sit right with him. In the war between Team Liberty and Team Rocket, he had witnessed countless atrocities and heard tales of even more. The idea of a murderous little girl didn't strike him as all that unlikely in the grand scheme of things, nor altogether that surprising considering how young of soldiers had been deployed even in Team Liberty's ranks, but the context of the situation did give him pause. This all tied back to Ace, that much was certain. But how? Ace was dead, buried on Four Island. She couldn't have returned from the dead, which meant that someone was either trying to avenge her or acting out latent orders on her behalf. And this girl's targets . . . What was the through-line, and what was the end goal? "So," he said after a moment. "Pokémon Center or the Memory House. Where to next?" ​IC - Blackskull - Blackskull's Office, The Alamo: With a sagely nod, Blackskull reached for a second hidden cabinet and produced a coffee pot. He poured a cup for Lohe. It was a concoction ground from coffee beans unique to the Sevii Islands and brewed to perfection, and it smelled utterly delightful. Blackskull replaced the pot into its cabinet and picked up his teacup. "If I'm understanding correctly, you're asking to meet with John Ford himself," the Liberty Leader asked. "Specifically, as the source of what has been a previously unseen and unknown magical force, you would like to directly confirm with him that no one else would be able to replicate the power deactivation phenomenon that has rendered us all almost completely defenseless against Missing Zero. Is that correct?" ​IC - Katou Miyu - Vermilion City: Miyu held onto Shannon's hand and smiled. IC:

IC - Executive Scott Stone - Lavender Tower, Lavender Town: "Short, albino, affinity for Ghost-Types . . ." Scott wrote the description down on his notepad. "Anything else? Do you happen to know where she headed?" IC - Blackskull - Blackskull's Office, The Alamo: Silently, Blackskull reached for the handle of some sort of cabinet built into the wall. He opened it, revealing a tea tray with a kettle, teacups, mixing spoons, and a bowl of sugar. He pulled it out, set it on the table, and poured a cup for himself, into which he dropped three sugar cubes. "Tea?" IC - Emmerich Coleman - Train, Blackthorn City: As they moved to get off of the train, Emmerich lagged behind. He took a moment to himself, pondering Ryan and Chloe's conversation, before sighing and following after them, out of the train and onto the platform. IC - Sonja Baron/Kyle Eston - Battle Cart, Train: As they felt the train rumbling to a stop, Sonja nodded slowly, brushing her eyes with the back of her hand. "We're going to do what we can, the best that we can," she said. Her voice was quiet, but accepting of the situation--emotional, but not angry. "For better or worse." "And we're going to do it together," Kyle said. He released his wrist, reaching a hand out. "Let's just make that promise now, while we can. For Chloe and Ryan, too. Whatever happens, we've got each other's backs." Ray nodded, placing his hand on top of Kyle's. There was a brief pause before Sonja did, as well. A small smile infiltrated all of their expressions. The weight on their shoulders seemed to lighten somewhat. After a moment, they dropped their hands, rising to their feet. Kyle copied Sonja, wiping his face on his sleeve. "I guess we'd better get going, then. Not much further to get to Ford's base from here, right?"

IC - Executive Scott Stone - Lavender Tower, Lavender Town: Scott pulled a notepad and a pen from his belt, clearing his throat. "What did this 'medium' look like?" he asked. "Do you have any security footage from the day she came here?" IC - Miyu - Docks, Vermilion City: Ryan Hikari. Yamamoto Aori. Newcomer. "Katou Miyu." Miyu pointed to Miyu. She wore a big smile. Miyu pointed to Aori. "Yamamoto Aori." Miyu pointed to Ryan. "Ryan Hikari." Miyu pointed to Shannon Willows. "You are called?" IC - Blackskull - Blackskull's Office, The Alamo: The door to Blackskull's office opened, and the man in question stepped into the doorway. He offered Lohe a silent and brief, though noticeable look of uncertainty before beckoning the Alolan representative to enter. He held a hand out. "Kane Umbra," Blackskull said. "You can call me Kane or Blackskull or . . . whatever you want. Nice to meet you." He stepped aside, allowing Lohe entrance. Contrary to his name, Blackskull's office wasn't very dark. In fact, of all of Team Liberty's leaders, his was perhaps the least intimidating. Calm colors dominated, mixes of lavender and cool blues and grays, like a purple sunset over the ocean condensed into a single space. The furniture was of simple make, and so clean as to appear almost entirely unused. In a corner stood a small table, adorned with crystals, candles, and a number of seashells. The glow of sunlight from a window above blanketed the office in a drowsy warmth. On his desk were four small picture frames, one containing a photo of himself and Goldhawk, one of Bluefalcon, one of what was presumably his immediate family, and one of a younger, mid-twenties Blackskull embracing a similarly-aged boy with purple-dyed hair. The entire room radiated an air of zen that currently could not be said to possess the Dark-Type Specialist himself. Blackskull sat at the corner table, sitting cross-legged and facing toward the door. He gestured for Lohe to take a seat across from him. "It's Lohe, right? How can I help you?" IC - Emmerich Coleman - Seated, Train: For the majority of their conversation, Emmerich had only half-paid attention to what Ryan and Chloe discussed. At the words 'family situation,' however, he couldn't help but glance over at the pair, nor could he stop an eyebrow from raising at the mention of Chloe's 'crazy dad.' Still, he said nothing, opting to mind his own business for the time being. IC - Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron - Battle Cart, Train: Neptune landed with a squawk, face-planting on the ground. The Totodile pulled his face up, looking around, and let his head drop back to the floor with a sigh. Atum snorted, though similarly did not move to make another strike against Byakuya. Similarly, Lyxek and Kovian stared down Zangetsu, both ready to fight, but neither committing to it. It was clear that, for all their attempt to get into the spirit of the battle, each of them was still feeling the effects of the power outage, capable of offense yet uncomfortable with the lack of their abilities. Kyle and Sonja both scanned the battlefield, waiting, watching, and thinking. An uncomfortable silence had fallen over the entire group, broken only by the rumblings of the train around them and the occasional ring of a bell or train horn from outside. The stress of the situation was unbearable; Sonja could feel her hands shaking at her sides, a sensation only worsened when she clenched her fists to try to steady herself. "This is a complete mess . . ." "It's not that bad," Kyle said. "These guys just aren't used to it. Hopefully it won't be long before--" "I don't mean this stupid battle," Sonja responded. "I mean everything is a complete mess. McKinley lied about everything, he tricked us into helping him, and because of him, that . . ." Her fury faltered, replaced by something less steady. "That thing is out there, slowly eating everything; Pierce, Adams, and Goldhawk are dead; Ford and Hayes have no idea what to do; and Ellen . . ." Sonja's voice cracked. "How am I ever going to look Ellen in the eyes again, after what she's been through? I couldn't protect her from Hayes, I couldn't protect her from McKinley . . . and I can't protect her from this . . ." She brought her hands to her face, trying desperately to stop herself from crying. "All I wanted was to get my family back . . ." Her composure didn't hold, and she sunk to her knees, sobbing into her palms. "Sonja . . ." Kyle didn't know what to do to help her. He felt foggy, disassociated from himself and the situation. A halfhearted attempt to raise a hand toward her fell flat after a moment, and he couldn't seem to find the strength the take a step forward. So instead he could only stand, silent, watching and giving her time. The sensation of a small hand on her back gave Sonja pause. Ellen? It was a strange, yet hopeful thought--she knew that Ellen had remained on the plane, but perhaps she had actually snuck off and had made her way back to them? But no, it was not her. Instead Sonja found herself in the embrace of Neptune, the Totodile having padded his way back to his trainer in her time of distress. She took a few ragged breaths, confused yet thankful for the Pokémon's presence. She couldn't help but think back to when she had met Neptune--a little over half a year ago, in the waters of Village Bridge. Perhaps it was a coincidence that the Totodile hailed from the same town as Ellen herself; it was comforting nonetheless. She wrapped her arms around him, giving the Water-Type a quick, loving kiss on the nose. A sensation of warmth overcame Sonja as Neptune became engulfed in a white light. She opened her eyes, pulling back slightly from him and watching as his form shifted from that of a Totodile and into a Croconaw. As the light faded, Sonja felt herself lost for words. Luckily, Neptune the Croconaw had her covered. He chirped happily at her, running his face against hers. They were joined by Atum, who offered an approving growl to Neptune. The scene snapped Kyle back to reality. He took a breath of his inhaler, breathing deep--first in, then out. He approached the group, taking a seat nearby. Lyxek and Kovian joined him. "It's not all bad, guys," he gently repeated. "Things aren't great right now. But we aren't dealing with Missing Zero or the Signs or anything alone. And we still have time . . ." He dropped his stare to the ground. "Honestly, that's partly why I wanted to talk with both of you--why I was wondering about Ford. I don't know if you're afraid to go back, but if so, I want to help you, because you're two of my closest friends . . ." Kyle's left hand visibly trembled. Without looking, he moved to grab it with his other hand. He continued speaking, his voice shaking almost as much as his arm. "But I also needed to ask you guys to help me. Because we're going to meet with the Signs. And I am afraid of going back." He glanced at Sonja. "I'm going anyway, even if I don't want to, because someone has to. But I'm afraid of what they've done already, and I'm afraid of what they could do this time."

IC - Dr. Meghan Vert - Executive Suites, The Alamo: This caught Vert's attention. Intentional or not, there was an earnest sincerity behind it that hadn't been offered to her in a long time. She rested her cheek on her hand again, tapping a pen against her boot. For several seconds, Vert silently considered the question. "Do you enjoy watching your Pokémon and teammates fall in combat, while you sit there, physically incapable of helping?" she asked. "I don't. That's what started all of this. And over time, it spiraled out of control. People forget that even the most callous among them have suffered losses. I'm no exception." Vert glanced at the floor, nodding slightly as of to reassure herself. Finally, she turned back to her computer. "If you feel the need, I am happy to clarify further concerns in the future. But for now, I would like to get back to work, Mr. Cruize."

IC - Dr. Meghan Vert - Executive Suites, The Alamo: If she was bothered by the bite behind the question, Vert did not show it. Instead she planted an elbow on her desk, supporting her head on her palm as she gave Xander what could only be described as a look of amusement. "Yes, that is part of the reason," she said. "Kind of ironic, then, that they now look at the Power Suits as the first line of defense against Missing Zero. 'Morally reprehensible,' until they find an excuse to use them." Vert shook her head. "No more reprehensible than starting the biggest war in modern history, if you ask me, but what's my opinion worth?" She shrugged. "Regardless, no, that is not what I said. I've had contact with them, but it's all been monitored. Tetsuro and Tatsuo or whatever--I can never keep their names straight--have been assisting in Power Suit adjustments. So, yes, I've talked with them, but not to the extent that I'm giving out secret orders. Any claim to the contrary is a lie."

IC - Katou Miyu - Docks, Vermilion City: "I am Miyu." IC - Dr. Meghan Vert - Executive Suites, The Alamo: "Team Liberty has an extensive breeding program," Vert said. "Especially for new Agents, it's important that we keep a wide variety of Pokémon on-hand. Any that survived the suit power sampling process were sent there--which, unfortunately for non-Legendary Pokémon, was not a large number. Again, this is nothing new." IC - Executive Scott Stone - Lavender Tower, Lavender Town: The Executive glanced at Lafoyae before approaching the guard. He held out his ID. "Yeah, I think so," he said. "We're following up on an investigation into a murder that happened around July 17th. You wouldn't happen to know anything about a little girl who appeared in town around then, would you?" IC - Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron - Battle Cart, Train: With a whistle from Sonja, Atem skidded to a stop, launching Byakuya and Neptune several feet across the ground. The Totodile rolled off of the Bisharp's head, somersaulting along the ground before landing in a sitting position and shaking his head. With an adorable, chirpy growl, Neptune ran back toward Atem and Byakuya, leaping at the latter. Meanwhile, Lyxek used the momentum from his tail swing to move out of range of Zangetsu's attack, stepping back a bit. Seeing the Zangoose coming down from his jump and swipe, Kovian charged in, keeping low to the ground, and swung at the Normal-Type with his scalchops. Kyle stared at Ray for a moment. "I still trust you." He glanced briefly at Sonja. "Both of you. I don't know what anyone else has said, but whatever happened with McKinley isn't as straightforward as you deciding to abandon everyone--it's never been that simple with Ford. So just keep that in mind. I trust you." Though she still did not make eye contact, Sonja's shoulders seemed to loosen a bit. "It wasn't simple." She stared at the ground. "McKinley threatened and manipulated me, too. I'd be willing to bet that he did that to everyone. And we already know that he was manipulating the situation to ensure that Ford failed." Sonja grit her teeth, inwardly furious at the Fourth Child. "I wouldn't be going back if I didn't have to. But there's no other way for us to fix this. So I don't have a choice. None of us do."

IC - Executive Scott Stone - Lavender Tower, Lavender Town: Lead, he did. Through the quiet, misty streets, Scott led Lafoyae to Lavender Tower. They ran into no one on their trek, though they did pass a stumbling drunk with red hair, muttering something about an "Izzy." Scott paid him little mind. They were here to investigate a murder--a little girl who had come and gone--and nothing else. They entered the tower. It was empty, much like the streets outside. The only occupant was the unfortunate groundskeeper who had, Scott was sure, seen more than his fair share of phantoms in his time. If they were lucky, he would have seen their phantom girl. Scott turned to Lafoyae. "Maybe you could go speak to some of the Ghost-Type Pokémon here while I find out who was working on the day of the murder? They might have seen something." IC - Katou Miyu - Docks, Vermilion City: Reunion. Sweet. Very sweet. Miyu hovered behind Aori. She stared at Ryan. She smiled. Aori was crying. Happy reunion. Miyu bounced. "Heya." IC - Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron - Battle Cart, Train: "Follow your instincts, boys!" Sonja called. Atem snorted, kicking his foot against the ground and charging at Byakuya. Neptune held on for dear life as the Rhyhorn ran forward, though the impact of Atem locking his horn against Byakuya's blades inadvertently sent the Totodile flying off of the rhino's back. Neptune grabbed onto the first thing he could reach--which, in this case, ended up being Byakuya's face. Kyle couldn't stifle a chuckle at the sight of the skirmish. He dragged his attention back to his own Pokémon. Zangetsu was quickly closing the distance to Kyle's team. "Kovian, get ready to block," Kyle called. "Lyxek, intercept!" The Fraxure growled and ran forward, spinning and swinging his tail at the Zangoose. Figuring there was not much else to be done as far as giving out orders, Sonja placed her hands in her pockets. She shifted her weight, placing one foot behind her, and glanced between the ground and the boys. Kyle adopted a similar stance, looking at Ray, then Sonja, and then back to Ray. "So . . ." he said. "I never got the full story about how you guys ended up as part of Ford's master plot." He noticed Sonja bite the inside of her lip. Kyle shifted his attention to the ground for a moment. "You guys don't have to tell me anything, but I'm curious about what that was like, being in the middle of everything. Seeing his preparations from the inside. Stuff like that. Does it feel weird, knowing that we're going to his base?"

IC - Katou Miyu - Docks, Vermilion City: Miyu looked at Aori. She smiled wide, giggling. "Funny Aori," she said. "You sleep spoke."

IC - Executive Meghan Vert - Executive Suites, The Alamo: Xander earned himself a baffled look from Executive Vert. "'No way of confirming that'?" she repeated. "Goldhawk is the last person to slack off on an official report. Anyone with the proper authorization to speak to me at all would be able to find that information. It's not a secret to Goldhawk, Blackskull, Silvermind, Executive Arthur, or anyone else involved in my case that my process for developing the Power Suits relied on materials from Legendary Pokémon that I had no access to. My solution to compensate was shipments of primarily Fairy-Types--from Kalos and, yes, through the Signs--to be brought to Four Island for cloning and implementation into the Power Suits." She turned back to her computer with a shake of her head. "My last shipment never arrived and turned out to be unnecessary, as evidenced by the existence of the Fairy-Type Suit. As I said, leadership is already aware of this--that was part of Goldhawk's decision to strip me of my position and imprison me." The former Executive glanced at her calendar. "If this was a recent confrontation, then my guess is that they finally got their ship in order and delivered. Why they bothered after a month of no contact is beyond me." IC - Katou Miyu - Dock, Vermilion City: The crowd of people was thick. Aori pushed her way through. She got to the front. Miyu moved behind her. She watched the crowd. She looked at the boat. A man stood at the front of the crowd. He looked correct. Miyu pointed. "Ryan Hikari is there?" IC - Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron - Battle Cart, Train: Kyle nodded. "On three. Let's take turns counting off." He winked to Sonja with a small smile. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. Kyle crouched, mirroring the preparations his Pokémon made. "One . . ." Sonja sighed. Atum kicked his foot against the ground. Neptune held on tight to his head, set in a pouncing stance. "Two."

IC - Katou Miyu - Beach, Vermilion: "Perhaps but where go?" IC - John Ford/Tyler McKinley/Thomas Warren - Hall, Black Horse Manor: "The materials in the Great Hall are at your disposal." IC - Executive Meghan Vert - Executive Suites, The Alamo: At an initial glance, there didn't really appear to be much of anything for Mordred to consider taking. Vert kept few personal keepsakes here, and those present primarily occupied the desk where she currently worked. "The formalities are quite unnecessary, Mr. Cruise," Vert said, very clearly uninterested in the conversation. "And I can assure you that any crimes related to my endeavors have already been addressed by Goldhawk." IC - Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron - Battle Cart, Train: "I still don't understand how this is supposed to help anything," Sonja said quietly. She picked through the Poké Balls on her belt, considering which of her own teammates could handle a battle without powers to support them. "I mean, I don't know about you two," Kyle said, pulling two of his own. "But I'm not exactly great in a hand-to-hand fight, even when I'm not . . . well . . ." He gestured to himself. From the bandages and bruises that he still wore, his implication was not difficult to infer. "And even if I was, a Pokémon without typical attacks is generally going to be a better choice than the average person. Especially if we end up in a fight with . . ." As he moved back several steps to form a triangle with Sonja and Ray, he stumbled on his words and paused. He glanced at his companions, clearly worried they had noticed. "Er . . . A fight in Kalos. That place is . . . a lot more dangerous than you might expect." Kyle tossed his two Poké Balls into the air. Flashes of light coalesced into the forms of Kovian, his Dewott, and Lyxek, his Fraxure. Like Byakuya and Zangetsu, they appeared confused at first, but quickly assessed their surroundings and company and deduced what was going on. Each shifted into a battle stance, unfazed by the void of power that still encompassed them. "I . . . guess that's a fair point," Sonja said. She hadn't really considered that particular point--part of her had taken it for granted, and it was obvious once spoken aloud, but it surprised her nonetheless to realize that they had not really discussed what they might do if they encountered a serious confrontation. She picked her own Pokémon and released them onto the field. Neptune the Totodile and Atum the Rhyhorn appeared. "Keep our teams sharp for when or if we run into danger. Same as always." "Right. Yeah," Kyle said. "And, you know . . . It's also just a fun thing to do. The alternative is just sitting around brooding for the entire train ride, which isn't really helpful. Might as well pass the time, right?"

IC - Katou Miyu - Beach, Vermilion City: For every odd look directed toward Aori and herself, Miyu returned one of an even higher intensity. She did not blink, merely stared back at each passerby, until each became so uncomfortable that they scrambled to gather whatever belongings they had with them and took off in a hurry. Miyu hummed to herself, skipping across the beach. She came to a halt, looking out at the ocean. "There is ship." IC - Executive Booker Samir - Archives Department, The Alamo: After a moment of sizing up Richard, Executive Samir pursed his lips. "I . . . will . . . consider it," he said, slowly. ". . . after I'm back on the clock. And have reviewed your file." IC - Guard Roland Dracus/Guard Oliver Dracus - Executive Suites, The Alamo: The two guards--who, on closer inspection, were clearly twins and about the same age as Xander--exchanged a look. The one on the left shrugged and looked back at Xander, "Papers?" He looked over Xander's permission notes. "All right. Try to make it quick." They allowed Xander and Mordred into Vert's office-turned-prison. She sat at her computer, off to the side of the room, deep in thought as she pored over a schematic of one of the Power Suits. The sound of the door closing caught her attention, and she offered a brief glance at her visitors. "Yes?" IC - John Ford/Tyler McKinley/Thomas Warren - Hall, Black Horse Manor: Ford fell silent, tapping his pen against his knee, his expression troubled. Slowly, he moved his foot back to the ground and stood, approaching Alma and Alex's Pokémon. He stooped down to their level, pulling a cylindrical tool from his coat pocket and holding it to his eye. He muttered something to himself, leaning forward and shifting his attention from the Dedenne to the Sneasel, and so on. "Interesting . . ." he murmured. "No distinguishable changes in physiology . . . Do you mind . . .?" He reached out for Dedenne's paw. After a moment of hesitation, Didi offered her front left paw to him. Ford pressed the device to her foot pad. "Power readings normal . . ." He peered closely at her for an uncomfortable amount of time. He raised his device again, directing his attention to her eye. "A flash of light, followed by another flash of light . . ." He frowned, lowering his device. Ford tapped his fingers for a moment, and then stood up, approaching the fireplace. The Shadowed Man took a moment to think. "You say that these lights affected both humans and Pokémon?" he asked. "I cannot say for certain--this is beyond the scope of anything I have yet encountered." Ford turned, "That being said . . . there is a strong possibility that the source of this . . . condition, was a spell. An incredibly powerful one, if it managed to affect people and Pokémon on such a large scale--something that would utilize the fabric of reality itself as a conduit." He shook his head. "Again, this is only speculation--but there are certain rituals within my own circle that allow for temporarily disabling one's supernatural abilities. To think of one capable of spreading that far . . . and with the implications of a permanent effect . . ." The Shadowed Man fell silent again, staring into the flames. "So how would one fix it, boss?" McKinley asked. Ford's expression remained stoic. "I do not know," he admitted. "I will have to investigate this further--find out where . . . one in the position to do so, would have even come across such a recipe." He rubbed his head. Something else clearly troubled him, but he did not voice it. Instead, he straightened up. "Regarding your friends . . . I believe a mix-up has occurred. It is clear to me that you do not hail from this world, but another, parallel one. How you came to enter ours is a matter of speculation, one that is, perhaps, ultimately not important to the situation at hand. Our aim now is merely to correct your circumstances--it does nothing for the police to take doppelgangers into custody when their true culprits remain at large." He looked at McKinley and Warren. "If you would, Tyler, send a message to the police requesting the immediate release and delivery of LaDonna and Zann to Black Horse Manor. Tell them I will explain the situation in due time. Meanwhile, Thomas, I'd like you to prepare rooms for our guests--there is not reason to make them stay in the wilderness while we work on fixing what has broken." Warren bowed. "Of course, sir." He left the room, followed by McKinley a moment later. IC - Executive Scott Stone - Lavender Town, Kanto: Packing their bags was nothing special. Organizing a last-minute flight to Lavender Town was nothing special. The flight itself was not special, aside from the eerie, ruby glow of Missing Zero as they passed above the massive zone it had contaminated. Its form shimmered and rippled in the night, radiating out into the ocean around it, which eventually swallowed the creature's edge and returned them into darkness. They entered the airspace above Kanto. City lights appeared below, only to disappear and be replaced by darkened forests and prairies, which soon again gave way to more lights. On and on this went, until the misty form of Lavender Town came into view. The tall tower for which it was known stood stalwart against the moon, a quiet monument that Scott could not tear his eyes from as they began to descend. Their helicopter landed in a small, privately-owned airfield just outside the city, and before long he and Lafoyae had exited the vessel and stepped into the silent town. Mist encompassed the currently-dead streets. The Executive pulled his coat closer to his body. Despite the warm summer night, the confines of Lavender Town seemed to turn the air cold. He gripped Julius's Poké Ball, suddenly aware of the lack of Ghost-Type coverage within his team. He looked to Lafoyae. "To the tower, then." IC - Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron - Battle Cart, Train: The battle cart was reasonably sized. Under normal circumstances, of course, they would have to be mindful of the fact that this was still part of a moving locomotive, and thus would have to avoid doing anything super crazy . . . but then again, the lack of Pokémon abilities meant that there wasn't much lasting damage to be done, anyway. That made things a lot more straightforward--their combatants would have to be smart, strong, fast, sneaky, and creative, but not necessarily careful. He clapped his hands together, looking at Ray and Sonja. "All right, you guys ready? I figure we can rotate--take turns battling each other, three battles total. Any preferences on who goes first? Or maybe we could just do this all at once, two Pokémon each, battle royale-style?" "Kyle, seriously," Sonja said. "There isn't a point in this if our Pokémon can't fight. I just want to relax while I can, until we get to . . ." She glowered at the wall. "To Blackthorn." Her pause did not go unnoticed. "Sonja, when have you ever really relaxed?" he asked. "You've been on edge for--literally--months, ever since we got back from Unova. You've been on edge since we got back from Two Island. Whatever you're doing to 'relax' hasn't worked and isn't working now." Sonja stopped herself halfway through taking a step forward. "That's none of your concern--" "Sonja!" Kyle clapped his hands together. "Please. As your friend, I am asking you--begging you to do this. Just . . . humor me." There was something strangely urgent in his plea. Sonja closed her eyes, letting out a deep, exasperated breath. "Fine. Fine." She shook her head. "One battle. And then we get back to our seats." "Okay. That's good." Kyle's shoulders relaxed. He looked at Ray. "Are you in?"

IC - Executive Booker Samir - Archives Department, The Alamo: Executive Samir looked between Richard and Claus. It was a miracle they had not made him drop his lunch. He leaned back in his seat, scratching the back of his head with his free hand. "If you've got credentials with Team Liberty, the information is yours," he said. "You don't need my permission to access what we have on famous trainers . . . unless otherwise stated. Fact of the matter on Diamond, though--we know he's missing. Not a whole lot else. Otherwise he probably would've been found by now." He pulled his keyboard closer and began typing on it. "Regardless, if you want to look for him, you're more than welcome to. ID?" He looked at Claus, copying the number down. A moment later Claus's comm buzzed with a message, in which he would find all of the Archive Department's relevant files on Lucas. Samir pushed the keyboard away, his work done. "Anything else? If not, I wish you the best of luck. Next time, please mind the sign." IC - Katou Miyu - Beach, Vermilion City: They arrived at the beach shortly. Like the blink of an eye and then they were there. It was crowded. Many people lingered. The people were noisy. They moved in crowds. The crowds conversed about the refugees. They talked of One Island, too. They were not subtle. Miyu watched them. Her expression remained impassive. "Where to begin we look?" IC - Executive Scott Stone - Executive Suite, The Alamo: The Executive checked his watch. "If we leave in the next hour, we still won't arrive until close to eleven," he said. "Then again, I've heard ghosts are more active at night. Maybe one will have seen something." Scott nodded to Lafoyae. "All right. Let's go tonight, then. I'll meet you at the helipads." IC - Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron/Emmerich Coleman - Train, En Route: The train moved seamlessly along the tracks, but there was noticeable tension amongst the group in their seats. Kyle sat across from Sonja and next to Ray, who sat across from General Coleman. He glanced between the former two, his arms crossed in the same sort of discomfort that Sonja displayed by staring out the window and refusing to make eye contact with her fellows. Across the isle, Ryan and Chloe spoke quietly to one another. God, I hate this . . . After some time, Kyle coughed loudly, and then nudged Ray. "Hey, do you think this train has a battle cart like other trains do?" "If it does, it's probably not in use right now, owing to the power outage," Emmerich pointed out. "Great!" Kyle exclaimed, hopping to his feet. "Ray, Sonja, I propose we go to the battle cart and have a practice match. Might as well, since no one else is using it, right?" Sonja gave him a look. "Kyle, there's no point in--" "I beg to differ!" Kyle didn't necessarily have the raw strength available to manhandle the two, but he effectively managed to do so, bringing them both with him down the train and through the connecting door. "Come on--it's time for a tussle."

IC - Scott Stone - Executive Suite, The Alamo: "Today or tomorrow. My schedule's as open as it needs to be."

IC - Miyu Katou - Refugee Center, Vermilion City: "Perhaps we search for loose coin. Buried treasure?" IC - Scott Stone - Executive Suite, The Alamo: The Executive handed Lafoyae a transcript of what had been discerned from the scrambled recording recovered in Lavender Town. "It's pretty clearly Shadow Admin Ace," he said. "That much we'd already figured out. Unfortunately much of the file was destroyed, so we don't know exactly what it was that Masters had picked up at the time he was killed." He tapped his fingers on the desk, looking over Dragalge's autopsy report again. "I was more thinking--maybe there's a place that was overlooked for witnesses during the initial police investigation. They weren't in the mindset of looking for a person, but for a Pokémon. So even if they asked those people whether they had seen any violent Pokémon, they might not have thought to ask about violent people . . ." He paused. "A Ghost-Type Pokémon initially under suspicion in Lavender Town, hiding a young girl under suspicion by Team Liberty. In the struggle, it's likely they were hurt. The Pokémon Center might be a good place to start--see if they healed up afterwards . . ." He looked at Lafoyae. "Maybe you'd be up for a trip?" IC - Sonja Baron/Emmerich Coleman/Kyle Eston - Streets, Goldenrod City: "Exactly," Sonja said. "We have our own mission to worry about and we're on a time crunch. We don't have time to waste trying to help people who aren't going to actually tell us anything useful about what's going on, let alone be cryptic about it while also saying that they're trying to handle it themselves. If it was serious enough for us to drop our business with Ford, then that would be another story, but by all appearances, it doesn't seem to be anywhere near the same league." "I agree," Kyle said carefully. "but I also agree that antagonizing people doesn't help us, either. We could have directed them to someone else who's available and had them on-hand to help us out later on down the line. " "Then why didn't any of you suggest that yourselves before they took off?" Sonja asked. "Ryan, Coleman and I were the only ones even talking to them. And that wasn't exactly a short walk." Kyle did not have a good response to that point. She shook her head, bringing a hand to her face and breathing an air of exhaustion. "I don't even understand why we're arguing about this . . . " She looked at Chloe. "If you want to stay back and help them, then that's fine, but I can't do that. Not until this thing is taken care of."

IC - Miyu Katou - Refugee Center, Vermilion City: "Perhaps we beg?" IC - Scott Stone - Executive Suite, The Alamo: Scott did not expect the telepathy. He pushed aside any feelings of unsettlement brought about by the uncanny communication method, bringing his fist to his lips and thinking. "Most of these murders occurred in isolated locations," he said, glancing at Kai's name on the board. "Prior to Agent Masters, the most recent death happened at Mt. Moon. The body was discovered by a group of hikers a couple of days after the event, so any leads that would have been present there are an inherent bust as far as witnesses are concerned. Same goes for most of the others. Masters, on the other hand . . ." The Executive sighed, lowering his hand. "We're working on that. We've heard rumors about a girl who came into town that day, but we haven't had any luck finding anyone who saw where she went or when she left town. As far as we can tell, she and Masters were the only ones present at the scene of the . . ." Scott trailed off, furrowing his brow. "Wait." He stood, turning to his desk and shifting through some papers. He pulled a report from the pile, flipping through it. "Masters was killed at a cemetery house," he murmured. "And his Dragalage's body showed signs of electrical burns as well as . . ." Scott grabbed a highlighter and circled a paragraph. "Shadow damage. The kind you would see from something like Dark Pulse or Shadow Ball." He tapped his fingers on the desk. "The Lavender Town police only called us in after their initial investigation led them to conclude that Drake's death was caused by a wild Pokémon, which this seems to indicate would be some kind of Ghost-Type. But they didn't hear the recording and didn't know who or what exactly to look for. So between a young girl, a Ghost-Type Pokémon, possibly an Electric-Type, as well . . . There's a very strong possibility that someone in Lavender Town would be able to connect those details together. It's just a matter of figuring out where to go and ask." IC - Emmerich Coleman/Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron - Streets, Goldenrod City: "I am not at liberty to share the details of our mission with non-military personnel," Emmerich answered, falling back behind the mask of the Team Rocket General that he had spent the better part of his life constructing. The stoic professionalism in his manner easily hid his present caution and lack of trust. "Suffice to say, it's a matter of national security. That is all I can tell you." "Honestly, we shouldn't have gotten mixed up here at all," Sonja said. "If this is something you're trying to handle locally, then we're not the people to help you."

IC - Miyu Katou - Refugee Center, Vermilion City: Surprisingly, Miyu was awake already. She appeared to have been so for some time. Not a trace of sleepiness remained in her eyes. She was sitting up when Aori returned. "Hello," she said. "What is the plan to us pursue?" IC - John Ford/Tyler McKinley/Thomas Warren - Great Hall, Black Horse Manor: It appeared to take a moment for Ford to register that he was being spoken to--as a matter of fact enough time had passed that it would not have been unreasonable to assume that he had heard neither Alex nor Alma. In due time, however, he pulled his glasses away and pocketed them, flipping his notepad closed and turning to face his visitors. He studied them for a moment and then approached, stepping down from the dais so that he stood on their level. Even so, he towered above the younger trainers (as well as his own agents). He bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said. "I can certainly offer assistance--I've generally found it to be in my best interest to do so, as time has gone on. Of course, offering solutions is best done one at a time, and under minimal stress." He gestured to a set of doors leading to an adjacent room, and began to lead the way. "Come, let us speak in private." Warren moved ahead to hold the door open, allowing Ford, McKinley, Alma, Alex, and their Pokémon through. There was really nothing of particular note inside--it was a simple den, with black-cushioned couches surrounding an empty fireplace. Ford sat in a singular chair, retrieving his notepad and glasses from his pocket while he waited for his guests to sit. "There is, of course, no guarantee that the solutions I offer will be optimal for all involved," Ford warned. "But let us worry about that later. For now, perhaps you can tell me a bit more about your situation. You're not quite the same sort that typically seeks me out." He glanced at McKinley and Warren. "Of course, I'm a fairly firm believer than all things happen for a higher purpose, so perhaps this is a purpose that we can uncover together." IC - Scott Stone - Executive Suite, The Alamo: As James left, Scott couldn't stop a hint of uncertainty from seeping into his expression. Nonetheless, he reformed his composure, took a moment to measure up Lafoyae, and then stepped back with a nod to allow her access to the office. It was nothing spectacular compared to other Executives' offices--decorations were sparse, and those that were present had been largely covered by the materials of Scott's investigation into the murders of his fellow Liberty Agents. One entire wall had been converted into a massive whiteboard, and it was here that Scott had created his investigation web. One section detailed in chronological order the names of the various murder victims--all reasonably suspected of having died by the same hands. The most recent was Drake Masters, followed by Kai Stone, and then four others. Other information included pictures of the murder scenes, written notes on autopsy reports and suspected methods, and reports on activity around the crime scenes at the time each murder had taken place. Most prominent was the transcript of the message recovered from Drake's Poké Gear. Next to it, written in black marker and then underlined and circled in red, was a single word: "ACE." "I'd say you could take a seat, but, well . . . Excuse the mess," Scott said dryly. He moved to the edge of his desk, sitting down on the single corner not covered with paper. "I'm not sure where to even start with talking about this investigation, so if you have any ideas, I'm all ears." IC - Sonja Baron/Kyle Eston/Emmerich Coleman - Streets, Goldenrod City: Only when he was certain that the supposed criminals were gone did General Coleman remove his hand from his pistol grip, finally breaking his gaze away from where they had stood and following after the rest of his own group. Kyle lagged behind him for a moment, before returning Jaeda to her Poké Ball and heading out with them. "What, exactly, do you think they're involved in?" Emmerich asked. "If they're that notorious then I feel as though I would have heard something about them by now."

IC - Miyu Katou - Refugee Center, Vermilion City: Miyu nodded. "Good night." IC - Executive Scott Stone - Executive Suites, The Alamo: The door opened, revealing a surprisingly young Executive between it and the frame. Behind him, pictures, documents, and notes covered a large bulletin board, connected by red strings--an investigation. Executive Stone maneuvered the door to hide it from Lafoyae's unfamiliar eyes. "Executive Arthur," he said, clearly not enthused at being interrupted from his work. "What's the occasion?" IC - Sonja Baron/Kyle Eston/Emmerich Coleman - Streets, Goldenrod City: The other group scampered off. General Coleman's eyes followed them until they had completely vanished from sight. When they did, he relaxed his grip on his pistol, bringing his hand back to his side. Kyle recalled Jaeda and the pair moved forward, joining the others. Sonja took a moment, paused, and then sighed, recalling Sheik. "We're from Team Liberty," she said, giving only a glance to Corey. Her eyes fell back on the girl. "That's hers." She gestured to Chloe. "Now who are you both, who were those people, and what is going on?" "Sonja," Kyle said, his tone firm. "Dial it back a bit." Annoyance flashed on Sonja's face, but she said nothing, instead closing her eyes for a second and giving a slight shake of her head. "We have a train to catch soon," she said, opening them again. "We don't have a lot of time to spend here. If it's a matter for the police, then we need to know so that we can contact someone now."

IC - Miyu Katou - Refugee Center, Vermilion City: Miyu remained silent for several moments. <"I did not lose them."> She blinked at Aori and did not elaborate further.

IC - Miyu Katou - Refugee Center, Vermilion City: Miyu gave a short shrug. <"I have nowhere to go,"> she said. <"Perhaps I could join you."> IC - Archives Department, The Alamo: For a few moments, no response came from the other side of the dull, lifeless, devoid-of-personality-gray door. After another round of ceaseless banging, however, footsteps sounded from the other side, and the door opened. A man of average height stood in the frame, donned in a smart suit that accentuated his Middle-Eastern features. His dark eyes glanced briefly from Richard to Claus and back again. He held a half-eaten chicken sandwich in his hands. Executive Booker Samir gave one glance to the 'Out to lunch' sign that had fallen to the ground, before returning his attention to the boys before him. "Can I help you?" IC - Tyler McKinley/Thomas Warren - Black Horse Manor, Kalos: "As anyone ever told you that you're a little creepy?" McKinley asked. "Just kidding. I'd pat your head to prove it, but I'm worried I'd lose it if I tried." It took surprisingly little time for them to arrive at their destination. The place was tall and wide and long, a keep within the manor where surprisingly few individuals scurried about in their various pursuits. It was not a small room, nor a throne room as one might have expected. By all appearances it was, instead, a throne room that had been converted into a massive study-slash-planning room. The tall walls reached up dozens of feet, and almost every inch had been converted into shelves housing thousands of books, many accessible only by hovering platforms. Closer to the floor, some spaces had been turned into monitoring areas, dominated by massive screens connected to maze-like terminals. Dotted around the room, too, were tables and projection desks, displaying maps, dossiers on various people and Pokémon and cities and regions, and some that appeared dedicated to analyzing various symbols of bizarre design. All told, it was as if Opelucid City itself had been taken, miniaturized, and transformed into the entrance hall of someone's home. Chief among all those present was the tall man at the back of the room. Here sat what could only be described as a throne, an ebony seat decorated with emeralds. Yet the man to whom it belonged did not take this seat. Instead he stood at a nearby screen, pale skin and dark green coat illuminated by its light. His bright green eyes scanned the image before him with directed focus, searching for something specific in the image and the words around it. Occasionally he would write something on the notepad in his hands, before returning his attention to its original target. McKinley turned to Alex and Alma, pointing to the man. "That," he said. "is John Ford. If anyone can solve your Poké-problem, it's him." IC - Sonja Baron/Kyle Eston/Emmerich Coleman - Streets, Goldenrod City: The woman looked too happy to be a common thief. Clearly she was oblivious to her own actions, or perhaps she had made some mistake. Or, maybe, she was just a dull lightbulb. Either way, they didn't have time to dilly-dally and sort out someone else's issue. Sonja hopped off of Sheik and took a step toward the girl. Her expression was stony, bereft of amusement. "You just took my friend's Pokémon," she said. "I don't know why you did it, but give it back and that'll be the end of this." The rush of wind from as Jaeda descended several feet away from the circle made it difficult to hear the conversation, but Kyle managed to catch most of what Sonja had said. Privately, he was relieved that she wasn't jumping to making threats--sending out Sheik was enough exacerbation for the situation. He slid off of the Flame Pokémon's back after Emmerich. The General reached a hand into his coat. "What are you doing?" Kyle asked. "Being proactive." Emmerich gave a short nod toward the group that their culprit had been running toward. "Ideally our Legendary friends will be enough of a deterrent, but considering we don't know anything about these people . . ." He pulled his Rocket badge out of his coat; the other remained on the grip of the firearm at his waist. "You can never be too careful." "Right . . ." Kyle looked from the confrontation with Sonja, to the other group on the street, and back again. "Hopefully it doesn't come to that."

IC - Miyu Katou - Refugee Center, Vermilion City: With a slight tilt of her head, Miyu smiled at Aori. Miyu never took her eyes off of the other girl. <"Yes, this is much better,"> she replied. She reached forward, her movement slow. She scratched under Yuri's chin. <"Are you to stay here, Aori?"> IC - Tyler McKinley/Thomas Warren - Black Horse Manor, Kalos: "Welp, we're home," McKinley announced. He took a few steps toward the building in front of them, turned, and cast his hands into the sky. "Welcome to Black Horse Manor!" 'Manor' was perhaps a misnomer. The structure in front of Alex and Alma could more closely be described as a castle--and a very large one, at that. Built from darkened stone, it stood against the sun as an imposing giant, donning green across its many faces and towers. Flags adorned with the four-horse symbol of the Signs whipped in the wind high above. Across the walls and yard, guards patrolled, ensuring their charges remained safe within. Altogether it was a formidable sight, one encapsulating the sheer power behind Ford's name. As the world resolved around them, Alex studied their surroundings. "Nice to be conscious for one of these for once," he murmured. Next to him, Raleigh hung his head in shame, until Alex set down his crutch to lay a reassuring hand upon the Ralts' head. "Not your fault," he reassured him, before looking to Warren for direction. The exchange appeared to go unnoticed by McKinley and Warren, the former of whom continued speaking. "We've arrived in the courtyard, just outside the main entrance. Legally, this is as close as anyone is allowed to get via direct teleportation. Technically we're allowed to bypass it, but the anti-teleportation fields within the castle make it a bit hard to make use of that little perk." "McKinley," Warren snapped. "Perhaps it is not the best idea to divulge the security measures around here?" "I'll worry about what kids are going to do with that information when you learn how to have fun," McKinley replied. He shook his head, unable to contain his grin. "Alright, come on--Ford's in the main hall." He led the way forward, through the gates. IC - Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron/Emmerich Coleman - En Route to Train Station, Goldenrod City: If the abduction of an owl hadn't been obvious enough to catch everyone's attention (it mostly was), Ray's ensuing exclamation did the job (for Sonja). The Liberty Agent frowned, furrowing her brow in clear annoyance, and pulled an Ultra Ball from her belt. In a flash, she had unleashed Sheik. The Raikou unleashed a triumphant roar at her reappearance into the world before stooping down to let Sonja climb on her back. When she had, trainer and Pokémon hurried forth, aiming to cut off their culprit's escape. Kyle paused in his move to summon his own Pokémon when he noticed the shock on Emmerich's face. "Yeah, we're friends with a couple of those," he said, releasing Jaeda. He offered a hand to Emmerich as he climbed on her back. "Hop on, I can explain where we got them." The exasperation in his voice did not go unnoticed. "Never a dull moment for us . . ."

IC - Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron/Emmerich Coleman - Goldenrod Airport, Johto: Given that he hardly knew anyone else on the plane, Kyle felt a little awkward offering anyone but Ellen and Paul his farewell. Even then, he knew he wasn't the closest with either of them, and he figured that his companions had said all that really needed to be said between them. As a result, he merely gave the pair a wave and a smile before following after Ray and Ryan. The others were assembled already. He shouldered his bag, nodding to Chloe. "Yeah. Let's not stress about the small things--we've got enough on our plate already." "I agree," Emmerich spoke up. "I've taken this train to Abyss enough times to know where to go. There's nothing to worry about." He glanced at his watch. "Except for the time, perhaps. We should get moving if we want to keep on schedule."

IC - Miyu - Refugee Center, Vermilion City: Miyu nodded. Her expression was still stilted, but it appeared that she was thinking--even offering what was perhaps a look of awkward awareness. "I am apologize," she said. "I am not speaking well. English is only my second speech." She looked at Yuri. "May I pet?" IC - Tyler McKinley/Thomas Warren - Outside Reflection Cave, Kalos: Warren spent some time mulling over the question. At last, he moved his hand from his chin, dropping it to his hip. "I feel there is something not quite right at work here," he said slowly. "I was content to simply endure the walk before, but now . . . It would seem time is of the essence. I suggest we move and report to Ford immediately. If nothing else, he can prevent the police from doing anything rash with your companions before their guilt is proven--or disproven." "What, you don't trust the fuzz?" McKinley asked, unable to stop a grin from overtaking half of his face. "I thought Jenny's work was 'flawless.'" "I have never made that claim," Warren responded. His huffed attitude implied otherwise. "Regardless, I--" He sighed, shaking his head. "I don't have time to get into this with you right now, McKinley. Just take us to Ford." "Alright, alright, have it your way," McKinley conceded. Luckily for him, Warren did not appear to hear him mutter "Buzzkill" over the sound of Xatu emerging from its Poké Ball. The Signs Agent looked at Alma and Alex. "You two cool with teleporting? We're going to, anyway, but I feel obligated to ask. You know, consent and all." IC - Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron/Emmerich Coleman - Goldenrod Airport, Johto: All things considered, Kyle had to give it to the pilot: That was perhaps the smoothest plane landing he had ever experienced. As a matter of fact, he likely would never have known that the plane had stopped at its destination had the pilot not taken to the intercom and announced as much. "Folks, this is your captain speaking," she said. "We've arrived at your first requested stop in Goldenrod City. For those of you making your final stop here, disembark procedures will be completed momentarily. For the rest of you, we will be heading out in about thirty minutes, once we have finished refueling. Thank you for choosing Unsanctioned Liberty Flights and have an excellent day." Not a drop of sarcasm was lost on the cargo. Sonja, Kyle, and Emmerich stood up. "Alright," Sonja said. "I guess it's time we split up." She looked at the members of 'Silver Team,' giving each a brief nod. "I don't really know any of you that well, but . . . Stay safe until we meet up." With no outward sign of her internal struggle to do so, she looked at Ellen and Paul. "You two . . . Have a safe trip back home. Say hi to Anna for me, will you?" It was all she could really bring herself to say. After all, the more she had thought about it, the more painfully obvious it became that she likely wouldn't see Ellen again--at least not for a long time. That was, of course, assuming that they lived that long. She made for the exit as quickly as she could.

IC - Miyu - Refugee Center, Vermilion City: The silence ran deep. It lasted for a long while, too. The rest of the center had fallen into sleep when Miyu finally broke her steady gaze on the wall, looking at Aori and her Eevee. "What is it called?" IC - Tyler McKinley/Thomas Warren - Reflection Cave, Kalos: Thomas Warren and Tyler McKinley spent a long time staring at Belle and Alma, evidently unsure of what to make of their claim. The pair turned their heads toward each other, first McKinley and then Warren, engaging in a silent exchange. With a final shrug from McKinley, Warren sighed, crossing his arms and redirecting his attention back to the four trainers before them. Though they appeared no more understanding of the situation than they had a few moments before, it was clear that situation troubled both of them. "I will be completely honest, I have no idea what you are talking about," Warren said. "But if what you are saying and seeing is true, we might know someone who can make sense of this. If you all will follow us, we can take you to him--you can tell us more on the way." IC - Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron - The Alamo, Four Island: "Nope--all good. Just make sure the plane doesn't leave without me. Shouldn't take more than forty-five minutes." He hung up. Approximately an hour later, Kyle stumbled onto the airplane. He breathed heavily, suggesting that his trip from Bounty's office had been a very fast one. Luckily a seat was open near the front of the vessel, and he was able to promptly take a seat--after muttering something to the steward, . Sonja appeared above him, leaning over from the back of his seat. "How did it go?" "Well . . ." Kyle stretched. "I've got good news and bad news." He sat up, turning around to face everyone. "So, first off, we have the cane." He held up the instrument in question. It was fairly plain, brown in color with a white handle. To all present, there was nothing particularly special about it. "That's the one that he had in the egg?" Sonja asked. "The one that Ford wanted?" "Yes, I made sure." "Okay, that's definitely good." Sonja breathed a sigh of relief. "What's the bad news?" "Okay, so we were hoping to get all of this done without any executive oversight, right? Bounty . . . did not like that idea, particularly since I had to tell him why we needed his cane, and that involved telling him about what Esen and Victoire and I got involved with last time I was in Kalos, and . . . well . . ." Kyle turned to the plane entrance as a man stepped on-board. He was impeccably dressed in a black suit, with red buttons and trim on his sleeves. His hair was a dirty blond color, and his eyes a light blue. He carried a simple black bag in one hand, which contained the few belongings he needed for the mission. Every aspect of his dress and hygiene could be described as perfect--not a single hair out of place. "This is Emmerich Coleman, Team Rocket General and Bounty's son," Kyle said, offered a half-hearted gesture to the Rocket officer. "For better or worse, he'll be joining us on our mission." "Yes, I will," Coleman affirmed. He wasted no time in placing his bag in the overhead storage and taking an open seat. "And we ought to have left by now, if we're to stick to the transportation schedule." IC - Ethan Worth/Skye Hall - Mt. Payat, Four Island Skye was . . . stunned. Her entire body had frozen solid. Her eyes, wide as saucepans, drank in the simultaneously awesome and terrifying sight before her. It made her want to run away, and yet she couldn't. Her legs didn't work. She survived only by autonomous reflex--were it not for her body taking care to breathe and pump blood without conscious thought, she might have accidentally asphyxiated in the time that she had remained standing still. "Sooo . . ." Ethan nudged Skye. "Whadoya think?" She wanted to say something, though did not know what she would have said, but her voice had abandoned her. What came out instead was simply a high-pitched breath of air escaping her lungs. "Yeah," Ethan agreed. He crossed his arms, grinning. "It's pretty cool." 'Pretty cool' was not the way that Skye would have described the creature. It had emerged atop the nearby hill from a strange Poké Ball in Ethan's possession, a massive, muscular, multi-limbed mosquito thing. At first it had merely stood tall in the sunlight, its black and blood-red armor glistening in the morning rays. But then . . . then it had posed. Sunlight flashed off of its body in dazzling displays of showmanship, blinding bright and startlingly spectacular all at once. It stretched its arms, flexing banded muscles with enough gusto to send a flock of nearby birds aflight from the sight. And that was all. It had not done much else since being released from its container, but what it had done immediately froze Skye. This was partially because the creature was impressive in its own right. But it was also because Skye was fairly certain that she knew what it was. "Ethan," she breathed at last. "Where did you get . . . that?" The Rocket Agent rubbed his head. "Well, it's kind of a funny story," he said. "Some guy bumped into me at the airport and dropped it. He was in a rush, so I didn't get to get it back to him, but honestly I don't feel too bad about that considering he had kind of lousy manners--" "Just 'some guy'?" Skye repeated. "That's what I'm saying, yeah." Skye inhaled. "Ethan." She brought her hands together, slowing turning to face him. "Do you have any idea what that is?" "Nope. But it's pretty cool, right?" "Ethan." Skye lowered her voice to a high-pitched whisper. "That is a Buzzwole." "A Buzz-who?" "BUZZWOLE!" The creature in question turned toward Skye and Ethan with a suddenness that caused another flock of birds to take flight. She could not read its expression, but it felt accusatory. Skye could not prove this, so instead merely raised her hands up with a meek chuckle. "Don't mind me." The creature gave her a curt nod, and then resumed its posing. Skye grabbed Ethan and dragged him a few feet away. "Seriously Ethan, do you have any idea what that thing is?" "I'm getting the distinct impression that I should." Ethan glanced at the beast. "What's the big deal, though? He seems harmless. He's been pretty friendly every time I've talked to him." "How many times have you talked to him!?" "Mmm twice? Three times?" Ethan scratched his head. "I think this is the third. Kinda thinking I should name him at this point, don't you think? I was thinking Stan." "Ethan, this is serious," Skye said. "That thing might be dangerous." "Pssh, no way." Ethan waved her off. "Stan isn't dangerous." "Stop calling it Stan, it's a Buzzwole." "What's a Buzzlul?" "Buzz-wole. It's a thing that appeared in Alola not long ago--a bunch of them did. They nearly tore the region apart. They're like . . . I don't even know what to call them. They're from somewhere else. Like that blob thing." "Stan? No, he's not the blob thing. He's a lot nicer." "Is he, Ethan? Is he?" "Skye." Ethan placed his hands on her shoulders. "You're worrying too much. Look at him." He directed Skye's gaze toward Stan. The creature had resumed its posing, and now stood in a Crane Kick pose at the very top of the hill. "Trust me, I've dealt with dangerous things before--people and Pokémon. If he was going to hurt anyone, he would've done that by now." The look that Skye gave Ethan could have scratched a diamond. "How do you know that he wasn't captured because he harmed someone?" Ethan paused. When he did not answer, Skye gave him another look. "Well?" "I'll be honest, I had not considered that." "I figured." Skye sighed. "Look, let's call him back and bring him back to Alola--that's probably where Some Guy was headed. While we're there, we can see if Stan--if Buzzwole is dangerous or not. And we can also get Gavin that arm I promised him." "Deal." They shook on it.