Konuju

IC: Dahlia Seaton - Berry Fields, Kalos Laurel side-stepped into a small patch of flowers to avoid the Stunky. She called out a taunt to the poison-type, inviting it to try and find her within her hiding place. Dracos winced as the Seviper's sharp tail collided with his body, but instead of retreating the Dragonair pressed the attack, aiming to retaliate with an unpowered version of Wrap. Not far away, Asriel knelt his forelegs to the ground, springing his hind legs into the air in an attempt to kick off the Liepard that dared try and jump on him. Nutmeg bounced off the Krokorok's foot, dazed for a moment. When she realized what had happened, the little Turtwig bared her teeth and tried headbutting her foe again, this time jumping into the air to strike its less defensive stomach. Dahlia let the man take a few steps away from her before she extended her hand towards him. "Not so fast, you coward." Her eyes glowed with the power of Reverse, and while the man continued to walk away from her, his body instead moved closer to the furious gardener. Soon he was back in front of her. "Did you really think we'd let you off that easily? You intended to show no mercy to these people. So why should we show any to you?" She gripped the man's arm to prevent him from running away, even as the dark tendrils snaked their way up her arm towards the man. Dahlia drew closer and twisted the arm in her hand, her mouth set in a scowl. "We are not just a couple of defenseless little girls. Thugs like you like to prey on the weak, don't you? It makes you feel strong." She twisted the arm further. "Well, we're here to protect the weak -- and to put you in your place."

IC: Zoe Llyan - Clothing Store, Camphrier Town Esmeralda popped out of her Pokéball to nuzzle against the white fur of Zoe's coat, mewing her approval. "This'll keep me all warm and fuzzy!" Zoe said, picking up her Fennekin to snuggle with her. "Hey Collie, you should let Emmy pick out your clothes next! She'll make you look absolutely adorable!" IC: Ryan Sanders - Library, Vertrag "Well the question remains whether Ford has the Grimoire hidden somewhere else or if it's just bound by some sort of anti-summoning spell." Ryan looked over the sea of books once more. After a few moments he held out his hand. "Classical Fairy Tales." When nothing immediately happened he frowned, struggling to recall the proper Kalosian title. He spoke slowly and hesitantly. "Les . . . Les Contes de Fées Classiques." IC: Dahlia Seaton - Berry Fields, Outside Camphrier Town "Jared's gonna be mad that we got ourselves into trouble, don't you think, Dahlia?" "Not as much trouble as these guys are in," the gardener responded coldly. She lobbed her remaining Pokéballs at the enemy Pokémon. Laurel twirled towards the Stunky to draw its attention while Dracos slithered around the Seviper in some sort of serpentine dance. Asriel lowered his scythe and pounced toward the Liepard, locking the cat in combat. This left Nutmeg staring up at the grinning Krokorok. The tiny Turtwig made as intimidating of a face as she could muster before charging at her foe in a mighty headbutt. Meanwhile, Dahlia herself strode up to the assumed leader of the group before he could pick himself up and grabbed him by the neck of his shirt. Dark energy began to swirl around her like tendrils as a glimmer of red appeared in her naturally blue eyes. "Return the berries you stole and apologize to these people," she demanded. "After that, I don't want you setting foot in these berry fields ever again. Understand?" IC: Shannon Willows - Hotel Room, Vermilion City Dack had led the group to a hotel in the middle of the city; the ones next to the beach were too expensive, the Rocket agent had reasoned. Shannon had ordered a single room for herself, Ryan, and Aori to share on the notion that none of them wanted to be alone. The room itself was about the same size as her temporary living quarters in the Alamo, except in place of a breakfast nook there was a small living room furnished with a pull-out couch and a small table. A narrow corridor led past the bathroom to a pair of queen-sized beds. Shannon gently closed the door behind them, sealing them in a melancholy silence. "Well," she said after a long moment. "We're here." Selena and Salix scampered off into the bedroom. Shannon followed them and flopped onto one of the beds, staring up at the ceiling. Images of Miyu and Matthew still flashed in her mind's eye. Her vision blurred as her throat clenched up. Taking a deep breath, she sat up and wiped away her tears. She had to be strong for Aori. She refused to cry in front of her. "Aori, dear," she said in as pleasant a voice as she could muster. "Why don't we get you ready for that bath? I'm sure it'll feel good after all you've been through." On her way to the bathroom Shannon passed by Ryan. Their eyes met, and for the briefest of moments Shannon let her smile falter. Ryan looked just as uncertain as she felt, and it took all of her willpower not to break down right there. It was clear they needed each other's support. But Aori needed them more. IC: Dack/Madison - Another Hotel Room, Vermilion City Luke had insisted on getting his own room. Whether it was to give the lovebirds some privacy or to give himself space to think, he would not say. Regardless, Dack and Madison found themselves alone. For the longest time they sat on the edge of the bed, holding each other's hand for comfort. "I never got to say goodbye to him," Dack said. "Matthew, that is." Madison simply squeezed his hand and nodded. "What was he like?" She looked over at him in surprise. "Have you really forgotten?" Dack shook his head. "The Matthew I knew was only twelve. A lot can change in three years. How far did he get in his ninja training? Did he catch any other Pokémon? Did he get along with his classmates? At the memorial service we held after the avalanche . . . I felt like I was mourning someone I never knew. I abandoned him, just like I abandoned you." "Stop." Tears were pouring down Madison's face. "You didn't abandon us, and Matthew would hate to see you beating yourself up for that. He really admired you, Dack. Luke was the one who trained him, but he wanted to be just like you." "It doesn't change the fact that I wasn't there for him." Dack stared at his feet, fighting back his own tears. "Hearing that thing cry out for help in Matthew's voice . . . it was like I was witnessing the death that's haunted me for the past year. It knew exactly which buttons to push." Madison wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "What that thing did was beyond cruel. But you know it wasn't real. It was trying to trick you into letting your guard down." Dack met her eyes and took a deep breath, barely able to control his quivering lip. "That's what scares me the most," he whispered. "Hannah's Ditto had the ability to transform into something from memory, but this is something else entirely. It turned into something from our memories. Someone close to us. It read our minds, and not just our surface thoughts. It knew we would react to seeing Matthew, just like it knew Ryan would react to seeing Aori. And if that thing really is one of the Missing Zero's Instances, then that means there's more of them." Madison's face paled. "But if it can disguise itself as anyone we know . . . how can we know who to trust?" "We can't," Dack said with a grim face. "Shannon was holding Miyu's hand and couldn't see through its disguise. We can't come up with questions only we would know, because it can read our minds. We can't trust anyone." "D-don't you think you're overreacting?" Madison instinctively squeezed Dack's hand to assure herself it was really him. Of course, there was no way to really tell for sure. "Trust is what enabled Rocket and Liberty to work together on Two Island and One Island. If you take away that, the Missing Zero's already won." She shook her head. "It . . . it can disguise itself as a person, but it can't replicate someone sending out a Pokémon unless it had a Pokéball of its own. That's how we'll know who to trust." "Unless it had a Pokéball of its own," Dack repeated. "You're forgetting the Missing Zero can adapt to its surroundings. It learns." "Then . . ." Madison threw her arms around Dack and buried her face in his shoulders. "We can't let each other out of our sight. If we can't trust each other, we have nothing. We'll survive by sticking together."

IC: Ryan Sanders - Library, Vertrag Words could not express the awe and apprehension Ryan felt at the sight of the enormous expanse of bookshelves. Instead he summarized his reaction in a low whistle. "This looks like as good a place as any to find that grimoire," he said, paling at the thought of having to look through so many books. Did Ford even have enough time to read them all? "That other book might be here too. Les Con . . . er . . . Classical Fairy Tales." He glanced over at Sonja and Ray. "Should we start searching, or do you want to explore the rest of the base first and come back? We might be here a while." The entrance to the labyrinth of books stretched wide, as if welcoming them into an eternity of reading. Ryan chewed his lip. "A long while."

IC: Dahlia Seaton - Berry Fields, Outside Camphrier Town Dahlia took a step towards the leather coated man that had addressed them, her blood beginning to boil. "You would claim nature's bounty for yourselves?" she asked in a low voice. "Do you have any idea how much work goes into toiling the land to produce a harvest like this? These people work day and night to plow the soil, ensure the crops get enough water, and protect them from Bug Pokémon. They aren't just some mass-produced plants; an immense amount of love and dedication went into each one of these berries. And I will not permit you to hoard for yourselves what belongs to the people. Marsala! You may fire when ready." The Inkay looked surprised at being addressed and spent a moment looking around in a panic for said fire. It wasn't until Gerri hovered over to him with a small pebble in her arms that he realized what Dahlia meant. Taking the pebble with an appreciative nod, Marsala carefully flipped the stone upside-down before hurling it at man speaking with Dahlia. At the same time, Dahlia threw a Pokéball to the ground, releasing her Buneary. Taking one look at the man, Coco leapt forward and directed her powerful ears at his stomach. IC: Zoe Llyan - Clothing Store, Camphrier Town The interior of the store had an even wider selection than the shop windows. Before Zoe could even finish admiring one adorable clothing item, three more would catch her eye. Soon she was running back and forth like a . . . well, like a kid in a candy store. An eye candy store. Her seemingly boundless energy had only slightly started to wane when she ran up to Collie and Em wearing an oversized dress coat and tangled in a long, polka-dotted scarf. To top it all off she had adorned her head with a red beret that was clearly too big for her head. "So how do I look?" she asked as the beret fell over one eye. IC: Shannon Willows/Dack Majors/Madison Morrow/Luke - Miriam's Office, Team Rocket Vermilion Base "Well, it should be easy to include fruit in the menu." Shannon smiled at Aori as she patted her head. She looked up as Dack approached and spoke with Ryan. "We're going to find a hotel," the Rocket agent was saying in response to Ryan's question. "Ah, so are we!" Shannon stood back up, letting her Furret climb onto her shoulders. "Maybe we could find one together. It might be tough to find one with all the refugees from One Island, so we can help each other out. We were also discussing dinner plans." "I don't have a problem with that," Dack said. "Although I will have some business to attend to whenever Ms. Shields gets back with me. It could be later today, it could be tomorrow." "That's fine." Shannon cast a glance out the door, where Miriam was just barely visible, engrossed in her tablet. "We should probably get out of her hair, then. Shall we?" "Yeah, let's go," Madison said quietly. Luke nodded in agreement and followed the skier out of the office. "We could all use some fresh air." Dack followed his companions, leaving Ryan and Shannon alone with Aori. Shannon's cheerful attitude only briefly faltered at the former trio's melancholy. "Well we'd better not let them get too far ahead." Putting on a bright smile she took one of Ryan's hands -- leaving the other for Aori -- and led them out the door after their newfound friends.

IC: Ryan Sanders - Command Center, Vertrag "Sounds good to me." Ryan allowed himself a brief glance down the stairwell, wondering just how deep the command center went, before opening the door to their left. IC: Zoe Llyan - Shopping District, Camphrier Town Zoe couldn't believe her ears. Running up to the performer, she threw her arms around her to show her gratitude. "Emmy, you're the best!" she declared. IC: Dahlia Seaton - Berry Fields, Outside Camphrier Town The gardener paused mid-step, peering across the fields that lay before them in search of whatever had started shouting. Lachina quickly passed her up, clearly ready to bring whatever the situation was under control. It seemed almost like a natural response for the Ranger, never hesitating to help those in need. Gerri buzzed patiently in place while Marsala gave an inquisitive coo. Lachina had gone several steps ahead before Dahlia came to her senses and ran after her. "You don't suppose it's another wild Pokémon scuffle?" she asked Lachina. The last thing they needed right now was another fight like the one on Route 5, especially when it was just the two of them. If they faced another small army they would be quickly outnumbered. Steeling herself, Dahlia continued to run towards the shouts, hoping they would get an idea of the situation before they ran headlong into danger.

IC: Dack Majors/Madison Morrow/Luke - Miriam's Office, Team Rocket Vermilion Base "That's all I ask." Dack bowed his head. It wasn't much of an offer, but it was better than what they currently had. And if releasing Sanders' parents meant getting Liberty to release some of their prisoners, then as far as Dack was concerned it was a win-win situation. "Thank you, Ms. Shields. Here's my Pokétch number if you need to contact me." With that taken care of, Dack returned to the office to grab his friends. Immediately the businesslike atmosphere of the hallway shifted into a far more emotional one. He found Luke leaning heavily on the desk, his face deathly pale. Madison looked on the verge of tears from having to recount the battle in the hatchery, and Luke's Machoke didn't seem to know what to do about either of them. Ryan, Shannon, and Aori were still huddled in a corner discussing their own plans, each one clearly emotionally distraught in their own ways. "Ms. Shields has agreed to help us," he said, giving his friends a hard look that said he refused to talk about the hatchery. "We should look into getting a hotel for the night." Walking past Madison and Luke, he approached Ryan Hikari. "We'll be going now. Thank you for your help back there. And . . ." His eyes flitted to Aori for a brief moment. "I wish you the best of luck."

IC: Dack Majors - Miriam's Office, Team Rocket Vermilion Branch It took Dack a moment to gather his thoughts. His initial request for an audience with the bureaucrat felt like a lifetime ago. "I'm looking into the detainment of two civilians . . ." He hastily pulled up Ryan's message on his Pokétch to read off their names. "Jeffery and Rebecca Sanders. They were arrested in Fortree for allegedly aiding Team Liberty about a year and a half ago. I don't know how much of that claim is true, but the fact is we're still holding them prisoner even though the war ended six months ago. Their son helped me out back when the Ancient Darkrai were attacking, and I wish to return the favor." He shifted his weight, wondering if it was smart to paint this all as simply repaying a debt. Taking a deep breath, Dack looked straight at Miriam, hoping he could extract some tiny grain of empathy from within her bureaucratic shell. "I know you've got a lot on your plate, but I was wondering if you could put together a case asking for their release. This kid just wants his parents back, and frankly I don't see the point in keeping them locked up if all they've done is pick a side in a war that no longer exists."

IC: Alex Lockwood - Shabboneau Castle, Camphrier Town While he had heard about the castles of Kalos, this was the first time Alex had ever seen one up close. It was truly a sight to behold, one made all the more magical by Jamie's reference to King Arthur. It really did look like a band of knights in gloriously shining armor might come galloping out on Rapidash at any second. Even if it wasn't home to the legendary king, surely the castle had some interesting history to it. At the very least, it was surprising such a monument would fall into the hands of a rich business owner like Mr. Zyther. Between this and Hotel Richissime, it was starting to seem like this would be the most luxurious mission he'd ever been on. IC: Zoe Llyan - Shopping District, Camphrier Town Having never been called a doll before, Zoe wasn't entirely sure how to react. She wouldn't settle for being this entertainer's plaything, after all. Collie's smile seemed to imply that being a doll was a good thing, however, so Zoe decided to go with it. "En béret! En béret!" she declared, charging down the street. Her eyes were quickly drawn to all sorts of designer clothes strategically placed in the windows of various shops meant to ensnare people like Zoe. Before she knew it her face was glued to the glass as she ogled the patterned dresses, frilly blouses, and elegant gowns that adorned the doll-like mannequins. So many options! It was like a waking dream, and Emily was the best person to guide them through the assorted accessories and find the best items. "Cooollieee~!" With her face still plastered against the window, Zoe blindly waved her arm towards her sister, a hint of impatience in her voice. "How much money do you have on you? I kinda forgot all my money back home, so can you make this an early birthday present?" IC: Dahlia Seaton - Berry Fields, Camphrier Town Outskirts The gardener smiled softly, letting Lachina's hand squeeze her worries away. "I told Jared he should tell the others about Mercury," she murmured. "Yet I can't bring myself to tell everyone about my own demons. It's harder than you think." She closed her eyes and let loose a long sigh. "Long story short, Mr. Giratina granted me powers of Reverse, but I can't always control it. Jared knows, and so does my sister. Xander, too. And Jamie." Dahlia suddenly realized a lot more people knew about her condition than Jared's. The irony made her chuckle. "Of course, most of them found out about it when I lost control. Still, you're right about needing support. If it wasn't for that I would've crumbled long ago. Jared recognized that, and that's why he agreed to help train me, unlike . . ." A sudden silence fell over the girls. It lasted all of three uncomfortably long seconds before Dahlia got to her feet. "You know, we should probably get to the berry fields before sunset. I bet they close after dark." She walked across the terrace to where a trail of stone steps led down to the fields themselves. Gerri dutifully buzzed behind her, while it took Marsala a few seconds to realize they were moving. The Inkay frantically tried to catch up so as to not be left behind. Dahlia paused at the top of the steps, smiling over at Lachina. "Did they teach you much gardening at Ranger school?" IC: Ryan Sanders - Broadcast Room, Vertrag Sonja's suggestion caught him off guard. Such a prank would have felt natural during their lighthearted venture through Unova, but now, after everything that had happened, he was surprised she still knew how to have fun. It was a tempting offer; he could already imagine the shock on Dahlia's face at receiving a call from The Shadowed Man. Dahlia? The middle Seaton had remained neutral during the war; she hardly knew of Ford's exploits outside of the events on Two Island. There were plenty of better candidates for a Shadowed Man prank, so why had his mind instantly jumped to Dahlia? It didn't matter; posing as The Shadowed Man was a silly idea, anyway. Everyone was busy trying to save the world or keep it from falling into further chaos, and a prank like that would just add unnecessary stress. "Let's go," he decided, cracking a grin at Ray. "We'll have to keep this in mind, though. If you made a few tweaks to the system and swapped the color pallet you could go back to your old codename and become The Orange Man." Inwardly he had to thank Sonja for at least entertaining such a ludicrous idea. It allowed a moment of levity, however brief, from the doom and gloom of their near-apocalyptic world. IC: Shannon Willows/Dack Majors/Madison Morrow/Luke - Miriam's Office, Team Rocket Vermilion Base "What do we do now?" The question hung in the air. It seemed no one had a clear answer. Shannon knelt down beside Aori, opposite of Ryan. "We came here to find you," she told the young girl, speaking slowly so she could have time to gather her thoughts. "Now that we have, our first priority should be to find a hotel for the night. We did promise you a hot bath, didn't we? Hm . . . dinner should probably be in our plans, too. What kind of food do you like, Aori?" As Shannon conversed with the girl, Luke found himself plagued by Madison's teasing smile. "I never knew you were good with children. For all those beefy muscles you've sure got a gentle heart. Dack, I think we've found a good babysitter for when we have kids." "Hey, it's not like I had a choice!" Luke retorted. "If I didn't do something she would've been scared out of her mind. Either of you would've done the same." "You're a natural," Madison insisted. "Well . . ." the blackbelt's cheeks flushed but he couldn't hide his grin. "I guess I owe it to all those long days training with Matthew. Poor kid was such a crybaby when it came to being out in the cold, but he desperately wanted to become a ninja like his grandfather. Aori's not much older than Matthew was when he begged me to train with him. It was all I could do to keep the tears from freezing to his face." Madison's smile vanished. Her hardened expression made Luke bring his monologue to an abrupt halt. It was as if the air had been sucked out of the room. The sudden change in demeanor frightened Luke, and he could only manage a feeble "Too soon?" The skier shook her head. "That thing . . ." she said in a trembling voice. "Miyu isn't the only person it tried to impersonate." Before Luke could gather the meaning of her words, Dack stepped out of the room. The Rocket agent approached Miriam, who appeared to have buried herself in her tablet. He cleared his throat. "Ms. Shields, have you finished your business with Mr. Hikari?" His hand clenched into a fist as he spoke, as if each word was reluctant to be spoken in such an impassive, formal tone. "I . . . understand if you need to take the rest of the day off, but I was hoping you could grant us a small favor."

IC: Dahlia Seaton - Streets, Camphrier Town The gardener met Lachina's eyes and nodded ruefully before turning back around to continue walking through the rustic streets, at a much slower pace now that she had company. "He doesn't know what it's like," she muttered after a long silence. It was hardly a defense of Lucia's father. Free from prying ears, Dahlia felt her pent-up rage return. She didn't know Lachina that well, but if Jared could trust the Ranger with his secret, that meant Dahlia could confide in her as well. "Mr. Zyther is a man who's always been in control," she said bitterly. "He has no connection to our group outside of Lucia, yet he overrules any decision he disagrees with, like where to stay for the night. If we're not careful, he could end up taking over this mission entirely, all under the pretense of generous hospitality." Her outstretched arm shook to the point that Marsala had to dislodge himself from her wrist before he grew sick. "He could end up leading us somewhere we don't want to go, and arguing with him would only cause strife within the group. And because control has never been an issue for him, he's only concerned with Jared's potential for power, not with the emotional toll it puts on him. It's like he only wants to use Jared for his own personal gain." The girls came to a stop at the southern edge of town, where a raised terrace overlooked the berry fields to the west. Stone steps off to the side led down to the fields themselves. The scent of freshly laid mulch intermingled with the delicate aroma of various berries and flowers filled Dahlia's nostrils with a serene nostalgia. She closed her eyes as she leaned against the railing, letting the gentle breeze and faintly chirping birds transport her back to her family's garden in Olivine. Perhaps it was the power of her fond memories, or maybe it was simply because she had gotten that rant off her chest, but Dahlia felt more relaxed and tranquil than she had in a long time. "Sorry for dumping all of that on you. I'm starting to sound like my brother, aren't I?" She looked back at Lachina, her eyes faintly glistening. "I guess I'm just scared. For all his willingness to help train me, Jared only has a slightly better grip on his powers. He tries to act confident, but deep down I know he's scared of himself. Of what he might do. I'm worried Mr. Zyther might take him under his wing and end up cultivating the darkness inside him." With a heavy sigh Dahlia slid her back down the iron railing that marked the edge of the terrace and hugged her knees. "Of course if I told all this to Jared it'd just upset him further. And I can't voice my distrust of Mr. Zyther in front of Lucia or Jamie. Maybe I'm just overreacting, but if I do nothing and something bad does happen, that's on me." She blinked to hold back her tears as she looked desperately up at the Ranger. "Lachina, you know Jared better than me. What do you think we should do?"

IC: Shannon Willows/Dack Majors/Madison Morrow/Luke - Miriam's Office, Team Rocket Vermilion Base Aori's question pierced the air. No one seemed to really know how to respond. Shannon found herself looking to Ryan. After all, he was the one who knew Aori the best, so he should be the one to decide how to answer. "Miyu wasn't real." The words came from Dack. The Rocket agent stared at the ground, unable to meet Aori's eyes. "She was a fabrication created by the Missing Zero to trick us. We ki--" "That's enough, Dack." Madison shot him an icy glare. "She's just a kid. Don't put her through this." "I'm not going to sugarcoat it," Dack retorted. "She deserves to know the truth. That thing tricked her just like it tricked us. If we keep quiet, she'll fall for its lies again. She needs to learn to be more careful." "She's been through enough already!" Madison forcibly grabbed the neck of Dack's shirt. "How can you be so thoughtless?" "Both of you, shut up!" Luke slammed his fist down on Miriam's desk as his Machoke ran up to force the two apart. The blackbelt took a deep breath before continuing in a calmer tone of voice. "Aori's a delicate girl. Your fighting will upset her more than whatever the story is behind Miyu." He walked out from behind the desk and knelt next to the young girl. "Don't mind my friends," he said with a smile. "Ever since they declared their love for each other they've been fighting like an old married couple. Although to be honest, it feels like they've been doing that since we were kids. Now, why don't we ask Hikari-san to explain it to us?" He gave Ryan a knowing look. "I know we can trust him to tell us what happened." IC: Dahlia Seaton/Zoe Llyan/Alex Lockwood - Camphrier Town Dahlia had been walking in silence, Marsala perched on her arm and Gerri buzzing behind her. Mr. Zyther's words disturbed her. Most people in the group seemed to be off put by Jared's reckless display of violence; she could feel the tension in the air and hear the hushed whispers. Yet Lucia's father claimed to be impressed by the ruthless attack. She knew she shouldn't judge a man she barely knew, but the level of praise Mr. Zyther seemed to pour on the young aura wielder despite the latter's clear regret felt wrong. Dahlia wanted to speak up against the businessman, but she couldn't bring herself to divulge Jared's secret in front of the entire group. Perhaps when they reached Camphrier she would pull Mr. Zyther aside and give him a piece of her mind. When they finally did reach the cozy town, however, Lionel Zyther once again made their sleeping arrangements for them, this time at the historical castle he apparently owned. The resolve that had been building up in Dahlia melted away in an instant. Mr. Zyther was clearly a far more important man than she had realized, and as an honored guest at his castle, she couldn't just disrespect his opinions. "We're sleeping in a castle?!" Zoe wore the biggest smile Dahlia had ever seen on her face as she took Colleen's arm and dragged her into the town square. "Come on, Collie! We have to visit the boutique right away! Show us the way, Em!" Alex, who had been walking with his cousin and the Llyan sisters, balked at the young girl's seemingly endless enthusiasm. "The boutique?" he questioned. "What's that have to do with Shabboneau Castle?" Zoe came to an abrupt halt and spun on her heels to face the elder Lockwood, her eyes rolling in the exasperation of a teacher lecturing an inattentive student. "It's a castle, duh! We can't just waltz into a castle wearing jeans and t-shirts. In order to live like royalty, one must dress like royalty." Shifting her stance, Zoe pointed a finger to the sky in a dynamic pose she could only have learned from Evan Tierra. "We'll visit the boutique to acquire dresses befitting of a true Aura Princess!" she declared. As silly as the notion was, Alex couldn't say no to Zoe's resolve. Even still, a shopping spree with a bunch of girls was the last thing he wanted to do. "I'll be waiting for you at the castle," he said with a smile. "I look forward to seeing what you three can come up with. Have fun." As Zoe started to drag Colleen and Emily away, with Lionel continuing to lead the remainder of the group toward the castle, Dahlia realized she had too much on her mind right now to fully enjoy the castle. "If anyone needs me, I'll be in the berry fields," she announced. Marsala looked up at her, surprised at the suddenness of her statement. Gerri buzzed closely behind as Dahlia split off from the group. She walked along the cobblestone streets in silence, deep in thought.

IC: Ryan Sanders - Command Center, Vertrag "That voice . . ." Ryan muttered. "Kyle?" He walked over to Ray was standing at the desk, and was surprised to see a familiar redhead staring up at him from the desk's surface. "Chloe, too?" He looked over at Ray incredulously. "What did you do? Is this some sort of PA system? But more importantly . . ." He looked back down at Chloe. "Have you guys found anything?" IC: Shannon Willows/Dack Majors/Madison Morrow - Hatchery, Team Rocket Vermilion Base When Dack refused to meet Ryan's eyes, Madison took it upon herself to explain their situation. "The little boy that thing disguised itself as . . . that was our friend Matthew. We had all grown up together in Snowpoint. Matthew died in the avalanche that hit our hometown last year." Her glistening eyes flitted to the ground and she briefly glanced over her shoulder to where Dack sat in silence. "He doesn't like to show it, but Dack took it harder than either Luke or me. He'd left Snowpoint to join Team Rocket and he hadn't been back in years. He never got a chance to say goodbye to Matthew." The skier's mouth curled into a melancholy smile as she looked up at Ryan. "I appreciate your concern, but I think I should be the one to talk with him . . ." Her lip started to quiver, and she abruptly turned her head. She hadn't realized it before, but her hands had been shaking uncontrollably. She clasped them behind her back and took a deep breath. "I . . . I think we all just need some time to process everything."

IC: Dahlia Seaton/Zoe Llyan/Alex Lockwood – Kalos Route 5 "I . . . oh, right . . ." Dahlia held her arm aloft, inviting the Inkay to join her. The small cephalopod eyed the gap between Professor Alderson's arm and Dahlia's arm warily, before carefully making the jump. His tentacles wrapped around the gardener's wrist for support, and it was only after he was sure he was secure that he let out the breath he had been holding. Dahlia stared at the new Pokémon. She had captured it by the professor's request, and had assumed Alderson would care for the Inkay. With the necessary research done, it only made sense to release the Pokémon back into the wild. And yet . . . The Inkay clung to her like a small child gripping its mother's hand in an unfamiliar crowd. What was it Professor Alderson had said? The Inkay had been shunned by its peers and suffered some degree of motion sickness. Even as she walked, the slight movements in her arm seemed to make the Inkay uncomfortable. It was only when she stopped moving, keeping her arm perfectly still, that the squid managed to relax. "I can't just leave you like this," she said softly. She reached out to stroke the Inkay's head, and the Revolving Pokémon opened its eyes to stare up at her. "Alright then, it's decided. If you'd like, you can come along with us." The Inkay pondered her words, then nodded slowly. Dahlia smiled. "Then welcome to the team . . . Marsala." Gerri chose this moment to land on Dahlia's head. She had been buzzing around with her new wings, but upon hearing the Inkay would be joining them, the Masquerain decided to greet her new friend. The bug type broke into a warm smile and buzzed her wings in greeting. Her antennae shifted back and forth in a waving gesture, although their eyeball patterns gave the appearance that she was trying to observe the Inkay from every angle. The newly named Marsala let out a terrified shriek and pushed off from Dahlia's wrist with surprising force. He floated backwards into the air into the branches of a nearby tree, wielding a small twig to defend himself. "Gerri!" Dahlia picked the Masquerain up off her head and gave her a scolding look. "That's no way to treat a friend. Marsala's not used to us yet, you can't just scare him like that." Setting Gerri on the ground, Dahlia reached up into the tree to grab Marsala. The Inkay hesitantly crawled back onto her arm, but kept glancing cautiously over at Gerri. "Don't worry," Dahlia said with a laugh. "Give it enough time, and I'm sure you two will be best friends."

IC: Shannon Willows/Dack Majors/Madison Morrow - Hatchery, Team Rocket Vermilion Base An uncomfortable silence fell over the group. Shannon stared transfixed at the disfigured remains of the Instance, her eyes swimming with tears. A thick, blood-like substance oozed out from the creature's remains; the same substance that dripped from Tyranitar's fangs. She instinctively hugged her arm, which under her sleeve still sported scars from the very Tyranitar that had destroyed their transforming enemy. Her knees buckled, and Shannon slowly slid down the wall, never once taking her eyes off the Instance. In contrast, Dack closed his eyes and turned to hide his face from the others. He could still hear Matthew's screams, intermingled with those of Aori, Miyu, and the unknown brown-haired girl. They had been screams of genuine terror. Miriam's voice sounded far away . . . it was a request to stay put. Dack wanted nothing more than to storm off. He wished he could be anywhere but here. Somewhere he could cry freely. Instead he clenched his fists in silence, pondering the implications of an Instance that could disguise itself as anybody; one with some level of mind-reading. He felt a hand on his shoulder. "It wasn't real," Madison said. Her voice sounded as emotionless as Miriam's, but it wavered ever so slightly. "N-none of it was real." "It felt real." Dack didn't have the strength or the willpower to say more. He brushed Madison aside and moved to sit down next to Shannon. As he waited for the authorities to clean up the mess, the Rocket agent stared at the white floor, tainted with specks of red. His Servine moved next to him, a concerned look on her face. Refusing to meet her eyes, Dack recalled the grass snake to her Pokéball. He continued to wait in silence.

IC: Dahlia Seaton/Zoe Llyan/Alex Lockwood - Route 5, Kalos "Hrmph. Next time you give someone a hug from behind, be sure not to blind them," Zoe muttered, looking irritated but thankfully none the wiser about Jared's actions. Nor about the growing tension that threatened to suffocate the group, it seemed. "I'm not that short, you can hug me like a normal person." Alex gave the silver-haired aura wielder another wary glance before looking back at the rest of the group. "Lachina's right," he said heavily. "If we wait here too long, more wild Pokémon may come along to challenge us." He didn't believe his words in the slightest -- Jared probably had every wild Pokémon within several miles scared out of their minds -- but it was as good an excuse as any to keep moving. "We're still quite a way's out from Camphrier, so the sooner we get back on the road, the better." Dahlia heard Alex's request, but kept her eyes locked on Jared. "I won't force you to tell them anything. I know how hard it can be. But they have a right to know who's leading them. That's not something Lachina or I can do for you . . . it's something you'll have to tell them yourself. When you're ready." She gave her words a chance to sink in, offering a small smile. "It sounds like the others are ready to move on. We'd better hurry, or they'll leave us in the dust." IC: Shannon Willows/Dack Majors/Madison Morrow - Hatchery, Team Rocket Vermilion Base "Augh, stop it!" Shannon covered her eyes, unable to face the image of the girl Ryan had fought so hard to save. "Stop toying with us, you monster!" "Don't let go, Servine!" Dack commanded. He narrowed his eyes at the image of Aori before shifting his commands to Ryan. "Don't let it fool you. Kill it now, while we have the chance!" IC: Ryan Sanders - Command Center, Vertrag Ryan's breath caught in his throat. He slowly moved around to get a closer look at the screens, although he instinctively kept his distance. In his mind's eye he could practically see The Shadowed Man situated at the desk, taunting Blackskull over the fate of Bluefalcon. It felt like an eternity ago, yet the execution, as with so many others, had been ordered from this very room. If they had known then what they knew now . . . . He closed his eyes against the memory. Ford's war crimes would do nothing to help them solve their current crisis. Nor could the man's efforts in trying to stop the Missing Zero justify his crimes, but that was a debate for another time. Opening his eyes, Ryan scanned the desk. "The grimoire doesn't seem to be here," he said in a low voice, as if to preserve the solemn air in the room. "Unless one of you wants to try your hand at Ford's computer, we should move on to door number three."

IC: Dahlia Seaton/Zoe Llyan/Alex Lockwood - Kalos Route 5 Darkness. Zoe had just managed to get herself free of the sticky Frubbles when someone came up from behind her and plunged her whole world into darkness. Thinking it must've been one of their Scraggy or Frogadier enemies, Zoe flailed incessantly. "Let me go, let me go, let me go!" she wailed, but the firm hands remained clasped around her eyes. "Esmeralda, teach this hooligan a lesson!" The Fennekin cocked her head at Emma. She wanted to save Zoe, but she didn't want to hurt a friend. And so a pitiful bark was all she could muster. Meanwhile, Alex had no such coordinator to shield his eyes from the horror that befell the Scrafty. "What the . . . ?" he breathed, unable to take his eyes away from the bloody mess. Zoe's rants about 'going for the jugular' were one thing, but Alex felt it was obvious the girl was just spouting words she thought sounded cool. This, on the other hand . . . it was way out of line for a simple skirmish with wild Pokémon defending their territory. And who should be responsible for such carnage but the silver-haired so-called leader of the group. Finally tearing his eyes away, he exchanged a worried look with his cousin. Just what kind of a group had they gotten themselves caught up in? Dahlia simply stared at the silently retreating Jared. There was no mistaking it -- this violent outburst had to be the aura wielder's dark side, the part of him called Mercury. The scene was one all too familiar to Dahlia. The Scrafty's bloodied shoulder might as well have been the shredded remains of McKinley's Xatu. The memory made her stomach churn, and for the briefest of moments she thought she'd be sick. It was only when she closed her eyes and took a deep breath that she realized she'd left Professor Alderson hanging. "Go ahead," she said distractedly. Leaving the Inkay with the professor, Dahlia pushed her way through the crowd, pausing only briefly next to Lachina before running to catch up to Jared. "Hey," she said softly, coming to a halt a few feet behind him. It was only now that she realized she did not know what to say. Kind, comforting words usually came naturally to her, but they'd sound empty when pertaining to a situation she herself was struggling with. Biting her lip, she nervously clasped her hands in front of her as she wracked her brain for the best way to diffuse the situation. After several moments of nerve-wracking silence, she settled on an honest, heartfelt response. "I know how it feels. You've told me before it's not my fault, so I could say the same to you, but I know that's not what you want to hear right now. It's a terrible feeling, I know, and I'm sure you need some time to yourself, but I'm here for you if you need me." Dahlia held her breath as she waited for Jared's response. The gap between them felt enormous, and yet she knew she was the only one who could even come close to understanding what he was going through. In that sense, they were truly alone together. Two stars of a constellation that appeared close but were in reality light-years apart.

IC: Dahlia Seaton/Zoe Llyan/Alex Lockwood - Kalos Route 5 "Sorry about that." Dahlia rested her hands on her knees as she caught her breath, casting a furtive glance at Alex and Zoe, the two closest members of the group. "I had to help out Gerri, but I made a new friend out of it." The Inkay from earlier poked its head out from behind the gardener, then quickly hid again at the sight of the dueling Frogadier and Scraggy. "No worries." Completely ignorant of the cowering Inkay, Zoe proudly drew Dahlia's attention to the pair of wild Pokémon like a child showing off her science fair project. "They say 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend,' right? Well in this case the enemy of my enemy is also my enemy, and we can just sit back and enjoy the show!" Zoe spoke too soon, and too loudly for that matter. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, the Frogadier turned and tossed a handful of Frubbles her way before ducking under a swift kick from the Scraggy. The projectile bubbles struck Zoe square in the chest, knocking her flat on her back and pinning her to the ground. "Hey, no fair!" the girl cried as she struggled in vain. "That was a Foul Play!" Alex had already retreated his Amaura, so while he tried to pull Zoe free of the bubble trap Dahlia turned to her Pokémon. "Think you might be able to lend a hand?" Her question was directed at the Inkay, but the squid-like Pokémon looked like he was still recovering from his fight with Gerri. The Surskit, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes and darted through the grass towards the Frogadier. Thanks to her tiny form, a small rustling of the grass was the only warning the Frogadier received of Gerri's attack. That is, until the rustling grass started to glow. Gerri's legs scampered so fast she felt like she was practically floating. Two large wings erupted out of her head, slowing her run just long enough for her to aim the horn on her head at her enemy. The Frogadier turned around in surprise, but had no time to react before the sharp horn struck him in the shoulder. The Scraggy took advantage of the distraction and delivered a sharp kick to the Frogadier's head. Using her newfound wings to control her flight, Gerri lifted her head-spear up to the Frogadier's neck. It was at this moment that Dahlia stepped forward to speak. "Listen, I know you don't want us in your turf," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "But we're only passing through. We're trying to stop a group of evil humans from rising to power once more, and if you don't let us through, things will be bad for both humans and Pokémon. Please, we don't want to hurt you." "What? Of course we do!" Zoe shouted, lifting her head as much as she could to shoot a death glare at the frog that had trapped her on the ground. "You'll rue the day you crossed the brave warrior prin--" "Shush!" Alex clamped a hand over the girl's mouth. "Let's see if she can get through to them." "But my vengeance . . ." Zoe grumbled, although her words remained trapped behind Alex's hand. The Frogadier seemed to ponder Dahlia's words. He didn't have long to think, however, for the Scraggy delivered a flurry of punches to his enemy while the Frogadier's back was turned. Whirling around in a rage, the Frogadier hurled Frubble after Frubble, until the Scraggy was practically buried in the sticky bubbles. With one enemy subdued, the Frogadier slowly backed away from Gerri. Once he had put a sizeable distance between him and the Masquerain, he hopped over to his old-looking comrade as if awaiting his elder's orders. Dahlia breathed a sigh of relief and looked back at Zoe. "See, not everything has to be solved with violence," she said with a weary smile. By now Zoe had ripped Alex's hand off her face and resumed trying to pull herself free of the Frubbles. "Yeah, but that's not it's not as exciting that way," she muttered.

About time I posted this. Already ran the Specialty by Parugi. Species: Inkay (male) Nickname: Marsala Trainer: Dahlia Seaton Appearance: No major differences from the average Inkay, other than the fact that he remains right-side up. Personality: Marsala grew up in a colony of Inkay off the coast of Cyllage City. While his fellow Inkay would constantly flip themselves upside down for fun, Marsala suffered from motion sickness and thus preferred to remain right-side up. In an attempt to fit in with his peers, he developed the odd habit of flipping small objects upside down to mimic the effect of himself being upside down. When Pokémon mysteriously lost the ability to use their powers, Marsala was chosen to go out into the world to try and find a way to reverse the crisis. He considered his duty to be a high honor, never once considering the fact that his mission was merely an excuse to exile him from the colony. Having never been outside of Kalos' western coast before, Marsala has a naive curiosity about the world. Ability: Contrary Specialty: As a way to reduce the risk of the motion sickness that would come from in a melee battle, Marsala has perfected the art of manipulating the light-emitting spots on his body to daze, confuse, or hypnotize opponents from afar. This defense mechanism often prevents enemies from ever reaching him, for if he gets knocked around too much in battle his motion sickness will cause him to be dazed and confused. (Technical definition: increased accuracy on Hypnosis and Swagger in exchange for a chance of confusion with every physical attack received) Known Moves: Hypnosis, Swagger, Topsy-Turvy, Constrict, Foul Play, Psybeam Species: Masquerain (female) Nickname: Gerri Trainer: Dahlia Seaton Appearance: The purple "pupils" of the eyeball pattern on her antennae are darker than normal. Personality: Gerri's wings seem to have given her a boost of confidence. While she maintains the shy, timid nature she had as a Surskit, she is more willing to make new friends. That said, she is still uncharacteristically ferocious in battle, a trait that seems amplified by her newfound speed. Ability: Intimidate Specialty: Although she no longer has the Swift Swim ability she had as a Surskit, Gerri's wings seem to have boosted her speed even further. Her ability to fly in any direction makes her movements unpredictable. Known Moves: Quick Attack Air Cutter, Bubblebeam Bug Buzz, Haze Quiver Dance, Hydro Pump (egg move), Mud Shot (egg move), Signal Beam (egg move) Number of Battles: 9 ("Groudon" (x2), Water Pokémon (x2), Ford Finale (x3), Inkay (x2))

IC: Dack Majors/Madison Morrow/Shannon Willows - Hatchery, Team Rocket Vermilion Base "What I wouldn't give to have those power suits with us," Madison muttered under her breath. "I hate not being able to help." Thinking quickly, Dack swapped his Heatran's ball for Servine's. The grass snake emerged in a flash of light and took a moment to process the battle before her. Dack wasn't sure if she was more confused by the Tyranitar-esque creature or its faceless foe, but he quickly called his Pokémon to attention. "Use your vines to drag that monster out of the hatchery," he commanded. Servine continued to stare at the battle, as if trying to decide which combatant was the monster. "The one in dire need of a facelift," Dack clarified. With a nod, Servine slithered over to a better position and extended her vines towards the fight, wrapping the tendrils around the Instance's -- at least, Dack assumed it was an Instance -- remaining leg. The leg not currently trying to kick a giant dinosaur. IC: Ryan Sanders - Command Center, Vertrag Ryan lingered in the conference room for a moment, as if hoping some clue would magically pop up. When nothing did, he turned back to the hallway. "Onto the next one," he agreed. As the group made their way back to the central screen room, Ryan couldn't help but glance back into the interrogation room. He had never been in one himself (James' office didn't count), but it did not look fun. Still, a question hung in his mind that he couldn't shake. "Who do you think Ford would have interrogated? Did you ever see anyone in the base besides Ford and the Children? I don't know, it just feels weird that he'd have to question somebody if he already had this enormous wealth of knowledge." IC: Dahlia Seaton/Zoe Llyan/Alex Lockwood - Kalos Route 5 "Gerri, are you alright?" Dahlia scooped up the Surskit in her arms. The water bug nodded and skittered up to her trainer's shoulder before pointing at the recovering Inkay. By now the squid had regained its balance and was keeping its distance from the pair. It held a pebble aloft in its tentacles as if in warning. Reaching into her bag, Dahlia pulled out an empty Pokéball. "The professor wanted one of us to catch it," she said. A brief glance behind her showed that everyone else was neck-deep in a gang war between reptilian thugs and bubble frogs. "It looks like it's up to us. Gerri, distract it for me, would you?" The Surskit hopped off of Dahlia's shoulder and began waving her arms at the Inkay. The squid took one look at the approaching Surskit and tossed its stone. Gerri sidestepped out of the way, and at the same time Dahlia lobbed her Pokéball. She expected the Inkay to be sucked into the capsule, but instead it caught the ball and flipped it upside-down. Deeming it uninteresting, the Inkay tossed the capsule over its shoulder. "Alright, we'll play by your rules," Dahlia muttered. Grabbing another Pokéball, she held it out so the Inkay could see it, then turned it over in her hands before rearing back and tossing it. The Inkay caught the ball again and flipped it around again. Cocking its head to the side, it frowned and turned it upside-down once more, as if confused as to which way the ball was supposed to go. Taking advantage of the Inkay's distraction, Dahlia tossed a third ball. This one struck the squid on its head and pulled it in with a flash of light. The capsule fell to the ground alongside the one the Inkay had been holding. Dahlia approached warily, expecting the Inkay to pop out at any moment. But both capsules stood still. She picked them up and opened them. One was empty, but the other sent out the Inkay, who appeared disoriented from the sudden capture. "Hey, there." The gardener held out her hand with a smile. "My name's Dahlia. Would you mind helping out our friends there?" She pointed over to the battle raging behind her. While Aramau struggled with her Scraggy foe, Alex chanced a glance at the rest of the group. Zoe had temporarily ceased her violent rampage and was helping get the Frubbles out of her Fennekin's mouth. "You know, Zoe," he said, "This would go a lot faster if we all teamed up on the Scraggy instead of making enemies with the Frogadier." Zoe stared up at the guy who had twacked her on the head mere minutes before. "And why should I take orders from you?" she demanded. "Do you not see how sinister that Frogadier is? A true hero must face a worthy foe like him. I haven't seen bubbles this destructive since the time I let the bubble bath overflow!" "Yes, but," Alex sighed in exasperation. "Wouldn't a true hero team up with his nemesis to fight the true evil?" The gears turned in Zoe's mind, as if this was something she hadn't considered before. A smile dawned on her face. "Alex, you're a genius! Esmeralda, get Mr. Frog Face on our side!" The Fennekin spat the remaining Frubbles out of her mouth and ran up to her former foe, barking a plea for them to work together. The Frogadier narrowed its cold eyes and swiped at her with a webbed hand. Esmeralda yelped as she just barely leapt out of the way. "It's not working!" Zoe complained, shooting a look of annoyance at Alex for even suggesting such a strategy. "Yeah, well maybe if you hadn't tried to murder it in cold blood it'd be a little more sympathetic to our side!" Alex shot back as Esmeralda dodged more projectile Frubbles. "That's it!" Zoe cried, pointing her finger into the air in a pose reminiscent of a Hero of Space she'd once met. "Esmeralda, lead him towards our Scraggy friends! Maybe a few sticky bubbles will help keep their pants up!" Catching onto Zoe's strategy, Esmeralda gave her froggy foe a taunting bark before turning tail and racing into the fray of Scraggy. She approached the Scraggy Aramau was busy fighting and scampered between the two combatants. The Frogadier tossed another handful of Frubbles, only to strike Aramau and the Scraggy, gluing their feet to the ground. "Sorry about the friendly fire," Zoe said with a sheepish grin to Alex. "Although I guess it wasn't very friendly, considering it came from Mr. Frog Face." After a few failed attempts at pulling itself out of the sticky bubbles, the Scraggy picked up a handful of dirt and tossed it at the Frogadier. The attack was hardly more than an annoyance, but it was enough to make the Frogadier lose sight of its Fennekin foe. As the two wild Pokémon began fighting each other, Alex quickly recalled his Amaura. "Good work, Zoe," he said. "Hopefully that'll keep them distracted for a while."

IC: Dahlia Seaton/Alex Lockwood/Zoe Llyan - Kalos Route 5 Esmeralda chomped down on her Frogadier foe, only to get a mouthful of Frubbles. The sticky solution glued her jaw together like peanut butter. While the little fox desperately tried to free herself, the Frogadier simply regarded her with annoyance. With slow, deliberate movements he reached up to pluck the struggling Fennekin off of him -- detaching some of his Frubbles in the process -- and tossed her back into the crowd of trainers. Esmeralda hit the ground hard. Rather than charge right back at her enemy, she stared pitifully up at Zoe and gave a whimper muffled by the bubbles that coated her mouth. "So much for making a good first impression," Zoe muttered. She glanced around, but it seemed everyone else was too engrossed in the battle to pay much attention to her and her Fennekin. And so, discreetly as possible, she knelt down to scoop the sticky bubbles out of Esmeralda's mouth and wipe them in the grass. The Frogadier, meanwhile, saw Dahlia running towards him. In actuality she was attempting to run past him to aid her Surskit, but the Frogadier had just fought off a ferocious Fennekin and wasn't in the mood for yet another attack. Reaching back into his scarf of Frubbles, the water-type hurled the sticky substance into the grass at Dahlia's feet. The gardener had no time to react before she stepped into the pile of bubbles. With one foot rooted to the ground, she fell flat on her face, much to the Frogadier's amusement. Dahlia tried to pull her foot free, but the Frubbles acted like superglue. Sparing an exasperated look at the Frogadier that had pinned her, she reached down, took a deep breath, and tried to apply her Reverse powers to the substance. A single bubble slowly deflated into nothingness. The sounds of battle continued all around her, demanding her attention. Another bubble shrank at a snail's pace. Dahlia closed her eyes and shut out the sounds of battle. She had to focus. Although Dahlia could not see it, the Frogadier cocked its head to the side as the Frubbles began dissipating. Within a few seconds, the girl was free. The Frogadier could have thrown more Frubbles her way, but he was too shocked. Instead he merely watched as Dahlia got up and ran past him, making her way towards Gerri and the Inkay. The Scraggy all parted ways when Aramau came barreling towards them, save for one. This lone Scraggy leaned back on its feet, then tipped forward to meet the icy dinosaur head-on. Literally. The two heads collided and both parties recoiled at the shock, although neither was willing to admit defeat. Baring grimaces to hide their pain, the Amaurus and the Scraggy slowly circled each other, patiently waiting for their heads to stop throbbing. The Scraggy recovered first and it leapt onto its foe, hoisting itself on her back. Aramau reared up and tried to buck her unwanted rider off, but the Scraggy held on tight, cackling like mad. "Aramau!" Alex called out, seeing the trouble his Pokémon had gotten herself into. "Body slam it!" It took her a moment to gather the meaning of her trainer's words, but when she did, Aramau threw herself backwards, falling onto the ground and crushing her enemy beneath her weight. The Scraggy got to its feet in a daze, fists held aloft in a threatening manner. But Aramau could tell her foe was off balance, and a swift headbutt knocked him down once more.

IC: Dahlia Seaton/Alex Lockwood/Zoe Llyan - Kalos Route 5 Zoe was about to yell at Lucia for siccing her Gotharita on Esmeralda, but she was distracted by Lachina's amazing display of Ranger-ness. It wasn't until all heck broke loose that Zoe remembered her Fennekin. By now the grappling Gotharita was a moot point as it had been thrown off by a spray of sticky bubbles. "Go, Esmeralda!" Zoe cried above the din of battle. "Go for the jugular, make him croak!" Esmeralda didn't need telling twice. The moment she was free from Gothara's grip she resumed her charge, this time at the Frogadier sporting a nasty scar on its eye. After all, he looked the most villainous of the bunch. Baring her fangs, the feisty fox leapt into the air to pounce on her target from above. Alex had no time to question Zoe's hyperactive fighting spirit. His Amaura was getting assaulted by two of the Frogadier and she had already knocked one of them down. "Aramau!" he called with a sharp whistle. The dinosaur turned her head to see Alex jab a finger at the horde of Scraggy. "Leave the frogs and take care of the hoodlums!" Aramau didn't particularly care where she directed her energies, but seeing the gang of thug-like Pokémon all gathered together brought a smug smile to her face. Lowering her head once more, the Amaura charged at the cluster of Scraggy, eagerly anticipating the moment they would scatter like bowling pins. With the Frogadier otherwise occupied, Gerri scuttled over to where the Inkay floated. The small squid Pokémon nervously spun its pebble and berry in its tentacles as it looked on at the chaotic battle that seemed to spring up out of nowhere. Gerri gave the Inkay a friendly wave and kindly told the wild Pokémon she meant no harm. The Inkay slowly floated closer to inspect the Surskit. Laying the pebble down in the grass and storing the berry in its mass of smaller tentacles for safekeeping, the Inkay reached out its longer tentacles as if it wanted a hug. Gerri obliged, happy to have made a new friend. With astonishing dexterity the Inkay grabbed ahold of the Surskit and flipped her upside-down. Gerri let out a terrified screech, her legs flailing about wildly as she struggled to escape the squid's grasp. Her frantic kicks created enough momentum to dislodge her from the tentacles, and she flopped down in the grass. Sparing only a brief moment to catch her breath, Gerri immediately puffed out her chest and pursed her lips, trying to blow a BubbleBeam at her assailant. Of course she only succeeded in blowing out a tiny stream of air; in the heat of battle she had forgotten about her current condition. In lieu of a special attack, the Surskit thrust herself at the Inkay to teach it a rather ironic lesson about respecting personal space. Dahlia had been wondering if she should send out another Pokémon to help against the Scraggy, but Gerri's shrill cry demanded her attention. The tiny Surskit shouldn't have been able to do much damage to the Inkay with a mere tackle. But the moment she struck her foe the Inkay stumbled back in a daze, dropping the Sitrus Berry from its lower tentacles. When it came to a halt it wore a sharp grimace on its face and did not immediately retaliate. "Hold it, Gerri," Dahlia called out. A number of Frogadier stood between her and her Surskit, but she knew she had to get closer if she wanted to do something about the Inkay. Steeling herself, the gardener swiftly started to move across the battlefield, keeping her eyes peeled in case one of the wild Pokémon decided to attack her.

IC: Dack Majors/Madison Morrow/Shannon Willows - Hatchery, Team Rocket Vermilion Base Shannon stumbled back as Tyranitar took the attack meant for Ryan. She gazed up in horror at "Miyu's" true form -- a faceless monstrosity straight out of a nightmare. With Ryan and Tyranitar fighting in the doorway, there wasn't much Shannon could do to help. Not that her powerless Pokémon would be able to do anything next to a giant green lizard, anyway. Backing away from the fight, the girl scooped up her Eevee in her arms and watched with wide eyes as the Tyranitar transformed. The entire hallway seemed to glow in dazzling rainbow light. Up close the flash was blinding, but somehow Shannon found herself filled with hope. The Tyranitar-esque creature that emerged from the light roared with a newfound burst of energy that she was sure would turn the tide of the battle. "Careful, Ryan." Dack called out in contrast to Shannon's optimism. He, too, felt the area was too crowded for more than one combatant, but he rested his hand on Heatran's Ultra Ball just in case. While the gleam of light impressed him, he kept his focus on their faceless enemy. "If that thing's related to the Missing Zero, then the lack of a chord suggests it's as strong as that giant samurai." It was nothing more than a wild guess, but the creature before them didn't resemble any Pokémon Dack knew. Still overcome with shock, Madison recalled the being called Samurloch they had encountered on the beach. Although she hadn't faced it directly, she knew it was capable of massive damage. Her eyes flitted to the current battle, and her breath caught in her throat. "We need to bring it out into the hallway," she told Ryan. "That doorway's too cramped for us to help you, and if you push it back into the Hatchery, you'll risk harming the baby Pokémon."

IC: Ryan Sanders - Command Center, Vertrag Ryan suppressed a shudder at the sight of the cluster of screens descending from the ceiling. The long, bony arms made the structure look like a giant mechanical hand with way too many fingers reaching down from above. Perhaps it was intentionally symbolic of the wide extent of Ford's reach, or perhaps it was simply the most efficient way of observing whatever data Ford needed. "It's hard to believe we're really here," he muttered. Pulling his attention away from the monitors, Ryan observed the three remaining doors connected to this room. One for each of them, if they wanted to split even further. But a glance at the cane Sonja carried told him it would be a bad idea to split up. If the cane was needed to find this grimoire, then they should stick together. Besides, six eyes were better than two. "Should we just check out the rooms in a clockwise order?" Ryan suggested. "Starting with the one on the left?" He took a few steps towards the door in question, then glanced back at his companions. IC: Luke - Miriam's Office, Team Rocket Vermilion Outpost The blackbelt bit his lip as he watched Aori do as she was told. Her Pokémon were doing their best to comfort her, but to little avail. The poor kid looked on the verge of a mental breakdown, and that blaring alarm wasn't helping any. With a sigh he reached under the desk to pull the girl into a gentle hug. "I know it's scary," he said softly. "Believe me, I wish I knew what was going on. But I promise you that no matter what happens, Machoke and I will keep you safe." OOC: Waiting on Blade before I make a Hatchery IC.

IC: Zoe Llyan/Dahlia Seaton/Alex Lockwood - Kalos Route 5 Zoe scrunched up her face as she gave Lucia's father an inquisitive look. "You'll make an exception? What's that supposed to mean? You're not the boss of--" She was promptly interrupted by a swift smack to the head courtesy of Alex. "Don't be rude," the Liberty trainer whispered. "Clearly he has enough power to get into the castle during non-visiting hours. He might even own it for all we know." Zoe was about to protest that Lionel looked too boring to be a king when a ruckus exploded around them involving an Inkay, a Fletchling, a Dragonair, and five Frogadier. A smirk crossed the girl's face as she eyed the four water-types blocking their path. "Type disadvantages mean nothing when Pokémon have no powers!" she declared loudly. "Esmeralda, give 'em a taste of your fox-fu!" The Fennekin at her side bared her fangs and immediately charged at the nearest frog. Water may beat fire, but sharp teeth and claws beat rubbery skin any day of the week. "Wait, stop!" Dahlia cried. She tried to step between Esmeralda and the Frogadier blockade, but she was just a moment too slow. "Don't provoke them!" she shouted in vain. With a frustrated sigh she sent out her own water-type. "Gerri, see if you can't talk those Pokémon into letting us pass. Maybe ask them what they're doing so far from their natural habitat, too." The Surskit skitted up to the Frogadier opposite the one Esmeralda was targeting and promptly asked Dahlia's questions. Casting a glance at the stone-throwing Inkay, she inquired about the frog's relation to the squid as well. Unfortunately, anyone could see that Esmeralda would reach her target before Gerri could finish her interrogation. Alex reached for his Swampert's Pokéball, then hesitated. He still didn't know how the situation would unfold, but the presence of an enormous mud-fish would likely only further provoke the horde of Frogadier. Instead he sent out his Amaura. The dinosaur yawned lazily and took a moment to take in her surroundings. Spotting the enemy, she moved into a battle-ready stance. "Don't attack just yet," Alex warned his Pokémon. "Just be ready to defend us if they decide to target us." The Amaura scoffed but nevertheless planted herself between the assorted trainers and the wild Pokémon. She lowered her head in preparation to deliver a headbutt to anyone who came close.

OOC: I interpreted this as the door flew through Matthew's form like a hologram but Matthew's still there. But Blade's post had the image of Matthew disappear after the door flew through it (either by cloaking itself or retreating into the hatchery). So to keep things moving we'll roll with Blade's interpretation. IC: Dack Majors/Madison Morrow/Shannon Willows - Hatchery, Team Rocket Vermilion Outpost The instant he saw the door move, Dack tackled Shannon to the ground. The evasive maneuver proved unnecessary, for a moment later a column of stone rose from the ground to hinder the projectile's progress. He heard Madison scream and the gun went off with a deafening bang. The twisted metal slab skidded to a halt inches from where he lay. As he waited for his ears to stop ringing, Dack looked over at Ryan Hikari and his powered Tyranitar. "Impeccable timing," he panted. A muffled grunt from Shannon prompted Dack to stand back up. He offered a hand to help the girl to her feet. As she took a moment to catch her breath, Shannon surveyed Ryan's Pokémon with a look of awe. She had heard about Tyranitar getting his powers back, but it was still shocking to see his moves in action. Selena skittered up to the remains of the stone column and let out a high-pitched screech. Disappointment showed on her face when her Hyper Voice proved unsuccessful. Ignoring her Furret's antics, Shannon smiled warmly at Ryan. "Glad to see you've found a new use for that Stone Edge." Her smile quickly faded when the black-haired trainer ran past her toward the door-shaped hole in the wall. Miyu, or Matthew, or whatever that thing was, had disappeared amidst the chaos of a flying door. "She-He-It was trying to get into the hatchery," Shannon explained as she moved to Ryan's side. A small part of her wanted to hug his arm in some vain guise of protection, but she knew the action would only restrict his movements if the illusory creature decided to attack. Throughout all of this Madison had stood frozen in shock. Her knuckles burned white from clenching the gun. A tiny hole in the wall next to the ceiling indicated that her shot had missed by a wide margin, and the petrified look on her face gave Dack the impression that she hadn't intentionally pulled the trigger. Moving swiftly to her side, he gently lowered her arms and tried to peel her fingers off from the weapon. "It's alright," he said in a soft voice. The skier shook her head, her face as blanched as her fingers, and she redoubled her grip. "I-it's not over yet," she whispered. Her eyes darted frantically around the room as if Miyu or Matthew could pop up at any minute. If Dack had any misgivings about leaving a loaded gun in the terrified woman's hands, he didn't show it. Instead he beckoned her to follow him as he joined Ryan and Shannon in the open doorway. "Your buddy Miyu has a rather interesting skillset," he remarked. "She turned into a kid Madison and I knew from Snowpoint, someone who's been dead for a year." IC: Luke - Outside Miriam's Office, Team Rocket Vermilion Branch As if to emphasize Aori's uncertainty, an alarm suddenly blared throughout the complex. Luke silently swore as his Machoke moved into a fighting stance. "Alright, just stay calm," he said as he looked up and down the hallway. While he put on an air of confidence for Aori's sake, internally he was wondering what to do. Should they evacuate? Not if they wanted to avoid the angry mob outside. Should they duck and cover? Not if there was a danger inside the building. With no indication of what the alarm was for, Luke had no way of knowing what course of action to take. And so he chose the one that seemed best to him. Taking ahold of Aori's hand, the blackbelt opened the door to Miriam's office and ushered the girl and her Pokémon inside. Machoke lumbered in after them, his muscular arm pulling the door shut with a surprising gentleness. Oversized fingers twisted the lock into place. It would have been humorous had the alarm not continued to blare. Once they were secure, Luke looked around the room for a place to hide. There was no coat closet (this was Vermilion, after all, not Snowpoint), and the file cabinets looked barely big enough for Aori's Bulbasaur or Eevee, assuming they weren't already full of files. Instead, Luke led the girl over to Miriam's desk and prompted her to crawl into the space underneath it. "Hide in here until we know it's safe," he said, crouching next to her. "Machoke and I will be right beside you." A comically uncomfortable look spread across the Machoke's face as he hid behind the desk, trying to make his bulky body as small as possible. All they could do now was wait. IC: Ryan Sanders - Vertrag Ryan stayed silent as he watched the group split up. Personally he could have gone either way. If Ford's identification squares had admitted them in, he doubted the rest of the base would hold any traps. It only made sense to scour every corner of the base while they had a chance. That said, with Emmerich, Kyle, and Chloe volunteering to search the rooms, Ryan decided to join Sonja and Ray. "The mystery door sounds like our best bet," he said. Before following Sonja into the unknown, he turned back toward Kyle and Chloe. "Sonja said there were eleven rooms. Ford only had nine Children, and if Ford himself didn't sleep there then that leaves two rooms unaccounted for. Maybe they're just spares for when Ford hosts Christmas parties, but they could be important." Cracking a smile he gave the trainers a wave. "Good luck." IC: Dahlia Seaton/Alex Lockwood/Zoe Llyan - Kalos Route 5 Her sister's words prompted Dahlia to glanced over at Jared. The silver-haired trainer was deep in a conversation with Mr. Zyther. Letting loose a small sigh, Dahlia nodded in agreement. "I thought Lachina was exaggerating when she said Jared was super serious, but she was right. I mean I know Jared's still getting used to this whole leadership thing, but . . ." Her voice trailed off as she pulled out her Pokégear. "Actually I forgot to mention it at breakfast but Mr. Burks sent me a message in the middle of the night. It turns out Fiora accidentally hitched a ride with Ellen, so even if we'd spent the time looking for her we wouldn't have found her anyway." The gardener pulled up a picture on her device. Ellen was sitting in a chair with an apologetic look on her face as she cradled the flowerless Flabébé in her hands. "They've agreed to watch over Fiora for the time being, so there's that mystery solved." For the briefest of moments a look of annoyance flashed across Zoe's face as Emily inserted herself into her conversation with Collie. The moment passed when the coordinator mentioned a real, live castle. "Is it as fancy as the hotel?" she asked with growing enthusiasm. "It's probably full of warrior princesses and shining knights that defend it from fire-breathing Dragonites!" Esmeralda sneezed. "Well, formerly-fire-breathing Dragonites," Zoe hastily corrected. "I guess the power loss thingie affected even wild Pokémon, huh?" The young girl fell silent. Although she refused to admit it, the loss of Pokémon powers scared her. She distinctly remembered overhearing her parents discussing the situation in hushed tones. No one seemed to know what to make of it, and the entire Alamo seemed to be in a mass hysteria. But Collie still had her powers, and that was more than enough to protect them. Right? Without even thinking about it Zoe instinctively took ahold of her sister's hand and squeezed it. She had nothing to worry about while in her sister's presence, she told herself. Alex took note of the girl's change in demeanor and playfully ruffled her hair. "Don't feel bad about it, Zoe," he said cheerfully. "Pokémon are still our friends, regardless of their ability to breathe fire. If anything, they're a lot safer around the house this way." He let out a laugh, emboldened by the smile that played on the corner of Zoe's lips. "I know we all wish our Pokémon were back to their full strength, but pouting about it isn't going to change anything. Besides, if you're too busy pouting, you'll miss all the beautiful sights Kalos has to offer!"

IC: Dahlia Seaton/Alex Lockwood/Zoe Llyan - Kalos Route 5 "Walking really is one of the joys of being a Pokémon Trainer," Alex agreed with his cousin. "It's a shame I was always fighting off Team Rocket back in Sinnoh, but even while on the run it was exciting to be able to explore a new route or town." Vacation, huh? Dahlia couldn't help but overhear her fellow Hero's declaration. She had to admit, despite the importance of their mission, their journey so far really did feel like a vacation. Traveling to Lumiose City, staying in the esteemed Hotel Richissime . . . Jamie's enthusiasm only strengthened the illusion that they were merely here for leisure. And why shouldn't they enjoy themselves? Not everything had to be a life-or-death situation. Dahlia hummed happily as she took in the sights around her. "Kalos really is a nice place, isn't it?" she said to Olivia. "I glanced through a tourist brochure back at the hotel, and it said this next town, Camphrier, is known for its berry fields. I know we're on a tight schedule, but wouldn't it be neat to check it out?" Zoe trotted next to her sister. Since breakfast she had woken up considerably, and the lush route that stretched out before them filled her with wonder. "We always visited you up in the mountains," she told Colleen. "I don't think we've ever been out this way before. The Kalos Region is so big!" Alongside the young girl, Esmeralda and Merida walked at a moderate pace. The two Pokémon were glad to be out in the fresh air and looked about as excited as their trainer to be exploring someplace new.