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Pokémon: Rise Of The Rockets


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-==IC: Lucia -- Kalos, Camphrier Town==-

 

"Nope, I think that castle's in a different country." Lucia replied to Jamie, as she eyed her father up slightly. While the two hadn't exactly spent that much time together in the past, something still seemed... off about how he was acting. It was almost as if he'd gotten less compassionate since she'd last seen him; something she noticed especially with the mention of being impressed by Jared's... show of power, for lack of better terms. She kept quiet for the moment, but thought about bringing it up later, when things were a bit quieter.

 

-==IC: Colleen -- Camphrier Town, Kalos==-

 

"That'd be nice." Colleen grinned for a moment, then examined her current outfit a bit more. "I had a red scarf before I left for Kanto, but I think it got misplaced somewhere when I was packing my bags some point or another... it wouldn't really go with this outfit anyway, I think." She laughed with a smile as she glanced over at Zoe. "I have to agree on the beret, I think, too."

 

-==IC: Olivia -- Camphrier Town, Kalos?==-

 

Olivia kept toward the back of the main group that hadn't split off as she walked. She wanted to talk to Jared about things, but it looked like Lionel might keep chatting with him. Still. While she was uneasy with the idea of bringing attention to herself at the moment, she knew that staying back wouldn't present any opportunities to talk. She walked forward and tapped Jared on the shoulder.

 

"Hey, can we talk for a bit?" The redhead asked finally, motioning with her eyes to Lionel in an indication that she didn't want to talk near the newcomer.

 

-==IC: Ryan -- Camphrier Town?, Kalos? Vermilion City, Kanto==-

 

Ryan stayed silent for a good few minutes as he tried to figure out how to respond to that. He decided that it was best to just... tell the truth, even if it hurt. He nodded. "I'm sorry, but she was... I don't really know how things were, but she looked like others too at different times." The black-haired man bit his lip, as he knelt down to Aori's level. How are you, though?"

 

-==IC: Chloe/Ray -- Vertrag==-

 

Chloe stood there baffled as she looked between the two screens. She was curious about how the technology worked, but decided to keep that to herself for the moment. Instead, she listened as Ray started to speak on the other end of the line.

 

"We found a bunch of computer screens in the like, main room that connected here, this place, and what seemed like an interrogation room. There's still one last room we haven't checked here though, but this arguably is the most fascinating, just because of this camera stuff. But like, all this magic stuff is like... it's kinda neat in its own ways. I wonder if we could find any ways to put this sorta stuff to use in the rest of the world? It could make a lot of things a lot more convenient, and maybe might help against the Missing Zero..." Ray put a hand to his chin as his explanation began to descend into the magic-fueled rambling, but Chloe glanced over at the other three in her group.

 

"Well, we found that Pierce guy's room for one, and were about to check the rest, so we haven't really found that much on our end. We'll keep you posted, though."

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IC: Jamie Arthur - Camphrier Town

 

Jamie stared at the castle for a few moments longer, brief mutterings escaping her lips. She eventually shook her head to snap out of it.

 

"Well, no use just standing around," Jamie said. "I want to check out the castle, but we can do that later if there is something you want to do."

 

 

 

IC: Miriam Shields - Vermilion Branch

 

Miriam stepped outside of the office. The door was open so she could hear what was going on inside. But she didn't want to be there for this conversation. She'd rejoin them when it was over. For now, she pulled out her tablet and kept working. It wouldn't get her mind off of things, considering the subject matter of her work, but it would distance her from any pain in that room.

 

She opened up the footage that she'd captured before quickly growing uncomfortable and closing. She was going to need to wait before she was willing to sit through it. Still, pain or no pain, the footage was worth keeping. She wrote a message to the film crew, and sent along the footage to them. They would have to recreate it, showing the actual inside of the base was kind of a no-no. But it would make for good inspiration.

 

 

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​IC - Blackskull/John Ford - VIP Cell Block, The Alamo:

 

"There is a sector of magic called El Naipe--literally 'the card'--that utilizes a system of empowering tokens that are then broken in order to activate a spell," Ford said. "It was well-practiced within the Signs, at least amongst the older generations. Nowadays it has been cast aside in favor of more modern trinkets." The Shadowed Man sighed, removing his glasses and wiping the lenses with his sleeve. "The Grimoire is a tool that guided our hand in our pursuits. That is all I will tell you. I like to think that I am not in the habit of sharing secrets with those I haven't deemed necessary to tell."

 

He replaced his glasses on his face.

 

"If your superiors are merely concerned that a loss of power could occur again, then the only answer I can give is, 'Not through my means.' My method was powered through very specific circumstances that are unlikely to ever occur again, and it took decades for the proper parameters to move into place." Ford shifted his attention to Blackskull. "Of course, unless the threat of Missing Zero is dealt with, it won't matter in the slightest."

 

"We're doing what we can," Blackskull responded.

 

"Not well enough, from what I've gathered," Ford said. "But I suppose that is just my opinion."

 

 

​IC - Kyle Eston/Emmerich Coleman - Living Quarters, Vertrag:

 

"Yeah," Kyle agreed. "Let's finish looking around, find what we're looking for or anything else immediately helpful, and then see about salvaging what we can from here."

 

With a round of agreement, both video feeds ended. Kyle, Chloe, and Emmerich turned back to the hallway. Ten doors lay unexplored before them. The atmosphere of the base made the number seem more daunting than it reasonably should have been.

 

"I'd like to officially suggest that we split up," Emmerich said, breaking the silence. "It seems as if we would have run into traps by now if there were any. All things considered, the living quarters seem like the last place we would find any to begin with."

 

"That's fair," Kyle said. He walked past the second door and down to the fourth, tentatively raising a hand above the door panel. "Let's keep the doors open if we do that, though, in case something does happen and we need to group up fast."

 

"That sounds like a good idea to me, yeah, let's do this," Chloe replied with a smile as she walked over to the panel for the second door.

 

Emmerich nodded. "I've got this one, then." He hit the panel on the third door, opening it and entering. With a wave to Chloe, Kyle entered the fourth room.

 

 

IC - Sonja Baron - Broadcast Room, Vertrag:

 

Switching off her Pokétch, Sonja turned to Ray and Ryan. "Alright," she said, unable to suppress an amused half-smile. "Want to call and freak out anyone else, or should we explore that last door?"

Follow me on YouTube!

 

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~ Rise of the Rockets (I II)/Discussion Topic/Side Stories ~

 

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IC: Yamamoto Aori

 

Aori took a deep breath as she considered the question.  She exhaled shakily and shrugged. "I am not sure. The alarm scared me, but your friend helped." She chewed on her lip. "What do we do now?"

 

IC: Jared Winters

 

Jared flinched a bit as he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned, frowning a bit as he saw Olivia. "Um, yeah, sure. What's up?"

"So Alku, happy 'was that a firecracker or shotgun?' day!"

"Hard mode: I'm in the south."

 

"Planning was never Zac Blazer's forte." - Blade, mastering the art of the understatement.

 

"We'll have to change the initials of the RPG from RotR to PTSD." - Me, discussing Rise of the Rockets.

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IC: Lohe Mahina - Inner Cell Block

 

El Naipe. Signs. Those words seemed like things that Lohe's bosses would know about. Well, he was supposed to drop them a line after this. He had pushed the conversation as far as he should.

 

"Alright, I'll be sure to give them your exact words," Lohe said as he corrected his posture again. "Hopefully, that will be enough to satisfy them."

 

"Well," he said turning towards Blackskull. "I guess I asked him all the questions I had."

 

He began to take a step away from Blackskull, towards the exit, when he stopped and turned back towards Ford, a curious look on his face.

 

"Gathered how, by the way? Have you been keeping him up to date, Blackskull?"

Edited by Metal Gear Minun

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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."

Konuju: Kopaka and Nuju meet the Spear of Fusion

 

Quotes from throughout the years:

 

2001: "Your past is forgotten, and your future is an empty book. You must find your own destiny, my brave adventurer." --Nokama

2002: "Mata Nui faces perhaps its greatest challenge -- one that will test our courage, our strength, and our belief in each other." --Tahu

2003: "So... it has begun, my brother. But soon, it will also end..." --Makuta

2004: "Your journey must end." "By the will of the Great Spirit, it has just begun!" --Makuta and Vakama

2005: "Our destinies are not written in stone, set in place. They are something we have to find for ourselves." --Vakama

2006: "Don't you realize you're fighting for a lost cause?" "Maybe. But don't you realize those are the only ones worth fighting for?" --Axonn and Brutaka

2007: "Sometimes a hero has to do something else besides beat the villains and come home covered in glory." --Hahli

2008: "Dive into the darkness, Ignite the flame within. Now, there is no turning back. Make the future... begin." --Narrator, The Final Battle Animation

2009: "It is said that all endings are merely beginnings waiting to be born." --Mata Nui

2010: "All journeys must come to an end, but this time, there is a new beginning as well. ... All that has gone before, my friends, has only served to give birth to this new day. Let unity, duty and destiny be your guides." --Mata Nui

2011: "Not dead. Just frozen. They’ll thaw out … eventually. I’m tired of villains spouting gibberish." --Kopaka

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IC: Miriam Shields - Vermilion Rocket Branch.

 

Miriam slowly looked over the tablet. She began to massage her temple slowly. Technically her business with Agent Hikari wasn't finished yet. She was considering just going home now; Hikari and company would probably appreciate the break. Still, the film crew wasn't cheap. Every day they were on Team Rocket's payroll meant more money being squandered.

 

A quiet sigh escaped her lips. A decision could wait for the length of a conversation.

 

"I'll... hear you out at least."

Edited by Metal Gear Minun

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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."

Konuju: Kopaka and Nuju meet the Spear of Fusion

 

Quotes from throughout the years:

 

2001: "Your past is forgotten, and your future is an empty book. You must find your own destiny, my brave adventurer." --Nokama

2002: "Mata Nui faces perhaps its greatest challenge -- one that will test our courage, our strength, and our belief in each other." --Tahu

2003: "So... it has begun, my brother. But soon, it will also end..." --Makuta

2004: "Your journey must end." "By the will of the Great Spirit, it has just begun!" --Makuta and Vakama

2005: "Our destinies are not written in stone, set in place. They are something we have to find for ourselves." --Vakama

2006: "Don't you realize you're fighting for a lost cause?" "Maybe. But don't you realize those are the only ones worth fighting for?" --Axonn and Brutaka

2007: "Sometimes a hero has to do something else besides beat the villains and come home covered in glory." --Hahli

2008: "Dive into the darkness, Ignite the flame within. Now, there is no turning back. Make the future... begin." --Narrator, The Final Battle Animation

2009: "It is said that all endings are merely beginnings waiting to be born." --Mata Nui

2010: "All journeys must come to an end, but this time, there is a new beginning as well. ... All that has gone before, my friends, has only served to give birth to this new day. Let unity, duty and destiny be your guides." --Mata Nui

2011: "Not dead. Just frozen. They’ll thaw out … eventually. I’m tired of villains spouting gibberish." --Kopaka

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IC: Miriam Shields - Vermilion Rocket Branch

 

Miriam stared back at Dack, as she listened to him. The names were meaningless to the bureaucrat. So she defaulted to what protocol would demand of her. 

 

"That's not technically true. There is a ceasefire, but a formal treaty has yet to be signed. Legally, they are still enemy operatives."

 

A technicality that was probably unwelcome in this situation, but still technically the reality.

 

"I can at least look up their file. Depending on the veracity and severity of their crimes, we could appeal for release or leniency. Otherwise we'd have to either convince Team Liberty to release any prisoners they may have, or convince our superiors to release them as an act of good faith. I can't claim I consider this to be my highest priority, but I should be able to check your claim while you make hotel reservations."

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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."

Konuju: Kopaka and Nuju meet the Spear of Fusion

 

Quotes from throughout the years:

 

2001: "Your past is forgotten, and your future is an empty book. You must find your own destiny, my brave adventurer." --Nokama

2002: "Mata Nui faces perhaps its greatest challenge -- one that will test our courage, our strength, and our belief in each other." --Tahu

2003: "So... it has begun, my brother. But soon, it will also end..." --Makuta

2004: "Your journey must end." "By the will of the Great Spirit, it has just begun!" --Makuta and Vakama

2005: "Our destinies are not written in stone, set in place. They are something we have to find for ourselves." --Vakama

2006: "Don't you realize you're fighting for a lost cause?" "Maybe. But don't you realize those are the only ones worth fighting for?" --Axonn and Brutaka

2007: "Sometimes a hero has to do something else besides beat the villains and come home covered in glory." --Hahli

2008: "Dive into the darkness, Ignite the flame within. Now, there is no turning back. Make the future... begin." --Narrator, The Final Battle Animation

2009: "It is said that all endings are merely beginnings waiting to be born." --Mata Nui

2010: "All journeys must come to an end, but this time, there is a new beginning as well. ... All that has gone before, my friends, has only served to give birth to this new day. Let unity, duty and destiny be your guides." --Mata Nui

2011: "Not dead. Just frozen. They’ll thaw out … eventually. I’m tired of villains spouting gibberish." --Kopaka

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IC: James Arthur - Aether Paradise

 

“It is a beautiful facility you run, Ms. Lusamine,” James said looking out the window. He could still see Gawain. He was relaxing in a river in the conservation area. He was being attended to by the representative that had brought them. At least partially to make sure that their hospitality towards James’s team did not disrupt the fragile ecosystem they had made in the area.

 

James turned his attention back towards the Aether president. Time for business.

 

“I trust you are well aware of the situation in the Sevii Islands. I hope you are open to our offer of partnership.” 

Edited by Metal Gear Minun

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IC - John Ford/Blackskull - VIP Cell Block, The Alamo:

 

The question prompted Blackskull to turn his attention to Ford, eyebrow raised. Without missing a beat, the Shadowed Man gestured to the television in his cell. Blackskull glanced between it and the prisoner, before sighing. "Right," he said. "The video leaks."

 

"I'd suggest plugging them up before they sink your ship," Ford said. "The media has already latched on. A never-before-seen evolutionary phenomenon is one thing; seeing Missing Zero in action--taking down two of your Power Suits, at that--is another."

 

"I agree; there's more than one screw that needs to be tightened." Blackskull turned to leave. "I'm working on it."

 

"For what it's worth, my offer still stands," Ford called. "We can help you. You may want to consider that now rather than later."

 

Blackskull looked back at the Shadowed Man through the bars, silent. After a moment, he followed Lohe.

 

 

IC - Sonja Baron - Command Center, Vertrag:

 

Sonja led the way out of the broadcasting room and back into the main command center. There remained only one door left to investigate--which, of course, opened out in another hallway. This hall offered more options: Like the first hall, there was a door on the left and a door on the right. Neither possessed a viewing window, suggesting that these were not meant for meetings or interrogation. At the end of the hallway was a stairwell leading downward.

 

"Okay . . ." Sonja could not hide her annoyance. "Left door, right door, then stairwell?"

 

 

IC - Lentimas Town, Unova:

 

From the cliffs of Reversal Mountain, Lentimas Town looked like a teeny, tiny, model village. If he held up his fingers to his eye, he could squash the entire place between his thumb and forefinger, and all the little people in it. With an exaggerated sigh, the creature fell onto his back, gaze focused on nothing in the cloudy sky above. Tendrils of shadow coalesced in his sight, forming the silent figure of a Darkrai. Her expression was unreadable. The disapproving energy behind it was not.

 

"I know, my darling." Kane sighed. "You don't have to say it." He frowned, and the smirked. "No, that's right. You can't say it. I suppose that's okay." Frowned again. "No, you don't have to make me feel it. I know, I've lost sight of things. I just feel as if  . . ." Kane waved a hand absentmindedly in the air. "As if I've lost my inspirational spirit. Surely you can understand that?" Silence. He glowered. "I guess the theatrics were never your imaginings, were they? Fine. Leave me alone--you wouldn't understand." He placed his fedora over his face, rested his head on his hands, and closed his eyes.

 

With what could only be a sigh, the Darkrai slunk back into the shadows. The darkness seemed to embrace her master, keeping him close. They each were all that the other had left in the world, after all. Losses or wins, failures or successes, it did not matter--Gaigan had thrown her hat into the ring with Kane, and she intended to stick by him, no matter what. And though he powered over her--certainly now that he was one of the few empowered beings left, after the light--he was still family. Both of them knew it.

 

They were alone together.

 

Still, Gaigan had not managed to express her . . . confusion toward her master's current state of mind. It had not been that long ago that he had emerged into the world, beginning his new life with an attempted takeover of Opelucid. They had been foiled, yes, but not in such a way that should have stemmed the tide of his influence. Why, then, had he refused to act again? Even now, with the world at his fingertips--the very town beneath them utterly defenseless--he had done nothing.

 

Why?

 

She did not understand.

 

Perhaps there was truth to his words--a creative block. Or perhaps there was more to it. She simply could not understand. But she did trust him. And if Kane felt that it was impossible now to act, then they would wait together until he decreed it otherwise.

 

It was just a matter of waiting . . .

 

They lay there for some time, both engrossed in their own thoughts. The world was silent.

 

The wind around them crackled.

 

Kane's eyes opened and he shot upward, into a sitting position. The shadows of Gaigan spread around him like a black flame. Her eye appeared on his back; both looked about them, searching. They did not need to speak to each other to know that the other had felt the change in the air, the sudden intensity as something intruded on their space. But nothing and no one was there. Slowly, Kane shifted onto his feet, and then began to rise.

 

A crackle from the trees nearby, and then a flash. With a tug from Gaigan, Kane spun to face it, raising a hand. A barrier of shadow rose in front of him, dissipating as the attack struck it and shattered into sparks. He stared into the trees. A girl stood there, eyes glowing blue and staring straight back at him. Kane's expression turned, muscles loosening into one of bewilderment before morphing into a toothy smile. He tilted his hat. "Mi'lady."

 

She twirled her thumbs together. "You're Kane." Her voice was soft, a velvet blanket to the ears. Soft, and immediately disarming.

 

"That's the name," he said. Gaigan pulsed with clear unease; Kane ignored her. "To whom do I have the pleasure of . . . Well, perhaps speaking isn't the correct term." He rubbed his head. "Nor fighting; I can see this going only one way . . ." His grin returned. "Dominating?"

 

The girl's expression tightened with disgust, though only for a moment. She resumed a neutral mask, taking several steps around Kane, never speaking. Her eyes scanned him top to bottom to top again. Kane's smirk vanished, replaced with an annoyed baring of the teeth. "You going to tell me what you want, lady, or should I just get straight to picking you apart?"

 

"Down."

 

"What?"

 

"I said, down."

 

Kane's eyes narrowed. He rolled his head back, smiling in disbelief. "My dear," he said. "You should congratulate yourself--you have officially broken the world record for quickest demonstration of--" A glow emanated from below. Kane looked down, eyes widening at the sight of the symbol that had appeared beneath him. He raised an arm, pointing at the girl, at the same time that arcs of lightning erupted around him. The electrical attack brought him to his knees, screaming from the pain coursing through his body.

 

He had, however, acted quickly enough to direct Gaigan. The Darkrai shot forward in a swarm of dark tendrils, straight toward the girl. Her massive form materialized about three feet away from her target--too close for any normal individual to react to the swing of her claw. The girl was unperturbed. In an instant, her form had shifted into a massive, cloaked figure, easily eight feet tall. A long, tentacle-like arm spiraled in front of her, wrapping around Gaigan and slamming her into the ground. The Darkrai could not break free, and as the girl squeezed, she found it harder and harder to maintain consciousness. Electric blue eyes glared down at her from behind a white veil; Gaigan did her best to glare back.

 

Soon enough, the girl--no, the monster--turned her attention back to Kane. The man struggled to stand, barely managing to make it into an upright position before falling forward again. She floated toward him, her long arm stretching and leaving Gaigan behind.

 

"That's more like it . . ." The girl's words remained as smooth as ever, though backed now by a multitude of other voices. "Is it unusual for you, subservience?" She reached forward with her free arm, tilting his head up to look at her. "Or perhaps you have never been in power to begin with . . ."

 

"###### you, you b--" Kane's vision erupted into spots of white as her massive hand slapped him back down. He spit onto the ground; blood splattered in the dirt. Kane wiped his mouth. "What . . . What do you want?"

 

"Isn't it obvious?" Her arm wrapped around him, lifting him up. Seeing her face clearly for himself now . . . Kane could not help but recoil in horror. Thankfully, she seemed to ignore this. "I want you. At least, what makes you powerful." He struggled against her grip. She gave him another once-over. "Do you enjoy this, even though you know it's futile?"

 

"No," he growled. Sparks of darkness erupted in his palms, though through his panic he could not maintain them long enough to act. "I--refuse--to--die!" For the first time, Kane felt utterly helpless. The feeling disgusted him, terrified him--and yet there was nothing he could do about it. This creature clamped down on him, Gaigan was useless, and he was powerless.

 

He stopped struggling when the creature let out a breathy chuckle. His breathing slowed somewhat, and he found himself more perplexed than anything. She took a breath, closing her eyes for a moment, and then looking at him again. "Is that what you fear?" She shook her head. "I am not gong to kill you. You possess something . . . compelling. And I want that." A spiraling portal of darkness opened beneath her. She began to sink into it, dragging Kane and Gaigan with her, until the darkness had encompassed them all. "Your voice will join mine, Kane. Isn't that beautiful?"

 

At the edge of the darkness, a crimson light glowed. And though he could try to fight it, flee the ever-approaching red sea, Kane knew: There was no escape from this fate.

Edited by Parugi

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~ Rise of the Rockets (I II)/Discussion Topic/Side Stories ~

 

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-==IC: Lucia Zyther -- Camphrier Town==-

 

"I have nothing in mind right now, so the castle seems like the best option." Lucia replied with a smile as she looked over at Jamie. "There's not really anything in town that'd interest me that isn't here already."

 

-==IC: Chloe Hikari -- Vertrag==-

 

Chloe stepped into the room with a slight air of caution despite what she had said to the others. Although she thought that there wasn't going to be anything bad, she still was uneasy as the atmosphere of the room felt exactly the same as the rest of the base. The room was just as dark and plain with the same eerie glow that almost everything else in the base had so far. She resisted the urge to shudder as she stepped further into the room and looked around.

 

From what she could see, there wasn't much furniture, as aside from the bed, she only could see a nightstand and a small dresser - a stark contrast from the previous room they had checked out. Chloe noticed a piece of burnt roof tile sitting on top of the nightstand. She walked over to take a look at it with a curious look on her face, but she couldn't make out what it could be from or what it was about. She then glanced over to the bed and walked over to it to look at it further. A piece of blue something under the pillow caught her eye, however, and the woman pushed the pillow aside to look at it. It was a neon blue folder of some kind, that bore the Plasma logo. Inside were a bunch of files that seemed to pertain to Team Plasma - as Chloe read through them, her eyes widened as a number of times it referenced people with the name 'Baron' that she didn't recognize; she had to take a guess that it might be related to Sonja's parents. This confirmed to her whose room this was too. She didn't read the document it too much, but did notice a few scribbled-in names on the pages, some of which were scratched out. She also noticed that some of the names that weren't scribbled out included each of the Plasma Sages' names.

 

Unsure what to make of this, the woman stuck the dossier into her purse for the moment and continued the search of the room. Despite looking everywhere she could, Chloe could not find anything else of note, so she decided to simply leave the room, concerned about what this might mean to Sonja and Hayes.

 

-==IC: Olivia Seaton -- Camphrier Town==-

 

"Thought ya might wanna talk about things." Olivia subtly motioned to Lionel in a way to try and indicate that she didn't want to have him around for the conversation. "Not that good at that, but ya know, I think I can channel my sister pretty well."

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IC: Yamamoto Aori

 

The young girl fidgeted a bit and shrugged. "I am not picky," she replied. "I like fruit, though."

 

IC: Emily Lockwood

 

The Performer smiled brightly at Zoe's enthusiasm. "Don't you two worry about it. I'll cover this trip, since it was my idea."

 

IC: Jared Winters

 

Jared nodded. "I think he said guest rooms were this way." He pointed down a ahll and began walking. The guest wing was, naturally, excessive in size. It was entirely inside the realm of possibility that it could house the entire town outside the castle walls.

 

Jared peeked into the first door in the hall and, seeing it was empty, stepped inside. He tossed his bag and coat onto the bed and sighed as he turned to face Olivia. "What did you want to talk about?"

 

Lachina Adaon

 

"Not really, no. We were more focused on connecting with wild Pokémon and--" The ranger was cut off by shouts coming from the fields. "I bet that's a good sign," she muttered as she picked up her pace. "C'mon, Dahlia, let's check it out!"

"So Alku, happy 'was that a firecracker or shotgun?' day!"

"Hard mode: I'm in the south."

 

"Planning was never Zac Blazer's forte." - Blade, mastering the art of the understatement.

 

"We'll have to change the initials of the RPG from RotR to PTSD." - Me, discussing Rise of the Rockets.

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IC - Emmerich Coleman - Third Room, Vertrag:

 

He had not had much (or really, any) direct contact with Ford's followers, but Emmerich had a fairly solid idea of who this room belonged to. Quincy Adams had been involved in the Unown incident the previous year, and more recently with a direct attempt on Shadow Admin Joker's life. The reports involving her painted the Third Child as a psychopath on par with the worst criminals, and a part of him would forever be thankful that he would never have to come face to face with her himself.

 

That said, he had no idea what to make of her room.

 

It was a dusty attic bedroom, with vaulted ceilings and old, wooden floorboards that creaked with every step. If it weren't for the unnatural lack of windows, he would have believed that he had stepped straight into one of the many historical homes in Eterna City. A wrought-iron bed rested against one wall, covered with weathered, tattered bedding--as opposite as possible of the luxurious accommodations he had experienced in his lifetime. Nearby was a hand-carved night stand, where a picture stood before a porcelain lamp. In the corner furthest from the door stood an old rocking chair, occupied by an old, hand-knit rag doll that seemed to be falling apart at the seams. A bookshelf stood near the door to the bathroom; dozens of storybooks lined its shelves, some old and eaten away with time, others more or less brand new.

 

The Team Rocket General pulled out his Poké Gear, activating the camera. After a cursory check for any potential traps, he started snapping pictures, allowing the flash to briefly illuminate every corner of the room. There was certainly much to read into here. At a glance, the design of the room told Emmerich that its occupant had perhaps not had the most severe growth on an emotional level. Every book on her shelves related to fairy tales in some way, whether retelling a story or adapting it or simply serving as a collection of the original tales. Something about them had stuck with her, and it had translated--or was, perhaps, directly influenced by--the origin of this room itself.

 

He shook his head. As much as the aesthetics interested him, Emmerich knew that time was of the essence, and psychoanalyzing this room was less important than actually investigating it. Still firmly holding onto his camera, he walked first to the bookshelf, scanning the titles there. None specifically stood out to him, though he did note an empty spot on the third shelf where--judging from the relatively disturbed dust--something had previously stood, and recently been removed. He ran his fingertips across the tops of the books, feeling for anything tucked inside. He could not suppress a grimace at the dust, wishing dearly that he had brought a pair of gloves with him.

 

Finding nothing, he turned his attention to the night stand and the bed. Compared to everything else in the room, the picture on the night stand was absolutely pristine--the frame perfectly polished, the picture itself placed and preserved expertly. He placed a hand in his pocket, picking up the photograph with the other. An older woman, sixty or so, sat on a rocking chair; in her lap sat a young girl of about five. Both smiled up at Emmerich with faces and mouths gradually faded with time. The girl clutched a brand-new rag doll close to her chest. He glanced from the photograph to the rocking chair in the corner. The doll smiled sadly at him.

 

With a sigh, Emmerich set the photo back down. He took a closer look at the bed, stooping down and lifting the mattress as he spotted something sticking out from underneath it. It was an article from a Unovan newspaper. He pulled it free and set the mattress down. In doing so, he bumped the night stand, accidentally sending the photograph toppling to the floor with a telltale crack. He offered the doll an apologetic look before turning his attention to the newspaper.

 

ICCIRUS POLICE LOG

4-1-2002

11:51 PM

Iccirus Police responded to an emergency call at Lone Oak School for Girls regarding an apparent altercation between five males (aged 16, 17, 17, 18, and 18) and one female (aged 15). Two males were transported to Iccirus Provincial Hospital with severe injuries incurred via knife. One female suspect was arrested in relation to the incident.

 

Emmerich reread the report multiple times. He felt a sickening drop in his stomach, finally forcing himself to fold the article and pocket it, silently making a note to investigate later.

 

There was only one thing left to do. Stooping down, Emmerich picked up the picture that had fallen to his feet, failing to suppress a pang of guilt as he lifted the frame and the image itself fell onto the floor amidst the shards of glass. But there was something else: A note that had been stored behind the picture itself. It was old, yellowed with age and beginning to fray--a memento she had kept for a very long time. Carefully, Emmerich unfolded it, straining his eyes to read the elegant, yet shaking handwriting that had been smeared in places from uncontrolled tears. The task proved impossible in the current lighting conditions. With a last look at the doll, he pulled out the article again, tucked the letter and picture into it to protect them, and placed them back in his bag.

 

He stood, giving the room a final look before exiting and closing the door behind him.

 

 

IC - Kyle Eston - Fourth Room, Vertrag:

 

The room before him was . . . somewhere between oddly normal and extremely chaotic. Kyle could not quite decide which. It was like anybody's bedroom of any random house--creamy-white walls, grayish carpets across the floor, illuminated by a globed light in the center of the ceiling. It had an unremarkable bed with unremarkable sheets, unremarkable bookshelves across an entire wall, a gaming desktop set-up in a corner. It was completely banal.

 

That was, except for the decorations in the room.

 

This room's occupant appeared to have a penchant for masks. They lined the bookcases, roughly three to a shelf and about fifteen to a bookcase. Kyle didn't know how many there were in total, but there were enough to give him pause in investigating any further. There seemed to be little rhyme or reason to the masks themselves--no organization on which one went where. A zombie-like mask and a mime mask flanked a pure white face on a random shelf; that was but one combination that prompted a tilt of the head.

 

He shook it off, taking several careful steps forward. Investigating the room itself proved a quick task, for there was essentially nothing of value or interest present. Under the bed, atop the dresser, behind the masks, under the pillows, between the mattress and bed frame--nothing. And compounding everything was the presence of a very thick layer of dust on everything, indicating a total lack of use for . . . He couldn't even begin to guess how long. It was difficult to make sense of. Then again, if McKinley had been turned into his current form as long as a year ago, it stood to reason that he wouldn't have made much use of his room. Perhaps he didn't need to?

 

The thought of that clown managing to operate without rest made Kyle shudder.

 

He walked at last to the desk. Aside from the computer and its associated parts, there was only one thing that truly stood out: A rather large pile of newspaper clippings stacked beside the desk. Kyle carefully sifted through them. There were too many to count, and nothing immediately obvious that connected them, but after the first few, Kyle began to understand the through link. The dates on the papers began from November of 2010, and from there they seemed to continue up until roughly August of 2016. Present on every single one was a missing person report, tucked away into the bottom corner of the front page:

 

Seth Gacheru
Age - 15 at the time of disappearance.
Last seen October 31st, 2010 in Cyllage City. 
Eyes - Amber
Hair - Blond
Height - 5'9"
Weight - 143 lbs
If you have any information related to Seth's whereabouts, please contact Adan and Efa Gacheru at-

Kyle stared at the message he was holding. "That entire time, was he just . . . watching his family struggle to look for him . . .?" He frowned, shaking his head at the thought. He replaced the papers where they were, taking one with him. With a sigh, he rose to his feet. Fairly convinced that there was nothing of value here, he returned to the hall, shutting the light off behind him and leaving the masks to their own darkness.

 

 

When he stepped out, Emmerich and Chloe were waiting for him. He nodded to them, hitting the panel to close the door. "Any luck?"

 

"I found a few things of interest, but nothing relevant to now," Emmerich confirmed. "I think this girl was . . . fairly troubled. Anything on your end?"

 

"Not really. Just a bunch of creepy masks." Kyle glanced at the door, considering the room again. "Yeah, no, nothing at all, really. Not that I'd expect anything else from McKinley. How about you, Chloe?"

Edited by Parugi

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~ Rise of the Rockets (I II)/Discussion Topic/Side Stories ~

 

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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.

Konuju: Kopaka and Nuju meet the Spear of Fusion

 

Quotes from throughout the years:

 

2001: "Your past is forgotten, and your future is an empty book. You must find your own destiny, my brave adventurer." --Nokama

2002: "Mata Nui faces perhaps its greatest challenge -- one that will test our courage, our strength, and our belief in each other." --Tahu

2003: "So... it has begun, my brother. But soon, it will also end..." --Makuta

2004: "Your journey must end." "By the will of the Great Spirit, it has just begun!" --Makuta and Vakama

2005: "Our destinies are not written in stone, set in place. They are something we have to find for ourselves." --Vakama

2006: "Don't you realize you're fighting for a lost cause?" "Maybe. But don't you realize those are the only ones worth fighting for?" --Axonn and Brutaka

2007: "Sometimes a hero has to do something else besides beat the villains and come home covered in glory." --Hahli

2008: "Dive into the darkness, Ignite the flame within. Now, there is no turning back. Make the future... begin." --Narrator, The Final Battle Animation

2009: "It is said that all endings are merely beginnings waiting to be born." --Mata Nui

2010: "All journeys must come to an end, but this time, there is a new beginning as well. ... All that has gone before, my friends, has only served to give birth to this new day. Let unity, duty and destiny be your guides." --Mata Nui

2011: "Not dead. Just frozen. They’ll thaw out … eventually. I’m tired of villains spouting gibberish." --Kopaka

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-==NPC: Lusamine -- Aether Paradise, Alola==-

 

The youthful-looking blonde considered James' words for a moment, as she mulled them over. "What is it exactly that Team Liberty is looking for, then?" Lusamine asked with a business-like smile on her face. She seemed to have another question on the tip of her tongue, but appeared to opt not to ask it right that moment.

 

-==IC: Ryan Hikari -- Vermilion Rocket Outpost==-

 

As Shannon and Aori talked, Ryan simply listened in. Outside of finishing up with what Miriam wanted, he didn't really have any ideas of what to do next. As he thought that over, Dack approached him. "What are you all doing now, then?" Ryan asked, half to try and see if asking someone the same question he was asking himself would give him any new ideas.

 

-==IC: Olivia Seaton -- Shabboneau Castle, Camphrier Town, Kalos==-

 

Olivia chewed on her lip for a moment as she thought over the best way to start the conversation. "First off, ya don't have to worry about too much judgin' on my part. I've been doing some thinking since the incident and it wouldn't be right. Oh, and I wanna just apologize for the other day too, not because of anything from today but it's just... that was on me. I wasn't used to that sorta thing and got caught of guard. Ya didn't do anything wrong thinking it all over, though, trust me." The woman glanced around the room for a moment as she tried to think of what to say next.

 

"If ya wanna talk about what happened though, I'm all ears. I helped my girlfriend out with her worries over something that happened back in Unova that went pretty wrong, so I don't mind listening." She was tempted to add on more about how she didn't like what Lionel said to Jared earlier, but figured that given Jared's dislike of the man already, that he already had the same sort of idea there.

 

-==IC: Chloe Hikari -- Vertrag==-

 

"Hmm... I found a few things in Hayes' room, most of the stuff might be things Sonja would be interested in more, but overall nothing really important other than that." Chloe wondered how much she should actually explain to anyone that wasn't Sonja, but for the sake of privacy, opted to just keep quiet on it. "Moving on to the next set of rooms, then?"

 

-==IC: Ray Hakuda -- Vertrag==-

 

Ray considered responding to things a couple times, but opted to just chuckle at the appropriate moments. He had been about to agree with the order that Sonja had suggested when Ryan went ahead first. With a small shrug, he followed into the door, readying himself for what might lie beyond it.

 

-==IC: Colleen Llyan -- Camphrier Town, Kalos==-

 

Colleen was just as surprised as Zoe was. She was about to ask if Em was sure about doing that, but simply decided to smile instead as Zoe seemed to be happy by the offer. The girl nodded as well. "Thanks Em." She said with a big smile, opting to not make this a group hug, but still also very grateful.

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IC: Lachina Adaon

 

The two girls burst into the main part of the field to a violent sight. A group of six men and women in leather coats was spread out around a Gallade, who was standing defensively in front of an older man and a young teenager.

 

One of the men in the group glanced up as Lachina and Dahlia approached. He scowled, breaking off and turning to face them. "Fields are closed, kids. Sorry."

 

Lachina frowned, casting a doubtful look towards the others. "Yeah, I bet. What's going on here?"

 

"They're trying to take all the berries!" The older man said. "I told them they could take some, but they don't want to leave any for anyone else. They've been causing trouble for the town ever since that flash of light last week."

 

"Shut it, old man!" One of the women spat. "We're gonna take what we want, and there's nothing anyone can do about it!"

 

IC: Emily Lockwood

 

"It's my pleasure, dears. I have more money than I really need, so I'm happy to spend it on friends!" She squeezed Zoe lightly and smiled. "Here, let's start in here." She pointed and headed into the boutique that Zoe had been looking into.

 

IC: Jared Winters

 

The silver-haired boy nodded slowly. "I am sorry I made you uncomfortable the other day. I don't think I ever apologized, so there it is." He sighed. "As for what just happened . . . It's a very complicated story. I've explained it to Dahlia and to Lachina, but . . . I'm not sure how many people I want to know about it."

 

Jared swallowed, considering. "I wasn't exactly myself, is all. I lost control, despite my struggles not to. Just know that I'm not a threat to you all like that. I've lost control before and never attacked any of my allies."

"So Alku, happy 'was that a firecracker or shotgun?' day!"

"Hard mode: I'm in the south."

 

"Planning was never Zac Blazer's forte." - Blade, mastering the art of the understatement.

 

"We'll have to change the initials of the RPG from RotR to PTSD." - Me, discussing Rise of the Rockets.

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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.

Konuju: Kopaka and Nuju meet the Spear of Fusion

 

Quotes from throughout the years:

 

2001: "Your past is forgotten, and your future is an empty book. You must find your own destiny, my brave adventurer." --Nokama

2002: "Mata Nui faces perhaps its greatest challenge -- one that will test our courage, our strength, and our belief in each other." --Tahu

2003: "So... it has begun, my brother. But soon, it will also end..." --Makuta

2004: "Your journey must end." "By the will of the Great Spirit, it has just begun!" --Makuta and Vakama

2005: "Our destinies are not written in stone, set in place. They are something we have to find for ourselves." --Vakama

2006: "Don't you realize you're fighting for a lost cause?" "Maybe. But don't you realize those are the only ones worth fighting for?" --Axonn and Brutaka

2007: "Sometimes a hero has to do something else besides beat the villains and come home covered in glory." --Hahli

2008: "Dive into the darkness, Ignite the flame within. Now, there is no turning back. Make the future... begin." --Narrator, The Final Battle Animation

2009: "It is said that all endings are merely beginnings waiting to be born." --Mata Nui

2010: "All journeys must come to an end, but this time, there is a new beginning as well. ... All that has gone before, my friends, has only served to give birth to this new day. Let unity, duty and destiny be your guides." --Mata Nui

2011: "Not dead. Just frozen. They’ll thaw out … eventually. I’m tired of villains spouting gibberish." --Kopaka

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IC - Kyle Eston/Emmerich Coleman - Living Quarters, Vertrag:

 

With a nod, Kyle turned and began down the hallway, to the next trio of doors. He approached the fifth in order; Emmerich walked past, headed to the seventh, which left Chloe to take the sixth door. Kyle spared only a moment to glance at the plaque--'5'--before reaching for the entry pad.

 

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Emmerich called. "But this door should be labeled 'seven,' not 'five,' right?"

 

"Considering I've got five, yes," Kyle said. He moved to look at Emmerich's door. This plaque read '5.' A quick glance at Chloe's door confirmed that hers was also labeled '5.' Kyle rubbed his temple. "Huh . . . "

 

"A mistake in the architecture?" Emmerich offered. "Or an intentional design?"

 

"Hmm . . ." Chloe thought for a moment as she considered what could cause the three fives. "What if it's to be taken literally? That the doors are all for the fifth person here?" She thought back to how Ford had mentioned that Raymond guy was one of his recruits, and how there were nine people at that ceremony. "What if it has something to do with like, recruiting more people or something?"

 

"That makes sense," Kyle said. "Sonja said that McKinley had made a comment about 'replacing their fifth' when she got taken in Fortree. And we already know that each of these rooms belongs to each individual child. So with eleven rooms total now, three of which are fives, and there were supposed to be nine originally. . . Seems to me like they had to replace the Fifth Child twice."

 

"So, they just happened to have two extra rooms?" Emmerich's expression could be best described as 'doubtful.' "A bit of a coincidence, in my opinion."

 

Chloe bit her lip as she contemplated that. "That wouldn't make sense either, thinking about it... would the person already there just be moved when the new people showed up? Like - Sonja for instance, from what you just said about that, she would've been brought here before the third Fifth Child. Unless they already had moved everyone to fit that, it wouldn't make sense..." She thought for a couple more moments about what the other answer could be. "What were the other two rooms like? Hayes' room had the exact same feeling as the rest of this place - a big contrast from what that first guy's room was like."
 
"That one--" Emmerich gestured to Adams's room. "--looked like an attic. Entirely out of order with the rest of this place." "And McKinley's looked like just a normal, everyday bedroom--minus the masks," Kyle said. "I don't know. It sounds like there isn't any real rhyme or reason at work here. Maybe Ford prepared the rooms for each person ahead of time?"

"That still doesn't explain the number discrepancy," Emmerich said.
 
"Hayes' looked just like the rest of the base; the same sort of dull feel with the same glow." Chloe frowned slightly, as she glanced at the rooms they had visited before. "What if it has to do with magic? We know the entrance to the place is already enchanted with some kind of magic, why not... the rest of the base? it could be that it's just... literally adding rooms, maybe... and maybe that's why a lot of the rooms seem so out of place compared to everything else?"
 
"That . . . actually wouldn't be the craziest thing," Kyle said after a moment. "That would definitely explain why each room so far has seemed so personalized to the individual. Except for maybe Hayes . . ." He ran his fingers through his hair, thinking. "Let's make a note to ask Ford about this next time we get a chance to meet with him."
 
"That sounds like a good idea, yeah; among a bunch of other things we'll likely want to ask him that we've found in this place so far." Chloe nodded in agreement.
 
"On with the investigations, then." Emmerich returned to the seventh door. "By the way, if you find anything of particular interest and find that you can't bring it with you, I'd suggest snapping a few pictures for later review." With a final nod, he entered the room.

 

 

IC - Sonja Baron - Library, Vertrag:

 

The door opened onto a balcony overlooking an absolute monster of a library. Across each wall, jutting out into aisles, stacked into rows within the main space--hundreds of shelves housed thousands of books, a myriad of colors stretching into a distance far too vast for what should have been the available space. Dotted inside the aisles were black, leather armchairs--some singular, some in pairs. On either side of the balcony, a staircase descended along the wall, before turning and leading the way into the sea of wood and paper. Grand chandeliers hung at regular intervals from the ceiling, casting a warm glow upon the maze.

 

The sight robbed Sonja of words. All she could do was stare at the endless expanse of knowledge before her.

 

An expanse she dreaded to sort through.

 

 

IC - Emmerich Coleman - Seventh Room, Vertrag:

 

There was not much to be said for the third-Fifth Child's room. Emmerich had virtually no information to go off of in regards to who she was, unlike Adams and Pierce; as such he was left to wander blindly and just hope that he would find something.

 

The room was notable only in its posh nature. Where Adams appeared to have lived in poverty, or at least had some relation to a poor upbringing, this room's occupant lived in permanent comfort. The room itself was massive--triple the size of what the average person would consider a large bedroom. The bed was fit for a queen, with high-end covers that Emmerich imagined he himself could not afford. Dozens of shelves of various sizes housed hundreds of what he could only assume were models of machines from various video games and anime. Out of all of them, he recognized maybe two, though he could not put a name to them. Video games and a collection of comic books completed the room, all of them foreign to him.

 

Searching these items produced nothing of interest, prompting Emmerich to turn his attention to the walls. A few sparse pictures hung here and there, primarily focused on a young girl with a dark complexion in her various accomplishments. A few pictures had her paired with a similar-looking boy--perhaps a brother or cousin; he could not tell. He noted a framed acceptance letter to a university, addressed to a 'Skye Hall.' Finally he saw a photograph of the girl, the boy, and what could only be their parents. The family looked happy as could be--the lightest piece of scenery he had seen in the entirety of the base thus far.

 

With his search complete, Emmerich returned to the hall.

Edited by Parugi

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~ Rise of the Rockets (I II)/Discussion Topic/Side Stories ~

 

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IC: Miriam Shields - Vermilion City 

 

Miriam watched the group leave before returning to the office. She slowly walked over to the desk and placed the tablet on it. She sat down at the desk and looked up at the ceiling. For what seemed like forever, she sat there in silence. The sight of the girl brought memories back of long ago. And suddenly, Miriam felt very old. She began to feel regret, and yearning.

 

"No, you forfeited the right to those feelings," Miriam said to herself, before standing up.

 

She picked up her tablet and left the room to go hunting down records. Maybe work would take her mind off it. It worked for her so far.

 

 

IC: James Arthur - Aether Paradise
 
“We are looking for funding and cooperation in research regarding the essence of Pokemon Types,” James said.
 
“Have you watched the leaked video from One Island?” James said, forcing himself not to show any emotion about that particular video, or about the people he was going to murder for leaking it. “If not, I can show it to you,” he said ignoring the irony of that statement in regards to his previous thought.
 
“Until such time as Pokemon powers return, our Power Suits are our best defense against this menace. Naturally, we are not asking for you to help build weapons. But our suits replicate Pokemon powers. We hope that you might contribute to this work.”
 
 

IC: Guinevere/Natalie - Table’s Home
 
Guinevere used her crutch to stand. They got what they needed. It was time to go. With the Grimer following behind her, she hobbled her way towards the door.
 
"W-wait!" Bobby called out to the two as Natalie headed toward the door as well. "I-I need help! You just proved it, didn't you? Someone wants me to fall for this, and might kill me! You have to be able to do something, right?" The man looked panicked. "I need help and secrecy, please!"
 
The Gardevoir stopped in her tracks. Guinevere thought about their options. There was a chance they could him granted asylum by Team Liberty. But to get him safely out of the country while he was still under arrest, would take some wrangling. They would need enough evidence to link Patrick to the murder of Stacy, then enough to either show the case directly affected Team Liberty, or convince Team Rocket to have him ferried over for testimony. And the only person Guinevere could think of with the connections to do that was…
 
The Gardevoir leaned on Natalie. Using her as a stand to keep herself stable while pressed her marker to the board. She held still there for what felt like a long time. Seconds ticked by without any movement. When she finally started to write, the words came at a slow but deliberate pace.
 
[i will do what I can.]
 
It was little comfort to be sure, but it was all she could provide. How much this man’s life was truly in jeopardy was uncertain, but the probability of danger wasn’t zero. He didn’t deserve to die for them coming here.
 
The man seemed to breathe a sigh of relief before he flashed the slimey smile he'd had on earlier. "Ohhh, thank you! I hope that you can help out a lot."
 
"We'll see." Natalie said with a slightly uneasy look on her face. She glanced over at Guinevere with a small frown as she wondered how they would help, but… even if the guy was sleazy, he didn't deserve death from whoever was after him.
 
Guinevere stepped out of the apartment. It was time to go, they had what they needed from him. Next, it was time to track down Cassie. And the first step was to call Jamie.
 
 

IC: Claus Diamond/Zack Furler - Sunyshore City waters
 
Claus was regretting taking a boat. The waves on the trip had been especially rocky. He was getting a little green around the gills. He also had a monkey on his back, though he was moving up to his shoulders. He would’ve told Flint no, but can you really say no to that face?
 
Richard was playing the melody some sea shanty on his violin, while sitting on the rail. A complete one-eighty from how he been the day before. Oceanus and Erebus were swimming on either side of the boat. It should’ve been a leisurely swim for both of them, and it was for the Gyarados at least. The Tentacruel had to, more than once, stop what he was doing, and fix Richard’s balance before he plummeted into the sea below. And since the cause was the fact that Richard wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings, he didn’t learn his lesson when the Tentacruel corrected his balance.
 
Richard’s mood and bearing seemed wholly different from the barely functioning man he had been the day before. Two nights ago, he had returned with -something- that the bard had asked him to copy audio files from, before Richard had left to ‘return’ it. Claus was gonna take a listen to that at some point, but he had been too tired at the time, and too busy the next day. Richard himself didn’t return until after Claus had long since fallen asleep, and had to wake up early for job training.
 
The bard was technically only there to interview Cyrus when they met him. To be fair, technically Claus was only going to assess the situation. They were supposed to report in as soon as the meeting was over. What happens after that? Undecided.
 
Taylor was… somewhere. She wasn’t in Claus’s line of sight. She technically wasn’t a part of the mission or Team Liberty, but this was a private boat. So if she decided to hop along (even if that decision had come from Claus asking her to), it wasn’t Team Liberty’s place to say no.
 
A Raichu was on the deck, watching Flint. No Liberty boats were scheduled to head for Sunyshore in a timely matter. But someone Zack knew had offered to ferry them on their own personal boat. That person was the former gym leader of Sunyshore City, Volkner. Zack was speaking to Volkner about something or other. Claus couldn’t hear from where he stood.
 
“Oy, Claus,” Richard called, suddenly stopping his violin. “Land ho!”
 
Sure enough, the port of Sunyshore city came into full view. The next few moments were a complete blur. A mix of nervousness and nauseousness came over Claus until the boat pulled into port. When the ship finally docked, and a bridge was placed to cover the gap between the boat and the port, Claus rushed towards the dock, to get on the dry land as soon as possible. He stopped one step short.
 
His eyes became focused on the ground ahead of him. One more step, and he’d finally be in Sinnoh. To finally be in Sinnoh, after all this time. After everything his dad told him about the region. It didn’t seem possible. What was it gonna be like? Was it gonna be like what he always imagined? What his dad always told him about? What if it didn’t live up to the hype? What if Cyrus wasn’t there? What if his dad wasn’t? What if the opposite? What if he liked it so much that never wanted to leave? Maybe he shouldn’t-
 
Claus lost his balance when he felt a shove from behind. He stopped himself from falling to the ground, but he was officially on Sinnoh soil now. It took him a second to realize that.
 
“Just thought I’d give you a helping push,” Richard said, smiling.
 
“Thanks…” Claus said with a sarcastic intonation, until he realized that because he’d done it, he had stopped worrying about it. “Thanks.”
 
“Welcome to Sinnoh, Claus.”
 
Edited by Metal Gear Minun

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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."

Konuju: Kopaka and Nuju meet the Spear of Fusion

 

Quotes from throughout the years:

 

2001: "Your past is forgotten, and your future is an empty book. You must find your own destiny, my brave adventurer." --Nokama

2002: "Mata Nui faces perhaps its greatest challenge -- one that will test our courage, our strength, and our belief in each other." --Tahu

2003: "So... it has begun, my brother. But soon, it will also end..." --Makuta

2004: "Your journey must end." "By the will of the Great Spirit, it has just begun!" --Makuta and Vakama

2005: "Our destinies are not written in stone, set in place. They are something we have to find for ourselves." --Vakama

2006: "Don't you realize you're fighting for a lost cause?" "Maybe. But don't you realize those are the only ones worth fighting for?" --Axonn and Brutaka

2007: "Sometimes a hero has to do something else besides beat the villains and come home covered in glory." --Hahli

2008: "Dive into the darkness, Ignite the flame within. Now, there is no turning back. Make the future... begin." --Narrator, The Final Battle Animation

2009: "It is said that all endings are merely beginnings waiting to be born." --Mata Nui

2010: "All journeys must come to an end, but this time, there is a new beginning as well. ... All that has gone before, my friends, has only served to give birth to this new day. Let unity, duty and destiny be your guides." --Mata Nui

2011: "Not dead. Just frozen. They’ll thaw out … eventually. I’m tired of villains spouting gibberish." --Kopaka

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-==IC: Olivia Seaton -- Camphrier Town, Kalos==-

 

Olivia listened to the half-explanation, but then nodded. "I believe ya. I won't press things if that's not whatcha want. It's your choice when and where and if ya wanna share more, after all, and I can't ask ya to do something you don't wanna do." The redhead gave a slight smile, though, as she thought it over. "I don't think worrying over it too much would do any good though. I know that one from both personal experience and pretty much every other person I know. I can't ask ya not to worry, as that's a natural thing, but just know we'll likely back ya up."

 

-==IC: Ryan Hikari -- Vermilion Base==-

 

Ryan tried not to seem too surprised at the hand holding, but accepted it without complaint. He tried to rationalize it in his head as to not get lost in the crowd after they left, and to help reassure Aori. Still, he glanced over at Shannon for a moment, as he wondered just what her feelings were right then, especially after what happened with that mimicking Instance. He also thought back to Miriam, as he wondered what could have caused that sort of reaction. Ryan resigned himself to simply looking forward with a small worried frown, lost in his thoughts, but not alone. 

 

-==NPC: Lusamine -- Aether Paradise Conservatory==-

 

"Hm." The blonde woman put a hand to her chin, mouth curled downward slightly in contemplation. "What do you have to offer us?" Lusamine asked, a curious-yet-unreadable look on her face as she seemed to have a cautious tone in the words that followed. "And for that matter, what makes you think that we can help with that sort of research?"

 

-==IC: Taylor Beryl -- Sunyshore City, Sinnoh==-

 

"What's everyone monkeying around about?" Taylor asked as she stepped off the boat after them, an amused smile on her face at the other two's antics. "And actually, where are we going first?"

 

-==IC: Ray Hakuda -- Vertrag==-

 

Ray stood still, intimidated by the sheer... vastness of the room. Ryan's question snapped him to reality as he frowned slightly, looking around uneasily. "I half wanna suggest checking out the other rooms, but..." A thought crossed Ray's mind, and the separatist took a step forward and held out his hand. "A History of Unova." He tried to think of a good book that might exist in the library; he figured that either Ford had a brilliant system to archive, or that magic might be involved. After all, with how magical the rest of the place seemed to be, with magic elevators and cameras that shifted to Ford, it was worth a shot.

 

-==IC: Chloe Hikari -- Vertrag==-

 

Chloe stepped into the room she had chosen. She blinked as she saw that the decor was once again barren and very similar to how the rest of the base was. "Maybe it's me..." The girl mumbled with a slightly unnerved tone in her voice, but then shook her head. She walked forward and glanced around - the first thing that caught her eye was a picture on the nightstand. She saw a red-haired man that made her skin crawl next to a blond haired man who also made her skin crawl. She decided to not focus on the picture of Raimundo and McKinley for any longer. Instead, she picked the picture up and placed it into her purse along with the things she found in Hayes' room.

 

Her foot nudged an object in the corner as she was organizing her purse however. As it fell, and as she saw what it was, she let out a brief loud yelp, and quickly used her telekinetic powers to lift the long slender object into the air before it could hit the ground. She paled visibly as she examined the sniper rifle, then carefully set it down on the bed. "I don't know how much longer I want to be in this room." She said out loud with a very audible amount of fear in her voice, as she decided to open the nightstand's drawer. Before she did so, Chloe moved the pillow to the side, just in case there was another piece of evidence hidden like in Hayes' room, but this time there wasn't. She found a notebook in the drawer, however, and frowned as she opened it.

 

The psychic woman couldn't actually understand most of the entries in the book, as they were a list of dates and locations, with what looked like scratch marks next to them. Or tally marks...? Chloe mused over that as she continued to read. She froze as she saw one of the entries, which listed Four Island. She looked further as her eyes widened, as she realized that the date that belonged to that entry, was the same day that Rocket invaded the Alamo. "One... two... five... ten... at least ten..." The woman paled more with a gulp, as her eyes moved from the page to the rifle she had set down on the bed. She took a step further away from the bed, then pocketed the book as well. She decided to leave the room after that, finding Emmerich already back.

 

"You know what? I don't know if I found everything in there, but I don't want to search any more. In fact, you know what? Screw that room, there was a sniper rifle in there." Chloe still sounded very frightened of what she had found in the room, but took a deep breath. "I probably should have taken a picture of it, though... I found a couple other things, and it seems like the room belonged to that Raimundo... Raymond... Warren... whatever his name was."

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IC: Lachina Adaon/Thugs/Inigo
 
As the gardener attacked, Lachina did the same. She and Aolani both rushed forward and, along with Coco, drove the first man to the ground. As he fell, the other two men and two women of the group turned to look. Each quickly called out their own Pokémon: Liepard, Seviper, Stunky, and Krokorok.
 
As soon as the enemy Pokémon were out, the Gallade surged forward. He knocked another thug off her feet, then lunged past her Stunky to join Lachina and Dahlia in facing down the group.
 
Lachina grinned. "Jared's gonna be mad that we got ourselves into trouble, don't you think, Dahlia?"
 
IC: Emily Lockwood
 
Emily giggled at Zoe's enthusiasm. She knelt, gently taking the beret off of the girl's head. "Well, let's start by finding things that actually fit you. I believe the fille section is over this way." She took Zoe's hand and led her to that corner of the store. After several minutes, asking Zoe's opinion on each item, they had put together three new outfits.
 
The first consisted of a pale blue sun dress with a white jacket and matching ballet flats and socks. "This is the sort of outfit you might wear to social events like parties or school dances. You can clip your hair back for more formal occasions, or keep it loose for casual get-togethers. Of course, either way . . ." Emily set a blue beret on the girl's head, adjusting it lightly. "Accessorize."
 
The second outfit was more casual and sturdy, with heavier boots, blue jeans, and a T-shirt. "Tie your hair back in a ponytail to complete this look, and add a light jacket if it's chilly or raining, and you're good for traveling in most conditions."
 
The final one was "meant for extreme conditions" and included a heavy, pale blue coat with white fur lining and a hood, gloves (with an optional mitt for further finger warmth), warm pants, and snow boots. Emily also showed Zoe how to wrap a scarf to keep her neck and face warm without suffocating on the moisture of her own breath. "It gets cold in parts of Kalos, so this is a must if we're going to traipse across the region."

Emily smiled, turning to Colleen. "What do you think, chérie?"
 
IC: Jared Winters
 
The silver-haired man nodded slowly. "Thanks, Olivia. I appreciate that more than you can know." He chewed his lip. "Actually, I think there is something that I should show you all. It's not entirely related, but it's something that could be dangerous if something were to happen to me."
 
He checked his Pokétch. "I'm going to make the check-in call to Xander. Once your sister and the others get back, can you ask them to meet me out back?"
 
IC: Yamamoto Aori
 
Aori took Ryan's free hand and followed him and Shannon out of the office.
Edited by MELON LORD

"So Alku, happy 'was that a firecracker or shotgun?' day!"

"Hard mode: I'm in the south."

 

"Planning was never Zac Blazer's forte." - Blade, mastering the art of the understatement.

 

"We'll have to change the initials of the RPG from RotR to PTSD." - Me, discussing Rise of the Rockets.

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IC: James Arthur - Aether Paradise

 

James was silent for a moment. He’d been working with a hunch. A chance encounter years ago lead to this moment.  His hand only had one ace, but if he could play it well, it could win him the game. But he would need her to volunteer information. He shaped a small knowing smile on his face and stroked his chin with slow deliberate movements.

 

“Is the name Silvally familiar to you?”

 

 


IC: Jamie Arthur - Shabboneau Castle

 

Jamie wandered the halls of the castle with a complete lack of direction. She and Lucia had gotten separated at one point. She hadn’t paid attention where exactly. The decorations were fancy, but maybe not as fancy as she might have guessed. There was also a severe dearth of knights wandering around. Can you really call it a castle without knights?

 

She sighed for a brief moment. It wasn’t a tired sigh, nor disappointed. More conflicted. She both wanted to spend time with Lucia, but she really wanted to be fighting M0 right now. She wanted it gone, and she wanted it gone now. The young hero shook slightly thinking about it. Maybe she’d talk to Lucia about it when she found her.

 

Jamie stopped in place for a moment, and dug into her bag. There was someone else that might better understand the feeling. She pressed the numbers her fellow hero taught her, and waited for a response. 

 

“Hello?” A calm and friendly voice queried, sounding just a little bleary, the sound of rushing water being heard in the background..

 

Jamie pondered how to respond to that. It was a simple, yet deeply profound question her mentor posed to her. What is the most hero of all greetings. She pondered it, but mainly thought of what word for greetings she knew was the longest.

 

“Salutations!” she ended up shouting into the phone. “This is Jamie Arthur, heroine of time!” Yeah that to be right. “And I was wondering if you had the chance to talk,” she added, turning down the decibels.

 

There was a hearty chuckle on the other end of the phone, and then Evan spoke. “Of course, I’ve got the time to chat with my fellow Heroine! What’s up? How’s Kalos?”

 

“Good! The vacation’s totally derailed, but we’re doing something more fun than vacationing, so there is that,” she said looking around at the castle.

 

“Well, I’m glad you’re salvaging your derailed vacation! I’d expect no less from such a clever saviour! Meanwhile, I’ve gone to Alola, where I am having a good time. I’m looking into something that’ll….weaponize posing, Jamie.” Evan said, sounding giddy. “It’s gonna be so cool.”

 

“No. way.” Jamie said, “I cannot wait to tell Tristan. He is gonna be so excited to hear that. Tell me everything.”

 

“Well, my source says that, with something called a Z-Crystal, a Z-Ring, and the proper posing, you can empower your Pokémon with tremendous might into their moves. That’s about all I know, but it’s definitely awesome-sounding, right?”

 

“Totally hero! Maybe we should’ve just gone there. Well not that… Well I get the feeling that’s not really the reason we came here,”  she said thinking about the call she had with Lucia’s mom.

 

“Well, it may have not been the reason you went to Kalos, but I am glad you are having fun. Arceus knows we need something like that with everything going on.” The Hero said cheerfully. “A Hero knows when to take time to have fun for themself, you know?”

 

Jamie smiled at that. It wouldn’t be cool if she never got to do anything fun. “Oh! That reminds me. The Kalos Gym Leader was still taking Gym Challenges, so Lucia and I challenged him! I’ll be sure to introduce you to Volty the Voltage badge when we meet again. It’s the second coolest shiny thing I’ve gotten this week. Next to the Adamant shard you gave me, of course.”

 

Evan smiled at Jamie’s enthusiasm. “I have no doubt about that, Jamie. Did you have a lot of fun battling, even as things are now? Did you get creative? Gimme the details!”

 

“Oh my gosh So Clemont was talking out loud about his plans so I said ”Bad idea to talk about your plans out loud” but then he was all like ”Just cause you know about my plan doesn’t mean you can stop it” And he tried to squish Gothara but Pelleas punched him and Gothara jumped on the Luxray and was like I’ll tame this beast but it bucked her off and she got hit by the Magnezone but then I said PUNCH HIM AGAIN Pelleas and he punched him into the ground and we were like whoa Pelleas you’re so cool and he was like I know But then the Luxray got between them but Pelleas was like I’ll just fly over the problem but then the Magnezone used a fake Gyro Ball but that didn’t do much because Pelleas beat him anyway and then Luxray and Pelleas faced each other and they were like-”

 

Jamie had to take a pause from her long, rambling, highly exaggerated story to take a breath.

 

“And then Luxray and Pelleas were staring at each other like it was high noon but then Gothara came out of nowhere and knocked out Luxray. It was hero!”

 

Evan would have been dazed by Jamie’s rambling, if he were a normal person, but he wasn’t exactly normal. “Dang, that does sound hecka hero! You really must love battling, if you get this hyped about it, huh?” The man thought for a moment. “What else are you thinking of doing over there? Gonna see the sights with Lucia?”

 

“Well that was the original intent at least. We met her dad on accident, and now we’re traveling to Geosenge town. Something about Team Flare.”

 

“Sounds like you’ve got your hands full then. I wish Jenny and I could join you, if I may be honest.” The Hero said, a note of regret in his voice. “But, I know you’ll get the job done, because you’re so hero.”

 

Jamie chuckled a bit at the praise. “Yeah, well. We’re not -officially- on the mission. We’re just going along with it and making sure it gets done,” she said, continuing to buy into the delusion she and Lucia created for her.

 

“Oh, so you’re being a sneaky Heroine, eh? Being a little outside of the box, huh? I LOVE IT!” Evan said, amused at Jamie’s statement. “I support this, because sometimes a Hero just has to save the day somehow! Jenny and I are rooting for you!”

 

“Heh. Thanks,” she replied. “How is Jenny doing by the way?

 

Evan smiled at Jamie’s question, before realizing that he never told her what happened before he met her outside of James’s office. “She’s doing OK here with me. We’re having our own brand of fun over here.” He then flashed a grin. “You know, before I saw you outside of Executive Arthur’s office…….I had just finished seeing her in the hospital wing, and the wildest thing happened!”

 

“Ooooh?” Jamie said, waiting expectantly.

 

“I proposed to her, Jamie, and she said yes.” Evan said, recalling yesterday. “I even gave her a ring with my Shard in it to show how much I trust her.”

 

“Wow…. that’s a cool gift,” Jamie said, awkwardly for a moment. “What do you mean by ‘propose’?”

 

“I pledged my life and love to her. To be more blunt…...I proposed marriage to her.” The Hero said in a kind tone.

 

“Oh I, get it.“ She didn’t get it. She vaguely knew about the concept, but hadn’t heard about anyone doing it. Was that what Lucia and her were supposed to do? How long were they supposed to wait? She had the feeling that asking more would be a dead giveaway, so she kept quiet on that. “When is the…” what was it called? “Weddin’?”

 

“I think you mean ‘Wedding’, but close enough. After we stop the end of the world, of course. I’d hate to have done that, only for it to be rendered null and void.” Evan said, chuckling as he spoke. “Of course you’d be invited, Jamie. What kind of Hero would I be if I didn’t let all my friends come?”

 

She didn’t know what one does at weddings but that was no reason to turn down a good invite. “Alright, I’ll be there. We will make it the best wedding that has ever been wed, just you watch… or rather wed or… dang it I don’t know the proper hero saying for this.”

 

Evan laughed, charmed by Jamie’s muddling up. The girl had such enthusiasm, that it was hard not to get caught up in it. “It’ll be a wedding like no other, just you watch!”

 

“I’ll bet!” Jamie said, smiling though she didn’t exactly have a standard of measure for how weddings go. “So how’s Alola… Where’s Alola?”

 

Evan thought for a moment, and then grinned. “It seems to be far, far, far away from Kanto.” The man said cheerfully. “It’s sunny, warm, and full of nice people. We’re actually being guided by one of the locals, whom we battled yesterday!”

 

“A battle? What Pokemon did they use? Were they tough?” Jamie asked, her eyes lighting up again.

 

“I think she used a Meganium, a Cloyster, and a pokémon called Kommo-o. They were as tough as nails! Gnip even had trouble against her Pokémon!”

 

“Wow, now I’m getting a little jealous,” Jamie said, laughing a little bit. 

 

“Well, I didn’t get a Gym Badge for my efforts, but I’m gonna be part of a bigger battle later in the week.” The man said, basking in the laughter of his fellow Heroine. “It’s supposedly a big thing here in Alola called the Battle Royal, where four trainers duke it out!”

 

“Whoa, you got to tell me all about that,” Jamie said before trailing off. She began to remember why she called Evan in the first place. “Hey, Evan?”

 

“What’s up, Jamie?”

 

Jamie fiddled with the hand holding her bag for a moment. “Is, is it really okay for us to be away from the fight against M0? I know you said heroes need time off too but, I can’t help but feel I should back there, fighting.”

 

Evan frowned at what Jamie said, and then smiled. “A Hero is only as good as their abilities, and right now ours are a bit wanting. Think of this ‘break’ as a way to hone yourself. That’s how Jenny and I are viewing our time away from the fight!”

 

“Hone myself, huh?” Jamie repeated. There was wisdom in that. She would be much better off if she were stronger when the battle against M0 recommenced. But how to do that? “Hey, Evan. How do you use your power?”

 

The Hero of Space thought long and hard about Jamie's question, before speaking. “I try to use mine to move things and people around. I have a power that ‘erases’ the space between me and a person or object, and drag them towards me. I can also see people who have teleported or may be from another world. I may be able to teleport myself eventually, even!”

 

“That’s really cool!” Jamie said, “But I meant, like. How do you use it? Like how do you.. Make stuff happen.” The questions felt like asking how to breathe. How did she freeze time?

 

“I….feel I'm not making stuff happen, but rather asking reality to help me out. It’s a matter of intent. Think of it like me praying to Palkia….” 

 

“A prayer…” she hadn’t thought about that term in a while. James told her about it when she was much younger. He hadn’t taught her how though. Just something else he was too busy for. The idea made sense though. And it made her a little sad. She hadn’t had the chance to thank Dialga for this chance. “Hey Evan, do you think Mr. Dialga is okay?”

 

The man drowned. He hadn't considered how the Creation Trio must feel about this. “I think that Dialga is not only ok, but cheering us on. I'm sure the entire Creation Trio is happy to see us fighting, but wishing they could help more.”

 

Jamie stood there for a moment. She wondered if Mr. Dialga could still hear her. She hoped she knew how hard she was trying. “Alright. Oh, you gotta tell me immediately if Mr. Palkia contacts you okay? I want to talk to Mr. Dialga as soon as I can.”

 

“Will do, Jamie!” Evan said cheerfully. “I need to thank Palkia for giving the Power of Space back to me.”

 

Jamie nodded, “Okay,” she let out a breath. “Thanks for letting me talk, Evan. It’s a load off.”

 

“The feeling is mutual, Jamie.” The man said kindly. “I know things are crazy, but we'll make M0 regret ever coming here and messing with our world!”

 

“Yeah!”

 

The two said their farewells to each other and Jamie hung up. She punched the air a few times to shake off her excess energy before falling into thought. A prayer. She wasn’t entirely sure how to do it. She had to think it at Dialga right? She shut her eyes and thought really hard.

 

Mr. Dialga. I hope you’re doing okay. Watch over your chosen champion, okay? I’ll make you proud.

 

The girl took a breath, and opened her eyes. She smiled and left to go find Lucia.

 

Edited by Tufi Piyufi
Please don't stretch the screen.

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IC - Kyle Eston - Sixth Room, Vertrag:

 

The doorway had brought him back to Sinjoh Ruins.

 

At the very least, that was what it looked like. The presence of a stone bed in the uncomfortably-familiar chamber, as well as a standalone doorway leading into a bathroom that mirrored the rest of the base, indicated that Kyle wasn't really back there. But the otherwise accurate representation of the place where, less than a year ago (though it felt much, much longer now), he and the others had faced off against the Ancient Darkrai--where he and Eight had battled--was unsettling. Even the temperature of the room mirrored the freezing cold of the winter then, such that his breath came in puffs of mist.

 

He did not want to take a step forward, but he knew that he had to. So he released Jaeda, happy for the company and the literal warmth of her presence, and set to exploring.

 

The place was blank--nothing of value or personal worth to be found. It was as if no one had ever lived here. But that couldn't be true, because this room was real; someone had to have occupied it at some point, even for a brief time. Who, though? And why would they have possessed such an affinity for this place that their personalized room had come to reflect it? That was the most baffling part to him. All he had to go off of was a code name--'Van Harrison'--and that provided no helpful clues. Perhaps Kinali? He had not heard anything about the former Hero of Reverse since the battle against the Ancients . . .

 

He shook his head, about to give up and leave when he spotted something on the floor. Tentatively, he approached, stooping down to look. It was a carving--rough, clearly unnatural to the original design of the room. It depicted three figures. The first--in the middle--was easy enough to identify as a Darkrai. Of the ten associated with this place, his mind instantly went to Sombra. More disturbing were the two figures on either side of the Nightmare Pokémon: Both men, both with the same face, but different in expression.

 

The left-hand man. In a word, insanity.

 

The right--troubled.

 

Even in their stone forms, it was easy enough to recognize Kane. And as he stared at the other face, Kyle realized who he was looking at.

 

He opened his camera, snapping a picture of the carvings of Sombra, Kane, and Seth Vicens.

 

 

Kyle hardly said anything as he stepped back into the hall, tailed by Jaeda. Emmerich and Chloe were there already. The latter's discomfort was clear. He nodded to her. "Whatever was in your room . . . Same."

 

"Sounds like you both picked poorly," Emmerich said. "Mine was not noteworthy."

 

"Cool," Kyle said. "I'll tell you about this one later." Without another word, he proceeded down the hall and into the tenth room.

 

 

IC - Sonja Baron - Library, Vertrag:

 

For what felt like a long time, nothing seemed to happen. Just as she was about to say something, however, Sonja noticed the podium at the edge of the balcony. She wasn't sure if it had always been there and she had just missed it, or if it had manifested with Ray's call. In either case, a book had appeared upon it, resting closed and waiting to be opened. The cover read 'A History of Unova'--just as Ray had called. Opening it revealed it not to be an illusion or a fake of any sort--it was the real thing, presumably summoned from the sea in front of them.

 

"Wow," she said. "Good thinking, Ray." She brushed her hair back behind her ear, thinking. "Grimoire of the Signs."

 

Nothing.

 

She held a hand out, stating more firmly, "Grimoire of the Signs."

 

Still nothing.

 

"Grimoire des Panneaux?"

 

Complete silence.

 

Sonja sighed. "I guess that would've been too easy," she said. "Although if Ford meant to protect it, I can't imagine he'd allow it to be found that easily."

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~ Rise of the Rockets (I II)/Discussion Topic/Side Stories ~

 

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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."

Konuju: Kopaka and Nuju meet the Spear of Fusion

 

Quotes from throughout the years:

 

2001: "Your past is forgotten, and your future is an empty book. You must find your own destiny, my brave adventurer." --Nokama

2002: "Mata Nui faces perhaps its greatest challenge -- one that will test our courage, our strength, and our belief in each other." --Tahu

2003: "So... it has begun, my brother. But soon, it will also end..." --Makuta

2004: "Your journey must end." "By the will of the Great Spirit, it has just begun!" --Makuta and Vakama

2005: "Our destinies are not written in stone, set in place. They are something we have to find for ourselves." --Vakama

2006: "Don't you realize you're fighting for a lost cause?" "Maybe. But don't you realize those are the only ones worth fighting for?" --Axonn and Brutaka

2007: "Sometimes a hero has to do something else besides beat the villains and come home covered in glory." --Hahli

2008: "Dive into the darkness, Ignite the flame within. Now, there is no turning back. Make the future... begin." --Narrator, The Final Battle Animation

2009: "It is said that all endings are merely beginnings waiting to be born." --Mata Nui

2010: "All journeys must come to an end, but this time, there is a new beginning as well. ... All that has gone before, my friends, has only served to give birth to this new day. Let unity, duty and destiny be your guides." --Mata Nui

2011: "Not dead. Just frozen. They’ll thaw out … eventually. I’m tired of villains spouting gibberish." --Kopaka

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IC: Lachina Adaon (Aolani)/Punks/Inigo

 

The thuggish Pokémon retaliated as much as they were able. Stunky was distracted by Laurel, and it lunged at the grass-type in attempted tackle. The Seviper lashed wildly with his tail, trying to score even a grazing blow on the Dragonair. The Liepard jumped aside from Asriel's lunge, and retaliated by trying to jump onto his back. As Nutmeg charged, the Krokorok pushed its foot out, stopping the charge with almost casual ease.

 

Lachina could only watch as Dahlia's full team engaged the enemy. As the gardener lifted the leader of the group to his feet, Lachina took a step forward. "Dahlia--"

 

"We ain't stole nothin' yet. We were in the middle of it when that Gallade showed up again." Said leader brought his hands up, breaking Dahlia's grip on his shirt as he took a step back. "Normally, I'd be all 'no mercy' but seein' as you're just a couple of little girls, we'll bounce. Let's go, gang!"

 

As the leader of the gang attempted to stalk past Dahlia, said Gallade interposed himself at the sole exit of the field. His blades flashed, and the glare he gave indicated pain to any who tried to get past him.

"So Alku, happy 'was that a firecracker or shotgun?' day!"

"Hard mode: I'm in the south."

 

"Planning was never Zac Blazer's forte." - Blade, mastering the art of the understatement.

 

"We'll have to change the initials of the RPG from RotR to PTSD." - Me, discussing Rise of the Rockets.

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-==IC: Olivia Seaton -- Camphrier Town, Kalos, that one castle I can't remember the name of==-

 

"That sounds good to me." Olivia nodded at the request. She was curious about what it was, but decided to leave it at that for the moment.

 

-==NPC: Lusamine==-

 

Lusamine visibly froze at the mention of that name.

 

"How exactly do you know of that?" The woman had a cautious tone to her voice as she eyed the Liberty Executive. She knew that was confidential information that had been kept under wraps by most people - and not even officially named by the company either. She half-wished that she was behind her desk right now, feeling that would give an easier time to keeping a good poker face regarding Silvally.

 

-==IC: Chloe Hikari -- Vertrag==-

 

Chloe headed forward as Kyle left, troubled by what her friend might have found. She shook her head as she approached the eighth door and opened it. Inside was a room that reminded her a lot of a room from the Alamo. Chloe guessed that this was probably Sonja's room just from recalling her to be the only Liberty trainer that had been recruited to the Children. However, as the psychic woman looked around, she didn't see anything of note at all. With a small frown, she wrote the room off as a dead end. With one final look to make sure she hadn't missed anything, Chloe left the room.

 

When she got back to the hallway, she noticed that no-one was back yet. She waited for a moment, but then realized that only one room remained anyway, so she headed into that room. When she walked in, she had to blink. This room looked a lot different than any of the other rooms she had been in - like it was a young child's room. Chloe realized quickly because of that, that this room had to be either Levi or Ellen's. Ignoring that for the moment, she looked at the wall above the desk on the left. She noticed a bunch of photographs taped to the wall, and looked at them curiously. With a gasp, she covered her mouth.

 

"How...?" Half of these pictures shouldn't have existed. She reached out and gently untaped them all from the wall. The pictures ranged from the possibly-real pictures that had Ellen with her family and Pokémon... to pictures of Ellen with the group of friends they had traveled with back in Unova. Chloe knew for sure that no pictures had been taken - there was never any time and none of them were ever in the same place for longer than two minutes it felt like. But here they were. The girl felt a little uneasy looking at herself in the photos, but at the same time, these were... Chloe wordlessly and carefully placed the pictures into her purse, taking care to use a pouch where they wouldn't get damaged.

 

As she looked around at the rest of the room, she realized that the light that she had just taken for granted in the room so far was apparently sun coming from a window. Chloe was a bit surprised as she wondered if that was even possible, but shook her head as she simply wrote it off as being because of the magic in the building. She glanced back down at the desk as she noticed a small book sitting on it. The woman opened the cover and saw that it was a diary that belonged to Ellen. She hesitantly opened to a random page.

 

"Dear diary...

 

I wish that I could go home soon. I'm sure mommy and daddy can't wait to see me again and it breaks my heart to make them wait longer. Each day here feels longer than the last... just waiting for the appointed time. But Tyler says it won't be long now! Soon we'll all save the world, and then I can finally go home. I know mommy and daddy are worried about me, but I'm sure my friends are, too. I hope they'll still visit me after that. Not only everyone from Unova, but the other people I've met in Hoenn and Ford's allies. I just wish everyone could get along..."

 

Chloe closed the diary after that as she bit her lip. I... don't want to read any more. It doesn't feel right to Ellen. She thought with a conflicted look on her face. Still, she put the diary in her purse as well, realizing that it was starting to get a little heavy. She didn't care about how heavy it was, though, all the things she had picked up felt like they meant something dear to the people they belonged to - or were important evidence. It was worth it to take them. With one last look at the peaceful room, Chloe walked back out to the hallway to wait.

 

-==IC: Colleen Llyan -- Camphrier Town==-

 

"I--"

 

Colleen barely managed to get one word out before Zoe gave her suggestion. After a moment of consideration, the aura wielder smiled.

 

"Alright, that sounds good to me." She said, as she was admittedly intrigued at what Em might pick out as an outfit for her.

Edited by Blessed Blade
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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."

Konuju: Kopaka and Nuju meet the Spear of Fusion

 

Quotes from throughout the years:

 

2001: "Your past is forgotten, and your future is an empty book. You must find your own destiny, my brave adventurer." --Nokama

2002: "Mata Nui faces perhaps its greatest challenge -- one that will test our courage, our strength, and our belief in each other." --Tahu

2003: "So... it has begun, my brother. But soon, it will also end..." --Makuta

2004: "Your journey must end." "By the will of the Great Spirit, it has just begun!" --Makuta and Vakama

2005: "Our destinies are not written in stone, set in place. They are something we have to find for ourselves." --Vakama

2006: "Don't you realize you're fighting for a lost cause?" "Maybe. But don't you realize those are the only ones worth fighting for?" --Axonn and Brutaka

2007: "Sometimes a hero has to do something else besides beat the villains and come home covered in glory." --Hahli

2008: "Dive into the darkness, Ignite the flame within. Now, there is no turning back. Make the future... begin." --Narrator, The Final Battle Animation

2009: "It is said that all endings are merely beginnings waiting to be born." --Mata Nui

2010: "All journeys must come to an end, but this time, there is a new beginning as well. ... All that has gone before, my friends, has only served to give birth to this new day. Let unity, duty and destiny be your guides." --Mata Nui

2011: "Not dead. Just frozen. They’ll thaw out … eventually. I’m tired of villains spouting gibberish." --Kopaka

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IC: Lachina Adaon/Thugs

 

The man winced, knees buckling as his arm was wrenched behind his back. "Ah, hey! Enough, okay?! I give!"

 

The rest of the gang kept their distance, not wanting to anger the girl with the dark tendrils of energy swirling off of her. One of them turned and recalled his Stunky before trying to run out past the Gallade, who delivered two quick blows to the man's stomach and face, leaving him lying on the ground.

 

The leader struggled against Dahlia's grip. "We'll leave! Between you and that Gallade, it ain't worth it! We'll go somewhere else!"

 

Lachina frowned as she watched Dahlia act. So this is why Jared is so attached to her. With a sigh, the ranger pulled out her Capture Styler and dialed 112. "Hello, police? There's a robbery in progress at the Berry Fields, please send officers right away."

 

She hung up and turned to observe the battles in progress. For the most part, the thugs didn't seem too effective without power. The Liepard had fallen off of Asriel's back and was watching him warily. The Seviper was tangled with Dracos, its tail useless at this angle. The Krokorok took the hit to its gut and doubled over in pain.

 

"C'mon, just let us go! We haven't stolen anything!" the leader continued to plead with Dahlia.

 

IC: Jared Winters

 

As Olivia left, Jared pulled Xander's number up n his Pokétch. He quickly explained everything that had happened that day, leaving out the part about Mercury taking over. Xander took the events in stride, offering simple assurances that everything would work out int he end. Somehow, Jared doubted it. As he hung up, he looked wearily at the Pokéball he had unclipped from his belt. With a sigh, he picked it up.

 

"Alright then, Styx, let's go do this." He left the room, making sure to grab the rope from his pack before heading out to the back of the castle.

 

IC: Xander Cruize (Ellen, Vixen, Astraea, Psyka)/Mordred - 4:07 AM (T-Minus 0)

 

The group made their way silently through the halls. Xander’s Eevee and Fennekin were each perched on his shoulders, and his Staryu and Espurr moved behind and to the side of him. In terms of stealth, they were a bit too large of a group. In terms of force, they were enough to raise eyebrows.

 

As they came around the corner Xander looked around for the Weavile he had talked into this job. Had that been a mistake? Would Mordred rat him out? He didn’t seem like the type, but it was hard to say after just a few minutes of interaction.

 

Xander felt a tap on his back. He turned around to see Mordred. Whatever dark corner he’d been waiting in, he’d been waiting in it for a while. He got there early to keep a lookout. Also convenient that anyone who’d seen him show up was probably gonna forget about him. He had a small dark blue cloth bag tied around his back. One might have mistaken it for some sort of scarf if one didn’t take a closer look. Stereotypical for a thief maybe, but it was convenient to carry things without using his hands. The Weavile to see what the psychic was gonna do.

 

Xander turned to the door and reached out with his power. To his surprise, it wasn’t locked. Carefully, he pushed it open. No alarms. The other side was a long, empty hallway with other doors spaced throughout. It turned left about twenty feet down, and kept going.

 

He held the door open for the rest of the crew. “Turn left, the door we want should be at the very end, on the right,” he said.

 

Mordred waited for one of Xander’s to move inside first. As soon as one did, however, he took the lead. If the door wasn’t locked, then it wasn’t breaking and entering yet at least. Still, he kept an eye out for places that Liberty normally put security cameras. He saw them where he expected them to be. By his judgement, the door in question was just out of sight.

 

As the group approached, Xander frowned. The door he was looking for wasn’t ajar in the usual sense, but it stuck out of its frame in a way that suggested somebody closing it quickly behind them rather than making sure it was secure. Carefully, he caught his fingers on the crack and pulled.

 

Mordred looked almost disappointed. If the door was just gonna open that easy, then why did he even bring… Well never mind.

 

The room inside was dimly lit, just like the hallway had been. Large, open, with just a small table at the other end. On the table rested a single PokéBall. A figure stood over the Pokéball and, as they watched, picked it up. The person turned and froze. A small smirk crossed his face.

 

“Well, hey, Big Z.”

"So Alku, happy 'was that a firecracker or shotgun?' day!"

"Hard mode: I'm in the south."

 

"Planning was never Zac Blazer's forte." - Blade, mastering the art of the understatement.

 

"We'll have to change the initials of the RPG from RotR to PTSD." - Me, discussing Rise of the Rockets.

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IC: Dahlia Seaton - Berry Fields, Kalos

The man's words fell on Dahlia's ears, but she refused to listen. The desperate pleas of a thug like him were little more than white noise to her. She ignored her Pokémon locked in combat around her. She paid little heed to the other thugs cowering in fear. She didn't even register that Lachina was making a phone call. All that mattered was ensuring the man that lay in her mercy never harmed anyone again. Her blood boiled, fueling her actions like a raging fire barely contained in its hearth, threatening to consume all.

 

Long ago, her sister Olivia had signed her up for a self-defense class. The meek middle child didn't like the idea of violence, but Olivia had insisted that she needed to know how to defend herself. That knowledge came back to her now as Dahlia adjusted her stance and jerked her knee up into the man's stomach.

 

He cried out in pain.

 

She hit him again.

 

And again.

 

The darkness had completely engulfed her now, and the once-gentle gardener now took the form of a pale-skinned sorceress. Two shadowy wings erupted out of her back, tipped with blood-red talons like those of the Sinnoh dragon she represented. Dahlia let the man crumple to the ground, where she delivered a swift kick to his fetal form before hovering a few feet above him. "Scream all you want," she said in a voice distorted by the vortex of shadows around her. "Show your followers what becomes of men who dare to take advantage of others' good will. You make me sick."

 

Asriel turned his attention away from the Liepard, a sudden chill running down his spine. Dahlia had only lost control like this once before, and he knew if she wasn't stopped, she could very well end up destroying the very fields she was trying to protect. He turned his head toward Lachina and barked a warning to the Ranger. Something needed to be done, and quickly.

 

The rest of Dahlia's Pokémon weren't sure what to do. None of them wanted to directly attack their trainer, but they all remembered what had happened on the boat. All but Marsala, who cowered in fear behind Lachina and the sudden turn of events. Distracted from his struggle, Dracos soon found himself overpowered by the Seviper. Laurel cautiously poked her head out of the flowers while Nutmeg seemed to forget she was standing right next to the Krokorok she had just attacked. All eyes were on Dahlia and her unfortunate victim.

Konuju: Kopaka and Nuju meet the Spear of Fusion

 

Quotes from throughout the years:

 

2001: "Your past is forgotten, and your future is an empty book. You must find your own destiny, my brave adventurer." --Nokama

2002: "Mata Nui faces perhaps its greatest challenge -- one that will test our courage, our strength, and our belief in each other." --Tahu

2003: "So... it has begun, my brother. But soon, it will also end..." --Makuta

2004: "Your journey must end." "By the will of the Great Spirit, it has just begun!" --Makuta and Vakama

2005: "Our destinies are not written in stone, set in place. They are something we have to find for ourselves." --Vakama

2006: "Don't you realize you're fighting for a lost cause?" "Maybe. But don't you realize those are the only ones worth fighting for?" --Axonn and Brutaka

2007: "Sometimes a hero has to do something else besides beat the villains and come home covered in glory." --Hahli

2008: "Dive into the darkness, Ignite the flame within. Now, there is no turning back. Make the future... begin." --Narrator, The Final Battle Animation

2009: "It is said that all endings are merely beginnings waiting to be born." --Mata Nui

2010: "All journeys must come to an end, but this time, there is a new beginning as well. ... All that has gone before, my friends, has only served to give birth to this new day. Let unity, duty and destiny be your guides." --Mata Nui

2011: "Not dead. Just frozen. They’ll thaw out … eventually. I’m tired of villains spouting gibberish." --Kopaka

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IC: Lachina Adaon/Thugs

 

The enemy Pokémon also stopped fighting as they were ensnared by the spectacle before them. The leader of the thugs was on his knees, blood pouring from his nose, his bottom lip busted. He looked up at Dahlia helplessly, unable to fight back.

 

As Dahlia raised her hand again, Lachina stepped forward and grabbed her wrist. "Enough," the ranger said sternly. "Dahlia, enough." She had no idea if this would work or not -- she had never tried with Mercury, mostly because he acted too quickly for her to try and stop him -- but she had to try. "He's done."

 

IC: Xander Cruize (Ellen, Vixen, Astraea, Psyka)/Cameron Morrill/Mordred

 

“Cameron?” Xander asked, stunned. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Same as you, looks like,” Cameron said, holding up the PokéBall. “We’ll give this little guy a new home, and I think we’ll all be happier after we do.”

 

Xander frowned a bit. This whole time, had he misunderstood? Was Cameron’s intention all along not to rival Xander, but to be friends? “Hey, I’m for it, that sounds pretty good.” He offered a small, uncertain smile. “I think we might have to keep it secret from Isa and Octy just how we got it, though.”

 

“Oh, yeah, no, they definitely don’t know. I don’t think the boss would take them.” Cameron shrugged. “They’re not like you and me.”

 

“Boss?” Xander blinked. “I’m not sure I follow.”

 

“Yeah, man! We’re not answering to some low-tier admin on this one, it goes straight to the top! Lysandre specifically asked for Shadow Pokémon. We’ll be kings!

 

”Lysandre?!” Xander said, a bit louder than he probably should have. “You’re-- You’re working with Team Flare?”

 

“Yeah. Just like you, buddy. We can stop--” Cameron was interrupted as Xander tackled him. The Ball fell from his hand, its button tapping against the tile floor. A flash of white light revealed the scarred form of a Sneasel.

 

Mordred sized up the Sneasel. The wounds were old by this point. Mementos of battles once fought. It seemed almost odd that the Sneasel had so many scars and was only a Sneasel. Bad luck on the Razor Claw hadn’t stopped him, at any rate.

 

Cameron managed to wrestle Xander off and scramble to his feet. “You wanna fight, Cruize? Alright then! Flame, Exploud, let’s go!” Two more flashes of light signalled the arrival of Cam’s team. Xander cursed. The Sneasel was also watching, and it seemed eager for a fight.

 

“Ellen, Astraea, keep an eye on the Sneasel. Vixen, Psyka, help me handle Cameron.” His team nodded and took their places. Xander was blocking the door, with Cameron across from him. The Sneasel was to his left.

 

This wasn’t quite the job Mordred had expected. Interesting intel though. His eyes briefly sunk into Xander’s pocket. The Hollow Caster was in there. Curious thing, it was. None of Xander’s Pokemon were keeping on Mordred, so the Weavile decided he’d borrow it real quick.

 

Xander seemed none the wiser. He bent to pick up the Sneasel’s ball and shoved it into his jacket. As he did, the Sneasel lunged. It was fast, enough that it managed to get past Astraea. It would have hit Xander if Ellen hadn’t intercepted. The Eevee slammed into her opponent with a ferocity that belied her small stature. Meanwhile, Vixen was on Flame, harrying the confused-looking Fennekin. Psyka stared at the Exploud, unimpressed. She twirled the branch that she had picked up from the mountaintop.

 

Under the cover of the bag, Mordred was pressing a few buttons. Thankfully he was using the bag as cover, considering this was a slightly different device than the phone he liked to ‘borrow’ from James. Just to see what they’re like. After he was satisfied, he walked right behind Xander and placed it back in. Alright, he’ll be useful to Xander now.

 

Psyka was dodging and deflecting punches from the Exploud, using the staff to turn aside blows and deal damage in the span of seconds. It wasn’t the smoothest, but it did help her to level the playing field. Xander’s eyes glowed, and he teleported behind Cameron to catch the DJ in a headlock.

 

Cameron struggled and whipped his head back to meet Xander’s mouth. The psychic stumbled back, clutching at his bleeding and swollen lip. Cameron turned and threw a punch. The two trainers began brawling in much the same way their Pokémon were.

 

There was nothing to use as a weapon in the room. Mordred was a bit disappointed by that. He’d have to rely on his claws then. He leapt towards the Eevee and the Sneasel. He was willing to wager on his speed, so he waited for the Sneasel to make a move.

 

The Sneasel had slashed at Ellen, making her back off so he could continue his move towards the humans. It paused upon seeing its evolution standing before it. Its ears went back, and a soft hiss escaped it.

 

Flame and Vixen had parted for the moment, staring each other down. Scratches dotted both of them, blood matting fur. Psyka slammed her branch into the Exploud’s knees and leveraged. The Normal-type tumbled over her, hitting the ground hard. She jumped onto its back.

 

Xander had turned the tables back on Cameron. He punched the older boy in the gut, doubling him over. His knee came up into the DJ’s chin, sending him staggering into the table.

 

Mordred slashed low his right claw. He wasn’t going to waste time responding. He wanted to bring the Sneasel to his knees.

 

The Sneasel jumped back to avoid the claw swipe. His ear twitched, and he spun to his right as Astraea came spinning at him from behind. Using that momentum to jump again, he sailed over the Eevee that tried to tackle him.

 

Xander’s team was growing frustrated. No powers meant that they were giving it their all and still not dealing significant damage -- barring Psyka’s ‘staff’ bashing the Exploud over the head. They needed to be more.

 

Xander had Cameron on the ropes, the DJ’s head tilted back as he lay, stunned. Xander brought his fist up and aimed a punch at the exposed throat. Purple eyes blazed with outrage.

 

At the last moment, he realized what he was doing, pulled the punch. He still connected, and Cameron made a gasping noise as he clutched at his throat. Not dead or dying, just injured. Xander cursed. “Cameron, I--”

 

Cameron tackled Xander, driving him to the ground. Neither boy noticed as their Holo Casters fell from their pockets to skitter across the floor.

 

Mordred was distracted for a moment as the Holo Casters were revealed. Nothing much to do about it right now. He chased after the Sneasel. He shared the common feeling that he wanted his moves back right about now. He slashed at the Sneasel again.

 

The Sneasel growled as it was backed into a corner by the trio of attackers. A soft white glow began to fill the room. Cameron looked up from Xander and frowned as he saw where the glow was coming from.

 

Xander’s team had needed to be more, and now they were all about to be. The white light coalesced around each of them, and their forms began to shift.

 

The forms finalized, causing Cameron’s and Xander’s jaws to drop as they saw the four evolved Pokémon.

 

OOC:

Breaking records here!

 

Braixen_Vixen.png

Species: Braixen

Nickname: Vixen

Trainer: Xander Cruize

Appearance: Upon evolution, the dot on her forehead has grown larger. She uses a staff rather than a wand.

Personality: As playful as ever, Vixen's also become a bit more mischievous and bratty than before.

Ability: Blaze

Specialty: Special Attack+, Uses staff to increase physical attack power.

Known Moves: Scratch, Tail Whip Light Screen, Flame Charge, Psybeam, Sunny Day, Ember > Flamethrower

 

EllenTheUmbreon_v3.png

 

Species: Umbreon

Nickname: Ellen

Trainer: Xander Cruize

Appearance: Retains the ruff around her neck from her previous evolution.

Personality: Ellen has become a bit more withdrawn since evolving, but she still cares deeply for her friends and will do whatever she can to help them.

Ability: Synchronize

Specialty: Special Atk+, Can intercept attacks for her teammates.

Known Moves: Helping Hand, Tackle, Sand Attack Pursuit, Last Resort, Tail Whip Assurance, Charm Moonlight

 

Psyka_Meowstic.png

Species: Meowstic

Nickname: Psyka

Trainer: Xander Cruize

Appearance: Her eyes are a vibrant blue.

Personality: Still standoffish, though she's learned how to coordinate with her teammates.

Ability: Infiltrator

Specialty: Critical attacks, Flanking opponents

Known Moves: Confusion > Psychic, Psybeam, Fake Out Future Sight, Disarming Voice, Psyshock Charge Beam, Light Screen

 

Astraea.png

Species: Starmie

Nickname: Astraea

Trainer: Xander Cruize

Appearance: Gem is a red-orange rather than red.

Personality: Astraea has become slightly more proactive after evolution.

Ability: Analytic

Specialty: Counter Attacks+

Known Moves: Hydro Pump, Rapid Spin, Camouflage, Power Gem, Gyro Ball, Swift

"So Alku, happy 'was that a firecracker or shotgun?' day!"

"Hard mode: I'm in the south."

 

"Planning was never Zac Blazer's forte." - Blade, mastering the art of the understatement.

 

"We'll have to change the initials of the RPG from RotR to PTSD." - Me, discussing Rise of the Rockets.

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IC: Dahlia Seaton - Berry Fields, Kalos

Dahlia narrowed her unnaturally red eyes at the person who dared interfere with her vengeance. Her shadowy wings swelled and for a moment it looked like she was going to turn her rage on Lachina. The Ranger stood her ground; if she was intimidated by the monster Dahlia had become, she refused to show it. Dahlia looked away for a moment and gave a long, slow blink. Her head cocked to the side as she shook it erratically.

 

When her eyes fluttered open they were a clouded blue. She regarded Lachina in a sort of groggy confusion. Slowly she turned her head to look at the thug who lay bleeding on the ground before her. For several seconds she simply stared at him. Then realization dawned in her widening eyes as the shadowy tendrils slowly faded away. The dark wings on her back evaporated in the wind like wisps of smoke. She slowly lowered her arm, rubbing the spot where Lachina had grabbed her.

 

Bowing her head, the Heroine of Reverse backed away from the battlefield. Her silent retreat placed Lachina in charge of securing the other thugs. One by one her Pokémon gathered around her. Dahlia kept her eyes on the ground.

Konuju: Kopaka and Nuju meet the Spear of Fusion

 

Quotes from throughout the years:

 

2001: "Your past is forgotten, and your future is an empty book. You must find your own destiny, my brave adventurer." --Nokama

2002: "Mata Nui faces perhaps its greatest challenge -- one that will test our courage, our strength, and our belief in each other." --Tahu

2003: "So... it has begun, my brother. But soon, it will also end..." --Makuta

2004: "Your journey must end." "By the will of the Great Spirit, it has just begun!" --Makuta and Vakama

2005: "Our destinies are not written in stone, set in place. They are something we have to find for ourselves." --Vakama

2006: "Don't you realize you're fighting for a lost cause?" "Maybe. But don't you realize those are the only ones worth fighting for?" --Axonn and Brutaka

2007: "Sometimes a hero has to do something else besides beat the villains and come home covered in glory." --Hahli

2008: "Dive into the darkness, Ignite the flame within. Now, there is no turning back. Make the future... begin." --Narrator, The Final Battle Animation

2009: "It is said that all endings are merely beginnings waiting to be born." --Mata Nui

2010: "All journeys must come to an end, but this time, there is a new beginning as well. ... All that has gone before, my friends, has only served to give birth to this new day. Let unity, duty and destiny be your guides." --Mata Nui

2011: "Not dead. Just frozen. They’ll thaw out … eventually. I’m tired of villains spouting gibberish." --Kopaka

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IC: Lachina Adaon

 

The police arrived shortly. The group of ruffians did not resist as they were arrested. None took their eyes off of Dahlia. Officer Jenny took statements from the witnesses, then approached the heroes of the day. "Thanks for the help, these guys have been causing trouble lately. Mostly, Inigo here has been running them off, but he can't be everywhere at once."

 

The officer tapped her pen lightly against her notepad. "So, since you saved the day, we're just not going to say anything about the condition of the leader of this band. Sound good?"

 

Lachina nodded. "We really appreciate it, officer. Thank you."

 

As the police left, the old man who tended the fields approached. "Here, girls. Take these as a show of gratitude." He handed to Dahlia a basket of assorted berries. "Don't worry about what happened, dear. You have some great power within you, but I can tell that you are strong enough to control it, given time. Don't think twice about this incident, alright?"

 

IC: Xander Cruize (Ellen[umbreon], Vixen[braixen], Astraea[starmie], Psyka[Meowstic]/Cameron Morrill (Flame, Exploud)/Mordred/Sneasel

 

Cameron backed off of Xander, eyes wide. “Geeze… ****,” he said, his voice raspy. A cough escaped him, and he rubbed at his throat.

 

The purple-eyed boy rose to his feet and glared. “It’s over, Cam--”

 

“Xander? Cameron?” A soft voice drew everyone’s attention to the doorway. Standing there, her own Holo Caster in hand, was Octavyn Nowarei. Her eyes darted between the two, and she took a step back. “I . . .”

 

She took off, running down the hall. Xander and Cameron both cursed and scrambled after her, pushing and tripping each other as they both tried to fit through the doorway. By the time they got into the hall, Octavyn was long gone. Cameron returned his two Pokémon and took off. Xander swore again. He stepped back into the room and picked up the dropped Pokéball before returning his own team to theirs.

 

“Okay, sorry, Mordred, but the plan’s just changed. I can drop you back at your room if you want.” He glanced around and swore a third time. Amidst all the chaos, the Sneasel had somehow vanished as well. “Or you can come with me for this next part, and I can owe you two instead of one.”

 

Mordred tied the cloth around his neck. During the confusion, he might’ve picked up a couple of devices of interest. Might’ve. He nodded to Xander. He was already implicated, may as well get some profit out of this.

 

Psychic energy wrapped around Xander and the Weavile. There was a tugging sensation, and the two found themselves in an office. Xander strode to the desk and put his hand to one of the drawers. There was a soft ‘click’ and the drawer slid open. He pawed through it quickly, then closed it. He did the same to the next two drawers before finding what he was looking for: an external hard drive, with a label on top that read ‘Signs.’

 

“Alright, let’s--” He wavered, and the air hummed as he failed to teleport them. “Let’s, uh, let’s just walk out of here, then, shall we?”

 

Mordred looked around. It took him a little bit of time to notice, but the layout of the room was similar to James’s. Minus the ‘shelves’. And the comfortable temperature. Ooh wee, are we stealing from an Executive now? That’s fun. He walked over to do the door, and opened it. He pointed out the door with a flourish of “after you”.

 

Xander nodded, stepping out. “Thanks.” He looked around. “I need to head back to my room and get into contact with some friends in Kalos. I can take you in to get healed if you need it?”

 

Mordred shook his head. The Sneasel had been on the defense for the whole fight. He was actually unscathed. He wanted to get going.

 

“Alright. Thank you again, and have a good night.” Xander waved as he headed off back towards the barracks.

 

Mordred jiggled the haul he got as he walked towards James’s office. He wondered if he might find a Porygon to help him get the interesting off of the Hollow Casters he took. Humans were probably out of the question on this one.

"So Alku, happy 'was that a firecracker or shotgun?' day!"

"Hard mode: I'm in the south."

 

"Planning was never Zac Blazer's forte." - Blade, mastering the art of the understatement.

 

"We'll have to change the initials of the RPG from RotR to PTSD." - Me, discussing Rise of the Rockets.

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IC: Dahlia Seaton - Berry Fields, Kalos

Dahlia's eyes followed the thug leader as the police carried him away. When the old man approached her with an offering of berries she looked away. "I can't accept that," she muttered. A lump formed in her throat, preventing her from saying anything more. The old man spoke of her ability to master control over her powers, but there was no truth in his words. They were fabrications meant to give her comfort. After all, the old man barely knew her. How could he possibly know about her inner strength?

 

With lightly shaking hands she recalled her Pokémon one by one. None of them had suffered much damage. Nobody had, except the thug leader. When her companions had all returned to their balls, Dahlia turned away to the hill they had originally come from. The amber sun behind her, already low in the sky, cast a long shadow before her. "Come on, Lachina," she said. "The others will start to worry if we're not back by dark."

Konuju: Kopaka and Nuju meet the Spear of Fusion

 

Quotes from throughout the years:

 

2001: "Your past is forgotten, and your future is an empty book. You must find your own destiny, my brave adventurer." --Nokama

2002: "Mata Nui faces perhaps its greatest challenge -- one that will test our courage, our strength, and our belief in each other." --Tahu

2003: "So... it has begun, my brother. But soon, it will also end..." --Makuta

2004: "Your journey must end." "By the will of the Great Spirit, it has just begun!" --Makuta and Vakama

2005: "Our destinies are not written in stone, set in place. They are something we have to find for ourselves." --Vakama

2006: "Don't you realize you're fighting for a lost cause?" "Maybe. But don't you realize those are the only ones worth fighting for?" --Axonn and Brutaka

2007: "Sometimes a hero has to do something else besides beat the villains and come home covered in glory." --Hahli

2008: "Dive into the darkness, Ignite the flame within. Now, there is no turning back. Make the future... begin." --Narrator, The Final Battle Animation

2009: "It is said that all endings are merely beginnings waiting to be born." --Mata Nui

2010: "All journeys must come to an end, but this time, there is a new beginning as well. ... All that has gone before, my friends, has only served to give birth to this new day. Let unity, duty and destiny be your guides." --Mata Nui

2011: "Not dead. Just frozen. They’ll thaw out … eventually. I’m tired of villains spouting gibberish." --Kopaka

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IC: Lachina Adaon/Emily Lockwood

 

The two groups of girls arrived back at the castle almost simultaneously. Emily waved cheerfully to Lachina and Dahlia. "Hey! How were the berry fields?"

 

"We'd rather not talk about it," Lachina said quietly. She looked over at Zoe and Colleen in their new outfits and smiled lightly. "Shopping went well, I see." Along with Zoe's new casual clothes, Colleen was wearing a new navy jacket with a black scarf and designer jeans and boots.

 

Emily smiled. "It did. We had a good time!" As they were heading back into the building, they saw Olivia waiting for them.

 

"Jared wanted me to gather everyone out back," she said. "It seems important."

 

Lachina frowned, glancing at Dahlia. "I'm not sure if we're entirely up for it."

 

IC: Xander Cruize - Alamo Barracks, 5 AM
 
Xander ran to his room, knowing it was just a matter of time before Octavyn reported him and Cameron. He had to get this Signs information off of the drive and send it to his friends before then. He flung the door open, startling Sylph, and reached into his pocket.
 
"Xander, what--" Sylph started, but Xander's curse interrupted her.
 
"Where is it?" he growled, reaching into his other pocket. His Holo Caster was gone. "Where is it?!"
 
"Missing something?" a stern voice asked from behind him. Xander spun, taking a step back. Standing in the doorway was Executive Eston and two Liberty agents. Xander stared in shock.
 
"Octavyn got to you that fast?"
 
"Octavyn? No, I woke up when I heard someone in my office. Care to explain?" Richie crossed his arms. "I want that drive back."
 
Xander clenched his left hand around the drive in his pocket. Executive Eston sighed. "Alright then. Take him, search him." The two guards stepped forth. Xander scowled, unclenching his hand. He didn't have much power left, but--
 
As the guards grabbed him, Sylph rose to her feet, glaring. "You will not take him!" Rainbow light filled the room. For a minute, Xander saw his own back, two guards aproaching him while Richie watched from the doorway. Despite the situation, a manic grin broke out on his face.
 
Synchronization. Which meant Sylph had her powers back. The rainbow light was also familiar. Xander looked over his shoulder and grinned as he saw his Gardevoir's transformation, her arms now covered in white, her gown billowing out now, the spike on her chest split into two . . .
 
She looked amazing.
 
The guards released Xander, taking steps back as Sylph strode forward. Light swirled around her hand, and she glared. You will not take him while I draw breath! Her mental voice, normally calm and quiet, thundered in the humans' heads. At that moment, Xander was sure, she could have stared down Arceus.
 
But, this wasn't right. Xander shook his head. "No, Sylph, it's okay, really." He held his hands out to the guards. "I'll go--"
 
He paused as he saw something moving in the shadowed hallway behind Eston. A small shape started to lunge forward, claws flashing. "Whisper, no!"
 
The Sneasel pulled up short, looking at Xander in confusion. The Executive turned towards it and frowned. "The Sneasel. Ah, I see. Cruize, do you have its ball?"
 
Xander nodded and quickly pressed the button to return the Sneasel to its ball. As Executive Eston turned back to face him, Xander stepped forward and offered it to him. "Here you go, sir."
 
Executive Eston took the ball and clipped it to his belt. "Alexander Cruize, you are hereby under arrest by Team Liberty. You have the right to remain silent, as anything you say or do can be used as evidence against you in a court of law. Do you understand?"
 
"Yes," Xander replied solemnly as the cuffs went on his wrists. "What about Sylph?"
 
"Is this her ball on the dresser?"
 
"Yes."
 
Richie picked it up, returning the angered Gardevoir. "We'll be confiscating your team for the time being. They will be looked after."
 
Hands removed the belt slung from his hip. Xander stayed quiet as he was escorted out of his room.
Edited by MELON LORD

"So Alku, happy 'was that a firecracker or shotgun?' day!"

"Hard mode: I'm in the south."

 

"Planning was never Zac Blazer's forte." - Blade, mastering the art of the understatement.

 

"We'll have to change the initials of the RPG from RotR to PTSD." - Me, discussing Rise of the Rockets.

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IC: James Arthur - Aether Paradise
 
James kept the smile at just the same size that he had it at. But he felt the urge to let it grow larger.
 
“Word travels if you know where to listen,” James said, suppressing the urge to laugh as the cryptic nonsense spewed from his lips. “We are not particularly interested in individual Pokemon right now. As I said, we are looking for cooperation in researching the essence of Pokemon types.”
 
Lancelot was not having the same luck hand-crafting a poker face James did. Fortunately, Scizors neither sweat nor could make faces that humans would easily recognize as perturbed. 
 
“I think we both know what you have to offer.”

 

 

IC: Jamie Arthur - Shabboneau Castle.


Jamie started to retrace her steps to find Lucia when her phone beeped. Natalie Dexter. That name was vaguely familiar. They were trying to make a video call. She clicked the accept button and was greeted by a familiar face.


“Guinevere!” Jamie shouted as she saw the Gardevoir who waved back. The Gardevoir was smiling, the room she was in was fairly dark, but it looked like a bedroom. Jamie didn’t recognize it from the mansion, but she hadn’t visited every bedroom, so maybe Guinevere had been moved. She didn't know why she was calling over this Natalie's phone, but she was glad to see her.


Her phone beeped indicating a text message had come over the video chat program.



Just needed to let you know it was me.

Could we chat over text?

 

 

Jamie rushed to accept.


 

Hey Guin!

Jamie ^^

Who’s Natalie again?

A friend I made in Celadon.

Oic.

What’s up?

Oh, this and that.

How’s Ms. Stacy doing?

 

 

She could be better.

Oh.

I hope she gets better

 

 

Me too.

Hey Jamie.

Yeah?

How is Lucia doing?

Good.

We



Good, just good.

O...K?

Hey, Jamie, do you know Cassie Zyther?

Ms. Cassie? Lucia’s mom?

Yes

Yeah, she called Lucia before we left.

Left?

For Kalos.

Oh, I did not know you were in Kalos. Having fun?

I got my first Gym Badge!

=O

Show it to me next time we see each other ^^

Will do!

About Lucia

Yeah?

Could you get Cassie’s phone number from her?

Huh? Why?

I need to speak to her. It’s important.

K, I’ll talk to her. I could talk to her dad too while I’m at it.

Her dad is there?

Yeah, Mr. Lionel.

What is he like?

He tried to steal my KO.

Outside of battling?

Uhh



I don’t know

He’s some kind of business man.

He owns a castle.



He owns a castle?

Yeah


Let me know if you learn more about him.

K.

Would you please not mention me to him?

Huh?

Not yet at least. At least until you know you can trust him?

Should I not trust him?





I do not know.

Please do not tell him.


This does not sound very right.

 

 

Ok, but I don't like this.

I apologize. I will tell you why later.

Talk to you later.

Ok. Tell James to get you your own phone so we can talk more.


Will do.

 

 

 

Edited by Metal Gear Minun

25fbd79538e4c3de878b599045e3f03a.jpg

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IC: Dahlia Seaton/Zoe Llyan/Alex Lockwood - Shabboneau Castle, Camphrier Town

Dahlia chewed her lip as she pondered her options. She took a deep breath, then nodded at Lachina. "I think I'm going to go to bed early, if that's okay. Jet lag sucks." Almost in a daze she wandered towards the castle's grand staircase. As she passed by her sister, she added with a mild attempt at a smile, "Give Jared my apologies. You can fill me in tomorrow."

 

As the gardener headed up the stairs, Alex headed down to where his cousin waited. "Well isn't this a sight!" he called out with a smile. "You certainly look like a group of fashionable Kalosians if I ever saw one."

 

Zoe giggled at the compliment and spun around to show off her new casual outfit. "Merci," she called out with an elegant curtsy, paying little heed to Dahlia skipping out on their group activities. "So what's this big meeting about?" she asked Olivia. "Is it our next big mission or something? We ready to finally kick some Flare butt?"

Konuju: Kopaka and Nuju meet the Spear of Fusion

 

Quotes from throughout the years:

 

2001: "Your past is forgotten, and your future is an empty book. You must find your own destiny, my brave adventurer." --Nokama

2002: "Mata Nui faces perhaps its greatest challenge -- one that will test our courage, our strength, and our belief in each other." --Tahu

2003: "So... it has begun, my brother. But soon, it will also end..." --Makuta

2004: "Your journey must end." "By the will of the Great Spirit, it has just begun!" --Makuta and Vakama

2005: "Our destinies are not written in stone, set in place. They are something we have to find for ourselves." --Vakama

2006: "Don't you realize you're fighting for a lost cause?" "Maybe. But don't you realize those are the only ones worth fighting for?" --Axonn and Brutaka

2007: "Sometimes a hero has to do something else besides beat the villains and come home covered in glory." --Hahli

2008: "Dive into the darkness, Ignite the flame within. Now, there is no turning back. Make the future... begin." --Narrator, The Final Battle Animation

2009: "It is said that all endings are merely beginnings waiting to be born." --Mata Nui

2010: "All journeys must come to an end, but this time, there is a new beginning as well. ... All that has gone before, my friends, has only served to give birth to this new day. Let unity, duty and destiny be your guides." --Mata Nui

2011: "Not dead. Just frozen. They’ll thaw out … eventually. I’m tired of villains spouting gibberish." --Kopaka

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IC: Lachina Adaon/Emily Lockwood

 

"I don't think so," Olivia said, frowning as she watched her sister ascend the stairs. "I think it had something to do with what happened earlier."

 

Lachina frowned, following the older girl out into the yard along with Emily, Alex, Colleen, and Zoe. Jamie and Lucia were already there. The adults, Emily's aunt and Mr. Zyther, were both conspicuously absent, and Lachina nodded. Made sense that Jared didn't want them around for something like this.

 

Jared himself was back a ways, standing next to one of the trees planted in the yard. Anubis stood next to him, and the Onix Jared had picked up in Vermilion towered over them. Lachina nodded in understanding.

 

"I've already seen this," she said to the others. "I'm gonna go rest up, too. It's been a long day."

 

As the ranger left, Emily shrugged. "Well, this promises to be interesting, at least. Shall we?"

Edited by MELON LORD

"So Alku, happy 'was that a firecracker or shotgun?' day!"

"Hard mode: I'm in the south."

 

"Planning was never Zac Blazer's forte." - Blade, mastering the art of the understatement.

 

"We'll have to change the initials of the RPG from RotR to PTSD." - Me, discussing Rise of the Rockets.

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