Pokémon: Rise Of The Rockets

Konuju · November 26, 2015

IC: Ryan/Paul

"You absorbed him?" Paul asked, tilting his head in confusion. "Are you sure he won't try and take over your body or something?"

"Are you sure hearing his voice in your head won't get annoying after a while?" Ryan asked with a chuckle. "Also yeah, that was impressive what Dahlia managed..." he turned around, only to see that the gardener had already slipped off. He made a mental note to talk to her about the experience later.

"So it's only the first night, and we've already had this much excitement," Paul said. "Does stuff like this typically happen, or am I just lucky?"

MELON LORD · November 26, 2015

IC: Xander/Aspen

Xander smiled lightly as he and Aspen walked down the hall. The younger Seaton was quiet, but that was just what was needed at the moment. Xander's back was killing hm, and his ribs were still aching. He probably couldn't manage conversation if he'd tried.

Aspen opened the door to his room and stepped inside while petting Saya. "So, I guess Ellen will just spend the night here? Or something?" he asked, Xander had mentioned going to sleep after dropping the Eevee off, and it was already starting to get dark outside.

Xander blinked, taking a moment to process the question. "Oh! Yeah. Yeah, that works." He smiled. "If that's alright, at least. I think I'm gonna go to my cabin and just crash after this." Ellen barked cheerfully, hopping from his arms and onto Aspen's bed.

Aspen nodded. "Sounds fine to me." He set Saya down, smiling. "Is that okay with you, Saya?" The Evolution pokémon looked unsure, but nodded and squeaked agreement. If that was what the trainers and other Eevee wanted, then she would not object.

Xander grinned. "All right then. I guess I'll see you all tomorrow morning." He waved and staggered out of the room. Sylph gently took his arm and guided him towards his own room. We'll talk about you throwing yourself at danger another time, she told him.

**Dr. Hidaka** · November 26, 2015

IC: Evan Tierra/ Feral Tierra

"I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon." Evan said, smiling a bit as he turned to Paul. "He didn't sound like he is in the right frame of mind for that. As for the excitement.......it's just how things work with us, ya know?"

Evan laughed at his own statement, clearly amused by the reactions to everything that happened. It wasn't every day one fought a monster, beat it within an inch of it's life, and then subjugated it like that. Feral continued his ranting in Evan's mind, throwing curses at the Hero. The brown-haired trainer tuned them out as he struck a dynamic pose to celebrate everyone's victory....

JiMing · November 27, 2015

IC: Aspen Seaton

Aspen blinked as Xander and Sylph walked off, scratching the back of his head. "There's something up with those two, but I dunno what..." he muttered. He shrugged afterwards, turning back to both the Eevee.

"You two be good, okay? I'll be going to sleep." the young boy said, smiling and gently petting Saya's head. He yawned, and turned on his side, closing his eyes. "Be seeing you in the morning..."

Konuju · November 30, 2015

IC: Ryan/Paul

"Ellen sure made some interesting friends," Paul said, nodding towards Evan and glancing down the hall where Dahlia had disappeared. "The power of Giratina, you say?" Terry barked happily; having been present for Dahlia's conversation with Ryan earlier, the Herdier knew of the gardener's ability. And of course, he was used to Evan's antics.

"We're an interesting bunch." Ryan chuckled as he stifled a yawn. "I don't know about you, but I think I'm gonna hit the hay before too long." He recalled Missy and waved goodnight to the remaining trainers. "Barring the appearance of another shadow-person, these next few days should be pretty relaxing. we can use that time to rest up in preparation for our assault on Ford."

"I'm off to bed too," Paul said. "All this excitement has worn me out." He turned to follow Ryan down the hall, but paused. One by one, the blacksmith met the eyes of Evan, Jenny, Ray, and Ryan Hikari. "Thank you all again for helping to rescue Ellen. I'm absolutely stunned by how many people have met Ellen and are willing to join this effort. I can't thank you enough."

MELON LORD · December 1, 2015

IC: Xander and Sylph

Xander sighed, closing his eyes as Sylph worked on his back. The two of them spoke silently, communicating with an ease born of years of practice. I need to get stronger, he told her. If we keep having encounters like today, I need to go beyond my current ability.

Sylph nodded. He had said much the same whenever they lost a fight back in Kalos, or found an obstacle they could not overcome. As do I. My healing is becoming more essential; my teleporting needs work with more people; I also need to learn some defensive techniques, such as Protect.

Then we're agreed. He smiled. For now, I need to learn more than quick telepathy. I need to develop physical powers. I need to be able to keep an opponent at a distance.

I understand. You want to learn telekinesis in the same way that I use Psychic. She smiled. I can teach you, but it will take time and effort.

The trainer smiled softly, nodding. We trained for two-and-a-half years to get this far. I'll spend every spare second meditating and training.

Very well. Then here is your first lesson. It's the feeling of using Psychic, of influencing the world around you.

Xander gasped, clenching his eyes shut. He was distinctly aware of everything in the room, as if each were tied to him by a string. Some strings were loose, and he knew that if he pulled them, the objects attached would move easily. Others were bound tightly, as unyielding as iron. It would take practice to manipulate them.

You feel this way all the time? he asked.

Unless I take measures not to, yes. Now, I want you to grab onto this string- she mentally plucked one, making it vibrate in his mental eye. -and pull it gently. Too much force, and it will smack you in the face. Not enough, and it will fall before it moves to you.

Xander nodded and started on the first exercise, channeling the power through Sylph's mind for the time being. As much as he would like a nap, this was more important.

The next time something happened, he would be ready.

**Blessed Blade** · December 2, 2015

-==IC: Chloe==-

It had been a long day of not much, but the excitement and general fatigue and everything from the day in Lilycove had meant that Chloe and Olivia had gotten early sleep that night. The next morning, Chloe opened her eyes sleepily. With a yawn, she sat up, and looked around with a smile, as she picked up her Pokegear, and checked it over. She'd already switched her profile information on everything to her newly chosen name, but... She had a feeling she was missing something. With a pause, she suddenly realized what it was, and quietly got out of bed. After quickly changing, she noticed Olivia was still asleep, and sighed, as she dialed Ryan's number.

-==IC: Ryan==-

Ryan groaned, as his Pokegear started beeping while the black haired man was still sleeping. "Hello?" He groggily mumbled with a grouchy tone. He blinked, as he heard a familiar voice, but couldn't place who it was. "... Could you repeat that?" He asked, as he rubbed his eye, and actually looked at the display.

"Could you gather everyone on your boat quickly...? I kinda wanna say something to everyone..." Ryan raised an eyebrow, still half asleep, but something about his sibling seemed to give the impression this was an important thing. The black haired trainer nodded, and got out of bed quickly, and began to knock on everyone's doors to try and wake them up. As he did so, he called out for the group to reconvene in the lounge right after they woke up.

MELON LORD · December 3, 2015

IC: Xander and Sylph

Xander's eyes opened slowly as Ryan Hikari -- he had finally remembered the man's last name -- knocked on the door. He felt like someone had tied weights to him, his body moving slowly and protesting as he sat up. He reached up to rub sleep from his eyes, and glanced at the clock. A soft groan escaped his throat; he hadn't slept for more than three hours. With a sigh, he stood and started dressing.

Sylph climbed out of bed, stretching. What do you think it is? she asked.

It took a moment for Xander to focus and respond. Probably nothing, he replied. Otherwise, he'd be a lot more frantic about it.

The Gardevoir nodded and reached out to squeeze Xander's hand While we're up, we need to swipe a couple of spoons from the kitchen. Xander nodded, and the two left the room and went to the lounge.

What's up? Xander asked Black as they entered. Is something wrong?

**Dr. Hidaka** · December 3, 2015

IC: Evan Tierra/Jenny Hakuda

Evan rose out of bed wearily, the excitement from last night had tired him, especially considering all that had happened. The brown-haired trainer gently nudged Jenny awake, and put on his coat. The Plasma Agent yawned loudly and started to stretch. "Sounds like something's going on, eh?" Evan spoke. "Wonder what it's all about?"

"I'm not sure..." Jenny said with a yawn, as she rubbed her eyes. "Seems im-" She got cut off, however, as a voice surprised her once again; having forgotten the other Tierra had been trapped inside her.

"LET ME OUT!" Feral Tierra roared into the couple's minds. "What's important is letting me out!"

"I dunno, this seems like the safer option, considering the beatdown you got last night." Evan said, smiling mischievously at Jenny. "Don't you think?"

"I think the whole world's more important than you getting out!" Jenny said with another yawn, as she rubbed her eyes again, and headed for the door. Evan chuckled at Jenny's statement, and headed for the door as well. The two Plasma agents headed for the lounge, still yawning a bit. Evan saw Xander and Sylph were in the lounge as well. "I wonder what all this is about, then?" Evan asked.

Edited December 3, 2015 by Hades

Konuju · December 5, 2015

IC: Ryan

Morning came all too quickly in the form of an obnoxious knocking. A muffled voice yelled something, but either it was too distorted through the door, or Ryan was still too asleep to understand the words.

He groaned and tossed his blanket aside, rolling out of bed and walking to the door. By the time he opened the door the source of the incessant yelling was already at the other end of the hall. He hadn't recognized the voice through the door, but there was no mistaking the black hair of the other Ryan.

"I wish I could go back to hating that guy," the Liberty agent muttered to no one in particular. Other people in adjacent cabins were also poking their heads out into the hall to question their sudden awakening.

"What's happened this time?" Paul rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he stared after Ryan Hikari, then glanced over at Ryan Sanders. "First Zach, then that Shadow-Evan, now whatever this is... This is just too much excitement for an old man like me."

"You and me both," Ryan said. "Even before the ceasefire I don't remember things ever being this crazy. Well, except for this one time off the coast of Undella Town... anyway, I'm gonna go change."

Paul chuckled. "Do something about that bedhead while you're at it."

Feeling more awake now, Ryan changed out of his pajamas and ran a hand through his unruly hair. When he stepped back out into the hallway, everyone had left. The Liberty agent suddenly realized he didn't know what was going on or where everyone was supposed to go. It took him a few minutes to find the lounge where everyone had gathered.

"Sorry I'm late," Ryan said sheepishly. "So what'd I miss?"

JiMing · December 5, 2015

IC: Aspen/Dahlia Seaton

Aspen groaned when he was rudely awoken by knocking on his door. He was still very tired, and muttered under his breath when Ryan Hikari moved away from his room and moved onto the next. The young boy yawned and got up, looking to his side to see Ellen and Saya still sleeping quietly. He focused on the latter Eevee in that moment, smiling at how peaceful she looked. Aspen made sure not to wake either of the two, and made his way to the lounge.

Meanwhile, Dahlia was already in the lounge, preparing a cup of tea for herself. The gardener took a sip, and turned to Ryan afterwards, looking curiously. "What'd you wake us up for? Most of us probably wanted to sleep in... I know I did." she said, punctuating the last sentence with a yawn. Using the powes of Reverse last night had drained her, and Dahlia hadn't fully recovered yet. "Might just head back to bed afterwards after this..."

**Blessed Blade** · December 5, 2015

-==IC: Ryan/Chloe==-

"I dunno; got a -" Ryan was trying his best to respond to everyone's questions, but as he went to react, he was cut off by his Pokegear ringing once again. "Yeah; everyone's here." Ryan said, as he walked over to the screen, and hooked up the device to it for the moment. He stepped back, as the screen lit up with the video call from the other ship.

"Hiya; I hope I didn't wake too many people..." Chloe paused, as she heard Ray mumble about waking everyone up. "... Oh, sorry about that." She offered a sheepish smile in response, and began to feel a little nervous again. However, she took a deep breath. "I, um, I called you all together again to, um, say something important..." She figured the nervousness showed on her face; but looked around at the curiosity present on Ryan, Ray, and Jenny's faces. "I... I'm a girl. I'm trans. I..." She wasn't sure what to say then, and blushed slightly, as she figured that she probably had jumbled up what she was supposed to say, and fell quiet, as she waited for any reactions.

Konuju · December 6, 2015

IC: Ryan

Ryan was silent for a moment as he tried to process Zach's words. He stared at the screen in confusion. "What?" The Liberty agent closed his eyes as he thought back to the day before, and everything that had happened in Lilycove. "Zach, are you sure you're feeling alright? You had a rough day yesterday and your psychic powers kind of went a little out of control. Some guy was messing with your head..."

He let his voice drift off. In the back of his mind he wondered if this was some result of what that Guy guy had done to him. But he wasn't sure if he wanted to voice his concerns out loud. He glanced at the others to see what they thought of this strange turn of events.

IC: Paul

The blacksmith subtly raised an eyebrow. He didn't know Zach well enough to know whether this news should have surprised him or not. Instead he kept a neutral expression on his face as he stood at the back of the group.

**Dr. Hidaka** · December 6, 2015

IC: Evan Tierra

"Ryan, don't be rude." Evan said cheerfully as he lunged playfully towards Ryan. "We should consider how she feels about such things! After all, she must be terrified!"

Evan then wrapped his arm around Ryan's neck and wrestled him to the ground. The Hero really didn't like the idea that Ryan wasn't approaching this with a little more decorum and dignity. Regardless of what had happened, they had to take this seriously. Evan continued to struggle with Ryan, laughing the whole time....

Konuju · December 6, 2015

IC: Ryan

"Ah, what?!" Ryan landed hard on the ground. "Look, I know he's probably terrified, but don't you find it a little weird that this is happening right after Guy messed with his mind? I mean, what if he changed something else in Zach's brain? He claimed to be a relative of Zach's and we all know Zach's relatives tend to have a bad history. No offense, Ryan."

JiMing · December 6, 2015

IC: Aspen/Dahlia Seaton

Dahlia frowned a bit at the reaction towards the revelation. She looked back at the auburn-haired individual on the screen and smiled reassuringly, before turning to Ryan. "No offense, but maybe you just don't know her all that well? I mean, my family's known her for almost ten years or so, and I can recall a few things that when I think back to them I'm not very surprised anymore." the gardener explained, shrugging. "Let's give her the benefit of the doubt, okay? I definitely think this isn't something that came out of nowhere."

"Yeah, I can see it." Aspen said, nodding. "I mean, I already sort of suspected something being up when she had makeup on the other day in Celadon... And there was a few years back, with stuff happening." he muttered, putting a finger to his chin. "I'd vent about people giving me a hard time for growing up in a flower shop, and she'd, well, basically call them stupid for that."

"Mm-hm, and she'd have approached me about things." the middle Seaton agreed, continuing to explain more. "Like, there would be times where I'd get asked about why boys couldn't have longer hair, or wear pink, or skirts, stuff like that. There was even a couple of times where she asked to watch me put on my makeup." Dahlia said, looking at everyone in the room. "You can agree with Ryan if you want and doubt this, but I think the confession is genuine."

"Yeah. Definitely, otherwise you're just being unnecessarily mean to Z-, wait, hmm..." the youngest Seaton said, pausing. "Hey. What's your name then?"

MELON LORD · December 6, 2015

IC: Xander and Sylph

Xander grinned softly. "Congratulations. I don't know how Hoenn is, but it's perfectly accepted in Kalos." He yawned loudly. "I don't think we really got to speak yesterday, so how about we call this first introductions? I'm Xander; what's your name?"

Sylph smiled softly, nodding. Tell her I say hi! she prodded Xander. Even though she could see and hear the girl just fine, she was unable to communicate through the transceiver with her telepathy. Xander chuckled. "Sylph says hi and congratulations, also." He fought back another yawn, rubbing at his eyes. "By the way, I was wanting to get your number. There are some things I think we could talk about, help each other with."

**Blessed Blade** · December 6, 2015

-==IC: Ryan/Chloe/Ray/Jenny==-

Ryan grit his teeth. "Oh, so do you count Ray and Jenny in that 'trouble' category too? Because they're relatives too." He asked, as he took a step toward the other Ryan. "Something else, too; you couldn't have asked first? Instead of just leaping to conclusions? She's my sister. I remember her asking about some things like 'when she'd be a girl' when she was nearing her teens. Not as early as some, but you know what? That's probably a good thing, since she at least didn't have to deal with as long of her inner self being forced down because of my dad." The black haired man knew that the other Ryan probably was just being cautious, but he was being more than a tad rude about it. "I think she knew I knew yesterday morning. She'd been doing good at hiding herself; but even back before everything happened, I could see it kinda wearing on her, even with how she'd gotten lucky with a late and not really that bad puberty. Heck, she even secretly liked her clothes so much, because they actually suited her better than most clothes. But given how things have been since then, I can't really blame her for not wanting to say anything. Especially with a reaction like that." The back of Ryan's shirt was promptly grabbed, as a certain red and blonde haired girl pulled him out of the room promptly.

Chloe blinked a few times, and proceeded to bury her face in her hands out of embarrassment for everything that had just happened, from the reactions, to everything about what her brother had just done. However, she meekly looked up again a bit, still a little uncertain on everything. "U-um... w-well, my new name's Chloe... I kinda, um, picked it out a few years ago, but just pushed it out of sight like everything else... It was always my go-to name for girl characters, though, if I needed that..." She giggled slightly, but frowned sadly again. Everything wasn't too bad, but... "I... I'm not saying this because of anything that happened during the incident yesterday... I... I just, I was trying..." Her nervousness began to creep up on her again, as she sighed slightly, starting to read into more than was really there. "... Y-you probably don't believe me..."

Ray watched with a slight wince at everything that had happened, but gave Black an odd look as he was dragged out. What was that about us being related...? Was he trying to make some sorta joke, or what? He frowned suspiciously, but turned his attention back to what happened, and walked over to the Ryan that hadn't woken them all up. "Think you might've missed a few steps there, bud?" He asked with a slight frown. He could get where the Liberty agent was coming from, but the sheer lack of tact at all was not exactly a good thing. He glanced a little worriedly to the screen. The others pretty much had explained stuff; and he had to admit the brother was right about her clothes; they'd always fit a bit oddly, and he'd always wondered why she'd had longer hair for a boy... But he also remembered how she'd been after everything that had happened the last time something big had happened, and she'd felt she had no support. "Was this worth it?" He asked Ryan, as he glanced back, trying to stay neutral here as best as he could.

JiMing · December 6, 2015

IC: Dahlia/Aspen Seaton

Dahlia winced at Chloe's state, shaking her head. "Just wait a moment, okay? You'll be alright." she said, turning to Ryan, shaking her head. "I think we get we're you're coming from, but just, you're being so insensitive... By calling her Zach and insisting it's some trick, you're causing her actual emotional distress. Can you please rethink your actions? Chloe deserves an apology, right now."

"Not to mention that going through the trouble of changing someone's brain for that one thing... That'd just be asinine and stupid." Aspen added, frowning. "There are a kajillion different things that would be useful to do when manipulating someone's brain, but this... Where's the gain? I don't understand how you're getting that. Do you even get what you're implying here?" he questioned, shaking his head. "This isn't something you can just flip a switch and suddenly change perspective on. I have no idea how long she's been in the closet, but it's still been too long for her. Show some freaking respect for that before coming up with conspiracy theories that invalidate years of suffering, will you??"

The middle Seaton sighed, and shrugged. "I'm not really able to disagree. I don't think this is really a trick, especially with what her brother said. Like I said, you best apologize to Chloe before she gets into an even worse state." she advised him, crossing her arms.

Konuju · December 7, 2015

IC: Ryan

The Liberty agent felt under attack. Evan still had him in a headlock, allowing Ryan Hikari, Aspen, and Dahlia to take their turns spewing their disapproval at him. Even Ray gave him a look that told him he was in the wrong. It reminded him vaguely of the beat down they'd given Feral the night before. Only Jenny, Xander, and Paul chose not to voice their objections, but even they merely chose to ignore him. No one was coming to his defense.

He roughly pushed Evan's arm aside and got to his feet. It seemed all eyes were on him, judging him for his caution. Were they really all so willing to believe such a sudden and drastic change? Then again, Ryan Hikari and the Seatons knew Zach better than he did. Sure, he had traveled with Zach in Unova, but the fellow Liberty agents had split up after Nimbasa, and even when they had been traveling together, Ryan realized he hadn't spoken with Zach that much. He barely knew the man... or woman.

Ryan looked up at the screen. The person he'd known as Zach had a saddened, almost defeated look in their eyes. Their claim seemed genuine. Either this Guy had done a very thorough job of implanting this idea into Zach's brain, or Zach -- or rather, Chloe -- was telling the truth. And Aspen had brought up a good point: what role could making Zach think he was a girl possibly play in a world domination plot? Or even a simple revenge plot? It made no sense.

The silence in the room was beginning to thicken. Everyone was waiting for him to apologize. Apologize for what? For having a sense of caution? For finding the timing of everything the least bit suspicious? How was he supposed to know there had been hints in Zach's childhood? Why was he being berated for continuing to call this person Zach when she hadn't told anyone her new name yet? How was he supposed to know she'd even given herself a new name? Why was he suddenly being treated like an antagonist? He had already defeated Gluttony, so why did he now find himself back under that proverbial spotlight? Had he really overcome his Sin?

Ryan became aware that he had unconsciously clenched his jaw, as well as his fists. He closed his eyes and forced himself to relax. He knew it would be pointless to try and defend himself. His fears, reasonable though they may be, had been proven wrong. He still didn't think his caution had been unfounded, but it had evidently done more harm than good. At last he opened his eyes, looking directly at the auburn-haired trainer on the screen.

"...I'm sorry, Chloe. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings with my doubt. I... I guess I didn't know you as well as I thought." The Liberty agent looked down at his feet, wishing he could escape the unspoken judgments of everyone else on the ship.

MELON LORD · December 7, 2015

IC: Xander and Sylph

The Kalos duo stayed silent as everyone took their turn laying into Ryan. Xander cast his eyes down, waiting for what came next. He could feel Ryan's emotions, could almost hear his thoughts. He rose to his feet as Ryan apologized.

"Ryan, how about we step outside, get some air?" He gently laid a hand on the older teen's arm. Silently, he added just so Ryan could hear, I get the caution. We'll talk about it where the others won't overhear.

Sylph nodded softly, waving to Chloe as they led Sanders out of the lounge and up onto deck. Upstairs, Xander let Ryan go. "Sorry," he said, "for letting them lay into you like that." He paused. "So... Let's talk."

**Blessed Blade** · December 7, 2015

-==IC: Chloe==-

Chloe paused, as she looked up uncertainly at the apology. "... I-I guess I'm kinda at fault for that..." She said awkwardly in response to the point about not knowing her well, as she rubbed her arm, not seeming quite as anxious after that, but sighed. "I... I get why you doubted... I just... nothing actually happened in that way." She paused, as she noticed Ryan being led away, and went quiet again, and thought while things were quiet again. She wondered just how well she actually knew most of the people who had accompanied her half a year before, and rubbed the back of her head slightly, as she realized the answer wasn't quite as well as she could have hoped.

JiMing · December 7, 2015

IC: Dahlia/Olivia/Aspen Seaton

Dahlia bit her lip when she saw Chloe's reaction still worsening, and tried to think of a way to divert her attention. "So... How's Olivia? Things are still great between you two, right?" she asked, tilting her head. The middle Seaton hoped Chloe would cheer up after that, and didn't expect it when she heard groaning coming from offscreen.

Olivia yawned and stretched, reaching out an arm towards Chloe. "What's wih all the ruckus...? You're just not gonna let me sleep, huh?" the red-haired trainer grumbled sleepily, tossing a punch at her friend's shoulder. "Ugh, dummy... I may not have beauty sleep, but... I could have woken up way later." she said, punctuating her words with a yawn.

"...Nothing's changed, I see." Aspen replied, raising an eyebrow. "Well, that's good to see. Yep..." he said, not sure what to say after that.

**Dr. Hidaka** · December 7, 2015

IC: Evan Tierra

Evan rose up from the floor, feeling the emotion in the atmosphere of the lounge area. With Black, Jenny, Xander, and Ryan leaving, there was a speechlessness in the air, as well as a slight tension. "All right folks, you've had your turns." the brown haired trainer spoke, loud and proud as he shut the device's speaker system down. "My turn, and I'd like some privacy, so I'm gonna take a little walk...."

With those words, the Hero of Space, walked along jauntily out of the room, making sure to head for a more private area of the boat, so he could express the thoughts that there were in his head. When he was sure no one had followed him, he spoke into the Pokegear. "Chloe, it's Evan Tierra. I kinda moved the pokegear away from the others, so I could speak to you. Is that all right with you?"

Konuju · December 7, 2015

OOC: Nothing beats a late-night jam.

IC: Ryan/Xander
Ryan had initially tensed when Xander approached him, fearing yet another retaliation. But much to his surprise, the Kalos trainer instead led him away gently. When they finally reached the deck, it took Ryan a moment to gather his thoughts. Like Ryan, Xander, didn't know Zach -- Chloe, he corrected himself -- as well as some of the others. But Xander also hadn't experienced the series of trials and hardships that had taught Ryan to be so cautious. So why was it that this trainer from Kalos was the only one giving Ryan any sort of benefit of the doubt?

The Liberty agent took a deep breath as he looked straight at Xander. "I realize I was wrong in my assumption," he said slowly. "But was my caution really that uncalled for? I mean, everyone's acting like I hate Chloe all of a sudden."

Xander leaned against the wall, shaking his head. "I haven't been through the same things as you have. I felt like it was a bit of a knee-jerk reaction, but if you were just wanting to be cautious, I can't fault you. The others..." He sighed. "They're responding defensively. They're knee-jerking to your knee-jerk. I'm sorry I let them lay into you like that; I should have stepped in sooner." He shrugged.

"I don't know Chloe that well, so I couldn't have told you if it was strange or not. I congratulated her because I was raised in a very liberal society. You reacted because you've been on edge lately. We're on a mission to rescue someone, and then we come under attack in Lilycove. Immediately afterwards, the person that was the target of said attack starts calling him- or herself something different and saying they're the opposite gender. I get your reluctance to accept that at face value." He sighed. "You came off kind of blunt, which probably didn't help." He smiled. "But you apologized, which is what I think matters. You weren't trying to be a jerk, or you would've said a lot worse. You were... You were legitimately worried about her, which is why I'm being calm about this. If you'd been acting out of other emotions, I would probably be with the others. But I can't be mad at you for speaking from concern for a friend."

Ryan returned the smile with one of his own. The smile was short-lived, however, as uncertainty clouded his mind. "What worries me though, is that I'm the only one who reacted that way. No one else seemed to have any concerns. I get that you haven't been through what I have, but Evan, Ray, and Jenny... even the other Ryan's been through a lot recently." The Liberty agent sighed as his face set into a frown. "So why am I the only one who let all that stress get to me? Has the war really affected me that much?"

Xander frowned thoughtfully. "I wouldn't say you're letting the stress get to you," he said after a while. "The war has affected you, though; from what I've seen since we first met, you are a leader. When Ray and Evan and Paul were going at each other, you stepped in and brought the situation down without hesitating. The others were happy to go along with the idea that Zach had had a life changing realization and is now Chloe. Your first thought was whether or not it was some sort of trap laid by an enemy. It's not that you don't know how to deal with stress; rather, you're on guard at all times, because once you let that guard down an enemy slips in. We saw it in Lilycove. Heck, we saw it just last night on this boat. If you had been the one to run into that thing, you would've tackled it to the ground and held it yourself until Evan showed up."

He chewed his lip. "Did any of that make sense? I don't know you very well either, but that's the feeling I get from you."

Ryan nodded, although the worry was still evident in his eyes. "I didn't used to be so quick to act without thinking. But when you're on the battlefield facing Ford's operatives or Ancient Darkrai, you can't afford to hesitate." He bit his lip. "What if I make another mistake like with Chloe, though? What if instead of tackling an enemy to the ground, it's a friend? Like you said, you don't know me that well, but I seem to have a bit of a track record for making people angry at me. That's the entire reason I had to get that Squirtle doll in the department store, because I acted rashly and screwed up."

Xander thought on the question for a few minutes, letting the sound of the sea fill the pause. When he spoke, it was after careful consideration. "The day you tackle a friend to the ground is the day you admit a mistake was made. You apologized downstairs, and, yeah, people are still pretty upset that it happened to begin with. We all make mistakes, though. You, me... Even Evan has made a mistake at some point or other. If the mistake is small enough, you live through it and you learn. You make apologies where they're needed."

He closed his eyes. "If the mistake is a big one, you do what you can to fix it." Ellen, he thought. He had to rescue Ellen. "Sometimes... Sometimes you mess up, and people get hurt... or killed. There's not a whole lot that can be done about that. Instead, you make sure that you avoid making the same mistake in the future. You also hold back a bit until you're sure of what you're doing. If you thought you saw that thing from last night walking around, then check again. If it's Evan, then everything is fine. Say hi, see how he's doing. If it's not, then you punch it in the face." He sighed. "I know, it's obvious, cheesy, and kind of contradictory advice, but... I'm making this up just as much as you. If you slip in the future... Your real friends will be there to help you settle things."

Ryan chuckled, his smile returning to his face. "Let's hope so," he said. "We've only just met, but already you feel like one of those real friends. Thank you, Xander. And if you ever have one of those slip-ups yourself, I hope I can be there to have your back as well."

Xander smiled softly, nodding. "I agree, Ryan. I'll be ready to pick you up and dust you off, and you can do the same for me." He stretched, letting a loud yawn escape him. "For now, though, let's just go back to bed. I'll see you in four more hours."

**Blessed Blade** · December 7, 2015

-==IC: Chloe/Evan==-

Chloe blinked in surprise, but nodded. "That's alright." She said with another nod, and glanced back toward where Olivia was, who seemed still half-asleep, and fighting to stay awake long enough to mention about the noise. "I'll let you sleep more while I finish this call up~" She smiled at her friend, and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and then walked out of the room. She quietly closed the door behind her, as she headed to the deck of the ship. "So... what's up?" She asked, more than a bit curious, and still seeming to be a bit cautious about things.

"So this who you really are, huh?" Evan said, keeping watch on his tone. "How does it feel? Being who you believe you truly are? Does it feel good, to be honest with yourself?"

Chloe scratched her head awkwardly. "I-it's nice... I-I mean, well, it doesn't exactly suddenly make everything better... but..." She sighed slightly, as she tried to keep a hold on her mood, to try and not suddenly fall the way things were going when everything had happened just then. She knew it wasn't going to magically change things for her, even with the help Liv had given. But she also knew that she had been a lot more relaxed overall since she admitted it.

"Well, of course it doesn't make things better just like that!" Evan said, chuckling a bit. "The thing that matters is, despite everything that has happened, you are still you. Don't let anyone tell you differently, all right?"

Chloe paused sightly, but nodded afterwards. "Th-that's true, yeah..." She scratched her head slightly, and smiled a bit, but still wasn't sure what would come next. "I... I don't know what to do..."

"What are you so worried about?" Evan said, smiling warmly. "Boy? Girl? Whatever! I'm still talking to a hero, right? A Hero is brave, Chloe. You've done so much, and endured much. The road only gets tougher from here on out."

Evan took a deep breath, and continued on. "But you've got your friends. You've got me. I may not always be there, but when I am, you can always trust I will do what I can to help you."

Chloe seemed surprised at the reaction, but rubbed her arm a bit. "That's another question, though... Ryan said it himself; he doesn't know me... most of you don't... Do I really deserve to call any of you 'friends'?" She went quiet again, glad for the support, but really unsure about that one.

"Well, you can count me in on being a friend." Evan said, smiling. "And about the others......maybe you should get to know them better, huh? Get to know all of us better! It's better than worrying about that sort of thing. You've gotta take a chance, Chloe."

"How, though?" The girl had a perplexed and ever so slightly worried look on her face at that. "How do I get to know the others better, especially when I probably made everything awkward? And when half of the group isn't with you guys or so...?" She went quiet again, as she thought over the others.

"For those of us here, try calling." Evan said, still smiling a relaxed smile. "I'm pretty sure they will get over the awkwardness eventually. The others, I am not so sure about, but you'll find a way. Trust me on that."

Chloe still seemed uncertain, but paused for a minute with a blink, as she realized something. "... You seem more awake." She raised an eyebrow with a hint of a smile. "What'd I miss?"

"Oh, yeah! I guess I should tell you...." Evan said, smirking a bit. "I'm finally back. I'm done worrying about what's happened. I had my rest."

"Good news. Was I right?" Chloe smiled a bit amusedly. "Did you defeat that guy? How'd it go? I mean, obviously it went well, since you do seem better, but..."

"He wasn't as tough as he seemed." Evan said, still smirking. "He was a total wuss. I think he was nothing but hot air. I showed him what I was really made of. Then he appeared out here, and things got.............silly."

Evan mused over the utter beatdown that ensued over the last night and smiled. "He got trounced by everyone here. Then Jenny and I made the scene and.......made sure he would never hurt anyone again."

Chloe giggled slightly. "That sounds like it was fun. Kinda too bad I missed it, but then again, I probably would've shown I actually could take him down." She smirked slightly at the recollection of what had happened with that guy.

"Jenny sealed him away inside herself, which, while odd to the others, suits me fine." Evan said, a mischievous grin on his face. "I think it's a fitting punishment, don't you think?"

"Kinda seems like something he'd hate... Admittedly it seems a bit odd to me though." She smiled sheepishly, and seemed a bit curious about how that even worked. "Definitely seems amusing, though... Hopefully that works out well, though!"

"It will, I believe!" Evan laughed. "After all, we've dealt with odder things, so this is nothing! I hope things go well for you as well! Before I let you go, I'd better answer your first question..."

Evan took yet another deep breath and started talking again. "You were so right! No matter how little I thought of myself, I couldn't stop being a hero if I tried! Thanks for your help, I realize that now."

Chloe smiled slightly, and nodded. "You're welcome..." She said, and scratched her head. "Did I miss anything else, though...?"

"Not really, Chloe." Evan said. "Maybe I'd best let you go. But do be sure to keep in touch, eh? Don't be a stranger!"

Chloe nodded; but the look on her face didn't seem confident on how well she'd manage that. However, she gave a small smile, as she ended the call, and let out a sigh, as she glanced out over the ocean, wondering just what would happen now.

-==IC: Ryan/Jenny==-

A little while after getting dragged out of the room, Ryan and Jenny finally came to a stop. "What was that?" Ryan asked, a slightly annoyed look on his face. However, he paused, as he was given a stern look in return. He couldn't figure out what was going on, but suddenly had a feeling about what.

"... I think I could ask the same. What was that about relatives?" Jenny asked, as she raised an eyebrow. Ryan gulped slightly, but then sighed, and began to explain what had occurred in Celadon, and everything that had been said. Jenny stayed quiet for a bit, but then sighed. "Geez, you get yourself into all these messes, Ryan..." She said, and chuckled quietly, but didn't seem too upset. "Also, I wanted the answer to that, and kinda didn't want anyone getting punched." She smiled in amusement, and Ryan sighed again, noting that some things never changed.

The black haired man, however, then paused, and went quiet, as he looked down at the floor. "... I'm sorry. I was an idiot half a year ago. I just wasn't thinking... And I hurt you, too." Ryan reached to his belt, and unclipped a Pokeball. "... You can have Samurott back; she kinda evolved, but..."

"Don't worry about it." Ryan looked up in surprise, as Jenny simply smiled. "Consider it a trade..." She held out the Pokeball containing Boarlite. The black haired man seemed surprised at how happy the Emboar seemed, and how strong he could tell she had gotten in just six months. Jenny moved the Pokeball away, and smiled more. "It was an unconventional trade, yeah, but one none-the-less... And honestly, I think it all worked out in the end." She giggled slightly, and her smile twisted into a teasing one. "Apology accepted. You were most certainly an idiot, though."

Ryan was stunned by what had happened, and smiled slightly, as he placed the Samurott back on his belt. "Thanks, sis." He said, and met a stern look again. "... Yeah, that's gonna take some getting used to, won't it..." He sighed and scratched his head, but seemed lost in thought a bit. Jenny didn't overlook that, and sighed.

"You should go talk to Evan. The call's probably over anyway, so it'd be a perfect time." She suggested, and Ryan seemed surprised, but nodded, and began to walk away. He paused, however, and waved back in thanks, and Jenny nodded back, but then went full on teasing mode. "Just try not to flirt with any more sisters!" The string of curses as Ryan walked away could probably be heard halfway across the ship.

Konuju · December 8, 2015

IC: Shannon
Shannon awoke in a rare moment of clarity. It was as if the fog around her head had lifted. She was aware of the gears turning in her brain, crafting abstract ideas into conscious thought. And she was also aware of the sense of restlessness that permeated every muscle in her body. She had been lying in bed for a while now; at least a full twenty-four hours, but it felt like much longer. She needed to stretch her legs, to move, to do something beyond just lying there like a bump on a log.

But where would she go? What would she do? It didn't matter; the overwhelming desire for some form of physical activity blotted out any uncertainty. Even if she just paced around the room, anything was better than lying in this bed all day. Tossing the covers aside, Shannon pushed herself up to a sitting position and swung her legs out over the edge of the bed.

A sharp pain rushed up her side and down her arm, causing the appendage that was supporting her weight to suddenly spasm. She fell against her pillow with such an impact that she was sure it had left a bruise. She laid there, arm throbbing in pain and legs dangling halfway off the bed, like some sort of puppet that found itself unable to move now that its strings had been cut.

"Oh, dear."

Shannon heard footsteps as the nurse ran to the bedside. She felt her legs get pushed back onto the bed, and then she was once again on her back, the blankets replaced over her.

"You weren't trying to get up, were you?" the nurse asked. "That was a foolish thing to do; your body isn't ready for that exertion yet."

"Yeah," Shannon groaned. "No kidding."

"You might need a higher dose of pain medication." The nurse pursed her lip as she looked at Shannon with a frown.

"Honestly, I wouldn't mind that," the girl said with a wince. She could feel the scars that lined her arms and legs burning underneath her bandages.

The nurse left and quickly returned with the medication: a fat pill that looked more likely to gag her than ease her pain. "It'll take a bit to take effect," the nurse said. "But you should feel better."

"Thank you." Shannon downed an entire cup of water, then laid her head back against her pillow. It seemed she really was doomed to just lying in bed like a bump on a log. She took to staring at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to overtake her once more. She hated it, but it seemed that was all she could do until she'd recovered.

Or was it?

Turning her head to the side, Shannon's eyes rested on the Pokégear sitting on her nightstand. She reached out to grab it and pulled up Ryan's contact information, but then hesitated. She didn't want to come off as annoying by calling all the time, especially when he was likely busy with other things. But then again, he did say that he'd be on a boat for the next few days...

As she debated whether or not to disturb her friend, she rested her thumb against the call button. Despite her pain, her muscles still ached for movement. Her thumb involuntarily twitched, and the next thing she knew the call had been made. Shannon gasped and quickly shifted into a more upright position as she waited for Ryan to pick up...

**Dr. Hidaka** · December 8, 2015

IC: Evan Tierra

Evan was about to get away from his hiding spot, when the Pokegear rang again. He knew shouldn't answer someone else's pokegear, especially Black's, but he also didn't want to make him seem rude. Evan hit the answer button, smiling while he did. "Hello, who might this be?" Evan then waited curiously for the caller to answer his query.....

Konuju · December 8, 2015

IC: Shannon

Shannon blinked as she stared at the screen. The man smiling back at her looked nothing like Ryan. In fact, she had never seen him before in her life. "O-oh," she stammered. "I-I'm sorry. I must've dialed the wrong number..." The girl fumbled with her Pokégear and hung up, even as the color rose in her cheeks. She had been so sure she'd been calling Ryan Hikari. Had the pain medication really made her that groggy?

**Dr. Hidaka** · December 8, 2015

IC: Evan Tierra

Evan wasn't exactly surprised at the response he had garnered. But then again, her not letting him add in his explanation for answering, kinda left him feeling bad. The Hero hit the redial button, and waited for an answer. As he did, he thought of how he was going to explain himself to her. Admittedly, he had to tread carefully, otherwise he could come across as very rude.....

Konuju · December 9, 2015

OOC: Double Jam time! First with Blade, then with Alku!

IC: Ryan/Ray
With Xander off to sleep, Ryan walked over to the rail of the deck and stared out into the vast ocean. After the little fiasco in the lounge, he'd considered shutting himself in his room and simply brooding the day away. But now he couldn't bring himself to leave the warm sunlight and soft breeze. Besides, everyone else was still in the lounge, so he could afford to stay here and enjoy the peace and quiet. The Liberty agent closed his eyes as he reflected on Xander's words.

"Yo." If Ryan opened his eyes once again, he would notice a certain head of orange hair looking over him. "Having a nap, are you?"

As it was, Ryan didn't have to open his eyes to recognize that voice. "Look, I already apologized," he muttered. "I don't need a reminder of how I managed to screw up yet again." A civilized conversation with Xander was one thing, but Ryan really wasn't in the mood for another heated lecture. "I suppose you want me to buy Chloe a Ralts doll or something?"

"You wanna do that, that's fine." Ray shrugged. "Wasn't here to remind you of how you screwed up, though, you seem to be doing that on your own."

Ryan opened his eyes and looked over at the orange-haired trainer. "There I go jumping to conclusions again," he said with a wry smile. "So why are you here then?"

"Well, to talk, yeah, but not to be harsh." Ray shrugged once again, and looked at Ryan with a slight frown. "I get why you were wary."

"Then why didn't you try and stand up for me?" The Liberty agent asked. He wasn't angry, if anything he sounded defeated.

"Because you lacked tact. Even for this, you could've at least said it a little more quietly. It's good that things got settled, but..." Ray sighed, and frowned worriedly. "I don't want to see you mess up friendships constantly."

Ryan laughed bitterly. "Sometimes it feels like that's all I'm good at, even when I try not to. I thought things were supposed to get better once I defeated Gluttony, but it seems it's only gone more and more downhill."

Ray raised an eyebrow. "Have you been making an effort fully to make it better, though?"

"I'm doing the best I can," Ryan growled. "I bought that Squirtle doll, didn't I? What more am I supposed to do?"

"Forget everything you've been thinking of, for one." Ray looked at him sharply. "Do you think just because you overcame one roadblock, that you can't fall into the same trap as before?" He gave Ryan a piercing look at that. "Do you think you'll never again have the same feelings as you did before? Everyone has the potential to mess up; but if you don't realize that, and try to take steps to avoid it, then you'll just fall into the same situation as before."

"I've heard all this before," Ryan said with an irritated sigh. He didn't need a repeat of what Xander had already told him. "I just... I thought things would be different once I defeated Gluttony. I thought I'd overcome my sin. But I guess I just can't escape who I am. Chloe found her true self; perhaps this is me. Someone who constantly succumbs to their own gluttony for attention and success. No matter how hard I try, the result is always the same."

"Or maybe you're holding yourself back, like Chloe." Ray frowned slightly. "Maybe you should talk to the other Ryan; dunno what happened in Celadon, but he's seemed even more reclusive since he joined up with us, haven't you noticed?"

"He sure didn't hold back when he knocked on my door this morning," Ryan said with a chuckle. "But now that you mention it, he has seemed a little more distant than usual. Plus, he's also faced one of those Sins. I suppose he's the best one here to talk to."

Ray nodded, and scratched his head. "For all we know; he's been having similar issues. But..." He closed his eyes for a moment. "I think you're holding yourself back a bit; maybe take some time to rest up today... It's been a long two weeks, after all."

Ryan shrugged. "I guess it's a balance of knowing when to hold back and when to go all out." He took a step away from the edge of the boat and started to wander toward the stairs leading back below deck. "The way things have been going, it seems I'll need to take the whole boat trip to rest up. Either way, I definitely need to get my mind off things."

Ray nodded, but paused for a moment. "I might have a way to help out, though. You up for more talking tomorrow?"

Ryan glanced back over his shoulder at the orange-haired trainer. "Sure. Not like I'm going anywhere. Any particular time?"

"Hmm..." Ray considered that for a moment. "Maybe tomorrow night? Though..." He paused again at this. "Hopefully you're not too awkward about talking to Chloe, if this works right."

The Liberty agent paused at that, and managed a very forced smile. "...Of course not. It won't be awkward at all."

Ray gave him a skeptical look, seeing right through the smile. "You're lying there. But seriously, you can't avoid her; so you messed up... get right back up, and show that it was what it was; a mistake. You might lack tact, but... I know how things might be able to be helped. Remember what you said at the end?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure she still hates me though," Ryan muttered. "Although I'm also pretty sure I'm not getting out of this, am I?"

"Nope. 7 work for you?" Ray smirked slightly, but sighed. "You underestimate Chloe, though... In actuality..." Here he paused for dramatic effect. "She's a big softy."

Ryan chuckled. "Seven works for me. If you need me before then, you know where to find me."

Ray nodded with a smile, and chuckled. "I still recommend talking with the other Ryan, though."

"I meant the ship, silly." Ryan grinned. "Until we get to port, I can't wander very far."

Ray blinked in confusion, but nodded. "True that. Anyway, ciao." He walked off, and waved as he did so.

IC: Shannon/Evan
Shannon was in the process of scrolling through her contacts when her Pokégear rang. There was no mistaking it; the name clearly said 'Ryan Hikari.'

"Oh Ryan, thank Arceus," she said as she answered the call. "I tried to call you just now, and I got-"

She paused as she stared at the screen in confusion. The same man from before was smiling up at her.

"R-Ryan...?"

"I suspect you're referring to the owner of this Pokégear," the man replied. "He's busy right now, but I'm sure he'll be back. What did you need?"

Evan's mind was racing. He had to make sure that Black could get to the phone soon, otherwise there could be trouble for him later.

Shannon idly twirled her hair around a finger as she struggled to find the right words. "O-oh, I just... w-wanted to talk. You know. N-nothing special or anything. I was just bored. I-if now's a bad time... I can... you know, call back later..." She averted her eyes from the screen, wondering what was keeping Ryan so busy and why he had left his Pokégear with someone else.

"Why not talk with me?" the man said, still beaming. "I'm one of his friends, and I am pretty sure you may be interested in the company he keeps, right? I'm interested in seeing whose lives he has touched as of late..."

The offer took Shannon by surprise. "Oh. Well, um, I guess that works too." She had been hoping to talk to Ryan, but then again, it didn't really matter who she talked to as long as it distracted her from her boredom. She looked back at the screen and managed a shy smile. "Um, I don't think I ever got your name..."

Evan was also surprised at his offer being accepted. He really expected her to decline and hang up the phone. At least now he'd be able to find out what Black had been up to while everyone was off and about.

"Evan Tierra, at your service," the man replied cheerfully. "What is yours?"

"Shannon. Shannon Willows." She giggled a bit at Evan's pompous formalities. "So, um, how long have you known Ryan?"

"Not too long, at least, not like he is now." Evan replied. "I knew him much less fondly six months ago......"

Evan's expression slightly intensified as he remembered what happened in Unova so long ago. While things did happen, he wished they didn't happen the way they did. Especially regarding Ryan Hikari.....

Shannon's smile faltered. "Less fondly...?" She vaguely recalled Ryan telling her something about him being partially responsible for something in Unova a while back, but somehow she never considered anyone would think less-than-fondly of him. "What happened?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Y..." Shannon hesitated. Up until now, her mental image of Ryan had been nearly perfect. Sure, he'd had his moments -- her current condition was proof of that -- but overall she knew him as a kind, caring, and loyal friend. Did she really want to taint that image?

But the seeds of curiosity had already been sown. If she refused to listen to what Evan had to say, then she would forever wonder just what dark secrets Ryan had. The mystery would haunt her worse than a gripping novel.

She took a deep breath, then solemnly nodded. "Tell me."

"He killed me."

Shannon did a double take. "I'm sorry? He killed you?"

"Well, he caused things to happen that lead to my death." Evan said grimly, recalling what had happened. "He didn't kill me directly, but that's what happened."

"How did he kill you?" Shannon asked. "And... if you're dead, then how are you talking to me? A-am... am I dead, too?" She had to admit, it made sense. She'd been bedridden ever since that Stone Edge knocked her unconscious. It didn't seem too far a stretch to say this entire hospital room was some sort of purgatory.

"To answer your last question: I can feel my own heart beating, so I must be alive." Evan replied cheerfully. "Ergo you must be alive, right?"

Evan then added before Shannon could reply. "To answer your first question: Ryan used the power of Zekrom to mortally injure me. Some later events caused me to finally succumb to those injuries."

"And you... died?" Shannon was still having a hard time wrapping her head around that. "Um, no offense... but why aren't you still dead?"

"Long story short: I was brought back somehow, someway." Evan replied, scratching his head nervously. "I can't really explain too much, because I am not sure myself..."

"But... you came back?" Shannon tilted her head. "That's convenient. Deus ex machina they call it in literature." She offered a smile. "Guess the author of your story decided you weren't quite ready to be killed off. Seems the same happened to me, although I don't think I actually died."

"Call it what you will." Evan said, smiling. "But....despite what happened, I don't hold it against Ryan completely. I mean, sure, he did hurt me, and I did pay a price for it...."

"But I can't go my life hating someone for every screw up of theirs." Evan continued. "It's not my style."

Shannon giggled. "You know, that's exactly how I feel. I'm stuck in this hospital bed because of Ryan, but I can't hold it against him. Like they say, forgive and forget."

"I like your style, Shannon." Evan said as he struck a subdued pose. "It's very awesome that you think that way! Despite all that's gone on, I wouldn't really have it any other way."

"Thank you, Evan!" Shannon replied happily. "Ryan's really lucky to have friends like us who don't hold anything against him." Her eyes gained a melancholy glaze. "I wish that could be true for everyone..."

"It's hard to accept that everyone can't do that sort of thing." Evan spoke, looking a little more subdued. "But, then again, isn't it up to people like us, to remind people of that fact? That we should stop giving each other a hard time?"

The melancholy disappeared as quickly as it came, and Shannon's eyes dazzled once more. "You're right. Maybe that's why we're both still alive; the world needs people like us!" She grinned at the screen, feeling more hopeful than she had in a while.

"No, it needs more people like us!" Evan replied happily. "Life's not fun if people keep being so down, don'tcha think?"

Shannon laughed. "Exactly!"

"So, question: how did you almost die?" Evan asked, aiming to change the subject. "With who you are, it's hard to imagine something like that happening, you know?"

"Oh." Shannon let her smile falter again, although she blushed slightly from Evan's compliment. "Well, it was after the battle in Celadon ended. I, um, don't know how much you know about that, but basically there was a big attack here recently. Anyway, in the aftermath, Ryan's father showed up and started taunting his sister. Ryan and his friends managed to subdue him, but then... Ryan tried to kill him." Shannon closed her eyes as the memories rushed back. "He's not a killer, and I didn't want him to become one, so I stepped in the way to stop him. But I was a moment too late... and too k the hit meant for his father." She opened her eyes, a fiery determination burning in those hazel orbs. "I have no regrets, though. I know it was stupid of me to do that, especially when his father has done so much wrong from what I've heard. But I would do it all again to stop Ryan from becoming a killer."

"That's very noble of you." Evan replied. "I was faced with the same decision about his father some time ago, but thanks to someone almost like you......I didn't go through with it. It's not stupid when it's for those we care about, right?"

Shannon blushed again. "R-right..." She looked away for a moment. "I guess we have a lot more common than we thought, if you've also spared Ryan's father's life." She looked back at the screen. "What is it you're doing now? Ryan told me the last time we talked, but my memory's kind of fuzzy..."

"We're searching for a girl named Ellen Burks." Evan said, recalling Paul's daughter "We're very determined to find her. I can't speak for the others, but I owe her so much and it's been so long since I have seen her......"

"Really?" Shannon said curiously. "Tell me about her. I think I remember Ryan told me he didn't really know her that well."

"She's one of my best friends." Evan replied. "She's very sweet, innocent, and always willing to lend an ear. I desperately want to see her again and make sure she is ok....."

"Aw, that's so sweet!" Shannon smiled warmly. "She sounds like someone I'd like to meet. Maybe once this is all over, you'll have to introduce us."

"We'll have to see what happens, eh?" Evan said. "You and her would get along so well!"

The Hero sighed a bit. While it was nice to talk, he knew he wasn't the person that Shannon wanted to speak with. Nodding to himself, Evan faced the Pokégear and started to speak. "Well, I hate to say this, but I'd best find Ryan and get this back to him, huh?"

Shannon perked up a bit at that. "Oh, right. I almost forgot this was his Pokégear I was calling." She giggled slightly. "Yeah, if he's not too busy, I'd like to talk to him."

"All right, then I'd better let you go then, Shannon." Evan said, striking his second pose of the call. "You take care of yourself, all right?"

"Will do," Shannon said with a smile. "Take care of Ryan for me, alright? Make sure he stays out of trouble. And I hope you manage to find Ellen."

"I hear you loud and clear!" Evan said as his finger hovered over the "end call" button on the Pokégear. "I'll do my best. See ya!"

Evan hung up, and sighed. It seemed that Ryan may have been busier then he let on. He had to find out more about what happened to him, especially with this new information. The brown-haired trainer walked on his way from his hiding spot, aiming to find Ryan Hikari, and deliver his phone back to him.....

**Blessed Blade** · December 9, 2015

OOC:

-==IC: Ryan/Evan==-

As he was headed back to the Lounge, Ryan passed Ray, who seemed to be headed the other way. As the orange haired separatist walked, however, he mentioned that Evan had gone off somewhere to talk to Chloe, and took the Pokegear. The black haired man froze on the spot, and quickly ducked into the room to confirm that it was indeed missing. Oh no. The ex-criminal had a very bad feeling about this, for about the same reasons as he was both a criminal and ex-criminal. He searched around the ship, trying the most obvious places first, but as he began to lose hope in finding Evan, he finally caught the trail end of a conversation.

"All right, then I'd better let you go then, Shannon."

Those ten words effectively turned Ryan into a statue, as he approached the place. The colour drained from his face, as his imagination began to run wild and make up different scenarios for what was in that conversation... And two certain things overlapped, more or less. He somehow managed to get himself composed once again, however, as he stepped into the room. "Heya..." He said, with a subtle uneasy and a bit suspicious tone, as he glanced to the Pokegear that had just recently been hung up. "Just finishing talking with Chloe?" The cautious tone was likely noticeable to the Hero of Space, but Ryan kinda hoped his suspicions were for nothing. He was likely just imagining it, and his worries overlapped with what he heard. Right...?

"Oh, hey.....you." Evan said, his tone cautious as well. "I finished talking with Chloe earlier. That last call....was with someone who called immediately after she hung up....."

The Hero didn't expect Ryan to find him, and not like this. Especially if he heard part of the conversation beforehand. Evan stared at the black-haired trainer, waiting for his reply with anticipation.

That was not the answer Ryan was hoping for. Well... this is about to get interesting. He tried to keep himself calm, but figured some of his anxiety was betraying itself on his face. "Someone... else, huh?" Well, only one person fit that explanation, since Lucia just seemed to text. "What did they want?" He was trying to delay things now; he had to get more info before figuring out what to do. If things were going the way he had a bad feeling about... he wasn't sure what would happen.

"She wanted to speak with you, but you didn't seem close by...." Evan said, trying to keep his mind settled. "She seemed like she may have had a bit on her mind, so I spoke to her a bit. It wasn't exactly as bad as I expected. Especially the things she said about you..."

This isn't good. This so isn't good. Ryan seemed very cautious and on guard now. "Oh yeah...?" Something seemed off about what he said, though. Expected...? What was meant by that? He needed to figure out what had been said, but...

"She had a lot of nice things to say about you." Evan said, his tone steady. "It was actually nice to hear that you changed after Unova...."

Despite his anxiety, Evan had to make sure Ryan knew that there was nothing to be afraid of, lest there be another blow up. The Plasma Agent scratched the back of his head, trying to keep his mind focused on the conversation at hand.

Ryan faltered for a moment, and frowned slightly. "Yeah..." He wasn't so certain that was it, though. There couldn't be any way that was it. Evan had never made his reactions known, but there was no way that things would be that simple. "Did she just talk about me, though?" He asked, as he tried to seem as if he were lowering his guard. He was; but in a different way. He had to find out what was talked about, because he just didn't see this ending well. Why did this have to happen...?

"We talked about what happened with you and her in Celadon." Evan replied, trying to keep things calm. "I........must say I admire how far you have come."

Ryan was confused now. "... How far I've come...?" He frowned slightly. "What did you two even talk about, in particular?" He threw away all pretenses now, he couldn't make heads or tails of things with normal questions that would just advance bit by bit. But... What was going on with that comment? If they had really talked over the situation, was that simply sarcasm, or...?

"We talked about what you've done in the past." Evan said. "I was especially touched by how far she trusted you. How much faith she had in you. You made leaps and bounds since Unova, ya know?"

Evan felt the tense atmosphere lessen by a huge degree. He felt he was finally making headway. It wasn't everyday someone who died got to meet the one responsible for their death. Evan had to make this count. For his and Ryan's sake.

Ryan wasn't totally certain that was all. "What about Celadon did you talk about?" He still couldn't figure this out. If they talked about Celadon, how could he be talking like this? It has to be him just pointing out that I haven't changed... It has to be. He wasn't sure what he would say if all his suspicions were confirmed... But he had to at least find out.

"About Gerald and your encounter with him." Evan spoke softly. "What you almost did and what she did to prevent you from falling down. As well as............how she didn't hold it against you. Much like myself, honestly."

Ryan felt his hopes drop a bit, but then something Evan said utterly confused him. "... Like... yourself? Well, of course; why would you hold that against someone? Not like you were there, either." He glanced to the side. Something just didn't feel right to him, but yet, it was obvious what that was meant about, even if it just seemed like Evan trying to keep him calm for the mission.

"I'm talking about Unova, Ryan." Evan said. "About what you did to me. I don't hold your actions against you, no matter how bad they may have been."

Now that got Ryan's attention. He looked over in surprise, an utterly confused look on his face. He frowned at it, not seeming to believe it. "That doesn't make sense... I killed you... How could you not hold my actions against me? If I hadn't been so thick headed, then maybe I could've helped you all the entire time; and maybe no-one would've had to die. The legends might not have even needed to get involved. How could you not hold that against me? I might as well have let all those people die; not Chloe. She... she shouldn't have even been involved in any of that."

"Does it really matter?" Evan said, seeing how things were going. "Does it really? You can't change the past, Ryan Hikari. Whether you like it or not, it happened. All happened to bring you here and make you who you are."

Evan continued. "Holding my death against you, wouldn't do me any good. It's useless to worry about the stuff that could have been. It's more important to think about the now."

Ryan frowned in confusion, as he tried to make sense of what was happening, and remembered how his mom had said something similar. "... I get that..." He began, as he still seemed confused. "But... what if it just keeps happening?" The black haired man sighed, as he chuckled wryly.

"How many times do things have to be not held against me, before it turns out there is something that needs to be?" Ryan looked up now, with a more resigned look, simply looking for help now. "She told you about what happened; so how can you say I've changed? It still happened; even if it as a better ending normally than..." He paused there slightly, as he realized he didn't know how Evan had even come back. But, despite all that, there was one other thing... "... Did you... tell her about that...?"

"I did, and told her as I told her as I told you." Evan replied. "I also think, you are being way too tough on yourself. Ain't it hard, blaming yourself all the time? If you feel like it's gonna keep on happening, then do something to prevent it! You've got my faith, Ryan."

Ryan didn't seem so certain. "I've... I've tried, though." He paused for a moment, and sighed. "Maybe I should just tell you the missing pieces." He walked over to the closest wall, and leaned against it, glancing up at the ceiling as he did so. He began to explain about the things that had happened since he got out. He zig-zagged a couple times, when it came to Team Energon, to tell about some of the things he had done, but then the story eventually all came back to Celadon. He paused, as he came to the part where he fought the first Rocket agent.

"... I nearly lost it, there. I was prepared to go all out, just as I had before. I just, something snapped; seeing that girl just not care at all about the safety of anyone..." Ryan narrowed his eyes slightly in regret. "Maybe if I had've kept focus, then that stupid Sneasel wouldn't have killed that Rocket agent." He went quiet for a moment, but then continued to explain the rest, until he got to his side of the story of the end of the fighting.

"... When... when she stepped into the attack's path... I thought that was it. I was just paralyzed. I..." Ryan stopped there. He wasn't sure whether or not to mention it... But he was mentioning everything else, wasn't he? "... I've been having nightmares about it. They don't make sense... but I just..." He grit his teeth. "You're right, though... she doesn't blame me; but I don't get it." He finally looked back to Evan with an upset look on his face. "I'm not a good person; how could a good person attack someone innocent, or attack his own family, or do half the things I've done? Being manipulated can only really cover a part of that... I just don't understand..."

"But you regret it, don't you?" Evan said, smiling warmly. "A bad person wouldn't give such actions a second thought. A good person not only regrets their actions, but seeks to redeem themselves."

Evan then added, "Would you believe that I met your father in Unova again? That I had him at my mercy? I could have killed him. The mere thought of that, haunted me to the point of nightmares. That I could have killed someone, good or bad. You, Ryan Hikari, are a good person, plain as day! Don't tell yourself anything different!"

Ryan stayed quiet, but nodded slightly. However, he frowned again for a moment. "I always seem to let someone down..." He sighed, as he began to explain his current dilemma. "... I was supposed to be helping Shannon; I promised her I'd visit her... then I said I'd only be a little while, checking on my cousin. Now, who knows when I'll be back." He scratched his head a bit. "Admittedly, that was kinda why I wanted to get my Pokegear back quickly... But I just don't know what to do. She's pretty much unable to do anything for who knows how long, it's my fault, and I'm the only real company she has. And I just..."

"She's waiting for you to call, Ryan." Evan said, his eyes twinkling as he held out the Pokegear. "I think she is so eager to speak with you. But I also think she'd rather you stop torturing yourself with those thoughts, you know?"

Ryan kinda got a little confused, as he looked up. "... Even after you mentioned about you?" He frowned slightly. Who would want to talk to a murderer? Especially one who failed at that one job so very often.

"I think the fact I came back.....kinda makes your act null and void." Evan said, grinning. "That and I think she's too nice to let something like that tarnish her opinion of you. At least, that is what I think."

Ryan blinked, still surprised, but had to chuckle. "She's definitely very nice..." He smiled a bit, but looked at Evan curiously. "... I'm sorry. For everything that happened... and kinda for doubting you a bit just now." The black haired trainer sighed, as he scratched his head, but chuckled again. "You two are both so optimistic. I kinda hope it rubs off on me." He smiled slightly, but paused. "... oh, yeah, uh, about that thing I said earlier... I kinda made a mistake a while ago, and hope you don't hold it against me." Ryan nervously laughed, as he recalled the Jenny thing.

"Water under the bridge, Ryan!" Evan said, as he gestured towards the Pokegear in his hand. "I try not to hold anything against anyone, unless they truly deserve it. Now, do you feel better? If so, then go get 'er, eh?"

Ryan nodded, and smiled slightly, and took the Pokegear back. "Right." He said, as he took a deep breath, and then began to walk up, a little nervous still, as he hovered his finger over the call button. Once he was further away on the deck, he pressed the button, as it began to once again dial Shannon's number.

Konuju · December 9, 2015

OOC: We forgot to add this last night. So this morning/afternoon, have a healthy breakfast/brunch of...

Green Eggs and Jam.

IC: Ryan/Ray
Ryan was about to head back below deck when a loud squawking came from above. The Liberty agent looked up in surprise to see Togie barreling down towards him.

"Ooof!" Ryan cried as the Togekiss tackled him to the deck. "Good morning, Togie! Glad to see you're up bright and early."

The Togekiss crooned happily, then glanced over his shoulder. Orihime waddled up to Ray, a beaming smile on her face. Ryan couldn't tell for sure, but it looked like she was holding something under one of her wings.

Ray frowned in confusion, as he heard the noises, and turned around to see Orihime. "Heya... What have you got there?" The orange haired separatist seemed a bit confused, but the shape of the object he thought he could see... Uh-oh.

Still pinned by Togie, Ryan couldn't get up to see what Orihime was holding. But the look on Ray's face told him it wasn't just a seashell she'd found in the water. "What is it, Ray?" he asked as he tried to push his own Togekiss off of him.

"I'm... not sure..." Ray held out his hands, and the Togekiss walked over closer, and pressed the object into his hands. It was then that his suspicions were confirmed, and he sighed. "It's an egg. Dunno how it got there; but Orihime had it." He said, as he held up the object in question, taking great care with it.

"An... egg?" Ryan gaped at Ray in surprise, then looked up at Togie. The Jubilee Pokémon looked back at him with a joyful grin. "Um... congratulations?"

Ray blinked, and nodded. "Congrats?" He was equally uncertain, and scratched his head. "But wait, what does that make us, grandparents or something? Sheesh."

Ryan looked back at Ray. "We're related now?" He finally managed to get Togie off of him and walked over to Ray to get a closer look at the egg. "So, um, between the two of us, who's keeping it?"

Ray sighed. "I could do without being related. Mostly because I get the feeling that what Ryan said earlier means things just got even more complicated." He scratched his head at the other question, however. "I think you'd probably safest, considering..." He left the rest of that sentence as an unsaid understanding, but chuckled. "You're probably best at raising Togepi, anyway, of the two of us."

Ryan scratched his head. "Uh, thanks." He understood Ray's reasoning, but he still felt like their line of work wasn't exactly the best environment in which to raise a baby. Nevertheless, he tried to look on the bright side. "Maybe taking care of this little guy will help me be a little less... impulsive when jumping to conclusions."

Togie fluttered over to the trainers and put a wing around Orihime, a proud look on his face.

"You'll help me take care of the baby too, won't you, Togie?" Ryan chuckled. "Honestly, I think this is the happiest I've seen Togie ever." He looked back at Ray. "You don't have to worry; I'll take good care of it."

Ray smiled, and nodded, as he chuckled, and handed the egg to Ryan. "That might definitely help, yeah... Anyway, I'm gonna leave you to yourself, now." He said, and took a step toward the ship's interior again, but then paused and glanced around, as if expecting another thing to happen.

For several minutes Ryan stood in place on the deck, staring at the egg he now held in his hands. Togie and Orihime approached on either side of him, their smiles those of proud parents.

"Well, I suppose I can stay out here a little longer," Ryan said as he sat down on a bench, carefully cradling the egg in his arms. A nostalgic smile crossed his face. "You know, Togie, this sort of reminds me of how I first found your egg." The pair of Togekiss fluttered to the foot of the bench and looked up at him curiously. "What, you've never heard that story, Orihime?" Ryan laughed. "I know I've told Togie a thousand times. But one more retelling won't hurt. Well, it was a dark, rainy day, a little over a year ago..."

MELON LORD · December 10, 2015

IC: Xander, Sylph, and Ellen

Xander stretched a bit as he walked downstairs. He was ready to go back to bed, but Sylph had informed him that that wasn't going to happen. Since he was up, they would continue training. First, though, he need to make a stop.

With a loud yawn, he tapped on Aspen's door. He knew the youngest Seaton was awake, since Black had roused everyone aboard the ship. He might as well grab Ellen while he was out of his room.

Inside the room, the Eevee perked up, letting out a soft bark as she heard the knock. She rose to her feet lightly, trying not to disturb Saya as she hopped off of the bed. She could smell her trainer outside. Though she had enjoyed spending time with Saya, she was ready to see Xander again. She waited for Aspen to open the door, readying herself to jump into her trainer's arms as soon as she saw him.

In the hallway, Sylph smothered a giggle. Someone is excited to come back to us. Xander chuckled, knocking again.

JiMing · December 10, 2015

IC: Dahlia Seaton

Evan took away the Pokegear from everyone else, leaving Dahlia to rub the back of her head. She turned to everyone still there, smiling. "Alright, I'll be cooking breakfast, anyone wanna-" she began, until everyone dispersed at once. "...O-okay then..."

The middle Seaton sighed, and walked into the nearby kitchen, getting out the ingredients necessary for everyone's morning meal. Anyone passing by would hear the clattering of pans and pots while she began to cook.

IC: Aspen Seaton

The young trainer walked back to his cabin after Evan took off with the Pokegear, and sat down on the bed again. "Hey there." he said, noticing Ellen was up, while Saya continued to sleep. While the youngest Seaton pet the former Eevee on the head, he couldn't help but see how peaceful Saya looked, and smiled.

Aspen turned his head when someone knocked on his door again, and when Ellen seemed to light up at that. "Just a second." he replied, making a mental note to just keep the door open from now on as he turned the doorknob.

Konuju · December 11, 2015

OOC: I think this boat ride has had more jams than individual posts.

IC: Shannon/Ryan
Shannon had replaced her Pokégear on the nightstand and closed her eyes to rest, a pleasant smile resting on her face. When Evan had answered the phone in place of Ryan, she had initially been disappointed. But much to her surprise, the once-dead man had actually managed to cheer her up. Sure, she was still stuck in this hospital bed, but now she had a purpose. A reason to get better.

She had just started to doze off when her Pokégear rang again. She sleepily reached for the device and answered it. "Hello...?" she half-mumbled, stifling a yawn.

"Oh, did I wake you...?" Ryan asked, as he scratched his head. He seemed a little awkward, especially when he noticed how sleepy she seemed to be, and wondered if he should just call back later.

"Hm?" Shannon blinked as she yawned again. "Oh! Ryan!" She quickly sat up with a wide smile on her face, trying not to appear too flustered. "N-no, I'm awake! So how are you? Been keeping busy?"

Ryan scratched his head, as he nodded. "Yeah... This morning's been kinda... hectic, in a way."

"Yeah, I tried calling you earlier," Shannon said with a giggle. "A dead guy answered the phone."

Ryan nervously chuckled at that. "Yeah... That probably was a bit surprising, huh?"

"Yeah, but he was really nice!" Shannon gave a wide grin. "I told him to look out for you while I'm gone."

Ryan smiled slightly, but scratched his head. "Yeah, we were talking about it a bit, and he said he, uh, explained how he knew me?" He wasn't quite sure how exactly to bring this up, but figured this was a start.

"Yep!" Shannon giggled again. "And I explained how I knew you! It turns out he and I have a lot in common!"

Ryan laughed at that, a little embarrassed about it, but definitely seemed amused. "Yeah, though that's probably not the greatest way to have something in common with someone..." He smiled sheepishly, and figured this was nearly a good way to start explaining the rest of the stuff he wanted to.

Shannon's smile faltered, as her face turned into somewhat of a pout. "What do you mean? We both forgave you... I think that's the best thing we could possibly have in common."

Ryan chuckled slightly at that one. "Well, that's true; though I meant that you two were both in the same sorta situation to begin with." He said with a small smile.

"Ever heard of a blessing in disguise?" Shannon returned the smile. "Sometimes bad things happen for a good reason. If Evan had never died, he never would've been able to cheer me up. And if nothing bad ever happened to me, would my cheerful attitude ever really mean anything?"

Ryan blinked, and chuckled a little more. "Well, that's true; but honestly, you've been through so much the last little while that it probably meant something regardless." He added a teasing smile, but then seemed to get lost in thought for a bit. "Do you want to know more about my past, though?"

"Oooh, that sounds fun!" Shannon sat up more. "I could use a good story, and I've always wondered what sort of dark and mysterious past you might've had to make you who you are today."

The black haired trainer chuckled, as he leaned against the railing. Somehow, her joking calmed him down, and made him less nervous in general. He took a deep breath, and recounted how the attack in Goldenrod had gone. He explained how Team Rocket had taken him in; or rather the crooked person who was bribed to lead the hunt in the first place. He then explained how, after he had gone through a lot of the training, he had left the group. "I was on my own for a good while after." Ryan explained, and sighed. "Not long before I went to Unova, though, I started to hear of a rumour of some group, not Rocket or Liberty, that were seeming to be as powerful. So I joined up with them."

"I don't think I had the best morals at all, then. At one point, I was willing to destroy parts of a city, just to get people off my trail. I was willing to attack people, just to prove a point, and try to get attention. And I was even willing to fight my own sibling, to try and get more people on my side." Ryan's face went a bit melancholic. He began to explain more of what happened in Unova; how he had thought he'd killed one of his family members in Castelia, and how he was willing to just do so many immoral things. "... I wish I could just blame all this on my dad... but some of it has to eventually go to me, right? I mean, I was naive enough to believe that people could be revived by the Unovan legends. And all of that, just to try and get revenge on who I now find out might as well be my half-sister." He sighed at that again, and shook his head slightly.

He then, however, continued on, and explained about how after he lost the battle at Dragonspiral Tower, he had been put in prison for six months, in place of his father. He explained about how Alistair had managed to get him released by trickery, only to have to search for him. He explained how Wrath had shown up and challenged him, making him have to re-examine himself. And then he got to a lighter part, where he found and caught his Natu. Ryan paused there for a moment, however, as he sighed. "Of course, then I managed to get myself caught up in another mess." He proceeded to tell her about how he'd gotten blackmailed by Team Energon in the process of trying to dismantle the organization, and how he ran into a despicable person who killed pretty much everyone present on the following mission except for him.

"That was how I met Lucia and Jamie, though; they showed up to help, and in the aftermath, their friends offered me a place with them. It's kinda ironic, but..." Ryan scratched his head, as he explained how he technically rejoined Rocket, but in the 'good' group of them. "Of course, after that, you pretty much know the rest. Though, you missed Evan's evil side appearing last night, and this morning, where it turns out Zach is actually Chloe."

"And now you're trying to find this Ellen Burks, right?" Despite her sleepiness, Shannon had managed to not only stay awake for the whole story, but also managed to hold her interest. She soaked it in like a new book, her eyes filled with wonder at all of the adventures Ryan had gone through. "I knew you were never a killer. You were just sad and confused. But see? You overcame Wrath, and overcame your desire for revenge. And now that all the rough edges have been stripped away, what remains is the kindest, sweetest person I know." The girl gave a pleasant smile. "It's a really good story; have you ever considered getting a biography written?"

Ryan scratched his head, a little caught off guard by her reactions in a good way. "Well, I dunno how many people would read the 'Memoirs of a Manipulated Criminal'." The black haired trainer said with an amused smile on his face. "Well, maybe one person... and I'd say she's even sweeter than me." He was surprised at just how optimistic she was; so he definitely had to say she deserved that award no matter what. "Though, I kinda keep worrying, admittedly, that the potential is still there, and that I might slip up and hurt someone again." He paused for a moment. "... But... oddly enough, I don't know how often those happen now."

Shannon felt herself blush at the compliment, and her smile only grew wider. "Everyone makes mistakes," she said. "It's like drawing a picture. Sometimes you have to back up and erase some lines. But sometimes the lines are too thick to be erased, and you just have to adapt. Alter your picture, adapt... and what you thought was an ugly mishap can turn into something beautiful."

Ryan chuckled, and smiled. "That's a good point..." He paused for a moment, as he thought about that. "How have you been doing, by the way?"

"I've been doing pretty well," Shannon said. "It's been hard, but Evan really lifted my spirits. And so have you. Promise you'll keep calling me, won't you? Even if nothing exciting happens?"

"Definitely." The black haired trainer chuckled, glad she was doing well, and thought for a moment. "Are you able to draw anything? After that analogy, I kinda wonder if that might help you with any boredom too." He smiled slightly at that, as he tried to think of other ways that might help. "Plus, you could always call me, I don't mind, since you kinda help me too."

"Aw, thank you!" Shannon beamed. "Although are you always gonna have your Pokegear with you, or am I gonna reach Evan again next time I try and call?" She giggled and gave him a teasing smile.

Ryan laughed slightly, and scratched his head, a bit embarrassed. "Well, barring him having to talk with my sister, while my half-sister is dragging me off somewhere, you should be able to get me." He said with a chuckle, as he smiled back.

"Good," Shannon said with a smile. "And that's a good idea about drawing; I'll have to ask Ms. Stacy if she can find my drawing materials. Maybe next time I call you I can show you my sketches!"

"Sounds like a good idea to me." Ryan smiled, as he tried to think about things to talk about. "Any progress on books?" He asked, sheepishly smiling in the process, to try and show that he was not having much luck with any conversation topics yet, but yet wasn't exactly wanting to hang up.

"Not really, unfortunately," Shannon said with a sigh. "It's a shame, because you'd think this would be the perfect time for me to catch up on all the books I've been meaning to read, but with this pain medication I'm usually too sleepy to actually read." She pouted slightly. "I must've lost my place about a dozen times thanks to falling asleep in the middle of a page. They're really interesting books, and I want to be able to read them, I just can't." She sighed once more. "I enjoyed listening to your story, though."

Ryan nodded, and smiled slightly. "Sadly, that one wasn't fiction, but in the end, it mostly all worked out okay. Except for one girl being stuck in a bed for a while." He smiled teasingly at the last sentence, and thought for a moment. "Maybe I should see how long it is until we're close to any stops..."

"Oh, but the fact that it's non-fiction is the best part," Shannon said. "Seriously, have you ever read a book and wondered what it would be like to actually meet the characters? Well, with your story, I actually can!" She giggled again. "And I actually have!"

Ryan laughed with a smile, and nodded. "True that! Maybe you could meet the others sometime soon; and I could re-introduce you to Chloe."

"Chloe?" Shannon tilted her head curiously. "Have I met Chloe yet? I don't remember, but there were so many people in Celadon..."

Ryan sheepishly smiled, and scratched his head. "Kinda... Though, she wasn't going by the name 'Chloe' then... She's my sister, but wasn't always. Had auburn hair, green eyes... psychic..." He scratched his head, unsure how exactly to mention it better.

Shannon brought a finger to her chin as she thought about it. "Hm... she sort of reminds me of your brother Zach. Is she related? Oh! She's his girlfriend, isn't she? The redhead?"

Ryan opened and closed his mouth, as he scratched his head. How to explain this... Sorry sis. He thought for a moment, and then prepared himself. "Close... She is Zach. Turns out, she's trans; that's why things were busy this morning, and why Evan had my Pokégear. Seems like people go off and have their own conversations while I'm dragged out of the room."

Shannon's mouth dropped open. "No way, really? Now that you mention it, his shirt the other day did kind of look like women's clothing. I didn't think too much of it at the time. But wow, she must've been really brave to admit that. See? Even she thinks you're trustworthy."

Ryan smiled, but nodded. "That's a good point... And yeah, she was really brave, especially since one of my friends didn't really believe her, because of what happened yesterday." He smiled despite that, though, and seemed almost like he was proud of how brave Chloe had been. "I actually had a feeling she might've soon, and got her a gift while at the store yesterday. I think she's probably opened it by now, but hopefully she liked it." He didn't go into too much detail on that for a certain reason though, but smiled.

"Aw, how thoughtful of you!" Shannon said with a smile.

Ryan chuckled, and returned the smile with one of his own, but then paused, and thought for a moment. "So, what's your story like, then?" He was curious; he'd gotten bits and pieces from what had happened in Celadon, but wanted to know the full story... He just hoped she'd be able to stay awake for it.

The inquiry took Shannon by surprise. "M-my story?" she asked, suddenly acting more shy. "A-are you sure? Um... I've never really been that great of a storyteller, and, well, I don't think my story is quite as interesting as yours..."

Ryan scratched his head, but smiled slightly. "Well, you don't need to tell it if you don't want to, but I'm not really a good story teller either, and I'm interested..." He didn't want her to be upset, but he was definitely curious.

"A-alright..." Shannon took a moment to collect her thoughts. "Well, you, uh, already know that I grew up in Ecruteak... It really is a beautiful city, with a great appreciation for history. My parents were often busy, so I played with my friends a lot. I guess initially I would usually go over to my friends' houses -- my parents probably considered it free babysitting -- but when I was older, I would invite my friends over to my house, which was... fun."

The girl fell quiet for a moment, lost in thought. Then she looked away shyly. "Y-you have to realize I wasn't exactly a perfect little child. In Celadon, Pride chose to target Hannah, but if he'd come some ten years earlier, he would have chosen me. I was... selfish. Vain. Proud of my parents' success and our wealthy lifestyle. It's strange, really, how Hannah and I have almost become our opposites." She sighed. "You see, you're not the only one with a troubled past. Maybe that's why I find it so easy to forgive you. Just because Pride never appeared to me doesn't mean I've never sinned. Looking back on it, I really enjoyed showing off my house to my friends. I'd always dreamt that one day I'd join Team Liberty and be one of their best agents, going on all these awesome adventures. Not too different from what you've done, actually." The girl gave a wry smile. "The grass really is greener on the other side, isn't it? I bet you wouldn't wish your experiences on anybody."

Ryan thought over that for a moment. "I'm not sure. The bad experiences I wouldn't, but... if it had been in a better situation, I might have enjoyed it more." He still seemed interested, though, in how her story was unfolding.

"Yeah, I suppose there must be some thrill to it," Shannon said. "It'd explain why my parents are still with Team Liberty after all these years. But honestly, as much as I enjoyed showing off how cool my parents were, I like to think that I enjoyed just being with my friends even more. There were five of us, and we'd play together almost every day. We were inseparable..."

As Shannon explained about her friends, her face formed into a soft smile at the recollection of her fond memories. She talked about her classmate Caroline; whose words were blunt though her heart was kind. She described the timid Lauren, who was always the quietest girl in the group, but also the most thoughtful. And she reminisced about Alice, the self-appointed leader of the group, who always seemed to know what to say whenever the other girls didn't get along. But most of all, she talked about Hannah, her neighbor and best friend. And as she talked, her smile never left her face; for she described not the bitter executive that had laid waste to Celadon, but the kind and innocent girl she'd known growing up. For the briefest of moments, Shannon almost forgot that the Hannah of the past and the girl that attacked Celadon were one and the same.

She went on and on about all the fun times the group of girls had. Some of them were great adventures; many of them were just silly stories about schoolgirl shenanigans. Sleepovers. Birthday parties. The time Alice and Caroline both had a crush on the same guy. They were the most mundane stories, and yet Shannon told them with such enthusiasm and fondness that neither she nor Ryan noticed the hours ticking by.

Eventually, the pain medication managed to catch up to Shannon, and her eyelids grew heavy with drowsiness. Her words started to come slower, and it was clear she was struggling to stay awake. "Caroline thought it'd be fun. But Hannah and Lauren, well, they didn't know, because they had never... had never... had..."

Her head tilted forward as she closed her eyes for a moment and lightly dozed.

Ryan smiled, as he listened to the explanations of everything, and enjoyed how things were going. However, when he noticed how Shannon was beginning to fall asleep, he paused for a moment. "Heya, you still there?" He didn't want her to have to stay awake just to talk to him, but he also knew that she'd need to wake up or her Pokégear's battery might run out.

The sound of Ryan's voice jerked her awake. Shannon lost her grip on the Pokégear, which fell into her lap, granting Ryan a blinding view of the fluorescent lights lodged in the ceiling. "O-oh!" Shannon quickly picked her Pokégear back up, feeling the color rush to her cheeks. "I-I'm sorry, I've been rambling again, haven't I? I-I didn't mean to bore you..."

Ryan blinked, as he scratched his head. "I wasn't bored; I just, you were starting to doze off there." He sheepishly smiled, as he sighed. "I don't mind listening to more of the story later, though, if you need rest."

"Oh." Shannon absentmindedly ran a hand through her hair as the corner of her lip formed a shy smile. "I'm, um, glad you like it, then. I-I can continue if you want to hear more."

"If you feel like you won't get too tired in the middle of it, then sure." Ryan smiled a little teasingly, but nodded for her to continue if she had more to talk about.

"Don't worry," Shannon said with a smile. "I just needed to rest my eyes for a second there. Now, where was I...?"

"Something about Hannah and Lauren not having something?" Ryan suggested, as he scratched his head, not sure where she had been going with that.

"Hannah and Lauren...?" Shannon stifled a yawn. "Oh, right. Yeah, Hannah and Lauren were a year below us." She giggled incessantly. "They were certainly surprised."

"Surprised about what?" Ryan was getting a little bit amused by the way the conversation was going, and was fairly certain his smile gave that fact away, but didn't have the heart to interrupt her.

Shannon gave him a big goofy grin. "The Zubats, silly!"

"What about the Zubats?"

The grin faded into a confused frown as Shannon tilted her head. "They were... in the... in the cave. Weren't you listening...?"

Ryan scratched his head, as he thought over what she had been talking about. "I think you might have skipped a part by accident..." He offered an apologetic smile, and scratched his head. "As much as I love the story, maybe we should continue it after you get some rest...? Less chances of skipping over things..." He sheepishly smiled, and sighed. "I promise I'll tell you to start back at the cave story."

For a moment, Shannon appeared torn, as if part of her wanted to rest, but part of her didn't want to hang up. But then she nodded with a sleepy smile. "Alright. Cave story tomorrow. Sounds like a plan."

Ryan chuckled with a warm smile, as he nodded. "Hope you sleep well..." He didn't hang up right away, however, as he waited for her to do so first.

"You too. If you even do sleep. You look wide awake." Shannon giggled.

Ryan seemed amused at that comment. "Well, I just so happen to sleep at night, instead of at random hours of the day. You'll probably enjoy that when you get better, too." He smiled teasingly back, hoping it was obvious that was a joke.

Shannon laughed. "Alright, goodnight... or good morning, or whatever time it is..." she moved to hang up, but paused. "Oh, and Ryan?"

Ryan chuckled, and figured she was going to hang up, but seemed surprised when she started to talk again. "Yeah?"

By this point it was clear Shannon was fighting to stay awake. But despite her exhaustion, she somehow managed the sweetest, most genuine smile Ryan had ever seen. "Thanks for listening to me. It means a lot that someone would listen to my idle rambling, my reminiscing of an age long past. So thank you."

Ryan seemed a little surprised, but returned the smile with a nod. "You're very welcome... thanks for listening to my story as well." He was glad he could help her out in that way, and almost felt as if he had been there for some of it, with the vividness of how she had been describing things before falling asleep.

"We'll have to do storytime again sometime," Shannon said with a grin. "But I'd better let you go. Talk to you soon~!" The girl waved at the camera before she hung up. The feed cut out, leaving only the reflection of Ryan's own smile on his Pokégear's screen.

Edited December 12, 2015 by Konuju

MELON LORD · December 11, 2015

IC: Xander

As the door opened, Ellen bolted forward, launching herself at her trainer. Xander staggered back a step as he caught her. He chuckled lightly and scratched her head. He looked to Aspen, still smiling. "Hey, man. Thanks for letting Ellen stay the night; I hope she wasn't too much trouble."

He continued petting the Eevee, stifling a yawn. "So, everyone seems to be caught off-guard by this whole 'Chloe' thing. Do you need to talk to someone?" Sylph elbowed him lightly, earning a chuckle from him.

"I'm legitimately interested, not just trying to procrastinate! Discussing new things is important."

I know, you're right. She smiled at Aspen. My apologies. I just know that he'll put off training any way possible.

JiMing · December 12, 2015

IC: Aspen Seaton

Aspen chuckled amusedly at Xander and Sylph's antics, shaking his head. "Appreciate the offer, but I think I'll be fine." he said, smiling a bit. "I'm totally cool with Chloe, and like I said earlier, it does put some things from the past into perspective... So yeah, it's not something I'm worried about." the youngest Seaton continued, yawning a bit.

"You don't need to waste your time on me. Go do your training stuff with Sylph." Aspen said, grinning. "Wouldn't really want her to have to wait for you cause of me."

**Blessed Blade** · December 13, 2015

OOC: That other boat's overflowing with jam. Let's spare this boat of that curse- oops... too late!

-==IC: Chloe/Olivia==-

Olivia quickly tossed on her red winter jacket in hers and Chloe's cabin, their stop at Snowpoint quickly approaching. The red-haired trainer shuddered slightly, even having lived in Olivine, she wasn't very fond of the winter cold... "How do people live in Snowpoint even? It's really amazing people can live their in that temperature all the time..." she said, sighing. "Hopefully you're better at dealing with that and all." the eldest Seaton said, giggling and smiling at Chloe.

Chloe chuckled, as she scratched her head. "I'm not too sure. But apparently it actually works, or it'd be a ghost town by now." She giggled, as she pulled on her coat as well, and thought for a moment. "We've got everything, right?" She asked, to double check, as she didn't want to accidentally leave anything behind.

She rummaged through her backpack in response, finding nothing wrong. Olivia looked up and shook her head, smiling. "Nope, nothing's missing." she replied, looking at Chloe. Her eyes drifted to the other girl's arms however, and saw the green friendship bracelet right next to the pink one gifted by Ryan. The red-haired girl glanced at her own arm, hoping a matching red band would appear as well. "...Nothing missing..."

Chloe followed her glance, but smiled. "It's alright... We'll find yours when we get back to Olivine, alright? And in the meantime we have our second set, right?" She giggled, as she put her arm near Olivia's, to compare the bracelets with a smile.

"Right! You're absolutely right." Olivia exclaimed, hugging Chloe in response. "I don't know what I'd do without you. Even when my butt is gonna freeze, you make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside..." she muttered appreciatively. Even as she did so, however, something gnawed at her, some sort of guilt and remorse... Even as she smiled, something wouldn't leave her... Ignore it. Chloe needs to be happy. That's what's important here...

Chloe glanced over, a perplexed look on her face. "Something up?"

Olivia went silent for a bit, and sighed, shaking her head. "No. Nothing's up. I-I'm fine..." she replied, smiling widely, trying to push the thoughts out of her head. She couldn't afford to make Chloe upset or worried, not now of all times... "I'll be just fine."

Chloe raised an eyebrow slightly. "You sure?" She was a bit skeptical, as it didn't seem like Olivia seemed too certain on that one.

"I said I'm fine." Olivia insisted, shaking her head. "Besides, we're going to Snowpoint soon, right? The boat's docking and then we'll have to look for your cousin's house." she said, smiling. "So don't worry about anything, okay? You've worried more than enough already."

Chloe frowned slightly, as she wasn't totally certain how much she believed it, but nodded. "Alright, I guess... but if you need to talk, I'm here, alright...?"

Olivia nodded, and smiled. "Thanks for the offer. I'll keep that in mind, but first, let's take care of you, okay?" she asked, kissing Chloe on the cheek. "You just came out of the closet, right? Right now, your happiness is what I care about the most." the eldest Seaton declared, hugging her friend close, closing her eyes while doing so.

Chloe seemed a little skeptical of that again. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean you have to focus only on me... You don't have to hide things just because of me; that won't help..." She smiled slightly, and returned the hug, but felt a little bad for her to have to keep things locked up just because of that.

"Well, my problems are baby problems, especially compared to yours." Olivia reassured Chloe, smiling. "I can ignore them for now, until everything for you is all worked out. Alright?"

"But things mostly are..." Chloe seemed uncertain, but sighed. "Alright. But only 'til we find Anna's house, k?" She smiled slightly, not exactly being up for giving up on Olivia, especially since she had basically just confirmed something was bugging her.

Olivia smiled again, and nodded "Sounds like a plan!" she replied, sitting down on the bed next to Chloe, waiting for the boat to dock into Snowpoint. "And hey. We finally get alone time, too."

Chloe giggled, and nodded. "True that... Though, we kinda had it on the boat." She said with a slightly amused smile.

Olivia giggled, rubbing the back of her head. "True, but this room's kinda small... Couldn't do half of my normal daily exercises. Now we can actually walk around soon, after Snowpoint." she pointed out, smiling. "Maybe we can even have more dates soon... Now that it's just you and me."

Chloe smiled at that. "I like the sound of that..." She giggled some more, and thought for a bit, as she felt the ship stop. "Ready, then?"

Olivia nodded, taking Chloe's hand. "You know it, dummy." she replied, smiling and leaning against her friend, as they began to walk out of the room.

Chloe smiled, as she followed Olivia. She shivered slightly as they got outside, but seemed surprised as she looked around. "Oh wow, this is very cool..." She didn't even notice the pun, however, but really did find the surroundings pretty interesting. "It's been so long since I've been here, I forgot what this is like."

Olivia shuddered as her breath became shakier, still getting accustomed to the cold temperature. Huh... Never been here before. Interesting looking place. Pretty quaint." she observed, smiling. "Seems like a good place to live. You know, aside from the fact there's always snow."

Chloe giggled at that. "Still don't like the cold, huh?" She teasingly poked her friend's face, as she seemed amused at that fact. "Not entirely sure where Anna's house is, though..."

The eldest Seaton shook her head, giggling back. "Nope, I do not, in fact, like the cold." she replied amusedly, looking around. "Hmmm... Ask around maybe? There should be people who can tell us where your cousin is.

While the couple conversed, Amethyst walked off the boat along with Alvis, approaching their trainers. "Hey." she said, alerting them to the fact they were present.

Chloe waved to the two Pokemon with a smile, and glanced around curiously. As she looked, she noticed a man walking by. "Ummm, excuse me, do you happen to know where Anna Scalene's house is?" The girl asked curiously, and the man paused for a moment.

"Should be on the other side of the town..." He seemed a little off, as if being cautious about wording. "Are you relatives?"

"Well, my girlfriend is." Olivia replied, motioning towards Chloe. "I'm just tagging along for now, really. What, you think we're suspicious or something like that?"

The man shook his head, but frowned. "I just didn't expect to see relatives here..." He seemed a little uncertain whether to say something or not. "Hope your search goes well for you." He smiled, but something seemed left unsaid for a moment. "Too bad to hear about that avalanche, though, huh?" He asked the two, before he paused, and walked off.

Olivia watched the man walk off, and frowned, looking back at Chloe. "That was... Well, let's see how Anna is." she said, a little unnerved by that last statement, but shrugging it off while the two of them began walking through Snowpoint.

Chloe looked back with a puzzled nod, but headed off in the direction the man had pointed them in. She smiled in surprise, as she seemed relieved that the house was indeed still standing, to the contrary of her expectations after everyone had been talking about that. "Let's ind out the real story now..." She giggled, as she walked up to the door, and knocked on it.

Olivia waited for Anna to answer, looking around nervously. Much to her confusion, it seemed as though both Amethyst and Alvis were not bothered by the cold weather at all. She raised an eyebrow at that, but turned back towards the house and shivered some more. "She better have a fireplace or something..."

Chloe nodded back, but seemed confused when there was no answer. "... Maybe she's busy..." The girl mumbled uneasily, as she knocked again. However, this time, there was more of a reaction, as some clattering could be heard inside.

"Just a minute!" A muffled and tiny voice called from inside the house. Chloe audibly sighed in relief, as she recognized the voice, even with it being muffled from the distance and closed door. After a little longer of waiting, the door finally opened, and Chloe smiled for a moment, before she faltered upon actually seeing the girl. To her surprise, Anna was leaning on two crutches, and had a slight look of surprise on her face. "Why hello there, not often I get visitors, what can I do for you...?" She asked, as she looked between the two, not seeming to recognize either.

Olivia's eyes widened upon seeing Anna, blinking some more "O-oh, uh... I'm, uh, Olivia. Did we bother you...?" she asked, a bit concerned with her current state. "Sorry. Umm... Hey, why don't you introduce yourself?" the eldest Seaton said, turning towards Chloe. She reached her hand towards her friend's, squeezing it slightly to bolster her confidence.

Chloe seemed a little nervous, but nodded. "I'm... I'm Chloe Hikari... Your cousin." She still seemed a bit worried about Anna, and wondered what happened to cause her to need crutches. But she was still relieved in general, glad she was otherwise okay.

Anna blinked for a moment, as she looked over Chloe, seeming a little confused. "Cousin...?" She tried to think of who the girl could be, but then paused. "Oh! Wait, you're...?" A look of surprise crossed her face, as she thought things over for a moment. "Oh, oh wow, I didn't even think; wow!" She smiled a bit, and then moved forward a bit, and gave Chloe a hug. "You must have a lot of courage, but you look good."

Chloe was still caught a bit off guard, but smiled and returned the hug. "This is my girlfriend, Olivia Seaton..." She giggled with a smile, but tried to support her cousin, since in hugging her, she had loosened her grip on the crutches, and was more leaning against Chloe than most hugs.

Olivia smiled, and waved at Anna. "Uh huh, that I am, that I am..." she said, smirking a bit at Chloe. "Nice to meet you thought, Anna. Chloe heard an avalanche had happened here a few months ago, and was worried sick about you. Are you still doing okay...?" the red-haired trainer asked, biting her lip at the crutches.

Anna seemed surprised at that, and frowned for a moment, but nodded with a small smile. "I'm doing pretty okay... I mean, it's not a fun situation to still be unable to move your legs, but..." She stayed quiet for a moment, and sighed. "I don't even remember what happened. The doctors said I had some memory loss, and even they don't know how far back it went. It's getting better now, a bit, but I still kept forgetting to tell some people I was alright." She smiled sheepishly, and thought for a moment. "At least I can kinda stand on one leg now, though; just not for long or I fall without something holding me up... Enough, though, so I can walk around on crutches. Makes things take a lot more time, though..." She sighed, but still kinda smiled, though it was pretty obvious there was a bit of sadness mixed into it.

Detecting the emotional mood around the conversation, Alvis turned to Amethyst, and smiled slightly. "Let's go train; I'm pretty sure we'll just be intruding here right now..."

Amethyst nodded, turning around to look at the snow. "...Follow me. I know some good open space to train in." she said, looking at the trees beyond the edge of the small town. The Gardevoir remained silent for a little bit, before shaking her head. "Never thought I'd be here again... Let's go." she muttered, walking slowly through the snow-covered ground, once more lost in thought.

Olivia frowned more at that, barely noticing the two Pokemon go off to train. "Geez... You must have gotten pretty roughed up, huh?" she said, rubbing the back of her head. "Um, we probably shouldn't keep you standing and all that, then, h-here, let's help you back to a chair or a couch..." the red-haired trainer offered, feeling bad for making Anna exert herself so much. "You've had to deal with this for six months? I'm sorry to hear that..." the eldest Seaton said apologetically, sighing.

Anna smiled in response, and chuckled. "It's alright, it wasn't your fault for the avalanche." She smiled back, as Chloe helped her back to her crutches. "I mean, I really wish I could do everything I used to be able to, but it's not like I don't get these things take time... The doctors say I've been making good progress, considering at first they were worried I wasn't going to be able to walk..."

Olivia nodded, and rubbed the back of her head again, sighing "I know that, just don't like seeing you have trouble with things like answering doorbells." she said, walking inside and closing the door behind the three of them. "Least you seem to keep your spirits up though, that takes some strength. I'm impressed." she admitted, smiling at Anna.

Anna chuckled, and nodded. "That was mostly that I had gotten comfortable on my bed, though." She said with an amused smile.

Olivia listened to that, and her mouth curved into a grin. "Fair enough, I suppose. That where you wanna head back to, then?" she asked, looking around the house to see what it looked like.

"Doesn't matter to me, really." Anna said with a giggle, as she sighed. "So, how long you here for?"

Olivia blinked. "Uhhhh... I'm not very sure, really." she admitted, giggling awkwardly, turning to Chloe. "You got a better idea maybe?"

Chloe shrugged with a sheepish smile. "A day or two, maybe?" She didn't seem too certain either, but Anna nodded with a smile.

"Well, I'm sure I could help you two out! I can show you around Snowpoint a bit, since at least I'm kinda mobile..." Anna chuckled slightly at that, but smiled, seeming grateful for the company.

"Sounds like a great plan, yeah! Admittedly I was hoping we could at least stay the night..." Olivia said, rubbing the back of her head. She smiled, and nodded at Anna and Chloe. "It's been a hectic couple of days so far, yeah... But now we get a chance to relax, huh?"

"Yeah... That'll be pretty nice." Chloe smiled, and sighed. "We kinda earned it, I'd say."

Olivia nodded, and sighed, rubbing the back of her head. "No kidding... But whatever. Let's get you back to your room, then, Anna." she said, going to help Chloe's cousin to wherever her resting quarters was, figuring that they could find the guest room on their own.

"Oh, I can manage getting back myself; I'm perfectly okay to walk as long as I have my crutches... even if it's a bit awkward to use usually, but still; I have to get around on my own usually." Anna smiled, but seemed grateful for the offer. "You two go explore the house, I'm fine, really."

Olivia blinked, and scratched the back of her head. "Alrighty... If you're sure then." she said, nodding at Anna. The eldest Seaton squeezed Chloe's hand, and kissed her friend on the cheek. "C'mon, let's see if we can figure out where our room is, alright?"

Chloe nodded, as she walked off to find the room with Olivia. As they left the room, she waved to her cousin, and Anna waved back with a kind smile.

Metal Gear Minun · December 13, 2015

IC: (James)

Lancelot and James were expelled from Guinevere’s room by a doctor, leaving them in the hall. The two had been reaching the end of a quiet conversation (or rather James bouncing ideas off Lancelot, and him standing there giving questioning looks if he said anything odd) Lancelot was about to head off down the hall when James stopped him.

“I would not about fetching him yet. You can let them all be for now. It can surely wait until Celebi returns.”

Present!

James was glad that he was not carrying anything at the moment, because the shout shocked him thoroughly. He was not sure how she even popped in from behind him, due to the wall there, but decided not to question that fact.

“Celebi? That certainly was… convenient timing,” James said with a suspicious look.

Well you know, ‘Speak of the devil’ and all that, Celebi said with a sheepish smile.

James seemed unconvinced.

Oh ye of little faith. You seem down, come on and tell your Uncle Celebi what’s wrong.

He shook his head and sighed. There was little point in pursuing the point further so he let it go. The ‘uncle’ part however, retained reason for him to give the legend questioning looks.

“Goldhawk arranged a ‘public forum’ between Team Liberty, Team Rocket and the Hojoshin League. I have to come up with some evidence to prove James Pierce is working for Ford before then. I have been checking the internet for any leads onto his character for several hours now.”

It was Celebi’s turn to wear a quizzical expression, Huh? Goldilocks organized the event and he doesn’t have everything prepared yet? Are you sure that he doesn’t have everything worked out already?

“If they did, I would know by now,” James sighed. “I cannot say they trust me, but I am not so locked out of the loop that I would not be told of a solid plan against President Pierce had been formed…. Or at least that is what I am telling myself.”

Celebi wisely decided not to press the point.

So what have you come up with?

“…Nothing, there is absolutely nothing on Pierce’s character before taking his present office. In fact, there is so much nothing that it is suspicious. I expected a fabrication, fake information to pacify those who sought to snoop into his affairs. If only that in and of itself counted as evidence against him,” James said bitterly.

Huh, that is a problem… Celebi said scratching her head. An idea came to her, You know, if I recall correctly, you had someone on the inside of Pierce’s office. Someone who had a better look than you did at least.

“My thoughts exactly. It is the reason we were waiting on you actually.”

Oh, this ought to be interesting, Celebi said intrigued.

“We figured that a Psychic would be useful in analyzing his memories from back then. And with Guinevere out of commission…”

That leaves me, I gotcha. I think I know a few ways to help you out. Shall we go see him?

“After you.”

Edited December 13, 2015 by Totally Colette; Not Minun

Pokémon: Rise Of The Rockets

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