Pokémon: Rise Of The Rockets

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

It wasn't long after he had reunited with Landorus, that Evan had received a message. It had come from another Knight-level member of Team Plasma, asking him and Jenny to report to the medical wing at the earliest chance they got. Despite his misgivings about doing just that, the wannabe Hero had to report just what had happened on Two Island. The young man would have just preferred to stay in his temporary room in the Alamo, but......

He made his way to the medical wing, avoiding the people milling about, definitely due to the lack of Pokemon abilities. There were a few instances where he saw viewscreens covering what this change had wrought. It wasn't too long, that Evan had made it to the medical wing. He zeroed in on a receptionist, wearily making his way to them. "I'm here to see an Amanda Zarth." he spoke, flashing his Plasma badge with his one free hand. "I was wondering if you could take me to her."

The receptionist nodded and Called up a nurse, who led Evan to the one who had called for him. As he was led on, he wondered how medical science would keep up, especially now. He then saw a woman, looking a little out of place compared to others, with her formal attire.and clean cut appearance. The Knight recognized her as he held up his badge again, hoping this would not take too long. "I take it was you who sent the summons?" Evan spoke tiredly. "I take it you wish a report on the strike on Two Island? Jenny Hakuda will hopefully be here shortly to report as well."


Evan then added. "It's been a long day for all of us."

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander Cruize/Ryan Sanders

 

Sylph opened the door and nodded to Ryan as she walked out. Xander's pokéball belt hung loosely on her waist. The trainer himself was sitting on the bed, his blue eyes watching Ryan carefully. "Hey, thanks for coming. Go ahead and close that door and have a seat."

 

Ryan eyed Sylph as she walked past him. The belt at her waist made him suddenly conscious of the bandoleer on his shoulder. It was a moment before he followed Xander's instructions and took a seat next to his bed. "So, how are you feeling?"

 

The Kalosian sighed and shrugged a bit with his right shoulder. "Physically? I'll live. The arm should heal up in a couple of weeks thanks to a Heal Pulse I got right afterwards. What about you, how are you holding up?"

 

"Fine." Ryan averted his eyes, and it seemed like every aspect of his demeanor suggested he was not fine. Silence filled the room for a small moment before he spoke again. "Ellen and her father are going back to Unova."

 

Xander bit his lip, looking down. "I figured they would, but I was hoping it would be a while. I guess it's probably for the best though." He sighed. "It'll be safer for them, there."

 

After another awkward silence, he tried to meet Ryan's eyes. "But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. We need to discuss what happened at the back of that chamber."

 

He knew there was no avoiding it. Still refusing to meet the Kalosian's gaze, Ryan reached up to grip the bandoleer and stared at the cold surface of one of Quincy's Pokéballs. He spoke in a low, shaking voice, for fear that anything beyond a near-whisper would lead to another outburst. "I could have saved her . . ." At last he met Xander's eyes in cold anguish. "I could have saved her if it wasn't for you."

 

"That's what you said, yeah. And you're probably right. If you hadn't grabbed me instead, she would still be alive. You have every right to be upset at me for it, but I was doing what I felt was right at the time. I figured between you, me, her, and Paul, we could make our way to safety, but you sent Paul and Ellen ahead on Entei. I didn't know that until I was already right next to you guys." The younger trainer shifted a bit, leaning back against his headboard.

 

"So, if you need to blame me, blame me.  If you want to be mad, then do, but don't think that I was being a hero for the sake of being a hero. I saw two, three of my friends trapped at the back of the chamber. I couldn't just stand back and hope they all made it out of there safely."

 

"I don't want to be mad at you, I just--" Ryan grimaced as he wrestled with his thoughts. "Have you ever had to make that choice, to decide who lives and who dies? It sucks. I chose to save you, and in doing so, I doomed Adams. I effectively murdered her.  So no, it's not you I blame, and I know I shouldn't be angry with you. But her blood's on my hands and I just hate that I had to make that decision at all!" Ryan buried his face in his hands and cried as all of his previously-evaded emotions spilled out.

 

The Kalosian sighed. "I can only imagine, but . . . I am sorry, for putting you into that position. I'm willing to own up to my mistake on this one, even if I was doing the best I could at the time." He sat up and put his right hand on Ryan's shoulder. Closing his eyes, he focused on soothing emotions and pushed them towards the older teen.

 

Tranquility mixed with grief, and the contrasting emotions made Ryan's head spin. Perhaps that was the shock he needed, for eventually his sorrow abated, and the void was filled with peace. He sniffled and looked up. "Thanks. I needed to get that off my shoulder. Speaking of which . . ." Ryan looked to the Pokéballs that lined the bandoleer. "Once these guys are healed . . . do you mind helping me explain what happened to their trainer?"

 

Xander gave a small nod and a sad smile. "Yeah, of course.  I'll walk down to the Center with you, I'm sure someone needs this room more than I do."

 

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "You sure? What about Sylph? Won't she be looking for you?"

 

He waved his hand dismissively. "I'll have the receptionist tell her when she gets back, if I don't find her first." He smiled. "We haven't gotten much of a chance to chat outside of situations like this, so I figure we can do that while we walk down and wait for them to heal."

 

Ryan nodded. Maybe with someone to talk to, his feet would actually wander in the right direction this time. He stood up and waited by the door, casting a glance at Xander's sling. "Sylph will probably kill you for not getting your bedrest."

 

Xander, for the first time since the incident, tossed his head back and laughed. "You're probably right, but it'll all work out. I can sleep once I'm dead. C'mon." He stood, stretching softly and rolling his shoulders. He grabbed his jacket and put his right arm through the sleeve, draping the left arm over his shoulder as he headed towards the door.

Edited February 17, 2017 by Carbevoir

[Konuju]

IC: Dack/Madison/Luke - The Alamo, Four Island

 

July 31

 

The trip to Four Island was as silent as it was tense. Dack stared grimly out the window, his thoughts on the egg. Madison sat across from him, her eyes darting between her friend and the window he seemed so focused on. Luke sat next to Dack, the occasional movement of his head betraying his shift in focus from Dack to Madison or vice versa. The blackbelt was fighting a wide grin, as if he was waiting in eager anticipation for something to happen.

 

To Luke's disappointment, nothing eventful happened until the helicopter started to descend, and Eddard announced their arrival at the Alamo. It was only after they had landed that Dack broke his silence by asking a passerby for directions to the base's medical wing. Madison paled, and her complexion only worsened when Dack explained that Gavin had been badly injured during the fight.

 

"How badly?" Madison asked.

 

"We'll see," Dack said heavily. "But it's probably safe to say he's down an arm."

 

Madison gasped, but when she pressed him for answers, Dack admitted that the group had been split up, and he hadn't actually witnessed Gavin's injury. He seemed reluctant to discuss the events on Two Island any further, and only stated that they had rescued everyone they could. Madison wisely dropped the matter, and the trio continued in silence until they reached the medical wing.

 

Dack strode up to the receptionist. "We're here to see Gavin Braner."

 

"Aright, one second . . ." The young man on the other side of the counter clicked his tongue as he ran his fingers across his keyboard. His face fell. "I'm sorry, but Mr. Braner isn't seeing any visitors today. His condition is unstable."

 

"How unstable?" Madison demanded. "When will we be able to see him?"

 

The receptionist pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry, but I'm not at liberty to discuss patient information to anyone outside of family or next of kin. Do you fall under either of those categories?"

 

"Not at liberty," Dack scoffed. "Great first impression of the Alamo. Come on Madison, let's go. Looks like 'just friends' isn't good enough for these guys."

 

Denied of their first priority, the Snowpoint trainers made their way toward the Alamo's Pokémon Center. If they couldn't check on one injured friend, they could at least tend to the others. The halls of Team Liberty's base were mildly frantic as rumors spread. But the only word to describe the Pokémon Center was absolute chaos. Nurses hastily turned away hapless trainers who complained about their Pokémon not being able to use any moves. Police officers desperately tried to break up fights over the Ethers and Elixers that lined the store shelves, insisting that those items could do nothing to help the current situation.

 

"I'm sorry, but I can't do anything for your Pokémon," one of the nurses on the side said angrily as Dack approached her with his belt of Pokéballs.

 

"Did your healing machines break with the power outage?" Dack said coldly as he forced his Pokéballs onto the nurse. "Because my Pokémon are actually injured, from fighting on Two Island."

 

The nurse let out a small gasp and began apologizing profusely for her former inhospitality. "We're a little understaffed today with everything going on, but we'll get your Pokémon back to you as quickly as possible," she said, taking Dack, Madison, and Luke's Pokémon without further question.

 

Taking their leave of the mob that had formed in the Pokémon Center, the trio decided to head for a quieter lounge where they could have a moment of relative peace. It wasn't long before they resumed their positions from the helicopter, with Madison staring at Dack with the same intensity as Dack staring into space. Luke, on the other hand, was not about to wait around for nothing again.

 

"I thought I saw a thing back there, so I'm gonna go check it out for a bit." The blackbelt gave a not-so-subtle wink to Madison before walking off, leaving his two friends in the sole company of each other.

 

Madison waited until Luke had disappeared before moving to sit next to Dack. There was a moment of awkward silence. "So. Can we talk about how you just up and left me as backup?"

 

A teasing smile played on the corner of Dack's lips. "Well you didn't do a very good job of it, wandering away from the helicopter right when I was looking for you."

 

The skier was not amused. "You mean wandering into danger," she said flatly. "That was the whole point of making me 'backup,' wasn't it? I wasn't part of the B Team, I was just another civilian you were trying to keep safe."

 

"Well, you definitely proved you can handle yourself against that Arbok." Dack chuckled in amusement. "But you're right, I didn't want to see you hurt."

 

Instead of soothing Madison with his concern for her safety, Dack only succeeded in tapping into her ire. "You toyed with my emotions!" she cried. "You took advantage of my feelings to get me to stay behind!"

 

For a moment Dack didn't know what to say. He stared into her fiery blue eyes. "I can't describe what happened in that egg," he said softly. "Not because I don't want to, but because I don't know how. The things we fought down there . . . they were monsters. You heard about what happened to Gavin. I can't stand the thought of you getting hurt like that."

 

"It's not fair," Madison insisted. "You go on and on about how you don't want to see me get hurt. Did you ever stop to think about how scared I was of you getting hurt? You can't keep talking about how much you care and then just push me away like that!"

 

Dack was only mildly aware that he was holding Madison's hands. "I didn't mean to push you away. Everything I said before I left, that was sincere. I swear I wasn't trying to play with your emotions, Madison."

 

"Then stop pushing," the girl pleaded. "Let me stick by your side. We'll look out for each other."

 

He felt himself leaning forward. "When you put it like that . . . I could ask for nothing more."

 

And then they were kissing. Arms wrapped tightly around each other, lips locked in eternal bliss. A swell of emotion as fear and uncertainty melted away. The entire world faded away to give reverence to this single moment of apotheosis.

 

"Geez, get a room, you two!"

 

"Luke!" Madison flushed a deep crimson and looked about ready to throttle the blackbelt. "You were just standing there the whole time, weren't you?!"

 

"No, I'm serious!" Luke could barely contain his laughter. "I ran into Ethan, and he said we should reserve some guest rooms for a few days, since all the leaders are gathering here to discuss our next course of action. I was thinking we'd get three separate rooms, but I bet you two wouldn't mind--" He abruptly ducked as Madison took a swing at him. "--consolidating!"

 

Dack felt himself blush, but he was too elated to be mad at Luke. For the first time since Heatran attacked Snowpoint, things were finally looking brighter.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

The next few days were spent adjusting to life at the Alamo. The Liberty base seemed far more active than Chapel, but Dack knew that was mostly due to the blob getting ready to hatch a couple islands away. Each day they tried to visit Gavin, and each day they were turned away. Although Madison and Dack were more than happy to spend the long days alone, Luke's doggedness forced them to seek out the company of Gavin's friends: Ethan, Skye, Jamie, and Ryan Hikari.

 

It wasn't until the fourth day that they were finally allowed to visit Gavin. After a late morning breakfast, Dack and Madison had decided to take a stroll through one of the Alamo's courtyards while Luke finished eating. They were surprised to find Ryan Hikari resting under a tree. When asked how he was doing, the black-haired trainer merely shrugged. Madison suggested he join their daily ritual of trying to check on Gavin. With nothing better to do, Ryan agreed. After picking up Luke from the mess hall, they traced the now-familiar route to the medical wing.

 

By now the receptionist recognized them by face. He beamed as they walked in. "I have good news. Your friend Gavin has stabilized. He's probably resting now, but you're free to visit him."

 

Dack had become so used to rejection that it took him several moments to realize what the receptionist was saying. He could only stare in disbelief as the man that had turned them away time and time again now jauntily gave them directions to Gavin's room. After the shock had worn away, he realized that he had no idea what state Gavin would be in. And unless Ethan, Skye, or Jamie had gotten there first, Dack would have to be the one to tell Gavin everything that had happened in that final chamber. Squeezing Madison's hand, he thanked the receptionist and led the way down the hall.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander Cruize - Alamo Barracks (August 4th)

 

The Kalosian trainer frowned softly as he read through the latest news on his Holocaster. His brow furrowed as he flipped from one troubling news article to the next, and he leaned back with a sigh.

 

"Sylph," he said, glancing at his bed, where the Gardevoir was watching Ellen and Vixen play. As she looked over, her rubbed his nose, frowning. "We've got trouble on a couple fronts, it looks like. Locally, it looks like that thing in the egg is starting to expand. We'll probably need to report soon for orders from Goldhawk."

 

She nodded. "Alright, what's the other trouble?" 

 

"Closer to home. Team Flare may still be active. Apparently they found the Geosenge Lab empty of bodies, and signs that the lowest levels of the lab have been in use."

 

The Gardevoir nodded softly. "I see. What will we do, then?" She watched as her trainer tugged on the sparse hairs on his chin -- he hadn't shaved since  the incident.

 

"Potential world ending abomination probably supersedes a regional threat, and there hasn't been any confirmed Flare activity. With my arm, though, I might not be too useful for missions involving the blob. If they don't need me, I'll see if Goldhawk will clear me and maybe a couple of the others for a trip to Kalos."

 

Sylph nodded softly. "Alright then. You should probably call mom, by the way. You haven't spoken with her since we got to Hoenn, and you know she's worrying about you."

 

"Yeah, fair enough." He turned back to the small desk and pulled up the main function of the device, worrying at his lower lip as he did so.

[Flipz]

July 31

 

 

 

IC: Evan Tierra

 

It wasn't long after he had reunited with Landorus, that Evan had received a message. It had come from another Knight-level member of Team Plasma, asking him and Jenny to report to the medical wing at the earliest chance they got. Despite his misgivings about doing just that, the wannabe Hero had to report just what had happened on Two Island. The young man would have just preferred to stay in his temporary room in the Alamo, but......

 

He made his way to the medical wing, avoiding the people milling about, definitely due to the lack of Pokemon abilities. There were a few instances where he saw viewscreens covering what this change had wrought. It wasn't too long, that Evan had made it to the medical wing. He zeroed in on a receptionist, wearily making his way to them. "I'm here to see an Amanda Zarth." he spoke, flashing his Plasma badge with his one free hand. "I was wondering if you could take me to her."

 

The receptionist nodded and Called up a nurse, who led Evan to the one who had called for him. As he was led on, he wondered how medical science would keep up, especially now. He then saw a woman, looking a little out of place compared to others, with her formal attire.and clean cut appearance. The Knight recognized her as he held up his badge again, hoping this would not take too long. "I take it was you who sent the summons?" Evan spoke tiredly. "I take it you wish a report on the strike on Two Island? Jenny Hakuda will hopefully be here shortly to report as well."

 

 

Evan then added. "It's been a long day for all of us."

IC: Amanda Zarth

 

Eighteen minutes, forty-nine seconds. Prompt, but not hasty. Good. Amanda filed away the information within her mind, adding it to the mental dossier she had been building on the agent since being assigned this mission.

 

"That analysis is correct," she responded, her gaze passing mechanically over the agent in analysis of his physical state. While he clearly had yet to receive medical attention--though that had been easily deduced by his failure to appear in Medical prior to her summons--he also did not appear to have incurred injuries requiring treatment of any significant priority. Though he wore a somewhat informal outfit--Garchomp-scale was certainly not a part of standard Team Plasma mission wear, among several other uniform inconsistencies--the man's bearing nevertheless radiated competence; competence worn down and dulled by exhaustion and perhaps a hint of shell-shock, but clear competence even so. She could see why the man had a reputation as one of Team Plasma's finest, despite his initially-unassuming rank and tenure.

 

Almost subconsciously, Amanda lightly gripped the pendant at her neck, an intricately-marbled gemstone bound in a simple silver spiral of wire and attached to a plain black cord. A moment later, sense returned to her--despite the circumstances, procedure must be maintained. "I apologize for the circumstances. I was involved in a brief medical emergency this afternoon, and it would be inadvisable to not observe the authority of Liberty's chief medical officer." Mechanically, and without waiting for a reply, Amanda lifted the briefcase from beside her bed, setting it on her lap as she rolled the dials to key in the requisite eight-digit combination. She continued speaking to Evan without even a glance at her fellow Knight. "It would be beneficial to complete the debriefing before we move on to current orders, despite the lack of ideal conditions." The lock clicked, and the case opened, revealing a tightly-organized compartment full of electronic devices on one side and padded memory foam on the other with slots for two dozen compacted Poké Balls, all occupied by distinctive black-and-white balls bearing the Team Plasma crest. Only three of them bore signs of having ever been used, the rest as pristine as they day they had been requisitioned from Team Plasma's general supply. With the case open, Amanda signaled the nurse from across the room. "Nurse, the curtains please?" After waiting for the harried nurse to finish drawing the curtains around her and Evan for a modicum of privacy, she withdrew the C-Gear from the briefcase before her, activating the voice recording function and preparing a new text file, which she dutifully cloned to a holographic display window for Tierra's convenience. Once ready, she prepared to take voice transcription.

 

"Mission debrief for Knight Evan Tierra of Operation Fading Strike, Knight Amanda Zarth recording officer." She turned her expectant gaze to Evan. "Knight Tierra, please report current mission status."

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

Evan sighed, at both the operation name, and to prep himself for his report.

"Subject John Ford has been apprehended. A group of Team Rocket and Liberty agents, along with myself and Jenny Hakuda fought our way down into Ford's base of operations. It was when we confronted Ford, that we learned what his true goal was, that being to stop......something not of this world."

Evan took a breath and continued, knowing that what was to come would not be easy to repeat.

"Said creature had been attracted to the conflict that this world had been overcome by.. Ford sought to stop this, by gathering nine children, and with them, negate any and all pokemon's capability of using Attacks and Abilities. Unfortunately, Ford was betrayed by one of his Children, Tyler McKinley, who revealed himself to be in league with the creature."

Sigh

 

Evan continued to explain, from what he knew, the effects of the two flashes of light. That McKinley had revealed himself and that blob, along with those strange creatures. How the group fled, during which the second flash had occurred. Then...

"Ford is here, to inform the leaders of Liberty and Rocket of what we may be dealing with. Caution is urged to the Bishops as of right now. I recommend that Team Plasma work with both parties concerned, to ensure things do not get more dire."

[Flipz]

IC: Evan Tierra

 

Evan sighed, at both the operation name, and to prep himself for his report.

 

"Subject John Ford has been apprehended. A group of Team Rocket and Liberty agents, along with myself and Jenny Hakuda fought our way down into Ford's base of operations. It was when we confronted Ford, that we learned what his true goal was, that being to stop......something not of this world."

 

Evan took a breath and continued, knowing that what was to come would not be easy to repeat.

 

"Said creature had been attracted to the conflict that this world had been overcome by.. Ford sought to stop this, by gathering nine children, and with them, negate any and all pokemon's capability of using Attacks and Abilities. Unfortunately, Ford was betrayed by one of his Children, Tyler McKinley, who revealed himself to be in league with the creature."

 

Sigh

 

Evan continued to explain, from what he knew, the effects of the two flashes of light. That McKinley had revealed himself and that blob, along with those strange creatures. How the group fled, during which the second flash had occurred. Then...

 

"Ford is here, to inform the leaders of Liberty and Rocket of what we may be dealing with. Caution is urged to the Bishops as of right now. I recommend that Team Plasma work with both parties concerned, to ensure things do not get more dire."

IC: Amanda Zarth

 

Amanda's face remained impassive throughout the dissertation, despite the disturbing content contained within, the Knight instead continuing to add notes to the file and correct errors in the transcription. At last Evan ended his explanation. "Thank you, Knight Tierra. This concludes the main body of the report." Cutting off the voice recording from the C-Gear, she next opened a new text file attached to the report, labeling it 'MISSION DATA: SUPPLEMENTAL' before cloning this display to the holographic window in place of the full report. She paused, uncertain; while protocol dictated prompt follow-up, analysis based on her supervisor's emotional sensitivity training suggested that Operation Fading Strike had taken place in a so-called "high-stress" environment, and that agents' psychological stability might be adversely affected by overlong debriefings--and this one had already well exceeded the half-hour ballpark estimate said supervisor had suggested to her.

 

While the concept made little sense to her, she would defer to the expertise of a Rook. "...Supplemental mission data will be collected later." She minimized the window, clutching her pendant in what seemed to be a gesture of self-comfort in the face of the unfamiliar. She steeled herself before speaking again. "Very good, Knight Tierra. Based on past policy, I predict a strong likelihood the Bishops will be pleased by the vindication of previous conflict-pacification strategies, as well as by the apprehension of the subject, though they will likely request custody if only for the sake of direct intelligence. Regarding the cooperation with Teams Liberty and Rocket...this subject actually forms the basis of our current orders." With the now-blank window still active, she navigated to her messages and opened one marked ORDERS with two attachments. "Rook Bishop Kingsley has forwarded your and Knight Hakuda's orders along with mine, due to the potential of capture in enemy territory during the operation. In the event of you and Knight Hakuda becoming casualties during the operation, I was to serve as the interim liaison between Team Plasma and Teams Liberty and Rocket; now, however, I will be aiding as administrative assistant to the two of you, as you jointly take up the role. While these assignments are listed as temporary through the conclusion of operations against Ford and his associates, given the current circumstances I suspect a significant likelihood that your positions will be extended for the duration of the current crisis, particularly given the current difficulties in acquiring transportation between Unova and Kanto." Amanda frowned, the semi-emotional expression seeming foreign on her face. "I also predict that this may hamper the performance of some of my own duties as aide, given that my Porygon's abilities have likely been affected as well. My apologies. I will attempt to compile a revised analysis of my current capabilities for you and Knight Hakuda as soon as the opportunity presents itself." To distract both herself and her new supervisor, Amanda re-opened the supplemental file and prepared to type. "Before we attend to current duties, however, I suggest we complete the mission analysis. If possible, I would like a complete list of participants, hostiles, and casualties incurred during the operation, including the current readiness status of both you and Knight Hakuda." She racked her brain a moment, knowing there was something she was forgetting. "Ah, yes, we will also need to compile a threat analysis to the Unova region and its citizens, both domestically and those traveling abroad, though if you wish that can wait for a few days until we can arrange strategy meetings with Team Liberty's and Team Rocket's leadership." She stared blankly at Evan, apparently unaffected by the situation as she awaited responses or orders from the new Team Plasma representative.

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: James Arthur - July 31st - Four Island

 

Unfortunately, James could not immediately fulfill Goldhawk's orders. He had to first stop by medical to receive treatment for burns, so he arranged for Blackskull to meet him a couple hours later. His suit jacket received the worst of McKinley's Flamethrower, but there were spots on his back that needed tending. Between his bandages from his battle with Lancelot and his new bandages from McKinley, his torso was beginning to look mummified.

 

 

After returning to his office, James began to pour through his closet to decide what to replace his old suit jacket with, may it rest in peace. The back up suit to the one he was wearing was also dead. The tan one didn't fit anymore. The green one was at a dry cleaners, and he hadn't heard back from the tailors about the new one. He wouldn't be caught dead in the Alolan shirts Celebi got him. The Rocket uniforms were right out. Most of standalone button-down shirts were dirty. He came to the final item in his closet.

 

That one.

 

THAT one.

 

"Is this really the only suit I have left?" James said, his face paling.

 

Lancelot checked back and forth through the closet. It was.

 

"Where did I even acquire that suit?"

 

His knight lifted his head back as to think about where James did buy that particular suit while James went about trying a match a better pair of pants to it. He remembered going to that one tailor in Lumiose afterwards. It was hard to forget laughing at a guy for two hours straight while he had to stand perfectly still as the tailor took perfect measurements.

 

"Ugh. At least with this pair of pants, it is at least presentable," James said as he began to change. "I do not care if the world is ending, we are getting a better suit the moment I have an opportunity."

 

So it was that James arrived at the agreed upon place in a garish blue suit that hadn't been in fashion for the last several hundred years. Blackskull sized James up for a moment and said.

 

"New outfit? Excellent choice."

 

James hid his embarrassment well, but a red tint still managed to claw its way to his face. He couldn't find the words to respond with, so he wordlessly lead Blackskull into the prison complex. He remembered the path he needed to take from the last time he had visited the complex, not that he particularly wished to visit again.

 

"Doctor Vert, we are coming in," James called into the room when he got there and began entering in the code to open the door to her cell.

 

 

IC: Jamie Arthur - August 4th - Gavin's Hospital room.

 

If the cries coming from Gavin's hospital room were not proof that someone else occupied Gavin's room, nothing would serve. They also served as undeniable proof that it was mistake to let Jamie in to see Gavin.

 

"GAVIN!YOURARMISGONEIT'SALLMYFAUL-*hic*TISHOULDHAVESTAYEDBEHINDANDFOUGHTWI-*hic**hic*THYOUAHERODOESN'TLEAVETHEIRFREINDS*hic*TOFIGHTALONEICOULDHAVEBEAT*hic*THEMALLOREVENTRIEDRE-*hic*WIND*hic*hic*INGTIMEANDTHENYOU'DSTILLHAVEANARMBUTIWASTEDTHEOPPORTUNITYANDIT'SALLMYFAULT!"

 

Her rambling incomprehensible speech was only interrupted when Ethan managed to pull her off of Gavin, to stop her from shaking him. That wasn't helping.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

Amidst the fear he had been dealing with since Two Island, Evan Tierra felt what appeared to be anger welling up within him. How could this woman not feel concern over what's going to happen? How could she be so cold, considering what he and the others had experienced. "From what I can tell you, Quincy Adams and James Pierce both died during the escape from the egg, according to sources." Evan said, his tone sounding a little fiery with each word. "Rocket Agent Gavin Braner suffered a major injury during the course of the operation. That aside, no other injuries." He then continued to list off each participant and occurrence in the Egg, his anger growing with each word he threw out.

Them, Evan shot Amanda a scowl that would make a Slugma sweat as soon his finished. "I know it's important to stay calm in situations like this." the Knight said, keeping his ire reined in. "But, show some emotion. The situation is incredibly dire. People can and will die. And don't think Jenny wouldn't have the same reaction."

"Maybe that's why she's staying away." EVan then added, a sad gleam in his eye. "It's been a tough time. For all of us. So I'd say she and I aren't exactly ready right now......."

Edited February 27, 2017 by Dr. Hidaka

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander Cruize - Alamo Barracks

 

After talking to his mother, Xander had gotten some necessary information and started walking the halls. Even knowing where he was going, it took him half an hour to make all the necessary turns and go up and down the necessary steps. It had given him a bit of time alone to think.

 

The trials they were about to face were potentially life-threatening, potentially world-ending. If they couldn't beat the blob, then humans, pokémon, even normal animals would cease to exist. There would be no life left on the planet, unless one counted the eldritch abomination that threatened. Even if the various regions' space programs were further along, they wouldn't be able to get everyone off of the planet quickly enough.

 

For now, the best thing to do for those who wanted to be safe was to get out of the afflicted region. Which brought Xander to the discussion he'd had with Ryan the other day. Stopping to check the room number, he took a deep breath and knocked on the door to Paul and Ellen's room.

Edited February 27, 2017 by Carbevoir

[Flipz]

IC: Evan Tierra

 

Amidst the fear he had been dealing with since Two Island, Evan Tierra felt what appeared to be anger welling up within him. How could this woman not feel concern over what's going to happen? How could she be so cold, considering what he and the others had experienced. "From what I can tell you, Quincy Adams and James Pierce both died during the escape from the egg, according to sources." Evan said, his toe sounding a little fiery with each word. "Rocket Agent Gavin Braner suffered a major injury during the course of the operation. That aside, no other injuries." He then continued to list off each participant and occurrence in the Egg, his anger growing with each word he threw out.

 

The Evan shot Amanda a scowl that would make a Slugma sweat as soon his finished. "I know it's important to stay calm in situations like this." the Knight said, keeping his ire reined in. "But, show some emotion. The situation is incredibly dire. People can and will die. And don't think Jenny wouldn't have the same reaction."

 

"Maybe that's why she's staying away." Evan then added, a sad gleam in his eye. "It's been a tough time. For all of us. So I'd say she and I aren't exactly ready right now......."

IC: Amanda Zarth

 

Amanda dutifully typed in the information, saving and closing the document and the holo-window once the Plasma Knight finished. She looked up from the C-Gear to find a flaming scowl scorching her...one that soon tinged with sadness. "I can see why you were selected as a liaison, Knight Tierra. You clearly possess significantly more ability in the realm of interpersonal communication." Amanda looked back down to her C-Gear, reopening the communication program but this time not the holo-window. "I can arrange to have the two of your belongings moved to the ambassadorial quarters immediately, or we can handle the move tomorrow, at your discretion." Her tone did not change, nor did her gaze skip or her typing stop, but: "It is good that you seem to comprehend the emotional proclivities of those around us. It seems likely that in high-stress circumstances such as this one, such knowledge will significantly improve the smoothness of cooperation with our allies, thus substantially reducing the statistical likelihood and degree of loss of life and equipment in future joint operations."

 

Somehow, those last two sentences seemed the closest to emotional the woman had been the whole encounter, even if it seemed closer to envy than to sadness or fear.

 

Regardless, the moment seemed to have passed.

 

"If you require any assistance, I will do what I can from here until the medical observation period is complete. Barring further complications, I should be released from the infirmary at approximately four o'clock tomorrow afternoon. After that point, I should be fully at your and Knight Hakuda's disposal." She paused, considering. "If Knight Hakuda is unready to be debriefed at this time, please inform her that we can handle her portion of the interview in a few days. The same holds true for taking up the duties proscribed by your new orders, though please keep in mind that it would be most beneficial if at least one of you begins meeting with the other teams' leadership sooner rather than later, for the reasons we just discussed. As I said, I will assist you as best I can, so please do not hesitate to ask my assistance. Otherwise, I will see you tomorrow, Knight Tierra. If you encounter Knight Hakuda before I do, please extend my regards."

 

Though Amanda awaited any final requests from her new superior, it was clear that she considered the meeting concluded.

[Parugi]

IC - Meghan Vert/Blackskull - Prison Cell, The Alamo:

 

A mechanical hiss sounded as the gate unlocked, sliding open to allow Blackskull and James entry. Vert was sitting at her desk, head resting on her knuckles as she watched them enter. Her look of irritation quickly transformed into one of smug amusement at the sight of both the Executive's outfit and the surprised look on Blackskull's face as he noticed Vert's laptop and the open files full of research scattered about her desk--documents that he knew she could not possibly have gained access to in her confinement.

 

"Executive Arthur," Vert said. "Is it Halloween already? It has been a while since I last saw you." She turned to Blackskull as he opened his mouth to speak. "The computer was here when I first arrived. My files have been a routine delivery since then. I suspect it's a leak amongst your staff--you might want to look into that." Vert nodded to the computer terminal near the door. "Although judging from the situation outside, perhaps it is not inaccurate to consider my continued work a blessing? Or are you here for something else?"

 

 

IC - Gavin Braner/Ethan Worth - Infirmary, The Alamo:

 

Pitch-black darkness surrounded him like the blanket of space devoid of stars. He felt that he floated, untouching, unseeing, unhearing, unfeeling, such that everything existed in a perpetual state of disconnect. There was silence and there was buzzing, a soft drone that bubbled up from the nothingness in a stream of inelegant being for mere seconds before vanishing just as quickly, only to resume again not long after. Soon it seemed the blackness itself shook around him, and suddenly it was not so alone in nothing but again resided alongside something--the sensation of touch, of movement, which gave way again to deathly stillness before long.

 

Then, beginning as a sliver that quickly grew into blurry suns above him, light penetrated the darkness.

 

Gavin's eyelids floated open. He blinked several times to shake away the dreary sleep that threatened to pull him back into nothing. White ceiling and crisp lights stared back at him. Someone was saying something in a corner away from him. A rhythmic beeping sounded next to his head. He felt a pressure on his finger. He felt soreness in his body and mind.

 

He felt weird.

 

"Could you guys quiet down?" he mumbled, but the words might as well have not been words at all. Gavin groaned, jamming his eyes closed. He raised his hands to rub his eyes. His right arm felt lighter. Only one hand touched his face. He opened his eyes again, raising his hands. His left palm hovered in front of him. Empty space occupied his right-side field of vision. Gavin lowered his gaze.

 

His right forearm was gone.

 

It took an eternity for him to comprehend the reality in front of him.

 

"Hey." Ethan stood at the foot of his bed. "Glad to see you're awake, buddy."

 

Gavin lowered his arms, resting his hand on his chest. He looked around the room, first at Ethan, then at Jamie. Someone had left flowers on his bedside table. Some of them had already started to wilt. He was silent for some time.

 

"Guys . . . My arm is gone," he said at last. "What happened? Did you find Skye?"

 

 

IC - Elijah Alaric/Eileen Alaric/Levi Alaric - Guest Room, The Alamo:

 

Sleight paused at the door before keying into the Alarics' temporary apartment. Team Liberty had been kind enough to loan them the space for the time being. With all that had happened, Sleight couldn't justify sending Levi and Eileen back home quite yet--not with Levi still recovering from his experience with Ford, and Eileen's wish to keep the family together for at least a little while.

 

The lights were dim when he entered. Eileen sat on the couch. Levi lay next to her, deep in sleep with his head resting on her lap; nuzzled on her other side was Leif, who was also asleep. She ran one hand through Levi's bangs; the other lay on his shoulder. An old and beaten book rested in the crook of his elbow. The partially-obscured words "Grimm Tales" gleamed at Sleight as he took a slow step forward and leaned against the wall, watching his wife and son. She looked at Sleight, offering a soft smile but saying nothing. They remained like that for some time, neither of them saying a word and hardly making any noise, save for the slow and regular exhales from the boy.

 

"How is he?" Sleight asked at last.

 

"Better." Eileen lay her palm across his forehead. "His fever's gone. I think he's just exhausted."

 

Sleight nodded to himself. "They said it'd take a lot for what they were doing," he said. "It's been four days, though . . . He's still sleeping like this?"

 

"It's probably better that way." Eileen sighed. "He doesn't have to worry. Not yet."

 

"I don't intend for him to," Sleight said. He moved into the space, setting his coat down and sitting on an armchair across from the couch. Eileen watched him. "Did you see the news?" She nodded. Sleight moved a hand to his mouth. "Team Liberty is planning to evacuate the region within the month. They hope that'll keep this thing from doing to them what it just did to Two Island."

 

"Will that work?" Eileen asked. Sleight did not answer. She looked back down at Levi. "They still don't know how to fight it, do they?"

 

Sleight shook his head. "No," he said. "They don't." He stared at the far wall.

 

Eileen frowned. "What is it?"

 

Sleight clenched his jaw, taking his time with answering. "They're organizing a special operations unit to engage it once it reaches Three Island," he said. "Their hope is to gain a baseline of information on it--how it fights, how it eats, how it spreads." In his peripheral vision, he saw Eileen's mouth thinning into a line. "They have a means to fight it even without Pokémon. It's just a matter of getting in, collecting data, and getting out. And we're sending men along with them . . ."

 

"You are not going," Eileen said firmly. He did not say anything. "Elijah." The Shadow Admin looked at her. "You are not going. We just got Levi back--he's hardly . . ." She trailed off, taking a deep breath. "I can't believe you'd even consider that after what we just went through."

 

"Would you prefer that I put my men against this thing by themselves?" he asked.

 

"Your men aren't leading one of the only organizations capable of helping to contain this thing," Eileen snapped. When Sleight did not respond, she covered her eyes with her hand, falling silent. "Elijah, please . . . At least say something to him before you go this time."

 

"I will." Sleight stood up, moving to her side. He stooped forward, picking up Levi and beginning to carry him down the hallway toward his room. "I won't make the same mistake twice."

Edited March 1, 2017 by The 8th Sinner

[MELON LORD]

IC: Ruth Fishers - Alamos Power Plant

 

Yugo was gone before Ruth could grab him. "There's no room for you, he's blocking the entrance!" She turned to Arius. "Get upstairs and get ready! We'll be right behind you, and those weird guys will be right behind us so we have to be prepared to spring an ambush!"

She turned, running after Yugo, towards Jake and his team and the cultists.

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Time’s Up

A loud pop rang in the room. If the room were quieter, it would’ve commanded the attention of everyone in it. As it was though, its audience was rather preoccupied. Harmonics would’ve checked to see what had happened, if he were not on the receiving end of a Shadow Ball. The Beheeyem slammed into a wall, uttering one final sinister chuckle before falling unconscious. Digital was caught in Hemlock’s tail and fell to the ground, defeated. The Dragonair turned to try and find her next opponent.

“Help.”

Belle’s kick connected a microsecond too late. The chamber burst into light as the process finished. A piercing Glare came from the light towards the attacker who dared attack the Serperior. A Thunderbolt heralded Wattling’s entry into the fray. The Rotom didn’t really need the attack to hit anyone so much as to disperse anyone in the way.

“Watt...ling…”

The Rotom swore he heard his name being called. Spinning his body to see Alma take a step through the door. Her red eyes flashed in the light of the room, and she lowered her gun.

Belle stepped back from the pokémon Glaring at her and cursed. That had been stupid of her, attacking without Cyanide or Hemlock nearby. Her hand dropped to her belt, ready to call out her two younger teammates.

Time slowed for the Rotom. Almost on instinct, Alma was rushed by the Monferno and the Drifblim. The Monferno rushed ahead with Fire Punch and while the Drifblim sent a gust of Ominous Wind towards her.

The assassin had only a second to see the Monferno and Drifblim attacking her. The Ominous Wind from the Drifblim hit her first, causing her to stumble back, scant inches from being hit by the Monferno’s attack. Crying out, she drew the attention of Freq. The plasma pokémon may have been young, but it would still defend its trainer. It zipped towards Alma’s harassers and unleashed a Discharge. With a primal scream, the Monferno leapt through the electricity to punch Freq, ignoring its pain. It had to save Roderick. With the assassin knocked back, the Drifblim covered Roderick’s body and used Stockpile to make herself a shield for him.

Over near Belle, Aralia summoned a raging Leaf Storm to sweep away the thief and her team. And then were was Wattling. Having snapped out of his stunned state, shock turned to rage. A pure explosion of soapy water and electricity erupted in multiple directions towards multiple targets. Belle winced, bringing her arm up to try and protect herself from the Leaf Storm. It didn’t last nearly as long as she’d expected, and she cracked one eye open to see Cyanide had interposed itself between its trainer and Aralia.

“Get it, Cy! Meteor Mash!” The Metang complied, attempting to send its body slamming into the opponent. Belle looked across the chamber and cursed as she saw Alma staggering back from an attack.

With Roderick covered, Shadow and Garnet both fell back to try and protect their mistress. Garnet slipped into the shadows and came up beneath the Monferno, claws groping for the fire type. The Monferno struggled to break free of the Sableye’s grasp. Shadow moved in front of Alma protectively, a Shadow Ball forming in his hands.

The Genesect stepped out of the purification with the chaos already unfolding, the horror having dawned on him before he could exit the chamber, those seconds giving him precious time to calm down. If there was one thing that Roderick continually scolded him for, it was for rashness. He wouldn’t mess up here. The rest of the team weren’t fighting as they normally would, the Genesect noted. They were simply releasing all of their power to try and destroy the assassins. He needed to pick his next move carefully. The fight needed to end immediately. If he could take out more than one of the targets, he could make an exit for them all to escape from with Roderick. The Genesect focused both of its arms on separate targets and its cannon on the third. Making vast calculations in nanoseconds, the Genesect locked on to all three of its targets.

“Targeting parameters locked.”

Then a flash of light covered the room and all actives moves instantly died.

Alma saw the Genesect emerge past Shadow and her eyes widened. The ancient pokémon no doubt had more than enough power to wipe them all out. As the cannon charged, she closed her eyes tightly. Even through her lids, her sensitive eyes picked up the flash of light and she waited for the impact. But nothing happened. After a moment, she slowly opened her eyes again.

Everything had come to a stand still. Shadow’s Shadow Ball was gone. Garnet was still gripping the Monferno, but didn’t seem able to use any other attacks. Alma herself was aware of the absence of a sense she’d never been without before. She couldn’t even communicate with Shadow, her closest companion. Despite all this, she smirked. “Well, isn’t this interesting?”

Wattling desperately tried using Hydro Pump repeatedly, frantically trying to summon water from the machine; all he got were drops that were caught in the main chamber before he was ejected and the machine fell uselessly to the ground. This was impossible. It was a physical impossibility. Of all times, why did the impossible have to occur now?

“Wattling…”

The Rotom heard his master’s voice and hurried over towards his master, Blimpy having brought him closer towards a wall. He had managed to summon enough strength to sit himself up, but the bleeding was not stopping.

“Get-” a cough of blood interrupted his words. “Get them out of here. I don’t know what’s going on here, but without your power, Harmonics and Digital are defenseless.”

Roderick tried to force a smile, but the expression was hollow. Wattling could not compute the words that Roderick was saying. They had come through relentless trials together. This couldn’t be how it ended.

“Mina… tell her, I’m sorry.”

“I wonder . . .” Alma hummed, bringing the gun up again. “Rest in peace, Roderick Krane.” The gun fired, and Alma smirked as the blood splattered across the ground.

The Rotom’s plasma began fluctuating wildly and futilely as Roderick fell over. Wattling flew down towards his master, his best friend’s body and kept trying to receive a response. He was finally pulled away from him by the Drifblim who phased him through the wall. As for the Genesect, he was stunned for a moment as he realized he was feeling anger, genuine anger for the first time in a long time, before sprinting into action. He scooped up the unconscious bodies of Harmonics and Digital and ran. Ignight and Aralia broke away from their respective opponent and followed after. Genesect smashed a hole in a weak wall and ran through it, doing his best not to look back.

After a couple of quiet moments, Belle took a step forward. “Is he--” she started to ask, staring at Roderick’s prone form.

Alma nodded. “I believe so. Take what you want, I need to gather proof that he’s dead.” She pulled out a PokéNav and started taking pictures. Belle knelt next to the man and lifted his arm. A shudder went through her as she started unstrapping it.

Finally, after years of searching, she had what she wanted. The Snag Machine was finally in her hands, and all she’d had to do was help murder someone. She straightened, sliding the sleeve over her arm and flexing to test the fit. “Now what?”

“Do you have any camping supplies? Matches?” Belle nodded, and the girl held out her hand.

An hour later -- just enough time to gather some useful items and get things rigged up -- they were flying away on Hemlock’s back, as the lab smoked and started to burn. Belle pulled her P★DA from her pocket and dialed a number. “Pond? It’s Blake. I need a place to hide out for a bit, where are you staying?”



Whether it was from the energy of the fire, or simply a drop of life that still clung to Roderick before he could expire, Roderick opened his eyes. Knowing something about building machines himself, he had to admit he respected the ability to make the blaze that surrounded him now from damaging all the machines. Even without Pokemon to create fire for them, humans could be ingenious when they put their minds to it. He pulled himself up one last time. He didn’t have the strength to stand, he didn’t think he even had enough to crawl to an exit if he even found one.

He heard a familiar beeping, using what little strength he had he picked up his P★DA.

“Genesect regained the door to its heart! Would you like to give Genesect a nickname?” it read.

Almost managing to smile at the banality, he inputted yes. He reached to input a letter… but fell limp.


Ashes to Ashes.
Dust to Dust.

[Flipz]

OOC: Jam with Merc!

 

 

 

IC: Amelia Zann/Belle LaDonna/Alex Zyther

July 31st

 

 

The first thing Amelia Zann noticed was that she woke up. Alive.

 

...wait, what?!

 

The second thing she noticed was that she was not falling.

 

The sheer impossibility of that fact finally shook her enough to notice that her PokéNav was ringing.

 

...you know what, after all the other weird **** happening today, I'll allow it. It took her a few rings to locate the device, sealed in a plastic bag on a nearby table with her clothes--

 

Oh. ****baskets.

 

Rolling off the cold metal slab on which she'd been laid (another mystery she didn't have time to solve), she quickly ducked beside it in the shadows, answering the call and lowering the volume in a single smooth motion born of practice. "Yeah?" she muttered as quietly as she could, hoping her voice wouldn't travel.

 

“Pond? It’s Blake. I need a place to hide out for a bit, where are you staying?”

 

"Uh..." It was a good question. Where in Tartarus AM I? "The hospital, I think?" she answered, stalling for time as she scanned the room. Her eyes alighted upon the first aid kit mounted next to the door, bearing an unfamiliar logo. "Alain Alderson Memorial Medical Center." A few moments tapping the name into her PokéNav allowed her to follow up. "It's in Kalos. Laverre City."

 

"Laverre?! Are you serious?" This was followed by a short string of expletives from the collector. "Alright then, I can be there in like a week, if that's alright." Amelia heard Belle exchange words with someone else over the sound of wind rushing past her receiver, before she addressed Amelia again. "Is it okay if I bring someone along?"

 

Amelia actually chuckled at that one. "Would you believe me if I said I don't know?" The sound of violent coughing nearby drew her attention. Amelia swore just as violently. "It's fine, but this town's already too hot for a meet." Amelia racked her brain for a safe hideout in the unfamiliar region, before smacking said brain with the palm of her hand and using the PokéNav for its original intended function of navigation. "Let's see...never actually been to Kalos before...how's Shalour sound? 'Net says it's a quiet town, is it?"

 

"I didn't visit Shalour while I was there, so I couldn't say. Let's go ahead and call that our rendezvous, then we'll figure out where to go from there." Another exchange with the second person, the only words Amelia picked up being "fire" and "cops." A pause. "Do you not have a place to stay in Kalos, then?"

 

Amelia winced visibly, thankful her friend couldn't see it through the PokéNav. "One," she admitted, "but he's a bit of a last resort. Not the best pick for laying low, 'specially since he's a big-shot in Lumiose. I'd rather take my chances on the west side, especially since it seems pretty sparse out there. My contact does a lot of traveling around anyway, so if we're lucky we might even bump into him along the way." The coughing began again, and Amelia repeated her earlier invective. "Listen, I need to go, I'll give you a call if anything changes between now and Shalour, 'kay? Otherwise I'll see you there."

 

"Yeah, alright. See you soon, Pond."

 

"Later, Blake."

 

Amelia shut off the PokéNav and returned her full attention to her surroundings. As tempting as it was to go for her clothes, she could stand staying naked a few more minutes if it kept her alive. Besides, there was something more important in the bag, and as long as she had it--

 

*SLAM*

 

The door to the room slammed open, and a gray-haired doctor rushed through, eyes and mouth wide open in disbelief.

 

"What on earth--?"

 

It was then that Amelia chose to rise from hiding, wielding the other object she'd reclaimed from her belongings: the comfortingly cold metal of a handgun.

 

"Hands where I can see them. Away from the Pokéballs, genius."

 

The stammering man hesitantly complied, though he seemed to be paralyzed more by shock than by fear. Amelia allowed herself a brief moment to scan his name tag--Dr. Canard she noted--before settling her steely gaze back upon his eyes.

 

"Why do you have me here?"

 

With the stammering Dr. Canard's answer not immedately forthcoming, Amelia briefly scanned the room. A second steel slab, a sink at the head and a harsh light hanging directly above, lay between the door and the slab she'd been on; atop it lay an unfamiliar young man, similarly unclothed, bearing dashed lines in a Y-shape across his chest and stomach. A rolling tray full of surgical tools stood next to him, along with another table bearing a bag which most likely contained his posessions just like the one containing hers.

 

"You..." Dr. Canard finally managed, "you're asking why you're in the morgue?"

 

The morgue--?

 

The young man on the slab resumed coughing, breaking Amelia's concentration. The terrified medical examiner glanced down at what he'd clearly expected to be a mere body in horror.

 

Amelia decided the man wasn't a threat. For now. "Help him," she ordered, one hand keeping the gun loosely trained on the good doctor while the other rummaged around amongst her belongings for her Poké Balls.

 

They weren't there.

 

"My Pokémon."

 

"At the Pokémon Center." The coughing from the second slab subsided as the medical examiner managed to help the young man sit up, though it seemed it would be at least some time before he could remain so on his own. "We fortunately haven't managed to send word out of your passing, Ms...?"

 

Amelia considered naming an alias--she had a few--but they'd seen her PokéNav, and likely her Trainer ID as well, and her name would have showed up anyway when the Center scanned the Pokéballs containing her team. Half my team, she reminded herself, the last moments before unconsciousness had struck returning slowly to her. "Zann. Amelia Zann."

 

"Dr. Robert Canard, M.E." Amelia noted the man used the Kalosian pronunciation of 'ro-BEAR', rather than the more common Unovan variant. "Glad to finally put a name to our most mysterious Jane Doe."

 

"You didn't check--?"

 

"We weren't sure they were yours," Dr. Canard interrupted, almost casually oblivious to Amelia's gun now that he was busy with a patient. "We didn't want to assume."

 

Amelia's eyes narrowed. The doctor certainly seemed benign, but she was inclined to remain suspicious. Still, if she needed to get away quickly, she knew she'd be better off not drawing unnecessary attention. Setting her gun on the slab--carefully keeping it out of reach of physician and patient alike--she proceeded to dress herself, or at least as best she could in the shredded rags that had made it out of Celadon. She kept her eyes on the two men, wary of any sudden moves. "And why exactly am I your most mysterious patient?"

 

"I...I would rather not say, until John Doe here--"

 

"Alex," the young man spoke up, his voice weak but present. "My name is Alex."

 

"I see." Dr. Canard helped the young man to his feet, noting that Alex clutched his arm desperately to try and support himself. "I'm Dr. Canard. Can you stand?"

 

"...no."

 

Amelia finally placed the young man's face. "You were in Celadon. The kid in the hospital."

 

Alex turned his sapphire blue gaze on Amelia, the look surprisingly intense for such a frail subject. "I'm not a kid."

 

Amelia chuckled. "'Course you're not, kid." She felt the urge to ruffle the kid's hair, but her hands were too busy reclaiming her PokéNav and her gun now that she was decent. "You were saying, Doc?"

 

The medical examiner frowned, but made no attempt to object, now reminded of the weapon the woman now wielded. What an odd duck, Amelia thought to herself, keeping the weapon lowered but still in position to quickly raise and fire if need be.

 

"Well...to be frank, it was odd enough finding two unconscious people and their Pokémon in the middle of the woods. But when we got you in..." The doctor sighed. "Ms. Zann, is the gun really necessary?"

 

The spy considered. "I just woke up naked in a morgue, sans Pokémon, an ocean away from the last place I remember. What do you think?"

 

"Touché," Canard admitted. "Very well then. Once we got you inside and prepared for treatment, we found something unusual." The man gestured to a nonexistent heart monitor before realizing there was none there. He shook his head in self-amusement. "Your vitals. Pulse, blood pressure, even to a certain extent brain activity, they were all synchronized. Perfectly synchronized, to the tenth of a millisecond. We checked." The medical examiner adjusted his glasses thoughtfully. "I've never seen anything like it. No one has. We even brought in some of the local experts in non-traditional medicine, and all they could tell us was some mystical mumbo-jumbo about 'as long as one lives, the other survives'." The Kalosian doctor scratched his thin gray hair. "That much certainly seemed true an hour ago."

 

"What happened an hour ago?"

 

"You, ah..." Canard looked awkwardly at Amelia. "Well...you died."

 

 

 

IC: ???

July 31st

Location unknown

 

The scientist tapped his steepled fingers against one another, not out of nervousness, but rather impatience. The subject's skills were impressive, true, but only time would tell if they were truly sufficient...and time was the one thing not on his side.

 

The man cursed his partner mentally, or more precisely the impatience that drove him. I need more time, old friend, he mused, considering the inconclusive results they'd gotten regarding the subject's most important power. His partner in this project--or more precisely, his superior and benefactor--had argued that deployment in the field would serve them both as the most efficient means of testing the subject's efficacy while also furthering his actual goals.

 

The scientist disagreed.

 

Ten years, he thought. Ten years since my haste nearly lost us everything. And more than half as long before I even realized it. It had come at a cost, a most terrible cost, but his most recent failure, and the time since, had finally taught him of the fatal flaws of recklessness. This was his last chance--their last chance. He could not afford to fail again.

 

His partner could, of course. The scientist's was but one of his scheming superior's projects, his plans-within-plans stretched out to cover every eventuality. But it seemed that he and he alone perceived his master's true strategy, plotting his moves at the speed of improvisation using multipurpose pawns. Where his enemies might see a perfectly-plotted path, in truth the man merely made superior use of more adaptable assets...the most recent of whom had just completed the veritable gauntlet the scientist's team had set out for him in the arena below.

 

The scientist reached for his pen, ready to record his notes on the subject's performance. While the mirrored observation booth was not the most ideal vantage point from which the trial had been witnessed--that rank fell to the recording devices embedded in the space, unhindered by the vices of the fallible human eye--it was still important to gather data from every possible perspective, the better to root out possible errors in the results.

 

It seemed, however, that his observations of this test were to go unrecorded. "Progress, Dr. Alderson?"

 

The scientist turned in his chair, acknowledging his employer with a nod. "It is too early to draw conclusions about the most important abilities, but at least in the field of physical performance we can continue to report top-tier results."

 

The other man nodded, gazing down upon the test area to observe the subject. "Beautiful." And then: "Accelerate the testing."

 

"My friend, have we not already had--"

 

The man had only to lay a single eye upon Dr. Alderson for the scientist to realize his mistake. "Do not mistake me, Ezekiel. This is not a request."

 

Dr. Alderson swallowed. It was not often that a man could intimidate him, but his old friend and current employer was one of the few who could. "It will be done."

 

Alderson's assurance went unacknowledged. "There have been developments. Our plans must be reassessed. Including your own." With his fury burnt to embers, he suddenly affixed his compatriot with a much warmer, more charismatic gaze. "Don't wory, my old friend. I will make sure our chief scientist devotes his full resources to assisting your project. If the boy's mission is successful, then he may prove the key to everything we hope to achieve. And that is worth any price."

 

The man left the room, leaving Ezekiel Alderson to consider his words.

 

Any price... The scientist looked down through the booth's window once more, to see his benefactor approaching the subject upon which all his hopes were about to lie. We'll see.

Edited September 25, 2017 by Flipz

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan - Alamo Barracks, Four Island
Ryan lay on his bed, thumbing through his Pokédex. Not his Pokédex, Brendan Ruby's. Between the events in Fortree and Ellen's kidnapping, he hadn't had time to pursue the missing Liberty agent, the only lead he had on his parents' relation to Team Liberty. Now with this whole Ford fiasco, things looked even bleaker for investigating Ruby's disappearance.
 
The Liberty tech that had helped him earlier with his search was now swamped with ongoing investigations of Two Island. Those ships and aircraft that weren't being used for reconnaissance were either prepping for a likely futile counterattack or else housing refugees in the region-wide evacuation. It would be practically impossible to secure a boat to the Orange Archipelago, especially when rumor had it that those islands were next on the evacuation list. Whatever those monstrous creatures were, they weren't anything the Pokédex recognized. On the other hand, given that he was pretty much useless in a fight against the blob, surely he wouldn't be missed if he did somehow manage to slip over to the adjoining region.
 
He mulled the idea over in his mind and exhaled slowly. Regardless of whether he stayed or left, he needed to tie up some loose ends. Xander he had already made his peace with. Adams' Pokémon he had healed and handed over to Ethan. Ellen he could do nothing more for. That left one person he still needed to talk to.
 
Slipping the Pokédex into his pocket, Ryan stood up, stretched, and walked out the door and down the hall. With everything else going on, he hadn't had a chance to talk with Sonja since the Sixth Chamber. While he wanted to respect her privacy, he also knew this conversation needed to happen sooner rather than later. Especially now that he understood why she had joined Ford.
 
Lost in thought, he reached Sonja's room sooner than expected. There was no turning back now. Taking a deep breath, he gently knocked.
 
IC: Ellen - Alamo Barracks, Four Island
For a long moment, nobody answered. Then Ellen's Mienshao opened the door, nodding in greeting to Xander. Duo floated toward the new arrival, his telepathic voice unheard. Her Grotle stared at the Kalosian, deep in thought, while Terry gave a melancholy bark. Ellen herself sat on the couch, her eyes glued to the television. News anchors debated the consequences of the catastrophe that had befallen Two Island, while horrific footage was replayed for the umpteenth time.
 
Ellen gave no response to Xander's arrival. She remained fixated on the news broadcast as if in a trance. Her eyes held no fear or sadness, their most striking feature being that they were devoid of all hope. Her father was nowhere to be seen. She was like a small child struggling to comprehend a world turned upside-down, only she knew full well what the blob was capable of.
 
A soft click sounded as Artemis gently closed the door behind Xander. The Mienshao gazed sadly at Ellen before looking to the Kalos trainer, wondering what he would do.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

As Amanda spoke, Evan's anger went down, and with that, he truly felt just how tired he was. After his fellow Knight had finished, He decided to speak his mind. "I'd like to wait until tomorrow for moving to new quarters." the Plasma Knight said, not even hiding how tired he was. "After all that's happened, I just wanna rest in bed. We can discuss this more tomorrow." Evan Tierra got up slowly, and made for the exit, but not before speaking once more. "I'll be sure to pass along your message to Knight Hakuda."

He then exited the hospital wing, after being escorted by one of the personnel. He sent a message to Jenny, hoping she and his worse half were all right. It would seem cold-hearted not to look for her, but he knew that she would be with him eventually. The Plasma Knight paid no mind to everything, to the point of it all becoming a blur, until he made it to his and Jenny's room. When he had entered, there was no time wasted in heading for the bed, and sleeping. He, for even just a short while, wanted to forget everything that had happened.....

 

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: James Arthur - Alamo Cell Block.

 

James chose to ignore Vert's comments about his clothing if only for the reason that he was not yet allowed to kill her. And then there was everything strewn about the room. While he can't say he knew about any of this, he can't say he was surprised that she had it either. He would deal with this later, for now he had to focus on the problem at him.

 

"I will have to be direct, is it possible to produce more power suits via alternative methods than the ones used previously?"

 

IC: Jamie Arthur - Four Island, Gavin's Hospital Room

 

"Yeah, she's safe." Jamie said not quite able to look at Gavin directly in the eye. "I still owe her a punch though."

 

"Does... does it hurt?" Jamie asked trying not to focus on the area where Gavin's arm used to be.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander Cruize

 

Xander was simultaneously glad and upset that Paul wasn't around. On the one hand, this gave him the chance to get to know Ellen like the others knew her. On the other, Paul had, after a rocky start, become a friend to Xander. Not quite on the same level as Evan or Ryan, but still a friend.

 

He walked over and sat lightly on the couch next to Ellen, trying to think of how to start the conversation. The girl was shell-shocked, just as badly as he'd seen her in Slateport. He cleared his throat and shifted a bit.

 

"I'm not going to ask how you're doing, Ellen, I can tell. You've seen some things, things that no-one should ever have to see. I'm sorry you had to go through such things. I'm sorry you didn't have friends you trusted there with you for that." He paused and glanced at the TV screen. "Paul's planning to take you to Unova, I hear?"

 

IC: Jared Winters - August 4th, The Alamo

 

Even without power, Anubis put up a heck of a fight Jared was backing away as the Lucario attacked fiercely. Unfortunately for the fighting-type, however, Jared had two things he didn't. First off, Jared had years of practice at fighting without a variety of moves to fall back on.

 

The other thing he had was Aura. As Anubis attacked, Jared sidestepped and caused him to overextend. The trainer focused his Aura into the palm of his hand and punched forward. The Lucario took the hit well until Jared released the Aura Sphere. Anubis flew, briefly, through the air before landing hard on the grass. Jared stepped forward, smiling.

 

"You, my friend, need practice."

IC: Belle LaDonna/Alma Mason - August 4, Somewhere on the Ocean

 

"Still no power. Hope this isn't some weird side effect of that thing in the lab." They were on another boat, one that would be making one last on the way to the Kalos region, but they would get there in the week that she'd promised Pond.

 

"I don't believe it is," Alma said from her spot leaning over the rail. "I can communicate with my team again, for one thing, and I've never heard of Genesect being able to do that." She paused, tapping her lower lip with her index finger. "Not that I'm extremely familiar with it, mind you. Still, I think that it was caught just as off guard as we were, judging by the way it scrambled to get out of there."

 

Belle nodded, frowning. Hemlock was currently coiled around her shoulders, being oddly affectionate -- and heavy. Belle shifted a bit, grunting. "You're getting a diet, Hem," she muttered before addressing Alma again. "My friend in Kalos will help us out either way. She doesn't currently have a place there, but we can go from Kalos to Hoenn. It's sort of our old stomping grounds."

 

Alma giggled. "I haven't been to Hoenn in a while. That will be nice."

 

The older girl quirked an eyebrow. She hadn't known that Alma had visited Hoenn before. She tucked that particular bit of information somewhere for later access. For now . . . "I'm gonna go grab a bite to eat, then hit the cabin for some shuteye. You should head to bed soon, too. Never know what tomorrow brings."

 

Alma smiled. "Yes, I suppose." As her companion headed away, Alma pulled out the PokéNav her master used to contact her. She chewed her lip as she read the message he'd sent her.

 

 

With the power out, pet, you may consider performing the ritual. The Practice may help you if Pokémon fail. Let me know when you come to a decision.

[Konuju]

IC: Ellen Burks - Alamo Barracks, Four Island

The girl slowly nodded, never taking her bloodshot eyes off the screen. For a moment, that was the only indication she gave that she had heard Xander. "He thinks we'll be safe there," she said in a hollow voice. "He's wrong. We can only delay the inevitable . . ."

 

Duo floated in front of them to interject something, but his words went unheard. Maturin seemed to chew on his trainer's words, his mouth curving into a troubled frown. A small rustling in the corner gave away Isabella's position; the Oddish wilted slightly in the windowsill, for despite all the sunlight, she could not find a single ray of hope.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xandr Cruize- Alamo Barracks

 

He continued watching the broadcast and shrugged. "I don't know as much as you probably do about it, but . . . Ellen, we're going to be fighting it. Or, maybe not me. We'll see what Goldhawk has for me to do. But in general. Rocket and Liberty are going to team up and do whatever they can to stop this thing, alright? If you give up hope now . . ." He paused, weighing his words.

 

He sighed, and he did something bad. Without permission, or even warning, he invaded her thoughts, scanning through her emotions, her current thought processes, her memories of the past few months.

 

The egg, from Ellen's perspective, watching McKinley the Clown accomplish his goal of unleashing it. Her thoughts of the future, of the terrible monster that it was, of how they would all perish.

 

A thought of the battle with her father, watching as her team was defeated, before McKinley -- Clown McKinley's face flashed for a moment -- appeared under the bridge.

 

Fortree City, a smiling blonde man handing her a pokéblock case, her worries of Chrono, undercut by her sense of betrayal.

 

He pulled away with a flinch. "Ellen . . . I want your permission to help you. I can try to block those memories from your mind, for a bit. You'd have a feeling of disorientation, but that would go away pretty quickly. The wall wouldn't be terribly strong. Any psychic could get around it, and you could probably push it down yourself if you tried to piece things together too hard."

Edited March 10, 2017 by Carbevoir

[Konuju]

IC: Ellen Burks - Alamo Barracks, Four Island

Ellen looked up at Xander and for the briefest of moments a light returned to her eyes. For the first time, she could see an escape from this living nightmare. A return to a normal life. Then, just as quickly as it appeared, that light was extinguished. "It wouldn't change anything," she said sadly. "I'd only be living a lie . . . before we all die . . ." She reached into her pocket to pull out the Pokéblock case McKinley had given her what felt like an eternity ago, as a sign of her 'potential.' She stared at it curiously, as if seeing it for the first time. "You would have me return to believing Tyler is my friend . . ."

 

In a sudden fit of anger, she hurled the Pokéblock case against the wall with all her might. But the stubborn plastic was unyielding, and the case clattered to the floor without so much as a chip. The display of emotion shocked her Pokémon; it was the most active thing Ellen had done since leaving the Egg. For a moment the only sound was Ellen's heavy breaths over the constant drone of the television.

 

"This world is going to die," she said at last. "There's no stopping it. But it would be an insult to just ignore everything that's happened in favor of blissful ignorance." The girl hugged her legs and buried her face in her knees, sobbing. "James . . . Quincy . . ."

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander Cruize

 

For his part, Xander betrayed very little surprise at Ellen's sudden outburst. As the girl sobbed, he put a hand lightly on her back. "Ellen, I promise you. We're all going to do everything we can to stop this thing. I know you feel like it's hopeless, but the only time that's true is when you stop trying to find a way."

 

He didn't send her the same soothing emotions that he'd sent Ryan in this same situation. For one thing, he'd already invaded Ellen's mind once without permission; for another, the calming emotions would probably just cause her confusion right now, after months of negative experiences. Finally, of course, sometimes people just needed to cry. He'd learned that just a few days ago.

 

"We will fight, Ellen, and that thing will regret ever thinking we were easy prey."

[Konuju]

IC: Ellen Burks - Alamo Barracks, Four Island

Xander's words were meant to comfort Ellen. Instead, they caused her more worry. "You don't understand." The girl's words were muffled, her head remained buried in her knees. "If you try to fight that thing, you will die. You can't defeat it. Why do you think Ford was trying to stop it from coming to this world in the first place?"

 

From a dark corner of the room, Chrono slinked out. The Purrloin looked curiously at his sobbing trainer and at the spot where the Pokéblock case had fallen to the floor. The cat kept his distance but watched with interest. This was a side of his trainer he wasn't used to seeing. In fact, up until her sudden outburst, her emotionless indifference reminded him of . . . himself. A curious development, indeed.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Ray==-

 

"To prevent people from needing to worry, I'd guess." A yawn followed the sudden voice that rang out from the doorway, as a tired-looking Ray entered the room. "Yo. How are you two holding up?" The former Child glanced between Xander and Ellen as he stifled another yawn. Ray wanted to elabourate on what he actually meant, but, he figured that doing so might not be the greatest of ideas at this precise point in time.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander Cruize - Alamo Barracks, Four Island

 

Of all the people he'd met in the past two weeks, Ray was honestly the last person Xander had been expecting to show up here. "Been worse, I suppose. How long were you, uh . . .?" He nodded to the door, which he  could have sworn had been closed.

 

"How are you doing, though? I haven't gotten the chance to talk with you since the boat." The last few words were meant to be playful and cheery. They came out as flat and slightly bitter, instead.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Ray==-

 

The bitterness wasn't lost on Ray, and put him a little on guard - though he tried to mask that as best as he could, for Ellen's sake.

 

"I'm pretty good although tired, and I'm sorry for just showing up. I only heard what Ellen just said, and I can take a guess what was being discussed before. I was coming here to talk to Ellen, then heard people talking, and decided to just wait for a moment, and then yeah." The orange haired man gave an apologetic shrug, but fixed his gaze on Xander for multiple reasons.

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Jake Harris - Alamos Power Plant

 

Jake winced as he saw the first cultist fall to the floor. That would haunt him. The Houndoom bit into Machop's arm, who had placed himself between the Houndoom and the Pikachu to keep the Pikachu safe. Jake winced again as he sensed Machop's pain, unable to tune out such an emotion.

 

"Squirtle use Water Gun on Houndoom and Charmeleon use Dragon Rage on it too!" Jake called. The Squirtle shot forth a stream of water towards the fire type, and spewed forth a stream of draconic fire towards the Houndoom.

 

"Pikachu, use Electro Ball to keep the other cultists away from us."

 

The Pikachu prepared an Electro Ball in case any of the other cultists approached.

[Konuju]

IC: Ellen - Alamo Barracks, Four Island

"Ray . . ." Ellen looked up at her fellow Child, her eyes still wet with tears. "You know what that thing's capable of," she said in a small voice. She visibly winced at the bitterness in Xander's voice and glanced between the two timidly. "It's drawn to conflict . . ."

 

Terry sensed the tension in the room and saw how it was bothering Ellen. He gave the young men a warning growl to take their argument elsewhere.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander Cruize

 

The Kalosian put a hand over his eyes, sighing. "I'm sorry, Ray. I didn't mean that to come out like that. Water under the bridge, alright? All that's behind us, let's focus on what's coming up."

 

He moved the hand. "So tell me. Do you agree with Ellen? Is fighting this thing really hopeless? Or should we at least take the chance on it?"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Ray==-

 

"I disagree; it's not hopeless." Ray leaned against the wall, as he looked up to the ceiling as he contemplated the situation. "It might be drawn to conflict, and things might look bad, but... I don't think it's as hopeless as everyone thought. Xander, you were back around more than I was, how did things work on those creatures? Because Kyle's Charizard held her own against a few of those dragons, long enough for us to get out."

 

The orange haired man looked down at Xander and Ellen with a small smile. "I feel like, though it may seem hopeless now, if we can find something, anything, to go to our advantage, then we've got a chance. It may be slim, but we've had slimmer chances before, haven't we? And we beat the Darkrai, even when things seemed like it wouldn't work."

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Gnip, August 4th

In the intervening days, Gnip had watched her master do nothing. He had eaten, cleaned, and slept, but not with his usual gusto. The trainer she had observed, was a shell of his former self. The Mach pokemon had only seen her other master in passing, not enough to get a bearing on how -she- was feeling. The Garchomp wasn't sure how to feel herself.

For the first time since she had been with Evan, she was truly unsure of what to do. Her master just seemed to just exist. never seeming to change with each passing day......

IC: Feral Tierra

The creature had kept quiet for the last few days since they returned to Four Island. Feral didn't bat a metaphorical eyelash at how his container was acting. Each time she passed Evan, she seemed to hurry away, as if there was something wrong. Each time they had passed, the former Spacial Horror held out hope one of them, either of them, would ask the other how they were feeling. With each time that didn't happen, that same hope would sink.

It had to stop, for all three of their sakes. He knew, that given how he knew Evan as well as he did, had lost any will to fight. To struggle. To kick and scream against fate like he had in the past. It was time for him to speak up. Clearing his non-existent throat, he spoke.


"Hey, I know it's not my place to ask but......is this OK? Is it all right for you two to stay away from each other?"

Then he added.

"He's probably as scared as you. I'm not gonna suggest you talk to him. That's up to you, honestly....."

Feral then dozed, not sure what Jenny's reply would be. He wanted to help both of them, somehow. But what could he do, as he was?

[Parugi]

IC - Meghan Vert/Blackskull - Prison Cell, The Alamo:

 

Vert bit the inside of her cheek, chewing the question over. She eased back on her foot, relaxing her stance. The silence in the room felt as thick as butter. Blackskull tapped his foot, shifting his hand. "So . . .?"

 

"All in good time." Vert paced in a line. She tapped her pointer finger against her lips. "Perhaps." The doctor looked at James and Blackskull. "How's the research lab doing? Last I heard, it was wholly kaput, as they say."

 

"It's in the process of being repaired," Blackskull said. "Do you have an idea or not?"

 

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't," she said. Vert stopped. "If I did, what incentive might I have for laying out that card?"

 

 

IC - Kyle Eston/Esen Windred - Barracks, The Alamo:

 

"Watch out!"

 

No sooner had Ryan knocked than did something black and heavy slam into his legs, knocking him to the ground. The next moment, a young Houndour hopped onto Ryan's chest, putting his face squarely in front of the Liberty Agent's and sniffing him out. Just as quickly, a pair of hands wrapped around the Dark Pokémon's midsection, pulling him off and lifting him up.

 

Esen stepped into Ryan's field of view, holding a hand out to help him up. Behind her, Kyle wrestled with the Houndour.

 

"Bad dog," Kyle chided. "I told you not to run off like that." He shook his head at Ryan, dropping the squirming Pokémon back to the floor. "Sorry about that, Ryan--Torith's still learning."

 

"He's very energetic for a newborn," Esen said. A slight smile curled her lip. She looked at Ryan. "We were just coming to check on Sonja. Guess you beat us to it." Esen looked at the door, which remained closed. "Unless she's out?"

 

 

 

IC - Gavin Braner/Ethan Worth - Infirmary, The Alamo:

 

Does it hurt?

 

Gavin had to fight--hard--to stop himself from lashing out at Jamie for asking such a stupid question. Of course it hurt. The nerves themselves felt like they had been ripped apart and frayed at the ends like a bundle of rope cut with a dull knife. Coupled with that, he was down an arm. There was no medicine, no counseling--nothing in the world that would fix that.

 

Does it hurt?

 

Is water wet?

 

He bit his tongue and nodded.

 

An uncomfortable silence fell upon the room.

 

"Did we kill Ford?"

 

Ethan took a deep breath, as if he was expecting the question. "It's more compl-"

 

"Did we kill Ford?"

Edited March 13, 2017 by The 8th Sinner

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Jamie Arthur - Gavin's Hospital Room

 

 

The young girl shook her head.

 

 

IC: James Arthur - Vert's Cell

 

James couldn't fault Vert for trying to bargain, it's what he'd do, but the act had reminded him that he had a gun on him.

 

"I can say if you do not give us anything to work with, we will have to leave and nothing will change. Though, Four Island is likely going to be evacuated in the not too distant future. The priority will be evacuating civilians and most non-combative personnel first. Prisoners will have to wait until most other groups are evacuated. It would be a shame if a few, most of them, or even just one, got left behind in the panic."

 

He wasn't sure if threats would work, but it felt good to respond to Vert in kind.

 

"On the other hand, our scientific personnel will likely be a priority for protection. Even those who are incarcerated while they are working."

[Parugi]

IC - Meghan Vert/Blackskull - Prison Cell, The Alamo:

 

"Besides," Blackskull added. "Regardless of whether we leave you here or not, eventually that thing is going to catch you. With more Suits, we might be able to stop it, or at least buy time for others--you--to get away and figure out a way to stop it. Without them, it goes unchallenged. Your choice, Doc."

 

"Oh, boys . . ." Vert smiled, genuinely amused. "How about this: Guarantee to me that I won't be working out of a cell, and I'll help you out. You can keep a leash on me--I don't care about that. But I want my hands dirty again with the grease of experimentation."

 

"We'll work with you," Blackskull said. "What's your proposal?"

 

"It's very simple, with the right equipment and know-how," Vert said. "I've already isolated the elemental components that power the Suits. Theoretically that power could be replicated by itself without having to extract it in its raw form from any other living Pokémon. That being said, without my lab operational, the procedure will be impossible to accomplish. So either I'm going to need to be transported somewhere with the proper equipment, or that equipment needs to come to me." She looked squarely at James. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but Team Rocket possess a fairly significant catalog of equipment, do they not? Maybe they'd be willing to part with a few key machines . . ."

 

 

​IC - Gavin Braner/Ethan Worth - Infirmary, The Alamo:

 

"You can't be #####ing serious."

 

"Gavin--hey!"

Gavin threw the sheets away, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and attempting to stand. He stopped when a spell of dizziness hit him. Ethan reached to steady him, but Gavin batted his hand away. "Don't touch me."

 

Ethan stepped back, shaking his head. "How's that?" he asked. "Are you feeling better now?"

 

"The entire point was to get Ford!" Gavin snapped. "And the rest of them! Are you telling me I got my arm cut off for nothing!?"

 

"No, actually," Ethan said, raising his own voice now. "And if you'd calm down and listen instead of freaking out, then you just might get an idea of what happened."

 

As Gavin situated himself back in the bed, Ethan picked up a bandolier from his chair and threw it across Gavin's lap. The Rocket Agent stopped fidgeting with his blankets. Seven Poké Balls were hooked onto the loops of the belt. "Is this supposed to mean something to me?"

 

"It's Adams's," Ethan said. "She's dead. That's all that's left of her." Gavin fell silent. "That's not enough for you to whoop with happiness? How about if I tell you that Pierce got eaten? Or that Ford's a wizard? Or that McKinley was an alien clown disguised as a human the entire time we thought Ford was the one we were supposed to be fighting?" Gavin gawked at Ethan. "You heard me. Now are you going to explode again or do you want the full story?"

 

For some time, Gavin could not find the proper words to convey his thoughts. Finally, he simply allowed himself to flop back against his pillows. "What the #### did I miss . . .?"

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander Cruize

 

"I didn't pay much attention to the aftermath, but shooting at them seemed to keep them away from me. Stunned or dead, I can't really say, there was a lot of chaos." Xander shrugged, smiling a bit. "But even if they were just dazed, that means they can feel pain and be dazed."
 

He looked to Ellen. "As I said. It's only hopeless if you don't try to be hopeful. You and your dad are going to be safe in Unova while people here make sure that thing doesn't spread any further. If we can figure out how to get Pokémon powers back, it'll be stopped even quicker."

 

IC: Jared Winters - Alamo Courtyard, Four Island

 

After winning a couple of rounds with Anubis, he had gone to meditate on his own. Ever since the events on Two Island, Mercury had been . . . different. His bloodthirsty nature still persisted, but he hadn't tried to take control like he had back in Vermilion. His taunts were restrained from his usual, and in general he was quieter.

 

Jared closed his eyes and let silver light flare around him.

 

The landscape of his mind was the same as ever. Dark sky overhead, grey grass rolling along a plain, a pond somewhere off in the distance, and trees that he would never actually get to because they were background.

 

His memory doors were all closed, but he could access them any time. Mercury was sat leaning against a chunk of stone, the rubble of the prison in which he'd been contained. He gave a small grin as he saw his counterpart.

 

"Jared. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

 

IC: Ruth Fishers/Cultists, Alamos Power Plant, Hidden Tunnel

 

The Houndoom released the Machop's arm as the two attacks hit. The leader of the cultists snarled. "You think that will be enough to stop us?! Houndoom--"

 

He was interrupted by a Hawlucha kicking him in the face. Ruth tugged on Jake's arm. "We have to go! There's no room down here!"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Yugo==-

 

"Yeah! If we stay down here any longer, too, we'll just be stuck, and who knows what these guys can do. I'll hold them off here, you two go." Yugo said, as he reached for something to use, but then paused as that might as well have been what Jake had just done. "Of course, if we hurry up fast enough, I suppose we could all get out of here at once... Ruth, once we get back a bit, aim an attack above us."

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Arius

Arius nodded at Ruth and ran up the stairs, thinking of an ambush plan. It had hit him that the best approach was to take advantage of the darkness of the area. Despite the situation, Arius smiled at the plan he had concocted. The trainer  sent out Hexcalibur. "All right, the others will be on their way, and with them, the bad guys." He explained to the ghostly sword. "I'm going to need you to use Shadow Sneak to hide yourself, and when Ruth and them pass where you are, reveal yourself and attack with Sacred Sword. I can count on you for that, right?"

The Honedge appeared quite excited to battle, especially with this new strategy his trainer came up with. Slipping into the darkness, Hexcalibur waited for Arius' friends to pass, so he could spring his trap, and surprise those who would chase them.

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: James Arthur - Vert's Cell

 

"I am sure they are feeling generous right now," James said knowingly. They had granted the request for snipers quickly enough at any rate. "Make your equipment request and send it to me. I will make sure you receive what you require, whether we bring them here or send you there."

 

"I would start packing your bags if you were allowed them," James said, as he turned to leave. "I intend to have you working by the end of tomorrow.

 

 

IC: Jamie Arthur - Gavin's Hospital Room

 

Jamie winced at raised voices in the room. He couldn't expect them to react any differently given the situation, but it still wasn't comfortable.

 

"It's those things, from that dimension on the train. Ford was trying to stop them, but he failed on now they're... here."

 

 

IC: Jake Harris - Power Plant

 

Jake hated to admit it but Ruth was right. And since they returned to help him, there was no reason not escape with them. The Pikachu leaped upon Jake's head. He had to retreat Squirtle and Machop. The Charmeleon was fast enough to keep up and could launch attacks at their pursuers if needed.

 

"Alright, let's go," he said and ran.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Ruth Fishers - Alamos Power Plant, Hidden Tunnel

 

"Right! Fuerte, come on!" The girl started backing down the hall, keeping her eyes on the cultists who were trying to coordinate in the narrow tunnel. Three were . . . not moving, leaving just two others besides the leader. As the Hawlucha jumped away, the man screamed. "Get them, Houndoom! Don't let them escape!"