Pokémon: Rise Of The Rockets

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Lafoyae Belrose

As Lafoyae followed Executive Stone, it began to weakly drizzle, adding to the gloom of the town. The Assassin had taken the time to change into her combat attire before taking the flight. If she was going on the trail of a killer, she had to make sure she was adequately prepared. She was a bit worried about her own lack of ability to combat ghost-types, but gripped her Accelgor's Poke Ball. "Lead and I shall follow, Sir."

IC: Feral Tierra, Beneath The Shadow

When the plane had taken off, the two Plasma Agents decided to take a rest. After the excitement of the day, it was much needed. As Jenny dozed off, the shadow within her stirred. Feral Tierra had remained silent as the plane ascended, feeling incredibly bored. The couple was asleep, and he'd catch heck if he awoke them, but he wasn't sure how long this flight to....."Alola" would take.... Then the creature felt a pulling sensation. It felt like the connection he fabricated between Evan and Jenny was "yanking" him to the Hero himself. "What the....." The dark half muttered as the yanking grew stronger and stronger. "What does he want?"

Before he knew it, the yanking grew so strong that Feral was essentially slingshotted into another place. He was outside a building, which lay under a bright blue sky, the sunlight shining warmly on it. There was a....cozy feeling about the building, as if it itself was beckoning Feral to enter. As he made a move towards it, the creature noted that he had the form he had assumed before being sealed. Shaking his head, Feral made for the entrance, and was intrigued by what he saw. Inside was a hallway, with many doors with symbols on them. One had an intricately designed heart on it, with "Tomorrow's Reason" written on a plaque on the side of the door. Three had the symbols of the Creation Trio on them. However, the Time and Reverse Doors looked pristine, as opposed to the last time Feral had seen them. Before he could focus on them, the shadow felt a tugging sensation from....a new door.

It was essentially a mirror, with a crystal doorknob affixed to it. Carved in the plaque besides it was "The Mirror of The Shadow". The sensation was at it's strongest here, so Feral figured the most logical thing was to open the door. He twisted the know, and he was bathed in light, as the most unlikely person stood before him.

Evan Tierra.

"Glad to see you made it, tall dark and gruesome!" The Hero said grinning at his dark side. "I figured I should take advantage of the bond you've forged with Jenny and I, just so you and I could talk." Feral was dumbstruck. "But the last time I was here, I made your life miserable." He said in disbelief. "Why woulld you let me in here again? What has you so confident that I won't cause trouble here?"

"Because you're better than that now."

"What?" Feral questioned Evan, still not grasping his logic. "What do you mean better?"

"Lemme see; you've helped Jenny harness the power of Space." The Hero said, raising fingers as he listed reasons off. "You've been good for the time you've been sealed. You've been supportive of the two of us, as I can see anyways. The list goes on, Feral."

"But why talk to me?" The Shadow asked.

"Because, admittedly, I pushed you away onto Jenny, and now that you are essentially her way of using Palkia's power, I can't exactly take you back into myself. Hence, I wanted to tell you something."

"What?"

"That, while I don't like what you did before being sealed, I forgive you for the actions you took. I know it sounds silly, but you are still a part of me, and I must embrace that. Otherwise, I wouldn't be Evan Tierra."
 

Feral was admittedly shocked by what his light half said, but then chuckled. "I guess you're right. I mean, with the world ending, you kinda need all the support you can get, especially if it's yourself."

"Exactly. I'm glad you see my point of view. But, it's gonna be a long flight, wanna stay and chat for a bit?" Evan said in a welcoming tone. "I'm pretty sure our connection will send you back to Jenny when she gets back up, but for now, let's get to know each other better."

"I'd.....like that, actually." Feral replied, a genuine grin on his face. "I'd like to at least get to know you, especially without the baggage we've had."

The two halves chatted for a good while, before Feral decided to retire back to Jenny's mind, but before he could leave, his light half gave him a big hug. "Thanks for accepting my invitation." The man said. "I do hope we can do more of this later on in life."

Feral nodded, hesitantly returning the hug. "I hope so too." The creature said as he broke the hug. "But for now, I'll talk to you while I'm in that woman's body. Have a good rest."

"You as well."

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Olivia/Colleen==-

 

"No, we don't, but can she actually tag along anyway?" Olivia frowned slightly, as she watched the antics of Zoe with a worried look. "She doesn't look that old, can she actually hold her own in a fight?"

 

"I think she's going to have to." Colleen replied with a disapproving look. While she couldn't deny that Zoe's reasoning had a rather understandable feeling to it, she also wasn't certain how she felt about her little sister tagging along like this, especially with the way the mission sounded. She sighed as quietly as she could manage, as she went to sit back down, not even sure what the first thing to actually say to Zoe was.

 

-==IC: Ray==-

 

Ray tensed slightly as he ran through ideas in his mind, his Pokémon mimicking the battle stances of everyone else. "Three!" He quickly pointed in the direction of each of his friends. "Zangetsu, attack Kovian; Byakuya, go after Neptune!"

 

The Zangoose and Bisharp quickly growled an affirmative, as they set off for their opponents. Ray knew that he couldn't do much against the rock-tough hide of Atem at the moment, and that Lyxek could prove to be a tough fight with Kovian still around, so he went with the most logical matchups. The Zangoose prepared his claws to strike out at the Dewott, looking to be raring for this fight. The Bisharp, on the other hand, looked a lot more calm about the fight, preparing to hold back the strikes from his punches, since Neptune was currently still a Totodile.

 

OOC: Zangoose > Dewott

Bisharp > Totodile

 

-==IC: Chloe==-

 

Chloe let out a snicker at the mention of Cyndaquil. She stayed quiet until Ryan had finished speaking, however. "That definitely sounds like Evan." The psychic finally said with a small smile. "He's pretty good at firing people up. You're not too bad at channeling him, yourself."

 

As Chloe fell back into silence, however, it seemed more like she was thinking hard about something. There were no obvious signs as to what she could be thinking about. A couple times it looked as if she were going to say something, but then she shook her head and looked out the window as if that would help.

 

-==IC: Ryan==-

 

As Ryan looked around, he caught the glimpse of someone slowly approaching. It took a moment to really take notice, but after the crowd passed, he fully recognized Aori. As she slowly stepped forward, he did as well. He wasn't entirely certain what to say; what he could say. But he offered a small smile, as he waved a bit.

 

"Heya."

[MELON LORD]

IC: Yamamoto Aori

 

The girl's mouth worked silently for a moment as she tried to think of what to say. Then, with not thought to it, Aori lunged forward and buried her face in the man's shirt. Her small frame shook as she sobbed into his chest.

[Flipz]

IC - John Ford/Tyler McKinley/Thomas Warren - Hall, Black Horse Manor:

 

Ford fell silent, tapping his pen against his knee, his expression troubled. Slowly, he moved his foot back to the ground and stood, approaching Alma and Alex's Pokémon. He stooped down to their level, pulling a cylindrical tool from his coat pocket and holding it to his eye. He muttered something to himself, leaning forward and shifting his attention from the Dedenne to the Sneasel, and so on.

 

"Interesting . . ." he murmured. "No distinguishable changes in physiology . . . Do you mind . . .?" He reached out for Dedenne's paw. After a moment of hesitation, Didi offered her front left paw to him. Ford pressed the device to her foot pad. "Power readings normal . . ." He peered closely at her for an uncomfortable amount of time. He raised his device again, directing his attention to her eye. "A flash of light, followed by another flash of light . . ." He frowned, lowering his device. Ford tapped his fingers for a moment, and then stood up, approaching the fireplace. The Shadowed Man took a moment to think.

 

"You say that these lights affected both humans and Pokémon?" he asked. "I cannot say for certain--this is beyond the scope of anything I have yet encountered." Ford turned, "That being said . . . there is a strong possibility that the source of this . . . condition, was a spell. An incredibly powerful one, if it managed to affect people and Pokémon on such a large scale--something that would utilize the fabric of reality itself as a conduit." He shook his head. "Again, this is only speculation--but there are certain rituals within my own circle that allow for temporarily disabling one's supernatural abilities. To think of one capable of spreading that far . . . and with the implications of a permanent effect . . ." The Shadowed Man fell silent again, staring into the flames.

 

"So how would one fix it, boss?" McKinley asked.

 

Ford's expression remained stoic. "I do not know," he admitted. "I will have to investigate this further--find out where . . . one in the position to do so, would have even come across such a recipe." He rubbed his head. Something else clearly troubled him, but he did not voice it. Instead, he straightened up. "Regarding your friends . . . I believe a mix-up has occurred. It is clear to me that you do not hail from this world, but another, parallel one. How you came to enter ours is a matter of speculation, one that is, perhaps, ultimately not important to the situation at hand. Our aim now is merely to correct your circumstances--it does nothing for the police to take doppelgangers into custody when their true culprits remain at large."

 

He looked at McKinley and Warren. "If you would, Tyler, send a message to the police requesting the immediate release and delivery of LaDonna and Zann to Black Horse Manor. Tell them I will explain the situation in due time. Meanwhile, Thomas, I'd like you to prepare rooms for our guests--there is not reason to make them stay in the wilderness while we work on fixing what has broken."

 

Warren bowed. "Of course, sir." He left the room, followed by McKinley a moment later.

IC: Alma Mason

 

The girl's eyes widened a bit as John Ford explained his theory. Magic. Of course magic had been responsible, nothing else would have fit. The question, then, was what form of magic had been used. Was it something she could potentially fix by undertaking the ritual and studying? Unlikely, but if Ford was a mage, then he might have resources she could use.

 

She smiled and bobbed a quick curtsy. "Thank you, sir, for your hospitality. While you research how to fix our Pokémon, perhaps Alex and I could discover by what means we came to your world. Do you have a library that we could peruse?"

IC - John Ford/Tyler McKinley/Thomas Warren - Hall, Black Horse Manor:

 

"The materials in the Great Hall are at your disposal."

IC: Alex Zyther

 

A parallel world? That's...actually a thing that can happen in real life? Trying not to frantically analyze what he could recall of the isekai shows he'd seen, Alex curtsied for Ford once more. "Thank you, Mr. Ford. I genuinely don't know what we would have come to without your help." With a somewhat distracted smile and a gesture to his Pokémon, Alex turned and led the party back into the room from whence they'd come.

 

-----

 

-==IC: Raleigh/Carbink==-

 

 

 

A few short feet away, under the watchful eyes of a Sneasel and a Ralts (a most thoroughly unlikely duo, in her view), the Carbink watched and listened. 'More importantly--our Pokémon.' She wasn't sure how much she believed it--how much of her time with him had been spent as a casual concern, a side note, a background detail among his human concerns?--but yet, here he at least sounded sincere. And he had rescued her, hadn't he? Promised to take care of her, not to leave her? Was that not the very heart of the ancient pact?

 

She looked to the Ralts beside her, wishing either one of them could use their usual telepathy. She needed to know more about this human before making a choice, and even without battle his Pokémon would be the best way to learn--if only they could speak together. A few short moments later, she blinked. I have been lost in my thoughts all alone for far too long, she thought, realizing her obvious blunder. The Psychic-type was already meeting her gaze, but she still startled them both by asking, <"So what can you tell me of your Trainer?">

The startled silence was cut short as the Trainers in the room began their explanations to Ford. As Alma digressed into an explanation of her own abilities and Ford's attention fell more on the other Pokémon, Raleigh let his focus shift to the newcomer to their midst. <"There is little to tell, I'm afraid,"> he began. <"I have only been with Alex for a short time. I...there was an...incident. The woman who was with us, the red-haired one, was rather upset with me. Justifiably so, I must assure you, but nonetheless I did fear that my punishment would take a rather...directly corporal form, if you take my meaning. Alex...stepped in to save me. No reason, no repayment of debt, just sheer principle. Fear didn't stop him, nor infirmity, his will alone sufficient to overcome both. That was when I decided to join him."> The Ralts hesitated. He'd had other reasons, as well, but those were his alone, reasons he'd already decided to share only with his Trainer...once they could actually do so, of course. <"From what I've seen since,"> he concluded, <"those instincts remain consistent, as you've of course experienced firsthand. Does that answer your question, milady?">

 

The Carbink regarded the blue-capped Ralts thoughtfully. <"That is protection, yes. But what of partnership?">

 

<"I...beg your pardon?">

 

<"The pact of unity. The ancient bond between human and Pokémon. You've spoken of half, but I have neither seen nor heard of the other between you?">

 

Raleigh regarded her with confusion, only to be distracted by the pink Sneasel making her way to them. <"Come,"> she said simply, head tilting to the two Trainers already leaving the room. With a nod, Raleigh fell in line, lost in thought as he considered the Rock-type's hard question.

 

-----

 

The Carbink, somewhat crestfallen by the interruption, followed Raleigh in frustrated silence. Thus far, the humans had conducted their affairs completely independent of the Pokémon; to them, she seemed as best an afterthought, at worst a burden. Could such a relationship truly be considered a partnership? And if so, was she willing to accept it?

 

The Sneasel from before fell in step beside her. <"Partnership requires communication,"> she confided, as if reading her thoughts. <"Those without words must find a different way."> Before the Carbink could question her cryptic communication, she drifted back to guard the rear--a well-practiced strategy, based on the casual ease with which she fell into disguised watchfulness.

 

The Carbink considered the advice. True, she had become somewhat over-reliant on telepathy, had forgotten that the disastrous flash had not robbed her of her speech entirely. But surely humans, lacking her own species' penchant for mental communication, would not share such an error? Why not? a small corner of her mind offered; After all, if we are used to speaking with the mind, wouldn't they be used to listening with it? With this troubling thought in mind, the Rock-type worried her way around the Great Hall with the others as the humans searched it for answers.

Edited May 31, 2018 by Flipz

[Konuju]

IC: Zoe Llyan/Dahlia Seaton - Plane

"Of course I can hold my own in a fight!" Zoe declared. "That's why they call me the Warrior Princess!" She started shifting her weight from one foot to the other, suddenly looking nervous. "Of course, there's one thing I can't hold."

 

As Zoe rushed off to the bathroom, Dahlia looked at the assorted group, still aching from having Zoe's entire weight fall on her. "I don't think we really have a choice here," she said. "We all know how dangerous this mission can be . . . can we afford to leave someone behind to babysit Zoe while the rest of us complete the mission?" Her eyes fell on Colette, although she had a sinking feeling the Kalosian girl wouldn't want to give up her place in the mission.

 

IC: Ryan Sanders - Train

Ryan leaned back with a smile, inwardly thanking Evan for having knocked that sense into him back then. Still, he never thought he'd be channeling the Hero of Space. That was rather amusing. If Emmerich Coleman wasn't sitting across the aisle from him, Ryan would have struck his best attempt at the Hero's signature pose. Instead he merely gave himself a mental pat on the back for a job well done.

 

It quickly became evident that Chloe was not completely satisfied. There was something on her mind -- something on the tip of her tongue, too, from the looks of it -- but the girl seemed to have resigned herself to watching the scenery flow by out the window. He watched her in silence for a few moments while he debated whether or not he should ask about it. Eventually he decided that it would be best to clear any issues up now, before they reached Ford's base. "Is something else troubling you?"

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Mordred - Vert's Cell

 

The Weavile studied the room a bit more. He was paying almost no attention to Vert. Mordred already knew he she was bad news. Maybe the boy would be more interesting. Right now, Vert's desk was the most interesting thing in the room. On top of the desk were several small models. The looked like those big buckets and trashcans that James wore to make him actually able to fight. Not like his specifically though. Among them were a pink one, a brown one, and a gray one.

 

His eyes stopped on that one.

 

That was the one that the girl was wearing. The look-a-like. James was fond of her, right?

 

 

IC: Guinevere - Celadon mansion

 

She sounds nice

 

 

Guinevere meant that sincerely, but couldn’t help but try to parse Natalie’s words for clues. She chewed on the information that Natalie’s mother had been in jail and that Stacy had got herself involved somehow.

 

Still, Natalie’s words did not betray a motive, nor was it a particularly odd reason for her to get involved. It was more reason than Guinevere had.

 

I think Gerald is 

relevant to the crime

 

 

Investigating him 

may lead to the killer

 

 

[Parugi]

IC - Executive Scott Stone - Lavender Tower, Lavender Town:

 

Lead, he did. Through the quiet, misty streets, Scott led Lafoyae to Lavender Tower. They ran into no one on their trek, though they did pass a stumbling drunk with red hair, muttering something about an "Izzy." Scott paid him little mind. They were here to investigate a murder--a little girl who had come and gone--and nothing else.

 

They entered the tower. It was empty, much like the streets outside. The only occupant was the unfortunate groundskeeper who had, Scott was sure, seen more than his fair share of phantoms in his time. If they were lucky, he would have seen their phantom girl.

 

Scott turned to Lafoyae. "Maybe you could go speak to some of the Ghost-Type Pokémon here while I find out who was working on the day of the murder? They might have seen something."

 

 

IC - Katou Miyu  - Docks, Vermilion City:

 

Reunion. Sweet. Very sweet. Miyu hovered behind Aori. She stared at Ryan. She smiled. Aori was crying. Happy reunion.

 

Miyu bounced. "Heya."

 

 

IC - Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron - Battle Cart, Train:

 

"Follow your instincts, boys!" Sonja called.

 

Atem snorted, kicking his foot against the ground and charging at Byakuya. Neptune held on for dear life as the Rhyhorn ran forward, though the impact of Atem locking his horn against Byakuya's blades inadvertently sent the Totodile flying off of the rhino's back. Neptune grabbed onto the first thing he could reach--which, in this case, ended up being Byakuya's face.

 

Kyle couldn't stifle a chuckle at the sight of the skirmish. He dragged his attention back to his own Pokémon. Zangetsu was quickly closing the distance to Kyle's team. "Kovian, get ready to block," Kyle called. "Lyxek, intercept!"

 

The Fraxure growled and ran forward, spinning and swinging his tail at the Zangoose.

 

Figuring there was not much else to be done as far as giving out orders, Sonja placed her hands in her pockets. She shifted her weight, placing one foot behind her, and glanced between the ground and the boys. Kyle adopted a similar stance, looking at Ray, then Sonja, and then back to Ray.

 

"So . . ." he said. "I never got the full story about how you guys ended up as part of Ford's master plot." He noticed Sonja bite the inside of her lip. Kyle shifted his attention to the ground for a moment. "You guys don't have to tell me anything, but I'm curious about what that was like, being in the middle of everything. Seeing his preparations from the inside. Stuff like that. Does it feel weird, knowing that we're going to his base?"

[MELON LORD]

IC: David Michaels

 

The 'caretaker' of the Lavender Radio Tower turned out to be a security guard who had eaten far more pizzas than he had caught criminals. He gave Scott Stone a lazy look and hefted his substantial frame out from behind the reception counter. "Is there something I can help you with, sir?"

 

Despite the town's reputation, the tower was only occupied by humans, it seemed. There was nothing for Lafoyae to commune with here.

 

IC: Xander Cruize

 

 

"I'll look into that after we're done here, then. Do you mind if I ask what you were planning on doing with the Pokémon in question once you were done with them? Releasing them into the wild would have been irresponsible, since none of them were native species."

 

IC: Jared Winters

 

Jared sighed. "No, we can't." He looked to Colleen. "We'll just have to watch out for her as best we can."

Edited June 3, 2018 by MELON LORD

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Ryan -- Vermillion Docks==-

 

Ryan said nothing for a long while as he decided to simply hug the young girl back - he knew this was an important emotional time for Aori, so he simply let her have it. His silence didn't last all too long in total, however, as he glanced over at the bouncing young grey-haired girl. "Hello." He said back, slightly surprised that there was someone else there. "Did you make a new friend, Aori?"

 

-==IC: Colleen -- Plane over Who-Knows-Where==-

 

If the look Dahlia gave her didn't clue her in, a quick read of her aura did. "No." Colleen said with a bit more flatness to her voice than she intended. "If there's something bad, then it's not going to do anyone any help to stay behind any more than it will for her to come with us. Not any more than any of the rest of us. Head count, how many of us are above 18?"

 

Olivia put up her hand.

 

-==IC: Chloe -- Train to Blackthorn City==-

 

The psychic seemed to not hear Ryan for a moment, before she finally replied. "It felt like I recognized that guy. I don't know why or from where, but I just got a sense of... familiarity, somehow." Chloe said as she continued to wear that perplexed look on her face. "The odder thing is I'm not sure if he recognized me, which adds another element of confusion to things."

 

With a sigh, Chloe put her head in her hands for a moment, but then tilted her head up to look at Ryan a moment later. "Do you have any ideas?"

 

-==IC: Ray -- Same Train==-

 

Ray was surprised by the tactic that Atem and Neptune used, but had to laugh at the sight of the Totodile hanging off of the much-less-impressed Bisharp. Byakuya in turn tried to shake his head to at least attempt to get Neptune to let go. However, in the process, Atem succeeded in knocking into Byakuya, which meant that the Bisharp was currently hitching a ride on the head of the Rhyhorn. Zangetsu was surprised by the Fraxure joining in to help, but tried his best to nimbly jump over the tail. With a quick swipe at Lyxek, the Zangoose tried his best to keep an eye on both the Dewott and Fraxure in case they tried any other moves.

 

Ray, on the other hand, fell quiet for a moment when Ford was brought up. "To be honest, we were... not really in the midst of most of that stuff. Or at least, I wasn't. It's an odd feeling to go back in a very different circumstance, but..." He trailed off, legitimately not knowing the words to say at that moment. At the same time, he could talk about his recruitment now. "I got mixed up in that mess when I returned to Four Island. McKinley set a trap and lured me in. . . there were only two options - fight and likely lose, or join. Some of the things he said... sounded like they were threatening all of the group. So I tried to bargain instead." His gaze fell toward the ground. "It didn't work - McKinley ended up both going after all of us anyway, no-one trusts me anymore, and to boot, McKinley likely always just was doing it simply to manipulate me into accepting."

 

-==IC: Lucia -- Different Plane==-

 

The trip to Kalos was rather quiet. A couple times, Lucia had wanted to say something - anything to break the silence. She couldn't find the words, however, so she took to staring out the window for a while. She thought that the view from so high in the sky was very pretty - something that made her blush slightly as she compared it in her mind to Jamie.

 

Lucia finally turned her head to look at the heroine of Time. She wanted to start up a conversation to bring things to how they normally were. "Where'd you get the pretty new necklace from?"

 

-==IC: Natalie -- Celadon City==-

 

"Gerald?" Natalie repeated with a small frown. "Hm... I've heard bad things about him recently, yeah. My friend, they apparently had a bad run-in with him a couple weeks ago when the city was attacked; but last I heard, he had been arrested and taken to Unova. If he's involved..." She trailed off with a small frown. "You don't seem to think what the police does - do you disagree that Cassie's the killer?"

[MELON LORD]

IC: Yamamoto Aori

 

The crying girl sniffled and nodded. "This is friend Miyu. She kept me company overnight."

[Flipz]

OOC: Jam, naturally

 

IC: Alma Mason/Alex Zyther - Great Hall, Dark Horse Manor, Kalos

 

Alma nodded and made her way over to the Great Hall. Without saying anything, she summoned Shadow from her shadow. The Gengar was grinning, though not as widely as normal. Alma nodded. “Yes, I know, we should not trust him too much. Still . . .”

 

She hummed lightly. “Help me find books on magic. If I perform the ritual now, things may go well for us.” The Gengar nodded and disappeared into the shadows of the room to search the shelves.

 

Alex paused in his perusal of Ford’s catalogue console. “...Ritual?” he queried.

 

Alma blinked, turning to look at him as if she’d forgotten he existed. “Er . . . yes, that is correct. What do you know of magic, Miss Zyther?”

 

“Not...much, really. Dad always says it was smoke and mirrors, and to be wary of those trying to sucker people in with cheap parlor tricks. Mom is a bit more open-minded, but she mostly knows about psychic stuff, not really magic-magic like in the movies. But then…” Alex shrugged, gesturing to the room around them, tangible proof of the alternate reality they were apparently in. “At this point, it’s pretty clear the universe is way bigger than even I could imagine.”

 

Alma scoffed. “Your father sounds like an intelligent and enlightened man, I’m sure.” She shook her head. “I can assure you, Alex, that Magic exists, and that I have a book that will allow me to perform feats that you have only ever dreamed.” She chewed her lip. “But, that is for a later time. I need to see, first, if there are materials here that I can use.”

 

“Right. Just let me know what you need and I’ll try to look it up.” Armed with their determination (and Ford’s digital library catalogue), the two redoubled their search.

 

---------------

 

Alma sighed, passing yet another book into Shadow’s hands, the ghost-type going once more to replace the tome. She put her face in her hands and rubbed at her eyes. She could feel a headache coming on, the sort she got whenever she strained her vision too much.

 

Alex frowned. “There’s something about all this that’s...eerily familar. I could have sworn I’ve read something about this…like out of a fairy tale or something.”

 

“Weren’t you speaking last night of strange things in that cave?” Alma asked. “Perhaps you should start there.”

 

“The cave?” Alex thought back. “Right...Reflection Cave. It’s old--like, really old, there’s myths and legends going back thousands of years, before even the earliest Kalosian kingdoms were founded. Mostly normal stuff, like people wandering inside and getting lost forever, but…” The Trainer frowned again, running a finger along the older books as he searched for familiar titles.

 

“Dene dine?”

 

Alex looked down to the table, where Didi sat staring curiously up at him. “I don’t suppose you remember what books I was reading all this in, Didi?”

 

The Dedenne looked thoughtful for a moment, then scampered away to start climbing along bookshelves, Alex smiling indulgently after her. He looked back at Alma.

 

“How are they holding up, I wonder?” He glanced at Raleigh, who seemed lost in thought, and at the Carbink, wandering somewhat aimlessly under Sina’s watchful gaze. “It has to be hard, losing such a huge part of you all of a sudden like that. Sometimes I wish I could talk to them, for real, you know? Especially those two. I feel like I barely know them.”

 

Alma chewed her lip. “If they were ghost-types, I might be able to help with that, but they aren’t, unfortunately.”

 

Alex sighed. “Don’t suppose there’s a magic spell for that?”

 

Alma sighed. “Magic is not a parlor trick to be used for fun, Miss Zyther. It is a co--”

 

Before she could elaborate further, the two were interrupted by a loud squeal followed by a rather heavy-sounding thunk at the other end of the room. With a shared glance, the room’s occupants rushed toward the sound’s source, finding a very determined Didi attempting to drag a large book several times her size back to her Trainer.

 

Alex couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, Didi.” He gently separated the Pokémon from her prize, taking a moment to ensure she was unhurt before taking note of the oversized literature. “What did you find for us…The Tourist’s Guide to Coastal Kalos? I appreciate the effort, Didi, but…”

 

Alma opened the book and scanned the table of contents quickly before flipping to the relevant section. “Let’s see . . . For every crystal mirror in the cave, there is said to exist an alternate world. According to the legend, people from another world can’t go back once the sun has set . .”

 

Alex looked at Didi with surprise. “I’m sorry, Didi. I shouldn’t have doubted you. Does it say anything else?”

 

“The crystals in the cave share a similar chemical composition to the Pokémon Carbink, which may be why they can mainly be found there. That’s interesting, but not terribly helpful.”

 

Alex shared a sad smile with the Carbink. “Shame she can’t tell us herself.” Alex’s brow furrowed. “What was that part about sunset?”

 

“Um, let me see.” She flipped the page back. “Once the sun has set, those from other worlds can’t return home.”

 

Alex’s eyes widened. Without a word, the Kalosian raced into the hallway, staring helplessly out the enormous west-facing window that dominated one side as it painted the room in the hues of twilight.

 

“…We’re already too late.”

 

IC: Thomas Warren/Tyler McKinley - Training Room, Dark Horse Manor, Kalos

 

It was late. That didn’t bother Warren--he was used to staying up well into the morning, training his body against his Pokémon. Long ago he had found that he didn’t need nearly as much sleep as his friends, family--really, anyone he had met in his life. It was a peculiar skill, but a useful one, nonetheless. At the moment, he faced down his Aggron, who panted just as heavily from his own exercise as Warren did from his. The Signs Agent was determined that today would be the day he brought down Iron Armor Pokémon.

 

He had been just about to run forward when the door to the side of the room exploded open, and a familiar, unwelcome, blond-haired man rushed in. “Warren! We’ve got a problem!”

 

“McKinley,” Warren seethed. “How many times do I have to tell you, do not do--”

 

“Shut up! I found Zann and LaDonna.”

 

Warren was taken aback. “And?”

 

“You’re not going to like this…”

 

 

IC: Amelia Zann/Belle LaDonna/??? - Black City High-Security Prison, Unova

 

Amelia scowled as the pair of helmeted guards shoved her into the cell, stumbling as one of them pushed her to the bunk at the rear. Only when she was securely seated did the guard unfasten the straightjacket they’d forced her into, their partner silently looking on as they held the door shut. Concealing uniforms, that’s a plus, she mentally catalogued, but the working in groups--not so much. And their door discipline is fairly solid, from the inside. This’ll be tricky. Knowing she didn’t have enough information to make her move, she simply stared sullenly at the Plasma stooges until they took their (meticulously cautious, drat) leave of her.

 

A few minutes later, the sounds of muffled shouting next door drew her attention. She leaned up against the air vent -- too small for even a Pokémon to crawl through, and apparently connected only to the cell next door -- and listened for details about her new neighbor.

 

“Are you kidding me? This is outrageous, I oughta--”

 

The sound of a sharp slap interrupted Belle’s tirade, and Amelia gritted her teeth. Right, she thought, she ain’t used to gettin’ caught, is she? “Leave ‘em be, Blake,” she called through the vent. “We can leverage it at yer trial.” If we get a trial, she added silently, the guards’ chuckling indicating poor odds of it. Nonetheless, Belle quieted, and a short minute later she heard the door seal behind the guards just as it had for her own cell.

 

“So,” Belle began after giving the guards another minute to walk completely away, “see anything?”

 

“Plenty. Though nothin’ instantly useful.”

 

“Yeah.” A long silence. “Gotta say, though, seems like plenty ways to get in for a high-tier lockup. . . ”

 

“Maybe if we got an accomplice. . .?”

 

A groan from Amelia’s opposite wall cut off the conversation. “Wonderful. A pair of regular Chatot. I love new neighbors.”

 

Belle scoffed, clearly affronted. “D’you mind? We’re tryin’ to get outta your hair anyway.”

 

“Easy, girl,” Amelia advised. “We got time, an’ we need time. No sense shakin’ the boat aheada time.” She moved to the other wall for easier access to the vent on that side. “Got a name, Mystery Lady?”

 

The voice on the other side sighed. “You’re the first one to care to know since my gramma . . .” she muttered. “It’s Tiana. Most authorities call me Soldati; you can use either one. Everyone else calls me ‘nobody.’ At least, they used to. Do not call me that.” She fell silent for a second. “Who’s asking?”

 

“Amelia Zann, assorted theft, arson, fraud, and murder. All for a good cause, of course. My partner in crime is Belle LaDonna, same verse same as the first, hold the death.”

 

“Hi,” Belle greeted frostily.

 

“Working theory’s we ticked someone off good, ‘cause our warrant’s been artificially bloated bigger’n a Swalot at suppertime. We ain’t fans, so we’re plannin’ to address it. You?”

 

“I don’t have a case to get out -- I did what I was accused of,” Tiana said. Her tone was hesitant--she clearly didn’t like talking about this. It spoke a lot to her character that she did so, anyway. “I used to get harassed at school by these guys. It got bad -- really bad. I was going to do something about it.” Silence. “Authorities didn’t like what I ended up doing and they wouldn’t hear me out about why I did it. So now I’m here.”

 

Belle nodded. “I c’n get behind that. Once stole a Beldum from an abusive waste of space, had the cops on my tail while I holed up in some caves for a year. Good times.”

 

“Yeah, the fuzz generally ain’t worth the spit they shine their badges with. They ain’t gonna be helpin’ when the real trouble comes ‘round, so when somethin’ oughta be done, might as well do it yourself, an’ screw the consequences.” Amelia scowled. “I’ve had a lotta trouble over the years ‘cause of people like y’all talked about. Old ‘friends’, mostly. But they paid up, eventually. Forcefully.” The spy smirked wistfully. “Got myself into plenty of messes for it, too. But I ain’t never regretted it. Not one bit.” Amelia paused. “Y’know. Far as I see, ain’t none of us oughta be in here. Whaddaya say the three of us do somethin’ about it, eh?”

 

“You’re telling me. Team Plasma would rather let a deranged Hypno eat Unova’s schoolchildren than do anything to harm the poor, suffering cannibal. And they’re not even the worst of Unova’s problems.” She shook her head in her cell. “I don’t know, though. I guess getting out of here couldn’t be any worse than staying . . . What’d you have in mind?”

 

Amelia shrugged, before remembering that they couldn’t see each other that well through the vents. “Was hoping you’d have more details to work with--you’ve been here longer, after all. Way I see it, though, if we can get even just one helper on the outside, we can spring the cells, an’ then the rest falls right into Belle an’ my wheelhouse. Got any ideas?”

 

Silence fell from Tiana’s cell. And then: “You know…I just might.”

[Konuju]

IC: Zoe Llyan/Dahlia Seaton - Plane

Zoe stepped out of the bathroom and walked up to the rest of the group. She saw Olivia raising her hand and immediately raised her own as well. "Are we taking a vote?" she asked.

 

Dahlia sighed. This whole situation was giving her flashbacks to when Aspen went off to join Team Liberty in spite of the warnings that he was "too young" to make much of a difference in the war. But this was different: Zoe would be fighting alongside her sister instead of against her. So overall it was for the best, right?

 

The gardener forced a smile onto her face. "Well, it looks like we're all in the same boat, then. Welcome to the team, Zoe." As the younger girl cheered, Dahlia returned to her former seat to stare pensively out the window. She no longer felt like talking to Lachina. It took all her energy to cling onto the hope that everything would turn out alright.

 

IC: Ryan Sanders - Train

Ryan mulled over the question for a moment. "You said you grew up in Goldenrod, right? Maybe he's someone you knew from your childhood. I mean, you seemed to forget you knew Ray and Jenny as a kid, didn't you? So it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say you forgot about this guy, too. As for him not recognizing you . . . have you looked in a mirror lately?" The corner of his lip curled into an amused smile. "You don't exactly look like a boy anymore. If he knew, you, he probably knew you as Zach. The thought probably never crossed his mind that you were the same person."

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Guinevere - Celadon Mansion

 

Guinevere paused. That was a complicated question. It's true that she had a gut feeling that something was off. But the evidence at the scene still pointed to Cassie as the likely suspect. She didn't want to commit one way or the either. Guinevere considered lying to ensure cooperation, but that would cause problems if Natalie found out.

 

I cannot say

 

I require more

information

Do you have your

friend's phone number?

 

 

 

 

IC: Jamie Arthur - Airplane

 

Jamie awoke with a start when Lucia started speaking to her. She had been dozing off at different points during the flight. She more or less got the gist of what Lucia asked though. She grinned as she fondled the rock on the end of the necklace.

 

"This is the shard of Dialga's sacred orb, the testament of a true hero!" she shouted like she knew what she was talking about and it was normal to shout on a plane.

 

She calmed down for a moment after getting that out of her system.

 

"Evan gave it to me."

 

 

 

IC: James Arthur - On a plane

 

The executive sat near Evan and Jenny. He looked over to the pair from where he was sitting. A thought had occurred to him which caused him to stand up and walk over to them. When he reached them, he noticed Jenny had fallen asleep.

 

"Oh, I see she has fallen asleep," he said to Evan. "I was hoping I could ask the two of you a couple questions about Team Plasma."

[Parugi]

IC - Katou Miyu - Docks, Vermilion City:

 

"I am Miyu."

 

 

IC - Dr. Meghan Vert - Executive Suites, The Alamo:

 

"Team Liberty has an extensive breeding program," Vert said. "Especially for new Agents, it's important that we keep a wide variety of Pokémon on-hand. Any that survived the suit power sampling process were sent there--which, unfortunately for non-Legendary Pokémon, was not a large number. Again, this is nothing new."

 

 

IC - Executive Scott Stone - Lavender Tower, Lavender Town:

 

The Executive glanced at Lafoyae before approaching the guard. He held out his ID. "Yeah, I think so," he said. "We're following up on an investigation into a murder that happened around July 17th. You wouldn't happen to know anything about a little girl who appeared in town around then, would you?"

 

 

IC - Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron - Battle Cart, Train:

 

With a whistle from Sonja, Atem skidded to a stop, launching Byakuya and Neptune several feet across the ground. The Totodile rolled off of the Bisharp's head, somersaulting along the ground before landing in a sitting position and shaking his head. With an adorable, chirpy growl, Neptune ran back toward Atem and Byakuya, leaping at the latter.

 

Meanwhile, Lyxek used the momentum from his tail swing to move out of range of Zangetsu's attack, stepping back a bit. Seeing the Zangoose coming down from his jump and swipe, Kovian charged in, keeping low to the ground, and swung at the Normal-Type with his scalchops.

 

Kyle stared at Ray for a moment. "I still trust you." He glanced briefly at Sonja. "Both of you. I don't know what anyone else has said, but whatever happened with McKinley isn't as straightforward as you deciding to abandon everyone--it's never been that simple with Ford. So just keep that in mind. I trust you."

 

Though she still did not make eye contact, Sonja's shoulders seemed to loosen a bit. "It wasn't simple." She stared at the ground. "McKinley threatened and manipulated me, too. I'd be willing to bet that he did that to everyone. And we already know that he was manipulating the situation to ensure that Ford failed." Sonja grit her teeth, inwardly furious at the Fourth Child. "I wouldn't be going back if I didn't have to. But there's no other way for us to fix this. So I don't have a choice. None of us do."

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander Cruize

 

"I. . . see. Was that part of why you were stripped of your rank?" Any respect or high regard Xander might have had for Vert was now gone. Someone who would take innocent Pokémon and knowingly kill them was not someone he could like at all. Still, he tried to remain professional. "And, you haven't had any contact with your previous subordinates since being imprisoned?"

 

IC: David Michaels

 

The man frowned, scratching his head. "The local police were in here about that the day after the murder. You're not a fed are you?"

 

He sighed. "Ah, doesn't matter, I guess. Yeah, there was a little girl here on that day. A medium, she said she wanted to see the ghosts, so we let her do her thing. We haven't had any troubles since then, either. Why, what's she got to. . ." The wheels in his head turned slowly, but they did turn. "You think she might have murdered that man at the Memory House? Nah, no way, she was only a tiny thing, looked maybe ten, if that. She couldn't have done something like that."

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Mordred - Vert's Cell

 

Hoo boy. That first question. Mordred stopped breathing. Not out of nervousness, but he really'd rather not be noticed right now as James's representative.

 

And because he had shifted a couple feet, but mostly because he wanted to stay out of this conversation.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Lafoyae Belrose

 

Lafoyae focused on reaching out to anything nearby, and frowned slightly. Sighing at this setback, she went back to Executive Stone's side, catching what the portly man had said to him. "You'd be surprised at what children are capable of, sir." The Rocket Agent projected to Michaels in a cautious voice, her icy blue eyes gleaming. "They have the capacity to do great and terrible things, no matter their stature."

 

She knew that better than most.

 

IC: Evan Tierra

 

Evan was slightly surprised that James had come over to the two of them, but smiled at the Executive. "I'll let Jenny rest while I answer your questions, James." The man answered kindly. "So, what can I do to illuminate Team Plasma for you?"

Edited June 4, 2018 by Dr. Hidaka

[Parugi]

IC - Dr. Meghan Vert - Executive Suites, The Alamo:

 

If she was bothered by the bite behind the question, Vert did not show it. Instead she planted an elbow on her desk, supporting her head on her palm as she gave Xander what could only be described as a look of amusement.

 

"Yes, that is part of the reason," she said. "Kind of ironic, then, that they now look at the Power Suits as the first line of defense against Missing Zero. 'Morally reprehensible,' until they find an excuse to use them." Vert shook her head. "No more reprehensible than starting the biggest war in modern history, if you ask me, but what's my opinion worth?" She shrugged. "Regardless, no, that is not what I said. I've had contact with them, but it's all been monitored. Tetsuro and Tatsuo or whatever--I can never keep their names straight--have been assisting in Power Suit adjustments. So, yes, I've talked with them, but not to the extent that I'm giving out secret orders. Any claim to the contrary is a lie."

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander Cruize

 

"I'm not accusing you of any such thing, but thank you for that." Xander sighed. "Yeah, alright, I don't think there's anything else we need to discuss. Thank you for your time, Miss Vert."

 

Xander shut off the recording feature of his Holo Caster. "Off the record, may I ask why? Was it just performing science for science's sake, or did you foresee something like this 'M0' monster coming?" It wouldn't make her any less of a heinous human being, but perhaps he could at least try and see where she was coming from.

[Parugi]

IC - Dr. Meghan Vert - Executive Suites, The Alamo:

 

This caught Vert's attention. Intentional or not, there was an earnest sincerity behind it that hadn't been offered to her in a long time. She rested her cheek on her hand again, tapping a pen against her boot. For several seconds, Vert silently considered the question.

 

"Do you enjoy watching your Pokémon and teammates fall in combat, while you sit there, physically incapable of helping?" she asked. "I don't. That's what started all of this. And over time, it spiraled out of control. People forget that even the most callous among them have suffered losses. I'm no exception."

 

Vert glanced at the floor, nodding slightly as of to reassure herself. Finally, she turned back to her computer. "If you feel the need, I am happy to clarify further concerns in the future. But for now, I would like to get back to work, Mr. Cruize."

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Mordred - Vert's Cell

 

Mordred stared at Vert from behind Xander. He noticed that the agent had messed with the Hollow Caster, but he was more focused on Vert. His opinion of her hadn't changed, but this wasn't a side of her the Weavile thought James knew about. He scratched his head and his chin in thought.

 

Well, hopefully the trainer had gotten what he needed, because Mordred wanted out of there.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander Cruize

 

Xander had to look away as she spoke. Kamina's death was still fresh, and even Adams lingered in his mind still. He nodded slowly. "I see. Thank you, again." He turned and rapped twice on the door for the guards to let him out.

 

He didn't like Vert; what she had done was wrong, and when she spoke her words carried an air of arrogance. Except that last sentence. He could see only too clearly the path that she had followed to where she was today. He silently swore, as he parted with Mordred and made his way back to his room, that he would never allow himself to become like that. He would never decide that innocent people or Pokémon dying was a worthy price to pay to accomplish his goals.

 

No, while he certainly didn't like Vert, he had certainly taken something away from his conversation with her.

Edited June 7, 2018 by MELON LORD

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Mordred - Vert's Cell

 

As Mordred moved to follow Xander, Vert glanced down at the Weavile, acknowledging his presence for the first time this entire meeting. "Not so fast, Morty." She held a hand out. "Don't think I didn't see you."

 

The Weavile felt insulted. The insinuation that he was a thief just because he's a Weavile was degrading. He revealed his claws to show that he was holding absolutely nothing.

 

Vert stared at Mordred's face, then his hands, then his face again, before turning away with a shake of her head. "If I find anything out of place after you leave, I'm billing your trainer for damages. Just so you know."

 

The Weavile turned and lazily waved goodbye. He'd add "and good riddance," or some witty remark but not being able to speak the human's language would probably leave it lost in translation. The Weavile followed Xander out of the room and as far around the first corner away from Vert's office. It was there that they parted. As Xander turned to leave, Mordred's claw quietly moved near the trainer's back pocket.

 

Seriously, the nerve of that woman. Calling him a thief, Mordred thought as he started walking home.

 

Just because it was accurate doesn't mean it didn't hurt, he thought looking at the little figurine in his hand.

[MELON LORD]

IC: David Michaels

 

The security guard frowned as the strange woman spoke to him mentally. "If you say so, I guess. What else do you want to know?"

 

IC: Jared Winters - Lumiose Airport

 

The rest of the trip was fairly quiet, and completely uneventful. As the plane finally landed, Jared stood and grabbed his things from the luggage bin. As the group made their way through the airport, he glanced over at Colleen."We need to call Xander and let him know what's going on."

[Konuju]

IC: Alex Lockwood - Scarlet Café, Lumiose City

"How should I know?" Alex said with a shrug. "Even if Team Liberty was somehow involved, I've been here in Kalos for the past few months. I hung up my rebel card when the ceasefire happened back in January.

 

IC: Dahlia Seaton/Zoe Llyan - Airport, Lumiose City

"Lu-mi-ose~! Lu-mi-ose~!" Zoe happily skipped through the airport terminal, singing to herself as she followed the group. Her annual trips to Kalos with her family had always been her favorite time of the year, and she couldn't believe she was back here so soon. The silver-haired self-proclaimed leader of the group walked up to Collie to say something. Before she had a chance to respond, Zoe tugged on her sister's shirt to point out the window. "Look! You can see Lumiose Tower from here!"

 

"Hold up," Olivia called out. "Has anyone seen Dahlia?"

 

The middle Seaton was indeed missing from the group. There was a brief moment of panic, but before anyone could come to a decision on what to do, Dahlia came running up to the group. She looked out of breath, and her face was pale.

 

"Guys, we have a problem," the gardener said through panting breaths. "Fiora's missing."

 

IC: Ellen Burks/Paul Burks/Anna Burks - Village Bridge, Unova

None of it seemed real. Ellen had been in a quiet daze ever since setting foot in Unova. Their connecting flight in Hoenn had taken them to Nimbasa City's airport. Ellen found herself instinctively looking over at the amusement park. She was surprised to find that it looked completely normal. When she thought about it, it made sense. While she had been helping rebuild Fortree, the people of Unova had been making similar repairs. She watched the Ferris Wheel slowly rotate, like a clock, trudging ever onward as if nothing had ever happened to it. The people seemed to have forgotten the scars of the past. Families, couples, and friends laughed merrily, either choosing to ignore or completely oblivious to the monster that lurked a mere ocean away.

 

From Nimbasa, it was a relatively quick subway ride to Village Bridge. In the past, Ellen would have preferred taking the more scenic route. Now she didn't really care either way. Walking would take her along the same route she and her friends had taken nearly eight months ago. The subway would mean less time her mother had to wait before seeing her again.

 

When she exited Village Bridge's subway station, Ellen felt like she had stepped back into the past. The village hadn't changed one bit, it seemed. The park she used to play at. The café she'd get sandwiches at. Even the river that twined through the town looked just like she'd left it, as if everything had been waiting for her return. It felt strange to be back here after so long, and yet it was like she'd never left. None of it seemed real.

 

Ellen's apprehension grew as she approached her home. She had so many warm memories from growing up in that house, but the one that stuck out in her mind was the cold night she had run away. Her father knocked on the door. Her mother opened the door and Ellen found herself pulled into a suffocating embrace. Tears streamed down her mother's face as she carefully inspected Ellen for any injuries and bombarded her with a thousand questions. Throughout all of it, Ellen felt numb.

 

The Christmas decorations had been taken down, but everything else was just as Ellen remembered it. Just as Ellen had abandoned it. She had run away, and now she was being welcomed back like nothing had happened. She had agreed to help Tyler McKinley, and now her parents were kissing like nothing had happened. There was an unstoppable world-devouring monster out there, spreading through the Sevii Islands, and her mother was offering her cookies like nothing had happened.

 

"Oh, and I have a little surprise for you." Ellen's mother beamed as she took her husband's hand and placed it on her belly. "I'm expecting."

 

Her father choked on a cookie. "I- you- wh-what?!" He quickly composed himself, although a tinge of red remained in his ears. "Er . . . congratulations."

 

"Congratulations yourself, silly." Mrs. Burks giggled as she kissed her speechless husband. "Did you hear that, Ellen? You're going to be a big sister!"

 

Ellen slowly approached. It wasn't noticeable at first glance, but sure enough there was a tiny bump in her mother's belly. A baby who would be born into a world that was already doomed. Assuming the world even survived that long. It was supposed to be a joyous moment, but Ellen found herself unable to join in her parents' excitement.

 

Excusing herself, Ellen headed upstairs to her room, where she let her bag drop to the floor before she flopped face-down on her bed. Once, Ryan's Entei had given her words of wisdom in this very room. Now she couldn't even ask Duo for advice. Her parents' voices traveled upstairs, their words muffled by the door. Maybe it was just the jet-lag, but Ellen felt exhausted.

 

Something moved in her bag. At first it was just a small twitch, then it started to shake forcibly. Furrowing her brow in a groggy confusion, Ellen dragged herself out of bed to unzip the bag. A tiny fairy no bigger than the tip of her finger instantly zoomed out and began flying around the room in a panic. "Duo, calm it down!" Ellen cried as sent out her Duosion. Duo quickly began chasing the fairy around the room which only agitated it further.

 

One by one, the rest of Ellen's Pokémon came out. Artemis carefully eyed the fairy's erratic flight pattern, but before she could snatch it out of the air, Chrono pounced forward to try and swat at it. Isabella gently crooned, and the fairy suddenly darted into the leaves on the Oddish's head. Ellen instructed the rest of her Pokémon to stay back as she cautiously approached.

 

Upon closer inspection, she recognized the little fairy as a Flabébé. Based on its distinct lack of a flower, it was clearly the same Flabébé that Dahlia had brought with her on the plane. "You're . . . Fiora, right?" The Flabébé, who had been shaking in Isabella's nest of leaves, looked up at the sound of the name the gardener girl had given her. Ellen gently lifted the fairy out of the Oddish, cupping her in her hands. "What on earth were you doing hanging out in my bag? You must've been so scared. Dahlia said she was taking you to Kalos. Well I hate to break it to you, but this is Unova."

 

The Flabébé's eyes grew wide at this news and she started to cry. Isabella hesitantly walked over to try and comfort her.

 

"I'm sorry," Ellen said softly. "I wish I could return you to Dahlia, but I don't know when I'm going to see her again. I'm afraid you'll have to stick with me for now."

[MELON LORD]

IC: Jared Winters

 

Jared scowled a bit at the first interruption, but that was quickly replaced by the sudden absence -- and reuniting -- of Dahlia. He ran a hand through his hair, frowning. "Well, we're in her home region again, so she likely flew off."

 

Or maybe it got hit by a plane.

 

Kindly shut up now. Jared sighed. "We don't have time to look for her. I'm sorry." In a way, he was. Dahlia had bonded with the Flabébé surprisingly quickly since they'd rescued Fiora, and he knew that the gardener was worried. Still, they had their mission, and that was more important than a stray wild Pokémon.

 

IC: Emma Lockwood

 

Alex's cousin chuckled a bit. "Fair enough. There's a lot of rumors about it, but nobody's really confirmed anything yet. The international news is saying that some Pokémon are starting to get powers back, but that might be a hoax." She sighed, leaning back. "I hope it's not. I'd love to be performing right now."

Edited June 10, 2018 by MELON LORD

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: James Arthur - Plane en route to Alola

 

A slight bump in the air prompted James to take the seat in the aisle across from them, rather than lose his balance if more turbulence occurred.

 

"I was wondering how much you knew about Team Plasma's leadership. Specifically the old leadership. From the time before they became a legitimate government. Ghetsis, N and Colress."

[Konuju]

IC: Dahlia Seaton/Zoe Llyan - Airport, Lumiose City

Dahlia paused at the window to look out at the view of Lumiose Tower Zoe had pointed out. Maybe Jared was right; maybe Fiora had flown off somewhere. She wanted to say she had formed a close bond with the flowerless Flabébé, but perhaps it was only her imagination. Fiora was still a wild Pokémon, after all, not some garden plant. Dahlia had no right to hold onto her so selfishly, even if all she wanted to do was care for her. Perhaps it was for the best.

 

Olivia gave her a slight nudge. The rest of the group was ready to move on. "Sorry." Dahlia shouldered her bag with a sigh and followed behind the others. She knew she shouldn't let it distract her, but her mind kept wandering back to the tiny fairy. She hoped she was alright.

 

IC: Alex Lockwood - Scarlet Café, Lumiose City

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was a hoax," Alex said. "Now that the initial shock has worn off, I bet some people are trying to figure out ways to profit off of this crisis. SecretPotions claiming to bring back Pokémon powers and the like." He realized how cynical he sounded. "Sorry, Em. I don't mean to be a downer. Just . . . don't fall for any tricks like that, alright?"

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Lohe Mahina - Four Island

 

Lohe walked with what one could assume qualified for vigor by his standards to get out of the setting sun’s rays.  Waking early was always a pain, but it was hard to talk to people when they were asleep.

 

Entering the Alamo traded one annoyance for another.  The stomping of feet thundered in his ears as he walked towards the front desk.  If he had thought waiting a day would have eased the difficulty of meeting with the higher-ups, he was wrong.  If anything, the frantic atmosphere had worsened since the day before.

 

He got redirected from the front desk, to a personal secretary of one of the leaders. He submitted his credentials to her and was prompted to wait. Thankfully, he still had time to speak with somebody in charge.

 

There probably wasn’t anything he was going to learn from them that he hadn’t already learned from his conversation with Sonja, but the burden of being a representative meant he had to keep up appearances and all.

 

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

Evan rubbed his chin as he considered James's query. He then began to explain what he was told during his formal training in Team Plasma. He explained the original goal of Team Plasma, as told by N, and how that was revealed to be a sham by Ghetsis, who sought to ensure only he and Team Plasma had Pokemon to rule over Unova. He then explained hhow two years after they were disbanded, Team Plasma was separated into two factions: Those who believed in N's noble goal of liberation, and those who followed Ghetsis's selfish ambitions of domination. He mentioned how Colress had helped Ghetsis's faction until they were defeated by N's faction. "Then, I recall both factions kind of came back together, and that's how the Plasma you see now came to be." Evan concluded, smiling. "Was there anything else you needed regarding Team Plasma, James?"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Chloe -- Train to Blackthorn==-
 
Chloe was about to respond to Ryan's initial comments when he mentioned how she looked. She took a moment to quickly flip through her PokéGear to try and find something. It took a tiny bit to locate them, but eventually she found two pictures from when she was younger and still living in Goldenrod.
 
"I'm not so sure. Back when I was in Goldenrod, I actually rejected that name so much that I went by my middle name - Yuki. And well... you see how I looked back then. If it was someone I knew from back then, then this technically would look different, as my hair's a lot shorter now and I have a different name and all." The psychic woman tried to think again, but paused. "Also, I'll have you know that Ray couldn't recognize his own sister either. I refuse to take responsibility for that one, since she had changed too." A teasing smile crossed Chloe's face as she said that.

-==IC: Natalie Dexter -- Celadon City==-

"Hmm..." Natalie bit her lip as she scrolled through her PokéGear to try and check about that. "I'm not actually sure. I think they had some sort of issue with their phone a while ago, as I hadn't heard from them in like four years. I think they gave me their new number, but... it was a hectic day, honestly." She glanced up at the Gardevoir to make sure she wasn't saying anything else.

"Is there anything in particular you'd like to know? I could try to recall if there was anything mentioned while I'm searching, if you want."

-==IC: Lucia -- Plane to Kalos==-

"That's pretty cool." Lucia flashed Jamie a smile as she explained the deal with the Adamant Shard. "What's that Evan guy like, anyway? I don't think I ever got a chance to meet him yet. Is he a cool person?" The healer glanced back out the window for a moment, as it almost felt like the plane was moving down. She noticed that they were beginning to approach the ground. Lucia seemed surprised for a moment as she looked out the window, wondering if it had already been however long the flight was. She turned her attention back to Jamie, however, as she felt that the conversation was most important right then.

-==IC: Ryan -- Vermillion City Docks==-

"Nice to meet you, Miyu." Ryan said with a smile. "Thank you for helping Aori." He glanced around slightly to see if Miyu had any parents around either - but a cursory scan didn't see anyone who was watching them in the way that would point to being her parents. He wondered if she was another refugee from One Island, though he wasn't sure quite how to ask that.

 

-==IC: Ray -- Train to Blackthorn==-

Byakuya fell to the ground hard as he tumbled around for a few seconds. As he stood up, he noticed Neptune leaping toward him once more. He quickly side-stepped the small crocodile and attempted to gently knock him out of the air, trying to not hurt him too much.

Zangetsu looked to the side in surprise as he saw Kovian. He didn't have any time to react at all, as he was his by the scalchops hard and sent tumbling to the ground. The Zangoose pushed himself up slowly, as he kept an eye on his two opponents. He suddenly realized that perhaps the plan to split themselves up between two opponents had maybe not been the best idea, but wasn't sure how to fix this at this point.

Ray fell silent as Sonja explained her side of the story. He wished there was something - anything - that he could say to help here. But nothing came to mind. Everything that he could think of just felt hollow to him. So, he chose a different approach. "I hear you." Ray said with a nod. "It... really sucks, honestly."

-==IC: Olivia/Colleen -- Lumiose Airport==-

Colleen tinkered with her communication device while the discussion of Dahlia's disappearance and Fiora's vanishing act took place. She dropped her pace slightly to fall back with Dahlia - she trusted that the others could at least find their way out of the airport without her guiding them. She placed a hand on Dahlia's shoulder, with a nod.

"Here if you need it." The girl said with a small smile, before she looked out the window. "I wonder if there's some other explanation, but if she's somewhere here, we'll find her when we have time. Maybe she's hanging out with Zoe or someone and we don't know it."

 

Olivia watched quietly as the girl from Kalos tried to help talk to Dahlia. She had to wonder if the girl was right, but she agreed with Jared - right now, there was no time to look, no matter how disheartening and distracting that was. At the same time, she had no clue if there was any good way to say that. The redhead closed her eyes for a brief moment as she continued to walk forward.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Jared Winters/Xander Cruize/Lachina Adaon

 

"Alright, then I guess I'll do the call-in . . ." Jared muttered as he pulled up the call function on his Pokétch. They'd been in Kalos for a little less than an hour and were already getting sidetracked. With a sigh, he punched in the number Xander had given him the day before.

 

Xander was jolted from his sleep by the sound of his Holo Caster going off. A quick glance at the time told him he had overslept, and he reached over to pick up the device. Shirtless and with a serious case of bedhead, he answered. "Everyone made it?"

 

"Everyone and then some." Jared sighed and explained about Colleen's kid sister stowing away.

 

Xander nodded slowly, considering. He had enjoyed the battle with Zoe, and it sounded like something she would do. "Keep an eye on her. Make sure she understands how important this is. That's all I can really say."

"Sounds good. You want us on eight-hour check-ins?"

 

"Nah. For now, just check in before you turn in for the night so I know you're alive, or if something happens call me as soon as you can." Xander smiled. "First, though, there's somebody you should go and visit. Professor Sycamore's lab is on South Boulevard in Lumiose City. He knew Lysandre back before Team Flare was a thing, and he was around for their first attempted takeover. If anyone will know where to start looking, it's him. Just let him know you're friends of mine."

Jared nodded, though Xander couldn't see it. "Sounds good. We'll talk to you later tonight."

 

The silver-haired trainer glanced back at the rest of the group. "We're going to the south part of Lumiose before anything else. The local Professor might have some information for us."

 

Lachina nodded. "Sounds good to me."

 

IC: Yamamoto Aori

 

Aori noticed the man's quick survey of the crowd and tugged softly at his shirt. "Miyu's parents are not here, either," she said quietly, hoping not to upset her new friend. "Can she come with us, too?"

 

IC: Emily Lockwood

 

The Performer scoffed. "Please, I'm not some wide-eyed idealist who falls for any ruse you lay in front of me. You have to get up pretty early to fool me." She sighed, tapping her fingers on the table. "If it's not a hoax, though, then that means we're not as screwed as it seemed like. It means there's a way to get back to battling and performing and the like."

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Jamie Arthur - Plane arriving in Kalos

 

“He’s what a hero should be,” she said cracking an imitation of Evan’s smile. “He’s strong, cool, and he’s there for people when they need them.”

 

 

 

IC: James Arthur - Plane en route to Alola

 

First name basis. James still wasn’t used to hearing his first name being used casually like that.

 

“That matches what I have read,” James said. Most of what Evan had said was publically available knowledge. But it was good to have it confirmed again. “I was wondering if you knew about their personalities. What they are actually like.”

 

 

 

IC: Guinevere - Celadon mansion

 

Guinevere recalled the document she had read again. The word victim was seared into her mind.

 

[Who are his enemies?

Past and present]

 

She had another idea while she was writing the words on the board. After making sure Natalie saw them, she wrote another set of words.

 

[Can you take me

to the Rocket branch

in Celadon?]

 

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

Evan scratched his head as he tried to recall the answers to James's question. "Well, I can't say I know much about N, aside from the fact that he has an innocence and sincerity that helped him lead Team Plasma." Evan answered, recalling what he had read during training. "Colress was more or less dedicated to bringing out the power of pokemon, almost to a single-minded degree, but I can't recall more. Ghetsis however......" The Plasma Agent took a breath. "From what I know, he was as despicable as they came. He'd do anything, no matter who got hurt, to satisfy his ambitions." The Hero explained what he knew of what Ghetsis was like to James, before stopping. "That's all I know of them, James." The man said. "If you want more, I could see about having my superiors send you the pertinent files."

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Lucia Zyther==-

 

Lucia grinned at that as she listened to Jamie's explanation of Evan. "Nice! Sounds like a great role model to me." After she finished speaking, she paused as an announcement about the plane's landing played on the speakers. As she waited, the redhead glanced out the window again to watch the rapidly approaching scenery. The tall tower in the center of the city caught her attention quickly. She stared at the tower for a while before an idea clicked into her mind.

 

"Say, Jamie, why don't we check out the Gym here?" Lucia glanced back over at her friend with another grin. "I think I should get some supplies, but we can get those after."

 

-==IC: Natalie -- Celadon City==-

 

"Umm..." Natalie sat down on the bed, as she tried to think. "I don't recall many enemies at all when I knew of them. But when my friend, their brother, and their friends were here, I recall them saying something about Gerald fighting them or doing something bad? So they might have been Gerald's enemies? I don't really know, admittedly..."

 

She paused as something appeared to come to mind. "Wait. There was something else that Stacy once said while Gerald and Cassie were out of earshot." Natalie closed her eyes as she tried to focus on it. "It was something about... um... I think something about a rivalry with some family friend?" She let out a growl of frustration. "I'm sorry, I want to be more help, but my mind's in overdrive right now... I think I can take you to the branch here though. Not sure if they'll let me in, though."

 

-==IC: Ryan -- Vermillion City==-

 

"If Miyu wants to, then I'd say she's welcome to join us. I'm sure my friend won't have any complaints when she gets here." Ryan gave Aori a warm smile for a moment before he glanced back toward the ship. "She should be here any time now, she got held up by the crowds."

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan Sanders - Train

Ryan's mouth dropped open as he stared at the pictures. "Holy ######, you were adorable back then. You should consider growing your hair out again." Realizing what he'd just said, he looked back up at Chloe and frantically tried to backpedal. "I mean, not that you're not adorable now. Because even with your hair the way it is now you do look, er, nice . . . I don't mean that in a creepy way of course, I mean that in a friendly, respectful way, that in no way implies any hidden undertones because I don't think of you that way, although that's nothing against you in particular, and I should probably stop talking now."

 

Ears burning red, he dug out his own Pokégear and pretended to flip through messages on it to distract himself. After a moment of awkward silence he chanced a glance back up at the girl sitting across from him. "Yuki, though? What made you decide on Chloe, then?"

 

IC: Shannon Willows - Boat

When the crowds had finally died down, Shannon bid the ship's medical staff farewell. Still carrying her Dunsparce, with Selena and Salix trailing behind her, she made her way up to the top deck. She had been afraid it would be difficult to reconnect with Ryan, but the moment she reached the dock, she saw him standing there with two smaller girls.

 

"I can't trust you at all, Hikari," she called out with a teasing smile. "I leave you alone for what, a few hours, and you've already thrown yourself at not one but two girls." She approached the group and knelt down to be on eye level with the girls. "You never told me she had a sister," she said, offering the girls a warm smile. "Don't let Ryan here fool you. He may seem intimidating, but he has a knack for helping out girls like us. So which one of you is Aori?"

 

Selena pattered into the middle of the group and gave an energetic welcoming squeak to introduce herself to the two kids. Salix followed a little behind with a cautious croon at the strangers.

 

IC: Dahlia Seaton/Zoe Llyan - Airport, Lumiose City

"Thanks, Colette." Dahlia gave the aura wielder an appreciative smile. "I know it shouldn't bother me too much -- Fiora was never really my Pokémon to begin with -- but I can't help but feel like she just abandoned me." She looked ahead at Jared, who was currently on the phone, and let out a sigh. "I know she's not our main concern, either. I'm sorry for causing all that trouble back there. My brother and sister were always the ones to go on important missions during the war effort. I just stayed home and tended the garden. I don't mean to be the one that holds the group back. Sorry again."

 

Zoe, meanwhile, wandered closer to the silver-haired trainer, trying to listen in on his important-sounding phone call for details on their top secret mission. She didn't need to listen in, however, for as soon as he hung up the leader guy turned around and announced the plan to the rest of the group. Something about finding a Pokémon Professor.

 

"Ooooh, is the professor going to give us all Pokémon?" Zoe asked excitedly. "That's what professors do, right? Maybe Esmeralda can get a friend!" She cheerfully sent out her Fennekin, who stretched with a yawn, and looked around at the relatively crowded airport. Not wanting to get lost in the sea of people, Esmeralda clambered up onto Zoe's head where she observed the crowd from her higher vantage point. "Maybe the professor can even help fix our Pokémon. If they could use their abilities, our mission would be way cooler!"

 

IC: Alex Lockwood - Scarlet Café, Lumiose City

Alex nodded solemnly. "I certainly hope it's reversible. It's strange to think our Pokémon might not be able to use any of their powers ever again. We rely on them so much in our daily lives. Kind of makes you appreciate them more now that they're powerless, you know?"

Edited June 10, 2018 by Konuju

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Jamie Arthur - Lumiose City

 

"Are they taking challenges?" Jamie asked, thinking about those Pokemon that would be suitable to fight. Pelleas and Tristan were the only ones really suited to fighting without their powers.

 

"Meh, let's go anyway," she said. Anything to get out of this plane already.

 

 

 

IC: James Arthur - Heahea City

 

James was satisfied by Evan's answer. The rest of the flight passed uneventfully. James nearly drifted off a few times during the remainder. Part of sleepiness, and partly out of boredom. He held himself together as the flight touched ground, but he needed sleep. The trip to their hotel was likewise uneventful. Making a second reservation at the Tide Song hotel had been difficult considering the time of year they had picked for their visit, but doable. The man at the front desk handed him two keys.

 

He spotted the ring on her finger and decided to assume a relationship. That saved him asking an awkward question. He handed one of the room keys to Evan.

 

"Might I ask what you intend to do tomorrow? I will be in a meeting tomorrow afternoon."

 

 

IC: Guinevere - Celadon mansion

 

 

A family friend? That phrase reminded Guinevere of the photo she had seen earlier.

 

We don't need to get further

than the reception

 

 

She erased the board quickly while the other topic was still on their minds.

 

Do you remember 

Stacy's friend's name?

 

Edited June 11, 2018 by Metal Gear Minun

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra, Tide Song Hotel

Evan pondered his answer carefully, considering all the options. "Aside from getting clothing better suited to this warmer climate, I was thinking we'd get to know the area better." The Plasma Agent finally answered. "We also came here to investigate something known as Z-Moves, so we may ask around to find out more about them." He yawned a little loudly, and then focused on James. "But for now, Jenny and I have to hit the hay." Evan waved to James as he and Jenny made their way out of the lobby and to their room. When the couple had reached their room, Evan set his suitcase and took out his pokegear. "I've got to make sure everyone knows where we are, including Zarth." The man said as he started typing out his messages.

To Zarth he sent: "Apologies for absence, but Agent Hakuda and I are investigating a phenomenon in Alola. You are in charge of representing Team Plasma in our absence."

To everyone else he knew, he sent: "Jenny and I are in the Alola region. We're going to be investigating something called Z-Moves. Hopefully it'll help us with the current situation."

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Lucia -- Lumiose City==-

 

It took them a little while to get off the plane and through baggage, but once they were out of the airport, it didn't take the two long at all to get to the Gym. Lucia looked up at the Lumiose Tower in awe before she stepped into the building. Her first impression was that it was a lot less crowded than she had expected it to be, even with the power out. There were a handful of people here and there, but nowhere near the amount there normally would be if Pokémon could use their moves.

 

"I think this is the right place. The elevator will at least give us a good view if they aren't accepting challenges, but Clemont's eager enough that he just might be up for a fight regardless." Lucia said, though she wondered how much she was correct about that.

 

-==IC: Colleen -- Lumiose City, Except Later==-

 

"No worries, I get it." Colleen smiled in a friendly way to try and reassure the gardener. "I don't think you're holding the group back either; being worried about a Pokémon that's lost and scared isn't a bad thing. Though, I'm not really sure that she abandoned you. I can't say why I think that, but it just didn't feel that way, especially with everything that happened, and how you seemed to be able to calm her down. Maybe she just found Zoe's stash of flowers and is ransacking it." She grinned with a chuckle at the mental picture of that.

 

"Oh! That reminds me, though..." Colleen paused for a moment as she thought back to what was first said. "Just to mention, I'm going by Colleen now, some things happened and long story short, that's my name."

 

"Oh!" Dahlia looked at the aura wielder in surprise. "Sorry about that. I didn't know."

 

"No worries; didn't get a chance to explain earlier." Colleen gave a small smile. "We should catch up, though, looks like they might leave us behind if we're too slow. But if you wanna talk sometime, I can try to help."

 

-==IC: Chloe -- Train to Blackthorn==-

 

Chloe snickered at the hole that Ryan tried his best to dig himself out of, only to dig his way further down. When he changed the subject, though, the girl smiled. "My mom suggested it way back when. My real mom. I've been thinking about those days a lot recently; I'm surprised how much I actually forgot about that time in the four years that I was focused on other things." Chloe paused for a moment as she fell into her thoughts. "It's what she had in mind for me, though."

 

-==IC: Natalie -- Celadon City==-

 

"Umm..." Natalie was about to stand back up when Guinevere's question came. She tried her best to think about what Stacy had said back then. "I'm having a little trouble; I never actually memorized it well since it wasn't really my business..." She bit her lip slightly as she continued to struggle. "I think the name began with a P... Pat or something, I think...?"

 

-==IC: Jenny -- Heahea City==-

 

Jenny managed to wake up for a little bit to get off the plane, but once the two had gotten into their room, she headed straight for the bed and curled up in it once again, as she tried to hold onto the dream that she had been having. She tried to recall specific details - some felt surreal, some felt like it had veered off course to something entirely different, and then something felt so familiar that it was on the tip of her tongue. Despite that, she couldn't place why it was familiar. Jenny closed her eyes, as she tried her best to fall back into the same dream.

 

-== -- ==- Four years earlier. . .

 

A groan echoed through the empty streets. Crowds had long since dispersed. A hand clawed through rubble as a door opened, sending yet more rubble falling down into the darkness.

 

How long had it been? The person crawled out further - had they broken something in the chaos? What even caused it?

 

A gasp - had they been injured? A quick check showed nothing truly major, but there was pain from somewhere. They needed to get away. The person reached for their belt - the Poké Balls were still there. The trainer let out a ragged sigh of relief.

 

With a wince, they slowly unlatched one of the capsules from their belt. A flash of light, as they felt tired. They needed to get away. Somewhere. . . The person blinked, it felt like sleep was a good idea, but they had to get away.

 

The person didn't remember how they got on, but they were suddenly on the back of their Pokémon - movement showed that they had taken flight. But to where...? Their eyes felt heavy. Closing them for a few moments wouldn't hurt, right...?

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

But... who am I...?

Edited June 12, 2018 by Blessed Blade

[Flipz]

-==IC: Clemont (Lumiose City Gym, Lumiose Tower, Kalos, August 6th, 2017)==-

 

Whether through a misplaced button press or some sort of preprogrammed override, the elevator brought them directly to the challenger’s-side arena entrance. As the doors opened onto the abnormally-dim battlefield (its signature electrical pillars shut down to save electricity), the newcomers could see a Trainer standing before them at the nearest edge of the ring, his white ball-cap, red hoodie, and black shorts standing in sharp contrast to the dull grays and browns of the Gym's industrial architecture. A Vivillon fluttered before him, with a female Pyroar waiting on standby--although “waiting” was a rather generous term to use to describe the napping Fire-type feline. On the sidelines stood a significantly more alert Marowak, stationed next to a rather distracted-looking referee but clearly taking its cues from the challenger rather than the official, and on the far end of the field waited the man they’d come to see: Clemont, the Lumiose City Gym Leader.

 

For all his prowess in both Training and technology, the man hardly cut an imposing figure. While he was above average height for a Kalosian, his limbs seemed gangly and awkward, creating an almost bumbling impression when combined with his pudgy gut, frizzy blonde hair, and scraggly goatee. Still, a spark of inspiration crackled behind his bright blue eyes, and the intensity with which he worked on the device next to him displayed the same fervor he brought to his battles.

 

“All right, Alvin,” he said, attaching a pair of electrical leads from the device to the Magnezone that hovered before him, “let’s try this again. Sawyer, start the match!”

 

“Huh? Oh, right!” The green-haired referee closed his notebook and surveyed the battlefield. “Gym Leader Clemont versus Challenger Alvin, evolution phenomenon attempt number…” The referee paused. “Ah, what number were we on again? Five or six?”

 

“It’s six,” the challenger confirmed, glancing down at his Pyroar. “She fell asleep during round four, then we went another round after.”

 

“Right, okay. Attempt number six. Let the battle…begin!”

 

“Magnezone, use Discharge!” Clemont commanded, accompanying the order with a step forward and a dramatic finger point..

 

“Vivillon, fly up and dodge it!” the challenger countered with equal enthusiasm.

 

Both Pokémon obeyed as best they could…which in this case meant the Vivillon fluttered up to the rafters uncontested as the Magnezone uselessly strained to produce nothing more than its own droning groan of effort. After a few more seconds of this, Clemont made his call.

 

“All right, Magnezone, that’s enough.” The Gym Leader scratched the back of his head. “Hmm. I really thought I felt something that time. Magnezone, did you feel any different?” The Steel-type burbled in the negative, causing Clemont to sigh. “Well, there’s no conclusions to be drawn without data. Sawyer, pause the match.”

 

“The battle is halted!” the referee called with far more feeling than the situation warranted. “Both combatants are to cease fighting and return to their Trainers until the battle has resumed!”

 

The challenger sighed as his Vivillon glided lazily back to ground level. “Is this really necessary? I’m happy to help without all…” The man waved a hand at the referee. “…this.”

 

Clemont peeked out from behind his console and cocked his head in confusion. “You just gestured to all of him.”

 

The referee seemed unfazed. “League rules state that a referee must be present at all Kalos League Gym Battles, and that--”

 

“It’s not a Gym Battle!” the challenger protested. “I already earned my Voltage Badge, years ago! I don’t need a new one!”

 

“But…” the confused referee opened his notebook, turning page after page in search of the relevant rule.

 

“It’s all right, Sawyer,” Clemont reassured. “Like Alvin said, it’s not really a League battle. I just needed someone to train against to try and figure out this new evolution thing, and I wanted a referee to keep an eye out in case something went wrong.” The Gym Leader tapped away at his keyboard frustratedly, muttering to himself as he analyzed the data. “Hmm. Well, I’m grateful to you both for coming out today, even if we still don’t have anything. It’s greatly appreciated.”

 

While the green-haired referee seemed buoyed by Clemont’s gratitude, the challenger frowned. “Actually,” he said, pulling out his Holo Caster to double-check the time, “I’ve got a date with my fiancé in about an hour. So, unless you’ve found something urgent…?”

 

Clemont shook his head. “That’s okay. I’ve got a little data here, but not enough to really do anything with it. Thanks anyway, Alvin. Rain check for tomorrow?”

 

“Sure thing, Clemont. See you then.” Nudging his Pyroar awake, the man gathered his three Pokémon and left, nodding to the two women at the doorway as he stepped into the elevator and departed.

 

With the challenger gone, Clemont finally noticed the new arrivals. “Oh--new challengers? Hello there! I’m obviously not taking on proper challenges, despite what my referee might think, but maybe you’d be willing to help me with a little project?” The Gym Leader pulled out his own Holo Caster, a heavily-altered Frankenstein of a device that seemed held together by duct tape and best wishes, and cued up a video. “You see, I’m trying to replicate a phenomenon from those videos going all over the internet. One of the Trainers had a Magnezone like me, and, well…” The Gym Leader paused, distracted, as he finally registered Lucia. “I’m sorry, Miss--do I know you from somewhere? You seem…familiar.”

Edited June 13, 2018 by Flipz