Pokémon: Rise Of The Rockets

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Lafoyae Belrose

The woman thought for a few moments. From what she could infer, these Ghost-Types had no reason to lie to her, seeing as the killer immediately left. Lafoyae heard Scott's deductions, and considered them, before shaking her head. "Did you forget that Route 12 not only leads south, but also towards Route 11 to Vermilion City?" The woman projected to Scott. "We'd have as much of a chance for a lead there, if I may be honest..." The Assassin faced the Gengar again, smiling a bit and gave the ghost-type a curtsy.

"Thank you for your help."

Edited July 7, 2018 by Dr. Hidaka

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Ray -- All Aboard The Train==-

 

As the group sped through the mountains aboard their train, Ray watched on wordlessly. The trees and mountainous terrain passed by with rather high speed for their ride, yet something felt off. This went on for a couple minutes.

 

"Onix, can you head to the left a little?" Ray asked their train with an uncertain look on his face. He felt almost like something was urging him to head a certain way. "Does anyone else feel like, a pulling sensation or something?"

 

-==IC: Ryan -- Vermilion City==-

 

"That sounds... interesting." Ryan nodded slightly. He wasn't entirely sure how well he would work for such a video, but... he felt like he wanted to at least try. The man nodded again. "When would all this take place?"

 

-==IC: Olivia -- Lumiose City==-

 

"This here's Bree." Olivia said as she looked over at her Torchic. She noticed that the Torchic in question had puffed up her chest with a confident look on her face, very obviously happy about the compliment. The fiery redhead looked back to Meyer with a grin. "My name's Olivia. Your Blaziken looks pretty strong, though, to be able to lift that off almost all by themself." Olivia looked over at the fully evolved Fire-type, as she had to admit she was kinda impressed by the sheer power.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan Sanders - Aboard the Rock Snake Express

Ryan held on for dear life as the Onix twisted its way through the mountainous landscape. It was all he could do to grab onto Kyle, who happened to be sitting in front of him on the makeshift train, to keep from falling off. Even with this added precaution, it was a very bumpy ride.

 

"Does anyone else feel like, a pulling sensation or something?" Ray asked after redirecting the Onix's path.

 

"Yeah, I feel it, alright," Ryan retorted. "Pretty sure I pulled a muscle trying to hang on this crazy train." It took all his effort to turn his head to look back at the orange-haired trainer. "Ray, do you actually know where to go? Because if you're just winging it, now's not the time to send us on a wild Swanna chase."

[Blessed Blade]

-==NPC: Receptionist==-

 

The receptionist looked up at the group with more than a hint of a frown. "I'm sorry, but I do not believe that would be a good idea. The doctor's orders are..." The woman saw the look on the group's faces before she finished her sentence, then sighed. "Follow me to the consultation room. I'll get the doctor in charge of his case."

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Guinevere - Black City

 

Chroma County Penitentiary. That was the name of the prison that Gerald Hikari had found himself thrown in. Not the most comfortable place to be standing in front of if you’ve aided and abetted some crimes. Or sitting. She wanted to tell Natalie something before entering the jail. She rummaged through her backpack for the marker for her whiteboard. She moved her hand past the Poke Ball that housed the green Grimer.

 

Funny story about that Grimer. Leodegrance didn’t want the Grimer running off before paying his debt to the family, so he had wanted him kept in a Poke Ball for the time being. Now Guinevere hadn’t been sure of whether she was technically qualified to use Poke Balls on other Pokemon. It was a niche issue. So she had asked Natalie to catch the Grimer on her behalf and let Guinever hold his Poke Ball.

 

That exposition out of the way, she pulled out the marker. She recalled the document one more time before writing a message. She would tell Natalie about the document if this visit confirmed her suspicions.

Do not be surprised

at what we find out

in there.

 

 

 

IC: Miriam Shields - Vermilion Branch

 

"I'd like to get started today, honestly," Miriam said. "The crew has already been assembled. To be honest, I was assembling them before the events at One Island. But your actions were such a perfect opportunity, I couldn't resist bringing you into this."

 

"We set up a studio here in Vermilion. And the longer this takes, the more it's gonna cost Team Rocket," Miriam said.

 

 

IC: Claus Diamond - Four Island

 

Zack and Claus parted amicably. They had agreed to get into contact again when they knew they'd be ready for a mission to Sinnoh. Claus was smiling. He was closer to finding his parents than he had been in years. And if he could find his father, he was certain he could help find Barry if he was truly missing as well. All that he had to do was go find Taylor. Wait a second, isn't that her right-

 

*Thud!!*

 

This was gonna be a recurring thing, wasn't it?

 

 

[Flipz]

-==IC: Meyer==-

 

“We’ve been together a long time, that’s for sure. Him and I go back even before my kids were born. We’ve trained together every day since I was six years old--that was before the accident in ‘96 and the new laws, of course--and we’re still training together even today.”

[MELON LORD]

IC: Jared Winters

 

Jared nodded and followed the woman, glad that he didn't have to argue with her about this.

 

IC: Lachina Adaon

 

"Name's Lachina. I'm travelling with them to help investigate certain activities." Lachina smiled lightly. "You said you know Ryan Sanders? I've met him once before this mission, but he seems like a decent sort."

 

IC: Xander Cruize

 

Xander took a long sip of his coffee to keep himself awake -- he was back on Kalos time, now, which meant he needed to be up when everyone around him was abed. He rubbed at one eye and turned back to the layout on his desk. It was very rough, something he'd had to cobble together from memory and a quick glance at a computer screen, but . . . It looked right, at least.

 

"Not much longer," he muttered to himself.

 

IC: Aspen Seaton

 

Despite the late hour, Aspen couldn't sleep. One of the problems with getting lots of bed rest was that it threw off your sleep schedule. Luckily, he wouldn't need to worry too much longer about it. He had a followup appointment the next day. If he was lucky, his cast would come off that same day, and he'd be able to start gradually walking and moving about more and more until he was back to 100 percent.

 

With a deep sigh, Aspen Seaton flopped back into his pillows and tried to count Mareep, but his brain just wasn't having it. He tossed and turned, until finally he couldn't stand it anymore. He grabbed his crutches and rose up. With Aria's help, he left the room and began walking through the dimly-lit halls of the Alamo's barracks.

 

He paused as he saw light in the crack of a door frame. Who was up at this hour? He approached the room and smiled a bit when he saw Xander's name in the slot next to the door. He reached up and knocked quietly.

 

IC: Yamamoto Aori

 

"Willows-san?" Aori said quietly. "Would it be alright if I wait here for Hikari-san?" It had been unthinkable luck that she had found the police man so quickly; she didn't want to test that luck by departing from him so quickly. "I will sit in that chair--" She pointed to a seat in the waiting area "and not move from that spot."

 

IC: Emily Lockwood

 

Emily cupped her chin in her hand and looked like she was trying not to yawn. "Team Flare? You mean that fashion-blind group of rich idiots who got beaten by a bunch of teenagers? Why would you want to know anything about them?"

Edited July 12, 2018 by MELON LORD

[Konuju]

IC: Shannon Willows/Madison Morrow/Luke - Team Rocket Vermilion Branch

Shannon's gut reaction was to deny Aori's request. Ryan would be absolutely livid if she disappeared like Miyu. It wasn't that Shannon didn't trust Aori to keep her word, but she didn't want to risk losing her. Shannon's words died in her throat as her mind flashed back to her mother denying her own perfectly reasonable request to meet some friends at a nearby park. She bit her lip and knelt down so she was at eye level with Aori.

 

"Promise me you won't leave without us." As the young girl nodded, Shannon turned to her companions. "Luke, keep an eye on her for me."

 

"Hey, when did I become a babysitter?" the blackbelt cried. But Shannon and Madison had already walked off in search of Miyu before he could object further. With a sigh, Luke sat down opposite of Aori. He regarded her with passing interest. She looked way too young to be out here on her own, but Ryan and Shannon seemed to be her only authority figures at the moment. "So you're the girl from One Island, huh?"

 

IC: Dack Majors - Front Desk, Team Rocket Vermilion Branch

Spurred on by Shannon's desperate plea, Dack raced through the halls of the building back to the front desk. He barged through the door to the lobby and slammed his hands on the desk with such ferocity that the receptionist practically leapt out of her seat. It took him several moments to catch his breath. "There's a kid missing here," he panted. "A little girl. You didn't happen to see her go this way, did you?"

 

IC: Dahlia Seaton - Hospital, Lumiose City

Dahlia followed several paces behind Jared. She didn't want Olivia to get lost from the group, but she realized the urgency of speaking with this former Flare scientist. With Jared seemingly focused on what he was going to ask Xerosic, Dahlia turned to her fellow Heroine, who was still admiring her shiny new Volt Badge. "You know, I didn't actually battle against her, but I fought alongside Erika during the battle in Celadon. She didn't give me a Rainbow Badge, but I did get this Turtwig."

 

She held out a Pokéball and released its contents. Nutmeg gave a cheerful little bark as she went up to greet Jamie the only way she knew how -- by headbutting her in the legs.

 

IC: Alex Lockwood/Zoe Llyan - Scarlet Café, Lumiose City

"Yeah, Ryan and I went on all sorts of missions together back in the day," Alex said with a fleeting smile. "It's too bad you didn't get here earlier, I just finished telling my cousin all about it over coffee."

 

"You should come with us," Zoe decided. "That way you can tell us all your cool stories while we travel! Collie says we got all this camping equipment, but I don't think we brought any campfire stories. You can be our noble bard!"

 

"Oh, I don't mean to intrude on your mission," Alex said sheepishly. "I'm off duty right now, visiting my cousin. Not to mention, I don't exactly have the greatest singing voice. I'm afraid I'd make for a pretty terrible bard."

[Flipz]

-==Jam: Olivia and Meyer==-

 

"Training?" Olivia repeated with a curious tone in her voice. "How do ya do that with no powers?"

 

Meyer smiled indulgently at Olivia’s apparent confusion. “Let me tell you a little secret. Pokémon moves aren’t all about flashy powers and giant blasts of energy. They have physical components too, moves that benefit from technique and training just as much as a Black Belt throwing a punch. For Blaziken and me, losing his powers has been a blessing in disguise; for all the time and effort we put into our kicks, it’ll pay off in spades once he’s back to his full glory. It’s just like training with weighted clothes, really, just...harsher.”

 

"Huh, that makes sense… and ya train often with just normal moves?" Olivia seemed curious about that, thinking about how Jhen seemed to be rather close to evolving.

 

“Every day of my life,” Meyer confirmed. A moment later, his Blaziken gave him a gentle shove. “Well,” he amended, “when I didn’t get too busy and forget.”

 

Olivia chuckled at that. "I know that feeling. I thought I'd try my hand at stuff like that, but my team just seemed so unenthused. Like it was just a game because of the power being out. Then we had to travel here and it's not looking like there'll be any chance to work on things…" She let out a sigh, unsure how she would be able to make that work.

 

Meyer nodded sympathetically. “Habits are definitely harder to form when you’re out on the road.” The older man stopped walking for a few moments, considering. “Tell you what. If you’re going to be in Kalos for a while, maybe I can help, introduce little Bree there to a few starting techniques. She seems to have a talent at getting underfoot--Blaziken and I can help hone that into something she can do on purpose.” He offered Olivia a winning smile. “Interested?”

 

Olivia hesitated slightly and bit her lip as she considered the offer. "How would that work?"

 

The man shrugged. “I’d take her home with me, tutor her for a few days, and next time you’re passing through Lumiose you can pick her up again. From there she should know enough for you to keep training her yourself.”

 

Olivia hesitated again at the clarification. "Can I think about that for a moment? I have something I need to do quickly."

 

The man nodded, checking a watch on his wrist. “Of course. Tell you what, Blaziken and I have about an hour to kill before we head home. We’ll wait outside in the truck until then. Sound fair?”

 

The redhead nodded, then quickly headed inside to talk to the hospital's receptionist.

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Jamie Arthur - Lumiose City

 

Jamie's distraction caused her to completely overlook the Turtwig coming over to headbutt her. So when Nutmeg hit, she completely fell over. Jamie held tight to both her gym badge, and the pendant she received from Evan. The two things on her that she didn't want to get hurt. But she was able to take no action to mitigate her fall. She hit her leg hard upon impact with the ground. Not as hard as her face now implied, but pretty hard. Jamie tried to hold back the tears, while slowly turning her head toward's Lucia.

 

"Lucia, it huuurts," she whined, bringing down one arm to hold her leg.

[Flipz]

OOC: bunnying Jared with permission.

 

-==IC: Doctor==-

 

The receptionist quickly ushered the group into the consultation room, where a number of chairs sat in front of a desk with a computer on it. “He’ll be in shortly,” she promised them, before closing the door behind them.

 

True to her word, it was only a few short minutes before an older gray-haired man entered the consultation room--though strangely, he seemed to be wearing sunglasses and pantomiming playing an electric guitar. “Bill, Bill,” he exclaimed, “you have to see what I just--” Upon suddenly registering the room's occupants, he hastily removed the strange-looking shades. “There are people in here,” he observed. “Bill, why are there people in here?”

 

The receptionist was long gone, however. Jared, for his part, seemed singularly unimpressed by the doctor's quirky demeanor. “You’re the doctor in charge?”

 

“Yes, that's me, the Doctor in charge. How can I help you?”

 

“Well--”

 

“That was a rhetorical question, of course, I can't actually help you. I already have a patient. Who I can't talk about. Because some legal something-or-other, Bill, why can't I talk about patients again?”

 

In the silence after the doctor's apparent lapse in memory, only Jamie's whimpering could be heard. It drew his attention, which in turn drew his eyebrows into a frown. “Do I...know you?” He asked curiously, studying both her and Lucia with surprising scrutiny. After a moment, however, he shook his head. “Never mind that. That girl looks like she's in pain, have you considered taking her to a doctor?”

 

Jared looked ready to strangle someone. “I don't understand how you're in charge.”

 

“Basically it's the eyebrows.” The doctor snapped his fingers. “Confidentiality! Right, that's the one! Yes, can't talk about patients thanks to confidentiality.” He opened his mouth as if to continue, but stopped, seeming to lose his train of thought entirely. “Remind me why you’re here again?”

[Konuju]

IC: Dahlia Seaton - Hospital, Lumiose City

"Ohmigosh, Jamie, are you alright?" Dahlia snatched the Turtwig up into her arms, giving Nutmeg a slight scolding before kneeling next to Jamie's side opposite Lucia. "I'm so sorry about that. Nutmeg doesn't know her own strength sometimes. She didn't mean it."

 

The Turtwig let out a hesitant cry, clearly uncomfortable at the sight of the bawling girl. Waving her stubby little arms, she tried to break free of Dahlia's hold, but the gardener held her too tight. Reluctantly, she settled for simply voicing her apology to the girl with large, puppy-wig eyes.

 

Dahlia's breath caught in her throat. While Jamie lay before her in unknowingly exaggerated pain, the Heroine of Reverse couldn't help but remember the last time she'd been before a person in pain, back in Keturi City. Holding out a shaking hand, she gingerly set her palm down on Jamie's leg. "I . . . I might be able to help," she said in a low voice. "I haven't had much practice, but if there's a break or fracture, I can reverse the injury. If not, I can at least make the pain go away." It was a clever if unintentional ruse, she realized. Even if her powers weren't able to fully reverse the pain, the placebo effect would still give Jamie some sense of relief, like a mother kissing her child's wound. She looked into her fellow Heroine's tear-filled eyes. "What do you say?"

[Flipz]

-==Jam: Olivia and Meyer==-

Olivia noticed that the others were still not around, then went up to the receptionist. She chatted for a bit as she tried her best to set up an appointment. Thankfully, there was an opening for a consultation at the end of the week. Relieved, she walked back outside with a nervous smile before the others could return. The Rocket mulled over Meyer's offer in her head - could she leave Bree with him for that long? Olivia bit her lip again, as she slowly approached the truck.

 

“Olivia!” the man greeted. “Decided to let Bree train up then?”

 

"I'm not really sure…" The woman said slowly, as she still seemed conflicted. "I like the idea, but… Bree hasn't really gone without me since I got her, so I'm not sure if it'd work to leave her with someone I just met…" Olivia wasn't sure how to exactly phrase it, since she did want Bree to be able to learn things. She just wondered if it would work out well.

 

Meyer nodded. “It’s hard, watching your kids grow up and go out into the world. But at some point they have to do it.” Seeing Olivia wasn’t quite convinced, he added, “Rest assured, if I can raise a Gym Leader and an Ace Trainer, I can handle your little spitfire for a week.”

 

Olivia looked surprised at that mention, then thought for a moment. She looked down at her chirping Torchic. "Bree? What do ya say? Wanna spend a week with Meyer?"

 

Bree looked up in surprise, then looked between the kind man and her own trainer thoughtfully, as if it were a decision that would be ever present for all eternity. A moment passed, then she nodded with a happy chirp.

 

Meyer grinned at the Chick Pokémon. “Glad to hear it. Hop on in,” he said, holding open the pickup’s door. While the tiny Fire-type embarked, Meyer wrote a quick note on a scrap of paper and passed it to Bree’s Trainer. “Here,” he said, “my address, home number, and Holo Caster code. I’m not the best with the latter, though, so try to save it for emergencies, okay?”

 

"Alright." Olivia still looked a little nervous as she took the note, but gave a smile. "Thanks for the help too. I hope she doesn't give ya too much trouble."

 

“After some of Bonnie’s partners…believe me, she won’t,” Meyer promised with a chuckle. “She’s in good hands. And in the meantime, feel free to call and check in whenever you’d like. Take care.”

 

Olivia chuckled at that as she watched Meyer get into the truck. "Alright, will do." The woman watched as the truck began to drive off. She hoped that it was a good decision, but… if this worked, then maybe it could help a lot of other things out too.

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Jamie Arthur - The ground

 

Jamie looked away, her lip quivering. She didn't want to appear weak in front of her rival. But it hurt. Who made the ground that hard? Her cheeks were flush with embarrassment. The heroine nodded weakly to Dahlia's request. The little part of her that wasn't affected by the pain, told her it would be really cool to see her fellow heroine's abilities up close. But she mostly just wanted her leg to stop hurting. 

[Konuju]

IC: Dahlia Seaton - Hospital, Lumiose City

Dahlia placed her hand on Jamie's injured leg and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and willed the power of Reverse to flow through her. A soft glow enveloped her hand as she directed the energy into Jamie's leg. The bone didn't feel broken, so ideally the powers would undo the Heroine of Time's pain, but Dahlia couldn't be sure how well it would work. When she felt she had expelled enough power, she peeked her eyes open and glanced over at Jamie. "Does it feel any better?"

[MELON LORD]

IC: Jared Winters

 

Jared scowled. He looked to his companions for assistance, but none seemed forthcoming. "We need to talk to your patient, about a rather sensitive matter. Is he available, or have you already put him under?"

 

IC: Lachina Adaon

 

The Ranger waved her hand lightly, smiling. "No worries, this mission was sort of an open call to aid, so you're more than welcome to join in if you want."

 

IC: Yamamoto Aori

 

"Yes, I am." Aori didn't know why Hikari-san's friend was speaking to her. She didn't need somebody to keep an eye on her; she really was going to sit in the chair until Hikari-san was done with his meeting. There was no reason for this other man to wait with her, let alone talk to her. She chewed her lip, thinking hard on what to say next. "I am Yamamoto Aori. Hikari-san helped rescue me from the monsters."

 

She hugged Yuri softly as she thought of the creatures she had seen while trying to escape. They were so much like Pokémon, and yet they were also completely alien to her. She didn't want to think of what might have happened if that strawberry-haired boy hadn't saved her from the building, or if Hikari-san hadn't taken her to the boat.

 

That not-thinking led to her trying not to think of what had happened to her parents. Separated during the initial surge of people, she hadn't seen them since the sirens had started to wail. If they had run into some of those creatures . . . Papa had had his sword and his Pokémon. What if he had tried to fight? Aori's chest tightened, and, before she could stop them, tears burned in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She buried her face in the soft fur around Yuri's neck as she tried to hide her crying.

[Konuju]

IC: Alex Lockwood/Zoe Llyan - Scarlet Café, Lumiose City

"We can always use more friends!" Zoe said cheerfully as she finished off her croissant. "Come on, join us! It'll be so cool!"

 

Alex scratched the back of his head, a little intimidated by both girls' straightforward approaches. "Well . . . I'll consider it, for sure. But I should probably see what Em wants to do. She only just got back from her Showcase Tour, and it'd be rude of me to just walk out on her to join some mission, even if the mission is . . ." he eyed Zoe, a little thrown off by her choice of words. "'Cool.'"

 

IC: Luke - Outside Miriam's Office, Team Rocket Vermilion Branch

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Luke quickly walked up to Aori's chair and knelt next to her. He knew next to nothing about making little kids feel better, but he knew he'd get chewed out if everyone came back to a bawling Aori under his watch. "Um . . . don't cry. Please? Look, I know things are sad and those monsters are super scary, but look on the bright side. You found your Hikari-san and Willows-san, and I know they're going to do whatever it takes to help you out. Did you know that Hikari-san helped out Willows-san when he first met her in Celadon City? Really, you couldn't ask to be in better hands. So, um . . ."

 

Thinking quickly, he sent out his Machoke. The Pokémon took one look at the bawling girl, then gave his trainer an exasperated look. Luke gave him a sharp elbow to the side accompanied by a sidelong grin. The Karate Pokémon opened his mouth in realization, then began bawling loudly. Even when he did have powers he never knew how to use Fake Tears, but it was still a formidable attempt.

 

"So don't cry, Aori," Luke said with a smile. "It's nothing to get Machoked up about." At once his Machoke quit crying and gave a hearty laugh at the joke, matching his trainer's grin.

 

IC: Shannon Willows/Madison Morrow - Hallways, Team Rocket Vermilion Branch

"Miyu!" Shannon cried as she ran through the hallways, looking into various rooms. "Miyu, where are you?!"

 

"Miyu!" Madison echoed her friend's cry, a little perturbed that the quiet kid wasn't answering. Shannon seemed to be growing more and more desperate with each passing second. "Hey." Madison placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Listen, she can't have gone far, right? Keep it together, Shannon. If you break down now, you'll never find her. So chin up. Between you, me, and Dack, we're bound to find her."

 

Shannon sniffled, surprised at the tears that were trying to force themselves out of her eyes. She nodded at the skier and looked away. "Of course we'll find her," she muttered, although she didn't seem to quite believe those words. "Miyu!" she cried out again. "Miyu, quit hiding! We're all really worried about you!"

[Parugi]

IC - Executive Scott Stone - Memory House, Lavender Town:

 

"I--yeah, but . . ." Scott struggled to find a response. With an exasperated sigh, he followed Lafoyae out of the Memory House. "Okay, so what do you suggest we do next?"

 

 

IC - Receptionist - Front Desk, Team Rocket Vermilion Base:

 

It took some time for the receptionist to even begin to recover from Dack's violent arrival. "I--um--a missing kid? No, I-I can't say so, no, uh . . ." She scrambled for a notepad and a pen. "Um, what's her--what does she look like?" Her pen moved quickly and shakily as she wrote down Dack's description--white hair, pale skin, tealish dress with purple trim. "Okay, um--let me call security really quick, one sec."

 

The phone rang just as she was reaching for it, prompting another jump from surprise. The receptionist gathered her bearings and picked it up.

 

"Front desk, can you please hol--" she cut herself off. "Wait--no, never mind, I was just about to call you. Did you happen to--" She fell silent as the person on the other end spoke. "No, I--that's the first I've heard. Why would any cameras be shutting down? It's not the riot outside, right?" The receptionist offered a confused look to Dack. "No, that's--I'll get Section 2 to look into it right now, but--wait, no, don't hang up yet! You haven't seen a little girl running around on the security cameras, have you?" A pause. "Okay--okay, I'll--got it. Thanks. Yes, I'll call Section 2 in a second. Bye."

 

She hung up and looked at Dack.

 

"I'm sorry, sir, your daughter isn't on any feeds right now," she said. "But we just had some cameras go down near the hatchery not too far from here, maybe she's there? If you can wait I'll have some guards from that section here shortly to help you look."

 

 

IC - Blackskull/John Ford - Ford's Cell, The Alamo:

 

Nothing extraordinary happened on the way to the prison block. As usual, the VIP sector wasn't terribly busy, owing to the fact that with Vert's recent relocation back into her old office, only around four cells were currently occupied--one by the Searcher Commander Kayne Koden; one by the top Searcher himself, having recently reappeared through a strange portal and brought to Liberty's leadership; another by Ford-follower Madison Hayes; and the last by the big fish, the one behind the current worldly mess--John Ford, the Shadowed Man.

 

Of course, "not terribly busy" did not mean "quiet." In a strange turn away from the norm, the sound of . . . some sort of interrogation echoed down the halls to the elevator, coming from the direction of Ford's cell. Blackskull offered a bemused look to Lohe before leading him further toward the source of the noise. Turning the corner, the Liberty Leader was astounded to see a man at the door to Ford's cell, alternating between asking questions and demanding answers of the Shadowed Man. For his part, Ford seemed to be holding up fairly well, though it was clear from his expression that he did not quite know how to react to what was happening.

 

Blackskull cleared his throat. "Excuse me," he called. "What is the meaning of this?"

 

 

IC - Sonja Baron/Kyle Eston/Emmerich Coleman - Mt. Silver, Johto:

 

"No, I feel that, too," Sonja called. "Do as Ray says and turn left, Onix."

 

"Man, you guys are demanding," Kyle said over his shoulder. He leaned down closer to the Onix's head. "Take a left, Vailian. Just go where Ray and Sonja say." He looked back over his shoulder. "You can call him 'Vailian,' by the way!"

 

"Alright," Sonja responded. She couldn't quite describe it, but the pulling sensation was getting stronger--like the sensation of pushing two magnets against each other. And with the speed they were moving . . . "Vailian, stop!"

 

The sudden jolt almost sent his passengers flying. Kyle made a mental note that they would need to work on that. They had arrived a little bit up from the base of Mt. Silver. All around them, mountains blocked the view of the horizon. The morning dew glistened in the sun. One by one, each trainer hopped off of Vailian's back. Kyle recalled the Onix, looking around.

 

"Is this it?" Kyle asked. "I don't see anything."

 

Sonja took a few steps forward, momentarily silent. "I'm not sure, but . . . I think so," she said. "I can't explain it, but I feel something here." She seemed to stare into space for a few moments. "Fan out, but keep close. Just . . . look for anything unusual."

[Flipz]

-==IC: Doctor==-

 

The man's fierce-looking eyebrows knitted together. "I'm afraid my patient is not available, and won't be for some time. Can't tell you any more than that." He paused. "I suppose...I could take a message, for if he regains--er, rather, if he becomes available. I cannot do more than that, I'm afraid."

[MELON LORD]

IC: Jared Winters

 

Jared considered the doctor critically and shook his head. "No, thanks." Even if he did leave a message, he somehow doubted Xerosic would get it and respond to it.

 

He turned to Dahlia and her two friends. "Let's go find Olivia, then we can call Colleen and see about finding a place to bunker down for the night."

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Jamie Arthur - Lumiose hospital

 

Someone who knew more about Dahlia's current mastery of her abilities might have chalked up the removal of pain to the placebo effect, but Jamie did not have that knowledge. When she stopped hurting, she completely ascribed credit to Dahlia.

 

"Whoa. That's so cool, Dahlia," she said gratefully. "That's totally hero."

Edited July 16, 2018 by Metal Gear Minun

[Flipz]

IC: Colleen

"That's very cool." Colleen smiled for a moment, but then thought for a moment. "But what about the other events? The ones they helped out with, about Team Flare?"

 

IC: Emily Lockwood

 

Emily cupped her chin in her hand and looked like she was trying not to yawn. "Team Flare? You mean that fashion-blind group of rich idiots who got beaten by a bunch of teenagers? Why would you want to know anything about them?"

-==IC: Professor Elaine Alderson==-

 

Elaine went cold.

 

“Team Flare…” There were many things she could say about Team Flare, none of which were suitable for mixed company, let alone a cafe where parents and children came regularly. Despite her restraint, however, the venom in her voice was just as vicious as the profanity she prevented herself from proffering.

 

Heads turned. Ears perked. Orange eyes watched sharply, before turning away.

 

The professor took a long, deep breath to calm herself. “Listen, and listen well,” she said, tone brooking no interruption. “Team Flare, no matter what people may say, is no trifling matter. People say ‘but they failed at everything they tried.’ Doesn’t matter. ‘But the Champions beat their takeover of the Poké Ball factory as mere children.’ Doesn’t matter. ‘But they blew themselves to kingdom come and won’t ever return.’ Doesn’t matter, and worse, they’re wrong.”

 

“Team Flare took my brother, my ex-husband…even the very memory of my late son, spirits rest his poor soul. But those people didn’t start with Lysandre, and they won’t end with him. The spirit of those monsters was alive and well in Ezekiel’s heart long before anyone had the idea of ‘Team Flare’, back when I was young and foolish and couldn’t recognize it for what it is. It’s poison, of the very darkest sort, and it destroys everything it touches for the mere sake of it, for sheer hate. The important thing to remember about Team Flare isn’t who they were, or what they did. It’s that they’re still alive now, not in name, but in spirit, and if we’re not careful, they can spring up in our very own hearts.”

 

Elaine blinked and stumbled, not registering how or when she’d gotten to her feet. Her arms trembled as she shakily sat back down, feeling every bit her age and well more besides. “I think,” she said, with trepidation, “that I’d like to go visit Augustine now. Perhaps he’d be willing to put an old colleague up for the night.”

[Konuju]

IC: Dahlia Seaton - Hospital, Lumiose City

Dahlia grinned at the praise from her fellow hero. "Any time, Jamie. I'm happy to be of help." The gardener stood up and looked over at Jared. "No luck with Xerosic?" Her lip curled into a frown. "Well, I guess it can't be helped. Come on, Olivia's probably waiting for us in the lobby." She reached out a hand to offer to help Jamie up to her feet. "Hopefully Colleen and the others had better luck than we did."

 

IC: Dack Majors - Front Desk, Team Rocket Vermilion Outpost

"She's not my--" Dack bit his lip. It wasn't worth it to argue specifics with the receptionist, not to mention he didn't really want to get into the awkward conversation of why a grown man was looking for a little girl who wasn't his daughter. It was best to just roll with the punches. "Alright, thanks for your help." As he took a seat to wait for the guards, he sent a quick message to Madison, explaining what he'd learned.

 

IC: Shannon Willows/Madison Morrow - Hallways, Team Rocket Vermilion Outpost

"Hold up!" Madison called out as her Pokégear beeped. She glanced at the message from Dack. "Miyu might be in the hatchery, we should look for her there. Apparently the security cameras went out in that area."

 

"Security cameras?" Shannon stopped running through the halls and looked over at the skier with a frown. "You think Miyu might have disabled the cameras somehow? How would she even know to do that? And for what purpose?"

 

Madison pocketed her Pokégear and gave Shannon a hard look. "How much do you really know about this girl, Shannon? I don't want to come off as paranoid, but when we were growing up in Snowpoint City, we were all taught to be on the lookout for Liberty spies hiding in our midst."

 

"Are you suggesting that Miyu's some sort of spy?" Shannon cried out. "She and Aori are just kids!"

 

"So is half of Team Liberty if you haven't noticed," Madison said pointedly. "And I'm not suggesting anything, I'm merely pointing out the possibility. Face it, you don't know anything about these two kids aside from that footage of Aori in the news, right? Because if it wasn't Miyu that disabled those cameras . . ." the skier's face turned dark. "Then we've got a much bigger problem on our hands, and that girl is in very real danger. Either way, it's imperative that we find her as soon as possible."

 

"R-right." Shannon looked around. "Er . . . do you know where the hatchery is?"

 

For all her serious talk, Madison's face broke out into a sheepish grin. "Um, not really. I guess we'd better ask around."

 

IC: Ryan Sanders - Base of Mt. Silver

Ryan hopped off Vailian and began to look around. "You think Ford's base could be somewhere around here?" With a flash of light, he sent out Quil and Garchomp to help search the mountainside as well. Together, they combed the cliffs and overturned various stones hoping to find some sort of secret passageway. "I don't suppose we could just say 'Open Sesame' and have the entrance magically appear," he muttered. Shaking his head, he looked over at Sonja and Ray. "If the two of you were drawn to this place, maybe you have to be the ones to open the door."

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Natalie -- Black City==-

 

The wording of what Guin said made Natalie a little curious, but she nodded. No matter what, she needed to keep her poker face while in here, or things could get very hairy. Natalie wondered how they would get the information this time, but was prepared to use the Yuki disguise once again.

 

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

 

"Alright. Where's the studio from here?"

 

-==IC: Taylor -- The Alamo==-

 

"Oww..." Taylor grabbed her forehead as she looked up, first in annoyance at being crashed into, then in recognition as she saw who it was. "Oh! There you are, Claus; I've been looking all over for you. How's it going?"

 

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

 

Lucia felt torn with everything seemingly happening at once. She wanted to pay attention to what was happening, but then she was distracted by what happened to Jamie. She wanted to help out Jamie after that, but then was distracted by the oddly familiar doctor after he showed up. She ignored him to fish for first aid supplies from her bag, but then Dahlia took care of that. She was going to respond to the doctor again, but then Jared decided it was time to go. Lucia just ended up giving up and quickly organized her bag while waiting for the others. She stayed just as quiet when they actually started to leave the room.

 

-==IC: Olivia -- Lumiose City==-

 

The redhead looked up as the hospital doors opened and the rest of the group walked out. "Any luck?" Olivia asked with a curious look on her face as their faces implied that they hadn't.

 

-==IC: Colleen -- Scarlet Café, Lumiose City (Partial Jam with Merc)==-

 

Colleen stayed quiet as she listened to what Elaine had to say. It definitely fit with what she'd heard from Xander and everyone else who seemed to want to actually talk about Flare. She slowly stood up and nodded. "Alright. I need to go get my sister and friend first." The aura wielder said. She paused briefly. "Oh, what are you gonna do, Emily?"

 

Emily smiled lightly. "That depends on what Alex wishes to do. If he's going with you, then so am I."

 

Colleen seemed surprised, but nodded after that, a small smile on her face. "That's pretty nice." Before they began to move, she bit her lip. "Maybe I could try and give some aura training too if you come along? I mean, there's no real guarantees but it could be nice to try..."

 

The Performer's eyes lit up and she nodded. "I'd love that!"

 

Colleen's grin widened at the response. "Alright, that sounds like a plan. Let's go find the others, then." The girl glanced around to try and find the others, though it didn't take too long to find her hammy sister. She led the other two over, as she walked up to the table.

 

"Heya, looks like we have to go now."

 

-==IC: Ray/Chloe -- Mount Silver==-

 

"Hmm..." Ray looked around to try and find the source of whatever it was that was causing this odd sensation. Chloe and Ray combed the area, but didn't seem to find anything with just a glance. Ray felt an odd sensation as he searched over by one corner, however. "I might have something over here."

 

As Chloe walked over to where Ray was, the orange haired man brushed aside some of the brush near the wall. Hidden behind it, he noticed a rune engraved on the wall. It was a fancy symbol that vaguely resembled a "JF". Tentatively, Ray held his hand out toward it, as he wondered if this was why he felt such a pull.

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Claus Diamond - Four Island

"Hi Taylor..." Claus said as he nursed his own new bump. "New rule: we shout the instant we see each other so we don't bump into each other deal?"

 

Claus shook his head to shake away the pain. He had something important to talk about.
 

"I got a lead about my father, actually. I was looking for you right now. Would you come to Sinnoh with me."

 

 

IC: Miriam Shields - Vermilion branch

 

"I'll send you the address, but we've rented out a shipyard and turned it into an impromptu set. We want to use imagery that would bring to mind your actions at One Island," she said as she sent the address to Ryan's phone.

 

"I will meet you there. I made someone else wait so I could speak to you. I suppose I owe them hearing them out at least."

[Konuju]

IC: Dahlia Seaton - Outside Hospital, Lumiose City
Dahlia shook her head as they approached her sister. "Nope, they wouldn't let us talk to Xerosic. Jared says we should try and find the others and find a spot to crash for the night." The gardener glanced over at Jamie and Lucia as she adjusted the straps of the backpack of supplies she carried. "We got all this camping stuff for our mission, but we weren't planning on you two and Mr. Zyther joining us. Hopefully you don't mind if we squeeze three to a tent."
 
IC: Alex Lockwood/Zoe Llyan - Scarlet Café, Lumiose City
The sudden outburst seemed to draw the attention of everyone in the café. It was with slight horror that Alex realized the ranting woman was the same one Colleen and Emma had gone to talk with. The shocked expression remained on his face until his cousin and the aura wielder drew close to their table, the latter announcing that her party would be leaving.
 
"Hey, Collie!" Zoe said excitedly as her Meditite scarfed down the remains of the last croissant. "Our new friend here knows Ryan Sanders, and he's gonna be joining us on our quest!"
 
"Hey, I never agreed to that!" Alex raised his hands defensively, casting an apologetic look at his cousin. "Like I said, we have to wait and see what Emma wants. You can't just rope us in like that."
 
In response, Zoe hummed a short little tune. "There, I played the recruitment theme. Now you're both official party members. No takebacks."
 
IC: Dack Majors/Madison Morrow/Shannon Willows - Team Rocket Vermilion Base
It didn't take long for the security officers to arrive in the lobby to escort Dack down to the hatchery. "Missing kid, huh?" one of the officers said to Dack with a smile that was clearly meant to calm his nerves. "How old is she?"
 
"Uh, five . . . ish." Dack pulled the number out of the air, figuring a straight answer would ward off further questioning.
 
"And cursed with a need to explore every nook and cranny, am I right?" The guard chuckled heartily. Dack merely nodded in response. The more he thought about it, the more this whole situation troubled him. If Miyu really was trying to sabotage the base, why start with the hatchery? What purpose would that serve? He shook his head with a sigh. For all he knew, the girl just wanted a Pokémon partner of her own.
 
"Dack!" Madison's cry pulled him out of his thoughts, and he turned to see the skier and Shannon running up to their group, accompanied by Shannon's trio of Pokémon. "I figured we might run into you before reaching the hatchery," Madison said as she fell into stride next to him. "Any more clues since your last update?"
 
Dack shook his head. "All we know is that the hatchery cameras went out. Miyu might not even be there, it could be a completely unrelated incident."
 
The guards led them through a set of double doors into what at first glance appeared to be some sort of waiting room. Comfy chairs lined the walls, intermixed with several potted plants that gave off the kind of comforting atmosphere Dack would expect from a hospital. The friendly officer tapped Dack on the shoulder. "Is that your kid?" He pointed to the far side of the room, which was adorned with a large bay window and a sturdy-looking door with a keypad on the handle. Sure enough, the pale girl that had followed Shannon into the building stood at the window, perched up on her tiptoes as she appeared to be studying the eggs that lay on the other side of the glass.
 
"Miyu!" Shannon wasted no time in running over to the girl, pulling her into a tight embrace. "Oh, Miyu, don't ever run off like that again. We were all so worried about you! What are you doing all the way out here?" Selena, Sousa, and Salix all crowded around Shannon and Miyu, each of them happy for the reunion.
 
As the security officers fanned out to investigate the faulty cameras, Madison gave Dack a gentle nudge. "It's kind of sweet how much she cares about those kids she just met. I bet Shannon will make a great mother someday." Dack looked over at Madison and saw an odd sparkle in her eyes. "I'm impressed by how much you were willing to help, too. It must be your fatherly instinct coming out."
 
"Speaking of fatherly," Dack tore his eyes away from Madison to look back at Shannon and Miyu. "We should probably let Ryan know what happened. He seemed just as worried as Shannon." Raising his Pokétch, Dack snapped a picture of the tearful reunion to send to Ryan along with a brief message: "We found her."
 
The moment Dack hit the Send button, his blood turned icy as a chill crept its way down his spine. The picture he had taken did not match the heartwarming scene before him. "Shannon." Dack's throat seemed to clench up, causing his words to sound strained. He realized his hand was shaking. "You need to get away from her. Now."
 
The golden-haired girl released her embrace but remained kneeling next to Miyu. She regarded Dack with a look of befuddlement. "What's the problem? Don't tell me you think Miyu busted the cameras on purpose. She's just a kid!"
 
Dack instinctively reached a hand toward his Pokéballs. His other hand pointed at the girl next to Shannon. "That's not Miyu," he said in a low voice.
 
Madison peered at the Pokétch adorning Dack's outstretched arm and her breath caught in her throat. The screen still displayed the picture he had taken moments before. It showed a teary-eyed, emotional Shannon, but in her arms where Miyu should have been she held a pale, bald figure whose face was as blank and featureless as a mannequin.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Ryan Hikari -- Vermilion City Rocket Branch==-

 

Ryan nodded as he reached for his Poké Gear to check on the address. "I don't know if it would help, but the reason I came to Vermilion was to help out the girl from that video, Aori." The black-haired man glanced up at Miriam for a moment. "Her parents are... MIA currently. So..." His eyes traveled back down to the screen - two messages. Out of curiosity, he opened the one from Dack first. Ryan smiled at the message, but then froze when the image loaded.

 

That wasn't Miyu.

 

"We need to go." Ryan's voice took on an urgent tone as he suddenly stood up. "There is something very wrong right now, and we need to get to the others right now." The man's hand shot to his Tyranitar's Poké Ball as he headed toward the door. "You might get a look at the amazing evolving Tyranitar sooner than you thought."

 

-==IC: Taylor -- The Alamo, Four Island==-

 

Taylor was about to respond to Claus' comment about yelling out as soon as they saw each other - but the mention of a lead on Lucas was enough to distract her. "I'm in." The young woman said, as she glanced down at her watch. "I still haven't been able to get a hold of my dad either. Maybe..." She bit her lip - she didn't want to say that things were connected in case it wasn't a good thing. "Maybe we'll hear from him while we're there."

 

With a moment's pause, she glanced back at Claus. "When do we leave?"

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander Cruize/Aspen Seaton - Alamo Barracks, late at night/early morning

 

Xander frowned and rolled up the map he'd made, stowing it in the drawer of his desk before standing. He didn't have his psionics, so he couldn't read the person on the other side of the door, but it was the Alamo. Nobody would be stupid enough to attack a Liberty Agent -- one who hadn't even done anything particularly noteworthy -- in the middle of the complex when Pokémon power was gone.

 

He opened the door and smiled lightly when he saw his guest. "Aspen, hey, what's up?"

 

The younger boy shrugged. "Not a lot. I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk and saw your light was on. Thought I'd stop in and see what you were up to."

 

Xander stepped aside with a nod. "Come on in, then. I'm just going over some stuff for the mission your sisters went on."

 

"Right, yeah, I think Liv mentioned something like that. To Kalos, right?" Aspen looked around. Xander's room was fairly spartan in terms of decoration; no pictures on the wall, only a couple of small frames on the dresser, and that was it. The bed was currently occupied by the sleeping form of Sylph and a small mass of furry creatures. The light Aspen had seen was Xander's desk lamp.

 

"Yeah, that's right." Xander rolled the chair out for Aspen to sit in while he himself leaned on the edge of the desk. "I'm keeping Kalos time right now, so if you ever find yourself unable to sleep, you can probably come visit. Mostly I'm just waiting on them to call in with news of any sort, so I have plenty of time to kill."

 

Aspen nodded, considering that. "Thanks. Who all went with them?"

 

Xander started listing on his fingers. "Well, the only ones who took me up immediately were Dahlia and Collette. Dahlia roped Jared and Lachina into helping, and Chloe convinced Olivia to come. Chloe, Ryan, and some others are going to be joining up in Kalos at a later time, as well."

 

"Pretty big group," Aspen commented. "Do you know everyone that went, then?"

 

"Not really. Dahlia's probably the person I know the most out of that first group, and then Ryan and Chloe in the second group, but that's honestly it. I wasn't looking for people I knew, though. I was looking for people that I could count on, and the people I knew reached out and vouched for others. We had a small thing in Keturi, and that was where I got the measure of most of the group."

 

Aspen nodded again, thinking quietly. He had talked with Lachina for a bit, but he still wasn't entirely sure of her silver-haired friend. Something about him made Aspen uneasy. "So, you sent my sisters off with three people you hardly knew to investigate something across the world while you sit here and wait on a phone call?"

 

Xander sighed, shaking his head. "I didn't send your sisters. I sent volunteers. And, to be frank, I would much rather they had stayed here, too. I was wanting to go myself, but Goldhawk said no. I was injured, or else I would be in Kalos right now." As he said it, the psychic trainer flexed his left hand and winced.

 

Aspen scowled. "But you still don't know Jared, Lachina, or Collette at all, right?"

 

"I don't know any of them that well. Your sisters will look after themselves and each other. Jared seems like a capable person, Lachina is a Pokémon Ranger, and Collette is a Liberty Agent just like you and me. I wasn't in a position to be picky about who I sent, but I think your sisters -- that is, the Team Rocket Agent and Giratina's envoy -- are in good hands and can take care of themselves and each other, even if the rest of the group wasn't up to snuff." Xander's voice was a bit sterner than he intended it to be; he knew where Aspen was coming from, but it was still a bit irritating.

 

Aspen frowned thoughtfully. "I guess you're right," he admitted hesitantly. "Sorry. I just . . ."

 

Xander waved a hand, shaking his head. "They're your sisters, and you're going to worry about them. If you weren't also recovering, do you think I wouldn't have asked you to go along?"

 

Aspen shrugged. "I guess not."

 

"Definitely not. You would have been one of the first people I called right along with Ryan, Evan, Chloe, and Dahlia." Xander smiled reassuringly. "But hey, enough of the serious mission talk. I haven't seen you in a while, what's new?"

 

"Oh, well, my cast is supposed to come off soon, maybe even tomorrow. They'll fit me with a boot and then I can start walking a bit more at a time from there."

 

Xander grinned. "Hey, that's great news!" At this exclamation, there was a tired bark from the bed. Both boys turned to see Ellen the Eevee giving them a sleepy glare. Xander chuckled. "Sorry, sorry. Hey, Aspen, if you're up anyways, how about we go grab a late dinner -- or, early breakfast? Either way."

 

Aspen nodded. "Yeah, sounds good." He stood carefully and followed Xander out of the room.

 

IC: Emily Lockwood

 

Emma chuckled at the antics of Colleen's sister. "Relax, Alex. I'm willing to come along. Collie -- dear, you don't mind if I call you Collie, do you? -- is going to try to teach me how to use aura." She glanced back at her table and hummed. "I think my aunt Elaine is worried for us, though. I wonder if it would ease her mind if we let her come along, as well."

 

IC: Jared Winters

 

"If nothing else, I don't mind sleeping outside if the weather is clear." Jared shrugged. "We'll figure it out, I'm sure."

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Miriam Shields - Vermilion branch

 

"W-what?" Miriam said, surprised by Ryan's words and movements. She picked up two Luxury Balls that were on the table then began to type a message on her tablet as she began to follow after Ryan.

 

"Agent Hikari, where are we going?" Miriam shouted after Ryan.

 

 

IC: Claus Diamond - Four Island

 

Claus took a moment to get his thoughts together. He hadn't actually planned so far ahead. He'd have to get permission first, and check Zack's schedule. And yet that didn't stop him from saying, "The day after tomorrow."

 

If he had a day, he could figure it out, Claus reasoned. "Yeah, don't worry. They'll probably be annoyed we went through the effort for nothing."

[Konuju]

IC: Alex Lockwood/Zoe Llyan - Scarlet Café, Lumiose City

"So you want to become an aura wielder now?" Alex stifled a chuckle as he thought back to his first time in Unova, when Liberty Executive Jayron Aaron had shown him how to speak to his Espeon through telepathy. At the time the executive -- who also happened to be Liberty's resident aura wielder -- had told him it took a combination of natural ability and years of training to master aura. And yet here Emma was just going to learn it on a whim like a child wanting to take up karate.

 

"Hey, no fair!" Zoe pouted. "Collie still needs to teach me how to use aura, and she only lets her closest friends call her Collie!"

 

Figuring it would be an apt time to change the subject, Alex followed his cousin's gaze to the woman who had spouted off that rant earlier. "So that's your aunt you were talking to? We should probably let Colleen have the final say on whether she joins us, but I don't see a problem with it."

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Ryan Hikari -- Vermilion City Rocket Branch==-

 

"I..." Ryan paused for a moment, then wrote up a message quickly asking where the others where. "I'm going to find that out now. But this is what's up." The man flipped back to the image and held the Poké Gear up so Miriam could see. "My friends are in danger from the looks of it. I don't know how to explain it."

 

-==IC: Taylor Beryl -- The Alamo, Four Island==-

 

"Alright." Taylor nodded in response, not feeling confident enough to respond to the comment about their dads feeling annoyed. "I have most of my stuff still packed, so it shouldn't be a problem to be ready by then at all."

 

-==IC: Colleen Llyan -- Lumiose City==-

 

"I have no problem with your aunt joining." Colleen said with a smile. She decided to not respond to Zoe's protests, especially since they had in fact trained just the night before. Still, she wasn't entirely certain about the nickname... she thought things over for a moment, and decided that one person wouldn't hurt. "I don't mind you calling me Collie for now."

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Miriam Shields - Vermilion Rocket branch

 

"What in-" she paused as she took a look around the scenery in the room in the picture. "The hatchery."
 

She finished typing her message and sent it to the executive in charge of the branch.

 

"I've requested reinforcements. Let's get down to the hatchery, immediately."

[Parugi]

IC - Sonja Baron/Kyle Eston/Emmerich Coleman - Mt. Silver, Johto:

 

It hardly took a touch from Ray to elicit a reaction. The rune glowed a bright, ethereal green. From its center, glowing lines spider-webbed outward, etching into the surrounding stone and air. Before their very eyes, the lines formed a three-dimensional box, which slowly filled in with texture and detail. Soon the light faded to reveal a tall, ebony elevator.

 

A stunned silence fell on the group as Sonja, Kyle, and Emmerich gathered with the others.

 

"Wow," Kyle said at last. "That's . . ."

 

"Definitely magic," Sonja said. "And definitely what we're looking for." Without a second thought, she stepped toward the elevator. The doors opened, allowing her inside. "Come on. We're going down."

 

 

IC - "Miyu"/Nobuddy - Hatchery, Vermilion Rocket Base:

 

'Miyu' tilted her--its?--head at Dack. The little girl in front of them looked pleasantly confused. The six-foot-tall figure behind the illusion, legs currently wrapped in Shannon's arms, bore no such expression. It tilted its head, impassive, staring with an eyeless face at Dack. Miyu's form shimmered, and a familiar boy appeared in her place.

 

"Dack?"

Edited July 18, 2018 by Parugi

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Chloe/Ray -- Mount Silver==-

 

As the group made their way onto the elevator, Chloe thought about the things that had happened the last few days. She sighed and looked at the Poké Balls that lined her purse strap. She wondered if she had become hesitant to rely on her team despite how strong they were even without their powers. Still, she didn't want a repeat of what happened to Kamina. She'd use them if there was a good opportunity to, but not if they would be put into unnecessary danger.

 

Ray, meanwhile, marveled at the sight of the elevator, amazed by how it had just appeared, but also how it felt so... real, for lack of a better word. He looked over the interior of the elevator as he waited for them to descend, curiously looking at the walls and mechanics that they could see, to try and understand it better in any way.

 

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

 

The man nodded as he opened the door and walked through. He saw Aori and Luke waiting there for him, but no-one else, which felt troubling. He figured that Luke had been asked to keep Aori back and watch over her, and was thankful for that at least.

 

"Luke, we're headed to the hatchery, there's trouble. Can you continue to keep an eye on Aori, please? Things could get... rough." Ryan didn't want to actually explain what was happening - or his suspicions about Dack's message - but he didn't have any time to argue about things at the moment.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan Sanders - Mt. Silver, Johto

Ryan couldn't believe his eyes. The last time he had been to Mt. Silver with Alex, Jake, and Alec, they had probably passed right over Ford's base without even realizing it. That thought led to a sudden feeling of apprehension. They were about to enter Ford's base. He had always known their intended destination, but it hadn't really sunk in until now. The Shadowed Man, an enigma that had eluded both Rocket and Liberty, was about to have his secrets laid bare. Recalling his Typhlosion, Ryan followed the others into the apparently magical elevator. Once everyone was inside the doors slid shut of their own accord.

 

For the briefest of moments Ryan panicked, wondering if this was all an elaborate trap. They had crowded into a small box with no apparent way out in the middle of an isolated mountainside. If Ford wanted to keep his base secret, this seemed to be a particularly effective way of killing off anyone who got too close. Before he could voice his concerns, Ryan noticed that he could still see clearly. While there was no apparent light source, they had not been left in darkness. An instant later his stomach lurched as the elevator began to descend. He could only imagine what the scene must look like from the outside -- a black box slowly sinking into the snow before vanishing without a trace. The amusing thought was the only thing that kept him from wondering what awaited them at the bottom.

 

IC: Luke - Outside Miriam's Office, Team Rocket Vermilion Branch

The blackbelt pulled his eyes away from Aori just long enough to give Ryan a nod. "Sure thing." He didn't need to know the details of what was happening, and given the state she was in, Aori didn't need to know either. He instantly turned back to the girl and gave her a reassuring smile. "Now I know you wanted to go with Mr. Hikari-san, but he's got some important business to take care of first. He'll just be down at the hatchery, so it's nothing to really get eggcited about, yeah?" He flashed another grin as his Machoke burst out laughing.

 

IC: Dack Majors/Madison Morrow/Shannon Willows - Hatchery, Team Rocket Vermilion Branch

Dack stifled a gasp as the boy appeared before him. Oddly enough it was not the sight of his long-lost friend that drew the tears to his eyes, but rather the sound of his voice, a sound he had not heard in years. Against his better judgement he relaxed his stance, hardly daring to believe his eyes. "M-Matthew . . . ?"

 

A part of him knew it was a trick. After all, the boy standing before him had died in the avalanche that buried Snowpoint City. But the other part of him wanted it to be true. Matthew had been training to become a ninja, after all, and ninjas were known to hide in plain sight. Perhaps he had faked his death and disguised himself as 'Miyu' to protect his identity. Dack's Pokétch beeped with a message from Ryan, but he ignored it. There were so many things he wanted to tell Matthew that he'd never gotten a chance to before the avalanche. To believe, even for an instant, that he might get that chance . . .

 

Madison stepped forward, her eyes brimming with tears. "I don't know what you are," she said in a trembling voice that shook Dack out of his trance. "But you have no right to defile Matthew's memory by posing as him. Change back." She threw a Pokéball at the ground, releasing her Froslass. The icy ghost narrowed her eyes at the doppelganger and raised her arms in an intimidating stance as she floated above Madison's head. "Change back or I'll make you."

 

It was Madison's words that spurred Shannon into motion. She had sat frozen in shock when Miyu seemingly transformed into an unfamiliar boy. It reminded her of Hannah's Ditto . . . only most Pokémon weren't able to use abilities like that now. Whatever this thing was, it was not the meek little girl she had led into the outpost. With each passing second Shannon's heart raced faster and faster, like a runaway bullet train. The moment Madison sent out her Froslass Shannon scrambled backward to distance herself from the girl-turned-boy.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Emily Lockwood

 

Emily approached Elaine again. "Aunt Elaine, would you care to join us? I know that you're going to worry if we go investigate, but at least, this way, you can worry while making sure we don't get into too much trouble."

[Blessed Blade]

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

 

"If you need like, space for people, my dad got way too many rooms than was needed, and I have some of them." Lucia piped up as the others were talking about the sleeping arrangements for the night. Olivia glanced over at her with a slightly raised eyebrow.

 

"He just so happened to get a bunch of rooms for ya? It sounds like he might have had other reasons..." Olivia mumbled the second sentence slightly under her breath to try and avoid Lucia hearing. "Still, that's a good idea. Do ya have enough rooms for at least three more people?" She was half tempted to leave out the 'at least' at the beginning, but then realized how their own group had already doubled - it was better to have possibly more space than not enough.

 

Lucia thought for a moment as she counted on her hand. "Yeah, should be enough, with room to spare." She finally said with a nod. "When and where are you meeting up with them?"

Edited July 20, 2018 by Blessed Blade

[Konuju]

IC: Dahlia Seaton - Streets, Lumiose City

"Oh. Yeah, a hotel works too. Assuming that's alright with your dad, that is." She looked back at Jared. "Did we ever decide where we were meeting the others? It's a pretty big city and easy to get lost . . . I hope they don't have any problems."

[MELON LORD]

IC: Jared Winters

 

"I can call Colleen or Lachina and see where they want to meet. We should also see about grabbing some dinner while we're at it." Jared fiddled with his Pokétch and frowned as he realized he'd never actually gotten Colleen's number. With a sigh, he scrolled to Lachina's and pressed the call button.

 

IC: Lachina Adaon

 

"Oh, hang on a sec." Lachina pulled her styler off her belt and flipped it open. "Jared, hey, what's up?"

 

"Are you all done at the café? Where are we meeting up?"

"Oh, uh . . . lemme ask Colleen." The Ranger set the styler down and looked to their leader. "Colleen, do you know where we wanna meet the others?"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Colleen -- Scarlet Café==-

 

"Uh, hmm." Colleen bit her lip slightly as she thought about that. "I don't know if we ever actually thought of any good place, but Elaine wanted to visit Professor Sycamore, so that might be a good place to meet up." She thought for a moment as she frowned and lowered her voice to Lachina only. "I hope that Jared doesn't want us to camp tonight, though, that feels exhausting after our plane ride..."