ITT: We are all Pokémon Trainers

Pastoria

-Sarah and Echo are out and about, the latter keeping the former company while she's going out to get whatever other supplies she needs-

Great Marsh

Psyche is currently stuck under a big tree, pissed off between the awful swamp heat and the torrential rain.

"If I am to be met with disrespect, then I must first love myself with a fierceness no fool can take away." - Vraska, Gorgon assassin

Pastoria

(A certain current member of Neo-Illusion is still lurking around here, having spent the whole time searching for and not finding the Heidens. As any nearby empath should be able to tell, this failure is starting to leave him pissed off.)

Wilhelm: Trustworthy information, my eye. I haven't seen the J-Team at all, let alone my cousins!

(He's quite probably within sight of Echo. His hair colour and style, eye colour, dress sense and facial expressiveness have all changed dramatically since the two last met, yet it's still possible she recognises his face...)

Tastes better on the way back down.

Pastoria Pokemon Center

-Tex is talking on his Xtransciever, pacing across the room-

Tex: "Headquarters, I've got something big. Requesting my gear be sent up to the Pastoria Pokemon Center."

Armory: "What job?"

Tex: "I'm not at liberty to tell you."

THE FITNESSGRAM PACER TEST IS A MULTISTAGE AEROBIC CAPACITY TEST THAT PROGRESSIVELY GETS MORE DIFFICULT AS IT CONTINUES

Pastoria City

-Sarah blinks and glances at the source of the feeling of raw irritation she's getting. Echo looks where Sarah does, and frowns-

Echo: ...It seems it was too much to ask to never have to bother with him again.

Sarah: You know him?

Echo: He only attempted to undermine me in Illusion and manipulate his cousin into attempting to murder me. I'm still insulted to this day that he thinks I was oblivious.

Sarah: ...Rrrrrright. Um.

-Siobhan is currently packing warmer clothes for the trip to Snowpoint than she had with her in Pastoria.-

Siobhan: -checking to make sure everything is packed.- "I think that's.... Wait, laptop cord. Always forget that." -She quickly grabs it off her desk, stuffing it into her bag.-

-she nods.-

Siobhan: "Yeah, that's everything."

-Siobhan walks outside, waving to her parents on the way.-

Siobhan: "Dragon riders, ho! We ride for the snowy peaks of Northrend!"

Amatsumagatsuchi: <So, what, you're using the Royal We, now?>

Demeter: "You are such a geek, Sio."

Siobhan: -turning, mildly surprise.- "Oh, hey Dem."

Demeter: "Sup. Got your text and was in this part of town, figured I'd stop by and say bye."

Siobhan: "Well, bye then."

Demeter: "See you when you get back from saving the world, or whatever it is you're doing up in Snowpoint."

Siobhan: -hugs Demeter.- "Bye, Dem. Love you."

Demeter: "Love you too."

Siobhan: -Climbs up onto Gogmazios.- "Forward! For the Alliance!"

-Demeter waves as Gogmazios and Amatsu take off, flying north.-

All are significantly abnormal in a normal world... All are significantly normal in an abnormal world.

Pastoria

(To elaborate: during his time in the original Illusion Project, Wilhelm had used brown hair dye and blue contacts to make his familial connections less obvious. Now he no longer bothers with them, leaving his eyes and elegantly combed hair their natural colours - purple and red, respectively, just like his cousin.)

(Glancing up and noticing Echo, Wilhelm starts briefly, but quickly regains his composure and adopts a syrupy false smile. This is far more expression than he ever showed while Echo knew him.)

Tastes better on the way back down.

Pastoria

-Echo rolls her eyes and approaches Wilhelm-

Echo: I'd ask you to cut the act, Wilhelm, but we're in a public place and it's far better for both of us to remain civil. So what exactly are you doing here? I have a feeling you're not shopping for supplies.

Sarah: Ohh this is not going to be good.

edited 2nd Sep '16 1:24:10 PM by BittersweetNSour

Pastoria

(Wilhelm's false smile does not dissipate.)

Wilhelm: Oh, I was simply waiting for some friends and relatives of mine! Now, a question of my own - what have you been up to since we last met, dear Echo?

(He shoots a glance at Sarah.)

Wilhelm: And who would this be? A new friend of yours, perhaps?

Tastes better on the way back down.

Pastoria City

Echo: Don't call me "dear". Anyway, I have set aside my differences with the J-Team and am now assisting them in their endeavors to prevent mistakes like the ones I previously made. Additionally, we are now in the process of preparing to eliminate an eldritch horror that has recently struck Snowpoint City. Oh, and I've been reading a lot more recently, now that I have the free time. As for Sarah here...

-She gestures toward Sarah, who is once again unusually tense-

Echo: I have been comforting her after a rather stressful situation involving Palkia, Giratina, and Yveltal. I won't go into it further unless she wants me to, however.

-She glances over. Sarah shakes her head.-

edited 2nd Sep '16 8:45:39 AM by BittersweetNSour

Pastoria

Wilhelm: Understandable. You never did seem like the type who could cut it in the underworld.

(Ignoring the "eldritch horror" comment entirely - he knows fine well about the Glitches, thanks to Neo-Illusion intel and hearsay from Arahat - he instead turns to Sarah. His cloying smile is suddenly a lot more genuine.)

Wilhelm: An encounter with Legendaries, eh? I must say, I would enjoy to meet one myself. It would be interesting to know how those greater than ourselves perceive the world.

(He extends his right hand for Sarah to shake, though the gleaming gauntlet covering his entire right arm makes the gesture seem a bit less polite than usual. That, and the fact easily sensed by an empath such as Sarah that this gesture has deeper motivations than mere politeness.)

Tastes better on the way back down.

Pastoria City

-Sarah hesitates briefly, looking at Wilhelm's hand, then toward Wilhelm himself.-

Sarah: ...S-sorry, I, um... get kinda anxious with strangers touching me. I-in any way. Bad experiences and all.

-She steps away. Meanwhile, Echo raises an eyebrow-

Echo: Oh? I would think you had remembered your and Clarice's encounter with Mew. Where is Clarice, anyway? It has been quite a while.

edited 2nd Sep '16 9:11:03 AM by BittersweetNSour

Pastoria

(Wilhelm frowns, feeling as though he were denied an opportunity, and retracts his outstretched hand. He snorts at the first half of Echo's comment.)

Wilhelm: That was hardly a meeting, was it? It was more "oh look it's an angry Mew, pewww!"

(The silly sound effect is accompanied by Wilhelm imitating a thrown object with his non-gauntleted hand. Immediately afterwards, he turns mentally to the second half of Echo's comment and becomes significantly more grim.)

Wilhelm: Clarice... is dead. Has been since that day. Boucher slit her throat.

(He sighs.)

Wilhelm: I can't help but feel it was a mercy kill. You saw the state she was in near the end, didn't you? That, and she stared long and hard at Boucher before her death... I reckon she was psychically requesting assisted suicide.

Tastes better on the way back down.

Pastoria City

-Echo frowns for more than one reason-

Echo: I see. A shame, I trusted her. Clarice, of course, not Alys. I knew what to expect from Clarice. Unfortunately, including that.

edited 2nd Sep '16 9:41:11 AM by BittersweetNSour

Pastoria, Pokemon Center lobby.

-As Tex steps out of the room and enters the lobby, he notices a young man in an enormous dull-colored trench coat that's obviously too big for him, with matching fedora. Tex is visibly annoyed.-

Tex: "Dammit, Jimmy, are you trying to draw attention to yourself?!"

Jimmy: "Aw, c'mon! It makes me feel like a badass!"

Tex: "I've already called you out on those clothes twice. You're supposed to blend in, not attract every damn criminal in a 3-mile radius. Just give me my gear, and if I ever see you in that ridiculous outfit again, I'm calling your superior."

Jimmy: "Y...yes sir."

edited 2nd Sep '16 9:43:51 AM by MajorProblem

THE FITNESSGRAM PACER TEST IS A MULTISTAGE AEROBIC CAPACITY TEST THAT PROGRESSIVELY GETS MORE DIFFICULT AS IT CONTINUES

Pastoria

(Wilhelm quirks an eyebrow.)

Wilhelm: ...trusted her? Half the time you couldn't even be sure she understood you!

Tastes better on the way back down.

Pastoria City

Echo: Did I not tell you the last time we saw each other? My trust wasn't the kind that goes with secrets. I could trust her to act exactly how I expected her to act, particularly because you were the one behind her.

edited 2nd Sep '16 10:19:39 AM by BittersweetNSour

Pastoria

Kyle and his crew can be seen exiting the Gym, a cloth wrapped package tucked under his arm. Its roughly the size of a sheet of paper, but thicker.

Kyle: Well, that went smoothly.

Suzume: Indeed, boss. You know, one of these days you're going to have to tell us how collecting these is going to help us with your end goal.

Kyle: One day. Maybe.

Reginald: -grunts-

They could be approached at any time.

Pastoria

Wilhelm: Well, in that case, you'll be disappointed to know the Wilhelm you knew is also dead. Again, blame Boucher.

(He flexes the gauntlet.)

Wilhelm: I feel no remorse for manipulating her as I did, by the way. Without a functional mind to guide her, I doubt she would have been anything more than a vegetable after...

(He falls abruptly silent.)

Tastes better on the way back down.

Pastoria City

Echo: After?

Pastoria

(A hardened expression crosses Wilhelm's eyes.)

Wilhelm: Clarice wasn't always the way she ended up, you know.

Tastes better on the way back down.

-pets Jimmy-

Contact Me!

Ye Olde Chateau

-The girl eventually looks up crying.-

Misstress?: I do not want Friend to leave me. I do not want either of us to be alone. What do I do? I am scared of continuing to exist in this state of unchanging monotony. I want to leave.

-Verigan looks awkwardly and Kiaran who mirrors the look. They both step back and attempt to shove Volta forward.-

Kiaran: <Well Volta, you've been communicating with her best, so do your thing.>

Eterna City Present- In front of Gym'

-Ark puffs up slightly at the compliment. It was kinda amusing see Phaz so out of it. Maybe if she could get more reactions like that she'd do it more often??? Dunno.-

Ark: Same.

-Ark nods at Amelie and gestures to herself.-

Ark: I look... different today.

-Ark is still uncomfortable with what she is wearing, but is slowly relaxing. Kiaran is looking relieved at this.-

edited 2nd Sep '16 11:29:35 AM by Shadowhope

Pastoria, Great Marsh

-Etran is face to face with a Tropius, again.-

Etran: This time, you're mine.

-Etran throws mud at the Tropius.-

Tropius:<Was that supposed to hurt?>

-Tropius is too busy eating bait to run-

Etran:Alright, this time!

-Etran throws a safari ball at the tropius. After three shakes, the Pokeball dings.-

Etran: Yes, I finally got a team of six! Now what should I call you?

edited 2nd Sep '16 11:38:15 AM by etran12

Pastoria

Echo: ...I figured, but I never asked.