Team Iron Aux. Base

Orlandeau: Excellent. You may take whatever measures you feel appropriate... within reason, of course. I only ask you keep me posted on any developments.

Foxeria

???: Oh, come on, don't be like that!

(After a brief flicker of static, the face of an ageing, rugged-looking Lopunny pops up onto Drakos's screens. He looks slightly put out by the frosty reception.)

???: Drakos, old boy, it's me! Perry O'Hara!

(Sure enough, the caller ID beneath his picture reads "General O'Hara".)

Tapu Village Pokemon Center

-Rose immediately answers.-

Rose: Scarlette?! What happened?! Where are you? Are you safe?

-The signal is sputtery, but enough information gets across-

Scarlette: Rose, I'm (static) should have let (static) different Trial (static) but (static) okay now! (static) Haina Desert (static) bad connection (static)

Rose: Haina Desert, okay, we'll come get you immediately! Just— just hang in there!

-She hangs up, and turns to Keithbin and Locke-

Rose: I need someone to make sure I don't die in the desert, so you're coming with me!

-Without waiting for a response, she grabs both of them and immediately drags them out the door-

Foxeria

In a instant, Drakos softened and let out a sigh, "Perry! How's life treating you? Hopefully better than anything I have to deal with now."

Route 16

Krieg:..... Get the body. And get Alex after she recovers as quick as possible. The body may have absorbed the shock and just left Alex a little glitchy from the experience, but we can't rule out the risk. Possession's only successful if the host is directly hit and affected by the electricity. That means your Pokemons might be in risk of influence too, as well as you.

-Krieg shudders.-

Foxeria

(O'Hara chuckles.)

O'Hara: Speak for yourself. I only wish I could have been the one who discovered these Cobalt Stars! Legends in the making, I swear!

Foxeria

"You'd think that now, and saviors they've been, but legends I wouldn't say. Plus we're still dealing with Dross forces. If only Logan hadn't lost Alan. If only the Dune family had remained whole, maybe one of our best pilots in the Academy wouldn't be with the side bent on killing us."

Drakos sighed and slumped into his chair, "Still, nice to hear from you, you should come see me and my grandkids sometime," he added levitating a cup of tea into his hands.

Team Iron Auxillary Base

Alonya: I will most certainly do so.

-she stands up, takes her phone, and offers Orlandeau a handshake-

Pleasure speaking with you as always.

Tapu Village PMC

-Keithbin and Locke are dragged with combined high-pitched yelps-

Route 16, past

-Alex's "body" is already gone-

-As is Locke-

edited 16th Aug '17 6:17:00 PM by Umbramatic

-Shaun shudders.-

Shaun: "Mother of Arceus...Keep an eye on her, Locke. If I'm not back by the time she's better, or time and a nurse don't heal her, call me."

-He turns around.-

Shaun: "Nevermind. That's probably a good idea...."

Leaving Sinnoh was a mistake. Though life wasn't necessarily better there.

edited 16th Aug '17 6:19:33 PM by SwiftSeraph

Team Iron Aux. Base

-Orlandeau stands and shakes hands.-

Orlandeau: And you as well.

Foxeria

O'Hara: Always the cynic, aren't you, Drakos? These people - no record of them of any sort before they turn up in your base, no evidence they had any experience flying spaceships before they borrowed your Delta Wings, yet here they are, experienced enough to take on Stellar Doom and make it out alive! That's the prodigious talent of legends in the making if ever I saw it!

(His face falls slightly as his train of thought reaches its next destination.)

O'Hara: In fact, they remind me of... and the Riolu one, in particular, he...

(A pause. Then a far more darkly delivered statement.)

O'Hara: You know fine well Logan Dune lost more than just his father, Drakos.

Foxeria

Drakos sipped his tea, "The information about the origin is highly classified, few have access. Remind me to add you to that whitelist."

Drakos sighed, "It was a shame when we lost Rain as well, Logan hasn't been the same since. I knew his family well and- well... If only Dexter wasn't around."

Route 17, In Front of the Cop Shop

The forces for the Po Town Raid are gathering. Youko, in full Punk regalia, is sitting on the front steps of her RV, Musashi meditating on the roof. Nearby, Lehua is in general sports gear, their fingers on a worn Pokeball.

They await the arrival of whoever else is coming.

It is raining.

edited 16th Aug '17 6:32:02 PM by BluBeriPi

Route 17

-Joseph and Munn arrive, both seeming rather energized. Joseph is wearing boy-clothes today-just a pair of khaki cargo shorts and a red t-shirt. Munn is dressed as usual-

Joseph: OK! So what's gonna happen?

Haina Desert

-The trio arrives here. The short burst of adrenaline-fueled energy has subsided, leaving Rose once again exhausted, but determined.-

Rose: All right, so, we're here. Good, good... uh, now I don't know where to go.

Foxeria

(O'Hara's expression gets even darker.)

O'Hara: Yes, I quite agree. How Win Rain's right-hand man could let himself fall in with that sort of crowd...

(He shakes his head and regains his usual cheery disposition.)

O'Hara: But never mind that! We have his other companions, we have his sister - there's still a Solar Flare out there fighting for Foxeria! And now we may well have new blood fit to take Win's place!

Shady House

(Clarice Voynich has been unusually quiet these past few days. She's spent most of her time pacing through the seemingly endless deserted corridors of the mansion, lost in thought - in fact, she's doing as much now. To look at her, you wouldn't think a veritable horde of the grunts under her command were manning the battlements at Po Town's borders at this very moment.)

-Shaun strolls up, seeming quieter and less enthusiastic than usual. He's switched out his standard trenchcoat for a long dark gray duster. Tsunami is at his side.-

Route 17

-Joseph turns around, smiling at Shaun-

Joseph: Hi! Are you new?

-his voice is chirpy and flutish-

Vast Poni Canyon

-Ahe puts the Dragonium Z away-

Ahe: I'll... tell you more... after I've had time... to recover.

-He flops onto his back, Magala curling up behind him-

Magala: <Could we rest here for a bit?>

Ahe: Yeah... whatever that was... I'm exhausted.

Team Iron Aux Base

-With that, Alonya walks out of the office, closes the door, and sighs in relief-

Oran OS: Yes! We did it!

Alonya: Yes, we did. Now for your boss.

Oran OS: ...Hoo boy.

Haina Desert

Locke: This place is a literal maze...

Keithbin: I have an idea.

-sends out Sam-

Sam? Can you carry us across?

Sam: Sure thing!

-he scoops them all onto his back and flies-

Route 17

Archer: -to Joe- Hey, we're new here too.

-He and Shizuo are here-

Route 17

-Joseph turns heel-

Joseph: Oh! Well, hi!

Foxeria

Drakos looked a bit, "Well, if they wish to stay or have the chance to return I can say. They don't hope to stick around, though their legacy will be felt via the new deal they made with Rocket Records on Falconan."

Drakos perked up, "Oh yes! Lombard! The Falconan moon! I heard they are covering the assault now with Stellar Doom! One can hope they succeed, if they do, we may begin the Counter-assault ASAP with Pantera. To finally get back the proper Pantera Shipyards and its secret projects... We can turn this war around and take the fight right to DeCross."

Drakos sighed again realizing, "I think we may be cursed, first we lost Alexander and his brilliant mind... what drove him to commit those experiments in genetics and cybernetics in the first place... then Alan, Stellar Doom came under control of Alan's right hand Dexter... and now... We're either incredibly lucky or incredibly unlucky."

Haina Desert

-Rose is very thankful for the ride on Sam.-

-For a while, they still can't see anything... until a cloud of smoke starts forming in the distance, getting larger and larger as a tornado of blue fire rises from its origin point.-

Ultra space

Ezgross:~.....What are those blue liquid?~

817:~Humans and Pokemon call it ocean~

Ezgross: ~Is it near the islands you fought in?~

817:~Dunno, that things everywhere there.~

Ezgross:~Albaroth come back!~

-Albaroth steps back in the Ultra space.-

Ezgross:~Okay.... As much as I hate to admit it, Nerubedra is the one who knows most about that place. Until the time is safe, we will stay put here.~

Albaroth:~When will I satisfy my bloodlust~

817:~When you're confident you can memorise the whole world, stay put until then.~

Albaroth:~......Fine.~

817:~Until then, go crazy in the Ultra space!~

Aether Paradise.

-Krieg introduces Shaun to Al-

Krieg:All right, this is gonna take some time, but this is the only way you're safe for sure. All right, look directly into his eyes

-Al's eyes shine blue.-

Foxeria

(O'Hara just nods, not needing to be told what comes after the last "and then".)

O'Hara: Can't say I ever fully trusted DeCross, myself. I wish I'd expressed as much; I'd be able to turn round now and say "I told you so"...