ITT: We are all Pokémon Trainers

Brie: Oh, yes, I'm fine! This happens a lot!

-she gives Foam a stern look-

Brie: Farr too frequently, really.

Foam: <Flight is such a miracle, isn't it?>

Brie: From you, it would be.

-she pats the Mantine, who doesn't seem terribly upset by the crash landing-

Brie: Ooh, next part?

PEFE!Every: See, the problem is I can't study it in any meaningful way, because it doesn't submit to testing and, while there are patterns, there's no consistency to its response to a given stimulus.

Ever: So burn it, burn Jacob's arm, get him a new one and call it a day.

PEFE!Every: But on the other hand, I feel like I could theoretically use it. Jacob said this came from a creature calling itself Chaos, yes?

Ever: Well, anyone can call themselves anything.

PEFE!Every: Chaos inherently defies description. On the other hand, Tragedy has a firm connecting theme.

Ever: Uh, no it didn't. What's the connection between explosions and obscura and time warping?

PEFE!Every: Time. Platonic solids, contents irrelevant. Heat, lightning, darkness, destructive force. Direct entropic decay. An innate defense that defies change. Rules. The opposite of chaos. Theoretically, if the two interacted...

Ever: So, what, you throw the goo at Tragedy?

PEFE!Every: But it's not on our side. If I allow it any kind of free reign, it's just as likely to take Tragedy's side. So that's the new challenge.

Ever: Whoa, whoa. Please tell me you're not talking about trying to weaponize the stuff that's currently growing on Jacob like a tumor.

PEFE!Every: Then, conversely, application of Tragedy's abilities could well counteract further growth of Jacob's...well, growth.

Ever: ...Wait, are you listening to me at all?

-PEFE!Every starts-

PEFE!Every: Oh. Hey, you're still here.

Ace: <Probably.>

Shaun: -noticing the bubble- "I'm gonna poke it."

Ace: <Don't you dare.>

Shaun: "Fine."

-He gazes at the bubble before tossing a rock at it.-

Ace: <SHAUN!>

Shaun: "Hey, I never touched it!"

edited 20th Dec '17 11:58:27 AM by SwiftSeraph

buy me some nutpeas and jacker cracks

-Evan sweatdrops and pretends to not be able to understand Cupid.-

Evan: Uh, my seat's... in one of the cheap spots, yeah. I don't have much money.

PEFE HQ — Malie Branch

-Completely unrelated to the texts Dezi got and responded to, Dune gets a text-

The Guardian had opted to let everyone do their thing before they asked, "The Castle is indeed guarded by the Divine Beasts. I know what the Jester is doing, but with every beast that we can reclaim, that is a beast the Jester cannot use against us."

The chest clicked open, "You have asked enough, you may take the Engine. You may stay longer if you wish to learn more."

The Rock appeared in the bubble, it appeared differently, as if it was a low render poly item from the [PS 1] era of video games. It came out normal on the other side.

<That... Unreality bubbles. Each one does something different, no guarantee if it will be bad or just annoying. They are all over the place!>

<Why did the humans build a machine capable of making these... better question... how?!>

Shaun: "Huh."

Ace: <Are you even sure a human made this? It feels like the work of a Glitch.>

Shaun: "Yeah, but what if humans used a Glitch?"

Ace: <Doubtful, but not unlikely.>

-Some strange being    awakens   . And it    hungers   .-

Nimbasa, inside the ice wall

Pippy: -nods, beaming- <I'm glad! For your state, not the falling...>

Vee: -noting the understanding of speech- <Yup, J-Team... Still traveling in a herd, like for gym challenges...> -flashbacks, after which she shakes her head-

Vee: <Anyways! Back to the possibilities.>

-Ceal, Thespi, and Tripod turn back with interest, thankfully, leaving...-

Pollen: <...so how is this relevant? It's...pretty cool, but I don't really see how pretty tricks can help us in battle...>

-...who looks less impressed-

Pippy: <I'm glad you asked! Everything you just saw was the result of ten years of careful experimentation—>

Vee: <—messing around—>

Pippy: <—and while a lot of it turned up few of those results—>

Vee: <—but was extremely fun—>

Pippy: <—every now and then we'd find a real gem.>

Vee: <Like so.>

-Vee shoots a stream of water, thicker and faster than any the younger members of the team had ever seen from her, directly at Pippy, who isn't even looking in her direction-

-then Pippy raises his flipper, pointing at the incoming attack-

-and the stream tears itself apart, smaller streams coming off of it, siphoning mass and redirecting flow, leaving several swollen, rapidly-spinning rings of water suspended around Pippy, never making contact-

edited 20th Dec '17 12:11:22 PM by Asterisk395

Brie: Oh, hey, that's genius! Foam, do you think you could do that?

Foam: <...Um.>

Brie: We'll have to try and work it out... (to Pippy and Vee) You guys are pretty cool!

Trial of - oh, we can go.

"Anything you still have on your mind?" Colt asked as he lugged the engine, placing it on an illusory hand truck if it turned out to be too heavy to carry all the way. "I can't think of anything," he admitted as he walked to the exit.

Nimbasa

Neon: -to Megan- Thank you!

-to Colton- A party? That's probably a wonderful place to meet new people...

-Either Colton or Megan may notice Gabe nearby-

Trial Of Knowledge

Kass: <How do we get around Jester's trap?>

-In a room that could belong to any office in Castelia were it not for the helmeted, armour-clad figure prostrated before the desk, Ratbag is hastily explaining himself to the Counsellor.-

Ratbag the Coward: ...So I think to meself, "if I get outta here, then I can let the others know what to expect", yeah? Ya see, Ratbag's got cunnin'. I wasn't just runnin' away, I was making a tactical retreat. Really, ya should be promotin' Ratbag now that ya got nobody left ta-

The Counsellor: Please, do be quiet. I lament that your creation and existence represent enough resources to make you not worth killing.

Ratbag the Coward: Er, right. Shuttin' up now, boss.

-The Counsellor massages his temples.-

The Counsellor: ...Setback after setback. We can only hope that whatever caused the destruction of our facility was sufficiently devastating to remove any incriminating factors. I do so hate having to arrange reprisals.

-He glances at the briefcase by his side, from which a Sigilyph is telekinetically removing a vial of blood.-

The Counsellor: I have more important things to deal with right now.

-The base is in tatters after the Templar attack, and really everyone with two hands free should be helping with its reconstruction. Instead, Lucius is now grabbing drinks from a coolbox and sharing his tales with the only people around to listen - a man in a shirt reading "CHANGE YOUR PLAN, BUT NEVER YOUR GOAL" and a woman in a plague mask with a Chimecho floating by her side.-

Lucius: ...So after Scarlette and I got separated, that was when the Templars really started coming. I started to lose track of how many I'd taken after the third or fourth, but I dug in my heels and held my ground until the others were all out safely.

Falchion: <You mean you saw one dead body, screamed, and then passed out.>

Lucius: I know, it was super brave. Honestly, I impress even myself sometimes.

Falchion: <...Oh right, they can't understand me. Guess I'll just clap my hands and bark like a circus Seel, then.>

Lucius: You do that. I'll keep talking to people who actually appreciate the tales of my heroism.

Gus: Huh? Oh, I'm sorry, I tuned out your bullshit five minutes ago.

Lucius: Well, screw you too, then.

-Cel lets out a muffled giggle.-

Lucius: What are you guys even doing here anyway? I thought you were with Mobius.

Gus: You're assuming I get paid enough to care about these things.

Cel: Our presence was requested because you just suffered an attack. You need additional medical staff, and the chance to examine Templar remains is a welcome bonus for myself and Mobius alike.

Lucius: ...Right.

-He shivers slightly.-

Lucius: No offence, but can you take off the mask? It's kinda creeping me out.

Cel: No.

Gus: Trust me, I've seen her without it. It's no better.

-Cel glances reproachfully at Gus before looking back to Lucius.-

Cel: This is a new environment for us.

Chimecho: ~It is unclean.~

Cel: My immune system requires time to adapt to it before I feel comfortable breathing without filters. Hence why I can't remove the mask.

-Lucius scoffs.-

Lucius: Or what, you'll die?

Cel: Possibly, yes.

Lucius: ...Oh.

-He blinks.-

Lucius: Well, now I feel bad. I would offer to get you a drink, but-

Cel: Oh, I don't drink anyway. My liver has difficulty processing toxins as-is. I deal with stress in other ways.

Gus: She means to say that she spends most of her time in the Lansat farms stoned off her gourd instead of doing any fucking work.

-Cel sighs behind her mask.-

Cel: It's medicinal.

Gus: You say that about 90% of your research.

Cel: Because it is. It's the other 10% that's recreational.

-Her Chimecho floats a Croagunk Cola over to her, and she takes a sip through her straw emergency induction port.-

Cel: ...May I ask your name?

Lucius: Uh, Lucius. Did I not mention that?

Cel: No. How did you come for Team Iron, Lucius?

-Lucius rolls his eyes.-

Lucius: What is this, teambuilding day?

Gus: No, she's just always like this.

Cel: ...I thought it was a reasonable question to ask when getting to know someone.

Lucius: I suppose.

-He sighs.-

Lucius: It's... kinda hard to explain. Long story short, I have a bunch of friends who've let themselves be suckered by some bad people, and based on past experience they're going to end up doing a lot of harm.

Cel: Bad people?

Lucius: Cipher. Not just some knockoff, either, the real deal, complete with the original cast.

Cel: ...Ah.

-She bows her head.-

Lucius: Bad experiences?

Cel: ...I'm from Orre. My parents were doctors. Cipher has cost us a great deal.

Gus: I only know them by reputation, but apparently they're a right bunch of bastards.

Lucius: Yup.

-He sighs, and raises his glass.-

Lucius: Well, here's to bastards, and knocking them down a peg.

-For once, Gus smiles, and raises his glass alongside Cel's.-

Gus: I'll drink to that.

-Bishop is wandering the city, Maul floating behind him.-

Bishop: <...I'm curious.>

Maul: ~Bad habit.~

Bishop: <If you do support Lucius's decision, then why are you spending so much time with me and Lawrence's mons?>

Maul: ~Union mandates.~

Bishop: <...We're Pokemon. We don't have a union.>

Maul: ~But we should.~

edited 20th Dec '17 12:47:29 PM by Herbert40k

Nimbasa City

After setting the invitation down so Neon could read it, Colt looked up and spotted Gabe. Vaguely aware he had met him before, he waved him over.

Nimbasa, Neon zone

Megan: -blinks at the invite- Oh huh, a party. And a bunch of the J-Team's going to be there...

-looks up, thinking, and sees Gabe- Oh hey! You're the other guy from yesterday with my Pokémon! -and waves-

Nimbasa, empty field

Pippy: -bashfully- <Aw, thanks...>

Vee: -beams-

Pippy: -turning back to the "class", which is now paying very full attention- <So! That's what can be accomplished if we explore our moves! Now, Megan gave us a list oh, there are some we're not supposed to try without her, so we're going to run through some of them now!>

Vee: <...So, by your "accent", would I be correct in assuming that you're J-Team?>

edited 20th Dec '17 12:52:39 PM by Asterisk395

Nimbasa City

-Presumably after the conversation with Tagg and Alex, Kaito has decided to wander off to Nimbasa for a change of pace, where Bishop and Maul can quite easily encounter them.-

Brie: Oh, yeah! I guess you've met some of the others already?

-she pauses-

Brie: ...Or, wait, you're not enemies of ours are you? I hope not, you seem nice.

Nimbasa

-Gabe waves, while Mandible hides behind his leg-

Gabe: Hey guys! Whaddya need?

-Neon is looking at the invitation-

-Bishop stops in surprise upon seeing Kaito.-

Bishop: <Oh, Kaito! I must admit, I was not expecting to->

-His claw starts waving erratically from side to side.-

Bishop: <...Maul, stop that.>

Maul: ~I'm only being polite.~

Nimbasa, Psychic/Fairy

Megan: ...I dunno! I just recognized you...that doesn't happen a lot, the pink hair helped... Have you met Neon?

Nimbasa, Briefield

Vee: <Oh! Oh, no, no, no although I still want revenge on you fuckers for your run on the gym, I've never been so worn out>

-she shakes her head-

<Kidding, sorry, we're in no state to fight you, and we don't really want to outside of maybe friendly battles? I still remember how badly we lost...I was asking because the rest of the team wants to meet them or maybe join, and right now, we're taking care of the kids so our trainer can do some research so we know what we're walking into.>

-she grins Mareepishly-

<Personally, I kinda want to see how you teach each other to understand what we say, I feel like it'd really help our trainer.>

edited 20th Dec '17 1:12:58 PM by Asterisk395

Nimbasa City

-Kaito blinks upon hearing Bishop and Maul, then smiles and waves-

Kaito: Hey, you two! I didn't expect to see you on your own. Taking a breather away from Lucius, I guess?

-Bishop grimaces.-

Bishop: <...You could say that, yes.>

Maul: ~Nothing unusual about it. I regularly breathe away from Lucius.~

Brie: Eep, sorry! If it helps, I don't think I ever challenged the...you're from Sinnoh, right? I've only even been there once and I didn't challenge the Gym.

-she coughs-

Brie: Anyway, it's some kind of magic? Like, I was a Gligar for a little while, and then when I stopped being a Gligar, I could understand Pokemon.

Nimbasa City

-Kaito frowns-

Kaito: Lemme guess, he's back on his bullshit in one way or another.

Route 4

-The snap of something traveling very fast overhead can be heard.-

Deziree: Oh... woops. Overshot it.

-The sound down-pitches as the craft turns slows and wheels its way around before landing. The canopy pops open and Deziree hauls herself out of the seat and onto the grass.-

Deziree: Alright, Jacob, let's see this arm of yours.

The Academy, Production Level

-The Principal taps her finger against her desk as she looks between her enforcers.-

The Principal: Delphi, you are dismissed. Continue your sequencing, and inform me when you are finished the the higher priority projects.

-The girl bows, her feet balanced on the hovering metal orb she is perpetually perched upon. She disappears in a swirling *blip*.-

The Principal: Magnus... you are dismissed as well.

-The titan of a man blinks from behind his visor.-

The Principal: The loss of the base and the ruined attempt on the Team Iron base was... disappointing.

-Magnus and Cassidy alike wince at the dreaded D-word.-

The Principal: But it could not be helped. Circumstances were not in our favor. You may return to the barracks and await further orders.

-Magnus bows and quickly strides out of the room.-

The Principal: Cassidy. You, I have two special assignments.

-Cassidy grows rigid.-

The Principal: First, you are to accelerate training of the Yellow Eyes. Our research into the Dreaming World has stalled, and if we can open a battlefield that only we can fight on, it would give us an immeasurable tactical advantage.

-She clicks a nail against her desk loud enough to make the remaining Magus jump.-

The Principal: Lastly, I want you to scan everyone who had access to Magnus' facility. Everyone.

-Cassidy blinks.-

The Principal: That facility was uncompromised for over seventy five years. Everyone involved in its construction is dead and childless. I want to know who leaked it, and I want them flayed to bone and gristle. Do I make myself clear?

-Cassidy rapidly nods.-

The Principal: You're dismissed.

-Cassidy quickly retreats from the room.-

-Bishop takes a few moments to consider his response before answering Kaito.-

Bishop: <...He has made a decision that, while I do not agree with or endorse it, I respect his right to make. As such, I would rather not say anything he has not already told->

Maul: ~He's joined Team Iron.~

-Bishop sighs and faceclaws.-

Bishop: <...He has done that, yes.>

Malie Pokemon Center

edited 20th Dec '17 1:22:32 PM by DuneTheWanderer

Nimbasa City

-Kaito blinks. Mulls it over. Closes their eyes and nods.-

-Calm, relaxed, clear.-

Kaito: I see. Shame to hear, but I guess it can't be helped. If he thinks we're his enemies now, then he can likewise be ours. I hope Alonya understands what it means, at least, even if he never will.

PEFE HQ — Malie Branch

-In a moment's notice, Diane heads directly to the Pokemon Center.-

edited 20th Dec '17 1:27:52 PM by BittersweetNSour