ITT: We are all Pokémon Trainers

Krieg: Bingo, can you tell me where it ran off to?

Mezzo: Portal to somewhere. Not a clue where it went.

-Krieg thought: Shit... I should have expected-

Cro: <Come one Krieg, Let's get finish this already. I'm getting uncomfortable with that Liepard and Rattata glaring at you and me>

Krieg: Ok, thank you.... but there were other trainers who encountered that.... 'Heidreigon', right? Can you tell me who and where they are?

edited 31st Jul '17 10:28:40 PM by Lawlight

Mezzo: Yeah. Tagg dragged me over there because he got a text from someone, but I wasn't around long enough to check who else was there. If you're looking for them, uh... they should still be around here I think? It wasn't that long ago.

Felis: <Oh no, you're uncomfortable. How horrible.>

edited 31st Jul '17 10:29:59 PM by Mezzopiano

You asked for this, Crow

Fuego: -is rescued from geological education by Ephemera, before acting to answer Ghostus's question-

<How'd I get in this mess? Well, ya asked...>

<Well this is a story all about how
My life got flipped-turned upside-down
And I'd like to take a minute
Don't give me that look
I'll tell you how I came to search for this library book.>

<On the west coast of Kalos born and raised
Glittering Cave was where I spent most of my days.
Chillin' out maxin' relaxin' no fuss,
And all bouncing some yarn balls down in the crevasse.
When a scientist girl, but not named after a wood,
Started making studies in my neighborhood.
I scarfed down one little Puff and she said "D'aww,
"I'll ship you to my friend named Tangent in this Poké Ball!">

<I grumbled and yelped at them day after day
But they added me to their team and trained me on the way.
They gave me a kiss and tucked me in every night,
And gave me lessons on "When you can and can't fight.">

<Toxic masculinity, yo, that was bad
So scared of being called girly I was kinda an ass.
I should decide for myself what a man should live like.
Yeah, these days I'm alright.>

<But wait, I'm on the J-Team, adventures, all that.
Made friends with Ephemera, she's this cool cat.
And Celeste the Sylveon
Again with the look?
I was just getting to the part with the library book.>

<Well the airship landed and and when I got out
I heard there was another tribe of Cubone about.
I felt I had to evolve
before my kinbones could see
So I chased down Celeste and shouted "FIGHT ME!">

<Ephemera and a Sandshrew joined in the fray
And worked to level me up for the rest of the day.
My grandma came from these islands, so I broke from the norm-
Instead I evolved to an Alolan form.>

<My bone caught Fire and I'm now Ghost type-
My friends are Psychic and Fairy so it just felt right
That we should study magic, see what kind of spells we could cook,
And that brings us to our search for that dumb library book.>

edited 31st Jul '17 10:33:27 PM by Tangent128

Cro:<Screw you, lowly Liepard! What can you do at best, play cute at your owner?> -Cro was visibly annoyed. And although Krieg couldn't understand Cro's speech, he felt Cro acting up.-

Krieg: Calm down, Cro. What's with you? Anyway. Thank you for your cooperation. It was certainly helpful.

-Krieg turns back and walks away. Cro looks at Felis for one last time before shooting a needle a size of his tooth at Felis. Cro laughs-

Malie City

Ephemera: -...Ambipom! Ambipom!-

Poni Island, seaside

-Ever is still here, Pleth has returned with the two missing mons-

Ever: Do you feel stagnant?

Pleth: Yes.

Ever: That's fair, I guess. We've been held prisoner on this island for months, possibly by the Fair Folk—

Muninn: <And more likely by your own absurdity.>

Ever: It's just...vaguely disheartening. I didn't really come here to do anything. And the one thing that I want to do, I haven't because the guy won't let me in. It just makes you wonder what the point is...

Amanita: See, I told you. Follow the sound of weird existential musing, we'll find him.

Brie: I believed you, I just said that was said.

Ever: Oh, hi!

Amanita: Heya.

Ever: How've you been?

Amanita: Better.

-indeed, her hair is singed and she is covered in small burns-

Ever: ...Are you okay?

Amanita: Are you aware that this island chain is home to a Poison/Fire-type?

Ever: I am now.

Amanita: Are you aware that some instances of said are absolute nightmares?

Ever: It seemed likely.

Amanita: So yeah.

Brie: Well, I'm doing great.

-she sends out a Minior-

Brie: Say hi, Calamity!

Ever: That's a terrible name.

Brie: They're a sweetheart, don't worry.

Ever: Why'd you name them Calamity the—

Calamity: <You have a bug on your face, one moment.>

Ever: Wait, wha—

Ever: Ow...

Brie: And that's why.

Ever: I didn't ask for a demonstration.

Brie: But you got one!

Ever: Okay, so why are you here?

Amanita: Well...

edited 31st Jul '17 10:41:40 PM by memyselfandI2

Mezzo: So hold on. Are you researching Ultra Beasts or something? If so, I have a question for you before you go. Have you seen one that looks like this?

-Mezzo holds up a drawing of a Nihilego with a few hearts around it-

-Felis attempts to swat the Poison Sting away, only to get it stuck in his paw-

Felis: <Really?>

Celeste: <That was amazing.>

edited 31st Jul '17 10:42:45 PM by Mezzopiano

-Krieg sees the drawing, ponders, then opens up his com and whispers in a quiet tone-

Krieg: I have a who seems to have a connection with UB 01. However, she herself isn't fully aware of the fact that it's and ultra beast. Should I tell her?

Man in white:.....No, she's only involved in UB 05 as far as we know, and that's it. Everything else is confidential.

-Kreig turns back to Mezzo-

Krieg:...... I'm sorry ma'am, but that's confidential. I would if I could, but the one who paid me to investigate also paid me to keep my mouth shut.

edited 31st Jul '17 10:57:31 PM by Lawlight

-Mezzo sighs-

Mezzo: Fine, whatever. I'll find her on my own then.

-Krieg thinks to himself: Shit, I wonder where exactly she met UB 01? and the fact that she put hearts on the drawing means she feels close to it as if it's her friend, and that entire concept is already dangerous. I may sound like a jerk, but I hope she never encounters one alone.-

edited 31st Jul '17 11:17:28 PM by Lawlight

-Ghostus has been originally giving a look that was just puzzlement, but shifted to slight disgruntlement at the 'don't give me that look' lines-

Ghostus: <...What.>

<Did you practice that or...>

<What.>

-He then sees Ephemera's Ambipom-

<NO!>

Route 16, yesterday

Quirinus: ~Kalos? Yeah, been there most of my life... but that's not what I meant by broadening your scope. You're clearly still assuming the poor widdle thing went bonkers when one thing went wrong for him, which is fucking stupid thinking. Human thinking. I've been seeing what people are like once they stop feigning nicety my whole damn life.~

Colton's retroactive reaction to realizing he had stated the obvious was instant and beautiful.

His hand collided with his forehead at a great speed and force, echoing across the route. "Let me guess. It was actually something that - at the time - seemed rather minimal and then began to accumulate into your ... nihilism, I think the term is."

Route 16

(Quirinus pauses. This time, it's not a confused pause - far from it. It's a contemplative, dangerous one.)

(Then he raises his wand - and suddenly, Colton will be hit by a wave of agonising pain, as if someone is holding white-hot irons to every cell of his body, hideous, unbearable -)

(It lasts just a few seconds before Quirinus lowers the wand again. Once Colton is quiet, he talks again. His tone has changed; he still sounds rough and aggressive, but now there's a definite hint of bitter satisfaction there, not just rage.)

Quirinus: ~Yeah. Something happened, all right. But it sure as hell wasn't minor.~

"Okay, I get it!" He gasped, the pain lingering. "You don't want to talk about it. And since I'm the one who engaged the conversation to begin with, I'm at fault here.

"I mean, I get that. But are you really going to hold curiosity over my head, or even punish me for it? C'mon, man..." He sighed.

Cobalt Chaser

Phaz rushes to his Δ-wing once the briefing is finished, turning it on.

Phaz: "Al~right! Brace yourself DeCross plebs! Cobalt Stars are shining in the dark night!"

Route 16

Quirinus: ~You're the one trying to paying fucking armchair psychologist. Just thought I'd give you a straight answer.~

Colton tried to come up with a retort, only to realize that Quirinus had a point.

"I'm not calling myself a psychoanalytic or even a shoulder to cry on. I'm just a guy with a terrifyingly thorough understanding of how both humans and Pokemon tick through spending hours on the dark side of the internet.

"And, of course, my friendship with my own Pokemon, but that's kinda cheating." He chuckled.

"Even then, your 'straight answer' was really only a Heat Wave attack followed by something that answered nothing at al- I'm digging my own grave, aren't I." He realized.

Route 16

(Quirinus makes a noise of cruel derision.)

Quirinus: ~Pain was the straight answer, mate. You want me to be clearer? You really wanna see what's under this fucking mask?~

(His paw instinctively clutches the mask again at the mention of it.)

Colton didn't know how to respond to the proposition. "A strange way to convey the word 'pain'..." he said bluntly. Coulda just said it, he thought.

"If it'll help you sleep better at night, by all means. Show me what you hide."

Route 16

Quirinus: ...

(Working his clawed not-quite-fingers under the mask, Quirinus eventually manages to peel it off. The result - Colton is now face to face with this.)

(The Delphox is completely silent, his single eye boring into Colton.)

Colton had to spend a good 30 seconds looking away from the Delphox, trying to keep his last meal in his stomach.

He kept his hands in his pocket, keeping his Pokemon in their balls, so as not to see what he had become.

"I had that coming, didn't I. Well, I kinda deserve it for ignoring the signs. Might wanna, um... oh, right, Fire-Psychic. Thought that mask was letting you speak." He looked rather sheepish.

Route 16

(Quirinus chuckles coldly at the comment about his speech. With the mask off, Colton can now see that Quirinus's jaw doesn't even twitch when he speaks; there's a movement at the corners of his mouth, but it's so mutilated that whether it's a leer, a smile or something else entirely is impossible to tell.)

Quirinus: ~Arceus... not realising the Psychic was communicating telepathically? You really are thick as a fucking brick.~

"I take that as a compliment." Colton chimed as he pounded a fist against the back of his head.

"Only felt that on my fist. Oh, you were being figurative. Yeah, I've had my moments."