"Oh! Her name's Aigaji. She's a Nidorino, just kinda funky. Ain't she cute?" Nana holds the Pokemon(?) up to Ian, grinning expectantly. "She's real friendly."

This..."Nidorino"...looks awfully pointy...and only semi-corporeal...and kind of...low-def...

Celadon City

Me: She's very cute.

-I reach out to pet Aigaji-

Nana absolutely beams with pride!

It seems as if Ian's hand will be scraped badly by the glitch's pointy edges...but his hand simply clips through them. Aigaji's texture is like that of flocked plastic.

<â♀‚¥|ã‚¥ã...> she buzzes happily.

Celadon

Me: Does this... normally happen?

Edited by AnimeboyIanpower on Feb 5th 2019 at 11:16:55 AM

"Oh, yeah, she's got a bunch of weird stuff goin' on with her. But I love her a lot!" Nana grins, returning the glitch to her shoulder to whirr contentedly. "Take as many muffins as ya want, they're probably all edible."

Celadon

-I take one of the muffins and eat it, when I suddenly realize, and swallow the part of the muffin I ate ^note So as not to be rude....-

Me: Aren't Nidorino usually male?

"...Are they? 'S been a while." Nana shrugs, chomping into another muffin. "I don't worry about stuff like that too much, ya know?"

Celadon

Me: You make a good point there...

...and to think, I was heading to the Pokemon Center to heal my Oshawott after I defeated a Team Rocket Grunt and won his boot...

...Not only that, but I was so busy contemplating the mysteries of a boot that I almost forgot to say hello...

"Oh, I can heal ya up here if you want?" Nana pats her bag, indicating the Potions inside. "That boot ain't half bad. I bet you could sell it."

Celadon

Me: Thanks.

...and I think I might, but I would like to keep this as a trophy of my first step to a brand new adventure. What do you think?

Nana pulls out a small assortment of healing items.

"...That ain't a bad idea, kiddo." She gives an encouraging grin!

"Like I asked...you all alone?"

Thanks Herb for spagging this with me!

-In the aftermath of the IDPD raid, Lillianna is sat up on one of the infirmary cots, while Liam sits next to her looking concerned.-

Liam: Are you s-sure you're okay to be s-sitting up? The doctor said-

Lillianna: The doctor said that my cracked ribs should have fully healed by now. I'm in here as a formality at this point. Besides, we both know I've powered through worse.

-A head pokes into their room.-

Diane: Lillianna? Liam?

-Liam immediately looks up, smiling.-

Liam: Oh, h-hello Diane! Sorry we haven't b-been in touch, I was just worried about her and the d-doctor insisted she stay here and then she started p-protesting and it became this whole thing and-

Lillianna: Liam. It's fine.

-She turns to Diane.-

Lillianna: Good afternoon. I... I feel I should apologise.

-Diane smiles, waving in a nonchalant 'it's no big deal" matter. That said, as she comes a bit further into the room, the effect is somewhat diminished by the noticeable lack of another arm to do such a gesture with.-

Diane: Don't worry about it, things happen. We all thought it would be safe, we were all wrong, oh well.

-Liam blinks at the stump where Diane's arm used to be.-

Liam: I... oh A-Arceus...

-He stumbles back and is only stopped from collapsing by Lillianna, who catches him and then looks back at Diane, her composure evidently shaken.-

Lillianna: Still, I... we should have been more transparent about the danger we were in, and knowing that, we should not have exposed you to it. It is our errors of judgement that are responsible for your... this entire situation.

Diane: Hey. Hey. You're fine. I promise. You had plenty of reasons to keep it a secret, and we specifically agreed to a no-questions deal. What matters is, we fought them off, didn't we? If it wasn't here, then it would have been somewhere else, and not everyone is as prepared as PEFE is to deal with threats like those time cops.

Lillianna: I suppose, but the fact remains that it was not your fight, and we should not have made it such. I am not worth that level of risk.

Diane: At least one of your parents sure seems to think you are.

-Lillianna blinks at Diane, and if she had any composure before, it's gone now.-

Lillianna: W-wait, you- how do you...

Liam: I, uh, I think they were always g-going to figure it out eventually.

-Diane smirks.-

Diane: Yeah, no, it took about fifteen seconds after you walked in the door. Kai's my best friend, and they're not subtle, even when they're trying to be. Besides, the resemblance is uncanny.

-Lillianna goes rather red and glances down at her cot.-

Lillianna: ...Right. I... I see. Again, I apologise for the deception, it is just not a subject I feel particularly comfortable discussing even outside of the context in which it puts me at risk but it was still not right to obfuscate that information when as you said you have such a close relationship to Kai and you took on such a burden of risk so any relevant details should have been-

Liam: Lilli. B-breathe.

-He gives a small smile and looks over at Diane.-

Liam: Yeah, it... it's a w-weird situation. But I, uh... I think she's worth defending, and I'm g-glad you think so too.

-Diane shrugs.-

Diane: Hey, I'm the last person to judge for weird situations. You had plenty of reasons to keep it a secret, and honestly, there's no deception in just not saying things.

-She takes a seat.-

Diane: I don't care what risk you put me in. All I needed to know was, you needed a place to hide, and we had that. PEFE had to be your first choice for a reason.

Lillianna: I... thank you.

-She lets out a long breath.-

Lillianna: The IDPD, they are... they are a product of my timeline. A product of a world where the only order is that which you can force upon others, no matter what misery it inflicts. I came here to flee from them, not fight against them. That was cowardly of me, I will admit. But... if they choose to bring their war to this world, then I will fight. Because here I see a world worth defending.

-She looks up and makes eye contact with Diane.-

Lillianna: And people who make it worth defending.

-Diane grins.-

Diane: Now that's spoken like a hero. I like it. Keep that up, it suits you.

Lillianna: My actions are hardly heroic. I fled, and brought the war to your shores. You fought and suffered for people you hardly knew. That is heroic.

-She glances down.-

Lillianna: Also, while we are having this discussion, there is... there is something I have been wanting to say, or ask, for a while now.

-Diane raises an eyebrow.-

Diane: Oh? Ask away, I'm all ears.

-Lillianna keeps her gaze focused firmly on her lap.-

Lillianna: I... I would like to ask that you no longer use feminine pronouns to refer to me. I would prefer to go by more neutral terms.

-Liam smiles.-

Liam: Of c-course! Honestly, if you've been s-sitting on it, you should've asked me s-sooner.

Diane: Huh, really, that's it? You could have said that from day one. Unless, y'know, you've been debating it up until now, which like, I get.

Lillianna: I... it has been a source of uncertainty, that much is undeniable. But I feel far more comfortable identifying myself in neutral terms than I ever did whilst presenting as female.

Liam: Yeah, I... I know what t-that's like. So, um... should I keep c-calling you Lilli, or-

Lillianna: Yes, that will be fine. At least for now.

-They smile.-

Lillianna: Sorry. I know the circumstances are hardly ideal, but it just feels rather... liberating to be able to finally say it.

Diane: Y'know, Kai said something similar the first time they tried "they". I'm proud of ya.

-Lillianna smirks.-

Lillianna: I guess the two of us really do have a lot in common.

-They turn to Diane.-

Lillianna: Anyway... if we are embracing honesty, as it seems we are, I should probably confess that I have a suit that needs replacing.

Diane: I was wondering when that was gonna come up. Our workshop's always open~

-Lillianna gives an uncharacteristically nervous smile.-

Lillianna: Thank you. I imagine it probably requires some cleanup, though. Would you like us to assist?

Diane: A few extra hands would be nice, admittedly. Especially since one of them is MIA.

-Lillianna and Liam both glance at each other with a semi-horrified look, then burst out laughing.-

Lillianna: It's the least we can do.

-The two stand up and follow Diane back to the workshop.-

Edited by BittersweetNSour on Feb 5th 2019 at 11:31:21 AM

Celadon

Me: Well... other than my Pokemon, yeah. I am.

-I take one of the Super Potions, open Oshawittle's Poke Ball, and spray Oshawittle with it, healing the damage he took from Poochyena's Payback-

Oshawittle: <Thank you, my friend. I really needed that.>

Edited by AnimeboyIanpower on Feb 5th 2019 at 11:32:15 AM

"Well...just lemme know if you ever need anything, 'kay? It can get scary out there, trust me." She smiles warmly, then addresses the Oshawott. "Glad t' hear it, little guy."

Celadon

Me: Thanks, Nana... I'll keep in touch. Do you have a X Transceiver?

"Uhh...."

She digs around in her bag for a long moment, then grins sheepishly.

"...Probably!"

Someplace Urban, The Nest

-This abandoned place in the city had been her home ever since arriving in this time and place. It was a small space, barely enough room to house a bed and boxes of supplies and the space above head height was devoted to a glimmering, intricate web of fates-

-A being closely approximating an Ariados climbing over the threads clicked to itself as the perfectly ordinary girl sat on the bed, head in hands-

The Girl: Go on, realize how futile it is to hunt him.

-The Noctowl tilted it's head and narrowed it's eyes-

Noctowl: It is imperative we complete this mission. Are you rested?

The Girl: If I said no you'd try and check. So yes I am rested.

-She twitched slightly as her eyes refocused-

Noctowl: I shall scout out the quarry. Prepare yourself for the hunt.

-The Noctowl took off into the city skies to continue its search-

-Mezzo's Xtransceiver rings-

-she takes one look at it and sighs, then turns away-

-then turns back and picks it up-

Mezzo: Yeah?

Forte: Finally! You know how long I've been trying to call you?

Mezzo: Yeah, I just ignored it because you were just gonna beg to play my Switch again.

Forte: Can I?

-Mezzo hangs up-

-the Xtransceiver rings again, and she reluctantly picks it up-

Forte: No, but really, I actually called you for a more important reason.

Mezzo: What is it then?

Forte: Can you put Sunny on? I want to introduce him to his new niece.

Mezzo: Huh?

-Mezzo lets Sunny out and places the Xtransceiver near him-

Sunny: <Hi!>

Blueberry: <Hi! Are you one of my uncles too?>

Sunny: <I guess so.>

Mezzo: Wait, what? Why is she blue?

Forte: Well I got this letter from Solana and...

-Forte explains how they received Blueberry's egg-

Forte: ...and she's part of the family now. Well, we're still deciding who exactly gets to adopt her.

Sunny: <That's neat! I can't wait to meet you!>

Mezzo: So wait, that'd make her a sibling of Butterscotch then, right?

Forte: Uh, I guess so.

Blueberry: <Who's Butterscotch?>

Leafeon: <You called?>

-the Leafeon walks up next to Sunny-

Blueberry: <You're my brother? You're so... ugly.>

Leafeon: <Really? Sounds like you're just mad I have better taste.>

Mezzo: C'mon, show her what you really look like.

Leafeon: <Why should I after she just insulted my style?>

-Mezzo sets a hand on the Leafeon and his illusion fades-

Mezzo: There.

Blueberry: <That's even worse!>

Butterscotch: -sigh- <I don't need this from someone who likes blue.>

Blueberry: <Blue is best, though!>

Butterscotch: <Yellow is superior, everyone knows that.>

Sunny: <Hey, no need to get into fights.>

Butterscotch: <This is about defending my honor.>

Forte: What is it with these guys and colors? Minty and Cinnamon get like that too, don't they?

Mezzo: I wish I knew.

Butterscotch: <It's about chromatic superiority.>

Blueberry: <Yeah, like how blue is superior to all other colors. I have a grandpa and a dad or uncle or guy who agree with me, they're both blue too!>

Butterscotch: <I don't need this right now.>

Blueberry: <But wait, who are Minty and Cinnamon?>

Butterscotch: <Other siblings. They have awful taste too.>

Blueberry: <So they're blue and therefore cool?>

Forte: Uh, no... Cinnamon is Pianis' Bergmite who's red, and Minty is Fortis' green Braviary.

Blueberry: <Oh. Big brother is right then, they do have awful taste.>

Butterscotch: <Okay, maybe you're not all bad.>

Meanwhile, in a completely different place...

A sharply-dressed, middle-aged man is inspecting the facility from a platform above. It's the early morning, but morning regardless, and there's at least one worker, a foreman, that takes notice.

Foreman: "Good morning, sir! Here to inspect the—"

Regor: "No, no... just thinking. Like always, just thinking. Please, heed me no mind."

Foreman: "But, sir, I need you to—"

Before the foreman can finish speaking, Regor shakes his head and heads back inside towards a nearby door, walking down a hallway.

Regor: "All of these fine people, working day and night... I hope their hours have been reasonable. I know mine aren't... Arceus knows they never are."

He ends up then walking past a portrait of Halis with Aran, and it makes him oddly wistful.

Regor: "...At least you didn't end up with my problems. You're happy, and that's what matters."

He lets out a sigh before heading back into his office to sort out his daily routine, sitting at his chair and looking out the window, not saying anything. His computer, though turned on and at his desk, has nothing of apparent interest on the screen at the moment, instead only showing a password lock screen like usual.

Celadon

-I smile at Nana-

Me: It's okay if you don't. Maybe I can find a way to make my Xtransceiver's signal compatible with whatever you have so we can keep in touch...

"That's not what I meant Duck. We have access to the security doors through these terminals, help me break through these and we can possibly even get basic systems like grav running again."

Down with the others, the door opened and the troops stumbled out, the lead, a mighteyna held up what looked like a thin plastic card, "We got the point of their next attack! We need to get moving!"

The charizard continued to march forward, deflecting every blaster bolt it could.

There was one room with windows to look into, Rogue would see a set of monitors, computers, and a bored looking grunt scrolling through them.

The doors would still be locked and Jackal would take notice, "Found security I see."

As he stepped forward, a light passed over him, and turned red, Jackal froze, looked up and saw one of the pen drones, blinking red, several seconds passed and no alarm sounded. Jackal counted his good fortune and had Hacks pop the drone.

~That was close. What happened?~

"Don't know, we might have gotten lucky and that was a glitch."

Snakeye wiped his brow, <Whatever it was, let's not wait around fer the nex' one.>

Jackal nodded and approached the door, only to find that it was locked different from the others, "App won't work. Anyone know any other ways in?"

sootopolis city, Lane household, yesterday

-Cady rings on the doorbell and is met by her parents-

Mrs Lane: Hi sweetie! So, where is she?

Cady: Erm... Wait, over there!

-she points to Lila who was standing to the side-

Mrs Lane: Oh my Arceus! It's been so long!

Mr Lane: Welcome back!

-Lila is then tackle-hugged by her parents-

Lila: Help... Can't... Breathe...

Mr Lane: Oops! Sorry!

Mrs Lane: Look how you've grown!!

Cady: Erm, you know people walking down the street can see you, right?

Mrs Lane: Ok, ok. Sorry that I just met someone who I thought had been dead for the last ten years!

<Oh absolutely Halis is adapting very well. Look at them, already got some moves out! I hear that's not a easy thing to do!> Denali responds.

<As for the next therapy session, sure we can get that done quickly. Let's wrap this up here.>

With a clap Lucius and Halis would find themselves back on the stage, and possibly feeling a little sick from the sudden shift. Denali reappears in their human guise and grins, "Well folks! It seems our contestants are more than ready for what they got in hand! What do you say?"

Cheering came out as a gem hand floated over to Halis carrying the new scarf.

Ersatz Game Zone

-Lucius, now once again a scrawny, one-armed individual looking distinctly nauseous, shrugs.-

Lucius: Erm... congratulations? Seems like a lot of fuss for a scarf, honestly.

Island Raid, Electrical Plant B3

-Gaia examines the door closely.-

Gaia: Depends. It could probably be blown off its hinges, but doing so would attract unwanted attention, and I lack the necessary demolition equipment regardless. Alternatively, we could try cutting through the windows, though I suspect they may be reinforced with plexiglass. Perhaps we could search for a route through the vents?

Ersatz Game Show

Nimbus gives some slow, albeit genuine applause before he stood up out of his chair and stood behind where he was pretty sure the counter would reappear when Denali was done with the game show.

<They have become rather popular,> Nimbus observed.