Halis eyes the bowtie from under the brim of the hat.

Halis: "Huh... neat. Didn't know they made things to let people do that these days. To be fair, though, I still don't even really know what it means, but options are always nice. I wonder if Colton'll try it..."

They pull the hat back down, obscuring their direct line of sight once more.

A Mobius Facility, Somewhere

-In a lab, Merlin is locked in a containment unit reinforced with iron and surrounded by a salt line. He's human right now to avoid Izaya sticking him back in a Pokeball but it doesn't do much about his current predicament-

-Visible to him right now are Izaya, a Solgaleo strapped into a machine and some odds and ends on a desk. The former walks up to him and looks inside the containment unit with a grin-

Izaya: It's amusing, isn't it? Pokemon have so much power but give humans the right technology and they literally own them.

Merlin: Wrong!

Izaya: Pardon me, what?

Merlin: Humans don't own Pokemon. Pokemon aren't slaves.

Izaya: What is it then?

Merlin: Something someone like you will never be able to understand.

Izaya: Legendaries, always so cryptic.

-He walks over to the Solgaleo-

Then again, I acquired this one pretty easily. Snooping around Iron like a naughty child.

Merlin: Iron wants to kill us, so I can see why.

Izaya: Oh when I'm done you'll have much worse to deal with than Iron.

-He turns to the odds and ends on the desk - a glowing red microchip, a chunk of Voyd's body, and a needle filled with glowing serum.-

I had to do a lot to get this point. Mobius got me most of the resources I needed, I just needed a bit of... help for the rest.

Merlin: And what point are you referring to?

Izaya: Allow me to demonstrate!

-He picks up the needle, finds a weak point in the Solgaleo's armor, and plunges it in-

-In its confines the Solgaleo writhes as black matter grows all over his body-

-Merlin's fearless demeanor is replaced by one of pure horror-

Ersatz Counter

"Get me the waiver," Colton decided, having torn his eyes away from the bowtie.

The Zeraora smiled and retrieved another waiver from under the counter, which Colton quickly signed.

<We’ll wait for Pent to finish,> he cautioned as they continued to watch the feed.

Rumination Field

After a while, Ferris' mons had all fainted. And Virizion had managed to escape.

Ferris: Great. Two Bit, you at least got a photo. Right?

Two Bit held up a broken camera.

Ferris: -sigh- You kidding me?

Insert awkward silence.

Ferris: Come on, let's go.

He would start to walk, only to be hit by a fast moving blur. On closer inspection, it was a Sneasel.

Ferris: Oh. Well, I guess I have to capture something...

The Sneasel stopped in front of him, and a Pokeball was quickly thrown at it.

Ferris: Well that was mercifully short. What should I call it?

He paused to think.

Ferris: Shiva?

Edited by Routeferret on May 16th 2019 at 8:17:45 PM

Ersatz Faeze

-Everything was too well lit to just use the shadows. In addition, he didn't know whether such an ability ever actually crossed space where it travelled... He needed to calm down, keep calm. This wasn't a cage, it was just a path with a few extra fakeouts...-

Halis adjusts the hat some more, looking at Colton.

Halis: "Maybe you should stretch or something first? It is going to be a bit of a physical activity, after all... wouldn't want to pull something in the middle of it. Besides, even if something seems easy, it might not be. Better to be safe than sorry."

White Forest

-suddenly, a fog rolls in-

Me: Is it just me, or is it getting kinda foggy?

Piku-chan: <It's not just you, ol' buddy. It's foggy! I can hardly see...>

-I stumble through the fog for a while-

Ersatz Counter

"Rushing blindly into a maze is as bad an idea as it sounds," Colton said simply, having set the bowtie down beside where he signed the waiver. "The maze Pent's going through appears to have a very twisty way to the end. Same may not hold true for me, but I'm going to hug the left wall all the same. Until salt.

"That or I'll just be able to discern the path via looking over the path. He could do that, but I don't know if he's going through the motions or what," he considered.

<Don't look at me, I'm not a psychic-type,> the Zeraora defended. <Even then, there's no way to know what he's thinking without going in there himself.>

Ersatz Maze

The maze would progressively get a little more straightforward, even though Pent would be forced to double back a few times. He might have gotten faked out by a few hidden lines of salt, too. At the end was a buzzer and another door.

Ersatz Maze

-Standing at the end, Pent looked around and picked what he thought was the direction of the camera before slamming the buzzer-

Done!

-He smiled broadly-

White Forest

-A haunting melody fills the fog, a single voice singing a song in a language either meaningless or long dead...-

White Forest

Me: Huh?

-thinks to self- That song... Where's it coming from?

-I look around and try to walk to where I hear the song coming from-

Halis seems a bit surprised when Pent hits the buzzer.

Halis: "Ohh... Did they win? It'd be weird if there was, like, a second one behind them and that was the one they had to hit or something instead... I had a dream kinda like that one once. It was funny."

Vermillion

-A man arrives home, closes the door, and sighs, getting a bottle of wine and opening it-

Man: It's been pretty good ever since... No, no, you don't need to think about her, you're rid of her...

-He's about to take a sip of the wine when he notices something moving in the corner-

-He gets up to go check and finds a Mimikyu-

Hey little guy! How'd you get in here?

-The Mimikyu scuttles off-

-Then the lights go out-

Man: Huh? Wha-

???: M͔ik͔͔e͖̞̫ ̸̙W̴̻͈͇̹i̩͙s̩͓͉̦͠c͖̲h̡̞͚̱e̘̟̣l.̣̹̬

Mike: Who's there? How do you know my name?

-There is flickering that causes a white figure to briefly appear-

???: C̤a̱̟l̼̘l ̵̜̫̠̟m̬e͕̦̞͔ ̢̤̹̲B̸̬̠͖̝a҉b̟̻̖̱̺̦̞a͉͖͈͓̘̺̪ ̘͜Y̴̜̹̹͔a̶̰̮̪͇ͅg̴̼̟̻a̡̳̹̘̝̝.̠ ͏̭͍̖̹̫A̛̯̝̲nd̶̳̳̖̹̺̞ ҉̹I͙͎̯ ̶͓̖̜̗h͉̝̘̼̘͓̙a̯͎̟͈v͈̬̹e͕̮͚̩͙ ̙̱͎̀m̰͈̟ͅy͚͇̭͉̣̘ ̺͕̫̙wa̤̹̜y̷͙͖̺̟͙͎̮s.̘.̴̦.̛̺

-The white figure reappears closer. Mike can see more detail, a white cloak, a white mask-

I͔͈̗̟̟̭'̛͔͎̯͍͍̫̦v̢e͈̫̬̤̘͡ ̫̳̩͎̞͙͉͢l͙e̮̩̹̟̩a̹̖r͇͖̕n͎̝̜ed͓̗̳̼ ̧̰̰̣̮͔̱̦a̻̬̥̹̺̣͓ ̖̣̳̼͝ḽ̙̯̩͔o̺̲̩t̻͜ ͇̠a̩̱̳̖̯͟b͔̲͉͚͇͍̫ò̯̤̗̙͖u̜͞t̗͓͍̯͚̦͟ ̵̹͔y͚͈o̬u̮,̜̘̦̼ ̷͎̫̤̦͖ͅM̠i̢ͅk̝̦̲͈e̗͍̮̟.̢.̻͉̫̟̗̗̕.̣̼ ̺͈̯M̸̯̮̙͉R̝̪̯͇̞͝A,̮͍̭̝̥̦̟ ͎̬̠̭͎̗i̞̭̬̲n̫c͈͇͖è̟͉͓͖̠̺ļ̪͉,̪̱͔ ̵͚͍̜͚̣̥a̩̙̼͓̠͝n̖̘̮̯̖̬͇d҉̪ ̥̝̖̣͕̙͔m̹̦̜̦̲̥̜o҉̙̙̙̣̰̟̳s̗̱̮̭̻t̯͜ ̗̲̩͔͔̞i͏͔̦͉̫̳m̱̮̤̰̕p̡̩͕͉̜̲͇ͅọ̠͠r̪̙̫͢t͝a̠̥͇͍͎͚̟͡nt̟̰̺̘l̸̞͙̰̥͍̳ͅỳ̪̦͕̘͇ ̺̳̞͕ḿ̝̳̭͈ͅu̧͍̗̯r͖̬̰ḏ̱̠e̯̰̫r̺̜e̩̟͇͔r̩̼̠̻̭̺̼ ̳͓̪͎o͟f̣̺̠̣̣ ̥̞h̠͈i̞̙̗ş͕̳͈ ̡̝͎̗̤̲̭̣gi̦̮̯͢r̫̭̣̼̦͞ͅl̙̭f̝̟̰̼͈̣rḭ̺e͓̬̙̬͟n̯͓͉d̰̬̭̫ f͇̠̞͝o͏̱̟r̝͚̻͚ͅ ̼̥̩̳̺̯͠d͙̜a̲̮r̗͇͍̯i͕̠͈͘nͅg̺̫̭̳̣̰͍ ̪̲̪t̴̺̭̲̪ǫ ̪̘̯ś̤a̩̘y̱ ͟ṇ̲͇̺͎̟͇͜o̪.͔̜

-A panicking Mike starts backing into the wall-

-Only for a hand to extend from the wall, pulling him inside as his screams are muffled-

If̵͇͓̣͖̦̩͙ ̩͔t̲̥̜͓̭̖̫͞h̺̠̱̪̞͈̣e̖͖̤rè̲̦͚̥ͅ'̸͉̩̬̲s͉͍̯͇̻͔ ̭̫̺̞o̗̪͇̞̣͡n̸͚̟ḙ͡ ͠t͚͙hi̝͔͔͟n͈̼̝͙͘g̞͕̻ͅͅ ͖͍̖̕I̵̪ ̴̰̟̺̠̘̝k͔̩̞ͅͅn̴̲̙̳̝o̻w͇ f͇͘ọ̮̣r̜ ̗̻̮͎s̭̯͖u̷̯͚͖͖͕͈re̗̼̝̖̱̱̞͡,̰̬̼ ̸̦͔̹̫̱o̹̰̰̣̟n͇c̟̗̝̫ę͉͖͖͎̮̼͚ ̬̫̥y̛o̮̯̱̣̫u̸̲͈̪̘r̘̫̱̮̝̤ ͖̰̞̫͉d̼̣͕̩͓̼̘e͏̣̭̝̮̟ͅa͖̗̻̖͓̖̻d̷ ̥̞b̤̤̜̼o̥͙̜̞̦d̥̟̻͔͜y̳̬͍͕̟̳̼ ̶͙̟̥̳̺̻̝t͎ṵ͙͚͢r̵̗n̺̘̜͇̗͖͞s̸̗̗̫̰ ̰̬̲̣͕̠̀ͅu̵̲̮̰̯̮̥̲p̩̟̪͔̪̙ a̤̼t͔̮̺̘͓͎͞ ̹̙͎̰͓̺ͅt͔̮̥̞h̞͚e͢ ͓͉̮͔̪̤̕po̵̩l̞̩̫͝i̠̹c̝̦͖̬̼̤͡e͙͇͉͇̹͝ ̡̭̞̹̗̬̲͔s̴̯̙̱̞͕ṭ̗a̯̗̥͕̠͠ͅt̞̤̱̥i̠͇̰͕̖̖̠o̧ṉ̷̫̠̲̣̗̮ ̷̙̱̱̟̼w̤͚͔͡i̝̲̭̥͇̬̠͞ṭ͕́h͔͙̟͘ ̞̱̤̩̰͔͔͢a̛͎̗l̢͕l͚̞̮̼̭̝ ̸̥͖̖̞t͉̳h̛̰͖̱͉͎͕̻e̤̞͙̼̙̫͕ i͍͖m̸̠̹̳po̻͍̥̟̹̩r̸ṭ̟̮̦͎̮̳a̰͓̜͖͓͚͔n̰̰͚͡t̷̝͕͓̙̟̖͓ ͎͙̣͍e̪̬v̸̟̱ì͇̻d͏ẹ̢͙͇̳͖̻n͠cę͈̬̟.̩̯̘͈͔̟.͡.̛̜ͅ

-Baba Yaga's fingers force their way down Mike's throat, and he struggles as the life is drained from his body-

It́'̭͉̪͖s͖̬̜͕̯̤ ̻͍t̞͚h̪̖ͅa̗͖t͈͓̖̘̰ ͠n̖ͅͅọ ̝͎̘̦̞o̰͉̹̦̲͚̦ņ͔̳̳̪e̥̹̗͝ ̥̯̜̲͝w͇̮̦i̵̤ḽ̻̯l͎̺̩͇͇͟ͅ ̯̜̯̜̗m̵̩̬͕̦͓i̱̰̬ș͔̞̖͜ͅs̪̣̖͔̼͔͉ ̺̱̺y̝̼͉̘̪o̞̖͚͡u̞͝.̠̭́

Edited by Umbramatic on May 15th 2019 at 8:30:55 AM

Ersatz Maze

The Zeraora left his place behind the counter and knocked on the door once again, causing it to open almost instantly. The door close to Pent would open up and deposit him in a dressing room, with the robe he had been offered for the challenge.

He then knocked again, and the door opened up for Colton.

<You know the rules,> he summarized, to which Colton nodded, closed the door behind him and went into the maze himself.

Ersatz Alliance

-Luckily it seems like the dressing room was away from everyone else because otherwise people would be hearing the happy but quiet squeal that Pent is doing now confronted by his fae-mage-tunic-robe-thing-

White Forest

-Ahead in a parting of the fog, is a small creature sitting on a log-

-She is the source of the music, and might be recognizable as the muse pokemon, Meloetta-

-The song doesn't cease but she does give a curt nod to the visitor-

Halis watches the feed from inside the maze curiously, intent on watching Colton's own journey through it.

Halis: "I wonder how it'll work out this time? I hope he'll do alright, at least..."

They're having to hold the brim of the hat they're wearing just to keep it from falling off.

Ersatz Fae Maze

True to the Zeraora's words, the layout of the maze is vastly different, with everything having been relocated.

The buzzer was even relocated to the center of the maze rather than the other side of it.

And true to Colton's words, he stayed close to the left wall, his arm slowly beginning to burn until he stopped standing so close.

But as the fae accessory wasn't as "extra" as Pent's, the maze wasn't as hard as his. He'd still be in there for a bit, though, as a stray salt line or two was throwing him for a loop.

White Forest

-through the fog I see the Pokémon sitting on a log-

Me: -thinks to self- Who's that Pokémon?

-I check my Pokédex-

Pokédex: Meloetta, the Melody Pokémon. A Normal and Psychic type Mythical Pokémon. The melodies sung by Meloetta have the power to make people and Pokémon that hear them happy or sad. They say that many famous songs have been inspired by the melodies that Meloetta plays.

-I look at the Meloetta and sit down next to her as I listen to her sing-

The Stormchaser

Shiki stares at the now Aron.

Shiki: "You ate my knife."

She walks after the Aron, frowning and pulling out her phone.

Erstaz Alliance

Iris: "Are... are clothing stores normally worked by mythical pokemon these days?"

Touko: "... No. Something strange is going on here."

Iris idly wanders over to the viewing screen and watches the maze being run, looking very confused.

Ersatz Alliance

-Pent's gonna spend a few minutes getting dressed. There's a lot to figure out with the clothing he already has in his bag and other ponderances such as anything to do with the amulet and which pockets to put his favorite items in-

White Fogrest

-Eventually the music ends, leaving silence hanging in the air as the last notes resolve-

Meloetta: Now then, welcome.

-The glade is still silent, her voice carries forth with the force of psychic power-

White Forest

Me: It's so nice to meet you, Meloetta. I love your singing voice.

Halis notices the two people coming over to watch alongside them.

Halis: "Oh, hi. Colton's running through a maze to get a thing at the moment. I'm sure he'll be fine, though, don't worry."

They go back to looking at the screen.

Ersatz Maze

Colton has stopped at a point, tracing out a number of routes to get to the center, and stumbling over himself a few times when he notices a salt line in the path. But he presses on, eventually slamming the buzzer.

"Time," he hollered out as the door behind him opened, courtesy of the Zeraora, who looks away from the door to casually wave to Iris and Touko.

With the bow in Colton's hand he went back to perusing the shelves while waiting on Pent, also bothering to tie the bow around his wrist.

Ersatz Alliance

-Well after that, it isn't long before Pent emerges from the dressing room with as much confidence as they can muster. It appears they've salvaged a few items from the worse enby elf wizard outfit such as the boots and hat, but at least with the purple robe tying things together it oddly... Works? They smile and give a slight twirl, pen tucked behind their ear and the gold chain of the amulet visible even if the gemstone piece itself is safely under the robe-

Well?

White Forest

Meloetta: What kind of muse would I be if my voice wasn't beloved? Regardless, this moment has been composed, it is of no coincidence that you find yourself here and now.

-She ponders getting off the log but decides against it-

Meloetta: Know this, I do not give favor, my inspiration is meant for any with a song to sing. But there are two things of great import that I need to say to you.

White Forest

Me: Oh?

Halis blows one of those party noisemaker things. Where they got it from is unknown.

Halis: "You look very nice, Pent. Very wizardy. Is it all to your liking?"

They seem to like it.