Fuschia Zoo

Sparkers shrugs and follows the Zigzagoon.

"So, where can I get my hair done like that?"

He looks around at the other J-Teamers.

"You guys know who this 'Lord Citrus' is?"

The Walking Mountain, Top Stratum

-Deziree crosses her arms as the posh man in the brown longcoat walks up to her in the entryway.-

Wooster: Greetings, Lady Deziree. I am Ardsley Wooster, adjutant to Master Gilgamesh.

-Deziree rolls her eyes so hard the room almost spins to accommodate. Wooster raises a hand.-

Wooster: Yes, I am quite familiar with your displeasure with my lord's advances. Therefor, I shall spare you the many attempts at wooing he wanted me to impart upon you. Meanwhile, I will explain to you the details of the Science Faire.

Deziree: Like, a paper mache volcano, that sort of thing?

Wooster: That is a common misconception. Those displays of minor logicwork are literal childsplay compared to the displays expected of you. You see, the Science Faire is your chance to prove your innate skills over your competitors. You haven't seen many of them due to newer arrivals being kept mainly to their quarters, but there are about four dozen other Daughters you'll be competing with.

-Deziree gives Wooster an incredulous look.-

Wooster: I don't know how she does it either.

-Wooster hands Deziree a key.-

Wooster: This is your lab key. Your lab is across the hall from your room. You have access to every resource you see there, and you may requisition more from the servitor inside the lab within reason.

Deziree: What counts as "within reason"?

Wooster: I'm not allowed to say.

Deziree: That's very unhelpful.

Wooster: I know.

-He walks away.-

The Walking Mountain, Deziree's Lab

-Holy shit look at all this stuff.-

-Piles of iron, silver, gold, plastics.-

-Specimen jars large enough to fit a Mamoswine.-

-THERE'S A GODDAMN CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN.-

-WHY IS THERE A FUCKING CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN.-

Deziree: AAAAAAAA THIS PLACE IS PERFECT!

-She ZZZZZZZAPS into a Magnezone and starts fiddling with the iron.-

-The little Joltik goes over and tries to drink out of the chocolate fountain before falling in, quickly jumping out, and becoming stuck in a fast-drying cast made of chocolate, leaving the poor Joltik to squirm and wiggle.-

Fuchsia, past

-To Sparkers-

Immortal multiversal conqueror, though going by the fact that no humans are among this group our laws turned him into a mon.

Former Safari Zone

-The weird Zigzagoon leads the group through a bunch of troops untill they reach a camp with a makeshift throne at the center-

-One one side of the throne are a Delphox and a Charizard. On the other side are a Magmortar and a Ditto. On the throne is a massive Darmanitan. All are sporting elaborate headgear, and the Darmanitan is an unusual dark, ashen color with scars and red eyes.-

Sutur the Darmanitan:    <So. You've finally come.>   

A Cafe In Fuscia

-Julius is waiting here, nervous. Medea, now a Lampent, is with him-

Fuchsia, past

-Looking at the Ditto-

Loki...

Muddy: <So what's the plan for when we inevitably have to fight our way out? This Surtr guy's supposed to be immortal as long as he's got sacrifices for his Rite of Flames, right?>

I'm still figuring that one out.

-To the Darmanitan-

You must be Surtr.

Fuschia-Past

Sparkers eyes the Darmanitan and his cronies.

"Considering we've never met you must be talking about my colleagues. Leave it to them to make interdimensional enemies. You must be the Citrus your goth Zigzagoon mentioned. Do you do his hair or does he have a guy to make him look like that? Asking for a friend."

Fuchsia Zoo

Colton and Roy take in Surtr's "throne room", slightly awed and intimidated. They stayed silent, neither of them wanting to show any form of hostility.

Fuchsia Safari Zone

I see, so I'm just going to take a wild guess and say you're here to...

-He pauses a moment to work on the right tone-

   Take Over The World!!   

-With that resonating off the walls, Pent shrugs and looks around-

Feel free to prove otherwise.

Fuchsia Safari Zone

-Laurent pushes his spectacles up the bridge of his nose.-

Laurent: "Rest assured, should you threaten me or anyone I care about, your end will be swift and excruciating. I am not one to be trifled with."

Former Safari Zone

Sutur:    <I don't want to take over this world. I want to burn it, like all the others. But you J-Team... You may prove useful.>   

-The Charizard, Delphox, and Magmotar look between Sutur and the J-Team warily-

PEFE HQ — Medical Wing

-Over the past week, Kai has gotten significantly better — well enough to no longer be hospital-bound, for starters.-

-So why are they here today?-

-Because a little bird^* it was Nix told them that a close friend is still holed up here, after taking a bad hit in the same battle.-

-As such, they push open the door to Megan's room and poke their head in.-

Kai: ...Meg? You here?

Fuchsia Safari Zone

Lucina: "..."

-Memories of another world burning flash through her mind.-

Lucina: "I will not bow to the likes of you. Never."

A Café in Fuchsia

-A messy-haired Alolan girl pokes her head in, a Braxien behind her.-

-Remember her? She showed up on the first café date! And then the narrator forgot she existed for a whole year!-

-Anyway Elizabeth sits down.-

Elizabeth: "Hey."

Fuchsia, past

Need to keep him talking so we can get more intel, I don't know how the whole "contract" thing works.

-Looking at the other mons-

Their Auras are uneasy, but that doesn't mean they'd openly go against this guy.

-To Surtr-

And what makes you think we'd work with you?

Fuchsia Zoo

-A lapine skull made of ethereal Obscura manifests over Pent's shoulder-

Give me a good reason not to stop you from burning anything...

The Walking Mountain, Top Stratum

-Deziree takes another deep gulp of hot chocolate before slapping the last cover plate down onto the insulated wire creation engine she had just finished. She opens the button cover and slaps the power on, and the machine gives a loud, grumbling start as it starts working on the raw materials piled into the intake.-

Deziree: There! Now with a steady flow of wiring, I can get to working on the projector pads!

-She goes to take another deep gulp before she realizes that she's taken a lot of deep gulps but her mug is still full. She turns around and comes face to face with a young... [Malaysian]...? woman giving her a cold stare through a pair of small pince-nez glasses. She's dressed in a drab secretary-like outfit.-

Deziree: GAH!

Zhu Li: Hello. My name is Zhu Li. I've been assigned as your lab assistant.

Deziree: ... Oh! Okay. Hi. I'm Deziree.

Zhu Li: Okay.

Deziree: ...

Zhu Li: ...

Deziree: So, uh... While I'm waiting on this wiring to finish... uh...

-Zhu Li just holds her cold stare.-

Deziree: ... You're not like the others around here.

Zhu Li: ...

Deziree: Okay, not gonna lie, for a second there I thought you might have been lobotomized but now I just think you're super tired of being bossed around by random people, since you kept filling up my hot chocolate without me asking or even announcing your presence while I was in the middle of working.

Zhu Li: ...

Deziree: Okay, so, I'm just gonna lay this out on the table. I am not your master. I am not your creator. I do not command you to destroy my enemies. And most of all, I do not expect you to lay yourself on the line for the sake of science.

-At that, Zhu Li blinks.-

Deziree: But, if you don't want a conversation either, I guess I'll just get to work on the propulsion pads. Gonna need lots of quartz for that... maybe some refined glass if I want to up the efficiency at the cost of durability...

-She goes over to another pile of resources and grabs a fistful before heading over to another workbench. Zhu Li watches her for a time, her stoic face slightly disturbed by a confused eyebrow raise.-

The Walking Mountain, Bottom Stratum

Dune: <Alright, do we have any information on the other work bosses?>

Selene: <I've been sniffing around, and apparently there are five others.>

The Boss: <Used to be six.>

Selene: <Big Tony got knocked over by Coldtooth.>

The Boss: <Damn. Tony was friend.>

Selene: <Okay, so, we've got Coldtooth the Sandslash - Alolan flavor, at that, Belltoll the Bronzong, Gareth the Escavalier, Cragstomper the Probopass, and Greg the Bisharp.>

Dune: <... Greg?>

Selene: <Short for Gregorius Michelangelo Ammazzadraghi.>

The Boss: <Call him Greg. Funnier that way.>

Dune: <Okay, whatever.>

Selene: <From the profiles, Coldtooth is Ironmonger's right hand. There's no way we're gonna sway him, which sucks, because he has the size of two work gangs under him. Belltoll is an opportunist. If it looks like we've taken the upper hand, he may just switch sides to stay with the winning bet. Gareth wants a good fight, which he takes out on his own gang. He's got the smallest gang, but he probably is gonna be the easiest to recruit since all you gotta do is punch him. Cragstomper is weird. I have no idea what his deal is. Cragstomper might not even be his name, it's just what his work gang calls him because he doesn't talk to them outside of shouting out random sentences. Greg, meanwhile, is so vain he wouldn't realize the world doesn't revolve around him even if you threw him into the sun. You're gonna have to make it sound like fighting Ironmonger is his own idea - or fake Ironmonger insulting him, but that's hard to do since Ironmonger apparently speaks to each leader directly. There are no messengers, just weekly check-ins. Which kinda makes plans of messing with their communications really hard.>

Dune: <Well, from the sound of that, meeting Gareth first might be in our best interest. I mean, since I can punch things good.>

The Boss: <That you do.>

Former Safari Zone

Sutur: -laughs-    <You cannot stop me. I am invincible. I am inevitable. But if you join me... You will live on. Conquer other worlds.>   

Charizard: <Lord Sutur speaks the truth. If you join him, some of your world will live on.>

Delphox: <If you don't... none of it will.>

Magmortar: <Hrm...>

Sutur:    <Forgive my manners...>   

-Gestures to the Charizard, Delphox, Ditto, and Magmortar in turn-

   <These are my generals... Lagjearn, Lavetain, Loki, and Helbindi. They are familiar with my... approach.>   

Cafe

-Eventually Ishtar arrives as well-

Julius: Oh, uh, hello you two.

-Nervously looks at the menu-

What should we order?

Ishtar: I'm not used to this kind of food...

Edited by Umbramatic on Aug 19th 2019 at 4:01:36 AM

CW: Blood, Graphic Content

Silas stretched, "It's been over a month and we've had nothing," he muttered inspecting the footage one more time, "Mystery person vanishes and we can't trace them."

~Well we're not exactly detectives.~

"Not with that attitude," Silas commented, he fancied himself a observant and analytical fellow, and right now before his eyes he could see the various angles and entrances, along with possible reasons as to why the mystery figure vanished.

He and his team were back in Unova, investigating the disappearance once more, he had put on his longcoat once more and taken in a deep breath of the rainy skies, he was ready to get back to work. Before Silas's eyes were the numbers run on-

Hacks sighed, ~Silas are you doing that thing again?~

"What thing?"

~The Sherlock thing.~

"Which one, [RDJ] or [Cumberbatch]? I gotta know because I want to know how angry people should be getting."

~Har har. I swear if you're doing actual mental calculations along with visualized diagrams...~

Silas quietly blinked and dispelled the mental notes, taking out his pDroid and speaking into it to record the notes.

"Okay I think I finally have what we're doing wrong. We're asking "Why is Mr. Walters missing" when we should ask the shorter, "Why Mr. Walters" instead."

<Why is Gamora,> Amber said as she picked up one of the books.

Conroy stepped over, <That is a good question, you think there's a reason?>

"Kent Walters was a man of average height and above-average build, he was a former judge on the professional circuit and carried a mostly dragon team with high IVs according to all the reports. We're in Unova so finding yourself a means of defense isn't hard, so why go after him, why take him in the first place? The ans-"

In stepped a officer, "Hey you that PI?"

Silas felt his mental train come to a crash and he grunted, "Yes?"

"We found Mr. Walters."

Silas blinked, Hacks stared, Amber tilted her head, and Conroy spoke at the same time Silas did, <"What?">

Silas and Hacks stepped in to the back alley storage, a foul smell hit the air as they saw officers and mons heft a bodybag out. Hacks felt sick, Silas, sadly, was used to this, "Oh..."

~How do you handle this?~

"After two tours, one of which more violent than the other and consistent nightmares, as well as actually experiencing the smell of space twice... you just get used to this. Any surprises here?"

Hacks groaned and gave the place a quick scan, ~My sense of smell isn't working here but there is nothing, just police officers.~

Silas nodded and marched forward and saw the outline, and then Mr. Walters himself, the man's face was bruised, several wounds in his body, a large splash of blood all over the area, and the police crew as well as a Medicham lifting him into a bodybag mentally, a magnezone picking up loose pieces of shrapnel and loose items.

Silas turned to the officers on scene, a man taller than Arthur and with just as much muscle who looked so concerned, and a skinnier man around his height looking like he just hit the jackpot.

"This is even better than that time that the Captain lost it at Stephanie's comment about him and his husbrand's private life."

"Andy this is serious, two guys are dead and we don't know why."

"Seems fairly clear cut to me sarge, double homicide, Kent here and his associate stabbed each other, perhaps one was attempting to mug the other and it was self defense gone wrong."

Silas couldn't help but feel the two would fit in some sitcom about police work, but this entire situation didn't feel like a sitcom, it felt... different. Though the rain outside and the fact that he had a piano soundtrack on his phone playing (though muted currently) probably answered that reason for tonal shift.

The two turned around, "Ah. Name's Detective Andrew Oriol, this here is my partner Sergeant Terrence Hurst-"

"Hey."

"-And you are?"

"Just call me Grant, this is my partner Hacks-"

~Hey.~

"-We're the PI group that was investigating."

Andy nodded, "Aaaah. Private Investigators, cool, cool cool, coolcoolcoolcoolcool. So you two must be pretty smort."

"I'd do an entire bit but it's pretty clear judging by the gummy ursaring stuck in your hood you're fairly immature and your partner is basically babysitting you despite your genius."

"Whaaaaaaat? No... at least... Sarge are you babysitting me?"

"Yeah, those were the express words used by the Captain. "Babysit Orio and make sure he eats better", hence why I brought those baby carrots."

"Damn it!"

Silas mentally grinned a bit, his face unchanging, "So what happened?"

"Far as it seems, it's open and shut, the body that was dragged out earlier was a man by the name of Kevin Mc Greggor. Bit of a grifter, no major affiliation, apparently he dragged the missing Mr. Walters here hoping for a ransom, Mr. Walters got free, grabbed a knife and the rest is history with a mutual kill."

It seemed so neatly wrapped up, but that didn't explain the cloaked figure, or why they vanished from aura sight... to be wrapped so neatly was a suspicious of its own.

"If it's all the same to you I'm not done my investigation, if I can swing by the station later and get a look, I can get clearance no problem. I don't think it's done this easily."

"Yeah if you can get the paperwork we'll let you review the evidence and the body in the morgue," Terrence responded, to the annoyance of his partner, who complained loudly as they walked off.

~It seems like the end, why the questioning.~

"Hacks what was Kent?"

~A League Judge.~

"Mhm, and what do they carry?"

~Pokemon belts?~

"And his team was made of-"

~Dragon types.~

Silas nodded as he stepped over to the new chalk outline, "Yes, and if you inspected him closely enough you'd notice his belt was faded and warn from time, but there were 4 spots on that belt still clean and untouched, where the pokeballs would be."

Silas picked up said belt, before a Police Arcanine took it from him, Hacks groaning, ~So it's not over.~

"It's not, we're just getting started, something bigger is going on here."

~You're gonna be pulling this smug "smarter than you" shit for awhile.~

"I promise to keep it under wraps. I gotta make some calls."

~Whatever this is, why do I feel we're taking the first steps into the distortion world...~

Fuchsia City

Safari Zone

Laurent: "Respectfully decline. I serve no one but myself."

-Lucina eyes Helbindi.-

Café

Elizabeth: "Um, muffins are good. And cakes."

Silas sighed and his normally monotone face reached a frown, "I can't promise that you'll be picked for every mission, I'll try my best but, in the end we don't always get to take everyone."

He sighed and ran his metal hand through his hair one last time, "You're dismissed... Alice and I need to... talk..."

Safari Zone

Lilith shrinks back.

Lilith: <... I... No. I won't serve someone for this purpose again.>

Oblivion Wing

Very well.

-With a curt nod, Nightingale steps away from the meeting-

Fuchsia Zoo

One small problem. A little something called the Vow.

-He rummages in his bag and gets out a red plate-

I've got it inscribed on this, want me to read it?

Oblivion Wing, Meeting Room - Past

-Alice nods at Nightingale as she makes to leave.-

Alice: I understand, but none of us can save the world alone. This is why we come together as a team - to enhance our strengths, mitigate our weaknesses, and ensure that every threat meets an appropriate response. That is all I wished to say.

-She sighs, then turns to Silas.-

Alice: ...I think we handled that as well as we reasonably could. Hopefully there won't be any strife arising from this in the near future.

Stormchaser, Lissa's Cabin

-Lissa rolls over at Lita's touch, muttering to herself again.-

Lissa: Dunno. She doesn't need me. Nobody does. Maybe she's holed up in her workshop or something.

Edited by Herbert40k on Aug 19th 2019 at 12:25:12 PM

Silas takes in a deep breath, panting a bit, a little worried clearly, "Yeah. Hopefully. She's a reasonable person and we're at least willing to talk about the issues."

He straightened up his hair a bit and regained composure, before turning to Alice, "So. Your active role on this team. You wished to discuss that?"

Stormchaser, Lissa's Cabin-Past

"Workshop?"

She kneels down right next to Lissa and starts rocking her back and forth, trying to get her up.

"Workshop? Where? Please tell me."

Oblivion Wing, Meeting Room - Past

-Alice nods at Silas.-

Alice: I did. First off, I want to reiterate what I said earlier. It may not have been easy, but you made the right decision about how to deal with Braun. I would have done the same thing in your position. However... intentionally or not, Nightingale's discontent brings a matter I've been considering for a while to the forefront.

-She glances into her helmet's visor.-

Alice: ...Perhaps it is counterproductive to have a second-in-command of a very similar mindset to your own, who would make many of the same decisions in your absence. Perhaps we need a greater diversity of opinions amongst the team's leadership. If nothing else, the sheer size of the team and the rate at which it has been growing means that we may very well need additional officers soon enough.

Stormchaser, Lissa's Cabin

-Lissa groans and tries to bury herself deeper in her sheets.-

Lissa: Dunno. Somewhere on the ship. I was drunk, and s'not like she pointed it out on a map or anything. What's the rush, anyway?

Edited by Herbert40k on Aug 19th 2019 at 1:02:13 PM