"I don't tend to emote well, intensity is kind of a default state for me," Silas responded, before letting out a rumbling ethereal sounding laugh.

~Good news is that he's getting better at expressing himself in other ways,~ Hacks added.

Silas's thoughts turned to Alice and the help she had provided in finding other avenues for him to express. Then they turned to other thoughts and he quickly left those as they ventured down the road.

"As for Hunters, any idea who they were. I've been trying to build a profile, I've only got 3, with the last one being relatively unknown."

Old Road

"I don't have much myself. They were smuggling eggs and did a classic Bait and Switch tactic. They're organized I'll give them that. The guy they had running the operation looked kind of like a caveman though. Had this huge bow with him. He seemed to be more concerned with fighting me than what his crew was doing."

"Now, what's a good song?"

I was a highwayman. Along the backroads I did ride!

Sword and pistol by my side.

Many a young maiden lost her baubles to my trade.

Silas leaned back as they traveled along, pondering the letter his Great Grandfather had left him, what lay beneath the old Hamlet?

The thought process was quickly derailed as the cart started to break down, and the Mudsdale ran off, <SCREW YOU GUYS! YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN!>

The buggy crashed and Silas crawled out with Hacks, "ow..."

~Everyone ok?~

Old Road

Des dragged himself out of the wreckage and dusted himself off. He yelled at the fleeing Mudsdale.

"Yeah well your service sucks!"

Miffed her turned to Silas and Hacks.

"I'm ok. I guess we gotta foot slog it from here on. Why are we going to this hamlet again?"

Silas handed Des the letter, and drew his Greatsword, "Really have to thank Arthur for this thing.

~What do we even call it?~

"The Undying Blade, in honor of the man it is so clearly modeled after."

Hacks smirked, Silas took the lead, marching through the underbrush and following the dirt road.

Old Road

Des skimmed the letter then followed Silas, handing him back the letter.

"Sure is a spooky place."

He drew his knife.

Wyndon, Geo Soc offices, Early April

Dame Williams: If you'd like to learn more about what we fear might happen in the wake of the Macro Cosmos disaster, we've a few articles chronicling the Pokefutures crisis in Angela. A nasty piece of work, that company. They were the publishers of our magazine's Angelan imprint, but veered way too far from our standards in science and journalism. Everything that seems to involve them nowadays seem to revolve around unethical experiments or supervillain activity.

Tommy: Frequently both.

Dame Williams: Mr. Petersen here was targeted by a renegade villain who was identified as a former Pokefutures scientist. I would've expected your city's superhero to have taken care of that. That said, he does like his world tours. Which might explain Petersen's willingness to be in Galar.

Tommy: Ehehe. Right. Cut 'im some slack, though.

Dr. Williams: Now, we could also offer a free month's access to our video database for research purposes. If you need to learn more about anything specific, just search for it. Of course, if you'll need anything else specific, ring a line to our resources division. We've helped researchers like yourself for years.

~It's almost as if the aesthetic quality of our universe suddenly changed...~ Hacks commented.

Silas nodded and kept quiet, marching silently along, before saying, "You might want to get a mon ready, could be anything in this tall grass."

As if on cue, out leapt a large man with a Machamp, followed by a smaller fellow in a hood with a pistol and a Charizard.

Wild Area

Brie: Don't bring their name in here. This is a safe space, for you, me, and that giant Joltik.

Why is it so big?

...Anyway, provided I'm not putting your identity at risk, I'll happily show up to cheer. I can't spend all my time picking fights with giant metal birds.

There are giant metal birds here. I do not like them. There are also smaller, not-metal birds, which I also don't like, but they're less belligerent.

Circhester

-speaking of smaller, not-metal birds-

Merle: <I can fly...I can fight!>

Narrow: <Eh...>

Merle: <Shut your tiny, tiny beak.>

-she cracks her knuckles, a weird gesture from a bird-

<Have you found anything while I was indisposed?>

Narrow: <I think we both know I have not. The club burned down despite the best efforts of the local CBFD—>

Merle: <...Circhester bird fire department?>

Narrow: <Yeah.>

Merle: <You don't think we're scraping the bottom of the barrel here?>

Narrow: <I can't really help that.>

Merle: <Right. Well. Right now our best lead is that Corvisquire.>

Narrow: <That's a terrible lead.>

Merle: <Which should really emphasize how desperate we are at this point.>

Narrow: <Show, don't tell.>

Merle: <Hey, you're Ghost-type now, right?>

Narrow: <...Corvisquire it is.>

Snowpoint Temple, AFD

-Clownigigas honks sadly and leaves-

Jared: Wow, thanks, I-

-he gets a call-

Hang on one second?

-Answers-

Hello? I need to be in Orre? Okay! Jim?

-He gets teleported out-

Geo Soc

-Alex takes a cable and plugs her head into the database.-

Davy: <...Er.>

-She's going to be a while-

Dusty Bowl

Duolis: Loud and clear.

Medea: Crystal!

Huginn: Fine.

Hammerlocke, FEH Plot

Poser: <All viable possibilities...>

Julius: ...Wait. Isn't there something beneath THIS city?

Kalos Power Plant

Flamel: <Let's see... Oran OS, Kalos Power Plant, Vanity, Metropolis of Vanity?>

Power Plant

The telltale sound of someone teleporting in can be heard nearby. A few seconds later Daydre runs over to the group.

She looks rather steamed.

"WHERE'S THE BITCH. I'M GONNA KILL HIM-"

Turffield Outskirts

:0

<I can keep that secret! Dunno if anyone'd ask me about you, anyway.>

Wild Area — Brie

Kai: Oh, that giant thing? It's apparently something that just... happens, in Galar. Normal-size Pokemon get full of weird ambient energy or something and grow big. Apparently it's not even technically their real size, just a projection or something? Even though it's, like, definitely solid. I don't really get it and I'm hesitant to mess with it even though the League has this whole thing centered around it here.

Wild Area — Dusty Bowl

Nazena: Wonderful. Let's cut to the chase. Sunder?

Sunder the Doublade: <We've found the spot.>

-The blades line up, crackling and hissing with a strange static sound, and stab into the stone, sinking in with an Obscuric mist pouring from the area. They twist, and pry apart a hole, swirling with spectral energy.-

Sunder: <Better make it quick, we can't hold this open forever!>

-Nazena quickly steps through the hole, disappearing through it.-

Edited by BittersweetNSour on Apr 15th 2020 at 6:59:58 AM

Dusty Bowl, far past

Something feels fishy about this, but it might just be my paranoia...

-Steps into the portal-

Hammerlocke, past

-To Julius-

Well, I think they've got an energy plant below Hammerlocke Stadium, Surtr might be trying to leech power from there.

Kalos Power Plant, two days ago

-Typing the words into the Metaverse Navigator-

"Oran OS" "Kalos Power Plant" "Vanity" "Metropolis"

All in due time.

Dusty Bowl, today

-To Channah-

Well you haven't really missed much.

Old Road

"Oh. Speak of the ghost lord."

He sends out Sniper.

<Quarry, sir?>

"These fools."

<Affirmative.> Sniper summons some water to his finger.

Des used Cheap Shot on the large man.

Sniper fired a Water Pulse at the Charmander.

Hammerlocke

"What would he gain from being in there?" Roy asked. "Sure, it would take five minutes at most to check, but either way there's not much someone with his powers can do with the plant," he considered.

Kalos Power Plant

Colton did the same as well, cracking his knuckles after he pocketed his phone. "Say when."

Dusty Bowl, past

-Channah enters the portal-

Dusty Bowl, now

Channah: Well that's good. Wouldn't want you getting up to fun shit without me.

Hammerlocke

-Gale's just hanging about the city right now, visiting various stores looking for food, fashion and a few 'paranormal' items. As much as her sponsorship with a certain seasonings company allowed her access to herbs, the more obscure and auspicious plants weren't on the product line-

-She had yet to decide whether to jump into this talk of glitches. Perhaps, she did trust Captain Grant after all-

Kalos Power Plant

-Susan prepped her phone (and her stance, a sudden shift of shape was always a little difficult to adjust for), ready to jump into the Metaverse-

Pentigan: Wait hold up guys I gotta-

-Which honestly, perfect moment for the app to activate-

Logan: -still wink- Glad to hear it~

Addie: <Hmmm...>

-looking up at the moon- <It is very late, and I believe we have an appointment to get to.>

Logan: -shrug- Well, we can't leave company untended.

-...-

...say. Wanna help me with something?

-they wiggle a weird...handheld device, like a [Nunchuk] for the [Wii], without the cord-

Nurse: -to Ever, reassuringly- He's doing fine...

Megan: ...but?

Nurse: But, there is something odd about this, as minor as it is.

-turning the screen- Some of these strains seem to run deep, and that's unusual from a battle like this. Especially from Milo's Gym, the dear boy.

Human!Vee: An'...this ain't old?

Nurse: -giving her an odd look- No, these are fresh. Nothing the machine couldn't fix right up, but if it's the result of what I think it is, there's cause for concern down the line.

May I see your Dynamax Band?

Megan: ...I

-cagily- I lost it. On the way here.

-the Nurse eyes her critically, noting-

-she's covered in dirt-

-breathing kinda hard-

-prior observation, of her coming in once slightly on fire, and-

Nurse: Well, all right. If you come across it again, bring it here—we wouldn't want any Challenger running 'round with a defective piece of equipment.

-frown, chiding- And you should recall your Pokemon into his ball before you activate it. If he's out in the middle of the field, he's liable to squish someone.

Well, someone other than his opponent. Everyone comes to Galar to see a good squishin'.

Megan: Oh, you saw that.

Nurse: Everybody's watchin'. Not much no one hasn't seen before, though.

-kindly- Get some rest, why don'tcha? You'll feel better in the mornin'.

-she punctuates this with a nod, pushing the healed-Pokeball tray out to Megan-

Megan: …

-she picks them up one by one, in ascending order of age-

Megan: -staring down- ...

-and pushes the very last back into the Nurse's hands-

Megan: -off-kilter, uncertain- Could you...make sure? He's okay?

That's—I'll take your advice. I just…

Nurse: -taking- ...alright.

-and Megan goes to walk right out of the room-

-Vee takes a step, reaching after her-

-takes a breath, and...stops-

-confusedly-

Logan: -to the room at large, as convincingly as ever- ...I'll keep an eye on her. I think she'll bounce back from this, with the right encouragement. Or at least let onto what's going on. That's...that's progress.

Human!Vee: ...give him to me.

Nurse: I'm...sorry, who are you?

Human!Vee: -pointing- His best friend. Give him to me.

Indeedee: -bristles-

Nurse: -unflinching, looks back-

Donnel: -seconding Laurent- Yeah, arn't any volcanoes 'round these parts that I've seen.

Chrom: -nodding to Morgan- Yes, the thought had crossed my mind.

-to Roy- Well said. On the other hand, though, there is the possibility that this Surtr would strike there first. Often, these conquering types lead with a show of force if they can help it—and crushing a former seat of power tends to send the kind of message that appeals to them.

Byleth: -listens attentively-

Lissa: -seeing yet more blue hair- ...you wouldn't happen to be related to us?

Byleth: -bland- I have no idea.

-Lissa begins looking them over for a Brand, which they accept with apparent equanimity-

-no one knows anything about this city, though Chrom dutifully pulls out a smartphone to check-

Byleth: Can we access this plant? Or take it, before he can get his hands on it.

-sparks fly, a figure appears-

Logan: I am, yes.

Addie: <More portals...>

Logan: We've got our silver thread.

-and immediately zips into the portal with everyone else-

Edited by Asterisk395 on Apr 15th 2020 at 11:13:40 AM

Arthur places the helmet on, and instantly becomes mute, he lets out a grunt of agreement and charges in, Hayden right behind him.

Silas looked about, "So an AI, not like Porygons then... wait this thing is advanced enough to have its own subconsciousness?"

Bishop pondered the implications of that.

The Large Brigand grunted in pain as he was struck with the knife, the Charizard flinched upon being hit with the water attack.

"Seems they aren't in the best of shape, makes sense as banditry doesn't work out here much... They seem rather... anachronistic."

Hacks struck the Machamp with a psychic attack, ~Sleep.~

The smaller brigand examined his tools, and then at the man in imposing black armor, and for some reason the man then decided, "I can take him". The Bandit fired his pistol, the shot missing Silas, who proceeded to swing his sword and strike him.

The Large Brigand attempted to grapple Des, "you'll pay for that!"

The Machamp and Charizard were stunned.

You win! Halis and co. gained 0 exp.

They promptly stop standing still as soon as it leaves, the AFK markers disappearing.

Halis: "Aw, zero? I was hoping for at least 1 for ingenuity..."

Kiyohalis: "Don't worry, I'm sure the one experience point was inside you all along."

Halis: "That's... not very comforting but thank you? I guess?"

Kiyohalis: "You're welcome~"

Halis: "I'm ready whenever you are... for, uh, whatever this is. I think? Maybe? Hey, are we—"

Their unending torrent of menial questions is more than likely interrupted by the jump to the Metaverse.

Dusty Bowl

-To Channah, jokingly-

Fun stuff, like dealing with the Wild Area's ridiculously numerous microclimates, in one place it's a blizzard and in the other it's harsh sunlight.

Or waking up to birds singing about waking up feeling horny, but that's basically everywhere since I got turned into a Mudkip.

Edited by rmctagg09 on Apr 15th 2020 at 10:58:39 AM

Turffield PMC

Ever: ...Hm. Alright.

-they sigh-

I'm going to go do other things, now. It turns out they pile up.

Vee, make sure Pippy's alright and that Megan's alright, but do talk to Pollen. Selfish or no, I don't think she's going to be happy that her big moment went completely ignored by the person who's supposed to be responsible for her personal growth.

-they give Logan a lazy little salute and slide away-

PEFE!Every: ...I'm not good at exits. I'll research Dynamax-related injuries if you need, just text me. I'm not Ever but I check my phone more than I used to now that I have friends and stuff.

-she sidles away like an unsettled crab-

Wild Area

Brie: Oh. That's extremely weird.

JOLTIK: <THAT'S A LITTLE HURTFUL.>

Brie: Well, you're big, so...

JOLTIK: <PICK ON SOMEONE YOUR OWN SIZE!>

Dusty bowl

-Hazel jumps in the portal, holding onto her hat so it doesn't fall off.-

stormchaser

-There's a Mimikyu walking around. They seem new.-

Old Road

<You're in my sights.>

Sniper fires off another Water Pulse at the Charmander.

"Hey woah hey!"

Des is grappled by the larger brigand. He struggles and tries to stab him.

Human!Vee: ...yeah. I'll make sure.

-Logan returns the wave with a wan little smile-

Logan: Good luck with stuff.

-to Pef, smiling a bit wider- I'll be sure to. Luck to you, too.

-...-

-they exchange a look, and head on in-

-with one intermediary stop-

-pop-

Pippy: -blinks-

-blink blinks-

-at everyone-

-blank- <...I—>

-Vee tackles him-

-with the mass differential, it doesn't move him much aside from emotionally-

Pippy: -voice breaking- <I—>

<She left.>

Logan: -not standing off to the side- Everyone's just overwhelmed, right now. A little space is a good thing, here.

Human!Vee: -zero inches away- What was that?!

Pippy: <It's—kind of a long story?>

-open expressions-

Pippy: <A long lot of—nothing, really. Things that are...inconsequential, and, and dull—>

-expectant looks-

Pippy: -tremble- <...that I don't want to talk about right now.>

-Vee's need to know wars with—a long life of not steamrollering over him-

Logan: -laying a slow hand on his shoulder- It's consequential if it affects you. You don't need to talk about it right now, but...I do recommend talking to someone. Me, or Vee, or Megan herself—

-his breath catches-

-she bites her tongue, buries her face in his fluff and breathes deep-

-he reeks of heartbreak-

Logan: -taking a different tack, still steady- ...things are going to be okay. You've had—a bad experience, maybe it reflects on a different time, a bad time—but you're not there now. You're close, you're here, you've got us...

-he vacillates, just in the patter of his heart-

Human!Vee: -clutching feathers, looking up- I could convince ya. I know things're gonna be okay, jus' say the word.

-there's a flash of something like hope across his face-

-briefly-

Pippy: <N-no. No, I don't think—>

-pressing flippers into eye sockets- <...ugh, I can't think. It might just...muddle—clarity—>

-small- <...I just wanna sleep.>

Human!Vee: …'kay.

-Vee Yawns, slow and deliberate—so does everyone else, irresistibly-

-Logan cracks open an energy drink, and Pippy just...succumbs-

Human!Vee: -petting him, slowly- ...sleep well, 'kay, P? We're gonna sort this all out.

...talk to ya in the mornin'.

Pippy: -drowsily- <Mhm…>

-and he does-