"What's Pokefutures? Is it like a content farm of sorts? ...also, could you link me to that article?"

Clara's Master Ball rattled around a bit. It seemed as if whoever was inside wanted out for a while as she calmed it momentarily.

<Shshshh. Mum, I'll get you out when we get there.>

-on this particular stage, preparations seem to continue, behind schedule—it's already time for the performance to start, the audience all assembled-

-it seems halfway unpacked, metal crates and components scattered about—a full box of unscrewed bulbs just sits in the middle of the stage amidst speakers and assorted junk-

-...an impression that's only furthered as someone nearly trips over something, staggering to the center-

-when they make it, they tap the mic once, twice, uncertainly-

Human!Ceal: -tentatively- ...h-hello.

-murmurs-

Human!Ceal: -anxiously- H-hello Hulbury!

-two floaty sets of eyes peek out from pillars behind them—a Castform and Magnezone, meek or curious-

Human!Ceal: -determinedly not glancing around- U-um, d-don't mind the mess—i-it's probably fine! ^^;

-their outfit is asymmetric, like the swoosh of hair in shades of blue to white—a ruffled, sapphire skirt hangs off their hip, trailing down one leg—iridescent white cloth glitters in the light, making a waterfall, nearly-

-chubby, pretty—Alolan, like Liz behind the curtain—nervous as heck, trying to hide it-

-they notice something—distracted, they reach down, winding up the key of...a green Rhydon toy...? The Magnezone perks up, starting to do the same, a few feet back-

-...-

-wind...wind...wind-

-the Castform goes to one of the boxes, takes wind-chimes in her teeth(?), and hangs them up around the place, one by one—never mind that it's indoors—they finish, watch the Substitutes totter about-

-right on cue, all the lights fizzle and burn out-

Human!Ceal: -groan-

Suiko: -in a shadowed corner- -...-

-...it's quiet, no one quite knowing what to do-

-in the dark, there's only the audience muttering, and the wind-chimes chiming-

-...they almost seem to overpower the crowd-sound, getting louder by the moment-

-getting more rhythmic, the metal-clatter forming beats, then patterns-

-right when it can't build any more, an indoor sun drops a spotlight solely on the one with the mic-

Human!Ceal: -hand cast upward, a cloud of lightbulbs floating out behind them- ...

-their whole demeanor's changed—there's nothing rushed about the beat their foot taps on the floor-

-there's nothing shy about their averted gaze—when their eyes open, music smolders-

-and when they sing, the world starts-

-low- ♫Once upon a time there was a kid from Pallet town
Saw a mess of yakuza and moved to burn it down
Once upon a time there was this kid from Pallet Town
Rocket launches try again—he was pretty lit. ♫

-bulbs pulse, chime-accompaniment-

-pace picking up- ♫Once upon a time this fellow Giovanni rose
Pickin' pockets left and right, the League caught by the nose
Once upon a time a crime empire sticks and grows
Blue berretta lancer line—what a sorry state.♫

-tsk tsk-

-bulbs hanging in the air- ♫...shine their colors in the sky—♫

-primary-color flickers, wireless-

-outstretched hand, lit from all sides- ♫Hidden Powers, darkest hours, til the day's gone by

You'd forget an' still regret'd take its sorry toll...♫

-rocker shriek- ♫...But black and white and red all over, THAT'S just how we roll ♫

-the beat kicks up-

♫We're! all! Pokémon!
Training here from dusk 'til dawn
You think you can take me on,
You ain't seen nothin' yet— ♫

-music swells-

♫ We're! All! Pokémon!
Training 'til the sun's all gone
Two to tango, one-on-one—
Come on, jack, let's dance!♫

-a blazing-bright melody blasts from the Castform's trumpet, contested by the chiptune in the Magnezone's speakers-

-back and forth they go, building layers on each other's lines—the battle rages, lit bulbs whirling around the singer twirling in the spotlight-

Edited by Asterisk395 on Apr 28th 2020 at 11:39:41 AM

On the road

Beck: Not familiar with human current events, are ye? Tom, you're the science person. Explain.

Tommy: Pokefutures is this evil company that at one point controlled an entire region. They were brought down by the founders of PEFE after they've been exposed for committing all sorts of cruelty to Pokémon. They never quite believed that your kind were intelligent, see, and they believed that justified all the things they did. I'd show you a few articles in a bit.

Gimbal: Bad news, honey. We've got no signal!

Beck: That's the countryside for ya!

Tommy: Oy vey.

Farmer Beckett: Just waits til we get home. The farm's not far from Professor Magnolia's 5G mast.

Edited by MasterJayAM on Apr 29th 2020 at 3:50:45 AM

“You’ve got to remember, right, that I live in a Timburr settlement. I can’t spend all my time with humans, sadly. But that does sound interesting. What kind of things did they do? Or is that a bit too... urur^* an expression in Common Conkeldurr meaning “taboo” to discuss?”

Clara twiddled her fingers, re-reading The Missing No’s awful article over and over as if unsure of herself.

<Pokéball ID 01-496-xcf9 (“Laura”) registered to Hasslemon under the username “funneySnivy”.>

Nightingale Hall

-The air was chill in the hall as Gale approaches the trio of stones marked with the symbol of a bird on a small dais in the depths of the cavern. Carefully, anxiously she places her hand atop one of the stones and is not at all surprised when nothing happens. What does surprise her is that she cannot remove her hand from the stone as a dark mist flows into the chamber-

A smooth voice from the shadows: Do you have a story of stealing hearts, my 'heroic' thief?

-Gale grumbles slightly as the daedra emerges from the mist and moves silently with a flow impossible for a creature of flesh and bone-

No. Can I just borrow the armor it's important and I need to get back fast.

Nocturnal: And no tribute of stolen moves? Not even light shoplifting? Why should I grant such a boon to you? Don't you have your own armor, oh Nightingale mine?

-Each question mark chills like a shiv of ice, but the last three words cause Gale to twitch in dread-

My regular suit is insufficient for the trial I'm about to face, and if I fail it's going to be a bad thing for everyone. I just don't have time to explain-

Nocturnal: Then this will be faster.

-Images flash through Gale's mind, images from her own thoughts and experiences. Nocturnal takes in this glut of information and for a moment looks legitimately concerned before resuming her usual nonchalant expression-

Nocturnal: Very well. I grant you this boon... Temporarily. I expect it to be returned, along with a fair cut of the treasures you so readily thought would be there.

-With a gasp, Gale's hand comes free and she falls backwards. Sitting on the armor stone is a full set of armor, a shortsword, a bow and a quiver of black-metal arrows laid out like some kind of display piece. Nocturnal and the mist dissipate swiftly after that leaving Gale alone to re-equip and shadow-walk out of there-

The Ruins

-Gale emerges from the shadows in her new outfit. She moves silently, eyes glowing a faint yellow-white underneath the shadows cast by the hood but from her body language she clearly looks stressed as she takes up her position in the marching order-

Alright. Ready.

[Royal Court Theater]

-A woman with orange-red hair somewhere within the crowd dances along to the performance like noone is watching-

[Royal Court Theatre]]

-Sugar and Spice watches from behind the curtains.-

Elizabeth: "Fuck how are we supposed to beat that we're playing a cover and"

Gabrielle: "Calm yourself, Lizbeth. We have nothing to worry about."

-The plump Alolan woman with blonde hair nods, as does the skinny, muscular pink haired woman.-

Christina: "Certainly not with me here. "

Olivia: "What am I, chopped liver?"

Elizabeth: "Hey, my liver and onion tastes good."

-Elizabeth giggles.-

Silas nodded at Gale, "Very well. Let our expedition, begin."

He stepped into the ruins.

It was dark, Silas whistled and Hacks nodded, raising a aura sphere to present some light ahead.

The Crusader trudged forward, the thoughts in his mind as to what could be down here, what lay below, and why was great grandfather so scared of it?

Lake of Outrage, earlier today

Channah: -trudging through snow- Tagg found a cool mon here... Let's see what I can find. Also how did it get so cold

Hale: -is beating up Pangoros in the background-

Pangoro Announcer: <OOOH! HE HAD A FAMILY! IN FACT HE'S MY COUSIN! GOD, YOU'RE SO EMBARRASSING, HENRY!>

Channah: -moves further away from the fracas- Hmm... Oof.

???: <˙ǝɯ uopɹɐԀ>

Channah: -looks up at what she just walked into- What?

Female Duraludon: <¿pǝsᴉɐɹ sᴉ ʎqqɐq ʍoɥ ʍouʞ oʇ uǝddɐɥ noʎ plnoM> -reveals a tiny shape hidden in the crook of her arm-

Female Snom: :B

Channah: -heart eyes, motherfucker- ... hhhhhh

Hammerlocke, today

Channah: -running around- TAGG! WHERE ARE YOU DUDE? LOOK WHAT I FOUND

Old Ruins, past

Kamon: -heart eyes, motherfucker- UGH! I am LOVING that new outfit! Ahem. Anyway. -looking around- This reminds me of a set from the first J-Team Movie. Except much more mildew-y. -sniffs- Oh my, I hope I don't get sick. Throwing up on this shirt would be a tragedy.

Hammerlocke

-Is eating when I hear Channah coming-

Oh?

Hammerlocke

Channah: -shoves a Snom in his face- LOOK AT HER

Snom: :B

The Road to Wedgehurst

Tommy: Hey, we have data again. Here we go.

Tommy sends Clara an article from a website's archives.

Tommy: And that's just the article published in the wake of the event. We have a few more about what we found after the company collapsed. All sorts of nasty things that were hidden away in their flowery advertising. Harvesting organs from mode-locked ditto to use in their "health and wellness" crap for the wealthy. They even promised lifespan extensions that... I... I don't want to talk about it. If I recall correctly they also provided "genetically augmented butterfree" for a chocolate farm that horrified another evil corporation into not wanting to work with them.

Beck: Should we tell her about the drive system?

Tommy: Oh, Arceus. Can we not talk about the drives?

Beck: Basically, the drive system sucks the life out of pokémon. I thought the drives were the worst of them, until my superiors had to ship cyborg carcasses for disposal in the deserts of Orre.

Tommy: Okay, that's marginally worse.

Hammerlocke

-Snommed-

I see you have a Snom.

Magtail: -Looks slightly unimpressed-

Hammerlocke

Channah: -nuzzles the Snom- I call her Gwen! She came with a Duraludon, so I caught her too. Her name is Toshiko.

Hale: <ShouldhavenamedherNHS.>

Channah: How's your new guy doing?

Turffeild, Abeline

Sylvestra: Hmmm, intresting.

-to the Flunky- Don't worry sir, I'll handle the payment.

-as she says this she licks her lips-

Hammerlocke Gym Entrance

-The door opens-

Gaius: Get in, get in, get IN

-the door opens, everyone piles in, the door closes-

-the elevator starts going down-

-...it starts getting rather hot-

Metropolis Of Vanity

-the group gets to what seems to be a plaza-

-the blue Shadows have crowded around it, it's hard to see-

-but they're... cheering?-

Hammerlocke Elevator

Heat slowly getting to him, Roy presses on his choker to adopt a few more features of a Blaziken to better deal with the heat. White feathers fan out behind his shoulders and the cuffs of his pants adopted the signature red coloration. "That's... slightly concerning. Either he's already here or the plant is a short while away from a disaster," he observed. "And given who this is, I'm leaning towards the former."

Vanity City

Rage and Love looked out among the crowd through his blindfold. "What could they be celebrating?" He asked.

Metro-Vain-ia

Anthem: <Probably the Palace owner having an ego trip.>

-Mimic unravels back to Shift's pink goop body before Shift weaves back into Young Director form-

Shift: I'm so sick of these maniacs that think the world is about them.

Ruins, Hallway

-In the shadows Gale felt at home, these dark corridors filled with the comfort that would seem weird if described. That said, there was monsters down here and she knew it-

-Very little of this place held any mystery to her, that's why she was scared-

Ruins, Hallway

Des followed Gale in.

"Nice look, by the way."

He felt a little uneasy in the darkness.

"So...should we whisper?"

Metropolis of Vanity

-Looking around-

Pink, try seeing if you can find the Palace Ruler somewhere in this mass.

Pink: <I'm trying...>

Hammerlocke, past

-As it gets hotter-

Guess Surtr's been hard at work.

Hammerlocke, today

-To Channah-

Well Diplo's-

Diplo: -Phasing through my hat- <Tagg, I crave violence!>

Edited by rmctagg09 on Apr 28th 2020 at 8:53:14 AM

Hammerlocke

Channah: Ah, a dragon after my own heart.

Turffield Stadium Entrance Room, After the Battle, Pre-AFD

Elton: (happily) <Yep! And I'd say it's really cool, too!>

(At that moment, though, he and Kim are both interrupted by a familiar sounding bark coming from behind them:)

Yamper: (in delight) <OH MY DOG>

Yamper: (happily) <THAT WAS INCREBDIBEL>

Yamper: <I CANT BELIEVE THAT YOU JUST WON THAT GYM BATTLE HOOMAN>

Yamper: <oh henlo eltom>

Yamper: <congrabjulationz on your eboloojin into a rabit>

Elton: (happily) <Oh, thank you-> (he suddenly notices) <Wait... is that who I think it is?>

(Kim turns and stares down at the Yamper.)

Kim: "Yamper?" (She kneels down to his level.) "Did you follow me into the stadium...?"

Yamper: <yes i did>

(He immediately jumps onto Kim and begins to lick her face, and Kim starts laughing uproariously.)

Yamper: <i luv u hooman>

Yamper: <am gud boi>

Kim: (laughing) "Okay, okay...!"

Turffield Stadium Entrance Room, After the Battle, Pre-AFD

-Ian and Evelyn laugh-

Me: That Yamper must REALLY like you...

Turffield Stadium Entrance Room, After the Battle, Pre-AFD

Kim: (standing back up) "Yes. It seems as though he does." (then, taking out a PokeBall) "Would you like to come with us?"

(The second the Yamper sees the PokeBall, he happily barks and starts running around in circles.)

Yamper: <ARE YOU KIDDING>

Yamper: <OH MY DOG YES>

Yamper: <PLEEZ CATCH ME IN A POKEYBALL AND TAKES ME HOME>

(Kim giggles.)

Kim: "Alright, then!"

(And with that said, she throws the PokeBall in the air. It quickly encapsulates the Yamper, and falls to the floor, before shaking three times. The center then glows yellow, signifying capture.)

NEW POKEMON CAUGHT: YAMPER

Elton: (happily) <ALRIGHT—!>

(Kim grins and picks up the PokeBall.)

Kim: "Excellent." (then, pausing) "Now to think of a name..."

Temporarily controlling Kim with permission from OPALGARNET16, just for the punchline...

Turffield Stadium Entrance Room, After the Battle, Pre-AFD

Me: Hmm... What's a good name for a Yamper?

Evelyn: How about Daltrey?

Me: Who?

Evelyn: Exactly.

Me: So, Daltrey's from the "Exactly"?

Evelyn: Nope.

Me: Then, who is Daltrey with?

Evelyn: Exactly.

Me: Hold on, Evelyn? Is Daltrey with "The Exactly" or not?

Evelyn: No, Ian. Daltrey is not with "The Exactly".

Me: I thought you said-

Evelyn: I didn't. Daltrey isn't with "The Exactly".

Me: -exasperated- Then, Daltrey is with... Who?

Evelyn: Yes.

Me: -confused- Wait... Daltrey's with Yes?

Evelyn: No.

Me: Wait, Daltrey's not with Yes?

Evelyn: Exactly.

Me: Okay, Evelyn. I give up. You tell me who Daltrey is with.

Evelyn: I shouldn't have to. You already did.

Me: I did?

Evelyn: Of course. You answered your own question.

Me: Oh.

-Beat-

Me: And that question was...?

Evelyn: Who is Daltrey with?

Me: -exasperatedly- I don't know!

Piku-chan, Hatty, Kim, Evelyn and I: <Third Base.>

Hammerlocke

-To Channah-

You too want to get launched at high speed by your evolved forms?

“Oh, that? I could’ve sworn I saw it on the news while I was visiting northern Alola once. My friend back home has a coworker who says she worked a lot with Shedinja in some company thing, maybe they’re related? I dunno. I should ask her about that.”

<iinel what did you say you were working for again>

<Jynx0001 has left the conversation.>

“...Or she can just not respond. That’s fine. Anyway, do you think I’m being too weird?”

Edited by Weeabooeria on Apr 29th 2020 at 1:57:08 AM