Circhester 1

-Violet follows the pair in...-

Ersatz alliance

-...and emerges from a clothes rack.-

Violet: Yes! This is it!

Hazel: So, why are you lot so interested in getting here?

-Mezzo releases the Morpeko, and she bounces straight to the pile of candy and continues snacking-

Mezzo: Stop that.

-the Morpeko ignores her-

-Mezzo responds by recalling her into her ball-

-then, after a moment, releasing her again-

Mezzo: As I was saying, I need to come up with a— Hey!

-Mezzo is interrupted by said Morpeko going straight for the food again-

Mezzo: That's my candy! Get out of there!

-the Morpeko switches to Hangry Mode and gives Mezzo a look-

Morpeko: <Make me.>

-she then switches right back and continues stuffing her face-

Mezzo: Aaaagh!

Demyx: <You should probably clean that up, then maybe she'll pay attention.>

Mezzo: Excuse me, you have been caught, that means you obey me now. Do I need to get out my badges?

Morpeko: <Don't care. I'm happy being your Pokémon if it means I get more sweet stuff.>

Mezzo: Get! Out! Of! My! Food!

-Mezzo scoops up the candy pile and throws it back into her bag, accidentally taking the Morpeko with her-

-then, after a moment, digs into her bag and throws the Morpeko out-

Morpeko: <Owie!>

Mezzo: As I was trying to say, you need a name now.

Morpeko: <I don't want a name. I want food.> -starts pawing at Mezzo's bag-

Mezzo: This isn't about you.

Demyx: <Uh, it kind of is.>

Mezzo: Shut up.

-...-

Mezzo: Hm... how about Selphie?

Demyx: <What, the girl from Destiny Islands? She's like, a nobody. Not an actual Nobody but you know what I mean.>

Mezzo: No, no, the one from Last Legend Ep. 8. The yellow just makes me think of that.

-Selphie switches into Hangry Mode and rips Mezzo's bag off her shoulder-

Mezzo: Ow! And the sadism.

Selphie: -digs into the bag, finding more candy and switching back to normal-

Mezzo: And I feel like she'd get along with Freya.

Demyx: <Uh, okay, Selphie it is.>

Circhester A

Mog: What.

Howard: <I think you broke her! I was waiting for that to happen!>

Ersatz Alliance

Justice: Oooh, colorful... Oh! We're trying to get to the Stormchaser!

Jigsaw: -is avoiding touching anything-

Stow-on-Side Pokemon Center

-All things considered, Kai should be preparing for their next bout in the League, but they're not. Right now, they're in the middle of a text conversation.-

Tsukiko: <Hey. Hey hey hey c'mon. We've got stuff to do.>

Kai: Sorry, sorry! I've got other things I need to get out of the way today.

Tsukiko: <Mrrrrrr...>

-Tsukiko bops them on the head, then struts off. The bop momentarily breaks Kai's concentration, but they shake their head and get back to it. After a while, they send one last message, then close out and scroll through their contacts to make a call which is answered in just a single ring.-

Alice: Hello, Kai. To what do I owe the pleasure?

-Kai smiles slightly.-

Kai: Hey, Alice. I'm afraid this call's for business, not pleasure, for a change. I was hoping to talk about a couple things regarding the Faction.

Alice: Ah, that's a shame. Still, I suppose they can't all be personal calls. I'd never get anything done in that situation. What is it that you wish to discuss?

Kai: Well, I've been thinking about my, er, habit of having far too many things on my plate to effectively contribute to any of them, and my place in the Faction is one such thing. I'm not backing out, mind, but there is someone I've been talking with about the possibility of joining, for the sake of having an extra set of eyes and hands on deck. I think she'd be an especially resourceful addition to the team, for our line of work.

Alice: I see. Well, your position in the Faction will always be here, but I understand if you need to take some time away from it. You have your own needs and priorities, after all. All I would ask is that you not become a stranger, but I doubt I particularly need to worry about that. Who did you have in mind?

-Kai pauses.-

Kai: Don't laugh?

Alice: ...Who is it?

Kai: ...Mook and Val used to work on the same staff.

-There's a long pause on the other end of the line.-

Alice: ...Surely you can't be serious.

Kai: I know, I know, it sounds like a risky move, I haven't told her exactly who's involved or where we operate from. But Rose Jaide has her memories back, and she seems pretty set on making up for her unpleasant history however she can. Surely you heard the news about the Cipher cell within Mobius that got exposed just before the whole organization fell?

Alice: I did indeed. Not that I was terribly surprised. Organisations such as theirs tend to be shot through with Cipher alumni.

-There's another pause as Alice thinks about things.-

Alice: ...I suppose having her in the Faction would be a way of keeping an eye on her, if nothing else. Ensure that her memories don't encourage her to resume... old habits. As you say, it's not as if we haven't accepted ex-Cipher personnel before. Better she ends up here than with another, less savoury sort of group. And above all else, I trust your judgement.

-Kai nods, not that Alice is there to see the gesture.-

Kai: That's exactly what I was thinking. She's... she seems better, and by some miracle the people she's hurt directly seem to want to believe she's improved enough to trust. But the Faction can make sure of it, and in the process, it might be nice to have her history amongst the higher-ups in the organization on our side. She'll have a lot more info than Cipher's typical hired hands would, now that she's sorted through her mind.

Alice: That is true. There's a lot we could do with that sort of intel. Though we may want to avoid letting word spread that we are potentially recruiting a Cipher Admin. We rely extensively on the goodwill of the people of Orre in our work, after all, and I can't imagine she's likely to engender much of that.

Kai: Oh, of course. I'm sure she knows that she'd be burned at the stake the moment it gets out. I was thinking that, after she meets the team, she shouldn't be sticking around in Orre for especially long periods of time, for her own safety as well as ours. She's got her own set of responsibilities in Po Town, anyway.

Alice: Also true. We can keep an eye on her whenever she's present - again, as much for her own protection as anything - and I can always have someone like Minstrel check in on her occasionally when she isn't. It's not as if we would be able to use anyone as instantly recognisable as her for our more covert operations, whether in Orre or elsewhere.

Kai: Indeed. So, I guess that means we should find the time to introduce her, then?

Alice: That we should. I'll contact the other members of the Faction and set up a meeting.

Kai: Excellent. I'll let her know, and see you then.

Edited by BittersweetNSour on Aug 17th 2020 at 10:20:35 AM

Meanwhile, during the Japanese lessons happening off-screen...

The Wild Area

(Kim, a bit stunned by the Drednaw staring at her, takes a few moments to respond, but eventually does.)

Kim: "O-oh, no. No, no, no, not at all. In fact, you were exactly the Pokemon I was looking for." (She takes out a PokeBall.) "Now... to see if I can't catch you."

(With that said, she throws the ball into the air, and...)

Kim: "Red alert, Orwell!"

(The ball opens, and in a flash, Orwell appears from the PokeBall. Noticing the Drednaw in front of him, he has no idea why he's out, and happily runs up to him.)

Orwell: <Oh! Is that a waterrocktortpoke?! Hello there! It is plusgood to meet you! My primename is Orwell, and I am a waterlobsterpoke who speaks fullwise in Newspeak! And you are...?>

(The Drednaw tilts his head.)

Drednaw: <Oh, hey there, dude. I don't exactly have a name yet, but... if you're willin' to catch me, that'd be sick.>

Kim: "Oh, of course I'm willing to catch you- so long as I battle you first."

(And the second Orwell hears the word "battle," he suddenly realizes why Kim sent him out, and immediately goes into full-blown panic mode.)

Orwell: (terrified) <B-b-BATTLE?! Y-y-y-you're going to have me battle that poke?! B-but... you prewise know that I unwant to battle! It is torture...!>

Drednaw: <Whoa, hold up. Battlin'? I know I'm a Drednaw, but... I'm not one for fighting.>

(Upon hearing this, Orwell pauses.)

Orwell: <You... you unare?>

Drednaw: <Nah. I'm a lover, dude! No fightin' here!> (to Kim) <You can just go 'head and catch me if you wanna.>

(Kim grins, and takes out another PokeBall, this one empty.)

Kim: "Well, you didn't have to tell me that twice."

(And with that said, she throws the ball into the air, and it lands on the Drednaw, engulfing him in light. Mere moments later, the Drednaw goes into the ball, and it lands on the ground, shaking three times before the center glows yellow, signifying capture. Kim smiles and picks up the ball, and Orwell jumps up into the air with delight.)

Orwell: <Doubleplusgood! You catched the watertortpoke! What will his primename be...?>

Kim: "Simple." (She puts the PokeBall away.) "Gallag."

Orwell: <Gallag...? Why Gallag?>

Kim: "As in the Gallagher brothers, from Oasis." (She proceeds to take out her notebook.) "And now, if you'll excuse me, I have some writing to do..."

(She looks inside her notebook. On one page is a profile she wrote for Peechee off-screen. The profile reads as follows:)

NEW POKEMON CAUGHT: PEECHEE THE KRABBY. LIKE ORWELL, HE IS A CRUSTACEAN-LIKE POKEMON WHO IS FLUENT IN A LANGUAGE THAT ORIGINATED FROM A DYSTOPIAN NOVEL- IN HIS CASE IT'S NADSAT. SOME OF IT CAN BE UNDERSTOOD VIA CONTEXT, BUT REGARDLESS OF THAT I AM FAIRLY CERTAIN THAT IT WILL ANNOY REVER MUCH LIKE ORWELL'S USE OF NEWSPEAK HAS. PEECHEE IS NORMALLY GOOFY AND FUN-LOVING, AND LOVES COOKIES, BUT WHENEVER A BATTLE HAPPENS, HE BECOMES... RATHER BLOODTHIRSTY, IF I AM BEING HONEST. HIS CLAW STARTS SHAKING, HIS EYES TURN RED, HE STARTS SCREAMING ABOUT HOW HE WILL KILL THE OPPONENT WITH GUILLOTINE, AND HIS USE OF NADSAT INCREASES. I HOPE HE IS OKAY AND I HOPE THIS IS NOT A SITUATION LIKE REVER'S LUCARIO...

(On the other page, which is blank, Kim takes out her pen and writes the following:)

NEW POKEMON CAUGHT: GALLAG THE DREDNAW. I HAVE ONLY JUST CAUGHT HIM, BUT EVEN NOW I KNOW A LOT ABOUT HIS PERSONALITY. UNLIKE OTHER DREDNAW, GALLAG IS A PACIFIST, AND DOESN'T LIKE TO FIGHT. IN THAT REGARD HE'S VERY SIMILAR TO GEDDY AND DAVE. I SENT OUT ORWELL AGAINST HIM, AND GALLAG SEEMED TO UNDERSTAND ORWELL'S NEWSPEAK. HE DIDN'T EVEN COMMENT ON IT, WHICH I FIND SLIGHTLY ODD. I WONDER IF HE'S NOTICED... AND I WONDER WHAT HE WILL SAY WHEN HE FIRST MEETS PEECHEE...

(Kim smiles.)

Kim: "Excellent." (She puts away her pen and notebook.) "I'm sure I'll find out more about his personality later. For now..." (She looks back.) "I wonder how Dalt and Kaylan are doing with their Japanese lessons..."

(She doesn't have much time to think about it, however, as mere seconds later, her phone begins to ring. Curious, she takes it out, and Orwell looks up at her.)

Orwell: <Oh? Kimbond? Why is your cellvice sounding?>

Kim: "I have no idea..."

(She stares down at the phone in her hand. On the screen are the words PKMN CENTER STRAITON CITY. Kim tilts her head upon seeing this.)

Kim: "Huh. The Striaton City Pokemon Center..."

Orwell: <Why is the Citistria pokecent calling?>

Kim: "I am unsure..." (She hits the "call" button and speaks into her phone.) "Hello, this is Kimberly Bond, lingual consul-"

(Whatever she hears on the other end of the line, however, stops her. She pauses for a few moments, nodding, and then her eyes suddenly go wide as she gains a look of stunned shock and sadness. Whatever was said to her on the other end of the line, it must have been a mind-numbing relevation.)

Kim: "...oh no. Oh no, no, no, no."

(Orwell tilts his head.)

Orwell: <K-Kimbond? W-what is unright...? What is it?>

(Kim turns to Orwell, still on the phone, and says three words.)

Kim: "...it's my father."

(Orwell's eyes grow wide as he realizes what Kim must have heard on the other end.)

Hulbury Stadium Entrance Room- That Exact Moment

(At that exact moment in the Hulbury Stadium Entrance Room, things aren't going so well- at least, for Dalt, they're not. While Kaylan's relatively patient nature allowed him to reach an understanding regarding the infamous wa/ga divide, Dalt, on the other hand...)

Dalt: (whimpering) <I do not understand...! W-what is the difference?! How can I tell the difference?! I cannot speak Japanese if I do not know what the difference between wa and ga is...!>

(He starts to whimper, lying on the ground and shaking. Kaylan, meanwhile, tries his best to comfort him.)

Kaylan: <D-Dalt... it's okay... I was able to understand it, at least... you want me to help you, or...?>

Dalt: (still saddened) <Help you? We have Yuki for the help... I mean, I do love your help, Kaylan, but... I am so confused and sad...>

Kaylan: (patiently) <Alright, here. Let me help you.> (He looks around.) <I'll just need a piece of paper...>

(But before he has a chance to help Dalt, he- and Dalt- are suddenly interrupted by the sound of the door opening, and Kim and Orwell entering the room. Kim has put down her phone, and she and Orwell are both staring ahead at Dalt and Kaylan with a look of numb shock. Instantly, Dalt's tears subside as he looks up at his trainer.)

Dalt: <Kim...? You look shocked... why are you shocked? Are you okay? I hope you are okay...>

(Kim says nothing. By this point, Kaylan has noticed it, too, and approaches his Trainer.)

Kaylan: <Are you alright, Kim?>

Hulbury Stadium Lobby

Evelyn: Kim's back.

Me: Kim!

Yuki: <Kim-sama! Okaerinasai! Sono Kajirigame o dō yatte tsukamaeta no?>^Translation Kim! Welcome back! How did catching Drednaw go?

-Ian and Yuki both notice that Kim does not look happy.-

Yuki and I: Kim... Doshita no?> ^Translation What's wrong?

Random Phantump: -crackly plant-growy sound- ~u~

Abilene: Yes fine just making sure—

-yoink- —plants don't get overwatered

Vee: -extracted- <You foun' me!> .3

<Or, like, one 'f my dismembered body parts. There's like seven more runnin' aroun' down there!> ^w

Abilene: -heavy sigh-

Vee: <Fin' the needle in the haystack an' you'll win the gran' prize.> ~w

-Abilene shoves her roughly back in-

Abilene: You know what plants could always use more water, this is factual—

Sorbus! Do not play with your fertilizer.

Sorbus: <But they make the most entertaining sounds.> :c

Abilene: Not when they're squirming, hale, and wielding feathery chainsaws in the presence of company.

-she gestures at the rest of the clearing-

Pick one.

Sorbus: -rumbles-

-Megan shrugs helplessly at Ever-

Megan: -also, having evidently resigned herself to all this^- I...can't really turn it off??

Lost my swearing rights in fairy divorce, whoops. ^^;

...not. An actual divorce, I'm just doing a meme. I'm still out of touch on current memes.

-neither of her partners are here to break the awkwardness for her u_u-

Megan: It's…

..it's some █-██████████, is what it is. I was saving those.

Abilene: You can un-say the words.

Megan: ...w-well maybe I don't ██████ want to!

Abilene: That's the spirit.

Sorbus: -to Just- <Attention, yes. The screaming plant gets the lubricant.> u~u

<And, to be fair, you came to rescue her first.>

-from her-

Megan: I...still don't really know how to give it. I just kinda make her Poffins and...give her space…?

-sorry, Logan's occupied at the moment-

Megan: -small- Yeah.

-smaller-...████

-...-

Logan: Hi! ^_^

-yep, dead as a doornail-

Addie: -bounding back- <Let's walk in this direction^* away from most of those people while we talk.>

Logan: -grin- I think it went well!

-ushering- He was open and communicative, and between Ever taking a role as his Trainer and us present as a neutral party, he's willing to negotiate cooperation.

Addie: <With some considerations to keep in mind!>

CW: Offscreen character hospitalization

Hulbury Stadium Entrance Room

(For a few moments, Kim stares out numbly at the four of them, before muttering out:)

Kim: "...we need to go to Striaton City as soon as possible."

(Dalt and Kaylan look at each other in confusion.)

Dalt: <Striaton City? In Unova?>

Kaylan: <I mean, I've never been there before, but... why?>

(Kim says nothing; she simply looks down, anguished, before four words come out of her mouth that shock Dalt and Kaylan to their cores.)

Kim: (in numb anguish) "My father is in the hospital."

Edited by OPALGARNET16 on Aug 19th 2020 at 10:33:25 AM

Hulbury Stadium Lobby

-Ian realizes what Kim just said, and his hat flips right off his head-

Me: -shocked- Legends above, I hope it's not serious!

-Hatty falls off of Evelyn's head as she and Evelyn hear the news.-

Evelyn: -surprised- I hope he's okay... even though we never met your father...

Me: ...and this is just so sudden... When did you learn this?

Edited by AnimeboyIanpower on Aug 19th 2020 at 10:43:07 AM

CW: offscreen blood and gore

Hulbury Stadium Gym Entrance Room

Kim: (still numb) "Literally as soon as I caught Gallag. My phone rang, and it was the Straiton City Pokemon Center... they called me with the news that my father was out in the Unova region and... h-he was attacked by a menacing Krookodile... he's bleeding out right now, and they're set to do surgery on him..."

(Kaylan and Dalt stare at each other in disbelief.)

Dalt: (horrified) <A... a Krookodile... hospitalized him?!>

Kaylan: <Oh my god... tha... that's horrible...>

Edited by OPALGARNET16 on Aug 19th 2020 at 10:32:45 AM

Hulbury Stadium Lobby

Me: -horrified- A... Krookodile?!

Evelyn: -completely mortified- Y-Your father was mauled... BY A KROOKODILE!?

-Ian and Evelyn fall to the floor, completely in shock.-

Evelyn: -horrified, thinking to self- My father would never have let me out of his sight if he knew something like that could happen... I sure hope it's not too serious...

Edited by AnimeboyIanpower on Aug 19th 2020 at 10:45:26 AM

Hulbury Stadium Entrance Room

Kim: (in anguish) "Yes... yes he was... we need to go to Straiton City as soon as possible—"

Kaylan: (stunned) <...Kim... I am so sorry...>

Edited by OPALGARNET16 on Aug 19th 2020 at 10:30:51 AM

Hulbury Stadium, Lobby

Evelyn: -shaky- D-Don't you think we should notify someone that we'll be leaving Galar for a while? Also, Ian and I have never even met your father... And an even greater point, you never talked about him until recently...

Hulbury Stadium Entrance Room

Kim: "Yes... we should probably notify someone... and... I had no real reason to until now. My father called me every day; everything was going fine with him up until now. A pitiful shame, really..." (she looks down sadly) "I had been hoping to introduce you to him one day..."

Dalt: <S-should we... should we tell the other members of the J-Team?>

Kim: (sadly) "I doubt that will be necessary... I do not think Rever will want to read about that..."

(Orwell, meanwhile, is shaking from head to toe, traumatized by the thought of a giant Krookodile mauling Kim's father to the point of hospitalization.)

Edited by OPALGARNET16 on Aug 19th 2020 at 10:33:17 AM

Hulbury Stadium Lobby

-Ian and Evelyn shudder as they realize the true risks of staying with the J-Team.-

Me: Raru...

Evelyn: Kako...

-Ian and Evelyn press the buttons on the Poké Balls, and out come Raru (the Ralts), and Kako (the Kirlia).-

Raru: <Hi hi...>

Kako: <What's up, Evelyn? You don't look too hot...>

Hulbury Stadium Entrance Room

(Kim looks down, utterly devastated, not even noticing that Raru and Kako have emerged from their PokeBalls.)

Hulbury Stadium Lobby

Evelyn: -rattled- Ian... you tell them.

Me: -just as rattled as Evelyn- Me?! You know as well as I do that I just can't tell Raru...

Evelyn: -rattled- Sorry, Ian... I'm just... I don't know how to process this...

Me: -rattled- Neither do I...

Raru: <Hm? Process what?>

Kako: <Kid, your guess is as good as mine...>

Glimwood Tangle

Ever: (towards Abilene) Well. As long as you're sure.

-idle, Memito-y grin-

Oh, yes, Megan, my offer still stands if you ever need a...a, divorce lawyer.

Just: <...Well, maybe I'll save her from herself next. I dunno, it's been a long day and I'm not at my best for banter. This whole interaction thing is tiring.>

Ever: I can talk with her, if you like. I have some experience with recalcitrantly pugnacious team members.

-...-

Misery: <I don't walk. But okay.>

-she floats along next to Logan as they walk-

<Considerations. I see. How inconvenient. What are they?>

Hulbury Stadium Entrance Room

(Without lifting her head, Kim speaks up.)

Kim: "...my father was mauled by a Krookodile and is now in a hospital. That is all you need to know."

Edited by OPALGARNET16 on Aug 19th 2020 at 10:32:27 AM

Hulbury Stadium Lobby

Kako: <Whoa... That's a doozy...>

Raru: -worried- <Is Ian okay?>

Hulbury Stadium Entrance Room

Kim: "I am unsure... please ask him..."

Edited by OPALGARNET16 on Aug 19th 2020 at 10:33:57 AM

Hulbury Stadium Lobby

Raru: -worried- <Ian? Are... are you okay?>

Me: Me? Just peachy...

Ersatz alliance

Hazel: Don't worry, only the stuff in the reject baskets will do anything to you, and I think most of them are human to pokemon items anyway.

Violet: So, this must be where those people I met got that scarf that turned me into a Meowth...

CW; threats of violence

Hulbury Stadium Entrance Room

(Kim looks away.)

Kim: (to herself) He's lying... he doesn't feel alright...

(Mere moments later, Peechee emerges from his PokeBall and looks around the room.)

Peechee: <Did someone call me?>

(He looks over at his Trainer, who is despondent- and then over at Orwell, who is shaking like a leaf. Realizing that something is very wrong, he grows concerned and runs over to Kim and Orwell, terrified.)

Peechee: (in horror) <K-Kim?! Orwell?! A-are you horrorshow?! ^note  alright What sloochated?! ^note  happened >

(Orwell says nothing, instead simply looking up at Peechee with a look of terror. Kim, meanwhile, speaks up.)

Kim: "...if you really need to know, my pee ^note  father was vredded ^note  hurt, though in this case it means "hospitalized" by a Krookodile a few hours ago."

(Peechee's eyes go wide and turn red as rage begins to fuel inside of him.)

Peechee: <WHAT?! THAT IS OOZHASSNY! ^note  terrible HOW DARE THAT KROOKODILE VRED YOUR PEE... I'M GOING TO FIND THAT MERZKY ^note  filthy KROOKODILE AND RAZREZ ^note  rip HIS LITSO ^note  face OFF—!!>

(Upon hearing this, Kim runs up to Peechee and grabs him in an attempt to calm him down.)

Kim: "No, no, no... I don't think that will be necessary..."

Peechee: <NOBODY SHOULD VRED SUCH A HORRORSHOW ORANGE ^note  great man , AND NOBODY VREDS ^note  hurts MY TRAINER!>

Edited by OPALGARNET16 on Aug 19th 2020 at 10:35:25 AM

Hulbury Stadium Lobby

-Ian chuckles weakly when Peechee says "HOW DARE THAT KROOKODILE VRED YOUR PEE...". Evelyn facepalms and accidentally slams Ian into the ceiling psychokinetically.-

Evelyn: -visibly upset- Real mature, Ian... and be serious! Someone got BADLY HURT recently...

-Beat as Evelyn looks up and sees that Ian is stuck to the ceiling.-

Evelyn: Whoops.

Edited by AnimeboyIanpower on Aug 19th 2020 at 10:48:47 AM