Kai's Apartment

Heh, guess you had a few ventures already. Sounds useful. But yeah this should be difficult but eminently do-able.

Now Named Defiant Wing

-Gale just has this bemused look-

Sir? Given we're navigating between pre-built beacons, people very much have been to these places before.

Kai's Apartment

Kai: That's what I like to hear. A challenge, but as long as you're around, I know it's gonna turn out fine.

-She smiles, and leafs through the plans again, letting out a quiet laugh laced with excitement and residual anxiety.-

Kai: ...This whole thing is scary, but... it's nice being able to choose to do it, with no veiled threats behind the choice.

Kai's Apartment

And the best upside of doing thievery for yourself rather than someone else? You get all the say in the spoils~

-It's almost over the top how charming Gale is being in her little 'here's why criming is kinda the best' speech. Surely she can't be literally be someone who does crimes on the regular?-

Personally I'm planning on ripping the unique moves and putting them up for pirating after selling off the others as antiques but I'm willing to hear you out if you've got another option.

Kai's Apartment

-Kai raises an eyebrow, smirking.-

Kai: Wow, who knew that such an impressionable internet influencer had such shadowy secrets to her? And an aspiring Aurabolt administrator, too, talking about casual theft like this. And I thought superheroes were supposed to be paragons of virtue.

-She winks, though for a moment, she dwells on her own words and falters a bit.-

Kai: ...A-anyway, I'm always a proponent of public preservation when it comes to this sort of information. Maybe rather than outright piracy, we could work out some method of anonymous, but more or less "legitimate" distribution? For the unique moves, at least. Getting the licensing and all hashed out. I dunno, that's some research I'll have to put work into myself, but I'd definitely prefer something that's harder to legally take down than a Torrent.

-An idea pops into her head-

Kai: Oh, it could be registered by PEFE! They're already sitting on old Pokefutures assets that end up surfacing from time to time, so if anyone catches wind of these having Futures ties, it'll just be like "well duh". And as a bit of insurance, it doesn't even have to be us filing it, when your, ah, amulet counterpart is a PEFE veteran, right? He takes the official credit, we're safe from the paper trail, new info makes its way into the public eye for everyone's benefit, and we can still pawn off the antiques the classic way.

Kai's Apartment

Okay so before I tackle the topic of your suggestion I have to address these remarks about my character; I have made it no secret to my fans that I hold favor with a dark being who patrons thieves. And besides the Aurabolts are supposed to be grey area morally, doing the missions too sketchy for a regular J-Team response. But yes, anyways.

-Gale hums-

I like the idea of giving this off to PEFE. Preserves the data and lets it be a little bit free, gives plausible deniability, means there's something assigned to me in terms of PEFE accomplishments rather than how it stands now where I've kinda done nothing officially... Yeah. I like it.

Motostoke Stadium, Pitch

Kit: Oh my Arceus. I did it! I actually got my first knockout

Hoops: Yeah, good work buddy. Hey, Agnes, I want to ask something. Are you enjoying this battle?

Kai's Apartment

-Kai giggles-

Kai: Oh, I know, of course we're no real paragons, save that for Shingeko. Just poking fun, dear Gale.

-She ponders for a moment.-

Kai: Y'know, I do have a friend we could also enlist, if you want just a bit more help. Whiptail might be getting a bit stir-crazy having to lay low the way she is, maybe she'd be interested in blowing off some steam with this? Maybe. Maybe not.

Brimstone Casino, Orre - A long time ago, in a thread far far away...

-Alongside the rest of the "Demmadome" party, Sofia enters the casino, once again wearing her secretarial attire with her dark hair up in a neat bun. This time, though, she's missing the glasses, and seems rather more enthused about their presence here.-

Sofia: Oh, somebody's going to lose some money today, that much is for certain. Shall we get started clearing the house out?

PEFE HQ - Time is an illusion, hopefully

-As the debris from Skye's Rock Slide rains down upon Ventrue, the Delphox manages to telekinetically catch the largest chunks of it, though she still recoils from the smaller shards and the mental effort involved.-

Ventrue: <Ngh... you'll have to do a little better than that, darling.>

-She hurls those chunks at Skye alongside a wave of telekinetic force.-

-Meanwhile, Whiptail just folds her arms behind her back with a diabolical chuckle.-

Whiptail: See, now it just sounds like you're trying to tie me down with challenges. Something I'd no doubt enjoy under most circumstances, but right now, I've got a taste for freedom. That, and I'm pretty certain I'm the one with the upper hand here.

-Again, it's impossible to gauge her expression behind her mask - but there's obvious mirth in her voice, and she's still making absolutely no effort to escape.-

Whiptail: All that said... sure, why not? Again, I do like a challenge. And as much as I have to maintain my reputation as a wild card, it's nice to prove that I can be a woman of my word every once in a while. So you've got yourself a deal. Better hope your pals show up soon, though~

Edited by Herbert40k on Jan 24th 2021 at 4:24:50 PM

Motostoke Stadium

Agnes: Huh? Am I having fun? -Shrugs- I mean the battle might not be going the way I hoped but yeah, I'm having fun. -smiles-

Agnes: And you, Ori?

Ori: -chirps- <Yup!> -does a salute- <Anyway, time to avenge my fallen comrade! ...wow that sounded dorky.>

Agnes: -Laughs at Ori's apparent enthusiasm, then turns to Hoops and Kit again- Are you guys having fun? I don't mind calling it here if you're not.

Motostoke Stadium, Pitch

Hoops: No, I don't want to call the battle or anything. It's just... if you're enjoying this, shouldn't I be enjoying it too. Every battle I take part in, people tell me that they have fun, and I've never been able to feel the same way.

Kit: <Their dad messed them up.>

Hoops: Thanks, Kit. The point is, I was hoping that this might be a battle I could enjoy, but all I feel is the same relentless drive to win as I usually do.

Edited by theoncominghoop on Jan 24th 2021 at 10:06:12 AM

Striaton City, NYE Battle

(Dio fuels himself up before staring directly at Piku-chan, itching to fight him.)

Dio: <WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY—!!>

Kim: (smirks) "Alright, Dio, let's start this off! Use Dark Pulse!"

Dio: <Take a load of this, why don't cha?>

(Seconds later, Dio lets out a beam of dark energy from his claws straight towards Piku-chan.)

Route 7, Galar

(The Galarian Zigzagoon smirks to himself as he realizes what is about to happen. Kim, meanwhile, starts to open her eyes and looks around for a few moments.)

Kim: "Urrf..."

(She blinks, and then suddenly has a realization. Seconds later, her eyes open wide and she removes her hand from the glass.)

Kim: "One moment please."

(Seconds later, she runs back to Hammerlocke, completely flustered and with a sudden urge to use the bathroom. The Galarian Zigzagoon starts laughing uproariously.)

Galarian Zigzagoon: (laughing)    <OH MY—>    (he starts laughing harder)    <You guys are great! Now that is a prank! She didn't even know what hit her!>   

(Seconds later, Dave, Dalt, Paul, and Boseman run up to the scene in front of them, all four of them extremely excited.)

Dalt: <Kim! Kim~!>

Paul: <You need to see it! Dave evol—>

(They suddenly pause and realize that Kim is not there.)

Boseman: <Kim?>

Motostoke Stadium

Ori: <Ouch, that sucks.>

Agnes: Oooooh,ok. Well, there's nothing wrong with fighting to win, unless you do something sneaky in the process. I don't think you're doing that. Right?

Agnes: -puts her hand to her chin- I'm not really sure how to make it more fun for you, but when I'm feeling crappy about a loss, I usually try and think about what we all picked up from it. So I guess even a loss can be a win, kinda?

Striaton City, NYE Battle

Me: Alright, Piku-chan! Meet his Dark Pulse with Thunderbolt!

-Piku-chan nods, then surrounds himself in electrical energy before firing a bolt of energy at Dio's Dark Pulse.-

Galar Route 7

-Ian and Evelyn both laugh at Kim's sudden reaction.-

Me: What didja think of that, Zigzagoon?

Striaton City, NYE Battle

(Dio grins, realizing the Thunderbolt won't have any effect on him.)

Dio: <Did you forget I'm part Ground-type?>

(He proceeds to strengthen the Dark Pulse until it eventually overpowers the Thunderbolt and hits Piku-chan.)

Route 7, Galar

(The Galarian Zigzagoon starts laughing uproariously.)

Galarian Zigzagoon:    <Oh... you guys are a HOOT! She's a hoot! I'll ask her if she wants me on her team as soon as she gets back!>   

(Dave, meanwhile, looks up at the Galarian Zigzagoon in confusion, having missed the whole thing.)

Dave: <Oi! Who's this dosser?!>

(In a matter of seconds, the Galarian Zigzagoon is suddenly in front of Dave.)

Galarian Zigzagoon:    <Oh, hey! Nice ta meetcha. Congrats on your evolution, by the way. Anyways, you're probably wondering what I'm doing, and— you know, I rickrolled those guys over there... I stole your Trainer's phone... I watched those same guys pull a prank on your Trainer... all the usual stuff for me.>    (he suddenly notices the other three)    <Ooh! Who're these guys? They seem perfect for prank fodder...>   

Paul: <Hi. I'm Paul.>

Boseman: (bows) <I am Boseman.>

Dalt: (excitedly) <And my name is Dalt! It is very nice to meet you!>

Galarian Zigzagoon:    <Soooo... as in Chadwick, Roger, and that one guy from The Beatles? What's her deal; she got a sort of obsession with famous dead people or something? Oh wait, Roger Daltrey's still alive; I'm stupid.>    (beat)    <Aaaaand so is Paul McCartney.>   

Paul: <Funny you should say that; just about all of us are named after famous people. 'Cept for Peechee; he's named after a cookie. Kind of.>

Boseman: <...I have never heard of a cookie called a "peechee.">

Paul: <I'll explain it to ya later.>

Dave: <OY! WOT'S THE DEAL WITH THE PHONE-STEALING, EH?! AND DAVE KING'S ALIVE TOO!>

Galarian Zigzagoon:    <Whaaaat? Jeez, do ya really need to shout so loud? It's just a harmless prank!>    (then, with a mischievous grin on his face)    <You want me to make ya scream?>   

Boseman: <That... would not be advisable.>

Galarian Zigzagoon: (sighs)    <'Course not. Nobody wants to get frightened these days anymore!>    (then, moaning)    <It's sooooo boooooring...>   

(And then: footsteps. The Galarian Zigzagoon suddenly turns.)

Galarian Zigzagoon:    <Oh! Heeey~! It's your Trainer!>   

Striaton City, NYE Battle

Piku-chan: <Actually... I was counting on it!>

Me: Piku-chan, Ride the Lightning to approach Dio and then use Mega Punch!

-Piku-chan nods and then uses his speed to travel across the Thunderbolt and Dark Pulse attacks. He then pulls his fist back and then lets loose on Dio with a powerful punch!-

Galar Route 7

Me: -chuckling- Hey, Kim... How was your nap?

Edited by AnimeboyIanpower on Jan 24th 2021 at 9:53:56 AM

Striaton City, NYE

(Dio is thrown back from the Mega Punch, but quickly stands back up and shakes off the damage.)

Dio: <Nice hit! But I'm not gonna go down— you can count on that!>

(Kim grins, and seconds later, Dio glides up into the air before flopping down.)

Dio: <CANNONBAAAAAAALLL—!!>

(Seconds later, stones fly up from the air and rush towards Piku-chan.)

Route 7, Galar

(Kim enters the scene, now fully awake.)

Kim: "That was... rather nice, actually. I feel very refre—"

Dave: (suddenly breaking in) <OY! SHAME YA MISSED THIS!>

(Kim suddenly blinks before looking up and seeing that Dave has evolved into a Dubwool. Her eyes light up with delight, and the Galarian Zigzagoon from earlier jumps up to her ear.)

Galarian Zigzagoon:    <Yeah. Reeeeeal shame.>   

Kim: (delighted) "Dave!"

(She runs up to Dave and hugs him.)

Kim: "You evolved! This is amazing! H-how did this happen?! I missed the whole thing... again..."

Paul: <Well... let's just say it involved a bunch of knocked trees.>

Kim: "That is incredible, Dave. I'm very proud of you."

Dave: <Ach, don't mention it, now!>

(Kim turns to face Ian and Evelyn.)

Kim: "Do you, by any chance... have... footage?"

Striaton City, NYE Battle

Me: Now, Piku-chan! Use Agility and Quick Attack to maneuver through the stones!

-Piku-chan begins to glow with a light blue aura. Feeling his body grow lighter, he then charges forward and jumps from rock to rock with grace and ease before slamming into Dio.-

Galar Route 7

Me: Of course I got it. Take a look.

-Ian shows Kim the footage of Dave's Evolution.-

Striaton City, NYE

(Dio once again gets thrown backwards, but once again gets back up pretty quickly, refusing to give up.)

Dio: <Oh~! Nice one!> (He clacks his claws together.) <But... I'm not going to give up just yet! I absolutely will win this! FOR KIM—!!>

(He flies straight towards Piku-chan, and seconds later he slashes straight at him, leaving a dark trail behind.)

Route 7, Galar

(Kim looks down at the footage, awed, and when it ends, she smiles and looks straight at Dave.)

Kim: "That was incredible...!"

Dave: <You're bloody right it was!>

(Kim goes up to Dave once again and hugs him, but seconds later, the Galarian Zigzagoon sneaks up to Kim and suddenly shouts in her ear.)

Galarian Zigzagoon:    <So!>   

(Startled, Kim lets out a short scream, before noticing the Galarian Zigzagoon grinning at her.)

Galarian Zigzagoon:    <I know you're celebrating this evolution right now, but I've got a bit of a question to ask you.>   

Kim: "Oh? What is it?"

(The Galarian Zigzagoon smirks, and then:)

Galarian Zigzagoon:    <I want in.>   

Kim: "You do?"

Galarian Zigzagoon:    <HAH! Are you kidding?! Of course I do! You and your team are an absolute hoot! I love these guys! Besides, didn't ya think that prank was pretty funny?>   

Kim: (smiles) "As a matter of fact, it was."

Galarian Zigzagoon:    <Well? Don't you want to experience more? Come on, kid, I'm not that bad...>   

(Kim thinks about it for a few moments— then smiles and takes out a PokeBall. Dalt's eyes light up, and the Galarian Zigzagoon happily does a backflip in the air.)

Galarian Zigzagoon: (happily)    <YES! Don't worry, Kim, I'm not gonna let you down one bit!>   

Dave: <Are you serious?! You're catchin' that bloody dosser?>

Galarian Zigzagoon: (happily approaching Dave's face)    <Ah, I'm not bloody. I just like the sight of it!>    (He snickers a bit, then:)    <Ahhh, I'm just kidding. I'm a pretty cool mon.>    (then, to Kim)    <Now what are ya waiting for?! Go on! Catch me!>   

(Kim grins.)

Kim: "Will do."

(She throws the PokeBall, and the Galarian Zigzagoon jumps up and presses the center of it. In an instant, it sucks him in, and the ball promptly falls to the ground. It shakes three times, before the center glows yellow, signifying capture. Kim smiles and picks it up.)

Kim: "Aaaand... number 17."

Dalt: <Wow! A new friend!>

(He happily runs up to Kim.)

Dalt: <I am so happy to have a new friend!>

Boseman: <As am I.>

Paul: <What are you going to name him, Kim?>

(Kim thinks about it for a few moments, and then it eventually hits her.)

Kim: "Jagger."

Paul: <Jagger?>

Striaton City, NYE

-Piku-chan gets thrown backwards by the Night Slash, and then performs a backwards somersault in mid-air before landing feet first on one of the rocks summoned by Stone Edge.-

Me: NOW, PIKU-CHAN! USE MEGA PUNCH!

-Piku-chan pulls back his fist, glares menacingly at Dio^* Well... as menacingly as a Pikachu can muster... and then pushes off the rock, letting loose with a powerful punch, backed by more force than the previous Mega Punch.-

Galar Route 7

Evelyn and I: -in psychic unison- Jagger?

Me: As in Mick Jagger?

Evelyn: I honestly think that sounds like a [Winnie the Pooh] character.

Me: You know, Evelyn... I can see it...

Cut to Brainy-the-Pooh and Jagger Too.-

Back to our regularly scheduled WAAPT craziness

Me: ...and now I regret that mental image...

Edited by AnimeboyIanpower on Jan 24th 2021 at 11:22:23 AM

Galar Route 7

Ever: Yeah, that's...a fair point. It's strange having a break, but it's a good strange.

-Scramble and the rest of the swarm zip through the rings in a spirographic pattern-

Ever: Important, huh? What kind of important?

-their voice is faintly guarded, despite the fact that they're still very clearly enjoying the stew-

Striaton City, NYE Battle

Kim: "Dio, dodge!"

(Dio nods, and tries to dodge the attack and glide away... but unfortunately he finds himself unable to do so, and is hit by the force of Piku-chan's Mega Punch. He is thrown backwards, and Kim grimaces. From nearby, the rest of Kim's Pokemon gasp and look at him in concern.)

Paul: <Dio!>

Ozzy: <Dear Arceus, is he alright?!>

Peechee: <COME ON, DIO! GET BACK UP AND OOBIVAT THAT PIKACHU TO THE GROUND!>

Orwell: (laughs nervously) <I... unthink that would be helpful...>

(Dio groans, but seconds later, manages to push himself up off the floor, glaring over at Piku-chan the entire time.)

Dio: <Ohhh... so that's how you want to play it, huh?!>

(He glides up into the air, preparing himself for another Stone Edge.)

Dio: <Well, your strategy is definitely nice... but I'll take you down! CANNONBAAAAAAAALLL!!>

(Seconds later, he flops onto the ground— but what happens next is not what he was expecting. The belly flop is more powerful than the one he used for Stone Edge— so powerful that it causes the ground to shake. Seconds later, the ground starts to crack open and rocks come up from it. Dio pauses and gets back up.)

Dio: (confused) <Huh...? Wha... what's happening here?>

(Kim and her Pokemon all look over in shock.)

Kim: "Dio... that move..."

Elton: <That's Earthquake~!> (He starts shaking Freddie profusely.) <Freddie, did you see that?! Dio just learned Earthquake! That was amazing!>

Sinatra: <Wouldya look at that! Dio, you just learned two new moves!>

(Dio pauses to comprehend this information, then breaks into a grin.)

Dio: <I... I did!>

(He starts laughing with delight.)

Dio: <I FINALLY HAVE A GROUND-TYPE MOVE—! 'WRYYYYYYYYYYY—!!>

DIO THE GLISCOR

NEW MOVE LEARNED: EARTHQUAKE

Route 7, Galar

(Kim turns to face Ian and Evelyn and grins.)

Kim: "Yes, as in Mick Jagger. As for why I named him that... well, he's got his tongue stuck out in all three of his evolutions and is rather mischievous in nature. Those qualities are reminiscent of, respectively, the Rolling Stones' famous logo and their song 'Sympathy for the Devil'. Now—"

(Seconds later, the newly-christened Jagger pops out of his PokeBall and gets up in Kim's face.)

Jagger:    <Oh, hey! Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear ya. Did you say "Sympathy for the Devil"?>   

(Kim blinks.)

Kim: "Um... yes. Yes I did."

Jagger:    <Aw, man, no way! I love that song!>    (then, singing)    <Please allow me to introduce myself... Come on, you all know the words!>   

(Kim laughs.)

Kim: "Well, then, it's a good thing I named you Jagger."

(Jagger hears her and suddenly turns.)

Jagger:    <Huh? You named me Jagger?>   

Kim: "Yes."

Jagger:    <As in Mick?>   

Kim: "Yes."

Jagger:    <SWEET!>    (He laughs uproariously.)    <Alright, you guys can excitedly celebrate the new evolution; I'm gonna find a Pokemon that I can prank in the meantime! Don't worry, it'll be harmless. See ya!>   

(Kim waves to him.)

Kim: "Bye, Jagger."

(She smiles for a few moments and takes out her notebook and pen, looking ready to write another personality file— and then all of a sudden a question comes to her. She pauses.)

Kim: "Hey... Ian? Can I ask you a question?"

Striaton City, NYE Battle

-Piku-chan, upon landing, gets knocked on his backside by the sudden tremors.-

Piku-chan: <Whoa!>

Me: Piku-chan! Use Iron Tail to push yourself off the ground!

-Piku-chan makes his tail glow with a metallic sheen, and then slams it against the ground, launching himself into the air.-

Galar Route 7

Me: Okay, shoot!

Striaton City, NYE Battle

(Dio glances up towards the sky seconds later.)

Dio: <...aaaaand there he goes.>

Kim: "Don't let him come down! Follow him!"

(Dio nods, and then glides up into the air— but unfortunately can't get to Piku-chan's level.)

Dio: <Uh oh...>

Route 7, Galar

Kim: "I've... heard you mention that you and Rever battled with a so-called 'Fanatic'... what exactly happened during that battle?"

Meanwhile, in the tall grass...

(A Toxel overhears this.)

Toxel: (thinking to himself) <The Fanatic? Oh yeah, I've heard of that crazed psycho! Those guys over there took him down?>

(He smirks.)

Toxel: (thinking to himself) <Hah! Serves him right! I gotta come up with some kind of performance for this!>

(He eagerly scurries off, suddenly grabbing on to a guitar as he does so.)

Striaton City, NYE Battle

Me: Now, Piku-chan! Use Twinsteel Tail Strike on the way down!

-Piku-chan keeps his Iron Tail up, and begins to spin his body around in midair, gaining momentum with each spin on the way down. Piku-chan then strikes Dio with his tail... twice!-

Galar Route 7

Me: Well... it was at least two years ago. And Colton and I weren't the only ones at the battle, no no. There were many of us. Me, Colton, Pentigan, Gudrunn, a whole bunch... When The Fanatic appeared, it spewed nonsense about how friendship was useless against it. But we all fought extra hard to try and defeat it.

Evelyn: Of course, I was there as well. Though I played a more supportive role... I tried to make my presence scarce but my effect profound during the battle.

-Evelyn then looks down at Ian's arm, seeing that the burn wound left by Max Ooze had faded completely.-

Evelyn: ...and I'd like to think it worked.

Striaton City, NYE Battle

(Dio once again tries to glide away from Piku-chan's sudden incoming attack, but soon finds himself struck back by the two hits of Twinsteel Tail Strike and once again ends up landing on the floor— this time with a cloud of smoke going up. Kim grits her teeth and the rest of Kim's mons look on nervously, but when the cloud of smoke eventually fades, Dio is on his back with swirls in his eyes, fainted. Kim's Pokemon all look over at Dio with concern.)

Sinatra: <Aw no...>

Geddy: <Dio...>

Paul: <I really hope he doesn't take this too badly... but I have a feeling that he will.>

Route 7, Galar

Kim: "Well, that is interesting... do go on. Any info on what transpired after the fight? Was that Vincent person I ran into at the Motostoke party involved?"

Meanwhile, on the same route...

(Jagger is looking around for a Pokemon to pull a prank on.)

Jagger:    <Hellooo...! Any other Pokemon here? I got a free prank service; you might want to take a look at it...!>   

(Seconds later, the tall grass in front of him ruffles, and Jagger grins.)

Jagger:    <Perfect.>   

(He starts to lunge forward— only to see a Toxel emerge from the tall grass, carrying a guitar and sticking his tongue out.)

Toxel: <Outta my way!>

(Jagger looks on in confusion as the Toxel runs forward, carrying his guitar.)

Jagger:    <Hey, whoa, what are ya running out of the tall grass for? I was just about to scare you!>   

Toxel: <Sorry, chap! Can't talk right now! I got a performance to do for those blokes over there!>

Jagger: (following)    <Uh-huh; that sounds neat... what's the performance?>   

Toxel: <Oh... you'll see, chap! Trust me! 'S gonna be brilliant!>

(He promptly exits, and Jagger stares for a few moments, before shrugging.)

Jagger:    <Huh. No clue what that was. Aw, well. Back to trying to scare people!>   

(He happily continues his trek through the tall grass, humming to himself.)