Nimbassa

Hazel: Nothing, I'm fine. I'm just not used to being hugged by random strangers.

Scott's car

Radium: <Okay, so here's the situation. Kal and I were created with the ability to distort space a bit, you know like a Gothitelle. For the most part that just means we could summon trick rooms and have suspiciously deep pockets, but with enough time and effort we could create fake worlds. I guess they're kinda like illusions, kinda not. Anyway recently Kal got ill. Like it's the sort of thing that normally wouldn't be a big deal unless you work too hard but Kal decided to retreat into our fake world so the teachers wouldn't overwork them to avoid what happened to me a while back. Unfortunately it seems with this cold they're starting to lose a grip on their distorted space and it's distorting out of control. So now they've been trapped in their room by their own illusions. I'm pretty sure if we don't get them out either they'll run out of aura, have their space distort so badly it erases them, or be dealt with when the school catches onto what's going on. So yeah basically they need rescuing pretty fast.>

Prector III - Campsite

-Gale seems to snap out of the quiet funk she's spent the last few hours in when Silas turns up in his new gear-

Well, looks like you've accomplished all you wanted to out here. Hope these folk are going to be alright once we move on... I mean I'm not saying it'll likely be hard for them to fight off the Rebels, but it's gonna be rough regardless...

Nimbasa City

-While this little cuddle interaction is happening, Gale starts handing out tickets and gives a vague gesture to the big sliding doors that lead into the building-

Well if we're all here and ready to roll, let's head in?

"They'll be alright," Silas noted looking back to them, "They're not in the business of fighting pointless battles."

<The Rebellion is only but one force, we wish you luck on your mission involving them.>

"The ship is good?"

Shipwrights came back and the ones with thumbs gave thumbs up, <Seems so,> the Armorer said fondly.

"We can stay here a little longer," Silas told everyone, "Or we can move on. All up to you."

Roxy smirked a bit, "Really?"

"Really. I'm all good to go myself."

Roxy took the ticket, "Ready to go, let's head on in!"

Prector III

I'm ready to roll. Kinda want to put some distance on this after the day I've had...

Silas nodded, "Very well. Roxy?"

"Babe, I'm good to go."

Silas nodded once more before turning to the commune, "Thank you for your hospitality. And your help."

<We help our own, this is the way.>

"This is the way," Silas responded.

The campsite was packed up, fuel was loaded into ships, Hacks was staring at Silas, ~So... not just a cosplay. You are genuinely into this?~

"Yes," Silas responded, a smile behind the helmet, "I feel good. I feel... like myself."

Roxy couldn't help but stare, Silas's walk had always been something of a strut, now it had evolved into a full on swagger.

The Defiant Wing was loaded up, and was soon lifting off from the planet. Polity was only a few jumps away.

Scott's Car, Unovan backwoods.

Professor Yew: ~I see~

He turns to his human companions.

Professor Yew: It's worse than I thought. They've made several refinements to their genetic sequencing process. Some of their powers can mimic more complex psychic moves. Apparently, this one could do space distortions and illusions that feel solid.

Scott: That sounds bad, professor.

Professor: We thought it was theoretical at the time. They must've made several leaps and bounds. God, I should've known this. They had knowledge of DNA that wouldn't become confirmed by the mainstream until several decades after I left their front.

Hayley: ~Wait, did you say that you were a schoolkid yourself? And they worked you to death? I'm so sorry for what happened to you, and for your friend to be in such a state. We'll make sure to get them out of their mental prison.~

Professor Yew: ~We'll do more than get Kal out of their mind's prison. Once we're done, you'll never worry about being overworked by "teachers" ever again.~

There was an unmistakable tone of anger in Professor Yew's mental voice. It was mixed with the undercurrent of sympathy he has for the two of them.

Scott continues to follow the directions given to him. They should arrive soon.

Edited by MasterJayAM on May 28th 2021 at 10:13:41 PM

Scott's car

Radium: <Yeah, I was designation 88. One time I used up too much power while I was under the weather.>

Unova route 12

Everyone arrives at an out-of-the-way part of the route. Radium floats over to a group of trees.

Radium: <Well, this should be the place. We made a secret tunnel to get out in an emergency. I've been using it for supply runs. Lemme try and open it...>

Radium used trick room!

...But nothing happened.

Radium looks around.

Radium: <Huh? Did I get the wrong place? No, it's definitely supposed to be here... I guess the distortion must have gotten to it.>

Radium turns to the group.

Radium: <Looks like we're going to have to go in through the actual facility. I hope you're decent at fighting guards...>

Route 12 Facility

Scott parks the car and the group dismounts.

Professor Yew: ~For once, your doubts are quite justified.I'm afraid that's out of my wheelhouse, Radium. ~

Hayley: ~But that happens to be ours.~

It should be noted that besides being clearly a powerful psychic herself, Hayley and her husband are quite fit for humans. And they do have an obstagoon and a lucario with them.

She stares at her husband. Scott understood what needed to be done and cracks his knuckles.

—

Moments later, the guards lay on the ground unconscious. Scott and Hayley leave empty cans of beer laying around them. Hayley added the extra touch of leaving a few cans slightly full (having doused some of the contents on the other guards). The area looked like a frat party gone wrong.

Hayley: Knock them unconscious and then make it look like they all decided to get their drink on. Subtle, sweet, and hilariously hard to sneasel their way out of. Still disappointed, hon?

Scott, doodling a funny face on one of the grunts: This was actually a lot more fun than beating them up.

Another, still conscious guard: Hey, what do you think you're doing?!

He had little time to spare as he was momentarily stunned by a mysterious force. Once he broke free from his paralysis, he lunged at the couple, but missed. Apparently they were using illusions. By the time he spotted them a second time, the two proceeded to hit him in the face and the gut simultaneously. Any pokéballs he could've grabbed had floated out of reach, then given to a Zoroark.

The illusion around them fell apart, revealing Professor Yew and the rest of the group.

Scott: You fellas doing okay?

Professor Yew: We're fine, Scott.

Cerebro: ~Why again wasn't I invited to all the fun?~

Professor Yew: ~I believe my niece has powers developed enough that she can handle this.~

Hayley: ~Yeah, Uncle's right. Darkholme, Bryan, and I have got this. Save your strength for our reality warper. We need two warrior therapists on the case.~

Professor Yew: ~Lead us to them.~

Edited by MasterJayAM on May 28th 2021 at 11:48:19 PM

route 12 facility

Radium claps. Or at least does the ghost jellyfish equivalent of clapping.

Radium: <Woo! Nice! Okay, follow me.>

Radium would lead them through a series of corridors. Eventually they reach one that seems to be engulfed in a thick fog. It's impossible to make out what's on the other side.

Radium: <Here we are.>

Radium floats into the fog.

Route 12 Facility

The professor was not fazed by the fog. He approached, but not before being joined by his Alakazam and Lucario.

Professor Yew: Scott, Hayley, stay here and keep watch with the others. Do not attempt to enter until I tell you to. Me, Radium, Bryan and Cerebro will enter.

Hayley: But Uncle.

Scott: You know how stubborn the professor is. Just let us know when you need us.

Hayley: I'll be watching you like a talonflame, mentally.

Slowly but surely, Professor Yew, assisted by Bryan's and Cerebro's senses, enters the fog. Soon, all Scott, Hayley and their companions could hear are the sound of crutches hitting the floor.

route 12 facility?

After a short distance the fog clears. They arrive in what appears to be a forest clearing, with what appears to be a Galarian country cottage in the middle. It's impossible to see through the windows, but it seems there is something horribly distorted behind them. Kal seems to be watering a berry bush in the garden, but something doesn't quite seem right about them. They look up when they hear the visitors arrive.

Kal?: Radium, you're back. And you brought outsiders. I was hoping you wouldn't be able to bring anyone if the escape tunnel wasn't there.

Kal(?) stares at the intruders angrily.

Radium: <Kal mentioned a fake version of themself that was stopping them from getting out. This must be them.>

Kal?: Kal may have lost their mind when they got ill, but not me. I won't let you disturb them. Now leave before I'm forced to throw you out myself.

The copy of Kal lifted some gardening tools in the air with telekinesis, trying to intimidate Radium and the Professor into leaving them alone.

Kal's mindscape

Professor Yew's mind wandered as he looked around the landscape. He's seen cottages like this back home, when he was a boy. He never lived in them, of course, but they were a common sight near the outskirts of Freezington, along the many scattered villages between the Crown Tundra and Postwick.

It almost felt nostalgic. Could this young person have even been to Galar, he asked himself.

The Professor was unfazed by the illusion masquerading as this Kal person. He and his compatriots could sense that while the thing before them might be an extension of Kal, to their knowledge, it isn't Kal. Kal was further in, exactly where the Frillish said they would be.

Professor Yew: ~These constructs, if my hunch is correct, represent extensions of one's personality. They might've created a version of themselves that keeps them from leaving because a subconscious part of them flat out doesn't want to leave. I could be wrong.~

Cerebro: <Seems a bit too Freudian, Professor.>

Professor Yew: ~Essentially, our young friend here is having a fever dream. It's natural for the human subconscious to go haywire when body temperatures rise. We don't know exactly how it works, but I'm sure that's a factor in why they lost control over their constructs.~

Cerebro: ~Think this will go away with a little ibuprofen?~

Professor Yew, showing a pack of ibuprofen in his pockets: ~Never hurts to try.~

He turns around.

Professor Yew: ~If you can hear me, Kal. My name is Professor James Yew. Your friend Radium sent me. Are you still conscious?~

Kalscape

Radium: <When I last talked to Kal, they were stuck in their room inside the house. We need to get in there!>

Kal?: No!

Radium tries to make a break for the front door but the construct Kal flings them backwards.

Kal?: I thought you cared about them. I'm not letting you get through. I won't let anyone disturb Kal!

Nimbasa

Cuddles: (backing off a bit) <Oh... okay then.>

(He looks down, a bit sad.)

Constructed Mindscape

Professor Yew: If you leave them there, they are bound to overtax themselves and die. Let us through. We're here to help them heal.

Cerebro: ~He's a doctor. Listen to him.~

Professor Yew: Psychotherapist, actually, but given how things are going down here, I'm pretty qualified for the job myself. And maybe if this turns out too serious, we can take them to a physician. Now, let us through or we'll be forced to get in by force.

Bryan: ~Are you sure about that, professor?~

Professor Yew: That's what you're here for, is it not? Bryan, bust the door open. Cerebro, cover him.

Bryan fires an aura sphere at the door of the cottage. Cerebro stands poised and ready to create a reflect in Bryan's defense.

Professor Yew: Radium, do what you can to get through.

Nimbassa city

Hazel: No, really. It's fine.

Kalspace

Kal?: If they leave, we'll be hunted down by templars. They need to- NO!

The construct dives in front of the aura sphere to try and protect the door. It hits them with full force, leaving the door unharmed. The construct starts to flicker.

Kal?: Oops... Didn't think that through...

They disappear, leaving the door free to open.

Radium: <They were originally supposed to keep teachers occupied or hold off an attacker so we could escape. I guess with everything else becoming distorted, so did they.>

Kalspace

Professor Yew: Duly noted. Now, let's help your friend.

He hands Radium a set of pills and a bottle of water.

Professor Yew: Give these to them. It should help with the fever for now. We've got to get them out of here. Bryan, assist Radium in whatever capacity you can.

Bryan: ~Yes, professor.~

Cerebro: ~Shall I call Hayley, sir?~

Professor Yew: Yes, you may.

Kalspace

Radium headed through the door with the supplies.

Radium: <Erm... This could be a problem. This is even worse than last time.>

What used to be a relatively normal house had turned into a void of green and blue. There was a translucent pathway leading to various rooms. The room at the end of the "corridor" seemed to be blocked off by an overgrown plant. Various furniture, photos and origami objects floated around. A few seconds after Radium entered, a paper airplane flew towards the group, with "READ ME" written on the wings.

Edited by QuantumMelody29 on May 28th 2021 at 9:58:38 AM

Kalscape

Professor Yew and Cerebro attempt to feel around for anything that might indicate Kal's aura or mental activity. Bryan picks up the paper airplane. Like most domestic pokémon, he is literate (and quite well read; the Yews have a massive library).

He opens up the origami airplane and peers into its message.

Kalscape

There's a note scribbled on the paper. It reads:

Radium: <If the only things that are gone are the walls, the living room should be the second one on the right.>

Kalscape

Bryan: ~Noted.~

Bryan proceeds to attempt to open the door and fails. He realizes the awkwardness of making the attempt. His ears fall down in shame.

Professor Yew: You don't have any thumbs, Bryan.

Bryan: ~I see, Professor. Cerebro, could you open the door for us.~

Cerebro, who does have thumbs, proceeds to open the door with a bit more success.

Edited by MasterJayAM on May 28th 2021 at 5:12:40 PM

Kalscape

The door opens perfectly fine. The room on the inside however... Appears to have grown quite a lot. The picture is quite clearly visible on the mantlepiece. Unfortunately said mantlepiece is now about two storeys off the ground.

Radium: <Ok, that wasn't like that before. Seems Kal accidentally went super defensive. If the key's the size of everything else here I'm going to need help getting it out. Can anyone else here fly?>

Kalscape

Bryan: ~We have two telekinetics. That's all we have.~

Professor Yew: Think we can get close enough for Cerebro to pull it down with his mind?

Bryan: ~Or we could yeet someone toward it and then catch them back down.~

Kalscape

Radium: <Yeah, if you can get close enough you should be able to get it down with telekinesis. Lemme just make sure it's actually there.>

Radium flew up to the mantlepiece. The fire in the fireplace below crackled angrily, spitting a few embers up near her. She floated behind a picture of Kal and her back when she was a human, smiling at a camera.

Radium: <Yup, it's here! It looks pretty big though and someone's gonna need to get this tape off. Maybe someone could throw someone else up here with telekinesis?>

Wyndon Stadium, Ian VS Daisuke

-Mothra and Sweetie continue to hover over the battlefield.-

Daisuke: Sweetie, use Magical Leaf!

Me: Mothra, use Flamethrower!

-Sweetie surrounds herself in magical rainbow-colored leaves, which she launches at Mothra. Mothra's horns flare up and she unleashes a stream of fire at Sweetie, burning away the Magical Leaves as it lands.-

Daisuke: Now, Sweetie, use Hyper Beam!

Me: Mothra, counter with Signal Beam!

-Mothra and Sweetie start to gather ambient energy from the air and concentrate it on a single point: each other.-

Nimbasa City

Evelyn: I've been well, Hazel. I don't know if you've met my new friend, Ian?

Me: Hi. Remember me?

Wild Area, Bond or Break

???: -voice distorted- How have you been so far? I'm doing zammechat^* great! Horrorshow^* Alright, here's what I wanted to govoreet^* tell you. I'm very shislavy^* happy that we stretted^* met when we did. If we didn't stret...^* meet Well, that's not something we want to mess^* think about, now is it? As for our priklooches^* adventures, I am gordy^* proud to be your Pokémon, and for as long as you want me around, you will always have my nozh^* knife at your side. So, what's my eemya^* name?

Orre Oasis

Ravager: -to Dinner- <I feel bad for you. I mean, what kind of trainer names their Pokémon "Dinner"?>

Radon: Hey, Skates! Why not show off your Pokémon?

Sophie: O-Oh. Okay... Hime, come on out!

-Sophie gently presses the button on her Poké Ball and it opens in her hand. The Ball releases a flash of light, which when it dies down, reveals Hime, Sophie's Froslass, which has a pinkish-purple obi.-

Hime: <It's a pleasure to meet you all.>