Kalspace secret escape tunnel

Kal: ...Should be here long enough for us to get out.

The end of the tunnel would be cloaked in the same thick fog that was at the front of the house.

Unova route 12

And the group would emerge at the same spot Radium had been looking for an entrance at. As everyone leaves, the fog is already starting to clear.

Radium: <Looks like we got here just in time.>

Unova, Route 12

Scott opens the car and assists the professor inside. Hayley does the same with Kal. The rest of the group follow.

Notably, Cerebro had held onto the trash the disposable bottle and medicine wrapper they brought along with them. He tosses them onto the car's waste compartment.

Scott: Well, no time to lose. Let's go.

Hayley: You're both safe now.

Scott: You don't think we'll fail in our next attempt, would we?

Hayley: I've got a good feeling about this.

Professor Yew: As do I, though let's not use this as an excuse not to be vigilant. The School is a formidable enemy. We'll doubtless need more allies to help us rescue other children.

Hayley: But for now, Uncle Jim, take a load off. You've done enough for today. Take a hint from Cerebro.

Cerebro is asleep.

Hayley: You should rest too, little enby. You've been through quite a lot.

Hammerlocke — May 11

-Kai laughs a bit.-

Kai: I don't think there'd be any objections on her part. Just a matter of whether you're up for a spontaneous trip to a desert region a third of the way across the world.

Stormchaser, Training Bay

"..."

Daydre is quiet. Normally, she'd react to Megan's squee with flusterment. But clearly these are not the right circumstances for that.

The Surf crashes into her, nearly bowling her over- but also seems to snap her back to focus.

... Right. I need to... I didn't really want to do this but.. Gotta stop this somehow. The others can handle.. whoever that is. I don't like the idea of playing along, but if Megan's going to keep attacking us..

Daydre sends out Rikuo.

"...Rikuo, be annoying."

   Rikuo    What the- what's going on? Are you okay? You look kinda->

"I'm fine. Just do it."

Rikuo shrugs and starts yelling at Pippy.

   Rikuo:    <Hey! Is spamming one move the only thing you can do now? I thought you had more variety than that!>

Daydre turns to ???. Her voice as she continues is without emotion, but clearly something is simmering just below the surface. "You ...really think I'd join you after you threaten us and repeatedly insult someone I care about? Please."

Stormchaser - Hallways

-targetless no longer!-

Hiro: …?

-strengthening mental wards, he snatches the slip from the air and looks, looks with his special eyes-

Stormchaser, Water Rising/Deep Diving

Megan: Don't worry, I have CPR training! ^_^

Pippy: <And I can pull water out of your lungs!>

Megan: You've got nothing to worry about! :D

-the clangs intensify-

-and water gushes from the ceiling vents—the distinctive chlorine(?) scent of one of the Stormchaser's improbably vast pools, several floors up-

-Pippy makes to do whichever of Megan's 151 Neat Tricks You Won't Believe Can Be Done With Wet™ comes next when:-

Pippy: -to Rikuo- <...I-I mean kinda, yeah??>

-he starts Struggling with higher function to find something to do, rather painfully-

Pippy: -executive dysfunction'd- <When all I have is a hammer, everything starts looking like DIY home improvement! I-I'm only one bird!>

-to buy time, Megan pulls a switch—-

-Myra now has a tidy stack of her own power, reclaimed-

-and giant Tesla coils explode from the walls and floor to do...nothing!- :D

Megan: ...aw. Should've known that schematic was a scam.

-if it means anything, it's in Dark-Standard Legendary Containment Unit Configuration™: set to run lightning vaguely over the surface of a metal enclosure, thereabouts-

-dejected, she hammers the button next to it—and the remaining hologram projectors fill the room with random, shittily programmed, painfully strobing visual noise-

Mr. Mime: -covers face, peekaboo-like-

???: -now, to Tagg- ...why the fuck do you have that?

Megan: -dramatic point, eyes sparkling- But trapping us in here with you was, itself, a trap! And you have fallen for us falling for you!

???: -shaking her head- I'm oh so sorry. No amount of tutelage could fix that banter.

Megan: -eeeee- I'm so excited to see all your tactics sweet Uxie

???: The more dangerous you are, the more useful you'll be. Thank you for honing my instruments.

-to Daydre- Sure. It's all in the contract.

???: -to Ever- Oh, good. I'm wanted for being too many crimes against life, I don't need blasphemies added to the List.

-that Beautifly-pinning gaze turns on Ever, laser-cutter sharp—and she's Flattered by Misery's company, Taunted by another Psychic-

???: -sibilant- ...elegant.

-she feels the Dark constructs take root in her Auric channels, the high-pitched empty-room sound in her ears intensifying-

-robotic growl- For this politesse—you may call me Molybdenum.

??? Molybdenum: You can't take the name of someone who doesn't have one, Mx. Memito. One of the perks of my origin story.

-arms folded- As for explanation…education.

-she backs up, all the way to one of her Mimes' Screens-

Molybdenum: -rapping her knuckles on it, as one would a whiteboard- J-Team, you who have harbored escapees. Failed experiments.

-stern, the kind of quiet that begs to be heard, outwardly calm—the voice of authority speaking to children-

Number 74, Tungsten. Number 6, Carbon. Number 10, Neon.

-she's picked up a beaker of something viscous and blue-

Different Classes, same labels. Sample disposal...mishandled.

-which she drops on the ground-

Contamination unchecked threatens the entire laboratory—

-and smashes beneath the heel of an armored boot-

—more so the longer the spread is left to fester.

Megan: ...I was using that. :c

Molybdenum: -brisk- Scrape it up and keep moving.

We're done with lab safety, here. You must know when it's time to fudge some results.

-she turns back to the bunch that keeps Taunting her, and-

Molybdenum: -...a buzzing that could've been a chuckle- ...Kai Amarin.

-headtilt- Descendant of Circe Titania, Dragnor's Crimson Lady. There is…potential, in you.

-pointing a finger- But there's others of your line. Less troublesome.

-that buzzing again-

Molybdenum: -stepping back- The School wrote off vampires years ago. Inefficient. Wasteful.

-not quite an urge—the muscles of Kai's arms get the message to wrap around Avada's throat from behind and start Draining-

-echoing-mind- We only ever make them these days as a cautionary tale.

-the water's up to everyone's knees, now-

Beheeyem: -Taunt'd- ~...mistake.~

-he does two things-

-one, temporarily reroute the signals for "blue" and "purple" to each other in Pugh's eyes-

-two, Pugh remembers:-

-two, Pugh feels Tagg stiffen behind her, helmet falling off-

Tagg: -grunt- I...I can't control it!

-those chains dangle, razor-sharp, to angle at the necks of him and his team—slash!-

Tagg: -frozen in place only by a thread of pure willpower- Hang on to me—don't let go—

-with a spike of adrenaline to overwhelm hearing and sense-

-and now the attacks come-

-Hitodama's Shadow Ball hits the Mimes' Screens, exploding into a deathly shotgun-blast in the Beheeyem's face-

-and while he's off-balance Magtail lunges from behind, tearing through an invisible Reflect—-

-Megan throws two things-

-one, pop:-

-a shrilling song reverberates in the confines of the training room, engulfing Magtail, Hitodama, Misery...all of the Trainers' heads...in solid spheres of liquid-

Megan: -happily- Perfectly safe, perfectly safe…

-and secondly, a blue crystal dagger-

Pippy: -catching it, trying to use Surf through it- <I think the League says not to hold both of these at once for a reason?>

Megan: That manual's for kids, silly! ^_^

Pippy: -failing to use Surf through it, vibrating- <'Kay.>

-Megan beholds the rising waters—waist-height now, rippling with Ceal's voice—and crosses her wrists, Pippy struggling to the same-

-and a blast of telekinetic force bowls Pippy off his feet, right into Megan-

-they both go gill-less underwater, but they're fine-

-the Mimes—and Molybdenum herself—stand in a half-barrier-bubble of the only dry land in the whole dang room-

G!Mr. Mime: -tap-dancing frantically-

-the rhythm digs deep into long days sitting in lobbies, lulled by the ticking of a clock-

-and everyone—those with water in their mouth and light in their eyes without the screen of a Safeguard between their senses and the rhythm and the room—has the barest subunit of their brain telling them it's all a bad dream-

-can't breathe, can't see, can't think—bar whatever response this may evoke—but that's how sleep paralysis works, right?-

-from a long distance away, deep in the nightmare, they hear- Perish Song them and be done with it.

-and a rasp very much like a lizard trailing her fingers along an airship's walls-

-if anyone could see, only Ever perhaps would recognize the swirling vortex in the Stormchaser's wall as a hacked-together rendition of what Megan was attempting to recreate, so many months ago-

Fray D.: -enunciating clearly, focus deep- <Our cover is blown. Ready the contingency.>

-the impossible depth may say something evident to anyone, though—it seems like it goes on for miles-

Isle of Armor, Tagg

Abilene: ...what?

Castanea: <That...sounds far too convenient.>

Abilene: -honestly baffled- Aren't you lot...found family squad? Ride-or-die, joint living conditions, mess-with-one-you-get-the-whole-letter?

Edited by Asterisk395 on Aug 15th 2021 at 8:01:57 AM

Wyndon Stadium, Ian VS Daisuke

Daisuke and I: NOW!

-Mothra fires a powerful rainbow colored beam of energy at Sweetie.-

Sweetie: <IMMA FIRIN MAH LAZOR!!>

-Sweetie unleashes a powerful orange beam of light and energy at Mothra. The two beams clash in the middle and a power struggle emerges.-

Wild Area, Bond or Break

Peechee: <Yep! That's me, Kim! Now, if there's anything you should mess^* know about me, it's that I kopat^* love a dobby bitva^* good battle! Nothing quite like the thrill of the drat^* fight to get your krovvy^* blood pumping, eh? As for bitvas^* battles, what is my favorite move of all time?>

Nimbasa City

Me: Thank you kindly, Ms. Gale.

-Ian and Evelyn each take a ticket and get ready to head in to the gallery.-

Orre Oasis

Ravager: <And they STILL call you "Dinner"? That's harsh.>

Sophie: This is my Froslass, Hime. She's very kind, almost like a mother to me. -to Hummy- Hi, Hummy. Nice to meet you!

Hammerlocke

Brie: Well, that's...I mean, I can't fly there, but if you're up to teleport me, sure.

Stormchaser, Megan Zone

-drowning is the kind of thing that prompts panic-

-panic is the kind of thing quickly consumed by a proximate Grimmsnarl-

-Unhurried, Ever digs through their pockets for a ball-

The obvious choice here is Arc or Oracle, in the interest of combating hostile hydromancy and possibly limiting Pippy's offensive capacity.

Of course, I am also facing a clear and present villain, and I imagine that Just would feel slighted if she weren't permitted to be involved. The only problem is that Just is a Fire-type and entirely unsuited for the current combat.

Well, that's not fair. The other problem is that I can't figure out which of these balls is which.

Okay. Everyone here has some capacity to get me out of this situation, and possibly everyone else as well. I would say, all things considered, that I have a one in six chance of releasing Just by accident, most likely dooming myself to death.

-...-

Just: <I'm here! What's going o- yipe!>

-she skitters up a wall to get out of the way of the water saturating the room-

Ever: -claps hands twice-

Just: <Two words...>

-waggly falling fingers-

<Burn.>

-thumbs-up, both hands jerked upwards-

Just: <Up. Burn up.>

-thumbs-up again-

Just: <Oh!>

-she whistles like a teakettle, leaping from the wall and stretching out like a parachute, the heaters on her underside going white-hot to briefly keep her floating-

-and then there's a single beam of light, more heat than fire, spearing down towards the Galarian Mr. Mime, as a thoroughly normal if very large centipede dives into the water with astonishing grace, undulating through it like an eel-

-a second command, encoded in a flavor of emotion-

Misery: <>

-he slides down the water-soaked bleachers, aiming towards Ceal-

-before getting within spitting distance, he draws an arm back, energy coruscating across it-

-with his arm still cocked for a punch, the thick hairs wound across it lunge out like snakes, going for Ceal's neck-

Wyndon Stands

(Elton and Kim look on in wonder and disbelief at the epic clash of lasers in front of them.)

Elton: <Ooh! I wonder 'o's gonna win?>

Nimbasa

(Cuddles proceeds to snuggle up against and nuzzle Hazel.)

The Wild Area, Bond or Break

Kim: "GUILLOTINE—!"

Hammerlocke Banquet

(While Cuddles continues to hug and snuggle the dragons, the Orbeetle, Centiskorch, and Shiny Joltik are watching what is going on from their respective hiding places. As soon as the Shiny Joltik sees Cuddles, his eyes light up.)

Shiny Joltik: (awed) <Ano'er Galvantula! This one seems friendly— maybe it can teach me Electroweb?>

Orbeetle: <Oh, for the love of— YOU'RE A JOLTIK! YOU CAN LEARN ELECTROWEB YOURSELF, YOU BLOODY...!>

Centiskorch: <Hear him out.>

(The Orbeetle sighs, glaring over at the Shiny Joltik.)

Orbeetle: (frustrated) <Fine. Maybe it can.> (making a dismissive "go on, get out of here" gesture with his claws) <Go. Go on; see what that dumb Galvantula who's getting snuggles has to offer. Maybe he belongs to that girl with the Chandelure, I don't know.>

Shiny Joltik: (happily) <Alright!>

(With that said, he skitters out into the actual banquet. He takes a look over at Cuddles for a few moments— but Cuddles is too busy getting hugged by the dragons to pay any attention.)

Shiny Joltik: <Excuse me! Over 'ere! 'Ello!>

(Cuddles doesn't seem to hear him. From behind, the Orbeetle sighs, then facepalms.)

Orbeetle: <Screw it. I'm going out there. I'm talking to that girl.> (He turns to face the Centiskorch.) <You, come with.>

(The Centiskorch shrugs, following his Orbeetle companion out to the banquet. Meanwhile, the Shiny Joltik sighs, his attempts at getting the attention of Cuddles failing him. He quickly shakes his head, though, refusing to give up, and looks around for someone to talk to— and soon finds Kim.)

Shiny Joltik: (realizing that's the trainer with the Chandelure) <OI! Chan'elure girl? Excuse me!>

(Kim blinks, looking around.)

Kim: "Hello? Who said that?"

(And then she gets interrupted by another, much louder and much less Cockney-sounding voice.)

Orbeetle: (exasperated) <HE'S OVER HERE! ARE YOU BLIND?!>

(That grabs her attention- and Kim looks over to find the Orbeetle standing in front of her, pointing with exasperation at the Shiny Joltik. She sees it— and her eyes light up.)

Kim: "Is that...?"

Orbeetle: <No, it's diseased.> (beat, then) <YES, IT'S A SHINY JOLTIK! WHAT ARE YOU, BLIND?!>

Kim: "Apparently I am." (then, muttering to herself) "Dear God, he's adorable..."

Shiny Joltik: <'Ello!>

Kim: "And he's Cockney too." (then, to the Shiny Joltik) <Hello there, cute Joltik! What are you doing here?>

Shiny Joltik: <I came 'ere ta learn Electroweb from your Galvantula!>

Kim: (blinks) "My...? Oh, that's not my Galvantula. That's my friend Leonard Braker's Galvantula, Cuddles. He's... a bit preoccupied right now, to say the least. Just wait until he's done."

Shiny Joltik: <Oh. Okay.>

Kim: "As for these two..." (She points to the Orbeetle and Centiskorch.) "What are they doing here?"

Centiskorch: (selective mutism now on full display) <...Came to watch.>

Kim: "I see. What did you come here to watch?"

Centiskorch: <Performance.>

Kim: "I see. What did you think of it?"

Centiskorch: <Good.>

Kim: "That's good." (She pauses, then turns to the Orbeetle.) "What did you think."

Orbeetle: <It was a bloody show! I absolutely loved it! Though I much prefer Spamalot myself.>

Kim: "You do...?" (She smirks, then turns to face Ian and Evelyn.) "Ian? Evelyn? There are some new friends here that just entered the banquet."

Circhester

(After a while, Romea groans.)

Romea: <UGH...! Where in the world are they?!>

(Seconds later, Walter emerges from his PokeBall.)

Walter: <Romea, please be patient. Ian and Evelyn will be here eventually.>

Romea: <Well, I'm still itching to see some BATTLES! I would battle Jules, but they won't even battle me!>

Jules: (licking Romea and staring at her with a goofy tongue face)

Romea: <SEE?!>

Kim: "Well... I do have a bit of an idea."

Braker: (pausing) "Oh? What is it?"

Kim: "Simple." (She takes out her PokeBall.) "You and me have a battle right here, right now."

Braker: "Is that so? Very well, then."

Kim: "Of course... we will still need a referee..."

HASSLEMON INTERWEBS

PI: Everyone, please join me in the chat. I have an idea.

trustedAnchorman, floofSpooder, zangooseLover, and raucousMongoose joined the chat.

TA: What is it, Braker?

FS: do you have any fun ideas planned~?>

PI: As a matter of fact, I do.

ZL: Ooh! What iss it?

PI: I've booked a trip to Kalos for the four of us.

RM: KALOS? WHY? IS—IT—TO—TAKE—ON—THE—LEAGUE? BECAUSE—IF—IT—IS, I—TOTALLY—WANT—IN—SO—I—CAN—SmASH—ALL—THE—GYm—LEADErS—TO—A—PULP!

PI: Well... maybe later. The reason I'm going there is to try and investigate a rumor going on in the news. There's apparently been a rogue Greninja going around the city of Lumiose, and I'm intrigued to see what's going on.

ZL: A rogue Greninja?

TA: That Sounds very interesting, Braker. I'm eager to See what happens.

FS: i can't wait to make friends with him~~

I—CAN'T—WAIT—TO—TEAr—HIm—TO—SHrEDS!!

TA: Now, now, Romea; let's not get too overzealous.

ZL: Thiss iss going to be sso much fun! :P

PI: Indeed it is.

Everybody left the chat.

MEANWHILE IN LUMIOSE CITY...

(A streak of darkness zips through the city of Lumiose in the night, unseen by the general populace.)

Stormchaser, far past

-Of course the act of drowning is most... unfortunate as my Aura chains dissipate from shock-

Okay, time to remember my Gates training, center myself...

It's so... brutish. The use of an SEP Field like this is suboptimal, the more you press, the easier it is to resist. Armband, need it now before I black out!

-Quickly reaches into my backpack and grabs the Armband, a Swampert's gills doing a lot of good at the moment-

<Okay, think Tagg, think!>

-Looks around for a percieved weak spot in the wall, before my left Swampert fist gets surrounded by a cavitation bubble-

<Get fucked, I'm not allowing you to take them back to the School. Good thing this airship can fix itself to an extent.>

-And unleashes a shockwave using said punch at said percieved wall weak spot, the waters getting particularly turbulent in Molybdenum and co's direction-

Pugh: -Is Psyshock'd and flung back- <What was... that?>

-Of course being an aquatic mon drowning isn't really much of an immediate concern for her and she's more annoyed at the moment than anything else as she's spinning underwater-

Hitodama: -As a Ghost-type she doesn't really need to breathe, but water still kinda sucks when you're a partial Fire-type-

Magtail: -Is feeling similarly-

Akiko: -Currently flying above the water, having been mostly ignored up to this point- <Okay, what to do?>

-Starts waving her arms-

-And so the Togetic sends out a jet of flame at the assorted psychics-

Doppler: -Focuses before unleashing a Bug Buzz-

Hitodama: <I hate water!>

-And her flames glow bright as she evaporates the water around her person, Magtail doing the same with a Burn Up as they move back up to the surface-

Diplo: -Disappears, Pugh getting inadvertently dragged into the Obscura portal as well-

Isle of Armor, past

-Snorts at Abilene's statement-

I don't think we've really been a family for the most part since around 2014 outside of everyone's little sub-cliques, though messing with one of us is akin to messing with all of us. There's no existential threat at the moment, so we're all basically doing our own thing, hence the J-Team not existing at the moment past having a shared "house".

And I've been staying away from the bulk of everyone anyway.

Edited by rmctagg09 on May 29th 2021 at 12:10:44 PM

Stormchaser

"... Yeah that's still not a very convincing offer."

Rikuo and Mr. Bitey seem itching to keep fighting, but given how quick the water is rising Daydre returns them.

"Escapees...?"

Daydre clearly doesn't really understand what's being referred to with that, and maybe one of the names listed even pings as familiar. But given who's talking and the general tone with which Molybdenum talks about said escapees, something tells her it's probably a good thing they were being harbored.

.. And then her head is encased in water.

For a moment, Daydre is tempted to just give in and go to sleep. That's what she always does when things get too hard anyway right? Just go right to sleep and ignore the problem until it goes away...

Except.

Being deprived of oxygen via water sphere is not exactly the same as being choked, but it does provoke a similar enough mental response. That mental response being "No no, oh Arceus not this again get me out get me out get me out GET ME OUT". Though she's not fully aware anymore, her hand moves across her belt and grabs a Pokeball off it. Releasing...


Azure: <Man it's been a- holy Tapushit what the fuck is going on?>

He looks to Daydre, expecting an explanation. Which he does not get, because Daydre is rapidly losing consciousness. Azure takes in the situation- the liquid spheres on peoples' heads, the rival Primarina, the rising water, the sinister helmeted person he's never seen before- and he comes to a conclusion.

Azure: <.. I can't play like this. Am I gonna have to sing? Ugh I'm gonna have to actually sing, this sucks->

He clears his throat. And with a high note tuned to sound just slightly Bad ^tm when heard together with Ceal's attempts to disrupt the song's connection with the spheres.

Castelia City

Jessica: "What's this?"

-She leans forward and grabs a thick text off the coffee table - some book on Legendaries, heavily edited and annotated with a pen.-

Shaun: "Just some research I've been doing. A lot of that is. Wrong. Obviously."

-He sits next to Jessica and hands her a mug of hot chocolate with a slightly spicy aroma to it.-

Jessica: "Yeah, well, when most of your experience comes from dusty old ruins..."

-She takes a sip from her mug and sets it down. Shaun collapses, resting his head in her lap. Jessica idly runs her hands through her hair.-

Shaun: "It's too quiet lately."

Jessica: "I'm trying to enjoy it."

Shaun: "I know, I know. It's just. It's been months and nothing."

Jessica: "Well, Jackie's taken us out on a few dates."

Shaun: "Oh, so is that what we call them now? Well, I suppose your brunch group are part of the team."

-Jessica snorts. Shaun closes his eyes.-

Shaun: "I've just been alone with my thoughts a lot. I'm restless."

Jessica: "You have plenty to keep you occupied."

-She glances around the apartment - at the resting Pokémon, the copy of the Prax Obscura on Shaun's nightstand, the writing desk covered by a disassmbled bow.-

Shaun: "It's not that."

-He rather pitifully attempts to create the illusion of something - half-formed wisps of Obscura dissipating in his hand.-

Shaun: "It's - I don't know. Words are - ugh."

Jessica: "I know, darling."

Shaun: "I - I'm sorry. I don't need to make you worry."

Jessica: "It's not healthy to keep things bottled up."

Shaun: "Don't need to open those bottles yet."

-Jessica frowns.-

Jessica: "You really aren't okay, are you?"

-Shaun doesn't reply.-

Jessica: "Shaun."

Shaun: "Define okay."

-The vulpine woman sighs.-

Jessica: "Whenever you're ready to talk, I'm here."

Shaun: "I know, Jess."

-He shifts awkwardly before simply deciding to sit up, looking away from Jessica.-

Shaun: "Can you stay? For the night?"

Jessica: "Of course. Nightmares?"

-Shaun nods once, curtly.-

Shaun: "Palkia above, I really am a mess, aren't I? Can't even get a good night's sleep."

-Jessica leans forward and wraps her arms around Shaun, burying her face in his shoulder.-

Jessica: "We need to fix that."

Shaun: "I will. One day."

-They rest for a moment. Shaun pulls away, and Jessica releases him.-

Shaun: "I'll be right back."

-Jessica nods and sinks back into the couch, hot chocolate in hand. From the kitchenette she hears the sound of shaking hands uncorking a crystal decanter and clumsily pouring the contents into a glass. Jess flattens her ears against her skull but perks them up as a searing pain rushes across her right palm.-

Entree Forest

Elizabeth: "Can you feel that?"

-Luca nods, suprised, but Gabrielle doesn't react.-

Gabrielle: "Good, you can access something hear. Michael, Aurora -"

Michael: <Yes.>

Aurora: <Ah reckon Ah could Construct a gatlin' gun if Ah wanted!>

Lyra: <Yeah, this place has a strong vibe to it.>

-Gabrielle turns her gaze from the Entree back to the group.-

Gabrielle: "Good. Liz?"

Elizabeth: "It feels like a good place to train. Only handles half of my concerns, though."

Gabrielle: "That is more...traditional research. Assuming you can find people or writings which share your alternate memories. I think we will take the Heart to Canalave, once we are ready to move on. But we are here now. No time to waste! You and Luca must immediately begin developing your powers!"

Luca: "Sorry to disappoint, but I don't have any powers like Tsukida. My power is borrowed. I can't just tap into it."

-Gabrielle frowns.-

Gabrielle: "No, that is not possible. It does not work like that. Are you sure?"

Luca: "That's how I was told my contract works."

Aurora: <Ya got wrapped up in one of those fae deals? Shoot, never makes deals with us, it always goes bad. Why don't ya try and ringin' up your patron?"

-Luca blinks and pulls out a pocketknife, pressing the blade to the palm of his hand.-

Luca: "Jessica."

-The blade draws a thin line of blood.-

???

Jessica: "No, I just juiced you up. I can't give you Aura powers. That was all you."

Luca: "...oh."

-Jessica pats him on the shoulder.-

Jessica: "I recognize that you have fulfilled your end of the bargain. No more magical boy Luca. Our contract has expired."

Entree Forest

-Luca looks at his hand, the wound no longer there.-

Luca: "Training, you said?"

Nimbassa

Hazel attempts to get a ticket from Gale despite the nuzzling.

Scott's car

Kal was already sound asleep. The fog is almost completely gone now.

Radium: <Will they be ok?>

Edited by QuantumMelody29 on May 30th 2021 at 11:45:26 AM

Hammerlocke — May 11

Kai: Just making sure the teleport lag wouldn't mess you up. Or the weather. But, if that's all fine!

-She takes out a Poke Ball with one hand, and offers the other hand to Brie.-

Kai: Ready?

Stormchaser — Wait Just A ₄₂Mo

-Kai twitches as Molybdenum talks.-

Kai: Then— let this be another cautionary tale. Of not fucking with vampires.

-As she twitches, though, the water level rises, and she barely has time to take a breath before the compulsion takes over.-

Kai's Mindscape

-Prison bars and shackles again. Imprisoned again, by the mind of a Psychic.-

-The figure in the mind, cloaked and masked, at one point known as Prowess — or perhaps still is, with a fresh coat of paint — is trapped behind the prison bars.-

-Prison bars, shackles, trapping the protector and leaving the rest of the mind unguarded.-

-Unacceptable.-

-Shackles. Their body is bound, uncontrollable. But with the right dexterity, or willpower, they can escape.-

Stormchaser

-Hands around Avada's throat, but the draining doesn't quite take over.-

Kai's Mindscape

-No more chains. But the bars.-

-Bars of the Velvet Room. Bars of the Lumiose Prison. The bars of their own mind, trapped once by deals and promises.-

-There's always an escape, a doorway.-

-Hey, Gale, need help opening that lock? Here's a neat trick I learned.-

-Unchained, unrestrained, breaking out.-

-They have a duty to protect the mind, no matter what they must burn through.-

Stormchaser

-Searing hot and nails on chalkboard, that only the one grasping Kai's mind gets to experience.-

Kai: ~I thought I told you not to do anything stupid.~

-They let go of Avada, a moment of their time spent, a few precious seconds of breath. A turn wasted.-

-Tagg and Daydre may remember from Mementos, when in a fit of desperation, Robin Hood burned up their own vitality bit by bit to act with unnatural haste. Kai does not remember, but they do feel their Aura crackling off them like a technicolor fire, leaving a trail in their wake as they swim toward Molybdenum, hand extended.-

-They don't let go of the presence clutching their mind. They keep it right where it is, burning, as they try to drain at Molybdenum.-

-Speaking of drains!-

-That's a lot of water up above! Maybe we should do something about that!-

-Cell Batteries removed, Myra moves on to the next pressing matter: unclogging the drains.-

-Trick probably isn't going to work on this, because shoving a fully charged Cell Battery in to push out the clog is probably counterproductive.-

Myra: (...Oh, man, I hope this fixes itself.)

-And with Telekinesis, she yanks the pipes apart with intent to break them, freeing up the drains by any means necessary.-

-Oh, yeah, there's a couple other actions to take, huh?-

-Avada just watched Kai almost try to strangle him, and then not. That was... interesting.-

-Everest pretty much got immediately knocked out by the torrent of water. He'd already taken numerous Surfs, so at this point getting waterlogged was guaranteed to take him out. Avada quickly floats the Poke Ball that Everest came out of over to recall him, since Kai's kind of busy.-

-One problem solved. Avada looks at the Beheeyem to address the next one.-

Avada: <~I guess I'll handle you.~>

-Another spoon twist, and a sourceless venom seems to crawl its way through the Beheeyem's bloodstream.-

Stormchaser — Hallways

-If Hiro looks at the ground, though, he'll see... what might have been another note, completely soaked and illegible. But the water drops on the ground do make for an identifiable path.-

Defiant Wing, Midjumps

-Gale spends a lot of time sitting alone in her cabin during this bout of transit. She draws pictures and meditates on the implications. At one point she turns off all the lights and sits in pitch black staring into the void of space on the other side of the window with a feather in her hands. All in all, she kinda angsts out for the travel time to Polity and only emerges back into the main section of the ship once the last jump winds down-

Alright, I'm ready to roll on the Polity mission.

Nimbasa, Building 898

-Gale heads into the black warehouse and what is immediately obvious is that this is not the exhibit itself. The main thoroughfare of the warehouse has been transformed into something like the main area of a mall, with various entryways leading to various shops and a handful of currently closed nightclubs. The main area has a few statues, pieces worked from scrapmetal by local artists but it's up the back where a crowd has gathered: A large black wall, clearly blocking off about the back third of the warehouse is painted with signage proclaiming "Four Stories of Lee House" along with two logos, one animal-headed one with text that says "A Normal Mouse" and the eight-part spiral logo of surprisingly, the Orochi Group. At the base of the wall is a small corral area with a bunch of likely other visitors to the exhibit and a number of people dressed in black uniforms with the A Normal Mouse logo on them. One of the people without a uniform is currently off to the side speaking into one of those chunky early mobile phones for some reason and it generally looks like people are gathering around a small raised platform next to the closed doorway through the wall-

Well, looks like we're on time to get in line...

-One of the people in uniform grabs a megaphone and steps onto the platform-

A Normal Mouse Staffer: Attention, visitors to Lee House! Given this is our last session of the season we don't have our usual recording cause Franc Harri is here to give it himself!

-That announcement seems to cause a few cheers from the crowd. Like it's not the whole crowd, just a few fairly excited members-

Guess we better get over there quick.

898

They nod in unison, not understanding the specifics details but if some apparently famous person is here it’s gotta be a big deal, right?

The Wing exited Jumpspace, "We're here Captain," Bishop noted.

Silas sat at the helm, helmet off, leaning back. He nodded to Bishop and sighed as he looked at the sensor imaging of the planet. "Bring it up on all available screens."

Across the ship a intercom announcement rang out, "Attention all hands. We're at Polity... we're bringing up main image of it soon enough."

Before them sat a large world... it seemed almost earth like... though it was dead, the skies were gray and the ocean seemed polluted, like a perpetual frost had covered the entire world. Sensor readings reported structures across the planet but no lifeforms, barely any power.

Arthur stared at the image, "What in the name of Giratina happened here?"

Roxy blinked, "What did we walk into?"

Rage and Love were stopped by a Reaper getting in their way, which flipped one of the revolvers in hand and swung it at them.

"Basically just put out enough damage to kill them then?" Jackal commented.

"Pro-tip! Shoot it until it dies!" Knight commented blocking some shots.

Jackal was still focused on the comments of hired, what did Daniel mean by that... and why wasn't he getting close? He had a persona he could try fighting one on one... unless.

Theories for later, Knight let out a roar and drove a blade through one of the Reapers, who paused, Jackal took the chance, "Everyone focus on the stunned one, now!"

Roxy scratched her head, "Don't remember that name," but she followed Gale to get to the tour guide quickly.

898

Hazel followed everyone else.

Stormchaser, Hallways - Big Damn Hiros

Hiro: …...

Chowder: <Hmmm…>

 Worst Road Trip Reminiscence Hours 

-an Arcanine races through the ship, following the trail-

Stormchaser - The Room Where It Happens

-Molybdenum seems to ready various retorts-

-then one of her opponents turns into a Swampert-

Molybdenum: ...what.

-and another simply burns through her control-

Molybdenum: -stepping back- What.

(-or not so simply, depending on what that...Mindscape montage was-)

(-she doesn't have time to unpack all that, mostly because of the individual it belongs to—Kai consumes both sets of Screens in a radiant flare and claws her way towards her-)

-Molybdenum burns (oh how sick is she of that sensation), purple fleeing her frame to join the kaileidoscopic miasma-

Megan: -popping up, star-eyesing- Oh wow, yours looks so different!

-the light of Kai's incandescent life force plays off the sheer wonder in her expression—Molybdenum makes a sharp, pained gesture along the lines of "you are contractually obligated to help me"-

Megan: -unscrewing a jar, fussy- Right, Kai, tell me how this tastes, I'm starting a study group but the sample sizes are kinda small— -and she tosses the whole jarful of Tentacruel-harvested Liquid Ooze in the rapidly shrinking space between Kai and Molybdenum-

-Torment aligning for the moment, Pippy makes to take control and bash everyone bubbled against the walls/floor/ceiling, judgement-hall style—-

-but Misery punches out Ceal^* Ceal, silently: -gek-, themself too focused on the mutual appearance of a competing Primarina—who himself erases the song, heterodyning its effect nigh-instantly-

Pippy: -put-out- <...aw.>

-all the bubbles burst, permitting sweet, sweet air to flow-

-Megan Swannas by and whisks the Scarf off his shoulders—it had fallen from where it was tied, anyhow—and whispers in his ear(?)-

Pippy: -perking up- <Oh! About time, hehe.>

-he settles into a stance, his Torrent aura engulfing him-

-peeved, Ceal levels a death glare at Misery and Azure—rather literal, for how nice said peevishness tastes; prevented from singing their deadly song, a Dazzling Gleam bursts from their eyes-

-Fray vanishes through the Dive channel into subspace and disappears-

-the plugs are pretty securely in place—but the pipes around them are Stormchaser-standard-

-with the power in the Batteries backing her up, Myra yanks them apart without issue—allowing high-pressure water to flee and flood the space she's in-

-she coughs and watches Tagg mantis-bash a hole quite successfully into the wall of his own airship-

- —breaking free as he does so—control over herself was the first thing she Learned, and no way will she be upstaged in her own field by—-

-the NYP (Now-Your-Problem) field's second layer becomes apparent—a few mental registers flip to their original positions—the prime tidal waves from that Earthquake were sent not at Molybdenum but at Ever-

-the spare waves send cracks through the shell keeping her shelter dry-

Molybdenum: -robotic voice unwavering- We've dismissed so many of those reports as untrue. Your fanbase is rabid, and you people read like a fanfiction kitchen sink.

-retrieving a black Psychic Gem, studded through with stars- That kind of power begs to be harnessed. But I'm a mental technician, not a social engineer…

-and she drives nails into the tree of choice to look at the sap-

-Molybdenum freezes in place—it's impossible to know for sure what expression lies under that mask-

-then she makes a break for Fraidy's Dive portal inside her barrier, leaping through it as fast as her unenhanced human legs can muster-

-...her Mimes exchange a glance-

-which costs them, burning, Burning Up-

-the ship's design is impeccable, but Tagg himself is no Slouch—Hiro arrives just in time to see a basketball-sized hole blown through the wall, with a baskethoop-sized stream gushing through to freedom-

-before the stream stops-

-Myra, the pipes stop-

Mr. Mime: -trembling, continues the patching-a-leaking-ship motions—Psychic caulking comes into being, layer by layer-

-which glows in acid hues, as if trying to seal the peoplemon themselves in this place-

Beheeyem: ~Submit.~

(-Avada's Toxic slides off of the Safeguard that shielded him from the Teeter Dance-)

-the other Mr. Mime looks toward the present greatest threat to keeping everyone contained in this place—taps an incongruously merry jig-

-at Tagg, moisture fleeing-

- —and Akiko somehow manages to find the most improbable of gaps in the layered, invisible shields, Doppler's Bug Buzz following her Mystic Fire-

G!Mr. Mime: -hands over face- <!!!>

Mr. Mime: -hands over ears- [!!!]

-the Beheeyem telekinetically flings their prone bodies into the still-swirling Dive in the wall, 'hands' flashing yet more rapidly-

Beheeyem: ~...fascinating. I could pick apart your psyches and have months of material. You are all so...~

-headtilt- ~used to this.~

-...and from where he sealed the hole Tagg punched comes the sound of someone trying to melt through regenerating metal with existentially dense flame-

Beheeyem: -rising- ~Here he is. You all nearly disappointed me.~

Hiro: -appearing on Arcanine-back, incandescent-    Where are y—   

Teleport disruptor fields activated.

-rings the training computers' automated voice-

-kindly- Fuck you for visiting the Stormchaser training bay. Break a leg, and have a very bad day.

Megan: -waving, gold-eye'd- Hi, Hiro!

Hiro: -toneless- ...shit.

-now-

-we return to the subject of the Stormchaser-

-its bigger-on-the-inside dimensional nesting, which permitted Megan to dig paths into a place she had never managed to reach, in this universe-

-its luxuriously furnished facilities, locally turned on their inhabitants-

-and its limited regenerative capacity-

Circuit, Near Myra: -...bzzt-

-by Myra and Tagg, stirred into waking-

-as far as Megan was able to determine, given a month of time—she surmised that segments were copied wholesale from Porygon's Recover-y algorithms, modified to the scale of such a macrostructure—from the sheer complexity and versatility alone-

-the restrictions on such algorithms, too, are diverse and numerous—likely to prevent automated processes from spiraling out of control, or harming its numerous occupants-

Another Circuit, Unhappily: -...b̷͎̭͈̪̍z̷̨͕̲̕z̶̢̗͇̿̎r̸̲̹͆̋͆r̴͕̝̓.̵̭̰̺͛̀-

-it probably says something about Megan that she's somehow, extremely inadvertently or no, improbable though it is—managed to override all of these at once-

Many Circuits: -...ominous hummm...-

-or—enough, within the confines of the training room-

-heedless of the extremely unpleasant noises now closing in from every side, Pippy's power crescendos-

Pippy: <Come, O vivid, vertiginous valkyrie! Return us from past the veil of voyaging!>

-collapsing walls resonating- <We, valorous, voice our villainies / to flood the void with your vitality!>

Pippy: -wings upraised- <The call of the fen compels you! The call of the fen compels you!>

-wavering subspace channels open haphazardly—on the walls not Dreepy-chewed-

- —and inky tentacles burst from them all, each as wide around as an oak-

-all the water becomes tacky, viscous—fighting every movement anyone tries to make, if halfheartedly-

-Pippy laughs-

- —as he's seized and dragged backward into and through Fraidy's rift, toward...something-

-Megan shrieks delightedly and runs to try and grab Daydre by the hand-

Megan: Come with me! :D

-and with her or no, she leaps into one of the subspace tunnels, a tentacle moving obligingly aside-

-...and about a third of those tentacles are severed as their Dive tunnels collapse, the conduits supporting them crumpling past function-

-Fraidy's remains the most stable-

The Wild Area, Distant Pool

-Megan stumbles through the arch of a stone henge, its empty space rippling with fluid-

-six spears glowing red and blue are arranged in a starburst around a very large Water Gem on a slab in the middle of this stone circle, an odd Mist blanketing the surroundings-

-Megan looks at Pippy, his wings spread to touch two other pillars, the Mist coiling around them both—and grins-

-the henge begins to pulse, and those spears rise into the air-

Molybdenum: This was your contingency? A bunch of rocks arranged in a circle?

Megan: -whispers, accompanied or no- I'm so excited to show everyone, oh my gosh

Molybdenum: -staring into the portal arch- ...close the gate. They'll be crushed, and we can try again.

Fray D.: -hesitates, glancing at Megan-

Megan: -frowns- That's not victory for anyone!

Molybdenum: -strained- I won't ask a second time. Now.

Thespi: <Hi.> :o

Isle of Armor - Tagg

Abilene: ...that sounds...tremendously sad.

Castanea: -leaning on a stump- <We at least have the Family, for the most part.>

Sorbus: -branch-rustle-shrug- <That they are rather evil is mere details.>

Abilene: -eyebrow-raise- Why have you been avoiding them?

Edited by Asterisk395 on May 30th 2021 at 1:47:07 PM

Studio

-Helmet shatters into blue flame-

We'll wash you away! Azumi-no-isora!

Azumi-no-isora: -Sends out a Surf-

Stormchaser, far past

-Noticing what Kai appears to be doing and whether Ever actually got hit or not-

Ah fuck.

-Protects in order to block the Freeze-Dry following the Expanding Force turbulence-

Akiko: <The room's starting to collapse!>

Magtail: -Starts trying to burn through the wall, if not as efficiently since her flames haven't recovered yet, while Doppler appears to be trying to summon someone-

Diplo: -Reappears to lash the Beeheeyem with his tail from behind as Pugh is inadvertently flung through a subspace portal right before it closes-

Akiko: -Looking around- <Wait, where's Hitodama?>

Pugh: -Is spat out by the subspace portal in Molybdenum's direction, a fist wreathed in Obscura-

Hitodama: -Gets inadvertently washed here as well, looks rather annoyed as she examines the spear formation, literally steaming from the water she's had to evaporate- <...You.>

Isle of Armor, past

-To Abilene-

Due to the super long time it took us to deal with the "hole in the sky" problem, when it came time to deal with the main instigator, they acted not like heroes, but as little more than some assorted rabble blowing off some steam after managing to break the walls of a city they have under siege, and them deciding to go beat him up after he was already beaten allowed him to get away and summoned that uber-Glitch to us.

Pueltown, today

-Walking north-

It's been a while since we've been in Almia, haven't we?

Doc: -Nods- <Where we first met.>

Hammerlocke, May 11

-Brie takes Kai's hand-

Brie: Ready!

Stormchaser, Hydro Plane

Misery: <Wait—>

-he's knocked away by the Dazzling Gleam, and recalled-

-at which point Ever becomes abruptly more aware of the emotional tenor of the room-

-and the tidal wave aiming for them-

Ever: ...Hm.

-they bounce-

-off the wall, down the bleachers, and into the water, drifting the rest of the way to the floor, blood and pink light trailing from them-

Well, something just broke there, so that's fun.

-they stare up at the surface as it moves further and further from them-

-as lines of psychic force expand across the floor under them-

...Huh.

-they step into a state of clarity-

-as the lines turn acid and burn-

-screaming underwater is a bad idea, but Ever does it anyway because they're dumb sometimes-

-but hey! wakes you up-

-apparently the half-dozen psychic influences currently pushing on their mind leave them in something resembling a lucid state-

-they tap a ball, releasing the contents-

Arc: <!>

-he conjures a Dive bubble around himself and Ever-

Arc: <I find myself in the awkward position here of having no idea what's going on.>

Ever: -coughs up water, blood, and some other gross stuff-

Arc: <That doesn't explain much.>

Ever: You are just imperviously normal, aren't you?

Arc: <Do you need a hand? Or at least a clawed flipper. I don't have thumbs.>

Ever: I am well aware, believe you me.

Arc: -looking up at the water- <Hang on, is that mom?>

Ever: -nodnod-

Arc: <What?!>

Ever: Not right now.

-they peer at their prosthetic, which is badly damaged, pink light leaking from a dozen cracks-

-then down at the Psychic Terrain under their feet-

Hi, Beeheeyem! We should talk! So should Molybdenum and I, but that can wait. You know what they say, a an enemy is just a frenemy you haven't gotten coffee with yet.

-they smear their flesh hand through the light, carrying it away as fairy dust, using the tip of their finger to scrawl into the Psychic Terrain-

~Hey everyone. Ever here, borrowing a signal.~

-the telepathic communication is oddly slow as telepathy goes, just a few sounds at a time-

-but Ever is very good at texting-

~I'm fine, don't worry. Some things broken and possibly mild concussion but I'll live. In the interest of everyone doing the same, we need to coordinate.~

~Megan is enthralled. If we can beat her here, it seems that whatever is laid on her will break. The person enthralling her, Molybdenum, is interesting and I want to have a chat with her, so if we could avoid killing her I'd really appreciate it.~

~Megan is a hydromancer by nature. At least some measure of our efforts need to be towards countering that— I recommend Whirlpool, Aqua Ring, Surf, or Storm Drain. Water Absorb will do in a pinch. It won't end this fight, but it will limit her ability to go for big moves, which seems to be her central MO.~

~The Beeheeyem is an issue. My only Psychic-type is currently unconscious. If anyone else has either Psychic or Dark-type options to assist in countertelepathy, now would be the time. I'll assist— Just, Skitter Smack.

-Just bursts from the water in front of the Beeheeyem, following instants after Diplo's move. She's no longer even red, her flames having gone out, and she's just a giant green centipede-

Just: <I know a villain when I see one! I took classes on this! It's not just about operating in accord with or counter to the dictums of society!>

-she curls in midair, spinning-

Just: <The central tenet of evil is the valuation of the self as higher than the other, and anyone telling anyone to submit falls squarely in that box!>

<...If it's not consensual, I guess. I try not to judge.>

<...Anyway, villain!>

-she dives, chomping at the Beeheeyem-

<Have at you!>

-while Ever's speech continues-

~The tunnels in the walls are, I believe, Dive-based. I suggest that we make every effort to use them before we die in here, because teleportation in and out is currently curtailed. Someone remind me to throw something at Pef when we get out of here.~

~Lastly, the tunnels are guarded by Vee, who has phase-shifted into the contents of a great deal of water, and who, as it happens.~

~Fucking owes me.~

~I saved her, Vee. Now you save her.~

~Please try not to die, everybody. I like everyone in this room quite a bit.~

Stormchaser Training Room

[Stormchaser At Capacity, unovanOtaku Removed From Lobby]

Studio Palace

Hearing Jackal, Ahemait discarded the thought of the target for a short moment to grip the arm of the Shadow giving his user hell.

Staggering a bit from the pistol-whip, Rn'L gripped the gun as it fell from the now-broken arm, pointing it at the stunned Shadow to direct Ahemait to throw everything he could at it before shooting the first shadow - the one that stopped him - with the gun.

Edited by AbsentCoder on May 30th 2021 at 2:38:50 AM

Orren Oasis

Dinner: <You get the name you're stuck with. I do like to think being named for Yellowhead's repeated failure is a badge of honor. Even after he stopped trying to eat me, he's still trying to eat my stick.>

Dinner waves his leek.

Scott's Car

Hayley: They will be. If anything goes wrong, we have a physician we trust on call. Our doctor's already familiar with people on the Auric spectrum so their powers will not arouse any suspicion. My uncle's worked with aurics, psychics, and obscurics for much of his life. If it's just the regular old flu, it should clear up in a few days with a little bed rest.

A few hours later, they arrive at a rather large mansion set in a large country estate.

Scott: Speaking as your actual medical professional, when we mean a little, we mean a lot. Fluids. Bed rest. And those little chewy vitamins at least once a day to bolster immunity.

Hayley: We'll let them pick the flavor they like when they wake up. As a general rule, my uncle and I don't read minds of sleeping people. It's rude and intrusive.

Oblivion Wing Bridge

The stowaways look on the grim world below them.

Shutter: Oh.

Upton: That looks horrible.

Shutter: Looks like the bad ending of that one [Captain Planet] episode.

Upton: Which one?

Shutter: Yes.

Phineas: Ach. What brings us to a dead world like this one? I doubt even Muk could live in such a world.

Upton: Are we going to attempt to restore it because I'm pretty sure that a world like that's too far gone.

Shutter: Level of expense to clean that mess is too much even for the soft Type 3 Kardashev civs we've encountered here.

Edited by MasterJayAM on May 30th 2021 at 5:13:47 PM

Scott's car

Radium gasps at the size of the house. Kal is still sound asleep.

Radium: <Woah! This is huge! How could you afford all this?>

Yew Manor, Outskirts of Lacunosa Town

Hayley: Oh, this modest abode? My family first bought it during 1920s when they hit it big in the berry canning industry. My great grandfather sold that business for a ton of money. My grandfather then used that to fund some research corp in the 50s and 60s, then we made a fortune from the patents on his inventions. Since then, our family fortune was built up from smart investments in various industries. Enough to keep a house this big, plus a modest winter home in Phenac.

Scott: Modest wouldn't have been the word I used to describe the winter getaway.

Hayley: Please, our fortune's in the mid-millions. It's hardly enough to sustain global operations the way the School does. We're not made of money like Chairman Rose and other monopolistic billionaires.

Scott: It's very clear that I married up.

Hayley: Forgive me, I tend to forget exactly how big the gulf is between multimillionaires and the middle class. That there's a gulf between us and billionaires like the Kwans and the Clavises is still blowing his mind.

Edited by MasterJayAM on May 31st 2021 at 6:55:36 PM

Stormchaser, A different Kind of Bay

The Dazzling Gleam on top of the already-distracting visual noise don't exactly do wonders for Azure's health. He tries to cover his eyes but the radiating fae.. energy(?) burns into him anyway. As if to say "haha look at me I can still sing" Azure responds with another high note that has enough force to momentarily blast the water away from him.

Daydre coughs and gasps for air as soon as she's released from the bubble. Being used to asphyxiation doesn't really equate to a faster recovery time though, so she's in no position to fight back as Megan grabs her and drags her away. Through the tunnel, to...

Wild Area

... Here. Daydre has mostly come around at this point (having air to breathe is nice), and what she's hearing isn't inspiring a lot of confidence. Normally when Megan expressed excitement for something Daydre would be all for seeing it, but again, circumstances. In the seconds it takes Pugh and Hitodama to fly through the portal and act Daydre's brain starts working overtime.

What do I do? Most of the mons I have on me now aren't fully trained yet, the sun might be out but there's still so much water involved so do I risk Rowan?.. I'm outnumbered, will I even be able to get a mon out? Can I even do much? I don't have too many effective counters left, Azure is back there, I haven't been training Friendo enough, Sylvie is knocked out, the mons I picked up in Galar aren't ready for whatever the fuck this is yet, I don't know what Megan has planned, what do I do, what do I do-

The logical part of her is stuck running through all the ways in which she could do this the normal way and possibly choose wrong. The part of her containing all her rage, frustration, and fear- the part that's currently causing obscura to leak out of her body- says to do something a little different.

It says to start biting.

Well, metaphorically anyway. Daydre uses all the force her walking-tour honed body can muster to slip from Megan's grasp, try to tackle Molybdenum to the ground, and start punching.

... And Now Back to the Stormchaser

It's in the middle of this high note that Azure notices a few things. Daydre being taken away, Ever's telepathic message, and the steadily decreasing space in the room.

Azure: <It's just one fucking thing after another today huh? I'll see what I can do->

Whatever the results of his Hyper Voice, he eventually cuts off and tries to force his way towards Fray's dive tunnel.

Nimbasa 898

... Not too many people pumped about this guy showing up, huh? Daydre thinks as she follows the others.

Studio Palace

"... Well, attacking I can do."

Taking advantage of the reaper's stunned state, Huli-jing runs up and strikes it with a blade of obscura.