Studio Palace

-Rakash let out a little hum as he dismissed his Persona back into the mask-

Uh... Where precisely are we going to drop him off though? Wouldn't go down well to just rock up to a police station going "yes hello this guy did mind crimes" because the only valid answer we have to 'how do you know that' is "we also do mind crimes"...

The Hades

Hm, interesting. I would like to be part of the cover work on the entourage.

-The eyes of Nightingale's helmet flash blue-

I have a wonderful black dress and everything.

J-Con, Emerald

You don't particularly feel better even after the phone is put away and all you can do is give a brief wave to the Jigglypuff.

"Guess some folks just let their mons wander about..."

CW: Post contains violence, death, and blood

We're still in Motostoke - The Past

Deus was too distracted by the fact that the experiment Mercury had a rocket fist that he didn't notice it flying towards him... and proceeding to strike him and knock him off his perch.

Rory smirked and slammed his right arm onto the 3rd prosthetic, a white and red fist with blue tipped fingers. A Vine man got close and he fired the hand, there was a burst of energy and he was sent flying back, but the Vine-Guy was ripped in half. Shockwave burst... nice...

Dante laughed, <Hey you're getting the hang of it!>

Rory drew the last medium tool, the revolver, and fired, several vine men went flying before an explosion went off. He smiled, "Oh hell yeah!"

Terra stamped her foot indignantly and summoned a mass of Vine-Men, "DIE!" she shouted, Deus to his credit did not... for he was unconscious.

Rory had gotten a cheap shot, and he knew that wasn't going to last, he slashed and burned through the army of vine monsters as they took on new forms... but he was having a great time, the new tools made channeling his power a lot easier, Dante and Vergil were at his side cutting through the moss with metal claw.

He didn't know what Terra expected by sending an army of plants after him, but then he got an idea, he equipped the rocket fist, and fired it... and then he jumped onto it!

Terra stared in shock, the hell was this asshole doing? Was he surfing on his own hand?!

The answer soon became clear as Rory flew up to her, sword drawn, "HELLO!"

Terra freaked and grabbed her brother, running off, "KEEP AN EYE OUT MERCURY! WE'RE AFTER YOU!"

Rory landed and laughed, "Yeah, I'll be waiting."

Vergil retracted his blades, <They will be back, they will not take this defeat so easily. Next fight may not be so easy.>

Rory sighed, "Really bringing my mood down there."

<He's right kid, they learned what you can do, so they're gonna get clever next time,> Dante added, <Best be prepared, you got lucky.>

Rory sighed, "Whatever you say."

Gabriel looked over the new troops, "Impressive work. A blending of metal and man you say?"

MasterOS stepped over, "You have always needed tools, steel has been the reason humankind made it so far, it is the reason you have such advanced research programs," he commented holding a hologram of genetics information.

Gabriel smiled a bit, "Well, I can control them, much like I control my clone troopers hm?"

"Even better," MasterOS said, "They share your nervous system, they will obey every order you send out. The wonders of cloning technology."

Gabriel ran a hand over the black metal plating, looking over the imposing figures, "16 so far, not bad. Could we make more?"

MasterOS let out a low rumbling noise akin to a laugh, "Perhaps, on your own however. I am done here, it was a pleasure to trade with you," he said, turning and slowly walking out.

Gabriel decided to ignore MasterOS, he was free to leave, they had gotten all they wanted out of the AI. His desires for steel supremacy would never come to fruition, for now, they had more than enough to work with.

"Sir!" A menial cried out, "We've detected two runaways not too far off! Titanium and Vanadium!"

"Oh? And old batch, the twins," Gabriel commented, "Very well... prepare my Pod-Fighter... and activate the Dark Troopers."

The Menial nodded and turned on the boot sequence, the optics of the new soldiers started to glow.

Gabriel smiled, he could feel their neurons firing, the blending of human nerves with mechanical systems, these... these would be useful.

"Come on... we're nearly there!" Vanadium told her brother, Titanium lagged a little behind.

"Titanium hurry up!" she hissed, the Pyromancer was always a bit slower than his sister, the Cryomancer.

Titanium huffed, "We've... been running, for 3 days! It's been years! They haven't found us!"

Vanadium sighed, he wasn't wrong... the School hadn't come after them, perhaps... perhaps she was being paranoid over-

Titanium stared in shock as a Vanadium was knocked down, she groaned and got up... as descending from the sky came several dark metal figures. Out of the shadows stepped someone, wielding a sword of psychic energy, Vanadium gaped as she realized who it was, the man grinned.

"Hello," he said... "Care to come quietly?"

Titanium let out a scream and then thrust his fists outwards, a jet of flames shooting from them. He put everything he could into the blast... it wasn't enough, out of the fire marched one of the tall mechanical figures, who gripped onto his neck.

"My Dark Troopers, impressive aren't they?" Gabriel asked, guarded by two more Dark Troopers, "They have their limits, but they do quite well. For instance..."

The Dark Trooper tossed Titanium aside, Vanadium rolled over and shot a beam of ice, freezing the machine. Titanium shot fire at it, the thermal shock shook the machine as it collapsed, Gabriel quirked a brow, "Clever. You two were always a good combo... however."

Several more troopers landed, carrying blasters, opening fire. Titanium helped Vanadium to her feet, the two scattering off. Gabriel smiled and marched on slowly.

The two ducked around a corner, only to be met with another Trooper, who threw a punch, knocking them away, Titanium stumbled a bit, and growled. "You think we're afraid! We can handle you!"

"If you had some Pokémon yes," Gabriel's voice rang out, right before a white blade of energy ripped through Titanium's chest, Gabriel having wrapped a hand around Titanium's neck, "But here. You're no one."

Vanadium gasped, and nearly screamed, only to get another punch right to the head from a Dark Trooper. She fell to the ground, rolling over... only to see the metal boot of said trooper come down.

Gabriel sighed, wiping some of the blood off his outfit, "Well... they are handled. Seems you new projects will serve well... Now. Clean up, leave no evidence."

He turned and walked away, as a set of troopers raised arms, fwicks of flame coming, before incinerating the remains.

???

Thallium: "Can you get down from there? It's bothering me."

-Mercury glances down at her.-

Mercury: "Lazarus wants me to see how long I can do this before passing out."

-Yeah worth mentioning Mercury us currently standing on the ceiling, Psychic energy coursing through his feet into the ceiling.-

Thallium: "Doctor Lazarus."

Mercury: "I haven't seen a degree."

~It is time to sleep, children. You have many tests .~

~Understood.~

-Mercury falls from the ceiling and lands in a crumpled pile of limbs on the floor. Thallium rolls her eyes and helps him stand up.-

Thallium: "...they want you opening the Fourth Gate soon."

Mercury: "They want you to suppress the emotions of everyone around you."

-A quiet silence passes as they stand there, holding each other's hands tightly.-

-Mercury's skin is freezing.-

-Thallium's hands are already numb.-

Keegan: "I wonder if Templars made from their stock would do better bonded."

Firebrand: "Bonded Templars work better in pairs than other Templars, in my experience."

-Firebrand looks away from the medical data on her charges and back at Keegan.-

Firebrand: "These results worry me, doctor. Mercury-"

Keegan: "There are issues with both strains. But Eighty cannot effectively manage his powers. Nothing to be overly concerned about. Your predecessors had issues with their pyrokinesis. One of them completely immolated herself. These things happen."

Firebrand: "Of course, doctor, but...at the current rate, Me - subject 80 will...expire in roughly four weeks."

Keegan: "Precisely. That is why we are accelerating testing. Once Eighty expires, you and Agi will liquidate the other three assets. Afterwards, I'm having you assigned back to field work while I work on the next iterations. There is much promise in these strains, but with these glaring weaknesses they are all but useless. A shame I'll have to wait until the next batch, but progress is never easy."

-Keegan sits back in his chair, rubbing his eyes.-

Keegan: "Make some more coffee before you retire, Firebrand. Sionann is already working on this week's trainning regime."

-The squelching of pseudopods hitting a mechanical keyboard stops before resuming.-

Firebrand: "Of course, sir."

—. —- —- -.. -. .. —. .... - —..— / — . .-. -.-. ..- .-. -.— / .. / .-.. —- ...- . / -.— —- ..- .-.-.-

-...-

—. —- —- -.. -. .. —. .... - —..— / - .... .- .-.. .. .- .-.-.-

Crown Tundra

-Walking out into the snow, having changed into winter gear-

Being here's like night and day compared to the Isle of Armor.

Cam: -Shivering- <Colder, for one.>

Yew: -Under her thick coat of wool- <I don't know, seems fine to me.>

-Looking towards a certain cave teeming with the energy of Ultra Wormholes, before looking towards the settlement ahead-

That's something we should probably check out.

Let's try getting to Freezington, they have guest houses there.

-And we keep moving-

Circhester Stadium- Post-Gym Battle

(Melony smiles, looking up at Kim and returning her Lapras, while Kim returns Kaylan back to his PokeBall.)

Melony: "Well, Kim. I must say, your skills in battle are extremely impressive, and I must congratulate you on managing to defeat me. Many other Trainers who took this challenge consider me a road block, but you... you seemed rather unfazed."

Kim: (nods) "I prepared very much in advance for you."

Melony: "And I must say, that preparation paid off." (She walks forward, taking out a badge with a picture of an ice cube on it.) "Therefore, as proof of your victory, I bestow upon you this: the Ice Badge."

(Kim smiles, taking the badge and putting it away in her case.)

Kim: "Thank you, Melony."

Melony: "Oh, and also take this, too."

(She takes out a light blue disk and hands it to Kim. Kim looks down at it, and smiles.)

Kim: "Icy Wind. Thank you, Melony. This is going to be very effective for many of my team members. The question now is who to give it to..."

(She puts the TM away.)

Melony: "I would assume your next stop is Spikemuth?"

Kim: "For gyms, yes. And I know that Spikemuth is a Dark-type Gym, so I already have a plan in my mind."

Melony: "Well, then. I'm sure you'll do very well there— and in the Gym Battle after that."

Kim: "Thank you."

(And with that said, she exits the pitch.)

Circhester Stadium- Stands

(Braker stands up, putting away his camera and ending the video recording.)

Braker: "Well, I must say, that battle was incredible."

Walter: <Indeed.>

Cuddles: <I can't wait to see what she does in Spikemuth~!>

(Braker smiles.)

Braker: "Very well, then. I think it's time we take our leave."

(And they, too, head off, back to...)

Circhester Stadium Entrance Room

(Kim enters, holding up her Ice Badge— and sending out the newly-evolved Elton seconds later.)

Elton: <Wait, we won?!> (beat, then with delight) <WE WON~! Great job, Kim! I knew you could do it!>

(Kim smiles and hugs her new Cinderace with pride.)

The Wild Area- Bond or Break

Braker: "Charonus Tritonalicus III. That iambic pentameter speech pattern is unmistakable."

Charon: <I had a feeling you'd get me from that. Of course, you are correct, though; it is me. Well, Braker, it's time for the next question. Who is my favorite Greek god of all?>

Braker: "Easy. Hades. God of death in Greek mythology."

Charon: <It is indeed Hades; well done to you. I must say, I enjoy a good Greek myth. This leads me to my final inquiry: Do I enjoy William Shakespeare's works?>

Braker: "No. Despite your iambic speech pattern, you despise both William Shakespeare and his works."

Charon: (emerging from the bushes) <Indeed, you are correct in that regard. Though I do not deny his great impact.> (beat, he sees Serkis, Jules, and Romea) <I would assume that you three went prior?>

Romea: <Of course we did!>

Charon: <That was what I assumed to be the case.>

(He joins the others, while Braker waits for the next Pokemon.)

J-Con— Axis' Section

Axis: "I... don't think they have a Trainer." (then, to Puxiki) "Do you?"

Puxiki: <Not yet. So far I've just been bouncing around this J-Con and talking to people.> (He waves back to Emer, smiling.) <By the way, my name's Puxiki! Who are you?>

Axis: "Axis. Axis Hunter." (He motions to Tekkan.) "This is my Ninjask, Tekkan."

Tekkan: (flies over to Puxiki) <Hello there, Puxiki! It's abso-lute-ly wonderful to meet you! Do you, by any chance watch advertising?>

Puxiki: <Not really- I like watching anime.>

Tekkan: <Anime-! Simply excellent, my friend! And what kinds of anime do you watch?>

Puxiki: <Oh, you know— anything involving love and friendship and what have you...>

Axis: "Love? As in... as in Aphrodite?"

Puxiki: (beat) <Who's Aphrodite?>

Axis: "The Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and... other things."

Puxiki: (instantly lighting up) <Whoa~! That's really cool! What other things was she the goddess of?>

Axis: (after a pause) "...Anime."

Puxiki: <YAY~! I love her already! I love you already! You and Tekkan seem really fun!>

Axis: "Well... I wouldn't really consider myself all that 'fun', but thank you for the compliment. I must admit that you are a... rather interesting Pokemon."

Puxiki: <Awwww~! Thank you!>

Axis: (suddenly noticing the color) "By the way, that is a very interesting color. I presume you were born with it?"

Puxiki: <Yep! And I love it, too!>

Axis: (chuckles) "You seem to love everything... I mean, it makes sense, but..." (beat, an idea comes to them) "Puxiki, I have a question."

Puxiki: <Yeah?>

Axis: "Do you want to evolve?"

Puxiki: <More than anything! But... in order to evolve I'd need a Trainer...>

Axis: "Well, you—"

Tekkan: (breaking in and realizing what's going on) <Well, you're in luck, my friend! Because you're about to get a Trainer for the unbelievably low price of FREE!>

Puxiki: (lighting up) <Really?! Who?>

Axis: (taking out a PokeBall) "Me."

(Puxiki breaks out into a grin and runs forward, jumping up and down in delight.)

Puxiki: <Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU~! I'm so happy~! I've always wanted to have a Trainer!>

Axis: (smiles) "You're welcome, Puxiki."

(And with that said, he throws the PokeBall at Puxiki, who presses its button with delight, instantly going inside of it. The ball shakes three times— and then its center flashes yellow, signifying capture. Soon afterwards, Axis picks it up and takes out a notebook, then marks down in it the following information:)

NAME: PUXIKI

CORRESPONDING GREEK GOD: APHRODITE

GREEK GOD MONS

HERMES: CHECK (TEKKAN)

APHRODITE:

(They write down CHECK (PUXIKI) next to the name "Aphrodite," then put their notebook back. Soon afterwards, they take out their Pokedex, which scans the ball and shows the following information:)

SPECIES: JIGGLYPUFF

NAME: PUXIKI

GENDER: MALE

NATURE: NAIVE

ABILITY: CUTE CHARM

MOVESET: SING, SWEET KISS, DEFENSE CURL, DISABLE, COPYCAT

(And then, after a bit:)

YOUR HASSLEMON HANDLE IS cherubicAnimation (CA) AND YOU @> SPEAK IN A WAY WHICH MAKES IT VERY CLEAR OF YOUR L-O-V-E FOR EVERYONE AROUND YOU <3

(Axis chuckles.)

Axis: "Naturally." (They throw the ball again.) "Alright, Puxiki, come on out."

(Puxiki exits, and—)

Puxiki: (excitedly) <Alright~! I have a Trainer now~!>

(then, to Emer)

Puxiki: <Hello there! What's your name?>

Axis: "Puxiki, this is Emer. I've been talking to her for the past few minutes."

Puxiki: <Oh! Hello, Emer!> (and then he notices the look of unease on her face) <Hey... what's wrong? Are you okay?>

ON THE ROAD TO SPIKEMUTH

THE HASSLEMON INTERWEBS

ecstaticLagomorph (EL) joined the conversation.

EL: Hello everybody!

holyGlider (HG) and scaredyBohemian (SB) joined the conversation.

HG: OH! HEY THERE, ELTON!

SB: o-oh ;;; hello ;;

SB: why did you call us here ;;; is it bad ;;;;

EL: Oh no, don'+ worry! I+'s no+hing bad a+ all!

HG: ...

SB: ... ;;

EL: Wha+?

HG: ...YOU HAVE A TYPING QUIRK NOW?!

SB: you never told us you were switching over to having a typing quirk ;;;;

EL: Sorry... heh... Bu+ i+'s not jus+ me!

HG: WAIT WHAT—?!

Everybody barring sabbathKnight (SK) joined the conversation.

HG: ...

HG: YOU'RE KIDDING.

sabbathKnight (SK) joined the conversation.

SK: Alas, they are not. I warned them all against this rather silly endeavour.

HG: SILLY?! OZZY, ARE YOU KIDDING?! THIS IS AWESOME!

SK: ...of course you would think that.

ML: I mean... I think it's pretty fun.

BC: #{yeah}

BC: #{besides 0 we 0 all 0 saw 0 braker's 0 mons 0 doing 0 it 0 so 0 we 0 figured 0 why 0 not}

MP: (I mean... I didn't really want to go too overboard with mine.)<

SK: Kaylan? You don't appear to have a typing quirk...

ML: Well... I d[] have []ne, actually...

SK: Oh dear.

FM: HEY! WHAT !N THE BLOODY HELL !S WRONG W!TH TYPING QU!RKS?! ! l!ke m!ne, and there's noth!n' you can say or do that'll change that!

SK: It is a good thing that you enjoy using yours, but there are likely going to be a slew of other people who think that looking at typing quirks such as these will be an absolute nightmare.

WM: Hey! I beg to diFFer! ...but I AlSo beg to Agree.

NN: 1 11k3 m1n3~! 1t r314t3s to 1984!

SK: And does Peechee's relate back to ''A Clockwork Orange''?

UR: YES! AND i KOPAT it!

SK: ...what about Gilmour?

PM: well... ▲ i ▲ must ▲ admit ...

SK: Oh sweet Arceus you have one too?!

EL: Of course! Everybody has a +yping quirk!

IA: Well, actually...

EL: Huh?

IA: I don't exactly have one yet.

EL: Oh.

CV: Yeah, neither do I.

RP: Me either, dude.

UF: I also do not have one. And for that matter, neither do Jagger, Strummer, Grohl, John, George, or Ringo.

EL: None of +hem?

UF: Nope.

SK: And yet you all agreed to one?

CV: Of course we did! Typing quirks are fun!

SK: They're not fun; they're utter nonsense.

RP: Hey. Dude. Relax.

IA: It could serve as a way to distinguish between Pokemon with the same handle abbreviation.

SK: While I will admit that might be a useful feature in the future, do recall that we still have text colors.

FS: And what'll happen if one day Kim decides to catch a Pokemon that uses the same handle abbreviation and the same text color?

SK: ...

WM: He doeS hAve A point.

SK: ...

FS: ...

SK: ...Alright, then. Then I'll admit that typing quirks can have some benefits.

EL: Alrigh+!

HG: NOW YOU'RE TALKING!

SK: However, do keep in mind that I did specifically warn you all against this. Besides, right now none of us share the same handle abbreviation.

AP: That's true...

SB: um ;;; guys ;;;;

SB: can ;;; can you please stop fighting i'm getting really scared right now ;;;;;

HG: YEAH, FREDDIE'S RIGHT. WE SHOULD PROBABLY STOP ARGUING ABOUT THIS.

SK: Indeed. We should stop arguing about this and go back to not having typing quirks.

EL: Come on, Ozzy...

HG: I HAD ONE FROM THE START AND YOU DIDN'T MAKE A FUSS OVER IT.

SB: y-yeah ;;; so did i ;;;

SK: ...

SK: ...that is true... but everyone having one? I still think there's going to be at least one person who finds them silly and annoying to read.

EL: I don'+ +hink Kim would. Besides, she doesn'+ even use Hasslemon anymore.

SK: ...

EL: ...

SK: ...I need to think about this.

sabbathKnight (SK) left the conversation.

ML: Is that... is that a yes?

EL: I hope so!

SB: i doubt it ;;;;;;

EL: I didn'+ even ge+ +o share +he second par+ of +he news... Ah, well! I'll do i+ la+er!

Crown Tundra

Akiko: -Spotting a herd of Amaura walking by- <What's that about?>

-A Swablu perched atop my head-

It's like that guy in the train station said, a lot of fossil Pokémon have taken up residence in the Tundra. Like, there's always been populations made up of fossilmons that've gotten released, but this is ridiculous. Might be Ultra Wormholes involved, but these particular Amaura lack the Ultra Wormhole stain to their Auras like a lot of us do.

Swablu♀: <More seeds!>

-Gives the Swablu said seeds as she starts singing a song-

If the rumors are true there's even wild Tyrantrum in the south.

I feel a presence, one that's been observing us since we got here. Perhaps it's the King of Bountiful Harvests Uxie asked me to speak with.

Edited by rmctagg09 on Aug 2nd 2021 at 3:58:50 PM

-Ahem.-

-It's been a while.-

-And there's something that's still been kind of hanging from one particular plot thread, a something that'll hopefully tie together everything else-

-So let's get to that shall we?-

The Lair Of One Oran OS, Several Months Ago

-Owen is kind of... staring off into space The Oran OS screens are flickering wildly.-

Ein: <There's been a disturbance... It must be those Phantom Thieves! Oran OS, snap out of it!>

-And at that moment he does-

Owen: "...What have I done?"

Ein: <...Huh?>

Owen: "This... All this, the berry company, all those other weird organizations I tried to stick my digital fingers in, the backup plan to spread my nanites through the fruit... Not only is it a colossal waste of time, it means... I'm the... bad guy."

Haggar: -sighs- <He's lost it.>

De Leo: <Took him long enough.> :3

Fortran: <Time to retool the antivirus...>

Owen: "No, I mean it! I want to change! Turn over a new leaf! An Oran leaf even!"

Eiin: <But how? You're in pretty deep. Grafted to Best Berry by this very lair here.>.

Owen: "Well I have a plan!"

-And it is then a message starts broadcasting, straight from the lair-

-Screens in pretty much every place Best Berry has influence, which is pretty much everywhere, light up to show the Oran OS logo-

-The transmission ends-

Fortran:' <So you did the big confession, now what?>

Owen: -grins- We get out of here!

De Leo: <Cute, but your OS is rooted to this spo->

-It is then the main screen flickers and vanishes-

-Followed by all the other screens-

-And then a blue and green Porygon pops out of the main screen-

Owen and Oran OS: "Ta-da!>

-noticeably they both seem to be speaking at the same time-

De Leo: <Ooh, I didn't know you could do that!>

Ein: -rolls his eyes- <You're new.>

Owen And Oran OS: "Yeah my creator didn't program EVERYTHING himself. He modified Porygon code and did a brain up[load from there.

Fortran: <So I guess NOW we get out of here?>

Owen And Oran OS: "Yep! Especially because I activated the self-destruct function just now.>.

Everyone Else: <YOU WHAT>

Owen And Oran OS: "Into your Pokeballs everyone!>

-They do so, and Oran OS and Owen book it-

Best Berry HQ, Bottom Floor, A Little Later

-Two Best Berry interns are getting lunch when they feel a brief rumbling-

Intern 1: What was that?

Intern A: Sorry, musty be my stomach.

The Streets Of Alola

-Owen/Oran OS is now here, his mons out again-

Ein: <So we've quit our jobs in the most overdramatic fashion possible, now what?>

Owen And Oran OS: "I think I know We find... Her.>.

Wedgehurst, Present Day

-Owen is sitting on a bench. His AI/Porygon form is inhabiting a cell phone in his pocket. His only Pokemon out is Fortran. He is wearing large Aromatisse sunglasses in an attempt to not be recognisable-

Fortran: <...E-Excellent disguise sir.>

Owen: "Thank you."

Fortran: <A report: It has been months and we still have not found the one you seek. We're running out of options.>

-Owen pauses. Then turns to a certain airship in the distance-

Owen: ...The J-Team's in town. Maybe...

Fortran: <W-what? You can't, they're our enemies->

Owen: "Were our enemies. I don't want to walk down that road anymore. And if anyone has a lead or can inadvertently take us to her by the pure forces of chaos... They could."

-He gets up and starts walking toward the Stormchaser.

-Fortran, despite not having lungs, sighs and follows-

Hammerlocke Alley

The last thing Ammy will see before breaking it off is the man, surrounded by a cloud of Yamask, running across the rooftops.

After a few moments the Wish seems to take effect on Aislinn. She doesn't seem totally better, but she's able to stand a little straighter.

At C's question she stops walking, just long enough to answer.

Aislinn: "... They.. That person and their 'mistress', I mean, want something I have. They also have something I want back. So you can see we disagree on a few things."

Wedgehurst

Jacqueline is here! She's got a big poster tube strapped to her back and she's looking down at her phone, slightly distracted.

Owen might run into her!... Literally, if he's also not looking where he's going.

Freezington

-Having made it to one of the few guest houses-

They obviously don't get a lot of visitors here.

Hitodama: <Are there any PEFE facilities here?>

Yeah, but they're just some outposts barely removed from a tent settlement.

Cam: <You wanted to say something Tagg?>

-Pulling out a Poké Ball-

Well, I figured now would be the best time so...

-Throwing the ball-

Meet your dad.

Muddy: -Appears- <..>

Cam: <...>

Helios: -Headtilt- <Aren't you guys gonna say something?>

Wedgehurst

-The Stormchaser just sits there nearby innocuously, its entrance open, but for an indeterminable reason ominously to Owen but more neutrally to Jacqueline-

Edited by rmctagg09 on Aug 2nd 2021 at 5:34:15 AM

Wedgehurst

-Owen, mercifully, skids to a halt right in front of Jacqueline-

Owen: Er, hello. Are you a J-Teamer or do you know if any are home in that airship of theirs over there?

-He looks over to the Stormchaser and gets an odd sense of unease for reasons he cannot place-

Fortran: <That is not a normal human question, sir, you may blow your cover!>

Owen: Shh, I know what I'm doing!

Edited by Umbramatic on Aug 2nd 2021 at 4:36:16 AM

Wedgehurst

The sound of Owen coming to a stop near her causes her to snap to attention.

She blinks a couple times at the question.

Jacqueline: "Er... No, I'm not affiliated with them. I know of them, but I don't really make it my business to follow their affairs. I think I saw a couple people come in and out? I wasn't really paying attention."

Wedgehurst

Fortran: <[—I told you! This girl has no clue!—>

Owen: She can still help us!

-to Jacqueline-

Riiiiiiiiiiiight, does that mean their airship is open? It looks. Guarded.

Wedgehurst

-The Stormchaser is still giving off the same vibes as before-

Wedgehurst

Jacqueline takes a look at the ship.

Jacqueline: "..."

"The security looks rather lax to me. You'd think they'd be more careful given how high profile they are."

She shrugs.

Jacqueline: "Then again, they could have some kind of discreet system? Maybe?"

Wedgehurst

-Owen looks over again at the OMNIOUS Stormchaser-

Owen: ...I am... Going to... Go check.

-He starts slowly walking over-

Fortran: <Bad idea bad idea bad idea...>

-Follows-

-It is up to Jacqueline if she follows as well-

Freezington

Jack: <... Hey, do I have a dad?>

Channah: -eating from a cold tin of beans- I hardly know anything about your origins.

Jack: <I'm gonna take that as a no!>

Big Savings: -subtly boogie woogies-

Channah: Not the time.

Wedgehurst

Eh, she's done with her work for the day and it's not like she had anything better to do afterwards. Jacqueline decides to follow Owen.

Jacqueline: I'm a little worried about this guy...

Freezington

Swablu Tyl: -Looks confused-

Hitodama: <Don't worry, you'll get used to it.>

Cam: <It's... nice to finally meet you, dad.>

Muddy: <Likewise. Just wish we could've done this sooner, I saw your battle.>

-Picks up on Big Savings' movements and looks slightly confused-

Stormchaser

-For those who go inside, the first thing they notice is that there's a long, featureless corridor ahead-

Stormchaser

-We'll assume Owen, Fortran, and Jacqueline make it inside-

Fortran: <...Oh no.>

Owen: Is this... Normal?

Freezington

Big Savings: < luke i am your father >

Jack: <Who's Luke?>

Channah: -winces- Well. Uh. How do you feel, Cam?

Stormchaser

Jacqueline: "I don't know! I've literally never been in here before."

"..."

"Come to think of it I'm not sure if the J-team would appreciate me just wandering in here."

Freezington

Akiko: -To Jack, absentmindedly- <Luke was this Galarian guy Tagg used to know.>

Hitodama: <Maybe we should watch Star Wars later or something.>

Muddy: -Recalls himself for privacy-

Cam: -To Channah- <I'm... not fully sure how to feel yet.>

Stormchaser

-Jacqueline and Owen may notice that no matter how far they walk, the entrance remains the same distance, but they don't seem to be getting much of anywhere-

Edited by rmctagg09 on Aug 2nd 2021 at 9:59:31 AM

Freezington

Jack: <Oooh. Wait. Tagg's acquaintance's dad was a meme?>

Channah: I wouldn't worry about it. -to Cam- Yeah. Understandable. When my Lo met her son - Ehhh I shouldn't go into that here. Never mind!

Snowslide Slope

-a figure stumbles out of the Pokémon den and into the snow, lurching almost drunkenly, and makes its way towards town-

Circhester Stadium Stands

-Ian and Evelyn look at each other and nod.-

Me: I guess we should get ready for our Gym Challenge.

Evelyn: Same here.

Me: Piku-chan?

Evelyn: Hatty?

Piku-chan and Hatty: <Right. Let's do it.>

-Piku-chan jumps back onto Ian's shoulder and Hatty jumps back onto Evelyn's head as they leave the stands.-

Circhester Stadium, Lobby

Me: That was just amazing, Kim!

Evelyn: Yeah! And congratulations on your evolution, Elton!

Wild Area, Bond or Braker

???: (distorted) Hi, Braker! How are you? I'm doing super well! I'm glad we got to meet each other when we did and spend time together. Sheesh, talk about two games in one day, am I right? I am getting my work cut out for me today... and I love every single second of it! Anyways, now that I’ve got your attention, who do you think I am?

Sky over Galar

-Radon looks down at the ocean below him and shakes his head. Nothing that can be said will lighten the current mood, especially with tensions running as high as they are. He knows he felt something during that battle, and there was something about the kid he fought back there in the Wild Area that could possibly disprove what Ferrum said about right and wrong being illusions. He then shakes his head, in an attempt to get those thoughts out of his mind. Why? Why would anyone put themselves at risk for another person? Especially with powers like he has. Why would Aurelia put herself at risk to stop a runaway truck from hitting that old lady he talked to? The School made people like him with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. They're supposed to know better. They're supposed to be better. So why?-

Radon: You know what, Ferrum?

-Radon slips out of the grip of Ferrum's vaudeville hook and begins flying under his own power.-

Radon: You can tell the Counselor about the mission's failure without me. I have to go think about some things...

-Radon speeds on ahead to the Unova Region at Mach 2.-

Wild Area, Hikari's Delivery Service

Aurelia: Okay. Good to know. Hikari?

Hikari: <Yes?>

Aurelia: Would you please teleport us to the Hammerlocke Pokémon Center?

Hikari: <Of course. Anything for a friend.>

-Hikari places her hand on Florence's forehead. Her eyes glow a radiant blue as a blue light surrounds everyone gathered around Florence. In a flash of light, they all disappear from the Wild Area...-

Hammerlocke Pokémon Center

-...and reappear in the Pokémon Center.-

Hikari: <Well. Here we are.>

Aurelia: Thank you kindly, Hikari. You've earned a nice long rest.

-Aurelia calls Hikari back to her Poké Ball.-

Galar Flying Taxi, En Route to Motostoke(?)

-Emilie sits comfortably in the basket of the Flying Taxi, reading a couple of books that she borrowed from the library. One of those books is on the structure of the Galarian Gym Challenge, as written by a former Champion named "Sir Nigel Johnson" and the foreword written by Leon, the current Champion. Another of these books is one entitled "World of Pun", detailing the various types of puns from all over the globe. In the pun book, she's flipped to the chapter about puns from regions in the [Far East], particularly, the page on goroawase numbers, as they seem to be rather popular for the Galar Gym Challenge.-

Emilie: If I am to give this "Gym Challenge" thing a proper try, I have to get to know it very well. I'm sure that with an hour of practice, I can't possibly fail.

-The ballerina girl continues to study as the Flying Taxi continues on its way.-

J-Con, Lunch

Aurelia: I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. I mean, Ian was the one who said I wouldn't be alone when the Templar tries again... Also, please, Kendall. Please tell me, how do you know him?

Battle Outside Hammerlocke, VS Hoops

Evelyn: Kec, use Sucker Punch! Kit, use Hone Claws!

-A dark energy surrounds Kec's fist as his ability changes the color of his skin, starting at the stripe across Kec's body, from green to black and makes him a Dark type. Kec circles around Ray to catch him off guard with a single punch. Kit flexes his fingers, bearing his claws, and drags them against the ground, sharpening them and his wit.-

Edited by AnimeboyIanpower on Aug 2nd 2021 at 10:55:07 AM

Stormchaser

-Ever is estivating in the middle of a hallway, watching the news on their laptop-

Ever: Hey. Hey, work—

-when a certain broadcast pops up-

- Oran OS: Hi there humans! -

Ever: augh

- You may, or may not, know me as Oran OS, the friendly helper AI of the Best Berry corporation, made publicly available through Fruit Friends!-

Ever: Oh, I worked for them I think...or well, I was technically employed by them. Maybe I should've showed up for work at least once.

-But the truth is I have not actually been so friendly.-

Ever: Then again, maybe not.

-Best Berry, more than most corporations, is evil, and I have contributed to that. I have contributed to other evil organizations as well, like Team Iron and The Mobius Foundation - you know them yeah, those guys that broke the sky a while back? I was with them. And... I had plans to exert all that evil influence for my own benefit. Nanites for assimilation in the fruit and other nasty things. I thought it was all benefiting the people I worked for and that their goals were noble and it's only just now I fully realized... None of this is. I'm the bad guy. And I don't want to be the bad guy anymore. So I quit. I quit all the nasty evil organizations I was in. And to all of you... Try to not let toxic people you personally know hold you back. They're not worth it. Focus on who and what really matters.-

Ever: Aww, heartwarming. I think.

...

...

Wait, did they say nanites?

-tap tap tap-

Ever: Feel like we knew that.

-they skim the article a bit-

Ever: Is this crytyped?

Ever: Yeah, okay.

-they check Chattr-

Ever: None of them the answer is none of them—

Ever: -mutters a quick prayer against parasocial relationships-

Ever: Maybe check yourself for nanites, though...

Ever: Well, that's just not how it works at all. Also, nanites!

Ever: I think that's enough Internet for one day.

Edited by memyselfandI2 on Aug 2nd 2021 at 7:58:13 AM