Wild Area, Giant's Cap

Vana looks between Ferrum and Hoops. Two choices, represented so cleanly. One pushing her to do what she has been told by so many is necessary, and the other only asking for their life, a life that she cares about.

This is too difficult a question for an adult, and Vana is still a child, though a mature one thanks to the school's programming. This moment is one of confusion, anger, fear, hatred - if you could somehow map out all of Vana's emotions in this moment, you could almost create a complete picture of her.

Hoops: Vana.

She looks up at them. The trainer is battered by the attacks, with torn clothes and multiple cuts and bruises. Their pokemon are hardly better.

Hoops: I'm not sure what's going on, Vana, but you don't have to do this. There can be another way.

Oh, if only life were so simple. But this choice was made the second she met Hoops.

Vana: I'm sorry.

She readies herself to finish the job bringing her pokemon in to her, but at the last second she falters. She cannot make the words come.

Circhester Stadium, VS Gordie and Melony

Me: You did great out there, Mothra.

Evelyn: That was awesome, Mirai.

Evelyn and I: You both deserve a good long rest.

-Ian and Evelyn call their Pokémon back to their Poké Balls.-

Melony: No more playing around, eh, Gordie?

Gordie: Couldn't have said it better myself, Mom!

Melony: Come on out, Mr. Rime!

Gordie: Shuckle, GO FOR IT!

Evelyn: Simon, come on out!

-Evelyn, Melony and Gordie throw their Poké Balls into the air, and from them come a Mr. Rime, a Shuckle and a Hypno. Evelyn then looks over at Ian, confused.-

Evelyn: Ian? What about your Pokémon?

Me: You shouldn't have to worry about me...

-Ian takes a Luxury Ball off his belt and preps it.-

Evelyn: You mean... You're going to battle with...?!

Me: That's right, Evelyn-chan! Blossom! I choose you!

-Ian throws the Luxury Ball and from it comes Blossom, the Lileep he and Evelyn were entrusted with back at the Wyndon Natural History Museum.-

Giant's Cap, Sky

-Evelyn takes notice of the metal fragments circling Hoops and begins to worry.-

Evelyn: -attempting to reach out to Hoops telepathically- ~Don't worry, Hoops... Help is on the way...~

-Ian then sees Vana faltering.-

Me: Hey, Evelyn, look...

Giant's Cap Ground

-Sophie points into the air upon getting an idea. Since warm air rises and cool air falls, Sophie thinks that if she blasts the wall of wind with cold, she can disperse it and complete her mission. She then stands in one place, her mind focused on the wall of wind. She takes a deep breath, channeling her cryokinetic abilities through her body and into her hands. She stretches her arms out and, like Frozone, fires a blast of cold at the wall of wind, focusing her attack on a single point.-

Camphrier Town

-Ian and Evelyn read the invitation and then look at each other and nod. They knew they were in the right place.-

Me: Can you believe it, Evelyn?

Evelyn: Yeah! An Origami Festival, right here in Kalos!

Me: I know, I can't wait!

Piku-chan: <Well, we're gonna have to wait until we're at the palace, aren't we?>

Evelyn: One would suppose so, Piku-chan.

Me: But still, it's gonna be so exciting!

Evelyn: Paper hats, paper airplanes...

Me: Paper swords, paper boats...

Evelyn and I: The possibilities are endless!

Hatty: <Well then? What are we waiting for? Let's go!>

Stormchaser, past

Martha: -steals Channah's controller-

Channah: -unnoticing- Well it mainly drowns out the ghostly moaning in the walls better than anything else, but that too.

Mushraiments

Jacqueline, not knowing Monese, just takes Yew being cute at face value.

Jacqueline: "Oh, but you are cute aren't you?"

(To Tagg) "Well, I can respect that. So yeah, have a look around. It's not too big but it is mi-"

She cuts off as Aislinn pokes her head out of the door to the back room.

Aislinn: "Hm? Oh, I thought I heard a familiar voice."

Jacqueline: "What're you doing out here??"

Aislinn: (sly smile)"What, I'm not allowed to step out for a bit?"

Jacqueline just sighs.

[Venice], July 7th

Giuseppe's Shadow: "Yes, yes, I am very disappointed in you, son. I didn't raise you to throw your life away like this!"

Rikuo surreptitiously eyes the Golbat as they continue to sniff, not that anyone can really see it.

Giuseppe's Shadow: "B-but you can still turn it around! It's never too late to start on a journey of self improvement. Get a hobby! Paint some fruit! Learn to dance! Earn a degree in some sciencey thing and cure a disease everyone thought couldn't be cured!"

... And then Courage beans the Golbat in the mouth.

Giuseppe's Shadow: "..."

Rikuo goes quiet, waiting to see how Giuseppe will react.

Edited by Daydre on Aug 30th 2021 at 9:41:13 AM

Wyndon Station, August 21

-Brie bonks Alice's shoulder lightly with her head, but lets her go with a laugh-

Brie: Getting going sounds good. Standing still this long is surprisingly antsy.

Ballonlea, past-ish

Ever: Dang, you're right, that was easy.

-if Shun turns around at the sound of the voice, he will find an enby in a navy blue suit and cap admiring themself in a window-

So, long story short, Tagg's out of the office for the time being, and since I am not following him for this particular expedition, I'm filling in for him.

-they straighten their tie and adjust the cap slightly to a more rakish angle-

I'm not as good as he is, but I can certainly offer a more or less equivalent guarantee of protection. How can I help you?

Stormchaser

-Apple-A-Day doesn't wink back, because their face is hidden behind a mask-

Apple-A-Day: Loyalty is important for heroes.

Percy: Hmm, yeah. I just sort of stayed in Pokemon Centers. Thank gods for free healthcare, right?

Textspace

Stormchaser, far past

Chiyo: -Just smiles- Definitely, wouldn't be much of a hero if they weren't loyal.

-To Percy-

It's certainly a godsend, though with my line of work, sometimes I needed something a little more private than a Center if you catch my meaning.

Mushraiments, past

Yew: <Of course I am!>

-Does the 😈 face as Jacqueline takes her attention off her-

Yew...

Yew: <I'm not gonna do anything... today anyway.>

-Pinches bridge of nose-

Arceus...

-Looking around-

It looks nice, if not exactly my aesthetic per se, but I know people who'd love it.

Sol would probably like it, but I think Channah wouldn't be too happy.

-Waves to Aislinn as she pokes her head out-

Muddy: <Should we try seeing if we can get them talking about what they were arguing about?>

-To Muddy-

I'm trying to figure out how best to do that without coming across as some creepy weirdo. Of course, now that I'm getting a better appraisal, there's an energy to her.

Muddy: <Which is?>

Don't get fooled by the pastels, it's like how Gorebyss get vibrant when they're sucking blood, or how Hattrem look as they do when they're beating the crap out of you for having strong emotions around them.

-To Aislinn-

You get into any accidents lately, you seem a little stiff.

Stormchaser, Channah end

Coil: -guplps- Voices? Walls?

Iris: Thaaaaaaat's freaky.

Ballonleia

Jade: -stands up straight- Jade Arens. If the uniform doesn't tip you off I'm trying to get away from Rainbow Rocket

Swift: <Far away. Or at least as far as you can when they span the whole multiverse.>

Wyndon — Aug 21

-Kai giggles, beaming at Alice as she temporarily completes the circle. Any innuendo goes uncommented upon, but the rosy tint in her cheeks indicates it hasn't gone unnoticed.-

Kai: As much as I'd love for that moment to have lasted forever, time does not stop. And our plans were for lunch, so let's not let it get late enough to call it dinner, shall we?

-She leads the group through the city toward their destination-

-One timeskip later, Kai has taken her seat at a circular table, across from both Alice and Brie.-

Textspace — Now

Mushraiments, Past

Aislinn hmms. It takes her a while to respond, as if she's considering something. Jacqueline shoots her a look, which she ignores.

Aislinn: (cheerfully) "Haha, you've got a good eye. I thought I was doing a good job of hiding that. Yeah, I got into a bit of a fight a while back with a... mugger. Tried stealing that mask I showed on TV. He probably saw my interview and figured it was valuable."

She shrugs. Her expression is still her usual slight smile, betraying nothing. Jacqueline's is another story, though. From the small frown and the furrowed brow, it's clear that there's details Aislinn's leaving out.

Jacqueline: (under her breath) "You know, it might behoove you to ask for help. You only got out of that last time with help, anyway..."

Mushraiments, past

Muddy: -Looks slightly skeptical at the pause-

-Looking from Aislinn's face to Jacqueline's-

A mugger? You seem a little too skilled for just some mugger to be responsible for that unless they bum-rushed you, but if that were the case you'd probably still be recovering since you don't seem like the sort to be easily subdued and they would've probably tried knifing you for it.

...It wasn't just a mugger was it?

Edited by rmctagg09 on Dec 18th 2023 at 5:41:17 AM

Wild Area — Giant's Cap

-Nitrogen sees Vana hesitating, and walks over to her side.-

Nitrogen: It's always hard, when it's someone you called a friend for a moment.

-She gently pats Vana's shoulder, a gesture which starkly contrasts the hard look she's giving Hoops.-

Nitrogen: An unfortunate twist of fate, that even the briefest of friends so frequently get in the way of the job. Grieve, finish this.

-Nitrogen's stony expression doesn't change in the slightest as Grieve holds Hoops off the side of the formation, ready to deposit them on the top when everyone is finished.-

Edited by BittersweetNSour on Aug 31st 2021 at 7:12:09 AM

Wyndon Rain Bistro - August 21st

-Alice grins from across the table at Kai and Brie. Compared her usual poise, her current expression seems significantly more at ease and unguarded.-

Alice: It'd be a little premature to say "I'll have what she's having" when I don't yet know what either of you are having, wouldn't it? Hence I think it's only proper to let the birthday girl order first.

Ballonlea - past

Shun: -to Swift- They introduced themself as-

-He is interrupted by the sound of a new voice, wheels around to face Ever, and blinks.-

-Then blinks again.-

-Then a third time, for good measure.-

Shun: ...For the record, I wear it better.

-He clears his throat and draws himself up to all sixty-three inches of his full height.-

Shun: I believe I've already introduced myself, and my associate here has just quite succinctly summarised her situation. In return, I believe I am justified in asking for a guarantee that you will not betray our trust. Especially since you have decided to... that.

-Coming out of Shun's mouth, the word "that" sounds more like a verb than anything - and one with a multitude of meanings, too.-

Wild Area, Giant's Cap - Past

-Ferrum watches Vana's hesitation and simply shakes his head, scoffing under his breath.-

Ferrum: Typical. Yet another tyke who's never gonna get anywhere in this world.

-He turns to Nitrogen, lowering his sunglasses as Grieve pins Hoops against the rock. He clenches his fist - and as he does, one of the ends of his hammer starts compacting further, metal being crushed against metal with a hideous screech until it forms a rough, bladed edge.-

Ferrum: Well, at least one of you girls knows how this is 'sposed to go. Though if you ask me? This ain't quite enough. Doesn't really fit the tone we were going for. If I may?

-Ferrum grins. It might be the first time that his smile has reached his eyes.-

Ferrum: There. Now we have a display. Go ahead and pin 'em up.

Skyarrow Bridge - August 17th, 9:10 A.M.

-Orpheus grunts as Qrow clips him, the Drapion-hybrid too distracted by his five other opponents to notice.-

Orpheus: "Nnngh...I must admit, it's been a while since I've had to go all out like this! You should take pride in that before you die!"

-Dodge the punches, the spear, let the Scizor blades bounce off the armor. Slash at the bird, the knight, poison the ghost, pierce the chest of your other, and your former teammate...-

Orpheus; "No, of course not, Jessica."

-Shaun's face is solid white from either rage or blood loss.-

Beowulf: <You're outnumbered!>

Orpheus: "You're weak."

-He laughs as he twists his body unnaturally to duck under Not!Ace's naginata, using his tail as a springboard to leap to a vantage point.-

Orpheus: "Sorry to disappoint, but we all here those sirens! You can imagine how it would reflect poorly on me if I was arrested."

-Orpheus tilts his head, thinking.-

Orpheus: "No, our leader would be very angry were I to kill them. And that would make the other two angry as well. Kerberos! Toss away that chew toy."

-The Houndoom throws an unconscious Toxicroak at Shaun, who barely catches them. Orpheus recalls Kerberos and smiles as he looks at Not!Ace rush forward, blade leveled.-

Not!Ace: "NOWHERE TO RUN!"

Orpheus: "For you."

-Orpheus jumps down to meet Not!Ace...and disappears as he rips his coat off to make a shadow on the ground.-

Not!Ace: "Bastard! Where'd you go!?"

Shaun: "...he teleported."

-Shaun winces as he moves, blood starting to stain his clothes. He recalls Qrow, and Midna Minimizes to hide in his shadow.-

Shaun: "We need to get out of here, Ace. He was right, the cops are coming, and I don't think I can talk my way out of this."

-Ace is silent, staring at Orpheus's coat.-

Beowulf: <He isn't running. He's playing with you two.>

-Not!Ace turns his head over his shoulder.-

Not!Ace: "Horkos, Myrmex, return."

-He recalls his two conscious Pokèmon, then gently lifts Vatra from Shaun's arms and returns her as well.-

Not!Ace: "She needs medical treatment. Do you still have Poké Centers?"

Edited by SwiftSeraph on Sep 10th 2021 at 9:33:35 AM

Stormchaser Group Chat

"A what festival?" Kendall asked.

"An origami what?" Kamui followed up, the two turning to look at each other. This was the first they'd heard of this.

They paused, realizing that the text wasn't from their Julius, as he still had his Hasslemon handle as his name on these apps. The confusion was mitigated somewhat, but not the curiosity.

"Should we practice?" He asked, summoning a floating illusion of a piece of paper that folded itself into a four-pointed ninja star.

"I mean… maybe?"

Rebel Island, A Changing Room of Sorts

Sunny stepped in through the door, shoving the hair blown by the opening door and looking around inside. She nodded and stepped inside.

Edited by AbsentCoder on Aug 31st 2021 at 1:50:41 AM

Fallen Skytrain Car

Hiro: -still examining the surroundings, to Owen- A Burst Heart. Like I told you, a way to gain power from a Pokémon regardless of their own volition.

-he seems to contemplate the situation—and Owen—for a moment-

Hiro: -eventually, indicating some uncharred web strands in the corners of the room- ...the Pokémon trapped inside can be tapped for power. Under the most ideal of circumstances, this is a cooperation rather than a coercion, but there is little recourse for protest either way, unlike with Pokéballs.

-getting down on one knee to examine the ash scattered across the floor, carefully- Not that there's much risk of you using it. As far as I'm aware, they can't merge two Pokémon.

-his eyes flash yet again-

Hiro: -rubbing a pinch of the stuff between thumb and forefinger- ...huh. Human ashes.

-squinting- ...ah, fuck. Psychically-induced combustion. Powerful, too—the same as on the clones back th

???: -behind them- Swearing.

Hiro: -pivoting swiftly- !

-black hair, neutral expression, short stature-

-a child-

???: -hugging a Blipbug- It's rude. You both should apologize.

-with wide, unblinking purple eyes-

Hiro: ...get back.

-...it's not quite clear who he's talking to-

Edited by Asterisk395 on Aug 31st 2021 at 4:57:45 AM

Mushraiments, Past

Aislinn: (smile faltering for a second) "Oh no, where would you get an idea like that? It was just-"

Jacqueline: (interjecting) "Oh no no no no. You're not keeping this to yourself anymore, not after last time. You need to get help from somewhere and this guy's J-team, he's probably seen weirder anyway."

Jacqueline pinches the bridge of her nose.

Jacqueline: "She was attacked by some superpowered weirdo in a mask who slammed her against a wall and had her laid out in bed for a week. We think he's working for another weirdo who stole from her family. Ais here is trying to lure her out to get the thing that was stolen back."

Aislinn folds her arms, no longer smiling.

Jacqueline: "The cops refuse to do anything about it for ... a variety of reasons. Namely that they suck and they 'don't want to deal with fucking magic nonsense'"

The 'magic nonsense' bit earns her an elbow nudge from Aislinn.

Jacqueline: "I'm just quoting what they said!"

Ballonleia

Jade: -eyebrow raise= Is something up or...?

School Trainwreck

Owen: Well that's concern- Hey, who are you?

Rebel Island changing room

Jess is here. They look up when Sunny arrives.

Jess: Oh, hi.

Rebel Closet

Sunny turned to look at Jess, a bit startled and nearly dropping the folded outfit before recomposing herself.

"A, a fellow newcomer?" She asked rhetorically. "I'm Sunny, but... I haven't really thought of an alias yet." She admitted.

Rebel closet

Jess: I guess we're in the same boat then. I'm Jess. Nice to meet you.

Rebel Base Backroom

"I'm really curious how this is going to go. I know a 'Bolt, and her team is definitely going to try to avoid disorganization," she mused. "But how are we going to accomplish that?" As she asked the question, a pair of vulpine ears poked out of her hair, as well as a tail, revealing her as a Delphox as a Light Screen materialized in front of her, preserving her privacy as she kept talking.

Circhester Stadium— Stands

(Upon seeing Frosmoth and Barbaracle faint, Elton and Cuddles promptly cheer with delight.)

Elton: <Alright!>

Cuddles: <They won~!>

Kim: "They won that battle at least, anyways."

(And then Ian sends out Blossom, and everybody reacts with shock.)

Elton: <'E... 'e caught a new Pokemon?!>

Cuddles: <When did this happen?!>

Braker: "Somehow, I don't think he caught it..."

Kim: "Oh?"

Hasslemon- Road to Spikemuth

SK: Ahe. I see. Welle, goode lucke, Þene.

Origami Festival Invitation Textspace

Rebels base closet

Jess starts pulling a pair of boots on.

Jess: Yeah, I'm curious too. I feel like I'm the only one here who doesn't already know one of them in some way shape or form. I just met one of them at that J-team Halloween party last year after I helped this glitchy guy get his stolen pokemon back.

They look up and notice the Delphox ears.

Jess: Wait... Are those your ears?

Edited by QuantumMelody29 on Aug 31st 2021 at 10:23:45 AM

Rebel Base Dressing Room

"Yep." By this point the Light Screen had become completely opaque, but Sunny's voice was still coming through. "I'm a Delphox by nature, heh. Trainer and everything, even a son."

She refused to say much more than that as the clothes she was wearing became draped over the top of the opaque, pink screen.

"It's a living~"

Rebel base dressing room

Jess manages to wrangle the first boot on and starts lacing it up.

Jess: I mean with one of those transformation thingies I turn into an Elgyem, but I think those things do something to everyone. I'm just a regular human who happens to be pretty good at teleporting.

Edited by QuantumMelody29 on Aug 31st 2021 at 10:41:25 AM