School Safehouse-???

Neodymium: ~Nope! All done with Ferrum! As soon as I'm through with my shadowing today, it's back to the daily drear of Malay lessons and teaching Beryllium how to be a person!~

-Lamarr tears through the Reflect with ease-

Aileen: <Nobody's ever tried that before. I find I'm utterly helpless now.>

-it's a Fighting-type attack against a Bug/Psychic. Aileen looks almost puzzled, floating midair with legs crossed like an Alakazam-

Aileen: <I'm going to make you regret that you didn't stay fossilized, I think.>

Neodymium: ~Say, are you part of today's program? Like, if I beat you, do I get bonus points with Dr. Tran or something?~

-she flicks her hands like a conductor, as Light Screens start to pop up all around Lamarr-

-while Aileen fires an Energy Ball into what's effectively now an inverted disco ball around Lamarr-

Morata Manor—Nov 1

Avery: Oh no

Wuh-oh.

-the thing about illusions is that they are fragile-

-bits of the room shatter and flake away, to reveal Avery and Facade near the door. Avery is now bleeding slightly, Facade mostly just looks thoroughly gobsmacked-

Avery: Uhhhhhh

We are ghosts.

Avery: (deadpan) Yep. This building is haunted.

Spikemuth Pitch, VS Marnie

Evelyn: Kako, use Disarming Voice!

Marnie: Can't let ya do that. Liepard, use Fake Out! Scrafty, use Crunch!

Me: Oshawittle, use Protect!

-Marnie's Liepard lunged at Oshawittle and Kako, prepared to fake them out and cause them to flinch. Her Scrafty charged headlong at them with a powerful bite prepared, however, Oshawittle raised his scalchop and summons a shield of light to surround himself and Kako with. The two Pokémon then bounced right off the shield.-

-Kako took a deep breath and lets out a melodic cry, releasing rainbow-colored heart-shaped sound waves, which knocks Liepard and Scrafty backwards.-

Kako: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH~~~♪

Marnie: And from what I can tell, you two had musical inclinations. I admire that. So...

-Marnie snaps her fingers, and a band of Team Yell grunts starts playing a song.-

-She then pulls a microphone out of her pocket and flips the switch on it.-

Marnie: Here's a little number I had wrote a while back. Hope you enjoy it.

♪Here we are, my hometown, where my adventure began~♪
♪I don't think I'd ever left, if it weren't for one lovin', caring man.♫
♫Yeah, I'm talkin' 'bout my brother♪
♫Who let me dream~♪
Team Yell Grunts in the stands: HEY! HEY!

Marnie: ♫Now I'm blazin' my own trail♫
♫With my trusty team!♫
Team Yell Grunts in the stands: HEY!

Marnie: ♪Though they are misguided, all that Piers' friends want is to cheer for me~♪
♫And there's non' more boss than feelin' for yourself love and camaraderie~♪
♪Though we're battlin' now, we're walkin' down this windin' road together~♫
♫Standin' by your side, you push me to do better!♫

Team Yell Grunts in the stands: HEY, MARNIE! HEY, HEY!
HEY, MARNIE! HEY!
HEY, MARNIE! HEY, HEY!
ROCK 'EM, SOCK 'EM, THAT'S THE WAY!
HEY, MARNIE! HEY, HEY!
HEY, MARNIE! HEY!
HEY, MARNIE! HEY, HEY!
LET THE DARKNESS SEE THE DAY!

Morata's Mansion, Study

-Odin not-so discreetly peeks at the phone as best as his little sandy body can-

???

Regidraco: Well if they naught us.... I c-could probably get out. Y-you on the other hand->

-They burst through the mist again onto a hill full of flowers atop which Merlin and Luis are kissing-

Stormchaser Entrance

Flamel: <Oh! Thank you! See you again, Kendall?>

Edited by Umbramatic on Dec 19th 2021 at 12:23:43 PM

Morata's Mansion, Kitchen - November 1st

-To Kappa-

Get going, Shamhat and I will handle upstairs while the maid's preoccupied.

Shamhat: -Peering outside briefly- Now's the best chance!

-To Shamhat-

We'll have to do this quickly if we want to save them from a beating.

Shamhat: -Nods as a rainbow disc forms between her fingers, sparking slightly- I hope this buys them some time.

Best get ready for a fight anyway if we manage to make it upstairs, we've partially lost the element of surprise.

-Shamhat then goes out first, sending a flaming disc like a frisbee in the maid's general direction, it ricocheting off the walls in a way that makes it near impossible to determine where it originally came from, as the duo quickly but quietly tries making its way upstairs-

Campus Palace

-Galen casts a wide barrier to blunt the worst of the Boomburst-

I already know who they are, I've met them before. Though the Andante I met was a brunette.

-Switches to Mokele-Mbembe in order to use an Earth Power-

Stormchaser, today

-Paces, restless-

Muddy: <What's got you wound up like this?>

Well, the Galar League's been beaten, we've completed our assignment with Uxie, and basically everything's done for now.

Muddy: <And Constantin, and the presumed evil J-Team, and the School?>

Back matter, they haven't bothered attacking us yet, so I'm kinda bored yeah.

Muddy: <Then perhaps it's time we started looking towards leaving Galar behind and head for Sinnoh like you were saying to Gale back in September.>

-Sighs-

Spend a couple months in a cold area, to go to another cold area, when it's the coldest portion of the year. Doesn't seem like Sinnoh's even changed all that much like Hoenn did from what I can tell.

Muddy: <Another anniversary run maybe? Like you did with us back in 2015.>

-Stops pacing-

With Gaia and them? I've been considering it, especially since with how things are going I don't rotate my teams as much as I used to. Loads of mons get clunky, but I don't want to send off the Galar guys completely.

Muddy: <That, Helios and I can handle. Cam and his teammates need yet more training if they want to assist in fighting Neo-Flare.>

I'll keep Hitodama and Akiko's team close by, I'm not done with them yet.

Edited by rmctagg09 on Dec 18th 2021 at 1:21:00 PM

White Forest, Melodious Meeting

Meloetta: No problem. Always nice to get consulted in the affairs of mortals from time to time, especially from heroes. That said, I think I should be off promptly... Anything else you wanna say before I depart?

Hamlet, Luiza's House, Gate

The gate opens with a rusty creak. ??? A pokes her head out from the shack.

??? A: Oh! It worked. Here, give me a moment to get Leonardo up and we'll head in.

School Safehouse

-There is a faint whisper on the wind...-

The Radiant...

-The faint wooden sound stops and hey there's just some teen standing further down the hallway-

-A teen in a Templar outfit. The wind picks up again-

They call him The Haunted, because of me. Or The Puppeteer-

-A pair of wooden mannequins with what are basically swords for arms step in behind the Templar-

-because of them~

-The two weird human-sized dolls with sword-arms start running towards the fight. The Templar remaining where they stand-

School Safehouse — ???

Kai: Oh, that's wonderful! Sounds like you're doing well for yourself — and for Beryllium, too!

-Kai immediately rushes past the site of the broken barrier before Neo starts focusing on countering Lamarr.-

Lamarr: <Ohh, shiny...>

Kai: I'm not at liberty to say if you'll get bonus points, but! There are always benefits to having a nemesis! A recurring opponent to keep training yourself to overcome! However—

-The Charger-boosted Energy Ball explodes around Lamarr, sending her bouncing against the Light Screens.-

Lamarr: <O-ow!!!>

Kai: However, a major key of a nemesism is that early conflicts never result in capture — you can't truly have a recurring opponent if they get locked up or killed before you can learn from them!

-Lamarr digs up a chunk of the ground and lobs it at Aileen.-

Kai: So I'm your nemesis, Neo! And today, I am escaping!

-The whispers of the Puppeteer send a shiver down Kai's spine, and they tense.-

Kai: ...I am escaping quickly!

-Another Poke Ball — this time, for Cass-

Kai: I'd love to tell you to help with these mannequins, but actually! Deal with Neo!

Cass: <Neo?>

Kai: The perky one! She plays support! You know what to do!

-Cass glances at the Schoolkid in question, a Look forming on his face.-

Cass: <...Really? Her? She better prove worth my time.>

Kai: Smooth execution, Cass. So!!!! Puppeteer!!!! :D

-A plume of... smoke? Burnt-off Aura? Rises off of Kai's body as they dash between the mannequins and directly at the Puppeteer-

Kai: You got a first name? My name is Kai. Made it myself!

Morata's Mansion, Kitchen - November 1

Kappa: -to Avery- Oh no I was talking about—

-she pauses to take the note, checking the chat with the people in question-

Kappa: oh you've got to be kidding me

-Kappa squishes Vee into the shape of a Poliwhirl-

Kappa: -grabbing a handful of tea bags- We've gotta help.

Vee: -dragging water from the sinks- <Smells strong. And pissed.>

Kappa: -watching rainbow fire ricochet around the room- Done with subtlety...?

-so she takes a deep breath and bursts into the room, holding Vee in front of her face-

Kappa: -in her Suiko voice- Lock down!

-the Poliwhirl shape in front of her spews streamers of water from its spiral, trying to track the Aegislash around the room to pin it in place-

-and Kappa herself follows-up by smashing a Smoke Ball under her heel-

Kappa: -trying to take Avery by the hand- Come on!!

-and tries to make a (barely subtle) beeline for the study-

Knight raised his shield and took the Bloomburst, he coughed a bit, Jackal ​did as well. "Well that hurt."

Jackal looked up and saw an opportunity, he grunted a bit and raised a hand. Knight grinned as his fist glowed. "This hand of mine burns with an awesome power..."

"Not the time," Jackal hissed.

Knight rolled his singular eye and flew ahead, bringing in a Meteor Mash.

Stormchaser Exterior

"Mmm, perhaps," Kendall offered. "More than likely, though."

Hamlet

Politely, Kamui waits on the other side of the gate for them, Katsuragi floating in behind them and returning to the Rustic Ball.

Sinnoh Region, Jubilife City, Tech-Expo:

Regardless of whether or not Owen would return his contact info to them, Mark and Travis would finally reach the ingress gate with their Pokemon just over half an hour later. With Poketch HQ growing more majestic and imposing as the group slowly advanced with the line, surrounded by attendees on all sides, the intensity of the event became more palpable.

Travis would practically twitch with anticipation as he presented his ticket to the gatekeeper, "Oh man, this is so cool!"

"As long as I get to walk away with something more useful than a tacky souvenir at the end of this, I'll be more than happy," Mark said with significantly less enthusiasm after showing his ticket and following his friend inside.

Background Music for the event

The party would walk into what could best be summarized as E3 if it were three times larger and mixed with a night club and a video arcade: A sight specifically designed for this event in particular. The allocated space ahead was packed full of various booths, gaming stations, food and drink vendors, and swarms of attendees with their Pokemon.

<< So many lights and... things! What is all this cool stuff?!>> Chopper said, mouth agape in wonder.

<< Yes, I'm sure the pretty colors and sounds are nice, but they're not worth getting lost into. We need to stick together now more than ever,>> Tricky growled, more out of concern than annoyance or anger as she never had to deal with a crowd this massive before, and was already not enjoying it.

"Yo dude I've got the schedule, let's check out the map so we don't miss anything worth looking at because we couldn't find it!". Travis suggested, with Mark silently agreeing as the two began consulting a nearby map to plot their course.

Hamlet, Luiza's House, Gate

It doesn't take too long for ??? A and the person known as Leonardo to get through the gate and stumble up to the door. ??? A starts knocking hard on the door.

??? A: Luiza! Open up, it's Elena.

Leonardo: I can hear it... The color...

??? A/Elena: We managed to get out before the Lycan attack but Leonardo is injured!

There is a number of audible clicks as locks on the door start coming undone.

School Safehouse, The Puppeteer/Haunted

-The wind rushes alongside Kai as the Templar Teen realizes the target prioritization going on and turns to run...-

He hasn't even told me. Might not even have one...

-The punch connects, causing the mannequins to briefly stumble during their attempt to turn around and come back to chase-

They called me Fermium when I had a Class... I think I prefer Ten-Zero though.

-The Templar himself winces at the hit and starts trying to run to get some distance. The Mannequins recover from their momentary interruption of control and try and pursue after Kai-

School Safehouse-???

Neodymium: ~Wh— I don't play support!~

~Aileen, you take the Kabutops!~

-she narrows her eyes-

~I'll handle the Bisharp.~

Aileen: ~That's a remarkably poor piece of planning.~

Neodymium: ~Energy Ball on my mark!~

-it should be noted that she is carrying a School-issue helmet in one hand-

~Now!~

-this becomes relevant when she whips it through the air-

-Aileen fires an Energy Ball at it. The helmet and Energy Ball clip off each other, the helmet flying towards Cassius as Neodymium closes the distance, the Energy Ball curving towards Lamarr from the side-

The Increasingly Awkward Bubble Bath of Lt. Cross

Dave hands him the box of doughnuts. The box predictably has all the flavors he liked.

Dave: Wait, lieutenant. Did you say retired?

Jon, via phone: I don't think the records have been updated to reflect that yet. C'est la vie.

Dave: You must've gotten a hell of a leaving bash if you're living it up.

Dave tried his best to not sound sarcastic, not that his mechanical voice box allowed him to do so.

Jon: I trust everything is as you ordered. Also we brought chocolate bonbons.

Dave: Where did you get those two from earlier? And since when did you retire? I have so many questions.

Tronci Motors Test Track

Louis: Thanks for the offer. I'll be sure to let the fellas know of it so they can keep in touch. And you needn't worry about driving. I can give it a spin for you.

He listens attentively to the story and pauses and thinks about the span of time between 2018 and 2019. It was all a blur, but enough transpired that he could figure out what was going on that didn't involve everyone's blase response to the rifts. She certainly lived a far more exciting life.

Louis couldn't help but roll his eyes a bit at the mention that Abilene's relationship with J-Teamers as being largely professional. He's seen that level of denial before. He nods and winks at her pokémon; they know what's really up.

Louis: Perhaps. Like I wouldn't put it past the board to want to spite our family by working with the relatives they know will likely give them grief. I mean how many people even know Paul and Anna Macraul reproduced, let alone which of their kids they're still in good terms with. The only thing they asked me in the job interview was: "do you know anything about cars?" And by the way they responded they seemed to treat it as a bonus more than anything else.

Tronci Engineer, from behind them: Vell, if you vant madam, ve can—how do you say zis—fast track ze second project and have it ready for testing! Ve can have you burning rubber in no time.

Louis: That... that won't be necessary, Franz. Please. I used to be a cab driver. I can just dri—

Suddenly, Louis sees the pokémon trying out the vehicle.

Tronci Engineer Franz: Roomy, isn't it? And yes, zey can take it for a spin.

Louis: Wait, you mean any pokémon can drive it?

Tronci Engineer Franz: Please, any manufacturer can make a rotom- or a porygon-compatible vehicle. Ve tested this on a diglett.

Louis: ...how?

Tronci Engineer Franz: Ve'll have ze test footage sent to your office.

Louis: Unbelievable.

He sits down. It's ludicrously comfy.

Louis: Okay, this is fucking amazing.

Tronci Engineer Franz: No, zis is the version for ze suburban plebs who take out zeir frustrations of zeir own mediocrity on retail and food service vorkers.

Louis: Cool, I guess.

He buckles up and sees Franz give hims the thumbs up from the window. Once the engine roared, the Chesnaught-driven vehicle slowly but surely begins to move. It drives smoothly and the controls would come as incredibly intuitive despite being seemingly incompatible with the clawed fingers of a glyptodont.

Louis: Amazing. I have ridden in limos until I was 17 and none of them were this comfy. Makes me want to drive one myself. But take your time, Castanea. Let's see what this jalopy can do.

Edited by MasterJayAM on Apr 21st 2022 at 5:50:30 PM

Outside The Stormchaser

Flamel: <It's settled then!>

-and he heads off to wherever he parked his base-

Al;cremie Day Spa

H. G. Cross: "I just decided it was thbe right decision, you know?

Siegbert: HE started acting like this for no reason. And we got dragged along for the ride!

Storm: Snap him out of it. Maybe something about that J-Team? You can probably get through to him better thanwe can. Mabye.

Wyndon Stadium, VS. Hoops

(And upon hearing that last line, Peechee's eyes stop glowing red, as he stares over at Api in shock and sympathy.)

Peechee: <Suffer... as you suffer? You...>

(And then he finds himself slammed into the Toxic Spike-filled ground. Seconds later, a cloud of dust goes up... and when it fades, Peechee is lying on his side, with swirls in his eyes.)

Peechee: (weakly) <You're suffering...?>

Kim: (glancing down) "Peechee..."

Spikemuth Gym Battle- Stands

Kim: "Well. Seems like the battle's already begun."

(And the second she says that...)

Peechee: (emerging) <YEEEEESSSS—! IAN AND EVELYN ARE IN ANOTHER BITVAAAAA—!>

Braker: "Let me guess. He wants them to win."

Kim: "Naturally."

Walter: <I'm a bit curious to know what strategies they're going to use.>

Cuddles: <Me too~!>

Caboose: <Hey, who's the Kingler?>

Slumbering Weald

Geddy: <They did...?! That's horrible! W-what did she hear in Kim's mind?>

MEANWHILE... WHILE GEDDY WAS ESCAPING...

(Kim's scream echoes throughout all of the rooms, save for the room containing Hiro and his mons. All of Kim's mons— and Braker's mons— hear the scream from their respective rooms, and seconds later, the looks on their faces all turn to immediate horror. They know what they have to do. Their lives and their tortures don't matter anymore. They need to escape.)

MEANWHILE... IN BRAKER'S ROOM...

(Braker hears the scream, and his eyes grow wide with horror. Soon afterwards, it switches to determination as he turns to face the screen.)

Braker: "Actually, on second thought... I think I'm good."

(He immediately turns to leave the room.)

Oh, really? I'd assume you want to go, then?

Braker: (turning to the TV screen) "It's not that I want to die. It's that I'm pretty sure a friend of mine just got terrified by one of your shenanigans. And I need to help her."

But the door's locked.

(Braker smirks.)

Braker: "I can fix that. After all... you forgot a Pokemon in the midst of it all."

(He takes out a PokeBall.)

Braker: "Caboose, you're on the air!"

(Seconds later, he throws the ball, and Caboose the blue Klefki emerges.)

Caboose: <Hi~! Whoa, am I on TV...?>

Braker: "That doesn't matter right now. I need you to unlock this door. And all of the other doors containing mine and Kim's mons."

Caboose: <Okie-dokie~!>

(He promptly uses a key to unlock the door. Seconds later, Braker pushes it open, turning to face the TV screen.)

Braker: "Your truth game can wait."

(And with that said... he runs out of the room.)

OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT TWO MINUTES...

(A montage occurs of Braker and Caboose going to every single door containing one of Kim's and Braker's Pokemon besides Geddy and knocking on it before they can begin their torture. Braker tells them about what they heard, and the second they hear that Kim is in trouble, the Pokemon immediately leave the room one by one with either scared, concerned, or determined expressions on their faces.)

Spikemuth Pitch, VS Marnie

Me: Oshawittle, use Razor Shell!

Evelyn: Kako, use Magical Leaf!

Marnie: Liepard, dodge and use Nasty Plot! Scrafty, use Thunder Punch!

-Oshawittle draws his sword from his scalchop and swings it at Marnie's Liepard, who evades the slashes, hatching a nefarious plan, sharply boosting its Special Attack. Marnie's Scrafty coats their fist in lightning and throws a punch at Kako, who intercepts it with a swirling shield of magical, rainbow colored leaves.-

Marnie: Not bad, you two. I gotta say you both are skilled battlers.

Evelyn: Thanks, Marnie. Same can be said about you.

Me: Yeah! You've definitely earned your spot as Gym Leader.

Marnie: Oh... Thank you. Now, enough talk. Liepard, use Snarl! Scrafty, use Thunder Punch on Oshawittle!

-Marnie's Liepard lets out a horrid snarl, blowing Kako and Oshawittle back. Scrafty throws another lightning-coated punch at Oshawittle.-

Me: Oshawittle!

Evelyn: Hang in there, Kako! Use Disarming Voice!

Me: Use Ice Beam!

-Oshawittle fires a blue beam of subzero energy at Marnie's Liepard, freezing it solid. Kako then took a deep breath and lets out a melodic cry, releasing rainbow-colored heart-shaped sound waves, which knocks Liepard and Scrafty backwards.-

Kako: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH~~~♪

-The ice surrounding Marnie's Liepard breaks and leaves the Cruel Pokémon stunned. The Hoodlum Pokémon, however, is flat-out unconscious.-

Team Yell Referee: SCRAFTY IS UNABLE TO BATTLE!

-Marnie calls her Scrafty back to its Poké Ball.-

White Forest, Melodious Meeting

-Ian does another twirl and then bows to Meloetta.-

Me: I will let you know how it goes between me and Evelyn. It is always a pleasure to be in your presence.

Wyndon Stadium, VS Hoops

-Oshawittle struggles to keep his footing as the poison courses through his body.-

Oshawittle: <S-Suffer... as you suffered? Api... What happened to you?>

Slumbering Weald

Evelyn: Jigsaw... and they sounded like... like...

-Evelyn begins to lose focus, causing her psychic grip to weaken slightly.-

Me: Hang in there, Evelyn!

Agnes: -to Geddy- Oh. It's a pleasure to meet you.

Piku-chan: <Dear Arceus... It's just like with Dio...>

Jubilife City

Owen: "Oh! Your contact information? Thank you so much!" (He writes it down.) "I'll make sure to call you later. For now I need to go. Goodbye!"

(He promptly leaves for Oreburgh.)

SOME TIME LATER... (while Mark, Travis, and their mons are at the Expo)

Sinnoh Route 203

(By this point, Crina has been returned, and Stipax is the only mon still out of his PokeBall. Owen is headed to the Oreburgh Path when, all of a sudden, Stipax glances up at the sky. Owen notices.)

Owen: "Huh? Stipax, what's wrong?"

(Stipax pauses, and then:)

Stipax: <I kind of want to go to the Expo.>

(After a few moments, Owen starts to get the gist.)

Owen: "You want to go to the Expo?"

Stipax: <Yippee! You got it!>

(Owen smiles.)

Owen: "Well... I still want to go to Oreburgh first, though. I'm just wondering... will Nautilu, Crina, and Chasmo be enough?"

Stipax: <Huh? Why wouldn't they be?>

Owen: "I've heard that Roark has insanely powerful Pokemon, with helpful items. I don't have competitively viable Pokemon to save my life... and I don't think that Nautilu, Crina, and Chasmo's type advantages would be enough to defeat him."

(beat; he glances upwards)

Owen: "...I think I need to catch some new Pokemon first."

Stipax: <Here?>

Owen: (beat) "...Not here. For now... I'll head to the Expo."

(And with that, he and Stipax head back to Jubilife.)

Jubilife

(Owen reenters.)

Owen: "I changed my mind. I'd like a ticket to the Expo, please."

Spikemuth Stands

Caboose: <...Well. That was easy.>

Kim: "Oh, we're just getting started."

Slumbering Weald

Geddy: (to Agnes) <It's nice to meet you, too.>

(And then he notices Evelyn.)

Geddy: <E-Evelyn? What's going on? Who does it sound like?>

(And then he hears Piku-chan.)

Geddy: <Wait... it's like what happened with—>

(And then it hits him, too.)

Geddy: <...oh no.>

(Immediately afterwards, Braker comes running in, followed by all of his— and Kim's— Pokemon.)

Braker: "I heard Kim screaming, is she...?!"

(And then he notices Kim sobbing and terrified. Immediately, Cuddles, Walter, and all of Kim's mons besides Geddy run up to her.)

Paul: <Kim?! W-what happened?>

Dio: <I-it's us! We're here for you!>

Freddie: <Y-you can... y-you can talk to us, can't you...?>

(Kim glances down at all of her Pokemon in tears, shaking her head.)

Elton: (turning to face Geddy) <Geddy? What's goin' on with Kim?>

Geddy: <It's awful... this entity called Jigsaw is in her head and is making her think that all of her friends hate her...>

All of Kim's and Braker's mons: <WHAT?!>

Cuddles: (in tears) <That... that can't be true...!>

Geddy: <I'm afraid it is...>

Peechee: <HOW?! HOW ARE THEY DOING IT?!>

Geddy: <...Piku-chan? You know what's going on, don't you?>

Slumbering Weald

-Ian uses his psychic powers to give Evelyn an assist in keeping Kim afloat.-

Piku-chan: <I may not have been there when it happened, but I know EXACTLY what happened...>

-Evelyn struggles to name the first voice Jigsaw sounded like, as she knew exactly whose it was...-

Evelyn: T-They sounded... just... like...

Me: Don't stress about it, Evelyn! Jigsaw might use that moment of doubt to attack you next!

Agnes: Jigsaw will have to go through me, first!

Me: Braker! So glad you're here!

Hamlet Front Door

Kamui quickly follows behind Elena and Leonardo, vulpine ears raised listening for any sounds not from the three of them.

Slumbering Weald

Braker: "Thank you, Evelyn."

(And then, Geddy fully realizes what's going on.)

Geddy: <...oh dear they're gaslighting her aren't they.>

(And just like that, everyone reacts.)

Dio: <They... they're doing WHAT?!?!>

Freddie: (in tears) <OH SWEET ARCEUS— NO— NONONONONONO—>

Elton: <W-we need to help her...!>

Orwell: <Oh dear...>

Gallag: (mouth agape in shock)

Walter: <...what.>

Kaylan: <That... that's awful...>

(Beat.)

Dio: <Wait... you said the voices sounded like someone... who did they sound like?>

School Safehouse — ???

-Kai blinks, and tilts her head at Ten-Zero.-

Kai: Oh! Oh, there's two of you here! Gosh, I feel popular today!

-The helmet thunks against Cass's head, to less avail than Neo might have hoped.-

Cass: <...Really.>

Kai: A valiant effort, Neo! Being resourceful is always an admirable quality! You gotta use what you have, after all!

Cass: <Must you encourage her?>

-Lamarr, conversely, is knocked out pretty easily. Kai quickly recalls her.-

Kai: So, Ten-Zero, you're a spirit, I guess? What all is the balance of power between you and the Puppeteer? Do y'all only work on these mannequins? Can you yank me around? I'm so curious—

Cass: <Focus!>

Kai: Bantering and running, Cass!

-Cass rolls his eyes, and punts the helmet right at Aileen.-

-Kai grabs one of the puppets and shoves it against the wall, another burst of smoke emanating off their body with the surge of strength-

Morata's Manor, Main Hall Nov. 1

The Maid: "Oh dears. You think I've lived here without getting used to a few ghosts?"

Shamhat's disk bounces around the room towards her and-

- The disk deflects off Jefferson's shield harmlessly. The Maid doesn't so much as flinch.

She reaches into her other pocket and withdraws another pokeball. A Super Size Gourgeist joins the field.

The Maid Josette: "Well, let's get on with why you're here. I am Josette, the Pokemon Lea- Oops! Look at me, slipping into habit like that. It's been so long since I've done this that I got lost in my memories."

"Just to be polite, my name is Josette. I am a humble maid, but I'll have to ask that you leave. This is private property, you know?"

Jefferson spins around to block the Whirlpool as well, but the three of them were clearly not expecting the smoke ball. Despite Kappa's messy escape she and her pokemon don't seem to see where they go, and by the time the smoke disappears they're (presumably) gone.

Josette frowns.

"Well, I guess we'll have to do this the hard way. That child made off with Marjory, too..."

She retreats to the foyer, where she enters another door and disappears.

Morata's Mansion, Study, Nov. 1

Witch presses the home button when she's done. Her background appears to be a selfie of her and Jacqueline, for what it's worth.

Both she and Yoko turn when Kappa and Avery bust in.

Yoko blinks.

Yoko: "I uh, noticed something going on outside. What's up?"

She notices Avery is bleeding.

"Is Avery okay?"

Morata's Mansion, Upstairs, Nov. 1

Newt and Shamhat make it upstairs without much trouble. Before them lies a few doors to room situated in a circle around the opening in the floor for the stairs and the main hall. The doors are all closed, except for one, which is opened just a crack.

???

Daydre takes a split second to awww before continuing to book it.

School Safehouse-???

A young girl with very long hair covering her eyes rounds the corner near where Kai slams a puppet in the wall. She eeps and hides back behind the corner. There's a series of tiny mutters before she jumps back out.

???: "U-Uh, um, I don't know who you are, but I'm guessing you're not supposed to be here, and I can't let you go or I'll be in trouble-"

She sends out a Galarian Mr. Mime, who shoots a Dazzling Gleam down the hallway.

As the light fades, Kai will find the girl standing in the center of the hallway, hair off her face. Something about her eyes may compel Kai to look at them.

Morata's Mansion, Upstairs - November 1st

-Upon managing to dodge Josette we take a moment to stop-

Shamhat: -Taking a moment to catch herself- Was that Josette person about to say she was a Cha-

-Sighs-

Seems like it. Witch implied she was tough, but this complicates things a bit more, using my Champion team is definitely out of the question, the Galar League's public enough that they'd likely be recognized near-immediately.

Shamhat: Most humans think all mons look the same, I'm not sure they'd give yours a second glance.

-To Shamhat-

True, but some of mine are pretty unique looking. Still better not to risk it, at least not yet.

Shamhat: Fair enough. Have that Aura Sense of yours keep watch while I check this out.

-She peers into the cracked doorway, trying to keep low to avoid potentially getting caught in a mirror's reflection-

Edited by rmctagg09 on Dec 23rd 2021 at 11:51:08 AM

Wyndon Stadium

Hoops walks forwards and puts their hand on Api's back. The large pokemon spins angrily, but stops before attacking them.

Hoops: I know it hurts. You don't have to go on if you don't want to.

Api: <Please. The breeze is like knives.>

Hoops: Okay. After this, we'll take you to the best doctor I can find. Maybe they'll be able to help you.

They return Api to his pokéball and turn towards the referee.

Hoops: Please treat Api as unable to continue this battle.

The referee nods, surprised. Above them, Api's image on the scoreboard goes dark.

For a moment, Hoops sees Anna in the stands. She gives them a look of thanks and then holds up a small sign with their name on it. Hoops smiles at the show of support, then looks down at Api's ball.

Hoops: You should have told me sooner. And you shouldn't have insisted that I use you today. But it's fine. I understand.

They put the pokéball away, and select another.

Hoops: But right now we're in the middle of a battle. Vul, come out!

Vul manifests from the white light and barks to show that he's ready.

Sinnoh Region, Jubilife City, Techspo Gates:

The ticket vendor at the other side of the booth would look at Owen incredulously before gruffly saying, "Today's your lucky day pal, we've got a handful a tickets left. Price of admission's 5000 Pokemon dollars, that's less than your average drug for Pokemon stat boostin', and your mons can enter for free, but only if you buy a ticket."

Techspo Interior:

After much deliberation and consulting with the map and event schedule, Travis would eventually decide, "Let's look at the Pokeball Exhibit. They're bound to have limited, event only designs...plus there's bound to be something creative!"

"Sure, as long as they're not Jokeballs. I got ripped off by a guy some time ago selling Super Balls or some crap," Mark replied, following along as he remembered his anecdote, "They might as well have been fancy rocks because they didn't actually do anything. Of course I didn't figure this out until accidentally knocking out a Swellow and pissing off an Aggron...never in my life did I run so fast and for so long..."

. << He was a tough wild Pokemon. I had to use Mega Punch just to stop him. I must have hit him hard enough to make him flinch; something I don't do very often, and then I must have been making my own dire hit, because when I followed up with a Mega Kick, I sent the Aggron flying off a cliff face...I hope he was okay,>>

With full understanding of his Machoke, Mark reassured Chopper, "Eh, he's probably fine...but that was a while ago. All I knew was I didn't plan to stick around and find out."

"You'll be fine bro, this is The Techspo! The people here will only be showing their best technologies. It's basically one big advertisement war where everyone's trying to put their best foot forward...only unlike most ads, this one's actually fun and worth looking into,"

Edited by ParadoxialStratagem on Dec 21st 2021 at 7:50:48 AM