School Hunting Trip

Vana: Oh no, this isn't how this works. If I just tell you what I want then it's no fun, you have to tell me what you're willing to give me for this.

Morata's Mansion, Upstairs - November 1st, 2021

-Standing up-

Alright, let's go.

-Exits-

Chiyo: -To Ynos, hand to her chin- It was around six months for me, for us, but then what happened?

Turffield Stadium Entrance Room

Ingrid: "Oh! It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Ingrid Anderson. I'm from Snowpoint City, in Sinnoh." (She motions to Ananpi.) "The Shiny Galvantula on my shoulder who is dressed like a Pikachu is Ananpi."

Ananpi: (waving) <Hello~!>

(Meanwhile, the Drifloon is watching from behind.)

Rustboro City Gym

—> Continue strife.

(Roxanne smirks.)

Roxanne: "Not yet, you haven't."

(She returns her Geodude and takes out another PokeBall.)

Roxanne: "Have you forgotten about my trusty ace?"

Axis: (returning Axollo) "What? Oh, no, I haven't; he was just saying that we beat your Geodude."

Roxanne: "...Ah. My apologies. Well, anyways." (She throws the PokeBall.) "Go, Nosepass!"

(The ball opens, and a Nosepass emerges.)

Nosepass: <BATTLE TIME. BATTLE TIME.>

(Axis looks over at the Nosepass, scouring through their PokeBalls and trying to see which mons they could use— and then all of a sudden Tekkan emerges from his PokeBall, much to Axis' alarm.)

Tekkan: <Let me handle this!>

Axis: "T-Tekkan?! B-but you're four-times weak to Rock!"

Tekkan: <Ohhhh... but I'm still a Ninjask, am I not?> (then, turning to the camera) <And you all know what that means, folks!>

Axis: "What? What does it—"

(But they are interrupted by Tekkan suddenly digging straight into the ground.)

Axis: (stunned) "H-he knows DIG?!"

Hammerlocke Stadium

(Beat. Dalt, Joel, and Freddie all watch.)

Dalt: <What happened?>

Joel: <Did it work...?>

Freddie: <I... I hope so...>

Wyndon Stadium

Dio: <Wha— WHOA! WHOOAAAAAAAAAAA—!>

(He is suddenly slammed into the wall, and a cloud of dust goes up. When it fades, Dio is now on the floor, with swirls in his eyes.)

Dio: (weakly) <I...>

(Almost immediately, Kim runs up to him.)

Kim: "Dio!"

(She shakes him awake.)

Kim: "Dio...? Are you okay?"

(All Dio can do for a few moments is stare into Kim's eyes for a few moments. Then over at Hoops. Then over at Cof. Then down at himself.)

Dio: <I...>

(He begins to tear up, and Kim's face turns to that of concern.)

Kim: "...Dio?"

(Dio desperately tries not to cry, and turns to face Cof.)

Dio: (broken) <You... you did good.>

(He eventually runs over to his PokeBall and returns himself.)

Kim: "..."

MEANWHILE IN THE HASSLEMON INTERWEBS

holyGlider joined the chat

HG: ...

marshmallowLover and introspectiveAmphibian joined the chat.

ML: []h, hi there, Di[]!

IA: what's up?

HG: ...

IA: oh no.

ML: Di[]...? W-what's wr[]ng...?

HG: ...

HG: ...what do you think?

ML: ...

IA: ...

The Wild Area

Kim: (continuing her speech with no idea that Ian is behind her) "I'm disappointed in him. Extremely so. I mean, I get that Izaya was an absolute hate sink and all that, but if I'm being particularly honest... he should have known better than to do that. I mean, this is Ian Salberg we're talking about here. Hatred and infighting are the last two words I would associate with him, and yet..."

(She looks down and sighs.)

Kim: (with sadness, disappointment, and just a hint of bitterness) "He could have found a better option. He should have found a better option. And... if I'm being particularly honest... I've lost a bit of my faith in him."

(Upon hearing that line, Braker's eyes widen in shock, Walter looks on with mild surprise, and Cuddles' eyes fill up with tears.)

Cuddles: (heartbroken) <No... n-no...>

(Kim sagely nods.)

Wyndon — NYD

-Diane nods-

Diane: So, if I'm understanding, you... admitted your feelings to Kahlia, but she turned you down. You... believe she wouldn't want you, because you don't want to be the person you are. Which is the same reason as why you took up the mask as Aeroraptor, so you could try being someone else, and you realized that's exactly who you want to be. Right?

Skye: Oh... oh wow. I'm so sorry.

-Skye puts a hand on Amelia's shoulder, a sympathetic look on her face.-

Wyndon - New Year's Day

-Amelia relaxes slightly at Skye's touch, nodding back at Diane.-

Amelia: Yeah, that... that's p-pretty much it. Except that I was trying to be the p-person I thought Kahlia wanted me to be, except she didn't want that v-version of me either, but it turns out that I like him b-better? I d-dunno. Urrrrgh, I hate this. I w-wanna go walk into the sea.

-She buries her head in her hands.-

Amelia: ...D'you think it woulda worked out if I'd b-been Aeroraptor from the start?

Edited by Herbert40k on Oct 28th 2022 at 1:28:42 PM

Gale's Mind

-At the eye of the storm, in a tower of gleaming white, there is finally a moment of calm-

I've done bad stuff. Good reasons, but bad stuff...

-From the spiral stairway winding its way up the inside of the tower, a card and a raven feather drift down-

Heartless acts...

-At the top of the stairs is a graveyard larger than ought to be contained within the bounds of the tower, blank headstones stretching to each horizon. There's someone here, dressed in black and prodding the ground with a shovel in a circle of more ornate grave markers-

Kim's Mind

-Angela, quite rightly, is absolutely battered by the onslaught. She's outnumbered, outgunned and altogether not equipped to fight someone's mental demons in a vastly unbalanced Pokemon Battle-

Angela: <C-could use... A little help here..!>

-She twirls and tries to continue attacking, despite how hard it is to keep going-

Angela: <It's your mind, can't you summon like happy memory allies or something!?>

Wyndon — NYD

-Skye pats Amelia for a moment, quietly pondering, before speaking up again.-

Skye: ...I... can't claim to be an expert on this, admittedly. But I can tell that Kahlia means a lot to you, specifically because she showed you a side of yourself that you liked better than what you already knew. And it's confusing.

-She takes a seat as well.-

Skye: ...Years ago, there was someone I admired a lot. A couple of someones, actually. Luke and Lake — they were basically folk heroes back in Ecruteak. And they were some of the founding members of the J-Team, too, which made things... confusing, when Kai and I joined the team as well, and I met those two.

-She rubs her neck.-

Skye: I thought it was a crush. That sort of... obsession? What else could it be? There was something that drew me to them, and the best I could figure, that was what romantic feelings felt like. And for a moment, it led to... something? That might have been some sort of relationship, I dunno, it was a mess. I was a mess. It didn't work out. It was just... admiration. They were the chance I had to show that I could be a hero, too.

-She chuckles, fiddling with her scarf.-

Skye: This scarf... well, the original one fell apart, it was years old and worn out beyond comprehension. But I still wear yellow scarves all the time, because they still had an impact on me. Because I always wanted to be them, which I mistook for wanting to be with them. It was confusing, and it took so long for me to realize the person I actually had feelings for, who I met at just around the same time? Was Diane here.

-She smiles at Diane, before giving a somewhat curious look at the thoughtful expression on her face.-

Skye: ...Diane?

Diane: Oh, don't mind me, I'm just doing some math. Connecting some dots. You've still got yourselves to figure out, don't worry about me.

-She grins. Skye looks a bit perplexed for a moment.-

Skye: ...???

Gale's Mind

...And who might you be?

Kim's Mind

...well, I suppose I could help.

(And then seconds later, a Water Gun emerges from Kim's mind and hits the Hoops ghost— causing them to vanish into thin air.)

Wyndon - New Year's Day

-Amelia blinks at Diane, wearing a confused expression similar to Skye's.-

Amelia: ...What does m-math have to do with anything?

-She turns back to Skye, looking thoughtful.-

Amelia: I... I'm g-glad to know it's not just me, even if it's not quite the s-same thing. I'm not... I d-don't think I want to b-be Kahlia, but I want to be like her, and I like the v-version of myself she showed me I could be. Does that make sense? I'm not sure that means I don't have feelings for her, because... I m-mean, I definitely feel s-something. But... maybe I just need more time to make s-sense of it, like you did.

-She groans.-

Amelia: Assuming I haven't ruined everything by b-being drunk and stupid.

Edited by Herbert40k on Oct 28th 2022 at 1:28:56 PM

Wyndon — NYD

-Skye turns her attention back to Amelia, nodding.-

Skye: Yeah. I didn't mean to imply it was the same situation, but... you've got your things you're sorting through, and it's inevitably going to be a mess of complicated emotions. But I don't think you've screwed anything up. With how close you two are? An awkward night and a few too many drinks aren't going to ruin that. This is just an answer to a question, and once the panic fades, it'll be a relief, having that resolution. Even if those feelings don't fully go away.

Diane: In the meantime... hmmm...

-She ponders for a moment.-

Diane: So, Aero? Can I call you that? You don't necessarily need an excuse to wear the mask, after all. Or even need the mask to be that version of yourself.

Wyndon - New Year's Day

-Amelia visibly relaxes in response to Skye's words, giving her a small smile.-

Amelia: ...Thanks. I... I h-hope you're right.

-She flushes a little red at Diane's request.-

Amelia: Um... s-sure? I don't really feel like Aero without the mask, though. I c-can't do the voice without it, either. I mean, I can t-try, but, uh... well, I g-guess I can try. A-ahem. QUAIL BEFORE ME, WINGLESS QUAILS, FOR I-

-Immediate coughing fit.-

Amelia: ack gods why am I like this

-She eventually recovers, thanks in part to the water contributed by Skye, and takes a deep breath.-

Amelia: Anyway, I, uh... it m-might help. You c-calling me Aero, I mean. Maybe if I hear it enough I'll start to get u-used to it and stop feeling like so much of an imposter.

Edited by Herbert40k on Oct 28th 2022 at 1:14:32 PM

Wyndon — NYD

-Diane can't help but crack up and double over laughing as Amelia tries to slip back into the Aeroraptor demeanor.-

Diane: Pffffhahaha holy moly that was amazing

-Skye attempts to stifle her own laugh, but a giggle slips out.-

Skye: It's a direction, at least. But only if you're sure that's the direction you want to try. There's no way to know for sure if something is right, but please do let us know if you know that it's definitely wrong, okay?

Diane: Hell, if there's a different name, don't be afraid to try it out. It took Kai a few names to get it right, when they figured their whole gender mess out. Also a years-long process, incidentally.

Old Jubilife

Ewan: ~He appears to be bluffing, ma'am.~

Theodora: Ooh, I do love it when they do that.

Ewan: ~Shall we engage?~

Theodora: One needn't do that. We'll play along.

Theodora and her companions reveal themselves to the stranger. They look like they belong in a different century altogether, though in a historic district like this cosplayers aren't exactly uncommon.

Ewan, mentally to anyone listening: ~Hello there!~

Theodora: Good morning, good sir. What brings you to Ye Inaccurately Reconstructed Olde Jubilife?

Modern Wyndon

A shadowy figure appears behind the brown-haired girl. His eyes glowed a bright red. Following him was the faint mechanical whirring. Adding to that was the faint yet noticeable aura of someone who has a lot of missing parts inside him.

Shadowy figure: Are you going to go quietly or are we doing this the hard way? Because it'd be easier for us if you did. I still have 2 seasons of Skyarrow Nine-Nine left to watch.

Vaughn blinked, tilting his head somewhat. Albert moved forward first. <Fascinating, they don't look like the Authority.>

~They say they look like someone else.~

Vaughn wasn't gonna take any chances. "Are you with the IDPD? The Authority? Or any other groups of Time Patrol?"

Wyndon - New Year's Day

-Skye and Diane's laughter proves infectious, as Amelia finds herself chuckling along with them.-

Amelia: Thanks, g-guys. I... I might not like b-being Amelia, but I'll keep hold of Amel, at least for now. And I'll try Aero on for size, too. I don't r-really mind which you use, but, u-uh...

-There's an awkward rubbing of the back of the neck, almost mimicking Skye's earlier gesture.-

Amelia Aero: ...If I am gonna go with Aero, could you keep calling him - I mean, er, me - could you keep using "he" as well? It's a little weird, I know, and I don't mind Amel still being a she, but... I wanna see how it feels. To see if it helps me feel like Aero without the mask.

Edited by Herbert40k on Oct 28th 2022 at 1:29:16 PM

Turffield Stadium Lobby

Emilie: Oh. It's a pleasure to meet you both.

Spikemuth, VS Marnie

-Both Grimmsnarl and Hatty are knocked backwards by the impact of the attacks.-

Me: Now, Piku-chan! Throw Morpeko and hit 'em with Electro Ball!

-Piku-chan throws Morpeko off of his tail and into the air before gathering electricity into an orb at the tip of his tail and launching it at the electric hamster.-

Marnie: Morpeko, use Seed Bomb!

-Marnie's Morpeko throws his seed at Piku-chan and both explode. Morpeko is knocked to the ground, unconscious.-

Team Yell Referee: Morpeko is unable to battle!

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

Marnie: Now, Grimmsnarl! Use Spirit Break!

-Marnie's Grimmsnarl surrounds himself with a raging dark pink aura and charges headlong at both Piku-chan and Hatty, blasting them backwards.-

Evelyn: Hatty, don't give up!

Me: Piku-chan, hang in there!

Hammerlocke Stadium Pitch

-Sliggoo is knocked out by the Delta Force attack, whereas Abomasnow falls to damage from both the poison and Hatty's Mystical Fire. Sebastian and Aria call Sliggoo and Abomasnow back to their respective Poké Balls. Turtonator then charges headlong at Joel and tries to grab him, preparing to use an incredibly powerful attack.-

Piku-chan: <Joel, look out!>

Wyndon Stadium, VS Hoops

Evelyn and I: Dio, no!

Oshawittle: <Sorry, Dio!>

Axon: <Apologies, Dio!>

-The poison kicks in again.-

Axon and Oshawittle: <AAAAAAAAARGH!!>

Me: Hang in there, Oshawittle!

Evelyn: Axon, use Calm Mind!

-Axon, attempting to power through the poison, takes a deep breath and clears his mind of anxiety, boosting his Special power.-

Me: -thinks to self- Come on, Ian... Oshawittle needs your help... Think... think...

-At that moment, Santa's words echoed through Ian's mind...-

Me: -thinks to self- He's right... I have to remain calm... if I panic, so will Oshawittle...

-Ian closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, clearing his mind of worry and doubt.-

Me: Oshawittle, jump up! Then use Ice Beam on the floor!

-Oshawittle nods, then jumps into the air and fires a blue beam of subzero energy at the battlefield, causing it to freeze over.-

Me: Now, I'll only be fair in warning you: Things are gonna get a bit slippery.

Wild Area

-Ian's eyes widen as he comes to understand how Kim feels about him. After all, with what he's done back then, how can she not feel that way? He quickly hides behind a tree to avoid letting Kim see him.-

Me: Oh no... Oh no no no no no... Is this true? What have I done? She hates me, doesn't she? I just had to do the thing, didn't I? I just HAD to unleash the Fanatic, didn't I? Taihenda...

Stow-on-Side

Evelyn: Aurelia?

Me: She was a good kid. Had powers, not unlike ours, but she has control over light, and she helped Florence and I battle Ferrum and Radon.

Evelyn: Omoshiroi...^Translation Interesting... And Ferrum's lackey... this "Radon", as you called him...

Me: He was capable of manipulating fire. However, something told me that he didn't want to be there; that he was there simply because he had to be there.

Evelyn: How did you defeat them?

Me: Radon attacked me with a blast of fire and I attacked him with a blast of psychic energy imbued with my desire to protect her, and everyone I care about. They met in the middle and the explosion threw us off balance. Then Piku-chan, with the help of Hikari, Aurelia's Kirlia, knocked out Radon's Aerodactyl and then Ferrum carried him off. I don't know where Aurelia is now, but she's still somewhere in Galar.

"Florence": -thinks to self- That's what I came here to find out...

School Hunting Trip

Platinum: Very well, then...

-Platinum takes her hand out of her pocket and shows three silver coins to Vanadium.-

Platinum: I believe this should suffice.

-Platinum tosses the three coins Vana's way.-

Wyndon

-The girl hears the voice and turns around to face it.-

Girl: Huh? "Come quietly"? Do you have a screw lose or something? I don't know what your talking about.

Edited by AnimeboyIanpower on Jan 8th 2022 at 10:09:46 AM

Wyndon — NYD

-Diane beams-

Diane: Absolutely. It's all part of the process.

-Skye offers a smile.-

Skye: Might want to let Kahlia know, too. And to let her know you're okay. With how much you mean to her, I think she might be a bit worried about you.

Wyndon - New Year's Day

-Aero nods, smiling back.-

Aero: Oh yeah, I will. In fact, I think I'm gonna go do that now. Thanks again, b-both of you. This... I'm not sure I would've untangled all of this without your help.

Edited by Herbert40k on Oct 28th 2022 at 1:29:39 PM

Wyndon — NYD

Diane: -fingerguns- Any time, Aero. You know you can count on us for anything.

Skye: Yeah. And, uh, stay safe, okay?

Wyndon - New Year's Day

Aero: Psssht. I'm Aero, scourge of the skies! Of course I'm gonna be safe. It's all those do-gooders down below that need to look out.

-He blinks.-

Aero: ...Wait, is that self-confidence? Did I just d-do a self-confidence? Is that what it feels like aaaaaaaaaa

Edited by Herbert40k on Oct 28th 2022 at 1:15:41 PM

Wyndon — NYD

-Diane goes wide-eyed, and gives a huge grin-

Diane: Oh my gosh. I'm so proud.

Skye: That's exactly what self-confidence sounds like. It's a good look on you, you know. A good sound. It's good. You're good, Aero.

Wyndon - New Year's Day

Aero: aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

-He continues like this for a good ten seconds or so before clearing his throat and composing himself.-

Aero: Right, uh... okay then! Those are not words I was ever expecting to hear, but if this is actually what confidence looks like, then I'm gonna go use it while I still have it! ThanksagainguysreallyImeanitaaaaaaaaabye!

-He dashes off in search of Kahlia.-

Edited by Herbert40k on Oct 28th 2022 at 1:15:51 PM

Wyndon — NYD

Skye: Heh. Good luck out there, Aero.

Diane: I'm just gonna add a new tally on the "called it from a mile away" chart. Still waiting on you, though, babe.

Skye: Waiting on me for what???

Diane: ^_^

A Restaurant in Galar

-there are two people here-

-well, there are a lot, but two that are important-

-a woman entering middle age, wearing a white trenchcoat and a purple button-up shirt-

-and a young boy dressed in an outfit reminiscent of a Mormon missionary-

Adelinde: Why do you suppose I've brought you here?

Lutetium: Because—

Adelinde: We're in public, 'Tenta. Use your indoor voice.

Lutetium: ...Okay.

-he looks around-

(still quietly, but not in the near-stutter he had before) Part of it, I'm guessing, is an exercise in normal interfacing with humans?

Adelinde: Don't guess so much.

Lutetium: It's an exercise in normal interfacing with humans. Speaking, interacting, all that.

Adelinde: Critical skills for any graduate. Good that you thought to keep your voice down. What else?

Lutetium: There's else?

Adelinde: You'll get out of this what you put into it.

Lutetium: ...Trying food that isn't nutrient paste or your cooking?

Adelinde: (evenly) You don't like my cooking?

Lutetium: (eyes wide) That's not—

Adelinde: Kidding. Yes, that's part of it. I get bored of home cooking too. I've been here a few times before, and I do like their carbonara.

Lutetium: -nods- Um...hm.

Adelinde: That's all?

Lutetium: No, no. Um...

-he looks around-

-Adelinde leans forward slightly-

Adelinde: What can you tell me?

Lutetium: About them?

Adelinde: -raised eyebrow-

Lutetium: ...Can I use telepathy?

Adelinde: You shouldn't have asked. Let's say no.

Lutetium: (crestfallen) Right. Okay.

-he looks around more-

-settles on a small family-

Lutetium: Out for dinner. The woman...she's holding the baby, and her food isn't touched, even though everyone else's is. She'd resent that, right? That she hasn't gotten to eat?

Adelinde: Would she? You're asking too many questions, 'Tenta.

Lutetium: Is that my name now?

Adelinde: Ha. No. Setenta y Uno. Your number.

Lutetium: Oh.

Adelinde: You haven't earned a name, or the suggestion of one. Keep observing.

Lutetium: Those children might be older than I am, but one can't walk on his own, the other still needs help with the knife and fork. Why do normal humans bother with those stages? It can't just be sentiment.

Adelinde: Oh, you underestimate the power of human sentiment.

Lutetium: Huh. Maybe I do.

Adelinde: Our doctors haven't discarded the model. Even we Templars aren't permitted to study and medicate each other.

Lutetium: But you killed and replaced Dr. Powell...

Adelinde: An important lesson. The rules are there to constrain people who don't have the courage to challenge them. They're made by those with the power to enforce them. It's as simple as that, really.

-Lutetium nods slowly-

Adelinde: Go on, then.

Lutetium: Um...

Adelinde: Enough about the family with the babies.

Lutetium: That man is here alone. Why?

Adelinde: You tell me.

Lutetium: He doesn't look happy or sad.

Adelinde: Do you need his facial expressions to tell me how he's feeling?

Lutetium: You said—

Adelinde: ...

Lutetium: ...

Adelinde: How subtle do you think you are, Lutetium? And how subtle do you think you'd have to be?

Lutetium: ...I think he's here because he expected someone else to be. He keeps looking out the window, and he's been here longer than we have but he still doesn't have food. If he were waiting for an order, he'd be looking towards the kitchen or watching the waiters.

Adelinde: Quick study.

Lutetium: All those extra channels you got.

Adelinde: Don't trust everything you see on television. Do you think that man's date will show?

Lutetium: Uh...

Adelinde: Good. Don't answer. You have no way of knowing and I'd be more disappointed if you tried to bullshit something.

-a waiter approaches the two of them-

Lutetium: How did I do?

Adelinde: Not bad. You missed a major reason, though.

Waiter: Hi, are you two ready to—

-she trails off, looking into Adelinde's eyes-

Adelinde: -smiles-

-an SEP field sweeps around the table-

Waiter: ...

Adelinde: Telly! I've brought you someone.

Old Jubilife

Ewan: ~Ma'am, they seem to be confusing us with the IDPD. Curious.~

Theodora: Ohhhhh, are you running away from them? Don't worry, good sir. You're in good hands. Come with us if you want to live!

Ada: <Must love Terminator 2.>

Ewan: ~Proceed to the 1906 Renault over there. Don't worry. It's definitely roomy enough for you and your companions. Feel free to tell us your life story inside.~

The lady's lucario makes a very convincing argument.

Theodora: My name's Theodora, by the way. And I am no friend of the Authority. Worry not. I'm here to explain once we get to somewhere a touch safer.

Modern Wyndon

Mysterious voice: Not you. Him. The one behind you in the cloaking device. He's breaking, like, several interdimensional crimes just by using it.

Awkward voice from right next to her: What? No I'm not.

The mysterious voice steps out of the shadows to reveal just some regular-looking guy whose arms have been replaced with robotic prosthetics. The eyes are still glowing red and the whirring is there.

Pokedex voice: Dave, you might want to tell the young lady to step aside.

Dave: Of course. Pardon me, ma'am, but this is time cop business. I'm here to arrest the guy in the invisibility cloak that's right behind you, so if you don't mind.

Awkward voice: Ignore him and cry for help. There is no guy in an invisibility cloak and/or aura jammer hiding behind you in this dark alley. Also, Skyarrow Nine-Nine is shit and you know it.

Dave: Lies! Goober, if that is your real name.

Goober: It clearly isn't ya daft twat.

Dave: You are under arrest for a bunch of things. Inciting insurrection. Theft and appropriation of government property. And of course, the most heinous of them all, polluting the time stream through time travel.

Goober: Where's your warrant?

Dave: Our universe's Earth doesn't do warrants and due process.

Turns out this Dave person has a beheeyem. A beheeyem who has just red our young friend like a book.

Beheeyem: ~Uh, Dave?~