Schrödinger's Hospital, Ambiguous Time Period

-Megan leans her forehead tenderly on the hospital bed's cool metal leg-

Megan: Pff. Who hasn't kinda wanted to go around murdering I was going for lightheartedly flippant and missed the mark so hard, merciless Mesprit

-she places one (1) singular digit on Daydre's arm, hoping that contact's enough to convey the sentiment-

(-just…you know...general The Sentiment-)

Megan: It passes eventually. You, uh, barely remember it after a while. It…separates, and you can stop thinking about it.

Megan: -heart in her throat- …I don't blame you one bit.

-after some hesitation on her part, she ups the digit count to two-

-Megan herself talks to herself quite a bit, so she takes less notice of the direction of Daydre's statement (or lack thereof) than she probably should-

Megan: -golf pats- …I'm very glad you're in a real hospital and not still sucking on Abilene's Aura-in-a-can. The way Vee describes it, drinking it too fast…well it's not similar, but I imagine it feels similar?

-pat pat-

Megan: don't say it was hot though don't say it was hot remember all those bones you broke you bit a hole through your hand and nearly—nearly...

-so quiet-

-so still-

 ??? Textspace 

-...and there's a text ping-

[[quoteblock]]To: Phantom Thieves

The Calling Card's sent.[[\quoteblock]]

Sinnoh, Safe House

Molybdenum: ~I've got it.~

-even without her influence, the shift in her posture is visible: Molybdenum, graduated Schoolkid, becomes Ramona, Alumnus-

-and that influence grows much subtler and much stronger:-

-first and foremost, it becomes very clear that who is here is by her will-

-and she undoes the numerous security measures barring the front door-

-who answers is someone who looks very much like a smaller iteration of her…and someone else in a lab coat-

Dr. Reznitsky: Ramona.

Ramona: -small bow- Doctor.

Dr. Reznitsky: No need to hold yourself on formalities, dear, we're on the same team.

Ramona: As you say.

Dr. Reznitsky: And who is this, now?

Freshman!Molybdenum: -staring at PEFE!Every, Dottler in arms- ~...wow.~

Dottler: -staring at Ramona-

No mind to think. No will to break.

Jubilife Contest Hall

Lita perked up at the announcement, then turned back to Justice.

"Right. Sorry. I thought it was you have a weird taste in drinks. 'Just Ice, please'."

Pause.

"That was my best attempt at humour. Luckily this competition doesn't require that."

GIVE ME YOUR FACE

Wyndon Stadium, past

<Too slow? I'm too slow, you say?> Sud asks the question as though addressing Kako, but in reality she is just speaking to herself.

<Of course, it's always like this. I can be a wall for days, but when it comes to fighting back...>

She takes the Shadow Sneak attack and spins to do something about it, but is too slow and Raru has already faded away.

<What's the point of being there for them if I can't do anything for them? If I can't move fast enough to reach my opponents, then what can I even do for them?>

She looks up at Hoops, who is desperately trying to come up with their next move. <I would do anything for you, little one> she mutters. <I believe you would think I might go too far, but to me it never is.>

Sud turns back towards her two opponents. <And so... I will not go down until I win this battle for you!>

At that moment, a break in the clouds causes the sun to shine, like a spotlight from the gods, down upon Sud. Hoops gasps as they realise that she is reflecting the light, like she has been polished until she is gleaming. Polished. Polished...

Hoops suddenly realises. "Sud! You learned Rock Polish! This can increase your speed!"

Sud looks surprised and glances down at herself, surprised to see that she is gleaming like this. <Is this... a new power?>

Hoops grins. "It sure is! Now, use Head Smash!"

Sud lowers her head and charges. She has a strange feeling, like all of her life she has been struggling against a weight when she moves, and while that weight is still there, she feels like she understands it better. She knows how to move faster, with greater agility, such that she reaches Raru to deliver the Head Smash attack in half the time that anyone would expect her to.

School Hunting Trip

Vana is thrown back by the force of Radon's exit, landing badly and hearing a crack as something, probably a bone, breaks. She grimaces but forces herself to her feet, determined not to let the pain show.

"I guess that's a new problem," she says. "But, my work here is done. So long, losers."

She turns and begins to walk away, hiding a limp.

Jublife, Contest Zone

-Justice continues moving through the line, but manages a snerk at Lita's comment-

Stormchaser, Mitchell Zone

Jade: "Right... Do you thin, with Aros lifting him, that Rattata of yours can get something out of... There?"

-She gestures to one of the airship vents, way up on the thing-

"There aren't any J-Teamers around to help for some reason..."

Stormchaser, Horatio Zone

-Horatio and Scathatch have arrived here-

Horatio: "Could she really be here...?"

Ballonleia

Merlin: "Hmm? Oh, Daydre, it's you! Did you ever find out about that fragment?"

Fou: -stirs awake- <Bluh... I almost forgot about that.>

Contact Me!

A bit down the hallway, near Horatio and Scathatch, a Pokemon Breeder was walking by with a Honchkrow perched on his shoulder. The Honchkrow seemed to be looking at the two intently but said nothing.

Breeder: "Uh... hey there. You new around here, or?"

"life is just a series of increasingly canon-eluding ao3 tags" ~ everydunsparce "Keep your hellfruit away from me, tempter" ~ also Every

Mitchell and Gav both squint at the vent Jade indicated. After a moment of thought, Mtichell answers.

"I'm pretty sure Gav can fit in the vent, at least.", Mitchell says to Jade. "As for if he can get something out of there, that would depend on what that something is." Turning to Gav, he asks "You think you can do it, Gav?"

<Sure thing, Boss!>, Gav says, giving a thumbs up to Mitchell.

"I'll take that as a yes," Mitchell says. Then, addressing the Flygon, he says "Aros, is it? I trust you'll treat Gav with care. He's, er, the only Pokemon I have."

It's at this moment that something Jade had just said strikes Mitchell as odd. "Pardon me for asking this," he asks Jade, "but is there some reason you were expecting the J-Team to be here?"

Mitchell is thunderstruck by MC-DC's speech. He is struggling to believe that this Magnemite could not only talk in human languages, but also do so in the smooth voice of an old-time radio announcer. He hastily takes a drink from his water bottle to steady his nerves.

"M-mitchell," he says. "I'm Mitchell Rhodes, from Castelia City in Unova. This," he continues, gesturing at Gav, "is my partner Gavroche, or Gav for short."

<I picked that name out of Boss's books!>, Gav boasts, in between bites of the Oran Berry he took from Mitchell.

"Anyway," Mitchel continues, "the two of us are touring Sinnoh for a while. This is the first I've heard of this "Hisui" place, but if it's accessed through a portal, it might be like the Dream World or wherever those holes in the sky a few years back went to." Then, turning to Laurie, he says "I'm not sure what we can do to help you find your brother, or if we even can, but I'd still like to try."

Meanwhile, Gav has a question for Emcee. <How'd you learn to speak human?>, he asks, after swallowing the last bite of his berry. <Maybe I can use whatever you're doing, so Boss can understand me better.>

Mitchell casts a side-eye glance at Gav. "I'm not sure we're ready for a battle here, Gav," he says.

Gav shakes his head at Mitchell and mimes a pair of talking heads with his forepaws.

Mitchell gets the message. "Oh, you're just talking. Sorry. I misunderstood."

<See what I mean?> Gav says to Emcee.

Hearthome PMC

Kai: :D

-Kai offers an outstretched hand for Hesperid to land on-

Kai: Hello there~

-big beaming Kai smile-

Kai: Honestly, her talking with the Stormchaser is super heartwarming. I've tried to chat with the Stormchaser myself a lot these days. Trying to help her and the team, you know? I don't want to keep taking without offering to give something in return. But I imagine this little bug is a bit more directly in tune with the airship.

Hammerlocke Picnic

By that point, everyone was either eating their food or running around playing. The only exception was Ringo, who- naturally- was shooting out sparks in an attempt to use some Electric-type moves.

And failing miserably, of course.

Kim didn't notice this- she was a bit too busy eating to see what was going on. She eventually glanced up at Ian, Evelyn, and their Pokemon and noticed them all playing.

"Well, you all certainly look like you're having fun," she said.

Wyndon Stadium (vs. Kendall)

Spagposted with the Absent Coder.

"Damn, she put in work," Kendall considered as he returned Sylveon in a red flash.

"Of course she did, it's a Pokemon battle," Kim responded.

Kendall didn't say anything, simply crossing his arms and turning his body a bit to the side, the Great Ball in his pocket opening in response to his display of annoyance.

Geddy was sent backwards, but didn't faint. Instead, Kim returned him, glancing down at her PokeBalls and then over at 9-Volt, not knowing what to think.

Seconds later... another flash came from her pocket.

And no sooner had that happened than Kim heard... something.

You idiotic—

She glanced around, somewhat concerned as to what she had just heard in her head- but eventually shook it off. 9-Volt, meanwhile, reacted to Elton with one word:

<Nope.>

Elton returned himself immediately- and then...

Helmsman was now looking at a two-inch Shiny Joltik.

And then he broke into raucous laughter before sighing.

<Later!>

Ringo- naturally- responded by jumping up and down into the air frantically.

<Oi!> he squeaked. <Wo' the 'eck'd ya laugh at me for?! I-I've been through enou' o' tha' alrea'y...!>

And then he jumped up into the air.

Having picked up on where his tiny adversary was jumping, Helmsman soon followed him skyward on a wave of water... far too late.

Still sky-high he reoriented himself a bit, controlling his descent with the water beneath him.

And then Ringo immediately bonked Helmsman on the head and started buzzing furiously.

Irritated, the water beneath them crested into a tidal wave as they fell, the Formidable Pokemon swimming through the raging waters every which way to assail the invisible irritant.

And Ringo, tiny as he was, only got hurt a bit. He shook off the water and jumped on Helmsman again- willing to make him pay.

<Seriously; wo' were ya laughing fo'?!> he cried. <Underestimatin' my size, are ya?! I've already 'ad ta deal wit' tha' from every other Galvantula I used ta know!>

Annoyed at how clingy the electric-type was, Helmsman interrupted his adversary by summoning a gale through his fur, drying himself off and blowing off the bug before the wind coalesced and flew with precision.

That hit him, knocking him back against a wall– but the plucky Shiny got up almost instantly.

<...YOU CAN USE AIR SLASH?!> he cried out. <Tha''s really cool! Paul can ->

He was interrupted with a blue blur rushing towards him faster than he could blink. Helmsman stood opposite him, back turned, seamitar drawn.

<How's that for underestimation?>

At that point a column of water exploded from underneath the tiny bug.

And Ringo just jumped right onto the wall, giggling.

<Ohhh... I am not losing to you...!>

Seconds later, he retaliated, immediately jumping onto Helmsman and shooting out silk strands.

Only to be met with another strong blast of wind removing him from his opponent's fur.

Ringo hit the ground, starting to get weakened- but still not weak enough to faint.

<Dang it...> he muttered to himself. <This is wo' not 'avin' Electric moves is gonna do to ya...>

And then it hit him.

<Wai' a minute...!>

Instantly he jumped back onto Helmsman- and started draining him.

Angered at the siphoning of his power, he thrust his blade into the ground, the water putting them both in a high-pressure column, its epicenter dedicated to defeating the distracted din in his fur.

Ringo was promptly knocked to the floor, but even so desperately tried to push himself back up off of the ground. The audience had grown deadly quiet by this point. Kim glanced over at Ringo, concerned if he'd be able to make it- and then-

He started to glow.

The audience went absolutely nuts.

Wyndon Stadium Stands

This was not spagposted with the Absent Coder.

Braker, Walter, Cuddles, and Caboose were all staring down at the battlefield by this point, wondering which mon would be used against Geddy— and then 9-Volt sent himself out.

Braker's eyes widened for a bit.

<Well,> said Walter. <That was unexpected.>

<Hey, he's crazy, too!> Caboose said cheerfully.

Cuddles, of course, instantly lit up upon seeing 9-Volt and happily turned to face Braker.

<Lennyyyy~!> he cried. <Look, look, look~! It's the floof fren~! Yaaay 9-Volt~! Yaaaay Geddy~!>

Braker chuckled to himself— only for him to be taken a bit off guard by Geddy being returned and Elton sending himself out.

"Hang on a second, did Geddy faint already?" he asked.

<No, he just took a Thunder,> said Walter, who had been watching the whole time.

"Ah," said Braker.

And then he noticed Kim's expression. Of course, he didn't know what he had just heard, so he assumed otherwise.

"Seems Kim was taken a bit off-guard, too," he said.

And then Volt Switch happened.

<Awwww...> Cuddles whimpered.

"Don't worry," said Braker. "He'll be back later."

<Yaaay~!>

And then Helmsman was sent out.

"Well," said Braker. "It seems like 9-Volt has inherited Helmsman's 'instantly pops out of his PokeBall in the midst of battle' syndrome, because Helmsman didn't do it this time."

<And so has Ringo,> said Walter, noticing him sending himself out to battle Helmsman.

"Wait, what?"

Braker promptly turned to the battlefield— and then he noticed it, too. He barely had to restrain himself from chuckling a bit at the sight of a 2-inch Joltik fighting a massive Samurott.

"Well," he eventually said. "Kim made a wise decision then in switching out Elton. Now the only question is how this battle is going to go down. From my observations, Ringo doesn't know any Electric-type moves."

<Indeed,> said Walter. <This battle is going to be fun.>

They promptly watched as Helmsman dove down under a torrent of water— and then Ringo jumped up into the air.

"Ahhh... I see what he's doing there," said Braker. "He's using a semi-invulnerable move of his own to make sure that Helmsman doesn't hit him. Clever."

<I didn't know Joltik could bounce that high!> said Cuddles. <That's really cool~! Can I do that, too?>

"You're a Galvantula; I'd imagine you would," said Braker.

<Yaaay~!> Cuddles cheered. <Now I can play jumping games with all of my friends, too~! Oh, and volleyball~! Yaaay volleyball~!>

"Hm," Braker glanced up. "Wonder how that would go."

He was promptly broken out of his reverie by the sound of Ringo buzzing furiously while on Helmsman's head— and then Helmsman using Surf.

"That was loud," Braker noted.

<It certainly was,> Walter agreed— although he didn't seem fazed in the slightest. <Now how in the world is Ringo going to survive this...?>

He soon got his answer when Ringo shook off the Surf water and then jumped on Helmsman again before Bug Biting him.

<Naturally,> said Walter, with a smirk.

"He is not going to give up, is he?" asked Braker.

<No, he is not,> said Walter. <Admirable, but even so...>

<Go, Ringo~!> Cuddles cheered.

And then Air Slash hit.

"Wait, he knows Air Slash?" asked Braker.

<Oh dear, that's not good,> said Walter.

<Yeah,> said Caboose. <Everyone knows that air slashes will cut apples to shreds.>

Beat. The group stared at him.

"...what do apples have to do with this?" asked Braker.

<You said his name was Ringo, didn't you?> asked Caboose.

"Yes, as in Ringo—"

Razor Shell.

"—ohhhh dear," said Braker.

<He's gotta be weakened by now,> said Walter.

He wasn't. Braker, Walter, Cuddles, and Caboose watched as Ringo promptly jumped onto the wall of the stadium and shot out String Shots.

Only to be hit by another Air Slash.

"...okay, that had to have weakened him," said Braker, watching as Ringo struggled for a bit to push himself up.

<I don't know how he'll be able to come back from that,> said Walter.

<He's getting chopped up like crazy!> said Caboose.

And then Giga Drain happened.

<...I stand corrected,> said Walter. <Giga Drain is an excellent move choice.>

<Phew~!> Caboose breathed a sigh of relief. <Thank you, photosynthesis!>

"Ringo's not an apple, Caboose," said Braker.

<Of course it is,> Caboose responded.

"No, he was named after Ringo St—"

And then another Razor Shell hit and knocked Ringo to the floor.

Braker, Walter, Cuddles, and Caboose promptly went deathly silent, as did the rest of the audience.

"Oh dear," said Braker.

<Yeah... he's done for,> said Walter.

<Oh no... nonononono...!> Cuddles frantically cried out, tears coming to his eyes. <Come on, Ringo! You can do it! I... I believe in you!>

He turned away, too scared to see what was going on. Braker, thinking that Ringo was done for, turned to face Walter.

"Well," he said. "Who do you think Kim's going to send out—"

<Um... Brakes?> asked Caboose.

Braker turned to face him, and suddenly heard the cheering crowd around him.

"What is it?" he asked.

<Is... is that normal?> Caboose asked, pointing out at the stadium with his key.

Braker turned to look— and the instant he saw what was going on, he tapped Cuddles on the shoulder and zoomed in on Ringo with his camera.

<H-huh...?> Cuddles muttered— and then he saw it too. Instantly, his eyes went wide and he ran over to the edge of the stadium seats in awe.

<I-is that what I think it is...?!> he cried. <Is Ringo...?>

<I believe he is,> Walter nodded.

Cuddles instantly began jumping up and down with delight.

<YAAAAAAY~! KIM'S GONNA HAVE A FLOOF FREN ON HER TEAM~!!>

Braker, meanwhile, stared out in awe at the glowing blue Ringo and kept recording, the camera focused solely on Ringo.

"No way..." he muttered.

Circhester

Ollie blinked for a few moments, before trying to run after Radon.

"Radon, wait!" he cried. "Where are you going...?"

But he was too late. By that point, it seemed Radon was already long gone. Even so, Ollie wasn't going to leave one of his fellow Schoolkids hanging, regardless of whether or not Templars were watching him.

He turned to face Mito.

"Mito," he asked, "how can we get to him? Do you know Teleport?"

<I don't,> said Mito. <But Uefo might.>

<As a matter of fact, I do!> said Uefo cheerfully. <I'd certainly be willing to help any humans in need.>

He turned to look up at Aurelia and Platinum.

<Would you two like to be teleported to Radon's whereabouts, too?> he asked.

Turffield

Ananpi started jumping up and down, eagerly awaiting the rest of the mons to come out. Ingrid, meanwhile, glanced down.

"I-if we're introducing mons I could send out the rest of my team," she said, looking down at the rest of her PokeBalls. "I don't think I've introduced you to the rest of the A*Team yet... much less Bindi..."

Oreburgh City Gym Battle

Roark shook his head, laughing a bit as he went over and returned his Tyranitar.

"I must say, that was some great strategizing your Galvantula did there," he said. "Especially with the Gastro Acid; didn't think it knew that move."

"Well... he does," said Owen, turning to glance over at Stipax.

"I know that now," said Roark, taking out his next PokeBall. "Though I will admit it's a bit of a shame, considering my next Pokemon's Ability..."

"Oh?" asked Owen. "Who's your next Pokemon?"

He returned Stipax to his PokeBall, while Roark smirked.

"You'll see!" he said, before throwing it in the air. "Go, Probopass!"

The ball opened, and in an instant, a Probopass emerged from it. Once again, Owen weighed his options. Nautilu could work, but Owen knew that Probopass knew Electric-moves. Crina could work, but Probopass was Rock-Steel, and there was likely no way that Crina would be able to get through its—

Wait.

Of course!

It was Rock-Steel!

Smirking, Owen took out another PokeBall, now fully confident as to which mon he would use next.

"Well, then," he said. "Looks like I'll have to use my own Rock-Steel type in this battle!"

He promptly threw the PokeBall. "Go, Chasmo!"

The ball opened, and in a flash, Chasmo appeared, glancing over at the Probopass and letting out a yawn before eventually standing up.

<Welp,> he said. <Not like I haven't handled one of these guys before.>

Seconds later, he let his entire body shine in a bright metallic light, and soon afterwards glowed a bright blue as his defenses rose.

In return, Probopass just glared at him.

<TARGET ACQUIRED,> it droned.

Its four compass points promptly spun off of it and pointed themselves directly at Chasmo.

<ATTACK,> it said.

Seconds later, bright beams of silvery-white light were released at Chasmo, hitting him back a bit.

Chasmo, of course, merely shook it off, glancing over at Probopass.

<Heh. Nice try,> he said, before his body glowed with metallic light again.

Probopass blinked, and then:

<NEW ATTACK,> it said.

Seconds later, it released rocks at Chasmo.

They did little more than dent Chasmo's shield a bit before bouncing off. Chasmo just smirked.

<Keep goin',> said Chasmo, sighing lightheartedly and shaking his head before once again glowing with metallic light and raising his defenses.

By that point, the Probopass was glowering over at Chasmo with a look of extreme contempt.

<NEW ATTACK,> it said.

Soon afterwards, it released electricity out towards him— and that move did a bit more damage, knocking Chasmo back substantially further.

Owen breathed a sigh of relief, happy that his gut feeling about not sending out Nautilu had been, in fact, correct. Chasmo, meanwhile, shook off the attack with a laugh.

<Alright, ya got me there,> he said. <You asked for this.>

And soon afterwards, his head glowed in the same metallic light as before— only this time he rammed directly into the Probopass with it.

Celestic Town

Laurie was taken slightly aback. "Brother?! I mean, I understand your confusion, but... Cole's non-binary, and so am I." They glanced down at the floor. "That being said, it's very nice to meet both of you. Thank you both for trying. I wonder if there's anything you can do to help."

~Deee-lighted to meet both of you!~ Emcee said happily, before turning to face Gav. ~As for what exactly allows me to speak, well... unfortunately for you, my friend, I don't think you'll be able to do it! It's a very complicated process, you see. It involves picking up radio signals and converting them into human speech— it can still glitch from time to time. I certainly see what you mean, though! Don't worry! I can translate for him until then!~

He glanced up at the sky, searching for signals. Laurie, meanwhile, blinked.

"Holes in the sky, you say...? Those can still happen? Are you suggesting that there's a portal to Hisui somewhere around here right now?"

Hi, I’m oghond, and I’m a Rushaholic. Sorry if I annoy you unintentionally. 😅

Hammerlocke Picnic

-Every Pokémon is having a wonderful time playing with each other, showing off their moves, running and jumping and having a marvelous afternoon, when suddenly, Mothra stops dead in her tracks. She shudders almost violently as her horns glow brighter.-

Me: Huh? What's up, Mothra?

Mothra: <I feel... strange...>

Me: Eh?

Evelyn and I: Strange how?

-Mothra says nothing, but looks straight up so she's facing the sky and spits out a scarlet string of silk which goes right into the air. As the strand slowly descends, it starts to surround Mothra, as if she were forming a cocoon. The last times Ian and Evelyn saw this scarlet String Shot were during their battle with Milo and when they first met, when Mothra was hit by Jon Halliburton's Confuse Ray back at the North Pole. If there was anything that they knew about the cocoon Mothra was creating from the glowing crimson threads Mothra spit out, it's that touching the fully formed cocoon would not be such a good idea, as it would be hot to the touch.-

Me: M-Mosura!

Evelyn: Those were the same threads from Milo's Gym!

Me: And from the North Pole!

Evelyn and I: And now Mothra's wrapping herself up in them!

-Once Mothra is completely wrapped in the silken scarlet strings, they harden into a cocoon and burst into flames. Every Pokémon around her in this moment jumps back to avoid getting burned.-

Wyndon Stadium, VS Hoops

-Raru tries to turn around in reaction to Sud's attack, but the Imitation Pokémon was far too fast for Raru's reflexes and it comes back to bite the Feeling Pokémon, who takes the full brunt of the Head Smash attack and is thrown into a wall at speed.-

Me: Raru!

Evelyn: Raru, no! Kako, use Hypnosis! Buy Raru time to recover!

-Kako nods and his eyes glow a soothing blue, sending wave after calming wave of psychic energy in Sud's direction, relaying the command "Sleep!" into her mind.-

Kako: <Just relax, Sud... Your quarrel is not with me...>

Wyndon Stadium Stands

-Ian and Evelyn watch as Ringo shows off their battling ability against Helmsman, and go starry-eyed as Ringo is bathed in a radiant light.-

Me: Twincool!

Evelyn: Ringo's... Evolving!

Turffield Stadium Lobby

-Emilie finally finds the Poké Balls and presses the buttons on them.-

Emilie: Gus, Leif... En pointe!

-The Poké Balls open and from them jump Gus, her Incineroar whose coat's very shabby, and Leif, her Bulbasaur.-

Sky Over the Sea

-Radon flies through the air at Mach 2, body ġ̴̯l̴̛̞i̵̺͊t̶͜͠c̶̎ͅh̵̟̕ĭ̷̞t̷͓̿ĉ̴͕ḫ̴̊ĭ̶̲n̵͙͋g̶̯͝ ever so slightly. His reticence towards looking behind him is ever apparent as he felt that everything went horribly wrong and now feels that people are starting to hate him. A small headache persists throughout the 1535 mile per hour flight, but fades shortly after... "What's happening to me?" he begins to ask himself. "Why can't I control myself? What is trying to take over?" As he asks himself,    the black rings around his irises slowly spread out, turning more of his sclerae black...   -

Circhester, School Hunting Trip

Aurelia: That won't be necessary, Uefo... I have a feeling we'll meet again.

Edited by AnimeboyIanpower on Mar 23rd 2022 at 1:11:13 PM

♪Show me the wisdom of the world... Tell me the secrets of the heart... and the sweet~ mysteries~ of love~...

Jublife Condominiums, past

Dr. Nakamura: -Putting together a puzzle- So this should go...

-Knocking-

Drat.

-Calling out-

One second!

-Opens the door to see two people who appear to have gotten here in a hurry-

Dr. Tagg I wasn't expecting to hear from you so-

-Seeing the other person they're with and trailing off-

...oon.

-Scratching the back of my head-

Sorry we're here on such short notice Doctor, but we need a place to crash and you're kinda the only non-J-Team affiliated person in this city we could trust that I know of.

Dr. Nakamura: It's no issue really, though I'll have to warn you that it's a bit cluttered in here.

-Stepping inside-

I've slept in worse places, as you know.

Dr. Nakamura: -To Person #2- I didn't get your name.

I swear to Almighty Sinnoh this is one of the most beautiful women I've ever met. And those eyes, is she?

-Adjusting her glasses while reaching out for a handshake-

I'm Dr. Hanako Nakamura, archaeologist.

Chiyo: -Smiling as she reciprocates the handshake- Chiyo Hoshizawa, freelancer. It's a pleasure to meet you Dr. Nakamura.

-Looking between us-

So how do you two know each other? You don't seem like a PEFE researcher.

Well, it was kinda funny really, back in 2014 I was looking up stuff on artifacts in the Canalave Library, she was looking for stuff related to her own research and we struck up a bit of a partnership for a bit.

Dr. Nakamura: It was mostly uneventful, save for towards the end, since I'm admittedly not much of a battler.

-To me-

But really, who are you hiding from?

-Sighing-

The School, we just finished getting away from a Templar squad not too long ago.

Dr. Nakamura: -Frowning- Them huh?

Chiyo: -Eyebrow raise- You know about the School? I guess that makes sense, Tagg wouldn't have taken us here otherwise.

Dr. Nakamura: Is she one of those Schoolkids? That would explain the eyes, Tagg told me Schoolkids all have that shade of purple to their eyes.

-Neutral-

Tagg told me a bit when he was trying to get my help to deal with that whole mask situation back in November.

-Angrily-

And I hate them. The School, and those like them, they go around pillaging our graves and taking our ancestor's bones so they can gawk at them in museums and for their pseudoscience or even more insidiously, genetic harvesting without anyone's consent.

Chiyo: -Serious- I hate them too, for what they did to us, and so many others. As long as the School exists, we'll never be fully safe. That's why I'm working with Tagg, to remove one less evil from the world.

Dr. Nakamura: Well, stay as long as you need Chiyo, Dr. Tagg. We're all friends here.

-Nodding-

Thanks for your hospitality, but we won't impose on you for too long, just for a couple days until we're sure the School's lost our scent. I'd rather not see you get hurt if we can avoid it.

Chiyo: -Fists clenching as she sits down- Okay Chiyo, no repeats of what happened with Nicky and Kendra back in Unova, I've got Tagg and a whole airship of people behind me this time, and these Templars we just fought were probably they're fodder forces...

-Clenches her rainbow necklaces and breathes-

Let's just enjoy this reprieve from being hunted.

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

Mitchell's face flushes a beet red. "Oh, shoot!", he says. "Sorry. I don't know why I assumed your sibling was male."

Gav thoughtfully considers Emcee's words. <That makes sense.> he says. <I bet some other Electric- or Steel-types could pull off your trick. Shame I'm not one of those. Anyway, thanks for offering to translate for Boss.>

When Laurie asks if a portal to Hisui might be nearby, Mitchell replies "There might be. More importantly, though, if Emcee is sensing traces of Cole now, then I've got a feeling that they're either back in this world, or on the other side a portal to Hisui that's nearby." As he casts his eyes around the town, he adds "If a portal to Hisui is or was open, then some of the fauna from there might have come to this world, whether they're human, Pokemon, or alien. We could ask the people here if they've seen anything or anyone unusual recently, if you haven't already." He punctuates his last statement with a contemplative drink from his water bottle.

Stormchaser, Mitchell Zone

-Aros lifts Gav up to the vent-

Jade: Oh? This is their home base.

Stortmchaser, Kaiseii Zone

Horatio: ...Yes. Have you seen a blonde girl in purple around here?

-Scathatch gives the Honchkrow a Look-

Kanto Route 8

-Once the groups have been established...

Group 1

-This group finds a Drilbur bartering an orb with a bunch of Torkoal-

Group 2

-This group finds another orb being kicked around by giant paper mache Yamask-

Group 3

-This group comes across a strange rock face with an origami Shroomish patrolling it-

Group 4

-This group finds a Torkoal fishing-

Contact Me!

Breeder: "Uh... hmmm... Oh! Okay, yes, I think I know who you're talking about. Haven't seen her in a while, personally, unfortunately. I know she's been around since but don't know her too well myself. It's been, what... over 8 years now?... Granted, might have like, passed by her or something without noticing, I've been kinda in and out myself recently too."

Honchkrow: -to Scathatch- <Heya! You gonna stare or you gonna initiate conversation! Granted I started staring!>

Edited by CorvusAtrox on Mar 24th 2022 at 8:01:49 AM

"life is just a series of increasingly canon-eluding ao3 tags" ~ everydunsparce "Keep your hellfruit away from me, tempter" ~ also Every

Wyndon Stadium, past

Sud tunes out Kako's voice, since the idea of not fighting right now is completely against her current mindset. Instead, at the behest of a repeated command by Hoops, she once again charges towards the recovering Raru to use a final Head Smash.

Dr. Nakamura's Apartment, past

CW discussion of racism and microagressions.

Chiyo: -Heating her tea in a barrier- So, Tagg?

-Is just looking into a bowl, locked in thought-

Yeah?

Chiyo: Is Hanako like... us in any way?

-Twirling a spoon in the bowl-

She's got Auric potential if that's what you mean, but it's untrained. It's all thanks to who her ancestor is.

Chiyo: -Sipping her tea- And that'd be?

Dr. Nakamura: -Speaking up- I don't tell people this often, frankly a lot of them don't believe it, or in her, but Dr. Tagg's trustworthy and you seem that way too, so I'll tell you. I am a descendent of Hotene of Shutnai.

Chiyo: -Putting down her teacup- Unfortunately my Sinnohan history's a little rusty so you'll have to explain a little more.

Dr. Nakamura: A hero who defeated what you would refer to nowadays as a Glitch, a monster taking the form of a Noctowl that was plaguing Hisui around 800 years ago with the help of her band of Pokémon and the direct backing of the to kamui, the goddesses of the three lakes.

Chiyo: -Hand on her chin- So like, Uxie, Azelf, and Mesprit right? Knowledge, willpower, and emotion.

Dr. Nakamura: -Nods- That's correct, but compared to her I'm hardly much of a fighter, Obscuric or no. But we all have our own roles to play, so it doesn't bother me that much. Anyway, there was actually this whole argument over whether she actually existed at all or was just some story since traditionally our people used oral narratives instead of writing The nerve., but I managed to prove she was an actual historical figure.

-Snorts-

Not that it really needed proving, but you know how these things go with colonialists.

Chiyo: -Nods- Yeah, I can see why you'd hate the School, even if Hotene wasn't Obscuric.

-Scowling-

They just think they can do whatever they want to whoever they want, and people like you and I end up suffering for it...

-Changing subjects-

I did have one question though.

-Smiling, teasingly-

How come you and Tagg refer to each other as "Dr." despite the fact that you seem to be friends? I know Tagg doesn't care for it a lot of the time.

-Scratches back of head-

Well, people think less of us because of what we are, so it's good to big ourselves up if no one else is going to.

-Beat-

Also I've been doing it for so long it feels weird to call her "Hanako" without an honorific attached.

Dr. Nakamura: Same...

Chiyo: -Resting her chin on her hands- So if, say, I go to real school and get myself a proper degree like you two, would you call me Dr. Hoshizawa now?

-To Chiyo-

Of course, if you want.

Chiyo: Might like the sound of that.

-Changing subjects-

Race is so weird for us as School creations, you know? First off we're made from a whole bunch of templates put together, and that's not something our masters bother to teach us, they say we're all one under the School. Of course that's Taurosshit, I remember some of the scientists would favor the paler Templars and Schoolkids, even if they weren't the strongest, getting better tasting tube food and stuff. And me, well, closest thing I can describe myself as racially is [Blasian], and they saw the Black part most so...

-Continuing-

And after I escaped from time to time I did meet people who'd say... the worst things about me, harder to shake off than when they'd try to slut shame me. Like mongrel...

-Standing up, pacing-

Back home, right, sometimes people would say you speak Kantonian so well, even though I was born there. Like, I'm not supposed to be fluent? Or that I should "go back" to my country. Unova, first time I went there I got fucking racially profiled, so the grass certainly wasn't greener on the other side of the globe.

-Sighs-

My dad was right, was kinda annoyed about that to be honest.

Dr. Nakamura: -Adjusting her glasses- People really are the worst, huh? Some people I'd work with would make snide little remarks about me being "lazy" or that I ate like a canine mon when they thought I couldn't hear.

-Annoyed-

"You're so tall, do you play basketball?" Always basketball, they never ask the white people even taller than me if they play. Probably call me a Mankey if I told them I can climb. And if you get angry about it, you're "overreacting".

-Sighs-

But enough about that, we could get stuck on this all day.

Dr. Nakamura: Guess we'll just dig in now, figure out everything else later.

-Cue eating-

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

Oreburgh City, Oreburgh Gym

Roark: ...but one trainer who decided to walk proudly with Rock-type Pokemon! Please allow me to see your potential as a trainer! (sends out Onix)

Channah: Uh. Alright. Kick some ass, Etienne. (sends out a Monferno)

Etienne: (gulps) <I-I'll try! I sure hope I can do this...>

Lo: <Tch, the children these days have no self-confidence.>

Jubilife City, Jubilife TV

Diamante: (from underneath a big hat) <Meeeep...>

Kamon: The accessories here aren't as good as the ones in Kalos but you look so cute, guys! <33 Especially you, Taflon!

Taflon the female Starly: (wearing a huge cape) <Kill me.>

Kiro the male Budew: (looking at the white beard he's wearing) <Kiro doesn't see the point of this...>

There is no disdain in nature, there is no humiliation.

<Thanks for the lift, Aros.>, Gav says as he slips into the ship's vent, then slowly advances inwards. He is keeping his eyes, ears, and nose peeled for anything unusual inside the vent.

"I see," Mitchell replies to Jade. "One would expect some J-Team members would mind their base at all hours."

It is at this point that Mitchell realizes the implications of Jade's statement. Though he tries to keep his composure, the panicked expression on his face betrays his inner anxiety.

"The J-Team is in Sinnoh?", Mitchell stammers. "And you know them?"

Stormchaser, Mitchell Zone

-Gav finds... A Pokeball?-

Jade: Yeah, I've been living with them since...

-she stops-

Stormchaser, Kaiseii Zone

Horatio: -eyes widen- Eight years?!

-looks up-

...Do. Do you think she'd be on this airship?

Scathatch: <...Hi. Sorry my Trainer's bugging yours.>

Contact Me!

Schrödinger's Hospital, Ambiguous Time Period

Daydre blinks.

"I.. um. I appreciate the attempt to make me feel better?"

The Sentiment is received?

"I'm not really sure if I want to just forget. If I forget, will I have learned anything?"

Then again, holding onto it forever isn't good either.

"I don't even remember being taken to Abilene, so I dunno if I can speak to how much better her care was than a regular hospital. They told me I was there, but... I wasn't very awake."

She shrugs.

I should taste it

Would it make me stronger?

Ask for it next time

No I'm not doing that-

"... How've you been holding up, by the way? I don't think I asked, and um, I do remember... Hurting you."

Textspace, An Ambiguous Amount Of Time Later

Daydre's phone buzzes. She picks it up.

Ballonlea

"Uhh, yeah. I think I found out where your friend went. Crap, it's been a while... Says he went to Sinnoh for... I don't remember the reason. I think."

off the shits

Breeder: "We could try looking, but not sure. Granted, there's a chance you might just run into her by chance but... well, I'm not sure how likely it is or isn't. Sorry."

The Honchkrow smirks a bit for a moment then suppress it.

Honchkrow: <Oh, no problem! Conversation is fun! I wouldn't be bugged.>

Edited by CorvusAtrox on Mar 28th 2022 at 12:58:28 PM

"life is just a series of increasingly canon-eluding ao3 tags" ~ everydunsparce "Keep your hellfruit away from me, tempter" ~ also Every

Hammerlocke Picnic

Kim, Elton, Freddie, Dio, Geddy, and Ringo all glanced up in shock at Mothra's cocoon, as did Braker and all of their Pokemon. Walter, naturally, got out Braker's camera and started taking video footage.

<GAH—!> cried Freddie. <S-she... she's on fire...! I-is this like what happened during the wedding...?! W-what's going on...?>

<Whoa...> Elton gasped.

<I-is she starting to...?> Dio asked, in shock.

"I... I think she is," said Kim.

<Whoa...!> Cuddles squealed. <That looks awesome!>

"What are you going to do now?" asked Braker, turning to Ian and Evelyn.

Wyndon Stadium

Spagposted with the Absent Coder, barring the evolution sequence and the scene that happens immediately after.

Kim looked on, in disbelief.

"No way..." she muttered.

Wyndon Stadium (Post-Evolution)

Everything from "the entire time Helmsman" onwards was spagposted with the Absent Coder.

For a few moments after the evolution had completed, Kim glanced over at her newly-evolved Shiny Galvantula with a look of shock.

And then she proceeded to squeal with happiness, with only one thing crossing her mind at that moment:

I have a cute floofy spooder fren on my team now holy crap holy crap holy crap aaaaaaaaaa hessocuuuuuuuutteeeeee--

The entire time Helmsman had been building up the wind on his blade, firing it at the larger target with a deft swing of his blade.

But Ringo- now with more HP- still refused to go down easily.

<Alrigh' then,> he said. <S'ppose I'll take the risk.>

He started jumping around... and then:

The only warning Helmsman gave Ringo before he once again blinked across the arena was a half-lidded glance.

Kendall had summoned a couple of illusory roofs to protect himself and Kim from the rain, leaving Ringo entirely at the mercy of the elements.

From above, and below.

Ringo was knocked back- and even then refused to go down- instead just smirking.

<Now...!>

And then...

Thunderstruck.

RINGO THE SHINY GALVANTULA

NEW MOVE LEARNED: THUNDER

And then he finally collapsed.

<Gah!>

"...I call foul. That was the most durable f-"

1 KHz sine wave

"-Joltik I've ever seen in my life. I don't care if he had Eviolite; the heck was that?"

Kim smirked, returning Ringo.

"That," she said, "was Ringo being Ringo. Sheer willpower. He will not give up no matter the opponent and no matter the cost, until he finally faints."

"So does Helmsman. How did a ball of lint outpower a seasoned veteran?!"

"The same reason why an unevolved otter was able to outpower a Luxray," said Kim- glancing up at the audience. "Besides, it made for one heck of a fight, didn't it?"

As though to illustrate his contempt with Kim's non-answer, the illusory, invisible roof vanished for three seconds.

Kim was promptly soaked.

Beat.

"...alright, I see your point," she admitted, with a sigh. "I genuinely have no idea, either. All I know is that Ringo and Helmsman both have the willpower of... I have no clue, honestly."

"Helmsman has been battling off-and-on for over a decade now. I don't care about 'willpower' anymore than I care about experience." He pushed his fingers against the bridge of his nose. "Let's just..."

And the second she saw Lucario, Kim smirked.

"Oh... hello there," she said, before reaching into her pocket and throwing out another PokeBall.

Wyndon Stadium Stands

Not spagposted with the Absent Coder.

As soon as the evolution had completed, Braker zoomed his camera back out to have it focus on the entire battlefield. Cuddles, of course, could not contain his excitement, while Caboose just stood there in shock.

<YIPPEE~!> Cuddles cried happily. <CONGRATULATIONS, RINGO~! He looks so cuuuuute~!>

<He does look smaller than most other Galvantula I've seen,> Walter noted.

"Yeah, I'd say he looks to be about the same size as Piku-chan," said Braker.

The group looked on as Helsmsman loaded up another Air Slash and hit Ringo with it, knocking him backwards a bit. Cuddles and Caboose both winced.

"Well, the good news is, he's evolved now, so he can tank that hit more easily," said Braker. "Still, though... he has to be at less than half health by now."

<Indeed,> said Walter. <I don't know if he'll be able to take much more than that.>

And then they watched as dark clouds began forming above them and Ringo started jumping around, with rain falling seconds later.

<Huh,> said Caboose. <I didn't know he could use Rain Dance.>

<That's a risk,> said Walter matter-of-factly. <That's a definite risk.>

"Yep," said Braker. "Rain Dance increases the power of Water type moves, meaning that Ringo's allowed himself to be entirely at Helsmsman's mercy. As far as I know, he doesn't know any Electric-type moves, either."

And then he glanced up at the dark clouds above him and a realization started to come to him.

"Although..." he muttered to himself, "maybe he won't need to."

<H-huh...?> asked Cuddles. <What do you mean?>

Braker started to say something, but eventually found himself interrupted by Helmsman performing another, more powerful Razor Shell on Ringo, knocking him backwards against the wall. The audience gasped in horror, and Braker winced a bit, watching as Ringo struggled barely to push himself back up.

"Yep, he's done for," said Braker.

<It certainly seems like it,> said Walter, turning to face his Trainer. <I must say, though, I'm both impressed and surprised that he was able to survive for as long as he—>

BOOM.

Within seconds the group found themselves interrupted by the sound of thunder crackling and the audience cheering like mad in the stands. They looked back up towards the stadium, only to see a massive burst of lightning come down from the sky and shock Helmsman.

Braker smirked.

"That's what I meant," said Braker, turning to face Cuddles. "Thunder always hits in rain. Ringo must have used Rain Dance under the assumption that it would make his otherwise useless Electric-type moves stronger, and it did. I think that might be enough, honestly."

And then Ringo finally collapsed, followed by Helmsman mere seconds later.

"Aaaaaand yep, that finally does it," said Braker. "Ringo must have trained like mad for this fight. It's the only reason I can think of for why he survived this long."

<I certainly can't think of any other reason,> said Walter. <Kim didn't carry Eviolite, and as far as I know I didn't see her feed any vitamins to him. It's a wonder he was able to withstand Helmsman for as long as he did, even following his evolution— typically Joltik's defense is among one of their worse stats.>

<ALL HAIL THE APPLE GOD!> Caboose cried.

And then Kendall expressed his similar frustrations on the battlefield.

"...I must admit, I have to agree with him a bit," said Braker.

<A bit?>

"I mean, I wouldn't call foul over it, but Ringo is certainly the most durable Joltik I've ever seen in my entire life," said Braker.

And then Kim responded.

"I... don't think that'll be enough of an answer, Kim," Braker remarked, giving Kim a look that said "really?" from the stands, even if Kim couldn't see it. "I'd call it more of a draw, though, considering that Helmsman fainted soon after."

<Regardless, the point still stands,> said Walter.

And then Kim was promptly soaked.

Caboose giggled a bit.

<Preach,> said Walter simply. <That was an absolutely terrible answer and she knows it. If anything, it'd be far more accurate to say that— yyyyep, you had no idea either. Honestly, I don't think even Ringo himself knows how he was able to survive.>

"I will admit, though... you could say the same thing about most of Ian and Evelyn's Pokemon, particularly Piku-chan and Oshawittle," said Braker. "I'm willing to bet that if Kendall was fighting one of them, he'd likely have the same qualms."

<That's fair,> said Walter after a moment. <But anyways, back to the battle. Wonder what mons they'll be sending out next.>

And then Kendall sent out Lucario.

And then Kim sent out Grohl.

Instantly, Cuddles' eyes lit up, and he started jumping around with delight as the rest of the audience similarly lost their minds.

<YES—!> he cried out.

"I wouldn't be so quick to assume that that's happening, Cuddles," said Braker simply. "As a matter of fact, I'd be willing to bet moreso that it won't happen."

<Awwww...> said Cuddles, sinking. <Why not? A Mega fight would be really cool to see...>

"Simple," said Braker. "Because I have a feeling that Kendall knows exactly what Kim is going to do if she ends up Mega Evolving Grohl. And I bet he doesn't like it one bit."

<What, you mean the audience participation?> asked Walter.

"Well, that too, but mostly..." Braker looked down at the stadium. "Do you remember when I said that Kim and Geddy's Sparkling Aria call-and-response back in Spikemuth seemed familiar?"

<Yes...?> asked Walter.

"And that I said the same thing about the call-and-response Mega Evolution for Grohl in Hammerlocke?" asked Braker.

<Yeeees~?> asked Cuddles.

Braker paused for a few moments, before eventually speaking.

"...Kendall did it first," he said.

And the second they heard that, Walter and Cuddles blanched.

<W-WHAT?!> Cuddles exclaimed.

Circhester

<Alright, then,> said Uefo.

Ollie sunk a bit, realizing that he wouldn't be able to help his fellow Schoolkid no matter how hard he tried.

"Oh... okay, then. In that case... see you."

He, Mito, Teru, and Uefo promptly headed off. As they walked away, Ollie turned to face Uefo.

"So... how exactly do you get to Ultra Space?" he asked.

Turffield Stadium Entrance Room

Upon seeing Gus and Leif, Ananpi jumped up and down in the air and ran over to them with excitement.

<Ooooh~! Hi there, chuu~! My name is Ananpi! It's very nice to meet you~!>

Ingrid, meanwhile, smiled a bit.

"Um... hi," she said. "Nice to meet you both. Would you like to meet my other Pokemon, too?"

Oreburgh City Gym Battle

Roark's Probopass was promptly thrown against the wall a bit as a result of the Iron Head attack, but it didn't do enough damage to bring said Probopass into the red. It did, however, do enough damage to cause something to fly off of it.

Chasmo and Owen both blinked.

"Huh...?" Owen asked.

<What was that...?> asked Chasmo.

He got closer to the object, and noticed that it resembled a red-and-yellow headband of sorts. As soon as he— and Owen— saw what it was, their eyes widened.

<Hold on... did I just knock a Focus Sash off o' them?!> Chasmo exclaimed.

The Probopass turned to their now-ripped Focus Sash, before eventually turning back to face Chasmo. Their glare of disdain was even more powerful now.

<YOU FOOL,> they said, suddenly glowing red and floating up into the air. <NOW YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS. PREPARING KNOCKOUT.>

<Wait, what...?>

Before Chasmo could even have time to react, the glowing red light surrounding Probopass glowed brighter, and its compass points started furiously spinning around. Seconds later, it came crashing down on Chasmo at a ridiculously high speed, and the Bastiodon's eyes widened in fear as he realized exactly what move this was.

<...oh Arceus,> he muttered.

Chasmo was promptly thrown backwards, eventually hitting the wall.

"Chasmo!" Owen cried.

Frantically, he ran up to the cloud of dust that had been kicked up by Chasmo hitting the wall. When it faded, Chasmo looked much worse for the wear, but was still standing. He struggled to push himself back up, and glanced over at the Probopass that had hit him from across the stadium.

Owen breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness you're okay," he said. "Can you still fight?"

<I... I think so,> said Chasmo, <but that Body Press move took a lot out of me. I don't know if I'll be able to keep goin' on for much longer.>

And then he glanced over at the Probopass on the other side and remembered— he was a Bastiodon.

There was still one last thing he could do.

He smirked over at the Probopass.

<...but even so,> he said, <I think I know how I can finally take that sucker down.>

"Huh...?" Owen asked, not understanding any of Chasmo's Monese.

Chasmo promptly got up and lumbered over to Roark's Probopass. Owen tilted his head.

<Hey, Probopass!> he cried.

Roark's Probopass turned to face him. Chasmo smirked.

<Bet you're gonna wish you still had that Focus Sash on ya.>

He promptly started glowing in a metallic light again, and Roark's Probopass promptly rolled its eyes, thinking that Chasmo was just using Iron Defense again. It was suddenly caught off-guard, however, when Chasmo opened his mouth and a massive white ball of energy started forming inside of it. Seconds later, Probopass' eyes widened in terror as it realized just what was about to happen to it.

<OH NO,> it said.

And then seconds later, the white ball of energy shot out a massive beam of light, returning all the power of the previous attack for 1.5x damage and knocking Roark's Probopass all the way back into the wall.

Owen grinned with delight, finally realizing what Chasmo had been planning.

Roark turned towards the wall in shock as another, larger cloud of dust went up from his side. When it finally faded, his Probopass lay there, spiral-eyed and unconcious.

<OW,> it said weakly.

Chasmo smirked.

<Heh,> he said with just a bit of triumph, turning back to face his ecstatic Trainer. <Finally got 'em.>

"That was awesome!" Owen cried, running up to Chasmo. "I was starting to get worried there for a second, but you did a great job!"

Chasmo smiled. <Thanks fer that,> he said.

OWEN EDMUNDSON HAS DEFEATED ROARK'S PROBOPASS

ROARK HAS TWO POKEMON LEFT

Celestic Town

~You're very welcome, my friend!~ said Emcee cheerfully.

"Oh, you're fine, don't worry," said Laurie. "It's probably the name, if anything."

They glanced down at the floor for a few moments upon hearing Mitchell's suggestion.

"Hm," they said to themselves. "As far as I know, I haven't seen anything strange going on around here, and I definitely haven't seen any Hisuian mons around here yet. Still, though, if anyone has seen something like what you described, asking the locals would likely be the best option."

And then all of a sudden one of their PokeBalls opened up. In a flash, a Sandslash emerged from it and began looking around excitedly.

<Cole's back?!> he cried. <Holy smokes, this is the greatest day of my life! Where are they?>

Laurie chuckled a bit. "Calm down, D'Autry; we don't know that yet."

<Oh.> The Sandslash, D'Autry sank. <Okay, then... I was hoping they'd be here.>

~Why, hello there, D'Autry!~ said Emcee, noticing him and floating down. ~How are you doing this fine day?~

<Emcee!> cried D'Autry. <I'm doing great!>

~Good to hear! Did you send any more of those letters to that "GOOprix" place?~

<Not yet,> said D'Autry. <But I plan to~!>

~That's great,~ said Emcee, laughing a bit. ~I'm sure that if the word gets out, [Flogging Molly] will be on the GO 2 before you know it!~

"Maybe," said Laurie.

They suddenly turned to face Mitchell and Gav and picked up D'Autry off of the floor.

"Sorry about him," they said. "This is D'Autry, my Sandslash. We've been friends for a long time— got him when I was 10, the same year Cole was born."

<Hi there!> said D'Autry, waving.

~He says hi,~ said Emcee, translating for Mitchell.

Hi, I’m oghond, and I’m a Rushaholic. Sorry if I annoy you unintentionally. 😅

Gav gingerly moves the Pokeball(?) out of the vent and shows it to Aros. <Is this what you're looking for?>, he asks.

"Oh, geez," Mitchell says. "This is the last thing I expected to find in this country." Then, noticing that Jade stopped herself, he adds "Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

Mitchell is pleased that Laurie is taking his advice on board. However, before he can say more, he is surprised by the Sandslash appearing from one of Laurie's Pokeballs.

Gav watches the scene unfolding with a keen interest. This was his first time seeing a Sandslash up close, and they were acting nothing like he was expecting from the stories he'd heard.

When the Sandslash, named D'Autry, is formally introduced, Mitchell waves his free hand and says "Hi, D'Autry. Nice to meet you." He then remarks to Laurie "It's okay. You three look like you get along very well. I can only hope Gav and I can make a similar bond in the days ahead."

<Yeah, Boss,> Gav interjects. <We kinda have our own sort of bond here. You know, the whole sewer trip? How we first met?>

Hearthome PMC

Brie: Yeah. She's...

Hm.

You know that thing you can do with your voice?

Hesperid: <Bzz.>

Brie: I feel like I've heard her do that a few times. But like...on a different frequency?

Hesperid: <Bzz!>

Brie: On this frequency, that's all I ever get from her.>

-Hesperid giggles, zipping to land on Kai's hand-

-she's heavier than she looks-

Brie: Careful there.

Sinnoh, safehouse

PEFE!Every: Oh. Hm.

-she gives Smolybdenum a smile-

Neodymium: -despite behind the same height as Ramona, has ducked behind her a bit, waving sheepishly to Smolybdenum-

PEFE!Every: Oh, hi. My name's Every Memito. Do you have case notes for me?

Dunsparce didn't stop being a thing or anything.

Kanto Route 8 - Mask-etball Match

Kendall pushed his fingers against the bridge of his nose in annoyance at the sight of the papercraft Yamask, already building up some Firescura to play with on the tips of his fingers.

"What do you got, Leo?" He asked as he pulled his fingers away, still charging the shot that he was ready to fire, on the tip of his outstretched fingers held before him.

Edited by AbsentCoder on Mar 25th 2022 at 8:00:28 AM

[Insert Unoriginal Stinger Here]

Jubilife City, Generic Hotel

-Hailee and her Pokemon wake up the next morning-

Hailee: Good morning, Timothy and Banjo! We ready to set off today? Good thing my mom packed me food to eat for breakfast!

-Hailee gets out a packet of her mom's home made pikelets for her and her Pokemon-

Hailee: Here you go, guys!

-Hailee and her Pokemon proceed to eat the pikelets, before someone knocks on the door-

Hailee: Coming!

-Hailee opens the door to find a delivery guy-

Delivery Guy: Hello, is this Hailee?

Hailee: That's me!

Delivery Guy: Well, I don't know why, but apparently I was ordered to deliver this to you.

-The Delivery Guy places a package on the floor, then shuts the door-

Hailee: Huh. Well, wonder what could be inside!

-Hailee opens the package to find a pink Poketch-

Hailee: Oh goodie! This must be what they call a Poketch!

-Hailee equips the Poketch onto her arm-

Hailee: This Sinnoh adventures gonna be amazing, I can feel it! But there's no way I'm gonna start it without finishing these delicious pikelets! Mom, you are a genius!

Edited by ThunderKitty86 on Mar 26th 2022 at 8:59:19 PM