Stormchaser, Mitchell End

Jade: "Oh thanks!" -takes the ball- "I accidentally got Chibi's ball stuck up there..."

-blinks-

"And I haven't heard of anything bad happening. Yet."

Stormchaser. Kaiseii End

Scathatch: <That. Scans. I guess?>

Horatio: "Kaiseii... Sholto... Nice to meet you."

-looks at the Stormchaser-

"Now where's the entrance..."

Ballonleia

Merlin: -thinking emoji face- "In that case I should follow my Legendary friends to Sinnoh... thank you, you've helped me a great deal."

Fou: <But where in Sinnoh did he even go?>

Merlin: "...Good question. Did you find out anything else?"

Route 8

Soccer Match

-The Firescura doesn't seem to do much to the Yamask-

-You might need the added beef of Pokemon attacks-

Strange wall

-The Shroomish notices Ann and charges-

Edited by Umbramatic on Mar 29th 2022 at 7:29:12 AM

Contact Me!

Sholto: <How about you, how'd you meet your trainer?>

Kaisei: "Uh, it's right over here..."

Kaisei leads Horatio to the entrance.

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

"You're welcome", Mitchell replies. "It's a bit of an odd place to accidentally leave a Pokeball, though. A game of catch gone wrong, maybe?"

When Jade says she hadn't heard of anything bad happening, Mitchell sighs in relief. "That's a relief," he says.

A moment later, as Gav returns to the ground, Mitchell recalls something Jade mentioned about the retrieved Pokeball. "Pardon me," he asks, "but who is Chibi?"

Kanto Route 8

Kendall grunted in frustration. "How tough can a sheet of paper be?"

Julius materialized, sharing the same sentiment, electing to grab the Yamask with Fire Fang.

Hopefully he held onto Scrappy long enough to drag the Ghost-type and its thing back.

[Insert Unoriginal Stinger Here]

Kanto Route 8, past

Ann: -Seeing the Shroomish charge at her- Crap.

-Manages to dive out of the way as she takes out two Poké Balls- Exu, Dicot!

Exu: -Uses Ember-

Dicot: -The Budew fires Poison Stings at the Shroomish-

Jubilife, yesterday

Edited by rmctagg09 on Mar 30th 2022 at 5:07:38 AM

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

Hamlet, The Crimson Manor

The swarms recoil from the flame, but also flow around the fireball to get out of the way.

Swarm 2: Å̸͎ ̵͇̋ŝ̸̻ṕ̵̡í̴͕c̶͕̽y̴̞͗ ̶͈̄l̸̺̈ì̶̭t̴̍ͅt̷͚͘ľ̸͖ẽ̶͔ ̵͙̾b̴̼̎l̵̫̀o̶̎͜o̵̤̕d̸̥̆ ̴̥̈́b̴̦͝a̵̗͑ġ̷̝ ̴̯̂a̷̡͘r̶͎͠e̴̔ͅn̴͉͋'̵̱͆t̴̝̓ ̷͓̕y̴̳̔o̵̭̓ú̶̩?̵̮̾

Swarm 3: O̵̢͝h̷̨͝ ̷̤̎I̸̭̐'̴͍̂d̵̳͒ ̶̗̔l̶͇̆o̸̫͂v̸̳̏e̵̻̍ ̸͍̅ǰ̴̮ṳ̴̀s̵̪͋t̵͚͆ ̸̨͊ȁ̷̼ ̶̓ͅt̷̖͂a̸͉͘s̸͙̍t̴̫̄e̸̼͋.̵̻͐.̸̼͝.̸̞̇

The first swarm though emits this annoyed hum. It backs off, staring at the other two.

Swarm 1: Y̵̨͝ơ̸͎ű̷͔ ̵͈͂t̸̙̾ẃ̴̢õ̷̫ ̴̹̒f̴̪̄ḛ̴̈t̸̋͜c̴̟̀h̴͙̽ ̷̚ͅm̵̯̆o̸̧͊t̶̪̒h̸̫̆ę̴͛r̸͙̚,̴͇͝ ̸̲̈́I̶͈͝ ̸̩̽s̷̮̍h̵̨́ä̶́ͅl̷͉͋l̷̜̕ ̶̤͗p̵̙̄a̴̲͑c̷̬̄ĭ̶̗f̷͇͊ỹ̸̻ ̷͉̐t̷͆ͅh̷̼̑è̶̟ ̵̟̈́g̴͘͜ḯ̸͉r̷̬̀l̶̢̑.̸̨̊

There's this buzzing that might be petty mumbling as those two swarms fly off elsewhere, deeper into the manor.

Swarm 1: R̵̼͑ě̴̩a̴̯͊l̸̻͑l̶̨̉y̶̜̓,̴̥̎ ̵͎̾I̵̙̽ ̴͕͌j̴̦̚u̸͖̇s̷̤̕ť̴͕ ̷̯̋w̷̥͘å̵̫n̷̻̄t̷͉̒ě̸̜d̸̘̉ ̴̙̕y̸̽͜o̴̼̐u̶͒͜ ̶̛͈á̵̮l̷͉̇l̵̙̊ ̸͖̽t̶͔́o̵̹͊ ̴̼̈́m̴̦̏y̴̲̑s̶̲͗e̶̪͗l̵̗̅f̷͂ͅ.̶̛͙

The insect swarm laughs as it swoops in towards Kamui.

Meat Palace, Distraction Team

Worker Shadow: No appointment-ment-ment..? Intruder! Intru-u-uuuuder!

-The Shadow claws at its hard hat, tearing it off and tossing it aside as it collapses into a puddle of ooze from out of which rises some kind of fleshy polyp surrounded by three Mothim with longer, ganglier limbs. The creatures prepare to strike, eyes locked onto Evelyn-

-However it's at this moment that...-

Meat Palace, Infiltration Team

-This half of the party bursts into the lobby, flanking behind the trio of Mothim-like creatures. Rakash sighs and gets out the bestiary-

I thought I said Joybringer and the new girl were going to handle this alone!

-Oh hey remember Anthem being on this mission?-

Anthem: Well excuse me if you seemed like you needed help!

Okay whatever, let's see...

-Rakash flips open the book-

Looks like this is... A trio of Mothman! Mothmans? Mothmen? Whatever, don't bother with Electric and Psychic attacks and focus on... I guess physical projectile attacks? Sorry, the bestiary's giving me a Type weakness to something that isn't a Type!

-He recoils a bit as the pages flip open of their own accord-

And that's... Something called a Worker Cyst, it's immune to— everything!? Okay, something's clearly weird about this fight, stay on your guard.

-The PA system lets out a low crackling buzz as the fight commences-

Jubilife Contest Hall

-With the call for the contest's beginning sent out, Gale heads into the prep area. She's got her costume in her bag, she knows precisely what Pokemon to use and she's spent days rehearsing this entrance. All she needs to do now is perform-

-Performing's all she's ever really done-

It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.

Somewhere in Meatspace after the Mass Text

"Hm?"

The purple-haired sister lifted her head up and turned to look at Cesium, the Mightyena at her feet responding as well and getting swiftly returned.

No words were exchanged between them but for a bit of shared focus, at which point they both nodded and vanished in flashes of their respective colors.

Somewhere Else

He took in a deep breath, pocketing his phone and focusing as he inhaled, the illusion of another phone forming in his hand putting down the real one.

Only to be crushed in his hand into a fistful of scrap.

Hamlet, Crimson Manor

Kamui tossed up her choker, the kitsune landing and summoning her Drought to power up the fresh wisps of fire on her tails with which to wall off the swarm in a Fire Spin.

Akatsuki appeared, the Boltund firing off a Discharge into the swarm.

[Insert Unoriginal Stinger Here]

Hammerlocke Picnic

Braker nodded. "Alright, then," he said. "Come on, then."

With that said, Braker, Walter, Cuddles, and Caboose followed Ian. Kim, meanwhile, waved at them, then turned to face her Pokemon.

"Alright, then," she said. "What should we do now...?"

<Well, it's obvious, i'nt i'?> asked Ringo. <We go' a League comin' up, don' we?>

"True," said Kim, standing up. "We should probably go and do some training ourselves, then."

She paused, then nodded.

"Alright, then," she said. "Let's do it."

The rest of the group cheered with delight, before running off to the Wild Area in order to get some training in.

MEANWHILE...

Braker, Walter, Cuddles, and Caboose continued to follow Ian, with Braker in particular holding up his camera.

Turffield Stadium Entrance Room

Agnetha nodded. <Oh... okay, then. I... I'm sorry for asking.>

<Oh, my dear Agnetha, you don't need to apologize for anything,> said Frida, approaching her.

<Yeah, you're good,> Bindi agreed.

Amity, meanwhile, floated forward.

<Um... hi there,> she said. <I... I'm Amity. You... you saw me before the match, didn't you...? Ingrid recaught me again.> She smiled. <I couldn't be happier to finally be reunited with her. It's been so long...>

Wyndon Stadium (vs. Kendall)

Spagposted with the Absent Coder.

Grohl, meanwhile, proceeded to strike.

The Steel-type caught the Ampharos' attack in his paw, recoil and lightning coursing through him as he refused to release his grip.

In his opposite paw an orange ball built up, larger and larger until he pulled Grohl into him and slammed it into his chest point-blank.

Grohl was promptly pushed back— and responded with a punch fueled by the love for his family, friends, and Trainer.

D.C. merely crossed his arms, refusing to so much as even buckle under the single punch.

Grohl blinked.

<Huh...? That's odd... Return should have done a lot more than I thought...>

As though returning the assault back, his spikes lit up before turning jet black, separating from him and building up further before detonating inches from Grohl's muzzle.

Grohl was hit again, but shook it off and released a pulse of lightning from his body.

With no choice but to take the attack, D.C. sighed and held out a paw towards Grohl, the Ampharos' shadow beginning to bubble before the Steel-type flicked his paw, striking his opponent from behind with his own shadow.

Grohl was promptly sent backwards, and as he pushed himself back up, chants of "FULL POWER" erupted from the stands. Kim took one glance over at DC, and then one glance down at the Key Ring on her wrist.

She felt terrible.

And yet at the same time... DC had left her with no other choice.

"Keep... you... in... the... dark..."

She instantly raised her Key Stone— and touched it, while Grohl held up his Ampharosite and the audience proceeded to lose their minds.

Grohl didn't even bother finishing the line.

They all knew what was coming next.

"YOU KNOW THEY ALL BLOODY PRETEND!"

Wyndon Stadium Stands

Not spagposted with the Absent Coder

Braker, Walter, Cuddles, and Caboose looked on as Grohl began to attack DC with a Thunder Punch— and DC responded by stopping Grohl dead in his tracks and returning the attack with a Focus Blast.

"He didn't even flinch," Braker remarked.

<Well, he is a Steel-type,> said Walter.

<Whoaaa...! He's really powerful...> cried Cuddles.

<So... why is he wearing a blindfold?> asked Caboose.

"DC's out," said Braker simply.

<They released a new comic book?!> cried Caboose excitedly. <Who's in it, Awesomeguy?>

"Wrong DC," said Braker simply.

<Washington?>

"Douglas."

<His name's Douglas?>

"...Never mind."

And then Grohl used Return.

Walter and Braker both blinked.

"...Return," said Braker. "Really, Grohl? Really?"

<Why would you use Return now...?!> moaned Walter.

<But... doesn't it get stronger the more you love your Trainer?> asked Cuddles. <Grohl loves his Trainer, and his family, and his friends! It should be really, really strong!>

"I'm sure that was Grohl's thought process, Cuddles, but DC's a Steel-Fighting type," said Braker. "He's 2x resistant to Normal-type moves, and Ampharos is not a physical attacker."

<But Grohl just attacked DC; of course it's a physical attacker...>

<Do... do you not know what physical and special attackers are...?> asked Walter.

"He views battling as a fun game; I'm betting he doesn't," said Braker. "No offense, Cuddles."

<None taken,> said Cuddles. <And of course I know what they are! Physical attackers hit you with moves and special attackers hit you with... um... other things! Like cookies~!>

<...he has no idea,> said Walter.

And then they were interrupted by Grohl hitting the wall.

They turned to the stadium, having missed the Dark Pulse and Discharge moves in the aftermath of the Return, and caught a glimpse of DC's Shadow Ball hitting Grohl and knocking him backwards.

<Grohl...!> cried Cuddles.

"Oh dear," said Braker.

And then they heard the chants of "FULL POWER" start up around them. Cuddles' eyes grew wide, and Braker instantly looked over at Kim, who was glancing down at her Mega Stone. He instantly focused his camera onto her.

<Hang on~!> Cuddles squealed. <I think it's happening~!>

"It looks like it, but Kim'll be the only one involved," said Braker.

And then:

"Keep... you... in... the... dark..."

The audience went wild.

<IT'S HAPPENING~!> cried Cuddles.

<Braker, get ready,> said Walter.

The flashbacks instantly returned for Braker yet again. He glanced down at Kim, who touched her Key Ring. Seconds later, Grohl held up his Ampharosite.

And seconds later, Braker joined the rest of the audience and screamed out:

"YOU KNOW THEY ALL (BLOODY) PRETEND!"

<Keep you in the dark and so it all began~> Cuddles sang.

Canalave City

Laurie promptly returned all of their Pokemon save for D'Autry and MC-DC, before going up to the person in question and clearing their throat.

"Excuse me," they asked.

The person in question turned to face them, revealing herself to be a young woman. "Yes?" she asked.

Laurie glanced over at D'Autry and Emcee for a few moments, and then responded.

"We were wondering if you've seen anything strange around here recently," they said.

~Indeed!~ said Emcee. ~Such as a portal to Hisui!~

The young woman blanched a bit at the sight of Emcee talking to her directly, then eventually shook her head.

"You just missed it, I'm afraid," she said. "A massive glowing hole appeared in front of us, and then it was gone."

"Oh," said Laurie.

They glanced up at Emcee's screw, which was still shaking.

~Well, that can't be right,~ said Emcee. ~I'm still picking up signals near here!~

"Your Magnemite can pick up signals from Hisui?!" cried the woman.

~Certainly!~ said Emcee.

Laurie nodded.

"My, that is impressive," said the woman. "It's even more impressive that it can speak English somehow."

"Radio signal conversions," Laurie explained. "Anyways. I'm trying to look for my sibling who got lost in time years ago. If you see the portal again, let me know."

"Your sibling got lost?!" cried the woman. "In Hisui?! That— that's awful! I hope you find them soon. And I'll be sure to let you know if anything else strange happens."

"Will do," said Laurie. "Thank you so—"

And then an interruption from someone else.

"Hey, wait a minute; what's an Oshawott doing here?!"

Laurie's eyes widened a bit.

<An Oshawott?!> cried D'Autry. <Where?!>

Kanto Route 8 (Mask-etball Match)

Serkis immediately turned to face Julius, while firing off another Dark Pulse at the Origami Yamask.

<Oh?> he asked. <Another Galarian...? And they know Fire Fangs, yessss...?>

" <He's not Galarian,>" said Braker and Walter together.

<Ohhhh...> said Serkis. <My apologies.>

Seconds later...

Cuddles tilted his head. <Huh...?>

And then he noticed Julius.

<Oh! Hi there, Juliuuuus~!> he said, waving at him.

Kanto Route 8

"A wall?" asked Kim. "Certainly. Thank you, Olivia."

And with that said, she began to follow her.

Kanto Route 8 (Wall)

As soon as she saw the Origami Shroomish— and the subsequent damage that it was doing to Anne, who she did not know at all— Kim took out a PokeBall.

"Alright, then," she said. "You dare to do that to a complete stranger; I'm willing to take you down. Red alert, Joel!"

The ball opened, and Joel emerged from the other side.

<Oh... hey there,> he said.

And then he loaded back his fist, charging it up with ice.

Oreburgh City Gym Battle (vs. Roark)

Roark blinked for a few moments, eventually returning his fainted Relicanth.

"Well, that was fast," he said. "I've already been brought down to my last Pokemon."

"Yeah, Crina is... really brutal in battle," said Owen, returning her as well. "Especially after she's evolved. I saw it in the battle against Blaine in Kanto."

"Well, that certainly seems to be true," said Roark. "But if you want brutal..."

He took out his final PokeBall. Owen nodded, knowing exactly who was last up.

"Then here you go!" cried Roark, throwing it. "Rampardos, let's go!"

The ball opened, and Roark's ace was promptly revealed to the stadium audience, who immediately erupted into massive cheers as he let out a roar.

Owen glanced up at him for a few moments, then down at his PokeBalls. Eventually, though, an idea came to him, and he grabbed one of them.

He hadn't used this one at all yet, obviously, so he was curious to see what moves he knew.

"Alright, then!" he said. "This one's new! Steggy, let's go!"

He threw the ball, and in a flash, the Shiny Turtwig appeared.

<Hello~!> he said.

The audience immediately went deathly quiet— and Roark's Rampardos just stared down at the Shiny Turtwig for a few moments.

And then he laughed.

<HAHAHAHAHAHAHAA- YOU PIPSQUEAK! You really think a Pokemon like you could defeat me?! You haven't even evolved yet! I could crush you underfoot if I wanted to!>

<Oooh~! A shiny purple thingy~!> cried Steggy, looking up at a small purple orb in the Rampardos' claw.

<WHAT?! No! Don't take that! That's my Life Orb!>

<I have an orb too~!> said Steggy, turning around and showing him the Voltorb on his shell. <Don't step on me; you'll exploooodee~!>

Roark's Rampardos growled.

<WELL THEN,> he said. <I guess I'll have to take you down the old-fashioned way... WITH FORCE~!>

<Not if I can help it~!> said Steggy.

Immediately, he ran over to Hammerspace— and came back with a drumkit. Owen and the Rampardos just stared at him in confusion.

"A... a drumkit?" asked Owen.

Edited by OPALGARNET16 on Mar 30th 2022 at 7:08:39 AM

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

Mitchell takes notes as Laurie approaches and speaks with the person, who turns out to be a young woman. From what he gathers from the conversation, the portal that formed here disappeared before they arrived. The questions that come to his mind, then, are why Emcee is still picking up signals, and what exactly is the source of them, if not the portal.

On the topic of Emcee, Mitchell is glad to see the woman's reaction to their speaking in human language. He smiled, somewhat glad that he's not the only one surprised by the phenomenon.

As the conversation between Laurie and the woman wound down, Mitchell is surprised by an outburst from nearby.

"Hey, wait a minute;" a stranger's voice said. "What's an Oshawott doing here?!"

Mitchell snaps his head in the direction of the voice. "An Osha-"

<WHAT?!>, Gav squeaks, bursting out of his Pokeball. <There's a Blue here, too? It's not coming for me, is->

"I'm here, Gav," Mitchell tells him, kneeling down beside him and gently caressing his fur. "It'll be okay. You'll be fine."

Gav settles down a bit. <Thanks, Boss,>, he replies.

Mitchell, still staying by Gav's side, looks again towards where the stranger's voice had come from. "Careful, Laurie." he says to Laurie and the others. "Oshawott are an Unovan species, if I remember right. If one's here in Sinnoh, their behaviour might be unpredictable."

Stormchaser, Mitchell End

-Jade freezes. So does Aros-

Jade: "He's... My Pikachu."

Stormchaser, Kaiseii End

-Horatio attempts to enter-

Horatio: "...This ship feels like it's judging me."

Scathatch: <...He wouldn't want me telling you that.>

Meat Palace

Lead Monkey: <...Oops. We may have made a mistake.>

-He summons Mary Shelley to Psychic the Mothim-

Route 8

Soccer Match

-The Yamask is hurt but immediately passes the orb to a Yamask adjacent to him-

Strange Wall

-The Shroomish crtumples and drops... a Magic Circle?-

Olivia: <Ooh! We can use that!>

Contact Me!

Kanto Route 8, past

Ann: -Picks up the Magic Circle-

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

Route 8 Soccer

"So this is what we're playing, eh?" He shakes his head in annoyance, Julius going back, still with flames in his maw to do away with the opposition.

Rei appeared as well, sinking her claws into the ground to summon an Icicle Crash on the largest cluster of players.

Roy appeared as well, looking at Kendall with a hesitant look.

"If you're offering," he allowed, only for him to instead sit down and look out at Julius and Rei chasing down the thing, the former using Crunches on the paper ghosts, and Rei discarding her Razor Claw to Pickpocket the bounty.

"I'm not fulfilled," he sighed, looking out at the field as he brushed out his hair.

"Is this about Galar?"

"No, it's… I'm not sure what it's about."

"That's just it, isn't it," Kendall considered. "You expected there to be nonstop adventures and exploring with us, but instead you're just milling about in my metaphoric and literal back pocket."

Roy nodded. "I just wish I could have been there more for my son, for starters."

"What's stopping you? The fact that he's with Kamui? Go, be with him. It's the least I can give you."

Roy vanished in a green flash.

[Insert Unoriginal Stinger Here]

Canalave City

Laurie blinked. "A 'Blue'?"

~He calls an Oshawott a "blue"?~ asked Emcee. ~Why are you so afraid of them?~

Upon hearing Mitchell's warning, Laurie nodded in contemplation. Soon afterwards, he turned to face Emcee.

"I think that might be why," they said. "The Oshawott from Hisui are likely going to be more unpredictable than their Unovan counterparts. After all, they evolve into a Water/Dark type, so..."

~Ahhh~!~ said Emcee. ~Understandable, then!~

And then a voice rang out.

<...Huh? Was that Hisui?>

Laurie blinked. "I think that's the Oshawott."

Somewhat hesitantly, they approached, as did Emcee, and sure enough, they saw an Oshawott standing there, looking a bit forlorn. Laurie, Emcee, and D'Autry glanced at each other, before eventually, Laurie approached.

"...Hello there," said Laurie.

The Oshawott instantly turned to face them, and brightened as soon as it did.

<Oh! Hi!> it said. <Are you looking for Hisui, too?>

~We are indeed~!~ said Emcee, before turning to face Laurie. ~He wants to know if we're looking for Hisui, too.~

"Oh, yes. We are, as a matter of fact. Apparently we just missed the portal," said Laurie.

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

"Ah," Mitchell says. "I hope he'll be happy that he has his Pokeball again. Unless, er, he's stuck in that ball now."

<A Pikachu, huh,> Gav says. <I've never seen any before. They're like Emolgas that don't fly, right?>

"Blue?", Mitchell repeats from Laurie and Emcee. Suddenly, he receives a flash of inspiration. "Oh, that must be it. Some Oshawotts must have scared Gav in his youth. That might be why he's in this state."

<Oh, you have no idea, Boss,> Gav says. <There was this one time when->

Before Gav can continue, a Pokemon's voice rings out. Gav instantly freezes in place.

"Gav?", Mitchell asks, stroking Gav's fur. "What's the matter? Show me what you need."

Gav does not speak, but he does point his right forepaw in the direction of the Pokemon's voice. Mitchell looks, and he sees Laurie and their Pokemon approach a forlorn-looking Oshawott.

"Okay," Mitchell says to Gav. "Deep breaths now. I'll keep you safe. Nod if you understand."

Gav gulps, then nods. Then, Mitchell scoops Gav into his free arm and approaches the Oshawott, who was now engaged in lively conversation with Laurie and Emcee.

"Hello, little one," Mitchell says cheerfully. "What are you doing here?"

Floaroma Town Contest Hall

Xaster and BuBu finish their set to raucous applause from the audience, having executed their practiced routine perfectly. BuBu jumps onto Xaster's arm and they take a bow together before exiting the stage. Xaster is wearing a sequined black suit with a top hat that has a stripe to match BuBu's colour.

He sees Hoops getting ready to perform next, in what he would charitably describe as an outfit. First they are wearing a billowing shirt that was once white but has now been dyed with so many colours that looking at it is almost physically painful. Thankfully this is not what people are likely to be looking at, because on their head they have a several feet tall crown of scrap metal and wood. They've also painted their face with red paint that somehow makes them look less demonic than they did before.

"Good luck," he says. "You sure about that outfit?"

Hoops grins. "Hell yeah. We're gonna knock em dead."

They walk out onto the contest stage, and suddenly become acutely aware that everyone is watching them. But they've battled in the Galar league, and this is nothing in comparison.

"Tot," they say, grabbing a pokéball. "Come out." They hold up the pokéball against the side of their crown so that when the white spills out and solidifies into the form of Tot, he is standing in a small gap in the centre of the crown.

"Now, use Hyper Voice!"

Tot screams as loud as he can, a sound that is usually harsh and ugly. But in this case, something different happens. The sound bounces off of the strange parts of the metal, which have been placed and constructed in such a way that they'll make unique sounds as the sound hits and travels through them. With a single scream, the pair creates a song - not one to win awards, but most definitely a song made of many different notes.

Hoops spreads their arms, and the force of the attack rips at their shirt, pulling the creases outwards and revealing the true extent of the design - an intricate series of repeating patterns that somehow fit perfectly with the song being played.

The song finishes, and the crowd stands in silence. Hoops flips them off and walks off the stage.

Floaroma Town, that evening

"They don't understand art," Hoops says as they wash the last of the paint off their face. "That was perfect."

Xaster chuckles. "Art revolutions don't happen in a day. And besides, that was unique but it was rough. You need to refine it."

"Oh, you can give advice just because you won."

Xaster proudly flashes the ribbon. "Yeah, obviously. Told you having you as competition would help me. Although I have to say, I wouldn't have been able to win without you teaching me to battle like that."

Hoops is silent for a minute. "We should get some rest."

Twinleaf Town

-A girl in red and a man in blue are here-

-They may be approached by anyone new to the area-

Stormchase, Mitchell End

Aros: <Yeah, that's right, although, funny you say that about Chibi he->

-Jade quickly muffles his mouth-

Route 8

Soccer Match

-One Yamask is taken down, but the other two m,anage to keep the ball betweeneach other-

-They give odd looks to the conversation with Roy though-

Strange Wall

-The Thousand Fold Arms activate for Ann and seem to indicate the wall-

Contact Me!

Twinleaf Town

-A bald yet tall man shows up, who has really big eyebrows, with a Mudkip on his shoulder. He takes notice of the duo, and asks them-

"Excuse me, but can you help me with something? I'm trying to get to Jubilife City, but I seem to be lost."

-The Mudkip just rolls their eyes, as if in disapproval.-

Why's this eggo angy all the time? | Current video game focus: Minecraft

"Whoa, hey!", Mitchell says, on seeing Jade muffle Aros. "That's not nice, silencing your own Pokemon like that." He then bitterly mutters to himself "Not like I can understand what he's saying anyway."

Gav cocks his head to the right, curious as to what Aros was about to say. Addressing Jade, he says <You've got guts, miss, handling Aros like that. I take it there's something about Chibi you don't want us to know.>

Fiore, Sekra Range, Fiore Grand Falls

-Ian steps up to a ledge in front of the Fiore Grand Falls, with all of his Pokémon (save for one) walking (or in some cases, floating) at his side, as in the Fiore Region, it is encouraged that Pokémon be kept outside of their Poké Balls. However, in Ian's hand is a Poké Ball that is hot to the touch. That Poké Ball, in particular, is why Ian is here.-

Me: What a waterfall!

Saffron City Gym

Sabrina: Alright, then. Let's begin. Show me what you have learned during your Gym Challenge...

-Sabrina taps her fingertips to her temples and calls two other Psychics telepathically.-

Sabrina: -telepathically- ~Oskar the Mind Master... Bob from Accounting Who Can Also Read Minds... Please come down...~

Harry: Good luck, Oskar!

Oskar the Mind Master: I'll do my best!

-Oskar the Mind Master steps up to the battlefield. As does Bob from Accounting Who Can Also Read Minds.-

Evelyn: I see where this is going.

-Evelyn levitates three Poké Balls around Hatty and readies herself for battle.-

BATTLE! Witch Girl Evelyn VS Gym Leader Sabrina and Psychics Oskar and Bob

Sabrina: Gallade!

Oskar the Mind Master: Hypno!

Bob from Accounting: Beheeyem!

-The three Psychic Trainers throw their Poké Balls and from them jump...

The Blade Pokémon, Gallade!

The Hypnosis Pokémon, Hypno!

The Cerebral Pokémon, Beheeyem!

Evelyn: Alright... Axon! Kako! Mirai! Come on out!

-Evelyn telekinetically launches the Poké Balls and from them jump Axon, Evelyn's Alakazam, and the Kirlia Twins, Kako and Mirai!-

Wyndon Stadium, VS Hoops

-Kako stands still as the Dragon Pulse, due to Kako's Fairy typing, passes harmlessly through him. Ian then comes up with a counter for Sal's Toxic!-

Me: Kitt, quick! Burn away the Toxic with Flamethrower!

-Kitt jumps in front of Kako and fires a blast of fire at the foul-smelling glob of purple liquid, causing it to become consumed by the flames and burn the same purple color as the glob of Toxic was in liquid form. She then focuses the mixture of flame and toxin and spews it at Sal.-

Evelyn: Now, Kako! Use Psychic!

-Kako's eyes glow a radiant blue as he unleashes a psychic blast at Sal.-

Kanto Route 8, The Auction

Me: Not sure whether to call them rude or uncultured...

Evelyn: Now's not the time for playground insults, Ian. That Shell Stone is going for...

Evelyn and I: Ꝑ1,000,000?!

Piku-chan: <Talk about expensive! Are they really that valuable?>

Hatty: <If we can come up with an offer greater than that, we'll be able to get it back to the temple!>

Evelyn: Hontō...^* True...

Me: Demo, bokutachi wa jūbun'na okane ga arimasu ka?^* But do we have enough money?

Piku-chan, Hatty, Evelyn and I: <Hmmmmmmm...

Turffield Stadium Lobby

Emilie: It's nice to meet you, Amity.

Meat Palace, Attack of the Worker Cyst

-Evelyn jumps back in shock as the Worker Shadow goes full Shoggoth and summons a group of Mothmen to assist them.-

Joybringer: Immune to everything? That can't be right...

-Joybringer rips off his mask and is surrounded in blue flames as a teary-eyed Misdreavus-like girl appears beside him.-

Joybringer: BANSHEE!

Banshee: L-leave it to me...

-Banshee takes a deep breath and then lets out a piercing screech at the Worker Cyst.-

Evelyn: Okay, so that came out of nowhere! Is this the power of Persona that Joybringer had talked about the last time we were here?

Jubilife Contest Hall Lobby

-Ian and Evelyn smile at each other as they approach the prep area. When they reach the gate to the prep area, they insert their Pokédexes into the slot which then copies their identities from the memory. The slot releases the Pokédexes and prints out their Contest Passes.-

Ian and Evelyn obtained the Contest Passes!

-They then look to each other and nod as they take back their Pokédexes and enter the prep area.-

Jubilife Contest Hall, Main Stage

Marian: Greetings, and a warm welcome to Coordinators and Contest fans of all ages! We all came here for a very special reason: to see who will take home the Jubilife Contest ribbon! Welcome, one and all, to the Jubilife Pokémon Contest! I'm your master of ceremonies, Marian, and we are coming to you LIVE from the Contest Hall in Jubilife City, The City of Joy! Now, let's introduce you to the judges of this Contest!

We have the Head of the Judging Committee and Pokémon Contest director, Mr. Contesta!

Mr. Contesta: I am more than honored to be here to judge the teamwork between Coordinators and their Pokémon! I look forward to seeing everyone do their best!

Marian: Next, we have the head of the Pokémon Fan Club, Mr. Sukizo!

Mr. Sukizo: Jubilife City is simply remarkable!

Marian: And finally, Jubilife City's own Nurse Joy!

Nurse Joy: I can't wait to see all the splendid performances the Pokémon make!

Marian: And we've got quite the cast of Coordinators who want to prove themselves...

What's this?! Among those Coordinators are members of the famed J-Team!

You probably remember the J-Team from the last few times they were in the Sinnoh Region. The first time they were here was when they were just starting out as the J-Team, when weird things happened to Canalave City because of an otherworldly anomaly... Well, they got that patched up and now they've come back!

One thing I know for certain is that with this cast of Coordinators, there's never a dull moment!

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

Almia: Altru Tower — 12:00 AM, April 1st, 2022

-Atop the landmark tower of Pueltown, Almia, shines the Luminous Crystal. A beacon of light, hope, and clarity of mind, the Luminous Crystal is one of the largest pure clusters of Luminite, the crystalline conduits formed when Aura flows in excess. Surrounding it are the three Tears of Princes — crests carved from stone, stabilizing the Luminous Crystal so that it may remain a shining symbol of vatonage for the Almia region.-

-Security should logically be pretty tight, then, shouldn't it?-

-Thunk, thunk, thunk.-

Rogue:◊ My apologies, sir, at least this is only one flight of stairs.

-Rogue nimbly steps out of the way of the guard they just knocked out and left to tumble down the stairway to the floor below, and slips into the central chamber where the Almian relics reside. They look up at the Luminous Crystal, letting out a low whistle.-

Rogue: Whew. That's a damn big rock. Maybe we start with the smaller ones and work our way up, yeah? Might need to come back with a bigger box.

???: Security is already on high alert, Rogue.

-Rogue shrugs nonchalantly at their partner in crime, who steps out of the shadows — certain design elements of their getup resemble Rogue's own, but in terms of color, the gray and gold and red design seem to call to mind less Toxicroak, and more... Giratina.

Rogue: Relax, Renegade. Security's got nothing on me.

Renegade: I'll agree with that when you learn to clean up your messes.

Rogue: They clean up themselves!

??????: I'm afraid you missed a spot.

-Rogue and Renegade quickly turn around toward the source of the unfamiliar voice — a dark silhouette of a figure, almost invisible in the shadows if not for the faint red glow on the inside of their cape.◊ Their mask lacks a face, yet their intense stare is unmistakable and disconcerting.-

Rogue: Ah-hah, hey! Love the getup, pal. Here to join the party?

Renegade: Hm. I'm not surprised that they'd put a Darkrai cosplayer up here. Real creative.

-The figure tilts their head at Renegade.-

??????: Darkrai...? Nobody hired me. At least, not here. I simply followed the commotion climbing through the tower.

Rogue: Hey, hey, I was being stealthy. Renegade's the one who tripped the alarm.

-Renegade scowls, glaring at the specter in front of them.-

Renegade: All right, then. You're just some rando. Who are you, anyway?

??????: ...Renegade, was it? I've been called the Red Moon Renegade, myself. But you can simply call me Eclipse.

-The shadows flicker.-

Eclipse: And I'm afraid it's my duty to stop you.

Rogue: Hahah. Good luck, pal.

-Rogue steps back, almost seeming to melt into the shadows. Eclipse raises a hand, and violet magic constructs — magic which the world has Translated as Obscura — materialize and attempt to wrap around where Rogue was last, but find no purchase. Renegade gestures, and a Chandelure rises up from the ground, a quizzical expression on her face.-

Chandelure: <Altru sure knows how to pick 'em, huh?>

Renegade: Deal with them, Helene! We've gotten this far!

Helene the Chandelure: <Right, lighting 'em up!>

-Jets of flame erupt around Eclipse, and they quickly shield themself with their powers. The magic forms in an unfamiliar way, though, altered by the workings of the world, and the embers manage to eat through and burn at the individual beneath.-

Eclipse: Gah!

-While they're recovering, Renegade rushes up to Eclipse, arm blades at the ready, and jabs at them. Eclipse only has time to shield themself from each strike, and the blade breaks through the first time, before Eclipse readjusts to account for how the world is shaping their abilities. They finally manage to kick Renegade away, only to be blasted in the side by Helene again, embers eating away at their mask. They smother the flames quickly and back up to safety, breathing heavily.-

Eclipse: Damn it, where's Horizon when you need them—

-They're cut off by a pulse of energy radiating from the Luminous Crystal, and they turn their gaze toward it. The crystal's color has dulled slightly, and the Yellow Gem is missing. Eclipse catches the barest glimpse of Rogue slipping away again.-

Eclipse: No! Fuck!

-They rush toward the crystals, raising a barrier to stop Renegade and Helena from following them. Tensely, their attention darts around, trying to find Rogue before they appear again.-

-That attention is quickly diverted toward searing pain, as they feel a knife embedded in their back.-

Rogue: Sorry, pal, but you don't wanna play the hero alone like this.

Eclipse: ...........

-Rogue takes out their knife, and pushes Eclipse aside, throwing them against the Luminous Crystal. The tower rumbles as Rogue removes the next Gem from its place.-

-Eclipse's mind is elsewhere, though. Their senses blur, and a whisper scrapes the back of their mind, like nails on a chalkboard.-

I n t e r e s t i n g

-Their senses return just in time for Rogue to steal the third Gem. The Luminous Crystal goes dark, emits a wave of energy, and the last thing Eclipse remembers is being launched by the force before their vision goes dark.-

Somewhere

—Two forces, one of light and one of darkness, burble forth-

-Two eldritch beings burst forth from those forces and coalesce into more humanlike shapes-

Alphos: "It's here!"

Steve: "The most important time of year!"

Alphos: "April Fools! And the Muse is back for it this year!"

---

-The Muse is quietly, slowly, typing at a keyboard with an intravenous drip labeled RP MOTIVATION jammed into her arm-

---

Steve: "But... What do we do?"

Alphos: "Good question, what DO we - Hey, put that phone down, we're busy!"

Steve: -tapping at a phone with his tentacles- "You sound like a boomer dad saying that, you know that?"

Alphos: "Well, I'm not a DAD but I do have kids.... Wait, what are you even looking at on there anyway?"

Steve: "The Pokemon website! I'm waiting for more Scarlet and Violet news!"

Alphos: "Really? Come on, I'm still trying to finish the Pokedex in Legends Arceu- Wait, that's it! Steve your genius is showing!"

-All tentacles retract back into Steve's body-

Steve: "WHERE?!"

Alphos: "No no like-" -Whispers into Steve's ear-

Steve: "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."

-The two pause-

-Then dive cackling into a portal to the WAAPT universe-

Edited by Umbramatic on Apr 1st 2022 at 12:47:10 PM

Contact Me!

Stormchaser — Morning

-Eclipse bolts awake.-

-Actually, it would be inappropriate to call them Eclipse, seeing as they're unmasked. In fact, the entire top half of their costume has been replaced with a white t-shirt. With the mask removed, their pallid skin and straight, shoulder-length dark brown hair is visible.◊-

-A Purple◊ immediately perks up as the unmasked individual comes to consciousness.-

Kai: Oh, thank the heavens, you're awake!

Eclipse?: Ow. Ow.

Kai: Oof, yeah, uh, don't— don't move so abruptly like that. We helped stop you from bleeding out, but you've still kinda got a huge gash in your back? And a whole lot of...

-She gestures vaguely at her own chest.-

Kai: Heart stuff going on.

-The figure sighs.-

Eclipse?: ...I'm well aware. Don't worry about that.

Kai: Nonono, I get it, I've got my own. Uh, sorry about— seeing that. But you were kind of dying on our doorstep, and I generally don't like letting people die if I can—

Eclipse?: I get it.

-Kai clams up. The figure gives her a harsh look, before softening.-

Eclipse?: ...Sorry. You were helping. I... appreciate it.

-They rub their side for a moment.-

Eclipse?: Let's start over?

-Kai nods.-

Kai: Right, yeah. I'm Kai.

-The short-circuit in the unmasked figure's mind is immediately evident in their expression.-

Kai: ...Something wrong?

Eclipse?: Absolutely not. Surname?

Kai: Uh, Amarin?

-The figure gives a sigh of relief.-

Eclipse?: Okay, phew. I'm... Halys. Kai Halys.

Kai (Amarin): ...ah,

Halys: Yeah. Most people just call me Halys, so... stick with that, I guess?

Kai: Duly noted!

-There's a moment of quiet.-

Kai: ...So, uh, are we gonna address the Donphan in the room?

Stormchaser

Halys: The what now?

Kai: Er, you know. The mask, and the cloak, and the big gash in your back?

Halys: The fuck's a Donphan?

Kai: Like. That seems like a bit more than just cosplay.

Halys: ...

-They hold out a hand, and a shadowy violet mass drags the cloak and charred mask over to them. For no longer than a heartbeat, a red glow pulses through Halys's shirt, outlining the shape of their scars.◊-

Halys: Yeah. I'm a superhero. Goddammit, it's too burned, I've gotta remake this.

Kai: Nice. Cool cool cool. Sorry, again, about, uh. Seeing your identity. And, y'know, taking that off.

Halys: Can we not dwell on that?

Kai: Sure! Sure, sure. Uh, if it helps, I'm somewhat of a retired superhero myself.

Halys: ...Were you now.

Kai: Heheh, yeah. Okay wow I just said that straight up to a stranger, huh?

Halys: You sure did.

Kai: Yeah. Hah. Funny, two Kais who are both superheroes, just happen to meet each other.

Halys: ...

Kai: ...And, uh. Heart problems.

Halys: ...

Kai: ...

Halys: ...

-The two of them stare at each other as this information processes.-

Kai: ...you wouldn't happen to be a vampire, would you?

Halys: Fuck me running.

Jubilife

Ynos is out on errands. Errands that have taken him oddly far from home. Despite everything, Fate looks upon him with intent.

Time for him to get pasted by a car again, says Fate.

It'll be really funny the second however manyeth time guys I swear, says Fate.

Unbeknownst to Ynos, he is about to defy Fate.

Because today it's not him about to get pasted by a car.

You would think Fate would've planned for this but no, Fate apparently did not account for a whitish-pink haired weirdo to appear out of thin air and right in oncoming traffic.

Crunch

Jubilife, Near the Stormachaser

Daydre: "Okay, so what you're saying is... you're not that weird guy they told me worked for Morata but with hair dye."

Haostyn: "First of all my hair is naturally this color (sorta)-"

Daydre: "Does it include the sticks?"

Haostyn: "Yes it includes the sticks"

Haostyn: "Second of all, what's a Morata, and third, can I go home?"

Daydre: "Not until the day is out."

Haostyn: "???"

Haostyn: "If you're saying you're going to keep me here, I'll warn you that that's a bad idea."

He is, in fact, carrying a halberd.

Daydre: "No, I'm not getting into it with some weirdo carrying a live weapon. I mean the universe's weirdness is probably punishing me for my hubris or whatever because it's April First."

Haostyn: "It's a what"

Daydre claps him on the shoulder. He sorta shrinks away from her touch.

Daydre: "Okay kid, it's time for me to introduce you to the wide world of Pokemon."

Haostyn: "You don't look that much older than me."

Daydre:

off the shits

Stormchaser

Kai: You're me.

Halys: We're not even close to being the same person.

Kai: You hit all the story beats!

Halys: You look nothing like me.

Kai: Gods, is it April Fool's Day? I almost forgot that everything gets weird today.

Halys: I'm hallucinating. This is a second-death fever dream.

Kai: You're not dying. Well, not again. My gosh, you really are a vampire, though.

Halys: Not a vampire!

Kai: Didn't you just—

Halys: I said, quote, "fuck me running".

Kai: Some other undead, then?

Halys: Some sort. Maybe a ghoul. I drink souls, not blood.

Kai: Me too!

Halys: Fuck's sake.

Kai: Counts as a vampire in my book.

Halys: ...

Kai: ...No pun in—

Halys: (snort-laugh) Counts.

Kai: —tended.

Halys: Own your puns, Amarin.

Kai: ...Pun accepted, regardless of intent.

Halys: Better!