Sunyshore Outskirts

-Ever makes their way towards the city-

Ever: See, Pokemon training is generally about a level of two-way trust. You have to be in sync with a Pokemon to give a command. This should be obvious, right? If your Pokemon doesn't trust you to make the right call, they have to make twice the number of decisions in the fight, and that's a recipe for losing.

But at the same time, you have to trust your Pokemon. When you tell them what to do, you need to know how they'll interpret the command. Ordering Brushfire to use Flamethrower and ordering Glimmer to do it might have very different results.

Ariel micromanaging like that is profoundly abnormal. Your average battling Pokemon has some sense of how to move and maneuver on their own. The degree to which those natural instincts have been overcome or suppressed is...I mean, I don't know. If I didn't understand them, I'd assume there was some sort of abuse going on, but they seem entirely well-adjusted and comfortable.

But I've been monopolizing the conversation. Tell me about yourself.

Their Shadow: <...>

Ever: I already have a lot of team members who aren't really about the conversation. If you've been following me around for the last few weeks for some purpose, you'll have to make a better pitch than that.

Shadow: <Can you help me get vengeance?>

Ever: On?

Shadow: <I'm trying to figure that out.>

Ever: Oho. That is interesting. I'm not opposed to the odd bit of vengeance.

You'd need to reveal yourself, of course. Are you a Shuppet?

Shadow: <Don't think so.>

Ever: Hm!

CW for mon death and mild gore.

Great Marsh

Chiyo: -Has a light rainbow sheen around her as she trudges through the mud, it mostly slipping off against the barrier- Talonflame aren't even native to Sinnoh to my understanding, how are they being this evasive?

-It's then that a massive shadow passes over-

Dactyl: <Speak and they shall appear...>

-The shadow is revealed to be a giant Talonflame with odd markings who then perches in a large tree, a Tropius in its talons, before it starts tearing into it, paying Chiyo and her mons no immediate mind-

Ceres: -Hiding behind Chiyo- <Chiyo, I'm scared...>

Chiyo: -Patting her- It's okay Ceres...

-To the Talonflame-

Um, excuse me?

Talonflame-EX: -Turns in their perch to face Chiyo, swallowing a Tropius eye- <Yes? Speak quickly, I prefer to eat my prey while it's still warm.>

Chiyo: -Looking up into the trees- Are you familiar with a Drampa named Qinglong?

Talonflame-EX: <...Yes.>

-Seemingly staring right into Chiyo's soul-

<Those eyes... you must be a creation of that infernal School.>

Chiyo: -Staring back- I am, but I left them decades ago, they have no power over me.

Talonflame-EX: -Laughing- <So they don't. I figured as much, otherwise we wouldn't be having this conversation. So what do you want?>

Chiyo: -Pulling out a Poké Ball- A partnership, but not as a trained mon. We need allies to take on the School, and Uxie's directed me to find you.

Talonflame-EX Suzaku: -Headtilt before spreading their wings dramatically- <I suppose if the old lizard and Lady Knowledge sees fit to hear you out, then I, Suzaku of the south, will join your partnership.>

Chiyo: -Throws the Ball-

Suzaku: -Is caught, and immediately comes out- <Now if you'll excuse me, I have a carcass to consume, you already know how to summon me if needed like you can Qinglong.>

-And continues ripping the Tropius carcass apart-

 Celestescape 

-Ramona rolls her eyes-

Ramona: Ghosts aren't real. They're Pokémon deluded into thinking they have any connection to a post-living human by what they ate when they were young and impressionable.

-the mind-entity draws itself into a regal stance-

Ramona: Most legacies are curses. They didn't get to where they are by being nice.

-and on the victims-

Ramona: -shrug- The blessing of sweet oblivion. It's not like they were using those lives for anything important.

-and she gains a look of terminal affront-

Ramona: You don't want anything after death. The spark leaves, flesh turns to meat, ash to ash and all that bullshit the philosophers spew. I'd know. A legacy matters more than its person—isn't that right? It's hardcoded in the underpinnings of reality—

 Campus Palace 

It gathers in a place beyond reckoning and grows a face.

 Celestescape 

Ramona: —we call our gods Legends, for Legends' sake. Legacy matters, and it doesn't matter what I or anyone wants.

-in this space not her own, her voice carries its own echo-

-that snort in her face returns...perspective-

-she's skilled, for a human, and powerful, for a human, and she's still...-

-only...human-

(-Celeste gives her a mother's perspective-)

(-first, she doesn't dare breathe-)

Ramona: …

(-and then she just…can't-)

-is it something in the air?-

-where has her edge gone?-

-if every blue rando and nine-bit sideshow she meets thinks they can read her—her! for—for—-

-she retorts.-
-she retorts-

Ramona: She responds.

-in the physical world, Molly's stilled-

-her hand on Celeste's head, at last even the pretense of pets brought to a halt-

Molly: Curse me?

-she's breathing, shallow and steady, in and out-

Molly: With knowledge?

Molly: How lucky you are, not to have felt that blade. You dropped it before ever holding it in your hands.

-she huffs out a laugh-

Molly: Satisfied with living well? Being loved? You wouldn't enjoy these things half so much, bleeding out. You're just another runaway.

Molly: -leaning in toward the firefox, for some reason- If I were you, I'd hope I never have to tell them this story. I'd hope to Distortion and back.

Molly: And it'd be in vain. No matter how smart you are, no matter how forward-thinking, no matter how well you hide—the cycle always finds you. It does. It has to.

-she tilts her head, apparently lost in thought-

Molly: Ever spare a thought for the people left behind?

-and sharpens back into focus-

Molly: -whispering, resentful- Want to find out what one thinks of you?

-with that intent, "Molly"'s as wary as Celeste's ever seen her—no matter how she tries to hide it-

-her situation's only comparable to holding a wild animal by the scruff of its neck by giving it steel-melting strength and enough well-worn intelligence to be cruel-

-but it's not like she's surprised-

AI Text Prompt: Make me a post for the TV Tropes Forum RP, "We Are All Pokémon Trainers"

Hearthome City - J-Con

-A pair of hands, clad in long blue gloves, suddenly clasp Silas's shoulders from behind.-

Queen(?): Oh Are You Two Actually Going To Fight? That Sounds Like It'd Be Pretty Hilarious LMAO

-The figure releases her grasp on Silas and steps back, stirring a half-full wine glass in a gloved hand - her form is mostly covered by a white bodysuit, a blue leotard, high stiletto boots, and a blue-and-white helmet that extends about half a foot backwards from her collar.-

Queen(?): That Said There's Stuff We Really Should Talk About, Correct

Silas relaxed his grip a bit, Harold still grinning. "Important business stuff huh?"

Roxy laughed. "Good to see you, I'll keep "Dante" here busy while you two talk. Ciao~!"

Roxy walked off, leading Harold away, Silas turned to the Queen cosplayer.

"Good to see you, a lot has happened so I may not be clear on what we need to talk."

He directed her to an area a little out of the way, a soft smile on his face. "So, what's the concern?"

Hearthome City, J-Con

-There's a faint sigh from beneath Queen(?)'s helmet, before she hooks her thumbs under her chin and pulls it up, revealing a heavily-freckled, red-headed young woman sweating in the heat.-

Queen(?) Alice: I do wish we didn't have to break character for this. I would much rather just take the time to enjoy ourselves.

-She shakes her head, looking up at Silas.-

Alice: ...I apologise for not being there to help deal with Delta. There has been much for me to deal with on my own end, and it has kept me away from the Aurabolts for the last few months. That said... you believe that Delta is, for want of a better word, a "blank", correct? I happen to know someone who meets that description, if it happens to be pertinent information.

Edited by Herbert40k on Jul 17th 2022 at 11:59:37 AM

Silas smiled. "Alice, first... I've got some spare fans in my bag, I can outfit that helmet to help keep you cool if you give me 5 minutes."

He let out a chuckle. "Secondly, you were busy, I get that. It was a rare opportunity and I took what I could, we made it in the end. I am in no way upset or disappointed, and if you ever need my help. Let me know and I'll be there asap."

Silas took a sigh and leaned against a wall. "As for the Blank nature... Hacks confirmed it. If there's anyone I trust with that sort of detail, it's him. Blanks were always... mythology to me. Stuff just written in books."

He looked right into her eyes. "What do you know and who do you know?"

Hearthome City, J-Con

Alice: ...Heh. I appreciate the offer. I'm quite able to tolerate this heat, though. I fight crime in a skintight, padded suit, remember?

-She chuckles, then bows her head.-

Alice: ...As for the individual I mentioned, her name is Lissa. She's... I don't believe you've met, but she's effectively my second, at least regarding her position in my own organisation. I can facilitate an introduction, if you wish. You'll find her quite amiable, if a little... forward. If that's not to your preferences, she'll respect your boundaries.

-She shakes her head and fixes her gaze on Silas.-

Alice: We're straying from my initial point. What has become of Delta now?

"I think I've met Lissa a few times... not directly interacted," he muttered tapping a finger to his chin in thought.

"He was delivered to Interpol SRD Captain, Kevin Hudson, shortly after his capture. Kevin is a good man and one we can trust due to his own public nature as a man against corruption and the Nexus Medical Incident. He sits in a secure prison cell awaiting trial, the bureaucracy has a lot to cover. His company is currently swearing in his niece in as the new heir... Despite all this he remains confident."

Silas looked a little angry. "He said we're gonna break him out, that the Guild is gonna pull something and we'll need him. I don't believe him, he's just trying to save his ass because either he goes to trial or the Guild attempts to silence him. He's out of plans."

He let out an exhale and his posture corrected itself, he attempted to smirk. "In the end, he's caught, he's in jail, and when he comes begging I'm not answering. I've finally caught him, and I'm ready to move on."

Edited by EchoingSilence on Jul 17th 2022 at 7:32:00 AM

Hearthome City, J-Con

Alice: ...Hrrm. I suppose I'll settle for that. I've learnt through my interactions with law enforcement in recent months that sometimes getting them in a cell is the best we can hope for.

-Smirking, she leans in and places a quick kiss on Silas's lips, before leaning back, still smiling.-

Alice: You look good clean-shaven, you know. I appreciate it. Less scratchy.

Silas smiled, and then gave her a quick kiss back. "Best appreciate it while you can, the hair grows back quite quickly. Give it a day or two and I'll be pretty much back to normal."

"We're not done, the Bolts can still do a lot of good... but I'd be lying if I didn't celebrate with an entire bottle of champagne shortly after the success of catching him."

Hearthome City, J-Con

Alice: You treated yourself to a whole bottle of champagne and you didn't invite me? Under most circumstances, I'd consider that a punishable offence.

-She chuckles again, taking Silas's hands in her own gloved ones.-

Alice: I'm joking, of course. I don't believe our work is done, either. But nor am I about to begrudge you for celebrating in the aftermath of a major victory. After all, we both came here dressed up. It would hypocritical for either of us to criticise the other for being frivolous.

"Oh trust me, the frivolous does not end here," Silas said. "I had set up a little... fun thing with the costumes."

He gripped onto the sword and snapped his finger, on cue a hollow blue demon stood next to him, mimicking his every move. "I have enough holoprojectors, I wanted to make sure the costumes could do Devil Trigger."

Hearthome City, J-Con

Alice: Oh my. That is impressive.

-She glances in the direction of the changing rooms before looking back at Silas.-

Alice: Though if you really do want to demonstrate what it's possible to do in these costumes, how about I pull this helmet back down and we retreat to someplace where any wardrobe malfunctions won't come under so much scrutiny, hmm?

Silas just smiled, and said in the voice of Vergil. "Never seek to tell thy love."

He gestured for Alice to lead the way, he'd be right behind her.

Gale's Cabin

Hm.

-Gale scanned the room for a moment, turning over the idea in her head-

Tell you what, I'm in. Get me in touch with the studio and I can start right away.

=>

"Now, where was I..?"

You glance down the bar towards your friend the barman. He's in the last few words of a conversation with some man wearing sunglasses indoors. Recognition is faint, isn't he a director?

Ah well champ, you'll get them next time. The press are going to have a field day with the chess puns. Knight Takes King and all that. Just keep pressing, just keep digging...

The Barman turns to look at you, his f̵̨̛̫̝͙͔̘̭̫̄̈́͛͊̊̉̍̈̅̕͠͝ȁ̶͇̮̩̺̥̘̣̭̾̊͊͋̽̾̈́̅̽̊͊͜͠c̸̻͝e̵͖̬̪̖̲͉͙̼̖̟̜̺̭̺͆ bright like kerosene lamps. The man you dimly recognize wanders out of the bar. You don't know where to.

Where were you? Well last I heard you were talking about your time in Galar. How it was nice but oh so dim. I think you're in Sinnoh now, yeah?

Yeah, you think that sounds right. Sinnoh was a little wilder than Galar, a lot more interesting history buried underneath. And of course, the J-Team was here too weren't they?

And if my inkling's right, you're looking for the J-Team. It's lucky I've set up shop at J-Con, isn't it?

"... Yeah! Yeah we are at... Oof, last time I went to a convention it was..."

Maybe that's why you're wearing the sign?

You glance down at the "Not a cosplayer, not a Faller, universe just has a weird sense of humor" sign you've got slung on a string around your neck. Yeah, that should help.

"I should get back out there."

Yeah, up and at them kid.

=> Be Emer

You take in a deep breath and with it the aura of this place. Conventions always have an unfortunate feeling to them; a sensation of so many people crammed together in service to a singular ideal. You set to walking through the crowd, eyes locked to the floor to avoid catching the sightlines of anyone who'd ask stupid questions answered by your sign or worse, challenge you to a Pokemon Battle when you have none.

You stop for a moment to quell Palka's retort on that matter. It would be unfair to fight a Pokemon battle in your Burst form.

Mitchell arrives in Hearthome City from the west, having hiked through Mount Coronet once again. He is looking forward to visiting the famous sights he had read about in his travel brochures, such as the Poffin House, the Contest Hall, and Amity Square.

When Mitchell arrives, though, he discovers a special event going on in the city. The signs pointing to the event call it "J-Con", a name which sounds vaguely familiar to him. He has a feeling that something with that name happened in his home in Castelia, several years ago. Was it nine years? Eight? Ten? He is not certain.

Eventually, Mitchell reaches the site where the J-Con is taking place. To his surprise, he discovers several booths dedicated to J-Team themed paraphernalia, as well as crowds of people dressed in various costumes and other attire milling about the site.

Oh, Mitchell thinks. Looks like it's a convention about the J-Team. Maybe I'll just browse here for a bit.

With that thought in mind, Mitchell enters the convention site, hoping that his Pokemon won't escape their Pokeballs at an inopportune moment.

Celestescape

Celeste: <Oh, I should have seen. Legacy matters to you quite a lot, hm? And that legacy is always written by the victors. Two sides of the same coin. Hm hm hm.... Much to think about. Wants are what determine legacies though, aren't they? Of course it matters what we want, we're the ones building them. And I can decide that I don't want something as part of what I leave behind.>

Celeste: < It's quite sad to be living only to leave something behind, though, isn't it?>

...It'd be a lie to say Celeste wasn't keeping things at a temperature more comfortable for Ninetales than humans, but she can't take all the credit for Ramona's hesitation.

Celeste: -with... genuine concern?- <Are you alright, dear?>

Reality

Celeste: <Oho. There it is.>

She scratches the back of an ear with one of her hind feet.

Celeste: For one so convinced ghosts aren't real, you sure look haunted by some.

Celeste: Well, I know now that you can understand what I'm thinking. So I suppose I'll just continue thinking.

Celeste: I've come to enjoy these things precisely because of what I have had to do in the past. What would you know of my life? Having a violent or unfortunate past does not preclude you from wanting something else.

Celeste: Cycles break every day, whether we're conscious of them or not. If it finds me... Well, that's just my lot. But I am not going to knowingly and willingly perpetuate it if I can help it.

Celeste: Hm. Now there's an interesting question. No, I cannot say the thought of the other branch ever really leaves me. But they made their choice, as did I. Their fate is beyond me now.

Celeste: I'm curious. So be it. What do you think of me? I'm sure my thought process must not make much sense to you. Think me a coward, if you will, for knowing when a burden is no longer worth it to bear.

Celeste rolls over onto her back, exposing her belly. She's just a normal Ninetales, Molly. What are you so cautious of?

Celeste: Why are you so desperate to convince me of the inevitability of cycles, child? Is there one you're running from? I won't say ultimatums are always easy to escape, but in living long you find there is a third option more often than not.

Hearthome city, J-con

Florence falls out of the sky and lands into a nearby bush. After a few minutes Loki flies down and revives them. They pick themselves up and look around.

Florence: <This looks familiar. Have I been here before?>

Loki: <We seem to be in Hearthome city. You know, I think it might be J-con again.>

Florence: <Well, that would explain things.>

Hearthome City, J-Con

Hoops and Xaster step through the entrance of J-Con after waiting for like half an hour in the queue. They were not, unfortunately, invited to be here.

"So, tips for J-Con," Hoops explains as they walk around. "Never tell someone you're a member - they won't believe you. If they recognise you then it's a different story, but no-one will recognise us."

"Because we're new," Xaster says.

"Yeah," Hoops agrees. "And because most of these people only know who the J-Team are due to anime and tv shows and stuff. Most of them haven't even reached the current day, and the only one that did decided that AFAB enby was more palatable to general audiences than AMAB enby and cast a woman with gigantic breasts to play me. And when they used my surname they had to change it due to legal pressure from my father's estate."

Xaster blinks. "That was supposed to be you?"

Hoops nods. "Yeah. And they also made me goth, because apparently that's what having a tragic backstory does to you. So now this woman is walking around in black lipstick and fishnets and that's supposed to be me."

Xaster pales. "I'm so glad they haven't cast me yet."

Hoops puts there arm around him and kisses him playfully on the cheek. "Get ready to be made into a femboy, babe."

At this point, Hoops' pokéball pops open and Kec emerges onto the convention floor in front of them.

<Speaking of disappointing media adaptations> he says. <I have to be off. The director of the new Kecleonman movie is here because he directed a few episodes of one the J-Team shows or something, and he saw my blog and asked to do a panel with me where we debate his creative choices. He thinks he can beat me, but I spent the last few days re-reading every Kecleonman comic and every essay I could find on the character. I also watched everything he's ever directed, so I'll be ready.>

"Can he even understand pokémon?" Hoops asks.

<He assures me there's a system in mind> Kec says. <But just in case this is a way to get rid of his most well known critic, I'll take some security. Your other pokéballs, please.>

Hoops sighs and takes off their belt. "I have Sud, Tot, Sno, Cof, and Pol," they say. "Please be careful."

Kec puts on a pair of sunglasses. <Of course.>

"What was that about?" Xaster asks, as the little pokémon pads off.

"Apparently my partner is more famous than me," Hoops says. "Anyway, continuing with the rules: don't trust that the vendors have the genuine article. A guy tried to sell me Tagg's appendix last year, but according to Tagg..."

J-Con, at the same time

Vana is also at J-Con, having another go at this whole "fun" thing since the last one ended with Whitt showing up and attacking people. That was a somewhat sobering end to the day. But she's not going to let that, or the fact that she now requires a wheelchair to get around, spoil the potential fun of J-Con.

Obviously, she thinks, there could be absolutely nothing un-fun about manoeuvring a wheelchair around a hot and cramped convention centre that smells more and more like someone died as the day goes on. And this doesn't do anything at all to get rid of the School, though she is reasonably sure that there won't be any templars attacking this time, unless their power is to have their sense of smell surgically removed.

"Fucking Aurelia," she mutters. She had been the one to insist that she would enjoy it here, after all. Well, at least Hummy had been able to hack her a pass that let her skip lines all over the convention, and no-one could complain because by now she looked like a malnourished scarecrow.

"How much is that?" she asked, pointing to a J-Team branded t-shirt. She didn't actually want it, but it wasn't like she needed to save money.

"Now, what is there to do here?" she wonders aloud.

Zangoose Fair, past

Whitt puts his wrists out and allows himself to be cuffed. "Well if we're making references, make sure that those are plenty sharp so they don't chafe," he says. "Now, are we going to stand around all day, or are we going to go somewhere a bit more private for our parley."

He makes a point of looking away from the fair, in the direction of the Stormchaser. "I don't know about you, but I can think of the perfect place."

Sandgem Town

~...A THUNDER STONE?!~ cried Emcee.

Laurie nodded. Emcee excitedly began twirling around.

~Well, isn't this exciting!~ they said. ~What an incredible advancement in technology! I hadn't even thought it was possible to evolve a Magneton into a Magnezone with something as simple as a Thunder Stone! This is excellent!~

"I'm glad you're so happy, Emcee," said Laurie.

<But... where are we going to find one?> asked D'Autry.

Laurie turned to face the Poke Mart that was near them and smiled.

"...I think I know the place," they said, flashing Plant a wink.

Plant's eyes instantly lit up with delight.

Poke Mart

With that said, Laurie entered the Poke Mart with Plant and Emcee while all of their other mons stayed outside. Plant in particular immediately began looking around at all of the different items that they had with excitement.

"Hello there!" said the man at the front desk. "How may I serve you today?"

"Yes, well..." Laurie paused, then turned to face Emcee. "I'm looking for a Thunder Stone so I can evolve my Magneton."

"Oh! Well, congratulations to your Magneton!"

~Thank you, gentleman!~ said Emcee.

-THANK YOU, THANK YOU,- said the other two Magnemite.

Immediately, the man at the desk's eyes went wide, and he turned to face Laurie.

"D-did that— did that Magneton just—?!"

Laurie nodded. "Yeah, they pick up on radio signals and convert them into sound waves with which they use to speak."

The man at the desk looked down in awe.

"Well, that is— wow," he muttered. "Anyways, we do have a Thunder Stone! It's the last one we have, though, so you arrived just in time. Let me go get it for you and check it out..."

With that said, the man at the desk went over to one of the stalls and took out a Thunder Stone before giving it to Laurie.

"Here you are," he said.

"Thank you so much," said Laurie.

Soon afterwards, Laurie paid for the Thunder Stone, and Laurie, Emcee, and Plant walked out of the Poke Mart.

Sandgem Town

As soon as they got out of the mart, Laurie held up the Thunder Stone.

~They had one!~ Emcee cheered.

<Alright~!> said D'Autry, running up to him. <I can't believe you're going to be reaching your final form this quickly!>

<Yeah, neither can I,> said Slipknot.

~Will this be your first time seeing an evolution, Plant?~ asked Zoltan.

<Nope, I watched my siblings evolve,> said Plant.

-I FE-EL SO-RRY FOR YOU,- said Hetfield.

<Ah, it's fine,> said Plant.

Laurie, meanwhile, turned to face Emcee.

"Alright, Emcee, you ready?" they asked.

~Ohhh, you didn't need to ask me twice!~ said Emcee. ~Go on, my friend, give me the Thunder Stone! Let the evolution commence!~

"Alright, then!" said Laurie, stepping back. "Catch it, Emcee!"

And with that said, they threw the Thunder Stone at Emcee. Emcee promptly caught it in one of their magnets, and everybody present held their breath waiting for MC-DC to glow blue.

That wasn't what happened.

Instead, MC-DC's Magneton body... began to rust.

Sandgem Town- Post-Evolution Sequence

~...Hello?~ they asked. ~Is this thing on?~

When they glanced over at the sight in front of them, they saw Laurie, D'Autry, Draiman, Hetfield, Slipknot, Zoltan, and Plant all gazing at them with a look of extreme concern. Every single one of them were weirded out beyond belief by what they had just seen. Thankfully for MC-DC, they no longer had triple vision (for some reason), and instead could see perfectly fine with both eyes.

~Am I a Magnezone now?~ they asked.

"...you are..." muttered Laurie, still a bit weirded out

~Oh, that is excellent!~ they cried out, floating over to their Trainer. ~The Thunder Stone worked! Let's see if this thing is on... Wait a minute, why can I see perfectly fine now, shouldn't I have triple vision?~

They tapped the center eye with one of their magnets.

~Is this thing on?~ they asked.

And then seconds later, their center eye "turned on," with a deep, recorded sounding voice coming out of it.

TARGET ACQUIRED.

Emcee's vision promptly had a red filter placed over it.

~Oh— oh my— oh my goodness, I do apologize for that! It seems to be working... hang on...~

They tapped their center eye again, and the red filter was gone.

~There we go!~ said Emcee. ~Anyways, this is absolutely extraordinary! One of the greatest moments of my li—~

And then they noticed their friends' expressions.

~...wait, what's wrong?~ asked Emcee. ~Did something happen?~

<...you rusted,> D'Autry began.

-AND YOU MEL-TED DOWN IN-TO A BLACK PI-LE OF MOL-TEN ME-TAL FOR SOME REA-SON,- said Hetfield.

~Oh... OHHHH!!~ Emcee started laughing. ~Oh, my dear friends, you have absolutely no need to be disturbed! Mark my words! That, my friends, was an extremely rare type-based evo, only happening under extremely rare circumstances! Who knows? It could happen to you one day...~

<So... you didn't die?> asked Plant.

~Oh, Plant... I'm a Steel-type! I'm practically immortal! We Steel and Electric-types can live for ye-e-eaaars!~

-CAN CON-FIRM,- said Hetfield. -UN-FOR-TU-NATE-LY.-

<Well, that's a good thing!> said D'Autry, visibly relieved. <Congratulations on your evolution~!>

<How can you be so excited after seeing something like that?!> cried Slipknot. <I was expecting 'em to go blue!>

<He still evolved~!> said D'Autry.

<...Well, that's true,> Slipknot said, shrugging. <Congrats, Emcee.>

~Thank you kindly!~ said Emcee.

~Indeed,~ said Zoltan.

<O-oh yes... I- I was getting worried about you there for a second, though,> said Draiman.

~Ah, I'll be fine!~ said Emcee. ~Now, shall we continue with our... grieving period?~

"Yes, absolutely," said Laurie. "And then... it's off to Oreburgh. Our journey soon begins."

J-Con— Braker's Section

The J-Con was once again in full swing.

And just like last year, Leonard Braker was there, with Walter, Cuddles and Caboose there by his side. There was, however, one other mon floating next to him.

~YAY~ cried KL-RY with happiness. ~LOOK AT ALL OF THESE INCREDIBLE ITEMS~

~I AM VERY DELIGHTED TO BE INTERACTING WITH MY FELLOW HU-MANS~

And then he noticed the J-Team sign.

~WAIT WHAT WHO ARE J-TEAM~

<Long story short, they are a bunch of Pokemon Trainers who have fought evil countless times over,> said Walter. <There's a lot more to it than that, of course, but that's more or less the basics. Braker is a part of the J-Team, along with Kimberly Bond.>

~WHO IS THAT~

<...Oh right you've never met her,> said Walter.

"She's great," said Braker. "She's an up-and-coming philologist. I hear that she'll be at a booth here."

<She will?!> asked Cuddles.

"Indeed," said Braker. "But... I don't exactly know where I'm going to find her..."

J-Con— Laurie's Section (post-Oreburgh, post- Plant evolution)

For one Laurie Hitoki, meanwhile, it was their very first time here.

All of their mons were out and about, as per the usual, with the sole exception of Plant. D'Autry, Hetfield, Zoltan, Slipknot and Draiman were all looking at the exhibits and cosplayers around them, and the newly fully-evolved MC-DC was floating around, playing music from their antennae and happily dancing.

~Well now!~ they exclaimed. ~Isn't this delightful! So many J-Team artifacts... I wonder if anyone else is here!~

"Yeah, how's Mitchell doing?" Laurie asked. "I'm sure they'd be delighted to see you."

~Why wouldn't they be?~ said Emcee.

-DON'T GIVE THEM THAT INCH,- said Hetfield. -WE ARE NOT HERE TO HAVE FUN. WE ARE HERE TO LOOK AT THE EX-HI-BITS AND THEN LEAVE.-

<Awww, c'mon, Hetfield~!> said D'Autry. <We can have plenty of fun here!>

-I DOUBT IT,- said Hetfield.

Delta Carrier

"Woah," Lamb considered. "... nothing? I can feel his body heat from here," she considered. "Just... a black hole? No Aura? That's..." she kicked at the ground.

Hamlet Manor

"I've got what I needed! Kamui hollered from the floor above, looking down at her fatigued, dizzy Dragon and her shapedshifted Ghost-type.

Getting the cue, Lilac returned to the Pokeball in Katsuragi's hand, who in turn shifted once again and returned himself to the ball in Kamui's hand.

Swiftly pocketing it, a fireball built up in her hand, which she threw behind herself as she fled to trap the Countess inside, behind burning rubble.

J-Con

Someone is sitting down somewhere a little out of the way, looking at their ears and tail(s) they have despite being entirely otherwise human.

Edited by AbsentCoder on Jul 18th 2022 at 10:01:38 AM

J-Con- Laurie's Section

And then— Laurie noticed Kendall there.

"Oh, look, there's someone," they said.

~Well, then! Why not go over and talk to them?~ asked Emcee.

"That's— that's what I was planning to do, Emcee," said Laurie.

With that said, they went over to Kendall with their mons. D'Autry took one look at Kendall and tilted his head, somewhat confused as to why he had ears and a tail.

"Um... hi. Hello there," said Laurie. "I do hope I'm not intruding on you... My name is Laurie Hitoki, and I—"

And then Emcee burst in.

~And I'm MC-DC!~ they said. ~Absolute pleasure to meet you, my friend; of course, you can just call me Emcee, everyone else does! I must say, you have absolutely fantastic Dusk Lycanroc cosplay there! Why, a long time ago when I was still a Magnemite I heard about a whole slew of cosplayers who took on the Sinnoh League! And one of them had a Lycanroc, too!~

"You did?" asked Laurie. "Where in the world did you hear that?"

~Well, I was floating around through Sinnoh—~

"You can tell me the story later," said Laurie. "Do forgive Emcee, they're a bit... well..."

-IN-TRU-SIVE, TO SAY THE LEAST,- Hetfield broke in.

Edited by OPALGARNET16 on Jul 18th 2022 at 2:18:09 PM

J Con 22

He looked up at them, one hand pulling double duty on massaging his temple and adjusting his headphones as his ear flicked. He stood up to meet Laurie at eye level, stretching his shoulder as he reached to brush the knots out his tail's fur with a fur caresses from his palm.

"Man, you're chatty," he noticed, looking at MC with an annoyed look before turning back to Laurie. "Can I help you?" He asked, reaching into his pocket with his right hand.