Priest of the Temple of Syrinx
The following is Part 2 of the last thing that Ian and I were working on prior to his ban from WAAPT. Everything here was spagposted with Animeboy Ianpower and is the culmination of the League and Kim's arc in Galar. Thank you so much Ian for everything.
All of Ian and Evelyn's lines were put into prose-based format.
Wyndon Stadium- Post-Battle
It was over and done with. Evelyn Promeneau had won.
Kim stood there for a few moments, unsure how to cope with her third loss of the day... and then she smiled.
She'd done a good enough job.
With that said, she walked up to Evelyn and extended her hand out for Evelyn to shake.
"Well done, Evelyn," she said. "I must say, that was a very well-fought battle."
"Indeed it was," said Evelyn, shaking her hand. "And I am glad I got to battle you for my Pokémon League."
"As... am I..."
Kim paused for a few moments, looking back towards the exit as Kendall's words from earlier came into her mind again. Evelyn looked at her in concern.
"Is... Is something wrong?" she asked.
Kim stopped, and shook her head.
"No, nothing's wrong," she said. "I just..."
She looked back out at the exit again.
"...I need some time to think about something," she said.
"Um... Okay..." said Evelyn, slightly confused. "Take all the time you need."
"Alright, thanks," said Kim.
And with that said, she ran immediately out of the stadium.
Wyndon Stadium- Stands
<Huh?> asked Cuddles. <Well, that's unusual... Is she alright? What happened? A-and for that matter, what is happening?>
He paused.
<...Wait a minute, this is her third loss of the day,> he realized. <I-if anything she's probably worried that she's a terrible battler... I can't let her think that...! W-we need to go back outside!>
<Cuddles, I don't think that-> Walter began, but the Galvantula was already gone.
Walter, Braker, and Caboose all looked at each other before heading off after him.
MEANWHILE...
THE HASSLEMON INTERWEBS
butterfreeCrossing, wanderingMustelid, holyGlider, marshmallowLover, scaredyBohemian, and newspeakNautical joined the chat.
BC: {great 0 job 0 everyone}
BC: {we 0 may 0 have 0 lost 0 but 0 that 0 was 0 a 0 hard 0 fought 0 battle}
WM: Ah, I gAve it my beSt eFFort. DAng, wAS thAt a diFFicult KirliA to tAke down, though!
ML: I... um... I think mine was a bit easier...
SB: h-how's dio ;;;;;
HG: YEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!! WHOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOO!!
WM: ...huh. Yer tAkin' thiS SurpriSingly well.
HG: WELL, DUH! I GOT MY FIRST TIE, BABAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY!
WM: ...oh, right.
SB: p-phew that's a relief ;;
NN: 1 4-4m— 1 4m n3v3r do1ng th4t 4g41n— th4t w4s tr1p13p1usungood— th4t w4s p1ustortur3fu1 for m3—
ML: I-it... it made y[]u str[]nger, th[]ugh... right?
NN: 1 TORTUR3D TH3 OPPON 3 NT—!
SB: u-um ;; y-you didn't torture anybody—
newspeakNautical left the chat.
SB: o-okay um nevermind ;;
BC: {wonder 0 how 0 kim's 0 taking 0 it 0 especially 0 since 0 y'know 0 it 0 it's 0 been 0 her 0 third 0 loss 0 today 0 and 0 well 0 i 0 don't 0 know 0 how 0 she'll 0 feel 0 about 0 it 0 really 0 y'know}
WM: Good FreAkin' queStion!
HG: IF SHE'S ANYTHING LIKE ME, SHE'LL BE DEVASTATED...
BC: {let's 0 go 0 check 0 on 0 her}
SB: yeah ;; good idea ;;;
Everyone left the chat.
Outside of Wyndon Stadium
Kim eventually stopped running and sat down for a few moments on the grass. She wasn't particularly saddened about the fact that she had lost three times over the span of a single day. Moreso... worried, if anything. She'd battled to the best of her ability, but as far as she knew, her battling skills still weren't up to par with both seasoned veterans and even her closest friends. She had a feeling that the scars of Jigsaw would still stick for a very long time, despite the fact that Ian, Evelyn, Kendall and their mons had helped her defeat him. And then there was Kendall himself, and 9-Volt, and there was what Kendall had told her before Evelyn's battle.
The words still rang in her mind.
Your game plan seems to revolve around claiming even a portion of notoriety some of us have, unaware that the potential to blaze your own trail is something you've always had.
She knew he was right.
She was perfectly capable of blazing her own trail.
But... what could she do? What more was there to do? What more was there to discover?
Before her mind could think about it any further, she saw a few flashes in front of her. She blinked and looked up, only to find Paul, Sinatra, and Dio in front of her with concerned looks.
"Huh?" she asked. "Paul? Sinatra? Dio? What are you three doing here?"
<Oh, we just wanted to check on you, to see if— y'know, to see if you were doing alright- since this is your third loss of the day, and we saw you run off, and so we thought- y'know, we thought that you might be a bit saddened, really...>
"Oh," said Kim. "Oh, I'm not saddened. I already had a victory today. A huge one, at that. No amount of losses could make up for it."
<Then whatcha run off for?> asked Sinatra.
She looked up at the sky.
"...I've been thinking," she said.
<About?> asked Dio.
"About what Kendall said to me earlier," said Kim. "That I'm perfectly capable of blazing my own trail, but instead choose to pursue even a fraction of the fame that everyone else has."
She sighed.
"He was right about that," she said. "But... I still don't know what I want to do. I don't know how to blaze my own trail. I haven't made any big linguistic discoveries. I don't know if I ever will. The only accomplishment to my name is 'I beat the Galar Gym Challenge'."
She paused.
"...and one other thing, but I'm not telling you what that thing is," she said.
<Well, I'm sure there's a lot more epic things you can do with your life!> said Dio. <You're a J-Team member! Do what you like!>
"That's the thing," said Kim. "I... don't really know if being a member of the J-Team is giving me the opportunity to do what I like."
Paul, Sinatra, and Dio blanched for a bit.
<...Oh,> said Paul.
<Wait... are you saying... you want to leave?!> cried Dio.
"No, no, I don't want to leave," said Kim. "I'm still a J-Team member, but... I need to find out what I can do as a J-Team member. And being around all of these people... I don't think it's allowing me to do that."
<Then whattdya wanna do?!> asked Sinatra.
Kim paused, glancing down at the floor.
And then-
<Kim~!>
She glanced back up, to find Cuddles, Braker, Walter, and Caboose all running towards her. Eventually, Cuddles stopped in front of her, and she looked on, squealing and- as usual- desperately wanting to pet him.
Until she actually heard what he had to say.
<A-are you alright?> he asked. <I- I was getting worried- I saw you run out of the stadium and off the pitch and so— I- I thought that you were sad because you lost three battles in a row- so I just wanted to see if you were alright- p-please don't leave the J-Team or anything like that...!>
Cuddles immediately began to sniffle, and Kim's excitement promptly changed to concern as she picked him up, smiling warmly.
"Cuddles, it's fine," she said. "I'm not leaving the J-Team. And I'm not upset about my losses, either."
<Y-you're not?>
"Not at all," said Kim. "I was thinking."
<Oh?> asked Cuddles, jumping out of Kim's arms. <Thinking about what?>
"About what Kendall told me," said Kim. "About me blazing my own trail as a J-Team member."
She glanced at the ground again, before looking over at Paul.
"And...?" asked Braker.
She stared over at Paul for a few more moments.
Her starter mon.
She'd known him by this point for years, and he'd been the main one to help her through most of her problems back in the day. Heck, he'd helped her right before the battle with Evelyn, and now, she had a full-blown Confidant that she could talk to about anything. Now here she was, in her biggest quest yet— finding herself for the very first time.
And she couldn't find out who she was by looking out towards thousands of people.
She had to look inside herself to find out who she truly was.
She had to find out, on her own accord, what she wanted to do.
She couldn't spend all of her time as a member of the J-Team.
Not anymore.
At that moment, glancing over at Paul and remembering everything she'd gone through back home in Striaton— everything that her parents had taught her— everything they'd hoped for her...
She knew.
She stood up, right then and there, smiling over at Braker.
"And I think I know exactly how to figure that out," she said.
Braker raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
Kim nodded.
And then, after a bit-
"...Could you get Ian and Evelyn outside for me, please? I'd like to tell this to them, too."
J-Con: Laurie's Section
"I still don't know what mons he has," said Laurie.
And then they and Emcee stopped short.
"4-time Champion?!" cried Laurie. "Oh my goodness. I couldn't possibly stand a chance against your team."
~Author?!~ cried Emcee. ~Well, that's absolutely fascinating! What book did you write? A memoir?~
Edited by OPALGARNET16 on Jul 22nd 2022 at 6:03:15 AM
Hi, I’m oghond, and I’m a Rushaholic. Sorry if I annoy you unintentionally. 😅
Fwomph
Hamlet, Crimson Manor
The wreckage crashes down, though most of the fire on it is extinguished as it hits whatever scarlet flood fills the basement. The Countess, that equally scarlet insect, is briefly buried under the wooden debris but from the cracking sounds coming from the hole to the basement, it might not hold her for long.
What's the play, Kamui?
Meat Factory
It feels like we're missing something. I mean given that speech back there with the bear...
The Face: Wasn't there for that!
... Let's just press on. Maybe things will just... Be revealed, yaknow? This room seems to just be a linear corridor towards the—
-Rakash hums a bit-
Hard to gauge how big the Palace is...
Delta Carrier
Hm. A Blank, interesting little quirk to proceedings.
-The Nightingale is here, she probably stepped out of a shadow-
Being a Blank means you don't turn up on aura sight. It's a little quirk, doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things. Just means we can't cheat out an auric polygraph...
-She shrugs, eyes of the helmet flashing red-
Shall we get the questioning started?
It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.
Priest of the Temple of Syrinx
The following is Part 3 of the last thing that Ian and I were working on prior to his ban from WAAPT. Everything here was spagposted with AnimeboyIanpowerand is the culmination of the League and Kim's arc in Galar. Thank you so much Ian for everything.
All of Ian and Evelyn's lines were put into prose-based format.
Outside of Wyndon Stadium
"...you're doing WHAT?!"
Kim nodded gravely, staring over at her friends. By now all three of them had gathered outside, and Kim had returned her Pokemon.
"Indeed," she said. "In a few hours I will be heading back home to Striaton City in order to find out more about myself and see if I can blaze my own trail as a J-Team member. I... hope you all are okay with this. I don't expect to contact any other members of the J-Team for quite a while. If ever again. I'll still be in contact with you, of course, Braker, but Ian and Evelyn..."
She paused.
"...Thank you. Thank you both so much."
Braker paused for a few moments.
"...wow," he said eventually. "I was... not expecting you to decide to do this. This is a huge step for you, going out on your own. I wish you all the best of luck, but... aren't you going to miss it? Talking to your friends? Hanging out with other members of the J-Team?"
"Well, of course I will," said Kim. "Ian and Evelyn most of all, naturally. But... they'll always be here. The memories of the times we had will always be here. And mark my words, I'm not going to forget them as long as I will live."
Braker, Walter, Cuddles, and Caboose looked at each other for a few moments.
"Well. I'm glad you're doing this," said Braker. "I think it'll certainly help you a lot in learning to be a better person."
Kim smiled.
"Thank you, Braker," she said.
She turned to face Ian and Evelyn.
"Ian? Evelyn?" she asked. "What... what do you two think?"
"Best of luck, Kim!" said Ian, flashing her a thumbs-up. "You're gonna do great!"
Evelyn nodded in agreement. "I am glad to have traveled with you. I wish you the best."
"That's good to hear," said Kim, smiling. "But... I'm not going to be heading off just yet, of course."
"Oh?" asked Braker.
<Where will you be going, then?> asked Cuddles.
Kim looked back.
"The Wild Area, of course," she said. "I'd like to catch one more Pokemon before I head off for good."
"Ah," said Braker. "...Which one, though?"
"Simple," said Kim, turning away to walk off. "The first one I find. I'll meet you guys later."
And with that said, she began the trek to the Wild Area.
30 MINUTES LATER...
The Wild Area- Near Motostoke
After a half hour or so, Kim made it to the Wild Area, taking a look around to see if there were any mons that she could catch. Surprisingly, however, there weren't that many Pokemon around. It was getting pretty dark by that point, and for a few moments, Kim thought about leaving until she heard a cackling sound near her.
She quickly turned— only to find that the cackling sound had come from a Mandibuzz, who was standing there holding a book of some kind. She didn't know what the book was, but she stared at the Mandibuzz for a few moments before the latter eventually spoke.
<Oh— HAHAHAHAHAHAAAA—!> she laughed, before wiping a tear from her eye. <Oh... what on Earth are you doing out at this hour? Haven't you heard...? The Boogeyman could getcha at any moment!>
Kim scoffed.
"Oh, I don't know about that," she said. "I personally don't believe in the Boogeyman... though I will admit I did have to deal with one of my very own."
The Mandibuzz glanced at her, intrigued.
<Oh, you did, didja?> she asked. <Mind if you tell me more? I'd be eager to write it all down!>
"Is that why you have that book?" asked Kim.
<Oh, no, the reason I have this book is for the sake of reading stories!> said the Mandibuzz, setting it down. <Though, of course, it is dark outside, so I wouldn't imagine you'd like to hear one at this moment. Who was your boogeyman, though, eh?>
"It..." she paused. "It was Jigsaw."
The Mandibuzz's eyes widened.
<Jigsaw?> she asked. <As in the SAW films? Hoooooo-boy, now that's somebody I'd love to go up against! Where is he?>
"He's dead," said Kim.
<Oh,> said the Mandibuzz. <Well, so much for that, then.>
She went over and picked up her book again, sighing with contentment.
<Ya know, this whole thing reminds me of another story!> she said. <Just a few days ago I watched a SAW film on TV— bet an old friend of mine that if I were to actually get involved in a SAW trap I could beat it in a matter of minutes. So she put me in a room with a bunch of hay and told me that I had an hour to find the needle or THE ROOM WOULD BURST INTO FLAAAAAMES—! AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA—!>
She began cackling again, and then:
<Yeah, screw 'er, I found it in 5 minutes. Anyways, what'd he do to you?>
"He made me believe that everyone I knew hated me," said Kim.
The Mandibuzz's eyes widened.
<Oh... oh dear. That is— wow. That is awful.>
"Yeah, I'm fine now... mostly," said Kim.
<Well, something tells me you need therapy!> said the Mandibuzz. <That'd be a tough break for anyone, let alone someone like you who dared to come out in the dark of the night!>
A beat, then:
<By the way, what's your name?>
"Kimberly Bond," said Kim. "I came to the Wild Area in search of a mon to capture before I head off to Striaton City in order to find myself."
<Oh! Well, if that's why you came here, be my guest!>
Kim blinked. "You... want to come? I mean, I wasn't really expecting you..."
<Well, duh! Of COURSE I want to come!> said the cackling Mandibuzz. <I mean, you were the one that came out here, right?>
Kim paused for a few moments, then nodded.
"...yeah, I was," she eventually admitted. "Alright, then." She took out a PokeBall. "Welcome to the te—"
She paused.
"Huh," she said. "Are you my first female Pokemon? ...Well dang. You're my first female Pokemon. Neat."
<YEEEESS-!> she cried out. <Sweet! Whatcha gonna name me?>
"Well, I already know you like stories, and you're a witch... are you perhaps a fan of the macabre?"
<Duh.>
"...Jinx," said Kim after a moment.
<Oh, you silly Trainer! I'm not an Ice-and-Psychic type!>
"No, no, no, Jinx as in Jinx— J-I-N-X— Dawson, lead singer of Coven."
<Oh,> said the Mandibuzz.
And then after a bit:
<Oh, you mean the "One Tin Soldier" singer?>
"You know about Coven?" asked Kim in surprise.
<Of course I do!> said the Mandibuzz. <I watch [Todd in the Shadows]!>
"...Natch, you'd probably watch a guy in the shadows any day of the week," said Kim. "Alright, then! Welcome aboard, Jinx!"
With that said, the newly-christened Jinx grabbed her book and was promptly knocked on the head with the PokeBall. She was promptly sucked into it, and the ball landed on the ground and shook three times before the center flashed yellow.
Kim smiled and went up to the PokeBall before picking it up.
"And that's number 23," she said. "You're gonna love it here, Jinx."
She put the ball away and looked out at Galar for what would, for her, be the last time.
"...Well, so long, Galar," she said. "It's been a blast."
Then after a bit:
"...Ah, I could stay here a little longer."
With that said, she went over to a log and sat down.
MEANWHILE…
THE HASSLEMON INTERWEBS
wickedBardess joined the chat.
Everyone else joined the chat.
EL: Ooooh, a newbie! 'Ello +here!
DT: zz Sweet! Didn't think she'd end Up getting another one of those! Zz
GN: Hello there!
PM: greetings...
WM: Oh. Hey. Who Are you?
WB: Name's Jinx. I'm a Mandibuzz. A human just caught me; said her name's Kimberly Bond.
EL: +ha+'s our +rainer!
WB: Oh, hang on, you guys are using weird typing styles? Get me in on this!
HG: THERE'S A THING FOR SETTINGS! ALSO, HI!
wickedBardess left the chat.
sabbathKnight opened the typing quirk interface.
wickedBardess: Title case, surrounds words with [], sometimes uses carats if feeling particularly ridiculous.
EL: +i+le case?
ML: What's that?
wickedBardess returned to the chat.
WB: [Oh Hey. I'm Back. Dang, Does That Feel Good! Hang On, Let Me Just Spice Things Up a Little... ^lright, There We Go. So! How're You Guys Doing?]
SK: Ande Þere'se youre answere.
SB: i hope you're not too scary ;;;
WB: [^h, Rel^x! I'm Fine.]
SB: phew ;;;
CV: Hell O there! Mi name ys Dalt!
UR: ooh! A new DROOG!
UF: I aM delighted to Meet you. My naMe is BoseMan. If it pleases you, I Would be honored to introduce you to the rest of the MeMbers of this teaM.
WB: [Gl^dly!]
UF: Alright, then. Be Warned, there are a lot...
PM: hang ▲ on...
UF: Oh?
EL: Wha+'s wrong, Gilmour?
PM: i... ▲ need ▲ a ▲ minute...
EL: Oh! Sure +hing!
psychedelicMortality left the chat.
Hi, I’m oghond, and I’m a Rushaholic. Sorry if I annoy you unintentionally. 😅
Person, or Idea?
Any one of the three titles Kendall claimed for himself (J-Teamer, author, and 4-time Champion) would have made Mitchell nervous and deferential. Hearing all three at once, however, is too much for him to handle. He begins to profusely sweat.
"O-oh," Mitchell stammers, as his handshake stiffens into a mechannical rhythm. "Y-you're quite accomplished, t-then."
Then, Mitchell withdraws his hand from Kendall's grip, before slamming himself to the ground in imitation of the [Japanese] art of 'dogeza'.
Sorry sorry I shouldn't disturb you!, he squeaks.
Gus, having been thrown from his perch by Mitchell's sudden movement, now grips Mitchell's head and pulls back on it. <Raise your head, Milord!>, he says.
Meanwhile, Chris addresses Laurie and Emcee. <I am not certain,> she says, <that Mr. Kendall wants to talk about himself or his Pokemon yet.> She then shrinks back a bit. <Er, but, I can't really stop you from asking him, haha,> she adds nervously.
Some Rando
J-Con
He got on the ground himself, kneeling to meet the deferential newcomer closer to eye level.
"To be fair, I had five years to gather all those claims to fame, and some are definitely easier than others," he chuckled, before standing up and looking back to Laurie. "Hell, the book was basically a "[ For Dummies
]" book with sarcasm from me and contributions from my Pokemon," he reasoned. "Easier to get published than it should have been."
"Are you sure you want to know all my 'mons? Last count there was at least 25," he warned.
[Insert Unoriginal Stinger Here]
Priest of the Temple of Syrinx
J-Con
"Just the first six will do,” said Laurie.
Hi, I’m oghond, and I’m a Rushaholic. Sorry if I annoy you unintentionally. 😅
Person, or Idea?
Mitchell raises his head and slouches back to a sitting position, as he listens to Kendall address both him and Laurie. Despite Kendall's reassurance, Mitchell is still intimidated by the history he describes. He is about to protest, but he is silenced by a water bottle shoved into his mouth by Gus.
<Drink up, Milord, and please relax,> the Roselia says. <It will not do for you to panic in the presense of any human with more accomplishments than you.>
Chris does not need to provide translation for Mitchell to understand Gus' intent. He takes a long swig from the bottle, then sighs in content and addresses Kendall.
"Sounds like I could have used your guide," Mitchell says. "Sometimes, I think my Pokemon are training me, not the other way around.
At this statement, both Gus and Chris struggle to stifle their laughter.
Some Rando
J-Con
"Oh, definitely. Almost thirteen years now, about, and I'm still learning things from my own team," he acknowledged, looking down at his palm as the swirling darkness in his jacket coalesced into the form of an Ultra Ball. He shook it away. "Oh, right, my first six.
"Helmsman the Samurott, Julius the Stoutland, Sylveon, Kamui the Ninetales…. my Lucario, and 9-Volt the Galvantula," he listed off, pausing a little at the thought of his Fighting-type. "Those six managed to get through both Sinnoh and Unova's Champions’ teams," he reminisced.
Hamlet
Her attention turning to the rumbling wood in the midst of the fire, Kamui decided she had no intent of continuing the assault.
Clutching the discovered keepsakes like her life depended on them, she hollered Kokonoe's name, her fellow fire fox appeared and attempting to hold down the smoldering wood with Extrasensory, at least from as safe a distance as possible.
Edited by AbsentCoder on Jul 22nd 2022 at 10:15:28 AM
[Insert Unoriginal Stinger Here]
Priest of the Temple of Syrinx
J-Con
CW: mention of dead body
Laurie didn’t even register the pause.
The second they heard the last Mon, the flashbacks started coming on. All they could see at that point was the body. And their sibling’s room. And the memories they'd never get back.
"Oh, um—” they practically sputtered out. "Y-you have a—”
They shook their head, trying to get the image out of their minds.
"Can I… could I meet them?" they asked, trying to change the subject. "Seeing as I— as I have a Dewott myself, I…"
They shot a glance at Mitchell, hoping he'd realize what was happening.
Hi, I’m oghond, and I’m a Rushaholic. Sorry if I annoy you unintentionally. 😅
Person, or Idea?
Mitchell sighs in relief. He is glad the experience that he had is shared by someone as well traveled as Kendall.
Mitchell notices the darkness forming under Kendall's jacket, but pays it no mind. After all, he has already witnessed his fair share of paranormal phenomena during his time in Sinnoh.
Chris notices Laurie's look of distress, and she gets Mitchell's attention. ~Mitchell,~ she transmits. ~Laurie's in trouble!~
Mitchell glances at Laurie in time to catch their look. It takes him a moment, but he gets the hint.
"Actually," Mitchell says, addressing Kendall, "I don't think you should show us 9-Volt." He hesitates, trying to delicately give a good reason for this request. "They'd, er, remind Laurie of someone they miss."
<Someone they miss?>, Gus asks Chris. <What does Milord mean?>
<He's talking about Laurie's sibling,> Chris explains. <Gavroche and I can tell the rest of you about it some other time.> She then returns to her vigil over Laurie.
~It's still weird! As far as I knew, Blanks are myths!~
Hacks turned to Oran Obliterator. ~I... suppose that works somewhat... the thing that makes Blanks so fundamentally wrong is that every living thing has aura. Even Vampires still have aura, they aren't all sucking voids. With Blanks it's like they have none, no life no soul. Just an absence, and yet they're still alive.~
Jack furrowed his brows. "That's all fascinating but I believe the big heroes were making with the questions?"
Silas sighed. "Fine, first up, we've heard talk over Guild lines about something called The Big 3. Explain."
Jack smiled. "The Big Three is a coloquialism applied to the top rung hunters. The Hunter's Guild has about 300 all together, top 100 being elite. Top 50 being professionals. Top 10 being the best. Then there is J, Sphinx, and I. The Best of the Best, the ones who achieve the impossible. The Big Three, we're the most devastating Hunters in the Guild and we terrify the Council of 5."
Roxy quirked a brow. "Really now?"
"Mhm. Simply put, we're good at what we do and we have a mutual arrangement, hell the Council even asks us for input on Guild Decisions. You wanna know why I joined the Guild despite being a former K-Teamer? I was good at catching pokemon, I always was. I applied that skill elsewhere."
Silas frowned. "Anybody else have any questions for him?"
Priest of the Temple of Syrinx
The following is Part 4 of the last thing that Ian and I were working on prior to his ban from WAAPT. Everything here was spagposted with Animeboy Ianpower and is the culmination of the League and Kim's arc in Galar. Thank you so much Ian for everything.
All of Ian and Evelyn's lines were put into prose-based format.
MEANWHILE...
The Wild Area
Kim was still sitting on the log in front of her, satisfied by her final Galar capture and looking out at the sunset, when all of a sudden, she heard a sound. She turned and saw a flash of light- followed by Gilmour appearing out of his PokeBall.
"Gilmour?" she asked. "What are you doing here? D-did you meet Jinx?"
Gilmour nodded. <I did indeed...>
"How is she?"
<She seems... rather enjoyable... if a bit odd...>
Kim smiled. "She seemed that way to me too. So... is there any reason why you're out?"
Gilmour nodded.
<Indeed... I have been thinking... for a few days... about all that you have given me... as my Trainer...>
Kim raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
<And I would like... to thank you greatly...> said Gilmour. <Because of you... I can safely say now... that I am no longer afraid of my death... We have made some incredible memories together...>
Kim smiled.
"Thank you, Gilmour," she said. "We certainly have... where are you going with this?"
Gilmour paused for a few moments.
<Well... put simply... I believe... I can consider my adventures with you over...>
Kim looked on for a few moments in shock.
"W-what on Earth do you mean?" she asked. "I... I love you so much! I... I don't want you to feel neglected at all!"
<No... I am not asking for a release...> said Gilmour. <I had so much fun... travelling the world with you... and learning to appreciate life... that... I'd like to do it all over again... with someone new... so that I can have even more adventures...>
Kim paused.
"A-are you saying... you want to be... traded?"
Gilmour nodded.
"B-but why?" asked Kim. "Don't you feel fulfilled here?"
<I did... I did indeed...> said Gilmour. <And I would like to thank you for everything... But this was merely one adventure... in my life... I wish to go out there and make more... More memories with more Trainers... and more people... so that when I do die... I will have lived my life to the absolute fullest... as you have always wanted me to...>
For a few moments, Kim looked down at Gilmour, not knowing what to think or what to expect. She certainly hadn't expected this— that one of her own Pokemon would want to go off on his own accord, too. She thought back for a few moments as all the memories of her and Gilmour's times together came back to her.
The New Year's Eve battle with Ian.
Stow-on-Side.
Halloween.
Defeating Jigsaw.
And through all of the moments, he'd come so far. He'd gone from fearing his own death to accepting it— even if he still feared the deaths of others; and even if he still had visions. He had turned into someone who was willing and ready to protect his friends from any danger, even if it meant his own death. And now, here he was, eager to go off on his own journey and make more memories with more people so that he could live his life to the absolute fullest.
And if that was what he wanted...
"...Well, then," she said, smiling down at Gilmour with tears in her eyes. "Who would I be to refuse?"
Gilmour smiled back. It was the first time Kim had seen him do so since his capture.
Soon, she hugged him, and Gilmour snuggled up against her.
<Thank you...> said Gilmour.
"You're welcome," said Kim, breaking the hug. "It'll still be a bit before I trade you off, though. First of all, I need to find somebody who I could actually trade you to... that'll be rather difficult... Besides, I can always just trade back if I don't like the mon I end up getting."
<I predict... that you will...> said Gilmour.
Kim smiled.
"Thanks, Gilmour," she said.
<Though... you have your own goodbye to make... don't you...?> asked Gilmour.
Kim glanced over at the sky, then nodded.
"Yeah," she said. "Yeah, I do. Thanks for reminding me, Gilmour."
With that said, she returned Gilmour back to his PokeBall before standing up off of the log and reaching into her pocket to pull out her phone.
And it'll be the hardest one of all, she thought to herself as she began to head off.
Textspace
SOME TIME LATER...
Okay.
We'll see you there.
ProgramusInterruptus: See you there.
J-Con
Laurie nodded towards Mitchell.
"Thanks," they said. "Y-yeah... don't send out 9-Volt right now. My Pokemon would like to meet him, I'm sure-" a glance at Draiman- "but after what Mitchell and I just went through..."
They paused.
"You can send out the rest, though."
Hi, I’m oghond, and I’m a Rushaholic. Sorry if I annoy you unintentionally. 😅
Some Rando
J-Con 22
"They're actually not with me right now," Kendall admitted as he looked around, only to catch sight of someone, someone whose gray hair flowed slightly as she returned.
"Are? Futari wa dare?" note She asked, tilting her head in curiosity, finger unconsciously scratching her temple.
"I dunno, they just approached me," Kendall defended.
Delta Carrier
"How can we trust anything you say when Jackal and his jackal can't read you to see if you're lying?" Lamb demanded, hoping to catch a more traditional tell from Delta in this situation.
[Insert Unoriginal Stinger Here]
Priest of the Temple of Syrinx
J-Con
"Who's that?" asked Laurie.
<What'd she say?> asked D'Autry.
<W-where are the rest of your mons...?> asked Draiman.
Hi, I’m oghond, and I’m a Rushaholic. Sorry if I annoy you unintentionally. 😅
Person, or Idea?
Mitchell wipes the sweat off his brow. The would-have-been crisis is averted, for now. The appearance of a gray-haired newcomer, however, piques his curiosity, especially when Kendall addresses her with an air of familiarity.
"Sorry, sorry, pay us no mind," Mitchell says. "We're just ordinary travelers."
<Relatively,> Chris and Gus remark in unison.
J-Con, Hall B
Everyone's attention is drawn by a loud noise coming from the door of the hall. They turn to see a Cofagrigus, with dozens of shadowy black hands reaching out and forming a web of darkness over the door.
<Hello, people of J-Con!> he yells. He knows that no-one can understand what he is saying, but that's not really the point. <I am the evil villain known as... uh... Dark Cof! I have come with the purpose of stopping you from leaving this room!>
Due to not understanding, someone approaches the door. One of Cof's hands picks them up, moves them back a few feet, and then lets go. The person tries again, and is similarly repelled.
"But I need the bathroom!" they complain.
<Not sose fast!> Sno steps out of the crowd, with a red cape that she got from somewhere tied around her neck. <Don't worries! I'll get this fouls fiend out of the way.>
She jumps up and fires the weakest Razor Leaf she can at Cof, which bounces off his coffin. He makes a sound like he has been hit.
The panel attendees start to realise that there is no real danger, and whispers go around that this is a show put on as part of the convention. Maybe, someone says, this is a recreation of the J-Team's iconic season 2 battle against the glitches.
On the stage, Kec grabs the computer that Tot acquired for him. His paws fly over the keys as he accesses his blog and types in his login details. He hasn't used it before, but he presses the live blog button.
"Hey!" someone yells. "Look! A Kecleon's Measured Musings is live blogging!"
This is much more interesting than the show with rather poor production values which is taking place, so most everyone pulls out their phones to see what is being said. The two pokémon, with this part of the plan done, slip away.
Kec's Blog, Live
Hello, attendees of J-Con. Glad that I can give you all my thoughts directly - to be honest, I don't know why no-one thought of doing this in the first place.
J-Con, Hall B
Kec casts a glare towards Zack Nolan as he writes this, which most of the fans miss due to being preoccupied with their phones.
Zack Nolan, for his part, now realises what's happening and is smart enough to realise that he can't just rush Kec and knock the computer out of his hands.
"Well, this is cute," he says. "But honestly, I've always doubted that this pokémon was really the one writing the blog." This, he thinks, will buy him time.
Kec's Blog, Live
Well, I'm glad that Mr Zack Nolan has said that, because I've been seeing the comments that doubt that a pokémon is the one in charge of this blog for some time. This seems like the perfect place to dispel that idea. Mr Zack Nolan, if you would, please select a random member of the crowd to come up to the stage. I do this so that everyone can be sure that whoever is chosen is not a plant.
J-Con, Hall B
Zack Nolan can find no justification for not going along with this, so he acquiesces. He thinks about getting one of his own plants, but since they weren't prepared for this situation he isn't sure how it would help.
"You there," he says, pointing. "The young lady in the hat that looks like a Cramorant."
The girl points to herself in a "Me?" kind of way, as though there are other people in the room with elaborate Cramorant shaped hats on their head. She carefully picks her way through the crowd and gets to the stage.
Zack Nolan decides to play the crowd a bit. "And what's your name?" he asks.
"I go by Bee," she says. "And by the way, I'm a big fan."
He gives her a smile. "Always nice to meet a fan. How about when my friend Kec here is done, we talk about getting you some signed merch."
Her eyes light up. "Really?"
Kec's Blog, Live
Yes, we all like to meet our heroes, despite how the saying goes. Now, here's what we'll do here. Miss Bee, please write down a word or phrase of your choice, and show it to me and only me. I will then transcribe it onto the blog, at which point you will reveal that what we have both written is the same.
J-Con, Hall B
Bee nods enthusiastically, happy to be involved in such a pivotal fandom moment. She's already imagining all of the fanfictions that she can base off this moment.
She takes out the notebook she was using, and scrawls a few words with a hand that trembles with excitement. She cups her hand around the paper and shows it to Kec, who nods.
Kec's Blog, Live
Well, it seems that Miss Bee here has written "Lucius is super hot." Thank you for sharing your fandom with us, Bee. How about you stay up on stage until this is done.
J-Con, Hall B
Bee hides a squeal of excitement and moves to the side of the stage. Her fanfic group will be so jealous of this.
Zack Nolan tries to conceal his frustration. The mutterings in the hall seem to suggest that everyone is believing Kec is actually the blogger after this, which means they'll probably believe whatever comes next.
He wants to call the venue security, but what would he tell them? Instead he sends a message to the guys he hired for this event, who are waiting in the trailer outside. He can pretend it's some kind of evil team attack. Those happen all the time, right? He just hopes they're quick, the Kecleon isn't an especially fast typer.
J-Con, Zack Nolan's trailer
The goon known as Rut looks up from the poker game when his phone buzzes. "Alright heads up boys," he says, reading it quickly. "Boss wants us."
There are a few groans at having to leave the game, but these are professionals. They do what their employer tells them to do and quickly go to the door. Which doesn't open.
"Oi, who has the keys," Rut asks.
"It's not locked, boss," says one of the others.
"Well, clearly it is."
As the goons argue inside, outside Pol and Sud are having a casual conversation while they hold the door closed.
<So, you're more of a crossfit girl?>
<Oh yeah. Exercises more of the muscles at once, you know?>
Kec's Blog, Live
So, here's a record that I want to set straight. I do in fact hate the 2019 Kecleonman movie as much as I always say on my blog, for all the reasons I've said. But here's a new one that I only just learned about, and that's that its director, one Zack Nolan, is a lying sack of shit.
That translator up here? She hasn't said a word that I've said all panel. She's most likely being paid by Zack Nolan to discredit me and make it seem as though I like his movies.
J-Con, Hall B
It's funny, Kec thinks. You can tell by looking at the crowd who the fast readers are, because those are the people that start yelling angrily first. He's pretty sure that they believe him, but he still has to deliver the nail in the coffin.
"Please!" Zack Nolan yells. "This is clearly a lie! I don't know who is hacking this blog to tell you all this, but I swear I would never misrepresent someone who couldn't speak for themself!"
Kec's Blog, Live
He's right, you know. At the moment, this is just me saying it. Until we hear it directly from the horse's mouth, of course. So, are you ready to confess?
J-Con, Hall B
"What are you talking about?" Zack Nolan splutters. "I have nothing to confess to, because this isn't true!"
Kec looks angrily at Zack Nolan before typing the last line.
Kec's Blog, Live
Who said I was talking to you?
J-Con, Hall B
At this point, Kec closes the computer. He doesn't need it anymore. While Zack Nolan is spluttering in indignation and confusion, the translator steps forwards.
"It's true," she says. "I've been mistranslating Kec this whole time."
J-Con, Hall B, several minutes earlier
The panel is continuing as Kec waits for the plan to be ready. He has resorted to spending his answer time coming up with the most creative insults that he can think of for Zack Nolan. He only stops when he delivers a particularly good one about the underside of a Muk and he sees the translator's shoulders tighten like she is suppressing a laugh.
<Can you actually understand me?> he asks. There is no response. Of course, they're on stage and her boss is there. <Tap your right leg with your finger twice if you understand me.>
She actually does. Kec is baffled by Zack Nolan being this stupid. <You know this is wrong> he says, when it is his time to talk again. She doesn't acknowledge him, aside from to give the panel more lies.
<Look, I don't know what he's promised you. Money? Producer credits? Alone time with Chris Hemsworth? Look, whatever it is, I can't offer you something better. But he said you learned monese to help pokémon in the entertainment industry, right? If that's true, then you know this is doing the exact opposite. It won't stop with this, sooner or later plenty of big directors will be doing the same thing and replacing pokémon voices with their own, and the thing you're working for won't ever come to be. What you decide to do, here and now, will decide that future of pokémon in the entertainment industry. Please, do the right thing for all of us.>
J-Con, Hall B, back in the present
"My name is Katya," the translator says. "I work as a personal assistant at pokéstar studios, where I spend my days fetching coffee and pens for directors and producers."
Despite the anger of the crowd, they've gone quiet to listen to this. "I learned monese because I could tell that a lot of pokémon in various movies were unhappy with what they had to do for their role, but they had no good way of communicating that. I thought I might be able to get a position as a sort of go-between between pokémon and humans on set. By chance, Mr Nolan learned about my plan, and he said he could make it happen. With his name on it. I didn't like it, but at least the pokémon were getting a voice."
She turns to Zack Nolan, who has a massive oh shit expression.
"He said two days ago that if I wanted to make the role happen, I would need to come here and lie to all of you about what Kec here was saying. I knew it was wrong, but I thought if it was just the one time then it wouldn't hurt. But I've realised that it's not true. By taking away Kec's voice, I take away the voices of hundreds of pokémon. And so..."
Katya points an accusing finger. "This is the truth. This man is a liar and a cheater."
The crowd erupts in yelling once again. Zack Nolan tries to shout that this is all just a conspiracy and that they're both lying to him, that it was all Katya's idea and he didn't know what was happening, but the crowd isn't interested in listening. They surge forwards, intent of punishing him for his crimes.
Zack Nolan decides this is better left to the courts and sprints from the room, somehow getting to the door before anyone else does. As he gets into the main convention floor, he bumps into a young trainer with brightly coloured hair and a bandaged arm.
"Hi," Hoops says. "Are you famous director Zack Nolan?"
He nods on instinct.
"Well," Hoops says. "I have a few critiques of your directing." And they punch him in the face. Zack Nolan staggers back, but quickly recovers and runs past them, determined to stay ahead of the fans who are baying for his blood.
Back inside, Kec approaches Katya. <Thank you,> he says. I know that wasn't easy.
She sighs. "Now that this has come out, my idea is all but done. And I'll probably lose my job too."
Kec gives her a reassuring smile. <I'll do anything I can. I have some famous friends, after all.>
Katya smiles. "You're a smart little one, aren't you? I'll see you around, Kec the Kecleon."
She leaves out the back to avoid the crowds. Kec watches her go, hoping that things work out for her.
Tot flies down and lands next to Kec. <You did a good job there> he says. <I don't think he'll be directing any J-Team episodes for a while.>
<You may be right> Kec says. <At least he'll be off my back. Hey, thanks for getting the computer for me.>
<No problem.> They high five.
<Now let's get some food> Tot says, stretching his wings. <Destroying the career of a famous director is hungry work.>
He flies off to meet up with the others. Kec smiles after him. <Yeah. Let's.>
Some Rando
J-Con 22
"Oh, this is Amy. Long time friend of mine," he summarized.
She brushed her hair out of her eyes, their piercing red color on full display as she nodded to Laurie and bowed to Mitchell, having seen him throw himself to the floor earlier.
"Relatively ordinary; what do you mean?" She asked, looking at his partners.
[Insert Unoriginal Stinger Here]
Person, or Idea?
<We mean,> Chris says to Amy, <that we've had strange encounters, but we're still average people.>
<Like when you met that half-mummy human and their partner?>, Gus asks Chris.
<Precisely,> Chris answers, clearly pleased that Gus was paying attention to her stories.
Meanwhile, Mitchell is confused by Amy's question. "Wait a sec," he says. "I said nothing about being 'relatively' ordinary. Where did that-"
It is here that Mitchell realizes that Amy is addressing his Pokemon, not him.
"You can understand Monese?", Mitchell asks Amy.
Priest of the Temple of Syrinx
The following is Part 5— and the final part— of the last thing that Ian and I were working on prior to his ban from WAAPT. Everything here was spagposted with AnimeboyIanpower and is the culmination of the League and Kim's arc in Galar. Thank you so much Ian for everything.
All of Ian and Evelyn's lines were put into prose-based format.
Motostoke
It took about 30 minutes for everyone else to arrive.
Kim had considered taking the train to Kalos and then booking a plane there, but instead figured it would be easier for her to just fly away on Ozzy.
And then she remembered she had Jinx now, and figured it would be the perfect opportunity to introduce her new friend to Ian, Evelyn, and Braker before she said goodbye to the former two.
Kim took a look over at her three friends for a few moments, before eventually looking down.
"Well," she said. "This is it, I suppose."
"Did you catch anything in the Wild Area?" asked Braker.
"As a matter of fact, I did," said Kim, taking out Jinx's PokeBall. "And she'll be the one flying me off today."
"You caught a female mon?!" cried Braker.
Kim nodded. "Red alert, Jinx!"
She threw the ball, and it opened, to reveal Jinx the Mandibuzz standing there.
<Oh, hey! Newbies!> she said. <Who are these guys?>
"A Mandibuzz? Cool!" cried Ian.
"Who's that Pokémon?" Evelyn asked, checking her Pokedex.
Her Pokedex promptly came through with info soon afterwards:
Mandibuzz, the Bone Vulture Pokémon and the evolved form of Vullaby. A Dark and Flying type. It makes a nest out of the bones it finds. It grabs weakened prey in its talons and hauls it to its nest of bones.
<Nice to meet you,> said Jinx. <Of course, considering the news that the Cursola just told me, I doubt I'll be seeing you guys again for a long time.>
"Oh, yeah, there's one other thing," said Kim. "...Gilmour told me he wants to be traded."
"H-he wants to be what?" Braker cried.
"What?! Why?" cried Ian.
"For real?!" asked Evelyn.
Kim nodded. "Yep. He more or less said that he's grown so much as a member of my team and has learned to appreciate life so much that he wants to get out there into the big world, with another Trainer, to see it more. Basically, he enjoyed being a member of my team, but he doesn't quite feel fully satisfied with his life."
"So he wants to see if there's anything else he can do?" asked Braker.
<More or less,> said Jinx. <Heh! He's just like his Trainer!>
"In what way, may I ask?" asked Ian.
"I see..." said Evelyn.
"I think she means that both Kim and Gilmour are dissatisfied with their life and therefore have desires to go on their own as a result," said Braker. "Is that it?"
<Yep,> said Jinx.
"Sounds about right," said Ian and Evelyn in unison.
"Well, I wish him luck in all his future endeavors," said Braker. "And speaking of which... I believe it's time."
Kim nodded. "Right."
She turned to face Ian and Evelyn, as the memories began coming back to her.
"Ian, Evelyn," she began. "I... don't know how to thank you. I really don't. But, I suppose I should start like this."
She glanced down.
"I had no one when I first came to the Stormchaser," she said. "I had no friends. I had no one I could really talk to. The only person I could technically call a friend was Kendall... and he wasn't really even that."
She chuckled to herself.
"But then you two came along and changed my life forever. You helped me catch my first Pokemon... you participated in the Battle of the Bands with me... we beat the Galar League together... and then you helped me through the biggest low of my life. And I can't thank you enough for that. I..."
She looked down, as tears started coming to her.
"...I don't know what I'm going to do without you," she admitted.
Braker, Walter, Cuddles, and Caboose looked on, the latter two— especially Cuddles— tearing up.
Kim choked back tears.
"I..."
She paused.
And then she ran up to the two of them and hugged them.
Saying nothing, Ian and Evelyn hugged Kim back.
Kim continued holding on to them as all of the memories began to come back to her.
Flaaaaaaaaaaaashbaaaaaaaaack...
The Stormchaser
Their first meeting on the Stormchaser, where Kim ran into Ian after hearing him sing in Japanese.
The Stormchaser
Finding out about the Battle of the Bands.
The Actual Battle of the Bands
Performing as New Dawn's Dreamers at the Battle of the Bands.
New Year’s Eve
Participating in a fun and emotional New Year's Eve battle with Ian.
The Metaverse
Going to the Metaverse, gaining their Personas, and officially becoming Phantom Thieves.
Hammerlocke Stadium
Wyndon Stadium
Multiple points in time
And all the captures, and the evolutions, and everything else that had happened... she would never forget it. Not a single bit.
Motostoke, Present Day
As Kim continued to hug Ian and Evelyn, she suddenly noticed her weight shifting a bit. She turned— and saw that every single one of her Pokemon had come out of their PokeBalls to join in. Even Jagger, Sinatra, and John were joining in.
"I love you guys!" Ian squeed.
"I am so glad to call you all my friends," said Evelyn.
Kim smiled, tears falling from her face.
"Me too," she said.
<We're going to miss you,> said Elton.
<Take care,> said Geddy.
<We love you too!> Grohl cried, nuzzling up against Ian.
<Thanks for everything!> Dio exclaimed.
Paul just nodded.
Eventually, the hug broke off, and Ozzy and Boseman stepped forwards in front of Ian and Evelyn and bowed their heads towards them.
<You have been nothing but excellent companions,> said Ozzy.
<Indeed,> said Boseman. <Everyone here would like to wish you the best of luck in all of your future endeavors.>
Ian and Evelyn nodded, before turning to look at Kim.
"I'm going to miss you, Kim," said Ian, tears starting to come to his eyes.
"Likewise," Evelyn added.
For a few moments after that, Kim looked on, as did her mons, as tears came to her eyes, knowing that it would likely be the last time she'd ever see them again. Then, eventually, after a bit, she said one thing.
"...I'm going to miss you two so much, too. Thank you... for everything."
She promptly returned all of her Pokemon except for Jinx, who she turned to.
"Alright, Jinx," she said. "You ready?"
She cackled. <Oh, I was BORN ready!>
Kim looked down. "Very well, then."
She promptly got onto Jinx and turned to face Ian, Evelyn, and Braker.
"Well..." she said. "This is it."
"Good luck, Kim," said Braker. "I'll send you a text later to ask if you made it back to Striaton safely."
Kim nodded. "I'll be sure to respond to it."
She promptly turned to Jinx.
"Alright, Jinx," she said. "Send me to Striaton."
And with that said, Jinx began flapping her wings, and Kim held on for dear life as Jinx took to the skies. She looked down at the shrinking forms of her friends and began waving at them.
"BYEEEE—!" she cried.
"See you, Kim!" called Braker.
"Farewell, friend!" Ian sobbed, waving at her. "Don't forget to write!''"
"Bye bye, Kim!" called Evelyn, also crying. "I hope we can meet again someday!"
Kim smiled down at them, then nodded as she took off into the sky, sobbing her eyes out.
On the ground, Cuddles went over to Ian and Evelyn and began hugging them, while Braker looked over at them consolingly.
"You were great," he said. "I'm sure that the three of you will meet again. Of course, when that day actually is is unclear. It could very well be years before it happens again... you do understand that, right?"
Ian nodded, smiling sadly and wiping his tears away.
"Yeah... I'm aware," he said to himself.
Evelyn, meanwhile, was still crying, but began singing something to herself under her breath.
"♪We'll meet again... Don't know where, don't know when... But I know we'll meet again some sunny day...♫"
Braker smiled, while Cuddles continued to hug her and nuzzle her.
"I'm sure you will," said Braker.
He turned to face Walter, Cuddles, and Caboose.
"Alright, everyone," he said. "Let's go."
And with that said, Braker, Walter, Cuddles, Caboose, Ian, and Evelyn promptly went their separate ways.
A FEW HOURS LATER...
It was about five or six hours before Jinx finally landed down in Striaton City, near Kim's home.
<Pretty sure this is the place,> she said.
Kim nodded, getting off of Jinx. "It is indeed. Thank you very much; I can barely wait to introduce you to my parents."
With that said, she took a look over at her house, taking a breath before ultimately glancing down at her PokéBalls.
Her journey in Galar was, for the most part, over.
Now, the real journey had arrived— of self-discovery. Of course, there was still the issue of who Gilmour would be traded to, but that didn't matter at the moment.
She proceeded to take out her phone and go to textspace.
Textspace
Striaton City
And with that said, she put her phone away and went up to the door before knocking on it.
"Mother? I'm home..."
J-Con
"H-he can, too," Laurie realized, recalling Kendall's reaction to D'Autry greeting him.
-A-PPA-RENT-LY,- Hetfield droned to Mitchell.
~We-e-eeeelll, then! This is certainly an interesting development, ladies, gentlemen, and enbies!~ said Emcee, floating over to Amy. ~Do tell us, madam, how did you do it?~
<An' what's that on yer shirt?> D'Autry asked to Amy.
Hi, I’m oghond, and I’m a Rushaholic. Sorry if I annoy you unintentionally. 😅
Some Rando
J-Con 22
"Uzai!note Back off!" She demanded as the symbol on her shirt changed under her partially unzipped jacket. "How any of us learned to understand Pokemon is none of your business!"
Kendall muttered something about imprinting on languages and shortcuts, looking at the Sun Stone in his palm before pocketing it.
[Insert Unoriginal Stinger Here]
Person, or Idea?
Mitchell does not quite catch what Kendall is muttering, but he does notice the stone that Kendall puts in his pocket. He makes a mental note to keep an eye out for similar stones for sale at the convention, for souveniers if nothing else.
"Er, Emcee?", Mitchell asks Laurie's Magnezone. "Maybe you could do what the lady says and back away?"
As he says this, Mitchell also thinks to Chris. Try not to probe Amy's mind, okay?, he thinks.
~I'll try, Mitchell,~ Chris thinks back.
Meanwhile, Gus takes another water bottle and starts drinking from it. As a Grass-type Pokemon and an aspiring healer, he feels that it is important that he should stay hydrated.
Victor ported in and threw off his coat, with a deep sigh. The interior mechanisms shifted to his psychic commands and caught it, he stepped through the hallways. The Castle was an ancient... thing, made of sciences and magics long forgotten, even he fully didn't understand how it worked.
Alucard crawled over. <Hello Victor, you seem to be in good spirits,> the Noivern said.
Victor shot him a look. "You're more talkative than usual. Usually you just give me grief... and then Sypha and Trevor start attacking... while Denasty is crawling on the ceiling."
<Well it seems that talking to that old "friend" of yours has done you some good, you used to be quite the villain, barring your depressive episodes of course.>
Victor scoffed as he passed by a mirror. "After all I've been through, after all I've done. You're that willing to forgive?"
<More than to my own father.>
Victor sighed, Dracula, whatever happened to him?
"Still... old," Victor muttered as he looked in the mirror, seeing the greying wrinkles in his face. "It's been too long, I've been starving myself and letting myself get older... I have stocks of Aura. Yes I think I've been in an episode too long."
Victor's posture adjusted as he marched off to storage, Alucard slightly confused as he walked in.
Victor entered into the storage, countless tanks and vats containing liquidized aura lined the walls. Victor took a deep inhale and his eyes began to glow, he gripped onto controls before him and numerous tanks opened themselves. The aura began to glow and soon shot out, flowing like water as it entered into Victor.
Alucard stared in shock, Victor let out a laugh as he could feel the power flowing through him. There was a large boom and smoke filled the room.
"Oh that's much better!" Victor's voice came, he stepped out. Alucard's mouth agape. <THE HELL HAPPENED?!>
Victor dusted himself off, his hair having returned to a rich black, several of his wrinkles had filled out, there was still graying at his temples but it made him look... dignified. "Oh not much, just fixed up my aging process. Got tired of being an old man, have you seen Arthur? Perpetually mid 30s, it's rather unfair."
<You can just do that? Just... undo the aging from lack of feeding?? Casually?!>
"What? No! Not casually, it takes quite a bit of aura, and these stocks aren't easy to grab. Tell me how many wars have been waged recently? Where are the fast fields of the dead with the aura bleeding out?" Victor responded.
Alucard just frowned. <So... what? What age are you now physically?>
"I was getting to be late 50s from my lack of feeding, now I'm back to 42. I could have gone all the way back to when I was first vampirized, 29."
<Is that as far as it goes?>
"That's where it ends. When you're vampirized, that's the age your body locks itself in."
No voice to cry suffering
Campus Palace
-the Lar, fully intending to use that move twice, instead falls for Huli-Jing's playground taunt-
Lar: -at Daze- D i s r e s p e c t on this house
-with a snarl, the violet eye-orb replacing its head cracks open a wide, winknig seam- -the Thieves are caught in its spotlight glare, frozen under the eye's raw authority-
(-to freeze Ariadne and Amaterasu both in place makes the eye water—and turn itself entirely from Rogue, exempt from the weight of its disapproval-)
(-Galen's Light Screen cuts the gaze off, and everyone can breathe again-)
-...and Mokele-Mbembe's Dark Pulse catches it center mass, shoving it off-balance-
Lar: G r a a a a a a g h—
=...but not at any of the party-
-the violet beam flares up into the starry night-
...well, losing them was a lot easier than expected.
Bug: Hey! Listen!!
-Suiko sighs the the lament of someone proven immediately wrong-
-she turns from the flare's reflection in the glass to keep darting Library-ward…but limbless weather-puffs are nimble when they want to be-
Bug:
Suiko:
Bug: -chirp- Why? You're not my Trainer.
-Suiko actually pauses to stare at her, giving her the opportunity she needs to trap her in chains of exposition-
Bug: -indicating a map, on which are moving glowing blips- These are Lares—household gods in a vicious house.
Suiko: I know.
Bug: They're not very fast, but if they catch you, they'll root you in place with them—
Suiko: I'm aware—
Bug: —and stake you out for the real threats! ^_^
Suiko: -frustrated- Yes.
Bug: So don'tcha think you're not being much of a team player, leaving them behind? :o
Suiko: ...team player?
Bug: Y'know, your role! :)
Suiko: …
-a burning-gold gaze turns itself on Bug-
Suiko: If I'm this place's Shadow, I have somewhere to be now, don't I?
"Bug": -chirp- Megan is this place's Shadow.
Suiko: …
Suiko: Thespi, come on.
Stormchaser, Hiro's Room
Hiro: -shrug- It's not much of a favor. I didn't have any reason to try to kill her.
Litwick: <That's not the polite response.>
Hiro: Thanks for stopping by.
Hearthome, Vegan Place
-Logan blinks-
Logan: -bemused- It w—
-...and they look at her...-
-not sharp-
-they might not have that in them-
-but...evaluating-
Logan: ...eleven years ago.
Celestescape
-the answer is pretty clearly "no", but-
Reality
-how?-
-how can she even think so frankly of—moving on? like it's an option?-
-of wanting things, like some—entitled brat? like someone with years ahead of her?-
-inconceivable-
Ramona: -muttering that, aloud-
-she's a being of thought—raw conception—-
[[teal:(-pearls bounce and unravel, layers and layers calcified around an irritant core
- —and not one person whose mind she touched has moved on to a better life—a truly better life—in the end-
-and she's touched so many minds-
-they whisper to her—-
- It is vindictive and relentless by nature.
- Those who cross it [...] will be cursed [...] along with their descendants.
- Then, this extremely intelligent Pokémon
Ramona: Can I tell you a story?
(-when has she ever really waited for permission?-)
(-to as perfect a stranger as she'll ever get-)
-the words drag themselves free of her, inevitable as a turning grindstone-
-petting Celeste- Once upon a time, there were two metal things. One with no eyes, and one with no brain.
Said one to the other, you will see for me, and I will think for you. Said one to another, you will find yourself in me. Said she to me, it's us against the world.
And she died.
-grist, mill, oven-
Ramona: ...if ghosts were real, she would've come back for me. If cycles were breakable, she would've seen the way out. But she's wrong, and she's dead, and I lived this long by staying resolute where she faltered.
-stammering- They killed her. Her legacy is nothing—they killed her—and I'm still picking up the pieces.
What do I think of you?
-she gasps in petrichor—life after a storm, gods bleeding-
Ramona: ...Pokémon are powerful. And empathetic.
Ramona: And sentimental. And stupid.
-her fingers fist in Celeste's fur-
-don't you know that's dangerous, Ramona?-
Ramona: Telling my own life story back to me like it's some fundamental truth about you. Flaunting the lure of that mask in my face like I'm not good enough to take it. Trying to make it all be for nothing.
-cycles of breaking?-
Ramona: It's all a test. And I passed the hardest one so long ago.
-she pulls out a pink crystal pendant and squeezes it, stressed-
Ramona: Everything since has been easy street.
-she squeezes it til it glows-
Edited by Asterisk395 on Jul 25th 2022 at 1:01:36 PM
No mind to think. No will to break.
Hearthome City, after J-Con
"Well, that was a week," Hoops says, as they pack their things up from the hotel room. "Are you sure you don't want to challenge the gym while we're here?"
Xaster shakes his head. "I hate to admit it, but I don't think I'm ready to challenge Fantina yet. I'd rather go on to Canalave City first."
"Well, it does work," Hoops says. "I mean, we'll pass near where the Stormchaser is. A good chance to check in on how the J-Team is going."
Xaster groans. "So much walking though."
Hoops grins. "You sure?" They grab Gon's pokéball. "I think we can fly."
Xaster smiles at that thought. "But in order to stay safe, I'd have to have my arms around your waste the whole time we were flying."
"That sounds terrible," Hoops agrees, crossing the room and getting close to Xaster. "But you really should hold tight."
A Pelipper at the window squawks, indicating that it has a letter. Hoops sighs at the interruption and goes to the Pelipper to get the delivery.
<Do I get a tip?> it asks.
Hoops gives it a single pokédollar. Pelipper gives them a disappointed look. <Thank you for using Pelipper deliveries.> It flies off as soon as Hoops has the letter.
"What is it?" Xaster asks, peering over Hoops' shoulder.
Hoops goes pale as they read the letter. "I... I think I have to get to the Stormchaser. Like now."
Xaster nods. "Let's go, then."
Hoops shakes their head. "No, Zazzles. I have to get there quicker than Gon can go carrying us both. I'm sorry."
They call out Gon and jump out of the window before Xaster can say anything else. He is left rather miffed in the hotel room, which still requires packing. "Did they just call me Zazzles?"
J-Con, Hall B
This, thought award-winning director Zack Nolan, was going even better than he thought it would. He had expected some kind of pushback from the pokémon, and so he had had security on hand in case of a violent altercation. He had almost hoped it had gone that way - nothing would discredit that pokémon like being carried away by security guards as he, Zack Nolan, cried that all he wanted was a friendly debate. But this was good too - the pokémon was sitting and continuing to answer questions while his hired translator spins the story he concocted.
She wasn't altogether on board with this plan, but when in Pokéstar Studios one will do anything in order to get a job better than fetching coffees for people that are far more successful and talented than they'll ever be. This girl is at least unique in that she does in fact speak pokéspeak, as if they had anything worth saying. He's almost convinced by the way that this Kecleon is acting that it doesn't actually understand the situation. It's probably just the mascot for whoever actually writes that stupid blog. Either way, no-one will pay what it says any more mind now.
J-Con, main hall
Tot flies through the hall, weaving his way through the hundreds of participants. Usually he would be stopping to appreciate the day, get some photos with cosplayers, buy some merch, and sign up for the lip-sync competition. But not today. Today his best friend needs him.
Where is it, where is it... There. He swoops in and grabs what he needs, ignoring the protests from the item's holder. He'll explain to them later. Right now this is more important.
J-Con, outside
<Here> Sud says. They have found the vehicle they were looking for, with a large logo on the side of it. The trailer is a little over the top for a large con like this, but perhaps Zack Nolan needs the extra space for his ego and all the people he's bringing with him. She turns to Pol. <You remember the plan?>
Pol nods. <Keep this door closed> she says. <I think we can probably do that.>
J-Con, Hall B door
<Why do wese have to do this?> asks Sno, after the plan has been fully laid out.
<Because> Cof says, with the tone of someone talking to a child. <This is what Kec told us to do.>
<Whyse should we listen to hims?> Sno presses. <What makes hims so good?>
Cof shrugs with his many arms. <I don't know. I respect him. I think we all do. I don't think any of us would be where we are now if it wasn't for him. And he helps us all the time - remember when you ate those bad berries?>
Sno goes red. <Youse saw that?>
<I see everything> Cof says. <Think of this as paying him back for everything that happened that night.>
Sno hesitates, then nods her head. <Deal. Let's dose this... Operation Distraction.>
Cof laughs. <Distraction is my specialty.>
J-Con, Hall B
Kec listens as he is further discredited. He wants nothing more than to shut this up, but he doesn't have what he needs yet. And all the damage will be repaired, he knows. He trusts the others.
He sees Tot out of the corner of his eye as he flies into the room with something silver held in his claws. They meet eyes across the hall, and Kec smiles.
<Now> he says.