J-Con 2022

Emcee had no clue what "uzai" meant— but they did understand the rest, and eventually found themselves on the receiving end of a Death Glare from both Hetfield and Slipknot. Despite that, though, they were not intimidated in the least, and immediately shot Amy a wink.

~Certainly, my dear!~ said Emcee, backing off. ~I do sincerely apologize for that, but don't you worry; you can rest assured that I won't be asking you any more questions!~ They turned to face Kendall- then Mitchell. ~Now... where were we?~

And then D'Autry noticed the symbol on Amy's shirt changing. His eyes widened in shock, but he said nothing else of it.

Hetfield, Zoltan, and Slipknot all looked at each other.

-DON'T E-VEN BO-THER,- said Hetfield.

<Hang on a sec, where'd Draiman go...?> asked Slipknot.

<U-um... hi...>

The three of them turned to face Draiman, who was trying his best to shrink away from both Kendall and Amy, intimidated by both of them.

~Oh dear,~ said Zoltan.

Laurie took a glance over at Emcee before quickly deciding to change the subject.

"So... anyways... as I was saying, I have a Dewott of my own..."

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

J-Con 22

"Oh, you're from Unova too?" He asked, adjusting his headphones as he looked at Laurie. "Or, how did you get them?" He corrected.

Kamui sighed and shook her head, sitting down as she looked out over the convention floor, but not even she knew what she was looking for. She had her back turned to the conversation, but was still listening to it.

[Insert Unoriginal Stinger Here]

J-Con

"Oh, I'm not from Unova," said Laurie. "I'm from Sinnoh. My parents are Sinnohian and Kalosian. As for how I got Plant, well..."

~Oh-ho-ho, it's a long story!~ said Emcee. ~You sure you want to hear it? Because you might not even believe it at first!~

-EM-CEE HE'S A J-TEAM-ER,- said Hetfield. -HE'S BEEN THROUGH EN-OUGH AL-REA-DY.-

"Well..." Laurie started, and then:

"...he was transported to modern-day Sinnoh via a portal through time because his crazy villanous Hisuian Samurott parents essentially disowned him, and we went through it. So... basically, Plant is... not from this era, to say the least."

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

"That's a pretty accurate summary," Mitchell remarks after Laurie finishes their description of Plant's origin. "Believe me, I was as surprised as anybody that one of my nation's iconic Pokemon was around in this nation's distant past." After catching a meaningful look from Chris, he adds "Oh, and Chris and I met around the same time when Laurie and Plant met."

<When you next see Plant,> Chris tells Laurie's Pokemon, <you can tell him Mitchell and his Pokemon send my congratulations.>

Gus, having finished drinking for the moment, becomes fascinated with the sight of Kendall's headphones. He studies them from a distance, trying to figure out what this strange human ornament does.

J-Con 22

"Time travel, damn," Kendall considered. "Not exactly the first time we dealt with someone centuries old. Some allied, some not. Tell 'em, Kamui, about Katsuragi Suzaku," he offered.

"Naze jibun setsumei shinai no?^note Why not do it yourself?" she refuted, causing Kendall to back off.

"Okay so there was this museum exhibit that was under attack by some group of thugs on April Fool's Day of last year - I promise that's more important than it sounds," he started, brushing his hair out of his eyes while removing his headphones.

"And via one reason or another for all of us, we found ourselves there to stop it. But buried in that little exhibit was a Yamask, the long-dead soul of a servant of the Ghost Lord Umbra," he continued. "Or something.

"Anyway, due to this group of thugs' means of doing things, something went awry and both Suzaku and the thugs got mind-controlled after Suzaku evolved," he recalled. "Suzaku thought himself some high-ranking conqueror, and the thugs thought themselves his servants. As did the museum patrol officers.

"So, we kicked the tar out of him on the museum floor to bring him back to reality, and I vividly recall countering his Zen Headbutt with one of my own," he chuckled. "Barely even felt it. Not a Zen headbutt of course; I'm Obscuric, not psychic." He knocked his forehead to prove the point, at the same time reaching behind himself and somehow drawing his book.

While it was in excellent condition it was a book that had the design of a tome forgotten in the back of a centuries-old library, embossed lettering and stylistic jagged black streaks notwithstanding.

Prax Obscura: Second Edition

by Colton Kendall Rever

"At which point, Kamui caught him," he concluded, setting the book down.

Edited by AbsentCoder on Jul 26th 2022 at 8:13:18 AM

[Insert Unoriginal Stinger Here]

J-Con

Laurie blinked. "I thought you said her name was Amy?"

~Nazaywhatnow?~ asked Emcee, not understanding a single word of Kamui's Japanese.

And then the realizations hit.

<Ghost Lord?!>

-PRAX OB-SCU-RA?-

~Obscuric?!~

<She has a team?!>

~Kendall's not your first name?~

<W-what is happening...?!> squeaked Draiman, still hiding away from both Kamui and Kendall.

"How the heck...?" muttered Laurie, glancing over at the cover. "Colton Kendall... Rev— REH-ver? Reh-VEHR?" ^note  the latter said in a thick Kalosian accent because Kalosian mother and Kalosian fluency

Edited by OPALGARNET16 on Jul 26th 2022 at 11:30:22 AM

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

Mitchell is curious about why Kendall just addressed Amy as 'Kamui', but Laurie beats him to the punch regarding asking about that. Instead, he gives Kendall his honest remarks about the story he just told.

"That's an impressive story," Mitchell says, "and I wouldn't think it was real if anyone but a J-Teamer was telling it. Just one thing, though: I noticed you called yourself 'Obscuric'. What is that, exactly?" He decides against asking about the part where Kendall apparently fought Suzaku directly, as he fears his Strong Opinions regarding who humans and Pokemon should fight would spill out.

Chris shivers a bit at the mentions of ghosts in Kendall's tale, but she manages to keep her composure to the end. As Laurie and their Pokemon start their round of questions for Kendall, Chris take the opportunity to bury herself in Mitchell's chest to muffle her scream.

Gus finally notices Draiman cowering behind Laurie and their other Pokemon. He waves his left hand to the Lairon. <Hey there, bud,> he says. <you need any help?>

J Con 22

At Laurie's question, Kendall recoiled a little, the blood leaving his face as Amy smacked him on the back of his head to little effect, but the sound did remind him that he slipped up.

He sighed.

"Well. Secret's out."

"No it's not." Kamui refuted.

"What do we really get out of hiding it, though?"

"Less questions?"

"They can hear you."

"If you want the secret out, you show them how you learned to speak Pokemon," she spat.

"So, an Obscuric is pretty much a person with Dark-type skills. For example, Kendall is actually standing behind you right now," he chuckled before he dissipated into black smoke, and from a short distance behind Laurie and Mitchell, he snapped his fingers.

"You've been talking to an illusion. Or maybe I'm the illusion and he just made himself look like he vanished. That’s the fun. But more than that," he trailed off, holding up his hand as a formless ball of darkness appeared in his hand.

"Dark Pulse."

With a snap of his fingers, it detonated, harmlessly.

[Insert Unoriginal Stinger Here]

Stormchaser, Hallways

Apple-A-Day: ...So, can we talk about that?

Percy: I'd rather not. It was weird you were there for it at all.

Apple-A-Day: ...

Percy: Not that I don't appreciate it.

Apple-A-Day: I mean...is he okay?

Percy: He's a soldier. Like I am— was. You start to recognize the mentality after a while.

Hearthome, Vegan Place

-Adelinde makes a funny gesture, a roll of the fingers back and forth, like a very fast finger-count-

Adelinde: The first time the skies exploded, you mean? The one everyone seems to have forgotten?

Dunsparce didn't stop being a thing or anything.

PEFE HQ

Chiyo: -Walking down a module corridor- So this is your organization's main base, some island in the middle of the ocean blocked by a psychic field and constantly moving? Gotta admit Tagg, sounds very School-y to me.

-To Chiyo-

Well as you know the PEFE took over Pokefutures stuff so this was perhaps the crown jewel of our spoils. Honestly I wonder how the Pokefutures guys even managed to find this place.

-Looking ahead-

...You know, if you don't feel comfortable doing this, we can just go back to Sinnoh, right? I know you feel funny about folks in labcoats.

Chiyo: -Serious- This isn't about me Tagg, it's about us, all the Schoolkids, but Vana especially because she's so close to dying. I'm willing to deal with my discomfort.

-Stepping inside-

Well, here we are.

-A scientist approaches-

PEFE Researcher: Dr. Tagg. I assume this would be Ms. Hoshizawa, a pleasure to meet you.

Chiyo: -Smiling- Nice to meet you as well.

Dactyl: -Floats around protectively-

Chiyo: So, the idea?

I'm not a geneticist, obviously, but I figure the key to the cure to the Schoolkid curse is locked in your DNA, there has to be something you all have in common besides the purple eyes.

Chiyo: And for that, you need samples.

Yeah. To my understanding you've lived a pretty long life for a Schoolkid, so you're basically our best shot for a proof of concept. So I'll ask again, are you sure about this?

Chiyo: -Looking around- Doctors... still make me nervous, being poked and prodded again brings back bad memories of just being a number and a chemical element instead of a person. But...

I've spent so long guarding my genetic information from the School so that they couldn't try making Templars out of me, to the point that my plans were to be cremated upon death, and now I'm about to give it freely. Tagg, are you sure you and your organization can protect this, protect the others you'll need? That it'll even work?

-Staring directly into Chiyo's eyes-

This is one of if not the safest places on Earth, the way it would be stored, the School wouldn't be able to get it even if they did somehow manage to get infiltrators here. And this is PEFE R&D, some of the greatest scientists in the world all gathered here for the goal of furthering humans and Pokémon ethically. Only the most absolutely trusted are allowed to work here. We might not have any baby extruders, but this is some of the best there is.

Chiyo: Alright then Tagg, I'm going to trust you and this organization with this, in the hopes that it won't be miused.

-Rolling up her sleeve as the other scientist in the room wipes her inner elbow with a rubbing alcohol soaked napkin-

Let's do this.

I really fucking hate needles.

PEFE Researcher: -Preparing to insert a needle through Chiyo's vein- Now Ms. Hoshizawa, this will only hurt momentarily...

Edited by rmctagg09 on Jul 26th 2022 at 2:23:36 PM

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

Totally not abandoned haunted mansion

-Nugget runs to check out the basement, with Timothy following her-

Timothy: Wait! Nugget, this is not a good idea!

Nugget: Pfft. There's nothing down there, I tell ya! What do I look like, a chicken?

Timothy: Uh... yeah?

Nugget: Well then, lets see what's behind this basement door...

-Nugget flips the basement door open-

Nugget: See! Nothing!

-a strange breeze blows Nugget deeper in-

Timothy: Nugget!

-Timothy runs deeper into the basement to get Nugget back-

Timothy: There you are! You scared me! Now, let's get outta here... oh yeah. Its dark in here.

Nugget: No worries!

-Nugget sets the fluff around her neck on fire, lighting the way-

Timothy: Nice!

-Nugget and Timothy try to make their way through the basement until Timothy trips on something-

Timothy: I'm okay! Hey, what's this?

-Timothy and Nugget look up and see Timothy tripped over the foot of a skeleton wearing the same clothes as the man who invited Hailee into the mansion-

Nugget: That looks like-

-All of a sudden, a ghost appears behind them-

Ghost:    I told you not to go in the basement!   

Nugget: Uh oh.

J-Con

Accordingly, poor Draiman didn't register that it was harmless.

<D-darkness powers...?> he muttered. <O-okay— oh my— oh dear— um, okay, note to self, don't let Hetfield or Zoltan get hurt under any circumstances... >

<Um... Draiman, ya do realize you know a Dark-type, right?> asked Slipknot.

<T-this is different,> said Draiman. <T-these are new people... we don't know what sets them off...>

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

Mitchell and Chris are both spooked by the sudden display of Kendall's powers.

"Truth and ideals!", Mitchell splutters. "Are you half-Zoroark or something?"

Chris shakes so hard she starts to chime, but then she reminds herself of something to calm herself down. He's only human, she tells herself, so Savior won't make me fight him. Right?

Meanwhile, Gus is also slightly perturbed at the sight of a human wielding the powers of a Pokemon. However, he is more concerned about the panic spreading through both Mitchell's and Laurie's groups.

<Settle down, everyone,> Gus says, waving his arms like semaphore flags. <This 'Kendall' guy is probably not out to fight us, if he's showing his powers like this.> Then, turning to Laurie's group, he adds <Does your Lairon need any help? It looks like he needs some, what do they call it, 'bedside manner'.>

J-Con

After waiting a good while, Lux and Mike finally find themselves going into the Q&A room, and get seated. Lux then puts his phone on mute, and Mike looks to the stage, expecting someone worth his time.

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

J-Con 22

"Not, really?" He chuckled. "Like, sure, I'm Unovan but I think I'd know if I had Zoroark in me somewhere," he trailed off.

"I mean… look, I think it's time you really learn the truth about how thin the gap between human and Pokemon is for the Team. Kamui?" He turned to look at her, as she shook her head and rolled her eyes.

She tossed something to her trainer who caught and pocketed it, and by the time he finished doing so, a Shiny Ninetales stood where Kamui once did.

With a swift gesture from Kendall once again, the Ninetales was recalled into her Great Ball.

"Ta-da~" he weakly offered.

[Insert Unoriginal Stinger Here]

J-Con- Laurie's Section

A beat.

Laurie was forced to do a Double Take, while Draiman, awed, finally climbed out from under the chair.

Everyone stared for a few moments in shock at the transformed Kamui, and then at Kendall— and then, in unison:

"<~-SHE WAS A PO-KE-MON THE WHOLE TIME?!-~>"

<How on Earth did she do that?!>

<D-does it hurt?>

-I DOUBT IT.-

<Soooo... are the rest of your mons just going around in their human forms too or...?>

~Can I get one of those?~

~Can Laurie get one of those?~

"D-dear god, I've never seen anything like it..." Laurie muttered, before approaching Kendall.

"A-anyways- do excuse me, M. Reh-VEH—" they stopped themselves. "I- I mean, Kendall— e-excuse me, monsieur— I hope you don't mind me asking, but where can we get one of those?"

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

"Sorry, I was just curious," Mitchell says. "There was this one half-Cofagrigus guy I met who-"

Noticing that Kendall was demonstrating something else at the moment, Mitchell stops talking for the moment.

It is in this interval that Mitchell sees Amy disappear and a Pokemon appear in her place. It is a Ninetails, although its fur has a different color than those in the pictures he saw in his textbooks. He has little time to see much of it before Kendall recalls it into his Great Ball.

"What's the meaning of th-?", Mitchell begins to say, shocked as he is by the revelation before him. He is interrupted, however, by Laurie and their Pokemon responding in unison.

Both Chris and Gus are surprised by Amy's transformation and subsequent recall by Kendall.

<How did she do that?>, Chris asks Kendall pointedly. <Was she born with that talent, or learn it somehow?>

<I bet that thing she tossed you,> Gus adds, also addressing Kendall, <has something to do with it.> As he says this, he quietly prepares a Grass Knot, on the off chance that Mitchell needs support or restraint.

 J-Textspace Sapphire Callspace, Five Days Ago 

Abilene: —so as a group name, it doesn't make any sense. There is an actual family surnamed Sapphire among your crowd of hooligans and none of them are us!

Logan: Mhm.

Hiro: Also, only one of us is blue.

Megan: -yawn- We-ll, they also come in yellows and purples.

Logan: That's true.

Megan: And greens!

Hiro: -shrug- I'm not sapphire-hued no matter how you slice it.

Abilene: And truly, should we bother coming up with a group name at all? We met by circumstance, traveled together out of necessity, and now that we've atomized on reentry, can we say there's any goodwill between us? I could despise each of you in turn and life would go on largely unaltered.

-the groupchat mulls this over-

Abilene: -cough- Anyway, happy birthday.

Megan & Logan & Hiro: -chorusing- Happy birthday.

-they toast, with varying degrees of alcohol-

Abilene: -mutter- To the shittiest possible prophecy selection criterion.

Hiro: Obligatory remark implying the existence of worse ones.

Logan: Curious response?

Hiro: It's funnier and less sad in my opinion if I just leave it at implications.

Megan: Still can't believe we're all Leos.

Logan: " That is not at all how any Luxray I've known acts.

Megan: would u describe me as bold

Logan: -staring her in the face- Yes.

Megan: ...huh.

Abilene: What...does that tell us, we're all in the same broad category.

Logan: -scrolling- I can find something here that fits all of us!

Abilene: Wh—picking from a grab-bag of traits like you're shopping for this week's [Lucky Charms] is meaningless!

Logan: Uhuh.

Abilene: You may as well turn to a random page in a tabloid and see where your finger lands!

Logan: -master of the pregnant pause-

Abilene: ...which is why I swear by the Fortunedex.

Logan: -snort- No one can keep track of the Fortunedex.

Abilene: -stammer- It's comprehensive!

Logan: It's convoluted.

Megan: Psst. Hey, Hiro.

Abilene: ...we're on a voice call.

Megan: Are horoscopes legit?

Hiro: -buffing his nails- I'm willing to consider that the moment of your birth ripples out and affects your life in some way, but the horoscope section of Almia Weekly's written by an intern position that's changed three times in the past five months. Speaking speculatively, I doubt they've had the time or inclination to do a deep read in the fabric of causality or a broad evidentiary study.

-Logan grumbles-

Abilene: Hah.

Hiro: -turning his hand to and fro, squinting- Shiraki Aoi has been a major contributor to the Fortunedex for most of its run, cites her Bronzor as co-author, and does have some minor precognitive ability she's unaware of, but she's a researcher at the GTS and most of her entries are honestly just vagueblogged humor or vent posts based on the anecdote of the week.

Abilene: ,

Megan: ...wow.

Logan: -pout- Where's your sense of magic?

Hiro: In the eyeballs in my actual head, Logan.

Logan: :P

Hiro: Also the constantly expanding Oak Index means you're lucky to keep the same species for more than a month.

Megan: -chewing on a stylus- ...if we're looking for consistent species, we did end up with multiverse-assigned fursonas.

Logan: Oh, love that.

Abilene: Hate that.

Hiro: -dry- As far as species goes, Marowak is less revelatory and more surface-pick.

Abilene: ...Cacturne is not my fursona.

No mind to think. No will to break.

Special thanks to Aster for the name

The base was patrolled constantly, supposedly private security. Amateurs really, but affordable which was good for the former Angelan Cabinet Member, Klara Strauss. Supposedly she was a mover and a shaker, arguing for reforms in the professional circuit.

A guard sneezed. "Arceus damnit... why do we have to patrol in the rain?"

"You know that bit about colds and rains is an old wives' tale right?"

The guard sneezed and pointed to the Sunflora at his side. "Your little bastard here likes to get my allergies rolling."

"Hey! Don't you accuse her of stuff like that!"

Like stated earlier, Amateurs. They didn't even notice as somebody slipped through the dark behind them.

~Two to our left.~

"Roger that. There's a pipe higher up, taking that."

The two shimmied up and reached the roof, a single guard with an Intellion by his side. The two crept up and soon had both in a hold... a few seconds later they were out like a light.

"This is Jak, we've made it to the rooftop. Entering the building now."

"Roger that. Connection is gonna be spotty despite Bishop doing his best. Keep safe."

"Roxy, when have I ever not been?"

"In the time I've known you... do you want a list?"

Silas rolled his eyes and motioned for Hacks to follow him. Hacks ripped a vent open and the two crawled in.

 Sapphire Callspace, July 23rd 

-by some abstruse train of thought, that reminds her-

Megan: Oh! Right! I got you all presents!!

Logan: Got mine in the mail.

Hiro: Pulled mine from the vents before I headed out.

Abilene: -shakes box-

-seeing them begin unwrapping, Megan's smile is bright and happy and...just a bit too tight-

-but Hiro points the spring-loaded knife away from his face, Logan catches the vial before it can hit the floor, and Abilene just flattens her present outright-

Megan: -exhales, unstiffening-

Logan: -chiding- Rude, Abilene.

Abilene: -still taking shelter- I purchase things as I need them and she knows it. While we daren't trust the work of her hands, I doubt this is anything more substantial, or fragile, than an obscure gift card or noveltywear.

Castanea: -withdrawing his fist- <You're welcome.>

Logan: -lifting it- Hey, a t-shirt!

Abilene: Yep, gift card.

Hiro: -deadpan- Oh my god. A pipe bomb.

Logan: what

-before the fuse can tick down, Hiro stabs a fork through the detonator-

-Megan winces-

Hiro: -flipping it in his hand- Just what I wanted.

Megan: -perking up- ...really?

-Logan and Abilene, halfway across their respective rooms into crisis mode, just slump-

Hiro: -picking through the remains- It's usually fun unraveling how you do things. It's so unnecessarily convoluted while still being reasonably effective.

Megan: -giggles-

Abilene: ...I envy your ability to sound so sarcastic at...all times.

Hiro: I know.

-Megan cracks up-

Edited by Asterisk395 on Jul 28th 2022 at 5:41:21 AM

No mind to think. No will to break.

Campus Palace

Daze is not especially accustomed to the spotlight in the best of times, so the light from the Lar pretty effectively freezes her in place until the Light Screen comes in.

It takes a bit for her to connect the dots as to what the Lar is aiming for.. or not, as the case may be.

"Is it... signalling something?"

She frowns.

Huli-jing leaps as high as she can and aims a bolt of shadow at the Lar's eye. If it hits, it'll explode into a cloud of shadow with aims to obscure the Beam.

Reality

Celeste's eyes narrow. She looks... pityingly at Ramona. Sympathetic, but with a tinge of disdain.

It's really weird how she conveyed all that in a glance, but she did somehow.

Celeste:-somber- Dwelling on the past for too long is bad for you, you know.

She doesn't bother answering Ramona's question. Something inside tells her she'll hear the story whether she wanted to or not. She listens quietly, of course. It's only polite.

Celeste: Her legacy is you, is it not?

A piercing stare.

Celeste: ... You say that as if sentiment is a weakness.

... Whether touching a Ninetales' tails really afflicts a curse is the subject of much debate among Ninetales enthusiasts, but common opinion is that, just like any other Pokemon, touching one where it doesn't like to be touched usually doesn't end well for you.

Celeste: Sentiment, in the right hands, can be quite dangerous.

The air around Celeste grows uncomfortably warm. Heat haze rolls off of her, warping the air, and touching her is like putting your hand juuuust above a pot on the stove. Not enough to burn, but uncomfortable enough that you'll need to move soon.

Someone had to teach Rowan Heat Wave.

Celeste: (calm, contrary to her actions) Stories mean different things to different people. Whatever cause you're championing, whatever cycle you're upholding, it means nothing to me. If you see yourself in the story I told, well.. That says more about you than it does me, hm?

The funny thing about grindstones is that once the driving force behind them is gone, they become simple hunks of stone. Inevitable, until they're not.

Celeste: Living life as a test is so terribly boring, isn't it?

off the shits

J-Con 22

"Yes, she was the same Ninetales who fought in Sinnoh and Unova," he admitted. "Yes, it goes both ways," he admitted. "Mostly I just want to show off," he admitted, reaching for his Sun Stone and holding it against himself for a moment.

After a brief moment - Kendall hiding himself in shadow to prevent people from noticing - he had re-emerged, a Dusk Lycanroc in his place, evident by the Sun Stone around his neck, the jacket on his shoulders and the headphones around his neck, to still be Kendall.

He looked at the wall behind him, some text appearing and reshaping a few times to communicate.

Unless you can find a certain Mythical or two, you're not going to find the trinkets you need.

There is a store that exists in a pocket dimension of sorts but its name is so dumb that I refuse to say it.

Somewhere

Nimbus thought he heard something, and activated.

[Insert Unoriginal Stinger Here]

J-Con

And the second he saw Talbain emerge...

<FLUFFYYYYYYY—!>

Draiman immediately came out and ran right towards the Dusk Lycanroc— only to stop the second they saw his face.

<Um... oh... um... n- never mind...>

He promptly shrunk back.

Laurie, meanwhile, raised an eyebrow at the sight of Talbain— and the text. More importantly, though, there was another question they wanted to ask:

"You... you took on the Sinnoh League?"

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

The sight of Kendall transforming into some sort of orange-furred, lupine Pokemon is too much for Mitchell to handle. He stares, frozen in place, for precisely two moments. After that, he faints, falling backwards onto the pile of grass that 'mysteriously' sprang up behind him.

Gus springs into action when Mitchell collapses, making sure that the unconscious human can still breathe even in his incapacitated state. He does this by moving his charge into the recovery position, a state he has thus far only seen in [YouTube] videos.

Chris tries to hep Gus, only for him to signal to her that he can handle Mitchell's treatment alone. Satisfied by this assurance, she turns back to the Pokemon who took Kendall's place. <This form of yours,> she says, <must be useful for understanding your team. At least, that's what I think Mitchell would say.>

Stormchaser

Gon drops out of the sky, with an exhausted Hoops riding on her back. They've been flying almost non-stop ever since Hoops got the letter, and only a hell of a lot of effort has stopped Gon from falling asleep in mid-air.

Their landing ends up being less of a landing and more of a crash, with Hoops being thrown from Gon's back as she hits the ground hard. They both roll for a few feet and lie still, but after a few seconds Hoops gets to their feet.

"Thank you, Gon," they say as they return the Flygon to her ball. "Get a nice long rest."

Then they approach the Stormchaser, the door of which is already open. Once inside, it takes them where they need to go so that they're there in a few moments. Hoops practically kicks the door down.

"You're not going to try and strangle me again, are you?" Vana asks. She is lying in her bed, and she looks rough.

Hoops steps into the room. There is no anger on their face this time, just shock. "Am I... Great Arceus, Vana, what happened?"

She shrugs. "I guess you and nature are united in not wanting anything the School created to exist. My body is being killed by the curse of the Schoolkids, as we like to call it."

Hoops' jaw drops open. "I tried to kill you," they mutter.

Vana smiles thinly. "I tried to kill you as well. How about we say that those attempted murders cancel each other out?"

Hoops hesitates. Despite the shock at the situation, a part of them still burns with anger at Vana - most notably at the point where their bandage arm begins. Even now, they're holding back those bandages from reaching out and grabbing her. But as they look at her, looking so weak and helpless, all they see is the little girl they met a year ago. One that doesn't deserve this.

"Okay," they say. "We can start over."

"In that case." Vana manages to sit up and even pull herself into a standing position. "I want to ask something of you."

"What?"

"You gave me my first experience as a trainer, rather than as a Schoolkid. I want you to give me one more, and battle me."