ITT: We are all Pokémon Trainers

Battle Academy, Keter Floor

Reindeer Team Member: Boss?!

Cassidy the Perfected: You retreat and your successor will suffer the consequences.

-The Reindeer never had the chance to process the implications of that statement, as he's run through with a lance, bursting into scribbled paper.-

Cassidy the Perfected: ... Wait. That was only three. Where...?

-They look behind themselves to see the Reindeer using their staff to fend off the Phoenix that's turned rogue.-

Cassidy the Perfected: ... Oh. How disappointing.

-One motion of the hand and the Reindeer's antlered helmet begins vibrating... before violently exploding, leaving only a pile of pages where the Reindeer once stood. The Phoenix dissipates with a caw.-

Cassidy the Perfected: Oh. Hm. I suppose the process of turning into a book is a property of this Palace, not just of you defenders.

-The faceless man crosses his arms.-

The Black Silence: You do love the sound of your own voice, don't you?

Cassidy the Perfected: Of course. A god is allowed to self-indulge.

The Black Silence: A "god"? Odd for a "god" to be at the beck and call of an organization like the School.

Cassidy the Perfected: Even the butterfly must struggle against its cocoon before being able to unfold its wings proper. This is no different.

The Black Silence: A poet and a sociopath. So are you going to leave peacefully, or is it your turn to step up?

Cassidy the Perfected: Oh, this isn't going to be a fight. It's going to be a massacre. A shame, really. I really did want to leave a survivor to bear witness to the first time I've ever summoned my Persona for combat.

-The Black Silence uncrosses his arms. Something isn't right here.-

Cassidy the Perfected: Did you know, there is a loyal member of the School and a traitor. One made to kill the other. One encrusted in frost, the other bedecked in flame. Together, their destined clash will herald a new age.

-The air begins to get warm... and cold...-

Cassidy the Perfected: Such is the destiny of all Ice and Fire. To bind such a dichotomy would be the greatest of powers, yes?

-The faceless man lunges at Cassidy, before a pillar of flame drops from the sky between them.-

Cassidy the Perfected: Yes... such power must belong to that... of a Demon! A Demon that may rival, or surpass, any god!

-A wild smile creeps across Cassidy's face.-

Cassidy the Perfected: SO SMALL IS THE IMAGINATION OF ARCEUS, THAT IT TOOK HUMANITY TO CREATE SUCH A CREATURE!

-The faceless man fires a pair of handguns at Cassidy, before their bullets freeze and shatter mid-air.-

Cassidy the Perfected: AND BY HUMANITY'S HAND! SHALL I ENABLE THE DEMON TO COME FORTH!

---

I am come to mete out justice. To bestow the blessings of victory unending.

---

Stormchaser, "Ever's Room"

-there's an odd tingle as her perception passes through...some kind of static-

-but their shields are in all the wrong spots—even a weak probe can see...-

-just sitting there is honest, mild curiosity, placed in front of a lot of actual concern-

Logan: Ah, I pass through here a lot. Some friends of mine live around here, and they kind of tend to coop up if left to their own devices.

-they glance left, and right, apparently heedless of the wall they seem to be standing in-

Logan: Having trouble with the layout?

No mind to think. No will to break.

Stormchaser, "Ever's Room"

Neodymium: Oh, you're friends with that weird blue fellow? Well, I've claimed their room in the name of the School.

...So there.

Do you know how to find other rooms?

Dunsparce didn't stop being a thing or anything.

Stormchaser, "Ever's Room" First Foothold In A Grand And Glorious Conqu Shut Up, Narrator

Logan: Oh, that's a shame. I'll...let them know?

-they're very badly avoiding thinking about the other weird blue fellows they know by thinking about how blueish teal is-

-...and trying to peek behind her-

Logan: It's an interesting choice, strategically! Certainly it's defensible, and something of a hit to morale, but I can think of a few higher-priority targets you could've gone for.

Addie: <Don't think about them.>

-that folder moves right to the front-

Logan: Oh, definitely. But...

Logan: Will you be conquering them, too? Not that there isn't room for an occupying force, but we really like to schedule these things. :?

Edited by Asterisk395 on Mar 25th 2023 at 5:13:13 AM

No mind to think. No will to break.

Undisclosed School Facility

A young-ish looking man who appears to be in his Early 20s appears before Mr. Tenor. He doesn't appear to be wearing the same outfit as many of the other staff members, wearing instead a bright red Hulbury University hoodie (which he appears to be wearing over a button-up with a clip on tie) and, unlike most of the other inhabitants here, has ochre-colored hair that parts in the middle. Otherwise, he shares the same striking purple eyes the rest of the templars have.

He continually cross-references with a phone that projects a porygon. "Is that him," he mutters to the porygon, who responds in some sort of beeping sound that seems affirmative.

On his neck is a lanyard that, when read, says his name: Watson

Watson: Good day! You must be Mr. Tenor. My name is Watson and I'll be escorting you to the Antiquarian's office momentarily. Right this way, sir.

The Stormchaser, Truants Three

Those next details helped the three that Mukon must've fallen from elsewhere before falling into ancient Sinnoh... before falling into the present.

Oganesson: We're quite naturally curious fellows. Living with Dr. Circhester didn't exactly acquaint us with the occurrences in this reality, let alone everywhere else. Austin is the only one who actually had Internet access, and he did so clandestinely. There's a lot we can tell you about ourselves, if you're curious.

Krypton: And just in time. Our salads are here. Though I remember ordering three of them.

Astatine: Again? Couldn't we just have Taco Bell?

Oganesson: You need the roughage, Austin. We've all heard your complaints at the lavatory.

Beat.

Oganesson: Events like that you probably wouldn't need to recall. He needs to eat healthier. Of course, that can all wait. Would you join us for lunch. We've appeared to have received...

Krypton shows the receipt.

Oganesson: And have been charged for one more than we initially ordered.

Krypton: This calls for dinner theater.

And with that, the television once again turns on to an episode of Yippie. The host, as the character Yippie, appears to be at a museum where he's standing next to a grossly anatomically incorrect reconstruction of a Basculegion and reacting as though it was the real deal.

Stormchaser, "Ever's Room"

Neodymium: I've got a couple goals while I'm here. I need to defeat Kai, find a purpose for living, and probably take over the airship. I think those second two things could go together but I'm not sure, 'cause I've never had to figure out my own purpose before.

-...-

-she squints suspiciously-

Neodymium: Are you here to help or not?

Dunsparce didn't stop being a thing or anything.

Stormchaser, With the Truants

Mukon: "Well, it'd be remiss of me to not ask after I just talked about myself a bunch."

...

Mukon: "... You know, I sell herbal medication too. It's not normally used for that, but I've heard it can, uh..."

She leaves the rest unsaid.

Mukon: "... But sure! I was supposed to be taking a break anyway."

She joins the others by the tv, and makes a face at the Basculegion.

off the shits

Mr. Tenor snaps to attention at the sight of the young man who appeared, before putting on his customarily chipper appearance.

"Indeed I am, Mr. Watson," Mr. Tenor says. "Pleased to meet you, mate." As he follows Watson out of the room, he snaps his fingers twice and calls behind him "Oi, Emcpy, Mezzo, hold the fort while I'm away!"

The sole reaction from the two of them was Empy the Chatot half-opening her right eyelid, before closing it and going back to sleep.

Edited by AnotherMan on Mar 26th 2023 at 7:08:56 PM

Silas adjusted his shirt as he sat on the edge of the medical bed. Looking at his cousin, Barty Paige. Barty was the eldest of the boys in the extend family, married, had 2 kids, and more than a decade older than him. Silas had always looked up to him and gotten along, even when he pulled his Dr. Jerk routine.

"So, Ilas," Barty said, hearing his cousin groan. "Still not a fan of the nickname?"

"You just took the S out of my name, it doesn't count," Silas protested.

Barty smirked. "Well I've got a whole host of girls names to call you, but honestly that's besides the point. I've got some Scrubs downstairs who honestly need direction... and this one resident who honestly hangs on like a puppy dog!"

"You capitalized the word scrub," Silas noted.

"So, still coming here, still haven't found a good family doctor yet?" Barty asked.

"Honestly you're one of the few people who know all the secrets and weirdness my family has been through, that kind of limits my options."

Barty shook his head with a scoff. "Yeah, famous ancestors, pokemon DNA, turning into one, multiversal travel, J-Team affiliation, superheroes. Don't want people knowing that," Barty said with an eye-roll.

"So, what are the results?" Silas asked. "It's a standard physical."

Barty looked over the charts and let out a deep sigh. "So, good news. You're in fantastic health... just... great health."

"Then why are you talking to me like there's bad news."

"Well that's just it... there is none. You're in fantastic health, outright just... unnaturally fantastic health," Barty continued.

Now that caught Silas's attention. "...How?"

Barty gave the charts to Silas, who began to read over them, with some confusion as his skills had always been more based in engineering. From what he could tell, his body was doing well, muscle mass was good, digestion was health, and his respiratory system was working as- well that was it.

"Wait my heart is how strong now?"

Barty shoved his hands into the pockets of his labcoat. "That's just it, I even had the labs run it again with a blood sample. You're the same as you were a few years ago, when you got that big ol scar in the middle of your chest, and the one along your left eye. However with how good your health is right now, it's... weird."

Silas quirked a brow, waiting for Barty to continue, he gestured with his metal hand. "Best I could say, you have the heart of a fighting type, and best I can presume since it's working so well is that it's almost as if your body has just outright made further adaptations. However I work in the world of biological science and this is starting to strike me as some form of magic. Any other changes?"

"I'm a Blank as it turns out," Silas said. "Don't know how that happened, have my theories, wondered why it hadn't happened sooner with said theories though."

"Not really something that affects what we have here," Barty said. "Auric stuff is still just esoteric enough that we can't measure it."

Silas frowned, wondering what this could mean. "Wait... what about my heart being stronger means that other changes have happened?"

"Basic biology," Barty answered. "You can't just make one big change and expect it to work. If your body has a heart that strong, your brain and neural pathways need to be able to process and feed that information, your muscles need to be able to make use of that, your lungs would have to be able to hold oxygen more effectively... there's a billion little changes that all add up. And before you say anything about keeping yourself in good shape, this goes beyond Olympic athlete. Fighting Types need to be able to process not only infinity energy but also the physical needs involved in that. Sure many humans can reach levels similar to fighting types, but consider the endurance and physical strength of a single Lucario, and then consider they've also got steel typing genetics supporting that."

Silas scratched his head. "Sooo... what am I superhuman or something?"

"I mean... no more than a person in good physical shape, and superhuman means something else seeing as you're not reading minds, casting illusions, or projecting your very spirit as a weapon," Barty added. "Best we can tell is that you could make use of that in some way... just we're not sure yet. You may want to look into this."

Silas sighed and stood up. "Right... thanks Barty, Roxy's down the hall right?"

"Oh yeah, she should be done her physical as well."

"Thanks."

With that, Silas opened the door and over fell a man in blue scrubs, he looked down at the resident, then to Barty, who let out a deep sigh. "Dorian Trent..."

"Uh... hey Doctor Paige."

Secret School Facility

Watson: Likewise, my Porygon2 Crick.

Watson leads Mr. Tenor across the halls of the facility. Only staff members and templars seem to be present. They pass through corridors, hallways, and elevators, all while being stared at by templars.

The end of the hall leads to a door, which opens to a lavishly appointed office with a window. The walls were lined with hardwood panels in a Tudor revival style. One wall shared the same style but contained a gigantic aquarium where what appears to be a finizen with a shattered heart tattoo swims in one place, staring at Mr. Tenor intently has he enters.

The wall opposite the finizen contains a large LED screen, surreptitiously mimicking an retro-styled Periodic table. A few entries (Hydrogen, Oganesson, Oxygen, Gold, Nitrogen, Platinum, Iron, Strontium, Kalosium, Krypton) were labeled with a yellow warning icon, while others (Potassium, Astatine, Vanadium, Praseodymium, Neodymium, Radium, Hassium) were grayed out. The label at the bottom center just said "2021".

The window, styled to resemble a castle's from the inside, offered a spectacular view of the surrounding countryside. In a secret organization like this, anything with windows—let alone one with a view—is just plain showing off. Someone thought themselves important.

Watson: Allow us to introduce Dr. Cassander Circhester, the Antiquarian, one of our leading scientists and advisers to our Schoolchild program. Likewise, Doctor, a Mr. Tenor.

Dr. Cassander: Thank you, Watson. Would you kindly stay on standby to help our associate get comfortable. Mr. Tenor, feel free to take a seat.

Watson nods.

Dr. Cassander: Crick, cart out the refreshments for our associate.

Crick, via speech device: Yes sir.

The Porygon2's projection disappears. Near Mr. Tenor appears an automated dining cart containing various spreads and greens, breads, and slices of glazed, roasted Paldean ham.

Dr. Cassander: I haven't been able to keep track of everyone in this facility as of late due to... certain events. Would you kindly tell us more about yourself, Mr. Tenor?

Stormchaser, Truants

The truants stare at one another and agree to ease her into the full story over the course of several days. Krypton hands Mukon her salad and they proceed to watch. A little voice they all seem to be hearing appears to tell them that they did the right thing making their new neighbor feel welcome.

Oganesson: We'll let you know if we'll need it. Given how stubborn Austin can be, that might be of use for us. Until then, sit back, relax, and cringe at the fact that this is an educational show

Astatine: Hey!

Edited by MasterJayAM on Mar 26th 2023 at 4:35:05 PM

Mr. Tenor is impressed by the opulence within the Antiquarian's office. As he passes by the Finizen with the shattered-heart tattoo, he senses a hint of danger from the intently staring Pokemon, so he contains himself to just giving a sly wink in it's general direction. The screen displaying the periodic table of the elements, however, snuck itself into the back of his mind. Prob'ly should have a closer look later, he thinks.

"Thanking you kindly, Doctor Cassander," Mr. Tenor says as he carefully takes his seat, letting his hands prepare a delicious treat from the contents of the dining cart as he continues talking. "As for myself, I am but a humble scholar of the musical arts. I ply my trade here and there to show the world music's power and utility in our modern world." He pauses, before sombrely adding "I will admit, my origins are humble, as a lad from Motostoke, which I hope will not adversely impact our present and future relations."

As he finishes his introduction, his fully assembled sandwich (lettuce, onion, and a single slice of ham between to slices of brown bread, buttered sides in) rests within his hands.

Battle Academy, Keter Floor

---

I Am Zurvan.

---

-From an eruption of shattering, frozen flame, a centauroid creature, adorned in armor made of flames trapped in eternal stasis, appears. From the waist up, the twisted, mangled silhouette of a Victini, stretched and elongated to nearly human proportions. On the back, flame-encrusted Articuno wings. From the waist down, the arms and tail of an Eelektross, with a biting maw where the neck would be.-

Cassidy the Perfected: The God of Eternity. Above any trite concept we humans could ever ascribe to it. Behold... the Demon!

-The faceless man cranes his neck back, the floating... creature hovering above the head of its summoner.-

The Black Silence: I've seen worse.

-This was not a lie.-

Cassidy the Perfected: Then you speak in ignorance, which will be swiftly educated!

-An upheld hand, clad in frozen flame, beckons a blade of flaming ice to crash down on the faceless man, who barely dodges before he's cleaved in two.-

Zurvan: Good and Evil, the War Eternal...

-Another motion of the hand, another flaming attack from the floor - rows of searing ice blade in an outward cone.-

Zurvan: I stand above such petty morality.

-The blades stop midway before suddenly rising into massive ice walls, blocking the faceless man in. Zurvan floats to the corner he's trapped his prey in.-

Zurvan: Embrace Eternity!

-A glaive manifests in his hand, before he plunges it at his prey.-

The Black Silence: ...

---

O   r   l   a   n   d   o.

---

-A flash of black and white, and the glaive is caught mid-thrust.-

-Where once stood a faceless man now stands the manifestation of Fury.-

Orlando: I've had just about enough of your big mouth, buddy.

-Clad in black and white armor, smoke trailing from the joints, and wielding a glimmering black blade - his faithful companion through all these years. Durandal.-

Orlando: And I think I've entertained you enough.

-With a battle cry, the frozen walls shatter and Zurvan is forced back to his summoner. For the first time, Cassidy can now see their opponent's new form.-

Cassidy the Perfected: What... what...

-Their voice cracks.-

Cassidy the Perfected: What are you?!

-Orlando doesn't bother to give an answer before locking blades with Zurvan again, moving at lightning speeds.-

Edited by DuneTheWanderer on Mar 26th 2023 at 4:21:15 AM

cw: discussion of recent topics

… House

-Molybdenum cleans the tile- Technetium.

-Ramona arranges the week-one primer material by content and color- Technetium.

-Alumnus #42 changes the sheets, - Technetium! Technetium, Technetium, Tech████

Ribot: ~Oh, you poor thing.~

-she stands upright and inert like a good creation, her head filling with static-

-Bela killed her-

-she didn't even hesitate-

-her best friend! switched her off, just like that-

Tech, what was it all for?

Hoenn, [y] days ago

-Pokémon sit around...licking their wounds-

-"sitting around" is strange enough—they're a motley bunch, predators and prey all mixed together without a Trainer in sight to intervene-

Swellow: <Hey.>

Zigzagoon: <...'sup.>

-there's a silence common to fresh, bloody acquaintances-

Swellow: -glancing over, at a shape on the ground- <Since it looks like we're gonna be here a while...>

Swellow: <Got any way to pass the time?>

Zigzagoon: -still staring- <...yeah.>

Zigzagoon: <There's this story I heard.>

Zigzagoon: -breathes in-

Hoenn, [y] days ago

-a bellowing roar sweeps the Templar out of the den-

Templar: -on the ground- ...shit! It's awake!

-he casts his hands forward, projecting concussive waves that sink deep but barely slow-

[Pause.]

[-...the Templar skitters away on hands and knees in the lull, toward the shelter of a nearby '']

-dives out of the way of a fist that splits boulders-

[Fleur the Xenathurge: —advantage of the breaks! Regroup! It can't sustain—]

-the barrier explodes in a hail of molten shards, the Pokémon stomping free-

[Mortre the Agonist: I've got an ego-lock—keep it away from me! Powering down in five—]

-she watches it slap five of her constructs aside before she reaches two-

-the silverback Slaking returns that pain tenfold, its Mega Punch sundering their armor utterly-

---

---

Saithan the Aesthete: You're all idiots.

-he cracks open an entire bottle of illegal Repel formula, slinging its contents all over his squad-

Slaking: -gags, staggering back-

Saithan the Aesthete: See?

-he sidles left, the Slaking shies right; steps forward, and it backs away-

Saithan the Aesthete: -toward the cave, walking- And like that, retrieval's easy as one, two—

Slaking: -snarling- <—GET AWAY.>

-gritting teeth is the last thing Saithan hears-

---

---

Swellow: <And?>

Zigzagoon: <...>

Swellow: <And what happened next?>

---

-he screamed-

-and screamed-

-and screamed-

-every inch of frustration, pain, and loss-

-and in Pokémon's universal tongue he conveyed...-

That Haru said: oh…hello - who left you in the cold? And Haru said: I'm taking you home with me. We'll make it work somehow. And Haru said: it's a poor hand we were dealt, huh? And Haru said: My name is now officially something I care about. c: And Haru said: It's small, but cozy. And Haru said: Coupons were kind. I saw this and thought you'd like it! And Haru said: Yes! I can make fried rice, this calls for a celebration. And Haru said: rain today, shine tomorrow. And Haru said: I don't think any of those people are actually doctors. And Haru said: …you made this, for me? And Haru said: I'll wear it every day. And Haru said: I'm complaining to whoever designed your knees like this. And Haru said: In our own time, in our own way. And Haru said: come on, let's go home. And Haru said: my gods, I get to show this to you. Wait here! Look! And Haru said: our means, every time… is worth this end.

Did we get it right?

And Rhoda said: yes.

And Rhoda said: I'm a wolf, babe. And Rhoda said: I'm so glad I flunked my exams. And Rhoda said: hah, I have a birthday now. And Rhoda said: the plumbing's busted again! Do not try to fix it without me— And Rhoda said: forget magic claws, there's nothing more empowering than buying a can opener. And Rhoda said: I like watching you enjoy them. And Rhoda said: you looked cold, is all. And Rhoda said: I'm going to fight your parents, gods damn. And Rhoda said: that's years more than I thought I had. And Rhoda said: …hah. No nightmares! And Rhoda said: you're reading my mind. And Rhoda said: between tests and causes and being best and this, I choose you.

Do you get what I mean?

And Haru said: of course.

-and the Bibarel sank his claws in the earth and bared fangs to the sky until every inch of their life lived was exacted: all home and hearth and matching sandals by the door; all Berries on Monday and sitcoms by Friday and scrimping for a night out on the town; all running and running and running, hand in hand, as fast and as far until the storm, running faster and farther, caught them at last-

And Haru's Bibarel said: but they couldn't take loved away.

I loved them. They loved me. They loved each other. And if I'm the last to remember, I'll remember til the storm catches me, too.

-and when the soul had departed his body through his larynx he collapsed, breathing heavily, in the snow-

-and at last silence reigned-

-...-

Sneasel: <...in their own apartment?>

---

-...-

Zigzagoon: -mournful- <...I can't get the vocals right.>

Swellow: <...............what?>

Zigzagoon: <My throat's not right. It doesn't have everything in it.>

Swellow: <but>

Swellow: <that>

Zigzagoon: <There's no replacing the original.>

Swellow: <It's fine if it's not perfect.>

Zigzagoon: <You heard that, too?>

-they look at each other for a long time-

Swellow: <And it—he—said...>

-they both look at the girl on the ground, pretending to be dead-

Swellow: <...purple eyes.>

-they track the amethyst glimmer of her irises, following her hand slowly snaking out to snag a Berry from the conveniently-unattended pile-

Swellow: <Well. Fuck.>

Zigzagoon: <No shit. And all to get back at this 'Rhodium' lady for—>

-from the bloody pile of armor, there's a clatter-

Mightyena: <What> -she breathes- <did you just say?>

---

Ramona: At least they designed us without next of kin. It's easier. Cleaner.

Hoenn, [y] days ago, -3 minutes

-mm. someone's interrupted Slaking's nap.-

-someone's gonna pay.-

-in the rumbling avalanche-haze of territorial instinct, the Slaking lifts its gaze and its fist to behold...-

-another ape-

Darmanitan!Antimony: -huddles on the ground, bleeding out-

-not a full one...she seems caught halfway to petrification, the seams of the transformation smoking with violet light-

-not a grown one-

Slaking: <...>

Templar: Gah! You're gonna pay for that, kid.

Templar: Hey—watch out, wild Pokémon.

Templar: What, are you afraid of some animal? Shows what you know. It's another lazy ape—

Slaking: -knuckling up, peering down- <...>

Darmanitan!Antimony: -looks up, pained-

Slaking's Truant!

Templar: It doesn't do anything.

-the Slaking takes a deep breath-

Hoenn, [y] days ago, -10 minutes

Swellow: <Gotcha, you little rat.>

Zigzagoon: -scrabbling- <nononono—>

Swellow: -pinning them to the rock- <Too late! Too slow. If only you weren't so irresistably tasty—>

Antimony: aUGH!

Pokémon: <...>

-a little girl, bleeding from the head, staggers into their clearing-

Templar: Gotcha, you little rat.

-the girl conjures fire(???), but the armored thing slaps it out of her hand-

Antimony: -whimpers-

Templar: You…didn't have the grace to be a tidy failure, did you?

Templar: What did you expect to find? A hole to lie in? Those shitty vandals? Someone who cared?

-the Swellow and Zigzagoon look at each other-

Templar: -power humming- Well, for what's left of my day off, you get mess—

-the talon comes off the Zigzagoon's throat-

Sinnoh, [x-1] days ago

-a Sneasel slinks through the snow-

-Claw of the Wild hunts something wounded, at the end of its rope, alone…-

-and finds—-

Bibarel: -howl- <They're DEAD!>

Kataow: <Whoa, whoa, whoa, what>

Bibarel: <My—my Trainer. His wife. My friends...>

Kataow: <Shit, you're a Trainer's—>

Bibarel: <No, he was—he got—he…I'm not, any more.>

-he looks fearfully up…only now recognizing the predator standing there-

Bibarel: <...not any more.>

-and something in him falls past fear-

Bibarel: <And I'm the only one...the only one who remembers.>

-his sobs hitch once, twice...-

-and his run-ragged body has finally had enough-

-he passes out on the spot, dimly registering:-

-65% oxygen, 19% carbon, 10% nitrogen-

Kataow: <...>

-Kataow doesn't know the formula, but knows it's all she needs-

-she sees flank, thigh, rib…and her stomach rumbles-

Kataow: -...reaches forward-

The School

Ribot: ~There, there, you little rascal. Was your little rebellion fun? Does your narration help you feel safe?~

-stroking her hair- ~Take solace as part of something so much larger. Yes, it was ingenious, letting the Team live. All working as intended...our only foes alone...secure in their arrogance...together in one convenient skyship.~

Sinnoh, [x-1] days ago

-Haru's Bibarel comes to-

Bibarel: <...?>

-his legs feel cold-

-he looks back...-

-...to see the trench he's left, dragged through the snow...-

-...by the Sneasel, breathing laboriously, hauling him...-

-alive-

Bibarel: <...>

Claw of the Wild: -gasping, to herself- <Two more hills. Two more hills and we hit pack. Two more and—I find—a different Bibarel. A fatter one. Less greasy. Some real food.>

Bibarel: <why?>

Claw of the Wild: <Why? Why?! Because fuck you, is why! Now shut up and let me carry you!!>

---

Ribot: ~Because they're only people, and we're an idea.~

---

-battered, the Slaking lies wearily down between the Darmanitan and the entrance-

---

-the Zigzagoon noses beneath Antimony's hand-

---

Ursaring: <But this can't be real, r—>

Chatot: <I believe it.>

-every eye in the clearing turns to meet her, vulnerable prey creature-

Chatot: <...she called herself Niobium. Said no one would understand—>

---

<I don't know who or what you people are, but you are not touching this one today!>

---

<Lady—that Bibarel's Mightyena buddy, she was killed protecting—>

---

<Sulfur. My best friend.>

<I knew…a Teru. No purple eyes—he hid under my bridge when the headaches got too bad. None of the Trainers knew when he stopped, but I remember—>

---

Sneasel: -shriek- <Rhoda and Haru! The love they shared!>

-a Sneasel sniffing through the underbrush—tracking—the brush risen to attack him-

Abomasnow: <...claws and fangs—>

---

Ramona: -murmur- And how can anyone kill an idea?

Ribot: ~There's my ward.~

-Ramona Cadwalader gets lifelessly to her feet-

Ribot: ~Abandon hope, ye who exit here. We are everyone who matters, and our victory will be nothing less than perfect.~

Edited by Asterisk395 on Mar 26th 2023 at 11:18:20 AM

No mind to think. No will to break.

Dr. Cassander's Office

Dr. Cassander: I see. I grew up in the countryside, myself. Never really saw the appeal of large cities. But growing up there certainly tests a man's resolve. As they say, if you succeed in the cities of Unova, you have what it takes to succeed anywhere else. Worry not about these fickle things about social class. Here at the School, we are united by a common goal of an improved humanity.

Despite this chipper introduction, the aura of the room indicates that the Antiquarian is less than fully impressed. The "finizen" continues to watch from a distance.

Dr. Cassander: I do hope you've come prepared. Besides a courtesy meeting and an introduction, this is also a demonstration and presentation. I certainly hope you've come prepared. Would you kindly give us an introduction to what you've to come to offer our fair organization? When you were onboarded, I swore to see you demonstrate this yourself.

Meanwhile, Watson stands by the tank, observing the events as they transpired. In secret, he has a telepathic conversation with the Pokémon in the aquarium.

Watson: ~How do you think this will play out?~

Fernando the "Finizen": ~Just watch and learn. Our friend here has apparently plied his trade using his silver tongue to charm his customers. He certainly likes to think himself as on top of things.~

Watson: ~Think he'll manage well when test time comes?~

Fernando: ~I'm sure you'll do what you can to make sure he earns his keep.~

Watson: ~Say what?~

Fernando: ~As soon as he's done his spiel and had his fill of the ham, you are to join Dr. Circhester in conducting a test.~

Watson: ~I know what you're planning. Couldn't we get a testing-line student or an alumnus to do any of this.~

Fernando: ~That is field work; we don't want the Schoolchildren finding out about any of our control measures. Sometimes, we need a Templar to act as the morpeko for our experiment.~

Watson: ~Just once, I'd like to be the control in an experiment.~

Fernando: ~Suck it up. Adam and Igor were more than willingly compliant when given similar exercises.~

Watson: ~But they're Pokémon.~

Fernando: ~Your point? Just follow orders, Watson. That's all you're ever built for.~

Stormchaser, "Ever's Room"

-Logan blinks-

Logan: You are amazingly self-aware.

-they smile brightly-

Logan: But yeah, I'm here to show you where everything is. Pantry, gym, library...that kind of thing. For...someone for whom the halls actually work.

-they are now standing in a hallway-

-...they squint up at the ceiling-

Logan: ...touchy, today.

-and look back-

Logan: Mangrove's Hierarchy first—I'm not sure what you've been eating in there, and—I assume you didn't arrive with an overnight bag. Walk with me?

-their Pachirisu scampers down their arm to sniff hello-

Logan: Figuring it out's daunting, the first time. ^_^;

-the small portion of their mind she's present within would read as fully earnest-

No mind to think. No will to break.

Stormchaser, "Ever's Room"

Neodymium: Obviously. That's what I'm made for.

-though she does glow a bit-

Neodymium: I've just been cooking with what's here. It's pretty easy, and a lot of it has directions on the package.

-she cautiously opens the door a little wider-

Neodymium: Why are you helping me? I'm your enemy.

Dunsparce didn't stop being a thing or anything.

Stormchaser, "Ever's Room"

Logan: Huh. Handy blue.

Addie: <...really hope it's not just depression ramen in there—>

Logan: -beam- Well done, Neo.

-they rub their hands together-

Logan: Oh, there's a lot of answers for that. One being I don't really have enemies, by default. I've tried it, didn't like it much.

-they scritch Addie under the chin-

Addie: -preens-

Logan: First and foremost, that's what I made myself for.

I like helping people.

No mind to think. No will to break.

Stormchaser, "Ever's Room"

Neodymium: ...That's not a great way to go through life. I mean, it worked okay for me, but I was supposed to die anyway.

Or maybe I was supposed to be here?

But you have enemies, even if you don't want to. Like me. If you help me, you'll lose something in the end. Unless you want me to take over the airship, in which case we're allies and I'll give you a privileged position in my new airship order.

-but she comes outside-

~Got a new ally already, Didit!~

~Sure you have.~

Neodymium: Let's find food first.

Dunsparce didn't stop being a thing or anything.

Stormchaser, "Ever's Hallway"

-Logan sighs, before smiling again-

Logan: Alright, that was another simplification. Let's say...there are degrees of enemy.

Logan: There's the kind that would see me and those I care about dead on the spot, which—as you've said—are told to frick off with all necessary force.

-they raise a finger, eyes glittering- Necessary force. Currently, you're actively advising me how best to be wary of you. While that's going on, I'm encouraged to reply in kind.

-they start walking-

Logan: Consider "standards" a weakness of mine. One day at a time, here and now...I'm not standing for a newcomer here slowly getting scurvy, and possibly sunlight deficiency depression. Unless Ever's a lot better-stocked than I kept track of. Or for preventing her from experiencing the full scope of what's out here, now that she is here.

Maybe this is how I fight.

Logan: Maybe I see the possibility that you won't consider yourself that enemy by that end as strategic and necessary to strive for. Maybe you can leverage that to lure me into second-in-command in your meticulously-plotted psychic ninja airship regime. So while our paths align, and might continue aligning...

-a Joltik lowers a menu-pamphlet down from the ceiling before vanishing back between the plates-

Logan: Got any preferences? We don't exactly have the most diverse stock, but it's well-rounded nutritionally.

-well, it's mostly not fast food-

(-a good chunk of it, in fact, is varyingly human-edible types of seafood, tagged with a familiar signature-)

-Addie peers down at Didit, curious-

Edited by Asterisk395 on Mar 26th 2023 at 12:42:30 PM

No mind to think. No will to break.

???

Brad: -Looking at some papers- I've been thinking, about last year, Adel's little assignment with the apostate Louise.

Adrian: -Arms crossed- Oh?

Brad: Real convenient that Iridium and her not so little boyfriend just so happened to be there of all places, don't you think? A tissue bank, why would the J-Team care about one of those when there's so many far more juicy targets? Only Schoolchildren there are liquidated ones, no hearts and minds to try convincing there. And the eggheads said they took samples with them.

Adrian: Hmm...

Brad: And it was just the two of them and their Pokémon, no obnoxious bunch of people with them, so I bet they wanted to keep what they were doing between themselves. Something's not adding up...

-Thinks a bit before smirking-

Those clever little sneaks. That raid they did, all that flash and pomp, it was all a massive diversion from their real plans. Ones that I'm sure most of those anarchic fools don't even know. Get the School thinking it was one thing, when it was actually another.

Adrian: -Hand to chin- A cure for the Curse, that's what they're planning on making.

Brad: Precisely. Doesn't interfere with the Doc's plans exactly, but I think it's a good excuse to pay Iridium a visit, since the School won't be happy to hear about this.

Adrian: Xenon will likely be there as well. It will be interesting to see how she's progressed after so long.

'Brad: -Bearing a Slasher Smile- Those two they can hide what they're doing forever? As if?

Edited by rmctagg09 on Apr 1st 2023 at 3:25:15 PM

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

The Wild Area- Ingrid/Braker (March 2022)

Ingrid and Braker looked on for a few moments at their Pokemon all talking to and having fun with one another, smiling at each other for a brief moment. Eventually, however, Braker finally spoke up, turning to face Ingrid.

"...you seem to have a rather close connection with that Drifblim of yours," said Braker.

"O-oh! Yes! You must mean Amity, right?"

"Indeed," said Braker. "I also may have just seen you on the news battling Nessa."

"Oh..."

"Congratulations to her on her evolution."

<Thank you,> said Amity, floating up to him.

Ingrid gave her friend a massive hug.

"So... what exactly is it about her?" asked Braker.

"Well... she and I actually go farther back than you'd probably imagine," said Ingrid.

"Oh?" asked Braker. "She's your starter?"

"Oh, no, that's Frida," said Ingrid. "But back when Frida was still a Swablu, Amity here was my only friend. We did everything together: we went outside and played in puddles, we met all sorts of Pokemon, we listened to ABBA music together... She had always had a fascination for the paranormal and often went to haunted houses. It was a lot of fun."

"Was she a Drifloon?" asked Braker.

<Oh, no, I was a human,> said Amity.

"A... A human...?"

And then Braker suddenly realized it.

"Wait a minute, did she...?"

Ingrid nodded. "She was killed by a wild Pokemon."

"Oh dear..." Braker muttered. "I'm so sorry."

Amity nodded. <I woke up and I was a Drifloon, and for many years I was able to basically do nothing but float around and watch Ingrid there. She would go to school, listen to ABBA music... but she pretty much stayed inside her house the whole time. I never really saw her outside. It was devastating, only being able to watch her from the sidelines. I was too afraid to ever reveal myself to her... but I'm so happy I did and that Ananpi noticed me beforehand.>

"Wait a minute," said Ingrid. "Ananpi saw you?"

Amity nodded. <He didn't know who I was, but he was happy to invite me to come and watch your Gym Battle in Turffield. I was so happy and proud to watch you.>

"Oh... oh my word... that's so sweet of him..."

<And because of that, I got to reunite with you again,> said Amity.

"I know it took you a while to learn some moves," said Braker. "Perhaps some of my Pokemon could help out with that, if you wanted."

<Oh, I would love that!> cried Amity.

"Very well, then," said Braker.

<Lenny~! Lennyyy~!>

"Cuddles?"

Braker looked ahead, to find Cuddles, Walter, and Caboose headed straight towards him. After a few moments, they stopped, and Cuddles glanced up at Ingrid.

<I almost forgot to ask!> cried Cuddles. <Ingrid, would you like a hug?>

"Oh! Sure!" said Ingrid, picking up Cuddles and giving him a hug.

<Yaaay~!> cried Cuddles, hugging her back.

After a few moments, Ingrid squealed in delight.

"Oh my! He's extremely soft and cuddly~!" she exclaimed. "He feels so warm... I want to fall asleep on him... he's so cute..."

"Cuddles will have that effect on people," said Braker.

After a few moments of hugging, Cuddles glanced up at Braker.

<Pardon me for asking, but what were you talking about over here?> he asked. <I heard something regarding death...>

"We were talking about Amity, Ingrid's Drifblim," said Braker.

<Ahhh. I see,> said Cuddles.

He looked back for a few moments.

<I think Thanatos needs to be introduced to us more,> said Cuddles.

"Oh?"

<I don't know, he just... he seems scared of us,> said Cuddles. <There are all these new Pokemon and he doesn't know anything about them... Maybe we should do something so that he gets to know us more?>

Braker smiled.

"Awww, Cuddles..."

He picked up Cuddles and nuzzled him.

"You are so sweet," said Braker. "Of course we can do something like that."

<But... what should it be?> asked Cuddles.

"I'm not sure," said Braker. "I would suggest a Gamecube watch party, but that doesn't really tell Thanatos anything about ourselves..."

And then: a voice came from near them.

A robotic sort of voice, one that sounded nearly identical to a phone assistant.

<THERE ARE MORE NEW POKEMON HERE? HOW FUN!>

"Huh?" asked Ingrid. "Was that your phone?"

"No, I don't think it was..." muttered Braker.

<THAT DHELMISE OF YOURS IS HUGE!>

"It's not my phone," said Braker.

He turned around— and noticed a Pokemon in front of him.

A Sigilyph.

The Sigilyph in question noticed him and waved a wing. Immediately, Braker noticed that on the Sigilyph's belly, where the two eyes would normally be, were a group of symbols.

Emojis, he realized:

👨🏾‍🦱👻⚓🐋❗

And then, the Sigilyph's symbols suddenly changed to:

👋❗

<HELLO!> said the automatic messenger-sounding voice at the exact same time.

Braker, Ingrid, Walter, Cuddles, and Caboose all looked at each other for a few moments in unbridled confusion.

Ultra Megapolis (August 2022)

CW: mentions of scars and whipping

Grohl didn't have any time to waste anymore.

The partner that he had been assigned to do UBese work with had just run away from him, and he didn't know where on Ultra Megapolis he'd be heading off to. On top of that, Debussy had all those whip marks on his back and Grohl had no idea where they came from.

He couldn't disappoint his Trainer. He had to get Debussy back and find out what was going on with him.

He frantically ran off, searching for the other members of the group. From what he understood, Strummer was hasty enough to want to find a Poipole or Naganadel immediately, so he was probably searching for one right now...

Ultra Megapolis— Strummer and Jagger

<Oi! Hurry up, mate! I think I see one!>

   <Hang on, I'm coming!>    cried Jagger, running up closer to the frantically-running Strummer.    <So what are we going to do? How do we get the information from them? Scare them out of their wits?>   

<What? Don't be silly, now!>

   <Hey, what's wrong with craziness?>    asked Jagger.

<We've got a job to do 'ere!>

   <Please,>    scoffed Jagger.    <You're the one saying this? Since when do you listen to authority, Mr. "I Am An Anarchist"?>   

<Kim's not in the establishment! And I ain't an anarchist!>

   <Doesn't mean it's not surprising.>   

<Guys! GUYYYYYSSS!>

Jagger and Strummer glanced over in shock at the voice from behind them, and saw Grohl running towards them in horror. They turned to face Grohl and ran up to him.

   <Grohl?>    asked Jagger.    <What the heck happened? Where's Debussy?>   

<I'll explain later,> said Grohl. <For now, you need to follow me. We need to find Dio and Ozzy.>

Jagger and Strummer looked at each other, then ran off and followed Grohl, not knowing what was going on, but knowing for a fact that whatever it was, it was something serious.

Ultra Megapolis— Dio and Ozzy

Dio and Ozzy, meanwhile, were much farther ahead than probably anybody had anticipated. Thanks in no small part to Ozzy being a Flying-type Pokemon, they had in fact actually found a Poipole and a Naganadel, and they were currently in the midst of talking to said mons, both of whom spoke fluent Monese. Dio was holding up a piece of paper with a ton of pictures on it.

<So... do you think you could write your words for these things in your dialect on this paper?> asked Dio.

The Poipole shrugged. <Sure.>

He grabbed the paper and a pencil and then started to write some more things down on it. Dio turned to face Ozzy.

<Am I doing good?> he asked.

Ozzy nodded.

<YES!> cried Dio.

And then, as the Poipole continued to write down words...

   <Hiya, Dio.>   

<GAH!>

Dio and Ozzy both turned to see Jagger grinning down at them. Ozzy glared up at him, but Jagger didn't seem to notice or care.

<O-oh!> said Dio, coming to his senses. <Hi Jagger! How'd the research go?>

   <Oh, I'm not here for research,>    said Jagger.    <We need you to come with us. Apparently, the little sheep over here told us that Debussy's gone.>   

And at that, Dio and Ozzy's eyes widened.

<He's WHAT?!> cried Dio.

Wasting no time, Ozzy immediately took to the skies. Dio, meanwhile, turned to face the Poipole.

<I'm sorry 'bout this, Poipole,> said Dio, <but I gotta go! We have a friend to save!>

<Take your time,> said the Poipole.

With that said, Dio ran in the direction of Jagger, Strummer, and Grohl.

Ultra Megapolis— Debussy-Related Mon Meeting

After a few moments, Grohl eventually stopped in the middle of the massive city of Poipole and Naganadel, before turning to face the rest of the group.

<Alright,> he said eventually. <Sorry I had to interrupt you while you were in the midst of your research, but I need to find Debussy. He's run away. And... well... the reason as to why isn't a good one.>

<Uh-oh...> Dio muttered.

<What did you do?> asked Ozzy, an "eyebrow" raised.

Grohl looked down.

<I... well... I slapped him on the back,> said Grohl.

   <Hehehehe~!>    Jagger giggled.    <That couldn't have hurt that badly!>   

<He screamed in agony and ran away from me while apologizing profusely,> Grohl responded.

   <Huh?!>    cried Jagger.    <Sheesh, how hard did ya hit him?!>   

<I... I didn't think it was that hard!> protested Grohl. <I tried to lean down to give him a hug... and then I noticed these...>

And then the red orb on his head glowed, and he projected the image of Debussy's whip marks and scars to everyone else there.

   <"These"? Well, they can't be that bad. I've seen far wor—>   

And then Jagger saw the image.

   <—HOLY CRAP WHAT THE HELL DID THEY DO TO HIM?!>   

<OI! DA 'ELL IS THAT?!> cried Strummer.

<Don't tell me...> Ozzy muttered, horrified.

Dio, meanwhile, just stood there, seething in pure rage.

Grohl nodded sadly. <I don't know how he got those marks, who whipped him, or what, but whoever he had before he was caught by Sholto abused him to no end.>

<That explains a lot about his distrust of Kimberly,> Ozzy mused. <And us.>

   <Is that the reason why he doesn't like to give people hugs?>    asked Jagger.

<It could be,> said Grohl.

<It appears that his old Trainer may have abused him for that exact thing,> said Ozzy. <Someone who wasn't willing to accept Debussy's love, and who continued to get hurt by him. And eventually... he had enough. And he snapped.>

Dio continued to stand there, doing absolutely nothing except glance down at the floor and clench his claws. Grohl noticed.

<Dio...?> asked Grohl. <Are you okay...?>

<I can't... I can't believe they would treat him like that... like how they treated me...>

Ozzy, Jagger, Strummer, and Grohl all stared at each other.

<It would make sense for Dio to be the one to react like this,> said Ozzy. <After all, he knows full well what it is like to be abused by a former Trainer and given scars by it.>

   <Yeah, but still... this is Dio we're talking about. I'd have expected him to be far more vocal than this.>   

<One thing's for sure,> Dio growled. <If I ever get a chance to find Debussy's old Trainer... I'm going to rip him to shreds.>

That caught everyone, even Ozzy, off-guard.

<Dear Arceus, how much time have you been spending around Peechee and Jagger?!> he cried out. <Jagger, did you put him up to this?>

   <Nope, this is total news to me,>    said Jagger.

<As I said before, Dio reacting with the most anger out of all of us makes sense. Dio actively wanting to get revenge on Debussy's old Trainer, however? That is decidedly not.>

   <Dio, quit doing my job!>    cried Jagger.    <You're freaking me out!>   

<For now... we need to find Debussy,> said Grohl. <And we need to find out what's going on with him before we even think about continuing with the UBese research. I can't disappoint Kim by telling her that my research partner ran off because of something I did.>

He turned towards the city.

<Come on,> he said.

The rest of the group followed, with Dio still seething— though his rage was largely now replaced by concern for Debussy.

Mauville City (August 2021)

Axis nodded, putting away their new friend's PokeBall before turning to face Letina and Axollo, both of whom were extremely happy— though granted, Letina's definition of "extremely happy" was merely a smirk. Axollo, meanwhile, flat-out ran up to hug his Trainer.

<Yay, yay, yaaay~> he said happily. <We've got a new friend now~! And he's a Homestuck fan, too! I can't wait to talk with him about all sorts of fun things!>

<Will those things include Silly Cobra?> asked Letina, deadpan.

<You bet they will!> said Axollo, causing Letina to roll her eyes.

<Hold on, folks!> cried Tekkan, who was darting around in happiness. <I'll go and see what our new friend is doing now that he's gotten access to such an incredible product!>

With that said, he immediately returned himself back to his PokeBall.

"Alright, you have fun with that," said Axis. "For now, though, I'm itching to get back to Gyms— what say we head to Lavaridge next?"

<Ooooh! I get to fight Fire-types! This'll be fun~!> cried Axollo.

"That seems satisfactory," said Letina.

"Alright, then!" cried Axis. "It's been decided! Flannery, here we come!"

They headed off, with the goal of getting to Lavaridge, and as they did, Axollo looked up at them.

<So!> he asked. <Who else are you going to use?>

"Neziey, obviously," said Axis. "I'm sure she'll be excited to participate in her first ever Gym Battle."

"Is that all?" asked Letina.

"Probably going to use Tekkan, too," said Axis.

"Tekkan? Really?" asked Letina, raising an eyebrow. "Tekkan's weak to Fire. I'd recommend using Puxiki or Viscor."

<Puxiki's a pacifist, silly!> said Axollo. <You know that!>

<There's no way he'll get stronger if he doesn't battle,> Letina retorted.

<All he'll do is Sing them to sleep!> responded Axollo.

<Sing's got 55 percent accuracy,> said Letina.

<Numbers don't matter here!> said Axollo.

<Did St. Vitus tell you that?> scoffed Letina.

<Maaaaybeee~> sang Axollo.

Letina rolled her eyes. <Axollo, you are far too much.>

<FOLKS!>

Tekkan suddenly emerged from his PokeBall, causing Letina to get a bit startled— before it died off and she glared over at Tekkan.

<Don't scare me like that again,> she said.

<What's going on, Tekkan?> asked Axollo.

<I have wonderful news!> Tekkan cried happily. <Viscor is doing absolutely splendidly in his new home! I have a feeling you're going to like his typing quirk very much!>

<Ooooh!> cried Axollo.

<Incidentally, I heard you're going off to fight Flannery?> he asked.

<We sure are!> cried Axollo. <Neziey and I are going to be fighting her!>

<Mind if I join in on the battle as well?> asked Tekkan.

<Sure thing!> said Axollo. <Axis was thinking of using you anyway!>

<Huzzah~!> cried Tekkan.

<You're a Bug-type,> said Letina. <You're weak to Fire.>

<Ohohohohohoho...> Tekkan laughed. <Need I remind you of who you're looking at? Introducing the fastest non-Legendary Pokemon of all time, ladies and gents!>

<...you're saying that to someone who has the exact same ability as you,> said Letina. <I could be just as fast as you ever could.>

<Do you know Dig, though?>

<I do, in fact. And Sand-Attack, for that matter. Do you have Sand Attack?>

<Indeed I do!>

<...Well,> said Letina. <It appears we're at a standstill. We appear to be equally matched against each other. There's only one way to handle this.>

<You mean...?!>

<A battle, yes,> said Letina.

Axollo squeed.

"You and Tekkan want to have a battle to decide which one of you should be the last one to fight Flannery?" asked Axis.

"Indeed we do," said Letina.

"Alright, then," said Axis. "We're almost out of Mauville, and I'd be up for it. Would serve as a chance to see just how well Tekkan would fare against Fire-types, too."

"Very well, then," said Letina. <You're on.>

<Ohohohoho, this is going to be fun!> cried Tekkan. [[gold: <We'll see you after the break, ladies, gents, and enbies!>

Eterna City (July 2022)

After their meeting with Kendall (whose surname, they made note of, rhymed with "fever") and Mitchell at the J-Con, Laurie finally decided it was time for their next Gym Battle at long last— and the good news for them was, it was in Eterna City, their hometown. They already knew that they were going to use Slipknot in the battle, since he hadn't gotten much usage and was probably pretty close to evolving, and they didn't want to bring out D'Autry, MC-DC, or Zoltan yet since those mons were far too strong. Plant was weak to Grass, and while they had a feeling that Draiman could do pretty well, they also knew that Draiman was a bit shy.

That just left Hetfield as the only other member of their team they were planning to use in the battle against Gardenia.

At that moment, they had finally made it to Eterna City, and both mons were out of their PokeBalls and walking beside Laurie— well, at least Slipknot was. Hetfield was just floating. They glanced around for a few moments, and tears came to Laurie's eyes again as they thought about Cole and what they had discovered a few months ago.

"I still can't believe they're gone," said Laurie. "If it were up to me, I'd invite Cole to watch my battle in my hometown right here and now."

-I'M JUST SUR-PRISED YOU DID-N'T SAVE THIS BAT-TLE FOR LAST,- said Hetfield.

<Yeah, same here,> said Slipknot.

"Oh no, I wanted to go in the standard order here," said Laurie.

-I SEE,- said Hetfield. -THERE ARE TWO, YOU KNOW.-

<Where'll you be goin' next?> asked Slipknot.

"I know there are," said Laurie, only understanding Hetfield. "I think I'll take on Fantina next. Between Draiman, MC-DC, and Hetfield, I've got three Steel-types, and only Zoltan is skilled enough to take on Fighting-types. Even then, he's part Fighting-type himself. Meanwhile, for Fantina, I have Slipknot."

-UN-DER-STAND-A-BLE,- said Hetfield.

Eventually, Laurie stopped in front of the Eterna Gym, returning their Pokemon back to their balls and looking up at it.

"Alright, then," they said. "It's time."

With that said, they stepped inside of the building.

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

Stormchaser, Library

Mukon plucks a book from Kusunoki's mouth and leafs through it. Calling it a book is charitable, really— it's more like a worn pamphlet than anything.

Mukon: "Hm? Are you sure you want this one, Noki?"

Kusunoki: <...>

Mukon: "Don't give me that! You're still kind of a kid aren't you? Why would I be reading to you if you weren't?"

Kusunoki: <...>

Mukon: "... That's true, a lot of Pokemon your age don't know how to read. Ah, well."

She looks around.

Mukon: "Kinda convenient we found this place when you wanted me to read you a story, huh?"

Kusunoki: <...>

Mukon: "Yeah yeah, 'everything about this place is convenient', I know."

She sits down on a chair and opens up the book.

Mukon: "'The Byakko of Hijoh' though, hm?"

Kusunoki: <...>

Mukon: "Oh, Byakko is just another term for a white foxmon. I don't think this is about the tigermon. Or I'm assuming not, since it has a multitailed foxwoman on the cover."

Kusunoki: <...>

Mukon: "Actually, nowadays I think it refers to Alolan Vulpix? And you guys, sometimes."

Kusunoki: <^w^>

Mukon: "Well, let's get reading I guess...."

The Byakko of Hijoh

T/N: Hijoh refers the the area now referred to as Sinjoh.

A long, long time ago, before the age of Annoski, there lived a girl.

Her name is lost to time, but she is the one who would become the Byakko of Hijoh.

The Byakko is singing and washing her clothes in the river.

She was just a village girl, in the beginning. Her hair, an unusual color for her age, was white, and is later what would give her her epithet.

She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear- it's quite long, you see, and even when tied back does not always do what she tells it.

Ostracized from her peers for her ability to see and take the dreams of others, she lived quietly on the outskirts of her village. Though they used her services, the villagers did not trust her. Her parents were deceased— taken by an illness when she was young.

She squeezes water from her laundry.

The villagers thought her a bringer of misfortune.

So it was that she lived alone, in relative peace and quiet.

The Byakko sneezes. It's getting cold out, she thinks.

One day, though, the villagers had decided they'd had enough.

A strapping young woman approaches. Tall and strong, her eyes decisive and hair dark.

They told the town guards— She will bring disaster to us all. Please, for our sake, get rid of her.

Looking upon the girl, though, she... falters. This girl.. No, woman, given her age... Gods, she looks frail... She was going to bring disaster?

The Byakko turns to look at her, pale eyes widening as she realizes what the other woman must be here for. She drops her laundry.

The Guard reached out to her.

"No, wait- I'm. I'm sorry. You must know what I'm... I can't do it." The Guard sighs.

"Do... what?" The Byakko says, not wanting to believe her expectations.

"You must know. What they want me to do."

"..."

"I don't... I don't want to do it. I came here, with my mind made, but I just... can't."

The Byakko laughs. Fearfully, but she laughs.

"They sent me such a cowardly executioner?"

"Laugh at me if you want. But... I don't think I can do this. This was likely a test, and I've already failed." The Guard smiles, but it is without mirth.

"I'm.. not in a much better place than you, really." She frowns.

"Mmhmm." Despite herself, the Byakko finds this somewhat amusing. The gods sure had a sense of humor on this day.

The two.. got to talking. They talked and talked the night through, and by morning they had come up with a plan.

"They... They just want me to get rid of you. They never explicitly said..." The Guard trails off, unable to bring herself to say what they both knew.

"Mm? Is that so?" The Byakko considers.

"We've both got nothing to lose, really. Why not run away together?"

The Byakko laughs, this time unbound from fear.

"Well, if you insist, my cowardly guard."

off the shits

Stormchaser, Food Place

Neodymium: Wh— how.

-she closes her eyes, trying to get a mental picture of the area, and frowns-

Neodymium: ...Do you have any Wcdonalds?

-Didit peers up at Addie, wary-

Didit: ~What's the angle here? The kid's naive, but I'm not. If you think you'll deprogram her...you probably won't.~

Dunsparce didn't stop being a thing or anything.

"But of course, Doctor," Mr. Tenor replies. "I am prepared to demonstrate what exactly I am offering your great institution."

Uh oh, Mr. Tenor thinks to himself. This good doctor doesn't look like the type that'll be swayed by pretty words alone. A shame I have to pull this out so soon.

Gently setting down his sandwich, Mr. Tenor pulls out his phone and brings up a trio of videos. "Here we are," he says, "Spikemuth Secondary, October through December 2022. A bit of raw footage from my assistant tutor placement there." He sets the phone to auto-play the videos in order, then turns the phone to Dr. Cassander and leans toward his desk, so he can see the footage clearly.

The first video contained, to put it bluntly, chaos. The walls and desks were marked with graffiti that would make a Grafaiai blush, and the few youths there laughed and roughhoused each other without care for the adults in the room. One of them even lunged at the camera, abruptly cutting off the video.

The second video showed the same classroom, but marginally more organised. All the students from the prior video, plus a few new faces, were standing at their desks with cautious looks, performing vocal exercises at the behest of an unseen piano(?) and Mr. Tenor's commands.

The third video showed the same classroom again, but this time, it was both spotlessly clean and had all the desks arranged against the walls, leaving the centre bear but for the two semicircles of students (whose numbers had grown again from the last video) and the gesticulating form of Mr. Tenor playing conductor. The most notable part of this video, however, was the music. The students were singing a pitch-perfect rendition of a well-known holiday carol, with visibly enthusiastic looks on their faces.

After the last video finished playing, Mr. Tenor retrieved his phone and leaned back in his seat. "What you just saw," he says, "is the result of a musical tuition program of my own design, one that serves as a cure to the ails of our youth. Degeneracy. Delinquency. Truancy. Any and every other kind of -cy. This musical program can not only foster better behaviour among present students, but can also pull children off the streets and into the classroom. If that sounds appealing to your institution, then you can by all means use me and my services as you see fit." He finishes by picking up the sandwich once more, calmly awaiting a verdict.

Stormchaser, Food Place

-Logan all but audibly restrains themself from saying We've got WcDonald's at home.-

Addie: -wry- Yeah, probably not.

-and begins eking burgers from the eldritch mindsoup void-

-...no-

-no, it's really more of a bagel-

Addie: My partner's an optimist about these kinds of things, but it's an optimism with a pretty low success rate. And gods, but if raising them from the vat doesn't sink hooks deep as any I've ever seen.

-she curls around Logan's arm, Logan shifting unconsciously to balance her-

Addie: Can you believe we still want to see her fed and healthy?

-she blinks wide eyes, open and honest-

No mind to think. No will to break.