Route 13
It had started to get dark, as the sky turned orange, the three groups each knew they were inching closer to the end goal, and they were each tired.
Sunrise: I'm very glad we haven't run into any wild Pokemon for a while. I'm not in the shape to fight any, really.
Crusher: I don't even want to fight any...
Just then, Sunrise stepped on what she thought was a rock, but was proven wrong as it was a Gible that had buried itself in the ground and leaped out at her.
Crusher: Get away from her!
Crusher smacked Gible in the face, causing it to flee.
Sunrise: Crusher, did you just-?!
Crusher: Battle?! No, not I don't know what came over me there... come on, we're almost at the end gate! I can feel it!
Meanwhile, Donut had gotten himself into a pickle of his own - of a much larger scale. And by that, he was facing an entire pack of Gabite to protect the Egg he was travelling with.
He had used a flurry of Dragon moves on the whole pack, and once they were stunned, he ran for the Egg.
Donut: This feels... therapeutic somewhat. Looks like I'll be able to get you back to Poppy in one piece.
The Egg began glowing once again, rolling around, and hatching, still in his hands.
Donut: I was wrong!
He closed his eyes to shield himself from the bright light. Once it had died down, he opened them again to find a heavy weight he needed to drop safely - a newly hatched Lapras.
Lapras: Daddy?
Donut: Wha-?! Sorry, listen, I don't know where your Egg came from, but I am not your daddy, Nessa- Don't tell me. Did I just give you a name? Oh, no!
Donut turned around in the hopes of clearing his head, but all he saw was the Gabite pack, ready to pounce.
Nessa: Don't worry, Daddy! I'll protect you!
The attack froze the Gabite's feet in place, leaving them unable to move.
Donut: ...Okay. Listen to me, Nessa. We'd better get out of here, to our trainer!
Nessa: I have a Trainer?
Donut picked up Nessa, who was small as she was a newborn Lapras, and carried her away, explaining things on the way.
Donut: Oh, yes. Her name is Poppy, and she's kind, and smart, and an amazing trainer...
Outside Artazon
Whitt sits on a throne constructed from ice, looking out over what will soon be his kingdom. Yes, it isn't quite how he'd like it yet, and the people have an annoying habit of resisting, but it's only a matter of time before they submit o his rule. Or die. He doesn't have an especially strong preference.
And it's been a hard road to get here. Gabriel was able to heal most of his wounds, but much of his body is covered in scars from where the Ferocaine backfired. But of course, only a coward hides his scars, so he has changed his look to one that covers less of his body, showing off his scars to anyone who sees him. He is also wearing a thick iron collar around his neck, which he is using to receive auditory and visual signals from his clones.
His pokémon lounge around him. Horus waits at his back for a fight, Khione and Beira nap beneath the snow, and Ullr is maintaining the snow that falls around him. Morrigan is around here too, somewhere. She'll come when she's needed.
Morrigan is, in fact, watching the town from her own vantage. She is very pleased with the snow - its life draining properties were her idea after all, and she's only disappointed that she was too far away to hear most of the screams. Her attention is caught by two figures making their way up the ice covered rocks to where she stood. Were they coming to attack? Ridiculous. She would take care of them herself.
Further down the mountain she emerges from a shadow. Two pokémon, she can now see - they belong to the ghost-touched trainer. Do they think that they can do this on their own? Well, she'll prove them wrong. She lunges out of the shadows, long black talons growing from the ends of her hands.
She realises too late that they knew she was there. The Ledian hits her with a high frequency vibration that stops her in her tracks. But rather than counterattacking, she holds up her hands.
<We just want to talk> Led insists.
Morrigan scoffs. <Really? Why would you want to speak to me? Aren't we enemies?>
The Salazzle, Sal, steps forwards. <Because we need your help.>
That's just how it is on this bitch of an earth
Artazon
Aislinn frowns. Those two weird clone things disappeared...
Aislinn: -to Xaster- "I'd love to say something smooth like I dropped in because I sensed innocents in trouble, but no I've been looking for my dear cousin."
She says dear very sarcastically.
Aislinn: "I got the feeling she'd be causing trouble somewhere. So I came to investigate when I saw the situation on the news, but my hunch proved incorrect. I wasn't about to just turn around and leave, though."
Suddenly remembering she's been holding her sword this whole time, (and seeing as there are no more enemies about) she sheathes it.
Snowpoint, Outskirts
Dima: "It's... kinda clickbaity content at times, I'll admit. But algorithms, you know."
She sighs.
Dima: "Though if it makes people happy, I feel good about that."
Dima and Eira look at each other.
Eira: "Well, the short version is she moved here and we got into shenanigans. The long version probably requires us to sit down, haha."
Speaking of sitting down....
Dima: "Oh! Right, I've got you guys trapped. Come in, come in."
She ducks back through the doorway and gestures for the group to follow her. Eira, having gotten her boots and coat off by now, follows.
off the shits
No voice to cry suffering
Snowpoint, Outskirts
Logan: -grinning- How delightfully vague.
-like sampling a fine vintage of backstory-anecdote-
-they hang their coat up on a hook, Eric proudly making to do the same...before realizing the incredible difficulty of maintaining a whole separate illusion of a jacket from another room-
-he just kind of clips it into Logan's before letting it dissolve-
Addie: <You're kind of dripping—>
Eric: Let me fluff in peace. u_u
-most of them take off their shoes (little squirrel-sized footsies 🥺) and follow Eira and Dima, settling in-
Logan: Soooo~?
Edited by Asterisk395 on Sep 10th 2023 at 2:56:05 PM
No mind to think. No will to break.
Artazon Outskirts, It's Whittling Time
From the above the open sunroof of his limousine, Valdés listened to what Whitt had said through the clone. The gristly implications briefly took him aback, but he was also not entirely surprised at the turnabout.
There was talk of how Whitt had been unsatisfactory, something he picked up by noticing his relationship with Cassander. Since Adam's passing, he had no Templar assigned to him until Watson. Although Whitt primarily worked for Cassander until recently, most of the more sensitive assignments normally handled by Templars were instead done by Cassander's Ditto. Yet Whitt still carried himself with the swagger unbefitting of his level of competence, completely convinced of his own hype.
Valdés: You know, Whitt, I wasn't about to hold your failure to retrieve the assets PEFE took from us against you. Thought a termination order was overkill despite the fact that you had yourself caught and be left at the mercy of our enemies with nothing to show for it. And let us remember that they somehow managed to get under your skin by pointing out your one flaw.
He clears his throat, unafraid and more exasperated at the ordeal. He tosses a couple of Pokéballs at Neon, who had already taken out one of their own.
Valdés: You couldn't even get a hold of a bunch of inexperienced brats. Dare you challenge your makers? Please. You've always been a waste of our time—then and now. We should've liquidated you when we found out you couldn't turn your powers off. And you're certainly not worth sullying my boots with.
Neon cracked their joints and took out a Lokix. From one of Valdés' pokéballs they took out a Centiskorch. And finally, upon pocketing the balls, they picked up one of their flashlights and turned it on. A cutting laser hummed to life, an impromptu lightsaber which they intended to use on the clone's head.
And to top it off, the engine of the limousine itself crawled out, revealing a Revavroom.
Valdés: You've squandered too much of our resources; Gabriel might find this misappropriation vaguely useful, but he doesn't do the budgets. Number Ten, make an example of him, if you please. Vamos!
Neon: As you wish, doctor. Ford, take out the beartic. Centiskorch, Dex, the Dewgong.
The revavroom, Ford, rolls toward Whitt's clones with a Gyro Ball aimed at the beartic. The Centiskorch and Dex the Lokix attack in opposite directions toward the Dewgong. The Centiskorch goes for a fire lash from the side while the Lokix approaches with a low sweep up front.
As for Neon, they flick their right wrist, sending a beam from the flashlight turned laser on the clone. Whitt may find seeing through this particular clone increasingly uncomfortable, as though it's become extremely sensitive to the surrounding ambient light.
Edited by MasterJayAM on Feb 1st 2024 at 8:43:06 PM
The Wanderer
Lush Jungle, past
Chiyo: -As she recalls Ceres- I should've gone to the Z-Move sooner, Inferno Overdrive's no longer an option now.
-Grasping a Poké Ball-
Go Beremices!
Beremices: -Appears and starts Tidying Up-
Comfey: -Casts Flower Shield-
Lurantis: -Slashes out with Solar Blade-
Chiyo: Dodge!
Beremices: -The quartet turns into halves that sidestep the vertical slash-
Chiyo: Population Bomb!
Beremices: -Summon spectral Tandemaus out of nowhere that descend upon Comfey, fainting them-
Totem Lurantis: -Chops with Brick Break-
Beremices: -Dodge that too before going for an Aerial Ace-
Totem Lurantis: -Staggers before screeching again-
Kecleon: -Appears-
Totem Lurantis: -Heals with Synthesis-
Chiyo: -Annoyed- Really?
Chloe: Wow, cheap.
Kecleon: -Attacks with Brick Break in tandem with Totem Lurantis-
Beremices: -Manages to dodge Kecleon's Brick Break but gets clipped by Totem Lurantis'-
Chiyo: Super Fang!
Beremices: -Jump up and bite hard into Totem Lurantis-
Totem Lurantis: -Trying to shake Beremices off- <Get these freaky little Rattata off me!>
-Brick Breaks-
Beremices: -Faint-
Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.
That's just how it is on this bitch of an earth
Snowpoint, Outskirts
The hallway leads into the main room, a sort of living room/kitchen combination. The kitchen parts are tucked along the right wall and separated with a countertop, while the rest of the room is dedicated to a couple couches and a fireplace.
Dima goes to sit on one of couches, while Eira heads for a chair near the counter. When everyone's seated, they give each other a couple looks again before Eira speaks up.
Eira: "So, uh, do you want to tell the story or should I?"
Dima: "You probably know your friend's boundaries better than me, so maybe you should tell it?"
Eira: "Well yeah but you refuse to tell me what exactly happened those few days you disappeared, so I dunno if I can give them the full story."
Dima suddenly laughs nervously.
Dima: "Eh.... Those days weren't that interesting, I'm sure you'll do just fine."
It seems like this is something they've discussed before, though it's not confrontational on either of their parts- Eira seems genuinely concerned.
But, nevertheless, Eira clears her throat and begins.
So, it had been a few years since I came back from school. Things were going... fine, mostly. Quiet, as per the norm. Rescuing stranded tourists, managing any wild Pokemon that were causing problems, that kind of stuff.
Dima had moved in a year past. I would've started the story then, but really nothing happened until a while after she'd been living here. The most notable thing was when I went to introduce myself to her, and even that was...
( Dima: "Aaaah-")
Well, since there aren't exactly a lot of folks moving in I make a habit of saying hi to any that do. When she answered the door we had this exchange:
Eira: "Hi there! I'm Eira, I'm a local Ranger and I-"
Dima: "I'm not interested in anything you're selling!"
Then she slammed the door in my face.
Dima: -opening the door again- "... You're not selling anything are you."
'' Eira: "No I am not."
( Dima: "Don't remind me!!!")
... But yeah, nothing else important. We got to know each other over time, by seeing each other in town and such.
I'm really not describing the emotional part very well, haha, but we became friends I promise.
Which made her brief disappearance... Well, worrying, to say the least.
She vanished for a few days.
Wouldn't have worried me in most cases, but she never mentioned taking a trip nor was she answering her phone at the time. I knocked on her door a couple times and she never answered. And she still refuses to tell me what exactly she was doing to this day.
( Dima: "Ehe...")
( Eira: "Don't you 'ehe' me!")
She came back, but she was... Different.
Mostly physically. Her hair used to be brown, actually.... Her personality stayed pretty much intact.
( Dima: "Yeah but you seem to like me that way just fine, so-")
I was worried, so I... kinda spent a lot of time checking in on her after that.
(Dima giggles again, but it's more in a "you're cute when you're worried" kind of way.)
... Also she came back with a friend, but you'll probably meet them later.
Shortly after her return, people began reporting sightings of what I now know as a Hisuian Zoroark. We hadn't had any recorded for a long time, so I didn't even know they existed until the reports came rolling in.
As you might imagine, reports of any rare pokemon draw in all kinds of people- both harmless and harmful. Normal trainers, tourists, poachers. I had my hands full with handling people getting lost in the mountains, whether by accident or... on purpose. Dima was indispensable during this time.
She says she's not great at helping people, but she's being modest. She's... A good battler, let's say. She was a lot of help when it came to hunting down poachers. I don't want to say I started falling for her because she was useful, but... I dunno, it was nice having another person to talk to who understood what was going on. And I don't really feel good about letting an untrained individual help with rescue operations, but Trainers can be pretty tough, yeah?
( Dima: "You're gonna make me blush!! I didn't do that much, I just...")
( Eira: "You're the one who told me to tell the story, don't blame me for the completely earned praise you're getting.")
And then one thing led to another, the boom died down, and we found out we were compatible even outside of times of crisis.
Eira: ".. And that's it. All the important parts, anyway."
Dima: "Thank you for leaving out all the times I locked myself out of my house."
Eira: "I didn't think they were relevant! But now they're all going to wonder what you mean by that!"
Dima: "Maybe they're not, you don't know that-"
Eira: "What was the point of mentioning it then?"
Dima: "I'm just thanking you for not mentioning it, genuinely-"
From their tones, this isn't anything close to a serious argument and they're both trying very hard (and failing) to keep straight faces at each other.
off the shits
The Wanderer
Lush Jungle, past
Chiyo: -Recalling Beremices- Good job you guys.
Now to try dealing with this thing before it heals again.
Go Dactyl!
Dactyl: -Appears-
Chiyo: First, the Kecleon.
-To Dactyl-
Dactyl, use Acrobatics!
Dactyl: -Ricochets off some trees before slamming into Kecleon-
Kecleon: -Uses Iron Tail-
Totem Lurantis: -Uses Brick Break-
Dactyl: -Is hit with the crit-strength attacks as their casing all but breaks-
Chiyo: Stone Edge!
Dactyl: -Spins in order to flings the last shards of their shell at Kecleon as they shift into Core Form-
Kecleon: -Is hit by the high speed shards and faints-
Lurantis: -Goes for a Break Break, visibly enraged-
Dactyl: -Uses his speed to dodge-
Chiyo: Acrobatics again!
Dactyl: -Starts bouncing from tree to tree, battering Totem Lurantis faster than they can hit back-
Lurantis: -Manages to bat Dactyl high into the air with a lucky Solar Blade-
Chiyo: Let's finish this Dactyl!
-Does the Z-Move dance, ending with her flapping her arms and raising her fist to the sky-
Dactyl: -Glows with Z-Power as they come back down like a comet-
Totem Lurantis: <Oh cra-Explosion-
Totem Lurantis: -Is left in a crater, fainted-
Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.
Sholto, not missing a beat, turns around to the source of the noise, regardless of what it could be, Lisa just being turned around and gripping on to his shoulder, looking a bit peeved.
Sholto: -responding cheerfully- "Hey there!"
Tale continues the Sludge Bomb as Kaisei watches to make sure nothing else will happen as is.
Edited by CorvusAtrox on Sep 10th 2023 at 10:03:40 AM
"life is just a series of increasingly canon-eluding ao3 tags" ~ everydunsparce "Keep your hellfruit away from me, tempter" ~ also Every
The Wanderer
Lush Jungle, past
Mallow: -As Dactyl reforms their shell- Wow Chiyo, you and Chloe helped me collect all these ingredients, and you even beat the Totem Lurantis. You're really good at bringing out the strength of your team, my Totem's hardly the easiest to beat.
Chloe: So does that mean you planned all this-
Mallow: Now that you've beaten all three Akala trials, it'll be my honor to grant you this Grassium-Z.
Chiyo: -Takes it- Thanks.
Mallow: Okay, so, the way you use Grass-type Z-moves is like this!
-She proceeds to do the Z-Move dance, ending with Mallow slowly rising up as if she's a blooming flower-
And ta-da, Bloom Doom! And now with that finished, the only thing left for you on this island is doing the Akala grand trial. But first, let's eat.
Chiyo: -Sitting on the ground- After all this, eating sounds good.
Alola Route 5, some time later
Chiyo: -Walking down the road- So... Chloe, what did you think of our meal?
Chloe: Well... it was better than Boron's I'll admit, but I used to straight up forage so I'll admit I'd eat anything if I had to as long as it's not rotten.
Chiyo: Heh, that's the spirit.
Chloe: We gonna go right to Ula'ula afterwards or?
Chiyo: Nah, I think it's time we headed to Paldea as well first. Tagg's got reason to believe our kid via genetic theft is there right now as a student at the Academy, so I want to see them for myself. They're most likely there on some sort of infiltration mission.
Funny how we both already agreed on that...
Chloe: He took that "special seminar" job, right? Talk about awkward, for both of you.
Chiyo: Tell me about it, I haven't even figured out what I'll do when we get there past tracking down the Herba Mystica with Tagg, the Paldea Gym Challenge isn't exactly speaking to me right now.
Chloe: Maybe that's why we haven't run into any School agents yet the whole time we've been here, they're too focused on Paldea.
Chiyo: Let's not invoke the devil now...
Edited by rmctagg09 on Sep 11th 2023 at 4:20:23 AM
Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.
Artazon Plaza
"Well, I'm glad you showed up." Xaster looks at where the clones stood, then over at the people who are still gathered in the square. They asked for help from the J-Team, but if Aislinn hadn't shown up he doesn't know what would have happened.
"Aislinn," Xaster says, turning to face her. "I know that you only got caught up in this by chance but... would you help out? You seem stronger than me."
He gestures to the defeated pokémon. "I don't know how many pokémon or clones there are, so the only way to end this is by defeating Whitt. I'm not strong enough for that, but maybe you are."
Artazon Outskirts
For all the bragging, Whitt didn't really expect a fight, hoping that the show of force would have been enough. As a result he is slow to fight back against Neon - that, and the fact that the clone has been blinded, means that Beartic and Dewgong are knocked out fairly quickly.
"Damn it!" Whitt says through the blinded clone. "You'll regret this Valdés, Neon! Some day you'll be begging me for mercy!"
Outside Artazon
Morrigan smiles. <So, you want my help to retrieve the Cofagrigus from the realm in which he is trapped. Despite the fact that I was the one that trapped him there in the first place. And you want me to do this in order to help someone who is a direct hindrance to Whitt's plans?>
<That about sums it up> Sal agrees.
She laughs. <You're even bigger idiots than I took you for. In what version of reality to you think I would help you?>
<This one.> Led moves forwards. <I've been listening to the things you've said - from the time we encountered one another before, and in recordings from the fairground. You like it when others feel pain.>
<Led?> Sal is not sure where she's going with this.
Led turns to him. <I'm sorry, my love.> She hits him in the stomach with Mach Punch. Sal was already exhausted and his guard was down, so the attack makes him fall motionless to the ground.
Morrigan watches the scene, impressed. <Now this is getting interesting, at least.>
<This place where you put Cof> Led continues. <Do you think that someone who wasn't a ghost type could survive there?>
Morrigan shrugs. <It's a realm that exists between life and death. One could probably survive there, but it would be painful as all hell.>
<Then put me there> Led says. <Put me there, and release Cof. You get my pain, in exchange for his freedom.>
Morrigan looks surprised. <Really? You know what that would be like for you. An eternity of agony.>
<For my family I'd take a thousand times worse.>
The ghost type pauses. <No deal. The Cofagrigus and I have a long history. He has done things to me that I can never forgive, and he will bare my punishment for them.>
<And he will> Led insists. <Because he's good. What do you think he'll do knowing I gave myself for him?>
In the distance, someone screams. Morrigan begins to think.
Artazon Outskirts
CW: Implied gore and violence
Neon: Oh, would you just shut up?!
There was a venom in Neon's voice, of a pent-up sort of fury that's been fermenting for quite some time. And with that they kicked the clone down, pointing the activated flashlight turned laser to its head. A few seconds later it was over.
The blinded clone was not Whitt, Neon thought. It resembled the generic grunts created by the one called The Synaptic, a fork in the concept that led to their creation.
Both them and the Synaptic's creations relied on controlling other organic bodies remotely, but the Synaptic focused on making clones that had no wills to speak of. These things were shells; there was no person underneath all that to forcibly enthrall. This being would not rise and walk free when Whitt's control was wrested from it.
It was a lot of things, but mostly a cruel reminder of their living situation. Something whose will is irrelevant to those who wanted control, only valued as long as it remains useful. A means to an end.
Before they can proceed to chop the clone to bits with their laser, they feel the leg of a Lokix touch their arm.
Dex the Lokix: <This isn't right.>
Neon: ~What do you know? It's got no will of its own; it's an appendage, nothing more.~
Dex: <Besides the point; what benefit do you get from cutting it up even more?>
Neon: ~I... I... ~
Dex the Lokix: <Leave now; you've done what you can. Venting out on other beings, no matter how much of a threat they are, it isn't healthy.>
Neon: ~If you think I was gonna dismember the Dewgong and the Beartic...~
Dex: <Ordinarily, I know you wouldn't, but I can't take that risk. You're better than this, Ten. What is it about this appendage that angers you so much to want to mutilate it?>
Neon: ~You wouldn't understand.~
Dex: <It's about Whitt, isn't it?>
They paused. It kind of was. Or at least, it was about who Whitt was like. Neon had no clue what Whitt looked or sounded like in real life, only that he controlled the snow. Whitt, however, talked with a familiar air of unwarranted superiority paired with a palpable lack of awareness of his own flaws. In that moment, they briefly entertained the possibility of Whitt having blued icicles on his hair, or if he spun knives of ice behind him for show. Or what kind of voice he actually spoke with.
Valdés, from the car: Is there a problem, Numero Diez?
Neon: Nothing, sir, nothing... it's just... I'm making sure we won't be followed.
Valdés: Excellent foresight; didn't think you had it in you to think ahead. You may return to the car with the Pokémon. The Synaptic will understand that the destruction of his resources are his responsibility.
Neon hung their head, which Valdés indicated was an affirmative action. They turned around, balled Dex and the Centiskorch, and led Ford back to the limousine.
Edited by MasterJayAM on Sep 19th 2023 at 7:01:55 PM
No voice to cry suffering
Snowpoint, Outskirts
-Logan listens, expertly attentive—and nearly gleaming with interest, besides-
Logan: -deadpan- Oh, no. Please, tell me. What were you doing in that time.
-they steeple their hands in front of their face-
Logan: I'm deathly curious.
-it doesn't do much to hide how they're grinning-
Logan: (Gods, but y'all're cute.)
-and that is either a very poor aside or a very good stage whisper-
Addie: -zap- <Don't tease.>
Logan: -primly- I'm getting a good grade in active participant, which—
Addie: -zap again-
Logan: -grabbing her- I've learned the hard way how nice—
Addie: -squirms, squirrely-
-somehow Addie ends up on their head, and they fall into lounging-
Logan: -casual- —it is to have Trainers around, mhm. It'd be nice to call it a surprise there was a rare-sighting boom, but...
-and they resettle, the image of a happy friend-
Logan: -beam- I'm glad you had each other through that.
Addie: -squeak!-
Logan: And since you've so kindly shared these details with floating ends, I am going to do my duty and offer unsolicited end-pinning.
-they sprawl on the sofa, keenly casual, toward Dima-
Logan: Far be it from me to armchair diagnose you, but...! As Top Ranger to one of this world's most adventuring teams [sic], I have some experience with life-altering supernatural phenomena...!!
-they strike an [Ace Attorney]-esque pose, there in their living room-
-and take a (sparkly) coil and twist it around a finger, holding it up to the light-
Logan: I haven't actually used glittery products in months. This is kind of natural.
Addie: -snorts-
Logan: Yeah, it's a shorter story.
-they shrug-
Logan: Last I heard, there aren't many North Sinn fey to bless-and/or-curse you pale, unless you spent those days diving to the bottom of Lake Acuity and...died from hypothermia...?
Addie: -taking their Styler- <I don't think Knowledge Embodied would have much aside from hair dye recipes and, uh, tips to avoid hypothermia.>
Logan: -solemn- The legends I remember are a little sparse on that front, yeah.
-they launch on, undeterred-
Logan: -headtilts- ...any exposure to those weird Glitches that roll through, making everything look like bobbleheads for a bit?
Addie: -shudders-
Eric: -fuzzes-
Logan: -holds up their Styler, whose home screen is a picture of them as a bobblehead-
Addie: <Everyone would have white hair.>
Logan: Maybe it's a, uh, localized texture failure glitch. You don't know.
Addie: <Rip to checkerboard-print Charlie.> u-u
Eric: -eats his illusory yogurt, quiet-
Logan: But! The aesthetic alteration occurred immediately before the sightings of this rare Pokémon—
-it doesn't seem like they know exactly what a Hisuian Zoroark is-
Logan: —and after you returned, you set out dissuading dinguses who wanted to yank it out of where it lived.
-they beam, open and bright and earnest-
Logan: ...did you form some funny supernatural bond with it? No wrong answers.
-...-
Logan: Also a friend of mine is super into accessibility things and training your Pokémon to unlock the door for you or befriending a Klefki to hold your keys are both options, if you want to pursue—
No mind to think. No will to break.
Silas and Roxy looked at each other and both let out a sigh. "Yeah we have some experience, closer than you know."
"April Fools we got stuck in Resident Evil 2," Roxy explained. "Long story."
The two followed, Silas mentally recounting everything. "Could be any number of things you need to know, what specifically are you looking for?"
"I think we may have something with a solid construction like The Investigator," Gabriel said.
Akira shook his head. "Okay okay... so what? You sent this guy after me? Why?"
"A few reasons, one was a test run, The Investigator was meant to find you when he had no protections from your abilities. Suffice to say he succeeded. The other was that we needed you to hold off on your "job" for a bit," Gabriel explained.
"What?" Akira said.
"Shush, we simply do not need you to clean things up for a bit," Gabriel said. "We're facing some major changes and I'd rather not start to lose assets so readily. You're useful for one."
Akira rolled his eyes, and looked to Victor. "What about Dr. Moreau there? What's his angle?"
Gabriel looked to his compatriot and smiled. "The Good Doctor can speak for himself."
No voice to cry suffering
Artazon Outskirts - South Province, Area Three
Student Martina: -shuddering- It's...so cold...
Megan: ...
-Megan's Castform is frozen in a solid block beside her-
-a solid...purple-glimmering block-
-another student—his name's not important—hauls yet another into the shelter of her team's layered Safeguards-
Pollen: -trembling, holding limbs to the sky-
-as they fail, one by one, in what was supposed to be a grocery run-
-Megan takes off her jacket and lays it over Martina-
Student Rayan: What's happening?
Megan: I don't know.
Student Rayan: -to himself- What's—who is Whitt?
-he's a dick-
Megan: He's—
-she chokes off-
-the Student looks at her-
Student Rayan: Can-can you keep us safe? Get us to Brassius?
Student Nora: What's Brassius going to do? That's the mother of all winters!
Student Amaia: -shivering- Are we handing over our Pokémon?
-protests fill the dome, overwhelming its tears-
-in the cacophony...-
Megan: How much Aura do I have stored up?
Vee: -sniff- <A couple days, if that.>
-to bolster her Pokémon, hold a corridor...get everyone under a roof and out of the storm-
-to find—someone, Daydre if not the J-Team, solidify a front-
-she's a Champion, right?-
Megan: Let's see how far we can stretch it.
-she holds her polearm horizontal before her, closing her eyes-
Pippy: <I'm with you. We've got this.>
-an elaborate Aqua Ring skims the grass blades' tips-
-it spreads, anchoring itself in life's flow—what stubbornly clings to Paldea's cliffs, its green-and-growing things...-
Vee: <...>
-which crumble to ash, their vivacity stolen by the Ring-
Megan: Attune Water. Shape: seed.
-she lifts her trident, slamming the world's essence into its fuel chamber-
-she feels it leave her grip, drawn taut between the wills of her nearest and dearest-
-and drags it back, charging its length with her own power-
Megan: -through gritted teeth, her heart in her arm- Target...sky.
-she takes a step back-
Student Benjamin: -starting- What are you doing?
-no dance but this: the three of them, standing together-
Megan: Winning this.
Student Benjamin: What can you do against that?!
-no cares but this: them against the world-
Megan: What I can.
-she firms her stance-
Pippy: -cringe- <I don't think it's a Schoolkid that's doing this...>
Vee: <So what?>
Pollen: <If...we...do...this- he'll—come...for us.>
-Naranja's students and their Pokémon huddle around them, still in shock-
-a Sunflora twitches under its coating of frost, one eyelid cracking free-
-if she can fix this for them in one fell swoop...-
Vee: <An' we'll kick his fucking ass.>
-Megan exhales-
Megan: -smiling, shaky- So come on. Come on!
-Megan hurls their weapon skyward-
Megan: Come on, then!
-a pillar of blue gouges its way into frigid white air-
-the cold condenses it, resolutely fluid, to a thread-
-which, rising, flickers-
-...-
-...-
-sparks-
-power streams from below, building as it goes—gathering wind and light to itself as it passes-
-an aurora conflagration pumps heat into the cloud, straining to reduce frost to dew—to form a cloud of its own, deep and dark-
-Megan, former tool of the School, lays siege to the blizzard with her own budding thunderhead-
No mind to think. No will to break.
That's just how it is on this bitch of an earth
Artazon Plaza
Aislinn: "I was intending to stay and help. It would be a little heartless of me to turn around and leave just because the thing I want isn't here."
She tries to smile reassuringly. The effect is weird because she clearly doesn't try to be reassuring very often.
Aislinn: "I wouldn't consider myself the strongest or anything either, but if I can do anything for these people..."
... It's subtle, but the idea of being relied upon seems to have emboldened her a little.
Aislinn: ... I'm not especially good against ice, but I don't feel good about sitting on my hands just because of type disadvantages.
She looks off in Whitt's general direction.
Aislinn: -to Xaster, moving up a little and patting Gaycrus on the haunches- "Would you want to come with me? You seem able to handle yourself, and having two people against that arse is probably better than one."
Snowpoint, Outskirts
Dima and Eira seem a bit too invested in their play argument to notice Logan calling them cute.
It resolves by the time Logan starts their end-pinning, unfortunately.
Eira: "Ah, I should've known you'd notice the holes in that story. You always were sharp like that."
Dima just blinks at them. She's not, like, a stranger to weird hair effects or anything but it's still not something you see every day.
Dima: "Beyond the normal glitter multiplication effect?"
At the mention of hypothermia her hand kind of twitches. Eira doesn't notice.
Dima: "... No, it wasn't a fairy. I will say that much at least. Nor was it a Glitch, exactly."
The both of them lean in to look at Logan's bobblehead picture. Eira looks concerned and perhaps a little horrified, Dima is more just surprised.
They then turn and look at each other, having a conversation with their glances.
Logan will likely get the gist of it, somehow.
Their gazes say something like this:
Eira: Well, I do but I understand if you don't.
Dima: I trust your judgement, so I would trust them, and they are a Ranger...
Eira: Hey, no shame if you don't want to mention it.
... And back to Logan.
Dima: "Oh, no I'm fine. I have ways to get into the house now even if I don't have keys."
Dima: "... You could say I have a supernatural bond with it, yes. That's not exactly wrong."
She seems a bit nervous, and fidgets with a lock of her hair.
...
Did her ponytail just flicker like a wisp of smoke, or was that a trick of the light?
Edited by Daydre on Sep 11th 2023 at 3:28:39 PM
off the shits
Artazon Plaza
"I..." Xaster hesitates. The truth is that he's too scared to confront Whitt directly, after their last encounter left him frozen in a pillar of ice and on death's door. But he doesn't want to say that to Aislinn.
"I think I should stay in the town. Because," because I'm a coward "because I need to be ready in case more clones show up. Besides," I'm too weak to help you "my partner might need me to be here. They were caught in the snow and I might need to protect them."
The lies have some truth in them, but they still taste worse on his tongue than the Galarian food Hoops makes for him is.
Outside Artazon
Whitt feels the disruption to his storm. It's like a insect landing on his face, except the face is already starting to fall apart due to the lack of clones and the insect is in danger of making a giant hole in the face.
On second thoughts, he decides as he stands up, that simile didn't really help things.
"Khione. Horus. Beira. Ullr." He calls out to each of his pokémon. "Come with me, we have hunting to to."
As he reaches the base of the throne, ice grows on the bottoms of his feet and he pushes himself forwards. The ground is mostly frozen, giving him almost no friction and letting him move quickly across the ground.
The rocky cliffs outside of Artazon were a perfect place to set up a vantage point and, it seems, the perfect place from which to disrupt his plans. He comes to the edge of the plateau he had been on, and extends his hand to make a bridge of ice grow between this one and the next, not even slowing down. The bridge is destroyed once Beira's huge weight passes over it, but by that point who really cares.
At the speed he is moving, he finds the source of the disruption very quickly, and observes from the top of a cliff the young woman with a gaggle of students. Oh, that's just precious. He wonders if those students will put up a fight, or if they'll just scream as he strikes down their defender.
Whatever the case, he removes the ice from his feet and steps onto Horus so that he can be lowered down. "Beira," he says calmly. "Let's let them known we're here. Use Ice Spinner."
Beira, this nearly five metre tall Cetitan, leaps off the cliff. In the air he begins to spin rapidly, with the cool air pressing a spiked armour of ice onto his body as he falls towards Megan and the kids like an asteroid.
Edited by theoncominghoop on Sep 11th 2023 at 8:48:08 PM
No voice to cry suffering
Artazon Outskirts - South Province, Area Three
-it's faltering-
-the bright blue of her life force glares in her eyes, the sudden humidity smothers them all, and the storm is faltering-
Student Amaia: -agape- It's...it's working...
-disbelief starts thawing into cheers-
Student Rayan: Hah!
Megan: -smirk- Take that, you son of a Buizel.
-there—a clear path for the kids to saunter home, and time to prep a special little pres—-
Student Benjamin: -scream- INCOMING!
Megan: -gasp- Focus.
-time slows to a crawl-
Megan: —
-okay, it doesn't—adrenaline wells behind her eyes, painting every detail of the shadow falling over them into her hindbrain-
Megan: Dynamax?
-her brain clicks over in cool, clean lines-
Megan: Divert...? Too much mass, kept centered by gyroscopic forces, too little time...
Megan: Dodge...? Too wide, too much force, too much shrapnel—
-too many squirmy little brats-
How did he get here so fast?
Megan: Dive.
Why does he have a strong Pokémon?
-already in motion, Pippy slams his wing to the earth, sending a ripple careening out-
-the melted snow, impossibly, sucks the students in—-
-Beira demolishes the cliff they're on, ejecting them all from Dive space bare meters away-
Students: -scream-
-Vee doesn't dodge the attack—she hurls herself between it and the closest squishy humans-
-with supernatural grace, she twists to be hit by half the hillside-
-half blown to pieces, scattered on the wind-
-wills herself further apart, shoving the shockwave aside-
-and lets herself freeze, congealing the avalanche so a dozen little people can be bowled over—not broken on rocks-
Student Rayan: Agh!
Student Nora: Luvdisc! N—urk—!
Student Martina: -groans-
-wrapped in Pollen's Protect, Megan's hurled after them-
Vee didn't have enough mass.
-her treacherous mind takes it all in-
She knew exactly what to do, but couldn't do it.
-every bump and scrape on them, where it lands, what she could've done differently-
If we'd waited—no, those poor Sunflora—delivered first—not enough energy, not to do that—
If she were fed better—
-she slams into the ground, between the students and the crater-
(-her hand on an armored figure's throat, hearing a child cry underneath-)
-something zips overhead-
Z-Rain!Thespi: HAAH!
-aglow with inner light, Megan's tiny Castform unleashes a Rain-bolstered Hurricane like Lugia's own breath-
-a solid wall of spinning air slams across the Area, shining blue-
Megan: -bleeding energy, staggers-
-it whirls outwards-
-half-frozen still, Thespi struggles to force Beira away—if not gone, then far enough the other side of the hill can crumble, and he can be gravity's problem for a while-
Thespi: -gasp- What's the plan, Mega Man?
-Megan wavers, drawing vials from her belt-
Megan: -firmly- Defensive perimeter. Pippy, revive Vee. Pollen, Tailwind. Thespi—
-she hears the fallen students groaning behind her-
Megan: Save them. No matter what.
-she smashes a vial on the ground, sending a wave of healing into the students, and draws a Pokéball-
Megan: Come on, then.
Snowpoint, Outskirts
-Logan blinks, apparently surprised-
Eric & Addie: We are constantly finding glitter on us.>
(Addie: "Squeak." ✨ -_-)
-but they fall silent, watching the conversation-
Logan: -abashed- ...you don't have to explain if you don't want to. But if it's a secret, I won't tell anyone. And I'll help any way I can.
-they nod toward Eira, on a wavelength of their own-
Eric: -sigh- I'm certain it involves certain private medical details, so mum's the word from me.
No mind to think. No will to break.
Artazon Outskirts - South Province, Area Three
Whitt descends from on high upon Horus, looking down on Megan and the others. "That was a nice set of moves there," he says, tauntingly. "You look like you'll actually be some fun to play with."
The wind from Thespi's Hurricane whips at him, but he hardly seems to notice it as he steps off Horus, and then takes the two blades into his hands.
"I hope you understand, this is nothing personal," he continues. "It's just that, well, I have this whole plan going on, and you interrupting it made me absolutely livid. So, because it's not personal, I'll give you a choice. You can either go down without a fight, and I let all of these students you're protecting live in my new kingdom. Or you can fight back, die anyway, and then I kill all of them. Your choice, but the clock is tick-tick-ticking."
He stops in his monologue and seems to realise something. "Wait. Do I recognise you from somewhere? Did you go up against the School before? Because I could have sworn I saw your face in a report somewhere."
No voice to cry suffering
Artazon Outskirts - South Province, Area Three
I've killed dozens of Templar. I fell from the sky, collapsed the base on them, and—it only keeps me up at night a little. Yes, absolutely I
Megan: -befuddled- ...why would I go up against school?
-she blinks-
-and opens her mouth to retort-
Megan: It looks like you're the one attacking campus, guy.
I was reprogrammed to kill you. I was taught to hate you. Fear me.
Megan: -wrinkling her nose- You're clearly insane. Nothing personal.
Please.
-but she mulls his offer over (why does she mull it over), lowering her Pokéball a fraction of an inch-
-her face sours at the thought of trusting him-
Megan: ...but if—
Z-Rain!Thespi: Absolutely not.
Pollen: -actually growls-
Megan: !
-that's right-
-how could she forget-
Student Amaia: -cries-
-Champions don't lose-
Megan: -sweetly- Or I could boil the blood in your bones and let everyone else live.
-...-
Thespi: -mouthing- (Curses)
Student Rayan: -shouting- You can do it!!
Student Nora: Kick his ass!!!
-a bead of sweat trickles down Megan's face-
-she knows how her Pokémon sound, run ragged—she knows the ebb of her own soul into storm as well as any-
-she can feel the sharp edges of her focus unraveling...-
Megan: Thanks.
-she lobs her vial high-
Megan: -watching it- Now, let's
Pokéball: -click!-
-it's clearly one of her team's Pokéballs-
-but what emerges is water-
-a solid wall of salt water—reverting to normal physics as fast as it materializes, barreling at Whitt at an appreciable fraction of the sound barrier-
(-behind it, her Pokémon scatter, setting the wind at their backs—setting Screens to bar passage—flooding the ground with more cold-sapping water-)
Thespi: Come on, get up, you need to go—
Edited by Asterisk395 on Sep 11th 2023 at 5:26:35 AM
No mind to think. No will to break.
Artazon Outskirts - South Province, Area Three
The water explodes out of the pokéball. Whitt has just enough time to widen his eyes in shock before the flood hits him and lifts him off his feet.
But what seems like a victory shot is stopped a moment later with a scream of rage and the water freezing. It then shatters, as Whitt drives Horus into the ice and twists him, sending thick cracks through the ice that tears it apart.
A now very wet Whitt stands glaring at Megan and breathing heavily. "That," he says, breathless, "pisses me off."
He at Megan's pokémon, then to his own. "Get rid of them." Khione prepares a Shadow Ball and throws it at Pippy, Ullr uses Ice Beam on Thespi, and Beira starts to charge towards Pollen.
"You know," Whitt says, "I remembered where I saw your face before. Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't you the one who was controlled by Molybdenum?"
That's just how it is on this bitch of an earth
Snowpoint, Outskirts
Dima considers. Eira just gives her a nod.
Dima: "Well, I guess I could consider it a medical condition.. I had to tell my doctor about it, anyway."
She looks at Logan, suddenly deadly serious. Her irises glow red for a second, and she raises a finger to her lips.
Dima: " There's a couple people out there who want me dead. So don't tell anyone, okay?"
... And she's back to normal.
Dima: "... Anyway, the Hisuian Zoroark is me."
...
Dima: "I can turn into a Zoroark. ... Maybe that's not so surprising given the events of a few years ago, but my privacy is important to me so I try very hard not to let anyone know my identity."
Artazon Plaza
Aislinn frowns. She's suppressed her own emotions enough to know when someone else is doing it, but she also knows pushing too hard can do more harm than good.
Aislinn: "Hm. Well, I won't force you. Especially given the circumstances. Look after your partner, and I'll see you later."
She gives him one last nod before spurring Gaycrus into a run.
off the shits
The Wanderer
Alola Route 4, today
-Chiyo and Chloe see a Sightseer at the fork in the road wearing some rather conspicuous sunglasses-
Sightseer: Hey, would you two lovely ladies know how to get to Paniola Town?
Chiyo and Chloe: -Stare-
Sightseer: Ranching spot, you can't miss it.
Chiyo and Chloe: -Glare in a way that most people would find legitimately pretty scary despite both being fairly short-
Chloe: You're not fooling anyone, Templar.
Chiyo: Told you about invoking the devil.
Sightseer: -Taking off his sunglasses to reveal his purple eyes- Did you really think you could just traipse around here and the School wouldn't take notice, Iridium? Chlorine?
Chiyo: We have names, it's Chiyo now.
Chloe: -Hand going to her belt- Chloe here.
Sightseer (?): -As more Templars start appearing from the bushes- Whatever you're called, you're just gonna be another number soon enough.
Chiyo: -Annoyed- I don't know how you think this is gonna go well in any way for you.
Chloe: The thing about an ambush is, you don't announce it.
Sightseer (?): Get them!
Five Minutes Later
Chloe: -Upon reaching Heahea City's limits- We should've just killed them, they're just gonna try again later. Would've killed them if you didn't insist otherwise.
Chiyo: Which gives us another reason to head over to Paldea as soon as possible once the grand trial is complete.
Chloe: -Eyeroll- You're not beating the Templar Whisperer allegations at this rate.
Chiyo: Like I told you, people can believe what they want. Now let's find a hotel.
-They leave behind a pile of unconscious Templars and their mons-
Edited by rmctagg09 on Sep 12th 2023 at 3:02:12 PM
Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.
The Pod screeched in and Gabriel stumbled out, hyperventilating, he had to get away. He took a few moments, and then sent a command along his nerves to calm down, his breathing slowed. He took a deep inhale and sighed, calm at last.
"Problem sir?" A menial asked. Gabriel waved the menial off and continued along.
"Just a minor problem," he answered. "Seems a victim survived the N-Gas. Perhaps she had access to better medical research than expected, this is fine, the gas should still work."
"Very well sir," the menial responded. "Would you like the kitchen to cook you a fine meal for tonight?"
"No," Gabriel responded heading to his office. "Just inform me of any major changes. Did Whitt take the Repeater test subjects?"
"That he did sir, he is currently using them to attempt a takeover of Artazon."
That made Gabriel pause, he looked to the Menial who handed him a tablet, drone footage provided by one of their benefactors.
"Also sir... Strings is here."
Gabriel let out a sigh, of course Strings was here.
"He's a moron isn't he?"
"Yes, yes he is," Gabriel responded, resuming his march back to his office.
"He's gotten dedicated jamming equipment, did you provide?"
"Entirely likely I did, I gave him access to the resources on base."
"Is this a test run?"
Gabriel sucked air through his teeth, frustrated. He'd need to play this off should anybody come asking, he wasn't too worried, his research projects were more than enough to handle any pesky questions. Add in his general independence.
"It's not supposed to be... but honestly," Gabriel started, as a smile started to appear. "This is perfect, only an idiot with no idea of what is and isn't possible can put our tools to the test. Yes... this is a stress test."
"Sounds like you're justifying it. Do you approve of his actions?"
"I don't, even my more overt attacks usually take place in more abandoned locations and I don't go announcing myself. We lost a powerful telekinetic in Thorium... but Moscovium... Samantha, she'll more than make up for things... Perhaps Whitt should meet her at some point."
"The girl in the pyramid in one of the lower levels?"
Gabriel smiled. "Yes her, minor flaws made it necessary to keep her contained in a place where she'll be safe. Now... if Whitt returns, he'll definitely get to meet you."
The tall being looked down at Gabriel with two red eyes, a slight glow from his mouth as it stretched into an unnatural smile. "Good."
Lush Jungle, yesterday
Chiyo: Ceres, use Mystical Fire!
Ceres: -Takes a deep breath before breathing a glittering flame on Totem Lurantis-
Totem Lurantis: -Is hit and makes an odd screech-
Comfey: -Appears and uses Sunny Day-
Totem Lurantis: -Immediately swipes at Ceres with Solar Blade-
Ceres: -Manages to dodge and then blast Totem Lurantis in the face with a now boosted Mystical Fire-
Comfey: -Uses Floral Healing to heal Totem Lurantis' already sustained damage-
Totem Lurantis: -Slashes Ceres with their next Solar Blade-
Ceres: -Goes tumbling- <Ack!>
Chiyo: Hang in there Ceres and use another Mystical Fire!
Ceres: -Breathes glittering fire on Totem Lurantis again-
Totem Lurantis: -Proceeds to faint Ceres with a Poison Jab-
Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.