Dialga's Gate: The Time Rift Zone

[Asteiri]

Missingno. Master​

With Six's Bide having gone on for only one turn it was still heavily storing it's power, preparing a blast to strike Niro with at the conclusion of the second turn. Little did Taitus know what was actually coming. The sheen of Niro's reflect shone in the sunlight, a clear barrier between the two trainers that Taitus' eyes pried at. He couldn't get a grasp of your thoughts. Unlike himself, who wore their emotions on their sleeve, you were stoic. Taitus admired that, it was certainly something that would keep an opponent guessing.

The ground began to rise slowly, rising in a line from where Niro had dug his hole all the way to directly in front of Six. The ground suddenly broke open, causing Niro to burst through and slam his horn into Six's abdomen. Six quivered in response, one more good hit would knock it flat.

"Yes! Good job, Niro! Follow it up with a-" Taitus' words were cut short as Six suddenly starting groaning loudly, a deafening chorus of moans and grunts filled the arena that you and Taitus were standing in.

"AMOOOOO!" It groaned out loudly, releasing a large wave of energy that swept Niro off it's feet. Six slumped over slightly, spent from the energy it had used to unleash the Bide. Niro meanwhile, was blown across the battlefield. His body hit the dirt with a resounding 'thud', Taitus rushed to the side of his Nidorino with clear concern.

"Niro! Speak to me buddy!" Called Taitus, shaking his Nidorino. Niro said nothing in response, merely stared at his trainer with large spirals in his eyes. Laid flat by the sheer force of the Bide.

Six gained 3 Levels!

Tatius sighed deeply, head hanging as he returned Niro to it's Pokeball. He approached you, dragging his feet in distaste as he crossed the arena. "Good match..." He murmured, holding his hand out for you to shake.

Alice Hope​

Junpei quivered behind Kaito as Millie and the Rhyhorn tussled. His paws were filled with pink as well from the blossoms on the tree. It has gradually begun to smear onto Kaito's pants from the Aipom clutching his pants while it shivered in fear. The Rhyhorn, still very pink and looking very entranced, took a stumbled step towards Millie. Millie, reacting quickly to your commands slammed a hoof into it's face with a powerful Heart Stamp attack. The Rhyhorn recoiled from the hit, sliding backwards and kicking up the grass and path in it's wake. Millie, now seeing her opening, spun herself into a Gyro Ball, rolling towards the Rhyhorn and slamming into it before slamming her head upwards into the chin of the Rhyhorn, causing it to flip over from the sheer speed and force of the attack.

"Hooorn..." It groaned out, legs kicking out wildly now that it was on it's back. The large body and tiny legs made it extremely difficult for the rhinoceros Pokemon to get back on it's feet, it simply whimpered while a string of drool slimed it's way down the side of it's mouth. Suddenly, the creature stopped moving, it's legs flopped idly to it's sides and it's dopey expression turned to one of peace.

It had fallen asleep.

"Lazy creature... I wonder if Junpei just woke it up from a nap." He chuckled, moving towards it and righting it back on it's feet. Immediately after it was back on it's feet, it's mouth slowly opened. A whispered murmur came out, sounding like a faint cry --- barely audible against the sounds of nature. Suddenly, the Earth rose up around Millie smacking her with the power of the Earth. "Oh Megami!" Kaito exclaimed, startled. He had realized the same thing you had --- the creature had used rest and regained it's energy and was now pelting Millie with Sleep Talked attacks.

The Rhyhorn is fully healed and still fighting... despite being unconscious.

What do you do?

 

[Meetan]

Alice Hope​

Junpei quivered behind Kaito as Millie and the Rhyhorn tussled. His paws were filled with pink as well from the blossoms on the tree. It has gradually begun to smear onto Kaito's pants from the Aipom clutching his pants while it shivered in fear. The Rhyhorn, still very pink and looking very entranced, took a stumbled step towards Millie. Millie, reacting quickly to your commands slammed a hoof into it's face with a powerful Heart Stamp attack. The Rhyhorn recoiled from the hit, sliding backwards and kicking up the grass and path in it's wake. Millie, now seeing her opening, spun herself into a Gyro Ball, rolling towards the Rhyhorn and slamming into it before slamming her head upwards into the chin of the Rhyhorn, causing it to flip over from the sheer speed and force of the attack.

"Hooorn..." It groaned out, legs kicking out wildly now that it was on it's back. The large body and tiny legs made it extremely difficult for the rhinoceros Pokemon to get back on it's feet, it simply whimpered while a string of drool slimed it's way down the side of it's mouth. Suddenly, the creature stopped moving, it's legs flopped idly to it's sides and it's dopey expression turned to one of peace.

It had fallen asleep.

"Lazy creature... I wonder if Junpei just woke it up from a nap." He chuckled, moving towards it and righting it back on it's feet. Immediately after it was back on it's feet, it's mouth slowly opened. A whispered murmur came out, sounding like a faint cry --- barely audible against the sounds of nature. Suddenly, the Earth rose up around Millie smacking her with the power of the Earth. "Oh Megami!" Kaito exclaimed, startled. He had realized the same thing you had --- the creature had used rest and regained it's energy and was now pelting Millie with Sleep Talked attacks.

The Rhyhorn is fully healed and still fighting... despite being unconscious.

What do you do?

"Wow. That was super easy." Alice had remarked, ready to reach for a Poke Ball to capture the Rhyhorn. She knew it was risky given Kaito's presence and the nagging feeling that it was new technology, but he hadn't been too bothered by her appearance, and Alice figured that was a little different from the locals as well. It was super cute, though, even in spite of it drooling like that. Poor thing-- or not. Their guards had been down, making the blow that the Miltank took even worse, given she wasn't bracing for it. Millie looked startled, mouth hanging open, her bright blue eyes darting about and even searching out Alice as if to ask: did you just see that?! What was that?!

"It's okay. Use your Milk Drink to heal yourself, then pay it back with a Wake-Up Slap and Heart Stamp! That should give it a good shock." There were disadvantages to waking the enemy up, of course. Doing so would mean more attacks and ones that were likely suited to the situation, but it was hard to resist a few strong strikes of revenge. Besides, it wasn't like they could stop the rampage of the dopey thing if it woke back up, fully recovered, just to start all over again. "We'll need to make sure it doesn't keep trying to rest, so we'll try and time our attacks accordingly. Quick and relentless might be the answer here, Mills." The cow mooed her agreement, beginning to act out her trainer's orders.

 

[Missingno. Master]

Missingno. Master​

With Six's Bide having gone on for only one turn it was still heavily storing it's power, preparing a blast to strike Niro with at the conclusion of the second turn. Little did Taitus know what was actually coming. The sheen of Niro's reflect shone in the sunlight, a clear barrier between the two trainers that Taitus' eyes pried at. He couldn't get a grasp of your thoughts. Unlike himself, who wore their emotions on their sleeve, you were stoic. Taitus admired that, it was certainly something that would keep an opponent guessing.

The ground began to rise slowly, rising in a line from where Niro had dug his hole all the way to directly in front of Six. The ground suddenly broke open, causing Niro to burst through and slam his horn into Six's abdomen. Six quivered in response, one more good hit would knock it flat.

"Yes! Good job, Niro! Follow it up with a-" Taitus' words were cut short as Six suddenly starting groaning loudly, a deafening chorus of moans and grunts filled the arena that you and Taitus were standing in.

"AMOOOOO!" It groaned out loudly, releasing a large wave of energy that swept Niro off it's feet. Six slumped over slightly, spent from the energy it had used to unleash the Bide. Niro meanwhile, was blown across the battlefield. His body hit the dirt with a resounding 'thud', Taitus rushed to the side of his Nidorino with clear concern.

"Niro! Speak to me buddy!" Called Taitus, shaking his Nidorino. Niro said nothing in response, merely stared at his trainer with large spirals in his eyes. Laid flat by the sheer force of the Bide.

Six gained 3 Levels!

Tatius sighed deeply, head hanging as he returned Niro to it's Pokeball. He approached you, dragging his feet in distaste as he crossed the arena. "Good match..." He murmured, holding his hand out for you to shake.

It was a tense moment. Six was doing his best to hold off on unleashing the power he'd built up, didn't want to let it loose while Niro was underground, but just how much say did he really get in this? And then, the ground broke open before the Ultramoonguss descendant, and the Ground move landed. Six quivered as he took the attack, and both he and Keith knew that one more move would knock him the hell out.

Which, Keith reasoned, was all the more reason to act, and act now. "Well done, Six!" he called out. "Double the damage!!"

"AmoooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONGUSS!" howled Six, unleashing a forceful wave of energy all at once. The blast, containing twice the strength of Niro's formidable Skull Bash and Dig attacks, swept the Nidorino off his feet and threw him across the battlefield. The result of the battle was clear as a Yanma's wing- Niro was unable to battle, and Six was the winner.

Taitus did not take the loss well. He wordlessly withdrew his Nidorino, and trudged across the battlefield, muttering about it being a good match while holding his hand out for a handshake. Keith responded to this with a firm handshake. "It truly was a good match," he responded. "Taitus, take a look at Six here," he added, glancing over at the Amoonguss.

"Moonguss... Moonguss..." Six was panting. A Vine Whip from a baby Flabébé would knock him over at this point.

"You nearly had us," Keith stated. "I honestly didn't know how this was gonna turn out until Niro landed the Dig and Six was still standing. You and Niro make an excellent team, and it's clear you've trained him very well."

"Amoonguss," Six nodded in agreement. Keith smiled his appreciation, then withdrew Six into his Ultra Ball, knowing that Regenerator would kick in, allowing him to heal up a little.

"From what I saw in the battle, I'm guessing Bide isn't a move you've seen before?" Keith added. "The Pokémon endures damage from two attacks, then strikes back for twice the damage it had just taken. And I gotta say, using Dig when you did, I honestly thought you'd found a perfect way around it. Taitus, you are a very good Trainer- the only problem I can see is that you yourself don't seem to believe it."

Six grew to level 49!

Six learned Solar Beam!

Six grew to level 50!

Six grew to level 51!

 

[Asteiri]

Alice Hope​

You, Kaito, Millie, and Junpei were all equally startled by the Rhyhorn attacking in it's sleep. Millie jerked upright from her slouched position, suddenly aware that there was still very much a threat in front of you. Millie steeled herself, ready to retaliate against the pink rhinoceros as soon as you commanded it. The Rhyhorn itself was sleeping peacefully, a large clear bubble blowing up from it's nostril. Loud snores erupted from it's mouth, causing Millie and Kaito to cover their ears. You could even see Junpei flinching from the sheer volume that the snores were emitting.

Hearing your commands, Millie got to work. She took a large swig of her own milk, healing her. Her Wake-Up Slap popped the bubble that was forming in the Rhyhorn's nose, causing it to abruptly wake up and attack furiously in all directions with it's horn. One jabbed Millie in the stomach, causing her to use the Heart Stamp in retaliation. The Rhyhorn let out an angered growl, charging at Millie and Bulldozing her over. Millie felt her knees buckle following the assault, feeling significantly slower than she had before. It was clear to your group that the Rhyhorn was intent on fighting again after being healed up by it's rest and being rudely awakened by Millie's Wake-Up Slap.

Junpei stood on Kaito's shoulder, watching the battle. He shot you and apologetic glance, sorry for angering the pinked beast. Kaito watched the battle as well, ready to send Junpei in if the battle seemed to shift too far in favour of the Rhyhorn.

The Rhyhorn itself is looking worse for wear than Millie, as the Wake-Up Slap certainly did a fair amount of damage. What do you do?

Missingno. Master​

Taitus rubbed his head in embarrassment.

"Yeah. It's not something I had seen before.." He chuckled, "I assumed it was something like Sky Attack where the charge was for one turn. My dad really likes that move." He smiled, his face flushed from the praise you were ushering his way. "I actually... don't like battling." He began, clearly uncomfortable and flustered by the words he was speaking. "My dad is the one that encourages it, y'know, with the whole 'Romman Warriors' thing." He chuckled, looking down and kicking the dirt. "Actually, I really want to study Pokemon. I love training them... but I'm not much of a battler. I hate seeing Pokemon get hurt." His brow furrowed, looking down.

"I know it's not your fault... but Gallus's Electrivire... they're going to kill him, aren't they?" He sighed, knowing the answer before you even answered. "It's a barbaric tradition. I never want to battle and become good... I don't know what I'd do if they hurt Niro." He looked down at the old fashioned Pokeball in his hand, his fist clenching. "You seem like a good guy." He paused, his sudden confidence for speaking seemingly dissipated. "I... I want to save him!" He cried out, looking straight at you. You were confused for a few moments before realizing what he meant.

He wanted to stop them from killing Buzzer.

"I know where they do it," He began, gesturing to the stands. "It's in a dungeon below us... if we can bust in there we can save Buzzer!" He seemed to have grouped you into this baffling plan. He began to explain how you'd need to be stealthy, sneaking past the guards to get down to the dungeons and then take out the executioner. He seemed to have already included you in his plan, assuming that you'd assist him without question. The plan seemed somewhat far-fetched, especially with you playing into the assumption that it would even work. But, you had to agree that the concept was quite barbaric.

What do you do?

 

[Meetan]

Alice Hope​

You, Kaito, Millie, and Junpei were all equally startled by the Rhyhorn attacking in it's sleep. Millie jerked upright from her slouched position, suddenly aware that there was still very much a threat in front of you. Millie steeled herself, ready to retaliate against the pink rhinoceros as soon as you commanded it. The Rhyhorn itself was sleeping peacefully, a large clear bubble blowing up from it's nostril. Loud snores erupted from it's mouth, causing Millie and Kaito to cover their ears. You could even see Junpei flinching from the sheer volume that the snores were emitting.

Hearing your commands, Millie got to work. She took a large swig of her own milk, healing her. Her Wake-Up Slap popped the bubble that was forming in the Rhyhorn's nose, causing it to abruptly wake up and attack furiously in all directions with it's horn. One jabbed Millie in the stomach, causing her to use the Heart Stamp in retaliation. The Rhyhorn let out an angered growl, charging at Millie and Bulldozing her over. Millie felt her knees buckle following the assault, feeling significantly slower than she had before. It was clear to your group that the Rhyhorn was intent on fighting again after being healed up by it's rest and being rudely awakened by Millie's Wake-Up Slap.

Junpei stood on Kaito's shoulder, watching the battle. He shot you and apologetic glance, sorry for angering the pinked beast. Kaito watched the battle as well, ready to send Junpei in if the battle seemed to shift too far in favour of the Rhyhorn.

The Rhyhorn itself is looking worse for wear than Millie, as the Wake-Up Slap certainly did a fair amount of damage. What do you do?

Alice was cringing at the powerful snores of the Rhyhorn. That was one big, scary, impressive beastie that put her and her mother's snores to shame! It was interesting to see the bubble thing in real life, too. Was the anime universe not wild as hell? Naturally, the Pokemon wasn't too pleased that it had been woken up, and especially not with such brutality. Millie stood her ground nonetheless, though, fighting back each incoming attack with a ferocity that Johto's Whitney would most certainly be proud of. Millie looked weak, but the Rhyhorn looked worse, and that's what they were going for.

"Don't worry, Junpei, we got this." She had noticed the way that the Aipom was looking at her, waving her hand in dismissal of his worry and providing a comforting smile. Millie was taking deep, rhythmic breaths. The scents and colours of the surrounding cherry blossoms were calming, too, and they certainly helped her mindset. They'd had scarier battles in sketchier places, after all. "Millie, use Mega Drain, and if it tries to go for you, turn it over with a Grass Knot! If it doesn't work, meet it halfway with a Gyro Ball, it'll be stronger now that you're slowed down! Just don't let it Rest again!"

Millie moo'd, determination not swayed by the damage she'd taken, and began to glow a beautiful green. It was not a move seen often on Miltank, but their bond was strong and that unlocked all sorts of magic in them. If it worked, draining Rhyhorn's health would certainly take the edge off, and if not, seeing it take another tumble would be satisfying. They both knew that they had to get this over with quickly, and indeed... Alice had pulled a Premier Ball from her bag, contemplating the capture with uncertainty. She had no idea what time or place they were in right now, and as much as she was desperate for this Rhyhorn... The space-time continuum was a bit more important than her greed. They'd be suited for each other, wouldn't they?! But could they really capture this Pokemon now?

 

[Missingno. Master]

Missingno. Master​

Taitus rubbed his head in embarrassment.

"Yeah. It's not something I had seen before.." He chuckled, "I assumed it was something like Sky Attack where the charge was for one turn. My dad really likes that move." He smiled, his face flushed from the praise you were ushering his way. "I actually... don't like battling." He began, clearly uncomfortable and flustered by the words he was speaking. "My dad is the one that encourages it, y'know, with the whole 'Romman Warriors' thing." He chuckled, looking down and kicking the dirt. "Actually, I really want to study Pokemon. I love training them... but I'm not much of a battler. I hate seeing Pokemon get hurt." His brow furrowed, looking down.

"I know it's not your fault... but Gallus's Electrivire... they're going to kill him, aren't they?" He sighed, knowing the answer before you even answered. "It's a barbaric tradition. I never want to battle and become good... I don't know what I'd do if they hurt Niro." He looked down at the old fashioned Pokeball in his hand, his fist clenching. "You seem like a good guy." He paused, his sudden confidence for speaking seemingly dissipated. "I... I want to save him!" He cried out, looking straight at you. You were confused for a few moments before realizing what he meant.

He wanted to stop them from killing Buzzer.

"I know where they do it," He began, gesturing to the stands. "It's in a dungeon below us... if we can bust in there we can save Buzzer!" He seemed to have grouped you into this baffling plan. He began to explain how you'd need to be stealthy, sneaking past the guards to get down to the dungeons and then take out the executioner. He seemed to have already included you in his plan, assuming that you'd assist him without question. The plan seemed somewhat far-fetched, especially with you playing into the assumption that it would even work. But, you had to agree that the concept was quite barbaric.

What do you do?

Keith nodded as Taitus explained he thought Bide was similar to Sky Attack, with only one turn of charging time. Not an unreasonable assumption, Keith reasoned- most moves what required charging only took one turn to do so. But soon, the subject turned to battling- more specifically, Taitus's dislike of said activity. It was encouraged by his father, of course, but Taitus himself was more into studying them, training them, not so much the battling. He hated seeing Pokémon get hurt, a sentiment Keith couldn't argue with too much- he for one loved a good Pokémon fight, but seeing Pokémon just getting needlessly and senselessly hurt otherwise, that didn't sit well with him.

Which led into Taitus's next subject- Gallus's Electivire and the fate that lay in store for it. Keith gave a sigh at the mention of this. He hated to think about it. He nodded in agreement as Taitus called the practice barbaric. And then, before Keith knew it, Taitus stated he wanted to save him. It took Keith a second to realize that "him" was Buzzer. He wanted to stop the Electivire's execution.

Keith wasn't given a chance to agree with this, but he nodded anyway as Taitus started detailing the plan thus far. Stealth would be of the utmost importance. They needed to sneak past the guards, get to the dungeons, and take out the executioner. It was a big plan to take in on such short notice, let alone agree to on such short notice, but Keith barely thought twice about it. "It's definitely barbaric," Keith said once he was able to get a word in edgewise. "Where I'm from, Pokémon aren't killed just for losing battles. I'm with you, we gotta save Buzzer. That Electivire fought bravely, and was one of the toughest opponents I've ever faced. It doesn't deserve to die. Let's do this." The plan seemed a risky one, but Keith was willing to give it a shot if it meant saving that Electivire. Besides, he knew that if Kyle ever caught wind of the fact that the Electivire who fought him so capably was slaughtered for losing, the Heatmor would be absolutely pissed, and Keith wouldn't be able to blame him. It was risky, yes, but they had to try. And if Keith had to improvise along the way, it's not like he's never had to make things up as he went along before.

 

[Asteiri]

Alice Hope​

The Rhyhorn's dopey expression had shifted to one of recognition. It seemed confused, yet angry at your presence. It was certainly much more lucid than it had been previously. Kaito seemed to take note of this fact, he glanced at his purple monkey with concern before looking back at the Rhyhorn.

"I think it was in some kind of trance before it's nap." Murmured Kaito, pointing at it. "It's expression shifted after it rested... but I wonder what could cause that.." While Kaito mulled over this, mumbling to himself, Millie got to work. An encouraged 'moo!' paved the way to her opening wide and inhaling some of the Rhyhorn's precious HP. It bellowed in response, rushing at her with a Scary expression on it's face. Millie reacted quickly, slamming her hooves into the ground and producing a mass of tangled vines that wrapped around the legs of the Rhyhorn. It toppled quickly, the force of it's weight causing massive damage on impact. It groaned out, kicking it's legs out weakly. It could feel the last of it's energy dissipating.

Millie, sensing the Rhyhorn's weakened state, loomed over it threateningly. The Rhyhorn glared up at her with a sense of contempt before Millie dealt the final blow with a swift Gyro Ball. Her pink figure looming over the collapsed Rhino as a soft smirk crept across her face.

Millie gained 2 levels.

Kaito walked over to the fallen beast, glancing over it's spattered pelt. "Poor thing." He tutted, gently trying to rub off the pink smears from it's form. It seemed as though it was matted on pretty harshly, it would take quite the bath to clean off that rocky hide. He glanced in your direction, noticing your premier ball.

"Oh! That's a great plan!" He chimed excitedly, "If you catch it, we can properly check it out. Maybe we can figure out why it was rampaging." Junpei gave a soft smile, happy that his master had finally decided that it obviously wasn't him that had set the beast into a frenzy.

Now's your chance! What do you do?

Missingno. Master​

"Yes!" Called out Taitus, excited that you had agreed to his plan. "So my dad, Remus. He usually takes the guards into the bunker for a pep talk once the dusk rolls in. That's our chance to sneak down to the dungeon." He grinned, steadily gaining confidence in his plan now that you had agreed to assist him. "The hard part is taking care of the executioner... but! I'm sure we can do it together!" He smiled, looking around the empty arena the two of you stood in. He glanced upwards, looking at the sky. The sun had begun to set... how long had you been in Romma at this point? It felt like you had just gotten here, yet the waning daylight told a different story. The bright hues of orange and pink that painted the sky were a sight to behold, washing over the Colosseum in an array of beauty.

You and Taitus stood, watching the sunset. As the sun sank behind the Colosseum you heard a whistle, presumably coming from Remus. Taitus and yourself watched as countless guards filed into the bunker area, many looking rather beaten up, fallen Pokemon in their hands. Taitus watched, clearly praying that his father would not notice the two of you skipping out on this meeting. Once the stands appeared to be cleared, Taitus signaled for you to follow him --- leading you to the opposite side of the arena. He gestured to a stairwell within. It looked old, bits of dirt and straw littered the staircase while the only real lighting affixed to the wall was given by flaming torches.

Taitus looked around, not quite as familiar with the dungeons as he had lead on. "Um..." He grabbed one of the torches, illuminating a chest that was placed against the wall near the top of the staircase. "Hey! There might be a key in there for the dungeons. They usually keep it locked up tight." He shuffled past you, opening up the grand chest. "Oh... this is the evidence chest." He sighed, dumping the contents he had pulled out onto the floor in front of you. You saw around $500, A couple Silver Pokeballs (weird... maybe they were old?), and a strange looking scroll. "Useless junk..." He sighed, looking back at you. "Oh, feel free to take that stuff. It'll just get thrown out eventually. Probably came off some thief a few years ago."

You received $500, Three Steel Balls, and a Scroll (TM) containing Brutal Swing.

Taitus turned his attention back to the staircase, "I'm almost ninety percent sure that the door at the bottom will be locked..." He sighed, "I'm sure someone has the key... but I doubt they'd give it to us... we might have to bust our way in."

You can try to nab the key from another guard (presumably one of high rank) or bust down that door and save Buzzer! What do you do?

 

[Meetan]

Alice Hope​

The Rhyhorn's dopey expression had shifted to one of recognition. It seemed confused, yet angry at your presence. It was certainly much more lucid than it had been previously. Kaito seemed to take note of this fact, he glanced at his purple monkey with concern before looking back at the Rhyhorn.

"I think it was in some kind of trance before it's nap." Murmured Kaito, pointing at it. "It's expression shifted after it rested... but I wonder what could cause that.." While Kaito mulled over this, mumbling to himself, Millie got to work. An encouraged 'moo!' paved the way to her opening wide and inhaling some of the Rhyhorn's precious HP. It bellowed in response, rushing at her with a Scary expression on it's face. Millie reacted quickly, slamming her hooves into the ground and producing a mass of tangled vines that wrapped around the legs of the Rhyhorn. It toppled quickly, the force of it's weight causing massive damage on impact. It groaned out, kicking it's legs out weakly. It could feel the last of it's energy dissipating.

Millie, sensing the Rhyhorn's weakened state, loomed over it threateningly. The Rhyhorn glared up at her with a sense of contempt before Millie dealt the final blow with a swift Gyro Ball. Her pink figure looming over the collapsed Rhino as a soft smirk crept across her face.

Millie gained 2 levels.

Kaito walked over to the fallen beast, glancing over it's spattered pelt. "Poor thing." He tutted, gently trying to rub off the pink smears from it's form. It seemed as though it was matted on pretty harshly, it would take quite the bath to clean off that rocky hide. He glanced in your direction, noticing your premier ball.

"Oh! That's a great plan!" He chimed excitedly, "If you catch it, we can properly check it out. Maybe we can figure out why it was rampaging." Junpei gave a soft smile, happy that his master had finally decided that it obviously wasn't him that had set the beast into a frenzy.

Now's your chance! What do you do?

Millie was a cute and lovely Pokemon really, but in that moment of victory, she was scary as fuck. It was that smug smirk on her face, she looked downright villainous as she revelled in the Rhyhorn's defeat. "Good job, Millie! Damn, you're pretty happy about that by the looks of it." Alice mused, and the Pokemon mooed an affirmative as she started back to her trainer. Of course she was going to relish the win, that beast hadn't made it an easy one, and Millie was used to literally facerolling most of the Pokemon that they came across! She had grown to level 63 because of it, though, so good for her.

Kaito noticing the Premier Ball almost made Alice lurch, but the man basically confirmed that it wasn't an oddity where they were now, which was a relief. That meant that, besides any safeguarding laws, Alice was free to search and catch as she pleased. That was all well and good, because Rhyhorn was a firm favourite, and she definitely wanted it. What a shame that its pinkness wasn't permanent, but going by the strange changes her team members tended to undergo, that might not be the case for long. "Yeah, we probably should. We don't need anymore of that for sure." Alice said, and without hesitating for much longer, she tossed the Premier Ball at her fallen opponent. The white and red sphere opened up and promptly swallowed the Pokemon whole. Hopefully the capture stuck, lest she waste more resources. Maybe there'd be different kinds of Poke Ball on sale than the standard here. Of course her mind wandered to bloody shopping.

"You look happier now, Junpei." Alice observed, moving nearer. She extended her arms as if she might like to pet or hold him, however briefly. Aipom were real cuties, and she'd always liked seeing her comrades using theirs in battles or out and about. "Is he your Pokemon or just a friend? What other Pokemon do you have?" She asked, curious to the man's preferences. From experience, her own favourites tended to vary from what others expected of her, but that was because most people expected idols to utilise only the cute and not cater to their own tastes or chase strength like herself.

 

[Missingno. Master]

Missingno. Master​

"Yes!" Called out Taitus, excited that you had agreed to his plan. "So my dad, Remus. He usually takes the guards into the bunker for a pep talk once the dusk rolls in. That's our chance to sneak down to the dungeon." He grinned, steadily gaining confidence in his plan now that you had agreed to assist him. "The hard part is taking care of the executioner... but! I'm sure we can do it together!" He smiled, looking around the empty arena the two of you stood in. He glanced upwards, looking at the sky. The sun had begun to set... how long had you been in Romma at this point? It felt like you had just gotten here, yet the waning daylight told a different story. The bright hues of orange and pink that painted the sky were a sight to behold, washing over the Colosseum in an array of beauty.

You and Taitus stood, watching the sunset. As the sun sank behind the Colosseum you heard a whistle, presumably coming from Remus. Taitus and yourself watched as countless guards filed into the bunker area, many looking rather beaten up, fallen Pokemon in their hands. Taitus watched, clearly praying that his father would not notice the two of you skipping out on this meeting. Once the stands appeared to be cleared, Taitus signaled for you to follow him --- leading you to the opposite side of the arena. He gestured to a stairwell within. It looked old, bits of dirt and straw littered the staircase while the only real lighting affixed to the wall was given by flaming torches.

Taitus looked around, not quite as familiar with the dungeons as he had lead on. "Um..." He grabbed one of the torches, illuminating a chest that was placed against the wall near the top of the staircase. "Hey! There might be a key in there for the dungeons. They usually keep it locked up tight." He shuffled past you, opening up the grand chest. "Oh... this is the evidence chest." He sighed, dumping the contents he had pulled out onto the floor in front of you. You saw around $500, A couple Silver Pokeballs (weird... maybe they were old?), and a strange looking scroll. "Useless junk..." He sighed, looking back at you. "Oh, feel free to take that stuff. It'll just get thrown out eventually. Probably came off some thief a few years ago."

You received $500, Three Steel Balls, and a Scroll (TM) containing Brutal Swing.

Taitus turned his attention back to the staircase, "I'm almost ninety percent sure that the door at the bottom will be locked..." He sighed, "I'm sure someone has the key... but I doubt they'd give it to us... we might have to bust our way in."

You can try to nab the key from another guard (presumably one of high rank) or bust down that door and save Buzzer! What do you do?

Excited by Keith's agreement with his plan, Taitus launched into the few details he'd worked out. At dusk, Remus would bring the guards into the bunker for a pep talk, and that would give them their chance. The executioner, he admitted, might pose a problem, but he was confident they'd be able to deal with that part together. And as they waited for dusk to fall, Keith mentally reviewed the Pokémon he had with him. Besides Kyle and Six, there was, of course, Meowth on his shoulder. How effective he'd be against an executioner Keith wasn't sure he knew, but Keith took comfort in the fact that he had other options to work with.

Eventually, Remus led the guards into the bunker, and that was the cue for Keith and Taitus to get moving! Taitus led the way into an old stairwell, but his less-than-comprehensive knowledge of the dungeons did little to inspire confidence in Keith. He did point out a chest, stating that they tended to keep the key locked up, but it very quickly proved to be their evidence chest. But, silver lining- Keith was invited to take the contents. Three silvery Poké Balls, a strange scroll, and a bunch of money that Keith would later discover totaled 500 Pokédollars. Not all that useful to their current mission, but at the same time, not a bad haul for the time being, and so Keith accepted the various items.

With that settled, Taitus turned his attention to the staircase, confident that the door at the bottom would be locked. He voiced the notion of possibly having to bust their way in, and Keith honestly couldn't blame him- if someone else had the key, and wasn't likely to give it to them, it didn't seem like the best idea to go seeking it out. That seemed like a perfect way to not only waste precious time, but also draw attention to what they were doing, considering they had no clue who might actually have the key. What was more, if one of the guards had it, it would likely be a high-ranking guard, one who's proven capable of protecting such an item. They already had this executioner they knew they'd have to contend with- the fewer big boss battles they had to worry about, the better.

"Yeah, busting in might be our best bet," Keith stated. "Unless, Meowth, you think you can pick the lock with one of your claws?" he added, turning to the Normal-type on his shoulder.

"I can give it a try, but I don't make no promises," shrugged Meowth. "I'll hafta see da lock first."

Keith nodded, then realized this would be Meowth's first time actually speaking in front of Taitus- he'd been fairly quiet thus far. "Oh, yeah- Meowth here can talk, it's a long story," Keith added to Taitus. "But yeah- we should head down. If Meowth can pick the lock, great, problem solved. And if we gotta bust in, I got a Pokémon that can get the job done," he added.

Obtained

500!

Obtained 3 Steel Balls!

Keith obtained a TMScroll59 Brutal Swing!

Using aforementioned scroll on my Timburr.

Millicent learned Brutal Swing!

 

[Raves]

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!​

Greca​

[ Rory ]​

The priest fixes you with what seems to be the next in a never-ending series of strange looks. After a few seconds, he seems to grow antsy, shuffling in place and knitting his brows as he very clearly becomes lost in thought. “The priestesses will be sacrificed to end this plague,” he mutters wistfully, and you get the distinct feeling that he isn’t talking to you, His expression grows sad at this acknowledgement of the events to come. Suddenly, his posture stiffens.

“I cannot leave the temple,” he announces, and this time he’s definitely talking to you, his steely blue eyes fixed upon you unwaveringly. Despite his visible determination, he seems hesitant to continue speaking, his mouth hanging open in a single silent syllable as he once again becomes thoughtful. After a beat, he claps his hands together, and his gaze refocuses on you once more. “I cannot leave this temple,” he repeats. “And then senate has made up their minds. The priestesses-... listen. I have served this temple since the cusp of manhood. I know well that the deaths of those girls will not please Artema. She is neither a cruel nor a vengeful goddess, but if we harm the innocent, those which have served her absolutely-... calamity will befall us. She will not abide our sins!”

He seems borderline frantic, suddenly; a huge departure from his cool, almost frigid demeanor just moments before. The imminent demise of the priestesses seems to truly trouble him, enough so to undermine his facade. Despite this, he is evidently unwilling to leave the temple to protect them -- his devotion to his position and to Artema must be devout indeed. He closes the distance between the two of you, latching onto your arm with a cool hand.

“You are an outsider,” he observes. “This does not concern you. Yet-... I will take your help, because I cannot let things play out as they are. Listen,” he echoes, sternly, as he fishes something out of his robes with his free hand. It proves to be a scroll, which he holds out just under your nose. “The font of Artema is outside the city. The solution to this problem lies there -- I am certain of it. The senate will not listen, but if you truly desire to help us, then go there. Do what you will with the descendents of Araqne, but you must not bring harm to them. It is not our place to punish those which have already been punished by the gods.”

The next thing you know, he’s shoved the scroll into your hand, and you’ve been grabbed by the shoulders, and then pushed the entire distance back to the temple entrance. The priest does not seem angry, only desperate and urgent; so much so that Xigua can hardly keep up. He does not cross the threshold as he ejects you back out onto the pronaos.

By the time you recover your bearings, the heavy doors of the temple have slammed just behind you. Momentarily at a loss, you do the only immediate thing that you can do, which is unroll the scroll that had been forced upon you. You barely have to glance it, before you recognize the pattern of streets and buildings, all neatly labelled in a language that is definitely not your own, but which -- bizarrely -- you can nonetheless read. This is a map, and just like the priest has said, the font lies outside the city, next to what appears to be another temple, and a cave. It looks like a long walk, assuming you’re interpreting proportions correctly. You’re still psyching yourself up for whatever it is that you’ve gotten yourself into, when the door behind you creaks open again. Turning to look, you find that it isn’t the priest, but rather a young boy. He’s dressed similarly to the priest, but less ornately, and his head is shaved.

“P-pardon me-” he says, almost shly, as he thrusts a single arm out of the door -- it seems he also cannot leave the temple. Clutched in his outstretched hand is the handle of a basket, which is overflowing with goods. “Father Pagonia wishes for me to give this to you. He says you will need all the help that you can get.”

Patiently, the boy waits for you to take the basket, and then he closes the doors on you as well: politeness, it seems, is not virtue in this sect. Looking at the basket of goods, you recognize some of the items as being among the offerings you had just recently seen. Did the priest pilfer the offerings? That doesn’t seem like a very pious thing to do, but given his clear devotion, he must have felt it was justifiable for the greater good. It seems he must be very desperate for help, indeed.

Courtesy of the priest and his altar boy, you’ve obtained x02 Berry Juices, x02 Rare Candies, x01 Bug Gem, x05 Ice Berries, and x01 Never-melt Ice.

What will you do?



​

The priest's response to Rory's relatively innocent query was not as he had anticipated. He had expected the man to admonish him and advise against the support offered, but instead the old man muttered to himself, deep in thought once more, mentioning the priestesses and their fate, before stiffening and turning to the teen. He made it rather clear that he could not leave the temple, and in a roundabout way disagreed with the decision of the senate to blame the loyal priestesses for the infestation, but concerned that Artena would not take kindly to the slaughter of her faithful. Closing the distance, the fellow had descended into near panic as cold hand laid itself on Rory's shoulder, the sudden movement causing him to jump a little. As swiftly, the priest then procured some sort of scroll before him, entrusting him with it before asking him to investigate the font of Artena outside the city, certain the answer to the infestation was within, though not to bring harm to the followers of Araqne.

And as quickly as he was approached, Rory was turned around and slid straight out of the temple, the priest indeed not leaving the confines of the building before the massive doors slam shut, Xigua narrowly escaping and scuttling to his side. "Wh...what was that about? And what's this scroll?" Unfurling the parchment, he quickly recognised it as a map, labelled in some sort of unknown scripture he somehow understood pretty well. Ancient Grecan? Don't think so...

Taking a seat as the Wimpod scuttled onto his leg, he studied the map briefly, pinpointing the font outside the city, situated beside some sort of temple and a cave. "Hm...were I a betting kid, I'd wager that cave there would be related to Araqne, and maybe the other temple too?" His thoughts were broken by the creak of the doorway as a younger lad, similarly garbed to the priest and with a shaven head, likely an initiate, offering a basket of goodies with the intent to aid his journey, from someone called Pagonia, almost certainly the priest. With a nod, Rory carefully took the basket with his thanks before the door once again slammed shut. A quick glance at the basket found a couple of the things he had offered placed within, and while he wondered whether the offerings were taken, he reminded himself that anything donated or left to the temple would be the property of the temple, and thus free for them to do with them as they saw fit, and Pagonia must have saw Rory's charitable offer as a way to save innocents. A couple of cups of juice, a handful of berries he hadn't seen in years, the ice he had given and a couple of treats of sorts for his pokemon, presumably.

"Gee, Xig, we really got ourselves into a tizz here," he sighed, scratching his head as he pocketed the goods, "but we may as well have a look at the fountan they were on about, though we should be a bit quick about it. Dunno about you, but I don't want to see what an angry goddess looks like..." with that, the teen and bug quickly plotted the shortest route through town towards the labelled font, and opted to look at the sight of the city from their location before heading out. He subconciously wondered whether that Dewpider was still around, but thought better than to go searching for it. Time was of the essence, after all.

 

[OkikuMew]

OkikuMew​

Receiving a blessing was certainly a shock, but it made you feel safe and welcomed within the temple. With another meaningful bow, you took your leave from the statue and shut the door into the guest room that Junichi had left for you. As your head hit the pillow and you felt yourself slowly drift off to sleep, you felt a hand clutch your shoulder gently, shaking you awake.

“My child, it is time for our departure.” Junichi’s soothing voice spoke, causing you to open your eyes slowly. It occurred to you that you really didn’t get the chance to have a real rest, but that was fine. Soon you’d be home, back in your own time so long as Junichi and you could get to the Temple of Dialga in one piece. As you sat up, Junichi looked at you with a warm smile. Gesturing you to the main room of the temple once again.

“The temple of Dialga is a long trek from here, but we should be able to make it before nightfall as long as we don’t run into any trouble.” Junichi paused and looked out the window. “The weather looks tranquil today, with any luck we should have a safe passage.” He glanced at you as your eyes batted away the last of your tired whims. “We’ll have to cross through the Cherry Blossom Garden to get to the temple, but nothing much happens there.” He smiled slightly. “Just a few wild Pokemon, very little human involvement to be had.” With his last words spoken, he stood, gesturing for you to join him. With little knowledge in terms of where things were located in Niha, you stuck close to the priest --- ensuring that you didn’t lose sight of him as he lead you towards a vibrant pink field.

“Cherry Blossom season is in full swing,” He murmured happily, taking a large breath of fresh air. As you followed him, taking in the sights for yourself, you heard some hushed grunting. Junichi paused, looking around for the source of the noise. He wandered slightly to the East, noticing two Lurantis training a Fomantis. The little Pokemon was the source of the grunts, as it seemed to be getting frustrated that it couldn’t chop down the saplings like it’s older companions could.

Upon noticing you, the Pokemon gave a small glare --- signalling that you needed to back off or they would attack. However, the small one didn’t seem to have the same restraint. It jumped forward with glee, a Fury Cutter brimming in it’s small claws as it leapt.

“Mélina! Look out!” Called Junichi, batting away the small creature with his cane and causing it to hit the ground with a rather distinguished thud. The Lurantis looked shocked, before charging forwards angrily.

In saving you, it seems as though Junichi has set a horde upon you. What do you do?

Just as she was about to fall asleep, Mélina was abruptly woken up by a gentle yet firm shake from her shoulder.

“My child, it is time for our departure,” Junichi whispered calmly.

The trainer couldn’t help but groan a little, despite the very polite and soft awakening. “A-already? Uuuuh ok, hang on...”

Opening her eyes slowly, she felt she barely had any sleep. I guess it was her fault for exploring a little before bedtime. That said, she did not regret it, as it was, after all, a one-time opportunity she had. Plus, it was expected to be tired to an extent thanks to the 'gate lag', and soon enough, she’ll be back in her home and era.

As she sat up and stretched her arms up, the priest welcomed her with his usual warm smile and presented the towards the temple’s main room. He quickly explained the route they will be taking to reach Dialga’s temple: While they have to go through the Cherry Blossom Garden, he reassured her there’s only a few wild Pokémon that shouldn’t cause any problems, and as the weather seemed nice, they should reach the temple before nightfall. After finally fully getting on her feet and made sure all her belongings were accounted for in her backpack, still hanging on Catalina's floating body, Mélina closely followed Junichi, not wanting to get lost in… anywhere in Niha, really.

As they entered the pink forest, the Kalosian could not hold in a gasp as she was surrounded by her favorite color. The sweet aroma of the flowers tickled her nostrils, and erased any bit of fatigue she had (or at least felt like it was).

“Cherry Blossom season is in full swing,” the Nihan hushed with joy, also enjoying the atmosphere.

The tranquil ambiance came to a halt though, as some strange grunting was heard nearby. Concerned, both Mélina and Junichi followed the noises, which led to a couple of Lurantis and a Fomantis. The former seemed to be trying to train the latter chopping down saplings, but the little one was getting frustrated at failing at completing the task.

The Bloom Sickle duo glared menacingly towards the two humans. The young woman knew they wanted them to mind their own business, which she started to oblige at first by taking a few steps back… but the young Sickle Grass Pokémon had other ideas. Probably wanting to prove itself, it enthusiastically launched at the old man, with a Fury Cutter at ready.

“Mélina! Look out!”

Using his walking cane, the priest batted the Fomantis out of the way, stopping it mid flight and launched it to the ground. After a few moments to register what has just happened, the two Lurantis scowled at the two once more, this time with more violent intent as they start charging at them!

“Uuuuuuuuuh this is a big misunderstanding!” Mélina wailed. “We didn’t mean to interrupt or hurt your little one!”

The grass types didn’t seem to waver from her words, too engrossed in their rage. The trainer mumbled in a panic as she rushed at reaching an Ice Ball out of her kimono’s sleeve pouche to throw it.

“Oyuki, go! Catalina,” she unhooked her backpack from it, "you go too!"

As the Pokéball landed in the dirt, a sparkling Alolan Vulpix made her entrance beside the big Minior.

“Cata, try to stop the Fomantis in their tracks with your Telekinesis! Oyuki, use your Charms to try to do the same! We don’t want to harm them...”

 

[Liltwick]

Lit​

Stranger in a strange land, it had a nice ring to it.

You were used to being a stranger, even to where you were from. You had felt off from the time you were young, perhaps a sense of distrust for people that was instilled in you from youth? You couldn't quite be sure, but you felt at home with Guzma and the rest of your Team Skull Grunts. It was like some kind of strange bedfellows of a family, but you didn't mind. However, leaving felt necessary. And it was great! You got to see all sorts of sights like this.

As you walked through the festival grounds around the castle, you noticed the distinct groups of people that were wandering around. They spoke in a strange tongue that you weren't exactly familiar with, and they seemed distrustful of you. Perhaps it was due to your differing outward appearance from them... or maybe it was due to you speaking in a tongue that sounded foreign and vicious to them.

You tried your best to blend in to the crowd... but you knew you stuck out like a sore thumb. At least Custard seemed to be enjoying the sights. It fluttered around happily, eyes aflame from the distinct glow of the lanterns that floated all around you. As you walked through the crowd, a particular stand caught your eye... well actually two adjacent stands caught your eye.

One had various gems and similar objects... they all looked quite expensive, sparking the inner "borrower" within you. The other had a messy scrawl over a plain looking stand, you couldn't understand what was written on the stand... but the person handling cards on the other side of the table certainly caught your eye. They seemed to be a fortune teller from what you could gather.

What do you do?

Leo stared at the gems before him, feeling his buried kleptomaniac tendencies started to surge. He had them pretty well under control compared to most former Team Skull members, but they were always there... Waiting... Lurking. Stealing was part of his life for a good amount of his years. It wasn't something that would be triumphed over easily, but he was determined to get over it. He wanted to live a better life, be a better man. Sure, he did miss those bygone days, but there was no point dwelling on the past. Or would it be the future? Considering the time period he was in, that wasn't a question he didn't want to think on too much.

He then looked at the other stand. The language written out wasn't something he understood... He felt he say a similar language in Maile City but he never really took the time to learn a different language. He didn't really need to. Though, it might be an interesting thing to do to make himself more cultured. Would probably help out in some ways.

Shaking his head, the man looked at the fortune teller in front of him. There wasn't many details he could discern, besides that they seemed to be using cards to tell fortunes. The lighting of the stand was dim, especially considering the fireworks in the sky and the lanterns light up all over. He felt a tug on his yukata and saw Custard. It seemed the Togetic was also interested in this fortune teller. Speaking up, Leo looked at the Fortune Teller.

"Hi! Could I get a reading?" Leo asked, pointing at the cards. Fate was a curious thing, and he wanted to know what this fantastical night would hold.

 

[Enigmatic Professor]

Enigmatic Professor​

With your commands given, your Pokemon scurried off in search of rocks that you could put into your clothes. Lelo and Fenrir returned with decent sized rocks, big enough that you could keep them secure in your clothing but small enough that they wouldn't hinder your movement after you set off in pursuit of the thief. Wolfe got to work swiftly, inhaling deeply before spraying the rocks with a concentrated stream of fire. Trying to warm them. The hotter the rocks got, the more they began to glow a sharp red. Were you really sure you wanted to put those on your body?

As you eyed the rocks, intent on picking them up (presumably after the red hot glow faded) you heard a faint murmur that grew louder and louder. You looked around, spotting the source of the noise as a guard patrol, making their way back to the Jarl's Keep. One guard couldn't help but notice the glowing hot rocks that you had in front of you.

"What the hell are you doing?" One of the guards asks, approaching you and your Pokemon. A sword is fastened firmly to his hip and he carries a large shield emblazoned with the emblem of the Jarl. He eyes you closely, seeing your odd modern clothing and then looking back at the warm rocks. "Are you... trying to warm yourself?" He looks slightly confused, but also empathetic. "Look, sir, if you're down on your luck right now we can get you properly equipped with some attire and a bellyfull of mead and cheese. The Jarl hates seeing his citizens so... impoverished." He speaks through gritted teeth. Did he think you were homeless?

"Come now, citizen. I'm sure we have some Borg armor laying around. Keeps that nasty cold right out." The other guard pipes up, looking at you and your Pokemon. You noticed that Wolfe, Lelo, and Fenrir were all licking their lips. They were probably hungry, you had been out for quite some time.

What do you do?

Drake pondered the possibilities in his head before answeringthe guard. But the answer was obvious before he even opened his mouth.

"We are kind of hungry Drake, and it has been at least an hour since you were hit...." Wolfe's mental tone made it obvious he was still upset that they were unable to stop the robbery....

Turning to the guard, Drake nodded and said "lead the way please..."

One of the first things was to get food and get warm... Drake let a mental sigh off in his head... Normally he would be prepared for such a situation but today was just not his day he thought.

Well. One step at a time Drake told himself.

 

[King Ghidorah!]

NIHA​

Perhaps no region is as steeped in tradition as Niha, on the eastern side of the world. Its people follow customs as old as the land itself, every single action seen as a tribute to their mighty gods.

Nihans are ritualistic in their everyday life, from the way they dress to the way they eat. They uphold the value of honour above all other qualities, and will go to any lengths necessary to ensure they are remembered only for their honourable actions – the severity of any punishment must always equal, if not surpass, that of the misdeed. As a result, Nihans can come across as distant and excessively formal, but their hearts are in the right place.

Niha is a land where human constructions are scarce and simple, and most buildings are erected to honour the local deities. The vast majority of the region remains claimed by nature, and Nihans have learned to make the most of the land without upsetting this balance. (please reply in plum)


Cherry-Blossom Garden: One of many sprawling fields of cherry trees, it is especially beautiful during blooming season – which can last anywhere from five days to one month in Niha. Locals do not maintain this garden as one would a public park; instead, they let nature run its course, and dare not tamper with the trees in any way, as that would be disrespecting the gods who created such natural perfection. Wild Pokémon abound in the garden, having long understood that human interference is minimal, although people are allowed to cross the fields and linger as long as they please.

The morning sun, soft and golden, washed over Hugo. Its warm glow filled him with a sense of calm, while a soft breeze carried the heavily perfumed air to his nostrils. He stirred, not wishing to wake from this state of deep relaxation, but it was to no avail. Slowly, his eyes opened. From the ground looking up, he saw a sky of delicate, pink clouds, some of which gently breaking apart of slowly falling to the floor. But these weren’t clouds. They were cherry blossoms. Hundreds and hundreds of them coming together to create one of the most breathtakingly beautiful sights Hugo had ever seen. He was so moved that it took a few moments for Hugo to realize that he had no idea where he was and how he had gotten there. Had he died? Was this heaven? It certainly was peaceful enough. No, he wasn’t dead. But how did he get here? Oddly enough, Hugo was more curious than concerned. This place was perfect enough…maybe he could just stay here forever.

Slowly, he pulled himself from the ground as a stream of cherry blossom petals cascaded from his body. How long had he been asleep? He looked around but saw no one. He listened, but heard only the sounds of nature. Was he alone? Could somebody help him understand what was going on? Then again, did he really even want to know?

The orchard was vast. Hugo had no idea how far he was from civilization and how long it may take to find it. He began to wander through the gardens, but in his heart, he secretly hoped he may not find anyone…

 

[Liltwick]

KG-

You awaken in the morning light, surrounded by a sea of pink petals. They seem to caress you, hold you, and don't want you to leave. This was a place of peace, and there didn't seem to be a single soul around. You were one with nature at this point, and you couldn't bring yourself to leave. At least, at first.

Slowly, you rise, and start to wander through the garden. You hoped to find no one, and it seemed that hope was answered. There was only you, wandering through this orchard of cherry blossoms. It was calming, serene, and peaceful. Your own place of relaxation and zen, where nothing would bother you in this time or space.

Yet, you felt compelled to continue walking, to take in the sights and smells. As much as sleep tempted you, you had to keep going. This beauty was all yours at the moment, it would be a shame to not take it all in before another being tainted it. Tainted this sweet silence from civilization. Only the sound of the wind rustling against the leaves could be heard, and not even a single Pokemon could be seen.

Soon, you manage to stumble on something amazing. A large cherry tree, that towered over the rest of the trees in the area. Its bark glowed an ethereal white, and it seemed to beckon you closer. The strange part was, you didn't see this on the horizon at all. Surely A tree this tall would be able to be seen all around... But that didn't matter. This tree was special, and it felt like it was calling for you. Each step closer to it, the more tired you felt. Another nap sounded nice at this point... And this tree would be the best spot to do so.

What will you do?

 

[Asteiri]

Alice Hope​

The ball shook violently. The creature was obviously still capable of fighting back regardless of the attacks Millie had landed. It shook once, followed by an agonizing pause before shaking once again. The anticipation of the successful catch was getting to you. You could feel your overwhelming dread at the possibility of having to buy more resources.. but hey, at least shopping was always fun. You watched as the ball shook one last time before coming to a halt, clicking shut to confirm that it had locked.

Congratulations! You have caught a Level 25 Female Rhyhorn! It knows the Move Tutor move Snore as well as the TM moves Rest and Sleep Talk (weird, but you don't question it)! Due to her primary food source being the pink cherries and blossoms around the garden she has turned an elegant pink colour! (claimable at the boutique)

​

"Congratulations!" Called out Kaito, jerking you back to reality somewhat suddenly. You grasped the white Pokeball in your hand, looking down at it. You remembered what Kaito had said about wanting to take a closer look at the creature, releasing it from from it's ball and letting Kaito take a look at it. The fallen creature was resting, it's eyes closed as Kaito moved forward to take a look at it. Meanwhile, you started up a conversation, looking at the monkey on the man's shoulders. "Oh, Junpei? He's just a friend. I'm not much of a trainer myself." He chuckled. "I just have my Houndour, Hachi." Junpei leapt into your arms, letting you pet him.

"He's an affectionate wild Pokemon, that's for sure." Kaito chuckled, moving his hand towards the neck of the Rhyhorn. "The locals think he's the guardian of this place so I usually just come out to check on him." Kaito suddenly paused, his hand seemingly touching something. He got down on his knees and leaned inwards, looking at the neck of the Rhyhorn. "Alice, come see this." He spoke suddenly, gesturing for you to come to him. You quickly hopped over, glancing down at the Rhyhorn. Protruding from it's neck was an odd looking device, it certainly looked a little too futuristic to be from Niha. It actually looked like something electronic, something that would be no rare sight in your time period. It was exuding a strange aura, pulsing with various shades of red and dark grey.

"I've... never seen anything like it." Kaito seems tentative to touch it. Junpei looked at the device and bore his teeth, hissing at it and jumping up on your shoulder to get some distance from it. Kaito pulled his sleeve down, yanking the device off of the creature's neck. He examined it closely, trying to discern anything from the device --- but it was clear that the technology was out of his range of expertise. Taking this as your cue, you drew the Rhyhorn back into it's new Pokeball, examining the device with Kaito.

"Someone put it on the Rhyhorn... I wonder if that's why it attacked us." He tilted his head. "It did look like it was in some kind of trance..." He paused, clearly lost in thought.

Something weird is going on... what do you do?

Missingno. Master​

Taitus looked a little confused seeing Meowth speak. "Oh... I see." He murmured, watching the Meowth attempt to pick the lock. He had never seen anything like that, picking a lock with your claws or a Pokemon talking. You could clearly see how anxious he was at the thought of bursting in there and busting out Buzzer. You could feel your own nerves welling up in your chest, you just hoped that you got in there before it was too late. Taitus clasped his hands together, clearly thinking deeply about your situation. You wondered to yourself if Taitus had anymore Pokemon that could assist in the situation --- it would certainly be beneficial to have more force on your hands considering you really had no idea what you were dealing with.

Meowth's voice came through, signaling to yourself and Taitus that he had successfully picked the lock on the door. You congratulated your Pokemon on a job well done, heading down to the dungeons with Taitus holding a torch while staying a few feet behind you. As you approached the bottom, you pressed your body against the wall, eying your surroundings. You saw various shackles and cells, not to mention some old looking torture devices that you weren't exactly familiar with. Tatius peeked out from behind you, looking around.

"They usually have one or two guards stationed around here..." He murmured, trying to keep his voice hushed. "Not to mention the executioner could be around any corner." His eyes narrowed, unable to see anything from your current position. "Come on, we should move forward a bit... it looks like the coast is clear..." He brushed past you, holding the torch above his head. "We're not fond of public executions here." He chuckled, "Agramas thinks that the commoners would think of it as brutes... so he just does it behind closed doors." He shook his head, clearly displeased by this behaviour.

As you two continued walking, keeping quiet and trying to lay low --- you noticed a cage with a large yellow figure in it. You gestured to Taitus, causing him to follow you and spot Buzzer.

"Buzzer!" He forced out in a sharp, shrill whisper. "Who has your key?" Buzzer glanced around, gesturing towards the left. Taitus looked, spotting a hooded figure about 30 feet away from you. Their back was to you, but you could clearly see them sharpening some sort of blade. "Really? They're already prepping the execution?" His eyes flashed with nervousness, turning to you briskly. "We need to hurry... especially if the executioner already has the key." He looked in that direction. "I can't see it... but maybe your Meowth could pickpocket the key off of him?" He asked, tilting his head. Taitus had a fair idea. Pickpocketing the key would certainly save a fight if you were successful.

What do you do?

OkikuMew
​

The Lurantis gave a shrill shriek, rushing forward --- until both of their bodies floated in the air. They hissed at being levitated, swinging out their arms in a frenzy. Oyuki, the beautiful vixen, trotted forward and gave them a small wink; causing their guard to drop from the charming display. The smaller Lurantis, which you assumed to be a male, seemed especially taken by Oyuki's display. He stopped frenzying and grew fixated on her. The larger one, presumably the female, seemed to grow more enraged seeing her mate so taken by this fox. She shrieked once again, roots extending from her feet and Ingraining themselves in the Earth. Her body slowly came down as well, being regrounded from her roots being planted. She rushed at Catalina, striking the Miror with her Bladed Leaf arms.

It was clear you weren't getting out of this without a fight, Junichi shot you an apologetic glance, clearly upset that he had caused this attack. The small Formantis darted towards it's parents, wiping the tears from it's eyes. It furrowed it's brow, seemingly Growing a few inches. Junichi knew he needed to do something to help, as you and your Pokemon were very clearly outnumbered. He tossed an odd looking Pokeball from inside his cloak, revealing a rather threatening looking Hypno.

"I apologize, dear Hypno. I know it is not right to remove you from your place at the shrine... but we needed safe passage." The Hypno blinked, wordless as all Pokemon were. He turned to face his opponents, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. Mediating while it decided it's next course of action.

What do you do?

Lit
​

The fortune teller looked up at you as you approached. She was old, her eyes cloudy and grey and her skin wrinkled. You could tell that she was once a beauty in her youth, as she was not a horrendous sight to look at it. She gave a toothy smile, a few teeth missing from her grin. "Sit, child." She gestured to the chair across from her, causing you to take a seat. Custard floated near you excitedly, watching as she eyed you with a curious intent.

"May I have your hand?" Her voice was slightly raspy, as though every word was a burden to speak. You obliged, palm readings were always interesting. She eyed your hand, and you felt like she could suddenly see everything about you. Your darkest fears, your wildest dreams, everything just sitting there in your hands.

"You've had an interesting past, child." She murmured, eying the lines on your hand. "I see a memory, something lingering... something you've forgotten. It has been replaced by something." She traced a line on your palm. You wondered what she was referring to, yet you felt a slight tingle shoot down your spine as she spoke. She stared into your face, her grin returning. "You're curious about what the night holds for you, child?" You opened your mouth to speak, but she shushed you gently. Her eyes shut as she spoke.

"I see the Shogun. Boundless gems..." She paused, brow furrowing before she opened her eyes. "And something pink." He sat up, eyes piercing you once again. "That'll be $100, child."

What a rip! She barely told you anything!

What do you do?

Prof. Enigma​

The guards nodded, leading you into the keep. You instantly felt the warmth of a hearth resting in the center of the room, which your Pokemon moved towards. The Jarl sat on a throne at the end of the room, resting his head on his arm. Two housecarls were on either side of him --- ready to protect the Jarl in case someone with malicious intentions came into the keep. The guards that escorted you in made their way to the Jarl, speaking in hushed voices, glancing back at you every so often.

"Of course. Any man in my keep that is old enough to hold a weapon is welcome to supplies." His voice sounded bored, clearly displeased with being stuck on the throne. The guards nodded, ushering you to a small room to the side of the keep. The initial guard opened a cabinet, producing a set of guard clothing.

"It isn't much, but they'll keep you warm in those damned snow storms." The guard spoke, placing a hand on your back. "There's food in the main hall, along the long table." He looked at your Pokemon. "Plenty of meat for your canines too." Wolfe's eyes lit up, tail wagging as he hears the word "meat". It was clear that it would be beneficial to spend some time here and recoup before going after the thief. You pondered if you should tell the Jarl about the theft, especially due to the kindness that you had received so far. Perhaps they could assist you in some way with the thief?

What do you do?

 

[Meetan]

Alice Hope​

The ball shook violently. The creature was obviously still capable of fighting back regardless of the attacks Millie had landed. It shook once, followed by an agonizing pause before shaking once again. The anticipation of the successful catch was getting to you. You could feel your overwhelming dread at the possibility of having to buy more resources.. but hey, at least shopping was always fun. You watched as the ball shook one last time before coming to a halt, clicking shut to confirm that it had locked.

Congratulations! You have caught a Level 25 Female Rhyhorn! It knows the Move Tutor move Snore as well as the TM moves Rest and Sleep Talk (weird, but you don't question it)! Due to her primary food source being the pink cherries and blossoms around the garden she has turned an elegant pink colour! (claimable at the boutique)

​

"Congratulations!" Called out Kaito, jerking you back to reality somewhat suddenly. You grasped the white Pokeball in your hand, looking down at it. You remembered what Kaito had said about wanting to take a closer look at the creature, releasing it from from it's ball and letting Kaito take a look at it. The fallen creature was resting, it's eyes closed as Kaito moved forward to take a look at it. Meanwhile, you started up a conversation, looking at the monkey on the man's shoulders. "Oh, Junpei? He's just a friend. I'm not much of a trainer myself." He chuckled. "I just have my Houndour, Hachi." Junpei leapt into your arms, letting you pet him.

"He's an affectionate wild Pokemon, that's for sure." Kaito chuckled, moving his hand towards the neck of the Rhyhorn. "The locals think he's the guardian of this place so I usually just come out to check on him." Kaito suddenly paused, his hand seemingly touching something. He got down on his knees and leaned inwards, looking at the neck of the Rhyhorn. "Alice, come see this." He spoke suddenly, gesturing for you to come to him. You quickly hopped over, glancing down at the Rhyhorn. Protruding from it's neck was an odd looking device, it certainly looked a little too futuristic to be from Niha. It actually looked like something electronic, something that would be no rare sight in your time period. It was exuding a strange aura, pulsing with various shades of red and dark grey.

"I've... never seen anything like it." Kaito seems tentative to touch it. Junpei looked at the device and bore his teeth, hissing at it and jumping up on your shoulder to get some distance from it. Kaito pulled his sleeve down, yanking the device off of the creature's neck. He examined it closely, trying to discern anything from the device --- but it was clear that the technology was out of his range of expertise. Taking this as your cue, you drew the Rhyhorn back into it's new Pokeball, examining the device with Kaito.

"Someone put it on the Rhyhorn... I wonder if that's why it attacked us." He tilted his head. "It did look like it was in some kind of trance..." He paused, clearly lost in thought.

Something weird is going on... what do you do?

The anticipation had been enough to drive Alice a little crazy, but the relief and excitement she felt from the Rhyhorn's capture more than made up for it. A tough cookie, a favourite Pokemon and naturally pink to boot? How wonderful! She remembered that Kaito wished to take a look, releasing the creature again for the other to examine. Millie had moved a little closer, too, and while Alice had Junpei to fuss over now, she extended an arm to wrap around the Miltank and give a snuggle too as well.

"Oh, I have a Houndour, too. Hela. She's just a puppy, though, she was only born about a month ago." Alice said, retracting the extended arm to help her hold of the wildling in her arms. How curious that the Aipom was so affectionate, there was clearly a trust of the people around him. When summoned, she moved to Kaito's side, lips parting in disbelief at the sight of the device. Sure, these people had Poke Balls, but what else did they have? Kaito seemed stunned by it, at least, but she personally had no idea what it was either... At least Kaito had the strength to rip it off. She would have needed to ask Millie, and her Pokemon didn't seem happy to be anywhere near the thing.

"There are lots of different metal things where I'm from, but I don't actually know what that is. The Pokemon don't seem to be happy about it at all, though, so if something was wrong with the Rhyhorn then it wouldn't surprise me if that caused it." Alice concluded, her trail of thought similar to his. Speaking of, had she accidentally stolen the guardian of the cherry blossom patch? Because yikes... But at least she was safe for now. More concerning, though... Was this caused by someone else who had come from Dialga's Gate? "Millie, Junpei; could either of you figure out which way the Rhyhorn might have come from? If we can retrace its steps, we might have a chance of finding whoever stuck this on-- unless you happened to see anyone suspicious?" She added to the Aipom, "Or maybe one of your friends...?"

 

[Liltwick]

Lit
​

The fortune teller looked up at you as you approached. She was old, her eyes cloudy and grey and her skin wrinkled. You could tell that she was once a beauty in her youth, as she was not a horrendous sight to look at it. She gave a toothy smile, a few teeth missing from her grin. "Sit, child." She gestured to the chair across from her, causing you to take a seat. Custard floated near you excitedly, watching as she eyed you with a curious intent.

"May I have your hand?" Her voice was slightly raspy, as though every word was a burden to speak. You obliged, palm readings were always interesting. She eyed your hand, and you felt like she could suddenly see everything about you. Your darkest fears, your wildest dreams, everything just sitting there in your hands.

"You've had an interesting past, child." She murmured, eying the lines on your hand. "I see a memory, something lingering... something you've forgotten. It has been replaced by something." She traced a line on your palm. You wondered what she was referring to, yet you felt a slight tingle shoot down your spine as she spoke. She stared into your face, her grin returning. "You're curious about what the night holds for you, child?" You opened your mouth to speak, but she shushed you gently. Her eyes shut as she spoke.

"I see the Shogun. Boundless gems..." She paused, brow furrowing before she opened her eyes. "And something pink." He sat up, eyes piercing you once again. "That'll be $100, child."

What a rip! She barely told you anything!

What do you do?

Leo was just mesmerized, almost entranced by the older woman. It seemed that she spoke his tongue, and she had a certain... air around her that others here did not. He felt compelled to follow everything she asked, and he sat down in the chair across from her. His yukata felt a bit tight in the chair, but at this exact moment he was caught up in this mystic haze. Some kind of mental allure to do as he's told.

He gets asked to hold out his hand, and the boy complies. He faces his palm upward. She just stares at them for a bit, and it feels that she was gazing into his very soul. She said he had an interesting past, which was certainly true... But also she also said that he forgotten something. Replaced with something? What was she talking about...?

He then felt the woman start to trace her fingers across the lines of his palm. It was a bit tingly, and he could feel a wave of relaxation wash over him. He couldn't tell why, but there was just something about this process that caused him to get lost in it. Her words to him felt syrupy and sweet, as she asked if he was curious about tonight. He started to move his mouth to respond, but she just shushed him and continued on.

"I see the Shogun. Boundless gems..." he heard her say before pausing, her brow furrowing before she opened her eyes. "And something pink." She sat up, her eyes gazing through him once more. "That'll be $100, child."

That felt a bit steep, almost like a rip off to him. After all, that wasn't much in terms of information, but the experience, he felt, justified the cost. He did still feel relaxed, and couldn't bring himself to get mad. Rummaging through his bag, he takes out $100 and puts it on the table, before giving a quick thank you and heading off to a different part of the festival.

Sighing, Leo just thinks back on the reading. Shogun? What was a shogun? Boundless gems sounded fun, and maybe they'd be something of value once he returned to the present world. And something pink? That could be anything. Food, clothes, flowers, Pokemon, a person... Too many things could be pink. He wanted the answer, but he had a feeling that was all he was going to get out of that fortune teller. He sighed, and just looked around for anything of interest that might be related to what he was told.

 

[King Ghidorah!]

KG-

You awaken in the morning light, surrounded by a sea of pink petals. They seem to caress you, hold you, and don't want you to leave. This was a place of peace, and there didn't seem to be a single soul around. You were one with nature at this point, and you couldn't bring yourself to leave. At least, at first.

Slowly, you rise, and start to wander through the garden. You hoped to find no one, and it seemed that hope was answered. There was only you, wandering through this orchard of cherry blossoms. It was calming, serene, and peaceful. Your own place of relaxation and zen, where nothing would bother you in this time or space.

Yet, you felt compelled to continue walking, to take in the sights and smells. As much as sleep tempted you, you had to keep going. This beauty was all yours at the moment, it would be a shame to not take it all in before another being tainted it. Tainted this sweet silence from civilization. Only the sound of the wind rustling against the leaves could be heard, and not even a single Pokemon could be seen.

Soon, you manage to stumble on something amazing. A large cherry tree, that towered over the rest of the trees in the area. Its bark glowed an ethereal white, and it seemed to beckon you closer. The strange part was, you didn't see this on the horizon at all. Surely A tree this tall would be able to be seen all around... But that didn't matter. This tree was special, and it felt like it was calling for you. Each step closer to it, the more tired you felt. Another nap sounded nice at this point... And this tree would be the best spot to do so.

What will you do?

The pure, breathtaking beauty of the giant tree caught Hugo off guard. He hadn’t recalled noticing this tree before, and given its enormity…well, it’s not something that could be easily missed.

Something in the back of Hugo’s mind signaled that this wasn’t normal, but was quite peculiar and possibly even dangerous. Nonetheless, the peaceful state of Zen that Hugo had found himself in was too sweet to pass up. They were few and far between, so Hugo decided to let his heart overrule his brain this time.

Slowly, he ambled toward the tree, each step becoming more labored. He could feel his eyelids getting heavier, his breathing and pulse slowing. Could it be the tree? Or was Hugo was it just all the months of traveling finally caught up with Hugo? Fatigue couldn’t be fought forever, after all. Eventually, Hugo would need to rest. And why not here? This place was perfectly suited for a little R&R.

Hugo reached the tree, barely able to keep his eyes open. Hugo lowered himself to the ground, his back against the tree, and he could feel himself drifting away.

Until he jerked awake.

Survival instinct? Maybe. You know that sensation that you’re falling just as you drift off to sleep. We all have it sometimes, and so does Hugo. Maybe this was a sign. Maybe something he should be concerned about. But he was so tired. He’ll just take a little nap, and then wake up. And despite the fog in his head, he had an idea.

He pulled a Pokeball from his waist and released his newest teammate, Elekid. The Electric Pokemon smiled happily, a flash of blue voltage flashing between the plug-like horns on his head. Though he did eye the tree with a bit of suspicion.

Hugo would take a little nap and then Elekid would wake him up. After all, Elekid’s Vital Spirit prevented him from being put to sleep unless he wanted to.

“Elekid, I’m going to take a quick catnap. Just keep an eye out for me, okay? If things get weird…YAWN…I want you to wake me up….okay?”

And with that, he surrendered himself.

 

[Missingno. Master]

Missingno. Master​

Taitus looked a little confused seeing Meowth speak. "Oh... I see." He murmured, watching the Meowth attempt to pick the lock. He had never seen anything like that, picking a lock with your claws or a Pokemon talking. You could clearly see how anxious he was at the thought of bursting in there and busting out Buzzer. You could feel your own nerves welling up in your chest, you just hoped that you got in there before it was too late. Taitus clasped his hands together, clearly thinking deeply about your situation. You wondered to yourself if Taitus had anymore Pokemon that could assist in the situation --- it would certainly be beneficial to have more force on your hands considering you really had no idea what you were dealing with.

Meowth's voice came through, signaling to yourself and Taitus that he had successfully picked the lock on the door. You congratulated your Pokemon on a job well done, heading down to the dungeons with Taitus holding a torch while staying a few feet behind you. As you approached the bottom, you pressed your body against the wall, eying your surroundings. You saw various shackles and cells, not to mention some old looking torture devices that you weren't exactly familiar with. Tatius peeked out from behind you, looking around.

"They usually have one or two guards stationed around here..." He murmured, trying to keep his voice hushed. "Not to mention the executioner could be around any corner." His eyes narrowed, unable to see anything from your current position. "Come on, we should move forward a bit... it looks like the coast is clear..." He brushed past you, holding the torch above his head. "We're not fond of public executions here." He chuckled, "Agramas thinks that the commoners would think of it as brutes... so he just does it behind closed doors." He shook his head, clearly displeased by this behaviour.

As you two continued walking, keeping quiet and trying to lay low --- you noticed a cage with a large yellow figure in it. You gestured to Taitus, causing him to follow you and spot Buzzer.

"Buzzer!" He forced out in a sharp, shrill whisper. "Who has your key?" Buzzer glanced around, gesturing towards the left. Taitus looked, spotting a hooded figure about 30 feet away from you. Their back was to you, but you could clearly see them sharpening some sort of blade. "Really? They're already prepping the execution?" His eyes flashed with nervousness, turning to you briskly. "We need to hurry... especially if the executioner already has the key." He looked in that direction. "I can't see it... but maybe your Meowth could pickpocket the key off of him?" He asked, tilting his head. Taitus had a fair idea. Pickpocketing the key would certainly save a fight if you were successful.

What do you do?

Taitus was pretty confused at this point. Not just about Meowth talking- though make no mistake, that played a role in it- but also about the concept of Meowth using his claws to pick a lock. Meowth merely grinned as he set to work, leaving the humans to just wait. And what a wait it was, knowing that Buzzer's life hung in the balance. But Keith was at least able to take comfort in the fact that Meowth knew this just as well as he did, knew the severity of the situation, and wouldn't dare waste time. Keith glanced at Taitus as they waited. The thought crossed his mind- was Niro Taitus's only Pokémon? Or, if the situation called for it, would Taitus have another Pokémon that could help them out? Not knowing what they were up against was an unnerving notion indeed, and confident though Keith was in the Pokémon he had on hand, there was something to be said for having all the help they could get. Better to be too prepared than not prepared enough. There's no kill like overkill.

"...Dere we go, dat should do it," Meowth finally spoke up. And sure enough, the door was now open!

"Yes!" Keith whispered. "Nice job, Meowth."

"Naturally," Meowth purred proudly, resuming his usual seat on Keith's shoulder.

With that done, they headed down to the dungeons. Keith led the way, but with a torch in hand, Taitus lit the way. Meowth was grateful for this, knowing it wouldn't fall to him to use Flash. And at the bottom, Keith stayed close to the wall, discreetly eyeing his surroundings. There were unused shackles, empty cells, some old-fashioned devices that Keith really didn't want to know the use for (even if he could reasonably guess, as could Meowth if the way he shuddered was any indicator)... Taitus whispered about how there was usually a guard or two stationed in the general vicinity, and also the ever-present threat of the executioner. For now, however, the coast seemed clear, and so they pressed on.

Now it was Taitus leading the way, mentioning as he did so that public executions weren't their style around here. Agramas didn't want the commoners getting a negative opinion of them, so the executions were simply done behind closed doors. As Taitus shook his head, Keith made a small noise of disgust. Just because the commoners didn't have a readily available reason to think them brutes, that didn't make this sort of thing any less reprehensible.

At long last, Keith noticed a cage with something yellow in it. Tempted though he was to say something, he instead merely gestured to Taitus and led the way over. Sure enough, there was a very familiar-looking Electivire within- it was Buzzer! They'd found him!

The Electivire was even able to point them in the direction of the key to his cage. That, however, was where the good news ended- the key was being held by a hooded figure sharpening some kind of blade. This, surely, was the executioner. And according to Taitus, this was especially bad- the execution was clearly going to happen very soon. However, he then brought up a very good idea- having Meowth swipe the key.

"I was gonna suggest pickin' dis lock as well, but dat might actually be fasta," Meowth whispered.

"So you're up for it, then?" Keith asked in a hushed tone.

"Dat's right," purred Meowth. Nimbly he hopped down off Keith's shoulder, and with all the grace and stealth one might expect from a feline Pokémon, he headed off towards the executioner. Of course, this whole situation had him scared, but getting to put his natural talents to such good use was doing wonders for his courage right now. Both a master Thief and a skilled Technician, Meowth was confident in his ability to get this done without the executioner noticing. That said, he wasn't such a fool as to not be prepared for the possibility of the executioner noticing him. In fact, if the executioner saw him, he'd get quite an eyeful- an eyeful of Hypnosis. Put the man into a trance, and if he hadn't already scored the key, get him to actively hand it over. Either way, this would leave him in no fit state to get in their way as they freed Buzzer.

While Meowth worked his magic, Keith kept a sharp eye out. Not only on Meowth, either- Taitus had mentioned that they usually had a guard or two patrolling this area, and he'd greatly prefer not being caught unawares by said guards.