Dialga's Gate: The Time Rift Zone

[King Ghidorah!]

KG-

At this rate, you were getting more and more frustrated. The way the twins were acting, not divulging much information to you and the weird circumstance of the egg, just didn't sit right for you. Tree's chosen... This all sounded like a joke at this point. But what could you do? Just wake up? This place felt too real to be a dream.

Sighing, you and the male twin leave the room, and go through the hallway. This hallway was different. There were bite and scorch marks all across the walls and floor of the hall. It looked like something was eating away at the place. You heard the boy stopping at this sight, and you look over at him to see a pure terror in his eyes. The first real emotion he was able to convey the entire time you were here.

"What's going on..." he muttered before noticing you looking at him. He takes a deep breath and just moves past you.

That was certainly... unexpected. Though it felt like there was no point in prodding him about it now. You keep moving, and notice an acrid scent permeating the hall. It was as if the tree was being melted. No, melted wasn't the right word to describe it, but there didn't seem to be a right word at all. The smell and looks of the hall felt too foreign compared to anything that would naturally happen.

You reach the end of the hall, entering the next room. You can see the girl waiting for the two of you with your Elekid in her hands. She lets go of your Pokemon, and it runs up to you. It was happy to see you, but a look of fear crossed its face before it starting looking at a darkened corner of the room. The male twin starts to speak, before the girl hushes him.

You soon see the reason why she hushed him. A giant Ariados. It was larger than any other one you've seen, slowly descending from the ceiling and staring at you're group. At this point, you looked over to see the boy huddling behind you in complete fear, while this sister tries to comfort him. It was obvious they've never dealt with a situation like this.

You then look back to the Ariados, and notice it slowly coming closer, its fangs moving and front legs rearing up. If you didn't act now, you would become spider food, that much was obvious. And that now was pretty urgent, as the Pokemon started approaching faster and faster. What do you do?

In a panic, Hugo quickly grabbed one of the Pokeballs hanging from his waist and released it. He didn’t even realize who he was calling out. There wasn’t enough time for over strategizing lest he wanted them all to die a horrifying death by arachnid.

Almost immediately, the entire room was filled with a foul, overpowering stench. Hugo reflexively drew his hand over his nose and mouth and dry heaved a little. It was Grimer. If that wasn’t enough to quell the Ariados’s appetite, nothing would. The Poison-type dragged itself happily toward Elekid, leaving a trail of grimy residue in its wake. Elekid recoiled slightly.

Hugo could only imagine what the twins, who seemed so focus on pristine beauty and cleanliness, must be thinking about the sentient pile of sludge fouling up their precious tree. Then again, they were using Hugo as a human shield. And unless they wanted to die along with everything they held dear, they would have to get over it. So who really cares what they had to think?

Grimer quickly caught sight of the approaching Ariados and assumed an aggressive battle stance. Elekid, following the lead of its older companion, mimicked its body posture, feeling more confidant in knowing it wasn’t going to have to try and take down the spider on his own.

Time was ticking. They needed to make a move and they needed to do it now.

“Elekid,” called Hugo. “Strike first! Hit it with Quick Attack! Grimer! Use uh…use uh…”

In the heat of the moment, Hugo forgot what attacks Grimer had his disposal.

“Use…use…USE FLAMETHROWER!”

 

[Liltwick]

Lit​

"Oh! Um..." She paused, looking down. "I'm just working here while my grandfather is on a delivery..." She looked at the Sableye who gave her a curt nod. "Onyx says you can take it. It's pretty small anyways." She winked, "Grandpa won't even know it's gone." She leaned on the counter, dropping the crystal into your hand. The Sableye's gem eyes sparkled upon hearing you ask about the Shogun.

"Shogun? Oh he's a stuffy rich dude." She waved her hand nonchalantly. She gestured to the castle that the shops were standing in the wake of. "He threw this festival to recruit warriors or something like that." She glanced at the castle. "I hear he usually makes his lackeys greet people... most people haven't even met the guy." She shrugged, putting away some of the gems. "He's respected because he's strong. But I think he's just some old dude that sits in his palace while we all toil out here." She raised an eyebrow at hearing you weren't from around here, but seemed to shrug it off. "Most people out here don't even have proper houses... but he gets a whole castle all to himself." She seemed to show clear distaste towards this shogun, but you had to admit that this festival was nice.

"What's your interest in the guy?" She asked. "Oh, I suppose being an outsider means you probably don't have a shogun..." She murmured, trailing off and looking down at Onyx. As you both awkwardly thought of what to say next, a loud clang was heard before silence reigned over the shopgoers. They glanced around, turning from the stands as a dozen or so young men clad in traditional Nihan monk gear slowly wandered down the street and into the castle. The various people at the stands gawked at them before turning back to the shopkeepers, pretending that nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

"Oh, the Hiken warrior monks are here." The crystal seller murmured. "I figured that this festival was for a reason." She leaned on the counter. "The shogun recruits the strongest monks into his horde. This whole gathering is just a recruitment cover." She sighed, muttering to herself. "I knew I should have stayed home..."

What do you do?

Leo was a bit surprised when the shop keep said he could just take it. It felt weird, to be given something that should've been paid for. It wasn't a gift per say, gifts were usually found, made or bought. It was more a freebie. Then again, at this point it was obvious both of them have a similar background. Then it could easily be said a gift from one thief to another.

Leo picked up with the gem, starting to fiddle it while listening about the Shogun. So a Shogun was type of ruler. History wasn't his strong point... TO be fair an education wasn't really a thing he had. He was literate and good do enough match for baking, and understood that type of science a bit, but everything else? That was never relevant. He had his own life experiences to be a guiding path, not someone who died millennia ago.

"Interest? Well... I don't know, I heard the name mentioned in that weird language all of you speak and had a bit of a feeling I'd meet him tonight," he replied nonchalantly before covering his mouth. "Sorry, I, uh, am not around here..."

After that fumble, he continued to listen a bit more about the 'Hiken" or something monks. Warriors? Weren't monks just old dudes who sat under waterfalls all day? Enlightenment or whatever. Wasn't something that was really him.

"So some type of recruitment? You mean this whole grande festival is a over for the military? That sucks!" Leo exclaimed, obviously unhappy. "Where I'm from, these festivals are always about having fun and spending time with your friends and family. If this is what it originated from... No! I won't accept it!"

He then got an idea, and started getting a bit giggly.

"I have an idea!" At this point there were stars in his eyes, and a mischievous grin plastered on his face. "Let's show this Shogun what a festival is truly supposed to be! Fun!"

 

[Raves]

Greca

[ Rory ]
​

Put-upon -- that's you. You don't entirely know how you got here, and you're not entirely sure what's going on, but now you've been tasked with saving the city from some sort of bug-driven apocalypse. You're either too nice or too weak willed to say no, so -- after taking a moment to survey the sights of the frankly beautiful city -- you set off .

You have a little bit of trouble navigating at first. Urban planning doesn't seem to be a concept that exists here, and though paved and well established, most of the streets have the tale-tell, chaotic twists and turns of roads that had cropped up organically over the years. There are almost no signs to help you get your bearings, which only makes things worse, but after a while -- and a fair amount of backtracking out of dead ends -- the buildings around you begin to think, until they're behind you and all that's left of civilization is the occasional farm. The countryside is rather idyllic, and... oddly familiar to you. Jaboca trees, having escaped their farms, stand near the road, casting a splotchy shade over you. Past a fence, in the distance, a Mudbray idles around a field. In a Jaboca tree to your right, a pair of Taillow watch you pass, seeming to glare at you. It seems they distrust your presence, in the way that prey Pokémon tend to do. They're actually pretty cute, with their surly little faces, and they hold your attention just long enough for you to walk into something.

Well, no, that's not quite accurate. It's more like... something flew into you. It pelts you right in the side of the head; the impact is powerful enough to sting, but not much else. Whatever struck you, however, goes reeling, spiralling to the ground with a constant, whining buzz. You almost could swear that the frequency of the buzzing itself fell too, as if the thing were producing its own sound effects; looking down, you see a very small, yellow creature with four thin limbs, a frightening-looking proboscis, and two oddly square eyes laying in the dirt of the path. After a moment its translucent wings kick to life, and it pulls itself airborne again. It turns its attention to you and begins buzzing angrily, seemingly upset that you dare got in its way, thrusting itself in your face in an utterly failed attempt to intimidate. The map in your hand briefly catches its attention, and it performs the most obvious, over-exaggerated double-take that you've ever seen, before swooping for it. Grasping it with all four limbs, it tugs with all its strength as it tries to abscond with it, but its tiny, lightweight body doesn't have the strength to so much as budge the scroll from your grasp.

What will you do?

Gee, that sure does look like quite the city, Rory thought to himself as he wandered the streets, trying to make heads and tails out of the map and the random twisting roads, and it wasn't too much work for him and the Wimpod to end up in a dead end. Then another. And another. Eventually the architecture began to thin out, and he and Xigua found themselves more in a rural location. Farms here and there, somewhat familiar to him for reasons, with several trees bearing clumps of golden fruit in small clumps. Jaboca berries, known for being pretty bitter yet sweet, they were very popular for wine making, and their soft texture made them reasonable choices for an edible snack back home, if a bit tart. In a field, some sort of hefty brown quadruped idled in a slightly muddied field, while a pair of bird pokemon leered in his and Xig's direction. Taillow weren't uncommon, he had his share of run-ins with the tiny birds back in the day, and their forte was speed and-

Thwap!

The teen was startled by something hitting him on the head, not hard enough to do any lasting damage, but enough to sting and elicit a minor cry of "ow" from him. The whining sound emanating from said object appeared to belong to something small and yellow, and very quickly he identified the perpetrator: A Cutiefly, and a surprisingly angry one at that judging by the way it flew into him after recovering and furiously tried to make him apologise for his actions of being in its flight path. Just as quickly, they fairy bug's eyes caught the map he held, and after a somewhat humourous double take, it dove down, gripped it with all four of its tiny appendages and attempted to rip the scroll from his hands. An effort that did very little other than to maybe rustle the parchment? The youth signed, rubbing his head idly while the Wimpod peered up at this unusual pokemon, and how it reminded him of Rory's own. With a poke in the leg, the Turn Tail pokemon motioned towards the insect buzzing around, and Rory got the gist. With his free hand, he plucked a pink apricorn ball from belt and released his own Cutiefly into the air before watching with interest. He might as well take a look at the map to see how close he was to Artena's fountain and Araqne's temple, and with the frustrated wild pokemon in the way, he thought using Bylii to sort things out would be prudent.

"Bylii," he whispered to his own Cutiefly, "could you get that one's attention and see what it's so grumpy about, and maybe send it on its way? I kinda wanna check the map and feel that shooing it myself might end up hurting me or it." The intention was simple, and after a couple of seconds Bylii gave a curt bob and flitted over to the struggling bug, intending on communicating with it, telling it that it'd be wasting its time trying to get that scroll, and to carry on before the Taillow in the trees get interested in it. If push came to shove though, Bylii would certainly be willing to shove.

 

[Maskerade]

Dialga’s Gate – Time Rift Zone


SCANDIA​

Considered by many to be a land of brutal warriors and bloodthirsty warmongers, and no Scandian will ever deny it. This northern peninsula is home to some of the fiercest, most barbaric fighters in the world, whose strength in combat is only matched by their sailing skills.

From a very young age, Scandians are taught to handle three things: an axe, a Pokémon and a boat. Both the axe and the Pokémon stay with them their entire lives; boats are plundered, stolen and swapped as the need arises. They spend most of their lives at sea, sailing to any neighbouring lands yet to be explored, waging war with nations they deem worthy, pillaging and putting to the torch all the others.

Gods, too, are instruments in their warring ways – all of them said to be favoured by glorious combat and conquest. Scandians honour their deities with blood and victory, or valiant death in the face of a stronger foe. As a result, they fear nothing, living only for the thrill of battle, and that makes them all the more dangerous. (please reply in deepskyblue)

Valheim Port: The harbour from which every Scandian Warship departs, this is both the meeting point of great warriors and the prime spot for commerce in the entire land. Merchants carry some very interesting goods, both from the frozen grounds of Scandia and exotic goods pillaged from conquered lands that are “unaccounted for” and thus never make it to Borg Keep. There is good money to be made here, and in order to reach the open seas, one must inevitably pass by Valheim Port if they are to board one of the vessels.​

"Char..."

The monkey's annoyance was palpable. Ark could relate - even he was bothered by the cold, and he was wearing a jacket. And he wasn't a Fire-Type human.

If anyone were to ask the boy how he'd wound up in this place, he wouldn't know how to answer. He remembered boarding a ship to New Fizz City, but as the journey came to a close and he disembarked, a sudden migraine hit him out of nowhere, and when the boy reopened his eyes, he was here. Wherever "here" was.

It somehow looked like the right place, but it very much wasn't - the dock had nothing to do with the one he saw from the ship as it approached land. In fact, the ships docked at the port were completely different from the one he'd boarded - made of wood, with huge sails, like something out of a medieval television show. Even the people dressed funny, talked funny, and looked at him funny. What on earth was going on?!

"Twig?"

The turtle standing by his side was also visibly uncomfortable by the sudden drop in temperature. As a Grass-Type, Turtwig was no fonder of cold climates than Chimchar, which immediately raised a concern in Ark's mind: What if we have to fight?

It was a distinct possibility, because despite this port seeming like a bustling place of commerce and meeting point for many friends and families, something about the people around him gave Ark the distinct impression they were all, for some reason, itching for a reason to pick a fight.

To make matters worse, his usual tactic of heading straight for the local Pokémon Center when he was lost didn't seem like it would work here. There was no such facility anywhere in sight...

"Great... now what?"

 

[Asteiri]

Missingno. Master​

Buzzer smiled hearing Meowth's comforting words. She sighed hearing him talking about her execution. "It's how things are here," She began, "They get rid of you once you're no longer the best. It wouldn't have been as bad if I wasn't reigning champion." She blinked, thinking about her words. "Once you prove yourself to be a champion, disgracing yourself and your trainer is the worst thing you can do. Most Pokemon just get pushed harder, the Pokemon I beat just got trained harder, trying to dethrone me." Buzzer had never really thought of another way it could be. She had always assumed that strong Pokemon who fell were discarded.

"A year ago I would have accepted my fate." She began, red eyes blinking up at Meowth. "But my son, I can't let him grow up around these humans. What if he fails like I have..?" She seemed to be getting choked up just thinking about it, but Meowth continued to reassure her that they would find him and get her out of there. While the battle raged on behind them, Meowth finally heard the satisfying click of the lock --- it slunk to the floor with a satisfying thunk as the metal hit the dirt and concrete floor. Buzzer stood upright, stretching slightly before looking towards Keith and the Banette.

"Your master... should we assist..?" She seemed conflicted, on one hand she felt guilty about having Kieth battle for her... but on the other she desperately wanted to find her son before they strapped him with another gladiatorial warrior.

Grumps's bounces were becoming slower and less frequent as she faced off against the Banette, Taitus's brow furrowed seeing his Pokemon struggle. He watched as the Banette shuddered, it's breathing was strained from the paralysis that had taken a hold of it. "Grumps!" He called, trying to come up with a last ditch effort in order to do as much damage as she could to the Banette before fainting. "Go for a Heal Bell! Help Violet!" He gestured to the Dunsparce that was trying desperately to defeat her foe. Grumps closed her eyes, ready to unleash the healing move before the Banette dashed forward, Snatching the Heal Bell for itself. The sound of a bell chimed, but Violet still had her burn --- the Banette however, had stopped trembling. An uncanny grin plastered across it's face.

Taitus's expression changed to one of fear, as the Banette was again at it's full power. Violet was not deterred, she was encouraged by her trainer and felt the overwhelming adrenaline of the battle overtaking her. She blast her Hex at the opponent, but due to the snatched Heal Bell it only did minor super effective damage to the large ghost. The Banette laughed, it's sinister chortle sending chills down the spines of both Pokemon and Taitus. It raised it's clawed arms to the sky, releasing a large blast of Thunder at Violet. The hit sent her flying backwards, and she stood up looking noticeably weaker.

Violet shook off the hit, trying her best to fight for her trainer. She rushed at the Banette and struck it with Dark Pulse, the hit not only landed --- but also caused the Banette to flinch from the sheer force of the attack. Grumps stepped up with the sudden flinch, Bouncing upwards. The Banette looked upward, anxious for when the Grumpig came back down.

Violet is looking a little rough around the edges... but the Banette still looks largely fine. What do you do?

Lit​

The young woman laughed it off, not bothered by your comment in the slightest.

"You're funny when you get flustered," She began, a coy smirk dancing it's way onto her lips. She continued to watch you as the gears turned inside your head, talking about how festivals were meant for fun. She shrugged, sighing. "Fun?" She leaned on her arm, looking down at her Sableye. "Well, this is the Nihan way of fun. Visiting the shops, honoring the rich. All that jazz." She sighed, "In the morning we go pray to the same boring Gods, asking for forgiveness over the amount we drank last night. Rinse and repeat until you're in your grave." Your mouth curled, this was simply unacceptable! How could such a beautiful festival be tarnished by military recruitment?

The sparkle in your eye was telling, Onyx could sense you had something in mind as you rushed away from the stand. You ran around for a few seconds, taking note of the various stalls before spotting something rather interesting in one close to the castle entrance. Numerous fireworks were lined up on the table, presumably for some kind of grand entrance that the Shogun would be making. You grinned, this would be perfect for your plan! You reached out your hand, ready to claim them for your own and bring them back to the girl and her Sableye. As your hand reached out, you were suddenly jumped by a guard dog that had been hiding behind the counter --- presumably to protect the fireworks from people like you.

"Grrr..." It growled, fangs barred as it stepped towards you. It wanted you to back off of these fireworks, and back off as soon as you could. "Rrrr...." It continued, head drooped as it stared you down.

Houndour stands in your path! What do you do?​

 

[Missingno. Master]

Missingno. Master​

Buzzer smiled hearing Meowth's comforting words. She sighed hearing him talking about her execution. "It's how things are here," She began, "They get rid of you once you're no longer the best. It wouldn't have been as bad if I wasn't reigning champion." She blinked, thinking about her words. "Once you prove yourself to be a champion, disgracing yourself and your trainer is the worst thing you can do. Most Pokemon just get pushed harder, the Pokemon I beat just got trained harder, trying to dethrone me." Buzzer had never really thought of another way it could be. She had always assumed that strong Pokemon who fell were discarded.

"A year ago I would have accepted my fate." She began, red eyes blinking up at Meowth. "But my son, I can't let him grow up around these humans. What if he fails like I have..?" She seemed to be getting choked up just thinking about it, but Meowth continued to reassure her that they would find him and get her out of there. While the battle raged on behind them, Meowth finally heard the satisfying click of the lock --- it slunk to the floor with a satisfying thunk as the metal hit the dirt and concrete floor. Buzzer stood upright, stretching slightly before looking towards Keith and the Banette.

"Your master... should we assist..?" She seemed conflicted, on one hand she felt guilty about having Kieth battle for her... but on the other she desperately wanted to find her son before they strapped him with another gladiatorial warrior.

Grumps's bounces were becoming slower and less frequent as she faced off against the Banette, Taitus's brow furrowed seeing his Pokemon struggle. He watched as the Banette shuddered, it's breathing was strained from the paralysis that had taken a hold of it. "Grumps!" He called, trying to come up with a last ditch effort in order to do as much damage as she could to the Banette before fainting. "Go for a Heal Bell! Help Violet!" He gestured to the Dunsparce that was trying desperately to defeat her foe. Grumps closed her eyes, ready to unleash the healing move before the Banette dashed forward, Snatching the Heal Bell for itself. The sound of a bell chimed, but Violet still had her burn --- the Banette however, had stopped trembling. An uncanny grin plastered across it's face.

Taitus's expression changed to one of fear, as the Banette was again at it's full power. Violet was not deterred, she was encouraged by her trainer and felt the overwhelming adrenaline of the battle overtaking her. She blast her Hex at the opponent, but due to the snatched Heal Bell it only did minor super effective damage to the large ghost. The Banette laughed, it's sinister chortle sending chills down the spines of both Pokemon and Taitus. It raised it's clawed arms to the sky, releasing a large blast of Thunder at Violet. The hit sent her flying backwards, and she stood up looking noticeably weaker.

Violet shook off the hit, trying her best to fight for her trainer. She rushed at the Banette and struck it with Dark Pulse, the hit not only landed --- but also caused the Banette to flinch from the sheer force of the attack. Grumps stepped up with the sudden flinch, Bouncing upwards. The Banette looked upward, anxious for when the Grumpig came back down.

Violet is looking a little rough around the edges... but the Banette still looks largely fine. What do you do?

The way things were around here... It sickened Meowth to hear such a terrible way of life be talked about in such a resigned tone. Those who became the strongest just kept pushing their Pokémon harder, lest they fail and be executed. Challengers pushed their Pokémon harder in turn, in the hopes of dethroning those on top. And Buzzer just didn't want her son growing up in such a terrible system, getting choked up at the thought of her son having to live in such a way.

"It ain't gonna happen," Meowth reassured her. "We's gonna get youse outta here, we's gonna find yer son, and it's all gonna work out fine." And sure enough, he finally managed to pick the lock. "Aha," he purred as the lock fell to the floor. Then, at Buzzer's words, Meowth wheeled around and looked at the battle, looked to see whether they needed to help...

~~~~~

Grumps had gone for a Heal Bell with the intention of curing Violet's burn. Keith grinned his appreciation of this, but said grin gave way to a look of confusion as the bell chimed, for Violet's burn didn't seem to be getting any better. Moreover, Banette had stopped trembling, and was now grinning eerily. Keith gave a small gasp as he realized what was happening. "It used Snatch," he murmured. Of course- Banette had stolen the Heal Bell and used it for itself, so instead of healing Violet's burn, Banette's paralysis was gone! Moreover, this made Violet's Hex less effective than it would normally have been, and the Dunsparce was blasted backwards by a forceful Thunder attack! Violet, however, recovered and retaliated with a Dark Pulse, actually managing to make Banette flinch for once. Grumps took advantage of this and Bounced up into the air.

Banette was momentarily distracted by this, looking upward at the airborne Grumpig, and Keith took this as an opportunity to take stock of the situation. Violet's contributions to the battle were far from minimal, but the Dunsparce was looking decidedly worse off than the Mega Banette right now, and the burn wasn't helping matters at all. Keith had a lot of faith in his Dunsparce in general, but it occurred to him that maybe she was just a little outmatched on this one.

"Return, Violet!" Keith said, holding out the Poké Ball and withdrawing his Dunsparce. He minimized the sphere and clipped it back onto his belt, and selected another sphere without much thought. One of his strongest Pokémon, and now he was getting accustomed to the fact that sending him out wasn't an incredibly risky crapshoot anymore. Far from the megalomaniac of an insect who once came disturbingly close to world domination, now he was a reliable partner to call upon in dire situations such as this. He gave a small grin at this thought as he enlarged the Luxury Ball with a click of the button. "Go, Stewie!" Keith exclaimed, hurling the Luxury Ball forward and sending out his Ledian. He opened his mouth to order a Swords Dance, but remembered Mega Banette's knowledge of Snatch. Oh, hell, no- no way was Keith letting that thing get an attack boost on top of the advantage it boasted simply by way of being Mega Evolved. However, he also remember the Odor Sleuth Grumps contributed earlier. "Power-Up Punch, Stewie, go!" Keith commanded. "Then use Shadow Break and follow up with Dizzy Punch!" He knew the Ledian's Iron Fist Ability would help him hit even harder, and the boost from Power-Up Punch, that was something no Snatch attack could steal away.

~~~~~

"...On da one paw, dey got dis," Meowth stated. "But den, if dey's just focused on da battle, the executioner could just take 'em by surprise, and dat ain't good fer no one. Yeah, maybe we better help," he decided. "Da quicker we take dat ting out, da quicker we get outta here and can help find yer son- odds are we'll want Keith's help fer dat, too," he reasoned. "Dat guy dere, dat's a guy youse definitely wants on yer side helpin' youse out," he said, faint traces of admiration in his voice.

 

[Meetan]

Alice Hope​

Why would a businessman be in Niha? You knew that the rift itself was unpredictable, yet all of this seemed so planned. So methodically calculated. Kaito looked more confused than anything else, but you knew that you needed to get to work as soon as you could --- before anything else was damaged by this man. You hurried to work, knowing that the man had not yet noticed you or Kaito. You released Jasper, having him attack the Mudsdale that the man was rode upon. The glint of Jasper's eyes caused the large ground horse to whinny and buck it's rider off.

"What the fuck?!" The man yelled, getting up from the dirt and brushing off his suit. He was able to see a flurry of snow and ice blast the rampaging Scizor and his Mudsdale. He stood, backing away from the Blizzard blast in a hurry --- spotting you and Kaito before grabbing a walkie talkie out of pocket. "Locals." He murmured, turning to his Pokemon. He was able to witness the duo being struck with a Dark Pulse before waving his hand and sending them on the offensive towards your Pokemon.

The Mudsdale attacked first, swinging it's mighty hooves down and Bulldozing it's way through Millie and Jasper. The two felt their legs buckle and felt noticeably slower following the strike. "Sciz!" The Scizor yelped, eyes in a dopey haze similar to your Rhyhorn. He leapt forward and slashed at Jasper in an X formation, the X-Scissor landed a Super-Effective hit on the Sableye. Millie was able to move next, slamming her weight into the Scizor with a Flamed fueled charge. This allowed her to gain her speed back from the Bulldoze. Millie sprung forward and opened her mouth, trapping the fast metal Pokemon in a raging whirlpool.

Junpei, knowing his speed would assist him more than anything else --- climbed onto some of the nearby trees, hoping to get the drop on Scizor and knock off it's device now that Millie had it trapped in the Whirlpool. However, watching the Whirlpool swirl and spin made Junpei get dizzy --- causing confusion. He watched, eyes spinning as he attempted to figure out the best time to strike. Kaito kept an eye out, ready to defend you if any other Pokemon came your way.

The Mudsdale focused it's gaze on Millie, ramming into her at High Horsepower. Millie was ready for the hit, Paying it back in spades.

Spoiler

Mudsdale HP: 500/1000
Scizor HP: 600/1000 (ticking down from Whirlpool)
Jasper HP: 700/1000
Millie HP: 800/1000

What do you do?

How unfortunate, that the rider hadn't broken something from being so quickly discarded by the Mudsdale. Nevermind, better luck next time. Alice took note of the walkie-talkie, calling out to Kaito that it was likely the stranger had back up on the way or at least eyes on them. This was probably going to be a long, arduous and increasingly chaotic free for all if that was the case. Alice could only hope that Junpei was alright and nobody tried to stick him with one of those devices, too. She would do whatever it took to free him, but Alice wouldn't enjoy her Pokemon wailing on the little guy.

Their enemy's Pokemon was tough, and the Scizor had an advantage over Jasper, but Alice wasn't too concerned. She purposely raised and trained her Pokemon to subvert expectations and be prepared for nearly anything, and her current fighters were perfect examples of this mindset. "Jasper, use Mega Drain on that Mudsdale, then get it with a Whirlpool and Grass Knot!" She ordered, wanting to keep him healthy and take advantage of the enemy's weight and weaknesses. "Millie! Go in for another Flame Charge with a Power-Up Punch! And if it strikes again, give it more Payback! If you can aim your attacks to break or knock off that machine, even better!"

Her Pokemon went in to execute their orders, and Alice tried her best to keep notice on them both. She could see that Junpei was wanting to help, but he wasn't looking so good, and she wondered if the pressure of the battle was too much for him. If Millie could handle the machine in that case, it'd be a load off, and maybe the Scizor would leave the scrap or even try to help them. With more players potentially on their way, they could use whatever assistance or intel they could get, even if only the Pokemon would the ones to fully comprehend it.

 

[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 thought this over in his head for literally a second before speaking.

"Please lead the way sir." Drake did notice that these gaurds certainly thought him to be homeless and as he followed he speculated asking these two if they could help him recover his stolen belongings...

"I believe I got robbed a little bit ago... Lost all my things except the clothing and my partners right here... There wouldnt happen to be a way to find my stuff now would there?"

There was no harm in asking Drake thought. He could ask around while he got warmer clothing and could make sure his loyal partners get feed and warmed.

Drake also wondered where these gaurds had come from, and wondered if there were any other witnesses to his mugging.

A less known fact about his partner Wolfie, is that he and Drake share a telepathic bond to the point of being able to share thoughts and memories within the fraction of a second, and the arcanine also has shown the ability to speak to others on occasion however he wasn't going to speak when they didn't know if ot was particularly safe for him to speak... All of which they hoped to find out soon

 

[Liltwick]

KG-

At this point, it was time for battle. Panicking, you grab a Pokeball and toss it out. Luckily it was your Grimer's Pokemon, and the little sludge pile was happy to see you. Though, there was no time for you two to show affection, that man-eating Ariados was getting closer and closer. And in panic, you give both of your Pokemon some orders.

First to go is your Elekid. Swinging its arms around, it barrels into the Ariados's leg with an astonishing speed. It looked to be at the speed of sound as the Elekid suddenly appears on the other side of the spider. The giant Pokemon loses its footing, and slumps over onto one side. It looks to be struggling to get up, most likely a result of its above average side.

This is where your Grimer comes into play. The sludge monster starts to glow red, as the fiery energies within it come out and dance through the muck. An orb of fire sits in its mouth, and the Pokemon spews it out over the incapacitated Ariados. The spider starts screeching, obviously in pain from that attack.

"Stop that!" The girl screams out. "This place is still made of wood, if it catches fire we'll die!"

Well, as annoying and secretive she's been, that certainly was a valid point. Though, the attack was super effective... Maybe there was a better way to use it?

But now was not time for thinking, as the Ariados was starting to retaliate. While it still was trying to get up, you noticed something creeping towards Elekid, before a shadowy figure comes from the ground and slams into the Pokemon. The Ariados's eyes gleam when the attack hits, using the distraction to get back up. It then starts lifting its spinneret in the air behind it, and a giant spider web comes down and entangles the Elekid. This was certainly not good... You'd need to act quick or the small electric Pokemon would certainly become spider food.

Raves-

The Cutiefly was certainly mad about something. What it was, you didn't know. What you did know, is that the small Pokemon was taking it out on you., and it wanted your map as compensation. At least, it was trying to steal it to the best of its ability, but it was a laughable attempt. It barely was taking it from you, and you needed to try your hardest to not just rip it away from the Pokemon.

You then had a bright idea, and secretly let out your own Cutiefly. Yours let out a small chirp as it saw you, and listened attentively to your orders. When your were done, Bylii started flying towards the disgruntled Cutiefly. You started hearing squeaking as the two Cutiefly started communicating with each other. You could tell that Bylii was doing its best to tell the wild Cutiefly what it was doing was useless, but it didn't seem like any use. It then pointed over to the Taillow, and the wild Cutiefly screeched and flew away.

The bird Pokemon just sat confused before taking flight and flying away. You watch it fly away, and notice a small gleam on its ankle. Was something attached to it? Well, it didn't matter now. It was gone. And this seemed like a good opportunity to open your map.

Looking at the map, you could see that the fountain was starting to get pretty close, about a ten or so kilometers away. Though, curiously, the map pointed in the same direction the Taillow flew off in. Could've just been a coincidence. But, one of your stops was close, and that meant it was time to make a move on.

Mask-

You found yourself within a strange port town, certainly one drastically different from the one you embarked from. Everything felt older... From the craft of the boat to the peoples' dress and even language. Wasn't something you were familiar hearing. Perhaps it was just a dialect from the people of New Fizz City. Though, this wasn't anything like the place you were imagining, and it didn't even feel like a city...

You start to wander through the town, trying to find something resembling a Pokemon Center. For a place like this that was easier said then done. All you could see were cold-warped wooden buildings of varying sizes. Very... monotonous compared to anywhere else you've been. Though, one building does catch your eye, with it being significantly larger than anything you've seen here. There was a glowing light showing under the door... Seemed like this was the place.

Opening the door, you open it to see a variety of people sitting around, dressed in all different types of modern clothes. Compared to the townsfolk, their attire suggested they weren't from this era. Considering the variety of Pokemon with them, that only helped the theory. Besides that you could see a large, imposing man sitting on a throne at the end of the hall. Off in a corner, you could also see a woman looking over an Alolan Vulpix with a large Beartic at her side.

As the door closes behind you, the man takes notice of you and lets out a heart chuckle before speaking.

"Aye, weary traveler, welcome to Brimilsvellir. I am the Jarl of this Port City, Trygg Bjorgolfsson. I assume you have traveled here to help with the hunting of Sköll! That dangerous beast has been terrorizing the city and the surrounding area. It is a danger to all of us here in Scandia!"


You just look at him and blink, not knowing what to say. The rest of the trainers just look at you, deadpan looks in their eyes, as if you were being told to go along with it. You just stand there, formulating a response.

Though, before you could, the doors burst open in front of you and you're slammed to the side as guards rush in.

"Jarl! Skoll is attacking the northern fisherman!" One of the guards shout.

"Aye, the beast is here. Hildr, take care of the town. Men, to battle!" The Jarl shouts, and soon the entire hall empties until its just you. This was definitely not New Fizz City. Though helping with this "Sköll" might be a ticket out of here...

 

[Mana Opal]

Romma



Amicae

​

You're prepared, which is... unusual for someone in your position. People tend to wander blindly through the rift, only to get lost in somewhere and somewhen with no idea what they've gotten into, why it's happened, or what to do to save themselves. Not you, however. You're a girl with a purpose. You've assembled all the tools you reasonably can, done your best to ensure you blend in wherever it is you might end up, and don't intend to get caught off guard.

Unfortunately, the best laid plans of Minun and men gang aft agley.

That is to say, you cross the threshold of the gate -- where you know it to be -- and immediately feel yourself falling, like you've just stepped off of a cliff. You only fall a couple of feet, but it's enough to throw off your balance, and by the time you land -- with a hearty splash -- you're on your ass. You find yourself up to your waist in water, your cloak quickly soaking through. Luckily, your satchel is more waterproof, but as you pull yourself to your feet, bruised tailbone throbbing, your general person is absolutely sopping wet. Looking around to get your bearings, you take careful note of your surroundings. You're on what almost seems like a stone bridge, with shallow walls to either side. Its full of flowing water, which -- now that you've stood -- reaches your upper shins. Below you is a gorge, maybe 20 feet from you to the ground. To your right the structure you're on continues over the gorge to solid land a few yards away, and then onwards towards what appears to be a city in the distance. To the left the gorge -- and the structure -- span for a ways, before reaching the other side, which is at a slightly higher altitude than the one closer to you. The aqueduct inclines appropriately to bridge the distance, and the water flows downwards according to gravity. It would be a little difficult, with the current and the incline, but you could scale it if you really wanted to.

What will you do?

"Wh-wha-?!" Not all landings are done with poise, and this one in particular had nothing close resembling it. The once-peaceful flow of the artificial river briefly erupted angrily at Amicae's intrusion, before resuming its course around the foreigner without so much a as a care in the world. "Geez. Not in a full second through the rift, and I'm already falling?" The girl groaned as she struggled to get to her feet, an effort that proved to be quite difficult in and of itself. She dragged herself over to the wall, propped herself up against it, and took a look around to get more of a fell for the place than just the manmade river.

"I don't remember there being anywhere quite so... ridgy in Fizzytopia..." Between the aqueduct and the jagged sides of the gorge that propped it up, it was pretty clear that time wasn't the only axis Ami had crossed. The question was, where in the world had she wound up? She pulled her phone and gave it a brief look over. Sure enough, there seemed to be no signal, and none of her open tabs yielded any sort of clue she could use to try and figure out her current location.

She sighed and traded the device out for a pokeball. "...Well, there's no point in continuing to pollute the water supply. Fontaine, I'd like your help!" A dark-looking metang emerged from the orb at her call, and moved to a position Ami could easily jump onto upon seeing its Trainer's current height off the ground. "Okay, and now it's my move..." The girl hoisted herself up onto the stone edge and brought her legs to hang off the side, and with a deep breath, pushed herself off the edge and onto her pokemon's head. "...Alright, this works," she mumbled with a sigh. "Anyway, let's head downstream for a bit. It won't do us much good to just hang around up here without any help to guide us!" Fontaine gave a metallic whir of confirmation, and started to fly in the indicated direction.

What wonders were hiding just beyond the mountains?

 

[King Ghidorah!]

KG-

At this point, it was time for battle. Panicking, you grab a Pokeball and toss it out. Luckily it was your Grimer's Pokemon, and the little sludge pile was happy to see you. Though, there was no time for you two to show affection, that man-eating Ariados was getting closer and closer. And in panic, you give both of your Pokemon some orders.

First to go is your Elekid. Swinging its arms around, it barrels into the Ariados's leg with an astonishing speed. It looked to be at the speed of sound as the Elekid suddenly appears on the other side of the spider. The giant Pokemon loses its footing, and slumps over onto one side. It looks to be struggling to get up, most likely a result of its above average side.

This is where your Grimer comes into play. The sludge monster starts to glow red, as the fiery energies within it come out and dance through the muck. An orb of fire sits in its mouth, and the Pokemon spews it out over the incapacitated Ariados. The spider starts screeching, obviously in pain from that attack.

"Stop that!" The girl screams out. "This place is still made of wood, if it catches fire we'll die!"

Well, as annoying and secretive she's been, that certainly was a valid point. Though, the attack was super effective... Maybe there was a better way to use it?

But now was not time for thinking, as the Ariados was starting to retaliate. While it still was trying to get up, you noticed something creeping towards Elekid, before a shadowy figure comes from the ground and slams into the Pokemon. The Ariados's eyes gleam when the attack hits, using the distraction to get back up. It then starts lifting its spinneret in the air behind it, and a giant spider web comes down and entangles the Elekid. This was certainly not good... You'd need to act quick or the small electric Pokemon would certainly become spider food.

That feeling when you’re trying to save someone and they start criticizing your methods of saving. Hugo angrily swung his head around and locked eyes with his mysterious companions, ready to lay into them with a verbal onslaught like none before. But Hugo could clearly see the panic in their eyes and despite their complete lack of being forthcoming with this entire situation, Hugo actually could feel sorry for them. Clearly they had lost control of this situation, if they ever had any to begin with, and they appeared to have no means of defending themselves. So despite the rage building inside Hugo, he bit his tongue and aired on the side of compassion. See? He’s not so heartless after all.

“Okay, listen,” he said to the twins. “I get that you’re scared and I’m sorry. I really am. But we’re not going to catch fire. If I don’t stop this thing, we’re all going to be someone’s lunch. If something catches fire, we will put the fire out. I’m going to need you to trust me. Can you do that?”

Before he could get a definitive answer, he turned back to the battle since they needed to act quickly. Elekid was in serious danger, trapped in the web. And the Ariados was big and fast. Time was certainly of the essence.

“Elekid, free yourself by burning through the web with Fire Punch!”

He turned back to the twins.

“But do it carefully!”

Back to the battle.

“Grimer, knock that thing off course with Shadow Punch and then crush it with Rock Slide! Quick! Now!”

 

[Liltwick]

Lit​

The young woman laughed it off, not bothered by your comment in the slightest.

"You're funny when you get flustered," She began, a coy smirk dancing it's way onto her lips. She continued to watch you as the gears turned inside your head, talking about how festivals were meant for fun. She shrugged, sighing. "Fun?" She leaned on her arm, looking down at her Sableye. "Well, this is the Nihan way of fun. Visiting the shops, honoring the rich. All that jazz." She sighed, "In the morning we go pray to the same boring Gods, asking for forgiveness over the amount we drank last night. Rinse and repeat until you're in your grave." Your mouth curled, this was simply unacceptable! How could such a beautiful festival be tarnished by military recruitment?

The sparkle in your eye was telling, Onyx could sense you had something in mind as you rushed away from the stand. You ran around for a few seconds, taking note of the various stalls before spotting something rather interesting in one close to the castle entrance. Numerous fireworks were lined up on the table, presumably for some kind of grand entrance that the Shogun would be making. You grinned, this would be perfect for your plan! You reached out your hand, ready to claim them for your own and bring them back to the girl and her Sableye. As your hand reached out, you were suddenly jumped by a guard dog that had been hiding behind the counter --- presumably to protect the fireworks from people like you.

"Grrr..." It growled, fangs barred as it stepped towards you. It wanted you to back off of these fireworks, and back off as soon as you could. "Rrrr...." It continued, head drooped as it stared you down.

Leo knew this plan was perfect. Set off a light show and show these people that being loud and brash wasn't always a bad thing. Especially after what the girl had told him. Following the same rules every single day? He'd rather die. Where was the fun in that? The freedom? Sure, rules were important, but if it made people miserable then why did those rules exist?

He knew that his abnormal childhood and raising definitely influenced him into being a more carefree spirit. Team Skull didn't have much when it came to rules and guidelines. There certainly were some, but they were so relaxed it didn't even feel like they existed. Law and order was certainly necessary at times, but when its to the point where it restricts freedom? Then what's the point.

He thought of this as he strolled through the stalls, looking for something for his plan. Custard was in tow, the Togetic also scanning for anything that would work. It didn't take long though for Leo to notice a bunch of fireworks. Perfect. A light show would definitely lighten things up here. Sure they were probably planned for this Shogun fellow's big appearance, but why should one person get that much attention. Not even Guzma got that much attention.

However, as Leo went to grab them, a guard dog started barking at him. He didn't recognize what it was, but he knew it was a dog of some description. He needed a distraction. Luckily, Custard was good at that.

"Hey Custard, Charm that dog until it calms down, and then give it a Sweet Kiss! That'll leave it reeling. I'll swipe the fireworks while you do that," Leo whispered to the Togetic, and got a simple giggle in response.

 

[Liltwick]

KG-

The girl just nods, seeing your resolve in trying to protect them.

"We'll do our best. If we had our own Pokemon we'd help out. I'm sorry for burdening you," she responds, a sense of remorse in her voice. Seems that they're both learning that what they've been doing hasn't been working. At this point her brother has also been processing things, and he starts to cheer you on.

With their help, you watch as your Elekid's fist ignites with fire, and the small electric Pokemon punches a hole through the web, with the rest quick disintegrating into ash. The Ariados screeches, unable its prey has quickly broken out.

Seems this distraction was what you needed. Your Grimer stretches out its Shadow and Punches the Ariados square in the leg with it. The spider scream, pissed that tis being outsmarted so easily. It raises its spinnaret and fires off a few volleys of sludge. The sludge volleys quickly harden in the air, and start landing at random. As they hit the ground, they explode with the force of a small bomb. Your Elekid gets hit with one, and the Pokemon obviously does not take the hit well.

Grimer, though, looks perfectly fine, and at this point looks pretty mad. It slams it sludgy fists into the ground, causing a pile of rocks to break through the ground, and slides them at the Ariados. It can only scream as the rocks crush it. You can see its legs twitch as it tries to get out from the rocks. With a final push, the Ariados breaks out, but looks heavily bruised and beaten.

Its quest for food has obviously failed. At this point it seems to only be holding on due to sheer hatred.

What do you do?

 

[Maskerade]

Mask-

You found yourself within a strange port town, certainly one drastically different from the one you embarked from. Everything felt older... From the craft of the boat to the peoples' dress and even language. Wasn't something you were familiar hearing. Perhaps it was just a dialect from the people of New Fizz City. Though, this wasn't anything like the place you were imagining, and it didn't even feel like a city...

You start to wander through the town, trying to find something resembling a Pokemon Center. For a place like this that was easier said then done. All you could see were cold-warped wooden buildings of varying sizes. Very... monotonous compared to anywhere else you've been. Though, one building does catch your eye, with it being significantly larger than anything you've seen here. There was a glowing light showing under the door... Seemed like this was the place.

Opening the door, you open it to see a variety of people sitting around, dressed in all different types of modern clothes. Compared to the townsfolk, their attire suggested they weren't from this era. Considering the variety of Pokemon with them, that only helped the theory. Besides that you could see a large, imposing man sitting on a throne at the end of the hall. Off in a corner, you could also see a woman looking over an Alolan Vulpix with a large Beartic at her side.

As the door closes behind you, the man takes notice of you and lets out a heart chuckle before speaking.

"Aye, weary traveler, welcome to Brimilsvellir. I am the Jarl of this Port City, Trygg Bjorgolfsson. I assume you have traveled here to help with the hunting of Sköll! That dangerous beast has been terrorizing the city and the surrounding area. It is a danger to all of us here in Scandia!"


You just look at him and blink, not knowing what to say. The rest of the trainers just look at you, deadpan looks in their eyes, as if you were being told to go along with it. You just stand there, formulating a response.

Though, before you could, the doors burst open in front of you and you're slammed to the side as guards rush in.

"Jarl! Skoll is attacking the northern fisherman!" One of the guards shout.

"Aye, the beast is here. Hildr, take care of the town. Men, to battle!" The Jarl shouts, and soon the entire hall empties until its just you. This was definitely not New Fizz City. Though helping with this "Sköll" might be a ticket out of here...

All Ark could do was stand still and listen. Offering a modicum of relief was the fact that Chimchar and Turtwig by his side looked equally as confused. If this was a dream, at least they were all having the same one.

"I-I, hum..."

He didn't even know where to begin. Nothing the mammoth of a man in front of him said made sense. Ark wouldn't even be able to repeat his name if asked, an unecessarily confusing and very much foreign amalgam of syllables he could not bring himself to pronounce. "Skoll", however, sounded easier, and sounded like trouble.

Sparing him the trouble of addressing any of the frankly huge men that eyed him, someone burst through the door at the last minute, announcing the arrival of whatever beast the town had been struggling with. That, at least, was straightforward enough for Ark to comprehend - there was something evil doing things that needed to be stopped, probably through means of a pounding. That, he could do! Hopefully...

Chimchar, as usual, was the first of the trio to rush outside, eager for a fight. Ark and Turtwig followed, curious about what this "Skoll" could be and if helping out the locals would smooth the process of getting the hell out of this weird place. But even if driving off this "Skoll" helped his cause, something told Ark that facing the beast would probably not be something as trivial as wiping out all the Rattata from a patch of tall grass for some quick growth...