PMD: Neverending Nightmare(RP)

[Neo Emolga]

Magnum/Apex/Zilch/Sledge
Team Lockdown
Relic Graveyard Safehaven
Affected RPers: @Gef @Morzone @Alphys @LKWayvern

Magnum wasn't sure what to make of Darkrai's promises. It seemed to him that the dark legendary Pokémon wanted to help and was willing to provide all the names of the Corrupted, but he simply didn't have the truly authentic proof that Magnum and Zilch would be willing to trust.

At that moment, with nothing left to go by, both Magnum and Zilch looked to Apex the Emolga, who had been watching him the entire time. The electric squirrel nodded, and then sighed.

"He shows no signs of lying," Apex confirmed before everyone else in the room, "His body language confirms his frustration and desperation, but there was no sign of fabrication in his words. Had he been lying, his eyes would have been glancing upward and darting around, but I didn't see any of that."

The Emolga also knew there was no way Darkrai could have prepped responses for all the possible reactions and questions the Safehavens would have countered him with. It did surprise Apex, for it was the very first time any legendary passed his scrutiny without portraying signs of deception. He never thought he would see it happen, but there it was and he wasn't about to question his own judgment, training, and experience.

Magnum tapped his foot a few times, looked down, and just spoke with frustration. He was having difficulty accepting this, but the signs were pointing toward an outcome that if Darkrai really was speaking the truth and Team Lockdown had killed him, they were risking a consequence far worse than allowing one guilty legendary to escape.

However, before he could make a confirmation, Perish, Starr, and Adflatus entered the room, followed by Hyperion, Pheobe, and Oceanus. Starr was confused, and Magnum didn't feel like relaying the entire story of what had happened in the meantime. He figured someone else could catch them up to speed or they could learn most of it just by watching.

"If these words are true," Magnum told Darkrai, looking straight into his eyes, "then give us the names of those Corrupted and we'll seek them out and destroy them. I don't trust outsiders easily and never dreamed I would find myself even dealing with a legendary, but you've lasted this long in front of me and my team and haven't done anything stupid that would cause us to believe otherwise. For now, you've earned a very slight sliver of my trust, but it would be a brutal mistake to betray that or use it unthinkingly."

Zilch was silent for a moment, looking at Magnum with a questioning gaze for just a short glance, but then looked back to Darkrai.

"You're lucky." Zilch spat at Darkrai. "Damn are you lucky."

"If we are to work together," Sledge nodded, glad the tensions and aggression were dying down, "we must trust and support each other. When one calls for aid, the other must answer. We will help you, Darkrai, as we will need your help in return if this mission is to be a success."

Apex knew it was going to be hard for Magnum to accept this and work with it, but he could agree with Sledge's words. There was no doubt the alliance would be shaky to put it mildly, but it was rare that most alliances were firmly laid in stone right from the start.

This was one that was going to need time and cooperation from both sides to be built strong.

[LKWayvern]

RGS, FHS, LVS, PSS, CCS
Fractured Heavens Safehaven
ARPers: @Gef, @Noblejanobii, @Morzone, @Neo Emolga, @The Nonexistent Tazz

‘...He’s safe. If he wanted to attack us, everyone in this room would’ve been in a coma by now.’ Perish told the Foreigners. ‘By the way… Have you thought of a team name yet, or are you still thinking it over?’

“I am aware that I am lucky. I’m very certain the only reason I’ve survived thus far is due to my luck,” Darkrai sighed. “Thank you for any trust you’ve given me. I really appreciate it.”

He closed his thoughts, counting off Corrupteds on his fingers. “The Legendaries that I know are Corrupteds used to be known as Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Raikou, Entei, Lugia, Groudon, Kyogre, Jirachi, Regigigas, Mesprit, Giratina, Meloetta, Cobalion, Keldeo, Genesect, Xerneas, and Diancie. The Legendaries which were Corrupted, but have since been killed are Ho-oh, Regirock, Regice, Registeel, Deoxys, Thundurus, Tornadus, and Victini. I know that the thing Groudon became, Drought, is sleeping somewhere beneath the Emerald Mountains. I believe Jirachi and Diancie are down there too. You know where Deluge, the thing that Kyogre became, is. Since Deluge cannot leave the ocean, so long as you don’t go in the ocean you should be safe from them. The birds, Lugia, Genesect, Mesprit, Cobalion, Keldeo, Regigigas, and Raikou and Entei have been roaming Kaelus. Giratina has been trapped in another dimension for some time, too.”

Darkrai paused, trying to gather his thoughts again. “As for Legendaries that may help you… If you managed to find Mew, she would not hesitate to do so. I believe Celebi would help as well, but I have not seen her for some times and I’m unsure if she is even on this plane of existence anymore. Latios was killed, and Latias fled… I think she would help, as well, if you could find her. Azelf would help. Shaymin… I’m unsure about Shaymin. She’d want to return Kaelus to how it was before all this, but I also know that Relic Graveyard killed her mate. Zygarde would help, but I’m not sure if he’s alive or dead…”

Perish nodded, pretending she knew exactly what was going on. “...If we’re going to be sending Scavenger Teams after these Corrupteds, I suggest we keep several teams at the bases. Darkrai did say that some were roaming. And it wouldn’t be the first time a wandering Corrupted tried attacking a Safehaven.”

‘Seems that we’re having a… shaky alliance of some sort. And some teams are being sent out to hunt down Legendaries. You three should probably stay, however,’ Perish instructed.

[Noblejanobii]

Team Camelot
Persevering Spirits Safehaven
Affected RPers: @Gef, @LKWayvern, @Morzone, @Neo Emolga, @The Nonexistent Tazz

Arthur and his team exchanged silent looks. They had decided it was best to remain silent while Darkrai spoke. Mordred counted off in his head the legendaries that were mentioned and narrowed his eye in confusion. Certain legendaries were missing. That was concerning.

"Darkrai," all attention turned to Lancelot as he spoke. "I believe my teammates and I are on the same page, but we wish to aid you in whatever way possible. We would prefer not to be sidelined, but if we should be assigned to protecting a Safehaven we would understand. It may be against the will of our superiors and comrades, it is hard to tell with all the tension in the room, but… we were formed to help Pokemon in need, no matter who they are, and you fall under that category as well."

"If I may," Mordred interjected as he floated forward tentatively, "I just have a question, Darkrai. He failed to mention several legendaries. Is it because you do not know of their location or is it because you think they will be unwilling to help? Because even if they are unwilling to help, it might be a good idea to at least know where their possible location is."

"I can also recommend one team from the Persevering Spirits Safehaven for protection duty. They're Team Avalon, consisting of Rai the Salamence, Fei the Gardevoir, Jordan the Lucario, and Etho the Greninja," Arthur added. "They are very strong and would be more than willing to help."

[LKWayvern]

RGS, FHS, LVS, PSS, CCS
Fractured Heavens Safehaven
ARPers: @Gef, @Alphys, @Morzone, @Neo Emolga, @The Nonexistent Tazz

Darkrai closed his eyes. “...I named only Legendaries that are willing to help, are Corrupted, or were Corrupted and then killed. Multiple Legendaries, for a variety of reasons, have died. Many others are not on this plane at all, in hiding.” He paused. “...Manaphy tried leaving Kaelus to tell others what was happening, and was eaten by Kyogre. Rayquaza wanted to keep all the Legendaries inside the region, so that they could not destroy the rest of the world, and so used up all his life force in creating the Bloodcloud Wall to keep those he could inside. Dialga and Palkia made a pocket in space time, and hid with Celebi and Hoopa there, as they are the only four capable of space-time travel besides Giratina. One of the Corrupteds smashed Arceus’ Plates, causing him to weaken and die. And my sister, Cresselia, saw in what she believed to be a prophetic dream that any future with her in it leads to a Corrupted breaking out of the Bloodcloud Wall and reshaping the world in a negative way. So she wandered Fullmoon Highway until she encountered a scavenger team capable of killing her, and allowed them to do so. The others… I don’t know if they’re alive or dead. I have not seen them in a very long time.”

[Noblejanobii]

Team Camelot
Persevering Spirits Safehaven
Affected RPers: @Gef, @LKWayvern, @Morzone, @Neo Emolga, @The Nonexistent Tazz

Silence struck Team Camelot. Lancelot and Mordred did not seem all that affected, but Arthur and Kay seemed to be shaken quite a bit at this information. Arthur looked at his brother in despair. This could not be true, could it? Was the god they had believed in and prayed to since the beginning of their lives really... dead? Kay's hands curled into fists. He grit his fangs and shook his head. Arthur saw the anger rising in Kay and put his hand on Kay's shoulder to stop him, but Kay merely slapped away Arthur's hand, glaring down Darkrai.

"You liar! That simply cannot be true! The Lord Rayquaza... he cannot simply be dead! Not after everything my tribe taught me! Not after all the years I spent believing that I was doing his will by rescuing pokemon from the dangers outside the safehavens! It simply cannot be true! I refuse to believe someone as great as he is dead! You are lying!" Kay took a step towards Darkrai, flames escaping his lips. Arthur quickly stepped in between Darkrai and Kay, a stern look on his face.

"Brother! Get a hold of yourself!" Arthur sighed and put his hand on Kay's shoulder. "I know these are not the words we wished to hear. I... I do not know how to take them either, especially with everything the tribe taught us as children but we cannot just assume they are lies. Sir Darkrai has shown no reason to lie to us up until now, why would he start with the identities of the dead? It is hard to accept, yes, but we must live with it and move on." Arthur took a deep breath and turned back around to face Darkrai. "I apologize, both for my brother's actions and for my son's question to you that would require you to recall the death of your sister. I know it must be painful to relive. Please accept my apologies."

[Neo Emolga]

Magnum/Apex/Zilch/Sledge
Team Lockdown
Relic Graveyard Safehaven
Affected RPers: @Gef @Morzone @Noblejanobii @LKWayvern @The Nonexistent Tazz

Darkrai had laid out the status in terms of what legendaries had fallen under the corruption and which ones might be allies. Magnum was aware of a few of the ones that had already been killed, but the ones that were still at large were not a surprise. As expected, their list of potential allies was small compared to the enemies they still had to deal with. Team Camelot was surprised that Rayquaza had been among those dead, but for Magnum, it was barely consequential.

Magnum put Darkrai's list of targets to memory and began to work his way down the line around what he knew about each of them. All legendary Pokémon could be dangerous, but some were obviously more dangerous than others. Those that could bring about the apocalypse or held elemental powers that could devastate the world were top priority for elimination.

"The strongest of these Corrupteds need to be assassinated first," Magnum declared before the council. "And nothing about them can be allowed to be heard by the others. No evidence, no news, no nothing. The bodes need to be destroyed completely once the deeds have been done."

Despite the size and strength of many legendaries, it seemed as though from what the Typhlosion knew surrounding the knowledge and legends of these Corrupted Pokémon, it was actually one of the smaller ones that he felt held the most amount of threat.

"Team Lockdown will personally see that Jirachi is the first to be eliminated," Magnum stated in a cold, hard tone. "No other Pokémon has as much potential to undo everything we've done and then some as one that can grant virtually any desire. From there, Groudon, Kyogre, and Regigigas will be the next on our list."

Zilch, despite her previous displeasure from the alliance with Darkrai, was feeling better about the challenge she and the rest of her team was about to take on. Her dark imagination was festering with the thoughts about how these was going to deal those brutal, killing blows and the satisfaction she was going to get from each of them.

"If anyone has any leads on those Pokémon and where to find them, we could use them as soon as you hear something," Apex the Emolga requested from the rest of the council. "We don't have much time and our intel is limited, but we can be resourceful with just about anything you know or discover."

Apex took a glance at Zilch and her dark smile of anticipation, but he knew it wasn't going to be easy to track and kill such powerful legendaries. However, he was confident that his team was one of the best and most well equipped for the task.

[LKWayvern]

RGS, FHS, LVS, PSS, CCS
Fractured Heavens Safehaven
ARPers: @Gef, @Alphys, @Morzone, @Neo Emolga, @The Nonexistent Tazz


Darkrai, who had previously been slouching slightly, suddenly straightened up, becoming visibly several inches taller. His eye brightened, and his voice seemed to be raspier and more intense.

“I do not lie! Rayquaza’s death was honorable, he sacrificed himself doing what he believed would protect the rest of the world from the disaster here in Kaelus! I spoke with him, he had seen what had happened to Kyogre and Groudon and did not want to become a weapon of wanton annhilation! Me, my sister, Latias and Latios and Shaymin and Landorus, we saw him enter his Mega form, confront Vainglory and Supernova, and use his very lifeblood to create a maelstrom of clouds that not only destroyed two Corrupteds, but also contained the rest of them within a single region! He saved the rest of the world and I will not hear his sacrifice sullied!”

Darkrai let out a hoarse, pent up breath. “I do not doubt that Rayquaza would be happy that Pokemon rescue others from extreme danger in his name. But I do not deceive about his demise. Especially not when Legends greater than he have fallen, too. His equal, Giratina, was Corrupted and sealed away. His other equals, Kyurem and Zygarde, I am unsure if they are dead and alive. And one of the Sentinels of Creation, Arceus, was one of the first to die, and the reason that many Legendaries fled to the mortal plane…”

Darkrai stopped, slouching again, and staring vacantly. Upon hearing Arthur, he rubbed his face roughly with one clawed hand. “...It is alright. I assume you were raised with Rayquaza as a deity, taught as many were in the distant past that Legendaries are immortal, omnipotent, infallible. It must be a shock to hear your deity is dead… I would be similarly shaken had I been told centuries ago that this entire situation would ever occur, ever… Nevertheless the past is set, and even if we could convince Dialga to change the past, it would cause paradoxes giving us equal trouble in a different way…”

Darkrai turned his attention to Team Lockdown. “I would not underestimate Lugia, or Hurricane as I call her now, as she seems to have some measure of control over the three birds. I am unsure of where, exactly, Jirachi is. I have been calling her ‘Curse’.”

Yuko frowned. “Jirachi… It can go into hibernation, correct? Perhaps you can find it while it’s asleep, and then finish it off then.”

“Incorrect. Curse does not need to sleep. However, the more sleep they have gotten recently, the more powerful wishes they can grant,” Darkrai said.

“When do you think you’ll be heading out?” Brenton asked. “You’ll be needing supplies, to cross the Emerald Mountains.”

“As soon as possible,” Darkrai suggested.

[Noblejanobii]

Arthur/Kay/Lancelot/Mordred
Team Camelot
Persevering Spirits Safehaven
Affected RPers: @Gef, @LKWayvern, @Morzone, @Neo Emolga, @The Nonexistent Tazz

Arthur and Kay's expressions both fell at the confirmation of their deity's death. Arthur sighed and scratched the back of his head. He was not sure what to think. His main driving focus had always been to please Rayquaza, but knowing that the deity was dead... it was somewhat shocking and Arthur felt that some of his determination to move on was gone. Was everything about his core beliefs a lie now? Or was it just this piece? Arthur looked over at his brother and suddenly felt even worse for even considering his feelings first before his brother's! Kay, having been raised under the beliefs longer than Arthur, was probably feeling much worse than Arthur ever would. Arthur began to search for the words to comfort his brother when he felt a tug on his hand. Arthur looked down and saw Mordred. He also gained Kay's attention.

"Um... I'm not sure how much help it will be, but... he did say that Rayquaza would be proud to hear that pokemon are rescuing others in his name. Rayquaza would be proud of you, and I know that's little consolation but it must help a little, right?" Arthur smiled and chuckled a little. He bent down to his adopted son and nodded.

"Indeed it does. Thank you, Mordred. I appreciate it. I know this isn't as shocking to you, given you weren't completely raised in these beliefs like we were, but we still taught you some of them, so I understand if you might be feeling a little confused as well. It is wrong of me to consider myself before my fellow teammates, so I must ask, are you and Lancelot all right?" Lancelot gave a short shrug.

"No offense, but I was never really into this deity stuff, especially not after the legendaries started attacking us. With this new information, I might have been willing to give it a shot, but it seems most of the ones I'd be willing to put my faith in are either dead or corrupted." Lancelot and Arthur turned their attention to Mordred.

"I am... okay I guess. I am not quite sure what to believe, but I understand that if the deity is dead, we should still continue to serve in his name, since he obviously died serving us, we need to show that we appreciate his efforts and continue forth from there." Arthur couldn't be prouder of Mordred. It seemed the Aegislash had picked up a thing or two from his mentors over the years. Arthur stood back up and looked at Darkrai.

"It's been decided, we will not abandon our faith despite our deity no longer being alive. His name and memory still lives on in us and others," Arthur said to his team. Arthur turned to Darkrai and spoke, "As I mentioned before, there are teams in Persevering Spirits that would be more than willing to aid your journey. But, wherever you think we would be best fit, please let us know. Team Camelot is at your command."

[Neo Emolga]

Magnum/Apex/Zilch/Sledge
Team Lockdown
Relic Graveyard Safehaven
Affected RPers: @Gef @Morzone @Noblejanobii @LKWayvern @The Nonexistent Tazz

Magnum nodded when he heard Darkrai's warning about Lugia, also known as "Hurricane." He didn't doubt her power, but was simply trying to determine at least the first handful of the most severe threats that needed to be eliminated. But "Curse" was something that even troubled the battle-seasoned Typhlosion. Jirachi, despite its docile appearance, could unleash wishes that could guarantee complete devastation... if not something even more diabolical.

"I assure you, this 'Hurricane' you speak of will be dealt with just like all the others," Magnum told Darkrai. "We don't underestimate our adversaries. And we will carry out the assassination, but don't expect it to be done with honor or anything frivolous like that. The kill will be brutal but effective, even if it needs to be done dishonorably. This is simply how we do things here."

He didn't have much to work with when it came to finding Jirachi, but Magnum had his means. These legendaries were dangerous, brutal, and would think nothing less of causing torment and destruction to all those that stood in their way. If it meant finding another Pokémon and forcing them to rat out the legendary's location, it would have to be done. To him, the ends would justify the means.

"We don't have a whole lot of time here, so unless anyone else needs something from us, we're on the move," Magnum told the others.

He didn't care about Team Camelot's reaction to hearing about Rayquaza's death. In his mind, he felt it was about time they let it go and have one less distraction weighing them down. But he didn't dwell on it for too long.

They had a mission and work to get done.

[LKWayvern]

RGS, FHS, LVS, PSS, CCS
Fractured Heavens Safehaven
ARPers: @Gef, @Alphys, @Morzone, @Neo Emolga, @The Nonexistent Tazz

“...” Darkrai seemed somewhat taken aback by how Arthur spoke to him. When he spoke again his voice seemed even lower. “...I have never been in a leading position. Nor do I believe that I deserve one… I am not powerful in typical combat, I am not a skilled strategist, I am not exceedingly knowledgeable or wise, and I am not brave. The only reason I am alive now is due to my skill at hiding, and my inclinations to stay out of the spotlight. My only skills of note are my observation skills, my power over nightmares, and a talent for hiding… I don’t think I would be very good at commanding a fighting force.”

Then he turned to Team Lockdown again. “...My preferred mode of attack is driving my foe to gibbering insanity through relentless nightmares. I know I do not stand a chance in a fair fight. And the Corrupted have not been true Legendaries in some time. Though it would be wonderful to find a way to cure them… There is no case of a Corruption being reversed, and no cure to my knowledge. They have damaged greatly the world they helped create, killed their former kin, and as far as I can tell any trace of the Legend they once were has been long dead. Dispatch them however you please… They long since lost the right to an honorable and dignified death. And I am ready whenever everyone else is.”

“I have supplies and can leave immediately,” Crim confirmed, glancing and Knight, who nodded.