Pokemon Gijinka: Apocalypse [Actual]

[Neo Emolga]

Martin Vickers
Pachirisu Gijinka
Rustwall City
Affected RPers: @Noblejanobii @Awasfriend

It took Martin a while before he was able to secure the last fifty caps he needed for Xie. After helping an old lady with the radroach problem she had in her cellar, he had enough, but after everything else, it was going to leave him broke and without anything to work with. He did, however, still have his electric attacks and powers, which were effective for the radroaches, but he wasn't so sure how much they could be relied on when it came time to fight off some of the bigger threats out there in the wasteland.

When he came back to Xie and Doctor Martin, he handed over his recently acquired bag of caps, which took care of his part of the share. He wasn't sure where he was going to get what he needed next, but he figured he would be able to work that out later.

"Well, this does take care of some of it," Doctor Martin replied.

"Uh... Doctor Martin?" Xie asked him. "I have a question."

"Sure, what can I help you with?" he asked her.

[Noblejanobii]

Xie Jade
Shaymin Gijinka
Vault 110
Rustwall City
Affected Rpers: @Awasfriend and @Neo Emolga

Xie paused as Martin returned. She looked at him sheepishly before looking back at the Doctor.

"I was wondering if Vault Tech employees have ever visited this town? More specifically soldiers but any sort of employee will do." Xie remained quiet for a second then elaborated, "Terri and I came from a vault where they trained us to be soldiers and from what I could tell he was released manually, from the vault, whereas I was remotely released. It makes me think he might actually be working for Vault Tech right now. I don't know though, but anything you know could definitely help in the future when it comes to locating him."

Xie then turned her attention to Martin. She held out her pistol to him, the grip to him and gave him a serious look.

"I can't pay you back for this easily, but if you'll take it you can have my gun. It's obviously been used a lot and there's less than a round left of bullets but it might do you some good." Xie sighed and looked down. "Someone else will have better use of it. In my short time of escape all I've used it for is taking down some oversized roaches and then not even making a dent in this huge monster thing with razor sharp claws. Even with all my soldier training, it seems I'm not as effective in the real world as Vault Tech had wanted." Xie looked out a nearby window and drummed her fingers on her knee. "This world is so much different than I imagined. It's so much desert. I was told there was greenery and life on many places around the earth, including around the vault. While this could have changed while I was asleep, there's no way it was this drastic. After all I couldn't have been kept under for more than a decade without dying. Sure a lot changes in ten years, but not like this. At least, I don't think."

[Neo Emolga]

Martin Vickers
Pachirisu Gijinka
Rustwall City
Affected RPers: @Noblejanobii @Awasfriend

Martin looked at Xie curiously as she asked Doctor Morgan about Vault Tech employees ever visiting Rustwall city. She then mentioned how she and Terri came from a vault that had intended to be used for training soldiers.

"I believe there are a few," he replied with a slight nod. "I know Damien, who lives at the far west end of town has some connections to Vault Tech. He might be able to help you. Besides him, the only other one I knew of was Rachel Hayes, but she's moved on from this town years ago."

It was then that Xie had given Martin her used pistol. He nodded a bit sheepishly as he took it.

"Thanks," he smiled. "I didn't expect a reward, but I appreciate it!"

But he wasn't up for telling Xie about the truth. At least not at that moment. He knew he was going to have to find some moment to tell her something that only he and Doctor Morgan knew. The fact that the EvoTox Doctor Morgan had to reconfigure was eventually going to turn him into a Pachirisu that wouldn't be able to use Xie's pistol at all. But, he felt now wasn't the right time. Maybe later, but hopefully not too much later. Not while it was happening...

"This world is so much different than I imagined," Xie told him. "It's so much desert. I was told there was greenery and life on many places around the earth, including around the vault. While this could have changed while I was asleep, there's no way it was this drastic. After all I couldn't have been kept under for more than a decade without dying. Sure a lot changes in ten years, but not like this. At least, I don't think."

"Yeah, I remember what our vault books said..." Martin agreed. "I'm hoping green places like that still exist. You know, maybe in places where all this devastation didn't happen. There's got to be at least a few places that made it out okay."

He was being hopeful. Considering all that had happened to Xie, he felt she could really use some of that hopeful optimism that kept him going despite all that had happened to him.

[Noblejanobii]

Xie Jade
Shaymin Gijinka
Vault 110
Rustwall City
Affected Rpers: @Awasfriend and @Neo Emolga

Xie felt the wind go out of her sails when the Doctor didn't make any mention of Terri. But she had a lead. Someone else in town had connections to Vault Tech. He could possibly help her. She needed to get over there right away. But she didn't know where this person's house was and these two weren't going to let her out of there anyway. On top of the fact that her legs might not work anyway. Still, her eyes glimmered with determination. She had to meet this person, even if it killed her.

Xie glanced at Martin and raised her eyebrows curiously. He had not expected a reward? What kind of world had he come from? Obviously not the type she had been raised in. No matter. His gratitude brought a small smile to her lips. At least he could be positive in this desolate place. Though, he was right, not every place of greenery could have been wiped out. That would just be plain depressing.

"This is true. Maybe we will find it soon enough. I've always wanted to see flora because... well I'm a shaymin. My parents used to talk about how beautiful everything was. They had hoped I'd be able to see it one day but then they got taken into the vaults, where I was born. All I've ever seen a pictures and the few live samples they had me practice on. But my parents used to talk about fields and forests, all this life near their home. It makes me want to find their home, in all honesty."

[Neo Emolga]

Martin Vickers
Pachirisu Gijinka
Rustwall City
Affected RPers: @Noblejanobii, @Awasfriend

Martin couldn't help but smile when Xie was happily surprised that he was happy to help without a reward.

"This is true," Xie told him. "Maybe we will find it soon enough. I've always wanted to see flora because... well I'm a shaymin. My parents used to talk about how beautiful everything was. They had hoped I'd be able to see it one day but then they got taken into the vaults, where I was born. All I've ever seen a pictures and the few live samples they had me practice on. But my parents used to talk about fields and forests, all this life near their home. It makes me want to find their home, in all honesty."

"Well, I'm part Pachirisu, which as you probably know, would survive better in a forest than a desert," Martin told her with a smile. "So yeah, I think we're both after trying to find that special green place. I'm sure it's out there somewhere."

And then, for Martin, it was just hurting him too much and he couldn't keep it bottled up any longer. She had to know. She had to be aware he was on borrowed time now.

"Listen... Xie," Martin told her a bit sheepishly, not sure if he was really ready to explain what was to come. "You see, like you... I also came from a vault. Vault 62 to be exact. Now, it may be different from what happened to you, but... some really terrible things happened there."

Martin swallowed hard. It was trickier than he thought it would be.

"They... injected us with an FEV variant known as EvoTox," Martin told her, feeling a bit anxious. "They told us it was supposed to help our lifespan and prepare us for life outside of the vault but... no, they were using us as lab experiments. The day people started mutating into Pokémon monsters was the day I... escaped. But many others weren't so lucky. And... a lot of people died in there."

Martin shot a glance at Doctor Morgan, and Morgan could see why Martin was feeling anxious.

"Doctor Morgan was able to address my EvoTox strain to some degree," Martin continued, sighing hard and trying not to sweat. "Unlike the other citizens of Vault 62, I'm safe from turning into a deformed mutant, but that hasn't stopped the FEV mutation process. In time... sometime very soon... the FEV strain is going to force me to... mutate fully into a Pachirisu..."

Martin thought getting the weight off of his chest would have made things better, but he wasn't feeling it.

"I... I don't know what I'm supposed to do when that happens," Martin told Xie, feeling depressed. "I don't know how to be a Pachirisu! I don't know where I'm supposed to go and how I'm supposed to survive. And these deserts and wastelands... they're no place for a Pokémon like that to call home..."

In one way, Martin was glad that Xie now knew about his condition. If at any moment the final stages of the mutation were triggered, she would know what was going on. She might be surprised, but she wouldn't be unaware about what was happening to him.

"I want to be with you," Martin told Xie. "We're both out to find a forest both of us can survive in. I don't know when we'll find it, but we stand a much stronger chance if we work together. But I wanted you to be aware... this is what's coming for me. When it does happen, I'm... not giving up. I don't care if I need to pretend I've always been your Pokémon or something like that."

"Hope you understand," Martin told her sheepishly. "My heart wants to be ready, but I don't know if everything is..."

[Noblejanobii]

Xie Jade
Shaymin Gijinka
Vault 110
Rustwall City
Affected Rpers: @Awasfriend and @Neo Emolga

Xie stared at Martin, attempting to process the bomb he had just laid on her. She glanced down for a moment, taking a minute to sort this all out. This sounded absolutely crazy and to anyone else, it probably would have been returned with some sort of response that Martin was crazy. However, Xie had been through a lot in the past few hours and quickly decided that this explanation of devolution wasn't quite as crazy as the giant mutant chameleon outside of her vault.

"So… you're reverting back to your Pokémon form?" Xie tapped her chin and then shrugged. "I'll be honest, that's a little hard to believe but it's definitely not the weirdest thing I've encountered since I woke up." Xie brushed back some of her green hair from her face and thought it over some more before saying, "Well you are right, a Pachirisu would never survive out here. Your common food source isn't exactly plentiful in the desert. Plus if you think I'm just going to abandon you after you saved my life then you're wrong. I'm not one for heroics but I'm still technically in debt to you so this will be great payment."

Xie drummed her fingers on her leg as a game plan began to form in her head. They'd go talk to the person Doctor Morgan had mentioned about Vault Tech, or at least Xie would, and try to get a lead on Terri. That would dictate where they went from there. Hopefully they might get some indication on a patch of greenery in this desolate world. That would be perfect for Martin to stay once he devolved.

"We can start searching for this place of greenery as soon as I'm well rested. It shouldn't be too long but I do want to maybe inquire around town about possible leads for Terri. We can also ask about leads for an oasis or something if you would like?"

[Neo Emolga]

Martin Vickers
Pachirisu Gijinka
Rustwall City
Affected RPers: @Noblejanobii, @Awasfriend

As Martin feared, the news did shock Xie quite thoroughly.

"So... you're reverting back to your Pokémon form?" Xie asked him as she tapped her chin and shrugged. "I'll be honest, that's a little hard to believe but it's definitely not the weirdest thing I've encountered since I woke up."

Martin nodded as she brushed some of her green hair back from her face.

"Well, you are right, a Pachirisu would never survive out here. Your common food source isn't exactly plentiful in the desert. Plus if you think I'm just going to abandon you after you saved my life then you're wrong. I'm not one for heroics but I'm still technically in debt to you so this will be great payment."

"It could have been worse..." Martin told her as she thought it over. "There were many in Vault 62 that had the same thing happen and there were others that... well... they turned into something that never should have been..."

He had difficulty trying to describe the details, and he ultimately decided not to. He was simply hoping Xie would understand that it was horrible to him and to trust him that it was a traumatizing thing to deal with. And it was something he had wanted to get out of his mind and forget about for a while.

"We can start searching from this place of greenery as soon as I'm well rested," Xie told him. "It shouldn't be too long but I do want to maybe inquire around town about possible leads for Terri. We can also ask about leads for an oasis or something if you would like?"

"I think that would be best," Martin agreed, trying to smile and keep hopeful. "I've been... trying to mentally prepare for it, but it's very hard. I'm not sure what will change and what will stay the same, but I think inside, it'll still be me. I'll be different on the outside, but that won't stop me from being someone you can rely on for help."

He felt good about helping Xie. It gave him a sense of purpose and assured him that despite what was bound to happen in due time, they could still both help each other. From just that, Martin could understand why things worked the way they did in earlier days, and why Pokémon bonded with human trainers.

"Maybe let's talk to Damien," Martin suggested. "Maybe he knows Terri and where he might be. Still, I feel as though there's something dark and secret about Vault Tech. Both of us were involved in terrible incidents even though we came from two separate vaults. They were supposed to help us survive, and yet... it seems like there was some other intention involved."

[Noblejanobii]

Xie Jade
Shaymin Gijinka
Vault 110
Rustwall City
Affected Rpers: @Awasfriend and @Neo Emolga

Well Xie's answer seemed to satisfy Martin somewhat. Good. That was her intent to some extent after all. Though from what should could tell, whatever was happening to him was not solely happening to him.

"It could have been worse..." Martin told her as she thought it over. "There were many in Vault 62 that had the same thing happen and there were others that... well... they turned into something that never should have been..."

The way Martin described his fault gave a good indication that their situation was worse. May their souls Rest In Peace. Xie also hoped they never encountered what was left of them. Martin would probably be unable to fight them and if they were turning into something that horrible then she didn't really want to face them.

"I understand," Xie replied, "don't force yourself to say something you do not want to say. Just continue."

"I think that would be best," Martin agreed, trying to smile and keep hopeful. "I've been... trying to mentally prepare for it, but it's very hard. I'm not sure what will change and what will stay the same, but I think inside, it'll still be me. I'll be different on the outside, but that won't stop me from being someone you can rely on for help."

Xie smiled a little at that. Good, she was giving him something to continue on for. Well then this would definitely fill her debt nicely. This always would be nice to help someone out while finding Terri.

"Maybe let's talk to Damien," Martin suggested. "Maybe he knows Terri and where he might be. Still, I feel as though there's something dark and secret about Vault Tech. Both of us were involved in terrible incidents even though we came from two separate vaults. They were supposed to help us survive, and yet... it seems like there was some other intention involved."

"I agree," Xie replied, "it's… unusual. I can't say I understand the purpose of our experiments? Why train my Vault to be soldiers? Why turn yours into experiments? Honestly it is perplexing." She touched her chin and frowned, trying to reason out what the intentions of Vault Tech. Either way, Terri could be in grave danger if this was true. "Yes, hopefully Damien will grant us some answers."

[Neo Emolga]

Martin Vickers
Pachirisu Gijinka
Rustwall City
Affected RPers: @Noblejanobii, @Awasfriend

Martin nodded at Xie's suggestion to seek out Damien and find out what was really going on.

As he discovered by asking politely around town, not too many people knew about Damien, and it took at least a half hour before he managed to find out where he was living. After arriving at a small and rusted-over metallic building, he knocked on the door, and shortly after, a younger man with long, dusty brown hair and wearing beat-up leather clothing had happened the door.

"Hey there," he greeted Martin. "What's up?"

"Are you Damien?" Martin asked, looking curiously at him.

"That's right," he nodded, leaning against the metallic door frame. "What can I help you with?"

"My friend Xie and I could use some help," Martin told him. "We both came from vaults, and we have a feeling there's something wrong with Vault Tech. I think we were both experimented on."

Damien had looked down for a moment, sighing. It seemed to Martin, there was a mix of relief but also frustration. He wasn't sure how to take it or what news it meant.

"It's exactly the reason why I left Vault Tech," Damien told Martin. "I found out about their dirty secrets after working there, but I know what happens to anyone that tries to expose it. They ran experiments on every vault. They were mostly social experiments in nature, but for some, they used the vault dwellers like lab rats. And they were dying because of it, but I was told by my supervisors that it was for the greater good. Greater good my ass. I didn't see anything come out of these experiments besides dead people and things we already knew about humanity's social problems."

"We... were both experimented on," Martin told Damien, feeling he should be honest with him. "Everyone in Vault 62 was tested with something called EvoTox. And then one day, half the vault dwellers mutated into Pokémon mutants and the other half got killed in the process. I saw a lot of people I knew dead that day..."

"Then how did you escape?" Damien asked.

"I didn't, really..." Martin muttered, looking pale. "The best I could do was have Doctor Morgan reprogram the mutagen. Supposedly, he set it where it was only going to change me fully into a Pachirisu, but it was the best he could do with it. Any day now and it's bound to happen. I don't even know if I'll be able to speak English, still have the same memories and mental capacity, or what, really..."

Damien looked down, shaking his head.

"I'm not sure what we can do," Damien told Martin. "I'm no vigilante and I don't have the weapons to even start thinking like that. Trust me, I'm not a fighter, just a former researcher and data analyst. What they did at Vault Tech was set up even before any of us were born. And now, we live in an age where morality and ethics are twistedm but in different ways than how it was before. People are too distracted with simply trying to survive to notice these kinds of things going on. Beyond that, Vault Tech is rich and has more weapons, security, and protectrons than we can imagine. Definitely more than anyone would be able to deal with. The only way I was able to get out of Vault Tech was to work with a friend of mine who could fabricate the medical leave documents necessary. Maybe by now, they realized they were false, maybe they didn't, but they haven't killed me over it yet, so something had to have worked."

As Martin realized, it went much deeper than he thought. Even beyond himself, Xie, Terri, and Damien here. There was no telling how much damage and how many lives were lost as a result of this, but he felt helpless in trying to find a way to stop it. Was violence the only answer, or was there something else that had been overlooked that they could take advantage of?

He didn't know, but he didn't want to turn his back on solving the problem.

[Noblejanobii]

Xie Jade
Shaymin Gijinka
Vault 110
Rustwall City
Affected Rpers: @Awasfriend and @Neo Emolga

If Martin thought he could leave Xie behind to talk to Damien on his own, he was wrong. Her accelerated healing was already starting to work and she was able to stand and walk with relative ease. In any case, she took a walking stick just to be sure of her balance and left with Martin to search the town for Damien. It took longer than Xie would have liked but once they had the end result she did not mind as much.

As Xie listened to Damien talk, her heartbeat began to increase. This was much bigger than she imagined and Terri was in a lot more danger than she first thought. But there was something about what Damien said that bothered Xie. This had been set up long before the majority of the employees had been born? Sure she could imagine for some members that might be the case given that her guessitimation of being frozen for twenty years but there was no possible way this was correct for the majority.

"I'm sorry," Xie interjected, "did you say the majority? That can't possibly be correct. I mean I understand that Vault Tech was a government sponsored organization and honestly I don't know what year it was founded but it can't be that old. I was born shortly after my parents were put into the vaults and then cryogenically frozen almost two decades after that. A-And cryogenics technology was never successful in keeping someone alive for more than twenty years so I haven't been gone for that long. Unless a plague just wiped out half of Vault Tech either you're wrong or I'm missing something here."

Xie put her hand to her chin and frowned. Was it possible? Could she have lasted longer than twenty years? It was unlikely but maybe it had happened? This still didn't answer most of her questions like why was the world a desert and where was Terri? There were so many questions she needed answers to and no one seemed to know what she wanted anymore. It was certainly frustrating.