[WAR Season II RP] Arcane Pokéworld [RP Thread]

[bronislav84]

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ARCANE POKÉWORLD STORY

It all started 80 million years ago, far beyond recorded time and even before prehistoric Pokémon like Aerodactyl, Kabutops, and many of their kind roamed the world. The world was inhabited by dinosaurs and animals that could have evolved into the Pokémon of the modern era. The only traces of humanity that existed in these long, almost forgotten days were protohumans.

The Sun this world depended on, Arcstar, suddenly changed it's cycle and was on the critical brink of becoming a supernova. If left to run it's destructive course, it would have decimated the entire solar system and would have nothing but burnt shadows in it's wake. The cataclysmic signs were detected by the Xeth, a highly advanced race of aliens that had the power and the means to manipulate the laws of physics, logic itself, and even dictate the course of existence. The Xeth, while not truly gods, had the power and techniques that could be considered godlike. Upon examining the unstable and potentially devastating course the Arcstar was heading toward, they used their powers and techniques to stabilize it and in turn, prevented what could have been a tragic disaster if left unchecked. As a result of their benevolent efforts, fate ran a different course and the Arcstar was forever changed, now illuminating the world with a bright white and lightly violet-colored illumination.

This is where the story begins. This is what is known as The Dawn of the Arcane Sun.

As a result of the Xeth's efforts, the Arcstar was able to continue it's cycle without risk of apocalyptic devastation. Life and prosperity continued for 15 million more years and in time, new evolution had set it's course, eventually becoming the Pokémon we recognize of the modern era. These creatures known as Pokémon, armed with the power, skills, and techniques to harness the elements and supernatural forces thanks to the Arcane Arcstar, were able to claim dominance, resulting in the end of the dinosaurs that could not command the same forces they could. These Pokémon were the first practitioners of what would eventually be called Magic.

Following in the footsteps of their flourishing Pokémon brethren and companions, the early protohumans were the next to evolve, learning how to harness magical forces and energies from the Arcstar be means of concentration and willpower. Soon, like Pokémon, they began to inherit the basic and fundamental skills of the Xeth thanks to the transformed Arcstar.

But what was supposed to become human never came to pass. Instead, the early protohumans were evolved by the Arcane Sun as well, becoming distinct races but all being collectively called humans due to having the same ancient ancestor. In time, as the ages and eras marched on, humans learned Magic from their Pokémon companions as well as through their own dedicated research into harnessing the power and energies of the Arcstar in new and creative ways.

This is the story of how Magic had risen through the Arcstar and soon enough, became the central influence on civilization, culture, norms, research, and technological development. The creation of tools, weapons, and structures had undergone a completely different breed of industrial revolution, relying on the fundamentals of supernatural magic as opposed to the utilization of scientific principles despite how these same principles like gravity, conductivity, and the like are still present. As the ages of civilization marched on, technology was built around the magic these humans knew best, and magical technology, called Magitek for short, resulted in the creation of enchanted mechanical tools, equipment, and devices that perform the same functions of technology today, but are powered by the forces of magic as opposed to using the principles of science.

NIGHT OF BLOODFALL AND THE NEW TEAM TRAINER CONTINGENCY

The High Magi Council. The Celestial Circle. And the Order of the Crimson Flame.

All 62 world leader members assigned to keep the peace were assassinated in a single night along with their assigned chain in command. It escalated into a vicious and heartless attack that would be forever scarred into the history books as the Night of Bloodfall. It was unknown who launched and coordinated the attack, but the investigation concluded all leader members were violently stripped of their magical abilities before they were executed. None of the assassins were caught or identified, but the limited witness testimony and evidence concluded it had been a band of Mechari assailants responsible for the assault. The attackers were labeled as the "Repressors" for their strange ability to strip magic out of their targets.

When the news of the Repressor attack hit the media through the Maginet and the Mirror broadcasts, immediately the hysteria resulted in Mechari being branded as traitors, flawed devices, and "rebellious machines without souls." Citizens began to question the meaning of their existence, while others attempted to defend the machine race by arguing not every Mechari was a Repressor out for anarchy nor did they support the Night of Bloodfall, although there were plenty of sympathizers for the Repressors and felt it was a "much-needed cleansing long overdue." However, the shaken and unstable political theater were only making the situation critical and law enforcement that much more difficult. With rioting and looting on the rise because of these events, what was once a perfect world paradise was rapidly collapsing.

The only lead in terms of determining who should be established as the new order was found in the Celestial Circle's Decree documents, establishing that if the Circle should fall, the faction known as Team Trainer would be the next in line to assimilate authority. Meanwhile, the High Magi Council and the Order of the Crimson Flame had nothing left after their assigned chains of commands had all been eliminated in the Bloodfall assault.

With no other official documents and successors to go by, Team Trainer was established as the new emergency world order. However, despite Team Trainer's righteous and good intentions, not everyone saw the mission from their point of view. Many felt their individual identity and culture were threatened, and not everyone recognized the authenticity of the Celestial Circle Decree. Even in the mist of the already costly Bloodfall riots, others were far too skeptical and portrayed the Decree as a conspiracy theory forgery that hit the airways and tabloids hard. Meanwhile, others believed Trainer was not capable of stopping the "Repressors" from striking again, wherever and whoever they are...

The world has become a darker place. The question of who should lead the world of magic is in shambles, and the hunt for the Repressors is a trail rapidly going cold. The Mechari are fighting bigotry and racism from all directions, while rebellion factions rise up against the authority of the questionably established Team Trainer order.

It is unknown whether the world can return to the state of peace and paradise it had once enjoyed. What is known is that the flames of war have been lit, and many will be taken in its demand for sacrifice...

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE ARCANE WORLD AND THE STANDARD ONE

Flight Spells - Individuals have access to flying spells, which was an early discovery. As such, buildings and structures have access balconies that grant access at any level. Devices like parachutes and hang-gliders were obsolete before they even existed. Work, life, and even sports have been changed due to this ability to fly freely.
Flying Cars and Vehicles - Used for faster travel, as well to assist with the shipping of heavy goods and as mass transit.
Pokémon Carrying Crystals (PPCs) - Instead of Pokéballs, these crystals are used instead, offering a stronger, more comfortable, and more rejuvenating container for companion Pokémon.
Healing Spells - Used in place of healing medicines.
Travel - As a means of getting from one place to another, a portal network exists, replacing train lines and metro stations with a portal network. Walking into a portal of one town in another region will allow you to emerge to a town in another region in no time at all. There is still travel time, as the passenger will be in a stasis while in the Travelscape. They will be allowed to think, see, and hear, but not physically move. The only allowed use of portals is strictly limited to these "Portal Metros." Any other unauthorized use of portal spells or teaching of portal spells is regarded as highly illegal due to the ability to use them for trespassing.
Pokémarts - These retail outlets have been changed to sell Pokémon healing spells, as well as the Pokémon Carrying Crystals needed to contain them. A spell only needs to be brought once, much like a book that only needs to be brought once but can be read multiple times. Most Pokémarts make the majority of their revenue from PCCs, although the spells are always available for new rookie trainers that are only just starting their journey.
Magic Shops - Magic that isn't Pokémon-related is sold here. Magic has been around since ancient times, so new research and development into new spells is rare (but still possible). These vendors will sell mainly the books and resources needed for practical spells, as well as self-defense, trades, crafts, and many other purposes that are needed in everyday life.

Science Gadgets we Expect:

The Maginet - The magical rendition of the Internet. No need for wi-fi hotspots or worrying about data plans with this. You can access it anywhere and everywhere.
Smartphones - Have been implemented as Mirrors, also connected to the Maginet. These perform the same functions we are familiar with it terms of phones, and they're significantly cheaper to mass produce. Everyone has one, unless they lost it the way one does with car keys or their wallet.
Televisions - Televisions are a derivative of Mirrors and can be altered in size to suit the owner's preference and accommodate the room. In that same light, Mirrors also take on the form of video players and gaming consoles for entertainment, given they have they have been enchanted with the desired game or movie spell.

RACES

All races are considered humans as a collective whole, but these are the sub-categories (think in terms of Hispanics, Caucasians, Asians, and so on). The magic they specialize in is similar to those of Pokémon attacks and moves, although each race can still cast spells in all other fields.

Mechari - Mechari are sentient Megitek machine humanoids, and were originally created by the other races as servants many years ago and continue to be created today. In addition, new Mechari are created by a partial magical donation of the personality and appearance to the one they wish to create. Being enchanted machines themselves, Mechari understand Enchanting magic the best out of all the other races, and make outstanding craftsmen. Mechari can take on a male or female appearance, but do not reproduce sexually. Mechari specialize in magic related to Steel, Normal, and Ghost type sources.

Granok - The Granok are sentient, golem-like people formed out of living rock. Strong, sturdy, and adamant, Granok can take excessive physical punishment in combat, and are exceptional at utilizing spells focused on earthen manipulation and plant manipulation. As a result, the Granok are the best at Grass, Rock, and Bug spells.

Neko - Neko are feline humanoids that are fast, nimble, acrobatic, and agile. They have prehensile tails and are typically considered attractive by most other races. Most Neko work in the entertainment industry, but there are still plenty of exceptions. Female Neko are typically taller and have upper body strength while males are shorter and have better lower body strength. Neko are basically humans with ears on their heads instead and tails. They have extendable 3 inch claws on their hands and feet similar to cats. Some but not all (At about half the population) have a Were form activated at high levels of stress or adrenaline. A thin fur coat covers their body. Neko specialize in Fighting, Dark, and Psychic magic.

Chua - The Chua are the shortest of the races, taking on the form of rodent humanoids based on such creatures similar to rats, rabbits, mice, and guinea pigs. Often eccentric and unpredictable, the Chua are skilled with Ice, Ground, and Fire magic. Because of this, they have natural resistance to heat and fire, and can handle working in stifling conditions far better than the other races. Moreover, they are the least affected by extreme weather, able to transverse scorching deserts and frozen tundra areas more comfortably than anyone else. Chua have a transformation similar to Neko, with the same activation conditions.

Angel - Angels are the most recognizable as the humans from the normal Pokémon world, taking on an appearance that looks exactly like humans except for a pair of feather wings they have on their backs. Angels are the only race that can fly without use of a flying spell, and have strong proficiencies in Electric, Flying, and Dragon magic.

Merfolk - Mermaids and mermen, collectively called Merfolk, appear as half-human, half-fish humanoids while submerged in water and have incredible swimming ability. Meanwhile, they have perfected most of their tools, technology, and equipment to work perfectly underwater. If need be, they can emerge from the water and after arriving on the surface, their fish tails will become human legs for a temporary amount of time. They can stay like this and walk on the ground for about three days before they start to become dehydrated and dizzy and need to return to the water. While on land they're identified by the gills on their necks if one were to look closely. Merfolk specialize in Water, Fairy, and Poison magic.

COMBAT

• Unlike Harry Potter, wands aren't present. Fighting with magic can be done in the form of enchanted melee strikes (like a fire or thunder punch) or as projectiles like a fireball or ice beam. Fighting without magic, such as using a melee weapon like a pipe or a sword, is possible, but will be seen as quite primitive (on the level of bringing a knife to a gun fight).
• If you cannot speak, you cannot cast (hence, taking a hostage by duct-taping their mouths is an effective way to suppress their magic, much like blindfolding a sharpshooter temporarily nullifies most of their skills). Spells that cause the opposing caster to be muted are possible, but only last for a temporary amount of time and have very high rates of failure when attempted to be used in rapid succession.
• Though your character can have a library of spells to work with, the general idea is they can only use one spell for every post. Spells are limited by two things: fair play and imagination. The second one means as long as it's not god-modding, it can be used. As before, everything has strengths and weaknesses that can be exploited. Bigger is not necessarily better, as we all know.
• Spells take on many different forms, such as elemental bullets being fired from the fingers in a gun-like fashion, actually conjuring a gun-like device and shooting elemental bullets from it, and healing spells that are typically the material of fantasy RPGs. Also, the typical performance enhancer spells (buffs) are possible also.
• Just about every Pokémon attack is a spell. Some are exclusive to Pokémon however, and have no use to humans.
• Conjuring large spells or effects is possible, but takes time. Summoning creatures, devices, and the like are also possible, but have a limited duration of existence and must return back to where they were summoned from eventually.

RULES

• Please follow the Pokémon Crossroads Community Rules and the Pokémon Crossroads Role Playing Rules. Following these rules would include:
  
  • No godmoding.
  • No bunnying other characters.
  • No instant teleportation. Travel across great distances requires at least one post of travel.
• When the GM feels the rules have been broken, he will immediately invalidate the post in question and ask the poster to change it.
• If, following prior warning, or if done flagrantly, rule-breaking will be punished with a strike. Three strikes equals an immediate ban from the Role Play.
• If the incident is particularly heinous, we reserve the right to ban you from the RP without prior warning or strikes.
• There is a 48 hour cooldown on posts, meaning you can only post once every two days. Please keep track of your own timer. This is to ensure most people can keep up with the RP and don't get left behind.
• Please start each of your posts off with the following header for everyone's convenience:
  Character Name
  Team
  City, Region
  Affected RPers:

THE 1.5 ATTACK RULE

This rule was created to make attacking and defending actions more fair and more realistic, meaning your character can only do so much in a single post to address defending themselves against attacks and making reprisal attacks of their own.

These actions do not have to be done in this order.

ACTION 1: A CHANCE TO DEFEND/TAKE DAMAGE

When your character is being attacked, you get the chance to do one of the following:

• Take damage/allow your character to be hit
• Dodge the attack (use this sparingly and don't dodge everything)
• Parry, deflect, block, and so on and so forth (again, sparingly)

Again, your character should take damage every now and then, especially after repeated attack attempts. This does not necessarily mean they have to die, but they should take a few burns, bruises, and wounds keep it more realistic.

Also, you get this action each time your character is attacked. So if three people are attacking your character at once, you get the chance to respond to each of them, but bear in mind, if your character is being attacked that many times, at least one of them should do some kind of damage. Dodging/blocking all three without a scratch is unlikely. The more your character is ganged up on, the more they should be taking damage.

ACTION 2: A CHANCE TO ATTACK/RESPOND

You can attack another character or named NPC however you'd like (unnamed NPCs don't count toward these allowances, albeit you shouldn't wipe out excessive amounts of these kinds of NPCs in a single post). Once you've decided on your target and how you want to attack them, that's your attack.

Do not say your attack hits or declare it to be successful if the target is in the hands of another RPer who never authorized you to land a successful attack on them. That's still for them to decide. Otherwise, it's bunnying and nobody likes that.

Your response could also be in the form of running away from the battle or taking defensive cover without returning fire. Someone who attempts to run away without attacking in response would be more successful and clear more distance than someone who tries to both run away and return fire at the same time.

ACTION 3. ONE MINOR OFFENSIVE/MINOR ACTION

Besides your attack, you can do some other combat/support action that does not attempt to directly damage a living target, such as healing your character, prepare a weapon, use a device/equipment, and so on, provided it can be done relatively quickly.

If you choose, you could sacrifice your entire attack action to perform several support actions by breaking away from the fight and using that post to use or set up weapons/equipment, heal, and other non-combat actions in a single post.

OR

You can perform a minor combat action, such as a fast and weak attack against another target, which would be along the lines of throwing/shooting a weapon that would realistically take less than three seconds, or use a quick melee attack against a target that's very close to you. In order to do this, your character should not be traveling to have to perform it, and should not be able to travel anywhere after said attack is made. In other words, you can't make your quick attack and then run away. Not to mention this attack is quick and you don't have time to take careful aim.
---------------------

So with all these in mind, you could do the following for example:

• Dodge an incoming fireball - Your DEFEND action
• Throw a boulder at a target - Your ATTACK action
• Throw a quick explosive charge on a building to collapse it - Your MINOR SUPPORT action (detonating it would have to wait until next turn).

Another example:

• Getting struck by an incoming electric attack - Your DEFEND action
• Throwing a suppressing net on an enemy - Your MINOR SUPPORT action
• Attacking the same netted enemy with a thrown explosive - Your ATTACK action

Another:

• Blocking a grenade by taking cover - Your DEFEND action
• Attacking Target A with a rocket launcher - Your ATTACK action
• Attacking Target B's rifle in an attempt to disable the weapon - Your MINOR SUPPORT action

And finally:

• Dissipate a fireball attack by using a wind attack on it - Your DEFEND action
• Summoning creatures as support allies - Your MINOR SUPPORT action (this does not include ordering them to attack, which would count as an attack action. Here they would only be on standby to be used next post)
• Hot-wiring a nearby vehicle - Another SUPPORT action taking the place of the ATTACK action

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Let's get it on! @Saraibre Ryu @Winter Sticky please?

It's been almost a week since the Night of Bloodfall, and it's still fresh in everyone's mind. Riots are still happening in the streets of some cities and towns. Local law enforcement is on high alert. In some places Mechari are still being oppressed as having links to the Repressors. Everyone is just trying to get their bearings since the announcement of Team Trainer being put in charge, and there's civil unrest everywhere. It will calm down soon, but for now it hasn't and the effects are still being felt.

[VeloJello]

Aria Jegudiel
Phoenix Battalion
Castelia City, Unova (High Magi Council Hall -> Castelia skies)
Affected RPers: None

[OOC: FIRST POST *plays a sick guitar riff* Also, two things. First, I am truly sorry for this text wall. Second, please imagine Bezalel as having the same voice as Garrus of Mass Effect, if you've played Mass Effect. Otherwise, I suppose you can imagine his voice however you want.]

“... just trying to think of what’s best for you, sweetheart. I mean, the High Magi and Magi were the heart and soul of your little Council. And now that they’re gone, maybe it’s time for you to give up that ghost and come home. Maybe it’s better that it’s gone, so that we can move on and make a world more dependent on the strength of our minds and our hands, and less dependent on the strength of a force we cannot properly control or understand...”

Aria took a few deep breaths in an endeavor not to scream at her mother. Finally, she snarled, “If you’re going to just sit there and insult my life’s work, Mother, then we have nothing more to say to each other. Goodbye.” She then hung up, not bothering to give her mother a chance to say anything more. With a furious sigh, Aria turned the little Mirror off and slid it into her pocket. That had been the first time either of her parents had called since the holidays, and back then it was simply so that her father make a passive-aggressive dig at her for not coming home. Unbelievable that it took the specter of Aria's death to get her mother even remotely concerned. What a colossal waste of time.

Having had her daily recommended dose of parental disapproval, she turned back toward the main hall of the High Magi Council. In the highly-industrialized Castelia City, the brick building and its many runes looked rather dated. However, to Aria, it was home.

The great oaken door creaked open under Aria’s touch. The assembly hall was every bit as beautiful inside as it was outside. The floor was an apparently artless mosaic of white tiles, but no one would be able to tell that without ridiculous scrutiny. All of the hall’s many windows were composed of stained glass, and as a result of this - and a few enchantments on the windows to bend the light rays in just the right way - each tile was painted in bright colors by the light glowing in, day or night. The result was a swirl of ever changing colors, like walking through a kaleidoscope.

Most of the Council campus had been left open to the public, in no small part because the Unovan government had better things to do than to make sure that the place was fully locked down and guarded. The major exceptions to this rule were the magical laboratories - which were genuinely hazardous if left open - and the Council library. That library contained what was in all likelihood the greatest concentration of knowledge in the world, and as it had officially belonged to the High Magi, the Unovan government had immediately sealed the library and tried to claim it. Aria had fought them with tooth, nail, and all the political knowhow she had, but in the end, she hadn’t been able to hold onto the books on her own.

Fortunately, the library was no longer an issue. Unfortunately, the circumstances that had led to the fixing of the library problem were a bit… demanding.

Three other Acolytes sat at one of the long tables of the dining hall. Pauline and Gisra Hathorne, a stocky, stoic Chua and a slender, shy Neko respectively, sat next to each other, fingers laced together in a casual but affectionate gesture. Although Aria had known neither of them before the Bloodfall, she had become fairly acquainted with them in the last four days. Put simply, Pauline was magically strong, and Gisra was smart. However, managing them was a bit of a challenge. Both of them were older and higher in seniority than Aria, meaning that if it Aria pushed too hard, the Hathornes had the right, according to Council law, to overturn her authority. Not that Aria was desperate for power. She just wanted to stop the Repressors and rebuild the academic center of the world, but someone had to spearhead that effort and she was the only one willing to do it, and she had to lead the other Acolytes - not that there were many to lead - and when it came down to it, Aria didn’t dislike the thought of becoming a leader… Ho-Oh’s blessed feathers, it was complicated.

The last Acolyte, Bezalel Denarius, posed an entirely separate set of problems. He was a Mechari, which meant that he stood a disproportionately high chance of being beaten to death in the streets. Aria and Bezalel were actually friends before the Bloodfall - their similar ages and Bezalel’s easygoing sense of humor had made it easy for them to interact. He was one of the smartest students in the entire Council, with an excellent grasp over enchantment and magical theory. Despite his intellect and friendliness, however, Bezalel’s very presence would probably act as a deterrent to other Acolytes considering joining the rebuilding effort. Aria wasn’t about to cast him out for it, but it was incredibly frustrating. They were having enough trouble attracting other Acolytes back to the Hall as it was.

“Observation: You look upset. Query: How are you feeling?” Bezalel asked, his voice slipping into a monotone. The Mechari turned toward Aria with a deadpan expression, looking for all the world like a dull, witless robot.

Aria sat down next to him as heavily as a creature built to fly could sit. Bezalel reached below the table and retrieved her staff from where she had left it, then passed it to her. "Bez, please. I thought I told you to stop doing that."

Bezalel broke out into a grin, silvery metal "skin" shimmering beneath his copper faceplate. "And then I asked you to lighten up, little sister," Bez replied. Even when he wasn't trying to sound robotic, his voice had a slight flange to it. "Don't worry, I'm not acting like that in public. I'm a model citizen. It's boring, but it's better than inciting a riot."

"This place is accessible to the public, Bezalel," Pauline grunted, unamused. "Anyone can walk in whenever they like, and it would not do for them to hear you speaking carelessly."

Bezalel produced a noise similar to a sigh, despite the fact that he had no lungs to sigh with. "Alright, alright, I'll stop. Seriously, though, are you alright, Aria?"

“Fine,” Aria replied, her tone curt. “Look, I’m afraid it’s time for me to leave. We all know the plan.”

With that, she pulled a keycard out of her satchel and set it on the table. “As we discussed, I’ll leave this with the three of you. I’ve been assured that even if every other part of the Council campus gets locked down, this card will still get you access to our library. Should it become disabled at any time, call me. Otherwise, I’ll be checking in with you once weekly through Pauline.”

There was a series of loud clicks as Bezalel tapped his fingers on the table. “I just want to go on record and say that I don’t think this is a good idea,” he said. “If you leave right now, it says that our leadership is weak and won’t stand by us.”

Aria gestured to the card. “Don’t forget why I’m doing this,” she said. “And besides, the Magi were often known to go on errands of their own when it was necessary.”

“Are you calling yourself a Magus, Aria?” asked Gisra quietly. There was no accusation in her tone, but she sounded a little surprised.

For a long moment, Aria didn’t answer. Finally, she said, “I’m calling myself whatever I need to be in order to get the Council operational again. Nothing more, nothing less.” She rose from the bench and stepped away from Bezalel so that she could give her wings a good long stretch. “I wish all of you the best of luck with your jobs. Remember, research is important, but keep spreading the word about us. If all goes well, I’ll talk to you in a week - but if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call.”

The other three Acolytes said their goodbyes, and Aria strode out of the hall and into the sunlight. She then reached into her bag and picked out one of her Pokemon Carrying Crystals. The small, vaguely spherical gem was deep blue, dyed with shimmering streaks of orange. With a small surge of magic, Aria released a large Dragonite from the Crystal. Orville immediately leaned down to nuzzle Aria’s hand, which was her cue to open a telepathic channel to her Pokemon. Orville said nothing, but he could sense that it was time to fly with Aria, and he was clearly excited. “We’re bound for our first meeting with our employer,” Aria said. “It’s technically something I could walk to, but we don’t run the risk of walking into the middle of a riot in the air. I can give us a bit of a wind boost so we can fly higher and avoid the traffic. Sound good?”

<Sounds good,> Orville confirmed, grinning a goofy Dragonite grin.

“Excellent,” Aria said. “Stay close to me. We want to make sure we’re not running headlong into some sort of trap, so I want you by my side.” She then lifted her staff and focused. Power stirred within her, ready to access with just a muttered word. “Whirlwind,” Aria intoned, and immediately she felt the air around her synchronize with her thoughts. The grass quivered as the winds shifted, changing from a barely palpable breeze to a strong, steady air current that led up like an elevator. Orville took to the sky and Aria followed him up, but as Aria rose in the sky, she couldn't help but feel trepidation stirring in her gut over the upcoming meeting.

[Neo Emolga]

Axel Silverfield
Phoenix Battalion
Castelia City, Unova
Affected RPers: None

Standing on a rooftop, looking past the noonday arcane sun, the leader of the Phoenix Battalion gazed upon the city below. Things had changed rapidly during the past few days, but to Axel, as long as there was still a world that had its heart beating, there was still something alive that could be made whole again, if not better than before. And those were the kinds of things worth fighting for.

To Axel, it was all about picking up the pieces and starting over. Deep inside, the loss of his brother burned, but the force within him kept it suppressed. He knew Desh was gone, but he knew his own brother would not want to see him dragged down. There were some that died inside before they truly faced death, and to Axel, that was no way to ever live.

In his heart, he knew the Night of Bloodfall would have to be undone, but it wouldn't be done in a day. It might take years, and there were always naysayers that would believe things could never be brought back to normal. But he was determined to try and find a way, looking past the Mechari riots, the political upheaval, and the escalating chaos. As long as blood was still in his veins and air was still in his lungs, there was always a chance, and there was always the possibility he could do something about it.

As he ran his hand and his fingers lightly through his long, silver-colored hair, he tried to clear his head and gather his thoughts. As the hidden leader of Second Chance, he had merged much of the rescue group into his new faction called the Phoenix Battalion, determined to be a source of hope and renewal in a desperate time. As he started with them, he took it further, trying to spread the word of the faction and the dream as far as he could take it. He also wanted to resurrect the High Magi Council and start it up once again. To him, the Repressors had to realize their mission was in fact a failure, and the massacre they had instigated would never be a permanent solution to whatever anarchy they were trying to instill.

And then there was Team Trainer. Axel simply didn't trust Team Trainer, nor did he acknowledge the Decree of the Celestial Circle, which the High Magi Council had limited connection with and likely never even knew about the Decree itself. He had his own way of doing things, and that was through action. And sometimes, when there was a call to action, rules had to be bent, sometimes broken. Laws and ordinances would only slow things down, and that would cost lives. It was not the way Axel wanted to live either. He wanted to be wild and free, and not let some other bureaucrat tell him to settle down and do things their way.

"Up here for a breath of fresh air?" Roland the beige-furred wombat-like Chua asked the silver-haired angel. "Well hey, sure is a nice view."

"You bet," Axel smiled, nodding at the Chua dressed in a brown leather jacket and blue jeans. "Say, Roland, what's your take on these Team Trainer peeps? This may sound crazy, but I didn't know a thing about these guys before Bloodfall."

"Trainer, huh?" Roland nodded in his acknowledgement, looking off to the side shortly after. "Well, you've got some who think the Decree is a forgery, others like me who think the Celestial Circle never intended for Trainer to own the entire world, and then some really crazy conspiracy theorists who believe Trainer might have been behind Bloodfall."

That opened Axel's eyes a bit, thinking it was a bit shocking there were some people out there that actually believed that, but then again, it wouldn't be the most far-fetched thing he ever heard. They would certainly have motive, but there didn't seem to be a trace of evil within Team Trainer's agenda. However, much about the situation and the direction it was going in was a complete mystery.

"Well, whatever their story is, I don't like to think of us as agents of Team Trainer," Axel told Roland, turning to face him. "The whole law-abiding, model citizen and formality stuff just isn't my thing. You've got to go with your guts, your instincts, and your morals. Laws and regulations just don't understand that."

"Oh, I hear ya," Roland nodded. "Thing is, how do you plan on facing Team Trainer, the so-called heirs of the world now? Trying to establish the High Magi Council is going to be seen as a separatist movement, if not flat-out treason. Team Trainer might not like the idea of someone going up against their idea of uniting the world under one banner."

"They're going to need to get used to it," Axel told him firmly, but with a confident smirk.

"One way or another..."

[XaiakuX]

Lance Harper
Team Awesome
Goldenrod Cemetery to Harper Industries HQ
Affected RPers: @Saraibre Ryu / Possibly @Lightning Dash and @Daixtey


"... This sucks."

I was the last man standing at the single headstone freshly placed over the burial of my parents. The service was both beautiful, and agonizing. The problem wasn't with the work, effort, or the attendance. The problem was with myself. I mean, my parents were recently murdered by sycophantic rioters, and my life had been forever changed because of it. The Night of Blood Fall started it all. A group of Mechari were held responsible, so the entire race was blamed. My parents disagreed with that. They believed that all Mechari couldn't be responsible for the acts of a few. I followed their belief because it seemed right. I still do, but look where it got them. I don't think anybody could blame me for drawing a blank whenever someone asked me how I was feeling. I'm 27 years old. I feel I've grown past the point of crying like a child. Yet I still felt the need as much as I had every right to do so.

Instead, I lowered my head, took a long breath, exhaled heavily, and gingerly sulked back to my Flight Capable Lamborghini Veneno. I was probably too depressed to drive, but this was one of the very few splurges that I actually went on. I'm not fond of spending money carelessly, but I couldn't pass up buying her. Then to top it off, I got her painted a Candy Apple Red, to match my Scizor. Scizor, the gift Pokémon my parents got me for my 16th birthday. Was he my first Pokémon? No, that was a Machop to help me with my physical training. He's a Machamp, now. But my Scizor is just glorious to look at. Just the same, he's a pretty tough cookie. So I painted my car to look just like him.

I started the car, and just rested, enjoying the rush of hearing the engine roar. This car was her own kind of monster, and it was wonderful. It almost made me smile. I flipped a few switches on the dashboard to put her into street mode, that way she wouldn't fly off the road and tear up the cemetery. After that, I was on my way. I drove through the streets of Goldenrod City. Riots still plagued the streets. Each one that I saw was nothing more to me than a painful reminder of what happened. I took a longer drive than normal to attempt to clear my head. I felt that I had to before returning to work.

I immediately started thinking about my recent business decision with the Angel, Remiel Barnabas. He told me he had created some device that would allow a person to walk about in their own subconscious. This was, at first, a laughable proposition. Then he showed me examples. He ran tests on some fellow called Davven Spelloyal, and I witnessed his work first hand. It was mind blowing. I immediately placed my investment into the project, and promised to help in any way that I could. I also thought about how very quiet this car ride was, the only sound being made was the roar of the engine and the tires rolling across the pavement.

As I pulled up to a large skyscraper surrounded by greenery and what could be identified as a park around the whole building, the sign at the entrance read "Harper Industries" and the slogan beneath it said "For the betterment and happiness of all!" ... 'Yeah, I bet.' Happiness is a lost idea, lately. Kudos to this Team Trainer for trying to make everything better. But, that's mission impossible if you ask me. I guess that's just me being pessimistic. But like I said, totally understandable, right? I pulled my car into my private parking garage, where all of my cars were parked behind bullet proof glass, but open to the public for viewing. Although I only had three cars, my dad was fond of older muscle cars, and it's because of him that I have such a passion for them.

I parked the Veneno in her glass pedestal, and made my way into the main building. As soon as I was in my new office, which doubled as an equivalent to a five star suite in the Kalos Region's Luimose City, I brought up my Mirror. The screen and device were the same colors as my car. I opened up my contact list, and decided to send out a mass message to relevant parties.

"Ahem.."

I paused briefly to gather my bearings. I knew it would be difficult to address people given my current state. But this was no time to be anything other than a leader, and more importantly, an employer. Because there was so much to get done, and constantly felt like there wasn't enough time to do it. I wished that, in this moment, I wasn't feeling so pessimistic. I made every attempt to cover up my emotions before speaking up.

"I'm aware that you all might think of this as a bad time for me to make any calls in regards to the project, but we need to meet so we can discuss it. The location will be in the usual private cottage in Kanto. Time, I feel, doesn't seem to be on our side. So be there within two days. I'll be there, waiting."

After the message sent, I sat at my desk and began to work on paperwork. I need to make certain that I could be caught up for missing two days of work. As soon as everything was in order for the company, I made my way to the roof. The first thing I noticed was that the sun was already setting. A sight which was beautiful to see, if you could get past the random clouds of smoke caused by looters burning buildings. There to greet me was the pilot of the company helicopter. My parents liked it old school. Good news was that it ran on synthesized Electrode energy. It was energy that replenished itself. A lot of companies worked with Harper Industries to obtain and use this product. It's pretty much what initially put Harper Industries on the map YEARS before I was even born.

I boarded the Helicopter and we took off towards the Kanto Region. I decided to take the Heli instead of the Veneno so that I could take in the scenery from 10,000 feet. Despite the carnage running through the streets, A lot of the world still looked quite breathtaking. So it was going to be nice to enjoy while the sun was still in the sky. However, I knew it was going to be an overnight flight. So I decided to get some shut eye on the way there.

... Hopefully my sleep would be relatively peaceful.



"Sir, I don't know how to tell you this, but I know you're not going to be happy."

I was awakened by a radio call from my pilot. As I lifted my head from my laying position, I looked out the window. We were preparing to land on the landing pad outside of my cottage. Normally this would be a wondrous sight. Because to land, we'd have to face the South, and you could usually see both Pewter City and Cerulean City before they disappeared behind Mt. Moon. Then a number of miles of plains and forestry before disappearing behind the tallest trees in the Kanto Region. Usually the cottage was cut off from the world. A perfect place to escape.

... However, this wasn't the scenario.

Instead, from the sky, I just saw a pillar of black smoke. As we went down, I looked down towards the cottage, and witnessed more horror. The getaway home was billowing flames from every window and doorway. I had already broken into a sweat from the heat being emitted from these flames. This wasn't the work of some oil and a burning rag. This was from a Pokémon. Not any Pokémon's fire, either. No, this was from a Charizard. I was taught that a Charizard's flames could melt solid rocks and boulders. It was a terrifying thought, and now I had witnessed it's work first hand.

I was willing to bet that it was the work of a Chua who happened to find out about my family's cottage. Chua's were always particularly talented with manipulating fire. This same Chua was probably one of those types who 'saw through the Harpers' 'Good Guy' ruse.' Which was, and still isn't any sort of ruse. Some people just couldn't accept that there were genuinely nice people in this world. Very few things make me sick, and hate is one of those things. I can't begin to understand hate. It has never made any sense to me.

The helicopter landed, and I stood with my hands placed on the back of my head. I watched my family home burn to the ground. Burn with the needless hate of some angry 'take that' troll of an individual. I couldn't bring myself to understand things from their perspective. All I could think about was how this world, at every turn, seemed to be pulling the rug out from under my feet, and laughed at me as I rolled over in pain. With all this, I couldn't bring myself to express these emotions properly.

All I could manage to say was, "Well, damn."

[Daixtey]

Daixtey
Davven Spelloyal
Team Awesome
Harper Industries HQ


Davven tried gripping his head it all felt too weird, he tried to look around where he is it still seemed like that big building of .. Harper industries? Yes that was their name. He never was in this building before, and it seemed all too strange to him. The entire process of being in those tests made Davven a bit unsure of what it would be like but it didn't even feel that bad as he took a few more steps trying to see what he could make of all of this. The building had too many levels to even grasp how big this all is, as Davven actually walked down a hallway it seemed weird he didn't see any other yet. Before he got into the machine, he saw a lot of guys who seemed to work here or not.

Looking out of the glassed sides of the hallway, down to the streets of Goldenrod, seeing some of the chaos in the distance he already witnessed before. It never looked this bad in the city, since the time he arrived there it always was quite the nice big city. But since that one night it always came to conflicts in the streets, Davven could always avoid of being in the middle of one but he knew a lot had to change till the normality could return that he was used to. It was when he heard about Harper industries and their project, it actually seemed like a solution to him to help make the situation stable again.

He didn't know though, all of this seemed to be strange for him, and him being a voluntary tester for it, was not the best decision probably too but he was fine with it. Davven was torn out of his thoughts though; as he saw some helicopter he found it strange to see one next to the building on an extra heliport for it. Also did he see not so many around, as he thought they got replaced by the advances of the technology. Seeing that strange sight, Davven got attracted to it and looked over the Helicopter walking out the Building towards it.

Davven didn't know if he should try to fly in the dream or not, maybe it should be good data source for the test. As he approached the helicopter and slowly got into it, he suddenly felt a rush of tiredness, and it actually made Davven lose interest in flying. Making his way around the helicopter's inside he could see in the back was a lot of boxes and various other stuff it carried it was the cargo probably. Davven never was before in any helicopter but at least could know how they are built.

Thinking about it, it probably didn't even belonged to the Harper industries as he never saw something like that, but the rush of sleepiness got over him as he layed down in a comfortable spot in the boxes these tests seemed to tire him out. Moving his coat out of the way and eventually laying down, a bit hidden in between those boxes as he tried to think when again they wanted to get him out of the machine or if they already did, but then he would know right. He didn't care much as he closed his eyes and the next thing was him falling asleep.

There was a bump, and then another bump, and suddenly a weird smell as Davven opens his eyes slowly again. It seemed weird where he was and everything hurted at first, why the hell did he sleep .. there was he even? Looked like some cargo area, the boxes everywhere and looking around trying to stand up he tried to figure out where that smell came from. It smelled like something was burning, that smell was very known for Davven in recent times in Goldenrod but where was he now as he stumbled still a bit but suddenly saw the burning building.

Making his way out of the helicopter as it slowly came back to him that he walked into it before, and saw somebody else "Hey! What is going on here?" As the heat of the fire that the burning building was emitting made it hard not to drop some sweat being this close to it. He tried to see if the guy he said his question to the only other person he could see now hoping he heard him as he got closer, and seeing the building he quickly tried to reach back to his bag, pulling out the crystal he had with his Feraligatr ready to call him out with his next action.

[Ace Trainer Liam]

Erik Aegean
Team Trainer
Ambrette Town, Kalos -> cliffside on route 8
Affected RPers: None

Erik's face was illuminated by the dazzling blue light that shone from the water. A small Seaking was gliding by through the water; unaware of the outside world, simply minding itself, swimming peacefully... Erik put his hand up as if to touch the Seaking, but instead his hand touched glass. He stood there on the other side of the case, barefoot. He brought his hand back to his side and stretched his toes; he truly loved having legs.

A soft and deep rumble took Erik out of his trance and he turned. Carthage, his large Pyroar was standing next to him, greeting Erik's azure eyes with dark solemn ones. Carthage's eyes seemed to say so much and ask many questions, but simultaneously they said nothing and were aloof. Their eyes locked momentarily until Carthage broke it by fixating his gaze over Erik and growing attentive.

“There you are,” said a soft, yet sharp voice. “I've been looking for you.” Erik turned to see his sister, Lana, tall and prominent standing down the hall of the aquarium. She had a beautiful white gown that ended with red, purple, and blue frills. Her dark red hair was pinned back with gold and emerald pins. With her head raised slightly, enough to look down her long and sharp nose, she asked,

“Why are you here? Don't you get enough sea life under the waters?”

“I was showing Carthage what it's like underwater.” Erik responded. He turned back toward his majestic lion Pokemon and brushed his head with his hand. “He'll never be able to experience it, never know what my room looks like, or the city, at least, not in real life. So I took him here with me to show him life underwater.” He smiled as Carthage cocked his head while Erik scratched behind his ear. Lana walked toward Erik; her bare feet slapping the lamented floor lightly in her grace.

“You know, you have to come back to the city for business.” Her voice became hushed, setting a sensitive, but serious tone that chilled over Erik's body. “It's not safe up here in the land cities, it's much more violent. At least underwater there aren't any Mechari, so little to no riots.”

“I know...” Erik said, avoiding eye contact with his sister; instead his sight drifted in the wafting waters of the aquarium. Lana waited a moment, then said abruptly, yet softly to not startle Erik,

“I heard you joined Team Trainer.”

“I have.” Erik responded factually, now turning to look up at her.

“Usually the head of the family does that, which is why none of us have done so yet.”

“Lana, we have no idea who's suppose to be head of the family. It's not suppose to be a girl and no one knows which twin was born first. And it's not okay, for some reason, to have two heads of the house, and-”

“This is why you need to come back to the city and discuss it with the rest of us, Erik!” Lana interrupted. Her voice carried and echoed in the empty hallway of the aquarium. The water Pokemon around them swam incandescently; in their own worlds beyond the glass they glided freely. Lana took a deep breath and said,

“I know it was hard when mom and dad died, deciding who was head of the house was something we could put off for a while, but now? Since the Night of Bloodfall? And since uncle Krakenus and aunt Lorelei went into hiding? We have more on our shoulders now than ever and we need to discuss who will be head of the house. The family is at our place. I'll see you there, Erik.” Her tone was light, but commanding, closing off any furthur discussion. She turned and walked out of the aquarium as Erik watched her part.

He looked down a the floor in thought while still scratching Carthage's ear, but Carthage was not longer reacting to it like before. The lion Pokemon looked at Erik; watching him and waiting for him to make a decision. Erik felt like Carthage knew what he was going to do and was just being patient. After a while he looked up into those solemn eyes and said,

“Okay Carthage... let's go to the cliffside.” Erik walked over to Carthage's side and leapt up to straddle him. With Erik holding on, Carthage took off down the hall and out through the large doors to Ambrette Town.

The town was mainly deserted, even though it was midday. Cars were overturned, piles of debris were smoldering, and in the distance Erik could hear some people's voices, although inaudible.

“Come on, let's go.” Erik whispered to Carthage as they strolled down the stairs. Carthage gathered his surroundings and headed off along the wooded side of the route to make it to the cliffs that were in between Ambrette Town and Cyllage City. Erik held on, resting low on Carthage's back; his mane nestled Erik's head as he drifted into his thoughts.

[Death's Spook]

Michael Phloros
Phoenix Battalion
Castelia City Skies
ARPers: Velocity

<So Michael, why are we meeting an angel renowned for her flying magic abilities above the clouds entirely? Wouldn't that give her a decisive advantage?>

Lenore was ever worried about me. Not because I had displayed myself to be incapable-not at all-but because such was her nature.

To be fair, I was not completely free of unease, myself. Lenore marked the first time that my facade was revealed at a time not my own choosing to a person I preferred to have remained in the dark. I was hoping to gain control of the situation by employing her and thereby giving her something she’ll want while simultaneously getting to keep a closer eye on her.

But Lenore didn’t really have a head for the sort of business I do. She wasn’t stupid-quite the opposite-but her temperament didn’t match the kind needed to do what I do.

So, through telepathy, I assuaged her, <I am hoping to put her at ease for this meeting, Lenore. Controlling her through direct intimidation is the sort of thing that will get me killed. She will not be cowed; however, I’m certain she can bought. If I play my cards right, she will be one of the more important pieces on the board by the end of this.>

Lenore looked a bit uneasy, probably at the thought of treating people like pieces on a chessboard. I could not really blame her: it would have made my stomach turn, before I had to be involved in the sorts of things that I was.

We were quite the group. Under my magical concealment, Lenore levitated both herself and me at a steady pace, until we rose above the clouds. However, while she was levitating two people, I was concealing three.

Tifón circled us as we rose, trying to think, <So if we’re trying to bribe her into joining, why am I here? The last time she saw me, I literally made someone explode. Lenore is understandable, since she was less vicious and helped fight alongside Aria, but I did what I did in cold blood.> Tifón didn’t particularly like that, but we had all gotten used to doing less than savory things over the years.

I sighed, <Call it paranoia, but I prefer to have an undercurrent of “and this is what will happen if you refuse.” Not enough to be something she can explicitly be offended about, but just enough to remind her that I don’t particularly care to be crossed. Call it security.>

Tifón thought for a second, <Some might consider it disturbing that you have the same relationship with intimidating others as four year olds do with their blankets.>

I rolled my eyes, but conceded the point. There wasn’t any particular amount of time for arguing anyway. We had arrived at our destination.

I dropped the veil from around us directly in Aria’s sight, where she could clearly see we were not trying to ambush her. I raised my hands and put them behind my head in an effort to appear to be non threatening. Lenore had done something similar, and Tifón did something analogous by landing on my head.

Out loud, I spoke in kinder tones, ”Hello Aria. Is everything set for your tenure with me?”

Linda the Porygon-Z (Gabriel Phloros)
Phoenix Battalion
Castelia City, Unova
ARPers: Neo Emolga

I floated into the camp of the Phoenix Battalion as though I had no reason to be afraid. Michael instinctively understood the lesson I was using, and accidentally taught it to me: the best way to appear above suspicion was to act like there was no reason anyone could think you suspicious in the first place.

Like almost all the lessons I had learned from all three of the Phloroses, this one worked without a hitch. Everyone assumed that I was just some other person’s Pokemon, beneath notice and therefore beneath suspicion, which vastly expedited the mission I was on.

It certainly didn’t hurt that my target was pretty much impossible to miss. A giant to anyone who didn’t hang around a Granok most of the time, with large white wings and a charisma about him, Axel Silverfield was impossible to miss. As I followed him up the hill, I happened upon a conversation between him and a Chua.

I didn’t have a mouth, but I had learned a small trick to communicate out loud and in English. By using my limited psychic power, I was able to manipulate the air to make sound, thus making a voice I could “speak” with.

So as Axel Silverfield said the words “One way or another...” out loud, I floated up and “said”, "And truly this is an excellent note upon which to continue our conversation. Hello, Axel Silverfield. I am known as Linda. My friend has a proposal for the Phoenix Battalion as a whole, and you in particular. I believe you will find it quite compatible with your current agenda.”

[TheoreticalSelkie]

Galen Phloros
Phoenix Battalion
Castelia City Hospital, Unova
Affected RPers: @Death's Spook (?)

The screech of the gurney echoed through the hall as another injured victim entered the system. A nurse, immaculately dressed, clicked her way through the halls of the city hospital as she pushed the gurney through several sets of double doors. Following close behind was a Blissey. The Pokemon was stablizing the patient, making sure she didn't bleed out before she hit the operating table. As the gurney shot through the hospital hallways, the masses of patients and doctors quickly cleared out of the way, sending the call to get out of the way further down the hall. Through the final set of swinging doors, the gurney pulled up short, glinting in the bright light of the overhead lights. A slight hum joined the background drone of medical machines surrounding the gurney. With a loud creak, the gurney started rising with the aid of a spell as the nurse and Blissey hurriedly prepared equipment for the operation.

"Status?" A doctor, clipboard in hand, towered over the gurney. The patient's eyes widened as she realized that it was a Mechari, one of those like the Repressors that brought about the Bloodfall. The Mechari glanced down and spoke a few quick words, recognizable as a sleeping spell. "And anesthesia."

The patient attempted to say something, but her words caught in her throat. Her limbs fell like scattered stones. Her body felt heavy and numb at the same time, a not so unpleasant feeling. Her vision blurred until it was filled with bright lights from overhead. As she started drifting off, she could hear the nurse making a report to the Mechari.

"Fractured ribs, shattered knee, ruptured lungs, and several deep cuts. The EMTs stabilized her but many of her injuries are too severe to solve with a quick healing spell."

"I apologize, ma'am, we'll fix you up good as new." The Mechari monotonously assured the patient before turning to the nurse. "We start with her ribs and lungs-"

And then her world went black.

---

When the patient woke up, the Mechari doctor was quietly writing by her bedside. Behind the doctor, the large windows were clear, showing a few skyscrapers in the distance. The sun reflected off the building windows as people bustled below. In the hospital room, Galen put down her pen upon realizing that her patient was awake.

"How do you feel?" Galen asked, closing the file she was working on.

With a loud grunt, the patient attempted to sit up, but felt bandages holding her down. Everything about her ached, but nothing felt out of place. "I'm fine, Mechari. Why do you have to be the one to treat me anyways?"

Ignoring the pointed remark, Galen continued: "You were injured in a large car accident. We treated you for several fractured bones and other wounds. I recommend that you take a rest for the days following your discharge. If you need more assistance, please contact the nurses." The chair screeched as it was pushed back. "I must go check on my other patients."

Leaving the hospital room behind, Galen scanned her list. The majority were from the accident earlier in the day. An almost-tragic one, if it wasn't for the prompt medical aid offered moments after the first fire licked up from the cars. The EMTs were alert today, mainly due to a smaller riot that broke out earlier in the day. The city had been on edge, partially due to the Mechari following the Bloodfall, and partially due to the rioting that occurred as Team Trainer took on the mantle of leadership. Galen had avoided many of the riots by virtue of her job. So rarely, if ever, did Galen come home in broad daylight. And so she avoided many of the mobs. And the ones that she did encounter, she simply ignored and continued walking, protected by the white doctor's coat she wore. Many people were unwilling to harm a doctor, even if he was a Mechari.

At the very least, the hospital staff were glad to have the help of every doctor available, Galen included. Especially on a day like this. But just as she was about to open the door, a pink, round paw tugged on her arm. She looked down to see Hippocrates, her Blissey. Her eyes were downcast with concern. A message?

Her question was answered by another doctor, one of the Merfolk, who turned the corner into the hallway they were in. As he approached, he waved, briefly adjusting his askew glasses. His fins flapped with exertion as he took a quick breather. "Galen! Good to know I've caught you, you should take a rest. Considering you just did several major operations in a row, we're all worried for you. Take a break!"

"I have to see this patient-"

"No, I simply insist, Dr. Phloros! I can take care of your rotation for you, please get some rest. The board members are also concerned for your health." He attempted to push Galen back from the door. Considering that she was around 9 feet tall and as heavy as one would expect, Galen didn't budge an inch.

"If you insist, Dr. Thompson. I will be in my office then." Galen calculated that his worries would be alleviated if she simply took a rest for the night. While she didn't feel the need for sleep, it would seem that she had been causing stress among the doctors working in the hospital. Weighing her options, she stepped away from the door and passed over the list of patients into Dr. Thompson's hands. "Thank you. Good night."

Galen bowed slightly to the doctor as she turned to head towards her office, Hippocrates in tow.

[Saraibre Ryu]

Remiel Barnabas
Team Awesome
Goldenrod City Apartments, en route to Kanto
ARPer's: N/A Directly

Nonsense, absolute nonsense. The level of nonsense was equal to the amount of pacing the Angel was doing on the floor of his apartment as he frustratedly thought about the utmost of inconvenience in timing. Papers littered his desk at home, a place where his home was as much of his substitute office. Remiel owned the entire building, including the apartments below him and the labs and doctors offices on the first and second floor. In those walls was panic and more nonsense thanks to what the Repressors were doing. That was not what he was worried about though, as was exemplified through Zier being there, watching his friend pace while ruffling his speckled feathers. The Neko was a bit taller than Remiel, and had fine wine coloured fur, almost matching of his Liepard friend that often trailed behind him. Zier even had pale rosettes to match. He say in a chair next to the table, trying to look at the mess his friend was leaving all over his living space, almost trailing immediately after him to avoid any further messes.

"Four machines. Four!" Remiel thought loudly to Zier. "They are unaccounted for, and due to the mass panic and looting, and spare housing I've had to do, it is highly likely they were stolen!"

It wasn't just that on Remiel's mind. The testing was having some unwanted side effects, such as mild and temporary Dyschronometria and having difficulty telling reality from the dream state. Remiel predicted the latter, but not the former. He knew he had to get it right, he needed to remove those side effects, never mind he was still worried about possible addictive properties with the entertainment contract he had to fulfill with Harper Industries. Ever since those reports, he had been working nonstop, having Aeda and Zier force him to take a few days off. It didn't help with the influx of patients and the looting that he had even more work to do, and he felt obligated to get done. Remiel knew Zier was watching him the entire time, waiting to say something.

Zier cleared his throat, knowing he had heard this theory many times before. He opened his mouth to speak, a french accent coming out between clean, white teeth. "I have seen it on the-"

"Now Mr, Harper wants a meeting in Kanto. I have more patients than ever suffering from paranoia and panic attacks. I can't simply leave now!"

"Remmy my friend, you can."

Remiel stopped in his pacing, and glared at Zier. "Spare me the technicalities Zier, I'm not at work now only because you and Aeda requested it."

Zier sighed, and stood up, swishing his tail back and forth as if to dust off where he was sitting behind him. "Aeda and I are more than capable of taking care of the panic; the worst enemy of the mind remember? I feel as if you are becoming a victim of flustered frustration. As for where the other four Aparatus' have gone... je ne sais pas. However, je sais, you need to go speak with Mr. Harper. No one can even use the Aisling, it is not online in full function, and you have the network key."

Zier put a hand on Remiel's shoulder, and gave a reassuring smile. Remiel knew that smile, that was the smile of someone who knew how to work a person. He glared at the Neko for using it on him, knowing he had used it on many men, and especially women when they had gone out. Zier was nothing short of a gentleman as he was, however Zier was more adventurous.

"Besides, the world is coming together, these Repressors... no, even if they claim that they can take our magic away... what's to stop the Aparatus from healing that? Mind over matter, the placebo effect... no? Helping the people long term is not in you-"

"Fine, fine, no more of her persuasive wording from your sharp tongue." Remiel took his hand off of his shoulder. "I'll go, but I'll have no mistreatment to Aeda due to associations with those Mechari who chose to break the peace."

"Monsieur, nothing short of proper consequence." Zier reassured with a pat on the back. "Lifting Skies Therapies will be in the best hands."

Remiel looked for his glasses, and pocketed them in his jacket. Flying from Goldenrod to that particular place in Kanto would only take him a few hours, as he was a rather fast aerial artist of his own accord. He was often teased for having Fearow wings back in elementary school, and he did his best to live up to such usefulness, despite the backwards insults he was given in his childhood. Remiel needed only a few things, those being his Pokemon, and that being his backpack. Zier leaned on the kitchen counter, handing things the Angel was looking for as he passed by, muttering his mental list out loud. Zier almost knew his house better than Remiel did. First was the handout of the missing Beta Aisling Aparatus' that were meant for group testing on a network, and on a manufactured scale. Next was Remiel's bag with the Alpha Aisling Aparatus, which was the Angel's pride and joy, as it was the template and Remiel's personal tinker toy to get it to work just fine.

"Where is my bag..." Remiel asked, growing more and more impatient. "Where is it WHERE-"

Zier threw the bag at him with such force, it almost winded the Angel. He gripped onto the straps before it hit the floor, knowing he probably deserved that. Remiel sighed, breathing deeply before he decided he was calm. "Where would I be without you Zier?"

"Working yourself to death my friend! Hunched over and ruining your posture. Not befitting a gentleman." He answered. "Things will be fine. After all this, I shall take you to Lumiose, and a nice cafe, we will relax, take a week's vacation and see the sights. Lovely view on the tower during the evenings this time of year eh?"

Remiel put a scarf over his neck as the two of them headed to the roof. Zier continued explaining vacation plans once again to the doctor, and Remiel just nodded along. He would feel the vacation would be more deserved after this crisis was over and the Aisling Aparatus was on good terms with the rest of the world. Just as Remiel was finished getting prepared, the Neko handed Remiel his cane, receiving a bit of a humbled glance in exchange.

"I may have gotten a bit over excited. Anyway, I will leave the establishment in your capable hands, and Aeda's." Remiel told Zier with a calm, confident voice. "I shall return within two days at most."

"Always the Mirror's to keep in contact mon amie. Off with you now!"

Remiel uncovered the gossamer from his wings, and opened them wide. A few quick steps and a jump off the edge of the roof, and the doctor was airborne. A compass on his left wrist and a quick readjusting of the backpack on his chest to ensure security, and he began to ascend into the sky. All the whole, Zier waved at him until he was out of sight, shaking his head at his work associate. Remiel's concerns with the investor, and the meeting itself were not much of his concern, however he had a feeling in his gut that there were going to be complications in the future.

[VeloJello]

Aria Jegudiel
Phoenix Battalion
Castelia City, Unova (Castelia skies)
Affected RPers: @Death’s Spook

Every single beat of Aria’s wings was laced with tension, and Orville - beautiful sympathetic Pokemon that he was - could tell. He pulled up beside her, matching her pace, and shot her a look of concern. Although he made no effort to talk to her directly, he seemed to be trying to send feelings of confidence and peace over their still-open telepathic link. She smiled to herself at the show of affection and took a deep breath.

[i]You are where you need to be,[i] she reminded herself firmly, but her mind couldn’t help but wander back to her first meeting with her new employer - the musical star Michael Phloros.

For most people, the name “Michael Phloros” conjured up images of bright lights, stages, screeching fangirls, and tastefully obnoxious pop music.

For Aria, the name conjured up images of blood and gore that had left her retching in her quarters at the Magi Hall half the night after she had met Phloros had met two days ago.

Her distraction, and morbid fascination with the memories of the sudden violence, was why she very nearly missed the Neko, Vivillon, and Gardevoir that seemed to materialize in front of her until it was too late.

With a snap, her wings opened, providing an effective brake that stopped her from running headlong into Phloros and his Pokemon. However, the brake also took away all of Aria’s lift, which was why she barked out a magic-infused order - “Winds, converge!” - before she even began to slow. Beneath her feet, the winds swirled upward, carrying with them bits of cloud. While the wind didn’t form a solid platform - even the strongest magician couldn’t force the air to become a flat, even surface - it held her up in the center of a sort of localized tornado. Orville buzzed over to her and landed on the rim of the wind platform. Unlike her, however, he kept his wings slightly spread and his tail raised, making it clear that he was ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice.

Nausea roiled in Aria’s gut and it had nothing to do with the fact that she was standing on moving air. Ordinarily, the sight of a Neko levitating in the air with a Vivillon on his head and a Gardevoir beside him might’ve been amusing, especially when that Neko was a pop star who dressed for the stage. However, that Vivillon… One look at those pixel eyes and she was reminded of the Charizard whose guts the Vivillon had literally detonated. Before that evening, she had only seen violence in practice bouts, and had only seen internal organs in healing and anatomy classes. Because of her worry, she ensured that she was keeping a strong posture and a level expression - she’d found over the years that projecting confidence was the best way to feel it.

“Hello, Aria,” Michael Phloros said calmly, his hands - paws? Aria had never been sure what, exactly the Neko and Chua prefered their extremities to be called - behind his head in a peaceful gesture. “Is everything set for your tenure with me?”

His tone was friendly. Despite herself, Aria actually liked his voice. When she had agreed to travel with him, she had decided to listen to some of his music to figure out what sort of autotune-riddled drivel she was going to have to put up with for the next several months, and possibly more than that. She had been pleasantly surprised - Michael did have, as far as she could tell, a genuinely beautiful singing voice, and his voice was ear-pleasing even when he wasn’t singing.

Appearances could be deceiving. Aria hoped that in this case, they weren’t, and that Michael’s behavior during the attack that they’d been through had been born purely of necessity. But she was far from sure. The incongruencies between his usual, wild-but-ditzy public behavior and his ruthless competency at the site of the ambush were too large to ignore, and whenever Aria analyzed the schism, she found yet another reason to get nervous about it.

But it had given Aria some useful insights: one thing was for sure, Phloros did the things he did for a reason; everything seemed to be about image and presentation, until the situation came down to life-and-death. It took Aria a few seconds to figure out why Tifón the killer butterfly had been brought along, but she was pretty sure that she knew the answer: Michael wanted to present power and make sure that Aria knew exactly what she was dealing with. She thought the reminder pointless and annoying, as she wasn’t going to turn on him unless he went back on their deal or turned out to be some form of rampaging psychopath. But she felt no need to play that game herself. So when she answered Phloros, she smiled politely and kept a loose, easy grip on her staff. If she needed to remind him that she could electrocute someone to death with a muttered word, then he wouldn’t have hired her to be his bodyguard.

“Of course, of course,” she said; she had been sure to pack all of her essentials - toothbrush and other toiletries, Mirror, and some reading material - into her satchel before leaving. She tried to at least sound friendly, as she was in for a miserable time if she couldn’t build something of a rapport with her new boss. “As discussed, I’ve left the library keycard with my Acolytes; all of us are most grateful for it.” She couldn’t help feeling a surge of pride when she said “my Acolytes”. “And I have my Pokemon already with me, of course.”

There was a brief pause as Aria tried to think of what to say next. She was still a little flustered, as she had been prepared to meet Phloros on the ground and his abrupt arrival had caught her off guard. “So,” she said brightly, flicking her wings in readiness to take off again, “shall we go?”