[SEASON 2] The Stalkers RPG - Main Action and Team Status [ENDED... FOR NOW]

[Neo Emolga]

Time to put my skills to good use. Hopefully I won't have to fight, but if I do, I'm ready.

Protect 124. Kure the Doublade.

You arrive Kure's apartment at the Dakin Apartment Tower. When he greets you after answering the door, you inform him that you are here to provide protection and serve as a bodyguard throughout the night.

"Thank you for your selfless generosity," Kure speaks to you in appreciation. "Truly you are an Emissary of noble heart and compassion. You are welcome to join me for tea before I retire for the night, but please, feel free to help yourself to whatever you need while you are here."

You join Kure for tea, which has a rich and almost otherworldly aroma that soothes and calms your soul like no other tea you've ever had before has done. Most of the time is spent in meditation, but you do have a brief conversation about what you both believe lies beyond the edges of the universe. But once both of you are done, he retires for the night while you stand vigilant against anything that would seek to intrude during the night.

#124 Kure the Doublade will be defended against all Stalker attacks for this Night Cycle.

Velo the Togekiss (M: Fairy/Flying)

Health: 5/5
Sanity: 4/4
Perk: Science | Learned Abilities: Escort/Protect
Failed Assassinations: 0/2

[Neo Emolga]

I look around before making my way back to the street. I search the area before walking down the road.

Search: (82) Dhalshaw Laboratories

You stand outside the small white Dhalshaw Laboratories research building, which seems to exist as a sole survivor in a mostly dead industrial graveyard. The facility has closed down for the night, but you start your search by going around the perimeter of the building, using a headlamp to help illuminate the outside area in the dark. Meanwhile, the moonlight helps a bit, but despite this, you don't find anything out of the ordinary outside.

You're able to head inside the building using a window that had been left slightly ajar during the morning. Once you head inside, you search around the laboratories that seem like the Pokémon that work here have been quite busy researching new chemical compounds and formulas. It seems like they're in the process of trying to create new alternate forms of energy and fuel. Your understanding of these processes and research makes it seem like the staff is on the verge of a breakthrough, but there is still some more research and development that needs to be done. As a result, you realize why so much of what goes on here has to be kept behind closed doors.

While going through another lab dedicated toward creating medical formulas, you find what appears to be a white, metallic disc-shaped object among other kinds of research equipment. At first, you almost mistake this to be a research tool as well, but there's something you notice that was likely missed by the research staff that works here.

The disc glows in the dark and it's not because of radiation. When you hold it in your hands, it feels soothing and calms your spirit. Meanwhile, the metal seems like an otherworldly alloy. While the scientists likely dismissed these aspects as being simply a coincidence, you look beyond that and decide it's likely there's some other bigger purpose for it and wasn't meant to end up in a place like this. You decide to take it with you.

Item [Divine Relic Disc] has been added to the Team Inventory.

After searching the rest of the facility, you don't find anything else that seems out of the ordinary, but you are very impressed at how much Pokémon are capable of creating and that no human should ever underestimate their research knowledge and capabilities.

You then head out the same way you came in and return to the night streets once more.

Pixel the Porygon-Z (M: Normal)

Health: 5/5
Sanity: 4/4
Perk: Science | Learned Abilities: Investigate
Failed Assassinations: 0/2

[Suicune's Fire]

I return to the police station in hopes of finding out something inside...

You approach the police station at night, and you can see lights inside. As expected, the police force always has someone working, no matter the time of day. However, you have the ability to remain undetected, which you employ while you sneak in through the front door and begin to look around.

At first you can feel nothing of significance. The cubicles, complaints desk, a small kitchen and Pormalu's office are all clean. You then follow a corridor to the end, where you find the evidence cage, which is a large wire fence blocking off a section of a room containing evidence on multiple cases. You think this might be useful, so you slip through unnoticed and start checking shelves, drawers, files, and cupboards. Eventually you begin to sense something, so you follow your nose and come across a unique safe. Just as you think that you're going to have to ask someone with security knowledge to break into it, you notice that, for some reason, it's unlocked. Whoever accessed it last was either in a hurry, or had no idea what they were doing. Regardless, you swing open the door and peer inside.

Your eyes fall upon a helmet of sorts. It gives off a faint emanation of holiness, which you can't really explain but feel deep within your soul. You absentmindedly reach in and pick it up with both yellow paws, but its heaviness weighs you immediately down and it clangs loudly against the bottom of the safe. You're not sure if anyone heard you, but you quickly drag it into view and then summon a ball of light so you can get a better look at it.

It looks to be an old, draconian metal helmet worn into battle, as you suspect it was used for judging by the scuffs and a small dent at its base. It's relatively circular, but has a pointed rise which would continue between your ears if you were to wear it, and a gap underneath as if to allow for protrusions at the back of the head. The whole facial area is open, and a long point which would trail down the nose rests between the circular shaping which you assume is where the wearer's eyes would be. At the back of where the skull would sit is a metal tail which probably rests along the back of the wearer's long neck. It is covered with intricate carvings and a half-opaque gem is placed in the centre of the forehead. It appears to have two broken off pieces either side of the facial area, which you assume you'll have to recover before the whole helmet can be restored. It's a little smaller than the size of your body, which tells you it's for a large Pokémon, and for a moment you're unsure if you'll be able to carry it back to your teammates on your own.

Item [Crusader Helmet Base] was added to the Team Inventory.

You hear someone coming, and you know that you don't have long before they'll see a floating helmet. So you hoist up the helmet and sit it over your head, which is enormous on you, and run upright around some of the evidence shelves. The two guards rush past you to the safe, which is when you make a run for it and disappear down the corridor. Thanking Mew for your powers, you then find a way to escape and slip out of the police department undetected.


Lita the Pikachu (S: Electric)

Health: 4/4
Sanity: 4/4
Perk: Security | Learned Abilities: Rescue/Escape
Failed Assassinations: 0/2

[Suicune's Fire]

MOARE SEARCHING! (46c) Seawish Tower, Floors 21-30. Barring any requirements for Restraining someone, this ought to be what I'm doing.

You return to the Seawish Tower, which is lit up at night and you're able to see perfectly as you enter through the lobby and swim up to the floor you're aiming to search. It takes you quite a while to search floors 21 to 30, and during your search, you find only one thing of note, which you return to upon completing floor 30's inspection.

Back down at floor 26, you spotted a security camera which you thought could have the potential to hold information which might be of interest to Fern, who asked the Emissaries to gather security information in order around Silvercoal City in the hopes that the police department could update their records and become more informed about the common areas for crime. There was a small security room at the end of the hall which you assume someone with security knowledge could enter to access the camera's information.

Object {Apartment Security Camera: <Security>} was noted in the Team Records.

There is nothing else in this general location, so you move on for now.


Tazz the Suicune (L: Water)

Health: 6/6
Sanity: 3/4
Perk: First Aid | Learned Abilities: Restrain
Failed Assassinations: 0/2

[Spiderc]

I'll finish what I started last night and search the rest of the Chemical Plant

{Search: (49b) Runner Chemical Plant Floors 8-15}

[Suicune's Fire]

Time to put my hunch to good use

Search (85) Solace Plaza

Solace Plaza is a quiet, clean, and pretty place. The benches all look clean enough to sit on, the trees are all healthy and tall, and there's even a bed of flowers in the very centre. There are a few open areas where kids can play ball, and even a drawing wall which is covered in appropriate art and writing which has been allowed by the local council.

You walk past a small fountain littered with old-fashioned coins at the bottom, and begin to hear a strange noise. You follow the sound and eventually come across a small pink Pokémon levitating around in a constant circle. There's an down-turned painting in a common frame lying in the centre of where the creature is circling. You can hear him muttering to himself, and every time he turns his round body so you can see his face, you can see that it is twitching and scrunched up. You suspect that this Pokémon might be in a bit of pain or discomfort, and as you approach to ask, you make yourself visible.

The Munna is startled when you come within a close vicinity to him, and he immediately shoots out a wave of psychic energy at you. You manage to dodge it and then try to reason with him.

"Can't sleep...can't sleep. I can't sleep! Need to...get out. Need to escape. I need to get out of here," he mutters inwardly, rocking back and forth in midair. Then he stares you dead in the face. "I need a hit. Get me one now. Get me an Adrenaline Syringe." The Pokémon looks down, pointing to the painting with his short trunk. "This...you can have it if you g-get me what I want. Get me what..." He blinks, then begins to emit a psychic barrier blocking you from getting any closer. You try to penetrate it, but it seems impassable.

Object {Deranged homeless Munna: Adrenaline Syringe} was noted in the Team Records.

As much as you don't want to give this Munna what he's asking for, you can't help but feel that this painting will have some significance in the future. You decide to search the rest of the plaza in the meantime, but find nothing to report back to your teammates aside from this unhinged Munna's demands.

You leave the plaza, a little disappointed there wasn't more here to find.


Guzma the Wigglytuff (M: Normal/Fairy)

Health: 5/5
Sanity: 4/4
Perk: Science | Learned Abilities: Restrain
Failed Assassinations: 0/2

[Suicune's Fire]

Search (2) Brook Heights Building (2a) Floors 1-10

Brook Heights Building is an average complex that has barely anything interesting to it. It is home to many of Silvercoal City's working class Pokémon, and although it is not fancy or all that interesting, it looks stable, reliable, and good enough for most citizens. You begin your search on the first floor and begin to work your way up, stopping on the ninth floor to have a look at one of the apartments which has a small sign in the centre of the door, near the top, reading "Sapling Residence." It seems to stick out to you in some way, although at first you're not quite sure why. Then it comes to you.

When the Emissaries had first arrived, they had heard some news stories through various media sources. You recall hearing one about a Sudowoodo who was in a psych ward at one of Silvercoal City's medical facilities. He is the only known survivor of a Stalker attack, but his mind is nearly completely gone as a result of suffering the initial effects of the Stalker's attacks. You had forgotten about this until now, but reading the word "Sapling" jogged your memory, as that is the Sudowoodo's last name. His mate, a Nosepass called Mahyen, gave a statement on national television about his current state, and expressed her sadness and fears for him. It had been brief, but detailed enough for you to remember her.

You decide to try to enter the apartment, but find that it is unsurprisingly locked. It appears as though you cannot enter without the correct key, as many apartments have locks too complex for a burglar to break into, and this is one of them.

Object {Sapling Family House: Locked Door} was noted in the Team Records.

You wonder if speaking with Mahyen would yield anything useful, but know that she would most likely be sleeping at this time of night, so one would have to wait for daylight hours before doing so.

When you are satisfied that there is nothing else of interest in this section of the building, you leave, aiming to tell your teammates about what you found.


Felix the Archeops (M: Rock/Flying)

Health: 5/5
Sanity: 3/4
Perk: Science | Learned Abilities: Investigate
Failed Assassinations: 0/2

[Suicune's Fire]

Well, it's not like I was going to get a confession.

I think I'll go have a poke around in Summer's Moon Condominiums floors 21-30 (39c)

As you come upon the Summer's Moon Condominiums building, you can immediately tell that only those with money to their names live here. It almost disturbs you how many unnecessary decorative ornaments and paintings hang in the lobby once you enter the building. The fresh smell of flowers fills the building, which is appealing to you, but also not much of a change given that your roses give off a pleasant aroma most of the time.

The receptionist, a tubby little Slurpuff, is on the phone before the end of his late shift, and a Heliolisk security guard stands just inside the building's doors. You remain undetected with the help of Mew's powers as you slip into the elevator and ascend the building. You travel swiftly to Floor 30, apartment 304 and are surprised to see Pormalu standing at the far end of the corridor. He appears to be on his holophone, and you briefly consider making yourself visible to him to inform him of what you are doing. You elect to, and approach him.

He is surprised but also looks expectant, and tells the Pokémon on the other end of the line to hold on for a second. "You are here to investigate Mr. Mustle and Mrs. Nairek Cankas' apartment, are you not?" he asks, to which you confirm. He nods. "Dominique came to me after your Togekiss friend interviewed her, and she said she gave you Nairek's apartment. I might be the police chief, but I can't go bursting into people's homes over and over just because of one thing a witness heard when there was nobody else there to verify it... I am not discrediting Dominique's testament, but she and Nairek have had a troubled past. They were once colleagues and Nairek was, in the end, dismissed for workplace bullying. It was aimed at Dominique." He sighs. "I hope you see the difficulty in this situation. My department obtained a warrant to search Nairek's apartment but found nothing incriminating, and if we were to follow up on a lead like this and continually find nothing, it would only cause more unrest in the city. Several citizens have been arrested since the Stalkers' arrival who we suspected were involved in Stalker activity, but they all came up clean. Some of them were killed directly after being released from custody, which...I imagine is the Stalkers' version of twisted humour. As you can imagine, the blame for those incidents fell on the police force."

The Arcanine pads past you and stops outside Nairek's door. "It would be improper of me not to try to stop you. I came here to pass on this information, and because I think Dominique has a very firm trust in you. Even so...I cannot disobey Mew's will and get in your way." You can hear the suggestion in his voice; he wants you to enter the room to find if you can uncover something he and his team couldn't, but at the same time, as the chief of police, he can't condone breaking and entering.

You understand and proceed to make yourself invisible. Pormalu is taken by surprise, but you figure he has probably seen something of the kind used by Ghost types or Pokémon who can camouflage.

You enter the apartment and gape at the abundance of expensive possessions, art, materials, and everything in between. You imagine they have a set of bowls that had cost thousands of poké which are merely for decoration, rather than for eating on. You begin your search in the kitchen, checking every drawer and using your abilities to reach out and touch anything suspicious. Suddenly, you feel something. You immediately proceed to the family room, where a page with handwriting on it rests atop a cabinet filled with expensive ornaments. You wonder why it's just sitting out in the open as you approach it. You hesitantly reach out with your bouquet hands and lift up the note.



You rush out of the apartment, knowing there is nothing else inside, and make yourself visible to Pormalu, who finishes up his conversation and docks his holophone. You show him the note and watch as his expression changes from anticipation, to mild confusion, to scepticism, and finally to realisation.

"This...was not in there when we searched the apartment," he notes. "Perhaps it was still at her Stalker headquarters when we searched it, or she knew we were coming and hid it somewhere else, but...why? This note is cryptic... Do you not agree? It appears as if Nairek is...still in there; that the Stalker has not taken over. And that she feels guilty. ...But remorseless."

Pormalu grows a grave expression. "I must do what is necessary to protect our city," he affirms, thanking you for coming by after predicting that you might. "You have done Silvercoal City a great service today."

The Arcanine departs, taking a photo of the note before he goes. You leave the building as well, bringing the note with you to show your teammates.


Amia the Roserade (M: Grass/Poison)

Health: 4/5
Sanity: 3/4
Perk: Lockpick | Learned Abilities: Rescue/Escape
Failed Assassinations: 0/2

[Suicune's Fire]

BREAKING NEWS

The holotelevision in the Emissaries' Clubhouse flashes with several words before the image of a Sylveon sitting at a news desk materialises. Her expression is professionally unreadable as she sits with her front paws crossed on the desk.

"Good evening, Silvercoal City. Breaking news has just surfaced which has come directly from the SCPD. A wealthy citizen by the name of Nairek Cankas has just been arrested and was taken into custody mere minutes ago. The unemployed Maractus is said to be the prime suspect for the infamous and terrifying Stalker, Philter. The SCPD's chief of police, Pormalu, has given a formal public statement."

The camera flicks from the newsroom to Pormalu, who has a microphone in his face held up by a member of the press. He possesses a serious demeanour and holds himself firm as he speaks.

"Evidence has come to light regarding Mrs. Cankas' connection to the Stalker known as Philter. The SCPD is currently conducting an investigation regarding allegations and witness statements with the hopes to uncover more evidence. If you know anything about this Stalker or Mrs. Cankas, please come forward. Thank you." The Arcanine pulls away, only to be surrounded by more microphones and reporters before the camera feed stops.

The holotelevision then returns to the newsroom. "We'll bring you more updates as they come," she promises. "I'm Sylvia Sylveon, and you're watching Anchorside News."

[Suicune's Fire]

Okay, I'm gonna follow up on my lead from Rabukan. Time to search (23f) Floors 51-60 (Topwire Broadcasting) for that key!

You come to the Anchor Broadcasting Tower, home to Silvercoal City's digital media production. Radio, television and more were produced and broadcast from this building. There are normally tours every few days for those who wish to take a look into this side of the entertainment industry, but at night, the building is at its most quiet. The lights from outside look fantastic, but it's the inside that you're after.

You make your way to the fifty-third floor, where you know the key resides. Something within you pulls you in the direction of the key, and you find it in a solitary room which looks like it's used for storage. You navigate through the recently placed boxes and equipment to find a small golden key wrapped in tiny vines and twirling tendrils. Mould has taken hold of the shaft and has painted the floor beneath it, almost like it has claimed its own rotting territory.

You pick up the key with one of your wings and place it in a bag you brought with you, almost expecting some kind of trap to explode in your wings. The mould on the floor begins to fade, which makes you stare with confusion. Then, to your surprise, the bottom of your bag begins growing the same mouldy substance. It starts to emit a disgusting odour, and if nothing else could confirm its connection to the Stalkers, this did.

Item [Vine Key] was added to the Team Inventory.

Hurriedly you escape the building, hoping to put this key to good use before mould takes a hold of your entire bag.


Ciel the Mega Altaria (M: Dragon/Fairy)

Health: 5/5
Sanity: 4/4
Perk: Security | Learned Abilities: Escort/Protect
Failed Assassinations: 0/2